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Welcome to The Abso!ute Sound online! We explore music and the reproduction of music in the home. We believe that the sound of music, unamplified, occurring in a real space is a philosophic absolute against which we may judge the performance of devices designed to reproduce music. Our goal is to provide the resources consumers need to judge how a component's sound either honors or departs from the music's truth, and to make sound purchasing decisions that maximize their experience of reproduced sound. Below is our Issue 136, June/July 2002 table of contents and editorial.
June/July 2002
Viewpoints
6 - From the Editor
8 - Letters
Classical snobbery redux, jazz reviews in TAS, Accuphase controversy, and the readers respond to TAS' new cover and graphic design.
Columns
16 - Future TAS: Products on the Horizon
A peek at new products from Wilson Audio, Classé, VTL, Dynaudio, Accuphase, and Rotel.19 - Industry News - Absolute Analog
Paul Seydor samples some tasty new vinyl offerings from Groove Note, Analog Productions, and Pure Audiophile, and reports on the resurrection of Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab.29 - Real-World High End
In the first installment of this new column on affordable high-end equipment, Wayne Garcia wades into multichannel with Magnepan's new MGMC1 and MGCC2 loudspeakers.34 - Holt's Space
J. Gordon Holt explores the idea of imaging in multichannel audio systems.
TAS Journal
37 - CenterStage
In this first installment of a new feature, we recommend 26 power amplifiers, 12 integrated amplifiers, and eight multichannel amplifiers from $895 to $40,000.50 - Recommended Systems
Eight reviewers recommend ten complete music systems from $2,800 to $300,000.67 - HP's Workshop
HP auditions the Gamut CD-1 CD player, and continues his exploration of the Magnepan MG 20.1.
The Sound
Reviews
73 - Energy Veritas 2.3 loudspeaker
Veritas—Truth—should be the goal of every high-end loudspeaker. John Higgins explains why this new loudspeaker from Canada's Energy is appropriately named.76 - Arcam FMJ 23 CD player
The $2,199 Arcam "Full Metal Jacket" 23 CD player may be the best bargain in high-end audio, according to Fred Kaplan.79 - Sony SCD-CE775 SACD player
Want to know what all the SACD fuss is about? Sony's $250 multichannel SACD player lets you sample the format for practically nothing. Shane Buettner reports.83 - Creek 5350, Naim Nait 5, and Cyclone 2.1 Integrated Amplifiers
Wayne Garcia puts three British integrated amplifiers head-to-head—with some surprising results.89 - Athena Technologies S2 Loudspeakers and P2 Subwoofer
Our resident small-speaker expert Neil Gader evaluates this subwoofer/satellite package from Athena Technologies..93 - Rockport Technologies Hyperion Loudspeakers and Tenor 75WP Amplifiers
This system, which stunned everyone who heard it at CES, may be the best audio system in world, according to Jonathan Valin.101 - Pass Laboratories X350 Power Amplifier
Greg Petan reports on this high-current powerhouse from one of high-end's most innovative designers, Nelson Pass.104 - MIT Oracle Interconnects and Loudspeaker Cable
Although among the most expensive interconnects and cables in the world, MIT's Oracle sets a new standard in performance. Greg Petan reports.107 - Sony SCD-DVP-NS500V SACD/DVD Player
With good SACD performance, surprising CD sound, and DVD-Video to boot, Sony's new $300 machine is an ideal all-around performer, according to Chris Martens.109 - Manufacturers' Comments
The Music
POPULAR
115 - Feature
Brutally Cruel: Elvis Costello Is This Year's Model. Bob Gendron evaluates When I Was Cruel, Elvis Costello's brand-new recording, explores Rhino Records' recent second wave of Costello catalog reissues (This Years Model, Blood and Chocolate, Brutal Youth), and says why all four titles are indispensable.117 - Capsules
Wilco: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Neil Young: Are You Passionate?
Chris Isaak: Always Got Tonight
The Bottle Rockets: Songs of Sahm
Jon Spencer: Plastic Fang
Mitch Ryder and the Detroit Wheels: Breakout (180g LP)
Josh Clayton-Felt: Spirit Touches Ground
Alanis Morissette: Under Rug Swept; Lisa Loeb: Cake and Pie
Felix da Housecat: Kittenz & Thee Glinz; Golden Boy with Miss Kittin: Or; Miss Kittin & The Hacker: The First Album
Jaguar Wright: Denials, Delusions, and Decisions
The Blasters: Testament; Patti Smith: Land 1975–2002; Uncle Tupelo: 89/93: An Anthology
CLASSICAL
129 - Capsules
Danielpour: An American Requiem
Ives: An American Journey
Korngold: Captain Blood, others
Berio: Voci; Naturale
Lang Lang: Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 3
Menotti: Violin Concerto
Eroica Trio: Trios (Various Brahms Piano Trios)
Mahler: Symphony No. 4. Lieder Eines Fahrenden Gesellen
Bach: St. John Passion
Puccini: Tosca; Verdi: Il TrovatoreJAZZ
139 - Feature
Atomic Basie! Gary Giddins weighs in on Classic Records' 180-gram vinyl treatment of Count Basie's 1957 sessions.141 - Capsules
Recording of the Issue: Cassandra Wilson: Belly of the Sun
Norah Jones: Come Away With Me
Dave Douglas: The Infinite
Medeski, Martin, and Wood: Uninvisible
Wayne Shorter: Footprints Live!
Pat Metheny: Speaking of Now
Hasidic New Wave: Belly of AbrahamNEW FORMATS
147 - SACD Capsules
Handel: Coronation of King George II
Villa-Lobos/Antil/Ginastera: Orchestral works
Stravinsky: Petrouchka. The Firebird
Berlioz: Requiem. Mahler: Symphony No.1 in D major
Mahler: Symphony 6 in A Minor
Johnny Winter: Best of Johnny Winter
Bill Evans: Waltz for Debby; Sonny Rollins: Way Out West; Chet Baker: Chet
Monty Alexander: Monty Meets Sly & Robbie
Dave Brubeck: Time Out156 - DVD-A
Queen: A Night at the Opera
Ravel/Debussy/Fauré: String Quartets
Sidebars: The Best in New-Format Software; Multichannel Without Fear
Finale
155 - Where To Buy The Absolute Sound
159 - Ad Index
160 - LAST PAGE: A fond farewell: Joanna Nickrenz
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