Enjoy the Music.com

The Absolute Sound

  Welcome to The Abso!ute Sound online! We explore music and the reproduction of music in the home. We believe that the sound of music, unamplified, occurring in a real space is a philosophic absolute against which we may judge the performance of devices designed to reproduce music. Our goal is to provide the resources consumers need to judge how a component's sound either honors or departs from the music's truth, and to make sound purchasing decisions that maximize their experience of reproduced sound. Below is our Issue 140, February / March 2003 table of contents and editorial.


February / March 2003

  

Viewpoints

4 - From the Editor

6 - Letters

 

Columns

12 - Future TAS: Products on the Horizon

14 - Industry News

20 - Absolute Analog
Paul Seydor looks at two tables, one affordable, and one…not so—the Basis 1400 and SME's Model 20/2.

27 - Real-World High End
Wayne Garcia reports on Integra's first "universal" disc player, NAD's C 320BEE integrated amp, and Monitor Audio's Bronze B2 speaker system.

 

TAS Journal

32 - Product of the Year Awards
TAS recognizes the very best equipment reviewed over the past year.

43 - Recommended Products—Digital and Analog Sources
Our picks for the finest source components, in every price range.

 

The Sound

Equipment Reports

53 - Adcom GFP-710 Stereo Preamplifier
Neil Gader checks out the latest in a line of reasonably priced separates from Adcom.

55 - Behringer Ultra-Curve Pro DSP8024 Equalization Device
A cheap fix for just about any system using a subwoofer, so says Robert E. Greene.

57 - Sony DVP-NS999ES CD/SACD/DVD Player
Shane Buettner examines Sony's latest top-drawer multi-format disc spinner.

61 - Cover Story: Focal-JMLab Electra 906 Loudspeaker
From France, a compact monitor that delivers the goods. Neil Gader auditions the speaker, and reports on his factory visit.

65 - Simaudio Moon Nova CD Player
In the age of SACD and DVD-Audio, regular CD players keep getting better. Fred Kaplan on a top contender.

67 - Avantgarde Acoustic Solo Loudspeaker System
Larry Alan Kay spends some time with this unusual horn-loaded design from Germany.

71 - The New Boss: Kharma Ceramique Reference Monitor 3.2
The winner of our Upper-End Speaker of the Year award, and Jonathan Valin tells you why.

77 - The Cutting Edge: Meridian 800 DVD Player & 861 reference Surround Controller, v3
Anthony H. Cordesman on Meridian's latest groundbreaking work in digital sound.

87 - HP's Workshop
A five-star (and not expensive) amplifier from Antique Sound Lab, the Miyabi/47 moving-coil cartridge, and current thoughts on SACD and multichannel sound.

125 - Manufacturers' Comments

 

The Music

109 - Classical Capsules
Recording of the Issue:
Chopin:Etudes (Perahia); Lizst: Paganini Studies. Schubert March Transcriptions (Hamelin);
Liszt: Piano Sonata. Chopin: Sonata No. 3 (Gampel)
Mahler: Symphony No.5 (Rattle)
Beethoven: Concerto for Violin and Orchestra (Mutter)
Pärt: Orient and Occident
Braga Santos: Symphonic Variations. Symphony No. 4
Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro
Wagner: The Opera Collection (Solti)
The Noel Coward Songbook (Bostridge)
Baltic Voices 1

119 - Jazz Capsules
ScoLoHoFo: Oh!
Tony Bennett & kd lang: Wonderful World
Ruby Braff: Variety is the Spice of Braff
Matthew Shipp: Equilibrium
Jenny Scheinmann: The Rabbi’s Lover
Miles Davis: Relaxin’ & Bill Evans Trio: Waltz for Debby on 45 rpm vinyl

127 - Rock: Pop Capsules
The Sea and Cake: One Bedroom
George Harrison: Brainwashed
Tracy Chapman: Let It Rain; Richard Buckner: Impasse
Sigur Ros: ( )
Pearl Jam: Riot Act; Audioslave: Audioslave
Prince: One Night Alone…Live!
The Roots: Phrenology
The Donnas: Spend the Night

132 - The Year's Top 10 Pop/Rock, Jazz & Classical Albums
Bob Gendron, Fred Kaplan, and Andrew Quint effectively carve in stone 2002’s 10 best pop/rock, jazz, and classical albums.

135 - Feature: Gifts You Should Have Received for the Holidays
A guide to the superior independent and big-name boxed sets, live albums, and collections that you should have received for the holidays, and if you didn’t, can acquire now.

143 - New Formats: SACD
SACD Gets Its Groove On: The Latest from Bill Evans, Art Pepper, Ella Fitzgerald, and Stan Getz
Holst: The Planets (with “Pluto”)
Poulenc: Violin Sonata. Debussy: Violin Sonata. Saint-Saëns: Violin Sonata No. 1. (Midori)
Dvorák: Slavonic Dances, Opp.46 and 72.; Beethoven: Symphony No. 9 (Karajan)

150 - DVD-A
A Heap of New Rock & Pop: R.E.M., Neil Young, Trey Anastasio, Faith Hill, and more on DVD-A

 

Finale

149 - Where To Buy The Absolute Sound

151 - Ad Index

152 - TAS Retrospective
Quads Past and Present: Notes on a 30-Year Romance Paul Seydor reminisces on an age-old love.

 


 

SUBSCRIBE!
Click here
to subscribe to The Abso!ute Sound.

 

Previous Issues

2003

December/January

 

2002

June/July   August/September   October/November

 

     
 

Quick Links


Premium Audio Review Magazine
High-End Audio Equipment Reviews

 

Equipment Review Archives
Turntables, Cartridges, Etc
Digital Source
Do It Yourself (DIY)
Preamplifiers
Amplifiers
Cables, Wires, Etc
Loudspeakers/ Monitors
Headphones, IEMs, Tweaks, Etc
Superior Audio Gear Reviews

 

Videos
Our Featured Videos

 


Show Reports
Montreal Audiofest 2024 Report

Southwest Audio Fest 2024
Florida Intl. Audio Expo 2024
Capital Audiofest 2023 Report
Toronto Audiofest 2023 Report
UK Audio Show 2023 Report
Pacific Audio Fest 2023 Report
T.H.E. Show 2023 Report
HIGH END Munich 2023
Australian Hi-Fi Show 2023 Report
AXPONA 2023 Show Report
...More Show Reports

 

Other
Cool Free Stuff For You
Tweaks For Your System
Vinyl Logos For LP Lovers
Lust Pages Visual Beauty

 

 


Industry & Music News

High-End Premium Audio & Music News

 

Partner Print Magazines
audioXpress
Australian Hi-Fi Magazine
hi-fi+ Magazine
Sound Practices
VALVE Magazine

 

For The Press & Industry
About Us
Press Releases
Official Site Graphics

 

 

 

     

Home   |   Hi-Fi Audio Reviews   |   News   |   Press Releases   |   About Us   |   Contact Us

 

All contents copyright©  1995 - 2024  Enjoy the Music.com®
May not be copied or reproduced without permission.  All rights reserved.