Audiophile Equipment Comments and Letters To Us

Letters To Us

November 2007

Hi Steven,

Maybe a stupid question. But how does a fast amp compares to a less fast amp re the. I know it hat to do with slew rate, but how would you recognize and fast amp when listening. Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions.

Best regards,

Harm Zeven

Harm,

Excellent question! Basically you should be able to tell a 'fast' amplifier by playing music that has fast transients (techno/dance/etc music). The 'faster' amplifier will generally have the ability to have the sound emitting from the loudspeakers stop and start faster. As such, another general manifestation of this is that the inner resolution of said sound will have higher inner detail of the instrument(s). Always glad to help and in the end what really matters is that you...

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

November 2007

Hello,

I am looking to upgrade my B&K receiver since I purchased the Vandersteen 2ce Sig 2s recently. I am considering Belles 150A reference or Hotrod, McComack DNA 125 or 225 or Ayre v5xe. I would partner the Ayre with their preamp or was considering a VTL 2.5 pre for the Belles or McCormack. Any advice? Also, with the Belles and McCormack being fairly easy to drive for solid state (100K ohms) would a 10 to 12 foot long interconnect be too long for the VTL 2.5?

Thanks,

John Rembert

John,

Thanks for your e-mail and while having never reviewed with the Belles or the McCormack, the VTL can easily handle 12-foot interconnects.

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

November 2007

Hello Mr. Walker,

I enjoyed the writing you did on the Gershman speaker ,Have you heard the new Sonagram loudspeaker yet ? I am in the Market for a speaker in the 4k range or less ,I also was interested in the Reference 3A Veena or DeCappo not using a crossover , can you hear the differences compared to a speaker that is using a crossover , this is the question ,from your experiences what is your take on this question using these speakers as just 1 example I look forwards to hearing from you. Keep up the good writings.

Paul

Paul,

Thank you for writing. Generally speaking, not using a crossover should produce more coherent sound; that is, the speaker should keep the sound in-phase. The general theory is a form of audio minimalism: the less you put between the source and the sound you hear, the better. Anyway, that is the theory. In practice, speakers with and without crossovers work very well, depending on the quality of components used, the design of the crossover, the balance among crossover, cabinet and drivers -- thus, any of the speakers you mention can be very good.

Unfortunately, I cannot help you with your purchasing decision as much as I would like to. I have not heard the Sonogram yet. Some Reference 3A speakers are very good, although I have not recently given them a critical listen. I suggest that, if you have a sufficiently flexible dealer, audition the speakers in your home listening area. If the dealer will not agree to this audition, try to ensure that you listen to the speakers you are considering with your own source and amplifier.

For any listening test, always bring along several of your own albums that are good at revealing the capabilities of any speaker or system. I use a mix of jazz, classical music, opera, folk and rock. The most important part of your listening test is the midrange. You may find that the highs and lows are the more impressive way to hear things, but for continued listening, you will probably find that midrange is what gives you the best version of reality and also proves to be least tiring.

So, while the cymbal's sound, the organ or bass viols' deep notes may prove intriguing, make sure you include recordings that depend on the midrange. Hi-fi dealers often keep recordings with very powerful bass, lots of drums, closely mic'ed guitars and high frequency instruments. From their point of view, they are trying to get you to listen to the speaker's performance outside the midrange.

On the other hand, a piece such as Shirley Horn's version of "If you leave me" on her CD You Won't Forget Me (Verve, 847 482-2) will give you a broad range of sounds: her voice, the cymbals being brushed, a sudden piano chord, the wood blocks in the percussion set. All of these sounds I listen to very closely when I am reviewing a speaker or other equipment. The CD has been around for about 15 years, but is probably easy to buy on eBay or from your local retailer.

I also use James Carter's "Nuages" on his CD Chasin' the Gipsy (Atlantic, CD83304).The opening snap of the baritone sax's reed going into action is quite revealing of whether the system is giving you reality or sound effects. I have heard both and yes, there is a happy medium. The rest of the piece is also revealing for its presentation of percussion and the accordion.

Here are several other CDs I also use when I review audio gear.
Bill Frisell, Gone, Just Like a Train, Nonesuch, 79479-2
Eiji Oue, conductor, Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra; Stravinsky's The Firebird Suite, 1919 Revision; The Song of the Nightingale; The Rite of Spring on the album, Stravinsky -- The Song of the Nightingale; The Firebird Suite; The Rite of Spring; Reference Recordings, RR-70 CD
Sumi Jo, soprano; Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, composer. Constanze’s “Martern aller Arten” from Die Entführung aus dem Serail," included in Sumi Jo sings Mozart Erato, 0630-14637-2
Leila Josefowicz, violin; Heinrich Wilhelm Ernst, arranger of Schubert's "Le Roi des Aulnes" as the Grand Caprice for Solo Violin after Schubert D. 328 («Erlkonig»); Philips 446 700-2
Jacques Lousier Trio; Claude Débussy, The Jacques Loussier Trio plays Débussy; Telarc. CD 85511
Frank Lopardo and Angela Georghiu, Georg Solti conducting the Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden; "Parigi,o cara, noi lasceremo", from La Traviata; London, 448 119-2.

All the CDs I mentioned are good recordings that offer the opportunity of listening to real-world music; that is, music that has not been selected only to us the deep boom of the bass and the upper end of the cymbal crash, trumpet, wailing guitar or violin to convince the customer that the speaker they are hearing is good. Good luck as you search out the best speaker for your system. If it is not too much of an inconvenience, I would like to know what you finally decide and why you decided on a particular speaker.

All the best,

Neil Walker

November 2007

Hi,

How does iTunes quality compare to CD? Is it better to buy the CD? Does iPlus make a difference? Thanks.

Wolfgang Tober

Wolfgang,

Thanks for your e-mail and glad you asked. iTunes is a very highly LOSSY compressed 128kbs (that means you are 'losing' a vast amount of music data), or perhaps 256kBs lossy whereas CD is well over 1000kbs. What you really should be asking yourself is why so many people give good money for only 1/6th the music? You see, there are sites like Music Giants where you can download truly good audio files that are encoded at 1100kbs. Of course you could buy the CD and rip it at lossless (no loss at all), which is vastly better than iTunes.

Personally, I would never download a song from iTunes of Microsoft's Zune service, as in my opinion you are not receiving a fair deal. They should price the songs at 30 cents each, then it would be more along the lines of the quality they are providing.

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

November 2007

Hi,

I read Dwayne Carter's article on the Rotel 971 with great interest. I happen to own one and did not know it was HDCD until I was playing a 20-bit Dave Brubeck the other night and noticed the red led. Here's my question: Is the light suppose to come with every 20-bit CD? I've started buying remastered 20-bit CDs of my old favorites, but the light does not always come on. Your comments will be appreciated. Oh yes, I did find I had some CDs that I did not know were HDCD. Thanks for your fine article.

Ron Foster

Ron,

Thanks for your e-mail and Dwayne Carter decided years ago to open up a store and, as such, we had to let him go a s a writer due to the obvious conflict of interest. As for your question, i believe the light will illuminate for all HDCD discs. While some discs might claim 20-bit mastering, they might not be HDCD encoded. Always glad to help and in the end what really matters is that you...

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

November 2007

Steven,

Some years ago I seem to remember reading on your site a series of articles about improving the sound of a relatively modest Yamaha (I think) loudspeaker. I can't remember the model designation. Internal wiring, changes in damping materials, bracing were all issues but the results were substantially good. Am I going crazy? Time plays memory tricks! It may not have been you. Reason for asking is I have just acquired for virtually zilch an immaculate pair of smallish yet heavyweight built 1980s Yamaha NS650s, for “play along” use in my 10 year old son’s drum room. The sound is great for purpose, driven by a monster Marantz 2330B receiver which my tech man has just refurbished, but the tweaker in me would like to engineer out the slight nasality of these otherwise great little speakers, which from the immaculate engineering of the drivers and baffle mounted +/- treble pot, and the NS tag I guess were down-line marketed siblings of the legendary NS1000 monitors? Anyway if there is any coincidence in any of this can you please point me at where to find it if it exists still!

Gratefully,

Stuart Wyss

Stuart,

You are crazy! Ok, you're not but i kinda forget about where i placed the speaker tweaks. BASICALLY:

Rewire with good wire

Change parts in crossover for better ones

Dampen the internals with wood brace and also use Dynamat SPRAY or the like to kill cabinet resonances

Cover the front of the speaker with this foam (of felt) EXCEPT over the drivers. In other words, make it so the foam/felt lowers cabinet reflection.

Insert more or less dampening material (polyester or whatever) inside the cabinet.

Hope this helps and remember this is TUNING so using more of something might be worse. The fun is in the try X and listen, then try Y and listen. ONLY try ONE tweak at a time and remember to allow crossover parts and wire to run in and settle/form. Many tweaks are reversible, so carefully consider those which are not. i make no promises as every speaker is different so perhaps try reversible tweaks first, and the spraying of internal dampening spay last.

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

November 2007

Dear Steven,

I’ve just come across this little amplifier and your review of it. May I ask if are you just as enthusiastic now?

Raymond Kenward

Raymond,

Yes, am still very much in love with the little uVac integrated amplifier.

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

November 2007

Hi,

Just a comment about your site's review of the recent Beastie Boys album, the Mix Up. IMO, this review is not worthy of publication. All it expresses is the reviewer's complete lack of understanding of the material. This review discredits your publication. May I suggest that this review be removed and that someone else with a better sensitivity towards this kind of music be given the job?

Thanks,

James

November 2007

Alan of Axiom Audio,

Thanks for your article within Enjoy The Music.com. Axiom's products, even though I don't own them right now, are very good indeed. On dynamic range, the CD format has about 95 dB or so -- about 20 dB more than what is heard at an orchestral concert. The actual (live) dynamic range is less than what people think as most of them don't sit right next to a grand piano.

But 95 dB is still not enough, as more headroom in mastering and less quantization noise in listening is desirable and could be achieved by recording at 20 bits. We could record at 16, then add dither but it's more optimal to record right at 20. More bits are simply not needed for music.

This 20-bit resolution gets fully preserved on the 16-bit consumer copy via RE-dithering. A high-rez audio format but nobody knew -- and they've been doing this since the early 1990's!!!

As for power, which is what we hear at home (and what's needed for SPL's), the answer is an active crossover. By dividing up the frequency spectrum, it's much easier to drive each "section" of a speaker via its own amp. We no longer need an heroically-designed, full-range power amp. Asking (one) amp to drive 10 octaves in real time was an enormous task to say the least!!!

John Harnick

Hello John,

Thanks for your response to my article on dynamic headroom. It's always great to hear back from readers. We'll agree to disagree on the subject of "heroically-designed" full-range power amplifiers for now. I should point out, however, that tri-amplified speaker systems with an electronic crossover have been notoriously poor sellers in the domestic audio marketplace largely because of their impracticality. They place an unwieldy assemblage of electronics and adjustments into the hands of consumers, many of whom are technically naive.

Cordially,

Alan Lofft
Axiom Audio

November 2007

Steven,

After spending the last several years aggressively pursuing audio nirvana, I am writing to share with you some of my observations. These observations were made by specifically using disinterested non-audiophiles. Although, the sample may be too small to carry any statistic significance, I think that these insights might shake a few audiophile cobwebs loose.

1. Upon hearing the same source played through solid state, push/pull tubes, and single ended tubes, everyone chose the SET sound. Comments were generally along the lines of "that sounds like music" "it is fuller" "the others sound like radios." People did not care about precision, bass slam, etc. They were instantly attracted the overall sound reproduction of SETs. (Amps: Art Audio Carissa, Fi X, Leben 300, Naim Nait 1, PS Audio, Sony, Pioneer, Sim Audio, Airtight, Scott, Jolida)

2. When given the choice between solid core speaker wire and stranded wire, the latter often costing next to nothing in comparison to the audiophile approved solid core, everyone chose the stranded cable for reasons similar to those stated regarding amplification.

3. With regards to vinyl, vinyl won every time, except when the vinyl was cut from a CD master (a truly sick action). Then, people preferred the smoothness of the cd player. (Even a 99.00 Audio Techinca turntable beat CD, provided that the built phono preamp was not used)

4. Flat frequency response via room correction systems did little to impress most listeners. Severe aberrations may be problematic, but flattening response never removed problems for people with reproduction as noted above. It never detracted, but never made that much of a difference either, and this was observed using single driver speakers.

5. CD players did not make much difference to anyone. The following players were utilized; Cary 303, Rega Saturn, Rega Apollo, Panasonic S57, Pioneer Elite 59AVi, Sony PS 1, Sony 595, Sony 9000ES, Benchmark DAC. Only minor differences were noted, but most importantly people viewed these difference more as a matter taste, rather than superiority. For as many people who picked the Saturn, just as many picked the PS 1, which clearly had lighter bass than the rest. We also used a high end tube DAC, which I will not mention by name, which was nice, but clearly not worth the price of admission.

6. And finally, the most important observation of all. Everyone upon first entering the listening room, first noticed or commented on the flat panel television, rather than the stereo equipment. The second thing that they all noticed was the number of compact discs on the rack. Well, there you have it.

So what do we conclude from these sessions?

1. Single ended tubes sound more like real music. Other amplification may appeal to audiophiles, who aren't looking for the sound of real music.
2. Solid core speaker wire ruins the sound of real music. (By the way, we used some nice stuff: Auditorium, Audience, Cardas, Audioquest, etc. for solid core, but only cheap off the rack for stranded)
3. Vinyl is final; however, its principle advantage is that it can reproduce music without digital interface. Digital recordings sound better on digital playback provided ultimate resolution is not compromised.
4. Flat frequency response is somewhat irrelevant to audio satisfaction.
5. Despite what you guys preach, cd players are all very close in terms of performance. The differences that they offer amount to mostly self deluded audiophile crap.
6. Pretty much, nobody cares about 2 channel audio. Video is much more important to most, or at least television. Two channel likely is doomed to an ever declining cult status in the U.S.

Take these observations as you will. I am sure that many so called audiophiles will take issue. Their challenges, however, are more likely the product of dictum, rather than the consequence of actually listening. Frankly, I am not interested in their retorts. I feel that my own journey has been colored by too much marginal audiophile crap. (no offense) Most none audiophiles "enjoy the music" this way. This should be worth something. That being said, I do very much enjoy listening to music on the Nait 1, as well as the SETs. My own take is that as long as the system does no wrong, I can live with it.

Thanks,

Joe Mudry

November 2007

Steven,

Thank you for your informative review of the Audioengine A2, following up on your previous review of the A5. My question is whether or not you have listened to other powered speakers out there. There's another whole genre of powered loudspeakers in the "studio monitor" category. I've read good things about KRK's RP5 and RP8 "Rockit Powered" monitors (5" and 8" mid/woofer), and there are similar offerings from other companies. Presumably, these are designed to be nearfield monitors, so I wonder if they would be comparable to the Audioengine A5? The only feature they lack is the iPod charging, but that's not that big of a deal. In general, are these loudspeakers in the ballpark to complete a "portable" audio system to compliment my iPod?

Enjoy your reviews. Thanks,

Bill Thomas

Bill,

Thanks for your e-mail and while it would be impossible to hear all the variations on the theme (as it were), am familiar that manufacturers like KRK, M-Audio, AAD, etc produce powered monitors. Our writer, Steven Stone, has a column titled 'The Nearfield' (link here) and has many such speakers reviewed. Of course price may also be a consideration as the Audioengine A2 are a mere $200 while I know some powered monitor speakers reach over $10,000. Naturally there are great values for the dollar, a middle ground sweet spot, and of course the high-priced no-holds-barred super technology and performance contenders. In the November edition of Enjoy the Music.com's Superior Audio we hope to have a review of the latter variety by one of pro audio's leading authorities.

Thanks again for your e-mail and in the end what really matters is that you...

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

November 2007

Hello Rick,

I am considering either the Devore silverback or the Vandersteen 5a. What are the differences and which do you think is better considering I can get either at the same price? Is there any other that I should consider?

Regards,

Iqbal

Hi Iqbal,

It's nice to know we have readers in South Africa! The loudspeakers you are considering are both outstanding. My exposure to both is limited to the Montreal and New York audio shows, so I am not really an expert on either one. Hopefully you have the opportunity to hear both of them yourself in a system similar to your own.

The Devore I heard was in a solid state system, if I recall correctly, and I was slow to grasp its excellence. Since that time Devore loudspeakers have been reviewed and highly praised many times, including by our own Todd Warnke. I trust the judgment of the reviewers I know who have reviewed it. The more recent photographs on their website indicate a much more elegant veneer than ones I have seen at shows in a darker finish. With its claimed efficiency of 91dB, and benign impedance curve is should be very tube friendly. Being a fan of tube amplification, I would certainly consider powering it this way.

I've heard the Vandersteen more frequently, through at least a couple of upgrades and always powered by tubes. I've always appreciated its musical quality, as have the many people who have reviewed it. With its built-in solid state amplifier for the sub woofer, your power amplifier only has to deal with the main drivers. This is helpful in light of its moderate efficiency of 87dB.

Whenever you select a loudspeaker it is important to consider your power amplifier, or whatever one you might be thinking of purchasing. Room volume, room dimensions, seating position, room treatments, as well as preferred type of music and the volume at which you prefer to listen are also very important. If you are spending this much money on loudspeakers, you probably know this already, but I would rather err on the side of inclusion than err on the side of omission on these issues.

Another important factor that is often ignored, but probably plays an important subconscious role is the visual appearance of the loudspeaker and how it fits into the decor of your room. Unless you keep your love of music a secret, others will see the loudspeakers and family members will have to live with them, too. The Devore is slender and has a smaller footprint than the Vandersteen. The Devore presents a black front to the listener, while the Vandersteen presents at least some wood veneer. If you prefer to listen (and live) with the drivers exposed, you will have to at least like the pyramid beneath the hood of the Vandersteen. Both loudspeakers are visually excellent, but they are different from each other. I caution you to recognize and understand your personal preferences.

One difference that may be significant to you is the Vandersteen 5A has a second, adjustable rear-firing tweeter that allows you to create a more spacious, three dimensional soundstage. Some people don't care for this effect, but with a somewhat similar set-up on several Von Schweikert loudspeakers I've owned or reviewed, I like it when used with moderation. Also, the Vandersteen is designed to have its drivers be phase correct, but again, not everyone is particularly sensitive to this benefit.

You asked about other speakers in this quality and price range, Iqbal, so I will be happy to mention Kharma, which is my reference, and the Von Schweikert VR4-Sr Mk2 (review forthcoming). With the declining value of the US$, I expect the US companies are a very good buy in your country. You've inquired about two of the very finest choices, but certainly, there are many more to choose from. If you have the opportunity to listen to them, trust your own ears.

Best of luck,

Rick Becker

November 2007

Steven,

Saw your interesting article on your website while trying to research a particular problem that i've encountered. I'm in possession of two (2) London recordings both from 1984 (411 903-2 LH) & (410 116-2 lh) and both have developed the identical problem and that is pin hole erosions through the label facing. I've attempted to use a silver metallic "sharpie" to remediate or attenuate any reading difficulties, but both CD's are giving me problems. any suggestions as to a cure or possible replacement by Decca?

Thanks and regards,

Nathan Wang

Nathan,

Thanks for your e-mail and sadly, there is no real cure other than to right now archive the CD by burning a copy and use error correction or some program that can somehow be sure to get ever bit correct. As I recall, in the 80's pressing plants had a CD formulation problem and, as such, CDs seems to have the silver inner layer erode. In fact I have a few CDs that are suffering to a higher degree than yours! So your best bet is to right now burn copies of the CD so you have a more stable, known good copy.

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

November 2007

Hello Steven,

Do you still like Audio Note speakers? I am considering a pair of Audio Note J's for my 9' x 13' cramped bedroom with a 10' ceiling, is this room big enough? How would you describe their sonic signature?

Thank You,

Tom Farrell

Tom,

Thanks for your e-mail and they should work great in that size room. As for my impressions, please see my review at this link. While they may not be the most visually appealing loudspeakers, they have it where it matters most... the sound.

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

November 2007

Bill,

I see the non-believers are starting up again with the old Julian Hirsch argument that "if I can't measure it how can there be a difference". I agree that there are (and always have been) many charlatans and fakes around this industry trying to "put lipstick on a pig" as it were but when it comes to cables I have found audible differences in almost all cables I have tried. One of the main problems with cable measurements is measurement people don't know what or how to measure the audible differences. I can demonstrate "measurable differences" between cables but it could take a lifetime to quantify exactly what is happening. Back when I was doing R&D work for the late Sal Demicco's Discrete Technology, I had developed a test using an HP Digitizing scope, where I could demonstrate that his latest speaker wire, under Music playback conditions would measure higher signal levels at the output than the input! I'll give the objectivists a hint: All cables, interconnect, loudspeaker, or AC line cord are a form of "tone control".

Actually there is a simple subjective demonstration pertaining to speaker cables that can be performed with a pair of mono amplifiers; place the amplifiers as close as possible to the speakers binding posts. Connect your usual speaker wire and listen. Remove the speaker wire and replace it with the shortest length of heavy copper wire you can, think "eliminate the speaker wire and connect the output of the amplifier directly to the speaker terminals". Listen and consider if you hear any difference...

Lawrence C. Smith
President, Perfectionist Audio Components

Lawrence,

Nice to hear from you again, and thanks for the affirmation. For those of you who have never heard of him, Larry Smith invented the IDOS, the first AC product which was developed to decrease the digital noise transmitted back into the analog equipment. He also did development work for Sal Demicco, late of Distech, but his greatest achievements as far as I'm concerned, were solid state and tubed preamplifiers, both of which I owned in the 80's. I still have the solid state preamps which are excellent, but have been replaced by tubed VacuumTube preamps. His tubed preamp was sold in the 90's when I went solid state for a time, one of those acts which we are eternally sorry for.

Anyway, please heed his message as he's an engineer who does both the objectivist and subjectivist approach, and knows what he's talking about.

Dr. Bill Gaw

November 2007

Steven Stone,

Thank you Mr. Stone for comparing two DAC/preamps (Bel Canto and Benchmark). This was one of the most interesting reviews of the last months. I am reading web audio press on a daily basis. I wish you had used a pc or a music server as a transport as well. Many people wish to pass from CD players to computer-based systems. Therefore USB DAC reviews are key.

Stavros Venizelos

Hello Stravos,

I actually did use a PC (or a MAC in my case ) with i-tunes burned at 320 BPS.

I'm glad you enjoyed the review.

Steven Stone

November 2007

Hi Steven,

I am looking for some expert knowledge and someone suggested you might be that expert. I have recently come into possession of a Sony Discman D-10 in near-perfect condition, but I am unable to find out anything about this particular model. I suspect that it is a foreign release or something of that nature. Would you have any idea or suggestions about where I can find info? I have searched extensively and have not found one mention of it anywhere, including Sony's own sites. I am stumped.

Thanks in advance for any help,

Jennifer Hyland

Jennifer,

You have a great unit there! All info can be found at this link. You will never find that large flat battery that connects to the bottom, though the small battery that goes inside the unit (on the bottom panel) can be found if you do a search online for the BP-2EX. Always glad to help.

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin

More Letters Pages

2007

January February March April

May June July August

September October

2006

January February March April

May June July August

September October November December

2005