A Warp Speed Blast Through Hi-Fi ‘98!
by Dave "Iron Man!" Glackin

Owing to a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see a friend do her debut at Carnegie Hall on the cello, I missed part of Hi-Fi 98. And what a debut it was. Like one wag (initials CJ, writes for this rag) once said, music is a damn distraction from audio. And a visit by some beloved friends from Indiana also took precedence over audio (there is life beyond this stuff, you know...). The result was an unusually rushed, but most enjoyable, two days at "Hi-Fi ‘98: The Home Theater & Specialty Audio Show," put on by Stereophile magazine and held at the Westin Los Angeles Airport Hotel on 10-14 June, 1998.

Note the ominous second place afforded high-end audio in the title. Many of high-end audio’s prominent paraphernalia purveyors were conspicuous by their absence. Even Scott Frankland, whose V-8 amp would have fit right in with the hot rod proclivities of Stereophile’s new master, that putative patriarch of popular periodicals, Peterson Publishing, punted potential presentation (but did populate a panel).1

Also conspicuous by their absence were analog front-ends. In a rare pre-show attempt at (gasp!) coordination, Bruce Kinch was to have covered turntables, tonearms, cartridges, line stages, and associated eminently delectable topics. That should be a short show report! But there were some analog stalwarts standing tall, and more than enough good exhibits to keep your humble reporter hopping. Herewith, the good stuff. As per the usual policy of this here fine rag, the execrable stuff will forever remain hidden in my notebook (but I might be coerced with the right ‘76 Fiat Spider or ‘92 Corrado parts...).

Balancing the lack of analog hardware was a veritable plethora of analog software. I love the smell of vinyl in the morning. And available it was, and doing a brisk business, thank you very much, alongside its digital brethren. Of which more later.

Bobby Palkovic of Merlin Music Systems and Gilbert Yeung of Blue Circle Audio take the Best Sound in Show. Bobby was showing the Merlin VSM/SE loudspeakers, sporting new Cardas connectors, new adhesives and damping materials, and an improved power supply for the BAM (bass augmentation module) active equalizer, built by Gilbert. Gilbert was showing the Blue Circle BC-3000 preamp, with all Cardas Cross wiring, and suspension of components off of the circuit boards (like, up in the air, you know), as well as a pair of BC-6 25 Wpc stereo amps, vertically biamped. My ever-present Cantate Domino on Proprius was reproduced with stunning vocals, organ, and a very real sense of space, while my fave Blue Skies from John Marks Records was fleshed out better than on any system in the show, sending spontaneous spinal shivers down my back. These guys really have their act together, and appear to have hit upon a magical combination of loudspeaker and amp. Kudos to you both, guys. (716-367-2390 or www.merlinmusic.com for Merlin; 519-469-3215 or www.bluecircle.com for Blue Circle)

The Best Video in the show was from Revel. They set up a pro system with (let’s see if an audio guy can get this right) HDTV being fed by a Philips D5 videotape machine, a Snell & Wilcox interpolator with 768 lines of output, a Vidicron Vision unit doing God knows what, and an ElectroHome Mark E 9500 projector. I usually don’t like projection video units and normally prefer large tubes. But this demo about knocked my eyes out of their sockets. It was quite startling, with absolutely no detectable color fringing. (Phone 818-717-0770)

The Best Equipment Stand in the show was from Max Townshend of Townshend Audio. I saw Max’s Seismic Sink Stand demonstrated to great effect at CES in January. It consists of three interlinked structural frames and two air cells, took five years to develop, and must be seen to be appreciated. Max likens its abilities to the Vibraplane, but with far more cost-effective implementation. That would make an interesting comparison. (In the UK, you can knock up Max at 44 181 979 2155, or try http://ds.dial.pipex.com/townshend.audio/)

The Sexiest Tubed Equipment in the show was being demonstrated by Yuzuru Ito of the Technical Center of Wavac Audio Lab in Japan, and Jim Ricketts of tmh audio in Ohio, the US importer of all the equipment listed below. Wavac amps are always a joy to look at, and an even greater joy to listen to. And, bless their hearts, they were playing analog, using a Miyabe moving coil cartridge sporting Alnico magnets. Wavac’s LCR-X1 phono stage, PR-X1 line stage, and MD-572 amp (using the Svetlana SV-572) were being used to drive the Küchel 3-way horn loudspeaker. The sound was effortless, natural, and unstrained, and was one of the top three sounds in the show, IMHO. [Phone 81 238 266800 in exotic Yamagata, Japan, for Wavac; 937-439-2667 or tmh-audio@juno.com in boring old Dayton, Ohio (where the most fun thing to do is to watch tires being made, according to former residents) for tmh audio.]

The Classiest Integrated Tube Amp in the show was being demonstrated, and sometimes danced to, by EveAnna Manley of Manley Labs. EveAnna’s beautiful and unique new Stingray 50 Wpc integrated amp, with CDs fed through Manley’s 20-bit DAC, powering a pair of Tannoy Churchill loudspeakers, reproduced very natural timbre, smooth and natural bass, and a real choir singing in a real space. This system was a pleasure to listen to, and it seems obvious that the Stingray could form the centerpiece of a simple, but very musical, system. (When not enjoying her old Italian sports cars or her motorcycles, EveAnna can be found working like a madwoman by phoning 909-627-4256. Or try www.manleylabs.com or emanley@netcom.com.)

The Most Appealingly Gothic Tube Equipment in the show was being shown by the folks at Moth Audio. If they ever need an audio system for a Batman movie, this is the stuff. Looking like an ancient honking-big tube trapped under two bell jars (which it is), the 304TL transmitter tube used in the Moth m304TL 35W single-ended monoblock is actually four triodes in one, and it was made by Richardson up until a year ago. While they were moving in, the curtain rod reportedly whacked down on top of one of the bell-jar covers, with no damage. Great if you have pet pigs loose in your listening room. The system, comprised of Moth’s 20-bit U-DAC HDCD-equipped DAC, pv4 passive volume control, two m304TL amps, and Von Schweikert VR-6 loudspeakers, was producing some great sound, with a nice choir on the Cantate Domino and good solid bass. The looks alone were drawing the crowds in from the hall. (Phone 213-467-4300, that’s HOllywood7-4300)

The Most Conversation-Generating Split-Level Tubed Equipment in the show was being shown by Cary Audio Design. These were two-tier monoblocks with a hole in the top tier, to allow the huge 308A tube resident in the bottom tier to poke through. They were driving Alon loudspeakers, and the combination sounded quite musical and magical, with great bloom, soundstaging and bass. I didn’t get the complete details owing to my warp speed going into ultra-hyper-drive, but you can contact Cary in North Carolina at 919-481-4494 to find out more.

The Most Mysterious Tube-like Equipment in the show was being demonstrated by Riccardo and Eunice Kron of KR Enterprise in the Czech Republic. The VT 8000 MK "Vacuum Transducer Amplifier" pumps out a beefy 300 Wpc. A sister to the vacuum transistor, the vacuum transducer is a thermionic tube device with very high vacuum, and in this amp it’s cooled by heat sinks. At CES, Eunice told me that the vacuum transistor is "a very highly developed tube that works with transistor technology." Hmmm. Some day, I’d like to get the details on this (former Iron Curtain?) technology. [According to rumor shortly before press time, these devices may actually not be nearly as mysterious as they appear to be at first blush. You read it here first (stay tuned).] (krenterprise@serverpha.czcom.cz, or call them in Prague at 420 2 66107168)

The Most Elegant System in the show had to belong to Burmester Audiosysteme. The equipment is very beefy and serious-looking, with beautiful chrome faceplates and a spare-no-expense demeanor. Burmester showed their 969 belt-drive CD transport, which weighs 75 lbs, feeding their new 970 DAC, which should be 24 bit/96 kHz capable by the time you read this. With their 808 preamp and 911 monoblocks capable of 1100W, the system recreated a real choir in a real space, with phenomenal bass. Classy and impressive. (Phone them in Berlin at 49 30 7.87.96.80)

The Runner Up for Best Sound in Show was JM Lab, demonstrated by that gentleman among gentlemen, Dick Keats of the Prism Audio Group, LLC, who is the US representative for JM Lab. The JM Lab Utopia loudspeakers were being powered by YBA electronics. The sound was liquid, smooth, palpable, and effortless, with great imaging and astounding bass. On static display were three new speakers in the Utopia line, the Mezzo, the Mini, and the Subwoofer. (You can reach Dick at 972-243-5905)

The Most Eye-Popping New Tubes were being shown by Charles Whitener of the Westrex Division of Western Electric. The honking-big 212E triode is 13.6" high from the tips of its pins to the tippy-top of its glass envelope, and 3.4" in diameter. Who said size doesn’t matter? Nominal filament operation is 6 amps and 14 volts, and the maximum plate voltage is 3000V. First the world’s best sounding 300B, and now this. And by the time you read this, newly manufactured Genalex Gold Lion KT88s (manufactured in England) will be available exclusively through Westrex. (404-874-4400 or www.westernelectric.com or sales@westernelectric.com)

I had a very nice chat with Kevin Hayes of VAC (Vacuum Amplification Company), who besides making a line of outstanding components for high-end audio and home theater, is now the importer for the J. J. Electronic line of vacuum tubes from Slovakia, which reportedly has all of the former Tesla machinery in hand. Available are the 12AX7A, 6L6GC, EL34, E34L, EL84, KT88 and (last but not least) 300B. (919-596-1107 or www.vac-amps.com or info@vac-amps.com)

Another example of the Most Consistently Excellent Small Speaker Line was being shown by Vince Bruzzese of Totem Acoustics. Vince was demonstrating two systems, the Totem Mani-2 speakers, powered by Celeste (SimAudio) electronics, and the new little floor-standing monocoque-construction 5" wide Arro loudspeaker. Powered by the Celeste I-5 integrated amp (40 amp peak current output, 70 Wpc), the Arros exhibited good female vocal timbre, good articulation, excellent imaging, and astounding bass for their size. At its price point ($1100), the Arro looks like a winner. It incorporates many of the strengths of the Totem family within a very small package. How do you keep doing it, Vince? (514-259-1062 for Totem; snail mail to SimAudio Ltd., 3275 First Street, Unit #1, St-Hubert, Quebec, Canada J3Y 8Y6)

The Best Accessory in the show was from D. J. Casser of Black Diamond Racing. His carbon fiber TNT Record Clamp impressed the heck out of me from the very first note. See section II, The Post-Show Report, below, for more detail and contact info.

The Best Tie (Hat Trick) goes hands-down to Les Edelberg of Audio Power Industries. Les has been cagey enough to take this coveted PF award three shows in a row now, and in his honor we’re permanently retiring this category. And, oh yeah, he also makes some excellent power conditioning units; two of Les’s Power Wedges have been diligently doing their duty in my system for years. (714-545-9495 or www.audiopower.com on the web or info@audiopower.com by e-mail)

The Best Grit & Determination (Hat Trick) goes hands-down to Barry Kohan of Bright Star Audio. Barry has man-handled so many sand-filled boxes around these shows over the years that by now he should be able to hold his own with Hulk Hogan. His highly regarded vibration control products were in 52 rooms at the show(!). We’re going to permanently retire this PF award, and send Barry a beautiful certificate, suitable for framing (or maybe an ant farm). New models from Bright Star are the Air Mass 3S, a pneumatic single air cell that can support 130 lbs, and the Air Mass 2S, that can support 170 lbs without busting its little pneumatic guts all over the room. (805-375-2629 or Barry.Kohan@tanet.com)

Dr. Bruce Edgar of Edgarhorn was showing the Best Horn in the show. Bruce was demonstrating the new System 75 which uses TAD drivers for the midrange and bass horns, and a new horn tweeter. The lower bass was being reproduced with a large horn-loaded subwoofer with a 3 dB down point of 35 Hz. As loyal readers know, Bruce’s modern interpretation of the horn, using a tractrix flare geometry and a round horn midrange, does not exhibit the distortions that are usually associated with horns, and it also images, a quality not usually associated with horns. This is a system that will really let you hear the quality of that first watt produced by your amplifier. Driving the speakers to great effect were the Mons Audio Lab Mons 300B monoblocks from the ever gracious Man Ho Kim. Mons also has a relatively new product, the Mons SV-572, a 30W monoblock which uses the Svetlana 572 tube. Driving the subwoofer was an amp from a new company, Cyrus Brenneman Audio, a beautiful gold-plated 20 W unit. Best of luck to Cy Brenneman in his new endeavor (readers will recognize his name from his association with ElectraPrint Audio, whose gorgeous preamp was being used in this system). Long known in the high-end world for excellent products such as their expanding-banana-plug Exterminators, four of which are in my system, Monster Cable is attempting to make a more serious foray into the high end. Daniel Graham of Monster wired up Bruce’s system with their new Sigma Retro speaker cable and interconnect, indeed looking pretty retro with its cool cloth covering. Power conditioning was being provided by the Monster Cable 5000 power conditioner, while the DAC was Monster’s new Entech 205.2. The results spoke for themselves. (310-782-8076 for Edgarhorn and Mons; 818-349-5402 or cybrenneman@earthlink.net for Cyrus Brenneman; 415-840-2000 or dgraham@monstercable.com for Monster Cable.)

Dr. Poh Ser Hsu of Hsu Research was showing the Best Unobtrusive Subwoofer in the show. His little HRSW10V sub, being powered with a 150 Wpc amp, and being demoed with NHT Super-Zeros, appears to be a great way to add phenomenal low bass on the cheap, to your home theater or to your real system. Hsu subwoofers have always had an excellent reputation, and very deservedly so. If you need some pant-leg-flapping bass that won’t break the bank or send your spouse into hardware induced shock, this may be the solution for you. (562-404-3848 or www.hsuresearch.com)

The Most Heartwarming News on the 50th Anniversary of the LP came from Mike Hobson of Classic Records. The LP was introduced at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York on 21 June 1948. (And for you astronomy nuts, the 200-inch telescope at Mt. Palomar was dedicated on 3 June 1948. Take it from a guy who’s used it.) Classic announced plans to do LPs of Simon and Garfunkel (where do I sign up?), Santana (ditto) and Bob Dylan. Freewheelin’ is supposed to be released with the very rare two extra tracks. I couldn’t review the stuff from the show itself, since the promised press kit never arrived (come on, guys). (213-466-9694)

Easily the Most Stunning CD Demo was given by JVC, with their XRCD and new, and even better, XRCD2 formats. I really like the results that these folks are getting! For more detail, see section III, The Music, below.

The Best Digital Amplifier in the show was being demonstrated by Gunnar Ek of Tact Audio, who allegedly received more orders at the German show (held two weeks before Hi-Fi 98) than any other electronics firm. The Tact Millennium amp accepts the digital signal from a CD transport, amplifies it in the digital domain, and sends digital pulses of different width directly to the loudspeakers, with conversion to analog being effectively done at the speaker terminals. There is no feedback, no TIM (transient intermodulation distortion), no effect from loudspeaker back EMF (electromotive force), and supposedly constant SNR (signal-to-noise ratio), and the slew rate is 6000 V/µsec. It sounded quite good with Dali MegaLine loudspeakers, although I confess to paying more attention to the technical discussion and then thinking when I should have been listening. This really looks like a product of the future. These folks also have an effective room correction system. (201-894-5905 or www.tactaudio.com or gunnar@tactaudio.com)

The Best High-End Surround Sound Concept in the show could be found in the Ambiosonics Institute room, as developed by Ralph Glasgal. It used ten Sound Lab loudspeakers of various kinds, in various positions around the listener, some tilted against the walls. Standing in a specific spot in front of a small video monitor, you watched a DVD of the Three Tenors, while the Ambiosonics system handled the sound. The reproduction was quite riveting, and bears some research (Glasgal and Keith Yates published a book in 1995 to further just that). (201-784-0614 or www.ambiophonics.org)

The Genlec, Inc. loudspeakers were being used in a very effective home theater demonstration. NTSC-based synthesized HDTV was compared to actual HDTV, both in DTS sound. A Meridian processor and a Snell & Wilcox interpolator were used. This demo had tremendous visceral impact when playing scenes from Apollo 13 and Titanic. I mentioned to the exhibitors that I was at the VIP site for the launch of Apollo 13, and that much of what happens with a Saturn 5 from three-and-one-half miles away was pretty convincingly reproduced on this system (although when I turned around in the demo, I didn’t see Spiro Agnew...). They seemed pretty happy about that observation. (Phone 508-652-0900)

The Coolest New Accessory was being shown by Checkpoint 3D. As noted in my last CES report, the SA-S Laser Sound Alignment System consists of a laser pointer in a very high-tech housing that accepts different heads for modifying the beam, and different backs for attaching the unit to your speaker. A truly cool device, which I’ve already used for lecturing, but not yet for aligning my ET-8s, which is its avowed purpose. It comes with a comprehensive packet of layout sheets and instructions for using it to align your loudspeakers to assist in optimum performance. So far, I can attest that this laser pointer from hell commands attention and respect when lecturing. (310-793-5500 or www.checkpoint3d.com)

Hart Huschens of Audio Advancements is carrying a new product, the Harmonic Recovery System, manufactured by Source Component Electronics, Ltd. This is a "black box" that is inserted between your CD source and preamp. Although I only got to listen to it briefly at the show, in my experience Hart carries nothing but the finest equipment, and from what he says, this unit may well be worth your while for trial, to see if it improves your CD playback as much as the scuttlebutt would indicate. (973-633-1151 or www.audioadvancements.com oraudadv@earthlink.net)

Meadowlark Audio is a relatively new company that is producing an excellent product. Their Shearwater loudspeakers, driven by Naim electronics, were clean, imaged very well, and had excellent timbre. Their products definitely bear a more in-depth look than was possible at the show (now at ultra-hyper-über-warp). (760-598-3763 or MeadowlarkAudio@compuserve.com)

Em-Phi of France was demonstrating a very musical system, which included the elegant Harpus dipolar loudspeakers, a Cybelius preamp, Cybelius AL70 tube amps, and Ariane cables. The presentation was very musical, giving an excellent sense of a real choir in a real space, with excellent articulation and timbre, and excellent bass. A class act, and definitely a company to watch. (Phone 33 1 34.60.23.65 or actea-em-phi@wanadoo.fr)

D. J. Casser of Black Diamond Racing (BDR) kindly sent me a sample of the record clamp that he makes for the VPI turntable, and I tried it out on my TNT. Yowza! I could hear the difference as soon as I stepped out of the equipment room, while still behind the speakers. The BDR clamp yielded better definition, significantly better separation of instruments within the soundstage, and more natural, less bloated bass. The stock VPI clamp would be relegated to the job of doorstop, if only I could figure out how to make it do something so useful. (Black Diamond Racing is in Milwaukee at 414-747-8733.)

I’d like to compare this clamp to the Toruclamp Disc Damper (and custom turntable mat) that is made for the VPI TNT by Toy Shigakawa of Torumat. My SME V arm, however, does not have enough vertical travel to accommodate the mat, so this will have to wait for my planned change to a JMW Memorial arm. Meanwhile, I note that one reader acquired the mat and clamp based on its mention in my 1998 CES report, and found a "truly amazing" improvement in sound. Time will tell which contender prevails. (Toy is in California at 916-652-6074.)

Ric Cummins of Rosinante recently sent me two samples of his new DarkMatter equipment shelves. As regular readers know, "dark matter" is another name for the "missing matter" in the universe, which relates to the Big Bang and the possibility of a "Big Suck" at some future date. (If you’re not a regular reader and have no idea what I’m talking about, forget I ever mentioned it...)

The DarkMatter shelves are made using a proprietary polymer casting process. Three large ball bearings go between your equipment and the platform; each ball bearing is captured in a soft plastic sleeve, designed to keep it from rolling away freely. I replaced the BDR shelf and cones under my CD transport with one of these, and was quite unprepared for the result. I hold the BDR components in very high regard, but in my system the DarkMatter shelf proved to be better, and I calls ‘em as I hears ‘em. Boy, do these babies work!

With the DarkMatter shelf under my CD transport, my favorite CDs sounded noticeably more natural, less harmonically smeared and spatially confused, and more tuneful in the bass, than with the best shelf I had tried previously. The massed choir on my fave Cantate Domino was better defined in space and more natural sounding, while the delineation of the organ line was significantly improved. On the Opus 3 Test Record 1, the venerable Tiden Bara Gar sounded more natural, ambiance decays were more noticeable, and both instruments and voice sounded more real. Rosinante’s DarkMatter equipment shelf is replacing the BDR shelf under my transport. I don’t know what Ric Cummins is doing, but the results speak for themselves. You owe it to yourself to try one out ASAP. [One drawback is that they are higher than the BDR shelves (2.2" vs 0.75" for the shelves...the bearings are very slightly shorter than the cones). The DarkMatter shelf and bearings would not fit under my RM-5 preamp when the shelf was seated on the wooden shelf of my Target B5 stand, because the 19" wide rack mount faceplate came into contact with the shelf supports. With this stand, this is no problem with the rest of my equipment, which does not have 19" faceplates. And it’s obviously no problem with my amp, which is on the floor.] But the BDR shelf and cones are staying under my amp, as they sounded more neutral and transparent in this application.

The moral of this story is that there’s more to this resonance control problem than meets the ear, and no one solution is necessarily the best across the board. So experiment for yourself. (Rosinante is in Eudora, Kansas, at 785-542-3922).

Ric also provided the Best Post-Show Quip when he asked "What’s the difference between a banjo and a trampoline? You take your shoes off to jump on a trampoline." (da dum dum)

III. The Music

And now, on to the reason that all of this equipment exists. And as usual, if the below sounds too glowing, please note that I chose to not report on the many releases which simply didn’t float my boat.

LPs:

Steve Hoffman of DCC continues to produce some absolutely phenomenal LPs. The man has ears. John Coltrane is my favorite jazz musician. And Steve’s John Coltrane: Lush Life captures the musical essence of this artist, with a timbre and a sense of ease that are very seductive. Although the recording is mono, the sax, acoustic bass and percussion are clearly separated in space, and anyone who loves the music will soon forget that this recording is mono, and just sink into the performance. By contrast, the OJC LP is forward, has no sense of ease, and sounds as if the tape deck was running too fast. Where the DCC LP invites the listener into the music, the OJC thrusts it at the listener and demands his or her attention. Kudos, Steve.

Another stunner is The All-Time Greatest Hits of Roy Orbison. The Bill-Porter-recorded-and-mixed master tapes are obviously in great shape, and it is hard to imagine anyone getting more out of them than Steve Hoffman. The vocals on this double LP set are smooth and natural, with no hint of strain, and the instruments are all right there in the mix, presented with good timbre and imaging. If you’ve got any interest in Orbison, buy this.

Yet another amazing album, which has already received well-deserved rave reviews, is Elvis: 24 Karat Hits! This sounds so real that I sat there visualizing being able to hear right into the individual wires of the reverb unit that they used on Heartbreak Hotel. Elvis has indeed been sighted, or at least uncannily recreated, in Pasadena, a city not usually known for pseudo-scientific rantings. Much to my surprise, I could understand the lyrics to some of these songs literally for the first time, on this LP taken from the original Bill-Porter-recorded-and-mixed tapes. If you’re an Elvis fan of any stripe, get this two-record set before all the copies are scarfed up by rabid, foaming hordes of Elvis loonies. (Note that this collection is "not available anywhere else on any other configuration.") And yikes! Steve has repeated his performance with Elvis is Back!, Presley’s first recording session after being released from the Army. I especially recommend the second track, Fever, to send chills down your spine, or at least make you sit up and take notice.

The DCC LP Nat "King" Cole: Love is the Thing is an immediate attention grabber. The vocal quality of this recording is something that is difficult to convey in print. This release has already received some very well-deserved press. This is a collection of romantic ballads that was first released in 1957, and the DCC LP is "the first album since 1968 to restore [it] to its original 1957 length and running order." What a romantic album. If you’ve invited that special someone over for some music, put this on and hold onto your, er, hat. And comparing this to the DCC Gold CD release, the vocals on the LP are a little richer and fuller, making it the medium of choice in my opinion.

The DCC LP Nat "King" Cole: The Very Thought of You sounds like a continuation of Love is the Thing. It was recorded a year and a half later (May, 1958) at the same studio, with the same mikes and same recorder, by the same engineer, and of course it was remastered by the same engineer (Hoffman). This is a case in which consistency breeds a superior product. Take what I said above, repeat, and hope for a three-peat. The last of the fifties (and early sixties) DCC recordings at hand was Harry Belafonte: Jump Up Calypso , which is an excellent documentation of a period craze. The Trinidad Steel Band and associated instruments aren’t always recorded with outstanding fidelity, but the voices are, and if you like the music, you should not pass this one up, as it includes some classic calypso gems.

Switching gears, and eras, considerably, we come to an audiophile fave, Joni Mitchell: Court and Spark. Joni’s voice presents a difficult challenge to the recording and reproduction chain, and in my opinion Steve Hoffman has shown that he is up to the task. The DCC LP has a wide-open soundstage with excellent reproduction of instruments and vocals. A much-appreciated and trusted pair of consulting ears on this review belong to Ted Conger, who has probably heard every release of Court and Spark that exists. (Ted once comprised one-half of The Elusive Disc, and more LPs have passed through his hands and formidable ear-brain mechanism than probably anyone I know.) Ted’s take on the DCC is that it is as good as, or better than, all the rest. Four thumbs up, between us. Ted was also of considerable help on the DCC release of Jethro Tull:Aqualung, which in his opinion sounds more like the original English Chrysalis release than any other. In Ted’s opinion, the MFSL release is quieter and more transparent, but the DCC is more tuneful and true to the original. Your trusted scribe defers to his trusted friend on this one.

I’ve always had a thing for Linda Ronstadt, having listened to a lot of her songs during grad school days. Steve Hoffman’s remastering of Linda Ronstadt: Greatest Hits knocks my socks off (these songs sure didn’t sound like this on the system I had in ‘74.) Very highly recommended. Steve’s remastering of The Eagles: Hotel California is up to the same standards. The instruments and vocals are all distinct within a very clean mix, with tight, solid bass, extended highs, and no hint of strain. If reading these accolades is getting monotonous, I apologize, but again, I calls ‘em as I hears ‘em. The final DCC LP on the roster is The Steve Miller Band: Greatest Hits 1974-78. Talk about a recreation of grad school (minus the vector calculus). This contains the best rendition of Fly Like an Eagle that I have ever heard. And there’s no doubt that we’re talking about the "pompetus" of love. This LP is clean, punchy, smooth, and distortion-free. Once again, highly recommended.

The above LPs were all issued on 180 gram virgin vinyl. They are a pleasure to handle, have nice flat surfaces, and are (mostly) noise-free. No expense has been spared on the tactile and visual aspects of the album jackets either, with lavish gatefolds and stunning graphics. Steve Hoffman is doing an extraordinary job of producing an outstanding product, and he deserves your full support. At a time when many small labels are deciding to pack up their vinyl operations and switch to CD releases only, it is doubly important to support the companies that remain committed to vinyl. Kudos once again to you, Steve. (1-800-301-6874 to order, or for a catalog).

Cisco has released a virtuoso performance of the Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No. 3 with Vladimir Ashkenazy and the London Symphony Orchestra, as part of their Super Analogue Disc series. These discs are mastered at half-speed from the original master tapes, using a minimalist signal chain and 300 Wpc tubed amps to drive the cutterhead. The reproduced orchestra is smooth, expansive, and somewhat forward in the soundstage. Transparency is excellent, and a good balance between the piano and the orchestra is achieved, something that is not always done well in recordings of piano concertos. The surfaces are reasonably quiet, and the powerful playing and superb musicianship draw you into the performance. Highly recommended.

CDs:

As always with the CDs, they were treated with Toy Shigakawa’s Torumat CDX-15 cleaner, and proper absolute polarity was established by ear.

Regular readers of my reports know that I am quite taken with the JVC XRCDs (Extended Resolution Compact Discs). I feel that JVC has realized a remarkable accomplishment in the CD medium (to plagiarize yours truly). And their heavy gatefold jackets with bound liner notes are a nice touch. JVC is continuing their excellent track record with Ella Fitzgerald & Joe Pass: Take Love Easy. This is a quiet, contemplative and somewhat mesmerizing duet of love songs recorded in 1973, with Ella still in fine form. Sound quality is excellent, with a sense of ease to the nth degree, and great transparency. At the show, JVC personnel gave an excellent demo of the difference between the original CD release and the XRCD version. The difference was obvious right from the first note. Very highly recommended. Sara Vaughan: How Long Has This Been Going On? is another outstanding disc in the JVC XRCD tradition. The performance features the stellar cast of Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Louie Bellson and Ray Brown, and none of these artists disappoints. For those of you who don’t know her, if you like Ella, you’ll love Sara, and this recording is close to putting her right in the room with you. It’s a spirited, character-laden performance which should belong in the collection of every jazz fan. Very highly recommended. And then there’s Everybody Digs Bill Evans. Wow, what a disc! The music is right up my alley, and it’s no wonder that this performance is so highly regarded. Featured are Philly Joe Jones on drums and Sam Jones on acoustics bass. The XRCD reproduction is natural and wide-open, with shimmering cymbals, naturally percussive piano, and very nice soundstaging for the time (1958). This one’s a definite keeper, and I expect it to spend a lot of time in or near my transport this year.

At the show, JVC held a press conference to announce the new XRCD2 format, with Akira Taguchi of JVC (who produces the XRCDs) and Alan Yoshida of A&M Mastering Studios (who masters the XRCDs) emceeing the proceedings. They described how most pressing plants transfer the bits from a U-Matic 1630 three-quarter-inch video tape onto a CDR (recordable CD) or an 8 mm Exabyte tape, and often do mastering at high speed. The XRCDs are done with attention to every aspect of the chain, using a Sony PCM-9000 20-bit magneto-optical master, and JVC’s Digital K2 that completely regenerates the digital signal with no jitter. XRCDs use an aluminum substrate, which they feel is better than gold. The XRCD2 reportedly uses the same process, but with a Digital K2 used both for mastering and manufacturing. They also noted that they listen for absolute polarity and try to correct it on every track (hey Clark, are you digging this?). The press kit included an XRCD2 sampler, with an XRCD sampler of the same music for side-by-side comparison. And darned if the XRCD2 didn’t sound noticeably better. It was more natural with improved harmonic structure, and even easier to listen to than the XRCD. Kudos.

I liked the Audioquest release of Joe Beard: For Real from the very first note. This is "straight, no chaser" blues, played and sung in a classic, no-nonsense fashion. Blues guitar, Hammond B-3, harmonica, drums and bass. I defy any true-blue blues lover to not like this album. Just buy it.

Audioquest has issued Mighty Sam McClain: Journey, another in their series of Mighty Sam releases. This soulful blues powerhouse deserves his well-earned reputation. Watching him sing from about 10 feet away at CES this year was an experience in raw musical emotion that I will not soon forget, and this new album certainly does not disappoint. Highly recommended.

Chesky Records has done an outstanding job with Rebecca Pidgeon: Four Marys. This is an album of folk music, principally Celtic and Scots-derived. Rebecca Pidgeon has a haunting, lilting voice, and sings a type of folk music that I love. The instrumental accompaniment is appropriately sparse, and includes guitar, fiddle, accordion, and banjo. The choice of pieces is consistently excellent, and the recording is done with Chesky’s usual meticulous care. If you like folk music at all, buy this. You won’t be disappointed.

Cisco has released a stunning performance with Virtuoso Valentina Vol. 2, on the Audiofon label. The Russian phenomenon Valentina Lisitsa is featured on solo piano, playing pieces by Rachmaninoff, Liszt, and Schubert, in an unedited and spirited performance in front of an invited audience. The disc is well worth seeking out for its musical and performance qualities alone. But to further interest the audiophile, a second disc is included, where we get to compare different mikes, different microphone placement, edited vs unedited performances, HDCD vs 24-bit technology, various options for HDCD encoding, and Sony Super Bit Mapping. A veritable cornucopia of audiophile nerdliness. Highly recommended for the music alone.

M.A Recordings has produced an elegant, relaxing, exploratory album of jazz by the group Phfew. The instruments are piano, tenor and soprano sax, trumpet and flugel horn, and they are recorded in outstandingly natural sound using Todd Garfinkel’s 96 kHz customized equipment. This somewhat introspective and quite improvisational music is difficult to describe, but seems perfect for getting those late-night creative juices flowing, or for when you want something classy and very different.

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab has reissued the hugely popular, immensely successful Chant, a disc of the music of the Benedictine Monks of Santa Domingo de Silos. I have been wanting a good recording of Gregorian chant, and this is it. It sounds like the monks are singing into God’s greatest (very natural-sounding) echo chamber; it’s actually the cloister of the Monasterio de Santo Domingo de Silos. If you like Gregorian chant, you surely know of this album, and if you didn’t know the difference between Gregorian chant and Gregory Peck mumbling prior to 1994, you may have learned when you followed the crowd and purchased this album. MoFi’s gold CD treatment would appear to capture every vocal inflection and every echo from each craggy nook in the cloister. The recording sounds effortless and spacious. Very highly recommended.

I compared the MoFi Gold CD release of John Coltrane: Ballads to the highly regarded Linn Selekt LP. This is a disc of slow-tempo jazz standards, performed by (in my opinion) the undisputed master of the tenor sax. While the CD really nails the spatial presentation in this recording, the LP is warmer, has more bloom and is more relaxed, while the CD by comparison is drier and colder. I could enjoy the CD on its own merits, and if you primarily play CDs, I predict that you will do just that. But oh, that LP...

Jeff Beck: Blow by Blow is a 70’s jazz-rock fusion album, containing the phenomenal track Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers. In this piece, the phrasing seems to come straight from the soul. While some of the cuts on this MoFi-reissued album sound rather dated to these ears, the price of admission is worth it for this one cut alone. The sound quality on this George-Martin-produced album is excellent, and MoFi seems to have done their usual careful job with the master tapes.

And for you new subscribers, just so you know where I’m coming from, the LPs were auditioned on a VPI TNT with an SME V arm, a Benz Micro MC3-I cartridge, and a newly added Black Diamond Racing (BDR) record clamp. The turntable rests on a BDR "The Shelf for the Source" and BDR cones, resting on a Bright Star Big Foot TNT filled with 100 lbs of sand, resting on a VPI TNT stand filled with 200 lbs of lead shot, spiked to my floor (which continues to cry uncle). A Hovland tonearm cable takes the signal to a Klyne SK-2A headamp, then Cardas Cross takes it to a Music Reference RM-5 tubed preamp (using Top Hat tube dampers), then more Cardas Cross takes it to a (yes, I know) Sumo Half-Power power amp (mil-spec components, high current, "the Krell of its day"). Biwired Cardas Golden Cross speaker cables connect this to Eminent Technology Model 8 loudspeakers, which themselves are Cardas-wired and mounted on Sound Anchor stands whose spikes are nestled in BDR cones. The equipment before the power amp is isolated in a walk-in closet, while the amp and speakers are in a dedicated listening room treated with RPG Diffusers, Room Tunes, ASC Tube Traps, and a big Navajo rug. Everything except the power amp is plugged into two Power Wedges, which are themselves plugged into dedicated outlets, as is the amp. Plug polarity is done correctly with an Elfix polarity tester. A Philips CD680 CD player is used as a transport, connected to a Theta Cobalt DAC via Cardas Microtwin, while Cardas Cross is used from there to the RM-5. The DAC uses a Hovland power cord (which makes a big difference). The electronics in the closet (except the headamp) are on a Target B5 stand. The headamp, preamp, amp, and all CD components are isolated with a combination of BDR Pyramid Cones and shelves, and the newly added Rosinante DarkMatter shelf under the transport. Open reel tapes can be played via a Technics RS 1500 semi-pro 2-track 15 ips tape deck, the one with the big U-shaped transport (a really good machine which is used as a transport by Chesky in their analog mastering). Headphone listening can be done with an Ear Max tubed triode headphone amp and a pair of Sennheiser HD-580s. And there’s some decent FM, mainly used for listening to Car Talk and What Do You Know (or is that What D’Ya Know?) on NPR.

IV. Upcoming Show

Just a note about the renegade show in January, 1999, in Las Vegas, to be held in conjunction with CES. It is under new management, and promises to be everything that it was not last year. Billed "The Home Entertainment SHOW," or "T. H. E. SHOW", it will be held right beside the Alexis Park, at the St. Tropez Hotel, and it will reportedly occupy one continuous ground-floor hallway. It is being organized by Mike Maloney (from Scientific Fidelity) and compatriots. Call 714-996-8176 or e-mail the_show@earthlink.net for more information. No more shuttle buses, no more hunting for hotels out in the boonies, and hopefully no more empty hallways more suitable for watching bowling balls roll than for conducting useful business, or even for talking to the press. Good luck, Mike!

And please look for the second installment of my interview with the irrepressible Stan Ricker, elsewhere in this very edition of this here fine rag.

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