Enjoy the Music.com Letters To Us

Letters To Us

We always welcome letters to the Review Magazine. Please share in your wisdom, ask questions to us, and compliment our work if you so choose. We are all here to help you. Simply click here to send us your e-mail. Alas, only a very small handful appear below as we receive many letters each day. To post them all would take a separate magazine itself! Of course what really matters to us is that you...

Enjoy the music,

Steven R. Rochlin

July 2004

Steven,

Just a quick note to say thank you for such an honest site. There are way too many sites with hidden agendas! As a vinyl junkie, and a nomad having moved from the UK, France, to the US, back to France, to Singapore and now in Japan, my Roksan Xerxes has had to be set up many times! My collection of tools and gadgets for vinyl is getting larger and larger... and now include those from Enjoy the Music.com™...

Thanks again for a great site!

Chi

July 2004

Hi Dick,

I just wanted to write you and thank you. I recently purchased a used Manley Stingray. I came upon your review in Enjoy the Music and was interested in you tube recommendation. So I replaced the tubes with those you recommended and MAN what a change for the better. The harshness is gone and the soundstage is much more open.

Thanks for the tip and keep up the good work!

Audiophile armature,

Jay Johnson

July 2004

Hi Steven,

i have just purchase a Linn Klassic - and was wondering which loudspeaker to pair with this? I original purchased some Celestion AVS302. However, they where broken upon delivery? I was thinking about 2x minipods from blueroom loudspeakers because they look cool, but will they be a good marriage with the Linn? Could you recommend any other loudspeakers... prepared to pay up to Ł500.

Many thanks,

Adrian Madley

Adrian,

Thanks for your e-mail. Alas, not overly familiar with loudspeakers within your price range. As always, best bet would be to bring some of your favorite music and listen to various loudspeakers in a store. Purchase the ones you enjoy the most and see how they mate with your room and system. There is no substitute for an in home audition.

If you are wondering, i use the Reference 3A MM De Capo-i yet they are a bit above your price range. They have been very well received by both reviewers and the public alike.

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

July 2004

Mr. Flood,

I've been debating on a home theater system for myself and I was wondering if you could help. I noticed that you did a review of the Axiom M80Ti's. I have a gift card at Best Buy and was thinking about getting their Klipsch Synergy SF-3 floor speakers along with other surround speakers. The sales guy there says the Klipsch Tractix horn is suppose to be great. If you thought the Axiom M80Ti's are significantly better, then I would use the gift card for something else. Any ideas on the Klipsch Synergy KSW-12 440watt vs. Axiom EP350 200watt subwoofers? I was planning on getting the Yamaha RX-V2400 or 1400 as my receiver. The system would be mainly for movies and classical music. Ideally, I would like to find something for the $600 gift card, but I don't want to regret getting an inferior system. BTW, I'm no audiophi! le by any means and would like to spend < $3000. Any advice from you would be much appreciated.

Thanks in advance,

Rit Tun

Dear Rit Tun,

Three grand is still a lot of money these days. You should be able to cobble together a wonderfully fitting pair of audio shoes.

I would be the first to suggest that the Axiom Audio line of loudspeakers gives incredible Internet and Canadian dollar values for the home movie and music reproduction system. As much as I like the Klipsch series of loudspeakers, I think their front-end equipment needs to be chosen with care; though the same thing could be said about the Axioms. Where the Axioms need an amplifier that can drive 3-ohms, the Klipsch need a amplifier that is silent at micro-watts. I have heard that Yamaha is NOT the best match for Klipsch horns. The Klipsch Tractix horn can be great, with the right receiver. The six-cone Axiom M80Ti's are significantly different. In my own humble opinion, the Klipsch Synergy KSW series subs are a lot of boom for the buck, but Axioms from Canada over the Internet should be an even better value.

Either way, you are still comparing apples to oranges and blending your favors. I would “Master The Possibilities,” order both and keep the ones you like.

By the way, we are all tweaking audiophiles under the hood, it is only a matter of exposure to great systems and other priorities that differentiate us.

Yours in Listening,

Colin

July 2004

Hi Steven,

Ever since seeing the 47 Lab products in various magazines and reading up on the company's vision, I have "wanted" them. I read your review with interest, as there are no dealers that I know of in Hong Kong, I might need to buy the "deaf" so I am desperate for any insight on their products.

While reviews have largely been positive, there are those who felt that they are "thin" in character. Would you care to comment? I am currently a NaimCD3.5/Naim72-180/ATC SCM7/Linn Kan user. Below are some of my main concerns:-

Have you heard their Shigaraki line as well (this is line line which I can afford), if so, how do they compare with the Gaincard?

Can they "rock"? I listen mainly to Rock/Jazz/Reggae/Electronica... however, I live in a tiny, tiny apartment so I don't need killer bass...

So describe them as sound thin, how true is that?

Which speaker might fit their character better -- ATC SCM7s (laid back) or Kans (forward) or do I need new speakers to maximize their potential?

If so, what speakers do you suggest? They would either be in a 3m by 5m living room or a 2.5m by 3m "listening room".

Your insight would be invaluable! Thanks in advance and looking forward to your reply.

Roy Chan

Roy,

Like any components, there are synergy issues. The Linn Kan in my humble opinion is a bad match for the 47 Labs unit. The Kan nearly demand high wattage and amperage amplifier. The 47 Labs is not one of those. In my humble opinion you will need loudspeakers that better mate with the Gaincard such as the Reference 3a, Avantgarde hornspeakers, or the like.

Have not heard, in my system, any of the Shigaraki line.

As for the ATC SCM7, they are also of VERY low sensitivity. You obviously have chosen loudspeakers that are like this. As such, you are "forced" to high wattage amplifiers (generally speaking). Perhaps one day you may find joy, as many others have, with properly designed high sensitivity loudspeakers. Wish you all the very best and in the end what really matters
is that you...

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

July 2004

Steven

One more question, If I download your browser it links to other music site's, It will not effect XP or anything?,

I am new to this, The SACD-DVD AUDIO question I asked boggles my mind, Same title which one do you get, Do they sound the same?

Thanks,

Seth

Seth,

The Enjoy the Music.com™ Internet website browser will not effect XP or any Microsoft operating system at all. Basically, it adds new links to audiophile/music websites to IE.

As for SACD versus DVD-Audio, it really depends on the mastering so there is no cut and dry answer. It also depends on the quality of your SACD or DVD-A player and which format has better processing.

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

July 2004

Hello Wayne,

I enjoyed your review of the Von Schweikert sub. I am glad that you enjoyed it. However, at the end of the review you merely list the manufacturers claimed specifications. Among them is a spec of 0.8% distortion at full output. I would challenge you to a.) verify the frequency at which this distortion measurement is taken and b.) verify the accuracy of this distortion measurement. In these type of small volume designs, it is highly unlikely that such a distortion measurement is any where near accurate.

Thanks for your time.

Shayne Tenace

Shayne,

I'm afraid I have to decline your challenge, since my personal test bench, anechoic chamber and interest in measuring subwoofers all reside in some parallel universe -- the Atkinson dimension(?) -- not accessible to me. For what it's worth, even if the measured distortion turned out to be, say, 1.5%, I think it HIGHLY unlikely that either of us would hear the difference.

Cheers,

Wayne

July 2004

Hi,

In your review of Home Entertainment 2003, you mention the Heathkit AD-1308 spectrum analyzer. There is one for sale on eBay now, and I was wondering what you think of the unit? It's 20 years old now -- assuming it's still working -- would it be useful for EQing a home entertainment system and a small PA system or would I be better off with something newer, like the Phonic PAA2 or a Goldline model?

Thanks,

Greg

Greg,

In its time the unit was impressive, but today better units like you mentioned are available at attractive pricing that are far more accurate and diverse.

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

July 2004

Hi Steven,

Does a pre-amplifier that uses a 12AT7A tube sounding less full-bodied than using 6SN7 tubes or is it the circuit design of the pre-amplifier that matters? Your opinion and suggestions is highly appreciated and thanks in advance.

Simon

Simon,

Thanks for your e-mail. There are no "hard and fast" rule with tube types, er se, as then one would also need to mention the circuitry, the tube make/vintage, etc. As an example, certain 12AX tubes "sound" one way in one circuit, yet sound another way in another. And once you start "tube rolling" (using different brand/vintage) the whole "game" begins. This is an asset with tubes as with solid-state devices you are generally "stuck" with the way it reproduces music. With tube gear you can change tubes easily to flavor as desired :)

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin