Playing mono
February 28, 2003
Hi Wes,
I have noticed some coverage lately for vinyl mono reissues
of classic '60's rock albums, particularly Jefferson Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow
and Bob Dylan's Blonde on Blonde. Do you need a mono/stereo switch on your
amplifier to enjoy these in mono? Thanks -- love your site!
Audie O'Phile
You've chosen two releases whose mono versions have always
been deemed far superior to their stereo releases (whether or not it's true, the rumor has
always been that, since AM radio was mono, far more attention was lavished on the mono
mixes in those cases). And many early stereo Blue Notes sound far superior in mono than in
hard-left/hard-right stereo.
To really hear these releases in mono, yes, you need a mono
switch to extract the L-R information so that both channels put out the same signal. Some
enthusiasts even keep a headshell or armwand with a mono cartridge.
If you don't have a mono switch, KAB Acoustics manufactures
a passive Stereo Canceller L - R Retriever you can connect between turntable and preamp.
More power to you
February 25, 2003
Hi Wes,
Great site! I e-mailed you back in June 2002 and following
your advice I bought MartinLogan Ascents. Certainly, no buyer's remorse here! But I want
to make them sound even better. The Accuphase E405 is a fine amp, but when I crank it up
(as you do!) it seems to run out of breath. To this end, I'm looking to upgrade to a power
amplifier. More specifically, I have four in mind: Electrocompaniet AW180 monoblocks,
McIntosh MC352, Classé CA301, and the Pass Labs X350. I mainly listen to rock and pop.
Your thoughts?
Jack
I've had great luck with Pass and Classé amps driving
MartinLogans, so I expect either would do very well. The Mac is built like a tank and,
even though I haven't heard it on a reactive load like a 'stat, I would think it would do
a great job.
If I hesitate about the Electrocompaniet, it's not because
the company doesn't build great amps, but rather because I have heard some dicey things
about gray-market Electrocompaniet products failing and leaving their owners in the lurch.
Gray-market goods are, in case you are not aware,
legitimate brands that are imported by unauthorized dealers. They are generally quite a
bit less expensive than the same products offered by authorized dealers. Of course, since
the gray-market merchandise seldom has warranty support or replacement, it doesn't cost
its dealers as much as the legitimate stuff.
If the dealers who sold gray-market equipment were up front
about it and let their customers know that they were trading savings against risk, I would
not have a huge problem with them. (I would still prefer to deal with authorized equipment
myself, but that's just my middle-class morality asserting itself -- I like to get paid
for my labors and assume everyone else does too). However, most of the time, gray-market
merchants "forget" to mention that they only offer a 90-day guarantee until the
hapless purchaser has a problem too far down the line to rectify it -- and I consider that
dirty pool.
So be careful when you get a deal that's sounds too good to
be true -- it probably is.
Headphone amp?
February 21, 2003
Hello Wes,
I am relatively new to the audio world and do enjoy some of
the technical aspects of it. However, audio can be overwhelming at times, and as with any
subject there is much conflicting information.
Hence my question to you. I am interested in a pair of
earphones for general use (travel, sports, light work) and have a budget of $150 to $200.
I am trying to decide between the Shure E1 ($150) and the Etymotic ER6 ($140) -- maybe
with an amp.
Do I need an amp? Is the difference worth the $50 to $60?
HeadRoom sells a package for $200 that has an amp and the ER6 versus the ER6 alone and the
Shure E1. So that's my question. Should I buy the ER6 alone with the amp or the Shure E1
alone? I guess I should mention that I will be using these with a Aiwa portable CD player.
I contacted HeadRoom and they naturally recommended the ER6 with amp and didn't mention
the Shure at all.
Thank You for your help.
Howard Birkett
Please refer to my review of the ER6 for the reasons I
consider an amplifier necessary with a portable (short version portables just don't have
the juice to drive designs like the Etymotics). As to the headphones, I find the Etymotics
more accurate than any "earbud" type headphone I've ever heard, and I think they
have wider dynamic and frequency ranges than most other portable-friendly headsets.
Speakers with subwoofer?
February 20, 2003
Wes,
I was wondering if you could give some information as to
what would make a better system than my current one. I still have a pair of Celestion
SL6Si loudspeakers that I'm thinking of mating with a subwoofer like the Snell PS10. But
how do I know I'll be able to achieve a seamless integration between the two?
Or maybe I should just get a pair of Revel M20 loudspeakers
and skip the sub. The amp I would most likely use to drive either system would be the
Musical Fidelity 3.2 integrated amp. I'd like to know your thoughts on this matter.
Thanks.
Rich
The Celestion SL6Si is a hard speaker to integrate with
most subwoofers since it has so much midrange-to-high-frequency transparency and that
slightly plummy lower midrange. It was a sound I quite liked when the speaker was new (and
still retain a certain affection for), but it required a subtle, self-effacing subwoofer,
such as Celestion's wild SL6000 or the Janis W1.
Considering how much progress has been made in loudspeaker
performance since the SL6Si's heyday, I'd probably go with a contemporary full-range
design, such as the Revel model you are interested in.
New phono stage
February 18, 2003
Hi Wes,
I am in a predicament. I am looking for a new phono stage
since I sold my Threshold FET 10 and I cannot seem to make up my mind on one. My musical
tastes have changed a bit lately, so I am more after musicality, liquidity, and such
instead of pure solid-state imaging (I still value, though) and pin-point detail. For this
I am thinking of buying a tube phono stage, but I am at a loss, and the more I look into
it the more confused I get.
I am thinking of an EAR 834 P (maybe new), an AR PH3SE
(used), Sonic Frontiers, or something along those lines. I will consider a solid-state
unit if the strengths lie across the lines of musicality instead of detail presentation.
I would sure appreciate your help, and thanks for a great
site! I value it more than the magazines I subscribe to.
Gerry
The EAR has great word-of-mouth -- my old friend Bob Reina
raves about it -- but I haven't heard it. I have auditioned the Audio Research PH3SE and
really liked it, but I have to say that my favorites remain the Conrad-Johnson Premier
Fifteen and (gasp -- it's solid-state!) the Linn Linto -- it probably doesn't cost enough
to impress some audiophiles, but I think it's liquid and detailed.
Of course, since you had the Threshold and liked (I assume)
what it did well, perhaps you should consider the Pass ONO. I haven't heard it, but people
who have seem to speak about it with near-religious awe.
Sequencer
February 13, 2003
Hi Wes,
I now have three Sony CD changers: two CX-335s that hold
300 discs each and one CX-455 that holds 400 discs. I love this setup. I have over
400 CDs and, even in random play, this is wonderful! I burned my own CD-Rs, mostly alpha
by artist, and they are listed in a binder. I know all about Wintrax, Slink-e, and
Greywolf that need a computer to run the changers. I'm looking for something simpler.
I'm looking for a sequencer, so that first the master
(CX-455) plays then one slave (CX-335 #1) then the master (CX-455) then the other slave
(CX-335 #2). Anyone know where I could buy something like this -- or what parts do I need
to build one? About 30 years ago I worked in a radio station with five single Spotmaster
cart machines. These were hooked to a sequencer (a row of buttons). The first cart plays
-- the end tone set off the sequencer to play the machine connected to the next button
pushed.
Is there something that can operate the Sony system in this
way? Does a Slink-e DXS work this way? Your ideas are welcome! Thanks.
Tom Jurek
No, the Slink-e DXS did not work like that (and is now
discontinued anyway). I've scoured the Internet, and I can't find any sequencers of the
sort you are looking for -- but perhaps someone else has. Readers?
New phono stage
February 10, 2003
Hi Wes,
I have enjoyed reading you for years. Thanks for the great
insights!
I am just getting into vinyl again (after some 20 years)
and have a pretty good digital-based setup I've built up to over the past several years
comprised of a Sonic Frontiers CD3, dCS Purcell/Delius combo, Audio Research Reference Two
Mk II preamp, Pass X600 amps, and Dynaudio Temptation speakers. Cabling is Synergistic DR2
throughout. From a taste standpoint, I particularly like the added midrange richness and
bloom the ARC preamp provides the super-transparent Pass monoblocks (had tried the
excellent Pass XO preamp, but found that too "clean" for my tastes, although a
touch more articulate than the ARC preamp). I also prefer the ARC preamp in use rather
than running the Delius direct into the amps for the same reason.
I recently got a VPI Aries Extended with 12.5 JMW tonearm
and Lyra Helikon cartridge with Hovland Music Groove II phono cables. My present to myself
is a phono preamp, and I would appreciate your recommendation. I've narrowed it down,
based more on reading than comparing, to the ARC Reference phono, BAT VK-P10SE, Tom Evans'
The Groove, and Manley Steelhead. A lot of folks are advising me to bypass the ARC preamp
and go direct -- although I'm not too sure about this. Your thoughts/experience would be
greatly appreciated.
Bob
Like you, I have almost always preferred the sound of a
system with a preamp in the chain. Conceptually, I love the idea that simpler is
better, but my preference has been pretty consistently otherwise. I'm sure your friends
mean well, but unless they've actually done the listening themselves, they're probably
being led astray by logic -- I'd keep the ARC in the chain, myself.
As for choosing among the three you list -- good luck!
They're pretty much the same short list I'd come up with, except I'd add the Linn Linto,
which is cheaper and smaller (and possibly quieter) -- all of which are pretty desirable
traits.
Portal Audio Panache or separates?
February 7, 2003
Hi Wes,
I really enjoyed your review of
the Aloia amplifier [on SoundStage!]. I thought it was well written and very
descriptive. Simply put, it was a pleasure to read.
I'd be grateful for your opinion as to a comparison between
the Portal
Panache integrated amp on the one hand and the combination of the B&K Reference
monoblocks and Monolithic Sound preamp and HC-1b dual-mono power supply on the other. I
realize that this separates combo is approaching two time the price of the Portal. But in
view of your comments about the Portal ("For all of Abrams' talk about how unique the
Panache is, sonically, it's a real me-too product. It sounds just like all the other $4000
separates I listen to in the course of reviewing high-end gear -- except that it only
costs $1795." -- I love that prose) perhaps the comparison is not unreasonable.
I should note that I use a sub in my system -- a Paradigm
Servo 15 (active, internal 400W amp). My speakers are Snells. They're crossed over at
80Hz. I have a pretty big room (17' 6" by 24' 6" with a cathedral ceiling rising
to 13'), but I never have a problem getting all the volume that I need with my current
multichannel home-theater receiver (an aging Marantz SR-96 -- five channels of about
110Wpc). So, while I realize that there might be an effortlessness to the relatively
higher-powered B&Ks that I won't get from the Portal, I don't think the somewhat
limited power rating of the Portal will be a big issue.
So which do you recommend for my system?
Thanks,
Wayne Breyer
My job has me connecting and disconnecting equipment
all the time, so I place a particular value on simplicity these days that I might not have
shared back when I was a hobbyist counting down the minutes at work until I could go home
and play with my hi-fi.
As a result, the Portal's stripped-down functionality
really appeals to me. However, your mileage may vary, as they say.
The B&Ks, as you observe, will certainly never
raise a sweat with your current system, but gain can be very seductive -- even if you
never actually need it. Ditto flexibility, which the Monolithic Sound has in
spades (I love that active/passive operation).
But I live in New York, and I'm very much aware of how
limited my actual audio needs are right now (I'm not all that fancy, really), so I'd
choose the Portal.
Choice is always personal, so anyone else could decide
differently and I wouldn't dream of arguing.
New speakers, new CD player?
February 5, 2003
Dear Wes,
First thing, I want to say is thank you very much for
answering my previous questions. I sincerely appreciate it. Secondly, I want to compliment
you on this website and the onhometheater.com
website as well. They are very informative and helpful, and I think you write in a way
that's very enjoyable to read, and anybody (even non-audiophiles) can relate to. In fact,
coming across your websites, and learning through them its the main reason why I have
become interested in higher-end, great-sounding audio gear.
I just bought (about 30 minutes ago) a Perreaux E160i
integrated from AudioAdvisor.com
(got a sweet deal -- I bought a demo one with the chrome faceplate, for $797!). Now, this
is my very first step ever in building a decent two-channel music system. I'm as excited
about this as a little kid on Christmas day. Of course, this is my Christmas present to
myself.
Anyway, I listen to lots of different kinds of music --
from jazz to '80s rock, from Hendrix to Bob Marley (especially Bob Marley!), blues,
R&B (even some rap), salsa, Latin jazz, and a whole bunch of other typical Caribbean
music (especially from Cuba and Puerto Rico). Simply put, I just LOVE MUSIC -- I used to
play drums before grad. school took all of my time.
Oh, I already own a Pioneer Elite DV-47A universal player,
which plays SACD, DVD-Audio/Video, CD.
Now, keeping all that in mind, on to my question: What
speakers would be a good match for the integrated? For now I have a pair of Polk Audio
RT55i stand-mounted monitors and a Polk PSW650 subwoofer that will have to do for a
couple of months or so, but those belong to my home theater. I was thinking about getting
a pair of Polk LSi15 speaker for the dedicated music system, and since you have
reviewed both pieces of equipment I was wondering if you think they would be a good match?
I'm looking for a pair of speakers around $1500 give or take a few bucks. Is there
anything else you would recommend to match with the Perreaux at anywhere close to that
price point?
My other question is, should I get a dedicated CD player,
since my CD collection FAR outweighs anything I have on SACD or DVD-A? I was thinking
maybe something like the Perreaux ECD2 or something similarly priced. Do you know of any
other, real-world-priced CD players that you think would be a good match for the E160i and
at the same time represent a considerable improvement over the CD performance of the
DV-47A?
I sincerely appreciate your help.
Felix M. Fontan
Yes, I think the LSi15s would be hard to beat
-- just go for 'em.
As for the SACD/DVD-A/CD question -- it all depends. CD
is now and, I suspect, will continue to be dominant in the market, so high-quality CD
playback is essential. I happen to like SACD and there are some SACDs of new material that
make a very convincing argument for the format. However, the fatal combination of customer
indifference and major-label timidity seem to predict it will never become a major format.
As for DVD-A, it can sound very good, but the DVD-Audio
discs I have auditioned are crippled by the format's complete lack of standardization on
the issue of bass management. You might get information in the LFE channel of a
multichannel system or all the channels might get the bass. Or, sometimes, none
of them might, no matter how you set the system's bass management. As far as I'm
concerned, you can argue until the cows come home over whether DVD-A is a me-too product
or a necessary extension of the most rapidly accepted electronics format ever -- the crux
of the matter is that you'll never know what you're buying until after you've wasted the
better part of an afternoon trying to get it work right. I don't know about you, but
Microsoft gives me all of that I need in my life!
So, you have a few choices as I see it. You can focus
on a CD-only player, assuming you have a separate HT system (as you obviously do) or
you can shop for a great deal on an SACD player (since most of them sound great on CD as
well) to take advantage of the DSD recordings that are available. Or you can go
for a universal player and cherry pick among the formats.
A lot of people have been waiting for universal
players, but I suspect they're a sign of the victory of the status quo. If there is no
reason for software companies to commit to a high-rez format, they won't -- and CD will
continue to be the market champion.
I liked the Perreaux a lot, but there are a lot of
great SACD players out there at very tempting discounts right now, so don't dismiss them
out of hand.
Crazy?
February 3, 2003
Dear Wes,
After reading your excellent
review on the Simaudio Titan multichannel amp, I have had a very exciting idea. I just
bought a used pair of speakers from abroad (I live in Bangkok, Thailand): the Cello Grand
Master. This has been my dream speaker for quite a long time, and I just had a chance to
buy them at a much lower price than new. My problem is, they demand, I believe, a super
amp to drive their 1.5-ohm load. Since the Cello has six speaker inputs for all of the 18
drivers (two woofers, eight dome mids, and eight tweeters), I have a feeling that I can
get a spectacular result by using six channels of amplification for each of the speakers.
This means I would need two units of Titan at six channels each, or 12 channels in total!
Do you think I'm crazy?
If you agree with my idea, is there a better alternative
other than the Titan? Perhaps the Ayre V-6x?
Suchart
Yes, I suspect you probably are crazy, but it's my
kind of crazy!
I think using a six-channel amp per side is a brilliant
idea and either of the two you mention would work extremely well. I haven't heard the
V-6x, but it's essentially a six-channel version of the V-5x, and that's one of the two
finest amplifiers I have ever heard.
Let me know what you end up with and how it works --
this should be interesting.
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