October 13, 2000
Subject: Musical Fidelity A3CR preamplifier
Read your review with interest especially because of the
price of the A3CR with phono stage and this statement -- "Like the Nu-Vista, the A3CR
has an immense and encompassing soundstage. It exhibits the sort of spaciousness that
tubes are noted for -- yet, its recovery of detail is laser sharp, a function, I presume,
of its low noise floor."
I recently got exposed to preamps that can
"pressurize" the listening area. Because of this effect a few of my friends
bought new preamps and are very satisfied. These guys now believe that the preamp was/is
the weak link since nothing else was changed.
I am wondering if your choice of words describing the
effect of the A3CR is what I experienced with the much more costly preamps. And is the
soundstaging effect similar to the First Sound Presence Deluxe Mk II Preamp reviewed in SoundStage!
by Todd Warnke (aware of the considerable price differences between the two preamps.)
Please don’t post my questions re. the Musical Fidelity A3CR Preamplifier review on
your Ask Wes or any web page.
Thank you.
Audie O’Phile
Hi Audie:
Let me take the last point first -- the whole point
of Ask Wes is that it’s a quid pro quo deal -- I’m happy to answer any
questions as long as I can share those answers with all the readers of onhifi.com. You get
free advice, my readers and I get to share the benefits of your curiosity. Strikes me as a
great deal.
So no, I won’t answer questions offline.
However, here’s what I will do -- if seeing your name in print is so embarrassing
that you don’t want your questions posted over it, I will credit the questions to
you, Audie O’Phile, a name I just made up for that purpose.
I really don’t know what "pressurize the
listening room" means -- at least not as a function of a preamplifier. If you want to
write back and ‘splain it to me, I’d be interested in hearing about
it/discussing it with you.
I had a look at Todd’s review of the First
Sound pre -- a product I’ve heard for only a brief audition, but one which impressed
the bejesus out of me -- and I’d say we are describing the same elephant, although
perhaps from different perspectives.
ATB...Wes
October 12, 2000
Subject: MA Recordings and Bel Canto DAC
Very nice to check your writings on both subjects mentioned
above...
First, MA Great sound, maybe some of the music is not the
easiest to listen to at first try but how great it flavors after you give it a
"digesting time," very good music. Almas and Será una noche are in my list...
to join the other three CDs from Garfinkle I enjoy now....
Bel Canto: I think this might be another time you hear the
dilemma on digital but let me focus with a different angle.
My pie is cut 95% audio and 5% home theater. I've
considered the Bel Canto as a solid candidate for my system.
But Bel Canto's don´t have any digital out to bypass the
dac in order to use same PCM Dolby Digital out (my Pioneer DVD-606D has two digital outs
one labeled PCM and the other Dolby Digital /PCM to send the surround signal. This was my
scenario since I picked some info that optical with it didn´t perform that great. So
based on your valuable input, it seems that my best bet is to use the mixed digital out to
the Marantz, the optical to the Bel Canto and then Analog to the Marantz.
From you article you preferred TosLink two meter length for
audio. What cable did you use? I have had no experience with TosLink nor optical glass
based cables and have had mixed information on performance, maybe based on the length
issue you addressed I could've been misled
My source is Pioneer DVD-606D, Cardas Lightning digital to
Marantz AV-550 pre, NBS Mine Serpent II (L and R ) to B&K AV 5000 II ( PBS for other
channels) MIT T 2's bi-wire to PSB Stratus Gold i speakers. System has dedicated lines and
ground, Monster HTS 2000, MIT Z II PC for DVD and Pre, Kimber Powerkord on amp. Separates
are placed in the least room response place below 100 HZ on future DIY Bright Star-type
supports. Currently, brass cones on cinder blocks (stack of two ugly, but worth to explore
the potential of the mechanics involved) supported on inner tubes. All cables are
suspended from the concrete uncarpeted floor with cardboard cylinders.
Just to share with you some interesting experience, I've
found sound improvement when I apply a handheld degausser (as used for tape head
demagnetization) to cables in general ( interconnects, speaker and power and also I can
notice its effect on CD's) Have you had any similar experience or info on this? MIT
doesn't have info on this, nor does Cardas. Any comments?
Regards
Luis Solis
Hi Luis:
Interesting letter. I agree that the Bel Canto is a
tad Spartan if you’re trying to rout a single source to several components, or to
utilize several digital sources as I am currently trying to do with a pair of Sony CDX-400
megachangers. A digital patchbay may be the answer -- or people with the problems may wish
to look at other products more generously endowed with inputs/outputs.
As to degaussing cable, I’m sure it does have
an effect -- now that you’ve gone and labeled it an improvement, I’m going to
have to hunt through my unmarked tchotchkes boxes looking for my old Nakamichi head
demagnetizer so I can try it for myself.
But I’ll tell you the truth -- I’ve given
up on all those annoying little rituals that we audiophiles so love to clutter up our
listening sessions with and even if I hear a difference, I doubt I’ll be degausing my
cables with any regularity.
ATB...Wes
October 11, 2000
Subject: Von Schweikert speakers with Musical Fidelity
electronics
Been reading your stuff for a while, and since you seem to
be such a prolific and opinionated audio writer ; ), I figured you might have some
thoughts on a purchase I am about to make. I have some Von Schweikert VR-4 Gen II
speakers. I love them, and I also liked my Manley Stingray integrated amp. I say like
instead of love because I just moved into a bigger audio room (about 14x20x12), and the
Stingray just didn't seem to have the grunt the VR4's needed. I was wondering what you
thought about pairing them with the Musical Fidelity set that you guys so highly
recommended in onhifi. Since I don't have any local dealers (and neither does anyone else,
if I understand correctly), I wanted an educated opinion before I start all of the fuss of
getting audio advisor to ship, etc. Do you think they would match well, and have you heard
the combo by any chance?
Thanks so much in advance for your opinion, and keep
writing great stuff.
Best Regards,
Orion Hindawi
Hi Orion:
I haven’t heard the combo, but I would think
it would really sing purty for you. But dang! That Stingray is a sexy piece of kit -- too
bad it just doesn’t do what your room needs. I hope you’re planning on keeping
it because it seems like such a special product.
ATB...Wes
October 9, 2000
Subject: Transport differences
I read your review on the Bel Canto DAC1. I very much
enjoyed the information I received. I thought I would take a quick moment and explain why
you heard a difference with different transport devices. While things like vibration
control and power supply differences can certainly have a noticeable effect on the sound,
this is not likely the case.
Most people think CD transports send out ones and zeros.
This is incorrect, while the transport does read the pits on the disc in order to
determine if it is a one (on) or zero (off) this information is sent out the digital
connector (be it RCA, XLR, AT&T or TosLink) in the form of a RF signal. The signal is
sinusoidal in nature.
Now it becomes easier to see why different transports sound
different, think of it as a RF signal transmitter. The long and short of it all is that CD
or DVD units used as transports do NOT just send ones and zeros. There is processing that
goes on and this probably has more to do with the differences in sound than anything else.
Best regards,
Michael Marcellas
Hi Michael:
Interesting theory -- I knew that transports
don’t, strictly speaking, put out 1s and 0s, because I’ve connected the digital
output of a transport to a preamp’s audio input and listened to it. If you
haven’t done this experiment, I recommend you try it: turn the volume waaay down
first. It sounds suspiciously like a musical signal, don’t it?
ATB...Wes
October 8, 2000
Subject: Dynaudio speakers
I just wanted to ask your opinion on Dynaudio Audience 70
speakers, I read the review of the 80s in SoundStage! and I was impressed. I went and had a listen to the
70s last week in comparison to a couple of Australian speakers in the same price range
(around 2,500 dollars). I listened to Osborne Titans and Legend Kama IIs along with the
Dynaudios and I am now interested in buying them
Anthony Colbert
Hi Anthony:
I generally like Dynaudios a lot (I’m
currently preparing a review of the Contour 1.3mkIIs BTW). They pack a lot of technology
into the products. The Audience 70s are part of Dynaudio’s attempt to offer speakers
at more attractive price points, but the only thing you seem to be giving up is the
beautiful wood veneer of the pricier lines -- the drivers, cabinets and crossovers are all
still built in-house. And they’ll handle any amount of power you could
possibly throw at them, too.
ATB...Wes
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