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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 142, June / July 2003 table of contents and editorial.
June / July 2003
Viewpoints
4 - From the Editor
6 - Letters
Columns
12 - Future TAS: Products on the Horizon16 - Industry News
22 - Absolute Analog
Wayne Garcia checks out a selection of affordable analog goodies from two veteran manufacturers, Rega Research and Grado Labs.
TAS Journal
28 - Recommended Products—Power, Integrated, and Multichannel Amplifiers
Our latest Recommended Products list features the best amps of every kind.
41 - 30th Anniversary Feature
One from the vault—Harry Pearson’s fabled hybrid of Magnepan bass and Infinity mid/tweeter panels: the legendary QRS-1D (from Issue 13, 1978).
47 - Recommended Systems
Nine—count ’em—nine carefully considered audio systems from $1700 to…don’t ask!
63 - Tuner Survey and Shopping Guide
A report on that often-overlooked component, the FM tuner. Neil Gader compares models from Arcam, Classé, and Magnum Dynalab, while Robert Harley deciphers all the specs, and tells you which ones really count when you lay down the green.
The Sound
Equipment Reports
73 - Philips DVD 962SA CD/SACD/DVD Player
Dan Davis checks out this affordable chameleon from Philips.
75 - Audio Physic Yara Loudspeaker
Good things do come in small packages, at least from Audio Physic, says Neil Gader.
77 - Back to Basics: The Audio Research SP16L LineStage
and VS55 Power Amplifier
Robert Harley listens to some serious, and seriously affordable, new tubed gear from ARC.
81 - Genelec S30D Active Loudspeaker
From Finland, a pair of small, active monitors. Robert E. Greene reports.
87 - Parasound Halo JC 1 Monaural Amplifier
Sue Kraft on the latest from famed designer John Curl and the folks at Parasound.
91 - Plinius SA-102 Power Amplifier
This New Zealand-built amp has Wayne Garcia rethinking
just what constitutes “good” sound.
95 - Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 300 Integrated Amplifier
Chris Martens explores Musical Fidelity’s top integrated offering.
99 - The Cutting Edge: A Sneak Preview of the Goldmund 20M DAC
Goldmund is back in the U.S., and how! Jonathan Valin takes a first listen to the company’s top o’ the line—and, um, very expensive—DAC.
109 - HP's Workshop- State of the Audio Art
Part One of HP’s Super—and is it ever!—Component List, plus a listen to The Dark Side of the Moon on multichannel SACD.
119 - Manufacturers' Comments
The Music
123 - Classical Caps
Penderecki: The Three Cello Concertos
Messiaen: Des canyons aux étoiles…
Stravinsky: Petrouchka. The Firebird Suite. Scherzo á la Russe
Darkness into Light: Medieval & Modern—A Mystical Journey (Anonymous 4)
Bartók: Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion, Sonata for Two Pianos Opus 4b
Janácek: Jenufa
Bernstein: West Side Story
Film Score Survey: Bernstein: Far From Heaven;
Waxman: Sunset Boulevard; Glass: The Hours;
Williams: Catch Me If You Can; Shore: Lord of the Rings, The Two Towers131 - Rock: Around the World With Nonesuch’s Explorer Series: Africa
Diving into the uncompromised sounds of 13 African discs, Greg Kot explains why Nonesuch’s Explorer Series is the best overview of world music ever attempted. Plus, reviews of Aterciopelados’ Evolución and Ry Cooder’s Mambo Sinuendo.135 - Pop Caps
The Allman Brothers Band: Hittin’ the Note and North Mississippi Allstars: Polaris
Otis Redding: 180-gram LPs of The Soul Album,
In Person at the Whisky A Go Go, and Live In Europe
Joe Jackson Band: Volume 4
Out In L.A: Red Hot Chili Peppers and Ice Cube reissues140 - On the Fringe
The second installment of On the Fringe examines exciting new releases from Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Th’ Legendary Shackshakers, The Raveonettes, Califone, The Fruit Bats, Ian McCulloch, and Yo La Tengo.143 - Jazz Caps
Recording of the Issue: Dave Douglas: Freak In
John Zorn: Masada Guitars
Ted Nash: Still Evolved145 - Absolute Audiophilia
Heifetz Box Set: RCA Living Stereo (nine 200-gram LPs)
Cannonball Adderley: Something Else (200-gram mono LP)
Norah Jones: Come Away With Me (200-gram LP)
149 - New Formats: SACD
Classical SACD Round Up: PentaTone’s 8 Initial RQR Reissues and 6 From Universal Classics
Pink Floyd: The Dark Side of the Moon (also LP)
John Lee Hooker: Boogie Chillin’ (also LP)
156 - DVD-A
Three from Hi-Res Music: Herb Ellis, Joe Pass,
Jake Hanna, and Ray Brown: Seven, Come Eleven;
Monty Alexander, Ray Brown, Herb Ellis: Trio;
The Ray Brown Trio: Soular Energy
The Band: Music From Big Pink
Finale
155 - Classifieds
157 - Where To Buy The Absolute Sound
159 - Ad Index
160 - TAS Retrospective- The Revolution That the Infinity/Magnepan QRS-1D Made
Harry Pearson reflects on the story behind this issue’s 30th Anniversary feature.
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2003
December/January February/March April/May
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