2nd Edition
From the Archives: Analog Corner #76
All four standard record speeds have now been covered in this column: 16 (2/3)rpm, 33 (1/3)rpm, 45rpm, and this is "Analog Corner" #78(rpm). Seventy-six columns and going strong. Hard to believe, considering that vinyl was declared "dead" a decade ago, and is still so declared by the digital hardcore.
Phono preamps arrive here by the stack. It's difficult keeping up. To be honest, Arcam's rPhono arrived before the JC3 Jr. but here, anything with John Curl's name attached automatically goes to the head of the queue, especially considering the Jr.'s remarkable $1495 price.
Does Curl's Jr. Have the Beef?
First released in 2010, Parasound's JC 3 MM/MC phono preamplifier began as a dual-mono John Curl-designed phono section retro-fit for its JC2 line stage. With vinyl's popularity on the rise, Parasound's Richard Schram figured a stand-alone version priced right might find an audience.
Updates and Corrections to Recent Technics SL-1000R Preview Story
In the recent story about the week I spent with Technics' new SL-1000R turntable, the difference between what's commonly referred to as an arm's "effective length" and how Technics uses the term in its literature led to some confusion and a series of conceptual errors on my part for which I take full responsibility.
Merrill-Williams Audio Announces The R.E.A.L. 101.3 Turntable
Merrill-Williams Audio LLC of Memphis, Tennesseejust introduced the latest version of its celebrated R.E.A.L. turntable, the model 101.3. The R.E.A.L. 101.3 retains the essential elements of the 101 and 101.2 models while adding fundamental improvements.
linkSwedish Analog Technologies Announces New Pick Up Arm Lineup
SAT (Swedish Analog Technologies) announced today two new pick up arms, the LM and CF1 series that replace the original SAT arm, now discontinued after a successful run of 70--an impressive number considering the arm's cost of more than $30,000.
From the Archives: Analog Corner #75
First, the news you've all been waiting for: the name of the winner of the "Send in the funniest caption for this picture and win an autographed copy of Mikey's 1970s comedy album, I Can Take a Joke" contest (see p.44 of the August 2001 Stereophile).
1st Edition
Wilson Audiophile Recordings Series Reissues From Analogue Productions
Beginning in the late '70s, continuing throughout the 1980s and once in 1994 Wilson Audio Specialties founder Dave Wilson released a series of records that he co-produced with wife Sheryl Lee, many of which he also engineered. They were minimally miked--often a spaced pair of Schoeps was all--and mastered by an all-star lineup of disc cutters including Bruce Leek (who also shared engineering credit on some), Stan Ricker and Doug Sax (Google if any of the names are unfamiliar).
From the Archives: Analog Corner #74
In their "Noah's Ark" TV commercial, what DaimlerChrysler seems to consider worth hauling up the Ark's gangplank is a pair of Mercedes Benz E-Class sedans. There's also a guy schlepping an iMac (what else?), and another carrying recorded music--not CDs but a stack of LPs, the top one appearing to be an original of Miles Davis' Birth of the Cool.
The EAT B-Sharp Is An Attractive, Well-Performing Plug'n'Play Turntable
The European Audio Team's entry into the under $2000 turntable market includes for $1595 a factory-installed Ortofon 2M Blue moving magnet phono cartridge that alone costs around $240. Something like the $100 2M Red is more often found packaged at this price point.
Jefferson Airplane's "Volunteers" At 45rpm From Mobile Fidelity Still Revolting!
If you are too young to remember but want to experience the turmoil and dread that marked the end of the tumultuous 1960's and you want to view it through west coast music that veers from bucolic to anarchistic, from sublime to self-indulgent with a force and power rarely heard in today's noodling rock, here it is.
Say Hello to My "Little Fwend" Automatic Tone Arm Lifter
Automatic tone arm lifters have been around for as long as there have been manual tone arms. Ortofon, Audio-Technica and many others manufactured them during vinyl's first 'heyday'. While a stylus endlessly circling in the lead-out groove is annoying and does subtract time from your stylus's life-- time better spent by you listening, it's usually not dangerous.
From the Archives: Analog Corner #73
"Corned beef and pastrami aren't exactly health foods, but when did clogging your own arteries become a crime?" I asked myself as I approached the corner of 7th Avenue and 53rd. But my first Carnegie Deli triple-decker in years would have to wait: yellow crime-scene tape encircled the entire block, making it look like a movie-set.
One Week With Technics' New SL-1000R Direct Drive Turntable
Shortly after the conclusion of the 2018 International Consumer Electronics Show, Technics CTO/Chief Engineer Tetsuya (Tony) Itan, Yoshiyuki Sumida, Assistant Manager Technics Team, and Technics Business Development Manager Bill Voss brought over and installed the new Technics SL-1000R turntable and tone arm for a week's stay.
Source AnalogPlanet
