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CoverSeparate components, such as Rotel's

RSP-960AX surround -sound processor

and Marantz's MA500 single -channelpower amplifiers. provide flexibility

in a home theater system. See page 65.

Photograph by Jook R Leung

Stereo ReviewINCORPORarifi HIGH [1[1111!

NOVEMBER 1994

32Car StereoSanyo MiniDisc changer receiver - by Ken Pohlmann

41Equipment Test Reports

BULLETIN 6Rotel RSP-960AX surround -sound processor. page 41Canon S-35 speaker system, page 46

LETTERS 8 Parasound HCA-1206 six -channel power amplifier, page 50Technics SL-PD1000 CD changer, page 56

Nft. PRODUCTS . . . .15 Cambridge SoundWorks Ensemble III speaker system, page 62

AUDIO RA 20 GB

PERIPHERALS 24Home Theater: Going for SeparatesComponents for surround sound by Daniel Krona:

SIGNALS 28 80TECHNICAL TALK 38 Audiophile A/V

Three steps to a no -compromise home theater by Rebecca Day

POPULAR VUSIC 11383

CLASSICAL VUSIC 130 Signals from the Sky

TIVE DELAY 152Direct Broadcast Satellite wants to change the wayyou watch TV by Richard R. Peterson and Michael Riggs

COPYRIGHT 0 1994 BY HACHETTE FILIPAC-CHI MAGAZINES. INC. All rights reserved. Ste.reo Review. November 1994. Volume 59. NumberII. Stereo Review IISSN 0039-1220) is publishedmonthly by Hachette Filipacchi Magazines. Inc. at1633 Broadway. New York. NY 111019: telephone1212) 767-6(151. One-year subscription rate for theUnited States and its possessions, 515.94: Canada.$23.94 (includes 7'4 GST. GST registration num.her 12601%209. Canadian Sales Agreeement Numher 99236): all other countries. $23.94: cash ordersonly. payable in U.S. currency. Second-classpostage paid al New York. NY 10001. mid at addi-tional mailing offices. Authorized as second-classmail by the Post Office Department. Ottawa.Canada. and for payment of postage in cash.POSTMASTER / SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE:Please send change -of -address (onus and all sub-scription correspondence to Stereo Review. P.O.BOX 55627, Boulder. CO 140322-5627. Please al-low at least eight weeks for the change of addressto become effective. Include both your old andyour new address, enclosing. if possible, an ad-dress label fmm a recent issue. If you have a sub-scription problem. write to the above address orcall 003) 447.93311. PERMISSIONS: Material inthis publication may not be reproduced in anyform without permission. Requests for permissionshould be directed to: The Editor. Stereo Review.1633 Broadway. New York. NY 10019. BACK IS-SUES are available. Write to Stereo Review-BackIssues. P.O. Boy 7085. Brick, NJ 118723. Enclose acheck for the cover price of each issue you wantplus $1.75 each for shipping and handling. Fortelephone credit-card orders, call (908) 367-2900.EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS must be accom-panied by return postage and will be handled withreasonable care. hut the publisher assumes no re-sponsibility for the return or safety of unsolicitedmanuscripts. art, or phOiOgraphS.

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

86Carver Research Lightstar Power Amplifier\ special test report - by Julian Hirsch

93The Mating GameGetting your components to work with each other istenth important and, usually, easy by Peter W. Mitchell

99The Disc RecordingA centennial appreciation by Michael W. Sherman

104Sound SensationsA hands-on exhibition by David Ranada

101Best Recordings of the Month

Page 80

A Page 68

Page 86

LE I N

CHILL OUTSensitive to the globalincrease in personal stress,Pioneer is promoting in Japanits Bodysonic chair, whichsoothes an occupant byvibrating in sync withrelaxing music. Sales havebeen limited by the price ofthe chair (1.5 million yen,or about $15,000), but Pioneeris optimistic about the futureof the system, which alsomakes it possible to feelvideos as you watch. TheBodysonic chair wasdemonstrated at CES lastyear, but at present the onlyBodysonic products PioneerU.S.A. is marketing are forthe car, $300 to $520 "speakersystems" that fit onto thebacks of the seats so riderscan feel the music playingon the car's stereo system.

A hit in Japan, the "BabySoother" cassette/CD calmsbabies with a series ofrhythmic sounds said to besimilar to those in a mother'swomb. British TechnologyGroup, of Guelph Mills,Pennsylvania, whichrepresents the inventor of theBaby Soother, is seeking acompany to manufacture andsell the device in the U.S.

DIGESTAmong the winners ofDiscover magazine's fifth

BY WILLIAM LIVINGSTONEAND BOB ANKOSKO

annual Discover Awards forTechnological Innovation aretwo products that haveappeared in STEREOREviEw's CES "Showstopper"roundups: the DigitalSatellite System (DSS)pioneered by DirecTV andRCA and the NoiseBusternoise -canceling headsetfrom Noise CancellationTechnologies (NCT). Fivefinalists were selected ineach of seven categoriesfrom a pool of more than 4,000nominations. Winners werechosen by independentjudges in each category....Warner Bros. Records andaffiliated record labels arenow previewing upcomingmusic releases on AmericaOnline and CompuServe.Subscribers can download

30 -second samples ofreleases before they arrivein stores.... KEF is offeringa limited -edition SignatureSeries of speakers in honorof its founder, Raymond E.Cooke. The three -modellineup includes a newversion of the famous LS3/5adesigned for the BritishBroadcasting Corp. ($1,450a pair in teak, $1,650 inrosewood). The speakersmust be special -orderedthrough authorized KEFSignature Series dealers.

An independent surveyconducted for Yamaha showsthat U.S. consumers aremore knowledgeable abouthome theater now than theywere a year ago, yet only38 percent of audio/videosales personnel said that asmany as half of the potentialcustomers in their storesare familiar with the name"Dolby." . . . Mid -year figuresreleased by the RecordingIndustry Association ofAmerica indicate that thedollar value of shipments ofrecordings in 1994 increased11.9 percent over the first sixmonths of last year to reach arecord total of $4.8 billion....The soundtrack recording ofDisney's The Lion Kingbecame the best-sellingalbum released in 1994, withsales of 5 million units inonly three months....Deutsche Grammophon saysthat more than 1 million CD'sand tapes in its "Mad About"

SPEAKER RECIPES

Want to build your own speakers, but with a little help fromthe pros? Plans for seven different speaker systems, includingfour Signature Series designs by speaker guru Vance Dickason(author of The Loudspeaker Design Cookbook), are outlined ina 28 -page booklet available from Polydax. Each speaker planincludes a parts list, construction diagrams, placementrecommendations, comments from the designer, and responsegraphs. For a copy of Kit Plans: Build Your Own Loudspeakersand details on how to get kit components, write to PolydaxSpeaker Corp., 10 Upton Dr., Wilmington, MA 01887: ortelephone 508-658-0700.

series of classical recordingswere sold in its first year,and the purchasers representevery age group from under18 to over 60. The supposedlyapathetic Generation X (age26 to 30) led with 14 percentof the sales.

VCR FIXIN'SVCR's top the list of productstaken in for repair to RadioShack stores since thechain began handling out -of -warranty repairs for major -brand electronic productslast summer, accordingto Henry Chiarelli, vicepresident of retail servicesfor Radio Shack's parent,Tandy Corp. It seems thatchildren (we presume) havea penchant for putting coinsand other small objects intothe cassette wells. "We'veseen VCR's with a lot ofpeculiar things in them,"Chiarelli said, adding thatanother common problemis tapes jammed intodecks upside-down.

Telephones are next onthe most -often -repaired list,followed by camcorders,personal electronics (Walk-man -type tape players, etc.),and, finally, audio products,including receivers, turn-tables, and CD changers.

AUTOSOUND ANNEXBose sound systems arebeing offered as options intwo new 1995 luxury sedans:the Mazda Millenia and theOldsmobile Aurora. TheMillenia system ($1,200)features six speakers anda trunk -mounted six -discCD changer; the Aurorasystem ($1,131) featuresseven speakers, includingan Acoustimass bass module,and a twelve -discCD changer.... Options forFord's new 1995 Windstarminivan include aseven -speaker Ford JBLsystem ($510 with "preferredequipment" luxury package)and a ten -disc CD changer($500) that's mounted in theconsole between the driverand front passenger seat.

I, STEREO REVIEW NOVI NIB ER 1994

CNCX.CN

JIO

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN OP THE REMOTE GONTROI

REINHOLD WEISS DESIGN, CHICAGO

SD -1000 SURROUND DECODER

AA -166o SIX -CHANNEL AMPLIFIER

BUT WE THINK YOU'LL FIND THIS FIRST FEW DOZEN FROM VIDEO

MAGAZINE'S TECHNICAL EDITOR LANCE BRAITHWAITE COMPELLING ENOUGH

TO MAKE PROTON'S NEW LINE OF HIGH -END MONITOR/RECEIVERS WORTH

A CLOSER LOOK:

"PROTON HAS A REPUTATION AS THE FERRARI OF DIRECT -VIEW TV

SETS... THE COMPANY'S TVS HAVE EARNED CONSISTENTLY HIGH MARKS FROM

REVIEWERS AND VIDEOPHILES."

THE OTHER 1371 WORDS ARE EQUALLY COMPLIMENTARY. BUT THAT'S

NO SURPRISE GIVEN PROTON'S COMMITMENT TO SUPERB ENGINEERING AND

REMARKABLE PICTURE QUALITY. FROM THE MAGNIFICENT LARGE -SCREEN

35 -INCH NT -3740 TO THE NEW

20 -INCH VT -2 18 MONITOR/

RECEIVER, PROTON PACKS VALUABLE

FEATURES AND PERFORMANCE INTO

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Stereo ReviewVice President, Editor in Chief

LOUISE BOUNDAS

Executive EditorMICHAEL RIGGS

Art DirectorSUE LLEW1 1 I 1

Director, Hirsch -Houck LaboratoriesJULIAN HIRSCH

Senior Editor Technical EditorBOB ANKOSKO DAVID RANADA

Managing Editor: VA II) STEIN

Popular Music Editor Classical Music EditorSTEVE SIMELS ROBERT RIPPS

Associate Art DirectorMINDY OSWALD

Associate Editor Assistant EditorMARYANN SALTSER JAE SEGARRA

Editor at LargeWILLIAM LIVINGSTONE

Contributors: Robert Ackert, Chris Albenson,Rebecca Day, Richard Freed. Jose Garcia (Buyers'Guides), Phyl Garland, Ron Givens, David Hall,

Bryan Harrell (Tokyo), Roy Hemming,George Jellinek. Stoddard Lincoln. Ian Masters.

Alanna Nash, Henry Pleasants (London),Ken Pohlmann, Parke Puterbaugh. Charles Rodrigues,

Eric Salzman, Craig Stark. David Patrick Stearns

Vice President, Group PublisherIttl CATALANO

Consumer Electronics Group AdvertisingV l'/Advertising Director

Scott Constantine

Regional VP/Ad Director. East Coast:Charles L. P. Watson. (212) 767-6038

Regional Account Manager, East Coast:Christine B. Forhez. (212) 767-6025

Regional VP/Ad Director, West Coast:Robert Meth. (213) 954-4831

Western Advertising Manager:Paula Mayeri. (213) 954-4830Sales Assistant: Nikki Parker

National Record Label Sales Representatives:The Mitchell Advertising Group (MAG Inc.)

Mitch Herskowitz, (212) 490-1715Steve Gross, (212) 490-1895

Assistant to the Publisher: Aline J. PulleyPromotion Coordinator: Elizabeth O'Keefe

Operations Manager: Sylvia CorreaAdvertising Coordinator: Linda Neuweiler

Sales Assistant: Yvonne TelesfordClassified Advertising: (800)445-6066

Production Manager: Vicki L. FeinmelProduction Director: Patti Burns

Business Manager: Christine Z. MailletGeneral Manager: Greg Roperti/

=ggStereo Review is publishedby Hachette Filipacchi Magazines, Inc.

Chairman: Daniel FilipacchiPresident. CEO. and COO: David J. Pecker

Executive VP and Editorial Director: Jean-Louis GinibreSenior VP. Global Advertising: Paul DuCharme

Senior VP. Director of Corporate Sales: Nicholas MatarazzoSenior VP. CFO & New Business Development:

Paul DeBenedictisVP, General Counsel: Catherine Flickinger

VP. Manufacturing & Distribution: Anthony RomanoVP. Circulation: David W. Leckey

VP, Research & Marketing Services: Susan SmollensVP. Communications & Special Projects: Keith Estabrook

VP. Magazine Development: Marcia SacharVP, Director of Creative Services. Corporate Sales.

Lynn Chaiken

LETTERS

"Consumer Reports"Na former audio industry professionaland a long-time reader of both STEREO

REVIEW and Consumer Reports, please letme add my two cents' worth to the debatebegun by Julian Hirsch in his September"Tech Talk" column. I agree with almost allof what Mr. Hirsch said, but I wish he'dgiven more attention to what I considerthe most important part of any review inConsumer Reports: the frequency -of -repairrecords.

It's not normally difficult to decide why Ilike one product more than another-soundquality, ergonomics, wife -acceptance factor,or what have you. But if I know that a par-ticular product (a car, a cassette deck, or alawn mower) is more likely to need repairthan a similar product from another manu-facturer, that is going to affect my decision.An audio salesperson might not care to tellme that a certain tape deck tends to spend alot of time on the repair bench, but Con-sumer Reports can-and saves me a lot ofgrief in the process.

There is no such thing as too much infor-mation. Consumers need to know as muchas they can to make informed purchases.STEREO REVIEW and Consumer Reports aretwo excellent places to get that knowledge.

VICTOR A. DOUCETIEDetroit, MI

Changing the Volume n his amusing story on surround processors, "Doesn't Anybody Change the Vol-ume Anymore?" (September), Alan Freed-man stated that the Proceed PAV audio/vid-eo preamplifier does not have an on -screendisplay, but it actually has a rather sophisti-cated one.

The display can be temporarily disabledif the user finds the on -screen messages dis-tracting. We assume that Mr. Freedman'sexperience with the PAV was limited to abrief demo in a dealer's showroom, and it isentirely possible that the display was turnedoff. As for the PAV's lack of myriad digital"hall effects," no amount of artificial rever-beration, digital or otherwise, can sound asnatural as the ambience captured in the re-cording itself. For this reason, the PAV usesambience -extraction circuitry that placesthe natural ambience of the recording out inthe room (where it belongs). JON HERRON

Director of Communication, MadrigalMiddletown, CT

As a salesman of high -end audio/videoproducts, I found some errors of over-

sight in Alan Freedman's "Doesn't Any-body Change the Volume Anymore?" Forexample, the Denon AVP-5000 audio/videopreamplifier incorporates all of Mr. Freed-

man's desired features. Perhaps, too, a moreknowledgeable salesperson would havesuggested the Denon AVC-3030 integratedAN amplifier as a replacement for the Ya-maha instead of the Denon AVR-3000 re-ceiver, as the AVC-3030 incorporates theon -screen displays the AVR-3000 omits.

In any case, Mr. Freedman was wrong inhis criticisms of the AVR-3000's front -pan-el display. The PANEL button on both the re-mote controls that accompany the receiversequentially calls up displays of SurroundMode, Center Channel Mode and (rear)Time Delay, Center Volume Level, Sur-round Volume Levels (and balance), InputSource, and Record Outputs as well asswitching the display completely off.

Finally, the McIntosh C-39 is a versatileA/V control center, not short on features.The incorporation of Pro Logic, (optional)Home THX, and natural ("Hall") ambience -extraction modes without phony digital -de-lay environment -simulation modes is as-suredly deliberate. ROB GOODMAN

Stereo Hi-Fi CenterTorrance, CA

The salesman Alan Freedman spoke withabout the Yamaha DSP-A2070 was mis-

taken. I own that amplifier and enjoy theoption of separate audio and video switch-ing via the remote control. It also has all theother options Mr. Freedman listed.

JEFFREY SHULLMansfield, OH

Alan Freedman replies: As I discovered onmy own, after it was too late to change thearticle, the Proceed PAV does have an on-screen display. As for the rest, however, /don't feel I was off -base. So the input tothe Denon amp is displayed if you togglethrough a display sequence on the remote-how does that help a family member tryingto see at a glance what's playing? TheYamaha DSP-A2070 may have audiolvideoswitching on the remote, hut you can't do itat the unit, and the salesman couldn't showme how to do it at all.

With many of these components, / scouredthe manuals, even taking some home andreading them for hours, because the sales-people lacked the information I needed.Most of them did not seem inspired enoughto learn the details. They don't get enough"challenges" from guys like me.

Surround Speaker HookupWhile David Ranada's review of three"low -budget" A/V receivers in Au-

gust was informative on the whole, his dis-cussion of a series hookup for surroundspeakers may be misleading. If completelydifferent models of surround speaker are

8 STEREO REVIEW NOVEMBER 1994

Introducingthe firstspeaker System to

., realize even fanslike a good chase scene.

Some consider Lynnfield VR video reference speakers from Boston Acoustics to be the first home theater components that

do justice to, say, an impeccably recorded symphony. Others see them as the first audiophile speakers flexible enough to

reproduce an Arnold Schwarzenegger film without muscling in on the rest of the living room furniture. To accomplish this,

our Lynnfield VR speakers use advanced technology from our acclaimed Lynnfield Series (which sell for over $5000 a pair).

Like our patented AMD mechanical filter, anodized aluminum tweeter dome, DCD bass units, crossovers with bypass capaci-

tors and heavy windowpane -braced cabinets. Plus all VR components feature MagnaGuard' shielding so they're not finicky

about being placed next to video equipment. A full explanation of these engineering achievements is available at your

local Boston dealer. Why not drive there? Carefully.

Boston Acoustics70 Broadway, Lynnfield, MA 01940 617-592-9000

NewLynnfield VR.

The Lynnfield VR Seriesincludes three floor -

standing left/rightspeakers-the VR20,VR33 and VR40-theVR12 center chanrel

speaker and VRS dipolesurround speake-s.


LETTERS

used, his cautions are valid. But most userswould employ the same model for both sur-rounds, and a series hookup in that caseshould not cause problems. The frequencyresponse of identical speakers will not besignificantly affected by a series hookup,and if a low -impedance design is employed,that kind of connection will prevent thekind of surround -amp overload that mightresult with a parallel interface.

HOWARD FERSTLERTallahassee, FL

David Ranada replies: My preference forparallel connections is an "all other thingsbeing equal" proposition. Mr. Ferstler iscorrect that using identical surround speak-ers should not cause problems, but parallelconnection will allow the safe connection ofa single surround speaker (as is necessaryin some listening situations) or the use ofvery different surround speakers (as mightoccur because of a piecemeal upgrade) inaddition to providing freedom from speak-er -impedance interactions.

Going to an ExtremeWhile reading Parke Puterbaugh's re-view of the Kiss tribute CD, "Kiss

My Ass" (September), I was surprised tosee Extreme described as a "German metalband." I thought it was an American band.Am I confused, or is Mr. Puterbaugh?

LAURIE A. WELSHDunellen, NJ

He was. Extreme's lead singer is German,hut the band is American, as other readersalso noted.

"Is It Real, or ?"An ad for the Victor Talking Machine in

the July 1906 issue of Ainslee's maga-zine shows that realistic recorded sound hasbeen around a lot longer than we may havethought. It declares that people could not"tell the difference between hearing grand -opera artists sing and hearing their beautifulvoices on the Victor." It concludes, "Thereis a Victor for every purse-$10 to $100."

Interestingly, an ad for the Edison Pho-nograph, also from Ainslee's, states, "For asmall additional expense you can obtainfrom your dealer a recorder and blank rec-ords, by which you can make your ownrecords, and listen to the sound of your ownvoice and that of your friends."

WALTER V. PIERSONForsyth, GA

Speaker ValuesTNousaine's reports on comparison

tests of floor -standing speakers (July)and bookshelf speakers (September) have

left me with some questions. While I under-stand the limitations of test facilities, Mr.Nousaine positioned all the speakers in thesame room location, thereby doing a disser-vice to those whose manufacturers recom-mended putting them against a wall or in acorner. How much did that color the listen-ing panel's impressions of their perfor-mance? What exactly makes the $500-$600bookshelf speakers tested worth any morethan bookshelf speakers in the $250-$350range? Also, what explains the great varia-tion in weight, from 11 to 29 pounds?

JAMES KEYESMuskegon, MI

It is very difficult w set up and carry out agood comparative listening test of loud-speakers, particularly when many or all ofthe contestants are close in quality, andsometimes one has to make difficult choicesbetween maintaining similar placement ofall the speakers under test and placing eachof them exactly as recommended. Like anyother speaker review, these comparisonsshould he treated as rough guides to yourown further listening and evaluation ratherthan as the final word on any of the speak-ers

It is impossible to make a blanket state-ment about what distinguishes speakersin different price ranges that will be validfor all instances. In general, however, onemight expect some combination of improve-ments in bass extension, maximum outputlevel, and overall sound quality (smooth-ness, detail, imaging, and so forth) as pricegoes up, particularly within a given line.The variation in size and weight among thebookshelf speakers was a result of our deci-sion to choose models in a particular pricerange. Had we gone by size or some othercriterion, the prices would have varied sub-stantially.

The Future of Laserdiscs

AAfterreading several recent articles in

STEREO REVIEW about the digital futureof television, I have begun to worry aboutmy collection of laserdiscs. The articlesstate that the new HDTV standard will betotally compatible with the NTSC formatwe have now, meaning that we will still beable to watch old programs recorded yearsago by an ancient VHS VCR on the brand-new digital VCR of the future. But will fu-ture laserdisc players be able to play the olddiscs? Is there any plan at all to continueproducing laserdiscs in the future, or willthat consist entirely of CD -Movies?

MOSHE REUVENIGivataiym, Israel

The digital VCR of the future probably willnot be able to play actual VHS tapes, but

you could easily dub them to the new for-mat. As for HDTV laserdisc players, itwould be very surprising if they were notendowed with the ability to play currentlaserdiscs, unless the HDTV discs turn outto be considerably smaller.

We assume that by CD -Movies you meanwhat is being called Video CD. In the pre-sent format, the picture quality from VideoCD is considerably inferior to that fromlaserdisc-perhaps on a par, overall, withthat from VHS tape-and the laserdisc mar-ket is continuing to grow at a good pace.Moreover, the audio data rate on Video CDis too low to accommodate the discrete 5.1 -channel digital soundtracks that are expect-ed on laserdisc in the near future.

Power to the Center' can't let the following comment in Au- gust "Dealer's Choice," by Rebecca Day,pass without objection: "Having more pow-er for the center speaker is no problem forRubinstein, since [it] plays a key role [inhome theater], especially in reproducing di-alogue. And even if the center speaker . . .

needs to be throttled back a bit, the adjust-

remote control."Obviously, if the input to all channels is

in correct balance, then having more poweravailable to any one channel is irrelevant.The article should have noted whether theselected system amplifiers have the samesensitivity-that is, does each amp producethe same level when driven by I volt?

STEPHEN J. EDWARDSYonkers, NY

The published comment about power wasindeed confusing: what really has to be at-tended to are the relative sensitivities of thevarious amplifiers and loudspeakers in thesystem. Fortunately, as noted in the article,level -matching can he dealt with via theprocessor.

Wanted: Wire RecorderMy father made a number of recordings

on a Sears, Roebuck & Co. wire re-corder in the late 1940's and early 1950's. Iam having trouble finding a working playerfor them so that I can make dubs. Can any-one give me any help? I have checked witha number of local stereo and electronics re-pair shops with no luck. DALE HARRIS

251 La FondaHouston, TX 77060

B ypassing SCMSAnericans have a way of ignoring laws

that they find a nuisance-for exam-ple, the Serial Copy Management System


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Stereo ReviewPRESENTS

THE BASIC REPERTORY ON COMPACT DISCA CRITICAL DISCOGRAPHY

1994 EDITION

Noted critic Richard Freedhas chosen the best available CDrecordings of the most oftenperformed music in the classicalorchestral repertory. Hundreds ofrecordings of symphonic worksfrom Bach to Wagner!

To receive your copy ofthis useful pamphlet, send a self-addressed business -size (#10)envelope, stamped with 520postage, and a check or moneyorder for $3 payable to StereoReview (no cash, please), to TheBasic Repertory, Stereo Review,1633 Broadway, New York, NY10019. Orders from outside theU.S.A. must be accompaniedby a self-addressed envelopeand $4 (payable in U.S. funds).

LETTERS

(SCMS). It's ridiculous. I've heard thatanyone knowledgeable in electronics willbe able to bypass the system. If that's nottrue, what are the chances of some kind ofbypass system's becoming available under-ground (or overseas)? BILL OLSEN

Lake Linden, MI

While we agree that SCMS is a nuisance-particularly in the case of DCC and MD,whose copies are not digital clones-it isrequired by law on U.S. consumer equip-ment. And the system will still let youmake any number of first -generation direct -digital copies. You usually cannot bypassSCMS by simple means (for example, cut-ting a wire in the circuit). You'd have to de-sign and construct a circuit to change oreliminate the SCMS data in the digital sig-nal, which is not extremely complex or cost-ly to do, but it is tricky. Trying to sell such acircuit could get you into big trouble, how-ever: lawyers, subpoenas, court appear-ances, the works.

Only Connect

Pleato manufacturers: On most receivers

and amplifiers the many inputs and out-puts on the back are much too close togeth-er, making it very difficult to connect anddisconnect equipment. I have ruined manycables just trying to dislodge them. Whynot put the jacks further apart so that a per-son with average -size fingers can get agood grip on a plug and not have to pull onthe cable? JAAN TONTS

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

Correctionsn David Ranada's October "User's Re-port" on the Energy Home Theater Ref-

erence speaker system, two model designa-tions were transposed. The center -channelspeaker is the RVS- I, the left and rightsatellites the RVS-2.

In his September review of a reissue byBobby Watson, Chris Albertson referred tohis "current Blue Note releases." Watson isrecording for Columbia now.

In referring to the conductor Kent Naga -no's "late New York debuts" at CarnegieHall and the Met last spring (September),author K. Robert Schwarz overlooked Na-gano's prior debut with the New York Phil-harmonic at Avery Fisher Hall on Novem-ber 12, 1987.

We welcome your letters. Please addresscorrespondence to Editor, Stereo Review,1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.You should include your address andtelephone number for verification. Lettersmay be edited for clarity and length.

Even the homeshopping channels

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Get ready for an audio experience that reaches far beyond the confines of your living room- whether

you're in the movie mode, the music mode, or even the shopping mode. Introducing the RV -6030R.

Our latest and greatest audio/video receiver.

Sherwood is one of the few A/V Receiver manufacturers to utilize the new Analog Devices' Dolby Pro Logic® surround processor.

It delivers enhanced channel separation even with low-level signals, wider dynamic range, and lower total harmonic distortion. We're

talking crisp dialogue and multi -dimensional sound effects with all the depth and clarity of the original production.

Superior Dolby Pro Logic* performance, 75 watts per channel-left, right and center, and an A/V Receiver product line that was

awarded "Best Buy" status by the leading national consumer magazine. It all adds up to a component that'll knock your cubic

zirconium -studded socks off.

So if you're shopping around and need a little more convincing, call (800) 962-3203 to find out how our RV -6030R with the Analog

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The ultimate way toremain true to

the listener,is to

first be faithfulto the source.

AZThe way life sounds.

The new AR 303, 302, 338, 228, 208v & 218v loudspeakers. 1-800-969-AR4U.

NE

TOSHIBA AToshiba's CV27D48 is the first

27 -inch TV with a built-in four -

head VHS Hi-Fi VCR. The set is

said to deliver 650 lines of

horizontal resolution and is

equipped with stereo audio/video

inputs and a remote control.

To simplify recording, the VCR

will automatically shift to a

AIWAAiwa's top cassette deck, the

AD -F850 ($400). is a three -head

design featuring a two -motor.

dual -capstan "quick -response"

tape mechanism. Highlights

include Dolby HX Pro. Dolby B

and C noise reduction, a

fine-tuning bias control, a

fluorescent display with a linear

IIN3

slower recording speed if

necessary to fit an entire program

on one tape. Other convenience

features include such on -screen

prompts as clocks that show

start and end times. Price:

$1,000. Toshiba, Dept. SR,

82 Totowa Rd., Wayne, NJ 07470.

Circle 120 on reader service card

tape counter. LED level

indicators, and a remote control.

The AD -F850 is joined by two

other new models: the single -well

AD -F450 ($250) and the

dual -well AD-WX727 ($300).

Aiwa. Dept. SR. 800 Corporate

Dr., Mahwah, NJ 07430.


HSU RESEARCHSubwoofer or end table? The

HRSW12V, isu Research's first

powered subwoofer. combines

a 12 -inch driver, an adjustable

24 -dB -per -octave crossover, and a

150 -watt power amplifier ii a

vented cabinet that can be used

as an end table or TV stand. It's

rated down to 20 Hz (±2 dB). The

ONKYOOnkyo has entered the speaker

arena with two THX-certified

packages: the System One

(shown, $2,995) and the System

Two (about $4,000). Both systems

include three 20 -inch -tall front

speakers with pairs of 43/4 -inch

woofers and titanium -dome

tweeters aid two wall -mountable

22 -inch -high. 23 -inch -diameter

cylindrical enclosure has a black

fabric sleeve and a Zolatone

granite top. Available factory -

direct for $800 (plus shipping)

from Hsu Research. Dept. SR.

20013 Rainbow Way. Cerritos, CA

90703: telephone, 310-924-7550.


dipolar surround speakers

(brackets included). System One

comes with two 30 -Hz -capable

subwoofers, one of which has a

180 -watt amplifier. System Two,

for rooms larger than 2,500

cubic feet, doubles the subwoofer

count. Onkyo, Dept. SR, 200

Williams Dr., Ramsey, NJ 07446.

STEREO REVIEW NOVEMBER 1994 15

NE:. HEM

22: _s:n

Caldera/a As. Labs Ca:.,

';`',. 's .7.

CALIFORNIA AUDIO LABSThe Icon mk11 CD player from

California Audio Labs uses a

"hand -trimmed" 18 -bit digital -

to -analog (D/A) converter, said to

provide four times the resolution

of standard 16 -bit converters,

and a digital servo that's said to

NILES AUDIONiles says its OS -10 two-way

speaker is 100 percent water

resistant. making it practical for

use outdoors. The waterproof

woofer and tweeter are housed in

a 105/8 x 81/4 x 61/4 -inch plastic

cabinet with an aluminum grille

and mounting bracket. The

provide a tenfold improvement

in tracking accuracy over

analog servos. Price: 5895.

California Audio Labs.

Dept. SR. 16812 Gothard St..

Huntington Beach, CA 92647.


cabinet has threaded brass

inserts for OmniMount brackets

and comes in black or white. The

speaker's low -frequency limit is

given as 65 Hz. Price: $380 a pair.

Niles Audio. Dept. SR, 12331

S.W. 130 St., Miami. FL 33186.


Ib S 1 ERB) IEW NO \ I \ I liFR 1994

ATLANTICAtlantic's 50 -inch -tall Guitar

CD Tower comes in a 120 -disc

free-standing version (shown,

5110) and a single -sided wall -

mountable 60 -disc version ($80).

Both are made of steel and are

available in black or red. Atlantic,

Inc.. Dept. SR, P.O. Box 2399.

Sante Fe Springs, CA 90670-2399.


ADVENTDesigned for car stereo systems

in need of a modest power boost.

Advent's PA415 four -channel

amplifier is rated to deliver 15

watts per channel irto 4 ohms or

18 watts into 2 ohms (both

continuous). It has speaker -level

and line -level inputs. two input-

APOGEE ACOUSTICSApogee's 5 -toot -tall Centaurus

Column speaker combines a

26 -inch dipole ribbon midrange/

tweeter and a 61 2 -inch cone

woofer. The 13 -inch -wide. 934 -

inch -deep wood -frame cabinet.

with a black or taupe fabric grille,

can be placed against the wall

behind it because the ribbon's

back waves are deflected out of

one side. Bandwidth is 35 Hz to

20 kHz. Price: 51.495 a pair.

Apogee Acoustics, Dept. SR. 35

York Ave., Randolph. MA 02368.


sensitivity controls. and gold-

plated connectors. all concealed

by its heat sink. Dimensions: 1'8

x 8' 2 x 434 inches. Price: 5149.

Advent. Dept. SR. 25 Tri-State

International Office Center. Suite

400, Lincolnshire. IL 60069.


Rhythm, Country 8Blues. Featunng AlGreen & Lyle Lovett.Aaron Neville 8 TrishaYearwood (MCA)

474436

Reba McEntire -ReadMy Mind (MCANashville) 479.717

Peter Gabriel -ShakingThe Tree (Geffen)

415.968

The Police -EveryBreath You Take -TheSingles (ABM) 345.318

Linda Davis -ShootFor The Moon (Ansta)

480-095

Anthrax -Live -TheIsland Years (Island/Megaforce) l 479.337

The Neville Brothers -Live On Planet Earth(MM) 478.412

Sammy Hagar-Unboxed (Geffen)

478.107

James Taylor -Live(Columbia)

463467/393486

Bonnie Raitt-LongingIn Their Hearts(Capitol) 477.505

John MichaelMontgomery--Kickin' ItUp (Atlantic) 473.157

Guns N' Roses -UseYour Illusion I (Geffen)

442.087

Ouy Osboume-NoMore Tears (Epic/Associated) 428.128

Patty Loveless -OnlyWhat I Feel (Epic)

454437

Bon Jovi-Keep TheFaith (Jambco/Mercury)

451.310

ZZ Top-Grt. Hits(Warner Bros.) 436.010

The Robert Cray Band- Strong Persuader(Mercury) 426.189

Van Helen -For Unlaw-ful Carnal Knowledge(Warner Bros.) 420473Frente-Mannn TheAlbum (Mammoth/Atlantic) 483493

Frank Sinatra -Duets(Capitol) 471415Bryan Adams -So FarSo Good (ABM) 467.738

Hancock/Shorter/Carter/Williams/Roney-A Tribute To MilesDavis (Owest) 476.382

Indigo Girls -SwampOphelia (Epic) 477.323

Nine Inch Nails -TheDownward Spiral (TVT/Interscope) 476.739

Eric Claplon-U(Repnse/Duck) nP.46.u9113

Barbra Streisand-Back To Broadway(Columbia) 461468Elvis Costello -BrutalYouth (Warner Bros.)

476.168

"8 Seconds" -Ong.Sndtrk. Featuring RebaMcEntire. Vince Gill. etc.(MCA/Nashvile) 475.483

Confederate RailroadNotorious (Atlantic)

475.194

Yannl-Live At TheAcropolis (PrivateMusic) 475.178

Gerald Albright -Smooth (Atlantic)

475.152

Richard Marx -PaidVacation (Capitol)

474.973

Joshua KadisonPainted Desert Serenade(S8K) 474.791

Neal McCoy -No DoubtAbout It (Atlantic}

474.S19

Soundgarden-Super-unknown (A&M)475.186

Brooks 8 Dunn -HardWorkin' Man (Arista)

454025Meat Puppets -TooHigh To Die (London)

474.221

Yannl-In My Time(Pnvate Music) 458.018

Faith Hill -Take Me AsI Am (Warner Bros.)

413.125

Michael Bolton -TheOne Thing (Columbia)

470-005

Patti Labelle -Gems(MCA) 488.605

...JUST INVino. Gill -WhenLove Finds You(MCA) 486.808Alan Jackson -Who IAm ( Arista) 486.833

Aaltyalt-Age Ain'tNothing But ANumberBlackground/Jive)

485.888Beastie Boys -IllCommunication(Capitol)© 484.808

Sndtrk. FeaturingClint Black, VinceGill, more. (AtlanticNashville) 484139

David Sanborn -Hearsay (Elektra)

4817611

"The Yliatatones"-Orig. Sndtrk.Featuring B-52'6,Crash Teat Dummies,Us3. etc. (MCA)

480.179Heavy D. & The Soya-Nuttin' But Love(Uptown/MCA)

478.364

Pam Tillis-SweetheartsDance (Arista) 479483

John Scofield 8 PatMetheny-I Can SeeYour House From Here(Blue Note) 477470

Johnny Cash -American Recordings(Amencan) 477489Randy Travis -This IsMe (Warner Bros.)

477463

Pat Bandar -BestShots (Chrysalis)

401446

Jackson Browne -I'mAlive (Elektra) 489.783

10,000 Maniacs -MTVUnplugged (Elektra)

469.175

Pantera-Far BeyondDnven (eastwest)11

468426Clay Walker(Giant) 467.449

Barry Minnow-Grt. Hits (Arista)2118470

Nirvana -In Utero(DGC) 467.159

The Cranberries -Everybody Else Is DoingIt. So Why Can't We(Island) 465459

EntertainingAmenca..,One Personat a Time'

Common Thread:Songs 01 The Eagles.Featuring Clint Black.Vince Gill, TnshaYearwood, etc. (Giant)

489499Tom Petty 8 TheHeartbreakers -On.Hits (MCA) 474411

"Threesome"-Orig.Sndtrk. (Epic/Soundtrax)

476.4996 ...... I 1 1

The CVW

r11!111 It HMI IMMINE:tell

HIM -- IruE IllsFRITS I moo URI

"The Crow" -OngSndtrk. FeaturingPantera, Stone TemplePilots. etc. (Atlantic/Interscope) 479.230

The Black Crow's -Shake Your Money-maker (American)

462.184

Alice In Chains -Dirt(Columbia) 445433Neil Young -Unplugged(Reprise) 460.972UM* Texas -Big Time(Warner Bros.) 460.204"Sleepless In Seattle"-Ong. Sndtrk. (EpicSoundtrax) 456.430ABBA-Gold GreatestHits (Polydor) 458406Toby Keith -(Mercury/Nashville) 456.3154 Non Blondes -Bigger. Better. Faster,More, (Interscope)

458.042Big Head Todd AndThe Monsters -SisterSweetly (Giant/Reprise)

457487Aaron Neville -TheGrand Tour (ABM)

457.200Dwight Yoakarn-ThisTime (Reprise) 456.913White Zombie -LaSexorcisto (Geffen)

442.079The Benoit/FreemanProtect (GRP) 474429R.E.M.-Automatic ForThe People (WarnerBros.) 440.522

Chant -TheBenedictine Monks OfSanto Domingo De Silos(Angel) 477.067

"Aladdin" -Ong.Sndtrk. (Walt DisneyRecords) 453.167Stone Temple Pilots -Core (Atlantic) 453.043Sade-Love Deluxe(Epic) 449.439Phil Collins -SeriousHits...Live (Atlantic)

448444George Strait -PureCountry (MCA) 448.753Vince 0111-1 StillBelieve In You (MCA)

4411471

"The Bodyguard" -Ong. Sndtrk. (Arista)

448.159Kenny G -Breathless(Arista) 446.142B lind Melon(Capitol) 447495Alan Jackson -A LotAbout Livin' (And A Little'Bout Love) (Arista)

447458L ive -Throwing Copper(Radioactive) 478.362

Beck -Mellow Gold(DGC) 476.721

Candlebox (Maverick/Sire/Warner) 485.155Pearl Jam -Vs.(Epic) 4465427Aerosmith-Get A Grip(Geffen) 458.075

Sarah McLachlan -Fumbling TowardsEcstasy (Arista) 473.389

NAME: Chris McAdams.PROFILE: Furniture Designer.

66TCie other day my (WI

informs me that most uormol

tieok my age ore actually

ooNiog forward to sett*kin hill station wagons ood

buying dishes that areit plostic.

Which translates into: they loot

ploy the soxoph000 at three in

the morolog. Dot cheese

purls for broolifost,

or sleep

11000

on Saturloys. Of course, he also this

he Who is port of oo old Abbott and

Costello routine, led Hot Chili

Peppers ore used for moldoe

tacos HI Womble Housemust be where they grind those

tasty coffee heoos. 9,

FOR THE

NOTHING MORE TO BUY. EVER!

CLASSIC RockEagles Grt. Hits Jethro Tull-Onginal(Elektra) 287.003 Masters (Chrysalis)

Elton John-Grt. Hits340.315

(Polydor) 471.011 The Cars' GreatestHits (EleMra) 339403

"Dazed AndConfused" -Ong. The Best Of Kansas 0Sndtrk. (Giant) 468446 (CBS Assoc.) 327.742

The very Best of Yes The 13011f Of 81011010(Atlantic) 465.971 (Chrysalis) 311411

Jimi Hendrix -The Creedence ClearwaterUltimate Expenence Revival -Chronicle -20(MCA) 458034 Grt. Hits (Fantasy)- -- 308.049The Allman BrothersBand- A Decade Of it MIHits 1969-79 (Polydor)

430.439 -4 7Rod Stewart -Sing It P. PI/(12:rincuTyorGrt.1-41its

The Very Best Of TheRighteous Brothers- N

Unchained Melody Jimi Hendrix -Blues423,,n2(Verve) (MCA) 480.202The Moody Blues-Grt Hits (Polydor) America's Grt. Has

423.756 (Warner Bros.) 291.385

Eric Clapton-Time James Taylor's Grt.Pieces (Polydor) Hlts (Warner Bros.)

423.467 291.302

John Limpet opiipc. Best Of The Dooblestion (Capitol) 405406 (Warner Bros.) 291.278

Lynyrd Skynyrd- The Steve Miller BandSkynyrd's Innyrds/Their -GM Hits 1974-78Grt. Hits (MCA) 381.129 (Capitol) 290.171

Grateful Desd-Skele- Van Helen (Warnertons From The Closet Bros.) 286407(Warner Bros.) 378406 Meat Loaf -Bat out OfFleetwood Mac-Grt. Hell (Epic) 279.133Hits (Warner Bros.) Boston (Epic) 266.209

375.782Jim Croce -

Journey's Greatest Photographs 8Hits (Columbia) 375.279 Memories. Grt Hits

Steppenwolf-16 Grt. (Sala) 246.868

Hits (MCA) 372425 Santana's Grt. Hits

Marvin Gay's GA. (Columbia) 244.459

Hits (Motown) 367465 Carpenters -The

Styx -Classics, Vol. 15 Singles 1969-73

(ABM) 364448 (MM) 236.885

Janis Joplin's Grt. HitsBest Of The Doors (El-ektra) 3574111/397412(Columbia) 231470

Simon 8 Garfunkel'sThe Mamas & The Greatest HitsPapas -16 Of Their (Columbia) 219.477

HitsGreatest (MCA)348423 Bob Dylan's Grt. Hits

(Columbia) 138486Bad Company -10From 6 (Atlantic) A Decade Of Steely

341.313 Dan (MCA) 341.073

Meet Loaf -Bat Out 01Hell Back Into Hell(MCA) 458.232

Tina Turner -SimplyThe Best (Capitol)

433.342

Enya-Watermark(Reprise) 431403- -

A11 -4 -One(Atlantic) 481406

U2-Achtung Baby(Island) 431.213

Bryan Adams -WakingUp The Neighbours(ABM) 429779Cheap Trick -on. Hits(Epic) 428456Spin Doctors -PocketFull Of Kryptonite(EpiciAssoc I 428482Red Hot Chill Peppers-Blood Sugar SexMagik (Warner Bros.)13 426.367

U2 -The Joshua Tree(Island) 354449AC/DC-Back In Black(Atlantic) 305.045

Guns N' Roses-.etile For Destruction(Geffen) DI 359464Alice In Chains -Jar Oflies (Cot-IA:la) 471479

Pretenders -Last OfThe Independents (Sire/Warner Bros.) 480.295

Chicago®-Grt. Hits1982-89 (Repose)

401.166

Aarosmith-Pump(Geffen)

REO Speedwagon-The Hits (Epic) 367472

Bonnie Raiff -Luck 01The Draw (Capitol)

423.188

Natalie Cole -Unforgettable (Elektra)

422.279

Counting Crows -August And EverythingAfter (DGC) 467.944

Jimmy Buffett -SongsYou Know By Heart(MCA) 161 339411

Bob Marley & TheWailers -Legend ((TuffGong/Island) 337457

Billy Joel®0-Gn.Hits.Vols.1 8 2 (Columbia)

336496/396490Soul Asylum GraveDancers Union(Columbia) 445410Toad The WetSprocket-Dulcinea(Columbia) 482.166

BIContains explicit lyrics which may beobjectionable to some members.

C 1994. The Columbia House Company

R&B, DANCE, RAP Celine Dion -TheCoiour Of My Love (550Iklaic/Epic) 467.662

Outkast-Southern-playalisticadollacmuzik(LaFace) C. 480.103

MTV Party To Go, Vol.4. Featunng The RedHot Chili Peppers, TLC.En Vogue. etc (TommyBoy)

MTV Party To Go, Vol.3. Featuring Jodsd,Boyz II Men. etc.(Tommy Boy) 4711416

- -The Brand NewHeavies -Brother sister(Delicious Viny1)4711405

The Seel Of TheMega People(Casablnca) 4710121

Angela Winbush(Elektra) 477.716

Coat Peniston-Thought 'Ya Knew(ABM) 4474/0

NAS-111matic(Serchlite/C1) 1E572.166

R. Kelly -469476

Freddie Jackson -Gethits (Capitol, 474.940

K7 -Swing Batta Swing(Tommy Boy) 474466

"CrookIVC.A1r613685

Paul Simon-Graceland (Warn, -Eros I 345.75'

Blackhawk(Arista) 473.397

Marian Carey- c

Eox (Columbia) 465.435

Jimmy Buffett -Fruitcakes (4 n

480.491

Danzig-Thrali-Deamonsweatliye(American! l 462.333

Petra -Queen Of ThePack (Epic) PI 474409

Zhana-PronouncedJah-Nay (Motown)

474416

Hammer -The FunkyHeadhunter (Giant/Reprise) 474462

AN Men Are Brothers.A Tribute To CurtisMayfield --VariousArtists (Warner Bros.)

474.155

Aretha Franklin-GrtHits (Ana) 473.371

Jodecl-Diary 01AMad Band (Uptown/MCA, 473.116

En Vogue -Funky Diem(eastwest) 436750

Domino (RaVDelJanVCheonColumbiljf.226

Ow- en Lettish -B lack Reign(Motown) 471.466

Haddam"(Arista) 471409

l/s3--Hanct On TheTorch (Blue Note)

471342

Shaquille O'Neal-Shag Diesel (Jive)

476.427_

X ..iii-riurnminAt Chit' (So Sotumble) 460401

Maze --Back To Basic,.,Warner Bros) 465.716

Teel,' Campbell I mReady lOwesti 468.744

Aaron Hall -The Trutt(SilaaMCA) 468.025

Salt -N -Pape -VeryNecessityon (NextPlateau/Ldon)

447437

Prince -The Hits 2(Paisley Park)12

406431

Pr nee -The Hits 1(Paisley Park) 466.163

11'7Ze4#4"Pg"h"riLiInterscope) 4115455

Babyfece-For TheCool In You (Epic)

464422

Tony Toni Tonb-Sons01 Soul (Mercury)

463479

Gloria Sellefen-ktTierra (Epic) 458.497

Madonne-Erotica(Maverick/Sire/Warner)

453456

Brian McKnight(Mercury) 443.336

Jon Secede ( AIM

Michael Jackson -Dangerous (Epic)

Boyz II Men--COCiey-highharmony (Molown)

431.754

Madonna -TheImmaculate C011eCtiOn(SireWarner Brae.)

414467

A Tribe Called Quest -Midnight Marauders(Jive) 472.860

Janet Jackson -Rhythm Nation 1814(464) 368.918

Crash Test Dummies-God Shuffled His FeetAristar 470.478

Billy Ray CyrusWon't Be The Las'(Mercury/Nashville)

463.240Green Day - D. .okie'Reprise) 476.549

Sheryl Crow 1JesdayNight Music(A&M) 476.631

"Philadelphia" -OngSnit. Featuring B.Springsteen, N Young,P. Gabriel, etc (Epicenundtrax) 472.928

Selections with two numbers contain 2 CDs aid count as 2-so write in both numbers.

COLUMBIA HOUSE, 1400 N. Fruitridge Ave., 6080/F94P.O. Box 1129, Terre haute, Indiana 47811.1129Please accept my Trial Membership in the Club and send me the 4 CP:.indicated below under the terms outlined in this advertisement. I agree tobuy Just one more CD at regular Ctub prices in one year's time. alterwhich I can choose 3 -nore CDs FREE. So to gel 8 CDs for the price ofcne -and there's nothing more to buy. ever' (A shipping and handlingcharqe is added to earn shipment.?

Send thesea4 CDsOne number

ellin each boo)

My main musical interest is (check one):(But you are always /Tea to chtose front any category)

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Cash 28) Check :30) Credit Card (29) Money Order (31)tat any acipticahoe at cereal any membordsp These oilers net

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Colivens Soul-Hints,ThongsAlleWlectoLeft Unwed (Mantic)

4111414Morrissey -"Vauxhallr (Sire/Repnse) 476441Bob James -Restless(Werner Bros.) 476406Melis EtYessaI Am(Irn.dr-

41187113

The Breeders -Last -Splash (Elektra)466451Fourplay-BetweenT-ie Sheets (WarnerBros.! 41111471

Garth Brooks -InPieces (Liberty) 463.744

Gin Blossoms -NewMiserable Experience(A64) 463.737Billy Jostle -River OfDreams (Columbia)

463495Mlles Davis 8 QuincyJones -Live AtMontreux (WarnerBros 463.554

"Above The Rim"-Orig. Sndirk FeatunngSAN. Al B Sure, etc(Death Row/Interscope-at 478475

Torl Amos --Under TheP nk (Atlantic) 473.207

Mary ChapinCarpenter-Come On, Come On(Columbia) 410.590CAM Illoyo-Extremes(Et* 473.025(ked,ilier=ntrosenue

435.404Peed Jam --TenAssociated) 428.433

Best Of Joe Cocker(Capitol) 455.790Basle- The Sweeten'Illusion (Epic) 477.331

Rage Against TheMachine (Ep-A,sociated) GI 251.138

AM Of Base -The Sign(Akita) 4680108

Elton John -Duets(MCA) 472.845

Guns N' Roses -Theto Incident?

( )11 472437Hefe-Uve ThTh. (DOC) Mr°1444326

Tani Braxton(DiFacei 464.362

Slone Free: A TributeTs Jim) Hendrix.Featuring The CureEsc Clapton, BuddyG ov. etc. (Reprise)

471.581

Sang -Ten SummonersTales (A8M) 454.561

Yuba/jackets-RunFer Your Life (GRP)

474437JLIo Igitaslas-Crazy(Columbia) 482.158The Allman BrothersBand -Where It AllBegins (Epic) 482.034RINI Collins -BothSkies (Atlantic) 481.962Twvls Irbil -Ten FeetD.1 And Bulletproof(ramer Bros.) 480.244Nevania-Nevermind((MC) 442.046

fees" -OngSrettrk. (Polydor)

James --Laidieeicury) 467.761

Gels N' Roses UseV 111,, o II(sitoni0 442.038

Here's our latest selection of new hitsand old favorites r lett e :tette.suit your musical taste, Ana eal hay, .i -1..

IC suit your pocketbook, a chance to ge!CDs of your choice- all 8 to the pnce of one, Start off by picking any 4 CDs rightnow -tell us which 4 you went on the couponand well send them rrght to /our home

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NEW PRODUCTS

JASCOInstant car CD: Jasco's

HE 8647 adaptor kit converts

the output of a portable CD player

into a radio signal so that it

can be played through any car

stereo system equipped with an

FM tuner. It has an adjustable

transmitting frequency and

provides 4.5-, 6-, or 9 -volt DC

power to the player via a

cigarette -lighter adaptor.

Price: $33. Jasco, 311 N.W.

122nd, Oklahoma City. OK 73114.


NIKKODO/BMBA new form of blackmail? The

BMB DA -X11 karaoke amp from

Nikkodo includes a tape deck so

you can record sing -along

performances. It also has five

mike inputs and a digital key

ZENTEKZentek's CS720 wireless

headphone system uses an

infrared transmitter with an

operating range of "up to 23

feet." The AC -powered

transmitter/base has a miniplug

(a phone -jack adaptor is supplied)

and a built-in charger for the two

AAA Ni-Cd batteries (not ncluded)

the headset requires. A volume

control is on one headphone.

Price: $60. Zentek Corp., Dept.

SR, 3670-12 W. Oceansice Rd,

Oceanside, NY 11572.


shifter and echo processor. Rated

power output is 100 watts per

channel. Price: $1,599. Nikkodo

USA, Dept. SR. 4600 N. Santa

Anita Ave., El Monte, CA 91731.

Circle 131 on reader service ca -d

WM con. moo owsto 401 IMP! 101.. Mat

r or n 111-

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ALLISON ACOUSTICSAllison's P08.3 speaker combines

two 8 -inch woofers, a 4 -inch

midrange driver, and a 1 -inch

tweeter in a 34 -inch -tall

sealed hadwood cabinet with a

pecan veneer. The system is

magnetically shielded and has

inputs for biamping or tri3mping

BELL'OGGETTIThe AVS-767 audio/video rack

from Bell'Oggetti is designed to

accommodate television sets

with screen sizes up to 32 inches

diagonal. Made in Italy of

heavy -gauge metal with a black

powder -coated finish. the rack

has five tempered -glass shelves

and features a hollowed -cut

Bandwidth is given as 35 Hz

to 20 kHz and sensitivity as

89 dB. Rubber feet and brass

floor spikes are included. Price:

$900 each. Allison Acoustics.

Dept. SR. 478 Stanford Ave.,

Danville, KY 40422.

Circle 129 on reader serme card

post (rear) for organizing

and concealing component

power cords and interconnects.

The rack's overall dimensions are

311'2 x 34 x 19 inches. Price:

$850. Bell'Oggetti, Dept. SR,

711 Ginesi Dr., Morganville.

NJ 07751-1250.



NEW PRODUCTS

A ROSINANTEThe Evolution speaker from

Rosinante unites two 7 -inch

"polyglass" woofers and a 1 -inch

inverted titanium -dome tweeter

in a unique 4 -foot -tall cast -

polymer cabinet. The density and

shape of the seamless cabinet,

made via a patented process, are

said to eliminate resonances

NOMARNomar's Speaker Friendly bracket

is designed for wall -mounting and

accommodates speakers from

8 to 24 inches tall and weighing

up to 20 pounds. Once seated

in the 3,16 -inch steel bracket.

the speaker pivots horizontally.

Available via mail order for

$39.95 (plus shipping) from

Nomar Industries. Dept. SR. P.O.

Box 301381. Portland. OR 97230:

telephone. 503-520-1341.


and image -muddling refraction.

Bandwidth is given as 28 Hz

to 22 kHz and sensitivity as 93 dB.

Power -handling is 50 to 300

watts. Finish is white or black

simulated marble. Price: S2.000

a pair. Rosinante. Dept. SR. 602

Acorn Plaza. Eudora. KS 66062.



SIGNATURE TECHNOLOGIESThe classic stylinc of Signature

Technologies' SRc-12 CD player

seems incongruous with its

function until you 'ind out that

there's a vacuum tube in its

analog output state. The player

also features a Philips CDM 9

transport, a 1 -bit digital -to -analog

(D/A) converter, favorite -track

v CANTONCanton's Fonissimo subwoofer/

satellite speaker system

includes two 5 -inch -cube

satellites, each containing a

4 -inch midrange driver with a

coaxially mounted tweeter. and an

1112 -inch -high band-pass bass

module with two 7 -inch

memory for more than 100 discs,

and an optical digital output.

The standard finish is rosewood

(shown): oak, walnut, and cherry

finishes are also available.

Price: $1.695. Signature

Technologies. Dept. SR, P.O. Box

09068, Milwaukee. WI 53209.


4 PANAMAXPanamax's Coaxmax 6 surge

suppressor, designed to protect

AN gear train electrical spikes,

boasts a 40,000 -ampere surge

capacity. Price: $129. Panamax.

Dept. SR. 150 Mitchell Blvd.,

San Rafael. CA 94903.


woofers. System bandwidth is

given as 22 Hz to 30 kHz. All three

pieces are available in black or

white vinyl with matching grilles.

Price: $829. Canton. Dept. SR.

915 Washington Ave. S.,

Minneapolis, MN 55415-1245.


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AUDIO aBY IAN G. MASTERS

To Sub or Not

0

An audio salesman told me that I mustuse a subwoofer to reproduce the low -frequency effects in movie soundtracks. I

have full-size speakers and a parametricequalizer that lets me boost the bass whenthe system is in Dolby Pro Logic mode. Itsounds great, so why would / need extraequipment? Could I be damaging my systemthe way / have it set up? RANDY SADOWSKI

Milwaukee, WI

AThe subwoofer may be a convenientsolution to a couple of problems thatsometimes arise in stereo systems. Some

rooms cannot accommodate large mainspeakers, and many small speakers-but byno means all-tend to be shy in the low end.If your speakers are bass -shy, an outboardsubwoofer can be used to supply that bot-tom octave or so; if your speakers are al-ready producing that part of the spectrum,however, you don't need a sub to produce it.

Still, even with speakers that are able toreproduce the very low sounds, room acous-tics can play havoc with bass response.Placing a full -range speaker so that it pro-vides good stereo imaging can cause stand-ing waves or other problems that result inless -than -smooth bass. In that case, a sub -woofer can be used to even out the low endbecause it can be placed just about any-where in the room. But again, if you don'thave the problem you don't need the cure.

Either way, it's safe to run your systemwithout a subwoofer unless you crank thebass so high that you fry something.

Ambiguous Ambience

(I

My surround -sound receiver has anumber of digitally produced ambiencemodes, but I'm not sure how to adjust

them because I've never been in a recordingstudio or concert hall and don't know whatthey sound like. How do I set the controls sothey'll sound right? MICHAEL GAYLE

Philadelphia, PA

AFirst, forget what they call the variousmodes. Instead of Hall, think "big, rever-berant space"; for Studio, think "small-

ish, dead room"; and so forth. Then use thecontrols to create pleasing effects for thevarious sorts of music you listen to. Ifyou've never been to a concert hall, it's notan acoustic reference for you, so it doesn'treally matter whether or not your enhancersounds like a genuine hall, let alone a partic-ular one. Or just leave the adjustments asthe maker set them-most of the good onescreate plausible, pleasant acoustic effects attheir default settings.

Dueling Preamps0My surround -sound system contains a

preamp/decoder that would normallyfeed power amplifiers directly. Instead, I

have it connected to three integrated ampli-fiers, each with its own built-in preampstage that can't be bypassed. Am I missingout on better sound quality by doubling upthe preamp stages? JAMES W. THOMPSON

Colorado Springs, CO

A. doubt it. Generally, the fewer things inthe signal path the better, but pure elec-tronic components-such as preamplifi-

ers-are pretty transparent in terms of noiseand distortion. Just make sure that the sec-ondary preamps' tone controls, loudnessswitches, and anything else that might alterthe frequency response are in their neutralpositions-or switched out if possible.

Flat Response

0

/ often come across the term "flat re-sponse" when audio equipment is re-viewed. What is it? What is its impor-

tance? Can it he determined or measured athome? JUANITO NATIVIDAD

Hanover Park, IL

AOne of the major virtues of a good pieceof audio gear is that it be linear, that theoutput it produces for a particular input

level be independent of frequency. In otherwords, if an amplifier fed a I -millivolt sig-nal at I kHz produces an output of, say, I

volt, it should do the same at 20 Hz and 20kHz, and at all frequencies in between. Acomponent's ability to do that is usuallyplotted on a graph where the horizontal axisrepresents the frequencies within the audiospectrum, from lowest to highest, and thevertical axis represents the device's outputat each frequency with a fixed input level.The result is a graphic representation ofits frequency response; a perfect responsecurve would be a straight line, or "flat."

Flat response is important to the characterof a system's sound: Too little treble and itwill sound muffled, too little bass and it willsound thin, and dips and bumps in the mid-dle will make music sound unnatural. Athome, you can get some idea of a compo-nent's response by using a test CD thatplays specific frequencies across the audiospectrum. Feed the signal through the com-ponent you want to check and then to apower amp with output meters. Watch themeters to see how the levels of various fre-quencies compare-they should be the sameif the component has a flat response. If youramp doesn't have output indicators, the lev-el meters of a cassette deck can sometimes


Before attempting theoperation of the Lifestyle 112

home theater system,the following instructions

should be carefully reviewedand memorized.

One button. That's all it takes to

experience the dramatic sound of

the Bose® Lifestyle® 12 home

theater system.

This is the surround sound sys-

tem that simplifies home the-

ater Instead of a tower of

components, you get a music

center with CD player/tuner

built in. Five acoustically matched

speakers, each small enough to

hold in the palm of your hand.

And an easily hidden Acoustimass®

bass module. (Not shown, because

you won't see it in your

home, either) Howevec

there is one last instruction

you should follow. Hold

onto your seat - after all, the sound

is from Bose. For more information

and names of dealers near you, just

push these buttons:

1-800-444-BOSE Ext.453Mon. -Fn. 9-9, Sat. 9-5 ET

Better sound through research.

ON OUR CAR STEREOSYOU'LL HEAR EVERY

HEARTFELT ROMANTICSENTIMENT AND TENDER

EXPRESSION OF LOVEIN PERFECT DETAIL.

Music's come a long way since the days people sang about holding hands and moonlit walks. On most car stereos,

however, it's often hard to tell. Which is why we suggest you put in a Pioneer. CD player. Not only will you be able to

enjoy your favorite discs on the road, but all of our players provide true four speaker amplification for killer CD sound.

So call us at 1 -800 -Pioneer, ext. 202, for a dealer. Then prepare yourself for some car audio that's really uncensored.

(1t) PIONEERThe Art of Entertainment

r

be used instead, although those may provideonly 1- or 2 -dB resolution.

Tiny TV Speakers°My music system is in one room and my

TV in another, which means that when Iwatch TV I have to listen to the tiny

speakers in the set. Is there any reason tele-vision manufacturers don't incorporate 50 -or 100 -watt amplifiers in their sets so thatthey could drive a normal pair of speakers?

LARRY LOZNERWhitestone, NY

ATraditionally, TV makers have shownlittle concern for sound quality. But inrecent years, as AN systems have be-

come increasingly popular, they have madegreat strides in improving the quality ofboth the speakers and the amplifiers theyput in their TV sets. Even so, they haven'tgone to the extreme of incorporating high -power amps (cost, weight, and heat are bigfactors). Instead, they have bumped powerup modestly (read: a few watts) and addedA/V output jacks to many sets, on the prin-ciple that anyone who's really concernedabout audio quality will feed the signal to anoutboard sound system anyway.

A few elaborate big -screen TV's do,however, have built-in Dolby Pro Logic de-coders and five channels of amplification,

so that (theoretically) all you need to add isa couple of surround speakers. Even theseamplifiers tend to have a fairly low output(maybe 10 or 15 watts), though, so externalamplification is usually desirable. But thebuilt-in stuff is often okay in small rooms oruntil you can afford the extra gear.

Digital Print -Through?

0

I have read a lot about print -through inanalog tapes. I am considering movinginto one of the modern digital recording

media and wonder whether the same effecthappens with them. If not, why not? Mag-netic patterns are magnetic patterns, aren'tthey? CLYDE A. RUSSELL

Thornton, CO

AYes, they are, and digital tape media,such as DCC and DAT, might wellhave lots of print -through. Fortunately,

though, the playback systems simply ignoreit. In analog tapes, print-through-the leak-age of magnetic patterns on one layer oftape through to the next-might be on theorder of 40 or 50 dB below the program lev-el. That's well within the range of audibility,especially if what's leaking is loud andwhat's currently playing is soft.

In any kind of digital recording, the play-back system detects only the presence or ab-sence of a signal at each moment, with no

concern for its level. In practice, if the sig-nal falls below a certain level, the pickupdoesn't respond to it at all. Digital tapeprint -through falls into that category.

CD to Phono Input0My roommate recently bought a new

CD player. I'd like to attach it to my cur-rent system, but there aren't enough line -

level inputs to accommodate it. If I patchedit to the phono inputs, would that damagemy receiver? RYAN CONOVER

Bettendorf, IA

AIt probably won't do any damage, but itis sure to sound terrible. For one thing,the phono stage is equalized-it boosts

the bass and cuts the treble quite a bit in or-der to reverse the equalization applied whena vinyl record is made. For another, the pho-no input has an extra amplification stage tohandle the very low output of a phono car-tridge: feeding it a high-level signal such asthe output of a CD player will overload itand cause excruciating distortion.

If you have a question about audio,send 4 to WU, Stereo Review,1633 Broadway, New York, NY 10019.Sorry, only questions chosenfor publication can be answered.

401ItNi1Jr.'

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Call I -800 -PIONEER, ext. 202, fora dealer near you. Check Cl) hoses and rend coupon, original receipt and (11°C liar code from product hos to: Pionver Free CD Offer-TR, P.O. Box 1540, Long (teach,

CA 90801-9905. Alloy 6-8 wiudis for delivery. Offer givvl on I' ws DI'S single -play car CI) player or multi -play car CD changer purchased in the 'SA hetiveen 8/15/94 and 11/15/94. Must he postniarkerl

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hawsl on supply or availahility. All titles are the property of their respective artists and Capitol Records. Titles shown also evadable in storn. C1994 Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc., Long Beech, CA.

1

PERIPHERALS

PRODUCTS AND TRENDS

THAT GO BEYOND

MAINSTREAM AUDIO/VIDEO

Cataloging Your Recordings by Computer BY

Keeping track of discs and tapes isno big deal if you have a modestcollection. You set aside somespace-perhaps on a shelf or inone of those specially designedwall racks or cabinets-and ar-

range them in some sort of logical or-der. But music collections have a ten-dency to grow, and before you know ityou've got a pretty good library onyour hands. When you reach thatpoint, it's time to set up some kindof inventory system. Actually, youshould begin cataloging before thecollection becomes unwieldy, butmost of us don't.

Back in the days of vinyl, I simplyput my LP's on shelves in alphabeticalorder, first by label and then by artist.That made it fairly easy to locate arecord, but the physical arrangementwas impractical because I had to shiftthe entire collection periodically tomake room for new arrivals. Havingamassed several thousand records, Ihad to find a better way, so I created acard file and began storing them in or-der of receipt, assigning a library num-ber to each one. Then, in the earlyEighties, when my card file was al-most up to date, I switched to a com-puterized system.

A computerized catalog provides

several advantages over a paper file,not the least of which is the ability toquickly locate a tape or disc accordingto just about any criteria. Whether youneed to find all your recordings ofCherokee or locate a specific perfor-mance of it, the information is justseconds away. Another great benefit isthat you can generate all kinds of use-ful lists. For example, I have a 110 -page printout of my entire catalog,sorted by artist, that I regularly supple-ment with a list of recently receivedCD's-and it's easy to add the newrecordings because my database in-cludes acquisition dates.

Of course, to do any kind of com-puterized searching or sorting youneed to organize the raw data, so thefirst thing to consider is what kind ofinformation you want to be able to re-trieve. Then you need a good databaseprogram. I use FileMaker Pro fromClaris, a full -featured business pro-gram, and if you already have one ofseveral similarly powerful programs,including Borland's dBase and Mi-crosoft's FoxPro, that should work justas well. But mail-order prices for theseprograms typically range between$100 and $300, which is a lot to spendjust on a music catalog. The less pow-erful database programs in integrated

vAt File [Mt Select Layout arrange Format Scripts Window

(CD Layout I ARTIST Holiday, Billie SR ISSUE SELECTIONS OTHER ART STS 0TITLE Complete 13111w Holiday VON Ye ' 45- '59- Disk l0 ice Work If You Can Get It r Joe BeniamvLABEL®

CAT. NO.RATEDIM Willow limp For Me

ManJo JonesMal WaldronTRACKS BM DATE IN over, Cant Back To Me

NOTES or ME LIBRARYNVMB ady S ings The Blues1141,1

Buck ClaytonRay Ellis

tryhat A Little Moonlight Can Oe

, GoodLady BoI Visbed On The MTRACK TOTAL

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A section of the author's own CD catalog created with the FileMaker Pro database program.

CHRIS ALBERTSON

software (Claris Works, MicrosoftWorks, and so on) should also be quiteadequate.

A database program will let you setup a recording catalog and customizeit as you see fit. Each disc or tape inyour collection is entered as a "rec-ord" (an apt term in this case) made upof "fields" that hold such specific dataas the artist's name, the album title,and your library number. Those threefields are the bare minimum, but withonly those you have barely progressedbeyond the alphabetized card file, soyou'll probably want to include moredata fields. Just keep in mind that it'svery easy to go overboard when struc-turing a database. When you considerincluding song titles, composers, indi-vidual track timings, etc., think aboutkeying in all that information-it's aslow, laborious process that few of ushave the patience for, especially ifthere's a large collection to catalogfrom the start.

Because I had been too ambitiouswhen setting up my field -laden LPdatabase, which slowed data entry to adiscouraging snail's pace, I took amore prudent approach when I startedcataloging my CD's a couple of yearsago. The collection had alreadyreached 2,000 titles (a reviewer's

perk), a huge backlogthat I wanted to dealwith as quickly andeffortlessly as possi-ble. To ease the bur-den, I set up a stream-lined database and be-gan making entries inonly three key fields:artist's name, albumtitle, and label. Fortu-nately, FileMaker Proautomatically assignsa number to eachrecord in a database(many other programsdo the same), and


In The Mid 70s We CreatedHome Theater. Now We've Created

A New Way To Buy It.The people who work at Cambridge

SoundWorks - including our cofounder HeftyKloss (who also founded AR, KLH and Advent)- have been involved with the concept of hometheater from the beginning. In 1969 (yearsbefore VCRs and cable TV), Henry Klossfounded Advent,the company thatintroduced thefirst home theateraudio/videosystems -complete with big -screen TVs anddigital surround sound. Wehave had an ongoing relationship with thepeople at Dolby Laboratories, creators of DolbySurround Sound, since Henry Kloss introducedthefat consumer products with Dolby noisereduction over 20 years ago. And now atCambridge SoundWorks we believe we have seta new price -to -performance standard for hometheater components.

Because we sell carefully matched and testedhome theater speaker systems factory -direct,with no expensive middlemen, you can savehundreds of dollars. We believe theproducts on these pages represent thecountry's best values in high performancehome theater components. Audio critics,and thousands of satisfied customers,agree. Stereo Review said "CambridgeSoundWorks manufactures loudspeakersthat provide exceptional sound quality ataffordable prices." Audio suggested that we"may have the best value in the world."

Center Channel SpeakersCambridge SoundWorks manufactures

three speakers for use as center channelspeakers in Dolby Pro Logic home theatersystems. All three are magnetically shieldedso they can be placed near a TV or computermonitor. Model Ten -A is a small, affordable two-

way speaker. $80.Center Channel isidentical to a

Cambridge SoundWorksEnsemble satellite (but with magnetic shield-ing). $149. Center Channel Plus uses an ultra -low, ultra -wide design that is ideal for placementabove (or, with optional support stand, below)a TV monitor. $219.

Surround SpeakersCambridge SoundWorks makes two "dipole

radiator" surround sound speakers. Dolby La-boratories recommends dipole radiator speakers

for use as surround speakers.The Surround has avery high powerhandling capacityand is often selectedfor "high end"surround soundsystems. Audio,describing asystem thatincluded The

Surround said, "In many ways the surroundsensation was every bit as good as far moreexpensive installations." $399 pr. Thesmaller The Surround II is arguably thecountry's best value in a dipole radiatorspeaker. $249 pr.

Powered SubwoofersThe original Powered Subwoofer by

Cambridge SoundWorks consists of a heavy-

duty 12" woofer housed in an acoustic suspen-sion cabinet with a 140 -watt amplifier and abuilt-in electronic crossover. Stereo Review saidit provides "deep powerful bass...31.5 Hz bass

output was obtainable at a room -shaking level... they open the

way to having a 'killer'system for an affordableprice." $699. Our SlaveSubwoofer uses the samewoofer driver andcabinet, but does notinclude the amplifier orcrossover. It can only beused in conjunction with

the Powered Subwoofer. $299. The newPowered Subwoofer II uses a 120-wat amplifierwith an 8" woofer. $399.

Our EXO-1 electronic crossover can be usedwith either of our powered subwoofer systems,

or with poweredsubwoofers made byother companies. Itshigh pass filters keepstrong, low bass signals outof the main stereo speakers, and directs them tothe powered subwoofer. $299.

Home TheaterSpeaker Systems

We have assembled a number of hometheater speaker systems that consist of center

channel,surround andmain stereospeakers. The

1116E)combination we show here is our best seller. Itincludes our critically acclaimed Ensemblesubwoofer satellite speaker system (with dual

subwoofers), our Center Channel Plus anda pair of our best surround speakers, TheSurround. You could spendhundreds more thanits $1,167 price CAMBRIDGEwithout improvingperformance.

For information onother home theaterspeaker systems - oron any of the productswe make and sell - call1-800-FOR-HIFI foryour free color catalog.

Thanks.

For A Free Catalog, Call

1-800-FOR-HIFIWe Know How

To Make Loudspeakers

CAMBRIDGESOUNDWORKS

154 California Street, Suite 102N. Newton, MA 021581-800-367-4434 Fax: 617-332-9229

Canada: 1-800-525-4434Outside U.S. or Canada: 617-332-5936

0 1994 Cambridge Sound Works. REnsemble is a registered trademark ofCambridge FoundUorks. Inc. KLH is a trademark of KLH Inc. AR and Advent

are trademarks of International lensen Inc. Cambridge SoundWorks is not

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A Box of Rain is a free recording -catalog template for use with FileMaker Pro.

those numbers became the librarynumbers of the corresponding CD's,though I still had the chore of physi-cally numbering all the jewel casesand shelving them in order.

With only three items to enter foreach CD, I was able to breeze throughthe 2,000 records in a few days. Oncemy computer catalog was up to date, itwas easy to maintain a routine of en-tering new discs as they were ac-quired, and I am still leisurely keyingin additional data, such as song titlesand secondary performers, for theoriginal 2,000.

Creating your own catalog structurealso gives you the advantage of beingable to add new fields at any time.You might want to add a categoryfield, for example, with a code forChristmas records that will make iteasy to generate a holiday list once ayear. Although I have changed thelook and structure of my database afew times-adding such new fields asthe record label's catalog number, thedate received, and the number oftracks per disc-I keep it fairly sim-ple. If you have the time and inclina-tion, you can always add bells andwhistles (such as a fancy screen look)later. For example, I recently set upmy database so that it automaticallydisplays a running total of tracks-certainly not essential information, butinteresting nonetheless.

If you have the FileMaker Pro pro-gram and wish to skip the creativeprocess, Tom Hyde offers his ready-made cataloging database, called ABox of Rain, for free. A limited democopy can be downloaded from Ameri-ca Online (AOL), and sending an e-mail message to Mr. Hyde ([email protected]) will get you a passwordthat turns it into a full working copy.A Box of Rain is pleasing to the eyeand has lots of useful features as wellas some extravagant ones. Unless youhave a modest -size collection, for in-stance, you should probably avoid theAlbum Cover and Sound Sample fields(not shown in the screen shot above)-both require the creation of addi-tional, space -consuming graphic andsound files that are guaranteed to slowyou down considerably.

If you don't already own a databaseprogram, you might check out someinexpensive "shareware" programs forthe Mac, DOS, and Windows environ-ments. Many of these programs can bedownloaded free from computer bul-letin boards (BBS's) or such onlineservices as AOL and CompuServe.Most shareware authors request anominal payment once you decide touse the program. It's on the honor sys-tem, but paying for shareware encour-ages further development, and inmany cases registered users are enti-tled to periodic upgrades. Here are a

few shareware cataloging programsI've come across:

For IBM's and compatibles, there'sOrganize Your Records & CDs, $3.95plus postage and handling from PublicBrand Software (P.O. Box 51315,Indianapolis, IN 46251; 1-800-426-3475). I haven't tried the program, butPublic Brand rates it highly.

CD Catalog is a HyperCard -basedprogram for the Macintosh that evenallows you to enter liner notes, al-though that could become a lifetimeoccupation. Fields include artist, or-chestra, album title, song titles andtimings (the program automaticallytotals them), label, catalog number,music category, and stereo/mono. Youcan include up to six volumes of a se-ries in one record. Like most of theseprograms, CD Catalog allows you toimport and export entries from otherdatabases (including its sister pro-gram, LaserDisc Catalog); unlike oth-er programs, it can generate labels forcassettes or DAT's from the data. Youcan download a demo version of CDCatalog from AOL. Author MarkCalice of Ardenwood Software (34766Monaco Common, Fremont, CA94555; e-mail, [email protected])will mail you a fully functional copyfor $35 if you live in the U.S., or $45if you're overseas.

DiscTrak System is a DOS -basedentertainment cataloging program forIBM's and compatibles. I haven't usedit, but it claims to be loaded with fea-tures. The price is $30 from Blaine R.Young (707-202 Clark Court, Lees-burg, VA 22075). LaserDisc Gazettesubscribers get a $10 discount and candownload a fully functional evaluationcopy (file name: DT-171.ZIP) fromthe Gazette's BBS (703-779-2961).

Record Collector, another Hyper-Card -based Macintosh program, con-tains more fields than you might need,but author Charles Wiltgen (e-mail,[email protected]) has kept it rea-sonable. Fields include format (CD,CD -3, LP, VHS, and so on), condition(mint, poor, etc.), song titles, and com-ments. Pop-up menus minimize typ-ing. A demo copy of the latest version,2.1, should be available on AmericaOnline by the time you read this; itwill include instructions for obtainingan unlocked copy.


How Do You Improve On". TheBest Value InTheWorld"?

Cambridge SoundWorksIntroduces

New Ensemble,New Ensemble II -and a new member

of the family,Ensemble III.

Audio magazine once said our Ensemblespeaker system may be "the best value in the world."Since then, numerous critics have applauded ourEnsemble and Ensemble II systems. Designed byHenry Kloss (founder of AR, KLH and Advent),they became best sellers by offering qualityconstruction and accurate, wide -rangemusic reproduction -at factory -direct prices.

We're pleased to introduce newversions of our Ensemble andEnsemble II systems, as well as ournew, ultra -compact Ensemble!/l.

The New EnsembleNew Ensemble is an improved

version of our original dual-subwoofer/satellite speaker system.New Ensemble maintains the dualsubwoofer design, which allows formaximum room placement flexibility.Placement of bass and high -frequency speakers ina room (and how those speakers interact with theroom) has more influence on the sound quality of amusic system than just about anything. NewEnsemble's ultra -slim (4 1/2") subwoofers give youmore placement flexibility than any system weknow of.

So What's New?New Ensemble maintains the tonal balance,

frequency range and quality of construction of theoriginal. There are two basic differences.

1. New Ensemble uses a new 8" woofer with avery long "throw" for linear cone excursion andmore accurate bass. An integral heat sink providesimproved power handling.

2. New Ensemble's satellitespeakers use the samespeaker drivers andcrossover as the original, butwith new midrange and highfrequency balance controls.

The midrange control lets youchoose the same output in the key 800-1600 Hz octave as in the original, or ycucan emphasize that octave by 2 dB. Ensemblesatellites have relatively less output in this range toavoid the "boxy" sound typical of many speakers.This results in an "open" sound on large-scalesymphonic works. For small -scaled music, thehigher output position proves a "warmer" sound.

A high frequency control has three positions:A) The same balance as original Ensemble.B) A 2 dB high frequency increase. C) A 2 dB highfrequency decrease. The switch can subtly increasethe system's "airiness" (Increase) or it can reduce

any tendency towards"edginess" (Decrease).

In terms of "real life"performance, we believeour New Ensemblesystem competes head-on

with speakers sellingfor hundredsmore. Availablewith black-larrinatesubwoofers for$629, or withvinyl -cladsubwoofers for

$549.

The New Ensemble IINew Ensemble ll is an improved version of our

best-selling speaker system. It's more affordablethan New Ensemble because it uses one cabinetto house both subwoofer speakers. NewEnsemble 11 maintains the tonal balance,frequency rang-, power handling and constmc-tion quality of the original Ensemble!!. But itssatellite speakers use the same tonal balancecontrols as New Ensemble's.

New Ensemble II also uses a new flaredsubwoofer port. The subwoofer cabinet enclosestwo 6 1/2" long throw woofers mounted in a sealed"acoustic suspension" chamber. They project into asecond chamber fitted with the flared port, whichprovides smoother air flow, eliminating extraneousnoise on strong bass notes.

Stereo Review said the original Ensemble II"performs so far beyond its pnce and size it can becompared only with much larger speakers atsubstantially hOl ier prices." New Ensemble IIcarries on this tradition, outperforming otherspeakers in its category, including well-knownmodels for about twice the price. Factory -directprice, $439.

The Ensemble IIINow you can bring the clear, balanced wide -

range sound of Ensemble speakers to a small,crowded room. Our new Ensemble Ill's satellite

speakers are only 4 1/2" x 6 1/2" x 3"and its subwoofer is 8" x 8" x 15".

Compared to New Ensemble 11,Ensemble III gives up a little in

power handling, low bass range, andefficiency. Unlike the "cube" satellite

speakers you'll find in most similarly pricedsys-.kms, Ensemble In satellites are two-way

rs. Ensemble ID's 61/2" woofer uses twovoice coils in acabinet with aflared port forsmooth air flow.

With mostrecordingsEnsemble III willsound virtuallyidentical to NewEnsembles Itsimply won'tplay as loud.Its construc-tion quality isnormallyfound only inmuch moreexpensive speakers.Factory -direct price, including connecting wire,cutter/stripper and Hook -Up Guide, is only $329.

30 Day Home Audition.All Cambridge SoundWorks speakers are backed

by a 30 -Day Total Satisfaction Guarantee. So youcan audition your speaker the right way - in yourhome, with no salesman hovering nearby. If within30 days you're not happy, return your system for afull reftind.

Thie acousticssuspension,ealed cavity.

Cavity actsas acousticband-passfilter


Flared port.


To Make Loudspeakers!

CAMBRIDGESOUNDWORKS

154 California Street, Suite 102N, Newton, MA 021581-800-367-4434 Fax: 617-332-9229


0 1994 Cambridge Sound Works. ® Ensemble is a registered trademark ofCambrdge SoundWorks. Inc. KLH is a trademark of KLH. Inc AR and

Advent are trademarks of International Jensen Inc. Cambridge SoundWorksI, VI affiliated with KLH. Advent or AR.


Smart Radion the last -paced world of CD, CD -I,CD -R, CD-ROM, 3DO, CDX, X -Eye,CD+G, MD, LD, TV, DCC, DAT,DSP, DSS, THX, VCR, VHS, S -VHS,VHS -C, 8mm, Hi8, CATV, and HDTV(not to mention Dolby B, C, and S),

AM and FM have become technologicaldinosaurs. Aside from the unenthusiasti-cally received AM stereo format, the lasttechnological breakthrough in radio wasFM stereo-which occurred thirty-fiveyears ago. In truth, amplitude modulationand frequency modulation were well un-derstood when Thomas A. Edison wasstill selling the wax -cylinder phonograph.

True, radio is far and away the mostpowerful medium on the planet. Add to-gether all the other consumer electronicsmachines, and they still wouldn't rival thecountless billions of radios out there. Thepower of radio is easy to understand. It'san inexpensive, wireless medium that de-livers good sound over long distances.Nothing else comes close in terms of costeffectiveness.

Yet, as any T -Rex would tell you, justbecause something is big and powerfuldoesn't mean it will dominate forever.Despite what marketeers like to believe,the number of hours a person can spendin leisure activities is finite. As newer,more engaging mediums are developed,the time we spend listening to radio willinevitably dwindle. Savvy broadcasterseverywhere are asking whether radio'sappeal can be expanded with new, low-cost features. The answer is maybe-if atechnology that has been widely used inEurope for a decade catches on here.

Radio Broadcast Data Service (RBDSor RDS for short) adds a nonaudio datachannel to conventional FM broadcasts.RDS can supply and display alphanumer-ic data such as station call letters and pro-gram type; its "radio text" feature, in ad-dition to no-brainers like providing songtitles and artist names, could flash every-thing from sports scores to Nike commer-cials. RDS can also send a trigger thatswitches your radio to traffic or emer-gency reports as they are broadcast. Toreceive RDS broadcasts, you need a radiothat's equipped with an RDS decoder andan alphanumeric display. On their end,broadcasters need an RDS encoder andmust feed in the RDS information.

SIG NAL SBY KEN C. POHLMANN

I recently popped an RDS-equippedDenon DCT-950R CD receiver into mydashboard and took it for a test drive. Idiscovered two RDS stations in Miami, at91.3 and 93.1 MHz. Actually, the receiv-er's RDS Seek function found them anddisplayed their call letters, WLRN andWTMI, in the LCD panel. I hit a buttonlabeled PTY to find out about each sta-tion's program type, and the word PUBLICcame up on the display for WLRN, CLAS-SICL for WTMI.

The RDS format lets you browsethrough an electronic catalog with twen-ty-four PTY entries such as NEWS, TALK,SPORTS, TOP 40, COUNTRY, and JAZZ. Onceyou find the kind of programming you'reinterested in, you can perform a stationsearch by hitting a couple of buttons. Inmy case, I searched the CLASSICL entry,and the radio correctly tuned to WTMI.

In addition, you can engage an Alterna-tive Frequency (AF) function; when sig-nal conditions deteriorate on the stationyou're listening to, the radio will auto-matically scan incoming RDS data to find

ran radio's

appeal be expanded

with new,

low-cost features?

Well, maybe.

another station (on another frequency)broadcasting the same type of program.

An RDS message consists of eight al-phanumeric characters; on some RDS re-ceivers the displays are static, but on oth-ers they scroll. Radio text raises an inter-esting liability issue: Would you sue theradio manufacturer or the radio station ifyou drove into a tree while you werereading your radio? It might make moresense to have a memory that would saveselected messages for display when thevehicle stops.

The reliability of RDS data depends onthe integrity of the FM signal. During mytest, the RDS data was reliable even after

audio reception had begun to deteriorate,but it failed when the FM signal becameaudibly quite poor. True to its digital na-ture, it didn't become noisy or garbled; itsimply vanished. But if FM signalstrength failed momentarily, the Denonhead unit's memory retained the currentRDS display. Clearly, RDS added utilityand convenience to the radio.

The only obstacle to RDS seems to bethe classic chicken -and -egg problem. Ra-dio stations won't start encoding RDS da-ta until people start buying RDS radios.And that can't happen until manufactur-ers offer them for sale. So far, only ahandful of companies-including Denon,Onkyo, Blaupunkt, and Panasonic-areselling RDS-equipped components, forhome and car, and General Motors is theonly caretaker offering an RDS radio op-tion (on some models).

So RDS is the next big thing, right?Well, as with any good chicken -and -eggstory, there's a fox (or two) lurking justoutside the coop. In this case, the fox'shandle is DAR (Digital Audio Radio).The Electronic Industries Association andthe National Association of Broadcastersare testing several proposed DAR sys-tems and will present their recommenda-tion to the FCC, which will eventuallyselect a standard. Whichever system ischosen, whether it's transmitted by satel-lite or by terrestrial towers, DAR willprovide CD -grade sound quality, immuni-ty to multipath and other interference, andits own data services. Why should radiostations and consumers invest in RDSwhen an entirely new, digital generationof radio is on the horizon? Moreover,some critics argue that RDS is obsoleteeven for conventional FM applicationsbecause it's too slow.

Depending on your point of view, thepotential, or threat, of newer and betterbroadcast technologies creates a wait-and -see attitude, which can be fatal in achicken -and -egg scenario. So far, perhaps200 radio stations have started encodingRDS data. As of this writing, as far as Iknow, none of them are sending anythingreally useful-like traffic information.This year and the next will be critical forRDS; if it doesn't kick-start soon, it willbe overrun by new technologies. Onething is certain. As analog radio enters itssecond century, it will have to adapt to adigital world. And as broadcasters em-brace digital improvements such as DAR,AM and FM could join the LP.


Introducing SoundWorksBy Henry Kloss.

We'll get right to the point.SoundWorks - our new amplifiedspeaker system may well be the mostexciting product ever designed byHenry Kloss - and the most affordable.Never before has so much high quality,wide -range, natural, "big" sound come fromsuch a small, affordable system. It is ideal forliterally hundreds of applications, andthousands of people.

SoundWorks consists of a pair ofsatellite speakers (app. 3 1/2" x 3 1/2"x 31/2") and a compact, poweredsubwoofer cabinet that encloses a 4"woofer, a 3 -channel amplifier,equalization and crossover electronics,as well as a control panel.

The Satellites.

The small satellites are magneticallyshielded so they can be used very close to aTV or computer monitor. They contain aremarkable 2" speaker driver with a long-throw/wide-range design that reproduceshigh and mid frequencies all the way downto 150 Hz, without the need for a "midrange"driver. You can order SoundWorks withsatellites finished black, or in "computer -beige." The satellites can be used as is, hungon walls using their back -panel keyhole slot,used with their supplied mini -stands, or theycan be attached to a computer monitor withtheir velcro kit (supplied).

The Subwoofer.

The subwoofer cabinet (a little bigger thana shoe box: 5" x 8" x 9") reproduces onlynon -directional bass so it can be placed inout-of-the-way places - on the floor behindyour TV set, under your computer desk, or inback of furniture. It contains a 3 -channelamplifier that's been precisely tailored tomatch the speaker drivers. Its control panelincludes a stereo mini -jack input forconnecting to a computer or a portable CDplayer, a "set and forget" bass level control,and connecting terminals for the satellite

AVAILABLEOCT. 94

$199Not including CD player

Never Before Has SoMuch High Quality,

Wide Range, Natural,"Big" Sound Come

From Such A Small,Affordable System.

speaker wires. It also has an input for 12 volt -so you can plug SoundWorks into the cigar-ette lighter in your car or boat!

The Sound.

"Amazing." "Remarkable." "Unbelievable."These are the words used by leadingmembers of the audio press at the unveilingof SoundWorks. In terms of frequency range,tonal balance, stereo imaging and overallsound, SoundWorks compares very favorablywith component music systems costing farmore. It just doesn't seem possible that asystem so small could produce a sound so"big." But it does.

The Applications.

Because of its small size and price, andbecause of its magnetically shielded satellites,SoundWorks is ideal for use as a multimediaspeake:- with any computer (it sounds farbetter tian any we've heard designed for thatIse). It fits easily into smaller rooms - likecitchers, dens, dorms and bedrcoms.As 12 -volt capabilities make it perfect forboats, campers and cars. And it's small

mough to pack in a suitcase, so youcan travel with it.

The Price.

You can buy SoundWorks onlyfactory -direct from Cambridge

SoundWorks. Because we eliminate expen-sive middlemen, we can sell SoundWorks foronly $199. We haven't heard a system foranywhere near its price that we think soundsnearly as good. Period.

30 -Day Risk -Free Audition.

With our 30 -day risk -free home audition,you caa listen to SoundWorks the right way- in your home, with your music. If youaren't happy, return it within 30 days for afull refund. We even reimburse your originalUPS ground shipping charges in thecontinental U.S.




CAMBRIDGESOUNDWORKS



0 1994 Cambridge SoundWorks

3111%1410WCIRCLE NO. 6 ON READER SERVICE CARD

A handy visual guidHome Theater R

MAMAwolves,.

KRIS KRISTOFFMMICHAEL DINOS

cgA a ve q`9,8_1.8.

All trademarks, registered trademarks, copyrights and images are the property of their respective owners. Video packages shown are not intended to imply any directendorsement of Onkyo products.

to determining whichewers are better.

..thezia7R=i-aimaimmix

i1VIDEO -1

.4110 1.1.10.1 WON., .0M1.111. OM, 11106.00...

Just as you have no problem distinguishing a film worthy ofan Academy Award' from those destined to be remembered(or forgotten) for other reasons, we feel your eyes and earswill have little trouble recognizing the superior performanceand functionality found in Onkyo's complete line of HomeTheater Receivers.

The critics already have. Our top -of -the -line THX model, theTX-SV9I9THX, was hailed by Technical Editor DavidRanada in a recent issue of Stereo Review as "the best

AV receiver I have ever tested". Our TX-SV717PRO won thefirst ever "Hot Ticket" award from Home TheaterTechnology. And just as a great film can be made on a smallbudget, so can great Home Theater sound be had via ourTX-SV4 1 4PRO.

So, we urge you to visit your Onkyo dealer and choose theHome Theater Receiver model that's right for you. It'll addsuch a new dynamic to your home viewing, you might evenwant to rent one of the films shown at left. They're always in.

°NNW)Onkyo USA Corporation, 200 Williams Drive, Ramsey. NJ 07446 201-825-7950

CAR NM

Sanyo IVDII-300 IUD Changer ReceiverKEN C. POHLMANN HAMMER LABORATORIES

The Sanyo MDR -300 is a head unitwith a detachable face. It's also areceiver with pretty healthy pow-er output. It's also a CD changercontroller. And last, but definite-ly not least, it's also a MiniDisc

player-three of them actually. No,it's not some kind of cockamamie car-tridge -loading deal. It's an MD playerwith three loading slots and three ejectbuttons.

At first glance, the MDR -300 doesnot look like a MiniDisc changer. Ifyou hit the Open button, however, thefront panel falls forward on its bottomhinges, revealing three MD loadingslots stacked horizontally alongsidetheir eject buttons. Each slot is markedwith a back -lighted number. ThreeMiniDiscs can be loaded at a time, andone or two of them can be ejected andreplaced while the third is playing.

The front panel does have an Offbutton, but if you're like me, and yousimply grab the detachable face andgo, the MDR -300 will remember whatit was doing, and when you put theface back on it will start CD or MDplayback where it left off or tune tothe radio station you were listening to.The Off button has another function:When you hold it down for more than3 seconds, it switches the display colorbetween green and amber.

The Audio Control button is aweirdly designed four-sided rocker;the upper right and lower left cornerslet you vary volume, bass, treble, bal-ance, and fader. These various con-trols are selected with the bottom rightcorner of the rocker. The top left cor-ner is a bass -expander (BSX) con-trol-it punches up bass response.Three mode buttons let you choose ra-dio, CD, or MD playback; each ofthem turns the head unit on. The CDand MD buttons also act as play/pausecontrols. The radio mode button letsyou step through the availablebands-FM1, FM2, FM3, and AM-and if you hold it down the tuner scansthe preset stations in the selected band.

The Tuning/Track double rockerlets you tune the radio incrementallywith its + and - ends. A quick touchgives you seek tuning, and a longertouch switches to manual tuning (an -

DIMENSIONS7 INCHES WIDE, 2im 6',14 INCHES DEEP

PRICE$1,5(N1

MANUFACTURERSANYO FISHER (USA) CORP., F.O. Box 2329.

CHATSWORTH, CA 91311-2329

other long touch switches you back).When you're playing an MD or CD,the rocker provides track selectionor, when it's held down, audible fastsearch. The Display button switchesthe alphanumeric readout from an MDbetween playing time, disc title, andtrack title. In radio mode, the Displaybutton selects stereo or mono.

There are six radio preset buttons.Preset I also provides an MD Scrollfunction; the selected title information(up to thirty-two characters) scrollsacross the display. Preset 2 also letsyou audition the first 10 seconds ofCD and MD tracks, or the first 10 sec-onds of the first track of each disc.Preset 3 also provides track and discrepeat. Preset 4 also provides randomtrack selection or random track anddisc selection. Presets 5 and 6, de-signed as a double rocker with + and -ends, double as disc -select controls forthe MD and CD changers.

An ATP (Auto Travel Preset) buttonsurveys either the AM or FM bandand places the six strongest stations inspecial ATP presets (six each in AMand FM), arranged from strongest toweakest in signal strength. Hit ATPagain and it will scan the ATP presets.In CD mode, the ATP button can beused to switch between two differentSanyo changers; a special divider unitis needed in the changers' controllines. An L/DX button switches thetuner between low and high sensitivityto optimize reception for local and dis-tant stations. The mute button kills theaudio output temporarily, but if it's leftengaged for more than 5 minutes dur-ing MD or CD playback, the MDR -300 powers itself down.

The dot-matrix LCD screen pro-vides a full set of alphanumerics forthe usual track, timing, and clock in-formation as well as MD track anddisc titles. In addition, you'll findicons and labels for tuner band, vol-ume level, bass and treble levels, ste-reo or mono reception, distant sensi-tivity, repeat or random playback, andso on. The display also flashes diag-nostic messages-for example, whena blank MD has been loaded or whenthe ambient temperature is too highfor proper operation.

The rear of the MDR -300 has an an-tenna lead, four line -level phono jacks,


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* %rasa Atimen-hrillini wake Rena arl/a oweN7-(0 sal Itcor es 7 Moder)

=etkh71176tralriew".".'" ears (FT arrteertralt Ire r Ii.men Riegel men MI6 Muse Sew& 4550 30161, kiwaple IR 471 hr.17.119.14 DM Ore

ESMUSICifIRVICIEN

CAR STEREOan eight -pin DIN pigtail for connect-ing a CD changer, and a wiring -har-ness socket. The harness has eightspeaker -lead pigtails as well as wiresfor remote turn -on, power, ignition,and ground. The three power leads runthrough a beefy line filter, suggestingthat the head is either sensitive to RFnoise or is dirty with it. Both the pow-er and ignition leads have an in -line10 -ampere fuse-about the biggestyou'll see in a head unit. The unit'spower hunger and heat sensitivity areverified by an exhaust fan on the rearpanel.

The inside of the MDR -300 isstuffed with disc -changer and trans-port mechanics as well as tuner andMD -playback circuitry, including aRAM (random-access memory) chipthat stores up to 12 seconds of read -ahead music to buffer disc skipping,an ATRAC decoder, and 1 -bit digital -to -analog (D/A) converters. The unitcomes with a credit -card -size wirelessremote control whose eighteen buttonsduplicate the front -panel controls.

Lab TestsThe MDR -300 was good but not

great on the test bench. MiniDiscplayback was somewhat inferior togood CD playback and not as good asthat of some other MD players I'vetested. Still, the numbers were re-spectable overall. For example, fre-quency response dropped only 0.92dB at 20 kHz and total harmonic dis-tortion plus noise (THD+N) was lowat 1 kHz. But the THD+N was a high0.45 percent at 20 kHz, and linearityerred by +3.6 dB at -90 dB.

Tuner performance was pretty good,with sensitivity and adjacent -channelselectivity particular standouts. The in-ternal power amplifiers pumped outalmost 10 watts into 4 ohms, with lowdistortion and noise.

InstallationInstallation (il the MDR -300 was no

big deal. I cleared out a DIN space inmy dash and affixed the mountingsleeve by bending tabs. I popped outthree transport screws from the MDR -300's chassis, slid it into the sleeve,where it locked, and screwed in a rearstrap. I wired up the front speaker out-puts to my front speakers and the rear

MEASUREMENTSMD SECTION

Maximum output level 1.77 volts

Frequency response2() II/ to 20 kHz +O. -0.92 dB

Channel separationI kl-li 70.0 dB

201.11, 46.2 dB

Dynamic range (A-wtd.) 84.6 dB

Signal-to-noise ratio (A-wtd.) 83.1 dB

Distortion (THD+N, 1 kHz)at 0 dB 0.08%

at -20 dB 0.45%

Linearity error (-90 dB) +3.6 dB

Interchannel phase shift (at 20 kHz) 0.2°

Disc -change time 12 seconds

TUNER SECTIONAll measurements are tor FM only except fre-quency response.

Max. output (100% modulation). 0.73 voltSensitivity (50 -dB quieting, mono)...21.2 dBfDistortion t THD+N at 65 dBf)mono 0.60%

stereo 0.88%

Signal-to-noise ratio (at 65 dBf)mono 64.8 dB

stereo 51.9 dB

Channel separation(at 65 dBf, I kHz) 30.3 dB

AM rejection (at 65 dBf) 59.5 dB

Capture ratio (at 65 dBf) 3.0 dB

Selectiwityadjacen:-channel 20.0 dB

alternate -channel 61.3 dB

Image rejection 50.2 dB

Frequency responseFM 30 Hz to 15 kHz +0, -3.2 dBAM 30 Hz to 3 kHz +0, -5.9 dB

AMPLIFIER SECTIONAll measurements were made with 14.4 -voltDC power supply; all channels driven into 4ohms unless otherwise noted.

Noise I A-wtd. re I -watt output) . .... .76.9 dBDistortion (THD+N, 1 kHz, I watt) ...0.085%Damping factor 35

Frequency response21) II/ to 20 kHz +0.26, -0.33 dB

Output at clipping (1 kHz)8 ohms 6.8 watts

4 ohms 9 9 watts

Tone -control rangebass +9.9, -10.0 dB at 100 Hz

treble ±9.3 dB at 10 kHz

line -level outputs to an external rearamplifier. I also took care of the re-mote turn -on, antenna, power, igni-tion, and ground connections. I did nothave a compatible Sanyo CD changer(such as an AX -600 or AX -800), so Ipassed on that option. I clicked in thefront panel, popped in a test MD, setsensitivity in the rear amplifier, and hitthe road.

Road TestsPutting my burning MD curiosity

on hold, I first turned my attention tothe radio. I tuned to both local and dis-tant stations, changing sensitivity andstereo/mono mode as needed. The tun-er did a good job of pulling in weaksignals. Sound quality of strong sta-tions was quite good, with subjective-ly flat frequency response and moder-ate distortion. In heavy urban terrain,multipath interference did intrude,with a fair amount of stoplight fade.Overall, I would rate this a B+ tunerthat should give good performance un-der typical conditions.

Next, I opened the front panel andloaded in three MD's-a quick andeasy procedure. I also quickly learnedthe changer's ground rules: If an MDis in a slot (not being played), it isejected immediately after you press itseject button. If a disc is playing whenyou hit its eject button, it stops playingand moves back into its slot; you hitthe eject button again to actually ejectit. In addition, the disc in the next nu-merical slot is automatically movedinto playing position. After putting thefront panel back, I observed that disc -changing time was about 12 secondsand that mechanical noise during theprocess was unobtrusive.

Playing around a little, I turned theunit off and removed the front panel,as if I were parking the car. I flippedup the subplate. For reasons that defyimagination, this subplate has a cutoutaround the MD loading slots. In otherwords, when the panel is removed, theslots are open to the outside air, whichsurely invites dust to enter and clogthe mechanics and optics. Even if


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CAR MNfront clearance was a tough issue,some kind of covering should havebeen designed into this head unit.

The MD format's alphanumerical ti-tles are a strong feature. In this case,the disc or track title appears completein the display if it has less than thirty-two characters. If it has more, it auto-matically scrolls. In any event, youcan scroll titles by hitting the Scrollbutton. (Titles are always encoded inprerecorded MD's, but you have to en-ter them yourself when you record ona blank MD.) In my humble opinion,the MDR -300's scrolling should befaster. At about two characters per sec-ond, unless you're a really slow readeryou'll lose interest (or drive into atree) before you complete more thantwenty characters.

One of MD's key benefits is its read -ahead memory, which stores a goodamount of music data (12 seconds inthis case) and can quickly replenish itif tracking is interrupted. I took theMDR -300 through some of the bumpi-est roads I know and never heard askip. Unless you're into some seriousoff -road recreation, skipping shouldnot be a problem.

Using a number of prerecorded andpersonally recorded MD's, I checkedout the changer's sound quality. Firstof all, only about half the people I'vetested can hear the difference betweenMD and CD playback under optimalconditions. In a moving car, I doubtwhether anyone could reliably do it. Inthat context, I was pleased with theMDR -300, but not overwhelmed. Inparticular, in a parked car MD's didn'tsound as good as CD's do, or evenMD's on some other players I'vetested. Don't misunderstand-it blewaway cassette tape, but it lacked thehigh -frequency sparkle and presenceof better formats. Overall, while itsounded pretty damn good, I wished itsounded better.

The onboard amplifiers were prettygood-more power and better soundthan usual. Despite the exhaust fan,the unit ran very hot to the touch.

The MDR -300 is one of the mostexpensive head units I've ever seen,and one of the neatest. I do not likeand have never liked disc cartridges; itis simply a pain to load and unloadthem, especially in a car or outdoors.

The MDR -300 clearly shows there is abetter way. Its three MD loading slotsare a real joy to use. Once you appre-ciate the ability to chuck 222 minutesof music into the dashboard without

any hassles, you'll wonder how youever lived without it. The wads of funyou'll have using this unit shouldmake up for any loss in fidelity youmight notice while driving. E

Sounds great.Less filling.

o- rz

The world's smallest mobile 12 -CD changer.Imagine a 12 -disc CD changer so small you can put it justabout anywhere in your car Imagine a 12-dis: charger that'llwork with gay car stereo. It's JVC's KD-MK71RF, so powerful,your woofers will sit up and take notice; so innovative, it'sthe smallest 12 -disc CD changer system there is. Imagine that.

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YOUR BIG SCREEN TVCAN HANDLE A SIXTYPERCENT INCREASE IN

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A Pioneer' LaserDisc player will turn

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Q PIONEERThe Art of Entertainment

For the nearest dealer, call I -800 -Pioneer, ext. 410.C XVI Pioseer Electronics (11SA) Inc., Long B...4, CA.

high ate?How powerful is that amplifier (or

receiver) you are considering? Youmight be surprised at the variety ofnumbers that can be applied (legiti-mately!) to the same product. Let'stake a look at this potentially con-

fusing situation.The watt is a unit of power, which is

the rate of doing work (in this case, mov-ing the diaphragms of your speakers backand forth). An electrical watt is the prod-uct of voltage and current (volts and am-peres), multiplied in an AC circuit by thecosine of the phase angle between them.When rating audio components, it is usu-ally assumed that the load is a pure resis-tance (although it rarely is), so that thephase angle can be ignored. In practice,the phase angle of a speaker's impedancecan vary widely with frequency.

In the early days of stereo, it was acommon practice to measure an amplifierwith only one of its channels being driv-en, multiplying its maximum power out-put by the number of channels to estab-lish an advertised rating. When bothchannels operate from the same powersupply, however, its voltage normallydrops because of the extra load of the sec-ond channel, reducing the total powerslightly (sometimes considerably). TheFederal Trade Commission put a stop tothat practice in 1974 by requiring that allchannels be driven simultaneously whenmaking this measurement and that themaximum distortion, load impedance,and frequency range over which a powerrating applies be included in the specifi-cation. Although this ruling has not beenactively enforced in recent years, it hasbecome part of the industry -standard testprocedure. In contrast with the grosslydistorted claims that were once common-place, today's power ratings are consis-tently honest and usually conservative.

The growing popularity of audio/videosystems has led to the development ofmore complex multichannel amplifiers. Atypical A/V receiver, for example, hasfive channels, for the main front speakers,a center -channel speaker, and surroundspeakers. How do you measure a big mul-tichannel amplifier? In a word, carefully!The logistics of dealing with a large num-ber of bulky load resistors, which can be-come very hot, is not a trivial matter. For -

TOEBY JULIAN HIRSCH

tunately, it is rare for all the channels ofsuch an amplifier to be driven to full out-put simultaneously in normal use.

In any event, I will use a typical A/Vreceiver as an illustration of the measure-ment problem. Its amplifier section is rat-ed, according to FTC rules, at 125 wattsper channel in its two -channel stereomode into 8 -ohm loads, from 20 Hz to 20kHz, at 0.05 percent total harmonic dis-tortion. In Dolby Pro Logic operationeach of the channels (left, right, center,and the combined surround outputs) israted at 100 watts into 8 ohms at 1 kHzwith 0.8 percent distortion. The slightlyreduced front -channel power, comparedwith the stereo rating, reflects the need toshare the power -supply output with addi-tional amplifier channels. In fact, if thesame distortion and bandwidth were usedfor the power ratings in Pro Logic modeas in the stereo mode, they would proba-bly come out lower still. Raising the dis-tortion ceiling for the specification andnarrowing the frequency range will in-variably yield a bigger power rating.

So far, we have been considering onlycontinuous power ratings (in this context,"continuous" means for a duration of atleast 5 minutes). The rated power of an

Dynamic power can

be as important as an

amplifier's continuous

output capability.

amplifier is the maximum that it can de-liver for that time into a specified loadimpedance, at the rated distortion, withina range of frequencies defined by themanufacturer (usually 20 Hz to 20 kHz).

Music and speech are not continuous innature, however. Both contain peak levelsfar exceeding their average value. It is un-necessarily expensive to design an ampli-fier to deliver, say, 200 watts continuous-ly when it may be called upon to deliveronly a fraction of that power 99 percentof the time. Therefore, most amplifiersare designed to deliver considerably morethan their steady-state power for brief in-tervals (musical peaks). This is called

"dynamic power" and is a characteristicof almost every amplifier to some degree.

The dynamic -power test is made at 1

kHz with a special signal that drives theamplifier to its maximum unclipped levelin 20 -millisecond bursts, once per second.The output is measured on an oscillo-scope and converted to an equivalentsteady-state wattage, usually for load im-pedances of 4 or 8 ohms (we also test at 2ohms in most cases). Dynamic headroom,expressed in decibels, is the amount bywhich the dynamic power exceeds therated continuous power. Thus, an amplifi-er rated at 50 watts of continuous powerthat delivered 100 watts of dynamic pow-er would have a dynamic headroom of 3dB. (Because continuous -power ratingsare often conservative-sometimes ex-tremely so-dynamic-headroom figuresare usually greater than they would be ifthey were expressed relative to the actualmeasured continuous power.)

Since most program material, eithermusic or speech, resembles the dynamictest waveform more than it does a contin-uous sine wave, dynamic power can be asimportant as an amplifier's continuousoutput capability. A bonus for the user ofan amplifier with a high dynamic -powercapability is that it can play, under mostconditions, slightly louder or with lessdistortion than another amplifier with thesame continuous, or clipping, power out-put but lacking its dynamic capability. Onthe other hand, if your preference is fororgan music with long, sustained pedalpassages, and your speakers (and budget)are equal to the challenge, you may preferan amplifier with little or no dynamicheadroom but high continuous power ca-pability into any speaker load you mightpresent to it.

Most amplifiers (especially in re-ceivers) take advantage of the inherentability of a loosely regulated power sup-ply to handle brief peaks of much higherpower than their continuous ratingswould allow. Some even use special pow-er -supply designs that facilitate theprocess by responding to the signal am-plitude to provide a higher instantaneousvoltage to the output transistors for briefintervals. At the opposite pole are ampli-fiers of classic design (usually larger,heavier, and more costly) that are built toprovide full power on demand, withintheir design limits, for signals of any du-ration or level. Your best choice will de-pend on your needs, tastes, and finances. o


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TEST REPORTS

Hotel IISP-960AX Surround ProcessorDAVID RANADA TECHNICAL EDITOR

Although Rotel modestly billsits RSP-960AX as a mere sur-round -sound processor-oneproviding Dolby Pro Logic de-coding as well as music -ori-ented ambience -enhancement

modes-it can nonetheless performmany of the functions of a completeA/V preamplifier. It includes, for ex-ample, audio and video connectionsand switching for multiple inputs. Ifyou can live without a phono input,the RSP-960AX can serve as the oneand only preamp in an A/V system.

The RSP-960AX has five inputs se-lected by buttons on the upper rightof the front panel. Two are audio only:Line is where you would plug in a CDplayer if you were using the RSP-960AX as a preamplifier, and Tape iswhere you would connect an audio -only recorder, which is fed whatever isconnected to the Line input. The re-maining three inputs have both stereoaudio and video connectors, the latter

in both composite -video and S -videoflavors. The LD input is intended for alaserdisc player, whereas Video 1 andVideo 2 are designed primarily forVCR's. You could, however, use anyof these video inputs to connect anoth-er source, such as the audio outputsfrom a TV set or both audio and videofrom a satellite receiver. Both VCRconnections are provided with inputs

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MANUFACTURINROTEL OF AMEF ICA, P.O. Box 8, NORTH READING,

MA 01864-0008

and outputs, the outputs being fed bywhatever is hooked to the LD input(there are no provisions for dubbingbetween VCR's). A TV set gets con-nected to the composite or S -videomonitor output on the rear panel. Asusual, there is no conversion betweenS -video and composite signals, so ifyou have only one of the monitor out-puts connected to your TV, all thevideo inputs to the RSP-960AX mustbe of the same type.

There are six audio outputs, each atline level and each intended to feed apower amplifier: front left, center, andright, surround left and right (labeled"Rear"), and subwoofer. The sub -woofer output has its own rear -panellevel control, and its output can beswitched so that it is either wideband("Flat") or rolled off at 12 dB per oc-tave above either 80 or 120 Hz (set-tings to be used if your subwoofer am-plifier has no crossover of its own).The rear panel notably lacks any ACconvenience outlets, a standard featureof most true A/V preamps.

The front panel likewise lacks aheadphone output, but it does havecontrols for other, more A/V-orientedfeatures. In addition to the central


TEST ERNSmaster volume -control knob, there arepushbuttons for raising and loweringthe volumes of the center and sur-round speakers and for turning on thelevel -check test signal. There are alsobuttons for changing the center -speak-er mode from Normal to Wide orPhantom and for switching the DolbyPro Logic surround -channel delay toeither 20 or 30 milliseconds. A BassEQ button boosts low frequencies toproduce a +8 -dB shelf at 100 Hz andbelow, but its effect extends past 1

kHz, where the response is still upabout I dB. The boosted responsesounds like that of a typical bass tonecontrol turned all the way up.

At the lower right of the front panelare the sound -processing selector but-tons. The available selections includeplain two -channel stereo, Dolby ProLogic, and three four -speaker (center -off) ambience modes. The ConcertHall mode produces multiple decaying"reflections" in the surrounds over aperiod of approximately 200 millisec-onds. Jazz rolls off the bass in the

front speakers (at 6 dB per octave be-low 200 Hz) and generates only twosurround reflections. Stadium, thethird ambience mode, rolls off the bassand boosts the treble in the front chan-nels and feeds the front left and rightsignals without alteration to the sur-rounds; it introduces some crossfeedbetween the front channels as well.The manual says that the Stadiummode is designed for live recordingsor broadcasts, particularly sportingevents. None of the ambience modespermit any adjustments.

In our laboratory measurements theRSP-960AX showed very good to ex-cellent performance in two -channelstereo and Pro Logic. Of particularnote were the low noise levels. Intwo -channel mode, spectrum analysisshowed a very low level of high -fre-quency noise combined with well -con-trolled power -supply leakage (worstcase was 60 -Hz hum at an inaudiblylow -103 dB below a 0.5 -volt output).Surround -channel noise -reduction cal-ibration in the Pro Logic mode was

MEASUREMENTS

PREAMPLIFIER SECTIONAll measurements were taken through the LDilaserdiscl input.Output at clipping (I kHz) 7 voltsInput overload level 3.3 voltsSensitivity t tor a 0.5 -volt output) 236 mVDistortion (THD+N, 1 kHz) 0.0038%Noise I -w . re 0.5 -volt output) -96.6 dBFrequency response

20 Hz to 20 kHz +0, -0.29 dB

DOLBY PRO LOGIC DECODERUnless otherwise noted, all measurementswere made at unity gain (main volume settingat approximately 2 o'clock) with LD-inputreference levels of 200 millivolts (mV) for theleft and right front channels and 141.4 mV forthe center and surround channels. All mea-surements were made with the Normal center -channel setting except frequency response and

channel separation, which were made in theWide setting using MLS techniques.Frequency responseleft, right 20 Hz to 20 kHz +0.03, -0.26 dBcenter 20 Hz to 20 kHz +0.07, -0.77 dBsurround 31 Hz to 6.4 kHz +0.07, -3 dB

Noise (A-wtd.)left, right -80.4 dBcenter -75.5 dBsurround -76.8 dBDistortion (THD+N, 1 kHz)left, right 0.02%center 0.027%surround 0 21%Surround decoder input -overloadmargins (at 1 kHz)left, right (re 2 -volt input) +3.5 dBcenter (re 1.414 -volt input) +5.9 dBsurround (re 1.414 -volt input) +1.7 dBSurround -channel noise -reductioncalibration error (see text)Dolby spec (re 247.5 mV) 0 dBHome THX spec (re 141.4 mV) +4.86 dBChannel separation (100 Hz to 7 kHz)left output, right driven >31 dBleft output, center driven >50 dBleft output, surround driven >42 dBcenter output, left driven >44 dBcenter output, surround driven >44 dBsurround output, left driven >49 dBsurround output, center driven >69 dB

very control on

the Rotel processor's

remote has a

corresponding front -

panel LED.

right on the nose according to Dolbyspecs (which means it is 4.86 dB highaccording to THX standards). Sur-round -channel frequency response inPro Logic operation was also verygood, indicating good noise -reductiontracking as well as an absence of theall too common overall downward tiltto the surround -channel response. Thevideo switching circuitry introducedno noticeable picture degradation withcritical test patterns.

But the measurements did confirmone characteristic of the RSP-960AXthat had proved problematical in set-ting it up for listening tests. The sur-round- and center -speaker level con-trols have an unusually wide range,more than 70 dB. While the widerange is okay in itself, that the controlschange the level in increments of ap-proximately 2 dB is not. Such adjust-ments are too coarse to guarantee real-ly good matching of speaker levels(depending on the sensitivities of theloudspeakers employed). So it wouldbe a good idea to use the RSP-960AXwith amplifiers that have their own in-put level controls to enable finer bal-ance adjustments.

There are other, minor ergonomic


Cambridge SoundWorksTakes-Center Stage.

Model Ten -A

Our experience with Dolby SurroundPro Logic sound systems is that the centerchannel is very important.A significant portion ofmovie soundtracks isdirected to the centerchannel in a Pro Logicsystem. It's crucial that thecenter channel speaker iscapable of reproducing thematerial accurately, withproper volume level anddispersion.

Cambridge SoundWorksmanufactures three centerchannel speakers. All threeproduce natural, accurate,well -dispersed sound. Allthree are magneticallyshielded so you can placethem close to your TVmonitor. All three are covered by our 7 -yearparts & labor warranty and our 30 -daymoney -back guarantee. And because we sell

Center Channel Pats

factory -direct, with no expensive middlemen,all three speakers are excellent values.

Surround Speakers.We make two different dipoleradiator surround channelspeakers, The Surround andThe Surround II. Theydisperse surround channelsignals so you'll hear themthe way they were meant tobe heard. Factory -directprices, $399 & $249 pr.

KJ"Mace our low, wide Center Channel Plis above TV or,with optional support, use it as a base for your TV.

RM.

Model Ten -A.Model Ten -A is a very

small (4 1/2" x 6 1/2" x 3"),two-way acoustic suspensionspeaker that's ideal for anaffordable Pro Logic system. Itssmall size makes it easy toplace near your TV. And itsbalanced, natural sound willsatisfy even critical listeners. Itis acoustically identical to thesatellite speakers in ourEnsemble III system. Factory -direct price, $80.

Center Channel.Center Channel is a

compact, two-way, acousticsuspension speaker that is

acoustically identical to the satellite speakersin our New Ensemble® and New Ensemble IIspeaker systems.' Its wide -range, well -dispersed, balanced sound and high powerhandling capability make it one of thecountry's best values in a center channelspeaker. Factory -direct price, $149.

Center Channel Plus.Center Channel Plus is an outstanding

center channel speaker in that it providesoutstanding acoustic performance, whileblending in to the "TV environment" in aunique way. Center Channel Plus uses four3" long -throw woofers and a tweeter thatperfectly matches the acoustics of our NewEnsemble and New Ensemble II systems. Thefrequency range of the outer pair of 3"woofers is intentionally tailored to maintainproper dispersion characteristics.

Because of its ultra -wide, ultra -low

CAlitlatiat.t:Saumffla.

Center Channel

profile, Center Channel Plus is ideal for place-ment directly on top of your TV. Or, with anoptional support stand, you can place itdirectly beneath your TV. We don't know ofany other center channel loudspeaker thatoffers the combination of high performanceand versatility of placement as CenterChannel Plus. It is our best selling centerchannel speaker. Factory -directprice, $219.

Free Surround Sound GuideFor your free copy of our booklet,"Getting The Most From Your DolbySurround System," call us toll -freeat 1-80C-FOR-HIFI.

Satisfaction Guaranteed.With our 30 -day money -back guarantee

you can audition these speakers the rightway-is your home, listening to your music,with no salesman hovering nearby. If within30 days you aren't entirely happy, returnyour system for a full refund. We evenreimburse original UPS ground shippingcharges in the continental U.S.




CAMBRIDGESOUNDWORKS



01994 Cimbndge SoundWorks. ®Ensemble is a re0stered trademark of CambridgeSoundwotts. Inc. 'Center Chanel does not include the midrange and high.frequency

lanai balance controls of the New EnstrnbleInsemble II saltlike speakers

7F -.10410111E,CIRCLE NO. 6 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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At Cambridge SoundWorks we make speakersand music systems designed by Henry Kloss(founder of AR, KLH & Advent). We sellthem-and components from companies likeSony, Pioneer, Philips, Carver and others-factory -direct, with no expensive middlemen.For example, a Dolby Pro Logic SurroundSound system with Model Six speakers, rearspeakers, a Sony Pro Logic receiver and remoteis only $747. Call today and find out whyAudio magazine said we may have "the bestvalue in the world." Call toll -free for factory -direct savings. Save hundreds on components and systems

from Cambridge SoundWorks, Sony, Pioneer,Philips, Carver and more.

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difficulties. The processor should beplugged directly into a wall socket oran unswitched convenience outlet onanother component. If power to theRSP-960AX is totally disconnected, itwill forget your volume settings forthe center and surround speakers. (Theproblem is exacerbated by the lack ofany front -panel or on -screen indica-tion of those settings. The five indica-tor lights on the panel above the centerand surround level controls show onlywhich outputs are activated when thedifferent surround modes are turnedon.) Fortunately, if it loses your set-tings, the RSP-960AX turns the centerand surround outputs all the way downrather than leaving them in some ran-dom state. On the other hand, thebass -boost feature has an irritating ten-dency to turn itself on after powerloss. None of these problems will oc-cur, however, if the processor remainsconnected to a live outlet at all times.

Aside from such difficulties, noneof which are insurmountable and someof which you many never encounter, Ihad no problems operating the proces-sor. All speaker -level adjustments,coarse though they may be, can bemade from the remote, which dupli-cates all the front -panel controls andadds a mute function. I liked the pro-

fusion of indicator lights on the frontpanel: Every control on the remotehas a corresponding front -panel LED.Once you memorize the lights' posi-tions, you can tell the processor's op-erating status at a glance from a gooddistance in total darkness without hav-ing to strain to read an alphanumericdisplay.

The RSP-960AX performed verywell in both stereo and Pro Logicmodes. Pro Logic steering was accu-rate, and background noise was verylow. I didn't much care for the Con-cert Hall ambience mode, although itwas far better than many similarmodes in other products, which oftensuffer from exaggerated artificial re -verb. I found the response alterationsand spatial effects in the Jazz and Sta-dium modes to be effective only withsome program material. And, as usual,I advise you to disregard the names ofthese modes when deciding which one(if any) to use; try them all.

On the whole, the RSP-960AX waseasy to use and, in the Rotel tradition,a good no -frills performer at an attrac-tive price. If your primary interest ishigh -quality Dolby Pro Logic decod-ing, with a little A/V switching thrownin for good measure, it could be a finechoice.

L' XLEYOR E S

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Ak

Slave Subwoofer

Powered Subwoofer $299/$15 Month' Powered Subwoofer II

$699/$20 Month' $399/$15 Month'

"Room ShakingA semi truck landing atter a 20 foot fall

in Terminator 2. The heavy pounding of feetof a T -Rex in Jurassic Park. These areexamples of the ultra -low, ultra -strong basssignals on today's movie soundtracks. Suchfrequencies are rare in music, and are beyondthe capabilities of most speakers designedfor music.

The Cambridge SoundWorks poweredsubwoofers reproduce these bass signals withthe power and impact you would experiencein movie theaters with the very best soundsystems.

Our Powered Subwoofer.Our Powered Subwoofer consists of a

heavy duty, 12" long -throw acousticsuspension woofer inte-grated with a 140 wattamplifier - all in ablack, vinyl -cladcabinet. Its controlpanel includes a basslevel control and a four-

sition electronic crossoverfrequency selector (to match thesubwoofer to your speakers). ThePowered Subwoofer reproduces accurate bassto below 30 Hz. You'll hear soundtracks theway they were meant to be heard...betterthan most theaters. Factory -direct price, $699.

Our Slave Subwoofer.For all-out home theater performance,

you can add our optional Slave Subwoofer,which is identical to our Powered Subwoofer,

Stereo Review

except that it lacks the amplifier and controls.It uses the amplifier and controls built intothe Powered Subwoofer. The combinationreproduces a below -30 Hz signal cleanly to asound pressure level of over 100 dB in a3,000 cubic foot room! That's enough clean,deep bass for the largest home theaters.Factory -direct price, $299.

"...deep powerful bass...3I.5 Hz bass output wasobtainable at a room -shaking level... they openthe way to having a 'killer' systemfor anaffordable price" Stereo Review

Our Powered Subwoofer II.Our Powered Subwoofer II uses a heavy

duty 8" acoustic suspensionwoofer in a vinyl -clad cabinet

that also holds a 120 -wattamplifier. The PoweredSubwoofer 8" woofer has

a very long (3/4") "throw" forpowerful, linear bass response. Its

amplifier employs electronic equaliza-tion to extend uniform output to well

below 30 Hz. Bass performance is, in fact,identical to that of our Powered Subwoofer,although total acoustic output is not assuitable for exceptionally large rooms. Thereis also no provision for connecting a "slave"subwoofer.

The woofer uses a unique heat sink,instead of a dust cap (see illustration). Aninput gain control and a variable loassfilter let you match Powered Subwoofer II to

tt

any speaker system. Factory -direct price, $399.

Satisfaction Guaranteed.With our 30 -day money -back guarantee

you can audition these speakers the fightway - in your home, listening to yourmusic, with no salesman hovering nearby.If within 30 days you aren't entirely happy,return your system for a full refund. Weeven reimburse original UPS groundshipping charges in the continental U.S.

"I was taken aback by the ability cfyour PoweredSubwoyer tofill my living room with ultra -lowbass...I am extremely impressed with your productand will not hesitate in recommending it toanyone interested in serious bass. lam anextremely happy bass-a-holic." Guy C., Customer




CAMBRIDGESOUNDWORKS

154 California Street, Suite 102N. Newton, MA 021581-800-367-4434 Fax: 617-332-9229

Canada: 1-800-525-4434Outside C.S. or Canada: 617-332-5936

©1999 Cambia I; sale ri,u,terrid raard:marl, ofCambude. - - meat for qualified

C'RCLE NO 6 ON HEADER SERVICE CARD

TEST REPORTS

Canon S-35 Loudspeaker SystemJULIAN HIRSCH HIRSCH-HOUCK LABORATORIES

Canon's new S-35 is truly a uniqueloudspeaker. At first glance it re-sembles a stylized bust of DarthVader. The rounded, matte black,die-cast zinc upper portion is ap-proximately the size of a human

head, and its glossy black plastic baseresembles an upward -facing 90 -degreecone. Inside the "helmet," facingdownward, is a small cone driver(Canon refers to it as a 53/4 -inch cone,but its effective diameter is only about43/4 inches). Concentrically mountedwith the cone is a 3/4 -inch soft -dometweeter. The enclosed volume of thehelmet is vented by two small open-ings on its rear, which also containsthe recessed multiway binding -postterminals.

Canon's term for the unique charac-ter of the S-35 (which, like all Canonspeakers, is manufactured in GreatBritain) is Wide Imaging Stereo(WIS), since the acoustic output is ra-diated into a considerably wider hori-zontal angle than with a conventionalforward -firing design. Canon says theS -35's horizontal dispersion is within

±3 dB from 1 to 15 kHz over a 100 -degree forward angle.

The system's rated frequency re-sponse is 70 Hz to 22 kHz ±3 dB, withan axial (anechoic) sensitivity of 88dB sound -pressure level (SPL) at 1

meter with a 2.83 -volt input. Thespeaker is rated to handle up to 75watts (a 50 -watt amplifier is recom-mended), and it has a nominal imped-ance of 6 ohms. An internal overload -protection system senses signals of ex-cessive level and duration and reduces

DIMENSIONS101/2 INCHES HIGH, 9 INCHES WIDE,

91/2 INCHES DEEP

WRIGHT10 POUNDS

PRICE$399 A PAIR

MANUFACTURERCANON U.S.A., DEPT. SR, ONE CANON PLAZA,

LAKE Success, NY 11042

the input to the drivers until a safe lev-el is restored.

The S-35 speakers can be mountedon wall brackets or stands and shouldbe angled inward toward the listeningarea by 35 to 45 degrees for optimalimaging. According to Canon, theirintegral magnetic shielding allowsthem to be installed close to a TVmonitor or receiver without affectingthe picture.

We placed the Canon S -35's on 30 -inch pedestals about 9 feet apart and 2feet from the wall behind them. Initial-ly they were facing forward, but weangled them as recommended for lis-tening tests. The averaged room -re-sponse curve showed maximum out-put points at 260 Hz and 20 kHz and auniform response (±2.5 dB) from 400Hz to 4 kHz. The crossover to thetweeter appeared to be at about 5 kHz(quasi-anechoic MLS measurementsconfirmed that by revealing a narrownotch of about 12 dB at 4.9 kHz).

The close-miked woofer responseindicated a ±3 -dB variation from 85Hz to 2.5 kHz (with some unevennessabove 1 kHz, where this measurementbegan to become invalid). Bass outputfell off at 12 dB per octave below 100Hz but remained useful at least to therated 70 -Hz limit.

The composite response curve, com-bining the close-miked bass responseand the smoothed room response(which overlapped for several oc-taves), showed the usual variationsdue to unavoidable boundary effects.The curve's most obvious featureswere a broadly emphasized region be-tween 100 and 600 Hz, a moderatevariation in response between 1 and10 kHz, and a rise of about 8 dB in thetop octave, between 10 and 20 kHz.The MLS measurements revealed (inaddition to the 5 -kHz notch mentionedabove) a tweeter resonance peak ofperhaps 8 dB at 19 kHz, accountingfor the rising high end in the room -re-sponse measurement.

The S -35's horizontal dispersionwas, as might be expected from its de-sign, very good. Over the 45 -degreeangle that we usually use for this test,the 15 -kHz output varied only about 4dB, essentially confirming the manu-facturer's rating. But since the speak-er's output has no clear access to the


In -Wall Speakers ByHenry Kloss.

Inside.We Don't Know Of AnyOther In -Wall Speakers

That Match Their Perfor-mance, Durability ValueAnd Ease Of Installation.

Cambridge SoundWorks manu-factures two different in -wallspeaker systems designed by Henry!Coss (founder of AR, KLH StAdvent). The in -wall version of ourAmbianceTM speaker is designed foruse indoors. The in -wall version ofour all-weather speaker, TheOutdoor, is suitable for use on thepatio, by the pool...even on boats.

Both systems deliver the wide -range, accurate, natural soundpeople expect from CambridgeSoundWorks. Both systems arecovered by our 7 -year parts St laborwarranty and our 30 -day money -back guarantee. And because wesell only factory -direct, with no ex-pensive middlemen, both systemsrepresent outstanding values.

Ambiance In -Wall Speakers.We don't know of any ultra -

compact speaker - at any price -better than our Ambiance speakers.(Also available in free-standingcabinets.) Henry Kloss chose a verywide dispersion tweeter forAmbiance In -Wall. It deliversaccurate midrange/high-frequency responseover a very wide pattern, so you can placethe system very high - or very low - on awall and still hear realistic stereo imaginganywhere in the room. This flexibility can bevery important for in -wallinstallations.

We don't know of anyloudspeaker its size withbetter bass response thanAmbiance In -Wall. StereoReview magazine said"They easily held their ownagainst substantially larger,more expensive speakers...alot of good sound at a hard -to -beat price." Factory -direct price, $329 pr.

81/9" wide x 113 /33/4" deep (belowsurface) x 3/8" (surface, including

9" high xmounting

above mountinggrille).

And Out.The Outdoor In -Wall Speakers.

The Outdoor In -Wall speaker is very sim-ilar to Ambiance in overall sound, and hasthe same wide dispersion pattern. It isslightly more efficient, so that it can produce

high volume levels with areasonably powered receiver -which is very appropriate for anoutdoor speaker. It has anelectro-plated steel grille and aslim -line enclosure with a bracedpolymer shell. Unlike other in -wall systems, its mounting frameis integrated with a fully sealedenclosure that provides not onlyweather resistance, but alsoproper acoustic loading for thespeaker drivers. It includes

stainless steel hardware and gold-plated five -way binding posts.(Also available in free-standingcabinets.) Factory -direct price,$329 pr.

Easy To Paint.Easy To Install.

Both our in -wall systems can beused as -is with their supplied off-white finish. Or you can paint themany color. Both systems are also aninstaller's dream. Because theyinclude sealed enclosures, you don'thave to create an enclosure withinyour walls. And a plastic "dog leg"locking system makes finalinstallation as simple as turning ascrewdriver.

Lot Of Good SoundAt A Hard -76 -Beat -Price."

Stereo Review

Satisfaction Guaranteed.With our 30 -day money -back

guarantee you can audition thesespeakers the right way - in yourhome, listening to your music, withno salesman hovering nearby.If within 30 days you aren't en-tirely happy, return for a fullrefund. We even reimburse originalUPS ground shipping charges inthe continental U.S.

For A Free catalog, Call



CAMBRIDGESOUNDWORKS

154 California Street, Suite IO2N. Newton, MA 021581-800-367-4434 Fax: 617-332-9229


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TEST NEPOBiSrear, a 90 -degree off -axis measure-ment showed a drop of 10 to 15 dB inthe range from 10 to 20 kHz.

The impedance characteristic wasdistinctive, with three large, narrowpeaks, to 27 ohms at 30 Hz and 100Hz and to 23 ohms at 1 kHz. The min-imum reading of 5 ohms at 250 Hzand 20 kHz, however, justifies thespeaker's nominal 6 -ohm rating.

Our measurements confirmed therated sensitivity (88 dB SPL at I me-ter with a 2.83 -volt input). Woofer dis-tortion measured between 0.6 and 1.5percent from 100 Hz to 2 kHz, risingat lower frequencies to 5 percent at itsrated 70 -Hz limit and to 10 percent at30 Hz (where its output was too low tobe useful).

In listening tests, the Canon S-35sounded pretty much the way its re-sponse measurements would suggest.It had a pleasant warmth, almost cer-tainly due to its slight emphasis in thelower midrange. The highs, thoughclearly present, were not prominent(the tweeter resonance peak being atthe upper limits of human hearing).There was none of the sizzle thatsometimes signals a peaked top end.The overall sound character was dis-tinctively different from that of moreconventional speakers, imparting asense of air and space that seemed tofill the entire region between thespeakers but had little correlation withthe apparent source of the music. In

spite of that effect, spatial imagingwith the Chesky JD37 test disc was asgood as we have ever heard.

Our pulse power tests proved the ef-fectiveness of the speaker's protectivesystem. At 100 Hz, the circuit effec-tively "soft -clipped" the drive signal ata point where the sound took on a hardquality (in the vicinity of 200 watts).With further increases in level the sig-nal was merely clipped a bit harder(we did not attempt to test the limits ofthe protection, since the sound becamerather ominous at about 250 watts). Athigher frequencies, the speaker's im-pedance rose to the point where ouramplifier's output was voltage -limitedto the equivalent of about 300 watts at1 kHz. At 10 kHz the tweeter outputwas severely clipped at 800 watts, butwithout any permanent damage.

To check Canon's claim of magneticshielding, we measured the field at theouter surface of the S-35. It never ex-ceeded 2 gauss and was typicallymuch less. The speaker is obviouslysafe to use in an AN system.

Once you accept the odd appear-ance of the Canon S-35, it is a veryeasy speaker to live with and listen to.Its subjective bass is all one would ex-pect from a conventional speaker of itssize (or two or three times its size),and it is designed for flexible installa-tion. In fact, with a little imaginationin its placement, it might never be tak-en for a loudspeaker!

"Now then, was that Mr. Coleman live. or was that Mr Coleman on tape?"Chattanooga, TN 37422



Recyclable.Don't trash your old CD player. It'snot biodegradable. Besides, it's worth$100, maybe more.

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niNakamichiNakamichi America Corporation, 955 Francisco Street, Torrance, California 90502, (310) 538-8150

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TEST 11[1111TS

Parasound HCA-1206 Six -Channel

Power AmplifierJULIAN HIRSCH HIRSCH-HOUCK LABORATORIES

.1

he Parasound HCA-1206, de-signed by the well-known circuitdesigner John Curl, is an excep-tionally powerful and versatilehigh-performance power amplifi-er certified by Lucasfilm for use

in Home THX surround -sound sys-tems. It is also suitable for multiroomaudio systems or any other applicationrequiring as many as six independenthigh -power amplifiers.

With all channels driven, each chan-nel of the HCA-1206 is conservativelyrated to deliver 120 watts into 8 ohms,or 180 watts into 4 ohms, from 20 Hzto 20 kHz with less than 0.07 percenttotal harmonic distortion (THD). Al-though all its channels are identical,Channels 1 and 2 are designed specifi-cally for the front channels of a multi-channel sound system and cannot bebridged. Channels 3 and 4 and Chan-nels 5 and 6 can be switched to

bridged mono operation, in which eachbridged pair is rated at more than 300watts into 8 ohms.

Each output channel is rated for op-eration with loads as low as 4 ohms,although a pair of bridged channelsshould not be used with loads of lessthan 8 ohms. That limitation is not dueto any lack of current -delivering abili-

DIMENSIONS19 INCHES WIDE, TA INCHES HIGH,

181/2 INCHES DEEP

WEIGHT

PRICR51.850

MANUFACTURERPARASOL ND PROM C IS. DEVI. SR. 950 BATTERY

ST., SAN FRANCISCO, CA 94111

ty for short intervals, but prolongedhigh -current operation could create ex-cessive temperatures in the amplifier,which does not have an internal fan.

The HCA-1206 is a large, veryheavy amplifier, weighing more than70 pounds. It is equipped with handleson the front and rear panels. The out-put circuitry is located along the innersides of the cabinet, and exterior heat -sink fins cover the full depth of eachside. The heavy steel top cover is alsoextensively perforated for ventilation.The output stages use a total of twen-ty-four 60 -MHz, 15 -ampere outputtransistors in matched complementarypairs.

A huge power transformer (whichsurely supplies a good share of theamplifier's weight) is located in thecenter of the HCA-1206 just behindthe front panel. It is rated at 1.7 kVA(kilovolt -amperes), consistent with theamplifier's potential for deliveringmore than a kilowatt of clean audiopower. Parasound says that the powersupply contains more than 120,000microfarads of computer -grade capaci- gtors. Although the power supply andrelated components, plus the actualoutput transistors (four per channel), in

occupy most of the HCA-1206's inte-


Just because you want a smaller audio system doesn't mean you should have to accept lesser sound

quality, fewer functions or less convenience. Denon was among the very first to produce compact component

systems that deserved to be called high fidelity and Denon's new D-700 and D-500 systems carry on the

tradition in full -featured, high performance glory.

Each new Denon D -Series system comprises separate pre -amp and power amp sections, a 3 -disc CD

auto -changer, double auto -reverse cassette deck, graphic equalizer, AM/FM stereo tuner, high efficiency

3 -way loudspeakers and full system remote control.

The D-500 generates 45 Watts per channel of clean, powerful sound. Its programmable equalizer gives

you five preset curves and lets you save five you create. The D-700 adds more power per channel, and its

programmable graphic equalizer also includes a DSP sound processor that gives you 10 preset effects modes

and lets you store 10 more of your own.

The elegant industrial design of the D -Series perfectly complements its superb audio performance.

You see, with Denon Compact Component Systems, the only thing you give up is some space.

DENONDenon Electronics Division of Denon Corporation (USA), 222 New Road, Parsippany, NJ 07054 (201) 575.7810 The First Name tn Digital A 11 dis

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These American -made, advancedtechnology bipolar (front and rearradiating) systems combine lush spa-cious soundstaging, lifelike depth -of -field, razor-sharp resolution and pin-point 3-D imaging with powerful sub -woofer -like bass (to below 20 Hz),high efficiency, wide dynamic rangeand easy -to -position convenience.The dramatic result is superb musicand movie reproduction so real thatit has been called, "a sonic miracle!"

Experts agree that Definitive's complete bipolar home the-ater systems, built around our bipolar towers, are "brilliant...astounding... clearly the best sounding systems available."


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TEST REPORTSrior, there is also a single fairly largecircuit board containing the low-levelamplifier stages and no fewer than fif-teen fuses of various types.

Numerous other circuit and con-struction features contribute to theunusual character of the HCA-1206.These include cascode Class A inputstages, complementary MOSFET high -voltage drivers, and Class NAB bi-ased output transistors direct -coupledto the speakers without interveningphase -correcting networks. The ampli-fier also contains a number of temper-ature sensors and protective relays.

The front panel is comparativelystark. Besides the two massive han-dles, there is a rocker -type on/offswitch, an adjacent LED power light,and six LED's to indicate instanta-neous current overload in each of thesix channels.

The rear apron actually serves someof the functions usually allocated to afront panel. Six pairs of multiway bind-ing posts, which accept stripped wiresor banana plugs, are along the bottom,plainly marked to show their function.Channels 1 and 2 are labeled non -bridgeable, and the others are markedMonoBridge. Small toggle switchesabove Channels 3/4 and 5/6 are nor-mally set down for separate channels,up for MonoBridge operation.

Across the rear apron, just above theswitches, are three pairs of gold-platedphono-jack inputs with small toggleswitches between each pair. These in-puts are used to "loop" signals fromthe inputs of Channels 1 and 2 to ei-ther or both of the other pairs. Thatsimplifies multiroom stereo installa-tions, allowing the routing of stereoprograms to other zones without exter-nal jumper cables or Y adaptors.

Finally, across the top of the rearapron are six level -control knobs tobalance the volumes in different roomsof a multiroom installation. When theknobs are turned to the dot markedTHX (the maximum clockwise set-ting), the amplifier meets Lucasfilmstandards for playback amplifier gain.

Our bench tests of the HCA-1206were limited to its functions as a two -channel stereo amplifier, although wealso applied its preconditioning phase(1 hour at one-third rated power into 8ohms) to Channels 1 through 4. The

MEASURIMINTSAll figures for Channels 1 and 2 only excertas noted

Output at clipping (1 kHz)8 ohms

4 ohms

182 watts

312 watts

Clipping headroom (re rated output)8 ohms 1.8 dB

4 ohms 2.4 dBDynamk power8 ohms

4 ohms

2 ohms

188 watts

325 watts

528 watts

Dynamk headroom (re rated output)8 ohms 2.0 de4 ohms 2 6 dBDistortion at rated power 0.011%Sensitivity (tor 1 -watt output) 105 mVNoise Inc I -watt output, A-wtd.) -41

top cover of the amplifier became veryhot-not enough to burn, but uncom-fortable to touch for more than a cou-ple of seconds. During our other testsit ran comfortably cool.

The Parasound HCA-1206 is cer-tainly one of the most powerful andmost versatile power amplifiers wehave seen in its price range. For HomeTHX setups or a top-quality multi -room installation, it should be hard tobeat (or match, for that matter). Afterwe overcame our initial wariness aboutpushing the amplifier to its limits, wefound it to be as rugged as it feels,looks, and weighs. Perhaps not "bul-letproof," but certainly a far cry fromsome amplifiers we have tested thatrequired kid -glove treatment to avoidself-destruction.

A final note: Parasound's manualfor the HCA-1206 is quite specific inrespect to do's and don'ts, and on us-ing its operating versatility to best ad-vantage. It is one of the few poweramplifiers we have seen that is actual-ly versatile enough to require such in-formation, and it was reassuring tofmd it provided in a well-done own-er's manual.

Obviously, an amplifier of the cal-iber of the Parasound HCA-1206 isgoing to do an absolutely first-classjob in any home music installation. Inmy view, this amplifier is about asgood as they come.

AK- Alaska Audio. Juneau. Hoitt's. Fairbanks* Pyramid. An-chorage..61.- Cohen's Electronics: Montgomery. Kinkaid's Ti:Tuscaloosa. Li kis Audio: Birmingham.

IICustom AN Little Rock- Jerry's Audio Video: Phoenix, Tucson.- Access to Music. Larkspur. Audio Concepts: Long

each, San Gabriel, Bay Area Audio. San Jose. Coast-Satei-lite. Atascadero, Santa Maria. Crosby. Stereo. Santa Barbara,Ventura* David Rutledge Audio Palm Desert. DB Audio:Berkeley. Henry Radio L A Larson's: Redding. Media Sy. -terns. Beverly Hills Monterey Stereo: Monterey. Pacific CoastAN: Newport Beach. Paradyme. Sacramento* PerformanceAudio San Francisco. Sound Co.: Escondido, San Diego.Systems Design: Redondo Beach* Videotek: Westminster.Westchester TV: Bakersfield. Wilson AN: Woodland Hills.

itListen Up Denver , Boulder, Colorado rings.Al Franklin's. Hartford. Carston's AN: Danbury.

- Sp

obert's Music New London. Sound Playground Newington,Orange. Manchester, Norwich.

Audio Buys.our tudio: Dover, Newark, Wilmington.

- Absolute Sound Winter Park. Audio Center Deerfieldeach. Audio Video: Tallahasee Audio Video Interiors Mel-

bourne. Invisible Audio Pensacola. Hoyt Stereo. Jack-sonville. Palm Audio Destine Sound Components. CoralGables. Sound Ideas. Gainesville Sound Insight. Ft. Pierce.Stereotypes. Daytona Beach. Stereo World Fl. Myers,Naples. Stuart AN: Stuart.GA- Merit TV: COIUMIDUS. Music Audio Atlanta. Stereo Con-nections. Valdosta. Stereo Shop: Martinez. Stereo VideoS stems. Marietta.

Audio Center Honolulu- Audio Logic- Des Moines. Camera Corner Davenport.awkere: Iowa City, Cedar Falls

10.- Good Ear : Boise..11.- United Audio Centers Chicago & Suburbs. Camera Cor-ner Bloomington. Cars A Stereos Rockford. Jon's HomeCenter Quincy. Sound Forum: Crystal Lake. Select Sound.Naperville. Sundown AN Springfield

p;Ovation Audio Clarksville, Indianapolis- Accent Sound Overland Park. Advance Audio Wichita.

udio Junction: Junction City.

Vus Baton Rouge Wright's Sound Gallery: Shreveport.

- Ovation Audio: Lexington, Louisville- Alterman Audio: New Orleans, Metairie, Covington. Music

So- Goodwin. Audio: Boston, Shrewsbury. Nantucketund: Hyannis. Sound Playground. Springfield.

Ma- Audio Buys: Annapolis, Gaithersburg, Laurel, Rockville,Waldorf* Cumberland Elec.: Cumberland. Gramophone. Bak.,Ellicott City. Soundscapo: Baltimorelf. - Cookin' : Portland.

- Pecar's Detroit Troy. Classical Jau: Holland. Classictereo: Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids* Front Row AN Flint. Fu-

ture Sound. Ypsilanti. Court St. Listening Room: Midland,Saginaw

- Audio Designs Winona. Audio Perfection. Minneapolis.- Independence AN: Independence. Sd. Central: St LouisMcLelland TV: Hattiesburg.

geensboro, Raleigh, Winston Salem. Audio Lab Wilmington.

- Rocky Mt. Hi FI: Great Fails.- Audio Video Systems Charlotte. Stereo Sound: Durham.

Tri City Elect: Conover

gai

Custom Electronics. Omaha, LincolnCookire: Nashua, Manchester, Newington, Salem, S.

shua.N.- Hats Stereo: Trenton. Monmouth Stereo: Monmouth,Walt. Sound Waves: Northfield. Sound Works: Cherry Hill.Woodbridge Stereo: W. Caldwell, Woodbridge.NV- Upper Ear Las Vegas.

Audio Breakthroughs Manhasset. Audio Den- LakeGrove Audio Expressions: Newburgh. Clark Music: Albany,Syracuse. Stereo Exchange: Manhattan, Nanuel Hart Elect.:Vestal, Innovative Audio. Brooktyni. Listening Room: Scars-dale. Rowe Camera. Rochester. Sound Mill. Mt. Kisco, York-town His Speaker Shop Amherst, Buffalo. Stellar Steno:Ithaca.

QK- Contemporary Sounds Oklahoma City. K Labs PremiumAudio Tulsa.QU- Audio Craft. Akron, Cleveland, Mayfield His., Westlake.Audio Etc.: Dayton. Paragon Sound Toledo.QM- Bradford's HiFl: Eugene. Chelsea AN: Portland, Beaver-ton. Kelly's Home Ctr.: Salem. Larson's: Medford, Roseburg.Stereo Plant BendRA- Gary's Electronics: State College. GNT Stereo: Lancasi-er Hart Electronics: Blakely, Kingston. Hi FI House: Abington,Broomall. Palmer Audio: Allentown. Stersoland: NatronaHeights. Studio One: Erie.

ifi.- AN Design Charleston. Upstairs Audio. Columbia- Hi Fi Buys:Nashville. L indsay Ward. Knoxville. Modem

usic. Memphis. New Wave Elect. Jackson. Sound RoomJohnson City.

Audio Tech: Temple, Waco. Audio Video CollegeStation. Brock AN. Beaumont. Bunkles Sd. Systems Abi-lene. El -tom's: San Antonio. High Fidelity: Austin. Home Enter-tainment: Dallas, Houston. Marvin Electronics: Ft Worth Sd.Box: San Angelo. Sd. Quest. El Paso. Sd. Systems: Amarillo.Sd. Towne: Texarkana.Mi- Alpine Elect: Provo. AudloWorks: Sat Lake City StokesBros.: Logan.YA- Audio Buys: Arlington, Fairfax, Falls Church, Manassas.Audio Connection: Virginia Beach* Audiotronics: Roanoke.Home Media Store: Richmond. Stereotypes. Charlottesville.

ks

Audio Video Authority: S. Burlington.- Definitive Audio: Bellevue, Seattle. DESCO Electronicsmad. Evergreen Audio. Silverdale. Pacific St. a Sd.. We-

na he.- Tin Ear Kennewick.- Sound Post Princeton.udio Emporium Milwaukee. Absolute Sound 6 Vision

n. Sound World Wausau.Precision Audio: Rio Piedras.B Sound: Calgary, Edmonton Kelowna, Vancou-

ver 8 Suburbs, Victoria. Advance Electronics: Winnipeg. Au-dio Ctr.: Montreal, Ottawa. Audio Designs Edmonton. BayBloor Radio: Toronto. Digital Dynamics. Cleartxook. GreatWest Audio: London* Lipton's: New Market Ontario. Peak Au-dio:Halifax. Sd. Room Vancouver. Sd. Station. Courtenay.Megkg- Contact Grupo Volumen Mexico City.


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First, we developed PowerFieldTechnology for superior high -powercoupling and unexcelled transientdetail. Next, we engineered beautifulrock solid monocoque cabinetswhich house our high -power, high -current amplifiers, fully adjustableelectronic crossovers and massive15" or 18" drivers. The result is theabsolute ultimate in subwoofer per-formance, awesome bass whichthunders down below 15 Hz, yetretains complete musical accuracyfor your total enjoyment.

Our CFS Design & Engineering and Sound & Vision Critic'sChoice Award winners deliver awesome high -reality- bass.

Perfect for Your SystemTo ensure optimum performance

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Definitive Technology®11105 Valley Heights Drive Baltimore, MD 21117See our dealer list on facing page (410) 363-7148


TEST REPORTS

Technics SL-PD1000 CD ChangerJULIAN HIRSCH HIRSCH-HOUCK LABORATORIES

0ne of the most popular audiocomponents these days is thefive -disc CD carousel changer.At little or no more cost than asingle -disc CD player, a carou-sel changer makes it possible to

play music for hours without having toreload discs, and most changers haveall the operating and programmingfeatures of a single -disc machine.

The Technics SL-PD1000, in addi-tion to the conventional features offive -disc carousels, provides a numberof unusual operating modes that, as agroup, distinguish it from the others.

In its general appearance and opera-tion, the SL-PD1000 is typical of car-ousel players. An open/close button onthe front panel causes an almost full -width drawer to emerge from the low-er part of the panel, revealing twodisc -loading wells. The Disc Skip but-ton rotates the carousel to allow up tofive discs to be loaded, and a secondtouch on the open/close button closesthe drawer smoothly and quietly.

The display window on the panelnormally shows the number of the discand track currently playing and can beswitched via the remote to show theelapsed or remaining time on the trackor disc. It also has a symbolic displayof the loaded carousel positions, giv-ing the user a clear picture of the play-er's invisible interior.

The basic CD operating controls(stop, pause, play) are full-size buttonsto the right of the display, with smaller

DIMENSIONS17 INCHES WIDE, 141/2 INCHES DEEP, 5 INCHES HIGH

WEIGHT10 POUNDS

PRICI$300

MANUFACTURIRTECHNICS, DEPT. SR, ONE PANASONIC WAY.

SECAUCUS, NJ 07094

buttons for fast search and track skip-ping. Above them is a row of smallyellow illuminated buttons, numbered1 through 5, that indicate the loadeddisc positions (the one for the playingposition glows green). The nearbyDisc Skip button (not illuminated) ro-tates the carousel to place any disc inthe playing position. Used in connec-tion with the disc- and track -selectionbuttons, a Program Mode button al-lows up to thirty-two selections fromthe five loaded discs to be played inany order.

On the opposite side of the panel isa group of buttons that operate a num-ber of additional programming fea-tures. ID Scan is a "music sampler"that is very convenient when you'relooking for a particular selection ona disc. Pressing the button rapidlymoves the laser pickup to the approxi-mate midpoint of each track and playsit for 10 seconds before going on tothe next track. To play the currenttrack from its beginning at any time,you merely push the play button.

One of the unusual features of theSL-PD1000 is called Memory Re-serve. Normally, a CD changer goessilent for a few seconds when itchanges discs. The interval before the


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Optimum home theater reproduc-tion places heavy demands on thecenter speaker, the most importantspeaker because it handles 50% ormore of the program materiant is noplace to settle for second best.

Definitive's award -winning C/L/R1000, C1, and Cl jr. are the finestsounding shielded, low profile, highresolution center channel speakersavailable. (The C/L/R/ can also beused as a main left and right speaker.)They use superior state-of-the-artcomponents and technology for extra-ordinary ultra -high definition, articu-late clarity, high -power handling,tremendous dynamic range, superiordepth retrieval, lifelike presence andwide, full -range frequency response.

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BP1's& 2's Bipolar AdvantageExperts agree that Definitive's

bipolars provide an incredible, per-fectly diffuse sound source whichtotally immerses you in the action.

BP1s and BP2s are unique, ultra -compact, high resolution bipolar(front and rear radiating) systemsengineered for superior performanceon the rear/side surround channelsof the finest home theater systems.The use of BP1s and BP2s results ina much more lifelike, dramatic, all -enveloping listening experience thanis possible with conventional speak-ers. Visit a Definitive dealer and hearthe dramatic difference for yourself.

Definitive Technology®11105 Valley Heights Drive Baltimore, MD 21117Sec our dealer list on page 54 (410) 363-7148


TEST REPORTSnew disc starts playing is punctuatedonly by the mechanical sounds of thechangeover. When the Memory Re-serve button on the SL-PD1000 ispressed, its digital audio data stream ispassed through a 4 -megabit digitalmemory, which can store several sec-onds of program, and playback is fromthe memory, not directly from thepickup. Therefore, when a change cy-cle begins, the last few seconds of mu-sic in the last selection on the currentdisc continue to play from memory,uninterrupted, while the discs arechanged, effectively shortening thechange time by about 3 seconds.Memory Reserve can also be used toshorten the intervals between selectedtracks on the same disc.

A green LED next to the MemoryReserve switch indicates that it is ac-tive. During a change, the light blinksrapidly whenever you are hearing thedelayed program. When Memory Re-serve is used in conjunction with IDScan, the result is called Parade Scan.The transition between scanned trackstakes place almost instantaneously,giving the effect of a nearly continu-ous flow of music (especially with a

MEASUREMENTSMaximum output level 2.34 voltsFrequency response

20 Hz to 20 kHz +0.05, -0.01 dBDe -emphasis error (at 5 kHz) ....+0.32 dBChannel separation100 Hz 93.5 dB1 kHz 96 dB20 kHz 75 dBSignal-to-noise ratio A-wtd.) 94.7 dBQuantization noise -89.9 dBDynamic range 98.2 dBDistortion (THD+N)

kHz at 0 dB 0.004%I kHz at -20 dB 0.003%20 II, to 20 kHz at 0 dB 0.006 to 0.035%Linearity error (-90 dB) +1.5 dBMax. interchannel phase shift 0.14°

Defect tracking t Picric Vcraii) #2 testdisc) 2,400 pmImpact resistance

Disc -change time (Memory Reserve off)worst case 8 to 9

disc having a large number of brief se-lections, such as a sampler).

Technics recommends that theMemory Reserve switch be left on atall times since it has no deleterious ef-fects on other playing modes. The on-ly reason not to use it is when theplayer's digital output is required,since that feature is disabled by Mem-ory Reserve.

The SL-PD1000's random -playmode can select tracks randomly fromone disc or from all five. An interest-ing variation of random play is SpiralPlay, which plays the first track ofDisc 1, followed by the second trackof Disc 2, the third track of Disc 3,and so on until all the tracks of all thediscs have been played. There is alsoa useful Delete feature that can selectup to thirty-two selections not to beplayed and store them in the player'smemory, where the information re-mains as long as the player is pluggedinto a power source.

Other features include a repeat func-tion that is effective on all the otherprogramming modes; Auto Cue, whichputs the player into a standby condi-tion at the beginning of each track,ready to start when the play button ispushed; and Edit Guide, which auto-matically programs the player for tapedubbing in accordance with the lengthof the tape so that no tracks will be in-terrupted before they are completed (a4 -second silent interval is left betweentracks).

The SL-PD1000 comes with a re-mote control that duplicates virtuallyevery front -panel function, includingpower switching and programming,and adds some of its own, like thetime -display control. The rear panelhas analog phono-jack outputs and anoptical digital output.

The performance specifications forthe SL-PD1000 are typical of today'sbetter CD players. Like other TechnicsCD players, it uses MASH 1 -bit digi-tal -to -analog (D/A) conversion to pre-serve signal linearity down to thelowest levels. Technics says that thechanger's automatic digital servo sys-tem for the playback laser improvesdisc -tracking performance with eccen-tric, warped, or scratched CD's.

The SL-PD1000 proved to be betterthan average in tracking through gaps

emory Reserve

shortens the disc -

change cycle by about

3 seconds and can

make track changes

almost instantaneous.

in a disc's information layer. Playingthe Pierre Verany #2 test CD, itshowed only a slight tendency to mis-track through 2,400 -micrometer inter-ruptions in the recorded pattern (oreven through two of them in rapidsuccession). The player is exceptional-ly resistant to physical impact in spiteof its relatively light construction; wewere unable to make it skip with thehardest palm or fist blows we dared toapply to its top or sides.

The SL-PD1000 was very quiet,even during change cycles, whenmany changers make surprisingly au-dible mechanical sounds. Track changesover most of a disc's surface were rap-id, often under 3 seconds even withoutMemory Reserve, and nearly instanta-neous in many cases when MemoryReserve was used. Disc changes typi-cally took 8 or 9 seconds in the worstcase (between disc positions 2 and 5with Memory Reserve off).

In short, the Technics SL-PD1000 isan ideal changer to produce back-ground or party music as well as near-ly continuous playback of multiple -disc sets.


Adcomdesig,ned

the GSP-560to rival any

surround soundsystem on the

net.

Perhaps wearned

ADCOM

A new reason to be afraid of the dark.Crunching footsteps behind you. Laser beams shooting

over your head. Just a typical night at home with Adcom'snew GSP-560 Surround Sound Processor/Amplifier. AtAdcom's level of critically acclaimed performance it

doesn't just produce surround sound. It creates effects thatare out of this world.

The GSP-560 expands your two -channel audio systeminto a full five/six-channel home theater. Multiple surroundmodes, user selectable time delay and a full -featuredremote give you the control and convenience to create asonic experience that surpasses anything you've ever heardin a movie theater.

Dolby ProLogic

concert hall 40 msnightclub 30 ms

5 -channel matrix 20 ms

5 -channel stereo 15

eceiving surround bal. check

Award- ,

delay

winningtechnology takesyou to the outer -limits.

The GSP-560 features a high -current 80 watt centerchannel amplifier and a pair of high -current 40 watt

amplifiers for the rear channels. It will accurately drive the

om, most demanding loudspeakers, even those

with impedance ratings less than 2 ohms.The GSP-560 gives you a choice of

Dolby Pro Logic, Concert Hall,4simow ti:-,',!;!,..?:11'.?".tfar.7e..?.. Nightclub, and Five -Channel Matrix

e got a littleaway

dive channels

ec

C.

tape non rear/ctr reset rear center

bass E0 Mt ling

surround modesso you can select

the listeningenvironment that best suits

your source and your mood.Selectable time delay lets you optimize the surround

performance precisely for the acoustics of your room.

Additional 5 -Channel Stereo and Bypass modes assureoptimum enjoyment of audio -only sources.

The GSP-560 Surround Sound Processor/Amplifierfollows in the footsteps of other critically acclaimed Adcomcomponents. Its award -winning, life -like sound captures the

attention of audio/video lovers throughout the universe.

Surround yourself now atyour Adcom dealer.

Preview the new GSP-560 at your authorized Adcomdealer today, but be careful, you might want to leave thelights on.

Adetails you can hear

Elkins Road. East Brunswick, NJ 08816 U.S.A. (908) 390-1130.Distributed in Canada by PRO ACOUSTICS INC. Montreal, Quebec (514) 344-1226"Dolby" and "Pro Logic" are registered trade :narks of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation.


TEST REPORTS

Cambridge Sniff arks Ensemble III

Loudspeaker SystemJULIAN HIRSCH HIRSCH-HOUCK LABORATORIES

The Ensemble Ill is a smaller ver-sion of Cambridge SoundWorks'earlier subwoofer/satellite speak-er systems (still in the company'sline), offering their basic quali-ties at a significantly lower price.

The system consists of two satellitespeakers, each small and light enoughto hold in the palm of one hand, anda separate bass module that can be lo-cated almost anywhere (but prefer-ably somewhere in the vicinity of thesatellites).

The 11 -pound bass module, con-structed of medium -density fiberboardand finished in black vinyl, is consid-erably smaller and lighter than those inmost three-piece systems. It contains asingle 61/2 -inch long -excursion driverwith a dual voice coil (each drivenfrom one stereo channel), with the lowfrequencies being summed in thespeaker itself. The driver is mountedin an inner chamber, which opens intoa second chamber vented to the out-

side through a flared port. The bassmodule handles the frequency rangebelow 140 Hz.

Each satellite contains a nominally31/2 -inch cone midrange driver (the ac-tual effective diameter appears to becloser to 21/2 inches) and a 3/4 -inch

DIMINSIONSSATELLFIES: 41/2 INCHES WIDE, 3 INCHES DEEP,

61/2 INCHES HIGH

BASS MODULE: 8 INCHES WIDE, 8 INCHES DEEP,

15 INCHES HIGH

PUNISHSATELLITES: GRAY NEXTEL

BASS MODULE: BLACK VINYL

PRICI$329 (PLUS SHIPPING)

MANUFACTURIRCAMBRIDGE SOUNDWORKS, DEPT. SR,

154 CALIFORNIA ST., NEWTON, MA 02158;1-800-367-4434

dome tweeter protected by a perforat-ed metal grille. The enclosure is madeof ABS plastic laminated to a stiff,acoustically damped inner shell. As inthe other Ensemble systems, eachspeaker module contains its own cross-over components so that the modulescan be connected in parallel in any or-der. The bass unit has two pairs of in-sulated spring connectors, and eachsatellite has a pair of recessed knurled -nut binding posts. Like other Cam-bridge SoundWorks speakers, the En-semble III comes with 100 feet of 18 -gauge speaker wire and a wire cut-ter/stripper plus complete directions.

We installed the Ensemble III satel-lites on 26 -inch stands about 7 feetapart at the front of the room and 3 to4 feet from the walls. The bass modulewas placed on the floor between them,close to the left speaker, with its portfacing forward. The room response ofthe satellites alone, averaging theiroutputs measured at a position about12 feet in front of the left speaker, wasexceptionally free of irregularities dueto boundary reflections and room res-onances, with an overall variation ofless than 3 dB from 150 Hz to 20 kHz.The output fell steeply below 150 Hz,to about -20 dB at 100 Hz.

A close-miked measurement of thesatellite's cone driver indicated an ex-tremely flat response, ±2 dB from 150Hz to 1.4 kHz (and less than ±1 dBover most of that range). At higherfrequencies this measurement is notvalid, although the response irregulari-ties were still quite moderate.

We made a separate response mea-surement at the port of the bass mod-ule. The curve was predictably double-humped because of the two coupledresonant cavities, with a ±3 -dB varia-tion from 43 to 180 Hz and falling offrapidly at lower frequencies.

A composite of the room responsewith the two close-miked measure-ments (all of which overlapped the ad-jacent curves for an octave or more)produced an impressively flat graph,within ±1.5 dB from about 50 Hz to11 kHz and rising about 8 dB from 11to 20 kHz. The rise was apparentlydue to a tweeter resonance at about 17kHz. That was confirmed by our qua-si-anechoic MLS response measure-ments at 1- and 2 -meter distances,


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TEST REPORTSwhich clearly showed a peak of about12 dB at 17 kHz.

The satellites' horizontal dispersionat 45 degrees off -axis was good (fairlytypical of a 3/4 -inch tweeter), with anoutput drop of 4 dB at 10 kHz, about 6dB at 15 kHz, and 12 dB at 20 kHz.The MLS frequency response waswithin 5 dB overall from 500 Hz to 11kHz except for a sharp dip of 10 to 12dB at 4.8 kHz, which affected only thefrequencies between 3 and 5 kHz.That may have been related to thecrossover between the satellite driversand was not detectable in the room re-sponse or in listening.

The complete system's impedanceremained below 8.5 ohms from 20 Hzto 1 kHz, with a minimum of 2.8 ohmsat 190 Hz. It rose to a broad maximumof about 18 ohms in the 4- to 5 -kHzregion before dropping to 10 ohms at20 kHz. Sensitivity, measured I meterfrom a satellite and on its axis, was 87dB sound -pressure level (SPL) with a2.83 -volt random -noise input. Thebass module's distortion at a 4 -voltlevel (equivalent to 90 dB SPL) wasabout 10 percent from 20 to 50 Hz,falling to 3.5 percent at 100 Hz.

The bass module's driver bottomedwith a single -pulse 100 -Hz input of980 watts. Although its output becamevisibly distorted on an oscilloscope atconsiderably lower inputs, the conedid not suffer damage from this ratherextreme treatment. The satellite driv-


ers also survived high -power pulsetests at I and 10 kHz.

The Ensemble III sounded as goodin our listening tests as it measured,which is to say that it sounded verygood indeed. There was no audible in-dication that the bass frequencies orig-inated several feet from the satellites,and the system's sound was first-ratein every respect. Certainly there wasno clue to the size of the drivers orthe low cost of the complete system.Compared with some other speakers ator above its price level, the EnsembleIII held its own very well. Probably itsmost distinctive audible characteristicswere a slight crispness (probably dueto its emphasis in the uppermost oc-tave) and a total absence of artificialupper -bass tubbiness or boom. Butthere was no obvious lack of cleanbass down to 50 Hz or so, belowwhich it disappeared rapidly. And thesystem can play loud enough to im-pede conversation if that's what youwant.

We have consistently found Cam-bridge Sound Works speakers to be ex-cellent values in every respect. Theirdesigns do not claim to bypass naturallaws, and they are offered with a re-freshing lack of hype. The EnsembleIll, like many of the company's otherproducts, also manages to sound like alot more speaker than its unassumingappearance and very attractive pricewould suggest.

osSING I MG MISSING MIS

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THERE ARE AS MANYHOME THEATER SPEAKER BRANDS

AS THERE ARE MEMBERS OF CONGRESS.

AND MOST OF THEMAREN'T WORTH LISTENING TO EITHER.

Want to know about some Home Theater speakers that areworth listening to? Then pi.t down this magazine and visit anMB QUART dealer at your earliest convenience.

You'll see and hear why QUART Home Theater speakersare a breed apart. Our CTR CENTER CHANNEL, forexample, achieves a higher level of dialog definition andlocalization by not conforming to popular dual driverdesigns. Our SUB TEN marries a 10" woofer with a 100Wamplifier-yet is priced lower than other subwoofers thatoffer far less in terms of both sound and power. To stand up

to the dynamic demands of surround sound, wecreated the rear channel POINT FIVE, with a specialtitanium dome tweeter and long excursion 6.5" woofer, andthe QUART 250, with angled cabinets that mi-ror eachother for proper mourting on opposite side wails. In -wallmodeis are also in the MB QUART Home Theater lineup.

What it all comes down to is this-MB QUART H DmeTheater speakers are every bit as long on performance asthey are on promise. Which is more than can be said formost congressmen.

MBQUARTIMB QUART ELECTRONICS USA INC. 25 Walpole Park South, Walpole, MA 02081 (508) 668-8973 Fax: (508) 668-8979


WHY WE'REINTRODUCING A Two

DOOR NEON.

( A.WE RAN OUT OF DOORS.

( B.)WE FORGOT TO PUT THE OTHER

DOORS ON.

c.)ONE DOOR DIDN'T SEEM LIKE ENOUGH,

BUT THREE SEEMED LIKE TOO MANY.

( D.)SOME PEOPLE LIKE TWO DOORS BETTER

THAN FOUR DOORS.

'521004 anod NVHI 83113£1 SHOOCI OMI 3>1ll 31803(3 3IAIO5 ("CI)

H. Now, to go with our friendly, familiar Dodge Neon four -door, there's

a Neon for people who like things ;n twos. The Neon Sport Coupe. With a

really responsive 2.0 liter engine. Two airbags (driver and front passenger),

standard. And, perhaps most obviously, two doors. Of course, we haven't lost

our fondness for things in fours. You'll also get four valves per cylinder in

the husky four -cylinder engine. Four-wheel anti -lock disc brakes. Four 14"

aluminum wheels fitted with four all -season performance tires, attached rock -

solidly to a four-wheel independent performance suspension.

A4i11111T11Wile>

The new Dodge Neon Sport Coupe. One more wonderful Neon, with two

less doors, to choose from. At your friendly Dodge dealer.

NEON SEDAN & COUPE'0N41

THE NEW DODGE1 -800 -4 -A -DODGEAlways wear your seat belt

lestinc abp a set

rt Marantz M1500

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Variety andflexibility are justtwo reasons toconsider separate

componentsfor an A/V system.BY DANIEL KU

Are separates dead? It's no secret that most of today's

home theater systems are built around A/V receivers,

those integrated marvels that squeeze a surround proces-

sor/decoder, a preamp, an AM/FM Liner, and several

power amplifiers into one relatively small box. Yet the

greatest variety, flexibility, and in some cases quality in

surround -sound gear are still found among the ranks of

separate components. And despite the immense populari-

ty of A/V receivers, there are plenty of surround sepa-

rates to choose from-far more than you might expect.

Surround -sound separates fall into three basic cate-

gories-thee stand-alone processor, the A/V preamp (or

preamp-processor), and the processor -amp. A stand-

alone processor houses only the eleCtronic wizardry

needed to transform two -channel listening into a three-

THE FINER POINTS

Once you've decided which type of surround

separate best suits your needs, there are

still a number of options to consider. Pay

attention to the variety and sophistication of

any "extra" surround modes the component

offers. Today, virtually all surround compo-

nents (AN receivers included) provide

Dolby Pro Logic decoding for a five -speaker

surround system. Most also include several

additional surround modes fine-tuned for

film/video or music programs.

Many processors have a "Matrix" mode.

which adds surround -channel ambience to

conventional two -channel reproduction,

and a "Hall" setting. which adds delay and

a touch of reverberation to the surround

signal to simulate the acoustics of a concert

hall. A useful setting for old movies and

late -night TV shows is Mono, which simply

mixes everything to the center -channel

speaker and the subwoofer. (Pro Logic does

this automatically with mono sources, but

may be subject to more noise and

occasional leakage into the unused main

and surround speakers.)

A number of processors go further.

providing DSP surround modes for both

movies and music. Because the term "DSP"

is a source of considerable confusion

(with no relief from consumer advertising).

it's important to distinguish between the

three ways digital signal processing

can be used in the surround -sound context.

Most Dolby Surround decoders (the

increasingly hard -to -find decoders for

simple surround -channel extraction)

employ the most basic sort of DSP: digital

delay circuits to provide the 15 to 30

milliseconds of surround -channel delay

required by Dolby. While that certainly

qualifies as digital processing, it's probably

not what most of us think of when we see

DSP in an ad.

Next come those processors that perform

some or all of their Pro Logic (and other)

decoding and processing in the digital

domain, including channel steering and

dematrixing. This is essentially a pure

engineering choice: In terms of real -world

performance, a digital processor chip

has no overwhelming advantage over a

good analog one. and it typically costs

more.

Finally, there are those processors that

use DSP to open the door to "extra"

surround modes, which can be quite

elaborate. All -digital devices like Lexicon's

CP-3 Plus and Yamaha's DSP-A780. to

name but two, offer custom surround modes

with elaborate ambience enhancement

(achieved by manipulating early reflections,

reverberation, and other ambience

components). Such devices typically offer

a bevy of user -adjustable parameters (like

echo density and reverberation time) as

well as a number of surround presets for

music listening and for non -Dolby film and

video sources: Lexicon even includes an

innovative two -channel DSP mode to

recreate a binaural listening experience

over speakers instead of headphones.

The bottom line: Selecting a DSP-based

surround -sound processor just because it is

"digital" is not really a good idea. Evaluate

the features and performance first, then

worry about the technology. -D.K.

dimensional experience, and is mainlyintended to enhance a classic stereosystem built around a preamp and dis-crete power amplifiers. It can be con-nected to the preamp's main outputs orin a tape -monitor or processor loop.The hallmark of today's surroundprocessors is a Dolby Pro Logic de-coder, which extracts four channelsfrom Dolby Surround -encoded mov-ies, TV shows, and music recordingsand routes them to five line -level out-puts-left, center, right, and two sur-rounds (the same mono surround sig-nal goes to two speakers). Most proc-essors also have additional surroundsettings for music listening, adjustable"sound -field" parameters that let youtweak up your own acoustic environ-ment, and one or two "enhanced"modes for movies and video sources.

An A/V preamp combines audio/video switching and control functionswith a surround processor/ decoder. (Afew components billed as "AN pre -amps" have video switching but nosurround -sound capabilities.) In addi-tion to reducing the box count by one,an AN preamp also greatly simplifieswiring chores and source switching,since all of your audio and videosources are routed through a centralcomponent. An A/V preamp/ tuner-effectively an A/V receiver minus thepower -amplifier sections-further in-tegrates functions while allowing flex-ibility in choosing outboard ampli-fiers. An AN preamp makes a lot ofsense if you're assembling a surroundsystem from scratch or if you want toadd A/V switching and surround capa-bilities to a component audio system,in which case you simply replace thetwo -channel stereo preamp with amultichannel AN model.

When it comes to the third category,the processor -amplifier, the line be-tween "separate" and "integrated"components begins to blur. Designedprimarily to add A/V switching andsurround capabilities to an audio sys-tem based on an integrated amp or re-ceiver, most processor -amps contain aDolby Pro Logic decoder and two orthree supplemental power amplifiers.The receiver or integrated amp contin-ues to drive the main left and rightspeakers, while the processor -amp(which you patch into a tape or proces-sor loop) powers the center and sur-round speakers.

Why Separates?Given the utility and convenience of

A/V receivers, why would anyone


THX CINEMA DOLBY PRO -LOGIC

want to go the separates route? Themost common reason is to preserve aperfectly good two -channel system.There's no rule that says you have tomothball your current speakers andcomponents to embark on the hometheater quest. In fact, the easiest andmost economical way to bring sur-round sound to a conventional receiv-er -based stereo system is to add aprocessor -amp and three more speak-ers, one to handle center -channel in-formation (which includes most dia-logue in movie soundtracks) and twofor the surround -channel information(mostly sound effects and ambience).

A basic processor -amp such as On-kyo's ES-600PRO ($410) will provideseveral surround options, includingDolby Pro Logic, and adequate powerto drive three extra speakers (the ES-600PRO delivers 50 watts to the cen-ter and 20 watts to each surround). Amore powerful add-on processor -amplike Adcom's GSP-560 ($600), whichdelivers 80 watts to the center speakerand 40 watts to each surround, may beworth considering if you think youmight upgrade to higher -power sepa-rates in the future. Processor -amps arealso available from AudioSource, Car-ver, JVC, Kenwood, Yamaha, and oth-ers. Prices range from $200 to $700.

If you already own a collection ofhigh-performance separate audio com-ponents, there are a few more sur-round -upgrade options to explore.While an add-on processor -amp will

Kenwood's KC -X1 Home THX tuner/preamp (tap left, 31,199) offers full THX Pro Logic

processing and a digital AM/FM Liner with forty station aresets. Its companion, the 600 -watt

Keiwood KM -X1 sir -channel power amplifier ($1,099), is also THX-certified.

The Yamaha DSP-A780 five -channel AN integrated amplifier ($899) incorporates

sixteen digital sound -field processing functions includ ng twelve for video -oriented listening

and four for music enhancement. as well as hardy on -screen menu operation.

PRESET SURROUND11 MS I C SOF =

Dealers can retrofit Lexicon's classic CP-3. a stand-alore THX/Pro Logic decoder and ambience

processor, to CF -3 Plus ($3,200) status with a new program chip for $250.

Enhancements include some left -right steering of the normally "monophonic" surround outputs.


POWERING UP

If you find yourself traveling the stand-

alone processor or AN preamp route to

home theater, one thing's for sure: You're

going to need some extra power. Even if

you plan the most basic Dolby Pro Logic

setup (and assuming you already own a

good two -channel amplifier to power the

front left and right speakers), you'll need to

drive a center speaker and two surround

speakers. The simplest solution is to drive

the surrounds in parallel from one amp

channel, which is perfectly fine since the

surround channel of Dolby Surround -

encoded soundtracks is mono anyway.

But if your new surround processor has

some of those "extra" surround modes,

including Home THX and most DSP music

settings. and you want to put them to work,

you'll need extra discrete channels of

amplification to produce the intended

effect: center and "decorrelated" surround

channels for Home THX, center and two

separate surround channels in the case of

some DSP-enhanced music modes. And

chances are that you're going to want a

subwoofer to squeeze every last bit of

excitement out of those blockbuster movie

soundtracks like The Abyss, which means at

least six dedicated amp channels.

While there's no magic formula for

determining how much power to use for the

extra channels you're adding to your

system. it's safe to say that the center

speaker should receive about the same

wattage as your main left and right

speakers. For the surround speakers, you

may be able to get away with about 25

percent as much power-unless the room is

particularly big or the speakers particularly

inefficient, in which case you'll need to

bump it up substantially. And for a

subwoofer you'll want at least as much

power as for the front channels.

Before you run out and buy two or three

two -channel amplifiers to satisfy the power

requirements of your new surround system,

be sure to check out the new breed of four-,

five-, and six -channel power amplifiers

designed for flexibility. NAD's Model 906,

for example, is rated to deliver 30 watts

into each of six channels, but any pair of its

channels can be bridged to deliver 90 watts

in a three-, four-, or five -channel configura-

tion. Multichannel AN amps from Acurus,

B&K, Carver, Rotel, ADS, Forte. Parasound,

and others provide similar flexibility.

If you're starting from scratch, of course,

a five- or six -channel amp can provide all

the power you need for an entire home

theater system. Carver's AV -405, for

instance. provides a one -box solution for a

five -channel system with 100 watts each for

three channels and 50 watts each for

another two. -O.K.

HAD

f.AL1 s Model 906 reconfigurable mulichannei power amplifier ($699)

likely do a fine job, separates -orientedaudio enthusiasts tend to prefer stand-alone processors such as Carver's slimDPL-20 ($380), which provides basicsurround options, and the Fosgate Au-dionics Model Four ($1,000), a so-phisticated device with unusually flex-ible music -surround modes.

If you go with a stand-alone proces-sor, you'll also need an outboard pow-er amplifier or two to drive those newhome theater speakers (see "PoweringUp" at left). But that can be an advan-tage because it enables you to appor-tion power to meet specific systemrequirements (you have an oversizeroom and need a beefy surround -chan-nel amplifier, for example) rather thanbeing locked into the power suppliedby a processor -amp. It also gives youan excuse to upgrade an aging poweramplifier: You can relegate the oldamp to surround -channel duty and usethe shiny new one to drive the mainfront channels. Other companies offer-ing stand-alone processors includeRotel, Harman Kardon, and Pioneer.Prices range from $400 to $1,000.

The THX ConnectionTHX-style home theater is yet an-

other reason to consider the full -sepa-rates route. Although integrated com-ponents bearing the Home THX logoare beginning to appear on storeshelves, including A/V receivers fromOnkyo and Technics, nearly all HomeTHX-certified surround "controllers"(decoder/processors) are stand-alonecomponents. In addition to a THXmode (which implements specifictechnical refinements devised by Lu-casfilm to squeeze as much realism aspossible out of a Dolby Surround -encoded soundtrack), THX-equippedprocessors typically provide very highperformance and flexibility in bothDolby Pro Logic mode and non -Dolbyvideo and music modes. They alsotend to carry steep prices, typically inthe $1,500 to $4,000 range.

One of the most sophisticated stand-alone Home THX processors is Lexi-con's $3,200 CP-3 Plus, featuring anumber of highly configurable digitalsurround modes for both movies andmusic. The $4,200 PAV in Madrigal'sProceed line also provides consider-able surround processing power-iteven has a connector for an outboarddiscrete -channel digital decoder whenone becomes available.

Many high -end stand-alone sur-round processors, including thosementioned above, actually straddle the


"Highest Performance...lowest profile."POLK AUDIO'S HIGH PERFORMANCE CENTER CHANNEL SPEAKERS

"Some say that the center channel and the front

stereo speakers must be identical. And they're

right-to a point. You need high performance but

not a monolith perched on your TV Four years

ago, our CS100, America's first dedicated center

channel speaker, proved that technology could give

you what you wanted-high performance in a ver-

satile, unobtrusive package. Thanks to our newest

technology, Dynamic Balance,' the second genera-

tion of the CS Series now gives you the highest per-

formance...lowest profile."

Mattkew

Since all

on -screen action,

not just dialog, is

reproduced by the

center speaker, its per-

formance is critical.

Dynamic Balance® enables us to create

small driver components that deliver the sound quality

usually associated with much larger drivers. And

because there's no sonic coloration, our center speakers

will blend seamlessly with your other speakers so voices

and sound effects will pass from speaker to speaker with-

out changing timbre or pitch.

The uniquely angled, low profile cabinets and

superior magnetic -shielding give our center channel

1-800-992-2520

I Ad code: 10005

PolkThe Speaker Specialists

5601 Metro Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21215 USA (410)358-3600."Polk Audio"," The Speaker Specialists" and "Dynamic Balance" are registered trademarks of Polk Investment Corporation

used under license by Polk Audio Incorporated.


Slice the center channel must reproduce all the sounds of the

on -screen action, from an explosion to a whisper, it is resporEi-

sible for over 59% of vhat you hear (often as much as 90%).

That's why Polk's center channel speakers have full dynamic

range and are designed to handle extreme levels of power.

speakers the versatility to fit anywhere you want

them without fear of picture distortion. Select from the

CS350, CS250 or CS200 for the right speaker to fit your

system and your budget.

For more information on the Polk center chan-

nel speakers or any Polk home theater speaker, call

1-800-377-POLK or dial our toll -free dealer locator to

find your nearest authorized Polk dealer. An audition

will show you that Polk delivers on "highest perfor-

mance...lowest profile."

With Cinema DSP, you'll be amazed

Only YamahaCinema DSP

creates phantomspeakers. It

sounds so real,you'll swear you

hear soundsin places you

don't evenhave speakers.

CINEMA"

0 Phantom Speakers

Bats screech overhead. Wolves howl in the distance. And footsteps crunch across yourliving room floor. No, it's not your imagination. You're hearing sounds placed around theroom, just as the director intended.

All courtesy of Yamaha Cinema DSP. The home theater technology that gives dialoguemore definition. Music, more dimension. And sound effects, more graphic detail.

Only Yamaha Cinema DSP creates phantom speakers that fully replicate the experienceyou get in multi -speaker movie theaters. It sounds so real, in fact, you'll swear you hearsounds in places you don't even have speakers.

As you might imagine, a breakthrough like this is no small feat. It's accomplished byecis

multiplying the effects of Digital Sound Field Processing and Dolby Pro Logic.®Digital Sound Field Processing is Yamaha's unique technology that electronically

recreates some of the finest performance spaces in the world.

© 1994 Yamaha Electronics Corporation. USA. Cinema DSP is a trademark of Yamaha Electronics Corporation. Dolby Pro Logic is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation.

at what comes out of the woodwork.And Dolby Pro Logic is the technology responsible for placing sound around the room, matching the dialogue and

sound effects with the action on the screen.Together, these two technologies allow Yamaha to offer a complete line of home theater components that outperform

other comparatively priced products on the market.Stop by your local Yamaha dealer for what could be a very eerie demonstration. Maybe

we can't talk you into a system, but that doesn't mean we can't scare you into one.For the sales location nearest you, call 1-800-4YAMAHA. YAMAHA

Yamaha Electronics Corporation, USA. P.O. Box 6660. Buena Park. CA 90622.

AudioSource's SS Five add-on surround -sound processor ($350) uses a highly

regarded Dolby Pro Logic decoding chip from Analog Devices. It has a subwoofer line output

and three 24 -watt amplifiers fcr driving the center and surround speakers.

The HC -808 surround -sound processor from Counterpoint ($1,295)

also uses an Analog Devices Dolby Pro Logic decoding chip along with other high -quality

passive circuit components. It features a pair of stereo subwoofer outputs.

Carver's CT -27V

AN preamp ($850).

shown atop a

Carver

AV -405 five -channel

power amplifier

($750), handles

seven audio inputs

and four video

inputs.

line between preamp-processor andoutboard component. They can func-tion as full -system A/V preamplifiers,handling both audio and video sourceselection and signal routing, or theycan be patched into an existing systembetween preamp and power amps orin a tape or processor loop. While thelast approach can create a somewhatcomplex arrangement, it lets you re-turn the system to its "pure" stereocondition simply by disengaging thetape -monitor or processor switch.

Speaking of AN preamplifiers, theyrepresent an attractive option whetheryou're adding surround capability to aseparates -oriented audio system or as-sembling an A/V separates systemfrom scratch. In addition to providingA/V switching and surround process-ing for both movies and music, a state-of-the-art A/V preamp is likely to de-liver substantial gains in convenience,flexibility, and overall performancecompared with a conventional stereopreamp. True A/V preamps (thosewith onboard surround processing) areavailable from Sony, Denon, Carver,Soundstream, NAD, McIntosh, andothers. Prices usually range between$700 and $1,200, although a few mod-els cost upwards of $2,500.

If you want to bring AM/FM radiointo the fold, A/V tuner/preamps areavailable from Adcom, McIntosh, Car-ver, Kenwood, Marantz, and others atprices ranging from $600 to more than$3,000. The Kenwood KC -X1 ($1,000),McIntosh MX130 ($4,025), and Ma-rantz AV-600THX ($1,200) take thingsto the next level by incorporating HomeTHX circuitry. (Continued, page 78)

11--4

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-VIDEO MAGAZINE, I )"+

"Deep boss wit/root the old of big, eapeosire omplificrs.Sounds punned from side to side as co/ow I/11

os their correspoodiog images flew ormss the s(yrro...111 1. 1'.

goicklv discorwied what a chfli,reore In(' rightsound system coo mok!"! The sobwooli,rs added twmemloos

ex.-lie/two/ to the morn, watching experience."'-POPULAR ELECTRONICS,Aanilar:.

"('er,rio-liwo produces petrel:lid mut tow so/o//l.The impuel eon be especiollyfrIt in the midroo,-,e. which willpotwd .1 --lo with rotor blade sweeps from Apocelypse \mr.

-SATELLITE ORBIT, June. 1993

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The Adcom GSP-560 surround -sound processor/amplifier ($600) combines

Dolby Pro Logic decoding with the three additional amplifier channels (center and surround)

that you need to change a traditional stereo system into a home theater.

Madrigal's handsome Proceed PAV AN preamplifier ($4.200), with Home THX

processing as well as Dolby Pro Logic decoding, provides switching for as many as ten

different sources and multizone outputs. On -screen menus simplify operation.

Marantz's AV-600THX AN tuner/preamp ($1.200) features full

Home THX processing circuitry, Dolby Pro Logic decoding using a digital

delay line. and a thirty -station memory in its AM/FM section.

Si

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Looking AheadFinally, another argument in favor

of the separates approach to surroundsound is adaptability to future for-mats-like the all -digital "5.1 -chan-nel" Dolby Surround Digital (DSD)system now used in a number of mo-tion -picture soundtracks. The DSDsystem provides six discrete audiochannels, including a bass -only onefor a subwoofer (hence the ".1"). Dol-by Surround Digital has already beenchosen for the U.S. HDTV system andwill probably be incorporated into la-serdiscs next year. A/V receivers andamplifiers that do not provide a sepa-rate line -level preamp-out/main-inloop for the left, center, right, and eachsurround speaker-currently the ma-jority-will not work with a discrete -channel surround system. A separatessystem, on the other hand, could beupgraded by simply replacing the sur-round processor (or modifying it, as inthe case of Madrigal's Proceed PAV),thereby protecting your investment inpower amplifiers as well as basic pre -amp and tuner components.

That's not to say A/V receivers are abad investment. On the contrary, theyremain perhaps the best value in thehistory of audio. And at least one A/Vreceiver (Onkyo's THX-equipped TX-SV919THX) already has a specialconnector for an outboard discrete -channel digital decoder, which somebelieve could be available as early asnext year. So, you see, even in this ageof home theater, separate componentsare alive and well.


Not just big, but full, rich, and incrediblylifelike. You literally have to hear the Bose® Wave®radio to believe it. The secret of its extraordinarysound is the patented acoustic waveguide speakerIt amplifies and enriches, producing natural, lifelikesound from a radio small enough to fit anywhere.

The Wave® radio is designed for convenienceas well as great sound. There's a handy remotecontrol, pre-set buttons for your favorite stations,and many other features. You can even connect itto a portable CD or cassette player to enjoy yourfavorite music.

Don't look for the Wave® radio in stores; it'savailable directly from Bose. Simply call the toll -free number or send the coupon below to receivea complete information kit or to try out the Wave®radio in your home for fourteen days, satisfactionguaranteed. Otherwise, just return it for a fullrefund of the purchase price.

Only Bose offers all this advanced technologyfor just $349. Call 1-800-845-BOSE, ext. RP165, orsend the coupon today.And learn all about asmall wonder. Better sand through reseamh.

_ZIAIME1

ZIP TELEPHONE

Call 1-800-845-BOSE, ext. RP165. Or mail to: Bose Corporation, Dept. CDD-RPI6C, The Mountain, Framingham, MA 01701-9168.

ingil-REANIf you walked into the SoundingBoard in Ridgewood, New Jersey,looking to spend about $5,000 on a

no -frills audiophile -quality music sys-tem with home theater potential, man-ager Scott Burghart would recommendthis simple yet elegant setup: an Ar-cam Alpha 5 CD player and Delta110S preamplifier, a Bryston Model3B NRB high -current power amplifier,and a pair of Magnepan's new Magne-planar MG 2.7/QR dipole speakers.Besides being able to reproduce allkinds of music faithfully, Burghartsays, the lineup sets the stage for anexcellent home theater system.

"It's the sound, not the video, thatcreates emotional impact," he ex-plains, adding that the trademark opensound of the Magneplanars gives real-ism to both music and movies. Eachspeaker combines planar -magneticbass and midrange elements with aquasi -ribbon tweeter in a 6 -foot -tallpanel that's 22 inches wide and only13/4 inches deep. The Maggies can pre-sent difficult impedance loads, but theBryston amp is rated to deliver 200watts per channel into 4 ohms, Burg -hart notes, and it's covered by an ex-traordinary twenty-year warranty.

For control, he likes the versatilityof Arcam's Delta 110S preamp, whichhas four line -level inputs, a switchablemoving-magnet/moving-coil phonoinput, two tape outputs, and a full -function remote control. For an extra$500, the 110S can be converted into adigital preamp (the Delta 100, shownin photo) by installing an I8 -bit digi-tal -to -analog (D/A) converter board.

Completing the system is Arcam'sAlpha 5 CD player, which Burghartsays appeals even to "audiophile snobswho still prefer LP's." The player hasan uncluttered front panel with a de-featable display, three search speeds,twenty -track programming, and a re-mote control. The final price for themusic ensemble: $5,394 plus tax.

Burghart's proposed home theaterexpansion can be implemented in twosteps and assumes that the proud own-er of the new audio system already has

a decent TV and a hi-fi VCR. The firststep of the expansion requires an in-vestment of $2,398 and calls for add-ing surround and center -channel speak-ers, a second amplifier to power them,and a surround -sound processor.

To match the brawn of the Brystonamplifier, Burghart recommends Ad -corn's "cost-effective" GFA-2535 four -channel amplifier, which is rated to de-liver 60 watts per channel into 8 ohms.The plan is to bridge two of its chan-nels, sending 200 watts to the centerspeaker, and use the remaining twochannels to power the surrounds.

For surround speakers, Burghartchooses a pair of British -made two-way Ruark Swordsman Plus II's fortheir musical accuracy and attractiveappearance. "There's more soundcoming out of the surround speakersthan people realize," he says, "and theRuarks are able to handle surround -channel information without distort-ing." What's more, the 143/4 -inch -tallspeakers are available in walnut, ma-hogany, or black -ash veneer to matchthe room decor.

THREE STEPSTO HOME THEATER

The Sounding Board, Ridgewood, New Jersey

1. Music System ($5,400)

Arcam Alpha 5 CD player ($899)

Arcam Delta 110S preamp ($1,100)

Bryston Model 3B NRB power amp ($1,395)

Magnepan MG-2.7/OR speakers

($2,000 a pair)

2. Surround Sound ($2,400)

Fosgate Model Five processor ($599)

Adcom GFA-2535 power amplifier ($600)

Mirage MC-si center speaker ($500)

Ruark Swordsman

Plus II speakers ($699 a pair)

3. Home Theater ($2,750)

Denon LA -3500 cornbi-player ($2,000)

Energy AS -180 powered subwoofer ($750)

Center -channel chores would behandled by Mirage's two-way MC-si.Designed for placement above or be-low a TV, the 19 -inch -wide speaker ismagnetically shielded and rated downto 45 Hz. More important, Burghartsays, it has a "tone" switch on its backpanel to help bring its tonal quality inline with that of the Magneplanars.

The final addition in this step is Fos -gate Audionics' Model Five surround -sound processor, featuring five sur-round modes including Dolby ProLogic. "There's accurate spatial place-ment with the Fosgate," Burghart says."It gives you a good sense of what theengineers were trying to do when theyrecorded the soundtrack."

A home theater with this much cloutjust wouldn't be complete withoutgood low bass, which is why Step 3adds Energy's "highly reliable" AS -180 powered subwoofer. Rated downto 25 Hz, this workhorse boasts a 12 -inch driver, an adjustable. two-waycrossover, and a built-in amplifier rat-ed to deliver 180 watts continuous or720 watts peak! The subwoofer alsosports a video setting that engagesa 45 -Hz boost, which adds "morewoomph" to movie soundtracks, Burg -hart says.

Finally, to achieve the best audioand video quality possible, Burghartrecommends Denon's LA -3500 com-bi-player for laserdiscs and CD's. Inaddition to an "excellent audio sec-tion," the $2,000 player uses digitalprocessing for luminance/chrominanceseparation, time -base correction, andfield -noise reduction, all translating intocrisp, sharp video images.

In the end, Burghart's total packageis far from cheap at $10,492, but inreturn he promises a no -compromisehome theater. "My customers spenda lot of time and money putting to-gether superb -sounding stereo sys-tems," Burghart says, "so when theyadd home theater we're looking for abalanced system that delivers greatspatial imaging and dynamic sound ef-fects. This system is awesome."

-Rebecca Day

0z


The typical home theater system consists of a subwoofer, left and right stereo speakers

and a center channel speaker. Not hard to spot ore they?Here's the Polk RM7000 home theater system. The stereo speakers are mounted on the wall.

The center channel speaker and the subwoofer are inside the cabinet!

INTRODUCING POLK'S NEW RM7000 HIGH PERFORMANCE HOME THEATER SYSTEM

"As thrilling as home theater is, it's impossible to get

excited about the pile of home theater speakers that

engulf your TV I didn't think you should

have to sacrifice the look of your home to

home theater. So I created a high perfor

mance system that gives you what you

really want ... big speaker sound without

the big speaker." Matthew Po/4

Wait till you hear the RM7000

system. You'll be astonished. Its true-to-

life sound results from the same ground-

breaking technology, Dynamic Balance®, used to create

our acclaimed flagship speaker, the LS90. Yet the RM

satellites are so small, they fit into your palm. Most

importantly, so small they disappear into your room.


01 1-800-992-2520

1 Ad code: 10006

PolkI he Speaker Specialists

5601 Metro Drive, Baltimore, Maryland 21215 USA (410)358-3600."Polk Audio"," The Speaker Specialists" and "Dynamic Balance' are registered trademarks of Polk InvestmentCorporation used under license by Polk Audio Incorporated.

The powered subwoofer fits easily into

your furniture and, thanks to its

revolutionary technology, guarantees

more bass in less space.

The powered subwoofer, with our newest tech-

nology, high velocity compression drive,mguarantees

you powerful bass in a size that will fit

into your furniture. In fact, with the

RM7000 we've miniaturized everything

but that big, room -filling Polk sound.

For more information on the

RM7000 and other Polk home theater

speakers, call 1-800-377-POLK

or dial our toll -free deal-

er locator to find your

nearest authorized Polk dealer. Stop

in and tell them that you want the big

speaker sound without

the big speaker

4114

/1/1 t111114P r, poik din

E A 11 [11 g " M

DBS-Direct Broadcast Satellite-could change the way you

watch TV (and listen to music).ntil very recently, satellite TV in thiscountry meant a big dish -7 to 10 feet or

more wide-and a fairly big budget. Butthat situation began to change, dramati-

cally, last December with the launch of

the first high -power communicationssatellite designed specifically for small -

dish reception in the continental UnitedStates. By the end of this year, it and a re-cently launched companion satellite will be

providing coast -to -coast DBS (Direct Broad-

cast Satellite) coverage with as many as 170

channels of high -quality digital television,including most major cable channels, spe-

cial -interest programming. and pay -per -view

sports and movies. There will even be an au-

dio -only digital music service.

The satellites were built by GM HughesElectronics, which will supply the bulk ofthe programming through its DirecTV divi-

sion. The other programmer is USSB, a sub-

sidiary of Hubbard Broadcasting. ThomsonConsumer Electronics developed the digital

compression technology used in the system,

dubbed DSS (for Digital Satellite System),and is the initial producer of the receptionequipment-dishes and receivers-which itis selling under its RCA brand.

BY RICHARD R.SONAND MICHAEL

PETER-RIGGS

The TechnologyThe heart of DSS is a digi-

tal data compression systembased on the MPEG (MotionPicture Experts Group) stan-dard. Signals not already indigital form when they reachan uplink facility, which feedsprogramming to the satellitesfor relay back to earth, arefirst converted from analog todigital. Although these digitalsignals could be transmitted asis, efficiency would be poorand the number of channelsthe satellites could supportwould be much smaller.MPEG intelligently reducesthe amount of data in eachsignal according to psycho -visual and psychoacousticprinciples. For audio signals,the principle is masking: Alow-level component can bediscarded without altering thesound if it is near enough infrequency to a higher -levelsound. Such masking, ordrowning out, of one soundby another is the same phe-nomenon that is used to re-duce data -storage require-ments in MiniDisc and DCC (DCC, infact, uses a version of MPEG codingcalled PASC).

For video signals, the principle is re-dundancy: If portions of the picturedon't change from one frame to thenext, there's no need to send new datafor those areas until they do change.That may sound like an obvious andeasy strategy, but it is not a simplething to pull off without visible arti-facts, particularly in scenes containingrelatively small, fast-moving objects.Consequently, the amount of videocompression that can be applied de-pends on the characteristics of the pro-gram. Sports, such as basketball, tendto be the most difficult and thus re-quire the highest data rates for goodperformance. Movies, which have alower frame rate than video, and rela-tively static programs, such as soapoperas, can usually get by with lowerdata rates. Juggling data rates and pro-gramming to achieve maximum chan-nel capacity without sacrificing picturequality may be one of the hardest jobsfacing DirecTV and USSB.

At present, both audio and video arebeing subjected to MPEG-1 compres-sion, but it is expected that by the end

Pictures from France! Well, from outer space. actually. courtesy

of the DSS satellite dish (background) and set -top receiver.

of the year video processing will bemoved over to MPEG-2, enabling fullchannel utilization. Apart from the in-crease in available programming, thechange will not be obvious to users,since the receiving equipment is al-ready compatible with MPEG-2. Thesignals delivered by DSS are capableof rivaling laserdiscs in video qualityand CD's in sound, though it remainsto be seen how consistently such per-formance will be maintained in theface of the temptation to increase pro-gramming capacity at the expense ofdata rate. Fortunately, the encodingcan be improved over time without re-quiring changes to the receivers inusers' homes, enabling some increasein quality, channel capacity, or both.

Signals originate from two entirelynew, state-of-the-art, all -digital facili-ties. The USSB uplink site is close toHubbard Broadcasting's headquartersin St. Paul, Minnesota. DirecTVclaims that its Castle Rock, Colorado,broadcast center is the most sophisti-cated ever built, capable of transmit-ting 216 channels simultaneously.

The satellites themselves are two -ton behemoths, each with sixteen 120 -watt transponders that operate in what

is known as the Ku -band (around12 GHz). Each transponder is ca-pable of transmitting 23 megabitsper second of usable information.That works out to four to eightchannels per transponder aftercompression. The satellites are ingeosynchronous orbit at 101°Wlongitude, which is consideredthe most desirable of the posi-tions available for DBS use inthis country.

The ProgrammingSo what is all this fancy hard-

ware being used for? The com-bined DirecTV/USSB program-ming breakdown goes somethinglike this: thirty channels devotedto major cable services (HBO,USA, CNN, and the like), thirtychannels of sports, thirty chan-nels of special -interest program-ming, and fifty channels of pay -per -view (PPV) movies. In addi-tion, DirecTV is providing MusicChoice, a thirty -channel all -mu-sic service from Digital CableRadio (DCR). The DirecTV andUSSB lineups are complemen-tary rather than competitive, andit seems likely that most userswill subscribe to both. USSB is

even planning some completely adver-tiser -supported channels that will befree to anyone who has the DSS re-ceiving equipment.

Programming is sold primarily inpackages of services at monthly ratescompetitive with those for cable TV.But some services will he available in-dividually, and there will be quite a bitof pay -per -view programming, ofsports and other special events as wellas movies. These can he ordered usingan on -screen program guide and thesystem's remote control. DirecTV saysit will start showings of some hitmovies at 30 -minute intervals, makingit easy for you to fit viewing to yourschedule rather than the other wayaround. DirecTV is pricing pay -per -view movies at $2.99 each. DSS'slarge channel capacity also offers greatopportunity for programming targetedat specific groups of people. AlreadyDirecTV is offering TV Asia, whichcarries Asian programming from theIndian subcontinent, and the Physi-cians Television Network (PTN),which carries medical information andeducational programming.

To navigate that sea of program-ming, DSS provides a menu -driven


1

guide that enables the user to scanthrough program listings or to selectlistings based on categories, such asmovies or sports. Once into such a cat-egory, you can select from submenus.such as football, golf, or whatever, un-til you've homed in on exactly thekind of programs you're looking for.Then you can select the one you wantby pointing and clicking with the re-mote. The system also enables you toset password -protected spending andrating limits and to lock out specificchannels.

One category not normally availableon the system is major broadcast -net-work programming (CBS, NBC, andso forth). DirecTV does offer a pack-age of network stations, but only tousers who are outside the reception ar-eas of network affiliates. Otherwise.you're going to need an antenna or ca-ble to pick up your local network sta-tions, as well as any local indepen-dents you want to watch. The DSS re-ceiver enables easy switching betweenlocal and satellite channels from theremote control.

The EquipmentPicking up DSS programming re-

quires an 18 -inch dish installed withan unobstructed line of sight to thesatellites and a set -top receiver that se-lects and decodes signals from the an-tenna and sends them to your televi-sion. For the first eighteen months orone million units, whichever comesfirst, Thomson (RCA) has the exclu-sive right to sell DSS reception equip-ment. For six months after that, Thom-son will share exclusivity with Sony.the second licensee, and after that oth-er manufacturers will be allowed toenter the market.

Thomson is selling three packages:the RCA DS1120RW basic DSS sys-tem ($699), the DS2430RW deluxesystem ($899), and the DRD102RWreceiver ($649), which can used inconjunction with the deluxe system toconnect a second TV set to the dish.The basic system includes a dish, a re-ceiver, and a remote control. On thereceiver are S -video, composite -video.stereo audio, and RF output connec-tors, satellite and regular antenna in-puts, and a wideband data port forpass -through of HDTV signals. Thedeluxe system increases the number ofoutputs on the dish to two, in order tofacilitate multiple TV hookups, addsto the receiver a second composite -video output, a second set of audio

DSS was not the first source of satellite TV.

and it probab y will not be the last. Several

other orbital positions are open for high -

power DBS. and the FCC has licensed a

number of co.opanies to use them. Whether

the new services that result will be compat-

ible with the JSS receiving equipment is yet

to be seen, although DSS's strong

start seems bkely to encourage

development in that direction.

In addition. there is one

competing DBS system already in

operation: Pr meStar. It offers only

sixty-five channels. however. and

because it operates from a

medium -power satellite, it requires

a dish roughly twice the size of

DSS's.

How PrimeStar will fare against

DSS is open ;o question. but tradi-

tional big -dish C -band satellite

receiving systems will probably

continue to sell. though perhaps in

reduced numbers. For enthusiasts

prepared to cevote the real estate

and toot the bill. C -band provides

outstanding quality and great

outputs, and a low -speed data port(for nonvideo information), and in-cludes a universal remote control. TheDRDIO2RW receiver is the same oneincluded in the basic system. Theprices for the DSS receiving equip-ment may seem steep at first glance,but there's quite a bit of cutting -edgetechnology packed into those boxes.And some dealers are offering financ-ing plans that result in total monthlypayments for both hardware and pro-gramming that are not out of line withwhat one might expect to pay for ca-ble -TV service, for example-as lowas $20 or $30 a month.

Although Thomson recommendsprofessional installation for most peo-ple, the equipment is designed to besimple to install, and kits and acces-sories are available to ease the process.Correct angle of elevation for the dishcan be determined automatically fromyour zip code, and the dish emits anaudible signal -strength tone to helpyou get it aimed perfectly.

programrring diversity. In fact, the DBS

services. ike cable operators and network

affiliates. take much of their programming

from C -band satellite transmissions, which

ex st to provide such distribution.

-Michael Riggs

The FutureAs sales increase and more manu-

facturers enter the DSS market, pricesfor the reception equipment are likelyto fall. One might also expect to seereceivers built into TV sets once themarket gets large enough. Thomsonhas said it will introduce such productswhen it thinks the time is right.

One of the most exciting aspects ofDSS is its flexibility. It is not limitedto standard NTSC television. Rightnow, it would be possible to sendwidescreen programs compatible withexisting 16:9 aspect -ratio sets, and thatseems very likely to happen. WhenHDTV is ready, it will probably comefirst via satellite. Indeed, given the ap-parent reluctance of broadcasters toembrace HDTV, DSS and services likeit could be the primary source ofHDTV programming for quite sometime after it's introduced.

Richard R. Peterson is president ofThe DBS Connection, Maplewood, MN.


SPECIAL TEST REPORT

CARVER RESEAriLIGHTSTAR REF EL,;%,-_

POWER AMPLIFISome fourteen years ago, Carver developed something called a

"Magnetic Field" amplifier, a revolutionary change from con-

ventional power -amplifier design. It was small (a cube less than

7 inches on a side), weighed only a few pounds, delivered 200

watts per channel into 8 -ohm loads, and sold for $349. Over the years, other Car-

ver amplifiers have employed the same principles, some of which were adopted in

various forms by other manufacturers.

Basically, the Carver Magnetic Field amplifier had a signal -sensing power sup-

ply that rapidly increased the supply voltage to the amplifier circuits to accommo-

date signal peaks exceeding normal listening requirements. The design enabled a

relatively low -power amplifier (and power supply) to handle high-level program

peaks without distortion. Only a couple of steps of voltage increase were practical

at the time of the original Carver M-400 amp, but they were sufficient for it and its

successors to provide the essential performance of a heavy, expensive power am-

plifier in a much more economical fashion.

Over the years technology has advanced, especially in digital circuits and de-

vices, and Carver Research (a division of Carver Corporation) has been working

for some time on a vastly improved amplifier carrying the basic concept of the

original Magnetic Field amps to its ultimate potential. The Carver Research Light-

star Reference amplifier, as the first commercial product using the new technology

is called, invites (actually, demands) superlatives. It is very large and heavy, and

correspondingly expensive, with a list price of $3,500. It is also probably the firstSt

true voltage -source amplifier to reach the hi-fi market, certainly the first one I

have seen or heard of. I suspect it will not be the last.

The Lightstar develops most of the required output voltage in its power supply, ;

BY JULIAN HIRSCH

which is built around what the compa-ny calls a Digital Transformer, and therole of the output devices is merely tofunnel the necessary current to theload. Although the power -supply (sig-nal) voltage can be as high as ±170volts, the output stage uses only twodevices, operating in Class A, and theamplifier has no global negative feed-back or conventional gain stages in itssignal path.

There are many other distinctdifferences between theLightstar and ordinary ampli-

fiers, some of which are explainedmore fully in "The Lightstar Advan-tage" (box). And for those seeking anin-depth exposition, Carver Researchhas a white paper on the design of thisremarkable amplifier.

Basically, the most unusual operat-ing feature of the Lightstar is that itis a virtually ideal voltage source withenormous power capabilities. Themanufacturer's specifications tell thestory: The Lightstar is rated to deliver300 watts into 8 ohms, 600 watts into4 ohms, and 1,200 watts into 2 ohms,from 10 Hz to 20 kHz, with less than0.2 percent total harmonic distortion(THD). It can also safely drive evenlower load impedances (down to 1

ohm or less), although its performanceis not rated or specified below 2 ohms.

The Lightstar's physical appearanceis as novel as its electrical characteris-tics. All black, it is made of thick (3h-inch) aluminum and measures 19 inch-es wide, 7 inches high, and 173/4 inch-es deep. It weighs 72 pounds. Thesculptured front panel has two illumi-nated level meters and an oval touch-plate standby on/off switch. The am-plifier remains on in standby mode,but with reduced power consumption.

The Lightstar is actually a dual -mono amplifier. Not only are the two

channels entirely separate from eachother, both physically and electrically,but they even have separate heavy-du-ty line cords and circuit-breaker/powerswitches on the rear panel. Equippedwith sturdy handles, the rear panel alsohas conventional single -ended signalinputs, via gold-plated phono jacks,and balanced inputs with gold-platedCannon -type connectors. A small tog-gle switch near each input sectionswitches it from standard -gain modeto high gain for use when the amplifieris being driven directly from a CDplayer or "passive preamplifier."

The speaker connectors are gold-plated binding posts usable with singleor dual banana plugs, lugs, or stripped=A

Output at clipping (1 kHz)8 ohms 331 watts4 ohms 650 watts2 ohms 1,300 wattsClipping headroom (re rated output)8 ohms 0 43 dB4 ohms 035 dB2 ohms 0.35 dBDynamic power8 ohms 315 watts4 ohms 612 watts2 ohms 1,223 watts

Dynamic headroom (re rated output)8 ohms 0.21 dB4 ohms 0.09 dB2 ohms 0.08 dBDistortion at rated output 0.045%Sensitivity (I watt into 8 ohms)Standard 100 mVHigh 26.5 mVNoise (A -weighted, re 1 -watt output)

-82 dB-74 dB

Standard

High

Frequency response20 Hz to 20 kHz +0.4, -0.1 dB

wire. There are two pairs of outputsfor each channel, providing added ver-satility when driving a multiple -speak-er array or when biwiring speakers.

The Lightstar is protected againstshorted outputs by a muting circuit,which operates when it is driven hardinto an impedance of 0.5 ohm or less.The magnetic circuit breakers in thepower -cord inputs are each designedto trip if the power consumption inthat channel substantially exceeds itsrated maximum value of 1,440 watts.The two channels together can drawbetween 2,000 and 3,000 watts in full -power operation, so the power cordsshould be plugged into outlets with asuitable rating-and never through anextension cord! Since the Lightstar'sDigital Transformer has the potentialto generate radio -frequency interfer-ence (RFI), the amplifier is tightlyshielded by its cabinet and has RFI fil-ters in its line and speaker circuits.

Because the Lightstar can consumeso much line current, we drove onlyone channel at a time for high -powertests (both channels were driven forcertain low-level measurements). Theamplifier easily met its specifications,impressive as they are. Frequency re-sponse was better than ±0.1 dB from20 Hz to 10 kHz, rising to +0.4 dB at20 kHz. A wide -range measurementfrom 10 Hz to 200 kHz (the limits ofour Audio Precision System One testequipment) showed a response of+0.4, -0.2 dB from 10 Hz to 20 kHz;the response dipped to -1.1 dB at 60kHz, rising again to +1.5 dB at 130kHz before falling to below -2 dB at200 kHz. These small (and insignifi-cant) variations may have been due tothe RFI filtering or to special aspectsof the power supply.

Power output was, to put it mildly,prodigious (see "Measurements"). Aswould be expected from an ideal volt-age source, the Lightstar's dynamicpower output was virtually identical toits steady-state clipping -level power. Isuspect that they were actually thesame, but the dynamic measurement(reading the display from an oscillo-scope and calculating the power) is in-herently less accurate than a meteredsteady-state measurement.

The Lightstar's cabinet became ex-tremely hot during the high -powertests. The top and side surfaces weretoo hot to touch for more than a sec-ond or two, although the front panelremained comfortable to the touch.After all, the top, bottom, and sides ofthe Lightstar are, in effect, the heat

88 STEREO REVIEW NOVEMBER 1994.

WHERE DOES THE TWEETEROF A HIGH FIDELITY

LOUDSPEAKER BELONG?

Q -SER I ESThis question may confuse those who believe that the measure of a loudspeaker is the number of its

drivers. It will also elude those who have never bothered to question conventional driver placement,

which always separates the woofer from the tweeter.

In fact, the most acoustically correct location for the tweeter is precisely at the centerof the woofer.

This strategic placement creates a single sound source, allowing high and low frequencies to reach your

ears at the proper time, regardless of where the speakers are placed or where you are sittirg. (No wonder

KEF's patented Uni-O is the technology of choice for advanced Home Theater applications.)

Perhaps the greatest benefit of the KEF CI Series speakers is that they sound as good in your home

as they do in the showroom.

KEF Electronics of America, Inc .119 0ou9 Brown Wax, Holliston MA 01746 Tel 50B 429.3600 Fax 508 429.3699

Orstributed et Canada by Pon,Acoostics Canada lid Tel 514 344 1226 Fax 514 344.4760 CIRCLE NO. 12 ON READER SERVICE CARD

High-fidelity audio amplifiers

are normally designed to

approximate what is known as

a constant -voltage amplifier. The idea is

that for any given input voltage, the

amplifier should deliver a certain output

voltage determined by its gain, regardless

of the load it is driving. Practical amplifiers

have never achieved that ideal, however,

and most fall well short of it because of the

severe demands placed on conventional

output stages and power supplies

when driving low -impedance or highly

reactive loudspeakers.

In a conventional amplifier, the power

supply is "dumb." It sits there collecting

current from the power line like a tank

collecting water from a pipe. The output

transistors are like nozzles at the end of a

hose attached to the tank. There is a more

or less constant pressure from the water

backed up in the tank that forces water out

of the nozzle when it is opened up.

Similarly, as an output transistor switches

on in response to the

allows current to flow out of the power

supply in proportion to the power -supply

voltage and the impedance presented by the

speaker (the lower the impedance, the more

current is delivered). At any level short of

sinks for the most powerful amplifiermost of us will ever see and touch, anda miniaturized watt has yet to appearon the scene.

Harmonic distortion at 300 watts in-to 8 ohms was about 0.05 percent from1(10 Hz to 5 kHz, reaching 0.1 percentat 20 Hz and about I percent at 20kHz. At 1 kHz the distortion was lessthan 0.1 percent from 5 watts to about320 watts into 8 ohms. All of thesereadings were of total harmonic distor-tion plus noise (THD+N). A spectrumanalysis (excluding noise) of the har-monics in the audio range showed afew components reaching as high as0.01 percent and others typicallyaround 0.001 percent or so.

Given the Lightstar's measured per-formance, one would not expect it tocontribute any sound of its own in nor-mal listening, and that was certainlyour experience. Sonically, it was utter -

maximum output, the output transistors

are actually working to keep the power

supply from delivering as much current to

the speakers as it would like to. This

relationship between voltage, current, anc

impedance holds up until the impedance

becomes so low that the power supply can

no longer maintain full voltage or the

amount of current flowing through the

transistors exceeds their safe -operating

limit. So instead of the amplifier's

maximum continuous power doubling every

time the impedance of the load is halved,

as would happen if it were a perfect voltage

source, the power usually increases at only

about half that rate until some limit is

reached that sharply restricts the total

output (in most amplifiers this condition

arises when the load impedance gets

down around 2 or 3 ohms).

The Lightstar solution is to use a "smart'

tracking power supply. Instead of operating

the output transistors at a fixed high

voltage, the power supply in the Lightstar

scales its voltage to

that of the input signal. Consequently, at any

given time essentially all of the voltage

developed by the supply is actually pushing

current through the single pair of output

transistors into the loudspeakers. Because

ly neutral and transparent. On the oth-er hand, we were not willing to placethe speakers in jeopardy by usingmore than a tiny fraction of this ampli-fier's power reserve. Carver Researchrecommends (and we heartily concur)that the speakers be protected by ex-ternal fuses of the value suggested bythe speaker manufacturer.

During our listening tests, weleft the Lightstar energized,in its standby condition, so

that it could be activated at a fingertouch (and because it was not practicalto reach behind it to turn the two monoamplifiers on and off). Although thestandby mode of operation is undeni-ably convenient, we suspect that itcould run up a sizable electric bill intime. The amplifier's top, after 24hours in standby, was fairly warm tothe touch and became slightly warmer

the output transistors themselves then

operate at a relatively low voltage, they

can handle much more current than would

be possible for transistors operating

at a high voltage. As a result, Carver

Research says, the Lightstar amplifier can

drive an impedance of even a fraction

of an ohm up to the limits imposed by the

power available from the wall socket.

The other really neat thing about

the Lightstar design is how it handles the

problem of "back EMF"-the energy kicked

back from the loudspeaker to the amplifier

by the reactive component of its impedance.

Conventional output stages have to

dissipate that energy somehow, eating up

some of their output transistors' current

capacity and thereby further restricting their

ability to deliver power to the speakers.

That is why you may sometimes hear of a

particular speaker being difficult to drive

because it has a highly reactive impedance.

Instead of trying to fend off the return

current, the Lightstar amplifier actually

recycles it into the power supply. The end

result, Carver says, is a unique

achievement: an amplifier that simply

doesn't care what sort of load it is

attached to. Our tests tend to support that

remarkable claim. -Michael Riggs

during use at normal listening levels(averaging less than I watt).

Based on our experience with theLightstar, we recommend it highly fordriving difficult speaker loads, particu-larly ones in which the impedance dipsto 2 ohms or less. On the other hand,even if you use only a minute fractionof its capability, the Lightstar Refer-ence is probably the most advancedpower amplifier you can buy, and Idoubt that any speaker has yet beenmade that it cannot drive with ease.

If its drawbacks (weight, powerconsumption, size, and so forth) arediscouraging to consider, be patient.We understand that Carver Research isplanning other, more affordable Light-star components for the near future.

Carver Research, Dept. SR. P.O. Box1237, Lynnwood, WA 98046.


Alpine CD changersfit like a glove.

The new Alpine CD Shuttles are the

world's smallest.

Small enough to fit in your glove box,

your console or under your front seat.

Only the Alpine 6 -disc format creates

such a conveniently -sized changer. And

with additional 6 -disc magazines, your

music selection becomes unlimited.

Of course every Alpine

changer will work with any

FM audio system, but for

truly seamless integration,

you can easily match it with

your choice of any Alpine in -dash

cassette or CD controller.

With split-second disc changing,

Alpine Shuttles are also the world's

fastest. And among the

quietest, with a new

linear slide cam that

replaces almost half

the gears. Fewer parts,

fewer problems. New

combination TPE/silicon dampers

improve shock resistance by 30% -

even in cold climates where

conventional rubber dampers

lose elasticity.

On top of convenience, you

get less noise, firmer bass and more

Since the CD only partially extracts ding playbaotresponse is faster and less space is required

spacious sound thanks to another

Alpine innovation: a regulated 1 -bit

DAC with separate

power supplies for

both analog and

digital sections.

And it's priced

within easy reach at

your Alpine dealer. To find the exper.,

authorized dealer nearest you, simply

call the number below.

Then get ready for great Alpine

sound. And a perfect Alpine fit.

ALPINE,LISTEN TO WHAT YOUR CDS REALLY SOUND LIKE

800 -ALPINE -1 (In Canada, 905-475-7280)01994 Alpine Electronic of America. Inc.. Alpine Bectfonia of Canada, Inc.


Our Home Theater Speakersare a product of

their environment

Dear Movie Lovers,

If you have always believed that high quality Home Theater componentswere out of your reach, I invite you to audition the new AtlanticTechnology System 250 at your earliest convenience.

The truth is that only a small group of manufacturersreally know how to design good Home Theater equip-ment - and Atlantic Technology is one of the best.Our designers spend as much time at the moviesas they do at their Macs. In fact, many of us herewere involved in creating the world's first HomeTheater back in 1981. That's why when it came toSystem 250, we had our toughest critics in mind -ourselves. This is the system we want to live with:compact, accurate, powerful and affordable.

Our System 250 speakers are a product of theirenvironment - both the home and the movie theater.And, unlike some manufacturers who merely re -labeltheir existing speakers as "Home Theater," we've builteach Atlantic Technology model with a specific task in mind, whetherit's a timbre -adjusting center channel speaker, a "power directed"subwoofer, minimum diffraction front speakers, or spatially enhancedsurround speakers.

There's an old expression that says "things like that only happen in themovies." Atlantic Technology makes it happen in your home.

Peter TribemanPresident, Atlantic Technology

AlanticTECHNOLOGY

Call or write for information to:

343 Vanderbilt Avenue Dept. ABCDNorwood, MA 02062Phone 617-762-6300 Fax 617-7(2-6868CIRCLE NO 5 ON READER SERVICE CARD

V

THEMIT AM" ig\TGAME

Getting your components towork properly with each other is both

important and, usually, easy.lthough few people would dispute that com-ponent hi-fi is the way to go for really top-notch sound, some still shy away from it out

of fear that they will wind up with a bunch of equipment thatdoesn't work well together-a not altogether unreasonableconcern. On the other hand, serious incompatibilities be-tween modern components are very uncommon, and with alittle care even minor glitches can be avoided.

Compatibility issues can be lumped roughly into two cate-gories: operational and sonic. Incompatibilities that affectsound quality would include things like the inability of a

particular amplifier to drive a certain loudspeaker to ade-quate levels without distortion or an additive accumulationof similar frequency -response errors through the variouscomponents in a system. Most audio components exhibitsmall response errors that, by themselves, are unimportant.But if two or three components in a system err in the samedirection, their errors may add up to a significant total. Thisproblem is much less common today than it was in the dayswhen phonograph records were the primary music source,but it can still happen. Particularly bad, and good, combina-tions must be discovered by experiment, perhaps aided by a

BY PETER W. MITCHELL

good dealer. A dealer's expertise inidentifying good component partner-ships can be an important reason topay retail prices rather than searchingfor the lowest mail-order prices.

In most cases, however, sonic differ-ences arising from component interac-tions are rather small. If you care in-tensely about musical sound, you maydecide that any difference you canhear is worth paying for. But the deci-sion is yours alone. Sales clerks andpublished reviews may imply that aparticular amplifier or connecting ca-ble will make a dramatic, night -and -day improvement in sound. But the au-dibility, or even the existence, of suchdifferences often depends on the re-mainder of the system. Listen foryourself, and pay only for improve-ments that you hear.

O perational incompatibili-ties, affecting the abilityof the various compo-

nents in a system to work togetherproperly, are also possible, but thanksto the high level of standardization inthe audio industry, they normally donot have severe consequences (productfailure, loss of sound, or compromisedsafety). Generally speaking, you arelikely to obtain reliable performancefrom any assortment of reputable com-ponents, although there may be someminor obstacles to circumvent in theprocess of hooking everything up.

Line -Level ConnectionsExcept for those from phono car-

tridges or to loudspeakers, almost allconnections between components inan audio system carry "line -level" sig-nals and are relatively simple. Theynearly always involve modest voltages(2 volts or less) and a very smallamount of current (a ten -thousandth ofan ampere). As a general rule, any au-dio output from one component can beconnected to any audio input on anoth-er component. Since line -level audioconnections usually employ RCAphono sockets and plugs, we can re-state the rule as follows: Anythingwith RCA phono output jacks can beconnected to anything else with RCAphono input jacks.

Most line -level connections are in-terchangeable. You can connect theaudio outputs from a CD player to theCD, tuner, auxiliary, or tape -in jackson an amplifier; the sound will be thesame in each case. If you have no CDplayer, you can use your amplifier'sCD input for the playback signal from

do LLot

a spare tape deck or for the line-outaudio signals from a VCR or laserdiscplayer. And with the aid of an adaptorcable you can feed the volume -con-trolled output signal from any head-phone jack to the line input of a sepa-rate tape recorder or amplifier.

There are a few exceptions-certainconnections that you should not make.Don't panic; plugging a cable into thewrong socket won't hurt anything. Butthe following connections would yieldeither poor sound or no sound:

Line to Phono. The small cylindricalsocket that is used for most audio con-nections is known generically as anRCA phono jack, but input socketsthat are specifically labeled Phonoshould be used only to connect aturntable for playing LP records. Ifyou connect anything else (such as aCD player or a tape recorder) to anamplifier's phono input, you will getbad sound: bass -heavy, dull, and verydistorted.

Line Out to Tape Out. The connec-tion labeled Tape Out on an amplifieris emphatically not designed to receivea tape deck's output. (Tape Out andTape In should really be labeled some-thing like "Out to Tape" and "In fromTape," respectively, for clarity.) Theuniversal rule is that the output fromone component should be connectedonly to another component's input. Ifyou accidentally connect a cable froma tape deck's output jacks to an ampli-fier's Tape Out, you may get music,but the amplifier's input selector prob-ably won't function properly and the

resulting impedance mismatch willimpair the quality of the sound.

Digital to nondigital. Many CD play-ers have line -level audio outputs andalso a digital output that uses the sametype of RCA phono jack. The digitalsignal should be connected only to adigital input, as might be found on adigital processor or digital recorder. Ifyou connect the undecoded digital sig-nal to any audio input jack on an am-plifier, you'll hear the digital code it-self-a faint trace of the music over-laid with a hiss -like noise. Caution:This signal contains ultrasonic energy,which may bum out a tweeter if youplay it loud.

Video to audio. On VCR's and laser -disc players the line-out jacks includea video socket as well as the left andright audio signals. When you makeconnections to an A/V receiver or am-plifier, be sure to connect the videosignal to a video input. (Video socketsare usually color -coded yellow or or-ange to distinguish them from audiosockets, which may have red, white, orblack inserts.) A few audio -only am-plifiers have an input labeled Videothat is intended only for video -relatedsound, such as the audio signal from aTV or VCR. If you connect a videosignal to any audio input jack on youramplifier, you will hear a loud buzzwhen that input is selected, and thevideo signal's high -frequency energymay blow out your tweeters. (Con-trariwise, if you connect an audio sig-nal to a video input jack, no harm isdone. but you'll get no picture.)w ith normal line -level

connections, the princi-pal compatibility issue

concerns the output impedance of thesignal source. This question arises be-cause product -design engineers faceconflicting goals. On the one hand,safety and reliability considerationsimpel designers to include a resistor atany output in order to limit the currentif the output is short-circuited. (To pre-vent unwanted crosstalk, in many am-plifiers the input selector automatical-ly short-circuits each unselected inputto ground. That insures that when youare enjoying a CD, you'll hear only theCD; the sound won't be contaminatedby bleed -through from the tuner orother input signals.)

On the other hand, a current -limit-ing output resistor usually adds to acircuit's output impedance. That im-pedance interacts with the capacitanceof the connecting cable, creating a


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even shielded models, because their dispersion patterns prohibit raising them too high

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CIRCLE NO. 13 ON READER SERVICE CARD The Science of Loudspeakers

high -frequency rolloff. To keep therolloff above the audio band, or, atworst, to minimize the loss at audiblefrequencies, any output impedance(from a CD player, tape deck, or anamplifier's tape -out or preamp-outjacks) ideally should be less than1,000 ohms. If your CD player has arelatively high output impedance(greater than 2,000 ohms), you'll needto use a short connecting cable (or aspecial low -capacitance cable) toavoid rolling off the high audio fre-quencies. (For more about cables, see"Cables and Contamination" at theend of this article.)

The Cartridge/PreampInterface

Record -playing systems vary muchmore in sound than do CD players.Moving -magnet phono cartridges havea high output impedance at high fre-quencies, so their treble response de-pends on the capacitance of the cable.And the pickup's high -frequency reso-

nance is damped by the phono pre -amp's input impedance. Therefore, thesound of a phono cartridge can befine-tuned by experimenting with thevalues of resistance and capacitancethat "load" the cartridge.

1%."high -output" moving -coil phono cartridge hasan output signal nearly

as strong as that of a moving -magnetdesign, but its low impedance makesit less sensitive to loading. Typically,however, moving -coil pickups have anoutput voltage so low that it is inade-quate for a normal phono input. Suchcartridges require a special high -gainpreamplifier designed for very low cir-cuit noise.

Digital ConnectionsMost connections between audio

components involve analog signals,but digital connections are becomingmore commonplace, particularly toconvey the digital signal from a CD

WHAT, ME WORRYCompatibility is about

well together, not about safety. The UL and

CSA symbols on most electronic compo-

nents show that they have passed indepen-

dent tests proving that they are electrically

safe-even when abused or misused. If you

plug a cable into the wrong socket you may

get no sound. but you are very unlikely to

hurt anything in the process.

In most cases. you simply cannot

damage a modern electronic component by

connecting it wrong. The sole exception is

speaker wiring: If positive and negative

speaker wires (from an amplifier's plus. or

red. and minus. or black. output terminals,

respectively) touch each other while music

is playing, the resulting short circuit could

blow a fuse in the amplifier. With many

designs even that won't happen: the ampli-

fier's protection circuits will simply shut off

the sound until the short-circuit is removed.

To be on the safe side. turn off the power

until you have finished connecting the

speaker wires and have inspected the

installation to make sure that no loose or

frayed strands of wire are touching an adja-

cent terminal or the metal chassis.

Incidentally. if each channel of an ampli-

40 watts, do not connect the

two channels together hoping to get 80

watts. The two channels of a stereo ampli-

fier are electrically separate and must

always remain so! Short-circuiting their

outputs together is an efficient way to

create repair bills. A few amplifiers contain

special circuits that enable two channels to

be "bridged" for higher power. but don't try

it if the owner's manual doesn't describe

that option.

In any case, you should always observe

a few basic precautions:

1. Don't remove the top cover or bottom

panel of any AC -powered product. There

may be dangerous voltages inside.

2. Don't allow ventilation slots to be

covered or obstructed. Don't put papers or

clothing on the top. and don't allow a heavy

amplifier or receiver to sink into a carpet.

3. To avoid unpleasant surprises, turn

the volume control all the way down when

connecting or disconnecting anything.

Better yet. switch off the power, or unplug

your amplifier's AC power cord.

4. When in doubt. don't be impatient:

take a break and read the owner's manual.

-P W. M.

player to an external digital -to -analog(D/A) converter or to a digital record-er. Three types of connection are avail-able, but usually only one or two typesare found on any given product. Yourchoice will necessarily depend on theconnectors that you find on yourequipment.

A coaxial digital interface employsRCA phono jacks and the same tech-nology as the line -level video outputfrom a VCR or laserdisc player. Out-puts and inputs both have a 75 -ohmimpedance, which matches the charac-teristic impedance of the coaxial cableused to link them. When correctly im-plemented, a coaxial digital connec-tion can provide superb performance,but there are ways in which difficultiescan arise.

Because three -wire balanced cablesare not used for digital connections inconsumer equipment, the cable canpick up hum from the power line. Adigital output is supposed to employan isolation transformer that wouldkeep power -line leakage out of the sig-nal, but many CD players omit thetransformer to reduce cost. And manyplayers don't maintain a true 75 -ohmimpedance across the wide frequencyrange of the digital signal. As a result,differences in cable impedance canimpair data transmission to an extentthat, in extreme cases, might affect thesound. (In principle, any cable thatdoes a good job with video signalsshould also handle digital signals suc-cessfully.) Coaxial cables can alsoconvey power -line hum and RFI (ra-dio -frequency interference, picked upfrom the digital equipment itself) tothe analog audio circuits in connectedequipment, though usually at inconse-quential levels.

The Toslink connection is a com-pact, low-cost interface for use withplastic -fiber optical cables. Its princi-pal advantage is that the connectioninvolves a pulsed light beam ratherthan electrical wiring and thereforecan't pick up (or carry) hum or RFI.Electrical impedance matching is alsoirrelevant to this type of connection,since no electrical signals are involved.Vibration of the plastic cable can in-crease the timing jitter in the digitalsignal, which could slightly increasedistortion during D/A conversion. Dis-tortion would have to go up quite a bitto become audible, however.

The least common, most costly, butperhaps best digital interface is theAT&T ST connection for glass -fiberoptical cable. Very few components

96 STEREO REVIEW' NOVEMBER 1994

have ST connectors, however, andcoaxial or Toslink hook-ups shouldnormally be adequate for consumeraudio systems.

Physical InterfacesSome compatibility problems are

quite basic in nature. For example, ifyou discover that you must exert sub-stantial force to insert a phono plug in-to its socket, the center pin of the plugmay actually be slightly oversize. Itwill make a fine connection, but theinsertion may stretch the interior of thesocket. The same plug will continue tofit well in the future, but if you everinsert an ordinary plug in the stretchedsocket, it may fit loosely and make theconnection unreliable. So if a plugdoesn't seem to want to go into a sock-et, your best bet is not to force it.

Amplifiers and SpeakersThere is much more to be said about

the complex interaction between am-plifiers and loudspeakers than can befit here. The essential consideration,however, is impedance. Reducing theimpedance of the speakers connectedto an amplifier will increase theamount of current, and thus power.they can draw from the amp-up to apoint. As a practical matter, there is al-ways some limit to the amount of cur-rent an amplifier can deliver, and inany conventional amplifier that limita-tion will determine the minimum im-pedance it can drive without misbe-having-overheating, distorting, shut-ting down, or, in extreme and unusualcases, burning out its output transis-tors. Any of those symptoms is an in-dication that you may have an amp/speaker compatibility problem.

"ICTnfortunately, loudspeak-er impedance ratings are,at best, only approxi-

mate, since the actual impedance usu-ally varies substantially with frequen-cy. Moreover, amplifiers and receiversnow often carry excessively conserva-tive warning labels (mostly to satisfyUL requirements) about the minimumimpedance that should be connected tothem. There are some speakers thatpresent an unusually difficult load andthat can be driven only by amplifiersdesigned for high -current output. Theyare the exceptions, however: Mostloudspeakers will work with most ofthe amplifiers and receivers on themarket. If you're in doubt, a gooddealer should be able to steer you clearof problematic couplings.

CABLESA. Ma MPCONTAMINATION

In the old days, the cables used to

connect audio components were called

"patch cords," and a free cable was

packaged with every product. Nowadays

audio dealers sell cables separately as

well, as a premium accessory. Although

many esoter c claims are made about

cable design, the main benefit you can get

by paying extra is superior construction-

oxygen-free wire, connections that are

soldered instead of molded -on, Teflon

insulation (' dielectric") instead of

cheaper plastic, strain reliefs to prevent

the wire from breaking where it

enters the plug, phono plugs that provide

a snug fit in the socket, and so forth.

Most conventional interconnects are

coaxial in form, to minimize the cable's

tendency to act as an antenna, picking up

hum and radio -frequency interference

from the environment. Twisted-pa'r cables

can work equally well in most

environments and may provide lower

capacitance. (Ideally, all cables would be

labeled to indicate their capacitarce,

but many are not.

Impedance -related electrical

interactions may result in audible

differences when cables are changed,

but these are usually very minor and are

often system -dependent, apparert in

one system but not in another. That is

particularly true for cables that have an

arrow indicating a preferred direction of

use. Electrons don't care whethe

they are traveling east or west in a wire.

But an interconnect actually contains

two conductive paths. The "hot" wire,

connected to the center pin of the plug,

carries the signal voltage from one

component to another (CD playe to

amplifier, for example, or preamp to

power arrp). The "ground" wire,

connected to the plug's skirt,

completes the circuit, provides the

ground reference for the signal,

and serves as the cable's shield

against nterference.

But in most audio components the

chassis is not a true electrical ground.

Electrical noise, entering from the AC

power ccrd, can leak from the power

liansforner onto the chassis, and

different products may have differing

ground Potentials. When a cable connects

two products together, leakage

current can flow along the ground wire,

adding roise and possibly distortion

to the audio. To avoid this effect. some

audio cables leave the ground wire

inconnected at one end. You'll have to

experiment with such cables to discover

whether reversing the direction

nakes any difference in your musical

Measure.

Directional cables are just one way to

deal wi:h power -line leakage. A second

tactic in to use a voltmeter to measure the

leakage voltage on each chassis,

experinent with the orientation of each AC

plug in its socket, and then mark the plug

orientation that produces the lowest

chassis voltage. A third method is to buy a

power -line filter to clean up your AC.

The ultimate cure for power -line noise

and radio -frequency interference is to

select audio components designed to work

with "balanced" cables. Balanced

connections eliminate interference by

keepirg the signal ground separate from

the chassis ground. Each channel uses a

three -wire connection: signal hot, signal

groun i, and a separate shield that may

be connected to the chassis ground.

Balanced inputs and outputs are used

in professional audio setups (recording

and boadcast studios) and in some

audiophile components. -P. W. M.


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BY MICHAEL W. SHERMAN

THE DISC RECORDINGA CENTENNIAL APPRECIATION

I

grow an industry that would dominate6

recorded entertainment for generations.

NOVEMBER 1994 marks the centennial of the

American disc record. One hundred years ago, the first com-

mercial disc recordings made in America were placed on

sale by the United States Gramophone Company. It was a

modest beginning. Only about fifty records (or

"plates," as they were called) were of-

fered, primarily in the Washington -

Baltimore area, and there was not

even a practical machine to play the

discs, but from this tiny seed would

E. BERLINER'S

GRAMOP HO.N1E1.4.i:

sks-slt 1.7.r11

other Patents applied f.'

17

or

before 1900, most recorded sound was captured on a wax

cylinder. About the size of an aluminum soda can, the fragile

cylinder was sold beginning in 1889 by the North AMerican

Phonograph Company, a concern that pooled the patents of

Thomas Edison with a rival group arising from

the research of Chichester Bell and

Charles Tainter. Most cylinders sold

during the 1889-1894 period were em-

ployed in coin -operated phonographs

in commercial "parlors," as the ma-

chines were still considered too expen-

sive for home use. In addition, no method

for mass duplication ofcylinders had been devel-oped, and they had tobe transcribed individuallyfrom originals made at therecording session. The pro-cedure yielded both incon-sistent results and an inade-quate supply of records.

using this period,the flat disc wasunder development

by its inventor, Emile Ber-liner. Berliner had firstdemonstrated his disc atPhiladelphia's Franklin In-stitute in 1888, but it wasstill experimental. Mass du-plication was not yet pos-sible because no satisfacto-ry material for pressing rec-ords had been found. In ad-dition, the grooves in theoriginal master discs wereetched using acid, whichproduced a loud but some-what scratchy recording.

It was in Europe thatBerliner's disc recordingswere first sold to the public.In 1889, Kammer and Rein-hardt, a toy manufacturer inGermany, began producingand selling little 5 -inchdiscs and a small hand -pro-pelled device to play themcalled a "gramophone." Itwas sold throughout Ger-many and England, mainlyas novelty entertainmentfor children. Today, few ofthose tiny discs remain.Since they were consideredtoys, most of them wereroughly played and then discarded.

Berliner returned to the UnitedStates in late 1890 and set out to de-velop a disc record for serious com-mercial use. In April 1891, togetherwith a small group of New York in-vestors, he formed the AmericanGramophone Company. Berliner's lab-oratory and studio were located inWashington, D.C., and it was therethat he began his recording efforts.There is little doubt that experimentalrecordings were made during 1890and 1891, but it is unlikely that any ofthem were pressed and sold. A fewcomet, piano, and clarinet recordingsthat date from 1892 were eventuallyreleased, and these are probably theearliest surviving American -made discrecords.

List of Plates in StockNOVEMBER 1st, 1894.

BAND MUSIC.

118 Dude's March130 Black and Tan111 Marching Through

(with cheers)111 The same- Patrol

2 La Serenata115 Star Spangled Banner

8 Coxey's Army11 Salvation Army9 Semper Fidelis (with drums.)

139 After the Ball126 Bocaccio March144 Liberty Bell March140 Washington Post March142 Admirals Favorite March

4 Friedensklange

INSTRUMENTALQUARTETTE.

807 Die Kapelle

BAFtYTONE.163 When Summer Comes Again182 Sweetheart NeU, and I175 Old Kentucky Home191 Black Knight Templars185 Throw Him Down McCloskey183 Oh, Promise Me176 Love Me Little. Love Me Long150 Oh, Fair Art Thou155 Anchored170 Mamie Come Kiss your Honey

Boy166 Then You'll Remember Me160 The Maiden and the Lamb165 Red. White and Blue169 The Coon That Got the Shake157 Tramp, Tramp. Tramp

CLARIONET.300 Allegro (Verdi)

Georgia.

CORNET.

200 Polka, Elegant205 Call Me Thy Own206 Emily Polka202 U.S. Military Signals203 Welcome, Pretty Primrose

DRUM AND FIFE.

700 Biddy Oates

TROMBONE.75 In The Deep Cellar

PIANO.

256 Geisterfunken

CHILDRENS' SONGS.

752 Duett: Every Day will beSunday Bye and Bye

753 Duett: I Know a Bank, Etc.

INDIAN SONGS.

51 Three Melodies from the GostDance

52 Three Melodies from the GoatDance

SOPRANO.

359 Oh, Promise Me352 Oh, How Delightful355 Star Spangled Banner

RECITATION.602 Marc Anthony's Curse

A t.mson In Elocution.

VOCAL QUART.1 1 h.

851 1311nd Tom (negro shout)

THE UNITED STATES GRAMOPHONE CO.,1410 Pennsylvania Ave., N. W.,

Washington, D. C.Between 25 and 50 New Pieces will be added every month.

The first catalog of the United States

Gramophone Co. The discs ("plates") sold for 60c each, about

half of what a cylinder recording cost at the time.

Dissatisfied with the slow progresson the financial front, Berliner dis-solved American Gramophone in 1893and set up the United States Gramo-phone Company, which gave himgreater personal control. It wasn't untilthe end of 1894 that the company of-fered the first fifty discs to the Ameri-can public. They were thin, flexiblediscs made of celluloid, with an en-graved label and handwritten titles.The artists were rarely mentioned; atthis early stage, no performers of notewere recording. The 7 -inch -diameterdiscs sold for 600 each (about half ofwhat a cylinder recording cost at thetime) and were accompanied by a pa-per sleeve containing the lyrics of theselection.

Quite a variety of music was repre-

sented, including bandpieces, vocal selections, in-strumental solos, and evena recitation. Among themost interesting items onthis first list are two seriesof melodies from the "Gost[sic] Dance" of the Indians.If any examples of these re-cordings survive, they arecertainly historical artifactsof the greatest importance.

The discs themselves en-joyed many advantagesover their cylindrical coun-terparts. They were virtual-ly unbreakable, as opposedto the extremely fragilewax cylinder, which couldeasily be broken just inplacing it on or removing itfrom the phonograph. Theyneeded far less storagespace; nearly fifty discscould be stacked in thespace required by only fivecylinders. They could beduplicated easily, and be-tween 500 and 1,000 press-ings could be producedfrom a single master re-cording. The early discswere also more consistentin quality than the cylin-ders, which had to be eitheran original recording or acopy recorded from anoriginal, with the resultantloss in volume and fidelity.Finally, the discs werelouder, even though they al-so produced a considerableamount of surface noise.

Despite those advan-tages, the disc did not im-

mediately replace the cylinder as theformat of choice for the early enthusi-asts of recorded music. For one thing,the cylinder business had a five-yearhead start. Sales agents were in place,a supply of phonographs and cylinderswas in the field, and thousands of peo-ple had listened to their favorite bandmusic or popular songs on cylinders inthe phonograph parlors. While hardlyyet an institution, the cylinder wasAmerica's image of recorded music.

The cylinders' most important ad-vantage over the discs, however, wasthe tremendous superiority of the ma-chines available to play them. Thecylinders were played on a devicecalled the phonograph, while the discswere reproduced on a gramophone.The gramophone was a primitive de -


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vice that relied on a hand -powered crank to propel theturntable. Not only was alistener required to sit nextto the machine and turn thecrank while the recordplayed, but the near impos-sibility of maintaining aconstant rate of revolutioncaused annoying pitch fluc-tuations. In contrast, thephonograph of the early1890's was electricallypowered and featured a me-chanical governor to main-tain a constant rate ofspeed. By 1896, spring -powered motors would beemployed in both ma-chines, but until then thedisc gramophone would ap-pear to be a mere noveltycompared with the refinedcylinder phonograph.

Because of a shortage ofcapital, a lack of promo-tion, and the crude nature ofthe gramophone, disc salesfor the first two years werenegligible. In early 1895,Berliner substituted a hardrubber material for the softcelluloid. The resultingpressings were thicker andmore durable, but prone toexcessive noise and surfacebubbles that often causedthe needle to jump out ofthe groove.

In late October of thatyear, after receiving much -needed financing from aPhiladelphia -based syndi-cate, William Jones formedthe Berliner GramophoneCompany. He opened a sales office inPhiladelphia, but without a spring mo-tor and a major promotional effort, thedisc was going nowhere fast. Fortu-nately for Berliner and his investors,both came the following year.

The task of designing and manu-facturing an inexpensive andreliable spring motor fell to

Eldridge R. Johnson, a machinist fromCamden, New Jersey. Johnson quicklybecame intrigued with the gramo-phone, and after making improve-ments to the reproducer (stylus), hebegan assembling entire machines inhis shop. Johnson's spring -powered"Improved Gramophone" finally pro-vided Berliner with a viable productthat could compete with the cylinder

BY 1900, DISC RECORDS

WERE STRONG

RIVALS OF THE FAMILIAR

CYLINDERS.

A young girl beckons the public to listen to the gramophone

in this 1901 advertisement. The spring -powered machine in the

ad had already come a long way from Berliner's or ginal.

machines sold by Edison and Colum-bia. It is, incidentally, this machinethat is shown in Francis Barraud's fa-mous painting of the fox terrier "Nip-per" listening to "His Master's Voice."

Marketing and promotion were as-sumed by Frank Seaman, a territorialsales agent for Berliner in New YorkState. By mid -1896, Seaman was aim-ing for national distribution with hisformation of the National Gramo-phone Company. In the fall of 1896,he negotiated an agreement withthe Berliner Gramophone Companywhereby he would become the exclu-sive sales agent of machines and re-cordings for the entire United Statesoutside the Washington, D.C., area.

Seaman began advertising exten-sively in leading national publications

for the Christmas season,and the sales of spring -powered gramophones anddisc records soared. Therecorded repertory had ex-panded tremendously aswell, and hundreds of dif-ferent titles had becomeavailable for purchase.

During the next threeyears, Berliner's dif-ficulties would shift

from those of developing aproduct to those of a legalnature. The rapidly expand-ing disc business was at-tracting competitors, andby 1898 both Berliner andthe American GraphophoneCompany, makers of theColumbia cylinders andmachines, were in litigationover the control of keypatents. Further, Frank Sea-man had grown dissatisfiedwith his supply arrange-ment with Berliner andJohnson. He believed thathe could manufacture anequivalent gramophone forfar less than he was beingcharged, so he set up theUniversal Talking MachineCompany to build and sellthe Zonophone. A torrentof lawsuits followed, andby mid -1900 Seaman haddefeated Berliner in thecourts, winning an injunc-tion barring the inventorfrom selling gramophonesin the United States.

The story then turns toEldridge R. Johnson and his

almost immediate formation of theVictor Talking Machine Company.Johnson aggressively took on bothSeaman and American Graphophonein the courts, and won. In the ensuingquarter century, he would build theVictor organization into the largestvendor of recorded music in the world,and make the disc record a format thatwould last nearly one hundred years. o

Michael W. Sherman's book. TheCollector's Guide to Victor Records,covers the history of Berliner and Victorrecords from 1894 to 1958 (availablefrom Monarch Record Enterprises.100 Highland Park Village, Dallas, TX75205-2788 for $24.95 plus $2 forshipping and handling).


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The Legend Continues...

Talking Cylinder to Digital Disc

ti

El

BY DAVID RANADA

VvAyear and a half ago, I was asked by Ted Anspacher,then director of exhibits for the New York Hall ofScience, an interactive science museum on the

grounds of the 1964 World's Fair in Queens, to help with the

111museum's new permanent exhibition, "SoundSensations-The Inside Story of Audio." Museum personnel designed andbuilt the exhibit with major funding from the National Sci-ence Foundation and AT&T. My contribution was the harder -than -it -looks writing of the explanatory signage. I also donat-ed various artifacts for an audio -history display (1), includingan early open -reel analog tape, a promotional mockup of thefirst CD, a MiniDisc, and a Digital Compact Cassette.

The exhibit includes twenty ingenious displays highlight-ing various aspects of sound -reproduction technology. It startswith the most basic sound transmission chain, a speaking tube(8), and goes right through to advanced digital signal process-ing for reverb and sound transformation (5, 9). Along theway, kids of all ages can experiment with-to use grown-upterminology-real-time spectrum analysis of their voices (2)and nonlinear editing and composing techniques using a desk-top computer (3), and they can learn about digital audiothrough an animated computer display (6).

One popular display gives hands-on experience with mov-ing a tape head across magnetic tapes recorded at variousspeeds (4). It takes a steady hand-free of wow or flutter-toget anything intelligible out of the recordings. Another infor-mative display allows visitors to independently switch on thethree drivers in a three-way speaker to illustrate how the au-dio band is split for better reproduction (7).

The exhibit contains much more than can be covered here,but you can get a taste of it by calling 718 -MY -WORDS(699-6737) for an over -the -phone experiment with digitaltransformation of your voice (the call is not toll -free, though,so don't get carried away). For more information aboutSoundSensations or the other fascinating exhibits at the NewYork Hall of Science, call 718-699-0005.


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STEREO REVIEW'S

CRITICS CHOOSE

THE OUTSTANDING

CURRENT RELEASES

Freedy Johnston'. Perfect .orld, Perfect Album?t was Elton John who sang Sad SongsSay So Much, but these days it'sFreedy Johnston-a cult singer/song-writer making his mainstream move-who brings that alliterative title to lifemost vividly. On his new album, "This

Perfect World," Johnston's gallery ofcharacters includes frustrated dreamers,haunted victims, and ordinary folks tak-ing a rueful inventory of their lives. Hismilieu is New York, and more than a fewsongs trace the disappointments encoun-tered by a man who's at long last made agreat escape to the big city only to findhimself feeling more like an alienatedoutsider than ever.

Johnston's lyrics possess a writerlyquality rare in popular music in this post -literate age. He is, moreover, a nimblemelodist, composing in a minor -keyedpop vein and striking, in the artful con-junction of words and music, a motherlode of pure emotion. Now, for his major -label debut, Johnston's presentation hasachieved a new level of accessibilitycourtesy of a surprisingly nongrungy pro-duction by Butch Vig (Nirvana, SmashingPumpkins). The surface of the music istamer than on Johnston's earlier records,the rough edges smoothed and polishedso as not to call attention away from hisvoice, which itself has been reworked in-to a far less quirky, though no less expres-sive, vehicle.

In truth, Johnston's never plumbedemotional duress as deeply as he doeshere in songs like Evie's Tears and Evie'sGarden, whose protagonist is haunted bythe memory of some past violation, andthe title tune, in which a dying parentgoes to see an abandoned daughter, peti-tioning her for clemency as a lonely cellogroans with the heartbreaking line, "I stilldeserve to say goodbye no matter whatI've done." Evie's Tears is a masterlyexample of Johnston's ability to matchtouching, troubling lyrics with beguilingmelodies. The song's bridge, childlike inits simplicity (like a lullabye), is as tune-ful and tender a moment as I've everheard.

Music this organic and rich recallssuch forebears of folk-rock songcraft asthe Beau Brummels (the countryish lilt ofGone Like the Water evokes the autumnal

aura of the Brummels' unsung classicTurn Around) and Buffalo Springfield(Disappointed Man could pass for one ofNeil Young's more ambitious composi-tions with that group). That's pretty im-pressive company to be keeping, butFreedy Johnston belongs there. He's thatgood. Parke Puterhaugh

(REEDY JOHNSTONThis Perfect WorldBad Reputation: Evie's Tears: Can'tSink This Town; This Perfect World: ColdAgain: Two Lovers Stop; Across the Avenue;Gone Like the Water; Delores; Evie's Garden;Disappointed Man; I Can Hear the LaughELEKTRA 61655 (40 min)


BEST OHGlowing Dvorak and halo from Christian

Tetzlaff and the Czech PhilharmonicThe young German violinist ChristianTetzlaff has aroused quite a wave ofenthusiasm among his fellow musi-cians in the last few years, and nowonder. In addition to the technicalsecurity we expect nowadays from

young virtuosos, Tetzlaff, now twenty-eight, brings to his musicmaking an alltoo rare combination of imaginativenessin his repertory choices, great seriousnessin his respect for the material he em-braces, and a no less striking sense of joyin bringing it to life. His new disc of theDvorak Violin Concerto and Lalo's Sym-phonic Espagnole, with the Czech Phil-harmonic Orchestra under Libor Pesek,goes right to the top of the list.

The combination of the Dvorak and theLalo is itself a fairly imaginative one, orat least one I have not encountered be-fore. The two works, however, are not on-ly contemporaneous but were really con-ceived on the same basic principles ofmusical pleasure: ingratiating tunes,rhythms derived from folk music, a rangeof colors effectively exploiting the re-sources of the orchestra as well as thesolo instrument. More to the point, Tet-

The Uncompromising Patty Lovelessn a recent Journal 01 Country Musicpoll of country -music executives andproducers, Patty Loveless showed upon the list of "most underrated countrystars." After eight years of makingrecords-all of them good-Loveless

is just now beginning to reap the recogni-tion she deserves. The reasons for thelong delay are myriad, among them herhabit of letting her music speak for herrather than playing the all-important rec-ord -biz political games. But never has shegiven less than her all to her records.

A case in point: "When Fallen AngelsFly." Titled after the Billy Joe Shaversong about recognizing and forgiving hu-man weaknesses and foibles, her new al-bum is yet another in a series of Lovelessrecords that focus more on making deep,emotional connections with an audiencethan on topping the radio playlists. To besure, there are concessions to commer-


zlaff's glowing performances refresh both 7,

\\ orks, not by imposing new or revisedattitudes on them but wholly within their gown well-defined character.

In point of fact, the Dvorak has not al- 2ways been among the most beloved of vi-olin concertos. It seems to require a veryspecial level of sympathy, such as thatshown by Johanna Martzy in the unfor-gettable recording she made with FerencFricsay some forty years ago. Martzy andFricsay responded to the concerto on aninspired level of unrestrained convictionexpressed with the most genuine spon-taneity, yet guided at every step of theway by an unfailing sense of taste andproportion; Tetzlaff and Pesek strike meas the first team to have matched theirachievement. If any recording could helpthe Dvorak Violin Concerto become aspopular as, say, the Tchaikovsky, this issurely the one.

The Lalo, of course, has been a univer-sal favorite for years, but it can still ex-pand its field of admirers with the kind ofelegant yet uncontrived performance it re-ceives here. All five movements are rel-ished to the full, and the sound itself, asin the Dvorak, is downright gorgeous.

Richard Freed

DVORAK: Violin ConcertoLALO: Symphonie Espagnole

Czech Philhannome, Pesek cond.VIRGIN 45022 (63 min)

ciality on all of her records; here, it's therockabilly rave-up, I Try to Think AboutElvis, a novelty tune in which a love -smitten woman tries desperately to takeher mind off a new man. But on thewhole, Loveless and her husband/produc-er, Emory Gordy, Jr. (he's also producedrecords by Bill Monroe, Jimmie Dale Gil-more, and George Jones), have stockedthe album with exceptionally well -craftedsongs that offer hope, healing, and dignityto the spiritually and romantically disen-franchised.

Steeped in the traditional country andbluegrass of her rural Kentucky upbring-ing (and holding close to her hard moun-tain accent), Loveless is the only com-mercially viable woman in today's coun-try music with one foot staunchly in theold-time sounds and the other in contem-porary thought. Here, she brings a decid-edly bluegrass flavor to Tony Arata's A

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INIT0HkEMONTEI

Handful of Dust, using bold mandolin,fluid fiddle, and goosebumply-good high -vocal harmony to underscore the song'sneo-gospel message-that human beingsare only a collection of elements until im-bued with the spirit of love. Just as easily,she switches gears for a convincing deliv-ery of the Rolling Stones -like rocker, OldWeakness (Coming On Strong), a songabout resisting the temptation to renew atroubled relationship.

But aside from nearly faultless taste inmaterial and a dedication to finding up-lifting songs, Loveless distinguishes her-self from the current crop of Nashville fe-males in her ability to seem caught up inthe exact moment of truth and troubleddecision. Where, say, a Reba McEntireoften appears to be acting such sceneswith nearly laughable melodrama, Love-less conveys a fist -to -the -gut realism andpower, at times delivering almost palpa-ble pain (check out Here I Am, in which aman finds only tortured memory at thebottom of his glass).

From inhabiting both characters in YouDon't Even Know Who I Am, GretchenPeters's remarkable song about marriedstrangers and the slow dissolution of theirunion, to administering emotional salvein the hushed ballad Over My Shoulder,a near -hymn to self-reliance and faith,Loveless proves she's not only underrated

Chung: delicacy and passion

in an industry that values celebrity overartistry. She's in a league of her own.

Alanna Nash

PATTY LOVELESSWhen Fallen Angels FlyA Handful of Dust; Halfway Down; When theFallen Angels Fly; You Don't Even Know Who IAm; Feelin' Good About Feelin' Bad; Here I Am;I Try to Think About Elvis; Ships; Old Weakness(Coming On Strong); Over My ShoulderEPIC 64188 (41 min)

KyungA. ha Chung's

Brilliant Bartokn her new EMI recording of Bartok'smasterly Second Violin Concerto,Kyung-Wha Chung digs deeply intothe essence of this music from thecomposer's peak creative period. Likethe Brahms and Beethoven concertos,

the Bartok Second demands collaborationon the very highest level from the orch-estra and conductor, and Chung certainlyhas that from Simon Rattle and the Cityof Birmingham Symphony. Soloist andorchestra are equal partners in the per-formance as well as in the engineeringbalances.

Chung's playing is aggressive and fierythroughout the elaborate opening move-ment and in the frequent dialogue epi-sodes, and Rattle gives as good as hegets. The central movement with its sixvariations has both delicacy and passion,reaching a peak in the skittery solo workand marvelously delicate percussion tex-tures of the two final variations. The fi-nale, a large-scale variation of the firstmovement, gets a no -holds -barred treat-ment, with Chung at her most brilliant.

Besides the concerto the CD includesBartok's virtuosic and far from negligibleViolin Rhapsodies Nos. 1 and 2. Againthe orchestral role is formidable, callingin No. I for the added coloration of thecimbalom, the Hungarian counterpart ofthe hammered dulcimer. The perfor-mances are as full -out as in the concerto,and the sonics throughout are stunninglyclear. David Hall

BARTOK: Violin Concerto No. 2;Violin Rhapsodies Nos. 1 and 2Kyung-Wha Chung; City of BirminghamSymphony. Rattle cond.EMI 54211 (59 min)

NOW ON CD

THE CRAMPS: A Date with Elvis.RESTLESS/VENGEANCE 72765. Psychoticrockabilly stylings from 1986 (previouslyon Enigma), with bonus studio tracks.

THE BOBBY PULLER FOUR:Live at PJ's Plus! DEL -Fl 13142.A 1965 concert set by the artist MarshallCrenshaw once called "my favoriterock star killed by gangsters," previouslyavailable only in the UK.

THE MONKEES: Changes.RHINO 71798. Pram 1970, thePre -Fab Four's swansong album, fleshed

out with three bonus tracks includingtheir last (1971) single, Oh My My.

THE MOVE: Great Move-The Bestof the Move. EMI 96060. Great singlestracks (lianght, Do Ya) plus the whole 1971"Message from the Country" album by theunderrated progressive British pop band thatgave the world Roy Wood and Jeff Lynne.

CLASSICALCOME AND TRIP IT. The FederalMusic Society; Dick Hyman and His DanceOrchestra; Gerard Schwarz and His DanceOrchestra. NEW WORLD 80293. OldAmerican dance music (1780's to 1920's) inlively performances first released in 1978.

GERSHWIN PLAYS GERSHWIN.PEARL 9483 (two CD's). From the 1920'sand 1930's, all of George Gershwin'scommercial piano recordings, both solo andwith help from Paul Whiteman and HisOrchestra, Fred and Adele Astaire, orLawrence Tibbett and Helen Jepson (inselections from Porgy and Bess).

PAUL PARAY CONDUCTSDANCES OF DEATH. MERCURY434 336. A program verging on themacabre, from Liszt's Mephisto Waltz tothe "Dance of the Seven Veils" fromStrauss's Salome, with the Detroit Symphonyin late -1950's "Living Presence" sound.

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Zingalamoduni( I IR) SALTS 29224 (54 nunlPerformance: Preachy keen

Recording: Get the fat -grooved vinylWingalamaduni" is Swahili for "bee-iihive of culture," and that's just what

you get on this preachment -cum -party. Thealbum is loosely organized around the con-cept that this is a radio broadcast coming atyou over WMFW ("We Must Fight &Win"). For those who find gangsta rap toosexist and violent, wallowing in self-defeat-ing stereotypes, Arrested Development of-fers a no -less -funky alternative-one pro-pounded upon notions of freedom, dignity,and self -actualization. And while the con-cerns of leader Speech and company are di-rected at African -Americans, the messageis inclusive (United Minds, United Front)and the music can be enjoyed by all.

Speech speechifies throughout, tendingtoward pedantic sloganeering on occasion("Power to the people, y'all") but moreten cutting to the heart of the matter withcommon sense and uncommon righteous-ness. Activism is urged (Shell, Pride), goodfeelings are shared (In the Sunshine, WarmSentiments), and prayers are offered (EaseMy Mind, Praisin' U). Ache' n for Acresmakes a serious point about land ownershipin under three fast -talking minutes; the is-sue recurs in the renter -as -chattel broadsideMister Landlord. The whole album has alaid-back, jazzy aura in that the songs are asconversational as they are constructed; itreally does have the feel of a radio broad-

Edie Brickell: Baby's got soul?

BUCKWHEATSINGS!

well,no,

he doesn't,actually,but here'ssomethingalmost asgood-"The Beau

Hunks Play the Original Little RascalsMusic" (Koch 8702). It seems Duchmusician Piet Schreuders reconstructedthe soundtrack tunes from the Rascals'Thirties Hal Roach comedy shorts-thework of heretofore unsung composerLeroy ShieLls-and then recorded themwith a smal. jazz band and a pair ofoverhead mikes. The results? Absolutelycharming stuff that transcends nostalgia.Shields was a major American melodist,and I doubt a more enjoyably evocativeCD will be released any time soot. S.S.

cast whose dual purpose is entertainmentand education. Hope is such a rare com-modity in these troubled times that "Zin-galamaduni" is a welcome arrival ongrounds of positivity alone; the fact thatAD's outlook is bolstered by both anawareness of history and a vision of the fu-ture only adds to their appeal. P.P.

EDIE BRICKELLPicture Perfect MorningGEFFEN 24715 (41 mm)

Performance: GlossyRecording: Very good

nleashed from the New Bohemians,baby -voiced Edie Brickell comes out

more soulful and seductive on this first soloalbum. Balancing the waif -like persona shecultivated in Dallas with husband Paul Si-mon and Roy Hallee's R&B-jazz-pop back-ing, Brickell will doubtless inspire "I'll fol-low you anywhere" fantasies with herbreathy portraits of would-be lovers ridingaround in trashed cars. On Good Times, sheevokes Smokey Robinson (and sometimes,Al Green) in her paean to light-headedfalling in love. But guest Barry White'srecitation here amounts to little more thanoral diddling, and in the end, Brickell's

NEW RECORDINGS REVIEWED

BY CHRIS ALBERTSON,

FRANCIS DAVIS, PHYL GARLAND,

RON GIVENS, ROY HEMMING,

ALANNA NASH,

PARKE PUTERBAUGH, AND

STEVE SIMELS

songs-mostly about not getting what youwant or need-aren't so much songs as at-mospheric canvases for the players to colorin. Think of her as a less exotic, Texas -styled Sade. And on vacation, at that. A.N.

MP BUCKLEYGrace

COLUMBIA 57528 (52 min)Performance: Otherworldly

Recording: Good

So met imes a man gets carried away,"Jeff Buckley sings in Lover, You

Should've Come Over, and though takenout of context, that line could apply toBuckley himself on his full-length debut.Singing like a man suspended betweenheaven and earth, yearning for transcen-dence while shackled to the physical world,he displays a remarkable gift for expressingthe inexpressible. In this sense he is recog-nizably the son of his father, the late TimBuckley. But Jeff is entirely a self-madeartist, without any guidance from Buckleypere, whom he barely knew. Indeed, he car-ries his restless creativity into areas as ex-

treme as any that Tim Buckley explored-and far earlier in his career, to boot. Hissongs are occasionally unwieldy (CorpusChristie Carol, Lilac Wine) but more oftenbrilliant in their evocation of mystery, ec-stasy, and the Sisyphus -like frustration of asoul determined to push over the hill to thenext horizon.

Mojo Pin, reprised from last year's livefour -song EP teaser, remains Buckley'scrowning achievement, and it's renderedeven more dynamic here with the additionof a rhythm section. Close on its heels isthe title track, another thorny, twisted vineof a performance that finds the artist tryingto rise above earthbound agonies to catch aglimpse of the light. Playing broken chordsand singing distempered melodies that re-solve into recognizable handholds of song -craft, Buckley avails himself of an almost


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operatic chiaroscuro of light and shadow.The adventure reaches a feverish peak inthe adrenaline outpouring of Eternal Life,in which he shouts and slashes with a reck-less energy and grungy dissonance worthyof Seattle's finest. Yet his goal is beyondthat scene, and "Grace" must be heard to bebelieved. Watching Buckley develop fromthis audacious starting point will be a plea-sure, as the sky's the limit for a talent ofthis magnitude. P.P.

DAVE EDMUNDSPlugged In

PYRAMID/RHINO 71770 (43 min)Performance: Exhilarating

Recording: Finehe title of Dave Edmunds's new solo ef-11111fort

(apart from the obvious MTV jibe)refers to the fact that for the first time innearly twenty-five years, Edmunds hasmade an album the way he did in the begin-ning-as a one-man show, playing andsinging every note by himself. The irony. ofcourse, is that despite incredible strides inrecording technology (a copious list of hi -tech equipment documented in the CD

The Joy of

Judy -ism

Fora great singer, Judy Garland made

more unworthy recordings thananybody short of Elvis, and here's arevelation-some of them were right atthe beginning of her career. Doubt it?Check out "Judy Garland: The CompleteDecca Masters (Plus)," a new four -CDset (MCA 11059) of everything Garlandrecorded for Decca between 1936 and1947. Along with some familiar gems

are substandardtakes on classicsfrom The Wizardof Oz, Meet Me inSt. Louis, and TheHarvey Girls,plus scads ofjustly forgettentunes that nevermade it to thecharts.

This well-remasteredninety -songcollection also

proves that Garland could sound greateven when saddled with pedestrianarrangements and material. From thebubbly Swing Mister Charlie (recordedat age fourteen) to her wryly deliciousduets with Bing Crosby (Connecticut)eleven years later, there are enoughmoments here when she can still knockmore than your socks off. R.H.


credits), Edmunds's music still sounds ex-actly as it always has since the late Six-ties-masses of trebly, nasal guitars andvocals set to perfect (albeit retro) beats inthe service of basic but witty formalistsongwriting. In any case, "Plugged In" isvintage Edmunds-a little rockabilly, a lit-tle blues, a little Chuck Berry-ish rock, anoccasional genre parody (here it's the BrianWilson pastiche Beach Boy Blood (In MyVeins)-and as usual it runs the gamut fromentertaining to brilliant. And for a changethe best is saved for last: a hilariously over -the -top remake of Edmunds's first hit(Sabre Dance 94) that the guys who used tospin plates on The Ed Sullivan Show reallyshould have lived to hear. Let us not mincewords-this guy's so good he ought to benationalized. S.S.

JULIA FORDHAMFalling Forward

VIRGIN 39559 (50 min)Performance: Whispers to histrionics

Recording: Very goodOn her fourth album, English chanteuseJulia Fordham continues in the vein of

her earlier work, crafting feathery, jazzypop out of seemingly thin air. This time out,she's produced by Larry Klein, who lendshis expertise with the kind of layered fe-male vocal washes that characterize thework of his wife, Joni Mitchell. As a writer,Fordham is concerned with nothing but ro-mance, but from an almost intellectual van-tage point. Melodically, she can be tedious,her lyrics sometimes border on cliché ("Iknow why the caged bird sings / And it'snot what you're thinking"), and as a singer,she is like a muse riding an air wave-thereseems to be nowhere she can't go, which isnot always a good thing. At times, her ex-pressive contralto turns too strident in an at-tempt to convey intense emotion, singlenotes and phrases blending in a sort ofvomitous rush. Most of the time, however,Fordham creates an ebullient atmosphere ofhope, exaltation, and beauty. If she walks athin line between control and excess, well,don't we all? A.N.

NANCI GRIFFITHFlyer

ELEKTRA 61681 (56 min)Performance: Stretching

Recording: Goodast year Nanci Griffith, who once de-

Mscribed herself as a "folkabilly," won aGrammy for "Other Voices, Other Rooms,"an album that ripped off Truman Capote for

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POPULAR MUSIC

A s the entertain-ment/ha of small-

town America, coun-try is by far the mostconservative of allpopular -music forms.But because it alsoreflects the lives ofthe eternally troubledEveryman, country isone of the most re-alistic pop genres,rarely shying awayfrom any difficult top-ic, from cheating todrinking to unwed mothers. Yet twostill -powerful taboos-mainline druguse and homosexuality-have keptcountry music from dealing with AIDSuntil recently. The change is signaled. inpart, by Reba McEntires recording ofShe Thinks His Name Was John. whichaddresses heterosexual transmission ofthe disease, and now the release of"Red Hot + Country," the long-awaitedcompilation album featuring many ofNashville's biggest stars. Sales will ben-efit organizations involved in AIDS treat-ment and research.

A terrifically diverse collection of mu-sic, "Red Hot + Country" sometimesfinds unlikely performers joining togeth-er to revamp classic songs: Brooks andDunn rock up Johnny Cash's FolsomPrison Blues, for example, with Cashdropping by to lend an unearthly recita-tion; Suzy Boggus. Alison Krauss, andproject coordinator Kathy Mattea sup-port Crosby. Stills & Nash on TeachYour Children: and Mattea and JacksonBrowne duet on Rock Me on the Water.

But most of the time the performerssimply pay solo tribute to the writers.artists, and music that most influencedthem and helped them shape theirstyles, which brings some surprises:Dolly Parton does a hopped -up rendi-tion of George Jones's You've Gotta BeMy Baby, and Sammy Kershaw reachesbeyond his country roots into theJames Taylor troubadour tradition for asobering and affecting Fire and Rain.

Several songs, such as Bob Dylan'sForever Young. interpreted here byJohnny Cash, The T.B. Is Whipping Me,the old Ernest Tubb tribute to Jimmie

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Rodgers as per-formed by Wilco withSyd Straw. and PattyLoveless's When IReach the Place I'mGoing, take on al-most entirely newpoignancy in thelight of AIDS. OnlyMary -Chapin Carpen-ter chose to deal di-rectly with the disease, recording herlongtime friend JohnJennings's extraordi-

nary Willie Short. a song told from thepoint of view of a man with AIDS. Starkand haunting-its melody has a nearlyElizabethan quality-the song nevergoes overboard lyrically, drawing itspower instead from understatement:"It's hard, mister, dying by inches Ofsomething I cannot control."

In fact, the biggest problem with whatis otherwise a splendid album is thatmany of the performers seemed to for-get why they're here, performing materi-al that simply does not fit the subject.Not every song needed to address theissue head-on-Nanci Griffith and Jim-my Webb demonstrate that beautifullyon Webb's If These Old Walls CouldSpeak, which captures a mood of reflec-tion and summing up a life lived. ButClose Up the Honky Tonks (RadneyFoster) and Crazy (Jimmie Dale Gilmoreand Willie Nelson) just seem goofily outof place.

That said, there's a wonderful spiritof union and camaraderie here. a self-less coming together for a cause higherthan ego and career advancement. It of-ten makes for memorable musical mo-ments. and a true contribution to coun-try -music history. Better still, it under-scores the best in a format that usuallypromotes reckless, unchecked behaviorover the betterment of humanity. If thisproject stimulates any awareness ofspiritual connectedness-as well asawareness of AIDS in general-thenhere's to an album of near miracles.

Alanna Nash

RED NOT + COUNTRYMERCURY 314 522 639 (67 mine

its title and borrowed from every successfulsongwriter of the genre since the Beginningof Time. Well, that's no surprise. TheGrammy voters, who on the whole don'tknow spit about folk and country, are easymarks for collections like that. And if youloved Griffith's earlier, simpler, Texas -in-spired work (as I did) then you see her re-cent work as either more mature and pas-sionate or increasingly arty, humorless,pompous, precious, and preachy (guesswhich side I come down on).

On this collection of new original songs(only one, Julie Gold's archly grand South-bound Train, comes from an outsidesource), Griffith drops some of her endless-ly annoying mannerisms and gives some ofher posturing a rest. To be sure, she is stillA Very Important Artist, documenting thesongs of her travels, which couldn't possi-bly be as interesting as yours or mine. Butaside from Nobody's Angel, Griffith holdsback the narcissism to make room forguests Adam Clayton (U2), Peter Buck(REM), Adam Duritz (Counting Crows),the Indigo Girls, the Chieftains, NRBQ'sAl Anderson, the Bodeans, and MarkKnopfler.

In the end, though, too many of thesesongs, presented in often busy arrange-ments, plod along at midtempo, and Grif-fith's knack for memorable, poignant im-ages doesn't surface very often. "Flyer" ismore an exercise in record -making than inmaking music, a melancholy voyage intothe Hallmark Greeting Card school of song -writing. A.N.

TISH HINOJOSADestiny's Gate

WARNER BROS. 45-(66 (43 min)Performance: Falls between cracks

Recording: Very good11 1992, Mex-Tex singer -songwriter TishIHinojosa recorded an arresting album for

Rounder ("Culture Swing") that blendedAmerican folk and country and Spanish tra-ditional music in a meaningful way. Bothher sweet, soaring melodies and sparse in-strumentation bucked the trends of com-mercial radio, while her themes (migrantworkers, pesticides, the way the RioGrande defines the lives of Mexicans, etc.),went deeper than most contemporary coun-try fare.

On the strength of that album, WarnerBros. signed Hinojosa, and now comes hermajor -label debut, which largely watersdown her subject matter and dilutes herfolk -country approach with not -so -subtlepop accents. While she continues to recordboth in English and in Spanish and to hitupon at least one social theme (Love ofMine, in which a woman works as a domes-tic so her child won't have to), "Destiny'sGate" presents Hinojosa with one hand tiedbehind her back; the album is neither folknor country, neither emotionally involvingnor intellectually satisfying. And when shedoes her rockabilly rave-up, I'm NotThrough Loving You Yet, you can't help butwish she'd really cut loose. Enjoy "Des-tiny's Gate" for the sheer pleasure of Hino-josa's modest, tremulous soprano-but findthe Rounder record, pronto.


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POPULAR MUSIC

Chants Don't Suck

INXSFull Moon, Dirty Hearts

ATLANTIC 62541 14(1 min)Performance: TautRecording: Good

After ten albums there's still not anounce of fat on INXS. Not a wasted

note, not one superfluous flourish. "FullMoon, Dirty Hearts" is all bone and sinew,a lean rock album of almost classic dimen-sions (twelve songs, 40 minutes) that does-n't labor over its points but aims squarelyfor the bull's-eye. Combining the firepowerof the Stones at their most taut and brutalwith the edgy, dark -side polemics of theDoors, and setting this boldly outlinedalchemy to an elemental dance -club beat,INXS makes music that mirrors the moodof the age-agile, troubled, determined, an-gry. uncertain of a final destination butspeeding there on a steady course just thesame.

Given the music's spartan density, it'shard to imagine someone else cutting infrom outside. Guest Chrissie Hynde merelyshadows Michael Hutchence's vocal on thebrooding title track. It takes a genius like

INXS: a block -and -white newsreel

So,dude, you say you got that best-

selling "Chant" album on Angeland then noticed it didn't exactly, uh,rock? Well then, run out and buy"Chantmania" (Rhino 76025) by theBenzedrine Monks of Santo Domonica(formerly faux -Fifties rock satirists BigDaddy), featuring plainsong versions ofpop classics like R.E.M.'s Losing MyReligion and the theme from TheMonkees. And watch for the Brothers'cable special-a Monkumentary, natch-in which, we've heard, the group getscareer advice from no less a sage than MelBrooks's 2,000 Year Old Man. S.S.

Ray Charles to shoehorn his way into IN-XS's contracting universe. In Please (YouGot It . . .), he and Hutchence bring outtheir mutual best by virtue of containment;each syllable stands for something, as doeswhat's implied in the pregnant pauses be-tween words. But it's when left on theirown, six men making a less -is -more racketthat is ugly, beautiful, and all things in be-tween, that INXS really shines. Deliveredwith compacted urgency, thorny riffs andrhythms bleeding the songs one into anoth-er, "Full Moon, Dirty Hearts" is a black -and -white newsreel for the ears that pro-fesses hope from within the midst of afirestorm. P.P.

JELLY ROLL KINGSRockin' the Juke Joint Down

EARWIG 4901 (57 nun)Performance: Genuine

Recording: GoodL) can find the blues in the most un-

places these days, but there is anarea of this country where the genuinearticle still thrives. A river (the Mississippi)runs through it, and decades of rich musicaltradition has left the countryside steeped inthe sounds that gave immortality to thelikes of Bessie Smith, Ma Rainey, LeroyCarr, Robert Johnson, and Blind LemonJefferson. In 1975, when blues enthusiastMichael Frank left Chicago on a talentsearch that would take him to Tennesseeand points beyond, he had specific per-formers in mind, the Jelly Roll Kings (alsoknown as the Blues Kings) in particular. Hefound them rather quickly, but three yearswould pass before he could assemble themin a Memphis studio and, as he puts it, getinto the record business.

Organist/harmonica player Frank Frostand drummer Sam Carr teamed up in 1956,and guitarist Jack Johnson joined them in1962. Still, unless you are a dedicated,serious -as -life blues fan, you may not befamiliar with the band. But the rapportshared by these three instrumentalistsreflects their years together, and the vocals,by Frost and Johnson, are frosting on thecake. "Rockin' the Juke Joint Down" was

originally issued in 1979, and it may haveyou wondering why these artists are notmore prominent. The answer is, of course,that blues in this grass -roots form gets verylittle exposure; when broadcasters dish up aserving of blues, they-and the major rec-ord companies-tend to go for such estab-lished names as B. B. King and Ray Charles.All the more reason to embrace this en-gagingly openhearted release. C.A.

REBECCA PIDGIONThe Raven

CHESKY 115 (46 min)Performance: Nice, but ...Recording: Terrific, but ...

RebeccaPidgeon . . . "The Raven" . . .

why do I get the feeling that somebodyis contemplating a remake of Hitchcock'sThe Birds starring Peter Finch, JeanneCrain, and Sheryl Crow? But enough cheapjokes. Fact is, Ms. Pidgeon is a singer/song-writer of a pop/jazz/folk bent who's per-haps better known for being the actress -wife of playwright David Mamet (who con-tributes the occasional lyric here sans histrademark unprintable -in -this -magazine ob-scenities). Pidgeon's music sounds likewhat you might expect-as if she spent fartoo much time during her college years

mooning over Joni Mitchell records-butit's all skillfully put together and the voiceis attractive in an Enja sort of way. Actual-ly, if there's a fly in the ointment it's the al-bum's all -digital "audiophile" production. Inthe abstract, it's superb-clean, transparent,utterly live sounding-but in the end it'sjust too damn realistic, at least for my taste;if you're going to imitate Joni Mitchell, youmight as well imitate her arty, big -budgetproduction gloss while you're at it. All inall, then, a pleasant if not overwhelmingpiece of work from somebody who may dobetter next time out. S.S.

THE POGUESWaiting for Herb

CH:\ \ 11 I ( (N 6 I S();+ i46 min)Performance: Gets by

Recording: GoodEn aving lost their main man, toothlessWM wonder Shane MacGowan, the Poguesare a much less edgy, dangerous outfit.There's more Chieftains than Clash in therousing jigs and stomps that make up"Waiting for Herb," as these kinder -gentlerPogues prefer to sparkle playfully ratherthan scuff the linoleum of the soul. At theirbest the group weaves a zestful tapestry ofsound on numbers like Smell of Petroleum

a

I IS STEREO REVIEW NOVEMBER 1994

POPULAR MUSIC

and Big City, which take wing on flights ofprofoundly silly fancy ("The secret of theuniverse is hidden in this song / La -la -la ..."). What really makes the Pogues ticklike God's own metronome is the jaunty in-terplay of banjo, accordion, and mandolin.Spider Stacy's vocals are adequate; they'reno match for MacGowan's scarifying rasp,and he double -tracks awkwardly, but he'lldo. The biggest letdown here are the songsthemselves, which fail to rise above the or-dinary about half the time. Be it the unspec-tacular tale told in Haunting, the recycledurban sentiments of Modern World, or thedrummer's wretched vocalizing in My Ba-by's Gone, this album does have its softspots. At the same time, the Pogues manageto make an endearingly cozy racket on"Waiting for Herb" just often enough topass muster. P.P.

KEVIN SALEMSoma City

ROADRUNNER 009 (52 min)Performance: Spectacular

Recording: PunchyThis is a rave, so let's get right to it:Kevin Salem, formerly of the Boston

cult band Dumptruck, has made the mostimpressive solo rock record in ages. It isn'tgrunge, it isn't metal, it isn't alternative(except in the sense that it's on a small la-bel). It's just a collection of smart, tuneful,deeply felt songs about somebody's reallife, passionately sung in a classic sweet -but -ravaged voice in front of what sounds(at least while you're listening) like thegreatest rock band in the world, all ringingguitars and thunderous drums. The influ-ences are obvious-Dylan, middle Stones,the Velvet Underground, the Replace-ments-but it never sounds derivative,merely right; think Matthew Sweet withmore attitude, or a young John Hiattbreathing fire as the lead singer of Televi-sion, and you'll get the idea. Add a decep-tively no -frills but in -your -face productionby Niko Bolas (Neil Young, WarrenZevon) and "Soma City" shapes up as thatrarest of artifacts-an all -but -perfect debutalbum. S.S.

STONE TEMPLE PILOTSPurple

ATLANTIC 82607 (49 min)Performance: Has its moments

Recording: Very goodStone Temple Pilots are purveyors ofgrunge-by-numbers, having taken the

anarchy loosed by many truly dangerousSeattle bands-dangerous especially tothemselves-and put it back in the bottle.Formulaic grunge may seem like a contra-diction in terms, particularly emotionalterms, but it sells well to middle -Americankids who've got angst in their pants but re-ally don't want to die just yet. So an albumlike "Purple" is ideally coifed and perfectlytimed to capitalize on the mosh-pit manquésensibility. The upside of all this is that sui-cide, broken necks, and other forms of bod-ily abuse really aren't that cool, so perhapsa more well -tempered, commercially pol-ished grunge with mass appeal isn't such abad thing after all.

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So he built a distillery around it. Because Mr. Jackrealized right away the water he'd discovered wasperfect for making his Tennessee Whiskey. For onething, it's 100% ironfree (iron ismurderous to good whiskey). Thisprecious natural resource, along withour charcoal mellowing method, hasaccounted for Jack Daniel's uncommonrareness since 1866. And, we believe, - kfor its uncommon number ofcustomers and friends.

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POPULAR MUSICTo their credit, Stone Temple Pilots

evince signs of growth on "Purple," partic-ularly the more varied second side. (I'vegot the vinyl-purple vinyl at that. Cool!)There, the serviceable, humdrum grunge ofthe first half gives way to a series of pleas-ant surprises, especially the Cream -likehooks, mood and tempo shifts, and rococoarrangement (is that a dobro?) of BigEmpty. Then there's the fearsome wallop ofArmy Ants, the haunting depth and eeriemeter of Kitchenware & Candyhars, andthe self-effacing satire of the unlistedtwelfth track, a tongue-in-cheek album

summation titled 12 Gracious Melodies.Okay, maybe it's just grunge-lite, but it'snot bad, either. P.P.

THEY MIGHT SE GIANTSJohn Henry

ELEKTRA 61654 (57 min)Performance: Big

Recording: Very goodWhey Might Be Giants, but they're not tooI swell -headed to know when the novel-

ty's worn off and the concept is due for anoverhaul. So John Flansburgh and JohnLinnell have added other musicians to their

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They Might be Giants, expanded

wacked-out world, trebling the size of theband with a bassist, drummer, and horn sec-tion. The sound is bigger and fuller, ampli-fying their ironic wit rather than tramplingit. The expanded lineup has inspired thetwo principal Giants to the degree that songquality rarely flags throughout their latestalbum, "John Henry." Words and music arestill arrestingly off -kilter, and the stamp ofhomman Kurt Hoffman (formerly of theavant-garde rock orchestra the Ordinaires)is particularly evident in tunes like Spy,which instrumentally deconstructs with an-archic precision.

Flansburgh and Linnell continue to re-contextualize pop iconography and employlanguage in surprising and amusing ways.Linnell recites a litany of Alice Coopersong titles while posing the question WhyMust 1 Be Sad, thereby getting inside thehead of a kid who sincerely believes theghoulish rock star understands his despairbetter than anyone (the surging, unironicmusic suggests that this one might havebeen written more from empathy than sar-casm). Later, in / Should Be Allowed toThink, he reworks a famous Allen Ginsbergline as, "I saw the worst bands of my gener-ation applied by Magic Marker to drywall."Vignettes here have the tragicomic tang ofreal life, as in this succinct, Flansburgh-sung scenario: "I got a crush / Copy shopclerk / But she won't look at me." There are(praise the Lord) no love songs, no messagesongs, and no baring of the soul or politicalcommentary. Rather, the small momentsand random thoughts that stream into a re-ceptive mind are organized into fastidious,inscrutable constructs that, like the lyrics ofthe late nursing -home savant Ernest NoyesBrookings, nonetheless have a fundamen-tally sound internal logic to them.

With "John Henry," They Might Be Gi-ants once again prove that the surest meansof survival in a world gone blooey is awell -cultivated sense of the absurd. This ispop, or what it ought to be in a perfectworld. P.P.

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POPULAR MUSIC

THE TRACTORSARISTA 18728 (47 min)

Performance: The real dealRecording: Extra fine

LI ow the hell did the Tractors get on aWO major mainstream label? They're toodeliciously left -of -center for most of theNashville biggies, and yet here they are,backed by a company that's usually only in-terested in the latest radio clones.

Actually, these guys are a Tulsa outfitmade up of a veritable who's who of sea-soned session and road players; individual-ly, they've backed everybody from BobDylan to Bonnie Raitt to Leonard Cohen.Their mission: To look at music the waypeople did before it was specifically cate-gorized. In other words, to mix greasy gui-tars with popping percussion, boogie, rock-and-roll, western -swing, and Hank Wil-liams whenever the spirit moves them, pre-ferrably loose and loud. With a dozen or soof their famous friends (Raitt, Russell, J.J.Cale, James Burton, Ry Cooder, EldonShamblin, Debbie Campbell) on hand, theTractors make the most of a party. But un-derneath their dedication to good times runsa very serious undertow: "Tryin' to get peo-

ple interested in what it is we're allowingour elected people to do and get awaywith." As such, there are plenty of hang -loose but dead -on songs about "the littleman," and "the city -slick bankers, the IRSboys, and the politicians" who muck up theAmerican dream. But there's also lots ofstraw-chewin' fun, like Fallin' Apart, aparanoid's dream that weds a laid-back,lazy hillbilly beat with a raggedy tarpapershack, Hee Haw -via -Alfred E. Newmanambience.

In short, anyone who remembers BillyHill, or loved Leon Russell's Tulsa soundof the Sixties and Seventies (several of thesame players appear here), should run, notwalk, to climb aboard the Tractors. In thiscase, it's okay to operate heavy machinerywhile under the influence. A.N.

DON WALSERRolling Stone from Texas

WATER MEI.ON 1028 ;') min)Performance: Refreshing

Recording: Good

in an age when twentysomething Hat ActsI barely know how to stand on stage butrecord sparkling radio hits patched togetherfrom countless studio takes, sixty -year -oldDon Walser is the real thing. A Texashonky-tonk performer since the Fifties.

Walser is a master of the old Hank Wil-liams-Bob Wills-Jimmie Rodgers styles, asadept at honky-tonk blues, country -swing,and cowboy yodels as any of the big namesyou already know.

Yodeling, in fact, is Walser's stock intrade. At times, as on the old Stan Jonessong Cowpoke, Walser's clear, beautiful yo-del takes on a flute -like quality. Elsewhere,his range extends so far that you'd swear-and I hope ol' Don takes this kindly-he'dhave to be a soprano to jump up that high.He hardly looks it, though (Don's a big,well-rounded fella), and he certainly has the

muscle to record most of this album oforiginals (the title song) and country clas-sics (Willie Nelson's Three Days) in onetake-a feat that should inspire awe in theClay Walkers and Tracy Lawrences of thisworld.

With Asleep at the Wheel's Ray Bensonco -producing, and pickers such as fiddlerJohnny Gimble and steel -guitar legend Jim-my Day on hand, this is one authentic time -trip to Texas's back -alley honky-tonks andcantinas of yore (although with modernsound, of course). Mighty fine, fellas,mighty fine. A.N.

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POPULAR MUSIC

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CHERYL WHEELERDriving Home

1'1111 I) 1152 (4S min)

Performance: WistfulRecording: Very good

Likeike fellow tolkie Nanci Griffith, Cherylwent to Nashville a couple of

years ago and failed to watch her recordsscurry up the charts. But then Nashville is atough town for any literate songwriter, es-pecially one born and schooled in NewEngland and for whom the whine of a steelguitar does not fall easily on the ear. IfMary -Chapin Carpenter. with whom Wheel-er shares a personal writing style, is theonly neo-folkie to successfully bridge thecommercial country gap, it doesn't meanthere aren't others out there who deserve tobe heard. And Wheeler is definitely one ofthem.

This collection of extremely thoughtfulsongs is more subdued than Wheeler's ear-lier "Circles and Arrows," befitting snowywinter afternoons and hot tea breaks ratherthan upbeat summer folk-fests. Wheeler,who can write at poetic length about thesimplest of topics, excels at chronicling thepassage of time and the changing of rela-tionships (75 Septembers, a kind of lovesong to a father), as well as fashioningdead -on word portraits about people whohave filtered through her life (FrequentlyWrong, about a sad blowhard of a familyfriend). But before you write her off as abookish intellectual, give a listen to Don'tForget the Guns, a novelty song about thecasualness with which guns are regardedin this country-hardly a Valentine to theNRA. A N.

JAllRICHARD BOONE

The SingerSIM \ II I I 41M, (74 mint

Performance: ExcellentRecording: Generally fine

When trombonist Richard Boone joinedthe Count Basie Orchestra in 1966, he

was a major asset to the brass section, but itwas when Basie brought him front and cen-ter as a vocalist that Boone really attractedthe public's attention. During his threeyears with Basie, Boone supplied comic re-lief by stepping up front and delivering wit-ty vocals in a unique style that combinedstraight singing with scat, whoops, hollers.and yodels-the audience loved it. In theearly Seventies, Boone took up residence inDenmark, where Storyville Records hasnow assembled a wonderful collection ofhis work. It's fair to say that this generous74 -minute serving, with diverse accompani-ments, explores every aspect of Boone'svocal style. and you won't need a sense ofhumor to appreciate it-although that willhelp.

The set begins with a couple of previous-ly unissued Basie tracks taken from a 19611Paris concert and continues with eight se-lections made around the same time for the


ill-fated, Los Angeles -based Nocturne la-bel. These include highly original readingsof such standards as Berlin's There's NoBusiness Like Show Business and Old Folksand a couple of delightfully off -beat tunes,Framed and Cocoa Joe, sung with sophisti-cation and a prepossessing wit. The rest ofthe album-with accompaniments by Dan-ish bands-includes Jesper Thilo playingbeautiful flute behind Boone's relativelystraight vocal on the Roberta Flack hit,Killing Me Softly, a fine reading of Doo-dlin' (which Sarah Vaughan recorded withthe Basie band), and Louis Jordan's SureHad a Wonderful Time. You'll have a won-derful time. too. C.A.

ROY CAMPBELLLa Tierra del Fuego

I /I I \ 1 \RI\ 4h') ir,-; miniPerformance: Needs work

Recording: Very good(though tor t) \A 0-y ear -old Roy Camp-bell has been on the music scene for

many years, "La Tierra del Fuego" is onlyhis second release as a leader. Like his pre-vious "New Kingdom," the new album re-flects Campbell's keen awareness of hisown musical heritage and his deep interestin ethnic music in general, but he is a betterperformer than this album would indicate.A trumpeter whose intense, fiery style andeloquent bop expression were fine-tuned byan impressive trio of instructors (Lee Mor-gan, Kenny Dorham, and Joe Newman),Campbell here sets out to demonstrate hisability as a composer -arranger. Perhaps thatis what's wrong with this album of Camp-bell originals-it gets bogged down inmundane Spanish -tinged arrangements thatoften stand in the way rather than frameand enhance individual expression. Grant-ed, Campbell delivers some combustiblesolos, and there are fine tenor statementsfrom Zane Massey. But repeated listeningdid not alter the fact that I often found my-self wishing all concerned would get onwith it and make something happen. C.A.

TOMMY DORSEY ANDFRANK SINATRA

The Song Is YouRCA 66353 (five CD's, 364 min)

Performance: TopnotchRecording: First-class remasterings

The revelation here is not just how goodFrank Sinatra was at this early stage of

his career, but how unmatched the wholeTommy Dorsey aggregation was in thosepeak Big Band days of 1940-1942. WithDorsey himself on trombone and JoeBushkin, Ziggy Elman, Bunny Berigan, andBuddy Rich among the sidemen, plus Con-nie Haines, Jo Stafford, and the Pied Piperssharing vocals with Sinatra. the band couldswing out excitingly with a cohesion andconsistency that no one else surpassed.

This beautifully packaged compilationbrings together every recording Sinatramade with Dorsey, including six unreleasedalternate takes and twenty airchecks previ-ously unavailable commercially. On mostof the 120 tracks, Sinatra sings in the mel-low, long -lined style that he openly mod-eled after Dorsey's smooth, legato trom-


POPULAR MUSIC

bone technique. Beyond his incrediblebreath control, there's also the instinctivelywarm, intimate, sexy handling of lyricswith which Sinatra shook up and refocusedjust about every crooner's approach to popsinging in the early Forties.

In addition to their enduring musicalmerits, these recordings have never sound-ed so good as in this digitally remasteredcollection. Now if only RCA would do thesame for its remaining non -Sinatra Dorseyrecordings of this period! R.H.

DUKE ELLINGTONLive at the Blue Note

ROULETTE 28637 (two CD's. 135 min)Performance: A must

Recording: Excellent remoteAccording to Stanley Dance, who should

know, Duke Ellington was fond ofplaying at Chicago's Blue Note, which hecalled "The Metropolitan Opera House ofJazz." Between 1947 and 1960, when itclosed, Duke was booked into the club sev-enteen times for a total of 45 weeks, and ifyou are not among the fortunate whocaught the band back then, be glad thatsomeone did-on tape.

"Duke Ellington: Live at the Blue Note"is a two -CD set containing twenty-sevenselections (including fourteen previouslyunissued) recorded during three sets on Au-gust 9, 1959. The sound is exceptionallygood, due to the use of overhead mikes, and

the band is in as fine a form as I have everheard it. Even Billy Strayhorn is on hand,replacing Duke at the piano for the openingselection, a rousing version of Take the ATrain, and joining him at the keyboard onTonk, C Jam Blues, and Drawing RoomBlues. The rest of the program is a mixtureof old and new Ellington fare, harking backto the early days (or, as Duke put it, "thetime before I joined the band"). Thus wehear The Mooche and Black and Tan Fanta-sy in modern dress, and four tunes writtenfor the film Anatomy of a Murder,whichhad just premiered. (The latter tunes werecertainly part of Duke's repertoire, but theymay have been included on this occasionfor the benefit of Michigan Supreme CourtJustice John D. Voelker, who was presentand on whose book the film was based.)

So, there you have the setting, a fertile

LIVE RI THE RUE NITE

environment for a band that included,among others, Johnny Hodges, Russell Pro -cope, Harry Carney, Jimmy Hamilton,Clark Terry, Shorty Baker, Ray Nance, CatAnderson, Quentin Jackson, Britt Wood-man, and Paul Gonsalves. Rather than gointo details, let me assure you that thesegreat players sound as inspired as theirleader. Numerous live Duke Ellingtonrecordings have been released, and manymore are yet to come, but you will have tolook hard to find a set that captures as muchmusic and good spirit as this one. CA.

LONNIE JOHNSONStompin' at the Penny

COLUMBIA/LEGACY 57829 (41 min)Performance: Remarkable

Recording: Very goodj111k tie writer called him "the Jimi HendrixMI/of his time," but New Orleans -bornsinger/guitarist Lonnie Johnson deservesbetter. He was a pivotal performer whosesingle -string guitar style and extraordinarytwelve -string solos recorded with LouisArmstrong and Duke Ellington in theTwenties virtually set the course for theguitar as a solo jazz instrument. Such giantsas Charlie Christian and B.B. King ac-knowledged their debt to Johnson, and rockmusic continues to bear his influence. John-son was also the original comeback kid,surviving a series of setbacks that beganwith the flu epidemic of 1918-which

POPULAR MUSIC

L

L

BODY COUNTBorn Dead

IRGIN 14205 (47 min)Ice -T is a cool guy and a great screenpresence, but his heavy-metal band re-mains a so-so proposition. Here, the in-dictments of The System continue tosound less than convincing when market-ed by a multinational corporation, and thecover of Hey Joe (previously heard on therecent Jimi Hendrix tribute) suffersfrom-of all things-a less than stellarlead vocal. S.S.

FELIX CAVALIEREMCA 11062 (45 min)It sounds like a perfect match: Cavaliere, amajor Sixties figure who was the writerand soaring voice behind soul/rock pio-neers the Rascals, and Don Was, the seem-ingly infallible producer who resuscitatedBonnie Raitt's career. So it's with heavyheart that I report the results here are lessthan fab-slick, over -arranged, middle -of -

1

the -road R&B that could have been doneby some Vegas show band, with the nomi-nal star sounding vocally generic andvaguely lost in the mix. Another of my he-roes bites the dust. S.S.

;;GODCHILDREN.

411-Sobl.'

ANYONE CAN.h...11.1:41

GODCHILDREN OF SOULAnyone Can Join!RHINO 71739 (46 min)Given the all-star cast (the Uptown Horns,Sam Moore, Swamp Dogg, RufusThomas, the B52's Fred Schneider) andHigh Concept (everybody is a soulsinger), this might have been either aworld -class mess or the party album of theyear. Fortunately, the latter is pretty muchthe case. Pick hit: punk classic RockawayBeach, reworked here as a Sixties R&Bduet featuring the eternally nasal Joey Ra-mone and General Johnson. S.S.

PUBLIC ENEMYMuse Sick -N -Hour Mess AgeDEF JAM 523362 (74 min)Yes, Chuck D. and company are histori-cally important, and sure, some of the mu-sic here has an undeniably impressivemetallic churn. But when all is said anddone, too much of this stuff is just a self-righteous gasbag rhyming over old Samand Dave samples. S.S.

THE CLIFF RICHARDCOLLECTION 1976-1994RAZOR & TIE 2039 (76 min)An agreeable, if esthetically slight, hitspackage from a guy who started as anElvis clone and turned into the longest -running success story in British rock. I

don't think, however, that if Elvis hadlived he would have dueted (Suddenly)with Olivia Newton -John. S.S.

JOE SCRUGGSAntsSHADOW PLAY 350 (36 min)Combining humor, memorable melodies,variety, easy vocal delivery, and an uncan-ny knowledge of what children enjoy, JoeScruggs has come up with another A+ re-cording for children aged three to ten; TheParade, Different Drum, and RapunzelGot a Mohawk will probably becomeScruggs classics. Excellent productionplus Joe's musicality make it possible forparents to keep listening as their kids playthis tape or CD over and over again.[Available from Shadow Play Records,1-800-274-8804.1 William Livingstone

THE SHADOWS OF KNIGHTDark Sides-The Bestof the Shadows of KnightRHINO 71723 (53 min)If you lived in Chicago in 1965, these lo-cal heroes were a bigger deal than theBeatles and the Stones combined. Fortu-nately for the rest of us. most of their mu-sic-from the hormonal hit version ofThem's Gloria to killer originals likeLight Bulb Blues-is sensational anytime,anywhere. Yes, kids, the legend is true: theShads really were the all-time Americangarage/blues/punk band. S.S.

PAUL WINTERPrayer for the Wild ThingsLIVING MUSIC 0028 (68 min)Although the notes accompanying this"Earth Music Celebration of the NorthernRockies" are as pretentious and self-con-gratulatory as Dances with Wolves, themusic itself is attractive, evocative, andquite powerful; from the start there is asense of reflections of prehistory and ofconnection with potent great spirits. Thecries and songs of twenty-seven beastsand birds are very well integrated with themusic of the Earth Band led by Winter onsoprano saxophone, and the overall re-corded sound is excellent. W. L.

wiped out most of his family-and contin-ued until 1959, for what was to be his finalcomeback. Though his power was flag-ging. he appeared in clubs and concertsboth here and in Europe and eventuallymoved to Canada, where he made a guestappearance with bassist Jim McHarg'sMetro Stompers on some tracks of a 1965album entitled "Stompin' at the Penny."The album, which had limited distributionup North. is now available here for the firsttime.

McHarg's youthful group adheres to theNew Orleans tradition, maneuvering withease and devotion through a repertoire thatin the main consists of tunes from the earlydays of jazz. Johnson catches the spiritwith a lively solo on the opening track-arousing version of China Boy-giving itmore of the old dazzle than I can remem-ber him mustering up in the preceding sixyears. We also hear his distinct, engagingsinging voice on several tracks that includehis own accompaniments. Charles Gall, aScottish cornetist with a clear, crisp toneand a wonderful vintage imagination, con-tributes mightily to the set, outdoing him-self on Dippermouth Blues. I should alsomention the band's splendid clarinetist, butneither he nor the rest of the band are giv-en credit on the album, which is a seriousomission by the usually thorough Colum-bia/Legacy production team. All in all.however, well worth hearing. C.A.

FRANK WISEOpus in Swing

SAVOY 0144 (31 iniiuPerformance: Smooth as silk

Recording: Very goodThe history of African -American musicon records could not be written without

mention of the Newark, New Jersey -basedSavoy label, which captured many memo-rable performances by great black per-formers of the post -WWII period. Thesumptuous Savoy catalog-an embarrass-ment of riches-is currently being reissuedon CD, bringing back important work bysuch giants as Dexter Gordon, Dizzy Gille-spie, Lester Young, Erroll Garner, CharlieParker, Charles Mingus, Milt Jackson. andMiles Davis.

One of my favorite Savoy albums wasthe 1956 "Opus in Swing," a straight -ahead, unpretentious session by a FrankWess quintet featuring the leader on flute.The feathery, rhythmic foundation will re-mind you of Basie's All-American rhythmsection, thanks in great measure to FreddieGreen's lighter -than -air guitar, but also be-cause bassist Eddie Jones (another Basie-ite) and drummer Kenny Clarke know pre-cisely how to delicately propel a group.Completing the quintet is Kenny Burrell,the group's solo guitarist, who had only re-cently arrived on the scene. This gentle,swinging music was called "chamber jazz"in the Fifties, and while it has the quiet am-bience of what you might hear on today'sso-called "lite music" stations, this stuffactually has substance. I do have one com-plaint: 31 minutes was a skimpy serving onthe original LP, and it is even more de-plorable on a CD. C.A.


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CI. AMC A I. MUSICBEETHOVEN: Cello Sonatas,

Opp. 69 and 102; Variations on "JudasMaccabaeus"Alakky, Argerich

DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 437 514(73 min)

Performance: SweatyRecording: Excellent

Expectelectricity, individualism, passion,

and even recklessness from these perfor-mances by cellist Mischa Maisky and pi-anist Martha Argerich, though you may of-ten wonder how much the music benefitsfrom it. 1 like the Romantic ebb and flowthey give to the A Major Sonata, Op. 69, aswell as the cragginess of the architecturethat emerges. There are invigorating sur-prises at every turn-rubato where youdon't quite expect it, accents that givephrases unusual twists, and exaggerated dy-namics-surprises that are perhaps best ap-preciated by those who have heard thesonata more times than is healthy and needto be jostled around a bit to rediscover it.

The two sonatas of Op. 102, written latein Beethoven's career and quirky in form,require a more personal, less generalizedresponse than performers can get away within his middle -period works. Though mo-ments here give the sense that Maisky andArgerich have thought deeply about themusic, plenty of others seem to exploit dra-matic tricks to conceal that they haven't.Their furrowed -brow reading of the modestvariations on a theme from Handel's JudasMaccabaeus, in contrast, sounds labored-they may have worked harder over it thanBeethoven did. D.P.S.

BRAHMS: String Quartets Nos. 1 and 3Borodin Quartet

1 I 1 DEC 908g9 (69 miniPerformance: Dramatic

Recording: Rich

While a 1963 recording of at least oneof these quartets by the "old" Borodin

Quartet has circulated on CD, both of theoriginal violinists were replaced sometwenty years ago, and this Teldec issue is anew recording by the current foursome. Theplaying, in any event, is very much in theBorodin Quartet tradition: alert and expres-sive, impeccable in ensemble, charged withan intensity that never flags and never stepsover the line toward excess.

These players do not settle for mellow-ness or "autumnal" qualities in this musicbut seek out a more active drama in it. Theyseem to relish its darker colors, especiallyin the C Minor Quartet (Op. 51, No. 1), aswell as the opportunities Brahms provided,

both in that work and in the B -flat Major(Op. 67), to show how sumptuously beauti-ful the sound of string instruments can be.First -movement repeats are, of course, tak-en in both works. In all, this is an eminentlypersuasive presentation, enhanced by a rich,well -judged sonic frame. R.F.

THE HEIFETZCOLLECTION

f

you ever doubted that the trea-sures in RCA Victor's vaults are

practically innumerable. consider thelabel's release in October of a sixty-five -CD set of recordings by the leg-endary violinist Jascha Heifetz. A' -ranged in forty-six volumes, this is thelargest collection of recordings everassembled to honor an instrumentalperformer. The more than three hun-dred selections, including concertos,chamber music, sonatas. and minia-tures. encompass all of his recordingsfor RCA. EMI. and U.S. Decca. A spe-cial collector's booklet includes es-says about Heifetz's recording legacy,rare photographs, and indexes to therecordings by composer, volume, anddate. Executive Producer John Pfeif-fer, who produced several of Heifetz'slater recordings, was in charge of re -mastering the entire set.

The prodigy: Jascha Heifetz c. 1913

N EW RECORDINGS

REVIEWED DT

ROBERT ACKART,

RICHARD FRIED, DAVID

HALL, GEORGE JELLINIK,

E RIC SALZMAN, AND

DAVID PATRICK STEARNS

COPLAND: Grogh; Prelude forChamber Orchestra; Hear Ye! Hear Ye!

Cleveland Orchestra. London Sinfonietta,Knussen

ARGO 443 203 (68 min)Performance: BracingRecording: Excellent

Like the vampiric character it depicts,Grogh, an early ballet by Aaron Cop-

land, refuses to stay dead. Inspired by the1921 German film Nosferatu (the first Dra-cula movie), it was Copland's first majorwork-finished in 1925 in Paris, revised in1932, and then, aside from one excerpt,lost. The composer said he didn't mind, thatit was an awful piece. But now that Groghhas been rediscovered and recorded herewith revelatory confidence by the conduc-tor/composer Oliver Knussen, Copland'sappraisal seems dead wrong.

The only thing that keeps this tremen-dously vital, inventive ballet from beingamong the best works of Copland's earlyperiod is its last third, which winds downinto a second-rate Petrouchka. Not thatCopland pales in comparison with Stravin-sky, but there's a jarring stylistic inconsis-tency when he abandons the more individ-ual language of the earlier parts, a languagefull of eerie, modal melodies, bracing dis-sonances, chilling pianissimos, and-mostsignificant-impressive thematic transfor-mations. Grogh clearly points toward Cop -land's more serious later works, such as thePiano Variations, and there are orchestraleffects that Leonard Bernstein seems tohave picked up on for the gang -warfare sec-tions of West Side Story. Were such ideasjust in the air? Or was the score not so"lost" after all?

The Prelude for Chamber Orchestra issimply a rescored movement from Cop -land's First Symphony. Hear Ye! Hear Ye!,for a ballet about a murder trial, was quick-ly written in 1934 for Ruth Page. The com-poser's infrequently heard sense of humoremerges in Ivesian snatches of The StarSpangled Banner and the twittering flutesthat depict the more vacuous characters. Afun but lightweight piece. D.P.S.

DIAMOND: Symphony No. 8; Suitefrom the Ballet "TOM"; This Sacred

GroundSeattle Symphony and Chorale. Schwarz

DELOS 3141 (69 min)Performance: ExcellentRecording: Impressive

The find here is David Diamond's musicfor the unproduced ballet TOM, with a

scenario by E. E. Cummings based on Har-

0

2

S


riet Beecher Stowe's classic anti -slaverynovel, Uncle Tom's Cabin. It languished un-heard until Gerard Schwarz conducted thepremiere of a twelve -movement orchestralsuite on July 4, 1981, at the Waterloo Fes-tival in New Jersey. The story unfoldsthrough a series of colorful dances and styl-ized chorale melodies in the vintage Ameri-cana manner. Diamond's music is tunefulalmost to a fault, concisely dramatic wherecalled for (as in the "Slavetraders and Hu-man Bloodhounds" episode), and superblyorchestrated.

Listening to This Sacred Ground, a 1962piece for chorus and orchestra whose text isLincoln's Gettysburg Address, I admiredthe skill of the choral writing and Dia-mond's elegant command of canonic tex-ture, but I also came to the rueful conclu-sion that Lincoln's words are so perfect inthemselves that any attempt at musical ren-dering, however skillful, is doomed to fail-ure. The choral peformance is first-rate andbeautifully balanced with the baritone solo(capably carried off by Erich Parce).

The two -movement Eighth Symphony,composed in Italy, is quite removed fromthe pleasing pandiatonics of TOM or theRounds for String Orchestra. There is aclosely argued first movement, completewith bipartite tone row and chromatic tex-tures to match, but the work's overall rhyth-mic variety breathes none of the academicair that can sometimes cling to twelve-tonemusic. The contrapuntal textures are mar-velously fluent without seeming merelyfacile, particularly in the forty -measuretheme, seven variations, and fiery doublefugue that make up the elaborate conclud-ing movement.

Schwarz and his players give their all inboth the ballet suite and the symphony, andthe Delos sonics are magnificently rich andwide-ranging. D.H.

VIINVEIC

Joseph HaydnSuni bona mi.. maks-

Oftrrtorturn Non noNs (Anne Sal,. Kr.. Me Kcal. RAvine Omelmv.se

loiter Knahenchor Bill,

HAYDN: Salve Regina; Ave Regina;Missa Brevis Sancti Joannis de Deo

("Little Organ Mass");other sacred works

Soloists; Thiel' Knahenchor, L:Archibudelli;Tafelmusik: Weil

SONY 53365 159 miniPerformance: Very good

Recording: Generous

Franz Josef I (In has taken a lot of heatover the centuries for writing sacred

5 works that were too hearty and cheerful for9 liturgical use. But this CD proves that in his2 younger years he could be as sternly pious

To Hell and Back

luck's Orfeo ed Euridice is *.he work17that led opera-and, indeed, all ofmusic-out of the Baroque and into theglories of Classicism. It caused a revo-lution in Vienna in 1762 and a row inParis in 1774. In the end it trumphedover its detractors, and, often more re-spected than admired, it has never beenout of the repertoire since.

And yet it turns out that we hardlyeven know the original opera. Gluckhimself started its long revisionist histo-ry by adapting it from the original Italianinto French. rewriting it considerably inthe process. Later revisionists wereeven more cavalier, and these daysthe work is generally performed in achopped-Jp version of the Frenchedition.

Against all that. John Eliot Gardiner'sbeautifully recorded Orfeo ed Euridiceon Philips offers the original Vienneseversion, in Italian, in all its pristine sim-plicity and Classicism. It is a revelation:an antique temple with the encrus-tations of time removed. The biggestproblem is that the role of Orfeo waswritten for a male alto-that is, a castra-to, a species of singer no Icnger withus. In modern times Orfeo has beensung by a mezzo-soprano. Gardiner'ssolution is to tune his orchestra lowenough to bring the music within rangeof a special variety of high tenor voice.here that of the remarkable Derek LeeRagin.

There is no doubt that the exquisiteproportions of the work emerge with

McNair(Euridice)andRagin(Orfeo)

clarity in this restoration. Mark Twainonce said that Wagner's music is reallybetter than it sounds. Gluck's music, itmight Se added, sounds better than itactually is. It lacks the richness, the vir-tuoso technique, and the dazzling wit ofa Mozart or a Haydn. But it plays ... andplays and plays.

Gardiner is scrupulous in his use ofperiod instruments and performancepractices (rhythmic niceties. beautifulornamentation, and the like). and hisreading brings out the opera's Classicalbalance and proportions. Yet, at thesame 'ime, the work's inherent dramaticstrength is conveyed in the form of vig-orous tempos, shades of dark and light.lightning bolts of sound set against dis-tant and gentle echoes. The restored"recitatives"-all accompanied by theorchestra-turn out to be powerful mu-sico-dramatic scenes. "Classical" doesnot have to mean wimpy.

In tne soprano roles. Sylvia McNair isappeE ling as Euridice. Cyndia Siedensomewhat arch -sounding as Amore. Butthe snow belongs to Derek Lee Ragin,who invests Orfeo with the kind of pas-sion :hat you can believe would movethe Furies. Here is the best proof thatenlig'itened Classicism and emotionalexpression go very well together.

Eric Salzman

GLU :IC: Ode* ed Euridice1qziii. McNair, Sieden; Monteverdi Choir.English Baroque Soloists, Gardiner cond.

PHILIPS 434 093 (two CD's, 89 min)


CLASSICAL MUSICas anybody, starting with the fragmentaryMissa "Sunt Bona Matti Malis. which onlyturned up in 1984 and is composed in amore intimate, less dramatic, and more aus-tere style than his later sacred works. Fol-lowing it are a number of other worksshowing Haydn's roots in the Baroque peri-od, particularly the sacred cantatas AveRegina and Salve Regina. His innate the-atricality is evident in their ornate vocallines, beautifully sung here by sopranosMarie -Claude Vallin and Ann Monoyios,respectively.

The disc culminates in the 1777 "Little

Organ Mass," whose nickname should notbe taken to imply modest artistic signifi-cance. A marvelously compressed piece ofchoral writing, it's very different from hislate Masses, contradicting the notion thathis earlier works were mere dress rehears-als for the later ones. Some may find theTolzer Boys Choir a bit unpolished, but theingenuousness of their singing is welcomein this music, and Bruno Weil conducts thechoir, the soloists, and the two period -instrument ensembles, l'Archibudelli andTafelmusik, with a sure if conservativehand. D. P.S.

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MAHLER: Symphony No. 2("Resurrection")

Studer; Meier: Arnold Schoenberg Choir:Vienna Philharmonic. Abbado

DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 439 953(two CD's. 87 min)

Performance: Relatively detachedRecording: Chorus recessed

mahler's Second Symphony has been acornerstone of Claudio Abbado's rep-

erti)Q, from the very beginning of his ca-reer; Deutsche Grammophon transferred his1976 recording with the Chicago Sympho-ny to CD some time ago. Although the per-formance here was recorded in concert inVienna just two years ago, the Chicago ver-sion has clear advantages in respect to sonicbalance as well as interpretation.

Abbado's 1976 reading had greater inten-sity and thrust; despite the live recording.his approach here is more detached, moreunderstated, more focused on technical pol-ish than on emotional values. And while theearlier movements move along well enough,momentum tends to break down in the vastfinale-in which, also, the chorus is so re-cessed as to be not merely unintelligible butnearly inaudible in the soft passages.

The soloists-soprano Cheryl Studer andmezzo Waltraud Meier-fare better in thatrespect. Moreover, their singing, and partic-ularly Meier's poignant and communicativerealization of the Urlicht section precedingthe finale, rather unfortunately show all tooclearly, by contrast, what is missing in therest of the performance, which exhibitsmany virtues but lacks the peculiarly Mah-lerian strength that informed Abbado's Chi-cago recording. R.F.

MOZART: Cosi Fan TuneSoloists: Edinburgh Festival Chorus: Scottish

Chamber Orchestra. MackerrasTELARC 80360 (three CD's, 189 min)

Performance: Zesty and polishedRecording: Excellent

1t seems that for record producers at least,the Mozart bicentennial is still a going

thing. But the initial impulse to grumbleabout ceaseless duplications is quickly miti-gated by a performance with as much goingfor it as this Cosi, a byproduct of the Edin-burgh Festival of 1993. Under the leader-ship of Charles Mackerras, the music flowsnaturally at brisk tempos inspired by anawareness of the period but free of self-conscious "authenticity."

While none of the six principals is a real-ly exceptional vocalist, they all deservepraise for the triumphant ensemble theycreate. It is an unusually youthful -soundingcast; even Don Alfonso (Gilles Cache-maille) sounds like a youthful rake. And theamorous episodes, particularly the "ll coreri dono" of Dorabella (Marie McLaughlin)and Guglielmo (Alessandro Corbelli), arecharged with sexuality.

Everyone makes a laudable attempt todeliver the recitatives with clarity andmeaning. Not surprisingly, Corbelli andNuccia Focile (as Despina), the native Ital-ians, excel in that respect, but the half -Ital-ian Jerry Hadley (as Ferrando) is theirequal. Focile, incidentally, displays a richertone than the chirpy Despinas in several


CLASSICAL MUSICother recordings. I would have liked morecontrast in the soprano timbres of Dorabellaand Fiordiligi (Felicity Lott), and there area few instances when Lott and Hadley al-low their tones to lose focus. Otherwise,this finely chiseled ensemble has given usone of the best -balanced versions of thismuch -recorded opera. G.J.

MIRELLA MEND

Leo Num

Juan Pons

Giuseppe Giarornini

Elema SouLoos

Roberto Moans

Ciechesus e core

mu. Plus.le F.wengino

Bruno Bartoletti

PUCCINI: II TritticoSoloists; Orchestra and Chorus of the Maggio

Musicale Fiorentino. BanolettiLONDON 4362_61 (three CD's. 162 mini

Performance: Chilling, affecting, rousingRecording: Bright

One needs three adjectives to describe aperformance of Puccini's triptych, as

each of the one -act operas elicits its ownemotional response. This welcome record-ing is given unity by the sensitive conduct-ing of Bruno Bartoletti, by the estimablework of the Maggio Musicale chorus andorchestra, and, especially, by Mirella Freni,who assumes the three soprano roles.

The violent action of // Taharro takesplace on a barge on the Seine in Paris. Theunfulfilled longings of Giorgetta, the lonelyand jealous frustrations of her husbandMichele, and the tormenting despair of herlover Luigi drive the plot ineluctably to itssavage end. The music conveys these emo-tions with intense lyric exactitude. As Gior-getta, Freni sings with glowing warmth andstrong dramatic conviction. Baritone JuanPons is darkly brooding as Michele, and hiswell -sung confession of love is very mov-ing. Tenor Giuseppe Giacomini's Luigi,while roughly sung in spots, is persuasivelyardent.

Suor Angelica, set in a strict Italian con-vent where a young noblewoman expiatesthe sin of bearing an illegitimate child, hassome of Puccini's most beautiful and so-phisticated writing. Freni poignantly cap-tures Sister Angelica's spirituality and lone-liness, and, in this performance at least, themiracle of her baby son's appearance afterher suicide, accompanied by the singing ofa heavenly choir, is wholly believable. Asthe Princess -aunt, the former soprano ElenaSouliotis, here sonorously singing a near -contralto role, is fittingly implacable.

Gianni Schicchi is the only operatic farceI know of that works effectively through-out. The black comedy in the grasping rela-tives attempts' to thwart the last will andtestament of their uncle -cousin, and the slyGianni Schicchi's hoodwinking solution tothe problem, is enhanced by some of Pucci-

ni's most infectious music. As Lauretta, Gi-anni's young daughter, Freni sings her onearia, "0 mio hahhino caro," with girlishwarmth and ardor. As her lover, Rinuccio,tenor Roberto Alagna voices his praise ofSchicchi and the "new people" of Ren-aissance Florence in a stirring paean. Bari-tone Leo Nucci's performance as Schicchiis the only disappointment. He often slurshis words, and his characterization is a bitdour. The cast of relatives is admirable, andColin Cue, in a cameo appearance as thedoctor, Maestro Spinelloccio-with his af-fected Bolognese lisp-is delightful. R.A.

RACHMANINOFF:Symphony No. 2; Vocalise

St. Peteihuig lenurkanovRCA VICTOR 61281 (69 min)

RACHMANINOFF:Symphony No. 2; The Rock

Russian National Orchestra. PletnevDEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 439 888 (64 min)

Performances: Study in contrastsRecordings: Good

As sharply contrasted readings of theA Rachmaninoff Second Symphony asone could possibly imagine, Yuri Temirka-

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CLASSICAL MUSIC

RACHMANINOV SYMPHONY N0.21111" /10.0% MIMIS 01.111,1.Russian National Orchestra

MIRNAIL PLETNIN

nov's is luxuriantly expansive, even includ-ing the exposition repeat in the first move-ment (extending it to 22 minutes), whileMikhail Pletnev's is of Toscaninian taut-ness. If you want your Rachmaninoff withall stops out, Temirkanov is your man.Even the string -orchestra version of the Vo-calise that he offers by way of filler isstretched out to almost 9 minutes instead ofits normal 5 minutes. The sound, from Lon-don's Henry Wood Hall, has plenty of bodyand good inner detail.

Pletnev, whose Russian National Orches-tra was recorded in the Great Hall of theMoscow Conservatory, gives us a brilliantand intense interpretation of the symphony,with a nervous rather than lyrically Roman-tic treatment of the opening movement. Un-like Temirkanov, he is a complete puristwhen it comes to the very end of the move-ment, declining to augment the double -basses with timpani. There is some verystylish portamento at suitably strategicpoints in the scherzo and a white-hot cli-max to the slow movement. The finale istaut and in its own way exhilarating, andPletnev does not allow the big tune at theclose to get out of hand. He also makes thebest possible case for The Rock, an earlystudy in Scriabinesque Romanticism. Thesonics are spacious and bright.

S H 0 STA KOVI C H : HypotheticallyMurdered, Suite; Pushkin Romances;

Fragments for Small Orchestra;Suite No. 1 for Jazz Band

Kharitonin: City of Birmingham SymphonyOrchestra. Elder

UNITED/ALLEGRO IMPORTS 88001(71 min)

Performance: Evocative, livelyRecording: Hits the highs and lows

Shostakovichhit all the highs and all the

lows in both his life and music, and thefull manic range seems to be representedhere. Hypothetically Murdered is a "light -music circus entertainment" written for Leo-nid Otiosov and his Tea -Jazz Ensemble,which had an all-star cast that included aperforming dog (history does not say ifShostakovich wrote any arias for the dog). Itwas successfully performed at the Lenin-grad Music Hall in 1931 and then, like a lotof people in those days, unaccountably dis-appeared. Luckily, portions of the scorewere used elsewhere by the composer, and afolio of piano sketches survived in his pa-pers. From those sources, Gerard McBumeyreconstructed and orchestrated a rollickingsuite from the score, which is here given its

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CLASSICAL MUSIC

QUICMFIXESB ARTOK: The Miraculous Mandarin;Concerto for OrchestraSaint Louis Symphony, SlatkinRCA 61702 (70 min)Bartok's big showstoppers-one weirdand expressionist out of old Hungary, theother in a romantic Neoclassicism writtenin this country just before his death-aremid -European music in mid -Americanstyle: solid and virtuous rather than deca-dent and alluring. An oddity is the abruptoriginal ending of the concerto, whichyou can program as an alternative to thefamiliar finish. Koussevitzky, who com-missioned the piece, requested the newending, and he was right; the secondthought is much superior to the first. E.S.

S IETNOVEN: Symphonies Nos. 2and 8Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, SawallischEMI 54502 (60 min)Wolfgang Sawallisch is at his most per-suasive in this robust yet well -tailoredlive recording of the Second Symphony,one of the finest to come along in years,its appeal enhanced more than a little bythe warm, rich sound of the Concertge-bouw. The Eighth is solidly attractive,too, but does not enjoy the same sonicrichness-and its witty spell is broken bythe applause at the end. R.F.

H AYDN: Symphonies Nos. 45("Farewell"), 46, and 47Tafelmusik, WeilSONY 53986 (68 min)The "Farewell" Symphony is the onewhere the players pack up one by one,blow out their candles, and go home-during the performance! Tafelmusik, anexcellent Canadian group directed by Bru-no Weil, gives lively accounts on periodinstruments of all three of these intense,dramatic symphonies. The performanceshave just enough heft to get into the sym-phonic category and just enough early -music feeling to stay on the line betweenthe late Rococo and the full-blown Classi-cal style. E.S.

MOZART: Violin Sonatas (K. 296,454, and 526)Isaac Stern; Yefim BronfmanSONY 53972 (62 min)There is a lifetime of affection and re-spect, expressed in the most enlivening

terms, in Isaac Stern's playing of thesesonatas, and a remarkably full and sympa-thetic partnership between him and pi-anist Yefim Bronfman. Their convincingstyle refutes any notion that "authentic"Mozart can be delivered only by periodspecialists. The sonic focus is a little clos-er than ideal, but these are by any mea-sure outstanding accounts of Mozart'sfinest works for these instruments. R.F.

BALANESCU QUARTETLuminitzaMUTE STUMM 124 (51 min)All the music on "Luminitza" is by Alex-ander Balanescu, a round-faced Roman-ian violinist in a Blues Brothers hat andleader of the Balanescu Quartet, and thesecond violinist, Clare Connors. The nineaggressive and even violent string pieces(which include some percussion soundsand spoken interjections) suggest a scary/funny commentary on the state of affairsin Eastern Europe today. The sound,close and often ugly, is carefully workedthroughout; an air of foreboding andpounding intensity is there from the start,but the musical payoff in the two lastpieces is a long time in coming. E.S.

SOMETIME AGO

MANUEL BARRUECOSometime AgoANGEL 55039 (55 min)Beginning and ending with arrangementsof songs by Paul Simon, centering on mu-sic of Chick Corea and Keith Jarrett, andincluding five folksy items by Lou Harri-son, everything here has been rethoughtfor classical guitar and the talented fin-gers of Manuel Barrueco. In the notes hedescribes his conversion to Americanpopular music and jazz, but it is amazinghow classical it all sounds. Something islost in translation, but there are also gainsfrom these idiomatic transcriptions andfirst-rate performances. E.S.

DAWN UPSNAW ANDTHOMAS NAMPSONLong Time Ago: American Songsby Aaron CoplandSaint Paul Chamber Orchestra, WolffTELDEC 77310 (61 min)Few big-time opera stars can bring to theart song as much subtlety, finesse, andinterpretive skill as the baritone ThomasHampson and the soprano Dawn Upshaw.In this ravishing program they raise Cop -land's Old American Songs and Eight Po-ems of Emily Dickinson to the artistic lev-el of nineteenth-century German lieder.

William Livingstone

recording premiere by Mark Elder and theBirmingham Symphony. The suite is a lot offun, but it only whets my appetite for thecomplete work.

The Jazz Suite No. 1, the best-knownpiece here, was written a few years later, al-so for a so-called Russian jazz band (whichhad nothing to do with jazz). The five Frag-ments for Small Orchestra, serious and ex-perimental but starkly beautiful, were alsowritten in the mid -1930's, before the Stalin-ist attacks changed the composer's life. On-ly the four Pushkin Romances date from af-ter his terrifying brush with the culturalcommissars; the texts obviously refer to histrials and tribulations, and the music sug-gests determination amidst the gloom. Threeof the orchestrations of these songs are bythe composer, the fourth by McBumey.

The performances are all evocative andlively, with a strong Kurt Weillian punch inthe Jazz Suite that gives it some bite (usual-ly the Shostakovich "jazz" pieces sound likePalm Court music with wrong notes). Dimi-tri Kharitonov sings the Pushkin Romanceswith a kind of restrained urgency. E.S.

Collections

THE AIDS QUILT SONGBOOKOilman: Parker: Sharp; Sylvan

II \ R \10 \ I \ \1UNDI 907602 (69 min)Performance: MovingRecording: Revealing

nstead of the Three Tenors, here are theIFour Baritones-Kurt Oilman, William

Parker, William Sharp, and Sanford Syl-van-in an elegiac cycle of songs by noless than fifteen composers, all written forthe 1992 AIDS Quilt concert at New York'sAlice Tully Hall. Although sorrow and paincast deep shadows here, there are momentsof passion, reflection, even humor and joy.My favorites are William Bolcom's settingof the drag performer Ethyl Eichelberger'sDasvedanva, Mama, Richard Thomas'sAIDS Anxiety trio (a rare moment of realhumor), and some of the lyric moments ofRicky Ian Gordon's I Never Knew and JohnHarbison's The Flute of Interior Time.

The performances are superb, with fourstrong, impressive, and deeply musicalbaritones joined by an excellent clarinetist/composer, David Krakauer, and close to adozen pianists and composer/pianists. TheAIDS Quilt Songbook project-the com-


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CLASSICAL MUSIC

missions, the concert, and the recording-was the inspiration of Parker, whose ownperformances here are extraordinarily mov-ing and who died not long afterward. E.S.

ALICIA DE LARROCHASpanish Serenade-Music of Falla and

MontsalvatgeRCA VICTOR 61389 (70 min)

Performance: Supremely persuasiveRecording: State of the art

riCA Victor has rather misleadingly titledME this new disc by Alicia de Larrocha,today's preeminent champion of the Span-

ish keyboard repertory, "Spanish Sere-nade." Although one of the pieces is Man-uel de Falla's early Serenata Andaluza,among the others are his keyboard master-work Fantasia Betica and his very substan-tial Four Spanish Pieces. His stage worksare represented by the Spanish Dance No. 1from the opera La Vida Breve and his pianoversion of the sinfonia (overture) to the bal-let El Retahlo de Maesa Pedro (Master Pe-ter's Puppet Show), which is recorded herefor the first time.

Neither of Falla's memorial pieces forfellow composers (Debussy and Dukas) is

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included, but there are two such gesturesby Xavier Montsalvatge, rather remarkablelittle elegies for his compatriots FedericoMompou (who died as recently as 1987)and Oscar Espla (1886-1976). The othercomponents of the Montsalvatge half of thedisc are his brief but intriguing Divagacion,dedicated to Larrocha on the occasion ofher marriage in 1950, the Sonatine pourYvette, written two years later for his daugh-ter's tenth birthday, and the concise andpungent Three Divertimentos "on themesby forgotten composers." The charming,witty Sonatine is fairly well known; theother pieces are very worthwhile discover-ies, and none is likely to have a more per-suasive advocate. The recording itself, madeat the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall, is amodel of realistic piano sound. R.F.

NATHANIEL ROSENPlays Brahms

Nathaniel Rosen: Doris StevensonJOHN MARKS RECORDS JMR 5 (70 min)

Performance: EarnestRecording: Close-mikedIrhe cellist Nathaniel Rosen's first sub-

. stantial recorded excursion into the coreGerman Romantic repertory is this CD ofthe two Brahms Cello Sonatas, filled out bySchumann's lovely Fantasy Pieces, Op. 73,and the only one of Mendelssohn's SongsWithout Words scored for cello rather thansolo piano, the Op. 109. The performancesare highly successful in the case of theBrahms Sonata in F Major, Op. 99, as wellas in the Schumann and Mendelssohn, lessso in the first Brahms cello sonata, the onein E Minor, Op. 38. A good deal less listen-er -friendly than the open-hearted F Major,the E Minor has an opening movement thatcan seem downright dour. There is some re-lief in the bittersweet slow movement, butwithout real rhythmic impetus from the per-formers, the fugue -textured finale can comeoff as pedantic. That is just where I findRosen and his otherwise highly capablekeyboard partner, Doris Stevenson, fallingshort.

The recording itself, derived from a 30-ips analog tape made in New York'sChurch of the Holy Trinity, is closely fo-cused and seems to favor the darker hues ofthe cello. The piano, though well-balancedand clean in impact, also seems veryclose-almost too close in Op. 38, wherethe sound is full but lacks breathing space.The Op. 99 sonata and the Schumann andMendelssohn pieces fall more gratefully onthe ear. D.H.


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TIPS FOR MAIL ORDERPURCHASERS

It is impossible for us to verify all ofthe claims of advertisers, includingproduct availability and existence ofwarranties. Therefore, the followinginformation is provided for yourprotection.

1. Confirm price and merchandiseinformation with the seller, includingbrand, model, color or finish, acces-sories and rebates included in theprice.2. Understand the seller's returnand refund -policy, including theallowable return period, who pays thepostage for returned merchandise,and whether there is any "restocking"charge.3. Understand the product's war-ranty. Is there a manufacturer's war-ranty, and if so, is it from a U.S. orforeign manufacturer? Note thatmany manufacturers assert that,even if the product comes with aU.S. manufacturers warranty card,if you purchase from an unautho-rized dealar, you are not coveredby the manufacturer's warranty. Ifin doubt, contact the manufacturerdirectly. In addition to, or instead of,the manufacturer's warranty, the sell-er may offer its own warranty. Ineither case, what is covered by war-ranty, how long is the warranty peri-od, where will the product oe ser-viced, what do you have to do, andwill the product be repaired orreplaced? You may want to receive acopy of the written warranty beforeplacing your order.4. Keep a copy of all transactions,including cancelled checks, receiptsand correspondance. For phoneorders, make a note of the orderincluding merchandise ordered, price,order date, expected delivery dateand salesperson's name.5. If the merchandise is notshipped within the promised timeor if no time was promised, 30 daysof receipt of the order, you generallyhave the right to cancel the order andget a refund.6. Merchandise substitution withoutyour express prior consent is notallowed.7. If you have a problem with yourorder or the merchandise, write aletter to the seller with all the perti-nent information and keep a copy.8. If you are unable to obtain satis-faction from the seller, contact theconsumer protection agency in theseller's state or your local Post Office.

If, after following the above guide-lines, you experience a problem witha mail order advertiser that you areunable to resolve, please let usknow. Write to the AdvertisingDirector of STEREO REVIEWMagazine, Scott Constantine. Besure to include copies of all corre-spondence.

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This publication isavailable inmicroform from UMI.

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Name_

Title

Company/Institution

Address

City/State/Zip

Phone ( )

U.M.IA Bell & Howell Company300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106 USA

800-521-0600 toll -free313-761-4700 collect from Alaska and Michigan800-343-5299 toll -free from Canada

Index to AdvertisersPageRimodor

Sendai No. Advertiser Number

- Acoustic Research59, 60-6114

1 Adcom2 Alpine 91

America Online 96a,b

5 Atlantic Technology 92

Audio Books Direct 141

- Bacardi C4

The Basic Repertory on CD 12

7 Betl'Oggetti 101- BMG CD Club 32a,b

Blue Note 121- Bose 19, 21- Bose-Wave Radio 79

14 Boston Acoustics 8-9

6 Cambridge SoundWorks 25, 27, 29, 43,44,45,47

44 Carver I 1 1

46 Cerwin-Vega 77- Chrysler/Neon 66-67

21 Celestion 4- Columbia House CD Club I6a,b

16 Crutchfield 114

15 Definitive Technology 52-53, 54, 55, 57- Denon 51

20 Digital Phase 48

Electronic Wholesalers 134

3 Energy 34

- Fragrance Express 144

- Illinois Audio 137

- Jack Daniel's 119

25 MR Music 126-129

26 JVC 35

12 KEF 89

13 KEF 95

37 Kenwood C2,140 Klipsch 103

28 M&K 112

41 MB Quart 64, 65

36 Mobile Fidelity 106

- Nakamichi 49

45 NCT 12

39 New West Electronics 132

42 NHT 39

31 NuReality 117

76 One Call 140- Onkyo 30-31

43 Paradigm 98- Pioneer-Car 22, 23- Pioneer-Home 36-37

48 Polk Audio 73

52 Polk Audio 82

49 Proton 7

38 RDL 122

75 Selective Audio Video & Electronics 135

11 Sherwood 13- 6th Avenue Electronics 138-139- Smimoff 63- Sony Music 115- Sound City 142-143

54 Technics 11- Touch Tunes 125

- Uncle's Stereo 133- U.S. Army 40

56 USSB 2-3

57 Vandersteen 120

58 Velodyne C3

- Windham Hill 123

60 Wire Tape 20- The Wiz I52a,b

74-75

November

TIME DELAY

THE DIARY OPE HI-FI SERVICEMANPHONY FOLK MUSIC HAS A BOOM

30 Years AgoIn his November 1964column, editor Furman Hebbreported from the New YorkHigh Fidelity Show. "The mostobvious trend," he noted,"is toward transistorizationIt seems unlikely, in fact, thatmore than a few tube -operatedhi-fi products will bedesigned in the future."

New products this monthincluded Artisan's three -manual Cinema electric -organkit, Bogen's RT6000

The EmpireEmpire Roya: Grenadierspeaker, 1964

60 -watt stereo receiver($400), and Empire's RoyalGrenadier 9000 speaker systemwith a rated bandwidth of20 to 20,000 cps (Hz). In testreports, Julian Hirschexamined the $240 Viking 77

stereo tape deck (open -reel),which he found "in many wayscomparable to much moreexpensive recorders," and theDual 1010 automatic turntable,which he said "offers a veryhigh level of performanceat its price of $69.50."

Tea Leaves of the Gods:In "The Hi-Fi System of theFuture," Ken Gilmore wasright on the money when hepredicted that digitalrecordings would be all therage in twenty-five years(though he theorized that theywould be mass-produced onfilm rather than plastic discs).He also noted that "the biggestproblem to be solved inmarketing such recordingswould be finding a place toput the program notes."

20 Years AgoFuture member of "TheThree Tenors" LucianoPavarotti told editor WilliamLivingstone that "Italian is theperfect language for singing."

In Best of the Month, JamesGoodfriend flipped for RCA'sHansel and Gretel withAnna Moffo and HelenDonath ("This strikes meas well-nigh perfect"), andChris Albertson applaudedKeith Jarrett's "SoloConcerts Bremen/Lausanne"


KEF's 104/2,1984

on ECM ("The finest newalbum of jazz piano I've heardin twenty years"). Elsewherein the review sections, PeterReilly dismissed "Some NiceThings I've Missed" by FrankSinatra ("His voice is thinningas rapidly as his hair"), EricSalzman panned a CRI discof concert music by 1973Naumburg Award winners("None of it is very likable oreven very important"). andNoel Coppage observed ofArthur Brown's "Journey" that"You'd have to be on some-thing pretty strong to stay withit all the way."

Among the new products inthis issue were Altec'sStonehenge III, the second inthe company's series offloor -standing columnspeakers, the Wollensak Model8080 eight -track tape deckwith Dolby noise reduction,B&O's Model 4002 automaticsingle -play turntable withCD -4 cartridge, and the SonyTC-177SD three -head cassettedeck with a rated bandwidth of20 Hz to 20 kHz usingferrichrome tape. In testreports, Julian Hirsch checkedout the Phase Linear 4000stereo preamp, Scott's R77Sstereo receiver, and the Tand-berg 9200XD three -speedopen -reel tape deck, which hesaid "makes virtually perfectrecordings at all three speeds."

Reviewing Marie Osmond's"In My Little Corner of theWorld," Peter Reilly said itillustrated "one of the burning

MarieOsmond,1974

social imperatives of our day-that is, the Osmonds must beforced to cease breeding forthe sanity and well-being ofall of us."

Stereo ReViewHI-FI VIDEOvat's FORAUDIOPHILES

NON/10 GETMOVIE SOUNDAl NOME

NEW TAPESNEW 1E05

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10 Years AgoIn the issue's cover story, FredPetras examined state-of-the-art hi-fi VCR's, from thePanasonic PV -1730 (a VHSmachine going for $1,400) tothe Sony SL -2700 (a $1,500Beta machine) and concluded,"Once you've heard a hi-fitape in a hi-fi VCR through agood audio system, there's nogoing back." New productsincluded KEF's 104/2 speaker,with two woofers mounted inacoustic -suspension sub -enclosures, and JVC's XL -V2CD player, which could cue upany track within 2 seconds.Julian Hirsch tested PolkAudio's SDA CompactReference speaker system andgave it this accolade: "It waseasy to forget that we werehearing speakers at all ....this is what hi-fi is all about."

Oh, Those Fabulous Eighties!Reviewing "The Story of aYoung Heart" by early MTV

fashion victims A Flockof Seagulls, critic MarkPeel noted that they had"the worst hair in NewMusic today."

-Steve Simels

Velodyne VAX Subwoofers.

Sound So Real You Can Feel It.

Sound moves us most when it's built on powerful wares of bass. Because bassis the heartbeat. That steady, pulsing beat that seems to flow from your homeentertainment system right through your body. Touching, soothing arousing,enhancing your every mood.

When that sound comes from Velodyne's new VA -X Series Subwoofers,it's more than just realistic. It's real. So real you don't simply listen to it. Youfeel it! And marvel that this high -definition, distortion free sound couldhave such brute force and ixtensity.

Now it's easy to add VA -X Subwoofers to the audio/video home theaterof your dreams. At a price that's music to your ears. To audition a Velodyne,call for the dealer nearest you: 1-800-VELODYNE.

VelodyneVelodyne Acoustics, Inc.1070 Corn inercial Street, Suite 101San Jose, CA 95112(408) 436-7270CIRCLE NO 38 ON READER EERVIC: CARD

JUST ADDBACARDI

.00 et .7.4 4, A 6,

1'so

TASTE THE FEELING_

Bacardi. rum. Made in Puerto Rico. BACARDI THE BAT DEVICE. AND THE WAVE DEVICE ARE REGISTEREDBACARDI & COMPANY LIMIT Y94 BACARDI IMPORTS. INC . MIAMI. FL 40% ALC BY VOL

- 1!. - a - P4

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