December 2017
In This Issue...
Of Dreams, Retro-Revival Niche, And Hi-Res Analog
Article By Noel Keywood

  Spendor have a great reputation for building loudspeakers that offer a sound not quite like any other. Born from a tradition of technical accuracy demanded by the BBC long ago, they've continued to use a sober ‘feet on the ground' approach to loudspeaker design that holds up well today. Where so many other manufacturers like to use metal cones for their fast but – inevitably – metallic sound, Spendor continue to use EP77 damped polymer cones that lack the zing – but offer the information. Couple this with advanced bass damping techniques able to deliver deep subsonics and the Spendor D9 looks special. Find out more about it in our review by Jon Myles on p10.

You can't buy them, you can't use them – you can only dream about them. Dreams are different from reality though, warns Dave Tutt in another fascinating insight into the professional open-reel analogue tape recorder on p59. I'm wrong of course, you can buy them, second hand – restored or unrestored – but this market is for audiophiles with deep pockets. You can't buy new professional analogue tape recorders – at least, not quite yet.

I suspect open-reel analogue tape recorders might be a future retro-revival niche though; Technics are about to launch a stunning looking SP-10R Direct Drive turntable and are getting right back behind analogue audio with serious product. Will they or others suddenly announce the introduction of a professional open-reel tape recorder aimed at music studios around the world – oh, and with a spin-off model for the home? I sense that open-reel is about to kick open its coffin lid and step out in new form. When it does we will be there taking pictures, applying a few measurements and telling you about how good high-resolution analogue can sound.

High-resolution analogue was expensive stuff confined to big studios and broadcasting organisations until digital took over. It is far less expensive now for everyday audiophiles – people who would just like to hear what is really on an analogue LP, rather than suffer a mangled version. Audio Technica recently introduced a range of hi-end pickup cartridges – the 700 Series – able to do just that, using sophisticated stylus tip shapes. Our review on p84 and following Feature explain how today's modern pickup cartridges bring you high-resolution from LP. I hope you enjoy what we bring you in another issue that combines the old with the new – and the old that is new!

--- Noel Keywood, editor.

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