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Letters To Us
July 2005
Hi Wayne,
I just read your review of the Blue Herron 2. I have a chance to buy these on the used market. I currently have a pair of Dunlavy Aletha's which I am trading them with the owner of the BH 2's. Are they still your reference and how do they fare in the long term compared to others you may be listening to now? Any info would be greatly appreciated. I would be using them with a BV Audio 300se integrated(200watts) and CD player (various).
Thanks,
Peter Continas
Hi Peter,
Yes, I'm still using the BH2's, and I consider them quite competitive in musical satisfaction with anything I have auditioned up to $20K. It is somewhat troubling that Meadowlark appears to have gone under, but the ScanSpeak drivers are available and the speakers strike me as unlikely to have any problems unless seriously abused. Your 200 WPC should be more than adequate to drive these fairly sensitive loudspeakers. Good luck and enjoy the music!
Wayne Donnelly
July 2005
Steven,
You piss me off, man. I could easily handle a nude woman as part of an online review if that woman were natural and beautiful, even if one or some of my grandchildren wandered in as I was reading the review, but your rubber tittied, silicone Sue in the Sophia Electric Baby amp review, is such a disgusting, sophomoric parody of a real natural woman that I wonder if you have ever had the pleasure of seeing a beautiful woman nude.
I have no idea how old you are, but your taste in pinups makes me think you're about seventeen. That, naturally, makes me think your opinion on matters audio is about as valuable as a flake of dried shit about to peel off from near Satan's asshole. Other than than I thought your review was downright fairly OK.
Sincerely,
Don Reid
Don,
Thanks for your e-mail and agree she is as fake as a $3 bill. The picture of Ms. Fake, who also is garbed as an angel [sic], is next to text saying "Why is it that the glossy mags always tantalize us with unobtanium like an air brushed Playboy model? These female angels teasing us into thinking there is somehow something we may be missing in life... when reality may be far from what our wild imagination portrays." Agree she is what a teenager might dream of as their Angel Girl, when in reality a more mature man (or woman depending on your sexual preferences) would of course desire something more... honest. So the photo was a good example for the text and assisted in making a point. Am glad you got the point and felt the review was "downright fairly OK."
Enjoy the Music,
Steven R. Rochlin
July 2005
Bill,
I just read your review on the intelligent, I must say the intelligent does indeed sound as bad as the mystical rainbow foil sticker snake oil. Have you tried conducting blind tests with the products, in the review it does not mention blind tests were done, Id like to hear your impressions after a DBT effort. Psycho acoustics plays a major role, even your bodies state of being can effect what you hear. i.e. if your tired, if your hungry and so on, all these factors can affect your perception of sound that you hear.
Just a thought. Stereophile has also reviewed this chip but with absolutely the opposite of your review.
Thanks for your time,
Myo Kong
Myo,
Thanks for the interest. Stereophile came out with a negative rating secondary to an article by a Jim Austin which they published. I believe he is a physicist, and has been reacting very negatively to the chip on a web board. From all of the data I've been able to find, he is arguing on a theoretical basis based on his understanding of present science, and has not experimented with the chip himself. Thus his opinion as to whether it works is purely theoretical rather than experimental.
I do agree that I can think of no scientific explanation of why it works, and it does sound like snake oil, but in my experience and many others, now including John Curl, Ken Kessler and the several of the staff of HiFi Record & Review from England, the chip does make a significant difference in music reproduction from digital discs.
Remember, before the Curie's nobody knew about radiation, before Franklin, Watt, and many others, electricity was a mystery, among many other forms of energy we take for granted today. Ten years ago, everyone thought the universe expansion was slowing down and may sooner or later collapse. Now experimentation has shown that the expansion may be accelerating secondary to an unknown force which Jim Austin probably also cannot explain. So all I can say, is pay the $16.00 for a 10 use chip and experiment yourself. You may be losing the cost of 1 CD, and may be supporting a charlatan by doing it, but you may just learn something that science still doesn't have an explanation for. I've bought enough more for 90 more disc. I do hear a difference which is positive to me.
Bill
July 2005
Phil,
I enjoyed your review of the Dyn 20X-H Cartridge. I am in the process of purchasing a VPI Scoutmaster TT. Harry W. is recommending the Dyn 20X-H. My system consists of: VTL ST-150 amp, VAC Std, LE pre-amp, Maggie 1.6 speakers, and REL Stadium 3 sub. I enjoy a warm lush and delicate sound. Prefer musical vs. analytical presentation. How would you compare the Dyn 20X-H with the Benz Micro wood body H-2, Clear audio Virtuosa Wood and Grado Sonata or Master? I've been cautioned against the Grado due to potential Hum. Your opinion is greatly appreciated. This is my return to vinyl after 20 years.
Thanks,
Larry
Hi Larry,
Well if this is your return to Vinyl then you're doing it in style! I'm not sure the Dynavector 20X-H can be described as warm, lush and delicate so it may not suit your tastes. It is more full blooded than most. However the rest of your system may already be on the lush side and accuracy and neutral tonality may be what you need in a cartridge. The Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood, which I plan to review soon may be a safer bet. I don't have personal experience with the other cartridges you mention so I can't comment. It is vitally important to get the cartridge of your choice well set up and loaded correctly if you want to get the best sound.
One thing I can say is that the performance of both the Dynavector and the Clearaudio is disproportionate to the price. You don't have to spend a fortune to knock digital playback for a loop.
Enjoy The Music,
Phil
July 2005
Dear Phil,
Just read your review of the GO8 CD player and the Denon 5900. Do you know any thing about the 5910 player? Is it a better audio player than the 5900 as far as CD/SACD/DVD-Audio? Does it compare to the G-08 any better?
Thanks,
Pete Smith
Hi Pete,
Thanks for your questions. The DVD 5910 is even more substantially built than the DVD 5900, weighing in at 42lbs, up from 27lbs. The video circuitry, which features the Realta HDQ decoding engine, is state of the art, and the cosmetics have been improved. The remote control, now backlit, has a wider range of functionality. Despite the close similarity in model name, the DVD 5910 is not strictly speaking the successor to the DVD 5900. That honor goes to the DVD 3910. The 5910 is an upscale model based on the earlier DVD 9000.
Unfortunately I haven't auditioned the DVD 5910 so I can't give you any subjective feedback on its sound quality. I hope you will get the opportunity to try it at home and give us your own assessment.
Enjoy the music,
Phil Gold
July 2005
Hi,
I am Vivek from India and am a regular viewer of Parts Express. I'm in need of some advice. I'd like to have your guidance in selecting a perfect music reproduction system. Please respond ASAP.
Vivek Prabhakaran
Vivek,
Thanks for your e-mail. Alas, at this time there is no 'perfect' system. Of course certain systems are better than others.
Enjoy the Music,
Steven R. Rochlin
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