Enjoy the Music.com
The Absolute Sound

 

The Absolute Sound Issue 202 April / May 2010   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 202, April / May 2010 table of contents and link to the editorial.

Read this edition's editorial by clicking here.

 

Articles & Reviews In This Issue
8 Letters

10 From the Editor
Self Imposed Myopia
Editorial By Robert Harley

13 Industry News

14 Golden Ear Club

32 Dealer Profile

38 Chris Martens on Loudspeakers under $5000

44 Steven Stone on Digital

50 Neil Gader on Electronics and Analog Gear Under $10,000

54 Alan Taffel on Loudspeakers from $5000 to $25,000

59 Jim Hannonon High Value Turntables, Arms, and Cartridges

62 Dick Olsher on Tubed Gear

68 Robert Harley on Upper-End Electronics

72 Jonathan Valin on Ultra-High-End Loudspeakers

116 HP’s Workshop

 

The 2010 Consumer Electronics Show
We Bring You 25 Pages of the Hottest New Gear from the Industry’s Biggest Event
+ HP’s Impressions of CES

 

Equipment Reports
16 Start Me Up
ADAM A5 Loudspeaker
Steven Stone listens to a small powered-monitor from Germany.

22 Next-Gen Digital
Sonic Studio Amarra Software
Amarra software purportedly improves the sound quality of digital files. Steven Stone separates the hype from the reality.

28 Neko Audio DAC
This DAC from upstart Neko Audio breaks all the rules.
Dick Olsher evaluates the result.

84 AudioQuestWBY Interconnect
Are silver conductors audio’s silver bullets?
Neil Gader has the answer.

86 April Music Stello Ai500 Integrated Amplifier
This powerhouse of an integrated amp might be one of the best values in high-end audio. Steven Stone on why the Ai500 knocked his socks off.

92 Jungson Impression II CD Player
Jacob Heilbrunn on this lavishly built CD player from China.

96 Magico V2 Loudspeaker
Magico brings its unique loudspeaker technology to a lower price point. Neil Gader lives with Magico’s “entry-level” speaker.

102 The Cutting Edge
Walker Proscenium Black Diamond Mk II
Jonathan Valin evaluates the latest version of the record player that’s been his reference for the past decade, and interviews Lloyd Walker and Fred Law of Walker Audio.

 

Music
124 New Vinyl from Blue Heaven
Jeff Wilson reports on Chad Kassem’s Blue Heaven Studio and the blues performances being captured there on direct-to-disc LPs, plus an overview by Robert Harley of the history, difficulties, and unique advantages of the demanding art of direct-to-disc recording.

129 Yo-Yo Ma and the Colorado Symphony in Surround-Sound Broadcast
Gary Krakow offers an inside-the-control-room look at a stellar symphony concert broadcast on FM radio in cutting-edge, you-are-there surround sound.

132 Rock
New releases from the Drive-By Truckers and the team of Jay Farrar and Benjamin Gibbard, vinyl reincarnations of classics from Elvis Costello and Neil Young, and a stunning debut from Chelsea Crowell.

136 Jazz
John Pizzarelli pays tribute to Duke Ellington, Ralph Towner and Paolo Fresu duo up on ECM, Tin Hat tinkles and flootles live, while Mosaic and Gambit offer superlative reissues of Bing Crosby and Bud Powell at their spontaneous best.

140 Classical
A recently completed Ring cycle by Christian Thielemann and company, new recordings of Elgar and Paganini by two dazzling violinists, and Martinu trios in multichannel.

143 Top Ten
Wayne Garcia’s wish list of ten recordings he’d love to see on high-quality vinyl.

 

111 Manufacturer Comment

144 Back Page
Neil Gader chats with Chad Kassem of Acoustic Sounds.

 

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

Previous Issues

2010

January   February   March

 

2009

January   February   March   April/May

June/July   August   September   October

November   December

 

2008

January   February   March   April/May

June/July   August   September   October

November    Winter/Spring Buyer's Guide   December

 

2007

January   February   March   April/May

June/July   August   September

October   November   December

 

2006

January   February   March   April/May

June/July   August   September   October

November   December

 

2005

January   February/March  April/May

June/July   August/September  October/November

December

 

2004

January   February/March   April/May

June/July   August/September  October/November

December

 

2003

December/January   February/March   April/May

June/July   August/September   October/November

December

 

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.