September 17, 2000
Subject: Speakers and room size
I am thinking of buying a pair of Sonus Faber Signum
loudspeakers, whose sound I find very attractive. I listen to acoustic music (classical
and jazz).
The problem is: my listening room is 40 square meters, and
I'm afraid it is a bit too large for the little Signums (even I don't like the music very
loud) .
If this is your opinion too, please tell me if the Sonus
Faber Concerto or Electa Amator II would be adequate.
And what about B&W Nautilus 805, which is also in my
short list too ? Or must I go to a floorstander such as the ProAc Studio 125 ?
Yours Sincerely,
Carlos Silva
Dear Carlos:
I think a lot of blather is talked about speaker
size and room size correlation. I suspect that people think a small speaker fits better in
a small room and vice versa just because the proportions seem to make visual sense. My
friend Ruben listens to ProAc Studio One S loudspeakers in a room that’s 20’ by
17’ by 15’ and they fill the room -- I’m currently listening to Thiel 7.2s
in a similarly sized room (with only a 10' ceiling) and they work well too, even if they
would benefit from a larger listening space. The trick is to set them up so that your
listening position is optimal (see my last three features on Loudspeaker Room Placement).
I wouldn’t try to get a truly tiny speaker to fill your room with Mahlerian
orchestral splendor, but I suspect the Signums will do just fine.
ATB...Wes
September 11, 2000
Subject: CD recordable
I've been reading your reviews since I bought my first copy
of Stereophile in 1992. Thanks to you and other great reviewers from Stereophile,
I was able to put together a musically satisfying system at reasonable prices.
Too bad that you and many of those whose reviews I enjoyed
(Bob Harley, Jack English, Steven Stone, Thomas Norton, etc.) have decided not to write
for Stereophile anymore.
I have some questions regarding CD-R technology. I remember
Steven Stone wrote about the Pioneer PD-R99 years ago and found the device to be
excellent. What I would like to know are:
- What is the different between player/recorder such as the
Pioneer and the computer CD-R in terms of writing data?
- Since the Pioneer and similar devices use S/PDIF connection,
could there be a jitter problem when you record?
- Can a computer CD-R work as good as or better than
standaloneplayer/recorder such as the Pioneer?
I will appreciate if you can give me some opinions on the
above subject.
Thank you.
Best regards,
Justinus Tjahjadi
Hi Justinius:
Since both outboard and computer-based CD recorders
reproduce bit-for-bit copies, there shouldn’t be any difference between recordings.
That said, forgive me if I make a mild diversion: Always be suspicious when an audio
reviewer makes sweeping statements such as I see no reason why … or There
should be no reason why…The language tells you the reviewer has not himself
experienced any differences. The reviewer’s lack of imagination in no way actually
compels the universe to behave in the manner he expects. Even if -- as is the case here --
what the reviewer says is completely logical, all he is really saying is I haven’t
done the work but this is what I believe the answer will be.
For example, when I reviewed the Philips CDR 880, I
clearly heard a very minor, but clearly audible, difference between the copies I made and
the originals. I don’t know why -- in fact, it really ticks me off because I can
conceive of no reason why this should be true if they are, in fact, bit-for-bit copies. So
when I say there shouldn’t be any difference, all I am saying is that I
haven’t compared for myself. My next computer will definitely include a CD burner,
and I’ll make the comparison then and get back to you.
As to jitter, I asked Bob Stuart of Meridian about
that, and he said that it’s not a problem since the recorder essentially re-clocks
the data.
ATB...Wes
September 8, 2000
Subject: Playing mono LPs
I have a ton of these old records, and I'm in the market
for a preamp to play them. I would also like to record some of them.
I have noticed that many modern preamps and integrateds do
not have a mono switch. Isn't this important to cancel the extra noise that one would get
playing a mono LP with a stereo cartridge? I have a VPI with a Grado.
I have considered the Plinius 8150 integrated, and now the
new Musical Fidelity preamp is looking good as well. Neither of these has a mono switch,
correct?
I was also considering the Audible Illusions Modulus 3a,
which plays in mono, but I would like to avoid tubes. Also, I would like to stay under
$2.5k for a preamp with a phono stage.
Also, how would I record these? Would I want a mono output
out of both channels to the tape deck ?
Another consideration is a warp filter. Some of my records
are warped, and doesn't this cause woofer pumping (my speakers are vented) and overload
the amps. Am I getting too picky with this?
Michael
Dear Michael:
One of my pet peeves is the disappearance of mono
switches from preamps, but I don’t hear any groundswell of protest about it, so
I’m probably in the minority here. Yes, to get the best sound out of your vertically
cut mono recordings, you should have an L-R switch which sums the two channels out of
phase to one another, leaving the difference (vertical movement of the stylus).
KAB Electro-Acoustics (www.kabusa.com) makes a passive device
called the Great Sound Escort Stereo Canceler ($75). It’s magnetically shielded and
really well-built, employing Teflon and gold connectors, glass-epoxy circuit boards, 1%
metal-film resistors, and 2% propylene caps. I have one which I use when I have marathon
mono listening sessions -- I admit I’m too lazy to install it for every mono
LP I play, but it’d sound better if I did. (It’s also handy for determining null
channel balance when aligning phono cartridges.)
Install it between the TT and the phono section and
just run that signal to your tape deck. As to whether you’re being too picky -- nah,
you’re an audiophile. We prefer to think of ourselves as attentive to detail. You can
blow woofers with the LF -- or burn a lot of watts trying to reproduce them -- but unless
you’re planning on playing the records extremely loud while recording them,
you’re probably safe.
ATB...Wes
September 6, 2000
Subject: To preamp or not to preamp...
OK, first off --- I'm a Linny. Now that that's out of the
way, I'm looking at bi-amping vs. getting a preamp. I have a Majik, AMC CD6 CD player,
Paradigm Compact Monitors, LK400 and Linn wire.
I've thought of getting another amp and gaining there,
perhaps active Tukans, but it has been suggested to me that upgrading my preamp would
probably have a bigger sonic impact (Kolektor or Wakonda).
I pretty much agree that quality starts at the source and
works its way down the chain, but can a better preamp make that much more impact than
having good power grab those little drivers really tightly? Or following the
"chain" theory, would a new CD player make more sense?
Methinks I'm dizzy with the choices....
Regards,
Kevin
Hi Kevin:
The one rule of hi-fi that even my wife embraces is
"everything makes a difference." Each of your options will change the sound of
your system, but choosing the correct system hierarchy can make some investments pay
higher sonic dividends.
One choice you haven’t mentioned is the
addition of an upsampling DAC, such as the Bel Canto, MSB, or Perpetual Technologies units
(check out my review of the Bel Canto DAC1 right here on October 1 -- and the follow-ups
with other units that will follow).
If this option doesn’t appeal to you, I’d
strongly consider converting to active Tukans. That would mean you wouldn’t have to
think about replacing your speakers again until you’ve radically improved the rest of
your system.
ATB...Wes
September 5, 2000
Subject: Long-term relationships
Do you think Wadia's demise will have a ripple effect?
I think it already has with me. I'm currently in the
process of finalizing an equipment purchase. Assuming all things equal (sound and
quality), it has come down to choosing a product from either a well-known, established
company (company x) versus a small one (company y) with a great product at a great price.
With the recent fallout of Wadia, I'm re-thinking my purchasing criteria. Not being a
great risk-taker, I'm unlikely to do business with a smaller audiophile company anymore in
the current environment. Since my pockets are not deep, maybe it's just paranoid or
over-reaction.
Rick Fauska
Dear Rick:
No, I don’t think you’re being paranoid.
Whenever you buy a piece of audio equipment, you need to ask yourself whether the company
that produced it will be able to continue supporting you in the future. If the answer is
"no," you still might want to buy the component, but it may change what it is
worth to you. There’s a real benefit to dealing with a company you know is
going to be around.
That’s one reason I’m so conservative in
choosing products for review. I’d love to scoop the world and be the first guy to
tell my readers about great new audio gear, but I also want to make sure that the
companies I cover will be in business long after my review has convinced one of my readers
to buy from them.
But Wadia seemed to be around for the long haul.
I’ve heard all kinds of reasons for its troubles and I’m sure the real story is
some combination of all of them, but if you had asked me last year whether Wadia would
fold, I’d have said, "no." I’m pretty sure that Wadia will ultimately
survive this current catastrophe, although I’m not so sure about UltraAnalog or
Hales. I’d love to be wrong, however.
So am I saying you shouldn’t buy from
small, potentially at-risk companies? No, not at all. Many of them will survive to become
solid, dependable staples of the audio scene. But dealing with companies that have lasted
and are known to have offered excellent customer service has a value that must be
calculated into the buying equation. And note, I said companies "known to have
offered excellent customer service"; there are also companies that survive who are
known to be impossible to deal with and I can’t see any added-value in that
equation.
ATB...Wes
September 1, 2000
Subject: The cheapest tweak
I was a big fan of yours when you wrote for Stereophile.
I have the same problem you have. I can't afford what I want (but if I try sometimes I'll
get what I need). Keep up the good prose. The cheapest tweak I know of costs nothing.
Listen at 4:00 AM. The difference in the power grid is incredible. But you already knew
that and, of course, it's not an option for most people. I'm a bartender.
Joe
Dear Joe:
Sez Wes (hat pushed back on head; coat slung
casually over shoulder):
It's quarter to three, there's no one in the
place
Except you and me
So set 'em up Joe,
I got a little story I think you should know
You’re absolutely right that hi-fis always
sound better in the wee hours when all the big industrial sites are off the grid, but
let’s not forget that street noises and other ambient sounds are quieter then too --
so it’s not just the AC that’s better.
Too bad it’s past my bedtime.
ATB...Wes
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