THE A/D/S/ R4 RECEIVER - World Radio History

HOW TO BUY HEADPHONES

SPECIAL TEST REPORT: 'NOTHE A/D/S/ R4 RECEIVER

ALSO TESTED: 14019.004DESIGN ACOUSTICS SPEAKERTECHNICS CASSETTE DECKHITACHI SLIMLINE SYSTEM

AND MpRE1(11111

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22200 AA 311IASInolld 000md1e2TNvNtiHone sn0113AGIA1/000688W

0648I-T60A0068 HDel 26170£1,

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These anti -resonant chassisspacers are made withKyocera's proprietaryFine Ceramics.

Fine Ceramicslaser guide shafts holdtheir tolerances fivetimes longer thanother materials.

These are the CD featuresthey'll be copying next

3rd -order analogfilters cause less phaseshift than the 7th- and9th -order designs thatothers use.

While our suppliedremote controls aregreat, this optional fullsystem remote controllets you operate acomplete Kyocerasystem from any-where in thehouse!

Since Day One,every Kyocera playerhas had true 16 -bitoversampling.

The front fascia of allour players is brushedaluminum, not plastic.

Our real woodside panels help dampresonance. They alsolook good.

In May of 1983, Kyocera introduced a CD player with true 16 -bitdigital filters. Today, the competition's cal ing this circuit "the latest thing:Years ago we had four -times oversampli-Ig. This year every high -endplayer worth mentioning has a similar design. In September, 1984 Kyoceraraised some eyebrows with the world's first Fine Ceramics anti -resonantCD chassis. Now the stores are full of flimsy imitations.

How did all these innovations happen to come from Kyocera, andnot some household name? Perhaps because Kyocera's knowledge ofdigital circuitry comes from years of building computers for some of thebest-known names in electronics. Perhaps because Kyocera is a worldleader in Fine Ceramics, the technology used to house circuitry inaerospace and other advanced applications. Or perhaps becausesome top -rated CD players from other brands were actually madeby Kyocera.

Now Kyocera has four world-beating Compact Disc Players, rangingin suggested retail price from $350 to the $800 model DA-710CX shownhere. Each boasts technology so advanced, it's a preview of what thecompetition will be selling in 1989 After all, history does repeat itself.

IA/ktk KYOEERaBuilt right from the ground up.

Kyocera Electronics, Inc., 100 Randolph Road, CN 670a Somerset, New Jersey 08873-1284 (201) 560-0060Kyocera Canada, Inc., 7470 Bath Rood, Mississauga, Ont., L4T 1L2, Canada (416) 671-4300

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Radio Shack's New High -Power Receiver With Infrared Remote

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Powerhouse performance w ththe luxury of wireless remote op-eration! The all -new RealisticSTA-2700 has the power and fea-tures to serve as the heart of 10 -day's sophisticated digital aucioand video systems. Rated 100watts per channel, minimum rnsinto 8 ohms from 20 to 20,000 I -z,with no more than 0.05% THD.The 18 -key remote gives you totalcontrol from across the room. And

the digitally synthesized tuningsystem features a fluorescent fre-quency display, a programmablememory for storage of six FM andsix AM stations for instant recall,plus search and manual tuningmodes. The tape control centerputs you in command of 2 -waydubbing and 2 -deck monitoring.Upgrade your system and unleashthe power of the STA-2700. Only8499.95, and only at Radio Shack.

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Remote batteries extra. Price applies at participating Radio Shack stores and dealers

Stereo ReviewBULLETIN 4 TECHNICAL TALK 27EDITORIAL 8 CLASSICAL MUSIC 141LETTERS 10 POPULAR MUSIC 159NEW PRODUCTS 13 1987 EDITORIAL INDEX.. 188AUDIO Q&A 23 THE HIGH END 200

EQUIPMENTHIRSCH-HOUCK LABS EQUIPMENT TEST REPORTSHitachi MXW-50 Slimline CD/Cassette/Receiver, page 31Design Acoustics PS -103 Speaker System, page 41Technics RS -B905 Cassette Deck, page 45NEC T-710 AM/FM Tuner, page 53DCM Time Frame TF-1000 Speaker System, page 67

HEADPHONESThe fit comes first in buying headphones by Ralph Hodges

HI-FI HOLIDAY GIFTSMake an audiophile happy this season

THE A/D/S/ R4 RECEIVERA special test report

JAPAN AUDIO FAIRHow the Digital Revolution looks in Tokyo

BERLIN AUDIO FAIRHigh -end hi-fi, European style

MUSIC

by Julian Hirsch

by Bryan Harrell

by Michael Smolen

31

74

79

84

89

99

OPERA ON CD, PART 2A basic library of Verdi and WagnerBEST RECORDINGS OF THE MONTHMozart Violin Concertos, Michael Jackson, Beethoven'sFourth Piano Concerto, the Dukes of StratospheareRECORD MAKERSThe latest from Jello Biafra, James Levine, MasonRuffner, Eva Lind, Duran Duran, and more

Cover: The Hitachi MXW-50 Slimline system and Beyer's DT 990 headphones.Design by Sue Llewellyn, photo by Aaron Rezny.

by Robert Ackart106

135

198

STEREO REVIEW BUYER POLL, SEE PAGE 133Please fill in if you bought equipment in the past thirty days.

READER SERVICE INFORMATION CARD, FACING PAGE 133Circle the items you want to know about.

PAGE 79

PAGE 74

COPYRIGHT D 1987 BY DIAMANDIS COMMUNICATIONS INC. All rights reserve -.1. sici 1,, co Ix, 1987, Vol nue. :p2. Number 12. Publishedmonthly by Diamandis Communications Inc. at 3807 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90010. Editorial and Executive Offices at 1515 Broadway, New York, NY10036: Telephone (212) 719-6000. Also publishers of Car Stereo Review, Stereo Buyers' Guide, Compact Disc Buyers' Guide, and Video Buyers' Guide. One-yearsubscription rate for the United States and its possessions, $11.97: Canada, $14.97: all other countries, $16.97, cash orders only, payable in U.S. currency. Second-, lass postage paid at Los Angeles, CA 90052, and at additional mailing offices. Authorized as second-class mail by the Post Office Department, Ottawa, Canada, andfor payment of postage in cash. POSTMASTER SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: Please send change -of -address forms and all subscription correspondence to StereoReview, P.O. Box 2771, Boulder, CO 80302. Please allow at least eight weeks for the change of address to become effective. Include both your old and your newaddress, enclosing, if possible, an address label from a recent issue. If you have a subscription problem, write to the above address or call (800) 525-0643: in Colorado,all (303) 447-9330. PERMISSIONS: Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Requests for permission should be directed to

William S. Bunchuck, Rights and Permissions, Diamandis Communications Inc., One Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016.

52 No. 12 (ISSN 0039-1220) STEREO REVIEW DECEMBER 1987 3

BULLETIN

by Christie Barter andWilliam Burton

HIGH CD NUMBERSMore bits, higher sampling

rates, and more digital -to -analogconverters are being featured innew compact disc players. Sonyand Yamaha showed 18 -bitplayers at the Tokyo Audio Fairthat were said to have eight -timesoversampling and four D/A con-verters. Pioneer's new PD -91($1,200) is a linear 18 -bit quadru-ple-oversampling player with su-per -fast access. Denon and Onkyowill use linear 18 -bit quantiza-tion, and Technics's 18 -bit playerswill have four D/A converters.

DANCE SINGLESMixed Masters is the name Co-

lumbia Records has given to itsnew series of dance -music reis-sues. Titles are limited to record-ings that have figured among thetop five on Billboard's pop, black,or dance charts. The first releaseincludes double -sided 12 -inch sin-gles by the Clash, the SOS Band,Michael Jackson, Herbie Hancock,and Heatwave. Future releases inthe series are expected to includespecial mixes that were nevercommercially available.

DAT DELAYSLast summer Marantz an-

nounced it would sell DAT decks inthe U.S. in October, but the compa-ny now says that a parts -supplyproblem is delaying sales untilearly next year. Marantz alsoplans to join Sony and Technicsin making portable DAT decks.Anti-DAT laws are still pending inCongress, but a spokesman saysCBS has no plans to Copycode re-cordings unless legislation requir-ing the complementary detectorcircuit in DAT decks becomes law.

MUSIC NOTESStarship's Top 10 single It's Not

Over ('Til It's Over) is this year'sbaseball pennant -race anthem.. . . Royalties from the sale of theWorld Champion Lakers' anti-drug single Just Say No will bene-fit Forum Community Services, anonprofit charity sponsored bythe wives of players on the Lakers

team. . . . Sid Caesar is makinghis debut at the MetropolitanOpera this month in perform-ances of Die Fledermaus. He playsthe non -speaking role of the Jail-er in the revival of JohannStrauss's popular opera. . . . Per-ry Como and Nathan Milstein areamong the five recipients of theKennedy Center Honors of 1987.The honorees are being saluted ata gala performance in the Kenne-dy Center's Opera House on De-cember 6.

FIRST CD SINGLESThe first recordings actually re-

leased for sale in the 3 -inch CDsingle format developed by Sonyare not pop hits but classicalpieces on the Delos label. The Del-os Pocket Classics series lists for$3.99. Each of the little discsholds up to 20 minutes of musicand will work in any CD player,though some players require anadaptor.

3-D CAMCORDERToshiba's new 3D -Cam color

camcorder records three-dimen-sional moving pictures on stan-dard VHS -C tape. The tapes playon ordinary VCR'S, but they re-quire a special TV set and specialliquid -crystal glasses and syn-chronizing adaptor. The 3N -poundcamcorder should be on sale nextyear at a price of $2,000.

BIRTHDAY SALUTEOn May 11, 1988, when Irving

Berlin celebrates his 100th birth-day, he will be honored at NewYork's Carnegie Hall with a con-cert co -sponsored by CarnegieHall and the American Society ofComposers, Authors and Publish-ers. Berlin is the only survivingcharter member of ASCAP, whichwas formed in 1914 to protectperforming rights.

NEW YEAR FOR CDVSale of CDV discs in the U.S. is

now set for the first quarter of1988, with every major recordcompany releasing five to ten ti-tles. Some titles have already beenreleased in Japan, and strong CDVsales are said to be increasingsales of LaserVision videodiscs.

Magnavox is joining Pioneer andYamaha in manufacturing criv/cD/LaserVision players with theCDV-474, which has a suggestedlist price of $750.

TECH NOTESThe first single -ended noise -re-

duction system from dbx, calledSENR, is expected to appear inconsumer products as well as pro-fessional equipment. . . . "MyFirst Sony" is Sony's new line ofportable audio products for chil-dren. It includes a Walkman, aboombox, a cassette recorder,blank tape, and a headset walkie-talkie. . . . Fifty million VCR'Shave been shipped to U.S. retail-ers, according to the ElectronicIndustries Association, whichmeans half of American homesnow have at least one VCR. . . .

Musical instruments and soundsystems for David Bowie's GlassSpider tour are wired entirelywith Monster Cable. . . . Dualelectronic components will be dis-tributed in the U.S. by Ortofon,which also distributes Dual turn-tables, Tandberg components, andOrtofon products. . . . Disc -washer has been purchased fromInternational Jensen by a team ofDiscwasher executives.

TOP MONEY MAKERSNearly half of the forty biggest

earners in show business listedrecently by Forbes magazine wererecording artists. Among the topten were Bruce Springsteen, withearnings for 1986-1987 estimatedat $56 million; Madonna, $47 mil-lion; Whitney Houston, $44 mil-lion; and Michael Jackson, $43million.

4 SFERE0 REVIEW DEC:FAIRER 1987

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ilfaitthew Polk and his extraordinary new Signbture 1-cirilbA 1C and VIA 2B.

"Matthew Polk Has a Passion for Perfection!"Experience the Awesome Sonic Superiority ofHis New Signature Edition SDA 1C and SDA 2B.

he genius of Matthew Polk has nowbrought the designer styling, ad-- vanced technology and superb sonic

performance of his award winning SDASignature Reference Systems into the newSignature Edition SDA 1C and SDA 2B.

"They truly represent abreakthrough." Rolling Stone Magazine

Polk's critically acclaimed, 5 time AudioVideoGrand Prix Award winning SDA technology is themost important fundamental advance in loud-speaker technology since stereo itself Listenersare amazed when they hear the huge, lifelike,three-dimensional sonic image produced byPolk's SDA speakers. The nation's top audioexperts agree that Polk SDA loudspeakers al-ways sound better than conventional loud-speakers. Stereo Review said, "Spectacular...the result is always better than would beachieved by conventional speakers." HighFidelity said, "Astounding...We have yet to hearany stereo program that doesn't benefit." Thenew SDA 1C and SDA 2B utilize new circuitrywhich allows the drivers to more effectivelyutilize amplifier power at very low frequencies.This results in deeper, more powerful bassresponse, greater dynamic range and higherefficiency. In addition, the new circuitry makesthese new speakers an extremely easy load foramplifiers and receivers to drive. Lastly, theimaging, soundstage and depth are more pre-cise and dramatically realistic than ever.

Why SDAs Always Sound BetterStereo Review confirmed the unqualified

sonic superiority of Matthew Polk's revolution-ary SDA Technology when they wrote, "Thesespeakers always sounded different from con-ventional speakers - and in our view better -as a result of their SDA design.

Without exaggeration, the design principalsembodied in the SDAs make them the world'sfirst true stereo speakers. The basic concept ofspeaker design was never modified to take intoaccount the fundamental difference between amono and stereo signal. The fundamental and

basic concept of mono is that you have onesignal (and speaker) meant to be heard by bothears at once. However, the fundamental andbasic concept of stereo is that a much morelifelike three-dimensional sound is achieved byhaving 2 different signals, each played backthrough a separate speaker and each meant tobe heard by only one ear apiece (L or R). So

quite simply, a mono loudspeaker is designed tobe heard by two ears at once while true stereoloudspeakers should each be heard by only oneear apiece (like headphones). The revolutionaryPolk SDAs are the first TRUE STEREO speakersengineered to accomplish this and fully realizethe astonishingly lifelike three-dimensionalimaging capabilities of the stereophonic soundmedium.

"A stunning achievement"Australian HiFi

Polk SDA Technology solves one of thegreatest problems in stereo reproduction. Wheneach ear hears both speakers and signals, asoccurs when you use conventional (Mono)speakers to listen in stereo, full stereo separa-tion is lost. The undesirable signal reachingeach ear from the "wrong" speaker is a form ofacoustic distortion called interaural crosstalk,which confuses your hearing.

"Literally a NewDimension in the Sound

Stereo Review Magazine

The Polk SDA systems eliminate interauralcrosstalk distortion and maintain full, TrueStereo separation, by incorporating two com-pletely separate sets of drivers (stereo anddimensional) into each speaker cabinet. Thestereo drivers radiate the normal stereo signal,while the dimensional drivers radiate a differ-ence signal that acoustically and effectivelycancels the interaural crosstalk distortion andthereby restores the stereo separation, imagingand detail lost when you listen to normal"mono"speakers. The dramatic sonic benefitsare immediately audible and remarkable.

"Mindboggling, astounding,flabbergasting" High FideliV Magazine

Words alone cannot fully describe how muchmore lifelike SDA TRUE STEREO reproductionis. Reviewers, critical listeners and novices alikeare overwhelmed by the magnitude of the sonicimprovement achieved by Polk's TRUE STEREOtechnology. You will hear a huge sound stagewhich extends not only beyond the speakers, butbeyond the walls of your listening room itselfThe lifelike ambience revealed by the SDAsmakes it sound as though you have beentransported to the acoustic environment of theoriginal sonic event. Every instrument, vocalistand sound becomes tangible, distinct, alive andfirmly placed in its own natural spatial position.You will hear instruments, ambience and subtlemusical nuances (normally masked by conven-tional speakers), revealed for your enjoyment bythe SDAs. This benefit is accurately described byJulian Hirsch in Stereo Review, "...the sense ofdiscovery experienced when playing an oldfavorite stereo record and hearing, quite liter-ally, a new dimension in the sound is a mostattractive bonus..." Records, CDs, tapes, videoand FM all benefit equally as dramatically.

"You owe it troy, ourself toaudition th: High Fidelity Magazine

SDAs allow you to experience the spinetingling excitement, majesty and pleasure oflive music in your home. You must hear theremarkable sonic benefits of SDA technologyfor yourself You too will agree with StereoReviewk dramatic conclusion: "the resultis always better than would be achieved byconventional speakers...it does indeed adda new dimension to reproduced sound."

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SPEAKING MY PIECE

by Louise Boundas

/Cc

Joyul Noise

THE holiday season is prettyrough on the editors ofSTEREO REVIEW. The maga-zine's production schedules

just won't wait for us to do ourChristmas shopping, and, like a lotof other people, we often wind upsettling for what is left in the storesthe week before Christmas. Worse,since we close the December issueearly in October, shopping has beenon our "to do" schedules-and ourconsciences-for almost threemonths by the time the holidayactually comes around. And whenwe are working on spring issues ofthe magazine, as we are at Christ-mastime, it becomes even more dif-ficult to think about gifts for a holi-day that is, on our office calendars,already some months gone.

This year, though, I decided to bemore efficient by co-ordinating myoffice calendar and my Christmasshopping. That is, I resolved towrap up all my gifts before wewrapped up the December issue. Ihave to report that I haven't exactlykept to that resolution. Here it isOctober already, and I haven'tbought a single present. Still, I havemade my list, so I am at least thatmuch ahead of where I was thistime last year and all those otherChristmases past.

At the top of the list are the threesuggestions I came up with for "Hi-

Fi Holiday Gifts" (page 79). TheZapit infrared booster is earmarkedfor a couple with two small childrenwho watch television at the otherend of a large family room, theheadphones are for a friend wholoads one Walkman -type portablefor her briefcase and another for herbedroom, and the CD is for severalpeople who keep asking to borrowmy precious old Epic LP. When Isaw the suggestions the other edi-tors were making, I took a few cuesfrom them, too. The teak CD racksRichard Freed recommends, for in-stance, sound perfect for the neigh-bor who already owns most of thesets Robert Ackart mentions in"Opera on CD" (page 106). Anotherneighbor will get a replacement sty-lus, which, once installed, mightconvince me to lend its new ownerthat Mozart record. My husband isdown for a new tape deck, mymother a set of Frank Sinatra tapesfor her car, and my father-in-law anew VCR.

But the happiest discovery I madewhile I was looking for ideas wasMy First Sony, the new line of audioproducts for children mentioned inthis month's "Bulletin." Everybodyon my list between the ages of twoand six is going to get a My FirstSony cassette recorder or Walkman.

I always have trouble choosingChristmas presents for my niecesand nephews. They grow so rapidlythat I never know sizes, and theirother aunts and uncles are bound tochoose the same games or toys forthem that I would choose. The MyFirst Sony products are not toys,according to Sony, but real audioequipment designed to be used byvery young children. They arebrightly colored, with large buttonsthat are easy to operate. And theyare safe: the plastic shells have rub-ber guards and rounded edges, andthe Walkman has a volume -limita-tion feature to prevent damage toyoung ears. I especially like the big,fat microphone that is attached tothe cassette recorder and the big, fat,comfortable headphones that comewith the Walkman.

Now, as soon as I can get out ofthe office long enough to buy thepresents on my list, I will be all set.And, for once, I can hardly wait forChristmas.

Stereo ReviewLOUISE BOUNDAS

Editor in ChiefMICHAEL SMOLEN

Executive EditorSUE LLEWELLYN

Art DirectorWILLIAM BURTON, WILLIAM WOLFE

Technical EditorsCHRISTIE BARTER

Music EditorWILLIAM GOLDMAN

Senior EditorDAVID STEIN

Assistant Managing EditorMARGARET BRUENAssociate Art Director

ELIZABETH COSTELLOAssistant Editor

BARBARA AIKEN, ROCCO MATTERA.1OHN WEINBERG

ditorial AssistantsWILLIAM LIVINGSTONE

Editor at LargeContributing Editors: Robert Ackart,Chris Albertson, Richard Freed, Phyl

Garland, Christopher Greenleaf, DavidHall, Bryan Harrell (Tokyo), Julian D.Hirsch, Ralph Hodges, Stoddard Lin-coln, Ian Masters, Louis Meredith,

Alanna Nash, Mark Peel, Henry Pleas -ants (London), Charles Rodrigues, Eric

Salzman, Steve Simels, Craig StarkProduction Director: Gerald Palacios

Production Manager: Laura LaFontaine

ROMAN BEYERVice President and Publisher

Associate Publisher: Winston A. JohnsonADVERTISING

National Manager: Richard J. Halpern(212) 719-6037

Eastern Manager: Charles L. P. Watson(212) 719-6038

Account Representative: Sharon Dube(212) 719-6915

Assistant to the Publisher: Trisha NickelClassified Advertising: (212) 503-5999Midwestern Managers: Arnold S. Hoffman.

Dirk Barenbrugge, (312) 679-1100Western Director: William J. CurtisRegional Manager: Meg Roberts

(818) 784-0700Tokyo Office, Iwai Trading Co., Ltd.603 Ginza Sky Heights Building, 18-13,Ginza 7-Chome, Chuo-Ku, Tokyo, Japan 104Account Manager: J. S. Yagi, (03) 45-3908

EDITORIAL. CONTRIBUTIONS must be accompa-nied by return postage and will be handled with reason-able care, but the publisher assumes no responsibilityfor return or safety of art. photos, or manuscripts.

Member Audit Bureau of Circulations

,IPA

STEREO REVIEIN' IS PUBLISHED BYDIAMANDIS COMMUNICATIONS INC.President & CEO: Peter G. DiamandisVice President. Editorial Director: Carey WinfreyExecutive Vice President: Robert F. SpillaneSenior Vice President. Finance, & CFO: Arthur SukelSenior Vice President. Circulation: Robert AlexanderSenior Vice President. Operations & Administration:

Robert J. Granata

Senior Vice President. Manufacturing & Distribution.Murray M. Romer: Vice President, Controller.David Pecker; Vice President, SubscriptionCirculation. Bernard B. Lacy: President, DCIMagazine Marketing. Carl Kopf

8 STEREO REVIEW DECEMBER 1987

CAN YOUR SPEAKERSHANDLE THE EXTREMES?

It takes sophisticated engineeringand pure craftsmanship to producespeakers that deliver the extremely

wide dynamic range of digital record-

ings. The new EPI Time/Energy Series

Ilspeakers deliver everything thatdigital recordings have to offer; their

quiet solos, thunderous finales and

lightning quick transient response.

All this is made possible by the

Time/Energy technology whichinvolves making speaker cones and

domes from special two layer materi-

als. The combined physical proper-ties of the two layers provide the

performance that gets the most from

any recording.A case in point is the new EPI

model T/E 280 Series11.1t exemplifies

the EPI tradition of achieving high

levels of performance by using imag-

inative engineering and precision

manufacturing, not complex designs

and exotic, expensive materials. Its

efficiency, power capacity, wide

range response and jus: plain beauti-

ful sound will make even the most die-

hard technophile forget the graphsand specs and sit back to revel in the

sound. And, with a suggested retail

price of $199.95, forget about what it

cost tc get it.

There is an EPI Time/Energy

speaker for everyone regardless of

their listening habits, their electronics

or their budget. Each one gives dedi-cated music lovers the kind of per-

formance, quality and reliability that

will keep them listening for years to

come. With the Time/Energy speakers

you can literally hear today what

you'll listen to in the future.

The EPI T/E 280 Series II. One of eightTime/Energy Series II speakers andTime/Energy Monitors offering EPIperformance and value with suggestedretail prices of from $99.95 to $299.95.Epicure Products, Inc., Newburyport,MA 01950,800-225-7932, in Mass.900-892-0565.

ra". 4 Harman International Company

LETTERS

1-1i-FiValuesThe September editorial on the di-

and Nine Others" is the most difficultrecord Crenshaw has yet recorded. DonDixon's fine production is tricky, and it

loudspeakers come and go while thesteadily improving "conventional"loudspeakers stay.minished relative expense of records hides many of the album's greatest har- IRVING M. FRIEDand hi-fi equipment was a good one. monies from casual listeners. Mr. Sim- Fried Products Co.

The "basic" system I used to sell, on the els also neglected to mention Cren- Philadelphia, PAlower edge of the top-quality plateau,would set buyers back 10 to 20 percentof a respectable middle-class annual in-

shaw's remarkable advances in playingtechnique. His solos and rhythm linesare truly impressive. Savin Dirty Recordsgcome-and without stereo or tape. T. H. KERN Just a note to thank Ian Masters for

Records were around $5 then, too. Galesburg, IL October's "Audio Q&A" item on wash -Another appealing thing about hi-fi ing records. He said to use distilledequipment is its longevity. It doesn't Loudspeakers water and a lint -free cloth to remove

usually come apart the way expensive heavy record -cleaner residue and othercars do. Many high-fidelity systems that Congratulations on the September is- contaminants. I did what he said, andI sold and installed in the early Sixties sue featuring that most fascinating sub- the few "hopelessly contaminated" al -are still in daily operation, usually only ject, the loudspeaker. As a speaker man- bums I had are saved. I am listening towith newer cartridges, renewed rubber ufacturer for some thirty years, I laud one as I write this.in the turntables, and the addition of the rational tone of the articles and their NICHOLAS G. KUMIScassette recorders and CD players. theme of steady refinement of the prin- Evergreen Park, IL

JOHN WITHEY ciples of sound propagation that applyHartford, CT to all types of loudspeakers. Regarding

what your writers term "conventional" Copy PreventionMarshall Crenshaw loudspeakers-that is, dynamic drivers

with crossovers in enclosures-I submitIn the controversy over copy-preven-

tion encoding of cres, what is not beingContrary to Steve Simels's assertion that such loudspeakers can do every- said often enough is that we object to

in October that the songs on Marshall's thing other types profess to do and with encoding whether or not it compromisesCrenshaw's new album are "utterly ge- much less cost, smaller size, and fewer the program (and this applies to video-neric," I must argue that "Mary Jean room complications. I have seen exotic tapes as well). The most useful and

LETTERS

enjoyable aspect of taping is the varietyof selections one can compile on a tapefor one's own "creative" expression.The programmability of CD playersmakes the task of compilation infinitelyless arduous than in the past with LP'S.

I sent a letter to the Recording Indus-try Association of America, among oth-ers, urging them "to drop any notion ofusing Copycode notching, or the greedygestapos of the record industry will feelthe unrelenting wrath of the consumer.

chase of a pair of high -quality intercon-nett cables, I'm compelled, as is my CDplayer, to sing a totally different tune.The sound is dramatically improvedover the entire range, but especially inthe bass and mid -bass.

But if they're going to remove that ... There are millions of music purists TOM PERICAKpotential, what's the use? in this country, and we're the ones who Indianapolis, IN

PETER TOCCI buy the records, tapes, and CD'S. I don'tLeominster, MA think it would take much of an effort to

organize and boycott record stores and CorrectionWhy would anyone spend $1,500 or put a real dent in the record industry's In the October test report on the

more on a digital audio tape recorder pockets." Sound Concepts SSD550 Surroundand $15 for a blank DAT cassette to They replied by sending me a whole Sound and Ambience Restoration Sys -record a $10 to $15 co? With more and kit, button included, thanking me for tem, Julian Hirsch incorrectly statedmore "mid -price" co's on the market, a my support of anti -taping legislation. that the unit "incorporates a true Dolbylot of source material would be cheaper Can they be so self-righteous that they Surround matrix, with the requiredthan DAT copies! see things only as they want them to be, Dolby B noise reduction." The SSD550

RUSSELL S. LOW or did I die and get reincarnated in the does decode the surround channel fromSan Francisco, CA Twilight Zone? Dolby Surround films, but it uses a new

ANDREW J. GERARD matrix circuit of our own design thatDo CBS and other record companies Somerville, NJ does not include a Dolby B chip. We

considering "copy prevention" encod- think the SSD550 is an optimum sys-ing systems plan to label the affected tem for the home, where listening con-co's? I'd like to know which discs to Cable Upgrade ditions differ from those in theaters, butavoid. The very notion of intentionally Six months after buying a CD player, I it is not a Dolby -licensed product.adulterated CD's is vile and infuriating! was ready to surrender to the "flat, life- JOEL M. COHEN

MARK JOHNSON less, sterile" school of CD -player sound President, Sound Concepts Inc.Austin, TX analysis. After a recent impulsive pur- Brookline, MA

PERFECT MARRIAGENew SA-XG is TDK's exclusive SA -X formulation-The world's quietest tape-technomoniously joined togeWer with TDK's moEt sopiisticated mechanismever-the RS -II.

Our unique 3 -layer RS -II mechanism is specificaly designed to suppressthe generation of modulation noise. A precision die-cast alloy frame andmolded tape guide block are sandwiched between :wo transparent precision -molded shell halves made of a special hard plastic, which also incorporate4 precisely machined metal guide pins. The RS-II's rigidity of construction,accuracy of fit and superior thermal res stance assure unerring tape travel,optimum tape -to -head contact and reduced modulation noise. The result isvirtually true -to -source sound quality.

So whether you choose the outstand,ng SA-XG,or SA -X, with its new vibration -dampening *MK

SA -XDual Layer MechanismOLM), you can beassured of one thing:4n everlasting highDias honeymoon-rill 90decibels do you part.

&TDK.THE ART OF PERFORMANCE.CIRCLE NO 48 Oh READER SERVICE CARD

TDK is the world's leading manufactu-er of audiorvideD cassettes and floppy disk products1987 TDK Electronics Corp

Let the wallssurround youwith music

With the new Boston Acoustics.Designer Series sr .eakersystems you can enjoy high ficelity music eve -yvvne-ein your home. They mo_nt flush, in walls or ce lines,blending unobtrusively nto ary rcarr setting Andunlike :onventional speakers, they taKe up absolutelyno she for floor space.

As mai-t, surround, or etensior- speacer systems, ot_rDesigner Series speaker=_ give yr_u the accurate, uicom-promised sonic performance you've come to Eopectfrom Boston Acoustics. =requency Esponse is in cothand accurate, and stereo imaging is unusually li1c-like.

There are two Designer Series n-oceis Showiabeveis the model 360, with a 6% -inch woofer. The ;Trailermodel 350 has a 51/4 -Inc- woofer. Bcth have °Jr CFT-4one -inch dome tweeter The contoured grille anc trim,

finished r mate white, can be painted to matci orcomplement -.he surroundings.

The spec ally engineered wocfers provic e ful bassperformace without need for special enclosures Thetweeter is a new version of the one -inch domes Jsedin our fir E51 home systems. It is of a qua ity not nor-mally four c in built-in speakers. All drivers have water-proof ciaphrEgms, allowing installation in mois-.ure-laden F lass sLch as kitchens, baths, one boars.

For a Desigr e -Series brochure, please write us at247 Lynreie d St., Peabody, MA 01960. 3r call617-532-2111.

Bose. Acoustics

NEW PRODUCTS

Boston AcousticsThe Boston Acoustics A150 Series III,

a three-way floor -standing speaker sys-tem, has a 10 -inch woofer with a co-polymer cone that is said to offer bettertransient response than the earlier Al 50Series II. The 31/2 -inch midrange driveralso uses a copolymer cone and has aseparate internal subenclosure. The1 -inch ferrofluid-cooled dome tweeter issaid to result in improved detail andwider dispersion. The tweeter and mid-range are mounted asymmetrically tothe woofer, which is said to reduce cab-inet diffraction and thereby enhance

upper -range detail. The speaker's broadbaffle design is said to insure accuratetonal balance in a variety of room envi-ronments and placements.

The A150 Series III is compatiblewith power amplifiers delivering from15 to 125 watts per channel. Frequencyresponse is given as 39 to 20.000 Hz ± 3dB, nominal impedance as 8 ohms. Thespeaker measures 16 inches wide, 321/2inches high (including the built-in base),and 81's inches deep. Price: $650 a pairin genuine oak or walnut veneer; $560 apair in wood -grain vinyl. Boston Acous-tics, Dept. SR, 247 Lynnficld St., Pea-body. MA 01960.

aiics sr -1-1111=11111111111

T T -r

LuxmanThe Luxman K -I 12 is a two -motor,

three -head cassette deck featuring Dol-by B and Dolby C noise reduction. Dol-by HX Pro headroom extension, and acomputer -controlled full -logic transportsystem. The transport is constructedwith a double -plate metal chassis forgreater rigidity. and the separate cap-stan motor is said to provide superiorspeed accuracy with negligible wow -and -flutter. The tape heads have super-hard multilayer Hexalam permalloycores, and oxygen -free -copper wire inthe windings of the record and play ele-ments for extended frequency responseand greater wear resistance. Price: $500.Luxman, Dept. SR, 19145 GramercyPl.. Torrance, :A 90501.Circle 120 on reader service card

NECThe NEC AV -350 surround -sound

audio/video amplifier has connectionsfor up to four videocassette recorders orvideodisc players, an audio tape deck,and a CD player or other audio source.Flexible switching facilities allow dub-bing from tape to tape or disc to tape.The four power -amplifier sections arerated for 30 watts each into 8 ohms, andthey can be bridged to drive a singlepair of speakers with 60 watts per chan-nel. Dolby Surround decoding is in-cluded, and two other surround effectsare possible. The digital delay circuitscan be adjusted for different delaytimes. Additional features include syn-thesized stereo from mono sources anda video image enhancer. A remote con-trol is included. Price: $579. NECHome Electronics, Dept. SR, 1255 Mi-chael Dr., Wood Dale, IL 60191.Circle 121 on reader service card

S FER ) REVIEW DR:FsiBER 1987 13

NEW PRODUCTS

DenonThe HD8-100 from Denon, designed

for recording compact discs, is the first100 -minute audiocassette sold in theU.S. The thickness specifications of thetape are the same as for Denon's 90 -minute HD8 cassettes, and the hybridmetal/ferric formulation is said to ap-proach the performance of pure -metaltape. The high -bias cassettes have a"bridge" hub to maintain flatnessaround the perimeter for smoother taperunning. Price: $4.99. Denon, Dept. SR,222 New Road, Parsipanny, NJ 07054.Circle 122 on reader service card

ThielThe Thiel Coherent Source CS3.5

floor -standing loudspeaker system canbe used with amplifiers rated up to 250watts for clean sound at high volumelevels. Its frequency response is speci-fied as 23 to 20,000 Hz ±2 dB, its phaseresponse as within ± 10 degrees, and itstime response as ± 50 microseconds.Time coherence is said to be achievedby positioning the drivers along a slop-ing baffle, phase coherence by use of aspecial crossover network that synthe-sizes gradual, first -order acoustic roll -offs for each driver. Deep -bass re-sponse, rated flat down to 23 Hz, isachieved through an external activebass equalizer. Available finishes in-clude teak, walnut, oak, rosewood, andblack. The CS3.5 measures 42 incheshigh and 13 inches square at its base.Weight is 77 pounds. Price: $2,450 apair. Thiel, Dept. SR, 1042 NandinoBlvd., Lexington, KY 40511.

OWIThe Thindy 2300-FX from OWI Inc.

is a weatherized, wall -mounting, two-way speaker system that's only 9 inchessquare and 1N4 inches thick. The flat,square Dynapleat woofer, which usesstrontium bar magnets and a unitized,heat -resistant voice-coil/polymer dia-phragm, is said to avoid the "cavityeffect" of conventional cone drivers. Around, flat ribbon tweeter is mounted in

front of the woofer. Frequency responseof the system is given as 50 to 20,000 Hz(no tolerance stated), the sensitivity as85 dB sound -pressure level at 1 meterwith I watt input, and impedance as 4ohms. The speaker weighs 21/2 poundsand comes in black or ivory finishes.Price: $320 a pair. OWI Inc., Dept. SR,1160 Mahato Place, Compton, CA90220.Circle 123 on reader service card

KyoceraKyocera's top -of -the -line CD player,

the DA-710CX, uses 16 -bit digital filter-ing with quadruple oversampling andhas an antiresonant construction in theform of ceramic laser -guide shafts andchassis spacers. Also featured are sepa-rate power supplies for the digital and

analog sections, dual -mono audio cir-cuits, 100 percent discrete componentsin the analog output stage, LC-OFC wir-ing, and ninety -nine -track direct access.Price: $800; $320 more for a full -systemremote control. Kyocera, Dept. SR, 100Randolph Rd.-CN6700, Somerset, NJ08873-1284.Circle 124 on reader service card

Monster CableThe Alpha Genesis 1000 moving -coil

phono cartridge from Monster Cableuses "horizontal coil winding" insteadof the standard process of winding coilwires along a vertical axis. According tothe manufacturer, the cartridge incor-porates seven advances in its mechani-cal parts, including a long -life Micro -Ridge stylus and a laser -hollowed boroncantilever tube coated with "diamondcarbon." Output voltage is rated as 0.2my, frequency response as 10 to 75,000Hz, and the recommended load is 80ohms. Price: $800. Monster Cable,Dept. SR, 101 Townsend St., San Fran-cisco, CA 94107.Circle 125 on reader service card


AN AUDIOPHILERECEIVERTHAT'S A VIDEOPHILEDREAM.The firstA/Vreceiver with built in M TS tuning, Dolby SurroundSound, and Universal Programmable Remote Control.

The new ONKYO TX-SV7Mcan function as the heart ofboth a superb home audiosystem and an unparalleledvideo theater. It combines theONKYO reputation for excel-lence in receiver performancewith today's most demandedvideo capabilities.

The TX-SV7M has built-in stereoMTS television reception andtuning. That means any TV canbecome a stereo TV merely byconnecting it to the TX-SV7Mvia conventional antenna orcable converter.

Full Dolby Surround Sound with90 watts per channel for frontspeakers and 20 watts perchannel for the rear is

supplied by four high qualityamplifier sections which canalso deliver100 watts per

channel in stereo mode.

Finally, our new audio/videoreceiver comes with theRC-AV7M Universal Program-mable Remote Control, whichassures full system remotecontrol capability with multiple

brands of equipment.

No other receiver on themarket offers the outstanding

performance and remarkablefeature combinations theTX-SV7M does. It truly is anaudiophile receiver that's avideophile dream.

For complete information on the new ONKYO TX-SV7M, write to us for a free brochure orvisit your Onkyo dealer.

Artistry in Sound

ONKYO200 Williams Drive, Ramsey, N.J. 07446 201-825-7950

'Dolby is a trademark of Dolby Labs, Inc.

NEW PRODUCTS

MagnatThe three-way MSP 60 is next to the

top of Magnat's line of bookshelf speak-er systems. It has a 1 -inch soft -metaldome tweeter, a 2N -inch Supronyl mid-range driver, and an 8 -inch polypropy-lene woofer. All the drivers use Mag-nat's patented Ribbon -Wire voice -coilwinding technology, which is said to putup to 40 percent more copper in thevoice -coil gaps than conventional meth-ods, resulting in lower distortion,greater accuracy, and longer life. The

soft -metal alloy in the tweeter providessubstantial internal damping, which issaid to give the tweeter extended re-sponse and a broad, uniform dispersionpattern.

System frequency response is rated as41 to 29,000 Hz ± 3 dB, and maximumpower -handling capability is 90 watts.Dimensions are 111/2 x 20 x 101/2 inches,weight 281/2 pounds. Finish is wood -grain vinyl. Price: $325 each. Magnat,Dept. SR, 70 Atlantic Ave., Marble-head, MA 01945-3038.Circle 126 on reader service card

SoundcraftsmenThe Soundcraftsmen Pro -Reference

Two MOSFET power amplifier is rated todeliver 100 watts per channel contin-uous output into 8 -ohm loads, or 190watts per channel into 4 ohms. Peakdynamic reserves are said to exceed 700watts, and the output stages have ultra-high current capability to handle low -impedance loads. Frequency response israted as 20 to 20,000 Hz ± 0.1 dB, humand noise as -105 dB. There is a twen-ty -segment LED level indicator for each

channel as well as separate clippingindicators. Dimensions are 19 x 51/4 x101/2 inches. Price: $699. Soundcrafts-

men, Dept. SR, 2200 S. Ritchey, SantaAna, CA 92705.Circle 127 on reader service card

SharpSharp's WQ-CD30 portable system

includes both a programmable compactdisc player and a stacked dubbing cas-sette recorder. The amplifier section israted for 3.5 watts minimum rms perchannel into the 6 -ohm speakers from100 to 20,000 Hz with no more than 10percent total harmonic distortion.There is a three -band graphic equalizer.

The (u player has a three -beam laserpickup, a 16 -bit digital filter, program-ming for up to twenty tracks, and auto -scan. The cassette section features high-speed dubbing, continuous playback,and automatic program search on Tape2. Dimensions are 231/4 x 5413 xinches, weight 121/4 pounds without bat-teries. Price: $400. Sharp, Dept. SR,Sharp Plaza, Mahwah, NJ 07430-2135.Circle 128 on reader service card

DualDual's CS 503-1 "Audiophile Con-

cept" two -speed turntable has a DC mo-tor and a belt -drive system that isolatesthe resonance -damped aluminum plat-ter from vibration and speed variations.Its straight aluminum tonearm ismounted on a gyroscopic gimbal andfitted with a carbon -fiber headshell.Vertical tracking force (vTA) is appliedby a precision -adjustable torsion springinstead of gravity, which is said to elim-inate the need to install the turntableperfectly level and to let the tonearmrespond faster to warps. It weighs 101/2pounds and measures 171/2 x 41/2 x 141/3inches. Price: $250. Dual, Dept. SR, 122Dupont St., Plainview, NY 11803.Circle 129 on reader service card


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Kitaro: Tenku Japanese New Age masterreturns with all -new magic! GeffenDIGITAL 104859

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Mozart, Symphonies Nos. 40 & 41 (Jupiter)Chicago Symphony Orchestra led by JamesLevine RCA DIGITAL 104810

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A SpecialTest Report

CARVERSAMAZINGLOUDSPEAKER

byJulia!? Hirsch

PRODUCT with a name like "The Amazing Loudspeak-er" would be difficult to take seriously if it camefrom anyone with a less distinguished track recordthan Bob Carver. It does come from him, however,and it is something to be taken seriously! Carverhas long considered the unique sound quality ofa planar loudspeaker to be unequaled, and rarelyapproached, by any form of enclosed speaker.The acoustic radiation from a large area pro-duces a sonic image that seems to float in the

air and usually cannot be localized to a specific point of origin.Planar speakers, with drivers on or in the form of a freestandingpanel, are, typically dipole radiators, emitting sound equallyfrom their front and rear surfaces. The rear radiation bouncesoff the wall before reaching the listener, and the resulting direc-tional scattering and time delay of a few milliseconds add addi-tional airiness and a sense of space to the sound.

Planar radiators can be either electrostatic or electromagneticin their operation. Carver based the Amazing Loudspeaker on adriver that he calls a "direct -drive large -area full -range ribbon."It is a type of magnetic driver whose "voice coil" consists of along foil conductor suspended vertically in a magnetic field."Direct drive" refers to the absence of any matching transformerto couple the very low impedance of the ribbon to the drivingamplifier. Instead, a resistor connected in series with the ribbonis used to present an acceptable load to the amplifier (althoughit wastes some of the available power).

Adequate sensitivity is obtained by using a large number ofmagnets along the full 60 -inch length of the dual ribbon, whichis about I/2 inch wide. The ribbon's considerable length and 30 -square -inch area, as well as its placement in free air, enable it todissipate the heat from large power inputs, unlike the fragilevoice coil of a dynamic tweeter. Being vertical, it also has excel-lent horizontal dispersion. And the large area of the ribbon-ef-fectively even larger than 30 square inches at low frequencies

It must be emphasized that the samples of the Amazing Loudspeakerthat we tested were handmade prototypes and thus not necessarilyfully representative of future production models.

"Copyright © 1986 by CBS Magazines. Reprinted from Stereo ReviewDecember 1986 by permission."

Despite being a one-pieceplanar speaker system, the

Amazing Loudspeaker had tobe able to generate the lowest

bass frequencies. Usingmagnets only a third as

powerful as in conventionalwoofers, Carver's "uniform

drive planar subwoofer"extends bass response to 25 Hz

because of its Kapton plastic -filmsupport-gives it the ability to ra-diate very low frequencies withnear -ideal phase characteristics.Space-age plastics such as Kaptonhave the physical qualities neededto support the ribbon conductors ofthe Amazing Loudspeaker, and theyremain dimensionally stable at ex-tremely high temperatures.

Although Carver's ribbon is a su-perb radiator for the middle andhigh frequencies, aided by the ab-sence of a crossover network in thismajor part of the audible frequencyrange, it lacks the area and linearexcursion range needed to generatehigh acoustic levels in the low -bassregion. Carver's goal was to create atwo-way speaker that could deliverlarge amounts of undistorted powerto all audible frequencies withoutrequiring unrealistic drive levelsfrom the amplifier. Despite being aone-piece planar speaker system,the Amazing Loudspeaker had to beable to generate the lowest bass fre-quencies without the aid of an exter-nal subwoofer. Carver's solution iscalled the "uniform drive planarsubwoofer system," which, by usingmagnets only one-third as powerfulas those of conventional woofers,extends the bass response down to25 Hz with only a minimum loss ofefficiency.

DESPITE the novelties of thebass drivers, the ribbon ra-diator is the heart of theAmazing Loudspeaker.

Operating from 100 Hz to far aboveaudibility, it supplies most of theaudible sound from the system. Itconsists of a pair of series -connectedaluminum -foil ribbons bonded to asheet of Kapton plastic film. Fourrows of bar magnets mounted onthe speaker's wooden frame extendalong its entire length-on eitherside of the ribbon, in front of it, andbehind it. The magnetic field ofthese magnets is parallel to the frontof the speaker. Signal currents flow-ing in the ribbon cause it to moveand to generate acoustic waves thatradiate to the front and rear of thespeaker.

The ribbon is surprisingly rugged,thanks to the strength of its Kaptonbase, and its resonance frequency ofabout 25 Hz allows it to radiate overalmost the entire audio frequencyrange. To keep the ribbon's maxi-mum excursion at safe levels, thesystem's crossover is set for a low -frequency limit of 100 Hz. With thecrossover removed, we were sur-prised (and impressed) to find thatthe ribbon alone could generate a

solid deep bass, though only atbackground -music levels.

A CONCERT SLOPE switch on theback of the speaker inserts a smallresponse dip in the vicinity of 3,000Hz. This adjustment shifts the nor-mal perspective of the sound stageso that the music appears to comefrom a point behind the speakers.With the switch off, the sound isslightly more forward and nearer tothe plane of the speakers.

The Carver Amazing Loudspeak-er, finished in a glossy black lac-quer, measures 66 inches high and34 inches wide at the base, taperingto 27 inches wide at the top. Theribbon driver is visible as a goldenstripe near the inner edge of thespeaker (the system is designed inmirror -image pairs). A dark graycloth grille (not normally remova-ble) covers the four woofers, whichare aligned vertically and occupymost of the height of the panel. Therear of the woofer array is protectedby a cloth -covered box. The speakerpanel is supported on a low metalbase that angles it backward a fewdegrees. Each speaker weighs about150 pounds. Suggested retail price is$1,536 a pair.

The MeasurementsFor our measurements, we posi-

tioned the two Carver AmazingLoudspeakers with their ribbon ele-ments about 6 feet apart and theirbacks about 41/2 feet in front of aroom wall. Any speaker whose di-rectional properties differ markedlyfrom one using front -radiating conedrivers is difficult to measure be-cause no single response curve isadequate to describe its perform-ance in a meaningful way. There-fore, we were prepared to find themeasured response of the AmazingLoudspeaker to be quite irregular,especially in quasi-anechoic Frrmeasurements, which respond tothe sound arriving at the micro-phone along a specific line from thespeaker.

Measured at a distance of 1 or 2meters from the speaker, the FFTresponse revealed a strong bass, adip at about 3,000 Hz, a broad max-imum from 5,000 to 12,000 Hz, anda falling output from 12,000 Hz tobeyond 20,000 Hz. There was evi-dence of comb -filtering, whichshowed up as a periodic fluctuationof output over the middle and up-per frequency range. Further inves-tigation, including close-mikedmeasurements of the ribbon re-sponse, confirmed that this fluctua-tion was caused by interference be-

tween signal components arriving atslightly different times from differ-ent parts of the ribbon, an inevita-ble result with any line or planarradiator.

THE fluctuations averagedout in the room -responsemeasurements, and whenthe room response was

spliced to the close-miked wooferresponse, the composite curve wasflat within ± 4 dB from 65 Hz tobeyond 20,000 Hz. The low -fre-quency output increased smoothlybelow about 300 Hz and leveled offbetween 20 and 40 Hz at about 10dB above the average midrange lev-el. This composite response curvecorresponded closely to the frequen-cy balance that we heard from thespeakers.

We measured the woofer responsewith the microphone close to onedriver. The FFT response rose at 6dB per octave from above 100 Hzdown to its maximum at about 26Hz, and it decreased at 12 dB peroctave below that frequency. Theinitial rise exactly compensates forthe normal low -frequency loss of aplanar speaker, making the system'sactual bass response flat down tothe maximum point, 26 Hz, of thewoofer -response curve, dropping offat 18 dB per octave below thatpoint. Since our test speakers (in-cluding the drivers) were hand-made prototypes, we measured theactual lower limit for each of thespeaker's four woofers. The limitfrequencies varied between 24.3and 26.7 Hz, with the average being26.4 Hz. The average response be-low 26.4 Hz dropped off to -3 dBat 21 Hz and -6 dB at 18 Hz.

The measured impedance of theAmazing Loudspeaker was relative-ly constant over the entire audiorange. From a minimum of 4 ohmsat 35 to 40 Hz, it rose to 12 ohms at220 Hz, remained between 7 and 12ohms from there to 5,000 Hz, anddecreased to 4 ohms at 20,000 Hz.The average impedance was close to8 ohms. The system's sensitivitywas 82 dB sound -pressure level(sm..) at 1 meter with an input of2.83 volts. Our bass distortion mea-surements are made at a drive levelcorresponding to a 90 -dB SPL out-put, which in this case was 7.1 volts.We measured the distortion of eachwoofer individually, averaging theresults at each frequency to accountfor possible variations among thedrivers-which turned out to be re-markably alike in their distortioncharacteristics. The distortion wasless than 1 percent from 100 Hz

AMAZING BASS

Bob Carver's solution to the problem ofgenerating the lowest bass frequenciesfrom a planar speaker system withoutthe benefit of an external subwoofer iswhat he terms a "uniform drive planarsubwoofer system." The inherent rela-tionship of the low -frequency cutoff, theenclosure volume, and the efficiency ofa sealed -box speaker system normallyrequires a trade-off between volume, ef-ficiency, and cutofffrequency. Since ef-ficiency varies with the cube of the cut-off frequency, the penalty in lost effi-ciency for even a modest extension ofbass response is huge. To reduce asealed speaker's lower limit from 40 to25 Hz, for example, would require afourfold reduction in efficiency (equiva-lent to a 6 -dB loss of sensitivity) andtherefore four times as much drivingpower to achieve the same acoustic out-put level.

It had always been thought that pla-nar speakers suffer from a similar limi-tation-that in order to have a usefullow -bass output, the radiating panelmust be large (comparable to the wave-length of the lowest frequency to be ra-diated). Carver, however, realized thatwhile the efficiency equations for a pla-nar speaker resemble those for a boxspeaker, there is a vital difference. Thebox's volume is replaced by the ratio ofthe woofer's cone area to its suspensionstiffness (which is a function of thedriver design and not related to thesize of the speaker panel), and the rela-tionship between the low -frequency cut-off and the efficiency becomes linearinstead of cubic. Therefore, the re-sponse of a planar speaker could be ex-tended from 40 to 25 Hz with a loss ofefficiency, and consequent power penal-ty. of only 60 percent (a 2 -dB reductionin sensitivity) instead of the 400 per-cent efficiency loss in a box speaker.

This bonus in the equations was notthe complete answer to the problem,

however. Carver intended the AmazingLoudspeaker to generate frequenciesnot only equal to but well below theusual limits of box speakers, to saynothing of other planar types. Althoughits panels are rather large for many lis-tening rooms, if the system used con-ventional bass drivers having a Q of0.7 (the measure of the damping of thedrivers' resonance), the system's re-sponse would be down 3 dB at 100 Hzand fall at 6 dB per octave below thatfrequency. Carver's design solution tothis problem was characteristicallyboth ingenious and simple.

By making the woofers' Q muchhigher, 2.5 instead of 0.7, and by plac-ing their resonance at the desired lowerfrequency limit of the system, bass re-sponse (including the contribution ofthe crossover inductor) could be madeto rise at 6 dB per octave with decreas-ing frequency. When the woofers' re-sponse is combined with the fallingpanel response, the result is a flat sys-tem response down to the woofers' reso-nance frequency, with a sharp cutoff at18 dB per octave below that point(which happens to provide a superlativerumble filter).

It is noteworthy that the necessaryhigh woofer Q was obtained by usingmagnets only about one-third as pow-erful as those of conventional woofers!The economy of this approach is con-siderable, since each speaker paneluses four I2 -inch woofers and the mag-net is a major part of the cost of anydynamic driver. The fiat. rigid, low -mass radiating surfaces of the woofersare driven by conventional cones andvoice coils. Since the woofers' movingmass must be very low to obtain thedesired efficiency, a low resonance fre-quency (about 25 Hz) was achieved byusing a very compliant cone suspen-sion, which also allows a large linearexcursion (about 11/2 inches).

The overall sonic elect of theAmazing Loudspeakerwas remarkably three-

dimensional, with a very widesound stage. Moreover, these

were probably the mostunstrained speakers we have

ever used, with a seeminglylimitless capacity to absorb

electrical and deliverc an audio output.

down to 50 Hz, rising to 1.73 per-cent at 40 Hz, 4.6 percent at 30 Hz,and 9 percent at 25 Hz.

The power -handling ability of theAmazing Loudspeaker was as im-praisive as its frequency response.At 100 Hz the woofers' outputwaveform remained an excellentsine wave until the input was raisedto 555 watts, where it showed aslight sign of "rounding" from sec-ond -harmonic distortion. The out-put began changing to a straight -sided triangular waveform, repre-senting third -harmonic distortion,at higher inputs, although the driv-ers never reached the endpoints oftheir linear excursions. The ampli-fier finally clipped at 960 watts. Athigher frequencies, the amplifierclipped before the ribbon outputshowed any signs of distortion. Themaximum inputs were 875 watts at1,000 Hz (into 7.9 ohms) and 1,350

watts at 10,000 Hz (4.7 ohms).

ListeningIn our listening tests, the Carver

Amazing Loudspeaker had the es-sential spatial properties of a trueplanar speaker. The sound intensityhardly changed at all throughout thelistening room, even when we stoodquite close to the speakers them-selves. The wall behind the twospeakers became part of the soundstage, with the apparent sourcesdistributed across and behind it aswell as in front. The overall effectwas remarkably three-dimensional.Moreover, these were probably themost unstrained speakers we haveever used, with a seemingly limit-less capacity to absorb electricalpower and deliver clean audio out-put. It would be safe to say that nohome amplifier will tax the capabil-ities of the Amazing Loudspeaker.

THE sonic balance of thespeakers was somewhatwarm, with a noticeablebass emphasis. In the rib-

bon's middle- to high -frequencyrange, the sound was audiblysmooth, well dispersed, extended,and effortless. Since the bass em-phasis was largely below 100 Hz, itadded little boominess to voices,although some of this effect couldbe heard. When the program con-tained really deep bass (under 50Hz), the speakers began to showtheir unique qualities. Even at thelowest listening volume, we couldfeel their bass output, and at thehighest levels it became positivelytactile. The Amazing Loudspeakeris one of the very few speakerswhose frequency response can hon-CIRCLE NO 49 ON READER SERVICE CARD

estly be said to extend from belovl20 Hz to above 20,000 Hz.

THE perspective adjustmentafforded by the CONCERTSLOPE switch was quitesubtle. We often had diffi-

culty hearing its effect with music,although the frequency -responsechange was plainly audible withrandom -noise inputs. Whicheverway the switch was set, there was astriking stability of the sound stageand of the imaging within it.

An unusually large sound stage isa clear advantage of a dipole radia-tor, and the Carver speakers possessa very wide one. For example, weheard the cannon shots on the Tel -arc CD of the 1812 Overture com-ing from three distinct directions(left, center, and right), whereaswith other speakers they all ap-peared to originate fairly close tothe middle of the stage. As might beexpected from their bass response,the speakers deliver an enormousimpact from recorded cannon andbass -drum sounds, especially if theamplifier can deliver a few hundredwatts per channel (at least 100 wattsper channel is recommended).

It must be emphasized that thesamples of the Amazing Loudspeak-er that we tested were handmadeprototypes and thus not necessarilyfully representative of future pro-duction models. Judging from ourtests and past experience, however,we would expect production modelsto be substantially improved, bothcosmetically and in their listeningperformance. For one thing, Carverplans to reduce the original bassemphasis (which was establishedwhen the speakers were in a muchlarger room and could be placed fur-ther from the side walls) by chang-ing the balance between the ribbondriver and the woofers. This shouldalso increase the system's sensitivi-ty by about 2 dB.

As with other Carver products,the nomenclature of these speakersis unconventional, but they do de-liver the special performance that isclaimed for them-and they offerunusual value for the money. Wemust admit that "amazing" doesnot seem entirely out of place ap-plied to the Carver loudspeaker. Itsoverall sound is spectacular, its bassperformance surpasses that of al-most any other speaker one mightname, its stereo imaging is out-standing, it appears to be indestruc-tible by excessive power input, andits price is ridiculously low for whatit does and considering what com-parable products cost. CI

AUDIO &A

by Ian G. Masters

Antiskating

0 What are the basic principles ofantiskating devices?

PAT FOSTERSan Leandro, CA

A Records are mastered using a cut-ting stylus that moves in a straight

line from the edge of the record to thecenter. Ideally, the stylus that plays therecord should have the same orienta-tion (perpendicular to the groove), butuntil fairly recently that has been diffi-cult to achieve. Instead, a pivoted armhas usually been employed.

The problem with a pivoted arm isthat it can only be perfectly oriented atone or two points on the record; else-where there will be at least some dis-crepancy between the angles of the cut-ting and playing styli, called "horizontaltracking -angle error." This error issmaller the longer the tonearm, butthere are practical limits to arm length,both because a record -playing systemmust fit into a reasonably compactspace and because very long armswould also have a great deal of mass.

Fortunately, it was discovered thatthe angular effect of a very long armcould be simulated by mounting thephono cartridge-and hence the sty-lus-at an angle, either by bending thearm or by mounting the headshell withan "offset." This technique does reducetracking -angle error to a low order, but

it has one negative side effect. The inev-itable friction between the stylus andthe record's surface does not pull alongthe length of the arm, as it would if itwere straight, but off to one side, in thedirection of the offset. Unchecked, thispull would cause the stylus to "skate"across the record surface toward thecenter, and even in its mildest form itcauses the stylus to favor the inside wallof the groove (the right channel).

To correct for the tendency of the sty-lus to skate inward, tonearm manufac-turers build in a compensating outwardforce called "antiskating." This forcecan only be approximate, because thepropensity of the stylus to skate de-pends on a number of factors that can'talways be predicted: stylus force, con-tact area, and so forth. True straight-line arms, of course, need no antiskat-ing correction.

Disappearing SignalQAt low volumes my right channel

disappears, although everythingseems to be fine at normal listening lev-els. I have concluded that the problemmust lie in my preamplifier or poweramplifier and have cleaned the contactson the volume control but found noimprovement. Is this normal? If not.what can I do about it?

MICHAEL CHENCalgary, Alberta

AIt's certainly not normal, but yourpreamplifier may have to go back

to the shop to have the volume controlreplaced. Such controls consist of a cir-cular (or, more accurately, omega -shaped) resistor with an armature rest-ing on the surface. Occasionally contactbetween the armature and the resistivesurface is lost and the signal is inter-rupted, frequently by dirt building upinside the control. The interruption isusually momentary, showing up whenthe knob is rotated as a loud cracklingor, if the armature stops on a particu-larly large bit of dirt, silence. This canoften be cured by a shot of contactcleaner, as long as the insides of the con-trol are accessible.

If the pressure the armature exerts onthe resistive surface is too great, howev-er, it can score or wear the surface (agecan bnng this on as well). The audibleevidence is the same as with dirt, but noamount of contact cleaner will help-the control must be replaced.

In your case, the armature is probablymoving away from the resistive surfaceat certain positions, either because it'sbent or because it has been mountedeccentrically. Contact cleaner will ob-viously do nothing; again, the controlwill have to be replaced.

If you are unwilling to do without

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Headphones that work with your ears,not against them.

.90

Deverdv°114DT 990 head- ::----

phanes use "diffusesound field equalization: based onnew studies of how the human ear af-fects sound. This design produces a flatfrequency response, accurately recreatingthe experience of the listening environment.

Hostaphan" diaphragms and Neodyne" magnets are two mere reasonsDT 990s have won technical and critical acclaim in Europe and America.They ". . delivered a superb sound" and were ". . . remarkably ccinfortableto wear" according to Stereo Review.

So if you enjoy losing yourself in the xnusic, start by finding the Beyerdealer in your area. Call the reader response number below, or write -beyerdynamic US, 5-05 Burns Avenue, Hicksville, NY 11801.

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ACCURACY IN AUDIO beveratinamkE)Canada: ELNOVA 4190 rue Sere, 31. Laurent, Quebec 1-14-1A6 Tel. (514)1 4169 33 Telex:532-4086

CIRCLE NO. 51 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Eden f you can't sing a note, you a n still appreciate great rr L sic.With Toshiba's portable CD player. The !ound is awesome. Itar PM /FM stereo radio with 12- preset digital tuning, 3 -beam lasErpi.lup and 16 -program random memct /. There's ever a quick prog-amkey and a rechargeable Ni-Cad battery. In Touch with TomorrowIt's a high note in portable CD's. TOSHIBA

AUDIO A

your preamp for several weeks, youmight call or write the manufacturerand buy a new control directly fromhim. If you're handy with a solderinggun, you could replace it yourself,although for most of us it makes moresense to take it to a qualified technicianfor installation. Either way, it shouldonly take a few minutes.

Multiple AMPliflenI have two integrated amplifiers,each driving a pair of speakers. I

mild like my turntable, cassette deck,and compact disc player to drive bothsystems simultaneously. Is there a betterway to accomplish this than by using Y -connectors to connect each source to theamplifiers? If not, do I lose anything bysplitting the signals this way?

MIKE MINISTRELLICorona, CA

MThe Y -connectors are unlikely todegrade the sound quality of your

setup seriously, although the loading onthe phono cartridge will probably besomewhat out of whack, and the effectof this may or may not be audible. Themain disadvantage of your arrangementis functional: Every time you want toswitch signal sources, or even changelevel, you have to fiddle with controlson both amplifiers.

If possible, you should use one ofyour integrated amplifiers as a mastercontrol and the other simply as a poweramplifier. If one of them providespreamplifier outputs, these can be usedto drive the second amplifier. Once youhave set the level and tone controls onthe "slave" amplifier to match the mainamplifier, you can leave it alone, usingthe master unit for input selection, vol-ume adjustment, and so forth. Someamplifiers offer auxiliary preamp out-puts that are independent of the inter-nal connection to the power -amplifica-tion section. In such cases these outputsneed only be connected to one of thesecond amplifier's high-level inputs forthe system to work acceptably. Otheramplifiers have only a single set ofpreamp outputs, usually connected tothe power -amplifier inputs by means ofU-shaped pieces of metal. These con-nectors will have to be removed andreplaced by a pair of Y -cords to feed thepreamplifier's signal both to the power -amplifier section and to the externalamplifier.

If neither of your amplifiers providesa preamplifier output, one tape outputcould be used for this purpose. Thatwould allow you to control input selec-tion on the main unit but would stillrequire you to alter levels and tone -con-trol settings separately on the two am-plifiers, as you are doing now.

ltyynt., r 'II 02 Totcwe Road, Wayne. NI 07423


YOU'LL NEVER HAVE TO SIT THROUGHANOTHER AMATEUR NIGHT AGAIN.How can you really enjoy professional entertainment

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Our audio/video preamplifier incorporates Dolby® ProLogic surround sound using dbx prolrietary technology. Forthe most thrilling home -theater performance you can get.

Our incomparable configurable 2/3/4 -channel amplifierprovides over 800 watts per channel in actual use. With aflatter response than amateur amps costing twice as much.

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with Schotz® noise reduction, uncanny clarity and a noisefloor way below what you're probably listening to now.

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Anywhere you sit in that room. t your amateur days, and nights, are over.

nt Videoat its prof ssinal bet

Canton announces significantengineering advances in the scienceof music reproduction.

Motion Feedback:All loudspeaker systems have

an inherent problem. A driver'sdiaphragm is burdened by massand reacts to sound impulses witha certain amount of inertia. A timedelay exists between the instan-taneous sonic impulse and theacceleration and decelerationof the diaphragm. This delaytranslates into coloration of thesource material.

Canton's new CA series, inaddition to their advanced pow-er amplifiers, are equipped witha built-in electronic signal come(tion system which monitors eachspeaker diaphragm, checkingwhether its motion correspondsexactly with the impulses ofthe musical signal at all times.Instantly-within a fraction of a

A "sound burst"(upper curve) asseen on the oscillo-scope: fast attack andequally rapid decay ofsonic impulses. Here's

what an uncorrectedspeaker makes of thesignal (center curve):there are distinctdiscrepancies on bothincursion and excur-sion. And here's howthe Canton system cor-rects diaphragm mo-tion (lower curve): tothe exact Image of theoriginal sound burst,in all but infinitesimal"atterflash-

Enlarged detail fromcenter of photo: therigid aluminum ringwith obliquely posi-tioned permanent mag-nets. In front of it, thesemiconductor sensorwhich is linked via asupporting plate withthe diaphragm andmoves to and fromwith it.

millisecond-any discrepanciesare registered, fed back and cor-rected via counteraction of thebuilt-in power amplifiers.

Canton employs a number ofnew patented processes for drivercorrection. In the woofer illus-trated here, the "Hall Effect" isused. A semiconductor elementserving as sensor cuts across thefield of a fixed magnet. This cre-ates an electrical voltage relatedto depth of insertion. Inversely,this "Hall Voltage" is an indica-tor for the position of the sensor,e.g. the diaphragm. By compar-ing this actual value with the tar-get value of the musical signal,the control circuitry acquires theimpulse needed for any amplifiercounteraction. The diaphragm isaccelerated or braked accordingly.

morvin

I I%UNate -ttraalrrrrrra

morippum

!miniSince active aaaaa -o rs incorporate theirown built-in poweramplifiers, all that'sn eeded to drive themis a ore -amp like thenew EC -P1 from Can-ton IpIctured above).

The top -of -the lineCA 30 active speakerIs a 4 -way systempowered by 7 internalamplifiers (one foreach driver). Thewoofers are poweredby 4020 Watt ampli-fiers, the midrangesby 2x100 Watt ampli-fiers and the titaniumtweeter by 1:100 Wattamplifier. A total of780 Watts per CA 30speaker.

In addition, problemsnormally associatedwith passive cross-over networks arenon-existent due toCanton's advancedMOS-FET electroniccrossovers.

Each amplifier ismeticulously finetuned to achieveoptimal perfor-mance with itsassociated, com-panion driver.

With these high standards, allcomponents-not just the signalcorrection circuitry-incorporatethe most sophisticated technicaladvances. The entire systemreflects the design approachcustomary in industrial electron-ics like using thick film moduleswith SMD's (Surface MountedDevices), bus interface connec-tions, and plug-in card technol-ogy for high reliability and per-formance capability.

Connecting and con-trol elements on rearpanel of a CA seriesactive speaker. Eachfrequency range canbe independentlyboosted or attenuatedto compensate forlistening roamidiosyncracies.

Find out more about the entire Canton productline by visiting an Authorized Canton Dealer andpicking up Canton's 1986/1987 40 -page Loud-speaker Journal.

Advanced Technology

GiNromFi Fidelity Made Germany

Canton North America, Inc. 254 First Avenue North Minneapolis, MN 55401 Telephone (612) 333-1150CIRCLE NO. 33 ON READER SERVICE CARD

TECHNICAL TALK

byJulian Hirsch

What the Specs Won't Tell You

Aa

LT...G. performance speci-fications can define many of

hi-fi product's attributes,they convey surprisingly

little information about what it willdo in actual use. I am not referringmerely to the usual "subjective vs.objective" arguments about soundquality, but rather to some of theother characteristics that are fre-quently overlooked in evaluatingaudio components.

I have often commented on therelative (or total) inaudibility ofmany of the characteristics that wemeasure and use as a basis for eval-uating products. Judging from read-er mail, many of you are wonderingabout the same thing.

A common question is, "Howmuch louder will the sound be if Ireplace my 30 -watt amplifier with a100 -watt amplifier?" The answer is,"No louder at all." Unless you aretrying to reproduce music at itsoriginal volume level (which is notnecessarily a good thing in a homeenvironment), you probably willnot require more than a watt or soeven on peaks, and at moderate lev-

els the average power is likely to bea small fraction of a watt. If youplay the music really loud-loudenough that conversation is impos-sible in the room and neighborsmay complain-the average powermay reach a couple of watts, withpeaks of perhaps 20 or 30 watts. Ofcourse, these are "ball park" figures.Your actual power requirementswill vary with the program material,listening -room size and acoustictreatment, speaker efficiency, andwhat you consider to be a proper lis-tening level.

So why have an amplifier thatputs out 100 watts, 200 watts, ormore? Not to play louder, but toaccommodate short -duration peaksthat might be clipped if the ampli-fier could not deliver enough power.Peak -clipping is a common occur-rence, and it is more likely to occurwith the wide dynamic range ofcD's. Fortunately, clipping may notbe particularly obvious unless youare listening critically. It can be-come a problem, however, if youturn up the volume a little beyondyour normal listening levels. A 10-da increase in volume, which mightrepresent a slight movement of thecontrol knob and a subjective vol-ume increase of roughly double, willrequire a tenfold increase in ampli-fier power. Your 30 -watt amplifierwould then be severely overdriven,whereas a more powerful amplifiermight take the increase in stride.

High power in an amplifier servesthe same purpose as high horsepow-er in an automobile-it is a reservecapability for special situations.You don't drive your car with theaccelerator on the floor all the time,

Tested This Month

Hitachi 117X W-50 SlimlineCD/ Cassette/Receiver

Design Acoustics PS -103Speaker System

Technics 1?S-B90 5Cassette Deck

NEC T-710 AM/FMTuner

DCN1 Time FrameTF-1000 Speaker 4stem-

nor do you listen to your music sys-tem with its volume at maximum.The extra power is there to be usedonly when needed.

Specifications for FM tuners areeven more difficult to relate to thereal world of listening. Although thehundreds of FM tuners I have testeddiffer widely in their measuredcharacteristics, they tend to soundvery much alike. One reason is thatthe broadcast material is usually de-rived from LP records or, increas-ingly, from cD's. The quality ofthese sources, which are exactly likethe ones in your own collection, isthen degraded to some degree intransmission, and it is further de-graded in your tuner or receiver.

What you hear from a tuner cannever sound any better than thesame record played on your homesystem, which is also likely to havea better cartridge than most broad-casters use. Under the most idealconditions, the tuner will add a littlemore distortion and increase thenoise level. The detail and specialqualities that help us distinguishone sound from another are maskedby the added noise and distortion.

Things are not as bad as theymight seem, however. Unless youare inclined to quibble about mi-nute frequency -response changes orthe various slight sound colorationsthat intrigue the high -end segmentof the audiophile community, theresult can still be quite enjoyable.

In my listening tests, done underless than ideal conditions, the majordifferences in the sound from vari-ous FM tuners and receivers are intheir background noise levels. I de-liberately use indoor folded -dipoleantennas a few feet above groundlevel. These antennas favor thecreation of multipath interferenceand the resultant distortion as wellas providing low signal strengths,which insure an audible hiss onmany stations. A few feet away, apersonal computer generates aprodigious number of interferingsignals that lay a floor of "hash"underneath most FM programs.Such test conditions are a conven-ient way to separate the sheep fromthe goats in the flock of tuners andreceivers. You won't find any pub-lished specification that quantifiesthis evaluation of true signal -to -

STEREO REviEw DECEMBER 1987 27

TECHNICAL TALK

noise ratio (s/N), and our resultsdon't seem to have any obvious cor-relation with AM rejection, captureratio, or rated tuner S/N perform-ance, but I don't have any troubledeciding in my own mind whether atuner is above or below par.

Occasionally, a lay reader workshis way through to a conclusion thatclosely fits my own reality of prod-uct evaluation. For example, thereare a number of listeners who,through necessity or preference,must listen to distant FM stations.The usual advice I give them is toerect the largest, highest directionalantenna system they can. Nothingelse is as important as a good anten-na for satisfactory radio reception(or transmission, for that matter).Tuner "sensitivity" is next to mean-ingless as an indicator of capabilityin this regard.

One correspondent tells of his ex-perience with various tuners andantennas, which led him to the con-clusion that variations in radiopropagation conditions (usually re-sulting from sunspot activity) arethe ultimate determinants of long-range FM reception. He has foundthat tuners with very ordinaryquieting sensitivities and otherwiseunremarkable characteristics are aslikely to receive distant signals asthe most advanced and sophisti-cated tuners. He is undoubtedly cor-

rect, and his closing line says it all:"Not even a high -gain antenna sys-tem can provide a signal which justain't there."

The point of this observation isthat all specifications-whether oftuners, amplifiers, or anythingelse-are based on measurementsusing signals of known, well-definedcharacteristics. Unfortunately, alllistening is done using signals withtotally uncontrolled and usually un-known characteristics. The num-bers that define the specificationsmay (and usually do) have little incommon with the unknown "realworld" numbers that determinewhat you ultimately hear.

There are two other areas of prod-uct evaluation that are extremelyimportant to me and, I shouldthink, to most users. One is ease ofoperation. I often comment on thisin reports, although I recognize thateveryone reacts differently to thearray of operating controls that fillthe panels of many of our hi-fi com-ponents. Personally, I find a panelfull of buttons whose markings areoften difficult to see, and which arenot differentiated in function bygrouping, color, size, or shape, to beconfusing and disquieting. Some ofthe test instruments I use are alsoquite complex, but usually they areergonomically designed so that thehand goes readily to the appropriate

.. Pssst. lady. You're his wife, I think you should know. That old vacuum -tubeFM tuner there that your husband brought in for service-it's too far gone. There'snothing I can do...."

area of the panel. A row of buttonswith unrelated functions that areidentical in size, shape, and color isa prime example of poor humanengineering, yet this sort of panellayout is more common than not intoday's receivers. I, for one, do notlike it. All I can do is mention itwhen I encounter it and, better yet,point out better control layoutswhen I encounter them.

The other area of concern is reli-ability. Assessing reliability has longbeen a source of frustration to me,and to anyone else who tries to eval-uate audio components. I don'tknow how this vital factor-to me,more important than all the mea-surements and specifications-canbe assessed except by extended useof a large number of samples. Inother words, only the manufacturer,or a large-scale service agency, real-ly knows which products are reli-able and which are not. Only when aproduct fails during my tests, or is"dead on arrival," do I have a clueto this factor, but it is usually a use-less one. A single failure provesnothing, and I am not inclined todowngrade a product for such anevent unless it is clearly the result ofa design fault and the failed unit is aregular production sample. If a sec-ond sample fails, the test is usuallycanceled. This happens rarely, how-ever, and then only to very earlyproduction or pilot -run samplesthat are really not fully ready for themarket.

A difficulty with assessment ofreliability by either the manufactur-er or a service agency is the time fac-tor. Failure patterns generally showup only after a certain period oftime, so even if this informationwere analyzed statistically andmade available to the public, itwould be too late to help anyone:The product would long since havebeen replaced by the manufacturerwith a new model.

Fortunately, in my experience thequality control of most large audiomanufacturers is uniformly su-perior, and many of the smallercompanies also go out of their wayto insure customer satisfaction. Ifall consumer products were de-signed and manufactured with thesame care as hi-fi components, wewould all be better off.


`Before we could make ourspeakers better,we had to invent a better speaker test:

- Laurie =ne-on, JRECTOIS IF KEE RESEAtrfri AND IIEVELOPMENT

0 VE STEP IN THE MAKING OF A KEF

'A speaker is usually measuredby frequency response sweeps. ButTheir proper interpretation is difficultat best - misleading at worst.

'So in 1971, KEF joined forceswith Hewlett Packard and BradfordJniversity to develop a more reliabletest computerised Fast FourierTransform (FFT). Our computer

analyzes a series of pulse tones toproduce a far more accurate, moredetailed picture of frequency phase,and transient time -domain behaviour.

'FFT testing has already spurredus to major advances in phase integrityand production consistency. It'scertainly easier to make progresswhen you can see where you're going'

(EF Electroncs Ltd Toai, Madstone, Kett ME 15601: England< EF Electrorics of America Inc 14'20 K Sully, ield Cade, Chardlity. V.. 12021 70:1/631.8810S myth Sound Equipment Ltd . 595 Rue d6 Parc lad.r tel. Longueud. Guetec. Carrada 514/679 S-19(


REFERENCE MODEL 104/2The SpeakerEngineers

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Once again, AR reshapes the future of high fidelity.No longer do you need to ive with

components that look more at tome it apower s-ation than in your hone. No lcngerneed you sacrifice sound quality far somesemblance of sound design.

AR, the corr pany that revel u' ionizedloudspeakers witi the Acoustic Suspensiondesign, now charges the face of s.-.ereocomporents forever. By combrungclass industrial aid electronic design, ARhas produced the first audio componentsas pleasing to the eye as they we to the ear.

The front fascias are grace -u ilyangled, so controls fall readily A) hand.Behind a hinged Jane', infrequently -usedcontrols are ready when you need -hem, outof sight .hen you don't.

AR has reexamined the facto -s that

really matter to sound quality. That's whyAR amplifiers produce high current outputfor outstanding dynamic headroom. Four-time3 oversampling gives the AR CompactDisc player absolute phase linearity. AndAR's unified remote control adds a finaltouch of elegance.

No one serious about stereo would buyequipment without listening. Now it's nolonger necessary to buy without looking.

ACOUSTICRESEARCH

We speak from experience.

HITACHI MXW-50SLIMLINE SYSTEM

Julian Hirsch, Hirsch -Houck LaboratoriesTHE Hitachi MXW-50 is acompletely integrated audiosystem. Its central compo-nent is an AM/FM stereo re-

ceiver that is rated to deliver 50watts per channel into 8 -ohm loads.The single chassis also contains adual -transport "dubbing" cassettedeck and a full -featured CD player.Only speakers need to be added toform a complete music system al-most totally free of visible wires andrequiring a minimum of space forits installation.

The MXW-50 comes with a wire-less remote control for the full sys-tem, including some features notavailable from the front panel. Inspite of its completeness, the MXW-50 is a very compact, "low -profile"unit measuring only 251/4 incheswide and 141/2 inches deep. Itsheight tapers from 1N inches at thefront to 51/4 inches near the rear. Itweighs 201/2 pounds.

The MXW-50 is housed in an all -black, molded -plastic case withhinged plastic doors covering the CDand tape sections. The tape and CDoperating controls are large, well -marked pushbuttons. There is norecording -level control (or indica-

tor) since the deck has a nondefeat-able automatic level -control circuit.Similarly, there are no switches fortape equalization or recording bias.

As in other dubbing decks, theMXW-50's two tape transportshave separate controls. The righttransport (TAPE I) has only a play-back head, but the left (TAPE 2) has aconventional record/playback headand an erase head. The deck cancopy in a double -speed mode as wellas at the standard 17/8-ips speed.

Both transports are autoreverse,and the system can be set to play forextended periods in a fully automat-ic mode initiated by a single button.A CD is played first, followed byTAPE I in both directions, then byTAPE 2 in both directions. A smallpushbutton switches the Dolby Bnoise reduction on or off, and twoother buttons control the autore-verse operation of the transports,including uninterrupted bidirec-tional recording on TAPE 2. Insteadof conventional tone controls, theMXW-50 has a five -band graphicequalizer. The index counter oper-ates only with the TAPE 2 transport.

The operating status of the top -loading CD player is displayed on a

fluorescent indicator at the top(rear) of the panel. An adjacentwindow contains a matrix of twentycompartments, called the "MusicTable," in which track numbers ap-pear as they are being played. Theplayer can be programmed with upto thirty-two selections on a disc inany desired sequence by means of akeypad on the remote control.

The digital -synthesis tuner is op-erated by a number of small but-tons. The tuning increments are 50kHz for FM and 10 kHz for AM(switchable to 9 kHz for countriesusing that spacing). In the automode (FM only), the tuner scans theband until it encounters the nextsufficiently strong signal. Up totwenty presets are available, eachassignable to an AM or an FM fre-quency. The only knob is a largevolume control flush with the paneland slightly indented for the user'sfingertip. It has a clearly visible redLED index marker and can be mo-tor -operated from two buttons onthe remote control.

The rear of the cabinet has insu-lated spring clips for the speakerwires, a 75 -ohm FM antenna, andthe supplied wire -loop AM antenna,which is detachable so that it can beoriented for best reception. Thereare phono-jack inputs for a magnet-ic cartridge and an external high-level (Aux) source, and there is a setof fixed -level line outputs for driv-ing an external amplifier or accesso-

S'IFKFO REVIEW DECEMBER 1987 31

AKAI'S S LICK STATHE MOST SIGNIFICANT AD ANCEMENT IN TAPE HANDLING

SINCE THE VHS CASSETTE.

Today's VHS cassettes may give you eight hours ofprograms. But today's VHS decksmake locating those programs a real bore. That's because conventional decks must slowlythread the tape around the head drum every time you go from Fast RA -ward or Rewind intoPlay And slowly pull the tape back into the cassette wheneveryou return to Fast Forward

or Rewind.Of course, most VCRs have visible scan. But can you

imagine scanning through a two-hour movie? Pass the aspirin.Akai :s exclusive Quick Start system gives you fast, fast, fast

relief. For the first time, the VHS tape remains fully threaded-even during Fast Forward and Rewind. So switching between

functions is more than five times faster than conventional VHS decks.There's more. To make locating programs even easier, Akai searches

and scans recorded segments automatically. Best of all, thisrevolution in tape handling is found not just on our top model-but on every new Akai VCR.

Sound great? Seem simple? Wonder why no one ever didit before?

Unloading for conventional VCR Full -loading for Quick Start

WHY IT TOOK AKAI TOPERFECT VHS TAPE HANDLING.

Simply stated, Akai has been building tape recorders for over 35years. And what is a VCR if not a tape recorder? People may forget that it

Akai has over35 years of experience building

tape recorders of all kinds

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vv as Akai that uilt the first home 5 and the first lightweighthelical -scan portable video tape recorder in 1969. Compared to Akai, even the biggestnames in video recording seem like "Johnnies-come-lately"

To invent Quick Start, Akai invented a completely new tape transport with better tapetension control, more precise guide poles and specially conductive fine ceramic tape guides.The entire transport is under the intelligent control of a micro -processor that only years oftape deck experience could develop. The Akai Quick Start Transport.Sure it's simple ...when you know how.

AT AKAI, SOPHISTICATION MEANS SIMPLICITY.

Akai, a leader in on -screen programming, now takes ease -of -operation one step further. On our new decks, most programmingfunctions require no more than one touch. Nothing could be simpler.

Or more sophisticated. Take Akai's new top -of -the -lineVS-M930U-B. It offers digital special effects with memory; VHSHi-Fi stereo; four heads; HQ circuitry with CCD noise reduction;editing; universal wireless remote control with LCD readout; on -screen ihnivenal Wireless ote prorammablendependently of the VCR u can

programming and naturally, Akai's Quick Start system with Index and "dewnioad- programmed information

Address Search, as well as Intro Scan. Not just bells and whistles, but features any seriousrecordist would deem essential.

Akai. Original thinking from a true original. AKAIAltai °Kiska.. Mitsubishi Electric Sales America, Inc.. 225 Old New Brunswidt Road. %umiak... NJ. ORA%For the los-Atkin of your nearest Akai dealer, cal111.11-hee 1-800-421.1140. Where audio and video are one.

TEST REPORTS

ry. Price: $799. Hitachi, Dept. SR,401 W. Artesia Blvd., Compton, CA90220.

Lab TestsThe published specifications for

the Hitachi MXW-50 do not con-form to EIA standards and cannotbe compared with those of mostaudio components offered for homeuse in this country. Similarly, thepower rating of its amplifier sectiondoes not follow the format requiredby the Federal Trade Commission.Therefore, our test data should notbe compared too critically with themanufacturer's specifications. It isobvious that this system was de-signed for use throughout the world.The manual is written in English,French, Dutch, German, and Span-ish, adaptors are supplied for sev-eral types of power sockets used inother countries, and the system hasa user -adjustable power -line voltageselector.

Although the FM tuner has only a75 -ohm antenna input, it lacks thecoaxial F -type jack customarilyused for connecting a 75 -ohm an-tenna system to a receiver, and acommon 300- to 75 -ohm transform-er cannot be used for the same rea-son. Strangely, a conventional 300 -ohm dipole antenna was furnishedwith the MXW-50, and we used

it with perfectly satisfactory results.The MXW-50's FM sensitivity,

though slightly lower than that ofmost tuners or receivers we havetested recently, was quite adequatefor most installations. The noiselevel was low, as was the mono dis-tortion, but the stereo distortionwas on the high side. The stereochannel separation was a nearlyconstant 25 to 27 dB, sufficient for agood stereo effect but quite a bitshort of the performance of mosttuners. The AM sound quality wasfar more listenable than that ofmost other AM tuners.

With a normal 120 -As tape, theplayback deck (TAPE I) had a vir-tually flat response in both direc-tions, though the ± 1 -dB variationsfell in different parts of the frequen-cy range. The 70 -As response wasroughly the same, with closer corre-spondence between forward and re-verse directions. The low frequen-cies rolled off' at about 6 dB peroctave below 120 Hz, and the highsdropped rapidly above 16,000 Hz.The playback response of the re-cord/playback deck (TAPE 2) wasroughly similar.

The record -playback response ofTAPE 2, using a maximum -level (0 -dB) signal from a test CD in theMXW-50's own CD player, waswithin +1, -3 dB from 45 to 7,500

FEATURES

Digital -Synthesis AM/FM TunerTwenty preset channels

Auto -scan or manual tuning(50 -kHz steps for FM, 9- or10 -kHz for AM)

Inputs for 75 -ohm FM antennaand supplied AM loop antenna

Dual Autoreverse Cassette Deck Solenoid -operated tape

transports Automatic recording -level setting Automatic tape bias/EQ selection Automatic dubbing at normal or

double speedDolby B noise reduction

Automatic long -play mode

Compact Disc Player Fast search with audible sound Repeat function for disc, track,

or user -defined segment (phraserepeat)

Programmed playback for up tothirty-two tracks with remotecontrol

Direct track access with remotecontrol

Fluorescent display of tracknumber and elapsed time

"Music Table" display ofprogrammed tracks in playingsequence

Amplifier and Preamplifier Inputs for external high-level

(Aux) and phono sources Pushbutton source selectors

automatically switch power onBalance control

Volume -control knob(motor -driven)

Five -band graphic equalizer Power amplifier rated for 50

watts per channel into 8 ohms Outputs for 8- or 16 -ohm

speakers

Wireless remote control forvirtually all front -panel functionsand programming of Cu player

Hz. The output fell steeply at higherfrequences to -10 dB at 11,000 Hz.The tape -dubbing response wasmuch better, perhaps because weused a standard TDK test tape (re-corded at a - 20 -dB level) for thesource and recorded on Maxell XL-Ils. The resulting TAPE 2 playbackwas flat within ± 0.5 dB from 120 to12,500 Hz (the upper limit of thetest tape) in the forward directionand within about ± 2 dB over thatrange in reverse. In high-speed dub-bing the forward response was ± 1.5dB from 100 to 10,000 Hz.

The CD player's frequency re-sponse was flat within ±0.3 dBfrom 35 to 20,000 Hz, falling to-0.9 dB at 20 Hz. The square -waveresponse indicated the use of analoglow-pass filtering following digital -to -analog conversion, and the phaseshift of 90 degrees at 20,000 Hzshowed that a single converter wasbeing multiplexed between thechannels.

After preconditioning, the ampli-fier of the MXW-50 clipped at 52.5watts with both channels driving 8 -ohm loads at 1,000 Hz. Into 4 ohms,the clipping output was 60 watts.The distortion was about 0.3 per-cent at 0.1 watt, falling smoothly toaround 0.1 percent or less at severalwatts output and remaining at thatlevel nearly to the clipping point.Into 4 ohms the distortion wasslightly higher. At the rated 50 wattsoutput, the distortion was about0.15 to 0.2 percent from 30 to 3,000Hz, increasing to almost 0.5 percentat 20,000 Hz and 0.7 percent at 20Hz. At half -power and one -tenthpower, the distortion was between0.08 and 0.1 percent from 20 to2,000 Hz, reaching 0.35 percent at20,000 Hz.

Although the manual makes nomention of it, the MXW-50 hasnondefeatable loudness compensa-tion, which boosted both low andhigh frequencies slightly at volumesettings below - 30 dB but had aninverse effect near maximum vol-ume, where it rolled off both lowsand highs.

CommentsThe Hitachi MXW-50 is unlike

any other audio product we havetested because it is so complete andso totally integrated. It enables

34 STERED REVIEW DECEMBER 1987

ANNOUNCING THE CBS COMPACT DISC CLUB

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The age of CD sound is here -and youhave a practical new way to find the CDsyou want. As your introduction to the CBSCompact Disc Cub, you con choose any3 CDs listed in this ad for lust $1.00. Fill in andmail the application -we'll send your CDsand bill you for $1. You simply agree to buy2 more CDs (at regular Club prices) in thenext year -and you may then cancel yourmembership anytime after doing so.How the Club works. About every fourweeks (13 times a year) you'll receive theClubs music magazine, which describes theSelection of the Month for your musicalinterest...plus many exciting alternates. Inaddition, up to six times a year, you may re-ceive offers of Special Selections, usually ata discount off regular Club prices, for a totalof up to 19 buying opportunities.

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TEST REPORTS

LABORATORY MEASUREMENTS

Tuner Section (allmeasurements for FM onlyexcept frequency response)

Usable sensitivity (mono): 19 dBf(2.5 µV into 75 ohms)

50 -dB quieting sensitivity: mono,22 dBf (3.5 Aiv into 75 ohms);stereo, 45.5 dBf (52 Ay into 75ohms)

Signal-to-noise ratio at 65 dBf:mono, 78.7 dB; stereo, 71.5 dB

Harmonic distortion (THDnoise) at 65 dBf: mono, 0.11%;stereo, 0.8%

Capture ratio at 65 dBf: 2.4 dBAm,rejection at 65 dBf: 67 dBSelectivity: alternate -channel, 64

dB; adjacent -channel, 9 dBImage rejection: 43 dBStereo threshold 24 dBf (4.3 i.tv

into 75 ohms)19 -kHz pilot -carrier leakage:

- 32 dBHum: -66.5 dBStereo channel separation at 100,

1,000, and 10,000 Hz: 26.5,27.5, and 26.5 dB

Frequency response: FM, 30 to15,000 Hz. +3, -0.2 dB; AM,

Line -output level (100%modulation): 0.42 volt

El Tape Deck (Dual Transport)Fast -forward time (C-60): 112

secondsRewind time (C-60): 112 secondsSpeed error: 'EAPE I, -0.03%;

I'APF. 2, -0.3%Flutter: 0.065% DS -weighted rms;

±0.12% CCIR-weighted peakLine output at 250 nwb/m: 0.3

volt1,000 -Hz distortion at 250 nwb/m:

1.8%Signal-to-noise ratio (A -weighted):

no noise reduction, 55.5 dB;Dolby B, 64.5 dB

Crosstalk (1,000 Hz): -56 dBPlayback frequency response (120

FQ): TAPE I, 70 to 16,500 Hz+0.5, -6 dB forward, 70 to16,500 Hz +0, -6 de reverse;TAPE 2, 70 to 17,000 Hz +1.5,-6 dB forward, 70 to 15,000 Hz+0, -6 dB reverse

Playback frequency response (70u.ts F.Q): TAPE I, 70 to 17,000 liz+2, -6 dB forward, 70 to16,500 Hz + 1, -6 dB reverse;TAPE 2, 50 to 17,000 Hz + 1.5,-6 dB forward, 50 to 16,000 Hz+0, -6 dB reverse

Record -playback frequencresponse (TAPE 2, Maxell XL -11Stape): 32 to 10,000 Hz +1.5,-6 dB

Dubbing frequency response(Maxell XL -S tape): normalspeed, 120 to 12,500 Hz ±0.5dB, 78 to 12,500 Hz +0.5, -6dB; double speed, 40 to 12,500Hz +1.5, -6 dB

0 CD PlayerLine -output level (0 -dB): 0.57 voltTotal harmonic distortion at

1,000 Hz: 0.0056% referred to 0dB, 0.0085% referred to -10dB, 0.055% referred to -20 dB

Signal-to-noise ratio (A -weighted):91.8 dB

Dynamic range: 86.5 dBChannel separation: 72 dB at

1,000 Hz, 53 dB at 20,000 HzFrequency response: 20 to 20,000

Hz +0.3, -0.9 dBMaximum phase shift: 90 degrees

at 20,000 tizCueing time: 2 secondsCueing accuracy: AImpact resistance: B+ (C over co

compartment)Defect tracking tracked maximum

defect levels on Philips TS5Atest disc

0 Amplifier Section1,000 -Hz output power at clipping

52.5 watts into 8 ohms, 60 wattsinto 4 ohms

Clipping headroom (relative torated output): 0.2 dB (8 ohms)

Dynamic power output: 81 wattsinto 8 ohms, 101 watts into 4ohms

Dynamic headroom: 2.1 dB (8ohms)

Harmonic distortion Olio +noise) at 1,000 Hz into 8 ohms:1 watt, 0.155%; 10 watts,0.083%; 50 watts, 0.165%

Maximum distortion from 20 to20,000 Hz into 8 ohms: 0.7% at50 watts (20 Hz)

Slew factor: greater than 25Sensitivity (1 -watt output into 8

ohms): AUX, 15 my; phono,0.42 my

Phono-input overload: 49 to74 my

A -weighted noise (referred to a1 -watt output): AUX -78.5 dB;phono, -73 dB

Phono-input impedance: 47,000ohms in parallel with 150picofarads

RIAA equalization error: 20 to20,000 Hz +1.5, -2.5 dB

Equalizer center frequencies:80, 300, 1,000, 3,500, and12,000 Fiz

Equalizer control range: ± 10 dBLoudness boost (maximum): 4.5 dB

at 100 Hz, 2 dB at 10,000 Hz

those who do not care to getinvolved with selecting and con-necting separate components to ob-tain a truly complete system with aminimum of fuss or complexity.And it is a surprisingly good system.Whether it is "true hi-fi" dependson your definition of that term.

The tape recordings and dubs thatthis unit makes will probably notsatisfy critical listeners or hard-coreaudiophiles, but they were alwayslistenable in our tests, and any fre-quency -response deficiencies arelikely to be correctable with thebuilt-in graphic equalizer. The CDplayer is definitely comparable tothe lower -priced models from mostmanufacturers, and no apologiesneed be made for its sound or oper-ating flexibility.

The tuner worked well andsounded fine, though its FM per-formance was more reminiscent of agood car stereo tuner than a typicalhome unit. It is unfortunate thatthere is no display of the selectedpreset number, since the user willneed an excellent memory to recallwhich frequency corresponds toeach of the twenty preset channels!

Anyone buying the MXW-50should make sure that the unit pur-chased is set up for 110- to 120 -voltoperation -ours lit up after a fash-ion but was mute until we discov-ered from the manual that it wasfactory set for 230-240 volts! Also,be aware that the output levels ofthe tuner, CD player, and tape decksare not matched. In our tests,switching from one of the othersources to the tuner produced anunwelcome change in sound level.And I have reservations about thevalue of a "power level indicator"that does not respond to volume -control changes in a system wherethe power level is never under theuser's control.

Nevertheless, the Hitachi MXW-50 is a worthwhile and ingeniouslydesigned product that, combinedwith a couple of speakers, can pro-vide a good and unusually completemusic system at a list price under$1,000 (slightly more if you add arecord player). I doubt that a systemof equal versatility and qualitycould be put together from separatecomponents for less.Circle 140 on reader service card

36 STERF.0 REVIEW DECEMBER 1987

ON RE -DEFININGDYNAMIC RECORDING.By combining Dolby HX Pro headroom expansion and DYNEQ dynamicequalization, the new NAD 6300 Monitor Series cassette deck achieves anastounding 80dB signal-to-noise ratio. But that's only part of the story.

Like all the compo-nents in our new Monitor Series, the model6300 is an ultra high performance cassette deck that will challenge thebest in the market. In fact it's the only recorder in the world which will make a cassette copy of any compact disc withvirtually no dynamic loss. Like all NAD products, it's a no-nonsense component designed to deliver the highestpossible real world performance for a very reasonable price. It's a combination of leading -edge technology and oftrusted ideas we've used for years. It's dozens of subtle features blended with several truly significant breakthroughs.A very few examples. . . .

The 6300 is the only cassette deck that combines the Dolby* HX Pro and the DYNEQ** system,thus delivering unprecedented high frequency headroom. Stunning 80dB signal-to-noise ratio approaches the standards set by digital recording. An exclusive NAD circuit which, when activated, allows you to make tapes specially processedfor optimum performance in a car or portable stereo system. NAD's elegant "Play Trim" circuit allows you to correct high frequency losses that are commonwith pre-recorded tapes or cassettes recorded on another machine.

A recording system that uses three heads for widefrequency response and dual discrete Dolby C cir-cuits for accurate, off -the -tape monitoring. Ergonomics of the remote control offer logicalplacement of the most used functions and a uniqueupright design for ease of operation. The tape transport uses dual capstans of differingdiameters so that they rotate at slightly different speeds, practicallyeliminating resonance induced wow.In short, what makes the NAD 6300 a world class cassette deck . . . is along story. To learn more about it, write for our Monitor Series brochure.Better yet visit your authorized NAD dealer-and hear the results of athousand design decisions, correctly made.

NAD 5300 Compact Disc PlayerNAD 6300 Cassette DeckNAD 4300 Stereo AmerNAD 3300 Integrated Amplifier

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NAD

Registered trademark of Dolby Laborafor, Nitenloct and rolosterod Inolorndrli of Tondbory Audio

The Monitor Series FromFor more information send tills coupon to NM) ILISAI INC.1575 UNIVERSITY AVENUE 'NORWOOD, MASSACHUSETTS 02062

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TV audio. Your VCR audio and video. Your compact disc player. Your turntable. Your tape deck. Your everything. All in

stereo. At 74 watts per channel.

The S -2770R CP even has the ability to synthesize

stereo from monaural sources, such as normal

broadcast and cable TV. Add an extra pair of

speakers in the back of your entertainmentroom and turn it into a theater.

The S -2770R CP can decode rear

channel information present in most stereo

sound and video programs. Video tapes of

movies you buy or rent are made from films

originally shown in theaters, where rearchannel sound is all part of the experience. The S -2770R CP

lets you recreate that surround -sound experience right in your own home.

You also get full video dubbing capability through permanent rear panel connections, or through convenientlylocated jacks on the front for those occasions you need a second VCR There's more:

The wireless remote to control all of your components from across the room. A quartz digital AM/FM tunerwith 16 presets. A digitally controlled seven -band graphic equalizer/spectrum anal)zer with five different EQ

memory settings. Auto/manual scan tuning. Loudness and sub -bass EQ. -20dB mute function. An LEDsignal -strength indicator.

All so you can put everything you've got (or intend to get) into it, except a lot ofmoney Just ask any of the dealers listed below.

They'll prove to you that Sherwood stops atnothing to give you better, more enjoyable, SherNrootllive -performance sound - whatever you're

listening to - at a surprisingly affordable price. LIVE PERFORMANCE SOUND"'

Southern California - Leo's Stereo, (213) 537-7070, Maryland - thskins. (301) 799-9000, New England. Georgia - Lechmert,Chicago area - Musicraft. (312) 991-7220. Ohio - Sun TV. (61-1) 445-8401. New York Metro. Eastern Pa.. Connecticut - Crazy Eddie. (201) 248-1410

Put Ev.4>

Into It. ExA Lot Of Mon

S


TEST REPORTS

DESIGN ACOUSTICS PS -103SPEAKER SYSTEMJulian Hirsch, Hirsch -Houck Laboratories

THE newest and largest mod-el in the Design AcousticsPoint Source series of loud-speakers is the floor -stand-

ing PS -103. Most of the speaker'ssound is radiated by two drivers inan isolated pyramidal subenclosureat the top. The drivers are hiddenfrom view at the front and sides byan opaque, nonremovable cloth

grille but their enclosure is partiallyvisible through a large cutout in therear of the speaker cabinet.

A 6 -inch cone radiates the fre-quencies from 100 to 3,000 Hz,where there is a 12 -dB -per -octavecrossover to a *4 -inch dome tweeter.The lower bass frequencies are gen-erated by a 10 -inch acoustic -suspen-sion subwoofer located at the bot-

tom of the cabinet and facing down-ward. Its output radiates throughthe slot formed between the floorand the bottom of the speaker cabi-net, which is held about 2 inches offthe floor by four casters.

The PS -103 has a rated sensitivityof 88 dB sound -pressure level (sPL)with a 1 -watt input to its nominal8 -ohm impedance. It is recom-mended for use with amplifiersrated between 30 and 250 watts perchannel. A panel recessed into therear of the cabinet contains threepairs of five -way binding -post ter-minals (each pair is normally con-nected by wire jumpers) and a three -position toggle switch that selects aFLAT, - 3 -dB, or - 6-da tweeter -lev-el setting to suit personal preferenceor local listening conditions. Thespeakers can be operated with biam-plification, using separate poweramplifiers and an electronic cross-over, by removing the jumpers andconnecting the amplifier outputs tothe indicated terminals. The low -frequency amplifier drives only thesubwoofer; the other powers the twohigher -frequency drivers from 100Hz on up.

The PS -103 stands 381/4 incheshigh and measures 131'4 inches wideand 13*8 inches deep. The top andbottom of the cabinet and its sidetrim panels are made of solid oak.The casters that support it also sim-plify positioning the speakers forbest results, although placement isnot particularly critical and eachunit weighs a moderate 55 pounds.The 2 -inch spacing from the floor isimportant, however, for correctbass performance. Price: $950 apair. Design Acoustics, Dept. SR,1225 Commerce Dr., Stow, OH44224.

Lab TestsIn addition to our usual room -

response measurements of the twospeakers, smoothed and averaged tominimize the effects of room reso-nances and standing waves, wemade close-miked measurements ofthe 6 -inch bass/midrange driverand of the subwoofer (the latter be-ing measured in the gap between thecabinet bottom and the floor). Com-bining both of these curves with theroom response produced our com-posite frequency -response curve.

STEREO REVIEW DECEMBER 1987 41

TEST REPORTS

From 50 to 1,000 Hz, the responsevariation was only ± 3 dB, falling offat 12 dB per octave below 50 Hz.The effective crossover between thesubwoofer and the bass/midrangeappeared to be about 85 Hz-thesubwoofer's response peaked at 65Hz and dropped off at 12 dB peroctave above and below that fre-quency. The room response above1,000 Hz was quite flat, but the aver-age level was about 5 dB below themidrange plateau. There was asmall tweeter -resonance peak atabout 15,000 Hz, but the variationbetween 1,000 and 20,000 Hz wasonly ± 3 dB. The tweeter -levelswitch affected the output above3,000 Hz by approximately the indi-cated amounts. We always preferredthe sound with the switch set toFLAT.

Quasi-anechoic FFT responsemeasurements with our IQS signalanalyzer confirmed the responseshape we had derived from sweptsine -wave measurements. At certaindistances and angles relative to thespeaker, the FF-r response showedirregularities or holes not present atother positions. These were proba-bly caused by signal reflections from

the edges of the cabinet (the pyra-midal subenclosure is located slight-ly behind the plane of the front ofthe cabinet). In general, these irreg-ularities were not present in theroom measurements, which com-bine sounds arriving from many di-rections.

The speaker's horizontal disper-sion was excellent. Except for theeffects mentioned, there was no sig-nificant difference between the re-sponse curves measured on -axisand 45 degrees off -axis until the fre-quency exceeded about 12,000 Hz.The group -delay variation, whichwas less than ±0.2 millisecondfrom 1,500 to 23,000 Hz, confirmedthat the system had excellent phaselinearity.

The impedance, which averagedabout 6 to 8 ohms over most of theaudio range, reached its minimumof 4.5 ohms at 65 and 350 Hz and itsmaximum of 19 ohms at 2,200 Hz.The speaker's sensitivity, measuredat 1 meter, was 86 dB SPL with aninput of 2.83 volts of pink noise. Itsbass distortion was measured fromthe subwoofer using a 4.5 -volt input(corresponding to a 90 -dB SPL at 1

meter). It was under 1 percent from

"If you ask me. they've gone bananas with this 'high -end' stuff"

100 to about 70 Hz, rising slowly to4.7 percent at 40 Hz and 6.3 percentat 35 Hz, which appeared to be thespeaker's effective lower limit.

The PS -103 handled our high-lev-el pulse -power tests well, emitting afaint rattle when the 100 -Hz input

The Dei. Acoustics PS -103had a smooth, andwell-balanced response. Thestereo image was excellent overa wide range of spacingsbetween the speakers.

reached 135 watts into its 7.5 -ohmimpedance. At 1,000 Hz, in therange of the 6 -inch driver, the am-plifier clipped, at an input of 850watts into 8.5 ohms, before thespeaker distorted. The tweeter, driv-en at 10,000 Hz, had no problemswith the amplifier's 1,100 -watt out-put into its 6 -ohm impedance.

CommentsFrom our first hearing, we real-

ized that the PS -103 had a wide,smooth, and well-balanced re-sponse. Frankly, there was no indi-cation of a level disparity betweenthe high frequencies and the mid-range or bass. This perceivedsmoothness may have been a resultof the speaker's overall excellentdispersion and the ultimate effect ofthat dispersion on the sound reach-ing our ears. Measurements cannot,of course, duplicate the full effect ofa human brain's interpretation of acomplex sound field.

Even after the tests, when listen-ing to the speakers we were moreaware of their well-balanced soundthan of any departures from an ide-al, straight-line response (which hasnever been achieved by any speak-er, and probably never will be). ThePS -103's delivered an excellent ster-eo image over a wide range of spac-ings. The sound never seemed tocome from the pair of handsomeenclosures at the front of theroom-it was just there. That wouldseem to be a reasonable descriptionof a really good speaker, and it is afair description of the DesignAcoustics PS -103.Circle 141 on reader service card


Come to wherethe flavor is.

16 mg "tar;' 1.0 mg nicoti av per cigarette, FTC Report Feb 85 Marlboro fled or Longhorn MO's-you get a lot to like.

SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Cigarette

Smoke Contains Carbon Monoxide.

rit :To 111" '41" 1,ttirv. Sul;41111:.;* 1.1111.E'n

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1tip,.1.

. . . the last thing 1 remember is the blonde at the tollbooth saying, "Turn up the stereo."

That's the way it happens. The clean,clear sound of Pyle Driver' car stereo speakerstransforms an everyday drive into a spellbinding experience.

Innovations like the new 200 watt 6x9" car stereo speaker witha two-inch PolyThermal Kaptor voice coil make Pyle the designand development leader in sound reproduction technology. Pyle'suncompromising commitment to quality means each and everyspeaker is individually inspected and assembled by hand.

That same dedication to quality is built into Pyle's new DigitalDemand amplifiers. Powerful yet distortion free, Pyle Digital Demandamplifiers provide the purest sound possible.

Make your next drive a spellbinding experience with Pyle Drivercar stereo speakers and electronic components.

For the name of the Pyle dealer nearest you write:Pyle Industries, Inc Huntington, IN 46750

[IT rrlCIRCLE NO 35 ON READER SERVICE CARD

A Harman International Company

TEST REPORTS

TECHNICS RS -B905CASSETTE DECKCraig Shirk, Hirsch -Houck Laboratories

DOLBY HX Pro headroomexpansion, dbx and Dolbynoise -reduction systems,separate record and play-

back heads, and a closed -loop, dual -capstan drive system are among themany attractions of the new Tech-nics RS -B905 cassette deck. As theflagship deck of the Technics line,the RS -B905 also incorporatesphase -compensation circuitry toimprove stereo imaging, a user -

adjustable bias control, and sepa-rate tape -sensitivity controls foreach channel.

The take-up and supply-side cap-stans of the RS -B905 are belt -cou-pled and are driven by a DC servo-motor. A small difference in thecapstans' diameters gives themslightly different rotational speeds,which produces the tape tensionthat holds the tape against the heads(The cassette's pressure pad exerts

additional tension, of course, butfrom an engineering viewpoint thepad is superfluous in a closed -looptransport.) A second DC motordrives the two reel hubs.

Although they share a commoncasing, the record and playbackheads of the RS -B905 are electrical-ly separate units, which allows theuser to make instant quality com-parisons between the source signaland its just -recorded counterpart.Such a design also allows the use ofa relatively wide head gap for therecord element, yielding a better sig-nal-to-noise ratio, while using a nar-row head gap for playback, yieldingimproved high -frequency response.

The Dolby HX Pro headroom -


TEST REPORTS

expansion system also extends high -frequency response at high signallevels. The HX Pro circuitry contin-uously monitors the signal being fedto the record head, and when it

detects treble levels that would re-sult in tape saturation (a seriousproblem at the 17/8-ips cassette tapespeed), it instantly lowers the recordbias slightly. The lowered bias ena-

FEATURES

Separate record and playbackheads

O Dual -capstan, closed -looptransport

O Dolby B, Dolby C, and dbx noisereductionDolby HX Pro headroomexpansion

0 Phase -compensation circuitryUser -controlled bias andtape -sensitivity adjustments

CI Eighteen -segment -per -channelfluorescent level indicatorsDefeatable FM -multiplex filter

O External timer activationSelection -repeat facility


Fast -forward time (C-60): 81seconds

Rewind time (C-60): 79 secondsSpeed error: +0.7%Dolby tracking error: Dolby B,

+0.5 dB; Dolby C, +2.0, -0 dBWow -and -flutter: 0.036% wrms,

0.08% DIN -weighted peakLine input for indicated 0 dB:

60 myLine output at indicated 0 dB:

0.35 voltMeter indication at IEC-standard

0 dB: +6 dB Tape: TDK AD (Type 1, ferric)IEC 0 -dB distortion: 0.3% (0.03%

with dbx NR at equivalentoutput level)

Meter indication at 3% third -harmonic distortion: +12 dB(0.2% at +20 dB with dbx NR)

Signal-to-noise ratios (in decibels):Unwed. A -wed. CCIR

NR off 54.6 60.5 57.6Dolby B 57.8 69.0 68.0Dolby C 58.8 76.2 76.2dbx 83.5 93.0 91.0

0 Tape: TDK SA (Type 11,chrome -equivalent)

IEC 0 -dB distortion: 0.7% (O. 1 2 'Awith dbx NR at equivalentoutput level)



VR off 53.6 60.5 58.0Dolby B 56.4 68.5 68.2Dolby C 57.5 73.4 76.1dbx 85.5 93.5 91.8O Tape: TDK MA (Type IV,

metal)IEC 0-ds distortion: 0.9% (0.18%

with dbx NR at equivalentoutput level)



NR off 52.3 59.0 56.7Dolby B 55.6 67.4 66.7Dolby C 56.5 72.4 75.1dbx 83.5 90.6 93.3

+5

0

5

10

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25

- 3020

TECHNICS RS -8905RECORD -PLAYBACK RESPONSES

TDK AD (TYPE 4 FERRIC)

TDK SA (TYPE II, CHROME -EQUIVALENT)

TDK MA (TYPE IV, METAL)

«5

0

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50 100 500 lk

PLAYBACK -ONLY RESPONSESIIEC-STANDARD BASF TEST TAPES)

5k 10k 20k

- 120 ps (TYPE 8-70 pS (TYPES II AND IV)

FREQUENCY IN HERTZ

bles the tape to hold more trebleenergy at just those moments whenit is needed. The bias is restored toits normal level when the trebledemand declines so that overall sig-nal distortion will not increase.

The RS -B905 has a conventionalcassette well with a nicely dampeddoor mechanism, but the lack ofrear illumination and a narrowviewing window render label andtape -remaining visibility poor. Incontrast, the fluorescent peak -levelindicators, with eighteen segmentsper channel calibrated from -40 to+18 dB, are highly readable. Thethree -digit fluorescent tape counterregisters reel -hub revolutions only,with no indication of elapsed orremaining time.

The main adjustments for biasand equalization for different tapetypes (ferric, high -bias, and metal)are made automatically, but a user -adjustable bias control is providedto compensate for the bias require-ments of different brands of ferricor chrome -type tapes. Since notone -generating circuits are in-cluded, the user must make suchrefinements by ear while switchingback and forth between tape andsource positions. (A good test signalis FM interstation hiss, if it isrecorded at a level well below 0 dB.)With most decks, slight differencesin tape sensitivity, manifested asdifferences in loudness betweentape and source switch settings,make such noninstrumented biasadjustments extraordinarily diffi-cult. The RS-B905's tape -sensitivitycontrols for each channel both easethis problem and increase the accu-racy of the Dolby noise -reductionsystem.

The front -panel headphone jackhas its own volume control, butthere is no playback level controlfor the main output jacks on therear. A conventional switch for ex-ternal -timer record and playbackactivation is provided, as is rewind/repeat -play operation. The FM -mul-tiplex filter is defeatable so thathigh -frequency response of CD andLP dubs is not limited.

The Technics RS -B905 measures17 inches wide, 4*8 inches high, and111/4 inches deep, and it weighsapproximately 11 pounds. Price:$600. Technics, Matsushita Electric


THE NEW CONCORD CX70 ON VOLUME PULL BAL

CC.A.RD 50 WATTS 2/4 WAYMt DUAL AZIMUTH HEAD SERVO MOTOR

db. FM. FULL LOGIC

EJECT PFOG REW FF

PSCAN <TUNE>

K 12K LOUD COI SCAN

ML M150 240 Nil FNTR ST

MSCONCORD

dbxCX 70

3 TN-TP

P AmFmi

IT OUTPERFORMS OTHER CAR STEREOSEVEN BEFORE YOU TURN IT ON.

As the long acknowledged leaderPI in high fidelity performancefor the ear, it seems only fitting thatConcord should also be the best atsatisfying the need of the discriminating eye and hand as well.

Presenting the new ConcordCX 70. One of seven CX seriesunits, designed to deliver not justan unsurpassed audio experience,but a superb visual and tactile one.Designed with an unparalleledarray of high performance audiofeatures, high tech design, andhigh performance handling.

HIGH PERFORMANCEVIA HIGH TECHNOLOGY.

Consider the CX series tuners.Their microprocessor controlledcircuits seek out and lock ontoFM and AM signals that lessersystems miss altogether. Workingin conjunction with Concord's FNR-FM noise reduction circuitry theseadvanced tuners provide astoundingreception.

Consider next the Concord tapesection. Many audiophiles feel itto be the best automobile unit inexistence. Stereo Review called theperformance of a Concord unit"uncommon even among home cas-sette decks." This is not hyperbole atwork, but high performance. Credit

for such performance in the CXseries units goes to our Dual AzimuthMatched PhaseTM Tape Head. Inaddition, our servo controlled tape

OLITPERFORMANCEFEATURES

Dual Azimuth Matched Phase- Tape Heads

Electronic Servo Controlled Tape Drive Motor

Full Logic, Soft Touch Tape Deck Controls

Advanced Tape Noise Reduction Systems

Microprocessor Controlled Digital Tuner

FNR'" Noise Reduction for FM

High Powered Built In 4 Way Amplifiers

Low Distortion Preamp Level Fader

Bass and Treble EQ/Tone Controls

Preamp Level Biamplification Crossover

Fletcher -Munson Loudness Contour Circuit

motors ensure rock steady tapehandling and uncommon ruggednessand reliability.

ADDING POWER INS! BADOF REPLACING POWER.

Focus your attention now on ourlegendary amplifiers. How does a 2/4way amp with 50 watts total maxi-mum power sound? Very, very good.No tape deck amplifier gives youmore power.

With Concord's low distortionpreamp level fader and preamp out-puts adding even more power is easy.You can configure and control a

system that delivers punch withprecision. And because theamps in the CX 70 can be"bridged" into 2 channels, everywatt they produce can still beused when you add a power amp.So you're really adding power,not just replacing it.

Concord's new CX series.Designed to perform like noother car stereo in the world.Every element, from the tri-color display on the front to theprecision components deepinside it, was designed with asingle goal-high performance.

Put it all together with anultra contemporary flat facedesign and a security removablechassis, it's easy to see that

the Concord CX series outperformsother car stereos even before youturn them on.

CONCORDAnything else is a compromise.Concord Systems, Inc., 25 Hale Street,Newburyport, MA 01950(617) 462-1000 (800)-225-7932Marketed in Canada by:PACO Electronics Ltd.20 Steelcase Road W. , Unit 10Markham, Ontario L3R 1B2(416) 475-0740

CIRCLE NO. 11 ON READER SERVICE CARD A Hannan InternationalC.ompany

Dr Sidney Harman. Founder and Chairman

of Harman Kardon

Power Precision. Performance The new generation

of Citation separates goes far beyond its prede-

cessors to create the ultimate listening experience

Designed and developed by Harman Kardon, oneof the most respected names in audio, every gener-

ation of Citation has earned a reputation ofexcellence with audiophiles around the world. Atrue testing and proving ground for the mostrevolutionary audio concepts. Citation's innovations

have ultimately been featured in all Harman Kardon

components.

Steeped in audio

breakthroughs and

advanced designs.Harman Kardon's

Citation division intro-

duced the world'sfirst Ultrawideband

amplifier in 1963-the Citation 2

vacuum tube ampli-fier In 1972, the

Citation 14, the first

FM stereo tuner with

Phase Locked Loop(PLL) MPX decoding

was introduced. In 1977 the 150 -Watt -per -channel

Citation 19 became the first power amplifier tofeature low negative feedback 1981 saw theintroduction of the Citation XX. Its exclusive High

instantaneous Current Capability (HCC) designprovided the instantaneous current required toprecisely drive and control any loudspeaker system.

Now just as the original Citation separatesestablished design innovations that were years

ahead of their time, the new Citation series sets the

standards for the decade to come.

The new Citation twenty-three makes tuner designhistory as the world's first Active Tracking tuner and

the world's first synthesized tuner with Analog Fine

Tuning. This patented system delivers two aspects

of tuner performance that were previously mutuallyexclusive: high selectivity and high fidelity Its

superior adjacentand alternate channelrejection lets you

rr tune in more stationswith more fidelity

than was ever before

possible.

A thorough analysis of

internal layout and a strict

code of symmetrical circuitry

ensure rapid accurate napna-

duction of the music signal

Wiz 201,Ni - 008.6 no ea 8 Ohms mr1 i

SE of In contrast to traditionalNG methods the Citation

twenty-three's Active

Tracking circuitry

provides previously

unheard of adjacent

Channel selectivity

with little or no

sacrifice in stereo

separason or THD

ADJACENT CHANNEL SELECTIVITY

CITATION TWENTY THREE TYPICAL SINGLE IF TUNER

NARROW MODE OF TYPICAL wiDENARROW TUNER

As the world's first High Voltage/High Current poer

amplifiers the 200-Wattper-channel' Citationtwenty-two and the 100-Wattper-channel' Citation

twenty-four redefine amplifier design. With just theflick of a switch, their exclusive High Voltage/HighCurrent technology lets you select the optimum

mode for driving either 8 -Ohm or 4 -Ohm loudspeakers The result is higher power output andcleaner, clearer sound than any traditional design,

without distortion, overheating or current limiting.

In an area where the smallest interference can result

in the biggest problems, the new Citation twenty-one

preamplifier further ensures accurate signal repro-duction Its symmetrical circuitry and manydesign refinements offer the most precise

amplification, for a difference you can hear

Gold-plated input

tacks on the

Citation twenty-

one preamplifier

provide reduced

signal loss and

improved long-

term conductivity

Citations attention to detail can be seenas well as heard. The heavy rolled-steel

rubber -mounted chassis creates a solid,

vibration -free environment that combines

world class styling with sophisticated

American industrial design.

The new Citation series from Harman Kardon. Thenext generation of the world's premier high fidelitycomponents.

For more information and your nearest dealer call toll free

1-800-525-7000 Ext. 101 or write 240 Crossways Park West.

Box 9101 Woodbury New York 11797

Citationharman i kardon

A Harman International Company

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TEST REPORTS

Co. of America, Dept. SR, One Pan-asonic Way, Secaucus, NJ 07094.

Lab TestsMeasured with our IEC-standard

calibrated BASF test tapes, the play-back frequency response of the RS -B905 was extraordinarily flat forboth ferric and chrome or metal cas-settes. On an overall record -play-back basis, the low end rolled offvery smoothly to -3 dB at 30 Hz,and there was no sign of the usuallow -frequency undulations ("headbumps"). At the normal - 20 -dBmeasurement level, the response ofour "center -line" ferric tape (TDK-AD) dropped to -3 dB at 18,000Hz, as specified, and our chrome -equivalent tape (TDK-SA) made itall the way to our 20,000 -Hz uppermeasurement limit with a deviationof only +0.5, -2.5 dB.

With our centerline metal tape(TDK-MA), the response between10,000 and 20,000 Hz rose to +3dB, indicating a slight underbias inthe factory setting, which also exag-gerated the metal -tape response at a0-ds level. The user bias adjustmentdoes not affect the deck's setting formetal tape, so we could not try toflatten this response, but it was(just) within specification in anycase.

The signal-to-noise ratios of the

RS -B905, as shown in the accom-panying box, were extremely good,though the raw numbers perhapsneed some additional explanation.The 0 -dB indication on the unit'sdisplay was factory set at what is,for today's tapes, an unrealisticallylow level. Specifically, inputs at theIEC standard reference level, whichis often used to set the 0 -dB pointfor today's high -quality decks, read+6 dB on the left channel and +4dB on the right. Also, we measured 3percent third -harmonic distortion,both with no noise reduction andwith the two Dolby noise -reductionsystems, at a staggering indicationof +12 dB. In my opinion, encour-aging recordists to record at such anindicated level for signal peaks isabsurd, yet if they do not do soresidual background hiss will be-come an almost inescapable audibleproblem.

Measuring the signal-to-noise ra-tio (s/N) with the dbx noise -reduc-tion system posed an additionalchallenge, though of a pleasantersort. The conventional 3 -percentpoint for third -harmonic distortioncould not be reached by any inputlevel, for the input stages of the RS -B905 began to clip at a +22 -dBinput, 4 dB above the maximum ofthe deck's own indicators! Wemeasured the dbx S/N, therefore, at

...INDUSTRIALS WERE cFF AND UTILITIES WEREUNCHANGED. VIE LONDON 601..P MARKETCLOSED AT $435 AN OUNCE, up 01.4o.

CAKE cc -056P AT #271, Up 03.85 PERPURE SILVER INTEKcoNNEcTS AND SPEAKER

METER FKom yEsTEgpAy... 5--

."0-641;zr-tukA---

a +20 -dB input, though I do notadvise readers to run their indica-tors offscale when recording withdbx. With this noise -reduction sys-tem it is more important to usesome of the "excess" signal-to-noisecapacity to reduce-drastically-the so-called "normal" distortionon the tape.

Our wow -and -flutter measure-ments showed good but not excep-tional performance, and overallspeed accuracy was 0.7 percenthigh. Dolby tracking was extremelygood, as was that of the dbx system.Both input sensitivity and outputlevel were entirely normal, and fastwinding was slightly better than av-erage.

CommentsWe made most of our listening

tests in advance of measuring theRS -B905, and some of the residualbackground hiss we detected (espe-cially with Dolby C, with which weexpected to hear next to none)dropped into insignificance whenwe later learned how severely mis-calibrated the deck's 0 -dB indicatorswere. The sonic imagery and abilityto pinpoint sources across thesound stage were absolutely superb,among the best I have heard. Howmuch of this is attributable to thedeck's special "phase correction"circuitry is not certain since the fea-ture can't be defeated temporarilyfor comparison, but the clarity ofthe record -playback reproductionwas outstanding.

The smoothness of the frequencyresponse was also audibly evident,and while our measurements latershowed that perhaps we should havebeen able to detect some slight wow -and -flutter, the fact is that we didnot. The dbx system itself showedvery little audible "pumping,"though when we were listening for itspecifically some very slight noiseshifts could be heard on solo pianonotes in a recording of the SchubertTrout Quintet. On prerecorded ma-terials the playback was as clean asany we have heard. That so muchtop sound quality can be providedin a deck at the relatively modestprice of the RS -B905 is a tribute tothe engineering acumen of theTechnics designers.Circle 142 on reader service card


e. 1913 R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CO

SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Smoking

Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Health.

Whathappenswhen studiorecording engineers also designhome tape recorders.

What qualifies a companyto build audiophile cassettedecks? Try seven decades ofintimate knowledge in everyaspect of the recording process.Creating award -winning blanktape. Recording award -winningclassical and jazz releases.Building transcription -qualityopen -reel recorders, multi -track

THE SAME EARS THAT GUIDE DENON RECORDINGSESSIONS ALSO EVALUATE THE SOUND OF DENON

HOME COMPONENTS

decks for studio work, andfinally the world's first digitalrecorder good enough for com-mercial record production.

Only one company has allthese qualifications. That com-pany is Denon.

Consider Denon's DR-M3OHX Cassette Deck. Thismachine's professional heritageis evident in the three -motordrive system for flawless tapemovement, the high -overloadheads with oxygen -free copper

A CASSETTE DECK IS ONLY ONE HALF OF THERECORDING SYSTEM HERE'S THE OTHER

coils for the barest minimumnoise, and the wideband DCplayback amplifier for ruler -flat

k/°fret/ er test

//kr ciaaMi ,77bei/7 ecilb/Y °Z) 127 e43/ t-7as igh, 'vein

145c Is/ 74 theetc ° °046 'est

Periess4"/"41-1"bs:4°11Ott, oaey as e/th rbigi5 ioo so1414./7 i/74 onthec-40e

//i, 77/er, ..7,eresponse. Even the power sup-ply has separate windingsfor the audio circuits-for

eoabsolute minimumminimum distortion.

Although not highly publi-cized, the control of supply reelback tension can be a cassettedeck's Achilles' Heel. Over time,the typical friction clutch canwear down, disturbing tape -to -head contact and degradinghigh frequency response. That'swhy Denon borrowed the

,ass"Germany's Stereo Magazineon the DR-M3OHX

aka/77/0900(1e t

cult types of music on the DenonDR-M3OHX. You'll hear steady,unwavering pitch on sustainedpiano chords. And you hearcymbals and harpsichords withall their distinctive overtones.

You might expect audiocomponents of this caliber tocome with high -caliber pricetags. Yet Denon cassette decks

THE DENON DR-M3OHX THREE MOTORS, THREE HEADS, DOLBY B, C, AND HX PRO DON'T BEGIN TO TELL THE STORY

open -reel concept of Non -SlipReel Drive-servo-controlledback -tension that will not de-grade over time.

Denon incorporates suchstudio technology for one pur-pose only: its direct effect onsound quality. The proof is in thelistening. Record the most diffi-

"Best Buy"Britian's Hi-Fi Choice on the DR -M20

start at less than $250.* So forthe price of far lesser audiocomponents, you can do whatstudio engineers all over theworld do. Record on a Denon.

DENONCIRCLE NO 27 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Denon Americo. Inc 722 New Road, Potsipporiy, NJ 07054 ;2011575.7810Denon Canada, Inc . 17 Denison Seen, Markham, Ont L3R 185 Canada

TEST REPORTS

NEC T-710 AM/FM TUNERJulian Hirsch, Hirsch -Houck Laboratories

THE NEC T-710 is a moder-ately priced quartz-PLL digi-tal -synthesis tuner withsome features and perform-

ance specifications not often foundin its price class. For example, it hasa switchable IF bandwidth that al-lows the user to select either a wide(normal) or narrow mode. Undermost conditions the wide -bandmode gives the best results, but thenarrow -band option can improvereception of weak signals that mightbe interfered with by signals from

stronger stations broadcasting onnearby channels.

Each of the tuner's eight presetbuttons can be assigned to two dif-ferent frequencies, either AM or FM.The display window shows the se-lected preset number as well as thestation frequency and band. Otherdisplay information includes auto-matic tuning mode, AUTO SCAN orPRESET SCAN, WIDE IF bandwidthwhen selected, and whether a stereoFM broadcast is being received. Thewindow, which covers most of the

width of the front panel, also con-tains a five -segment signal -strengthindicator.

All of the operating controls of theNEC T-710 are soft -touch pushbut-tons. A row of rectangular buttonsbelow the display window controlsuch frequently used operatingfunctions as preset channel selec-tion, band selection, and tuning.Narrow bars below them control theless often used functions. In theauto -scan mode, pressing one of thetuning buttons causes the tuner toscan rapidly in the selected direc-tion, stopping on the first signal thatexceeds the muting threshold. Pre-set scan automatically steps throughthe preset channels, pausing on eachfor several seconds before proceed -

STEREO REVIEW DECEMBER 1987 5S

TEST REPORTS

ing. The T-710 also has a built-incalibration -tone generator, acti-vated by a CAL TONE button, whoseoutput replaces the received signal.

The rear apron of the NEC T-710contains the audio output jacks, aconnector for a 75 -ohm coaxial FMantenna, and spring -loaded termi-nals for connecting the supplied AMloop antenna. A 300- to 75 -ohmmatching transformer is suppliedfor use with 300 -ohm FM antennasystems. The T-710 measures 17inches wide, 11 inches deep, and 35/8inches high. It weighs about 9pounds. Price: $299. NEC HomeElectronics, Dept. SR, 1255 MichaelDr., Wood Dale, IL 60191.

Lab TestsWe made most measurements on

the NEC T-710 using both its nar-row -band and wide -band IF modes.There were only minor differencesbetween the two in respect to sensi-tivity and capture ratio, and virtual-ly none in the AM -rejection, distor-tion, and noise measurements. As isusually the case with switchable-

bandwidth tuners, the differences inselectivity and channel separationwere considerable.

When the signal generator was setfor minimum distortion, its fre-quency difference from the tunersetting was about 40 kHz, sufficientto increase the distortion at the cor-rect frequency from 0.047 to 0.083percent with a 65-dBf input signal.Though this seems to be an appre-ciable difference, even the 0.083 -percent figure is entirely negligibleand inaudible. The muting and ster-eo thresholds were identical, about24 dBf (8.7 of, or microvolts), but abuilt-in hysteresis action caused thesignal to remain audible until thelevel had dropped again to 18 dBf(4.4 Av). This is a highly desirablecharacteristic for a muting circuit,because it prevents minor signalfading from producing intermittentreception.

Aside from improved selectivity,the most obvious effect of using thenarrow -band mode was a reductionof channel separation to a nearlyconstant 30 to 35 dB across the

FEATURES

CI Digital -synthesis quartz-PLLAM/FM tuner

1:3 Selectable wide (normal) ornarrow IF bandwidth

El Eight preset buttons for up tosixteen AM or FM frequencies

l7 Preset scan, auto scan, ormanual tuning

ill Display of station frequency,band, preset number, status ofall operating controls

CAL TONE replaces broadcastsignal in line outputs

El Coaxial input for 75 -ohm FMantenna

Cl Transformer for 300 -ohm FMantenna

El Hinged, removable AM loopantenna


(All figures for FM only exceptfrequency response)

Usable sensitivity (mono):wide -band, dBf (2.5 µV);narrow -band 15.2 dBf (3.2 µv)

50 -dB quieting sensitivity: mono,14 dBf (2.8 µV) wide, 13.5 Of(2.6 µv) narrow; stereo (wideand narrow), 35 dBf (30 µV)

Signal-to-noise ratio at 65 dBf:mono, 88 dB wide, 86.3 dBnarrow; stereo, 78.4 dB wide,79.6 dB narrow

Harmonic distortion (THDnoise) at 65 dBf: mono, 0.083%wide, 0.115% narrow; stereo,0.048% wide, 0.056% narrow

Capture ratio at 65 dBf: wide, 1.15dB; narrow, 2.5 dB

AM rejection at 65 dBf: wide, 73,dB; narrow, 74 dB

Image rejection: 76 dBSelectivity: alternate -channel, 38

dB wide, 82 dB narrow;adjacent -channel, 4 dB wide, 7.5dB narrow

Stereo threshold: 18 to 24 dBf (4.4to 8.7 µv)

Muting threshold: same as stereothreshold

Stereo channel separation at 100,1,000, and 10,600 Hz:.wide, 46,53.5, and 55 dB; narrow, 31, 33,and 34.5 dB

Frequency resiponse: FM, 30 to15,000 Hz +0.5, -0.4 dB; AM,-6 dB at 28 and 3,000 Hz

entire audio band. In the wide -bandmode the separation was as great as55 dB in the 2,000- to 10,000 -Hzrange, but it decreased to 37 dB at 30

The NEC T-710 has somepeormance specificationsand features not ofienfoundin tuners in its price class.For instance, it has aswitchable IF bandwidth toimprove reception ofweaksignals in some conditions.

Hz and 47 dB at 15,000 Hz. In prac-tical terms, all these separationreadings are adequate to produce afull stereo effect. The AM tuner wasdown 6 dB at 28 and 3,000 Hz.

Pressing the CAL TONE button re-placed the program by a 400 -Hztriangle wave with a 1.12 -volt peak-to -peak amplitude. This signal bearslittle obvious relationship to pro-gram levels, being about 6.4 dBbelow the peak level of a 100 -per-cent modulated sine -wave signal.Even as a possible aid to settingtape -recorder input levels, the fea-ture seems to be of little value.

CommentsThe performance of the NEC T-

710 tuner was excellent in all impor-tant respects. Its sensitivity was av-erage, but its noise levels and distor-tion readings were very low. Even inits wide -band position, the selectivi-ty was quite adequate here in themetropolitan New York area. Thenarrow -band IF made only a modestimprovement in the tuner's adja-cent -channel selectivity but a veryconsiderable increase in its alter-nate -channel readings.

At its price, the T-710 appears tobe a very good value. It is not a tun-er that will extract the last bit ofreception in very weak signal areasor where adjacent -channel signals ofwidely different strength must beseparated, but it should outperformmany comparably priced tuners (oreven higher -priced ones) undermore normal operating conditions.It is attractive, easy to operate, andin general intelligently designed.Circle 143 on reader service card


*(And we'll deliver... tomorrow morning )

Imagine a superbly crafted electronicinstrument, powerful enough to pro-tect against traffic radar, miniaturizedenough to slip into a shirt pocket,beautiful enough to win an inter-national design award - and advancedenough, thanks to its sophisticatedRashid -rejection circuitry, to obsoletethe detectors of every other maker.

Then imagine finding one withyour name on it.

MOMAY 1987W

Best AnywhereMoney magazine, May 1987, listed 99

Things That Americans Make Best. "All of thesewidely available 1.:.S. -made goods... are clearlysuperior to their overseas competitors, overwhelmingly dominate their markets or are sooutstanding or novel that they have no well-known international counterpart:.

This select list included PAMPORT

PASSPORT has exactly what thediscerning driver seeks; superhetero-dyne performance with completeRashid rejection. On duty, it maintainsa commendably low profile, only0.75 inch tall. It's about the size of acassette tape.

An instrument providing so muchprotection always elicits the sameresponse...Pure Joy.

Pure JoyOthers may put it differently. In

April, Car and Driver tested nine ofthe latest radar detectors. Once againPASSPORT was rated highest. Thesemagazine experts said, "At $295 directfrom the factory it's the most expensivepiece of electronic protection in thegroup, but it's worth every nickel inroadgoing peace of mind:*

This good reputation keeps get-ting better. In June, the Roundelranked PASSPORT first in a comparisonof 14 detectors, saying, "It remainsthe State of the Art, a true qualityproduct, American ingenuity at its best?'

Installing PASSPORT is easy. Justclip to visor or windshield, plug intothe lighter, and PASSPORT is on guard.

Toll Free 800-543-1608( Mon Fri Sam- I Ipm, Sat Sun 930-6 EST)

PASSPORTPADAR12 ECEIVER

$295 (Otires add 516.23 taxSlightly higher in Canada

PS CUAIINIVINMIONAL

Cincinnati MicrowaveDepartment 384D7

One Microwave PlazaCincinnati, Ohio 45249-9502

Pure Joy is also our commitmentto you, the giver. If PASSPORT doesn'tlive up to your highest hopes- forany reason - within 30 days, just sendit back. We'll refund all of your moneyand your return shipping costs. Thereare no hidden charges.

PASSPORTcomes with its own leather case.

Here's one more PASSPORTadvantage: we deliver. PASSPORT isdesigned and made by us, and we sellit directly to you. So you can avoidcrowded stores and waiting in lines.Just call us toll -free. We'll pay for ship-ment by UPS, and a gift box is avail-able at no extra charge. Orders in by3:00 pm eastern time Monday throughFriday go out the same day.

4. Overnight delivery is guaranteedyr by Federal Express for only $10

extra. So you can have your PASSPORTtomorrow morning if you choose.

With shopping this easy PASSPORTtakes the hassle out of giving. Butthe best part is still that specialmoment when the wrapping is tornaway... Pure Joy.

C 191r (:A0

Attack Of The RefrigeratorsHostile forces within your own home may be attacking your computer and stereo systems. It's an insidiousattack, but before you even think about buying the Protectors below, check it out.

By Drew Kaplan reading any farther may not be of life or blink. What you don't see, is that as theDon't order the Protectors below. Sit death importance to your components. power level snaps back, a high voltage

back tonight and spend a relaxing eve- If you're still reading, you'll probably surge hits your equipment.fling watching TV, working on your corn- be as amazed as I was, to know that It's just like starting and stopping theputer or listening to your stereo. there can be an average of 200 to 300 nozzle on a hose. The flow fights to keep

No, I don't think any of your corn- line voltage fluctuations per day. going and going.ponents are going to blowup tonight. Many of them can't be detected without By the way, if you ever have an actualBut tonight, there's just one thing I'd instruments. But, the main ones, caused power failure or brownout, turn off allreally like you to do. within your own home, and not by the your equipment immediately.

EASY TEST constant stream of spikes coming from When the power comes back on, youAs you're enjoying your evening, keep the power company, are easy to spot. are likely to get some mammoth spikes

an eye on the lighting around you (incan- CONSTANT ATTACKS that can cause immediate irreparabledescent bulbs). Oh, don't bother to mea- The biggest culprit is your refrigerator damage to your equipment.sure the intensity, lumens or anything or your air conditioner. Each time one These spikes are large versions ofcomplicated at all. comes on, a compressor cycles on and what your equipment is inundated with,

But, if your lighting is anything like sucks up an enormous surge of power. day in and day out.mine, every so often, your lights will It's that instantaneous reduction in Don't panic. Most equipment is madeinstantaneously blink or dim. If they don't, power that causes your lights to dim or . . .Next Page Please

ComputerPower Controller

111111111111WININk

POWER CONTROLLER

moos wisi

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Protect your computer and 5 peripherals from spikes, turn everything on and off from the front & swivel your monitor.on the back. 5 are switched from the front.One is unswitched but spike protectedso you can leave a peripheral on.

Each of the 5 switched outlets has anon -glare status light so you know what'son. Push a button for on/off control.

You can swivel the monitor from sideto side. So, if you have a separate key-board, you can really type in comfort.

Above, you can see The Power Con-troller between the Visual IBM® Com-patible Computer and its monitor. It is134" high, 1334" wide and 123/4" deep.

You can use it with virtually any com-puter. (It can hang off the back up to 31/2inches with no problem.) It's a perfectcombination of convenience and pro-tection for your computer system. It'sbacked by a limited warranty.

PROTECTION & CONVENIENCERISK FREE

I've only had my data wiped out onceby a power surge. But, I had over 2 hoursof irreplaceable 1st draft copy in mycomputer when it happened.

Now, I'm using my new Power Con -

By Drew KaplanIt's great. Now you don't have to reach

around the back of your computer to turnit on. And not only can you turn on eachperipheral separately, you can turn themall on or all off with one switch.

But there's more. This all new PowerController is much more than just a fancy'octopus' that supplies you with 6 outletsto get rid of cumbersome tangled cords.

It aids in the prevention of damagecaused by voltage surges and spikes. Itthen goes on to filter your AC to help pro-tect your equipment and data from linenoises caused by power disturbing airconditioners, refrigerators and the like.

And look at this. It protects your equip-ment from itself. There are 4 separatefiltered sections. So, your computer willbe protected from your printer, modemor other peripherals.: : pooti

BUT IT'S CONVENIENTThere are 6 protected 3 -wire outlets

trollers with 4 different computers. Withthis added protection, maybe I won'tlose data again. And, I've learned to savemy data much more often since my loss.

If you're not 100% satisfied, simplyreturn it to DAK within 30 days in itsoriginal box for a courteous refund.To order your 6 outlet Power Controller

with Spike Protection, Line Filtering,Circuit Breaker and a 1 0' 3 -wire ground-ed power cable risk free with your creditcard, call toll free or send your check forDAK's blockbuster price of just $79 ($6P&H). Order No. 4623. CA res add tax.

I like the convenience. It's somethingthat helps me every day. But, I'm thrilledwith the added protection. If it even helpsonce, it's worth many times the cost.

BCDAK INDUSTRIES

INC.Call Toll Free For Credit Card Orders Only

24 Hours A Day 7 Days A Week

1-800-325-0800For Toll Free Information. Call 6AM-5PM Monday -Friday PST

Technical Information.. _1-800-272-3200Any Other Inquiries 1-800-423-28668200 Remmet Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91304

. .Refrigerater Continuedto withstand this continual attack. Withcomputers, you usually only crash orlockup if the spike hits at the criticalmicro -second of data storage.

It's then that you can lose your data orhave your computer lockup. But frankly,it's not all that common.

What is common, is that the constantrepetition of surges, spikes and high andlow voltage that can average 2-300 timesa day, ultimately cause your equipmentto fail.

IMMORTALITYTheoretically, a light bulb is made to

last a set number of hours, because thefilament is actually burning.

When we used tubes for our stereos,TVs and even computers, they too had a

predetermined life. In fact, I used to re -tube my amps once a year because I

could really hear the difference.Transistors and integrated circuits

don't wear out or have a set life. Unlessthey are damaged electrically or physi-cally, there's no reason for them to fail.

So, you can be pretty sure that if thetuner in your stereo or the CPU in yourcomputer fails, it's been damaged.

The Protectors below blunt this seriesof electrical shocks to your equipment.

And, while a catastrophic computercrash is rare, these Protectors are alsoreally built to protect the long-term lifeof your equipment. And, they really do agood job.

Plus, they're very convenient. You'llhave 6 plugs for your components, so

you won't have wires running everywhere,and you won't forget to turn things off. (Ialways forgot to turn off my printer.)

When you use the Stereo Power Con-troller you can also add remote powerON /OFF and fully timed ON/OFF controlof your stereo system.

Plus, if you're like me, there are neverenough plugs in the back of your receiverto plug in all your components.

Wow, here's insurance for your stereosystem that also makes your life easier.

So, if you're into computers or stereo,read my ads below. And, pay attention toany dimming or blinking of your lights.

And, if you open your refrigerator doorfor a midnight snack, remember, youmay be attacking your electronic equip -melt as you add to your waistline.

Protect your stereo system's components from spikes and line interference. Plus, you'll control them automatically.ted, so you can leave on a component. I didn't include volume or mute be -

Each of the 5 switched outlets has a cause this controller is made to suppressnon -glare status light. Plus, there's 'Mas- noise going to your system, not addter Power for selected components. wires and noise within the 'sound loop'.

COMPUTER INSPIRED It's a perfect combination of conven-Last year I picked up static from a bad ience and protection for your stereo sys-

fluorescent fixture on an FM broadcast I tern. And, it fits right in. It's 17" wide,was recording, so, I put a computer power 13%" tall and 12%" deep. It's backed bycontroller into my stereo system. DAK's standard limited warranty.

It has really cleaned up my sound. PROTECTION Et CONVENIENCEAnd, of course, added protection for my RISK FREEcomponents. Also, with its 6 plugs, it's It's so easy to turn on my components.cleaned up my wiring. So, I've had the I love not worrying about noise. Themanufacturer create the same protection timer lets me have total control. And, 6for my audio that I have for my compu- extra 'protected' plugs are great.ters. And, look what we've added. It you're not 100% satisfied, simply

AUTOMATIC CONTROL return it to DAK within 30 days in itsThe built-in clock timer will allow you original box for a courteous refund.

to have your system come on and turn off To order your 6 outlet Stereo Powerwhenever you desire. So, you can record Controller with Spike Protection, 4 se -broadcasts you'd miss, or have your parate Line Filters, a Circuit Breaker and

stereo wake you up or a a 3 -wire grounded power cable riskput you to sleep. free with your credit card, call toll free or

With more and more send your check for DAK's noise silencingcassette decks being price of just $7990 ($6 P8-1). Order No.timer -ready, DAK's new 4832. For May delivery. CA res add tax.power controller is a If you'd like the identical controller/

protector with an infrared On/Off remote,it's just $899° ($6 P&H). Order No. 4833.

I love the convenience every day. I

can now record with confidence. But,I'm most thrilled with the added protec-tion for my cherished components.

By Drew KaplanIt's amazing. For years I've lived with

occasional interference when I'm record-ing. When a transistor has blown, I'venever known why. Plus, I've had to indi-vidually turn on and off each component.

Now I can protect my music from noise.Now I can protect my system's circuitsfrom transient power surges. And now, Ican not only control each componentseparately, I can turn them all on or offwith a single button, or automatically.

But there's more. This all new PowerController is much more than just a fancy'octopus' that supplies you with 6 outletsto get rid of cumbersome tangled cords.

It aids in the prevention of damagecaused by voltage surges and spikes.

It also filters your AC to help protectyour music and recordings from noisescaused by power disturbing air condi-tioners, fluorescent lights and the like.

And look at this. It protects your com-ponents from themselves. There are 4separate, electronically filtered sections.So, your tape deck won't pick up a blip ifyou switch on another component.

BUT IT'S CONVENIENTThere are 6 protected 3 -wire outlets

on the back. 5 are switched from the front.One is unswitched but still spike protec-

great asset.Plus, if you'd like to

turn your system off oron from up to 25 feetaway, there's an op-tional infrared remote.

Wireless TV Marriage SaverNow you can watch late night TV without bothering your spouse. Now you can listen to any audio source WIRE FREE!

phone that you simply place in front ofthe TV's speaker. It's so sensitive thatyou barely have to have the sound on tolisten, so you still won't bother anyone.

It's also great if your kids want towatch TV while you read. It's backed by astandard limited warranty.

WIRELESS TV FREEDOMRISK FREE

Luckily, my marriage is happy, but thelate night TV has been a problem. Waittill you hear the sound quality carried ona wave of light. It's amazing.

If you're not 100% satisfied, simplyreturn it to DAK in its original box within30 days for a courteous refund.

To order your complete Transmitter,AC power Supply, Receiver, and Stereo -phones risk free with your credit card,call toll free, or send your check forDAK's breakthrough price of just $49"($4 PEtH). Order No. 4860. CA add tax.

You can add as many extra receiver/stereophones as you wish for just $29"($2 PEtH). Order No. 4861. If you don'thave a headphone jack, the installationfree, sensitive microphone is just $19"($2 P&H). Order No. 4862.

You'll have wireless sound freedom.

By Drew KaplanIt's a problem. I like to watch

the late late movies and my wifewants to sleep. I also like to flipchannels and it drives her crazy.

Well, now I can listen as loud-ly as I like, as late as I like, andthere are no complaints.

And speaking of loud, if youknow someone who is 'hard ofhearing', now everyone in theroom doesn't have to be bom-barded by a loud TV.

HERE'S HOW IT WORKSThe system operates on waves

of infrared light, just like yourremote controls. So, there's vir-tually no noise and no interfer-ence, with a 30-18,000hz fre-quency response.

Simply plug the AC poweredtransmitter into an earphonejack or audio out from your TV,VCR, or other audio source.

You wear a great soundingpair of featherweight stereophones whichplug into an amplified receiver.

You'll have your choice of Mono orS.S.A (Spatial Sound Around) simulated

stereo. Of course, you'll control the vol-ume. (9V battery not included.)

And look at this. If there's no head-phone jack, there's an optional micro -

Concerto For GophersGophers must have great musical taste. They sure 'walk out' on this concert.

It's not Bach or Beethoven. It's a corn- noying concerto through the ground. Inbination of a 300hz sound and vibration the yard, you won't hear it. And it doesn'tthat makes gophers, moles and ground even bother worms. But, it sure annoyssquirrels pack their little bags and leave. rodents. It's weather resistant and back -

Forget poisons, traps and gas. Gophers ed by a standard limited warranty.have a keen sense of hearing and an PROTECT YOUR YARD MUSICALLYability to detect vibrations to signal them RISK FREEof danger. The new Go'Pher It! expels If you work hard on your lawn, now isrodents with no damage or danger. the time to protect your investment. If

Just push the 11" electronic vibrating you're not 100% satisfied, simply returnstake into the ground, put in 4 D bat- it to DAK in its original box within 30teries and you'll have about 6 months days for a courteous refund.worth of annoying music for gophers. To order your Go'Pher It! Electronic

You can protect a circular area up to Concerto for Gophers risk free with your100' in diameter with a single Go'Pher credit card, call toll free or send yourIt! So, don't let burrowing rodents de- check for just S49" ($4 P&H). Order No.stroy your lawn. Of course, it's 100% 4746. CA res add tax.safe for children and pets. It doesn't kill Gophers make lousy house guests.the gophers, it just makes them leave. They simply eat too much. Let them face

Every 15 seconds it sends out its an- the music and get the ". . ." out!

Wireless WalkLiteNow you can have romantic and safe lights in your yard without any wires.

It's true. It's sunshine at night. The They aren't flood lights, they providenew WalkLite is solar powered by day to a soft glow for a safer, more romanticprovide a soft romantic light by night. yard. They're made by Chronar and they

In your garden, on your patio or any- are backed by their limited warranty.where in your yard, you can have light WIRELESS WALKLITESwithout running wires or putting in bat- RISK FREEteries. Each WalkLite comes with its As you walk in your yard, you'll reallyown 2' pole, or it can be wall mounted. appreciate these beautiful lights. They

Just after dusk, these incredible lights really are lovely.will come on and will provide an average If you're not 100% satisfied, simplyof 4 to 5 hours of gentle warm light return it in its original box within 30 dayseach night. for a courteous refund.

By day they are charged, by night they To order Chronar's Wireless WalkLitegive back the light to brighten and roman- Rechargeable Yard Light risk free withticize your home, night after night. your credit card, call toll free or send

They'll add glamor to your yard, deck your check for just $49" ($5 PEtH). Orderareas or even by the back door. And No. 4864. CA res add tax.since there's no wiring and no main- Look out of your window tonight andtenance, you'll really appreciate these imagine the warmth of automatic Walk -lights over the years. Lites lighting your garden.

Orchestral ChordMaker PlusHere's an entire instrumental group to fulfill your every musical need. Whether you're a pianist, an organist or a singer,even if you've never played before, you'll be creating beautiful music. And, wait till you pick up the bonus drum sticks.

By Drew Kaplan And for chords, this keyboard is 8 -note board. Play through the 3 full octaves.Choose your favorite voices. Then add inthe incredible auto -accompaniment andauto -rhythm.

When you sit down at this keyboard,you'll be playing full rich vibrant instru-ments. It's great for soloists or for ac-companiment. It's so easy to use becauseit's so incredibly sophisticated.

If you're not 100% satisfied, simplyreturn it in its original box to DAK within30 days for a courteous refund.

To order Casio's 3 Octave Full SizeElectronic Keyboard with 12 IncrediblyAccurate Instruments, 12 Separate Rhy-thms with 2916 Variations, RecordingCapabilities and the incredible ChordingAuto -Accompaniment Function, call tollfree, or send your check for DAK's marketbreaking price (suggested retail is $199)of just $129'° ($7 PEtH). Order No. 4895.CA res add tax.

Super FREE Bonus: Pick up the in-credible electronicCasio Drum Sticks.You can add any of 8drum sounds.

The sound is elec-tronic. You can shakethem in the air or hitany object. You'll beamazed. So, you cannow have a completedrum section in yourhands.

The sticks are nor-mally a $50 suggest-ed retail option. DAKwill include them ab-

solutely free when you purchase the key-board at our breakthrough price.

NOTE: None of the rhythm capabilitiesdescribed with the keyboard include whatyou'll be able to do with these incredibleelectronic drum sticks.

You'll be the hit of any party, evenyour own, with this phenomenal groupof musical instruments from Casio.

It's chopsticks time in musicland. Nowyou can play any of 12 totally differentinstruments, and have 12 different rhythmsections backing you up automatically.

And what if you don't play? Well, if yousing, this incredible new chordmaker willcombine auto -rhythm with your choiceof chords to accompany you.

It's amazing. It's like having a skilledband backing you up. If you want to singin the key of G, just touch G, and let theconcert begin.

polyphonic which means you can pressmore than one key at a time.

Special note: Like a studio mixer, you'llhave individual level control of the ac-companiment volume, rhythm volumeand main volume. So, you're in completecontrol of this superb musical system.

AUTO -ACCOMPANIMENTThis isn't the first keyboard I've seen,

although it's certainly the best I've used.But I think what really sets it apart is theauto -accompaniment.

CASIO

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1!!

GREAT SOUNDSYou'll hear your music through power-

ful twin built-in speakers. Or, connectthis keyboard to your stereo system.Wait till you hear the power of a pipeorgan in your living room. It's awesome.

Just touch a button and this keyboardaccurately reproduces the sounds of thefollowing 12 instruments and rhythms:Piano, vibraphone, jazz organ, violin, trumpet, funky clav-ichord, electric piano, electric guitar, pipe organ, humanvoice, flute and synthesizer sound. The rhythms are rock1, pops, disco, swing, samba, march. rock 2, reggae, 16beat, slow rock, bossa nova and waltz.

The sound is so real that when youtouch violin, you can actually hear thebow move across the string.

So, even if you can only play with onefinger, you can record about 500 notesin this keyboard's real time memory, orhook it up to your stereo and send yourcreations off to Carnegie Hall.

There are 12 basic rhythm beats, butyou'll also have 5 automatic 'SuperDrums', each with 3 variable effects for atotal of 2,916 possible variations.

Plus, the rhythm is controlled by infin-itely variable electronic tempo controls.

There's even an Intro./Fill-In Buttonand an Automatic End Button.

This may all sound complicated, butjust switch on the keyboard and startplaying. It's all really easy to use.

In fact, it's mostly automated for you.Or, you can take control anytime you like.

You'll have a full 3 octave 49 key range.

It combines rhythm and the cords you

choose to accompany you when you or agroup sings.

It's like strumming chords on a guitarwithout ever having to learn how to play,end adding in a rhythm section too. Wow!

But if you're a professional musician,you'll love the freedom to play any instru-ment anywhere you are. It operates on 6AA batteries (included).

And, it even shuts itself off if youhaven't used it for 6 minutes. It's a full26" wide, 77/s" deep and 21/2" tall. Itweighs just 6 pounds, including batter-ies. It's made by Casio and backed bytheir standard limited warranty.

A COMPLETE ORCHESTRARISK FREE

Put your fingers on the full sized key -

INDUSTRIESINC

redit.CIl oil Free F or C Card Orders Only21 Hours A Day 7 Days A Week

1-800-325-0800For Toll Free Information, Call 6AM-5PM Monday -Friday PSTTechnical Information 1-800-272-3200Any Other Inquiries 1-800-423-28668200 Remmet Ave , Canoga Park, CA 91304

Emerson's Gone Audiophile?So, Emerson's not known as the biggest (best) name in audiophile components? Well, the next time yousee Emerson'sdigital equipment in a discount store, before you turn up your nose, read on. And, wait till you see the price!

By Drew Kaplan And, therefore it's 1) Not music, it's you'll be awed by the digital version.It's not music. It's not stereo. And, it's really computer bits. 2) There's a big SIMPLY LOADED

not like any HiFi that's ever been created. problem because a bit is a bit and I've yet Emerson's remote control 16 bit CDCDs have blasted the audiophile world to hear the CD player that sounds any player uses the latest 3 -beam, laser sys-

with such power, that they've pulverized different from any other player. tem with heavy sampling.sales of all other types of recordings. And 3) Since Emerson's CD is just as You can select up to 15 tracks to play

As I write to you, their sales have even good sounding (and working) as the most in any order you like. Plus, there's repeatsurpassed LPs. Virtually everyone is expensive names in audiophileland, Em- which lets you listen to a single track,switching to CDs. With a 5hz to 20,000hz erson is an instant Audiophile Company.frequency response and a 95db signal to In Short. A CD player is a CD player isnoise ratio, music has surpassed an a CD player, as long as it's a good, reli-audiophile's most optimistic dreams. able deck (Emerson's is) and has all the

BUT IT'S NOT MUSIC features like remote control and randomAND THERE'S A BIG PROBLEM programing (Emerson's does).OK, So 1) Why aren't CDs really Music? So, don't spend an extra nickel, be -

And, 2) What's the big problem? cause after 22 years of running DAK, 1)And, 3)Why is Emerson now an audio- I've never heard sound equal to CDs, and

phile company? Well, let me tell you. 2) I can't hear the difference between aRecords and tapes contain electronic $1,000 CD deck and a $1 50 CD deck.

images of the music they reproduce. SOUND LIKE A LIGHTNING BOLTSo if a microphone picks up a 1,000hz There's no warning. There's no record

tone, it transmits a 1,000hz wave down noise, no tape hiss. Vibrant but finelythe wire to your cassette deck. detailed music just explodes from your

Those 1 ,000hz tones (Note: hz means stereo system. The sound is like a shock -cycles per second or vibrations per sec- wave reverberating through your home.ond.) are faithfully recorded on the tape. This is the experience you can expect

Well, actually those 1,000 cycles, and with your introduction to digital audio.tape hiss and the tape's ability to han- Imagine listening to music with a fre-dle the volume level without saturating, quency response from 5-20,000hz. Imag-are actually recorded onto the tape. ine sound so pure that harmonic distor-

Plus, very few cassette decks can re- tion is just 0.03. And, if you're into zeros,produce frequencies to the response flutter and wow is "unmeasurable".limits of human hearing. So, while re- NO SOUND AT ALLcords and tapes contain recorded music, You've got to experience the silencethey also contain a lot of garbage. during very quiet passages to compre-

Well, CDs don't. CD's aren't music. hend the sonic adventure of the music.They are actually computer disks. When Conventional records and tapes havethat 1,000 cycle tone comes down the a dynamic range of perhaps 50db. Dy-line at the recording studio, it is broken namic range is simply the difference ininto 44,100 segments each second and sound level (volume) between the soft -only the computer codes are recorded. est and loudest recorded sounds.

There's no tape hiss because a CD CD gives you a 90db dynamic range,player is not reproducing the music, just which is roughly equivalent to the dif-the same computer bits as any computer. ference between absolute silence and

And, a computer bit is either an on or standing next to a jet engine.an off signal. There's no cleaner or more MORE MUSIC NOWsensitive bit. It's there, or it's not! Much of the music of the 50s, 60s and

There's no saturation because volume 70s is now being re-released. The musicis also recorded in bit form, not as a was recorded on 2" wide tapes movingbigger wave as it is in conventional audio. at 15" per second in recording studios.

And, there's no frequency limitation The masters really sound great. It wasbecause again, bits are used rather than the limitations in LPs and cassettes thatmirror image recording. So, a CD can really hurt the sound. So, if you will buyonly reproduce exactly what's recorded. just one CD of an LP you already own,

the 15 programmed selections, or theentire disc, over and over again, forever.

So, you can have an hour or an eve-ning of uninterrupted music just the wayyou want it. Isn't this what musical en-joyment is all about?

Touch a button and the motorizedfront -loading door opens to accept a CD.Touch the button again and it closes.

PROGRAM REPEAT TRACK INDEX

I I _I I

The oversized fluorescent displayshows total playing time, index position,track number or time played per track.

POWERFUL REMOTEYou can do it all from your favorite

easy chair. You can randomly select anytrack on the disc. Choose Play, Pause,Skip to the Next or to the Last Track andeven change the displayed information.

It plugs into any 'Aux' input, and it'sbacked by Emerson's limited warranty.

TRY EXPLOSIVE SOUNDRISK FREE

Plug it in. Experience music with athrilling frequency response and sonicrange. You'll be thrilled by the hiss andbackground noise you won't hear.

If you're not 100% awed, simply returnit in its original box to DAK within 30days for a courteous refund.

To order Emerson's Audiophile Re-mote Control CD player with its myriadof automated features risk free with yourcredit card, call toll free, or send yourcheck for just $1599° ($8 P&H). Wow!Order No. 4907. CA res add tax.

The sound is thrilling. You'll hear musicas you've never heard it before. Emer-son has used computers to become amajor audiophile company. Why not letyour ears confirm my claims!

The swumSound Secret

Make your stereo system's sound explode with life for just $8890. Then, try to get a salesman at a HiFi store to com-pare any equalizer to a $1000 worth of improved amplifiers and tuners. Read on!

By Drew Kaplan The high frequencies really determine bass starved personal stereos, they'llIt's like night and day. Crashing cym- your music's clarity and brill,ance. really thunder to life.

bals, the depth of a string bass, more You can boost the highs at 8,000hz You can also enhance the highs fortrumpets or more voice will come burst- and 16,000hz. So, you can bring crash- cassettes played in your car. Wait till youing forth from your stereo system. The ing cymbals to life at 16,000hz while at hear the dramatic impact of thrilling en -sound is awesome! the same time you cut tape hiss or an- hanced sound in your car.

You'll make your music so vibrant that noying record scratches at E,000hz. Ar equalizer can improve all your musicyou won't recognize your own stereo You can also boost or cut specific wherever you are.system's exciting new sound. mid -range frequency areas to add or Your tape deck will work exactly as it

Now you can save spending up to subtract vocal, trumpets, guitars or what- did before. Except, now you can choose$1,000 on new equipment. It wouldn't ever instruments you prefer. to listen with or without equalization,equal the massive sound improvement IMPORTANT NOTE: There's nothing and you can dub.that will literally blow you away when complicated. Just adjust the illuminated You won't be listening to any distor-you connect this equalizer. sliders shown in the picture above until tion or hum. This equalizer has a 90db

BAD NEWS FOR DEALERS you like the sound. It's totally up to you. signal to noise ratio, total harmonic dis-Here's a good test for dealers. Ask There is no right or wrong, only ex- tortion of less than 0.05%, and a fre-

them to demo an equalizer for you with a plosive scund. And, there's a Bypass quency response from 5hz to 30,000hz.less expensive system than the one you Switch so you can instantly compare Once you've set your equalizer con -are looking at. unequalized with equalized sound. You'll troll, switch it in and out of the system.

If they won't demo it and let you set be the judge. You'll hear such an explosive improve -the controls, beware, you may end up MOVING INSTRUMENTS mert in sound, you'll think you've addedspending more money for less sound. You'll see your music, not as a single thousands of dollars of new equipment.

HOW MUCH BETTER SOUND? level on a VU meter, but as a kaleido- THE FINAL FACTSIt can sound incredibly better. Think scopic parade of 10 individual 9 element There are 20 slide controls, each with

of an equalizer as 20 (10 per channel) VU meters. It's called a real time spec- a bright Green (right channel) or Redpartitioned bass and treble controls. trum analyzer. (left channel) LED to clearly show its

When you buy equipment, you judge Each column is tuned to a specific pos tion. Each control will add or sub -it and pay for it often based on its ability octave of the sound spectrum. The effect tract up to 12db. (That's a 24db range! )to accurately reproduce the audio fre- is awesome. You can visually isolate a Enhance each channel by ± 12db atquency response from 20hz to 20,000hz. string bass or cymbal and actually see 30hz, 60hz, 1 20hz, 250hz, 500hz, 1,000

Well, with an equalizer, you can add or each individual instrument almost as a hz, 2,000hz, 4,000hz, 8,000hz andsubtract up to 12db at any of 10 specific wave moving across the 90 individual 16,000hz.frequency areas to really enhance the LED elements. It's 171/8" wide, 81/2" deep and 3" tall.equipment you already have. LI TA It's oacked by a limited warranty.

Of course, the better your equipment, IN OUT IN 1 OUT tour INFUSE YOUR MUSICthe more an equalizer has to work with. RISK FREE

And, it even becomes more important 0 L 0 LO 1 0 Prepare for a shock the first time youwith CDs. An equalizer's capabilities swi:ch in this equalizer. Instruments youare simply awesome. 0 R G 0 R 0 R 0 never heard in your music will appear.

Just a 5db roll -off at the high end, up Your music will sound deeper and richer.around 14,000hz, can decimate the har- If your stereo system doesn't leap outmonics that give you the open feeling EASY HOOK UP at you, return it in its original box withinyou'd experience at a live concert. Use you- tape monitor circuit, but don't 30 days for a courteous refund.

A roll -off at 60hz causes the bass lose it. Now your one tape monitor cir- To order your BSR 10 Band Graphicnotes to just fade away into the 'murk'. cuit lets you connect two tape decks. Equalizer with Real Time Spectrum Ana -

Anyway, bass and treble controls really You can play from either and dub from lyze r and Tape Dubbing risk free witharen't very good and should be left flat B to A. Just plug the equalizer into the your credit card, call toll free or send(neutral). Here's why. tape 'in' and 'out' jacks on ycur receiver. your check for just $88' ($7 PEtH). Order

Bass controls turn up the entire low Even the cables are included. No. 4744. CA res add tax.end as well as the low mid -range, mak- As you listen to your records, FM or Wake up the sound in your stereo.ing the sound muddy and heavy. With an 'aux', any time you push the tape mon- Yoe r sound will explode with life as itequalizer, you simply pick the exact fre- itor switcn on your receiver you'll hear never has before. You won't experiencequencies you want to enhance. your music jump to life. a subtle improvement. It's awesome!

You can boost the low bass at 30hz, The output from your receiver is al-60hz and/or 1 20hz. Boost the mid -bass ways fed directly to deck A for record -at 250hz and 500hz to animate specific ing. With the touch of a button, you canareas of the musical spectrum. choose to send equalized or non -equal -

And when you boost the part of the ized signal to your deck.bass you like, you won't disturb the mid- Send equalized signal to your deck Tec -mica! Information 1-800-272-3200range frequencies and make your favorite and you can add thundering bass to your Any Other Inquiries 1-800-423-2866singer sound like he has a sore throat. cassettes. So, when you play them on 820-) Remmet Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91304

1110K INC.INIIIISTRIES

Call oil Free For Credo! Card Orders Only24 Hour. A Day 7 Days A Week

1-1100-325-01100For Toll Free Information. Call 6AM-5PM Monday -Friday PST

$69° Module BlowoutNow you can literally steal X10 Modules because GE dropped its multi -hundred dollar TV House Minder® remote sys-tem. And, X10 wants to introduce its new hand held wireless system. It lets you turn on lights as you approach yourhome in your car, or adjust the brightness of your dining room chandelier. It's compatible with all X10 modules.

By Drew KaplanIt's great luck. X10 made modules for

an ill-fated system that GE designed.Oh, the system worked great, but not

enough people wanted to hook up amulti -hundred dollar control box to theirTV to control the lights in their homes.

We didn't buy GE's Home Minders®,but we've been able to secure about50,000 lamp and appliance modules.

Because X10 labeled them for GE, wegot them at a price that lets us put a mod-ule on virtually every lamp and appli-ance in 'our' homes.

Yes, I use the system in my home. Infact, I had an X10 system long before Iever thought of selling remote control.

It's just about the only way to gainremote control and dimming of your lightswithout building your own home.

I suppose you could open walls andrun wires, but with X10 modules, justplug them in and you have instant remotecontrol anywhere in your home.

The modules are made by X10. Thewarranty comes from X10. And they dothe same things as any other X10 mod-ules. The only difference, that isn't cos-metic, is the price. Wow!

IT'S A BRAINSTORMAs a great way to introduce X10's

incredible new hand held wireless sys-tem, we're blowing out these modules.

Now you can get as many lamp orappliance modules asyou like (See Im-portant Note), by just buying a new RFwireless remote control system.

Each system consists of a wirelesshand held transmitter and a receiver.And, they are on sale for just $3990 (weintroduced them this summer for $4990).

So, with the purchase of at least onewireless system, you may order GE lampand appliance modules for the incred-ible blowout price of just $69° each.

Important Note: We cannot sell themodules without the wireless system.And we cannot sell to dealers. Therefore,we cannot accept orders larger than 25modules per wireless system. DAK re-serves the right to stop this promotionwhen the GE modules are sold out.

WIRELESS FREEDOMForget wall -bound switches. Imagine

walking freely around your home, turn-ing lights and appliances on and off.

Look out of a window and turn on yourbackyard lights. Dim the lamp at theother end of the room. Or, turn on the liv-ing room lights as you come downstairs.

This instant remote control systemconsists of inexpensive space age con-trol modules and command centers, andit simply plugs in in seconds.

It actually uses your existing house oroffice wiring. And if you can plug in alamp, you can plug in this system.

It's exciting. Just imagine effortlesslyretrofitting your home or office for remotecontrol without ever running a single wire.

NOW IT'S REALLY REMOTEAs sophisticated as the X10 system

has been with Control Consoles, Timersand even Telephone Controllers, it has

now gone Hand Held Wireless.As you can see in my hand, a new

hand held RF radio controlled ultimateconsole now exists to set you free.

You'll actually be holding remote con-trol for your entire home in the palm ofyour hand. Touch a rocker switch to turnon or off any lamp or appliance you wish.There's even 0% to 100% dimming.

There are 8 buttons, plus a switch thatlets you select another 8 (more later).

Just imagine the freedom of sitting onyour patio as it gets dark. Just touch abutton and your patio or yard lights willjump to life. If you'd like to view thestars, just switch off the lights.

It's very romantic under the stars. Infact, it's very romantic in the living room,at the dining room table, or in the bed-room as you remotely dim the lights.

It's also a great safety/security device.If you hear a noise, a button in your hand

turns on the lights.As you drive up to your home at night,

just touch a button to turn on your front,side or back yard lights. You or yourspouse will never be in the dark again.

And, if you connect a siren to a mod-ule, this wireless remote becomes aportable panic button that goes whereyou go.

WIRELESS REMOTE EXPLAINEDThe handset generates radio waves

that won't bother your TV or FM, but willactivate its matched plug-in receiver.

The receiver (which is also a plug-inappliance module), then translates thebutton you've pushed into control codesfor ALL the X10 modules in your home.

So, using this remote is basically thesame as using any of the wired consolesthat I'm about to describe. One receiverwill operate up to 8 different modules.

If you have two receivers, a front panelswitch lets you select a second 8 mod-ules. So, from the handset you can oper-ate up to 16 different modules.

If you buy two of these wireless sys-tems (consisting of a handset and remotereceiver) for just $3990 each, you'll have16 module control and Two handsets.Wow, what a way to go.

HERE'S HOW X10 WORKSAs you push each button on the com-

mand consoles, a powerful but silentencoded signal is sent down its AC cord

. . .Next Page Please

..Remote Continuedinto your home or office wiring.

This safe, silent encoded signal, travelsthroughout your electrical system. And,it won't disturb your TV or your FM.

It can even reach your unattachedgarages, barns, sheds and even yourpool light, porch lights and yard lights.

Wherever you want to control a lightor appliance, all you have to do is plug inone of the systems controller modules.

Each module has a rotary dial num-bered from 1 to 16. Just dial in a numberto match one of the 16 numbered but-tons on any of the control consoles.

Then just plug the module into thewall and the lamp or appliance into themodule for instant remote control.Important note: You will still have localcontrol of all your lights and appliancesby just using their normal switches, eventhough they are plugged into modules.

Each module actually senses whenyou turn the controlled unit's switch andautomatically relinquishes control.

There are separate modules for lampsthat have full range dimming capabilityfrom 0% to 100%, and handle up to 300watts. There are appliance modules thathave no dimming but can handle up to500 watts, or 1 /3hp motors.

And, there are even light switch mod-ules that have both full dimming and500 watt capability which you can put ininstead of your present wall switches.

SOME NEAT IDEASYou can set several modules to the

same number so that the front and rearlights can come on together.

Or, you can set all the lamps in a roomto come on and even dim together.

I can turn the lights on in the garageas I walk toward it. And, I can turn on ourbedroom lights as I walk upstairs.

You're sure to want a module in yourdining room. Eating by subdued light is areal pleasure. And remember, not onlydo you get full remote control, you get0% to 100% brightness control.

It's like getting free dimmers thrownin with your remote control. Use it for

bedside lamps, swag lamps, ceiling lights,track lights and garage lights.

And, you'll automate your fans, coffeemaker, humidifiers and crock -pots.

QUITE A SYSTEMAs you get into bed tonight, think about

what you'd do if you heard a noise out-side or downstairs. Just push a button.

It's convenience. And, it's fun. It's back-ed by X10's standard limited warranty.

11 you aren't 100% satisfied, simplyreturn any component to DAK in its orig-inal box within 30 days for a refund.Note: Special Sale modules must be re-turr ed if Wireless Remote is returned.

To order Any Combination of Corn -

444 ...* *rommt... 4$ -U. M Illib. /REEF ...

.a. .... a.. ,-- - :III= 697 r Val'" 111 Mal gi: MI V -....,,,,..._. a9VIII ar- - - .-:-,a * fa a ----- -

..... s .,.._ 111" maloi, 'Qr.,-- . MI IN& INN NM..,.. ..:- -.0. . .:-- :-.- --_ WMIIN41111

..:-. --- ..- - - MUMS -Eli,s7fe"-P--.,--=-- 711144F .....-- -------:...,'Zr------4;-e ,-Sr -----1111, ,..,.. 110 IND MI f4. &V"MI MI MIz 0- is: U-rat AIM `no ism-do ainraligair NM INE ===LUILIMININa...-_=-, Awe AMY 1111--__t_--_\

IN111111111111111M11&111MIkvii M== 1111.1KWIILIIkt:Think about how nice dimmed lights

would be in your bedroom or living room.THE COMMAND CONSOLE

Imagine that you're watching TV. Youcan dim the lights from your easy chair.If you hear a noise, touch a button andyour outside flood lights jurnp to life.

It's all easy when you have this top ofthe line Command Console, shown above,sitting next to you. It can let you controlup to 16 different lights and appliances.

You can turn each on or off. You candim or brighten lights. And ook at this,you can turn all your controlled lights onor off for instant security with the 'All On'and 'All Off' buttons on the console.

You can even move it from room toroom because its total installation con-sists of simply plugging it in

THE TIMERThis sophisticated electronic brain

can perform 32 tasks. Just plug it in.Select the module number you want

to control, then decide if you want thecontrolled device to come on or off.

If you only want something to happenonce, just push the 'Once' button.

There is a 'Daily' button that lets any-thing you've programmed occx every day.

There's a 'Security' button. You can pro-gram lights and radios to give your housea lived-in look when you're away.

With The Timer, you can set your win-dow air conditioning to come on an hourbefore you return from work.

Or, you can have your porch lightscome on so you'll never enter a darkhouse. And, you can set your hall light tocome on at 1 1PM and off a: 6AM.

Special Note: Just put in a 9V batteryand your program memory will be pro-tected from power failures.

TELEPHONE CONTROL TOOYou can even phone home and con-

trol anything. Just plug it into both yourAC line and any modular phone jack.

Then just call your regular phone num-ber, hold up its 'beeper controller', giveyour 3 digit code, and start controlling.

And, if you own a second home, nowyou can activate pipe heaters or 'switchon' the house so it's warm or cool and lit.

ULTIMATE REMOTE CONTROLRISK FREE

It's simply thrilling to use. It's security.

mand Consoles, and Modules call tollfree, or send your check as shown below.

All Command Consoles and Mod-ules are 100% compatible.

1)The Hand Held Wireless Remoteplus Receiver -Lets you control 8 dif-ferent modules with one receiver, or buytwo sets of transmitters/receivers. You'llhave two handsets and each will be ableto control up to 16 different modules,On/Off and Dim. NOW ON SALE FORJUST $3910 ($3 P8-1-1) per receiver/trans-mitter set. Order No. 4712.

SUPER SALE ON GE MODULES. Youmay order up to 25 modules with eachwireless system you buy. The specifica-tiors are identical to X10's below. Theyare just $690 ($1 P&H) each. Use OrderNo. 4899 for the Lamp Module. And/Or,use Order No. 4900 for the ApplianceModule. Note: If you don't order theWireless System or want more than 25modules, order X10's below.

2)The Control Console -Lets you con-trol up to 16 different modules. On/Off/Din -/All On/All Off. Just $199° ($2 P&H).Order No. 4622.

3)32 Event Clock Timer -Lets you con-trol 8 modules. Also acts as a commandbase plus sleep and security extras. Just$2E9° ($2 P&H). Or. No. 9777.

4)Telephone Responder -Phone homeand control 8 devices. It's also a base. It'sjust 839' ($3 P&H). Order No. 9778.

5)Lamp Module-Controls/Dims lampsup to 300 watts plugged into walls. Just$99° ($1 P&H). Order No. 9779.

6)Wall Switch Module-Controls/Dimslights now controlled by wall switches.50C watt capacity. Just replace your wallswitch with this automated module. Just$12' ($1 P&H). Order No. 9780.

7)Appliance Module -Control stereos,TVs, or anything with motors. 15 amps,500 watts, 1/3hp rating. Just $1010 ($1P&H). Order No. 9781.

INDUSTRIESINC.

ell oll Free For Credo Crd Orders Only24 Hour A Day 7 Day A Week

1-800-325-0800For Toll Free Information. Can 6AM-5PM Monday -Friday PST

Technical Information. . .1-800-272-3200Any Other Inquiries 1-800-423-2866820) Remmet Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91304

The Great $91190 Copier Blow -OutDAK has obliterated the $349 suggested retail price. Now forjust $9990 you can copy price lists at trade shows, articlesin libraries, receipts in your car, stock quotes on airplanes, recipes at home or blueprints on a construction site.

By Drew KaplanYou're in a restaurant. An important

meeting is in progress.The person you're meeting with shows

you a confidential price list. You whipout your new Silver Reed Industrial Pock-et Copier and make yourself a copy.

Great Idea, but.. While thousands ofrich executives are currently increasingtheir productivity by using this sophisti-cated copier at meetings, in hotels, andof course at home, it's simply been tooexpensive for the rest of us to use.

Well, no more. Silver Reed couldn'tfind as many rich executives as it needed,so DAK bought all their copiers for cash!Now, for just $9990, which I've been toldis $40 below the Japanese manufacturingcost, we can all make full size, crisp, flaw-less copies wherever we are, instantly.

Now we can all enjoy the productiv-ity and luxury of the rich. We can forgetthe $349 suggested retail price.

We can forget the 1987 Confidential$230 Dealer Price List Cost. Cordless,hand held copying is now a reality whileour limited supply lasts, for just $9990.

HOW IT WORKSDozens of magazines have reviewed

this product because of its revolutionaryminiaturized technology and utility.

Just glide this less than 2 pound copierover any printed surface including words,pictures and graphs. And, your perma-nent copy will instantly emerge.

This copier uses the newest sophis-ticated CCD image sensors to scan thematerial to be copied.

It then digitally converts the image.Finally, much like a laser printer, it printsan image so sharp and crisp and withsuch incredibly fine dots, that it can evenhave more contrast than the original.

Since it uses the newest thermal tech-nology, there are never any chemicals orpowders to bother with. And best of all,absolutely no maintenance is required.

It's a phenomenal amount of technol-ogy for just $9990. Plus, look at every-thing you get!

It comes with built-in rechargeableni-cad batteries. So, you won't have tobuy batteries. And, even the charger isincluded. There's a leatherette carryingcase and it all fits easily into your brief-case, purse or overcoat pocket.

HERE AND THERESo, if you want to copy a column out of

an encyclopedia, or a document thatcan't be removed from a file room or li-brary, or stock quotes from the paper,Silver Reed has the solution.

At home you can copy checks, recipesor airline ticket schedules.

On the road, you can copy your ex-pense receipts as they occur. If you'relike me, you often lose half of them, sothis copier is saving me a lot of money.

And look at this. It's ideal for copyingnumbers &addresses from phone booksin phone booths. Now you don't have toscribble notes; just pass the copier downthe pages and you'll have a perfect copy,even from the yellow pages.

Ity7,74 MIin-

r a I.I

1

Prelke-

FINAL CLOSE-OUTList Price was $349

DAK sold it for $299

NOW JUST$9990

BUT IT'S ONLY 3" WIDEIt copies a 3" wide path, as long as

you like, flawlessly. So, it's really greatfor sections of blueprints, computer print-outs and hard to copy items like boxlabels in the warehouse or on the dock.

You can copy a typical 6" letter (that'sthe average text amount) in two quickpasses. So, for letters, checks, researchor newspaper articles, you can nowcopy where no copier has gone before.

ALL THE CORDLESS USESFrom copying EKG results for doctors

to bibliographies for students and pro-fessors, you'll be more productive.

Forget taking tedious notes. Just copyparagraphs or sections you need. You'llhave error free permanent records.

You can copy charts or music. Copyan income statement or a balance sheet.

And, if you've ever stood in line at afederal, state or city archive as I have,you can now copy anything instantly.

And, speaking of aggravation, beingstuck in a hotel room or on a commutertrain can just devastate my productivity.

I can't copy my notes. I can't copy sec-tions of articles I'm reading to show myfellow DAK executives, and I hate writ-ing notes on original spec sheets.

If you make house calls to sell insurance,. . .Next Page Please

. . .Copier Blow -Out Continuedor real estate, or if you simply work onschool projects at other peoples' homesas my wife does, this copier is a must.

You can copy title reports, old medi-cal forms, or even original blueprints.For working on school projects, you caninstantly copy class phone/address listsand save lots of tedious note taking.

You can copy the front and back of acheck. Or, you can copy a map so youwon't get lost. It's all really easy.

Copy driver's licenses if you own astore and cash checks, or if you have anaccident. Hospitals can copy health cardsor IDs for permanent, error free records.

And if you're into government espion-age (our side only please), this copiershould replace your old spy camera.

Of course, the most common use is atyour desk. You'll be amazed at how manythings you'll copy when a copier is atyour side. As I mentioned, if I read anarticle, I like to copy the important partsfor others at DAK, to maximize my efforts.

BUT IS IT REALLY GOOD?OK, if you're standing next to your

desktop copier, which copier should youuse? Well, the answer is simple. Assum-ing you don't have to wait for the desk-top copier to warm up, (the Porta Copy isinstant on) the answer is the desktop.

But, you'll love the quality of this cop-ier. You'll love all the places you can takeit. And, now that it doesn't cost $349,you'll love how much cheaper it is.

The quality of the copy is nothingshort of superb. So, you won't be sacri-ficing quality for portability.

It's just 6%" tall, 4" wide and 1%"deep. It weighs less than two pounds(Wow). It has a copy density control thatlets you adjust for imperfect originals.

It comes complete with a carryingcase, a roll of paper and the rechargerfor its internal ni-cad batteries. It's back-ed by Silver Reed's limited warranty.

Desktop Blow -Out TooIf you don't need cordless portability,

DAK also bought all of Silver Reed's topof the line desktop copiers too. Forgetthe $449 suggested retail price. Forgetthe 1987 Confidential $280 Dealer Cost.

For an incredible $229 you can copyfull 81/2" X 11" papers and even books,flawlessly. It is maintenance free anddoesn't require toner or powders.

Take a moment and journey back withme to about 1978. My very first real lux-ury was renting a Xerox' machine for myoffice at home.

Every time I made a copy of a letter ora magazine article, I felt successful.

My wife copied recipes and a neverending series of school projects for ourkids. I could copy checks, tax returns orreceipts. But, it cost me $100 per month

for the rental, plus a charge per copy.Well, now at home or in my own office

at DAK, I can make perfect copies of let-ters and reports. I can make 81/2" widecopies from 3" to 11" long.

This copier is absolutely silent. Thereare no fans to disturb you. The only soundyou'll hear is a gentle whirr during theactual copy process. It's absolutely per-fect for your desk at work.

At DAK, we have several large expensivecopiers. But, we have a 64,000 squarefoot building. So, they are never nearby.I can buy 12 of these copiers for the costof just one standard machine.

And since the copy quality is so good,several departments at DAK have theirown. They're thrilled and I m happy be-cause they save time.

Just switch it on and in 3 secondsyou're ready to make great looking copies.There's even a contrast control to com-pensate for imperfect originals.

It uses the same breakthrough CCDimage sensing circuitry as the portable.The revolutionary computerized thermaltechnology that makes these copierspossible, provides you with crisp, drama-tically sharp copies with contrast thatcan even surpass the original.

My wife often says she married mebecause I had a copier at home. (Shewas a teacher at the time.) And, we alluse it a lot. From homework assign-ments to road maps to report cards, ourcopier is always running.

We had to send a copy of our can-celled check for a house payment to ourbank. And, I copied a poem from a bookfor my son to learn. We even made copiesof my son's 3rd grade speech.

This desktop copier is just 16" wide,14Y2" deep and 41/4" tall. It's backed bySilver Reed's standard limited warranty.

THE UGLY SERVICE PROBLEMEveryone knows that copiers need ser-

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vice. But Silver Reed's sophisticatedmaintenance free thermal copiers elimin-ate the problem. Forget powders, tonersand drum cleaning. Just turn these cop-iers on and enjoy the luxury of makingcopies whenever and wherever you want.MAMMOTH COPIER BLOW -OUTS

RISK FREEI love having a copier. I never have to

get in the car when I need a copy of adocument when I'm at home. And now, Ican even make flawless copies in an air-plane, a hotel room or on a loading dock.

If you're not 100% thrilled with eithercopier, return it to DAK in its original boxwithin 30 days for a courteous refund.

To order Silver Reed's Hand Held PortaCopy Cordless Copier complete withbuilt-in ni-cad batteries, charger, carry-ing case and a 30' roll of paper risk freewith your credit card, call toll free, orsend your check for DAK's limited blow-oLt price of just $9990 ($6 PEtH). OrderNo. 6203. CA res add tax.

Extra 30 foot rolls of Thermal paperare just $1" each. A box of 5 is just $7"($1 P&H). Order No. 4679.

To order Silver Reed's DeskTop ACPowered Copier with CCD Imaging, 3"-11" long Copying, for home or office userisk free with your credit card, call tollfree or send your check for DAK's limitedblow-out price of just $229 ($12 PEtH).Order No. 6204.

100' Rolls of Pure White Thermal Paperare just $4" ($1 PEtH). Order No. 4836.

Having a copier at home or in yourbriefcase is one of life's true luxuries.And, once you have it, you'll realize thatit's a money saving necessity as well.

DA INC.INDVSTIPUESCall Toll Free For Credit Card Orders Only


11-800-315-0800For Toll Free Information. Call 6AM-5PM Monday -Friday PSTTechnical Information. . _1-800-272-3200Any Other Inquiries 1-800-423-28668200 Remmet Ave.. Canoga Park, CA 91304

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Even if college isn't for you,the G.I. Bill Plus the Army CollegeFund can be.

You can earn $17,000 for yourVo-Tech schooling with the Army'sspecial Two -Year Enlistment. Or$25,200 if you serve four years.

Of course, how much you earn foryour schooling depends on how longyou serve and which specialty you qual-ify and enlist for.

But you'll get a lot more out of yourenlistment than money. You'll have a

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Army's high-tech training that can help youin your Vo-Tech major and your career.

If you'd like to learn more abouthow the G.1. Bill Plus the Army CollegeFund can help pay for your educa-tion at an accredited Vo-Tech school,visit your local Army Recruiter. Or

call, toll free, 1 -800 -USA -ARMY.

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IF YOU WANT GET TECHNICALIT ISN'T ONLY FOR COLLEGE.

TEST REPORTS

DCM TIME FRAME TF-1000SPEAKER SYSTEMJulian Hirsch, Hirsch -Houck Laboratories

FROM the outside, the DCMTime Frame TF-1000 speak-er looks similar to a numberof planar or dipole panel

speakers, but it is actually a more orless conventional three-way for-ward -radiating system. The enclo-sure is a folded, tapered transmis-sion line that loads the rear of an 8 -inch woofer and is terminated by a

21,2 -inch -diameter port on the frontpanel. All three active drivers arelocated on the upper half of the pan-el. The woofer is nearest to the bot-tom, a 4 -inch midrange driver isnear the top of the panel, and aV4 -inch soft -plastic dome tweeter isbetween them. The transmissionline's port is slightly below thewoofer but on the speaker's rear

panel. The Time Frame TF-1000 isdesigned to be used in mirror -imagepairs, with the drivers closer to theinside edges of the cabinets.

According to DCM, the system isdelay -equalized for correct on -axistime coherence and improved off -axis response smoothness. Anacoustic lens in front of the tweeteris claimed to improve its on -axishigh -frequency smoothness and itsoff -axis high -frequency response. Itsvoice coil is cooled by a low -viscos-ity ferrofluid in the magnetic gap.The woofer is constructed with analuminum voice -coil former to im-prove its power -handling abilityand efficiency.

The TF-1000's specifications in-clude a frequency range of 26 to20,000 Hz, a sensitivity of 91 dBsound -pressure level (sPL) at 1 me-ter with a 1 -watt input, and a nomi-nal impedance of 8 ohms. The sys-tem is rated to handle 50 watts ofcontinuous pink noise, or 300 wattsof peak program material, and isrecommended for use with ampli-fiers delivering between 10 and 200watts per channel. There are no lev-el or balance adjustments.

The DCM TF-1000 stands 49inches high and measures 191/2

inches wide and 8 inches deep. Ex-tra support can be provided by apair of short feet that swing outfrom the base. Weight is 49 pounds.Except for its oak top and bottom,the enclosure is fully wrapped in anonremovable black grille cloth.The spring -loaded clips in the rearaccept twin banana plugs as well aswires. There are no external fuses orother signs of overload protection.Price: $1,099 a pair. DCM Corp.,Dept. SR, 670 Airport Blvd., AnnArbor, MI 48108.

Lab TestsThe composite frequency -re-

sponse curve of the DCM TF-1000(derived from the room responseand a close-miked woofer measure-ment) was notably smooth and uni-form, varying only ± 3.5 dB from 26to 20,000 Hz. Between 1,000 and11,000 Hz, the averaged output levelvaried only ±0.5 dB. There was aplateau between 200 and 1,000 Hz,about 3.5 dB above the high -fre-quency level, and a slight peak ofabout 3 dB at 150 and 15,000 Hz.


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TEST REPORTS

The bass output sloped off gentlybelow 100 Hz. The effective cross-over between the woofer and itsport radiation was at 60 Hz.

The speaker's measured sensitivi-ty, 1 meter from its grille at theapproximate height of the tweeter,was 85 dB SPL with an input of 2.83volts. Though this fell short of therated 91 dB, it is not very differentfrom what we have measured froma number of good speaker systems.The woofer's distortion, at an inputof 5 volts (equivalent to our stand-ard 90 -dB reference SPL), was be-tween 1 and 2 percent from 100 to50 Hz, rising smoothly to 5 percentat 30 Hz and 7.3 percent at 25 Hz.

The system's impedance variedwidely throughout the audio range.Although it averaged roughly 6 to 8ohms, its minimum levels were 3ohms at 200 Hz and about 5 ohmsfrom 5,000 to 20,000 Hz. The maxi-mum was 20 ohms at 1,500 Hz, with

a 16 -ohm peak at the bass resonancefrequency of 47 Hz. In pulse -powertests at frequencies of 100, 1,000,and 10,000 Hz using a single -cycleburst followed by 128 off cycles, theamplifier clipped before the speak-er's output became audibly nonlin-ear at power inputs from 500 toalmost 1,300 watts.

Our quasi-anechoic FFT measure-ments confirmed the previously ob-served response variations as wellas the essential smoothness of theTF-1000's frequency response. Thehorizontal dispersion was verygood; the response on -axis and 45degrees off -axis diverged only mod-erately at frequencies over 10,000Hz. This test did reveal some mid-range cancellation effects in the off -axis measurements, probablycaused by the asymmetrical driverarrangement on the panel.

The phase coherence of the sys-tem was outstanding. Its group de-

. . . Comrade Leontov, these things take time. I cannot simply telephone Kievand say. 'Commissar Rat off, this is Comrade Director Miakov at the KremenchugSpeaker Factory. Is it permissible to change the crossover frequency of our Gorkispeaker from 550 Hz to 1,000 Hz?' "

lay varied less than 0.05 millisecondoverall from 4,500 to 20,000 Hz(presumably the tweeter's operatingrange, although the crossover fre-quencies were not specified by themanufacturer). From 1,000 to20,000 Hz, the delay variation was0.2 millisecond. Even at lower fre-quencies, where much larger phaseshifts (and group delays) are usual,we measured an overall delay varia-tion of less than 5 millisecondsbetween 100 and 1,800 Hz.

CommentsFor our listening tests and meas-

urements, we placed the DCMspeakers about 2 feet in front of awall, where most speakers seem tosound their best in our listeningroom. The sound was so pleasingthat we were not encouraged toexperiment much with their loca-tion. Although these speakers arenot as large as they look, they arehighly visible nevertheless. In asense, since they occupy little floorspace, they could be ideal "large"speakers for an ordinary -sizeroom.

In many cases a speaker's sounddoes not correspond with what onemight expect from its measured per-formance, but the DCM TF-1000was an exception. Even a brief audi-tion left no doubt that it is a verywide -range speaker, with no partic-ular emphasis on any part of theaudio spectrum. In particular, therewas little sign of the upper -bass em-phasis that mars the reproduction ofmale voices by so many speakers.The general effect was of clarity andtransparency. Compared with ourreference speakers, the sound of theTF-1000's seemed more open andsharply defined, a trifle brighter,and with somewhat less deep -bassextension. These characteristics arecompletely consistent with themeasured frequency responses ofboth speakers.

Overall, the DCM TF-1000's werevery easy to listen to for extendedperiods. Their sound lived up to thepromise of their unusual design andstood up exceptionally well in com-parison with a number of otherspeakers in their size and pricerange-and with some more expen-sive speakers as well.Circle 144 on reader service card


If you don't feel it you don't have Clarion. The cleanest, purest, mos4 realisticsound experience man can achieve. Perfected daily since the Dead were firs -alive.

Clarion Corp. of America. 5500-7dtecrans Avenue, Lavondale, CA 90260 (213) 773-1100

///11/1111111111 CIRCLE NOON -READER SERVICE CARD lilklk

Where to feel theYamaha Digital Home Theatre.

ALABAMA Long's Electronics Inc -Birmingham two locations) Sound Distributors. Inc-Huntsville The Record Shop Inc.-Montgomery Kincaid TV &Stereo-Tuscaloosa ARIZONA Hi Fi Sales-Mesa Emporium Audio Video-Tuscan Jerry's Audio/Video and More-Tuscan ARKANSAS Stereo Buff/Fayetteville-Fayetteville Audio Visions-Ft. Smith Leisure Electronics-Littlerock CALIFORNIA Honkers Sound Company-Berkeley Kustom Hi Fi MusicHouse-Burlingame Sound Gods-Campbell The Federated Group-Canoga Park Rogersound Lab-Canoga Park Shelley's Stereo Video CT-Canoga Park Dow Stereo/Video-Carlsbad Sounds by Dave-Chico Dow Stereo/Video-Chula Vista Sound Distinction-Concord Pacific Coast Audio-Corona del Mar

Audio Video Specialists-Downey Dow Stereo/Video-El Cajon The Federated Group-El Cajon Genesis Audio-El Ton) Rogersound Lab-El Toro TheFederated Group-Hollywod Tubes N Tunes-Livermore Act Electronics TV & HiFi-Long Beach Sound Gods-Mountain View Pro Audio Electronics-Oakland Western Audio-Palo Alto Rogersound Lab-Pasadena The Federated Group-Riverside Stereo Showcase, Inc.-Sacramento Dow Stereo/Video-San Diego (two locations) Harmony Audio Video-San Francisco Maybrun's Hi-Fi Video Ctr-San Francisco The Stereo Store-San Francisco Tubes N Tunes-San Ramon The Federated Group-Santa Ana Burdick's-Santa Cruz Rogersound Lab-Santa Monica Shelley's Stereo Video CT-Santa Monica Golden EarHi-Fi Video Ct -Santa Rosa The Federated Group-Torrance Rogersound Lab-Torrance Stereo Showcase, Inc.-Vallejo Rogersound Lab-Van Nuys ThriftyElectronics-Van Nuys Visalia Sight & Sound. Inc.-Visalia Rogersound Lab-Westminster COLORADO SoundTrack-Arvada SoundTrack-Aurora

Listen Up-Boulder SoundTrack-Boulder Sunshine Audio-Colorado Springs Listen Up-Denver SoundTrack-Denver SoundTrack-Highlands Ranch SoundTrack-Littleton Sunshine Audio-Pueblo SoundTrack-Thornton CONNECTICUT Tweeter. Etc.-All Locations DISTRICT OF COLUMBIAAudioK rafters-Wash ington DELAWARE Sound Studio Inc-Dover Sound Studio Inc -Newark Bryn Mawr Stereo-Wilmington Sound Studio Inc.-Wilmington FLORIDA Audio Spectrum. Inc.-Altamonte Springs Sound Advice-Boca Raton Sound Advice-Clearwater Sound Advice-Coral Gables Stereotypes-Daytona Beach Sound Advice-Ft. Lauderdale Stereo World-Ft. Myers Sound Advice-Hialeah Sound Advice-Hollywood ElectronicsWorld-Gainsville Audio Tech-Jacksonville House of Stereo-Jacksonville Sound Source-Marathon Audio Trend Inc.-Melbourne Southern Audio-Merritt Island Sound Advice-Miami Sound Advice-N. Miami Beach Stereo World-Naples Audio Spectrum. Inc.-Orlando Audio Spectrum. Inc.-Orlando Sound Advice-Sarasota Sound Advice-St. Petersburg Sound Advice-Tampa The Audiohouse -Vero Beach Electronic Connection-West PalmBeach Sound Advice-W. Palm Beach GEORGIA Hi Fi Buys-Atlanta (five locations) Stereo City of Georgia-Agusta Custom Sound-Albany CustomSound-Athens Merit TV & Sound City-Columbus Hi Fi Buys-Duluth Hi Fi Buys-Kennesaw Ken's StereoJunction-Macon Hi Fi Buys-Morrow TheMusic Room-Rome Hi Fi Buys-Tucker HAWAII Audio Center-Honolulu Honolulu Audio& Video-Honolulu The Audio Shoppe -Honolulu IOWAAudio Labs Inc.-Des Moines Sound World-Fort Dodge IDAHO Music West-Nampa ILLINOIS Columbia Audio Video-Arlington Heights United AudioCenters-Aurora Alan's Creative Stereo-Bloomingdale Glenn Poor's Audio Video-Champa4m Good Vibes-Champaign United Audio Centers-Chicago (twolocations) United Audio Centers-Deerfield LaSalle Electronics Inc.-Galesburg Columbia Audio Video-Highland Park Barretes Entertainment-Kankakee

Unitek Electronics. Inc.-Lansing I 'nited Audio Centers-Niles Glenn Poor's Audio Video-Normal Gill Custom House-Palos Hills Columbia Audio Video-Rockford H.F. Hutch-Schaumburg United Audio Centers-Schaumburg United Audio Centers-Vernon Hills H.F. Hutch-Villa Park Alan's CreativeStereo-Waukegan INDIANA Sound Pro-Carmel Sound Pr, ,-Greenwood Ovation Audi), Video Spec.-Indianapolis Good Vibes-Lafayette Sight &Sounds/Avolo Conn-Michigan City Classic Stereo-South Bend Stereo Crafters-Terre Haute KANSAS Kiefs Gramophone Shop-Lawrence Brands MartStereo-Overland Park Audio Plus-Wichita Custom Sound Inc-Wichita KENTUCKY Ovation Audio Video Spec.-Lexington LOUISIANA Art Colby'sAudio Specal.-Baton Rouge Lake Charles Music-Lake Charles Sound Trek-Metairie Specialty Sound Ca, Inc.-Monroe Wright's Sound Gallery-Shreveport Wright's Sound Gallery-Shreveport MARYLAND Soundscape-Baltimore Soundscape -Baltimore Stansbury Stereo-Baltimore StansburyStereo-Baltimore Professional Products-Bethesda Gramophone Ltd.-Ellicott City Hunt Audio-Frederick Hunt Audio-Hagerstown AudioAssociates-Langley Park Audio Associates-Laurel Gramophone Ltd.-Lutherville Stansbury Stereo-Perry Hall Audio King-Rochester AudioAssociates-Rockville AudioKrafters-Rockville Sound Studio Inc.-Salisbury Stansbury Stereo-Timonium MAINE The Great Norther Sound-SouthPortland MASSACHUSETTS Soundtrak Audio-Brockton Fitchburg Music-Fitchburg Waltham Camera-Waltham Tweeter. Etc.-All LocationsMICHIGAN The Stereo Shoppe-EaSt Lansing Stereo Center Inc -Flint Classic Stereo Ltd.-Grand Rapids Classic Stereo Ltd.-Kalamazoo The StereoShoppe -Lansing MINNESOTA Audio K ing-13nx,klyn Center Audio King-Burnsville Audio King-Edina Audio King-Mankato Audio King-Minneapolis Audio King-Minnetonka Audio King-Roseville Audio King-St. Paul MISSOURI Flips Stereo Place-Ballwin Stereo One, Inc.-CapeGirardeau The Sound Room-Chesterfield The Sound Room-Creve Coeur Brands Mart Stereo-Kansas City Best Sound Inc-St. Louis Stereo Buff-Springfield Flips Stereo Place-St. Louis MISSISSIPPI Sound Trek-Biloxi Hooper Sound-Columbus Hooper Sound-Hattiesburg Hooper Sound-Jackson Hooper Sound-Meridian MONTANA Vide)) Sat & Sound-Billings Rocky Mountain Hi Fi-Great Falls Electronic Parts-Missoula NORTHCAROLINA Stereo Sound-Chapel Hill Tart's TV Furn. & Applian.-Fayetteville Tarfs TV hi rn. & Applian.-Goldsboro Stereo Sound-Greensboro StereoVillage/Greenville-Greenville Stereo Sound-Raleigh Tart's TV Furn. & Applian.-12,,cky Mount Tart's TV Rim. & Applian.-Wilmington Stereo Sound-Winston-Salem NEBRASKA Center Stage Audi), Video-Kearney Stereo West-Lincoln Custom Electronics-Omaha Stereo West-Omaha (two locations)NEW HAMPSHIRE Tweeter Etc.-Manchester Tweeter Etc.-Nashua Tweeter Etc.-Nashua Tweeter Etc.-Newington NEW JERSEY Stuart's Audio-Englew,,od I ial's Stereo and Video-Lawrenceville Bryn Mawr Stereo-Maple Shade Perdue Radio-Montclair Sight & Sound-Morristown Rand's Camera& Hi Fi-Tonts River Stuart's Audio-Westfield NEW MEXICO West Coast Sound-Albuquerque Towne Crier Inc.-Clovis Trend Tech-Farmington WestCoast Sound-Santa Fe NEW YORK Mom's Music Systems-Albany Musical Designs Ltd.-Albany Speaker Shop-Amherst Audio Genesis Inc.-Glens Falls Long Player Stereo-Goshen Audio/Video I)en, Ltd.-Lake Grove Auto Sound Plus-Lathain Audio Breakthroughs-Manhasset Audio/Video Exchange-New York City Electronic Workshop Inc-New la,rk Grand Central Radio-New York Audio Breakthroughs-New York City Audio/Vide), Exchange-New YorkCity Cosmophonic Sound. Inc.-New York City Rabson's 57-New York City Continental Sound-Queens J.B. Sound Systems, Inc.-Rochester GordonElectronics-Syracuse S),und Odyssey Inc.-Wappinger Falls Happy Ear Stereo-Watertown Video Breakthrough-The Media Room-Watermill Audio/VideoExchange-Westbury Harvey Electronics-All Locations Perdue Radio-Both Locations Stereo Warehouse-All Locations OHIO Audio Comer Inc.-Canton Audio Craft Company Inc.-Cleveland Custom Stereo Electronics-Columbus Palme Stereo Center-Columbus Audio Craft Company Inc.-Fairlawn AudioCraft Company. Inc.-Findlay Carlin Audio & Video-Kettering Audio Craft Company Inc.-Mayfield Hts. Audio Craft Company. Inc -Toledo Audio CraftCompany Inc.-Westlake Far East Audio-Wooster OKLAHOMA The Sound Station-Bartlesville Audi), Tech-Lawton SI ,undtrak-Oklahoma City (fourlocations) Soundtrak -Tulsa (two locations) The Phonograph Ltd.-Tulsa OREGON Stereo Plant-Bend Bradfor's Hi-Fidelity-Eugene Sheckells Stereo-Medford Chelsea Audio Video-Portland PENNSYLVANIA Hi-Fi House-Abington Bryn MawrStereo-Bryn Mawr Bryn Mawr Stereo-Camp Hill Hi FiHouse-Camp Hill Bryn Mawr Stereo-Frazer Listening Post-Gibsonia Hi Fi House-Harrisburg Jannen Systems-Hazelton Bryn Mawr Stereo-Jenkintown Gary's Sight & Sound Exp.-Johnstown D.S. Audio-Lancaster Listening Post-Monroeville Bryn Mawr Stereo-Montgomeryville StereoLand-Natrona Heights Bryn Mawr Stereo-Philadelphia David Mann Audio-Philadelphia Listening Post-Pittsburg (wo locations) Bryn Mawr Stereo-Quakertown The Stereo Connection, Inc -Scranton D.S. Audio-West Reading Bryn Mawr Stereo-Whitehall Robert M. Sides Audio-Williamsport AudioClinic-York Bryn Mawr Stereo-Langhorne RHODE ISLAND Sounds Unlimited-Cumberland Soundings-Newport Tweeter. Etc -All LocationsSOUTH CAROLINA Music Machine-Anderson Audio Warehouse. Inc.-Charleston Music Machine-Columbia Tarfs TV Rim. & Applian.-Florence

Music Machine-Greenville SOUTH DAKOTA Audio King-Sioux Fall TENNESSEE Audition Hi Fi Inc.-Kingsport Modern Music Audio-Memphis Audio Systems-Nashville (two locations) TEXAS Sound Effects-Abilene High Fidelity. Inc.-Austin (two locations) Brock Audio-Beaumont AudioVideo-College Station Tape Town Audio Video-Corpus Christi Custom Video-Dallas The Federated Group-Dallas. Preston Royal Hillcrest High Fidelity-Dallas (two locations) Home Entertain. Dallas Gal-Dallas Howell Electronics-El Paso Marvin Electronics Ca-Fort Worth Home Entertainment, Inc.-Houston (four locations) B& M Electronics. Inc.-Houston Jett Sales-Lard,, Audio Techniques-Longview Harold's Electronics-Midland Branch PattonSuperstore-Nacogdoches Harold's Electronics-Odessa Sound Box-San Angelo Audio Concepts-San Antonio Bjorns Audio Video-San Antonio AudioTech-Temple Sound Towne-Texarkana Stereo& Record Center-Tyler Audio Tech-Waco Tom Padgitt, Inc.-Waco Audio Tech-Wichita FallsUTAH Lynn's Audio& Video-Logan Broadway Music-Salt Lake City Arrow Audio-St. George VIRGINIA Audio Associates-Arlington Holdrens-Charlottesville The Sound Machine-Charlottesville Sounds Unlimited-Danville Audio Associates-Fairfax AudioKrafters-Fairfax Audio Showroom-Franklin Sound Appratch-Newport News Audiotronics-Richmond (two locations) Gary's Stereo& Video-Richmond (two locations) Audiotronics-Roanoke Holdrens-Roanoke (two locations) Audio Associates-Springfield Audio Connection, Inc -Virginia Beach WASHINGTON Magnolia Hi Fi & Video-Bellevue Q.C. Stereo-Bellingham Magnolia Hi Fi & Video-Lynnwood Magnolia Hi Fi & Video-Tacoma WISCONSIN American TV-Appleton EmeAudio-Eau Claire Team Electronics # 8S-Janesville Sound World-LaCrosse Flanner & Hafsitos Music-Mequon Flanner & Hafsi xis Music-Milwaukee American TV oak Creek American TV-Waukesha WEST VIRGINIA The Sound Post-Princeton W MING Murphy Sight and Sound-GilleteTh,N,., \his, -Laramie

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.a.M NO.

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SUF:ROUND 1

FALL TYPE A


Selecting good leadphones is

a little like shopping for a

suit: the fit comes

vIN the years when many of us were amateur live recordists,headphones were a matter of daily and glum dispute. Yes,they were needed, because the recordist, often having toset up just a few feet in front of the stage, had to be able to

hear, without disturbing the performers or his own percep-tions, what was coming through the microphone feeds and offthe tape. But they were also hated, because your instinct wasto pull the p:iones off and listen to the real music instead. ftalways sounded much better.

And then headphones began sounding somewhat better, andthen even better still. Recordists were allowed choices andbegan forming preferences. My own preference became theKoss ESP -9, a fabulous set of phones for .ts time. It was pri=edoutrageousl:, at almost $200, and since it was an electrostaticdesign, it reqcired not a mere headphone jack to function bLta whole adeitional stereo amplifier such as might be uses topower lou..1.peakers. The pain didn't stop until you begar tolisten, anc teen it all became worthwhile.

BY RALPH HODGES

The ESP -9 is worth describing insome detail because it was its manu-facturer's statement on the ultimateheadphone listening experience,and all phones since have saideither "Yes" or "No" to variousaspects of its design philosophy.The ESP -9 was an isolating phone,intended to cut you off from all out-side sound. The backs of its ear-pieces were fully enclosed, their in-teriors were intricately damped, andthe contact surfaces surrounded theear with a generous oval of fluid -filled cushion that conformed excel-lently to a variety of head and outer -ear shapes. They felt mushy whenyou put them on, but they stabilizedrapidly thanks to the clamping forceof a substantial spring -steel head-band that you never forgot aboutuntil the orchestra started to dosomething interesting-or until yourushed to catch a falling micro-phone, forgetting about the cord,which proceeded to rip the 3 -poundheadphones and half the hair offyour head.

ROVIDING a splendid,almost airtight seal, the ESP -9 wassweaty to wear. In a way the sweatwas welcome, because it only im-proved the seal. In time, however(usually toward the end of the adag-io), unequalized pressures betweenthe inside and outside worlds wouldcause a squeaky air leak that hadyou wondering what fool oboist wastesting his reed at such a criticalmoment.

Such were the joys of the ESP-9-or are the joys, because many ofthem are still in use for criticalpremix monitoring of master tapes.Canny headphone manufacturers,however, knew there was a blos-soming consumer market out there,and the rigors of the ESP -9 were notthe way to approach it.

The Leisure HeadphoneFive factors recommended-and

still recommend-headphones tomanufacturers and consumers alike.First was their spatial presentation


AKG's K340 headphones have

earned an excellent reputation for

musical accuracy through the

recording industry. Price: $2out

15.

The independent!),suspended cir-cumaural ear cushions of theStanton SRS-265 provide superiorisolation. Price. 5125.

of stereo sound, which is flawed butstill very seductive for many. Sec-ond was the ability to hear verydeeply into musical and recordingdetails-an ability that, in my expe-rience, is rarely equaled and neversurpassed by loudspeaker listening.Third was portability; you couldleave the Klipschorns at home andstill experience decent music repro-duction on vacation. Fourth was theheadphone jack on the front panelof every amplifier and receiver, ablack void just begging to be filled.The very important fifth factor-the possibility of getting as animal-istic as you wished about sound lev-els without disturbing (or even in-forming) the rest of the house-hold-was rarely stressed, beingsomehow negative and perhapseven antisocial.

Weighing against these positivefactors was an enormous negativefactor: discomfort. It can be said ofthe earliest headphones that no onewas going to keep them on willinglyunless the job demanded it. Thiswas especially true for people whowore glasses (just try clamping yourouter -ear flanges between the grip ofan isolating headset and the templebars of sturdy horn -rims), who af-fected carefully shaped coiffures, orwho had no hair at all.

Now, as then, I would say comfortis the overriding criterion in theselection of headphones. Soundquality is comparatively immater-ial; you'll never listen to them if youcan't stand to wear them. And, un-fortunately, being fitted for head-phones is not much different frombeing fitted for a suit. I know fami-lies of four who all have differentheadphones, just as they have dif-ferent clothing. You have to trythese things on and experience themfor a time.

Comfort is far from being a merematter of having the phones seem asif they're not there at all. You need afeeling of security, a sense of cranialembrace, a confidence that theywon't be shifted or blown off by agust of wind (very important forskateboarders). Do not, under anycircumstances, buy headphones be-cause they feel weightless or becausethey are comfortable to wear overtriple earrings. Shake your headaround vigorously, get them loose,and find out which way they'regoing to flop. And do your best todetermine how much they're goingto make you sweat.

With many types of headphones,

there is something of a trade-offbetween comfort and sound quality,particularly in the bass but also athigher frequencies. The tight sealthat true isolating phones providemakes bass response much easier toachieve, but it is physically andacoustically oppressive for manyusers. On the other hand, light-weight phones can lose their bassresponse and also their overall spec-tral balance when they shift on yourhead; the sound tends to changedramatically when headphones areeven slightly askew.

ISOLATING phones are al-ways of the circumaural (surround-ing -the -ear) type, but the term is notprecisely correct because many suchphones clamp securely onto the rearflange of the pinna, the fleshy andcartilaginous body of the outer ear,which structures the sound reachingthe eardrum in many complexways. Firmly fitting headphonescompress the pinna, giving theiroutput a straight shot down your earcanal, but they also do who knowswhat to your natural sense of well-being and well -hearing. Supra -auralphones, which rest lightly on theear's surfaces with slabs of foam,compress the pinna less. The conse-quences? Less bass, certainly, butthe rest is a personal matter.

To the Phone StoreAt any given moment, the market

has many hundreds of headphonesavailable to the prospective pur-chaser, but not always just the typeof headphone that's wanted. For ex-ample, the number of true isolatingphones has shrunk relative to otherheadphone categories, and thosethat remain tend to cluster at theupper end of the price scale-areflection of how difficult it is todesign an earcup that thoroughlycontains the ear and yet doesn'tmake it feel suffocated or awash incavity resonances. The Koss Pro/4series has been an isolating standbyfor years, and Beyer Dynamic haswon a following with an earcup con-

Naka.-nichi'sSP -7 g Iweight ster-eo hecdphones

have a 4.5 -ohm im-pedance and a frequency responseof 20 1.9 20,000 Hz. Price. S80.

Nady's IR-103 personal infraredstereo receiver system is wirelessand ccn be used with any head-phones. Price: $99.95.

figuration that attempts to diffuseinternal sound reflections. Senn-heiser has an isolating pair, the HD222, at under $100, as do a numberof Japanese manufacturers, whoseheadphones generally switch tononisolating designs below thatprice point.

A number of the European manu-facturers, particularly Sennheiser,Beyer, and AKG, offer nominallyisolating designs with features rem-iniscent of loudspeakers ("passiveradiator," "bass reflex"). My bestguess is that these may also functionas diaphragmatic acoustical -ab-sorption mechanisms to suppresscavity resonances. Audio-Techni-ca's ATH-20 has a variable -damp-ing scheme (adjustable vents) thatreflects thinking along the samelines.

The vast majority of today's con-ventional phones are of the "open"or "semi -open" variety, which is tosay that they make no attempt atisolation. They can be circumaural,supra -aural, or somewhere in be-tween, but what they largely attemptto be is an acoustically transparentsupport for sound sources close tothe ears. To appreciate the difficul-ties involved in this approach, ex-tend your hand out flat and bring itup close to your ear, as if it were acompress you were about to apply.Note that you can hear its presence.Now, without moving the hand,spread your fingers. Note that theambient sound the ear perceiveschanges in character but never be-comes fully uncolored. According toone theory, ideal open-air phonesshould not color your perceptions ofthe outside world at all. But that, isjust an ideal, and probably an un-achievable one. Open-air phonesare, notwithstanding, the favoritesof the general populace by a widemargin, and hundreds of models areavailable from almost as manymanufacturers.

-awn VEN lighter and smallerthan open-air phones are the de-vices that, to one extent or another,


HEADPHONESPECIFICATIONS

BOUT the only thing thatcan be said about head-phone frequency -responsespecifications is that the

phones that measure flat, in any ofthe numerous test configurations nowin use, will not sound flat to mostears. The ear and its intimate rela-tionship with a headphone soundsource are evidently the culprits here,but there seems little to be done aboutthe problem except to ignore the num-bers (unless they're grotesquely bad)and just listen.

The impedances of most availableheadphones lie in the range of 30 to40 ohms (here again, measurementtechniques are far from standardized),and such numbers imply that thephones are usable with a wide varietyof signal sources. Yet "usable" doesnot mean the phones will be driven totheir greatest possible output unlesstheir maximum power rating (usuallya hundred milliwatts or so) matcheswhat the program source can deliver.Phones with higher impedance (400ohms or more) were probably de-signed with professional applicationsin mind and may not interface wellwith all home tape decks, much lesswith portables. Phones with imped-ances below 10 ohms are intended tobe driven by the speaker outputs of anamplifier or receiver.

A mini phone plug at the end of itscord is a promising sign that a head-set will work with just about anything.If you happen to need a standard 1/4 -inch plug, adaptors are readily avail-able. Some of them are designed toscrew into the miniplug, but I havefound the friction -fit variety morereliable.

actually fit into your ear; the small-est, called ear "buds" or "buttons,"lodge within the ear canal itself.These models represent somethingof a return toward isolation, be-cause some of them do have a ten-dency to block outside sound, likeearplugs. Their principal advantage,from everybody's point of view, isthat, being so close to the eardrum,they require a minimum of powerand diaphragm area to do an aston-ishingly convincing job of puttingyour head in orbit. There are someheadphone -using professionals,such as recording engineers, whohave switched over to these devicesexclusively, quite probably becausetheir orientation relative to thehearing mechanism is very secure.

Prominent purveyors of suchphones include Panasonic, Sony,Onkyo, Koss, Pickering, Stanton,Memorex, Radio Shack, and surelymore by the time you read this.They are almost always sold withheadbands to keep them in positionif you're a little reluctant to givethem that final half -centimetershove into the ear canal. Cautionhere is not ill advised. An eardrumpuncture is unlikely, but an infec-tion is an omnipresent risk, wash-able ear -cushions notwithstanding.

Operating PrinciplesThe way headphones work is not

generally of crucial importance indetermining sound quality or com-fort. Most headphones sound theway they do, and feel the way theydo, for reasons other than whatmakes them go. But if you're shop-ping for headphones, it is useful toknow something about the vocabu-lary the manufacturers use.

At least 90 percent of today'sheadphones are like miniature elec-tro-dynamic loudspeakers. Many ofthem, when exposed, look likedome tweeters, but there is also alarge family of planar -diaphragmphones that have oversized radiat-ing surfaces, either rigid, like Den-on's AH D-6, or flexible, like Na-kamichi's SP -7. ("Oversized" sim-ply means that the "cone" is appre-ciably larger than the voice -coil di-ameter.)

At the high end, electrostatic andelectret headphones begin to ap-pear. Both of these terms refer todevices in which the planar dia-phragm itself becomes the voice coilby virtue of being electronically po-larized, either by an external voltagesource (electrostatic) or by a bias

that is actually molded into the dia-phragm material (electret). Normal-ly, such phones have to be pluggedinto an active energizing module,which is then connected to a sys-tem's headphone jack or speakeroutputs. AKG also offers two hy-brid electrostatics (dynamic driversare employed for the lower frequen-cies) that can plug into headphonejacks directly. Stax has the largestline of electrostatics and electrets;the top model, Class A amplifica-tion included, costs about $1,000.Of course, none of these exoticheadphones is really designed foruse with personal portables, al-though ingenuity might make anadaptation possible in some cases.

At least four companies-Koss(JCK/200-S), Magnavox (WS200),Nady (IRH-210), and Sennheiser(HDI 2)-have developed cordlessheadphones that receive audio,usually FM encoded, via infraredtransmission from an adaptor mod-ule. The principle is a valid one, andthese devices work well under line -of -sight conditions in even the larg-est domestic rooms. They do, how-ever, necessitate your wearing asmall amplifier and a battery, whichmay jeopardize the comfort factorfor some individuals. Prices rangefrom $90 on up.

Many headphones intended forthe personal -portable market arefoldable. And, of course, in the caseof ear buttons used without head-bands, stowage is simply a matter ofwadding the wires up and stuffingthe things in your pocket. Foldingheadphones are indeed a fine idea,and the execution is often inge-nious. The comfort factor hereneeds special attention, however, assome of these models have a ten-dency to feel spidery during ex-tended wear.

In recent years, headphones havereceived their biggest boost fromthe Walkman phenomenon, andmost new ones have been designedwith that use specifically in mind.Without question, even a rathermodest portable headset will put themost elaborate boombox to shamefor auditory satisfaction, and it willnot cost you a fortune in batterieseither. There are murmurs abroad,however, that the industry is onceagain looking closely at the homeheadphone market and preparingambitious new products, includingsome interesting electrostatic de-signs that promise to advance thetechnology even further.


Hi-Fi Holiday

GIFTS

1ome people do their Christmas shoppingearly. A friend of mine actually buys hergifts at the Labor Day sales in September

and can then enjoy all the holiday concerts andparties with a clear conscience. Christmas takesmost of the rest of us by surprise every year,and we get a bit desperate as the shopping daysdwindle down to a precious few.

If you have already bought a gift for everyoneon your list, the staff of STEREO REVIEW wishesyou happy holiday concerts and parties. If youare still trying to think of gifts to buy for anaudiophile, however, we are prepared to help,as in past years, with the following list of

suggestions from our editors and regularcontributors.

Although some of them get confused betweenwhat they'd like to give and what they'd like toreceive, there are real live people to testify tothe usefulness and desirability of all the itemson the list. If you don't want unwelcomesurprises on Christmas morning, it might be agood idea to check off a few things you'd liketo receive yourself and circulate the list amongyour friends and relatives. As usual, we'velimited our suggestions to accessories andrecordings, things that cost less than an actualhi-fi component. - William Livingstone

ILLUSTRATIONS BY 'FERRY ALLEN

ROBERT ACKARTContributing Editor

Among the most memorable of thisyear's opera recordings that I'd liketo share are the two ebullient ver-sions of Mozart's Le nozze di Figa-ro. The Philips recording is directedby Neville Marriner, the Angel al-bum by Riccardo Muti. A totallydelightful Ariadne auf Naxos isavailable from Deutsche Grammo-phon with James Levine conductinga cast of notable singers and Kath-leen Battle singing a near -definitiveZerbinetta. For lovers of grandopera Italian -style, there is Verdi'sLa forza del destino, directed withhigh spirits by Muti and starringMirella Freni and Placido Domin-go, on Angel. For a gift of Christmasmusic I recommend Kathleen Bat-tle's "A Christmas Celebration,"conducted by Leonard Slatkin,which is sung and played with thebest spirit of the season. It is also anAngel album.

BARBARA AIKENEditorial Assistant

Radio Shack markets a PillowSpeaker that fits under your pillowso that you can listen privately to aTV set, clock radio, or portable with-out disturbing others. It comes witha volume control plus a I/8 -inch jackthat fits most portables. Price:$4.99.

Sumiko's Counterfeet put componentson a vibration -free footing.

Oak racks from Tree Dimensions canstore both cp's and tape cassettes.

CHRIS ALBERTSONContributing Editor

Anyone who has started a CD collec-tion will have noticed that thehinges on the so-called jewel -boxcases break easily. Replacing themrequires buying a new box. Mar-keted by Recoton and others andavailable at most well -stocked rec-ord stores, these replacement boxesmake inexpensive, practical, andunusual gifts.

CHRISTIE BARTERMusic Editor

Any opera lover on your list willwelcome the new edition of Kobbe'sOpera Book (G. P. Putnam's Sons,$35), edited, revised, and updatedby the Earl of Harewood. As thebook jacket says, it is to opera"what Bartlett is to quotations orJulia Child to cuisine." In just over1,400 pages it provides plot outlinesand other information on some 300operas. You should also considerMaria Callas Remembered (E. P.Dutton, $19.95), by Nadia Stan-cioff, a close friend of the celebratedAmerican diva who died in Paristen years ago.

For the balletomane or the young-ster taking in a performance of thatChristmas perennial, The Nutcrack-er, there's the fabulous new Philipsrecording of the complete Tchai-kovsky ballet score by the Berlin

Philharmonic conducted by Sem-yon Bychkov.

LOUISE BOUNDASEditor in Chief

The headphones that come withWalkman -type portables don't al-ways last as long as the portablesthemselves do, and a spare is sure tobe appreciated. The Sony MDR -A60 ($69.95), with a sleek shape bythe Italian industrial designer LuigiColani, is one of the best -looking lit-tle headphones around, and it foldsup neatly to fit into a corner of thethinnest executive briefcase.

The Zapit, from Monster Cable, isa battery -operated power boosterthat attaches to the end of an infra-red remote control to extend itsoperating range. It also permitsbouncing signals off walls and ceil-ings, so that you don't even have topoint it at the receptor on your CDplayer, VCR, or whatever. The Zapitlists for $24.95.

And, for a stocking stuffer, one ofthe best performances ever recordedof perhaps the greatest piece of mu-sic ever composed: CBS's "mid -price" CD, in the Great Perform-ances series, of Mozart's ClarinetConcerto performed by RobertMarcellus with George Szell andthe Cleveland Orchestra (MYK37810).

MARGARET BRUENAssociate Art Director

I'm recommending records: TomWaits's "Franks Wild Years" (Is-land), U2's "The Joshua Tree" (Is-land), and Sarah Vaughan and Mi-chael Tilson Thomas's "GershwinLive!" (CBS).

WILLIAM BURTONTechnical Editor

The audio accessory I use most of-ten is a set of storage modules madeby a/d/s/. Each module holds about

I one hundred LP'S, or, with special

8(3STEREO REVIEW DECEMBER 1987

drawers, seventy-two CD'S or 108cassettes. Available in black orwhite. Price: $249 each.

The clever CD cleaner from AlphaEnterprises is fairly quick, easy, andsafe. Only $8.99, it's the same sizeand shape as a jewel box.

The best book on CD technologyis Ken Pohlmann's Principles ofDigital Audio. The math is ratheradvanced at times, but you'll enjoythe fascinating charts, graphs, andfigures. Price: $19.95.

A few choice CD'S for the seasonare George Winston's soothing "De-cember" on Windham Hill, Mann-heim Streamroller's bouncy"Christmas" disc on AmericanGramaphone, and "Christmas atthe Church of St. Luke in theFields" on Classic Masters.

ELIZABETH COSTELLOAssistant Editor

High on my list of gift suggestions isa case of TDK SA -X blank cassettetapes. And for those who like to taketheir tapes or CD'S with them in thecar or to parties, I recommend anyof the Lebo "Voyager" series of softnylon carrying cases. The casescome in a variety of sizes and are

Monster Cables Zapit boosts the rangeof infrared remote controls.

Lonaon's "Cinema Gala" series is alibrary of great film music on tape.

available in red, gray, blue, andblack.

RICHARD FREEDContributing Editor

Shelving designed for LP's is clearlywasted on CD's. I've found compactstorage for compact discs in theform of attractive, space -saving teakcabinets imported from Thailand.Sold in record shops under thename Teakwood Compact DiscRacks, these units provide shelterfor sixty to sixty-two cres each.They measure 151/2 inches wide,111/2 inches high, and 51/2 inchesdeep and can be stacked atop oneanother. Price: $33.50.

WILLIAM GOLDMANSenior Editor

The true spirit of Christmas shinesthrough in a marvelous new videorelease, "Rubinstein Remembered"(Video Artists International,$49.95, 58 minutes). A centenarytribute to the great pianist ArthurRubinstein, it is hosted by his sonJohn.

To keep your LP's sounding theirbest I recommend Audio-Techni-ca's AT605 Audio Insulators($33.50). When nestled under aturntable, this set of four adjustable"feet" will dampen any external vi-bration and prevent acoustic feed-back. A bubble level is included.

CHRISTOPHER GREENLEAFContributing Editor

As a recording engineer, I find itconstantly frustrating that so muchmusic is longer than the forty-fiveminutes available on one side of aC-90 cassette. A solution is oftenprovided by the Denon HD8-100, aC-100 with fifty minutes per sideand just enough extra time.

A riveting musical gift is the newcassette or CD release of Rachmani-noff's Vespers by the Choral ArtsSociety of Washington conductedby Mstislav Rostropovitch. It's onErato, the number is 75319, and thesonics are extraordinary.

Adcom's GFS-3 speaker selectorswitches among three pairs of systems.

DAVID HALLContributing Editor

Among the most intriguing mail-order catalogs is the one from theSmithsonian Institution, which of-fers jewelry, toys, and replicas ofhistoric artifacts as well as booksand records. To get a copy call 1-800-247-5072. With a credit card,you can also order books and rec-ords from that number. Among therecords, I recommend The Smith-sonian Collection of Classic Jazzably produced by Martin Williams,$49.96 on five cassettes or sevenLP's. My pick of the books is TheMusic Men-The Brass Band inAmerica, replete with heretofore un-

1

4

14


??"'ff, . :11APAIMIrwilfs .4151SWIRM

published photographs. Price:$39.95 cloth, $19.95 paper.

JULIAN HIRSCHContributing Editor

I probably handle more cables (andtheir connecting plugs) than mostreaders of STEREO REVIEW, butthere is no hi-fi system without atleast several cables. Sometimes,when you are plagued by hums,crackles, or other noises, a cablemay be suspect, but how do youidentify the culprit? Recoton has aCable Checker (Model V-449) thatwill check the continuity of the cen-ter conductor and shield (separate-ly) of almost any common audio orRF cable. It has connectors for BNC,RCA (phono), mini -headphone,and F -type plugs (for 75 -ohm anten-na systems or VCR's). Priced at$29.95, it is as effective as a costlymeter and a lot easier to use.

RALPH HODGESContributing Editor

Every audiophile should have theexperience of working with a real-time analyzer, and since price isalways an object, the AudioSourceRTA-ONE ($250) is probably theone. With a little practice and un-

Recoton's CD -23 bracket gives CDplayers a smoother ride in the car.

Must reading for opera lovers on yourholiday gift list.

derstanding of its limitations, ritofound that I can reach almost thesame conclusions that far moreelaborate instrumentation wouldbring about. I have used it to warkmmyself about problematic momentsin live -recording sessions and inmobile evaluations of car stereo sys-tems. The RTA-ONE system in-cludes, besides an AC adaptor, aprimitive little pink -noise generatorthat can make truly useful testtapes.

WILLIAM LIVINGSTONEEditor at Large

Discwasher's SpikeMaster FP -1000will protect audio and video equip-ment from the electrical powersurges frequently caused by thun-derstorms. The unit's special filtersalso isolate equipment from radio -frequency interference. Price: $69.

For CD storage, I recommend theracks made by the Napa Box Co. ofCalifornia. One that holds fifty-twoCD'S costs $30.

A library of great film music isLondon Records' "Cinema Gala"(417 855-4 LA 10), a boxed set of

ten cassettes. The individual tapesare also available separately, listingat $7.98 each.

SUE LLEWELLYNArt Director

Give the gift of two Rounder Rec-ords that will put anyone on the cut-ting edge of African music. Nybo-ma's "Double Double" (Rounder5010) represents the Zairean soundwith Brazilian and Afro-Cuban fla-vors. Segun Adewale's "Play forMe" (Rounder 5015) presents the"Crown Prince of Juju" in a newkind of dance music called Yopop.

IAN G. MASTERSContributing Editor

Put a cartridge in the pear tree.Sooner or later every phono car-tridge begins to wear, risking perma-nent damage to your audiophileloved one's precious vinyl. Too of-ten, this only becomes apparentwhen it's too late, when a few rec-ords have already been destroyed. Areplacement stylus may not becheap, but it is the ideal gift forsomeone who cares about preserv-ing records. In this digital age, itmay be the last stylus your recipientwill own. Perhaps a diamond reallyis forever!

LOUIS MEREDITHContributing Editor

As usual, I'm recommending Laser -Discs, which remain the primo vid-eo format. Three of the neatest I sawthis year are the Beatles in Help!(Criterion), with a new digital stereosoundtrack, Sid and Nancy (Embas-sy), about two characters who willnever be confused with Fred andGinger, and Star Trek IV (Para-mount), with a plaster -rattling digi-tal soundtrack and a terrific, largelyoverlooked score by LeonardRosemann.

I5082 STEREO REVIEW DECEMBER 1987

STEVE SIMELSContributing Editor

The pleasantest surprise I had in1987 was "The Desert Rose Band"(MCA/Curb), in which ex -ByrdChris Hillman redeems himself af-ter several years of hack work. This

Satisfying country rock, a riveting film,and a great performance.

just may be the Great Country RockAlbum. It certainly fulfills all thepromise of the Flying Burrito Broth-ers. Gram Parsons must be smilingat it in heaven.

MICHAEL SMOLENExecutive Editor

I've told my wife that my stockingshould contain a pair of Yamaha'sYHL-003 "curl -up" portable head-phones ($50). Their frequency re-sponse is 20 to 20,000 Hz ( ± 3 dB),and they fit in your pocket. Alsowelcome would be Adcom's GFS-3or GFS-6 speaker selector, handlingthree and six pairs, respectively($99.95 and $149.95), with built-inprotection for low -impedance loads.For my car I've been eyeing the newNakamichi high -end speaker wireand interconnects ($12.50 to $65)and Recoton's CD -23 shock -absorb-ing bracket ($29.95) for portable CDplayers. It mounts under the dashand can hold most portables.

CRAIG STARKContributing Editor

The Annis Han-d-Mag tape -headand capstan demagnetizer is a won-derful present for anyone who usesa tape deck of any kind. The stan-dard Model 115-S, a bargain at only$31, is available from the R. B. An-nis Company, 1101 N. DelawareSt., Indianapolis, IN 46202.

DAVID STEINAssistant Managing Editor

A space -saving CD storage system isthe line of solid -oak racks with slid-ing divider panels from Tree Di-mensions (P.O. Box 609, Boone.NC 28607; 704-262-0220). Pricesrange from $29.95 postpaid for theCD -50, which holds up to fifty-fourCD'S, to $89.95 for the CD -250,which holds 260. A nice bonus isthat the same racks can be used forstoring both audio and videocas-settes as well.

Also space saving is Onkyo's"The Unifier" ($119.95), a pro-grammable remote -control unit thatcan replace a table full of otherremotes by learning how they "talk"to your audio and video compo-

Fine portable headphones: Sony'sMDR -A60 and Yamaha's YHL-003.

Discwasher's SpikeMaster protects asystem from electrical surges.

nents. The Unifier can store morethan a hundred infrared controlcodes in its memory.

The high-tech alternative to aclock radio is a programmable digi-tal audio timer. Kenwood's hand-some, easy -to -use AT -56 ($120) canwake you or lull you to sleep withyour favorite music, and if you con-nect it to a good autoreverse tapedeck, it will let you time -shift radiobroadcasts you'd otherwise miss.

WILLIAM WOLFETechnical Editor

Sumiko's "Counterfee't" look likethe kind of cuff links Conan the Bar-barian might wear, but they reallywork. Use them to isolate your ster-eo components from mechanicalresonances. Counterfeet are avail-able for components and speakersin short, tall, tapped, and untappedversions and as direct replacementsfor Oracle, Sonographe, and Sotafeet. Prices range from $9 to $22.

For the progressive -music afi-cionado, I'd recommend my instantCD collection: Pink Floyd's "A Mo-mentary Lapse of Reason" (Colum-bia), Marillion's "Clutching atStraws" (Capitol), IQ's "Nomza-mo" (Squawk/Mercury), and CarlosAlomar's "Dream Generator" (Pri-vate Music).

14


L'CIAL s R PORI

dAM/FM STEREO RECEIVER

FnaOR

several years we havebeen hearing about, and

more recently seeing, prelimi-ry models of an unusual new

stereo receiver being developed bya/d/s/. Designed to be a part of thecompany's Atelier series, it is capa-ble of being used by itself or of serv-ing as the control center for a wholesystem of Atelier components. TheR4, as the receiver is called, is now areality, and we have had the oppor-tunity to put one through its paces.

The R4 combines a digital -syn-thesis AM/FM tuner with a pream-plifier having two external high-lev-el inputs (Tv and cD), a phonopreamplifier designed to operatefrom moving -magnet (MM) or mov-ing -coil (Mc) phono cartridges, andrecording and playback switchingfor two tape decks, including dub-bing from either deck to the otherwhile listening to a different pro-gram. Its power amplifier is conser-vatively rated to deliver at least 65watts per channel from 20 to 20,000Hz into 8- or 4 -ohm loads with nomore than 0.05 or 0.07 percent dis-tortion, respectively. All of its con-trol operations are performed by an8 -bit microprocessor with memo-ries to store the receiver's operatingconditions. Each time the R4 isturned on, it returns to the exactoperating conditions that existedwhen it was last used, including thesame volume level and all othercontrol settings.

Discreet ControlThe R4 is a very compact receiv-

er, matching the other Atelier com-ponents in size and appearance. It isknobless and, in normal use, most

of the buttons are hidden fromview. The visible controls includeone rocker switch for volume ad-justment and another, marked PRO-GRAM, that steps the tuner frequen-cy in either direction through itsthirty preset memories. Smallround buttons, which are visuallyinconspicuous but very clearlymarked, mute the receiver's audiooutput and select the input source:TV, FM, AM, TAPE I, TAPE 2, PHONO,and CD.

A small, well -damped panelswings down to reveal a number ofless frequently used controls, in-cluding tuning buttons for both themanual and auto modes. The bassand treble buttons ( + and -) boostor cut the response at their centerfrequencies in 2-da steps each timethey are pressed, and the balance -control buttons operate in 1 -dBsteps. Other buttons behind thehinged panel control the tape -copy-ing functions and select mono orstereo mode; one or both of two setsof speaker outputs, loudness com-pensation, an FM high -blend circuit,a separate low -bass boost controlwith a 6 -dB range, and a 20 -Hz low-cut filter. Another button toggles allthe tone -control and filter circuitson or off, and a MEMO button storesthe selected station frequencies inthe preset memories.

The volume control changes theaudio gain in 1 -dB steps over an 80 -dB range. A light touch changes thevolume at a rate of 3 dB per second;pressing harder increases the rate to6 dB per second. The display win-dow shows the status of all operat-ing controls. The program source-in tuner mode, the station frequen-

BY JULIAN HIRSCH

cy and the preset number, if applica-ble-appear in half -inch -high yel-low -green fluorescent characters.Other displays show signal strengthand correct FM tuning. Momentari-ly pressing any of the control but-tons displays its current setting for afew seconds.

Advanced ProgrammingThe a/d/s/ R4 has a built-in

clock/calendar, programmed upthrough the year 2019, that can con-trol the receiver for several recur-rent or selected operations. It can beprogrammed to turn the receiver onand off at up to five specified timesand dates or at the same time daily.The timer mode also selects thedesired program source, includingstation frequency in the tuner

the TV set's audio volume controlsets the listening level.

The system -control abilities of theR4 are indicated by several DINsockets on its rear apron. These cansend control signals to a compatiblea/d/s/ Atelier record player or CDplayer and to one or two tape decksor other components connected in atape -monitor loop, switching themon or off when the correspondingreceiver inputs are selected.

A small slide switch on the rearreduces the power -supply voltage inorder to drive 4 -ohm speakers safelyat high levels. Its 8 -ohm setting issuggested for normal operation.Four of the six AC convenience out-lets are switched, allowing the re-ceiver to power as well as controlother components.

Full -System Remote Control

The a/d/s/ R4, like all other Atel-ier series components, is designedto be controlled by the RC1 remote -control transmitter. The RC1 dupli-cates most of the operating controlsof the R4 and has several otherfunctions used for programming thesystem. Its exceptional versatilitysets it apart from other wirelessremote controls.

The RC1 is designed to controlnot only the receiver but also a CDplayer, a digital audio tape deck(when DAT becomes available), avideodisc player, a satellite Tv tun-er, a VCR, and a Tv set. A slidingplate on the control unit selects thecomponent, and pressing a buttoncauses the cover to swing up, reveal -

FEATURES

O Compact AM/FM stereo receivercontrolled by 8 -bitmicroprocessorDigital step controls for bass,treble, volume, and balance

O Digital -synthesis tuner with25 -kHz FM tuning steps

O Thirty preset station memoriesassignable to AM or FMfrequencies

O Switchable high -blend circuit toreduce noise on weak stereosignals

O Manual and automatic tuningmodesInputs for 75- and 300 -ohm FMantennas and AM wire antenna

O Fluorescent display of completeoperating status

O Separate preamplifier outputsand power -amplifier inputs

O Connections and switching fortwo pairs of speakers

O Inputs for CD, TV, two tapedecks, phono (MM or MC)

O Facilities for dubbing in eitherdirection while listening toanother program

O Six AC convenience outlets, fourswitched

O Audio -muting switchO Front -panel headphone jackO Signal switching and power

controls for external programsources in a/d/s/ Atelier series

O Built-in calendar/clock(programmed through 2019A.D.) to set receiver for timedoperation (up to five programsor daily operation with a singlesource)

O Wireless remote control for allreceiver functions as well ascompatible a/d/s/ Ateliercomponents

mode, volume, and other pertinentoperating conditions.

The R4 allows the sensitivity ofeach input source to be adjustedindividually in 1 -dB steps over a 10 -dB range, then stored in memory.The programmed sensitivity is au-tomatically recalled whenever thatsource is selected, avoiding un-wanted changes in average listeningvolume. In addition, if the audiooutput of a TV set is connected tothe corresponding signal input ofthe R4 and the TV selector button isheld in for a few seconds, the receiv-er switches to its TVA (TV Automat-ic) mode. Thereafter, an audio sig-nal from the TV set automaticallyswitches the R4 on. The TVA vol-ume setting is fixed at 65 dB so that

The separate preamplifier outputsand main -amplifier inputs arejoined by removable links. This fea-ture makes it possible to replace theR4's internal amplifier by an AtelierPA4 power amplifier, increasing thesystem's output power to 150 wattsper channel while retaining full sys-tem integration and a uniform ap-pearance. Alternatively, anotherDIN socket can be used to connectthe R4 with the PA4 power ampli-fier, switching it on and off andselecting either or both of its speak-er outputs with the buttons on theR4. Then the R4's internal ampli-fiers need not go to waste; they areideal for driving rear speakers if anambience -modifying accessory isadded to the system.

ing twenty-five dedicated controlbuttons. The overlay plate thatidentifies the functions of these but-tons changes automatically accord-ing to the selected component.

The half of the RC1 panel not hid-den from view carries controls com-mon to several components, such aspower, muting, volume, and nu-merical programming keys. The re-ceiving sensor for the infrared re-mote control is on the front panel ofthe R4, but one of the DIN socketsin the rear accepts the output of asmany as six remote -control receiv-ers that can be located up to 300 feetaway, making it possible to controlthe entire system from many loca-tions.

The a/d/s/ R4 is an extremely


compact unit for a receiver of itscapabilities. It measures 171/2 incheswide, 141/4 inches deep, and only 25/8inches high. Considering its size, itweighs a surprising 24 pounds. Therear apron is well populated by thesignal input and output connectors,DIN remote -control sockets, speak-er -output terminals, AC outlets, andantenna inputs, including bindingposts for a 300 -ohm FM antenna andan AM wire antenna as well as an F-

connector for a 75 -ohm FM antenna.For installations where the rear ofthe unit is exposed, the receiver, likethe other Atelier components, is fur-nished with a cover plate that fitsacross its back and hides the cablesfrom view. The suggested retailprices are $1,100 for the R4 and$100 for the RC1 remote control.

few measurements that did notmatch the preliminary specifica-tions was amplifier distortion,which was rated as less than 0.05percent at 65 watts into 8 ohms atany frequency from 20 to 20,000 Hz.While the distortion over most ofthe audio range was well below 0.05percent, it reached 0.1 percent atfrequencies below 40 Hz and about0.09 percent at 20,000 Hz. Morethan balancing this insignificant dis-crepancy was the fact that the dis-tortion was essentially the samewith either 4- or 8 -ohm loads andstill negligible with a 2 -ohm load(for which the receiver is notrated).

Another discrepancy between thepreliminary specs and our test re-sults was in the signal-to-noise ratio

preconditioned by operating at one-third of its rated power into 8 ohmsfor 1 hour. Not surprisingly, in viewof its compactness and complexity,it ran moderately warm in normaloperation, and the preconditioningleft its top uncomfortably hot.

Tuner PeonnanceThe FM tuner section's perform-

ance was excellent in every respect.In addition to its outstanding imagerejection, its 0.85 -dB capture ratiowas one of the best we have evermeasured. Its sensitivity and distor-tion were exceptional. Although thetuner's signal-to-noise ratio wasslightly better than specified at a 65-dBf signal level, its noise level ac-tually increased at higher signal lev-els, unlike any other tuner we can


El Tuner Section (all measurementsFM only except frequencyresponse)

Usable sensitivity (mono): 11 dBf(2 µv)

50 -dB quieting sensitivity: mono,14 dBf (2.8 AiV); stereo, 36 dBf(34.7 µv)

Signal-to-noise ratio at 65 dBf:mono, 74.3 dB; stereo, 72 dB

Harmonic distortion (THu +noise) at 65 dBf: mono, 0.069%;stereo, 0.045%

Capture ratio at 65 dBf: 0.85 dBAM rejection at 65 daf: 61 dBSelectivity: alternate -channel, 73

dB; adjacent -channel, 5 dBImage rejection: 122 dBStereo threshold: 15 dBf (3.1 µV)19 -kHz pilot -carrier leakage: -72 dBHum: -78 dBStereo channel separation at 100,

1,000, and 10,000 Hz: 47, 51,and 47 dB

Frequency response: FM, 30 to15,000 Hz +0.1, -0.4 dB; AM,-6 dB at 35 and 2,500 Hz

CI Amplifier Section1,000 -Hz output power at clipping:

98 watts into 8 ohms, 121 wattsinto 4 ohms, 82 watts into 2 ohms

Clipping headroom (relative torated output): 1.78 dB (8 ohms)

Dynamic power output: 138 wattsinto 8 ohms, 230 watts into 4ohms, 306 watts into 2 ohms

Dynamic headroom: 3.27 dB (8ohms)

Harmonic distortion (THD +noise) at 1,000 Hz into 8 ohms:1 watt, 0.008%: 10 watts,0.011%; 65 watts, 0.022%

Maximum distortion from 20 to

20,000 Hz into 8 ohms: 0.098%at 65 watts (20 Hz)

Slew factor: greater than 25Sensitivity (1 -watt output into 8

ohms): cD/Tv, 45 my; phono,0.6 mV (MM), 0.065 my (MC)

Phono-input overload: 136-180 myA -weighted noise (referred to a

1 -watt output): Cu, -86.5 dB;MM phono, -70.5 dB; MCphono, -60.5 dB

Phono-input impedance: 40,000ohms in parallel with 220 pF

RIAA equalization error: +0.1,-0.9 da from 20 to 20,000 Hz

Tone -control range: +6, -8.5 dBat 100 Hz: ±9.5 dB at 10,000 Hz

Low -bass boost range: 6 dBmaximum at 20 Hz

20 -Hz filter: -4.5 dB at 20 HzLoudness boost (maximum): 2.5 dB

at 100 Hz, 8.5 dB at 20 Hz

Specs and MeasurementsOur test sample of the a/d/s/ R4

receiver was a prototype unit fromthe end of a final preproductionrun, and it should be essentiallyidentical to future regular produc-tion units. A finished instructionmanual was not available, but wehad a photocopy of the final text.We were furnished with a regular-production RC1 control unit. Thetechnical specifications provided tous for the R4 were preliminary andmay be subject to change.

That said, we must point out thatthe R4 was one of the first stereoreceivers, if not the first, we havetested that met or surpassed almostall of its specifications. One of the

(s/N) through the MC phono input,which we measured as 60.5 dBinstead of the rated 65 dB or more.We also found variations from specin the sensitivity of the audio inputsfor a reference output of 1 watt. Allmeasured about 5 dB less sensitivethan rated.

Offsetting these trifling matterswas the performance of the excep-tionally sensitive FM tuner, whichsurpassed every one of its specs by acomfortable margin, an exceedinglyrare occurrence in our experiencewith FM tuners. Especially notablewas the image rejection: Rated asgreater than 95 dB, it measured astaggering 122 dB.

As usual, all measurements weremade after the receiver had been

recall. The change was not greatenough to affect listening quality,however.

The suppression of the 19 -kHzstereo pilot carrier in the tuner'saudio output was a good 72 dB, yetits frequency response showed nosign of the high -frequency rolloffthat often accompanies good pilot-carrier suppression. This result sug-gests the use of either a cancellationcircuit or a rather sophisticated low-pass filter. Not only was the fre-quency response of the tuner nearlyruler -flat, but its channel separationwas excellent, better than 50 dB inthe midrange and still a strong 38and 44 dB, respectively, at ourmeasurement limits of 30 and15,000 Hz.

SITREOREVIEWDECEMBER1987 87

Although the AM tuner section'sfrequency response was unremark-able, 35 to 2,500 Hz at the - 6-dspoints, this receiver delivered thebest AM sound we have heard inyears. Unlike almost all other AMtuners in stereo receivers, it doesnot use a wire -loop or ferrite -rodantenna but has binding -post termi-nals for a wire antenna instead. Us-ing a 4 -foot wire enabled us toreceive a large number of AM sta-tions with low noise. The usualpower -line buzz and hum, whichmake AM reception impractical inour location with a loop or ferriteantenna, were strikingly absent.

The Preamp and Power AmpThe RIAA phono equalization of

the preamplifier section was accu-rate within +0.1, -0.9 dB from 20to 20,000 Hz. The MM phono input'stermination was slightly nonstand-ard, measuring 40,000 ohms in par-allel with a 220-picofarad (pF) ca-pacitance. Almost any moving -magnet cartridge should work prop-erly with this termination. Thephono preamplifier overloaded atinputs between 136 and 180 pF from20 to 20,000 Hz.

The tone -control curves were es-sentially as expected, with each stepdiffering by 2 dB from the previousone at the frequency extremes. Theonly exception was the first -2 -dBstep, which dropped the response bysomewhat more than 2 du from theflat level. The result was to shift allthe "cut" curves down about 4 dB inthe bass and 1 dB in the treble.

The low -bass boost circuit, whichoperated below 100 to 150 Hz, wasadjustable, as rated, from 0 to 6 dB.The 20 -Hz low-cut filter began toroll off the output response below40 Hz, to -3 dB at 23 Hz. Used incombination with the low -bassboost, it was able to boost theresponse by 5 dB at 40 Hz while roll-ing it off to less than 1 dB at 20 Hz,which could be useful for enhancingthe low -bass response of manyspeakers.

The loudness compensationboosted only the frequencies below100 to 150 Hz, beginning at volume -control settings 20 to 30 dB belowmaximum. The maximum boost of9 dB at 20 Hz produced a subtleeffect, quite unlike the heavyhandedaction of most loudness circuits.

The power -amplifier sectionclipped at 98 watts into 8 -ohm loadswith both channels operating at1,000 Hz. Into 4 ohms, the output at

clipping was 121 watts. Both read-ings were taken with the rear -apronswitch set to 8 ohms. We changed itto 4 ohms when driving a 2 -ohmload, into which the output clippedat 82 watts with both channels driv-en and at 180 watts with one chan-nel operating. (We used the 8 -ohmsetting throughout our tests of theR4 except when it was driving a 2 -ohm load.) The dynamic power out-put measured 138 watts into 8ohms, 230 watts into 4 ohms, and306 watts into 2 ohms.

The aid's' R4's FM receptionwas possibly the best we haveexperienced from a receiver.All our avorite stationswere ly quieted. EvenAM stations were as quiet andlistenable as many FM signals.

The 1,000 -Hz distortion was 0.008percent at 1 or 2 watts output into 8ohms, typical of average listeninglevels. Distortion increased to about0.02 percent at the rated 65 wattsand to 0.075 percent at 95 watts.The 4 -ohm distortion characteristicwas almost identical to the 8 -ohmcharacteristic, and even into 2 ohmsthe distortion was the same from 10to 50 watts output, increasing to0.06 percent at 0.1 watt and 0.038percent at 80 watts. At the rated 65watts (into 8 ohms), the distortionwas 0.1 percent at 20 Hz, 0.0095 per-cent at 1,000 Hz, and 0.09 percent at20,000 Hz. At lower outputs the dis-tortion was always less than at fullrated power.

Sound QualityAs outstanding as the perform-

ance of the a/d/s/ R4 was, thereceiver was equally impressive asan example of engineering excel-lence. If you wonder, as we did, howso much circuitry could have beenpacked into its compact dimen-sions, take the cover off and take alook for yourself. Then put the cov-er back and enjoy it!

Ordinarily there is little we cansay about the sound of a stereoreceiver. Most are fairly competent,but in our location their AM tunersare useless, and frequently the FMquieting is marginal with an indoorantenna. Even strong signals are of-ten marred by the kind of low-level"hash" radiated by the computer on

which this report is being written afew feet from the equipment rack.

But the a/d/s/ R4 is no ordinarypiece of equipment. Its FM recep-tion was possibly the best we haveexperienced from a receiver. All ourfavorite stations were fully quieted,with no trace of computer hash.Even AM stations, except for theirinherently limited frequency re-sponse, were as quiet and listenableas many FM signals. All of this in thesame location and with the sameantennas we use for all the othertuners and receivers we test!

Practice Makes PerfectDespite the apparent simplicity of

its control panel, the R4 is not a"plug in and play" receiver. We hadto spend considerable time studyingthe manual and getting "hands on"practice before we could make effec-tive use of most of its unique fea-tures. Anyone who has trouble pro-gramming a VCR for unattended re-cording, for instance, will probablyhave even more trouble with theR4. On the other hand, almost anyVCR can be mastered if you are will-ing to read the instructions-whydo so many people omit this step?-and so can this receiver.

As with a full -featured VCR, themost difficult part of using thea/d/s/ R4 is programming it for tim-er -controlled operation. The pro-gramming logic is more straightfor-ward than it may seem, but untilyou have tried a few program se-quences and confirmed that theywork as claimed, it is difficult tohave confidence in a procedure thatrequires some nineteen key opera-tions for each program entry. It doeswork, though, despite some rathercryptic control -button nomencla-ture. And once you have learnedhow to communicate with the con-trol system of the R4, its true valuebecomes obvious.

Our experience with the a/d/s/ R4convinces us that the long and cost-ly development effort that went intocreating it was justified. It may notbe "everyman's" receiver, and it isneither the largest, the most expen-sive, nor the most powerful receiveravailable-although with a PA4power amplifier added, it wouldcome close to the front rank in pow-er. But it is easily the most sophisti-cated product of its type currentlyon the market, and it is audiblysuperior, especially under less thanideal conditions, to any other re-ceiver we have used.


/A I IR

THE thirty-sixth annual Japan AudioFair, held from September 16 through20 this year at Tokyo's Harumi Inter-national Exposition Grounds, was

sponsored by the Japan Audio Society un-der the theme of "Digital Revolution '87-a festival of sound and image." Accordingto JAS officials, the fair was host to some252,405 visitors over its five-day run.

This year's fair turned out to be myfavorite one ever. The mood was subdued,sophisticated, and definitely oriented to-ward the high end. Gone were the rows oftawdry look -alike rack systems and banksof pastel portables of years past. In theirplace this year were solid, full-size com-ponents and prodigiously commandingspeakers-most of which were ready totake their place in cD/DAT-based systems.It was the Right Stuff.

In the coming year, American audioenthusiasts can expect a similar trend inthe U.S. marketplace. With the continuingescalation of the value of the yen, smarterJapanese manufacturers are preparing togive the market for low-cost portables andrack systems over to other Asian manufac-turers. Instead, look for comparatively ex-pensive digital -input control amplifiers, CDplayers with fewer bells and whistles and

BY BRYAN HARRELL

higher -performance basic circuitry,and eventually digital -broadcasttuners (when format standards areadopted) and DAT decks (when allthe copy -prevention hysteria issorted out).

Black is on its way out-manynew components made their debutsin various shades of silver, plati-num, and champagne gold. Somefaceplates are polished to a mirrorfinish, while others are burnished toan antique glow. The beautifullyturned knobs and switches are invit-ing to the touch, and wood side pan-els are back in fashion here. Appar-ently the Japanese are now payingmore attention to the appearance oftheir components, recognizing thatemotion is playing a larger role inpurchasing decisions as enthusiaststire of flashy features and as specifi-cations become less relevant in thedigital age.

The fair was divided into threemajor parts: the main exhibits ofmore than forty major companies atHarumi, a much smaller exhibitionprimarily of expensive domesticcomponents held concurrently atthe nearby Harumi Grand Hotel,and the affiliated Imported AudioShow, organized by Japanese audioimporters and held across town atthe Grand Palace Hotel in Kudanfrom September 17 to 19.

As usual, the main exposition atHarumi was housed in two largebuildings appropriately labeled "L"and "R." In addition to the majordisplays, each building housed aspecial exhibit coordinated by theJapan Audio Society.

In the Left building was a digitalaudio tape exhibit, which not onlyprovided a large number of workingDAT machines for fairgoers to mon-key with but also offered a compre-hensive technical explanation of theDAT format, including backgroundpanels depicting the history of bothdigital and analog recording tech-niques along with future possibili-ties for digital audio. At the DATConsultation Corner, audio expertsand industry representatives wereon hand to answer questions.

A large audio/video exhibit wasfeatured in the far end of the Rightpavilion, detailing the latest devel-opments in video technology.Large-scale projectors and videomonitors were displayed along withthe very latest VCR's and videodiscplayers, all demonstrating the stateof the art in what the Japanese call"Hi-Fi A/V."

The Next Big ThingBy the time you read this, several

Japanese manufacturers will havealready released DAT decks in Eu-rope and maybe in North Americatoo. But the next big thing is BS -the dubious abbreviation the Japa-nese industry is using for the digi-tally encoded broadcast -satellitetransmission format.

With a BS tuner hooked up to asmall dish antenna, audio enthu-siasts can receive digitally encodedradio programs, which can also beunraveled into analog sound byproperly equipped DAT decks. TheDAT format also has modes thatoperate at the BS sampling frequen-cy of 32 kHz, opening impressivepossibilities for compatible opera-tions between these two types ofcomponents. Nippon Hoso Kyokai(NHK), Japan's national broadcast-ing organization, is gearing up fordigital radio on a large scale in thenext decade. Meanwhile, a smallnumber of antenna dishes have al-ready been sold (at fairly highprices) to Japanese home -electron-ics buffs who are now treasure -hunt-ing the skies.

Digital Audio TapeThe DAT show stoppers were the

portable tape recorders from Sonyand Technics. Sony showed its pro-totype PCM-2000 professional por-table along with the consumer mod-el TCD-D10 (250,000 yen, or about$1,786 at 140 yen to the dollar),which is to be released in Japan thisfall. Weighing about 4 pounds (withbattery) and measuring about 91/3 x691'io x 21/14) inches, the TCD-D10 has100X high-speed search and a built-in clock, and it comes completewith an accessory kit that includes astereo microphone.

Technics, however, took showhonors with the world's smallestDAT recorder so far, the RQ-MD1,

weighing 31/5 pounds (with recharge-able batteries) and measuring amere 81/4 x 41'4 x 11/ inches-aboutthe size of a small book. To be soldfor 300,000 yen (about $2,143) inJapan late this year, this impressive -looking unit features thirty -two -selection programming, a switch -able -20 -du pad and microphonelimiter, a built-in recording timer,and both line-in/out terminals andmicrophone jacks. The drive mech-anism is very compact, using a 15 -millimeter (about 1/2 -inch) head,half the size of ordinary DAT headdrums, and a high -torque direct -drive flat motor with a high -preci-sion die-cast aluminum chassis.

The RQ-MD1 is packed withloads of specially designed Lsi's, in-cluding two for the magnetic con-verters, two for microprocessors,three for the servo, three for theaudio section, and one for signalprocessing. Also featured is an "in-dependent L/R MASH -type A/DConverter" developed in conjunc-tion with NTT (Nippon Telephone& Telegraph). "MASH" stands formulti -stage noise shaping, and thecircuit uses a sixty -four -times -over -sampling A/D (analog -to -digital)conversion process. The Technicsdeck was claimed to have theworld's lowest power consumption(3.9 watts) when used with the sup-plied rechargeable batteries.

After the show closed, Casio an-nounced that it would introduce inDecember an even smaller, lighter,and less expensive portable DATdeck than the Technics RQ-MD1.Incorporating specially designed,proprietary LSt's, the Casio DA -1 issaid to be smaller but thicker than aSony Discman CD player, measur-ing about 4*4 x 13'4 x 5*4 inches andweighing about 11/2 pounds withoutits rechargeable battery pack. Theprice is 148,000 yen (about $1,057),plus 20,000 yen ($143) for the bat-tery pack. It is said to draw only 3.5watts from the batteries in use.

The advantages of portable DATdecks are obvious. Since they can beused at home as well as in a car or asa personal player with headphones,it's conceivable that DAT'ers willbuy one portable recorder for use inevery situation. With their premi-um -level prices, however, portableDAT units may not have the sameeffect as portable CD players, whichwere instrumental in stimulating CDsales in Japan essentially because oftheir low price and not their porta-bility-most wound up being used


More than 250,000 interna-tional visitors were treated todisplays of the latest audio andvideo technology at the JapanAudio Fair. At the Harumi Ex-position Grounds exhibits weredivided into two halls (above)appropriately labeled "L"and "R."

Teac's Esoteric series features(above) the R-1 digital audiotape deck and the two-piecePD -1/D-1 compact disc player.with the player in one unit andthe D/A converter in the other.

Luxman's DP -07compact disc player

(left, about $2,860) re-quires the use of an out-board digital -to -analog(D/A) converter, thematching DA -07, whichweighs 62 pounds andcosts about $5, 710.

The Sony D-600 portableCD player was shown ina white finish. Availablein the United States asthe Model D-160. it sellsfor around $250-inblack only.

Audio-Technica's new"micro -size" components

(below) include the AT-SA50 and ATT-A50

amplifiers, the AT-SL70and AT-SL50 audio/vid-

eo selectors, the AT-TU50 stereo tuner, and

the AT-MX50four -channel mixer.


entirely at home anyway. Expectlower prices on next year's portableDAT units, though they'll eventuallybe undersold by component mod-els, which are cheaper to produce.

In component DAT decks, one ofthe most elegant -and expensive, at500,000 yen ($3,571) by advanceorder -models at the show was theR-1 in Teac's new Esoteric series.Finished in a beautiful warm silver,it has the look and size of a Seven-ties VCR, sporting a large panel thatopens to reveal the level meters andall the controls. Hitachi's DAT-9000 (189,000 yen, or $1,350, withremote control) sports a low profileand is said to contain many of thecompany's proprietary uses.

Sansui's DT -1000i (300,000 yen,or $2,143) is a majestic black ma-chine with cannon -type connec-tions, optical digital inputs and out-puts, and a full -function wireless re-mote control. The XD -Z1100(198,000 yen, or $1,414, with re-mote) from Japan Victor Corpora-tion (JVC) also boasts optical digitali/o, and JVC's XD -Z9000 proto-type features a "K2 Interface,"which is said to help preserve thesound of the original source. OtherDAT decks on display included theAiwa XD -001 (189,000 yen, or$1,350), the Kenwood DX-2200SR(178,000 yen, or $1,271, with re-mote), the Sony DTC-1000ES(198,000 yen, or $1,414) and theTechnics SV-D1000 (198,000 yenwith remote).

CD VideoNever before have I seen so much

software exhibited at the fair. Alarge part of the Nippon Marantzbooth was given over to Philips CDvideo displays, which highlightedthe new gold -colored 43/4 -inch CDV'Sas well as 8- and 12 -inch videodiscswith digital sound. Philips alsoshowed its CDV570 and CDV770(the display models had "Producedin Japan" on the back panels),which play all four types of laser -read discs. The CDV770 has a shut-tle -search control and a digitalmemory function for clear stillframes. Prices and release dates areyet to be announced. A PolyGramcatalog was also handed out listingseveral rock, jazz, and even classicalCDV titles.

Pioneer's CLD-99S (158,000 yen,or $1,129) and CLD-77 (129,000yen, or $921) also play LaserDiscs,CDV'S, and CD's, and the CLD-99Sis equipped with shuttle -search vid-

I

The Philips CDV display was the mostelaborately designed booth at the Ja-pan Audio Fair, just as it was at theSummer Consumer Electronics Showin the United States and at the Inter-nationale Funkausstellung in Berlin.

eo control. For the true video buff,Teac showed its videodisc recordingmachine, available on special orderfor a very healthy 2,700,000 yen($19,286).

Compact Disc PlayersWhile flagship CD players contin-

ue to hover around 200,000 yen($1,429), prices for good midrangeCD players have dropped in Japanto around 80,000 yen ($571). Itseems that predictions of a polariza-tion in the market are coming true.Also, wireless remote controls havebecome a standard feature of almostall home CD players.

Shown with a distinctive dark -sil-ver finish (black is also available),Yamaha's CDX-1000 (89,000 yen,$636) and CDX-800 (69,800 yen,

$499) featured full -function remotecontrols and the company's Hi -bitcircuitry for a claimed signal-to-noise ratio of 118 dB. There are cur-rently about fifteen different CDplayers in Yamaha's brochures, thelowest priced being the CDX-305 at44,800 yen ($320). And Yamahastill offers eight different turntables,priced from 22,000 to 320,000 yen($157 to $2,286). Sansui's new CDplayers had model numbers morebefitting European cars: the CD-a907i (150,000 yen, $1,071), theCD-a707i (89,800 yen, $641), andthe CD-a607i (59,800 yen, $427).JVC's XL -Z511 (59,800 yen) andXL -Z701 (89,000 yen) use optical -cable signal links. Pioneer's PD -707V (79,800 yen, $570) also playsCD videos, and all the company'snew CD players -the top PD -3000(180,000 yen, $1,286), the PD -8070(89,800 yen, $641), the PD -7070(59,800 yen, $427), and the PD -6070 (42,800 yen, $306) -are sin-gle -disc machines, not changers.Kenwood's DP-1100SG (89,800yen) and DP-990SG (69,800 yen,$499) had optical digital outputs.

Looking very big and very expen-sive, Luxman's DP -07 CD player(tentatively 400,000 yen, or $2,857)requires the use of an outboard D/A(digital -to -analog) converter; thematching DA -07, a massive 613/4 -pound unit (tentatively priced at800,000 yen, or $5,714), is availableto fill the bill. Teac's Esoteric seriesalso has a separate CD player/con-verter system comprising the PD -1CD Drive Unit (300,000 yen, or$2,143, on special order), whichlooks like what could be a floppy -disk drive made by Tiffany, and thematching D-1 Multi D/A Converter(200,000 yen, or $1,429, on specialorder).

ElectronicsAmplifiers big in both size and

output were popular, with many in-corporating digital circuitry. Hita-chi's HA -9000 (89,800 yen, $641)130 -watt integrated amp had sepa-rate D/A converters for each channeland digital filters behind its digitalinputs. Incorporating proprietary"4DAC-18bit" technology, theTechnics SUV1OOD (198,000 yen,$1,414) and SU-V9OD (89,800 yen,$641) integrated amplifiers alsohave digital inputs, both wired andoptical.

Yamaha's AX -2000 (230,000 yen,$1,643) 150 -watt integrated amp,equipped with Hi -bit circuitry, han-


JBL PRO SOUND COMES HOME.

Now JBL brings advanced state -of -the -studio and

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JBL is the speaker of choice in renowned concert

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Using technology developed to satisfy these profes-

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experience pro performance, too. The new JBL

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A Harman Inlarnatonal Company

dies digital inputs using 48 -kHz,44.1 -kHz, and 32 -kHz sampling fre-quencies, as does the lower -priced,100 -watt AX -700D (63,000 yen,$450) integrated amp. Also in thesame series was the Yamaha DSP-3000 Sound Processor (280,000 yen,or $2,000, with remote control),which incorporates Hi -bit circuitryand has settings for the AnaheimStadium, Roxy Theater, VillageVanguard, and other famous con-cert venues. To be released nextspring is Yamaha's AVX-100 inte-grated audio/video amplifier (noprice yet) with a built-in video -detail enhancer and digital -delaysurround -sound circuitry.

Denon exhibited its DAP -5500($1,400) digital preamplifier, whichalso handles all three sampling fre-quencies, along with the new PRA -2000Z ($1,600) preamplifier andmatching POA-3000Z ($2,400)power amplifier. Kenwood's DA-1100EX (138,000 yen, $986) digitalintegrated amplifier has both digitaland analog inputs, and so does theJVC AX -Z911 (89,800 yen, $641,with remote) and the Pioneer A -90D (220,000 yen, $1,571).

Sansui's new series of "alpha-i"amplifiers was headed up by theAU-a901i MOS Limited integratedamplifier (260,000 yen, $1,857). Itweighs in at over 68 pounds and hastwin -mono construction. Luxman'sUltimate series included the E-06phono amplifier (260,000 yen), withfour built-in mc transformers, theC-06 control preamplifier (260,000yen), the 55 -watt M-06 power am-plifier (330,000 yen, $2,357), andthe M-07 power amplifier (750,000yen, $5,357), which puts out 100watts per channel in pure Class Aoperation (all prices are tentative).

There's a good chance that Nip-pon Marantz will be marketingPhilips brand audio components,videodisc players, and rack systemsin Japan by the end of the year. Itseems that most will be made inJapan by Nippon Marantz and willbasically be similar to those fromother Japanese companies.

SpeakersFamous for its crystal wine gob-

lets, Japan's Sasaki Crystal showedblown -glass speaker enclosures thatlooked like fishbowls with driverspointing out the side. The sales slo-gan for the series is "Creative Crys-tal Sound." Also on display wereDaiken Kogyo's Craft a-9000 speak-ers (700,000 yen, or $5,000, a pair),

02,-47.21M

which use wooden diaphragms toachieve a claimed frequency re-sponse of 27 to 40,000 Hz. TheTechnics SH-277 speaker stands(each 30,000 yen, $214) are de-signed to be filled with sand forgreater weight. Bose had a strongpresence at both the main exposi-tion and the Imported Audio Show.

Portables and SystemsMost interesting in the portable

cassette category was the new SonyCFS-S30 (32,000 yen, $229), a ra-dio/cassette recorder permanentlyhoused in a fashionable synthetic -cloth bag with pockets on the endsto hold tapes or whatever. It's avail-able in bright pink or black andshould be a big hit with Japanesecollege students. Audio-Technicadisplayed a line of add-on compo-nents for pocket stereo sets, includ-ing cassette -box -sized speakers andpower amplifiers that run on bat-teries.

Long popular with Japaneseyouth, "mid" -size (13 -inch -wide)one -brand systems seem to be on aslow wane. Sony is even going in theother direction by releasing a dis-tinctive new system that appears tobe intended for the over -forty-fivegroup. Called the CD "Denchiku"(a prewar term for record player)High Definition Compact Disc Sys-tem (500,000 yen, $3,571), it has aninteresting retro look, with a finishand design that suggest Japanesefolk -craft furniture.

Panasonic showed its Pana Cap-sule, an enclosed two -person enter-tainment center with an interior likea sports car. It houses a complete,high-powered audio/video systemwith full-size components in the"dash" and a control panel on theroof. Two long internal bass bafflesare used to achieve strong responsedown to 10 Hz, with a rated sound -pressure level of 114 ds at 20 Hzwith a 1 -watt input. The Pana Cap-

sule is intended for use in crampedJapanese apartments and houseswith little soundproofing.

Daiken Kogyo had a very impres-sive soundproofing exhibit at thefair-inside it, the loud drone of thefair could barely be heard. In Ja-pan's urban areas, where smallhouses and apartments are invaria-bly crammed together, soundproof-ing is an important consideration.

The Imported Audio FairHeld yearly at the Hotel Grand

Palace, the Imported Audio Fair at-tracts enthusiasts of traditional au-dio products, particularly turntablesand cartridges as well as exotic am-plifiers and speakers. On the heelsof the success of JBL (leading salesvolume) and Bose (leading unit vol-ume) is a whole lineup of Americanspeaker manufacturers waiting tocarve out a slice of the Japanesemarket, which has traditionallybeen receptive to imported speak-ers. On the expensive end is a lim-ited edition-only 150 pairs will beavailable worldwide-of the 95 -pound Ohm Walsh 5 speaker, whichwill be sold for 1,500,000 yen($10,714) in Japan, rather higherthan the U.S. price ($4,800), butthat's not surprising given the ship-ping costs, import duties, etc.

JBL speakers on display at theImported Audio Fair were the J-216Pro MkII (66,000 yen, or $471, apair), the 4344 Studio Monitor(598,000 yen, or $4,271, each), andthe 4312A (128,000 yen, or $914,each). The Bose lineup included the901 -SS -W (495,000 yen, or $3,536, apair), the 301MM-II (89,600 yen,$640, a pair), and the 101MMG(40,800 yen, or $291, a pair). Prom-inent among newcomers this yearwas Boston Acoustics, with the A-72 (41,000 yen, or $293, each), A-62(35,000 yen, or $250, each), and A-42 (27,000 yen, or $193, each) ondisplay.

Bryan Harrell is an American of Hu-morous descent who has braved To-kyo's kamikaze -inspired taxi drivers,stratospheric prices, and apartmentsyou need a shoehorn to get into forover a decade. This article was origi-nally written on hand -split rice bark inFrilancian Bold Script with a split-nibbed Japanese garden trowel using atraditional ink consisting of hibachisoot and soy sauce. The entire storywas then transcribed onto floppy diskin less than 350 microseconds usingthe latest in Japanese electronic opto-conversion technology.


Finally you can believeeverything you hear.

For some time your ears have been tellingyou that something about car audio isn'tringing true.

The speakers.Conventional car speaker technology

just hasn't been up to the task ofreproducing the full emotional depthand scale of music you can experiencewith great home speakers.

But then the Infinity Kappa Auto-motive Series is far from conventional.

These remarkable new speakers,inspired by our revolutionary Kappahome loudspeakers, utilize patentedInfinity innovations like injection -molded polypropylene/graphite cones,

ultra -high gauss rare earth neodymiummagnets, computer -tuned crossover net-works and acoustically inert mountingmaterials to bring you musical detailthat in every way recreates the originalperformance. With just about anypower level you care to feed them.

The end result? A rare, spine -tingling musical experience youwouldn't have thought possible inyour car.

But don't take our word for it.Not when you have a chance to audition

the Infinity Kappas at your Infinityautosound specialist.

They'll make a believer out of you.

InfinityWe get you back to what it's all about. Music.

A Human International company C1987 Infinity Systems. Inc. 9409 Owensmouth Aye.. Chasswoeth. CA USA. 91311 (8183709-9400 In Canada: H. Roy Gray Ltd. :4 Laid!. 131vd . Markham. Ontario Canada L3PI W7 (416) 294-4633CIRCLE NO. 17 ON READER SERVICE CARD

TAKE OUT

THE ELITE M-90 AND C-90REFERENCE COMPONENTS

Hum, hiss, crosstalk, vibration: distortionin your audio signal.

Graininess, specks, flecks, jitter: extrane-ous noise in your video image.

Garbage.The Elite C-90 pre -amp and M-90 wer

amp are no -compromise components ignedto get rid of it. By keeping critical signal pathsas short as passible By offering you direct CDconnection. By introducing motorized volumecontrol, separate audio and video power

transformers, and unique video processingcontrols like noise reduction, sharpness anddetail. By giving you the purest possible audioand video that digital technology has to offer.

In the words of audio critic Julian Hirschin Stereo Review, "The C -90's signal to noiseratio is considerably better than that of any CDplayer...that makes the C- 90the true peer of any digitalsound source-the only pre-amplifier we have testedthat can make that claim'?

The C-90 also cleansup your video. Because it

Measured by EIA method. 'Based on FFC rules regarding measurement of amplifier power ratings.

not only controls up to six video components,its video -enhancing circuits actually improveyour video image. Now, even rented videotapestake on a whole new look.

But what good is a complete A/V systemwithout remote capabilities? The C -90's "Si""System Remote gives you complete control,plus a unique Motor -Drive Volume Control thateliminates the noise created by typical elec-tronic volume controls.

Where the C-90 leaves off, the M-90 takesover. With 8(X) watts/channel into 2 ohm loads;200 watts into 8 ohms:* and remarkably highcurrent capability (47 amps) for low impedanceCIRCLE NO 31 ON READER SERVICE CARD

driving, the M-90 delivers the kind of per-formance digital signals demand. And forunprecedented purity, the M-90 even includesits own volume control for direct connectionto your CD player.

The Elite M-90 and C-90 working together.There's just no better way to take out the garbage.

For more information, call 1-800-421-1404.

C1987 Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc., Ictmt Beach, ( .A

THE ELITE REGISTERALABAMAFlorenceIngram Audio(205) 764-6423ALASKAAnchorageMagnum Electronics1907) 278-4662

KodiakIsland TV(9071 486-4297

ARIZONAPhoenixIntegrated Systems(602) 220-9520ARKANSASFayettevilleAmp Audio Video(501) 521-1737

StuttgartChnsty's TV andAppliance(501) 673-2991

CALIFORNIAAlamoLaser Faire(415) 831-1122

AlhambraAudio Video Center(818) 282-1600

BerkeleyHonkers Sound Co.(415) 548-3325

BurbankThe Lasers Edge(818) 845-2219

Canoga ParkThe Lasers Edge(818) 705-2737EncinoAudio Video Electronics(818) 986-2301FremontHome Express(415) 7 9 5-7111

FresnoHome Express(209) 222-4663GlendaleMarconi Radio(818) 240-1090

GoletaHouse of Audio Video(805) 967-2341GreenbraeVideola(415) 461-9790

IrvineSound Quest. Inc(714) 854-2900La CrescentaChatam Becker(818) 248-8345Los AngelesBeverly Stereo(213) 651-3523Royal Sound(2131 933-3094Mill ValleyVideola(415) 383-6767

Mission ViejoVideolaser(714) 582-3403

NapaFuturvision(7071 257-2004

NewhallChatam Becker(805) 254-1210

Palo AltoWestern Audio Imports(415) 494-4552

SacramentoParadyme(916) 481-3900

Turntables Unlimited(916) 488-2920

San BernardinoVideo Mart(714) 885-3191

San FranciscoAudio Excellence(415) 433-1335

Wong's Hi Fi(415) 474-9664

San JoseQuement Electronics(408) 998-5900Santa MariaLombards DiscountStereo1805) 928-4536

Santa MonicaJonas Miller Sound(213) 828-5613

Santa RosaHollywood North17071575-1225TustinDigital Ear(714) 544-7903

VacavilleCentral TV(707) 448-5744COLORADOBoulderWave Length Stereo(303) 499-0200Colorado SpringsU S. Tech of ColoradoSprings(303) 593-0751DenverListen Up(303) 744-1179

Robert Waxman(303) 623-3662CONNECTICUTDanburySounds Alive(203) 743-3193

East HartfordHi Fi Image(203) 282-9422GreenwichAud Vid(2031869-0666GrotonLeiser Sound. Inc.(203) 445-7600NewingtonSound Playground(203) 667-4401

NorwichLeiser Sound. Inc(2031886-0330OrangeSounds Alive(203) 795-4771

StamfordSounds Alive(203) 325-8500WaterburyZinno Music. Inc.(203) 755-3696WestportSounds Alive(2031255-5975

DELAWAREWilmingtonLaser Sight & Sound(302)479-9739FLORIDAAltamonte SpringsBoss Audio & Video. Inc(305) 332-9043MelbourneAudio Mart(305) 725-1258

Merritt IslandAudio Mart(305) 452-2182MiamiAudio Call(305) 371-3875

Audio Plus1305) 251-4561

Dharamdas Sons, Inc.(305) 593-2026

Overseas Electronics(305) 592-5667

Ritz Shop. Inc13051 358-4216

Pinellas ParkCooper For Stereo(813) 527-6863

GEORGIASavannahAudio Visual Resources(912) 355-2020

Video Biz of Chathan(912) 238-0661

TiftonBerger's Audio & TV1912) 382-1743

HAWAIIHonoluluAnderson's Camera &Hi Fi Store(808) 949-1087

IDAHOIdaho FallsPhase Four Stereo(208) 523-1234

PocatelloPhase Four Stereo(208) 233-0440ILLINOISBurbankDigital TV/Audio(312) 423-9300

ChicagoMills Recording Co.(312) 332-4116

Belmont Electronics(312) 975-0280

DarienKB TV13121852-6700Hoffman EstatesPrecision Video(3121884-1614

LansingUnitek Electronics(312) 895-4390

Mount ProspectVideo Dynamics(3121593-2304QuincyFirst in VideoMusicWorld12171 224-8500

INDIANAAndersonDisc -O -Tech(317) 644-3472

Crown PointCrown Electronics1219) 663-7210

Fort WayneLehman Electronics(219) 482-8506HuntingtonLehman Electronics(219)356-6900LogansportTodd's(2191722-4400WarsawButterfly. Inc.(219) 269-3675KANSASOverland ParkAudio VideoElectronics(913) 381-8535

SalinaDel's TV & Tape(913) 827-7203KENTUCKYLouisvilleAudio Video by Design(502) 425-3333PikevilleMayo. Inc1606) 432-8132LOUISIANABaton RougeArt Colley's AudioSpecialties(504) 926-0244MetairieAlterman Audio(504) 834-7772New OrleansAlterman Audio1504) 866-3579MAINEAugustaFrank Pomerleau. Inc.(207) 622-3765MARYLANDAnnapolisH.A Hi Tech(301) 266-0818GaithersburgAudio Buys1301) 840-9180MASSACHUSETTSAuburnLeiser Sound. Inc.1617) 832-4499CambridgeAudio VideoEnvironments(617) 864-8001FraminghamNatural Sound(6171 879-3556LittletonMusic Shack(6171 486-8182

NantucketBerts Electronics(617) 228-1397SeekonkLeiser Sound. Inc.(617) 336-3399ShrewsburyLeiser Sound, Inc.(6171 791-5111

WalthamThe Instant Replay(617) 890-9262MICHIGANFlintThe Stereo Center(313) 239-9474

PlymouthDigital Entertainment(3131455-0960MINNESOTASt. PaulRobert Paul TV1612) 489-8025EdinaScholes Enterprises(612) 831-5488

MISSISSIPPIOxfordSights & Sounds(601) 236-5774MISSOURIKirksvilleWright Tire & Appliance(816) 665-3779KirkwoodWarnerCommunications(314) 821-7474MONTANAGreat FallsRocky Mountain Hi Fi(406) 761-8691

NEW JERSEYCherry HillSoundworks(609) 751-1900Cliffside ParkEntertainmentEnvironment(201) 941-5329East HanoverElite Audio/Video(201) 884-0044Hamilton SquareRock Dreams(609) 890-0808LivingstonElectromedia Design(201) 992-9088New BrunswickHi Fi Haven1201) 249-5130

West CaldwellSamm Sound(201) 575-8910WyckoffConklin's Audio Video1201) 891-4000NEW YORKHuntington StationAudio Breakthrough(516) 423-7755ManhassetAudio Breakthrough(516) 627-7333MerrickPerformanceAudio & Video1516) 378-4389NewyorkAudio Breakthrough(212) 595-7157Bryce Audio(212) 575-8600Custom Media Design(212) 689-5916East Side Stereo(212) 673-5222Grand Central Radio(2121682-3869Lyric Hi Fi(212) 535-5710Lyric Hi Fi1212)769-460C.RochesterGala Sound(716) 248-8430

ELITE

Rowe Photo(716) 442-8230UticaWorden's Music13151 724-8717

WatertownThe Happy Ear(315) 788-7692White PlainsLyric Hi Fi1914) 949-7500Audio Design1914) 328-1878NORTH CAROLINAAlbemarleMusic Mart(7041 982-3627DurhamKerr's Audio Visions. Inc1919) 493-8888HickoryDacia Electronics(704) 324-5054LenoirCrowells17041754-5353ReidsvilleTrent's Stereoland(919) 342-1111

OHIOAkronDiFeo's Audio & Video(216) 773-6077CincinnatiAudio Vision Plus1513) 891-7444MansfieldHigh Tech Video(419) 756-8889Maple HeightsEric Martins. Inc(2161 663-2032MayfieldEric Martins. Inc1216) 449-7400

OKLAHOMATulsaDoug Brown Enterprises(918) 747-3618

OREGONAstoriaGreenburg's Furniture(503) 325-5111SalemSalem Sound Center1503) 364-7235TigardHigh TechnologySight & Sound(503) 620-9825PENNSYLVANIANatrona HeightsButch's Sound Shack(412) 224-7000PhiladelphiaSound Service(215) 725-1177

RHODE ISLANDN. ProvidenceEastern Discount(401) 728-1480

WesterlyLeiser Sound. Inc.(401) 596-2100

SOUTH CAROLINAColumbiaLaser Experience1803) 736-6392HartsvilleHaynes Electronics1803) 332-4878

Hilton Head IslandAudio Visual Resources1803) 881-2971GeorgetownStereo Video Center1803) 546-6511

TENNESSEENashvilleAudio Systems1615) 320-1600

Audio Systems1615) 297-2400TEXASAmarilloSound Systems Limited1806) 353-9171BeaumontBrock Audio(409) 832-0276DallasCustom Video(214) 991-9901

El PasoCasa Sonido(915) 532-3631Fort WorthMarvin Electronics Co(817) 927-5311LaredoMetes International(512) 722-3941Mc AllenEl Centro Sound Center(512) 630-4434San AntonioBjorn's Stereo Designs(512) 646-6991UTAHMidvaleInkley's(8011 255-7910VERMONTSouth BurlingtonLaserland1802) 863-5528VIRGINIAAlexandriaVideo Station of Virginia(703) 751-6993FranklinAudio Showroom(703) 562-2339HamptonVideorama(8041827-1980Virginia BeachVideorama(804) 497-3802WinchesterSound City(703) 662-1560WASHINGTONRedmondHome Entertainmentby Design(206) 881-1265SeattleVideophile1206) 329-0262SpokaneMillman's Stereo -Video15091 467-5192WISCONSINGlendaleSound Stage(414) 961-1155

Green BaySound World(414) 499-4519LaCrosseTeam Electronics(608) 781-8500

Op1310 AND VIDEO

THE celebrated Internationale Funkaustellung Berlin,or International Audio and Video Fair, convened inBerlin, West Germany, from August 28 to Septem-ber 6 with a great deal of fanfare and style. At Mes-segelande, the expansive site Berlin uses onlyevery other year for the fair, over 550 exhibitorsfrom 26 countries packed into 25 separateHalles and displayed their wares to over400,000 people. Unlike this country's Con-sumer Electronics Shows, the Berlin Fair isopen to the public. Audio and video enthu-siasts of every age wandered wide-eyedthrough the often ornate booths showcas-ing the hottest new technologies. Eventhis jaded trade -show goer was soberedby the enormous size of the event-sore feet and ruined Reeboks aside.

Sony garnered most of the head-lines by announcing it would startselling DAT decks in Europe, andPolyGram stole the remainingspotlight with its massive CDVdisplay. Otherwise, the bestreason to attend this extrava-ganza was the special high -end Halle. A selective tourof that area follows.

BYMICHAELSMOLEN

Orundig is better known in theUnited States as a supplier ofcar stereo equipment for Spit-zenklasse autos like Mercedes

and BMW, but the company alsomakes beautiful home audioequipment such as the DAT-9000digital audio tape deck at left.

A!so in Grundig's premierFine Arts series of compo-nents is the CD -9000 com-pact disc player, with 16 -bit

digital -to -analog (D/A) conversionand quadruple oversampling.

Elac's simple, high -contrast design forits audiophilepreamplifier would

make a big statementin any living room.The box has a high -gloss black top andsides, a brushed face-plate, and blood -redlettering.

0SP of Berlin designsstriking show boothsas well as speakers.The Kristall Models 1

and 2 speakers are con-structed "like organ pipes"to produce precise bass fre-quencies down to 35 Hz.


The absolute show stopper in Berlin was thiswater-cooled Silbersand mono power ampli-fier. The water cooler is made of Plexiglas.and the blue -colored water is set into mo-

tion by an outboard pump. The cooler is con-nected by pipes to the amplifier, which controlsthe water's temperature and displays it digi-tally. The amp can run up to 80 watts in ClassA, with a maximum power of 400 watts into 4ohms. The cabinet is made of brass.


Car and homespeakers fromMB -Quart willbecome avail-

able in the U.S.this month. Shownbelow is theQuart -Mobil 332CS, a three-piecesystem featuring atitanium -dometweeter. Rated fre-quency responseis 30 to32,000 Hz.

ielefunken, aname you mayrecognize, in-troduced a DAT

deck (left) and theST 900 SAT digi-tal satellite tuner(far left). With sep-arate circuitry forprocessing musicand speech pro-grams, the tuner issaid to deliver FMbroadcasts withCD -quality sound.

The spectacular Burmester 808MK 3 preamplifier (above) con-sists of a base unit with remotepower transformer and a range of

plug-in input and output modulesthat allow gradual expansion of thesystem's capabilities in accordancewith the user's needs.

Schafer andRompfsASR Collec-tor pream-

plifier (left) ishoused in anonmagneticcase made of"acrylic -glass"with solid brasscontrols.

Speakers from T -i- A Elektro-akustic offer everything fromnine natural -wood finishes tovisible tubes on the front panels

of the powered models. Shown atleft is a model from the company'sSolitaire series.

onspicuously at-tached to the topof the Elac 170 4cloudspeaker (right)

is a 4 -ohm omnidi-rectional ribbontweeter.

Ifyour CD player's laseit could read th

A compact discplayer that is reading thedisc correctly has onething in common with aplayer that isrit.

Both must be heardto be believed.

Because a compactdisc player will emit themost breathtakingly live -sounding music yotiveever heard from a record-ing. Or it will emit spookybinary codes in arandom order. Itmostly dependson the laser.

At Mitsubishi,there isrit a singlelaser beam wetrust to accuratelyread digital infor-mation from acompact disc. In-stead, our DP -311R

(like all MitsubishiCD players) utilizesthree of them.

An innovativethree -beam servolaser pickup constantlymonitors and correctsthe laser's position forprecise tracking.

At the same time,our exclusive one -chipLarge -Scale Integratedcircuit keeps an eye on

This parallel clampgrips the center of thedisc eliminating wobblefor remarkablyaccurate playback.

Incredibly preciseMitsubishi three -beamtracking utilizes twosub -lasers which con-tinuously monitor andan lect the main lasersposition.

/` MITSUBISHI COMPACT DISC PLAYER DP -311R

MEMPOWER....=

EAMillfiSeRiVICKIJR SYSTEM WITH 'BUM -IN-RIGIDIRMANThRESONANCE STRUCTURE

' MECHANISM

the disc's rotation speedand maintains digitalerror correction.

And parallel centerdisc clamping mini-mizes eccentric rotation.

In fact, Mitsubishiengineers have come upwith ways to improveeverything from the waythe laser pickup transmitsdigital data, to a uniquefour -compartment chas-sis that isolates criticalcomponents from vibra-tion and interference.

The result is a ma-chine that can put yourfavorite band in your

r isrit properly aimed,e c all rowgn.

1

digital

4

L.__

PPOC. L .EPE - - B

4441 4444 1441 1144.4

JOE

ca1 2 3 4 S.1

6 7 8 9 10

11 13 14 15

14 17 18 19 20

REM AT PROGRAM NO

living room.Without the mess.And this entire

symphony of elec-tronic wizardryis at your corn-mand via aneasy -to -use,wireless remotecontrol.

You can programup to 36 tracks. Repeata programmed selection,an entire disc or a sec-tion between any twopoints. Without thoseannoying interruptionsyou may have heard fromother programmable

compact disc players.Because our linearmotor tracking system

has only one mov-ing part for moreaccurate playback

Newly- positioning anddeteloped

Mitsubishi Photo- faster cueing.Direct amplifier

maintains signal integrity by corn- And whatbining the photodiode detector . .

and preamplifier at the pickup. Mitsubishi engi-neers havent come upwith, our financial peoplehave. Which is why youcan purchase a DP-31IRusing a Mitsubishi ThreeDiamond Cardin'

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MAJOR development in rec-ords and recording duringthe past year has been therush on the part of the

major classical labels to rerelease oncompact disc the musical treasuresburied in their back catalogs, partic-ularly the great opera recordings ofthe past. The tenth anniversary, thisyear, of the death of Maria Callasspurred EMI to rerelease on CD vir-tually all the recordings she evermade for the company, but theadvantages of the new format-improved sound and extended play-ing time-plus an eager audiencehave drawn many more prized

BY ROBERT ACKIRT

opera recordings back into circula-tion. These, combined with whatseems to be more than the usualcomplement of new recordings thisyear, have made opera on CD a ver-itable growth industry.

In the September issue of STEREOREVIEW Robert Ackart covered the"basic" recorded operas, now onCD, of Beethoven, Bellini, and Bi-zet, proceeding by way of Mozart toPuccini and Richard Strauss. In thesecond part of his overview of operaon CD, Ackart discusses the popu-lar, masterpieces of Verdi andWagner. There are, necessarily,some omissions, including the re-

cordings inevitably being releasedjust as we go to press.

Where two or more recordings ofa particular Verdi or Wagner operaare available on compact disc, theyare listed alphabetically by label(Deutsche Grammophon being ab-breviated to DG). The label name isfollowed by the catalog numberand, in parentheses, the number ofCD's in the package. An 0 symbolindicates a mono recording.

For a review by William Living-stone of the five complete record-ings on CD of Wagner's mammothRing cycle, see page 156.

Christie Barter


VERDI: Aida ANGEL CDCC-47271 (three CD's).Caballe, Domingo, Cossotto, Ghiaurov,Cappuccilli; Chorus of the Royal OperaHouse, Covent Garden; New Philhar-monia Orchestra, Riccardo Muti cond.This recording, made in 1974, catchesthe soloists at their vocal best, thoughthe sound quality on CD is not as fine asone might expect. While all the artistssing with luster and fervency, the hap-piest surprise is Montserrat Caballe.Slow to warm up dramatically, shepours out glorious tone throughout andis downright thrilling in the Nile Scene.Overall, it is Muti's performance; hisreading is perceptively and thoughtfullypaced. The orchestra is superb, and thechoral work is clean. DG 410 092-2 (three CD's). Ricciar-elli, Domingo, Obraztsova, Nucci,Ghiaurov, Raimondi; Chorus and Or-chestra of La Scala, Milan, Claudio Ab-bado cond. The remastered 1982 re-cording sounds splendid, and the cho-rus and orchestra under Abbado'sskilled direction sing and play stirringly.Nicolai Ghiaurov and Ruggero Rai-mondi are weightily sonorous as Ram-fis and the King. Leo Nucci's Amonasrois spirited, and Placido Domingo asRadames offers some of his best sing-ing. But the women are disappointing.Elena Obraztsova's Amneris is impas-sioned but not seductive, and KatiaRicciarelli's Alda is thin and too tenta-tive to bring off Verdi's musical cli-maxes. LONDON 417 416-2 (three CD's). L.Price, Vickers, Gorr, Merrill; RomeOpera Chorus and Orchestra, GeorgSolti cond. Recorded in 1961, this per-formance would be hard to surpass atany time. The remastered sound is fine,the chorus and orchestra perform su-perbly, Solti's conducting is exemplary,and the cast recalls what we are told ofthe sound and dramatic involvement of"Golden Age" singers. The recom-mended Aida.

VERDI: Un bafio in mascheraLONDON 410 210-2 (two CD's). Pav-

arotti, M. Price, Battle, Ludwig, Bruson,Lloyd, King; London Opera Chorus;National Philharmonic Orchestra,Georg Solti cond. This set is a "must."While some vocal performances areperhaps stronger than others, none isweak. In a sense, it is Solti's show; he isin absolute control, shaping, unifying,and giving energy to the performancewhile bringing out the finest quality ofeach singer. Luciano Pavarotti singswith all the musical refinement ofwhich he is eminently capable, phrasingsensitively and with dramatic convic-tion. Margaret Price pours out Amelia'slines without effort and with sumptuoustone and involvement with the charac-ter. If Renato Bruson's portrayal of Ver-di's Renato lacks some finesse, it is

musically solid and dramatically con-vincing. As Oscar, Kathleen Battle re-veals what the role can be when sungwith warmth and vivaciousness; she is,quite simply, the best Oscar I have everheard. A musically and dramaticallystunning performance.

VERDI: Don Carlos ANGEL CDCC-47701 (three CD's).Domingo, Caballe, Verrett, Raimondi,Milnes; Ambrosian Opera Chorus; Or-chestra of the Royal Opera House, Cov-ent Garden, Carlo Maria Giulini cond.This performance of the full-lengthopera, including the FontainebleauScene but observing the excisions Verdihimself made, was recorded in 1970 bya superb cast under the direction of abrilliant conductor. Sung in the nowmore usual Italian translation of theoriginal French libretto, Verdi's per-haps grandest score here becomes trulya thrilling listening experience. DG 415 316-2 (four CD's). Domin-go, Ricciarelli, Valentini-Terrani, Rai -

acing page:Sherrill Milnes in

the title role ofVerdi's Rigoletto

on London.*

t right,Placido Domingo in

the title role andRenata Scotto as

Desdemona in theRCA recording of

Verdi's Otello.

mondi, Nucci, Ghiaurov; Chorus andOrchestra of La Scala, Milan, ClaudioAbbado cond. A recording of theFrench version in the form the compos-er settled on as definitive, with themusic he eliminated offered as an ap-pendix, this set is interesting for histori-cal considerations. The text, however, isfrequently unintelligible. Placido Dom-ingo does not match his work on theearlier Angel recording, and Katia Ric-ciarelli lacks the emotional grandeur re-quired of Elisabeth. The Philippe-Grand Inquisitor scene, with RuggeroRaimondi and Nicolai Ghiaurov, isperhaps the most telling here.

VERDI: Falstaff DG 410 503-2 (two CD's). Bruson,Ricciarelli, Nucci, Hendricks, Gonzal-ez, Valentini-Terrani, Boozer; Los An-geles Master Chorale; Los Angeles Phil-harmonic Orchestra, Carlo Maria Giu-lini cond. Handsomely recorded live in1982, this is an unusually fine perform-ance. Giulini brings great insight to Ver-


LIA 0111 CIDdi's magical score and obviously pre-pared his artists with care. The compos-er's musical textures, lyricism, andwarm humanity are fully realized in afine ensemble performance. All con-cerned offer their best under the leader-ship of a very special conductor. PHILIPS 412 263-2 (two CD's). Tad-dei, Kabaivanksa, Panerai, Perry, Arai-za, Schmidt, Ludwig; Vienna StateOpera Chorus; Vienna PhilharmonicOrchestra, Herbert von Karajan cond.Recorded in 1980, this is a remarkableperformance. Karajan conducts withhis wonted vitality and musical polish,and the glorious cast takes the trouble toconvey traits of character that illumi-nate the progression of the comedy.Raina Kabaivanska, Christa Ludwig,and Rolando Panerai are especiallywinning. While the Giulini perform-ance is perhaps a "purer" one, musical-ly speaking, the excitement of Karajan'sapproach is undeniable.

VERDI: La forza del destino ANGEL 0 CDCC-47581 (threeCD's). Callas, Tucker, Tagliabue, Rossi-Lemeni, Capecchi, Nicolai; Chorus andOrchestra of La Scala, Milan, Tulio Ser-afin cond. La forza del destino igniteswhen performed by artists who can will-ingly suspend disbelief in the convolu-tions of Verdi's rather catch-all plot andthe often unexplained, if not inexplica-ble, behavior of his characters. This issuch a cast, enthusiastically led by aconductor steeped in the traditions ofItalian grand opera-which La forzasurely is. Recorded in 1954, the set pre-sents the wonderful Maria Callas at hermost wonderful, a Richard Tucker rel-ishing every melodramatic moment, aCarlo Tagliabue melodiously in pursuitof vengeance. Indeed, the entire ensem-ble appears dedicated to making La for-za a very exciting experience; they suc-ceed so well that the goings-on seem notonly credible but also movingly tragic.

ANGEL CDCC-47485 (three CD's).Freni, Domingo, Zancanaro, Plishka,Bruscantini; Chorus and Orchestra ofLa Scala, Milan, Riccardo Muti cond.This is Muti's set, primarily because ofhis close attention to orchestral detail,and the recorded sound is glorious. Mi-rella Freni sings with a vivid concept ofher character, but despite the recentdarkening of her voice, Leonora seemsheavy for her at times. Placido Domin-go's Alvaro is a taut portrayal with ahigh order of musicality, and GiorgioZancanaro sings Carlo with a full-bod-ied "Verdi baritone," though a ratherrough one in quieter moments. Theremaining members of the cast and thechorus acquit themselves commenda-bly throughout. DG 419 203-2 (three CD's). Plow -right, Carreras, Bruson, Burchuladze,Pons; Ambrosian Opera Chorus; Phil-harmonia Orchestra, Giuseppe Sinopolicond. A spirited, snappily paced, crisply

Luciano Pavarotti: in goldenvoice in Verdi's Rigoletto

conducted performance. Sinopoli putshis own stamp on the proceedings. Ro-salind Plowright is a vocally easy andaffecting Leonora. Jose Carreras is cred-itable as Alvaro, but the weight of Rena-to Bruson's baritone puts the tenor at adisadvantage in the Alvaro-Carloscenes. Paata Burchuladze's Guardianois richly sung and well characterized.The others in the cast, including AgnesBaltsa as Preziosilla, are fine. RCA RCD3-1864 (three CD's). L.Price, Domingo, Milnes, Giaiotti, Bac-quier; John Alldis Choir; London Sym-phony Orchestra, James Levine cond.Recorded in 1976, this set offers eachartist in prime form. It's a fabulousassemblage, and a fabulous perform-ance. Leontyne Price sings in her famil-iar style, with soaring pianissimos andan unerring sense of Verdi's line. Dom-ingo contrasts lovely lyricism with dra-matic expression. Sherrill Milnes's clearbaritone is heard to rousing effect. Theperformance is grippingly molded byLevine's sure and exuberant hand.

VERDI: Macbeth ANGEL CDCC-47954 (three CD's).Milnes, Cossotto, Carreras, Raimondi;

Ambrosian Opera Chorus, New Phil-harmonia Orchestra, Riccardo Muticond. The recording dates from 1976,when Sherrill Milnes was in fine voice,singing with more conviction and in-volvement than we have come to expectof late. Fiorenza Cossotto, too, is effec-tive as Lady Macbeth, bringing to herbig scenes a telling urgency and dramat-ic intensity. Ruggero Raimondi's han-dling of Banquo's short aria is affecting,and as Macduff, Jose Carreras singswith more ease and timbre than in morerecent performances. The work of thechorus and orchestra is precise and richin tone. As fine as the combined forcesare, however, the laurels go to Muti,who shapes a performance of unusualexcitement, one that bears his signaturewhile respecting what is unquestionablya fascinating score. HUNGAROTON 12738/40-2 (threeCD's). Cappuccilli, Sass, Kovits, Kelen;Hungarian Radio and Television Cho-rus; Budapest Symphony Orchestra,Lamberto Gardelli cond. This well -recorded performance has its ups anddowns. Gardelli's hand is sure anddraws forth a precisely paced and en-thusiastic reading from the orchestra,chorus, and soloists. Piero Cappuccilli,always a first-rate technician, seems dis-engaged from the action, however, untilafter Duncan's murder; thereafter hischaracterization builds in intensity. Syl-via Sass nearly comes to vocal grief in

appearance but settles in later;her brindisi has the requisite brittle arti-ficiality, and her Sleepwalking Scenecontains some beautiful legato singing.As Banquo, Kolos Kovits sings hisshort but signal aria most affectingly. PHILIPS 412 133-2 (three CD's). Bru-son, Zampieri, Lloyd, Shicoff; Chorusand Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper,Berlin, Giuseppe Sinopoli cond. Inten-sity and exactness mark Sinopoli's workon this well -engineered recording. Bothchorus and orchestra perform with pas-sion. Outstanding among the soloistsare the men in the cast, headed by Re-nato Bruson, whose rich, dark voice iswell suited to Macbeth; Robert Lloyd isa splendid Banquo and Neil Shicoff afine Macduff. Mara Zampieri, a some-what steely voiced Lady Macbeth, is ather best in the Act I duet with Bruson.Not a perfect performance, but one thatbrings much to Verdi's gripping score.

VERDI: Otello ANGEL CDCB-47450 (two CD's).Domingo, Ricciarelli, Diaz, Macurdy;Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Mi-lan, Lorin Maazel cond. This recordingderives from the soundtrack for Zeffi-relli's film adaptation of the opera; per-haps for that reason, while there may bemore musically satisfying recorded per-formances, to my knowledge none ismore impelling or theatrically affecting.Maazel generates a large measure of theexcitement, eliciting a telling intensity


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OPERA 0111 Crfrom all concerned. Placido Domingo'svoice seems light for Otello, but heoffers an impressive interpretation. Jus-tino Diaz is undaunted by lago's hightessitura, although I wish he had high-lighted the role's quality of evil a bitmore. Desdemona lies very well vocallyfor Katia Ricciarelli, and she sings withthe sincerity befitting the character; thehighly exposed line of her Act IV soloscene is finely spun. John Macurdy is animpressive Lodovico, and the othermembers of the cast are estimable. Cho-rus and orchestra perform with concen-trated dedication and sharp attention toMaazel's contrasting dynamics, and thesound is excellent. LONDON 411 618-2 (two CD's). DelMonaco, Tebaldi, Protti; Vienna StateOpera Chorus; Vienna PhilharmonicOrchestra, Herbert von Karajan cond.Recorded in 1961 and remastered withsingular success for CD, this perform-ance is simply overwhelming. The roleof Otello seems written for the clarionvoice and personal intensity of Mariodel Monaco; similarly, Desdemona per-fectly suits Renata Tebaldi's warm so-prano and temperament. If we haveheard more beautiful voices than AldoProtti's in the role of lago, we have notexperienced a more telling characteriza-tion. The Vienna forces perform withsweeping ardor and expressiveness un-der Karajan, who is at his best, totally incommand as always but conductingwith passion and an impelling sense ofdrama. RCA RCD 2-2951 (two CD's). Dom-ingo, Scotto, Milnes; Ambrosian OperaChorus; National Philharmonic Or-chestra, James Levine cond. Recordedin 1978, this performance finds Domin-go at his most effective in the title role;as his voice rings out, you can feel thereserve behind it. Sherrill Milnes, too, isat his best-which, ten years ago, wasindeed the best. Desdemona lies well forScotto, who projects a fragility andaffecting womanliness. The recordedsound is admirable, and the chorus andorchestra under Levine contribute stir-ring performances.

VERDI: RigolettoANGEL CDCB-47469 (two CD's).

Gobbi, Callas, Di Stefano, Zaccaria;Chorus and Orchestra of La Scala, Mi-lan, Tulio Serafin cond. This extraordi-nary 1955 performance is made evenmore enjoyable for being interruptedonly once on CD, and the sound isgood. Rigoletto was one of Tito Gobbi'sfinest interpretations, a role with com-plexities that only the kind of great sing-ing actor he was can reveal. Callas hadstudied Gilda carefully and applied herconsiderable insight to what Verdiwrote. Hers was not a purely beautifulvoice but rather a medium for commu-nication, and such is her Gilda. By thesame token, Serafin's performances arerightly legendary.

Leontyne Price: an Aidathat recalls the Golden Age

DG 415 288-2 (two CD's). Cappuc-cilli, Cotrubas, Domingo, Ghiaurov,Moll, Obraztsova; Vienna State OperaChorus; Vienna Philharmonic Orches-tra, Carlo Maria Giulini cond. Whilethis performance does not lack drama,it is more lyrical than many present-dayreadings of the score. Giulini offers athoughtful, deeply musical interpreta-tion in a well -engineered remastering ofa 1980 recording. Piero Cappuccilli hasa somewhat light voice for the title role,but he sings expressively. Placido Dom-ingo's Duke has considerably more heftthan, for example, Neil Shicoff's in thePhilips set (see below). Ileana Cotrubassings an appealing Gilda; if her voice isless fluid than Gruberova's (Philips), itis warmer. Elena Obraztsova's Maddel-ena is a match for any Duke of Mantua,and Nicolai Ghiaurov's Sparafucilecommands the burly voice to make therole convincing. Kurt Moll's Monte-rone is full -voiced and rich.

LONDON 414 269-2 (two CD's).Milnes, Sutherland, Pavarotti, Talvela,

Tourangeau; Ambrosian Opera Chorus;London Symphony Orchestra, RichardBonynge cond. The recording datesfrom 1972 (Kiri Te Kanawa sings aminor role), but the sound is good.Bonynge conducts with his usual energyand sense of pace, and the soloists,chorus, and orchestra respond empathi-cally. The wonder here, though, lies inthe "big three" of the cast, each in primevoice. The brown velvet of SherrillMilnes's baritone, the golden clarity ofLuciano Pavarotti's tenor, and Suther-land's remarkable pyrotechnics allmake for glorious listening. PHILIPS 412 592-2 (two CD's). Bru-son, Gruberova, Shicoff, Lloyd, Fass-baender; Chorus and Orchestra of theAccademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia,Giuseppe Sinopoli cond. The sound iscrisp and well balanced. Sinopoli's ex-act direction is a distinct pleasure,revealing subtleties of the score youdon't often hear. In the title role, Rena-to Bruson's big, warm voice pours outwith seemingly endless resource. Gru-berova captures Gilda's guilelessnesswith unusual purity of tone-herfloated pianissimos are lovely-andNeil Shicoff creates a suave character ofthe Duke. This is a carefully preparedperformance characterized by dramaticthrust, excitement, and high-level mu-sical probity.

VERDI: La traviataANGEL CDCB-47538 (two CD's).

Scotto, Kraus, Bruson; AmbrosianOpera Chorus; Philharmonia Orches-tra, Riccardo Muti cond. This is a musi-cally effective, dramatically sensitiveand telling performance under Muti'sdirection. Renata Scotto, the bloom ofher voice somewhat faded, eschews allunnecessary pyrotechnics and focusesher considerable interpretive abilitieson creating an appealing portrayal ofVioletta. Alfredo Kraus brings hiswonted stylistic elegance and dramaticsincerity to the role of Alfredo, andRenato Bruson makes Germont un-usually sympathetic. The recording isgiven added interest by the inclusion ofpassages in Act II that are usually cut. DG 415 132-2 (two CD's). Cotrubas,Domingo, Milnes; Bavarian StateOpera Chorus and Orchestra, CarlosKleiber cond. Kleiber, as always, placeshis particular stamp of dramatic taut-ness and musical clarity on the perform-ance, qualities reflected as well in thesinging and acting of the soloists. Youfeel you are hearing the opera for thefirst time-a startling statement tomake of La traviata! Ileana Cotrubashas never sung with more conviction,Placido Domingo is in his best voice,and Sherrill Milnes adds a velvet -voiced Germont.

VERDI: II trovatore DG 413 355-2 (three CD's). Domin-go, Plowright, Zancanaro, Fassbaender,

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OMEN& Ofil CDNesterenko; Chorus and Orchestra ofthe Accademia Nazionale di Santa Ce-cilia, Carlo Maria Giulini cond. Thispeformance should convince anybodythat 11 trovatore is a very exciting work.Giulini conducts with dedication andattention to the demands made uponhis singers; his musical sense, rarelyquestioned, is here paramount, and hisunhurried tempos sharpen the drama ofthe performance. Rosalind Plowright'sLeonore and Brigitte Fassbaender'sAzucena are both heard to particularadvantage in their first -ever recordingof these roles. Placido Domingo bringshis musical best (which is saying a lot)to this "restudied" performance, andGiorgio Zancanaro's Di Luna is richlyarticulated.

WAGNER: The Flying Dutchman ANGEL CDCC-47053 (three CD's).Van Dam, Vejzovic, Hofmann, Moll;Vienna State Opera Chorus; BerlinPhilharmonic Orchestra, Herbert vonKarajan cond. This is a relaxed, lyricalreading of Wagner's Dutchman, typicalof recent Karajan performances, and itis enhanced by Jose van Dam's reso-nant, well -focused tone and strongsense of characterization. Dunja Vej-zovic sings expressively as Senta, andKurt Moll evokes a real human beingfrom Daland's lines. As Erik, Peter Hof-mann sings better than he has, at leastin public, for a long while. A strong,very musical performance. PHILIPS 416 300-2 (two CD's). Estes,Balslev, Salminen, Schunk; BayreuthFestival Chorus and Orchestra, Wolde-mar Nelsson cond. One of the most suc-cessful live recordings I have heard, thishas occasional stage noises but alsocommendable sonic presence and ahere -and -now theatrical intensity thatstudio recordings do not always cap-ture. As the Dutchman, Simon Estesturns in his finest recorded perform-ance. Lisbeth Balslev's Senta is wellsung and presents a finely drawn char-acter, and Matti Salminen as Dalandand Robert Schunk as Erik both makeaffecting contributions.

WAGNER: Die Meistersinger DG 415 278-2 (four CD's). Fischer-Dieskau, Domingo, Ligendza, Her-mann, Ludwig; Chorus and Orchestraof the Deutsche Oper, Berlin, EugenJochum cond. Recorded in 1975, theperformance is characterized by a glo-rious, full sound on CD. Jochum drawsfrom both chorus and orchestra the richresonance one expects from forcessteeped in the Wagner tradition. Thepacing is deftly handled; Meistersinger,for all its wonders, is a long opera, andto experience its three acts without feel-ings of satiety is an unusual pleasure.Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's voice is per-haps a shade light for Sachs, but hisinsight into the character and his mu-sical proficiency outweigh all reserva-

Conductor Herbert von Karajan:ardent Verdi, lyrical Wagner

tions. It is rewarding to find ChristaLudwig, that admirable artist, giving somuch to Magdalene and to enjoy Ro-land Hermann's singing of Beckmess-er's part (too often delineated in a sortof Sprechgesang). Placido Domingo isentirely at home with Walther, and hisPreislied, somewhat flavored with Ital-ian seasoning, soars impressively. Forthe most part, Catarina Ligendza's Evais satisfactory, though she tends towardshrillness every so often-a minor criti-cism in view of the immensity andoverall success of this undertaking.

WAGNER: Tannhii user ANGEL CDCC-47295 (three CD's).KOnig, Popp, Meier, Moll, Weikl; Ba-varian Radio Chorus and Orchestra.Bernard Haitink cond. This musicallysensitive performance seems small -scaled; the climaxes lack force, and thedrama needs more excitement. Mostcurious is the casting. I wonder whyLucia Popp, a delightful lyric soprano,even considered Elisabeth, let alone un-dertook to record the role. While sheconveys the youthful purity of Wagner'sheroine, her performance is vocallybland. Klaus KOnig fares somewhat bet-ter as Tannhauser, but his musicallyaccurate account is not a stirring one,and Waltraud Meier's Venus is troubledby an unsettling vibrato at the top of herrange. Kurt Moll and Bernd Weikl, asthe Landgraf and Wolfram, respective-ly, deliver the most effective vocal per-formances.

LONDON 414 581-2 (three CD's).Kollo, Dernesch, Ludwig, Sotin, Braun;Vienna State Opera Chorus; ViennaPhilharmonic Orchestra, Georg Solticond. A noble performance, recorded in1971, that has movement and majes-ty-a combination not always charac-teristic of Wagner performances. Six-teen years ago Solti did not drive scoreswith the same sinewy intensity we havecome to expect from him today, but hisconducting was no less infused with

focus and impulsion. Rene Kollo is verysatisfying as the errant hero; his longAct III narrative-, usually interminab.ein the theater, is dramatically tellin3.Elisabeth fits Helge Dernesch, vocallyand temperamentally, to a "T." HansSotin is a resonant and authoritativeLandgraf, Hans Braun an appealingWolfram, and Christa Ludwig breathesa rare life and passion into Venus.Warmly recommended.

WAGNER: Tristan and lsolde ANGEL CDCD-47321 (four CD'sl.Suthaus, Flagstad, Greindl, Thebom,Fischer-Dieskau; Chorus of the RoyalOpera, Covent Garden; PhilharmoniaOrchestra, Wilhelm Furtwfingler conc.The legendary Kirsten Flagstad with-out, sadly, the legendary Lauritz Mel-chior. Although this recording wasmade after the great soprano had retiredfrom the Met, her voice glows with awarmth and amplitude of tone thathave not been heard since her heyday.Ludwig Suthaus's voice is not beautiful,but he sings Tristan's part accuratelyand with stentorian power, and JosefGreindl's Marke is a true basso projon-do, rich and weighty. Apart from Flag-stad, however, the star of the recordingis Furtwfingler, who, over many de-cades, made Tristan virtually his per-sonal property. His leisurely conductingallows the music to unfold almost lyri-cally, yet no climax is slighted. DG 413 315-2 (four CD's). Kollo, M.Price, Moll, Fassbaender, Fischer-Dies-kau; Leipzig Radio Chorus; DresdenState Orchestra, Carlos Kleiber cond.The sound is sumptuous. The interpre-tation is unmistakably Kleiber's: rich.rhythmically strong, and intense-qual-ities essential to a gripping Tristan. Likethe cast in the Philips set, this one isperhaps not a Golden Age selection, butthe artists are all capable. MargaretPrice acts more with her voice thanusual (Kleiber's influence?), Kollobrings to Tristan an unusual and tellinglyric quality, and the remaining princi-pals are vocally and dramatically distin-guished. The orchestra and chorus,steeped in the tradition, are splendid. PHILIPS 410 447-2 (five CD's). Hof-mann, Behrens, Sotin, Minton, Weikl;Bavarian Radio Chorus and Orchestra,Leonard Bernstein cond. From the lyri-cal prelude through the Liebestod, thedrama of Wagner's Tristan unfoldsinexorably in this 1981 recording, madepartially in concert and partially in thestudio. It was evidently a project aboutwhich Bernstein felt strongly; rarely hashe conducted with more involvementor conviction, and in Hildegard Beh-rens and Peter Hofmann he has singingactors who handle their roles beautiful-ly, with diction that is exceptionallyclear. The whole cast is challenged byBernstein's ideas to deliver strong sing-ing and thoughtful interpretation. Afine achievement. 0


THE EVOLUTION OF THE DISC. AND THE DISCWASHER:

Early records were scratchy and extremelyfragile. Now, with compact discs, you can pro-gram the cuts you want to hear (in the order youwant to hear them), sit back, relax, and enjoyhours of uninterrupted pleasure. We've certainlycome a long way.

Discwasher has come quite a distance,too. And though our first product (the famousD4+"" Record Cleaning System) is still the indus-try standard for cleaning LPs, our newDiscwasher Compact Disc Cleaner has a styleand design that's more than equal to the remark-able discs it protects.

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Instant You, DigitallyForget complicated answering machines. Forget worn out announcement tapes. Now you can simply touch a buttonand record your voice digitally on computer RAM. It's an incredibly easy to use breakthrough, for just $4990.

By Drew KaplanIt's hassle free. And, its flawless digital

reproduction of your voice is almost scary.Now you can record your own voice

on computer chips by simply touching asingle button. Now you'll never againhave to match your message to a contin-uous loop cassette.

If you're like me, recording a messageon an answering machine is really anintimidating hassle.

Besides all the buttons you have topush, you have to rewind the tape, wait,and then play it back to see how yourmessage sounds.

Well, with this all new digital break-through, simply push one button to re-cord any outgoing announcement up to15 seconds long.

Then, push another button to instant-ly play it back. It's totally hassle free.

In fact, it's so easy that you'll feel com-fortable changing your flawlessly record-ed announcement to suit your hourlyneeds. And, talk about flexibility, wow!

Now you can effortlessly change yourmessage whenever you wish. So, if you'reonly out in the yard, you can tell callersyou'll be available at 2:20PM. With anormal machine, they wouldn't know ifyou'd be back in 20 minutes or 20 days,so they might not leave a message.

So, in addition to standard answeringmachine features, you can instantly catchcalls if you're down the street, in theshower, taking a nap, or getting the mail.

PRIVACY AND SANITY PLUSNow you can really protect your pri-

vacy. Never before has an answeringmachine been so easy to use that you'lluse it when you're at home too.

When you're home, you can 'screen'calls. Your new answering machine willanswer the phone and you'll hear who'sleaving a message. If you want to talk tothe caller, just pick up the phone.

Now you can answer only when youwant without missing important calls.This is a superb necessity, not just aconvenience at the Kaplan household.

It seems that as soon as we sit downto dinner, the phone starts ringing. Now,we can hear who's calling (of course wecan turn down the volume if we wish)and take only urgent calls.

I used to take the phone off the hookduring dinner, but aside from the dangerof missing an emergency call from some-one, I've been told it's really rude.

If someone tries to call and gets abusy signal, they tend to keep dialing,thinking that we're talking. Well, have Igot them fooled! Anyway, now we canhave the best of both worlds with thisincredible new answering machine.

GREAT SOUND PLUSOK, it's really just like a conventional

answering machine. But, it's incrediblyeasier to use than any machine I've seen.

When you touch the ANN. REC. (An-nouncement Record) button, you in-stantly record your voice on the machine'scomputer chips. So there are no movingparts to wear out, or tape to hiss or messup the incredible fidelity.

Anyone calling you hears your mes-sage and then a beep. This answerer willthen record onto a standard cassettethe message the caller leaves.

The exact second they hang up, thecassette stops. So, you'll never have tolisten to any blank tape.

You'll only hear messages, becauseyour outgoing announcement isn't re-corded on the tape. And, there's even aflashing message light to tell you whensomeone has left a message.

EASIEST EVERThere are no complicated controls.

Installation consists of simply pluggingin its standard modular phone jack andits AC plug (both included).

There's even a modular jack on theback of the answerer for your phcne.And, a 9V battery (not included) backsup your announcement.

But, it's virtually control free. Thereare no complicated controls, no sequen-ces to remember. Just record your an-nouncement or play back your messages.

Of course, there's a volume control forplayback. And, a built-in condenser mikelets you record your messages withoutanything to plug in.

Push the answer button to activatethe machine. You can save or erase mes-sages or fast forward or rewind to re-hear a message. It's all incredibly simple.

To make it really easy, there's no re-mote pick-up, and the pretty coloredhandset I used in the picture isn't in-cluded. It simply answers your phonewith the best fidelity you've ever heard

and with the least effort ever.ALL THE USES

For an hour, a day, or a month, thisnew answering breakthrough will faith-fully record your incoming messages.And with its lifelike digital fidelity, yourcallers are sure to be awed.

With its full size standard cassette, itwill take up to 30 minutes of your mes-sages with no minimum length for each.Now you'll have total phone freedomand privacy at a breakthrough price.

It's made by Answerex and with itsdigital announcement and standard cas-sette drive, it's built to last. It's backed byAnswerex's standard limited warranty.

YOUR VOICE IN LIGHTSRISK FREE

It's eerie. Wait till your callers hearyour voice. They'll be amazed. Wait tillyou see how easy it really is to use thisincredible new machine.

If you're not 100% satisfied, simplyreturn it in its original box to DAK within30 days for a courteous refund.

To order your Answerex Digital An-swering Machine that answers in yourown voice digitally and takes your vari-able length messages on a standardaudio cassette, risk free with your creditcard, call toll free or send your check forDAK's breakthrough price of just $499°($6 P&H). Order No. 4871. CA res add tax.

Now you can instantly change yourannouncement and thrill your callerswith the digital fidelity of your voice.

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Ion Tidal Wave PropelledLike the awesome thundering power of a tidal wave, negative .'ons will wipe pollution out of your environment.And like the rising and falling tides remove pollution from th 9 beach, your environment will be kept pollution free.

Nothing stands up to the mighty forceof a tidal wave. And when the waverecedes, it takes everything with it.

And like the mighty suction of thereceding ocean waters, pollutants in yourair, from smoke to pollens, will succumbto the power of the Ion Tidal Wave. Here'show it works.

IN AND OUTFirst the mighty wave strikes. The force

of this wave's wall of water consists of1 ,400,000,000 negative ions per second.

Being negatively charged, the ionsattach themselves to any positively charg-ed particles in your air. Pollutants suchas cigarette smoke, pollen, smog, carexhaust and insecticide dust, all havepositive charges. So, the negative ionsare drawn to them like magnets.

Then the awesome wave of negativeions stops. The negative ions, completewith the attached pollutants, start drift-ing to your positively charged walls, ceil-ings and floors.

But wait. Just as the ocean reclaimsthe water that it so forcefully deliveredin a tidal wave, the base of the newPulsair 3 becomes a powerful positivecollector and sucks the ions, with thepollutants attached, back to itself.

So, instead of falling to the floor orsticking to your walls, most of the pollu-tion is pulled back to the Pulsair. Justlike the rising and falling tides, yourenvironment will be cleansed by theaction of the ion wave.

If you want to see an ion generatorremove smoke, here's an easy test. Place that cleanses your room like never before. clean the air. God did.a standard clear kitchen bowl over the Minute by minute, hour by hour, day If you've ever smelled the sweet coun-ionizer. Puff some cigarette smoke into by day, the sequence continues. First a tryair after a thunderstorm, or near thethe bowl. Then plug in the ionizer. massive wave of ions is sent out. Then breaking surf at the beach, you know the

Before you can say, "Pulsair Kill", the seconds later, it's sucked back to the invigorating feeling that comes over you.smoke will be totally gone. It's an easy collector. You can't hear it. You can't Pulsair does for a 250 square foottest and it's sure to make you a believer. feel it. But, watch the smoke disappear. area, what Nature does for the entire

BIG BERTHA OF GENERATORS You'll have 3 protection levels. Level ccuntryside. It seems that positive ionsPulsair Phase 3 is the third generation 1 emits ions for 5 seconds and collects are associated with pollution and nega-

of ion generators. First there were sim- pollutants for 30 seconds. Level 2 emits tie ions with good fresh natural air.ple units that generated negative ions. for 10 seconds and collecs for 30 sec- There are lots of claims that a nega-

Negative ion generation is used in onds. And Level 3 emits for 10 seconds tive air ionizer will let you think morehospital burn wards and computer chip and collects for 10 seconds. clearly, sleep better and feel happier.manufacturing to remove microscopic So, if you're in a room with smokers, There's nc way to prove or disprove

y particles that can adversely affect pause Level 3. For home use, use level 1 or the claims. But, it s safe to say that if alltients and chips alike. 2, because virtually all particles removed these things come from cleaner, pollu-

These ion generators worked fine. In from the air end up the filter. tion free air, it just may be possible.fact, they worked so well that your walls CIGARETTE BUTTS Et BOULDERS A removable, washable filter comesbecame black from the particles they Fans with charcoal or furnace type filters with Pulsair. Just wait WI you see whatremoved from the air. may remove some large particles like Pulsair remcves from the air before it

In my opinion, black walls are a lot bet- cigarette butts and large ashes from the gets into your lungs.ter than black lungs. But they worked so air. But, they're just about useless for It is 7" tall. It's made by ISI and, backedwell, that consumers complained. anything under 5 microns. by their standard limited warranty.

Then came bipolar collectors which Over 90% of air pollution particles are A CLEANSING TIDAL WAVEsent out ions and concurrently collected smaller than 5 microns. So, there just RISK FREEthem in the base. isn't any other reasonable defense for Make the smoke test. Let it wipe out

Your air could be cleaned, your walls you other than a negative ion generator. the pollutior (like other people's cigar -didn't get too dirty and everyone was Pulsair is just about the only air clean- e:te smoke) in your home or office.happy. The only negative was that the ing system which can -emcve and collect If you don't think you're breathing clean -ions couldn't go as far because they tobacco smoke, dust, pollen and even er fresher air, simply return it in its originalwere being pulled back by the collector bacteria from the air. box within 30 days for a refund.even as they were sent out. Pulsair constantly cleanses all of the To order your on Tidal Wave Nega-

Enter Big Bertha. Pulsair is different. air throughout its tidal area. In con- tive Ion Generator with your credit cardIt is bipolar, but it operates just like the trast, fan driven filter type machines risk free, call toll free or send your checkocean's rising and falling cleansing tides. can only clean the air that they actually for just $99" ($4 &1-1). Order No. 4908.

By sequentially sending out a massive draw through themselves. I can't guarantee that it will help youwall of negative ions, then shutting off, NOT A NEW IDEA s eep, solve crime, or improve your sexand finally turning on its collector, a mas- Actually, the negative ion manufac- life. But it's tidal surges will give yousive constant circulation of ions occurs turers didn't think of this great way to cleaner air to breathe, and that's priceless.

4TH IN A SERIESIs Escort Scared or Smart?Cincinnati Microwave, the maker of Escort and Passport radar detectors, has ignored OAK'S third, one-on-one Maxon

versus Escort radar challenge. I think they're hiding behind 'independent' magazine reviews and refusing to meet us on thetrue field of battle. And now, I think I've finally figured out why. I believe they're in a NO WIN SITUATION! Read On.

By Drew Kaplan $7990 Maxon, it would be catastrophic take over the highways.It's time to attack. No more Mr. Nice for their advertising. And, even if they But Cincinnati Microwave kept adver-

Guy for me. I've done everything I can to beat Maxon by a second or two, are they tising about Rashid. (My opinion of anget them out for a conflict. worth double or even triple the price? advertising gambit). It's been a year and

I've offered $10,000, then $20,000, if So, that's why I think they're in a no nobody I've talked with has run into athey could beat Maxon's lowest price win situation. Without the magazine's Rashid. I challenged Cincinnati Micro -$99" detector (now on sale for just loving editorial comments, we'd be down wave to prove that there were even 500$7990) by more than 10 feet. I've even to who won and by how many feet? on the road in the whole U.S., but they'veoffered to print the results in my next And while they may or may not be been silent. (I wonder why???)catalog, win, lose or draw. scared of losing to Maxon, so far, they Anyway, just to prove that we had the

In a minute, I'm going to introduce sure seem to be smart enough to stay technical expertise, Maxon has devel-Maxon's revolutionary new Micro-Detec- out of a footage contest. oped and implemented an Anti -Rashidtor that is CORDLESS and built totrounce MAGAZINE ROUND UP circuit in the new Micro -Detector.Escort and Passport, but first let's see Popular Mechanics Magazine in No- It's added about $5 to your cost whichwhat we can do to compare detectors. vember '86, in their Around A Corner Test we all think is a waste, but at least we

IS THIS FAIR? YOU DECIDE said, "The low ranked . . .and Passport won't get any more letters saying thatIn their recent ads, Cincinnati Micro- had to be rounding the bend and pointing the only reason we think it's worthless is

wave quotes what Car and Driver Maga- at the radar gun before they'd detect it. because Maxon doesn't have it.zine's April '87 issue says about Passport, Too late then!" (Not quoted by Passport.) TRUE BREAKTHROUGH NO. FIVE"At $295 direct from the factory, it's the Although in July, after Cincinnati Mi- Unlike the questionable value Anti -most expensive piece of electronic pro- crowave complained, Popular Mechan- Rashid circuit from Cincinnati Microwave,tection in the group, but it's worth every ics said in an Around A Corner Test, Maxon has now leapt ahead. Now you cannickel in roadgoing peace of mind." "Consistent with the results of our pre- have a micro detector that operates from

Well, wouldn't you think that Passport vious test, Passport was easily the best 6 AA rechargeable batteries (included).obliterated every other detector by a of the minis." (Quoted in Passport Ads.) Now you can forget plugging your radarcountry mile? And, don't you think every- Speaking of 'consistent', the magazines detector into your cigarette lighter. A rev -one is going to go out and find the mag- aren't consistent even from issue to issue. olutionary circuit design gives you cord-azine and read the WHOLE review??? By the way, in July's test they hated less freedom and improved protection.

Well, look what else Car and Driver Maxon, but at least they said, "No detec- Maxon is using a circuit used in jetsaid in the same article (and not quoted tor in this group had to round the corner fighters and other military applicationsin Passport ad), "As it turned out, the top before sniffing out Smokey." which replaces the traditional Gunnfive brands are so close in their "Overall Road and Track Magazine (September diode oscillator with a DRO (Di-electri-Sensitivity" scores that a minor juggling '86) top rated Passport even though Max- cally Resonated Oscillator).of the X/K-band weighting formula would on (a recommended buy) appears to have The efficient DRO circuit is much moreupset the apple cart." Wow, imagine that! beaten Passport in Uninterrupted Alert, stable when subjected to temperature

So, Passport didn't beat everyone by a and Passport beat Maxon in initial alert. extremes and vibration (hence its use inmile. In fact, on the X Band tests, it So, when you get right down to which the military, especially aircraft). Its onlyappears that it came in 3rd in a Dead- detector protects you, an on-the-roadtest disadvantage is that it costs more.Ahead Trap, 3rd in an Over -the -Hill Trap, without all the loving editorial 'quotable The new detector also has incredibleand 3rd in an Around -the Corner Trap. remarks' seems to be the only way to go. "support systems". Its bright LEDs, dim

But in choosing Passport as best, Car We need to win or at least tie, to prove themselves at night. And speaking ofand Driver says, ". . an 'excellent' ap- to the world that our challenge is for real, dimming, they can be switched off sopraisal of support systems (cords, lights, and not, as Cincinnati Microwave said, you can't be spotted from the rear.alarms etc.) is well worth several hun- "an advertising gambit". But, speaking And, as for the separate X and K warn-dred feet of warning distance..". of advertising gambits, read this! ing tones, not only is the volume adjust -

Which brings me back to the point PROTECTION FROM RASHID S5? able, 'Mute' lets you silence the alarmsI've been trying to make since I first WHOOPEE without adjusting volume. They will auto -challenged Escort. Today, a good de- Last year, Cincinnati Microwave an- matically reset after the alert passes.tector can often sniff out police radar as nounced to the world, in virtually every You can plug the Micro into your cigar -much as 60 seconds ahead. magazine I picked up, that all radar de- ette lighter, you can run it for about 8

Traveling at 55 mph, you only cover tectors but theirs would be obsolete. hours on its rechargeable batteries, andabout 80 feet a second. So, whether It seemed that a K band collision avoid- it automatically recharges from your cig-there's a 10' or even 100' difference in ance system called Rashid VRSS would arette lighter overnight or while you usesensitivity, with today's detectors it just knock out everyone's detectors. it plugged in during the day.doesn't make much difference. Well, I said then that the $558 system OK, now it's time to prove that Maxon

READ THIS that recommends cutting a 61/2" hole in is Number One. Cincinnati Microwave,So, if Passport or Escort lose to the your grill for installation, wasn't going to eat our dust!

A $20,000 Challenge To EscortLet's cut through the Radar Detector Glut. We challenge Escort & Passport to a one-on-one Distance and Falsing'duel to the death' on the highway of their choice. If they win, the $20,000 check pictured below is theirs.

more accurate at interpreting real radarversus false signals?

So Escort, you pick the road (contin-ental U.S. please). You pick the equip-ment to create the false signals. Andfinally, you pick the radar gun.

Maxon and DAK will come to yourhighway with engineers and equipmentto verify the results.

And, we'll have the $20,000 check(pictured) to hand over if you win!

BOB SAYS MAXON IS BETTERHere's how it started. Maxon is a mam-

By Drew KaplanWe've put up our $20,000. We chal-

lenge Escort to take on Maxon's DualSuperheterodyne RD -1 $9990 detector(right) (Now just $7990 ), Maxon's newMini RD25 $9990 detector (middle) orMaxon's Cordless Micro-Trouncer $14990radar detector (left) on the road of theirchoice in a one-on-one conflict.

The real question today is: 1) Howmany feet of sensing difference, if any, isthere between Maxon's Detectors andEscort's or Passport's? And 2) Which is

moth electronics prime manufacturer.They actually make all types of sophis-ticated electronic products for some ofthe biggest U.S. Electronics Companies.(No, they don't make Escort's.)

Bob Thetford, the president of MaxonSystems Inc. and a friend of mine, wasexplaining their anti-falsing Dual Super-heterodyne Radar detector to me. I said"You know Bob, I think Escort really hasthe market locked up." He said, "Ournew designs can beat theirs".


. . .Challenge ContinuedSo, since I've never been one to be in

second place, I said, "Would you bet$20,000 that you can beat Escort?" And,as they say, the rest is history.

By the way, Bob is about 6'9" tall, so ifwe can't beat Escort, we can sure scarethe you know what out of them. But, Boband his engineers are deadly seriousabout this 'duel'. And you can bet thatour $20,000 is serious.

We only ask the following. 1) The publicbe invited to watch. 2) Maxon's Engin-eers as well as Escort's check the radargun and monitor the test and the results.

3) The same car be used in all tests. 4)We'd like an answer from Escort no laterthan December 31, 1987, and 60 days

notice of the time and place of the con-flict to alert the public. And, 5) If Escortcan prove that there are even 500 Rashidunits in operation, we will present themwith a check for $5,000 at the conflict.

HOW'S THIS FOR FAIR?Cincinnati Microwave will be deemed

the winner and given the check if eitherEscort beats Maxon's RD -1 or RD -25 by 10feet in both uninterrupted and initialalerts or equals the Micro-Trouncer, ORif Passport beats Maxon's RD -1 or RD -25by 2 seconds at 55mph in both uninterrup-ted and initial alerts orequals the Micro-Trouncer. So, DAK wins only if we beatboth the $295 Passport and $245 EscortRadar Detectors.

SO,WHAT'SDUAL SUPERHETERODYNE?

OK, so far we've set up the conflict.Now let me tell you about the new dualsuperheterodyne technology that letsMaxon leap ahead of the pack.

It's a technology that tests each sus-pected radar signal 4 separate timesbefore it notifies you, and yet it explodesinto action in just 1/4 of one second.(1/10th second for the Micro-Trouncer.)

Just imagine the sophistication of de-vices that can test a signal 4 times in lessthan a 1/4 of one second. Wow!

But, using Maxon is easy. These longrange detectors have all the bells andwhistles with separate audible soundsfor X and K radar signals.

LED Bar Graph Meters accurately showthe radar signal's strength. And, youwon't have to look at a needle in a meter.

Keep your eyes on the road, you'll seethese meters with your peripheral vision.

You'll have a very high level of protec-tion. Maxon's Dual Conversion ScanningSuperheterodyne circuitry combinedwith die-cast aluminum ridge guide wide -band horn internal antennas, really fer-ret out radar signals.

And the key word is 'radar', not trash.The 4 test check system that operates in

COOD 06-

1/4 second gives you protection fromsignals from other detectors, intrusionsystems and garage door openers.

So, when the lights and X or K bandsounds explode into action, take care,there's very likely police radar nearby.You'll have full volume control, and aCity/Highway buttor.

DAKwan,27418

Maxon detectors are backed by Max-on's standard limited warranty.

Note from Drew: 1) Use of radar de-tectors is illegal in some states.

2) Speeding is dangerous. Use yourdetector to help keep you safe when youforget, not to get away with speeding.

DON'T WASTE MONEYAs I've said, good raoar detectors today

are very similar. The RD -1 is great. It ismuch smaller than Escort at just 31/2"wide, 43/4" deep and 11/2" tall.

dlikk-11VA

If you want an even smaller detector,the RD -25 at just 27/8" wide, 41/2" deepand 1" tall, with its included windshieldmount and identical specs is for you.

itssfitti4If you want the very best, or if you

want to forget cords End be able to slip a

41/2" wide, 33/4" deep, %" tall (It mountssideways to the rest) detector into yourshirt pocket, choose the Micro-Trouncer.

I'd love to tell you that the Micro-Trouncer is light years anead in detec-tion, because its circuitry certainly is.

But, I'd be into advertising gambit -land if I claimed that: 1 or 2 seconds ofimprovement over Maxon's other detec-tors or even over Escort and Passportreally make a significant difference.

Caution: Cincinnati Microwave is right.

There are many cheap imports that aren'tvery good. My quarrel with them is thatexcept for themselves, I don't know whothey think is any good!

CHECK OUT RADAR YOURSELFRISK FREE

Put a detector on your visor, dash orwindshield. When it sounds, look aroundfor the police. There's a good chanceyou'll be saving money in fines and higherinsurance rates.

If you aren't 100% satisfied, simplyreturn it in its original box within 30 daysfor a courteous refund.

(RD -1 Pictured to Right.) To get yourMaxon, Dual Superheterodyne, Anti-Fal-sing Radar Detector risk free with yourcredit card, call toll free or send your

check for DAK's $799°P&H). Order No. 6116.

Note: An optionalsuction cup windshieldmount and extra coiledpower cord (we can'tafford to throw them infor free) is just $5'° ($2P&H) Or. No. 4800.

(RD -25 Pictured in Middle.) To getyour Maxon, Dual Superheterodyne, Anti-Falsing Mini Radar Detector completewith 2 Power Cords, Window SuctionCup, Dash and Visor Mounts risk freewith your credit card, call toll free orsend your check for just $99" ($4 P&H)Order No. 6117. CA res add tax.

(Micro-Trouncer Pictured Frto Left.) To order Maxon'sTop -Of -The -Line, DRO Cir-cuit Radar Detector withMute, 4 Second LED MeterHold, Dark Switch, CordlessBattery Operation (6 AA Ni-Cad Batteries Included) withWindshield, Dash, and Visormounts and 2 power/chargingCords risk free with yourcredit card, call toll free orsend your check for this rev-olutionary $249 suggestedretail detector at DAK's mar-ket breaking price of just$149" ($6 PEtH) Order No. 6119.

OK Escort, it's up to you. We've got$20,000 that says you can't beat Maxonon the road. Your answer, please?

sale price ($4

Emow and Rousso ere row tredernarks of Cincinnati Microwave.Rashid VRSS, and Rmlwd Radar Safety Brake are registered trademarlutof Vehicle Radar Safety Systems. Inc.

DA INC.Cell Toll Free For Credit Card Orders Only


11-800-325-011100For Toll Free Information. Call 6AM-5PM Monday -Friday PSTTechnical Information.. 1-800-272-3200Any Other Inquiries 1-800-423-28668200 Remmet Ave.. Canoga Park, CA 91304

You Too Can Part The SeaLet your car call out to you. At shopping centers, airports or parking garages, you won't ever have to look for your caragain. Plus now you'll have great personal security as well. And, best of all, it simply installs in minutes.

By Drew Kaplan

You're at a mall. There are exit doorsin all directions. Your arms are full ofpackages. And, you're with a friend.

As you look around, you realize thatyou've lost your car in a virtual sea ofcars. How embarrassing!

At the ball game, at the track or at aconvention center, it's really easy to loseyour car. And, if it's late at night, walkingaround a parking structure isn't safe.

Well, now you can have your car callout to you. Now you can have its head-lights blink. And now you can have it ably the least of your life's problems.sound a panic alarm if you're scared. HOW IT WORKS

While it may be embarrassing to lose A tiny hand held key ring activates thisyour car in an amusement park's parking locating and protection system. Justlot, it's down right dangerous for you or touch the button and your car will whistleyour spouse to be looking for your car at and the headlights will blink.night in a dark parking structure. Keep holding the button and a panic

And, even if you see your car, what if alarm will sound. You'll really have awe -somebody comes near you? Well, they'll some power, controlled by a tiny key ring. it"think you have friends in your car when At the airport, your car will call out lation takes more than 5 minutes, simplythe lights flash and the siren sounds. from the rows of cars. At night, you'll return it in its original box to DAK within

SIMPLE INSTALLATION have lights and sound to help you find 30 days for a courteous refund.It's easy. There's a 4" 'box' which con- your car and protect you and your spouse. To order Design Tech's Car Locator

trols the system. Attach it under your It's called the CarFinder. It's made by and Protector with Easy Installation (nohood with two screws or to your battery Design Tech International. And it's back- soldering) and up to 400' Range, riskwith double sided tape (both included). ed by their standard limited warranty. free with your credit card, call toll free,

Connect one wire to the hot side of PART THE SEA OF CARS or send your check for only $99" ($4your battery and the other wire to any RISK FREE P&H). Order No. 4915. CA res add tax.chassis ground screw. Drop the antenna If you're like me, you're usually within It's convenient. It's fun. And its whis-wire and you're through. a few rows of your car when you start tle makes it as great a conversation piece

Connect one more wire and your head- looking. Now you won't have to look at as its siren makes it a protector. Nowlights will flash. If it takes more than 5 all and you'll have protection too. you can part the sea of cars to get tominutes to install, losing your car is prob- If you're not 100% satisfied or if instal- yours, instantly.

Phone Dialing Traveler PlusImagine a watch that actually dials 50 phone numbers or remembers 50 appointments. Then start traveling becauseyou'll be able to see the time in all 24 time zones. Plus you'll have alarm, stopwatch and countdown timer functions.

before, but never 24 time zones. And asmall inset shows your own local time.

There's a 24 hour countdown alarm.It's neat, because I use it for recording

By Drew Kaplan

I'm astounded. First I can check thetime in Tokyo. Then, I can raise my newwatch to the mouthpiece of any tonephone and have the number dialed.

If you use a phone credit card numberlike I do, you know what a hassle it is tofirst dial a number then input a 14 digitcredit card number.

Well, with Casio's amazing new dial-ing watch, my credit card authorizationis just the push of a button away. And, Ican have 50 different numbers, eachwith up to 14 digits stored in this watch.

Each number can have a name of up to9 letters long. So, I just select the namefrom the watch's display and let thewatch do all the work.

Just touch 'Dial' and the watch pausesfor about 2 seconds so you can put it toyour phone's mouthpiece. Then it dials.

AWESOME POWERDialing is just the beginning. You can

use the memory to store appointments.So, if you have an anniversary in June,just set the date a week ahead and youwon't forget to buy your spouse a present.

Of course, it's a watch. It shows thetime, day, month and year. Of course, ithas a standard daily alarm and even anhourly chime. But it does so much more.

Select World Time. As you touch thefront panel buttons, you can see the timein New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Hon-olulu, Tokyo and on. I've seen dual time

audio cassettes. I always know how muchtime is left, even when I've been record-ing selected tracks.

Finally, there's a conventional stop-watch complete with split time and 24hour capacity. And like every mode ex-cept for telephone/scheduler, there's aninset that continues to show normal time.One More Amazing Feature. This watch

is incredibly easy to use. With all itsfunctions, you'd think that you mightneed a degree in physics to use it.

Well, have no fear. You'll be dialing,timing and scheduling in just a few min-utes. It's made by Casio, and it's backedby their standard limited warranty.

ALL THE WONDERSRISK FREE

Dial some numbers. Check the time inParis. Time a race or use the countdowntimer. And, you'll never forget yourspouse's birthday again.

If you're not 100% thrilled, simplyreturn it in its original box to DAK within30 days for a courteous refund.

To order Casio's Dialer, Scheduler, 24Hour World Time, Countdown Timer,Stopwatch, Alarm and more, risk freewith your credit card, call toll free, orsend your check for DAK's breakthroughprice of just $49" ($3 P&H). Order No.4916. CA res add tax.

I'm awed. This watch's phone dialing,world time, countdown timer and slimdesign, simply blow me away.

By Drew KaplanYou're lying in bed. And, you are dis-

cussing the day's events with your mate.The lights are out, you're relaxed andyour hands are at your sides.

So, what's so special? Well, for onething, your mate is out of town and thetwo of you are talking on the latest inhands free full duplex speakerphones.

What's more, if the two of you were inbed together, you both (or your wholefamily for that matter) could talk to any-one on the phone simultaneously.

AND THAT'S THE WAY IT WASSeveral years ago, I introduced the

predecessor to this bedside wonder withthe text above. The clock radio with ahands free speakerphone was incrediblypopular, but our source dried up and I'vebeen looking for a replacement.

Now from La Phone, a well respectedmanufacturer and an old supplier ofDAK's, comes my bedside wonder, com-plete with current technology at an in-credible $3990 price. I originally sold itspredecessor for $68!

This bedside wonder may look likethe original Bedside Big Mouth, but itscircuitry is all new. From the superbduplex speakerphone to the sensitiveFM tuner, it's all class.

And, when you aren't using the duplexhands free speakerphone, just pick upthe comfortable decorator designedphone handset and talk or make calls asyou would with any regular telephone.

BUT IT'S THE SPEAKERPHONEYou can lie in bed or wander around

the room while you talk, totally handsfree. The speakerphone is AC poweredso it's extremely sensitive.

Duplex means that both you and theperson you are speaking with can talk atthe same time. Very few speakerphonesare duplex because the circuitry is morecomplex and demanding.

But, having a conversation using aduplex speakerphone is a real joy, asyou'll find out when you use this phone.

Bedside Big Mouth RevisitedNow you can reach out to the world from the comfort of your bed with this elegant new electronic AM/FM clockradio with a telephone and a hands free duplex speakerphone, at a breakthrough price.

Your voice is picked up by an electret This FM radio really pulls in the sta-tions. And the full range speaker has adeep, rich, pleasing sound.

Of course, with the touch of a switchyou can also keep up with the latestnews or your choice of music on AM.

This all new electronic clock radiotelephone brings a really elegant look toyour bedroom, office, den or kitchen.

It is Tone/Pulse switchable and sim-ply plugs into any standard modularphone jack. The clock radio plugs intoan AC outlet which gives you the advan-tage of having a powered speakerphone.(That's one reason it sounds so good.)It's backed by La Phone's standard lim-ited warranty.

TRY THE BEDSIDE BIG MOUTHRISK FREE

Be prepared fora shock. If you haven'tused a duplex speakerphone, you're infcr a pleasant surprise. And, for thatmatter, if you haven't bought a new clockradio for a few years, you're also going tobe pleasantly surprised.

If you aren't 100% satisfied, simplyreturn it to DAK in its original box within30 days for a courteous refund.

To order your all new La Phone Bed-side Big Mouth Electronic AM/FM Digi-tal Clock Radio Telephone, with bothHandset and Duplex Speakerphone riskfree with your credit card, call toll free orsend your check for DAK's incredibleprice of just $3990 ($6 P&H). Order No.4887. CA res add tax.

Now you can replace simple phonesand add an exciting, elegant clock radiowith fabulous sound to turn your bed-room into an integrated entertainmentand communications center.

condenser microphone and you'll hearthe person you're speaking with throughthe clock radio's main speaker.

So, you'll hear voices with the samefidelity you would expect from the radio.

And, look at this. If you are listeningto the AM or FM radio when you want touse the phone, simply lifting the receiveror touching the hands free button silen-ces the radio automatically.

What a great idea. A separate phoneand clock radio could never compete.

There's even an 'In Use' LED that lightswhenever you use this phone.

AND WHAT A CLOCK RADIOIf you're impressed with the telephone,

wait till you find out about the specialconveniences and sound quality of thiselectronic clock radio.

First the controls. The large LED dis-play with high/low brightness switch, isextremely easy to read. And, you won'thave to worry about losing the time ifthere's a power failure once you install astandard 9V battery for protection.

You'll have hour and minute buttonsfor setting both the clock and the alarm.

And, once you've set the alarm, youcan choose to be awakened by yourfavorite radio station or a pleasant elec-tronic tone.

If you aren't quite ready to get up, justtap the snooze button for a few minutesof extra sleep.

And since getting up is no fun, thisradio will also help put you to sleep. Atouch of the 'sleep button' will give youup to an hour of your favorite radio sta-tion to relax you. The radio will then shutitself off and wait to aerform its next pro-grammed task.

GREAT SOUND SAYS IT ALLIt doesn't take many features to beat

phone company phones. But, there arelots of regular clock radios.

Once you hear the sound of these sen-sitive radio receivers, you'll be sold onthe clock radio as well as the phone.

DAKINIIIISTRIESINC.

Call Toll Free For Credit Card Orders Only24 Hours A Day 7 Days A Week

I-800-325-0800or Toll Free Information, Call 8AM-5PM Monday -Friday PST

Technical Information 1-800-272-3200Any Other Inquiries 1-800-423-28668200 Remmet Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91304

Think Speak LocatorsOn the job, on the field or on the road. you can now talk and listen totally hands free. Plus you can keep track ofand talk toyour secretary, your boss, your foreman or your children up to 1/2 mile away. Choose headset or hand held models.

By Drew Kaplan

SWAT Teams use them. So do quarter-backs and firemen. Now you too can talkand listen to people near and far totallyhands free, while you are jogging, sail-ing, skiing, hiking or riding a motorcycle.

Both at work and at home, this uniquecommunications system, with a range ofup to 1/2 mile, will let you keep in touch.

LOTS OF OPTIONSMaxon's new 5 channel (all included)

49Mhz industrial dual conversion super-heterodyne communications system letsus all keep in touch.

There are two conventional belt clipbeeper style communicators which notonly let you be beeped, they give you fulltwo-way communication.

There's also a base station (the onlypiece that plugs in) for your secretary'sdesk or the kitchen sink. Since there are5 separate channels, up to 5 totally sep-arate systems can be in use at once.

If you are using channel 2 and yourforeman is using channel 4, switch to 4.You can really mix and match this system.

If you need hands free communica-tion, there are two headset models (onlyone ear is covered for safety), which aregreat for forklift and truck drivers.

The headset models offer a voice acti-vated circuit (VOX) which automaticallyengages the transmitter whenever youspeak, so that you are broadcasting. Whenyou stop speaking, it will automaticallyreturn to 'stand-by' to wait for a reply.

AT HOMEThis system is simply a lifesaver at

home. Besides the obvious safety fea-ture of being able to locate your children,you're never out of touch when you'reworking 'the back forty' or walking thedog around the block.

While you may not need 5 channels athome, the rugged industrial dependa-bility of these units makes them ideal forsetting up antennas and summoning helpwhen you're working on a project.

Of course, my kids don't care muchabout security. They think Maxon's sys-tem makes great Walkie Talkies. But,when the call goes out "Earth to boys.Dinner is ready", they do show up.

You can talk to 1 or even 10 peoplewith Think Speaks. The Think Speak isgreat if you're skiing with friends, usingtwo boats or hiking in the mountains.

AT THE OFFICEIt's true. It seems that whenever I

buzz my assistant, she's not at her desk.I've threatened to tie a bell to her. Butnow I just touch a button, and no matterwhere she is in DAK's 64,000 squarefoot facility, I'm in contact.

In your factory, you can communicatewith forklift drivers or people working inthe warehouse. On construction sites,you're never out of touch with your fore-man and heavy equipment operators.

AT PLAYIf you hunt, fish or ski, you can now

have clear, clean communication withyour partner(s). It can even be used forneighborhood watch security. Now youcan have house to house wireless com-munication, wherever you are.

So, for whatever reason you need tocommunicate, this system will be onyour desk, at your side, or on your ear.

HOW IT WORKSThis system is no toy. When you touch

the Talk button on any of the units, youengage a virtually noise free quartz crys-tal locked dual conversion superhetero-dyne communications circuit that oper-ates on the 49Mhz band.

With its FM modulation, it won't soundlike a CB or an AM radio. You'll speakand hear with great power and clarity.And, you shouldn't be bothered by anyother radio transmissions as you arewith CBs and Walkie Talkies.

The transmission output is a full RF of10,000uV/m @ 3 meters max. No FCClicense is required.

All units are totally interchangeable,sound identical, and will both transmitto and receive from each other. They areindustrial units made by Maxon, a pioneerin professional 2 -way equipment. They'rebacked by their standard limited warranty.

TRY THINK SPEAKSRISK FREE

You'll find you have the convenienceof a beeper, but with full two-way com-munication capability.

With the range of up to 1/2 mile, youshould be able to keep track of anyone inyour office, factory, construction site orneighborhood. If you're not 100% satis-fied, simply return it in its original box(es)for a courteous refund.

To order a Maxon Industrial ThinkSpeak Communications System to fityour needs, call toll free or send yourcheck for the models listed below.

A Base, complete with 5 channels,powered by AC is just $49'° plus ($3PEtH). Order No. 4530.

A Hand Held Communicator with 5channels, powered by 4 AA batteries isjust 649*) plus ($3 PEtH). Order No. 4531.

A Hand Held One Channel Commun-icator (It has the same sound quality),powered by a single 9V battery is just$29'0 plus ($2 PEtH). Use Order No. 4533for Channel 1, Order No. 4534 for Chan-nel 2, and 4535 for Channel 3.

A Headset Communicator with 5 chan-nels, powered by 4 AA batteries that hasVOX (Voice Activation so your hands canbe free) is just $4990 plus ($3 PEtH).Order No. 4532.

A One Channel Headset Communica-tor with VOX (It has the same soundquality), powered by a single 9V batteryis just S29" plus ($3 PEtH). Use OrderNo. 4912 for Channel 1, Order No. 4913for Channel 2, or Order No. 4914 forchannel 3.

Any Communicator on the same chan-nel can communicate with any other.Base Stations are not required. At least 2communicators of any type are required.

Now you can go where you want andstill be in communication. Now you won'thave to yell for your children, your sec-retary or your forklift driver. Forget pag-ing and beeping. Now you can commun-icate from up to a 1/2 mile away.

Numb Ear Miracle Grows UpNow you can say good-bye to numb ears and tired shoulders. Here's a complete telephone that you simply clip on at yourwaist, that will set your hands free and end numb ears and stiff necks. It plugs into any modular phone jack, instantly.

By Drew KaplanIt's awful. If you spend hours on the

phone during the day as I do, you're pro-bably all too familiar with the 'numbear syndrome'.

Plus, cradling a phoneon your shoulder soyou'll have your handsfree is '. . .' on yourneck. Well, no more.

Over the past fewyears, I've offered aheadset that plugged into your phone'sreceiver so you could avoid crampedshoulders and numb ears. But unfortun-ately, many of the new electronic phonesaren't standardized, so I couldn't use it.

Now I've found an entire phone that'sso small it clips to your belt or waist-band. Or, it can just sit on your desk orsink. You can roam up to 15 feet, it's nota speakerphone but a headphone phone.

Just slip on the comfortable, adjustableheadset with its flexible noise cancel-ling microphone, and enjoy great soundand hands free conversations.

In the past, only people who sat attheir desks all day would bother withheadsets. But, with this amplified phone,you'll use it even for short calls. And, youcan set the volume to any comfortablelevel, even if it's noisy around you.

The headset covers one or both ears.You can stay in touch with the worldaround you or block it out. Comfortablefoam cushions rest on the outsides ofyour ears for fatigue free conversation.

It's ideal for working at your desk total-ly hands free. It's irreplaceable in the

kitchen where you can now cook (neat)or wash dishes (yuk) while you talk.

Switch it on to answer a call. You'llhave Flash, Redial and Mute, plus Toneand Pulse dialing and Ringer On/Off.

Just plug it in along with your regularphone. You'll probably never pick upyour conventional phone again.

It comes with an adaptor so that bothphones can be plugged into the samemodular jack. It's made by Wicom andit's backed by their Limited warranty.

FORGET NUMB EARS FOREVERRISK FREE

So, think about holding a hard hand-

set up to your ear for hours. Think abouthands free freedom. And forget numbears and cramped shoulders forever.

If you're not 100% thrilled, simplyreturn it in its original box within 30 daysto DAK for a courteous refund.

To order Wicom's Numb Ear HeadsetTelephone with 15' coiled cord, variablevolume and automated features, risk freewith your credit card, call toll free, orsend your check for just $69" ($3 PEtH).Crder No. 4909. CA res add tax.

I like having my hands free. But mostof all, I like the way my ears feel, or don'tfeel, at the end of the day.

Audio TelescopePick a voice out of a crowd or a sparrow's song out of a tree with this super -directional shotgun microphone

It's tough. If you've ever tried to re-cord a singer while you're sitting in theaudience, or a conversation from acrossthe yard, you know that your micro-phone seems to pick up everything butwhat you want to record.

Now you can record a lecture from theback of the room or a bird's chirp fromacross a field.

The sound will be crystal clear with awide full frequency response from thisincredible super -directional electret con-denser microphone.

Electret condenser microphones cap-

ture sounds never before possible out-side the recording studio. By using bat-tery driven circuits, these microphonescan use a more sensitive sensing mem-brane to capture sound vibrations.Very little mass must be moved, so

these new mikes are incredibly sensi-tive. The Audio Telescope is powered byone AA battery (not included).

It comes with both a conventionalmike stand mount and a stand. And, it'sgreat for video recording.

The microphone itself is totally isola-ted from the stand by polymer 0 -rings.

So, it actually floats. It will not pick upmotor noises or vibrations.

It is 17" long and comes with a fulllength foam wind screen. There is a miniphone plug for video camera use, plus a20 foot mike cable with both mini and1/4" plugs for conventional professionalrecording. It's backed by a manufactur-er's standard limited warranty.

TRY THE AUDIO TELESCOPERISK FREE

Record lectures, concerts or nature,risk free. If you don't feel you've madetotally professional recordings, simplyreturn the Audio Telescope in its originalbox within 30 days for a refund.To order your Audio Telescope risk free

with your credit card, call toll free or sendyour check for only $69" plus $4 forpostage and handling. Order No. 9736.

You'll be able to make superb record-ings that were never before possible.

DAKINDUSTRIES INCORPORATED

TOLL -FREE ORDER LINEFor credit card orders call 24 hours a day 7 days a week

CALL TOLL -FREE. . .1-800-325-08008200 Remmet Ave., Canoga Park, CA91304

Computer Answering Machine?Infuse your computer with power, even when it's off. Join the electronic mai I revolution. And, give any external Hayescompatible modem a memory of its own, at a 5699° breakthrough price. Even if you don't own a modem, read on!

By Drew Kaplan they type on their keyboard will be stored If you have a portable computer, youReceive programs. Receive Electron- for you to read at your convenience. can now send messages, orders and files

is Mail. Make your stand alone modem And, they can send you a file using back to your main computer without leav-really stand alone. standard XMODEM protocol. A file can ing it on for extended periods.

Now you can send files to your com- be a letter, a program or a spreadsheet. IN A NUTSHELLputer at home when it's off. Now, even if To read your messages, just touch the It can receive up to 64 messages oryou're running spreadsheet or word pro- Read button. You'll see a directory of the files. It's compatible with 2400 baud,cessing programs, you can receive typed messages and files you've received. 1200 baud and 300 baud modems. Itmessages or files without interruptions. You can select messages and files in has a 64K memory capacity and there's

Forget faxes. You can now have inter- any order that you like. And, you can an upgrade to 1 28K if you're expectingoffice memos received, even at remote either read the files on your monitor's really big files (128,000 characters).locations, effortlessly, with this all new screen or save them to disk. With only two buttons to push, vir-modem answering machine. 50 WAYS TO USE YOUR BUFFER tually no instructions needed, and less

And look at this. If you don't already (sung to the tune of "50 Ways to Leave Your Lover") than two minute hookup, it will reallyown a modem, for just $699° plus the$1199° cost of a DAK modem, you canhave all the benefits of electronic mailfor virtually any computer.

You're out of the office at meetings.When you get home, you find a schedulefor the next day waiting for you at thetouch of a button.

You'll also find several messages fromassociates and even a dinner invitationfrom a computer buddy. You can print itout or read it on your monitor. It's alleasy with electronic mail.

Just look for the blinking light on yourbuffer and you can retrieve your mes-sages and files at your convenience.

WHAT IT ISTechnically, it's called an intelligent

modem buffer. It's a new concept, so ifyou aren't familiar with it, don't worry.

It's installation free. Just connect it(cable included) between your modemand your computer. It will give your com-puter, mainframe -like remote input.

Just touch the On -Line button and itautomatically takes over your modem.

Forget programming. Forget expen-sive complicated 'Host' programs.

Whenever your modem line rings, itwill automatically be answered and tnecaller will be given a choice of options.

They can type in a message. Anything

If you're like me, you don't use yourmodem's auto -answer feature very often.Well, whether you have a dedicated lineor not, boy are you in for a change!

People spend lots of money with ThePay Services to leave messages forfriends and business associates.

It's called Electronic Mail. And, it cancost $0.50 to $1.00 per message.

Now you'll have your own incomingelectronic bulletin board. So, forget call-ing and logging onto message bulletinboards. Now you can retrieve your mes-sages with the touch of a button.

And, if the SysOp of a bulletin boardhas a message for you, he can leave it onyour bulletin board. It's really great.

If you're a lawyer, a writer, or a busi-nessman, you can send your informationat lightning speed for much less than thecost of faxing or air couriers.

With fax machines costing $1 -3,000,and air services in the $20 range, thissystem (because you already own yourcomputer) combined with any modem,represents incredible cost savings, andyet provides superior service.

It's superior because anything yousend doesn't have to be retyped for re-visions. It's ideal for letters, orders, pro-posals, contracts and memos.

And, is it easy! Just dial the number,respond to the buffer and leave your mes-sage. Whether you hand type in a mes-sage or transmit a file, it can instantly beanywhere there's a phone line. Wow!

add to your computer's capabilities.It's AC powered. It's 7" X 51/2" X 114".

And, it's backed by a limited warranty.COMPUTER ANSWERING MACHINE

RISK FREEIt's not just a convenience to save you

time when files are coming in. There'ssimply no economical way to enjoy thebenefits of Electronic Mail and automaticfile transfer without this modem buffer.

If you're not 100% thrilled, simplyreturn it in its original box to DAK within30 days for a courteous refund.

To order your 64K, 64 message Capa-city Computer Answering Machine, thatinstalls instantly and automates your mo-dem, risk free with your credit card, calltoll free, or send your check for DAK'sfactory direct price of just $6990 ($4P&H). Order No. 4716. CA res add tax.

To order your Expanded 128K, 64message version, risk free with your cred-it card, call toll free, or send your checkfor DAK's factory direct price of just $899°($4 P8-1). Order No. 4717.

East coast to west, and around town,you'll receive data at anytime, hassle free,and save a ton of money in the deal.

O INDUSTRIESINC.

all oll Free For Credit Card Orders Only24 Hours A Day 7 Day A Week

1-800-325-0100For Toll Free Information, Call 6AM-5PM Monday -Friday PST


Cordless Job BlastersGet your projects finished quickly and easily with these exciting new powerful cordless tools. For your home, your car,camper, boat or for the great outdoors, cordless power is yours. And, wait till yoi see DAK's breakthrough prices.

By Drew Kaplan

It's true. For pleasure projects or chores,the right tool makes all the difference.

Whether you're taking 12 screws outof your computer to put in a new card, orinstalling a towel rack, you'll love theincredibly powerful cordless screwdriver.

If you have to fix a speaker wire or an-tenna wire inside, or an automatic sprink-ler or decorative lighting wire outside,cordless soldering is a dream come true.

And, whether you're buffing hard toreach crevices in antiques or spots onyour car, you can grind, drill or polish atup to 4,000rpm with the Turbo Tool.

FIRST THE SCREWDRIVERIt's amazing. It's really powerful. This

high torque cordless electric screw-driver will drive in long wood screws, orassemble or disassemble electronicequipment, effortlessly.

I have a pair of speakers that I havebeen wanting to open. There were 12screws between me and what was inside.Well, when I received this screwdriverfor testing, the speakers lost.

With no fuss and no hassle, I had aspeaker open in less than 3 minutes. Iwas amazed at the power and ease.

Next, I installed a towel rack that mywife had been trying to get me to put upfor weeks, in our utility room.

Well, this reversible screwdriver real-ly worked perfectly, totally unlike someof the really cheap adaptors I've triedbefore. It's so powerful that I was actuallyable to drive a wood screw's head overhalf an inch into a piece of 2X2" pine.

For years I've had a set of screwdriversat my desk because I open and examineevery piece of equipment DAK sells. Well,for the past few weeks I've been usingthe cordless screwdriver, and it's great.

Maybe the thrill of newness will wearoff. But, it's fun. It's easy. It's incrediblypowerful. And, even if it doesn't alwaysremain a thrill, it will continue to saveme a lot of time and blistered hands.

The project I'm really proud of is a setof shelves I put up using vertical braces.

You slip shelf holders into the bracesand finally lay shelves on the shelf hold-ers. Well, screwing in six, 3" long screws,into each of 4 braces, isn't fun.

Well, it still wasn't fun, but the shelveswere up in record time. My hands feelgreat. And it was incredibly easy.

And, don't forget, since it's cordless,it goes outside, in your attic, basementor your garage. Plus, it's sensational forworking on your car.

Important Note: Now you can effort-lessly install your own car stereo or alarm.Cordless tools really make any projecteasy. Of course, you can change a hose,remove door paneling or change molding.

This Turbo Screw Driver weighs a

hefty 2 pounds. It operates on self-con-tained Ni-Cad batteries for up to 2 hourson a single charge. And, the charger/stand is included.

It has both forward and reverse hightorque drive, which you control with aheavy duty rocker switch.

It comes with both a flat (regular slot-ted head) and phillips head driver.

It's perfect for any project in your home,car, camper or boat. And wait till you seeDAK's breakthrough price.

CORDLESS SOLDERINGIn your yard, at your workbench or in

your car, you can now have cordlessrechargeable soldering power.

So, you don't do much soldering? Well,if you have speakers for your stereo,cable for your TV, or have ever had a wireon a 9V battery clip frcm one of your por-tables break, this is tie tool for you.

Whether I'm connecting TV wires onthe roof, fixing my automatic sprinklersin the yard, or just tinning the end ofspeaker wires, now i,'s all easy.

You can run wires in your attic or putspeakers in your car. Of course, you cansolder printed circuit boards and all yourregular soldering jobs perfectly, withthus cordless solderer.

Danger. If you connect your speakerswithout tinning the ends of the wires,you can short out your amplifier. So,what's tinning?

Well, speaker wire is stranded, andwhen you twist the end to fit into youramplifier or speaker terminals, if you'reat all like me, as you shove in the wires, afew push back and are left loose.

Well, with a soldering iron, all you dois apply a little solder after you twist theends and yoL.'11 never have a loose wireto short out your amplifier.

If you run sprinkler wires in the yard,antenna wires around your house orspeaker wires from room to room, everyconnection should be soldered.


. . .Cordless ContinuedI can't tell you how many times what

works today won't work in a few monthsbecause the wire at the joint has oxidized.

Before cordless soldering, profession-als used solder and a match to ensurelong life connections.

I learned this when I had DAK's firstburglar alarm installed. Of course, I laterfound TV and audio installers doing it too.

When I was an installer (yes, I used todo custom home stereo installations), Iwould bring a 50' extension cord. Well,now it's easy, fast and you'll never havebad connections to plague you again.

Of course, you can fix stereo equip-ment. This small, yet powerful tool canfit in places most soldering irons cannever go. And, for installing car stereosor burglar alarms, it's a must.

So, the next time a broken wire inter-rupts the use of your electrical devices,think of this cordless solderer.

It's really a phenomenally useful toolto own. It's also great for burning woodor melting through plastic.

It will solder up to 250 connectionsper charge. It operates from its internalNi-Cad batteries. And, it comes com-plete with a charger/stand. Plus, there'sa DC adaptor so it can be charged fromyour car's cigarette lighter.

It has a built-in focused lamp to lightthe area you're soldering, and there's aprotective cover for the tip.

Whether you build kits and solder allthe time, or simply need to make anoccasional repair, this cordless soldereris a really valuable tool. And wait till yousee DAK's breakthrough price.

SO, WHAT'S A TURBO TOOL?Hats off to Dreme12. They've estab-

lished the market for these incrediblyuseful high speed tools.

Hobbyists have been polishing, sand-ing, carving, grinding, drilling and en-graving with these tools for a number ofyears. Now, you can have totally variablehigh speed power from 0, up to 4,000rpmin a cordless model. Wow!

You can deburr wood, metal, plasticor china. You can drill holes at speedsand in places that no other drill can go.

You can engrave your valuable posses-sions. And, you can carve in wood orother materials.

The Turbo Tool comes complete (asshown left to right) with a polishingwheel, a wire brush, a grinding stoneand a drill. There are also two collets (afancy name for chucks).

Literally hundreds of interchangeabletools are available for the standard cord-ed tools that are 100% interchangeablewith the cordless Turbo Tool.

Nothing beats this tool for removingrough edges. In fact, manicurists usethis type of tool to fashion expensiveacrylic nails

It's really like a mini router. It's greatfor installing door latch plates and boltassemblies. It will take sharp edges offyour car, and it's great for crafts.

You can carve signs, add personalizedscrollwork to wood, metal and plastic.And, create all types of models.

It's a hobbyist's delight. It's a perfec-tionist's dream. If you care how thingslook, you'll be amazed at what you cannow create, smooth and grind.

It runs for an hour from a single chargeof its self-contained Ni-Cad Batteries.

And, an AC charger is included.You can easily rout out wood to recess

hinges. You can also make holes bigger,shape almost anything and much more.You'll be amazed at DAK's incredibleprice on this super useful tool.

INDUSTRIAL CLEAN UP TOOYou've probably seen little recharge-

able vacuums just about everywhere.Well here's one that's truly powerful.

It's called the Plus 30 because it oper-

ates for over 30 minutes from a singlecharge of its Ni-Cad batteries (8 min-utes is average). And, boy, is it strong!

It's like an industrial vacuum. It comescomplete with a crevice tool, upholsterybrush and extra washable filter bag.

So when you want to clean up fast,use the industrial strength Turbo Duster.Pick up sawdust, spills or plain dirt.

Use it in your home, in your car, cam-per or boat. Cleaning up isn't fun. So, getit over fast with the all new industrialstrength Plus 30 Turbo Duster.

It comes complete with a charger/stand/mounting bracket. And, just waittill you see DAK's breakthrough price.

FABULOUS CORDLESS SOLUTIONSRISK FREE

Consider a screwdriver that can drivethe head of a screw into solid wood.

Imagine soldering up to 250 connec-tions wherever you happen to be. And,the Turbo Tool's 4,000rpm shaping, sand-ing and polishing capabilities are great.

And finally, I wasn't going to offer the

vacuum. But, I've tried it myself and it'slike no cordless vacuum I've used.

If you don't find these tools to be evenmore powerful and useful than I've de-scribed, simply return them in their or-iginal boxes to DAK within 30 days, for acourteous refund.

NOTE: All tools come with built-in Ni-Cad batteries and separate chargers.They're made by Amercep, where onlythe very best is acceptable. They are

backed by Amercep's incredible full 2year (yes 2 years) limited warranty.

To order the Cordless Screwdriver,complete with both slot head and phillipshead drivers risk free with your creditcard, call toll free or send your check forDAK's market breaking price of just $19"($3 P&H). Order 4751. CA res add tax.

To order the Cordless Soldering Ironrisk free with your credit card, call tollfree or send your check for DAK's marketbreaking price of just $24" ($3 PEtH).Order No. 4750.

To order the Cordless Turbo Tool with0-4,000 Variable Speed Control, com-plete with 2 Collets, Polishing Wheel,Wire Brush, Grinding Stone and Drill,risk free with your credit card, call tollfree, or send your check for DAK's marketbreaking price of just $39" ($3 PErH).Order No. 4752.

To order the Cordless Plus 30 SuperIndustrial Vacuum, complete with uphol-stery brush, Crevice Tool and Extra FilterBag risk free with your credit card, calltoll free or send your check for DAK'smarket breaking price of just $39" ($3PEtH). Order No. 4749.

You'll be thrilled by the quality andsuperb craftsmanship of these fine tools.You'll be amazed at how easy it is to build,fix and create things, when you have theright tools that go where you go.

Sound Barrier StreakerYou'll streak through the heavens of disbelief the first time ya:, put on the earphones or connect this AC/DC program-mable CD player to your stereo system At home or away, your music will explode with 5hz to 20,000hz life.Everything is included for just $16990.

By Drew KaplanThere's no warning. There's no recordnoise, no tape hiss. Vibrant but finelydetailed music just explodes from yourearphones and stereo system.

Citizen's 3 -Beam Laser Servo CD is asat home, plugged into our stereo system(AC and patch cord included), as it is onthe move with you (battery case, shoulderstrap and earphones included).

The sound is like a shock wave rever-berating through your home. It's like theblazing flash and violence released by alightning bolt as it streaks to the earth.This is the experience you can expectwhen you first hear digital audio sound.

Forget any experience you've ever hadbefore with stereo. CD audio is an awe-some advance that dwarfs the switch wemade years ago from 78s to LPs.

Imagine listening to music with a fre-quency response from 5hz to 20,000hz.And, flutter and wow is "unmeasurable".

The sound quality, and yes, the sonicviolence will thrill you. I've spent over15 years on the test bench and in thestudios, and the only equal I've heard tothis sound is 'live sound'.

And, live sound doesn't mean the soundyou hear at a concert where you are sim-ply listening to the auditorium's PA sys-tem. Llve sound means sitting right inthe middle of the orchestra.

I know, I'm a cellist. And, there's justno sound experience like the sound wehear in 'the pit'.

BUT WHY A PORTABLE?Forget conventional audio compon-

ents. CD players are computers. There'sno reason a portable can't be 100% equalto a 'sit -on -the -shelf' CD. It uses thesame heavy over -sampling. It uses thesame type of 16 bit linear digital to analogconverters. And, it could be smaller if itdidn't have to accommodate the CD disc.

Since CDs are new, a portable lets youmake the most out of your collection.

You can simply plug it into differentstereos in different rooms, or take it withyou wherever you go.

It's just 5" X 5" X 11/4". And It comescomplete with all the accessories youwill need (pictured to the right). Justprogram up to 16 selections and pre-pare for a sonic adventure.

NO SOUND AT ALLCD gives you a signal to noise ratio of

90db. There is, for all intents and pur-poses, absolutely no hiss, no scratch,and best of all, no surface noise.

You've got to experience the silenceduring very quiet passages to compre-hend the sonic adventure of the music.It's as if your stereo wasn't even on, andthen suddenly, a thunderclap explodes!

Conventional records and tapes havea dynamic range of perhaps 50 db. Dy-

namic range is simply :he difference insound level (volume) between the soft-est and loudest recorded sounds.

CD gives you a 90dt dynamic range,which is roughly equivalent to the dif-ference between absolute silence andstanding next to a jet engine.

Your music will be dramatically moreexciting. You won't nave to carefullycompare CD to converm Iona! sound. Fromthe very first note, you'll be in shock.

ROARING ONThis Japanese made, 3 -beam, laser

servo system with heavy sampling, sup-plies superb sound. Plus, it's loaded.

You can select up to 16 tracks in anyorder you like. There's even a repeatpad. So, you can raper: selected tracksor the entire disc, forever.

Just touch a pad and you can skip to

the next track during play, or repeat thetrack you are listeninc to.

An LCD display shcws you the trackthat is playing, the elapsed time, or thetotal time of the disc.

To use it on the move, just drop 4 AAbatteries into its included battery pack,slide in the CD, put the shoulder strapover your shoulder and the earphonesinto your ears, for a sonic odyssey.

Installation at home consists of sim-ply plugging the included patch cordinto any 'Aux' input in your stereo sys-tem and plugging in the AC adaptor.

Whether this programmable CD be-comes a permanent part of your stereosystem or moves with you, or both, you'llenjoy awesome sound at incredibly less

than an awesome price. It's backed byCitizen's standard limited warranty.

A SONIC SOUND STREAKERRISK FREE

Experience music with a thrilling fre-quency response and sonic range. Plus,you'll be thrilled by the hiss and back-grcund noise you won't hear.

If you're not 100% satisfied, simplyreturn it to DAK within 30 days in itsoriginal box for a courteous refund.

To order Citizen's Top Of The LinePortable and Home AC/DC Compact DiscPlayer with le program capability, com-plete with Battery Case, Strap, AC adap-tor, Earphones, and Stereo System Cablerisx free with your credit card, call tollfree, or send your check for DAK's SoundStreaking price of just $16990 ($4 P&H).Order No. 4703. CA res add tax.

It may strain my credibility to describeany device, let alone a portable that I'moffering for only $1699°, as providingsound many limes better than anythingyou've ever heard before. But, use DAK'srisk free trial to experience this biggerthan life sound for yourself.

And, CDs are really tough. Take themwith you and enjoy dramatically alivesound virtually anywhere you go.

4 DAK INC.""RIESCall Toll Free For Credit Card Orders Only


1-800-325-0800Fo Toll Free Information, Call 6AM-5PM Monday -Friday PST


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BS1119s Endangered ColossusPrepare for bone jarring bass and dramatically clear highs from these newly developed 15" 3 -way 5 speakersystems that nearly missed their chance to charm an audiophile's ear. BSR moved its dbx and ADC divisionsinto one facility and these speakers almost became orphans. So now, they're yours at a close-out price.

By Drew Kaplan low clean bass. They have matched 25mm voice coils,It's a shame. But, it's also a great oppor- Its magnetic structure weighs a thun- also ,protected by ferro-fluid and polyamid-

tunity to get a pair of 15" audiophile dering 48 ounces. But that's not all. The imid to 200° centigrade. They are drivenloudspeakers with the newest in stereo magnetic field is developed by the rare by powerful barium ferrite magnetic fields.imaging at a market -breaking price. earth metal Strontium for state of the art NOT QUITE FINISHED YET

Imagine a precisely matched mirror massive but flawlessly controlled bass. To prevent phase shift and cancella-image pair of top -of -the -line BSR speak- A 38mm voice coil with a 200° cen- tion, two totally separate crossover net-ers that can effortlessly recreate the cata- tigrade temperature capacity, will handle works are employed in these speakers.clysmic impact of a full orchestral cre- the most demanding digital or analog re- All frequencies below 800 hz are di-scendo at full volume and yet offer flaw- cordings. And, a new super rigid cabinet rected to the 15" woofer. The front sys-lessly subtle sound detail to 21,500hz. design virtually eliminates coloration due tern routes frequencies above 800hz to

You'll thrill to thunderous bass all the to uncontrolled cabinet resonance. the 8" mid -range to take full advantageway down to 26hz. Incredibly rich, full, At low volume, the bass will fill in and of its superb reproduction capabilities.vibrant sound at low volume will explode envelop you. At high volume, your room, Frec,uencies above 3400hz are routedwith life as you increase the volume. your walls and your neighbors will shake. to the horn tweeter.

But before we examine the front speak- (Not for apartment dwellers please.) The top mounted system routes onlyfrequencies above 1200hz to the 5" poly-propylene ambiance mid -range driver,and frequencies above 3400hz are routedto the top sonic placement tweeter.

There are level controls for both thetop and front mounted speakers so thatyou can voice the speakers to matchyour musical taste and environment.

Note: Only the top tweeters are moun-ted at the the edges. The front mountedtweeters are conventionally mountedfor acoustical symmetry.

Each speaker is fuse protected for upto 200 watts peak, 150 watts continuouspower. You can operate these super ef-ficient speakers with as little as 20 watts.

AND OH WHAT A PRETTY FACETie speaker systems are 30" tall, 191/2"

wide and 101/2" deep. Their lovely oakwood -grain appearance is enhanced bythe dark removable grill cloths that beau-tifully contrast with the rich wood -graintones. They're a statement of audio ele-gance when placed in any room. They'rebacked by BSR's 2 year limited warranty.A COLOSSAL DREAM COMES TRUE

RISK FREEYou'll hear depth of sound at low levels

that was previously unobtainable. Andyes, when you crank up the volume, yourmutsic will explode with realism and drama.

Try these speakers in your own sys-tem. Then compare them at any Hi-FiStore with any pair of speakers up to$1 D00. If they don't beat all the competi-tion hands down, simply return them toDAK in their original boxes within 30days for a courteous refund.

To order your matched pair of BSRtop -of -the -line 15" 3 -way 5 speaker sys-tems with unique stereo imaging riskfree with your credit card, call toll free orsend your check for DAK's market -break-ing price of just $299 for the MATCHEDPAIR plus $34 for Postage and Han-dling. Order No. 4868. CA res add tax.

It's a dream system for an audiophile.Sonically pure, thunderously powerful,these BSR speakers will make your futurelistening years an on -going fabulous, ifnot earthshaking experience.

er complement, the twin overlappingcrossovers and the top mounted sonicplacement and ambiance speakers, let'ssee why they were almost orphaned.

You see, BSR, the half billion dollarelectronics giant, is the parent companyof two of the best names in up -scaleaudio, dbx and ADC.

Last year dbx developed a new multi -thousand dollar speaker system calledthe Soundfield One which lets you sitvirtually anywhere in your room and havefull stereo imaging and terrific sound.

BSR decided to consolidate ADC anddbx into one building (still 2 companies)and put all its speaker efforts into dbx.

POOR JACKWell, while dbx's engineers were off

designing their multi -thousand dollarmasterpieces, BSR's Senior AcousticalEngineer (he had been Fisher's ChiefEngineer for 10 years during its top endcomponent stereo days), was designingBSR's radically new speaker line.

The revolutionary top of the line 15"stereo imaging pair pictured above will letyou enjoy superb stereo imaging withoutsitting directly in front of your speakers.

But unfortunately, in the consolida-tion move, BSR's speakers went by thewayside, and so did Jack.

Enter DAK. After a few fearful nego-tiations and considering the engineer-ing costs BSR had already expended, theyagreed to make the speakers just for DAK.

Because there's virtually no BSR over-head left on these speakers, and theR&D was all but complete, we've gottenthese speakers for virtually the compo-nent costs plus a little BSR labor.

And don't worry about Jack. BSR hadhim finish the engineering (they reallyare great people) and they'll pay him aroyalty on each speaker we sell. Besides,by the time you read this, Jack is sure tobe snapped up as the Chief Engineer atanother esoteric audio company.

WHAT'S STEREO IMAGING?Stereo imagery is the logical separa-

tion and interaction between channels.It's the successful creation of a panoram-ic wall or stage of music rather than theconfined, easily located 2 speaker sound.IT'S WHAT'S INSIDE THAT COUNTS

Imagine the full thunder of a kettledrum, or the pluck of a string bass beingexplosively recreated in your living room.BSR's 15" sub -bass acoustic suspensiondriver will revolutionize your concept of

MATCHED PAIRSThe mid -range and high end of BSR's

speakers are truly unique. Front moun-ted 8" polypropylene mid -range driversprovide rich sound while top mounted5" polypropylene mid -range drivers pro-vide an open, lifelike ambiance.

Front mounted exponential horn tweet-ers provide awesome brilliance to 21,500hz, while top mounted tweeters enhanceseparation because they are mounted tothe outside edge of each speaker.

So, this system has a specific left anda specific right speaker. You'll find wide,but interactive separation that will vastlywiden your ideal listening area.

The imagery will give the illusion ofmusicians actually playing in front ofyou. Your music will take on a three di-mensional quality. You'll enjoy superbstereo imagery regardless of each speak-er's specific placement in your room.

MORE SPECIFICSThe exponential horn tweeters, both

in front and on the top of these systems,employ 25mm rigid phenol diaphragmsfor stability and accurate response.

Polyamid-imid binders and ferro-fluidcoolant allow for a 300% increase inheat dissipation so you can drive thevoice coils up to 200° centigrade.

Now, the mid -range. Both the 8" frontfiring and the 5" top firing polypropylenedrivers reproduce the mid -range fre-quencies like no ordinary speakers.

It's amazing that so many speakermanufacturers simply slap in 5" papermid -ranges to reproduce what's reallythe major portion of the sound spectrum.

BSR's 8" and 5" polypropylene mid-ranges are rigid, exacting drivers thatdeliver incredibly pure uncolored sound.

DAKINDUSTRIESINCell Toll Free For Credit Card Orders Only


141100-325-0800For Toll Free Information. Call 6AM-5PM Monday -Friday PST

Technical Information. . _1-800-272-3200Any Other Inquiries 1-800-423-28668200 Remmet Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91304

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When you are at rest, so is your When you exercise, you should reachheart. A low resting heart rate usually your heart's target zone. But, have I

means that you're in good condition. reached my exercise target zone, orHave you checked yours? lust had too much coffee?

HeartWindow 2Now you can exercise, rest, swim or go out to dinner wearing the latest in computer pulse takers on your wrist. Plus,it's a talented sports watch with an audible pacer, a 9 split time stopwatch and a repeatable countdown timer.

maximum heart rate is (220-41) or 179. Casio's Heart Window 2 is like a directSo, when I exercise I should get my

heart rate up to at least (179 X 60%) or107 beats per minute, and no higher than(179 X 80%) or 143 beats per minute.

Look at this. The new Heart Window2 shows you where you are at all times.In the pictures above I've entered myresting pulse rate of 60 and 65 beats.

When I work out, I enter my 179 max-imum rate and constantly see where I am

With the Heart Window 2 to help me, Ican be sure that my workouts are valu-able for my heart and neither dangerousescapades or total wastes of time. Ofcourse, before beginning any exerciseprogram you should consult your doctor.Note: The Heart Window 2 is designed toindicate your pulse rate and aid your ex-ercise, not to make medical diagnoses.BUT ISN'T EVERYONE DIFFERENT?

Here's the really exciting part. Theworse shape you're in, the faster you'llreach the target zone.

You see, as you get in shape, yourheart doesn't have to beat as hard to dothe same amount of exercise. Just aswhen you work out with weights yourarms become stronger, your heart be-comes stronger with aerobic exercise.

So, the Heart Window 2 is safe for thebeginner or the athlete. And, you'll really

By Drew KaplanIt's a fact. You can tell a lot about your-

self from your heart rate. You can eval-uate the condition you are in, how muchstress you are under, and how hard youshould be exercising.

Think about it. How fast does yourheart beat when you climb a flight ofstairs? And how long does it take foryour heart rate to return to normal?

Well, if you're at all like me, you maybe a little out of shape. While I'm only41, several friends of my own age haverecently had heart attacks. And frankly,I'm getting just a bit worried.

You see, I'm getting past the pointwhere I can simply say, "I'll get back intoshape next year".

So whether you're a long distancerunner (this is the ultimate jogging com-panion), or just a few pounds overweightlike I am, your heart rate will give you apicture of your heart and body's condition.

Now you can take your heart rate any-time, anywhere, with the newest in so-phisticated electronic pulse takers.

And, it's contained in a talented sportswatch that will dramatically contributeto your fitness program.

Plus it looks so nice and slim, you'll beas proud to wear it with a coat and tie asyou are when you're running.

electronic link to your heart.It uses a new micro -infrared technol-

ogy to actually measure the capillaryaction in your finger. Each time yourheart beats, the capillaries expand and abeat is registered.

The line just above your heart ratebeats with your heart. So, you'll see thenumber of beats, a representation of thebeat, your resting or maximum heart rateand the percentage, all displayed on theLCD screen of the Heart Window 2.

It's a beautiful LCD watch. As you cansee in the display to the left below, itshows you the time, day, date and month.

It has 3 alarms. And, you can set analarm to sound up to a week away.

It's a 20 hour stopwatch that's greatfor exercise and sporting events.

My son lettered in track. And, luckilyhe never came in 9th, but this stopwatchactually memorizes up to 9 split times.

The repeatable countdown timer isinvaluable. I set it for 35 minutes when Iget on my bicycle. It's great.

And, speaking of bicycles, rowers andjogging, there's a pacer (right hand pic-ture). You can set it to provide audiblebeeps from 5 to 240 beats per minute.

Now you'll be able to set a consistentpace and really see your improvement.

It is water resistant to 50 meters. Itcomes with a two year battery. And it'sbacked by Casio's limited warranty.

TRY THE HEART WINDOW 2RISK FREE

Now you can look at your heart aseasily as the time. You'll see how youreact to stress, foods and exercise. Whynot let your own doctor test it?

YOUR HEART'S TARGET ZONE see your improvement as you exercise. Try the Heart Window 2 risk free. TryYour heart, just like any other muscle But you don't have to exercise. Just exercising and then check your cardiac

in your body, requires exercise. Unfor- wearing the Heart Window 2 and using recovery rate (yes it times recovery).tunately, unlike your arms, you can't see it at the office when you're under stress, If you don't like what you see, you'd bet -your heart's condition just by looking. after you've walked up some stairs or ter keep the watch. But, if you just don't

The type of exercise called aerobic around the block, will make and keep you like the watch, simply return it within 30exercise is specifically designed to exer- aware of your body's physical condition. days in its original box for a refund.cise your heart. The purpose of aerobics And look at this. Sit down at your To order Your Heart Window 2, Pulse,is to reach your heart's target zone. desk and take your pulse. Then drink a Sports and Dress Watch risk free with

So, what is your target zone? Your couple of cups of coffee and take your your credit card, call toll free or sendtarget exercise zone is between 60% pulse again. You'll see just what your your check for just $495° ($3 P&H). Orderand 80% of your maximum heart rate. morning 'pickup' actually picks up. And No. 4919. CA res add tax.And here's an easy way to figure it out. if, God forbid, you smoke, take your pulse In the gym, at the track or at the office,

Simply subtract your age from 220 before and after a cigarette. Wow! you'll have a direct connection to thebeats per minute. So, for me at 41, my MICRO -ELECTRONIC WONDER conditioning of your heart.

Fat Watcher PlusNow you can walk orjog around the block, walk around the office or even around a trade show, and know how faryou've traveled and how many calories you've burned. Use the alarm to set calorie and distance goals.

By Drew KaplanNo, you don't have to be fat. And no,

you don't have to be a marathon runner.However, if you are, you're going to mar-vel at the feedback you'll get from thisnew electronic Body Monitor.

Before we explore how you can usethis Body Monitor's capabilities to aidyou in losing weight (as it is me) and tomeasure your training achievements, let'slook at some interesting curiosities.

If you're like me, you've probably won-dered just how far you go when you walkaround the block. And, every year I attendthe Consumer Electronics Show and I'vealways wanted to know how far I walk.

Since my plane always seems to be atthe last gate at every airport, I've won-dered just how far I go. I've also beencurious about how much ground I coverin an average day at the office.

Well now, not only will I know howmany steps I've taken, I'll know howmany miles or hundredths of miles I'vegone and how many calories I've burned.

Now we will know it all. And, with theability to set goals, we can use this mon-itor to help achieve our desired fitness.

ONE STEP AT A TIMEIt all starts out with one small step.

Just clip the Body Monitor on your beltor waist band and away you go.

First it counts your steps. As you cansee below, I've taken 1544 steps.

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It knows how far you've gone becauseyou set it to your particular stride length.As you can see, I've got mine set at 21/2feet. But you can set yours from 0 to 7'.

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Because it knows your stride length, itautomatically calculates the distance youtravel. Just touch a button, and as youcan see, I've traveled 0.58 miles.

Push the button again, and you cansee how many calories you've burned.The Body Monitor has a built-in tablethat calculates an average of how manycalories you've burned, based on thenumber of steps you've taken.

And, you can be even more accurateby adding your exact weight to the bodymeter's reading. A formula is included.

What's really great is that you can seta target for yourself to achieve. Here I'veset 2500 steps. When I reach 2500 steps.an alarm will sound tc tell me that I'veachieved my goal.

But steps aren't very interesting, soyou can set the alarm to let you burn 100calories or go 3 miles. It's all calculatedthrough the steps, so it's really easy.

Let's say I want to eat an ice creamsundae. It has 260 calories. So, I'd haveto walk 5200 steps. I'm forgetting theice cream sundae, but I may have a pieceof cheese or maybe even a cookie.

Using the Body Monitor for running orwalking lets you see just what you'veaccomplished. And while I can't speakfor you, I personally work and play bestwhen I set goals.

The Body Monitor lets me set andachieve goals. So, it's been a terrific aidin my personal fitness program.

By the way, it's 1.03 miles around myblock End I burn a bcut 105 calories.

I'm really excited about finding outjust how far I walk at the Consumer Elec-tronics Show, but I'll have to wait till itopens in January to find out.

SO MUCH MORE

it may look small, but it has so muchinside. It has a built-in clock with hourlychime, so you don't have to wear a watch.

It has a stopwatch, accurate to 1/100thof a second resolution. And not onlydoes it have a lap timer, it has first andsecond place finishes.

But, with all its frills and all its greatcuriosity satisfiers, it's really a precisionfitness aid.

So, if you walk, jog or exercise, theBody Monitor can aid in measuring whatyou've accomplished. It comes with aone year battery, and it's backed by aone year limited warranty by InnovativeTime, the Pulse Watch People.

SATISFY YOUR CURIOSITYRISK FREE

I've been dieting and exercising foryears. I use my pulse watch all the timeand it tells me how I'm doing. Now thenew Body Monitor gives me feedback astc what I'm accomplishing.

And, I particularly like the goal settingalarms. Now, instead of watching mywatch to see when I've run enough, analarm sounds when I'm through. Plus,its really neat to know how much groundyou've covered around the office oraround the block.

If you're not 100% satisfied, simplyreturn it to DAK in its original box within30 days for a courteous refund.

To order Innovative Time's Body Mon-itor with Step Counter, Mileage Coun-ter, Calorie Counter, Stop Watch andGoal Setting Alarm, call toll free, or sendyour check for DAK's breakthrough priceof just $39" ($3 PEtH) Order No. 4651.CA res add tax.

It's great for fitness, but I'm wearingmine to work and even around the house.It's small in size, but it sure feeds back alot of exciting information.

DAK INDUSTRIESCallCall Toll Free For Credit Card Orders Only



Technical Information. . 1-800-272-3200Any Other Inquiries 1-800-423-28668200 Remmet Ave., Canoga Park, CA 91304

2 -Line Answering SolutionNow you can have both of your phone lines answered automatically. Now you can screen calls on one line without get-ting off the other. Plus, wait till you experience the quality of this hands free, memory dialing speakerphone.

By Drew Kaplan

You're on the phone. Your secondline rings. Now you don't ever againhave to break off your conversation.

Cobra's new 2 -Line intelligent an-swering wonder will answer the lineyou're not on and even let you listen tothe message being left, if you desire.

When you aren't usingeither line, you can choose:only line 1, only line 2 orboth lines to be answered.So now, you can have totalautomated answering free-dom for two phone lines.

INCREDIBLYUSEFUL

Forget beepers. Whenyou are out, you can callhome on either line withoutusing beepers to retrieveyour messages. And, youcan save or erase your mes-sages from any Tone phone.

But there's much more.If you forget to turn it onwhen you leave home, noproblem. Just call homeand remotely turn it on. Plus,you'll have Toll Saver.

Why waste the cost of aphone call if you have nomessages? Whenever youturn on this answeringwonder, it answers yourphone on the 4th ring and

takes your first message. From then on,it answers your phone on the 2nd ring.

So when you call in, if you get to the3rd ring, hang up and save yourself thecost of a phone call. You'll also havesecurity. You can use a secret code toretrieve your messages.

EASY TO USEForget cumbersome 'fixed time' out-

going announcements. Most machinesmake you fill a continuous loop cassette.

If you've ever tried to do this, youknow just what a pain it is to make yourmessage just the right length. With thisanswerer, simply talk into the built-inmike from 2 seconds up to 1 minute.

LINE I

LINE 2

HOLD

SAVE

PLAY

FLASH

PAUSE

REDIAL

MUTE

SPEAKER

The second line will continue to ringuntil the first line is released.

So, the second call will be answeredwhen the person on the first hangs up.Why not calculate the the odds of bothlines ringing at the same time yourself.

In my home, it's not too often. But, theodds of my second line ringing while I'mtalking on the first are enormous. So, Ilove my newfound phone freedom.

TOTAL AUTOMATIONIt's a sophisticated microprocessor

controlled message taker. All messagesare taken on a microcassette. And, in-coming messages are variable.

If someone speaks for 20 secondsthat's how long your message will be. Ifthey hang up there will be no message.

And, this answerer will cut off any ver-bose caller who exceeds 3 minutes. So,when you listen to your messages, you

NI VOLUME I OW NORM ANNC ON/OFF SHORT/TOIL SAVERHEC ONFY SECURITY DISABLE RING SELECT

211/DUAL

LINE SELECT

SUPER CALL SCREENINGPerhaps the nicest part of having an

answering machine is call screening.When you're at home, it allows you tohear who's calling before you answer.

So, if you're talking on the other phoneline and someone calls, you can decidewhich call is most important to you.

And, of course, if you're not on thephone at all, you'll have this wonderfulprivacy protector working for you. Youcan turn the volume down and not hearincoming calls at all if you desire.

I'll BET YOU HAVE A QUESTIONOK, now that you can answer two

lines, what happens if you get calls onboth lines at the same time?

The first line that rings will be answered.

won't hear dead space, only messages.A flashing light lets you know at a

glance if you have any messages. Plus,it's one heck of an automated, hands freedialing, 20 memory speakerphone.

SUPERB SPEAKERPHONEWait till you walk around the room

talking on the great sounding, handsfree speakerphone. You can talk on eitherline or even both lines, using the sophis-ticated conference feature.

You can dial out or receive calls oneither line without ever lifting the re-ceiver. Speakerphones are really conven-ient for dialing, especially if you reachbusy lines or other answering machines.

Touch any of the One Touch dialingbuttons and you can dial 20 of your most

important numbers in tone or pulse.There are 10 buttons and a selector

that lets each button do double duty.And to protect the 20 memories, simplyinsert the included batteries.

You'll have just about every usefulphone feature. You'll have Redial, Mute,and Flash. You'll also enjoy true elec-tronic hold. It's great with 2 lines.

And, if you take a call on this phone,you can put it on hold and pick it up onany other extension in your home.

It has a ringer Hi/Low/Off switch.And, LEDs show: In Use, On Hold, andwhich line is ringing.

It uses the latest and most comfort-able phone company style K handset.And, it's both wall and desk mountable.

EASY INSTALLATIONIt simply plugs into one standard mod-

ular 2 -line jack or two modular 1 -linejacks. (2 -line service is required.)

You also plug in its AC power cord.Nothing could be easier. It's backed byCobra's standard limited warranty.TWO LINE ANSWERING FREEDOM

RISK FREEI'm as thrilled with the two line call

screening as I am with the automation ofmy two lines. And, just wait till you hearthe sound quality of this answerer.

If you're not 100% thrilled, simplyreturn it to DAK in its original box within30 days for a courteous refund.

To order Cobra's 2 -Line Beeper FreeAnswering Solution with 20 NumberMemory, Hands Free Speakerphone, riskfree with your credit card, call toll free orsend your check for just $199 ($7 PEtH).Order No. 4765. CA res add tax.

Wait till you hear the quality of yourmessage and your caller's messages. Andwait till you have all its automated fea-tures making your life incredibly easier.

STALEMATE

E

3 TIME REPT I 150 MOVE RULE I I YOUR MOVE DRAW OFFER LOSE

H

MAT E BLACK

E BasherJust follow the blinking lights for the most challenging game of your life. There are 12 levels. It's fully automated.And, it knows if it's going to checkmate you up to 11 moves ahead. Good luck!

By Drew Kaplan pick your best possible move. A second recognizes stalemates and draws. And,It's you against the computer. And, I button touch will send the computer's it's so powerful that it can solve mate

hope you're smart, because your ego is in brain back to pick its best move. problems up to 11 moves out.for a real joy ride. You'll be amazed at how much you WOW, IT'S REAL CHESS

You're at war with the latest break- will learn and how your game will im- But, playing chess is what it's all about.through in computer chess. Forget bother- prove when you compare your choice of I love computers. But, I also like to feelsome buttons and complicated decipher- moves with the computer's choices. the pieces in my hand.ing of calculator displays. You can cheat. Let's say you make a And between the hand -carved chess

This computer uses 'sensor technol- really dumb move. After you see what pieces and the Nutwood housing, thisogy' to interpret what you've done, and it the computer is going to do to you (hor- chess set is as beautiful as it is smart.simply lights 2 LEDs to tell you where it rors, you've lost your Queen), you make It's very smart. It's very tough. But it'swants to attack. the computer take back its last move and incredibly easy to use. Every move is

It's the newest version of 'follow the then you take back yours. even audibly confirmed. It's 14%2" X 14"bouncing ball'. Now it's follow the blink-ing light. So, let the war begin!

It's smart. It has 12 levels of difficultyand its brain is a 6502 microprocessorwhich, by the way, is the same systemfound in an Apple*.

And since this chess computer doesn'thave to balance your checkbook, it usesall of its 20K ROM and 4K RAM to makeyour life miserable.

Its estimated playing strength is over2000 U.S. Chess Federation rating points.So, it qualifies as a candidate Master.

Of course, it's easy pickings at levelone. But, since I can't beat it above level3, I've got 9 levels to bruise my ego.

SIMPLE TO USENotice that I said "simple to use", not

simple to beat. Using this computer isincredibly easy. Just move the hand -carved wooden men. The computer willknow exactly what you've done.

Then it's the computer's turn. TwoLEDs will light to show you the man thecomputer wants to move. Then two morelight to show you where to move the man.

It's simple. It's easy. And there are nobuttons to push. You can concentrate onyour game, not on the computer.

BUT, THERE ARE BUTTONSThe only button you really need is the

new game button. But, look at this.There's help. Just touch a button and

the computer will join your team. It will

And that's not all. If you're the type ofperson who says "If only I had my Queenback, I could beat this thing." No prob-lem. You can add back in, any piece any-where, with the push of a button.

Well, forget cheating. With this fea-ture, you can set up mate solution prob-lems, play games published in the news-paper or set up a classic game in mid -play to really sharpen your skills.

Limits for all. This computer won't letyou make an illegal move. And if youmove its man to the wrong location, itemits an unpleasant sound and flashesthe lights re -showing you where it wantsto go (you dummy). It's really easy.Much more. You can do a lot with thepowerful brain of this computer. Notonly can you add back in a piece you lost,you can take one of the computer's away.

This computer does everything a chessmaster would do. It has Castling, PawnPromotion and En Passant. So, good luck.

As I said, I can't pass level 3. And Idon't even want to talk about levels 5-12. And here's a nice extra.

You won't have to wait for this com-puter. With its powerful microproces-sor, it thinks while you're playing (I thinkit knows what you're going to do).

It reacts in 5 seconds on level 1, 30seconds on level 3 and so on. It evenknows 3,000 opening positions.

You can take back up to 256 moves. It

X 1. %". It operates from standard AC.It's made in the U.S. by Fidelity Elec-

tronics, one of the largest chess com-puter manufacturers. And it's backed bytheir standard limited warranty.

TRY BUTTON FREE CHESSRISK FREE

If you like a challenge and your ego isstrong enough to withstand losing to acomputer, come on down. And, even ifyou can't beat it, at least you can displayit as a lovely piece of furniture.

If you aren't 100% satisfied, even ifyou just lose too often, return it in itsoriginal box within 30 days for a refund.

To order your Fidelity Button Free,12 Level Chess Computer risk free withyour credit card, call toll free, or sendyour check, not for its $249 suggestedretail price, but for just $149 ($7 PEtH).Order No. 4763. CA res add tax.

Whether you're a novice or a master,one of the 12 levels is sure to keep youhumble. Chess taxes intelligence, notreflexes, which is why it's always been agame for Kings and Diplomats.

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By Drew Kaplan phone button to dial. When you touch RISK FREEIt's love. Here's a name dialing 2 -line the first number on the dial, the phone It's the best sounding speakerphone

conferencing speakerphone that will re- seizes the line, turns on its speaker, and I've ever heard. Dialing by names insteadvolutionize your concept of telephones. you'll have on -hook dialing. of numbers is a quantum leap in both

As president of DAK, I've tested hun- So, you'll never have to lift the receiver technology and convenience.dreds of phones. I've never used a bet- unless someone answers the line. Now I don't have to remember peoples'ter sounding, more useful phone, at FORGOTTEN HANDSET phone numbers. I just touch a 'C' for cus-home or at the office. Let me tell you This phone has the latest K2 handset. tomer and let the phone do the rest.some of the reasons why. It gives you traditional Phone Company If you're not 100% convinced, as I am,

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Where I have more than one name ing'. And, each line has a different ring. you hold it up to thethat begins with the same letter, I can Installation is a breeze. It plugs into mouthpiece of any tonescroll through the names before it dials, one standard modular 2 -line jack or two phone. It's also a calcu-or enter just the first 3 letters. modular 1 -line jacks. Just plug it in. lator, timer, alarm and

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Carrab by .1.1 bghts ossued andlor p.nd.ng1997 30.0 COrp3raloon All rents reserved

Many speakers today are supposed to be digital ready. Butwhat happens if there's something beyond digital?

The original Bose® 901 Direct/Reflecting speaker wasready for digital back in 1968, because it reproduced music withrealism and impact never before heard from a speaker. Today'sBose 901 Series V adds some 350 design improvements to theoriginal's legendary performance. Unlimited power handling andvery high efficiency make the Series V speaker ideal for listeningto the best that audio presently has to offer-the digital compactdisc. And while no one can predict exactly what the future hasin store, one thing is certain: it will sound better on the Bose 901system. Audition the complete line of Bose speakers at your au-thorized Bose dealer. For more information, write: Bose Corporation,Dept. SR, 10 Speen Street, Framingham, MA 01701.


Better sound through research.

BEST RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

Stereo Review'scritics choose the outstandingcurrent releases

LIVELY MOZARTCONCERTOS FROMLIN AND LEPPARD

THERE have been some verydistinguished recordings ofMozart's violin concertosover the years, and there are

now at least a half -dozen compactdiscs on which No. 3 is paired withNo. 5. The performances of thesetwo works by Cho-Liang Lin andthe English Chamber Orchestra un-der Raymond Leppard on a newCBS Masterworks release can standbeside the very best, and they comewith an appropriate additionalpiece, the Adagio in E Major, K.261, which Mozart composed forthe violinist Antonio Brunetti as an

alternative slow movement for theA Major Concerto (No. 5). Therecordings by Arthur Grumiaux,with Colin Davis conducting, re-main in a class by themselves, andAnne -Sophie Mutter's debut record-ing, with Karajan, is still very at-tractive. But Mutter's very unhur-ried tempos contrast so sharply withLin's more animated pacing thather performances, for all their tonalbeauty, begin to seem a little exces-sive in terms of style. Lin's tone ispretty handsome in its own right,with a warmth that is as embracingas it is unforced, and he and Lep-pard, like Grumiaux and Davis be-fore them, are not only more enliv-ening but more attuned to what wemay regard as authentic Mozartstyle.

Leppard knows a thing or twoabout authenticity of style and, infact, is about to bring out a book onthe subject. His contributions to thepresent enterprise-in addition toconducting, he composed cadenzasfor both the concertos and for the

Cho-Liang Lin: attuned to the authentic Mozart style

Adagio, and he also provided theannotation-bespeak an unusuallevel of involvement, which is ra-diantly apparent in the perform-ances themselves. He and Lin seemto have achieved the sort of partner-ship one hopes for in chamber mu-sic, with a good sense of spontaneityand plenty of real give and take, ele-ments eminently to be desired inany concerto performance but espe-cially apt in material in which inti-macy is as characteristic as bril-liance. This release may not dis-place existing favorites for all listen-ers, but it is outstanding for therefreshing quality of the music mak-ing, the vibrant sonic frame pro-vided by CBS, and the apt littlebonus in the form of the K. 261Adagio. Richard Freed

MOZART: Violin Concerto No. 3, in GMajor (K. 216); Violin Concerto No. 5,in A Major (K. 219); Adagio in E Major(K. 261). Cho-Liang Lin (violin);English Chamber Orchestra, RaymondLeppard cond. CBS 0 IM 42364, C)IMT 42364, © MK 42364 (62 min).

tCKSON'S "BAD":OOD MUSIC FOR

EVERY TASTE

doubt Michael Jacksonhas found himself hisown toughest act to fol-low. Given the record -

shattering success of his "Thriller,"which went on to become the best-selling album of all time after itsrelease five years ago, the big ques-tion is whether his new album,"Bad," is a worthy successor. Itsgestation period has been elephan-tine, the longest in his fruitful ca-reer-although he was busy in theinterim doing other things, includ-ing co -writing We Are the Worldand starring in a film fantasy for theDisney outfit. But all such consider-ations aside, the answer must be aresounding "Yes," for "Bad" repre-sents a new level of musical asser-tiveness for Jackson, who wroteeight of the ten songs (nine of theeleven on the compact disc) com-pared with three and a half for"Thriller." They were chosen froma total of sixty-two he wrote before



the album went into production. Ata boyish twenty-nine, Jackson is ob-viously quite serious about the stateof his art, regardless of all the hypeabout his eccentricities. Now hiscompositional voice is being pro-jected as prominently as his per-formance presence, which has beenformidable ever since he dazzled thepublic as the prodigious eleven -year -old lead singer -dancer of theJackson Five.

Many of the same ingredients thatmade "Thriller" live up to its nameare apparent in this set: state-of-the-art technology in mingling humanand electronic sounds, an all-but-uncontainable energy that bubblesupward to captivate the listener,and a careful straddling of musicalgenres. Sassy rock textures are inter-spersed with mellow rhythm-and-blues cadences, and sheets of syn-thesized sound give way to a jazzlick or two.

Like "Thriller," "Bad" is de-signed to appeal to a vast cross sec-tion of tastes, leaving followers ofvarious musical camps with the im-pression that Jackson has spoken

Michael Jackson: engaging energy

directly to them. He is continuallyengaging, whether cooing the ingen-uous ballad I Just Can't Stop LovingYou or shouting about being Bad.The buckles and black leather can-not really harden him-even in thetitle song he's more like an irritatedkitten than a hood. He is all raw,nervous energy on propulsive num-bers like Speed Demon and SmoothCriminal, all lyrical beauty in Liber-ian Girl. Stevie Wonder joins himin a roof -raiser called Just GoodFriends, and what sounds like a castof thousands, including the AndradCrouch Choir and the Winans,helps make Man in the Mirror a riv-eting experience.

What you like best here will de-pend on your tastes, but it wouldtake a tin -eared soul to remain to-tally unresponsive. Perhaps "Bad"won't break the records set by"Thriller," whose sales wereboosted by Jackson's lavish, pio-neering video productions. But"Bad" is good enough to keep himwell ahead of his imitators.

MICHAEL JACKSON: Bad. MichaelJackson (vocals); vocal and instrumen-tal accompaniment. Bad; The Way YouMake Me Feel; Speed Demon: LiberianGirl; Just Good Friends; Another Part ofMe; Man in the Mirror; I Just Can'tStop Loving You; Dirty Diana; SmoothCriminal; Leave Me Alone (CD only).EPIC al OE 40600, © OET 40600, EK40600 (49 min).

MIRACULOUSBEETHOVEN FROMARRAU AND DAVIS

THE second installment inClaudio Arrau's cycle of theBeethoven piano concertoswith Colin Davis and the

Dresden State Orchestra is theFourth Concerto, and it is a per-formance that must rank, musicallyand sonically, with the very greatestever committed to discs. The slight-ly more deliberate than usual pacingArrau and Davis adopt for theopening movement, one of Bee-thoven's crowning musical achieve-ments in both form and substance,sets the tone for the whole perform-

ance. Not even the legendary ArturSchnabel, in his three recordings ofthe Fourth Concerto, surpassed thearchitectural strength and passionof this reading.

Claudio Arrau: power and poignance

As for the incomparable slowmovement, with its dramatic dia-logue between piano and orchestra,I expect that it will be many a moonbefore I again experience, on rec-ords or off, such power and poi-gnance. The rondo finale, usuallysomething of a relaxation after whathas gone before, becomes an im-mensely exciting affair here. For apianist of any age, a performancesuch as this would constitute a ma-jor achievement. For Arrau, now inhis mid -eighties, it is nothing shortof a miracle, especially as he haschosen to use the longer of Beethov-en's two cadenzas for the firstmovement. Arrau's execution is ofthe utmost brilliance and passion,and the support given him by SirColin Davis and the Dresden StateOrchestra is entirely on the samelevel. This is a collaboration amongequals, with the orchestra display-ing immense body and drive, in thestrings especially. In short, this is awholly integrated interpretation of agreat masterpiece accomplished ona heroic scale, and we are doubly

136 SIT.REO REVIEW DECEMBER 1987

4

1

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111111billb6.-

Still dor't see it? That's the wholeidea behind Koss' revolutionaryinfrared stereophonesystem.TheKoss Kord'ess Stereophore.Now, you can enjoy all the bene-fits of stereophcne listening withno str ngs attached. And whilethe cord may be missing, thegreat Sound o' Koss isn't. TheKordless system is so advancedit provides a fall 20-20KHz fre-quency response at less than1% distortion. Plus enough signal:o fill a large room. Yet it's as easyto use as conventional stereo -phones. Just plug the Kordlesstransmitter into virtually anyreceiver or amplifier and turn it

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Inc to a record. Dance to a CDEnjoy stereo cr mono TV broad-casts and videos in bed. Orwhatever else moves you. Souncimpressive? You bet it does. Andthe best way to apprecate thismajor advance in technology is'o visit your nearest Koss Kord-iess Stereophone dealer. Orelisten, and you'll never sit sb Ifor ordinary headphones again Koss Stereophones, 4129 N.Port Washington Rd., Milwaukee,WI 53212. Koss Limited, 4112 S.Service Rd. Burlington, OntarioL7L4X5. Kcss-Europe: CH -6555.Stebio-Switzerland.

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fortunate that the Philips recordingis fully worthy of the musical ac-complishment.

I am not sure that I like the idea ofa solo piano work, the C MinorVariations, as an encore to the con-certo, if only because the differentacoustic surround, which is rathertight and bright, comes as a jolt afterthe rich ambience of the Dresdenlocale. Nevertheless, Arrau playsBeethoven's splendid set of varia-tions, founded on a chaconne-styledescending figure, with brillianceand virility. But the concerto is, ofcourse, the true raison d'être for thisdisc. No matter how many previousrecorded versions of it you mayhave, don't pass up this one.

David Hall

BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 4,in G Major, Op. 58; Variations in CMinor (WoO 80). Claudio Arrau (pi-ano); Dresden State Orchestra, ColinDavis cond. PHILIPS 0 416 144-1, C)416144-4, 0 416 144-2 (51 min).

THE DUKES OFSTRATOSPHEAR:RETRO-COOLr

IT has been said that there's athin line between affectionateparody and unabashed nostal-gic tribute, and in "Psonic

Psunspot" the Dukes of Strato-sphear-actually XTC performingunder an appropriately psychedelicnom de disque-walk that line withremarkable alacrity. The album is,in fact, one of the coolest, dead -onevocations of the grandeur, and thefoolishness, of Sixties pop musicever recorded, a veritable Remem-brance of Things Past A -Go -Go.

Of course, that will come as nosurprise to anybody who enjoyedXTC's last album, "Skylarking,"over which the ghost of "Sgt. Pep-per" also hovered most appealingly.But unlike "Skylarking," whichused Sixties studio contrivances as ajumping-off point for songs that ac-tually addressed the present, "Psun-spot" is strictly historical homage.

It's not hard to guess how analbum like this could happen. Clear-ly, the XTC lads spent a night lis-

The Dukes of Stratosphear: the grandeur and the foolishness

tening to all the obscure B sides oftheir favorite old 45's, realizing thatthe stuff was hopelessly dated andoften inherently ridiculous-untilsome half -remembered chordchange or guitar lick flashed by andthey were goners, swooning withguilty pleasure. You can hear thatkind of epiphany all over "Psun-spot," with its uncanny re -creationsof bands ranging from the Move(Collideascope is a brilliant pasticheof Blackberry Way, one of myfavorite Move songs) to the Beatles(Shiny Cage could be a "Revolver"outtake) to the Beach Boys (Paleand Precious), with nods along theway to such Day-Glo icons as theSmall Faces, Moby Grape, and,most endearingly, the Hollies-Vanishing Girl could be the greatestGraham Nash song Graham Nashnever wrote.

Yes, this kind of retro-chic is get-ting to be a glut on the market, and,yes, an album like "Psonic Psun-

spot" can verge on being a little tooclever for its own good. Still, thealbum can either be taken straight,as stylish, well -crafted pop musicwith eccentric antecedents, or as themost knowing insiders' satire sinceNeil Innes demolished the Beatleswith his soundtrack to The Rutles.Which means that "Psonic Psun-spot" is something you ought tohear even if you don't have a Nehrujacket hanging somewhere in theback of your closet. It is, indisput-ably, the "Oh, wow!" album of theyear. Steve Simels

THE DUKES OF STRATOSPHEAR:Psonic Psunspot. The Dukes of Strato-sphear (vocals and instrumentals). Van-ishing Girl; Have You Seen Jackie?; Lit-tle Lighthouse; You're a Good ManAlbert Brown (Curse You Red Barrel);Collideascope; You're My Drug; ShinyCage; Brainiac's Daughter; The Affil-iated; Pale and Precious. GEFFEN GHS24169, C) M5G 24169, 0 2-24169 (36min).

7


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CLASSICAL MUSIC

Discs and tapes reviewed byRobert Ackart, Richard Freed,David Hall, Stoddard Lincoln

BACH: Organ Works. Prelude andFugue in E Minor (BWV 548); Preludeand Fugue in A Major (BWV 536); Toc-cata and Fugue in D Minor (BWV 565);Liebster Jesu, wir sind hier (BWV 633);Jesus Christus, unser Heiland (BWV666); Prelude and Fugue in G Major(BWV 541); Fugue in G Minor (BWV578); Ricercar a 6 (BWV 1079);Schmacke dick, o liebe Seele (BWV654); Vater unser im Himmelreich(BWV 682); Fugue in G Major (BWV577). George Ritchie (organ). TITANIC

TI -158 (72 min).

Performance: MagnificentRecording: Superb

This recording is magnificent in everyway. The repertoire, ranging from theoverpowering to the intimate, was care-fully chosen to reveal the tremendousvariety of Bach's organ music. The Be-dient organ at Cornerstone in Lincoln,Nebraska, one of the finest Baroqueorgans in the country, has a command-ing presence. And George Ritchie is anorganist who is thoroughly conversantwith Baroque performance practice andunderstands subtleties of temporal ex-pression, using them to impart urgencyto the music. Don't miss this one. S.L.

BARTOK: Concerto for Two Pianosand Orchestra; Sonata for Two Pianosand Percussion. Katia and MarielleLabeque (pianos); Sylvio Gualda, Jean-Pierre Drouet (percussion); City of Bir-mingham Symphony Orchestra, SimonRattle cond. ANGEL C) 4DS-47446,CDC -47446 (52 min).

Performance: SympatheticRecording: Cushioned

These are, of course, two performancesof essentially the same music. The sona-ta, a unique masterwork Bartok and hiswife introduced in Basel in 1938, wasrecast by the composer as a concerto sothey would have a piece to perform withAmerican orchestras (they gave thepremiere in New York, with Fritz Rei-ner conducting, in 1941). Whethermany listeners will really want both ver-sions, let alone wish to hear them oneafter the other, I would not presume toguess, but Katia and Marielle Labequemake a good case for them. Simon Rat -

EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS:

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TO NEAREST MINUTE)

Pascal Roge

ROGE'S POULENCFOR the last decade or two Ga-briel Tacchino has been ourmost persuasive advocate ofPoulenc's piano music, but now

it would appear he must share that dis-tinction with Pascal Rog& who brings asimilar sense of authority and unmis-takable personal enjoyment to this stilltoo -little -heard material. It works outfairly conveniently too, for the only titlein Roge's new Poulenc collection onLondon that is duplicated in either ofTacchino's two recent ones for EMI'sFrench affiliate, Pattie Marconi, is LesSoirees de Nazelles, a set of variationsframed by a Preambule and an especial-ly frisky Final (all thoroughly character-istic of Poulenc, who, we are told, unac-countably hated the work). Actually,even this isn't quite a duplication, forTacchino plays only five of the eightvariations, but Roge plays the piecewithout cuts.

The rest of Roge's program is madeup of more familiar stuff, all of it simi-larly characteristic yet offering abun-dant variety and contrast from one itemto the next: the well-known Pastourelle,transcribed from the original orchestralpiece Poulenc contributed to L'Eventail

de Jeanne; the Trois mouvementsperpetuels; nine of the fifteen Improvis-ations, including No. 12 (Hommage aSchubert) and No. 15 (Hommage aEdith Plan; the two Novelettes from theTwenties and the one of 1959 on atheme by Falla; the Valse, and the Troispieces (Pastorale, Hymne, Toccata) of1928. Perhaps only a composer whowas a fine pianist himself could haveconceived such pieces. Surely only apianist equipped with wit, warmth, andcharm of his own as well as fine tech-nique can take us inside Poulenc'sunique world to share its delights as ful-ly as Roge does. London, for its part,has come through with a showpiecerecording in terms of unobtrusively re-alistic piano sound. To be sure, therehave been several more "important"piano recordings lately, but we haven'thad one as pleasurable as this one inyears. Richard Freed

POULENC: Les Soirees de Nazelles;Three Novelettes; Pastourelle; Troismouvements perpetuels; Valse; NineImprovisations; Trois pieces. PascalRage (piano). LONDON 0 417 438-1, C)417 438-4, 417 438-2 (67 min).

2


Katia and MarieIle Laheque: sympathetic BartOk

tle's sympathetic conducting helps inthe concerto, though momentum sagsjust a bit in the opening movement (asit does in the sonata) and the sonicfocus tends to cushion some of themusic's angularity and crispness. If thesonata alone is what you're after, theclassic recording by Martha Argerich,Stephen Bishop-Kovacevich, and a pairof crack Dutch percussionists is the oneto go for, and Philips advises that it willsoon be available on CD. R.F.

BEETHOVEN: Christus am ()Merge,Op. 85. Monica Pick-Hieronimi (sopra-no), Seraph; James Anderson (tenor),Jesus; Victor von Halem (bass), Peter;National Chorus and Orchestra ofLyons, Serge Baudo cond. HARMONIAMUNDI 0 5181, C) 405181, 0 905181(53 min).

Performance: Very goodRecording: Excellent

Though Christ on the Mount of Oliveswas composed in 1801, the period of theSecond Symphony, Beethoven did notsee fit to have his youthful oratorio pub-lished until a decade later, hence thelate opus number. The scenario encom-passes, in extremely condensed form,Christ's Passion, from His being takenby the soldiers on the Mount of Olivesat Gethsemane to His acceptance ofdivinely decreed destiny.

The music, while recalling elements

of late Haydn and Mozart, also looksforward here and there to Fidelio. It isby no means negligible, if only becauseone senses in it the mature Beethovenin the process of becoming. For exam-ple, there is the somberly dramaticorchestral introduction, the Florestan-like first aria for Jesus, the chorus of sol-diers and Disciples toward the end, aQueen of the Night -style aria for theSeraph, and the evocation of Peter'sanger.

There have been few recordings of thework, and none has had a long cataloglife, but those I have heard in the pastdecade, from Deutsche Grammophonand Angel, have been excellent. Thislatest one, digitally recorded by Har-monia Mundi with Serge Baudo con-ducting, is likewise first-rate, being par-ticularly fortunate in its solosits. Baudoelicits warm and spirited response fromhis Lyons -based chorus and orchestra,and the acoustics of the French city'sMaurice Ravel Auditorium make forideal sonics. Too bad that an Englishtranslation of the text, sung in German,is not provided. D. H.

BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 4;Variations in C Minor (see Best of theMonth, page 136)

BEETHOVEN: Piano Concerto No. 5,in E -flat Major, Op. 73 ("Emperor").Murray Perahia (piano); Concertge-

bouw Orchestra, Bernard Haitink cond.CBS 0 IM 42330, © IMT 42330, 0 MK42330 (39 min).

Performance: SpiritedRecording: Very good

Murray Perahia gives us a young man'streatment of this proto-Lisztian Bee-thoven masterpiece. Not that his inter-pretation is superficial in any way, aswitness the tenderly spun -out slowmovement, but his playing has an easeand breeziness that are both exhilarat-ing and beguiling. I especially like hisbrisk pacing of the finale, which in toomany performances becomes rhythmi-cally tiresome. Bernard Haitink and theConcertgebouw support the soloist conamore within a splendidly spacious sur-round. The piano is decidedly front andcenter, but not obtrusively so.

There are, of course, many fine re-corded versions of Beethoven's Emper-or Concerto, but anyone who wants aparticularly zestful reading will be thor-oughly satisfied with this one. D. H .

DVOgIAK: Symphony No. 7, in D Mi-nor, Op. 70; The Golden SpinningWheel, Op. 109. Scottish NationalOrchestra, Neeme Jarvi cond. CHAN-DOS 0 ABRD 1211, ©CHAN 8501 (64min).

Performance: Very goodRecording: Rich

Dvoffik's greatest symphony has beenextremely fortunate in its recordings. Ican't recall one that wasn't worthy ofthe work, and all those on CD, includ-ing this newest one, are richly satisfying.I feel Carlos Paita's performance withhis Philharmonic Symphony Orchestrais the most inspiriting of all, and Iwould not think of doing without it, butthose who regard thirty-seven minutesas less than full value for an entire CDmay be happier with this new Chandosrelease, on which Neeme Jarvi and hisGlasgow ensemble are nearly as persua-sive in the symphony and offer a verysubstantial bonus.

Jarvi's phrasing in the symphony isnot quite as pointed as Paita's, especial-ly in the scherzo and in the glorioushorn solos in the slow movement, andthe Chandos recording, for all its rich-ness, is not quite as well defined as Lo-dia's, but these differences may seemless pronounced to some listeners thanto others. The Golden Spinning Wheelis first-rate in every respect. R.F.

FRANCK: Symphony in D Minor;Symphonic Variations for Piano andOrchestra. Jorge Bolet (piano); Con-certgebouw Orchestra, Riccardo Chaillycond. LONDON 0 417 487-1, ©417 487-4, 0 417 487-2 (61 min).

Performance: BeefyRecording: Sumptuous

This past year seems to have been openseason on the popular Franck Sympho-ny in D Minor, what with new digital


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Jorge Bolet: glittering pianism in Frank's Symphonic Variations

recordings by Muti, Plasson, Giulini,and now the Concertgebouw's futureprincipal conductor, Riccardo Chailly.None of these new versions, however,impels me to give up the earlier, predig-ital ones by Monteux, Paray, or Bee-cham.

Chailly takes a decidedly Brucknerianview of this symphony, with a firstmovement that clocks in at 20:38 in-stead of the usual eighteen minutes orso. Within the time frame he has cho-sen, however, he elicits an impressiveperformance from the orchestra. Themiddle movement is not quite so slow,and the pizzicato harmonic underliningis handled in striking fashion. The gen-eral pacing of the finale is reasonableexcept for a singularly brooding treat-ment of the material paving the way forthe triumphant peroration. If you arelooking for a Teutonic treatment of theFranck D Minor, this is it.

The Symphonic Variations is a dis-tinctly superior work compared withthe symphony, both for its craftsman-ship and its lack of pretension, and itmakes a welcome encore. The soloist,Jorge Bolet, responds to the more som-

ber aspects of the music, though he stillinfuses it with all the glittering pianismfor which he is justly renowned. I wouldhave liked a bit more sparkle andhumor in the later pages, but the record-ing as a whole is gorgeous. The piano -to -orchestra balance is flawless. D.H.

HANDEL: lmeneo. John Ostendorf(bass -baritone), Imeneo; Julianne Baird(soprano). Rosmene; D'Anna Fortuna -to (mezzo-soprano), Tirinto; BeverlyHoch (soprano), Clomiri; Jan Opalach(baritone), Argenio; Brewer ChamberChorus and Orchestra, Rudolph Palmercond. Vox Cum LAUDE MCD 10063two CD's (113 min).

Performance: ExcellentRecording: Excellent

Even as Baroque opera plots go, the onefor Imeneo, Handel's next to last opera,is slim, but the music he wrote for it issome of his ripest. Each succeeding ariaseems to penetrate deeper into the emo-tions of the characters, until we forgetabout the fragile plot and become ab-sorbed in the personalities the singersportray.

Several unusual features make theopera especially interesting. The leadingroles are scored for two sopranos, amezzo, a baritone, and a bass -baritone.Since there was nothing written for acastrato or tenor, the roles can be filledas Handel specified without recourse tocountertenors or a contralto, as is sooften necessary in modern realizationsof Baroque operas. The ensembles arealso unusual, especially the trio thatends Act II, in which Rosmene's twosuitors, Imeneo and Tirinto (whose partis given to a mezzo-soprano), are musi-cally pitted against each other whileRosmene vacillates between them. Inthe third act Handel set up an evenmore intriguing contrast between thesuitors by having them perform differ-ent settings of the same text and thenjoining them in a duet.

The most curious turn is the finalduet, which we might expect to be sungby the happy lovers, Rosmene andImeneo. But Handel apparently wantedto end the opera with soprano and mez-zo voices, so he arranged a duetbetween Rosmene and her rejectedfiancé, Tirinto. The opera thus ends onan odd note as the two bid each otherfarewell.

The cast in this recording is superb,with not one weak link. As Rosmene,Julianne Baird brings both lyricism andpathos to her dilemma in a performancethat is at once expressive and stylish.Beverly Hoch is brilliant as her flightysister, Clomiri, especially in her colora-tura ornamentation. D'Anna Fortunatomakes a powerful Tirinto, revealingperhaps the most passion of all in thehopeless situation of the losing suitor-and it is wonderful for a change to heara rich mezzo voice singing a male rolein a Baroque opera. John Ostendorfuses his dark voice to its fullest effect inthe title role, yet he lightens its soundwhen necessary for the demanding col-oratura. And although Argenio, the fa-ther of Rosmene and Clomiri, is a smallpart, it is richly sung by Jan Opalach.

Conductor Rudolph Palmer is sure inhis tempos and keeps things movingalong, although I wish he had allowedthe recitatives to be a little less statelyand waited for the vocal lines to be fin-ished before adding the traditional ca-dences. The Brewer Chamber Orchestraplays its original instruments crisply,with appropriate brilliance in the obbli-gato writing, and Edward Brewer'sharpsichord continuo is tastefully in-ventive.

For Baroque music fans, this releaseis an absolute must. Not only is the per-formance first-rate, but it proves that agroup of American musicians, given thechance, is just as capable of re-creating alarge-scale Baroque vocal work as theirEnglish, French, or German colleaguesare. S.L.

KODALY: Budaviiri Te Deum; MissaBrevis. Eva Andor, Alice Ekert, KlaraMakkay, Eva Mohficsi (soprano); Marta

146 STEREO REVIEW DECEMBER1987

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Szirmay (contralto); Jozsef Reti (tenor);J6zsef Gregor (bass); Hungarian Radioand Television Chorus, Budapest Sym-phony Orchestra, Janos Ferencsik cond.HUNGAROTON/QUALITON IMPORTS 0LPX 11397, © MK 11397, HCD11397-2 (54 min).

Performance: ExcellentRecording: Very good

In Hungary, Kodaly is perhaps evenmore revered than Bartok. He wasmuch less of an international modernist

and his music is, in general, more tradi-tional (hence, more accessible) thanthat of Bartok. Kodfily stayed home andbecame teacher to more than one gener-ation of young Hungarian musicians.He organized music education in theHungarian schools, instituting univer-sal musical literacy via his famous sys-tem for teaching sight -singing to schoolchildren. And Kodaly's music, asstrongly as any major twentieth-centuryoutput, is vocally oriented.

The Te Deum, written in 1936 for the

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250th anniversary of the recapture ofBuda Castle from the Turks, is a tradi-tional but stirring version of the oldLatin hymn. The Missa Brevis is deep-er, more original, more inventive, and,to these ears, more Hungarian. It waswritten near the end of World War IIand is highly personal in tone. The cele-bratory tone of the Te Deum does notmean a lot to me, but the Missa Brevisstrikes me as an important and movingwork. It gets an excellent performanceunder the direction of Janos Ferencsik,Hungary's leading conductor, and therecorded sound is very good indeed.

Eric Salzman

MOZART: Violin Concertos Nos. 3 and5; Adagio in E Major (see Best of theMonth, page 135)

MOZART: Serenade in B -flat Major("Gran Partita," K. 361). Academy ofSt. Martin -in -the -Fields, Neville Mar -rifler cond. PHILIPS 0 412 726-1, @ 412726-4, 412 726-2 (48 min).

Performance: SuaveRecording: Mellow

With the Gran Partita Serenade, Mo-zart reached a peak in the body of hiswork intended for outdoor perform-ance. His intricate weaving of pairs ofoboes, clarinets, basset horns, and bas-soons, along with four French hornsand a double -bass, creates an ever-changing wash of mellow sonorities asevery possible combination of instru-ments is called into play. Sir NevilleMarriner leads a spacious performanceof the work that nicely captures the dif-ferent characters of the movementswhile building them into a whole of sur-passing beauty. S.L.

D. SCARLATTI: Sonatas. C Major (K.502); C Major (K. 460); C Major (K.461); D Minor (K. 516); D Minor (K.517); D Major (K. 478); D Major (K.479); F Major (K. 518): F Minor (K.519); G Minor (K. 546); G Major (K.547); Bflat Major (K. 529): B-jlat Major(K. 544); Bilat Major (K. 545). TrevorPinnock (harpsichord). ARCHIV 419632-2 (56 min).

Performance: PushedRecording: Good

Trevor Pinnock is a superb harpsi-chordist; his Bach, Handel, and Ra-meau are unsurpassed. Not so his Scar-latti, however. You get the impressionthat his technique takes priority overhis musicality as he pushes breathlesslythrough pauses and cadences. The frus-trating thing is that occasionally he doesturn a phrase and allow time for apause. His reading of the B -flat MajorSonata, K. 544, for instance, is elegantindeed. If only the same could be saidfor the other thirteen performances inthis collection. S.L.

SCHUBERT: Quintet in C Major, Op.163 (D. 956). Robert Cohen (cello);

148 STEREO REVIEW DECEMBFR 1987

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Because there are away s a few people who will abuse a good 2-Itng, we must stare the following Programacceptance subject to approval. Certain restrictions apply Call or write for full details

Gennadi Rozhdestvensky

STRAVINSKY'S BALLET MUSICGENNADI ROZHDESTVENSKY,surely one of today's majorconductors, does not make asmany recordings as he ought

to-at least not in the West-and it wasa brilliant idea on Nimbus's part tohave him do Stravinsky's great earlyballet music, Petrushka, The Firebird,and The Rite of Spring, with the Lon-don Symphony Orchestra. The Russianconductor's long association with balletmusic, as documented in landmark re-cordings of the three Tchaikovsky mas-terworks and several Prokofiev scores,made the choice of repertoire a natural,and there is a real sense of occasionabout the new releases.

Rozhdestvensky has the LSO at thevery top of its form, the recorded soundis of demonstration quality-vivid,well "lit," ideally balanced-and thecovers of the two CD booklets reproducethe original Benois design for Petrushkaand Chagall's 1945 design for The Fire -bird. The performances themselves arenothing less than superb. Rozhdest-vensky's occasionally deliberate pacingtends here and there to reduce the spar-kle in Petrushka and to "monumen-talize" The Rite, but momentum is wellmaintained within his concepts, and thebrilliant playing and stunning soundcombine to make these presentationsespecially appealing.

The one consideration possibly oper-ating against these two excellent CD'S isthat of the respective couplings. If Nim-

bus had packaged Petrushka and TheRite together, as various other labelshave done, we'd have had the strongestpossible contender against other CD ver-sions in the catalog. The pieces offeredwith these titles on Nimbus, while theyare performed and recorded on thesame level of distinction, may tend toget in the way rather than enhance theirappeal. I'm delighted that Rozhdest-vensky chose the original, 1911 versionof Petrushka instead of the 1947 revi-sion favored by so many other conduc-tors, but the 1910 suite from The Fire -bird, which concludes with the InfernalDance and omits the ballet's finale, isless satisfying than the standard 1919suite. And a more logical coupling forthe Symphony in Three Movements,which accompanies Petrushka, wouldbe the Symphony in C. Questions ofcouplings aside, however, no praise canbe too high for what Rozhdestvenskyand Nimbus have achieved together.

Richard Freed

STRAVINSKY: The Firebird, Suite(1910); The Rite of Spring. LondonSymphony Orchestra, Gennadi Rozh-destvensky cond. NIMBUS NI 5087(59 min).

STRAVINSKY: Petrushka (1911);Symphony in Three Movements. Lon-don Symphony Orchestra, GennadiRozhdestvensky cond. NIMBUS NI5088 (60 min).

Amadeus Quartet. DEUTSCHE GRAM-MOPHON 0 419 611-1, 00 419 611-4,419 611-2 (56 min).

Performance: ComfortableRecording: All right

In conversations with musicians overmany years, I've been struck by thenumber citing Schubert's final cham-ber -music masterwork as the last soundthey would want to hear in their lives oras the music they would choose for theirown memorial services. The thoughtstruck me again upon receiving thisrecording, because it arrived just afterthe news of the death of the Amadeus.Quartet's revered violist, Peter Schid-lof. That distinguished ensemble hadperformed for four decades without asingle change in personnel. Schidlof'ssurviving colleagues have announcedthat they will not attempt to replacehim. Thus, his death brings to an endthe long and productive activity of oneof the most admired performing entitiesof our time, and this recording, the verylast made by the Amadeus Quartet (inMarch 1986), may indeed be regardedin a certain memorial context.

In the Amadeus's two earlier record-ings of the Schubert quintet, both withWilliam Pleeth as second cellist (one inmono for HMV and a stereo remake forDeutsche Grammophon), the first -movement repeat was omitted. In thisnew one, with the admired young Eng-lish cellist Robert Cohen, the repeat istaken, which is a definite advantage interms of overall balance. The perform-ance otherwise is a comfortable one, if alittle overemphatic here and there. Ithas most of the familiar virtues of theensemble's earlier versions, but it isneither as smoothly performed nor ashandsomely recorded as some of itsrivals on CD. The Alban Berg Quartetwith Heinrich Schiff, on Angel, makes astrong impression even without thefirst -movement repeat, and evenstronger, perhaps, is the version by theCleveland Quartet with Yo -Yo Ma onCBS, which not only includes the repeatbut is a bargain at "mid -price." R.F.

SCHUMANN: Arabeske, Op. 18; Pa -unions, Op. 2; Symphonic Etudes, Op.13. Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano). LON-DON 0 414 474-1, C 414 474-4, 414474-2 (56 min).

Performance: Grand -scaledRecording: Excellent

Having completed his survey of Cho -pin's piano music, Vladimir Ashkenazyis now addressing himself to a survey ofSchumann, only a handful of whosesolo works he has recorded before. Thatsome of Ashkenazy's ideas about thematerial have changed over the years isevident in the layout here of the Sym-phonic Etudes. In his earlier recording,made more than twenty years ago, heinserted all five of the supplementaletudes between Nos. 9 and 10; this timearound he plays three of them after No.


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James Levine and Anna Tomowa-Sintow: glorious Strauss

3 and the remaining two after No. 8. Amore significant difference is in theplaying itself, which now has become alittle self-consciously grand, with less ofthe spontaneity and poetry that distin-guished that earlier performance.

The new approach is felt even moreforcefully in the other pieces in this col-lection. The Arabeske will come as a joltto listeners who have regarded thatpiece as flowing and generally tranquil,if somewhat ruminative. Here it is de-claimed with grand and solemn ges-tures, hinting at deep hidden meaning.In Papillons, too, there is a rather over-emphatic quality, as if Ashkenazy werestaking a claim, or perhaps carving atestament now that he has turned fifty.

Artists on Ashkenazy's level, ofcourse, sometimes set standards earlyon that they themselves find hard tomatch, but they are compelled to go onexploring, reconsidering, expanding, re-fining. It almost goes without sayingthat there is a great deal of wonderfulplaying on this disc, and much pleasureto be had from it-pleasure enhancedby the extremely realistic reproductionof the piano sound. But I couldn't helpnoticing the contrast with the unforcedauthority, the more poetic response, ofAshkenazy's earlier account of the Sym-phonic Etudes. R. F.

SIBELIUS: Finlandia, Op. 26; Valsetriste, Op. 44; Karelia Suite, Op. 11;The Swan of Tuonela, Op. 22; Pohjola'sDaughter, Op. 49. London SymphonyOrchestra, Gennadi Rozhdestvenskycond. SAPHIR/KOCH IMPORT SERVICE

INT 830.822 (55 min).

Performance: Highly dramaticRecording: Mostly very good

Anyone who remembers GennadiRozhdestvensky's Sibelius album re-

leased on Melodiya/Angel a decade ormore ago, or who has had the good for-tune to hear some of his Sibelius sym-phony cycle recorded by Melodiya inthe early 1970's, will know the Sovietconductor to be a formidable interpret-er of the Finnish composer. Certainlyhis strength is much in evidence on thisimported CD.

The opening of Finlandia gets anexceptionally broad treatment that addsa special dimension of dramatic effec-tiveness to what ensues, and Valse tristebecomes a mini -drama after EdvardMunch. If the timpani in the openingmovement of the Karelia Suite markthe beat rather too prominently, thefinal Alla marcia is jauntier than I haveever heard it. The English -horn solowork in The Swan of Tuonela may notbe the greatest, but the reading as awhole is superbly atmospheric, and thevery soft bass drum is heard to marvel-ous effect. In conveying the elaborateand fantastic occurrences in Pohjola'sDaughter, Rozhdestvensky holds backon the tempo until the climax-anunorthodox but curiously effective in-terpretive gambit.

There are plenty of competitive re-corded versions of these works, in var-ied program sequences, but Sibelius en-thusiasts will find much that is provoc-ative in this one, and the recordedsound is excellent throughout. D.H.

SMETANA: Piano Music (see Collec-tion-Ivan Moravec)

R. STRAUSS: Ariadne auf Naxos.Anna Tomowa-Sintow (soprano), Ar-iadne; Kathleen Battle (soprano), Zerbi-netta; Agnes Baltsa (mezzo-soprano),Composer; Gary Lakes (tenor), Bac-chus; Hermann Prey (baritone), MusicMaster; Otto Schenk (speaking role),

Majordomo; others. Vienna Philhar-monic Orchestra, James Levine cond.DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON ao 419 225-1two LP's, © 419 225-4 two cassettes, 0419 225-2 two cD's (125 min).

Performance: GloriousRecording: Topnotch

In 1955, Angel released an Ariadne aufNaxos conducted by Herbert von Kara-jan over which Strauss lovers rejoiced."This is it!" they said. "Never can therebe a comparable Ariadne." Well, therecan. And there is. It is a differentAriadne from that first full-length re-cording-I doubt, for example, that anyother soprano will soon achieve Elisa-beth Schwarzkopfs near -crazed charac-terization in the title role, or that anyother tenor will encompass the clarionring of Rudolf Schock's ardent wooing.But the new Ariadne has other, equallyattractive values.

First, there is James Levine's con-ducting, characterized by a sensitivityand cohesion one rarely encounters.While he brings excitement to all of thebig climaxes, he sees the "smaller" mo-ments, particularly those of the Vor-spiel, as chamber music, which wasStrauss's intention. The result is a de-light to hear. That Levine has the Vien-na Philharmonic as his "instrument" isa many -faceted asset. Perhaps no otherensemble in the world knows better orplays more lovingly this very specialpiece, now a favorite among Straussoperas.

Of her several recordings, this oneshows Anna Tomowa-Sintow to bestadvantage. Hers is a pure, warm, melt-ing soprano, and while I consider hersomewhat limited as a singing -actress,here she pours out Ariadne's two de-manding arias and her share of the LoveDuet with unstinting amplitude andbeauty of tone.

Mention of the Love Duet requiresnoting that I feel Gary Lakes falls a bitshort as Bacchus. His tenor is large andtrue, but it is not large enough for thefinal sections of the opera, and he seemsto expend every effort to achieve themusical climaxes. It's a perfectly re-spectable performance, but it is notoverwhelming.

In contrast, Kathleen Battle's Zerbi-netta is staggering. Her moments of flir-tation, her infatuation with the Com-poser, her performing with the comedi-ans, her rendering of the celebratedaria-what a performance! Any Zerbi-netta is inevitably judged by the role'simposingly difficult and-out of con-text-rather thankless coloratura dis-play. Battle sings the text. To her, it isthe hoyden's advice to the love-sickprincess that is important; the notes fol-low, for the most part exquisitely.

Agnes Baltsa makes the Composer'syouthful passion convincing; onewarms to his dedication to music, to hisdependence on the Music Master (sym-pathetically portrayed by HermannPrey), to his wonder at encountering


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Zerbinetta. Baltsa beautifully projectsthese qualities, necessary to our under-standing of Strauss's beguiling lad, andshe delivers the so-called Composer'sAria with affecting ardor.

The Comedians perform gracefully,the three Sprites sing with soaring en-chantment, and Otto Schenk is deli-ciously supercilious as the Majordomo.In fact, there are many memorable cam-eos in this glorious performance, andthe recorded sound could hardly beimproved upon. R.A.

VIVALDI: 11 cimento dell'armonia edell'inventione. Op. 8: Nos. 1-4 ("Lequatro stagioni"); No. S ("La tempestsdi mare"); No. 6 ("11 piacere"). I SolistiItaliani. DENON 33C0-1471 (61min).

Performance: CleanRecording: Fine

This recording offers the first half ofVivaldi's Op. 8, which consists oftwelve violin concertos gathered underone title, II cimento dell'armonia e

First Concerto Recordingin Nine Years!

HOROWITZPLAYS MOZART

Last year, he made history in Moscow;

this year, with Mozart! Vladimir Horowitz

has recorded his first Mozart concerto -

No. 23 -with Carlo Maria Giuliniand the LaScala Orchestra.

Sonata No. 13 rounds out his fourth Deutsche Grammophon release.

HOROWITZ IN MOSCOIA IADIMIR HOROWITZThe Last Romani it

HOROWITZ PLAYS MOZART61.111 Weals Orchestra

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c 1987 DG PoiyGram Records

dell'inventione (The Trials of Harmonyand Invention). The first four concertosare known as The Four Seasons, and atthis writing they are available on CD innearly thirty different versions.

I Solisti Italiani is an offshoot of thelate Renato Fasano's well-known I Vir-tuosi di Roma, and, as you'd expect, thenewer ensemble carries on the traditionof fine modern Italian string playing.For I Solisti, Baroque articulation andornamentation do not exist, only astream of exquisite, continuous sound.Their performances of these concertosare distinguished by a clean tone andbeautifully contoured musical lines,and the recording is first-rate. S. L.

COLLECTIONIVAN MORAVEC: Live in Prague.Smetana: Poetic Polka in G Minor, Op.8, No. 2; Four Czech Dances; Souvenirof Pilsen. 0. F. Korte: Piano Sonata.Suk: Love Song, Op. 7, No. 1; Humores-ka, Op. 7, No. 2, Ivan Moravec (piano).NONESUCH 0 79146-1, C) 79146-4,79146-2 (49 min).


The six marvelous pieces by Smetanaare the only works in this recital likelyto be at all familiar, and they have notbeen presented so appealingly since Ru-dolf Firkusny last recorded them. Allthe performances here were recordedlive, and that may have something to dowith the level of communicativeness inthem, which strikes me as exceptionaleven for Ivan Moravec, whose name, ofcourse, connotes the authority, ele-gance, and commitment that are also somuch in evidence in this recording.

The Piano Sonata by Oldtich Fran-ti§ek Korte (born in 1926) was intro-duced by the composer in 1954. It is astriking and thoroughly accessible fif-teen -minute piece in two movements,the first scintillating in its vitality, thesecond somewhat more retrospective.While it has not been without its cham-pions (Maurizio Pollini is cited alongwith Moravec in Bernard Jacobson'sexcellent notes), I wonder that therehaven't been more of them. It makes fora strong beginning for this imaginativerecital program, and it would be arefreshing addition to our regular con-cert fare.

Josef Suk, grandfather of the well-known violinist Josef Suk, is repre-sented by two utterly charming pieces,an expansive Love Song composed inhis late teens, the period in which heproduced his remarkable Serenade forString Orchestra, and a brief Humores-ka that's more outrightly "salonish"than those of his teacher and father-in-law, Antonin Dvotak. I would havebeen happier if the applause had beenexcised from the recording, but theaudience is well behaved throughoutthe performances, and the piano soundis especially vivid and well defined. Alovely batch of discoveries. R. F.

154 STEREO REVIEW' DECEMBER 1987

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WAGNER'S "RING" CYCLE ON CDAt

CCORDING to James Levine, ar-istic director of the Metropoli-tan Opera, there is a new waveof world-wide interest in

Richard Wagner's four-part cycle DerRing des Nibelungen. If you are subjectto this hunger for the Ring, or if you arelooking for a crown to add to a basiclibrary of opera on compact disc, thereare five complete sets to choose from,and in different ways all are good.

The latest to be released is the oldest.Conducted by Hans Knappertsbusch, itis a live recording of a 1957 perform-ance at the Bayreuth Festival (Musicand Arts CD 253/256, fifteen CD's).

This treasurable document preservesthe subtly nuanced characterization ofWotan by Hans Hotter in his prime andthe gleaming portrayal of Briinnhilde byAstrid Varnay, a great dramatic so-prano insufficiently recorded and insuf-ficiently appreciated in the UnitedStates. Ramon Vinay is a sensitive Sieg-mund, and Birgit Nilsson, still in herthirties, is an ardent Sieglinde (andThird Norn). The role of Siegfried isshared by veterans Bernd Aldenhoff (inSiegfried) and Wolfgang Windgassen(in GOtterdammerung). These highervoices are balanced by the deep, darkGermanic sounds of basses GustavNeidlinger (Alberich) and Josef Greindl(Fafner, Hunding, and Hagen). All told,it's a splendid cast.

Most interesting, however, is thework of Knappertsbusch (1888-1965), agreat Wagnerian man of the theater. Hedisliked studio recording, and this Ringshows what he actually delivered in theopera house, a performance that ismoving in a deeper way than some ofthe more theatrical later recordings. Histempos are generally slower than thoseof other Ring conductors, which im-parts a tone of gravity and stature to theperformance and permits an excellentprojection of the text. For this reasonthe scenes with the Rhinemaidens, forexample, are more effective here than inother sets.

Despite its aura of authenticity andtradition, this is no mere historical doc-ument, but an exciting and satisfyingmusical experience. The singers per-form with such conviction that theymake every word and note count. Theresult is a profound statement of whatthe critic Gustav Kobbe called "thebeautiful metaphysical motif on whichthe plot of The Ring of the Nibelung isbased."

Generally the balances favor the sing-ers over the orchestra. Although themono sound is quite listenable, it can-not capture the range and breadth of theorchestral climaxes. Stage noises andcoughs from the audience are only mo-mentarily distracting, but there is agood bit of tape hiss. So, wonderful asthe performance is, technical limita-

"The Rhinemaidens," lithograph (1886) by Henri Fantin-Latour

tions keep me from putting it in firstplace. Give it strong considerationwhen you are ready to buy your secondrecording of the complete Ring cycle.

Unlike the other versions, this one isavailable only as a complete set. Alibretto is not included, but one will bemailed to anyone who provides proof ofpurchase.

MY number -one recommenda-tion is still the London set(414 100-2 LM15, fifteenCD's) in which Georg Solti

conducts the Vienna Philharmonic anda marvelous cast that includes Nilsson,Hotter, Neidlinger, Windgassen, Chris-ta Ludwig, George London, and KirstenFlagstad. The first complete Ring on

156 &FERE° REVIEW DECEMBER 1987

records, it was made in the early yearsof stereo (1958-1965), and it remains asonic marvel. Taking a symphonic ap-proach to the work (with balances thattend to favor the orchestra), Solti con-ducts a thrilling performance that isunsurpassed in grandness of scale. Using generally lighter voices andstressing instrumental color and phras-ing, Herbert von Karajan takes a morelyrical chamber -music approach to theRing on Deutsche Grammophon (414141-2 to 414 155-2, fifteen CD's). Thereis beautiful playing by the Berlin Phil-harmonic and some striking interpreta-tions by such singers as Helga Der-nesch, Helge Brilioth, Gundula Jano-witz, Oralia Dominguez, Jon Vickers,Regine Crespin, and Zoltan Keleman,among others, but in my opinion theperformance does not measure up to theheroic dimensions of the work. A firstchoice only for avid Karajan fans, it isan intriguing alternate view of the Ringfor the rest of us. Recorded a decade later than theKnappertsbusch set, Karl BOhm's per-formance from the Bayreuth Festival(Philips 415 475-2 to 415 488-2, four-teen CD's) has the same aura of authen-ticity and tradition. It has similar bal-ances between voices and orchestra andthe same advantages and disadvantagesof live performance. The sound, howev-er, is a great deal better. Nilsson, Wind-gassen, Greindl, and Neidlinger arejoined here by Theo Adam, MarthaMOdl, Leonie Rysanek, and Martti Tal-vela. An alternate first choice, this setprovides a compromise between themore intimate Karajan interpretationand the epic Solti version with theadded immediacy of a live performanceat Bayreuth. The only digital recording of theRing so far is one by the DresdenStaatskapelle conducted by Marek Ja-nowski (Eurodisc 610 058-233 to 610-081-235, eighteen CD's). Slow to getstarted, the cycle does not hit its strideuntil it gets to Siegfried, although thereare good performances earlier by JessyeNorman (Sieglinde) and Peter Schreier(Loge), for example. This set, whichalso features Theo Adam, SiegmundNimsgern, Siegfried Jerusalem, andJeannine Altmeyer, should be givenfirst choice only by those for whom dig-ital sound is of paramount impor-tance.

IN addition to conducting the Met'snew production of the Ring, Levineis recording it (digitally, of course)for Deutsche Grammophon with

the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra andsoloists. Over the next two years, thatset will be issued in installments, begin-ning with Die Walkiire sometime in1988. But if you're hungry for the Ring,you probably want it now, and youwon't go completely wrong with anyone of the currently available sets.

William Livingstone

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POPULAR MUSIC

Discs and tapes reviewed byChris Albertson, Phyl Garland,Alanna Nash, Mark Peel,Steve Simels

JOHN ADAMS: Strong. John Adams(vocals); vocal and instrumental accom-paniment. Strip This Heart; Passion;Strong; What Do You Want from Me;No Turning Back; Don't You Think It'sTime; and four others. A&M SP 5164,Co CS 5164, ©CD 5164 (39 min).

Performance: Blue-eyed angstRecording: Good

On the back cover of this solo debut,John Adams, late of the British bandPrivate Lives, looks unsettlingly like anandrogynous waiter with a rose in hislapel. That's fairly fitting, for insideAdams serves up some steamy fareindeed.

Essentially an up -dated, sensual soulsinger, Adams lays silky vocals over asophisticated lava of jazz, funk, pop,Latin, and African rhythms-veryheavy on the bass lines-and builds amusical featherbed of smart seduction.There are some irritants-the instru-mentals, which are totally uncreditedon the sleeve, tend to overpower thevocals, perhaps because the record wasproduced by five different people in twocountries, and since the emphasis hereis on mood rather than lyrics, I can'treport much on what Adams actuallysays except for the song titles, which herepeats a lot.

But Adams knows what makes foreffective tension and release, so you canjust sort of drift off into fitful fantasyand throw intellect to the wind. Thealbum has a decidedly shiny sound toit-lots of synthesizer work-butthere's also a powerful muscle flexingsomewhere underneath it all. Keep aneye on this guy. A.N.

CARLOS ALOMAR: Dream Genera-tor. Carlos Alomar (Photon Midi Con-verter into Macintosh Plus Total Music1.14 into Kurzweil 250, Yamaha DX7,Oberheim OB8, Prophet 5, Emulator 11Plus, PPG Wave 2.3 with Waveterm,Akai 5900 Sampler, Prophet 200, Ober-heim Matrix 6R, FBOI, Akai 612,Kramer Pacer guitar, Fender Stratocast-er, Alembic and Guitarman guitars);vocal and instrumental accompani-ment. Hallucination; Siamese Dreams;

EXPLANATION OF SYMBOLS:

0 = DIGITAL -MASTER LP--- TAPE. CASSETTE= COMPACT DISC (TIMINGS ARE.

TO NEAREST MINUTE)

David Gilmour: a primary musical force

PINK FLOYD'S BRILLIANT FORMULAWHEN Roger Waters suedhis old mates David Gil-mour and Nick Masonearly last year in an at-

tempt to prevent them from using thename "Pink Floyd," it was more thanjust a monumental act of ego or sourgrapes. It was Waters's way of protest-ing the normalization and institutional-ization of the band he founded.

The new Columbia album, "A Mo-mentary Lapse of Reason," reminds usthat there are really two Pink Floyds-before and after "Dark Side of theMoon." The early Floyd was a bunch ofmad experimenters who producedspacy (and still interesting) albums like"Ummagumma" and "Saucerful of Se-crets." Once they discovered how toturn space -rock into Platinum with"Dark Side of the Moon," Pink Floydslipped into a potent but predictableformula. The new record is a goodexample, and if there were any doubtabout the primary musical force behindthe later sound, this release resolves it.

Gilmour, with the assistance of BobEzrin, who produced "The Wall," hasimprinted "A Momentary Lapse ofReason" with all the familiar PinkFloyd trademarks-the heaving modu-lations, the folk -songs -launched -into -the -cosmos melodies, the busy under-current of sound effects, and the meas-ured, weary cadence of the lead vocals.At times the formula works brilliantly.This band knows how to invest a mo-ment with a sense of anticipation andmeaning. In the opening Signs of Life,for example, the sound of oars lappingthe water as a boat reaches shore yieldto stately cathedral -organ chords; Gil-

mour then introduces an eerie guitarfigure that is doubled by a faintly audi-ble whistle, and synthesizers simulate anight filled with insects and twinklingstars. In Dogs of War, marching stringsseem to breathe with adrenalin-fueledterror. In Terminal Frost, piano, guitar,and saxophone exchange haunting mel-ody lines over a wind-swept synthesizericescape scoured by pounding drums.

But what strikes you most about "AMomentary Lapse of Reason" is theordinariness of the themes and the inev-itability of their development. The bigissues-like famine, war, and the lonelyisolation of life in a mechanizedworld-are paraded out, given their tenminutes, and sent back to inventory.What's missing is the overarchingtheme Roger Waters would have in-sisted on to hold this album together.Waters has proved by his two soloalbums that he's determined to contin-ue taking risks. That he falls on his facemore often than he succeeds is, I think,a greater reproach to Gilmour and Ma-son than his court action, for they'vestopped taking chances altogether.

Mark Peel

PINK FLOYD: A Momentary Lapse ofReason. David Gilmour (guitars, vo-cals, keyboards, sequencers); Nick Ma-son (electric and acoustic drums, soundeffects); vocal and instrumental accom-paniment. Signs of Life; Learning toFly; The Dogs of War; One Slip; On theTurning Away; Yet Another Movie;Round and Around; A New Machine,Part 1; Terminal Frost; A New Machine.Part 2; Sorrow. COLUMBIA OC 40599, ©OCT 40599, CK 40599 (50 min).


TECHNICSTECHNICAL REPORT

t.

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WHY DISC JOCKEYS, RADIOSTATIONS AND JUST PLAIN MUSICFREAKS WILL BE TECHNICALLYCRAZY ABOUT TECHNICS CDPLAYERS.

HIGH -RESOLUTION DIGITAL FILTERthe high -resolution digital filter contrib-utes to the excellent sound quality ofTechnics CD Players. The 88.2 kHz dou-ble oversampling circuit "moves" the un-wanted noise components farther awayfrom the music than they might other-wise be. As a result, the filter circuit canbe more gentle with the critical musicalsignal than a system using analog filtersand no oversampling. This helps reduce"phase shift" or "group delay" for anaccurate musical sound.

HIGH-SPEED TRANSPORTEvery Technics home CD player uses a"linear motor" to drive the laser pickupacross the traverse mechanism. Thismeans that you can go from one track toany other in less than one second.

CLASS AA CIRCUITRY (MODELSSL -P420, 520, 720, 1000, 1200, 1200X)Technics Class AA circuitry isolates thevoltage amplifier and current gain func-tion in critical CD player circuitry. This isdesigned to help improve the ability ofthe amplifier to drive difficult loads.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS FOR SL -P720

Frequency Response 4-20.000 Hz ± 0.2 dB

Dynamic Range 94 dB

Total Harmonic Distortion 0.0025% (!kHz)

Channel Separation 98 dB (I kHz)

Wow & Flutter 0.0009%

TechnicsThe science of sound

Global Alpha 9; Winkin', Blinkin', andNod; Insomniac; and four others. PRI-VATE MusiC/RCA 2019-1, © 2019-4,2019-2 (50 min).

Performance: Dry ice andlaudanum

Recording: Good

Like Nile Rodgers and Stevie RayVaughan a few years back, Carlos Alo-mar is a guitarist whose career is gettinga big shot in the arm from his associa-tion with David Bowie. Unlike Rogersand Vaughan, Alomar had the misfor-tune of contributing to a truly dreadfulalbum ("Never Let Me Down"). So"Dream Generator" has to stand on itsown. It doesn't quite make it.

"Dream Generator" is heavilysynthed New Age trance music. Alomarputs his guitar through a battery of com-puters, converters, samplers, and emu-lators. Most of the time, the notes are soweighted down with excess electronsthey can barely squeeze through yourwoofers; when they do, they drop downonto the carpet in big, messy blobs. Sideone is particularly ponderous, heavy-handed, and silly. There are some niceguitar licks in Siamese Dreams andsome John Abercrombie -like buzz -saweffects on Global Alpha 9, but the set-tings are bloated and awkward.

Side two is much better-more like aKitaro to side one's Rick Wakeman.Here, the buzz -saw effects are off in thedistance, while in the foreground a Zensynth redolent of dry ice and laudanumslowly works its way up your sinuses.With titles like Dream Generator,R.E.M., and Feline Lullaby, this musicis not recommended for use in your carstereo system. M.P.

THE ART OF NOISE: In No Sense?Nonsense! Anne Dudley and J. J. Jec-zalik (keyboards, computers, sound ef-fects); vocal and instrumental accom-paniment. Galleons of Stone; Dragnet;Fin du temps; How Rapid? Opus forFour; Debut; E.F.L.; and nine others.CHRYSALIS OV 41570, OVT 41570,

VK 41570 (42 min).

Performance: Spike Jones meetsHAL 9000

Recording: Excellent

Two years ago, you couldn't pay me toplay Art of Noise. Even though theirsecond album, "In Visible Silence," wasterrifically ingenious, it was strictly ma-chine -made. I rejected it on principle.Now I'm not so sure I was right. Todayit's hard to find rock or pop that isn'tmade-or at least made easy-by com-puters, synthesizers, midis, and se-quencers. At least the Art of Noisedoesn't pretend to be anything but thetechnobrats they are. So, after my fill ofartificial brass, artificial strings, artifi-cial reeds, and artificial percussion, I'mgetting into sound -effect records. This isa great one.

Leather soles clicking up marblesteps, slamming doors, clanging iron-

works, dragsters and jet planes, snips ofconversation, digitized vocals-these,along with the more conventional simu-lated organs, horns and string choirs,are the tools of Art of Noise. "In NoSense? Nonsense!" is a collage of musicfragments and sonic effects sprinkledover thudding dance beats and melo-dramatic orchestral themes. It's full ofsurprises and, more important, bigyucks. My favorite joke here is A Day atthe Races. It begins with that tinklingwind -chime effect used to set the moodon bad jazz and Earth, Wind & Firealbums-you get used to hearing it in afew bars, then it goes away. In Day atthe Races it continues while you keepwaiting for the real song to start, then itstops. Track over.

But the most obvious fun is Art ofNoise's variations on the Dragnettheme. The familiar fanfare is, ofcourse, intrinsically funny owing to theassociations the listener brings to it-the memory of hundreds of wonderfullydreary police interrogations comestreaming forth as the deadpan voice-over intones, "This is the city. I carry abadge. Just the facts, ma'am." Art ofNoise milks the material for all itsworth, shimmying the vocals back andforth, up and down, puncturing theheavy dance beat with gunshot burstsfrom the brass section. It's a guaranteedparty favorite. M.P

BELLAMY BROTHERS: CountryRap. The Bellamy Brothers (vocals); in-strumental accompaniment. Too MuchIs Not Enough; Kids of the Baby Boom;One Too Many Times; D -D -D -D -Divor-cee; Country Rap; Where the LightComes From; and four others. CURB/MCA 3 MCA -5721, MCAC-572 ,MCAD-5721 (35 min).

Performance: SprightlyRecording: Nice

The Bellamy Brothers, Howard and Da-vid, have never been the kind of musi-cians you turn to for depth, sensitivity,or insights, something readily provenby such hits as Let Your Love Flow andIf I Said You Had a Beautiful BodyWould You Hold It Against Me. Theyare a radio act en route to Muzak, capa-ble of turning out catchy phrases andmelodies and making the grocery shop-ping a little less tiresome. Here, on theirnew album, they are joined on one cutby their female equivalents, the Fores-ter Sisters, who help them bouncethrough some ersatz r -&-b.

As long as you don't expect verymuch, you're all right with the Bella-mys. Essentially a pop -styled, yet acous-tic -based, duo that skirts the fringe ofcountry music, the Brothers have nowmoved into a more overt soft -rocksound, and the result is probably theirmost honest album. The songs arealways facile, and they occasionally takea poke at social commentary, as in Kidsof the Baby Boom, an unflinching, ifopportunistic, attempt at self-revela-


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Innovative Class AA circuitry provides you vwth silky highs,spectacular mid -range and chest -thumping bass. Precision2 -speed search dial cueing-a Techrics exclusive-enablesyou to move precisely to any point on any track on the disc.Both forwJrd and backward. Ana ant -vibrato-) constructionminimizes the effects of external siock and vibration'

These CD players offer a high -resolution digital filter for thecleanest possible sound. For programming ?ase, you canaccess any track in under a second. There's even 20 -selectionrandom access programming anc wireless remote.

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TechnicsThe science of sound

*S1. -P720 rrcommergled for higher vibration applications

Howard and David Bellamy: soft rock skirting country's fringe

tion, and the rousing D -D -D -D -Divor-cee. Producer Emory Gordy, Jr., hasprovided a snappy, polished back-ground, but even he can work only acertain number of miracles. The Bella-mys still sound like the soundtrack tothe latest teen rollover flick. A.N.

THE BRANDOS: Honor AmongThieves. The Brandos (vocals and in-strumentals); Joe Kernich (keyboards).Gettysburg; A Matter of Survival; Noth-ing to Fear; Honor Among Thieves;Strychnine; and four others. RELATIVI-TY 8192-I, C) 8192-4, © 8192-2 (35min).

Performance: Doesn't clickRecording: Excellent

The Brandos are being touted as theGreat White Hope of post-Creedenceroots -rock, and Lord knows one wantsto like an album that mates .rioughtfullyrics with big, ringing guitars. Still,there's something unconvincing about"Honor Among Thieves" that I can'tquite put my finger on. The Brandos'basic sound is attractive, and the twocover songs are exceptionally well cho-sen (an obscure but excellent Creedencetune and an even more obscure garage -rock beauty from the near -legendarySonics). But when leader Dave Kincaidstarts to sing, you can almost hear aneon sign flashing, "This is a BIGSTATEMENT!" Whether that's becausehe's trying too hard or merely has an

obnoxious voice, I'm not prepared tosay. In any case, this is a band thatseems a little too studied for its owngood. S.S.

SAWYER BROWN: Somewhere in theNight. Sawyer Brown (vocals, instru-mentals); instrumental accompani-ment. Somewhere in the Night; LittleRed Caboose; This Missin' You Heart ofMine; Still Hold On; In This Town; OldPhotographs; and four others. CURB/CAPITOL CLT-46923, 0 CCT-46923, ©CDP-46923 (32 min).

Performance: ShallowRecording: Very good

Sawyer Brown is the five -man groupthat won the infamous Star Search TVcompetition in 1983 and the CountryMusic Association's Horizon Award in1985. They are also the winners of mypersonal Great Country Music Rip -Offcontest. In "Somewhere in the Night"they offer ten samples of shallow shuckand jive that make Exile and Alabamalook like world -class philosophers. Andthis is an improvement over their otherstuff. A.N.

GENE CLARK AND CARLA OL-SON: So Rebellious a Lover. GeneClark (vocals, guitar); Carla Olson (vo-cals, guitar); other musicians. The Drift-er; Gypsy Rider; Every Angel in Heaven;Del Gaw; Deportee (Plane Wreck at LosGatos); Don't It Make You Want to Go

Home; and five others. RHINO RNLP70832, © RNC 70832.

Performance: BelievableRecording: Good

Conceptually, this would seem to be anunlikely record: An ex -Byrd meets anL.A.-punk fellow traveler for a mostlyacoustic album of country duets. Butthe results are thoroughly winning.Gene Clark and Carla Olson may not beGeorge Jones and Tammy Wynette, buttheir voices fit so perfectly in "SoRebellious a Lover" that they mighthave been genetically engineered to singtogether, and the unassuming, rough-hewn instrumentals provided by vari-ous country stalwarts (including anoth-er ex -Byrd, Chris Hillman, on mando-lin) are unerringly right.

The song selection is a well -thought-out olio of the old and new-a littleGram Parsons, a honky-tonk version ofJohn Fogerty's Almost Saturday Night,even a Woody Guthrie tune the Byrdsdid after Clark left the band-and thewhole thing has a sort of low-keyauthority that neither principal has everreally exhibited on his or her own.Highly recommended, especially tothose who felt the recent Ronstadt/Par-ton/Harris "Trio" record was just a lit-tle too slick. S.S.

DEF LEPPARD: Hysteria. Def Lep-pard (vocals and instrumentals); vocalaccompaniment. Women; Rocket; Ani-mal; Love Bites; Pour Some Sugar onMe; Armageddon It; and six others.MERCURY 830 675-1, © 830 675-4, ©830 675-2 (63 min).

Performance: Lite metalRecording: Compressed

Def Leppard is trying to win back themarket share they lost during a four-year hiatus. Heavy metal owes a bigdebt to Def Leppard, which gave it arespectable face for MTV at a timewhen most metal bands couldn't get onthe rock -news update if they'd per-formed an act of self -immolation live atthe Hollywood Bowl. The competitionis fierce right now. But metal mavenswill make room for "Hysteria," notonly because the group crammed sixty-three minutes of music into the album,which is like getting twenty free minutesof air time, but because it's loaded withthe anthemic guitar pyrotechnics andvocal harmonies you expect from thiskind of music.

I happen to like the stuff Def Lepparddoes that isn't heavy-metal business-as-usual-the swaying, syncopated beat ofAnimal, positively frivolous by metalstandards, and the zippy, playful Arma-geddon It, which isn't at all the duke'em, nuke 'em reverb holocaust the titlewould lead you to expect. There areeven some Top 40 high -pop harmoniesburied in here.

Abba dons chain mail? Not exactly.But Def Leppard has a keen ear for mel-ody and something resembling good


"How Much Do I Have To Spend For Good Speakers?"Audio engineers find good-

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Dan Cook and Chris Camp of the DrFtls: stylistic detours

taste in its arrangements, both of whichput them at least a small step above themotley metal masses. M.P.

THE DRICILS: Spacetime. Jeff Allen(vocals); Chris Camp (guitars, synthe-sizer, vocals); Dan Cook (bass, synthe-sizer, vocals); other musicians. We'veGot Our Love; Love Will Set You FreeTonight; Into the Dreamlight; (Livin' inthe) Ultra -Modern World; EverydayGirls in Space: and five others. SCAM001, ©001.

Performance: ImpressiveRecording: Very good

These guys contributed the standouttrack to a recent compilation on CD ofnew rock from Nashville, and "Space-time" demonstrates it was no fluke. Thelargely irrelevant sci-fi trappings aside,the Drifils are a first-rate modern pop/rock outfit. The overall sound is a sortof lush synth -pop crossed with whatmight be called light metal, but withinthose parameters they navigate a sur-prising variety of stylistic detours, fromthe ironic white -boy funk of Rock YouDown to the soaring lyricism of LoveWill Set You Free Tonight.

Even more impressive, the Dritils arecapable of genuine wit, as in EverydayGirls in Space, which suggests that prin-cesses of all ethnic backgrounds willlove low -gravity planets because nomatter how much they eat they won'tgain weight. Add to all that a tastefullyopulent production that strikes just theright balance between the synthetic andthe hands-on (Steve Earle's drummerpounds away whenever machines proveinadequate to the task), and you have amost impressive debut. S.S.

THE DUKES OF STRATOSPHEAR:Psonic Psunspot (see Best of theMonth, page 138)

JOE ELY: Lord of the Highway. Joe Ely(vocals, guitar); David Grissom (gui-tars); Bobby Keys (saxophone); othermusicians. Lord of the Highway; Don'tPut a Lock on My Heart; Me and Billythe Kid; Letter to L.A.; and six others(seven others on CD). HIGHTONE 8008,© 8008, 8008 (44 min).

Performance: FabulousRecording: Excellent

There are some mysteries that may nev-er be solved. One that's puzzling me atthe moment is why Texas rocker JoeEly isn't a household word, and if youlisten to his new album, "Lord of theHighway," I suspect you'll be as mysti-fied as I am. Simply put, this is blues -based, beer -soaked rock-and-roll at itsgrungy best: swaggering, funny music inthe same Rolling Stones/Faces mode asthe Georgia Satellites but much moreauthentic and hooky. There's nothingprofound going on here, just lots ofgreat loud guitars, superbly supple workfrom an ace rhythm section, and somevery smart songs.

Picks to click: My Baby Thinks She'sFrench, surely one of the odder lover'scomplaints in memory, and EverybodyGot Hammered, perhaps the ultimaterock-and-roll paean to the ExistentialHangover. Highly recommended. S.S.

THE FABULOUS THUNDER-BIRDS: Hot Number. The FabulousThunderbirds (vocals and instrumen-tals); other musicians. Stand Back; HotNumber; Wasted Tears: It Comes to MeNaturally; Love in Common; and fiveothers. CBS ASSOCIATED FZ 40818,FZT 40818, 0 ZK 40818 (40 min).

Performance: DisappointingRecording: Very good

The Thunderbirds are basically a high-class bar band, and bar bands are usual-

ly consistent to a fault, which more orless sums up "Hot Number." It's a con-sistent retread of its far more entertain-ing predecessor, last year's "TuffEnuff." True, the level of performanceremains high-How Do You Spell Love(the answer, M -O -N -E -Y) is a particu-larly appealing, sweaty r -&-b stomper-but, apparently by design, nothing hasbeen added to or subtracted from thebasic formula. So while this isn't exactlya dishonorable record, it is just yourbasic now -that -we've -gone -Platinum,let's -not -rock -the -boat effort. Sort of theblues equivalent of "Whitney." S.S.

RICHIE HAVENS: Simple Things.Richie Havens (vocals); vocal and in-strumental accompaniment. Drivin';Passin' By; I Don't Wanna Know; Run-ner in the Night; Songwriter; and fourothers. RBI RBIR 400, RBIT 400, (§)RBIC 1400 (41 min).

Performance: Still rousingRecording: Very good

Richie Havens never had a great voice,but there was something quite compel-ling about the way he delivered a songwhen he emerged on the pop scenetwenty years ago. Armed only with aguitar, he would push a song like HighFlyin' Bird to the max, gradually build-ing up the kind of excitement that fewartists could match, and he demon-strated his electrifying style on numer-ous occasions in the coffee houses ofNew York's Greenwich Village in theearly Sixties. But it was his extraordi-nary performance at the 1967 MontereyPop Festival that finally brought him tonational attention.

Havens is currently staging a come-back, but with a difference. In his newalbum, "Simple Things," he surroundshimself with synthesizers, electric gui-tars, electronic drums, acoustic instru-ments, a string section. background vo-calists, and a forty -one -voice choir invarious combinations. The updated Ri-chie Havens does not play a guitar him-self, and some of the intensity of the olddays is gone, but the honesty and feelingthat distinguished his past perform-ances remain intact.

This is a fine album that ought toplease Havens's original fans and gainhim a score of new ones, but much as Ilike the music, and the clarity withwhich it is captured on the co, I mustsay I dislike the so-called co -wallet, orcardboard jacket, that houses it. Ofcourse, it is the music that counts, and Iwould not have gone to the trouble ofreplacing the wallet with a standardjewel box if I didn't think the disc war-ranted the extra protection. C.A.

GEORGE HIGHFILL: Waitin' Up.George Highfill (vocals, acoustic gui-tar); the Teardrops (instrumentals);Pete Anderson (guitar); Byron Berline,Brantley Kearns (fiddle); other musi-cians. Waitin' Up: The Brand New Mis-ter Me; Billfold Size; My Sweet Love


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Performance: Some good tunesRecording: Appropriately lean

With the stamp of Pete Anderson onhim, George Highfill arrives in the big-time arena with an all -access pass and alot to live up to. Since Anderson isDwight Yoakam's producer, and sinceHighfill, like Yoakam, comes out of theLos Angeles neo-honky-tonk scene,comparisons are inevitable. Andersoneven stepped in on "Waitin' Up" to addthe big, fat guitar tremolos that standout in Yoakam's albums, further aug-menting Highfill's band, the Teardrops,with Yoakam's fiddler.

That's about where the similarityends, though. Highfill, bearing none ofYoakam's pretty -boy looks or too -coolstances, is short on flash and zing. Anative of Oklahoma, he steps up to themicrophone like a man used to all -daydinners and lazy afternoons, replacingYoakam's tight seriousness with a re-laxed and sometimes pointed sense ofhumor, as in the title song, a tune out ofthe Bakersfield school about a wife whowaits up "to do battle with the one sheloves." Another of his songs tells of aman who carries a picture of his pretty,faithless love in his wallet. That way,she's always there with him, BillfoldSize. And Still Tryin' takes an unsenti-mental look at a man who manages tosabotage any personal happiness hemight have with his loved ones. Allthree songs, while lacking the poeticquality of much of Yoakam's work,sidle up to the classic honky-tonk genreand rightfully take their place amongthe best of the boozers -and -losersbunch.

Highfill isn't much of a singer-a du-et with Katy Moffatt especially pointsthat up-but he's a decent sort of guy,you can tell, and pleasant short-termcompany. Whether he has the stuff tokeep him in the national performingarena for long, however, remains to beseen. A.N.

MICHAEL JACKSON: Bad (see Bestof the Month, page 135)

REBA McENTIRE: The Last One toKnow. Reba McEntire (vocals); vocaland instrumental accompaniment. TheLast One to Know; The Girl Who HasEverything; Just Across the Rio Grande;What You Gonna Do About Me; TheStairs; and five others. MCA 0 MCA42030, MCAC 42030. 0 MCAD42030 (33 min).

Performance: TopnotchRecording: Ditto

In the ten years since she began record-ing, Reba McEntire has developed intoa first-rate singer and an exemplaryinterpreter of material, as she proved inher last two albums, "Whoever's inNew England" and "What Am I Gonna


Do About You." In the last five yearsalone, she has won every significantmusic -industry award and, more im-portant, carved a legitimate place forherself alongside country music's fore-most female stylists.

With her newest record, "The LastOne to Know," which she co -producedwith Jimmy Bowen, the Oklahoma na-tive displays even more confidence inher already powerful delivery, nailingher notes with greater clarity, and hon-ing a style that is at once urgent, emo-tional, and forceful. Here, too, she reaf-firms her maturing gift for songwriting(I Don't Want to Be Alone) and hergenius for picking strong, through -the -peephole vignette songs that ham-mer both the head and the heart.

Foremost in that category is WhatYou Gonna Do About Me, a song aboutdivorce from a child's point of view.But McEntire also explores darker so-cial themes, particularly the plight ofMexico's impoverished, in Just Acrossthe Rio Grande, and the horror of wifeabuse, in The Stairs. Surprisingly, shemanages to pull off both songs withoutsounding sanctimonious, trendy, oroverly sentimental, a coup for a womanwho tends to cry on stage.

As her three music videos suggest,McEntire is a consummate actress. Butas with her previous albums, she infuses"The Last One to Know" with a genu-ine and uncommon sense of convictionand commitment to her craft. And that,together with fine songs and a sopranothat throbs with emotion, makes foranother winner of a record. A.N.

MOTORHEAD: Rock 'n' RoIL Motor -head (vocals and instrumentals). Rock'n' Roll; Eat the Rich; Blackheart; StoneDeaf in the U.S.A.; and five others.GWR/PROFILE PAL 1240, 0 PAC1240, © PCD 1240 (33 min).

Performance: Stone -ageRecording: Okay

Motorhead plays good cop -bad copwith you. The good cop is the dual lead -guitar attacks of Phil Taylor and Wur-zel, metallic blues played at Tokamakaccelerator speeds. The bad cop is leadsinger Lemmy, whose cave -dwelling vo-cals are so murderously grizzly youhave to wonder how bad the other threeMotorheads must be to let him sing.What I like about Motorhead is theabsolute lack of conceit or pretension.They know they're beasts, and theydon't come on as anything else. Withheavy metal populated by so manyuglies convinced they're God's gift tothe ladies, these Quasimodos are sort ofcharming. Sort of. M.P.

MICHAEL MARTIN MURPHEY:Americana. Michael Martin Murphey(vocals, guitar); vocal and instrumentalaccompaniment. A Face in the Crowd; ALong Line of Love; Out of Touch;Worlds Apart; You're History; My Dar-ling Wherever You Are; Pm Never Gon-

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Performance: LethargicRecording: Very good

Despite his considerable songwritingand vocal talents, Michael Martin Mur-phey appears to be a singer who sellsrecords on the strength of individualsongs, like What's Forever For and Dis-enchanted, and not on the basis of anyappreciable following outside his nativeTexas. So it's good that Murphey re-corded this album's spritely duet, Facein the Crowd, with newcomer HollyDunn. That tune, already a hit single, isone of the few signs of life on "America-na," a hodgepodge of an album thatseems oddly out of sync with itself.Murphey has his moments here, as inPaul Overstreet and Thom Schuyler'sunabashedly sentimental A Long Lineof Love, but for the most part, thealbum is instantly forgettable. A.N.

PRINCE: Sign "o" the Times. Prince(vocals and instrumentals); the Revolu-tion (vocals and instrumentals); othermusicians. Sign "o" the Times; Play inthe Sunshine; Housequake; The Balladof Dorothy Parker; It; Starfish and Cof-fee; Slow Love; Hot Thing; Forever inMy Life; U Got the Look; If I Was YourGirlfriend; and five others. PAISLEYPARK/WARNER BROS. 25577-I two LP's,Co 25577-4 two cassettes, 25577-2 twoCD's (90 min.).

Performance: All over the mapRecording: Very good

This latest effort from the diminutiveMinneapolis funkster is pretty muchwhat you'd expect-an ambitious,sprawling, stylistically wide-rangingsong cycle linked only by a preoccupa-tion with what my mother used to referto as X -E -S spelled backwards. And Igotta tell you, even forgetting the ob-vious health hazards, I'm beginning toworry about this guy. He's all id, likesome impossible musical version ofHarpo Marx. Take the song It, forexample, which is about just that.Prince informs us, over and over, thathe wants to do "it" literally "all thetime." Good for him, I guess, but I

think he should lighten up. I mean, Ilike doing "it" as much as the next guy,but only some of the time.

Of course, there's more in this releasethan heavy breathing. As with mostdouble albums, there's a lot of stuff thatmight uncharitably be described as fill-er, but in general the level of inventionand performance is remarkably high forwhat is pretty much a one-man show.Yes, Prince is still flashing his oftenunsettling Beatles influences-HotThing, for example, can't make up itsmind whether it's an unpretentious bitof dance/funk or just a parody ofTomorrow Never Knows-but much ofthe rest is harmonically advanced andstylistically daring. U Got the Look, forexample, is an absolutely killer rock -

Prince: ambitious, sprawling, daring

and -roll dance track (despite the pres-ence of Sheena Easton), and I CouldNever Take the Place of Your Man is aflat-out great song, the kind of sophisti-cated power pop that suggests an unlike-ly collaboration between Stevie Wonderand Nick Lowe. Even more surprising isThe Cross, a semi -devotional tune thatbuilds into the most fuzzed -out, indus-trial -strength Velvet Underground -styled cacophony in years; if Lou Reedever hears it, he's going to think Princehas been raiding his private tape collec-tion.

True, nothing on "Sign 'o' the Times"is as obviously grabby and commercialas the bulk of "Purple Rain." What thenew album reminds me of most, actual-ly, is Fleetwood Mac's similarly eccen-tric "Tusk," but there's no use pretend-ing there isn't some very good musichere or that it's not the work of one ofrock's most gifted creators working atsomething like his peak form. In short,you should hear it-even if, as somehave suggested, the whole idea of rock-and-roll becomes ludicrous in an era ofsafe sex. S.S.

RATTLESNAKE ANNIE. RattlesnakeAnnie (vocals); vocal and instrumentalaccompaniment. Funky Country Livin';Country Music Hall of Pain; Some-where South of Macon; Callin' YourBluff Been Waitin' That Long; Lone-some On'ry and Mean; Long Black

Limousine:: and three others. COLUMBIAB6C 40678, © 6T 40678.

Performance: TroubadourRecording: Nice

Rattlesnake Annie, music journalistJohn Lomax III has observed, "is socountry she makes the Judds sound likeMarie Osmond." He's right. So authen-tically old-time country/folk and ruralblues that it's hard to believe a majorlabel signed her, Rattlesnake AnnieMcGowan-she got her moniker fromthe rattler she wears as an earring-issomething of an amalgam of Jean Rit-chie, Kitty Wells, Mother MaybelleCarter, and Bonnie Raitt. On the onehand, she sings, as she does in CountryMusic Hall of Pain, her most main-stream song here, about love gone bad,sad, and mad. But then she quicklyturns around with Goodbye to a Riverand protests, in an old -fashioned -sounding song (very Jean Ritchie) thebuilding of a power plant and the defil-ing of nature. From there, in a strongduet with Willie Nelson, she segues toLong Black Limousine, a classic old-time country theme, a /a Mother May -belle, of a dreamer's last ride. And inbetween she lays down four of LonnieMack's most infectious country -bluestunes, including Funky Country Livin'and Been Waitin' That Long.

Annie isn't for everyone-her voice ispliant, if decidedly down-home-but

A3

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168 STEREO REVIEW DECEMBF.R 1987

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her two previous albums, self -producedand self -promoted, have made her acult artist in Europe. Her new one, astrong, evocative collection of acousticmusic, should tell you why. A.N.

LES RITA MITSOUKO: PresententThe No Comprendo. Catherine Ringer(vocals, guitar, midi, keyboards,strings); Fred Chichin (guitar, bass,drums, keyboards); other musicians.Les Histoires d'A; Andy; C'est commeca; Vol de nuit; Tonite; Someone to

Love; and four others. VIRGIN 90616-1,90616-4.

Performance: EccentricRecording: Good

Look, the French annoy me sometimestoo. But make allowances for Les RitaMitsouko, a thoroughly eccentric andcharming French duo, neither of whomare named Rita. Imagine ragtag melo-dies suggestive of cabaret songs, tavernsingalongs, and nursery rhymes set to areckless, rock-and-roll rhythm -guitar

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accompaniment, and you'll have anidea of the singularly energetic and orig-inal sound of "Les Rita Mitsoukopresentent The No Comprendo."

Vocalist Catherine Ringer, a kind ofEdith Piaf in black leather and spikyhair, is at once playful and imposing.She sounds as if she's having fun, butyou get the feeling she might turn into ahomicidal psychopath if you don't takeher seriously. Her collaborator, guitaristFred Chichin, is smart: he stays out ofher way, a spirited but low -profile ac-companist cranking out growling, strut-ting riffs. The album is aptly named"No Comprendo," since the lyrics inmost of the songs are sung (and printed)in French. Actually, I have no interestin having them translated. Finding outthe real meaning of "un filet de maillesplombees telle un bombardier" couldonly be a letdown. M.P

RONNIE ROGERS: Tough TimesDon't Last. Ronnie Rogers (vocals); vo-cal and instrumental accompaniment.Tough Times Don't Last: Good Timin'Shoes; Double Datin'; Don't KnowWhat I'm Doin'; Let's Play Hooky; Eyesof the Young; and four others. MTM/CAPITOL ST -71065, (:) 4XT-71065,CDP-71065 (41 min).

Performance: Hit boundRecording: Okay

MTM Records, which has signed moredull, lifeless performers than Ed Sulli-van, has finally come up with a winnerin Ronnie Rogers. A singer/songwriterwho's heavier on the songwriting thanthe singing, Rogers is a charming one-man hit factory. Adept at slick radionuggets as well as rough-hewn countryblues and shuffles, he keeps his senti-ments simple, reminiscing about high-school days (Double Datin'), touting anight out on the town (Good Timin'Shoes), and flirting with mid -morninglove (Let's Play Hooky). It's all humbleblue-collar stuff, to be sure, but Rogersfashions the kind of hooks that rumblearound in the brain, and he reels you inmore often than not. A pleasant diver-sion, and then some. A.N.

DIANA ROSS: Red Hot Rhythm andBlues. Diana Ross (vocals); vocal andinstrumental accompaniment. DirtyLooks; Stranger in Paradise; Summer-time; Shine; Tell Me Again; and fourothers. RCA 6388-1-R, © 6388-4-R,6388-2-R (38 min).

Performance: Partially successfulRecording: Very good

Diana Ross had a good idea in focusingher new album on rhythm-and-blues,the roots of the music she's been singingsince the Sixties, but the result is onlypartially successful. The very essence ofr -&-b is deeply felt emotion, and that'sthe ingredient too frequently missinghere.

The production is imaginative, oftensimulating earlier styles, as in Shock

170 STEREO REVIEW DECEMBF.R 1987

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Waves, which sounds like a resurrectedSupremes song, but Ross's vocal per-formance is generally thin and uncon-vincing. She's at her best when sheabandons pretension and delivers thiscontemporary material with the coollydetached polish we have come to expectof her, as in the rousing opener, DirtyLooks. It succeeds on all counts, but itowes more to Janet Jackson than to vin-tage Motown.

Two other high points are Cross MyHeart, with its lush, richly texturedbackgrounds, and It's Hard for Me toSay, which Ross co -wrote with LutherVandross, who backs her here. Anotherwinner is a spirited reworking of theoldie There Goes My Baby. Now thatwas rhythm-and-blues! Ross mighthave come up with something reallyspecial if she had looked for a few morechoice items from the archives, servingthem up in modern arrangements. As itis, this set promises more than itdelivers. P.G.

THROWING MUSES: The Fat Skier.Kristin Hersh (vocals, guitars); TanyaDonnelly (vocals, guitars, percussion);Leslie Langston (bass, cello, violin); Da-vid Narcizo (drums, percussion, vo-cals). Garoux des larmes; Pools in Eyes;A Feeling; Soap and Water; Soul Sol-

dier; and two others. SIRE 25640-1, @25640-4.

Performance: StarkRecording: Good

Throwing Muses is a full frontal assault,as close as you can come to a sweat -drenched night-club riot in the safety ofyour living room. "The Fat Skier" isrock at its most urgent and basic-threeguitars, a drum kit, and a singer. Nosynths or computers. Not even a key-board. Nonetheless, within those self-imposed limits, the Muses manage tocreate some unusual sounds while ham-mering away in their frenzy.

Vocalist Kristin Hersh is what punkmight have been if it had been able tosing-husky, snarling, sexy, her voicestops and starts, chatters at 90 mph,even kicks into a punk yodel when con-ditions dictate. If she were a guitar,she'd be a Stratocaster raining torrentsof power chords in clipped, staccatobursts. The real guitars here make theperfect foil for Hersh, laying back a littleand furnishing shifting, arpeggiatedmelody lines and weird, atmosphericembroidery.

"The Fat Skier" is tougher than anyten heavy-metal records. That three ofthe four Muses are women makes it allthe more remarkable. M.P.

THE VAGRANTS: The Great Lost Al-bum. The Vagrants (vocals and instru-mentals). Respect; I Can't Make aFriend; Beside the Sea; I Don't NeedYour Loving; and six others. ARISTAAL -8459, © AC -8459.

Performance: Blast from the pastRecording: Not bad, considering

Here's further proof, if any wereneeded, that Sixties mania continuesunabated-a first -ever album by a bandthat's been defunct for nearly twentyyears, a band that only made singles.And on a major label. The Vagrants, tobe sure, are already a minor footnote inrock history, for one of them was theyoung Leslie West, who later becamefamous doing fatso Eric Clapton imita-tions in the more successful groupMountain. They were, in fact, prettymuch the best of the White Soul, Ham-mond -organ bands that flourished inthe wake of the Young Rascals, andtheir claim to fame was the almost -hitversion of Respect included here. It wasgood in its day, and it holds up prettywell, although honesty compels me toobserve that the similarly obscure Ra-tionals (from Detroit) did an even bet-ter version at the same time.

The rest of "The Great Lost Album"is made up of obscure B sides and out -

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(TRB)One of New York's hottestjazz groups is on record forthe first time. Original cornpositions by Thom andeach of the band members(plus one by John Col-trane), create an eclecticrhythmic mix with anappealing acoustic guitarsound right up front.

Manfredo Fest(BRAZILIANA)Piano legend George Shear-ing says it best in hisreview: "a break-through...both fresh andenthusia-Kic...it's good tosee that Manfredo is back."Fast's music combinesinvigorating rhythms w thinventive keyboard technique.

Film & the BBs (NEON)The fourth "Killer BB" :.',Dmarks a departure for thisaward -winning jazz quartet,reflect irg their varied ,azz,

pop and classical influ-ences. Three previous CDswere called Best Jazz CDsby Digital Audio magazine.

Warren Bernhardt(HANDS ON)Audio columnist BertWhyte describes Bernhardton CD with the words: "thecleanest, most naturalpiano sound I have everheard." After six jazz LPs onArista, Bernhardt's DMPCompact Disc demon-strates the virtuoso pianotechnique that built him aninternational following withSteps Ahead .

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takes, none of it terribly earthshaking.But if you're old enough to rememberwhat it was like going to a rock club in1968, when you chose the evening'sdrugs as carefully as you chose yourclothes, it will give you a lot of flash-backs. S.S.

WENDY AND LISA. Wendy Melvoin(vocals, guitars); Lisa Coleman (vocals,keyboards); vocal and instrumental ac-companiment. Honeymoon Express;Sideshow; Waterfall; Blues Away; SongAbout; Everything but You; and fiveothers. COLUMBIA BFC 40862, BCT40862, © CK 40862 (49 min).

Performance: Going placesRecording: Very nice

One greets the debut album of formerPrince back-up musicians Wendy Mel-voin and Lisa Coleman with an equalmix of titillation and trepidation. Willthey take on the Purple One's earlylicentious character? Will they focus onsexual shock, androgyny (their publish-ing company is Girl Brothers Music), orlatter-day spiritualism? Or will theyprobe the substantial and classicallytrained musicianship that gleamedthrough the cracks of Prince's carefullyorchestrated stage performance?

Whatever you want to call this, it isdistinctly Prince- and funk -influenced,and yet it is a separate music. Alternate-ly more melodic and more jazz -basedthan the heavily synthesized Prince, theduo's style turns on Wendy's gift forwriting melodic lines, unusual tempos,and intriguing bass and guitar parts andLisa's ease with song structure, chord-ing, and coloring on the piano and syn-thesizers. Both women handle lead vo-cals, with Wendy sounding the moreearnest and textured of the two, Lisa themore seductive.

The real surprise of this album, pro-duced by Wendy and Lisa themselveswith Bobby Z, former drummer of theRevolution, is not the degree of compe-tence or the up -front ease with whichthey take center stage, but the conven-tional homogeneity and pop style oftheir approach. While their pieces teemwith structural sophistication and lyri-cal fire, some of the songs, includingStay, Blues Away, and Song About,sound perfect for, say, Dionne Warwickor Melissa Manchester. On the otherhand, Chance to Grow is creamy jazz-shades of Keith Jarrett or Bill Evans-while Sideshow and Waterfall call onharder influences for a muscular beatand washes of vocals. And then there'sEverything but You, with its minimalistpinpointing, and The Life, which con-jures up the early Joni Mitchell.

Obviously, Wendy and Lisa have puta lot of fiery energy into this head -turn-ing debut, but I suspect that it is only ahint of what they can do, as they pro-gress on their tour of self -explorationwithout Prince. If this album is a quietkiller, their next should be a psychopathon the make. A.N.

JAZZ

JOHN BASILE: Quiet Passage. JohnBasile (guitar); other musicians. UntilTomorrow; Estate; Firm Roots; Underthe Influence; and four others. PRoJAzz

CDJ 627 (45 min).

Performance: BebopishRecording: Very good

Guitarist John Basile has been aroundfor a while, but mostly in the back-ground. "Quiet Passage" brings himfront and center, leading a sprightly sex-tet whose main style is soft bop. Basileplays an amplified guitar, combininghis clean, tasteful style with Tom Har-rell's crisp trumpet and mellow flugel-horn and riding it gently over a finerhythm section. The result is pleasing tothe ear and filled with enough surprisesto engage the intellect. In other words, amood album of substance. C.A.

LOUIE BELLSON: Classics in Jazz.Louie Bellson (drums); orchestra andsextet. In a Mellotone; Flyin' Home:Body and Soul; A Latin Affair; GutBucket Buckley; and five others. MUSIC -MASTERS 0 MMD 20120A, © MMC40120Z, © MMCD 60120Y (56 min).

Performance: Well-oiledRecording: Very good

Drummer Louie Bellson gained invalu-able big -band experience under theleadership of such giants as TommyDorsey, Benny Goodman, HarryJames, Duke Ellington, and Count Ba-sie, and occasionally he pours it all intoa band of his own. For "Classics inJazz," Bellson assembled some top EastCoast studio musicians to play a pro-gram heavily laced with familiarstrains. The album includes six big -band tracks with arrangements by Tom-my Newsom and Sammy Nestico thatfollow a less innovative path than, say,Toshiko Akiyoshi's charts but are nev-ertheless effective. The band swingswith admirable precision in such flag-wavers as It Don't Mean a Thing andFlyin' Home.

If you wonder what attracted thecream of big -band leaders to Bellson,listen to his work with a sextet on Car-avan. I am usually bothered by ex-tended drum solos, but this one hassome meat on it. C.A.

JIM CULLUM JAZZ BAND: SuperSatch. Jim Cullum Jazz Band (vocalsand instrumentals). Potato Head Blues;Yes! I'm in the Barrel; Beau Koo Jack;Tight Like This; S.O.L. Blues; WestEnd Blues; and six others. STOMP OFFS.O.S. 1 148.

Performance: SuperRecording: Excellent

Remember the group Super Sax? It tookwell-known saxophone solos, like some

of the classic ones by Charlie Parker,and played them in unison. A gimmick,for sure, but not at all unpleasant. Nowcornettist Jim Cullum has taken thatidea farther into the past in "SuperSatch," an album devoted to classicLouis Armstrong solos given the unisontreatment. It works, and the result iseven better than that obtained by reeds.The Cullum band is an excellent unit ofplayers who are in complete control oftheir instruments and exhibit a thor-ough understanding of the music. De-spite minor flaws, this is a superb albumof classic jazz approached from a newangle. It is on the Stomp Off label,which means that the technical qualityis very high, and the playing timeexceeds an hour, which is unusual foran LP. The notes, by British trumpeterJohn Chilton, co-author of Louis, aninformative 1971 Armstrong biogra-phy, are excellent and refreshinglyfrank. C.A.

DEXTER GORDON: The Other Sideof Round Midnight. Dexter Gordon (so-prano and tenor saxophone); FreddieHubbard, Palle Mikkelborg (trumpet);Wayne Shorter (soprano saxophone);Bobby Hutcherson (vibraphone); Her-bie Hancock (piano); Ron Carter (bass);Billy Higgins, Tony Williams (drums);other musicians. Berangere's Night-mare #2; Society Red; Tivoli; As TimeGoes By; Round Midnight; and threeothers. BLUE NOTE al BT -85135,4BT-85135, © CDP-46397 (50 min).

Performance: MixedRecording: Good

The soundtrack for Round Midnight,the French film that starred DexterGordon and featured a number ofAmerican musicians, included severalnumbers that could not be accommo-dated on Columbia's soundtrack LP. Itis these numbers that Blue Note hasassembled in this album. Despite theOscar awarded to the soundtrack, thisrecord only reinforces my impressionthat the whole production was to someextent pieced together from last-minuteideas. I suppose this release was madeto look like a Dexter Gordon albumbecause he is the film's star and a BlueNote artist. but he only appears on fourof the eight selections, and he isn't inthe best of shape on any of them. Thetastiest of these leftovers are an im-promptu blues performance by WayneShorter, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter,and Billy Higgins and an eventful solorendition of the film's title tune by Han-cock. The rest is digestible, but it won'tmake your mouth water. C.A.

STEPHANE GRAPPELLI: Plays Je-rome Kern. Stephane Grappelli (violin,(Continued on page 180)


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TER FURNITURE CAR STEREO RADAR DETECTORS CAR SEC

Teac Cassette Deck Specials

_ .

Teac V -210CDolby B/C Stereo Cassette Deck

Dolby B & C Soft touch transport control LED peak level meters One touch recording Large control Block finish

Sole $ 495 LISTPrice $149

Teac R -606XAuto Reverse Stereo Cassette Deck Dolby B C and dbx Real time auto reverse Rotating head system 2 -motor design Programmable MUSIC search Black finish

Sale $2177 LISTPrice $479

ElFro F ."

-17-717-711T-17-1 lITeac W -310C

Dolby Stereo Double Cassette Deck Dolby B & C Normal and high speeddubbing Bias fine control LED peak levelmeters Continuous playback

Sale $11495 LI22ST

Price $9

Teac W -660RDouble Auto Reverse Cassette Deck Dolby B & C One touch high speedcassette dubbing Continuous play Memoryplay search dubbing Full logic control

Sale $26995 TPrice $599

1010.":1

Teac R-505Auto Reverse Stereo Cassette Deck Dolby B & C 2 -motor iC logic transport Bidirectional record,play lope heads Digitallope counter High tech black finch

PaSle $17495LIST

rice $4/9

Teac V-7703 -Head HX Pro Stereo Cassette Deck Dolby B C HX Pro dynamic expansionsystem True tape monitoring Bias fine Ening Programmable music search Block {Knish

Price /EL$-26995

L$469$469

Technics Double Decks

Iffamietweillorshisivr

Technics RS -T22Stereo Double Cassette Deck

Dolby B & C Hi -speed editing Auto spacecontrol LED meters with digital peak display Microprocessor controlled operation Block


-- -. __ i .. - .- ii.'1'7._

ehminzermantaiumanow -

Technics RS-T33RQuick Reverse Double Cassette Deck 1-1 speed dubbing Synchro start stop andrec.( rd mute features Dolby BC Senesplcsyback Brushed aluminum front panel

Sole $22995 LISTPrice $349

Double Cassette Decks

Teac D -525CDolby B/C Double Cassette Deck

Solt touch control High speed dubbing andcontinuous 2 -tape playback Auto tapeselector Headphone & mic locks Black

PriceSole $/5995 LIST

$149

rrmiazolosi.,,1IC= 1.=. I latm

=111011111C

JVC TD-W66OBKAuto -Reverse Double Cassette Deck Twin auto -reverse systems with quick reverseheads 2 -motor full logic operation Double -speed editing with synchro start Dolby BC

Sale $28995 T

Price $349

Audio Equalizer Specials

Teac EQA-101O -Bard Graphic Equalizer/Analyzer 10 indvidual slide controls per channel LEDspectnrn analyzer display tape montor withEQ recording A perfect add-on

a le $7995 LIST'rice $149

ADC SS -525XComputerized Graphic Equalizer

12 bards per channel Automaticroom speciler flat equalization Wirelessremote B nalyzer EQ display Pink noise

CALL FOR PRICE

Teac EQ-A20Stereo Graphic Equalizer/Analyzer 10 bands per channel Spectrum analyzer

display Two tope monitors with simultaneousrecording and 2 -way dubbing EQ record


AudloSource EA -One IIEqualizer/Spectrum Analyzer

10 -band per channel equalizer with 12 -dBrange Real-time analyzer with pink noisegenerator Includes calibrated microphone

Sale $94995 LISTPrice o $.429

Phono Cartridge Specials

Shure M -92EUniversal Mount Phono Cartridge

Ellipitical stylus tip Tubular aluminum sty usshank Fits both standard and P -Mounttoneorms Frequency response 20.18kHz

Sale $995 LI29ST

Price $

Audio Technics AT-231LPUniversal Phono Cartridge

Standard or P -Mount Linear contact stylus 10-30kHz frequency response Improve Thesound of your system

Sale $2995Price V

LIST$99

711111E1L7---67-_

Phono Cartridges

Shure V-15 Type V -MRMicro Ridge Phono Cartridge

Micro ridge stylus tip Excellent trackability Dynamic stabilizer Side -guard stylus

protection Duo -point alignment gouge

$/2995 $12S75

Audio Technics AT14OML ,Lp,o;Linear contact cartridge . . 'PPY

Audio Technlca AT-152MLPLinear contact P mount $9995

Audio Technics AT-211EPUniversal mount cartridge . . . . $1995Shure V15 -VPHigh Quality P -mount cartridge. . 914"Shure DC -60 $5995Pro disco cartridgeShure M1O4E

. . $29"Universal P -mount cartridge .

Shure M111HE. . $4995Hyperelliptical cartridge . .

Shure V15-IVMR. $69"Micro ridge standard mount

Stanton L500AL$199$Disco cartridge

Stanton 680ELPro disco cartridge w/extra stylus $4995Stanton 500ALDPDisco cartridge with extra stylus . $2495Stanton 1381S-IISStandard mount cartridge . . . $6995

Technics Turntable Specials

Technics SL-BD22Semi -Automatic Turntable

Belt drive FG servo motor Straight low mosstonearm Accepts P -Mount cartridge Illum-inated strobe Pitch control Block finish

Sole $7795 LIST

Technics SL-QD33Quartz Direct Drive Turntable

Fully automatic 2 -motors Auto disc sizeselection Low mass tonearm acceptsP -Mount cartridge Illuminated strobe

Sole $12495Price $190

Technics SL-DD33Fully Automatic Turntable

Direct drive motor system Auto disc sizeselection Straight low moss tonearm P -Mount cartridge connector Block finish


Technics SL -J33Direct Drive Programmable Turntable Quartz locked drive system LP locket size- 8 -step random access programming AutoCisc size selection Record detector Block

PriceSale $14995 LIST/ $239

BERN& 19011.)LE-PRE E 8002218180 IN NEW YORK ALASKA& CANADA CALL:(718) 417-3737

59-50 Queens -Midtown Expressway, Dept. SR1287, Maspeth, NY 11378

EO PROCESSORS/CAMCORDERS/VIDEO CAMERAS /BLANK AUDIO TAPES/ITORS/COMPUTER SOFTWARE/FLOPPY DISKS/ COMPUTER FU

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Stereo Headphones

Beyerdynamlc DT -990Audiophile Stereo Headphones

Open st*heodphcxxe with an untelievabiefrequency response of 5-35160_ Uniquemoving coil assembly Exceptional detail

iclee $15995 aT)0

Beyerdynamic HD -220Closed ear headphones . . . . $9995Beyerdynamic DT -770Closed ear headphones . . . $149"Beyerdynomic DT -330Lightweight open air headphones$69"Beyerdynamic DT -880 Studio,,.,Wide frequency response . . .

Koss SST -5$29"Closed ear headphones . . .

Koss Pro4AAAClosed ear headphone . . . . '38"Sennhelser HD-410SL

$39"Open air style headphones . . .

Sennheiser HD-420SLWide response open air . . . . $64"Sony MDR -V1Lightweight digital ready . . . . $24"Sony MDR -V6Closed ear digital ready . . . . $8995Sony MDR -V4New folding digital ready . . . $5995Sony MDR-W1OLLightweight walkman style . . $1495

Compact Disc Player Specials

Teac PD -100Programmable Compact Disc Player 32 selection random memory programming 3-beom laser Double oversampling digitalfilter Disc track repeat Soft touch controls

ceSale $74995 LISTPri $3.19

Of" Shure SV-40Programmable Compact Disc Player Wireless remote with volume control 15track random programming 3 -beam laserpickup wItti 5 -year warranty Black


rr

Sharp DX -650Programmable Compact Disc Player 3 -beam laser 20 -selection random accessprogram memory 3 -way repeat Forwardreverse search Low profile black finis's

Sal* $12495 USTPrice $199

Sharp DX -750Remote Control Compact Disc Player 20 -track random access programming 3 -beam laser pick-up for better sound 3 -way repeat Low profile vAth black finish

Sale u$76995 srPrice $269

®NipBi

ADC CD16/2RRemote Control Compact Disc Player 3 -beam laser 16 selection programming Wireless remote Advanced error correction Black finish

Pi ices $759"

Magnavox CDB65OAudiophile Compact Disc Player

Flawless sound plus the ultimate memory Program up to 785 selections from your CD

collection In permanent memory Remote

Price 9499

Terk FM Antenna Specials

Tear FM -8500Indoor FM StereoAntenna Enpy better FMreception Adjustablegain control Amplifiesincoming signal by upto 24 times ACoperated One-yearwarranty

Sale $4945 LISTPrice 1 $99

Lark FM -9500Indoor FMElectronic Antenna Perfect for theapartment or office Modem high techstyle 24-d8's of gain Omnidirectional pick-up LED display Onemor warranty Black

sh

sale $7995 LISTPrice $99

dbx Specials

cih!

DBX 224X -DSType II Noise Reduction System

Rack mountable Effectively doubles tapedeck's dynamic range 40db mirk noisereduction 2 -deck switching with encoding

Sale $7995 USTPrice $299

r ibx n n

DBX 1BX-DSDynamic Range Controller

Special impact recovery system odds"punch" to LP's or video tapes Stereo locus& ambience control Oversaw compression

Sate $/7995L $ISTPrice 280

DBX 4BXAdvanced Dynamic Range Expander Increase the dynamic range of your records& tapes by as mud, as 50% Reduce back-ground noise Rack -mountable Remote

Sale$

$39995 LISTPrice 799

DBX 400XGActive Program Route Selector

Connect up To 3 -tape decks 3 -soundprocessors 3rd a noise reduction LEDIlluminated push button selectors

Sale $14995 T

Price $299

treovo

Technics SL -P320Remote Control Compact Disc Player Direct access keypads on the Iront panelarid wireless remote 20 -track memory Highrasolution digital filter 3 -way repeat Black

Sale $ 2 79 9 5 LISTPrice $449

Technics SL -P520Advanced Technology CD Player

Class AA circuitry 2 -speed dial searchcueing High -resolution digital fitter 20 -trackrandom progromm Weless remote


CD Player Specials

JVC XLV-450Remote Programmable CD Player

3 -beam laser Wheless remote Digital filter 32 -truck random programmable Intro scar. Index play and skip Black

ceSale $24995 USTPri $315

Technics SL -P720High Performance CD Player

2 -speed dial search cueing High speedtransport wireless remote with volume control

Class AA circuitrySole $ 995 LISTPrice $599

Stereo Receiver Specials

R-_,--..-_,.___.

Technics SA -180Dignai AM/FM Stereo Receiver

Quaffz synthesizer digital tuning 16 -presets 35 watts per channel, with low distortion 3 -LED signal strength meter Black finish

Sale 5/L 995 LISTPrice $240

Sherwood S-2750CPTop Rated Am/ Fm Digital Receiver 50 watts -channel 5 -band EQ Quartz PLLtuning 16 -presets Surround sound Topemonitor CD and AUX inputs (kick finish

PrSaicele $7711"

LIST

Technics SA -290Digital AM/FM Stereo Receiver

50 watts RMS per channel LED powermeters 16 -station preset memory Tapemonitor LCD digital display Black finish

Pile*.$/5495 LIST

JVC RX-950VBKHigh Power Audlo/Video Receiver

120 watts channel 7 -band EQ withspectrum analyzer 3 -video inputs Wirelessremote Black finish

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HOW TO ORDER BY MAIL: SEND MONEY ORDER, CERTIFIED OR CASHIER'S CHECK MASTERCARD, VISA or AMERICAN EXPRESS (Includecard number, Interbank No. expiration date and sigrature.) TO- J&R MUSIC WORLD, 59-50 QUEENS -MIDTOWN EXPRESSWAY,MASPETH, NY 1078, DEPT. SR1287. DO NOT SEND CASH. Personal and business checks must clear our Authorization Centerbefore processing. $25 Minimum Order. Shipping, Handling & Insurance Charge is 5% 0110101 Order with a $3.95 minimum.(Canadian Orders Add 15% Shipping, with a $9.95 minimum charge.) For shipments by air, please double these charges. SORRYNO C.O.D.'s. NEW YORK RESIDENTS PLEASE ADD SALES TAX. ALL MERCHANDISE SHIPPED BRAND NEW, FACTORY FRESH, AND 100%GUARANTEED. WE ARE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY TYPOGRAPHICAL OR TRANSPOSITIONAL ERRORS.

Margo

T DISC /PRE-RECORDED CASSETTES/STEREO RECEIVERS/TAPE DECKSSYSTEMS/BLANK AUDIO TAPES/AUDIO ACCESSORIES/VIDEO RECORDERS COLOR TERAS/BLANK VIDEO TAPES/VIDEO ACCESSORIES/PERSONALUTER FURNITURE CAR STEREO RADAR DETECTORS CAR SEC

Portable Audio Specials

Toshiba XR-9437Portable CD Player w/Radlo

AM FM tuner 12 presets 3-beorn laser 16 -program random memory with repeat Rechargeable Ni-Cad battery Black

$269" VIrvr'fitittl;r1 rl

1-1

Aiwa CA-DW95Portable Component With CD Player Top mounted 3 -beam CD player 5 -band

EQ High speed double cassette Dolby B NR AM FM stereo tuner 2 -way speaker system

Price $29995 V:19

ittToshiba KT -4077

Radio Cassette Player with Remote Wired remote for forward reverse ploy stopvolume Dolby B Auto reverse Feathertouch control AM FM radio Black finish

sole W9195 vs4

JVC CX-F3KAM/FM Personal Cassette Player

Auto reverse 5 -band EQ Dolby B Hi ft4 -track tired tape head Metal tapecompatible lightweight stereo headphones

;.11 Ica 7995 $W9

Marantz PMD-420Stereo Portable Cassette Recorder Dolby B 2 -tread record playback system 2-mic inputs Manual recording level CaNbrated VU meters Metal tape EQ

gliet $289" PST$399

Sony ICF-2010Super Compact World Band Receiver Am Fm L W Mw Sw As bonds Dual Pt quartzfrequency synthesis tuning Direct accesskeypad SvotchaNe IF CondwKIth 32 -prase.

rIclee $29995 LIST$449

Audio Mixers

Numark DM -1650Disco MIxer/PreampiMer

Iwo phonallne and two miCillne Inputs Long throw slider controls Cross fader 6 -band EQ 3 -color LED peak level meters

,°'c't $29995 isT9

Numark DM -1800MIxer/PreAmplilfer/Equalizer

Pro series studio mixer 3-phono-line inputs Mic input With pan pot 6 -band EQ 3 -color

peck reading LED power meters Cue MonitorSafePrice $39995 ;v.

Akai Audio Specials

Akal AAV-20511Remote Audio/Video Receiver

60 watts channel AV control with 3 -video& 5-oudio inputs Surround sound 5 -bandEQ Quartz FIE tuner 16 -presets Block flash

gift $249" v34

Akal GX-883 -Head dbx Stereo Cassette Deck

Super GX glass & crystal 3 -head design Quartz locked 3 -motor closed loop dualcapstan drive Dolby B. C and dbx

CALL FOR PRICEHi-Fi Video and LaserVision Specials

Panasonic PV -47604 -Head VHS HI -F1 Stereo VCR

Hi Fl stereo sound 4 head MTS,SAP 2Xslow motion Omnisearch On -screen display Coble ready 21 -day 8 -event Remote

Vilcee $49995 1.:z.9

Panasonic PV -47804 -Head Digital Video Recorder

Plcture-in-picture TV oils MTS stereo tuner Hi -Fl stereo sound 4 -heads Digital slowmotion 21.day 8 -event HQ ndeo system

;re 79995 IIST o

r'--161Z-1K9..

Sony SL-HF350Super Beta HI-FI Video Recorder

Wireless remote 7 day '6 event timer Cable ready tuner High speed picturesearch Linear lime counter Black finish

;.4e9 $39995 vv.,

1=1=11111113 -.122E111:E: L.D4,-EIRMWM2CIMI

Pioneer CLD-1010Laser Dlsc/CD/CD-V Player

Prays all Laser silo's° disc Audio compactdisc and NEW CD -V ouclievideo disc Infraredwireless remote Block finish

CALL FOR PRICE

P asonic Portables

Panasonic WC-Cala°Remote Portable Component System 18 -track programmable CD player Dualauto reverse cassette Dolby B High speeddubbing Wireless remote 2 -way speakers

Tcee $57995 m,

Panasonic RX-SR35Am/Fm Personal Cassette Recorder Unique sound level system for recording Compact ArrilFm tuner 5 -band EQ Autoreverse playback Lightweight headphones

Sale $ 95 LISTPrice $109

Audio Tape Specials

Maxell UDS-I190 10 -Packwith FREE XL -1190 Special

Buy 10 Maxell UDS-I190 ultra dynamic highbias cassettes. and receive 1 Motel! XL -1190cassette tape FREE Stock up today

lePrice $12 99 II Tapes

TDK SA9O $$19High bias, wide range .

MAXELL MX902.Metal particle . . . Ea $ "

MAXELL UD35-90$4"7 -Inch 1800- reel to reel

MAXELL UDS1190High performance high bias . . Be.$135

MAXELL XL -1190The standard high bias . . . . Ea.

$169

MAXELL XLI1190Extended range high bias . . . Be $195

SCOTCH XS11-90 SpecialHigh bias cassettes . . . 10 -Pack $14"SCOTCH XSM-1V90Special purchase metal bias . Be $235

SONY UX-ES90New high bias for music 10 -Pack $16"TDK D-120Dynamic all purpose cassettes . Ea. $1"TDK MAX -G90Metal bias. precision housing . Ea $539TDK SA -90Super Avilyn high bias . . . Ea. $165

Beatles Compact Disc Specials

ON COMPACT DISC

Please Please Me (46435) With The Beatles (4636) A Hard Days Night (46437)

Beatles For Sale (46438) Help (46439) Rubber Soul (46440) Revolver (46441) Sqqt Pepper's Lonely Hearts

Club Band (46442) Yellow Submarine (46445) Abbey Road (46446) Let It Be (46447) Magical Mystery Tour (48062)

Except: The Beatles (White Alburn1(46443) '23.99

ARM% ORDERR 800E221E8180IN&C

NEW YORKCALL:ALASKAANADA

(718) 417.3737

59.50 Queens -Midtown Expressway, Dept. SR1287, Maspeth, NY 11378

ALIZ RS/HEADPHONES AMPLIFIERS/COMPACSIONS DEO PROCESSORS/CAMCORDERS/VIDEO CAMERAS /BLANK AUDIO TAPES

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Blank Video Tape

II

Maxell "Sounds Great"HGX 7-120 3 -Pack Special

Buy this special pock of three high gradeHGX 1-120 video tapes and get a &Tamil! UDS-It90 minute ultra dynamic audio tape FREEi

iceSale$13993Pack

FUJI T-120Standard GradeFUJI T-12OXG

. Ea $69°Professional .451 mastering

MAXELL T-120 GOLDExtra high grade HI-FI

MAXELL T-12OEXImproved standard grade - - Ea. $369

SCOTCH T-120EGStandard grade Ea $359

SCOTCH T-160EG +High grade long play special . Ea. SrSONY L-500Pro ultra high grade Beta - - Ea. 55"SONY L-750SDStandard grade 4.5 hour Beta - Ea. $369SONY 7-120ESHGNew high grade formulation - Ea $469SONY 1.120SDDynomicron standard grade . Ea $369

TDK P-12OMP 8mmMetal particleTDK T-12OEXGExtra high grade Ea. $4"

$369

$549

Ea $629

Stereo Headphone Specials

Sony MDR-CD61strlhr31F StereoiH

i

iaCg frequency response High sensitivity 110 -match plug included Perfect for portable CD players


Sony MDR -E222Mini In -The -Ear Sterec Earphones

Super lightweight and compact Great foroil personal stereos Sony Acoustic TurboCircuit delivers high velocity sound


Koss JCK/200"Kordless Stereophones"

Closec ear design Digital ready drivers Includes transmitter, wireless stereophonesand AC adaptor

Sale $1/77 LISTPrice

14

--11iNeKoss PodaPro

Lightweight Stereo Headphones Home audio quality on rte go C omfortZone adjustable headband and .cushionpressure Standard and mini plugs irzluded


A

Sennhelser PD -100Digital Ready Headphones

Recommended for use with CD stereoTV VCR, home components arid personalportables Mini plug with 14- adaptor

IS4licee $3495 LIST$60

HD-414SLOpen Air Stereo Headphones

Perfect for digital sound Wide transientresponse and dynamic range Lightweightdesign provides IIoorrjj1oo wear comfort 10' cord

Sale 95 LISTPrice $89

Answering Machines

Panasonic KX-T1418Microprocessor Answering Machine Double cassette Toil saver Easy to usequick -erase Memo Digital call counter Remote controls playback reset and more


-44Panasonic KX-T1624

Auto Loi:e14,1enswering Machine 12 -function Hess remote Dual micro -cassettes Voice activated Toll saver Conversation & memo recording Charcoal

P.11 lcee $78 " LIST

VHS Video Movie Specials

Grateful Dead: So Far Kathy Smith's Winning Workout Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home

1'

YourChoice Each

And Many More Titles Available' Alice In Wonderland Dumbo Back To The Future Broc'ii To School

An American Tale Pinocchio The Sword In The Stone Mary Poppins

95

Cordless Telephones

I

Freedom Phone 1700Dual Dial Cordless Telephone

1000foot range Push button dialing fromhandset and base Tone pulse ,numberauto dialer Speakerphone Intercom

SalePrice $11777 LIST

$179

Panasonic KX-T3805Cordless Telephone

1000 -foot range 2 -way paging betweenbase and handset Auto secur,ty system Redial Tone pulse Wall or desk mount


Telephone Specials

PhoneMate 400Trimline Telephone with At:10401er9 -number autodialer Last number redial Tore pulse Adjustable ringer Wall or desk Mute Choose almond, whrte or gray

Sale $24 95 LISTPrice $40

Panasonic KX-72342Integrated Feature Phone

Tone -pulse 26 -number memory dialing Two-way speakerphone True electronichold 3 -step ringer volume control


Aucio Speaker Specials

Technics SB-L35Two -Way Bass Reflex Loucspeakers 10 -inch woofer 2 -inch cone tweeter Walnut finish cabinets Handles up to 100watts Great sound for less

Sole $9995 LISTPrice /polr $229/Pr

Celestion DL -4Two -Way Bookshelf Loudspeakers

Rear port bass reflex design 6 5 -inch fiberwoofer 1 -inch soft dome tweeter Walnutf nish Power range '0-75 ways

Sale $24995 LISTPrice /pair $350/Pr

Wharfedale 'Diamond"Bookshelf Loudspeaker

Compact ported 2 -way design stands lessthan 10 -inches nigh 4 25 -inch woofer Dome tweeter Power range 20-100 watts

SalaPrice $/499 LIST

/5p.fr

Celestion DL -8Audiophile Loudspeaker System

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SUSANNAH MCCORKLEBY continuing to improve on

near perfection, SusannahMcCorkle is making it increas-ingly difficult to write about

her. I am running out of words todescribe how much I admire her sing-ing. I thought she had reached thezenith of her artistry with her lastalbum, "How Do You Keep the MusicPlaying?," but now along comes"Dream," an album in which McCorklecombines the kind of singing style thathas brought her raves in the past withventures into new stylistic areas. Clear-ly, she is not set on playing it safe. Thenew album offers more variety than herprevious ones and more delightful sur-prises.

I wish the late Lil Armstrong couldhave heard McCorkle's treatment ofJust for a Thrill, which Armstrongwrote some fifty years ago, and ColePorter never had a better reading of AtLong Last Love, which opens the al-bum. Except that Frank Wess replacesAl Cohn on tenor saxophone, the ac-companiment is the same here as onMcCorkle's last album, and pianist BenAronov deserves much credit for hisarrangements. Wess appears in only

three selections, including the titletrack, Johnny Mercer's Dream, which istaken at a wonderfully lazy pace. Youhave to be good to sing that slowly.

Susannah McCorkle is good at anytempo, and if you like your songs takenat a brisk pace, be advised that shereaches maximum speed on I Get aKick Out of You. Among the severaldepartures, moreover, are songs like Allof Me, with King Pleasure's lyrics ap-plied to Illinois Jacquet's tenor solo,and Paul Simon's Train in the Distance.I would not have considered these typi-cal McCorkle fare, but given thebreadth of material on this new album.maybe there is no such thing.

Chris Albertson

SUSANNAH McCORKLE: Dream.Susannah McCorkle (vocals); BenAronov (piano); Frank Wess (tenor sax-ophone); Gene Bertoncini (guitar);Steve LaSpina !bass); Joe Cocuzzo(drums). Sleepy; All of Me; Bewitched;Train in the Distance; Just for a Thrill;At Long Last Love; Triste; Longings fora Simpler Time; I Get a Kick Out ofYou; Dream. PAUsA PR -7208, © PC -7208, PCD-7208 (41 min).

piano); orchestra, Ettore Stratta cond.Why Do I Love You?; Can't Help Lovin'Dat Man (CD only); Yesterdays; A FineRomance; 01' Man River; Long Ago andFar Away; I Won't Dance; Pick YourselfUp; and three others. GRP 0 GR-1032,© GRD-9542 (57 min).


When he first emerged as a leading forcein the celebrated Quintet of the HotClub of France some five decades ago,French violinist Stephane Grappelliproved his ability to generate jazz heatas well as play pretty in a less rousingway. That he can still do both is welldemonstrated on this GRP release de-voted to Jerome Kern. The album com-bines Grappelli's own group, which issimilar in make-up to the old Hot Clubquintet, with an English string orchestraconducted by Ettore Stratta. The musiccan get a bit Muzaky at times, for it isclearly a throwback to the jazz -plus -sweeping -strings sessions of the Fifties,but the sound is glorious, and MartinFossett brings a contemporary feel tothe proceedings with his subtle blend ofguitar and voice.

Grappelli also plays piano, ever sobriefly, on one track, Long Ago and FarAway, and he sounds fine, but it is hisviolin work that shines-as brightly asever. The dyed-in-the-wool jazz fanmay find most of this set too commer-cial, but there is swing and wonderfulinvention in them thar strings. C.A.

ROB MCCONNELL: Boss Brass &Woods. Rob McConnell and the BossBrass (instrumentals); Phil Woods (altosaxophone). Out of Nowhere; Green-house; Stereo Blue; Jive at Five; andfour others. IMPULSE/MCA 0 MCA -5982, © MCAC-5982, MCAD-5982(56 min).

Performance: Hot and polishedRecording: Excellent

You may remember trombonist RobMcConnell's Boss Brass from the won-derful Concord Jazz album they re-corded with Mel Torme last year. Nowthe Canadian big band can give youmore tingles in a somewhat earlier setrecorded with alto -saxophone playerPhil Woods as the guest artist. A twen-ty -four -track digital recording, whichsounds great even on vinyl, "Boss Brass& Woods" is a brilliant showcase for theleader -arranger, who wrote all but oneof the charts. It is not innovative big -band music but more like a delectableserving of steak and potatoes-hot andtasty. Among my favorite tracks are aslow, pretty number called Stereo Blueand Quincy Jones's Quintessence, inwhich Woods surpasses his own 1961performance of that number with theJones band, but the entire album is verysatisfying. C.A.

HILTON RUIZ: Something Grand.Hilton Ruiz (piano); Lew Soloff (tnim-


r

pet); Steve Turre (trombone, seashells);Sam Rivers (soprano and tenor saxo-phones, flute); other musicians. PuertoRican Children; Four West; SunriseOver Madarao; Infinity; and three oth-ers. Novus/RCA 0 3011-1, C) 3011-4,

3011-2 (59 min).

Performance: Barrio bounceRecording: Excellent

Several decades ago, when bebop wasstill wet behind the ears, the fusion ofjazz and south -of -the -border music thatJelly Roll Morton hinted at in theTwenties came into full bloom. Mortondescribed the combination as jazz witha Spanish tinge, but to the post-warlabelers it was Afro-Cuban music. Callit what you will, the blend can be excit-ing, and it is just that in the hands ofpianist/composer Hilton Ruiz, whoseNovus album "Something Grand" au-gurs well for RCA's return to jazz.

With an excellent, highly Latin -fla-vored rhythm section, and three out-standing players from the jazz side ofthe fence-Lew Sotoff, Steve Turre, andSam Rivers-Ruiz presents an eventfulfifty-eight and a half minutes of his owncompositions and maintains a rare de-gree of excitement throughout. A pupilof Harold Mabern, Cedar Walton, andthe late Mary Lou Williams, Ruizalready has an impressive track recordon the jazz scene, having worked for anumber of its top leaders, but he clearlybelongs up front, and this album shoulddo much to earn his place there. C.A.

MAL WALDRON AND STEVELACY: Sempre amore. Steve Lacy (so-prano saxophone); Mal Waldron(piano). Smada; To the Bitter; JohnnyCome Lately; Azure; and four others.SOUL NOTE/POLYGRAM SPECIAL IM-PORTS SN 1170, C) SN 1170C, SN1170CD (43 min).

Performance: Close encountersRecording: Very good

Pianist Mal Waldron and saxophonistSteve Lacy first recorded together thirtyyears ago, in Lacy's tribute to Thelon-ious Monk on Prestige/New Jazz. In"Sempre amore" they set their sights onDuke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn.Waldron and Lacy have often appearedtogether, sometimes to perform unac-companied duets, but they have rarelyexhibited the degree of warmth and rev-erence that permeates this album. Thatthey have always been true, uncom-promising originals is brilliantly re-flected in these eight introspective per-formances of material that, in the wronghands, might easily have become yetanother serving of mock-Ellingtonia.Moreover, they have not attempted tocash in on the Ellington name, which isburied away in the composer credits onthe back. Most of the tunes are littleknown, and only one, Prelude to a Kiss,is widely popular, but the artistry Wal-dron and Lacy bring to all of themdeserves a wide audience. C.A.

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BOSTON CAMERATA: A Renais-sance Christmas. Dufay: Kyrie eleison.Praetorius: Wie schtrn leuchtet der Mor-genstern; Es ist ein Ros' entsprungen.Martin: Nouvelles, nouvelles. Victoria:0 magnum mysterium. And fifteen oth-ers. Boston Camerata, Joel Cohen cond.NONESUCH 0 79134-1, © 79134-4, 0))79134-2.

THE CHRISTMAS ALBUM. AndyWilliams: It's the Most Wonderful Timeof the Year. Doris Day: Let It Snow! LetIt Snow! Let It Snow! Ray Coniff Sing-ers: Greensleeves. Tony Bennett: TheChristmas Song. Johnny Cash: The Lit-tle Drummer Boy. And fourteen others.COLUMBIA CK 30763.

A CHRISTMAS TRADITION. RandyTravis: White Christmas Makes MeBlue. The Forester Sisters: A Carpenter,a Mother, and a King. The Nitty GrittyDirt Band: Colorado Christmas. CrystalGayle: Have Yourself a Merry LittleChristmas. And six others. WARNERBROS. 25630-1, 25630-4.

CHRISTMAS AT ST. LUKE'S. Bach:In dulci jubilo. Billings: A Virgin Un-spotted. Faure: A Virgin and Child. Pa-chelbel: Von Himmel Koch, da komm'ich her. Mozart: Laudate Dominum.And ten others. William Entriken (or-gan); Choirs of the Church of St. Lukein the Fields, New York City, WilliamEntriken cond. CLASSIC MASTERS CMS -1006.

PERCY FAITH: Musk of Christmas.Percy Faith and His Orchestra. Joy tothe World; Silent Night; Deck the Hallswith Boughs of Holly; It Came Upon aMidnight Clear; Good King Wenceslas;and seven others. COLUMBIA 0 CK38302 (mid -price).

ART GARFUNKEL AND AMYGRANT: The Animals' Christmas byJimmy Webb. Art Garfunkel, AmyGrant (vocals); Jimmy Webb (piano);other musicians. King's College SchoolChoir; London Symphony Orchestra,Carl Davis cond. The Annunciation;Just a Simple Little Tune; The Song ofthe Camels; Carol of the Birds;and eightOthers. COLUMBIA FC 40212.

HONEGGER: Une Cantate de Noel.POULENC: Stabat Mater. GabrielaBefigkova-tapova (soprano); VaclavZitek (baritone); Kiihn Children's Cho-rus; Czech Philharmonic Chorus andOrchestra, Libor Peek cond. SUPRA-PHON/DENON 33C0-1090.

MAHALIA JACKSON: Silent Night.Mahalia Jackson (vocals); chorus andorchestra, Johnny Williams cond. SweetLittle Jesus Boy; A Star Stood Still;Hark! The Herald Angels Sing; Christ-mas Comes to Us All Once a Year; Joyto the World; and five others. COLUM-BIA © CK 38304 (mid -price).

THE JETS: Christmas with the Jets.The Jets (vocals and instrumentals).

MusicFOR CHRISTMAS

AmiflORTY-FIVE years ago Bing Cros-

by recorded Irving Berlin'sWhite Christmas and added anew dimension to our holiday

festivities. Christmas records becameas much a part of the season as Christ.mas trees, cards, and turkeys. WhiteChristmas went immediately to the topof what was then called the Hit Paradeand did so again and again for yearsafterwards until a certain red -nosedreindeer got in the way. Two years agothe No. 1 best seller was Band Aid'sDo They Know It's Christmas?, whichraised money for the starving in Africa.

This year A&M has released a char-ity album called "A Very SpecialChristmas" containing seasonal songsperformed by a bunch of Top 10 super-stars; proceeds go to the Special Olym-pics, an organization serving handi-capped children.

The yuletide releases we've receivedsince last year's roundup cater to justabout every taste, and the rapidlygrowing appetite for compact discs isreflected in the number of Christmastitles now available in the new format,up from a mere trickle two years ago.Also included here are a few video ti-tles to add a seasonal glow to yourhome viewing. Christie Barter

This Christmas; Christmas in MyHeart; All Alone on Christmas Eve; OnChristmas Night; Home for Christmas;and five others. MCA MCA -5856.

REBA MCENTIRE: Merry Christmasto You! Reba McEntire (vocals); vocaland instrumental accompaniment.Away in a Manger; On This Day; 0Holy Night; The Christmas Guest; Si-lent Night; and five others. MCA 0MCA -42031, © MCAC-42031, 0MCAD-42031.

MENOTTI: Amahl and the Night Visi-tors. Original NBC Television cast re-cording. Chet Allen (boy soprano),Amahl; Rosemary Kuhlmann (so-prano), His Mother; others. Orchestraand chorus, Thomas Schippers cond.RCA © 6485-2-RG.

JESSYE NORMAN: Christmastide.Jessye Norman (soprano); AmericanBoychoir; New York Choral Society;Empire Chamber Ensemble, RobertDeCormier cond. This Christmastide;0 Holy Night; Hark! The Herald AngelsSing; Joy to the World; Silent Night; andeleven others. PHILIPS 0 420 180-1, ©420 180-4, © 420 180-2.

SEASON'S GREETINGS. Dolly Par-ton: Hard Candy Christmas. Alabama:Santa Claus (I Still Believe in You). TheJudds: Light of the Stable. Waylon Jen-nings: Silent Night. Deborah Allen:

Rockin' Little Christmas. And five oth-ers. RCA 0 5710-2-R.

SILENTLY THE SNOW FALLS.Steve Tilston (guitars, mandolin); TonyHinnigan (cello); Maggie Boyle (flute);Roland Schmitt (saxophone, flute);Tommy Keane (Uilleann pipes). Christ-mas Eve; Angels on High; Silent Night;Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming; andseven others. SHANACHIE 95007.

GEORGE STRAIT: Merry ChristmasStrait to You. George Strait (vocals);vocal and instrumental accompani-ment. White Christmas; There's a NewKid in Town; Winter Wonderland;Away in a Manger; Santa Claus Is Com-ing to Town; and five others. MCA CDMCA -5800, C:) MCAC-5800, 0 MCAD-5800.

ROGER WAGNER CHORALE: ToCatch a Christmas Star. Roger WagnerChorale, Roger Wagner cond. Carol ofthe Bells; Sweet Little Jesus Boy; A Mer-ry Christmas Song; Tomorrow Shall BeMy Dancing Day; The First Noel; andseventeen others. DELOS © D/CD-3072.

WAVERLY CONSORT: A RenaissanceChristmas. Praetorius: In dulci jubilo;Courante. Gabrieli: 0 magnum myster-ium. Josquin des Prez: Ave Maria. Andnine others. Waverly Consort, MichaelJaffee cond. CBS © MK 34554.

VIDEOSCAROLS FOR CHRISTMAS. AledJones (boy soprano); Farnaby Brass En-semble; Royal College of Music Cham-ber Choir, David Willcocks cond. Hark!The Herald Angels Sing; 0 Little Townof Bethlehem; I Saw Three Ships; TheCoventry Carol; Good Christian Men,Rejoice; Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming;Silent Night; and twelve others. HBO/CANNON PTVE3385 VHS Hi-Fi,PTXE3385 Beta Hi-Fi; PIONEER ART-ISTS PA -86-178 LaserDisc.

HANDEL: Messiah. Judith Nelson,Emma Kirkby (soprano); Carolyn Wat-kinson (contralto); Paul Elliott (tenor);David Thomas (bass); Choir of West-minster Abbey; Academy of AncientMusic, Christopher Hogwood cond. PI-ONEER ARTISTS PA -86-174 two Laser -Discs.

MENOTTI: Amahl and the Night Visi-tors. Robert Sapolsky (boy soprano),Amahl; Teresa Stratas (soprano), hismother; others. Ambrosian Opera Cho-rus; Philharmonia Orchestra, JesusLopez-Cobos cond. VAI 69032 VHSHi-Fi, 29032 Beta Hi-Fi.LEONTYNE PRICE: Sings Noel.Leontyne Price (soprano); MontrealSymphony Orchestra, Charles Dutoitcond. What Child Is This; Silent Night;Away in a Manger; Un Flambeau; HeShall Feed His Flock; and others. HOMEVISION LEO -01 VHS Hi-Fi and BetaHi-Fi.


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EDITORIAL INDEX 1987

Prepared by David Stein

EQUIPMENT TEST REPORTS(Hirsch -Houck Laboratories)

Amplifiers and PreamplifiersHarman Kardon Citation Twenty -Two

(power), Jul. 37Kenwood KA-3300D (integrated), Sep. 41Perreaux SM 3 (preamplifier), Nov. 75Pioneer C-90 (preamplifier), Apr. 35PS Audio 4.5 (preamplifier). Jun. 47SAE P102 (preamplifier), Feb. 46Shure AVC 20 Power Station (integrated),

May 33Yamaha AVC-50 (integrated), Jan. 43Audio/Video EquipmentAkai VS -565U VHS Hi-Fi VCR, Apr. 27Shure AVC 20 Power Station, May 33Sound Concepts SSD550 time -delay system,

Oct. 39

Car StereoBlaupunkt Berlin TQR07 cassette tuner

(Hirsch and Smolen), Aug. 20EPI LSR-42 cassette receiver (Hirsch and

Greenleaf), Jan. 24Pioneer DEX-77 tuner/CD player (Hirsch

and Greenleaf), Mar. 26Cassette DecksKyocera D-811, Mar. 33NAD Model 6300, Jun. 37Technics RS -B905, Dec. 45

Compact Disc PlayersADC Model I6/2R, Nov. 71dbx DX5, Sep. 49Denon DCD-3300, May 25JVC XL -M700 (changer), Feb. 27Marantz CD50, Apr. 47Nakamichi OMS-2A, Aug. 41NEC CD -500E, Jan. 38Onkyo DX -530, Sep. 31Pioneer PD-M9OX (changer), Nov. 35Sharp DX -620, Jan. 59Sony CDP-605ESD, Oct. 26Vector Research VCD-770, Mar. 40Yamaha CDX-1100, Jul. 25

Digital Audio Tape DecksOnkyo DT -200I, Oct. 66Sony DTC-1000ES, Jul. 60Victor XD-ZI100, Jul. 60Receiversa/d/s/ R4, Dec. 84Denon DRA-75VR, Oct. 49NAD Model 7600. Nov. 51NEC AVR-1000. Jun. 59Sherwood S-2770RCP, Aug. 46Technics SA -590, Feb. 37

Speaker SystemsAcoustic Research TSW9I0, Jun. 31Altec Lansing Model 401, Feb. 53

Bose AM -5, Apr. 62Boston Acoustics T830, Sep. 35Celestion SL700, Sep. 51Dahlquist M-905, Oct. 42dbx Soundfield 100, Jan. 62DCM Time Frame TF-I000, Dec. 67Design Acoustics PS -I03, Dec. 41EPI T/E 320 Series II, Jul. 31Focus .7 High Definition Monitor, Aug. 49Infinity Reference Standard 8 Kappa.

Oct. 33Jamo Compact 120, Nov. 81JSE Infinite Slope Model I, Mar. 35KEF Model 102, May 39Magnat MSP 300, Aug. 36Mission 780 Argonaut, Feb. 30Phase Tech PC 800H0, Jun. 53Polk Audio SDA-I c, Nov. 41Signet SL -I00, Jul. 45Snell Type C/i, Apr. 41Speakerlab DAS 2, Mar. 44TunersHarman Kardon Citation Twenty -Three,

Nov. 25Magnum Dynalab FT 101, May 44NEC T-710, Dec. 53Perreaux TU-3, Jan. 53TurntablesLinn Axis, Jan. 35Thorens TD 520, Aug. 31Other EquipmentBeyer DT 990 headphones, May 48Hitachi MXW-50 Slimline system, Dec. 31Ortofon X3 -MC phono cartridge, Mar. 45Sound Concepts SSD550 time -delay system,

Oct. 39

USER'S EVALUATIONSB&W MASS car speakers (Greenleaf).

Jan. 162Sony Discman D -I0 (Smolen), Feb. 212

THE HIGH END (Hodges)Dolby, Jan. 168Stereo Imaging, Feb. 216Why Test?, Mar. 124Sleuthing Sonic Differences, Apr. 124Crank 'Em Ups, May 132Who Tests?, Jun. 136Sound Isolation, Jul. 116EQ'ing, Aug. 104The Well -Tempered Ear, Sep. 128Crossovers Abounding, Oct. 160The Mighty Klipschorn, Nov. 216Live vs. Recorded, Dec. 200

TECHNICAL TALK (Hirsch)Moving -Magnet vs. Moving -Coil Cartridges,

Jan. 30System Compatability, Feb. 22Testing Car Stereo, Mar. 30Audio/Video Synergy. Apr. 23Answering the Mail, May 19Is American Audio Technology Dead?,

Jun. 24Detecting Distortion, Jul. 18Testing CD Players, Aug. 25Clearing the Cobwebs, Sep. 24Digital Audio Tape, Oct. 24Can a Receiver Equal Separate

Components?, Nov. 21What Specs Won't Tell You, Dec. 27

TECHNICAL FEATURESAmerican Audio (Birchall), Jun. 66;

American Audio Companies (Burton),Jun. 76

Amplifiers, Do They All Sound the Same?(Masters), Jan. 78

Berlin Audio Fair (Smolen), Dec. 99Car CD Players: The Best Sound on Wheels

(Eisenberg), May 59Car Stereo, Gearing Up for (Masters), May

52; Car Stereo Manufacturers, May 65Cassette Decks: Choosing a Tape Deck

(Burton), Mar. 48; Tape Deck BuyingGuide (Burton and staff), Jul. 69; Gettingthe Most from Your Cassette Deck(Masters), Oct. 81

CD Boom! (Greenleaf), Jun. 89CD Changers: Don't Stop the Music!

(Burton), Oct. 63CD Video Arrives (Smolen), May 51CES Show Stoppers: Winter (Burton), Apr.

66; Summer (Burton), Sep. 12Digital Audio Tape: Issues and Answers

(Birchall), Mar. 56; News Flash (Harrell),Apr. 18; Two DAT Decks (Hirsch), Jul.60; Another Look at DAT (Stark), Oct. 66

Digital Revolution (Masters), Oct. 58Equipment Buying Guide (Burton and staff),

Feb. 71European Audio (Masters), Aug. 56Headphones (Hodges), Dec. 74Hi-Fi Holiday Gifts (staff), Dec. 79Hi-Fi VCR's: Buying Guide (Wolfe and

staff), Apr. 73Japan Audio Fair (Harrell). Jan. 96,

Dec. 89Japanese Audio (Harrell), Jul. 48Ludwig, Bob: Interview (Dery), Nov. 113Open -Reel Recording (Stark). Nov. 122Rodrigues Contest, Jan. 21, Jul. 14

Nov. 86Speaker Imaging (Moran), Jun. 96Speakers: The State of the Art (Hirsch), Sep.

58; The Right Speakers (Masters), Sep. 64:Powered Speakers (Wolfe), Sep. 69

Strategies for Equipment Shopping (Curtis),May 68

Surround Sound (Gillett), Apr. 54Systems: Music in Malibu (Burton),

Nov. 118Tape Buying Guide (Burton and staff),

Mar. 65Tuner, How to Buy a (Mitchell), Nov. 93Turntables: Choosing a (Smolen), Jan. 88;

Turntable Rx (Hodges), Aug. 67Video Basics (Wolfe), Jan. 22, Mar. 22,

May 16Video's New Image (Jaccoma), Oct. 70Videotaping (Wolfe), Apr. 50

Wired: Multi -Room Systems (Masters),Nov. 100

BEST RECORDINGS OF THE MONTHClassicalBach: St. John Passion, Jul. 81


EDITORIAL INDEX 1987

Beethoven: Piano Concerto No. 4,Variations in C Minor, Dec. 136

Brahms: Piano Concerto No. I, Jun. 104;Piano Pieces and Fantasies, Nov. 152;String Quartets Nos. I and 3, May 80

Bruckner. Symphony No. 7, Nov. 150Chopin: Piano Sonata No. 3, Three

Mazurkas, Other Piano Pieces, Aug. 76Dohnfinyi: Variations on a Nursery

Song-see TchaikovskyJanatek: Glagolitic Mass, Apr. 85Liszt: Piano Music, Jan. 105; Songs, Jul. 82Mahler. Symphony No. 8, Oct. 89Mozart: Cosi fan tutte, Oct. 92; Le nozze di

Figaro, Jan. 106; Violin Concertos Nos. 3and 5, Dec. 135

Prokofiev: Romeo and Juliet Suites Nos. Iand 2, Pushkin Waltz No. 2, Aug. 74

Ravel: Bolero, Rapsodie espagnole, Ma Mere!'Oye, Pavane, Feb. 172

Satie: Piano Music, Jun. 101Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, Sep. 87Stravinsky: The Firebird, Scherzo

fantastique, Fireworks, Mar. 72Tchaikovsky: Piano Concerto No. I,

Mar. 71Verdi: La forza del destino, May 77Battle, Kathleen: Salzburg Recital, Apr. 88Edelmann, Sergei-see ChopinHorszowski, Mieczyslaw: Piano Recital,

Sep. 88Serkin, Peter: Piano Music by Stravinsky,

Wolpe, and Lieberson, Feb. 170PopularCash, Rosanne: King's Record Shop, Nov.

147Crowded House, Jul. 81Cruzados: After Dark, Nov. 152The dB's: The Sound of Music, Oct. 89The Dukes of Stratosphear. Psonic Psunspot,

Dec. 138Fire Town: In the Heart of the Heart

Country, Mar. 74Fleetwood Mac: Tango in the Night, Jul. 84Jackson, Michael: Bad, Dec. 135Jarreau, Al: L Is for Lover, Feb. 170Los Lobos: By the Light of the Moon,

Apr. 86

Ronstadt, Linda: For Sentimental Reasons,Apr. 85

Springsteen, Bruce, & the E Street Band:Live/1975-85, Feb. 169

Taj Mahal: Taj, Mar. 71Talking Heads: True Stories, Jan. 108Timbuk 3: Greetings from Timbuk 3,

Jan. 106U2: The Joshua Tree, Jun. 102Vega, Suzanne: Solitude Standing, Aug. 73Waits, Tom: Franks Wild Years, Sep. 88Warnes, Jennifer. Famous Blue Raincoat,

May 78Weiss, Michael: Presenting Michael Weiss,

Oct. 90White Animals: In the Last Days, Sep. 87Wolf, Peter. Come As You Are, Jun. 101XTC: Skylarking, May 77

Zevon, Warren: Sentimental Hygiene,Aug. 74

SPEAKING MY PIECEThe Truth May Make You Mad

(Livingstone), Jan. 8Conning Kids (Livingstone), Feb. 8Michael Smolen, Senior Editor

(Livingstone), Mar. 8My Ambition (Livingstone), Apr. 6Special Interests (Boundas), May 4The Spoilers (Boundas), Jun. 6Summer Reading (Boundas), Jul. 4The DAT Debate (Boundas), Aug. 8Luxuries and Bargains (Boundas), Sep. 8Sanctions (Boundas), Nov. 8Joyful Noise (Boundas), Dec. 8

MUSICAL FEATURESAdams: The Chairman Dances and Other

Pieces (Freed), Nov. 190Alexander, Roberta (Freeman), May 113Archer, Robyn: Sings Brecht (Salzman),

May 116Balada: Steel Symphony-see SchumanThe Bangles (Ferrar), Jan. 85Basie, Count: Yessir, That's My Baby (with

Oscar Peterson), Get Together, FancyPants (Albertson), Nov. 180

The Beatles: Early Albums on CD (Simels),Jun. 122; Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts ClubBand (Simels), Aug. 81; Help! (Meredith),Nov. 205

Beat Rodeo: Home in the Heart of the Beat(Peel), Jan. 125

Boyd, Liona: Persona (Nash), Mar. 82The Breakfast Club (Peel), Jul. 90Britten-see EnglishCalendar of Classical Composers

(Livingstone), Nov. 105Center Stage-see Torme and AlexanderChristmas, Music for (Barter), Dec. 182Clapton, Eric: August (Peel), Mar. 77CTI/Kudu Jazz Reissues (Albertson),

Aug. 82The Cure: Kiss Me. Kiss Me. Kiss Me (Peel),

Oct. 97Davies, Ray: Return to Waterloo (Meredith),

Aug. 94Douglas, Barry: Mussorgsky/Ravel Pictures

at an Exhibition and Liszt Dante Sonata(Freed), Oct. 132

Dvoilk: Cello Concerto (Hall), Nov. 183The Dave Edmunds Band: I Hear You

Rockin' (Simels), Apr. 101English String Orchestra: Vaughan Williams

and Britten (Hall), Feb. 180Easy Listening on Compact Disc

(Livingstone), May 72Falla: El amor brujo (Livingstone), May

105; The Three -Cornered Hat (Freed),Nov. 194

Frankie Goes to Hollywood: Liverpool(Peel), May 85

General Public: Hand to Mouth (Peel),Feb. 187

Gershwin, George (Livingstone), Aug. 63Hi-Fi Holiday Gifts (staff), Dec. 79Hogwood, Christopher (Livingstone),

Mar. 53Jackson, Joe: Will Power (Peel), Oct. 106Keynote Jazz, The Complete Collection

(Albertson), Jun. 126La Bamba (Simels), Nov. 172Liszt: Lisztronique, Mar. 60; Piano Concerto

No. 2-see Vakarelis; Dante Sonata-seeDouglas

Lovett, Lyle (Nash), Jan. 128Lully: Atys (Barter), Aug. 85May, Angelica-see DvoffikMasekela, Hugh: Tomorrow (Garland),

Oct. 116McCorkle, Susannah: Dream (Albertson,

Dec. 180Movie Music on Compact Disc (Simels),

Apr. 59Mozart: Basic Orchestral Works on CD

(Freed), Jul. 78; Piano Sonatas Nos. 13and 14. Duport Variations, Adagio in BMinor (Freed), Oct. 132

Mussorgsky/Ravel: Pictures at anExhibition-see Douglas

Napoleon soundtrack (Simels), Mar. I 1 1

The O'Kanes (Nash), Feb. 194Olney, David: Eye of the Storm (Nash),

Apr. 106Opera on CD (Ackart), Sep. 72, Dec. 106Paine: Works for Violin, Cello, and Piano

(Freed), Jun. 109Petty, Tom, and the Heartbreakers: Let Me

Up (I've Had Enough) (Simels), Aug. 79Pine, Courtney: Journey to the Urge Within

(Albertson), Jul. 94Pink Floyd: A Momentary Lapse of Reason

(Peel), Dec. 159Poulenc: Piano Music (Freed), Dec. 141Previn, Andre (Kupferberg), Feb. 63Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 3-see

Vakarelis; Piano Sonata No. 7-seeToradze

Ravel: Miroirs-see ToradzeRecord of the Year Awards for 1986,

Feb. 59Rhapsody in Blue, The Birth of (Salzman),

Apr. 110

The Rolling Stones on Compact Disc(Simels), Mar. 88

Rock Music on Compact Disc (Simels),Jan. 134

Rozhdestvensky, Gennadi-see StravinskySchuman: Symphony No. 7 (Salzman),

Sep. 118Shirk, Richard-see Mozart Piano SonatasShostakovich: Piano Quintet, String

Quartets Nos. 7 and 8 (Freed), Apr. 93The Silencers: A Letter from St. Paul (Peel),

Nov. 157Simply Red: Men and Women (Peel),

Jun. 117Smetana: The Bartered Bride (Ackart),

Feb. 175Solfi, Georg (Livingstone), Oct. 76Stravinsky: Early Ballets, Symphony in

Three Movements (Freed), Dec. 150; alsosee Toradze

Streisand, Barbra: Video Specials(Albertson), May 121; One Voice(Hemming), Sep. 98

Tippett: A Child of Our Time (Freed),Jul. 97

Toradze, Alexander Piano Recital (Freed),Oct. 132

Torme, Mel (Albertson), Mar. 96Travis, Randy: Always (I Forever (Nash),

Sep. 95The Untouchables (Simels), Sep. 106Vakarelis, Jan: Liszt's Piano Concerto No. 2

and Prokofiev's Piano Concerto No. 3(Freed), Oct. 127

Vaughan Williams-see EnglishVega, Suzanne (Costello), Nov. 127Verdi: La forza del destino (Ackart),

Sep. 1 1 1Wagner's Ring on CD (Livingstone),

Dec. 156Yoakam, Dwight: Hillbilly Deluxe (Nash),

Jul. 87Zappa, Frank (Smolen), Jun. 93


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STEREO REVIEW

RETAIL MART

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ATTENTION KEF CUSTOMERS, KEF's Five Year Warranty.applies to the original purchaser only. Speakers imported bynon -authorized dealers and resold are not covered under thisor any other warranty. Technically, such equipment is secound-hand, which both voids the warranty and reduces its value. Foryournearest authorized KEF dealer call 1-800-533-0035.

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FROM EDISON TO ELVIS (AND BEYOND) LP's 78's,45's etc. Visit or mail -in wants. The Olde Tyme MusicScene, 915 Main Street, Boonton. NJ 07005. (201) 335-5040. Tuesday -Sunday.

NAKAMICHI:BX300 $649, RX202 $559, RX505 $1039.CR5A$819 CR7A $1199, DRAGON $1599, OMS2A $429, OMS3A$689, OMS4A $799, OMS5A $1199, OMS7A $1499, SR2A$359. SR3A $529, SR4A $719, CA7A $1949, PA7 $1499, PA5$899. ST7 $579.TD300 $329, TD400 $399, TD500 $609,TD120011$1199. TD700 $769, PA350 $349, PA30011 $309,SP300 $299. SP40 $99. SP80 $199. YAMAHA: RX1100U$749. RX900 $579, RX700 $449, RX500 $319, RX300 $219.E011000 $469, E0500 $289, KX12000 $559. K640 $349.K540 $279, KX500U $319, CDX1100U $889, CDX900U $559.CDX700U $389, CDX500U $259, CDX400U $239,AX900U$549, AX700U $459, AX500U $309. AX400U $209. T85 $379.TX900U $299. TX500 $229. TX400 $179, C85 $599, C45$299, DSP1 $739, AVC50 $419, TT500U$189, PF800 $469.DENON: DCD800 $299, DCD900 $389, DCD150011$539 DCD1700 $709, DCD3300 $1399, DRM14HX $319, DRM3OHX$399, DRM44HX $499, DRA95VR $509, DRA75VR $389.KYOCERA: R861 $879, R661 $699, R461 $499, DA7IOCX$639. DA610CX $399, DA510CX $499, DA41OCX $379,DA31OCX $289, D611 $429, 0811 $569, A910 $1149, T910 459,DA910 $1249, C910 $899. B910 $1599, PL910 $1599. CAR-VER: TX2 $349, C2 $349, DTL50 $419, M1.5T $719, M200T$349, M500T $499. RECEIVER 150 $649. DTL200 $549.NAD: 6300 $689, 3300 $469, 4300 $429, 7175 $619. 7250$469. Manufacturers USA warranty. Factory fresh. Most equip-ment shipped within 24 hours, ORDER 1-800-622-HIFI VISA.MC. DISCOVER. AMEX, DINERS. COD. More infor. pleasecall 1 (206) 747-9999. TASKAMICHI AUDIO, P.O. BOX 25583.Seattle, WA 98125. Prices subject to change.

RECORDS

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NATIONWIDE DIRECTORY OF SPECIALTY RECORD OUT-LETS! New Wave, Jazz. Classical, Reggae, Oldies, R&B, etc.mget in touch with the specialists! $6.50 to Ludwig Enterprises,Box 400759, Brooklyn, NY 11240-0759. NYS residents addsales tax.

RESTORATION ELECTRONICS: Noise filters, scratch elim-inators. only $80-190. SSS, 856S Lynnrose. Santarosa, CA95404.

S8,98.1ist LPS/TAPES $5.62. Compact Dics $12.59. Catalogs$1.00 NULITE. 4001 Lakemont Dr.. 13K College Park. GA30337.

CASH FOR ALL TYPES of used Stereo equipment. We buy byphone. THE STEREO TRADING OUTLET, 320 Old York Rd.,Jenkintown, PA 19046. (215) 886-1650.

INSTRUCTION

FREE CATALOG. Institute of Audio/VideoEngineering. 1831 Hyperion (SR), Hol-lywood. CA 90027. RECORDING SCHOOL.(800) 551-8877, (213) 666-2380. Approvedfor International Students.COMPACT DISCS

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STARTING DISCS AT $12.99Quantity Discount Pncing.$2.50 Cont. U.S. Shipping

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OVER 1000 USED CDs $9.49 EACH. NEW CDs $9.99 0$13.99. WE BUY USED/NEW! Specialize in purchasingcomplete collections. Audio House CD Club, 4304 Brayan,Drive, Swartz Creek, Michigan 48473. (313) 655- 8639.

Low COMPACT DISC prices-Schwann CD and COLOR CAT-ALOGS $5.00 -Mini -Catalogs $1.00-DUWARS. P.O. BOX6662-D, GREENVILLE, SC 29606.

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USED CD'S! Buy, Sell, Trade. FREE Catalog. MEDIA EX-CHANGE, 1-(312) 477-7337. P.O. Box 14778. Chicago. IL60614-0778.

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COMPACT DISCS at low mail order prices. Send $2 (REFUN-DABLE) for large catalog of domestic and import labels.Quality, Service, Savings, THE COMPACT DISC SHOPPE,P.O. Box 921, San Marcos, CA 92069- 0320.

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TRY ULTRAPHON FOR THE BEST SERVICE AND THERIGHT PRICES.. DOMESTIC. POP & ROCK -$13.00. JAZZ &CLASSICAL -$13.50. IMPORTS AVAILABLE. THOUSANDSOF CD'S AVAILABLE! VISA/MC/CHECK:MONEY ORDER.ULTRAPHON COMPACT DISC, 10956 NORTH 56TH -SUITE206, TAMPA, FL 33617.

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COMPACT DISCS & ACCESSORIES. Call TOLLFREE 1 (800) ALL -DISC to be placed on mail-ing list. ALL -DISC MUSIC, INC. 41 MonroeTurnpike, Trumbull, CT 06611. 1 (203)452-0203. RETAILER PRICES AVAILABLE.CD'S COST TOO MUCH! But we at COMPACT DISC-OUNToffer over 9,000 titles at lowest possible prices. For completecatalog send $2.00 to: 9895 Brunswick Way. San Ramon, CA94583.

TAPES

MOOD MUSIC. Now, create the mood that's right for anyoccasion. Jazz, Pop, Easy Listening. All your favorites.MONEY BACK GUARANTEE! If you like music, you'll loveMOOD MUSIC. Specify Jazz 1. Pop 1 or Easy- Listens.Cassette only. Send $6.95p1$2.00 p/h. NRI, POB 06028,DEPT -SR, CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60606- 0028.

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FREE CASSETTE CATALOG! 7000 titles. Cheapest pricesanywhere! Music by Mail, Box 090066, Dept. St, Ft. WamiltonStation, Brooklyn. NY 11209-0002.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

YOUR OWN RADIO STATION! AM, FM, cable, licensed/unlicensed. transmitters! Broadcasting: Box 130-R6, Para-dise, CA 95969.

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CLASSICAL MUSIC LOVERS EXCHANGE. Nationwide Linkbetween unattached music lovers. Write: CMLE. Box 31sr,Pelham, NY 10803.

FOR INVENTORS

INVENTORS! Can you patent and profit from your idea? CallAMERICAN INVENTORS CORPORATION for free informa-tion. Over a decade of service. 1(800) 338-5656. In Mas-sachusetts or Canada call (413) 568- 3753.

INVENTOR!! Call the INNOVATION CENTER in WashingtonD.C.-For FREE info call: (800) 257-7880. In CANADA: (800)443-2806.

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COMPACT DISCSHELP US HELP YOU! INDEX To ADVERTISERS

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EQUIPMENT

The Components OfHigh Performance.

harman / kardonHigh fidelity audio, video and automotive components.

For literature or the location of your nearestHarman Kardon dealer write 240 CrosswaysPark West, Dept. 9103, Woodbury, NY 11797

or call1-800-525-7000, ext. 103.

JBL

HOME & AUTOMOTIVE LOUDSPEAKERS

PRO SOUNDCOMES HOME.

For literature or the location of yournearest JBL dealer write 240 Crossways

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THESTEREOREVIEWBUYERPOLLStereo Review wants toknow more about our read-ers. How much equipmentyou buy (and how often),how much you spend on it,what sort of product featuresyou like. And we've createdthe Stereo Review BuyerPoll to gather this importantinformation.

We need your help tomake the Buyer Poll work. Ifyou've bought any audio/video equipment within thepast 30 days, we'd like youto participate.

Simply turn to the ReaderService/Buyer Poll card inthis issue. (You can locate itin the Table of Contents.)You'll find full instructions onthe card.

We hope you'll join us thismonth-and every monthin which you buy audio/video equipment. Your an-swers are important to us-and you'll find the resultingbenefits important to you.

Turn to the Buyer Pollnow-and thanks forhelping us out!

Stereo Review

READER PAGESERVICE NO. ADVERTISER NUMBER

Acoustic Research 30, 15860 Adcom 165

Akai 32-3361 Azden 172

51 Beyer Dynamic 2424 Bose Corporation 134, 153

Boston Acoustics 12, 155

33 Canton 2649 Carver Corporation 18-22

CBS CD Club 355 CBS Records 147

Cincinnati Microwave 5541 Clarion 7138 Componentguard 149II Concord Electronics 4768 Coustic 169

Crutchfield Corporation 23

DAK Industries 56-65DAK Industries 114-132

62 dbx Audio Products 2527 Denon America, Inc. 52

Deutsche Grammophon 15471 Discount Music Club 18110 Discwasher 11343 DMP 173

12 Epicure Products 9

Harman Kardon 48-49

Illinois Audio 18317 Infinity 9558 International Hi-Fi 181

39JBL

Music World 175-179JBL 93

6927372

46

22506464

74

64036

313735

1842

48664457

25

14

KEF 29, 171Klipsch & Associates 163Koss 137Kyocera C2-1

M&K Sound 170Marlboro 43McIntosh Laboratory, Inc 140Mission Electronics 166, 167Mitsubishi Electric America 38-39Mitsubishi Electric America 104-105

NAD USA 37Nakamichi 139

Onkyo 15

Panasonic 109Phase Linear 111Philips 143-145Philips Records 148Pioneer Electronics 96-98Polk Audio 6-7Pyle Industries 44

Radio Shack 2, 151RCA Direct Marketing 17R. J. Reynolds -Camel 51R. J. Reynolds -Vantage C3

Sherwood Electronics Labs 40Shure Brothers 157

TDK Electronics 10-11Teac Corp. of America 5Technics C4Technics 160Toshiba America, Inc. 24

U.S. Army 66

We "R" Electronics 181Wisconsin Discount Stereo 184-185Wisconsin Discount Stereo 186-187

Yamaha 72-73

DECEMBER

R E

77

C 0 R D

by Christie Barter& Steve Simels

Biafra: case dismissed

pROPONENTS of free ex-pression will be pleased

to note that the obscenity caseagainst the Dead Kennedys'lead singer, Jelto Biafra, hasbeen dismissed in a Los An-geles court. Biafra was hauledup on a misdemeanor chargelast summer in connectionwith a poster by the surrealistSwiss painter H. R. Giger thatwas included with the 1985Dead Kennedys album" Fran kenchrist."

The vindicated Biafra isnot taking it easy, however.He has a spoken -word albumjust out ("No More Co-coons"), and he's currentlydoing a Lenny Bruce -typeone-man show on the collegelecture circuit. Our spiescaught him at the State Uni-versity of New York-StonyBrook, where he fielded ques-tions from the audience andperformed sketches such asThe Vietnam Never Hap-pened Amusement Park. 0

DEUTSCHEGram mophon's

traditional summer receptionin Salzburg this year broughttogether a mighty triumvi-rate: Claudio Abbado, Leon-ard Bernstein, and James Le-vine. The three conductors,rarely if ever before seen to-gether, were in town for thecelebrated Salzburg Festival.Levine conducted perform-ances of Mozart's The Mar-riage of Figaro and Schoen -berg's Moses and Aaron,Bernstein conducted concertsby the Vienna Philharmonic,and Abbado led the ViennaPhilharmonic and the Cham-ber Orchestra of Europe.

Levine and Bernstein arerepresented by major Deut-sche Grammophon releasesthis fall-Levine with hissplendid new recording ofStrauss's Ariadne auf Naxosand Bernstein with the firstrecording of his opera A QuietPlace, which he conducts.

After finishing up in Salz-burg, Abbado returned toVienna, where he is music di-rector of the Staatsoper, torecord Rossini's L'italiana inAlgeri, also for DG.

WE yield to no one inour admiration for

singer/songwriter John Hiatt,whose "Bring the Family" forA&M has been figuring onBillboard's album chart forsome time now. And as fanswe're obviously not alone.Word has just reached us thatBob Dylan will be crooning aHiatt song on the soundtrackof his forthcoming film,Hearts of Fire.

We heard Hiatt live for the

Abbado, Bern.crein, and Levine in Salzburg

.10.-.

441

16.:0

NI

first time recently atManhattan's Bottom

Line, and, accompanied by asuperb, blues -inflected littleband, he put on one of themost satisfying, funniestshows in memory. 0

T'S been said that you can/ judge people (or musi-cians, not always the samething) by the company theykeep. If so, then MasonRuffner, the highly regardedTexas bluesman whose "Gyp-sy Blood" album has drawncritical comparisons withJimi Hendrix. is clearlysomebody you should keepyour eye on. We caught himin a New York club recently,and who showed up to playbut David Letterman's band-leader, Paul Shaffer, perhapsthe hardest -working key -

K R

Hiatt: Dylan deal

home to your parents. Hisperformances are so confron-tational and physical that, ac -

Ruffner, Shaffer, and Edmunds in New York

board player in rock, andhero guitarist Dave Edmunds,who also happens to beRuffner's producer. Led Zep-pelin's Jimmy Page, an ar-dent Ruffner fan, did not turnup, but he may do a cameo onRuffner's next album. We'llkeep you posted.

REMEMBER the "monstersfrom the id" in the Fif-

ties science -fiction film For-bidden Planet? Well, herecomes the rock-and-rollequivalent: "Hated in the Na-tion" (ROIR), a sort of livecassette from the irrepressibleGG Allin. For those whohaven't heard, Allin is a sing-er (?) who makes the earlyIggy Pop look like the kind ofnice young man you'd bring

cording to the liner notes, hemay not be alive by the timeyou read this.

Featuring several back-upbands whose names we can'tprint in a family magazine,and some songs whose titleswe can't divulge for the samereason, the recording is eitherthe pathetic ranting of some-one in desperate need of pro-fessional help or else the mosthilarious fifty minutes of purerock-and-roll outrageousnessever committed to tape. Ifyou want to make up yourown mind about it, you canorder a copy by mail for $8postpaid (New Yorkersshould add tax) from ReachOut Records International,611 Broadway, Suite 725,New York, NY 10012. 0


0

T twenty-two, sopranoEva Lind appears to be

Philips Records' "newest hotproperty," Richard Freed ob-served last month in review-ing a new recording of Men-delssohn's A MidsummerNight's Dream that featuresLind. Born in Innsbruck,Austria, Lind made her debutas one of the Flower Maidensin a home -town productionof Wagner's Parsifal. But shehas since graduated to suchdemanding major roles as theQueen of the Night in Mo-zart's The Magic Flute, whichshe sang in Vienna at the ageof nineteen-with outstand-ing success.

Lind is now a permanentfixture at the Vienna StateOpera, and she has just burston the international scene asa solo recording artist with analbum of Viennese waltzesnamed after Johann Strauss'spopular Fruhlingsstimmen(Voices of Spring). Next up isa new Philips recording of Of-fenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann, in which she sings therole of Olympia. 0

WHEN they finished theirrecent world tour, Si-

mon LeBon, Nick Rhodes,and John Taylor of DuranDuran did something sociallyuseful for a change-specifi-

R D

cally, they threw abenefit concert forhomeless kids at New York'sBeacon Theater. Nice touchwas convincing Lou Reed tojoin them on stage for stirringrenditions of his Walk on theWild Side and Sweet Jane. 0

Michel Plasson, who re -turned to the San Fran-

cisco Opera last month toconduct new productions ofThe Tales of Hoffmann andGounod's Romeo and Juliet,is certainly no stranger toopera in his native France.Nor is he afraid to make thegrand gesture. He has con-ducted crowd -pleasing per-formances of Puccini's Tu-randot at Bercy, the Parisianequivalent of New York'sMadison Square Garden, andof Parsifal at a converted gra-nary in Toulouse, where he ismusic director of the Or-chestre du Capitole de Tou-louse. And with his recordcompany, Pathe Marconi inParis, he has undertaken averitable crusade on behalf ofthe masterpieces of Frenchopera and French music ingeneral, both the exceedinglywell known and the exceed-ingly obscure.

Plasson's latest recordingfor Pathe, just released on CDin this country, is the virtual -

Lind: from Flower Maiden to Queen of the Night

\1

Duran Duran and Reed: for the children

ly unknown opera Guercoeur,by Alberic Magnard, whichhas been described as a sort ofFrench Parsifal. He has alsojust recorded two similarly"unknown" works by AlbertRoussel-Resurrection andEvocations, both dating fromthe early years of this cen-tury-in honor of the fiftiethanniversary of the compos-er's death. 0

UBLIC television's holi-r- day programming kicksoff over the Thanksgivingweekend with CelebratingGershwin, a two-part series.The Jazz Age, a ninety -min-ute survey of George Gersh-win's early years, airs on Fri-day, November 27; 'S Won-derful follows a week later onDecember 4. Among the art-ists taking part are MichaelTilson Thomas, LeonardBernstein, Julia Migenes,Bobby Short, Mikhail Ba-ryshnikov, Bob Dylan, LizaMinnelli, and members of theLondon Symphony.

On December 18 mezzo-soprano Frederica von Sladehosts Christmas with Flicka,and on Christmas Night Len-ingrad's Kirov Ballet is fea-tured in a performance ofTchaikovsky's Swan Lake. 0

GRACENOTES. We hardlybelieve it ourselves, but

Peter Gabriel is currentlyproducing tracks for a so-called adult -comeback albumby former teen star DonnyOsmond. . . . In what soundslike a rerun of their chart bat-tles back in 1964, the surviv-

ing Beatles are suing DaveClark. At issue: Beatles TVperformances in those ReadySteady Go! home videosClark produced in 1986. . . .

Plasson: crusader

Snazziest soundtrack albumof the year: "I Was a TeenageZombie" (Enigma), featuringtracks by the Smithereensand Los Lobos.... LegendarySixties soul chanteuse DustySpringfield, her career re-vived by the success of hersingle What Have I Done toDeserve This, which she re-corded with the Pet ShopBoys, is said to be recordingher first solo album since1983. . . . John Cougar Mel-lencamp's six -year -old daugh-ter sings in her father's rere-cording of I Saw MommyKissing Santa Claus inA&M's all-star charity album"A Very Special Christ-mas." Other tracks: BruceSpringsteen singing CharlesBrown's Merry Christmas,Christmas (Baby PleaseCome Home) by U2, andSanta Baby by Madonna. 0


THE HIGH END

by Ralph Hodges

Lit,e z w. Recorded

RECENT reader's letter speaks,with passion and compre-hensiveness, about the de-

sirability of testing loud-speakers against live music. Well,don't we wish we could do that allthe time? Indeed, if we were able tosummon up a capable live perform-ance whenever a bit of musicseemed in order, few of us wouldcare much about improving thequality of reproduced music.

But practicality aside, live -vs. -recorded listening tests, despite along history and much evolution,have not proved to be as revelatoryas was hoped.

Some years ago, a restaurant inmy neighborhood engaged a harpistfor evening background entertain-ment. A marvelous idea, wethought, with visions of Cleopatra'sbarge and "Peel me a grape." A ter-rible idea, it turned out; the instru-ment just overwhelmed a diningarea larger than any listening roomI've seen lately. The same happenedwith a string quartet employed by aspeaker maker for a lavish party.The guests couldn't have been moreappreciative, but we couldn't havebeen more deafened, either.

Most live music with enough

range and vigor to be of interest forspeaker testing is loud enough to beuncomfortable in small rooms. Fur-thermore, the sense of scale and per-spective that the recording micro-phones impose on the sound ofloudspeakers seems impossible toignore in a small -room, near -fieldsituation. Most successful live -vs. -recorded experiments have takenplace in auditoriums, and the loud-speakers involved have come offpretty well. Unfortunately, accord-ing to Roy Allison, whose earlierassociation with Acoustic Researchtook him deeply into live -vs. -recorded testing methodology, ahome speaker is properly designedfor the special problems of smallrooms, so its performance in largespaces is beside the point.

But let's take nothing on faith andgo ahead with a live -vs. -recordedtest. The first hurdle is making arecording of the musical ensemblethat the speaker can play in anattempt at imitation. This recordingmust be made anechoically, with nohint of recording -site acoustics. Andyet instruments and singers must"sound like themselves."

Brass and voice are rather direc-tional and can project much of theirenergy effectively toward the micro-phones. The rest of the instrumentsare complexly multidirectional, of-ten throwing lower frequencies oneway and higher frequencies another.Ordinarily, the walls of a studio orconcert stage would gather up thetotal energy from the instrumentsand reflect it back to the mikes. Butin an anechoic environment, noth-ing that isn't aimed directly at themikes ever gets there. As a result,the ensemble is instantly unbal-anced and the test instantly flawed.

About all that can be done at thispoint is to produce your recording,using as many microphones and mi-crophone positions as may be neces-sary, and then try it out in a listen-ing room to learn if it seems tosound like the real thing. And whatdo we listen to it through? Loud-speakers. Forget it.

Now comes the time for somecunning thought. If the directionalcharacteristics of familiar musicalinstruments are a problem, find awide -range source whose direction-ality isn't problematic and record

that. Audio pioneer Edgar Villchuronce used a nickelodeon, but we cando better than that if we wish.

Place a speaker-almost anyspeaker-in the anechoic environ-ment and play a recording-almostany recording-through it, tapingthe result. The speaker, if it's of theusual front -firing sort, can be aimedeffectively at the microphone for allfrequencies. It then becomes, alongwith the recording we made playedthrough it, a more manageable sub-stitute for a live ensemble. Therecording we have made from it iswhat we also play through thespeaker we wish to test. If the speak-er under test is perfect, it should beable to imitate the sound recordedfrom the original speaker perfectly.

This logic, when examined close-ly, is almost irrefutable. What tripsit up is another manifestation ofdirectionality. According to JulianHirsch, this kind of test is reason-ably useful when the speaker beingtested approximates the directivitycharacteristics of the ensemble -sub-stitute speaker. When it does not-and it won't in the cases of dipoleand multidirectional radiators-thesounds from the two sources be-come incomparable in a way thateludes description. There may be nosense of wrongness with the soundfrom the test speaker, but there willbe an irreconcilable sense of differ-ence. If you conclude that this is amajor reason for the inability ofsound reproduction to match soundproduction, I won't disagree.

Fred Catero, principal of the Ca-tero Records label and a recordingengineer of almost unmatched cre-dentials, does live -vs. -recordedcomparisons every day, just by step-ping between his control room andstudio. He has worked in many stu-dios and has not found an instancein which the recorded sound mim-icked the live sound to his stan-dards. He has also worked in manycontrol rooms with identical moni-tor speaker systems and has foundno two that sound alike.

Alas, when Fred Catero talks thisway, he means it. Comparing aloudspeaker's efforts to live soundwould actually be the easy way out,if we could make the test function ina practical way. So far, it seems, wecan't. 0


01.

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9 mg. tar", 117 mg. nicotine ay. per cigarette by FTC method.

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WHAT IT CAN DOSOUNDS LIKE SCIENCE FICTION.

WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKEIS OUT OF THIS WORLD.

Introducing the Technics Car CD Changer. It plays 12 discs.Remembers 55 songs. nnd controls them by wireless remote.

Imagine enjoying cver 9 hours of uninterrupted, flawlessCD sound. Programring up to 55 songs by wireless re-mote-even if you're not in your car. That's not sciencefiction. That's the inc--?dible 12 -disc car CD changer fromTechnics-the CX-DP '0.

The changer -des gned with a special shock -absorbersystem-stores 12 discs and installs in your trunk. Throughthe in -dash control center, the wireless remote operatesjust about every function of the system. You can even bringthe remote into your home and program it to play the se-lections you'll want tc hear the next day in your car.

The CX-DPIO allow; you to add our optional stereo tuner(CR-TU10) and other compatible components. The changercan even be used with host of the car audio systems out onthe road today '

The new CX-DPIO 12 -disc car CD changer. It's not sciencefiction. It's Technics. The science of sound.

TechnicsThe icience of sound

C RCLE NO 4 ON READER SERVICE CARD

* ptional and nr

professional installation may be required

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