Z661 MIVI-121H'1,1

HI FI NEWS FEBRUARY 1992 £2.00

RECOR EVIEW

SPECIAL SPEAKER ISSUE!

fe

AMERICAN BITSTREAM

THE THETA RIME

05 J12 9))_

322$

I WIN! SPEAKERS KEF

,›-

MUSIC

LÉVINÉ7FIGARO

AND FANTASTIQUE

NÓRRÎT\TÓTO—N''§

FLUTE

ZUTAN KÓCSIS

'BEEti-IOVEN SONATAS

PAVAROTTI'S OTELLO

TANNOY MORDAU NT-SHORT WHARFEDALE

ARCAM BI-WIRED SPENDOR LS3/5A AMPLIFIERS KENWOOD

SONY ONIX SONIC LINK BUILD A TWO-WAY SPEAKER PLUS SEQUERRA

MARANTZ SNOWS HONG KONG AND MILAN SAVE ON CD 7 01 2 62 31 7 02 >

t

The New 1111EL CS2.2 Since 1978, 11-1IEL has carefully developed its Coherent Source® design technology

into a succession of highly acclaimed loudspeakers.

Now, after 6 years of success with the model CS2, the first new -THIEL speaker since the introduction of the reference model CS5 is available-the CS2.2.

The CS2.2 provides an extremely high degree of tonal, spatial, transient and dynamic accuracy. We welcome comparison to any speaker at any price.

The baffle is sloped to properly position the drivers

for correct time alignment and accurate reproduction of

transient musical information. It also incorporates rounded

edges to greatly reduce energy diffraction which

contributes to very "open" reproduction.

A 50mm thick baffle, 25mm thick cabinet walls and

extensive internal bracing greatly increase cabinet

stiffness. By reducing unwanted vibration both

clarity and imaging performance are improved.

The synthesised first-order acoustic crossover is a 26 element unit implemented with 35 parts. It provides

completely phase accurate transitions between drivers to

preserve the recording's spatial information and

utilises custom-made polystyrene capacitors and

low-oxygen copper, air-core inductors for very low

distortion.

The same 25mm metal dome tweeter used in the model CS5 eliminates resonances, energy storage and colorations in the audible range. The short coil/long gap, large suspension design provides very low distortion and high dynamic range. The result is high frequency reproduction of unparalleled clarity and realism.

The woofer uses our newly developed double-surface, air-core diaphragm which practically eliminates "cone break-up" and provides exceptionally clear response. A specially shaped magnetic pole greatly reduces distortion, and heavy copper rings maintain an ultra-stable magnetic field. In conjunction with the bass radiator which eliminates the resonances and noise of a bass port, the result is remarkably clean and tonal bass reproduction.

The cabinets are finished in either mirror-matched Amberwood or gloss black lacquer. Custom finishes are available by special order.

Suggested Retail £2,339.00/pair • Call or write for literature and the name of your nearest 11-1IEL retailer. MPI Electronic UK Ltd • Wood Lane, Manchester M31 4BP • Telephone: 061-777-8522

1HIEL • 1042 Nandino Boulevard, Lexington, Kentucky 40511 • Telephone: 606-254-9427

NFRTWS

RECORIEVIEW

REGULARS

5 COMMENT by Steve Harris

9 VIEWS letters to the Editor

14 SAVE ON CD, reader offer

18 NEWS and new products

25 TECHNOLOGY by Barry Fox

27 RADIO by Trevor Butler

29 HEADROOM by Ken Kessler

40 SIDELINES by John Crabbe

75 ACCESSORIES CLUB offers

112 ADVERTISERS INDEX

114 REGIONAL DEALER GUIDE

118 CLASSIFIED ADS

FEATURES

15 COMPETITION: CD box sets of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra from Deutsche Grammophon to be won

33 MADE TO MEASURE: part 1 of an easy to build mini monitor designed by Dave Berriman

38 ITALY — the high end life and Top Show

41 HONG KONG: show report by Ken Kessler

EQUIPMENT

42 THETA CD transport and Prime DAC: full review by Martin Colloms

48 MARANTZ high-end amplifications, the Music Link Series by Ken Kessler

51 A GOOD BUNCH OF FIVE New, inexpensive loudspeaker designs evaluated by Martin Colloms are the Arcam Delta 2, KEF Q60, Mordaunt-Short 5. 2, Tannoy 605, and Wharfedale 515

61 BI-WIRE LS3/5A Ken Kessler investigates a new variant of this popular BBC design

63 TUBE TECHNOLOGY: the Unisis valve amplifier is assessed by Richard Black

65 EAST WEST: John Nelson looks at the latest amplifiers: Kenwo()d KA-4040R, ()nix 0A21s/Soap 2, Sonic Link DM15 and Sony TA-F540E

73 POT POURRI: short reviews on the new Day Sequerra tuner plus MAF speaker stands

C ontents

C EIMMUMIX'19 I I I I I I I

COVER: Yankee digits from Theta. The bitstream Prime DAC and matching transpon are reviewed by Martin Colloms starting on page 42. Photo: Tony Peteh

KEF's new (260 is among five

speakers reviewed, beginning on page 51

Bang& Oluben launches a new .C1800

speaker; four pages of News from page 18

New amps from Sony, Kenwood, Unix and Sonic Link, full test on page 65

15W :' 1VIENCit 11nm o

MUSIC 79 NOTES: music news and

comment

83 MUSIC REVIEW INDEX

85 RECORD OF THE MONTH Zoltan Kocsis plays Beethoven Sonatas

85 CLASSICAL REVIEWS First reconlings fmm the Bastille Orchestra; Rostropovich in Moscow; Berlioz's Symphonic Fantastique Norrington Magic Flute— and Beecham's

Myung-Whun Chung: pages 87, 91

103 l'HE ORGAN recent releases

105 ROCK/POP/JAZZ includes ¡NXS Lisa Stansfiel4 Paul Simon, Eric Clapton, U2, Neil Young...

111 CAPSULES short rock/ pop reviews

113 REISSUES recycled rock and pop

122 BACK DOOR: Bryan Adams and the rest of the best of 1991

U2: pramaious, nousie

Page 109 ...eirarararAirse ...erairirMAIVArlf&

.011141112% Arell

Win CD box sets of the VPO, page 15

MA 24 POWER AMPLIFIER

XIIMinas/MIMI

PURE HIGH FIDELITY

'••

See your nearest Music Link dealer

for a demonstration.

ABERDEEN )LBURN III FI 0224 585713

BEDSTOUNSTABLE INKWORTH AUDIO 0582 663383

BELIAST ZEUS AUDIO 0232 332522 BIRMINGHAM MUSIC MATTERS 021 692 1359 BISHOPS STORTFORD THE AUD1OFILE 0279 506576 BRENTWOOD BRENTWOOD MUSIC 0277 221210 BURGESS HILL MID SUSSEX AUDIO 0444 242336 CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY AUDIO 0223 354237 CARDIFF AUDIO EXCELLENCE 0222 228565 CARLISLE PETER TYSON 0228 25891 CHUTER PETERS HI Fl 0244 319392 CHRISTCHURCH H.A.T.V. 0202 473901 CLEVELAND MCKENNA & BROWN 0642 244291 MAMMON SOUNDS EXCLUSIVE 0483 268185 CONGLETON CONGLETON HI FI 0260 297544 DERBY ACTIVE AUDIO 0332 385185 DUBLIN CEOL PRODUCTS 3531 961358 EASTLEIGH HAMPSHIRE AUDIO 0703 252827 EDINBURGH IN HI Fl 031 225 8854 FOLKESTONE V. J. HI FI 0303 56860 GATESHEAD LINTONE AUDIO 091 477 4167 GLASGOW MUSIC ROOM 041 832 5012 GODSTONI SURREY HI FI 0883 744755 GUERNSEY TELESKILL 0481 22323 GUILDFORD P. J. HI Fl 0483 504801 HERTFORD ULTIMATE AUDIO VISUAL 0992 583399 HODDESDON HERTS HI Fl 0992 441172 HUDDERSFIELD HUDDERSFIELD HI Fl 0484 544668 JERSEY SOUND ENGINEERING 0534 21735 LEICESTER LEICESTER HI Fl 0533 539753 LONDON COVENT GARDEN RECORDS 071 379 7635 HI Fl EXPERIENCE 071 580 3535 LONDON HI Fl 071 263 1015 BABBER 081 579 6315 DEANS 071 723 4630 GALAXY 071 637 2624 HISPEK 071 349 1166 TIME AND TUNE 071 247 0567 SPATIAL 071 637 8702 W. A. BRADY 071 379 4010 NEWARK PETER ELLIS 0636 704571 NEW MALDEN UNILET PRODUCTS 081 942 9567 NORTHWOOD NORTH WOOD AUDIO 0927 420877 OXFORD OXFORD AUDIO CONSULTANTS 0865 790879 PRESTON NORMAN AUDIO 0772 53057 SEVINOAKS SEVENOAKS HI Fl 0732 459555 SHEFFIELD MOORGATE ACCOUSTICS 0742 756048 SHREWSBURY SHROPSHIRE HI Fl 0743 232317 STAFFORD MUSICAL APPROACH 0785 55154 STOCKPORT HILLGATE HI FI 061 480 4872 TELFORD MID SHROPSHIRE AUDIO 0952 630172

+

Editor Steve Harris

Music Editor Christopher Breunig

News Editor Trevor Butler

Editorial Secretary Sabita Sarran

Contributing Editor Ken Kessler

Consulting Editor John Crabbe

Technical Advisers Angus McKenzie MBE Martin Colloms Stanley Kelly Malcolm Hawksford Rex Baldock

Design Consultant Flick Ekins

Advertisement Beverley Simpkins Manager

Advertisement Sophia Meliniotis Sales Executive

Ad Copy Manager Angela Weckes

Ad Production Rebekah Briggs Assistant

Ad Sales Secretary Carol Walker

Subscriptions Carlyn Rainford

Publisher Colin Gamm

Editorial and Advertising offices: Link House, Dingwall Avenue, Croydon CR9 2TA. Tel: 081-686 2599. Fax: 081-7600973.

Hi-Fi News & Record Review incorporates: Stereo, Tape & Tape Recorders, Audio News, Record News, Audio Record Review, The Gra-mophone Record and Which CD. Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations.

Microfilms & Indexing Microfilm and microfiche articles therefrom arc available from University Microfilms American applications to: 300 Arbor, Michigan 48106, USA: White Swan House, 60 Surrey RH9 8LW. Technical length or over in Hi-Fi News detailed in the Current Technology

Binders Loose-leaf binders for annual arc available from Binders, Wilpshire, Blackburn, Lancs. 1982 are covered by two Dec): subsequent years require Price: £5.50 each (Kist paid). please ask for quotation.

F I 1

copies of commercially

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High Street, articles & Record

Index.

volumes 78 Whalley B131 9LF.

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HFNIRR or

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of world: Godstone,

of full page Review arc

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1971 to

binder each. years,

= 1

TEFIIIIIM IMILIELIEE1

Hi-Fi News & Record Review second Friday of the month preceding Magazines Lui, Dingwall Avenue, Link House Magazines is a member Group © Link House Magazines reserved. Reproduction in whole or the permission, in writing, of the UMD, 1 Remelt Road, London 4600. Typesa by Marlin Graphics, Passmon Inumational, Maidstone, Subscriptimu HFNIRR Subscription Depanment, Ltd, lu Floor, Stephenson House, Milton Keynes MK2 2EW. Tel:0908 mail subscription rates. £24.00 (UK) (overseas). Overseas airmail: £55.00 Postmaster please send address corrections Expeduen of the Printed World Ltd, Avenel, NJ 07001. Tel: (201) 1492. Second-class postage paid at entry.

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2323 Randolph 396-9555 Fax: Rahway, NY

COM W hatever else happens in the

consumer electronics industry, for the audio sector 1992 will

be the Year of DCC. The format is well supported and the launch will be ( broadly speaking) on schedule. And, as I reported on this page last month, a Philips/Decca demonstration largely succeeded in dis-pelling the fear that PASC (the data compression coding used in DCC) would mean Imperfect Sound Forever. The specialist hi-fi writers perhaps

found this demonstration more exciting than the general press briefing that pre-ceded it. But this `DCC update' from Gerry Wirtz did turn out to be much more than the expected re-run of previous Philips presentations. No longer obliged to spend time going over the basics of DCC technology, Wirtz was able to dis-cuss the marketing aspects in greater depth and breadth. Almost the first point to be made was

the sheer size of the business. For 1990, the world sales of blank cassettes amounted to some 1600m units, with pre-recorded tapes at around 1000m units. Cassette recorders and players of all kinds totalled over 180m units. Only around 9m of these were hi-fi cassette decks, with combination units, portables, personal players and car players making up the rest. But, as Wirtz points out, Digital Compact Cassette is set to replace analogue cassette in all these markets; no other consumer electronics product sells in these volumes. In fact, as Wirtz put it, 'if cassette is the second most successful product, the first is the light bulb!'. To illuminate Philips' view of DCC's

future growth, Wirtz analysed the growth and decline of preceding formats. LP sales continued to grow for some years after the launch of Musicassette, starting to decline in 1978. Similarly, Musicassette sales continued to grow for some years after the launch of CD: the decline started only in 1990. 'We realized that this was a normal life-cycle', says Wirtz, inferring that the greatest key factor in the sales patterns was, ultimately, nothing more or less than novelty value. 'LP was in the market so long. After 30 years, it had started to lose interest. Cassette is now losing interest in the same way.' Even with the advent of DCC, analogue cassette is expected to remain in the market for at least another 15 years. Summing the sales graphs for the

various music carriers revealed an overall 'natural growth' curve, although this showed a dip in the early 19805 due to the relatively slow changeover to CD. A simi-lar dip could be predicted in 1992-93, with the changeover to DCC. In order to meet wider commercial objectives, DCC had to grow three times as fast as CD. This could be possible given the advantages of DCC in the broader market, namely, the hardware's backward compatibility ( abil-ity to play existing analogue tapes) and the tape medium's inherent shock-resistance.

MENT

STEVE HARRIS

On pricing, Wirtz said that 'very tough price targets' were being imposed by the market: after all, the cheapest portable analogue cassette players leave the factory at $5 or less. It is still impossible to pin down the exact pricing of the four Philips models which were seen in prototype form at the Berlin Funkausstellung show in August: Wirtz was only able to state that (assuming current exchange rates) they will range from £320 to £560, with the key portable model somewhere in the middle of this range. On software pricing, Polygram's commercial director of DCC, Dieter Radecki, could not be drawn further than to state that in the launch phase the price of pre-recorded tapes would be '...up to each company. We don't think it will be higher than CD, but it will be about the same as CD.' Given the planned availability of 500 titles at the launch, the first DCC duplicating plant would be able to satisfy world demand at first, but at least seven plants were expected to be on-stream by 1993. There are still uncertainties; that sim-plified view of the reproduced-music mar-ket doesn't take into account the general economic situation, or the fact that audio ultimately has to compete with many other kinds of product for the consumer's hard-earned disposable income. Also, those non-hi-fi users who regard analogue cassette sound as adequate will probably continue to do so for some years, and will be won over only when the other prac-tical benefits of DCC become well-known, and when the pricing truly reflects those 'tough' market demands. But this most recent press briefing revealed more than ever before the strong foundations of Philips' confidence in its new system.

Next month Next month's equipment tests will look at some of the latest 'multi-bit' CD conten-ders: can they really fight back against the advancing tide of Bitstream technology? There will be more speakers from TDI., lleco and others, plus the usual comple-ment of technical features. The March issue goes on sale on Friday, 14th Febru-ary. Don't miss WI,-

HI-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 5

SIP

FROM AN ORIGINAL IDEA BY

e

-

••••••_

4WII1

L. S. LOWRY.

fr.

SI-XP700 Picture this, a portable

CO pla,/er thinner than

two CO cases.

And Nhether your ears

soar to the sweet tones of

the largest prima donna

or the treacherous riff of

a Thin LiZzy bass line, one

thing that'll stay the same

is the quality of sound.

Squeezed into this

robust eluminium case is

some of the finest hi-fi

tednology you can carry.

In fact with features

like Amenity Sound

Control (so you can keep

your pop art to yourself),

and ore key remote-

controlled headphones we

think we've created a

unique work of art.

me SI -XP700 Portable CD

player. 8 times oyersampling

18- bit digital filter and 2-DAC

system with 24 track programm-

ing and random play. Six hours

of continuaus play with internal

Ni- Cd rechargeable batteries

or a on battery pack.

Contact your nearest Technics

deale,- as listed in Yellow Pages b

Thomaons Directories.

Technics For Music Lovers

Just for the

KRELL opt

1BSOLUTE SOUNDSLIN1111.1) 58 Durham Road.London SW20 ODE

Telephone:081 947 5047 FAX:081 879 7962

'1 have the simplest of tastes... I am always satisfied with the hest'

Oscar Wilde

Absolute Sounds has been for over a decade the leading source of high-

end audio equipment in Great Britain.

The secret to this success lies in the company's

ability to select and promote the very finest

equipment produced in the world today and.

since its inception. Absolute Sounds has built a

global reputation for creating systems without

equal.

Absolute Sounds recognised the sheer

brilliance of Krell products from the very

beginning. After 12 years Absolute Sounds'

support for this brand has grown even stronger

because Krell never fails to further the state of

the art, together with the pioneering of fully

balanced electronics, with each new model.

Recently, Krell has focused on the entry- level

end of the range, to make the magic available

to a wider audience. The range now starts with

the superb value-for-money KST 100 power

amplifier and KSL pre-amp. the best way yet to

embark on a high-end journey.

And for seasoned Krell users, the company

has redefined the ultimate in Class-A

amplification with the breathtaking KAS

Reference models.They add new meaning to

the concept of controlled power.

The same scope has been applied to digital

technology, with Krell taking an early lead in

this exciting field. The Krell digital catalogue

starts with the Stealth processor and the 1- Bit

player, through to the radically different MO2

and MD1 CD turntables and SPB64X processor.

As with the famous Krell amplifiers and pre-

amplifiers, all Krell Digital components offer

magnificent build quality, matchless reliability

and performance which allows you to forget the

technology and thrill to the music.

Contact your authorised Krell dealer for a demonstration. Just for the Krell of it.

NEWS & RECORD REVIEV/ FEBRI'ARY 1992

VIEWS Analogical room Dear Sir, I read with much interest the article by Stan Curtis on loudspeaker/ room equalization given in the November issue and agree wholeheartedly that one of the great potentials of digital equalization lies in its precise control of temporal anomalies in the loudspeaker/ room response. It is this type of correction that has until recently has eluded traditional graphic and parametric equalization techniques. Indeed, a point not mentioned in the article is that graphic equalizers can, and more often than not do, prove detrimental to the transient performance of the system and this may well be responsible for their much highlighted poor sonic performances. In contrast, digital equalizers, by way of introducing an overall delay, can effectively constrain the transient response of any system close to a pure impulse ( delta function) given sufficient processing power. However, despite this point being generally recognized as a principal feature of digital filters, owing to possible perceptible anomalies introduced as a consequence of the long delay requirements imposed by the room equalization, Stan Curtis opts to equalize purely the minimum phase component of the system response. Whilst I accept that there are a number of practical advantages in applying techniques to this task, there are no theoretical reasons why an analogue solution could not be arrived at. Moreover, one could say that in deriving the minimum phase signal from which the digital equalizer is based we are effectively mimicking the function of an analogue equalizer; thus we have produced the digital analogue of an analogue equalizer. Further, it should be noted that this form of equalization in no way guarantees an improvement in the transient performance of the room/ loudspeaker system, in fact the converse may well be true. Richard Greenfield, University of Essex

Cheap 'n' cheerful Dear Sir, I would like to put forward an argument that one of the very cheapest CD players on the market is not just one of the best, but the best integrated player available. I recently bought a Sony CDP-491 for a mere £ 140 after hearing every recommended player up to £1000 and, in my opinion, it is the most musical and involving player money can buy. I am fed up with the hype surrounding mega-expensive machines; can anyone convince me that any player can beat the Sony in the following areas: ( a) realism; how many players sound as if they are playing real music where instruments actually sound like real instruments, not a processed version of the real thing which bears about as much resemblance to the original as an electric organ does; ( b) musicality; how many players reproduce

those subtle inflexions such as a singer's intake of breath or the sound of a hair on violin, which add enormously to musical enjoyment; (c) space; how many players accurately reproduce the space ambience of a recording, so that instruments are not bunched-up close together or artifical contrasts are introduced between instruments; (d) excitement; how many players have that spark which sets the pulse racing. The Sony excels in all these areas and in others: the warmth of its sound, the complete lack of edge to its treble, the realism of its bass, the superb focus of its imaging. I would like to nominate the Rotel 965

as a close second; a superb player but essentially smaller scale, lacking the Sony's depth of imaging or the punch of its bass. Finally, can anyone (or Naim) explain why Naim has waited eight years to bring out a CD player and then used only multi-bit technology, which is well known for having problems with high frequency performance. The only way to avoid a scratchy high frequency performance with multi-bit is to roll off the treble, resulting in a 'something is missing but I can't quite put my finger on it' sound. Julian Osborn, Bristol

BBC Maida Vale clarification Dear Sir, Thank you for our inclusion in December's 'News' pages. I should however like to clarify the situation with regard to the BB5 monitoring system which as you quite rightly point out we have supplied to the BBC's Maida Vale Studio 4. The system designed by Pete Thomas and myself and selected by the BBC, has been our only involvement with the Maida Vale project. Credit for the studio design and installation work goes to Harris Grant Associates and successfully completes their extensive work on the new show-case Studio 4 and 5 complex at Maida Vale. Adrian Loader, Professional Monitor Company, London E4

*CD beats record? Dear Sir, Well, what a review from Martin Colloms of the Accuphase DP-70V CD player ( Dec '91)— new and very lofty heights of achievement in virtually every conceivable aspect of performances, at an almost bargain price to boot. Given that the amount of text on CDs in most of the magazines I see has gradually, but, over the last few years, significantly overtaken that devoted to record players/arms/ cartridges et al, we must surely be edging inexorably towards that crucial question — just how narrow now, in the opinion of all you learned gurus of the industry, is the gap between state-of-the-art in CD as opposed to vinyl replay?

As the music industry hones ever more effectively its expertise in the use of digital hardware in the studio, there seems little left about which to complain on that front — and, of course, there

remains the option of sticking with analogue for the first two stages in the process of making a CD, so the issue is only partly about digital vs analogue. Is, for example, this all-conquering £4500 Accuphase CD player any sort of match for MC's Goldmund Reference record player at several times the price? Or even for a Basis/Grahant'Shinon combo, at a mere twice the price? Is it true to say that the best record playing systems are still superior to the best CD systems? (I can't afford either, but that's beside the point. ) Or has it become such a fine balance of major virtues and minor vices that now, once you've seen the light and discarded blind prejudice, it's just a matter of personal taste? Alternatively, is it possible still to assemble a superior record player for £4500 or less? Or is that a matter of taste too? Which now is the definitive benchmark of excellence? And is the choice dependent on price point? A number of years ago you reprinted an

article by an American journalist which set out very cogently a considerable number of areas he had identified, in which CD just didn't come close to what a first-rate record playing system could do. Is it not now time for an in-depth reappraisal of those perceptive criticisms in terms of the extent to which the finest contemporary designs have overcome those comparative shortcomings of yester-year? One thing I have noticed in recent

years at a number of show dems of heavyweight, rock solid turntable platforms is how much they're beginning to sound like CD. When challenged on this, the exhibitors usually say 'only in the bass' — does that mean all that's left to argue over is the midrange on up? Listening as I now do much more to CD than vinyl, upon hearing all but my least played and most pristine records, I find myself increasingly distracted in this very region of the frequency spectrum by the sonic gntnge of surface wear and friction, apart from the familiar clicks, ticks and pops ( and I am careful with my records), so CD's unsullied purity must surely afford it something of a head start even here. Given the listening time KK apparently devotes to the 12in single

HI-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 9

KONTAK® or the wst Of (1 i:oupie I < Ds, nere s an impro\ ement akin to spending a few grand"

KILN KLSSI.LIZ III !! \ I \\I) T t coRD k 1.1i \\ (;( J I9L10

Kontak is a High Tech Cleaning Solution Electrical connections are inherently imperfect. The two parts of an electrical connector never fit exactly, which allows contaminates to develop and cause oxidization. This in turn will significantly impair the electron flow and signal integrity. Regular use of Kontak cleaning solution will maximize the performance of your equipment by minimizing loss of signal and power in electrical connections.

version of Willy DeVille's Assassin Of Love, he must surely possess either umpteen copies or by now just one very knackered copy, unless it has a charmed life of resistance to the degradation through normal use to which all records are unavoidably susceptible.

So tell us — if not which, in your collective expert view, is now or still actually definitively best, then at least who, of all your contributors, still listen more to records than to CDs and, assuming there are any who still do, why.

Is that a fair request? Julian Stevens, Bristol

Transmission line mods Dear Sir, I'd like to comment in response to doubts expressed by a reader recently, and then put some queries to you.

Having recently built a transmission-line design ( IPI.'s TI.3 using SEAS units) I can confirm that such speakers give oustanding results, and also that careful DIY can achieve high quality cheaply with the bonus of allowing 'customizing'; my own speakers are a refinement of IPI.'s design. In fact, 1 am so pleased to find a speaker-type which offers a more natural sound and stronger, less lx)omy bass than any standard box I've yet heard, that I am thinking of one day building a bigger one. Your published design, with its particular dimensions and superior drive units, could be a candidate. Now for some queries. 1. Would my modification to cabinet shape ( see diagram ) be OK with

375 front slopes, say 30rnm

Ivveeter above?

units face-mounted?

angles for bracing and improved flow

18mm Medite

375 MODIFIED Mt-DONALD (?)

Transmission line modifications

as suggested by Mr Owen, Manning

VIENVS

McDonald's design? Apart from providing elegance and better sound-dispersion, the sloping front could help to reduce internal reflections. 2. Shouldn't the tweeter be above the mid-bass unit? This is impractical in 1131.'s design, but appears possible in McDonald's. ( Some authorities advise a sideways displacement of the tweeter as well. ) Incidentally, given a sloping front, an upper position for the tweeter would place it nearer the sarne vertical plane as the mid-bass unit. 3. This query leads from the last. Tannoy and KEE produce co-axial drivers claimed to give more coherent stable sound and better stereo focus, especially for close listening positions. This sounds worth going for, but would they be OK in a transmission-line cabinet? And would they offer any real benefits over properly mounted units of the quality McDonald uses? A final point about the improvements

possible through DIY. My modifications of a standard cabinet style which includes sloping front, well-rounded edges and a streamlined rounded grille frame ( see diagrams), were easy to make, elegant, and ( I believe ) acoustically valuable as well. I would recommend them to anyone. ( The diagrams also show the internal angle bracing advised by WI.. ) Just because standard commercial boxes are squared-off and sharp-edged with chunky grille frames is no reason to repeal such faults. Kit-suppliers please note! Owen Manning, Sheffield

bi-wiring/ panel

removable crossover

grille frame as slender as possible and rounded-,

DETAIL

300

325 sptked undercarriage not shown

MODIFIED IPL TL3

face-mounted drive units improve sound dispersion

25mm offset to give slope

6.5in bass/mid

tweeter below

angles for bracing and improved flow

18mm Medite

Series 300

Built for record lovers by dedicated engineers SME Precision Pick-up Arms have been in the forefront of design and performance for more than thirty years.

Now, to realise the full potential of the Series V 'the best pick-up arm in the world' we have created the superb Model 30 Precision Turntable, the ultimate investment in listening pleasure, described by Germany's AUDIO magazine as 'the best turntable of all time'.

For full details of these and other models in our range, please write to:

Dept. H • SME Limited • Steyning •

Sussex • BN44 3GY • England.

: (0903) 814321 AX .: ( 0903) 814269 HI-F1 NEWS á RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

the wolf

that worried

the sheep ...

S orne loudspeaker designers

follow each other like sheep,

but occasionally one cornes along with

the courage to scatter the flock.

one whose speakers make the most

discerning listeners prick up their ears.

the way epos do.

epos speakers have made themselves

heard world-wide through excellent

independent reviews and innovative

technical specifications. but reviews

and specifications are no substitute for

listening to them for yourself.

contact your epos dealer and arrange

for a fair hearing, in no time at all you'll

be dancing with wolves.

epos

Epos Acoustics, Unit Al, Hazleton Industrial Park, Horndean, Hampshire, P08 9JU, Great Britain

Telephone: (0705) 597722 Telex: 86443 MS HIFI Telefax: (0705) 598365

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VIEWS

Richard McDonald comments: Dear Sir, I'm pleased to see that Transmission lines have yet another convert, and am pleased to comment on Mr Manning's observations. Regarding cabinet shape, commercial designs usually adopt the square-cornered box as a matter of economy. The top, bottom and side panels have their edges mitred at 45 degrees and are then laid out end to end on the veneer which forms the finish. Glue is applied to the 'V's and the whole assembly is folded into a box shape with back and baffle added later. Anything more elaborate adds to the cost in an

alarming manner! As Mr Manning points out, DIY Designs have no such cost restrictions; the skills of the constructor are the only limiting factor. My design is 'squared' to avoid deterring less experienced constructors, and certainly rounding the edges of the cabinet may improve the sound of the speakers. With reference to sloping the top of the

baffle, in my design this would not work for two reasons. One is that the volume of the top of the speaker has been set to optimize the lines to the Volt units, and the dimensions were calculated to minimize reflections. Secondly, sloping the front would cause the drive units to fire above the listener's head. Mr Manning's diagram of the 11_13 unit shows the speakers to be 750mm high with the tweeter at approx 500mm. I can see that angling the units upwards would possibly improve directivity and imaging, but as Mr Manning mentions, this is at the expense of time alignment. To the second point, of placement of

the tweeter: in my design I've put the

tweeter at ear height for listeners sitting on 'your average comfy sofa'. This produces the best from the Elac unit and holds true for most tweeters of a non-aggressive nature. There is no convention that says the tweeter must be above the bass unit, but as the tweeter is the most critical component, I like to place this first and then site the other unit(s)round s ) round it. As a secondary consideration, putting the bass/mid higher up on the cabinet means that the massive magnet on the Volt unit was kept further away from the crossover, as it may have affected the inductors in an unpredictable way. Mr Manning shows the speakers mounted on the baffle with no rebate; this would definitely cause problems of the kind he hopes to reduce by rounding the edges of the cabinet. Also, he shows angled pieces of wood at the bends of the line for 'bracing and improved flow'. In this design, they would not help: firstly there is very little pressure on the panels of the line ( unlike conventional box speakers) so bracing is not required; secondly, a transmission line works to some degree by generating standing-waves in the cabinet rather than by conveying energy in the ideal manner of its electrical namesake. Thus the minor acoustic discontinuities represented by sharp corners at the bends have no deleterious effects in practice — especially at the low frequencies involved.

At The Hi-Fi Show, I was privileged to meet John Wright who designs TDI.'s speakers. Mr Wright gave me a tip which I would like to pass on: build the speakers with no wadding in the line and start by adding damping at the first bend, then the second; then add damping through the line until an even response with no humps or bumps is achieved. I worked the other way round and found the speakers over-damped. At present the prototypes are damped with the head stuffed, as in the original article. The first ( rear ) section of the line has one layer of BAF. About 18inches of BAF is folded double and put around the first bend, and about 12 inches folded double and placed behind the port. Mr Manning also asks about the

suitability of co-axial units ( ie, KU and Tannoy ). I must say I find the idea intriguing, but have a few reservations. Firstly I'll explain why I used the units

that I did. The tweeter is simply the best that sensible money can buy. Paul Clark (November ) lifted my ego no end by comparing the lines with his Quad Electroacoustics. I believe that the Elac tweeters are on a par with the treble from the venerated Quads. Ile also mentioned 'l'he level of detail and resolution' and ...`still discovering sounds on records I have never heard before.' In my opinion, the Volt drive units are capable of presenting almost unbelievable resolution. They produce music without masking low-level detail and without a hint of smear. Admittedly, the Volts arc expensive, but when you consider that a full kit from Wilmslow costs around £450 whereas a comparable pair of speakers would be around £ 1000 to £1500, the Volts become a bargain!

Incidentally the Volt units were designed as a close-field studio monitor and built to a specification, not a price. Not many commercial manufacturers use Volts but because of price not quality considerations. I would like to try co-axial speakers in a line but, looking at present designs, they seem to be used in speakers that are either reflex designs or ( in the case of KEF) with bass units in a coupled cavity.

I've found that drive units designed for reflex loading don't necessarily work well in transmission lines ( that's not to say they won't work, just that they might not ), but they would be worth a try. Secondly, although I have the greatest respect for KEF's speakers ( indeed some of the nicest sounds at The Hi-Fi Show were coming from the KEF room ), their application seems to be as a treble/mid unit rather than the full range that would be required in a line. But I could be proved wrong.

Readers' Letters Contributors to `Views' express their own opinions, not those of HFN/RR. We reserve the right to edit or shorten letters for publication, which should be addressed to the Editor and must contain no other material or enquiries. Letters seeking advice will be answered, resources permitting, at our discretion, but we regret that we are unable to answer questions on buying specific items of hi-fi. We cannot answer queries over the telephone.

Contact your epos dealer today

and ask for a

fair hearing. AVON Radfofd H, Fr, Bath 0225 46245 Radford H, Fi. Bristol 0272 441010 Aude Excellence Bristol 0272 264975 BERKSHIRE Newbury Audio. Newbury 0635 33929 Radford Hr Fr, Wrndsor 0753 856931 BUZIONGHMISHIRE TheSoundGallery HighWycombe0494 31682 CMIBRIDGESHIRE Cam Audeo, Cambridge 0223 60442 The Audefile St Ives 048066123 CHER« Congleton Hi Fr, Congleton 0260 297544 Murray H, Fr. Stockport 061 429 7666 Doug Brady Hi Fi Warrington 0925 828009 CLEVELN1D Gilson Atoro Middlesbrough 0642 248793 DEVON Radfde HFL Exeter 0392 218895 Radford Hi Fr. Plymouth 0752 226011 Radford Hi Fr Torquay 0803 326723 DERBYSHIRE Audescene. Chesterfield 0246204005 ESSEX Rayleigh Hi Fr, Chelmsford 0245 265245 Pro Musca C,orchester 0206 577519 Rayleigh HI Fr, Rayleigh 02613 779762 Raylegh Hr Fr. Southend on Sea 0702 435255 GLOUCESTERSHIRE Aude Excellence. Gloucester 0452 300046 FEIRFORDGMIRE The Audefile. Bishop Stortford 0279 506576 Stude 99, Harpenden 05827 64246 Radlen Audio Radlett 0923 856497 HUMBERSIDE Murray H, Fr Hull 0482 227867

%tame Ashford 0233 24441 Volume 1, Welled 081 304 4622 LANCASHIRE The Audio Counsel Oldham 061633 2602 UaCESTERSHIRE Sound Advice Loughborough 0509 218254 LONDON Grahams F,, NI 071 226 5500 Slude99. 8896 071624 8855 Sound Orgarfisatan London. SE 1 0714032255 The Listening Ropms. SW5 071 244 7750 Brllyoee, SEI3 081 318 5755 RPM SW11 071585 0274 Auda Venue. SWI9 081 771 7787 Comfrake Shop WI 071631 0472 KJ West One, WI 071 4868263 Doug Brady Hi FL WC2 071 3794010 MERSEYSIDE WA Brady & Son. bverpool 051 7336859 Better Hi Fr,Liverpool 051 227 5007 MIDDLESEX Harrow Auge. Harrow 081 863 0938 Uxbfidge Auge Ltd. Urefidge 0895 30404 NORFOUI Basically Sound Bracce Ash 0508 70829 NORIHAMPTONSHRE Listen Inn Northampton 0604 37871 OXFORDS/IRE Overture Limited. Banbury 0295 272158 Westwood & Mason. Oxford 0865 247783 SMIERSET M,ke Manning Aurae, Yeova 0935 79361 SHROPSHIRE CreatIve dude Shrewsbury 0743 241924 STAFFORDSHIRE Musical Approach, Stafford 0785 55154 SURREY P J H, Fr Guelord 0483 776402 SUSSEX The Power Plant, Bfighlon 0273 775978 Chichester Hr Fr Chrchester 0243 776402 TYNE II WEAR LintoneAude Gateshead 091 477 4167 Letone Autle. Metro Centre 091 4600999 Lintone Aude. Whitley Bay 091 252 4665 WALES Aude Excellence, Cardiff 0222228565 Auge Excellence. Swansea 0792 4 746oe WEST MIDLANDS Griffin Auge. Birmegham 021 692 1359 Musical Approach. Aldridge 0922 57926 WORCESTERSHIRE West Midlands Aude Worcester 0905 58046 YORKSHIRE Sound With Style. Doncaster 0302 321421 Aude Projects. Leeds 0532 304565 Sound With Style. Sheffield 0742 737893 The Sound Organ,saten or 0904 627108 SCOTLAND Horbum H, Fr. Aberdeen 0224 585713 Russ Andrews Hi Fr. Edinburgh 031 557 1672

Stereo Stereo Glasgow 041 248 4079 rrr,.rrrhre Montrose 0674 73765 NORTHERN IRELAND

•• • r rrt2,F,P'Jmfi

epos HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

READER SERVICE

SAVE ON COMPACT DISCS Can't find the disc you want? Try the HFN/RR CD Service. This offer applies to records reviewed in this issue and listed below. Simply tick the boxes for the compact discs you want and fill in the order form. There is a small charge for post and packing. (Please note that the HFN/RR CD Service can supply discs to overseas readers: overseas orders are VAT-free but additional shipping charges may be added.) For LP and MC availability, call (0234) 741152.

CLASSICAL

BARBER

D Ballade (Jablonski)

BARTOK

D Violin Concerto ( Mutter/Boston SO )

D Violin Concerto ( Zukaman/St Louis)

BEETHOVEN

CI Piano Sonatas - Pathétique, Tempest etc

( Kocsis

BERLIOZ

D Symphonic Fantastique, Lc Corsair ( RPO/

Previn )

D Symphonic Fantastique, Trojans excpt.

( BP° etc/Levine).

BISER

EJ Mystery Sonatas ( MAX/Goebel ) £22.50

BIZET

ID Jena d'enfants, Carmen & L'Arlésienne

Suites ( Bastille Orch/Chung)

COPLAND

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GERSHWIN

EJ Piano Concerti in F, 3 Preludes (Jablonski/

RPo)1 HAYDN

EJ Arianna a Naxos, Canzonetta ( Watkinson/

Wilson) #

O liamonicimme, Kleine Orgelmmc

( soloists/Winchuter

HUMMEL

Piano Quintet Op.87 ( Hausmusik )

MARTINU

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MASCAGNI

EJ Cavalleria Rusticana ( Norman etc/Orch de

Parisillychkuv)S

MENDELSSOHN

CI 12 String Symphonies ( Lond Fest/Pople)

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AfESSIAEN

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MORET

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MOZART

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Cosi fan lutte ( suloists/RCO/Harnoncourt

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D Magic Flute ( soloists/LCP/Norrington

£22.50

0 Magic Flute ( soloists/BPO/Beecham)

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PROKOFIEV

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SCHUBER'T

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SCHUMANN

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J STRAUSS

Die Fletiermaus ( soloists/VPO/Previn)

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R STRAUSS

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VERDI

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COLLECTIONS EJ CELLO CONCERTOS - Saint Sacns,

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Strings 1 #

OJUBILEE GAMES - American Music ( Israel

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0 RETURN TO RUSSIA

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CI Cheryl - A Rock Opera £ 10.45

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BIG VOID

EJ The Floor Or The Side Of The Room

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CARLENE CARTER

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O 24 Nights £17.45

EJ Slowhand £25.00

COMMANDER CODY

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!MARLENE DIETRICH

Live At The Cafe De Paris £7.25

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ID Shepherd Moons £ 10.75

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I GUM! Right To Sing the Blues £7.25

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DAVE GRUSIN AND FRIENDS

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COMPETITION

/n March 1842, when Otto Nicolai conducted a grand concert by the entire orches-

tra of the Imperial and Royal Court Opera Flouse' he signalled the birth of the Vienna Philharmo-nic, realizing all of the principles still adhered to today. VP() play-

ers are under contract to the Vienna State Opera; they have artistic and financial autonomy; decisions, both artistic and admi-nistrative, result from democrati-cally elected groups. The first VP() recording ( 1928)

was of Beethoven's Pastoral. under Franz Schalk. The 150th anniversary sets on Poly( ram Classics comprise two volumes of

Strauss family pieces ranging from 1929-54, and 1955-91; conduc-tors represented include Szell,

Knappertsbusch, Krauss, and Bos-kovsky, Karajan, Biihm, Maazel,

Abbado. Additionally, there are twelve CDs of performances, most of them previously unpub-lished, which include war-time rarities and unexpected reper-toire. Conductors here — and some of the works they direct — are Bernstein 1Ravel Concerto in G and Haydn 1021, Bühm 'Schoenberg's Peleas und Meli-sandel, Furtwângler 1Brahms 2, Beethoven 91, Krauss IPulcinella

and the Missa Solemnisl, Karajan 1Bruckner 91, Klemperer 'Schubert 8, Beethoven 51, Knap-pertsbusch ' Schubert 91, Schur-

icht [ Bruckner 51, Walter Mahler 41 and Richard Strauss Itiinfonia domestica l. Two of these artists,

Biihm and Karajan, were made Honorary Conductors; Bernstein was an Honorary Member of the

Vienna Philharmonic. Nearly all of the material is from live concerts, mostly given in the Musikverein, transferred digitally; the discs carry the emblem of the Vienna Philharmonic as endorsement. The Viennese critic and former

head of music at Austrian Radio was responsible for the selection. IX: feels privileged to be associ-ated with the publication, and, given its particular historic

interest, the set is surely destined for collector' status.

VP0 150th ANNIVERSARY CD SETS

This month we offer one 12CD set of historic recordings from the archives of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra, issued by Deutsche Grammophon, and to 12 runners-up, copies of 2CD

albums from DG of music by the Strauss family — performances dating from the present day to those of Eric Kleiber and Bruno Walter. Just answer the seven questions below, complete the tie-breaker, put your answers on a postcard or back of a sealed envelope and send to 111.7V/RR to arrive not later

than 28 February 1992, when the winners will be selected.

THE QUESTIONS 1) Space odyssey theme s. sprach Zarathustra.

2) West Side Story composer, he pursued 'love affair with

the Vienna Philharmonic'.

3) Second Viennese School composer His Violin

Concerto was dedicated 'To the memory of an Angel'.

4) auf Naxos , opera by Richard Strauss's imaginary

young composer.

5) 'Blue' river , passes through Vienna, celebrated by

Johann Strauss II

6) Count ....fsky — 'batty' opera character.

7) Who conducted the 1991 New Year Day concert in

Vienna? ( Initial letters of answers 1-6 tell you!)

Tie-breaker. What qualities would you expect to hear

from a Vienna Philharmonic performance? ( Not more

than 20 words. )

HOW TO ENTER Write on a postcard the seven words represented by asterisks and your

tic-breaker. Add your name, address and telephone number. Post your entry to arrive by first post on 28 February 1992. Send entries Io VP() Competition,

News & Record Review Editorial (*ice, Link Flouse, Dingwall Avenue,

Croydon CR9 2TA.

The Rules I 1*Ibt: competition is open to UK readers only. All entries must be by postcard or

sealed envelope and only one entry per reader will be considered. Nu other

correspondence may be included with the entries.

2) Then: will be no cash or other alternative tu the prizes offered. 'the winners will

be the first thirteen correct entries selected.

3) Employees of link House Magazines or associated companies, and of PolyGram

Classics or its agents, will not be eligible.

) All entries must be received by first post on 28 February 1992. The Editor's

decision will be final and binding; no correspondence of any kind will be entered

into regarding the competition.

5 Ylbe prize-winner will be notified by post and the results will be published in the

May 1992 edition of III.N/RR.

(,) Entries become the property of Link House Magazines.

7 Entry tu the competition is taken tu indicate acceptance of the rules.

HI-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 I 5

Most compact discs

are made on a Sony.

The lucky ones are

played on one too.

Today, 95% of all CD's are mastered

on Song equipment. Silly then, to play them

on anything less than a Song CD separate.

A high density linear converter

system turns the numbers into notes more

accurately, and with far more definition,

than ever before.

They can be programmed

to play the CD in ang order,

skipping any tracks gou don't like. And

gou can index the CD, letting gou whiz

forward to your favourite bits.

(Particularly handy for opera where,

let's face it, you do come across the

occasional dul' patch.) Add a full infra- red

remote control and you've got an exceptional

range of machines. Slide one into a stack

of Song compatible separates and you've

got an unbelievable hi-fi.

And gou can bet that your CD's will

thank you for it,too SONY.

Why compromise?

Sony . ,s a eg,stered trade mark of Sony Corporat.on

CHIP ON riE NEW BLOCK A new sigma-delta DIA converter

IC from Crystal kas already found

favour in audio designs. The

CS4328 is an all-in-one stereo

DAC combining an 8-times inter-

polation filter, 64-times delta

sigma converter and analogue

post filter with adjustable sam-

pling rates to include 32, 443 and

48kH z working. Roksan is using

the IC in its forthcoming outboard

DAC, the £495 DA1.

YAMAHA'S TCP DEC The new Yamaha KX-W952 twin cassette deck, at £499, consists of two completely independent decks in a single box, rather than the more conventional approach

of one high-quality and one mediocre unit with limited record capability. The new Yamaha deck can handle simultaneous record-ing from two squire*: sources, or be set tiir one deck to record and the other replay. Cross Dolby dub-bing facility permits Dolby B to Dolby C. or Dolby encoded to non Doll)), for in-car use, for example. 'Me latest ' lifestyle' system from

Yamaha is the YST-NC I which, at £550, follows on from the Astarte

range. The NCI with remote con-trol as standard, offers twin auto-

reverse cassette deck, a three-band tuner, and CD player.

Also new from Yamaha are: two amplifiers, the £400 AX-750 and AX- 1050 at £600; two tuners, the £180 TX-550 and TX-950 at £260. Yamaha UK, tel ( 0923) 33166.

• Among this latest batch of new hi-fi separates from Yamaha is the NS-I150 — a UK sourced speaker dedicated to the company's com-ponent range. The £200 speakers

are the result of close collabora-tion between Yanutha.kipan, its UK

subsidiary, and British dealers. Vifa units are used in a British cabinet

which is assembled here. A polyp-ropylene mid/bass is combined with a 19mm metal dome tweeter in a bass reflex system which has a rear tiring port.

MORE MUSICAL FIDELITY Wembley-based Musical Fidelity is poised to launch a new high

performance, low cost pre-/power amplifier combo. The Typhoon

power amplifier is capable of around 50W per channel and Is

claimed to be 'an easy drive' for any loudspeaker.

Four pairs of bi-polar output tran-

sistors are used per side in a design capable of more peak current than

the company's A370. The £299 Typhoon, with separate power supplies for each channel, also

features XI.R balanced connectors alongside phono sockets. The matching pre-amp, dubbed simply

as 'The Pre-amp' is a £ 199 line-level only unit with balanced and

un-balanced output options. It's UK production is scheduled to begin in February. The affordable price is possible because designer Antony Michaelson has utilized existing BUCl/T1 casework, an area of design which is often responsible for up to 60% of the production cost. A matching

digital-to-analogue decoder unit is also promised for around £ 199. Speaking in a bullish tone, Michael-son spoke of his new units as

'likely high-end beaters', proclaim-ing a similar output configuration to some really up-market designs. Certainly Musical Fidelity is a com-pany with tremendous energy and enthusiasm for new products.

Already available from Musical Fidelity is the £499 MFIO loud-speaker — a refinement of the original Reference 4 model. The

bottom end has been extended, dynamic range increased and imaging improved. The two drive 'units are recessed into the solid MDF cabinet while the crossover is 'almost capacitorless'.

McCORMACK'S FIRST POWER DRIVE McCormack, know for its Mod Squad brand, has announced a new

power amplifier. The DNA-I Power Drive will be handled in the UK by

Moth Group which quotes a retail price of £ 200. The solid-state stereo

amplifier delivers a claimed 150W/ch into 8ohms. The term DNA is used

to describe McCormack's use of individual local current reservoirs for

an instantaneous response time. Moth tel: (0234) 741152.

VIOLIN VIDEO Ian Bewley, Proprietor of Lake-

land Home Music, the Cumbria

based hi-fi dealer, has pro-

duced an hour long video

showing the teaching methods

of Hungarian violin instructor

Kató Havas, a pupil at the

Budapest Academy. Ian is no

stranger to music, being a

pupil of cellist Vilmos Palotai.

He battled for over six years to

persuade EMI France to reissue

the Hungarian Quartet's com-

plete Beethoven cycle which

has received little publicity

since. Even with the help of

ATC, AVI, Quad, Castle and

Revox, Ian has used his life

savings to produce the video in

what's believed to be a unique

production. It is now being

marketed in Europe, the Far

East and the US. Contact tel

(07684) 86235 for more details.

SOUND BASIS Three professional engineers

have joined together to

produce equipment supports

which match the advertising

claims. Forming a new

company called Sound Base

Engineering, the three began

by making a range of high-

mass, high-stiffness

loudspeaker stands ranging

from 9 to 24in tall. A high-

attenuation, fully damped

seismic platform intended for

use with turntables is now

under development, and other

products are in the pipe-line.

Sound Base, tel 021-561 1954.

DEDICATED UK THORENS MODELS

Following the dedicated UK version of the budget TD-280

turntable, Thorens' UK distributor has now arranged a UK

version of the TD- 166, a high-performance manual deck. This

features a Rega RB250 tonearm, leaving the choice of cartridge to

the user. The £270 package offers switchable 33/45rpm speeds

from a 16-pole synchronous motor with external power supply.

For further details, contact Portfolio, tel (0494) 890277.

IN HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

NEWS

BEYER BOXES 'PHONES The recently launched top-of-the-

range headphones from Beyer are

available in a smart new pack-

age. Complete with protective

aluminium case, the 'phones are

supplied with Beyer's twin Sound

Power twin test CD for an all-in

price of £199. BeyerGB, tel (0273)

479411.

WINNING TECHNICS

A record response to our November Technics Reference competition brought entries from around the country. The correct answers were 1.c; 2.a; 3.d; 4.b, and the first name from the hat was that ofJim Bertram from Fenham near Newcastle. He will be receiving the fabulous Digital Reference system from Technics, worth over £2500. Fifty runners up have received a copy of the late Panufnik conducting his own Piano Concerto - a Technics-sponsored Conifer project.

GROWING MD SUPPORT

At a recording media sympo-sium, held in Biarritz, Sony announced increased support for its Mini Disc format plus longer recording times. Sony proclaimed support from a further ten companies who have signed licences. Those now involved include Ken wood and Pioneer, who have already pledged support for Philips' DU:, plus Sharp, Sanyo and Aiwa. This boost to Mini Disc's credibility was backed by a sugges-tion that, within three years, adv-ances in magneto-optical record-ing would result in 74 minutes of recording on a 2.5in disc. Sony's head of recording media, Dr Aoki, explained that increased recording time rather than improved quality would result. Also from Sony will come DAT NT ( No Tracking) recording machines for high-quality speech recording at under £200.

YBA RETURNS TO THE UK French high-end electronics from YBA return to the UK. Kronos Distribution of Dungannon will ,sell YBA's new, more affordable amplifiers, a range which is to include an integrated model, the £1099 Integre, as well as the most costly pre-/power combinations. Exciting news from Yves Bernard André is the release of two com-pact disc players which promise a 'radically new transport system'. Kronos, tel ( 08687) 67110.

B&O TUBE SPEAKER

Bang & Olufsen's new Beolab 8000 active loudspeaker resembles

an organ pipe in appearance. The extruded aluminium tube

houses two amplifiers, a 180nun tweeter, and two 100mm

mid/bass units in a bass-reflex design. Built in Denmark, the

design is the result of Briton David Lewis. Shielded magnets in the

custom-designed drive units allow the Beolab 8000 to be used in

an integrated AN system. B&O, tel (0452) 307377.

BRIEF ING AUDIO LABORATORIES of

Leeds is an authorised Rezrox

service centre for out of wananry

work. Tel (0532)440378.

118cW's Matrix 805 speaker has

been reduced in price from £915 to

f795 without bass equalizer. Tel

(090.r:750750.

COPLAN)'s valve powered

CTA501 has a 20% improved

outpurrating over the old CTA401

at a £1498 price tag. Call Absolute

Sounds, 081-947 5047.

GRAHAMS Hi-Fi of north London

has an art show from up and coming

young artists gracing its shop walls,

with the works fie sale. Te1071-

226 5500.

HARRIS GRANT was responsible

for re-equipping the BBC's Maida

Vale Studio 4, and not Peter

Thomas as was suggested in

December's 'News'. Mr Thomas'

contribution to the project was

limited to the loudspeakers.

HARRISON Electronics, the

amplifier manufacturer run by HH

Electronics founder Mike Harrison,

has been forced into liquidation.

HI-FI CORNER co-sponsored a

Scottish series of unusual brass

concerts by SCO Brass, part of the

Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

LINN's new CD player will be

called the Karik. Also promised

from Linn are the Klout power

amplifier, and £4400 Keltik Aktiv

loudspeaker. Tel: 041-644 5111.

PHILIPS' planned DCC cum

analogue cassette deck was

honoured in New York among 100

products in the 'Best of What's

New' awards ceremony organized

by Popular Science magazine.

PINK TRIANGLE has an upgrade

available/or its LPT turntable to

give it a Gil (Great Turntable

improved) suffix. A better power

supply es available for £85, while a

new top plate will follow. Tel

071-703 5498 for details.

REVOX UK has reduced the price

of its AS-2000 satellite antenna

which is now priced at £199.

TANNOY's head office has a new

telephone number: (0246)420199,

and Fax CO236)428230.

TDK has opened a £120m tape

producing factory in Bascharge,

Luxembourg where it will base its

European headquarters.

THRESHOLD has appointed Gary

Hudson from Meyer Sound Labs as

company president. Founder Nelson

Pass, president since 1974, becomes

Chairman and director of product

development.

VIRGIN-FRANCE plans to open

eight Megastores in France during

1992 and denied that French rival

Fnac was planning a stake in the

British-based group.

HI-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 19

DYNAMIC RESPONSE 15W-75

Whenever DYNAUDIO introduces a new type of speaker driver, it is not just an upgrading, but a unique and entirely new construction based on proven DYNAUDIO principles.

DYNAUDIO® The 15 W-75 is a woofer for small 2-way bookshelf systems and satellite enclosures as well as a low/mid in multiway designs.

4 Q 8 Q Dia. 145 mm Md 12.7 11.6 g Vc 75 mm Re 3.0 4.9 Q Fs 55 Hz BI 5.37 6.50 Tm Sd 87 cm 2 Qts 0.33 0.34 Xmax P - P 5.5 mm Vas 7.1 7.8 I

kre te_ Rao*, So* '1” 4,B

A 1

IMM•11.

E P'•:<, Se. Or I Zero Le.e

Measured with gating: 10 m/S window 18,2 ,21121'"2118 'n

The curves show that input power peaks of even 1 000 Watts are reproduced with full dynamic, and no compression is observed.

The MLSSA waterfall shows the well controlled behaviour both for time and frequency. Die cast, PHA-cone, aluminium hexactcoil wire and former.

DYNAUDIO - manufacturer of the most dynamic speakers.

DYNAUDIO • PB 440 DK 8660 Skanderborg • DENMARK • Phone: + 45 8 6 • 523 411 • Telex: 63 126 dynaud dk • Fax: + 45 8 6-523116 DYNAUDIO • PB 54 05 45 • D-2000 Hamburg 54 • GERMANY • Phone: + 49 40.858 066 Fax: + 49 40-859 035

AUDICY

NEWS

B&W ADDS PASSIVE UNITS

Known world-wide for its loudspeakers, B&W is now pro-ducing a range of electronics, including a passive control unit. The PCU1 features 11 line-inputs with every ground line switched. Two tape loops are included. A high-precision volume control is combined with a unique 'loss free' balance switch. An active version, the At:U1, has refinements over the PCU1 to produce a pre-amplifier, while the two may be combined to create a system of greater versatility and flexibility offering 17 separate inputs and four switched tape loops. B&W is currently developing its

electronics in two specific product groups — an ongoing expansion and upgrading of the 'Cube' range of audio separates, and that of

'esoteric' lines where price is a secondary consideration. The main digital audio projects being undertaken include the company's own analogue-to-digital converter and DAC based on bitstream tech-niques while alleviating what B&W saw as major problems limit-ing the performance of current devices, including inherent timing distortion which allows only 18 or 19-bit linearity at best.

Californian-based Apogee Electronics (no connection with

Apogee Acoustics, the panel speaker company) has announced a

range of professional quality digital-to-analogue, and analogue-to

digital converters. These are handled in the UK by HHB Com-

munications of west London. The AD500 ADC combines a discrete

analogue front end with delta/sigma conversion technology to

offer full 18-bit resolution, optimized for 16-bit applications.

Gold-plated XLR connectors are used on the unit, which sports

bright purple front-panel controls.

Of particular interest to hi-fi users tern designed to indicate levels of is the £2109 Apogee DA-1(00E 12 and 2dB below converter clip-

portable stereo DAC which can ping. HHB, tel 081-960 2144. accommodate AES/EBU, SPINE, • Real World studios in Bath has

optical, Sony SD1F, Sony SINE Il bought the complete Apogee ADC' plus both Matsushita formats. JVC DAC system ready to record Peter and Yamaha interfaces are avail- Gabriel's forthcoming album. The

able as optional extras. Internally, artist is thought to have compared an 8-times o/s digital data drives the performance of several digital two 20-bit dual DACs. An accurate mastering formats including the ( 10 PPM ) internal crystal provides latest 20-bit Mitsubishi two-track

sample rates of 32, 44.056, 44.1 open reel and various Sony DAT and 48kHz. A novel touch is the machines, before opting for the inclusion of an LED metering sys- Apogee equipment.

111-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

DNM S NEW CABLE

Rethinking its cable philosophy, DNM has introduced 'improved'

Rainbow speaker flex with no centre core. This, it is claimed,

dramatically improves the field-effect performance of the cable by

increasing the spacing between the conductors. The middle core

was previously required due to the configuration of DNM's

amplifiers. Other structural changes to the new, £4.30-per-metre

cable, are the use of an ultra high purity copper and increased

core diameter. Details from DNM, tel (0277) 227355.

AKAI NEW SEPARATES

Two mid-priced CD players have been added to Akan range of hi-fi

separates. The CD27 relies on a hybrid DAC, a combination of 1-bit and conventional 16-bit technol-ogy. Facilities include 32 track ran-dom access with the usual skip,

search and repeat modes, plus

various time display options. A

headphone socket with volume control is provided on the £160

player. At £180, Mies new CD57 shares the same DAC technology in an up-market circuit configuration, plus the benefit of a front-panel key-pad. Akai, tel 081-897 6388.

APOGEES DIGITS ARRIVE IN THE UK: DAC ANDADC, UNITS FROM HHB .7 tf

ATC WINS AL SSI AWARD

Bill Woodman, founder of

loudspeaker company ATC,

has been awarded in his native

Australia. 3ill collected 'I he

Critics Choice', arguably the

courrry's most prestigious

audio accolade, for his SCM

100A active model. Mr

Woodman alsa spoke to the

AES while on his autumn visit

to the antipodes.

JAPANESE TC USE MORE WESTERN COMPONENTS

At a meeting with its European counterparts, Japanese consumer electronic manufacturers agreed

to increase the number of locally-sourced components at its plants

in Europe. Sony's chairman Akio Morita told a joint news confer-ence in Tokyo with Philips' boss

Jan Timmer, that the two sides had agreed to 'join hands', and to start discussing ways to facilitate access to European part manufacturers.

Japanese manufacturers sent mis-sions to Europe to examine ways to increase local content. Jan Timmer said the meeting

discussed ways to standardize new products in the early stages of development to avoid confusing consumers. This is seen as a major step in East-West co-operation of technological development.

•

READING WHAT THE CRITICS SAY, YOU'D THINK THAT

REVIEWING MUSICAL FIDELITY IS A LABOUR OF LOVE.

Our hi-fi is well known for its ability

to arouse passionate emotions.

By the time the cadenza had been

reached. I was a mass of goose bumps."

sighed one reviewer, describing how

hearing Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante on

the new A120 from Musical Fidelity

integrated amplifier enhanced his

perception of this favourite work.

His emotional experience took place

during the Andante movement, which is

the spiritual core of the music.

a 27 year old recording and

whilst it makes no great sonic demands

on the system. it's easily destroyed by

ham-fisted processing. In the case of the

A120. the concentration and the magic

were all there..." he reports with pleasure

in High Fidelity magazine.

He's not the only one who finds

Musical Fidelity highly involving.

"Personally. I've always been a fan of

the Al", confesses another critic in High

Fidelity. " Now Musical Fidelity has seen

fit to introduce a Mk11 version . . . First

impressions were of a slightly leaner,

tidier bass, no loss of midrange warmth or

clarity and that distinctively crisp yet

slightly understated top."

Getting to know the new A200 inte-

grated amp. High Fidelity's reviewer was

delighted to find that -it allows intimate

contact with all the emotional power of

the music ... its overall control, fine pitch

definition, dynamics, delicate handling

of other low level information all placed

it highly in my estimation,"

And there is a writer for Hi-Fi News &

Record Review who waxes positively

lyrical about the new B1 integrated amp.

saying "The comparison between the old

and the new Bi is easily told by reference

to the chalk and cheese simile, with the

old BI taking on the role of chalk...

In his view, however. "The more

important comparison is to the Pioneer

A-400, an amplifier which in the last year

or so has helped in a thirty-somethingish

revaluation of what it is to be a budget

amplifier in the early ' 90s... Now the list

includes the Musical Fidelity Bi.

"Right from the beginning I felt that

the new whiter-washing B1 was doing

things that the Pioneer was only hinting

at . . . It was the B1 that at certain

moments . . . induced an effect akin to

drawing a finger slowly down the spine",

he concludes with unblushing frankness.

In the same issue he was moved to

describe the character of our new com-

pact disc player thusly: "I found the CD1

silver-tongued and expressive: it offered

good treble resolution and was fun-

damentally musical and involving."

MUSICAL FIDELITY

While in CD Review, another critic

was smitten by the charms of our P180

power amplifier, confiding " My

impressions are of an amp that definitely

has personality ... a sort of transparent

musical signature: namely a combination

of strength, control and easy flowing

momentum. The P180 has power

and current aplenty and will capably

handle any speakers thought ' difficult.—

Then there is the writer for Hi-Fi

World who had a brief encounter with the

P180 married to its outboard Choke

Regulated Power Supply ( CRPS) and was

excited to discover that the upgrade

makes the amp "sound more controlled

and refined ... improved the imagery and

added a spaciousness to the sound, while

improving upon the sense of tightness

in performance."

He was frankly poetic about the

remarkable sound quality of the P180

with CRPS, going into rhapsodies over its

-Passion. Grace and Fire."

Perhaps reading these comments

has aroused within you a strong desire to

experience these pleasures for yourself.

Don't let unsatisfied longing tor-

ment you, instead pay a visit to your hi-fi

dealer and listen to the latest products

from Musical Fidelity. You'll soon begin

to understand why hearing is believing.

FOR DET.%1LS OF YOUR NE.%REST STOCKIST RITE TO \II " k \ I I II / HITT, IS 11, 00 01,1): TIL DING EST.VrE, FULTON 1111.0). WENIBLEY. /USE X 11.%9 OTE Ilk TELEPHONE ( ON I 900 2eihtle.

NEWS

RECORDED FOR POSTERITY

The National Sound Archive has

added to its collection what is

believed to be the only surviving

original recording of Queen Vic-

toria. The material, taken from a

gramophone cylinder which

belongs to the Science Museum,

may be heard through the Arc-

hive's listening facilities. Tel 071-

589 6603 for more details. The three-band cylinder of Queen Victor-ia's voice is pictured left

It is a curious irony that some of the best musical performances

occur when the microphones are absent, and are therefore lost.

But a recently formed group, based at London's Barbican Music

Library, aims to solve that problem, at least partially.

The Music Performance Research Centre was formed after five years of discussion and negotiation. The result is the first ever agreement for the archival preservation of live music performances not being broadcast or commercially recorded. A dedicated recording team of the very finest and experi-enced balancers was drawn up, including Antony Askew, EMI veteran Robert Gooch, Philip Bur-

well and Tony Faulkner. The MPRC has ram opened a

public listening studio in the Bar-bican Music Library ( pictured) where two listening txx)ths permit

the audition of some exciting material. Included in the archive is the new production of Geetterdüm-merung conducted by Bernard Haitink at the Royal Opera House. Over 60 recordings are present in the ever growing library, with about a dozen added each year. The operatic influence is parti-

cularly strong. There's the Kleiber/ Domingo Otello from the Royal

PRC Admiesisttwor Jon Tolansky

Opera House, Solti/Eva Marton's Elektra and Pavarotti in LEW*. d'Amore. Among the notable

orchestra recordings held are some memorable Tennstedt con-certs such as Mahler 2, Brahms 1: Bartok's The Wooden Prince and The Miraculous Mandarin con-ducted by Rattle, plus Shostako-vich 7 under Mariss Jansons. As well as making its own

recordings. the MPRC has acquired donations of 69 privately recorded performances, taken off-air from broadcasts and, in many

cases, not preserved elsewhere — avoiding duplication with the National Sound Archive or BBC library. Thus copies of Mahler 3 with Kathleen Ferrier and the BBC S() conducted by Adrian Boult; Erich Kleiber's 1953 performance of Wozzeck with Jess Walters and Cristel “oltz, plus Klemperta's 1958 performance of Don Juan and Till Eulenspiegel were added to the collection. Not limiting itself to music, the centre also records conversations.

Operating without Art Council grants, MPRC relies on its charit-able status for survival and has

benefited from donations. Benefac-tors have included Sony, the MU, MCPS, and Ampex. But administra-tor Jon iblartsky is always seeking further ways to produce revenue, lack of which limits the centre's activities. To contact the MPRC, tel 081-876 4627.

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW

REVOX'S DIGITAL SATELITE RECEIVER

Revox in Germany is evaluating the H7 satellite receiver which should

go into production soon. The tuner receives digital D2MAC signals from

the Caponious satellite which carries several music-based stations as

well as the BBC's World Service in English. Dave Wood, MD of the

recently formed Revox UK, says he hopes the H7 becomes available

soon as it is among the first truly digital satellite receivers and offers an

audio quality far superior to the analogue sound channels currently

available to UK subscribers. Revox (1K, tel (0635) 876969.

AIWA WITH DOLBY S CASSETTE DECKS

fr 31,1

The first Japanese cassette decks to see Dolby S are now available in the UK. The XK-S machines are part of Aiwa's new high end separates series, and include advanced three-head, twin capstan transports. Despite the promise in 1992 of DCC and the increasing proliferation of DAT recorders, Also is convinced there is a viable future for the humble compact cassette. The XK-S900 sells for £700 with the cheaper XL-S7000 at £550. For further details, contact Aiwa UK, tel 081-987 7000.

EVENTS

4 FEBRUARY: ERrs Images

of the Future Conference,

Royal Lancaster Hotel,

London. Te1081-661 3228.

7-10 FEBRUARY: Le Salon

de la Haute Fidélité, Palais

des Congres, Paris, Tel 010 33

45 57 3048 for information.

27 FEBRUARY-1 MARCH:

Video& Home Entertainment

Show, Business Design Centre,

Islington, north London.

Contact w1071-485 0011.

Admission £5 adults.

27-29 MARCH: Hi-Fi '92,

Holiday Inn Hotel, Bristol.

Tel (0865)60844. Admission

£3 adults.

FEBRUARY 1992

RUNIBELOWS NEW SHOPS Sauciers is the new hi-fi chain run by Rumbelows. The first shop has already opened in Cambridge, with as many as 15 outlets expected across the country within three years. Head of the project is Bob Saucier, formerly operations manager with Laskeys, who is keen to emphasise that Sauciers is not simply a re-launch of the defunct Le Set. The product range stocked is aimed 70% towards the upper end of the market where brands include Pink Triangle, Moth, Celestion and Michaelson Audio products. Tel (0223) 321686. • Bolton-based Cleartone has con-tinued its takeover of existing deal-ers with the acquisition of Robbs of Gloucester. It brings the num-

ber of Clcartone stores to 14 after it recently bought the Yorkshire-based Erricks Group l'News' Jan].

23

studio 0.5 Being perhaps the world's smallest transmission-line speaker, the TDL Studio 0.5 is a loudspeaker of exceptional bass performance — modest in size yet large in acoustic stature. Indeed, for the first time, those enamoured with the bass of transmission-line speakers, but not their size, can now benefit from their majestically apportioned sound.

o

TDL ELECTRONICS transmission line speakers PO Box 98 High Wycombe Bucks HP13 6LN England Tel: (0494) 441191 Fax (0494) 461803

TECHNOLOGY

perhaps it may come as a surprise that Philips now ranks as the largest manufacturer of microchips in

Europe (with Siemens second) and the third largest maker of dedicated integated circuits in the world ( after Toshiba and Sanyo. with Matsushita fourth ). 'We aim to be the world leader in the supply of consumer ICs' says Ted Ilentley, Euro-pean .%larketing Director for Philips Semi-conductors, the new name for the division of Pk lips which makes ICs. lientley was

speaking at the official opening, in Octo-ber, t)t. Philips' IC Centre in Southampton.

It may also come as a surprise that all Philips digital audio chips for CD players are designed at Southampton, and all the chips for DCC will come from South-ampton, too. Philips began making mic-rochips in Southampton in 1964. In those days the plant was under the Mullard name and an integrated circuit was half a dozen transistors on a single slice of silicon, the size of a thumbnail. Now the Mullard name has been dropped and packing density is a quarter of a million, with the components spaced apart by 1 micrometre. The next step is to 0.8 micro spacing with around 400,000 devices on a single chip. Several hundred chips are made together on 6in silicon wafers.

In 1988 Philips refocused. The factory at Southampton, which had been making chips for CD players and teletext 1V receivers, stopped fabrication and became

a centre for design. This is the tricky job of converting a bulky circuit of discrete components into the layout for an IC. Philips pulled out of the European Mega project to make sub-micron memory chips but had by then built a facility at Nijmegen in Holland with sub-micron capability. Southampton designs the chips and Nijmegen makes them in its wafer fabrication plant. Packaging ( breaking down of the 6in slices into individual

chips, and sealing them into mounts) is done in Philips factories in the Far East. Southampton now concentrates on

consumer applications, mostly audio and video, while other centres (eg in Eind-hoven) handle chips for communications technology. The Southampton factory employs over 350 people, three quarters of them qualified engineers and 70 of them specialist IC designers. Over the last 18 months Philips has spent £7 million on adding new buildings and modernising the whole facility. Early on in the DCC project, Eindhoven gave Southampton responsibility for driving the system through to production, by producing a chip set for manufacturers ( including Philips) to use in decks. Previously South-ampton had been responsible for CD and Bitstrcam chips. After 10 years the CD chip set is now into its fourth generation; one chip handles all audio decoding and needs only five add-on chips (eg for memory buffering and servo-control of the motor) and laser optics to complete the player circuitry. In bulk this chip set now costs around £ 10. The chip set for DCC has six key ICs,

very densely packed with several hundred thousand devices on each, at 1 micron spacing. Work was rushed through, in less than nine months from Eindhoven's brief. Guardedly Philips confirms that there is no intrinsic reason why these six ICs should not be reduced, like CD, to a single chip. First samples of the first generation were available mid- 1991. Full-scale pro-duction has now begun at Nijmegen.

Southampton is already well ahead on a second generation set, with fewer ICs. Another target is to reduce power con-

sumption for portable decks. The DCC team at Southampton is a

good place to be. It has priority and is rated immune from the widespread cut-backs now being made throughout the rest of the company.

Green with envy If people want to put green ink round the edges of their CDs because they sincerely believe it improves sound quality, then good luck to them. Certainly once you have paid £ 10 each for 'special' green felt markers that cost a fraction of the price in a stationer's shop, you are going to be sure that you have heard the kind of outstanding improvement which the mak-ers promise you will hear. Never underestimate the power of sug-

gestion. And who wants to look a wally for spending £ 10 and hearing no difference? The theory, as explained by adverts for these magic pens, is that when the laser beam in a CD player hits the surface of the disc, only part of the beam does what it should and reflect straight back into the decoding sensor. Some of the light

refracts sideways across the disc surface to the edges of the disc, from where it is

reflected back towards the centre and into the path of the tracking beam. The

BARRYFOX

beams mix and, because they are out of phase, they interfere. This, to quote one advert, 'creates an extra workload for the servo system'. The servo is the system which keeps

the laser beam in focus and in line with the spiral track of pits. The magic answer now on offer is to coat the edges of the disc with green ink.

'The reflected light is absorbed because green is opposite in the light spectrum to red', continues the advert.

For all I know, the servo of a CD player may have to work hard to cope with reflected light. This may affect the sound. Inking the edges may reduce the work-load on the servo and this may, as claimed, create 'an improvement in sound quality'. Let's suppose that the whole CD format really was so clumsily designed that all player servos overload as a result of the reflections which are the inevitable consequence of playing any disc. Let's also suppose that the servo overloads then adversely affect the sound. Why don't the people selling these magic pens quantify the overloads and adverse sound effects with measured figures and graph plots? Could it be just possible that the people selling magic pens really do not under-stand what they are talking about? I begin to wonder because the advert quoted above helpfully explains that 'all compact disc players manufactured have a red laser light, generated by a ruby crystal'. Rub-bish. The very first, laboratory bench lasers used a ruby crystal which was 'pumped' into action by a beam of high intensity light. The very first laser video disc players used a laser which had a tube of helium and neon gas. All CD players and all modern laser video disc players rely on a solid-state laser diode made from an aluminium gallium arsenide microchip (AlGaAs) which emits infra-red light. I do wish the people who sell expensive

green marker pens would either simply say, `It's magic and we don't know how it works' or learn enough about the technol-ogy of CD to give their supposedly tech-

nical explanations something approaching a ring of truth. +

HI-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 25

EXPENSIVE TUNER?? THEN HAVE THE AERIAL IT DESERVES You spend many hours and quite

a lot of money choosing that new tuner, so don't ruin the whole effect by fiddling with bits of wire or old aerials. Have the full benefit of the multipath-free, clean signal which only a well designed and properly installe dunit can achieve. If D.X. is your scene, then go for the ultimate in rotating high gain narrow beam systems like our G.23 with 19dB forward gain, 38dB F. to B. and Acc. Ang. down to 15 Degrees or have a "one off" special built, up to 32 elements. GALAXIE CIRCULAR 17-ELLMENT STERLO

GAIN 15 9dB F to B 33 7dB L 74"

WE DESIGN, MANUFACTURE, SUPPLY AND FIT

* FM arrays from 4 to 23 Element. TV from 10 to 92 Element. * British- built and designed to withstand our weather. * Interested D.I.Y. advice freely given, backed by our complete range of

masts, brackets, rotors, cables and aerials. Systems available for chimney, loft, wall, or through roof mounting.

* Professional installation service available within a nominal 200-mile radius of LUTON. Full details of this service available on receipt of a large S.A.E. which will bring you our complete "Aerial Guide" which is more than just a list of our products and prices, and carries details of all our services, including MAIL ORDER and site surveys.

SEE THE REST, THEN FOR THE BEST, CALL

RON SMITH

AERIALS 98 ASH ROAD, LUTON, BEDS.

Day — Luton 36561 9.0 to 6.0 Eve — Luton 29560 after 7.30 pm

5 Minutes from M1 Motorway. Turnoff No. 11

PERFECT HARMONY Having striven, for the past half-century, to provide music-lovers with equipment capable of beautiful, lifelike sound reproduction, at an affordable price and able to blend harmoniously into normal domestic surroundings, we now feel that, at long last, we have achieved an almost perfect blend of the aforementioned requirements. This is based on the new Denon D-70 mini- lifestyle system, an elegantly compact assem-bly of receiver, CD player and cassette deck, which costs a mere £480 and, when coupled to our long-popular BBC-designed LS3/5A speakers (also remarkably small and costing £345 per pair), produces the kind of performance to lift the heart of all those who share our love of great music.

Needless to say, the addition of our celebrated Audio-Pro Sub-woofer will further expand the scope of this splendid equipment, while the Denon NS- I lifestyle system provides extra power and additional facilities where these are desired. For those who prefer to pick and choose individual compo-nents, we continue to offer 'separates' by Quad, JVC, Yamaha and Denon, not to mention speaker variants such as the new Harbeth HLP3 and, of course, the famous Quad ESL63.

These days, too, we are also much involved in 'matters visual': outstanding TV sets, Nicam VHS recorders and CD video players, while our exceedingly wide-ranging stock of recordings (available at a generous 20% discount to all who buy equipment from us!) embraces not only Compact Discs in their thousands, but also CD Video discs and VHS cassettes.

When you visit our studio, you will look and listen at leisure in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, and it would surprise us greatly if you do not share our feeling that we have at last achieved the 'perfect harmony' you want for your own home!

Thomas Heinitz Ltd MUSIC IN THE HOME 35 Moscow Road Queensway London W2

Telephone 071-229 2077

Opening hours: 9.30 to 5.30 (Thursday 9.30 to I; Friday 9.30 lo 7)

Pestrede.ë Ce.44e 9tod• 7i- The. frhieJ/*c

See TAS # 38 and ask for information about the latest generation of Low Level Interconnects XWlRETM, High Level Interconnects, Speaker Cables, Mains Cable

Power Cord and DIGITENNA" 75 Ohm Cable.

mu:emu TM are Trade Marks of AUDIOPLAN.

Customer and dealer enquiries are welcome.

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HI-1,1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

RADIO

Iam determined not to waste this month's column on the annual 'Chil-dren In Need' binge which results in

the degradation of all BBC services. Suffice to say that I have joined the growing band of BBC viewers and listeners who would dearly pay their licence fee twice over not to have to endure celebrities pratting about year in, year out. No, there are more important matters to consider — the future

of Tes! Match Special, for one. I am sorry to read in last month's 'Views' that Angus McKenzie MBE, FAES, F1EE is irate at the proposal that Radio Three's FM frequency should be dominated by ball-by-ball cricket commentary for thirty days this summer. While I agree with him that R3 FM is a somewhat strange home for

Johners and company, I look forward to the prospect of stereo transmissions from Lord's, licadingly, Edgbaston, Trent Bridge and The Oval. Scorer Bill Frindall can be panned hard right, the duty sum-mariscr left, commentator centre and the glorious sound of leather against willow carefully mixed with crowd effects to fill the stereo souncIstage. The BBC has had to relinquish its old

R3 medium wave slot to make way for national commercial radio, but was forced to find a home for the cricket specials after a barrage of letters from listeners and a public plea by Prime Minister Major that Test Match Special must he saved. The new sports and education network was considered but, struggling as it is, Radio Five bosses didn't feel they could devote their frequency to all-day cricket, espe-cially when competing sporting events like Royal Ascot or Wimbledon clashed with test matches. Why the Radio Four 198kFiz LW allocation wasn't picked is strange. Yes, it has a duty to carry the shipping forecast, but I can picture Brian Johnston delivering this masterfully between ovcrs without any difficulty. No, 198kfiz has been earmarked for Radio Six — although this new service may be a little way yet from reality.

Obviously existing R3 listeners are going to be disappointed, but what is there on Radio Three during the day — little but a collection of CD tracks which most people can simulate from their own collection. No, I have to say that the huge audience TMS attracts could be the saving grace to boost the audience figures of the music and arts network which was other-wise under threat. And, in the evenings, Radio Three can perform the task it does best — the live relay of classical concerts. The only down point of the plan is that for 320 days of the year daytime Radio Three will be plodding aimlessly on, unless the BBC Board of Governors has another surprise up its sleeve — I'm saying nothing.

Resourceful yet, Radio Three has claimed a first with a transmission of a CD-R recording of a St John's lunchtime

concert featuring the Beaux Arts Trio — the first time a national network has broadcast a programme from the format.

111-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

Although BBC Radio Scotland used a prototype of the domestic Mission CD-R machine at the recent Scottish and Video Exhibition, R3 relied on a profes-sional variant from Yamaha. The unit had been under evaluation in various BBC departments for some months but, unlike the Scottish recording, Radio Three made its customary DAT on location and dub-bed to CD-R later. This caused an addi-tional problem because the BBC has already settled on 48kliz sampling for DAT as its standard. A Sony sample rate converter was used by studio managers at Broadcasting House to adapt the digits to a 44.1 kHz rate suitable for the CD-R unit, rather than having to use a DA(; and analogue to digital converter. BBC sources I spoke to said that CD-R

lent itself ideally to archive purposes, while there was still some anxiety over using DAT for this purpose, and CD offers much faster track access times. A further project to use CD-R on-air with, I'm told, 'many more edits' is in the pipeline and can expect advanced publicity. The Satur-day repeat of the St John's recital sounded faultless to my ears and there was no discernible degradation in quality, even though I was listening for it.

Louder Kiss London `music and dance' station, Kiss FM, claims to be the first in the country to use a special device which imitates a 3-D soundstage. Utilizing Sound Base proces-sing technology, this amazing ( if unwanted) phenomenon was introduced on the Colin Faver techno show. Sound Base idea is marketed as simplistic; unlike rival systems it does not amplify, filter or add sound to the source material, claim-ing to allow the brain to receive more ambient acoustics.

Needless to say, Base is American — from California-based Gamma Electronic Systems Incorporated, in fact. US Super Bowl has already seen the use of Base, an acronym for Bedini Audio Spatial Environ-ment, as Whitney Houston was heard to emanate from the centre of the stadium while she performed from just one corner.

Let's hope the BBC's Johnny Beerling doesn't get his hands on a Base unit, lie's already reduced the dynamic range of his network to produce a 'Radio One sound', which tends to force material down the listener's throat. The idea of being the 'loudest signal on the band' is all very well during the day when RI is playing puerile processed pop, but in the evenings when the station is apt to go into 'semi-serious' mode the high levels of sound processing can become intrusive.

New guide The 1992 edition of Clive Woodyear's useful little guide to British and, for the first time, Irish radio station frequencies has been published at £2.95. With the demise of the IBA, many will miss its

27

TREVOR BUTLER

Transmitting Stations `pocket book' and, although BBC Engineering still produces its list, Clive's 58-page booklet is arranged geographically as well as by frequency and station name to make life much simpler. There are also some handy hints on RDS, aerial selectiOn plus useful tele-phone numbers.

End of carts? The future of the NAB jingle cartridges, or 'carts' as they're called, looks bleak with the arrival of a digitally recorded floppy disc being introduced by ASC, Fidelipac, and Sonnifcx. The UK broadcast equip-ment distributor ASC has begun to lend its DART (digital audio recording technol-ogy) units for field trials by the broadcas-ters. The apt data compression system means each extra high density ( 4Mb) 3.5M floppy can hold over two minutes of stereo audio. ASC has licensed the tech-nology to US cart manufacturer Fidelipac who is to manufacture a compatible for-mat machine in the United States. And finally, a Press Association story

distributed to its subscribers described how large crowds lined the route to celebrate the swearing in of the new Lord Mayor of London Sir Brian Perkins — not the famous Radio Four announcer and newsreader though, it transpires. A PA correction sent later said: `read Jenkins, not Perkins as scut'. Radio Four colleagues send their own message: 'Bad luck Brian ... Bad luck SIR Brian'. +

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HEADROOM W cird Wire: I'm surprised

nobody's used that as a brand name. Even the cheekiness of

'Monster Cable' and 'Vampire Wire' can't convey quite how bizarre the cable scene

has become. So freaky arc the latest cables, accessories and other related bits that I'm wondering when the backlash will start. And I'm not just talking about the hang'em high Floaters for suspending wires above the floor. Somehow I've ended up under a pile of

cable:, and now, more than ever before,

I'm convinced that they're so utterly systen-dependent that reviews can only be considered valid in the context of the reference system. True, this also applies to whole components, but the way a CD player, for example, will behave from system to system appears to be more consistent than the way an interconnect will if moved from, say, one pre/power combination to another. And so comes a warning: I am going to

fashicn some pecking order for the myriad wires that will feature in this column and next month's, but please

note: what works in my system won't necessarily work the same way in yours. As dealers are generally unco-operative when it comes to dcmming cables, I can't take the responsibility if you choose a cable on the strength of my findings, only to discover that it sucks in your system.

All of the speaker wire and intercon-nects were 'burned in' with Duo-Tech's Cable Enhancer, which I found simpler to use than the preferred low-temperature oven (which presupposes dielectrics with a high melting point) lEh? Ed. J. As far as this device is concerned, it certainly does one thing which normal burn-in doesn't: it

saves time. To test the Duo-Tech, I ran in a pair of

wires with normal use and compared them every two days with an identical pair which had received a 48-hour session on he Enhancer. The 'manual' burn-in matched the Duo-Tech effect only after two weeks of constant use, my system running some 40 hours each week. As far as the Duo-Tech's method being more consistent, I can't say, but I can confirm that it prepares your wires for a 'fully operational' state with a two-day, set-and-forget technique.

All connectors were cleaned with Kon-tak fluid, and all leads were fitted with Tandy, ART, Ortho Spectrum or TDK noise filters. I haven't done any compara-tive listening with the filters, nor do I intend to do so. I'm not that mad.

Speaker wires were used between the Sonic Frontiers SFS-50 valve amplifier and Sonus Faber Extremas, Celestion SL7COSEs or Apogee Stages; or between an Aragon 4004 or Classé DR- 10 and 1.S3/ 5As, AR M Is and SL700 SEs. Interconnects were tested both as source-to-pre-amp conduits and as pre-to-power leads. Sources included the Sequerra tuner, CAL Tempest II SE and Maranta CD- 12 players, with Audio Research SP- 14 and Gryphon

pre-amps. 75ohm coaxials and fibre optics were used with the Meridian 200/203 CD combination, the CD- 12 Audio Alchemy's Digital Engine and the Audio Research DAC1. And I'll tell you right now that even the above products, no matter how many combinations 1 tried, give no indica-tion as to how the cables would behave between, say, a Naim pre-amp and a Musical Fidelity power amp, or a Rotel CD player and Pioneer amp. But the combina-tions do allow me to generalize... I said that cables were growing weirder.

On looks alone, the fashionable XLO Electric Reference Series deserves our attention, so I'm using it to kick off the series. A big buzz at the 1991 June CES, XLO seemed endowed with instant credi-bility. Suffice to say that its basic design is novel enough to fit somewhere in between 'interesting' and 'radical'. I tried a 1.5m length of the Type I wire,

described as 'unbalanced line-level inter-connect' and costing $300 plus $75 for so-so plugs. (Also available are a balanced version of the above, a dedicated analogue phono cable, a 75ohm digital cable and two speaker cables.) The cables are made in the USA and use TFE and FEP Teflon for all insulation and core materials. The company uses both 6N or oxygen-free solid-core copper, the former custom-made for XLO. (Note that 7N, though, is the current state of the art, but prices are, shall we say, 'prohibitive'. ) Naturally, all connections are made with silver-bearing, lead-free solder — which kinda conflicts with news from Japan that the best cable you can use is a length of ordinary solder!

What's unusual about the XLO is the air centre-core. The wires are woven around a tube, the cable then cloaked in a clear protective sheath. The wires cross each other at near enough to 90° to minimise capacitance, while the Litz-like stranding minimizes inductance. The individual strands already have

protective coverings, so the hollow tube is simply an aesthetically appealing, novel way of lowering capacitance.

But ignore all that, XL0's Type 1 is a fine cable. No: make that a damned fine cable, the best I've yet used between the CAL CD player and the SP- 14. What it has bags of, to an audibly greater degree than most other cables I've used, is finesse. Whatever jitter and all of the other digital artefacts may be doing to low-level information and subtle details, the XL() seems to restore them. This, of course, is impossible, because a cable cannot restore information, so I can only assume that the XL0's greatness in this area attests to it not acting as a filter.

Curiously, it sounded 'fat' when used between the Audio Research and the myriad amplifiers, the bass taking on a lumpy quality which wasn't in evidence when the XLO was used to connect sources to pre-amps. Then I moved to the Gryphon pre-amp, and the XLO sounded more like what impressed me when it emerged from the ('Al.. Ditto when used

KEN KESSLER

with the Sequerra, but not so when used with the Marantz CD- 12. Which is my way of saying that cables

are a pain in the butt to quantify... let alone recommend. So let's leave XLO with this remark; you can reach them at 9480 Utica Avenue, Suite 612, Rancho Cuca-monga, California 91730 USA, or phone 0101 714 4660382. This company is producing a cable which will not be embarrassed in any system if used at source-to-pre-amp level, but I'd recom-mend careful matching for pre-to-power amp duties.

It's the other way around with the solder cables. Yes, I whipped up a ( truly makeshift) pair of pure solder intercon-nects, though I haven't yet wrapped the strands for protection. Instead, I posi-tioned them with care so the bare surfaces wouldn't make contact and the mecha-nical connections wouldn't break. So this is a preliminary response, discounting my amazement with the idea. A Japanese audiophile told me that hi-fi

casualties in the home country were trying out solder leads, so I did the same even though I thought he was pulling my chain. He wasn't. What you do is take some multi-core solder with a bit of silver content, connect it to phono plugs by heating the metal tags ( moving swiftly), followed by wrapping the solder with cloth tape. For under a couple of quid, you have ... the best-value interconnect on the market? When used in runs under lm long, in systems not suffering from RFI and as a pre-to-power lead rather than source-to-pre-amp lead, the solder sounds, well, just short of invisible. The most remarkable aspect is the top-to-bottom consistency, a cable equivalent of a full-range drive, with superb trans-parency and above average transient capa-bilities. Dynamics aren't the very best, but what do you want for the price of a paperback novel?

This latest bit of lunacy is so cheap and so simple that you must try it. I'm going to fashion a 'deluxe' pair, fully insulated and fitted with some serious plugs, and I'll let you know how I fare. Aside from awkward handling, solder leads may be the biggest hi-fi bargain since Blu-Tack.+

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 29

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Vol. 7, No. 9

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NEWSLETTER

The Roksan TMS Turntable

THE SURVIVAL OF THE FITTEST The best turntables, tonearms and phono cartridges continue to emerge after the mass market has virtually abandoned the LP. Something similar could be said for valve amplifiers: the best designs are the recent ones! To specialists (that's us) and connoisseurs (that's you) perhaps this is not as alarming as might first appear. After all, the best purist recordings were made by enthusiasts during the sixties; once the financial empires controlled the record industry, musicians were hurriedly scheduled in and out of the studio and quality was of secondary concern. The indepen-dent record companies seem to be entering upon the dawn of a golden age, and so, for the vinyl connoisseur things may not be so bleak, especially with the enormous quantity of second-hand LP's covering the recorded legacy of four decades of work from the big labels. Records are all about permanency and the amazing detail is more indestructible than is generally thought to be the case. If you don't believe this, try using LAST, as discussed last month!

CD technology has made enormous leaps forward to solve the problem of access to mainstream current issues where, it must be admitted, vinyl is now sadly wanting. So, this month we feature ROKSAN ENGINEERING who offer us the Best of Both Worlds: in short, total access to music. The audiophile world has already seen and heard enough from this dynamic company to acknowledge its ability to put together a system which reproduces music with the excitement and characteristics of the live event.

Roksan's designers have not been asleep but dreaming! Now the dream has come true

Roksan's designers have not been asleep but dreaming! Now the dream has come true and we proudly announce the long-awaited RoK-DP1 Compact Disc Transport whose prototype was shown at the London Hi-Fi show in September. Experience with analogue turntables and tonearms has proved to be unpredictably useful; it is increasingly appreciated that even the digital disc is read by an essentially analogue-like (mechanical) process. The significance of play in arm bearings, for example, has been addressed by a radical departure from mass-produced CD transports. The Roksan machine retracts laser and lens out of the way of harm and dust

February 1992

The Roksan CD Transport RoK-DPI

when the lid is opened and their proposed brochure describes in some detail why the machine is top-loading (yet ingenious ergonomics make it as easy to use as a drawer-loading machine). The price is a remarkably competitive £995 due to the confidently anticipated success.

The Roksan Digital to Analogue Converter (RoK-DA1) will sell for £495; as always, your personal audition will be the final word on what is best for you. Future advances will be upgradable, according to Roksan, although we feel that a product does not deteriorate musically by being superseded! This is our opinion: a designer makes a statement at a point in time, and improvements are not always steps forward, nor even convenient or affordable; but it is reassuring to be confident that you can choose to come in on new technology if you so wish. The Music Room detests unfinished designs being placed on the market; it is better to wait, but believe me, we have waited long enough for these Roksan products.

Styled to match the contemporary Deco CD Transport is the amazing Radius turntable which sells with Tabriz tonearm for only £550. If LP's are higher priority, but the budget doesn't quite stretch to a magnificent Xerxes/ArtaXerxes in Rosewood, then £550 also buys the basic Xerxes-33 in black ash. You need a tonearm, of course, and you can later add a Roksan Power Supply XPS2 to upgrade to 33 and 45 RPM with DC output for the ArtaXerxes cartridge amplifier.

For the serious enthusiast ready to make the final commitment to vinyl, the choice has never been better. We proudly stock and demonstrate the "classic analogue products" from Goldmund, Michell GyroDek, Pink Triangle Anniversary and Voyd. Later we come to some wonderful news concerning the relaunch of Oracle products in UK. We also have access to and experience of Basis, Lurne-Audiomeca and VersaDynamics (among those we would recommend) and certain others (which have caused us some problems). Now these products, which continue to widen the sonic quality gap by providing a moving target to CD potential, are joined by the long-awaited statement by Roksan's chief designer Touraj Moghaddam who has already ensured his name in audio history by his work to date. The TMS (Touraj Moghaddam Signature), if our photo does it justice, could sell on looks alone but will certainly not have to. Long-term stability and the years of service adequately justify the price of £2,995 (with RoK-DS1 Power Supply).

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s I C ROOM As for the TMS sonic performance, we had the briefest encounter at the London Show; using an SME Series V the turntable was clearly extraordinary. By the time you read this, we should have the

turntable and some hands-on experience. Of course the looks don't matter (don't they half?), but the understated magnificence, the sensuous curves, the play of silver corners against the piano black laquer. Oh, if looks could kill!! It is just begging for an SME Series V and a home demonstration. Remember, we will visit you anywhere in the country if you are serious about investing in such a product

which we are recommending to you.

Our experience saves our customers a great deal of trouble and expense in many ways, far beyond a few percent discounts you might be tempted to accept by box merchants and classified ads. The quality of the dealer will determine the quality of a high-end syste -n for a wide variety of reasons. A room full of high-end products does not amount to a high-end (satisfying) system as many have discovered to their high-cost and high-frustration.

As transistor amplifiers seem to catch up, valves move the goal posts to higher spheres and often at affordable prices

The renaissance in valve amplifiers is certainly not a passing phase. Again, as transistor amplifiers seem to catch up, valves move the goal posts to higher spheres and often at affordable prices. Audiophile use along with continued use in military, musical and broadcasting uses have resulted in price increases of the valves themselves, however, commensurate with quality of grading and matching now available and various Eastern countries still manJfacture new valves in quantity. Remember also that stock 25 years old are still as new and the US Government is said to own millions which will eventually be sold off.

It is now worth giving careful thought to which brands and quality of valves to use

It is now worth giving careful thought to which brands and quality of valves to use. They all sound different, and the difference is not subtle. Even the most expensive valves cost a fraction of your valve amplifier and can, at one extreme, double the subjective qua;ity and even the quantity of sound. The quality we can let you hear in our dem room, the quantity claim might sound outrageous unless you appreciate that poorly matched but good valves work against each other like one cylinder out of synchronisation with its neighbours. We can even advise on tailoring the sound from euphonic to very clean depending on your system, taste and the type of music you play. An obvious example is to emulate the Fender (American) sound or Marshall (British) sound by using the same valves as the musicians; simple, really!! The best source of valves and expertise we have yet discovered is Groove Tubes whose business is mainly with guitar amplifiers, but who have become aware of the audiophile market.

SONY DEALERJ

HUI NEYSI

! 1190

We regret that we cannot become engaged in long telephone conversations about the many valve options for your amplifier because the number of makes and grades and alternatives in terms of sound, power, cost and longevity are impressive. To put the whole thing into perspective, we would prefer to have an hour of your time and we will let you hear some differences and you can

then start to read about valves for yourself. If you are amazed by the improvement over the original manufacturer's valves you may ask why they don't use them in the first place. We can only speculate that they buy ordinary valves for a much lower price and the chain of selling and distribution costs actually make it cheaper

for the end user to buy his better valves (and store away the old ones for 25 years).

No-one regrets buying their Oracle turntable; that is why so few appear on the second-hand market

No-one regrets buying their Oracle turntable; that is why so few appear on the second-hand market. Long after the price is forgotten the turntable continues to delight its owner. The first Oracle was reviewed as a landmark in high-end achievement, and the Mark IV is a distillation of its engineering and musical

excellence further enhanced and refined. Many were disappointed and puzzled not to find this turntable at the Gamepath room at the Penta Show last year. We are delighted to announce that by the time you read this, Oracle should be back in stock! More details

and full news to follow soon.

SECOND-HAND NEWS

Please send for our updated list or 'phone your requirements, but be aware that our experience in matching and tweaking systems saves you much more than hunting down esteemed products. Given a suitably large room and an extra power-amp, there can be no doubt about our MD's Infinity RS1b's representing one of the greatest loudspeakers ever made. The scale of soundstage, power, clarity, sweetness etc. cannot be put into words and have

been rivalled, if at all, by a few exotically priced models also from USA. Enquiries to Jack Lawson who can arrange a demonstration with pleasure. Another personal favourite is the PRIMARE Series 928 amplifiers from Denmark distilling greatness within carved from

solid metal blocks; beautiful.

Denmark is, of course, making some great statements in high-end, however, the company doing most to counter the Bang & Olufsen image of cosmetic Hi-Fi is ... Bang & Olufsen. Have you checked them out recently. Listen to these turntables featuring suspended sub-chassis designs B.L. (before Linn!!) and cartridge amplifiers B.R. (before Roksan). And their televisions feature Hi-Fi amps and speakers before anyone else yet! The new system 2500 won the What Hi-Fi award, and 1992 will see the launch of an active loudspeaker costing £ 1,800 very much aimed at the audiophile market but extremely elegant and stylish. The nice thing about

Danish electronics is the standard of excellent consistency. I can't speak knowledgeably about their bacon and butler but Danish Hi-Fi

is good!

G=located at Glasgow shop; M=located at Manchester shop. All pre-owned items (s/h) are fully guaranteed for 6 months; ExDem goods for 2 years from date of purchase. Prices include VAT @ 171/2%. UK Carriage charges UK £5—£10; next-day delivery available. Major credit cards accepted by telephone, Mon—Sat 10am-6pm. 10% deposit secures any item for up to 28 days. Credit available to personal callers.

The Music Room, 50 Bridge Street, Manchester M3 3BN. 061-835 1366

The Music Room, 98 Bath Street, Glasgow G2. 041-332 5012

1 ' t—D

Pawky, controversial radical

valve amps. just what youd' expect from Michaelson Audio.

We've been called a lot of things but boring is not one of them.

One critic says in Audiophile that our four-box 112 Watts per channel Chronos pre- and power valve amps look like Battersea Power Station.

But after listening to them (perhaps with eyes closed), he called them awe-some and says he was gob smacked. "I had little idea quite how much sheer gut-thumping power ouch a beast can deliver. Believe me, it's frightening..."

Another reviewer bravely says Chronos are "quite gorgeous" adding that they look "a damn sight better than your standard parallel sided breadbox."

To judge from his review in Hi-Fi News & Record Review, he likes the sound, too. "Across the bandwidth it sounded forceful and in control...

"But it's the mid-band (isn't it always?) that makes tubes the choice of the connoisseur, and here the Chronos positively sings."

Then critics from Hi-Fi Choice had their say. "From the opening bars of the music you can hear that Chronos is in the top league. There's that sense of ease and spaciousness which is so character-istic of high quality valve amplifiers... Chronos power amps can swing dynamics which will take your breath away." •

MICHAELSON AUD

In their view, the Chronos sound-stage is "as close to 'being there' as the limitations of the listening room and the recordings are ever likely to allow."

At Michaelson Audio we recognise that not everyone has room for our massive monuments to valve supremacy.

So we also make Odysseus, an integrated valve amp. It looks "slightly less outrageous but the aesthetics are still a matter of taste': according to Hi-Fi News & Record Review. It's "a high-end monster in (almost) budget clothing..."

"But the real reason for buying an amp like Odysseus (unless you're merely wild about the styling) is its midband. Choose whatever tubey adjectives you like — clarity, authority, detail, warmth — the Michaelson has 'em in spades, wth an added plus . . . . the Odysseus offers wall-to-wall coverage, exploiting the precision focusing of small speakers... it performs like a true champion?

Perhaps by now you are asking yourself, just how weird do Chronos and Odysseus look? And why is there no picture of them in this advert?

The reason is this: we want you to visit your hi-fi dealer to hear and see them in person.

Call them stunning or bizarre, they'll probably leave you speechless.

o

MICHAELSON AUDI() IS DISTRIBUTED BY MUSICAL FIDELITY. 15 16 OLYMPIC TRADING ESTATE, FULTON ROAD, WEMBLEY, MIDDLESEX H A9 OTF OR TELEPHONE10811900 2866

CONSTRUCTIONAL

Two or three years ago, the Editor asked me to design a compact kit loudspeaker fig publication in

HFN/RR, following in the tradition of my earlier DBS4 and DBS5 designs. These featured about 10 or 12 years ago in the now sadly defunct Practical Hi Ft/Hi Ft Today magazine and proved very popular — with kits being sent as far as Malaysia and Australia. (There must be a DBS loudspeakers' owners club out there somewhere judging by the numbers sold). More recent years have seen my labora-tory designing more commercial louds-peakers than I care to remember, so to return to writing for a DIY audience proved to be a refreshing change.

The concept The idea behind the new design was to make a neutral and accurate loudspeaker, not favouring or discriminating against any particular types of music — a louds-peaker which would work just as well with the Stranglers as Stravinsky. The brief seemed simple, but in reality the task proved much more difficult.

The design From the start, I intended the DBS6 to employ the simplest crossover possible. From experience, I would say that simple crossovers (or none at all) work best, provided the drivers are good enough and the design is competently carried out. Unfortunately simple crossovers make life difficult because they give designers less leeway to filter out or correct for undesir-able traits in drive units. Sometimes one or two extra crossover parts are needed to get the desired result, so one can't be too pedantic when applying philosophy. The design process started with the

.-- ----

C Front

A C Rear

B

A

MADE TO MEASURE woofer. Commercially-available 200mm woofers virtually always feature an extended frequency response which ranges up to 5kHz or so — often with a rather ragged top-end performance — designed on the assumption that the crossover will cut this down to two or three kHz and 'remove' the unwanted resonances. Unfortunately, even if this is done, the mechanical problems which cause the resonances will not have gone away and tend to still be audible.

Surprisingly, with all the effort which is pur. into extending frequency response.of drivers these days, it is actually quite difficult to make a 200mm woofer which rolls off by itself smoothly at, say, 2 or 3kHz. None were available, so I had a woofer built specifically to achieve the required roll-off and the other characteris-tics I required. (Please note, this is avail-able only from kit suppliers DBS Audio). On the whole this fulfilled my specifica-

tions, though in the end it did require a small series inductor coil to reduce the

THE DBS6 SPEAKER With leather look baffle, a

compact DIY speaker design —

bi-wirable and with hard-wired

crossover

by Dave Berriman

midrange level just a touch and bring it more in line with the bass output. The coil also has a mild high-frequency filtering action, but the main filtering for the crossover takes place mechanically, within the drive unit, and in a very smooth fashion as intended. One major problem with bass/midrange

drivers is cone flexure at low frequencies, which produces distortion and 'woolly' bass. This can be a problem with polyp-

ropylene, which is a relatively soft mate-rial. In the DBS200 woofer this is taken care of by a fairly steep cone profile and a thick, rigid cone. Next, come resonances introduced by conventional dust caps. These can be a major problem. In many cases, the dust cap is attached to the cone at some distance from the voice e coil former. As a result, the mass of the cap 'bounces' on the cone's compliance to create resonances — not to mention ring-ing in the cap itself. In the DBS200 woofer this has been avoided by glueing a stiff egg-shaped dust cap directly to the high-power voice-coil's 32mm ( 11/4 inch) dia-meter former, making a structure much less prone to unwanted flexure and help-ing the woofer's smooth roll-off. A piece of acoustic foam under the cap absorbs reflections from the pole piece and damps structural resonances, while a rear-

111-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 33

ventilated pole piece eliminates the vio-lent changes in the pressure of air trapped under the cap which can cause it to buckle, thus creating distortion and more resonances. The whole lot is mounted on a solid cast chassis to reduce unwanted chassis resonances and flexure. The result-ing woofer creates a very articulate sound with very little clouding of instrumental detail.

So articulate was the woofer that choos-ing a tweeter which was as fast and non time-smearing as the woofer became a major problem. The burgeoning DBS6 required a tweeter rather better than your average common-or-garden variety, other-wise the discontinuity would he all too apparent to the ear.

After a few unsuccessful attempts, trying otherwise perfectly adequate twee-ters, I chanced upon the Morel MDT 30 and immediately realised its fine trans-parency and excellent transient perform-ance would he ideal. It was well suited in more ways than one. I wanted to use a 12d13/octave crossover for the tweeter as an ideal match to the woofer's natural

but to achieve this from 2kIlz, a very low resonance frequency and good

power handling would be required. The MD'I' 30 has a large rear chamber which helps it achieve a low resonance of 700Hz — well away from the crossover region. A claimed power handling of 200W nominal with a transient power of 1,000 watts and lack of compression of high sound press-ure levels are all ideal. No doubt its 28mm (1 1/8inch) 'Hexatech' hexagonal alumi-nium voice-coil and fluid damping helps achieve the fine transient performance and high power handling. A useful benefit is that, in the unlikely event of a blown tweeter, the complete dome/voice-coil assembly can he changed by simply using a screwdriver and making two soldered connections to the voice-coil braids. The Morel tweeter's hand-doped dome

gives the tweeter a smooth response, though a slightly rising trend adds just a touch of subjective thinness to treble sounds. Otherwise, the sound was exactly what I was looking for. My instinct was not to correct for this in the crossover on the basis that to add components would spoil the sound. However, it seemed a pity to allow the slight treble thinness to spoil the natural timbre of instruments and vocals, so I tried compensating in the

oRed

o Black

+0Yellow

Blue

L1

R1 1/\./\/--•

18mm front baffle

-C1

L2<p

Fig: I DBS6 crossover

6mm top baffle

r-L,c TR2

Yellow

Red

- \ Black

_Blue

0(

Fig 2: Cross-section

through woofer hole

rhamete horizontal )

leather cloth

1/4 round edge (12mm 12mm)

12mm battens

18mm carcass

crossover by means of a zobel network. This had exactly the effect I had hoped for, without introducing any harmful side effects.

The crossover The resulting crossover is shown in fig I. It has a single air-cored-coil feeding the woofer and polypropylene capacitors in the tweeter network. The type of compo-nents proved crucial. The capacitor make and construction method were chosen specifically on the basis of sound quality. These capacitors, made by ICW of Wales, are wound on to a solid core using thicker than normal polypropylene film. The thicker film enables more tension to be used, for a tighter construction and less unwanted vibration. Leaving the solid core in place after winding ( as opposed to the usual practice of removing it) also helps to reduce unwanted mechanical resonances. A by-product is a higher working voltage of 630V, as opposed to the more usual 100V or 160V and a much larger size. (The cost is significantly higher, but the improvement in sound quality is worth it.)

Also, to further enhance sound quality, the lead out wires are of solid copper, hand-soldered to the metalised film. This avoids the sound degradation which can be caused by lead outs with a high steel content, which are usually welded in place. The end result of all this is a series of capacitors which sound deliciously transparent, but which avoid the harsh-ness so often introduced by polypropy-lene metal film types. To connect between the crossover and

drive units, and from the input terminals to the crossover, I chose van den Hul CS12 IIF Linear Crystal Oxygen-Free-Copper cable. This multi-strand cable is silver plated in a way which reduces impurities in the silver ( which can add treble brightness and harshness) and avoids stressing the copper, ( which would spoil the linear crystal structure ). I had been put off silver-plating by bright-sounding cables heard in the past, but this criticism does not seem to apply to the van den Hul. Changing from ordinary cable to the CS12 HF brings about a dramatic improvement in overall trans-parency and a reduction in treble harsh-ness and grain. At the same time, bass becomes firmer and more realistic. It is as though a window has been opened. The cable is expensive, hut I felt I had to include it in the kit because to do otherwise would have compromised the performance. It is very thick and requires a little care during soldering, hut there is a simple trick which helps achieve this, so soldering should not deter anyone, pro-viding they have a 60 watt iron with a tip in good condition. The DI3S6 crossover is hard-wired. That

means the component leads are soldered directly to each other and to the connect-ing leads. This may not look very 'tech-nological' but past experience has shown this method sounds better than when printed circuit boards are used. I have no

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

CONSTRUCTIONAL

'proof' as to the cause, but feel it's most likely due to the reduction in metal-to-metal junctions (which always contain some impurities no matter how carefully they are soldered) combined with the elimination of the extra DC resistance introduced by thin copper tracks.

Bi-wiring Each crossover is bi-wirable. The kit comes complete with two ready-wired crossovers and two input 'cups' (one for each speaker) which fit into a rectangular hole in the rear panel. Each terminal cup has four high-quality gold-plated brass binding posts. These can either be con-nected together by the gold-plated brass shorting straps supplied with the kit, for conventional single-pair amplifier connec-tion. Alternatively, the straps can be removed for true four-wire bi-wiring.

Bi-wiring — connecting woofer and tweeter via separate leads to the amplifier — does bring very tangible improvements to clarity and stereo imagery. Contrary to what 1as been written in some journals, it is effective even with simple crossovers due to the reduction in current paths common to both woofer and tweeter, both along the inter-connect cables and within the speaker. Bi-amping ( the use of separate amplifiers for woofer and twee-ter) can bring further benefits to sound quality.

Grille and baffle Loudspeaker grilles are always a problem. They are almost always detrimental to sound quality, yet in most cases are essential to ward off inquisitive fingers and to render the finished item more acceptable in the home. Like most com-mercial designs, previous DBS loudspeak-ers have featured clip-on grilles which should be removed for serious listening. The DBS6 is no exception, except that the

thickness of the frame has now been reduced to minimize reflections. This has been made possible with the Morel twee-ter, because its dome is recessed very slightly in a short, curved horn.

If the woofer and tweeter are mounted straight on to a flat baffle so that their flanges protrude, this introduces some serious deviations to the frequency

response, and in particular a rising response with a plateau at high frequen-cies ( around 1 2kIlz-15kIlz ). It is essen-tial to avoid this by means of flush mounting the tweeter. I 1:)wever, a major problem for home

huiliers is rebating holes so that drive units can be flush mounted. Normally,

rebating requires a router — expensive unless hired for the occasion.

In the DBS6 this problem has been

solved quite simply. An extra 6mm thick plywood front baffle, with holes to clear the outer diameters of woofer and twee-ter, is glued to the main baffle. The extra baffle has the further benefit of stiffening and damping the front baffle by adding the extra strength of plywood and a glue damping layer, which have a dramatic effect on front panel vibration.

—

eTt—J 3 3 3

5/8in

Fle-5-I-11111

28mm

1 17/1111711

6mm holes x 4

section x—x

20mm

371

1/././X

1« 9 13/32

249

Fig 3: Grille frame

ETc E o

E E co

lei Malarial: 6mm plywood.

This extra panel is about the right thickness for the woofer flange ( allowing the rounded edge of the woofer chassis to protrude harmlessly by about 0.5mm ) hut is too thick for the tweeter. Cutting ( and if necessary gently sanding) a small spacer disc cut from 3.2mm hardboard is the

answer. This is glued to the baffle under the tweeter flange to bring its front face flush with the front baffle surface.

Baffle finishing Unfortunately, even very careful cutting can result in slightly uneven holes and to paint an untidy front panel would not give a very professional-looking finish. If you

are a very neat worker, you could veneer the front panel, but not everyone can cut perfectly circular holes. I puzzled long and hard about how to

achieve a craftsman-like finish without the use of professional techniques. When I saw a pair of Sonus Faber Extremas, the answer finally hit me — leathercloth. These loudspeakers looked smart and well finished. Why not cover the DBS6 front baffle similarly and hide a multitude of

DIY sins into the bargain? In practice the idea works well: the leathercloth ( sup plied with the kit) stretches into the driver rebates, giving the DBS6 buds peaker a luxurious appearance very diffe rent to the run-of-the-mill and not looking at all home-built. The soft black grille-fixing sockets supplied with the kit blend anonymously into the leather-cloth for unobtrusive grille fixing.

In order to accommodate the double thickness where the leather-cloth is glued under the frame, the main baffle is raised proud of the cabinet sides by 6mm. The thin fixed front baffle is made smaller than the cabinet width and height. This allows enough space and depth to fit a 12mm

round or square cross-section hardwood or ramin frame around the front baffle and takes into account the thickness of leather-cloth ( see fig 2 ). This fixed frame makes a flush surface with the front baffle and neatly hides the edges where the leather-cloth is wrapped round, to pro-vide a very neat and professional appear-ance. Preferably, the cabinet veneer can be applied before the frame, which can

HI-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 35

SERIE

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** I

CONSTRUCTIONAL

then be 41tied on to make a neat butt joint. The frame may be in the same wood as the veneer, though for contrast, a different wood can be used. It's really a matter of

personal taste. The square frame offers the prospect of

a completely rectilinear profile, whereas the 1/4 round frame is perhaps not so crisp visually. but is very slightly superior acoustically.

If you adopt the rounded styling, you will need to make the removable front grille frame, which supports the cloth, smaller than the cabinet dimensions, as shown in fig 3, to fit neatly, fractionally larger than the leather-cloth area, and leaving the I/4 round hardwood/ramin frame visible around it. For a square frame, the removable grille may be as above, or the same size as the cabinet front. The difference in sound between square and rounded fixed frame will be margin'', so the choice can be made on mainly cosmetic grounds. Of course, the beauty of DIY is that

(within reason ) you can adapt the design to incurporate your own ideas: so long as you adhere to the basic concepts outlined above you may do as you like. I lowever, avoid recessing the tweeter, adding a deep grille frames or anything around the front panel ( such as a permanently-fixed raised frame ) which will cause reflections.

At least a removable grille-frame can be taken off for listening.

Damping The 18mm flooring-grade chipboard cabinet is very stiff, but the panels require mechanical damping to suppress reso-

nances, which are audible as strong ring-ing when an un-damped cabinet is struck with a piece of wood or knuckle and cause noticeable muddling of musical detail if not dealt with. ( Consequently don't be tempted to use the cabinets un-treated — the loudspeakers won't sound the same.) Though they work well on 12mm

standard-grade chipboard, the solid bitu-minous pads used in previous DBS kits were not as effective as I would have liked on the thicker, stiffer flooring grade. Bitumen pads add damping and mass, but virtually no stiffness. They do damp high-frequency resonances, particularly on thinner 12mm ( 1/2 inch) thick panels, but also tend to shift some resonances to a lower range of frequencies and do little to suppress low-frequency flexure. A form of damping involving some

extra stiffness and relying less on mass would be ideal. This would suppress a wider range of frequencies and reduce panel flexure at low frequencies, for improved bass performance.

DBS 6 LOUDSPEAKER

I..

Fig 4a: In-room DBS6 frequency response at 1m, on -woofer axis, showing linearity on optimum axis

- It Fig 4b: In room DBS6 frequençv response at 1m, mid way between woofer and tweeter

I., .0.11eiry It

Fig 4c: Pseudo Anechoic frequency response of DBS6 at 1m, on woofer axis, showing match to ir-room results

reeeetee rustle.n.. - a velt,ealee n.aout,

•

- rig 4d: 1n-room DBS6 frequency response at 1m on tweeter axis

Me ell eolts,volle OEM co,0

le. revemwe. -

Fig 4e:In-room DB6 frequency response at 1m and 30° off the horizontal axis, showing excellent dispersion

Teener.. hectic* Ma. - .1W». tO.311 eet,

MOO.

le. -

Fig 4f: DBS6 LI: response in near field. Bass is —6dB at 48Hz ref 200Hz. Response is set 2dB down at /kHz

0-- — Fig 4g: Modulus of impedance, showing nominal 8 ohms. Minimum value is 6.4 ohms at 150 Hz to 200Hz

Supplier: DBS Audio, PO Box 91, Bury St Edmuruis, Suffolk IP.30 ONF. UK price of kit £187 (inc P&P).

î

Restrained layer damping, in the lOrm of inexpensive and freely-available 3.2mm hardboard glued to the inside of the chipboard panels in two layers, proved to be the solution to the problem. This works in three ways: firstly, the hardboard

is fibrous and inherently lossy, secondly. the glue specified dries to a gooey, rub-bery layer which absorbs vibration. Because it is restrained between two panels, its damping effect is greatly enhanced. Any panel flexure puts both glue layer in shear, so that the molecules are forced to move relative to each other. Thirdly, the sandwich of hardboard/glue/ hardboard is fairly rigid and stiffens up the panels. A single hardboard layer is very effec-

tive and is probably adequate. I lowever. the second layer of hardboard as recom-mended is better still. The specified adhesive — Evo-Stik

Impact 2, a non-toxic, water-based con-tact adhesive, is available in the 1'K (cg 11&Q ) but is unavailable in many coun-tries, so a quantity is included with each kit sent overseas ( one I -1 ( inl tin and one 2 10m1 tin complete with applicators). This should easily be sufficient for two layers, provided you are not wasteful.

Internal damping of air resonances is dealt with quite separately by high-quality acetate-fibre wadding. This has the secon-dary but vital effect of slowing the speed of sound within the cabinet, thus increas-ing the effective volume, lowering the resonance frequency and reducing the total Q of the system to O.". This provides for a well-damped transient behaviour for realistic, tight, well-controlled bass.

The design Design of the 1)1356 was carried out by means of extensive listening and measuring using DRA's MISSA ( Maximum length Sequence System Analyser), a computerised fast-Fourier analyser system capable of in-room pseudo-anechoic measurements. As shown in fig -ta to -if, very fiat responses are achieved through mid to treble, with good low-frequency extension as shown by close-mie

measuring in fig 4f. I feel that loudspeakers which measure flat anechoically, sound bass-heavy in normal rooms due to room gain and resonances (which can be substantial), so the DliS6

was engineered for somewhere between free-space (' pi) and close wall ( 2pi ) operation, which in my experience tends to be about right in most rooms. If you use the DI356 too close to the wall the bass may be a little on the rich and heavy side, while the optimum position will be Ibund

out in the room. The impedance plot in fig 4g shows a nominally Bohm impedance which should present no problem to normally-capable amplifiers. The aim was to achieve a musically-

satising perfinmance, rather than text-book excellence, bug the measurements do confirm the loudspeaker's basically neutral sound which enables one to hear deep into musical layers and textures. +

Next month: step-by-step cons/me/ion.

HI- F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 3"

OVER THE IN ITALY..

Jadis and Sound Labs in Nonsolomusica

A trip to Italy turned into the most hi-fi-packed three days this side of a CES, beginning

with a trip to Nonsolomusica in Legnano. My Italian is so limited that I assumed

the name referred to the owner's hatred of mono, or maybe an aversion to musi-cians playing by themselves. It turns out that the name means `Not Just Music', because the shop, if you can call it a shop, takes hi-fi so seriously that it's not unusual for the owner to make a house call at 2am, when some hapless customer phones with a minor complaint.

Eugenio Lazzari and his charming assis-tant Angela Borsani ( living proof that there are female audiophiles; she drives LS3/5As with a baby Jadis) run what I'd call a carriage-trade operation, the mas-

sive premises filled with single-speaker demonstration rooms and an array of gear not often found under one roof. Up the stairs, past giant containers which could only house high-end loudspeakers, past the rooms full of mouthwatering second-hand gear ( Eugenio regards pre-owned equipment as the perfect solution for those with limited funds) and into Listen-ing Room No I. You learn immediately that Eugenio has a thing for valves and electrostatics, in particular Sound Labs driven by Jadis. And they do make magical noises, partly

because the set-up is impeccable and partly because the room — it's tall ceiling in particular — seems made to measure. The shelves are filled with interesting components, including Mark Levinson crossovers, some old Apt Holman gear,

French products I've never heard of let alone seen and a selection of home-grown gear I wish was sold in the UK.

That's the nice thing about visiting hi-fi shops abroad. The better ones often stock items which don't make it to our shores. Two pieces grabbed me, and not just because they're both valve-driven; they're also seriously under-priced. Lector's two-box CD player, the Digidrive transport and Digicode DIA converter, is all-valve and sells for three million lira — or £ 1376 at today's exchange rate. Next to the Lector a mouthwatering amplifier from Hartmonia which must've cost the earth. Check it out: eight 6550s to provide

60W/channel. Conservative or what? The architecture is much in the Audio Research mould, a virtually free-standing front-panel and lots of breathing space for the tubes. The construction is borderline bomb-proof. I figured £4000 or £5000. Wrong: four million lira, or £ 1834. I saw Apogees, a Krell being delivered,

lots of British gear ( how about a Notting-ham Analogue turntable.., on top of a pre-war Telefunken steam radio?), long. forgotten tonearms, bits bearing the name 'Decca', a selection of trick cables, lots of

software for sale — it was an audiophile's paradise. I learned later that Eugenio likes to introduce his customers to each other to share experiences, problems, whatever, creating not just a market but an audiophile community. What I also learned about Italy's high.

end scene can be described with a few sweeping generalizations: Italian audiophiles have massive LP and CI) collections, preferring the former to the latter; the hi-fi mags have overwhelming

TOP And you thought British

audiophiles were extreme?

The Italians make us look

positively sane

by Ken Kessler

influence; classical and jazz predominate;

big bucks Yankee gear rules; the interest in hi-fi is beyond the obsessional. Take Signor R ( names eliminated to

prevent thieves from locating the treasure troves), a long-time HFN/RR subscriber and probably the most sophisticated indi-vidual I've ever met. I mean, he apolo-gized because his IWC watch was quartz! Anyway, his Turin townhouse could pass for an art museum, his love for music is passionate and his wife would rather not have to look at hi-fi equipment. The solution? In a small room, say 3X 4m, Signor R has placed a Krell CD player, ART valve fine-level pre-amp and the four-chassis Cello Performance power amp stack driving the massive Sound labs A6 panels flanking his desk. What seems like

the world's largest pair of headphones actually works in this space, the set-up having somehow compensated for the

ART turntable

Room 1: SOTA turntable. Wheaton Triplanar arm and Kiseki Lapis lazuli plus a Nakamichi Dragon driving a full com-plement of Spectral electronics (includ-ing CD player), fed into Wilson WAMMs. Not WATrs, WAMMs. Room 2: A Goldmund Reference turn-table — yes, one of the 300 — with Spectral cartridge, an Accuphase transport and Wadia 200 D/A converter, Conrad-Johnson Premier Five and Seven and Quad '63s. Room 3: Gryphon and Spectral pre-amps, a CAL Tempest II CD player, another SOTA with Alphason arm and van den Hul cartridge. Nestorovic amplifiers and Dahlquist DQ20 speakers. Room 4: A Sony CDV player, Spectral CD player, Basis Gold Debut Standard turn-table with SME V arm and Spectral cartridge and another Nakamichi Dragon feeding an Audio Research SP- 15 into M300 monoblocks, driving Magneplanar

Tympani Ns. These flank a 46in Philips Matchline TV monitor. Room 5: In this corner, we have a Cello Suite and Cello Palette with Cello Per-formance amplifiers, a Sony DAT recor-der, a Zarathustra turntable with Pluto arm and Cello cartridge, an aged Meri-dian CD player and another Wadia 2000, heard through Duntech Sovereigns. Back-up gear includes a Klyne Model 5 pre-amp, a Gryphon phono pre-amp, a Kinergetics CD player and an Electro Kinetics Eagle 70 power amp. Facing this system is another — Hugo has two listen-ing chairs facing each other in the middle of the room — consisting of a CAL Tempest I CD player, Linn 1212 with Troika and EKOS, a Nakamichi ZX-7, Nakamichi S17 tuner, Sonographe SSD1 CD player, a Goldmund Mimesis 2 and 3 pre-power combination, a Classé DR-7/ DR3 VHC pre-power combination and Stax F83X Electrostatics.

38 HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

SH • W REPORT

cramped conditions. The bass challenges

conventional logic, the transparency and speed of the electrostatics are breath-taking. It is one man's hi-fi heaven.

Gianni B dedicated his basement to

hi-fi, and I gathered that it's seen more gear than a Dixon's warehouse. Gianni is on a quest for perfection, the latest system being ART Limited Edition from cartridge to speaker, including all electronics ( bar the CD player) and even the wires. I visited Gianni on my first evening in Italy, but Be Yamamura was still in the midst of building the system on-site. No kidding. The massive thread-drive turntable

with pantograph tonearm was already in situ. What needed completion was the

right-hand pre-amp (dual-mono, with out-board power supplies) plus fine-tuning of the speakers. Which defied belief. They consist of open frames about 1.5m

tall. Hanging by fine filaments from the

top, and vindicating Roksan and the float-ing tweeter, was a brass cylinder contain-ing a horn-loaded compression driver, both hand-fashioned by Yamamura. Below it hung another cylinder with a Richard Aller Sin driver at each end, back to back. The magnets are connected by a 4mn diameter graphite bar. Behind each tower is a similarly sized cylindrical enclosure containing a couple of KEF B20Os per side. And driving them, the LB I triode monoblocks, each bearing a pair of 845s in push-pull configuration and running in pure Class A.

The complete ART system

I was told that Gianni actually sleeps in the same room as the hi-fi after extended sessions, in this case impatient to hear the final results. The sound was, quite simply,

one of the most dynamic I've heard, attesting to the continued popularity of horn systems. Okay, so it could have come straight out of The Japanese Audio Loony Handbook, but, boy, does it sing. The listening sessions lasted well into the wee hours, the audiophiles in attendance for its maiden performance — dealers, distri-butors, civilians — pulling similar all-nighters with alarming regularity.

Nothing, though, quite prepared me for Hugo V's approach to multi-room hi-fi.

Instead of one system piped through the house, he bought six systems. I hereby dub Hugo the World's Number One Audio Psycho. ( See box on page 38 for full list.) The dearth of British gear — the I.inn,

the Quads, the Alphason arm, the

Zarathustra, the old Meridian — had me worried. But then Hugo's eyes lit up and

he led me to the garage. There, looking forlorn and most assuredly discarded, was a stack of Naim amplifiers and a pair of Linn Isobariks. Then he opened the car. One of his Naim pre-amps had been modified to fit into the dash to control his in-car hi-fi. And in the boot? Linn SARAs. These guys are not kidding around.

They have no understanding of comprom-ise. They feel the same way about their other interests, whether automobiles, art,

wine, photography, horology or food. Especially food. But the talk accompany-ing such fascinating morsels as pasta dyed black with squid ink, tiramisu fit for the gods and a fish mousse so light it needed anchoring always returned to music and hi-fi. And you haven't lived until you've discussed the philosophy of high-end with a possessed Roman speaker manufacturer, through an interpreter who thinks both sides are crazy. I left with a flight bag full of Be

Yamamura's latest toys for future assess-ment and a head full of optimism, kidding myself that all is well in the world of hi-fi. I'd hate to think that these lovable basket cases are a rare or dying breed, that they're the only ones with the where-withal to acquire high-end gear, who know that hi-fi doesn't stop with midi systems. They may be certifiable, but only in a world where people aspire to the mundane.

. And the Milan 'Top' show IMMEDIATELY after The Hi-Fi Show at Heathrow, last Septem-ber, the Italian public and trade had the opportunity to observe the cost of the recession and the psychological impact of the Gulf war on the hi-fi market. I don't know what miracle saved the Italian hi-fi market ( especially on the high end side) but it's a fact that we can record a growth of some 8%, though far different from last year's 25%. The view from the Top Show

is that Italy remains a happy island for most of the high-end brands. I'm trying to remember a name not imported in Italy, but can't think of one. The great star of this show was the Sonus Faber Extrema Amator ( highly, but not crazily, priced) with £30,000 triode amplification. It could ( should) be that the Ita-lians are beginning to love Italian pr.)ducts! Twenty-three listening ro:)ms were in use, maybe not an irrpressive number, but you have to consider the quality of cwry room and, more signifi-cantly, the number of brands that every distributor has in his catalogue: one room for each distributor, and many importers and manufacturers not admitted for lack of room — sometimes 20 or more. Good quality products, and a

k .t of new items for our market were seen. The listening sessions

in the Sound & Music room were remarkable, with a wide musical choice. S&M of Lucca is the distributor of many record brands as well as many UK high end brands like Townsend, Deltec, Kelvin Labs and Manley, plus Muse, Vandersteen, Audible Illusion, Dynavector, Conver-gent Audio, and so on. There was a great performance from the Vandersteen 3s and a superb demonstration for the efficiency of the ASC Tube Traps (S&M is the European builder and distri-butor of ASC) conducted by Mr 'Fubbi Trappi' Noxton. Great performers also were the Apogee Centaur Majors in Nata-li's room, driven by Audio Research electronics. The Thiel is in the High Fidelity Italia Room were driven by Mark Levinson No. 23.5, with special guest the fabulous Levin-son No.30. Mark Levinson him-self was there, in an outside exhibition centre, just around the corner, demonstrating the bigger Cello equipment with the new ( extraordinary) Stradi-varius speakers. I must also mention the other

Italian brands: Acoustical with its delicious compact speakers RS 3i, RS 3 and RS 5 Amadeus, driven by an original hi-amping arrangement obtained by two Kelvin Lab class A integrated amplifiers: a smooth, refined,

intelligent ( and cheap) sound; Zingali with its 'civilized' JBL studio monitor, a very interest-ing elaboration of traditional non-high end speakers; APM with its beautiful and incredibly well-built tube electronics; and Monrio, an Anglo-Italian project (electronics designed by Stan Curtis) who launched the most interesting integrated amplifier I have seen in the last 10 years, model MC 202, built ( and per-forming) like high quality sepa-rates plus a Mosfet power amp. Two public debates were

organized, on the theme of high end: myth or reality, and, a pers-pective for a serious premium quality hi-fi market. Two ses-sions saw some of the most important names of high end and new members of the Accademia including Ken Ishiwata of Marantz, Gayle Sanders of Martin Logan, Julian Vereker of Naim Audio, Mark Glazier of Madrigal Labs, Neil Sinclair of Theta Digital, and Jean Caffi of Jadis. The 'Tempi° d'Argento' special prize was presented in its first presentation, to Saul Marantz for his great career. Thank you Saul.

For further information about the activity of the Accademia' please contact: Italy ( 39-6) 4512524. Top Audio 1991 left both pub-

lic and trade with a smile on their faces showing that the hi-fi

Sonus Faber on home soil

market in Italy seems to be ( and it's more than a miracle) immune from the tremendous effects of the recession. The reason is simple: this is a young market and the only one which has not yet been saturated. The incidence of actual hi-fi diffusion on a population of over sixty million souls is minimal at the present. This does not mean we are forever safe; on the contrary it means we have to work hard to build a stable market, not influenced by Japanese moods. And this concerns all of us, worldwide. Bebo Moroni

Bebo Moroni is Technical Editor of Audioreview magazine.

Hl-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 39

SIDELINES

During a weekend in November I experienced three live musical events,

one in my local town-hall, the others via Radio 3. First of the latter was a broadcast of Berlioz's Damnation of Faust on the Satur-day. I switched on at random and found the 'Amen Fugue' in prog-ress, but with no newspaper to hand I could only guess at the artists, and was then distracted by a telephone call. The performance conveyed a vivid atmosphere of enthusiasm, generating that special frisson forever sought by gra-mophiles but so often remaining unkindled by studio recordings. I assumed from this that the event was probably 'live', although its putative audience seemed remark-ably quiet. Intrigued, but frus-trated to find that an interval talk had started during the phone call, I eagerly awaited the introduction to the next part, only to discover that the programme was simply a play-through of John Eliot Gardin-er's CD recording. I reviewed this less than two

years ago (HFN/RR, March '90) and also enthused about it in a BBC World Service broadcast, so the only excuse for not recogniz-ing it must be that memory simply cannot cope with just a short excerpt from one of nine possible recordings. However, and this is my main point, I had sensed (cor-

rectly) in those few minutes that the performance was given live before an audience, and concluded (too hastily) that it could there-fore not be emanating from a commercial recording. Ironically, although I registered various cri-ticisms at the time — mainly con-cerning some of the soloists — I had been sufficiently impressed by the real-event atmosphere of Gar-diner's Lyon recording to com-mend it almost for this alone. I say 'almost' because it would

be absurd to record performances littered with poor intonation and scrappy ensemble simply on the basis of their being characterized by great enthusiasm — which brings me to my second weekend experience. On the Sunday even-ing the local orchestra and chorus gathered to pay bi-centenary tri-bute to Mozart. We heard the Requiem and excerpts from The Magic Flute, with professional assistance provided by vocal soloists from Opera North. Amateur orchestras are noto-

rious for poor intonation, and our local band is no better than aver-age in this respect. But there is a tradition of tolerating deficiencies for the fun of it all, while choral societies often provide excellent swings to offset dubious instrumental roundabouts. Thus there were times during that even-ing when the 60-strong chorus

were both thrilling and moving, filling the town-hall's large ball-room in a manner to lift one's heart and wish that Mozart could at least have heard this (or parts of this ) performance of his unfinished last work — plus of course some of his singspiefs ever-delightful arias. I went home feeling elated, but

pondering how performances built upon such unsteady orchestral foundations could give so much pleasure. One has to listen past the bad passages, giving thanks, for instance, that one is not a solo singer required to come in on pitch following an instrumental introduction where the notes offered almost seem to suggest a choice of key. But then it all suddenly clicks into place, the strings stop wavering, and one is again back into the music. A recording would be unthinkable, as the nexus of psychological fac-tors which concentrate one's attentive enthusiasm, with fellow music-lovers ( and friends of the performers) seated together in a town-hall, would be absent during domestic replay. There, at home, it is likely that the vices would soon overwhelm the virtues, and one would turn thankfully to some 'professional' Mozart.

So, having arrived home sans clandestine recording, I poured a drink and put on Radio 3, which plunged me into the first move-

ment of Shostakovich's Symphony 6. I happened to recognize this, although the orchestra and hall remained a two-pronged enigma (albeit producing a grandly full-bodied sound) while the players were obviously in the interna-tional front rank. I sensed some-thing very 'Russian' about the per-formance and something very new about the venue, so was particu-larly gratified to discover that the orchestra was the St Petersburg PO and the location Birmingham's new concert hall. The music-making was superb, in both sym-phony and ensuing encores, and if I'd arrived home in time, had known what was happening, and didn't already have the Haitink/ Concertgelxmw version of No 6, I'm confident that a cassette copy would not have disappointed on subsequent replay. Or am I really that confident?

Subsequent replays have a habit of revealing slips not noticed during performances. But where does one draw the line? Should a recording be note-

perfect at the expense of natural continuity, or should we tolerate minor imperfections for the sake of that extra something so often felt in the concert hall? It's an old debate, but my Berlioz/Mozart/ Shostakovich weekend certainly brought it very much to mind.

John Crabbe

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40 HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

SHOW REPORT

what unlike any other: what else would you call

mere six rooms? But that doesn't tell you how the Hong Kong audiophile commun-ity approaches hi-fi. The six rooms were the sites of seminars held on a rotating basis, with 20 brands taking turns. And 5000 of the hard-core turned up to hear the lectures.

Swiss Plismics Model 10IA speaker has meow real wood veneer

So close after the London and Tokyo shows — what could be left to unveil? Plenty, as it hap-pens. Sc. important is the Hong Kong market that some makers held back from the other shows, so they d have some treats for their mast loyal audience. ATC unveiled what everyone

has long hoped it would: a really small speaker, the SCM10. Okay, so the price ain't that small at £950, but you're looking at ATC quality in a 355 X 225 x 150mm (hdw) box. Inside, there's a 125mm ATC-made woofer with 46mm voice coil and a 26mm Vifa tweeter as used in the larger models. The woofer sports a polymer weave diaphragm, the speaker specs at 5.(lohms mini-mum impedance and a max-imum output of 103dB. Due in April, it looks like another winner

Alon loudspeaker from the USA has lop module for both mid and treble

SWISS PHYSICS, best known for top-end electronics, revealed a loudspeaker too, called the Model 101A. Bearing gorgeous cabinetry — 25mm MDF and real wood veneers — to match the electronics, this stand-mounted model uses a 25nun cone twee-ter made of seven layers of tre-ated paper and a 170mm woofer with 50mm voice coil. They cross over at 2.5kHz and can be bi-wired. Maximum SPL from this small box is 115dB. Priced at 'around 8000 Swiss francs', the 101A will be joined by a stereo subwoofer system. The company also announced but did not show a new product, an inte-grated amplifier 'like no other'. Still at the hush-hush stage, it's the first in a new modular series, one which will bring the entry-level price for Swiss Physics gear down to £2000-£3000. Another speaker which had

everyone talking was the ALON from the USA. Designed by for-mer Dahlquist employee Carl Marchisotto, the Mon IV deli-vered more palpable, deep bass than a system its size has any right to produce. The speaker consists of an enclosure measur-ing 1220 x 380 x 455mm (hwd), with the box portion housing a 300mm woofer. Perched on top is a ' baffle- less', open-architecture module for mid and treble duties. Priced to sell between $300044000, this speaker marries the best of box systems and dipoles, and must be heard. Even the opposition left impressed.

Digital was represented by the two hottest scoops at the show. VIMAK is a new American com-pany formed by ex-Lexecon employees. The debut product is a digital pre-amp bristling with novel features. Accepting six digital sources through a mix of coaxial (balanced and unba-lanced), Toslink and XLR inputs, the DS-2000 can act as a full function pre-amp or the volume control can be by-passed to con-vert it into a stand-alone D/A converter. In the latter mode, the rotary control converts to other functions. All of the digital circuitry is proprietary, with fea-tures including an on-board diagnostics system which reports on the health of both the Vimak and your sources. All upgrades will be retrofittable, and the company is even talking about sending software upgrades down the telephone lines to users with modems. The Vimak can be incorporated into a remote-control multi-room sys-tem, work as part of a surround-sound network and a whole lot more. D/A conversion is 18-bit, with four single bit PDM DACs for each channel. Gorgeous, built like a Vacheron and sound-ing astounding, the Vimak will wreak havoc in the digital arena. Price: under $5000.

DENON showed a new, state-of-the-art two box CD player, which even Tokyo visitors didn't get to see. The DCD-X — priced at a couple of million yen — looks a lot like a futuristic turntable, top loading through a perspex lid. Three suspensions are employed, one each for the chas-sis, the centre mechanism and the pick-up mechanism. Outputs

include optical, co-axial and 'twin-link' (high-speed ST-link). The D/A converter uses Super Lambda conversion featuring 20-bit DACs; and it accepts three optical, three coaxial and one ST-link inputs. Outputs are balanced and unbalanced. The show was sponsored by

distributor Sound Concepts and the Hi-Fi People retail group.

M ADE IN HONG KONG . . . well, on show in

Hong Kong: some of the

world's hottest hi-fi

by Ken Kessler

Next time, the High End Show will probably revert to lart year's more conventional, all-brand for-mat exhibition, the two shows alternating. Whatever differ-ences there may be, one thing's for certain: Hong Kong show-goers are the most enthusiastic on the planet. It-

Top: Top-loading Denon DCD-X transport with, above, DIA converser. Below: Curved bows of the Vimak CD » sport

HI-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 41

Theta's Little and Large: the

Prime decoder and Data transport

(for LaserDiscs too) make a

well-matched duo

by Martin Calkins

THETAS PRIME TIME

T i area is a US company with a good

track record in the ea of digital

replay. To date, a line of up-market decoders has been produced — models such as the DS Pro constituting the bed-rock of the company's reputation. More recently, Theta has been investigat-ing transport aspects rather than relying wholly on outside producers for digital audio data. Following some field research a transport design has now been released; called the Data and priced at £2997, it forms a partner for the decoder, the DS Pro Prime costing £ 1341. A two-box system, it provides some flexibility of use, though such single-box units as the Krell KCD DSP and the Accuphase DP7O-V provide similar functions. The arguments for and against single vs

two-box units are not unlike those for integrated and separate power amplifiers. The separates approach places import-ance on the physical and electromagnetic separation of high power, potentially noisier, sections where larger transfor-mers and higher currents will be present.

Their removal from a sensitive pre-amplifier — or, in the case of a digital system, the separation of the transport machinery and servos from the suscepti-ble DAC conversion — can be shown to improve several performance aspects when properly executed.

Conversely, two important points can be put in favour of single-box designs. In

the case of an amplifier, it provides superior control of grounding: a conten-tious area with separates. Such grounding problems are prompting a move towards

the balanced mode of interconnection. In a digital system, one-box design allows critical data lines to be hardwired between respective sections, thereby avoiding the losses in routing digital data through external connections such as the SPDIF consumer digital line, whether wired coaxial or optical.

THETA DATA UNIVERSAL TRANSPORT

Here the Theta system is unlike any other. A complete laser vision player, the Theta Data incorporates a digital audio data output in coaxial format only, for connec-tion to Theta or other decoders, digital

recorders etc. This is effectively a hijack of the CD transport part, while the rest of the player remains intact. Used alone, the Data will not reproduce CD except via a decoder, but it does have audio output jacks and these reproduce analogue sound tracks, CX or otherwise encoded, of laser discs. CDV gold disc singles and other digitally encoded discs are output via the digital socket. Used in a video system, the aerial signal

may be connected and switched, as is normal in VCR practice. With the Data, this may be done independently of the CD play function. One drawback of the laser vision - transport is the relatively slow start-up and access times. From tray open, it took very nearly 30 seconds to reach the standard test track: the average these days is about 3-4 seconds. Furthermore, with a normal transport, jumping tracks is almost instantaneous, while a two-track jump took the Data three seconds or so.

Physically it is quite large, designed to

accommodate a tray loading mechanism for a 12in/30cm disc. As a result, a 50cm depth is required to give clearance for the rear phono plugs, whereas most audio shelves or units are designed to provide only 40cm overall. A support made for one of the larger turntables such as a Goldmund would be suitable here. 14.5cm high, the Theta measured 48.5cm wide — more than the usual 43cm of today's 'standard' equipment. When the cover was removed, the

reason for this bulk became self-evident. Inside Theta's large, well screened steel enclosure is a smaller but complete laser player chassis, built in Japan for Philips and using a combination of local and Philips technology, the former for the

-42 HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

WHEN THE SUM IS EVEN GREATER THAN THE PARTS.

Improbable, you may

think, considering that here we

have three outstanding audio

components, each one highly

acclaimed in its own right.

For example, no single

integrated amplifier has been

so widely praised around the

world as the NAD 3020 series,

making it the largest selling

amplifier in audio history.

With the introduction of

the new, upgraded 3020i, Hi-

Fi Choice commented; 'This

latest version of the classic

3020 is as competitive as ever,

it sounds fresh and buoyant

but still sharply focused and

delightfully detailed.' Not

surprisingly, the NAD 3020i

was ¡udged as a ' Best Buy' by

the same magazine.

The NAD 5420 compact

disc player has also received

extraordinary acclaim from

the audio critics. ' Genuinely

convincing music that lives

and breathes!' is one quote

from Hi-Fi Choice which we

feel says it all. Once again, a

'Best Buy' was awarded.

On to the final link. British

loudspeaker design at its very

best. The NAD 8225 Mini-

Monitor — the latest advance

from our research and

development team. Here's

what High Fidelity magazine

had to say; ' Captivating this

little speaker impressed me

-the

beyond measure ... the 8225

gets you closer to the music

than other speakers at this

price — and closer than some

at twice this price or more.'

Now, add up the parts,

and what do you get? Quite

simply, the classic hi-fi system

from NAD.

SS e

A system which is

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perfectly balanced, with each

component drawing the

maximum performance from

the others. The sound is clear

and open. Exciting and

detailed. Vocals are projected

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is extended, clean and tight,

and the stereo sound-stage

combines depth and

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bringing together of audio

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In fact, the only sum

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have thought is the price.

Check it out at your

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NAD MARKETING LTD DEPT 2C, ADASTRA HOUSE, 401-405 NETHER STREET, LONDON N3 10G TELEPHONE 081-349 4034

% e el/

NAD

BRITISH BY DESIGN

FEATURE REVIEW

transport, the latter for a number of the integrawd circuits. The oversize transport is distinguished by a large powerful spin-dle motor, much oversize for a CD and chosen to get a large, heavy laser disc up to speed. The fortunate consequence for CD is an iron control of rotational veloc-ity: roughly equivalent to fitting powerful regulated supplies to a power amp. Such a drive produces a lower jitter rate with a superior spectral distribution of jitter, and is the found' component of the higher performance claimed for this transport over normal CD players. The other feature is the multi-axis optical head, whose tracking accuracy is higher than usually requirtd for CD, due to the greater bandwidth required for clean colour video reproduction on screen. Theta has not left the matter there,

however, but has included a custom digital output board of its own design, which reclocks and buffers the SPDIF signal before exiting from the rear jack.

THETA DS PRO PRIME A slimline, self-powered decoder, this is dwarfed by the Data, and is small enough to be placed on a pre-amp or suchlike. No power switch is provided since it is intended that this unit be left on semi-permanently — fully conditioned for immediate service. A single control switches between a Toslink optical input or the coaxial phono socket. Audio output is fixed at 2.5V from gold-plated phono sockets. While there is no front panel indication of this, the Prime will lock on to the standard sampling frequencies of 32, 41 and 48kHz. A robust steel cage is used for the

Prime; the fascia is the usual thick alumi-nium panel finished in a satin black anodized coating. Although moderately priced, build

quality of the Prime is impressive. The box Ls solidly made, well screened, and the supply input is fitted with an RF filter to prevent interference leaving or enter-ing by that route. Two 'C' core mains transformers are fitted, one for the digital and one for the analogue sections. A full size TO3 regulator serves the higher power 5V rail for the Motorola '5600 DSP computer, operating according to the proprietary filter and interpolation soft-wan coded into the interchangeable EPROM. This chip is the programmable part, which may be upgraded in future as and when further decoding advances become available from Theta. In the review model, the data input receiver is the established Yamaha YM3630B with an external VCO for reduced jitter. Future production will use the Crystal unit, one with an even better jitter performance and operated without the need for a VCO. The filtered, 4-times oversampled data feeds the Philips 7350 noise-shaping, high resarnpling DAC, the final stage operating at l bit with four DACs arranged in differential mode to provide improved linearity and dynamic range for each channel. The lead audio IC is the LT1028:

a low noise, low distortion device leading via an LC filter system to the high speed LM6321 output buffers. DC servoed, this is taken care of by an OP07. Fine quality components are used, eg Nichicon Muse audio-grade decoupling and reservoir capacitors.

Sound quality This combination came with independent market reports as to its performance potential, which suggested it to be in the reference class, and during the audition-ing full opportunity was afforded the equipment for this to emerge. Compari-son decoders ranged from the Micromega Duo and Meridian 606 (DAC 7) to the old 203 and the Accuphase DP7O-V. Without taking account of price, the Prime was found to perform well, delivering a most creditable score of 28 — well into the established reference class. Its strong home market position is unquestionable given the dollar price.

Interestingly, the Prime showed more character than is usual in the digital field, a deviation insufficient to rate as a colora-tion in the accepted sense, but enough to make the sound more sensitive to both quality and character-related variations between CD players. Several combina-tions of transport were tried, and ulti-mately Theta's own Data proved to be optimal (though this is not the same as saying that the Data is the best digital

transport per se). On a comparative basis, a range of

digital sources suggested that the Prime possessed a touch of mid forwardness centred in the 800Hz range, which would be less favoured by some speakers — for example, the Martin Logan Quests. Cer-tainly, on some material the decoder showed very good standards of definition

on percussive transients, yet when vocals or piano sections were dominant in the noted frequency range it began to sound a touch exaggerated and rather close. It is fortunate that the Theta Data should have an apparently complementary tonal char-acter, je slight recession in this range, and thus the combination reached close to neutrality. Another aspect of the Theta combination was its slightly larger than life stereo imaging and rendition of detail. The combination of this, plus a touch of 'character', might impress a listener, sug-gesting that the sound was better than it really was. In fact, once the initial aural gloss had dulled, what remained was certainly of a high standard.

High in specific resolution, it showed very good focus. Treble sounds were natural with a good sense of air, coupled with a desirably low level of fizz or grain. Through the midrange, given the mildly forward character, the definition and focus remained at a high standard, with very good rendition of percussion, cou-pled with quick clean transients. On some thin-sounding vocal lines, the Prime was felt to have filled out the sound. Con-versely, where a neutral result was cor-rect the sound could be heard to thicken a little. Right hand piano runs were not

quite as open and articulate as with some references. It was the bass, however, that set new standards for low-bit designs. Here the weight, extension and articula-tion were close to the best achievable, and set the unit apart from lesser designs.

Stereo images showed very good width and fine depth, establishing a very good front to back ratio. Focus approached the very good, while specific instruments could be easily differentiated from the mix. Only moderate compression was evident, compared with a number of established low-bit products and, while the rhythm performance was unexcep-tional in absolute terms, it stood up quite well in the general scheme of things. As has been stated before, rhythmic and dynamic aspects are the more contentious areas of subjectivity and thus require a personal assessment in case of doubt.

Summarizing, the Prime sounded at its most dramatic, most open and tonally balanced in concert with the Theta Data, when it achieved its top overall score. Other arrangements would demand care-ful system matching.

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 45

TEAC CD-P4500

with Bitstream Conversion

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Telephone: 0923 225235 Facsimile: 0923 36290

Bitseram Conviaaino .3 a Trairmark of Philips

FEATURE REVIEW

Sound quality (Data only) Separated from the Prime, the Data proved a high-class transport. Two other units provided a good basis for reference, namely the Meridian 602 and the Wadia WT2000 The Data almost matched the central definition, focus and flow of the 602, and it equalled the purity, depth and detail of the WT2000. The Data was perceptibly bright in the

treble, added additional weight in the lower mid- range, and defined an obviously deep, powerful and clear bass. These may well be manifested on a given system, while the optimum match to the Prime was obvious. The overall sound suggested lower than usual jitter, together with a different spectral distribution of jitter components. This was not unex-pected given the specific differences pre-sent in the multi-axis laser head. A passive control connection to the

power amplifier showed that the Data was indeed a top flight transport. In absolute terms it was not the best on grounds of timing, but nevertheless it proved greatly rewarding in the superb scale of stereo imaging, and an overall feeling of stability, power and authority to the sound. Refer-ence decoders showed the Data as essen-tially neutral and open sounding, with state-of-the-art recovery of detail and depth. In addition the bass was very firm, fully extended and exceptionally detailed. Unexpectedly, well differentiated tune playing was heard in these nether regions.

Lab report Designers have shown fine lab results are possible with the 7350 one-bit DAC, and Threshold has demonstrated that they know what they are doing with this device Channel balance was highly accu-rate and no interchannel phase difference was evident. There was some technical imbalance in the crosstalk figures, the

printed results nonetheless confirming a very high standard even here: typically —113dB even at 20kHz. The output level was intentionally high, 3.86V or nearly 6dB above the nominal 2V to facilitate direct connection to power amplifiers via a passive line control. For such work the low output impedance of 50ohms was a decided advantage, and it certainly sounded very good used in this way.

Fine channel matching proved to be a Theta Prime characteristic throughout the lab analysis. At full level, the distortion was fine at —91dB, 20Hz to 20IcHz, with a near theoretical result of —85dB at the 10dB lower modulation. At these higher modulation levels a sweep of distortion versus frequency gave an excellent result, while the results for two-tone high fre-quency intermodulation were equally fine, eg —94dB of difference tone ( Fig.2). The spectrogram was commendable, not only because ldB components were essentially inaudible, but also because upper band aliases and beats were also fully suppressed. Specific measurement revealed ultrasonic spuriae at — 104dB, a welcome result. Up band the worst RF seen in our test arrangement was a little noise, plus 350Hz at a 5mV rms.

Charted for linearity all the way from OdB to — 120dB, the Prime proved to be almost perfectly monotonic, precision measurement showing a negligible 1.2dB lift by —90dB, a characteristic which remained very linear to the measurement threshold at — 115dB (Fig 4). With very close to 16-bit resolution, the Prime achieved a decent 100dB dynamic range.

Finishing off with the transport: this showed good rejection of shock and vibration while the modest block error correction limit of lmm does not fully convey the high quality of the internal recovered data signals. Examination of the digital output under nominal 75ohm load-

ing verified an excellent quality of signal, of wide bandwidth, low jitter, fine pulse shape; and it was relatively unaffected by termination error. As noted earlier, track access is rather slow.

Conclusion Theta has done its homework properly, and the fine set of lab results wholly corresponds with the fine sound quality. I endorse the Theta concept of effective filter control in both time and frequency domains. The quality of spurious filtering achieved was very worthwhile, and should ensure that there are no nasty surprises when used with a wide variety of equipment.

Its compatibility with passive line con-trols is an important plus point, while the standard of both build and finish is first-rate. Good EMC filtering was provided as standard and no problems should be found on that score. As with a number of Bitstream decod-

ers, the Prime was somewhat susceptible to transport quality, and the spectrum and magnitude of the resulting jitter applied to the digital data line. In this respect Theta's own Data transport proved most suitable for extracting the best perform-ance from the Prime, its basic score of 25-26 reaching up to 28 or more when partnered by the Data. At this level the Prime is competing with compatriots at two to four times the price, and is clearly a success. Choosing high quality digital decoders

is not a cut and dried process, and a reviewer's opinions cannot be wholly relied upon due to variations in taste and system matching. The Prime is certainly one of the current top performers at a competitive price. The Data will be looked at again with

the forthcoming review of the more expensive DS Pro Basic decoder.+

THETA DS PRO PRIME

DU, 375 ms STOP, ISO 060 Ms

Fig I Theta Prime: spuriae up to 100ItHz associated with ¡kHz tone at — 70dB

Fig 2. Theta Prime: intermodulation spuriae from 191tHz120kHz tones at OdB

Supplier: Absolute Sounds, 58 Durham Road, London SW20 ODE. Tel: 081-947 5047

RANGE: - 31 O. STATUS: PAUSED

A:STORED T 10 PRIRE-50D1, lo RMS1111

5

""" DU: 55.405 Ms STOP: 10 eeome

,D1v

. nr. STOP , 4 . Sep

Fig 3. Theta Prime: dithered sinewave at —90dB, with distortion speanon above

IREYE 0 5 070 Pere LlsEssIry @se:455100r: C sumPAssIdel vs GEmmelpOTS1

DO 00

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60 00

60 00

100 0

120 0

-IRO -100 -00 0 -60 0 -SO 0 -20 0

Fig 4. Theta Prime: linearity plot (see text)

Test results Theta DS Pro Prime 20Hz 2kHz 20kHz

Channel balance Stereo separation ( dB ) Channel phase difference THD OdB THD — 10dB 11113 — 70dB Intermod 19kHz/20kHz, OdB Intcrinod 19kliz/201cFlz, — 10dB Frequency response, left Frequency response, right S/N 20Hz.20kHz unweightecl S/N CCIR/ARAI, ' kHz rd De-emphasis ( error in dB ) 1., R

Output level, WB Output impedance Tradt access tiMC (Tr 15 )

Error correction capability Mechanical noise Spuriae up to 100kHz Error at —90dB left/right Dimensions ( cats ) ( vim) Noted L,R —90dB measured

RF Shock/vibration Facilities ( remote etc ) Technology Phase Outputs, Analogue

Digital Typical retail price Pro Prime

Theta Data

0.02dB 0.02dB 0.01dB 120/112 120/112 116/111 0° 0° 00

91dB 91dB 91dB — 85dB — — 43dB —

94dB 94dB

OdB —0.53dB OdB —0.53(113

100dB 96dB 5kHz l6kHz

—0.01, 0, —0.45 —0.01 0 —0.44

3.86V + 5.7dB 50ohms

30secs ( once loaded typically (,secs )

gap I Onim low 104dB

+1.2dB/+ 1.2dB 48.2 X27.5x 6.0 ( Prime )

15mV p-p VHIF 0.35mHz Good 1.1 B'S

Correct

£13- 41 £2997

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 .47

MARANTZ ADDS MORE LINKS

H alf-pint electronics, as pioneered by Naim and Mission Cyrus, pro-vide welcome relief from the

430mm standard. Without the half-width alternatives, audiophiles short of space would have nowhere to go except down to consistently no-fi midi systems. But the size is or was strictly a cosmetic consid-eration until CD conquered all. Turn-tables — the top-most item on a rack full of gear — used to establish a tower's width, so downsizing wasn't necessary. CD changed that because players, espe-

cially portables doubling for in-house duty, could be reduced to a width of five inches. With so many abandoning LP, the half-sized alternative has come into its own. Marantz launched its dinky Music Link sytem last year, an upmarket range of half-width components which debuted

with the SC-22 line-level pre-amp and MA-22 50W monoblock amplifiers. Future plans had included a CD player, possibly a digital tape machine and a tuner, but two

other items were announced which would ensure high-end appeal. Not that the existing amps are mid-fi.

Whatever the 'designer' attraction of the other Music Link components, the PH-22 Phono Equalizer and MA-24 true

Class A monoblock amplifier are decidedly non-mass-market. The former is aimed at a sector regarded increasingly as peculiar, while the latter, with its higher

48

Half-width phono

equalizer and monoblock

Class A power amplifier —

destined for world cult appeal?

by Ken Kessler

price and lower power rating than the MA-22, will be understood only by audiophiles. You get the distinct impres-sion that these products bear the Ken Ishiwata stamp.

Whatever image Marantz may possess — a mass-market make with audiophile cre-dibility being the most accurate — it is not the badge you expect to be worn on a

brand-new phono amp. Audio Research? Hardly surprising. But Marantz? And not only is the PH-22 costly by populist standards (£899 inc VAT), it's also slightly weird. The front panel's on/off button and input selector for high or low moving-coil and high or moving-magnet are straight-forward enough, but a four-position equalizer is a throwback no archivist

could have prayed for this late in the day. The selector's first position is the one

99.999% would use for 100% of the time, standard RIAA setting with 500Hz roll-over. But settings H, III and IV ( Marantz's

Roman numerals, not mine) offer a brace

of 78 standards and the 'Old SP' spec: absolutely flat. I didn't get to try these as I own only four 78s and do not, at present, have a deck set to play them, but it's comforting to be able to report that 78s will see the next century with a phono

section quieter than any which went before it. And it should mate nicely with the 78-compatible decks offered to this very day by Thorens and Dual.

The m-m settings offer a choice of lk and 47kohm impedances; suffice to say, my Decca sounded better at lkohm than the 47kotun. Moving-coil options are for 3 or 100 ohms. The m-m section uses differential amplification incorporating selected low-noise FETs and a proprietary op-amp, while the m-c gain is provided by a permalloy-cored transformer with OFC windings rather than an active head-amp. The equalizing network is fitted into an

extruded aluminium sleeve for further resitance to hum and noise breakthrough, and the power supply — given the small size of the chassis — is placed in its own shielded box as far as possible from the audio circuitry.

The PH-22 uses the same rock-solid, 250 X 85 X 215mm (whd) case as the pre-

amp and the MA-22 power amplifier. The chassis is copper-plated to eliminate stray field interference and it works so well that a Flux Dumper offered only a minimal

improvement. Because of the perfect fit of

HI-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVLEW FEBRUARY 1992

the die-cast side panels and thick alumi-nium case, mechanical vibration is insigni-ficant; knuckle-rappers will delight in a sharp tap yielding no response. All con-nections are gold-plated and facilities are provided for earthing and switching in 14dB of attenuation. The MA-24 amplifier is the first Music

Link component not to use the 'standard' box. It's actually narrower at 208mm but the front panel stands 163mm tall and the box is 359nun deep. Anachrophiles will recognize the side panels, reminiscent of Marantz's earlier Class A efforts, the PM-4 and MAs 5 and 6: ribbed sections curving

back to finned heat sinks, while the top of the case is formed by a perforated panel. It's a good thing that Marantz opted for a size which would not promote stacking because the MA-24 runs seriously hot; the fins and openings are not there for show. The front sports a whacking great on/off

button and the trademark blue LED, while the back has gold-plated socketry and sturdy binding posts. I do wish that the one European country which outlawed 18mm spacing would go take a leap, their market is so tiny that it shouldn't be able to make life miserable for the rest of us. Because of this nation, prone to plugging mains cables into loudspeakers, the speaker terminals are not the wondrous

high-lux universals we expect on high-end amplifiers. Instead, it's Japanese anti-lawsuit fitments. Set-up is otherwise con-ventional, but note that power-hungry users can add a second MA-24 for bridg-ing. On the other hand, bi-amping may be a wiser employment of two sets...

Drive is provided by Mosfets while a hefty, low-stray-field toroidal transformer with OFC windings forms the heart of the power supply, along with proprietary electrolytic caps. The main circuit board is a resin-coated, glass epoxy platform with 70µm thick copper tracks, and the chassis — as with all high-end Marantz • products — is copper-plated.

Unlike the SC-22 and MA-22, the Music Link phono amp and Class A monoblocks have great potential as stand-alone purch-ases, so I tried them as individual high-end offerings; inserted into my main system and in a number of combinations. First, the PH-22. Fed into the Gryphon and Audio

Research SP- 14 pre-amps and used with Decca Microscanner, Ken Chan and Urushi Koetsus, a cluster of Lyras and the ART MC-1 (and trying the m-cs in both the m-c and m-m inputs), the PH-22 impressed me immediately because of its noiseless composure. It reminded me of Gryphon's stand-alone phono pre-amp, the advantage both units have over onbcard phono stages being isolation from the main pre-amp and the use of a dedicated power supply rather than a feed off a main pre-amp's power supply. I'm not going to suggest that you'll think your vinyt has suddenly gone digital — tracing noise and other audible stylus-to-vinyl artefacts ensure that will never happen — but the PH-22 doesn't add to the back-ground mêlée.

More important, though, are the dyna-mic gains offered by a dedicated power supply. Marantz's blurb suggests a phono stage for the digital era, misguided since any LP lover will prove to you that an all-analogue system will knock the stuf-fings out of digital when it comes to dynamics. What Marantz should be boast-ing about are the PH-22's speed, its ability to keep soft notes above the noise floor and in a perfect relationship to the loud notes, plus transients sharper than a buck's blade. In other words, it's a way to make your turntable sound like a Town-

shend Rock. The clever bit is that the sound remains

wholly analogue in character rather than pseudo-digital. It's entirely fatigue-free and — despite the heightened precision — 'un-clinical'. This is one area where it betters the Gryphon, which can be a mite sterile. What all of this adds up to is an incredibly transparent sound while hear-ing everything your cartridge is doing, including mistracldng. If your set-up (especially VTA) is out, the PH-22 tells you.

If the PH-22 suffers in any area, it has to be the slightly overdamped bass. Maybe this is what now translates into 'digital sound', or, more precisely, the 'digital-era norm', and it's not unpleasant. But it seems less real than the bass produced by the SP- 14's phono section or that of the noisier but more lush and involving Mos-code SuperIt. Still, the PH-22 is one of the best of the current generation of phono sections designed to complement the growing number of line-level pre-amps, and it's good enough to serve as an upgrade for pre-amps already fitted with phono stages. I wasn't quite prepared for the MA-24,

even though I cherish previous experi-ence with Marantz Class A amplifiers. (I use a PM-4 10 hours a week.) Only after completing the listening sessions did I hear that this amp has already developed a cult-following abroad. The reason is obvious once you've

spent a few hours with a fully burned-in, warmed up pair of the beauties. The MA-24 just may possess the finest, war-mest, smoothest, most delicate, most life-like midband of any solid-state amp on the market. And regardless of price. With a pair of MA-24s costing £1998, Marantz has reason to be proud.

I'm not kidding. Surrounded by stun-ners like the new Classé DR- 10s, the Sonic Frontiers valve wonder, Aragons, Beards and more, the Marantz was — inevitably — compared to products with a credibility advantage. I used the wee Marantz with some heavyweight speakers, not knowing what it could do despite the claims that nasty impedances couldn't faze it. What did, though, were power demands. I gather that Marantz has no plans to

make a larger version, the sound of the circuit having reached its zenith at the power output level of the MA-24. And while the amplifier can be bridged with a second unit, the sound is said to suffer marginally. Which broke my little heart.

For, although the MA-24 will work ade-quately with Apogee's Stage in rooms under 4X 5m, the Marantz cannot drive the very speaker with which it actually sounds best.

Okay, so I shouldn't even have attemp-ted to drive the Sonus Faber Extremas

with a single pair of MA-24s. But I did. At medium levels, I heard vocal reproduc-tion so sweet, so real, so airy and so convincing that I toyed with taking out a loan. The MA-24 earns high marks in many areas, but the midband rewrites the rules. Used with less demanding speakers

than the Sonus Faber, I was able to judge the amplifier without having to strain past the signs of it being overdriven. Trying to audition the Marantz through the Extre-mas at my preferred level was only barely possible, with occasional squashing pro-ving distracting. A battery of less hungry speakers showed the MA-24 to have well-extended bass but it was lacking in slam or total control (in contrast to the sound of its sibling, the PGHH-22). The treble remained sweet and tube-like regardless of the speaker, fast and free from any harshness. One of the other miraculous qualities is the way the MA-24 mates with metal dome tweeters, allowing the TDL Studio 0.5 to perform more like a £1000 speaker than one costing under £500. And, back to the Sonus Faber, it squeezed every drop of performance out of the Extrema without going glassy unless the amp was driven near to its limits. Whatever the speakers' power

demands, the MA-24 proved capable of producing an authentic three-dimensional array. The monoblock status eliminates amplifier crosstalk, so — with correctly installed speakers — the MA-24 delivered wide, tall and deep soundstaging. Images stayed in place and the background silences meant no filling of the spaces between instruments with textured hash. But there were constant reminders of minimal grunt through all but the most sensitive speakers.

Even though the lack of power proved frustrating, having heard what the MA-24 could sound like through the Extremas, I have to look upon this amplifier as a masterpiece. After all, power is a quantita-tive, not qualitative virtue and there's no shortage of high-sensitivity speakers on the market ( especially in Japan). So we're looking at a repeat of the Copland 401 situation: horses for courses.

Sad, though, that this amplifier's bril-

liance is denied to those with large rooms or hungry speakers, users with high-efficiency designs must listen to it. I've yet to hear it with the Apogee Centaur Minor, an easy electrostatic, the bi-wired IS3/5A and a bunch of others. That's because the amp was snatched back as soon as I was finished with it. It turns out that Marantz can't make enough, the rumour of a global cult having turned to fact. And, for once, the groundswell of approval is entirely deserved.

Supplier: Maras= Hi-Fi Ltd, Kingsbridge House, Padbuty Oaks, 581 Bath Rd, Longford, Middx. Tel: (0753)680 868

49 HI-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

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.1...TILDSPEAKERS

Contrary to some expectations, this is not a group test with a 'sudden-death' play off: for such vicarious

excitement you will have to look else-where. Fundamental to assessing loud-

speakers and their wide variations is the belief that divergence of opinion matters. Views on sound quality will be influenced by personal experience and favoured music, by room acoustics interacting with one's preferred location of the speakers, and finally, the influence of the matching audio system. Speaker reviews must there-fore be intended to guide the reader, to point out obvious subjective and tech-nical flaws, but not to be dogmatic as to what sounds right or wrong.

Divergence of opinion was anticipated even 1refore the speakers were tested as the models were assembled on the basis of interesting technical features and recent availability, rather than the dictates of competitive pricing.

Starting from the top, the largest and most expensive (and also the loudest!) is the new KEF Q60, a £379 model which exploits the larger size of concentric, aligned Uni-Q driver with an efficient, near-to-the-wall system alignment. Dis-tinguished by a huge flared entry to the reflex port, it is an impressive sight when properly stand mounted. Arcam's Delta 2 sports a real wood finish, and this two-way is generously sized, given the normally dimensioned 170mm bass-mid driver. It looks a straightforward and well-crafted system priced at £350 a pair. Wharfedale sent us the 515, a new variation on the sealed box theme using its larger 200mm bass-mid unit. A particular feature of this model is the inclusion of the latest refine-ment of the company's one inch dome tweeter, now ceramic, pushing upper dome resonances way beyond audibility. The price is £260.

Mordaunt-Short has been busy, replac-ing its entire '3' series, with new models under the ' 5' banner. The first for review in h'FNIRR is the 5.20, verging on the miniature and, at £ 160, occupying a very popular price slot. A fair measure of new technology is incorporated including the Epos tie rod cabinet principle combined with the MS injection formed cone. The moderate price dictates a vinyl laminate finish. The group is completed by a rival to the Mordaunt-Short from its sister company Tannoy. Another well priced model, the 605 at £150, also sports an encbasure with a non-resonant build. Tan-noy led the parent TGI group in the

introduction of the new injection moulded cones, and a brief outline of the technology is included in the review.

'these speakers were used as part of a good mid-priced system and useful refer-ences included the Celestion Three, the Epos ES- 11 and the Spendor SP2-2. The CD player was the Arcam Alpha sup-plemented by the Micromega Duo con-verter for extra refinement. Cabling was by Naim and van den Hul, amplification by

Rotel and Naim. Stands included relevant models from manufacturers, sup-plemented by the Heybrook HBS1.

A GOOD BUNCH OF FIVE... Innovative designs from major UK

brands: Arcam Delta 2, KEF Q60,

Mordaunt-Short 5.20, Tannoy 605,

Wharfedale 515

by Martin Gallants

HI-11 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

de/#m ele .61h e

PRINCIPLE

Bettini stylus from the A-T

Gallery collection, Machida, Tokyo.

Acknowledgements:

'illustrated History of Phonographs' - Daniel Marty

'From Tin Foil to Stereo'

- Read/Welch

n•-

little over 100 years ago Gianni Bettini became the world's first audiophile. As an Italian cavalry officer visiting New York in the late 1880's, he was intrigued by the newly introduced Edison wax cylinder 'phonogram' yet unsatisfied with its poor audio quality. Using his flair for things mechanical Lieutenant &and began to turn this business dictation machine into a device which would satisfy music lovers and to ensure the ultimate fidelity he opened his own recording studio on Fifth Avenue. There he made the first realistic recordings of famous contemporary opera singers and built up a fabulous collection of 'celebrity cylinders' including his holiness Pope Leo XIII. His 'micro-reproducer' phonograph was first in a line of successful models and today A-T salutes him as a true pioneer of high fidelity.

At Audio Teclmica we strive toward the same goal, using unrivalled micro-transduer 'know how' to reduce the weight of Beainfs original device to the mere few grams of our latest moving coil series. Below we proudly present our 'reference' specifications but add one small note of caution. At this level 'numbers' do not tell the whole story as component compatibility and musical taste come into play. We thus urge a personal audition at one of our hand selected A-T dealers to hilly assess requirements.

Meanwhile, please contact the A-T sales office for a complete selection of press review copies.

Frequency response (Hz) Output voltage (1khz, 5cm/sec) Channel separation (1Idiz) Output balance Vertical tracking force Coil impedance ( Wiz) / DC resistance Load resistance - Head amp/transformer >1000/)200 Coil inductance ( 1kHz) Static compliance (cm/dyne) Dynamic compliance Stylus piaille Magnet type Vertical tracking angle Dimensions Lx W x H nun Weight

ART 1 10 - 50,000

0.35mV 30dB 1.0dB

1.4 • 1.6g 120

54H 30 x 10' 8x 10'

Micro-linear Speeial

23° 22.2x16.8117.3

9.5g

OC-30 OGIO 0C-5 OC.3 10 • 50,000 10 • 50,000 15 - 50 000 15 • 50,000

0.4mI' 0.4mV 0.4mV 0.35mV 30dB 29dB 27dB 27dB 1.0dB 1.0dB 1.5dB 1.5413

1.25 - 115g 1.25 • 1.75g 1.25 • 1.7 1.25 - 1.7 120 120 12

>1000/>200 >100D/>200 >1000/>200 >1000/>20D 501111 &OH 509H 50911

35x 10° 35 x 10° 35 x 10 35 x 104 9 x 10' 9 x 10' 9 x 196 9 x 104

Micro-linear Micro-linear Bi-Radial Bi-Radial Neodunitun Neodyiniwn Neodymium Sanuirium-eobalt

' 23° 23* 23° 23° 25.7x16.8x17.3 25.7x16.8x17.3 25.7x16.8a17.3 25.7x16.8x17.3

8.0g 8.0g 8.0g 8.0g

• audio-techruca®

Li INNOVATION D PRECISION D INTEGRITY

Technica House, Lockwood Close, Leeds LS11 5L'U. Tel: (0532) 771441 Fax: (0532) 704836

LOUDSPEAKERS

ARCAM DELTA 2

A straightforward, no-nonsense cabinet design in real wood veneer, the Delta 2 feels solidly made and its size places it in the compact class. The grille is of

moulded low reflection design and clips into a groove around the baffle, though the test graph shows that this has not been very successful. A two-way reflcxed design, it has a

healthy bass output and does not need wall boundary reinforcement. A 40-64cm stand is most suitable. Sensitivity is a little above average with a range of 15W to 100W indicated for the matching per channel amplifier rating. Electrical con-nection is via bi-wire, 3-way binding posts, strapped for normal use. The large ducted port is also present on the rear panel for aesthetic reasons. A clean appearance below the grille is helped by the flush mounted drivers and the neat diecast frame for the bass-mid unit.

Design and technology An unusually long ducted port is fitted to tune this 15 litre enclosure to 45Hz: 5.8cm in diameter, it is 21.5cm long and could encourage pipe mode resonances in the mid range [ see results]. The enclosure is of heavy 18mm MDF throughout, the front panel braced across the section between the drivers. The remaining cabinet surfaces are clad in high-loss

bituminous laminate. Internal volume damping is minimal: a pad of foam and a small quantity of polyester wadding.

Both drive units are made by Vila, the

bass/mid being made to an Arcam speci-fication, with an oversize voice coil and built on a magnesium alloy casting. The magnet is generous, firmly energizing this deep polypropylene cone. Unusually, a low hysteresis rubber roll surround is fitted. The treble range is handled by a 19mm soft plastic dome unit, polyamide, with Ferrofluid cooling and damping. The crossover is electrically second-order, with generously rated iron-dust cores for the inductors and film capacitors for the treble. The system is hard wired with single strand cable, an Audioquest grade

for the treble.

Sound quality When tried in the CD systems series last year l'Starting Point', July '91], the Delta 2 was liked for its quick lively nature and its strong yet articulate bass. Subjected to the glare of the full review spotlight, the Delta showed more of its true nature yet still passed the test. We did, however, find a divergence in the listening sessions, where it often peformed significantly bet-ter on rock than on classical programme. At moderate volume levels, the Delta

emphasised strings though at the expense of cello and double bass, further confusing the issue by providing more than adequ-ate levels of real bass. In addition, piano tended to 'clang' in the upper mid, expos-ing a 'cuppy' hardness not often identified on other sounds. Orchestral string sounded rather 'busy' and forward

although the impression of depth was still rated above average. The Delta focused well and its explicit clarity did much to retrieve detail in complex passages. Over-all, its scores were good enough for recommendation: but a rock enthusiast would score it higher, appreciative of its fast-sounding transients and well timed percussion. There was a 'free' quality to this speaker. Dynamics registered well, and the bass was well developed with strong extension down to 40Hz in my listening sessions.

Test results Sensitivity was a little above average at 88dB/W. With a 100W (peak programme ) input, maximum 103dBA sound levels would be possible in the listening room. The bass extended to —6dB, 46Hz with good effective extension down to 3811z in a typical room. Relatively easy to drive, it closely approximated to an Bohm loading with a minimum value of 6ohms.

Charted on axis, the reference response showed a modest 1.5-2dB mid-range hump, with a slightly rolled off upper treble. The treble was not very even, while the effect of adding the grille was

surprisingly dramatic, not at all what one might have expected, it sounded smoother and better focused with the grille detached. Using third-octave averag-ing, the response met ±3dB limited over an 80Hz to 20IcHz range. The listener should be on, or below, the

mid-treble axis. A position above the speaker took the ear into the dip for the 15° above axis result ' dotted line]. Quite good uniformity was seen in the lateral plane, 30° and 45° off axis. One aspect gave cause for concern:

measurement of the port output gave the expected broad peak at 45Hz, but a

ARCAM DELTA 2

rr.n.t.r - Fig la. Arcam Delta 2: on-axis I m response, with LF correction shown dashed; with grille, dotted trace. Impedance (lower trace) scale 5ohnuldiv

me_

log Freumy - lo

Fig ¡ b. Arcam Delta 2: response family with 3rd-octave weighting, axial plot; IS° (dotted traces, large dip is above-axis); 30° (short dashes) and 45° lateral (long dashes)

î

Fig lc. Arcant Delta 2: room-average response (RAR), and port response (dotted trace, 2dBldiv)

a

flag - SDK

Fig Id. Arcam Delta 2: ETC decay plots, unwindowed and (riglu)Blackman-Hatris window

•

-17.1i O. IT* n. ( urn. 11.1•9 an (I)

MUA torfall

Fig le. Arcam Delta 2: MLSSA decay waterfall, 30dB with 0.Ims rise-time

Test results Arcam Delta 2

Size ( height x width x depth, mm ) Recommended amphlier power per

channel Recommended placement Frequency response within ± 3dB IF runoff( —(x1B ) at 1 m Bass frequency extension ( typical

in-room ) Voltage sensitivity ( rd 2-83V ) at 1m 880B Approximate maximum sound level 103d8A

(pair at 2m) Impedance characteristics ( ease of good

drive Forward response uniformity good Typical price per pair £350

380X225X280 IS- 100W

On stands, free space 80Hz-20kHz 46Hz 38Hz

Supplier: Arcam, Pembroke Avenue, Denny Industrial Centre, Waterbcach, Cambridge CBS 9PB. Tel (0223) 861550

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 53

secondary half-wave duct resonance mode was also present at 68011z; while this is not uncommon, in the case of the

Delta its output was only 3dB below the port fundamental. This is too high for comfort and a potential source of upper mid coloration. The latter confirmed the forward midrange and somewhat isolated bass lending a 'thin' effect to some mid-range sounds.

On transient responses, the unwin-(lowed energy/time curve ( ETC) was rated as average while the Blackman/ I larris weighted result was not as tidy as

some we have seen recently. Presented as a waterfall display, tilt decay behaviour was nonetheless better than average for the 30dB 0.1ms scaling. Over the 60d1) dynamic range, the Delta was seen to be less tidy with significant frequency depen-dent modes evident on this longer time span. This might explain why the treble sounded a little brighter than the axial reference curve suggested.

Conclusion While there was some cause for discus-sion regarding certain technical aspects of this speaker's performance, the overall

results were more than fair. Conversely, the sound was noted for its lively, articu-late nature, well detailed and pretty well timed. The bass was both powerful and extended, quite quick, and resonably uni-form if the speaker was well placed in the room. With a smooth sounding CD source and amplifier, the treble could be kept under control, and the system-matched result was rewarding, thus confirming the recommendation for the Delta.

KEF Q60

The new Q range marks something of a departure for KEF, as the Uni-Q technique has been applied here to produce a line of cost-effective and wide dynamic range speakers that suit locations near the rear wall of the listening room. The Q60 is a shelf or stand mount system costing £380 plus the cost of the stand itself, while the Q80 and Q90 are floor standing pillar types retailing at £500 and £650.

The '60 is distinguished by its unusual reflex port, moulded in a large flared panel and looking for all the world like another driver. This suggests a sense of humour on the part of the industrial

KEF Q6 0

Frequaley -

Fig 2a. KEF Q60: on-axis Im response, with LF correction shown dashed; with grille, dotted trace. Impedance (lower trace) scale Sohmsldiv

14, frefixtxzx

• -

•-•\ ' -• "

Fig 2b. KEF Q60: response family with 3rd-octave weighting, axial plot; ± IS° (dotted traces); 30° (short dashes) and 45° lateral (long dashes); dotldash trace is nearjield correction

Hs &mosey -

Fig 2c. KEF Q60: room-averaged response (RAR)

Ti., - es«

Fig 2d. KEF Q60: ETC decay plots, unwindowed and (right) Blackman-Harris window

12 I 44 I 297 Idla ( 117) 1 001 .sec ( 11)

Ilaterltijj,

Fig 2e. KEF Q60: MLSSA decay waterfall, 30dB with 01m rise-time

Test results KEF Q60 Size ( height x width X dipth, min ) Recommended amplifier power per channel

Recommended placement Frequency response within -±34113 IF runoff ( —(xJ13) at I m BUSS frequency extension ( typicat

in-room Voltage sensitivity ( ref 2.83V at I m Approximate maximum sound level

(pair at 2m) Impedance characteristics ( Cabe of

drive ) Forward response uniformity Typical price per pair

479X 246x 274 10-100W

On stands, near wall 9011z.181illz -17Hz -10Hz

89.5i1B/W I 05d8A

good

very good £379

Supplier: KEF Electronics Ltd, Eccleston Road, Tovil, Maidstone, Kent ME'S 6QP. Tel (0622) 672261

designer but it also has a serious func-tional intent, namely the limitation of audible turbulence effects at the front exit to the port. All three systems in the range use the larger size of 200mm Uni-Q concentric driver.

Finished in black ash vinyl, the enclo-sure is neatly presented with a moulded low-diffraction grille assembly and it looks fine with the grille either removed or in place. Ready for bi-wiring, the system is rated as 100W programme into 8 ohms, with an above average sensitivity of 90dB.

Design and technology Cabinet coloration and KEF are old adver-saries, and KEF has controlled the more severe box resonance excitation in the past by a combination of bracing, and decoupled driver mounts. In this model, there is a variation on the theme. Here, the steel driver frame is firmly moulded to the baffle while the reaction point, the magnet itself, is decoupled. The precision mounting uses a low-Q polymer and, at higher frequencies the magnet remains stable while isolating driver reaction energy from the frame by some 10-20dB. A 40mm motor coil energizes this

200mm polypropylene cored unit, the reverse surface now visco-elastically damped to further reduce coloration. The 25mm concentric tweeter uses a soft polyamide dome, Ferrofluid cooled and damped. The crossover is located in the box, hardwired to the driver terminals. Tending towards 4th order, it uses stan-dard, good quality parts. The 20-litre enclosure is built of 15mm chipboard with a reinforced driver baffle and the speaker comes well stuffed with polyester wadding. It is reflex-tuned to 34Hz by the non-resonant, double-flared port.

Sound quality Two factors might have predisposed the Q60 to a fuller, less open sound, namely its larger-than-average size and the dic-tates of a semi-horn loaded treble, with its reduced off-axis energy. But, in the event, the Q60 departed from such expectations by delivering a clean and open sound, perhaps a touch bright, but well balanced

in the overall acoustic. Out in free space, the system sounded rather dry in the bass, and a position near the back wall gave the best effect as recommended, with the back of the enclosure placed some 10-30cm away from the wall. A straight-ahead position was fine while, for best results,

54 HI-h NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

LOUDSPEAKERS

this type of location indicates a room with the side walls preferably matching in surface type and acoustic reflectivity. Some loudspeakers can sound 'broken

up', with elements of the frequency range emphasised and loss of detail evident in the gaps, but this KEF was distinctive in its fundamental evenness. This factor was also helpful in constructing an illusion of stereo image perspective, and the KEF supplied quite good depth combined with a high. standard of focus. On specifics, the bass was certainly dry,

and fair extension was evident when driver, hard although no sense of boom or overhang was evident. Bass timing reached an average level. The mid was better than expected, with a most compe-tent rendering of piano on a track which caught out several other models.

Test results As is usual with KEF, major points of the comprehensive specification were met to a good level of accuracy. The pair match-ing was rather better than average. Rated at 8ohms typically, the loading did fall to just below 5ohms, but this should not upset modern amplifiers. A maximum sound level of 105dBA was possible in a typical listening room, achieved by the combination of good power handling and high sensitivity, 90dB/W on the specified boundary. As little as IOW programme will give 96dB, a healthy peak level. The —6(1B point was 47Hz which was fine for the class, with clean, in-room bass to 40Hz, on or near the direct axis. The treble exhibited the Uni-Q asymmetric glitch at 9.5IcHz, while on the 'listening axis', this settled down and sensible limits could be applied. The overall response trend was well balanced, the shy bass intentional in the context of boundary matching. Measured in 'free space', the room-averaged response showed the cor-rect — 2dB bass shelf with a notably even, well integrated upper range and a lower range devoid of 'boom'. On transient response, the energy/time

curves showed a tidy behaviour, while the 0.1ms risetime, 30dB waterfall response

was commendably consistent over 250Hz to 16kliz. The fine rate of clearing was maintained right through the first milli-second, partly due to the good enclosure decoupling. The Uni-Q coincident source provided

fine off-axis directivity; no lobes or suck-outs were evident on the off-axis

responses, just a relatively smooth 'dull-ing' of the upper frequency range. The response showed that a back-to-the-wall, straight ahead position is fine with no toe- in really necessary.

Conclusion Here is a well balanced design which works equally well on classical and rock music. The sensitivity is high, the loading straightforward and the room placement trouble free. With a high loudness capabil-ity and low distortion this system is easy to recommend for its all-round value.

MORDAUNT-SHORT 5.20

Mordaunt-Short loudspeakers occupy a sizeable niche in this market where the product is seen as sensible, reliable hi-fi. Positec overload protection devices are fitted and, in return for a small loss in dynamics and clarity, these resetting ther-mal elements make the speakers almost indestructible. The new *5' range takes over from the ' 3' series, and at approx-imately equivalent price points. The 5.20 is the second model up in the range. An ingenious integral grille assembly is used, the grilles themselves formed as neat fabric-covered rings which locate under the driver trims. The result is most effec-tive from both a visual and acoustic viewpoint. The 5.20 is virtually a minia-ture at 11 litres internal volume, and the exterior finish is the usual black-ash vinyl. Cable connections are by three-way bin-

ders and are ready for hi-wiring.

Design and technology In the 'Fives', Mordaunt-Short has further extended its investment and expertise in the application of precision acoustic mouldings with a superior acoustic and

mechanical performance. Moulded front and back panels locate on a simple cabinet shell of 12mm folded chipboard. Four steel tie-rods rigidly clamp the mouldings together on the shell. For the rear panel the technique incorporates the crossover housing and the recessed binding-post area. At the front, stylish detail and low diffraction contouring is accomplished, together with reinforced driver mount-ings. The 70mm bass/mid driver has a moulded frame and a moulded cone, one piece together with the half-roll surround. Like the Classic 20, it has a high power 33mm phase plug located on the polc

MORDAUNT-SHORT 5.20

lsg Fresmcy - Ii

Fig 3a. Mordaunt-Short 5.20: on-axis I m response, with IF correction shown dashed. Impedance (lower b-ace) scale 5ohms/div

Time - ssec

Ins Merry - I.

Fig 3b. Mordaunt-Short 5.20: response family with 3rd-octave weighting, axial plot; 15° (dotted traces, large dip is above-axial); 30° (short dashes) and 45° lateral (long dashes)

10D.0 anlio./1 Fress.ffl -

Fig 3c. Mordauru-Short 5.20: room-averaged response (RAR)

î

Fig 3d. Mordauru-Short 5.20: ETC decay pion, unwirdowed and (right) Blackman-Ha:Tit window

Fig 3e. Mordarau-Short 5.20: MLSSA decay waterfall, 30dB with 0.1ms rise-time

Test results

Size ( height X width X dtptli, mm Recommended amplitier power per channel

Recommended placement Frequency response within ±-3d13

rolloff ( — 6tIB ) at Klbh frequency extenstun ( typical

in-room) Voltage sensitivity ( rcl 2133V) at lm Approximate maximum sound level

(pair at 2m) Impedance characteristics ( eibe uf

drive Forward response unikirmity Typical price per pair

Mordaunt-Sltort 5.20

365x215 -( 213 20-75W

oil stands.free space 1:101-1z-171ate 4811£ -1011z

85tIBAV 99dB

average

Li:1y gourd £160

Supplier: Mordaunt-Short Ltd, Unit Al, Hazleton Industrial Park, Horndean, Hampshire P08 97U. Tel (0705) 597722

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 55

The Absolute Sound KRELL The current range of Krell continues to dominate the high power amplifier market. From the KSL — KST 100 (see the review in the October Hi-Fi News) to the KSA 150/250 you will not find better equipment at the price. Sound quality and build quality are as usual exemplary.

from Acoustic Arts AUDIO RESEARCH The important news from Bill Johnson and his merry band are two very impressive new introductions, namely the LS2 line stage preamplifier and PH1 phono stage. Both products represent the 'state of the art' in each category.

THETA DIGITAL One of the star products at the Penta Hi-Fi show was the new Theta CD transport. Based on a CD video chassis it means you can now enjoy state of the art pictures as well as sound! A fascinating product which along with the new budget DS PRO PRIME convertor make audition a must.

CLASSE This company have been busy improving their superb range of amplifiers as well as adding two new budget models, the DR4 pre-amp and DR10 power amp. These new models are absolutely marvellous value for money.

Acoustic Arts Limited 101 St. Albans Road Watford Herts

Telephone: Watford 245250

MARTIN LOGAN The very finest of electrostatic loudspeakers. The well established Sequel II and CLS II are now joined by the 'QUEST' which looks like a larger version of the Sequel but with improved transparency and more extended bass. An absolute winner!

SONUS FABER The Electa and Amator continue to offer the most elegant and best finish available in small box loudspeakers and probably represent the best sound available for use in small rooms. This interesting and enterprising company have now added an exciting new model " Extrema" as their 'state of the art' product. Read Hi-Fi News October for a full review.

APOGEE The big news here is the arrival of the Centaur Minor. At last an affordable Apogee of domestic size which completely re-defines the performance parameters for the £1000 + price range.

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AKG, A & R, ATC, Acoustic Energy, Apogee, Audiolab, Audio Research, B & W, Basis, Beyer, Celestion, Chord, Classe, Convergent, Counterpoint, Denon, Dual, Ensemble, Goldmund, Jadis, KEF, Koetsu, Krell, Linx, Magneplanar, Marantz, Martin-Logan, Meridian, Micromega, Musical Fidelity, Nakamichi, PS Audio, Quad, Radford, Revox, Rogers, Roksan, SD Acoustics, SME, Sennheiser, Solen, Sonus Faber, Spendor, Stax, TDL, Tannoy, Target, Teac, Thorens, Tripod, Wadia, Wharfedale.

•

LOUDSPEAKERS

face. A minimal crossover marries the drivers in conjunction with the acoustic responses, with an air core inductor to the bass and a film capacitor and resistor to the treble. The latter unit is a new design of 19ntm alloy dome, made by Mordaunt-Short , complete with an integrated low diffraction front housing. The delicate dome is protected by two moulded ribs and the permanent tweeter grille panel. The magnets are screened, allowing use in proximity to televisions, and this is not a had choice if you are thinking of upgrad-ing a basic Nicam stereo system. Reflex tuned to 5011z, the neat rear-mounted duct is 4.5cm in diameter by 12cm in length, with a good acoustic power capacity.

Sound quality First impressions were of a speaker which performed well on a wide range of rock programme. It possessed bass drive and power, plus a level of mid clarity and a resolution and essential purity to the treble which were way beyond expecta-tions for the price and enclosure size. This moderately-priced product possessed a recognisable measure of quality inherited from the MS20 Classic and the Epos ES- 11. Compression effects were mild, essen-tially irrelevant in context, and it timed quite well, an aspect well-supported by the quite tuneful bass. The latter had fine extension to the mid/bass range where the reflex action was held under good control. The bass was tight and articulate, subjectively better-tuned in its way than the ES- 11 itself.

This speaker also did well on other material, though it was faulted to some degree on two counts. One concerned its subjective frequency response. Taken overall, it sounded well enough balanced, with bass, mid and treble present in good proportion, but certain orchestral pas-sages highlighted a lack of warmth and weight in the lower midrange. With string quartets, the cello and the harmonic lines of the double bass were lightweight. Secondly, its evenness and clarity on piano were not on a par with the rest of the midrange and, on some voices, a hardening 'nasality' was obtrusive. These were considered satisfactory at the price and only occasionally detracted from the impressively focused and communicative performance of this often transparent and revealing loudspeaker. Mid tonality aside, the 5.20 was

genuinely entertaining, and captured a good measure of the spirit and ambience of recordings. It was also surprisingly smooth and civilized overall, a nicely blended example of the art.

Free-space positioning afforded the most neutral bass and the best sound-stages, and it benefited from more expen-sive stands if you feel like splashing out. Hi-wiring gave a genuine improvement, assuming a reasonable calibre of cable.

Test results Sensitivity was a little below average at 85dB/W. A practical power limit of 75W

programme allowed satisfactory max-imum sound levels of 99dBA in a normal room, assuming stereo operation. A mini-mum amplifier rating of 20W per channel was indicated. The —(dB bass roll-off point was 48Hz, good for the size, while solid in-room bass was available down to 40Hz. In the listening room the curve showed an underdamped bass, with some upper bass loss and a broadly prominent midrange. The treble was smooth but depressed

by several dB in energy terms. The return in response at the right of the plot is due to the 33kliz dome resonance: well beyond audibility. Examining the refer-ence response at 1m, the mid lift was evident, while the treble was subdued. Some variation was seen with moderate shifts of axis, and the response above axis had a fairly wide dip at 5kliz. Locate this speaker such that the mid treble axis is at, or directed towards, ear level — a degree of toe-in would also be helpful to maintain the treble output. In the lateral plane the outputs were nicely even and well inte-grated: in fact, that for 45° was of textbook quality. This will have helped to boost the speaker's performance as regards the reverberant field. Measurements indi-cated a value nearer ()ohms than the specified 8ohms, with dips to 4; the amplifier load rating is thus average'. The low resonance engineering deli-

vered clean results for energy decay, while both unwindowed and Blackman-Harris windowed ECT curves were most encouraging. Moving to the 30dB 0.1ms waterfall decay spectra, the result was very good for the class with only mild effects present in the crossover range. For the 60dB 0.2mS waterfall presentation some modest modes were now evident in the upper register and some frequency dependent ring was seen around 2kHz as shown by the central ridge running from front to back. Nevertheless, this was a fairly tidy result overall. Incidentally, it remained clean up to the power handling limits quoted, and good right/left match-ing was noted with the review pair.

Conclusion With clarity and definition high on the list of this speaker's desirable subjective qual-ities, coupled to a big sound and a full bass (perhaps too much for some rooms) the MS 5.20 was good value. It was not an entirely neutral speaker, however, and solo piano did it no favours. I found the high quality engineering a positive factor and the grille panel styling was a refreshing change. Check this one out to see if it suits your system and your ears.

TANNOY 605

Tannoy's seven 'six' series models have composite enclosures in a highly distinc-tive and instantly recognisable hexagonal form. Visually matching purpose-designed stands and bases are made for these systems, and the one tested with the 605 was most effective in all respects. Called the 655, it costs £80 without a mineral

filling. The review samples were specially filled with lead shot. The shaped enclo-sure offers a low diffraction front profile in conjuction with the anti-reflection grille. This shape inhibits internal stand-ing-wave modes, while the horizontally-folded cabinet is completed by a moulded base and end caps, their tops infilled by a durable decorative laminate. The bases carry threaded inserts for secure locking to the stands. At £ 150 a pair, the 605 is the logical successor to the Eclipse E-11. A miniature two-way, it is of average sensitivity and is ready for bi-wiring.

Design and technology In addition to the unusual enclosure construction, the system boasts a revised, one inch aluminium dome pistonic twee-ter. This uses an offset alloy mounting plate for smoother response. Surface mounted, it is complemented by the latest Tannoy 170mm bass-mid driver whose precision, injection-moulded cone has a graded thickness — thinner at the edge as the theory dictates, and, in this case, additionally reinforced at the centre by a rigid concave cap.

Mica-filled polypropylene is used for the cone moulding, terminating in a half roll surround of vinyl modified rubber. The frame is of pressed steel. The system is just 10.5 litres in internal volume, reflex loaded at 33Hz by a small ducted port, 3.2cm in diameter by 14cm long, fitted to the rear panel. The crossover point is set at 3.0kliz and uses a minimum of compo-nents to ensure maximum transparency: just one low value iron core choke and a good film capacitor, the latter feeding the tweeter. Internal connection is via push. on tags. Attention to detail is shown by the vertical brace which locates on the main driver magnet, reducing vibration.

Sound quality Somewhat sensitive to height, the speak-ers gave of their best when bolted safely and securely to the top platform of the matching stands. As regards positioning, the sound judged was a touch thin in free space, and a location nearer to the back wall was preferred, approximately 0.5m away; too high a listener position also gave a thin sounding result.

Stereo images were firmly formed with good focus and fairly good depth. Enclo-sure coloration was centred on the upper-mid/lower-treble which was a bit forward, thinning the tonal balance. Piano was heard to ring somewhat in consequence, and some of the lighter male vocal lines ended up rather small and pinched. Con-versely, this speaker was articulate and open-sounding with good recovery of detail and air. The upper treble was neutral and informative, well integrated with the mid, although with a touch of acidity on massed strings — it did not really do justice to large orchestral forces. l'he bass was quite extended at moderate power levels, played tunes well and was free from boom. Conversely it was not particularly rhythmic in character, the required quick, fluid ideal is here replaced

HI.FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 57

by a certain reticence. Listening test scores indicated that, despite a strong input of new technology, the overall result was not thought better than the older classic, the Ell, which it replaces.

Test results The axial reference response was a bit ragged, suggesting difficulties with driver integration. On axis, the 3kHz to 12kHz range was peaky. Note the negligible effect of affixing the grille [dotted]. Sensi-tivity was a touch below spec at 85dB/W, an average result allowing room max-imum sound levels of 100dBA. An ampli-

fier rating of 20W is suggested and a kind amplifier loading is indicated by the impe-dance minimum of 6.4ohms; this is a true 8ohm-rated system. Looking at the off-axis family of

responses, it can be seen that the opti-mum is 10-20° in the lateral plane, je with the speaker not toed in. The dashed 30° lateral response gave a good idea of the effect. The system was fairly critical of height and the two dotted curves showed the dips present at 15° above and below axis. From the resonance decay results, it can be seen that the response irregular-ities were not due to unwanted reso-nances as the rate and uniformity of decay was commendable. This was confirmed by the expanded 30dB 0.1mS waterfall, with a high rate of critical clearing. A good performance was also seen in the 60dB presentation even if there was some hangover in the 7kHz region. Both cabinet and diaphragms stored very little energy. The 'free space' room-averaged

response was illuminating, as it showed too much thinning of tonal balance up to the mid-hundreds of Hertz, followed by a treble region which, if well balanced overall, stuck out by 2.5dB above the

TANNOY 605

121•.•

Franeacv -

Fig 4a. Tannoy 605: on-axis 1m response, with LF correction shown dashed; with grille, dotted trace. Impedance (lower trace) scale Solutuldiv

log Frugmey - In

Fig 4b. Tannoy 605: response family with 3rd-octave weighting, axial plot; ± 15° (dotted traces, large dip is above-axis); 30° (short dashes) and 45° lateral (long dashes)

Mien

- In Fig 4c. Tamtoy 605: room-averaged response (RAR)

•.• •.•

- ••••

Fig 4d. Tonne 605: ETC decay plots, unwindowed and (right) Blackman-Harris window

-11.111 di. UV Ma (Ian. 11.1113 •sec

RIAU ItterM111

Fig 4e. Tannery 605: MLSSA decay waterfall, 30dB with 0.1ms rise-time

Test results Tammy 605 Size ( Wight x width X depth, mm) Recommended amplifier power per

channel Recommended placement Frequency response within ± 3d8 IF runoff ( — fid13) at I m Bass frequency extension ( typical

in.ruorn) Voltage sensitivity ( 2.83V)at I m 8fidBAT Approximate maximum sound level I UndBA

(pair at 2ro ) Impedance characteristics ( ease of good

drive Forward response uniformity average Typical price per pair £150

-100X276x 188 20.90W

on stands, near wall 8011z- I ikilz

4011z

Supplier: Tannery Ltd, Rosehall Industrial Estate, Coatbridge, Strathclyde, Scotland ML5 4TF. Tel (0236) 420199

adjacent sections; associated with the `brittle' subjective effects, perhaps. The bass extended to 54Hz, —6dB, with

a muted if clean extension to 40Hz.

Conclusion This speaker majors on transient defini-tion and a high level of clarity for the money. The bass is free from boom but is on the dry side, relative to the more forward midrange. A perfect match between mid and treble has not been achieved here. It has its points, not least the visual element, but audition is advised before purchase. The value is nonetheless sufficient for a recommendation.

WHARFEDALE 515

First release was last autumn, the review samples coming fresh from the first pro-duction run. The £250 515 is partnered by the 517, both using essentially the same two-way driver line-up; they share Wharfedale's new ceramic dome tweeter, the fragile element protected by a mesh grille. The 517 is a significantly larger model standing 53cm high, retailing at £400 a pair, and finished with a genuine black ash veneer in contrast to the dur-able vinyl substitute used for the less expensive 515. These are sealed box designs, with a claimed extra 51-1z bass available from the larger model. Specified sensitivity is the same at 87dB/W and both have been tonally enhanced to suit place-ment on stands located near to the rear wall of the listening room. Both are ready for bi-wired use, with heavy duty three-way binding posts linked by removeable shorting bars. The detachable grille locates in slots in the front baffle and has an anti-reflection profile.

Design and technology Good build quality is evident in this model, for example in the fine diecast chassis used for both drive units with strong six-bolts used for the main drive. The HF mounting is optically reflection-less. The units are flush mounted in the massive 22mm MDF front panel with the remainder of the carcase in the same material, but this time 18mm. A circum-ferential brace reinforces the tweeter area and locks all sides together.

Metal dome tweeters in the preferred 25mm size generally break up between 22 and 25kIlz, with some irregularity preced-ing this point. The favourable properties of a very thin element of fine ceramic, developed by a high-tech division of the porcelain industry, have pushed the first mode to beyond 40kHz, well clear of the audible range. The 12 to 20kHz range should be more uniform. A sealed box of 20 litre volume, the

system is densely packed with polyester wadding to help attain the required over-damped alignment in conjunction with the third-order series capacitor feed. Furokawa PCOCC cable is used, and film capacitors have been chosen for the treble section. The whole system is hard wired throughout.

58 III-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

LOUDSPEAKERS

Sound quality Suppled ready for bi-wiring, the 515 benefited from this mode with all the usual gains. The cleaner bass and superior transparency was particularly welcome, as the speaker was felt to need some help in these areas. First impressions were of a light tonal balance when used in free space, this ameliorated by a placement nearer to the wall; 0.3m was about right in

my room though some loss of image depth and bass clarity did result. While the 515 sounded smoothly

balanced with a silky, slightly zingy high treble, it did not handle orchestral string's very well. Bowing harmonics were fine but it did not play the lower treble formants properly, the speaker lacking energy and presence. CDs with rougher string sections tended to voice with a 'wasps nest' effect in the upper treble.

Solo piano was pretty clean in the lower ranges, but was judged too thin and ringing in the upper regions of the right hand span. The mid was fairly low in coloration, just slightly nasal, and it would have been helped by more articulation from the lower treble. The bass was well tuned and dry with an even character and fairly good extension. Rhythm and timing were thought unex-

ceptional in this speaker, and the whole effect was rather quiet and laid back. Stereo focus was about average — no prizes here either. A below average listen-ing test score was seen overall.

Test results On target for sensitivity at 87.3dB/W, the 51 e. will deliver up to 102dBA in a typical room with programme power maxima of 100W; 15W is a sensible starting power per channel. Rated 'good' on amplifier loading, it did dip below 5ohms in the upper treble but this was inconsequential and the main result indicated an Bohm rat] ng.

he axial response showed good balance but with only satisfactory integra-tion at crossover. Good pair matching inclicated this was not an isolated effect and, with careful adjustment of the mie position, a better result could be obtained. The family of off axis responses showed this well, with the ± 15° vertical angles revealing a wide variation at the 3kHz crossover, from a 4dB peak to a 12dB dip. The group responses suggested a loss of

energy in the crossover region, a theory

borne out by the listening tests — the 'isolated' treble effect we heard. Matters improved laterally off axis, and some compromise may be affected with a non-toed-in position. The bass response was —6dB at 60Hz, the first section of the bass rt ill-off set at a slow 6dB/oct roll-off for boundary matching. This was reflected by tte room average response, adjusted for near-to-wall placement, showing good extension to 40Hz with no bass emphasis. On the other hand, this integrated measurement did indicate that the mid-range was a touch forward with a mild trough also apparent in the presence

range. The upper range treble roll-off was seen as notably smooth. The unwindowed and Blackman-Harris

windowed ETC results were good, indicating fine resonance control. This was confirmed by the waterfall presenta-tions. With a 30dB range and 0.1ms filter risetime, the white space at the back related to a clean early decay maintained over a wide frequency range, particularly in the upper treble. The 60dB presenta-tion with 0.2ms analysis risetime gave more data on long term frequency con-scious effects. At 81cliz, there was some hangover, but in general, the good tran-sient performance was maintained.

Conclusion There were many good ingredients at work here: a fine low resonance, a low diffraction enclosure, a strong engineer-ing content including the new ceramic dome tweeter and a low frequency response aimed at better integration with the room and boundaries. However, the listening results indicated that this model failed to come to life on a range of programme types. There is a good speaker in there, waiting to be released.

GROUP CONCLUSION

The Mordaunt-Short 5.20 offers the best value of the group, despite some weak-ness on piano. Tannoy's 605 also has appealing aspects, particularly in view of the optional stands, the unique unboxy sound and good styling. I recognise posi-tive elements in the new 'C' series 515 from Wharfedale but at this time I feel these good ingredients have not quite come together properly. Arcam's Delta 2 was a lively and involving speaker with good rhythm and extended, powerful bass. KEF's Q60 was a surprise and also attained recommendation. 4-

WHARFEDALE 515

Prermey -

Fig Sc. Wharfedale 515: on-axis 1m response, with LF correction shown dashed; with grille, dotted trace. Impedance (lower trace) scale 5ohntediv

î

Freguiffl - ii

Fig 56. Wharfedale 515: response family with 3rd-octave weighting, axial plot; ± 15° (dotted traces, large dip is above-axis); 30° (short dashes)and 45° lateral (long dashes)

1103030.0

In Frefflecy - ix

Fig Sc. Wharfedale 515: room-averaged response (RA R)

•.• Tlae - user

Fig 5d. Wharfedale 515: ETC decay plots, umvindowed and (right)Blackman-Harris window

8.1 U. 6.2e7 Ill ( 117). 0.18I esec II)

RIM bar/alt..

Fig 5e. Wharfedale.515: MLSSA decay waterfall, 30dB with 0.1ms rise-time

Test results Wharfedale 515

Size ( height X width x dgmh, mix) Recommended amplifier power per

ehannej comm Re ended placement

Frequency response within ± 3dB LF runoff ( —(x113) at lm Bass frequency extension ( typical

in-

Voltage sensitisity (rif 2.83V ) at lm Approximate maximum sound level ( pair at 2m)

impedance characteristics ( Cabe of dri

Forward response uniformity Typical price per pair

-100x 265x 290 15-100W

near rear wall stand or shelf

101111z.201dIz 60Hz 4011z

87.3i113/W 102cIBA

good

fairly good £21.0

Supplier: Wharfedale Ltd, Sandkas Way, Crossgaus, Leeds ISIS 8AL. Tel (0532)601222

HI -FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 59

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LOUDSPEAKERS

rillE LS3/5A BI-WIRED B

i-wiring, despite pooh-poohing from some corners, is now stan-dard practice in Audioland. It may

not yet be a mass-market concern but rare are speakers aimed at enthusiasts which lack the option. What's so wonderful about bi-wiring is that it offers a consider-able improvement for little more than the cost of a second pair of speaker cables. (Only a major sacrifice if you have to fork out for a second set of MITs...)

I've heard more explanations for why bi-wiring works than I have space to recount, but the cheekiest has to be the intrinsic gains found in doubling up the amount of cable. More sane is the argu-ment that, short of full-blown bi-amplfication, separate feeds to each half of the crossover network mean greater control, fewer components, a more direct signal path, the option to choose different cables for treble and bass duties, and more. Whatever the reasons, bi-wiring is serious enough to have had one Japanese giant rattling cages around the world when it thought it owned the patents. So much for fairy dust tweaks, eh? Whoever claims ownership no longer

matters. What's important is that bi-wiring is now accepted as a sensible, cost-effec tive upgrade. What's surprising is that it took so long to be applied to the BBC IS3/5A. On the other hand, it isn't surpris-ing, because the LS3/5A is one of the most protected speakers in audio history, the BBC not allowing any tampering with or hasty modifications to a model of which it uses thousands. It does not want to find, one day, that fresh back-up stocks don't sound like the ones in the field. Now the BBC has decided that the

bi-wiring option meets the standards laid down over a decade-and-a-half ago, which is another way of suggesting that a bi-wired LS3/5A must or should sound just like an existing, two-terminal LS3/5A. Or tonally, at least. Which raises two ques-tions. If there's no worthwhile/audible improvement through bi-wiring, why make the conversion? And if there is an improvement, how can it remain true to the sound of the existing model?

It was revealed in, December HFN/RR, that the late Richard Ross of Rogers worked on the bi-wiring of this classic, as did Spendor independently of Rogers. It was discovered that the layout of the crossover was such that only minor snip-ping would split the circuit into the correct halves. Suffice to say, Richard's last contribution to our hobby is a fitting

At last, two pairs of terminals on

the hack of the LS3/5A

by Ken Kessler

memorial. What Ross, for Rogers, and Spendor did was make a great design even greater than even its staunchest suppor-ters could imagine. I listened to the Spendor-badged review

samples (price around £380) with the terminal links in place for some time before adding the second set of cables. And it took a lot of willpower, but I had to ascertain whether or not the bi-wired LS3/5A sounded just like a standard exam-ple. It did, which means that the BBC can (and probably will) leave the links in place if an engineer questions the match when replacing a pair in some remote studio. Or if the license fees won't cover 3000-plus pairs of extra cables. What the reactionaries will find if they

can bother to remove the links is tanta-mount to what certain seemingly con-servative German luxury saloons can do when the 156mph governor is removed. Without upsetting the tonal signature of the LS3/5A, bi-wiring still improves just about every other parameter which we use to assess hi-fi performance. Make no mistake, the latest version still

sounds like the wee box we know and love. The bass still has a cute, puppy-fat

kind of bulge designed to fool you into thinking it has real weight. But vocal reproduction is still as real as it gets, the midband of this speaker matching others costing 10, no, make that one hundred times as much. The treble is still a touch too crisp and detailed, but, after all, this speaker was designed to be analytical and hypercritical of the signals it receives. To keep the sibilance at bay, just use the LS3/5A with valves. Then you sense the magic. The speaker

sounds louder, yielding perceptibly grea-ter levels before the drivers groan in pain. At last, I can get extra realistic levels from an LS3/5A in my 7X 7.5m listening room without having to sit within two metres of the speakers. More to the point, the speakers sound more relaxed when per-forming well within their operating range. I tried the standard 1.53/5A at an averaged 82dB at two metres, followed by the bi-wired model at the same level and could detect less squashing of wild 'n' crazy dynamics; the Sousa track on the second HFNIRR test CD came in handy for that session. The gain in subjective loudness is

enough to justify the bi-wiring because it's accompanied by a quite remarkable improvement in overall dynamic capabil-ity, and not just the aforementioned resist-ance to compression. The soft-to-loud transitions are smoother, faster and more coherent, while the ratio between con-current loud and soft notes is preserved with far greater clarity.

Despite the standard LS3/5A bass quantity and texture, it's now possible to feed quite complex lower octave passages to the Beeb Baby without it regurgitating a sightly muddled mass of notes. The hi-wiring of the LS3/5A is evolu-

tion, not revolution because the speaker is, fundamentally, the same product. But it's like turbocharging, a hackneyed auto-motive analogy hut one which has never been more apt. A turbo extracts more pertbrmance, usually with some price to pay. Turbo geniuses lit the modification without compromising the subject vehi-cle's virtues — driveability, smoothness, noise, fuel consumption, whatever. In this respect, the hi-wiring of the 1S3/5A is not an aftermarket DIY bolt-on hut a perfect factory upgrade, one not even imagined when the speaker was conceived. If this speaker — which ought to he dubbed the LS3/5A IIW or something equally appropriate — doesn't win an award, then something's wrong with the world. -,44-

HI-EI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 61

Pentarolu mn

Pentachord

Concordant Excelsior

(on cordant Exquisite

The entire Art Audio range represents outstanding value for money.

World, Dec 1991

The Tempo amplifiers compare very favourably with any valve amplifier on the market, from home or abroad, regardless of price.

World, Dec 1991

This is one of the finest pre-amplifiers I've ever heard.

Choke on Concordant Excelsior

It creates one of the deepest and most solid sound stages of any pre-amplifier I have encountered, valve or solid state.

World on Concordant Excelsior

The Art Audio Quintet was the surprise of the group.. . sweet open and lucid.

Recommended Hi-Fi Choice, Nos) 1991

The combination of Concordant Exultant and Art Audio Quintet is truly a marriage made in heaven. Hi-1).i Choice, Nov 1991

A very high and wide stereo display with pinpoint accurate stereo images. What's more, there is little sense of having three separate boxes; the sound is really very well integrated indeed.

CD Review On Pen faction' Speakers. Nov 1991

The Pentacolumns are among the most revealing speakers I have heard.

Hi-1'i World, Der 1991

I feel that the Art Audio Maestros are among the finest valve amplifiers I have ever heard. I can barely imagine anything more alluring.

Hi-Fi World June 1991

The big sound, all seeming to emanate from the miniatures, was quite astonishing.

Gramophone on Pentachord Speakers July 1991

We could not have said better ourselves . . .

VINYL TUBE AUDIO where music matters 43-45 Fortess Road, London N'W5 lAD

Tel: 071-485 4854

Specialists in Analogue Audio & Valve Amplification

.111 Audio Quintet 1 It 1 11)//,, I, )1)

New Products include: Groove Tubes, Apogee Centaur, Magneplanar, Grado, Copland, Michell, Syncro, Ruark, MAP

TUBE TECHNOLOGY F

rom a humble attic over a Iii- ti shop, emerged the first Tube Technology amplifier. Two years on, the 30W/

channel Unisis is the 'baby' of the range. It is a fully integrated amplifier with on-board phono stage and four line-level inputs. Each channel uses four EL84 valves plus a dual triode. A removable valve cover protects the user against the very high envelope temperature that E1.84s can reach — but should cover the main power transformer, which does run

'awful hot'. Everything is based on two very high

quality printed circuit boards, with cri-tical signal runs in selected coaxial cable. Internal temperatures can get rather high after a kw hours, but not alarmingly so. Ilndced, a ten-year manufacturer's guarantee is extended — Ed.1

Sound quality My first impression, listening ( as it hap-pend) to a few CDs, was of a capable and straightforward amplifier with no instantly obvious merits or drawbacks. However, I came to feel that if one's first requirement is fcr a line-level amplifier of excellent sound quality and moderate output power — appearances aside — it is posible to do better ft)r less money. I think, on those criteria alone, it is reasonable to expect £1200 to comfortably outperform the £400 or so of my Harman/Kardon I IK6500 — and, to be honest, the Unisis didn't, even taking its lower power into consideration. Although its tonal quality is good, with just a hint of bass forwardness and very extended treble, it is a little more veiled than the FIK, and starts to sound grainy and slightly hard as it comes within a few dB of full power. Its detail retrieval isn't had, but at no point did I feel it was better than the IIK's.

That's the down side out of the way. Much more encouraging was the phono stage, the weak point of so many inte-grated amplifiers. Not so here; indeed I would go so far as to say that it is very much the strong point. Comparison with a Moth stand-alone phono stage ( still a bargain) for once didn't disenchant me; the two didn't sound the same, and, if pressed, I would still marginally prefer the Moth as being nearer perfect neutrality, but the Unisis has none of the bland, featureless and compressed quality that affects all hut a few integ,rateds. Instead, it is detailed, smooth and relaxed, with a clear ( marginally bright ) treble and effort-less bass.

Thus, regarding the whole signal path from the phono input, the Unisis does rather better after all. It still suffers from a slight haze which affects detail and causes some smearing of textures, hut it is always easy and rewarding to listen to, and that's important. Don't expect it to sound like a classic Leak or Quad, by the way: it is

UNISIS An up-to-date valve integrated

offers a notable phono stage and

good looks...

by Rtchard Black

basically quite modern-sounding, and quite happy with pop music with a heavy beat. There is a good 'snap' on percussive sounds, and no tampering with the char-acter of individual instruments.

Lab report Modern-sounding it may be, but in many ways the Unisis measures as something of an anachronism. Two particular areas bother me: phono overload margins and output distortion, especially at low fre-quencies. Valve phono stages often tend

to have enormous overload capabilities due to the high voltages used, but this one appears to slew limit at high frequencies, giving margins which are only borderline adequate. With my lower-than-average-output cartridge (Shure VST) I wouldn't have expected any trouble, but a higher output m-m could hit the ceiling. However, the manufacturer assures me that this area is under review and will be improved. Apart from this, phono distor-tion is just high enough to be audible. As for output distortion, this follows the

usual valve amp pattern of increasing with output power, perhaps at a rather high level overall, but is unusual in containing a relatively high level of high harmonics (see graphs). It is also very high at low frequencies, at any output level, and these two facts tend to indict the output trans-former and the feedback arrangement round it. The implication that this is related to the subjective reservations mentioned above seems clear.

Conclusion I can't really go overboard about the Unisis, given the drawbacks noted and the unit's high price in the context of com-petitive transistor amps, even taking into account its excellent (and expensive) appearance. Frustratingly, it is less good than one might expect it to be; yet if its specific problems are addressed, bearing other factors in mind, it could become a very attractive proposition indeed. si4-

TUBE TECHNOLOGY UNISIS

(dB) o

-120

A

IIIIVIEll 11111121111111111111111111111111

10 FREQ.(kHz)

Fig 1. Tube Technology Unisis: distortion spectrum 0-20kHz, MHz input at 25W into 8ohms

(baseline — 140dB, 20dBldivision)

(di) o

-40

so

-120

Test results 20Hz lIcHz 20kHz

W into Bohm, both channels driven

W into 4ohm, both channels driven

Peak current via lohm, 7.5F 8A+, 7A — Frequency response: Ide limits 3dB limits

Line in 12Hz-1001cHz 6Hz-2001cliz Phono m-m in 30Hz-301d1z I I Hz-72kliz Frequency response — comments: Via line in, + 1.4dB at I 40kilz. Via phono in, + 3dB at 72kliz

20 WN, line in ( I kohm term. ) ref. 'kHz 500mV

S/N, m-m in ( cartridge term. ) ref. 'kHz 5mV

Noise figure, m-m input (A wtd ) Total harmonic distortion Une in, 25W out into Bohm Une in, 50mW out into Bohm Phono m-m in, tape out, any

frequency, OdB Phono m-m in, tape out, + 15dB up to 4kHz

20 30 30

20 20 20

.0

•

Y

200

FREQ.(Hs)

Fig 2. Tube Technology Unisis: distortion spectrum

0-400Hz, 20Hz input at 1W into 8ohnes.

Phono overload levels Input sensitivity, for rated power out, vol. max. Phono m-m( IkHz) Line ( any)

Stereo sep. Phono ( tape out ) Line

Output impedance, TDP method (IA in)

Distortion via same Typical price in VAT

83dB, A wtd (mild hum )

>77dB, A wtd < IdB

20Hz lkliz 20kHz 59, 1.2% 2% I% 0.03% <0.05%

0.1% 0.5% ( rises at higher frequency due to slew

limiting) 24mV 50mV 95mV

20Hz 50c113 60(18

I.6mV 160mV IkHz (,dB 55(18

20kHz 40dB 30dB

I .fiohm ( any frequency) 2%

£1190

400 Supplier:

Tube Technology, Hatch Fans:, Chertsey Rd, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 2EH. Tel: 0932 850361

HI-TI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 63

The In a comparison test in Hi-Fi

World's November issue, the Creek 4140 was regarded as the best of a group of amplifiers from six manufacturers. Some of them world heavy-weights.

KICK INSIDE

Mai Creek 4140 52 Integrated Amplifier.

Best? How can one define best in fidelity?

What made the 4140 outstanding in comparison to products by Pioneer, Marantz, Arcam, Musical Fidelity and Sonic Link, was, we quote, it's "pace and life", while being "detailed and coherent in presentation" it never sounded "out of control or nasty" on moving magnet or CD.

Probably the most telling comment was "It is one of those amplifiers that has an almost in sense of rightness to it that provides a strength the others lack."

What truly makes an amplifier better is its ability to convey the composition, the musicians and their performance. This test proves that this capability belongs to Creek.

treop AUDIO SYSTEM

Creek Audio Systems Rosehall Industrial Estate

Coatbridge, Strathclyde ML5 4TF Scotland

Tel (0236) 20199 Fax (0236) 28230

A Member of the TGI plc Group of Companies

61 111-H NEWS lk RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

AMPLIFIERS

In the November 1991 issue I reviewed four amplifiers. As a matter of fact, it would be more accurate to say that a

'blind' listening panel reviewed them; my contribution was to orchestrate the tests, make some constructional evaluations and write up the results. As well as listening to the equipment, it

seems a good idea to make some form of engineering assessment of it. The reason is simply that I have come across many instances ( in amplifiers, especially) where it appears that the designer had only a nodding acquaintance with component ratings, production-engineering methods, British or Cenelec standards, reliability and so on. Equally, the technical and engineering aspects of hi-fi equipment are one area in which the marketing men have well and truly run amok in recent years. It seems to me that reviewers really ought to pay more attention to how things are made as well as how they perform when in audition. The amplifiers reviewed here were the

Kenwood KA-4040R, the Sony TA-F540E, the Onix 0A2ls and the Sonic Link DM15. As usual, the panel was not told what was being reviewed and each item was iden-tified only as 'Unit A', 'Unit B' and so on. The usual Krell KSP-7B and KSA-80B combunation was used as master refer-ence, together wth the Arcam Alpha 3 to set a baseline nearer the price point. Speakers used were TDL Monitors, Epos ES! is and BBC LS3/5As, and a variety of analogue and digital front-end sources were pressed into service. Listening took place over a four-week period in three separate listening rooms.

KENWOOD KA-4040R

The Kenwood KA-4040R is stated in its specification to be capable of a con-tinuous rated power of 70+70W (DIN, lkHz at 8ohms) and 90+90W into 4ohms. A dynamic power rating is also given but is meaningless without further qualification. The unit measures 138x347x440mm (hwd) and turns the bathroom scales at 8.8kg. It is a black box with a front panel dominated by a large centrally-placed volume control. Along the centre-line of the front are four large touch-switches which handle power on, loudness, muting and source direct. A headphone jack is mounted at lower left, and on its right are the speaker selector push-switches; either or both of two sets of speakers can be driven. Bass and treble controls with a weak centre detent are next in line. At lower right are a balance control and record selector switch. At the extreme right-hand end of the panel is a source selector switch offering aux, tuner, CD, tape/DAT 1, tape/DAT 2, and phono; a small push button at extreme lower right selects m-m or m-c. A System Control infra-red remote-control handset is sup-plied with the amplifier and offers input selection, power, muting and volume functions on the KA-4040R as well as control of other Kenwood items such as tape decks and CD players.

EAST-WEST VARIATIONS Four budget to mid-price models:

Kenwood KA-4040R,

Onix 0A21s, Sonic Link DM15

and Sony TA-F540E

by John Nelson

On the rear drop is a bank of nickel-plated RCA sockets for the various inputs and outputs. Adjacent to these are the eight loudspeaker terminals, which are the familiar 4mm banana-cum-threaded-screw variety. These feel slightly flimsy in use, especially if thick cable is employed, but no amplifier I have ever come across strikes me as being wholly adequate in this area — which is surprising given the excellent high-current connectors often seen on military and professional electro-

nic equipment. At extreme right is the two-core captive mains lead. A separate ground terminal is provided underneath the input sockets. Removing the rather thin and resonant

lid reveals that the signal and power stages are constructed on two separate SRPB printed-circuit boards with a large central finned heatsink for the power devices — a pair of D1717/B1162s per channel. Smaller boards carry compo-nents for remote control of the power supply and some elements of the low-level signal circuitry. Most interconnec-tion is done with ribbon cable but there is some rather untidy conventional cabling in addition. The mains transformer is a large C-core component, and this feeds a packaged bridge rectifier and two 750010 56V Elna reservoir capacitors. The general constructional standard is reasonable hut not outstanding, and I particularly disliked

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 65

LTHETA DIGIT C O R P 0 R A I 0 N

The Theta Data is without doubt the best Transport we have heard to date. Partnered with one of Theta's D/A

Converters, its the last CD Player you will ever need to buy*

KJ WEST ONE 26 NEW CAVENDISH STREET LONDON VV1M 7LH (Close to the intersection with Marylebone High Street) TEL 071-486 8262/8263 • FAX 071-487 3452 Open Mon-Sat 10am-6pm Thurs. until 7pm Visa/Mastercard accepted

Interest Free Credit Available

at

Also on demonstration: Apogee, Audio Research,

Krell Martin Logan, PS Audio, Sonus Faber. 'All Theta products are fully upgradeable to incorporate future technology advances.

JADIS and APOGEE An unlikely combination'? In some cases, maybe — but not if you're lucky enough to own a pair of Apogee Centaur Minors. You owe it to yourselves to hear them with the JADIS DEFY DA-30 integrated amplifier, a system that was recently demonstrated at a large hi-fi show in the Far East and met with massive praise. This is truly a match made in heaven and proves that Pinewood can take you there without a second mortgage.

fete fileffe«,11:C

Ilminster Somerset 0460 54322

NOTTINGHAM ANALOGUE STUDIO

If, like us, you believe in the superiority of Analogue reproduction and, in particular, the

ability of vinyl to convey the maximum in listening pleasure - you need to visit our studio.

Here we can offer you what we consider the ultimate in domestic musical reproduction. No shelves of flashy boxes or flavours-of-the-month,

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Man's AKG Cartridge For a musical experience you will remember, please contact us on —

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(4, I II-FI NEWS 8É RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

the total absence of shrouding on the mains and IA' distribution wiring. There is no internal label warning of exposed live parts. and care will have to be exercised by those servicing the KA-4040R. The Kellwood amplifier was initially

liked by the panel, but sustained listening left them feeling that it was not the hest of the tested group. Most criticism centred on the extreme bass and the extreme treble; the former was felt to be decidedly soft and flabby, and the latter smeary and edgy. Perhaps the best example of both effects at once wa.s found in the Doors track 'When the Music's Over', which at one point features Jim Morrison in an extended soliloquy to the accompani-ment of softly struck cymbal and gentle drumbeats. Despite the fact that the recording dates from the late '60s, the sound picture generated on a good system is exceedingly realistic and almost tactile. With the KA-4040R in circuit, however, most of the nuances of the percussion were lost and the cymbals, in particular, sounded about fifty feet away. It was also noticeable that dense five-part organ counterpoint was flattened, and full orchestral climaxes produced an almost subliminal feeling of discomfort in the panel. A good deal of further listening left us all with the impression that the KA-40-40R was one of those amplifiers which might well make a good initial impression — in a dealer's demonstration room, for example — but which would quite quickly become tiring and tiresome in use, espe-cially when used with very transparent speakers and source components. Having said that, the phono circuitry seemed to be a cut above what is usually found at this price point. Even with high-class moving-coil cartridges, there were no problems with hum or excess noie:, and most of the panel ( with one notable exception) actually preferred the phono inputs to anything else. Nevertheless, even in this mode, the KA-4040R was not one which the panel seemed able to like for very long and it was also not one to which they often chose to return.

In view of what is available elsewhere fir the price, there seems no good reason to recommend auditioning of this Ken-wood amplifier.

ONIX 0A21s/SOAP2

The ()nix 0A2 Is is an interesting amplifier from a number of points of view, not the least of which is its shape. Eschewing the conventional wide box, Onix has opted he a Delice-style enclo-sure which is 76x228x355mm ( hwd ) and weighs 6.7kg. On the thick brushed alumi-nium front panel are only three controls, none of which is marked. The right-hand one is the source selector, providing for CD, m-c cartridge, tuner, tape and CVR. The right-hand knob controls volume and the small inner knob is a mains on-off switch. Onix says in its one-page 'Data Sheet' that the functions are not printed on the case for cosmetic reasons. Perso-nally I found this a thundering nuisance but reviewers necessarily have to come to terms with equipment quickly and have no emotional attachment to it; if you buy an ()nix, no doubt you will remember quite quickly which switch position gives what input. On the rear drop, starting from the

right, there is a combined WC mains socket and fuseholder. To its right are the speaker sockets, which accept 4mm banana plugs only — there is no screw-terminal provision. Next is a group of gold-placed RCA sockets, and above these is a six-pin male multiway socket for the input voltage from the optional external SOAP power supply. This latter item is the same size as the 0A2 Is and offers the options of a regulated 24V supply to the

KENWOOD KA- 4040R

Test results Power output I EMS into 57.8W ( I. ), 57.8W ( 8) 8olims, both di:Lunch driven at l id Ii for.VZ Till)) Signalhoisc ratio — CD/line 77dB ( unweighted ) Signai noise ratio — disc 69dB ( unweighted) Input sensitivity —cD/line I 95mV fur rated output input sensitivity — disc 3.6mV ( MM ) fur rated output Input impedance — disc 461)14-180pF ( MM ) Input impedance — line 47K Sqsaration ( da ) 20Hz Ildiz 201illz line 81 79 68 Disc 77 78 CO Output impedance ( ohms I 0.07 0.10 0.36 Diunping factor 186 175 143 1 ypical price inc vKi' £220

Supplier: Trio-Kenwood, Kenwood House, Dwight House, Watford, Hens WD! 8EB. Tel: (0923) 816444

AMPLIFIERS

phono stage circuitry plus a regulated ±36V DC supply to the output stages. It contains a toroidal mains transformer and a pcb carrying a pair of I.M317 regulators together with their associated circuitry, two KPBC2504 bridge rectifiers ( which are suitably chunky and rated at 25A ) and two 15000µ.1, 63V Philips reservoir capa-citors. According to my data book, these have a ripple-current rating of 25.6A at 85°C and are consequently somewhat over-specified for the task in hand — as are the rectifiers. Nonetheless, it is heartening to see a designer erring on the conserva-tive side; would that the likes of Quad did the same.

Inside the amplifier itself, there is a toroidal mains transformer, of the same

size as that in the SOAP, and the unit itself is built on a single main pcb, with an additional board carrying the m-c input circuitry. The internal construction is neat — as is that of the SOAP — and my only quibble was the crude termination of the leads from the volume control on to a plug-in multiway connector on the pcb.

These should have been physically jointed before soldering and then sleeved. Some I lellermann-type sleeving was used on the rear power socket, and it would have been nice to see the same on other terminations inside the amplifier. The

power devices (a pair of MJ15003/15004 Darlingtons per channel ) are mounted on a substantial metal plate about hall-way up the board and it was noticeable that this was not in intimate contact with the chassis, being separated from it by the pcb. Since temperature measurements indicated that this place ran at about 85°C for most of the time, the junction temper-atures of the output devices must be close to their limits in this amplifier.

The 0A2 1 s was tested both with and without the SOAP power supply, and the panel found the difference to be relatively minor. However, one might have expected this since none of the speakers used in the course of this review could be construed as being current-hungry or otherwise difficult to drive. Simulating a difficult load with some strategically-placed I., C and R seemed to make a slight audible difference, but it was not consis-tent and not readily identifiable with any statistical validity on an A-B switch. With

HI-FI NEWS & RECOREZREVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 67

THE LINK BETWEEN TECHNIQUE

AND EMOTION '""Ilfee

t\N

DISTRIBUTED EXCLUSIVELY IN THE UK BY

TEAC UK LTD

5 MARLIN HOUSE, THE CROXLEY CENTRE, WATFORD, HERTS. WD1 8YA

TEL: 0923 225235 FAX: 0923 36290

CROFT PRE-AMPLIFIERS:-Micro A, Super Micro IV, Super Micro A IV P.P.

DESIGN FEATURES:- 1. Valve regulated h.t. supply. 2. Regulated heater voltage. 3. Hard wired throughout with solid core. 4. High quality components:- 1% metal film resistors Polypropylene & Polystyrene

capacitors. S. Simple circuitry with short signal paths. 6. Independent left and right volume controls. 7. Independent left and right input selectors.

In the Micro A we have improved component quality (Holco and Wirewound resistors, selected RIAA capcitors, low ESR cathode de-coupling capacitors), and improved circuitry with direct coupling into the cathode follower output stage.

In the Super Micro IV we have incorporated the improvements in the Micro A along with some further aids to sound quality with larger mains transformer and an improved h.t. regulator and bigger reservoir capacitors. It now uses push-pull follower output stages.

In line with current investigations into component sound quality we now introduce the Audiophile version, the Super Micro A: combining better component with an improved power supply and modified circuitry:-

COMPONENTS:- 1. All resistors are improved in quality using Holco and Wirewound types extensively 2. Higher quality potentiometers are used. 3. Disc and output sockets are high quality PTFE insulated gldplated types.

POWER SUPPLY:- An improved valve regulator is used, with a higher h.t. voltage. 2. Reservoir capacitance increased.

CIRCUITRY:- 1. Cathode de-coupling capacitors arer eliminated. 2. Push pull circuitry is used throughout. 3. Mains r.f filter fitted.

So you can rest assured that the audible and tecnical superiority that has been traditionally associated with Croft over the last 9 years to be coveted by our numerous and often short-lived protégés for many years to come.

Action Acoustics Chantry Audio Cloney Audio Hi-Town Audio K.J. Leisuresound Midland Radio Supplies Moorgate Acoustics Nottingham Analogue Studios

Tel: 0773-762947 Warstones Hi-Fi Studios Tel: 0902-345114 Wings Audio Tel: 081-688 6565

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Croft Valve Pre-amplifiers

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For your select authorised dealer contact

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68 HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW If MO AR)

AMPLIFIERS

°NIX OA21s

Test results Power output ( RMS into 47.6W ( L ), 47.5W ( R) 8ohms, both channels driven at IgHz fur Ix 1111)) Signal/noise ratio — CIMine 85d13( unweightel ) Signal/noise ratio — disc 73dB ( unweighteel ) Input sensitivity — CD/line 220mV for rated output Input sensitivity — disc 2.0mV (MM) for rated output Input impedance — disc 47K+ 220pF ( MM ) Input impedance — line 47K Separation I dB) 20Hz lkHz 20kHz Une 93 89 79 Disc 88 84 66 Output inirctlance ( ohms) 0.09 0.12 0.23 Damping fluaor 278 255 212 Typical price inc vAT £350

Supplier: Onix Electronics, Unit S , Kendall Court, Railway Rd, Newhaven, East Sussex BN9 OAY. Tel: (0273) 517358

hindsight, it would have been better to have borrowed some difficult speakers for the tests. That apart, the Onix amplifier acquitted itself very well indeed and was the panel's consistent favourite through-out the test period, although again they were unable to identify any difference between the phono stage driven from the SOAP PSU and from the amplifier's inter-nal rails. The 0A2 Is was praised for its firm, dry and tight bass, with plenty of weight and scale on organ and Fender bass; its midrange was also liked for its neutrality and realism on a variety of material from soprano voice to string quartet. All in all, no-one could really find anything to comment on or criticize, and the 0A2ls proved to be very unfatiguing and easy to live with during long listening sessions. Its presentation was occasionally described as a touch backward and laid-back compared with that of the Krell combination, but that merely led to an

argument lasting about half an hour as to which was more lifelike!

Here is a very good amplifier which you should certainly audition, although you should probably seek Onix's advice as to

whether using the SOAP power supply would be likely to do anything for its perforriance in your system. Unless the modulus of impedance of your speakers does strange things around the crossover, I would suspect that it will not be necessary. As an aside, despite the undoubted effect on cosmetics, I would have liked to have seen labelled controls and also a headphone socket.

SONIC LIN K DM15

Test results Power output ( RMS into 8ohms, both channels driven at Ildiz fm . 1% Till)) SignaPnaise ratio— CD/line Signal/ncise ratio — disc Input sensitivity — CD/line Input sensitivity — dise Input im mxlance — disc Input immAarice— line Separation ( dB ) Une Disc Output impedance ( ohms) Damping factor Typical price inc VAT

17.6W(L),17.9W(R)

73dB ( unweighted ) 62dB ( unweighted)

290mV for rated output 1.9mV ( MM ) for rated output

34K+ 260pF ( MM ) 47K

20Hz lkHz 20kHz 90 90 86 78 0.18 103

76 0.33 93

£199

71 0.51 77

Supplier: Sonic Link, 6 Mill Close, Borrowash, Derby DE7 6GU. Tel: (0332)674929

SONIC LINK DM15

There seemed to be a touch of schi-zophrenia about this amplifier insofar as the front panel and the manual — a single typed A4 page — referred to it as the DM15. However, the pcb and the rear drop both sported the legend DM20. Either way, the unit measured 76x203x430mm (hwd) and weighed 4.4kg. On the left of the front panel is a rotary-action on/off switch, and to its right is a headphone socket. In the centre is a red power-on LED, with volume and balance controls to its right — the latter having a centre detent of about the right weight. On the right of the front panel are five selector switches, the operation of which is a little odd. As the literature states, these are not interlocked but are wired so that the switch furthest left which is pushed selects the input. At the same time, the switch which is furthest left other than the tape switch selects the input which will be recorded on tape'. Such an approach to input source switch-ing does not exactly set new standards in ergonomic ease, and led to some frustra-tion in early testing until I had mastered the required technique. The inputs pro-vided are m-m cartridge, CD, radio, video

and tape. On the rear drop is the usual cluster of

RCA sockets and an earth terminal. The loudspeaker terminals are the usual screw variety accepting 4mm banana plugs or relatively thin push-through or wrap-round cable. In the review sample, both

negative terminals were coloured blue, with the RII positive yellow and the LH positive grey — a somewhat non-standard colour coding. An IEC mains input socket is at the extreme right. Removing the nicely gloss-finished lid

revealed that the DM15 is built on a single glass-fibre pcb which had clearly been laid out and assembled by hand with a good standard of soldering. Six power devices are bolted to a small but substantial heatsink in the centre. A toroidal mains transformer with split secondaries feeds a pair of bridge rectifiers using discrete 1N5401 devices and two 4700pf 63V reservoir capacitors. The speaker connec-tions are taken off the board via spade terminals and crudely twisted PTFE-insulated wiring, while another PTFE cable commons the pcb negative to the chassis and mains earth. In our sample, one of the four speaker output tags was

given an insulating cover but the others (and the similar tags used to take the transformer secondary voltages to the pcb) were not. The tags on the IEC mains socket were covered with the correct size

of insulating boot ( although it was not secured with a cable tie, as is accepted practice) but the corresponding boot on the mains on/off switch was a size too large, resulting in a loose fit. As it hap-pened, this was a good thing since the review sample did not work at switch-on; the fault was traced to one of the transfor-mer primary leads having come away from the associated switch tag. The loose-

ness of the boot at least enabled the problem to be found and fixed quickly. A VDR is connected across phase and neut-ral on the switch. Overall, the construc-tional standard reached is not outstand-ing, and I think it is disingenuous of Sonic link to recommend the use of high-quality interconnects and mains cable in its literature when its amplifier's internal wiring is to a relatively poor standard.

Sonically, the DM15 did quite well provided that it was run within its limits. No power output or other performance data was quoted in the 'manual' but measurements suggested that a power rating of about 18W was appropriate. Despite this, the unit seemed happy to drive the reference speakers to quite high levels but — as might be expected — it rapidly ran out of steam when asked to reproduce orchestral climaxes and heavy rock at realistic volume. Nevertheless, the panel praised several aspects of its per-formance, liking its easy and natural mid-range and its solid and realistic bass. Extended listening suggested that the DM15 had a slight warmth and glow suggestive of a valve amplifier, which tended to take the edge off some digital recordings. The earthing arrangements

adopted left some residual hum on the phono input, which was mildly annoying but not outstandingly so; but listening

past that, the panel thought the results

somewhat dry and compressed. There were comments to the effect that some of the air and space around solo singers and instruments was not being accurately

reproduced, leading to a rather artificially

flat presentation. Notwithstanding these reservations, the

DM15 continued to attract positive remarks throughout the test period, and on programme material with simple tex-tures it did as well as any of the other amplifiers. It is certainly worth audition-

ing if the low power, lack of m-c cartridge facilities and odd switching arrangements are not a deterrent. I must confess,

however, that if I purchased one I would spend some time tidying-up the internal wiring and adding some proper sleeving. I

would also abolish those dreadful spade connectors and find a better way of taking the audio from the pcb to the speaker terminals. As it stands, the DM15 has the air of a pre-production prototype. And as for the claimed 'audio-grade fuses'...

111-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 69

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AMPLIFIERS

SONY TA-F540E

The Sony TA-F540E is another large black box, with dimensions almost identical to those of the Kenwood unit, weighing in at just under 8kg. On the left of the front panel is a power switch, and next to it is the speaker selector which can be used to choose between either, both or neither of the selected speakers — in the latter position the amplifier can be used with headphones via the socket at lower left.

Next to the speaker switch is a record output selector. At the extreme right of the front panel is a large, and rather stiff, volume control, and to its left is the source selector switch offering phono, tuner, CD, aux, tape 1 and tape 2/DAT. The phono input is switchablc between m-m and m-c by means of a small push button at lower right. Also on the front panel is the legend 'Spontaneous Twin Drive — Direct Link System — Super Legato Linear'. Since a manual was not supplied with the unit, it was not possible to establish the exact meaning of these rubrics. Perhaps something has been lost in the translation.

On :he rear drop is the usual line-up of RCA connectors and an earth terminal together with combination 4mm banana and st:rew-terminal speaker connectors.

In parenthesis, those who set great store by exotic speaker cabling should look inside some amplifiers and examine how the output signal is routed from the electronics to the speaker terminals — I can tnink of one high-end, high-power amplifier in which about two feet of ribbon cable with very poor-quality multi-way connectors at the board end is used for this purpose. The TA-F540E, at a twentieth of the price, does the job better. The Sony amplifier is built on a single

main pcb divided into signal and power sections, separated by a central finned heatsink for the 2SA I 215/25C292 1 output devic es. Five smaller boards carry ancil-lary circuitry. A large toroidal mains transformer is mounted on the left, and the mains wiring from the two-core cap-tive mains cable is quite good except for exposed pins and tracks on the associated pcb. The rectifier is a packaged bridge comnonent and there are two Elna reser-voir capacitors rated at 10000µF 63V. These looked rather large for their capaci-tance and working voltage, suggesting that they may possess a sensibly high ripple-current rating. All in all, the inter-nal architecture of the TA-F540E bears some resemblance to that of the Kenwood KA-4040R and the overall constructional

quality is similar, and perhaps a little better, although the internal cabling in the Sony is almost as untidy as that in the Kenwood. Perhaps proper cableforming is a lost art in Japan.

Sonically, however, the TA-F54() was very different from the KA-4040R and consistently preferred to it in most areas,

whichever speakers and source material we -e used. Its overall presentation was on the bright side of neutral, and on some vocal and keyboard items the panel

thought it verged on sounding brash and hard. This was particularly the case on well-recorded digital material, where it seemed that the Sony's presentation was decidedly forward in the midrange. The soundstagc it generated was considerably more compressed in the front-to-back sense than was the case with either of the reference amplifiers, and overall it some-times seemed that low-level detail, which was quite backward in a given mix, was being lost. However, both the m-m and ni-c inputs redeemed the amplifier by being really rather good once some hum problems had been resolved by altering cabling. There was a lovely sense of space and air around solo instruments and the various elements of a Baroque string ensemble, for example, and the Sony amplifier had no trouble with the Doors track mentioned in the Kenwood amplifier review. However, a little residual noise was noted at high volume levels using low-output m-c cartridges, although in fairness one would probably not choose cartridges costing three or four times as much as the amplifier. Longer-term testing suggested little tendency on the TA-1'540's part to induce

SONY TA-F540E

Test results Power output ( EMS into 8uhrns, both channels driven at Ildiz fur . 1% Till)) Signal/noise ratio - C Mine Signal/noise ratio - disc Input sensitivity - CD/line Input sensitivity - disc Input impedance - disc Input impedance - line Separation ( dB) Line Disc Output impedance ( ohms) Damping factor Typical price inc VAT

61.1W ( L), 62-2W (R)

82d8 ( unweightal) 71d8 ( unweighted

230mV fur rated output 2.6mV ( MM ) fur rated output

34K+ 25OpF ( MM 40K

2011z 1kHz 20kliz 77 74 74 72 62 0.08 0.21 0.46 198 166 132

£230

Supplier: Sony, Sony House, South St, Staines, Middx TW 18 4PF. Tel: (0784)467000

listening fatigue, although at high levels it displayed a mild penchant for clogging orchestral textures, and was not espe-cially at case in Wagnerian climaxes. This left one or two panel members unable to

relax into the music as easily as they could with the ()nix, for example.

Overall, though, not a bad amplifier for the price and one well worth auditioning. l'he rather forward presentation may well benefit some speakers and rooms, and it may strike you as being true to life, although I am not quite convined that it is.

GROUP CONCLUSION

There was no doubt that in absolute terms the Onix. 0A2 Is was the best performer in the tested group, hut since it costs £ 120 more than the second most expensive contender in this batch — in percentage terms about 65 per cent more — there is an argument for saying that it jolly well should have been the best. That price, incidentally, excludes the cost of the optional SOAP power supply at £295. Of the rest, the Sony TA-F540E at £230

is worth a listen if you are in the market for an amplifier at this price point. You should also audition the Kenwood KA-4040R at £220, which offers plenty of facilities including remote control, although the listening panel did not find it to its liking. Do remember that your cars and your room may well differ violently

from mine and the panel's, and that in the end a review can only ever be a statement of how the reviewer and his colleagues

experienced the unit under review. Hav-ing said that. I would probably not include the Sonic Link DM15 on the short list

even at the price of £ 199 because of some lacunae in its construction. By all means try one and buy it if low output power and lack of m-c facilities are not important and you feel like spending a happy hour or two with the soldering iron.

11147 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 71

• 2 years guarantee on all hi-fi • 7 Day exchange scheme • Half a million satisfied customers •

The black art of CD

I can well remember the stir that CD caused when it first arrived.

'Perfect sound forever' some said; 'a flash in the pan' said others. But I think the 'others' have been eating their words for some time now. Far from being a mere scratch on the turntable of life, CD's are here to stay. Despite their computer origins, they can be capable of great musicality, particularly since the introduction of Philips bitstream technology.

I'd take Micromega as my favourite example. I don't find them slaves to CD technology. They use it to get closer to the performance. To the harmonics, the body, the swell, and the emotion. Music is a sensual experience, not a technical one. Does it really matter if it's analogue or digital?

But what really started to make the format creative was the introduction of digital outputs. They have allowed the "pick and mix" brigade, like me, to indulge our whims, mixing players, transports and add-on digital to analogue converters like the Micromega Duo. So now your existing player needn't become obsolete, as a true upgrade path exists just as it used to with turntables.

I think players like the Micromega make great music. That's what a good dealer like Audio T w ill do too. Come and listen to us both and I'll show you what I mean.

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S ME After listening and hearing many tonearms in various installations we cannot help but be impressed with the quality of sound, engineering and integrity of SME. With our preferred range of cartridges - Lyra if you hadn't guessed -

either the SME IV or V work extremely well. This knowledge helped identify how good the Pink Anniversary really is. What's the saying?.. Quality lasts long

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LYRA These little beauties go on and on. We cannot believe the detail that these gems extract from the grooves, the seemingly unending highs, the emotion

thats there, the clarity, the accuracy, the thrill, the b . . .s all there in abundance without ever being harsh or edgy.

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TRY IT AT HOME Our POLICY is to bring some of the best sounds available to YOU in your

HOME. When you're upgrading it is natural and right that you'll want to try one or two products in your own system, but your system and room is unique to you

which is why the majority of our demonstrations are at our customers (hopefully) home. All we ask is that you are genuinely interested. If after suitable audition - about a week for a top amplifier, a couple of hours for a cartridge -

then we will supply a brand new, straight out of the box piece of equipment. We do not normally sell our demonstration stock unless we are having a clearout. Talking of which my own Audio Research SP14 (£2000) and Classic 60

(£2400 plus Koetsu Urushl (£1000) are all in excellent condition as is a S/Hand Audio Research D 250 - £3500.

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111-F1 NEWS if RECORI) REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

POT POURRI

SEQUERRA FM REFERENCE

Externally, the FM Reference is a dead-ringer for the earlier Broadcast, sporting the jet-black fascia with oscilloscope, numerical readout and rotary tuning con-trol. The borders still contain vertical rows of press buttons for the various functions, and there are plenty. The kft-hand column's four uppermost

press buttons control the views on the 'scope. At the top is the tuning display option, the one most likely to he used as the default for it's the easiest read-out to use for accurate tuning. A grid appears over the scope to aid tuning.

'Tuner Vector Display' and 'Tuner Balanced Vector Display' show the audio

signal and indicate signal strength, separa-tion, phase and other characteristics.

while the fourth control, 'External Vector Display', converts the tuner into an

oscilloscope for assessing other line-level sources via the rear-channel inputs. This facility eases the pain of the £5457 price.

Next comes a phase inversion switch and an override for the stereo blend circuitry. Move over to the right-hand column and there are three bandwidth selectors for wide, normal and narrow, a mono switch, muting selector and power. The back sports more sockctry than

you expect on a tuner, including a choice

of balanced XLIZ or unbalanced phono outputs. Inputs for accessing the oscillo-scope are phono, normal and inverted.

Apparently, the Reference is more than an upgrade, sort of a 'third generation' version. Everything has been uprated to even more ludicrous standards. As with the 'budget' predecessor, the panoramic analyzer system which made the original Sequerra such a wild light show has not been included in the brief. The tuner remains an all-analogue, FM-

only unit with tuning accuracy better than 10011z. The RF front-end uses three para-llel tuned circuits to produce the proper load impedance for the balanced Mosfct tetrodc amp and bipolar mixer devices. Three transformer circuits improve image rejection and RE overload performance. The company eschews the use of AFC

circuitry or global feedback. The IF subsystem uses electronic RF

switching circuits and parallel IF proces-

sors, with the IF filter sections using variable Q circuitry for optimal gain and

detector response — guaranteeing least distortion regardless of bandwidth.

Sequerra users have always been tre-ated to dual mono line amplifiers and superlative audio circuitry. The icing on this particular cake is balanced output, which — if fed into a pre-amp with balanced inputs — can yield audible gains which surprised me, given my ambiva-

lence about balanced operation. The balanced feed had a slightly more solid sound with quieter background 'silences', but it was subtle. What is indisputably an improvement is

re-jigging the tuner for export markets. At last, here's a Sequerra with sensitivity taking precedence over selectivity.

Even with Radio One, the Sequerra justified its automotive pricing. On occa-sions when the music matched my tastes, with familiar pieces, I could detect real depth, adequate three-dimensionality and image solidity. Voice reproduction is clear and detailed. But live broadcasts, or recordings of the same, remain the prime musical reason for purchasing a high-roller tuner, and the Reference did not disappoint. Ken Kessler Supplier: Absolute Sounds, 58 Durham Rd, London SW20 ODE. Tel: 081-947 5047

MAF SPEAKER STANDS It wasn't until experimenting with diffe-rent stand types ( single column, multi column, frame etc) under a pair of Rogers LS7ts that I began to realize that there were audible differences dependent upon the stand in use. Mike Francis of MAF Stands came to this conclusion some time ago and decided that he could improve on the myriad of different speaker supports available. Understanding that top plates limit the efficiency of stands, he set about making a stand without such a limitation. A four column stand with flush welded

top plates was created using two steel rings to join the columns together. The rings are fully welded to the columns rather than spot welding or even bolting. Various fillings were considered for the legs, with sand the preferred option before floor spikes were added. The four rectangular pillars, arranged at

90° to each other are not equidistant hut sited towards the bottom of the structure to allow each leg time to absorb

unwanted resonances. For my Rogers IS7t, Mike made a pair of

15 inch high stands, and I opted for the standard 'black powder' finish with a ripple texture. The stands are weighty, at

13kg each( 17kg for 19 inch and 21kg for

23 inch versions), but this reflects the solid construction. Strips of BlackTak are supplied and should be rolled into sausage

shapes to fix the speakers to the stands. Initial listening during some of the later

Proms broadcasts and then with known CD and vinyl material indicated an extended bass response of about an octave and considerably more rightness and control than with my previous stands, which were less substantial in manufac-ture and seemed to highlight a resonance

in the upper bass. Bass guitar was now tight and precise, certainly not 'one note', while bass drums were reproduced with

authority. Orchestral bass was improved too, becoming smooth, deep and highly musical. The double-bass in particular was extremely realistic while solo instruments retained their delicacy and lightness. On the MAF's, the Rogers took on a

smoothness and quality not realized before — vocals were now portrayed with a superb realism and presence, and this from speakers good on voice material anyway. The mid-range was now better integrated with the lower frequencies. The top end of the IS7t was still

smooth, retaining the delicacy required by some pieces. Percussion from cymbals and hi-hat was crisp and precise while full orchestral works showed improved imag-ing and authority. The stereo soundstage remained wide and solid, with the usual pinpoint positioning of instruments I have become accustomed to with these speak-ers. Apparent depth also remained good, giving a very satisfying sound quality. The MAF stands allowed the Rogers

speakers to perform well without intrud-ing on the quality — with all the good points of the '7ts enhanced. The sound had more solidity and a greater air of authority than previously noted. This is a stand well worth trying and it carries my unequivocal recommendation. Price is £190, excellent value. Trevor Butler Supplier: MAF Stands, Unit I2B Industrial Estate, Wellington Road, Burton on Trent, Staffs, DE14 2AP. Tel: (0283) 30550.

HI-F1 NEWS & RECORD REYEE'W FEBRUARY 1992 73

If you're looking for high quality hi-fi, look no further.

If you're looking for a high quality hi-fi dealer.„

Mer.dian is just one of the many outstanding brands we stock. After 16 years of selling and servicing hi-fi equipment from all over the world 'Radford Hi-Fi is established as one of the country's leading 'High End' hi-fi dealers. Visit any one of our seven bronches and experience for yourself the real pleasure of listening to music.

look no further.

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BRISTOL BATH EXETER BRISTOL WINDSOR PLYMOUTH TORQUAY 4 Merchant Street 12 James St West 28 Cowick Street 52_ 54 Gloucester Rd 43 King Edward Ct 107 Cornwall Street 6 Fore Street

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ACCESSORIES CLUB

Fed up with LPs being 'out of stock'? Then perhaps

it's time to check out our new reissues

For some time, we've tried to make life easier for you by offering, or trying to offer, every title we review. Why? Because yer basic record retailer thinks that life ends with the

Top 6C.. and wouldn't dare stock anything more esoteric than the new U2 turkey. What suffers the most? Reissues.

Since reissues are huge business, with half the CD action we're experiencing being the transfer of old titles to digital, you'd assume

that coverage would be better than adequate. Again, not unless it's something like the restoration of the Bowie catalogue or maybe a run of Beach Boys reissues. And then they'll only stock the CDs, because they keep telling us that vinyl is dead. We disagree. Whenever we've offered software through the Club, vinyl has

always matched or bettered the CD sales. It tells us ( 1 ) that you still cherish LP and ( 2 ) the shops aren't letting you buy it. And when I

ordered the very records we're about to offer you fr9in my local shop, the message from the distributor came back 'Out of Stock'. Which should tell the record companies that vinyl still sells, because it can't go 'out of stock' if it isn't selling in the fica place.

Elsewhere in this issue, you'll find an item on the return of the Apple label ¡ p1051. It's important from musical and historical viewpoints because of the Bcatle involvement - it was their label and the members participated at most of the sessions - and because the transfers are superb, despite remastering. More wonderful is the addition of extra tracks on four of the five re-launch titles, in the form of a bonus 12in disc. Because CD wrought havoc with sleeve art ( half the reason for cherishing a pre-'83 release), the !Ps are also nicer to own for non-sonic, tactile and visual reasons. All feature fine liner notes and discographies. The gatefold IPs in the first group include real gems.James

Taylor in his stunning debut features what are recognized as Taylor standards: 'Something In The Way She Moves', 'Carolina On My Mind', 'Rainy Day Man' and nine others. The sweet-voiced Mary llopkin'sPost Card, the hard-as-nails Is This What You Want? by Jackie Lomax. Billy Preston's soulful That's the Way God Planned It and Badfinger's Magic Christian Music, pop so Beatle-like that many thought it was the Fabs using a pseudonym - it's all wondrous stuff to the very last bar, with sonics to match. We don't expect everyone to show allegiance to LP, so we can

supply CDs as well. But there's something about the notion of 'Apple' that only seems right on vinyl slabs. Nostalgia? Probably. But so what as long as it's magical? • Ken Kessler

Use this form to order accessories HFNIRR 001 Fluxdumper: black-ash box £22.95 HFNIRR 004 Blackhead: m-c step-up transformer; £60.95 HFNIRR 005 Spikes: timber D steel D, inc fixing kit, set of 8, £10.25 HFNIRR 006 Flutterbuster: 33.3/45rpm. 220/240 only, OK for most synchronous t/t ( specify type); black-ash case £81.95 0 HFNIRR 007 Carrydisc: 14 CD's in a 40mm travel pack! £ 12.25 D HFNIRR 009 Headcase: headphone amplifier. 40mW Class A unit allows use of headphones; black-ash case; 220/240V-only £81.95 D HFNIRR 010 News Stand: 19in/430mm housing, 36in high, complete with 5 shelves (3 adjustable) black finish £ 142.95 D HFNIRR 011 Mushcrusher: 220/240V mains filter. 5A rating £25.95 D HFNIRR 012 Software Storage System: satin black timber ( Medite), stackable, supplied in kit form. LP unit ( 120 capacity) £55.00 0 CD/cassette unit (40/25) £35.00 D singles unit (200) £40.00. D HFNIRR 013 Wallnut: wall mounting two-level turntable support complete with two shelves; finish, black £50.95 D HFNIRR 014 Stylus Cleaner: ultrasonic cleaner; £ 19.95 D HFNIRR 015 Test CD 11:99 tracks, 75mins. £ 12.25 I HFNIRR 016 Software Storage: 4-high CD storage unit £70.00 Nagaoka LP inner sleeves: pack of 50 £7.25 D Cobra Indoor FM antenna: indoor aerial, built-in amplifier £49.95 O Sicomin CD damper: £27.95 D Extra rings for old type, 20. £2.50 Audioquest vacuum tube dampers: set of 4 £ 12.25 D Audioquest damping sheet: sorbothane, 6in x 6in self-adhesive £ 12.25 D Good Sound: Laura Dearborn's paperback £ 11.25 D HFN/RR self-build loudspeakers: details available for DCI & Bassett Audiophile records: Cantate Domino £7.95 D Jazz at the Pawnshop £15.95 D Alphason Tonearm Lifter: Yes, it really does! £ 14.25 D Blacktak: £3.45 per pack of 2 strips CD Feet: Audioquest Sorbothane. Pack of 42S.95 D Stax binaural CDs: Space Sound, £ 17.25 D; Glenn Miller, £ 17.25 ID; Warsaw Baroque Soloists, £ 17.25 0; Supercharge, £ 17.25 171; Mozart Edition Vol 1, £ 17.25 D: Guitar Crusher Live, £ 17.25 D Decca record cleaning brush: £9.95 CD Jewel Cases ( packs of 10): standard, Sin complete D £6.50; standard Sin, outer only D £5.00; slimline Sin D £6.50; 3in D £6.50. Double Jewel Case, complete (each) D £ 1.75. Sin clear protective sleeve (pack of 5) D 75p. CD single adaptor, silvered (each) D 60p. Calotherm: Complete Compact Disc cleaner £2.25 D Calocoat: Hi-Tech Lenscloth £ 1.60 D Dividers: pack of 25 LP 0, CD D, 7in singles D, £ 11.25 Chesky Jazz Sampler Vol 1: £ 12.50 C Kontak two-bottle cleaning kit: £ 19.95 D Tweek £ 16.95 D Soft Shoes (set of three) £ 16.25 Ill Audio Anthology, Vols 1,2,3 (each) £ 17.25 0; Loudspeaker Design Cookbook, £ 16.25 Li; Killer Car Stereo, £ 16.25 D Casino Royale CD £ 10.95 D; J Boyk Stereo Miking CD £ 12.25 Finyl: Starter pack, treats I(X) discs, £ 15.25 D; Finyl, treatment for 2(Xl discs £25.95 Isopod: ceramic feet. Set of 3 D £25.95 Insert Audio banana plugs (per pair) £3.95 D The Audio Glossary: J Gordon Holt's paperback £9.95 D High Performance Loudspeakers Vol 4: Martin Colloms £28.50 D Big Bill Broonzy LP £7.15 D CD £8.95 Usin' Man Blues LP £ 13.95 D CD £ 13.95 D Cartridge demagnetizer £79.95 D Eurochannels CD cleaner D £23.95 Technics CD cleaner D £39.95 Shan lsoform isolation platform £29.95 D Pictures At An Exhibition (Boyk) £ 13.95 LP D CD D Good vibes at the Pawnshop Jazz Club £8.95 LP C Jazz at The Pawnshop 2 £8.95 LP D £ 13.95 CD D TDK Digital Noise Absorber £8.95 Ill Reissues James Taylor 2LP DCD D; Hopkins 2LP DCD D; Lomax 2LP D CD D; Preston 2LP D CD O. 2LP £8.45, CD £10.95

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HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 75

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NOTES

Reviews this month include the recording debut of the new Hol-lywood Bowl Orchestra, drawn from a pool of around 90 Los Angeles studio musicians. John Mauceri says his programme 'Hol-lywood: the Dream Machine' (first of 15 Philips projects) are conceived as 'a single piece of music composed by thirteen men over a period of more than half a century in Hollywood'. The recording was made in the former MGM Studio (now Columbia Pic-tures). Whilst the studio boasts 48-track Sony recorders and Neve multitrack console, vintage recon-ditioned tube microphones were picked for this production.

Pickwick Group have acquired the RPO's recording company. Ten new RPO recordings will result from the proceeds, and the exis:ing catalogue of 31 program-mes allows Pickwick international distribution.

The RPO/Previn Berlioz CD reviewed this month was spon-sored by Kodak, and the packag-ing details that company's new Phcto CD technology: Photo CD players will appear this summer, compatible with audio CDs, allcwing the storage of 35nun conventional film shots on discs; the information can then be pro-jected on a standard television set (further information: tel 0442 61122 — Geoff Fields]. Kodak also support the

National Trust's 'Landscape Year' series of lectures at the Purcell Rcom, Feb-March. On March 23, Hugh Scully introduces a cham-ber concert on the theme of 'Landscapes', given by London Masici/Krzystof Smietana. ( Book-ing now, £10/£7.50, RFH.)

Nimbus have announced a ten-year programme to record all JS Bach's organ works. Kevin Bowyer will play the Danish instrument at St Hans Church Odense. The first of 30 or more Cls is due for release this Spring.

Also from Nimbus comes a con-certo debut by Gerhard Heal, VP0 concert-master, who records the two Bartok Violin Concertos under Adam Fischer — he con-ducts the Hungarian State SO. Fischer is currently giving Die Fledermaus at the London Col-iseum.

Kevin Bowyer (photo: Lamm&Nimbus)

Allen Stagg, formerly head of Abbey Road Studios, has negoti-ated rights to transfer to CD/ cassette historic material on cylin-ders and 78s, from private collec-tions, for commercial release. Stagg wants the repertoire to be broad — embracing music-hall and spoken word recordings. He also intends that as much of the ori-ginal character as possible is pre-served; although high technology for remastering is available to him 'This will not be at the expense of the music. I will not be using equipment for the sake of it, I will be relying on my own recording skills'. He wants to talk to private collectors and possible overseas collaborators ( tel 0594 603131

This spring, the 6-octave Broad-wood fortepiano built for Beeth-oven in 1817 (and subsequently owned by Liszt, who bequeathed it to the Hungarian National Museum) leaves Budapest for a series of European recitals at the hands of Melvyn Tan. Tan will play music by Beethoven, Clementi and Field, in Bonn, Vienna and here. Sponsors are Thorn EMI. The Broadwood will be on dis-

play at the Tate's Clore Gallery 25-31 May (where a private recital will also take place). Tan's Barbican concert — with the LCP — is on June 6, and in the Forum Bath the next day. Also in Bath, Tan gives his only UK public recital (Assembly Rooms June 4). For a wider public Tan records a Beethoven programme on the Broactwood for EMI Classics.

The Iceland Symphony Orchestra is to record for Chandos. The first CD is already published, cou-pling premier Rachmaninov recordings: the original ( 1927) version of Piano Concerto 4 and the unfinished opera Monna Vanna The next disc will feature the orchestra's chief conductor Petri Sakari, in music by Greig and

the Finnish composer Madetoja.

Neeme prvi has made 100 discs for Chandos! Ives's Symphony 2/ Barber's Three Essays marks the event, whilst the Estonian con-ductor ventures into opera. He has recorded Mozart's Don Giovanni with the Küln RSO; Renato Bnison takes the title role. This is only the second opera recording in the entire Chandos catalogue ( successor to Nielsen's Saul and David).

Virgin Classics have hit upon a novel marketing idea: 10 well-received CDs arc reissued in boxed format, with each disc sup-plemented by a free, one-hour or more sampler. Each sampler disc is programmed to broaden interest in the Virgin catalogue of the selected genre, cg the Domus Schubert Trout Quintet package .1VCX prefix, 55521 has complete-movement extracts from eleven other chamber music CDs. Other titles are: Elgar Marches, RPO/ Menuhin 15512 — orchestral (includes Mahler's Biuminc)/; Grieg/Liszt Piano Concertos, Andsnes/Bergen PO15522 — con-certos, Vivaldi-Poulenc I; Beeth-oven sonatas, Pletnev 15532 — piano works ( includes Haydn I:-minor Variations, Satie Gymno-pédie I ) 1; Barber/Copland/ Gershwin, Gomez/City Lond Sinf/ Hickox 15542 — American music I; ElgarNaughan Williams string music, WO 15562 — I.00 record-ings ( includes John Adams Shaker Loops) I; Songs of the Auvergne, Auger/ECO 15572 — vocal music (includes Schubert's Die k(netic, An Sylvia )1; Dvorak's ' New

RIPO/Pesek 15582 — sym-phonic movts. Haydn-Shostakovich ( includes Rach-maninov 2 Adagio II. Mozart Sym-phony 40 and Jupiter, Warsaw Sinf/Menuhin 15592 — Mozart (various, includes Elvira Madigan' Andante ) I; Elizabethan ballads and theatre music, Swanne Alley 15602 — early music, Dowland-CPE Bach ( includes Emma Kirkby; Monteverdi Lamento d'Arianno )1. The sample pre-sentation is a full colour, anno-tated stout tidder which fully details the parent discs excerpted. A venture which merits success!

EMI announce a renewed contract with Mariss Jansons. He not only records with his Oslo Philharmonic (Dvorak 7, 8; Sibelius 2/Tapiola; Petrusbka and Le Sacre) but with the Concertgebouw, St Petersburg, Philharmonia and London Philharmonic Orchestras ( respectively Ber-lioz's Fantastique; Rachmaninov symphonies and concertos — with Rudy; Sibelius/Prokofiev violin concertos — Zimmermann; Nutcracker). Jan-sons: bottom left. Photo: Mark Harrison/EMI Classics.

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

.79

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NOTES

John Holloway, whose Virgin Classics CDs of Biber's Mystery Sonatas with Davitt Moroney and Tragicomedia won praise at the Gramopbone Awards from no less than Isaac Stern, appears as one of four soloists in

EMI's first period-instrument Vivaldi 'Four Seasons' recordings ( under Andrew Parrott). CRD have completed the Handel chamber music

project with L'Ecole d'Orphee, founded by Holloway, and where he plays that composer's violin sonatas 1CRD 1073-82, dist. Chandos]. Photo:

Malcolm Crowthers.

Warner Music have announced a programme of 32 recordings to

be made by the New York Philhar-monic over the next six years, all to be under their new Music

Director Kurt Masur. The Avery Fisher Hall inaugural concert per-formance of Bruckner's Seventh Symphony marks their association 19031-73243-21; orchestral varia-tions by Reger, Ives and Brahms were completed last November. Four CDs will appear in 1992. Masur and the Leipzig Gewand-haus play at the Barbican March 25. Their all Strauss programme includes Four Last Songs.

A piano recital by Boris Berman at the Blackheath Concert Hall ( last November) launched the Pro-

kofiev Foundation. Its trustees include ()leg Prokofiev and Sir Edward Downes; and at Gold-smith's College an archive of scores, writings and memorabilia will be established, accessible to the public and for study purposes. Concerts, talks and recitals at both these venues will further promote appreciation of the true scope of Prokofiev's work. This brings to fruition a project plan-ned and part-funded by the com-poser's late widow.

Rivka Golani is the soloist in the Technics sponsored Conifer recording of Malcolm Arnold's Viola Concerto. Together with his Serenade Op.26 ( small orches-tra), Larch Trees and Concerto for

28 Pta yer5 the concerto was

completed at Watford early in December, with London Musici directed by Mark Stephenson. A 70th birthday concert for Mal-colm Arnold with these players was given at the QEH the week

before. It was also sponsored by Technics who, at the 1991 Gm-

mopbone Awards in November gave a special £20,000 award to enable the rising young conduc-tor Mark Wigglesworth to make a

first recording.

Stanislav Bunin makes his UK debut at the Barbican, in a Chopin recital on February 12. The 24

Preludes and Sonata 2 are included. Bunin is now recording

for Toshiba/EMI. CDs of Mozart solos and Concertos K414/415, and the Chopin Preludes, are newly available in Japan. DG retain their Bunin recordings of Chopin and Schumann. ( Photo by Clive Totman. )

The Abbey Road Studios are now equipped with Mitsubishi PDX8620 two-track recorders with 20bit converters. Glens are that this results in improved clar-ity and sound-staging, and wider

dynamic range.

Footnotes I have found the transcript of my interview with Alfred Brendel in 1970

see Messiaen Turangallia Synmpbony review I. 'A funny story', he says, 'it happened in Vienna. Yvonne Loriod and her husband were there to play his music: Visions de ['Amen. A Viennese composer was standing

there applauding and I went up to him and asked, "Don't you think if one takes Liszt out, only birds and pornography remain?" And he said, "Well,

don't you like that?".'

It seems I misrepresented Lyndon Jenkins's Radio 3 'Building a Library' comments on the Tasmin Little/BBC SO/Davis 1Teldec] recording of Vaughan Williams's Lark Ascending. 'People don't always listen to what's said on the wireless!' he writes. Well, I suppose not — especially if they are trying to make the coffee, run a bath, and feed the cats. With access to a pre-production transfer, Jenkins found this one of the few where he didn't need to criticize the tempi: quite the opposite of the view I later quoted as his in my Oct '91 review. Happily though, we do agree on its

fine musical qualities. Very usefully, LJ also points out that the marvellous RPO/Mackerras

Pineapple Poll [see 'Reflections' Oct '911, whilst not transferred to CD by EMI, bas been available on the Arabesque import label since 1986 — Z8016. The current catalogue shows that as the only entry, the rather

disappointing 1984 Philharmonia/Mackerras Decca remake still in limbo.

It's hardly necessary for me to list the widely advertised Gramo-phone Awards for 1991 — suffice it to say that any collector who acquired

all fifteen recordings would he a lot wiser and richer ( though Golem

might provoke head-scratching). Just in case you missed it, William -u Wordsworth's Symphonies 2, 311.yritalwon in the engineering category.

This starry event at the Dorchester ( graced by Dame Joan Sutherland,

Luciano Pavarotti and Isaac Stern), with audio-visual presentation %. stage-managed by Technics Hi-Fi, even found a niche on national

television news, and one can but warmly commend Managing Editor c2 Chris Pollard for the sheer professionalism of his presentation. CB

I-11-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 81

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HI-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

RECORD REVIEWS CLASSICAL

BARBER

e Ballade ( Jablonski )

BARTOK

85 Vioin Concerto I Mutter Boston SO

85 Violin Concerto ( Zukerman St Louis

BEETHOVEN

85 Pia to Sonatas - Pathétique. Tempest etc

(

BERLIOZ

85 Syr ipl ionic Fantastique. Le Corsair

( RP( / Pre% in

85 Symphonic Fantastique. Trojans excpt.

IPO etc Levine I

BIBER

N1 stery Sonatas( MAK Goebel

BIZET

Jeux d'entants. Carmen & L'Arlesienne

Suites ( Bastille Orel] Chung I

COPLAND

e LI salon Xlexico ( Jablonski I

GEItSIIWIN

e Pinto Concerti in F. 3 Preludes

(Jablonski RPO1

HAYDN

89 All:11111a a Naxos. CarILUilella

( Watkinson Wilson I

89 11.111110111iCIOCSSe. Kleine Orgelmesse

( soloists Winchester (.1) I hill

HUMMEL

97 MO Quintet Op.8- I I lausmusik

MARTLNU

89 1;ouble Concerto. Spalicek

Milo Nlackerras

MASCAGNI

89 lavalleria Rusticana I Norman etc Orch

ie Paris Byclikot

MENDELSSOHN

89 12 String Symphonies ( kind Festfoplel

MESSIAEN

91 'urangalila Symphonic I Orch de

Bastille ( hung)

MORET

85 En rece ( Mutter Boston SO)

MOZART

81 ?Lino Concertos K-160 & -i88 ( Shelley

Lond Mozart I

91 Piano Concertos K.2-1 & de

larrocha LCO1

91 Piano Concertos Kl -5 & 238. Rondo

K382 I I. el iida LCO

93 Violin Sonatas K301. 30-i. 378. 379

( Pires Dumay

93 CUSi Lui Tutte I soloists RCO

I larnoncuurt

95 Magic Flute I soloists 1.(.1' Norrington

93 Magic Flute ( soloists BPO Beecham)

93 Marriage of Figaro ( soluists/Nleclevine

93 Arias ( Bartoli Vienna CO)

PROKOFIEV

95 Symphonies 2 &- HIV OelWa

95 Romeo Joliet I Kirov Gergiev

95 Alexander Ne, ski Suite

( Danish Orel, Kitaenkol

95 Alexander Nev sky. Scythian Suite

( Leipzig Masur

SCHUBERT

97 Piano Quintet Moue Illausinusik)

SCHUMANN

97 Symphonies 2 LPO Masur

J STRAUSS

97 Die Flederinaus ( soloists ‘'PO Previn

R STRAI:SS

97 Salome) soluistsSPO•NlehtiO

VERDI

99 Otellu ( soloists Chicago SO Solti

COLLECTIONS 99 CELLO CONCERTOS - Saint Suns.

llonegger etc ( Lloyd-Webber LCO I

99 FLUTE CONCERTOS - Nit:read:ink.

Mozart. Stunitz ( (,ralenover ASN1

99 SCANDLNAVL1N SUITE (

Strings

101 JUBI.IEE GAMES - American Music

Israel PO Bernstein I

RETURN TO RUSSIA

101 Nat SO •Rostropovich

HOLLYWOOD DREAMS

WI I lullywood Bowl Mauceri

THE ORGAN 103 ROUNDUP FUTURE

ROCK/POP/JAZZ ADEVA

105 love Or Lust

AND All BECAUSE TIIE LADY LOVES

I 11 Sugar Baby love

ARCAIX)

105 Behind the Nlyth

ART ENSEMBLE OF SOWETO

105 America-Suuth Africa

ARMY OF LOVERS

11 I Massive Luxury Overdose

ATTHA & «TWAY

11 Cheryl - A Rock Opera

BALAAM

111 No More Innocence

AFRIKA BAMBAATAA

I OS The Itecade of I Lutness

BIG VOID

Ill The Fluor Or De Side Or lie Room

PAUL (AMUCK

11$ Carrackter Relerence

(AltLENE CARTER

1 I 3 Musical Shapes

PANDIT HARIPRASAI) CHAURASIA

105 The Floor On The Other Side Of The

Wind

ERIC CLAPTON

10o 2-i Nights

113 Mowhand

COMMANDER CODY

113 The Very Best Of ... Plus

COOKIE CREW

Ill() Fade To Black

NOEL COWARD

10b The Nod Coward Album

CREEDENCE CL EARWATER REVIVAL

I 13 Cry:di:net:Gold

113 More Creedence Gold

(:ROSBY & NASH

I 13 V nd on the Water

MARLENE DIETRICH

100 Live At The Cale Ile Paris

IWKE & THE BLAZERS

113 So Sharp

ENYA

1 (Xi Shepherd Moons

THE FACES

113 First Stcy

EILEEN FARRELL

100 I Gotta Right To Sing the Blues

FAST FREDDIE'S FLNGERTIPS

I 1 1 New Town Soul

FISH

10b Internal Exile

THE FOUR HORSEMEN

100 Nobody Said It Was Easy

GLASS TIGER

Ill Simple Mission

I/AVE GRUSIN AND FRIENDS

106 hie Gershu in Connection

HALL & OATES

113 Looking Back

HAPPY MONI/AYS

1)1 The Peel Session

JOIINNY HEARTSMAN

11 I The Touch

HERMAN'S HERMITS

I 13 The Best of Vol 1

FRED HERSCH GROUP

III Forward Motion

THE HUMAN BEINZ

1 I 3 Nobody But Me

INXS

107 live Baby live

BEST OF THE MONTH Iiiher Nlystery Sonatas

Alicia de lairrocha's Mozart (:oncertos._

l'ires & Duinay: Nlozart Violin Sonatas

Guildhall Strings Scandinavian Suites_

Arcado: Behind the Myth

linya: Shepherd Moons_.

87

91

93

_99

_ 105

106

MARK ISAACSDAVE HOLIANIYROY

HAYNES

10- lawounters

JESUS & MARY CHAIN

Ill lite Peel Sessions

LEO KOTTKE

II 1 Great Big Buy

Ill Essential Leo Kottke

PATIL LABELLE

107 Burnin'

JULIE LONDON

113 Sings ... Cole Porter

MAN

113 Perfect Timing

JOHN MELLENCA3IP

107 Whatever We Wanted

MIKE NESMITH

113 Tanonount to Treason

113 And the I lits Just Keep on Comin'

113 Pretty Much Your Standard Ranch Stash

NO QUARTER

III Tight But Loose

OREGON

107 Aluays. Never and Forever

PETER & GORDON

113 Die Best of the EMI Years

PINK FAIRIES

113 live at the Roundhouse

SANTANA

113 Abrasas

THE SENSATIONAL NIGHTINGALES

113 Heart & Soul

PAUL SIMON

I0 Concert In the Park

RAY SMITH

113 Ruckin with Ray

I.ISA STANSFIELD

017 Real love

ANDY SUMMERS

I 1 1 World Gone Strange

SWAMPIDOG

I 13 Curled, Collared & Tagged

DAVID SYLVIAN

109 Ember Glance

THIS PICTURE

109 A Violent Impression

KENNY THOMAS

Ill Voices

URBAN DANCE SQUAD

III Len Perspectives OrA Genuine

Crossover

U2

109 Achtung Baby

VARIOUS

III Around lite World For A Song

Ill lite Virgin Directory Oh World Music

113 Capitol Sings Cole Porter

113 I WO Volts of St:ix Soul

VICIOUS RUMORS

III Welcome To "Ilie Ball

ROBERT WARD

III Fear Nu Evil

SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON

113 Don't Send Me No Flowers

MAITTYWILISON-PIPER

Ill Art Attack

NEIL YOUNG AND CRAZY HORSE

109 Are-Weld

INFORMATION

CLASSICAL REVIEWS arc based on the Compact Disc, unless indicated • ( LP). The catalogue number is followed by total playing time, and equivalent LP/MC (Musicassette) numbers. = monophonic recording. e indicates date of first UK release, eg, on LP — now CD, or LP reissue. ROCK/POP/JAZZ REVIEWS are based on the LP, unless shown: CD. Equivalent MC number is given in brackets. (NB. Musicassettes arc not reviewed in HFNIRR.) RATINGS Recording and Performance arc separately graded as a summary.of each review. In Rock/Pop/Jazz the numerical rating also reflects musical content. An additional star — A* or 1* — denotes outstanding quality. C) Hi-Fi News & Record Review

Recording: Performance

A 1 Very Good 2 Good 3 Moderate

D 4 Poor H H Historical

111-F1 & REV lESS JANUARY 1992 8.5

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81 F11-11 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

•

reviews CLASSICAL

BARTOK: Violin Concerto 2/MORET: En rêve Anne-Sophie Mutter (trin)1Boston SOI Ozawa DG 431 626-2 ( 58m 125)

This could be seen as the Bartok 2 that Heifetz never recorded — and that's not a compliment. Anne-Sophie Mutter is almost too gifted a violinist for the work; seemingly, it presents her with no real technical difficul-ties, so she has the capacity to devote herself to infinite subtleties of coloration and dyna-mics. She can place each semiquaver in space to maximum expressive effect. The unfortunate result is to suggest some sort of parody; the cream and chocolate gateaux richness cloys — I even began to wish I was hearing instead the mundane old Boston recording with Silverstein. DC's sound (cap-ably engineered though it is, under their doyen Günter Hermanns — 30 years ago working with Karajan) gives Ozawa's orchestra a glossy sheen and depth. But the astringency of Bartok becomes, in Mutter's hands, a designer balm for the luxurious. The distinctly uncomplementary coupling

is a three-movement work dedicated to the soloist (who in her recording reciprocates with dedication), premiered in 1988, and subsequently presented at the Barbican Cen-

tre under Sir Colin Davis in a Mutter concert series. The Swiss composer, now in his seventies, writes a nebulous accompanying note. ['Each gnat fluttered upwards... as if it could draw life-giving strength... I watched a great magical rite unfold ... Time does not run away, for it is miraculously turned into space. It is the time ... always of love.'] Having heard En rêve in London I am surprised to find it on CD; it is one of those shimmering triangle and celesta, chromatic timpani, icy glissandi and high horns sorts of pieces, with harmonics, 'meaningful' pizzi-cati, monologues and dissonances for the soloist. The Bostonians give a terrific per-formance, and Mutter sounds totally absorbed. The sort of concert-goer whose company sponsors, and whose wife still wears furs, wouldn't even find haven in the programme notes in a piece like this. So [A*:1*] for the technical accomplishment, [3] for a subjective reaction to the Bartok reading. ChristopherBreunig

BARTOK: Violin Concerto 2 Ill alterna-tive finale D Viola Concerto Pinchas Zukerman (vInivla)/St Louis Orchl Slatkin RCA RD 60749 ( 70m 16s)

Recently, Janos Starker recorded the trans-cription for cello of the strangely elusive Bartok/Serly Viola Concerto at St Louis. Since I acquired the World Records version with Primrose, directed by Serly himself, in 1962 I've had long enough to focus on the piece; yet for all its ravishing moments I confess I still don't grasp the whole.

But it is here and in the usually heard finale to the Violin Concerto that Zukerman is at his freshest and most searching. As a pendant to RCA's CD we have Bartok's original finale: Szekely thought its conclu-sion 'too symphonic', so Bartok rewrote the last 22 bars to provide his dedicatee with a more usual virtuosic rounding-off.

In December I recommended Tetzlaff's debut recording of Concerto 2, on Virgin

Classics: that too has the original coda. From what I make of it, the St Louis CD provides a complete alternative finale performance. not just editing in the difterent ending. The last bars bring rather spiny brass slide. from Slatkin; these are more convincingb inte-grated by Gielen on Virgin. "'bow who recall Zukerman's excellent

1979 CBS version under Mehta — myster-iously still not transferred to Cl) — may be surprised to read that this more experienced violinist by no means surnames the young German's interpretat u ni. Slatkin's accom-paniment certainly fits like a glove ( the new version runs just 2is longer than the CBS, 79s more than Tetzlairs), hut Zukcrman seems to have lost touch with his earlier inspiration — even if, on the surface, the sweetly expressive manner remains con-stant. Now that sugary glaze seems counter to the demands of Bartok's music.

RCA's sound is constricted, the imaging stodgily flat ( apart from the forward place-ment of soloist tOrtissimos bring a per-ceptible brightening, but there was more colour in Zukerman's recording at 1A. RCA sounds more agreeable over head-phones. [B/C:2(3)], Viola Concerto [1].

Christopher !ireful is

BERLIOZ: Symphonic Fantastique 0 Corsair Overture RPO/Previn RPO CD RPO 7016 (62m 21s)

Symphonic Fantastique 1:1 Royal Hunt & Storm RIAS Cham Ch/Berlin Rad ChIBPO/Levine DG 431 624-2 (65m 35s)

With James Levine's somewhat disappoint-ing Romeo & Juliet still in mind, and remembering André Previn's fine if not especially dramatic 1979 Fantastic with the LSO [ EMI, no CD], I was expecting to enjoy the latter's second version of the symphony more than the former's first. But I was wrong. Previn again offers a fairly laid-back

RECORD OF THE MONTH

BEETHOVEN: Piano Sonata in f, Op.2:1 111 in c, Op.10:1 D in c, Op.13 'Pathétique' H in d, Op.31:2 `Tempest' Zoltan Kocsis (pno) Philips 432 127-2 (74m 23s)

There's a demon lurking on this disc, and when Kocsis lets it out the result is some of the most exciting Beethoven playing I've heard for some time. It's not just a question of fast tempi ( though when Beethoven writes 'Prestissimo' Kocsis certainly takes him at his word); nor is it just clarity of articulation — though his ability to produce staccato playing at the fastest tempo is reminiscent of no less than Glenn Gould. The clinching factor is that it is all done with a real sense of Classical style, and a beauti-fully clean and clear recording adds to thc sense of enjoyment. The net result is a disc of rare quality. To take one or two examples: the whirl-

wind that is unleashed for the last movement of Op.2: I has been matched for sheer speed by others, hut few are able to convince as quickly that this is not only the correct speed, but that the music would sound

wrong at any other ( a sign of the finest playing and musicianship). The cumulative tension in the first movement of the Pathéti-que threatens to reach bursting point ( the first time I recall feeling a parallel with the first movement of the (;-minor Symphony here). The storm is only calmed by the gently flowing slow movement — and unlike Steven Lubin on the Oiseau-Lyre disc I reviewed recently, Kocsis manages a tempo that allows the melody its true cantabile. 'I'he way that the demon gradually reasserts itself during the last movement is telling too.

Caveats? Just one or two. Though it's intriguing to follow the development of some aspects of Beethoven's style over the nine or so years that separate these four sonatas, the disc doesn't make for satisfying continuous listening. This is partly because the two C-minor sonatas are placed together at the centre of the programme; and also Philips have been somewhat inconsistent in their pauses between works — a mere Ss separate the Tempest and the Pathétique for example. It also has to be said that Kocsis does occasionally rush at his fences, although when this happened I was usually

so carried along by the excitement of it all that I didn't care too much!

If you enjoy being challenged afresh by the young Beethoven at his most uncom-promising, then I urge you to give this disc a try. When Mus Ed sent it to me, he warned that some of the playing would 'blow my socks off'. I've rarely enjoyed myself more in bare feet. [A* : 1 */1] Mark Lowther

PHILIPS

BEETHOVENiMer Sonatas

«PATHÉTIQUE» «TEMPEST»

ZOLTAN KOCSIS

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 85

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reviews CLASSICAL

view of the old war-horse ( of which 6-i versions have now appeared on Cl)), and in terms of overall pace he and Levine both come into the slightly-longer-than-average group characterized by Karajan/Davisilnhal. But there they part, fir in ternis of articula-tion, dynamic alertness, and ( it must be said ) instrumental precision and characterization, Levine and the Berlin Phil deliver a much more ingratiating performance. The differ-ences are emphasized by the respective venues, with the Jesus-Christus-Kirche pro-viding a lovely ambience into which every-thing fits with a pleasing sense of acoustic ease whilst retaining great clarity and bril-liance, whereas EMI's Abbey Road studio employed by the Royal Phil is made to sound fairly spacious yet, paradoxically, imparts a slightly veiled, claustrophobic quality to the sound. To he fair, Previn's orchestra is granted a rather fuller bass, but as I went back and forth between the two versions, this one positive point was offset time and again by the Berlin sound's unohscured openness.

Regarding formal matters, both conduc-tors observe the repeat in ( i), and Levine also that in ( iv ); hut whereas the RP() recording offers just the conventional octave-high bells in ( v), the DG team not only provide correctly pitched chimes, but have also contrived a chilling underpinning cantillation in an attempt to satisfy the score's call for sub-octaves beneath the bells (both of Karajan's BP() versions and a handful of others have done this). A parallel touch of the macabre also arises in I.evine's 'March to the Scaffold' ( iv), where his repeat augments the impact of a truly funereal pace, with the movement taking almost as long as Norrington's 'authentic' version — and very effective too. Previn is also a little slower than usual here, but somehow misses that vital hint of the sinister, while it is interest-ing t..) compare the opening drum beats of the two Marches, where the Berlin timpan-ists' close-spaced quavers are separately articulated but the RPO's are merged into muffled thuds. A small point, but symptoma-tic of differences in detail throughout the work.

As in his LSO version, Previn is most convincing in the pastoral movement ( iii), and notwithstanding a less vividly played and recorded cor-anglais than that provided in Berlin, I found his 'Country Scene' most effective, noting down an impression that Previn goes for mood-painting here, and Levine for tone-painting. The latter approach points up more instrumental detail and involves greater turbulence in the 'storm' episode, but is less suggestive of a dreamy aracadian idyll. Both are valid, although in other movements my vote consistently favoured Levine. Indeed, despite an unen-thusiastic reaction to his R&J, I must say that while still not quite in the Colin Davis class for rhythmic poise, he seems strikingly alert in this Fantastic Symphony. No thick Brahmsian textures here — rather a consi-dered response to every detail in what sounds like a very carefully thought-out erne rprisc.

This is not to say that Previn isn't careful, but his approach seems relatively routine in comparison. For instance, despite more prominent harps he achieves less lilt and glitter in the Ball ( ii), and less sense of sheer devil", in ( v). Yet non-Berliozians putting on either movement would nevertheless probably he impressed, and perhaps wonder what I'm on about. Certainly Previn's finale is conventionally effective, with the usual

grandly noisy conclusion, but on going immediately over to Levine one feels that a layer of politeness has been removed, reveal-ing more of a real orgy. As for the fillers, Previn's Corsair is

effective but not quite up to that in his ISO Overtures collection [ Eminence EMX 2159], which in my view still carries the best-ever Les Francs Juges, while Levine's 'Royal Hunt & Storm' from The Trojans is excellent (tone-painting again), and includes the brief chorus of nymphs and satyrs reminding Aeneas of his ultimate Italian destiny, despite his passion for Dido in the North African forests. Levine [A:1/1*], Previn IA/13:2].

John Crabbe

BIBER: Mystery Sonatas Reinhard Goebel ( vin)/Musica Antigua Köln Archly 431 656-2 (2CDs, 113m 38s)

Inevitably one must compare this recording with John Holloway's immaculate reading on Virgin 'Ventas', but it is a difficult matter to decide between the two. Prices are similar and presentation is attractive in both, but Virgin provide a more luxurious booklet, with illustrations from Biber's original manu-script, music-print examples of the scorda-tura tuning which the violinist must obey in most of the works, and an excellent essay by the keyboardist in the set, Davitt Moroney. Archiv's booklet offers a reproduction of Biber's dedicatory letter to Archbishop Gan-dolph and an authoritative essay by Goebel himself, but it is comparatively, and unchar-acteristically, lightweight for Archiv. It is, however, the music that counts. Goebel is, I find, often more forthright

than Holloway, an effect produced partly by his closer miking and drier sound, perhaps. Whatever the reason, this detracts slightly from the essentially meditative nature of these sacred pieces, each of which considers the implications of events in the life of Christ with the intention of heightening our aware-ness of His existence, His suffering, resurrec-tion and ascension. Mood music rather than descriptive music which, for all Goebel's insight, is better conveyed to me by Holloway. Continuo instruments are largely a matter

of choice. Archiv's is cello, lute, harpsichord and organ, distributed amongst the works according to their mood. To these, Virgin adds chitarrone (a large lute), harp and regal, the best being essentially similar. The variety is an added attraction but not a decisive factor, and the end choice must be a personal one. I find Holloway more reveal-ing of the music's inner strength, Goebel a shade more extrovert, but the quality of each is so high that it is unfair to reject either. [A*:1] Robert Dearling

BIZET: Carmen Suite D Jeux d'enfants D L'Arlésienne: Suites 1 & 2 Orch de la Bastille/Chung DG 431 778-2 (68m 37s)

The storms of discontent which surrounded the position of Music Director at the Opera de Paris seem now to have been resolved with the appointment of Myung-Whun Chung. Certainly, DG show great faith in him with an ambitious programme of operatic recordings -projected. Yet it is appropriate that these first recordings should feature the Orchestre de la Bastille, particularly in music as theatrically exuberant and instrumentally inventive as the suites included here. Strange to think that both

Carmen and L'Arlésienne failed at their premieres, for the immediate appeal of the music would seem to be fool-proof. With increased travel and access to

recordings, the national differences between orchestras have to some extent been eroded: how can one forget the almost saxophone-like timbre of the Paris Conserva-toire as recorded in the '60s, or the pungently coloured wind sound? Neverthe-less, there is nothing lacking in the brass and woodwind sound here — indeed, they can articulate some of Bizet's syncopations with almost fairground-like vividness, with a tone almost blaring yet nevertheless with a sense of presence not always evident on record. In contrast, the gracefully pointed clarinet solo in the Aragonaise of the Carmen Suite over Chung's delightfully pointed accompani-ment could scarcely be more delicate. Chung's experience as a chamber player pays dividends in his ear for detail and colour which emerge naturally and evoca-tively. Allied to this is a sure sense of pacing and dramatic flair, reflecting the theatrical roots of the two Suites. Only in the some-times unrefined string sound does one sense that Chung is working with a group of musicians whose individuality has still to be subsumed within an orchestral style at once characteristic yet integrated: it is symptoma-tic that both the Berceuse and Duo of the, Petite Suite, which are string-dominated provide slight disappointments, with some rough edges perhaps unduly emphasised by the recording.

Nevertheless, it is a delicious programme: Bizet's constantly inventive scoring, rhyth-mic imagination, and melodic genius ( still not entirely recognised) remove any thought that familiarity might breed stale-ness, and that Chung can encourage such playing from players who might be thought to have surfeited on the scores in question is a tribute to his inspirational qualities. [B:1] James Black

GERSHWIN: Piano Concerto in F D 3 Preludes/COPLAND: El salon Mexico D Piano Blues 3/BARBER: Ballade Peter Jablonski (pno)/RPO/Ashkenazy Decca 430 542-2 (60m 33s)

Together with OLli Mustonen ( whose Alkan and Shostakovich recital I recently cele-brated ) and Jean Yves-Thibaudet, Peter Jab-lonski represents Decca's new pianistic blood. And here, in a positive explosion of both raw and sophisticated energy, he makes a superb case for an intriguingly mixed hag of Americana. His solo recital includes Bar-ber's Ballade, written for the 1977 Van Cliburn Competition, given with a rare sense of its distinctive provenance: its obsessive wheeling round a single idea, its 'blue' self-absorbed languor and violence. No other recorded performance comes close to this. Copland's El salon Mexico, in Bern-stein's 1938 transcription, is closely associ-ated with Cherkassky, but even that arch-wizard of the keyboard can rarely have played it more vivaciously. The Gershwin Preludes, too, show an ideal fusion of force and delicacy; but it is in the main work, the Concerto, that Jablonski, authentically part-nered by Ashkenazy (who understands Ger-shwin's Russian antecedents as to the man-ner born), makes his most individual impact. His rhythm is vital and scintillating, his pianism coolly expert, crisp and incisive. And how he relishes music of such inspired nonchalance and verve, a brutal and tender evocation of the New York of the Twenties.

H141 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 87

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reviews CLASSICAL

All this provides a fascinating alternative to Andrew Litton's musicianly, more gentle-manly, if ironically less American showing on bis recent Virgin Classic release. The recordings are vivid and exciting, a true finish:11g touch to a most unusual and glittering recital debut. [A:1]

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HAYDN: Arianna a Naxos D English Canzonettas Caro:yn Watkinson (m-sop)/Glen Wilson

(f-Pno) Virgin Classics VC 791 2152 (64m 12s)

Whilst I knew of Admiral Nelson's visit to Haydn in Eisenstadt in September 1800, during his cross-Europe return from Naples with Sir William and Lady Hamilton, I had not realised that the composer gave Emma Hamilton a copy of The Spirit's Song (tradi-tionally Haydn's greatest song). Nor did I know, until seeing the cover picture on this disc depicting her as Arianna, that she also used to sing the cantata. Coincidentally, I recently saw the page from Nelson's pocket-book giving a note of his expenses for the period around September 1800. On it, among other extravagances, can be seen a suitably substantial sum for 'wine for Mrs H'. The piano accompaniment to all the

music demands flexible phrasing but I doubt if such wide variations of tempo as are heard here were common in the 1790s. Even the driving Sailors Song is not without express-ive hesitation — though Nelson would surely have approved of the text which includes the words: 'The roaring cannon speaks, 'tis Britain's glory we maintain'. On the other hand, The Wanderer is dark and threatening — the very opposite of Schubert's optimism-in-adversity. Carolyn Watkinson sings with grace

throughout but applies more vibrato than I believe was usual two hundred years ago. Otherwise her rich counter-tenor-like tones are a delight.

In the cantata, the tempi are even more unusually free and the margin between recitative and aria becomes blurred. The recording is distant. The voice does open out excitingly at full power, aided by wide recorded dynamics, but despite the impress-ive acoustics, the focus is general and imprecise. A gorgeous but somewhat unde-fined sound. [B/C:1/21 Antony Hodgson

HAYDN: Harmoniemesse D Missa Brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo (Kleine Orgel-me sse) Lynda Russell (sop)/Catherine Wyn-Rogers (con)! William Kendall (ten)/Michael George (bass)/Winchester Cath Chi Brandenburg Orch/Hill Hyperion CDA 66508 ( 56m 04s)

It cannot be easy for an engineer to obtain adequate definition in the spacious acoustic of Winchester Cathedral, but here Anthony Howell is notably successful. Admirable immediacy aided by crisp playing over-comes the danger of blurring. Even the timbres of the organ register with precision — the ample resonance adds bloom to the warm playing.

Authentic instrumental timbres at old low pitch are supported by a choir in which trebles and altos have the dramatic, forceful quality of continental voices rather than the traditional 'English Cathedral' sound. The solo quartet, however, is surprisingly 'opera-tic'. Is it my imagination or are 19th-century techniques ( expressive shading of dynamics

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

and marked vibrato) being used more nowa-days, at the very time when instrumentalists are eschewing such devices? Davd Hill conducts beautifully detailed

performances, not neglecting to point the many dramatic instrumental moments. This orchestral grandeur is central to the Harmo-niemesse and it is always fascinating to hear clarinets in the wind ensemble, for Haydn used them so very rarely in his orchestra. The Little Organ Mass is a lovely work from 1775 featuring an elegant organ solo in the Benedictus in support of the one solo vocal section ( for soprano). Lynda Russell's Puc-cini-like expressiveness is romantic and comfortable, hut for period style she does not approach the wonderful purity of Hedda Heusser with the great Anton Heiller's accompaniment in the 40-year old première recording. Haydn's final pianissimo perden-dosi at the close is a little solid, but this reflects the forthrightness of Hill's recording. An excellent record technically but with

arguable solo vocal style. [A*:1/2] Antony Hodgson

MASCAGNI: CavaUeda rusticana Norman1Senn/Lagbezza/Giacomini/ Hvorostovsky/Ch & Ord; de Paris/Bychkov Philips 432 105-2 (75m 13s)

Mascagni's tragedy is like a rough Sicilian wine that takes quick effect but leaves you with a hangover. Both in terms of the conducting and the central role, this record-ing seems designed to appeal to more fastidious tastes. Jessye Norman's Santuzza has a detached quality that scarcely squares with a character for whom thought is nothing and feeling everything The range of the short but arduous role suits her and there is no sense of strain, but the result is too classical; and unfavourable balance in the 'Easter Hymn' prevents Norman from making a direct assault even there. Giuseppe Giacomini is a dependable rather than thrill-ing Turiddu, and it is hard to comprehend why he excites women so: he is much too decent for this unscrupulous village stud. Dmitri Hvorostovsky, in his first complete opera recording, proves an asset, his already baleful vocal presence made immediately more implacable following the revelation of his wife's infidelity. Rosa Laghezza is an idiomatic Mamma Lucia, but Marta Senn's Lola is colourless. The playing has more finesse than one usually hears in this rough and tumble piece, but a touch more theatri-cality — even vulgarity — would not go amiss; the naked emotions of Cav are not meant to be elevating. Erik Smith's production is intelligently done and offers a pleasing orchestral blend in the rounded acoustic of Paris's Maison de la Mutualité. [A/B:1/2/3]

George Hall

MART1NU: Double Concerto 0 Spalicek Suite Brno State PO/Mackerras Conifer CDCF 202 (65m 21s)

The Brno orchestra may not share the reputation of the Czech PO but it has shown itself, through many recordings, to be worthy of the highest regard. Here, under the responsive baton of a champion of Czech music and playing the work of one of that conductor's cherished composers, they give two memorable performances. The Con-certo, generally accepted as one of Martinu's masterpieces and a work of unusual drama-tic power, is here given a reading that contrasts interestingly with Belohlavek's recent one with the national orchestra. At first hearing Mackerras seems to hold it on a very tight rein, but by the time one has digested it, particularly the sustained thre-nody of the slow movement, Martinu's anguish comes through strongly. Belohlavek is perhaps more literal but, like Mackerras's probing of the nerve-ends, just as painful. With Spalicek, the ballet Martinu wrote in

the early '30s based on Czech nursery tales, we come to a quite different Martinu. In 1963 Milos Ftiha published two suites of five and seven numbers, respectively drawn from the composer's 1940 revision of the score. These were recorded by the Brno orchestra under Waldhans for Supraphon (they also recorded the original version of the complete ballet under Jilek for Panton). For the present recording Mackerras has re-arranged the order of some movements (Ftiha 1/4, 5; 11/1, 2, 5, 6 and 7 become Mackerras/10, 12, 9, 4, 11, 8 and 7) to give the music greater cogency, though neither he nor Riha adheres strictly to Martinu's original plan. In the absence of visual images perhaps it doesn't matter much. The music itself is sheer delight, a wonderful mixture of gaiety and the sudden frissons that are the stuff of fairy tales. Worth buying for this alone. [A:1/11 Kenneth Dommett

MENDELSSOHN: 12 String Symphonies Lond Fest Orch/Pople Hyperion CDA 66561/3 ( 3CDs, 203m 14s ) part C) 1986, '89

I've delighted in these teenage works since acquiring the older selections by St Martin's [Argo] and I Musici [ Philips — now midprice CD]. Curiously, the Archly complete set by Leipzig/Masur, supplemented by an alterna-tive of 8 with winds and an isolated move-ment in C-minor, has not yet been transfer-red to CD, whilst the Nimbus series is to be avoided ( intonation). I welcomed Pople's first I.P of 9, 10, 12,

commenting on Tony Faulkner's sound, which resembled best Decca vintage for strings; 5, 7, 8 then followed on CD, and new recordings were made in July 1990 to complete the twelve. ( Music no less attrac-tive — what could be more charming than the Andante from No. I, with flowing lines in the middle section, in sequences answering across the stage and counterpointed with light pizzicati? Or the helter-skelter, inno-cent and carefree, of the opening Allegro of 2, in D-major?). What I do think is a pity is that, according to the 1992 Hyperion cata-logue, those first CDs are withdrawn in favour of this boxed set, which now places the symphonies in numerical sequence. No, unless I'm mistaken, you'll just have to part-exchange to get the full set. And you won't regret it! 1A/A*:1*/1]

Christopher Breunig

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*am am muumuu ma mil um mo> HI-11 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY_1992

reviews CLASSICAL

MESSIAEN: Turangalilla Symphonic Yvonne Loriod (pno)/eanne Loriod (ondes-marOlOrch de Bastille/Chung DG 431 781-2 ( 78m 32s)

I wish I could remember precisely Alfred Brendel's dry remark about Messiaen's music: birdsong, Liszt and pornography ... I.tiee Notes'.1 'Chant d'amour I' here has its quota of Liszt, whilst the merging of Straus-sian eroticism and '20s dance-step echoes, ondes-martenon slithering like octopus tentacles, has thc horrid fascination of some laboratory mutation. However, it is interest-ing to set the uncompromising modernity of this 1946 Koussevitzky commission against Bartuk's Concerto for Orchestra, presented only five years before. At the 1949 Boston premiere ( under Bernstein ) Yvonne Loriod was the pianist, as here; Jeanne Loriod has previmsly recorded her part with Ozawa PICA] and Previn [ EMI — worthy of Cl) transfer I. Myung-Whun Chung's brilliant new

recording has advantages over the CD rivals from Rattle and Salonen: principally, the composer supervised ( as he did the 1967 Toronto SO/Ozawa set), and small changes prior to a new Durand edition are incorpo-rated; secondarily, the work is complete on one Cl). Its stronger competitor, the Rattle, is only 535 longer ( most of that in Chant d'amour II) so, given its dated coupling, perhaps we can expect a re-transfer. 1X;'s lengthy booklet note is by the composer. One can make no bones about the more

maddening characteristics of this symphony: 'all at once-love song, hymn to joy, move-ment, rhythm, life and death'. The electronic ondes martenon I exclude — it's uniquely effective, I think, at the close of ( i )— if for no better reason than that it defuses one's exasperation at Messiaen's detestable hiera-tic motif; it also adds delirious little squeals to The gamelan-laden textures of ( viii). Other composers have tried to integrate more outré devices: Vaughan Williams (wind machine); Khachaturian ( saw); Tip-pett ( heart beats). But, in this recording, which tends to the kind of spikiness and severity one associates with Boulez's exposi-tory manner in 20th-century works, few could fail to respond to the exhilaration of (v )Joie du sang des étoiles. Rattle perhaps finds more fantasy and air here, yet paradox-ically his faster speed seems very slightly to drag its heels. Chung matches the jazz-trained Previn, though the piano part ( Béroff) is more closely focused in that EMI production. Equally appealing are the noc-turnal atmospheres of Jardin du sommeil d'wnour, delicately etched by Chung, and

Turagalila II, where the ghost of the

hieratic motif appears briefly, desptached by the battery of Messiaen's percussion orches-tration.

In short, Turangalila-Symphonie is a piece well suited to the gramophone, where one can take it whole or in part. If somewhat light in the bass when compared with EM1's two versions, this new recording is generally excellent. The Bastille Orchestra make a marvellous showing for their conductor's IX; debut, nowhere more than in the Final Even so, Rattle's CBSO convey, more impor-tantly, real zest over and above the care for precision. [A/A*:1] Christopher Breunig

MOZART: Plano Concerto in d, K466 0 in A, K488 Lond Mozart Players/Howard Shelley (pno/ dir) Chandos CHAN 8992 ( 56m 18s)

Could not the new series, I thought, have been launched with something other than these well-known concertos? Yet, having only mild initial curiosity about yet another K466/488 coupling, I went on to discover one of the most delightful and rewarding Mozart recordings we have had from any source. This is far more than the competent orchestra accompanying a good solo perfor-mer: for it's the introductions that alert the senses well before any solo entries. Howard Shelley is an established Mozart stylist (eg his 1{491/467 Pickwick coupling with the City Lond Sinf); he knows and understands no less well than Uchida how to project and phrase, how to be expressive without heavi-ness. More than most soloist/directors he seems to find time to get nuances in the accompaniments that match his own. His use of embellishment is discreet — I don't like to be made aware of the soloist's elaboration. There is, I would say, a manner that leans towards the Beethoven-ish — not just in the D-minor, where he plays that composer's cadenzas in both (i) and ( iii). (Something the notes don't tell us: room for Chandos to improve there, certainly.) There's a fine sense of momentum in 466( iii ); but if anything, the A-major is the more captivating performance: I keep returning to it, and in a way it could be seen as a modern counterpart to Solomon's 1955 deeply satisfying Philharmonia recording (although there Menges took a much less consistent opening tempo, and Shelley's articulation is finer still, if not his overall musicianship). My word, weren't the Philharmonia winds marvellous in that Ada-gio! Shelley's is more extraverted than Solo-mon's, a perfectly legitimate alternative view. Tempi and proportions just seem without fault, and there's a magical trans-

lucency and natural lbw about it. The Chandos sound is quite good if a little swimmy (Steinway in a church acoustic), so a slight technical qualification. [A/B:11

Christopher Breunig

MOZART: Piano Concerto in 1(271 D in C, K467 Alicia de Larrocha (pno)IECOIDavis RCA RD 60825 (61m 39s)

Polished, professional and eloquent — mod-ern interpretation at its most immaculate. The piano is big in sound but even from top to bottom. Larrocha's consistent, admirably unpedalled playing is a model of unassuming expressiveness. Tempi, especially in K271, are unhurried

but never slow, creating a consistent sense of forward progress. The Andantino of K27I is a plain, rather academic movement which sometimes fails to impress because artists try to make it 'significant'. Larrocha plays it with touching, unaffected simplicity; the music is left to speak convincingly for itself.

Sir Colin Davis is an excellent accompan-ist and in K467 makes the full scoring 'tell' without becoming overpowering. Crisp tim-pani, brass which never overstay note values and carefully balanced woodwind combine to let light refreshingly into the music. The muted strings in ( ii) are exquisite, typifying the concern for eloquent sound throughout the disc. Except in a few of the runs, I was less aware of the noise of the piano action in K467 than in K271, where mechanical additions sometimes cause a resonance to ring-on in the solo instrument.

Larrocha's evenness of touch is a source of delight: in particular, K467 ( iii) is played with amazing fluency and the sharpness of orchestral attack enhances the element of give and take with the soloist. This is very high-class music-making. [A:11

Antony Hodgson

MOZART: Plano Concerto in D, K175 III in e, K238 0 Rondo K382 Mitsuko Uchida (pno)/ECO/Tate Philips 432 082-2 ( 51m 19s)

The Concert Rondo was the first work for piano and orchestra Mozart wrote in Vienna. In essence a set of variations, it is rather curiously encoded here as if a three-movement concerto: fe although the music is continuous, the track sequence allows access to the central Adagio. The B-flat Concerto ( 1776) has a wonderful air of optimism — there's something curiously touching about the little motif first heard [at 28s] at the close of the first of two para-graphs in ( i) before the soloist enters. The

— D-major, with trumpets and drums, was composed at 18 — at which time Mozart played harpsichord. Go to the start of the e Bilson/Gardiner cycle on Archiv for a

slightly more convincing account (albeit on .à a rather clanky fortepiano reconstruction), -2 for I don't feel Uchida and Tate bring much 2; persuasion to the piece. Perahia's Sony

Classical conveys more sense of occasion; u some engineering coarseness (ECO strings)

is a small price to pay for the soloist's eagerness in (i), whilst the unrestrained characterization in (w) I find more engaging than Tate's meticulous nearness. (Uchida's tone is slightly veiled in this recording — unaccountably the sound is more open in K238.) Incidentally, the Philips Edition uses the Brendel version, le with concert grand. However, both the Rondo and K238 give

great satisfaction in the finesse and quicksil-

FEBRUARY 1992 91

The Reference Review

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92 111.11 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

reviews CLASSICAL

ver imagination of Uchida, with her special insights into the language of Mozart, and these accompaniments are comparably impeccable. [B:2/31 ( K175), 1A/B:11.

Christopher Breunig

MOZART: Sonatas for violin & piano — in G, 1(301 0 in e, K304 0 in 81,, K378 ID in G, K379 Maria Joao Pires (pno)/Augustin Dumay (vin) DG 431 771-2 (73m 57s)

In a related press release, Maria Pires is utterly candid about her partner: until they met, and an instant rapport was realized, she had never heard Dumay's playing. Now, it seems, there are other plans to record together. Pires has the dominant role in these sonatas (written variously in Man-nheim, Paris [ 1, Salzburg ( 1,Viennal1778-81). Not that she is too assertive — it is the feeling of warmth, of give and take and an impecc-able balance between intimacy and recital-hall projection that give this programme its distinction. But what Pires does with the music is deeply absorbing ('serious stuff Bryce Morrison said to me the other day, having dipped into the piano sonatas, now complete on DG 431 760-2, 6CDs — special price) and one may be tempted to give the French violinist secondary attention. I could not help wondering whether, with a diffe-rent partner, he might have played in too rhapsodic or wayward a manner for Mozart, but this is mere speculation. It is a pity that the engineering gives his tone a slight over-brightness, but IA:11 here. I recom-mend the Lupu/Goldberg Decca set of six-teen sonatas; however this is a very desirable supplement. Christopher Bœunig

MOZART: Cosl fan tutte Margiono/Ziegler/Steiger/Van der Walt/ Cachemaille/Hampson/Netherlands op Ch/ RCO/Harnoncourt Teldec 9031-71381-2 ( 3CDs, 196m 36s)

'There are no heroes in this work', says Nikolaus Harnoncourt in a fascinating inter-view in the booklet issued with the record-ing. 'However sympathetic we may find them, it is possible that they will be responsible for the most terrible disappoint-ment ... they are real, pathetic human beings'. And one of the most striking aspects of Harnoncourt's Cosi is indeed its human-ity. The attention given to words by all cast members is revealing: the recitatives — so often gabbled — are done steadily and with due expression. It is clear that all partici-pants have a profound understanding of their characters (the recording stems from an Amsterdam stage production), and the performance comes over as measured, natu-ral, and with an exemplary unity of purpose. There may be some raw moments vocally — from Anna Steiger's earthy Despina, or from Charlotte Margiono's otherwise personable Fiordiligi — and Deon van der Walt may not be the most gracious Ferrando on disc; but the three-dimensional quality of each assumption is never in doubt. Particularly fine is Thomas Hampson's imaginative grasp (reminiscent of a young Fischer-Dieskau) of Alfonso, who — Harnoncourt assures us — was intended by Mozart to have the lighter of the two baritone voices. The darker is provided by Gilles Cachemaille's Guilehno (an archaic form of the name that Hanlon-court insists is correct) in what is a charac-teristically thorough exploration of the part. Delores Ziegler is the prepossessing

Dorabella. The ensembles are precise and spontaneous, the big set-pieces integrated into the overall fabric. Harnoncourt draws crisp and springy

playing from the Concertgebouw (whose rich tones are marvellously caught in the spacious and clean acoustic of their own hall by the Teldec team) and his careful atten-tion to Mozart's dynamic markings brings many rewards. His tempi, though, are often controversial: most convince, but I was not won over by the quintet 'Di scrivermi ogni giorno', which practically dies on its feet; a Mozartian Andante is surely less ponderous than this. Similarly, Guilelmo's ( I'm never going to get used to that spelling!) 'Donne mie', a 2/4 Allegretto, moves at a snail's pace. In spite of which this remains an outstanding recording, quite out of the run of Mozart opera sets of this or any other year. The booklet contains a stylish translation. lA*:11

George Hall

MOZART: Die Zauberecite Hocb/Upsbaw/Rolfe Johnson/de Mey/Bürl Schmidt/Hauptmann/Schütz Ch/Lond Clas-sical Pb/Norrington EMI CDS 754 2872 (2CDs, 138m 41s)

This keenly-awaited issue is the first studio recording of Die Zauberlibte to employ period instruments; it is also Roger Norring-ton's first recording of an opera. Those who experienced his performance of this work on the South Bank three years ago, and the multitudes who attended, or heard the radio relay of the Prom performance in August 1990, will know what to expect. It is a vibrant reading, full of vitality and insight, and distinguished by singing and orchestral playing of a high order. The care that has been taken so as to do justice to every aspect of this many-faceted work is unobtrusively apparent; unusual but authentic touches include the provision of 'a loud and frighten-ing chord', laughter, roaring lions, and melodrama — dialogue spoken during a ritornello — where the origial libretto requires. Though the non-German members of the cast are not equally successful in projecting the dialogue, the balance between the spoken and sung portions of the opera is just and effective. The recording is spacious and full of atmosphere, with stage action and movement suggested, but not exaggerated. Properly, musical considera-tions have always come first, but the calls for thunder have not been ignored. The cast is good, if in only one or two

cases outstanding — Anthony Rolfe Johnson is a wonderfully eloquent, ardent Tamino, in whose development during the opera one can for once readily believe. Dawn Upshaw as Pamina sings well but hardly progresses beyond the bewildered prisoner whom we first meet (Lynne Dawson was memorable in the QEH performance), and Beverly Hoch, though she too sings expertly, conveys little of the Queen's venom. Cornelius Haupt-mann is a lean and young-voiced Sarastro, taking us back to the early performing tradition, and the Monostatos of Guy de Mey is nicely characterised and precisely sung. There is nothing Viennese ( nor should there be) about Andreas Schmidt's Papageno, intelligently spoken, stylishly sung, but a shade dull in impact (Gerald Finley struck me in the 1989 QEH performance as the most endearing, indeed the best, Papageno I had experienced for thirty years). The trios of Ladies and (female) Boys are very good, and there is strong support in the minor roles (Olaf Bár as the Old Priest in the first

finale is not at his best). The decisive factor is Norrington's direction, swift, with spring-ing rhythms and clean lines. The unusual seating of the orchestra, with the low strings in the four corners, helps provide clear yet distinctive textures, homogeneous yet with characterful wind detail, and the fortepiano makes a telling contribution. Even a listener who finds it hard to accept some of the tempi — for Sarastro's second aria, or Pami-na's, perhaps — will find his perceptions healthily challenged by this invigorating interpretation. IA:1/2] Peter Branscombe

MOZART: Die Zauberflüte Soloists/Fcwres Solisten Verein igung/BPO/ Beecham Nimbus NI 7827/8 ( 2C1)s, 131ni 40s ) (g C) 1938

With at least three earlier (:I) transfers of the famous old Beecham Flute already on the market, packaging takes on an unusual importance. Certainly Nimbus have done the job with pride and considerable distinc-tion, their handsome box containing as well as the double CI) album a 252-page book with full traditional libretto in three lan-guages ( enabling the listener to halt the progress of the music in order to read the intervening dialogue ), notes on and pictures of the principal singers, interesting articles, and well-produced illustrations, including coloured reproductions of the famous Schinkel designs. 'Me transfer and remamer-ing from the old 78s has been carried out with obvious care and affection. One soon forgets the slight background hiss and crackle in admiring the open sound quality, with its judiciously added natural resonance and somehow a complete lack of the inci-pient distortion that marred the EMI (:I) reissue in a few places. The perhirmance remains treasurable — though listened to again in the Inky of the new Norrington recording it is undeniably slow-moving, even a little dull. [H:1*/21 Peter Branscombe

MOZART: Le Nozze di Figaro Te Kanawa/Upshaw/Von Otter/Troyanos/ Hampson/Furlanetto/Plishka/Metn9politan Ch & Orch/Levine DG 431 619-2 ( 3CDs, 178m 14s)

One of the problems of today's international opera scene — both in the theatre and on disc — is stylistic anonymity. Those big-house prestige productions, assembled with singers from here, there and everywhere, may be starry, but they can equally result in a mélange lacking any really distinctive character. This recording, made at the Man-hattan Center in May 1990, suffers from this syndrome. In spite of notable individual contributions, it fails to establish an identity: it's a Figaro without a face.

Levine's conducting — once past a brash and over-pointed overture — is slick but anodyne and weak on observation; the orchestral playing is only really memorable for an over-prominent continuo (fortepiano, cello and double-bass) and a general heavi-ness of sound ( especially lower strings and timpani). The cast nevertheless offers some fine interpretations, none better than Tho-mas Hampson's vibrant Count. His overview of the role is as intelligent as his attention to the finer points is admirable, and in a part which is often played nowadays with too much sobriety, he injects a welcome supply of comedy, succeeding ( like most good comic actors) in being funny mainly by never letting you know that he thinks he is.

141-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 93

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reviews CLASSICAL

Though relatively light of voice, Hampson steals the show without overplaying. As his long-sufkring wik, Kin i te Kunawa repeats what has long been one of her best roles; she is controlled and shows a clear understand-ing of her character's predicament, while in the fourth-act finale she makes a convincing 'Susanna'. The real Susanna, Dawn Upshaw, somehow fails to stamp her personality on the pt rformance while nevertheless offering some nice bright singing ( including an elegant 'Dell vieni') along the way. As her betrothed, Ferrucio Furlanetto's rough diamond of a Figaro — rotundly comic rather than socially threatening — is played with a hint (.t. vulgarity hut nevertheless is notable for verbal point. Anne Sobe von Otter's Cherubino, a highlight of the set, is gracefully sung and perceptively realised. The Bartolo ( Paul Plishka) and Marcellina (Tatiana Troyanos) are a vivid pair, and the latter and Basilio ( Anthony Laciura ) do well by their fi)urth-act arias .( he in particular). A mixed hag, then, hut the mixture doesn't quite gel; so worth considering for indi-vidual constituents rather than as a whole. 113:1/2/31 George Flail

MOZART: Arias Cecilia Bartoli (m-sop)/Vienna CO/Fischer Decca 430 513-2 ( 58m 01s)

This delightful and well-chosen recital can only increase the growing renown of an uncommonly talented and exciting young singer. The eleven items all in their different ways give great pleasure. Cecilia Bartoli begins with ardent accounts of Cherubino's arias, continues with the second arias of Dorabella and Zerlina, and then with Susan-na's Deh vieni' and three numbers from La clemenza di Tito. Also included are three separate numbers — 'Chi sa, chi sa, qual sia', and 'Alma grande', both written for the orienal Dorabella; and the concert aria 'Ch'io mi scordi di te', written for the farewell of the first Susanna, with Andras Schiff here expertly taking Mozart's own piano obbligato. Nothing in this varied

programme lacks distinction — Bartoli's fluency and feeling for line and colour are as impressive as her warmth and eloquence in legato singing. And she conveys a mature insight into the characters she is impersonat-ing, nowhere more memorably than in Sesto's big solos from Tito, and in Vitellia's great scena and rondo from the same opera. Here as in 'Parto' partnered eloquently by Peter Schmid' ( basset clarinet and basset horn respectively), and with Gyürgy Fischer securing neat and expressive playing from the Vienna CO, she gives a compelling account of the music, penetrating the heroine's predicament with expert dramatic insight, and singing even the blunt phrase-ends with a searing conviction that one seldom experiences with artists who sing the expected appoggiaturas. The warm yet clear recording accommodates both the intimacy and the more public aspect of the arias, and the producer, Christopher Raeburn, has also written an informative note to accompany the four-language texts. IA:1*/11 Peter Branscombe

PROKOFIEV: Symphonies 2 & 7 BPO/Ozawa DG 435 027-2 (69m 48s)

These contrasting works benefit from Oza-wa's steady, almost deliberate, approach. Heavy textures in the Second are clearly delineated and the recording illuminates the score with unusual brightness. The frightful row that assaults one's ears at times is entirely the fault of Prokofiev's trying to sound 'modern', but on this disc one can at least hear the components of the row and how Prokofiev built it up. Ozawa's slowish tempi result in a gentle Seventh — a gentle enough work already — in which melodies in (i) and ( iii) wrap themselves round the listener with seductive innocence. He strikes a pleasant balance in ( ii) between Scherzo and waltz, letting things rip well when need be, and he shapes ( iii) with skill. The finale chuckles along with childish glee, the tcmpi of its interludes finely judged.

Ozawa omits the alternative ( optimistic) ending: a mistake on CD because if it's there one can accept it or reject it according to one's mood. I found the violin tone a little glossy on

one player but thoroughly acceptable on another, so hear the disc first if this is likely to worry you. [A/(B):1] Robert Dearling

PROKOFIEV: Romeo and Juliet (com-plete) Kirov Orcb/Gergiev Philips 432 166-2 (2CDs, 144m 16s)

A clear, overall view of Gergiev's Prokofiev is hard to establish on this evidence. It would be comforting to make the generalisa-tion that he cares for the symphonic scope of the love music and hasn't much time for the characteristic dances, but there are so many exceptions to both notions. There is special feeling for the nocturnal framework of the Balcony Scene (and I'm rather glad he opts for solo strings in the madrigal music rather than the cloying chamber organ), but the pas de deux begins heavily and pro-ceeds, after Romeo's variation, brashly and rather inflexibly. Then again, Gergiev finds much more affection for the big theme of Juliet's sorrow in Act Three, and her suicide, very slow, has true nobility. As far as the dances go, Minuet and Masks are shorn of respective pomposity and swagger, but the Dance of the Knights packs the expected punch, at least as far as striding brass are concerned. More puzzling still, and repre-sentative perhaps of the curious way in which concentration waxes and wanes across the set, Mercutio has nothing of the explosive wag about him at the party but leaps to life in almost the same music for the fight with Tybalt. A clear picture of the Kirov (we shall soon

by saying Mariinsky) Orchestra's current state of health under the tireless Gergiev does, all the same, emerge across the span of the recording. I think, even without Philips' prompting, anyone would register the bur-nished presence of cellos and basses in the introduction — though this strength isn't applied consistently or always to expressive point. Violins work powerfully together but you notice, especially in the Love Scene, how thin the firsts can sound when the seconds go their own way. Brass still carry a hint of old-style Soviet forcefulness about them — worrying in the horns' vibrato — but the first trumpet and cornet are quite the most outstanding to be heard on any ver-sion; woodwind tend to be tremulous and under-characterized. But don't forget this was one of the first Kirov-Gergiev record-ings, and so much has happened within the opera house since August 1990. I suspect that the forthcoming War and Peace will leave us with nothing but admiration for Gergiev's labour of love. And may it be captured by the Philips team as truthfully as it is here. [A:1/3] David Nice

PROKOFIEV: Alexander Nevsky/Scythian Suite Ludmila Schemtchuk (mez-sop), Danish Nat RSO & Ch/Kitaenko Chandos CHAN 9001 (62m 57s)

Carolyn Watkinson (mez-sop),/ Leipzig Gewandhaus/Latvian Ch/Masur Teldec 9031-73284-2 ( 56m I4s)

Of all the needless reduplications in the catalogue, Chandos' new Nevsky has to be the craziest. The company already has a

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reviews CLASSICAL

version which neither of the two new recordings — nor for that matter any other — comes close to matching, namely the garish, trenchant thoughts and racing instincts of Neeme Jarvi and the SN() ( the coupling is also the Scythian Suite and the same applies to that ). Yet now, in the same design style as graced most of Jarvi's other Prokofiev discs, comes another. Orchestrally speaking it's not bad — the Danish tuba, flutes and, occasionally, trumpets make their personali-ties felt — but the chorus sounds collectively unfocused, certainly too dimly recorded: have the call to arms of the fourth move-ment or the final blaze ever sounded more sober? The chorus, too, is responsible for the tension draining away in the 'Battle on the Ice' — the charge starts well, but with the Teutons' Peregrinus expectavi' quickly goes into retreat. I.udmila Schemtchuk's battle-field wanderer proceeds in short phrases, too frail of expression in all but one of her exclamations.

Undervoiced, too — and far less reliable of pitch, since she's invariably under the note — is Masur's Carolyn Watkinson. A British singer can conjure the necessary Slavic soulfulness ( only listen to Jarvi's astonishing Linda Finnic) but not, presumably, if her natural territory is Handel. Masur's chorus, however, is one of the best. If the Russian patriotic sentiments stick in these Latvians' throats, they don't reveal it. There's an extraordinary focus, a sense of moving as one, in the respective voices, and the altos make an especially fine contribution in the middle section of 'Arise ye Russian people'. But why the immediately forthright chal-lenge in ( ii)? This is dynamic modification with a vengeance. Masur adapts his relatively lightweight Leipzig orchestra to the score's demands with certain liberties: prefaces to events are precise rather than atmospheric and the Adagio of the climax of the Battle is nothing of the kind, speeding to the end. The Scythian Suite is a surprise — terrific in the plunge of the first movement procession, the sound-effects of its night-picture and steady sunrise very carefully honed. This is a live recording — I wish we'd been told a little about the circumstances of the meeting between Germans and Latvians — and it's a model of its kind, full throughout the dyna-mic range and perfectly balanced. Kitaenl«) and his Danish forces sound less well-focused to me in both works, though the performance is at least partly to blame. ChandosIA/C:2J3], Teldec [A(*): 1*/2/3].

David Nice

SCHUBERT: 'Trout' Quintet/HUMMEL: Piano Quintet in E 1, Op.87 Hauspruisik EMI CDC 754 2642 ( 61m 15s)

Hausmusik, led by Monica Huggett, give performances of great spontaneity which are eltsant and carefully balanced. Despite the authentic trappings, the musicians play with freedom of phrasing and tempo. The first movement of the 'Trout' seems to gather momentum as it proceeds, yet settles in time for the repeat to commence at the initial tempo. There are also shadings of tempo in the Scherzo's trio section and in the finale, but the only really disturbing disruption to the flow lies in the unmarked slowing for variation 5 in ( iv). The notes subtly excuse the omission of the long finale repeat, but its loss is not a disaster.

In the Hummel — a splendid choice of coupling — the music has surprisingly romantic overtones. The themes may not all

have Schubert's yearning beauty, but it is superbly constructed music. In her notes, Susan McGinns says that this work is an 1819 arrangement of the D-minor Septet from 1816. I cannot see how this could be true for it is patently not the same music. Addi-tionally, Zimmersclunied's Hummel cata-logue gives 1802 as the date of the Quintet's autograph. Incidentally, all movements except the Largo are in E-fiat-minor.

Musicological discussion aside, the Hum-mel is given an excellent performance — flexible but not disruptively so. As in the Schubert, the powerful, double-escapement fortepiano ( an original from 1822 played by Cyril Huvé) lays a superb foundation for the gorgeous sound of this ensemble. This is period instrument performance at its best. [A*:1/2] Antony Hodgson

SCHUMANN: Symphonies 2 & 3 LPO/Masur Teldec 2292 46446-2 (65m 32s)

My yardstick for Schumann's symphonies is Sawallisch's mid-priced EMI recording in which the Dresden Staatskapelle plays so well that the works come to life with unsurpassed brilliance. The identical coup-ling to this new Teldec disc is on CDM 769 4722 (the other two symphonies, plus the Overture Scherzo and Finale, are on CDM 769 4712). Those recordings date from 1973 and seemed rather shallow even on their first LP appearance, but the white heat of the playing banishes sound considerations from one's mind. Anyway, the sound is very clear. In Symphony 2 Kurt Masur perhaps lacks Sawallisch's sweep and power but he secures excellent playing from the LPO and his recording is, naturally, much more weighty. Yet it still doesn't clarify Schu-mann's multiplied lines as does EMI's, and Sawallisch's immediate timpani sound is nowhere near equalled.

Masur's Rhenish is played just as well and I welcome his refusal to linger over the Scherzo (ii), which is given the hearty treatment it deserves. There is stirring horn playing in ( i), the whole brass section shines in (iv) with fine ringing tone to suggest Cologne Cathedral's echo, and the strings in (v) have an infectious light spring. A disc, then, in which there is much to enjoy — but do hear Sawallisch's readings before decid-ing. It might save you some money. 1A:11

Robert Dearling

J STRAUSS: Die Fleclermaus Gruberova/Te Kanawa/Fassbaender/Leech/ Brendel/Biir/Krause/Schenk/Vienna State Op Ch1VPOIPrevin Philips 432 157-2 (2CDs, 111m 48s)

In spite of its Viennese forces and prove-nance (the recording was made in the Musilcverein) this is generally not — com-pared, say, with the classic Karajan perform-ances — a Fledermaus of ecbt Wienerisch flavour. The responsibility has to be laid at the door of André Previn, who, fine musician though he is, is associated neither with opera nor operetta nor, to my knowledge, notably with any Viennese musical tradi-tions. From the overture on, the perform-ance comes over as rather straight, lacking in verve, flexibility (where are those caressing rubatos?) and in that careless rapture that is the essence of Strauss's enchanting score. It's perfectly secure, and the choral and orches-tral work is predictably immaculate, but the impression remains of something a touch staid, a bit middle-aged and even, frankly,

'suburban'. The music is everything in Fledermaus.

It's hard to become interested in the unpleasant characters (Orlofsky excepted), the laboured plot and the tedious dialogue (here given in a version by August Everding recorded by the singers themselves in an acoustic that sounds like a small and resonant cave). But fortunately there is some classy singing which goes a long way towards redeeming the project. Brigitte Fassbaender is compelling as the highly ambiguous Russian prince, and equally good is Edita Gruberova's sparky Adele, sung with pinpoint accuracy and scenting the air with the authentic fragrance of Old Vienna. I was less happy with Khi te Kariawa's Rosalinde, finding her voice uncentred at times, and as a comic performance it lacks sophistication and sharpness. Richard Leech offers a fluent and likeable Alfred, with Tom Krause a firm Frank, and Otto Schenk a traditional Frosch (what a trying character he is). Sterling performances come from two singers new (apparently) to their roles: Wolfgang Bren-del makes a volatile Eisenstein, while Olaf Bar brings his considerable artistry to bear (unintended pun) on Dr Falke. The record-ing captures the autumnal hues of the VPO well, but there is some distracting 'rhubarb-ing' from the party guests at unwelcome points throughout Act 2. There are no extra party-pieces, and instead of the ballet music we are given a lukewarm Thunder and lightning Polka. 1A/B:1/2/31 George Hall

R STRAUSS: Salome Marton/Weikl/Zednik1Fassbaender/Lewis/ BPO/Mebta Sony Classical CD 46717 (2CDs, 99m Ois)

Glimmers of Mehta the showman — as heard in the gaudy spectaculars of his Turandot and Fanciulla del West — are to be caught here in Jokanaan's curse and the full brass crunch of Salome's consummation, but that's about as far as it goes. Never does this new Salome approach the sforzato thrills of Solti, the swooning phrases of Karajan or the textural insights of the Sinopoli set (which it has the singular ill luck to follow within a month); the recording, which manages to be both metally and imprecise, certainly doesn't help. And if the ever-theatrical Heinz Zednik can't be bothered to make much more than a shopping-list out of Herod's suggested head-substitutes after the dance, the theatrical ambience down in Berlin's Dahlem district must have been lacking indeed. Not much was to be expected of Marton

as fascinated teenager in her first scene; when she tries to float a phrase or two as softly as she can, the result is uncomfortable pitching on the high As and B-flats. Other-wise, 'Ich bin Salome' says it all — blowsily imperious, too much the daughter of Fass-baender's aptly appalling, set-saving Hero-dias too soon. Dramatic commitment over-rides the squall up to a point in the last half hour, Marion's special line in horror and disgust finding a truer context, and there is even a hint of what-might-have-been pathos in 'du hattest mich It's still not enough. Weild looks set to be a sincere enough man of God, if not as youthful in his assurance as the prodigious Bryn Terfel on the Sinopoli set; but then we hit the Galilee-monologue, and it's hard to tell who is rocking the boat as far as unsteady tempo goes, singer or conductor. The smaller roles, inadequately cast, include a plummy page (Gabriele Schreckenbach) and a noble cause

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feebly lost by Victor von Halem as the First Nazarene; and apart from a few sumptuous moments in dance and finale scene, I would never have guessed the orchestra was the Berlin Philharmonic. For the most devoted of Marton fans only. 111/C:2/3] David Nice

VERDI: Otello Pa varottilTe Kanawa/Rolfe Johnson/ Kavrakos/Opie/Ardam/Chicago SO & Ch/ Solti Decca 433 669-2 ( 2CDs, 128m 50s)

Until the very last minute, the snark so keenly hunted here looks suspiciously like a boojunt in a real turkey of a recording. I refer, of course, to the near-myths surround-ing Pavarotti's 'interpretation' of Otello; for, once he's settled on a beaten-bronze image of the warrior, ringing out the 'Esultate, he modifies it neither in love or jealous fury. Did the tenderness and insight so gently fashioned for Karajan in the 1970s' Butterfly and Bohème have to vanish with the years.? They're in evidence for no more than a few seconds of the love duet — neither the haII cd beginning, so introspectively pre-faced ity the Chicago cellist (John Sharp?), nor the dewy-eyed lead to Desdemona in 'E tu m'amavi', nor the salute to Venus shining encourage any scruples: they are hardly brought into play at all for what should be the horrible parody of gentiliezza in the Act Three confrontation, and the monologue which follows begins as a display of manipu-lated hysteria, f not pppp, close to Del Monaco in sham-sob territory. ( 'Ma, ... o pianto, o duol' brings back softness for a bar or two. ) Only the final remorse for the dead Desdemona seems to prick at Pavarotti's conscience, though I wonder if even the devoted would weep at that, as some of us do for Domingo's astonishing account of it on a Covent Garden recital disc ( if only he had been granted the privilege of recording the whole role live ... ). Otherwise, isolated phrases of real fury (*Giura e ti danna': 'a terra e piangi') stand out against a back-ground of meandering full-throttle Pavarotti vocalise; the second act especially is a carelessly-noted piece of disengaged singing, with no big guns for farewells or oath-takings. Put side by side with Vickers and Karajan at hefty, hair-raising full pelt, it's a mockery of both Shakespeare and Verdi.

So, too, is Solti's conducting: if this is the pick of the Chicago and Carnegie Hall concerts, what was the worst like? The first act goes at a formidable pace; save for a few unthcatrical lines, the chorus is excellent in storm and bonfire music; and the sense of Verdi's late genius charging at full pelt through the set-pieces, with the wonder of the duet at the end, duly exhilarate. But do the Chicago strings and brass really have no power at all to spark the orchestral rejoin-ders to Otello's jealousy? The curtains to the inner acts are perfunctory, to say the least — perhaps dictated by the tenor's haste. Moments of dodgy ensemble are too numer-ous to cite, though the most serious comes at the beginning of the Act Two quartet, with Dante Kin i hardly encouraged to sail her wonderful phrases. For much of the opera, she sounds self-consciously at war with her dark-toned Verdi persona ( Amelia in the Solti Simon Boccanegra was a diffe-rent proposition ): infallibly musical, but not in the least touching at Otello's mercy in Act Three ( paraphrasing Kitty Kelly on Nancy Reagan, you feel that if she really were thrown to the ground, only her hair would break). But suddenly, the miracle happens:

the Willow Song, with its poised and poig-nant sa lees genuinely butano when required, brings back much of the old brightness, and the last B-flat of the Ave Maria is a luminous wonder. Would that Nucci's lago had moments of

plausible darkness to balance that light. He misses almost completely the parlando manner of the insinuations of Gamic) and Otello; the far from suave histrionics of the dream narration would put even the most unmanned of victims on his guard. Among the smaller parts are the almost unaccept-able Emilia of Elzbieta Ardam, nearly but not quite sinking the new-found intensity of Act Four, and Anthony Rolfe Johnson's poetic Cassio — the only participant on the set who never puts a foot wrong; but then his task is an easier one. Notwithstanding conspicuous attempts to match Carnegie and Orchestra Hall acoustics in mixed takes, the sound is glorious, with a touch of exaggerated bloom on the voices in the Decca tradition. But I should prefer virtually any Otello to Pavan* ti's, and Solti seems to pass no comment on the score as compared with Karajan ( twice), Serafin, Toscanini ( just reissued), Levine, even Maazel in EMI's bath-house recording. Certainly I'll return to this set for Willow Song and Ave Maria, perhaps the whole of the last act; the rest, only under duress. IA:3(1)] David Nice

Te Kanawa sings in Die Flederrnaus and Otello (photo: John Swannell1Philips)

COLLECTIONS CELLO CONCERTOS Music by Saint-Saëns, Honegger, Fauré and d'Indy Julian Lloyd Webber (vic)IECO/Tortelier Philips 432 084-2 ( 53m 14s)

Saint-Sens's Cello Concerto 1 and his Allegro appassionato take up the lion's share of this disc, Honegger's Cello Con-certo the lioness's. Faure's Elegie and d'In-dy's Lied, Op.19 arc left for the jackals. Saint-Saëns's one-movement Concerto ( 1873), with its mixture of bravura in the outer sections and delicacy within, finds IJoyd Webber in earnest mood, reliable rather than ebullient, with impeccable intonation and the ability to hold one's attention when the composer briefly loses the thread. If Saint-Saens's Concerto is con-structed like an enormously expanded Ita-lian overture, Honegger's one-movement layout of 1934 ( the booklet claims 193(1 for it) resembles a compressed classical sym-phony while its language is by turns charm-ing and astringent. Lloyd Webber is for the

most part able to leave the astringency to the orchestra, to concentrate on melodic flow and beauty of tone, of which he supplies a great deal. I don't think the disc offers a good

programme; if the 'jackal' pieces, for all their lollipop value, had been omitted and the disc's capacity used more generously, there would have been room for another concerto of at least 30 minutes. But what we have is musically presented, the soloist is well-placed without obliterating orchestral detail, and the orchestral balance is excellent, with Honegger's more bizarre effects prominen-tly projected. [A:11 Robert Dearling

MERCADANTFJMOZART/CARL STAMIT'Z — Flute Concertos Irma Grafenatser (11t)/ASM/Marriner Philips 426 318-2 (60m Ois)

Saverio Mercadente ( 1795-1870) wrote six flute concerti when in his mid-twenties. The choice of the E-minor work provides an interesting example — darkly dramatic in the first two movements, it betrays the operatic leanings of the composer (he wrote 60 operas) with solo passages much like word-less arias. One endearing characteristic is the frequent use of pizzicati in the bass strings. The final Rondo russo (Allegro vivace scher-zando) combines the elements of scherzo and rondo; its bouncing rhythms are delight-fully accentuated in this performance. There are few weaknesses in this work apart from the occasional tritely predictable phrase, and the overall effect is always Italianate in style — the spirit of Rossini is always nearby. The Mozart D major is the work also

known as the Oboe Concerto in C. In this reading, Marriner is exceptionally sensitive in his phrasing, and the soloist is always beautifully in accord with him. The leisurely approach to the first movement is very convincing, with the running passagework for flute beautifully controlled. The G major concerto by the younger

Stamitz survives from the mostly lost group of seven written in the Mannheim years of the 1760s. It is notable for its original finale which incorporates a minuet — played here in such a way as to retain the flow of the movement. The recording is very immediate, with an

admirably strong bass line. Grafenauer's positive, eloquent tone is well captured but the forwardness of the soloist is disturbing at times and detracts from some of the quieter passages. The avoidance of 'breathiness' is however a credit to soloist and engineer alike. [A/13:11 Antony Hodgson

A NORDIC FESTIVAL Music by Alfvén, Jârnefelt, Nielsen, Grieg, Leifs & Sibelius Swedish RSO/Salonen Sony Classical CD 46 668 (65m 47s)

SCANDINAVIAN SUITE Music by Grieg, Nielsen, Sibelius & Wirén Guildhall String Ens/Salter RCA RD 60439 (69m 40s)

Salonen's selection for full orchestra and Salter's for strings do not duplicate a single work, though three composers ( Nielsen, Grieg, Sibelius) are common to both discs. Together they show the extraordinary range and quality of the shorter, sometimes lighter, pieces produced in Scandinavia in the last century or so.

Alfvén's once-popular ( in thc Tin Pan

1.11-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 99

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reviews CLASSICAL

Alley sense) Midsummer Vigil opens Salonen's disc and displays his neat control of lint and acute perception of the work's sly humour, the latter also evident in 'Dance of the Shepherdesses' from the ballet &nu-kungen (spry string playing here ). Sibelius is represented by Valse Triste and Finlandia, the one sensitively done, the other yielding perhaps to Karajan and others in impact due to the middle-distant placing of brass; and Grieg by Sigurd pesalfar, excellently played. Nielsen's 'Overture and Dance of the Cockerels' from Maskerade are steadily-paced to accentuate the marvellous scoring, while Jén I.eifs's extraordinary Prelude: Geysir brings this neglected Icelandic com-poser's individual voice to notice. This brooding, elemental evocation of volcanic pressures, like his 'Saga' Symphony, focuses on tile darker, more threatening power of the orchestra. The programme is completed by Jârnefeles Berceuse; and my pleasure would have been completed if the disc had opened with his delicious Praeludium.

Robert Salter's programme ( Nielsen's Lit-tle Suite; (;rieg's Holberg Suite, Elegiac Melodies and Two Melodies Op.53; Sibe-lius's Romance in C; and Wirén's Serenade) is distinguished by fine playing but even more so by recording of rich presence and detail, the warm acoustic of Forde Abbey, Chard, giving a convincing impression of a largish room whose lively reflections enhance tone but do not impair clarity. Two successful complementary discs of irresisti-ble music then, but I wonder when someone will remember Svend Schultz's characterful Serenade, once recorded by Tuxen for Decca. Salonen (A/B:1], Salter (A*:1].

Robert Dearling

JUBILEE GAMES DEL TREDICI: Tattoo/ROREM: Violin Concerto/BERNSTEIN: Concerto for Orch Jubilee Games' Gidon Kremer (vin)/Jose Eduardo Chama (bar)/Israel PO/Bernstein DG 429 231-2 (72m)

Bernstein's Concerto for Orchestra, com-pleted in 1989, is a revision of the original two-movement Jubilee Games written for the Israel PO in 1986. A further movement, entitled 'Benediction', which ends with a Hebrew prayer sung here by Chama, was performed at the reopening of Carnegie Hall, also in 1986, and was later tacked on to the Games. This version was premiered in Israel in 1988, and in 1989 a complex set of seven variations called 'Mixed Doubles' was added

These became the second movement, 'Benediction' becoming the fourth. The work was then renamed and performed for the first time entire in April 1989.

Like much of Bernstein's music this is motivated by Hebraic traditions. The first movement, 'Free-Style Events', is dominated by a complicated piece of biblical arithmetic from Leviticus, calling, at measured points, for celebratory shouts and enthusiamic imitations of the shofar (ram's horn). The two central movements — 'Mixed Doubles' and 'Diaspora Dances' (a scherzo) — are more restrained, and on the whole, more impressive, with the 'Benediction' rounding out the whole on a note of near-nobility.

In contrast, Del Tredici's two-section Tat-too implies a more sustained cannonade. A welcome shift away from the composer's preoccupations with Lewis Carroll, Tattoo is, perhaps, his throwing Alice into a mincing machine. Ned Rorem's Concerto, written in 1984, is in reality a series of six variants. Its appearance reminds us that we hear too little of this composer, and this compact, reflective and lyrical work ( Bartok comes to mind) leaves us wanting more. Beautifully played by Kremer, and sensitively handled by Bernstein this, for me, is the highlight of an unusual programme. IA:11

Kenneth Dommett

RETURN TO RUSSIA TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony 6 D Music by Gershwin, Grieg, Paganini, Prokofiev, Sousa & Strauss Washington Nat SO/Rostropovich Sony Classical CD 45836 (71m 31s) Live recordings 1990

By now, collectors will be wary of the 'historic occasion' CD, where the perform-ances may prove not all that wonderful. But this one is better than most, and there are some precious moments, especially in the smaller pieces. Walking the Dog is utterly charming; the hushed strings at the begin-ning of `Aase's Death' are breath-takingly atmospheric; there's a beguiling polka, Verg-nügungszug which aptly is arranged by Shostakovich, and — Moscow Conservatory Hall counterpart to Vienna's New Year Radetzky — Sousa's Stars and Stripes Forever has the audience clapping time.

Particularly enjoyable in the Allegro con grazia, the Pathétique is perhaps more restrained than one would expect; it's moulded more as a classical symphony than treated as an emotional outpouring (though the Adagio lamentoso is far from cold). It

begins with a startlingly fruity bassoon: a balance which has no correspondence in Rostropovich's 120 studio Sixth I EMI 1. The Nat SO is not really a great orchestra — its horns are tonally thin, but the brass rise to the demands of the close of ( )— yet under this conductor everything is eminently musical. ( Contrast the patent sincerity of 'Tybalt's death' here with Temirkanov's deplorably vulgar St Petersburg encore from the Barbican in November. Rostropovich, incidentally, gives unusual prominence to the glassy string bridge-passage immediately before the 15 fatalistic chord-blows.) Sound quality in this concert, which of

course marked Rostropovich's return to Moscow after exile in 1974, is rather good. 111:1(H)] Christopher Brett n ig

BOLL:1,700D DREAMS Hollywood Bowl OrrheMauceri Philips 432 109-2 (76m 28s)

Film music — here as well as in Hollywood — has had some eminent proponents. With Bliss, Walton and Vaughan Williams, Britain's composers for films could easily fill a con-cert hall, or a CD. But it was in Hollywood that the specialised art became, for a select coterie of native-born composers and emig-rants from Europe, almost a lifetime career. Names like Alfred Newman, Herbert Stothart, Franz Waxman (ex Wachsmann) and Erich Wolfgang Korngold deserved, and usually had, important credits in the main titles of the films they worked on. Having in recent years encountered Korngold's 'serious' music on records, I can see that it was recognisably like his film work. Franz Waxman was the other composer whose work impressed me, and I find his contribu-tion to this CD easily the most rewarding: ten minutes of his music for A Place in the Sun (1951). The record cheats somewhat by including

Schoenberg, Stravinsky and Prokofiev. The opening track is Schoenberg's brief fanfare written for the Hollywood Bowl concerts — could be anybody's. To include Stravinsky on the strength of Finebird and date it 1945 because he re-orchestrated it in Hollywood seems unjustified. And, recalling how Holly-wood treated a Soviet film-maker like Eisen-stein, it is odd to have Prokofiev's music from a 1941 opera claimed as part of the American heritage. Totally American, however, and the archetypal Hollywood dream, is Gone With the Wind, and Max Steiner's 'Tara' theme has become every-body's again recently. But the complete main title music heard here sounds padded-out and overblown. Nor does a richly orchestrated version of Rodgers's Carousel waltz impress me, whilst the longest track of all, a Wizard of Oz suite with choir, is also overlong and repetitious. But any real film-buff will enjoy one brief nostalgic snippet: Alfred Newman's fanfare which introduced every film from Twentieth Century Fox. The recording is also rich in nostalgia; it

was made on a surviving MGM sound stage at Culver City. The players were the heirs of those expert studio orchestras: top-class West Coast session musicians conducted by John Mauceri (who also produced and wrote the notes), and their combined skills make more of the material than some of it deserves. I would rather have heard some-thing from Dimitri Tiomkin's vast output (Lost Horizon, say) than some John Barry and John Williams music that brings this recording up to the present. [A:1/2]

Denis Argent

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the organ Thorofon have issued a series of record-

ings of the music of Joseph Rheinber-ger ( 1839-1901) — including his

chamber music. Martin Weyer's interesting programme of music relating to this com-poser is available on Thorofon C111 2090. Franz Lachner ( Rheinberger's mentor) is represented by his gentle and attractive Sonata 1 ( the first of three) in F-minor. Rheinberger's Sonata 16 is included and (a pupil of Rheinberger) Ludwig Thuille's dramatic Sonata 2. John West's Passacaglia in B-minor 'In Memory of Joseph Rheinberger' will be familiar to organists of the older generation; it is rarely performed now. Alan Gibbs ( b.1932) is one of the few composers committed to enlarging the contemporary organ repertoire. At Weyer's request, Gibbs has written his Celebration of Joseph Rheinberger using themes from his well-known Sonata 8 — a fascinating homage. Apart from a few weak edits, the programme is very attractive and varied; the organ is a 3-manual 36-stop 1978 Mathis in St Lauren-tius Schaan, in Lichtenstein. [A:1]

In 1734 Alexandre Cliquot constructed an organ in St Christopher's Church, Houdain. This instrument survived the French Revolu-tion, and in 1873 the church acquired a second, more modern instrument. By 1900 the Cliquot organ was totally abandoned. A decision to 'restore' the organ in 1931 was thankfully set aside, and restoration had to wait until 1968. Nothing has been modified, and the sound is superbly captured on Denon CO-74396. Pierre-Yves Asselin plays François C,ouperin'sMesse Propre pour les couvents. Harry Geraerts ( ten) fulfils the priest's role — not in authentic Gregorian Chant, but using Henri Du Mont's 'musical plainchant' well-suited to Couperin's tonal-ity of G. Somehow, though, Asselin misses the jolly nature of the music. The wacky 'Fugue sur la Trompette' is rather turgid and lacks spirited and suitable well-articulated notes inégales. The music needs to be brought to life with more interesting arti-culation. Digitally recorded in 1978 but issued in 1990, this is not to be missed, however, for the Alexander Cliquot sound. [A*:2/31 Beware with this and the Denon disc reviewed next, as the temperament is mesotonic and one tone below. The mean-tone 1745 Papenius organ at the Marienlcir-che, Belzig, is played by Christopher Albrecht in a programme of music by Bruhns and Hanff on Denon CO-74399. This organ was restored in 1979, having been baoly damaged and moved to Belzig after World War II. If you have an aversion to unequal temperament, these Denon discs will offend. If, like me, you enjoy the strangeness of the opening chromatic pas-sage in Bruhns's B-minor Prelude and Fugue you might find the vivid recording of this instrument quite exhilarating. Beware, too, of background noises. [A*:1*] A fascinating release from Motette [CD

11481] Die Orgeln der Lorertzkirche Nürn-berg, played by Hermann Harrassowirz, features four instruments. The west-end, 100-stop, 4-manual 1937 Steinmeyer organ (with a 64-ft Tromba), is used for music by Bach, Reger and Messiaen. The 40-stop 2-manual 1962 Steinmeyer `Laurentiusorgel' on the north wall of the nave is used on its own for music by Stader, Rinsch and Buxte-hude, and with the west organ for a two-organ version of two movements from Bach's Art of Fugue. (While the counter-point is clear, it is difficult to distinguish the two instruments, although one develops a bounce in its bellows which sounds like a tremulant.) Also used is a 7-stop 1967 von Beckerath Positiv for music by Dretzel and Hasenknopf. Finally, music by Dretzel and

Siebenkees is played on a two-manual 1989 harpsichord by Neupert/Bamberg. This lat-ter instrument sounds radiant in the Lorenz-kirche acoustic. Harrassonwitz plays well and with great clarity. The composers Siebenkees, Dretzel, Hasenknopf, Stader and Fürtsch ( all pre- 1800) have been connected with the church in its past. Fascinating, varied, clear. [A:1] None of these words could be used to describe Motette's record-ing of the 84-stop 4-manual Ladeg,ast organ in Schwerin Dom. (CD 11631). I find nothing in Winifred Peterson's playing or in the perspective of the recording. The best analogy I can think of is of a pianist playing without lifting the sustaining pedal — ever! I had to listen hard even to recognise the opening piece by Buxtehude. [No score!] Werner Jacob's recording of music by

Johann Pachelbel [Virgin Classics 'Ventas' VC 791 0872] is recorded on the fine 1833 Joseph Callinet organ in Mollau, Alsace. The recorded sound is luminous — as with all three Virgin recordings reviewed here — and the organ has great presence. There are 18 tracks, including the Prelude, Fugue & Cha-conne in D-minor, the Prelude & Fugue in C-minor, the Toccata & Ricercare in C-minor, the Chaconne in F-minor, the Partita Christus der ¡st mein Leben, various chorale preludes and the Aria Sebaldina. There are some uncomfortable edits, but the overall result is very attractive. The liner notes are inadequate, and there are no details of the performer. [A*:1] Of Nicholas Danby's two discs for Virgin,

one is of Franck's Three Chorales, Cantabile and Piece Heroïque along with lesser-known works from L'Organist. Danby uses the 4-manual Cavaillé-Coll organ in St Omer Cathedral. I greatly enjoyed this recording [VC 791 1932]: the registrations are accu-rate and Danby uses the Cathedral's acoustic to great effect in placing his phrases. But some may find his approach to Franck too inflexible. [A*:1] Danby's recording of Bux-tehude [VC 791 1392] is in direct competi-tion with Piet Kee (Chandos) and Ton Koopman (Novalis). All three artists have recorded Buxtehude on historic instru-ments. Danby has used the glorious instru-ment at Alkmaar, and the registrations used are thrilling and sensuous. Also discernible is an attention to phrasing in short note-groupings which leads me to assume that

Peter Hurford (photo: Karin FoesterlDecca)

CLASSICAL

Danby is either using authentic fingering or simulating its effects. The recorded sound is superb. [A*:1*] Among recent issues from Priory is a

recording by Graham Barber at the Willis organ of Salisbury Cathedral [Great Euro-pean Organs No.23, PRCD 314]; there are four composers represented. Parry's great Toccata and Fugue 'The Wanderer' ( inciden-tally, the name of Parry's yacht) deserves a more regular outing. Also included are Francis Jackson's Five Preludes on English Hymn Tunes, Karg-Elert's Three Impressions and Fleury's Prelude Andante & Toccata. As always, Barber plays impeccably — his prog-rammes always contain lesser-known works which are worth hearing. [A:11

Dietrich Wagler plays a recital of Baro-que music on the restored 1711-1714 G Silbermann organ in Freiburg Cathedral. This is the first recording of this restored organ, also available in Priory's Great Euro-pean Organ Series, No.24 [PRCD 332]. This 44-stop 3-manual organ has had its unequal temperament altered, although none of the pipes have been cut or damaged during this work. Wagjer plays Scheidt's Magnificat noni toni, Clerambault's Suite de Premier Ton, four chorale preludes by Krebs, Buxte-hude's Prelude & Fugue in G-minor, Bach's Fantasia in G and the Prelude & Fugue in C (BWV 547). The organ sounds very fine: the characteristic silvery sound is better than ever, and the Clerambault in particular is a real treat, demonstrating the large buzzing reed basses and the wide cornet combina-tions. [A*:1*1 Colin Walsh's recording for Priory of

Louis Vierne's 24 Pieces en style libre Op.31 and the Tryptich op. 58 is very welcome [PRCD 319]. Many of these 24 pieces are neglected. Some are well-known — 'Diver-tissement', 'Berceuse' and 'Carillon' — but others deserve to be played just as often: 'Prelude', légende' and `Scherzetto'. Walsh provides all the right rich, pungent fonds sounds from the organ at Lincoln Cathedral, and is clearly at home in the French idiom. There is also an interesting essay in the liner notes — not usually one of Priory's best attributes. There is, however, a lot of hiss on this recording. [11:1] Decca have reissued more of Peter Hur-

ford's recordings of Bach's complete organ works in their 'Ovation' series. The Preludes & Fugues Vol.5 [425 631-2, 3CDs] actually contains the Toccatas and Fugues, some Trios, Fantasias, the Allabreve, Canzona and Aria, which is not apparent from the outside

le of the volume. [BA] Vol.6 [425 635-2, 2CDsj contains the

Orgelbüchlein and Chorale Preludes BWV 741-765. [B:1] I wish Peter Williams's LP sleeve notes had been included, although I can see that there would have been prob-lems with space. Peter Hurford pioneered new ways of thinking about playing Bach in this country. He taught many of the current generation of young organists, and has brought the mundane execution of Baroque organ music almost to an end single-handed. It is interesting to see and hear how much things have progressed since these record-ings were made. The current quest for authenticity now demands not just a mecha-nical action organ, but one with a historic pedigree; the disintegration of Soviet control of East Germany has profound ramifications for the choice of instruments for the next complete Bach recording project [ see 'Notes']. Questions of pedalling, fingering, temperament and performing edition are all-consuming. Who will be first to record the complete Bach thus and attempt to answer some of these vexed questions?

William McVicker

H1- F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 103

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I II NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

LABELLED WITH LOVE

HoU your breath long enough and your favourite, hitherto ignored label will reach CD. Four more have just returned, in re-launch quantities to threaten your bank balance.

Following Ace's in-depth res-toration of the post-1968 Stax catalogue and the Stax Singles box set, Atlantic has issued the first dozen pre-'68 titles, with original artwork and track list-ings and clean sound. The importance of this catalogue cannot be underestimated, as it contains what many consider to be the finest soul music of all time, let alone the 1960s. Per-sonal bias may question the pecking order, but for me the

reviews ROCK/POP/JAZZ

reappearance of Sam & Dave's first Stax LP, Hold Oa, I'm Comin' (7567-80225-2) is the moment to savour. Still, I've no doubt that it's the Otis Redding releases which will cause the biggest stir. The first batch contains Dic-

tionary of Soul (7567-91707-2), Sings Soul Ballads (7567-91706-2), Otis Blue (7567-80318-2), The Soul Album (7567-91705-2) and King & Queen (7567-82256-2) with Carla Thomas. Others in the cluster include Johnnie Taylor with Wanted One Soul Singer (7567-82253-2), Rufus Tho-mas's Walking the Dog ( 7567-82252-2), the classic Eddie Floyd release, Knock On Wood (7567-80283-2) and a pair from Booker T & the MGs, Green Onions (7567-82255-2) and Back To Back (7567-90307-2), the band sharing space with the Mar-Keys. From Koch International

there's a blues feast. Arguably the greatest rural blues label of them all is Yazoo, and Koch has seven vintage sets for those

whose interest in the genre precedes The Healer. Check out The Georgia Blues 1927-1933 ( 1012), Country Blues Bottleneck Guitar Classics (1026), Lonesome Road Blues 192611941 (1038), Going Away Blues 1926-1935 (1018), Mississippi Moaners 1927-1942 ( 1009), The Blues of Texas, Arkansas & Louisiana 1927-1932 ( 1004) and Bo Carter's Banana In Your Fruit Basket ( 1064 ). Use your imagination to decipher the last title. Koch also brings you the

revived Mainstream label's Sit-tin' In With...' series, histor-ically important recordings from Bob Shad's indic label which started in '48. The three to hand are Lightnin' Hopkins (MDCD 905), tracks from 1951-53, Peppermint Harris (MDCD 907) from 1950-53 and Smokey Hogg (MDCD 906), material from 1949-50. Beyond any question,

though, the most celebrated return to the racks is the Apple catalogue, the Beatles' label having been dormant for two decades. The tendency is to assume that the only decent releases were the rcordings by the Fabs — together or alone — but the first five prove other-wise. On CD and in lavish gatefold LPs are James Taylor (CDP 7975772), Mary Hop-kin's Post Card (CDP 7975782), the underrated Is This What You Want? (CDP 7975812), by Jackie Lomax, Billy Preston's That's the Way God Planned It (CDP 7975802) and Badfinger's Magic Christian Music (CDP7975792). All feature ori-ginal artwork, superb remaster-ing and — with the exception of the James Taylor release — extra tracks which collectors will adore. Now, can I breathe out? Ken Kessler

ADEVA: LOVE OR LUST Coo hemp° CCD 1866 (51m 08s)

'This is not the way I want to sing the song,' protests Adeva halfway through handling Yvonne Fair's 'It Should've Been Me' in suitably sad 'n' soulful mariner. The inference is that she knows a better interpreta-tion. But her mistake is immediately evident as she laun-ches into a no-holds barred dan-cefloor attack. And that's the problem with Adeva. Though she has all the right vocal equip-ment, too often there's little real love in her approach as she opts to play the role of a ballroom Boadicea, ready to drive her 'chop 'em down' chariot directly through the ranks of all who ignore her invitation to pound

the boards. There are ballads, of course. Appealing little blighters like 'Until You Come Back To Me', on which Addle does pro-vide an appealing vocal cuddle or two. But, most of the time, she opts for the bear-hug and the spine-shattering stomp.. Which is fine in small doses. [A.:21

Fred Dellar

AHURA BAMBAATAA: THE DECADE OF DARKNESS EMI cassette TC bra 1062 also CD MI1 1062

Afrika Bambaataa may be a serious presence, in some cir-cles. Like he looks heavy. On some streets in New York he's the man, and he attracts a retinue of acolytes, hanging on every word, and copping the minutiae of his style. But on record, that serious presence

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

diminishes quickly. They call him the overlord of hip-hop, but throughout this release is the shadow of the real main-man, James Brown. Whether he's sam-pled, or copied, James Brown provides the backbone to Bam-baataa — and one hellova lot of hip-hop. Also on The Decade of Darkness, some of the vocal lines disclose a distinct Prince influence. Then there's the soca flavouring too. It makes you wonder what's left to be Bam-baataa's. And of course the answer is— not a lot. It's not as if he's mixing up all these ingre-dients and coming up with something new, fresh and vib-rant. Sure, I've heard more bor-ing hip-hop, and the Big Bam shunts the rhythms about a bit. But the bottom line is that it's â showy, without substance. If you 2 want the edge ... if you want the

real creativity, then stick to the likes of James Brown and Prince. IA:3] Ken Hyder

ART ENSEMBLE OF SOWETO: AMERICA-SOUTH AFRICA DIW (CD) 848 (48m 27s)

It is of course the Art Ensemble of Chicago — with a South Afri-can choir. This is their umteenth release, and they've been around for a pretty long time — for an avant garde band. But they've survived by playing the avant garde game very cannily. A lot of the time they play black jazz showbiz, working off the herit-age, and refusing to be bound by this style or that style. They can sound very free at first, but actually their music is very con-trolled. This combination works well enough, although it can sound a bit love-and-peace-and-freedom sixties-style, especially with the naming-the-heroes chanting business. There are some tasty interludes, especially when the South African choir gets to do its own thing, but the American rants may put a lot of people off. [A*:2] Ken Hyder

ARCADO: BEHIND THE MYTH J11ff (CD) (53m 55s)

105

If you like string quartets, and you like jazz, maybe you'll get off on this release. For the trio of Mark Dresser, bass, Mark Feld-man, violin, and Hank Roberts, cello, are pulling together ele-ments of jazz and straight music. It's not that hard, for example, to hear echoes of Bartok in their music, or Webern and Ligeti. What makes it so successful is the fluidity of their ideas. The jazz element is not cliché-jazz, and it's strong on the sound of surprise. It used to be that record buyers tended to get into one or two genres and stick there. But there are many people who can handle good strong music across the board, and if you're a jazzer who appreciates 20th century composed music — or the other way round — you may find this CD especially rewarding. There have been attempts at this kind of thing before, but this is the most com-plete. [A*:1*] Ken Hyder

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reviews ROCK/POP/JAZZ

with many of her American, born-on- the-black-side-of-the-tracks rivals any day of the week. So it's this week Wigan, next week 'Cop Of The World, Ma. [A:11 Fred Deliar

DAVID SYLVIAN: EMBER GLANCE Venture DSRM1 ( 35m 24s)

This is a joint venture between Sylvian and artist Russell Mills, documenting their collaboration on a sound, sculpture and light installation in Tokyo in late 1990. The 100-page book has pictures, diagrams and words of wisdom over which certain kinds of Eno fan will also be intrigued, especially as Sylvian seems bent on duplicating his career. The music, meant to be heard in the context of the exhibition, makes much use of gongs, bells and electronics to create ambient drones, out of which arise more specific sound events. Interesting, if you get my drift? [C:21 Johnny Black

THIS PICTURE: A VIOLENT IMPRESSION DEDICATED DEDCD002 (45m 29s)

If Simple Minds had the ability to write decent melodies and intelligent lyrics, and if they went acoustic, they might sound a bit like this. In other words, this s big, swirling music, rich in interwoven acoustic textures, from ticking, jangly guitars to fidd!es ( courtesy of Wonder-stuffs Martin Bell) and penny whistles. The haunted, hypnotic pulse of tracks like 'The Great Tree' are all the more powerful because Symon Bye sounds as if he means what he sings and, although what he sings is often just a tad cosmic, its a rare gift in these days of processed vocal perfection. 18:11 Johnny Black

MULTI-DISC MANIA

What to do with the record (CD) tokens you received last month? Acquire the boxes which cost more than your usual allowance for a monthly music fix. Standards are impro-ving as the labels learn how sophisticated are the collectors likely to buy these sets.

Charly has addressed the gospel revival with a nifty four-disc budget pack, eschewing liner notes and squeezing all four into a double-disc jewel box. But Oh Happy Day — 80 Gospel Greats (CD NC BOX 1) contains multiple selections from the giants, including the Soul Stirrers, the Bells of Joy, the Staple Singers, the Original 5 Blind Boys of Alabama and even Aretha Franklin. George Shearing, not too

well served on CD, is the sub-ject of a three-disc box from Sequel. The Shearing Touch (NXT CD 173) contains 57 of his finest performances for Capitol, and the guest list alone — Nat King Cole, Peggy Lee, Nancy Wilson — is a convincing indication of Shearing's status. Superb jazz piano, a terrific selection of standards and nice packaging with good liner notes — a must. Robert Fripp chose the

tracks and did the remixes King Crimson — Frame By Frame (Virgin KC CD BOX 1), four discs with superb sound, lavish packaging and an entire CD full of unreleased live mate-rial. The 64-page book, a family tree, copious documentation and 20 years' worth of music make this a perfectly assem-bled rock document.

Fats Domino, one of the fathers of rock'n'roll and the most famous ambassador of

New Orleans R&B, is amply covered by the wonderful They Call Him The Fat Man! (EMI CDS 7967842), a four-disc 'long box' set with an exhaus-tive booklet containing all you ever wanted to know about his Imperial years. Its 100 tracks have been transferred with care and the sound is punchy and involving„ but the rarity content is low. Box set of the year — or even

decade — for many will be the oft-delayed Phil Spector retrospective, Back To Mono (EMI 7118-2). As the title sug-

gests, this is single-channel stuff, with a free 'Back To Mono' badge for you to wear around audio casualties. The 12x 12in package contains a high-quality booklet with lyrics, liner notes, a discogra-phy and a musicians listing which reads like a Who's Who of post-war pop; the guy had session players who now rank as gods. All of the hits are here, with Disc 4 being the whole of the classic Christmas album. Essential? Well, it does contain the first single I ever bought.

Ken Kessler

U2: ACHTUNG BABY Island 510347-4 ( 55m 03s)

Bono claims that the fourth track here, 'Until The End Of The World', is 'a conversation between Jesus and Judas in the Garden of Gethsemene'. Right, so we're back on familiar, por-tentous lyric territory with Bono and his boys, but the sound is something else. Despite being reunited with ambient atmos-pheric producers Daniel lanois and Brian Eno, the noise is self-consciously rough and ram-shackle. There are hints of rock-disco on 'Mysterious Ways', and surprisingly lush, conventional ballads like 'So Cruel', but, most of all, there's a claustrophobic, menacing air about the whole business. In the long run, I sus-pect this will be seen as a makeweight disguised as a work of significance. [13:21

Johnny Black

HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW

NEIL YOUNG AND CRAZY HORSE: ARC-WELD Reprise 7599-26746-2 (12Im 5-ís)( + 35)

This picks up where the last, magnificent album Ragged Glory left off, completing the current picture by documenting the band in full, glorious, live flight. Minutes after the impossibly dis-torted opening notes of 'Hey Hey My My', Neil pulls off a solo that can only be described as wantonly reckless, setting the mood for the whole show. High points? An anguished 'Blowin In The Wind', complete with sounds of warfare. An impas-sioned 'F***in' Up', stripped to the hones. An awesomely bleak 'Tonight's The Night'. I.ow points? None, unless you opt for the limited edition 3-CD set where Disc 3 contains 35 minutes of raw feedback. Neil's joke. [A:11 Johnny Black

FEBRUARY 1992 109

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AND ALL BECAUSE THE LADY LOVES: SUGAR BABY LOVE Roundabout MAGIC2 (PO Box 1PJ, Newcastle NE99 1PJ ) Flaky acoustic, Rochas-like females, real Channel 4 fodder but cheeky and melodic enough to let you forget the stereotyp-ing. But you can't help thinking: students' unions, hairy armpits, vegetarianism and whatever else pasases for anti-establishment in 1992. But it sure is damned fine music. 1A/B:1]

ARMY OF LOVERS: MASSIVE LUXURY OVERDOSE Ton Son To ARMYCD2 (42m 06s) When the press release empha-sizes the fashion element and points out the Thierry Mugler and Jean-Paul Gaultier connec-tion, you've gotta brace yourself for the worst. Would you believe a 1990s version of Boney M? For fashion hounds, club habituées and people who don't notice that a fake Cartier will turn your wrist green. [A/13:2/3]

ATI1LA & OTWAY: CHERYL — A ROCK OPERA Strikeback SBR46CD (48m 05s) (271 Royal College Street, Camden Town, London NW I) What a pairing: Attila the Stock-broker and John Otway, this country's maddest poets/ political commentators/social observers/pub crawlers. A spoof? No. How can you not take seriously an epic featuring 'Satanism, train-spotting, drug abuse and unrequited love'? Too bad this is on a tiny indic label. Win a big push, it might have stomped the latest from Whacko Jack°. It deserves to. [BA]

BALAAM: NO MORE INNOCENCE Intensity Records 001CD (23m 12s) New name (no more '... And The Angel') and a new sound hase rendered these former Goths as somewhat anonymous. The sonic transition is toward conventional hard metal, which may win a few fans from the hordes of headbangers who loathe variety, but it may cost 'cm a few black-clad bloodless Bc a Lugosi surrogates. IA:1/2]

BIG VOID: THE FLOOR or ME OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM Maitre'D Records MD-106CD (63m 165)(70 East 10th St, New York, New York 10003, USA ) Wow!!! With many who remem-ber the first generation of the kaleidoscope-eyed having all but given up on 1990s psychedeli-cists, along comes this positively majestic effort which will have the Bevis Frond and every Pink Floyd fan clamouring for more. This crew has the genre by the shortn'curlies and they're not

afraid to shake it up, mix it with modern touches and pour it out in living colour. Almost makes you wanna cultivate your own mushrooms. 1A/13:11

FAST FREDDIE'S FINGERTIPS: NEW TOWN SOUL Phoenix Records (advance tape) Dist. by Pinnacle Expecting a flood of UK soul bands in the wake of The Com-mitments? Fear not if they're as hot as this one. Fast Freddie, backed by a pair of tempestuous female vocalists, has the Atlantic/ Stax shtick down pat, but he's no slavish imitator. The sound is fresh enough to fool you into thinking 1990s depite the Sixties sentiments. Sensational. IA:11

GLASS TIGER: SIMPLE MISSION Capitol COP 7 92922 2 (54m 02s ) Third set from a Canadian sta-dium filler, guitar-led hard-rock inoffensive enough to allow the band to open for Rosette. Blow-dried hair, melodic wailing, care-fully torn jeans — this has 'MTV' written all over it. [A:2]

HAPPY MONDAYS: THE PEEL SESSION Strange Fruit SFPPSCD 084 (17m 29s) Five years ago, wa-a-ay before the Manchester scene was ham-mered into your consciousness, the Happys, or more accurately, the Mondays graced the Beeb with their presence. Witnessing the birth of pop giants? Hardly. Maybe it would sound better if the scene hadn't been hyped beyond all reason. [A:1/2]

JOHNNY HEARTSMAN: THE TOUCH Alligator ALCD 4800 (56m 53s) West Coast blues from yet another under-used wizard, and one who offers a real twist: blues flute. That's in addition to a host of other instruments, all of which he's exploited as a session man. This is blues of the gutsy variety, slick and sexy and a perfect introduction to another rediscovery. 1A:1]

FRED HERSCH GROUP: FORWARD MOTION CheskyJD55 ( 73m 49s) Easy-listening jazz from a slick-ern goose grease quintet. As you'd expect, the recording is so-o-o good and so-o-o smooth that you're almost willing to overlook one key fact: the stuff is soporific to a point where non-jazzers might be rendered com-atose. [A*:21

JESUS & MARY CHAIN: THE PEEL SESSIONS Strange Fruit SFPMACD 210 (16m 21s) Though dating from '85-6, these sessions find the Chain in a

surprisingly melodic mood, a far cry from the signature sound which heralded their ( con-troversial) arrival. Maybe this performance was more of a fore-shadowing than any knew at the time. [A/11:1/2]

LEO KOTIXE: GREAT BIG BOY Private/BMG 261-860 (33m 47s) ESSENTIAL LEO KOTTOKE Chrysalis CCD 1852 (66m 35s) Growing ever more Cooderish, the wizard guitarist — America's Richard Thompson? — no longer suffers any shyness about his vocals. But older Kottke-ites probably still can't get used to a down-home version of the man who makes an acoustic guitar sound like an orchestra. The collection covers 1976-83, and may serve as a better intro. [A:1/21 [A/13:1]

NO QUARTER: TIGHT BUT LOOSE Zeppelin Records NCMCD001 (41m 18s ) ( call 0322-863807) No Dread Zeppelin this: No Quarter is so po-faced and pre-cious about its Zeppelin-love that they are even metaphysical about the label's address: there isn't one. A few covers and a bunch of spot-on pastiches, Dread Zep without the irony. If you worshipped Page & Co, you might find this heresy. Con-versely, you might be glad one band cares enough to ramble on. IA:1/21

ANDY SUMMERS: WORLD GONE STRANGE Private Music/BMG 261 940 (50m 55s) Though well into his solo career, Summers still wants us all to forget, with a vengeance, that he once knew how to rock. This is his 'jazz' effort, but it's — by any definition — lame ambient stuff, played perfectly but about as invigorating as a pint of cough syrup. [A :2/31

KENNY THOMAS: VOICES Cooltempo CCD 1890 (51m 31s) Another magnificent white soul voice, more soft material. Some-one, somewhere has convinced the record industry that semi-seductive schmaltz is an easy sell, so here's another man-who-would-be-Frank. Apparently Thomas is shifting 'units', so maybe the romance has returned. IA:1/2 ]

UABN DANCE SQUAD: LIFE 7V PERSPECTIVES OF A GENUINE CROSSOVER Ariola 261-994 ( 56m 53s) Too bad 'dance' has come to mean 'mindless, repetitive, com-puter-generated swill for the ter-minally trendy and dead of brain'. 'Dance' in this case is a misnomer. UDS is hard rocking,

punkified monster music; the only thing the band has in com-mon with contemporary club musicmakers is its proclivity for borrowing ideas. But they cook in a way that would have had major cred in '76. So UDS may be too good for '92. (A/B:li

VARIOUS: AROUND THE WORLD FORA SONG Rykodisc RCD 00217 ( 70m) THE VIRGIN DIRECTORY OF WORLD MUSIC Virgin VDWM1 (67m Ils ) Just in case you're still not con-vinced that world music is nothing more than a pressure group activity employed by Time Out readers and Andy Ker-shaw's relatives to make you feel guilty for having a roof over your head and English as a first lan-guage, here are two samplers featuring material from nearly 30 artists and almost as many coun-tries. Listen in the privacy of your own home. Then decide. Who knows? You might also like chocolate covered ants, iguana scrotum and monkey brain, too. For non-fashion reasons, of course. IA:1/2/3/41

VICIOUS: WELCOME TO THE BALL Atlantic 7567-82276-4 ( MC ) A San Francisco band being hyped with an oxymoron: think-ing man's thrash. Okay, so there's a bit more thought, almost enough to seem a betrayal of the genre, but that would only move the band under the heading of plain ol"Heayy Metal'. Perfectly adequate woofer'n'tweeter blowing material. [13:1]

ROBERT WARD: FEAR NO EVIL Silvertone ORECD 520 (52m 55s) A wonderful find by Black Top Records, heard here courtesy of the label which put blues back in the Top 10. Ward is one of the genre's Great Lost Guitarists: this set is his first in over two decades. But he's no OAP, so he'll have plenty of years to enjoy the fame this disc must surely bring. He plays like four guitarists at once, while his voc-als lean as much toward soul as they do R&B. Thank goodness Ward's supporters looked long and hard, for they salvaged the career of a true master. IA:1/11

MARTY WILLSON-PIPER: ART ATTACK Rykodisc RCD 20042 (73m 36s) First UK release of this circa '87 off-the-wall solo from the guitar-ist of Aussie band, the Church. The focus is on the ethereal and the delicate, so should find favour with fans of Martin Stephenson to most of the ori-ginal ps-ychedelicists. This edi-tion features tracks from the album, In Reflection. IA:1]

HI -F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 Il'

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112 HI-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

reissues ROCK/POP/JAZZ

PAUL CARRACK: CARRACKTER REFERENCE Demon FIEND CD 700 (63m 085) Yet another Carrack compila-tion, but this 16-track beauty covers the whole career. Worth buying just for Squeeze's 'Temp-ted', but you also get tastes of Ace, Mike & the Mechanics and even Carlene Carter ( see below). Still the UK's least appreciated performer. [A/B:1]

CARLENE CARTER: MUSICAL SHAPES/BLUE NUN Demon FIEND CD 703 (79m 12s) At the cusp of the 1970s/80s, efforts were made to turn Johnny Cash's daughter (and Nick Lowe's wife) into a rocker. But you can't take the country out of Carlene, and these still sound like early New Country despite backing by Rockpile. For all that, they were the sassiest LPs of the day, and they still cook. Like grits. [A:1*]

ERIC CLAPTON: SLOWHAND Mobile Fidelity UDCD 553 ( 39m 24s ) Hard to be objective about this, Clapt an's most characteristic solo. 'Lay Down Sally', 'Cocaine', 'Wonderful Tonight' — you could relabel it ' Best or and no-one would complain. A fabulous transfer to gold CD. [A/A*:1*]

COMMANDER CODY & THE LOST PLANET AIRMEN- THE VERY BEST OF . PLUS See For Miles SEE CD 64 (73m 20s) Great stuff: 22 tracks from a fabulous country-swing send-up outfit. A cursory listen suggests absolute authenticity. The second one tells you it's meant to be fun. Smokers: avoid track 15. [A:1/21

CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL: CREEDENCE GOLD Fantasy/Ace CDFE 515 (40m 00s) MORE CREEDENCE GOLD Fantasy/Ace CDFE 516 (39m 34s) The standard pair of Creedence best-ofs, with every hit included. Shame that the two weren't squeezed onto one CD. Still. It's 'Proud Mary', 'Lodi', 'Fortunate Son', 'Bad Moon Rising' — or, quite simply, the best rock music made in the USA 20 years back. 1A/B/C:11

CROSBY & NASH: WIND ON THE WATER Magnum CDTB 128 ( 40m 51s) McGUINN, CLARK & HILLMAN: McGUINN, CLARK & HILLMAN Capitol CDP 796355 2 (39m 23s) More fall-out from the Byrds and CSN box sets. The reissue of the duo's second venture, and it's just what you'd expect: Nash and

Crosby compositions, or what's left of CSN (&Y) if you remove Stills's grit and and Young's anguish. light and melodic, aw, shucks: pretty music from a pair of golden throats. [A/13:1/21 The MC&H set, an almost-Bryds reunion, is also lightweight, though it does sport a classic track, 'Don't You Write Her Off'. Not just for completists, but hardly The Notorious Byrd Brothers. IA:21

DYKE & THE BI.ATX.R.S• SO SHARP! Kent/Ace CDICEND 004 (70m 52s) Scorching soul music from one of the lesser-known acts, with plenty of Stax-y bite and a pers-piration level as dripping as a Sam & Dave set. Twenty years on and it still smoulders. IB:11

THE FACES: FIRST STEP Edsel ED CD 240 (47m 53s) From the ashes of the Small Faces, the R&B based rock outfit which — 20 years later — remains inspirational for all who prefer something less ponderous than Led Zep. Rod Stewart's bour-bonized vocals, nasty guitar from Ron Wood and three from the donor band to complete the line-up. A classic. [B:1/21

HALL & OATFS: LOOKING BACK — THE BEST OF RCA PD 90388 (74m 41s) The best blue-eyed soul duo since the Righteous Brothers represented by a superb 18-track retrospective, from 'She's Gone' to 'Starting All Over Again' and all points inbetween. Vocals to make you cry and arrangements from heaven. IA:1*]

HERMAN'S HERMITS: THE BEST OF VOL 1. 1964-1966 EMI CDP 7 97042 2(50m 35s) Volume One? C'mon. This band — bigger Over There than back at home — didn't have that many hits. What they did produce, though, were great AM radio moments, breezy teeny fodder neither better nor worse than Jason or Kylie. Fluff from the first British Invasion. [A/B:2]

THE HUMAN BEINZ: NOBODY BUT ME See For Miles SEE CD 327 (28m 40s) The lone Beinz LP out on CD, a garage rock classic with the insistent/incessant riff of the title track encapsulating all that was grand about the late 1960s trash rock scene. File with the Myster-ians, Blues Magoos, etc. [B:1]

JULIE LONDON: SINGS THE CHOICEST OF COLE PORTER liberty/EMI CDP 7 93455 2 ( 49m 26s) VARIOUS: CAPITOL SINGS COLE PORTER Capitol/EMI CDP 7 96361 2 (65m 22s)

Still more to celebrate the Porter anniversary, with the inimitable Ms London offering perfectly sul-try interpretations. The various artists — Peggy Lee, Annie Ross, Dinah Shore, Dean Martin, etc — range from camp to kitsch to jazz, almost suggesting that it's the singer not the song. Don't you believe it. [A:1]; [A/B:1/2]

MAN: PERFECT TIMING — THE UA YEARS EMI CDP 7 96542 2 (78m 34s) Although some of their LPs have made the transition to CD, Man still justifies this broader view. The closest the UK ever came to producing an 'authentic' (US) West Coast band, convincing enough even to attract the late John Cipollina. Ethereal Mk I psychedelia tempered with guts. Now, howsabout a reissue of Slow Motion? [A/11:1/2]

MIKE NESMITH: TANTAMOUNT TO TREASON VOL 1 Awareness AWCD 1026 (38m 11s) AND THE HITSJUSTKEEJP ON COMEN' Awareness AWCD 1027 (32m 54s) PRETTY MUCH YOUR STANDARD RANCH' STASH Awareness AWCD 1028 .7& (31m 11s) Another promise kept, with three more Nesmith reissues in consecutive order. More wry country-flavoured rock (or vice versa) to soothe the soul. [A:1]

PETER & GORDON: THE BEST OF THE EMI YEARS EMI CDP 7 96798 2 ( 56m 37s) Another act that did better over there than back here. P&G had nothing less than a Beatles con-nection to grease their rails. The modus operandi? Stunning cov-ers of Len/Mac compositions, a slight cash-in on the hootenanny sound of the day and enough Britishness to seduce any Yank And seduce 'em they did. Lush Britpop from 25 years ago. [A/ B:1/2]

PINK FAIRIES: LIVE AT THE ROUNDHOUSE/PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED Big Beat/Ace CDWIK 965 (70m 07s) Three Pink Fairy collectables — the two title LPs and Twink and the Fairies EP — on one juicy CD. Great twisto power rock from a band that was punk before Johnny had his first zit. Not just another pretty cult item. [A/13/ C:1/2]

SANTANA: ABRAXAS Mobile Fidelity UDCD 552 (37m 30s) Though too familiar to anyone over 35, this greatest of the Latino/rock hybrids sounds bet-ter than ever, as if MFSL found some super-duper tapes hidden

in the bowels of Sony. How many times anyone wants to hear 'Oye Como Va' depends on whether or not they still use ganja, but the set swings, trans-cending early hippie associa-tions. Or: Now That's What I Call World Music I. [AIA*:11

THE SENSATIONAL NIGHTINGALES: HEART & SOUL/YOU KNOW NOT THE HOUR Mobile Fidelity MFCD 767 ( 59m 55s) Another two-on-one gospel extravaganza, the material dating from 1973-4. A quartet with voices which mesh like gears in a wristwatch, perfect harmonics secularized by just enough to allow this to be mistaken for soul. Well, almost. Strong on traditional tunes, so you won't mistakenly file it next to your Stax CDs. [A:11

RAY SMITH: ROCKIN' WITH RAY Sun/Charly CD SUN 32 (46m 14s) Twenty tracks from the late rockabilly legend, purist stuff too undiluted to have crossed over with ease. A deity in Teddy Boy circles, not for newcomers to the genre. [11:1/2]

SWAMP DOG: CUFFED COLLARED & TAGGED/ DOING A PARTY TONIGHT Edsel ED CD 338 ( 76m 43s ) Great soulful two-on-one ( 1972 and 1978) from a cult hero whose nom de plume doesn't quite convey the sheer class of the vocals. Rich, deep stuff, but a sharp sense of humour adds cream to the coffee. For connois-seurs. [A/B:11

VARIOUS: 1000 VOLTS OF STAX SOUL Stax/Ace CDSXD 042 (55m I4s) Now that the familiar titles have been released, Ace is digging into the vaults for the rarities. Stax fanatics will go crazy over this. Eighteen unissued items, alternate takes and more from Booker T & the MGs, Eddie Floyd, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Otis Redding, William Bell et al. Worth the wait; thanks to Ace for making it happen. [A/B/C:1/21

SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON: DON'T SE1VD ME NO FLOWERS Charity CD LIK 80 ( 41m Ols) Another relic from the mid-1960s, when British entre-preneurs thought that legendary black bluesmen had nothing bet-ter to do than jam in front of hastily-assembled session bands. Yes, it's a Gomelsky epic, with only Williamson's inimitable sound stamping this with any worth. But liner notes readers will find this disc to be as col-lectable as can be. Led Zcp fans, you have been warned. IB:2/3]

11141 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 113

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HI-FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 I 15

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LONDON

QUALITY DEMONSTRATIONS QUALITY SERVICE QUALITY PRODUCTS INCLUDING: LINN, NAIM, QUAD, MERIDIAN, REGA, MISSION, CYRUS, KEF, CREEK, ROM, EPOS, NAKAMICHI, YAMAHA, PHILIPS, NAD ACOUSTIC ENERGY, SONUS, FABER AND

BANG & OLUFSEN 79/81 Fairfax Road, Swiss Cottage,

London NW6 4DY Telephone: 071-624 8855

Linn, Arcam, Denon, Meridian, Mission/Cyrus, Yamaha, Exposure, Proac, Micromega, Audiolab, Quad, Rotel,

aucto.T

190 West End Lane, Hampstead Tel: 071-794 7848

UDIOY ENUE IMM AUDIO CONSULTANTS AND RETAILERS II

24 CHURCH ROAD, CRYSTAL PALACE,

LONDON SE192ET— TEL: 081-7717787 SALE OF EX DEMONSTRATION EQUIPMENT.

RING FOR DETAILS Stockists of. Linn Hi-Fi. Naim Audio. Creek.

Audio Tech. Epos. Denon. Dual. Revolver. Archidec. BLO. Nakamichi. Yamaha. Marantz. Mana Acoustics.

Monitor Audio etc. 2 single speaker demonstration rooms.

Interest Free & Various Credit

Facilities Available

All equipment delivered 8. installed.

Comprehensive turntable rebuilds etc

2 year warranty

Open 10-5.30pm. -- Closed all day Wednesday

rela

DOUG BRADY HI-FI

18 MONMOUTH STREET, COVENT GARDEN,

LONDON WC2H 9HB

Tel:071-379 4010. Fax 071-497 9205

CLOSED SUNDAY & MONDAY

LINN • NAIM • QUAD • CAMBRIDGE •

ARCAM • MERIDIAN• NAKAMICHI • REVOX

• KRELL • AUDIO RESEARCH • ORACLE •

SONY • DENON • D&M • ROKSAN •DELTEC

Also at Warrington and Liverpool (see Cheshire)

LONDON

Analog Audio (Hi-Fi Specialists)

849 High Road, London N12

Tel: 081 445 3267

LEADING STOCKISTS OF ROTEL, YAMAHA AND MARANTZ Stockist of full range of speakers and

electronics for all major manufacturers. Please phone for details.

MIDDLESEX

Arcam, Denon, Meridian, Mission/Cyrus, Rotel, B&O, Sony, Yamaha, Audiolab, Quad, Lins, Micromega

ewe 41:-H-eaer audio.T 173/175 Station Road, Edgware Tel:081-952 5535

NORTHWOOD AUDIO

Iii-Ii Specialist Stockists of' Aiwa, Audio 1 miovat ions, tyruS, Dual,

Exposure, Haller, Heco, Liman, Marantz,

Musical Fidelity, Mission, Monitor Audio, Mordaunt-Short, Nad, Pink Triangle, Revolver,

Rotel, Rogers, Sansui, Tannoy, TDL, Teat:, Thorens, Wharfedale.

I 26 Pinner Road, Nr. I ronbridge, Northwood, Middlesex.

Tel: 09238-20877 NOTE NEW DIALING CODE

Open 9-6 Mon. to Sat. Separate demonstration niom. Credit facilities, Access tk Visa.

Linn, Arcam, Denon, Meridian, Mission/Cyrus, Rotel, Yamaha, Audiolab, Quad, Lins, Philips, Micromega

er-eae 4Weeer audio.T 159a Chase Side, Enfield Tel:081-367 3132

NORFOLK

Near Norwich

Norfolk.

Tel:

(0508) 70829

Basically Sound of Norfolk Aream, Linn, Nairn , Rega,

Exposure, Creek, Epos,

Acoustic Energy.

U

NORTH WALES

ACTON GATE AUDIO THE HI-FI CENTRE IN

WREXHAM Rega, Cyrus, Arcam. WSW, WAD, Yamaha. Quad,

Ortofon, Rotel, Mission, Thorens, Wharfedale. Cambridge. Tannoy, Celestion. Marantz, Audio Technica. Acoustic Research, Radford, Proton. ARCAM. Rogers. Spendor,

Michell, Nakarnichi. Sansui, Hatter, Canon

n Access Barclaycard

Demonstration Rooms Available Mail Order a Speciality

4 RUABON ROAD, WREXHAM TEL: 0978 364500

OXFORDSHIRE

Linn, Arcam, Denon, Meridian, Mission/Cyrus, Rotel, B&O,Yamaha, Kef, Audiolab, Quad, Ruark, Sony

ewe 4/iii-/-0/# auclio.T 19,0Id High St.,Headington,Oxford Tel:0865 65961

t/

arcam

acoustic energy

;iodide

creek

dentin

dual

epos

heyhnxfk

iPw

f t r e 'inn products

marant,

meridian

nfission Cyrus

mordauni-shorl

naim audio

quad

rolel

yamaha

iletnananitian rant', and 2 year gliarantee

3 Church Lane. Banbury. Oxon (0295) 272158

STAFFORDSHIRE

CREEK • AgiSrOrti

CREDIT AVAILABLE

DEMONSTRATION FACILITIES

PART EXCHANGE

weal pproacb UNIT 7, WOODINGS YARD

BAILEY ST. STAFFORD 0785 55154

sou.zotitte

O.

E Y We are probably the only specialist HI-Fl Dealers who record

as well as listen to live musk. With this expenise we can recommend equipment from the following manulacturem

MAW. Innovations, Audiun. Audionote. Beyer. Decca. Defter, Goldring. Hein's. Impulse. lecklin Float. BAY. Maranta. Micromega, Nakarnichi,

Onoton. Pink Triangle. QED, Reference Imports. Reference Voyd Revoit,

Rotel. Sennheiser. Snell. Sony. Sugden. Systemdek. Target. Teas. Valdi.

Yamaha etc

SECOND HAND EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE RING FOR DETAILS

New. second hand records I. VII Cleaning Service available

GJI10(2(7,) 241TheWoolmeadlEast St., Farnham, Surrey GU9 TIT

Tel: 102521 714555 !MI Cliikiâ Monday to Saturday Ilam-Cipm :IC

DemonNtrabonN by Apposntmerd Closed Tuesday

1 16 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

SPECIALIST GUIDE R R Y

URREY HIFI

SPECIALIST HI-FI OUTLET DEMONSTRATION ROOM - PARKING

• LUMLEY • TDL • MARANTZ • KEF • • NAKAMICHI • MUSICAL FIDELITY • • THORENS • MICHELL • TANNOY • • ROTEL • MAGNUM • BASIS • 'REFERENCE IMPORTS DEALER'

Just 2 minutes off Junc 6 M25. (A25)

GODSTONE 0883 744755 45 High St, Godstone, Surrey RH9 8LS

SUSSEX

SONY

F1141 \im's

Boynton 0273 609431

DEALER I

etdatS

- ecee (17)

s come e

e

h

e ries 4 Albert Parad-Green Street Eastbourne 0323 31336

Excellent Listening Facilities

LATE NIGHT - WEDNESDAY - 8 PM CLOSED MONDAYS

29 London Road Portsmouth 0705 663604

Elrigra, t. trot n3

e.1fitki49.4* e 2/ay&

MID SUSSEX ELECTRONICS • EXPOSURE • MANTICORE • ROKSAN • AR • NAD • CAMBRIDGE • B&W • ONIX • MONITOR AUDIO TANNOY • NAKAMICHI • DENON. RUARK • PIONEER • AURA • DUAL

• PHILIPS • CELESTION •

163-165 CHURCH ROAD, 3URGESS HILL, WEST SUSSEX.

VISA

Tr (0444) 242336

HIFI MARKETS

Roksan. Musical Fidelity. Marant., JPW,

Bryston, Yamaha. Acoustic Energy.IBL. Tannoy. Monitor Audio. Harrnan Kardon, Castle, Onix. Epos, Rotel

and other fine equipment

pow&Ye/caft; Con.for table Derr° Room Knowledgeable and friendly staff

66 Upper North Street Brighton Telephone 0273 775978

Late night Wednesday - 8pm Closed Mondays

WEST SUSSEX

/P-Cli-111CUIESTUP UMW FillIAMITY

Retailers of quality audio equipment

7 St. Pancras, Chichester, West Sussex P019 1SJ Telephone 0243 776402 Closed Mondays

Bowers &Wilkins WORTHING

•

f • LITTLEHAMPTON RD

WORTHING

WEST SUSSEX TEL. (0903) 64141

EXPLANATIONS DEMONSTRATIONS INSTALLATIONS

•

— audio Designs — ti I TV VIDEO

Open 6 days 9-5.30 (8pm Tuesdays) comfortable listening room

Arcam, Naim Audio, Mission, Tannoy, Akai, Alphason, Teac, Thorens,

Ortofon, Toshiba, Bowers & Wilkins Linn Products, Exposure, Yamaha, Kef.

88 High Street, East Grinstead,

West Sussex RH19 MAS Tel: 0342 314869

WEST MIDLANDS

r r MUSIC MATTERS THE AUDIO AUDIO SPECIALISTS

FOR THE BEST IN BRITISH AND JAPANESE HI-FI

* Demonstration rooms available by appointment.

* Credit facilities (written details on request) * Wide range of classical compact discs. ARUM AUDIOLAB AUDILIOUEST SEVER CELESTION CYRUS DUAL EXPOSURE INFINITY KEE LUXMAN MARANTZ MERIDIAN MICHELL MISSION MONITOR AUDIO MUSICAL FIDELJTY NAXAMICHI ONYX PINK TRIANGLE ROGERS ROKSAN ROTEL RUARX SANSUI SENNHEISER SYSTEMDEK TECHNICS WHARFEDALE YAMAHA

Open Tues, Weds, Thurs 10.30-6.00, Friday 10.30-8.00, Saturday 10.00-5.00

351 HAGLEY ROAD, EDGBASTON, BIRMINGHAM B17 8DL

021 -429 2811 VISA

e

e

it CAM( .Anisro,,,

CREDIT AVAILABLE

DEMONSTRATION FACILITIES

PART EXCHANGE

Musical Approacb

37 HIGH ST. ALDRIDGE

0922 57926

13733 7310N • AoNtol.•

'ke

WEST MIDLANDS

ROYD, MORDAUNT SHORT. ARCAM. LINN. MONITOR 41.10K). EPOS. NAM, MISSION. REGA, DUAL, ROTEL CYRUS, CREEK. NAKAMICHI. DENON, MARANTZ

RE VOX. QUAD

94 BRISTOL ST., BIRMINGHAM 692 1359, TUE SAT 10am 6pm

Lee

Id — 114

THE MOST EXCLUSIVE INDEPENDENT HI-FI

STUDIO The informal atmosphere and easy access makes it so much more

exciting choosing your hi-fi, from the finest audio products available.

ACOUSTIC ENERGY, ARCAM, MERIDIAN. KEF. REFERENCE, DELTEC, SYSTEMDEK. QUAD. AUDIO TECHNICA, MARANTZ, MONITOR AUDIO, MICHAELSON AUDIO. AUDIO ALCHEMY, ALBARRY, JPW, .LINX.

MICROMEGA, MISSION, MOTH, MUSICAL FIDELITY, ORTOFON, OED, ROGERS,

SENHEISER, SOUND FACTORY, ARISTON. TOL, VAN DEN HUL, WHARFEDALE.

Just off The High Street, Bloxwich, Walsall, West Midlands

Tel: 0922 473499/493449 Ample FREE parking

off the M6 (Junction 10)

JUST CALL IN OR PHONE RICHARD FOR A DEMONSTRATION

WILTSHIRE

Linn, Arcam, Denon, Meridian, Mission/Cyrus,Yarnaha, Rotel, Audiolab, Quad, Ruark, Sony, Lins, Nakarnichi

e-eat audio.T

60 Fleet Street, Swindon Tel:0793 538222

YORKSHIRE

Audio Projects 45 Headingley Lane, Leeds LS6 1DP.

Tel. 0532 304565.

Open Tues.—Fri. 9.30-6.00.

Sat 2.50 — 5.30.

HiFi SPECIALISTS.

If t.FI NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 I I "

SPECIALIST GUIDE YORKSHIRE

GEI;(1.0 &WILEY CAST EFORC)

64 & 85 BEANCROFT ROAD

CASTLEFORD

WEST YORKSHIRE WF10 5BS

Tel (0977) 553066/556774

Stockist for All Leading Manufacturers -- Full Demonstration

Facilities closed Wednesday

YORKSHIRE

Audio Reflections Music for the Home DISCOVER ACCURACY IN HIGH FIDELITY

On permanent demonstration exclusively in Yorkshire and the North East of England-ATC: SCM20, SCM50A and SCM100A, ATC, AV international, Concordant, Equinox, Har-beth Acoustics, JPW, Kelvin Labs, Michell Gyrodec, Michell-son & the new Michell Argo Preamp., Ortofon premier range, SME, Sumo, Slate Audio, Sony, Target, Townsend, Recording CD's, software by Sheffield Lab, Furukawa, Cables & Demon-strations & Reference Recordings by arrangement in LEEDS, or in your own home without obligation. For further details contact JOHN BLEAKLEY on Leee (0532) 528850 (evening calls welcome).

Part Exchange and Second Hand Equipment available.

egb /1 / SONY

ACOUSTIC loGINFEAS •VINTERNATIONSI LlmcJ

TO ADVERTISE

IN

THIS

SECTION

CONTACT

081-686 2599

EXT. 447

CLASSIFIED Advertisements for this section must be pre-paid. The rate is 60p per word (private), minimum £16.00 incl. of VAT. Box Nos. OM extra. Trade rates 72p per word, minimum £20.00 incl. VAT. Copy and remittance for advertisements in April issue must reach these offices by 12th February 1992 addressed to: The Advertisement Manager, Hi-Fi News & Record Review, Link House, Dingwall Avenue, Croydon, Surrey, CR9 2TA. Please include name and address. Cheques made payable to Link House Magazines Ltd. NOTE: Advertisement copy must be clearly printed in block capitals or typewritten, illegible copy will be returned.

Classified Lineage Advertisements cannot be accepted over the telephone

Replies to Box numbers should be addressed to the Advertisement Manager, Hi-Fi News & Record Review, Link House, Dingwall Avenue, Croydon CR9 2TA, and the Box No. quoted on the outside of the envelope.

FOR SALE- Private AUDIO RESEARCH 1,S1 + Audio Research Classic 60. August '91. £3,900 pair. Meridian 200 + 203. New November '91 £ 1,250. Magneplanar SMGa. January '91 £375 pair. (0334) 53427 ( East Scotland). ( B)

REVOX HI CASSETTE DECK, as new, mint condi-tion. Quad valve amplifiers and control unit. Appropri-ate new and old valves available. (0736) 60367. ( B)

CLEARING OUT sirriNo Room, have found the following, any takers: - Spendor SP2-2's new, boxed £405. Townsend Sir Davids new, boxed £5110. Revox G36 excellent original with new heads £450. Mission 720's as new £90. PS Audio Preamp cost £750 will accept £95. Akai *KIDS reel to reel V. Good £75. °Moron 9" arm AS2I2 Mk 2 £25. Marantz SP50 surround sound decoder new boxed £ 160. Tel: Ashley (evenings and weekends) (0453) 882164. ( B)

LINN I.P12 BASIK K9 £350. Nakamichi BX100E cassette deck £220. Meridian M30 Active 140wpc plus stands £450. Meridian MLP £ 100. Meridian FM Tuner £90. Tel: ( 0703) 270506 before 9pm. ( B)

MERIDIAN PRO MCD. A classic CD player and still very tough competition in terms of sheer sound quality. Perfect condition, boxed, £300 o.n.o. (0223) 212080. (B)

QUAD 34/405 II WITH MONSTER interconnect £350. Celestion SL6 speakers walnut finish £ 100. Target speaker stands £50. All items boxed and in excellent condition. Tel: ((1793) 82495)). ( B)

CD COLLECTION FOR SALE. Various titles, mainly Rock and Pop. £5 each or 25 for £ 115 or 50 for £200. All in mint condition. Tel: 081-686-5904. ( B)

GOLDMUND MIMESIS 9 - £5,250. Koetsu Red K Signature ( 100 hours) - £ 1,150. Classe DR-6L MkI - £2,300. Martin Logan CLSII (walnut) - £2,900. CAL Aria Mk Ill - £ 1,400. Tel: ( 181-399 3034. Fax: 081-946 4869. ( B)

IMF DOMESTIC MONITORS large Transmission Line Speakers, teak. Real bass, excellent imaging. Classic 4-way design. 40" x 21Y' X 18". Good condition. Anachrophile or organ fans? £650 o.n.o. Tel: (IM/81 663365 ( Bucks). ( B)

LINN SONDEK 1,12 rrroK ATES Stilton Lingo, excellent condition. £850. Tel: Cardiff (0222) 228513 (B)

FOR SALE - Private PINK TRIANGLE PT2/Hclius Orion/ATF5 £575. Croft Supermicro £200. Croft series four £400. Magneplanar SMGa's £350. A.T.Headamp £40. WANTED: Coun-terpoint SA1000, PRO-AC Tablettes, Stax/Jecklin Float. ( 021) 427 6661/(0384) 457457 Roy. ( B)

ANOTHER PIECE OF HISTORY FROM WHARFE-DALE: The Option One Active Loudspeaker, only 20 pairs ever made. £3000 o.n.o. Call Edward (0703) 813790 after 8pm. Weekdays only. Dial! (B)

P.S.AUDIO 4.6 PRE-AMP, immaculate condition £500. Quad 606 power-amp immaculate 135 w.p.c. £300. Both items 2 years old and hardly used due to house purchase. Contact Neil on 061-707-2654 after 6pm. ( B)

REGA PLANAR 3 TURNTABLE with Ortofon car-tridge £ 110. Sansui AU317Il amplifier £25. Kef Con-certo speakers, cat damaged covers, only £75. Akai GXC4OD cassette deck £20. Tel: (181-547 7526 days, ((1306) 880046 evenings. ( B)

CHARTWELL PMI00 SPEAKERS £100, Nytech CPA602, Nytech CPI 12 power and pre amps £ 100 may split, no offers (0925) 266942 Cheshire. (B)

STEREO TUNERS: YAMAHA CT7000, Accuphase TI00, Quad FMI ( with decoder). Excellent condition sell/exchange for, or purchase Revox 286 Tuner pream-plifier, B760, B261 Tuner. (0736) 60367. ( B)

LINN NEXUS SPEAKERS "MK I" version with ori-ginal stands. Set up for hi-wiring. Can demo. £250 o.n.o. 071-385 0309 (Fulham). ( B)

WADIA DIGIMASTER X32 £ 1000. Forte Model IA and 2 pre-power amplifier combination £900. All in immaculate condition with boxes. Tel: Brighton (0273) 694112. ( B)

AKAI STEREO TAPE DECK GX220D, Akai Solid State FM/AM multiflex stereo amplifier AA851N1, Akai cassette stereo tape recorder GXC40. Any reasonable offer considered. Tel: (0245) 320626. ( B)

FOR SALE- Trade NEW EARS! For too many years we tried to sell and hear old hi-fi. Now we sell and listen with pleasure through new Croft valve amplifiers and new Tannoy Speaker Systems. For details phone or write - Midland Radio Supplies, Maypole Lane, Birmingham B14 4PE. Tel:021-430 7817. ( X)

FOR SALE -Trade APOGEE CALIPER SIGNATURES in special Rose-wood finish, slight mark hence silly price of £2700; Magneplanar MG 11 la speakers, perfect £ 1400; Gold-mund Mimesis 6 power amp, £ 1100; Tandberg 3002 pre, £200; Pcrreaux SM 3 pre, £200; Audio Innovations 800 pre and power, £450 the pair; Counterpoint SA-9 phono stage, as new, superb two chassis device with 18 valves, POA, serious inquiries only please. Pinewood Music, Tel: (0460) 54322, ( B) CONVERT your 16-bit CD player to 2nd-generation bitstream with our latest upgrade, which incorporates Philips' SAA7350 differential-mode bitstream DAC plus a very high quality dedicated analogue section built entirely from audiophile-grade components. This modification is available for most Philips-based 16-bit 4x oversampling CD players, within which it will dramatically improve sound quality to give true state-of-the-art performance for £350. For more information contact Geoff on 071-379 7635 Covent Garden Records, 84 Charing Cross Road, London, WC2H OJA. (X)

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PRINTED UPSIDE DOWN AT ADVERTISERS REQUEST

118 HI-F1 NEWS & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992

CLASSIFIED FOR SALE— Trade

BOYS 1TH THE BLACK STUFF BECKENHAM RECORD CENTRE

• SPECIALISTS IN THE PROTECTION OF ENDANGERED SPECIES!

DIRECT CUT C RIGINAL MASTERS.t2 SPEED. REFERENCE. PROPRIUS, OPUS 3. C HESK Y. LINN, SHEFFIELD LAB, ECM WILSON. GRP,

CONCORD, VMGIN CLASSICS ETC AND ALL CONVENTIONAL LABELS

SEND A 6"x9" SAE FOR NEW LISTS • FROM OUR CURRENT BEST SELLERS WE

PARTICULARLY RECOMMEND •

IN AND OUT RECORDS 15E GR VINYL LIMITED TO 2500 EACH AT — f12 99

JAMES BLOOC ULMER — BLUES. RIB. SOUL CHICO FREEMAN — MELLOW SAX FUSION NAT ADDERLEY — TRIUMPET • OT JAZZ BUSTER WILL ANS — DOUBLE BASS • OJ JAZZ WOODY SHAW — TRUMPET • TRIO JAZZ

LINN RECORDS CKHOO1 — MCZART VIVALDI. BACH. ELGAR • DBL LP CKHOO2 — DEBUSSY. ETC — CELLO 8 PNO £9H003 — MCZART SYM 40. SCHUBERT SYM 5 — DBL LP AKF4013 — DAVID MANTON — JAZZ PNO TRIO AKE1014 — MARTIN TAYLOR — JAZZ GTR TRIO

• LINN SELECT

at £8.99

£13.99 £8.99

£13.99 £8.99 £8 99

THE ENTIRE RANGE IN STOCK — WE RECOMMEND THE FOLLOWING NANCI GRIFFITH — LAST OF THE TRUE BE UOVE RS — COUNTRY

PENTANGLE — BASKET OF LIGHT— FOLK ROCKIN JIMMY BYFIELD — LAIDBACK RNB •

OPUS 3 normally £13.49

DUE TO A SPECIAL PURCHASE WE CAN OFFER TEST LPs NOS 2 8 3 FOR CIO EACH •

VARIOUS SUPERCUTS DALEY 8 LORIEN — ARMOSPHE RIC GUITAR ETC £8 99 MOZART REQUIEM — ON PROPFIIUS £9 49 JAZZ AT THE PAWNSHOP — ON PROPRIUS £16 99 CLARK TERRY— ON CHESKY£13 49 ANA CARAM — LATIN VOCAL — ON CHE SKY £13 49 ROBERT LUCAS — SLIDE GTR BLUES — AUDIO OUE ST (15 99 JONAS HEIBERG — VIRTUOSO BASS £9 99 CHRIS WHITE — 199 GT VINYL — LIMITED EDITION — SANBORN STYLE SAX—SUPERB £12 99

•

RECOMMENDED NEW RELEASES:-BONNIE RAT" — LUCK OF THE DRAW 1.3 25 GARY BUR1ON — COOL NIGHTS ON GRP /10 99 LEE RITENOUR — COILECTION ON GRP £8 99 BUDDY GUY — DAWN RtGHT — SUPERB BLUES £9 25 LOW BLOWS — HARMONICA BLUES— COMP 825

• AND MANY MANY MORE...

WE ARE SPECIALIST VINYL RETAILERS AND IN CONJUNCTION WITH OUR SUPERCUTS WE HAVE ACCESS TO ALL LABELSCOVERING BLUES.

%B US AND IRISH. FOLK. ELECTRONIC, NEW AGE JAZZ FUSION COUNTRY ETC ETC AND BACK CATALOGUE OF ALL KINDS & CURRENT

RELEASES

WE ALSO STOCK AND CAN OBTAIN A RANGE OF COMPACT DISCS THAT REFLECTS AND IN MANY CASES EXTENDS BEYOND OUR VINYL

STOCKS PLEASE FEEL FREE TO PHONE REGARDING STOCK. NEW RELEASES OR SPECIAL ORDERS

WE WOULD LIKE TO BE YOUR REGULAR AND ONLY SUPPLIER, MAIL ORDER

FROM STOCK WE DISPATCH SAME DAY AND SPECIAL ORDERS AVE DEALT WITH PROMPTLY UPON RECEIPT

WE PACK VERY CAREFULLY AND ALL MAJOR CREDIT CARDS ARE WELCOME BY PHONE UK PP Rates Cl 00 1st LP - 35p each Inereetler

OVERSEAS CUSTOMERS MOST WELCOME POSTAGE RATES ON APPLICATION •

WE ARE OPEN FOR BROWSING MON-SAT CM BECKENHAM RD. BECKENHAM. KENT. BR3 4LS.

OW -GSA 3141 FAX. 081 -6636626

PUBLICATIONS BERLIOZ & BEETHOVEN. Strange bed-fellows, but they were both full of ideas and opinions which influenced their music and helped to shape the Roman-tic Age. The thoughts, beliefs and attitudes of each arc examined in highly praised biographies-with-a-differerce by one-time HFNIRR editor John Crabbe. Hector Berlioz — Rational Romantic and Beethoven's Empire of the Mind arc available from bookshops at £6.95 each, and if your stockist doesn't have copies on his she'ves, tell him that each can be ordered from Messrs Kahn & Averill. Or you could try your local library. Either way, they make an intriguing read. (XIS)

TO ADVERTISE

IN THIS SECTION CONTACT

081-686 2599 EXT. 447

FOR SALE- Trade

THE PENTACHORD LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM

Compact, versatile beautifully finished

— a truly full range speaker for lovers

of good music. The miniatures are

made of real wood (oak or ash); the

matching low bass unit can be sited

anywhere in the room.

Pentachord Loudspeakers

49 Rusholme Road,

London

SW15 3LF

Telephone (081) 788 2228

Falcon DIY SPEAKERS ,... ... /Send for our FREE price list PL20:

All we ask for is a large S.A.E. (34p stamp) or $2 bill (air) overseas.

(Europe — 3 International reply coupons) SYSTEM DESIGNS (Total Kits):

Focal, KEF Constructor, Seas, etc. DRIVE UNITS FOCAL, KEF, Audax,

Coles. Peerless, Seas, Siare, Elac Metal Dome, Scanspeak, etc.

Also Group/Disco Units CROSSOVER NETWORKS — Active & Passive Components,

Accessories, Polypropylene Caps. AUDIO AMATEUR PUBLICATIONS

BACK ISSUES:-Speaker Builder, Audio Amateur & Glass

Audio & lots of books. Full details from

FALCON ELECTRONICS (Dept H.F.N.) Tabor House, Mulbarton,

Norfolk NR14 8JT (0508) 78272 (Proprietors. Falcon Acoustics Ltd I

FOR SALE— Trade

20111-1 HIGH END AUDIO BOUGHT/SOLD

EXCHANGED

WINTER SALE

SJit.

GOLDNUND REFERENCE TURNTABLE SME V ARM 19 995 GOLCMUND 514 GOLD SIGNATURE CARTRIDGE 12.995 OXFORD CRYSTAL REFERENCE SILVER WIRED MECHANIC CI 650 ROCK EXCALIBUR AVONDALE SUPPLY SPECIAL BUILD C895 MAKEKNOLL ATHENA AIR BEARING A/R ARIA TURNTABLE L/50 MICROSEIM MR BEARING. VACUUM HOLD PUTTER WHEATON 1.3 5011 TRIPLANAR MK 2 ARM 13010. BRON/E HEAVYWEIGHT FORSELL AIR REFERENCE TURNTABLE E. ARM AS SEEN AT L4 995 PUPA SHOW 91 GRAHAM MODEL ONE ARM WHEATON TRIPLANAR MK ? ARM UNUSED MISSION MECHANIC ARM BOXED SILVER WIRED ZETA ARM V D tl WIRED VI TA ARM MERIDIAN 21:1613 CD PLAYER RI demo MERIDIAN :03 D A CONVERTER ex demo PROCEED PEO CD PL LI 095 ex demo AYER BAI OUTPUT PROCEED POP DIGITAL PROCESSOR 1/95 ex demo OODLES MORE HIGH END CARTRIDGES AVAIIABIE EG VOH OR TOFON TOWN

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H1-1,1 N ..17/S & RECORD REVIEW FEBRUARY 1992 121

BACK DOOR

KEN KESSLER

Bryan Adams' Everything I Do I Do It For You', is a pleasant enough ballad, but 16 weeks at No. 1? Breaking all

previous records for the longest ( consecu-tive) stay at the top of the UK charts, it's still an 'average' tune. But the success says a lot about the state of [X /p music. The song had two things going for it,

almost ensuring a long run despite the downturn in singles sales over the past five years. One, it was connected with a major motion picture (Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves), such added hype having helped numerous tunes in recent memory. Far more important, though, is Selling Point No 2: the lack of competition. The rest of the charts consists of mindless, unhummable dance music, vile rap, same-y HM or featherweight popslop so deliberate in hit intention that even the 9-year-olds are becoming cynical. And, no, I'm not pleased that Adams' run was broken by U2, surely the most pompous, boring, po'faced group since, oh, Emerson, Lake and Palmer. As HFNIRR contributor Pete Clark pointed

out in the Mail On Sunday, the ephemeral nature of pop stars has been extended to a point where attention spans can now be measured in nano-seconds. Chesney Hawkes, the pin-up of Summer '91, had been reduced to `Cheesey' by the autumn in the very magazine which built him up to star proportions. Kylie and Jason are still around, but Betty Boo gaffed while lip-synching. The New Kids On The Block? Just about to be replaced by the New Old Kids On The Block: l'he Osmond Boys.

Yes, the members of that squeaky-clean family, despite sexuality best described as non-existent, have procreated a whole band's worth of singin' males. It's four smiling, toothy dweebs so full of confidence and a sound so carefully aimed at a pre-pubescent audience that the records should come packed with Pampers. Like their dads, the Osmond Brats are wholesome to a fault, inanely chatty as only my fellow country-men can be, starved of originality and as marketable as ice cream in the desert. If PC is right, however, we may only have to suffer them until the Easter break. But Mrs Kessler hit the nail on the head when they landed on the TV-AM sofa one morning: 'It's like a bad dream...' she sighed.

But '91 will also be remembered as the year that decidedly unsexy, far-from-photogenic singers also shifted discs. Who'd've believed that three hefty chunks named José, Placid() and Luciano would top

122 FEBRUARY 1992

the charts with an operatic number? Should this suggest that there's hope? Uh, no, it shouldn't. Their hit was a fluke, not an indication that opera is the 'latest thing'. Football and charity events sell records as easily as do hit motion pictures. Kin i Te Kanawa's equally surprising chart action is a by-product of the same marketing machine. Not so Paul McCartney's Liverpool Ora-

torio, which I've been told has charted in both the pop and the classical listings. This is a one-off, but one which bears the name of an ex-Fab. Kin's presence may have helped, Carl Davis's too, but I'd like to think that Macca's moniker was sufficient. (Though it's said more money has been spent promoting this two-disc affair than on any other clas-sical release for the 1991-2 season.)

But back to regular pop rather than odd-ball crossovers. Again, it's the oldsters with comebacks who seem to be producing the only alternatives, with the long-awaited return of Dire Straits, Prince's best in ages, John Lee Hooker's Mr Lucky and the like showing far greater variety or invention than the hackneyed spewings from the rappers/ headbangers/dancers/neo-psychedelicists. Which is why I'm not surprised that 1991

will probably be better remembered as the Year of the Box Set.

Blame it on CD. Or, more precisely, be grateful that CD has inspired such intelligent archive dredging as shown in the compre-hensive, well-assembled, carefully transfer-red packages bearing multiple discs. Accord-ing to one source, the trailblazer box from Led Zeppelin has sold over 750,000 copies

Bryan Adams at No.1 for sixteen

weeks; opera in the charts.

What is the pop world coming to?

worldwide, Rod Stewart's Storyteller passed the 400,000 mark and Clapton's Cmssroads still sells close to 100,000 sets a year. The importance of the multi-disc package

cannot be overstated as it marks a new approach to music vending. Obviously targetted not at kids bound by limited amounts of pocket money, these pricey box sets acknowledge that the rock market contains a substantial number of thirty-, forty- and fifty-somethings with more dispos-able income than yer basic singles buyer. The on-going nostalgia putsch on TV — from the late, ( un )lamented Thirtysomething to The Wonder Years, the Sounds of the Sixties and the hilarious Dream On — ensures non-stop plugging of the material. Even if Levi never runs another advert with a rock score, the soft sell will continue.

In 1991, box set lovers were treated to the milestone Complete RobertJohnson, the Stax Singles Collection, the first volume of four covering Bessie Smith's entire body of work, the Hank Williams singles collection, the Fripp-assembled The Essential King Crimson, the triple 'unreleased' Bob Dylan box with notes by John Bauldie, the sorely-needed Crosby, Stills & Nash box, the revival-inspiring Byrds package, Fats Domi-no's They Call Me The Fat Man, the Monk-ees, Charly's Yardbirds set, James Brown's Star Time, an Elton John best-of and too many others to recall. So it's been a very expensive year for the music addict.

But be warned that there's no let-up in sight, the record companies having learned that there's gold in them thar vaults. Hang on to any record tokens you received at Christ-mas. This time next year I'll probably be praising forthcoming sets (with 'tentative' 1993 release dates) from Jackie Wilson, Neil Young, Jeff Beck, Bessie Smith ( three sets to go) and anyone else with a back catalogue worth the treatment. +

Naha lift the lid on the

next generation of CD players.

Our new CDS CD player. Something new from Naim is not to be treated lightly. Least of all by Nairn itself.

So when we develop a CD player, it is an event to set the hi-fi world talking.

After all, such a CD player has a lot io live up to. We haven't spent the last twenty years making a name for

ourselves in amplifiers, tuners and tone-arms to just squander our reputation on an upstart CD player.

So a CD player from Naim has to be good.

It has to be so good that people whose opinion we respect say of it: "A reference class machine without equal" STEFAN SCHICKEDANZ AND STEFAN ZENKER, HI-FI VISION, GERMANY

"The CDS easily surpassed all that had gone before it" MALCOLM STEWARD, HI-FI WORLD

"A landmark product in the develop-ment of the Compact Disc" PAUL MESSENGER, HI-FI CHOICE

Enough said? Then talk your way into your nearest Naim dealer and lift the lid on our CDS for yourself.

Now you know what's in a Nairn. Naim Audio, Southampton Road, Salisbury SP1 2LN, England. Tel: (0722) 332266 OE" naim audio

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PRETENTIOUS MUSIC. JOURNALIST.

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