July 11, 2000
Subject: Musical Fidelity A3 CR or
VTL TT- 25 Tiny Triode
I'm about to upgrade my amplifier but can't
make decision between the two amps. This will be my last upgrade -- says my wife.
My amp at the time being is a Motif MS100 by
Conrad-Johnson. Do you think I’m moving in the right direction? Your help would be
greatly appreciated.
Joe S. Vang
Dear Joe:
Without knowing a LOT more info, I
wouldn’t begin to know which you’d like better. Obviously, I think highly of
both.
If you have a small room, listen at
reasonable loudness levels, or have speakers that are easy to drive, it’s hard to
resist the TT-25s.
The A3 CR has greater
output and can be used with a wider range of speakers and rooms, but it also lacks a
little of the sparkle the TT-25 can exhibit under the right conditions. And you’ll
never have to worry about replacing tubes, although the VTLs are about as maintenance free
as tubes get.
Hard choice, but look hard at your
speakers and your listening habits and you’ll have a pretty good answer.
ATB...Wes
July 9, 2000
Subject: Surround sound for music
Wes, glad to find you on the Web! I have a
stereo system that consists of Spendor S-100s and a Golden Tube SE-40. I would like to
experiment with surround sound without changing the sound of my main channels. My preamp
is an Audible Illusions L1 with an EAR phono stage feeding it. I listen to vinyl. Any
suggestions?
Thanks,
Tom Martin
Dear Tom:
A lot of two-channel gear now sports a
unity-gain effects loop, which allows you to utilize your two-channel system as part of a
multichannel rig. I know Conrad-Johnson preamps feature this; I just can’t recall if
the L1 does too. If so, just add a processor and the necessary speakers and channels of
amplification, and you’re good to go.
ATB...Wes
July 8, 2000
Subject: Speaker/amp advice
Hi there. Recently my stereo system (the
assembly I had doesn't qualify for anything remotely close to hi-fi status) died, and I
decided that, since I now have the funds for a modest system, I would go about replacing
it. I have visited a number of stores in NY, heard a variety of speaker/amp combos and
wanted to see if you had an opinion of the components I am now considering. Additionally,
any recommendation you can make for cabling (I know next to nothing about it) and
alternate choices would be greatly appreciated.
Right now I am looking at purchasing an Arcam
7R integrated amp and Linn Keilidh speakers (passive). I'm pairing this with an old CD
player for the time being, figuring I can replace it down the road. The speakers I have
listened to are the JMlabs
Tantal line (very muffled and distant), a host
of B&Ws (not a fan of the lower-priced lines at all -- they sound like they are taped
closed), Acoustic Research (quality seems to have dropped in the last ten years) and a
number of others. In amps, I have been considering all solid-state integrateds and have
checked out products from Yamaha, NAD and Rotel in addition to the Arcam products.
Basically, I am fairly happy with my choices, but have heard from a number of people that
I can do better in the same price range and that the components I have selected are
overpriced for what they are, especially the Keilidhs.
Do you know where I should be looking? I am
interested in a setup that has strong highs and mids with an articulate and well-presented
low-end. I mostly listen to jazz, classical, blues, and some funky other stuff that can
sometimes push the boundaries of my system, such as Portishead. The gear should be able to
play rock, pop, etc., but I don't have to blow the walls out of my apartment.
I realize this system is probably a number of
levels below what you are used to considering, but I figure it could prove an interesting
challenge to construct the best amp/speaker combo for $1500 or less. Any help is GREATLY
appreciated.
Thanks,
Rick Tilghman
Dear Rick:
The Arcam is a great amplifier and
well worth its asking price IMO. You might also listen to the Creek 5330, which I also
like and respect. Both integrateds are true high-end products that will offer long-term
satisfaction.
As to the Linns, I don’t see how
anyone could call them overpriced, but speakers are an intensely personal decision and
people do get heated up over them. The passive Keilidhs offer you an upgrade path, which
is always a nice bonus.
Your other option, of course, is to
look at used speakers and let someone else take the depreciation. Many dealers keep
long-term customers happy with generous trade-ins -- and sometimes customers just end up
buying speakers that they can’t live with long-term. That’s how my friend Ruben
wound up with his ProAc 1Ses. The dealer got two happy customers out of that transaction,
and Ruben got speakers he’s been happy with for six years now.
ATB...Wes
July 7, 2000
Subject: Digital cables
Hello. I'm wondering if you have a TosLink
cable to recommend. I'd pay as much $150 or a little more. Thanks.
Lizandro Ezrre
Dear Lizandro:
Cheap TosLink cables tend to have
poorly fitted connectors, which will have an effect on data transfer. Whenever I have an
option, I prefer to use a coaxial connection -- although in RF intense environments,
TosLink might well be the way to go. Of course, with some digital sources, such as
affordable mega-changers, TosLink is frequently your only choice. I’ve had good
experiences with Monster ILS100 and AudioQuest OptiLink 1, both of which are well below
$150.
ATB...Wes
July 4, 2000
Subject: Stereo sound trouble
I have a stereo with four speakers attached --
one set in the speaker A port and one set in the speaker B port. The receiver is a
standard $150 Sony receiver with capabilities of doing surround sound and all that fancy
stuff. My problem is this: I have a pair of Now Hear This (NHT) 2.3 speakers that are each
listed at an impedance of 4 ohms and a pair of Bose wall-mount speakers that are each
listed at 6 ohms. The receiver states in the manual that the speakers outputs are 8 ohms.
When I try to use all four speakers at once, the sound gets kind of "muddy." I
lose the rich bass on the NHT speakers and I lose the clear treble on the Bose speakers. I
want to be able to use all four speakers. Do I need a new receiver or an equalizer or
what? Please help.
Thank you,
Jackson Maddux
Dear Jackson:
You don’t say how powerful the
receiver is, but you probably don’t need a new one. When you play both sets of
speakers at the same time, your amplifier "sees" the resulting load as quite low
in impedance -- the way to get around this is with a speaker switching device that
incorporates a transformer. These aren’t expensive. Niles and Adcom both have
multiple models that should do the job for you.
ATB...Wes
July 3, 2000
Subject: Musical Fidelity question
If you don't mind, could I just pop in a
question regarding your review of the Musical Fidelity A3 CR power amplifier?
You were saying that there are amplifiers with a richer-sounding harmonic structure and/or
warmer character than the MF A3 CR power amplifier. So which are those amps? I
have a rather lean- and cool-sounding front-end.
Thank you very much!
Vance
Dear Vance:
While I have heard amps with a richer
harmonic signature than the A3 CR, I didn’t mean to say the amplifier was
lean -- it sounds pretty neutral, in fact. However, if you’re looking for that touch
o’ warmth, you might audition the Conrad-Johnson MV-55, Classé CA-100 (perhaps a
little more sweet than warm) or VTL ST-85.
Hope this helps,
ATB...Wes
July 1, 2000
Subject: Surge protection
I have a big listening room that's great for
sound but difficult for set up because the closest outlet is about 15 feet from where I
would like my equipment located. Ideally I would keep the components by the outlet and
have some long speaker cables, but 20 feet of cable would be too costly (to my wallet and
the sound). So I've been thinking that I would get some sort of surge protector/power
conditioner with, say, a ten-foot cord and some new shorter power cords for my components.
Does this make sense? Is there a better (or
cheaper) way of doing this? Any suggestions?
Thank you,
Matthew Bernbach
Dear Matthew:
Really effective power conditioners
don’t come cheap either, but the best of ‘em can help your system sound a lot
better, so they're a good option. I have had great results with the API Power Wedge Ultra
116 ($1499), PS Audio P300 Power Plant ($999) and the Cinepro PowerPro AC line balancer
($1795). There are other good ‘uns out there, I hear, but I haven’t auditioned
them.
If an AC conditioner is too pricey,
consider buying a really good power strip without any surge protection (the cheap ones at
Staples and Office Max will affect your sound) at an electrical-contractor’s shop.
Wiremold makes one with a six-foot heavy-gauge power cable that seems to add no nasties to
the sound. Last I checked it was around $20.
ATB...Wes
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