March 31, 2002
Subject: Krell reviews?
Hi Wes,
I've read with much joy your excellent review on the Krell
CAST system. Currently I'm the proud and satisfied owner of Krell's LAT-2, KAV-300iL and
DVD Standard. However, and this shouldn't come as a surprise to any audiophile, I'm in
search of an even better system. From my search on the Internet for Krell reviews, I
stumbled over your beautifully written "essay" on the CAST system, and
immediately fell in love with the gear you described. I'm in the middle of the process of
gathering prices, but before I go on, I would like to ask you about your experiences with
the CAST products and the LAT-2. Will you (in the near future) review the LAT-2?
Geir Sundvor
Dear Geir:
I reviewed the
LAT-2 on SoundStage!.
It's a fascinating product. An expensive speaker, there's no question it lacks deep bass
-- but, as John Atkinson is fond of saying, measurements can tell you a lot about the way
a speaker sounds, but they can't tell you if a speaker sounds good.
Despite what seems like an almost criminal lack of
bass, I loved the LAT-2s for their detailed, bright, extremely natural sound. But I
couldn't live with them unless I found a spectacularly fast, neutral subwoofer to mate
them to.
March 26, 2002
Subject: Dynaudio and Musical Fidelity
Hello Wes,
Two quick questions. In your review of the Dynaudio 1.3 Mk
II speakers, you didn't mention how the Musical Fidelity A3CR drove them. Is this a case
of "if you can't say something nice don't say anything at all"? Also, have you
heard the Dynaudio 1.3 SE at all, and if so how does it compare to the Mk II?
Thanks,
Craig
Hi Craig:
The Musical Fidelity drove the Contour 1.3 Mk IIs
extremely well. No problem there. The SE edition is an amazing loudspeaker. It costs a lot
more, but it's far, far more refined. It does not replace the Mk II; it was designed to
keep the Dynaudio engineer's happy with a "no holds barred" project. If you can
afford them (and, boy, I sure wish I could), I doubt you'd regret the purchase.
March 24, 2002
Subject: Bel Canto Design and Pass Labs
Dear Wes,
I have sold my system in the past to purchase my wife's
wedding ring (I know what you are thinking and I agree now). However, I am going to
rebuild my system and will not have the luxury of swapping out components after purchasing
(wife factor). I would like to know your opinion (honesty much appreciated) on the Bel
Canto eVo2 used as monoblocks, and the Pass Labs X350. I believe those are the two options
for amplification at this time, and the speakers that have caught my eye are the B&W
N803 and the Talon Khorus X (have not yet auditioned). Any direction or advice on what to
look at/listen for would be tremendously helpful. Thank you so much for your time. I have
enjoyed reading your articles throughout the years.
Respectfully,
Kirk Lesiacsek
Hi Kirk:
I haven't heard either, but one of my colleagues at SoundStage! is just gaga over the
Bel Canto. I'm going to try to hear a pair. You should, too.
March 22, 2002
Subject: Amplifier choice
Hi Wes,
In regard to your
review of the Musical Fidelity A3CR amp, without a local dealer, I am trying to get an
idea of what I could expect in terms of bass. I have used a Mark Levinson No.383 in the
past and was curious if you have any experience with the No.383 whereby you could relate
the two; neither are reported as bass masters. My speakers are rated at 87dB; they are TDL
Studio Monitor M transmission lines. I am using a Hovland HP-100 preamp.
Brian Miller
Hi Brian:
I'd say they're pretty similar in terms of bass response --
both are extremely well balanced and capable of driving moderately hard loads, such as
yours. Check out the A300CR, which has the same circuit as Musical Fidelity's Nu-Vista
3000. It's pretty amazing for the money, as I'm beginning to discover.
March 18, 2002
Subject: Leaky capacitor?
Hi Wes,
Really liked your article on the Sony CDP-CX400, and as far
as radio stations, I recommend 90.7 in NY -- WFUV, the voice of Fordham University. I have
one of these units, and after a year of unremarkable service (for instance, on shuffle it
is often necessary to turn the unit off and on a few times before it can make up its mind
on a disc to play) I now have a new problem. If the unit is on, whether playing or not,
there is a static sound that emits from the left channel at random times. For long periods
all is quiet, then a pop or very loud scratchy noise, like dragging your finger over a
phono needle, while the phonograph is on high volume. I've tried changing this unit with
another in my system, namely a 300-disc Sony unit, but the sound only happens with the 400
disc. I've also changed input locations on my Denon amp, and again, the noise always
follows the left plug of the 400. Yes, I tried changing the RCA plugs and wires. Same
result. It's my belief that the fault lies in the internal preamp of this unit. Have you
had similar experiences with the 400? Your help is greatly appreciated.
J.P. Watt
Hi J.P.:
The unit doesn't have an internal preamp, so that's
not it. It sounds to me like a leaky capacitor. Your local service center should be able
to help.
March 14, 2002
Subject: Phono
Hi Wes,
I recently bought an NAD C-160 preamp, which I am running
with my Acurus A150 amp. I bought the preamp for the high-quality phono stage. However, I
noticed that when I play a record, I must turn the volume up about three times higher than
when playing a CD. Also, the sound is not as full. I have an older high-end B&O
turntable with B&O "special connectors" since the B&O does not have RCA
outputs. I was thinking of trying the Rotel RC-1070 preamp instead of the NAD since I have
30 days to trade. What do you suggest?
Chris Galotta
Hi Chris:
I don't know the NAD 160 , but many current preamplifiers
have "vestigial" phono sections, if they have them at all. Since I don't know
which cartridge you're using, I don't know its output, but it might be a low-output
cartridge or even a moving coil, which might not feed the NAD's phono section with as much
signal as it was constructed to receive. The Rotel may or may not be better, but it might
be worth checking.
Be careful with the B&O. Some B&O turntables had
built-in phono sections and should be input directly into a line-level input, not a phono
section. If this is what you have, then it should work with any preamp, as long as you can
buy DIN-to-RCA converters at a B&O stand-alone store. (You may be able to find the
same part at Radio Shack, but I have increasingly found it impossible to actually buy
audio parts at my neighborhood RatShack.)
March 10, 2002
Subject: ProAc vs. Sonus Faber
Dear Wes,
As a student, I have been searching for a good pair of
speakers to replace my Harmonic Precision Echelons. Then, I auditioned (my budget is
$3000) ProAc 1.5 and Sonus Faber Grand Piano, which I love them both. However, I could not
compare both speakers at the same dealer, and both drive them with Audio Research tube
gear.I think I need your comment on both speakers.
My equipment:
Linn Sondek LP12
Marantz CD 63se
Michael Yee phono
Cary SLP 94 L
VTL Deluxe 300B monoblocks
Kimber Silver Streak interconnects
Esoteric speaker cables
My music preferences are mostly jazz quartet, trio, (Miles
Davis, Stan Getz, Bill Evans) and female vocals (Ella). My room is 17'L x 13'W.
Nuk
Hi Nuk:
That's an interesting system you've constructed, one that
delivers a lot of resolution, but which is built on its ability to convey musical
intelligence and emotion (if I may hazard a guess). Therefore, I suspect it will wring an
incredible amount out of either the ProAcs or the Sonus Fabers.
While these are very different-sounding speakers, they both
share -- with your system -- an ability to get to the musical core of a recording. If I
had to guess between them, I'd say that your VTLs will make the ProAcs sound more extended
in both bass and HF, so it will sound more "hi-fi" (not being pejorative here).
I think the SFs will sound more lush in the midrange -- and more focused there too.
After spending a few weeks with ether, you'll wonder how
you ever even remotely considered the other. I think either choice will pay off in the
long run -- they're different from one another, but I don't think one is better.
March 6, 2002
Subject: Speaker choice
Hi Wes,
I currently have a pair of Triangle Titus 202s. One of the
key qualities which they possess is the ability to sound good at low volumes. I find that
many (most) speakers only sound good at moderate-to-loud levels. I often listen at low
volume since I have two small children and my wife is not enamored of music or TV at
"head-banging" levels, so this trait is important. I am now considering moving
up to a floorstanding speaker and was wondering if you could provide any comments on
either the Epos M15 or Triangle Zerius given this background. It is rather an odd criteria
to judge a speaker by, and obviously not the only criteria, but an important one
nonetheless. These two speakers seem to fit my needs, budget, and tastes, so I would be
very interested in any information you could provide about their relative strengths and
weaknesses since I cannot listen to them locally prior to purchase.
Kevin
Hi Kevin:
This is an excellent question and I've always been
surprised that more people haven't paid attention to this. You're absolutely correct that
some speakers sound superb at low levels, while most don't.
I'm glad to hear the Titus 202s do it. That makes me
suspect the Zerius does, too. But I haven't heard them, so that's a guess at best. The
Epos M15s sound superb down to the level where you can't hear them at all.
When I was at Stereophile I began to notice how some
loudspeakers only came alive when you goosed 'em a little. I never did detect a
hard-and-fast rule for spotting which would behave like that without auditioning them one
by one, but I did find that I tired of listening to the ones that shared this trait more
quickly than the ones that don't. By the way, knowing how you'll use a pair of speakers
and then choosing your new speakers based on this self-analysis is a guaranteed way to
make an informed decision you can live happily with.
Write me again after you've made your choice and tell me
how it turned out.
March 4, 2002
Subject: Matching speakers to McIntosh
Wes,
I have just purchased a slightly used McIntosh MA6450. I m
researching two floorstanding speakers that can enhance the sound of my new unit. I have
purchased McIntosh because of a friend's advice, plus I think I like the sound the best
for its price. I do not have a big budget. I m looking at B&W DM603S2 speakers, just
because they cost $1000 a pair (my spending limit). Will this be a good match? Or if not
can you recommend another speaker? I listen to mostly guitar-driven music (Pink Floyd,
Black Sabbath, and lots of blues and jazz). Sorry about the vague questions -- I really do
not know much.
Thank you in advance.
Darryl Han
Hi Darryl:
The Mac 6450 puts out 100Wpc, so it should have no problem
driving the DM603S2s. Other floorstanders I would recommend in that price range -- ones
that would offer different sound from the B&Ws -- would include the Rega Jura and the
Polk Audio RTi100. These three speakers should offer you a range of sonic options, while
still remaining good values.
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