Affordable$$Audio
The E-Publication For Frugal Audio
Enthusiasts
Updated April 6, 2013
Welcome to Affordable$$Audio, the electronic audio publication dedicated to reviewing worthy budget home audio products. Our goal is to put the spot light on equipment and speakers that the majority of our hobby can truly afford. To us it's all about finding the biggest bang for the buck.
For your viewing pleasure every issue is downloadable and can easily be viewed on iPads and tablets via the PDF format just by clicking on the Issues Archive and Review Index page links. All new reviews will be archived into a PDF issue every few months.
Thanks for reading Affordable$$Audio and make sure to watch for our latest reviews by visiting dailyaudiophile.com.
Latest PDF
Issue Sept. 2012
Yamaha TSX-140 Desktop Audio System & Tivoli Audio Music System
By Peter D’Amario
peterdamario@affordableaudio.org
For years we’ve had a piece of BPC (black plastic crap) sitting on the counter of our kitchen: A boom box that I was given as a “thank you” for a speech I gave at a conference on the international derivatives market back in the mid-nineties. Over the years, the cassette function died, and the remotely-controlled lid to the CD player was slowly giving up the ghost. However its most egregious failing was that, even from day one, it sounded terrible.
Over the years I’ve upgraded my main audio system semi-obsessively. I’ve put together killer systems for my children. The alarm clock on my bedside table is a marvelous-sounding Tivoli Model 3 radio. In short, I’ve sought to upgrade all of the sound into which I come in contact at home. And yet, the boom box had remained in the kitchen, an apparently permanent pox on the audio in my household, in part because my wife, who is the family member who considers the kitchen as her territory, said that she wasn’t really fussed about replacing it.
A few months
ago I decided that it was time to audition replacements. The
requirements were that it had to be a “one box” system, had to be
stereo, needed FM radio and CD functionality. iPod docking
capability was welcome, but not so important. Obvious candidates were the Tivoli Music System, the Bose Wave Radio, the Meridian M80 and
the Yamaha TSX-140. I have a number of family members with the
Bose device—not bad sounding for its size, but it didn’t blow me
away—so I contacted Tivoli, Yamaha and Meridian. Tivoli and
Yamaha were quick to provide review samples of their products.
In approach, the Tivoli and Yamaha products are quite different, but in outcome they are not terribly dissimilar. The TSX-140 is a functional, almost Bauhaus design; the review sample was clad in a light gray plastic/fabric with a black plastic panel in the center (there are other color options).
The Yamaha has more of a “vertical” design than the Tivoli which, by comparison, looks like an expensive piece of furniture. The review unit that I received has a black-stained ash cabinet and a silver face—kind of updated vintage in appearance—though both more and less traditional finishes are available.
Both devices achieve a “bigger than they sound” persona and are just fine for a kitchen or small den. The Yamaha tends toward a fairly neutral sound: Some tabletop units goose meaningfully the mid-bass to give the impression of more weight, but the TSX-140 avoids this trap. When listening to well recorded and mastered CDs, in this case the Hybrid SACD of Ella Fitzgerald’s album “Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie!”, the timbre of Fitzgerald’s voice is rendered realistically without over accentuating her lower notes, notably on “You’re My Thrill”. Bass and piano accompaniment are likewise presented neutrally. The Yamaha can also handle upbeat tunes with more complex instrumentation, such as “Night in Tunisia”, a standout track. This SACD, by the way, is part of Analogue Production’s reissuing of selected titles from the Verve catalog. Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound, it is well worth a purchase.
The TSX-140 does a good job on more modern fare. I played the DCC CD of the Steve Miller Band’s “Book of Dreams”. I won’t make the case that this is the right device to which you can crank up the volume and dance, but at moderate volumes the Yamaha handles well what’s thrown at it. The album, originally released in 1977, makes full use of synthesizers; a particularly challenging test for any tabletop system is the first couple of tracks: “Threshold” and “Jet Airliner”. Threshold begins with a highly modulated sweep up and down the frequency spectrum with interesting chirps and clicks throughout, before yielding to what in my view is the band’s best song, a classic seventies rocker. Again, at reasonable sound pressure levels the Yamaha unit handles the music well, with decent bass response, creditable treble, and a highly articulate handling of lead and background vocals. Crank the volume too much, however, and the sound begins to blur.
The Tivoli Music System features two of the legendary Henry Kloss-designed midrange units, which are used in Tivoli’s table radios and other products. I own two of these table radios and the frequency response of these drivers are impressive. With its downward-firing subwoofer and, I believe, some tweaking of the mid-bass response complementing the midrange units, the Tivoli Music System has a much more dramatic bass output than did the Yamaha unit. “Jet Airliner” through the Tivoli was a much more rocking experience than with the Yamaha. I was aware that I was hearing a designed response to a certain degree, but it was a good sound. When playing acoustic music, such as the Ella Fitzgerald album noted above, the Tivoli sounded a bit more “plummy” in the mid-bass…a bit more than I would have preferred. I wouldn’t call it bloated, but is certainly is “rich” in sound which will appeal to some and turn off others. Be sure to listen to the unit before making a commitment.
The tuners on both the Tivoli and the Yamaha are digital and are adequately sensitive and selective for a desktop unit. My UK version of the Yamaha also features DAB (digital audio broadcasting) and DAB+ tuning (akin—though different from—the US’s HD (Hybrid Digital) radio.
Visually there is no comparison in my opinion: The Tivoli is a gorgeous piece of equipment and depending on finish will accentuate nicely any room in which it is placed. The Tivoli is available in a range of attractive wooden finishes in their standard range; the “Platinum” range introduces more beautifully piano-finished woodwork: The sound remains the same, but the price increases. The Yamaha, by contrast, looks simpler, and to some degree “cleaner”, has the typical modern consumer electronics appearance …no way around that. It is available in gray, black and a dusty rose color called “brick”.
When it comes to quality of construction, however, I found the Yamaha switchgear to be superior, with a positive, expensive feel. The Tivolili lagged behind, particularly the pushbuttons on the front panel, which were less substantial, and which more play that I wold have liked.
Pricing is significantly different on these two, with the Tivoli unit costing more than twice that of the Yamaha system in the UK and about 25% more in the US.
So in the end, which one? I’d give the nod to the Yamaha in terms of sound quality, build quality, flexibility of inputs and value for money. The Tivoli is—by an enormous margin—the beauty of the pair, with a much higher WAF (wife acceptance factor) but at a price. My suggestion: If budget is an issue, just buy the Yamaha, particularly if you live in the UK. If not, then give both a listen, preferably at home, and keep the one that does it for you from both aesthetic and audio points of view.
Yamaha TSX-140 Desktop Audio System
Inputs: CD: Audio CD, MP3, WMA
USB: MP3, WMA
Tuner: FM
DAB Tuner (UK only): DAB, DAB+
Input Connector: Stereo L/R 3.5mm STEREO mini Jack
Preset Memory: 5 x FM
Drivers: 8cm (3.2”) full range driver x 2
iPod/iPhone USB Sync: Yes
Maximum Power Output: 15W + 15W (6Ω,1kHz 10% THD)
Dimensions (W x H x D): 399 x 181 x 137mm (15 1/2” x 7” x 5.4”)
Weight: 3.2 kg (7 pounds)
Colors: Black, Brick, Gray
Price: GBP350/USD400
Tivoli Audio Music System
Inputs: CD (CD, CDR, CDRW, CD Text, MP3, and WMA), AM/FM, Auxiliary Input
Preset Memory: 6 x FM, 6 x AM
Drivers: 2 x 3" (2 x 7.62 cm) full-range, video shielded
1 x 5.25" (1 x 13.34 cm) down-firing woofer, video shielded
Dimensions: 14.125" W x 5.25" H x 9.5" D (35.88 cm W x 13.34 cm H x 24.13 cm D)
Weight: 13.0 lbs. (5.90 kg)
Price: GBP850/USD500
Reference System
VPI Classic 2 Turntable with SDS Power Supply
Benz-Micro Glider SL Cartridge (SoundSmith rebuild)
Musical Surroundings NovaPhonomena Phono Preamplifier
Vienna Acoustics Haydn Grand Speakers & dedicated stands
Cyrus Audio 8 QX DAC Integrated Amplifier
Sony XDR-F1HD tuner
Shanling SCD-T200 SACD player
Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer
APC H15 Power Conditioner
Mapleshade speaker wire, Blue Jeans speaker cable and interconnects, Ultimate Cables, AudioQuest, ProSolutions and AR interconnects
© Peter D’Amario, 2013
Music Omnivore
Posted 4-6-2013
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Tips For Buying And Selling On Ebay
By Peter Taylor
Having recently discovered A$$A I read through all the back issue and have been scouring eBay for all the old gear I can remember from my youth. There’s a ton there and the prices are higher than what I expected for some gear but very reasonable for others. I’m in a rather unique position as I worked for eBay from 2001 through 2010. It was a fun time and I learned some basics that help sellers and help buyers. I thought I’d share some of them here since I’ve spent so much time lately looking at gear.
Tips for sellers:
• Pictures: Our motto was, “Big pictures sell goods.” Now I’m not really talking about gigantic pictures but good quality pictures. In this world of digital cameras, take a lot of pictures and use the best ones. Take pictures with and without the flash (especially of internals) and make sure they’re in focus. If there are defects, make certain those are in the photos. Show the bad and the good.
• Descriptions: Describe your items accurately. It’s always better to under promise and over deliver than the reverse. Include all the pertinent facts you can; power output, serial numbers, ownership history if known, weight, dimensions, etc.
• Item condition: Much of this will be evident in the photos but please take a little time and clean the equipment up. At least knock off that first layer of dust. Buyers need to see what they’re bidding on if at all possible.
• Most sellers are pretty savvy to this but think about WHEN your listing is going to end. You don’t want to have your listing ending at 11am on a Monday when everyone’s busy at work. On the other hand think about who’s likely to buy your item. Do you have a set of JBL 4350’s for sale? The person that’s going to buy those is likely to be bidding from his office in the middle of the day. Think about your potential buyer and when (s)he will be in front of their computers waiting for your listing to end.
• eBay was based on communication between buyer and seller. Answer any requests for more information as quickly as possible with as much information as possible. In today’s markets, buyers want instant gratification. Be professional at all times! Buyers will pay more from someone they like and trust. This is old equipment and they REALLY need to trust you.
• eBay allows you to place a contact phone number and email address in your listings. If you do this as a business, use this and encourage buyers/bidders to contact you with questions. DO NOT put the web address in your listing for any reason. This has been an eBay policy violation from the 90’s. Actually, any links in a listing is taking a chance. It’s best not to do this.
Tips for buyers:
• Keep your purchases “on the eBay site” if at all possible and pay with PayPal as much as you can. eBay/PayPal has very good buyer protection but ONLY if you are the winning bidder on the listing/auction.
• If you’re not using your Watch List within your My eBay section, learn how. This is where you can keep track of what you’re looking at. And refer back to ended items for price comparisons.
• Always perform “Completed Item Searches” for pricing info. Say you’re searching for SAE Amplifiers. You enter that into the Search Box and when the search returns a list of products, look right above the first one. Horizontally in blue [links] you’ll see Active Listings, Sold Listings, and Completed Listings. These should be fairly self explanatory but as an example I bought a truck that didn’t sell (a completed listing search) and saved several thousand dollars in the process. Listings remain on eBay for at least 6 months but are not searchable once they have ended, EXCEPT through a Completed Listing search. Completed listings are searchable for a few weeks is all.
• eBay’s bidding system is set up so you can enter your highest price and the system will bid up to that price for you as other bidder enter into the action (proxy bidding). Personally I like to wait till the last few seconds and enter my bid then. But… I always have my maximum bid in mind before I ever place my first bid. Always bid in odd amounts. If the amp you want typically sells for $300 and you’re willing to pay that, don’t bid $300. That’s what everyone else is going to bid. Bid $311.57 in the last few seconds. Get the idea? I’ve won many auctions by just a few cents using this process.
• Bidding early on an item gives you, what eBay likes to call, emotional ownership. You bid early and all of a sudden that item is almost yours… till someone outbids you. Well you can’t have that!! That’s your turntable!! So your bid goes up and the seller is smiling all the way to the bank.
• Unless the item you’re looking at is extremely rare, be patient. There will always be another one along. Do your research and get a realistic price in your head. There are still some good buys out there but the steals are few and far between now.
Posted 4-6-2013
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking at 2013
By Peter D’Amario
peterdamario@affordableaudio.org
For years we’ve had a piece of BPC (black plastic crap) sitting on the counter of our kitchen: A boom box that I was given as a “thank you” for a speech I gave at a conference on the international derivatives market back in the mid-nineties. Over the years, the cassette function died, and the remotely-controlled lid to the CD player was slowly giving up the ghost. However its most egregious failing was that, even from day one, it sounded terrible.
Over the years I’ve upgraded my main audio system semi-obsessively. I’ve put together killer systems for my children. The alarm clock on my bedside table is a marvelous-sounding Tivoli Model 3 radio. In short, I’ve sought to upgrade all of the sound into which I come in contact at home. And yet, the boom box had remained in the kitchen, an apparently permanent pox on the audio in my household, in part because my wife, who is the family member who considers the kitchen as her territory, said that she wasn’t really fussed about replacing it.
A few months
ago I decided that it was time to audition replacements. The
requirements were that it had to be a “one box” system, had to be
stereo, needed FM radio and CD functionality. iPod docking
capability was welcome, but not so important. Obvious candidates were the Tivoli Music System, the Bose Wave Radio, the Meridian M80 and
the Yamaha TSX-140. I have a number of family members with the
Bose device—not bad sounding for its size, but it didn’t blow me
away—so I contacted Tivoli, Yamaha and Meridian. Tivoli and
Yamaha were quick to provide review samples of their products.In approach, the Tivoli and Yamaha products are quite different, but in outcome they are not terribly dissimilar. The TSX-140 is a functional, almost Bauhaus design; the review sample was clad in a light gray plastic/fabric with a black plastic panel in the center (there are other color options).
The Yamaha has more of a “vertical” design than the Tivoli which, by comparison, looks like an expensive piece of furniture. The review unit that I received has a black-stained ash cabinet and a silver face—kind of updated vintage in appearance—though both more and less traditional finishes are available.
Both devices achieve a “bigger than they sound” persona and are just fine for a kitchen or small den. The Yamaha tends toward a fairly neutral sound: Some tabletop units goose meaningfully the mid-bass to give the impression of more weight, but the TSX-140 avoids this trap. When listening to well recorded and mastered CDs, in this case the Hybrid SACD of Ella Fitzgerald’s album “Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie!”, the timbre of Fitzgerald’s voice is rendered realistically without over accentuating her lower notes, notably on “You’re My Thrill”. Bass and piano accompaniment are likewise presented neutrally. The Yamaha can also handle upbeat tunes with more complex instrumentation, such as “Night in Tunisia”, a standout track. This SACD, by the way, is part of Analogue Production’s reissuing of selected titles from the Verve catalog. Mastered by George Marino at Sterling Sound, it is well worth a purchase.
The TSX-140 does a good job on more modern fare. I played the DCC CD of the Steve Miller Band’s “Book of Dreams”. I won’t make the case that this is the right device to which you can crank up the volume and dance, but at moderate volumes the Yamaha handles well what’s thrown at it. The album, originally released in 1977, makes full use of synthesizers; a particularly challenging test for any tabletop system is the first couple of tracks: “Threshold” and “Jet Airliner”. Threshold begins with a highly modulated sweep up and down the frequency spectrum with interesting chirps and clicks throughout, before yielding to what in my view is the band’s best song, a classic seventies rocker. Again, at reasonable sound pressure levels the Yamaha unit handles the music well, with decent bass response, creditable treble, and a highly articulate handling of lead and background vocals. Crank the volume too much, however, and the sound begins to blur.
The Tivoli Music System features two of the legendary Henry Kloss-designed midrange units, which are used in Tivoli’s table radios and other products. I own two of these table radios and the frequency response of these drivers are impressive. With its downward-firing subwoofer and, I believe, some tweaking of the mid-bass response complementing the midrange units, the Tivoli Music System has a much more dramatic bass output than did the Yamaha unit. “Jet Airliner” through the Tivoli was a much more rocking experience than with the Yamaha. I was aware that I was hearing a designed response to a certain degree, but it was a good sound. When playing acoustic music, such as the Ella Fitzgerald album noted above, the Tivoli sounded a bit more “plummy” in the mid-bass…a bit more than I would have preferred. I wouldn’t call it bloated, but is certainly is “rich” in sound which will appeal to some and turn off others. Be sure to listen to the unit before making a commitment.
The tuners on both the Tivoli and the Yamaha are digital and are adequately sensitive and selective for a desktop unit. My UK version of the Yamaha also features DAB (digital audio broadcasting) and DAB+ tuning (akin—though different from—the US’s HD (Hybrid Digital) radio.
Visually there is no comparison in my opinion: The Tivoli is a gorgeous piece of equipment and depending on finish will accentuate nicely any room in which it is placed. The Tivoli is available in a range of attractive wooden finishes in their standard range; the “Platinum” range introduces more beautifully piano-finished woodwork: The sound remains the same, but the price increases. The Yamaha, by contrast, looks simpler, and to some degree “cleaner”, has the typical modern consumer electronics appearance …no way around that. It is available in gray, black and a dusty rose color called “brick”.
When it comes to quality of construction, however, I found the Yamaha switchgear to be superior, with a positive, expensive feel. The Tivolili lagged behind, particularly the pushbuttons on the front panel, which were less substantial, and which more play that I wold have liked.
Pricing is significantly different on these two, with the Tivoli unit costing more than twice that of the Yamaha system in the UK and about 25% more in the US.
So in the end, which one? I’d give the nod to the Yamaha in terms of sound quality, build quality, flexibility of inputs and value for money. The Tivoli is—by an enormous margin—the beauty of the pair, with a much higher WAF (wife acceptance factor) but at a price. My suggestion: If budget is an issue, just buy the Yamaha, particularly if you live in the UK. If not, then give both a listen, preferably at home, and keep the one that does it for you from both aesthetic and audio points of view.
Yamaha TSX-140 Desktop Audio System
Inputs: CD: Audio CD, MP3, WMA
USB: MP3, WMA
Tuner: FM
DAB Tuner (UK only): DAB, DAB+
Input Connector: Stereo L/R 3.5mm STEREO mini Jack
Preset Memory: 5 x FM
Drivers: 8cm (3.2”) full range driver x 2
iPod/iPhone USB Sync: Yes
Maximum Power Output: 15W + 15W (6Ω,1kHz 10% THD)
Dimensions (W x H x D): 399 x 181 x 137mm (15 1/2” x 7” x 5.4”)
Weight: 3.2 kg (7 pounds)
Colors: Black, Brick, Gray
Price: GBP350/USD400
Tivoli Audio Music System
Inputs: CD (CD, CDR, CDRW, CD Text, MP3, and WMA), AM/FM, Auxiliary Input
Preset Memory: 6 x FM, 6 x AM
Drivers: 2 x 3" (2 x 7.62 cm) full-range, video shielded
1 x 5.25" (1 x 13.34 cm) down-firing woofer, video shielded
Dimensions: 14.125" W x 5.25" H x 9.5" D (35.88 cm W x 13.34 cm H x 24.13 cm D)
Weight: 13.0 lbs. (5.90 kg)
Price: GBP850/USD500
Reference System
VPI Classic 2 Turntable with SDS Power Supply
Benz-Micro Glider SL Cartridge (SoundSmith rebuild)
Musical Surroundings NovaPhonomena Phono Preamplifier
Vienna Acoustics Haydn Grand Speakers & dedicated stands
Cyrus Audio 8 QX DAC Integrated Amplifier
Sony XDR-F1HD tuner
Shanling SCD-T200 SACD player
Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer
APC H15 Power Conditioner
Mapleshade speaker wire, Blue Jeans speaker cable and interconnects, Ultimate Cables, AudioQuest, ProSolutions and AR interconnects
© Peter D’Amario, 2013
Music Omnivore
Posted 4-6-2013
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tips For Buying And Selling On Ebay
By Peter Taylor
Having recently discovered A$$A I read through all the back issue and have been scouring eBay for all the old gear I can remember from my youth. There’s a ton there and the prices are higher than what I expected for some gear but very reasonable for others. I’m in a rather unique position as I worked for eBay from 2001 through 2010. It was a fun time and I learned some basics that help sellers and help buyers. I thought I’d share some of them here since I’ve spent so much time lately looking at gear.
Tips for sellers:
• Pictures: Our motto was, “Big pictures sell goods.” Now I’m not really talking about gigantic pictures but good quality pictures. In this world of digital cameras, take a lot of pictures and use the best ones. Take pictures with and without the flash (especially of internals) and make sure they’re in focus. If there are defects, make certain those are in the photos. Show the bad and the good.
• Descriptions: Describe your items accurately. It’s always better to under promise and over deliver than the reverse. Include all the pertinent facts you can; power output, serial numbers, ownership history if known, weight, dimensions, etc.
• Item condition: Much of this will be evident in the photos but please take a little time and clean the equipment up. At least knock off that first layer of dust. Buyers need to see what they’re bidding on if at all possible.
• Most sellers are pretty savvy to this but think about WHEN your listing is going to end. You don’t want to have your listing ending at 11am on a Monday when everyone’s busy at work. On the other hand think about who’s likely to buy your item. Do you have a set of JBL 4350’s for sale? The person that’s going to buy those is likely to be bidding from his office in the middle of the day. Think about your potential buyer and when (s)he will be in front of their computers waiting for your listing to end.
• eBay was based on communication between buyer and seller. Answer any requests for more information as quickly as possible with as much information as possible. In today’s markets, buyers want instant gratification. Be professional at all times! Buyers will pay more from someone they like and trust. This is old equipment and they REALLY need to trust you.
• eBay allows you to place a contact phone number and email address in your listings. If you do this as a business, use this and encourage buyers/bidders to contact you with questions. DO NOT put the web address in your listing for any reason. This has been an eBay policy violation from the 90’s. Actually, any links in a listing is taking a chance. It’s best not to do this.
Tips for buyers:
• Keep your purchases “on the eBay site” if at all possible and pay with PayPal as much as you can. eBay/PayPal has very good buyer protection but ONLY if you are the winning bidder on the listing/auction.
• If you’re not using your Watch List within your My eBay section, learn how. This is where you can keep track of what you’re looking at. And refer back to ended items for price comparisons.
• Always perform “Completed Item Searches” for pricing info. Say you’re searching for SAE Amplifiers. You enter that into the Search Box and when the search returns a list of products, look right above the first one. Horizontally in blue [links] you’ll see Active Listings, Sold Listings, and Completed Listings. These should be fairly self explanatory but as an example I bought a truck that didn’t sell (a completed listing search) and saved several thousand dollars in the process. Listings remain on eBay for at least 6 months but are not searchable once they have ended, EXCEPT through a Completed Listing search. Completed listings are searchable for a few weeks is all.
• eBay’s bidding system is set up so you can enter your highest price and the system will bid up to that price for you as other bidder enter into the action (proxy bidding). Personally I like to wait till the last few seconds and enter my bid then. But… I always have my maximum bid in mind before I ever place my first bid. Always bid in odd amounts. If the amp you want typically sells for $300 and you’re willing to pay that, don’t bid $300. That’s what everyone else is going to bid. Bid $311.57 in the last few seconds. Get the idea? I’ve won many auctions by just a few cents using this process.
• Bidding early on an item gives you, what eBay likes to call, emotional ownership. You bid early and all of a sudden that item is almost yours… till someone outbids you. Well you can’t have that!! That’s your turntable!! So your bid goes up and the seller is smiling all the way to the bank.
• Unless the item you’re looking at is extremely rare, be patient. There will always be another one along. Do your research and get a realistic price in your head. There are still some good buys out there but the steals are few and far between now.
Posted 4-6-2013
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking at 2013
It’s fair to say that the History
Channel will be needing new programming now that the Mayan Apocalypse
turned out to be nothing more than the end of a calendar cycle.
The same holds true here at Affordable$$Audio. It’s been a
challenge trying to ramp the publication back up. Every member of
our small staff has far more going on outside of reviewing than back in
2010. Between marriage, children, employment partnerships, etc. life
has moved on. A new website design was in its final stage of
development. That is the reason for the long delay in releasing
this issue, nothing more or less.
That brings up the logical question, with such a long cycle and a small staff does it make sense to continue with the pdf format? Or, as some readers have suggested move to a Wordpress concept. The fact is, there is plenty of value in both concepts. One staff member is actively engaging in examining the Wordpress option. The idea being that articles/reviews could be published as they are completed, instead of waiting for all to be done. The downside is that navigating for a particular review as well as updating links gets a bit frustrating as well as time consuming.
Sticking with pdf, which looks great on a tablet makes archiving a non-issue. However, the wait time based on Affordable$$Audio’s current staff glacial in nature and not fair to you, our readers. The goal is to be both efficient and fresh as that is what makes e-publishing so very valuable.
Therefore, as I type this I am making the decision that with this issue Affordable$$Audio will go hybrid. A Wordpress style site was created to publish reviews immediately. After 6-8 articles have gone up, a pdf will be created as a proper archiving method. This will allow the website to stay uncluttered, and perform at optimum speed. Each new article/review will be announced via the terrific website, www.dailyaudiophile.com. Make sure to visit it every few days at it has the best collection of the latest in writings about our wonderful hobby.
I’m very pleased to soon be posting an article by a female audiophile this month. Though the piece came out from a Steve Hoffman forum post regarding ToneAudio publisher Jeff Dorgay’s thought-provoking blog on how women are the future of our hobby. The piece really shows how in my mind how nearly-universal it is for a current member of our hobby to having had a mentor. It doesn’t matter what sex one is, as environmental factors combined with an innate love of music shapes our pursuit. It’s a great perspective and I highly encourage everyone to read it casually and reflect on one’s own starting point.
Not long ago we lost one of the true giants of modern music with the passing of Dave Grusin. Very few musicians truly affect/inspire outside their genre, and that was Grusin. The ability to encompass instruments and styles in new ways made him special. To this day his brilliant use of the small concertina accordian for the Oscar-winning theme music of the underrated film The Milagro Beanfield War, is a perfect example of his genius. We can all be thankful that the gift of Dave Grusin is one we can continue to enjoy anytime.
Posted 1-2-2013
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Fritz REV5 Monitor Speakers
By Dan Nielsen
Specifications:
Frequency Response: 45Hz-20Khz
Impedance: 8 Ohms nominal
Sensitivity: 85.5 db (1 Watt, 2.83 V @ 1 Meter)
Bass/Midrange Driver: ScanSpeak 5.5 inch Revelator with a coated non-resonant cone & dust cap. Cast frame, low damping rubber surround, Patented Symmetrical
Tweeter: ScanSpeak 28 mm 1.1 inch hand coated textile soft dome with non-resonant rear chamber & ferro-fluid cooling, aluminium face plate
Crossover: Series crossover without any capacitors or resistors in the circuit with the tweeter Acoustic Reality Series Crossovers
Dimensions/Weight: 13H x 7.5W x 12D, 24 lbs (each)
Recommended Power: 30-150 Watts RMS, without clipping
Price: $2100pr
If there were an award at RMAF for the best “Woodstock is Forever” award Fritz would be crowned the permanent winner and the award retired. It isn’t because of his casual attire and looks, simply put Fritz is just one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, anywhere. When Affordable$$Audio was just starting up our founder Mark Marcantonio contacted him about reviewing his speakers as they were getting all sorts of buzz on the AudioCircle forum. Unfortunately, at that time if memory serves Fritz was having to rework his speakers due to a manufacturer dropping the drivers he was using. After that the timing was never right as the review pairs were in a long review line. Finally, with the Grove review in Issue 62, Jeff Brown was able to culminate the six-year process.
During this past spring I received an email that a review pair of his new REV 5 were in my area and once available I could pick them up for a listen. Never one to turn down the opportunity to hear gear in my own system I heartily agreed. The REV 5 comes in a variety of veneered finishes. The review pair came in cherry wood with an elegant light eggshell finish that reminded our founder of the natural walnut finish and size of his long gone Celestion SL6si’s.
At $2100, the REV 5 takes their place in the Fritz Speaker lineup between the Grove’s and the well-regarded Carbon 7’s. Though the speakers share similar dimension, by all accounts on the various forums each model has a unique sonic signature.
Listening
The majority of my time with the REV5’s was spent in my home office, a 12x11 space that lends itself quite nicely to bookshelf speakers. The REV5’s are what can best be described as a gentrified sound. They are a sit back, relax and unwind speaker, heavy duty rock and roll are not their forte´. Sublty or aggression rules the day no matter the amount of juice behind the signal. Whether it be my Cambridge 640v2 60wpc or a friend’s Adcom 545 brute at 100wpc, The REV5’s stayed true to their relaxed nature.
With this informationin mind I began to look at the REV 5’s in a different way. Did the speakers stay consistent from top to bottom? To my ears absolutely. Was the bass exaggerated at any frequency to fool the listener into thinking a bigger sound is being created than is actually possible? Nope, not the REV 5’s. Was the mid range syrupy sweet? No, very balanced across the mid bands. Was to top frequencies shimmery bright? Not at all. The fact was I could sit and listen to the REV 5’s without any fidgeting. The consistency makes them an easy listening experience.
A few days after returning them to Mark Marcantonio, I got a call from him asking me to stop by after work. Hooked up to his Sim Audio i7 integrated were the REV 5’s in his 18x13 family room. The one difference was that 18 inches to the outside of each speaker was one of his Magnepan 1.6’s. Using the sound reflection the lower mids and bass were allowed to reflect sideways then forward to the listening position. It’s not uncommon to see angled sound panels in the corners of some listening rooms. The REV5 may just need such panels whether DIY or purchased.
For the first time I was hearing a more aggressive bass. By no means was it hip hop in-your-face bass, but the REV 5’s were projecting into the room from Bonnie Raitt’s new album Slipstream. The rest of the performance still had that relaxed quality to it. But still it showed the effects that objects can have on speakers. Comparing the vinyl and cd version of Rickie Lee Jones self-titled debut, the vinyl had a three dimensional quality. Rickie Lee’s vocals stepped just in front of the speakers, while the cd left them about half way back of the REV 5 cabinet.
Playing a variety of different vinyl in comparison to the digital version it became apparent that the both of us preferred the REV 5’s with analogue recordings far more than digital. The speakers create more space between the instruments and vocals. As the afternoon moved into evening and the stack of played vinyl kepted increasing while the list of played digital tracks stayed short.
Another piece of vinyl that served the REV 5’s abilities is Pat Metheny Group’s American Garage. The clear, non-feedback electrical guitar work that Metheny is well-know for is in full spotlight on this album. From the opening song “Heartland” all the way thru the final lengthy jam “Epic”, the combination of simplicity of each instrument mixed with the detail of Lyle Mays keyboarding, subtle steady bass of Mark Egan, and casual drumming of Dan Gottlieb truly shows off well-balanced speakers such as the REV 5’s.
The evening ended with disc one of Keith Jarrett’s classic “The Koln Concert”. For many reviewers, this one included, the reproduction of the piano is one of a small group of instruments that separate speaker quality in the various budget categories. The journey that Jarrett takes the listener on in the recording encompasses a variety of moods. Though the REV 5’s didn’t extend the attacks by Jarrett into my face, because of the even-nature of their performance an emotional bond was created.
Final Thoughts.
No matter the publication, it’s fair to say every so often a product is reviewed that states “equipment matching is critical”. In the case of the Fritz Speaker REV 5 the opinion of this reviewer is that these monitors are “source specific”, a quality budget vinyl setup such as the REGA RP1/Ortofon Super OM40 is needed to bring the REV 5 into their performance zone. If you fall into the category of the relaxed listener who favors the dated term “European sound”, is overwhelmingly analogue, and has a small listening room the Fritz REV 5’s deserve your consideration.
Review Equipment
Cambridge Audio 640 integrated Amplifier, Dynaco amplifier, Cambridge Audio 640A cdp, Apple iPod 160gig
Wadia i170 transport Cambridge DACMagic Sennheiser HD 650 headphones Swan D2.1 SE speakers
Klipsch Speakers, Apple MacBook Pro Laptop
Posted 1-2-2013
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Luminous Audio Axiom II Two Channel Passive Preamplifier
By Jake Montezingo
Specifications:
Two inputs and two outputs,
plus direct input RCA version
XLR version and single input versions available ($195-$449)
Size: 8" X 6" X 4"
Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
MSRP: $350.00
My fascination with passive preamps started with the original version of the Luminous Audio Axiom, then quickly spread to transformer controlled preamps and other exotic offerings. I find the concept of passive preamps very interesting because they do not add another stage of application into your system. Every component has its own sonic signature, but I find that passive preamps on a whole have little to no electronic noise when it comes to source switching and volume control in a system. Similarly, I’ve used tubes or JFET preamps paired to amps in the past to customize the sound of my system, but I’ve also owned amplifiers where I already liked the sound of and do not want to add the sonic signature of another component. The Axiom II passive preamplifier from Luminous Audio should provide at least the aural benefits of the first version, in a much improved chassis.
Luminous Audio offers multiple versions of the Axiom II. All of them come in the same great enclosure, and all with the same look and smooth functioning knob, but with the connectors or options what are wanted or needed by the user. The two main options are RCA or XLR connectors, and then there are single, or multiple input versions of both those available. Then there are two premium version of the preamplifier beyond that; the Caddock/Bradley version with upgraded resistors starting at an additional $25, and the Walker Mod version which upgrades everything including wire, connectors, a stepped attenuator, etc. starting at an additional $200. I have not heard either of the upgrade version of the Axiom II, but the stock unit sounded mighty good with my equipment, so I imagine the upgrades are just a cherry on top of an already tasty dessert. When Tim, the owner of Luminous Audio, first told me that he was releasing a second generation of the Axiom preamp, I wanted to be sure I was the first person on the hot list. As soon as I got the word from Tim, I sent him the completed form with the enclosed information: Efficiency of your speakers in decibles at 1w/1m, input impedance of your power amp, input sensitivity of your power amp in mV, output voltage of your source. Those specs are what Tim uses to tune the Axiom II's passive circuits to enable the best impedance match and synergy with your components. The only specification that the Axiom II cannot be tuned for is the gain of the associated amplifier. Many modern amplifiers already have enough gain that a preamplifier with additional gain is not required, but Tim will consult with any buyer specifically if they have gain concerns with their amplifier.
Using my Squeezebox Touch fed with lossless files as the source, and
the power
section of my Grant Fidelity W30 integrated as the amplifier,
I
connected the Axiom II in-line with the components using
the
direct-in, and powered everything on. With the multi-input version
of
the Axiom II, it provides two inputs which are switched, two
outputs
which are volume controlled, and one direct-input which
bypasses the
input switch. I was told by Tim that with one source, this
input was
the cleanest and shortest signal path, and would most likely
provide
the best sound quality. With the tubes warm and a previous 100
hours on the unit for break-in, I started to play some music.
One of
the great things about my W30 integrated amp is that the preamp
and
amplifier sections can be used separately, as can the phono and
DAC
sections. For the sake of this review and product testing, I used
the
EL34 amplifier section of the W30 to power my speakers, but put
it
in-line between the preamp and amplifier sections. Since the W30 is
my
reference amplification and its sound is ingrained into my ears,
by
putting anything in the signal path, I would be able to hear
the
change, and thus hear the new component.
As I turned up the volume on Beethoven for All 24/96 conducted by Daniel Barenboim, the symphony started to fill my listening room. The first thing I heard was the sound of the symphony that I am used to. For the first few beats, everything sounded the same until the strings started and the recording had a slightly darker sound than I was used to. It was not a bad sound, in fact my horns can error on the side of bright, so darker in my system is never a bad thing. The sound stage remained just a larger and wide as I was used to without the Axiom II, except the overall detail of the soundstage seemed to be less sharp. It was not a diminishing in overall sound detail, just a small diminishing in soundstage and image detail. All other characteristic that I was used to in my system were still present; speed, detail, transparency, but with just a touch off the brightness and image detail. With the sound signature of the Axiom II present in my mind, I continued to listened through Beethoven's symphonies, but turned up the volume on the W30 and started playing with the volume control on the preamp. The first thing I noticed is the movement of the knob is very smooth; probably the smoothest I have encountered. While music was playing, I decreased the volume to zero, then brought it up and back down. The increase and decrease in volume was very linear, with no imbalances between channels, even at very low volume. That is one of my biggest pet-peeves, and the one thing that bothers me about the W30. For all of its great qualities, it has a right channel bias at very low volume, which is a killer with high sensitivity speakers. My assumption is the Tim either is using a very high quality potentiometer for the volume control, or testing and only using the best ones as the gain on each channel matched perfectly, and there was no mechanical or electrical noise when turning the knob. There also seemed to be no change in tone or sound quality as the volume increased or decreased.
Switching albums to Hope for Haiti Now, I played through about half the tracks while sitting with the lights off. Starting with the volume down, I was able to confirm that the overall noise of the system was very low. The W30 is one of the most quiet tube amps I have used, and the passive design of the Axiom II did not add any addition floor noise, hum, or hiss to the sound. The music flowed from the various voices on the album, and confirmed that the Axiom II added a touch of dark to the sound, but was a very good match for the system and sounded very musical. Dynamics with the multiple voices through the Axiom II were very good, and did not seem to be diminished compared to the tubed pre section in the W30. As I moved the volume higher and lower during a few songs, I could hear no change in the dynamics at any volume.
Wanting to test the Luminous Audio Axiom II further, hooked up the preamp to a custom class D amp driving a pair of Polk LSi15 speakers. Knowing that this would present a very different system then my tubes and horns, I was excited to hear the difference. I also knew that the Axiom II was not specifically tuned for this amp and speakers, but with the same Squeezebox Touch source, the results could still be favorable. This custom amp only has XLR inputs which required a set of RCA to XLR cables that he already had for the reason. With all other connections made and the Axiom II sitting between the Squeezebox and the amp, I cued up the Blind Boys of Alabama and turned up the volume. The class D amp historically does wonders to those moderate sensitivity and low impedance speakers, and the Axiom II passive preamp did not stand in the way of that musical experience. Just like I had heard with the horns, the Axiom II was very balanced in gain control, and did not change any of the detail or dynamics provided by the speakers. I then swapped in a Class D Audio SDS-440C power amp, and had the same result as with the custom class D amp. Both performed very well with the Luminous Audio Axiom II and the Polk speakers, and both provided their characteristic powerful bass and dynamics. With the Blind Boys continuing to play, I sat back to enjoy their deep vocals and sweet harmonies, impressed by the stereo separation and imaging resulting from the combination all the current components. This little preamp is it's a great pairing with my equipment, because it was designed to be used with my equipment.
Tim has succeeded once again in designing a passive preamp that functions simply, and is a great value for what is currently on the market. I love the new chassis and design of the Axiom II, but it still doesn't surpass the fact that Tim will tune the Axiom II to your system specifications, and re-tune as many times as needed in the future for a small fee. Customized stereo components are not widely available, and affordable would not be an applicable word for most of those components anyway. Tim has come through once again for the common man and designed an affordable passive preamplifier that upholds the Luminous Audio name in sound quality and build quality. Passive preamp can be great because of their simplicity, but you have to want that simplicity at the same time. I highly recommend the Axiom II preamplifier for anyone who would like to minimize the aural signature of their volume control while reducing floor noise, or simplify the components in their system.
Review Components
Soniphase Corner Horn Speakers, Polk LSi15 Speakers , Grant Fidelity W30 Integrated Amp, Class D Audio SDS-440C Amplifier , Custom ICEpower250ASP Amplifier, Squeezebox Touch PC Music Server with lossless files.
Posted 1-2-2013
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Aperion Audio Verus Grand Bookshelf Speakers
By Dan Nielsen
dannielsen@affordableaudio.org
Specifications:
Frequency Response: (+/- 3dB) 59-20,000 Hz -- (+/- 6dB) 54-22,000 Hz
Impedence: 6 Ohms
Sensitivity: 87dB
Amplification: 30-200 wpc
Tweeter: 1" Custom Aperion ASR Tweeter
Woofer: 5" Woven Kevlar Woofer with Aluminum Phase Plug
Driver Configuration 2-way
Enclosure Type: Anti-Resonant, Internally Braced, Rear Ported
Dimensions: 13" H x 7.5" W x 9" D
Weight: 14lbs. each
Price: $598pr, free shipping (both ways)
Warranty: 10 years (designed in USA, Manufactured in China.
www.aperionaudio.com
Good design never takes a back seat to fancy proclamations in my view of anything manufactured. One only has to look back at the mass produced junk that was budget audio back in the 1980’s and much of the 1990’s to remind us what happens when marketing buzz words were king. All the big Japanese electronic firms stumbled over one another to come with fancy phrases that claimed to do something dramatic and special to the sound reproduction process. When the reality was closer to garbage in, garbage out.
Thankfully, the turn of the new century seems to have marked an end to the nightmare of crapola audio. The old standard bearers ran headlong into home theater, leaving a vacuum in the quality budget audio market. Luckily, several companies have stepped forward. Though their ability to mass-market may be limited, their impact to those of us who appreciate good sound on a budget is a welcome sigh of relief. Without question, one such company is Aperion Audio. Based in the shadow of Oregon’s majestic Mt. Hood, Aperion Audio has consistently been at the top of the Internet-direct speaker manufacturing game. Their Intimus line has won praise across the audio review spectrum for their smooth, consistent sound. Just as important is their top-notch customer service; a quick Google search of audio forum boards testifies to the true business mantra of “the customer comes first”.
In late 2010, Aperion Audio launched their new Verus Grand line. The question is, can Aperion kick things up a notch with the new lineup? As with the Intimus line the Verus Grands come to the listener safely boxed and wrapped in the now traditional felt drawstring bag. The rectangular, boxy design had been replaced by the tapered tear-drop look including the curved top. Fit and finish on the high gloss piano black finish is exceptional as always. A second change is that the fabric-covered, honey-combed metal grill is recessed into the front “cap” and is attached by magnets (yes!).
For the Verus Grand series the Aperion design team led by Ken Humphrey’s started with a blank sheet when it came to drivers, beginning with a custom version of the 1 inch ASR (Axially Stabilized Radiator) tweeter, a soft dome design with a vertical bar running in front with a horizontal plug pushing in the center of the dome. The bar is designed to limit the natural movement of the dome internals, thus eliminating distortions. Mated to this tweeter is a 5-inch woofer made of Kevlar with a torpedo-shaped plug. The crossover point is set at 1.8kHz. A bit of discussion on crossover slope any notch filtering, quality of x over parts or internal wiring, binding posts, length of woofer x-max, and bi-wiring options would be relevant here.
The drivers are attached to what can best be descibed as a front face cap. No screws are visible. For those who like to peek and mess around the inside of the cabinet this makes for limited access, unless one decides to pry the cap off which from the build quality looks like a pretty obvious way to damage the seam. Then again, with a ten year warranty and top notch customer service, why mess around? The narrow, back-side holds the double set of 5-way binding posts and a port just above it. Though I wonder just what percentage of Aperion owners actually bi-wire or bi-power their speakers.
Listening
The Verus Grand bookshelves are rated at 6Ohms and 86db, with a 30 wpc minimum. With those numbers one would conclude that these speakers would crave a bit of power to get going. Yet, I found them to be quite enjoyable match with my Cambridge 640v2 integrated amp at 60wpc. On the other hand, a cheap late 1990’s Sherwood receiver left the Verus Grand’s begging for power. The Sherwood receiver is a bit irrelevant to someone thinking of buying a pair of $600 monitors.
I first set the speakers up in my vaulted great room during the burn-in process, not in any way expecting stunning results. The room has just too much air to move. For early morning listening with the newspaper and a cup of coffee I had no reason to complain. To be fair, I did move them to my home office (12’ x 11’ ft) for much of the balance of the review. With a bit of listening and adjusting I found optimum performance at 23” from the front wall and 6ft apart with zero toe-in on a pair of 24 inch sand-filled stands. The room has an 8’ by 6’ area rug and a couple of wall hung room sound treatments that double as wall decorations. My listening chair is some seven feet from the speakers.
Music was sourced from both an Apple iPod (lossless), Wadia 170 Transport, or from my PC, both being fed into a Cambridge DacMagic. The Verus Grand’s were given approximately 100 hours of burn-in time before any true listening took place. General impressions include a noise-free sound. Yet the tweeter has plenty of natural brightness. Tonally, the Verus Grand’s run true to the Aperion sound of being consistent across the frequency spectrum. Speakers that bump or suppress certain frequency points I find myself easily tiring after more than 45 minutes. The Verus Grand’s on the other hand created no such agitation. Bass response dropped to an acceptable 55hz, no exaggeration needed.
Like many music fans I’ve been enjoying Mumford & Sons Babel disc. The strumming energy that so many songs have on this recording that make it so infectious. I feel like I’ve been to a concert after listening to the entire disc. The Verus Grands do a fine job of recreating that energy. The ability of the individual string instruments to stand apart from others at the budget level can be a hit or miss proposition. The track “Lover of the Light” not only does this but also presents a clean lead vocal as well.
The local post-college album rock station KINK like many others across the country puts out a live album of artists who stop in to the station. Recently, they released their fifteenth such disc. The recording quality is quite good for a live performance in a room designed for intimate gatherings. The Burned “Hard Lesson” has one of the best bass tracks since The Who’s classic “Eminence Front”. The key is that the bass isn’t phony or flashy, the speakers aren’t asked to do what is unrealistic. Instead it’s natural, pleasant, and completely fitting. Match up a sub, set the crossover to 80Hz and get ready to start nodding and tapping.
How about the human musical instrument? In the budget arena, vocals can lack the richness that comes as the listener moves up the product ladder. But the essence of the artist can be found when done right. Listening in the same disc to The Decemberists “Down by the Water”, Colin Meloy’s vocals have the resonance one is looking for. Just as impressive is the smoothness of the harmonica, an instrument that can quickly show weakness in the upper range of any speaker.
Over the weeks of this review I was able to audition the Verus Grand with Dynaco tube and Wyred4Sound chip amplification as well. In regards to vacuum tube amplification, these speakers add just a hint of richness to the sound. This once again is a testament to the neutrality of the Verus Grand. A speaker with rich midrange can become too sweet with tubes. Just the opposite is the case with class D amplifiers. With jazz recordings the saxaphone did lean out ever so slightly, but all in all consider the Verus Grand’s truly amplifier-friendly speakers.
Final Thoughts
I had high expectations for the Aperion Audio Verus Grand Bookshelves after spending a few months with their well-regarded Intimus 6B model. The Verus Grand’s continue Aperion’s tradition of doing the basics well. Avoiding the trap of tweaking certain frequencies is a good measure of a quality design in the budget realm. The top to bottom consistency of the Verus Grand’s is the key to their value. Placed in a smaller room with quality amplification they will perform with an ease that will keep the owner happy for years.
Review Equipment
Cambridge Audio 640 integrated Amplifier, Dynaco amplifier, Cambridge Audio 640A cdp, Apple iPod 160gig
Wadia i170 transport Cambridge DACMagic Sennheiser HD 650 headphones Swan D2.1 SE speakers
Klipsch Speakers, Apple MacBook Pro Laptop, Wyred4Sound amplifier
Posted 1-2-2013
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THE CLASH, Give ‘Em Enough Rope (1978).
Review By Anthony Thompson
As it is coming up to the 10th anniversary of the death of Joe Strummer, the lead singer of the Clash, I thought it would be an appropriate time to revisit one of their earlier albums to remind us of the legacy that he has left. The Clash were one of “the” groups to come out of the London Punk scene in the late 1970’s. Following their breakup in 1985, most members of the band continued to write and perform, although none ever found the same level of success that they had had playing together as the Clash. Sadly, Joe Strummer died in December 2002, at the age of 50, of a congenital heart disease, just when there seemed to be a significant degree of reconciliation between the band members and, who knows, the possibility of a reformed Clash?
London Calling, their third album, is probably their most successful and well known, so why have I chosen Give ‘Em Enough Rope to review here? Possibly because it has been overshadowed by London Calling and yet it is an excellent album that should not be forgotten, and also because I didn’t buy it at the time and I wondered why. I had purchased their eponymously titled first album and subsequently bought London Calling but not Give ‘Em Enough Rope. When I recently saw an original vinyl copy for £10 (US$ 16) I had to buy it to complete the collection and find out why I hadn’t purchased it at the time; was it because it was the end of term when all my student grant had been spent in the pub, was it because some other record had caught my fancy at the time or was it because I didn’t rate it that highly?
So how does the album shape up, 30 plus years on? The first thing you notice is that this a much slicker production than their first album; a result of CBS drafting in Sandy Prearlman as producer to try to make the album appeal to the American audience (it didn’t, only reaching 126 in the Billboard chart). There are a number of standout tracks, particularly "English Civil War" and "Tommy Gun" (both of which were released as singles) having all the bite and energy of the early album. But there are also other tracks "Julie’s Been Working for the Drug Squad" that evidence the beginnings of the wider musical style that would become so much a part of the sound of the Clash on London Calling. There are a couple of rather average tracks (for example Drug Stabbing Time) but even taking those into account, this album has stood up well to the test of time. It is an excellent album, perhaps not as good as London Calling, but still not one to overlook. So why didn’t I buy it at the time? Clearly it wasn’t on grounds of the quality of the record, so the only thing I can think of is that as a cash-strapped student all my money had already gone on beer!
Posted 1-2-2013
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The Mamas and the Papas, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
Sundazed LP 5343 (Reissue of Dunhill D-50006)
33rpm Mono Vinyl LP
Review By Peter D'Amario
Feelin’ Groovy…
The Mamas and the Papas (yes, it’s misspelled—or rather mis-punctuated—on the cover of the album) appeared, shone brilliantly for less than five years, and then disappeared forever. (There might have been a reunion at some point, but for Cass Elliot’s untimely death in London in 1974, at only 32 years of age.) Over that period, however, they released five albums, the first four charting inside the top twenty. Indeed, the final album was recorded and released simply to fulfill their contract with Dunhill, and it was relatively poorly received: Their first four albums charted at 1st, 4th, 2nd and 15th.
Not every band manages a first album the likes of this one. If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, released in early 1966 charted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart that year. Indeed, the album is practically greatest-hits compilation, with “Monday Monday”, “Got a Feelin’”, “I Call Your Name”, “California Dreamin’” featured, among others. There are also a number of covers, as was not at all unusual for first albums in those distant years: “I Call Your Name” (the obligatory Beatles cover), “Do You Wanna Dance” (Beach Boys), “Spanish Harlem” (everyone, it seems) and so on. It’s like hitting a home run at your first time at bat.
The music evokes the Zeitgeist of the mid-sixties, but it is meaningfully different from contemporary releases by other folky-rock types such as the Byrds or Dylan. There are gorgeous harmonies and solid melodies (Mama Cass was commonly deemed to be the strongest voice of the quartet, but none of them were slouches). There is less psychedelia here, the music is more earthy, less recherché. There is variety, sure, but the formula of harmony with a reverberant lead is consistent. This is not a criticism: It works, it does not wear.
It is pointless for me to discuss the songs themselves…so many have already graduated to “old chestnut” status: Monday, Monday, California Dreamin’ manage both to evoke a particular time and to be fresh every time I hear them. Some of the covers, like “Do You Wanna Dance” and “I Call Your Name” are beautifully executed. I’m not a fan of this band’s version of “Spanish Harlem” however: It’s plodding and undistinguished, with the cheesiest (and worst-recorded) string section overdub I think I’ve ever heard.
The sound quality of this album is decent, if not outstanding, and primarily I attribute this to the original recording: Sundazed typically uses master tapes and I wonder if the masters are fundamentally flawed. I’ve heard that the original mono masters were lost, so this may be a copy…and then again maybe it isn’t (don’t you love vinyl intrigue?). There’s been little or no fiddling around with the source: Slight tape hiss is evident during quiet passages, and there are occasional artifacts that could have been eliminated during mastering, but weren’t. On the other hand, if you’re seeking a dead-quiet background, vinyl really may not be for you. The surfaces themselves are quiet with no-out-of-the-box ticks or pops. I could swear that this release was originally marketed as 180 grams…which is a fantasy, because this feels more like Dynaflex than like 180g. I appreciate that “weight wars” are largely marketing-driven when it comes to reissues, and I can’t identify any meaningful downside to the lighter weight. Certain songs sound really, really good: The flute solo in “California Dreamin’” is wonderful; you can easily hear the breath of the player across the mouthpiece. Tambourines are reproduced realistically and while some have moaned about the bass response, I find this to be the best I’ve ever heard (I don’t own other vinyl copies, CD only) for this recording. As an exception, “Spanish Harlem” just sounds plain atrocious.
The packaging appears consistent with the album’s original release, in that the innersleeve is cheap paper (lots of tiny pieces of paper stuck to the record when I removed it the first time). In the bin went the paper innersleeve and in the sleeve went a nice Mofi rice paper innersleeve. There is no additional information about the album other than the hilariously dated notes on the back cover of the album. Speaking of the cover, the Sundazed cover replicates the original “toilet” cover from 1966 shown above with shrink-wrap on and, on the right, with shrink-wrap removed). Now, why a band would wish to be photographed in a bathtub, and sharing the space with a toilet is beyond me, but there you have it. The appearance of the toilet so exercised record executives in the mid-sixties, that a sticker was devised to adhere to the shrink-wrap, thus covering the offending commode and sparing the delicate sensibilities of the era’s record buyers. In later years the photo was cropped to remove entirely vestiges of the bathroom fixtures. How times have changed.
So, do you buy this reissue? If you like the Mamas and the Papas, want vinyl and don’t already own an early pressing, this is not a bad record to acquire. It’s not perfect, but it’s as good as it gets at the moment, and the $20 sticker price is a bargain by 2012 reissue standards ($30 being more the norm for single-record releases, and $50-$60 for double albums). Give it a clean, slap it on your turntable, get yourself a drink and immerse yourselves in the aura of another time.
System Used for Review
VPI Classic 2 turntable with SDS power supply, Benz-Micro Glider SL cartridge, Musical Surroundings NovaPhonomena phono preamplifier, Vienna Acoustics Haydn Grand SE speakers, Cyrus 8Qx DAC Integrated Amplifier, Sony XDR-F1HD tuner
Shanling SCD-T200 SACD player, Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer, Mapleshade speaker wire, Blue Jeans speaker cable and interconnects, Ultimate Cables, AudioQuest, ProSolutions and AR interconnects
© Peter D’Amario, 2012-13
Music Omnivore
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That brings up the logical question, with such a long cycle and a small staff does it make sense to continue with the pdf format? Or, as some readers have suggested move to a Wordpress concept. The fact is, there is plenty of value in both concepts. One staff member is actively engaging in examining the Wordpress option. The idea being that articles/reviews could be published as they are completed, instead of waiting for all to be done. The downside is that navigating for a particular review as well as updating links gets a bit frustrating as well as time consuming.
Sticking with pdf, which looks great on a tablet makes archiving a non-issue. However, the wait time based on Affordable$$Audio’s current staff glacial in nature and not fair to you, our readers. The goal is to be both efficient and fresh as that is what makes e-publishing so very valuable.
Therefore, as I type this I am making the decision that with this issue Affordable$$Audio will go hybrid. A Wordpress style site was created to publish reviews immediately. After 6-8 articles have gone up, a pdf will be created as a proper archiving method. This will allow the website to stay uncluttered, and perform at optimum speed. Each new article/review will be announced via the terrific website, www.dailyaudiophile.com. Make sure to visit it every few days at it has the best collection of the latest in writings about our wonderful hobby.
I’m very pleased to soon be posting an article by a female audiophile this month. Though the piece came out from a Steve Hoffman forum post regarding ToneAudio publisher Jeff Dorgay’s thought-provoking blog on how women are the future of our hobby. The piece really shows how in my mind how nearly-universal it is for a current member of our hobby to having had a mentor. It doesn’t matter what sex one is, as environmental factors combined with an innate love of music shapes our pursuit. It’s a great perspective and I highly encourage everyone to read it casually and reflect on one’s own starting point.
Not long ago we lost one of the true giants of modern music with the passing of Dave Grusin. Very few musicians truly affect/inspire outside their genre, and that was Grusin. The ability to encompass instruments and styles in new ways made him special. To this day his brilliant use of the small concertina accordian for the Oscar-winning theme music of the underrated film The Milagro Beanfield War, is a perfect example of his genius. We can all be thankful that the gift of Dave Grusin is one we can continue to enjoy anytime.
Posted 1-2-2013
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Fritz REV5 Monitor Speakers
By Dan Nielsen
Specifications:
Frequency Response: 45Hz-20Khz
Impedance: 8 Ohms nominal
Sensitivity: 85.5 db (1 Watt, 2.83 V @ 1 Meter)
Bass/Midrange Driver: ScanSpeak 5.5 inch Revelator with a coated non-resonant cone & dust cap. Cast frame, low damping rubber surround, Patented Symmetrical
Tweeter: ScanSpeak 28 mm 1.1 inch hand coated textile soft dome with non-resonant rear chamber & ferro-fluid cooling, aluminium face plate
Crossover: Series crossover without any capacitors or resistors in the circuit with the tweeter Acoustic Reality Series Crossovers
Dimensions/Weight: 13H x 7.5W x 12D, 24 lbs (each)
Recommended Power: 30-150 Watts RMS, without clipping
Price: $2100pr
If there were an award at RMAF for the best “Woodstock is Forever” award Fritz would be crowned the permanent winner and the award retired. It isn’t because of his casual attire and looks, simply put Fritz is just one of the nicest guys you’ll ever meet, anywhere. When Affordable$$Audio was just starting up our founder Mark Marcantonio contacted him about reviewing his speakers as they were getting all sorts of buzz on the AudioCircle forum. Unfortunately, at that time if memory serves Fritz was having to rework his speakers due to a manufacturer dropping the drivers he was using. After that the timing was never right as the review pairs were in a long review line. Finally, with the Grove review in Issue 62, Jeff Brown was able to culminate the six-year process.
During this past spring I received an email that a review pair of his new REV 5 were in my area and once available I could pick them up for a listen. Never one to turn down the opportunity to hear gear in my own system I heartily agreed. The REV 5 comes in a variety of veneered finishes. The review pair came in cherry wood with an elegant light eggshell finish that reminded our founder of the natural walnut finish and size of his long gone Celestion SL6si’s.
At $2100, the REV 5 takes their place in the Fritz Speaker lineup between the Grove’s and the well-regarded Carbon 7’s. Though the speakers share similar dimension, by all accounts on the various forums each model has a unique sonic signature.
Listening
The majority of my time with the REV5’s was spent in my home office, a 12x11 space that lends itself quite nicely to bookshelf speakers. The REV5’s are what can best be described as a gentrified sound. They are a sit back, relax and unwind speaker, heavy duty rock and roll are not their forte´. Sublty or aggression rules the day no matter the amount of juice behind the signal. Whether it be my Cambridge 640v2 60wpc or a friend’s Adcom 545 brute at 100wpc, The REV5’s stayed true to their relaxed nature.
With this informationin mind I began to look at the REV 5’s in a different way. Did the speakers stay consistent from top to bottom? To my ears absolutely. Was the bass exaggerated at any frequency to fool the listener into thinking a bigger sound is being created than is actually possible? Nope, not the REV 5’s. Was the mid range syrupy sweet? No, very balanced across the mid bands. Was to top frequencies shimmery bright? Not at all. The fact was I could sit and listen to the REV 5’s without any fidgeting. The consistency makes them an easy listening experience.
A few days after returning them to Mark Marcantonio, I got a call from him asking me to stop by after work. Hooked up to his Sim Audio i7 integrated were the REV 5’s in his 18x13 family room. The one difference was that 18 inches to the outside of each speaker was one of his Magnepan 1.6’s. Using the sound reflection the lower mids and bass were allowed to reflect sideways then forward to the listening position. It’s not uncommon to see angled sound panels in the corners of some listening rooms. The REV5 may just need such panels whether DIY or purchased.
For the first time I was hearing a more aggressive bass. By no means was it hip hop in-your-face bass, but the REV 5’s were projecting into the room from Bonnie Raitt’s new album Slipstream. The rest of the performance still had that relaxed quality to it. But still it showed the effects that objects can have on speakers. Comparing the vinyl and cd version of Rickie Lee Jones self-titled debut, the vinyl had a three dimensional quality. Rickie Lee’s vocals stepped just in front of the speakers, while the cd left them about half way back of the REV 5 cabinet.
Playing a variety of different vinyl in comparison to the digital version it became apparent that the both of us preferred the REV 5’s with analogue recordings far more than digital. The speakers create more space between the instruments and vocals. As the afternoon moved into evening and the stack of played vinyl kepted increasing while the list of played digital tracks stayed short.
Another piece of vinyl that served the REV 5’s abilities is Pat Metheny Group’s American Garage. The clear, non-feedback electrical guitar work that Metheny is well-know for is in full spotlight on this album. From the opening song “Heartland” all the way thru the final lengthy jam “Epic”, the combination of simplicity of each instrument mixed with the detail of Lyle Mays keyboarding, subtle steady bass of Mark Egan, and casual drumming of Dan Gottlieb truly shows off well-balanced speakers such as the REV 5’s.
The evening ended with disc one of Keith Jarrett’s classic “The Koln Concert”. For many reviewers, this one included, the reproduction of the piano is one of a small group of instruments that separate speaker quality in the various budget categories. The journey that Jarrett takes the listener on in the recording encompasses a variety of moods. Though the REV 5’s didn’t extend the attacks by Jarrett into my face, because of the even-nature of their performance an emotional bond was created.
Final Thoughts.
No matter the publication, it’s fair to say every so often a product is reviewed that states “equipment matching is critical”. In the case of the Fritz Speaker REV 5 the opinion of this reviewer is that these monitors are “source specific”, a quality budget vinyl setup such as the REGA RP1/Ortofon Super OM40 is needed to bring the REV 5 into their performance zone. If you fall into the category of the relaxed listener who favors the dated term “European sound”, is overwhelmingly analogue, and has a small listening room the Fritz REV 5’s deserve your consideration.
Review Equipment
Cambridge Audio 640 integrated Amplifier, Dynaco amplifier, Cambridge Audio 640A cdp, Apple iPod 160gig
Wadia i170 transport Cambridge DACMagic Sennheiser HD 650 headphones Swan D2.1 SE speakers
Klipsch Speakers, Apple MacBook Pro Laptop
Posted 1-2-2013
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Luminous Audio Axiom II Two Channel Passive Preamplifier
By Jake Montezingo
Two inputs and two outputs,
plus direct input RCA version
XLR version and single input versions available ($195-$449)
Size: 8" X 6" X 4"
Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
MSRP: $350.00
My fascination with passive preamps started with the original version of the Luminous Audio Axiom, then quickly spread to transformer controlled preamps and other exotic offerings. I find the concept of passive preamps very interesting because they do not add another stage of application into your system. Every component has its own sonic signature, but I find that passive preamps on a whole have little to no electronic noise when it comes to source switching and volume control in a system. Similarly, I’ve used tubes or JFET preamps paired to amps in the past to customize the sound of my system, but I’ve also owned amplifiers where I already liked the sound of and do not want to add the sonic signature of another component. The Axiom II passive preamplifier from Luminous Audio should provide at least the aural benefits of the first version, in a much improved chassis.
Luminous Audio offers multiple versions of the Axiom II. All of them come in the same great enclosure, and all with the same look and smooth functioning knob, but with the connectors or options what are wanted or needed by the user. The two main options are RCA or XLR connectors, and then there are single, or multiple input versions of both those available. Then there are two premium version of the preamplifier beyond that; the Caddock/Bradley version with upgraded resistors starting at an additional $25, and the Walker Mod version which upgrades everything including wire, connectors, a stepped attenuator, etc. starting at an additional $200. I have not heard either of the upgrade version of the Axiom II, but the stock unit sounded mighty good with my equipment, so I imagine the upgrades are just a cherry on top of an already tasty dessert. When Tim, the owner of Luminous Audio, first told me that he was releasing a second generation of the Axiom preamp, I wanted to be sure I was the first person on the hot list. As soon as I got the word from Tim, I sent him the completed form with the enclosed information: Efficiency of your speakers in decibles at 1w/1m, input impedance of your power amp, input sensitivity of your power amp in mV, output voltage of your source. Those specs are what Tim uses to tune the Axiom II's passive circuits to enable the best impedance match and synergy with your components. The only specification that the Axiom II cannot be tuned for is the gain of the associated amplifier. Many modern amplifiers already have enough gain that a preamplifier with additional gain is not required, but Tim will consult with any buyer specifically if they have gain concerns with their amplifier.
As I turned up the volume on Beethoven for All 24/96 conducted by Daniel Barenboim, the symphony started to fill my listening room. The first thing I heard was the sound of the symphony that I am used to. For the first few beats, everything sounded the same until the strings started and the recording had a slightly darker sound than I was used to. It was not a bad sound, in fact my horns can error on the side of bright, so darker in my system is never a bad thing. The sound stage remained just a larger and wide as I was used to without the Axiom II, except the overall detail of the soundstage seemed to be less sharp. It was not a diminishing in overall sound detail, just a small diminishing in soundstage and image detail. All other characteristic that I was used to in my system were still present; speed, detail, transparency, but with just a touch off the brightness and image detail. With the sound signature of the Axiom II present in my mind, I continued to listened through Beethoven's symphonies, but turned up the volume on the W30 and started playing with the volume control on the preamp. The first thing I noticed is the movement of the knob is very smooth; probably the smoothest I have encountered. While music was playing, I decreased the volume to zero, then brought it up and back down. The increase and decrease in volume was very linear, with no imbalances between channels, even at very low volume. That is one of my biggest pet-peeves, and the one thing that bothers me about the W30. For all of its great qualities, it has a right channel bias at very low volume, which is a killer with high sensitivity speakers. My assumption is the Tim either is using a very high quality potentiometer for the volume control, or testing and only using the best ones as the gain on each channel matched perfectly, and there was no mechanical or electrical noise when turning the knob. There also seemed to be no change in tone or sound quality as the volume increased or decreased.
Switching albums to Hope for Haiti Now, I played through about half the tracks while sitting with the lights off. Starting with the volume down, I was able to confirm that the overall noise of the system was very low. The W30 is one of the most quiet tube amps I have used, and the passive design of the Axiom II did not add any addition floor noise, hum, or hiss to the sound. The music flowed from the various voices on the album, and confirmed that the Axiom II added a touch of dark to the sound, but was a very good match for the system and sounded very musical. Dynamics with the multiple voices through the Axiom II were very good, and did not seem to be diminished compared to the tubed pre section in the W30. As I moved the volume higher and lower during a few songs, I could hear no change in the dynamics at any volume.
Wanting to test the Luminous Audio Axiom II further, hooked up the preamp to a custom class D amp driving a pair of Polk LSi15 speakers. Knowing that this would present a very different system then my tubes and horns, I was excited to hear the difference. I also knew that the Axiom II was not specifically tuned for this amp and speakers, but with the same Squeezebox Touch source, the results could still be favorable. This custom amp only has XLR inputs which required a set of RCA to XLR cables that he already had for the reason. With all other connections made and the Axiom II sitting between the Squeezebox and the amp, I cued up the Blind Boys of Alabama and turned up the volume. The class D amp historically does wonders to those moderate sensitivity and low impedance speakers, and the Axiom II passive preamp did not stand in the way of that musical experience. Just like I had heard with the horns, the Axiom II was very balanced in gain control, and did not change any of the detail or dynamics provided by the speakers. I then swapped in a Class D Audio SDS-440C power amp, and had the same result as with the custom class D amp. Both performed very well with the Luminous Audio Axiom II and the Polk speakers, and both provided their characteristic powerful bass and dynamics. With the Blind Boys continuing to play, I sat back to enjoy their deep vocals and sweet harmonies, impressed by the stereo separation and imaging resulting from the combination all the current components. This little preamp is it's a great pairing with my equipment, because it was designed to be used with my equipment.
Tim has succeeded once again in designing a passive preamp that functions simply, and is a great value for what is currently on the market. I love the new chassis and design of the Axiom II, but it still doesn't surpass the fact that Tim will tune the Axiom II to your system specifications, and re-tune as many times as needed in the future for a small fee. Customized stereo components are not widely available, and affordable would not be an applicable word for most of those components anyway. Tim has come through once again for the common man and designed an affordable passive preamplifier that upholds the Luminous Audio name in sound quality and build quality. Passive preamp can be great because of their simplicity, but you have to want that simplicity at the same time. I highly recommend the Axiom II preamplifier for anyone who would like to minimize the aural signature of their volume control while reducing floor noise, or simplify the components in their system.
Review Components
Soniphase Corner Horn Speakers, Polk LSi15 Speakers , Grant Fidelity W30 Integrated Amp, Class D Audio SDS-440C Amplifier , Custom ICEpower250ASP Amplifier, Squeezebox Touch PC Music Server with lossless files.
Posted 1-2-2013
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Aperion Audio Verus Grand Bookshelf Speakers
By Dan Nielsen
dannielsen@affordableaudio.org
Specifications:
Frequency Response: (+/- 3dB) 59-20,000 Hz -- (+/- 6dB) 54-22,000 Hz
Impedence: 6 Ohms
Sensitivity: 87dB
Amplification: 30-200 wpc
Tweeter: 1" Custom Aperion ASR Tweeter
Woofer: 5" Woven Kevlar Woofer with Aluminum Phase Plug
Driver Configuration 2-way
Enclosure Type: Anti-Resonant, Internally Braced, Rear Ported
Dimensions: 13" H x 7.5" W x 9" D
Weight: 14lbs. each
Price: $598pr, free shipping (both ways)
Warranty: 10 years (designed in USA, Manufactured in China.
www.aperionaudio.com
Good design never takes a back seat to fancy proclamations in my view of anything manufactured. One only has to look back at the mass produced junk that was budget audio back in the 1980’s and much of the 1990’s to remind us what happens when marketing buzz words were king. All the big Japanese electronic firms stumbled over one another to come with fancy phrases that claimed to do something dramatic and special to the sound reproduction process. When the reality was closer to garbage in, garbage out.
Thankfully, the turn of the new century seems to have marked an end to the nightmare of crapola audio. The old standard bearers ran headlong into home theater, leaving a vacuum in the quality budget audio market. Luckily, several companies have stepped forward. Though their ability to mass-market may be limited, their impact to those of us who appreciate good sound on a budget is a welcome sigh of relief. Without question, one such company is Aperion Audio. Based in the shadow of Oregon’s majestic Mt. Hood, Aperion Audio has consistently been at the top of the Internet-direct speaker manufacturing game. Their Intimus line has won praise across the audio review spectrum for their smooth, consistent sound. Just as important is their top-notch customer service; a quick Google search of audio forum boards testifies to the true business mantra of “the customer comes first”.
In late 2010, Aperion Audio launched their new Verus Grand line. The question is, can Aperion kick things up a notch with the new lineup? As with the Intimus line the Verus Grands come to the listener safely boxed and wrapped in the now traditional felt drawstring bag. The rectangular, boxy design had been replaced by the tapered tear-drop look including the curved top. Fit and finish on the high gloss piano black finish is exceptional as always. A second change is that the fabric-covered, honey-combed metal grill is recessed into the front “cap” and is attached by magnets (yes!).
For the Verus Grand series the Aperion design team led by Ken Humphrey’s started with a blank sheet when it came to drivers, beginning with a custom version of the 1 inch ASR (Axially Stabilized Radiator) tweeter, a soft dome design with a vertical bar running in front with a horizontal plug pushing in the center of the dome. The bar is designed to limit the natural movement of the dome internals, thus eliminating distortions. Mated to this tweeter is a 5-inch woofer made of Kevlar with a torpedo-shaped plug. The crossover point is set at 1.8kHz. A bit of discussion on crossover slope any notch filtering, quality of x over parts or internal wiring, binding posts, length of woofer x-max, and bi-wiring options would be relevant here.
The drivers are attached to what can best be descibed as a front face cap. No screws are visible. For those who like to peek and mess around the inside of the cabinet this makes for limited access, unless one decides to pry the cap off which from the build quality looks like a pretty obvious way to damage the seam. Then again, with a ten year warranty and top notch customer service, why mess around? The narrow, back-side holds the double set of 5-way binding posts and a port just above it. Though I wonder just what percentage of Aperion owners actually bi-wire or bi-power their speakers.
Listening
The Verus Grand bookshelves are rated at 6Ohms and 86db, with a 30 wpc minimum. With those numbers one would conclude that these speakers would crave a bit of power to get going. Yet, I found them to be quite enjoyable match with my Cambridge 640v2 integrated amp at 60wpc. On the other hand, a cheap late 1990’s Sherwood receiver left the Verus Grand’s begging for power. The Sherwood receiver is a bit irrelevant to someone thinking of buying a pair of $600 monitors.
I first set the speakers up in my vaulted great room during the burn-in process, not in any way expecting stunning results. The room has just too much air to move. For early morning listening with the newspaper and a cup of coffee I had no reason to complain. To be fair, I did move them to my home office (12’ x 11’ ft) for much of the balance of the review. With a bit of listening and adjusting I found optimum performance at 23” from the front wall and 6ft apart with zero toe-in on a pair of 24 inch sand-filled stands. The room has an 8’ by 6’ area rug and a couple of wall hung room sound treatments that double as wall decorations. My listening chair is some seven feet from the speakers.
Music was sourced from both an Apple iPod (lossless), Wadia 170 Transport, or from my PC, both being fed into a Cambridge DacMagic. The Verus Grand’s were given approximately 100 hours of burn-in time before any true listening took place. General impressions include a noise-free sound. Yet the tweeter has plenty of natural brightness. Tonally, the Verus Grand’s run true to the Aperion sound of being consistent across the frequency spectrum. Speakers that bump or suppress certain frequency points I find myself easily tiring after more than 45 minutes. The Verus Grand’s on the other hand created no such agitation. Bass response dropped to an acceptable 55hz, no exaggeration needed.
Like many music fans I’ve been enjoying Mumford & Sons Babel disc. The strumming energy that so many songs have on this recording that make it so infectious. I feel like I’ve been to a concert after listening to the entire disc. The Verus Grands do a fine job of recreating that energy. The ability of the individual string instruments to stand apart from others at the budget level can be a hit or miss proposition. The track “Lover of the Light” not only does this but also presents a clean lead vocal as well.
The local post-college album rock station KINK like many others across the country puts out a live album of artists who stop in to the station. Recently, they released their fifteenth such disc. The recording quality is quite good for a live performance in a room designed for intimate gatherings. The Burned “Hard Lesson” has one of the best bass tracks since The Who’s classic “Eminence Front”. The key is that the bass isn’t phony or flashy, the speakers aren’t asked to do what is unrealistic. Instead it’s natural, pleasant, and completely fitting. Match up a sub, set the crossover to 80Hz and get ready to start nodding and tapping.
How about the human musical instrument? In the budget arena, vocals can lack the richness that comes as the listener moves up the product ladder. But the essence of the artist can be found when done right. Listening in the same disc to The Decemberists “Down by the Water”, Colin Meloy’s vocals have the resonance one is looking for. Just as impressive is the smoothness of the harmonica, an instrument that can quickly show weakness in the upper range of any speaker.
Over the weeks of this review I was able to audition the Verus Grand with Dynaco tube and Wyred4Sound chip amplification as well. In regards to vacuum tube amplification, these speakers add just a hint of richness to the sound. This once again is a testament to the neutrality of the Verus Grand. A speaker with rich midrange can become too sweet with tubes. Just the opposite is the case with class D amplifiers. With jazz recordings the saxaphone did lean out ever so slightly, but all in all consider the Verus Grand’s truly amplifier-friendly speakers.
Final Thoughts
I had high expectations for the Aperion Audio Verus Grand Bookshelves after spending a few months with their well-regarded Intimus 6B model. The Verus Grand’s continue Aperion’s tradition of doing the basics well. Avoiding the trap of tweaking certain frequencies is a good measure of a quality design in the budget realm. The top to bottom consistency of the Verus Grand’s is the key to their value. Placed in a smaller room with quality amplification they will perform with an ease that will keep the owner happy for years.
Review Equipment
Cambridge Audio 640 integrated Amplifier, Dynaco amplifier, Cambridge Audio 640A cdp, Apple iPod 160gig
Wadia i170 transport Cambridge DACMagic Sennheiser HD 650 headphones Swan D2.1 SE speakers
Klipsch Speakers, Apple MacBook Pro Laptop, Wyred4Sound amplifier
Posted 1-2-2013
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THE CLASH, Give ‘Em Enough Rope (1978).
Review By Anthony Thompson
As it is coming up to the 10th anniversary of the death of Joe Strummer, the lead singer of the Clash, I thought it would be an appropriate time to revisit one of their earlier albums to remind us of the legacy that he has left. The Clash were one of “the” groups to come out of the London Punk scene in the late 1970’s. Following their breakup in 1985, most members of the band continued to write and perform, although none ever found the same level of success that they had had playing together as the Clash. Sadly, Joe Strummer died in December 2002, at the age of 50, of a congenital heart disease, just when there seemed to be a significant degree of reconciliation between the band members and, who knows, the possibility of a reformed Clash?
London Calling, their third album, is probably their most successful and well known, so why have I chosen Give ‘Em Enough Rope to review here? Possibly because it has been overshadowed by London Calling and yet it is an excellent album that should not be forgotten, and also because I didn’t buy it at the time and I wondered why. I had purchased their eponymously titled first album and subsequently bought London Calling but not Give ‘Em Enough Rope. When I recently saw an original vinyl copy for £10 (US$ 16) I had to buy it to complete the collection and find out why I hadn’t purchased it at the time; was it because it was the end of term when all my student grant had been spent in the pub, was it because some other record had caught my fancy at the time or was it because I didn’t rate it that highly?
So how does the album shape up, 30 plus years on? The first thing you notice is that this a much slicker production than their first album; a result of CBS drafting in Sandy Prearlman as producer to try to make the album appeal to the American audience (it didn’t, only reaching 126 in the Billboard chart). There are a number of standout tracks, particularly "English Civil War" and "Tommy Gun" (both of which were released as singles) having all the bite and energy of the early album. But there are also other tracks "Julie’s Been Working for the Drug Squad" that evidence the beginnings of the wider musical style that would become so much a part of the sound of the Clash on London Calling. There are a couple of rather average tracks (for example Drug Stabbing Time) but even taking those into account, this album has stood up well to the test of time. It is an excellent album, perhaps not as good as London Calling, but still not one to overlook. So why didn’t I buy it at the time? Clearly it wasn’t on grounds of the quality of the record, so the only thing I can think of is that as a cash-strapped student all my money had already gone on beer!
Posted 1-2-2013
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The Mamas and the Papas, If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears
Sundazed LP 5343 (Reissue of Dunhill D-50006)
33rpm Mono Vinyl LP
Review By Peter D'Amario
Feelin’ Groovy…
The Mamas and the Papas (yes, it’s misspelled—or rather mis-punctuated—on the cover of the album) appeared, shone brilliantly for less than five years, and then disappeared forever. (There might have been a reunion at some point, but for Cass Elliot’s untimely death in London in 1974, at only 32 years of age.) Over that period, however, they released five albums, the first four charting inside the top twenty. Indeed, the final album was recorded and released simply to fulfill their contract with Dunhill, and it was relatively poorly received: Their first four albums charted at 1st, 4th, 2nd and 15th.
Not every band manages a first album the likes of this one. If You Can Believe Your Eyes and Ears, released in early 1966 charted at #1 on the Billboard 200 chart that year. Indeed, the album is practically greatest-hits compilation, with “Monday Monday”, “Got a Feelin’”, “I Call Your Name”, “California Dreamin’” featured, among others. There are also a number of covers, as was not at all unusual for first albums in those distant years: “I Call Your Name” (the obligatory Beatles cover), “Do You Wanna Dance” (Beach Boys), “Spanish Harlem” (everyone, it seems) and so on. It’s like hitting a home run at your first time at bat.
The music evokes the Zeitgeist of the mid-sixties, but it is meaningfully different from contemporary releases by other folky-rock types such as the Byrds or Dylan. There are gorgeous harmonies and solid melodies (Mama Cass was commonly deemed to be the strongest voice of the quartet, but none of them were slouches). There is less psychedelia here, the music is more earthy, less recherché. There is variety, sure, but the formula of harmony with a reverberant lead is consistent. This is not a criticism: It works, it does not wear.
It is pointless for me to discuss the songs themselves…so many have already graduated to “old chestnut” status: Monday, Monday, California Dreamin’ manage both to evoke a particular time and to be fresh every time I hear them. Some of the covers, like “Do You Wanna Dance” and “I Call Your Name” are beautifully executed. I’m not a fan of this band’s version of “Spanish Harlem” however: It’s plodding and undistinguished, with the cheesiest (and worst-recorded) string section overdub I think I’ve ever heard.
The sound quality of this album is decent, if not outstanding, and primarily I attribute this to the original recording: Sundazed typically uses master tapes and I wonder if the masters are fundamentally flawed. I’ve heard that the original mono masters were lost, so this may be a copy…and then again maybe it isn’t (don’t you love vinyl intrigue?). There’s been little or no fiddling around with the source: Slight tape hiss is evident during quiet passages, and there are occasional artifacts that could have been eliminated during mastering, but weren’t. On the other hand, if you’re seeking a dead-quiet background, vinyl really may not be for you. The surfaces themselves are quiet with no-out-of-the-box ticks or pops. I could swear that this release was originally marketed as 180 grams…which is a fantasy, because this feels more like Dynaflex than like 180g. I appreciate that “weight wars” are largely marketing-driven when it comes to reissues, and I can’t identify any meaningful downside to the lighter weight. Certain songs sound really, really good: The flute solo in “California Dreamin’” is wonderful; you can easily hear the breath of the player across the mouthpiece. Tambourines are reproduced realistically and while some have moaned about the bass response, I find this to be the best I’ve ever heard (I don’t own other vinyl copies, CD only) for this recording. As an exception, “Spanish Harlem” just sounds plain atrocious.
The packaging appears consistent with the album’s original release, in that the innersleeve is cheap paper (lots of tiny pieces of paper stuck to the record when I removed it the first time). In the bin went the paper innersleeve and in the sleeve went a nice Mofi rice paper innersleeve. There is no additional information about the album other than the hilariously dated notes on the back cover of the album. Speaking of the cover, the Sundazed cover replicates the original “toilet” cover from 1966 shown above with shrink-wrap on and, on the right, with shrink-wrap removed). Now, why a band would wish to be photographed in a bathtub, and sharing the space with a toilet is beyond me, but there you have it. The appearance of the toilet so exercised record executives in the mid-sixties, that a sticker was devised to adhere to the shrink-wrap, thus covering the offending commode and sparing the delicate sensibilities of the era’s record buyers. In later years the photo was cropped to remove entirely vestiges of the bathroom fixtures. How times have changed.
So, do you buy this reissue? If you like the Mamas and the Papas, want vinyl and don’t already own an early pressing, this is not a bad record to acquire. It’s not perfect, but it’s as good as it gets at the moment, and the $20 sticker price is a bargain by 2012 reissue standards ($30 being more the norm for single-record releases, and $50-$60 for double albums). Give it a clean, slap it on your turntable, get yourself a drink and immerse yourselves in the aura of another time.
System Used for Review
VPI Classic 2 turntable with SDS power supply, Benz-Micro Glider SL cartridge, Musical Surroundings NovaPhonomena phono preamplifier, Vienna Acoustics Haydn Grand SE speakers, Cyrus 8Qx DAC Integrated Amplifier, Sony XDR-F1HD tuner
Shanling SCD-T200 SACD player, Logitech Squeezebox Touch Streamer, Mapleshade speaker wire, Blue Jeans speaker cable and interconnects, Ultimate Cables, AudioQuest, ProSolutions and AR interconnects
© Peter D’Amario, 2012-13
Music Omnivore
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