September 2011

In This Issue....
Best Of 2011 Blue Note Awards
Plus special mentions of the Dunlavy Signature Collection SC-IV speakers, Dayton Audio DSS4-BC loudspeaker spikes, and Harmonix TU-666M tuning feet.
Article By Steven R. Rochlin
Click here to e-mail reviewer

  Hectic! If there was one word to describe how busy the past year has been here at Enjoy the Music.com it would be 'hectic'. There has been seven press releases so far in 2011, including our new Android and Windows Phone 7 apps, celebrating our 200 magazine issue, the new V11 of our Internet web browser... and more! In this month's edition our writers carefully whittle down all the products they have reviewed within the past 12 months and highlight those that deserve to define what they feel are the very best. There is no award for being second best, just as in automobile racing it is no fun being first loser (coming in second within a race).

Special Mentions
Color me with an ashamed look on my face, as have been so extremely busy that some products here have fallen through the proverbial crack. Did i mention is has been hectic here at Enjoy the Music.com? Oh yes, in the very beginning of this article! And no, this will not be a stupid shopping list as found elsewhere in audiophile-land just to appease manufacturers, as there are only three products out of all those received here that are getting this special mention below. Whilst the below products have never been officially reviewed by Yours Truly, and one high-end audiophile product would never qualify as it has not been manufactured in over a decade(!), i feel they deserve to be mentioned yet technically do not officially qualify for the Blue Note Awards due to no official full review due to my own personal lack of time to do so. So if anyone is to blame for failure of reviewing a product, i can only place the blame on me. In this world where there seems to be zero accountability and honesty in admitting causing problems within the financial, banking, government, etc sectors, it may be a breath of fresh air for you to hear the editor of Enjoy the Music.com does outright admit his shortcomings. And with that said here are the three product i feel deserve special attention yet have never been officially reviewed within Enjoy the Music.com.

Dunlavy Signature Collection SC-IV Speakers
My first special mention goes to the Dunlavy Signature Series SC-IV speakers for their sound quality. Of course you are probably saying, "Well DUH Steven, if a product does not sound good then what is the point of owning it?" yet perhaps simply saying sound quality is an all to brief description of the Dunlavy speakers, as there is so much more! These speakers are capable of playing the fine line between a Mastering Engineer's highly resolving microscope into the sound of a recording, yet still being able to produce a truly enjoyable music listening experience. Audiophiles who have been at this for a long time realize that, at times, ultra-high resolution does not always deliver a music listening experience that can also be relaxing and pleasurable. The truly full frequency response from top to bottom, stunningly accurate 3D soundscape and the ability to track dynamics from light to full-blown shaking of your home... These speakers can easily handle light jazz and 1812 cannons to rock n' roll and techno/house/trance. It is no surprise that recording studios and mastering facilities have used the Dunlavy speakers as their full frequency monitors of choice. These are time and phase accurate speakers and technically are leagues ahead of many modern products available in the marketplace today. In fact other speaker engineers have secretly told me how much they admire the Dunlavy designs. Although Mr. Dunlavy has passed away, you can read many of his technical posts at this link. And this leads me to...

Dayton Audio DSS4-BC Loudspeaker Spikes
Back in May i received a set of eight Dayton Audio DSS4-BC ($30) loudspeaker spikes from Parts Express International. My plans were to write articles on my ongoing tweaks to the Dunlavy speakers, yet time was not on my side (remember the hectic schedule here). With that said, and this applies to any speaker you may have that does not include top quality spikes, these babies are a must-have! While the Dunlavy SC-IV are darn good, installing the Dayton Audio DSS4-BC spikes really solidified their ability to produce pinpoint imagining while making the soundscaping into the room more realistic. The Dayton Audio DSS4-BC spikes come with everything you need but a drill bit and they are so very easy to install. Metal floor cups are included if you have hardwood floors, so as not to have the spikes damage your precious wood flooring. Seen below are two photos of me installing them on the Dunlavy Signature Collection SC-IV speakers.

To quote the Parts Express website, "These attractive spikes are precision machined from solid brass and then plated with a durable black chrome finish. Each cone spike weighs 86 grams and measures 1.25" diameter and 1.5" tall. The two piece threaded tip design allows for precise level adjustment. Barbed insert nuts and threaded studs are included for mounting in cabinets with walls up to 1" thick. Set includes 4 black chrome cone spikes, 4 black chrome floor discs, 4 insert nuts and 4 threaded studs." So you'll need two sets ($60 plus shipping) for a pair of speakers.

So if your speakers did not come with high quality spikes, i very, very, did i mention VERY highly recommend getting the Dayton Audio DSS4-BC spikes. By the way, the Dayton Audio DSS4 here are chrome black (click here) yet also available in normal chrome (click here) and black color (click here).

Harmonix TU-666M Tuning Feet
At the Munich show Mr. K. Kiuchi offered me a set of four Harmonix TU-666M limited edition tuning feet to try and see how they work within my system. Harmonix is celebrating the 20th Anniversary their "Million" Maestro series and with all their experience has designed the handcrafted TU-666M with an adjustable metal base. A set of four can handle over 170 lbs, so even that seriously heavy amplifier can be tweaked using these tuning feet. The lower part of the TU-66M can be screwed inward or outward to help level your equipment, thus excellent for turntable enthusiasts and excellent for other pieces of high-end audiophile gear! 

While i shall not list all the equipment tried, including tube and solid-sate amplification and source components such as my FrankenDAC, the results were an overall sense of ease yet improved definition. It is as if someone gave the musicians a relaxing day off before they had to perform at an important concert. Ok, that may read like a weird description, yet as a musician myself perhaps it is a more personal description versus all those audiophile secret verbiage and special Audiophile Club handshakes. Bottom line, they may be a bit pricey at over $1000 per set yet if you have the very best equipment it deserves what may be the very best tuning feet. Highly recommended!

Of course in the end what really matters is that you...

Enjoy the Music,

Steven R. Rochlin