2nd Edition
The 4th California Audio Show Report
Jason Victor Serinus provides a complete report live from the show in San Francisco and finishes with an insightful evaluation of our hobby.
The Great Wall of China
From the John Atkinson Archives: You could sense the frustration in Keith Pray's e-mail. "We are on the same team. I have always respected your wishes and will continue to do so," he had written me. At the request of a possible advertiser, Stereophile's publisher had asked me a question about something appearing in the issue of Stereophile we were preparing. I had responded that not only would I not give him an answer, I felt it inappropriate for him to ask.
JBL 250Ti loudspeaker
From the J. Gordon Holt Archives: Once upon a time, in audio's infancy, anyone who wanted better than average sound--average sound during the 1940s being rich, boomy and dull--had no choice but to buy professional loudspeakers. In those days, "professional" meant one of two things: movie-theater speakers or recording-studio speakers. Both were designed, first and foremost, to produce high sound levels, and used horn loading to increase their efficiency and project the sound forwards. They sounded shockingly raw and harsh in the confines of the typical living room.
Symphonic Line Kraft 400 monoblock power amplifier
From the Jonathan Scull Archives: Things didn't start off auspiciously. I'd been after Symphonic Line's Klaus Bunge for more than a year to send me the Kraft 400 Reference monoblocks. Finally he called. He said he was going to be in town for a few days, and he had with him a pair of what he described as his "traveling" Kraft 400s, which he proposed to leave with me.
Nothing is Too Wonderful to be True
From the John Atkinson Archives: I quoted Faraday and Swift in an essay I wrote in March 1991 discussing how to distinguish effective audio tweaks from those that appear to be more about delusion than about any real change in performance.
The Fifth Element #80
First, two noteworthy CDs. San Francisco's Cypress String Quartet, whose set of Beethoven's late quartets and high-resolution downloads I praised in the April issue, is back with a new CD (Avie AV2275) that explores their musical roots.
Terence Blanchard: Animal Magnetism
Down deepest, beneath everything he does, underlying all the facets of his ever-expanding career in music, Terence Blanchard is still a New Orleans guy. Question that and you can hear his dander rise.
The Entry Level #32
Even before I'd really listened to PSB's Alpha PS1 powered desktop speakers (see last month's column), I suspected that I'd like them: They're affordable, attractive, small enough to actually fit on my desktop, and designed and manufactured by a true high-end audio company.
2013 Recommended Components
Components listed here have been formally reviewed in Stereophile and have been found to be among the best available in each of four or five quality classes. Whether a component is listed in Class A or Class E, we highly recommend its purchase.
1st Edition
The 4th California Audio Show Starts Friday
The fourth annual California Audio Show is poised to get underway August 9–11 in a new venue, the Westin San Francisco Airport (Westin SFO), in Millbrae, CA. and we'll be there to cover it.
Schiit Audio Bifrost D/A processor
Late last year came an epic audiophile moment: I slapped a final length of tape on the box of the awesome-sounding MSB Diamond DAC, in final preparation for its trek to John Atkinson's testing lab. Next up was the Bifrost DAC from Schiit Audio. I popped it into my system, where, moments before, the MSB had held court.
Listening #128
Writing is easy. See? I just did it. Three whole sentences, written between breakfast and lunch. (I had to pause and think about one of them.) Payday, here I come.
Boston Acoustics M350 loudspeaker
When, in the fall of 2012, Boston's soon-to-be-departing PR representative Sara Trujillo let me know that the company was introducing a range of more expensive speakers, I asked to review the top-of-the-line, floorstanding M350.
Creek Evolution 50A integrated amplifier
Recently, I called Roy Hall to request a review sample of the Epos Elan 10 loudspeaker, recommended to me by a Stereophile reader--it's the replacement model for the M5i, probably my favorite Epos bookshelf model. "Yeah, you can review the speaker," Roy said, "but there's something more exciting you need to review first. Mike Creek has a new integrated amplifier."
Bill Frisell’s Big Sur
Bill Frisell’s new CD, Big Sur (Sony Masterworks/OKeh Records), is at once a reprise and a departure. It features the string musicians from his 858 Quartet, last heard two years ago on Sign of Life--Frisell on guitar, Jenny Scheinman on violin, Eyvind Kang on viola, Hank Roberts, cello--this time augmented by the versatile young drummer Rudy Royston.
Wilson Audiophile Recordings Return
Many of David Wilson's highly acclaimed, long out-of-print recordings are poised to make old and new generations of audiophiles very happy. On August 1, the first two of a selected batch of Wilson Audiophile Recordings will return to circulation as high-resolution (176.4kHz/24-bit), CD-quality, and MP3 downloads.
Capital AudioFest 2013
Art Dudley provides a daily play-by-play of the audio show from near Washington DC.
Astell&Kern AK100 portable media player
At the beginning of 2013, Astell&Kern from iRiver, a Korean portable media company, introduced its AK100, a portable player costing a dollar short of $700 and capable of handling 24-bit files with sample rates of up to 192kHz.
Ayre Acoustics AX-5 integrated amplifier
The only thing better than a review that writes itself is a product with a compelling story. Although the latter asks a little more of us here, it's usually the more enduring pleasure.
I'd Love to Turn You On
For over three decades, I have felt compelled to turn people on to music. Throughout my career as a DJ, all of my endeavors have been linked by the desire to spread the joy of listening to records, in the hope that people would feel something like the emotional resonance I feel.
2013 Recommended Components
Components listed here have been formally reviewed in Stereophile and have been found to be among the best available in each of four or five quality classes. Whether a component is listed in Class A or Class E, we highly recommend its purchase.
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