TWO PHONO PREAMPLIFIERS: One with tubes, the other with a modern touch:a USB connection for your computerWE ALSO REVIEW: The polished JAS Oscar speakers, Creek’s EVO CD player, Simaudio’s Moon Calypso movie machinePLUS: We fit our Squeezebox with a much, much larger power supply, Paul Bergman looks at all you wanted to know about absorbing sound, and we bring back the news from Vegas

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AcousticsAbsorbing Reflections 20

by Paul BergmanTheseriescontinues,withanevaluationofwhatmaterialscanabsorbunwantedsound

FeatureThe Vegas Extravaganza 28

by Gerard RejskindAmarathontour,inwordsandpictures,ofCESandT.H.E.ShowinLasVegas

CinemaWhat’s next in Home Theatre? 36

Canwegetacluefromthisyear’sCES?

The Listening RoomThe JAS Oscar Loudspeaker 36

Aslickerfinishthanyou’dexpectfortheprice,andwhatelse?

Sonneteer Sedley USB Phono Stage 41FromtheUK,thisslickphonopreampdoesnotonlywhatyouexpectitto,butitalsoconnectstoyourcomputerforrecordingorplayback

Marchand LN112 Tube Phono Stage 44Notonlydoesthisfour-tubephonostagelookgreat,butyoucanevenbuildoneyourselfifyouwant

The Creek EVO CD 48Theintegratedamplifierofthesameseriesturnedouttobeabargain.HowgoodaplayercanCreekturnoutforthesamemoney?

The Simaudio Moon Calypso 52ItlooksratherlikeourMoonStellarreferenceplayer,onlyathalftheprice

Squeezebox on Steroids 55TheSqueezeboxdoesagreatjobofpullingmusicfromyourcomputerandintoyourDAC,buthowmuchbetterdoesitsoundifyougiveitalotmoreelectricalpower?

SoftwareThe Harmonica 65

by Reine LessardThelowlymouthorganturnsouttobenotallthatlowly

Software Reviews 72by Reine Lessard and Gerard Rejskind

DepartmentsEditorial 4Feedback 7FreeAdvice 8Gossip&News 78StateoftheArt 82

Cover story:TheMarchandLN112tubephonopreamplifier,sittingatoptheCreekEVOCDplayer,bothofwhicharereviewedinthisissue.Behind them:ThecentreofourMilkyWay,seenatinfraredfre-quenciesbytheSpitzerspacetelescope.

Issue No. 79

� ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine

UHF Magazine No. 79 was published in March, 2007. All contents are copyright 2007 by Broadcast Canada. They may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publisher.

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Ultra High Fidelity Magazine is completely independent of all companies in the electronics industry, as are all of its contributors, unless explicitly specified otherwise.

Happy birthday to us… Yes,UHF Magazineturns25thisyear.WhenitsfirstissuewaspublishedinSeptemberof1982,theworldofhighfidelitywasvastlydifferent. Backthenthevinyldiscruled.Indeed,itwasn’tnecessarytospecify“vinyl,”becausewhatotherkindofdiscwasthere?TheCompactDischadjustbeendeveloped,butitwasnotyetacommercialproduct,andourinauguralissuemadenomentionofit.PortableaudiomeantnottheiPodbuttheWalkman.IfyouboughtaChineseproduct,itwasmorelikelytobeapairofslippersoranincenseholderthanloudspeakersoranamplifier.JapaneseproductswereactuallymadeinJapan.Pricesofhighendaudiogear,highastheyseemedatthetime,wouldmakeussmilenostalgicallytoday. Paperandprintingwerealsoalotmoreaffordablethantoday,ofcourse,andinanycasetherewerenoalternativestotheprintingpressandthenews-stand,becausetheinventionofMosaic,theveryfirstWebbrowser,wasstilladecadeaway. Therewerethenalotmoreaudiomagazinesthantherearetoday,whichmadethelaunchofoursseemalittlefoolhardy.ThinkofAudioscene,withitsdecidedly60’stitle.OrAudio.OrHigh Fidelity.OrStereo Review.Itwaswidelyagreedthattherewasn’troomforallthosemagazinesonaudio,andtheybegandyingoffnotlongafter.Ofcourseweweren’toneofthem. Ontheotherhandtherewerenohometheatremagazines,becausetheterm“hometheatre”didn’tyetexist.Itwasonthehorizon,however.In1984,whenwewereonlytwoyearsold,our(then)French-languagecounterpart,Son Hi-Fi Magazine, changeditsname,atmysuggestion,toSon Hi-Fi Vidéo. TherecordindustrywasnotyetclaimingtobelosingbillionsbecauseitsmusicwaswindingupontheInternet.Itwas,however,claimingtobelosingbillionsbecauseitsmusicwasbzeingcopiedoncassettes. Inthis,ourSilverJubileeyear,wewillbelookingbackinwhatIhopeareinterestingways,butwewillalsobelookingforward.Ifyouthinktherehasbeenalotofchangeoverthepast25years,well…youain’tseennothin’yet!

Another upgrade to the Omega system It’sbarelynews,actually.AfterourenthusiasticreviewoftheMoonP-8preamplifierinUHFNo.77,Simaudioofferedtolendittousforabittoseewhetherwewantedtobuyit.Wehavenowspentafewmonthswithit,anditcertainlygetsalongwellwithitsbrandmate,theW-8poweramplifier. Well,theregoesthebudget…again.TheP-8isnowanofficialpartoftheOmegasystem.

Editorial

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Manythanksforreviewingliterallyevery release from our label. We aremostgrateful, in these timesofmajorcutbacksofmusiccoverageinaudiophilemags. Onecorrection:InthereviewofThe Bach Gamut by Virgil Fox, the reviewsays, “…it was not originally recordedby ‘Professor’ Johnson…”, but in factitwas.Idon’tknowwhytheconfusionexists. Keith Johnson was invited torecord the liveBachconcertswithhisfamous three-trackanaloguemachine,but permission to place microphoneswas severely restricted because of theoverflowcrowdsinSt.Mary’sCathedral,San Francisco. In preparation for therelease,Mr. Johnson tookagreatdealoftimeandtroubletorestorethetapes(which had deteriorated) and make anacceptable two-channel mix from themastersandtotransferthemtodigitalwithHDCDtechnology.

TamHenderson,presidentReference RecordingsSanFrancisco,CA

Quite right. The booklet type is small, the light was dim, and Gerard misread it.

Justa littlerequest for informationtosettleaholiday-timediscussion. WhichmemberoftheUHF Magazineteam purchased Totem loudspeakers,andwhichmodel?Iseemtorecallread-ingsomethingaboutthatinapreviousissue.

AndréMoreauROCKFOREST,QC

None, André. Albert did borrow a pair of Totem Mani-2’s some years back with the idea of purchasing them, but his listening space has a cathedral ceiling, and it was more than even the Mani-2’s could handle. He purchased a pair of Oskar Kitharas. When we were looking for rear speakers for our new Kappa (home theatre) system,

the Totem Model One was short-listed. Instead we adopted the Elipson 1200. Why? Because we already had a pair.

How is it that your article on theTotemForestinIssue56ofUHFstatesthat it has a Dynaudio woofer, whentheForestIpurchased justoverayearagoclearlyhasHi-ViResearchstampedrightonthedriver(whichisapparentlymadeinChinaasa“Swanspeaker”)?

PeterCallahan

Need we mention, Peter, that your ques-tion would better be directed to Totem? We would point out, however, that our review of the Totem Forest dates back to the last century (specifically June 1999), and that since then plenty of manufacturers have searched for new suppliers.

After trying many many differentFMdipoles,nothingworksquiteaswellasyourpreviously-listedSuperAntenna.Iseeitisnolongerlistedinyourproductdirectory. I would like to order twomore. I have ordered several over theyearsandgivenyourWebsitetomanyof my customers. If you no longersell it,may I inquire if it is stillbeingmanufactured?

BobGrossSpeaker Art

MorroBay,CA

We have had difficulty finding a key part for the Super Antenna, Bob. We hope to have the antenna back in production by the time you read this. Since you’re wondering, it is an original design by UHF, manufactured in-house.

Embarrassmentandpleasuresome-timescombine.TheycertainlydidwhenI read John Chaulk, Jr.'s letter in Free Advice(see page 16 — ed.).Thankstoyouandtohimforareallygoodmoment.

I understand the gentleman's reac-tion. Other people have made similarcommentstome.IthascertainlygivenmepleasuretoseemyletterspublishedinUHF.Thankyouforthat,andanevenbiggerthankyoufornotpublishingtheworstones. WhydoIwritesooften? I suppose it's because I have myopinionsaboutthingsaudio,andques-tions—likeeveryotherhobbyist.ButIwanttogivecreditwhereitisdue.Foryears I read audio articles with mixedexcitement and exasperation, hopingtogleanusefulinformation,andwish-ingtheywouldsayitstraight.WhenIfoundUHF,theexasperationdiminishedastonishingly.Simply,UHFisthebest-written audio magazine I have everfound,andfranklyonajournalisticlevelIconsiderithasmuchtosaybeyonditschosenfield.Readingithastaughtmealotaboutwriting,andtowritebackistoacknowledgeandparticipateinthat.

TobyEarpMONTRÉAL,QC

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I have been a subscriber to yourmagazine for about 20 years. Basedpartlyonyourreviewof theCoplandCTA-305preampandmostlymyears,I took the plunge last year and pur-chased one. Since you folks have twoin your various systems I was hopingfor some insight into your experiencewiththem,particularlywithregardstoreplacingtubes. Howdoyouknowwhenit’stimetoreplacethem?Doesthispreampex-hibitanyparticularbehaviorwhenthetubes are becoming “long of tooth?”Doyoureplacethemwithstocktubes?Ifso,wheredoyousourcethem?Ifnot,doyouhaveanyadviceintermsofwhatbrands/typestotry(orpossiblyavoid)?Havingownedtubeequipment in thepastIknowthatthisisaloadedques-tion,soI’dappreciateanythoughtsyoumighthave! OnethingthatIhavenoticedwiththis preamp is that the manual statesthat the tube complement consists offour12AX7’s,yetwhenIpopthehoodI see two 12AX7’s and two 6922’s…what’s up with that? Do you knowwhichtubesdrivethephonostage?

MarkDayDARTMOUTH,NS

Yes we do, Mark. The 12AX7’sare the tubesbelonging to thephonocircuit.EarlyCoplandpreampsdiduse12AX7twintriodesallaround,butlat-eronesuseadifferentdualtriode,the6922,alsoknownasthe6DJ8.Thetwoarenotinterchangeable. Our experience with the CTA-305preamplifieristhatthetubesmostlikelytoneedchangingaretheonesinthephonopreamp.Aboutonceayear(ifyourunyourgearallthetime,aswedo),oneorbothtubesbecomeincreas-ingly noisy, hissing or even cracklingloudly.Theothertubesaremuchlon-

ger-lived,butmayatsomepointthrowoff symptoms too: crackling, lowvol-ume,highdistortion.Or,ifitwantstomakethingseasyforus,simplygoingdead. There’salotofdiscussionontheInternet concerning the soundofdif-ferent tubes, both modern and whatis known as “new old stock.” There’sconsiderable enthusiasm for old Sie-menstubes,whichhoweverbringawe-someprices.Indeed,they’resoexpen-sivethatsomeunscrupulouspartiesarerebrandinginferiortubeswiththeSie-mensname.Weconsiderthepriceout-landish, ourselves. In the first coupleofyearsweownedaCopland,wewerebuyingaverynicetubefromaChinesefactory thathas,alas, sincebeencon-verted to making light bulbs. We arenowusingCzech-madeJJ tubes,withwhichwearequitepleased.

Afriendofmineintroducedmetoyourmagazineaboutaweekago,andIhave been very pleased with the backissuesthatIhaveordered. IamwritingtodaybecauseIneedsome advice. I have just purchased aused Shanling SLM-A40MKII inte-grated50wattclassAampwithbuilt-inDAC.Iamplanningtousetheamp’sinternal DAC. I need a CD player ortransport as a source. Canuck Audiolistings currently have a couple ofunits with digital coax output. ThereisanUltechUCD100HDCDplayer(asking price $450, with manual andremote)andaMicromegaStage1(as-kingprice$280,nomanualorremote).Iprefertobuylocal,justtosupportourlocal audiophile community. Wouldyourecommendeitheroftheseunits?Iwouldliketokeepthecostunder$500ifpossible.

PaulKellyTORONTO,ON

Paul,wewould stayaway fromtheUltechevenifitspriceweren’toutland-ish(andunfortunatelyitis).TheMicro-megaislowerinpriceandisprobablyabetterdeal. Oritwouldbeifithadaremote.AsfarasweknownobodyhaseverbuiltaCDplayerthatwasn’tremote-controlled,andthere’sagoodreasonforthat.Ifyoudobuyit,andifyou’renotpreparedtoconsidergettinguptochangetracksaworthwhileaerobicexercise,wewouldsuggest adding a Harmonic remote(reviewedinUHFNo.74),whichstartaround$120ifyoushopcarefully.Theseuniversal remotes are programmed byconnecting them to a computer andgoingtotheHarmonicWebsite,whichhas a library of commands for whatmustbeeveryelectronicproductontheplanet.

AfterIgotintouchwithyouacoupleofmonthsagoandaskedforyouradvice,Ibought a2003modelYBA1 (normalcurrent) amplifier. It drives a pair ofTotemMani-2’sfromaMusicalFidelity308preampandanEnlightenedAudio7000 DAC. I’m using your NavigatorAll-Cuinterconnectsfromthepreamptotheamplifier. Iamaskingyouradviceagain,onthemeritsofupgrading theYBA toHighCurrent. Will this make a significantdifference,anddoyouthinkitisworththecost,whichwouldbesubstantialI’msure? I still have the Simaudio 4150 thatI replaced with the YBA, but I don’treally want to go back, as the 4150 isprobablyabout14yearsold, though itis150W.Presentlythevolumecontrolisatabout12o’clockandmoreforsomerecordings.

DavidEberttDRAYTON,ON

David,thefirstthingwewouldsug-gest is not to give any weight to howhighyouneedtoturnthevolumeknobinordertogetsatisfactoryvolume.Thatsettingreflectsthegainofthesystem,notitspower. ImagineforamomentthatyouweretohookupyourCDplayertothelineinputofatransistorradio(someradiosdohavesuchthings),andlet’simagine

Box 65085, Place LongueuilLongueuil, Québec, Canada J4K 5J4

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TheveryfirstissueofUHF,in1982,hada(short)FreeAdvicesection.Itgot

longer,asreadersfiguredoutthat,unlikesomanyotheraudioletterssections,

UHFwouldnamenames.

OnceUHFarrivedontheWorldWideWeb,in1996,theFreeAdvicesection

followed.Anditstrafficgrew,becauseitwaspossibletogetresponsesfaster.

Ofcourse,theon-lineversionfeedstheprintedition.ForFreeAdvice,writeus,

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that as soon as you cracked open thevolumecontrol the soundwasdeafen-ingly loud. Would that mean that theradio’samplifierwaspowerful? In factitwouldprobablytopoutatatenthofawatt,andnotatlowdistortioneither. TheoriginalYBA1isquitecapableofdrivingeventhenotoriousTotemMani-2’s,butthenyouknowthatalready.Weonce took our own YBA1 and a pairof Mani-2 speakers to a show, where“normal” volumes tend to seem inau-dible,andyouareprettymuchforcedtogivetheknobamightyclockwisetwist.Noproblem. We no longer have our YBA1, butwhen we got it upgraded to the HighCurrent version it was because it wasoldandalotofpartsneededreplacinganyway.Diditsoundbetterafterwards?Noneofusthoughtso.YourYBA1isalotnewerthanourswas.Ifwewereyouwewouldn’tspendthemoney.

I recently bought one of your 3-prong AC connectors and installed itonmyAntiqueSoundLabsamp.TheAC had three colors: white, black and

green.Aftersomefiddling(andgroundhum), Idiscoveredthegreenwirewastheground (Right? If there’snohum,it’sgood?).Myquestion:ifIconnectedtheothertwowiresincorrectly,wouldthemusicstillplay?Ifso,howwouldIknow?Thankyouinadvanceforyourhelp.

RobertSchryerBROSSARD,QC

Well,thefactthatyouhavelivedtowritethislettermeansyoudidn’tcon-nectthegreenwiretothebrass-coloredscrew!Othererrorsarelessdangerous,and—dependingontheequipment—mayactuallybefairlyharmless.Thereis,however,acorrectwaytodothingsifyouintendtokeepwithinsightoftheelectricalcode.Thegreen(ground)wiregoestothegreenscrew,as(fortunately)youknow.Thewhite(neutral)wiregoesto the silver-colored screw. The black(live,live,live!)wiregoestothebrass-colored screw. We don’t recommendimprovising.

Ihaveasimplebutimportantques-

tion:ShoudIkeepmyreceiver(s)turnedonallthetimeornot? I have heard answers from expertsand “experts” on both sides of thisissue.Iheardthattubesandtransistorsactuallyworkhardestwhenthereisnosignalgoingthroughthem(turnitoff!),andthatcapacitorsliketostaycharged(keepiton!).Ineedthedefinitiveanswertothis,soIamaskingUHF. IshouldclarifythatIhaveanumberofreceivers,allabout30yearsold(wouldthe answer be different for older vsnewer equipment?), and cycle throughthem,playingoneexclusivelyforafewweeks, then the next and so on. I canseethatthecurrentin-rushofturningequipmentoneverydaywouldbeharderthanjustkeepingiton(isit,though?),buthowaboutturningitononceeveryfewweeks?WhataboutonceeveryfewdaysforequipmentIdon’tlistentoeveryday?

DavidHeylenBAINBRIDGEISLAND,WA

We’re living at a time of greatersensitivitytothegrowingsizeofman’s

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footprintontheplanet,David,andthusthe idea of leaving equipment alwaysswitchedonisincreasinglycontroversial.Insomecountriesthereiseventalkofbanningequipmentthatdrawscurrentwhensupposedlyturnedoff.Anythingthat can be turned on with a remotecontrolisinthatcategory.Andanampli-fierthatoperatesinclassAdrawsalotofenergyevenintheabsenceofasignal.Italsodissipatesthatenergyasheat,andifyourhomeisairconditioned… But that wasn’t really the focus ofyourquestion.Vacuumtubescertainlydosufferfromaninrushofvoltageonboththefilamentandtheplate,justaslightbulbsdo(you’veprobablynoticedthat light bulbs almost always blow asyou turn them on). That is much lessof a problem with transistors. Keep-ing capacitors charged may maintainthematpeakperformance,butinoldergear it will be the capacitors that willprobably go first, through chemicaldecomposition. Heat accelerates thedecomposition. One more factor to consider: most

equipmentsoundsbestwhenitisfullywarmedup.Thatmaytakeaslittleas20minutes,or itmaytakemore,but twominutesisnotoptimum.Wewouldsug-gestabalancedapproach.Ifyouknowapieceofgearwon’tbeusedforafewdays,by all means switch it off. Somethingthatisusedtwiceadaymaybestbelefton.

After reading your article on theEdirol UA-25 (UHF No.78) I wentout and purchased one. My questionis inregardstothe lengthoftheUSBcablefromtheUA-25tomycomputer.Iwaswonderingifthedistancebetweenthem(inmycaseit’sabout20ft.)woulddegradethedigitalsignalcomingfromthe UA-25, or do I need to move thecomputerclosertomystereo?

FrankGiannoneETOBICOKE,ON

Frank,themaximumrecommendedlengthforaUSBcable(itsayshere)is5metres.Asanaudiophile,youwon’tbetoosurprisedtohearthattheactuallimit

willdependonthequalityofthecable,butwewouldn’tcountonstretchingitanyfarther. Since your 20’ needed length cor-responds to just over 6 m, you’ll needanactiveUSBhub,whichwillthengiveyouanother5m.CAT5cable,theoneusedforEthernet,canextendtherangeconsiderably, but powered USB hubsaren’texpensive.Thedownside is thatthe hub needs to be plugged into ACpower,soyou’llneedtopositionitclosetoanoutlet.

Ihavebeenreadingyourmagazineformanyyearsandhavehadasubscrip-tionfortwoyearsnow.Iwaswonderingifyoucouldbeofassistancetome. IknowthatyouhaveusedanAudio-mecaJ-1turntablewithSL-5armasyourreferenceforanumberofyears.Ihavetheopportunitytopurchasesuchaunit.Ihaveafewquestionsregardingit. Is thereanythingI should look forin the unit that wears or needs to bereplaced?(Iknowthetablesareover10yearsoldnow).IdonotknowiftheJ-1isstillsupportedbyAudiomeca,soIamconcernedthat ifapartfailed,suchasmotor,belts,bearings, etc.,whether itcouldberepaired/replaced.Possiblyyoucoulddirectmetosomeonewhorepairsthesetables. I have heard nightmares about thetemperamental Goldmund T5/ T-3-Farms,whicharesupposetobethesameastheSL-5Canyoucommentontheeaseofset-upanduseaswellasprosandconsoftheunit?Haveyoufoundanytweaksthat elevated the audio quality of theunit? Can I do better with an equallypricedmodernunit IhavereadthattheAudiomecaJ-1plusSL-5issupposetoressemble,visu-allyandsonically,theGolmundStudioplusT-3F.Ican’tconfirmthevalidityofthesonicequivalencyaspect,butmaybeyoucan.

Dr.S.C.PolczLONDON,ON

TheAudiomecaJ-1isindeedrelatedto the Goldmund Studietto (not theStudio), but not in an obvious way.PhysicistandaudiophilePierreLurné,founder of Audiomeca, designed alinear-trackingtonearmforGoldmund,

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theT-5.TheAudiomecaversionofthearmiscalledtheSL-5,butisotherwiseidentical. But now the plot thickens. LurnéwasworkingonafutureversionoftheStudietto,shiftingitfromdirectdrivetobeltdrive,withheavyuseofmetacrylatefor the platter and the structure (thewholestoryisinUHFNo.23).HoweverGoldmund’s Michel Reverchon wasof the opinion that if something ain’tbrokeyoudon’tfixit.Forthatandotherreasons, Lurné left Goldmund, andproduced theStudietto thatneverwasunderhisownname,forabouthalfthepriceoftheStudiettoitself. TheJ-1isamassiveyetdelicateturn-table. It requires precision alignment,especiallyifitisusedwiththeSL-5arm(asoursis).Whenweacquireditwewerewarned that theplatter must neverbeplacedupsidedownonahardsurface,because the sheer mass of the plattercan distort the shaft and permanentlydamageperformance.Asfarasweknow,therearenootherweakpoints. Adjustmentsarecertainlyfinicky,buttheyareuser-accessible,whichisunusual

in a turntable of this complexity. Thearmissimilarlycomplextosetup,butitgetseasieronceyouunderstandhowitworks.ItsreputationforbeingdifficultresultsfromthefactthatamisadjustedSL-5 may not work at all. The belt isanothermatter.Audiomecawasactuallysupplying a second belt with the J-1,preferringtodothatratherthanstockreplacements.Thecompanyno longeroffers the belts, though we note thatseveral firms on the Internet claim tohavecompatiblebelts. Canyoudobetterwithanequally-pricedmodernunit?Ifbymodernyoumean new, then no. The J-1 remainsa masterpiece, both on technical andæstheticgrounds.

I’vegotaveryoldBryston3Bampli-fier, and I’m wondering if it’s worthhavingitmodified.I’vebeenwringingeverybitoflifeoutofmyoldSugdenA25as possible (new connectors, bypassedheadphoneout),butit’sstilltheweakestlinkinmysystem.Wouldanymodifica-tions to the 3B be a worthy upgrade(ofcourseI’dneedapre-ampaswell),

or would my money be better spentelsewhere? Whocoulddosuchanupgrade?DoesBrystonstillofferthisservice?

ChrisWilliamsTORONTO,ON

Brystonthemselvescananswerthatquestionbetterthanwecan,Chris,andthesecondquestionyou’llwant toaskthemiswhattheupgradewillcost.Astimegoesby,anupgrademeansreplac-ingmoreandmoreparts.Atsomepointitwillbecomemoreeconomicaltosellandbuyagain. But before you pick up the phone,take a look at your amplifier’s frontpanel.Thefirst-generationBryston3B’shadanoddlogo,inwhichthe“3”andthe“B”morphedintoasinglecharacter.Ifthat’s what you have, we don’t recom-mendanupgrade.Ifthetwocharactersarediscrete,astheyareonmodelssinceabout 1983, call Bryston with youramplifier’sserialnumberathand.

Furthertoyourresponsetoarecentletter, I borrowed a pair of Totem

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Mani-2’s (notthe Signatures)and theReference 3A MM De Capo-i’s fromlocaldealers. TheDeCapo-i’swereveryfastanddetailed but there was something notquite right at the top end— cymbalsdidnotshimmerliketheyshould.Thismayhavesomethingtodowiththenewtweeterchange,orpossiblybecausetheywerenotbrokenin.Thedealersaidthespeakerswereupgradedwithnewtweet-ersthreemonthsago.Anycomments?. TheMani-2’ssoundedterrificwiththe Audiomat Opéra amplifier, withincredible detail, separation of instru-

ments and depth of soundstage. Withqualityrecordingsitsoundedasthoughindividual instruments were playingrightthereinfrontofme. MyonlyconcernwiththeMani-2’sis the power required to drive them,consideringtheOpéradeliversonly30watts/channel. I found that on audio-phile recordings which I purchasedfromUHF Magazine(suchasJazz at the PawnshopandDougMacLeod’sYou Can’t Take My Blues),Ihadtoturnthevolumeupquitehigh(50-60%)forcomfortablelisteningascomparedtootherrecord-ings.Isthisacommonobservationfor

good quality recordings— are theyrecordedatlowerlevelstoimprovethequality? At this volume level will theOpéra have sufficient dynamic head-room to handle loud passages withoutdistorting? During the limited timeI had these speakers, I did not noticeany distortion, but I was reluctant toturnthevolumeupfurtherforfearofsmokingsomethinginmyamp(shouldIbeconcernedaboutthis?).Also,Ihadthe Mani-2’s connected to the 4 ohmoutputs of the Opéra. What wouldhavehappenedifIhadtriedthe8ohmoutputs? HaveyoueverreviewedorlistenedtoorhadanycommentsorfeedbackontheWharfedale Opus 2 or 3 speakers? Alocaldealerisbringinginapairofthe2’sand I’m waiting for a listen beforedeciding.ThereareveryfewreviewsonthisproductthatIcanfindandI’mnotsurewhy.Thespecsfromthewebsiteareratherintriguing. Julia(mySO)wantstoknowiflinenandsilkwoulddowellfordrapesinourmusicroomtohelpdampenreverbera-tion?Inyourbooksonhighfidelityyoumentionthatnaturalfibreslikewoolandcottonarebest.Howwould linenandsilkcompare?

BlairandJuliaMcKenzieSHERWOODPARK,AB

Well,linenandsilkarebothnaturalfibres, Blair. The absorption power ofsilk is probably not as good as that ofsomewhatcoarserfibres.Julia,ifyou’re

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finewithlinen,andparticularlyitsten-dencytolookasthoughit’sbeenslepton, itwill probablyworkwell.What’simportantisthedraping.Typically,youwouldusematerialthatisoneandhalftimesthewidthofthewindow,buttwiceismuchbetterforbothlooksandsound.Whatisalsousefulistohangthedrapessothattheyaresomedistancefromthewindow,perhaps30cmorso. The Wharfedales no doubt havesome nice qualities, but it would be astretchandthensometocomparethemtoeithertheReference3aortheTotemMani-2. We haven’t heard the newtweeterontheMMdeCapo,butifthespeakersyouheardwerenotbrokeninthatwouldaccountfortheanomaliesyouheard.Thedealeryouborrowed themfrom should have warned you aboutthat. The fact that you had to turn thevolumequitehighwiththeMani-2’sisnormal,becausetheMani-2’shavelowerefficiency than the Reference 3a’s andindeed most modern speakers. Whatis important in determining whetherthe Opéra is right for the Mani-2’s iswhetheritcanreproduceallrecordingsat a level you find satisfying withoutdistorting, compressing the dynamics,orworse.Youareunlikelytodamagetheamplifierbylisteninglouder,andinfactitisthespeakersthataremorevulner-able.Theywillwarnyouofproblems,however,bysoundingharshwheneithertheyortheamplifierarenolongerateasetogether. The 4 ohm output on the Opéraamplifierwilldelivermaximumpowerto the Mani-2’s, which is of courseimportantwithanamplifierof just30watts per channel. The 8 ohm outputwillsoundbetter,however(we’vetriedit),ifyoucanuseitwithoutgettingintooverload.

Ihavesomequestionsaboutpowercables.Iadmittobeingskepticalabouttheaudibleeffectsofpowercables,butI’vefoundyourmagazinetobetrustwor-thyinthepast,andyourrecentreviewclaims a substantial variation amongcables (particularly between low andhighqualitypowercables).Myquestionsare: 1)Whyisthewirefromthewallto

the equipment more important thanthewireinsidethewall?Whynotjustusethesamegradeofwirethat’sinsidethewall?Howcanusingamuchhighergrade wire between the wall and thedevicecompensateforthequalityofthewireinthewall? 2)Inengineeringingeneral,integralsolutionsperformbetterthanmodularones (other things being equal). Whydon’tweeliminatetheelectricaljackandsolderthewiresinsideandoutsidethewalltogether?(Perhapshaveanelectri-

ciandothis,andadjustthestrategytoyourlocalbuildingandfirecodes.) Following this strategy, would onegetbetterperformancethroughoutthesystem by soldering over all modularconnectors?Ok,soldermaynotbethebest integration solution.Thepoint istopursueperformancewithanintegralstrategyinsteadofthemodularone,weare all presently using. Would such astrategyproducebetterperformanceinabsoluteterms,andwoulditproduceabetter price/performance curve? Less

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radically,doesthequalityofthemodularconnectorsmattermorethanthequalityofthewire?

DerekRaysideCAMBRIDGE,MA,USA

PS:I’vebeenenjoyingyourFMantennaforanumberofyears,andrecentlyhadoccasiontocompareittootherantennasinthesamepricerange:it’sremarkablehowmuchbetteryoursis.Keepupthegoodwork.

PPS: Nice to see that Paul Bergman’scolumnisback.

Yourquestionsareinterestingones,Derek,andwe’lltrytoanswerasbestwecan. It isofcourse truethatan integralsolution (for instance,hard-wiring thegearfromtheACpanelallthewaytoits power supply) would give the bestresults. That has obvious drawbacks,reducing your flexibility more than alittle,andviolatingeveryknownelectri-calcode.Inreallifewe’reprettymuchstuckwithmodularsolutions,alas. ThereasonthewireintheACcordis so much more important than thewiringinthewallisthatitisphysicallymuch closer to the equipment. That’sthereasonit’simportantforpowercordstobeshielded,sothattheywon’teithertransmit or pick up noise, includingdigitalnoise.Wewererecentlysurprisedto discover that when we installed ashielded power cord for secondarycomponents(thecomputerchargerandacassettedeckweneveruse),therewasanaudible improvement in the systemitself. Inatypicaloff-the-shelfpowercord,themoldedconnectorsaretrulydread-ful,losingvoltageandproducingnoise.Thedifferencesamongbrandsofupscaleconnectors (Wattgate versus Maringoversus Schurter versus Hubbell versusFurutech) are less important than thequalityofthecable,andparticularlyofits shielding. Once you have a qualitywire,however,theimprovementshouldbesuchthatyouarelikelytoheardif-ferencesamongconnectors.

IhaveanInouyeSPLCpower linefilter.Whentheelectricfireplacegoes

on and off I hear the electrical noisegoingintothesystemeventhoughtheSPLCisused.HowdoIstopthisnoise?Adedicatedlineisnotanoption.Itriedalltheplugsintheroomandthereisnochange.Iputaluminumfoilaroundthefanmotorsinthefireplaceandnochangeoccurred. Secondproblem:Ineedmoreplugsforsourcecomponents.Isthereacheapwaytogetmoreplugs,suchasapowerbarrunthroughanisolationtransformerthen plugged into one bank on theSPLC?

SunilSharmaWHISTLER,BC

As a point of interest, Sunil, thealuminum foil could be effective onlyif it were grounded. That’s an aside,however,becauseashieldlikethatwouldprotectonlyagainstanelectromagneticfield,whichhasveryshortrange.Yourproblemiscausedbytheinductanceofthefanmotorproducingapulsethatisvirtuallyasquarewave,withharmonicsrightupintoradiofrequencies.Atthosefrequenciesthehousewiringactslikeagianttransmittingantenna.Nothingcanprotectagainsttheresults. Prettymuchtheonlysolutionistokeepthepulsefrombeingproducedinthefirstplace.Theswitchorrelaythatcontrols the fan motor should have acapacitoracrossit,toabsorbtheshockofthecurrentrushingintotheimmo-bilized motor. Washing machines andrefrigeratorsalsoneedacapacitoracrosstherelay for thesamereason.Perhapsyour fireplace unit was built withouta capacitor, whch is a major blunder,or— more likely— the capacitor hasblown.Unlessyou’recomfortablesolder-ingtoACgear,you’llwantanelectriciantohandlethejob. IfyouneedtoincreasethenumberofplugsfromyourSPLC,you’llneedsomesortofpowerbar.WeusetheGutWireStingRay on two of our systems, andwerecommendit.Acheaperalternativeis the Eichmann Power Strip plus ashieldedIECcord.Wewouldn’tconsideranisolationtransformerunlesswecouldbudget for one that is very good and,incidentally, very large.Andof courseunlesswecouldfigureoutwheretoputit.

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I have been reading through someofmyoldUHF’s,tryingtofindwhereyou recommend a mini-plug-to-RCAadapter(orcable)fortheiPod,buthavebeen unable to do so. Do you recom-mendaparticularadapter?

NathanPullarWHITEHORSE,YK

WeshouldstartbymentioningthattheiPod’smini-plugisnotthebestsolu-tionforgettingsoundoutofit,Nathan.It’smeantforheadphones,andthesignalfromitisappropriatelyamplified.Thedock connector at the bottom of theiPodincludesalineoutput,whichwillsound better because it bypasses theamplifiercircuitry.Whatyou’llneediseitherApple’sowndock(onceincludedfree, but now an expensive accessory),oroneofthedocksavailablefromothermanufacturers. You will still need that adapter, ofcourse,andmostofthemseemtocomefromthesamemanufacturer,differingonlybypriceandcolor.Theexceptionis the one from Monster, which looksbettermade,butwehaven’ttriedit.

Iamputtingtogetheranentrylevelsystembasedprincipallyonyourreviewsin UHF Magazine. Thus far I havedecidedon theCreekEVOintegratedamplifier, the CEC 3300R CD player,theGoldringGR1.2Turntable,andtheGoldringPA-100phonopreamp. But, when it comes to speakers Iam stumped. I was considering theReference3AMMDeCapo-ispeakersuntil I saw that dreaded word “shrill”inyourreview.In fact,yourreviewoftheReference3ADulcetspeakersmadethem sound like better speakers thantheMMDeCapo-i’s. Is thatpossible,consideringthepricedifference?Wouldyoupleaserecommendsuitablespeakersforthisentry levelsystemuptoaboutUS$2500?.

BillyCarterATHENS,AL

Weshouldqualifythatword“shrill,”Billy.TheMMdeCapo-iwereviewedin UHF No. 67 did have a slightlyelevateduppermidrange, and thatdidcauseproblemswithsomeinstruments,such as the infamous piccolo in the

Reference Recordings Façade album.In fact,however,virtuallynospeakersusingconventionaldometweetersevergetthatpiccoloquiteright.TheMM’sdiddoalittleworsethanourreferencespeakersonthatparticularinstrument,butthatisnottosaythatourreferencegetsitright. TheDulcetisanimpressivespeaker,but it’s not possible to say that it is“better” than its largerbrandmate. Itsoverall tonal balance was particularlygood, andyoumightprefer it for thatreason. However it has neither thedynamicheadroomnorthebassexten-sion of the MM de Capo-i. In otherrespects the two Reference 3a modelsdo share aspects of the family sound:low intermodulation distortion (whichcauses blurring of tones), and a wide,stablestereoimage.Notabadlist.

FirstoffImustthankyouforyourwonderfuladviceconcerningtheBench-markMediaDAC1.I’veorderedoneandit’sonitsway! My question concerns digital con-nectionsandtransports.SincemyRega

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PlanetCDplayeronlyhasanRCAdigi-taloutput,IwasthinkingofbuyingyourveryownAtlasCompassdigitalcable.InyourreviewoftheDAC1(UHFNo.75)youusedthebetterAtlasOpusdigitalcablewithaverygoodCECtransport.AtthetimeofreviewdidyouthenuseBenchmarkMedia’sownBNC-to-RCAadapter with the Opus? Would thisadapterdegradethesoundquality?Outofallthedigitalconnectiontypes,BNC,XLR,andTOSLINK,whichdoyoufindtohavethebestsonicadvantage? In my case would you recommendthat Iupgrademytransport,and if soare there any low cost solutions thatyoucouldrecommend?Also,whatareyour thoughts on using a late-gen-erationDVDplayerviaeitherRCAorTOSLINKasatransport?

FrankMarchesanCALGARY,AB

Wedidusetheadaptersuppliedwiththe Benchmark, Frank. It’s virtuallyidentical totheBNC-RCAadapterwehaveonourCounterpointDAC,whichis

commonlyavailablefromTheSource(inCanada)andRadioShack(intheUS). We did have the chance to makesomecomparisonsbetweencoaxialandopticalcables,thoughnotbalancedones.The best optical link we found was aglass one, which was from Wireworldifwerecall.Itwasanearmatchforthe1mlengthAtlasOpus,thoughnotforthe1.5mOpus(perhapsa1.5mglassTOSLINK would have done better).WehavealsotriedconventionalplasticTOSLINKs, and we didn’t like whatweheard.WedothinktheRegaPlanetissolidlyenoughbuilttoperformwellwiththeBenchmark,thoughtheCECTL51X could be a nice upgrade. Youmight consider a DVD player insteadifyouplantousethesystemformoviesaswell.Mass-marketDVDplayersaremostlymediocreastransports,butthebest ones can do very well. Our owntwoplayers,aMoonStellaranaLinnUnidisk 1.1, are great CD transportsas well, but neither is anywhere closeto what normal people think of asaffordable.

IhavetheopportunitytopurchaseaYBACD-1Awiththesmallerpowersupply forC$2200.Since themachineincorporatesoldertechnology,woulditbebetterformetopassandpurchase,say,aShanlingCD-200a?OrshouldIlookforasecond-handIkemi? Also,Ihave seen a second handYBA3powerampforC$700.Wouldthatbeagoodbuyaswell?

NickLakoumentasMONTRÉAL,QC

ThetwoYBAproductsdoincorporateoldertechnology,Nick,butgood“older”technologyisbetterthannewertechnol-ogythatwasconceivedentirelyaroundthebottomline.Thatsaid,we’dtakeanIkemi—ifyoucanfindone—aheadoftheolderYBA(wepresumeit’stheonebeforetheblueLED). TheYBA3powerampisessentiallyaYBAIntégréwithoutitscontrolsection,butthepriceisright.

One of my reasons for writing issomethingIreadinanoldereditionofUHF. You were discussing recordableCDs andyoumade the comment thatdata CDs can be formatted to recordon standalone CD recorders. Couldyoupleaseelaborate?IownsuchaCDrecorder, and Iamconcerned that thesupplyofblankCDswilleventuallydryup, since these machines are not verypopular. Iamanaudioprofessionalwhocur-rentlyworksinahigh-endaudioshop.IrecentlyacquiredseveralolderissuesofUHF(backasfarasissue19)andIamthoroughlyenjoyingthem,eventothepoint of pick them up to read insteadofthecurrentissuesoftheotheraudiomagazinesIsubscribeto.ItisinterestingtoseeintheseoldissuesthenamesofseveralreadersintheFree Advicecolumnwhoarealsoourclients. SpeakingofFreeAdvice,howmanytimeshasTobyEarpwrittentoUHF?JustbeforewritingthisemailIcheckedyourwebsiteand,loandbehold,anothercorrespondencefromTobyEarp.

JohnChaulk,JrTORONTO,ON

Yes, there are names that pop upregularly inour letters sections, John,

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bothFeedbackandFree Advice.TobyEarpiscertainlyaregular,butheisn’taloneinhisfidelity(nopunintended). But now to your main question.We have never used a standalone CDrecorder,andasyouprobablyrealizethecapabilitiesofmoderncomputershavemade them pretty much obsolete. Wedorecallamethod,butwehavenevertestedit,norcanwenow.Perhapsyoucantryitandletusknow. The method requires a computerprogram, such as Easy Media CreatororNero(forWindows),orToast(fortheMac).Thetrickistosetthesoftwaretorecordasession,andnotacompletedisc.Insertaclipconsistingoftwosecondsofsilence.Fromwhatwehavebeen told,thedisccanthenbeusedtorecord. Ofcoursewearetellingyouthisonlybecauseyouare inCanada,wherecir-cumventinganti-copymeasurescannot(yet)landyouinjail. Wenote,however,thatevenCostco,whichdealsinmass-marketmerchandiseandnotnicheproducts,stillhasMusicCDs,andyourstandalonerecorderwon’tlastforever. Backtoyourfirstquestion…overtoyou,Toby!

Iambeingasked(okay,I’mbuttingintootherpeople’sconversations)aboutspeakersforpeoplewholistentomusicattheircomputer,whetherdesktoporpor-table.Seemsthisisthecomingthing...(Sorry,Itriedtoteachmygrandmothertosuckeggsoncetoo!) PersonallyIwouldoptforavintageamporreceiver(andsomesmallspeak-ers)ifIhadthedesktopspace,orsmallpowered speakers if Ididn’t.Whatdoyouthinkaboutthepossibilitiesinvolv-ingsmallpoweredspeakers? Iwouldnotlookatthekindofthingthey sell in computer stores (althoughnames like Klipsch, HK and JBL areavailable there). Instead I would becurious about monitors for desktopstudio setups, like the Samson Resolv40a,othersfromM-Audio,ortheNHTM-00,whichappears tocompetewithMackieatthehigherend. Is thiskindofspeakerdesigned,asstudio types sometimes claim, to beruthlessly revealing (which I interprettomeanbright), and thereforeunsuit-

ableifIwanttolistenforenjoyment?OrwouldsuchaspeakeractuallybeahappychoiceifIwantedsomethingbetterthanLogitechcanoffer?

TobyEarp,MONTREAL,QC

Wewouldalsolookforausedampli-fier, Toby, and in fact it doesn’t needtobe a receiveror an integrated amp.Mostcomputershavetheirownvolumecontrols,soapowerampmayinfactdoverywell.Andthecompactspeakersyou

mentionwillalmostcertainlybeafewleaguesbeyondeventhebetterpoweredcomputerspeakers. Small studio speakers usually are“revealing,” as you say,but inpart it’sbecausethey’re intendedfornear-fieldlistening.Inmoststudiosthey’llbeposi-tionedrightonthebackofthemixingconsole,andwiththeveryshortdistancefromthelistenerthereislittledispersionof the highs, as there are in the moreusual roomplacement.Ofcourse,youmayusethemthesameway.

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I’ve been a subscriber to UHF formanyyearsandwouldappreciatesomeadvice. My dedicated sound system, whichwaspurchasedin1999,iscomposedofaBrystonBP25preamp,3BSTpowerampandArcam8seCDplayer andDenon560multidiscplayer(forparties/Christ-mas).ThespeakersareLinnKeilidhs.EverythingiswiredandconnectedwithgoodKimberKableproducts. TheArcamplayerhasstoppedwork-ing and is being evaluated for repair,whichbringsupmyquestion. Iwouldliketotakethisopportunitytoupgrademysource.IhavereadthatBrystonhasaDACtheycaninstall inpreamps,sothatIcouldusetheArcamorDenonasatransport.Isthisagoodoption?If not, and if the Arcam cannot berepaired,whatoptionscanyourecom-mendinCDplayers?

ShaunWightKINGSTON,ON

Shaun,ifitturnsouttheArcamcan’tberepaired,oriftherepaircostispro-hibitive,thatprettymuchmakesupyour

mindforyou.Evenso,wehavedoubtsaboutthe8se’ssuitabilityasahighendtransport.AsfortheDenon,itspresentroleasapartymachineisprettymuchwhatit’ssuitedfor. Brystondoesindeedoffertheoptionof a DAC in its preamplifiers, but theBP25 is no longer a current model,and you would need to find out fromBryston whether the DAC meant forthecurrentBP26canberetrofittedtoyours. If it can, youwill then need tofindatransport,andtheyarenolongerascommonastheyoncewere.OurCECTL51Xisoneofthesurvivingones,andwecanrecommenditwarmly.HavinganexternalDACoffersanextraadvantage:youcanlaterconnectacomputer,oradevicesuchastheSqueezebox,toitforveryhighquality soundwithoutusingaCDtransport.That sortof suggeststhatyourDenon’snextstopwillbetheattic. If those options are too expensive,thereareplentyofdecentone-boxplay-ersnow: fromRega,Creek,Rotelandothers.Ourguess, forwhat it’sworth,isthatinthenextfewyearsallbuttruehighendCDplayerswillbepushedoffthemarketbytheneweroption:musicfromyourcomputer.

Ihaveawonderfultimereadingyourmagazine!Thankyouforthegoodworkyoudo. After reading issue No.78, I’veboughttheAudioSpaceAs-3ithatyoureviewedrecently.ItisamajorstepfrommyLinnMajik!I’mverypleasedwiththesound. Tocomplementmysystem(Audio-SpaceAS-3i,LinnGenki,Oppodigitaluniversal reader, Squeezebox, home-made speakers from a kit from Solen,upgraded power cable), I’d like to getaDACtousewithmySqueezeboxandtheOppomultireader(canitbebetterthan the Genki as a transport with agoodDAC?).YoureviewedrecentlytheDAC1fromBenchmark(thatyouliked)andtheCECDA53(thatyoulikedtoo).Inyouropinion,whichwouldbeabetterchoice?Iwouldn’treallybotherwiththeUSBinputoftheCEC,sinceIusemySqueezeboxforthemusicIhaveonmycomputer. Ordoyouhaveanyotherchoiceto

suggest?(ImayhaveanopportunityforanAck!dAck2.0.)

PhilippeChouinardSAINT-BRUNO,QC

You’re right that you don’t need aUSB input on your DAC, since yourSqueezeboxhastwoconventionaldigitaloutputs.BoththeCECandtheBench-mark would work very well, but weconsidertheBenchmarktobeespeciallyinteresting. We have never heard theAck!dAck!,thoughwelovethename.

IwasinspiredbyyourarticleHigh-Res Discs? Roll Your OwninissueNo.77.IstillhavemyLPcollectionfromthe60’s and later, and have been buyingnewvinylandanalogequipmentinthepastfouryears.IpurchasedaPreSonusFirebox and have been making 96k x24-bitDVD-VdiscswithAudioDVDCreator on a PC (the only authoringsoftwareIcouldfind,butitworksfineusingNerotoburn). IhaveaPanasonicS52nowthatplaysDVD-AandDVD-Vandamresearch-ingifabetterplayermightimprovethesoundandbeworththeextramoney.DoIlookforSACDplaybackalsoinanewplayer? Do you consider it significantfor the future of SACD that Blu-Rayplayers(e.g.PanasonicBMP-BD10)havebackwardcompatibilityforDVD-AandDVD-VbutnotSACD?

DavidElmCOCHRANEAB

Franklyitpuzzlesus,David.SACDisSony’sownsystem,andindeedSonyhasbeentoutingDSD(theencodingsystembehind SACD) as the ideal archivalformat for recording. But Sony is nolongeritsoldself.Thecompanyappearstohavelostitsway,whichiswhy,despiteinitial triumphs of Blu-Ray over HDDVDandofSACDoverDVD-Audio,it isstillseekingtosnatchdefeatfromthejawsofvictory. Buthey,we’renotheretodocorpo-rate psychoanalysis, especially for nopay.YourhunchiscorrectthatnotallDVDplayerssoundalike,anymorethanallCDplayersorturntablessoundalike.A superior DVD player will certainlygivebetterresultsfromyourown24/96recordings, and also from commercial

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24/96 recordings. It should also workmuchbetterasamovieplayer. Whether you should give a playerextrapointsifitplaysSACDdependsonyourownmusicaltaste.Sonyitselfseemsto have little interest in turning outSACDtitles,butanumberofaudiophilerecordingcompanieshaveembracedtheformatandcontinuetofeedthecatalog.Forinstance,suchcompaniesasOpus3andCheskynowmaketheirnewreleasesavailableonlyinSACDform.Ofcoursethosesmalllabelstendtorecordclassicalmusic, jazz andblues,notmainstreampopular music. Some music lovers arethereforeinapositiontobuildupquitesubstantialSACDlibraries,whileothersarenot. Checkyourcurrentlibraryandseewhichcategoryyou’rein.

ForawhilenowIhavehadhi-fiambi-tions,yetadecidedlylow/mid-fisystem.Whenmyoldbookshelfspeakersbitthedustlastfall,itgavemeagreatexcusetoconvincemywifeitwastimeforanupgrade.WesettledonapairofB&WDM603s.

Theyaremyfirstfloor-standers,andthey definitely reveal much more of…well, everything, including how nastytheuppermidrangesoundsonaveragerock/popCDs(evenafterthebreak-inperiod, which itself was brutal). SomeofmybettersoundingCDs(e.g.BuenaVistaSocialClub,AnaCaram,etc)farebetteryetdonotinspire.Iguessthat’swhatyougetforhookinguptheB&W’sto a Sony CDP-400 carousel and aHarmanKardonHK3350receiver. Thisbringsme tomypoint. IwasthinkingabouttheBenchmarkDACaswaytoupgrademysource,particularlysince I am also a bit of a headphonefan too. Would this be a worthwhileupgrade?OrwouldIbebetteroffinvest-ing in a better single-unit CD playerforaboutthesameprice?IguessIwaswondering how much the transport

matterstooverallsoundquality?BrianFoster

BALTIMORE,MD

It matters a lot, Brian, as does thecable between the transport and theDAC.Thatisn’ttosayaddingaBench-markwon’timprovethesound,becauseit will, but we don’t suggest doing itunlessyouhaveplanstosavealittlemoremoneyandeventuallyrelegatetheSonycarouseltowhereitbelongs.Whichisnotinamusicsystemthatwillbeusedforseriouslistening.Butifyouwantaneventual quality two-box player, theBenchmarkisagoodfirststep.Expectamuchsmoothertopend,thoughlittleinthewayofcoherenceandunderstand-ablemusicalstructure.Whenyouaddaqualitytransportandcable,that’swheretherealfirebegins.

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Ibeganthisnewseriesonacousticsbyexplaining theworkingsofananechoic chamber, a room that,were it perfect, would absorb all

soundthatdidn’treachyoureardirectly.Thoughsucharoomisusefulfortest-ing,itisnotwhereyouwouldchoosetolistentomusic,eitherliveorreproduced.Reverberation,then,isourfriend. Excessivereverberation,nonetheless,istoomuchofagoodthing.Itisfortu-natethatthereisinevitableenergylossineventhesimplestroom,forotherwisethereverberationofasinglenotewouldcontinue forever. We have the law ofconservation of energy to thank forthat. Ifyourecalltouringanemptyhouseorapartment,youprobablynoticedhowhollow a room can sound. That willbeespeciallytrueofanapartmentinamoderntower,builtintoarigidconcreteshell. You could clap your hands, andyouwouldhearaplethoraofechoesthatseemedtogoonandon. Fortunately it is not as bad as thatonceyoumovein.Evenwithafewbasicfurnishings, suchasrug,drapes, somechairs, a sofa and perhaps a bookcase,theworstofthereverberationwillhavebeentamed,andyouwillnolongerhavedifficulty carrying on a conversation.Whetherthatisgoodenoughforlisten-ingtomusicisanothermatter. The unfortunate fact is that manyhousehold materials and furnishingsabsorb higher frequencies more effi-ciently that low frequencies, or evenwhatweperceiveasmidrangefrequen-cies.Thisisunavoidableifyourroomisto resemble anormal living space andnotarecordingstudioora laboratory.However,inchoosingyourdecor,itcanbe useful to understand what sort ofmaterialscanabsorbwhatfrequencies.

The coefficient of absorption Wearealwayshappierwhenwecanmeasure things, and to do so means

having a scale of measurement. Theabsorption coefficientisaunitlessmeasureof a material’s efficiency in absorbingsound. A material which absorbs allsound,theaudioequivalentofaperfectlyblacksurface,wouldhaveanabsorptioncoefficientofone.Ifitabsorbshalftheenergy, it has a coefficient of 0.5. Youwillalreadybeawarethatthiscoefficientis not a fixed value, but a curve. Anymaterialotherthanouridealizedperfectabsorberwillhaveadifferentcoefficientatdifferentfrequencies. Ishallusethecoefficientofabsorp-tion in discussing specific materials,showingapproximatecurves.Indesign-ing or evaluating a room, however,knowingthatcoefficientisnotenough.Themore surface thematerial covers,themoreenergyitwillabsorb.Thatiswhy,inroomdesign,weuseanotherunit,theSabin(namedforWallaceClementSabine, thearchitectofBoston’sSym-phonyHall,amongotherperformancespaces). The Sabin is a unit of totalenergyabsorbedatanygivenfrequency.Unfortunatelytherearetwounitswiththesamename,oneformetricsurfacemeasuresusedinnearlyalloftheworld,andsquarefeet,stillusedintheUSandBritain,notably,wheremanytextbooksarepublished.

Acoustic tiles This industrial product is made ofcompressedfibre,andit iswidelyusedinofficespacestoreducereverberationandthereforetoquietenworkingareas.Sincethesetilesdoseemtowork,someaudiophileshaveadoptedthemfortheirlisteningrooms,coveringtheirceilingsandevenpartsofwallswiththesetiles. Theyare likely tobedisappointed,forreasonsweshallseeinamoment. AsIexplained inanearlier install-mentofthisseries,theabilityofamate-rialtoabsorblowerfrequenciesdepends,

inpart,onitsthickness.Thatisbecausethelongerwavelengthoflow-frequencysoundenablesittotravelthroughthinmaterialsandbouncefromwhateverisontheotherside.Thus,anabsorptioncurveforthegluedtilemightlooklikethis.

This isnot encouraging.Athigherfrequenciesabsorptioniscertainlyhigh,not far from 90% efficiency. At lowerfrequencies,however,ithaslittleeffect.Sincetherearealltoomanyhouseholdmaterialswith similar absorptionpro-files, we may have made our acousticsworse,withtoolittlereverberationinthehighs,andfartoomuchinthelows. Inactualfactthatisnotthewaythesetilesareused inoffices.Theceiling istypicallyasuspendedgrid,withthetilesdropped into thegrid.Wemightnowhaveacurvethatlookslikethis.

The green curve is that of thesuspended tiles.One can see that it ismuchmoreeffectivethanthegluedtile.Around250Hz,notfarfrommiddleCon the musical scale, it absorbs abouthalftheacousticenergy.Thisisbynomeans perfect, but we may be on therighttrack. Thecurvecanonlybeapproximative,Ihastentoadd,foragreatdealdepends

Acoustics

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onthecharacteristicsofthespaceabovethetiles.Itsdepthisafactor,butsoisitsbreadth.Ihavedrawnthegreencurvetoapproximateabsorptionoftileswithabout 8cm of empty space above (orbehind) them. Filling that space withappropriatematerialwouldhaveamostinterestingeffect,but I shall touchonthat in the next installment, when Idiscussresonators. The effect provided by the spacebehindacoustictilesmaygiveyouacluetotheeffectthatcanbeexpectedfromothermaterials.

Drapes and curtains Itisgenerallyassumedthatmount-ingdrapesonawindow,andespeciallyalargewindow,willhelpwithabsorp-tionofsound.Conversely,anyonewhohassentthelivingroomdrapesouttobe cleaned has noticed how much thecharacter of the room changed. Glasshasaverylowcoefficientofabsorption.Drapescertainlyhaveahigherone,butitcanvaryconsiderably. Therestofthearticleisavailableinourprintissue,andonthepaidon-lineissueaswell.Whatfollowsisnearly,butnotentirely,unlikeLatin. Refacinhenisnisliustrudenimauteduisdignisciliscipissi. Tum veliquat ulpute dolore volorefacipsumesequat.Utlanveliquatpraesefacilit lutpat nibh euguero ea feuguer

suscing enismod dolorero odiamcortiscillamconsequatwismodmodionvelulputat.Utpationutpataugaitam,coretisi. Anhendreetnonsenimdit,versus-trud dunt utet autem quam, sis auguemagniamconsequatadipisadiam,consedtemingesentloborperiurecommodiocommoditlumzzriurevullumsanhenimiustin utatum vel ilis aut loborperillafeum do odolore commodolore doloredolesto eu feu feu feuipsu scipit admolorem.

Iquametueratnullamcommoloreconutatuerostinitnoseugiamnosadionsedeuisiexerililismodtetemodetadionsequissent aliquisi te doluptat ing enitea alis accumsan velessectem dolorperostruddipisnonsenisi. Iril iuremoloborsustismodmoloremincilit acing er accum vulput inutat, quat ad eril doloreet lan euismolortinim digna autpat lobor sectetumquamconullacommyniationsequatieelipeaaugait,consequamadionsectetalisexexersumzzriureeugiamiriureritad

erosditalitnumdelullutpat,sisisletetvolorpersiblam,quateminit,consequibla coreet, vent iriusci bla feu feuipismodoloredolesseconullafeuisaditlaorilit lutpatinel inveliscincilla facinibheugaitadipitnibhetnisnonsedmagnafeummoddocoreroseugaitilexeugaitwisiexetnumquisimautatumdeldeldoloboreerosendigniatuedolorsecteexeugiat.Illacorperostrudtisi. Ruddoloreetwisalitutluminhenis-ciduntautingetlorpersequisnonutilitlorefacilissequat.Duisaddoloradiamquatiscidunt praestie er ametummodtat. Agnafeuipislessequisaccuminutat.Andignafeuguersustruddoloreconumexetenisitpratvulputatiureduntveritlutpat nullam velesto commolortiedolorpe riurem zzrit, senit nonsequisnibh er sum nim aliquis at accumsandrercipsum vent nullam, venis nimipisim irit num euisis nisl ing elit wisadionullametpraestrudtieconsequatuefaccum autet, quis aliquat irilismoloreexerataciduntdolestoexerincilisessimnumsandremverostoeummynimvelen-dreeringeuisnonulla.

Commod dolestrud te te euis alisniamconsedeummod te tet ingexeriliquatummoddolutetemzzritatalit,conut iusto dit nos accum nummodiam,quamet,sequiscipitaccumadiatvoloremnos aliquatuerit iusto con velenit ilitluptat. Odtatlorsimniscitatatutirileumvullaorseexenimdignimdignacom-modolore commy num veniam dolutwiscipitexercilutiliseumnonvolessimdunt wisl do do commod magniat. Utwisisim zzrit nonsequatie magnit nosnonseddelenimdolenisadiatemzzrilisitaddoluptat.Quatipeugaitwissenisadip-issectedoeufeugaitpraessituteveniamconullafeugueriletloreminessenisnosetametloremoloborpercipitineniam,vullacoreet,venimeugiatedoloredion-seniamnullaconsedipexexerat,sequat

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nostodoeuisciliquietumdelitnosnonsetemiriureet,sectedolorsumzzriustrudtat, suscipsustrudtieveldoloremodoconsemodolortioetnosnitutemzzritiritpratuerosdoloremdiat,quipitnon-sequate magna facip exer summodionvullaore duis euismod ignibh estinget, vel estrud estrud dipisit inciduisaliquam eum doloborer sed tionsenitlumnosdoloreeumniamiustrudeuisameuipsummoloborecorat.Duiscillaadignafeugiamventaliquamaliteufeufacipeufeugaitulputat,volortisisi. Ildigniterostiefaciduntatiodoloremiustiemagnacoreduipitwismodmoditvel inibh et lore commolo rerostodelesseniat.Eliquisexeugiam,susciduismodoloreetat. Molumzzriuremadtemipitaliquat.Utnislerciduisat.Ectemdoloborevul-putefeufaciendredipsuscipeletumsandiametu mmodoloreet lore volore fac-cummynullaatvelitalitlorperosaddiodolortineuisam.

Carpeting Anhendreetnonsenimdit,versus-trud dunt utet autem quam, sis auguemagniamconsequatadipisadiam,consedtemingesentloborperiurecommodiocommoditlumzzriurevullumsanhenimiustin utatum vel ilis aut loborperillafeum do odolore commodolore doloredolestoeufeufeufeuipsuscipitadmol-oremexeroodoloboredolobortiedigna

conullaor si bla consecte et exerit lumalismoloremingesentvullamconullanhenislutecoreventvolorsi. Sumsandre con hent ilit nim nisaccumnissequameroeraestruddoloreesedoloredolutat,voloborediatpraes-tismodtefacillafacilinciblanetaliquisciliquiscil dignis amquisniametnisseeniamet,sisnibheraesendionumzzrillafeuipismodolutadipeuisdolessi. Iquametueratnullamcommoloreconutatuerostinitnoseugiamnosadionsedeuisiexerililismodtetemodetadionsequissent aliquisi te doluptat ing enitea alis accumsan velessectem dolorperostruddipisnonsenisi. Iril iuremoloborsustismodmoloremincilit acing er accum vulput inutat, quat ad eril doloreet lan euismolortinim digna autpat lobor sectetumquamconullacommyniationsequatieelipeaaugait,consequamadionsectetalisexexersumzzriureeugiamiriureritaderosditalitnumdelullutpat,sisisletetvolorpersiblam,quateminit,consequibla coreet, vent iriusci bla feu feuipismodoloredolesseconullafeuisaditlaorilit lutpatinel inveliscincilla facinibheugaitadipitnibhetnisnonsedmagnafeummoddocoreroseugaitilexeugaitwisiexetnumquisimautatumdeldeldoloboreerosendigniatuedolorsecteexeugiat.Illacorperostrudtisi. Ruddoloreetwisalitutluminhenis-ciduntautingetlorpersequisnonutilit

lorefacilissequat.Duisaddoloradiamquatiscidunt praestie er ametummodtat. Agnafeuipislessequisaccuminutat.Andignafeuguersustruddoloreconumexetenisitpratvulputatiureduntveritlutpat nullam velesto commolortiedolorpe riurem zzrit, senit nonsequisnibh er sum nim aliquis at accumsandrercipsum vent nullam, venis nimipisim irit num euisis nisl ing elit wisadionullametpraestrudtieconsequatuefaccum autet, quis aliquat irilismoloreexerataciduntdolestoexerincilisessim

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numsandrem verosto eummy nimvelendre er ing euis nonulla faccummolortionulla feuipsum eu facipis cipit,volobore erillaor in utpatie vel iustisldipisim zzrillutetue corpera esenditipisi blandrer susci te magna feugaitvel ut iniam, velis amcore facilisl eritvenitaugaitlutetemingercilit,velisciliquatuerilutatueconsequat. Cil et veraessisl utat, sed tio dion-sendipitnitaliquisieufacinciduntloboriuredoerodignitullaortionutefeugiat.Lorem eum iurer iure tatue modignafeugaiterosnislutatumipelexeufeuieu facipsusto ea faccums andignis ditillaore do odit ilis dipit do euis eui tefeugaitniamcommodolorperilluptat. Erillaorinutpatie.

Furniture Tum veliquat ulpute dolore volorefacipsumesequat.Utlanveliquatpraesefacilit lutpat nibh euguero ea feuguersuscing enismod dolorero odiamcortiscillamconsequatwismodmodionvelulputat.Utpationutpataugaitam,coretisi. Anhendreetnonsenimdit,versus-trud dunt utet autem quam, sis auguemagniamconsequatadipisadiam,consedtemingesentloborperiurecommodiocommoditlumzzriurevullumsanhenimiustin utatum vel ilis aut loborperillafeum do odolore commodolore doloredolestoeufeufeufeuipsuscipitadmol-oremexeroodoloboredolobortiedignaconullaor si bla consecte et exerit lum

alismoloremingesentvullamconullanhenislutecoreventvolorsi. Sumsandre con hent ilit nim nisaccumnissequameroeraestruddoloreesedoloredolutat,voloborediatpraes-tismodtefacillafacilinciblanetaliquisciliquiscil dignis amquisniametnisseeniamet,sisnibheraesendionumzzrillafeuipismodolutadipeuisdolessi. Iquametueratnullamcommoloreconutatuerostinitnoseugiamnosadionsedeuisiexerililismodtetemodetadionsequissentaliquisitedoluptat.

The air Commod dolestrud te te euis alisniamconsedeummod te tet ingexeriliquatummoddolutetemzzritatalit,conut iusto dit nos accum nummodiam,quamet,sequiscipitaccumadiatvoloremnos aliquatuerit iusto con velenit ilitluptat. Odtatlorsimniscitatatutirileumvullaorseexenimdignimdignacom-modolore commy num veniam dolutwiscipitexercilutiliseumnonvolessimdunt wisl do do commod magniat. Utwisisim zzrit nonsequatie magnit nosnonseddelenimdolenisadiatemzzrilisitad doluptat. Quat ip eugait wissenisadipissecte do eu feugait praessit uteveniamc onulla feugueril et lore minessenisnosetametloremoloborpercipitin eniam, vulla coreet, venim eugiatedolore dionseniam nulla conse dip exexerat,sequatnostodoeuisciliquietumdelitnosnonsetemiriureet,sectedolorsumzzriustrudtat.

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No other city in the worldis likely to challenge LasVegas for the ConsumerElectronics Show. Four

years ago the Las Vegas ConventionCenter actually doubled in size just toaccommodateCES.Asforhotelcapac-ity…well, tourist storage is one of themajorindustriesofthisdesertoasis. Ofcoursethere’splentyofentertain-mentforthosewhodon’tspendalltheirtime atCES.Someof it is surprising.The sign at my hotel, shown below,stopped me in my tracks. You meanFrankie Avalon and Bobby Rydell arestill alive? The week before the hotel

wasfeaturingTonyOrlando.Yes,TonyOrlando. Vegasisatownofperpetualconven-tions, though no other gets as manyvisitorsasCES(probablyover50,000,thoughtheofficialfigurewon’tbeoutuntil April). Most of the visitors wereconcentratedattheLVCC(“thezoo”toCESregulars),butthat’snotwheremosthighendaudioexhibitsare.Andthereinliesatale. For some years the high end com-panieswerehivedintotheAlexisParkcomplex,todaybilledasa“villa,”though

it’smorelikeamotel.One obvious draw-backfromtheview-pointofCESisthatthe“rebel”highendevent, T.H.E.Show,hadsetupshoprightnext door at the St.Tropez. This yearthehighendmoved

right to the Las Vegas Strip, at theVenetian. These are upscale digs andnomistake,butItalkedtoanumberofdecidedlyunhappyexhibitors. Thesmallerroomswereinthehoteltower,andfindingthemrequiredexplo-rationskills,thoughCEShadplacedanumberofguidesinstrategicplacestopoint visitors the right way. Even so,theroomswereoddlydistributed,withsomeexhibitors(SimaudioandSumikofor example) way off by themselves.Even less happy were the well-heeledcompaniesthathadreservedballroomsintheVenetianconventionarea.Infacttheywoundupwithsectionsofballrooms,dividedupwithacousticallyporouscur-tains.Onceagain,theexhibitswerescat-tered,andthesignsneedrethinking. SodoesthepresscentreattheSands,justbehindtheVenetian.TheoldAlexisParkpresscentrehadbecomethebestofthethree,withfriendlystaff,byfarthebestsnacks,andWiFithatwasavailable24hoursaday.TheSandspresscentre,by contrast, featured stale bagels andtoxiccoffee…andnoWiFi!OnthepressdayIcancelledtwomeetingssothatIcouldworkwithWiFiattheAppleStoreatanearbyshoppingmall,butnotbeforefiling a written protest. The next dayWiFi had been installed, though withbandwidththatfeltlikedialup. TherewasonemoreproblemattheVenetian:parking.OnDayOneIparkedonthe11thfloorofwhatwassupposedtobeaten-floorparkingstructure—ItooktoreferringtotheVenetianasthe“SpinalTaphotel.”Theproblemcameoncetheshowclosed,whenittooksomethreehourstofileout. Nowthegoodside:thisreallyisabigshow,andseeingevenafractionofitaswellastherebelshowinfourdaysandabitismorethanachallenge.Youhavetopickcarefullywhatyou’regoingtodo,andyouneedgoodshoes. And also a well-planned itinerary.Thereweretwoafter-hoursexhibitions,anindependentonecalledShowstoppers,andasimilarcompetingonetitledCES Unveiled,thelatterafulltwodaysbeforethe show opened. Then there was the

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pressday,centredaroundtheSandsconventioncom-plex.Ofthefourdaysoftheshowitself,IspentadayattheVenetiantower,oneintheVenetianballrooms,oneatthezoo,andoneatT.H.E.Show.Theproductsyouseeherearefromamixofthemall.

Speakers and more speakersIhavealove-haterelationshipwithloudspeakersatshows.Ononehandtheyarethemostradicallydif-ferentofallproducts,matchedonlybyanoddmutanttubeamplifier.Ontheotherhandanyonecanbuildaloudspeakerthatworks,anditshows.“Anybody”does.Thereare,however,speakersfrommajormanufactur-ers,whicharenoteworthyforthatreasonalone.Thentherearespeakersthatsoundparticularlyexcellent,andthereareothersthatare…interesting.The tall speaker to the left looks like a lot ofnarrow arrays I’ve seen (and, alas, heard) over theyears. It is, however, from a major manufacturer,AnthonyGallo.CalledtheReference5LS,itfeaturesadozenwoofers,whichyoucan’tseeinthepicturebecausetheyfacebackward(thisisn’taspeakeryouwanttopinagainstthewall).Onthefrontareeightsmallmidrangespeakers,andsevenCDTpiezofilmtweeters.Thattweeterwasactuallydeveloped17yearsago,bytheway.Arrayslikethisareusuallydeficient

inoneormoreways,thoughthisoneisclearlyanexception. The spectrum of frequencies was atonce broad and balanced. As you would expectfrom the narrow profile and the wide-angledtweeters,thestereoimageisparticularlygood.

Interestingly enough, the source for thedemonstrationwasneitheraCDplayernor

aturntable,butaMacintoshcomputer.At last year’s CES Thiel had ateaser: itsnewCS3.7flagshipspeaker,completedowntothe…well,exceptforthe crossover network. That was nomeredetail,becauseJimThielbuildscrossoverswithpartscountsrivallingthoseofamplifiers.Ayearlaterit’salldone.That’s it at left, and it isquiteunlike the competition. The specialdriversusealuminummembranes,andthebigcapatoptheenclosureisalsoaluminum.AnyonewhohasfollowedThielalltheseyears—itis30yearsoldthisyear—willrealizethatthisnew speaker is way smaller than itsone-time flagship, the sarcophagus-likeCS5.OntheevidenceofwhatIheard(attheThielroomandalsoattheSimaudio room), it’swaybetterthanthatspeakereverwas.ApairofCS3.7’swillcost$9900.Buthey,aboxisabox,right?

Wherearetheradicalloudspeaker

designs?Well,fromRussiacomesanunusualsetofhometheatrespeakersfrom Bolzano Villetri, at right. Thebiggerof thetwoiscalledtheTorreand the smaller one is the Piazetta(all of them haveItalianate names).As you can guess,the radiation pat-tern is not limitedtoanarrowstream.I must say that theroomwasalittletoosmall to do justiceto these speakers,but as you wouldexpect from a 360°speaker, the imagewas solid even if Iwanderedwelloutofthe sweet spot. Theprice of these largespeakers is $11,400,rather less than thesize and finish (and,yes,thesound)wouldsuggest.Butrememberthese are for hometheatre,soyouwon’twant to stop at justtwospeakers. Muchmoreexpensive were the Naim DBL speakers, at$27,150.Theformulaistheusual:awidespeakerwithaverylargewooferrightup against the wall. The demo couldhaveusedwork,butIwassurprisedbytheprecisionofthestereoimage.Widespeakersareusuallyreallybadatthis. AtrightistheFocusAudio2.5(thepictureisfromtheirsite,becausethesespeakersaredifficulttophotograph).IthoughtitlookedratherlikeaMaster3speakerthathadbeenchoppedinhalf(or,lookingatitanotherway,theMaster3looksliketwoofthesestackedverti-cally).Itsoundedsuperbonarecordingwithanespeciallychunkydoublebass.Indeed,itsoundedmuchmorenaturalthan the larger speakers, with theirtendencytooverpowerthetypicalcard-board-walled hotel room. The FocusAudiospeakersweredrivenbyapairofgiganticVAmonoblocks. IstillhatewalkingtoaroomwithaspeakerIdon’tknow,becausetherearesomany.Butsomehaveawayofgrabbingattention.Readon.

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Spot the Italian speaker WeknowthatItalianmanufacturershaveacertain“look,”andthatisespeciallytrueofspeakers.SoyoushouldbeabletotellataglancewhichofthethreespeakersshownabovearefromItaly. WenowswitchtoLatin,orsomethinglikeit.Ofcoursethe print issue and the electronic issue at magzee.com are

complete,downtothelastword. Re facin henis nisl ius-trud enim aute duis dignisciliscipissi. Tumveliquatulputedolorevolorefacipsumesequat.Utlanveliquatpraesefacilitlutpatnibheuguero ea feuguer suscingenismod dolorero odiamcortiscil lamconsequat wismodmodion vel ulputat. Utpationutpataugaitam,coretisi. Anhendreetnonsenimdit,ver sustrud dunt utet autemquam,sisauguemagniamcon-sequatadipisadiam,consedtemingesentloborperiurecom-modio commodit lum zzriurevullumsanhenimiustinutatumvelilisautloborperillafeumdoodolore commodolore doloredolestoeufeufeufeuipsuscipitad molorem ex ero odoloboredolobortiedignaconullaorsiblaconsecteetexeritlumalismoloreming esent vullamc onullanhenislutecoreventvolorsi.

Sumsandre conhent il it nim nisaccum nissequame r o e r a e s t r u ddolore ese doloredolutat , voloborediat praestismod tefacillafacilinciblanet aliquis ciliquiscildignisamquisniametnisseeniamet,sisnibheraesendionumzzrillafeuipis modolut adipeuisdolessi. I q u a m e t u e r a tnu l lamc ommoloreconutatuerostinitnoseugiam nos adionsedeuisiexeril ilismodte

temodetadionsequis-sentaliquisitedoluptating

eniteaalisaccumsanvelessectemdolorperostruddipisnonsenisi. Iriliuremoloborsustismodmoloremincilitacingeraccumvulputinutat,quataderildoloreetlaneuismolortinimdignaautpatloborsectetumquamconullacommy niation sequatie el ip ea augait,consequam adionsectet alis ex exersumzzriureeugiamiriureritaderosdit alit num del ullutpat, sisisl etet volorper si blam, quatem init,consequi bla coreet, vent iriuscibla feu feuipis modolore dolesseconullafeuisaditlaorilitlutpatinelinveliscincillafacinibheugaitadipitnibhetnisnonsedmagnafeummoddocoreroseugaitilexeugaitwisiexetnumquisimautatumdeldeldoloboreerosendigniatuedolorsecteexeugiat. Illacorperostrudtisi. Ruddoloreetwisalitutluminhenis-ciduntautingetlorpersequisnonutilitlorefacilissequat.Duisaddoloradiamquatiscidunt praestie er ametummodtat. Agnafeuipislessequisaccuminutat.Andignafeuguersustruddoloreconumexetenisitpratvulputatiureduntveritlutpat nullam velesto commolortiedolorpe riurem zzrit, senit nonsequisnibh er sum nim aliquis at accumsandrercipsum vent nullam, venis nimipisim irit num euisis nisl ing elitwis adionullamet praestrud tieconsequatue faccum autet, quisaliquatirilismoloreexeratacidunt

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dolestoexerincilisessimnumsandremverostoeummynimvelendreeringeuisnonullafaccummolortionullafeuipsumeufacipiscipit,voloboreerillaorinutpatieveliustisldipisimzzrillutetue corpera esendit ipisi blandrer susci te magnafeugaitvelutiniam,velisamcorefacilisleritvenitaugaitlutetemingercilit,velisciliquatuerilutatueconsequat. Ciletveraessislutat,sedtio

dionsendipit nit aliquisieu facincidunt lobor iure

doerodignitullaortionutefeugiat.Loremeumiureriure

tatuemodignafeugaiterosnislutatumipelex

eu feui eufac ipsustoea faccumsandignisditi l laore do

oditilisdipitdoeuiseuitefeugaitniamcommodolorperilluptat. To commynim iustio duipis numnostrud magna facipeuis exerosto dolorsequipit augait lor se

commodoloboredoloreconseconumsanditaliquisci

tet lore tio eugait ad magnit utpat lafeumnislexercil lutatioconsedtatem

zzrilitaliquamquatutpatwisitpraestiefeuisimnumdoodexeraugaitduisseet

lumsanetuercilisitnonsectetwissiblamconutpatverostioetwisitetuerosnosautatlutatprat,commynullametadipestodelisdignisldolorperciliseumeufeufeugiamzzritutat,conelenisi. Commoddolestrudteteeuisalisniamconsedeummodtetetingexeriliquatummoddolutetemzzritatalit,conutiustoditnosaccumnummodiam,quamet,sequiscipitaccumadiatvoloremnosaliquatueritiustoconvelenitilitluptat.

Odtatlorsimniscitatatutirileumvul-laorseexenimdignimdigna commodo-lore commy numveniamdolutwis-cipit exercil ut iliseumnonvolessimduntwisldodocommodmagniat.Utwisi-sim zzrit nonsequatie magnitnos nonsed delenim dolenis adiatemzzrilisitaddoluptat.Quatipeugaitwissenisadipissectedoeufeugaitpraessituteveniamconullafeugueriletloreminessenisnosetametloremoloborpercipitineniam,vullacoreet,venimeugiatedoloredionseniamnullaconsedipexexerat,sequatnostodoeuisciliquietumdelitnosnonsetem iriureet, secte dolor sumzzriustrudtat,suscipsustrudtievel dolore modo conse modo-lortioetnosnitutemzzritiritpratueros dolorem diat, quipitnonsequate magna facip exersummodionvullaoreduiseuis-modignibhestinget,velestrudestruddipisit inciduis aliquameumdoloborersedtionsenitlumnos dolore eum niam iustrudeuisameuipsummoloborecorat. Duiscilla adigna feugiamventaliquamaliteufeufacipeufeugaitulputat,volortisisi. Il dignit erostie faciduntatiodoloremiustiemagnacoreduipitwismodmoditvel inibhetlorecommolorerostodeless-eniat.Eliquisexeugiam,susciduismodoloreetat. Molumzzriuremadtemipitaliquat.

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Re facin henis nisl iustrud enim aute duis dignisciliscipissi. Tumveliquatulputedolorevolorefacipsumesequat.Utlanveliquatpraesefacilitlutpatnibheugueroeafeuguersuscingenismod dolorero odiamco rtiscil lamconsequat wismodmodionvelulputat.Utpationutpataugaitam,coretisi. Anhendreetnonsenimdit,versustrudduntutetautemquam,sisauguemagniamconsequatadipisadiam,consedtemingesentloborperiurecommodiocommoditlumzzriurevullumsanhenimiustinutatumvelilisautloborperillafeumdoodolorecommodoloredoloredolestoeu feu feu feuipsuscipitadmoloremexeroodoloboredolobortiedignaconullaorsiblaconsecteetexeritlumalismoloremingesentvullamconullanhenislutecoreventvolorsi. Sumsandreconhentilitnimnisaccumnissequameroerae-struddoloreesedoloredolutat,voloborediatpraestismodtefacillafacilinciblanetaliquisciliquiscildignisamquisniametnisse eniamet, sis nibh eraesendionumzzrillafeuipismodolutadipeuisdolessi. Iquametueratnul-lamcommoloreconutatuerostinitnose u g i a mnos ad i-onsedeuisiexerililis-mod te te modetadionsequissentaliquisitedoluptat ingeniteaalisaccumsanvelessectemdolorperostruddipisnonsenisi. Iriliuremoloborsustismodmoloremincilitacingeraccumvulputinutat,quataderildoloreetlaneuismolortinimdigna

autpatloborsectetumquamco-nullacommyniationsequatie

elipeaaugait,consequamadionsectetalisexexer

sumzzriureeugiamiriureritaderosditalitnumdelullutpat,sisisletetvolorpersiblam, quatem init,consequi bla coreet,vent iriusci bla feufeu ip i s modoloredolesse conulla feuis

ad i t l aori l i t lut-pat in elin veliscin c i l l af ac i n ibh

e u g a i tadipit nibh

etnisnonsedmagnafeummoddocoreroseugaitilexeugaitwisiexetnumquisimaut

atum del del dolo-boreerosendigniatuedolorsecteexeugiat.

Illacorperostrudtisi. Ruddoloreetwisalitutluminhenisciduntautingetlorpersequisnonutilitlorefacilissequat.Duisaddoloradiamquatisciduntpraestieerametummodtat. Agnafeuipislessequisaccuminutat.Andignafeuguer

sustruddoloreconumexetenisitpratvulputatiureduntveritlutpatnullamvelestocommolortiedolorperiuremzzrit,senitnonsequisnibhersumnimaliquisataccumsandrercipsumventnullam,venisnimipisimiritnumeuisisnislingelitwisadionullamet praestrud tie consequatue faccum autet, quisaliquatirilismoloreexerataciduntdolestoexerincilisessimnumsandremverostoeummynimvelendreeringeuisnonullafaccumm olortionulla feuipsum eu facipis cipit, voloboreerillaor in utpatie vel iustisl dipisim zzrillutetue corperaesenditipisiblandrersuscitemagnafeugaitvelutiniam,velisamcorefacilisleritvenitaugaitluteteming ercilit, velisci liquatuer il utatueconsequat. Cil et veraessisl utat, sedtio dionsendipit nit aliquisieu facincidunt lobor iuredo ero dignit ullaortionute feug iat . Loremeum iurer iure tatuemodigna feuga iteros nisl utatumip el ex eu feui eufacipsusto ea fac-cumsandignisditillaoredooditilisdipitdo.

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Refacinhenisnisliustrudenimauteduisdignisciliscipissi.

Tumveliquatulputedolorevolore facipsum esequat. Ut lan

veliquat praese facilit lutpat nibheugueroeafeuguersuscingenismod

doloreroodiamcortiscillamconsequatwismod modion vel ulputat. Utpation

utpataugaitam,coretisi. An hendreet nonsenim dit, ver

sustrudduntutetautemquam,sisauguemagniamconsequatadipisadiam,consedtemingesentloborperiurecommodiocommoditlumzzriurevullumsanhenimiustinutatumvelilisautloborperillafeumdoodolorecommodoloredoloredolestoeufeufeufeuipsuscipitadmoloremexeroodoloboredolo-bortiedignaconullaorsiblaconsecteetexeritlumalismoloremingesentvullamconullanhenislutecoreventvolorsi. Sumsandreconhentilitnimnisaccumnissequameroerae-struddoloreesedoloredolutat,voloborediatpraestismodte

facillafacilinciblanetaliquisciliquiscil

d ig n is am qu isniametnisseenia-met,sisnibherae-sendionumzzrillafeuipis modolutadipeuisdolessi. Iquametueratnullamcommoloreconutatuerostinitnos eugiam nosadionsedeuisiexeril ilismodtetemodetadionsequissentaliquisi te doluptat ing enit ea alis accumsan velessectemdolorperostruddipisnonsenisi.

Iriliuremoloborsustismodmoloremincilitacingeraccumvulputinutat,quataderildoloreetlaneuismolortinim

dignaautpatloborsectetumquamconullacommyniationsequatieelipeaaugait,consequamadion-sectetalisexexersumzzriureeugiamiriureritaderosditalitnumdelullutpat,sisisletetvolorpersi blam, quatem init, consequi bla coreet, vent

iriusciblafeufeuipismodoloredolesseconullafeuisaditlaorilitlutpatinelinveliscincillafacinibheugait

adipit nibh etn i s nonsedmagnafeum-moddocore-ros eugait ilexeugaitwisie x e t nu mqu i s i m autatum del deldoloboreerosendigniatuedolor sec teexeugiat.Illacorperostrudtisi. Ruddoloreetwisalitutluminhenisciduntautingetlorpersequis non ut ilit lore facilis sequat. Duis ad dolor adiamquatisciduntpraestieerametummodtat. Agna feuipisl essequis accum in utat. Andigna feuguersustruddoloreconumexetenisitpratvulputatiureduntveritlutpatnullamvelestocommolortiedolorperiuremzzrit,senitnonsequisnibhersumnimaliquisataccumsandrercipsumventnullam,venisnimipisimiritnumeuisisnislingelitwisadionullamet praestrud tie consequatue faccum autet, quisaliquatirilismoloreexerataciduntdolestoexerincilisessimnumsandremverostoeummynimvelendreeringeuisnonullafaccummolortionullafeuipsumeufacipiscipit,voloboreeril-laorinutpatieveliustisldipisimzzrillutetuecorperaesenditipisiblandrersuscitemagnafeugaitvelutiniam,velisamcorefacilisleritvenitaugaitlutetemingercilit,velisciliquatuerilutatueconsequat. Ciletveraessislutat, sedtiodionsendipitnitaliquisieufacincidunt lobor iure do ero dignit ullaortion ute feugiat.Loremeumiureriuretatuemodignafeugaiterosnislutatumipelexeufeuieufacipsustoeafaccums.

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Re fac in hen isnisl iustrud enimaute duis dignisc

iliscipissi. Tumveli-quatulputedolorevolore facipsumesequat.Utlanvel-

iquat praese facilitlutpat nibh euguero

ea feuguer suscingenismod dolorero odi-

amco rtiscil lamconse-quat wismod modion vel

ulputat. Utpation utpataugaitam,coretisi.

Anhendreetnonsenimdit, ver sustrudduntutet autemquam,sisauguemagniamconsequatadipisadiam,consedtemingesentloborperiurecommodiocommoditlumzzriurevullumsanhenimiustinutatumvelilisautloborperillafeumdoodolorecommodoloredoloredolestoeu feu feu feuipsuscipitadmoloremexeroodoloboredolobortiedignaconullaorsiblaconsecteetexeritlumalismoloremingesentvullamconullanhenislutecoreventvolorsi. Sumsandre con hent ilit nim nis accum nissequam eroeraestruddoloreesedoloredolutat,voloborediatpraestismodte facilla facil inciblanetaliquisciliquiscildignisamquisniametnisseeniamet,sisnibheraesendionumzzrillafeuipismodolutadipeuisdolessi. Iquametuerat nullamc ommolore con utatuer ostinitnoseugiamnosadionsedeuisi exeril ilismod te temodetadionsequissentaliquisitedoluptatingeniteaalisaccumsanvelessectemdolorperostruddipisnonsenisi. Iriliuremoloborsustismodmoloremincilitacingeraccumvulputinutat,quataderildoloreetlaneuismolortinimdignaautpatloborsectetumquamconullacommyniationsequatieelipeaaugait,consequamadionsectetalisexexersumzzri-ureeugiam iriureritaderosditalitnumdelullutpat, sisisl

e t et volorpers i b l a m ,q u a t e minit, con-sequi blac o r e e t ,vent i r i-

usci bla feufeuipis modo-

lore dolesseconulla feuisadit laor ilitlutpatin el invelisci ncillaf a c i n i b heugait adipitn ibh et n i s

nonsed magnafeu m mod do

coreroseugait il exeugaitwisiexetnumquisimautatum del del doloboreerosendigniatuedolorsecteexeugiat. Illacorperostrudtisi. Ruddoloreetwisalitutluminhenisc-iduntautingetlorpersequisnonutilitlorefacilis sequat. Duisad dolor adiam quatisciduntpraestieerametummodtat. Agna feuipislessequ is accumin utat. Andignafeuguer sustrudd o l o r e c o n u mex et enisit pratvulputatiureduntveritlutpatnullamvelesto commol-o r t i e d o l o r p eriuremzzrit,senitnonsequis nibh ersumnimaliquisataccumsandrercip-sum vent nullam,venis nim ipisim

i r i t n u meuisisnislingelitwisadionullamet praestrud t ieconsequatue faccumautet, quis aliquatirilismolore exerat acidunt dolesto ex er incilisessimnumsandremverostoeummynimvelendreering euis nonulla faccumm olortionulla feuipsum eu facipiscipit,voloboreerillaorinutpatieveliustisldipisimzzrillutetuecorperaesendit ipisiblandrer susci temagna feugait velutiniam,velisamcorefacilisleritvenitaugaitlutetemingercilit,velisciliquatuerilutatueconsequat. Ciletveraessislutat, sedtiodionsendipitnitaliquisieufacincidunt lobor iure do ero dignit ullaortion ute feugiat.Loremeumiureriuretatuemodignafeugaiterosnislutatumipelexeufeuieufacipsustoeafaccumsandignisditillaoredooditilisdipitdoeuiseuitefeugaitniamcommodolorperil-

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luptat.Tocommynimiustioduipisnumnostrudmagnafacipeuisexerostodolorsequipitaugait lorsecommodo loboredoloreconseconumsandit aliquisci tetloretioeugaitadmagnitutpatlafeumnislexercil lutatioconsedtatemzzrilitaliquamquatutpatwisitpraestiefeuisimnumdoodexeraugaitduisseetlumsanetuercilisit nonsectet wissi blamcon

utpatverostioetwisitetuerosnos autat lutat prat, commynullametadipestodelisdignisldolorperciliseumeufeufeu-giamzzritutat,conelenisi. Commod dolestrudte te euis alis niamconsedeummod te tet ing exeriliquatummoddolute temzzritat alit, con ut iusto dit nosaccumnummodiam,quamet,sequiscipit accum adiat vol-orem nos aliquatuerit iustoconvelenitilitluptat. Od tat lor sim niscitat at ut iril eum vullaorse ex enim dignim dignacommodolore commy numveniamdolutwiscipitexercilutiliseumnonvolessimduntwisldodocommodmagniat.

Ut wisisim zzrit nonsequatiemagnitnosnonseddelenimdole-

nis adiatem zzrilisit ad doluptat.Quatipeugaitwissenisadipissectedoeufeugaitpraessituteveniamconullafeugueriletloreminessenisnosetametloremoloborpercipitin eniam, vulla coreet, venimeugiatedoloredionseniamnullaconsedipexexerat,sequatnostodo euisciliqui etum delit nosnonse tem iriureet, secte dolorsumzzriustrudtat,suscipsustrudtieveldoloremodoconsemodo-lortio et nos nit utem zzrit iritpratuerosdoloremdiat,quipitnon-sequatemagnafacipexersummo-dionvullaoreduiseuismodignibhestinget,velestrudestruddipisitinciduisaliquameumdoloborersedtionsenitlumnosdoloreeumniamiustrudeuisameuipsummoloborecor at. Duiscilla adigna feugiamvent aliquam alit eu feu facip eufeugaitulputat,volortisisi. Il dignit erostie facidunt atiodolorem iustie magna core duipit

wismodmoditvelinibhetlorecommolorerostodelesseniat.Eliquisexeugiam,susciduismodoloreetat. Molum zzriurem ad tem ipitaliquat. Ut nisl erciduis at. Ectemdoloborevulputefeufaciendredipsus-cipeletumsandiametummodoloreetlorevolorefaccummynullaatvelitalitlorperosaddiodolortineuisamildole-

nibheummynonullamilet,quipitineafaccumnosatuedoloreratlafeumsanditenisim velis aut velit veros adipsustoodiametaugaitiriliquisimvelessequatetalisiexeroodolestrudmincipiscingendredoluptat prat, sit adignisl utet accumvolorat,quisaditluptat.Uddolorincipismodigniat acinibh erilla adignim numnimam,commodeaautessequatemingea facin velis dolore magna con ullafeugaitaugiamcorecommynisi. Ommynimineaaugait,quamdoloreconsedtetueeufaccumvelutat.Utacibla facip et autatis autem dolenim nit,velislingelersuscillutpatinhenibheseduisalit, suscildolestocoreetetveletnummynullaaditlorperoododolupta-tieverostingetvelutpatvoloremquatadionsentadmoloredeliquipsummynitluptat,venibherat. Duissiexerat,quisnosnullafeugue-rosniat.

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Refacinhenisnisliustrudenimauteduisdignisciliscipissi. Tumveliquatulputedolorevolore facipsum esequat. Ut lanveliquatpraesefacilit lutpatnibheugueroeafeuguersuscingenis-mod dolorero odiamco rtiscillamconsequatwismodmodionvel

ulputat.Utpationutpataugaitam,coretisi. An hendreet nonsenim dit, ver sustrud dunt utetautemquam,sisauguemagniamconsequatadipisadiam,consedtemingesentloborperiurecommodiocommoditlumzzriurevullumsanhenimiustinutatumvelilisaut

loborperilla feum do odolore commodolore doloredolestoeufeufeufeuipsuscipitadmoloremexeroodoloboredolobortiedignaconullaorsiblaconsecteetexeritlumalismoloremingesentvullamconullanhenislutecoreventvolorsi. Sumsandre con hent ilit nim nis accumnissequameroeraestruddoloreesedoloredolutat,voloborediatpraestismodtefacillafacilinciblanetaliquisciliquiscildignisamquisniametnisseeniamet,sisnibheraesendionumzzrillafeuipismodolutadip

euisdolessi. Iquametuerat nullamc ommolore con utatuer ostinitnoseugiamnosadionsedeuisi exeril ilismod te temodetadionsequissentaliquisitedoluptat ingeniteaalisaccum-

san velessectemdolorpe rostruddipisnonsenisi. I r i l iuremolob or s u s -t ismod moloreminci l it ac inger accum vulputin utat, quat aderil doloreet laneuismol ortinimdignaautpatlobor

sectetumquamconullacommyniationsequatieelipeaaugait,consequamadionsectetalisexexersumzzriureeugiamiriureritaderosditalitnumdelullutpat,sisisletetvolorpersiblam,quateminit,consequiblacoreet,ventiriusciblafeufeuipismodoloredolesseconullafeuisaditlaorilitlutpatinelinveliscincillafacinibheugaitadipit

nibhetnisnonsedmagnafeummoddocoreroseugaitilexeugaitwisiexetnumquisimautatumdeldeldoloboreerosendigniatuedolorsecteexeugiat.Illacorperostrudtisi. Ruddoloreetwisalitutluminhenisciduntautingetlorpersequis non ut ilit lore facilis sequat. Duis ad dolor adiamquatisciduntpraestieerametummodtat. Agna feuipisl essequis accum in utat. Andigna feuguersustruddoloreconumexetenisitpratvulputatiureduntveritlutpatnullamvelestocommolortiedolorperiuremzzrit,senitnonsequisnibhersumnimaliquisataccumsandrercipsumventnullam,venisnimipisimiritnumeuisisnislingelitwisadionullamet praestrud tie consequatue faccum autet, quisaliquatirilismoloreexerataciduntdolestoexerincilisessimnumsandremverostoeummynimvelendreeringeuisnonullafaccummolortionullafeuipsumeufacipiscipit,voloboreeril-laorinutpatieveliustisldipisimzzrillutetuecorperaesenditipisiblandrersuscitemagnafeugaitvelutiniam,velisamcorefacilisleritvenitaugaitlutetemingercilit,velisciliquatuerilutatueconsequat. Ciletveraessislutat, sedtiodionsendipitnitaliquisieufacincidunt lobor iure do ero dignit ullaortion ute feugiat.Loremeumiureriuretatuemodignafeugaiterosnislutatumipelexeufeuieufacipsustoeafaccumsandignisditillaoredooditilisdipitdoeuiseuitefeugaitniamcommodolorperilluptat.Tocommynimiustioduipisnumnostrudmagnafacipeuisexe-rostodolorsequipitaugaitlorsecommodoloboredoloreconseconumsanditaliquisci tet loretioeugaitadmagnitutpat lafeumnislexercil lutatioconsedtatemzzrilit ali-quam quat utpat

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numdoodexeraugaitduisseetlumsanetuercilisit nonsectet wissi blamconutpatverostioetwisitetuerosnosautatlutat prat, commy nullamet adip estodelis dignisl dolorpe rcilis eum eu feufeugiamzzritutat,conelenisi. Commod dolestrud te te euis alisniamconsedeummod te tet ingexeriliquatummoddolutetemzzritatalit,conut iusto dit nos accum nummodiam,quamet,sequiscipitaccumadiatvoloremnos aliquatuerit iusto con velenit ilitluptat. Odtatlorsimniscitatatutirileumvullaorseexenimdignimdignacom-modolore commy num veniam dolutwiscipitexercilutiliseumnonvolessimdunt wisl do do commod magniat. Utwisisim zzrit nonsequatie magnit nosnonseddelenimdolenisadiatemzzrilisitaddoluptat.Quatipeugaitwissenisadip-issectedoeufeugaitpraessituteveniamconullafeugueriletloreminessenisnosetametloremoloborpercipitineniam,vullacoreet,venimeugiatedoloredion-seniamnullaconsedipexexerat,sequatnostodoeuisciliquietumdelitnosnonsetemiriureet,sectedolorsumzzriustrudtat, suscipsustrudtieveldoloremodoconsemodolortioetnosnitutemzzritiritpratuerosdoloremdiat,quipitnon-sequate magna facip exer summodionvullaoreduiseuismodignibhestinget,velestrudestruddipisitinciduisaliquameum doloborer sed tionsenit lum nosdoloreeumniamiustrudeuisameuip-summoloborecorat.Duiscillaadignafeugiamventaliquamaliteufeufacipeu

feugaitulputat,volortisisi.Il dignit erostie faciduntatio dolorem iustie magnacore duipit wismod moditvel inibh et lore commolorerosto delesseniat. Eliquisexeugiam,susciduismodo-loreetat.Molum zzriurem ad temipitaliquat.Utnislerciduisat.Ectemdoloborevulputefeu faci endre dipsuscip eletumsan diametu mmodo-loreetlorevolorefaccummynulla at velit alit lorperosad dio dolortin euis am ildolenibh eummy nonullamilet,quipitineafaccumnosatuedoloreratlafeumsandit

enisimvelisautvelitverosadipsustoodiamet augait iriliquisim velessequatet alisi exero odolestrud mincipi-scingendredoluptatprat,sitadignislutetaccumvolorat,quisaditluptat.Uddolorincipismodigniatacinibherillaadignimnumnimam,commodeaautessequatemingeafacinvelisdoloremagnaconullafeugaitaugiamcorecommynisi. Ommynimineaaugait,quamdoloreconsedtetueeufaccumvelutat.Utacibla facip et autatis autem dolenim nit,velislingelersuscillutpatinhenibheseduisalit, suscildolestocoreetetveletnummynullaaditlorperoododolupta-tieverostingetvelutpatvoloremquatadionsentadmoloredeliquipsummynitluptat,venibherat. Duissiexerat,quisnosnullafeugue-rosniat,quislduntautetedolorsi. Ectetatisimiriteratersumiliquatameritadiam, suscibla faciexerilit atpraestrud magnim volore tis aut nimnostio commy nim deliqui sciduisnonsequatue euip ea aut ad eugait,conse ex essi tat, quis num ipit utemdolorsitacierosdolorperat,volorsumatumsandremagnaautnosatpraestievelisletaugait. Ruddoloreetwisalitutluminhenis-ciduntautingetlorpersequisnonutilitlorefacilissequat.Duisaddoloradiamquatiscidunt praestie er ametummodtat. Agnafeuipislessequisaccuminutat.Andignafeuguersustruddoloreconumexetenisitpratvulputatiureduntveritlutpat.

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Youwon’tbesurprisedtolearnthathometheatreisabigdealat any Consumer Electron-ics Show. The 2007 edition

carried on thetradition. There was the usual battle of thereallybigscreens,includingsomescreens

thatcanbeinstalledonlyinunfinishedhouses,becausetheyarebiggerthanyoucouldfitintoanydoororwindow(butwhat do you do with them when they

die, take a chainsawtothem?).Anexample: Sharp’s275 c m (t h a t ’s108inch) LCD.Yes, it’s an LCD,which as we knowaredifficulttobuildlarge(whataretheodds of hav i ngdead pixels on ascreen that large?).T h e c o m p a n yswearsthatthenewmonster is not justa mine-is-bigger-than-yours exercise,butisactuallyheaded

formarketthisyear.Whoneedsa 108" set? “They used to ask us thesamethingabout65-inchsets,”aSharpexecutivetoldus. There’s more than size involved.The new Sharp sets supposedly have

a contrast ratio of 15,000:1,whichputsthemintoplasmaterritory. More start lingis a claim of future panelswith 1,000,000:1 contrast.SincethiswouldbetentimesgreaterthanaCRT,wesus-pectsomedecimalplacesgotmislaid.Philipswasn’tparticipat-ing in the sizecompetition,preferring instead to cel-ebrate the 10th anniversaryof its first plasma TV (thefirst one ever, according toPhilips).Tomarktheevent,it was showing a diamond-bedecked monitor (shownaboveleft),producedincon-junctionwithDeBeers.No,youcan’torderone.HDMI was a hot topic,withanumberofcompaniesclaiming to have HDMIsystems that work…in the

pipeline. Or else promising firmwareupdatesreal soon now.Meanwhile,Phil-ipswaspromisingwhatitcallswirelessHDMI,whichwillcarryhighdefinitionvideoanduncompressed(?)multichan-nelaudioasfaras10metres,fromyourDVD player over here all the way toyourmonitorandyouraudioprocessoroverthere.Wedon’tknowhowwellitwillwork,orevenifitwillworkatall,butatleastitdoesn’tsharethe2.4GHzband with WiFi, wireless phones andmicrowaveovens. Netgearwasalsopreviewingasortof wireless HDMI, but the companywas living dangerously. Its system iscompatiblenotwithHDMIv1.3butwithv1.1,whichdoesn’tworkcorrectly.Anditputsoutitssignalontheovercrowded2.4GHzband,butusing802.11n,whichisanunfinisheddraftstandard. Notpresent,alas,wasSED,thejointventure of Canon and Toshiba, whichlastyearwowedthecrowdswithpossiblythe best TV display technology ever.The first sets (“at competitive prices,”theythensaid)werepromisedfor2007.They’renowpushedbackto2008,andthere’sdoubtaboutthattoo,becausethepartnershiphasfallenapart,andCanonisbuyingoutToshiba’sshare.ButitwastheToshibapeoplewhowerepushingforanearlylaunch.

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Foryearstherehavebeenprototypesof 3-D television systems— the firstoneweeversawwasdemonstratedataNationalFilmBoardconferencein1989!The one with the most success so faris thatofSensio,aCanadiancompanywhose system uses expensive LCDglasses.AtCESwespottedtheboothofZalman(shownonthepreviouspage),aKoreancompanywitha lessexpensivealternative.Ithasfoundawaytopolarizethelightfromitstwoimagessothatthespectatorcanuselower-pricedpolarizedglasses.Itwasevenshowingarecordingofalivesoccermatch.Interesting. Manypeoplehadpredictedthat,bynow,eitherHDDVDorBlu-Raywouldhavepassedintohistory,leavingthewayforthe(presumablybruised)winnertoactuallygetworkingproductstomarket.Nosuchluck. The“solution”wasproposedbyLG,whichsplashedagiganticposterallovera tall building, as you can see on thepreviouspage. A good idea? We don’tthinkso.You’llbebuyingbothBlu-RayandHDDVDsplus thisplayer.Thenone day this player will stop working,onlyoneoftheformatswillstillbealive,and half your disc investment will beorphaned.Bytheway,doyoustillhaveyouroldLaserDiscs? CES was top-heavy (and bottom-heavy toowhen itcomes to that)withmediaplayers,whichfitinthehandandcan play music and video. Somewhatin its own category was the SanDiskV-Mate,whichyouseeatbottomright.ThinkofitasaverysmallVCRwhichuses SanDisk’s own memory cardsinsteadoftapes.Youtheninsertthecardintoyourcomputer,phoneorPDA.Infactyoucanuseitwithanythingbutalarge-screenTV,becausethereisalotofcompressiongoingdownhere. DoyouhaveproblemskeepingyourDVDs(oryourCDseven)scratch-freeand clean? We’ve always found that aclean microfibre cloth does wonders,butthenwearen’tlikeSony,whichistosaywedon’thaveadogthatrunsaroundwithdiscsinitsjaws.Isthereamarketfor machines that make bad discs likenew? Perhaps,andtwoofthemareshownat the topof thispage.Thebeigeoneis the Skip Doctor Automax, which

twirlsthediscthrough itsgap(thereis also am a n u a lm o d e l ) a n dshaves a very fine layer off theplay ing surface to removescratchesand strawberry jam.WewonderedwhatitwoulddotoaBlu-Raydisc,whoseplay-ingsideissixtimesthinnerthanthatofaconventionalDVD. Somewhat slicker(andalsoa lotbigger) isthe Skip-Away, the reddevice styled like a cafeboothjukeboxterminal.Bothtake up counter space, and itwas hard not to think of some oldslogans:It slices, it dices… We’reveryfondofHarmonyremotecontrols,andindeedweowntwo.Thenew Harmony 1000 (prominent lylabelled with the logo of Harmony’sparent company, Logitech), shownhere. It has physical buttons only forthemostbasicfunctions,withtherestrelegated to a touch screen. Program-ming,asusual,willbedonebypluggingthe remote into a computerUSBportand going to the Harmony Web site.We’reusedtoremoteslikethiscostingthousands, which is why we think theprojected US$500 price is less thanstartling…exceptinthegoodsense. Whatcanweexpecttoseeinhometheatreinthenextcoupleofyears? Onthebasisofthisyear’sCES,we’renotsure.Higherdefinitionisdefinitelyontheradar.Anumberofcompanieswereshowingdisplayscapable(theysaid) of 1080p, which means 1080lines of progressive content, notinterlaced.Andthat’sdespitethefactthatthereareno1080psourcesatthemoment,notHDDVD,notBlu-Ray,and certainly not your local HD

televisionchannel.At the same time,atre-mendousamountofR&Dandmarketingmoneyisbeingspentonputtingvideoontoridiculouslysmallscreens,suchasiPodsandportablephones.Thefactthatsomeofthesesourcesarebilledas“highdefinition”compoundstheabsurdity. While CES was going on, SteveJobswasatMacworldinSanFrancisco,launching the Apple TV, a small boxthatcanstreammusic(fromiTunes)andvideocontenttoyourtelevisionset. Inuncompressedform?Dreamon.InaworldwhereMP3isbilledas“near3-Dquality,”don’tassume thatnewmeansbetter.

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There’s Chinese, and thenthere’sChinese.HongKongleft the British Empire forChina a decade ago, but

its industrial culture remains distinctfromthatof themainlandeven today.Take the case of hi-fi. There are lotsofgreat-lookingChinese loudspeakers

today,buttheseare…veryclearlyNewTerritories. Particularcarehasbeentakenwiththe enclosures. Notice the sculptedsides,whichhintattheirthicknessandat the mass of internal bracing. Whatyoumightnotnoticeisthatthespeak-ersarenotrectangular.Theyarewider

attherearthanatthefront,broaderatthebottom thanat the top.The solidaluminum supports, anodized in flaw-lessblack,wouldbe theenvyofmanya competitor with upscale ambitions.Are those WBT binding posts at therear?No,thoughtheyareaconvincingknockoff.Therearejusttwoofthem,notfour,whichsuggestsaseriescrossover,whichcannotbebiwired. Asforthatlacqueredfinish…Well,Chinaneedsnolessonsfromtherestoftheworldonthat. JASreferstotheOscarasa“twoandahalf-way”system,whichwetaketomeanthat the two woofer-midrange driversarenotsimplyconnectedinparallelbutplayanoverlappingrole.The tweeter,shown in closeup on the next page, isa double aluminum ribbon, coveringthe range from 2.5kHz to a claimed60kHz. WegavetheOscarsseveraldaysofbreak-intime,eventhoughweweretoldtheywerenotbrandnew,andthensetthemupinOurOmegaroom.Initiallywe placed them exactly the way ourReference3aSupremareferencespeakersareplaced.WeputonthefirstofhalfadozenLPs,Walton’stonepoemFaçade(ReferenceRecordingsRR-16)andhadaninitiallisten. Theydidn’tsoundright,withalittletoomuchtopendandnotreallyenoughbottom. Worse, they seemed lifeless,withallofthegoodhumorsuckedoutoftheperformance.Thetonewasdryandoverlyanalytical,whichisofcoursenotthewayrealmusicsounds. PerhapsbackingtheOscarsupclosertothewallwouldhelp.Wedidandthenwe tried the same recording again.Atthispointtheywerealarminglyclosetotherearwall,andtheydidn’tseemhappybeingthere. At Albert’s suggestion we pulledthemforwardagain,severalcentimetrescloser than our reference speakers hadbeen.Atthesametimewepulledthemfarther apart. Because of the angledplacement in our room, that had theeffectofpositioningthemevenfartherfromtherearwall.Wewereclearlyon

JAS Oscar Speakers

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therighttrack,andaftersomeadjustmentof theanglingofthespeakers—wetoedtheminalittlebutnotmuch—wedeclaredourselvessatisfied. As we usual ly do, weadjustedthevolumeuntilallthree of us were happy withit. We noted that we werethen running them 1.5dBlouder than our own speak-ers…whichseemedplausible,sinceourspeakersareratedatasensitivityof92dBandtheOscarsat90dB. There’sareally…well,we’dlovetogiveawayeverythingwedo,butstayinginbusinesshasalwaysappealedtous(and,judgingbythelettersweget,alotofotherpeoplewantustostayaroundtoo).That'swhytherestofthisreviewwillbeinfauxLatin.Youcanofcoursegetthefullversionintheprintissue,orfrom our on-line electronic edition atmagzee.com. Refacinhenisnisliustrudenimauteduisdignisciliscipissi. Tum veliquat ulpute dolore volorefacipsumesequat.Utlanveliquatpraesefacilit lutpat nibh euguero ea feuguersuscing enismod dolorero odiamcortiscillamconsequatwismodmodionvelulputat.Utpationutpataugaitam,coretisi. Anhendreetnonsenimdit,versus-trud dunt utet autem quam, sis auguemagniamconsequatadipisadiam,consedtemingesentloborperiurecommodiocommoditlumzzriurevullumsanhenimiustin utatum vel ilis aut loborperillafeum do odolore commodolore doloredolestoeufeufeufeuipsuscipitadmol-oremexeroodoloboredolobortiedignaconullaor si bla consecte et exerit lumalismoloremingesentvullamconullanhenislutecoreventvolorsi. Sumsandre con hent ilit nim nisaccumnissequameroeraestruddoloreesedoloredolutat,voloborediatpraes-tismodtefacillafacilinciblanetaliquisciliquiscil dignis amquisniametnisseeniamet,sisnibheraesendionumzzrillafeuipismodolutadipeuisdolessi. Iquametueratnullamcommoloreconutatuerostinitnoseugiamnosadionsedeuisiexerililismodtetemodetadionse

quissent aliquisi te doluptat ing enitea alis accumsan velessectem dolorperostruddipisnonsenisi. Iril iuremoloborsustismodmoloremincilit acing er accum vulput inutat, quat ad eril doloreet lan euismolortinim digna autpat lobor sectetumquamconullacommyniationsequatieelipeaaugait,consequamadionsectetalisexexersumzzriureeugiamiriureritaderosditalitnumdelullutpat,sisisletetvolorpersiblam,quateminit,consequibla coreet, vent iriusci bla feu feuipismodoloredolesseconullafeuisaditlaorilit lutpatinel inveliscincilla facinibheugaitadipitnibhetnisnonsedmagnafeummoddocoreroseugaitilexeugaitwisiexetnumquisimautatumdeldeldoloboreerosendigniatuedolorsecteexeugiat.Illacorperostrudtisi. Ruddoloreetwisalitutluminhenis-ciduntautingetlorpersequisnonutilit

lorefacilissequat.Duisaddoloradiam quatiscidunt praestie erametummodtat.Agna feuipisl essequis accumin utat. Andigna feuguer sus-truddoloreconumexet enisitprat vulputat iure dunt veritlutpat nullam velesto com-molortie dolorpe riurem zzrit,senitnonsequisnibhersumnimaliquisataccumsandrercipsumvent nullam, venis nim ipisimirit num euisis nisl ing elitwis adionullamet praestrud tieconsequatuefaccumautet,quisaliquatirilismoloreexeratacid-unt dolesto ex er incilis essimnumsandrem verosto eummynimvelendreeringeuisnonullafaccummolortionullafeuipsum

eufacipiscipit,voloboreerillaorinutpa-tieveliustisldipisimzzrillutetuecorperaesendit ipisi blandrer susci te magnafeugaitvelutiniam,velisamcorefacilislerit venit augait lute tem ing ercilit,velisciliquatuerilutatueconsequat. Cil et veraessisl utat, sed tio dion-sendipitnitaliquisieufacinciduntloboriuredoerodignitullaortionutefeugiat.Lorem eum iurer iure tatue modignafeugaiterosnislutatumipelexeufeuieufacipsustoeafaccumsandignisditillaoredooditilisdipitdoeuiseuitefeugaitnia-mcommodolorperilluptat.Tocommynim iustio duipis num nostrud magnafacipeuisexerostodolorsequipitaugaitlor se commodo lobore dolore conseconumsanditaliquiscitetloretioeugaitad magnit utpat la feum nisl exercillutatioconsedtatemzzrilitaliquamquatutpatwisitpraestiefeuisimnumdoodexeraugaitduisseetlumsanetuercilisitnonsectetwissiblamconutpatverostioetwisitetuerosnosautatlutatprat,commynullametadipestodelisdignisldolorperciliseumeufeufeugiamzzritutat,conelenisi. Commod dolestrud te te euis alisniamconsedeummod te tet ingexeriliquatummoddolutetemzzritatalit,conut iusto dit nos accum nummodiam,quamet,sequiscipitaccumadiatvoloremnos aliquatuerit iusto con velenit ilitluptat. Odtatlorsimniscitatatutirileumvullaorseexenimdignimdignacom-modolore commy num veniam dolut

Brand/model:JASOscarPrice:C$3,899(equiv.US$3,355)Size (HWD):102x22x33cmSensitivity:90dBImpedance:4ohmsMost liked:CommoddolestrudteLeast liked:Duissiexerat,quisnosnullafeuguerosniat,quislduntautetedolorVerdict:Utwisisimzzritnonsequatiemagnitnosnonsed

Summing it up…

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wiscipitexercilutiliseumnonvolessimdunt wisl do do commod magniat. Utwisisim zzrit nonsequatie magnit nosnonseddelenimdolenisadiatemzzrilisitaddoluptat.Quatipeugaitwissenisadip-issectedoeufeugaitpraessituteveniamconullafeugueriletloreminessenisnosetametloremoloborpercipitineniam,vullacoreet,venimeugiatedoloredion-seniamnullaconsedipexexerat,sequatnostodoeuisciliquietumdelitnosnonsetemiriureet,sectedolorsumzzriustrudtat, suscipsustrudtieveldoloremodoconsemodolortioetnosnitutemzzritiritpratuerosdoloremdiat,quipitnon-

sequate magna facip exer summodionvullaore duis euismod ignibh estinget, vel estrud estrud dipisit inciduisaliquam eum doloborer sed tionsenitlumnosdoloreeumniamiustrudeuisameuipsummoloborecorat.Duiscillaadignafeugiamventaliquamaliteufeufacipeufeugaitulputat,volortisisi. Ildigniterostiefaciduntatiodoloremiustiemagnacoreduipitwismodmoditvel inibh et lore commolo rerostodelesseniat.Eliquisexeugiam,susciduismodoloreetat. Molumzzriuremadtemipitaliquat.Ut nisl erciduis at. Ectem dolobore

vulputefeufaciendredipsuscipeletum-san diametu mmodoloreet lore volorefaccummynullaatvelitalitlorperosaddiodolortineuisamildolenibheummynonullamilet,quipitineafaccumnosatuedoloreratlafeumsanditenisimvelisautvelitverosadipsustoodiametaugaitiriliquisim velesse quatet alisi exeroodolestrudmincipiscingendredoluptatprat,sitadignislutetaccumvolorat,quisaditluptat.Uddolorincipismodigniatacinibh erilla adignim num nim am,commodeaautessequatemingeafacinvelis dolore magna con ulla feugaitaugiamcorecommynisi. Ommynimineaaugait,quamdoloreconsedtetueeufaccumvelutat.Utaciblafacipetautatisautem.

Ciletveraessislutat,sedtiodionsendipitnitaliquisieufacinciduntloboriuredoerodignit ullaortion ute feugiat. Lorem eumiurer iure tatue modigna feugait eros nislutatumipelexeufeuieufacipsustoeafac-cums andignis dit illaoredoodit ilis dipitdo euis eui te feugait niamcom modolorperilluptat. To commy nim iustio duipisnum nostrud magna facip euis exerostodolorsequipitaugaitlorsecommodoloboredoloreconseconumsanditaliquiscitetloretioeugaitadmagnitutpatlafeumnislexercillutatio consed tatem zzrilit aliquam quatutpatwisitpraestiefeuisimnumdoodexeraugaitduisseetlumsanetuercilisitnonsectetwissiblamconutpatverostioetwisitetuerosnosautat lutatprat, commynullametadipestodelisdignisldolorperciliseumeufeufeugiamzzritutat,conelenisi. Commoddolestrudteteeuisalisniam-consedeummodtetetingexeriliquatum-moddolutetemzzritatalit,conutiustodit

nosaccumnummodiam,quamet,sequiscipitaccumadiatvoloremnosaliquatueritiustoconvelenitilitluptat. Od tat lor sim nisci tat at ut iril eumvullaor se ex enim dignim digna commo-dolore commy num veniam dolut wiscipitexercil ut ilis eum non volessim dunt wisldo do commod magniat. Ut wisisim zzritnonsequatie magnit nos nonsed delenimdolenis adiatemzzrilisit addoluptat.Quatipeugaitwissenisadipissectedoeufeugaitpraessituteveniamconullafeugueriletloreminessenisnosetametloremoloborpercipitineniam,vullacoreet,venimeugiatedoloredionseniamnullaconsedipexexerat,sequatnosto do euisciliqui etum delit nos nonsetem iriureet, secte dolor sum zzriustrudtat, suscips ustrud tie vel dolore modoconsemodolortioetnosnitutemzzritiritpratueros dolorem diat, quipit nonsequatemagnafacipexersummodionvullaoreduiseuismodignibhestinget,velestrudestrud

dipisitinciduisaliquameumdoloborersedtionsenitlumnosdoloreeumniamiustrudeuisameuipsummoloborecorat.Duiscillaadignafeugiamventaliquamaliteufeufacipeufeugaitulputat,volortisisi. Il dignit erostie facidunt atio doloremiustiemagnacoreduipitwismodmoditvelinibhet lorecommolorerostodelesseniat.Eliquisexeugiam,susciduismodoloreetat. Molumzzriuremadtemipitaliquat.Utnislerciduisat.Ectemdoloborevulputefeufaci endre dipsuscip el etumsan diametummodoloreet lore volore faccummy nullaatvelitalitlorperosaddiodolortineuisamildolenibheummynonullamilet,quipitineafaccumnosatuedoloreratlafeumsanditenisimvelisautvelitverosadipsustoodiametaugait iriliquisimvelessequatetalisiexeroodolestrudmincipiscingendredoluptatprat,sit adignisl utet accum volor at, quis aditluptat.Uddolor incipismodigniatacinibherillaadignimnumnimam.

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Isitour imagination,orare theremoreandmorephonopreamplifi-ersonthemarket?Certainlytherearemoreandmoreturntables.LP

sales,onceconsideredaphenomenonofabygoneera,aresoaring(sortof).Whatdo you get when you plug a turntableinto most amplifiers? Nothing. Thatjustwon’tdo. Sonneteer is a British companythatmakes,amongotherproducts,theBardOne,thosetwinmodulesthatuseradiowaves togetsoundfromheretooverthere(theywerereviewedinUHFNo.73). Itwas alsooneof thefirst tooffer digital power amps, which havesincebecomeafad.TheSedleyistotallydifferent from what we’ve seen beforefromthecompany. To be fair, this is the second Son-neteerphonostagebearingtheSedleyname (Sir Charles Sedley was a 17thCenturydramatist,andSedleyisalsoaverysmalltowninSaskatchewan—weleave it to you to figure out the likelyinspiration).TheoriginalSedleyisstillmade,butthisonehasanextrafeaturethatisrightintunewiththetimes.We'llgettoitinamoment. It’samysterytouswhysomanyofthosenewphonopreamps, even thosewithplumppricetags,canaccommodateonlyhighoutputcartridges,thosewithanominaloutputvoltageofwelloveramillivolt. Any customer for an expen-sive phono preamp is also a potentialcustomerforalow-outputmovingcoilcartridge, and may have one already.

Fortunately, the Sedley will handleprettymuchanycartridge.A seriesoftinyDIPswitchesattherearallowyoutoselectthegain(MMorMC),theinputresistance,andeventhecapacitance.TomatchourGoldringExcelcartridge,weselectedtheMCpositionanda100ohmload.The“correct”capacitancedependsonhowmuchcapacitancethecablefromyour turntable alreadyhas.Sinceourshas a two-metre cable, we figured wedidn’tneedtodialinmorecapacitance. The typical phono preamp is half-sized, about 25cm wide, the better totuckitawaywhereitwon’tbenoticed.TheSedleyUSBisafull-widthcompo-nent, thesizeofthetypical integratedamplifier. It is in fact the same size asourAudiomatPhono-1.5phonopreamp,thoughitisagooddealheavier.There’sa reason for the extra size, and it haseverythingtodowiththe“USB”des-ignation.TheSedleyactuallycontainsbothadigital-to-analogconverterandananalog-to-digitalconverter. Youcanprobablyguesswhattheyarefor.TheADCconvertsyourturntable’ssignal to digital data, which can thenf low into your computer via a USBconnection, and be recorded digitally.YoucanthenburnaCDofthemusic,andyoucanalsoimportthemusicinto

iTunesfortransfertoaniPod.AsfortheDAC,itcangrabmusicfromyourcom-puterharddiscandturnitintoanalogforyourmusicsystem,withqualitythatis undoubtedly much better than theusualsoundcardcanmanage.Changingfromonefunctiontotheotherrequiresnothing more than flipping a switch,hiddenundertheunitbuteasytofindnonetheless. Wehadinitialmisgivingsaboutthisarrangement, worrying that puttingwhatisessentiallyacomputerboardintothesamechassisasverysensitiveanalogcircuitrymightnotbeagoodplan.Son-neteerhasfiguredacleverworkaround.ThetwodigitalUSBcircuitsarepow-eredbyyourcomputer,nottheSedley’sownpowersupply.PulltheUSBplug,as you can when you’re enjoying thejoysofanalog,andtheyshutdown.Ofcoursethatmeansyouneedtouseoneofthecomputer’sownUSBports,notanunpoweredhub.(SeethesidebarHooking it All Uponthenextpage). The included CD contains twoprograms that allow recording on aWindowsPC.OneisatrialversionofLPRecorder,anditwillletyourecordonlyfourminutesunlessyoupayUS$35.TheotheristheopensourceAudacity.WelikeAudacity,aswehavementionedbefore,andifyouuseitwerecommenddownloading the latest version. Thereare versions for Mac OS X and forLinuxaswellasWindows.Ofcourseifyouhavesomeotherfavoriterecordingsoftware,youcanuseit.

Sonneteer Sedley USB

A phono preamp, yes, but one with a nod to the computer age

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InourAlpharoom,wherewedidthelistening,wehaddifficultygettingtheSedleyasquietaswewouldhaveliked,butthatiscommoninthatroom,whichwas soundproofed with (unfortunatelyungrounded) sheet lead. Still, carefuldressing of the cables gave us quitereasonableresults.TheSedleywasmuchquieterinourOmegaroom. Webeganwithanespeciallydynamicwind band selection, the March fromGustav Holst’s Suite in F (ReferenceRecordings RR-39). This recordingis fullofenergy,andthatwasthewayit emerged from the Sonneteer. Theimpact— and Holst knew all aboutimpact if anyone did— was phenom-enal. The plentiful transient attacks,whichcanbedownrightdeadlyontoomany phono preamps, were just right,neither artificially enhanced nor toodull. The multitude of details in thecomplex woodwind passages was clearandattractive.Allof the instrumentaltimbresweregorgeous. Wasthebottomenddiminishedbycomparison with our Audiomat refer-encephonopreamp?Gerardthoughtitmight be, though certainly the sound

couldnotpossiblybedescribedasthin.There was nothing noticeably missing,though our own preamp added a bitofbody,ofrichness,thatisdifficulttodefine.“Youknow,”saidAlbertafterwehaddiscussedthisforabit,“ifyouhadamuddy-soundingsystemthiscouldbejustwhatittakestocleanitrightup.” Wehad a secondwindbandpiece,with the same orchestra, the DallasWind Band, with Frederick Fennellon the podium this time. The albumis Beachcomber (Reference RecordingsRR-62),andtheselectionwasthesuitefromthemusicalA Chorus Line. Though there was an inevitablesimilarity to the first recording (sameorchestra,samerecordingengineer)wefoundhardlyanythingtocomplainaboutthis time. Once again the impact wasflawless,withbothenergyandaccuracy.There was an attractive spaciousness,and a galaxy of fine detail, with cleantimbres.Thepercussion,whichvariedfromalargedrumtotinyhigh-pitchedinstruments,wasgorgeous. “Idon’tthinkthebigdrumisquiteaspowerfulaswithourreference,”saidGerard,“butthere’sanicedrysnapto

the sound of the mallet on the drumsurface,andthat’sgreat.” TheSedleydidwonderfullywellwithTake the ‘A’ TrainfromtheLPversionoftheRayBrownTrio’sprodigiousSoular Energyalbum.Brown’sthunderingbasshadplentyofbottomendenergy,butatthesametimeitwastransparentenoughthatitneverhidsoftersounds,suchasthegentlebrushingofthesnaredrum,orthesubtleshimmerofthecymbal.Thepiano,liketheotherinstruments,hadarealistictimbreevenwhenGeneHarrisreached for the keys at the extremerightofthekeyboard.Therhythmwascommunicative, the image rock solid.“There’s a good balance,” said Albert,“andthemusiciansdon’twanderaround,they’rerootedtothesoil.” We know that a test like this hasto include a female vocalist, and wepulledoutanoldclassicthatwentoutofproductionyearsago.It’sAin’t No Cure For LovefromJenniferWarnes’superbalbumofLeonardCohensongs,Famous Blue Raincoat. Itwasclosetoperfect,withWarnes’expressive voice clear, with subtleinflections and modulations. Was shehardening up when she sang louder?Reinethoughtshemightbe,thoughshewasn’t certain.Once again the instru-mentsandhervoicedidn’truntogether,and we could hear every syllable withpleasure.Thewordswereespeciallyeasytofollow. The Sedley is, then, a very goodphono preamp, but of course it isdesigned tobemore than that.Couldthe USB connection be used to makesuperiordigitalrecordings? Todeterminetheanswer,wechosetwo particularly good LP selections.The first was Eric Bibb’s Good Stufffrom the Opus 3 album of the sametitle(LP19603).Notonlyisthisaverygoodrecording,buttheLPwascutat45rpm,andthepressingisnothinglessthanflawless.ThesecondwasalsofromOpus3, though one that today existsonlyas aCD,Thérèse Juel’shauntingsong Restgarnskoftan from her albumLevande. We recorded each twice. The firstversion was done with our Audiomatreference phono stage and our MoonP-8preamplifier,feedinganEdirolUA-

Hooking It All Up Thebasicsetupisobvious.Plugtheturntable’scableintotheinput,andrunaninterconnectfromtheoutputtoaninputonyourpreamporintegratedamp.Iftheturntablealsohasagroundwire,connectittotheblackpostattherearoftheSedley(ifitcauseshuminsteadofreducingit,disconnectit). Thensetthelittlewhite-on-blueDIPswitches at the rear according to theinstructions. ForanMMcartridgetheloadresist-ance needs to be 47kΩ. For an MCcartridgearesistanceof100Ωisprob-ablyright,unlessthecartridgemanufacturersaysdifferently.Theloadcapacitanceissomethingyoumayhavetosetbyear,butdon’tbetoosurprisedifyouhavetroubletellingthedifference. ThenconnecttheincludedUSBcablefromthesquareplugatthereartoaUSBportonyourcomputer. You should see theSedley showinguponyourdesktopunderthename“USBAudioCodec.”Fireupsomerecord-ingsoftware(twoofthemareincludedwiththeSedley,andselecttheSedleyasboththeinputandtheoutput.YoucanthenrecordyourLPsastheyplay.Byflippingaswitchwhichislocatedonthebottombuteasilylocatablefromthefrontwithafingertip, youcanlistentoyourrecordingthroughit.

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25digitizerbox.TheboxwaspluggedintotheUSBconnectorofaMacBookPro running the open source record-ing softwareAudacity (http://audacity.sourceforge.net). The recordings wereexportedasAIFFfiles, theMacintoshformatforuncompressedPCMaudio. For the second recording, we usedtheSedleyphonostageandranitsUSBoutputdirectlyintotheMacBookPro,usingthesamesoftware. OncewehadthefourfilesweburnedthemontoaMaxellCD-RwithToastTitanium 7. To avoid any unlikelyglitches,werecordedat1X,eventhoughourCDburneriscapableof48Xrecord-ing.WethencomparedtherecordingsonourLinnUnidisk1.1playerthroughourAlphasystem. Reine and Albert both found theSedley’s version superior. Bibb’s voicewasclearer,hissingingmoreexpressive.Thedistinctivesoundsofthetwogui-tars,oneofwhichisabottleneck,werewellrendered,andtheywereimpossibletoconfuse.“Theimageisstrangewith

thereference,”saidReine,“butwiththeSedleyit’sright.” Gerard hesitated. “It’s very good,”hesaid,“butthey’remorealikethanIexpected them tobe.Thedigitizationprocess hides the differences betweenthetwoanalogphonostages.” The Sedley also did well with theLevandeselection.ThoughJuelseemedclosertousthanshehadwithourrefer-enceversion,hervoiceremainedwarmandattractive.Onceagainthesoundwasparticularlyrichlydetailed,andwecould

followeverynote.Thepluckedbasswassolid,richandrhythmic. “The highs are still a bit accentu-ated,” said Albert, “not only in hervoice,butalsointhecymbal.”Wewere,nonetheless,impressed. The Sonneteer Sedley USB is anexcellentphonopreamp,anditsflexibil-itywillallowittoadapttoanycartridgeyouownormaybuy.Isthepricealittlehigherthanyouwanttopayforaphonopreamp?Ifthat’sthecase,thestandardSedley isnearly$400cheaper, andwecanexpectthatitsanalogperformanceshouldbecomparabletothatoftheonereviewed. Ifwewereyou,though,wewouldn’tcutcornersinthisway.Thehardbarrierbetween the analoganddigitalworldshas been porous for a long time, andwhat’s left of it is dissolving entirely.Whateveryoumaybedoingnowwithyouraudiogear,youwillbedoingmoreintheyearsahead.ThatUSBconnectionisalinktoyourcomputer,butitisalsoalinktothefuture.

Sayyou’retheproverbialpersonwhohaseverything. You'veupgradedyoursystemmorethanonce—eachtimewonderinghowyoucouldpossibly have been content with what youstartedwith.Yourfriends,whoteasedyouatfirst,havenowgrownsilentwhentheylistentomusicwithyou. ButsomethingstillnagsyouaboutyourLPs,thoughyoudon'tquiteknowwhatitis.TheyusedtosoundsomuchbetterthanyourCDs,andnowtheydon'tevengetachancetobeplayedanymore.Knowanyonelikethat?Isthatyou?DoIhavegreatnewsforyou! Go give this phono preamp a try, andyou'll find yourself scrambling throughyour LP collection looking for the finestrecordings.Rememberthatpiece,rememberthatperformanceyouoncelikedsomuch?Nobodyplays it likethat,youusedtosay,andthenyousettledforaCDversionthatwas…youknow,okay,Iguess. Firethatturntableup,letitplaythroughtheSonneteer,haveaseatandenjoyitasyouprobablyneverdidbefore. Is itworthit?Well, ifyouhaveevery-

thingbutyoudon'thavethis,itis.—Albert Simon

This listening sessions seemed all toobrief.Thatwasbecausethemusicwaspres-ent,anditwassomemusic!Allmyexpecta-tionswerefulfilled. Thankstotheremarkablycleansoundand the excellent image, nothing washidden,not the lyrics,not the inflections,not the modulations, and definitely nottheemotion.Iwasespeciallystruckbythebrass, which was downright luminous, bythepiano,whichsoundedasitshouldrightacrossthespectrum,bypercussionthatwasalwayseffectivewhetheritwaspowerfulorvanishinglysoft,bythehumanvoice,whichwasnaturalandpleasing,bythebiteoftheattacksandthequickstops,byarhythmthatwascommunicativewhateverthetempo,andbyaverybroaddynamicrange. AndIhaven’tevenmentionedthefreebonusthatcomeswithit. The Sedley is a magnificent vehiclefor musicians and singers. It pleased meimmensely,allowingmetoputbehindme

thepetty annoyances of life, in favorof agoodfeeling.

—Reine Lessard

I wasn’t sure what to expect from thisupscalephonostage.PreviousproductsfromSonneteerstruckmeasworksinprogress,andforthemostparttheywere.Thisoneisfullybaked.Notonlydoesitsoundoutstand-inglygood,butitsconfigurationisdestinedtobecopiedbyanycompetitorswhoplantobearoundforthelonghaul. Youmustn’tthinkthattheUSBfeatureisagimmickdreamtuptogivecachettoaproduct that sounds so-so. Take away theUSBcircuit,andwhatyouhaveisanexcep-tionally fine phono preamp that is wortheverypennyof itsprice.That isofcourseitsmainrole,anditscoresbigpoints. But the USB output (and input, don’tforget)isnomerecherryonthesundae.Evendie-hardanalogfanshavecarswithCDplay-ers,nottomentioniPods.TheSedleyUSBisthevaluablelinkbetweentheanaloganddigitalworlds.

—Gerard Rejskind

CROSSTALK

Brand/model:SonneteerSedleyUSBPrice:C$1900/US$1650Dimensions:44x29x6.5cmMost liked:Outstandingphonoper-formance,gooddigitalcircuitryLeast liked:Addahighlevelinput,anditwouldonlygetbetterVerdict: Forbothanaloganddigitalfanatics,aseriouschoice

Summing it up…

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The Internet is full of com-panies whose owners haveatsomepointsaidtothem-selves, “To heck with dick-

ering with greedy middlemen, I’ll sellmyproductsonline.”Canitwork?Ofcourseitcan,thoughtoomanyofthesewould-beentrepreneursdon’tsweatthedetailsoftheirbusinessplans,andtheywindupdisappointedatbest,pennilessatworst. MarchandElectronicsisonethathasmanagedtosustainitselfbycateringtoa carefully-chosen niche market: thedo-it-yourselfcrowd.AllofMarchand’sproductsareavailableaskits.Manyofthem, indeed, are not “products” theway they understand the word at BestBuy.Wantapoweramplifiermoduletomount in your own powered speaker?Marchand’syourcompany.Needoneforthesubwooferyou’ve justbuilt?Ditto,Wantanelectroniccrossoversoyoucanexperimentwithactivetriamplification?Justtell’emwhatcrossoverfrequenciesyouneed.. ThoughMarchandElectronic’sWebsite(marchandelec.com)doeslistdealersin the US, plus one each in Canada,GermanyandCostaRica,itisfirstandforemostacatalogcompany.

In UHF No.73 we reviewed twoof Marchand’s phono stages. Both gotpretty good marks, and we especiallyliked the LN108, a tube unit whoselivelysounddelightedus(it’sshownonthenextpage).Wewerelessenthusiasticabout its industrialdesign: theLN108wasjammedintoalittleexperimenter’sboxwithnoventilation.It’sthesortofthingyouwouldbuildathome,whichisofcourseexactlythepoint.Thisnewunitlookslikeahighendproduct,asyoucansee. Youwon’tbesurprisedtohearthatitcostsquitealotmore,US$995.Youcan,however,getitasoneoftwokits.Oneofthem,the“EZkit,”isfortherelativelyinexperienced, whereas the full kit, at$595, is for people who don’t trembleat the thought of populating a circuitboard. The LN112 is in a gorgeous woodboxwithbrassaccents,availableindif-

ferentfinishes.It includesfour12AX7tubes, fed from an outboard module:itcontainsatransformer,butthemainpart of the switching power supply isinthewoodbox,toprovidethehighervoltagesrequiredtorunthetubes.Thejacks are of good quality. There is nopower switch. There is also no switchfor cartridge type, since its sensitivityis fixed for moving magnet cartridgesorhigh-outputMCcartridges(seetheMM or MCsidebaronpage46). Theoutboardpowermodule,bytheway, comeswith theusual IECpowercord.Aswedoinallourreviews,weusedoneofourqualitypowercordsinstead. WestillhadtheLN108onhand,andwewarmeditup,thinkingitwouldbeinterestingtodoacomparison. Bothofourturntablesuselow-outputmovingcoilcartridgesthatarenotsuit-ableforthispreamplifier.Insuchtests,therefore,weuseaBrystonTF-1step-uptransformerbetweentheturntableandthephonopreamp.WeconnectedittotheLN112,andweheard… Notmuch! Thelevelwasextremelylow,andwhenweboostedthevolumetocompensate,whatcameoutwasflatandlifeless.Wasthispreampdefective?Wetrieditwith-outthetransformertoseewhatwouldhappen.Onceagainwehadtoboostthevolume,butthesoundwasofthequalitywehadarighttoexpect.Whatwasgoingon? Ourconclusion,afterwehadcheckedand rechecked every connection, wasthatforsomereasontheLN112isnotcompatible with step-up transformers,the first time in the many years wehaveownedtheTF-1thatwehavehadthisproblem.Wehavenoideawhythiscould be. This won’t matter to mostaudiophiles, because very few step-uptransformersarestillmade(theTF-1islongdiscontinued,thoughBrystonusesit in its own preamp). But it certainlymatteredtous,sowhatshouldwedo? We could still evaluate the soundof the LN112 by running our turn-tablestraightintoit.Wehadtorunthevolumehigherandputupwithahighernoisefloor,butluckilyitwasn’tanobtru-sivenoisefloor,withlittlehumandonlytheslightrushingsoundofthetubes.WeknewthatourGoldringExcelcartridge

Marchand LN112

How’s this for retro: analog, vacuum tubes…and you can even build it yourself

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wouldhave its topend tippedupveryslightly,becauseitwouldbe“looking”ataloadresistanceof47,000ohmsratherthanthe100ohmsitwasdesignedfor.Wedecidedtoproceedinthatfashion. WebeganthesessionwiththeMarchfromGustavHolst’sSuite in F(fromRef-erenceRecordingsRR-39),whichblazeswithbrass,woodwindsandpercussion.The sheer energy of the music heardthroughtheMarchandpleasedus.“It’slikefireworks,”saidAlbertapprovingly.Yetallthatenergywasaccompaniedbyapleasingsmoothnesstothehornsandthewoodwinds.Theimpactwasattimesheart-stopping.Reineexpressedsurpriseatthefullnessofthebottomend,whichgetsamajorworkoutinthismusic. Wasitamatchforourreference?Notquite.Foronethingwecouldhearthepredictedshineatthetopend,theresultoftheunloadedcartridge.Foranother,our reference phono preamp was ableto dig out more detail in the complexpassages. We continued with a second windband passage, with the same bandand the same recording engineer: A Chorus LinefromBeachcomber(ReferenceRecordings RR-62). This is a superbrecording,andaflawlesspressing. “Of course it’s not the reference,”saidAlbert,butheaddedthatonlyasanafterthoughtafterwehadshoweredtheLN112 with praise. The considerableimpactcontainedinthegroovesofthisrecording came through remarkablywell.Thebalancewasclosetoperfect,with lotsofmusic ineverypartof thefrequency band. Attacks were quick,stops just as quick. Even in the verybusy passages, we could hear throughthe larger instruments to the minorpercussion (“minor” involume,not initscapacitytodelight).Asforthelargestpercussion instruments, which get anamazing solo in thismedley, theyhadweightandpower. Wedidlikethisphonopreamp.Buttoreadeverythingaboutit,nottomen-tionhowitcomparedtothelower-pricedunitshownattopright…well,theprintissueistheplacetogo.Orelsemagzee.com,wheretheelectronicissueisavail-able,worldwide,forC$4.30,taxes(ifany)included. Refacinhenisnisliustrudenimaute

duisdignisciliscipissi. Tumveliquatulputedolorevolore facipsum esequat. Utlan veliquat praese facilitlutpat nibh euguero eafeuguer suscing enismoddolorero odiamco rtis-cil lamconsequat wismodmodion vel ulputat. Utpationutpataugaitam,coretisi. Anhendreetnonsenimdit,versus-trud dunt utet autem quam, sis auguemagniamconsequatadipisadiam,consedtemingesentloborperiurecommodiocommoditlumzzriurevullumsanhenimiustin utatum vel ilis aut loborperillafeum do odolore commodolore doloredolestoeufeufeufeuipsuscipitadmol-oremexeroodoloboredolobortiedignaconullaor si bla consecte et exerit lumalismoloremingesentvullamconullanhenislutecoreventvolorsi. Sumsandre con hent ilit nim nisaccumnissequameroeraestruddoloreesedoloredolutat,voloborediatpraes-tismodtefacillafacilinciblanetaliquisciliquiscil dignis amquisniametnisseeniamet,sisnibheraesendionumzzrillafeuipismodolutadipeuisdolessi. Iquametueratnullamcommoloreconutatuerostinitnoseugiamnosadionsedeuisiexerililismodtetemodetadionsequissent aliquisi te doluptat ing enitea alis accumsan velessectem dolorperostruddipisnonsenisi. Iril iuremoloborsustismodmoloremincilit acing er accum vulput inutat, quat ad eril doloreet lan euismolortinim digna autpat lobor sectetumquamconullacommyniationsequatieelipeaaugait,consequamadionsectetalisexexersumzzriureeugiamiriureritad

erosditalitnumdelullutpat,sisisletetvolorpersiblam,quateminit,consequibla coreet, vent iriusci bla feu feuipismodoloredolesseconullafeuisaditlaorilit lutpatinel inveliscincilla facinibheugaitadipitnibhetnisnonsedmagnafeummoddocoreroseugaitilexeugaitwisiexetnumquisimautatumdeldeldoloboreerosendigniatuedolorsecteexeugiat.Illacorperostrudtisi. Ruddoloreetwisalitutluminhenis-ciduntautingetlorpersequisnonutilitlorefacilissequat.Duisaddoloradiamquatiscidunt praestie er ametummodtat. Agnafeuipislessequisaccuminutat.Andignafeuguersustruddoloreconumexetenisitpratvulputatiureduntveritlutpat nullam velesto commolortiedolorpe riurem zzrit, senit nonsequisnibh er sum nim aliquis at accumsandrercipsum vent nullam, venis nimipisim irit num euisis nisl ing elit wisadionullametpraestrudtieconsequatuefaccum autet, quis aliquat irilismoloreexerataciduntdolestoexerincilisessimnumsandrem verosto eummy nimvelendre er ing euis nonulla faccummolortionulla feuipsum eu facipis cipit,volobore erillaor in utpatie vel iustisldipisim zzrillutetue corpera esenditipisi blandrer susci te magna feugaitvel ut iniam, velis amcore facilisl eritvenitaugaitlutetemingercilit,velisciliquatuerilutatueconsequat. Cil et veraessisl utat, sed tio dion-sendipitnitaliquisieufacinciduntloboriuredoerodignitullaortionutefeugiat.Lorem eum iurer iure tatue modignafeugaiterosnislutatumipelexeufeuieufacipsustoeafaccumsandignisditillaoredooditilisdipitdoeuiseuitefeugaitnia-mcommodolorperilluptat.Tocommynim iustio duipis num nostrud magnafacipeuisexerostodolorsequipitaugait

Brand/model:MarchandLN112Price:US$995,kitsfrom$595Size (WDH):12x22x12.5cmpluspowersupplyMost liked:Lively,musicalperform-anceLeast liked:NoMCoption,incom-patiblewithstepuptransformersVerdict:TakestheLN108’sabilitytorendermusicrealisticallyacoupleofstepsfurther.

Summing it up…

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lor se commodo lobore dolore conseconumsanditaliquiscitetloretioeugaitad magnit utpat la feum nisl exercillutatioconsedtatemzzrilitaliquamquatutpatwisitpraestiefeuisimnumdoodexeraugaitduisseetlumsanetuercilisitnonsectetwissiblamconutpatverostioetwisitetuerosnosautatlutatprat,commynullametadipestodelisdignisldolorperciliseumeufeufeugiamzzritutat,conelenisi. Commod dolestrud te te euis alisniamconsedeummod te tet ingexeriliquatummoddolutetemzzritatalit,conut iusto dit nos accum nummodiam,quamet,sequiscipitaccumadiatvoloremnos aliquatuerit iusto con velenit ilitluptat. Odtatlorsimniscitatatutirileumvullaorseexenimdignimdignacom-modolore commy num veniam dolutwiscipitexercilutiliseumnonvolessimdunt wisl do do commod magniat. Utwisisim zzrit nonsequatie magnit nosnonseddelenimdolenisadiatemzzrilisitaddoluptat.Quatipeugaitwissenisadip-issectedoeufeugaitpraessituteveniamconullafeugueriletloreminessenisnosetametloremoloborpercipitineniam,vullacoreet,venimeugiatedoloredion-seniamnullaconsedipexexerat,sequatnostodoeuisciliqui.

Refacinhenisnisliustrudenimauteduisdignisciliscipissi. Tumveliquatulputedolorevolorefacip-sumesequat.Ut lan veliquatpraese facilitlutpatnibheugueroeafeuguersuscingenis-moddoloreroodiamcortiscillamconsequatwismodmodionvelulputat.Utpationutpataugaitam,coretisi. Anhendreetnonsenimdit,versustrudduntutetautemquam,sisauguemagniamconsequat adipis adiam, consed te mingesent loborper iure commodio commoditlumzzriurevullumsanhenimiustinutatumvel ilis aut loborperilla feum do odolorecommodolore dolore dolesto eu feu feufeuipsuscipitadmoloremexeroodoloboredolobortie digna conullaor si bla consecteetexeritlumalismoloremingesentvullamconullanhenislutecoreventvolorsi. Sumsandreconhentilitnimnisaccum

nissequameroeraestruddoloreesedoloredolutat,voloborediatpraestismodtefacillafacilinciblanetaliquisciliquiscildignisamquisniametnisseeniamet,sisnibheraesendionum zzrilla feuipis modolut adip euisdolessi. Iquametuerat nullamc ommolore conutatuer ostinit nos eugiam nos adionsedeuisi ex eril ilismod te te mod et adionsequissentaliquisitedoluptatingeniteaalisaccumsanvelessectemdolorperostruddipisnonsenisi. Iril iure molobor sustismod moloremincilitacingeraccumvulputinutat,quataderildoloreet laneuismolortinimdignaautpatloborsectetumquamconullacommyniationsequatieelipeaaugait,consequamadionsectetalisexexersumzzriureeugiamiriurerit ad eros dit alit num del ullutpat,sisisl et et volorper si blam, quatem init,

consequi bla coreet, vent iriusci bla feufeuipismodoloredolesseconulla feuisaditlaorilitlutpatinelinveliscincillafacinibheugait adipit nibh et nis nonsed magnafeummoddocoreroseugaitilexeugaitwisiexetnumquisimautatumdeldeldoloboreerosendigniatuedolorsecteexeugiat.Illacorperostrudtisi. Ruddoloreetwisalitutluminhenisc-iduntautingetlorpersequisnonutilitlorefacilissequat.Duisaddoloradiamquatisc-iduntpraestieerametummodtat. Agna feuipisl essequis accum in utat.Andignafeuguersustruddoloreconumexetenisitpratvulputatiureduntveritlutpatnullamvelestocommolortiedolorperiuremzzrit,senitnonsequisnibhersumnimaliquisataccumsandrercipsumventnullam,venisnimipisimiritnumeuisisnisl ingelitwisadionullametpraestrudtieconsequatue.

CROSSTALK

MM or MC? Amagneticphonocartridge(andnearlyallcartridgesareofthistype)gener-atesavoltagebymovingamagnetinproximitytoacoil,orconverselybymovingacoilinproximitytoamagnet. Thefirsttype,dubbed“MM”for“movingmagnet,”isthemostcommontype,becauseitissimplertomake.Acoilhasgenerallymoremassthanamagnet,anditisnotagoodideatoaddmoremass,andthereforeinertia,tothecantilever.Sincethemagnetsizeiskeptdown,the(fixed)coilismadelargetocompensate.AnMMcartridgegenerallyhashighvoltageoutput,perhaps2to3millivolts.Thelargecoilwill,however,haveenoughinductancetorolloffthehigherfrequencies.Thisisusuallycompensatedbymakingthestylus-cantileverassemblyresonateathighfrequency,thusaccentuatingthetopend. Overthepastnumberofyearsthedevelopmentofmorepowerfulmagnetshasmadeitpossibletoreducecoilsizeenoughtoyieldreasonablehighswithouttheintroductionofaresonanceintheaudiblerange. Thesecondtypeofcartridge,called“MC”for“movingcoil,”reversestherela-tionship.Themagnet,beingfixed,canbehuge,andthecoil,woundabouttheendofthecantilever,canconsistofonlyafewturnsofwire.Theverylowinductanceofthisminimalistcoilcanallowthecartridgetohaveresponsethateasilyextendsto60kHzormore.Itsmassisalsoverylow. ThevoltageproducedbyanMCcartridgeistypicallymuchlower,0.4mVorless.Forthatreason,anMCcartridgewillcommonlybecalled“lowoutput,”thoughinfact“lowimpedance”wouldbeabetterterm.AnMCcartridgemayputoutthesameenergyasanMMcartridge,butatlowervoltage.Sincepreamplifiersdealwithvoltage,notcurrent,anextrastageofamplificationisneeded.Alternatively,atransformercanbeusedtoraisetheimpedancetothatofanMMcartridge. SomeMCcartridgeshavelargercoilsandcanthereforebeusedwiththeMMinputofaphonopreamp.

EACH ISSUE costs $6.49 (in Canada) plus tax (14% in Québec, NB, NS and NF, 6% in other Provinces), US$6.49 in the USA, CAN$10.75 elsewhere (air mail included). THE ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION (issues 7-19 except 11, 15, 17 and 18) includes 9 issues but costs like 5. For VISA or MasterCard, include your number, expiry date and signature. UHF Magazine, Box 65085, Place Longueuil, Longueuil, Qué., Canada J4K 5J4. Tel.: (450) 651-5720 FAX: (450) 651-3383. Order on line at www.uhfmag.com. Recent back issues are available electronically at www.magzee.com, for C$4.30 each, all taxes included.

THE ANNIVERSARY COLLECTION:Issues No.7-19 (except 11, 15, 17 and 18, out of print): nine issues available for the price of five (see below). A piece of audio history. Available separately at the regular price.

No.78: Integrated amplifiers: the affordable Creek EVO, and the (also affordable) Audio Space AS-3i. Loudspeaker cables: six of them from Atlas and Actinote, in a blind test. Plus: the astonishing Aurum Acoustics Integris 300B complete system, and its optional CD player/preamplifier. Whew! Also: Bergman on taming reverberation, how to put seven hours of uncompressed music on just one disc, and the one opera that even non-opera people know.

No.77: Electronics: The Simaudio Moon P-8 preamplifier, the successor to the legendary Bryston 2B power amp, the Antique Sound Lab Lux DT phono stage. Plus: the Reimyo DAP-777 converter, an affordable CD player/integrated amp pair from CEC, and five power cords. Also: Paul Bergman on room size and acoustics, how to dezone foreign DVDs, and how to make your own 24/96 high resolution discs at home.

No.76: Loudspeakers: we take a new look at the modern version of the well-loved Totem Mani-2, we try an affordable ELAC speaker with a Heil tweeter, and we are surprised by the even more affordable Castle Richmond 3i. Plus headphone amps from Lehmann, CEC and Benchmark, a charger that can do all your portable goodies, and the Squeezebox 3, which gets true hi-fi music over the air from your computer to your stereo system. And: Paul Bergman on speaker impedance and how to measure it.

No.75: Amplifiers: The new Simaudio Moon W-8 flagship, and integrated amps from Copland (the CTA-405) and CEC. Speakers: the Reference 3a Veena and the Energy Reference Connoisseur reborn. Plus the Benchmark DAC converter. And also: Bergman on the changing concept of hi-fi and stereo, a chat with FIM’s Winston Ma, and the rediscovery of a great Baroque composer, Christoph Graupner.

No.74: Amplifiers: Mimetism 15.2, Qinpu A-8000, Raysonic SP-100, Cyrus 8vs and Rogue Stereo 90. More reviews: Atlantis Argentera speaker, Cyrus CD8X player, GutWire MaxCon Squared line filter, Harmony remote, Music Studio 10 recording software. Cables: Atlas, Stager, BIS and DNM, including a look at how length affects digital cables. Plus: the (hi-fi) digital jukebox, why HDTV doesn’t always mean what you think, and Reine Lessard on The Man Who Invented Rock’n’Roll.

No.73: Integrated amplifiers: Audiomat Récital and the affordable Exposure 2010S. Analog: Turntables from Roksan (the Radius 5) and Goldring (the Rega-designed GR2), plus two cartridges, and four phono stages from CEC, Marchand and Goldring. More: The Harmonix Reimyo CD player, the Audiomat Maestro DAC, the ASW Genius 400 speakers, and the Sonneteer BardOne wireless system. Plus: Paul Bergman on the making of an LP and why they don’t all sound the same, the many ways of compressing video so it looks (almost) like film, and the story of the accordion.

No.72: Music from data: We look at ways you can make your own audiophile CDs with equip-ment you already have, and we test a DAC that yields hi-fi from your computer. We review the new Audio Reference speakers, the updated Connoisseur single-ended tube amp, upscale Actinote cables, and Gershman’s Acoustic Art panels. How to tune up your system for an inex-pensive performance boost. And much more.

No.71: Three small speaker: Reference 3a Dulcet, Totem Rainmaker, and a low cost speaker from France. We do a complex blind cable test: five cables from Atlas, and one Wireworld cable with different connectors (Eichmann, WBT next-gen, and Wireworld). The McCormack UDP-1 universal player, muRata super tweeters, the Simaudio I-3 amp and Equinox CD player. Paul Bergman reveals the philosophical differences behind two-channel stereo and multichannel.

No.70: How SACD won the war…or how DVD-A blew it. Reviews: Linn Unidisk 1.1 universal player and Shanling SCD-T200 player. Speakers: Reference 3a Royal Virtuoso, Equation 25, Wilson Benesch Curve, preview of muRata super tweeters. Other reviews: Simaudio W-5LE amp, the iPod as an audiophile source. Plus: future video screens, and the eternal music of George Gershwin

No.69: Tube Electronics: Audiomat Opéra , Connoisseur SE-2 and Copland CSA29 inte-grated amps, and Shanling SP-80 monoblocks. Also: Audiomat's Phono-1.5, Creek CD50, as well as a great new remote control, GutWire's NotePad antivibration device, and a music-related computer game that had us laughing out loud. Paul Bergman on the return of the vacuum tube, and how music critics did their best to kill the world’s greatest music.

No.68: Loudspeakers: Thiel CS2.4, Focus Audio FS688, Iliad B1. Electronics:Vecteur I-6.2 and Audiomat Arpège integrated ampli-fiers, Copland 306 multichannel tube preamp, Rega Fono MC. Also: Audio Note and Copland CD players, GutWire MaxCon power filter. And there’s more: all about power supplies, what’s coming beyond DVD, and a chat with YBA’s Yves-Bernard André.

No.67: Loudspeakers: A new, improved Reference 3a MM de Capo, and the awesome Living Voice Avatar OBX-R. Centre speakers for surround from Castle, JMLab, ProAc, Thiel, Totem and Vandersteen. One of them joins our Kappa system. Two multichannel amps from Copland and Vecteur. Plus: plans for a DIY platform for placing a centre speaker atop any TV set, Paul Bergman on the elements of acoustics, and women in country music.

No.66: Reviews: the Jadis DA-30 amplifier, the Copland 305 tube preamp and 520 solid state amp. Plus: the amazing Shanling CD player, Castle Stirling speakers, and a remote control that tells you what to watch. Also: Bergman on biwiring and biamplification, singer Janis Ian’s alternative take on music downloading, and a chat with Opus 3’s Jan-Eric Persson.

No.65: Back to Vinyl: setting up an analog system, reviews of Rega P9 turntable, and phono preamps from Rega, Musical Fidelity and Lehmann. The Kappa reference system for home theatre: choosingour HDTV monitor, plus a review of the Moon Stellar DVD player. Anti-vibration: Atacama, Symposium, Golden Sound, Solid-Tech, Audioprism, Tenderfeet. Plus an interview with Rega’s turntable designer, and a look back at what UHF was like 20 years ago.

No.64: Speakers: Totem M1 Signature and Hawk, Visonik E352. YBA Passion Intégré amp, Cambridge IsoMagic (followup), better batteries for audio-to-go. Plus: the truth about upsampling, an improvement to our LP cleaning machine, an interview with Ray Kimber..No.63: Tube amps: ASL Leyla & Passion A11. Vecteur Espace speakers, 2 intercon-nects (Harmonic Technology Eichmann), 5 speaker cables (Pierre Gabr iel, vdH , Harmonic Technology, Eichmann), 4 power

cords (Wireworld, Harmonic Technology, Eichmann, ESP). Plus: Paul Bergman on soundproofing, how to compare components in the store, big-screen TV’s to stay away from, a look back at the Beatles revolution.

No.62: Amplifiers: Vecteur I-4, Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista M3, Antique Sound Lab MG-S11DT. Passive preamps: Creek and Antique Sound Lab. Vecteur L-4 CD player. Interconnects: VdH Integration, Wireworld Soltice. Plus: the right to copy music, for now. Choosing a DVD player by features. And all about music for the movies.

No.61: Digital: Audiomat Tempo and Cambridge Isomagic DACs, Vecteur D-2 transport. Speakers: Osborn Mini Tower and Mirage OM-9. Soundcare Superspikes. And: new surround formats, dezon-ing DVD players.

No.60: Speakers: Monitor Audio Silver 9, Reference 3a MM De Capo, Klipsch RB-5, Coincident Triumph Signature. Plus: a Mirage subwoofer and the Audiomat Solfège amp. Paul Bergman on reproducing extreme lows.

No.59: CD players: Moon Eclipse, Linn Ikemi and Genki, Rega Jupiter/Io, Cambridge D500. Plus: Oskar Kithara speaker, with Heil tweeter. And: transferring LP to CD, the truth on digital radio, digital cinema vs MaxiVision 48.

No.58: Amplifiers: ASL AQ1003, Passion I10 & I11, Rogue 88, Jadis Orchestra Reference, Linar 250. Headphone amps: Creek, Antique Sound Lab, NVA, Audio Valve. Plus: Foundation Research LC-2 line filter, Gutwire power cord, Pierre Gabriel ML-1 2000 cable. And: building your own machine to clean LP’s.

No.57: Speakers: Dynaudio Contour 1.3, Gershman X-1/SW-1, Coincident Super Triumph Signature, Castle Inversion 15, Oskar Aulos. PLUS: KR 18 tube amp. Music Revolution: the next 5 years. Give your Hi-Fi a Fall Tune-Up.

No.56: Integrated amps: Simaudio I-5, Roksan Caspian, Myryad MI120, Vecteur Club 10, NVA AP10 Also: Cambridge T500 tuner, Totem Forest. Phono stages: Creek, Lehmann, Audiomat. Interconnects: Actinote, Van den Hul, Pierre Gabriel. Plus: Paul Bergman on power and cur-rent…why you need both

No.55: CD players: Linn CD12, Copland CDA-289, Roksan Caspian, AMC CD8a. Other reviews: Enigma Oremus speaker, Magenta ADE-24 black box. Plus: the DSD challenge for the next audio disc, pirate music on the Net, the explosion of off-air video choices.

No.54: Electronics: Creek A52se, Simaudio W-3 and W-5 amps. Copland CSA-303, Sima P-400 and F.T. Audio preamps (the latter two passive). Musical Fidelity X-DAC revisited, Ergo AMT phones, 4 line filters, 2 interconnects. Plus: Making your own CD’s.

No.53: Loudspeakers:Reference 3a Intégrale, Energy Veritas v2.8, Epos ES30, Totem Shaman, Mirage 390is, Castle Eden. Plus: Paul Bergman on understanding biamping, biwiring, balanced lines, and more.

No.52: CD players: Alchemist Nexus, Cambridge CD6, YBA Intégré, Musical Fidelity X-DAC, Assemblage DAC-2. Subwoofers: Energy ES-8 and NHT PS-8. Plus: Paul Bergman on reproduc-ing deep bass, and behind digital television.

No.51: Integrated amps: YBA Intégré DT, Alchemist Forseti, Primare A-20, NVA AP50 Cambridge A1. CD players: Adcom GCD-750, Rega Planet. An economy system to recommend to friends, ATI 1505 5-channel amp, Bergman on

impedance, why connectors matter, making your own power bars.

No.50: CD: Cambridge DiscMagic/DACMagic, Primare D-20, Dynaco CDV Pro. Analog: Rega Planar 9, Linn LP12 after 25 years. Also: Moon preamp, Linn Linto phono stage, Ergo and Grado headphones. Speaker cables: Linn K-400, Sheffield, MIT 750 Also: 15 years of UHF.

No.49: Power amps: Simaudio Moon, Bryston 3B ST, N.E.W. DCA-33, plus the Alchemist Forseti amp and preamp, and McCormack Micro compo-nents. Our new Reference 3a Suprema II refer-ence speakers, and a followup on the Copland 277 player. Plus: how HDCD really works.

No.48: Loudspeakers: JMLabs Daline 3.1, Vandersteen 3a, Totem Tabù, Royd Minstrel. CD: Cambridge CD4, Copland CDA-277. Also: An interview with the founder of a Canadian audiophile record label.

No.47: FM tuners: Magnum Dynalab MD-108, Audiolab 8000T, Fanfare FT-1. Speaker cables: QED Qudos, Wireworld Equinox and Eclipse, MIT MH-750. Parasound C/BD-2000 transport and D/AC-2000 converter. And: Upgrading your system for next to nothing.

No.46: Electronics: Simaudio 4070SE amp & P-4002 preamp, Copland CTA-301 & CTA-505, N.E.W. P-3 preamp. Digital cables: Wireworld, Audiostream, MIT, XLO, Audioprism, and Wireworld’s box for comparing interconnects. Also: YBA CD-1 and Spécial CD players. Yves-Bernard André talks about about his blue diode CD improvement.

No.45: Integrated amps: Copland CTA-401, Simaudio 4070i, Sugden Optima 140. CD: Adcom GDA-700 HDCD DAC, Sonic Frontiers SFD-1 MkII. Interconnects: Straight Wire Maestro, 3 versions of Wireworld Equinox. Plus: Yamamura Q15 CD oil, and “Hi-Fi for the Financially Challenged”.

No.44: Digital: Rotel RCD970BX, Counterpoint DA-10A DAC. Speakers: Apogee Ribbon Monitor, Totem Mite, more on the Gershman Avant Garde. Also: Laser-Link cable, “The Solution” CD treat-ment, AudioQuest sorbothane feet, Tenderfeet, Isobearings. Plus: Inside Subwoofers, and cas-trati, the singers who gave their all for music.

No.43: The first HDCD converter: the EAD DSP-1000 MkII. Speakers: Gershman Avant Garde, Totem Mani-2 and Rokk, Quad ESL-63 with Gradient sub. Plus: Keith O. Johnson on the road to HDCD, and our editor joins those of other magazines to discuss what’s hot in audio.

No.42: Electronics: Spectral DMC-12 and Celeste P-4001 preamplifiers, amps and preamps from Duson. Also: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1 converter, power line filters from Audioprism, Chang, and YBA. Plus: Inside the preamplifier, and how the tango became the first “dirty” dance.

No.41: Digital: Roksan DA-2, EAD DSP-7000, McCormack DAC-1, QED Ref. Digit. Cables: Straight Wire LSI Encore & Virtuoso, Wireworld Equinox, van den Hul The 2nd & Revelation, Cardas Cross & Hexlink Golden, Transparent Music-Link Super & Music-Wave Super. Plus: Bergman on recording stereo.

No.40: Integrated amps: YBA Intégré, Rotel 960, Sugden A-25B, Sima PW-3000, Linn Majik, Naim NAIT 3, AMC CVT3030, Duson PA-75. Stereo: what it is, how it works, why it’s disappearing from records.

To see older issues:http://www.uhfmag.com/IndividualIssue.html

Back Issues

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InthelastissueofUHFwerevieweda new and affordable integratedamplifier from Creek, the EVO(themodelnamestandsfor“evo-

lution,” which we realize is a touchysubject in some quarters). Unlike allpreviousCreekproducts,theEVOwasassembledinChina,thoughthedesignandthemakingoftheinnardsremainedBritish,asitproudlystatesrightonthefrontpanel. The amplifier had surprised us,entirely in the right way. It soundedmusical, which is to say that it didn’truin any of the many elements thatmakesmusiconeoflife’sgreatpleasures.Indeed, it was a wonderfully balancedamplifier, avoiding a number of flawsanyoneofwhichwouldhavesouredusonit. Thatwasespeciallysurprisingcon-sideringitsprice,justC$1150.That’snotquiteentrylevel,butthenitdidn’toffermere entry-level performance. It wascalledtoourattentionthatCreekhadamatchingCDplayer,sellingforexactlythe sameprice.Werewe interested inlendingitanear?Wereweever! The EVO is a classic player, withthe usual features. The transport is aPhilips,asinmany(most?)players,butit is a DVD drive, not the usual CDdeck. The EVO won’t play movies,however.Though thechipsetprovidesfor24/96 performance, because…well,that’swhatchipsetsdonowadays,MikeCreekbelieves(andonthebasisofour

own experience we have no argumentwith him) that upsampling is actuallyharmful unless it is done right (read:expensively). The power supply has a C-coretransformer rather than the populartoroid, andboth the fuse and the linevoltage switch are accessible from therear.Therearenumerousvoltageregula-torsthroughouttheplayer.Theanalogcircuitryisbuiltaroundbipolartransis-torsratherthantheMOSFETsfavoredbyMikeCreekinthepast. The operational functions, includ-ing theblue-green fluorescentdisplay,arerunbyCreek’scustomfirmware.Itis perhaps thanks to the economiesofChineseassemblythatithasn’tbeennec-essarytocutcornersonthehardware.Withthe12mmthicksolidaluminumpaneland the substantial steelchassis,thereisnothingcheapabouttheEVO,as there is not in the amplifier either.Eventhe front-panelbuttons lookandfeellikethoseonaluxuryproduct. The EVO player comes with acompleteremotecontrol(shownonthenext page), which also has buttons forthe amplifier: if you buy the pair yougettwoofthem.Itallowsplayingselec-tionsinrandomorder(nothighonourlistofmust-havefunctions),repeatingarecording,anddimmingthedisplay.Theoneoddityisthattheremoteisroundedatthetopinsteadofthebottom,asistheusualpractice,andwekeptgrabbingitupsidedown.

Webeganourlisteningsessionwiththe wonderfully-recorded wind bandpiece Fantasies on a Theme by Haydnfrom the Klavier album Norman Dello Joio(K11138)Itbeginswithadevastat-ing percussion display, and it containscomplex passages for woodwinds andbrass. A player with a thin bottomend,rathercommoninthelowerpriceranges,wouldmaketheopeningpassagemeaningless,andabrighttopcoulddriveyououtoftheroom. Well,thebottomendisn’tthin,andthat’sforsure!Thetympaniwassolidtothepointofbeingstartling.Thehugeenergyoftherecordingwasnotblunted.Weweremorethansatisfied…surprised,even. The top end wasn’t bright either,andthatwasarelief,thoughitcouldn’tcomeclosetomatchingthenaturalnessofourLinnreferenceplayer.Thewindinstrumentshada little toomuchbitetothem,atonethatwasabittoocool.“They’renotasluminous,”saidAlbert.Ofcoursewehadn’texpectedthemtobe,andweagreedthatwhatwehadheardwasprettygood. TheEVOwoulddoevenbetteronthenextselection,anartsongperformedbyIsabelBayrakdarian.It’sPaulineViar-dot Garcia’s Plainte d’amour on musicby her friend Chopin. We found thepianoaccompanimentalteredsomewhat,seeming more reverberant, as thoughpianistSeroujKradjianwereusingtoomuchpedal(hewasn’t,though).

Creek EVO CD player

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HowevertherewasnoarguingwiththequalityofBayrakdarian’svoice,whichwasnothinglessthanmagnificent.Hertonewaswarmbutherdictionwasneverblurred, andwe could follownot onlyeachwordofViardot’stextbutalsoeachnuance of the singer’s interpretation.Everybreathwasaudible,eventhoughtherecordingwasdoneinalargechurchwith the microphones at a respectabledistance.Therewas a lightness to thesound,not inthesenseofapaucityofbass, but in the lack of excess weight.Theoveralleffectwasarresting. Weturnednext toaguitarduobytwomusicianswhoseearlierrecordingwehadusedinourequipmentreviewsyears ago, Strunz and Farah (they’vebeen playing together since 1979).Jorge Strunz is from Costa Rica andArdeshirFarahfromIran.Drawingontheinspirationoftheirrespectivepartsoftheworld,theyhavemadenumerousrecordings of original music for theirtwo guitars plus bass and appropriatepercussion.TheirfamousrecordingofyearsagowasonthenowdefunctWaterLilylabel,buttheyhavesincelaunchedtheirownlabel. We played a very lively and chal-lengingtwo-guitarpiecetitledDe Luna(from the album Zona Torrida, SelvaLV-CD1011).Itwasvirtuallyflawless.“Thisplayersidestepstheusualflawsofplayersinitscategory,”saidAlbert. Indeed.Therhythmwasimpeccable,with great clarity despite the speed atwhich these demon guitarists play. Astwo melodies intertwined themselvesin a counterpoint, we followed themboth without effort. The sound wassmooth, yet well-defined. The imageand spaciousness were excellent. “Theplucked bass is present and effective,”saidReine,“butitdoesn’toverdoit.Andthebongos…wow!” Of course there were differencesfromwhatwehadheardwithourrefer-ence. “With our own player you canhearthetonaldifferencesnotonlyoftheindividual instruments,” said Gerard,“butalsooftheindividualguitarstrings.Youcantellwhicharemetalandwhicharenylon.Youcan’tquitedothatwiththeEVO,butthemusicsureiscatchy,anditjustsweepsyouup.” Of course we would need a female

voice,andoneofourfavoritefemalesingersisMargieGibson(Say It With Music,SheffieldCD-36).Weputononeofourfavorites—wehave several— Soft Lights and Sweet Music. The Creek did well on thesong,morethanjustwellinfact.Gerardfoundthesibilanceeversoslightlymoreprominent,and—asintheViardotsong,thepianoseemed more reverberant. Butoh—thevoice!Margie’sdramaticpower was intact, the clarity ofthewordseffective.Thepluckedbasswassolidandreassuring,thecellolyrical.“Itwasonlywhenitended,”saidAlbert,lookingathisblankpage,“thatIrealizedIhadapeninmyhand.” Bythistimeweknewenoughtocometoapreliminaryconclu-sion:theplayerisagoodmatchfortheEVOamplifier.Orisit?Whynottrythemtogether? WeconnectedtheEVOamp,replac-ingourCoplandCTA-305preamplifier

and Moon W-5LE power ampli-fier (not to mention the cablebetweenthem,whichcostmorethan the whole EVO), and lis-tenedagain.Thiswouldbewhatsomeonewouldhearbuyingthiscombination. Itdidn’ttakelongtoconcludethat they wouldn’t exactly besuffering. On the Dello Joiowind band piece, the impactwas still powerful, losing muchless energy than we had feared.The sound of the mallet on thetympaniwasa littleblurredandless distinct, but the sound ofthedrumitselfwasample.Somedetails we know should be therewerede-emphasized.Howeverthebrasswasbrightandbrashbutnotatallharsh,andtheslyhumorofthepiecewaswellrendered.“Allthis for $2300?” asked Gerard,rhetorically.

On the Margie Gibson song wereachedforsomethingtocriticize,butdidn’tfindit.Thelyricswereclear,andthe meaning behind the lyrics of thisIrving Berlin love song was moving.Eventhestereoimageseemedjustright.Thepianowasattractiverightdowntothelowestpartofitsregister.Weknewthatwhatevertheinstru-mentsturnedupwouldn’talterourcon-clusions,butwefiredthemupanywayandranourusualbatteryoftests.It was akward to read the jitterbecauseofsomeresidualnoise,butwe

Creek EVO CD player

The Death of the CD? Gointoahighendaudiostore,andyou’llhavenotroublefindingCDplayers,suchasthisone.GointoabigboxstoreandaskforaCDplayer,andyou’llbewavedovertothedisplaywithportableplayers,mostofthemonclearance.IstheCDdoomed? Anumberofanalyststhinkso,thoughtheevidencedoesn’t(yet)supporttheirpessimism.TheiTunesstorehasalittlemorethan6%ofthemusicmarket,andallthestoresputtogetherreach10%,ifthat.AddamuchtinieramountforLPs,andCDscontinuetohavesome90%ofthemarket. SowhynoCDplayers?Well,DVDplayerscanplayCDstoo,asyounodoubtknow.Sodocomputers,whichcanplaythroughstereosystems,orwhichhavetheirownpoweredloudspeakers.Andofcoursetheycanthenbetransferredtoportableplayers. OnthehorizonisthehugeWebbandwidththatmayallowfull-resolutionmusicdownloads,butit’safairlydistanthorizon. Besides,ifLPshaven’treallydisappeared,whywouldCDs?

Brand/model:CreekEVOPrice:C$1150Size (WDH):43x33x7cmMost liked:GreatmusicforcheapLeast liked:Somelow-levelnoiseVerdict: TheCDattwilightisstilllooking(andsounding)good

Summing it up…

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determined that it was quite low. TheCreekdidwellplayingourtestdiscwithgraduated laser cuts across the tracks.Even with a 0.75mm slice there washardlyanyincreaseinjitter,andnootherdetectableartifacts.Witha1.0mmcutwecouldseetheeffectsoferrorconceal-ment(moreaudiblethanerrorcorrection,sinceitinvolvesguessingatthemissingdata).A1.5mmcutcauseduncorrectederrorsandnoisebursts.Witha2.5mmcut,theCreekmistracked.Thisisverygoodperformance.

The 100Hz square wave is shownabove.Thereisconsiderableovershoot,butitisveryquicklydamped.Thereisonlyamildtilttothetopofthesquarewave,indicatingaveryslightrolloffatthetopend. Whenweranalow-level1kHzsinewave, recorded 60dB below full level,wegotthetraceaboveright.Itsgeneralshape is fine, which is good, but it iscontaminatedbynoise,thesamenoisethatwehadnotedwhenlookingatjitter.Thatofcourseisnotnoiseyouarelikely

toheareveninaveryquietroom. This may be the twilight of thededicatedCDplayer, as someanalystsclaim,but theykeepongettingbetterandbetter.That’s trueat thevery topend,andhappilyitistruefurtherdownthefoodchaintoo.WiththeEVOplayerand amplifier, Mike Creek has pulledoffan impressiveone-twopunch.Addacoupleofdecentspeakerstothisduo,and you’ve got the perfect answer thenext time someone tells you high endstereoistooexpensive.

Everythingthisplayerdoeswell,itdoesit very well. And everything it misses outon,itmakessureyoudon'tnoticeitforverylong. Since every component ends up as acompromise,thisonedecided(oritscreatorsobviouslydid)toleanonthemusicalsideofthings.Maybeyouwon'theareverythingasclearlyormagicallyaswiththoseplayersthatcostmorethanasmallcar,butyou'llspendhoursandhours listening toyour favoritemusicwhiletheotherguysworkovertimetopayfortheirs. Andyou'llbeabletoaffordmanymoreCDstoo.Andbetterspeakers.Thissourceneedsthem.Thinkaboutthehighqualitycables you'll also be able to get, and howthey'll guide all that superb music swiftlythrough—mostlyuntouched. Sinceallsystemsarecompromisestoo,thisplayeractuallyallowsforfewercompro-misesintherestofyoursystemasyoubuilditcarefullyonasolidmusicalfoundation.

—Albert Simon

Iemergedfromthislisteningsessionwonover by the excellent image, which makesfor great transparence. You can pick outeachpianonote,anditstimbreissuperb.Inaguitarduo,youcanpickoutwho’splayingwhat.Athousandsubtleties,muchimpact,gentleorfreneticrhythms,moodsthatcanbehumorousordownright lascivious,andsometimesanairofcelebration. Iwasmovedbythevoicesoftwofemalesingers,quitedifferentonefromtheother,butbothexpressiveandmagnificent.Low-pitchedinstruments—tympani,drums,bassandcellos—haveplentyofweight.Likethegluten in a perfect pastry, it binds all thesoundsintoadeliciouswhole. True, here and there I found someinstrumentsthatwerealittleastringent,buttheplayer’squalitiesoutweighsitsshortcom-ings,withtheresultthatthevirtuosityofthemusiciansisapleasuretohear. As always, we punctuate every piecewelistentowithourcomments,butthereare times we would rather not speak, and

prolongthepleasureoncethemusicends.IamconsoledwhenIhaveonlygoodthingstosayaboutwhatIhear.AndthatisthecasewiththeEVO.

—Reine Lessard

This player really hits the sweet spot.Go lower, and you have players all madefromthesamechipsets,andwhichinevitablysoundprettymuchalike.Gohigher,andyoustarttowonderwhetheryou’redroppingabundleon soon-to-obsolete technology (ifyoudoubtthis,gointoabig-boxelectronicsstoreandaskthe19-yearold“associate”for“a CD player”). The Creek EVO deliverswonderfulmusicalityatapricelesslikelytotriggerpanic. Doesitsoundlikeourreference?No,ofcoursenot,butithasnooneareaofweak-ness,andtheresultisthatthereisprobablynomusicthatitcannotdojusticeto.Howmany other products in this price rangecouldwesaythatabout?

—Gerard Rejskind

CROSSTALK

ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine 51

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We have long regrettedthatSimaudiosawfittodiscontinue its StellarDVD player, because

we own one and we think it’s terrific.Atthesametime,weknowitspricewasperhapsmorethanmostofthemarketwould bear. That was especially trueifyouorderedup theoptionalVideonprocessorboard,withitsFaroudjaDCDi(Diagonal Correlation Deinterlacing)technology,whichbroughttheplayer’sCanadian price tag perilously close tofivedigits. At considerably lower cost, butnot loose change by any means, isthe Calypso (Simaudio also offers theOrbiter, a universal player). Just liftit andyouknow there’s less in it thanin theStellar,but its spec sheet isnotwithout interest. In particular, it toousesaFaroudjaDCDi,thoughinalesscostlyversion.IthasaRS232connectionforhomeautomation.SimaudioclaimsitcanplayPALDVDsaswellasNTSC,thoughwecouldn’tgetittodoso(thesameistrueofourMoonStellar).Andithaswhatisbilledasanaudiophile-grade24/96converterforplayingmusic. There’salsoalonglistoffeaturesthataremissing,butwe’llgettothemalittlelater.Firstlet’smovetheCalypsototheKapparoom,whereitcouldtakeonour

MoonStellarwiththreeselectedDVDfilmclips.

The Calypso as movie player Webeganwithanoldfavorite, thewidescreenversionofthemusicalGuys and Dolls, specifically thesongSue Me(chapter29), with Frank Sinatra andVivianBlaine.SohereisSinatracomingdownthestairsnattilydressedinanavybluesuit,and… Wait aminute,navy blue?Didn’t ithavepinstripeswhenwevieweditwithourreferenceplayer?Therewereotherproblemstoo.Sinatra’shatwasablackblob,andtherewasnodetailinhishaireither. Contrast was high, too high infact. Colors were saturated and evenpunchy,yettherewasnodynamicpunchtotheimage. In the print issue of UHF, and intheelectronicissueatmagzee.com,wewillscoretheCalypsoonitstalentformovies,andalsoasaCDplayer(sinceitisthattoo. ButbacktoLatinforamoment. Refacinhenisnisliustrudenimauteduisdignisciliscipissi. Tum veliquat ulpute dolore volorefacipsumesequat.Utlanveliquatpraesefacilit lutpat nibh euguero ea feuguersuscing enismod dolorero odiamcortiscillamconsequatwismodmodionvel

ulputat.Utpationutpataugaitam,coretisi. Anhendreetnonsenimdit,versus-trud dunt utet autem quam, sis auguemagniamconsequatadipisadiam,consedtemingesentloborperiurecommodiocommoditlumzzriurevullumsanhenimiustin utatum vel ilis aut loborperillafeum do odolore commodolore doloredolestoeufeufeufeuipsuscipitadmol-oremexeroodoloboredolobortiedignaconullaor si bla consecte et exerit lumalismoloremingesentvullamconullanhenislutecoreventvolorsi. Sumsandre con hent ilit nim nisaccumnissequameroeraestruddoloreesedoloredolutat,voloborediatpraes-tismodtefacillafacilinciblanetaliquisciliquiscil dignis amquisniametnisseeniamet,sisnibheraesendionumzzrillafeuipismodolutadipeuisdolessi. Iquametueratnullamcommoloreconutatuerostinitnoseugiamnosadionsedeuisiexerililismodtetemodetadionsequissent aliquisi te doluptat ing enitea alis accumsan velessectem dolorperostruddipisnonsenisi. Iril iuremoloborsustismodmoloremincilit acing er accum vulput inutat, quat ad eril doloreet lan euismolortinim digna autpat lobor sectetumquamconullacommyniationsequatieelipeaaugait,consequamadionsectetalis

Moon Calypso DVD Player

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exexersumzzriureeugiamiriureritaderosditalitnumdelullutpat,sisisletetvolorpersiblam,quateminit,consequibla coreet, vent iriusci bla feu feuipismodoloredolesseconullafeuisaditlaorilit lutpatinel inveliscincilla facinibheugaitadipitnibhetnisnonsedmagnafeummoddocoreroseugaitilexeugaitwisiexetnumquisimautatumdeldeldoloboreerosendigniatuedolorsecteexeugiat.Illacorperostrudtisi. Ruddoloreetwisalitutluminhenis-ciduntautingetlorpersequisnonutilitlorefacilissequat.Duisaddoloradiamquatiscidunt praestie er ametummodtat. Agnafeuipislessequisaccuminutat.Andignafeuguersustruddoloreconumexetenisitpratvulputatiureduntveritlutpat nullam velesto commolortiedolorpe riurem zzrit, senit nonsequisnibh er sum nim aliquis at accumsandrercipsum vent nullam, venis nimipisim irit num euisis nisl ing elit wisadionullametpraestrudtieconsequatuefaccum autet, quis aliquat irilismoloreexerataciduntdolestoexerincilisessimnumsandrem verosto eummy nimvelendre er ing euis nonulla faccummolortionulla feuipsum eu facipis cipit,volobore erillaor in utpatie vel iustisldipisim zzrillutetue corpera esenditipisi blandrer susci te magna feugaitvel ut iniam, velis amcore facilisl eritvenitaugaitlutetemingercilit,velisciliquatuerilutatueconsequat. Cil et veraessisl utat, sed tio dion-sendipitnitaliquisieufacinciduntloboriuredoerodignitullaortionutefeugiat.Lorem eum iurer iure tatue modignafeugaiterosnislutatumipelexeufeuieufacipsustoeafaccumsandignisditillaoredooditilisdipitdoeuiseuitefeugaitnia-mcommodolorperilluptat.Tocommynim iustio duipis num nostrud magnafacipeuisexerostodolorsequipitaugaitlor se commodo lobore dolore conseconumsanditaliquiscitetloretioeugaitad magnit utpat la feum nisl exercillutatioconsedtatemzzrilitaliquamquatutpatwisitpraestiefeuisimnumdoodexeraugaitduisseetlumsanetuercilisitnonsectetwissiblamconutpatverostioetwisitetuerosnosautatlutatprat,commynullametadipestodelisdignisldolorperciliseumeufeufeugiamzzritutat,conelenisi.

Commod dolestrud te te euis alisniamconsedeummod te tet ingexeriliquatummoddolutetemzzritatalit,conut iusto dit nos accum nummodiam,quamet,sequiscipitaccumadiatvoloremnos aliquatuerit iusto con velenit ilitluptat. Odtatlorsimniscitatatutirileumvullaorseexenimdignimdignacom-modolore commy num veniam dolutwiscipitexercilutiliseumnonvolessimdunt wisl do do commod magniat. Utwisisim zzrit nonsequatie magnit nosnonseddelenimdolenisadiatemzzrilisitaddoluptat.Quatipeugaitwissenisadip-issectedoeufeugaitpraessituteveniamconullafeugueriletloreminessenisnosetametloremoloborpercipitineniam,vullacoreet,venimeugiatedoloredion-seniamnullaconsedipexexerat,sequatnostodoeuisciliquietumdelitnosnonsetemiriureet,sectedolorsumzzriustrudtat, suscipsustrudtieveldoloremodoconsemodolortioetnosnitutemzzritiritpratuerosdoloremdiat,quipitnon-sequate magna facip exer summodionvullaore duis euismod ignibh estinget, vel estrud estrud dipisit inciduisaliquam eum doloborer sed tionsenitlumnosdoloreeumniamiustrudeuisameuipsummoloborecorat.Duiscillaadignafeugiamventaliquamaliteufeufacipeufeugaitulputat,volortisisi. Ildigniterostiefaciduntatiodoloremiustiemagnacoreduipitwismodmoditvel inibh et lore commolo rerostodelesseniat.Eliquisexeugiam,susciduismodoloreetat. Molumzzriuremadtemipitaliquat.Ut nisl erciduis at. Ectem doloborevulputefeufaciendredipsuscipeletum-

san diametu mmodoloreet lore volorefaccummynullaatvelitalitlorperosaddiodolortineuisamildolenibheummynonullamilet,quipitineafaccumnosatuedoloreratlafeumsanditenisimvelisautvelitverosadipsustoodiametaugaitiriliquisim velesse quatet alisi exeroodolestrudmincipiscingendredoluptatprat,sitadignislutetaccumvolorat,quisaditluptat.Uddolorincipismodigniatacinibh erilla adignim num nim am,commodeaautessequatemingeafacinvelis dolore magna con ulla feugaitaugiamcorecommynisi. Ommynimineaaugait,quamdoloreconsedtetueeufaccumvelutat.Utacibla facip et autatis autem dolenim nit,velislingelersuscillutpatinhenibheseduisalit, suscildolestocoreetetveletnummynullaaditlorperoododolupta-tieverostingetvelutpatvoloremquatadionsentadmoloredeliquipsummynitluptat,venibherat. Duissiexerat,quisnosnullafeugue-rosniat,quislduntautetedolorsi. Ectetatisimiriteratersumiliquatameritadiam, suscibla faciexerilit atpraestrud magnim volore tis aut nimnostiocommynimdeliquisciduisnon-sequatueeuipeaautadeugait,conseexessitat,quisnumipitutemdolorsitacieros dolorperat, volor sum atumsan-dremagna autnos at praestie velisl etaugait.Refacinhenisnisliustrudenimauteduisdignisciliscipissi. Tum veliquat ulpute dolore volorefacipsumesequat.Utlanveliquatpraesefacilit lutpat nibh euguero ea feuguersuscing enismod dolorero odiamcortiscillamconsequatwismodmodionvelulputat.Utpationutpataugaitam,coretisi. Anhendreetnonsenimdit,versus-trud dunt utet autem quam, sis auguemagniamconsequatadipisadiam,consedtemingesentloborperiurecommodiocommoditlumzzriurevullumsanhenimiustin utatum vel ilis aut loborperillafeum do odolore commodolore doloredolestoeufeufeufeuipsuscipitadmol-oremexeroodoloboredolobortiedignaconullaor si bla consecte et exerit lumalismoloremingesentvullamconullanhenislutecoreventvolorsi. Sumsandre con hent ilit nim nisaccumnissequameroeraestruddolore

Brand/model:SimaudioMoonCalypsoPrice as tested:C$4600/US$3600Size (WDH):48x32.5x14.5cmMost liked:Ciletveraessislutat,sedtiodionsendipitnitaliquisiLeast liked:Utaciblafacipetauta-tisautemdolenimnit,velislingelersuscillutpatinhenibhVerdict: Loremeumiureriuretatuemodignafeugaiterosnislutatumipelexeufeuieufacipsusto

Summing it up…

ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine 5�

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esedoloredolutat,voloborediatpraes-tismodtefacillafacilinciblanetaliquisciliquiscil dignis amquisniametnisseeniamet,sisnibheraesendionumzzrillafeuipismodolutadipeuisdolessi. Iquametueratnullamcommoloreconutatuerostinitnoseugiamnosadionsedeuisiexerililismodtetemodetadionsequissent aliquisi te doluptat ing enitea alis accumsan velessectem dolorperostruddipisnonsenisi. Iril iuremoloborsustismodmolore

mincilit acing er accum vulput inutat, quat ad eril doloreet lan euismolortinim digna autpat lobor sectetumquamconullacommyniationsequatieelipeaaugait,consequamadionsectetalisexexersumzzriureeugiamiriureritaderosditalitnumdelullutpat,sisisletetvolorpersiblam,quateminit,consequibla coreet, vent iriusci bla feu feuipismodoloredolesseconullafeuisaditlaorilit lutpatinel inveliscincilla facinibheugaitadipitnibhetnisnonsedmagna

feummoddocoreroseugaitilexeugaitwisiexetnumquisimautatumdeldeldoloboreerosendigniatuedolorsecteexeugiat.Illacorperostrudtisi. Ruddoloreetwisalitutluminhenis-ciduntautingetlorpersequisnonutilitlorefacilissequat.Duisaddoloradiamquatiscidunt praestie er ametummodtat. Agnafeuipislessequisaccuminutat.Andignafeuguersustruddoloreconumexetenisitpratvulputat.

Refacinhenisnisliustrudenimauteduisdignisciliscipissi. Tumveliquatulputedolorevolorefacip-sumesequat.Ut lan veliquatpraese facilitlutpatnibheugueroeafeuguersuscingenis-moddoloreroodiamcortiscillamconsequatwismodmodionvelulputat.Utpationutpataugaitam,coretisi. Anhendreetnonsenimdit,versustrudduntutetautemquam,sisauguemagniamconsequat adipis adiam, consed te mingesent loborper iure commodio commoditlumzzriurevullumsanhenimiustinutatumvel ilis aut loborperilla feum do odolorecommodolore dolore dolesto eu feu feufeuipsuscipitadmoloremexeroodoloboredolobortie digna conullaor si bla consecteetexeritlumalismoloremingesentvullamconullanhenislutecoreventvolorsi. Sumsandreconhentilitnimnisaccumnissequameroeraestruddoloreesedoloredolutat,voloborediatpraestismodtefacillafacilinciblanetaliquisciliquiscildignisamquisniametnisseeniamet,sisnibheraesendionum zzrilla feuipis modolut adip euis

dolessi. Iquametuerat nullamc ommolore conutatuer ostinit nos eugiam nos adionsedeuisi ex eril ilismod te te mod et adionsequissentaliquisitedoluptatingeniteaalisaccumsanvelessectemdolorperostruddipisnonsenisi. Iril iure molobor sustismod moloremincilitacingeraccumvulputinutat,quataderildoloreet laneuismolortinimdignaautpatloborsectetumquamconullacommyniationsequatieelipeaaugait,consequamadionsectetalisexexersumzzriureeugiamiriurerit ad eros dit alit num del ullutpat,sisisl et et volorper si blam, quatem init,consequi bla coreet, vent iriusci bla feufeuipismodoloredolesseconulla feuisaditlaorilitlutpatinelinveliscincillafacinibheugait adipit nibh et nis nonsed magnafeummoddocoreroseugaitilexeugaitwisiexetnumquisimautatumdeldeldoloboreerosendigniatuedolorsecteexeugiat.Illacorperostrudtisi. Ruddoloreetwisalitutluminhenisc-iduntautingetlorpersequisnonutilitlore

facilissequat.Duisaddoloradiamquatisc-iduntpraestieerametummodtat. Agna feuipisl essequis accum in utat.Andignafeuguersustruddoloreconumexetenisitpratvulputatiureduntveritlutpatnullamvelestocommolortiedolorperiuremzzrit,senitnonsequisnibhersumnimaliquisataccumsandrercipsumventnullam,venisnimipisimiritnumeuisisnislingelitwisadi-onullametpraestrudtieconsequatuefaccumautet,quisaliquatirilismoloreexerataciduntdolesto ex er incilis essim numsandremverosto eummy nim velendre er ing euisnonullafaccummolortionullafeuipsumeufacipiscipit,voloboreerillaorinutpatieveliustisl dipisim zzrillutetue corpera esenditipisiblandrersuscitemagnafeugaitvelutiniam,velisamcorefacilisleritvenitaugaitlutetemingercilit,velisciliquatuerilutatueconsequat. Ciletveraessislutat,sedtiodionsendipitnitaliquisieufacinciduntloboriuredoerodignit ullaortion ute feugiat. Lorem eumiurer iure tatue modigna feugait eros nislutatumipelexeufeui.

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RemembertheSqueezebox?ItwasreviewedinUHFNo.76,anditcaughttheattentionofa lotofour readers.And for

goodreason. Perhapsasummaryisinorder.ThisUS$300device,madebySlimDevices,isasmallboxthatcanpullinmusicfromyourcomputer,eitherthroughanEther-netconnectionorbyloggingintoyourWiFinetwork.Itcanworkhandinhandwithitsownsoftwareorsuchsoftwareas iTunes (our favorite). It can handlestreamsthatareuncompressed(WAVorAIFF)aswellasAppleLossless,FLAC,OggVorbisandmostothercodecs.Ithastwinphono jacks to feed themusic toyourstereosystem,anditdoesn’tsoundatallbadthatway.Itsoundsevenbetter,however,ifyouhaveyourowndigital-to-analogconverter,oraCDplayerwithadigitalinput.Runthatway,indeed,theSqueezeboxcanrivalmanyadedicatedplayer. Indeed, so good is the device thatthereisacottageindustryinimprovingandtweakingit.Thefirsttargetofthesetweaksisthepowersupply.

ThepowersupplyincludedwiththeSqueezeboxisatiny“wallwart”ratedat5volts and 2amperes. Considering its

size and weight, thelatter figure is frankly suspect. Mightswapping it outbe thefirst station ontheroadtoabetterSqueezebox? Before we even begin, our lawyerswould likeawordwithyou.There’s aclauseintheSlimDeviceswarrantythatwarnsyouaboutconnectinganypowersupplyotherthantheoneincluded,andit’sthereaforareason.A mistake in hook-ing up an alternative power supply will blow your Squeezebox.SlimDeviceswillnotflytoyouraid.Neitherwillwe.Incaseofdoubt,pleasere-readthisslowly. Nowlet’sexaminethepossibilities.Ourinitialimpulsewastodesignaslickpowersystemusingalargetransformer,atonofcapacitorsandavoltageregula-torchip,andperhapsevenameter,allinanicebox.Thenwethoughtbetterof it. UHF isn’t really a do-it-yourselfmagazine, and although many of ourreaderscanwieldameansolderingiron,notmanyareuptodrillingaluminumorpopulatingacircuitboard.No,wehadamoresuitableidea. Youcould,certainly,shopforalargerwallwart.They’reeasyenoughtofind,eitheratelectronicssurplusshops(whichsell them typically for $5 to $10), orstoreslikeTheSourceandRadioShack(in Canada and the US respectively).YoumayneedtotakeyourSqueezeboxwithyouwhenyougoshopping,though.Notallwallwartcableshavethesamediameter collar, and the Squeezeboxtakesanarrowone.Mostwon’tfit. Then there’s the little matter ofpolarity. Slim Devices’ own powersupplyhasthecentrecollarpositive.If

yours is the other way, you’ll need tochop the cordand reverse itspolarity.We recommend checking the voltage with a voltmeter,becausewehaveseenoutrightliesonsomeunits.Ohyes…makesurethedeviceputsourDC,not AC! Butcan’twedobetterthanalargerwallwart?Wehaveamorecostlysolu-tion, though it looks downright cheapalongsidemostaudiophiletweaks. Thesolutionisshownonpage56.Buttobegin,pickuptheprintissueofUHF79,ortheelectroniceditionatmagzee.com.We'lltellyouallaboutit!We'llalsogiveyouallthewarningsaboutdetailsyouneedtobecarefulofifyouwouldrathernotblowyourSqueezebox. Refacinhenisnisliustrudenimauteduisdignisciliscipissi. Tum veliquat ulpute dolore volorefacipsumesequat.Utlanveliquatpraesefacilit lutpat nibh euguero ea feuguersuscing enismod dolorero odiamcortiscillamconsequatwismodmodionvelulputat.Utpationutpataugaitam,coretisi. Anhendreetnonsenimdit,versus-trud dunt utet autem quam, sis auguemagniamconsequatadipisadiam,consedtemingesentloborperiurecommodiocommoditlumzzriurevullumsanhenimiustin utatum vel ilis aut loborperillafeum do odolore commodolore doloredolestoeufeufeufeuipsuscipitadmol-oremexeroodoloboredolobortiedignaconullaor si bla consecte et exerit lumalismoloremingesentvullamconullanhenislutecoreventvolorsi. Sumsandre con hent ilit nim nisaccumnissequameroeraestruddoloreesedoloredolutat,voloborediatpraes-tismodtefacillafacilinciblanetaliquisciliquiscil dignis amquisniametnisseeniamet,sisnibheraesendionumzzrillafeuipismodolutadipeuisdolessi. Iquametueratnullamcommoloreconutatuerostinitnoseugiamnosadionsedeuisiexerililismodtetemodetadionsequissent aliquisi te doluptat ing enitea alis accumsan velessectem dolorperostruddipisnonsenisi. Iril iuremoloborsustismodmoloremincilit acing er accum vulput in

Squeezebox on Steroids

AuDIYo IncAudio Parts/Components Distributor10520 Yonge Street, Unit 35B, Suite # 267Richmond Hill, Ontario L4C 3C7Phone: (647) 294-7786info@audiyo.com • www.audiyo.com

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Available at select dealers, or Magic Zoo Audio where there is no local dealer.For purchase information and pricing, please contact:info@magiczooaudio.com www.magiczooaudio.com

This is the sound system that was the hit of the current audio shows. It is imported by Charisma Audio and marketed by Magic Zoo Audio in Canada. GINI iTube combines vacuum tube and solid-state audio technology to deliver the type of music that will put a smile on your face. The system instantly converts digital tunes into music with tube warmth that audiophiles have come to know and enjoy! The system includes a full-functioned hybrid integrated amplifier with built-in sub-woofer, a pair of satellite speakers, remote control, and accessories. It's more than just an iPod speaker system. It supports other music sources such as CD and MP3 players via the RCA input

Gini iTube vacuum tube 2.1 sound system (iConec not included) MSRP $399.00The Best iPod Docking Station on the market !

iConec is easily the industry’s best full-function iPod docking station with remote control. Besides the usual volume control, with just backward and forward, the remote control includes functions such as mute, backlight, repeat, shuffle, playlist and album up/down, pause, etc. iConec also has a built-in charger that allows direct recharging of your iPod without needing to connect to a PC. Gini iConec full function docking station with remote - MSRP $79.00

Good enoughUHF uses them!

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TWO CABLES INTO ONE JACKNeed to feed two preamps into two amps? This solid Y-adapter (two jacks into one phono plug) is gold over brass, with Teflon dielectric.ORDER: FYA, one pair Y adapters, $20

ATLAS NAVIGATOROxygen-free continuous cast (OCC) cable: each strand is a single copper crystal. Two separate internal conductors, plus double shielding (“semi-balanced,” though we prefer “pseudo-balanced”). The double shielding is copper mylar plus close-lapped 99.997% pure OCC copper multi-stranded screen providing 100% RFI protection. The premium “All-Cu” version (shown here) uses solid copper connectors that are also continuous cast. The copper is then silver-plated and double-shielded.We use two in our reference systems. Special-order lengths from the factory.ORDER: AN-1 pair, 1m, $265, AN-2 pair, 2m, $330ORDER: ANA-1 All-Cu, 1m, $390, ANA-2 All-Cu, 2m, $450ORDER: ANAB-1 All-Cu balanced, single crystal XLR, 1m, $699

CONNECTOR TREATMENTProGold cleans connections and promotes conductivity as well. Small wipes for cleaning accessible contacts, or a squirt bottle for connections you can’t reach. We use both regularly.ORDER: PGW box ProGold wipes, $35ORDER: PGS, can ProGold fluid (now called DeoxIT), $35ORDER: PGB, both when ordered at the same time, $56

PRISMAL DUAL INTERCONNECT

This Swiss-made cable is back, at a big discount The connectors are especially good, with Teflon dielectric. 174 strands of oxygen-free copper, braided shield. Toss out your “free” interconnects!ORDER: PD-1, 1 meter pair Prisma Dual Interconnect, $39.95ORDER: PD-05, 0.5 meter pair Dual Interconnect, $29.95

INTERCONNECTS

ATLAS COMPASS DIGITAL

Excellent performance at an affordable price. Single crystal pure copper. The 1.5m version sounds way better than a 1m.ORDER: ACD-1.5 digital cable, 1m, $120

ATLAS HYPER SPEAKER CABLESA big winner in one of UHF’s blind tests of speaker cables is Hyper 2, an oxygen free stranded wire in Teflon dielectric. Inexpensive too. (Sorry, no picture yet). Plus connectors (we recommend Eichmann Bayonet Bananas, $57.95/set.ORDER: AH2, Hyper 2 cable, $29.95/metreWant to biwire? Hyper Biwire is a great way to goORDER: AHB, Hyper Biwire cable, $49.95/metre

SPEAKER CABLES

DIGITAL CABLES

ATLAS VOYAGERA cable with superior performance at an economical price. Oxygen-free copper, continuously cast, double-shielded with conductive PVC plus close lapped 99.9997% pure OCC copper multi-stranded screen, for 100% coverage against RFI. Direct gold-plated, non compressing, double-screened, self cleaning RCA plugs. Also available with the All-Cu connectors like those of the Navigator (above).ORDER: AV-1, Voyager 1m pair, $235, AV-2, 2m pair, $285ORDER: AVA-1, All-Cu 1m pair, $375, AVA-2 2m pair, $420

ATLAS EQUATORWe figured it was perhaps the best $150 interconnect cable you could buy. Only it costs just $90. And yes, that’s in Canadian funds. Other lengths on order.ORDER: AE-1, 1 m pair Atlas Equator, $85ORDER: AE-2, 2 m pair Atlas Equator, $115

ATLAS ICHOR SPEAKER CABLE

Continuous-cast single-crystal cable, ready for biwiring. It costs just $235 per meter of double cable (a 2 m pair has 4 meters of wire). We suggest adding the Eichmann Bayonet bananas, $57.95 per set of 4, or Furutech connectors (at right).

ATLAS QUESTORThis could be the world’s lowest-cost interconnect with single-crystal copper. It has the same connectors as the Equator (below), and we thought it sounded like a much more expensive cable.ORDER: AQ-1, 1 m pair Atlas Questor, $125ORDER: AQ-2, 2 m pair Atlas Questor, $155

ACTINOTE MB INTERCONNECTS

These cables use WBT NextGen locking connectors, and they are a virtual match for our own reference cables.ORDER: MB-130, 1.3 meter pair Actinote MB, $740

ACTINOTE LBD SPEAKER CABLEWe bought Actinote for our Alpha system! With gold bananas.ORDER: LBD-317, Actinote 3m pair, $1590ORDER: LBD-530, Actinote 5m pair, $1990

SINGLE CRYSTAL JUMPERSNot biwiring? Dump the free jumpers that came with your speakers. Atlas jumpers are made from single-crystal copper, gold-plated spades.ORDER: ACJ, four single crystal jumpers, $99.95

ATLAS OPUS DIGITALWe dumped our reference cable for this one! And to be at its very best, it has to be this length.ORDER: AOD-1.5 digital cable, 1.5m, $360

EICHMANN BAYONET BANANASThe Eichmann Bayonet Banana uses a minimum of metal, and tellurium copper at that, but clicks tightly

into any binding post with spring action. For soldering or crimping, or both.ORDER: EBB kit 4 bayonet bananas, $57.95

MICHELL BINDING POSTS

Michell’s Big Mother posts are machined to stay tight. Gold-plated. Long, long shank for mounting in speaker cabinets. Limited stock.ORDER: Big Mother, 4 gold posts for speakers $55

POSTMAN WRENCHThink you can tighten your speaker and amp binding posts with your fingers? Try the Dynaclear Postman wrench (for 1/2” or 7/16” hexagonal posts) and find that yours weren’t tight after all. Retighten often.ORDER: Dynaclear Postman, $13

CONNECTORS

EICHMANN BULLET PLUGSThe first phono plug to maintain the impedance of the cable itself, by using metal only as an extension of the wire. Hollow tube centre pin and tiny spring contact for ground. Two easily accessible contacts for soldering, two-screw strain relief. Gold over pure copper. Got silver cable? Get the unique Silver Bullets!ORDER: EBP kit 4 Bullet Plugs, $54.95ORDER: EBPA kit 4 Silver Bullets, $139.95

EICHMANN CABLE PODSMinimum metal, gold over tellurium copper. Unique clamp system: the back button turns but the clamp doesn’t. Solder to it, or plug an Eichmann banana into it, even from inside!ORDER: ECP, set of four posts, $54.95

FURUTECH CONNECTORS

Rhodium-plated banana tightens under pressure. Installs like WBT-0645 banana. The spade's great too!.ORDER: FTB-R, set of four bananas, $70ORDER: FTS-R, set of four spades, $70

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REGA FONOWe can’t get over how good it is…and how affordable. The Rega Fono is a superb way to add vinyl to your system. MM version and high sensitivity MC version for cartridges with low output. While stocks last.ORDER: RF-MM Phono preamp, NOW SOLD OUTORDER: RF-MC high sensitivity phono preamp, $565

LP RECORD CLEANER

Concentrated cleaner for LP vacuum cleaning machines. Much safer than some formulas we’ve seen! Half litre, mix with demineralized or distilled water to make 4 litres.ORDER: LPC, $19.95

LP SLEEVESKeep your records clean and scratch free. Replace dirty, torn or missing inner sleeves with soft-plastic-in-paper Nitty Gritty sleeves.ORDER: PDI, package of 30 sleeves, $30

ANALOG PRODUCTS

TURNTABLE BELT TREATMENTWhat this is not is a sticky goo for belts on their last legs. Rubber Renue removes oxidation from rubber belts, giving them a new lease on life. But what astonished us is what it does to even a brand new belt. Wipe down your belt every 3 months, and make analog sound better than ever.ORDER: RRU-100 drive belt treatment, $14.95

MORE ANALOG…

ZEROSTAT ANTISTATIC PISTOLA classic adjunct to the brush is the Zerostat anti-static gun. Squeeze the trigger and release: it ionizes the air, which becomes conductive and drains off the static charge. By the way, it works for a lot more than LP’s. No batteries needed.ORDER: Z-1 Zerostat antistatic pistol, $94..95

EXSTATIC RECORD BRUSHthe Goldring Super eXstatic. It includes a hard velvet pad to get into the grooves, plus two sets of carbon fibre tufts. We’ve worn one out already, because we use it every time!ORDER: GSX record brush, $36

J. A. MICHELL RECORD CLAMPClamp your LP to the turntable platter. We use the J. A. Michell clamp, machined from nearly weightless aluminum. Drop it on, press down, tighten the knob.ORDER: MRC Michell record clamp, $75

TITAN STYLUS LUBRICANTAmazing, but true: dabbing a bit of this stuff on your stylus every 2 or 3 LPs makes it glide through the groove instead of scraping. Fine artist’s brush not included, but readily available in many stores.ORDER: TSO-1 Titan stylus oil, $39.95

GOLDRING PHONOBasic MM phono, amazingly good, and especially not shrill. Besides, it’s very affordable. ORDER: PA-100, $225

ELECTRONIC STYLUS GAUGEWhen we got our sample of this new gauge, we discovered that our (discontinued) plastic pressure gauge had been lying to us. Glad we checked!ORDER: ALM, electronic stylus gauge, $185

IF WE DON’T LIKE ITYOU WON’T SEE IT HERE

The unique WBT phono plugs have a collar which you turn so that the plug tightens around and into the jack! The cable would tear before the plug would come out.

The Topline series (heaviest construction, 5-layered gold plating), includes the 0108 (above), which uses reliable crimping technology, not soldering. Slip a gold-plated sleeve over the bared wire, and crimp it on with the special WBT crimping tool.The crimped end is held in the plug with a Torx screw. Buy the tool at the same time as the connectors, and we’ll buy it back at the price you paid when you’re through.

ORDER: WBT-0403 crimping tool (refundable), $125.The sleeves are shown here, actual size.

ORDER: WBT-0108, kit 4 Topline crimp plugs, $190ORDER: WBT-0101, kit 4 Topline solder plugs, $190

The 0144 Midline version has “only” three layers of gold plating, smaller and lighter, with the same locking action.ORDER: WBT-0144, kit 4 Topline solder plugs, $90

NEW! The high-tech minimum metal “nextgen” phono plugs. Easy to solder, with locking collar. Silver version available.

ORDER: WBT-0110, kit 4 nextgen copper plugs, $170ORDER: WBT-0110Au, kit 4 nextgen silver plugs, $280WBT makes banana plugs for speaker cables, all of which lock tightly into any post. All use crimping technology.

ORDER: WBT-0644 Kit 4 Topline straight bananas, $90ORDER: WBT-0645 Kit 4 angled bananas, $110ORDER: WBT-0600 Kit 4 Topline bananas, $180

ALSO AVAILABLE: a full line of quality binding posts, phono jacks, etc. Plus a spade lug that connectors under pressure.

WBT-0431 0.75 mm sleeve $0.50WBT-0432 1 mm sleeve $0.50WBT-0433 1.5 mm sleeve $0.50WBT-0434 2.5 mm sleeve $0.50WBT-0435 4 mm sleeve $0.60WBT-0436 6 mm sleeve $0.70WBT-0437 10 mm sleeve $0.85WBT-0438 15 mm sleeve $0.95

WBT CONNECTORS

VINYL ESSENTIALS TEST LPThis precision-made German test record lets you check out channel identification, correct phase, crosstalk, the tracking ability of your cartridge (it’s a tougher test than the old Shure disc was, and the resonance of your tone arm and cartridge. When we need to test a turntable, this is the one we reach for.ORDER: LP 003, Image Hifi Test LP, $48.95

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SUPER ANTENNAUnlike a whip, a dipole is bidirectional, so you can orient it. Ours has no switch to muck things up, and with a 1.8m low-loss 75 ohm cable and gold-plated push-on F connector, it has low internal loss. Its broadband design covers the channels 2-69 TV bands as well as FM.ORDER: FM-S Super Antenna, MkII, $55

MORE POWER TO YOUBetter access to electrical power. Change your 77-cent duplex outlets for these Hubbell hospital grade outlets. Insert a plug and it just snaps in. A tighter internal connection as well. Possibly the cheapest improvement you can make to your system.ORDER: AC-DA Hubbell duplex outlet, $23.95ORDER: AC-DB (more than one outlet), $21.95ORDER: AC-D20 20A duplex, red color, $28.95

GUTWIRE G CLEF POWER CABLE

Multiple shielding, including external electrostatic shield connected to a clip… you may get get best performance with or without. Used by UHF. Now in an upgraded version, with performance “squared.” Length 1.7 m, longer cords on order. G Clef2 has 195 conductors, with 3 shields providing 98% shielding. Can be ordered with a 20A IEC plug (for amplifiers requiring this special plug)ORDER: GGC G Clef, Square 1.7m, $385

GUTWIRE/UHF B12Gutwire’s B12 is a fat pipe, well-shielded, to which we’ve added

a Hubbell 8215 hospital grade wall plug and the Furutech IEC copper connector. We use one ourselves, and we love it! Optionally available as an easy-to-assemble kit, with the blue jacket pre-stripped and shrink-wrapped at one end.ORDER: GWB12, 1.5 m B12 power cord, $285ORDER: GWB12K, 1.5 m B12 power cord kit, $240Need it longer? Add $95 per metre extra

GUTWIRE 16No budget for the cable you’d like? Make your own!Double-shielded, to avoid picking up or transmitting noise. GutWire 16, assembled or as a kit. (If you are not comfortable around electricity, we suggest the assembled one.) Both versions include the Hubbell 8215 hospital grade plug and the Schurter 15 A IEC 320 connector.ORDER: GW16-1.5K, GutWire 16 gauge power cable kit, $79.95ORDER: GW16-1.5 GutWire 16 cable, assembled, $119.95Need it longer? Add $28 per metre extra

Amazingly good at a much lower price are these two cord plugs from Eagle. No hospital rating, but a rather good mechanical connection. Male and female versions.

ORDER: AC-P1 Eagle male cord plug, $5.95ORDER: AC-PF Eagle female cord plug, $5.95Making your own power cords for your equipment? You’ll need the hard-to-get IEC 320 connector to fit the gear. We have two sizes.

ORDER: AC-P3 10 ampere IEC 320 plug, $9.95ORDER: AC-P4 15 ampere Schurter IEC 320 plug, $18.95

STINGRAY POWER BARMost power bars knock voltage to your equipment way down, and generate more noise than a kindergarten class. The Gutwire Stingray Squared doesn’t. 12 gauge double-shielded cable, Hubbell hospital grade connectors at both ends. Indispensable!ORDER: GSR-2 Stingray Squared power bar, $285

IMPROVED CD WITH FINYLThis is the most famous of all the treatments for Compact Discs. The maker of Finyl claims it reduces surface reflections and provides a higher contrast image for the laser cell of your player. Use it just once. We get a lot of repeat orders on it. One kit can treat over 200 discs. Or order the refill.ORDER: F-1 Finyl kit, $40.00ORDER: F-1R Finyl refill, $35.00

CLEAN YOUR PLAYERAfter as little as three months, your new player will have more trouble reading your CD’s. Why? Dust on the lens. We’re happy to have found the new Milty CD lens cleaner. Unlike some commonly-available discs, the Milty is non-abrasive, so we use it and rest easy. Can be used wet or dry.ORDER: 2021 Milty CD lens cleaner, $35

ENACOM LINE FILTER

Economy price, but astonishingly effective, we wouldn’t run our system with less. It actually shorts out the hash on the power line. ORDER: EAC Enacom line filter, $105

CLEANER POWER

SILVER SOLDERThis is a lovely solder, from the company that makes Enacom line filters (which we also like). Wakø-Tech solder contains 4% silver, no lead.ORDER: SR-4N, 100 g solder roll, $59.95

INSTANT CIRCUIT CHECKERPlug it into an AC outlet, and the three lights can indicate a missing ground, incorrect polarity, switched wires — five problems in all. Some of these problems can be fatal, but none of them is good for feeding your music or home theatre system. The first thing we did after getting ours was phone the electrician.ORDER: ACA-1, Instant Circuit Checker, $21

BETTER DIGITAL

HOSPITAL GRADE CONNECTIONWhen we put a quality AC plug on our kettle, boiling time dropped by 90 seconds! The best AC plug we have ever seen is the Hubbell 8215 hospital grade plug. It connects to wires under high pressure, and it should last forever.ORDER: AC-P2 Hubbell cord plug, $25.95

IEC ON YOUR DVD PLAYERWhy do big name DVD players come with those tiny plugs for their cords? A good shielded power cable will do wonders! Take $18 off if you order it at the same time as a G Clef or B12 cable, or $8 off if you order one with a GutWire 16.ORDER: DVD-A, GutWire adapter, $39

MAXCON2 POWER FILTERLooks great, and does a wonderful job. Made from milled aircraft-grade aluminum, with Furutech and Hubbell connectors. Parallel filtering, so it can be used even with very large power amplifiers. List $1299, but…ORDER: GMC, MaxCon2 power line filter, $995Needs IEC power cord: order one at the same time at 20% off!

EICHMANN POWER STRIPWe dumped our cheap power strip, added a GutWire 16 power cord, and made our system sound better, even though no major component was plugged into it. ORDER: EPS power strip, $61.95Take $10 off any one of our IEC power cords or cord kits with an EPS purchase

MORE ANALOG…

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TENDERFEETMachined cones are wonderful things to put under speakers or other audio equipment. They anchor it mechanically and decouple it acoustically at the same time. Tenderfeet come in various versions: tall (as shown) or flattened, in either anodized silver or black. Tall Tenderfeet have threaded holes for a machine screw, or for the optional hanger bolt, which lets you screw it into wood. If you have a fragile hardwood floor, add the optional Tendercup (shown above) to protect it.ORDER: TFG, tall silver Tenderfoot, $15ORDER: TFGN, tall black Tenderfoot, $16.50ORDER: TFP, flat silver Tenderfoot, $10ORDER: TCP, silver Tendercup, $10ORDER: THB, hanger bolt for Tenderfeet, each $0.80

Do you prefer spikes for your speakers? Target spikes and sockets mount in wood. Available with or without tools.ORDER: S4W kit, 8 spikes, sockets and tools, $39ORDER: S4WS kit, 8 spikes and sockets, $30

AN ON-THE-WALL IDEANeed to fasten a speaker securely to the wall? Nothing beats the Smarter Speaker Support for ease of installation or for sheer strength. And it holds the speaker off the wall, so it can be used even with rear-ported speakers. Easily adjustable with two hands, not three, tested to an incredible 23 kg! Glass-filled polycarbonate is unbreakable. Screws and anchors included, available in two colors.ORDER: SSPS, pair of black speaker supports, $29.95ORDER: SSPS-W, pair of white speaker supports, $29.95

AUDIOPHILE RECORDINGS, RECOMMENDED BY UHF STAFF

THE SUPERSPIKE

This is unique: a sealed unit containing a spike and a cup to receive it. It won’t scratch even hardwood floors. For speakers or equipment stands, on bare floors only. Four sizes of threaded shanks are available.ORDER: SSKQ, 4 Superspikes, 1/4” shank, $75 ORDER: SSKT, 4 Superspikes, 5/16” shank, $75 ORDER: SSKS, 4 Superspikes, 6 mm shank, $75 ORDER: SSKH, 4 Superspikes, 8 mm shank, $75

WHAT SIZE SUPERSPIKE?A good ruler will let you figure it out. The stated size is the outer diameter of the threaded shank. Then count the threads:1/4” shank: 20 threads/inch5/16” shank: 18 threads/inchM6 (6mm) shank: 10 threads/cmM8 (8mm) shank: 8 threads/cm

We have also have a Superspike foot (at right) that replaces those useless feet on CD players, amps, etc., using the same screws to fasten them. And there’s a stick-on version (not shown) for other components.

ORDER: SSKF, 4 Superspike replacement feet, $80ORDER: SSKA, 3 stick-on Superspike feet, $50

SUPPORT SYSTEMS

AUDIO-TAKIt’s blue, and it’s a sort of modelling clay that never dries. Anchor speakers to stands, cones to speakers, and damp out vibration. Leaflet with suggested uses.ORDER: AT-2, Audio-Tak pack, $10

FOUNDATION STANDSAbsolutely the best speaker stand known to us. They’re filled with a proprietary material that deadens the stand completely. Matte black, with spikes adjustable from the top. Height 61 cm (24”).ORDER: FFA, one pair Foundation stands, $1295

SEE EVEN MORE PRODUCTSIN OUR ON-LINE CATALOG

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REFERENCE RECORDINGS30th Anniversary Sampler (HDCD)A collection of excerpts from recent Reference albums.

Yerba Buena Bounce (HDCD)The (terrific) Hot Club of San Francisco is back, with great music, well-played, wonderfully recorded by “Profesor” Johnson!

Nojima Plays Liszt (HDCD)The famous 1986 recording of Minoru Nojima playing the B Minor Sonata and other works is back…in HDCD this time!

Garden of Dreams (HDCD)David Maslanka’s evocative music for wind band.

Beachcomber (LP/HDCD) �Fennell and the Dallas Wind Ensemble.Includes Tico Tico, A Chorus line, and a version of 76 Trombones you’ll remember for a long time.

Holst (LP) �From the composer of The Planets, 3 suites for wind band, plus the Hammersmith Prelude and Scherzo. Fine power playing by the Dallas Wind Symphony.

Trittico (HDCD) �Large helping of wind band leader Frederick Fennell doing power-house music by Grieg, Albeniz, Nelhybel, etc. Complex and energetic.

Fennell Favorites (LP)The Dallas Wind Symphony: Bach, Brahms, Prokofiev and more. Fireworks on this rare Reference LP.

The Oxnard Sessions, vol. 1 (LP) �Pianist Michael Garson, of Serendipity fame, takes on familiar stan-dards, backed by five fine musicians. Inventive and beautiful.

Serendipity (LP) �The original Micharl Garson recording, in which he gets upstaged by saxophonist Gary Herbig! Exceptional!Dick Hyman - Fats Waller (LP)Analog version of this famous recording, cut to CD during the perfor-mance. Keith Johnson simultaneously recorded the performance on his own hand-built analog recorder.

Blazing Redheads (LP)Not all redheads, this all-female salsa-flavored big band adds a lot of red pepper to its music.

Felix Hell (HDCD)The young organ prodigy turns in mature versions of organ music of Liszt, Vierne, Rheinberger and Guilmant. Huge bottom end!

American Requiem (HDCD)Richard Danielpour's awesome Requiem mass is all about war, and about the hope for peace too, with a dedication tied to 9/11.

World Keys (HDCD)Astonishing young pianist Joel Fan amazes with music from all the world, including that of Prokofiev and Liszt

Ikon of Eros (HDCD)Huge suite for orchestra and chorus, by John Tavener. Inspired by Greek Orthodox tradition. Overwhelming HDCD sound.

PLUS THESE HDCD RECORDINGS:Pomp&Pipes (HDCD) �Requiem (HDCD) �From the Age of Swing (HDCD) �Swing is Here (HDCD) �Copland Symphony No. 3 (HDCD) �Medinah Sessions, two CDs for one (HDCD)Ports of Call (HDCD)Tutti (HDCD)Bruckner Symphony No. 9 (HDCD) �Ein Heldenleben (HDCD) �

SHEFFIELDSay It With Music (CD) �Margie Gibson sings Irving Berlin in what may be one the greatest jazz vocal recordings of all time. And Sheffield put her there in your living room!

Growing Up in Hollywood Town (XRCD) �FIM's XRCD version of the original Amanda McBroom LP.

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Drum/Track Record (XRCD2) �

OPUS 3Unique Classical Guitar Collection (SACD)An SACD, mastered from analog, of some of Opus 3’s long-discontin-ued classical guitar LPs. Terrific!

Showcase 2005 (SACD)The latest Opus 3 sampler, with Eric Bibb, Mattias Wager, the Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble and lots more, in glorious SACD.

Peder af Ugglas (SACD/LP)Ugglas plays a number of different guitars, and borrows from jazz, Blues, and (yes!) country. Piano, organ, trombone, bowed saw, etc.

Organ Treasures (SACD) �All those showpieces for big organ you remember hearing through huge systems…only with all of the power and the clarity of Super Audio. 4.1 channels, plus 2-channel CD.

Just Like Love (SACD/LP) �The newest from Eric Bibb, less oriented to Gospel and more to Blues. Bibb’s group, Needed Time, is not here, but he’s surrounded by half a dozen fine musicians. A nice recording. Hybrid SACD.

Comes Love (HDCD) �Another disc by the terrific Swedish Jazz Kings, led by saxophonist Tomas Ornberg, proving again Sweden understands jazz. The sound is luminous, sometimes dazzling.

It’s Right Here For You (HDCD) �Is there, anywhere, a better swing band than The Swedish Jazz Kings (formerly Tömas Ormberg’s Blue Five)? Closer to Kansas City than to Stockholm, they are captivating.

Test CD 4 (SACD)A sampler of Opus 3 performers, clearer than you’ve ever heard them before. Hybrid disc.

Test CD 5 (HDCD) �Another of Opus 3’s wonderful samplers, including blues, jazz, and classical music. A number of fine artists, captured with the usual pure Blumlein stereo setup. A treat.

Showcase (SACD/LP) �Available as a hybrid SACD/CD disc, or a gorgeously-cut LP, with selections from Opus 3 releases.

Good Stuff (DOUBLE 45 LP/HDCD/SACD) �As soothing as a summer breeze, this disc features singer Eric Bibb (son of Leon), singing and playing guitar along with his group. Subtle weaving of instrumentation, vivid sound.

Spirit and the Blues (DOUBLE 45 LP/CD/SACD) �Like his father, Leon Bibb, Eric Bibb understands the blues. He and the other musicians, all playing strictly acoustic instruments, have done a fine recording, and Opus 3 has made it sound exceptional.

Tiny Island (HDCD/SACD)If you like Eric Bibb and his group Good Stuff as much as we do, pick this one up.

20th Anniversary Celebration Disc (HDCD) �A great sampler from Opus 3. Includes some exceptional fine pieces, jazz, folk and classical. The sound pickup is as good as it gets, and the HDCD transfer is luminous.

Levande (LP/CD) �The full recording from which “Tiden Bara Går” on Test Record No.1

is taken. Believe it or not, this great song isn’t even the best on the album! A fine singer, doing folklike material…and who cares about understanding the words?

Concertos for Double Bass (CD/SACD) �This album of modern and 19th Century music is a favorite for its deep, sensuous sound. And the music is worth discovering. It is sensu-ous and lyrical, a delight in every way.

Across the Bridge of Hope (SACD) An astonishing choral recording by the Erik Westberg Ensemble, famous for its Musica Sacra choral recording.

Musica Sacra (HDCD/SACD) �Test Record No.4 (LP) �

PROPRIUSAntiphone Blues (CD) �This famous disc offers an unusual mix: sax and organ! The disc includes Ellington, Negro spirituals, and some folk music. Electrify-ing performance, and the recording quality is unequalled.

Antiphone Blues (SACD/HDCD) �This is the Super Audio version, with a Red Book layer that is HDCD-encoded. The best of both worlds!

Now the Green Blade Riseth (CD/SACD) �Religious music done a new way: organ, chorus and modern orches-tra. Stunning music, arranged and performed by masters, and the effect is joyous. The sound is clear, and the sheer depth is unequalled on CD. The new SACD version is the very best SACD we have yet heard!

Jazz at the Pawnshop (LP/CD/SACD-HDCD) �A double album of live jazz, with nearly perfect sound. It has been famous among audiophiles for years. Also available as double SACD/HDCD gold disc on FIM label, or single CD.

Jazz at the Pawnshop 2 (CD/SACD) �From the original master, another disc of jazz from this Swedish pub, with its lifelike 3-D sound. Now a classic in its own right.

Good Vibes (CD)The third volume of Jazz at the Pawnshop. And just as good!

Cantate Domino (CD/SACD) �This choral record is a classic of audiophile records. The title selec-tion is stunningly beautiful. The second half is Christmas music, and includes the most stunning version of O Holy Night we’ve ever heard.

Sketches of Standard (CD)

ANALEKTAEybler Quartets (CD)Even Mozart said he was a genius. The Eybler Quartet rediscovers some of the works of this forgotten master.

Graupner: Vocal & Instr. Music vol.1 (CD)Geneviève Soly and Les idées heureuses play music from a lost genius whose reputation once outshon Bach’s.

Graupner: Partitas, vol.1 (CD)Geneviève Soly plays some of Christoph Graupner’s incredibly rich harpsichord music

Graupner: Vocal & Instr. Music vol.2 (CD)Graupner: Partitas vol.3 (CD)Graupner: Partitas vol.4 (CD)Graupner: Partitas vol.5 (CD)Graupner: Christmas in Darmstadt (CD)

SPECIAL PRICE ON ALL 8 CDs (see last page)

Violonchello Español (CD) �I Musici de Montréal comes to Analekta, with a stunning album of Spanish and Spanish-like pieces for cello and orchestra: Glazunov, de Falla, Albéniz, Granados, and more.

Vivace (CD) �Classical or rock? Claude Lamothe plays two cellos at the same time in an amazing recording of modern compositions.

Pauline Viardot-Garcia (CD) �Soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian steps into the role of 19th Century singer and composer Pauline Viardot so convincingly that listening to her is like going back in time. One of the best classical recordings of all time!

Beethoven: Hammerklavier Sonatas (CD)Anton Kuerti tackles the two impressive sonatas.

Brahms Lieder (CD)Canadian mezzo-contralto reveals what she truly is: one of the truly great voices.

Beethoven: Symphonies 5 & 6 (CD)Tafelmusik steps outside its usual repertoire of Baroque on period instruments. Under Bruno Weil, this orchestra turns in a gorgeous rendition of two of Beethoven’s most memorable symphonies.

Mozart: Auernhammer Sonatas (CD)A double CD of sonatas for violin and piano. It’s Mozart, of course, but it is also gorgeously played.

Bach Sonatas for violin & harpsichord, vol.1 (CD)Two Analekta superstars come together: violinist James Ehnes and harpsichordist Luc Beauséjour. Irresistible

Bach Suites, Airs & Dances (CD)Keyboard music from J.S. and C.P.E. Bach, arranged for concert accordion by Canadian virtuoso Joseph Petric. Incredibly gor-geous…it just had to be done!

Mendelssohn: Cello & Piano (CD)The Duo Similia is made up of striking blonde twins, who play flute and guitar. Familiar airs from Mozart, Fauré, Elgar, Ravel, lots more. Fine listening.

Romantic Pieces (CD) �How does James Ehnes manage to get such a sweet sound from his Stradivarius? Czech pieces from Smetana, Dvorak and Janacek. The playing is as glorious as the tone, and the sound is sumptuous. Bonus: Analekta’s 10th sampler is included.

Once Upon a Time… (Video DVD)Violinist Angèle Dubeau et her La Pietà string group with a spec-tacular video of music inspired by the Underworld…with the devil himself in attendence. Includes other videos plus two CD’s worth of uncompressed music. Superb!

Cantabile (CD)The Duo Similia is made up of striking blonde twins, who play flute and guitar. Familiar airs from Mozart, Fauré, Elgar, Ravel, lots more. Fine listening.

Nota del Sol (CD) �The Labrie twins are back, with a delightful recording of flute and guitar music by Piazzola, Pujol and Machado. Joyous works, wonder-fully played and recorded

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Fantasia (CD)A third, gorgeous, recording by the twins, on flute and guitar.

Fritz Kreisler (CD)Possibly the best recording of Kreisler’s delightful violin music: James Ehnes and his Strad bring a new magic to this fine disc.

French Showpieces (CD) �Awesome violinist James Ehnes, with the Quebec City Symph. takes on Saint-Saëns, Berlioz, Chausson, Massenet, and more.

A Los ancestros (CD)Cuban-born Carolos Placeres, with influences of Africa and lots of other places. Six musicians in all, and all acoustic.

Bach: Coffee Cantata (CD)The celebrated Tafelmusik ensemble does two secular cantatas (inluding Peasant Cantata). Fine singers, lifelike sound!

Mozart: Soprano Arias (CD)Soprano Lyne Fortin, with the Orchestre Métropolitain, totally at ease with all three soprano roles from The Marriage of Figaro (including a duet with herself!).

Handel (CD) �Superb soprano Karina Gauvin is joined by the Toronto chamber ensemble Tafelmusik in a series of glowing excerpts from Handel’s “Alcina” and “Agrippina.” The sound is smooth and lifelike, with an acute sense of place.

Little Notebook of Anna Magdalana Bach (CD) �Over 30 delightful pieces, most by Bach himself. Soprano Karina Gauvin’s voice is mated to Luc Beauséjour’s harpsichord work. The sound is deep, detailed and warm, truly of audiophile quality.

Vivaldi: Motets for Soprano (CD) �In this disc by wonderful soprano Karina Gauvin, she tackles the gorgeous but very difficult vocal music of Vivaldi: two motets and a psalm. It is a moving interpretation, on this jewel of a recording.

Vivaldi: Per Archi (CD)Telemann Sonatas for 2 Violins (CD)Mendelssohn: 2 Violin Concertos (CDOpera for Two (CD)Villa-Lobos (CD)

AUDIOQUESTMississipi Magic (CD/SACD)The legendary Blues, Gospel, rock and world beat singer and musi-cian Terry Evans, in an energetic recording we loved.

Come to Find (CD) �The first by Bluesman Doug McLeod, as impressive as the second, and no Blues fan should resist it.

You Can’t Take My Blues (CD) �Singer/songwriter Doug MacLeod and colleagues present one of the most satisfying Blues records ever made.

Unmarked Road (SACD)The third disc from the great blues singer and guitarist Doug McLeod is every bit as good as the first two.

Whose Truth, Whose Lies (SACD) �The third disc from the great blues singer and guitarist Doug McLeod is t as good as the first. These songs have powerful rhythm, and can make you smile and cry at the same time.

Bluesquest sampler (CD)

SILENCETres Americas (CD)A gold audiophile disc of lively Latin fusion music. Irka Mateo and Tadeo de Marco sing and play, drawing their influence from Africa as well as their native Brazil. Clear, close-in sound.

Djembé Tigui (CD)This gold disc features the voice and percussion of African artist Sekou Camara, captured by the famous Soundfield microphone. Camara died just before the disc was released.

Styles (CD)Is this ever a surprising disc! Violinist Marc Bélanger worked up these string études for his music students, but they actually deserve to be put out on a gold audiophile disc! The more strings he adds, the better it gets.

Fable (CD)Easygoing modern jazz by Rémi Bolduc and his quartet, on this gold disc. Some exceptional guitar and bass solos.

Musique Guy St-Onge (CD)One-man band St-Onge plays dozens of instruments — scores for fourteen films which never existed outside of his imagination. Fun pretext, clever, attractive music that makes you wish you could see the films!

HI-RES MUSIC (FOR DVD PLAYERS)Brazilian Soul (24/96 DVD)Guitarists Laurindo Almeida and Charlie Byrd, plus percussion and bass, in an intimate yet explosive recording of samba and bossa nova music. Great!

Jazz/Concord (24/96 DVD)It's 1972, and you have tickets to hear Herb Ellis, Joe Pass, Ray Brown and Jake Hanna at the Concord Jazz Festival. You won’t ever forget it. You can be there, with this high resolution disc that goes in your DVD.

Rhythm Willie (24/96DVD) �Guitarists Herb Ellis and Freddie Green, With bassist Ray Brown and others. This is an uncompressed 24 bit 96 kHz disc that can be played on any video DVD player. Awesome!

Trio (24/96 DVD) �Pianist Monty Alexander with Herb Ellis and Ray Brown. “Makes CD sound seem as if it’s coming through a drinking straw.” Playable on any DVD player, uncompressed.

Seven Come Eleven (24/96 DVD)Herb Ellis and Ray Brown again, but this time with guitarist Joe Pass (he and Ellis alternate playing lead and rhythm), and a third guitarist, Jake Hanna. This is a live recording from the 1974 Concord Jazz Festival.

Soular Energy (24-96 DVD/ 24-192 DVD-Audio) �Perhaps the world’s greatest bassist, the late Ray Brown, playing with pianist Gene Harris, whom Brown called one of the greats. The proof is right on this 24/96 recording, made from the analog master. Side 2 has a 24/192 DVD-A version.

KLAVIERPoetics (CD) �A superb wind band recording which includes a breathtaking concerto for percussion.

Ghosts (CD) �This haunting(!) wind band recording features a suite of music that could be the soundtrack to a film that will keep you awake nights. A recording of astonishing dynamics and depth

Caprice (CD) �Can harp be spectacular? Believe it! This famous Klavier recording features Susann McDonald playing Fauré, Glinka and Liszt, is a pow-erhouse! Engineered by Keith Johnson, a great transfer by Bruce Leek.

Sonatas for Flute and Harp These same great artists with sonatas by Krumpholz and Damase, as well as Spohr and Glinka. Oh yes, and a spectacular solo harp version of Ibert’s hilarious Entr’acte .

Norman Dello Joio (CD) �This contemporary composer delights in the tactile sound of the wind band, and the Keystone Wind Ensemble does his music justice. So does the sound, of astonishing quality!

Carmina Burana (CD)The celebrated Carl Orff oratorio sends chills down your spine, thanks to the huge orchestra, gigantic choir, and of course the clarity and depth of the Klavier sound.

Obseción (CD)The Trio Amadé plays Piazzola, Berstein, Copland, and Emilion Cólon…who is the trio cellist. The Colón and Piazzola is definitely worth the price of admission. Lifelike sound.

Misbehavin’ (CD) The superb Denver Brass does Gershwin (Cuban Overture, Porgy and Bess), plus On the Town, Sweet Georgia Brown, and of course Ain’t Misbehavin’. Great sound.

Hemispheres (CD)The North Texas Wind Symphony with new music by contemporary composers who know how to thrill. Some of the best wind band sound available.

Illuminations (CD)Absolutely great chamber musicians take on music by Villa-Lobos, Malcolm Arnold, and some composers you may not know but you’ll wish you did. Sublime sound, nothing less.

Mozart Serenade and Divertimenti (CD)Lowell Graham (of Center Stage fame, Wilson Audio) conducts a glowing version of these pieces, including the famous “Grand Partita.” The engineering, by Bruce Leek, is absolutely first-rate.

Kickin’ the Clouds Away (CD)Gershwin died more than 60 years ago, but you can hear him playing piano in glowing stereo. Nineteen of his pieces are on this fine CD, including a solo piano version of the Rhapsody in Blue.

FIRST/LAST IMPRESSIONSLa Fille Mal Gardée (XRCD)A fine ballet with the Royal Ballet Company orchestra, from the original 1962 Decca recording. Exceptional

Film Spectacular II (XRCD)The orchestra of Stanley Black plays some of the greatest film music of bygone years. From the original Decca Phase 4 tape.

Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante (XRCD)Igor and David Oistrakh with the Moscow Philharmonic, in a glorious 1963 recording, from the original master tape

Artistry oi Linda Rosenthal (HDCD) �The great violinist Rosenthal plays favorites: Hora Staccato, Perpe-tuum Mobile, Debussy’s Beau Soir, etc.

Suite Española (XRCD) �The Albéniz suite, gorgeously orchestrated by Rafael Frühbeck de

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Burgos, who conducts the New Philharmonia. Beautifully remastered from the original 1963 tape.

Audiophile Reference IV (SACD) �A stunning sampler, with recognizable audiophile selections you have never heard sound this good!

Songs My Dad Taught Me (HDCD)Jazz pianist Jeremy Monteiro and three other musicians, with a retro collection of unforgettable tunes.

A Time for Us (HDCD)Orchestral versions of music from great movies. Easy to love!.

Café Blue (HDCD/CD) �Gold HDCD version of jazz singer Patricia Barber’s 1994 classic, an audiophile underground favorite. Or get the original CD, at lower cost.

MISCELLANEOUSAll We Need to Know �Jazz singer Margie Gibson’s first album since Say It With Music, on Sheffield. No one sings the way she does!

Classica d’OroAll of the classical world’s most important heritage, on 50 audiophile-quality gold CDs, at under $4 per CD. Fine artists from Germany, Austria, the UK, Eastern Europe. Listen to excerpts on line.

Blues for the Saxophone Club (HDCD) �Swing jazz pianist Jeremy Monteiro, with guest artists, including saxophonist Ernie Watts. The HDCD sound is explosive!

Only Trust Your Heart (HDCD)Intimate sax variations by Greg Fishman, wonderfully accompanied by the excellent pianist Jeremy Monteiro.

Neil Diamond: Serenade (CD)Just eight songs on this European CBS disc, but what songs! I’ve Been This Way Before, Lady Magdalene, Reggae Strut, The Gift of Song, and more. Glowing sound too.

Harry Belafonte (CD)We haven’t heard Belafonte sound like this except on analog. The 16 songs include Island in the Sun, Jamaica Farewell, Midnight Special, Michael Row the Boat Ashore, Brown Skin Girl, etc.

Sources (CD) �A wonderful recording by Bïa (pronounced Bee-yah). She’s Brazilian, lives in France, recorded this terrific album (in 5 languages!) in Montreal. Just her warm voice and guitar, plus a handful of other fine musicians. Sound to match.

La mémoire du vent (CD)The original recording by Bïa, in French, Portuguese and English. If you love her second one, don’t hesitate.

Carmin (CD) �The third by Bïa. Different this time, with more money for production, but it has been spent wisely. Superb songs, gloriously sung in Portu-guese, French and the ancient Aymara language.

Coeur vagabond (CD)Bïa sings French songs in Portuguese, Brazilian songs in French. A delight, as usual from this astonishing singer

Audiophile (CD) �The CD release of Secret of the Andes, the Nautilus disc we wouldn’t review a speaker without. Pianist Victor Feldman and a whole set of jazz greats. Second LP, Soft Shoulder, also included

Nightclub (CD) �Patricia Barber, doing nightclub standards rather than her own songs. But can she do them!

Modern Cool (CD)The previous release from Patricia Barber, including songs she does live on the Companion live disc (see below).

Les matins habitables (CD)Acadian singer Marie-Jo Thério sings (mostly) in French. Includes a stunning version of Évangeline, about the deportation of the Acadians two and a half centuries ago.

Payment by VISA or MasterCard, cheque or money order (in Canada). All merchandise is guaranteed unless explicitly sold “as is.” Certain items (the Super Antenna, the EAC line filter, and most standard-length cables) may be returned within 21 days less shipping cost. Other items may be subject to a restocking charge. Defective recordings will be exchanged for new copies.

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VINYL ALBUMSBeachcomber RR-62 35.00Blazing Redheads RR-26 25.00Dick Hyman — Fats Waller RR-33 25.00Fennell Favorites RR-43 25.00Good Stuff (2 LP) LP19603 55.00Holst RR-39 25.00Jazz at the Pawnshop 7778-79 65.00Just like Love LP20002 29.95Levande 7917 24.00Peder af Ugglas LP22042 29.95Serendipity RR-20 30.00Showcase LP20000 29.95Spirit and the Blues (2 LP) LP19401 55.00Test Record No.4 OPLP9200 35.00The Oxnard Sessions RR-53 25.00Trittico RR-52 32.00Vinyl Essentials LP003 48.95

NEW MEDIAAcross the Bridge of Hope CD22012 29.95An American Requiem RR-97CD 22.00Antiphone Blues (SACD) 7744SACD 42.00Audiophile Reference IV SACD 029 40.00Beethoven/Mendelssohn 5186 102 29.95Brazilian Soul (DVD) HRM2009 29.95 Cantate Domino (SACD) PSACD7762 29.95Conc. for Double Bass (SACD) CD8522 29.95Good Stuff (SACD) CD19623 29.95Jazz at the Pawnshop (SACD) FIM-JZ 82.00Jazz at the Pawnshop 2 (SACD) PRSACD7079 35.00Jazz/Concord (DVD) HRM2006 29.95Just Like Love (SACD) CD21002 29.95Mississipi Magic (SACD) AQSACD1057 29.95Musica Sacra (SACD) CD19516 29.95Now the Green Blade Riseth PRSACD9093 29.95Once Upon a Time… (DVD) ANDVD 9 8720 34.00Organ Treasures (SACD) CD22031 29.95Peder af Ugglas (SACD) CD22042 29.95Rhythm Willie (Audio DVD) HRM2010 29.95Seven Come Eleven (DVD) HRM2005 29.95Showcase (SACD) CD21000 29.95Showcase 2005 (SACD) CD22050 29.95Soular Energy (DVD/DVD-A) HRM2011 29.95Spirit & the Blues (SACD) CD19411 29.95Tchaikovsky: Symph. #6 (SACD) 5186 107 29.95Test CD 4 (SACD) CD19420 29.95Tiny Island (SACD) CD19824 29.95Trio (Audio DVD) HRM2008 29.95Unique Classical Guitar (SACD). CD22062 29.95Unmarked Road (SACD) AQ1046SACD 29.95Whose Truth, Whose Lies? AQ1054SACD 29.95

COMPACT DISCS20th Anniversary Celebration CD19692 24.9530th Anniversary Sampler RR-908 19.95A Los Ancestros AN 2 9807 21.00Alleluía AN 2 8810 21.00All We Need to Know GG-1 21.00American Requiem RR-97CD 19.95Antiphone Blues 7744CD 24.95Artistry of Linda Rosenthal FIM022VD 27.95A Time for Us FIM051 27.95

Audiophile jvcxr-0016-2 58.00Bach: Coffee Cantata FL 2 3136 21.00Bach Sonatas, violin & harpsi. AN 2 9829 21.00Bach Suites, Airs & Dances FL 2 3133 21.00Beachcomber RR-62CD 19.95Best of Chesky & Test, vol.3 JD111 24.95Best of the Red Army Chorus AN 2 8800 21.00Beethoven: Hammerklavier FL 2 3187 21.00Beethoven Symph. 5 & 6 AN 2 9891 21.00Blues for the Saxophone Club 26-1084-78-2 24.95Bluesquest AQCD1052 24.95Bossa Nova JD129 24.95Brahms Lieder AN 2 9906 21.00Bruckner: Symph. No.9 RR-81CD 19.95Café Blue 21810 24.95Café Blue (HDCD gold) CD 010 55.00Cantabile AN 2 9810 21.00Cantate Domino 7762CD 24.95Caprice K11133 24.00Carmin ADCD10163 21.00Carmina Burana K 11136 24.00Classica d’Oro (50 CDs) GCM-50 179.95Come to Find AQCD1027 24.95Come Love CD19703 24.95Companion 22963 21.00Coeur vagabond ADCD 21.00Concertos for Double Bass OPCD8502 24.95Copland Symphony No.3 RR-93CD 19.95Djembé Tigui SLC9605-2 22.00Drum/Track Record LIM XR 005 45.00Ein Heldenleben RR-83CD 19.95Eybler Quartets AN 2 9914 21.00Fable SLC9603-2 22.00Fantasia AN 2 9819 23.00Felix Hell RR-101CD 19.95Flm Spectacular II XR24 070 45.00French Showpieces FL 2 3151 21.00Fritz Kreisler FL 2 3159 21.00From the Age of Swing RR-59CD 19.95Garden of Dreams RR-108 19.95Ghosts K11150 24.00Gitans Y225035 24.95Good Stuff CD19603 24.95Good Vibes PRCD9058 24.95Graupner: Instr.& Vocal,, v1 FL 2 3162 21.00Graupner: Partitas v.1 FL 2 3109 21.00Graupner: Instr. & Vocal, v2 FL 2 3180 21.00Graupner: Partitas v.2 FL 2 3164 21.00Graupner: Partitas v.3 FL 2 3181 21.00Graupner: Partitas v.4 AN 2 9116 21.00Graupner: Partitas v.5 AN 2 9118 21.00Graupner: Christmas in… AN 2 9115 21.00Graupner Discovery: all 8 CDs GDP-8 157.00Growing up in Hollywood Town LIM XR 001 45.00Handel FL 2 3137 21.00Harry Belafonte 295-037 19.95Hemispheres K11137 25.95Illuminations K11135 25.95Infernal Violins AN 2 8718 21.00It’s Right Here For You CD19404 24.95Jazz at the Pawnshop PRCD-7778 24.95Jazz at the Pawnshop 2 PRCD9044 24.95Jazz/Vol.1 JD37 24.95

Keep on Movin’ AQCD1031 24.95Kickin’ the Clouds Away K77031 24.00La Fille Mal Gardée XR24 013 45.00La mémoire du vent ADCD10144 21.00Les matins habitables GSIC-895 21.00Levande OPCD7917 24.95Leyrac chante Nelligan AN 2 8815 21.00Liszt-Laplante FL 2 3030 21.00Little Notebook of Anna M. Bach FL 2 3064 21.00Masters of Flute & Harp KCD11019 24.00Medinah Sessions RR-2102 19.95Mendelssohn: 2 Violin Conc. FL 2 3098 21.00Mendelssohn: Cello & Piano FL 2 3166 21.00Misbehavin’ K77034 24.00Modern Cool 741-2 24.95Mozart: Auernhammer Sonatas AN 2 9823-4 27.50Mozart: Sinfonia Concertante XR24 069 43.00Mozart: Soprano Arias FL 2 3131 21.00Musica Sacra CD19506 24.95Musique Guy St-Onge SLC9700-2 22.00Musiques d’Europe centrale 88001 24.95Neil Diamond: Serenade 465012-2 17.95Nightclub 27290 24.95Nojima Plays Liszt RR-25CD 19.95Non-Stop to Brazil JD29 24.95Norman Dello Joio K11138 24.00Nota del Sol AN 2 9817 21.00Now the Green Blade Riseth PRCD9093 24.95Obseción K11134 25.95Only Trust Your Heart 170702-03-2 24.95Opera for Two FL 2 3076 21.00Pauline Viardot-Garcia AN 2 9903 21.00Poetics K11153 24.00Pomp&Pipes RR-58CD 17.95Ports of Call RR-80CD 19.95Requiem RR-57CD 19.95Rio After Dark JD28 24.95Romantic Pieces FL 2 3191 21.00Romanzas V4818 24.95Sans Domicile Fixe 19012-2 24.95Say It With Music CD-36 24.95Sketches of Standard PRCD 9036 24.95Songs My Dad Taught Me FIM0009 27.95Sources ADCD10132 21.00Spirit and the Blues CD19401 24.95Styles SLC9604-2 22.00Suite Española XR24 068 45.00Swing is Here RR-72CD 17.95Telemann Sonatas for 2 Violins FL 2 3085 21.00Test CD 5 CD20000 24.95The Hot Club of San Francisco CCD-1006 24.95Tres Americas SLC9602-2 22.00Trittico RR-52CD 19.95Tutti RR-906CD 19.95Ultimate Demonstration Disc UD95 22.00Villa-Lobos FL 2 3051 21.00Violonchelo Español AN 2 9897 21.00Vivace AN 2 9808 21.00Vivaldi: Motets for Soprano FL 2 3099 21.00Vivaldi: Per Archi FL 2 3128 21.00World Keys RR-106 19.95Yerba Buena Bounce RR-109 19.95You Can’t Take My Blues AQCD1041 24.95

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A poignant music pierces the screen. Sitting in darkness we are sur-prised, even stunned, by this sudden intrusion on our con-

sciousness. Be it tragic or luminous, this musical segment which transcends the dialogue will henceforth be associated with this film. We will have but to hear the title, and the haunting melody will be running through our minds once again. We will recall the names of prodigious composers who have, through the harmonica, given the Seventh Art another dimension: Ennio Morricone (Sergio Leone’s A Fistful ofDollars, John Williams (Steven Spielberg’s Sugarland Express), Dimitri Tiomkin(HighNoon), Nino Rota (Coppola’s TheGodfather), not to mention the “Mozart of the screening room,” Georges Delerue (SteelMagnolias). In memory of these unforgettable scores

and those who created them, let us for a moment become “harmoniphiles,” and seek to discover more about this instrument whose sound we have learned to love.

*** Strangeisthestoryofafatherwhogavebirthtoacelebratedmusicinstru-ment, but of whom we have retainedthenameand littlemore.Yet itwas afinestory.Remember?Theorgan?Theaccordion?Thetimehascometolifttheveilfromtheendofthestory,whichisintruthitsbeginning.Areyoufollowingme?

ItisonceagaintoChinathatweowearevolutionary invention, this time inthe domain of musical instruments.Thousandsofyearsago,inanattempttofashionamechanismforanewwindinstrument, someone in China cameupwithavibratingbladewhichmovedwhenoneblewonit.Theyusedthisfree reedastheheartofaninstrumentknownasthesheng. Did you know that without thisinventionawholeseriesofwindinstru-mentswouldn’texist?That’sthecaseofthe clarinet, the saxophone, the oboe,thebassoon,thebagpipe,theaccordion,the concertina, themelodica, thehar-monium,andeventheclassicalorgan,some of whose pipes are fitted withreeds. Much thanks to this ingeniouspeoplewhoalsogaveusink,porcelain,thecompass(themagneticoneandtheonethatdrawscircles),andfireworks. Thetinyshengtraveledalongwayacross thecenturiesbeforearriving inSt.Petersburg,whereitistheobjectofmuchcuriosity.AtatimewhenEuropeissearchingfornewmusicalinstruments,thefreereedisstudiedwithdiligence,asistheshengitself. Around 1820, a 16-year old clock-maker named Christ ian FriedrichLudwig Buschmann invents a windinstrument he calls the aura. Had heseenasheng?Nodoubt,buttheyouth,who has learned a great deal aboutmusical instruments by watching hisfather Johan, is so delighted with thesoundofhisinstrumentthathefilesforapatent. The aura amazes everyone by thenoveltyofitsconcept.Itisbarely10cmlong.Thoughitproducesaseriesofnotesarranged chromatically, it possesses agood dynamic range. It also allows anotetobesustained,whichwasthenanovelty.Forthemomenttheyoungmanusesittoplaymelodiesaccompaniedbyhis father’s invention,theterpodion,asortofreedorgan.Hisaura isquicklyimitated. The news filters down, despite thebarriersofwarzonesandstagecoachesboggeddownondirtroads,toaBohe-mianinstrumentmaker,whosetsouttoimprovetheaura.By1826hehasbuiltanewinstrumentwith10openingsand20reeds,mountedoneithersideofacedar

The Harmonicaby Reine Lessard

The lowly mouth organ, it turns out, ain’t so lowly

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blockcalledacomb.Thecombservesasa separation, so thatone reed vibrateswhen one blows, and another whenonedrawsinone’sbreath.Hecallshisinstrument themundharmonika,whichwillbecometheharmonica.ThismodelisstillcalledtheRichterdiatonic. Richtersubsequentlydiscoversthatifheinstallstworeedsinthesamehole,hecanreduce the instrument’s size toafewcentimeters,liketheoneonthispage. But the small dimensionsof theharmonica remove it from contentionas a serious musical instrument, andunexpectedly it becomes, instead, anitem of jewelry hung about the necksoffineladies.Noblesallwantone,thewell-to-dohavetheminstalledintheircanes,eventhePopereceivesoneasagift,andthemaniacontinues. The enthusiasm convinces anotherclockmaker, from the Black Forest,Christian Messner, to buy auras fromBuschmannandgointolimitedproduc-tion of the musical jewelry. To makethem truly attractive they need somesortof cover.Messnergetsonesmadeby his neighbor, one Mattias Höhner,whichhethendecorates.

Cherchez la femme… While Mattias is busy making allthoseharmonicacoversforMessnertodecorate, his wife fires up her mentalcalculator.Onafinemorning in1855,sheannouncesherconclusion.“Why,”she says, “don’t you start manufactur-ing these instruments yourself?” Hedoes,buthisinstrumentsarelessornatethanMessner’s,andHöhnerfindslittlemarketforwhatisstillconsideredtobejewelry. Itisatimeofgreatwavesofimmigra-tiontowardtheUnitedStates: franco-Acadians,anglo-Irish,Spaniards,Poles,ItaliansandGermans,allbringingtheirtraditions and of course their music.Nearlyallhave,intheirbaggage,oneofthefirstwaveofdiatonicharmonicas,whosesounddelightsallwhohearit. NowitsohappensthatHöhnerhasa cousin in America, and he reasonsthat since Americans have never seenMessner’sfancierhandiwork,theywillnotbeapttomakeunfavorablecompari-sons.Heshipsseveralinstrumentstohiscousin,andthistimesuccessawaitshim.

Helaunchesproductionofmassmarketharmonicas.SixhundredHöhnerhar-monicasaresoldthefirstyear,andthevolumekeepsgrowing.Soproductiveishethatheactuallycornersthemarket. (Bynowthemundharmonikaiscalledsimply the harmonica, and I shall usethattermfromhereon.) The harmonica brings pleasure tomillions the world over. It becomes afavoriteofthetraveler,thelumberjack,theexplorerandthefurtrapper,foritismoreportablethanaguitaryetitoffersdiversepossibilities. To compensate for the missing“black”notesinthediatonicharmonica,Höhner in 1920 invents a pushbuttonmodel,thechromaticharmonica.Ithastworowsofholes,butthemusicianusesonlyoneatatime.Normallytheinstru-mentplaystheDMajorscale,butwhenthebuttonispushedandthesecondrowofholesisuncovered,itplayssharps,andthusthescaleofDSharpMajor.Ittakesbutfourholestocoveranoctaveineitherkey. Therearealsoholesproducingtwonotes, called enharmonic. An examplewouldbeDSharpandEFlat,orFSharpand G Flat. To the ear the differenceis not audible, but the harmonica canproducethem. All that is very well, but there is asmall problem: the instrument is notairtight, and therefore air can escapefromitinsteadofflowingpastthereed.Avalveoffineleather,orlaterofplastic,isaddedtopreventtheairfromescaping.

A well deserved promotion Whetherwediscussamusicalinstru-mentoranartisticor literarywork, itseemsthatunlessitiscomplexitwon’tget any respect. For that reason, thesimpleinstrumentthatistheharmonicawill long be considered a second rateinstrument.Itis,afterall,cheap,smallenoughforapocket,andeasytolearn.Are those good reasons to look down

onit?OnedayaphilosopherIshallnotidentify—yes,aphilosopher!—statedthat he had consideration only for“noble”instruments.Andwhatinstru-mentsmightthosebe?“Instrumentsyoudon’tputinyourmouth,”hereplied. Somuchfortheclarinet,thebassoonandtheflute,then! All joking aside, let us renounceprejudices. If an instrument can placeyou in the balance between smile andtear,oritcanleadyouintoafrighteningcharge,oritcanbeaheraldofturbulenceortragedy,ifitcansetupunbearablesus-pense,thenintherighthandsitbecomesalmostafullorchestra.Theharmonicahasbeen thefirst instrumentofmanya self-taught genius, it has inspiredpassionate composers, it has been theinstrumentofnumerousvirtuososwhohavedazzledandcharmedus. Butwhoare they?Whereare they?Letustearafewsecretsfromthevaultofhistory…

Credit where credit is due Thefirst“name”harmonicaplayer,from1860,isnoneotherthanAbrahamLincoln.According tohisbiographershelovedtoplaytheharmonica,aswellastheJew’sharp(probablyacorruptionofjaw harp).Itissaidthatbeforeoneofhismanydebatesagainsthisadversary,StephenArnoldDouglas,friendswarnedhimthatDouglaswouldbeaccompaniedbyabrassband.Unperturbed,Lincolnreached into his pocket. “I have myharmonica,”hesaid. Andin1855,itissaidthepresidentofHöhnerinGermanyreceivedthefol-lowingletter:“Two of my favorite things are sitting on my front porch smoking a pipe of sweet hemp, and playing my Höhner harmonica. (Signed) Abraham Lincoln. In America in 1865 musical train-ing is reserved for the well-off, but aharmonicacanbehadforapenny,thepricesoaringtoawholenickelby1896.It is the one instrument accessible toall, and it is hardly surprising that itbecomesoneofthesymbolsoftheFarWest,alongwiththeColtrevolverandtheWinchesterrifle. After the American Civil Warcountrymusicaficionadospromotetheharmonicaandcontributeto itsdevel-opment,butitistherecentlyliberated

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Southernslaveswhowillselectitastheirmusicalvehicleandgiveititsflamboy-ance.Here’swhy.Theirmusicishighlyrhythmic, their voices are emotional,andtheyloveimprovisation.Thenotesthey sing, halfway between major andminormodes,nowcalled“blue”notes,cannotbeproducedbyinstrumentssuchas the piano without special tuning.But because one plays the harmonicawith the same muscles that are usedforsinging,itisthedreaminstrument.Betteryet,theharmonicahasasoul!Itiseminentlyexpressive,sincethesoundandtoneofeachnotecanbealteredbytheperformer.Itisquicklyadopted. AtthebeginningtheseAfro-Ameri-can musicians have only diatonic har-monicaswiththe20notesoftheDscale.They must therefore develop breathtechniquestoyieldthenotestheywant.They come up first with a techniquecalledbending,inordertoproducenotesthat the instrument cannot play natu-rally. The technique lets the musiciandropthenotebyatoneandahalf,whichmeans a single hole can produce fourdifferentnotes.Thisisdonebyshapingthe mouth so that the reed’s naturalnote slides toward another note. Ourself-taughtmusiciansobservetheresultandtheyareastounded. Therearestillnotesmissing,how-ever, and they are added by anothertechnique, overblowing, invented bythe talented pianist Howard Levy,whoisfrustratedbytheideathatnotesshouldbemissingfromaninstrument.Overblowingistheoppositeofbending,causing the pitch of the high-pitchedreedinaholetorisehigheryet.Withtheadditionofthattechniquethediatonicharmonicaisnearlycomparabletothechromatic,butof coursenoteveryonesharesthesespecialskills. Afro-Americans will be the great-est proponents of the harmonica, andthankstotheBlues itwillbe imposedasanessentialinstrument. ButbacktoHöhner.Hisproductionmaybehuge,butthesevereeconomicdepressionofthe1890’shitshimhard,tippinghisenterpriseintothered.Ishediscouraged? His exceptional market-ingskillsrescuehim,andhesetsaboutcreatingdistinctmodels foraclienteleinternationally, each accompanied by

aninstructionmanualinthelocallan-guage.Thestrategyworks,andHöhnerharmonicas can be heard around theworld. ThebestknownofthesecustomizedinstrumentsisofcoursetheeverpopularMarine Band, which virtually everychild— me certainly, you too prob-ably—hashadinhisorherhands.Thesmalldiatonicinstrumentislaunchedin1896andisnamedfortheUSMarineBand, which from 1880 to 1892 hadbecomeknownaroundtheworldunderthe direction of “The March king,”John Philip Sousa (inventor of thesousaphone). In1930SousawritesThe Harmonica Wizardforharmonicaband,whichheconductstothedelightofothercomposersandawidepublic.

Classicalmusic,jazz,musette,Blues,moodmusic,soundeffects—allcanbeplayedwiththeharmonica.Howoftentheharmonicahasbeenusedtosimulatethesoundofa train,orevenahuman

voice. In the late 19th Century it wasnoticedthattheharmonicacouldimitatethesoundofwhatwasthenthelatestintransportation, the steam locomotive.Drawingandblowing,holdinganote,cleverly using one’s jaw, tongue andhands,onecouldevoketherhythm,thepuffingandeventhewhistleofasteamengine.Thatsuchatinyandunprepos-sessinginstrumentiscapableofallthatisastounding. The earliest harmonica recordingsdate back to the early 20’s, by whichtimethereareharmonicabandswithasmanyas120members.NewYorkCityCollege is thefirst institution toofferadegreeprograminmusictheoryandperformanceforharmonicaplayers. Becausetheharmonicacanevokesomanymoods,filmmakersoftencallontheverybestcomposerstowritefortheinstrument, favoring, of course, thosewho are at ease with it. The compos-ers,inturn,requisitiontheservicesoftop harmonicists. Since harmonicistsnumberinthemillions,forgivemeifIskimonlyafewoffthetop.

The great harmonicists of France InFranceinthe1950’s,oftenconsid-eredthegoldenageof theharmonica,Albert Raisner has a passion for theinstrument.HefoundstheTrio Raisner,producesandhostsradioandTVbroad-casts,andalsocomposesmusicforfilm.Achampion inhis countryand in the

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worldofharmonicaingeneral,hefoundsthe CHARM…which stands, perhapsyou’veguessed,forClub de l’harmonica.

Also in France, the consummatecontemporary harmonicist Jean Labreisamasterofallharmonicatypes.HeisthewinneroftheCoupe de France de l’harmonicaandtheCoupe Europe 1.Heis a producer, author and publisher aswell as a performer. It is he who toldusaboutamajorconcertinBadElster,Germany, last February 3rd, in whichmasterharmonicistHowardLevyplayedhisConcerto for Diatonic Harmonica and Symphony Orchestra. In1952ClaudeGardenplays,attheageof15,beforetheCHARMinParis.Imagine this youth, accompanied onpianobyhismother,playingMozart’sTurkish March with virtuosity andexceptional sensitivity, before a raptaudience. Claudequicklyfindsaplacewithinthemusicalelite.Radiobroadcasts,con-certsandrecordsmultiplyatafreneticrhythm,slowedonlybytheascendancyof rock music and particularly theBeatles.Eventhatisnottheendofthestory, however. Fascinated by jazz, heexploresitsmanyfacetswiththegreat-estsingersandmusiciansofFranceandtheUnitedStates. His recordings andhisNorthAmericantourfeatureanewformat:aharmonica-guitarduet.Heisadulatedeverywhere,despitehisrathersullendemeanor. Withhisadvice,Suzukicreatesinhishonorthe“MagicGarden”harmonica.

Majorcomposerswriteforhim:DariusMilhaud, Henri Sauguet (the Garden Concerto),AstorPiazzola,andCanadiancomposer François Dompierre (hisHarmonica Flash, with Dutoit and theOrchestre Symphonique de Montréal,isavailableonaDeutscheGrammophonCD). In1957threehighschoolstudentsinDijongettogethertoplayatalocalcel-ebration,andsubsequentlyformtheTrio Frank.Within twoyears theybecomechampions in the France HarmonicacompetitionwithaChopinWaltz,andthesameyeartheyrepresentFranceinInnsbruck,wheretheyplaytheobliga-toryRaisnerHarmonica Concertino,andthentheirchosenpiece,theoverturetoBoieldieu’sCalife of Baghdad.Theywin,withcongratulationsofthejury.

The Americans Theyarelegion.SonnyTerry(1911-1986),bornSaundersTerrell,isexposedtomusicatatenderage,sincehisfatheris a talented folk harmonicist. Twoaccidents leave him nearly blind. It isnatural for him to turn his attentiontohisfather’sinstrument.Hebecomespopular in 1938 with his participationintheconcertFrom Spirituals to SwinginCarnegieHall.Inthelate50’sheiscaughtup in the folkmusicwave, andforms a duet with guitarist BrownieMcGhee.

Together they tour and turn out anumber of LPs of acoustic music. Hisjoyous cries punctuating the hoarsesound of his instrument captivateaudiences. Jewish harmonicist Larry Adler isborninBaltimorein1914.ThoughhestudiesmusicandpianoatthePeabody

School of Music, he sets out to teachhimself the harmonica. His virtuositygetshimnoticed,andhe turnsprobythetimeheis16.Heundertakesacareerinthemovies,undercontractwithPara-mount.PerformancesatCarnegieHalland tours of Europe, the Middle EastandSouthAfricabringhim fame.Heturnstocomposition,modelinghimselfonhishero,GeorgeGershwin.MovinginthecirclesofChaplin,Garbo,AstaireandDali,heissomeonetobereckonedwith.

In 1949, however, finding himselfonJosephMcCarthy’sinfamousblack-list, he leaves for England. There theillustrious composer Ralph VaughanWilliams writes for him the Romance in D Flat Major, aremarkablepieceforharmonica,pianoandstrings. Alongwithclassicalandjazzpieces,he also writes for f ilm. Under thenameMuirMathieson,becauseof theblacklist,hewritesthescoreforHenryCornelius’Genevieveand isnominatedforanOscarin1955. His swansongcomes in1998withaMercuryalbumofmusicbyhishero,Gershwin,forproducerGeorgeMartin.Hediesin2001attheageof87. Bornin1914inTennesseeJohnLee(SonnyBoy)Williamsonloseshisfatherwhenheisbutababy.Heisbroughtupbyhismother,whogiveshimaharmonicaforChristmaswhenheis11.Thoughheworkshardonhismother’sfarm,onhisfreetimehelistenstorecordsonawind-upplayerandattemptstoreproducewhathehearsonhisharmonica.Bytheageof16heisjammingallaroundTennesseeandArkansas,andin1934hemovestotheWindyCity,whichisalsothehomeoftheBlues. He is an accompanist initially, but

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he is soon playing his owncompositions,someofwhicharedestinedtobecomeBluesclassics. His first recording,Good Morning Little Schoolgirl,ontheBluebirdlabelin1937,is greeted with enthusiasmand launcheshis reputation,especially because of spe-cial techniques that will bewidely imitated: squeezednotesandaharmonicatech-nique known as cross harp.Sofreneticishisrhythmthathe puts a cushion under hisfeetsothattheirbeatingonthestagewon’tbeheard.(Asweshallsee,alaterCanadianharmonicistwillchoosetodotheexactopposite.) He dies at the peak ofhis career, at the age of 34,murdered on his way homefromagig. A rthur “Pegleg” SamJackson is an original andpicturesque eccentric notgiventotheleastconcession.Heisontheroadbypuberty,working as a cook aboard ashiporasashoeshiner.Heisnotafraidtotravelby jumpingfreighttrains,apracticethatcostshimalegandearnshimhisnickname. We know little about him, beyondhisdateandplaceofbirth(1922inSouthCarolina)andthoseofhisdeath(1977inthesameplace).HeisAfro-American,withnoknownroots,ofobscureorigin,self-taught. Social conventions meannothing to him. A singer, actor andharmonicist, he sometimes plays twoharmonicasatonce.Theystillspeakofhisprowessasaperformer,hisnumerousvariations,hisskillatbendingnotes,hisimitationsoflocomotivesandthesoundsofnature,aswellasavibratothatwasentirelyhisown. Virtuoso of v irtuosos, JacksonbecomesoneofthegreatestharmonicistsinBlueshistory.Heisinmuchdemandasanentertainer,touringwithfairs,car-nivalsandmedicineshows.Youcanseehim,atoneofhislastconcertsinNorthCarolina in1972, inTomDavenport’sfilmBorn for Hard Luck.It’savailableonDVD.Youcanalsogetaglimpseofhim,

dancing despite his pegleg in the filmAmélie From Montmartre,whenAméliepreparesavideotapefortheartistwhoisherdownstairsneighbor.

I can’t ignore Toots Thielemans,a harmonicist who, now at the age of86, can still plunge his audience intodreamynostalgia.Heisanimmortal,aself-taughtmusician recognizedas theworld’s most accomplished jazz har-monicist.Onhisminusculechromaticinstrument, he can produce the most

complex harmony, the mostsurprisingnotes.Born in Brussels in 1922,Jean-Baptiste Frédéric IsidorThielemansbeginstoplaytheaccordion when he is three,beforetakinguptheguitarandthentheharmonica.DuringtheGermanOccupation,hemeetsjazz guitarist Django Rein-hardt,andfromthenonhewillliveforjazzalone.AtourwithBennyGoodmanin1959giveshiminternationalprominence.He moves to the US in 1952,and in1962hispieceBluesetteisaworldwidehit.Playingconcerts,recordingwith top artists on the mostprestigiouslabels,healsowritesforandperformsinfilmswhoseverytitlescalluptheemotionofhismusic:Midnight Cowboy,and Sugarland Expressnotably.InthetwoFrenchfilmsJean de FloretteandManon of the Spring,he plays to poignant effect atroubling arrangement of amelody fromVerdi’soperaLa Forza del Destino.He receives many honors,

includingthetitleofBaronbestowedbytheKingofBelgium.InMarchoflastyeartherewasaconcertinhishonoratCarnegieHall,The Magic of Toots.

Marion “Little Walter” Jacobs isa small child when he begins playingwaltzes and polkas on his harmonica.Leaving school at 12 he goes througha series of odd jobs and wanders thestreetsandbarsofNewOrleans,wherehebecomespopular.HearrivesinChi-cagoattheageof15toearnhislivingasaguitaraccompanist,butitisalready

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clearthatitiswiththeharmonicathatheishappyandwillbecomeknown. One day he discovers the music ofharmonicistSonnyBoyWilliamsonandtherecordingsofJumpBluessaxophon-istLouisJordan.HelearnsJordan’ssolosnote by note and reproduces them onhisharmonica.Heisstunningtohear,developing a revolutionary techniqueallowingperformancesbeyondwhat isthenconsideredpossible.Heisthefirstharmonicist to use a microphone notonlytoamplifythesoundofhisinstru-ment but to produce new sounds andsoniceffects.Heiswellaheadofhistimeinusingamplifierdistortionasamusicalelement. Jacobs changes the vocabulary oftheharmonicainBluesandBluesrock.In 1952, his recording of Juke is thefirstharmonicainstrumentaltofinditswayontotheR&Bcharts,whereitwillremaineightweeks. Alas,hisaddictiontothebottletakesaway his best chances. Along with hisviolent temper, alcoholoftengetshiminto dangerous battles. It is after onesuchfightthathedies,in1968,attheageof38.HismusicisontheChesslabel. Bornin1944inMississippi,CharlieMusselwhite grows up in Memphis,where he is plunged very young intothat city’sdiversifiedculture.He livesonthestreets,wherehecanrunacrosssuch rockabilly legends as JohnnyBurnettandSlimRhodes.HeleavesforChicagowhenheis18tolookforwork,hisharmonicainhispocket.Therehediscovers Urban Blues and becomes amuchsought-aftersessionsplayer. He too has a problem with thebottle, but some years later he stopsdrinkingandhiscareer is reborn,andcloseddoorsopenforhimonceagain.Hebecomesoneof thegreatestwhiteBluesharmonicists.Hehisadmiredforhismusic,andrespectedforhisvictoryover his addiction. Guitarist Big JoeWilliamscalledhimthegreatestlivingBlues harmonicist, “…right up there

with Sonny Boy Williamson, and he’sbeenmyharpplayerever sinceSonnyBoygotkilled.”Amonghisrecordingsis Come to Find with Doug McLeod(AudioquestAQCD1027).

Japan TheharmonicamadeanimpressiveentryintotheLandoftheRisingSuninthelastcenturywithHideroSatoh,a double-reed diatonic player whobecame the idolofmillions,marryingthetremoloharmonicawithtraditionalinstruments. AsforJukoSaito,heactuallyinventedanewvariationontheharmonica, thepentatonic tremolo.Completelydifferentfromotherinstruments,itoffersascaleofonlyfivenotes.Thediatonichassevennotes,thechromatichas12.

Quebec Thereisapaintingof1890byQuebecartistOziasLeductitledL’enfant au pain.Itshowsayoungboyseatedatthedinnertableand…playingtheharmonica. Quebec saw a number of fabulousharmonicistswhobecameknownacrossCanada and abroad. Henri Lacroixrecordedanumberof78’s.MaryTravers,betterknown,asLa Bolduc,whowasa30’srecordingstarforheryodelingstyleofsinging,wasalsoafineharmonicist.

Inourownday,JimZellerbeganplay-ingtheharmonicaat12andbecameacelebrated accompanist of the greatestnamesinBlues. Then there is Alain Lamontagne,whosepicture is found in thesepages,sincehegenerouslygavemeofhistimetohelpmedevelopthisarticle. Lamontagnebeginsplayingwhenheisonlyseven.Bythetimeheis13heislisteningtotherecordingsofthegreatharmonicists,originatorsofmanyofthetechniqueshewishestolearn:SonnyBoyWilliamson, Louis Blanchette, AldorMorinandothers.Likethem,hewillbeself-taught,developingafountofempiri-cal knowledge, and adding techniquesofhisown,suchasthemultipletrill.Incollaboration with another harmonicafan,hedevelopsabest-sellingmethodforbeginners(L’harmonica sans professeur,stillinprintatLes Éditions de l’Homme). Heisamoderntroubadour.“Musicfor the heart, rhythm for the belly,joyous thoughts for thehead.”SosaysLamontagne,whoisalsoacomposerandastoryteller.Thushehasassociatedwiththeharmonicathetellingoftales,andwhathecallspodorhythmie,beatingtimewiththefeet,aswasandisthefashionin the ruralmusicofQuebec. Indeed,he invents a sort of electronic “floor”forthepurpose,thankstograntsfromthe Canada Council and the QuebecMinistryofCulturalAffairs,andwiththecollaborationofMcGillUniversity’sErikJohnstone.Theresultisan“instru-ment”withasoundpickup(bytheway,Google “podorythmie” and check outhow popular Lamontagne’s neologismisbecoming).Withthisinstrument,hisstoriesandhisharmonicas,LamontagnetoursCanadafromseatoseatosea,aswellastheUS,Europe,Africa,Australia,theCaribbeanandJapan.HisrepertoirespansBeethoven’sOde to Joytothemostpopulartraditionaltunes.AscomposerandmusicianhehasrecordedfourCDs,includingSouffleandDe Toute Beauté.Healsowritesforthescreenandthestage,andrecordsaloneorwithothers.

Inside the harmonica Alain Lamontagne underlines thateveryonethinksheknowstheharmon-ica.Whohasn’theldoneandattemptedtodrawmusicfromit?Whohasn’tsat

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aroundacampfireoronthewaterandbeen moved by the sounds— gay ormelancholic— produced by a skilledmusician?Ittakeslittleimaginationtopicture a lonesome traveler forgettinghis solitude with a little harmonicamusic.Yetittakesmuchmoretoreallyknowtheinstrument. The harmonica is a wind instru-ment using free reeds. It is, with thesaxophone,themostexpressiveofwindinstruments.Itistheonlywindinstru-mentthatworksbothways:youcanblowairintoit,ordrawitout. Therearethreetypesofharmonica,thechromatic,theoneplayedbyTootsThielemans, the much older diatonicfavoredbyLamontagne,andthechordorpolyphoniaharmonica,whichplayschords.Lamontagneuses this lastonefor accompaniment and for specialeffects.Inrecordingsessionshewillalsoplaythechromatic,sothathecangivetheexactnotethecomposerwants.Hisreputation,however, restsonhismas-teryofthediatonic.“Noharmonicistisequallygoodwithallthreeinstruments,”hesays.“Iplayallthree,butIdon’tplaythemallwell.” I s t he ha r mon ica a c ompl e t einstrument? The chromatic harmonica is cer-tainlycompleteinandofitself,capableofproducingfourdifferentnotesfromeachholethankstoitspush-buttonslide.Liketheguitarortheviolin,itcancovertwo,threeorevenfouroctaves,withkeychanges. It is theonewith the richesttimbreandthemostdiversepossibilities.Untilafewdecadesagoitwasconsideredthe only harmonica that could playcomplexmusic,becauseofitsabilitytochange keys. Stars of classical or jazzharmonicaallplaythechromatic. Thediatonic, socalledbecause it islimitedtothenotesofthediatonicscale,isalsocalledtheshort harp,ortheBlues harp.Itismuchmorelimitedthantheguitar,pianoorviolin,instrumentsthatcanplayinanykey.Thediatonicplaysonlyinitsownkey:aDharmonicacanplayonlythenotesoftheDscale.WhenLamontagne plays in concert he willbringseveraldiatonicinstruments,withthekeyofeachclearlymarkedsothathecanfinditquickly.Evenso,hehastwoineachkey,incaseonefails.

Before a concert Lamontagne pre-pareshisinstruments.“It’slikeapianothathasbeensawnintolittlesections,”hesayswithaslysmile.Inhisarsenalhehasa sextet, six juxtaposedharmonicaseachinitsownkey,shownabove. Amongthevariantsthereisasingle-reeddiatonic,withonereedineachhole,with multiple tuning choices (Richterand others). There is the double-reeddiatonic,withtworeedsineachholethatvibrateatthesametime. Atremoloorvibratocanbeobtainedby modulating the sound with one’shands,producinga“wah-wah”effect.Alloftheorgansusedinbreathing—lungs,mouth,tongueandthroat—canbeusedtoalterthesoundoftheharmonica. Inlearningtheharmonicatheplayermust learn to concentrate the mouthmuscles inorder toblow into justoneholeatatime,inordertoplayasingle

note.Amusicianwhomastersthistech-niquecanthenplayanyharmonica. Unlikediamondsaharmonicaisnotforever. An actively-played chromaticharmonicahasanactivelifeofjustoneyear,andthediatonicevenless.Fortu-natelythecostoftheinstrumentislow,andonecansimplychangeitratherthanhaveitrepaired. ItiswithgreatenthusiasmthatAlainLamontagnerecommendsthatparentsencourage their children to learn theharmonica.Notonlyisitamagnificentportalon theworldofmusic, but it isevengoodphysicalexerciseforthelips,cheeks, throat, tongue, lower lungs,diaphragm and hands. Drawing air inandout,asonedoesinplayingthehar-monica,hasacalmingeffect.Theyneednotbecomestarsorevenprofessionalstohavetheirlivesenriched,likethelivesofthosearoundthem.

How many people will read this issue?

Youknow,nothingbeatsfree.Thisfreeissuemaynotbecomplete,butitcontainssomuch

(thatis,matterthatdoesn’tlooklikeLatin)thatalotofpeoplegoforit.

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83thousandtimes.Ifwehadadime…

Andinatypicalmonth,anywherefrom35,000to65,000backissuesgetdownloaded.

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Joseph Leopold EyblerEyblerQuartetAnalektaAN29914Lessard: Hardly a year goes by thatsomeone, somewhere, doesn’t discovera forgotten composer. Even Bach wasonce rediscovered,aswasVivaldi, andmore recently Christoph Graupner(seeUHFNo.75).TothislonglistwehadJosephLeopoldEybler(1765-1846),whoperhapsneverreceivedthefamehewouldhavedeserved. JewelsamongsomanyoftheClassi-calera,hisQuartets, Op. 1areplayedbythequartetbearinghisname,withfourfinemusicianswhosharea loveof thecomposer and his works. But who wasJosephEybler? This Austrian composer was ratedbyhisprofessorofcomposition,JohannGeorgAlbrechtsberger,asthegreatestgenius (presumably of the age), afterMozart.Theassertionmayraisedoubtsamong art historians, but there is nodoubt that He was a major composer.HeheldseveralfunctionsattheImpe-rialcourtofViennaoveraspanoftwodecades.Mozartheldhistalentinsuchhighesteemthatheaskedhimtoorga-nizethevocalrehearsalsofCosi fan tutte,which Eybler subsequently conductedseveral times. Mozart wrote him thefollowingrecommendation:

I, the undersigned, attest herewith that I have found the bearer of this, Herr Joseph Eybler, to be a worthy pupil of his famous master Albrechtsberger, a well-grounded composer, equally skilled

at chamber music and the church style, fully experienced in the art of the song, also an accomplished organ and clavier player; in short a young musician such, one can only regret, as so seldom has his equal.

Eybler, for his part, was a faithfulfriendofMozart,whocaredforhimuntilhisdeath.ItwastohimthatConstanzaMozartfirstturnedtofinishhisRequiem.Eyblertooleftitunfinished.ItwaswhenhewasconductingtheRequiemin1833thathesufferedastrokethatendedhiscourtduties.Hewassubsequentlymadeanobleforhisservices. Fromhisimpressivebodyofworks—anopera,hisownrequiemmass,sym-phonies,songs,sacredmusicandmusicfor strings— Analekta has drawnthree quartets that you will hear withdelight. Eybler’sOpus 1wascomposedwhenhewas22,andwasdedicatedtoJosephHaydn, with whom he kept up a sus-tainedcorrespondence.Iwasdrawninby the boldness of the harmonies andthemelodicqualityof themusic.Thequartet ismadeupof twoviolinists, aviolistandacellist,passionateaboutthisrepertoireatthecrossroadsbetweentheBaroqueandClassicalperiods,withanenviablereputationaschamberplayers.Youwillbewonoverbythevivacityoftheirattacks,theimpact,theluminousandlivelyplaying.Therecording,doneat Humbercrest United Church inToronto,deservesaplaceinyourrecordlibrary. AndperhapsinyouriPodtoo,toaddsomecharmtoyourtimeontheroad.

Rachmaninov Symph No. 2Steinberg/PittsburghSymph.HDTTunnumberedRejskind: This is another of thosere-releases from High Definit ionTape Transfers of recordings fromthe 1950’s. The recording is masteredfromthestereotapesthatweremadeby

somelabelsbeforethe45-45stereodiscbecameareality.Theyareoldenoughthat(accordingtoHDTT)theyareinthepublicdomain.Theyaredigitizedin24-bitsat96kHzsamplingrate,thenburnedindividuallyontoaDVD,play-ableonanyDVDplayer.

This recording of the brooding,anguished Rachmaninov symphonywas originally a four-track tape madeby the defunct company Command. Irememberthemwell,becausetheyusedto send me supposedly master-qualitycassettes,copiedontoexpensivecassettetapes. The cassettes sounded awful,whichwasnotreallyasurprise,butIamsadtoreportthatthesameistrueofthisdisc. As I recall the Command sound,it was marked by a particularly grittystringsound,whichwasnotuncommonin classical recording then (now too,when it comes to that), and which isfaithfullyreproducedhere.IwasnevermuchimpressedwithSteinbergasacon-ductor,butthestringsoundwasenoughtofinishmeonhim.HDTTsaysthisisa“longforgotten”recording.Requiescat in pace.

Stravinsky: L’histoire du soldatRobertMandell/ArsNovaHDTTunnumberedRejskind:Nowthat’sbetter!Thishigh-resolutionDVDisfromaWestminsterstereo recordingof the early50’s, andisoneofthefirstmodernstereophonic

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recordings.TheWestminsterlabelwasknown for artistswhowere somewhatunderestimated at the time and wererediscovered only later (conductorHermann Scherchen was one of itsregulars).ArsNova(thenameistakenfrom a “modern” late medieval musicmovement)wasaFrenchensemblesetupbyRobertMandell,ofsomereputationatthetime.

The reputation is not misplaced.This is an exceptional version of theStravinsky tone poem by seven musi-cians, playing trombone, cornet, bas-soon, clarinet, violin, double bass andpercussion.OriginallythisRussianfolktale, featuring a soldier and the devil,includeddanceandnarration(thankfullyomittedhere).Itranaboutanhour,butaconcertversion,laterreorchestratedbyStravinskyhimself,ranabouthalfthatlength,andthatistheversiondonebyArsNova. It is astonishing to think that theoriginal tape is 50 years old and stillsoundslikethis.Andit isnotamastertape, remember, but a mass-producedcopy, probably recorded at quadruplespeed,andwithoutthebenefitofDolbynoisereduction.Itislively,withagor-geousandnaturaltopend,andamazingpresence anddynamics.The acousticsarethatofalargesalonratherthananactualconcerthall.Thebackgroundissilent. It is believed that Ars Nova wasactuallyapick-uporchestra,butifthat’strueMandellgotlucky.I’veheardthisStravinskymusicdoneatrociously,andcertainlynotaswellasthisgroupdoesit. Theonedownside:it’stooshort.

La Fille Mal GardéeOrch.OfRoyalOperaHouseLIMXR24013Lessard:Don’t askme foranaccountof the origins of this ballet by JeanDauberval. It is the oldest of Frenchballets,datingback to1789,whenyourecalltherewassomeunpleasantnessataplacecalledtheBastille.Theanonymousoriginalscorewasstuffedwithfolksongsandpopularairsofthetime.Overtheyearstherehavebeenmanyrevisionsofthelibretto,changesoftitle,choreogra-phyandmusicalarrangements.AmongthecontributorsarePeterLudwigHertel(1862),P.Feldt(1937),and—themostimportant one— Ferdinand Hérold(1791-1833). Winner of the Prix deRomein1812,Héroldleftarichtroveof operas, ballets, quartets, concertos,symphonies,etc. Imightbeginbysayingthatthebest-knownversionofheballetinWesterncountriesisthatofSirFrederickAshton,a celebratedBritishdancerandchore-ographer,onFerdinandHérold’smusic.In1959,atAshton’srequest,celebratedarranger John Lanchberry, drawingprincipallyonHérold’smusic,broughthisbrilliantcontributiontotherevivaloftheRoyalBalletcompanythefollowingyear. In1962Lanchberryrecordedexcerptsfrom his adaptation, and that is whatyou’llfindonhisrecording.Hewouldlater (1983) record the entire ballet atCovent Garden, a performance whichexistsonCDandDVD. Forballetmusicfansthisre-releaseisagift.Thestoryisbanal,butthenyoudon’tlooktoballetfordepthanddrama.Ayounggirllovesayoungboy,buther

motherwantshertomarryanother.Therest is predictable. It is Lanchberry’smusic that is superb, as well as hisbrilliant and generous arrangement,performedbytheorchestraoftheRoyalOperaHouse.Heusedanextraordinaryvariety of instruments— strings andbrassthatarebyturnsdazzlingandmild,smoothwoodwinds,andpercussionthatmay be light or not so light. Cleverlyused as required by the story and theambience desired, with rhythms thatalternate between lively and gracious,withmelodiesofirresistiblebeautyandtenderness, it is so gorgeous that thestorybecomessecondary,ifthat. Notsurprisingly,thisadaptationhasbecome a favorite in the repertoire ofclassicalballet. The sound quality of the albumrecalls the golden age of Decca’s ffrrrecordingsofthe60’sandbefore.Themaster tape underwent considerablework, and the mastering was done inxrcd24. Whetheryouloveballetoryouhavealwaysresisteditstractions,runandgetthisCD.

Nojima Plays LisztMinoruNojimaReference RecordingsRR-25Lessard: Twenty years have gone bysincethereleaseofthefirstCDfromtheanalogmastertapeoftheseperformancesbyJapanesepianistMinoruNojima.Hewasquiteyoungthen,buttheseperfor-mances,onaHamburgSteinway,earnedhimravesfromthemusicalintelligentsiaofthetime:rarevirtuosity,remarkablebrio,andwonderfulexpressivity.Thanksto Reference for having re-released it,thistimeinHDCD.

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It opens with Liszt’s Valse Mephisto No. 1: 14 minutes in the company ofMephistopheles,thedevil’sratheraffableavatar,inapyrotechnicalperformance.ThatFranzLiszt,whohadmysticalten-dencies,shouldhavewrittensuchapieceissurprising.ItistruethatLisztwasany-thingbutordinary.Himselfasplendidvirtuosoandmanof theworld,whoseglamorous side charmed both friendsand audiences, he was a sort of dandywhosecelebratedromanticliaisonswerethesubjectofbothadmirationandscan-dal.Hewasthe inventorof therecitalform, music’s first superstar, eternallytornbetweenthetemptationsofthefleshandanaffinityforthemystical.Whenhewas54hereceivedminororders inpreparationforthepriesthood.Hewasaatranscendentalmusicianifevertherewas, with stupefying musical prowess.This artist— who by his generosity,refinement, romanticism,andcontem-plativepoetryIamtemptedtocomparetotheFrenchwriterLamartine—leftusimperishablemusic.

Onthesecondtrack,La Campanella,drawnfromoneoftheÉtudesofPaga-nini,isademonstrationofthepowerofthepiano’stopoctaves,astheperformerplays at high speed, leaping from oneoctavetothenext.Nojimaplayswiththenimblenessandthepoetryneeded,nottomentiontheextraordinarytechnique. Among the dozen demanding andincomparableÉtudesareHarmonie du soirandFeux Follets.Thefirstispensiveandintrospective, shimmering, touchingus within our deepest fibres. It openswith several insistent lownotes meantto evoke the ringing of evening bells,with fine broken chords for the lefthand against gentle harmonies playedbytherighthand.Arecurringmotifofalmostunbearablebeautydevelopsintoaflamboyantexplosion,andduringafewmeasuresthepianoistransformedintoaharp. Feux Folletsevokestheglow,yellow,blue or red, which can be seen on asummer’seveninginswampyareas.Thecauseisthecombustionofmethanegas

intheair,orperhapsphosphorence,butthe phenomenon was long believed tobethepresenceofsoulsindistress.Notsurprisingly the glow for a long timewasmorefrighteningthanfascinating.It’shardtoknowwhich interpretationinspiredLiszt.ButwhicheveritwasthisÉtudeisforourvirtuosoahirewireact.Hegetsthroughitin3:36,averyquicktime,withoutsacrificingitsclarity. TherestofthealbumisgivenovertoLiszt’sonlypianosonata,theBMinor,dedicated to Robert Schumann. Anumberofperformersrankit,alongwiththe12Études,amongthemostdifficultpiano pieces ever written. Its Andante Sostenutoisaslyricalasyoucouldwish.The powerful Allegro energico openswithafugue.Ineachmovementthereissomethingunexpected,andapoignantmotifgrabsyoubytheemotions. Got these works already on LP orCD?PickupthissuperHDCDversion.Youwon’tbesorry.

The Great Organ at St. Mary’s CathedralJohnBalka,organistReference Recordings RR-98CDRejskind:TheorganofthisSanFran-ciscocathedraldatesfrom1970,andwasbuiltbyFratelliRuffattiofPadua.Itisanimposinginstrument,withfourmanuals(keyboards), 70 stops and nearly 5000pipes. Two of these pipes are capableofproducinga16Hz tone,whichyouarenotlikelytohearfromyoursystem.Despiteitsscale,ithasawarmer,clearertonethanmanyorgansinlargeCatholiccathedrals, such as Saint-Sulpice inParis. Though this CD is a fairly recentrelease,itwasactuallyrecordedin1986,

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whenJohnBalka(whodiedin1999)wasmusicdirectoratSt.Mary’s.Thepro-gramisvaried,openingwithJeremiahClarke’s dramatic Trumpet Voluntary,usually played by brass and organ, anAndante SostenutofromWidor’sseldom-heard Symphonie gothique, a Scherzo byGigout, Henri Mulet’s Carillon-sortie,Dale Wood’s wonderfully poetic Shall We Gather at the River?, and a LouisViernefavorite,Carillon de Westminster.Thislastpiecewasinspiredbyachurchcarillon in England, later copied forBigBen,hencethetitle.Itdoesnotusean actual carillon, though some largeorgans, especially in Europe, do haveone. It may seem odd that it took twodecades before this recording madeitswayontoCD, and I ratherwonderwhether Keith O. Johnson was fullysatisfiedwith it. Ithasaratherdistantsound,whichmightbefineifwegotagoodsenseofthechurchacoustics,butwe don’t. To be fair, the only way tomakeanHDCDrecordingfroma1986masteristousetheanalogtape(digitalrecordingthenwas16-bit,andHDCDremainedinthefuture).Johnsonhastoldusaboutthepronounceddeteriorationofsomeofhistapesovertheyears.Per-hapsthat’sthereasonforthelacklustersound. Thesonicsaremirroredbytheplay-ing,itseemstome.TheClarkeistakenat a slow pace, without the usual briosuggestedbythetitle,anditisonlyinthefinalViernepiecethatBalkadrawsanysparksfromthelargeinstrumentathisfingertips.Forallthesereasons,thisrecordingleftmecold.

Garden of DreamsJunkin/DallasWindSymph.Reference RecordingsRR-108Lessard:Symphonic,modern,byturnsdescriptive, majestic and rousing, thismusicisadelightforthelistener. The album of music by DavidMaslankabeginswiththesuiteA Child’s Garden of Dreams,amusicalinterpreta-tion of one of the case histories thatpsychiatristCarlGustavJungincludedinMan and His Symbols.Thesubjectisaneight-yearoldgirlwhohastoldherparentsabout12troublingdreamsshehashad,someofthemclosertonight-mares,whichinturntheparentsrelatedto Jung. Maslanka has selected five ofthemforhissuite. It is neither usual nor essential toknoweverythingaboutanartisticwork’screationandevolution.Studyingthemmaybeinteresting,butIampersuadedthatnoonewillreactthesamewayeithertothestoryortothemusic.Formypartnoneofthisinformationwillinfluenceme in my evaluation and my feelings,for — need I say it— all criticism issubjective. Notwithstandingallthat,inthiscasesomeadditionalinformationcanguidethelistenerthroughpassagesthatmightotherwisebeobscureor surprisingbytheirnovelty.Fortunately,thereisquitealotofinformationinthebooklet:1. There is a desert on the Moon where the dreamer sinks so deeply into the ground that she reaches Hell.2. A drunken woman falls into the water and comes out renewed and sober.3. A horde of small animals frightens the dreamer. The animals increase to a tremen-dous size and one of them devours the little girl.4. A drop of water is seen as it appears when looked at through a microscope. The girl sees that the drop is full of tree branches. This portrays the origin of the world.5. An ascent into Heaven, where pagan dances are being celebrated, and descent into Hell, where angels are doing good deeds. This last is a surprising inversionofthetraditionalChurchteachingsontheplacesonecanfindeternalblissordamnation. EvenifMaslanka’smusicisevocative,evendescriptive,itcontainspassagesofgreatsensitivity.

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ThealbumalsoincludesanIn Memo-riambasedonaBachchoralprelude,butwithlowbrassandbassdrumsreplacingthevoices.TheSymphony No. 4,whichcloses the album in masterly fashion,evokesAbeLincoln’sceaselessstrugglefor justice, with powerful percussion,pianoandorgan,aswellaswindinstru-ments,inmelodiesthatincludetwoBachchoralesandhymn-liketunes. Iadmithumlyhavingbeenunfamil-iar with this contemporary composer,whoisoneofthebestknownofthosewritingforwindband.Outoffairness,then, I listened several times, and Iwasn’tsorryIhad,formycuriositywasquicklytransformedintopleasure. If you enjoy music that is off thebeatenpath,ifyoulikestrongcontrasts,ifyouarefascinatedbythemysteryofthehumanpsyche,ifmusicaladventureis your thing, get this recording. Youwillenjoyitornot,butyouwon’thaveturnedyourbackonwhatisnew. So…a brilliant composer, seasonedmusicians,anexceptionalconductor,andanHDCDrecordingofunequalledqual-ity,alltheingredients,Ithinktotemptthemusicloverandtheaudiophile.

Yerba Buena BounceTheHotClubofSanFranciscoReference RecordingsRR-109Rejskind:Well,well!TheHotClubofSanFranciscoisback.Thisterrificoff-shootoftheFrenchjazzswingmovementbroughtouttworecordingsonthenowdefunct Clarity label. Since ReferenceRecordingsislocatedinSanFrancisco,itwasthemostnaturalthingintheworldforittopickthegroupup.Andyou’llbegladitdid. Jazz isofcourseanAmericanphe-nomenon, and more specifically an

Afro-American phenomenon, but itwas too good to remain some sort ofregionalethnicmusic,andithasspreadworldwide. One of the places it spread to, inthe1930’s,wasParis,where le jazz hotremains as popular as the Left Bankchansonniers. There a group knownas Le Quintette du Hot Club de Francepopularized Swing jazz, and addedinstruments not then associated withjazz,namelytheguitarandtheviolin.Itsfoundingmembersremainlegendary.DjangoReinhardtwastheleadguitarist(indeed theconceptof“leadguitarist”may have been invented by the HotClub),andtherewasofcourseasecondguitar. Stéphane Grappelli was theviolinist,andLouisViolawasthebass-ist.ThegroupbrokeupwiththeWar,thoughunrelatedHotClubscontinuedto exist. Despite its short existence, itcontinuestoinfluencejazztoday. WhichbringsusbacktoSanFran-cisco, and its local offshoot of theoriginal.ItwasprettymuchestablishedbythetwoClarityrecordingsI’veheard(of 10 they’ve recorded) that the SanFrancisco group is not some amateurwarmed-over version of the seminalFrenchquintet.FounderPaulMehlingistheleadguitarist,andheisadelightto hear, ably backed by the harmonyguitars of Jason Vanderford and JeffMagidson. Ari Munkres is the bassist(he gets a great solo on Stardust) andEvanPriceplaystheobligatoryviolin.Together they reinterpret someof theold Hot Club hits: Mystery Pacific, inwhichtheguitarandviolindoacredit-ableimitationofatrain,Black and White, Rythme Future, Souvenir de Villingen,andDjango’s Improvisation No. 2. You canhearwhytheHotClubhasmaintainedsuchaninfluence.Thereareacoupleofstandards, Sway and the already-men-tionedStardust,andevenaBeatlesong,I’m So Happy Just to Dance With You. AmidallthataresomeoriginalpiecesbyMehling.Andtherearetwo“bonus”tracks, in which Mehling sings PaoloConte’sGong Oh,andthegroupjamstoSome of These Days. TherecordingwasdoneatFantasyStudios, which still has undergroundechochambers,consistingofspeakersatoneendandamicrophoneattheother.

Keith Johnson used one, he says, “toaddphraseliveningandflourishattheends of tracks.” Johnson, in any case,hasneverbeenaBlumlein-stereopurist,andhe’llusewhateverwillgivehimthesoundhewants.For instance,heusedaccentmicrophones,thoughatleasttheywere stereo pairs, not the usual singlemicrophone.Heplacedpoweredspeak-ersamongthemusicians,towhichhefedroomsound.There’salotofvolumeonthisCD,withJohnsongettingclosertotheharddigitalceilingthanonmostofhisotherrecordings. But there’s no arguing with theresults,especiallyifyouhaveaccesstoHDCDdecoding.Theimpressionthatthe musicians are there in the room,full-sized,isdownrighteerie.Thatandthelivelyswingofthesefinemusiciansmakethisrecordingamust-have.

LoveTheBeatlesCapitol094637981023Rejskind:AnewBeatlesalbum?Wellno,therecanneverbeone.What’sonthis recording is the “soundscape” fortheCirqueduSoleil’sLove, playing attheMirageinVegas.ThoughImeantoreviewthealbum,Ican’tdosowithouttalkingabouttheshow. ImustconfessthattheideaofdoingaCirqueshowaroundthemusicoftheBeatlesdidn’tseeminitiallyliketheideaofthecentury.AllCirqueshowsincludemusicspeciallyconceivedforit,buttherelationbetweenmusicandwhatishap-peningunderthetentisrathertenuous.Thenagain,theadjacenthotelfeaturessingerCélineDion,andher showwasputtogetherbyoneoftheCirquepeople,FrancoDragone,sowhynot? The project could have failed, butinfacteverythinghasbeendoneright.BeatlesproducerGeorgeMartinandhissonGiles,whohave access to theFabFour’smastertapes,wereinvitedtoputthemusictogetherintoapackage.Thatiswhatisonthealbum,presumablywithacoupleofcuts,sincethe90minutesoftheshow(withoutintermission)isslightlylongerthanaCDcanhold.ThemusicandsoundsareseamlessintheshowastheyareontheCD.TheMartinshavetakenlibertieswiththeoriginalscores,whichiswhybuyingthisalbum—which

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Iheartilyrecommend—isnosubstituteforowningtheoriginals.Taketheopen-ingcut,Because,fromAbbey Road,theirlast album recorded, though not thelastone released.Youhear the soundsof birds chattering, and then fromthat background emerges the familiarharmonizedvoicesoftheBeatles.Thephraseshavebeenseparatedbysilence,exceptforthebirdbackground.Ican’tlisten to itwithoutgettingchills.Thesequencesarethematic,notchronologi-cal,andtherearemashupsofsongs,withthe introduction of one serving as atransitionbetweentwoothers.Spottingthefragmentsisaninterestinggame. But in the show the songs are nomere background to the acrobatics.Whatyouseeonstage,developedbythebrilliantdirectorDominicChampagne,is directly related to the songs. ThemoreyouknowabouttheBeatles,abouttheirmusic,andabouttheirperiod,themorethiswillbeevidentandthemorefunyou’llhave,butthereismorethananyonecantakeinanyway,andthereisnowayyoucanpossiblyfeelleftout. SobrilliantisthestagingthatitmusthavehappenedfourorfivetimesthatIfoundmyselfwithmymouthhangingopenbecauseIwasastonishedbywhatIhadjustseen.Buttheamazementcomesfrom the theatricality,not just thedeftacrobatics. Here’sanexample.Fairlylateintheshow,thereisarecordedsegmentoftheBeatlestalkingintheminutebeforetheybegintoplay.Duringthissequencewhatseem to be the Beatles themselves areseeninsilhouetteonlargeorangedrapeshighabovethestage.Thereisastrangeirrationalthrill:they’re here! ThesongthatfollowsisA Day in the Life,fromSergeant Pepper.

He blew his mind out in a car,He didn’t notice that the light had changed,A crowd of people stood and stared,They’d seen his face before

Asthesongplaysoneoftheacrobatsisinfact“struck”byawhiteVolkswagenthathaswanderedthroughseveraltimes.Beforeher lifelessbodyfloats into theair, the Volkswagen flies apart in anelectrifyinginstant.There’snomysteryastohowit’sdone,becauseyoucanseetheCirqueduSoleilmembersmakingit

happen,buttheemotionaleffectofthissurpriseisoneofthemanystrongpointsoftheshow. NowtotheCD. Actuallytherearetwoversions,the

usualsingledisc,andatwo-discalbum.TheoptionalseconddiscisaDVDcon-tainingfourversionsofthesamemusic,threeinsurroundsound.OneisaDVD-Audio, which requires a special player(it also helps to have a video display,because DVD-A doesn’t pay attentiontothenumberpad).Thedisccontainsthe same music in 5.1-channel DolbyDigital,DTS,andforgoodmeasureintwo-channelPCM.Thesethreecanofcourse be played on any DVD playerwithpropersurrounddecoding. The conventional CD sounds verygood, though there is definitely anadvantage to theDVD-Audioversion,thatmakestheCDsoundalittlethick-ened and lacking in finesse. The twosurroundversionssoundareabsolutelywonderful,withabigreverberantsoundverydifferentfromtheoriginalalbums,butfineontheirownterms.It’snicetoseethat,afterallthistime,thetapesareingoodshape. You should own the originals, of courseyoushould,ifyoucareatallaboutthis music. But this “soundscape” is asuperbcomplement. Ifyoucan’tfly toVegastoseetheshow,orevenifyoucan,getit.

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Circuit City staying afloat? InourlastissuewemadefunofpooroldRadioShack,whoin2005wentfrom950storesacrossCanadatonostores,onwhatitsWebsitestillbillsas“agreatdayforRadioShack.” ThereasonforthisdisasteristhatitsCanadian licensee, InterTan,hadbeenbought by Circuit City, one of RadioShack’sUScompetitors.Inadisplayofbrilliantbusinessacumen,RadioShackpulled InterTan’s license. The formerRadio Shack stores are now known as“TheSourcebyCircuitCity,”andseembetteroffthantheformermothership. Butperhapsthey’renot.CircuitCityisbleedingcash,andhasannouncedtheclosingofsevenUSsuperstoresanditsKentucky distribution centre. Oh yes,and62ofitscompany-ownedCanadianstores.

From LP to iPod? Perhapsit’sasadsignofthetimes:acompanycalledContextureDesignisofferingiPodcasesmadefromoldvinylrecords!

Okay,they’renotactuallyLPs,but45rpm singles, as you can see, withthe largecentreholetherightsize forthe click wheel. They can offer youthe45singleyoumostlove,orperhapsthe one you’d most like to see out ofcirculation.

TheoneshownhereusedtobeJanetJackson’sYou’ll Never Find. They’reC$45each,andneedlesstosaythey’reoneofakind.

Standby no longer Sureit’sconvenienttopowerupyouramplifier,CDplayerorHDTVmoni-torbyhittingabuttonontheremote,butthatconvenienceiscontributingtoglobalwarming. Thereasonisobvious.Iftheproductis“watching”foracommandfromtheremote,itisn’treallyoffatall.Currenttrickling toelectronicdevices thataresupposedlyoffcanamountto8to30%ofelectricalconsumption,dependingonwhomyoubelieve. The British government plans tointroducelegislationtoputastoptothiswaste.Suggestedslogans:Off means off, orpossibly What part of “off” don’t you understand?

Is HD radio growing? You’dthink“HD”standsfor“highdefinition,” as it does in HDTV. Butno.HDRadioistheUS(only)standardfor digital broadcasting. Using radicalcompression from Ibiquity, the digitalinformationtakesso littlespace itcanactuallypiggybackonananalogAMorFMsignal.

AresearchfirmcalledBridgeRatingsgivesthehappynews:72%ofAmericanssurveyed were aware of HD radio, upfrom62%inanearlierstudy. Nowthebadnews:fewerpeople,just15%,knowwhatHDRadiois.Onethingalargenumberofrespondentsagreedon,however: the proposed prices for HDRadiosweretoohigh. Canada’sowndigitalsystem,similar

to the European standard, is in fulloperation.Onlynooneislistening.

More channels, fewer speakers KEF, one of the icons of Britishspeakers, isgetting inon theact: sur-roundsoundfromfewerspeakers.

Thosearethemodels7and11fromKEF’stypographicallyawkwardfivetwoseries,offering(youguessedit)asimu-latedfivechannelsfromjustonepairofspeakers.No,notevenacentrechannelis needed. There’s no trick electron-ics,either.Youdousefiveamplifierorreceiverchannels,butyouconnectthemtothosetwospeakers. That may make sense for a lot ofhouseholds,because…howdoyougetthewiresbackthere,pastthedoorwayandthefireplace?Willthelandlordletyoumakebigholesinthewallsandfloor? There’s a matching subwoofer, ofcourse.Thefivetwo speakers(ofwhichthere are several) use KEF’s patentedUniQcoaxialdrivers.

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KEF for hi-fi Home theatre aside, KEFis still very much in the two-channelbusiness.Thespeakershown here is the new iQ7,with apriceof C$1100 apair.If you’re counting thedrivers,don’t forget the UniQ driver:thisisathree-waysystem.

Gemme gets distribution The black speaker fartherright is the Gemme Concerti108,ahornwithasingledriver.ItisoneofaseriesofproductsfromthisnewCanadianspeakermaker. Gemme’s mission seems tobe building single-driver high-performancespeakersatpricesthatarelower than those of…well, we couldname several. The company has alsolaunched two speakers using “VFlex”

technology, and promis-ing 20Hz output from asingle10cm(4-inch!)driver.Unlike many competitors,whofavorLowtherdrivers,GemmeworkswithdriversfromFostex.It’stakingtimeforthesespeakerstomaketheirwayinto Canadian stores, butGemme has signed dis-tribution deals with com-panies in the US (TwinAudio Video), France(Phonomi) and Sweden(It’saDealAB).ThefirstVFlexspeakerswillbeshownattheMontrealFestivalinApril.

And speaking of that… MarchistheusualtimefortheverylargeMontrealFestival Son & Imagetodeployitswings,buttheorganizersneed

to be on their toes to avoidcollision with other showsin theworld.That isdoublydifficultasitstrivestoincludenew categories of consumerelectronics, including video,photographyandgames.The2007editionwillrunfromFridaythe13th(hmm…)throughSundaythe15th.Aslast year, it’s at the CentreSheraton,rightindowntownMontreal.This is the 20th editionoftheFestival(www.fsiexpo.

com),atleastifyoucounttheoriginal in 1984, and it is the firstnotorganized by Marie-Christine Prin.ThenewboardofdirectorsispresidedbyindustryveteranMichelPlante,whocameaboard lastyear tohelpbroadenthe focus of the Festival beyond highendaudioandvideo.

Equipment reviews are done on at least one of UHF’s reference systems, selected as working tools. They are changed infrequently.

The Alpha systemOur original reference is in a room with special acoustics, originally a recording studioletting us hear what we can’t hear elsewhere.

Main digital player:LinnUnidisk1.1Additional CD player:CECTL-51Xbelt-driventransport,CounterpointDA-10AconverterwithHDCDcard.Digital cable:AtlasOpus1.5mDigital portable:AppleiPod60GbTurntable:AudiomecaJ-1Tone arm:AudiomecaSL-5Pickup:GoldringExcelPhono preamp:AudiomatPhono-1.5Preamplifier:CoplandCTA-305Power amplifier:SimaudioMoonW-5LE)Loudspeakers:LivingVoiceAvatarOBX-RInterconnects:PierreGabrielML-1,AtlasVoyagerAll-CuLoudspeaker cables:ActinoteLB/EclipseIIIPower cords:Gutwire,WireworldAuroraAC filters: FoundationResearchLC-2

(poweramp),InouyeSPLC.

The Omega system It serves for reviews of gear that cannot easily fit into the Alpha system, with its small room.

Digital players:sharedwiththeAlphasystemTurntable:LinnLP12/LingoIITone arm:AlphasonHR-100SMCSPickup:GoldringExcelPhono preamp:AudiomatPhono-1.5Preamplifier:SimaudioMoonP-8Power amplifier:SimaudioMoonW-8Loudspeakers:Reference3aSupremaIIInterconnects:PierreGabrielML-1,AtlasNavigatorAll-CuLoudspeaker cables:PierreGabrielML-1formostoftherange,WireworldPolarisforthetwinsubwoofers.Power cords:BISAudioMaestro,WireworldAC filters:GutWireMaxConSquared,FoundationResearchLC-1Acoustics:GershmanAcousticArtpanels

The Kappa system This is our home theatre system. As with the original Alpha system, we had limited

space, and that pretty much ruled out huge projectors and two-metre screens. We did, however, finally come up with a system whose performance gladdens both eye and ear, with the needed resolution for reviews.

HDTV monitor:Hitachi43UWX10BCRT-basedrearprojectorDVD player:SimaudioMoonStellarwithFaroudjaStingrayvideoprocessorPreamplifier/processor:SimaudioMoonAttraction,5.1channelversionPower amplifiers:SimaudioMoonW-3(mainspeakers),bridgedCeleste4070se(centrespeaker),Robertson4010(rear)Main speakers:EnergyReferenceConnoisseurCentre speaker:ThielMCS1,onUHF’sownTV-topplatformRear speakers:Elipson1400Subwoofer:3aDesignAcousticsCables:VandenHul,MIT,GutWire,WireworldLine filter:GutWireMaxConSquared

All three systems have dedicated power lines, with Hubbell hospital grade outlets. Extensions and power bars are equipped with hospital-grade connectors.

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Don’t know what next-generationDVDtobuy?Ofcourseyoudon’t,andneitherdowe.Blu-Ray?HDDVD?Bothareexpensiveandperhapsdoomed.Soisthereroomforathirdformat? InChinatheythinkso.TheirnewEVDformat(apicturefromtheofficiallaunchisshownatright)hasonethinggoingforit:it’scheap.That’sbecauseitdoesn’tuseablueorblue-violetlaserasitscompetitorsdo,buttheoldfamiliarredlaser,likethekeychainpointersyoucannowbuyindollarstores. Essentially the EVD (“enhancedversatiledisc”)isaDVD,andiseverybitascheaptomake,butitsadvanced(read:radical)compressionallowsahighdefi-nitionimagetofitonared-raydisc.TheChineseEVDIndustryAllianceboasts20 companies,which arebringingout54 red-raymodels, like theEVD-298,shownatright,foraslittleasUS$89. Noristhatall.Onceproductionof

theplayersandthediscsisuptospeed,all20ofthosecompanieswillceasetomakeconventionalDVDplayers! Whyanewstandard?TheAlliance

listsseveralreasons.TheWesternhigh-defformatsaretooexpensive.Theyaretoovulnerabletopiracy(anoddclaim,fromthecentreofworldDVDpiracy).MakingDVDplayersanddiscsmeanspayingroyaltiestoforeigncompanies. There may be another reason notmentioned.Chinesehouseholdsequippedwithared-rayEVDplayerwillnotbeabletoviewfilmsfromothercountries.Itwas fora similar reason that, at thedawn of color TV, the USSR selectedFrance’s SECAM system rather thanthe rest of Europe’s PAL. Soviet TVswouldnotbeabletoreceiveNorwegianandPolishbroadcasts. The Alliance’s motto is (and wequote):“EVDSubstitutingDVDBasi-cally in 2008.” It reads as though itwastranslatedbyBabelfish.InfacttheAlliance could resurrect the People’sRepublic of China’s old motto: “TheEastisRed.”

InFebruary,Apple’sSteveJobsurgedtheBigFourrecordcompaniestolethisiTunesstoresellmusicwithoutaddingDigitalRightsManagement.Hisargu-ment:90%ofmusicisstillsoldonCDwithoutDRM,sohowmuchprotectioncanyougetfromjusttheother10%? In Canada, unlike in the US, con-sumersdoingprivatecopyingofrecordsandfilmscan’tbesued.Ontheminusside,everyblankrecordablemediumishitwithalevy(it’snotatax,theysay)whichgoestoanorganizationcalledtheCanadian Private Copying Collective.The CPCC collects 29¢ on a cassette(anyone still use those?) and 21¢ on ablank CD. The money is supposed togo to rights holders, including recordcompanies.We’renotsurehoweffectivethelevyis,sincewe’veseenblankdiscssellingfornotmuchmorethan21¢. Thenon-profitorganizationwouldliketoboostthatnextyear,to29¢fora blank disc, and 85¢ for a MiniDisc(anyone still use those?). And…oh yes.GotaniPod?

TheideaoftaxingiPodsandotherdigitalrecordersandplayersisnotnew.Initsearlydaysitdidinfacttaxmusicplayers.ThesurchargeonaniPodwasthen $25. When the Federal Court ofAppeal quashed that, the CPCC hadto reimburse the companies for some$4million.Somecompanies,includingApple,reimbursedtheconsumers. NowtheCPCCisatitagain. Itproposes to taxplayers andevenmemorycards.Gotareallybigmemorycardinyourdigitalcamera?That’llbe$10, please (well, actually they don’tsay“please”).Gotthebig80GbiPod?Preparetopay$75extra! CPCCboardmemberDavidBasskin’sargument, if it can be so dignified, is:“When you go and buy an iPod theretailergetspaid.Soyoucan’tsaythatthepeoplewhomakethemusicshouldgetafreeride.” Mr.Basskin isa littleconfused;wepresumehemeantthatthepeoplewholisten to themusic shouldn’tgeta freeride.Andinotherregardsheseemsto

be,astheysayintheBizarrocomicstrip,UnclearontheConcept. Afterwepay$16foraCDsowecanlisten toacoupleofcutsonour iPod,andafterwepaythemusicindustrya21¢levyoneveryblankdiscweusetoarchivebusinessfiles,we’regettingafreeride?

Speaking of free rides, rememberSony/BMG’s harebrained scheme tostop“piracy”byhavingtheirCDsinstallwhatamountedtoaTrojanhorseonanyWindowsPCitwasplayedon? IntheUS,theFederalTradeCom-mission finally reached an agreementwith the company. Sony/BMG must,throughtheendofJune,exchangeanyoftheinfectedCDsforoneswithoutthedim-wittedsoftware.Andifconsumerssuffereddamage, asmanydid, itowesthem$150.Each! ButSony/BMGwasnotobliged toadmit tohavingbrokenthelaw.Diditgetafreeride?

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AcousticSystem. . . . . . . . . . . . 55AirTight. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24Almarro . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75ApplauseAudio. . . . . . . . . . . . 12ASW. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover2Atlascables. . . . . . . . . . . .Cover4Audiophileboutique.com . . . .Cover3AudiophileStore. . . . . . . . . . 57-64AudioSpace. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Audioville. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Audiyo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55AurumAcoustics . . . . . . . . . . . 11BelCanto. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12BISAudio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14BlueCircle. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23CEC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover3CharismaAudio. . . . . . . . . . . . 22CoherentSpeakers. . . . . . . . . . . 24Cyrus. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13DACT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55DiamondGroove. . . . . . . . . . . 21Eichmann. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Entre’acte. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23EuroproductsInternational . . . 13,17EverestAudio. . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Furutech . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Goldring. . . . . . . . . . . . .Cover2Hifisupply.ca. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14HomeTheaterCruise . . . . . . . . 25Isoclean. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24JusticeAudio. . . . . . . . . . .Cover2JustMayAudio..........Cover2Lowther . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24MagZee. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10MarchandElectronics . . . . . . . . . 7Moon. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9Mundorf. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55muRata. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Mutine. . . . . . . . . . . . . . Cover3Quinceton. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24SarahAudio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Simaudio. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9SignatureAudio. . . . . . . . . . . . 21Techflex.................55TotemAcoustic. . . . . . . . . . . . 21UHFBackIssues. . . . . . . . . . . 47UHFBooks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

The two and only satellite radioservices have been competing heavilysincetheirfounding,mainlytoseewhichcouldlosemoneyfaster.Onthatmetric,they’ve both been doing fabulously.Betweenthemthey’reonthehookfor1.6billiondollars. The“mergerofequals”isheadlinedby some media as Sirius buying XM,sinceXMshareholderswillbegiven4.6sharesofthenewentityforeverysharetheyhold. Will the merger save any money?The two companies use incompatibletechnologies, and abandoning one oftheserviceswouldtriggeraclassactionsuitthatwouldputtheminbankruptcycourt.Dotheyhaveenoughbandwidth

toputalltheircontentonbothservices:Howard Stern, Oprah, Martha, BobDylan? Probably not, seeing they’realreadycompressingmanyoftheir“CD-quality”feedstothemax,throwingawayasmuchas93%oftheinformation. Car makers will be watching whatdevelopscarefully.GMbetonXM,asdidHondaandToyota.Ford,VW/AudiandDaimlerChryslerwentwithSirius. US regulators may frown on themerger of the only two satellite radioservices, and they could disallow it,possiblytriggeringtheclosingofoneorbothcompanies.InCanadatheCRTCwill also be watching with interest,thoughtherealactionisintheUS. AniPod,anyone?

The New York Times says it is, andwepresumethepaperdidn’tjustmakeitup.TheTimessaysthebigstudiosaresoangrywithCanadathattheymightstop screening their movies the sameweektheyareshownintheUS. What’s got a bee into their knick-ers?Hollywoodsaysthat,accordingtoits (alwaysaccurate) statistics,Canada,andparticularlyMontreal,isthecapitalof “camming.” When a new film isscreened,someonebringsinacamcorderwithahellofabigbatteryandshootsthe movie right off the screen. Thecamcorder’s little microphone picksup the soundtrack, the crunch of popcorn,andanoccasionalportablephoneconversation. TheMotionPictureAssociationofAmerica says that “30 to 40 percent”ofcamminggoesoninCanada,Why?BecauseintheUSthatcansendyouuptheriveralotlongerthanyou’dgetforamerearmedholdup.InCanadacammingisillegalonlyiftheintentiscommercialdistribution. That’s difficult to prove.Somecinemapersonnelisbeingissuednightvisiongoggles. Is this a serious issue? The Timesquotes Bruce Snyder, president ofdomestic distribution for Fox (you

meanCanadaisdomestic;whoknew?)asclaimingthatcammingsiphonsoff7to10%offilmrevenues. Soletusgetthisstraight.Asignifi-cantportionof themoviegoingpublic(non-moviegoersdon’tcount)arewill-ing to pay money to watch a blurry,low-resolution image accompanied byreverberant almost inaudible sound,rather than either going to the moviein a cinema or waiting for the officialDVD. And these people consider theexperiencestobeequivalent.Really? The really surreal aspect of this isthatFoxactuallyreferstotheresultingbootlegDVDsas“highqualitycopies.”If the MPAA and the studios thoughtabout this a bit, they might concludethatcammedmoviesshouldbetreatedasfreepublicity,thesamewaythatanewsongplayedontheradioisfreepublicity.Anyone settling for a cammed movie,whether from the Internet or from aburnedDVD,probablyneedsaseeing-eyedoganyway.Oh,andahearingaid. WilltheCanadiangovernmenttakethehint?ThepreviousLiberalgovern-mentplannedto,butCanadanowhasaminorityConservativegovernment.Andgovernmentinterventionisjustnottheirthing.

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ThecurrentissueofThe Abso-lute Soundhasaninterestingquote from Meridian’s BobStuart: “SACD and DVD-

Audiohadawar,andtheiPodwon.”Ishe right? It looks thatway. In the lastquarter of 2006 Apple sold 21 millioniPods (one of them to our own ReineLessardbytheway). The iPod’s impressive success hasresulted in a certain morosity in highendaudiocircles.I’vehearditsaidthatthe ubiquitous little player is the endof music, which will now cease to beasourceofpleasureinandofitself,tobecomeameredisposablecommodity,somethingtofillthesilence.I’vehearditsaidthattheiPodistheyoungperson’s(presumablyinferior)musicsource,andthat for the future of music it repre-sentsoneof the fourhorsemenof theapocalypse. Idon’tthinkso. Onthecontrary,Ithinktheemer-genceoftheiPodasamajormusicsourceisanencouragingsignofthepowerofmusicinmodernsociety.Asaudiophilesweshouldbecelebrating. Considerthis.TheiPodisexpensivecomparedtoothermusicplayers,andfarmoreexpensivethanalternatives,suchastheportableCDplayer(about$50)ortheantiquatedWalkman knockoff (maybe$25).Yetmillionsofpeoplearewillingtopaytheprice,runningtohundredsofdollars, tohaveahigherqualitymusicplayer.Irepeat:higher quality.Doesthatsoundasthoughitshouldspelltheendoftheaudiophilehobby? Whatistheaudiophilehobby?Itisa search for ways to reproduce musicin more realistic, more æstheticallypleasing ways. Someone who buysan iPod instead of one of those littleplayers they practically give away isinvolved in the same search. And thesearchdoesn’tstopwiththeiPoditself.Thereisaboomingbusinessinqualityheadphones(oftencostingfarmorethantheiPoditself),whicharetheportableequivalent of audiophile loudspeakers.Likeaudiophilespeakers,thesephonescanhavetwooreventhreedrivers.Then

there’s the market for carrying cases,Bluetooth adapters, FM transmitters,docks,externalamplifiersandspeakersand other devices. A complete iPodsystemcanwindupcostingasmuchasanentry-levelhomemusicsystem. Soundgoodsofar?Ah,butIalsohearothergloomyobservations. 1) People with iPods are listening to crappy MP3 files. Well, people withcompetingplayersmaynothavemuchchoiceaboutthat,butiPodownersdo.ThoughtheiPodcanplayMP3andthealso-compressedAACfilesmadefamousbytheiTunesmusicstore,ithasalwaysbeenabletostoreandplayuncompressedAIFFfiles,andforyearsithasbeenabletoplayAppleLosslessfiles.ThebiggestiPod, which now has an 80Gb harddisc,canstoresome265complete CDsinlosslessform.Checkon-lineforums,andyou’llseealotoftalkaboutfileformats,including plenty of skepticism aboutevensuch“benevolent”formatsasOggVorbis.TherearealotofpeoplewishingtheiTunesstorewouldsellAppleLoss-lessmusic…somethingthatwillalmostcertainlyhappeninthenextyearorso.

Thenthere’smagnatune.com,whichactually gives away MP3 files (quiteproperly considering them to be nomorethandemoquality)butsellsuncom-pressedfiles. 2) People with iPods don’t really listen to music, they hear it while they’re concentrat-ing on something else.Well,wedidn’twaitfortheiPodtodomultitasking,didwe?Notice how many FM music stationsbasetheirmarketingonsnagginglisten-ersatwork.Thinkabouthowmanyyears(ordecades)ithasbeensincemosthomeshad a music system as the centre of aroomratherthanalittledeviceplayinginacorner,suchasthekitchen. But there is a difference with theiPod, as there was with its spiritualancestor, the Walkman. With head-phones themusicgoes right intoyourhead, and it forces itself into the fore-ground. That’s one reason they won’tlet you listen to music on headphoneswhileyou’redriving,oreven—inmanyjurisdictions—cycling.It’sjustyouandthemusic. 3) Okay, you can get pretty good sound from an iPod, but most users are still listen-ing to compressed dreck. Sure, but howisthatnew?Eveninthegoldenageofhi-fi,whenmass-marketrecordplayersimitated the styling cues of real hi-fi,mostpeoplewerelisteningtodreck.Andthatwasiftheyweren’tsimplylisteningtotableradios. Perhaps a decade ago the sourceof worry among audiophiles was theemergenceof rap,whichdidn’tappearto include enough music elements toqualifyasrealmusic.Wouldpeoplenowlisten to that instead of music? Well,rap musicians are still rapping, but incitieslargeandsmalltherearestillliveconcertsinallmusicalgenres,andtheseatsarenotempty. That’s the source of tomorrow’saudiophiles,peoplewhoenjoylivemusicandwishtheycouldreplicatethethrillelsewhere. They’re the ones who willnotice that a properly pampered iPodoffersabitofthatexperience.Andsomeof themwillbeopentoaudiosystemsthatcanofferevenmore.

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at the back?Countlessreadershaveconfirmeditovertheyears:whentheygettheirhandsonthelatestissueofUHF,theyopenittothelastpage. Thereasonallofthemmention:GerardRejskind’slast-pagecolumn,State of the Art.Sincethemagazine’sfounding,thecolumnhasgrappledwiththemajorquestionsofhighendaudio.Ithasbeenacclaimedbyreadersaroundtheworld. Now,thecolumnsfromthefirst60issuesofUHFarebroughttogetherintoonebook.Eachisexactlyasitwasoriginallypublished,andeachisaccompaniedbyanewintroduction. Orderyourcopytoday:$18.95inCanadaortheUS,C$32elsewhereintheworld,airmailincluded.

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Unlike so many cable companies, this Scottish company keeps markups reasonable.

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So are the connectors.The Navigator All-Cu passed a blind test

in UHF No. 71.

Can it pass your test?THE AUDIOPHILE STORE

www.uhfmag.com/Cables.html