and single- ended amplifiers

N E W
Z E A L A N D ’ S
H I G H
F I D E L I T Y
M A G A Z I N E
All together
now!
September–October 1997
HORNS
and
singleended
amplifiers
JBL horn loaded
speakers reviewed
Is an integrated amplifier
all you need?
THE KLIPSCH
HORN LEGACY
Do you want wide dynamic range, breathtaking
dynamics, low distortion and high efficiency?
Then listen to a Klipsch loudspeaker – we have over
50 years of customer satisfaction.
True horn-loaded speakers, Klipsch loudspeakers
employ the same technology used in movie theatres,
concert halls and by professional musicians.
The famous midrange horn – the Tractrix® –
The world famous
Klipschorn speaker
gives effortless, vivid, sparkling detail with low
distortion, along with a stunningly life-like,
three-dimensional soundstage.
If you are building a new Home Theatre, why not base your system
around the technology that is used in movie theatres worldwide? For
only $2500 the Klipsch System 6 (left, centre, right, surrounds and
active subwoofer) offers you
the true experience of lifelike movie realism. The
The Klipsch KFL 30 – part of
the Klipsch Legend Series
Klipsch System 6 is the only
Tractrix horn-loaded home theatre
system near this price.
Can 50 years of customer
satisfaction be wrong?
For Klipsch information pack, plus
the name of your nearest Klipsch
dealer, please contact:
PO Box 28-314, Auckland.
Phone 0-9-302 2271. Fax 0-9-302 2270
The only Tractrix horn-loaded home theatre speaker system
available for $2500 – The Klipsch System 6
Affordable high-end
(brought to you by Interdyn)
ROTEL
RB 985THX 5-Channel Power Amplifier
RRP $1599
“For: Great value; maximum muscle for minimum money.
Against: Nothing. Verdict: Turns your listening room into the
local Empire on a budget”
What Hi-Fi?
RA 970BX Integrated Amplifier
RRP $799
“The RA-970BX was stable and powerful, with huge headroom
that allowed it to swing realistic dynamics”
Hi-Fi World
RCD 930AX Compact Disc Player
RRP $499
“Worthy of comparison with seriously high-end players, the new
Rotel entry level CD player… will doubtless find itself the
cheapest component in many a high-performance hi-fi system.
An indisputable CD best buy”
Australian Hi-Fi Best Buys
RC 970BX mk2/RB 970BX mk2 pre/power
Amplifiers
RRP $449/$649
“Uncomplicated styling, good sounds and the ability to grow with
your system—Rotel’s affordable pre- power combination gives a
true five star show”
What Hi-Fi
RCD 970BX Compact Disc Player
RRP $999
“…should certainly be on the auditioning list of anyone with this
kind of money to spend”
What Hi-Fi
RA 920AX Integrated Amplifier
RRP $449
“The bottom line is that the Rotel RA 920AX has its ri vals thoroughly beaten if you just want to enjoy listening to music”
What Hi-Fi
TDL
RTL 2 Floor-Standing Speakers
RRP $1099
“…a very attractive and listenable speaker at a most attractive
price. It is well worth hearing if you are in the market for a compact, top-notch speaker system that won’t bankrupt you or dominate your home decor”
Stereo Review
RTL 3 Floor-Standing Speakers
Concertino
An appreciation of music and a love
of violin making gave rise to the birth
of Sonus Faber. Franco Serblin
devised the idea to create a speaker
cabinet as an instrument which
amplifies sound, not merely a
container for it. His inherited
knowledge and study of violin
construction suggested the use of
precious woods. Each batch of Italian
walnut is scrupulously chosen, dried
naturally for two years and stabilised
in a kiln. Once the wood is perfectly
seasoned, each plank is cut into
staves. The tongue and groove staves
are then joined, sealed and the final
structure shaped, smoothed and
varnished. Every Sonus Faber
speaker is in essence a hand-made
one-of-a-kind. To own such a speaker
is a reflection of impeccable taste.
RRP $1599
“Their twin bass/midrange drive units and reflex transmission
line design, capable of handling 120W, ensure that bass is
retrieved from 20,000 fathoms deep. And it’s tight and controlled. Regardless of how complex the music becomes, the
TDL’s agility and fast response means they always keep abreast
of event”
What Hi-Fi
PRO-JECT
Pro-Ject 1.2 Turntable (includes Ortofon OM10
cartridge)
RRP $499
“Able to suppress surface noise to almost inaudible levels…will
get you re-exploring your record collection, then reward you by
letting you hear plenty you never noticed before”
What Hi-Fi
Pro-Ject 2 Turntable (includes Ortofon OM10
cartridge)
RRP $699
“This deck’s strongest point is its musical coherence and the
sense of sheer rightness about the sound”
Hi-Fi World
Pro-Ject 6.1 Turntable (includes Pro-Ject 4
cartridge)
RRP $999
“…a sparkling performer, digging deep into a records grooves
and bringing out truckloads of detail”
What Hi-Fi Awards
For more information please contact
I n t e rnational Dynamics. PO Box 109-317, Newmarket, Auckland.
Ph 0-9-524 8488. Fax 0-9-524 8674. Mobile 025-798 260 or 025-237 9505
Concerto
For an information pack please contact
I n t e rnational Dynamics
PO Box 109-317, Newmarket, Auckland.
Ph 09-524 8488. Fax 09-524 8674.
Mobile 025-798 260 or 025-237 9505
NEWS
All the news…
EVERYTHING HAPPENING IN THE WORLD OF HI-FI
AUDIOENZ MOVES!
AudioVideo Publications
Limited, the publisher of
AudioEnz magazine, h ave
moved address. Fo llowing the
fine example set by our politicians, AudioEnz is now found in
the palatial BNZ Tower in
Auckland. The postal and email
addresses remains the same, but
AudioEnz’s phone number is
now 0-9-309 8709, while the fax
has changed to 0-9-912 7766.
SONY ON THE WEB
Sony New Zealand have establ i s h ed a web site on the intern et dedicated
to products available in New Zealand. Sony’s site inclu des Sony’s product
catalogue and company information. This website also links to international Sony sites for Playstation, Sony Music and Sony Pictures. On the website
is the com p l ete produ ct ra n ge in an easy-to - n avi ga te format. You can visit
the Sony site at http://www.sony.co.nz
YA M A H A’ S C O M PA C T A / V S O L U T I O N
Ever wanted a stereo system that came in one box, with a CD player,
tuner, and built-in Dolby Pro Logic? Yamaha have the soluti on with the
Cinema Station AV-1. The small control centre (pictured above) matches in
with the power amplifier / subwoofer and five tiny satell i te spe a kers (complete system pictured below). Available for $1999. Sound
Group Holdings 0-9-415 6680.
AudioEnz is published by
AudioVideo Publications Limited,
PO Box 100-554, North Shore
Mail Centre, Auckland 10.
Ph 0-9-309 8709. Fax 0-9-912 7766.
e-mail editor@audvid.co.nz.
Editor is Mike Jones
All contents are © copyright 1997 to
AudioVideo Publications Limited.
4
STILL RIDING THE A TRAIN
The newest additi on to the Cel e s ti on
A- Series of loudspeakers is the A3 –
Celestion’s first big audiophile speaker for many years. A three-way loudspeaker, the A3 includes a 25mm ti t an ium dome tweeter, a 175mm
midrange and three 200mm woofers.
Hi-Fi Marketing 0-9-415 9099.
The only Home Theatre amplifier with Tri-Field Cinema DSP
Yamaha presents a Home Theatre amplifier that will completely change
your thinking about in-home entertainment. Because it makes listening to
movies as much fun as watching them. With sound that is actually more
realistic and dynamic than you hear in a movie theatre.
The secret is a remarkable technological achievement called Tri-Field
Cinema DSP, that’s compatible with Dolby Digital (AC-3). And that’s not all.
CINEMA DSP RETAILERS
Whangarei
Wairau Park
Newmarket
Hamilton
Tokoroa
Rotorua
Tauranga
Whakatane
Gisborne
Napier
New Plymouth
Wanganui
Palmerston North
Wellington
Nelson
Blenheim
Christchurch
Dunedin
Invercargill
Hubands Retravision
Eastern Hi-Fi
Eastern Hi-Fi
Lakeland TV & Stereo
The Listening Post
Eastern Hi-Fi
Simisters Retravision
Roger Angel Hi-Fi
Brett Sheriff
Hi-Fi Gallery
Masons Appliances
DA Morrison
Manawatu TV & Sound
Sound Expression
Beggs Hi-Fi Music
Ken Ham’s Music
Audio Studio
Strawberry Sound
Rice Refrigeration
0-9-430 0019
0-9-444 6980
0-9-358 2858
0-7 839 5685
0-7-886 4149
0-7-349 1870
0-7-578 9039
0-7-308 6886
0-6-867 9565
0-6-835 2234
0-6-757 5749
0-6-345 3949
0-6-356 7184
0-4-385 2919
0-3-548 8699
0-3-578 5576
0-3-379 9690
0-3-477 7742
0-3-218 6088
There are 30 DSP settings for both audio and video, as well as a wide range
of other great features.
The DSP-A3090 – there’s simply nothing else quite like it.
YES
Name
I’d like to know more about home theatre – and how easy and affordable it is to experience
the magic of the movies in my own home. Please send me the “your ticket to total home theatre” information kit and invitation to a live home theatre demonstration.
Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms/Dr
First Name
Surname
Postal Address
Daytime phone number
MAIL TO: HOME THEATRE INFORMATION KIT, SOUND GROUP HOLDINGS LTD, PO BOX 33-791 TAKAPUNA, AUCKLAND
NEW FROM DENON
Adding to their successful line of AV receivers, Denon add the mid-priced
AVR-1400 (above). At $1399 the AVR-1400 contains equal power of 90 watts
(6 ohms) into all five ch a n n el s , p lus an ex ternal decoder input for AC-3 or
other decoders.
An o t h er new Denon receiver is the AVR-3200 ($2299). With 120 watts
into five channels, the AVR-3200 includes Dolby Digital AC-3 built-in, along
with provision for an external decoder.
And if you’re looking for a way of enjoying Dolby Digital, try the Denon
AVD-2000
Digital
Su rro u n d
Proce s s or ($1199). The built-in
Dolby Digital AC-3 decoder (pictured right) is complemented by a
cinema equaliser and an external
processor input. Ava l on Audio
0-9-638 9000.
ENERGY’S AUDISSEY
A new member of Energy’s
Audissey Series is the APS5+2.
Fe a turing Asymmetrical Bipolar
Rad i a ti on , wh ere the front and rear
radiate at differing output levels, this
is cl a i m ed by Ener gy to cre a te more
holographic imaging than with conventional bipolar speakers.
The 5+2 also features a built-in
powered subwoofer, driven by a
150-watt mosfet amplifier. Energy
claim the APS5+2 wi ll ex tend down
to 18Hz! The APS5+2 retails for
$4995. Sound Group Holdings
0-9-415 6680
GOING LOWER WITH
MORE SUBWOOFERS
Bass is in, and there are even
more subwoofers coming out.
Energy’s ES-12XL ($1799)
has a 305mm driver powered by
a 150 watt mosfet amplifier.
Mi ra ge has two new su bwoofers . The BPS-100i ($1199)
i n cludes a 100-watt amplifier,
while the BPS-150i ($1999) has
a 150-watt amplifier. Coming
soon is the LFX-1 active
c ro s s over. Both Energy and
Mi ra ge are distri buted by So u n d
Group Holding 0-9-415 6680.
ADCOM’S RETURN
A U D I O P H I L E AV F R O M A R C A M
Arcam promise a rarity – the combination of an
audiophile amplifier with built-in Dolby Surround. The
AV50 ($2800) has the same look as Arc a m’s amplifiers
and has inputs for four vi deo sources and seven audio
s o u rce s . The AV50 outp uts 50 watts into five ch a n n els
and inclu des an ex ternal decoder input for futu re formats. Avalon Audio 0-9-638 9000.
6
Noted USA audio electronics
manufacturer Adcom return to New
Zealand through Peter Gilbert Ltd.
Adcom are most famous for their
a m p l i f i er sys tem s , and with the rise
of home theatre have produced a
number of multi-channel amplifiers
suitable for separa te s - b a s ed home
theatre systems. Adcom’s range
includes pre and power amplifiers,
Do l by proce s s ors, tu n ers, CD players and spe a ker switching units.
Peter Gilbert Ltd 0-9-302 2271.
AV
details
and
specifications
Dolby
Pro
Logic
Surround
for
home
theatre
AC-3
ready
–
5.1
channel
external
decoder
input
built-in
High
power
discrete
amplifiers
for
front
and
centre
channels:
130W
+
130W
in
stereo
mode
100W
left,
centre
and
right,
plus
30W
+
30W
surround
in
Dolby
Pro
Logic
mode
32-station
FM/AM
random
preset
memory
tuning
Ten
analog
inputs
Four
composite
and
four
S-Video
inputs
Four
composite
and
four
S-Video
outputs
Programmable
and
PreMemory
remote
control
The
b est
of
both
w orlds…
Conventional
wisdom
will
tell
you
that
a
well-specified
home
theatre
receiver
cannot
also
be
a
good
music
stereo
amplifier.
Conventional
wisdom
is
wrong.
The
Denon
AVR-2600
proves
that
you
can
have
the
best
of
both
worlds
by
being
a
remarkable
stereo
amplifier
that
–
at
the
flick
of
a
button
–
adds
all
the
enthralling
excitement
you
could
wish
for
from
home
theatre.
The
Denon
AVR-2600
–
possibly
the
only
AV
receiver
worth
listening
to
music
through.
It
genuinely
gives
the
best
of
both
worlds.
Simply
superb
sound
The
AVR-2600
is
too
new
to
have
reviews
avaulable,
but
its
predecessor
–
the
closely
related
AVR-2500
–
received
these
glowing
plaudents:
“…the
AVR=2500
is
today’s
best
[NZ$••••]
receiver…
simply
blew
away
the
other
recievers
(and
the
panalists)
with
its
powerful,
clear
sound”—Home
Theater
Technology
“We’ve
spent
more
time
with
this
receiver
than
any
other
in
recent
memory,
and
with
good
reason
–
the
sound
is
simply
unbelivable…
if
you’re
in
he
market
for
a
[NZ$•••]
receiver,
you
can
do
no
better
than
the
AVR2500.”—Home
Theater
Technology
“The
sound
from
the
Denon
was…
clean,
powerful
and
dynamic”—Stereophile
Guide
to
Home
Theater
Proudly
imported
by
Avalon
Audio
Corporation,
587Mt
Eden
Road,
Auckland.
Ph
0-9-638
9000.
Fax
0-9-638
8888
HORNS FROM
KLIPSCH
YA M A H A’ S N E W AV R A N G E
Yamaha’s RX-V692 (pictured, $1699) and RX-V592 ($1299) are both
Dolby Digital re ady. Both include Yamaha’s Cinema DSP and have
learning remote controls, while the 75 watt 692 has on-screen graphics
and S-video connections.
Yamaha’s matching Dolby Digital decoder, the DDP-2, is priced at a
low $799.
The 65-watt RX-V492 ($999) and 50 watt RX-V392 ($699) both
output 20 watts to the rear channel and both include Yamaha’s Cinema
DSP. Sound Group Holdings 0-9-415 6680.
LINN’S VINYL VIEWS
Analog stalwart Linn Products have one component and one servi ce
that’s sure to be of interest to vinyl junkies. The Linn Linto is a moving coil
phono preamplifier, designed to take the output of a moving coil, apply
RIAA equ a l i s a tion, and boost to line level. The Linto is $2850. The Linn
Moving Coil Ca rtri d ge Service is ava i l a ble for all met a l - bod i ed Linn moving coil cartridges. This servi ce completely reconditions the phono cartridge, dismantling the whole motor assembly, and re a s s embling the cartridge with an equivalent or superior stylus. Absolute Sound 0-9-307 0898.
Vetaran horn
l o u d s p a ker manufacturers, Klipsch,
have released a new
range of high-efficiency horn loudspeakers.
The
Klipsch
Legend Series consists of two floor
standing models.
The KFL20 (pictured) is rated at an
outstanding 100dB
sensitivity.
The
KLF20 includes a
compression
tweeter with an
exponential horn, a
38mm compression midrange with
a Tractrix horn and
t wo
250mm
woofers.
The
KFL30 fe a tu res two
300mm woofers.
Peter Gilbert Ltd
0-9-302 2271
SHORTS
A R C A M ’ S M U LT I - D I S C C D P L AY E R
Some people might regard an audiophile mu l ti-disc
CD player as an oxym oron, but not Arcam. The Arcam
Alpha MCD “has the same design standards which have
made our single-play models so successful” says Arcam’s
managing director, John Dawson. The Alpha MCD uses
a Sony mechanism, and has an internal storage bay
capable of holding up to six compact discs together at
once. The rem o te control can also control the vo lume
on Arcam remote - re ady amplifiers su ch as the Al pha 8
and Alpha 9. A generous power supply and Crystal
Semiconductor DAC are included for high sound quality. A coaxial digital output facilitates use with outboard
DACs. Avalon Audio 0-9-638 9000
8
QED’s Profile 4x4 speaker cable is the first in a new
“upper end” range from QED, and is pri ced at $25 per
metre. PQ Imports 0-7-886 4149
AMC are a new range to New Zealand, but they have
been making audio electronics for several years. Among
their range of CD players, DACs and amplifiers are several intere s ting item s . For example, the CCVT integra ted amplifier is a 30 watt tube amplifier for around
$1699, with an 80 watt valve pre - power combination
ava i l a ble for around $3600. Most of the ra n ge are solid
state products, with several interesting looking and wellpriced amplifiers available. Denco Audio 0-3-3790 743
QED Roomlink and Sys temline sen s or eyes, keyp ad s
and vo lume controls are now ava i l a ble in the rectangular PDL/HPM “Decora” type with surrounds to all ow
matching with all decors as well as the square “ Eu ro”
shape. PQ Imports 0-7-886 4149.
Two new mini-sys tems from D en on come com p l ete
with mem bers of the new range of JPW speakers from
the UK. The D-F88 system retails for $2499 including
spe a kers, while the D-M7 retails for $1999. Avalon
Audio 0-9-638 9000.
High-end USA brand Proceed is available in New
Zealand through Hi-Fi Marketing 0-9-415 9099.
Several QED c a bles have been redu ced in pri ce . Th e
Qudos Bi-Wire is now $13.95/m and the super- f l a t
Profile 8 cable (suitable for under carpet wiring) has
been reduced to $16.95/m. PQ Imports 0-7-886 4149.
EUPHONIC EUPHORIA
by Jo hn Pa u l
Tooting a sophisticated horn
L I S T E N I N G T O T H E N E W J B L S VA 2 1 0 0
H
ere i was, authoritatively
stating in Au d i o En z that there
were no horn systems aro u n d
except the “high-ish” c ro s s over Kef and
Tannoy concentrics and bang!
Just as that issue hit the circulation
stands, virtually right under my nose here
on Auckland’s north shore, big Aussie electronics retailer Ha rvey Norman sets up a
JBL speaker system that has twin ten inch
drivers crossing at 1200 Hertz to their slick
Bi-Radial horn.
So while Harvey’s home theatre henchman unknowingly makes a liar out of me,
I make him switch a Tom Cruisey (sic)
racing cars movie off and get to the FM
Concert Programme to feed those big
James B. L a n s i n g’s some natural aco u s tic
music with strings and such.
I then ch ecked that these were actu a lly
the horn system pair being played because
they didn’t sound at all forw a rd “in yo u r
face” as typical band PA horns sound. And
they also didn’t sound open and clean like
the professional JBL horn two - w ays that
I’m qu i te familiar with. What it sounded
like was that our dear editor must definitely get me a pair for some proper extended
listening sessions.
KNO W YO UR DE MO
Digging into it once the big 1092 x 368
x 514 (hwd), 40kg dual ported boxes were
correctly set-up in my lounge showed
ex act ly why the store pair sounded so different than what I expected. First, the new
review pair needed to run-in quite a bit.
Fresh out of the box they sounded dry and
constricted, moderately uneven or ragged.
About 50 hours of solid broad-band,
appreciably louder than comfortable, programme noise flexed out the stiff new driver suspensions and got the cro s s over
capacitors formed. As run-in conti nu ed
there was a gradual but huge change in
smoothness, l iveliness, and definition
throughout the whole spectrum.
The pair at Harvey N’s were obviously
somewhat “co l d ”. Indeed, the store had
on ly been open abo ut three weeks. So it’s
l i kely everything I first heard that morning, especially the bells and whistles driving receiver, was prob a bly way too fre s h
with typical new electronics grain and
10
dryness. Be s i de s , whatever was playing on (Pace Rhythm and Timing) tricks right
Concert FM was an unknown quantity.
from the start? I was amazed. In my 5 x 8m
So it just goes to show again that prop- room they showed plenty of enthusiasm
er demonstration requires warmed up and for any movie wh oomp and thump fed to
bro ken-in equipment for the true sound them while I watched Sky movies (in
qu a l i ty to bloom. And is also why we another room) during loud “burn-in”. Like
should call and arrange a proper appoint- good sub-woofers do, they also pre s en ted
ment with our
all kinds of ex traneretailers to set up
ous low frequency
a ny auditions of
True to form, these JBL’s garbage such as six
fancied equipment.
o’clock TV newsRemember,
t a ke
re aders kicking and
have sustained the
your own “referthumping their feet
company’s reputation for a round their desks,
ence” tunes along
too!
Wellington TVNZ
delivering lots of good
n ews studio air conditioning rumble,
GETTIN’ TO IT
bass. The quality here is and excessive equaliGreat jazz bassist
Christian McBride
sation in commerrich and full without
has a nice disc ti t l ed
cials.
Gettin’ To It (Verve
So, true to form,
actually losing tonal
523 989-2) that
these JBL’s have su sopens with a be-bop
compadefinition.…It flows and tnyai’snedrepthe
style tune appropriutation for
a tely named In A
ivering lots of
rolls with the programme del
Hurry. It features
good bass. The qualhim bowing or
ity here is rich and
plucking crisply, slightly ahead of the beat full without actually losing tonal definias he anxiously pushes his all-star sextet tion. It is not technically tight or overalong.
damped and terse. It flows and ro lls with
What’s interesting with this piece is that the programme. And the best part is that
many big speakers with good bass capabil- it can happen without requ i ring huge
ities usually pre s ent this tune with him amplification.
p l aying along nicely on the beat, while
Specified at 93dB (1 Watt at 1 metre)
small er speakers with less bo t tom pump- my trusty Plinius SA-50 (50/50 stereo)
ing have him rushing the pace as In A provided unlimited dynamics and room
Hurry.
saturating son ority with everything sane,
Checking through my Stax electrostatic and insane, I could play.
Lambda Signature headphones has him
There’s also the other side of the speaks o l i dly playing notes just before drummer er efficiency coin succinctly stated by
Lewis Nash thro u ghout this intere s ting, Anthony Mi ch aelson, boss of Musical
and amusing jazz rhythm exercise.
Fidelity, in Hi-Fi News: “Even at lower levThere’s also a bass trio track with els ef f i c i ent loudspe a kers obvi o u s ly sound
Christian, and jazz legends Ray Brown and much more dynamic, realistic and punchy.
Milt Hi n ton playing the Neal Hefti big Clearly the large dynamics which would
band favourite Splanky. This killer tune normally take an amp into clipping are
can embarrass any poorly designed speak- reproduced more easily, but more intriguer box with ease. The tune just falls apart ing are the small micro - dynamics and
and sounds like so much mush if the m i c ro details which are mu ch more obvis w a pping basses lead, rhythm and com p- ous on efficient loudspeakers.”
ing (accompaniment) lines don’t stay
Com p l i m en ting this quote, who wisely
clearly separated.
said, “God is in the details”? (Send answer
Guess what big and loud American with a $20 bill to “Euphoria”, Box 100-554
spe a ker got these small spe a ker PRAT Au ckland 10, and be en tered in a draw to
INCREDIBLE SOUND,
AFFORDABLE PRICE…
FOR MUSIC AND MOVIES!
INTRODUCING THE
SENSATIONAL NEW
POLK AUDIO RT20P
Now there’s a Polk Audio
speaker for everybody!
Over 30 models available
– there’s one here for you!
5 year
parts and labour
warranty
Matthew Polk
Chairman, Polk Audio
The Polk Audio RT20P “Powered Tower” combines reference quality high and midrange
detail, with the drama of powered stereo subwoofers. Each cabinet has a 25mm trilaminate
dome tweeter and 160mm mid/bass speaker. In a separate sub-enclosure are two 200mm subwoofer drivers, powered by a built-in 100 watt amplifier. The result – a high quality, full range
speaker with deep, controlled stereo bass. And all this taking up no more floor space than your
average speaker. Said Julian Hirsch of Stereo Review magazine “I cannot recall experiencing
such a deep bass response in the same room, under similar measurement conditions, from
another full-range speaker system comparable in size and price to the [Polk Audio] RT20P.”
Polk Audio RT20P – just one of a superb range that includes…
Mini Monitor
$399 LSfx Surround Sound $1199
RT3 Bookshelf
$499 AB410 In-Wall
$399
RT5 Bookshelf
$699 AB610 In-Wall
$599
RT7 Bookshelf
$899 AB505 In-Wall
$699
RT8 Floorstanding
$999 AB705 In-Wall
$899
RT10 Floorstanding
$1299 AB805 In-Wall
$1399
RT12 Floorstanding
$1699 AWM3 All Weather
$699
RT16 Floorstanding
$1999 RM2000 Satellite
$999
RT20P Floorstanding $3999 RM3300 Sat/Subwoofer $1999
RTfx Surround Sound
$899 RM5300 Sat/Subwoofer $2699
M3 Surround Sound
$599 RM7300 Home Theatre $3999
CS150 Centre Speaker
$399
CS200 Centre Speaker
$499
CS250 Centre Speaker
$599
CS350 Centre Speaker
$899
PSW50 Subwoofer
$999
PSW150 Subwoofer
$1499
PSW300 Subwoofer
$1999
AWM5 Commercial
$999
SRT Home Theatre sys. $19000
Polk Loudspeakers are available from:
Whangarei – Hubands Retravision • Auckland – Eastern Hi-Fi, Link Drive and Newmarket • Hamilton –
Lakeland TV and Stereo • Tauranga – Simister Retravision • Whakatane – The Electricity Centre • Rotorua
– Eastern Hi-Fi • New Plymouth – Masons Appliances • Palmerston North – Manawatu TV and Sound •
Wellington – Absolute Audio and Vision •Christchurch – The Top Hi-Fi Shop • Dunedin – Good Hi-Fi •
Cromwell – Gary Anderson Appliances
Polk Audio was founded in 1972 by
Matthew Polk and George Klopfer.
Their dream was to make speakers with
the performance of the world’s best and
costliest speakers, but at a reasonable
price.
They did so by applying scientific
principles to speaker design and by
concentrating solely on the speaker
business.That’s why Polk is still known
as “The Speaker Specialists”.
Today Polk are one of the world’s
largest manufacturers of Home and Car
loudspeakers and their research and
development has yielded over 20
patents for advances in loudspeaker
performance and value.
Polk speakers have earned high
praise from the worlds Hi-Fi press as
well as dozens of awards for innovative,
high quality design.
If you are considering investing in a
new pair of speakers or are looking at
Home Theatre you really should audition a Polk Audio speaker system. From
$399 right up to the $19,000 SRT Home
Theatre systems, you won’t find a better
speaker for your money.
Distributed by
PO Box 9174,Auckland.
Phone 0-9-524 8032. Fax 0-9-524 8037
win an exciting night of red wine guzzling
and stereo blasting with a weird immigrant.)
THE DIRECT MESSAGE
The reasonably pri ced SVA2100 at
$3299 a pair brings con s i dera ble JBL studio practice into a home system. The
major thing being the Symmetrical
Vertical Array (SVA), which places a
woofer/mid-range cone above and bel ow
their Bi-Radial mid-high horn driver. At
reasonable volume levels this configuration results in very controlled vertical dispersion and directivity of sound energy to
reduce the local room effects on sound
produced from the speakers.
This is de s i rable in big venues because
reflected sound with attendant long delays
qu i ck ly destroys speech intelligi bi l i ty and
modifies musical definiti on . L i kewise in
smaller places, ceiling or even mixing desk
reflections are minimised with horn studio monitors as they point to specific
“sweet spots” where the microphone pickup is presented without any reflected
co l o u rations. This is frequ ently preferred
for sound track du bbing in movies wh ere
real or cre a ted ambi en ce, ef fects, and dialogue must be carefully processed. So cons i dering this the SVA2100’s, wh i ch sound
considerably different depending on if you
are standing or seated, are ideally suited
for home theatre.
REFLECTED OR DIRECT
That some magnificent music was written to be listened to in cathedrals, opera
houses, royal courts, or parlour (chamber)
lounges must be considered against the
modern pop virtuosi. Th ey perform quite
close to their many microphones and plug
t h eir instru m ents directly into nu m ero u s
sound processing and amplification systems. Obviously, there are major chalk and
cheese divergen ces over how musical
sound sources eventually reach our ears.
It’s also a hu ge demand of our curren t
t wo stereo channels to acc u ra tely pre s ent
the full spre ad and depth (and height?),
plus the room ambien ce of a ny given
acoustical event. Complicating this is,
ex act ly how mu ch room sound should be
squ ee zed back into those two basic ch a nnels via the recording production process?
Is an intimate or distant pers pective su i table? How do “typical” speakers and listening rooms modify what the produ cers’
assume is which way the piece works (or
sells) best?
12
Over my 40 years in dozens of rooms
with innumerable good and
not so good components,
I ’ve eventually gained the
most listening satisfaction
by setting up for mid or
near
field
listening.
Any where from 1m to
3.5m from the open area
spe a ker pair in a finely
focused triangle removes a
goodly bit of room
aco u s tics hassle, and provi des a simple ear-path to
what’s off tape or disc.
I’ll admit I’m a frustra ted musician who likes
to sit close to any good
players (and “wish upon a
star”), while you may
apprec i a te the won derful
blending and enveloping
ri chness that comes with
a good seat at a fine performance.
Neither is wrong or
right, and of ten a ch a n ge
or compromise in perspective opens lovely
new windows for appreciation. That it may
come from directi on a l ,
semi, or omni-directional devi ces is all “p a rt of
the fun” in deciding how
to bring the band or
orchestra, and now the
movie theatre, right into
our lounges.
THE MUSIC PLEASE
The soft dome 40mm driver in the Bi-Radial horn does a fine job at
portraying every little detail and nuance
presented to it. The attack, sustain, release,
and decay of every note with its attendant
harmonic structure seemed very precise
and electrostatic like to my ears. The horn
did not add colourations, or honk, or
shriek, or add any nastiness which poorly
designed and cheap horns are famous for.
It will show textural differences in amps
as I found out while I briefly tried a newer
Rotel-931 (30/30 watt) as smoo t h , and an
older Kenwood KA-88 (80/80) watt as
glassy.
This is a high qu a l i ty, tra n s p a rent and
accura te mid range and high frequency
sound reproducer that powerfully portrays
recorded musical waves and tra n s i en t s
with prec i s i on and speed. But if there’s
garb a ge in, t h ere’s ga rb a ge out . GIGO. No
driver editorialising here, no smoothing or
exaggerating anything.
An option that deserves some extended
experimentation with the SVA’s is its biwiring inputs to basically optimise the
amount of cri s pness or veiling in matching and balancing up sys tem sources and
amplification. Like all finer speakers, every
little thing here makes an audible difference. My own low re s i s t a n ce and inductance home-made Goertz type cables
sounded smoother than Kimber 8TC on
the top, but they were considerably less
open in the mid-range.
There may also be a slight “hybrid mis-
Someday movie theatres will sound this good. Maybe
The sound of choppers flying overhead. Laser beams shooting
over you. No, it’s not the matinee at the Cineplex. It’s just another
night at home with Adcom and your favourite movie.
At Adcom’s level of critically acclaimed performance, home
theatre components don’t just produce surround sound. They
reproduce the life-like sounds of a real movie theatre (maybe better).
And since it’s Adcom, the power and clarity will make you think
you’re in the middle of the action without leaving your chair. With
The new GSA-700
Surround Sound
Processor/Amplifier
• 100 watt high current centre channel amplifier
• Two 50 watt high current rear channel amplifiers
• Adaptable to Dolby Digital with outboard processor
• 2 audio and 2 video inputs
• 1 audio and 1 video output
• Full remote control access with on-screen display
an attention to detail only Adcom can deliver.
The GSA-700 easily converts
your two-channel stereo into a five channel audio/video home theatre
surround sound system. And with
features like Do l by Pro Logic processing (which can also be
upgraded to Do l by Digital) and complete audio and video source
switching, you’ve got movie theatre quality sound.
Or build an all-Adcom system from the ground up starting with
a GSA-700 and one of our legendary Adcom stereo power amplifiers
and experience the ultimate in separate components.
So sit back and forget your worries. Because no matter how bad
your day was, we can help you get to a place that offers the total
escape you need. The movies. And what’s playing isn’t quite as
important as where it’s playing. In the comfort of your own home.
PO Box 28-314
Auckland
Phone 0-9-302 2271
Fax 0-9-302 2270
match” midrange voicing problem in a
system like this, but there are do u bt l e s s ly
ways to be found around it. It’s ex trem ely
tough to pick the (1200Hz) crossover from
paper to horn on my old 12” Ta n n oy
Golds, and it’s also tough to pick it
(1500Hz) on the JBL Pro 4430 (90 x 90
degree horn and 15” cone). So I’m certain
i t’s worth trying as many cable com bi n ations as possible. Remember, that’s on ce
they’re broken in.
Any w ay, combined with its fulsome
bass drive , this spe a ker had a practically
frightening “jump factor” ability in pres en ting those dynamic musical tri cks and
movie effects that involuntarily give you a
primal fright and startle you even though
yo u’re qu i te snug and sec u re in your easy
chair.
Briefly digressing from the music, a re
you sure there’s not an alien maniac
insem i n a tor thing stumbling aro u n d
behind you? I really didn’t want to view
any really scary movies like Seven through
the SVA’s. And they were amusingly
annoying if t h ere were phones ringing in
damnable TV adverts or during dramas.
My wife and I must have tried to go answer
twenty TV sound phone calls. Everyd ay
sounds portraying ord i n a ry re a l i ty,
brought right here. Nice.
Mentioning Seven does bring to mind
a superb recording of Haydn’s The Seven
Last Wo rds of Our Saviour on the Cross H E A V E N LY R U M B L I N G
which is on the Astree label # E8739 availConsidering spiritual matters, my angel
able thro u gh Recherche Record i n gs (09- wife cracked us up while dear editor
416-4032).
helped me schlepp and set-up these big
This recording, with 33 players con- Jimmy’s. She walked in, took one look, and
ducted by Jordi Savall, was made at the a s ked, “What’s that indented part in the
1990 Festival at the Abbey of Ambronay in middle? It looks like a coffee machine
Fra n ce . It magically captures an up-close thingy where the cups come out”. I simply
i n ti m a te pers pective
explained
that’s
presented within a
where the music
this speaker had a
huge and clean short
begins. Then three
reverberati on ambior four weeks later
practically frightening
ence of this distincshe said, “t h ey re a lly
tive venue.
are pretty big and
“jump factor” ability
The rich baritone
ugly in here , but
Bishop re ads somthey sure are nice
bre and powerful introductions to each and cl e a r. I can hear better thro u gh them
movement in Latin with su ch convincing than anything else yo u’ve had lately. How
realism that you fe arf u lly want to actu a lly mu ch do they co s t , honey?” (ie, “ you can
give up sloth, env y, gluttony, lust, pride get them”). So for once in our house, sonic
and those two other deadly fun things a bi l i ty triu m phs over vi sual trivia. Please,
f rom that frightful movie I mentioned oh fickle gods of Lotto, smile on me!
earlier.
One more domestic aspect is, as you
But silliness aside , this Haydn master- can see on the picture, there’s no grille
p i ece over the JBL’s just sent me back 210 over the Bi-Radial horn. The aqu a p l a s
years in a “you are there” recorded experi- treated cones are protected, but that invitence. The pre s to finale, the cataclysmic ing little cave is very acce s s i ble to the kids
“earthqu a ke” movement, even with only who will sti ck toy cars and other little
one percussionist, still today has me total- things into VCR’s and such.
ly thrilled at the majestic power and drama
As unhappy hi-fi retailers will confirm,
p u re aco u s tic music properly reprodu ced even wandering (much) bigger kid’s fincan convey. I entered sonic heaven from gers have been known to push in tweeter
Golgotha!
domes for not so cheap thrills. I know a
typical grille could somewhat affect the
WIL DE T HI NG ( I T HINK I L OV E YOU)
horns’ coupling to the room, but I’m talkNotoriously witty Oscar Wi l de said, “Con s i s tency is the last ref u ge of the unimagiing dom e s tic “real world”, not sec u re pron a tiveî. Well Oscar, that’s ex act ly what I love in any profe s s i onal audio com pon ens tudio situ a ti ons here. Perhaps som et h i n g
try. An utter lack of imagination, just boring old imitation with doses of pure amplilike a rigid smooth thin plastic snapfication lovingly here and there.
in/out protective grate could be devised to
Ma ny USA profe s s i onal con cert PA companies and thousands of big and small
foil the tykes?
recording studios swear by and sti ck with JBL loudspe a kers despite fierce com petiAlso thinking about those big boxes, I
ti on from arguably better sounding and priced equ ivalents. One simple re a s on JBL
reckon a little more cross bracing or intermaintains favour is that they rarely change or periodically “improve” their Pro prodnal damping would help clear up some
ucts range because concert producers, performing musicians, recording studios,
thickening I occasionally heard in the
quality theatres and other serious users want con s i s tency and repe a t a bility in their
upper bass/lower mid-range. Basically,
finely tuned situations.
there seemed to be a bit of “classic” chestiLong before “brand imagi n g” was “a b s o lutely” essential for selling everything
ness on some male voi ces at specific vo lf rom cat-food to underwe a r, JBL brilliantly made it widely known that they were
umes. But beyond this pecc ad i llo, this is a
“The Choi ce of Profession a l s”. Several years ago a big name Aussie rock star was
whole lot of fine music making spe a ker
to u ring NZ. On opening night he petu l a n t ly wouldn’t perform unless his foldback
system engineering for a comparatively
speakers (stage mon i tors) were JBL’s. Frustratingly, the local PA com p a ny co u l d n’t
very low price.
i n s t a n t ly come up with the JBL’s he dem a n ded. Som ehow the technical crew came
up with a few bright orange JBL stickers which they deftly stuck onto another brand’s
PRIME CHOICE
horn flares.
Efficiency, bandwidth, smoothness,
“Hmmm? Looks almost right, just tweak its’ equ a l i s a ti on a tad”. So sound ch eck
clarity in spades, massive dynamics and
went okay, happy-chappy star, and happy ending of what was a tricky problem crepower handling and they’re even magnetia ted by an artist who is generally, and accura tely, observed to be quite hearingcally shielded for sticking next to a big TV.
impaired. Regardless, he knew what always worked within his limited audition, and
A hot contender to prime position, for
he stubbornly knew what would alw ays del iver what he needed. As they say, “The
prime seats only, in any high quality music
Choice of Professionals”.
and home entertainment situation.
14
Nait 3 integrated amplifier
What more do you need?
Your Naim specialist is:
Shore Hi-Fi, Auckland 0-9-486 4494 • The Audio Consultant, Hamilton
0-7-843 8436 • The Real Music Co, Wellington 0-4-385 8353 • Living Sound,
Nelson 0-3-546 8363 • The Top Hi-Fi Shop, Christchurch 0-3-365 2041 •
Express Sounds, Timaru 0-3-686 0262 • Sight & Sound, Dunedin 0-3-474 0443
I
ntroducing the new Alpha
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15
MIKE ON THE PODIUM
by M i k e Jo n e s
The integrated approach
T H E R I S E A N D R I S E O F T H E I N T E G R AT E D A M P L I F I E R
O
nce upon a time – not too many
years ago, either – an integrated
amplifier was not “a good thing”.
Oh, an integra ted amplifier was alright
if you weren’t too demanding of your hifi, or as a first step before upgrading to
separate components. But if you were even
modera tely serious about your hi-fi system, a separa te preamp and power amp
was the only way to go.
But times ch a n ge . Demands on products change. And the qu a l i ty of products
change. Today, unless you have very specific demands or can spend a fair chunk of
money, then you’ll almost certainly have
an integrated amplifier.
And be very happy with it.
Beginning around a decade ago, the
quality of i n tegrated amplifiers began
improving dramatically. Better designs
and improved parts quality made higher
perform a n ce integrated amplifiers – at
least from the more audiophile-oriented
m a nu f acturers – the rule rather than the
exception.
In this issue I chose to look at some of
the more serious integrated amplifiers that
still are within reach of many buyers. From
the distributors I requ e s ted the Audiolab
8000S, the Naim Nait 3 and the Plinius
2100i. Sadly, Plinius declined to be
involved, but I spent a few weeks with the
Audiolab and the Naim.
T H O R O U G H LY M O D E R N
AUDIOLAB
If I had to name one amplifier that represented the new wave of i n tegrated
design, I would point to the 60 watt
Audiolab 8000S ($1995).
Ta ke , for example, the appeara n ce of
the 8000S. It’s clean and elegant, stylish in
its own way without being too different from the
norm. This, of
co u rse, m a kes cosmetic matching of
the Audiolab and a
Japanese cassette
deck much easier
than with some
other amplifiers.
And like many
good
modern
amplifiers,
the
Audiolab
8000S
comes
complete
The Naim Nait 3 integrated amplifier
with remote control. Using the
Philips-based commands, the remote preamp part of the 8000S is functioning.
works not only the amplifier, but the You can then use the amplifier as a preamp
Audiolab and other Philips-based CD feeding thro u gh to another power amplip l ayers. Want to use a Meridian or a fier.
Marantz CD player with the Audiolab? No
The pre-power setting is great if you
problem – the one remote will work both.
want to bi-amp or tri-amp your speakers
Ma ny modern purchasers of hi-fi (using separate power amplifiers to power
demand flex i bi l i ty, and here the Audiolab the different drive units in the speaker). In
8000S shines. On the back are preamp-out this mode, the two parts of the Audiolab
and power amp-in sockets, but what really a re internally con n ected , p lus the pre-out
makes the 8000S special in terms of flex i- sockets operate, which means you can add
bility is a control found on the front panel. an ex tra power amplifier. (Audiolab sell a
The Mode control has five settings: pre, power amplifier that has the same gain
mute, integra ted, pre-power and pre- structure as the power section of the
power av. With these settings you can use 8000S).
the 8000S from a straight integrated amp,
The last option, pre-power av, comes
to a multi-amp setup, to an AV system.
into its own when adding a surround
The integrated set ting is clear enough: sound proce s s or. The internal links
it sets up the 8000S as a normal integrated between the preamp and power amp are
amplifier. The connection bet ween the swi tched off, while the external connecpreamp and power amp sections are com- tions are powered . Audiolab su ggest placpleted internally, with the external pre-out ing a Dolby surround processor between
and power-in sockets not functioning.
the pre and power sections, though I have
The pre setting means that only the an alternative suggestion (see sidebar).
Audiolab’s 8000S integrated amplifier
16
A simple quiz:
Atlantic Technology’s new
System 350 THX is
a. Dolby Digital
AC-3 ready
b. one of the finest
home theatre
speaker systems
c. one of the finest
audiophile
speaker systems
d. affordable
e. All of the above
At Atlantic Technologies we had only one goal in mind when we designed our
System 350 THX. To create a no-compromise THX speaker system that we’d want to
own ourselves. That meant it had to meet some very tough requirements.
Performance The System 350 THX had to sound just as good when reproducing
music as it did when playing a motion picture. That’s why we created the world’s
first 3-way THX speaker system.
Aesthetics
Each speaker had to fit into virtually any living space. So we used
a narrow tower design for the front and surround speakers. This provided for the
smallest footprint possible
Placement
Unlike most THX centre channel speakers, we wanted ours to lie
horizontally. And it had to have a tiltable base for added flexibility.
Affordability Compared to other THX speaker systems, it had to be affordable.
So we made the whole system available for $9000. Including a pair of 200 watt
subwoofers.
Did we meet our goal? Ask your local Atlantic Technology dealer for a demonstration today. We think you’ll agree that the System 350 THX is one of the finest home
theatre systems you’ll ever hear. It will “…rock your world on movies and music,
with no apologies and few rivals.”*
PO Box 9174, Newmarket, Auckland
Phone 0-9-524 8032
Fax 0-9-524 8037
“A THX system that looks
good in a living room
and sounds great with
any program material?
Who wouldn’t want it?”
— Home Theater Technology
October 1995
SOUNDING GOOD
There is one other way in which the
Audiolab is a thoroughly modern amplifier: its sound. The 8000S foll ows modern
trends in sounding slightly lean – it’s not a
romantic sounding amplifier. If yo u’re
looking for a modern equ ivalent of yo u r
old Quad II valve amp, then this isn’t it.
A wondrously clean and detailed sound
emerges from the 8000S. There’s plenty of
information and detail present, and this
information is organised in a co h erent,
easily listenable form. Bass is tight and
powerful, with no overhang. The 8000S
also times very well.
But perhaps the most important aspect
of the 8000S is the lack of glare and gra i n
to the sound. It seems that all audio el ectronics add a grittiness to the sound of
music – it’s so ubi qu i tous that som etimes
we don’t notice it until it’s taken away. The
8000S has a more gra i n - f ree sound than
any equivalent integrated I’ve heard.
NAIM’S SMALL WONDER
ADDING SURROUND SOUND
Using a processor with an integrated amplifier or a preamp has always been troubles om e . Usually the proce s s or is in one of the tape loops, so you have to make su re
that your source and tape selections controls are correctly set, if separa tely controlled as on my Plinius preamp. This is no problem with the Audiolab when using
pre-power av.
Then there’s the problem with volume controls. For your surround levels to be at
the right volume, they must be set when setting up the processor. But there are two
volume controls – one on the amplifier, the second on the processor. To ensure that
the surround levels are correctly set, you must leave the volume control on the amplifier at the same level, every time, and only use the volume control on the processor.
I don’t know abo ut you, but I find all this a pain in the but t . It’s also not som ething that I’d like to try to explain to someone with less interest in hi-fi than me. It’s
almost enough to drive you to an AV receiver!
But with the Audiolab 8000S there is a mu ch bet ter way. In s te ad of running the
preamp output into the proce s s or, only connect the processor to the power amp
input, while your video source is connected directly to the processor.
This makes life a lot simpler: to play a movie thro u gh the Au d i o l a b, switch to
pre-power av. The only working volume control is the one on the processor. Want to
listen to music? Switch the mode control back to integrated.
remote) version, the remote controlled
Nait 3 costs an astonishing $650 more, at
$2600. Ch ris Murphy, the Naim distri butor, points out that the remote vers i on is
con s i dera bly more el a bora tely en gineered
inside and, on an a/b comparison, even
sounds better than the non-remote Nait 3.
Wh ereas the Audiolab looks, acts and
sounds like a thoroughly modern amplifier, the Naim Nait 3 appears, at first glance,
to be from an earlier era.
WEB WATCH
For instance ,
The Naim web page can be found at
the Naim’s looks
http://www.naim-audio.com
are idiosyncratic,
different from all
other equ i pment except that from Naim
In operation the Naim was flawless,
(though I must admit I find the Naim except for one thing: the volume control. I
“look” appealing). And they use DIN sock- don’t think I went above 9 o’cl ock on the
ets instead of the standard RCA sockets vo lume control for as loud as I wanted.
used on everything else.
With more sensitive spe a kers than mine
But don’t let Naim fool you. Un l i ke likely to be used with the Nait, this co u l d
many of the UK amplifiers of old, the Nait pose some problems in volume setting.
3 is well built, acts (almost) impeccably
Naim look upon the spe a ker cable as
and can even be purchased with rem o te being part of the amplifier sys tem. Naim
control.
specify that at least 3.5 metres of their
Available for $1950 in standard (non- NACA5 spe a ker cable be used per side.
WHICH AMP TO BUY?
I really enjoyed my time with both of these amplifiers. Both the Audiolab 8000S and
the Naim Nait 3 are superb examples of the designers’ art.
But which one (or what other amplifier) should you buy?
This is a difficult question, as there is not a clear-cut answer. Both amplifiers are
very good , each has their difference in sound and both have their own “ch a racter ”.
And I think that it is the latter that will determine which listener will buy which
a m p l i f i er. My impre s s i on is that the Audiolab 8000S appeals more immed i a tely to
the head , while the Naim Nait 3 appeals more immed i a tely to the heart. Th a t’s not
to say that music through the Audiolab is unem o ti on a l , or that the Naim lacks traditional hi-fi virtues – remember we’re talking about a bit of character here , not
complete opposites in sound
These are both excellent amplifiers, let alone integrated units. It would be easy to
build a very fine sounding hi-fi system around either of these amplifiers.
18
Accordingly, the Nait 3 was su pp l i ed and
used solely with the Naim speaker cable.
As Naim decry the use of bi-wiring
with their amplifiers, the Nait 3 was single-wired to my Epos ES14s.
Listening to the Nait 3 proved to be an
intere s ting and enlightening experien ce .
For a start, the Nait sounds far more powerful than you’d expect from its 20 or so
watt rating.
Tonally the Nait had a warm and inviting sound. There was never any suggestion
of sterility to the music played through the
Naim. I know of some people who think
of the Naim sound as bright and forw a rd
– not this amplifier!
Do a quick A/B comparison between
the Audiolab and the Nait 3 and immed iately the Audiolab sounds cl e a rer and
m ore detailed. A lon ger listen reveals that
the Nait does transmit audible information, but because of the tonal difference
bet ween the two, the qu a l i ties of the Nait
are not so quickly obvious.
Listen to music through the Nait 3 and
it all makes sense – there’s a sense of coherence and “rightness” about the musical
pre s entati on that makes you just want to
listen to more music.
Part of this is su re to be because of the
Nait’s rhythmic qualities – a Naim fe a tu re
that rolls down their product line.
FINALE
The standard of integra ted amplifiers
has ri s en enorm o u s ly over the ye a rs , with
many superbly musical amplifier available.
Both of these amplifiers are highly recommended.
FUTUREPROOF
YOURSELF
TODAY
Why look at buying an “AC-3” ready home theatre receiver when, for a
similar price, the Pioneer VSX-D606S comes complete with Dolby Digital
AC-3 built-in! Sound is all digital and discrete, channel by channel, to give
you the most realistic and dynamic home theatre possible. Pioneer’s
Accurate Imaging System of five x 100 watts high power output is
absolutely necessary with Dolby Digital, as Dolby Digital features five
discrete full-range channels for the most effective surround sound.
Available at your Pioneer dealer for less than $2000.
Monaco Corporation. PO Box 4399 Auckland. Telephone 0-9-415 7444. Fax 0-9-415 7400
E A R WA X
b y S i m on B ro w n
Clock watching
T R Y I N G O U T T R I C H O R D ’ S C D M O D I F I C AT I O N S
I
t’s hard for me to write about
Trich ord ’s Clock 2 convers i on for CD
p l ayers . I’d have to move from my listening seat to interface with my
(Aquarium) Macintosh. But such is my
enthusiasm for the Trichord mod that I
feel all the the good folks of Gotham City
should know about it.
To the Bat-Mac Robin, civic duty calls!
First a bit of history. I wasn’t an early
adopter of CDs. In the early 80’s I thought
the string of noughts and ones indicated
CDs scores out of ten for sound quality. I
spent much of that period designing a
turntable, so it was clear where my sympathies lay.
The late 80’s found me in England
designing lawn m owers, a cover for the
sec ret world of being AudioVideo’s, UK
correspondent. Being 12,000 miles from
my precious LPs and hearing rumour that
the new “bitstream” CD players were more
“analoggy”, I succumbed. A Rotel 865 won
an instore shootout and swaggered hom e .
The sound was smooth thro u gh a pair of
Quad II valve power amps, something I
could live with.
Returning to New Zild, a land merc ifully bereft of s em i - detach ed houses with
neighbours who don’t share my taste in
music. I found the Ro tel all a bit too
smooth and mu s hy. Blue Oyster Cu l t
seemed to be playing elevator music! I
needed to do something. Only, CD players
depreciate faster than a pink Lada, leaving
me to find 100% of the cost of the new
p l ayer. Worse I was trying to decrease the
mortgage not increase it.
This is where Trichord comes in. It
20
offers a very significant upgrade in two only just discovered stage two of the
stages, both still a lot ch e a per than going improvements. That is, to add a separate
the separate DAC route.
regulated power supply to the Clock 2.
S t a ge one ($295 + fitting) is the Cl ock
Trichord offer the Clock 2 Power
2. this is the guts of t h i n gs and consists of Su pp ly ($195 + fitting). Again a tidy cira small, very professionally made surface cuit board, containing an encapsulated
mount pcb with a super accura te crystal. tra n s form er and three terminal regulator.
Trichord su pp ly good instructions for fit- I was slu ggish in adding it as I was sceptiting the Clock 2 to over 30 specific models cal about it making a difference.
of player. These typUnfortu n a tely it
ically consist of
does! Of the total
about five steps, in “Transformed” is the word improvement I’d say
the vein of: 1)
the power supply
that comes to mind
Remove
crystal
contributed 30%.
XD01, capacitors
Quieter
backCD03 &CD04; 2) Connect wh i te wi re of gro u n d s , yet more detail, yet more space
clock to pin 25 of SAA7320; 3) Connect round instruments.
red wire…
At times it can be overly revealing, June
Quite simple, but if it sounds rem o tely Tabor’s folky Angel Tiger CD is a stunning
daunting, get the good people at recording but becomes a bit obvious in its
SoudPower Hi-Fi to sniff s o l der fumes for “enhanced” ambience. But the big plus for
yo u . Trichord also provide genera l i s ed me is that now my CD is catching up on
instru cti ons, if (like my Rotel) there are no the magical “invo lvem en t” factor of anadetails for that model (Cl ock 2 needs reg u- logue and I’m talking musical involvement
lated 7-25V su pp ly ). This defin i tely require not perpetual tweeking! (Don’t worry Ed
some el ectronics knowl ed ge . Unless you’re – ten years on I’m designing a new Corian
an impoveri s h ed el ectro-gee k , get som eone turntable.)
knowl ed ge a ble to do it for you.
So maybe it works well on my unglamI remember thinking that this little orous old bitstream Ro tel, was it just a
board couldn’t really have that big an fluke? What about other players?
effect on a CD player. Wrong.
This is the exciting bit. I know a couple
“Tra n s form ed ” is def i n i tely the word that of guys who are a wee bit intere s ted in
comes to mind.
a u d i o. Put it this way, if they could sort
The first, totally unexpected improve- el ectrons for sound qu a l i ty, they’d do it. I
ment was the bass, vastly increased in don’t know if you can say they both own
ex ten s i on and quality. Th en detail I’d not 16-bit Philips CD players as I’m not su re
h e a rd before . One of the things that had if a nything original remains. These playkept my tent in the analogue camp was ers are pushing the boundaries more than
that the Rotel was pretty 2D on the image a Yugoslav General.
front. Clocked there
Yet both reported big improvements
was now space round with the Clock 2 and then again with a
the instruments and separate power su pp ly. Th ey talk of m ore,
some semblance of tighter bass, better imaging, previously
depth. Bet ter rhythm unheard detail, rave rave rave…
and timing was
My gut feeling is that some of the
another plus, not biggest gains would be with older high end
being a typical bit- players (CAL, Sony ES etc) where most
stream strength. It’s things were well sorted , but cl ocking hadnot a universal fix, n’t arisen as an issue. Clock 2 likewise
GIGO still applies works for transports which may also be
(Garbage
In
= further upgraded with a Digital Output
Garbage Out).
Board.
I put the Clock 2
In the words of the Prophet Ni ke :
Several Trichord CD upgrades are pictured here
in a year ago but have Do It!
• DigiMaster: 24 bit, 32x resampling
• Wadia digital volume control
• dual power supply
• full disc clamping mechanism
• ClockLink
• jitter reduction
• digital inputs
• resolution matched digital and analog stages
• NoiseBlock analog circuitry
• modular architecture
WADIA 860
High end audiophile sound finds its
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we l c o m e
W H AT ’ S T H I S I H E A R ?
by Ow e n Yo u n g
Puberty, triodes and nailing
colours to the mast
OR… RE-LEARNING HOW TO ENJOY THE MUSIC AGAIN
L
ife is seemingly full of paradox .
Worldwide, there must be millions
of m a tu re, earnest adults still en j oying music written over 200 years ago by an
11 year old Austrian boy. True, Mozart
maybe didn’t produce his finest work until
after reaching the ripe old age of 25 years,
but he first set his world abl a ze musically
as a pre-pubescent child.
REMEMBER GOOSEBUMPS?
Well , h ere I am con tem p l a ting these sort
of ra tionalisations, at an age some unkind
individuals might descri be as men opausalimminent, having just been left som ewh a t
breathless by an debut album call ed Pi e ce s
of You written, with disarming knowingness, by a then 17 year old Alaskan teen a ger with the name of Jewel .
Cute name, and yeah, I know, yet
another woman singer- s on g wri ter multiplatinum wannabe? Another Tracy
Chapman, Suzanne Vega, Rickie Lee Jones?
Yet when was the last time you played an
album through three times first sitting?
Wh en was the last time you en j oyed
reading the lyrics of popular songs? Eerily,
playing acoustic guitar, she reminds me of
the young Judy Collins more than anyon e
else (that’s 1977, you old hipp i e s ) , or Jon i
Mitchell circa the early Blue album, or
Michelle Shocked, even.
Pieces of You contains three or four –
no, dammit, a dozen of the best songs,
melodies and “hooks” that I’ve set ears on
in ye a rs, performed with a voi ce that will
m a ke you wizened old cynics wish yo u
were 17 again.
Sonically, the album passes muster too,
recorded partly in Neil Young’s Redwood
studio (with his Stray Gators band) and
part ly live acoustic performances at a San
Diego coffeehouse. I might even replace
my standard issue Au s s i e - m a nu f actured
sample with a US copy from CD Universe
or somewhere else off the net, maybe
(feedback please, cyber- l i tera te audioparanoics out there?)
Oh, and just by the way, the album has
sold way over three million copies in the
US alone, was nominated for two
Grammys (don’t let that put you off!), and
with two smash singles so far – Who Wi ll
S ave Your Soul and You Were Meant For
22
Jewel: who will save your musical soul?
Me. Forget Celine, Jewel’s the little sweetie
that gives me the goosebumps.
Goosebumps? Is your music system still
able to elicit goosebumps?
THE PUZZLE
Well, hi-fi too, like life, is full of contradicti on s . The A-B com p a rison - we a ry disciple asks:
“ How is it, Ma s ter, that the more I
spend on my hi-fi, the less satisfied I
become? If there is such a thing as “the
a b s o lute sound”, why is it that the more
expen s ive and more “accura te” that hi-fi
components become, the more different
they sound, not more similar? I have
immersed my mind month after month in
Stere ophile’s waterfalls (graphs), yet still,
the journey seems to have no end in sight.”
The Wise One, stroking his silver (sixnines, of course) beard, leans gently forward:
“Grasshopper, the path to sonic
enlightenment is more than the eight-fold
one… the Zen, can sometimes be found in
the journey, not in the destination!”
THE JOURNEY
In deed, dear fell ow traveller, as we are
often aw a re we can tend to spend more
time messing about with the compon entry than en j oying the music. We need to
fight the tendency to become inw a rdfocussed. The tendency to dwell on the
small things, the micro, as oppo s ed to the
macro – the bigger picture.
One of the things that we are acc u stom ed to being to l d , as audio-disciples, is
the importance of secondary information:
the nuances, the ambi ent detail, the back
walls, the side walls… dear Nirva n a , I can
picture the colour of Ella’s dress!
What live acoustic music is about, however, is the ef fortless speed and dynamics,
particularly of primary, broad midrange
i n formati on . That is the directness of l ive
sound, without the exaggerated end-ofb a n dwidth ef fects of ten found in “a u d i ophile” sound.
Pers on a lly, I hear this most often in
moving magnet or better moving coil cartri d ge s , mu l ti - bit (as oppo s ed to on e - bit)
CD players, short circuit path amplification, and minimal cro s s over, efficient,
lightweight-coned loudspe a kers. Some
de s i gners purpo s ely frequ en c y - t a i l or their
components to achieve this end. But to
ach i eve good dynamics and subtlety over
a wide bandwidth is something that we are
led to believe is beyond our means.
The probl em is that most “audioph i l e”
s ys tems are of su ch com p l ex i ty that wh en
the music finally manages to thre ad itself
through a maze of el ectronic boxes, of ten
with rigorously regulated and “conditioned” power supplies, long cables, multiw ay, inefficient spe a kers and cro s s overs,
with big amplifiers, it is bound to lose its
life and subtlety.
It seems to me that such systems inher-
SVA
Center
SVA1500
SVA1600
SVA1800
SVA2100
SVA S
e
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s
.studio
and
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it.
JBL
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define
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by
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music
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recorded,
mixed
and
mastered.
It’s
music
the
way
professional
musicians
are
accustomed
to
hearing
it:
a
distinctly
wide,
deep,
precise
sound,
produced
by
equipment
capable
of
cranking
at
high
volumes
all
day
and
into
the
night.
JBL. the
leader,
the
innovator,
the
authority
The
new
JBL
SVA Series
loudspeakers,
with
a
design
that
draws
heavily
on
the
company’s
years
of
experience
with
studio,
concert
and
theatre
sound,
brings
the
authentic
JBL
sound
to
home
listening
rooms
of
any
size.
Intended
to
satisfy
the
most
critical
ears,
the
SVA Series
places
dual
castframe
woofers
in
a
Symmetrical
Vertical
Array™
surrounding
a
proprietary
B
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R
a
d
i
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l ® design
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The
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of
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imaged,
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presentation
of
any
music
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film
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It
creates
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sound
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at
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volume
level,
is
uncannily
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SVA
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prices
For
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Your
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For
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ently rob the music more and therefore
such components have to be designed to
add “life” and hype the music artificially
back up again. Si m i l a rly, audio cables are
n ow treated as el ectronic band-aids, marketed as ingredients to “tailor” your sound.
With skill, sweat and dollars you may
indeed possibly achieve some synergy with
such systems, but “less is more” I say!
(Actually it was Mies van der Ro h e , the
famous German arch i tect who said that.)
Keep it simple.
THE HEART AND MIND
If you have a modest system, keep it
simple, keep it direct, concentrate on purity and co h erence, and listen to live mu s i c
often, if you need reminding! Let’s get
away from this hi-fi BS engendered by the
“audioph i l e” review-based publications
and get back to the en j oyment and fun of
music again. We need to start listening
emotionally again, not cerebrally.
Don’t be inti m i d a ted by the procl a m ations of self-appointed reviewer- g u rus.
Listen with an open mind, a “child’s mind”
and trust your own ears.
In one of the typically instructive
Sound Practices editorials it is recounted
that, in an interview with the great drummer Max Roach, Max noted that musicians can’t help listening for certain things
when listening to music.
However, the thrill of listening to
music, according to Max, comes when you
l i s ten like a layman, an innocent, because
you can get tru ly invo lved in “the feeling
of joy of music.”
F L O A T L I K E A B U T T E R F LY
One of the touchstones of some enthusiast “u n dergro u n d ” audio groups is single-ended triode amplification. For me, as
a jaded audiophile I suppose, SE triodes
and horn speakers revived the original reas on for being – the mu s i c . Let me just get
off on this for a bit.
So wh a t’s the big deal abo ut SE amplification? In simple terms, “s i n gl e - en ded”
is about using one output device per channel (valve or transistor) to amplify the
entire waveform, as opposed to having the
waveform split into po s i tive and nega tive
halves and amplified separately by pairs of
devices in a “push-pull” fashion.
Single-en ded amplific a ti on and in particular, singl e - en ded triode amplification,
is beginning to turn more than a few heads
o ut s i de of Japan, It a ly and Fra n ce , where
it has been alive amongst enthusiasts for
the past 20 or so ye a rs . The most pop u l a r
300B valve was in fact designed, for audio,
in the 1930’s and, together with horn
spe a kers, became common in movie
palaces of the ensuing period.
Eventually with the advent of stereo,
domestic spe a kers were requ i red to
become smaller, thus became less efficient,
and with the advent of pentode and other
va lves, and the solid state transistor, the
amplifier power war began.
This has continued to this day hand-inhand with the pouring forth of the most
wickedly inefficient loudspe a ker designs.
It is on ly recen t ly that spe a kers of at least
90dB/watt @ 1 metre are reappearing.
One of the reasons for the excellent
The author’s kit-built single ended Audionote amplifier
24
fidelity of SE triode amps is the elegant
simplicity of the circuits. This means that
parts-count is low, making them easy to
build, but part s - ch oi ce and outp ut transformer pedigree are more crucial. Another
reason is synergy. Power su pplies tend to
be designed to be fast, responsive and
dynamic to compliment such signal circuit. Heavily regulated, high stora ge supplies put the emphasis on accuracy and
rely on sheer size and brute force to recover dy n a m i c s . Muhammad Ali would have
relaxed at home with a single en ded amp
– he su re unders tood about how to “f l oat
like a butterfly, sting like a bee”.
Sy n ergy, also comes into play when
matching these typically low - power
amplifiers (either valve or solid state – see
Nelson Pass or John Linsley-Hood for elegantly simple transistor designs) with suitably efficient and smooth impedance
speakers.
A tall ask these days , but com m ercially
ava i l a ble high performance, high ef f i c i ency spe a ker designs are appearing again.
The “s weet-spot” for such performance
from SE amps is therefore narrow but the
re sult is, in my vi ew, u n com m on ly natu ral, un-mechanical and un-hi-fi.
THE FUN
One exciting offshoot of this revolution
is the re-emergence of kits. Hi-fi can be
fun again! I can’t express it any better than
Joe Roberts, a contri butor to many audio
publications: “Kits can help us recover the
“hands-on” aspect of our hobby that many
of us need in an era when you can’t even
tinker with your car without a 32-bit protocol analyser. The psychic payoff of kitbuilding is enormous. After a few nights
work, you can be listening to an amplifier
you built. Im press your next date: “Yeah,
baby, I built that amplifier. L i ke that
midrange?” Red i s cover the rewards of
doing something tangible in a push-button world.” Get those hands to work!
Most mainstream “reviewers” to date,
have been afflicted by the probl em of trying to assess SE amps on whatever modera tely insen s i tive audiophile spe a kers they
h a ppen to have lying around, resu l ting in
the “great midrange, but no bandwidth or
dynamics” conclusions.
My advice gentle Gra s s h oppers, would
be , as usu a l , trust your own re s pon s e s . Or
rather, the heart first, before the head.
Also, that way you won’t be troubled at
all if music happens to have been composed by a teenager.
SYSTEMS
b y M a x C hri s to f fe rs e n
Three-pack to go
R O T E L’ S A U D I O P H I L E H O M E T H E A T R E S O L U T I O N
“W
ill that be fries with your
order, sir?” I can picture the
hi-fi drive-in discussion at
MacHi-Fi some time in the future…
“Now will that be the Pro - Logic Ro tel
with the AC-3 processor and amp pack
sir?… listen here – or takeaway?”
After all, this Rotel package re a lly is
about convenience and being able to tailor
home theatre systems one step at a time.
Ro tel could certainly have a bit of fun
marketing their new Do l by processors/
amplifiers ala fast food take-aways, as users
can pick and choose the Rotel home
theatre pack a ge to be one of s everal combinations:
Combo 1
Ro tel pre a m p / proce s s or and
five-channel amplifier(s)
Combo 2
Ro tel pre a m p / proce s s or and
Dolby Digital add-on processor
Combo 3
The Works! Ro tel preamp/
processor, Do l by Digital processor and
five-channel amplifier.
It’s a convenient way to build a home
theatre (HT) sys tem as bu d get or intere s t
a ll ows and means the Ro tel sys tem can be
added to, rather than simply discarded,
rel ega ted or traded-up for the new Do l by
Digital format.
Wh i ch ever way you go, the Rotel is
smart thinking for those still unsure about
their own level of commitment to home
theatre and the future of the Dolby Digital
format.
A TALE OF TWO PROCESSORS
This story is about two Do l by proce ssors and one five-channel power amp.
Rotel have designed complementary
processors, which are literally made for
one another.
The RSP 980 proce s s or ($1999)is for
the Dolby Pro-Logic format available from
vi deo, l a s erdisc and, via Nicam, broadcast
and Sky, while the Dolby Digital RDA 980
($1799) is designed for use with AC-3
Dolby Digital encoded sound tracks available on laserdiscs, and perhaps DVD if
launched in New Zealand.
The con n ection bet ween the two sep arate processors is simple – a standard computer cable which is attachable only one
w ay ro u n d . It’s strange to see computer
accessories in an audio package, but it is a
clean and tidy way to make audio connections. You can also use the same style of
linkage to the matching Rotel five channel
amplifier.
The THX certified pre - a m p / proce s s or
has six inputs, six recording functions
( a ll owing mon i toring bet ween source and
record i n g ) , bass and treble tone con tro l s ,
THX processing enhancements to ProLogic and four ambient surround modes.
Rotel’s RSP-980 preamp/processor (above) and RB 985 five channel power amplifier (below)
26
The pre a m p / proce s s or can be the centre of a multi-room control centre, a standard home theatre controller or a music
only preamp.
The RB 985 power amplifier ($1599,
featured in the July issue) outputs 100
watts from each of its five channels.
GET UP AND PERFORM
This is a deceptively complex / confusing com pon ent(s) and re ading the manual is a must.
But on ce the functions are understood
the Rotel does get up and perform in both
Pro - Logic and AC-3 (see sidebar on AC-3
on page 28).
S peaking of Pro Logic, the Ro tel del ivers. There is such body, substance and
co h e si on to the Pro Logic soundfield that
it ranks among the best sounding Pro
Logic performances I have heard.
The trick to Pro Logic is having a
proce s s or that provi des a sense of synergy
– it’s where the storyline takes over and
t h a t’s the focus of a t tention. This proce ssor was working so well that I forgot about
it! (don’t tell the Ed!) I was getting more
and more absorbed in a story from HBO
that I hadn’t seen before , suddenly I
remembered this is a review and realised
the Ro tel had alre ady done its job by letting the film speak for itself.
The lasting impression is that the Rotel
has su ch a sense of fullness to the soundfield that the synergy between all five
channel blends together – it’s a good trick
and one which makes for relaxing and
entertaining viewing.
Ki ck in THX processing and it make s
me a believer of the benefits of decorrelated (sligh t ly different rear ch a n n el effects)
rear surrounds with the rear channel
becoming damn difficult to locate.
To me the only real sonic failure were
the hall effects which were too overdone
(despite Ro tel’s commitment to design
them to retrieve ambient information
rather than enhance or add-on exce s s ive
effects) and the noisy rear channels which
had a higher than usual hiss level.
You can’t argue with the pure fidelity of
this proce s s or, and linked to its match i n g
f ive channel amplifier the Ro tel is as convincing on music as well as home theatre.
“Music is your experience, your
thoughts, your wisdom.
If you don’t live it, it won’t come
out of your horn.”
Charlie Parker
Nautilus. In B&W’s search for transparency of sound, the Nautilus
represents a true audio miracle.
Hailed as the most musical transducer in the world, the Nautilus
is in New Zealand for a very limited time.
Hear it at the following B&W dealers:
Mt Albert TV (Newmarket) until September 30
Lakeland TV and Stereo (Hamilton) October 1–8
Soundline Audio (Newmarket) October 9–16
Manawatu TV & Sound (Palmerston North) October 20–27
Associated Radio (Wellington) October 29–November 5
The Top Hi-Fi Shop (Christchurch) November 7–16
B&W New Zealand Ltd
PO Box 22 049, Christchurch
Phone 0-3-365 5677. Fax 0-3-366 7853
S AVE T HE LA S T D AN C E FO R ME
When settled in, the audio performance
is among the best I’ve had in the home –
its fidelity both as a preamp and as a
processor is very very good. Familiar
scenes from film came alive and seemed to
add a sense of l i fe to otherwise “s eem ’em
one too many times” soundtracks.
While the Ro tel (The Works!) combo
does get the bl ood pumping, sel dom have
I used su ch an audibly satisfying component, which is so dissatisfying to use.
The qu i rks are nu m erous and fru s trating. For example, the AC-3 decoder can
only be switch ed in from the on / of f button on the fascia, while other surro u n d
fields are acce s s ed from the rem o te , not
the front fascia. The surround fields are
accessed in scroll-through mode – the user
has to move from one field-to-the-nextto-the-next-to-the-next to get the one they
prefer (similarly with delay settings)
The on - s c reen display holds the en tire
field of the screen and is unable to be deactivated. Plus it has the slowest volume control ever – and it doesn’t mute sound on
full off. But the Rotel is too good to be dis-
ADDING AC-3
There is something absolutely captivating about the Dolby Digital format. At its
be s t , everything seems to be working so mu ch more easily – scenes with real det a i l
in them come to life (try Arnie (True Lies) putting on his cologne as the bottle tops
clank ch 2 5mins20sec) and at the other extreme, the dynamic cru n ch of some of
the acti on scenes really do show that AC-3 is de s i gned for larger rooms and larger
s c reens. I found myself con s t a n t ly changing vo lume, as the dynamics kicked in it
was too loud and also too soft
at the other extreme.
Again the real benefit from
AC-3 is the pristine centre
channel – dialogue is more intelligible and words that may be lost in the mix of ProLogic are now like sonic bi llboa rds! The Ro tel has the great channel separa ti on of
Dolby Digital (try True Lies ch22 14mins13secs or ch21 8 mins and 9 secs ) with
cl e a rly def i n ed events happening at the rear left of the soundfield or mu s i c / ef fects
revolving around the room through independent channels.
p a tched to the “also-rans” based on a few
annoying user quirks.
THE FINAL WORD
Rotel have really undersold the RSP 980
as a Surround Sound processor. It is really
an audiophile-quality pre a m p / proce s s or,
with the RB 985 a great sounding multichannel power amplifier.
Enthusiasts can start with the Dolby
Processor, add the five channel amplifier
and add the AC-3 unit later when it suits
for a complete one brand approach to HT.
Despite some user-interface frustrations, it was tempting to put this unit up
alongside the various integrated units and
try a real sound-off. Having alre ady tried
the best that Den on, Yamaha and Pion eer
have to offer, the Rotel is certainly more
than competitive.
MISSING OUT
ON AUDIOENZ?
Axent Advance
Loudspeakers
Home Theatre
Systems
Repairs and
refurbishing
of classic
loudspeakers
pictured: Axent Advance 170
Loudspeaker system design and manufacture
Public address and background music systems
Loudspeaker repairs – all makes and models
DIY loudspeaker kits and accessories
C ro s s over components and grille cloth
Speaker books and software
25 Portage Road, New Lynn, Auckland
Ph 0-9-827 1220. Fax 0-9-826 0302
28
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Nothing sounds sweeter
than pure Class-A
Class-A – the ultimate for amplifie r s
Musical Fidelity – when music matters most
Musical Fidelity A2 integrated amplifier
25 watts pure Class-A
Musical Fidelity A2 compact disc player
Musical Fidelity A220 integrated amplifier
50 watts pure Class-A
Distributed in New Zealand by A&V Holdings
PO Box 40-160, Auckland 10
Ph 0-9-358 4100. Fax 0-9-358 4900.
email avision@connected.co.nz
The harmonised forces of both
craftsmanship and technology
can be clearly seen in Castle
Acoustic’s lineup. Every
model, from the humblest to
the mightiest is presented in a
hand-finished, precisionengineered enclosure with a
choice of nine beautiful real
wood veneered finishes.
Castle offers more than just a
beautiful sound, rather it
furnishes a choice of top
performance loudspeaker
systems with a lasting quality
more than skin deep.
A&V
H O L D I N G S
PO Box 40-160, Auckland 10
Ph 0-9-358 4100. Fax 0-9-358 4900
email avision@connected.co.nz
CASTLE
TAY
CASTLE
AVON
CASTLE
HARLECH
$995
$2495
$3495
standard veneers
standard veneers
standard veneers
Many finishes are available ex-stock. Some veneers attract a slightly higher price.
Your Castle dealer can show you the possibilities
29
SEEN AND HEARD
by M i k e Jo n e s
A visit to Wellington
A U D I O G O O D I E S F R O M W E L L I N G T O N R E TA I L E R S
A
lthough born in well i n g ton, i
n ow make my home in the big
s m o ke of Auckland. But I like
Wellington – my parents live there and the
town has a wonderful “feel” to it – so I get
back a couple of times per year.
And when I do, I
always make su re to
visit the hi-fi s tore s .
Auckland may be
the big smoke , but
I’m surprised at
how of ten I see and
hear things in Wellington that I haven’t
seen in Auckland.
So down to Wellington I go clutching a
stack of CDs – many of which are then
“lost” at my fathers house for several
months!
FIRST STOP
My first visit is almost always to the real
Music Company in Ma rion Street. Chris
Murphy, propri etor and Naim/Epos/Royd
importer, and I go back to before either of
us were employed in the industry.
Immed i a tely offered a cup of coffee, I
wander into Real Music’s demo room,
where I spy an old friend.
Playing the music were a pair of Epos
ES14’s – the speakers I own. They’re a classic two-way de s i gn that alw ays manage to
sound better than you’d expect. I’ve always
considered to ES14’s underpriced for their
abilities – you can use them with much
more expensive CD players, turntables and
amplifiers, and they just keep sounding
better.
Feeding into the ES14’s were the newest
version of Naim’s entry CD player, the
CD3.5, and the classic small-box Naim
amplifiers.
The 72 pre a m p l i f i er and 90 power
a m p l i fier are housed in Naim’s half-width
case. Both have been around for a co u p l e
of ye a rs , and both have establ i s h ed themselves as Naim classics.
Drinking my coffee, I settled back with
a selection of hi-fi magazines to have a
good listen.
Out of my bag popped a couple of
favourite CDs. Give it up to love by Mighty
Sam McClain is a wonderful album in the
sixties soul/blues vein. The mighty one
30
sings with a passion that appears lost in
most singers of tod ay. And he’s backed by
a superb band.
The second CD was som ething differen t . Ma h l er ’s second sym ph ony is a stu nning orchestral work, again full of fire and
passion.
One of the things
I’ve always liked about
Naim equ i pment is
how the emoti on a l
content of
the
music
always comes
through.
There are
m a ny pieces of hi-fi equipment that
almost seem designed to an audiophile
checklist – extended bass (check), depth of
soundstage (check) – but where the re ason for listening to music – the emotional
kick – is forgotten.
This was a wonderfully enjoyable experience.
AND LATER
A couple of d ays later I popped into
Wellington’s newest hi-fi store , Soundline
Au d i o. Part of the re a s on I was there was
to see long-time AudioVideo and AudioEnz
contributor Charles Thomson. Charles
n ow works pretty much full-time for
Soundline.
The other re a s on was to hear some
Thiels. Charles had told me that one of the
smaller Thiels was set up and sounding
good in one of Soundline’s demo rooms.
Sure enough, when I entered Soundline
there were a pair of Thiel .5’s playing.
Besides the sloping front baffle there was
nothing that made them stand out from
any other two-way floor-standing speaker
system, until you delved a little more
deeply.
Ta ke the woofer for instance . It looks
like a standard 165mm paper cone. But the
m o tor design incorporates a short coil
with a long magnetic gap. This is the
opposite of what is found in most drive
units, as it raises the cost of the driver considerably. But it allows the driver to remain
linear with less distortion for longer.
The cro s s over uses more expen s ive
po lypropolene and po lys tyrene capac i tors
instead of the more com m on electro lyte s .
And the cabinet walls are 25mm thick.
The system I heard had the Thiel .5’s
driven by a Dynavector preamp and a
Plinius SA-50 power amplifier, with the
CD player from… well, actually, I can’t
remember what the CD player was!
And the sound was trem endous. A little more upfront than the Naim/Epos system heard earlier, the Thiel’s
played with a big spacious
sound, with surprisingly deep
and solid bass from these
smallish spe a kers. Thiel’s
tradem a rk of s tunning soundstaging was well in eviden ce , with
the orch e s tral instru m ents in the Ma h l er
2nd seemingly disconnected from the two
boxes sitting in front of me.
You can expect to hear more from
m a ny of the brands mentioned in future
issues of AudioEnz. I look forward to it!
Sonique Loudspeakers – from the 3.5III at
$1899 to the Encore at $11,999 – there is
a loudspeaker for you.
Sonique Loudspeakers are
manufactured in South Australia by Steve
Lund and Greg Walden (ex-Duntech).
They have been presented with
Loudspeaker of the Year for the 5.5mkIII
floor-stander; Best Buy for the 6.5 by AVL;
Australian Hi-Fi awarded the 7.5 (pictured)
and centre speaker Best Buy. Sonique
have also accumulated awards such as
Runner-Up as Small Business of the Year,
1995, and now Australian Manufacturer of
the Year for 1997.
Sonique have been awarded such high
recognition for their superior design ,
engineering, cabinetry and performance.
Before making your next speaker
investment, be sure to audition Sonique.
Also available – a complete home
theatre package.
For more information, contact
SoundPower Hi-Fi on 0-9-489 3692.
Distributed by Transline Audio ph/fax 0-7-578 5211
The Only People Capable of Improving
Upon The CDV-1...Just Did!
Dynaco’s new CDV-2’s lavish use of custom-made polypropylene signal
capacitors and close tolerance resistors suggest extraordinary parts quality,
while a rear panel switch enables the user to bypass the laboratory-grade
ALPS volume control, assuring maximum sonic purity with a wider variety
of audio systems. Of course, we’ve retained those features which made the
CDV-1 a perennial best-seller. A pair of American-made, industrial quality
tubes deliver sweet-yet-detailed treble response, tight, powerful bass and
midrange performance that approaches perfection. The CDV-2 will convey
your favourite music with a sound so palpable, so three-dimensional, you’ll
actually believe you can reach out and touch the artists! – all for only $1495.
The Dynaco CDV Pro adds HDCD processing and is only $1995.
Reviews of these are other Dynaco hi-fi components are available by
request. And hire purchase of Dynaco hi-fi is available.
If music is an important part of your life, you owe yourself a CD player
this good.
Distributed and serviced by Feedback Enterprises Ltd
Ph/Fax 0-3-548 4068 or Ph/Fax 0-3-547 6012.
web: www.voyager.co.nz/~pepsi/index.htm
Auckland Charisma Audio Ph 0-9-478 6448 Wellington 0-4-388 2347
Nelson Feedback Audio Ph 0-3-548 4068
– the power behind the F1800RII
The quest at Velodyne was to design the best-sounding subwoofer
ever. Beginning with an all-new 18” driver that results in even less
bass distortion, even before Velodyne’s patented servo correction. A
fully shielded magnet structure allows for closer placement to
televisions.
A new cool-running 600-watt power amplifier offers greater power
output without the need for heatsinks.
The result is a subwoofer masterpiece. The F-1800RII is the best
sub ever! No other subwoofer on the market can reproduce the
subtle nuances of your favourite musical track with total accuracy,
and still be able to knock the socks off the home theatre crowd with
sheer brute force.
Power and glory – the Velodyne F-1800RII
So try it out yourself. You’ll agree this is the best sub ever made!
Velodyne subwoofers are available from $895 to $4495. For a
brochure and review pack, please contact Audio Video Designs.
PO Box 31-552, Milford, Auckland
Phone 0-9-486 0666. Fax 0-9-486 0660
Mobile 025-769 890 or 021-769 890
31
th
e b
e s t . ..
he
be
..
March ’97
731
731
731
731
731
731
May ’95
731
731
731
731
August ’95
732
733
733
733
Awards ’96
733
Highly
Recommended
May ’95
734
734
734
734
734
May ’95
735
. . . j u s t g o t b e t t e r. . .
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l i
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e n
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Crestmore Pty Ltd PO Box 99-111, Newmarket, Auckland Tel:025-950-663 Fax:0-9-579 6228 http://www.mission.co.uk
available from: Barrells 100% 0-9-430 0098 • Stereo World 0-9-630 1204 and 0-9-631 5130 • Paul Money Hi-Fi 0-9-638 8555 • The Audio Consultant 0-7-843 8436 • Audio Reflection 0-7-578 7956 • Mason
Appliances 0-6-757 5749 • DA Morrison Electric City 0-6-345 3949 • Moore Appliances 0-7-378 7020 • Associated Radio 0-4-473 5403 • The Top Hi-Fi Shop 0-3-365 2041 • Sight & Sound 0-3-474 0443