Everything Audio Network

Home Cinema Review!Lexicon DD-8 Multichannel AmplfierUtilizes Harnan Drive-Core Technology

2012-01-30T08:39:00.033-05:00

Brevis...

Price: $2,500

Likes: smooth sound, small size

Dislikes: speaker connectors

by John Gatski

Lexicon has been a prime player in high-end, installed audio for home cinema for a long time. Its line of processors (MC12), amps and universal players (RT-20 and BD-30) have been well received in home-cinema setups world wide. In keeping with its innovation focus, Lexicon has taken the venerable multichannel amplifier, increased the power and reduced the size. Hence, we get the new DD-8 eight-channel digital amplifier.

Priced at $2,500 the made-in-Elkhart, Indiana, Lexicon DD-8 incorporates parent company Harman’s Drive-Core Class-D digital technology that it co-developed with Texas Instruments. Using microchip technology, more than 500 discrete components, normally employed in a switching digital amp, are contained on a single microchip — one chip for each pair of channels. The result is 125 watts per channels across the eight channels with 90 percent efficiency, yet still produces the desired audio character of a traditional Class A/AB amplifier.
The technology also is used in Lexicon’s sister professional audio company Crown’s series of sound-reinforcement amps. Harman originally developed the amp technology for Lexus’ $375,000 high-end mid-engine LFA sport car so the car could have plenty of power without a space-hogging amplifier. The DD-8 puts all these watts into a 120V AC-supplied amp that is only one-rack space tall and weighs just over 9 pounds.

Features
The DD-8’s core feature is the Drive-Core technology, which places all the components on silicon chips. Drive-Core, co-developed with Texas Instruments, incorporates an unprecedented level of component integration into an IC that is smaller than a postage stamp. Each channel is spec’d at 125 watts at .05 percent distortion with all channels driven. The unit is said to be 90 percent efficient and standby current is only one-half watt. The amp’s signal-to-noise ratio is impressive (-105 dB A-weighted) versus analog amps, which are generally not this quiet. Gain is listed at 29 dB.
Traditional analog amplifier technology, typically Class A/B, uses a lot of AC power to enable their high-power outputs, and they generate heat, requiring a large amount of space, heatsinks and sometimes fans for cooling. Not so the DD-8. It is positively tiny next to my cadre of amplifiers and receivers; it contains no fan, but with small heatsinks that fit into the confines of the small chassis.
Since the DD-8 is an installation amp, most controls and connections are located on the rear panel. The front contains a power switch and eight channel-status indicators — blue for normal or flashing blue for a shorted channel.

DD-8 Speaker Connections

The rear panel tightly accommodates all the connections, which include four pairs of fixed, installer-type Phoenix speaker output connectors. These connectors require attaching stripped bare-wire cable ends via set screws and plugging them into the amp. The connectors are standard for installer setups and make it convenient for non-critical listening tasks (background listening via ceiling speakers, for instance), but limit the size of the cable you can use. I created home-brew banana plug adapters that attached to the Phoenix connectors so I could use my large MIT speaker cables during the review.
Other amp connections include RCA channel inputs, bus inputs/outputs for operating multiple DD-8s as a series of stereo zone amps, and 12V trigger jacks. Eight small plastic output potentiometers allow speaker attenuation from +13 dB to -76 dB. Rear-panel controls also include stereo/mono switches and the local/bus enable switch. You can operate the amp with single mono channels or stereo pairs or any stereo/mono combination. Since each amp chip operates independently, you cannot bridge the channels to achieve more power.

The first thing I noticed was that the DD-8 does not have that “fizzy” hardness of previous generations of digital amplifiers. It is really smooth — almost Class A/B MOSFET-like. This characteristic goes a long way in allowing you to listen to aggressive soundtracks with plenty of treble and not get that gritty feeling in your ear.

The power-save switch and auto-sense activation switch round out the rear panel. Internal relays protect the amp from excessive heat (not likely) or shorted channels. The amplifier can be rack-mounted using the included rack ears, or mounted on a rack shelf with the supplied feet. The front panel is attractive with its silver finish and array of blue LEDs. Best of all, it took up very little space in my rack.

The setup
The DD-8 was easy to install and setup in my equipment rack; the most time-consuming task was to strip five pairs of speaker cables to place in the Phoenix connectors, a task installers are used to. I initially used straight 16-gauge zip cord for the review, but I found that such basic cables limited the amp’s sound versus my reference MIT audiophile cables. The amp sounded a bit rolled-off and narrow when using the standard cable versus the MIT’s.
So I soldered on banana plug female jacks to short lengths of 16 gauge wires, screwed in the small sections of stripped wire into the Phoenix connector and plugged the connectors into the amp. Thus, I was able to use my good speaker cables and allow the DD-8 to flex its sonic muscle. If DD-8 customers wants to use better cables than the common-variety 16-gauge zip cord, he will have to create adapters as well, since I found no pre-assembled adapter for this task.
Associated equipment for the test included a pair of USA-made Carver amplifiers (a three-channel and a two-channel amp), recent Onkyo and Sony receivers, Sony XBR-4 52-inch LCD, Oppo BDP-95 universal player/Blu-ray player, and AudioControl Maestro M3 preamp/processor. All line connections were made using Alpha-Core solid-silver RCA cables. Component AC cables and power strip were courtesy of Essential Sound Products, a USA-made line of AC products that are perfect for installers and do-it-yourselfers.

With 125 watts on tap in my moderately-sized room, the DD-8 had no problem delivering 95 dB+ peaks. Yet it was not a fatiguing amp at all.

As is normal in my home cinema reviews, I listened through my Westlake LC8.1s (L-R), Westlake LC2.645 (center) and NHT Ones for the rear channels. A Paradigm Pro-15 powered subwoofer handled the low-bass duties.

The audition
After a couple of days of break-in, (letting the amp run with low-level music), I was ready to listen. I popped in the animated Blu-ray Bolt and proceeded to listen to the opening ten-minute action sequence that contains abundant surround cues, aggressive music soundtracks and terrific low bass. Through the Maestro3 preamp, the BD lossless soundtrack is very dynamic with good transient response, The steering of surround effects really comes through as well. With good amps, the impression is all encompassing in the front-to-back and left-to-right separation.
First thing I noticed was that the DD-8 does not have that “fizzy” hardness of previous generations of digital amplifiers. It is really smooth — almost Class A/B MOSFET-like. This characteristic goes a long way in allowing you to listen to aggressive soundtracks with plenty of treble and not get that gritty feeling in your ear. Smooth as it is, the imaging among the multichannels has good width and depth. The bass impact was tight and fast. With 125 watts on tap in my moderately-sized room, the DD-8 had no problem delivering 95 dB+ peaks. Yet it was not a fatiguing amp at all.
The DD-8 relayed good transient detail; it’s not quite as detailed as my high-end Class-A or AB amps, such as my Pass Labs X-350.5 stereo amp, but it is a cut above many high-power receivers and multichannel amps I have auditioned. BTW, the amp is really quiet; I could not hear any low-level noise through the speaker with the preamp volume down, and no added noise with increased gain.

Inside the DD-8

The DD-8 acquitted itself quite well with cinema music soundtracks as well. I listened to The Who - Live at the Isle of Wight BD with its lossless surround and linear-PCM stereo soundtrack. The sound relayed the early 1970s rock flavor, as well as delivering Pete Townsend’s overdriven Gibson SG tone through the classic Hi-Watt tube guitar amp. Keith Moon’s drum cymbals sounded aces, too — that metal cymbal shimmer that you hear through better amps emerged clearly.
Along with numerous Blu-ray movies, I also listened to numerous stereo/multichannel DVD-As and SACDs through the Oppo player to get a handle on the DD-8’s overall music capability. Again, I noted smooth, yet dynamic finesse with big band and orchestral music. Yet, the rock and blues organic tones of the Allman Brothers — Live at Filmore East SACD came through the amp as well. So yes, if you have this amp in your system it can do double duty as a home cinema and as a music component.
My only nitpick regarding the DD-8 is that an amp this good needs good cables to let all the sound out. As mentioned, the standard Phoenix connectors do not allow larger cables to be used. You can get 16-gauge zip cord into the screw terminals, and that is it. It would be nice if a company made an accessory Phoenix connector adapter that could accommodate larger gauge wire ends or even banana plugs. I made my own.

The verdict
All in all, the Lexicon DD-8 is the result of new technology that allows amplification to be done via digital chipsets. It has taken a while, but the newer generations of digital amps deliver more transparent, smooth, traditional analog-amp-like sound much better than the early ones. Combine the sound quality with the small footprint and low-power consumption, and you have a first rate amp for any installed multichannel sound application, or simply rack-mounting it on its supplied feet as an in-room system. It is not a high-end amp per se, but its sound will impress. The size, power, subjective audio quality and price net the Lexicon DD-8 multichannel amplifier an Everything Audio Network Stellar Sound Award.

©All original articles on this site are the intellectual property of the Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited.

Home Recording Studio Review!Benchmark ADC16 DAW Converter:The Ultimate in Multichannel Accuracy

2012-01-07T11:08:00.052-05:00

Brevis...

Price: $$3,995

Likes: pristine A/D, connectivity

Dislikes: Absolutely nothing

More info: Benchmark ADC16

by Jackson Macinnis

Benchmark Media has designed reference quality professional and audiophile products for nearly 20 years. The reference quality ADC1 and DAC1 series of converters are some of the best digital converters on the market.
Recently, Benchmark introduced its $3,995 made-in USA, ADC16 A/D converter which kicks analog-to-digital conversion up to a higher level of performance for all kinds of recording studios — especially today’s professional-grade home studio.
The Benchmark ADC16 fits 16 channels of its premium converters into a single rack space — yet still manages to fit AES/EBU, ADAT, coaxial and TOSlink connectivity. It even contains an expansion port for a Firewire port DAW interface, which is how I used the ADC16.

Features

As I mentioned, the ADC16 contains plenty of user features, considering it is one rack-space high and wide. The front panel consists of several pushbutton controls, indicators and nine-segment meter for each channel. It sports a clock output control, sample-rate selection, AES digital output control, SPDIF digital output control and optical output control (ADAT or SPDIF).

The 16 nine-segment meters are easy to read and their scale is adjustable via the front panel push button. The peak hold function is adjustable. The ADC16's front-panel switchable sample rate control — with press and hold functionality — is a real handy feature. I’ve seen entire systems in a studio crash by someone fat fingering a sample rate on a convertor/clock. The ADC16 operates at the standard 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz (always 24-bit), as well as non-standard sample rates for broadcast and cinema production work.

The key to the Benchmark's flexibility is the input/output architecture. First, the balanced analog inputs are via DB-25 connectors. Eight channels per each of its two DB-25 input banks, which means you will need your sources to have the correct output cables with DB-25 connector to interface with ADC16.

Output wise, there could not be a better interface for a multichannel A/D. The ADC 16 contains eight SPDIF coaxial outputs, (two channels per output), eight optical outputs (two channels per output), and sixteen channels of AES/EBU out via DB-25 connection, 2 x 8 channels. The Benchmark also is fitted with word clock output and input for external synchronization purposes.

I played a Gibson Custom Shop ’59 Les Paul, which has a fantastic warm humbucker tone. I have recorded this rig with other converters, but the Benchmark ADC16-recorded tunes played back through the DAC1USB (or even my Apogee DAC) blew them all away. I have never heard my guitar rig sound this good...

Key for today’s computer DAW compatibility, the ADC16 features a card slot for interfacing via computer protocols, such as Firewire. Also, it can also accommodate other future formats as well, such as USB-3, etc. The review unit came with a Firewire card that enabled as many as 16-channels of digital output. (For someone who has a DAW without any hardware, the Firewire interface offers the flexibility to simply plug-in and still have this level of quality and the 16 inputs.)
The primary A/D design is based on the stereo reference ADC1 A/D, using the excellent-performing AKM 5394 A/D stereo ICs (eight of them), as well as high-quality digital clocking and analog components throughout the audio path. Unlike the ADC1, the ADC16 utilizes synchronous conversion for seamless compatibility for all sample rates.
Benchmark also has improved the already impressive jitter reduction via its new proprietary clock-sync system, which is termed UltraLockDDS. This upgrade to the previous Ultralock technology is said to reduce audible jitter — even if using an external clock reference — and the ADC16 does it with reduced latency, which has been noted in the previous generation.

The unit also features a word clock output; if you have an expanded system with a separate digital board and other units, you could not do better than locking everything to this unit. Use of its jitter-free, house clock source alone is a great reason to buy this converter. As with the ADC1 two-channel A/D, the ADC16’s specs are impeccable. Signal to noise and dynamic range greater than 120 dB, jitter is almost nonexistent. (See the SpecCheck measurements at the end of the review).
Although the ADC16 has major utility for home studios, it is also designed to work in other professional scenarios including television studios, film production and dubbing stages. The use for reference audio of this specification is endless. With its number of channels, connectivity and performance, the $4,000 price tag is a bargain!

The setup
For this review, Benchmark provided the Firewire card-equipped ADC16 as well as a DAC1USB D/A for stereo monitoring. Setting it up was fairly straight forward and not difficult at all. The Firewire option installation required the use of a Pico driver, which installed with no issues in the 8-core Xeon Apple Mac Pro that I used for the test. Once I launched Apple’s Logic and created an aggregate device I was able to use the ADC16 for my inputs and the DAC1USB for monitoring the mix down stereo outputs. Pretty darn slick setup.
I used a variety of microphones, Mogami cable and our esteemed publisher, John Gatski, loaned me his British-built ORAM 16T 16-channel analog console. As the front end to the system, this $4,000 console contains quiet, dynamic mic preamps, which are easily accessed through the direct outputs. We used a quarter-inch, balanced TRS-to DB-25 cable to get the audio from the ORAM mixer to the ADC16.

The audition

My first recording test was a fairly standard drum setup. I used a Shure Beta 52 on kick, a Shure Beta 57 on snare, an overhead mic arrangement consisting of a Rode Nt-4 stereo and Neumann U87 and two Cascade Fat boys ribbon microphones for room pickup. I left the analog trim pots at their factory settings, using the ORAM 16T’s individual channel-gain faders, which kicked out plenty of analog signal level.
The drum kit playback of the stereo mix down (24-bit/192 kHz through the DAC1USB) was truly amazing: smooth, quiet and warm, yet very dynamic and real sounding. The Benchmark definitely had more detailed nuance (cymbal reverb tail, etc.) than when I used an Apogee multichannel converter.

The quality of the A/D output, when listening to the stereo mix down via the Benchmark DAC1USB, revealed to me one critical element: to hear the ultimate sonic detail from the ADC16, you need a DAC capable of delivering what the A/D has laid down on disc.

I cranked up the playback to listen for any signs of that gritty high-end edge that is typical in lesser converters — and even cutting-edge units from ten years ago. I never heard any audible crunchiness from the digital system. I suppose we have come to a new age when even the last analog hold outs will be swayed by the dynamic, yet smooth character of digital PCM through a Benchmark converter. There is no way you could say this ADC sounds “digital.” I used to be one of those people that labeled digital as “digital sounding,” as if it were a curse, but the transparent realism of the ADC16’s sonic character is mind blowing.
After listening a bit more to the impressive clarity of treble and midrange tones (cymbal decay and the hi-hat), I focused on the low end. In digital, good-sounding, low-frequency music reproduction has always been easier to eek out of the digital converters than the top end. But in the case of the Benchmark A/D conversion, I heard so much more definition than I expected in the kick. The tones were low, no inherent thinness. It was reproducing exactly what we sent it from the ORAM mic pre-amps. And isn’t that the point? Isn’t that what we strive for as recording engineers? The sound of the music as it is heard live by the studio engineer and performers. Unlike other devices that we use to color sound, the highest compliment for an A/D converter is that it has no color — no artifacts; this accurate character is exactly what I found with the Benchmark ADC16.

The key to the Benchmark's flexibility is the input/output architecture. First, the balanced analog inputs are via DB-25 connectors. Eight channels per each of its two DB-25 input banks, which means you will need your sources to have the correct output cables with DB-25 connector to interface with ADC16.

Next up were vocals from a musician friend who played acoustic guitar and played a few songs for me. I used a Neumann U87 on the singer’s vocal and a stereo Rode NT-4 for the acoustic guitar. Again, I was immediately struck by both the lack of digital edge in the mids and treble and the presence of the vocal — so full and live.
I am so impressed how real sounding these Benchmark converters are. Yes, the ORAM mic pre-amps are outstanding and contributed to the positive recording experience for this review, but without the Benchmark A/D converter in the mix, the recordings were not quite as detailed or dynamic. And just think, if you have good mics and preamps, the ADC16 gives you have this kind of recording quality using just a computer and some software in your home studio!
The last thing I recorded was an electric guitar, using a Cascade Fathead ribbon microphone as a room mic and a mic close to the Fender Vibro-King amplifier. I played a Gibson Custom Shop ’59 Les Paul, which has a fantastic warm humbucker tone. I have recorded this rig with other converters, but the Benchmark ADC16-recorded tunes played back through the DAC1USB (or even my Apogee DAC) blew them all away. There was such body and fullness of tone; I have never heard my guitar rig sound this good on tape. Oops, I mean disc.
I had no real qualms or problems with the ADC16, operationally or sonically. There was a wee bit of learning curve in the beginning to get the ADC to communicate with Logic, but a quick read of the very detailed manual had me up and running in no time.

The quality of the A/D output when listening to the stereo mix down via the Benchmark DAC1USB revealed to me one critical element: to hear the ultimate sonic detail from the ADC16 you need a DAC capable of delivering what the A/D has laid down on disc. Oh sure, you can hear quite a bit of the realness from the ADC16 from an Apogee or other brand of DAC, but the Benchmark stereo DAC brings it out even more. Speaking of DACs, a companion 16-channel DAC is coming soon from Benchmark — which means killer multichannel A/D and D/A. I can’t wait to hear that one.

The verdict
I used the ADC16 in a home recording studio — where all levels of artists from garage bands to the well-known artists do their recording these days — and it excelled beyond my high expectations. The finest A/D conversion I have ever heard is through the ADC16. And it is easily available (for just under $4,000 of course) to those who simply want to plug a unit into a computer and make tracks as good as any world class standalone studio. Who wouldn’t want this?

Many artists that do their recording at home sometimes need to go to a larger studio to track drums or do any expanded ensemble work since they have invested in only a few inputs in their home systems. The ADC16 allows them to setup an entire band and fill a multi-track session in a single take — with the best sound quality. If ever an audio product deserved the Everything Audio Network Stellar Sound Award, it is indeed the Benchmark ADC16.

Jackson Macinnis is chief engineer and director of the Sirius|XM recording studios in Washington, DC. He also is a multi-instrumentalist musician and home audio recordist who composes music for TV and film at his home studio. He can be reached via the Everything Audio Network.

©All original articles on this site are the intellectual property of the Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited.

EANSpecCheck:

Benchmark ADC16 A/D Converter

Tests Run by BHK Labs, 12-21-11

The Benchmark ADC16 is versatile A/D converter with a wide selection of sample rates, output formats, and connection possibilities to normal analog inputs and/or to a DAW with an added accessory card. Measurements were made to analog inputs 1 & 2 with a reference input level of 12V rms set as 0 dBFS which was just shy of onset of clipping.
Frequency response at 0 dBFS at sample rates of 44.1, 88.2, and 192.0 kHz is shown plotted in Fig. 1. Filter shapes are such that the response is quite flat up to the onset of filter roll-off. Low frequency response was flat to below 10 Hz. An interesting and revealing measurement in digital converters is the THD+N vs. level of a 1 kHz tone in the converter output where the input ranges from 0 dBFS down to a sufficient low level to reveal the noise floor. In the case of this design, the noise floor is an impressive approximate -120 dBFS but the distortion takes quite a reduction of input level to get there – approaching 0.0001%!. This is plotted in Figure 2 for both channels and sample rates of 192.0 and 44.1 kHz. The results (not shown) for sample rates of 88.2 and 96.0 kHz were closer to the 44.1K data. The higher amount of THD+N is for the 192.0 kHz sample rate.
THD+N vs. frequency at full scale was reasonably constant over most of the audio range rising a bit in the last two octaves. This data is shown in Figure 3 for sample rates of 192 kHz (Magenta), 96.0 kHz (Red), and 44.1 kHz (Blue). The S/N ratios at the digital outputs for sample rates of 44.1, 96.0, & 192.0 kHz and in a measurement bandwidth of 20 kHz were 119 dB for all three sample rates. Dynamic range measurements for the same sample rates were also 119 dB.
Finally, for the three sample rates, quantization noise was -118 dB. Adjacent channel separation was excellent, similar in both directions, and better than 106 dB even at 20 kHz. All in all, the basic measurement parameters of the Benchmark ADC16 are in or near the top of A/D converter performance standards — numbers that we come to expect from this engineering-driven electronics company.

—Bascom H. King

Audiophile Review! Resonessence INVICTA Audio DAC:Superb Sound, Built-in SD Card Player

2011-12-19T20:33:00.053-05:00

Brevis...
Price: $3,995
Likes: accuracy, headphone amp, SD player;
Dislikes: not yet ready for FLAC playback;
More info: Resonessence Labs INVICTA

by John Gatski

Digital-to analog converters are the heart of any modern audio playback system, and for the last 20 years I have watched and listened to the steady evolution of PCM DACs get closer and closer to the real-life performance of music. Case in point is the relatively new Canadian-made DAC, the INVICTA, manufactured by Resonessence Labs, an off-shoot of DAC chip maker ESS.

Priced at $3,995, the INVICTA is the perfect modern DAC, incorporating the latest design and parts to produce the best 24-bit sound possible. Plus, it features SD-card playback, USB input, numerous connection options, a useful and easy-to-read display and an incredible headphone amplifier.

Features
The INVICTA DAC is housed in a heavy, metal chassis and sports a number of features and functions. The design implements dual ESS Sabre DAC chips (ES9018 and ES9016), combined with custom-spec analog components, and ultra low-noise power supply with toroidal transformer.
The DAC supports all the major input connections: USB 2.0 (up to 192 kHz), optical SPDIF (up to 192 kHz), two BNC coax (AES/EBU or SPDIF up to 192 kHz) and AES/EBU XLR. It also includes a BNC sync input, an HDMI video output to enable viewing images with the SD card audio. Analog output includes balanced XLR and unbalanced RCA jacks. The DAC also includes a digital pass-through via TOSlink output.
The front panel is an attractive, modern-looking, modular DAC with a quality, readable OLED graphical display that shows volume level and input status. Front-panel buttons include volume/multi-function control, SD music controls (pause, fast forward, rewind) and source.
The left side of the DAC sports two high-quality headphone amps with select buttons. Front-panel LEDs indicate sample rates from 44.1 kHz to 192 kHz (no word length indicator. I wish more DACs had this feature. The power switch is on the back. The unit’s heavy duty build is exemplary. Its solid feel is impressive.

Inside the Resonessence INVICTA

The heart of the DAC is the implementation of its D/A conversion circuit. The two ESS Sabre DACs (ES9018 and ES9016) are used in a 4:1 mode to enable as accurate a conversion as possible, according to the company. Other design highlights include Crystek ultra-low phase noise (50 MHz) master oscillator that drives the DAC; there is no PLL implementation anywhere in the circuit, said to significantly minimize phase noise.
Unlike DACs that use an external asynchronous sample rate converter, the asynchronous DAC uses the ASRC contained in the Sabre DAC chip. According to Resonessence Labs President, Mark Mallinson: “we provide the DAC with the true, untouched native data at rates of 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 88.2 kHz, 96 kHz,176.4 kHz, and 192 kHz. The Sabre then internally reclocks and upsamples at the same time, to the 50-MHz Crystal oscillator. Never is there any decimation of the PCM data.”
Resonessence Labs engineers utilize high-quality analog parts as well — including the highly regarded Analog Devices AD797 op-amp for the line output. The headphone output uses the Analog Devices ADA4898 op-amp as the I-to-V gain stages and the Analog Devices AD8397 as the power buffer.
The INVICTA DAC was designed with digital volume control, although the engineers debated using an analog control. According to its info sheet, “Resonessence Labs engineers concluded that they could, with great care, make an analog volume control at the -136dB level, including the XLR driver amplifier etc., and this would just exceed (by about 4 dB) the performance of the digital volume control.”
“However, the difficulty of preventing x-talk, of implementing volume level matching, of maintaining THD, of preserving long-term reliability, of lack of remote software control and so forth, all mitigate against the use of analog control,” Mallinson explained. “The decision was made to use the very high-performance digital control.”

Resonessence Labs engineers utilize high-quality analog parts as well — including the highly regarded Analog Devices AD797 op-amp for the line output. The headphone output uses the Analog Devices ADA4898 op-amp as the I-to-V gain stages and the Analog Devices AD8397 as the power buffer.

There are differing theories about digital vs. analog volume controls (loss of resolution, increased noise in digital designs), but my listening sessions revealed the INVICTA DAC’s superb and, subjectively, super quiet audio quality.
Other high-end touches in the INVICTA include separate internal boards for the analog and digital functions with isolated, separate grounds to keep out any noise. As previously mentioned, the screened, linear analog power supply with customized toroidal transformer is rated from 115/230V, and is key to the low-noise noise performance as well.
Because the functions and operation are digital, Resonessence Labs uses a a Xilinx Spartan 6 FGRA with a Micro-Blaze software processor core to run custom low-noise code modules for input switching, feature functions, etc. it also allows for easy updates via the SD Card reader. The current version of the INVICTA software files can be downloaded to either the Mac or PC. The system upgrades take place via the SD Card, which is much quicker and cleaner).

INVICTA's ESS Sabre DAC Design

The owners manual and the web site discuss the INVICTA DAC’s impressive specifications in various places. Real world signal-to-noise through the XLR jacks is listed at -125 dB (ditto for dynamic range). And the headphone amp comes in at -118 dB. The manual also contains an in-depth discussion of design implementation and the high-audio technical decisions that went into making the INVICTA. It is quite detailed and interesting to read.
The INVICTA’s coolest feature is the ability to play FAT 16/32-formatted SD/SDHC cards straight from the DAC. Although the ability to stream your computer audio via USB to the INVICTA allows an interface for those who rely mainly on the computer to transmit their audio, many audiophiles like to play music from their big-dollar components; they are not into the complexities and controls of computers just to simply play music. The SD card player/DAC is perfect for them. They can download their computer-stored music to the SD card and play it on the main system. It is an inexpensive, high-capacity, small digital storage/play process that is easy to use and robust.

The coolest feature is the onbaord SD/SDHC card player. You can transfer all those computer downloaded files ranging from iTunes to the high-res HD Tracks, put them onto the SD card, artwork and all, and easily play it back and display the artwork from the DAC.

You can transfer all those computer downloaded files ranging from iTunes to the high-res HD Tracks, put them onto the SD card, artwork and all, and easily play it back and display the artwork from the DAC. The SD card player is simple to use. Select the function, hit the play button, and listen. The HDMI output allows you to view a 720P image of the album artwork on an LCD.
As much as the INVICTA does, it is not that large or cumbersome. The half-rack width unit dimensions are: 8-inches wide, 2-inches tall and 11-inches deep. Weight is a solid 6.4 pounds. There also is an included remote control that controls all major selector and playback functions.

The setup
As with most DAC reviews, I auditioned the INVICTA DAC with high-resolution music sources, including hi-res downloads from HD Tracks, DVD-As, and SACDs (DSD-to-PCM conversion). I also played back my own 24-bit/96 kHz, guitar recordings from either SD card transfers or Minnetonka Bronze-burned DVD-As or Toast Music DVDs, produced on an Apple Macbook Pro.
Sources included the TASCAM DVRA-1000HD PCM/DSD recorder/player (acoustic guitar recordings), Esoteric DV50, Oppo BDP-95 universal BD player and Sony’s top-of-the-line PCM-D1 handheld recorder/player with digital output. I also streamed music directly from an Apple Macbook Pro computer via the USB and TOSlink optical jacks.
DACs used for comparison included a Benchmark DAC1 Pre, a Lavry DA10 and the internal converters of the aforemetioned players. Although these DACs are in another price class ($1,000-$1,500), they are both quality DACs, especially the DAC1 Pre, which is no pushover in terms of build features and ultimate sound quality.

Since the INVICTA has an excellent headphone amp, I played numerous musical selections through several headphones, including the AKG K701/702s, Shure SRH940, Ultrasone Edition 8 and the new Sony MDR-7510.
For the listening sessions with a full-system, components included a Pass Labs X350.5 MOSFET amplifier, Coda and Pass Labs preamplifiers, and the new Legacy Classic HD speakers. The sources, amp and preamps were linked with Alpha-Core solid-silver, balanced XLR and unbalanced unbalacned RCA cables. I used a Wire-World HDMI cable to connect the INVICTA video output to a small LCD.
All components were plugged into an Essential Sound Products Essence power strip using the company’s Essence power cords.The audition I do a lot of headphone listening. An accurate set of headphones, combined with headphone amp and DAC, offers a closer look at the aural properties of high-res music. I have found that with most similar class DACs, with levels properly matched, it is harder to hear the differences through speakers with room influences, etc. Headphones allow you to hear deeper into a mix and find the differences, if any.
With that in mind, I grabbed my AKG701s and began my long listening trial with the INVICTA DAC. First was the Grateful Dead - American Beauty DVD-A. This album, sonically, is one of the Dead’s best and was a sort-of audiophile recording in the early 1970s; the analog detail, dynamic range and openness are well presented in this transfer to DVD-A.
I have always used the track “Friend of the Devil” as a showcase for high-res detail. The acoustic guitar intro has this subtle reverb detail and decay that really good audio components can translate accurately. With an accurate DAC, I can hear the subtle room influences and the reverb decays, plus the rich tones from the 1950s/60s-era Martin that Jerry Garcia used. The INVICTA passed this test with ease; the warm guitar picking, the reverb tails, the focused vocal harmonies: my aural senses were quite pleased.

On classical music, the INVICTA’s accuracy shined its light on strings. On the 2L Music Blu-ray Ole Bull - Violin Concerto (24-bit, 192 kHz sample rate), the rich, multidimensional tones of the violin came alive, but not a hint of strident overtones or harshness emerged. Man, do I like this DAC.

Next up, was the Bucky Pizzarelli - Swing Live DVD-A; the jazz guitarist’s live recording that is quite dynamic in 24/96. Via the INVICTA DAC, the warm, rhythmic jazz guitar tones are front and center with focused accuracy. This DAC is not a warm euphonic DAC, but a very accurate and dynamic converter. Drum cymbal transients were brassy and forward, but not harsh; the bass lines were low in the frequency range, but tight. This is my kind of DAC.
I have to say that after just a few listening sessions, I was impressed by the headphone amplifier in the INVICTA. Versus my other converter phone outputs and even my AVA preamp’s output, the AKG K701s never sounded better. There was a slight widening of the stereo image over the other units and a bit more air around instruments, especially those with upper frequency energy, yet it was not overly forward or hard sounding. Instruments had their own space in the mix without hiding behind each other, which often is the case with lesser DACs. The Resonessence Labs INVICTA may be my favorite DAC/headphone amp combo.
One of my choice nylon string guitar recordings, is the Gene Bertoncini - Body and Soul SACD. Since it is a SACD, I decided to check out its sound using the DSD-to-PCM capability of the Oppo BDP-95, an Atlona HDMI digital audio de-embedder, and the INVICTA. (The INVICTA will be able to play DSDIFF files in the near future, according to the company.)
Through he BDP-95’s HDMI output to the Atlona HDMI-to-PCM converter, I was able to lock onto the 24/88.kHz-converted PCM stereo tracks via the INVICTA SPDIF input. Wow! Through the INVICTA, the warmly percussive guitar string attack, and wide stereo image from stereo tracks were just as impressive as they are straight from my high-end SACD player. In fact, there seemed to be a bit more realistic snap to the guitar picking via the INVICTA.
**Since guitar recordings are my favorite recordings to audition, I can say with certainty that the Resonessence Labs INVICTA is definitely among the elite class of DACs for listening to classical and steel string acoustic guitar recordings.
On classical music, the INVICTA’s accuracy shined its light on strings. On the 2L Music Blu-ray Ole Bull - Violin Concerto (24-bit, 192 kHz sample rate), the rich, multidimensional tones of the violin came alive, but not a hint of strident overtones or harshness emerged. Man, do I like this DAC.
With the accuracy assured in my subjective testing of jazz and classical, I moved on to more pop music. The limited-release Beatles 24-bit/44.1 kHz stereo albums (via FLASH Drives) from a couple of years ago are ear-opening recordings that simply amaze with their sound quality, considering they were made on equipment nearly 50 years ago. I transferred the FLAC tracks to .WAV and put them on a SDHC card, which gave me the chance to try out one of the INVICTA’s keenest features, the built-in SDHC card player.

There was a slight widening of the stereo image over the other units and a bit more air around instruments, especially those with upper frequency energy, yet it was not overly forward or hard sounding. Instruments had their own space in the mix without hiding behind each other, which often is the case with lesser DACs.

The Beatles playback was never less than spectacular with the INVICTA — the 24-bit remaster reveals space and analog resolution that is simply amazing, and the INVICTA brings it all out. From the harmonious simplicity of early Beatles tracks, such as “This Boy” and “Baby Its You,” to the more layered, more complex, overdubbed late 1960s songs (“Hey Jude,” for example), the width, depth, detail puts many modern recordings to shame.
I also played some other 24-bit pop music, downloaded from HD Tracks and converted to .WAV files for the SD Card player (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers - Damn The Torpedoes, Paul McCartney - Band on the Run, The Doors - LA Woman). Through the Resonessence Labs, they were detailed and open. The Damn The Torpedoes downloads sounded a bit hard edged, though, which I attributed to the original recordings or perhaps the remaster. It sounds edgy on all my other DACs and players.
I must commend Resonessence Labs for adding the SD Card player. Many audiophiles may wonder why they just didn’t add a USB Flash thumb-drive reader. The company, however, believes that the SD Card is a more stable, high-speed FLASH product that is not that much more expensive than the USB in larger capacities. I agree. Numerous USB thumb drives have errored on me, and I have lost music when having to reformat. I do not use them for anything other than quick transfer vehicles. The INVICTA’s SD card player works perfectly — and if your music has artwork, the HDMI jack can transmit the video to a LCD in hi-def.
The only negative in the entire review is the fact that SD card player does not recognize FLAC, so you have to convert it to .WAV or AIFF to play it (I use Max or XACT conversion software for Mac). Resonessence Labs President, Mark Mallinson, says that the SD Card player firmware will be updated for FLAC playback in the near future.

The verdict
I think that in the last five years, digital audio converters have made leaps and bounds in quality and features. In the early 2000s, Benchmark’s DAC1 was world’s ahead of the competition. Today, Benchmark has serious DAC competitors.
The Resonessence Labs INVICTA is in another price range than DACs from Benchmark and Lavry, but this custom, hand-assembled Canadian manufactured DAC takes the feature set to another level with the SD player, HDMI output and digital pass through. Also, the color onscreen graphics are superb and fit right into the wants of the computer-age audio crowd.
And even more important, the sound quality — via its state-of the art design and premium parts selection — compares well with, or even exceeds, the best DACs out there. The headphone amp may be the best I have ever heard with high-resolution music. Kudos to Resonessence Labs for taking the ESS chip, making a high-performance standalone DAC and then adding all the bells and whistles that make it current and, for now, future proof. Does it get an Everything Audio Network Stellar Sound Award? You have to ask?

©All original articles on this site are the intellectual property of the Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited.

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Home Recording Review!Sony MDR-7510 Headphone:Good for Audiophiles, Pros

2011-12-12T13:45:00.000-05:00

Brevis...

Price: $149 ($129 street)

Likes: comfortable. smooth character, comfy

Dislikes: nada

More info: Sony MDR-7510

by John Gatski

I have used the made-in-Japan Sony MDR-7506 and MDR-7509 professional headphones for many years. They are quite popular for their open sound, foldable storage and comfortable wear factor. Broadcasters, pro audio studio engineers and avid audiophiles bought them by the truck load, and they have managed to find their way to audiophiles and portable audio device listeners, as well.

In my opinion, the new MDR-7510 headphone reviewed here, is a better-sounding headphone and it costs less than the MDR-7509 — with its cost saving Chinese manufacture and plastic construction.

Features

Retail priced at $149, the MDR-7510 is designed with 50-mm neodymium magnet drivers for each side, incorporating what Sony calls PET technology into each diaphragm — claimed to increase the accuracy, smoothness and frequency response.

The MDR-7510 is part of the new 7500 series headphones, including its big brother MDR-7520. The newer ‘phones differ from the standard Japanese-manufactured 7500 series headphones in that they are not foldable and are made with composite plastic ear cups instead of the metal construction used in the 7506 and 7509 series (no longer made). But the composite plastic build makes for a lighter, more comfortable headphone that still is acoustically articulate. The drivers are also a new design.

Other features include an OFC attached cable, 1/8-to-1/4-inch adapter and a soft carrying bag. Spec wise, the headphone is said to have a frequency response from 5 Hz to 40 khz (no tolerance given). The sensitivity rating is 108 dB at 100mW, and impedance is an easy-to-drive 24 ohms. The oxygen-free wire is enclosed in a 9-ft. coiled cable; weight is a comfortable 9.2 ounces.

I found the MDR-7510 to be a fairly neutral headphone — with a fairly tight frequency response for such a reasonably priced headphone. I was impressed from the first playback.

As a headphone distributed through pro and MI channels, the new 7510 (and the big brother 7520) are quite affordable. Since they are distributed through the MI dealers, they are also easily available to non-pros. I see a wide variety of users for the headphones: pro engineers who need a budget, good-sounding phone for daily monitoring chores, location-sound and broadcast folks — as well as musicians and audiophile recordists who use the current generation of hand-held 24-bit recorders.

The setup

I tested the MDR-7510 with numerous headphone-capable audio devices; high-end rack-mount professional 24-bit recorder, a high-end analog mixer, and various handheld 24-bit recorder/players, such as the highly regarded TASCAM DR-100 and the Sony PCM-10. I even plugged the MDR-7510 into an iPod.

I also plugged into an audiophile/professional Benchmark DAC1 Pre D/A converter headphone jack, and the headphone output of a Nord Electro 3 electronic keyboard in the Hammond B3 mode.

Headphones sound better after a three or four day break-in period, so I plugged them into an AV receiver and let them play with a pop FM station at high levels. Most new headphones seem to open up after a few of days of such intensive play. You can also play pink noise and warble bass tones for break-in as well.

Since headphone listening lets you listen deep into the audio, I keep my rack components AC connected with Essential Sound Products power cords and power strip to reduce AC has, buzz and noise. These USA-made cords have excellent RF noise immunity.

The audition

First up, I plugged the MDR-7510 into my high-resolution TASCAM DVRA1000-HD recorder/player (up to 24 bit/192 kHz sample rate PCM as well as DSD) and listened to a number of home-brew 24-bit recordings of my Martin acoustic and Gibson L5CES jazz guitars through an original 1966 Fender Deluxe Reverb amp. My reference headphone is the AKG K701, an open-back design that is priced in the $550 range. I also use a Shure SRH-840 headphone as well. For comparison purposes, I also listened to the Sony MDR-7509, which is still available.

I really appreciated the 7510’s even frequency response on Classical music (violins and classical guitar in particular) and the dynamics of Big Band horns and percussion.

With the acoustic guitar recordings, I found the MDR-7510 to be a fairly neutral headphone — especially for its price. Its top-end presence is just slightly elevated and the bass just has a smidgen of midbass bump, but the overall characteristic is a fairly tight frequency response for such a reasonably priced headphone. I was impressed right from the start.

The drivers bring out the detail in the stereo mix with nice separation and depth, and the top end is not overly sizzly. The all-important midrange and low treble frequencies had little of the peaks that I often hear in today’s headphones. The 7510‘s sonic smoothness enabled pain-free, long-term listening sessions, even at louder levels, without extensive ear fatigue.

To my ears, it definitely is smoother than the old MDR-7509. The Shure SRH-840 has an appealing tone — slightly more elevated presence and midbass bump — that makes it seem more inviting than the 7510, but I think the Sony’s flat character will garner lots of fans.

When I played audiophile pre-recorded SACDs and DVD-As, as well as downloaded 24-bit music from HD Tracks, the Sony MDR-7510‘s smoothness characterized that music as well. A 24-bit dub of Neil Young’s Heart of Gold, sounded superb. I really appreciated the 7510’s even frequency response on classical music (violins and classical guitar in particular) and the dynamics of big band. It does not match the AKG K701 for openness and ultimate transient response, but for $130 bucks on the street, it’s pretty darn good.

On pop music, the lack of overly emphasized treble and bass frequencies was welcome — in that the 7510 allowed the music to sound less edgy and dense. Some headphones are tuned for extra mid-bass, which can get muddy with material that has extra bass. The Sony MDR-75010 has just the right amount of extra bass to keep it balanced.

The closed-back design offers decent isolation, but it is not a headphone that you would want to use in really loud sound reinforcement duties, or sitting next to the wing engine on an airplane. The headphone is light in its feel, comfortable and did not push against my eyeglasses the way the 7509 does.

I did not have any negatives regarding this headphone. I missed the space-saving, foldable function of the MDR-7509, but then again, you have to trade off something for $100 fewer dollars.

The verdict

I like the new Sony MDR-7510 headphone. Although it lacks the metal build of the more expensive MDR-7509, I think it sounds more accurate and is easier to listen to for long periods. Throw in the very reasonable under-$150 retail price and comfortable wear factor, and you’ve got yourself a headphone bargain that deserves an Everything Audio Network Stellar Sound Award.

©All original articles on this site are the intellectual property of the Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited.

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Home Recording!Bruce Bartlett MicrophonesSpark Mini-Mic For Guitar Recording

2011-11-29T20:06:00.036-05:00

Brevis...
Price: $179 each

Likes: authentic guitar sound , price;
Dislikes: clip needs more felt;
More info: Bruce Bartlett Microphones

by John Gatski

The acoustic guitar always has been a moving target to record correctly from internally-attached microphones. Try as they might, internal pickups don’t quite sound like the guitar does au natural. For those who want the natural tone of the guitar recording, external instrument microphones fit the bill, but require stands, careful positioning, rock solid placement without moving, etc. It’s a lot of work to make that Martin sound like, er, a Martin.

But what if you could get that big mic sound with just a little mic attached to the sound hole — without mic stands and the hassle of trying to keep the guitar from moving so it won’t skew the recording. Sound hole attached mics have been around for years; some are expensive; many are cheap. The Bruce Bartlett’s Spark Mini-Mic, reviewed here, gives the best of both worlds; low-cost and good sound.

Bruce Bartlett and I go way back to the days when Bruce was a mic engineer at Crown, back in the days when they made microphones in the USA. Bruce also is a recording engineer and an author on recording in the studio and live audio. He wrote quite a few reviews for me at Pro Audio Review, the professional gear review magazine I created in 1995. He knows recording, and he knows microphones. When I discovered that Bruce was now making microphones on his own, I knew his products would would be good.

Features

The Spark Mini-Mic, priced at an amazing $179, is based on Bruce Bartlett’s first on-instrument microphone, an omni-directional miniature electret mic — assembled and designed in the USA. The microphone is perfect for recording acoustic guitar — in that it is omni-directional (picking up sounds uniformly in a 360 degree radius around the mic) and its size allows full frequency response — without the proximity bass effect that is common with big microphones placed near the guitar top. The advantage of an onboard mic is that you can move around with the guitar and the sound does not change, unlike a microphone on a stand.

The 24-bit replay was impressive. The Martin sounded like a Martin. No piezo-etched midrange and low treble and no need for any EQing down the bass. Just smooth accuracy. The mic is perfectly voiced for the guitar.

The mic comes with a simple, metal clip mount with adhesive felt to avoid scratching your beloved guitar top, and it has a 8 ft. cable with XLR male connector that allows it to connect to a microphone preamp. It requires phantom power, operating from 12V to 48V DC.

According to Bruce Bartlett, the mic has full frequency response from 40 Hz to 20 kHz. Maximum SPL is 130 dB (an acoustic guitar seldom goes above 90 dB at full strum). The clip is simple, but effective with felt on one side to prevent scratching your guitar and the 8 feet of wire offers the user some flexibility in locating the recording gear within operating distance of the player.

Bartlett also produces other microphones, including stage microphones for amplifying actors, and other versions of the Mini-Mic for sound reinforcement of instruments on stage.

The setup

I recorded several acoustic guitars with the Spark Mini-Mic including a Martin HD-28V dreadnaught, a Martin OO-18V fingerstyle, small body and a Gibson SJ200 super jumbo. I recorded to a TASCAM DVRA-1000HD high-resolution stereo recorder, using a True Systems Pre 2, two-channel mic preamp, which is one of the quietest and most dynamic mic preamps on the market. I used Alpha Core solid-silver mic cables from the preamp output to the the recorder.

I also had fun and got amazing results using a portable set up with the handheld, TASCAM DR-100 24-bit Flash recorder, which has XLR mic connections and built-in phantom power. Bartlett sent me two microphones to record in stereo, but since they are omni-directional, the difference between mono and stereo is not as noticeable as using cardioid (directional) microphones. But I recorded the guitar both ways.

For mono, I mounted the clip on the bottom of the sound hole toward the middle of the pick guard. For stereo, I put the second mic toward the back of the sound hole.

The audition

First up, was the HD28V Martin, a loud and powerful solid-rosewood body, solid-spruce top guitar with scalloped, forward shifted braces for greater volume. I figured this guitar would be the ultimate test. With its loud, big bass character, could the mic deliver the guitar's midrange and top end without getting lost in the bass bloom?

With the recorder in gear, I played several minutes of strummed folks music, then I did some basic flat picking. The 24-bit replay was impressive. The Martin sounded like a Martin. No piezo-etched midrange and low treble and no need for any EQing down the bass. The mic was perfectly voiced for the guitar. The shimmer of the phosphor bronze strings and chorus strums sounded just like I hear it when I play, or when I sit in front of another player and hear him play the guitar. The big bass was big, but not overly pronounced.

I am not surprised that Bruce Bartlett would come out with a high-quality array of microphone products. With his years of recording and design experience, the Spark Mini-Mic is a top-tier microphone in its performance for an amazing low price.

Next up was the Gibson SJ-200. Same result; the jangly, emphasized midrange and low treble — with tight bass — were transmitted by the Spark mics with incredible accuracy. And even if I played loud, the mic was not overwhelmed as long as preamp gain was kept in check. It should be pointed out that the 24-bit recordings also showcased the dynamic range of this mic; its openness and level changes were laid down on the recorded tracks with precision.

Since the mic did so well on the big body guitars, it was a foregone conclusion that ti would do well on the Martin 00-18V, a small-body, fingerpicking guitar with sold-spruce top and Honduran mahogany body. I was correct. The warm, plucky character combined with the mahogany body overtones and resonance really showcased the classic, small body Martin sound.

Using two Mini-Mics, the stereo recordings were spacious enough and can work well for those whose main instrument is guitar, such as classical guitarists and guitar/vocalists who like a full-width recorded sound. Stereo image has very good width, even though the mics are only inches apart. Still, the sound is not really lacking with the single omni-capsule recorded to two channels. It filled out the recordings nicely.

I have only one complaint about the Spark Mini-Mic: the clip’s unfelted side, which goes inside the sound hole, could scuff the wood inside the guitar. You can’t see it unless you look with a mirror, but some guitarists may not want to have scuff marks on an expensive guitar — even if they are only on the inside. I suggest adding felt to both sides of the clip.

The verdict

I am not surprised that Bruce Bartlett would come out with a high-quality array of microphone products. With his years of recording and design experience, the Spark Mini-Mic is a top-tier microphone in its performance for an amazing low price. If you like to record your pure acoustic guitar without the complexity of separate mic on a stand, the Spark Mini-Mic is highly recommended and gets an Everything Audio Network Stellar Sound Award.

©All original articles on this site are the intellectual property of the Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited.

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Home Cinema Review!Episode ES-HT900-LCR-6Two-Way Planar Ribbon Speaker

2011-11-09T08:20:00.024-05:00

Brevis
Price: $799 each

Likes: Audiophile-quality sound
Dislikes: Quirky left-channel orientation
More info: Episode ES-HT900-LCR-6

by John Gatski

Everything Audio has reviewed several Snap-AV-manufactured Episode speakers in the two years. With each model, we have been impressed with the accuracy and build quality. And it does not hurt that these speakers are priced well below their competitors.
So it comes as no surprise that the ES-HT900-LCR-6 speaker, priced at $799 each through designated installers, reviewed here re-affirms our positive opinion of the Episode speaker line. In fact, this is my favorite Episode speaker.

Features
The Episode HT900-LCR-6 features a 4.5-inch planar ribbon and two 6.5-inch woofers, housed in a compact, front-ported enclosure that is designed for cabinet, behind-a-screen or stand mounting. Factory frequency response is listed at 47 Hz to 20 kHz, plus or minus 6 dB. Crossover frequency is 2.6 kHz. Rated sensitivity is 90 dB, 1-watt/1 meter.
The HT900 has two front-mounted, passive tone contour switches: Screen EQ and Boundary Compensation. The Screen EQ is designed to boost frequencies above 3 kHz to compensate for high-frequency roll-off when placing the speaker behind a movie screen or other acoustically absorbent material. The engaged Boundary Compensation circuit rolls off bass frequencies below 80 Hz to allow for placement closer to side or rear walls without unbalancing the bass.
As with other Episode speakers I have tested, the HT900’s MDF cabinet is well-braced and does not add any unwanted flavor to the sound. Dimensions are 18.3-inches tall, 12.3 inches wide and 13 inches deep. Weight is 36 pounds each.
The HT900 can be oriented in a vertical or horizontal configuration. The speakers come with drivers placed for vertical placement — with the ribbon oriented vertically toward the edge of the cabinet, and the slotted bass port between the two woofers. The horizontal option places the ribbon between the two woofers and the port is moved to the bottom. The driver and port switching is accomplished through removal of the drivers and switching them out to their respective locations. The tone control can be rotated to where the legend is correct for the horizontal placement as well.
It should be noted that the vertically-placed speaker option requires some reconfiguration for the speakers to be matched. As shipped every speaker is set up for right channel use; the tweeter is on the outside right of the cabinet and the tone contour control panel is located at the top right.
To use the speaker as a left channel, however, it must be turned upside down to get the tweeter on the outside left of the cabinet — in order to provide optimum matching with the right speaker. This puts the tone control panel on the bottom and upside down. A slight visual mismatch if you don’t use the grills.
To correct part of this visual non-symmetry, you can unscrew the tone control panel and rotate it so that legend is right side up. However, the control is still located at the bottom left versus the right channel’s top right position. Episode says the speakers is commonly used in a custom cabinet or acoustically transparent screen where the speaker is hidden. That may be true, but there are those who like these speakers for stand use. Those folks, like me, can use the grills to correct that visual asymetry.

For $799 each, the Episode ES-HT900-LCR-6 is an outstanding speaker for home cinema surround or stereo listening. The classic ribbon sound offers a smooth, yet ample top-end with a tight, just enough bass to make high-quality music listening complete.

On the rear panel, the HT-900 is equipped with five-way binding posts to allow for easy connection to various cable styles; I hooked up banana plug home cinema and audiophile spade cables.
The speaker is designed for L-C-R in a surround setup for those who want the Episode sound mounted on stands. Or you can use them for music, which I did with great success. Episode also sells a version that mounts in-wall for permanent home cinema installations.
As noted in previous reviews, Snap-AV only sells products through designated installers, so potential buyers must locate an installer/dealer who handles the speakers. Anyone can peruse the web site to look at Episode speakers (or any other products), but prices are only available through the installers.
The speakers are designed in the US, and manufactured in China. Hence the great pricing. Quality is first rate. Even the shipping cartons are done right.

The setup
I tested the HT900 speakers in my home cinema room and in my audiophile room. Since they are stand speakers and not too large, the speakers are fairly versatile in their placement.
First up was the home cinema rig. I placed two of the speakers on Apollo speaker stands next to my Sony XBR LCD, and the third was placed on my center channel stand just behind the TV. I oriented the ribbon driver so the center speaker could be placed horizontal. Being that ribbons can be beamy in their vertical coverage, I added some wedge under the center speaker so it would have more direct radiation to the listening position. I added a little bit of tow-in on the L and R speakers as well.
I drove the speakers with my USA-made Carver amps, linked by banana-plug terminated MIT cables. Sources included Oppo BDP-95 universal player, and Sony BDP-550 BD player; my AudioControl Maestro 3 handled the preamp/processor duties. All components were plugged into Essential Sound Products Essence Reference power strip.
Since the speakers were brand spanking new, I let them run a few days at moderate levels with general cable audio to break them in. After the break-in period, I operated the speakers full range in their 5.1 configuration to rate their low bass capability, though the sub-60 hertz bass was routed to a Paradigm Pro 15 subwoofer for LFE duty.

The audition
As normal for my home cinema evaluations, I sampled the Blu-ray cartoon feature, Bolt. This movie’s first ten minutes has a busy, yet dynamic soundtrack that features numerous effects, panning, solid dialogue and aggressive music.
The Episodes impressively rendered this soundtrack with accurate transients, nice tight bass and excellent vocal performance from the dialogue. And it did all this with that classic ribbon smoothness. As long as I sat in the listener position, the tweeters dispersion was very good, even slightly off axis, it still held up. When I stood up, I could hear a reduction in level as my head moved from the ribbon’s sweet spot, but the listening position was no problem.

The Episodes impressively rendered this soundtrack with accurate transients, nice tight bass and excellent vocal performance from the dialogue. And it did all this with that classic ribbon smoothness.

The HT900s matched pretty well with my NHT One surrounds, which have soft dome tweeters. I find that soft dome surround channel speakers match well with different designs used in the front (ribbons, metal dome, etc.).
Next up was the Who - Live at the Isle of Wight Festival 1970 Blu-ray. This 24/96 kHz DTS Master HD surround soundtrack of the Who in their prime was outstanding through the HT-900s. The bass was tight and forceful, Pete Townsend’s Gibson SG and Hi-Watts amps oozed from the speakers without any exaggeration or extra harshness, and Keith Moon’s frenetic drumming translated to accurate cymbals and killer kick drums sonics. I was amazed at how good these speakers handled the hi-res rock and roll.
Ten Blu-rays later and I was convinced that the Episodes could handle any soundtrack. Dialogue-heavy dramas, hyper action sequences or the music: it all sounded good. Also, it should be noted that the ribbon’s smoothness quotient makes droning, hyper-treble enhanced music soundtracks less fatiguing.
Although Episode directs this speaker toward the home cinema, I could not resist trying it out in my audiophile room. After all, the BD soundtrack music sounded pretty darn good. So I connected it to my Pass Labs X350.5 (an $11,000 amp), a Pass Labs XP10 preamp, and sampled numerous high-res PCM and SACD music. And wow! Do this speakers sound good.
Listening to the Grant Green - Green Street SACD was impressive through the Episodes. As a big fan of straight ahead jazz guitar, the HT900s sucked me right in — with the smooth mellow guitar sound of the 1960s (tube amps and Gibson arch tops). Those ribbons really nailed the mellow guitar tone, while also presenting the drum cymbals in their airy accuracy. Excellent stereo separation.
I really liked the bass performance of the speaker. It’s not that they go really deep — about 48 Hz on stands in the middle of my room — but it is a tight, quick bass with nary any mid-bass rise. Give me tight and accurate any day.
Now since this is a ribbon, there is some vertical dispersion loss as you get above the sweet spot. If you stay planted, however, with the tweeter at ear height, the reward is a realistic sonic portrait that does not get muddied up by upper-end reflections — especially in rooms with hard surfaces.

The verdict
For $799 each, the Episode ES-HT900-LCR-6 is an outstanding speaker for home cinema surround or stereo listening. The classic ribbon sound offers a smooth, yet ample top-end with a tight, just enough bass to make high-quality music listening complete. The folks at Episodes have perfected the art of making a quality, mass-produced speaker that sounds terrific at a reasonable price. I heartily recommend the speaker for an Everything Audio Network Stellar Sound Award, and plan on buying a couple for reference listening comparisons.

©All original articles on this site are the intellectual property of the Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited.

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Audiophile Review!Audio-By-Van Alstine Vision Hybrid DACDigital Converter

2011-11-01T09:51:00.008-04:00

Brevis...

Retail Price:$1,995

Likes: smooth, detailed sonics;

Dislikes: No headphone amp

More info: AVA Vision DAC

by John Gatski

Frank Van Alstine is noted for his no-frills superb sounding, hand-built amplifiers and preamps, as well as his long-running upgrade mods to classic Dynaco gear. But he also realizes that the hi-fi world is firmly rooted in the digital. Hence, his series of D/A converters, including the Vision DAC Hybrid reviewed here, follows the pattern of his well-regarded analog components.

The Vision Hybrid DAC, priced at $1,995, that I tested here is a hybrid tube/solid-state analog-to-digital converter that offers a silky smooth approach to DACs. Plug in a digital signal via TOSlink or SPDIF — up to 24/bit 192 kHz — and connect the RCA outputs to your preamp and play music.

Features

Compared to other converters that have USB inputs, SD card readers, etc., the AVA Vision Hybrid DAC is kind of old school; it sports an off/on switch, digital selector on the front panel, two SPDIF and two Toslink inputs, and one set of RCA output jacks on the back. That’s it — not even a headphone amp. Its AVA family resemblance is instantly recognizable — with its simple, black metal chassis and vented top panel. Although my review unit came with a fixed two-prong power cord, AVA now offers three-prong, detachable IEC cords as standard. The AVA DAC also is equipped with three accessory outlets, circa 1960s style, for two-prong AC products, such as a preamp, etc. I used the handy feature for plugging in a LCD for BD player reference.

All AVA products are sold direct from the factory to the customer. I have found that AVA can turn out an ordered product in just a few weeks, depending on demand.

Inside, the DAC is a clean, hand-assembled assortment of parts that ultimately allows this Vision Hybrid DAC to convert 1s and 0s into some seriously real-sounding music. The heart of the design is a Wolfson 8742 DAC chip set — for synchronous digital conversion duties — and its premium analog components, including a pair of Russian 6CG7 tubes operated in a hi-current, medium-mu circuit in the analog output. The DAC’s analog filter also runs through the tube stage.

Although it may look pedestrian in its appearance, the Audio-by Van Alstine Vision Hybrid DAC is a terrific sounding, no-frills D/A converter. Its performance ranks up there with those costing considerably more money.

The Vision Hybrid DAC has eleven regulated power supplies, including separate regulated power supplies for the tube heater circuits, the digital circuits and an independent high-voltage, high-current, analog regulated power supply for each plate of each tube and each power MOSFET used in AVA’s patented trans-impedance amplifier sections. The DAC handles any sample rate up to 192 khz, though you have to remove the cover to access the highest sampling frequency. The factory-set, jumper setting enables up to 96 kHz.

AVA also offers the solid state, one RCA coax input Vision DAC and the four-input Vision EC DAC with an XLR balanced line output option. Unfortunately, the Vision DAC Hybrid does not get the XLR output at this time. Frank Van Alstine said that the Hybrid may get the balanced option in the future.

All Vision DACs can be optioned for extra gain, via additional components in the analog stage. My unit did not have the gain option, but I did notice that its output was several dB down versus the other DACs I was using. My preamp could make up for the decreased gain, but those with low-gain or passive preamps may want to opt for the extra output.

The setup

I connected the Vision Hybrid DAC to my primary audiophile system, as well as my home recording rig, using an Apple Macbook Pro as the source. Music ranged from well-recorded CDs, home-recorded jazz and acoustic guitar music, HD Tracks 24 bit downloads, DVD-Audio discs and hi-res Blu-rays.
For comparison, I had on hand my Benchmark DAC1 Pre, Lavry DA10, and the internal converters of the Oppo BDP-95 and Esoteric DV-50 universal players. I used an AVA EC hybrid preamp for headphone listening, via a set of AKG K701 headphones, and a Coda preamp for feeding the line signal to the amp for speaker listening. The big monitoring system included a Pass Labs X-350.5 amplifier, and Legacy Focus 20/20 speakers wired with Alpha-Core solid silver cables. All IEC cord components were plugged into an Essential Sound Products Essence power strip using Essence power cords.
Since the Vision Hybrid DAC uses vacuum tubes, I turned on the unit and let it burn in for a few days. Listening to the noise floor via the headphones and the AVA EC preamp's headphone amp, the Russian Electro-Harmonix tubes were extremely quiet.
For comparison, I used the Oppo BDP-95 as the source (up to 192 kHz/ 24-bit from the digital output), feeding the Vision DAC and one of the other test DACs, which were connected to the AVA EC or Legacy/Coda preamp.
The AVA DAC output was several decibels lower in output level, so I adjusted the variable volume control of the Lavry and Benchmark, using test tones and a level meter for reference to match their output levels.

The audition
First up, I chose the “Carnival” track from the Natalie Merchant — Tigerlily DVD-A, a 24-bit transfer of an original 1990s analog recording. The opening minute has a warm, yet open, detailed intro of bass, electric guitar and drums. I always listen to the drum cymbals with a tested product to see how much of the room ambiance and the width of the transients get translated through the electronics and to the speakers. Most good DACs decode that extra degree of detail and realism of the recorded track without it sounding unnatural; lesser converters can blur it slightly.
The Vision Hybrid DAC’s ability to relay those drum cymbal transients and the separation of the other instruments in the mix was as good as most other converters I have heard in the $2,000 to $3,000 price range. And thanks to the tube/MOSFET circuit in the analog path, the AVA’s sound was ultra-smooth, not a hint of harshness.

But the Vision Hybrid DAC presented the 2L music, especially the cut Andreas Andre, with incredible precision and snap-to-attention transients; it was never harsh or overblown. In my opinion, this converter can hang with the best of them.

Although it is tough to hear major differences between quality converters when the levels are precisely matched, the Benchmark’s sound was smooth, but slightly more analytical and tight; the Lavry a little less smooth. Compared to the first-generation Esoteric DV-50s up-sampling PCM converters, the Vision DAC was smoother by far. The Oppo BDP-95 exhibited a clean smoothness to its aural palette as well, but I liked the width and depth of the AVA’s stereo playback just a touch more.
Noting this soothing quality of the Vision DAC, I popped in the Fleetwood Mac — Rumours DVD-A, which has considerable high-frequency energy and can sound a little course through lesser converters. Again, the Vision Hybrid DAC showed its stuff, with a highly listenable, upper-end texture that befits such a classic recording. The track "Oh Daddy" was particularly noteworthy.
Next up, was some high-res world music from the 2L music Blu-ray label. The drums and vocal Jieant — Mirta album is an expansive drum and vocal performance with tremendous detail, width and dynamic range at 24-bit 192 kHz. With the right system, it can sound like it is literally in the room. I have found that with marginal, mostly low-cost blu-ray players, the stereo image width shrinks a bit and is not quite as full as with really good converters.
But the Vision Hybrid DAC presented the 2L music, especially the cut "Andreas Andre," with incredible precision and snap-to-attention transients; it was never harsh or overblown. In my opinion, this converter can hang with the best of them.
The observed sonic characteristics were confirmed via headphone listening as well. Through the AVA EC preamp, I could hear the width and depth. Plus the lack of harshness in the dynamic parts enabled me to really dial-in on the low level detail via the AKG K701s.
On playback of my home brew acoustic guitar music, recorded via a TASCAM HDP2 Flash recorder, a Benchmark ADC1 A/D front end, True Systems P2 stereo mic preamp and a pair of Shure KSM141 microphones, the high-res playback tracks were terrific through the AVA Vision DAC Hybrid. The result was a spacious, open, 24-bit sound with plenty of plucked string transient detail and subtle room reverb from my Martin J-40 rosewood, sitka spruce top guitar. I was really impressed with the Vision DAC's lack of noise. Tube grading and a well-designed circuit that includes a tube stage analog filter really works.

Vision DAC Tube Section

I have only a few gripes about the Vision Hybrid DAC. I wish it had a headphone amp. AVA offers the Vision DAC Preamp, a combo of the solid-state Insight preamp and Vision DAC, but it does not have the upgraded parts and tube stage of the solo Vision Hybrid DAC. And how about a front-panel switch to select the 192 kHz mode — instead of having to remove the Torx screws, pull the cover and move a jumper. Lastly, the XLR output option is not available on the Vision DAC Hybrid, only the Vision DAC EC.
Some audiophiles may wish for a USB connection, but Frank Van Alstine says he does not want to get into the software support side of the biz by having to create audio drivers for his products. He said that audio accessory companies manufacture USB-to-TOSlink adapters that can allow for USB connection to the Vision Hybrid DAC, or just use it with a computer that has Toslink or SPDIF connections on a sound card.
When it comes to pricing some may feel that $2,000 is a lot of money for a basic line DAC. However, the two-grand price tag does not bother me. It is, afterall, made in USA, and the build is exemplary.

The verdict
Although it may look pedestrian in its appearance, the Audio-by Van Alstine Vision Hybrid DAC is a terrific sounding, no-frills D/A converter. Its performance ranks up there with those costing considerably more money. The detailed, yet ultra-smooth, sonic delivery with CD, high-bit rate DVD-As, web audio downloads and Blu-rays make it a contender for those want a quality line-level DAC. I see an Everything Audio Network Stellar Sound Award for this Vision DAC.

©All original articles on this site are the intellectual property of the Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited.

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Audiophile Speaker Review! Westlake Lc8.1 Main/ LC8.1SW Main L-R/Subwoofer System

2011-10-17T12:40:00.032-04:00

Brevis...

Retail Price: Lc8.1 main/pair, $6,229;

LC8.1SW subwoofer/pair, $13,499;

Likes: tight bass, silky top-end;

Dislikes: They ain't cheap!

More info: Westlake Lc8.1

by John Gatski

Some audio components are timeless in their sonic signature and functionality. Take the Westlake Audio Lc speaker series. Continually refining these hi-fi/pro speakers since their introduction in the mid-1990s, Westlake always endeavors to make this series sound right: no bloated bass, harsh, unnatural midrange or ringing treble.

I have listened to the Lc8.1 bookshelf speakers in my home cinema system since 1996. The two-way, eight-inch woofer, 1-inch dome tweeter speaker is one of the best balanced speakers I have ever heard. Good bass to 45 Hz, excellent crossover smoothness and a natural top-end via the old school textile dome tweeter. And did I mention a heavy duty cabinet that is so well braced, you feel or hear no sound-coloring vibration — even at 90 dB plus.

The Lc8.1 has undergone a few tweaks over the years, including a special internal wiring path to eliminate what designer Glenn Phoenix calls “Phoenix Effect Distortion.” It has been mated with an absolutely divine, optional Westlake subwoofer, the Lc8.1SW, that brings bass down to 32 Hz, making a set of four speakers perfect for music — and quite satisfying even for the depths of home theater.

Recently, Westlake sent me a pair of their latest Lc8.1s and matching Lc8.1SW passive subwoofers for a long-term listening test. The idea was to see how the speakers compare in today’s 5.1 and high-resolution stereo listening worlds. I had reviewed the original system, in the late 1990s for the late, great Audio magazine.

Features

The current Lc8.1, priced at $6,229 per pair, contains a custom-designed, Westlake 8-inch woofer and a 1-inch SEAs tweeter. It also incorporates a patent-pending, wire ground system to lower what is called Phoenix Effect Distortion, a hard-to-measure audio phenomenon, Westlake President Glenn Phoenix claims, robs audio components of their last bit of accuracy.

Big band music and well-recorded pop, with good kick drum showcased the Lc8.1SW’s bass impact with authority, yet not a hint of blubbery mid-bass exaggeration or bass overhang. I don’t think you can do better in music bass reproduction than these Westlake subs.

Constructed of medium-density fiberboard, the 31-pound, front-ported enclosure is 18-inches tall, 10-inches wide, and 12-inches deep. To achieve optimum time coherence with the tweeter, the woofer portion of the front baffle is 1-inch in front of the tweeter mount. The Lc8.1 is equipped with heavy-duty binding posts for single wiring, and the attractive grill is removable. The speakers can be, optionally, magnetic shielded, and they come in a "professional" black finish or the traditional hi-fi walnut, known as the Lc8.1F.

To satisfy demand of hi-fi listeners who wanted more low-end out of a pair of Lc8.1s, Westlake engineered the passive Lc8.1SW, (now priced at $13,499) a few years after the Lc8.1 main speaker was introduced. The idea was to give the Lc8.1 more complete bass reproduction for music. Each sub contains two front-mounted, 10-inch woofers that are augmented by twin ports. The subwoofer is designed to work specifically with the Lc8.1, with its custom-designed 68 Hz crossover frequency and 12 db-per-octave slope. (I also mated the subs with some other similar-sized speakers and achieved satisfactory results).

Frequency response of the Lc8.1SW sub is rated to 36 Hz, plus or minus 3 dB (32 Hz at -4 dB in my room). When combined with the Lc8.1 main speaker, the factory rated response is a very tight 36 Hz to 18.5 kHz, within 3 dB. The Lc8.1SW subwoofer is the designated stand for each Lc8.1 main speaker. It measures 28 inches tall, 14 inches wide, and 15 inches deep. Though no amp is on board, the Lc8.1SW ain’t no lightweight; each sub weighs 100 pounds, with the custom crossover’s 17 components contributing 20 pounds to the heft. Overall, the sub/main system is 46-inches tall.

The Lc8.1SW subwoofer has bi-wiring capability with five-way binding posts for the high- and low-frequency inputs. A pair of included 10-gauge Westlake jumper cables link the two sets of posts for single wiring. A set of port plugs and a T-handle wrench to install them are included with the subs as well; the plugs are meant to be inserted into the Lc8.1 main speakers' ports to further "tighten" the bass of the system when using the subs.

The Westlake Lc8.1/Lc8.1SWs can be used for main stereo listening or used as part of a surround system for music or home cinema. For the latter, you can use the tandem for L- and R-duties, routing the LFE and low-bass to the main speakers via your processor and using matched speakers for center and surround. Another Lc8.1 or Westlake Lc265.1 center channel would make a suitably matched center channel speaker, and the Westlake Lc 4.75 speakers would work great for surround.

For music listening in stereo, the Lc8.1 system is simply amazing, it gives almost all the bass spectrum for most music — with a tight, fast bass quality and airy accurate top end that really showcases the detail.

The setup

For the home cinema 5.1 system, I connected the Lc8.1SW subs' jumpered bi-wire inputs to the left and right outputs of a three-channel Carver A-750X THX amplifier (rated at 250 watts per channel) with 12-gauge MIT speaker cables. Each subwoofer's high-pass outputs were connected to the Lc8.1 mains, located on each side of the Sony XBR4 52-inch LCD, using the supplied jumpers. Since I did not have another Lc8.1 main for a center, I used my normal center channel, the horizontal Westlake Lc265.1 (the pre Low-PE Distortion version), which is located on a stand just behind and above the LCD. This speaker has different drivers, but the timbre and output characteristic were close enough to match the Lc8.1s.

I decided to make the test system 100 percent Westlake by using my 1990s-generation, Lc8.1 mains, normally used for reference L- and R-front channels in my home cinema setup as surround speakers The rear Lc8.1 speakers were powered by a Carver A-500X stereo THX amp (using MIT cables) and positioned them against the side walls, aimed at the listening position.

I used the AudioControl Maestro M3 surround preamp as the source selector and signal output. I set the Maestro processor's main speaker selector to "large" and enabled the LFE to be mixed into the front channels, negating the need for a separate .1 subwoofer channel. I also routed the bass from the rear channels to the Lc8.1/Lc8.1SW system by selecting “small” option from the M3 setup menu.

The animated Blu-ray, Bolt, and the earthshaking soundtrack of the Terminator-Salvation BD showcased the Westlake system’s home cinema audio accuracy with a very clean bass, that is fast and natural.

My normal system uses the older Lc8.1s, the Lc265.1 (without out the Low-PE Distortion wiring), Paradigm Sub 15 subwoofer and NHT One surrounds; the powered sub measures down to 20 Hz. With my audio analyzer, the Westlake test system still measured a very good 32 Hz to 19 kHz, within 4 dB. And, I might add, pretty darn good subwoofer performance for subs that are located away from side boundaries.

The animated Blu-ray, Bolt, and the earthshaking soundtrack of the Terminator-Salvation BD showcased the Westlake system’s home cinema audio accuracy with a very clean bass, that is fast and natural. The Lc8.1 mains performance sounded a bit more energetic on the top end than my late-1990s versions; perhaps the innards of the older ones need some refreshening. Also, the Low-PE Distortion design of the of the latest models may also contribute to its enhanced treble accuracy vs the old Lc8.1s.

It should be pointed out that since the combined impedance is 2.5 ohms per channel, the system needs an amp capable of delivering at least a couple of hundred watts into at least four ohms — especially if you want to the play them clean and loud.

Audiophile finesse

I also set up the Lc8.1 mains and Lc8.1SWs in my audiophile room. The speakers were powered by a Pass Labs X-350.5, using Alpha-Core solid-silver wire. An Oppo BDP-95 universal player, a Benchmark DAC1 Pre DAC and Essential Sound Products Essence Reference power cords and power strip completed the ensemble setup. Audition music included high-res Blu-ray music, DVD-As and downloaded HD Tracks 24-bit music.

The speaker system performance was awesome! The smoothness, lack of raggedness in the crossover frequencies in the midrange and treble made these worthy speakers for listening to 24-bit music. My Gene Bertoncini nylon string guitar SACDs sounded wonderfully live. Big band music and well-recorded pop, with good kick drum showcased the Lc8.1SW’s bass impact with authority, yet not a hint of blubbery mid-bass exaggeration or bass overhang. I don’t think you can do better in music bass reproduction than these Westlake subs.

The Westlake Lc8.1 speaker system is not cheap in price or in build. This handcrafted-in-USA quartet will set you back about $20,000 grand. But if you are looking into high-end speakers, this modular approach is one way to get that high-end sound reproduction.

Other than the subwoofer lacking internal power, and the fact that the subwoofers have to be co-located with the main speakers, there really are no serious negatives with these speakers. By the way, I tried other speakers with the subs, including Legacy Studio HDs (the new ones) and the Lipinski L-505s, a dual 5-inch woofer, one-inch dome tweeter, a speaker that has relative little low bass below 70 Hz. The Westlake subs made the Lipinskis come alive, giving them a much-needed shot of 40 Hz-50 Hz bass to match their smooth midrange and treble.

The Westlake Lc8.1 speaker system is not cheap in price or in build. This handcrafted-in-USA quartet will set you back about $20,000 grand. But if you are looking into high-end speakers, this modular approach is one way to get that high-end sound reproduction.

The verdict

If you have almost $20,000 cash to spend on a high-end speaker system, I totally recommend the Westlake Lc8.1/Lc8.1SW system. You get tight, snappy, but fairly deep bass performance and that smooth, detailed, accurate airiness that Westlakes are noted for. They work splendidly for dedicated stereo listening, and handle all but the deepest subsonic bass of a home cinema system. Anyway you set them up, they get an Everything Audio Network Stellar Sound Award.

©All original articles on this site are the intellectual property of the Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited.

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Personl Audio Review!Shure SRH940 Headphone:All-Round Sonic AccuracyFor Audiophiles, Professionals

2011-10-04T10:29:00.044-04:00

Brevis...

Base Price: $375 retail;

Likes: bass and treble response, comfort;

Dislikes: Nothing major;

More info: Shure SRH940

by John Gatski

**Shure has been making really good headphones for a couple of years. I own the closed-back SRH840 and use it quite a bit for listening to portable 24-bit players, as well as various home recording studio and audiophile playback devices. However, Shure has significantly upped the accuracy in its new SRH940 flagship headphone.

**Priced at a very reasonable $375 retail ($299 on the street), the SRH940 is Shure’s top-of-the-line headphone and sports premium touches, including audiophile-quality, detachable coiled cable, an extra straight, non-coiled cable, replacement airpads and a handy carrying case. Designed for professional audio engineers, SRH940 is also ideal for audiophiles who desire a headphone that provides accurate response across the entire audio spectrum with smooth high-end extension and — unlike most headphones today — a tight bass.

Features

**The made-in-China SRH940 sports 40-mm neodymium drivers, open-back design with polycarbonate frames, and soft, user-replaceable ear pads. The headphone, minus the cable, weights in at light 11 Oz. Factory specs are 5 Hz to 30 kHz, no tolerance listed; sensitivity is rated at 100 dB at 1 mW at 1 kHz; impedance is 42 ohms at 1 kHz.

Comfort/convenience

**The SRH940 feels light enough, and its adjustable arms make it easy to accommodate different head sizes. The pad’s ear pressure is light and isolation is decent for a closed-back design; this makes them a good choice for pros who work in noisy environments. I did hear a little outside-the-earcup mechanical noise from the ear-piece hinges when moving my head about, but that is typical of headphones with the solid bands and ear-cup hinges. With the head motionless, it is mechanically quiet.

**Shure has equipped the SRH940 with such niceties as the extra ear pads, the extra cord the 1/8-inch-to-1/4-inch adaptor and the carrying case. All in all, a nice package and a lot lower in price than I thought it would be.

The audition

**I sampled the SRH940 with several sources that output 24-bit audio, including an Oppo BDP-95 universal player connected to my Benchmark DAC1 Pre DAC/headphone amp, Sony PCM-D1 handheld 24-bit Flash recorder/player, TASCAM DR-100 handheld Flash recorder/player, Audio by Van Alstine EC tube/FET preamp headphone amp, Rogue Audio Model 99 tube preamp headphone amp and an 1990s-era USA-made Mackie 1402 analog mixer. Intra-component connection was made via Alpha-Core Goertz solid-silver interconnects, and all components were fed AC through Essential Sound Products Essence power cables and power strip to keep the juice extra clean.

**All sources were 24-bit and included prerecorded DVD-As, SACDS, hi-res downloads from HD Tracks, and personal recordings of stereo acoustic and jazz guitar mixes. For comparison, I listened to AKG K702 open-back phones ($799 list), the SRH940‘s little brother, Shure SRH840, Sony’s venerable MDR-7509, and some older Ultrasones.

The Shure SRH940 delivers a refreshing shot of bass clarity in the thumpity-thump world of today’s pop music.

**I first listened to "Out On The Weekend," the first cut from the DVD-A 24/96 version of Neil Young - Harvest. The Oppo ’95 fed the 24-bit audio to the Benchmark DAC1 Pre. The intro of the acoustic guitar, bass and drums in 24-bit offers clean, transient detail and slight bits of reverb out on the edges of the drum beat. Good speakers and headphones transmit these sonics with subtle precision, The SRH940 did as well, conveying an openness in the top-end that allowed me to hear those subtle audio cues. Hence, the image was detailed and wide. I can see why the pros would use this headphone to accurately check their mixes and for full-up headphone monitoring. Also, I quickly noticed from the outset of the test that the Shure has tuned this headphone for bass accuracy with a much tighter, focused midbass versus many popular ‘phones available today.

**I played a number of other cuts of acoustic music, especially guitar and string-based bluegrass and country music. The delivered sound always had the focus on the detail; I could hear things clearly that other headphones mask in their enhanced midbass or midrange. The accuracy and clean transparency also made for extensive, enjoyable listening sessions on jazz and classical genres. Violin and cello tones were especially good.

**Moving on to midbass-heavy pop music, the Shure’s bass tightness actually enhances the headphone listening experience on this kind of music. Most headphones today, tune the headphones to have extra dBs of midbass in the 120 to 200 Hz region. And when you play music that has been EQ’d and enhanced in those frequencies through the aforementioned bass-emphasized headphones, the sound becomes bloated and muddy, losing clarity and diminishing midrange and treble. The Shure SRH940 delivers a refreshing shot of bass clarity in the thumpity-thump world of today’s pop music. On some music, old 60s and 70s pop, I did notice that midbass was a little too lean, but overall, I still prefer the 940‘s tightened-up bass to a headphone that pumps up the low-end too much.

**Versus the Shure’s SRH840, the top-end and midrange were, generally, similar, but the SRH840 has a bit of enhanced bass boost and some midrange boost versus the '940. The AKG K702 has a similar top-end to the Shure, but with just a tinge more midbass and image width. The AKG also is a bigger headphone with a very cushy ride on the ears, but it costs way more than double the Shure SRH940.

**These aforementioned sonic characteristics held through all the sources that powered the SRH940. The handheld players, of course, offered a bit less detail than the high-end rack sources and standalone DACs, but I was pleased how my TASCAM DR-100 and Sony PCM-D1 portables mated with the SRH940. In fact, I used the headphone numerous times when making live acoustic guitar recordings with these handhelds.

**As mentioned, my only quibbles were the mechanical noise I heard when moving my head and that bit of leanness in the midbass on some music, like big band and jazz and older pop. Otherwise, this headphone is spot on.

The verdict

**I really like the new Shure SRH940; the headphone offers a much-welcomed tight bass, airy top-end and wide, detailed soundstage — coupled with a comfortable wear factor. For picky audiophiles and studio pros who like their audio (especially the bass) on the accurate side of the boom scale, the SRH940 is just right.

**Combine its performance with a nice set of accessories and an under $300 street price and you got yourself a winner! The SRH-940 certainly gets an Everything Audio Network Stellar Sound Award in my book.

©All original articles on this site are the intellectual property of the Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited.

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Home Recording Review!ADK Audiophile Series TC 47-AULarge Diaphragm Tube Microphone

2011-09-19T09:05:00.034-04:00

Brevis...

Base Price: $1,499 retail;

Likes: vintage tube smoothness, build, price;

Dislikes: not a thing;

More info: ADK TC 47-AU

by Jackson Macinnis

When the Beatles recorded at Abbey Road in the 1960s, they used the venerable Telefunken U47 microphone, which began its run in the 1940s, on almost all the drums and most vocals. They had a ton of those multi-pound microphones. Today, it’s nearly impossible to find working original microphones because of a shortage of the older tubes from the WWII era. If you do find one, it could be as much as $20,000. Thankfully, there have been some companies lately that have taken up this cause of renewing the “vintage” sound — as closely as possible to those historic microphones. ADK is one of the companies that achieves its “vintage” marks at very affordable prices.

Although known for its budget, Chinese made microphones, ADK’s Custom Shop has been designing and building really good high-end mics for a while. These USA-assembled microphones have a Belgian/Australian designed, Asian-built capsule and are every bit as good as the current European mics on the market (sometimes better). They offer sonic signatures of various vintages — without the bad stuff (noise, hiss, exaggerated response, etc.)

The TC 47-AU tested here is a typical example of a good-performing, modern tube microphone that is designed with a vintage flavor, but is not many thousands of dollars. In fact, the price is only $1,499 retail, compared to the recently resurrected Telefunken U47 that sells for $10,000, or an original at $20,000 — if you can find one.

Features

The ADK audiophile series microphone Model TC 47-AU is a class-A tube, hand-graded (6072), fixed-cardioid pattern, 1-inch diaphragm condenser mic. It comes complete with a large flight case, 115V/230v “turbo” tube high-voltage power supply, dual cables, T-ring and basket mounts, and a pop filter.

ADK states that the best applications for the TC 47-AU are: vocals, acoustic and electric guitars, reed instruments, strings, drum overheads and applications where you would want a vintage tube microphone sound. The power supply is extremely heavy duty and well made, mainly to protect the fragile tube inside. The maximum SPL is listed at 125 dB, which allows it to work with all sorts of instruments including drums; self noise is 18 dB.

As mentioned, the ADK comes standard with a lot of accessories: a rugged ATA flight case, two mounts, and a pop screen. Suspension shock mounts are extra when you buy most German microphones, so it’s great to see them included in the TC47-AU kit. Overall, this mic is well priced and equipped for professionals and home studio recordists who want that vintage tone.

The audition

Here at Sirius-XM studios in DC, it’s all about drums and guitars today. Some of the best recording techniques often involve innovative microphone setups. Since the 47 style of mic was used for drums by numerous studios, I thought I would try that technique here.

As chief engineer and director of the Sirius|XM, I was going to directly compare an original 1951 U47 that we have in our mic closet, but the tube was too noisy to make it a fair comparison. For general comparison purposes, I decided to use a recent Neumann U87, which is one of the more popular, high-end large diaphragm microphones on the market.

I used one U87, two feet from the bass drum at 45 degrees. The TC 47-AU was set at the same distance and angle. For the hi-hat and tom, I placed the U87 and TC 47 one foot away between the two drum components. I ran both mics through Focusrite 110A reissue preamps and then into the A/D converters of our Sony Oxford Console. The resultant audio was imported into Pro-Tools for metering and tracking. I monitored on custom, active midfield monitors.

These USA-assembled microphones have a Belgian/Australian designed, Asian-built capsule and are every bit as good as the current European mics on the market (sometimes better).

On the ADK tracks, the ADK instantly revealed an open, roomy, but very nice, low-end sound. You can hear a single, clear low note ringing in the room, and it seems as if the tube mic is rounding off some of that hard tightness that digital recording often adds to the drum kit sound. That slight smoothing effect is a good thing in recording — as the precision in digital is often a hindrance to get a good mix of all the instruments.

The fact that the ADK’s organic sound is from the tube microphone, and not the result of a fancy computer plug-in, also is refreshing. So much of the recorded sound today is the result of processing plug-ins in the “box” (computer), but with the ADK, you have the vintage signature transmitted through the mic, just like in the old days.

I liked hearing the ADK TC 47-AU on today’s rock music drumming. Think White Stripes, Beck and other room-heavy drum sounds with that analog old school sound. In heavy duty listening, the drum’s room sound was pulsing and energetic, as if the tube itself was a live element in the recording.

I switched over to the Neumann U87 set of tracks. I heard the blurred low end in the room as well, but with a slightly different emphasis on the high end of the drums frequency response. There was a drop in the ADK’s high-end response that replicates the old U47, but I liked it; for my drum application, the TC 47-AU had more character than the U87.

ADK TC 47-AU on the drum kit

On a Martin acoustic guitar recording session, I placed the U87 and ADK one foot from the twelfth fret. The guitar playback revealed a similar character, but the ADK was smoother — especially when playing slide. And unlike 60-year old tube mics, the ADK’s newer tube electronics and hand-graded tubes revealed no extraneous hiss or tube sonic artifacts. The mic was very quiet.

I also noticed that the ADK recorded tracks produced a nice, thick midrange tone from our big body acoustic. If you had two of the ADKs, it would be an ultimate “vintage” stereo setup for acoustic guitar. Maybe capture the flavor of the early-to-mid 60s folk era with that pervasive small body guitar sound.

On a male-vocal session, the ADK mic had a really rich middle with just the right amount of top end. It definitely had that old vintage signature. If the vocalist is too bassy, you might want to use a different mic or some EQ, but for our applications, it really nailed it. And the mic’s lack of noise makes it ideal for recording 24-bit.

The verdict

There are low-cost imported microphones and pricy USA- and European-made microphones that claim authentic replication of vintage U47 microphone sound. The ADK actually delivers the essence of the classic microphone sound — with less noise and grit, than the original — and for a whole lot less money than the expensive new ones.

The ADK TC 47-AU is a great way to upgrade your overhead drum, acoustic or electric guitar, or your vocal microphone (keyboards and horns as well) to an iconic sound for way less money than buying an original. I also recommend it for an Everything Audio Network Stellar Sound Award.

Jackson Macinnis is chief engineer and director of the Sirius|XM recording studios in Washington, DC. He also is a multi-instrumentalist musician and home audio recordist who composes music for TV and film at his home studio. He can be reached via the Everything Audio Network.

©All original articles on this site are the intellectual property of the Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited.

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Dynamic Duo Review!An Enlightened Warmth From Rogue Audio’s Model 99 Preamp, Stereo 90 Super Magnum Amp

2011-09-01T11:39:00.055-04:00

Brevis...

Base Price: $2,595 (99); $2,595 (90)

Likes: luscious sound, bias adjust, USA build

Dislikes: internal speaker load adjust

More info: Rogue Audio

by John Gatski

From time to time, I like to do these Dynamic Duo reviews, where I pair two audio components that complement each other. The reviews can be from the same manufacturer, or sometimes from different companies. For this review, I picked the USA-designed and manufactured Rogue Audio Model 99 Magnum Tube preamp and Stereo 90 tube amplifier. Both have been on the market for a few years.

As a longtime audio enthusiast and reviewer, I have always held an appreciation for the designers who make tube-based gear. Nearly a hundred years after the first tube-based gear made its way into the electricity age, manufacturers continue to build, and customers continue to enjoy, the virtues of “valve”-based audio.

Rogue Audio’s Mark O'Brien and company have consistently introduced new tube audio products since the late 1990s. I like their approach of merging the essence of the tube sound — with modern internal components and signal flow designs — that complement the latest digital sources, as well as the stalwart analog sources.

The Magnum 99 Preamp

I have owned my Rogue Model 99 since 2001, and had it upgraded to “Magnum” status in 2005, which is now the standard configuration. It is my go-to tube preamp for review and personal audio listening. The 6SN7 tube used in the line stage exhibits a wonderfully smooth quality that, in the right design, also is quite accurate with fairly tight bass performance. Soundstage is wide and deep.
The Rogue Ninety-Nine ($2,595 base price) utilizes four hand-selected 6SN7 tubes, configured in a mu-follower circuit topology that enable that wonderful, smooth tube quality. Yet the high-quality capacitors, resistors and high-grade wiring enable the tube pre to match well with modern digital sources, such as high-end DACS and universal players. The external power supply — connected by a two retro-looking cloth-covered power umbilical cords, includes a toroidal transformer with high-speed HEXFRED diodes, seven separate regulators and a toroidal high voltage transformer.

The Rogue Ninety-Nine ($2,595 retail) utilizes four hand-selected 6SN7 tubes, configured in a mu-follower circuit topology that enables that wonderful, smooth tube quality.

My version contains the excellent-sounding phono preamp option (which adds $600 to the retail price), which utilizes four 12AU7 Russian tubes. The preamp also has a nice-sounding, headphone amplifier that taps into the line output stage, though the 1/4-inch connector is inconveniently located on the back panel.

The substantial Model 99 Magnum chassis sports a nice-looking, logically laid-out front panel with seven controls: an on/off switch, mute switch, multiple gain selector, volume, source selector, mono switch and record loop switch. The front panel is heavy duty billet aluminum and gives the preamp a classy, upscale appearance that belies its modest audiophile price.

The rear panel includes an array of input and output premium jacks for the four line components and the phono preamp. There are two twist-on connectors for the power supply cords. The preamp comes with a remote control, which is for volume only.

The Stereo 90

The Rogue Stereo 90 is a 90 wpc, KT-88/KT-90 based amplifier, designed in Class A/B push-pull topology. The tube complement also includes a 12AX7 phase inverter tube and 6SN7 signal tube per channel. The Stereo 90’s versatility is enhanced by its “mode selectability.” It can be operated in triode or ultra-linear mode via a rear panel switch. The Stereo 90 is a hefty amp, thanks to its heavy duty build, including the massive power supply and output transformers.

The Stereo 90‘s standard version retails for $2,595 and the Super Magnum version retails for $2,995. The Super Magnum version, which I tested, includes the following upgrades: KT-90 output tubes, HEXFRED bias supply diodes, screen-grid resistors upgrade, polypropylene bypass filter capacitors, bypass coupling cap upgrade, PRP audio path resistors, Cardas binding posts, Cardas RCA jacks, upgraded wiring, and upgraded signal tubes.

Four classic 6SN7 tubes

Removing the cover reveals the tidy, high-end assembly of the Stereo 90, and one of my favorite features, the manual adjustment of the tubes’ bias current. This feature allows the end-user to use unmatched tubes, yet still get optimum performance. The feature consists of a current meter, a switch that selects each tube and four mini-potentiometers (one for each tube) for adjusting the current. An included screw driver is used to turn the pots until the correct bias current is displayed via the meter for each tube.

While you are inside setting up the bias, you can also configure the speaker load for 4 or 8 ohm operation, via the internal speaker-tap wires. Dimension-wise, the Stereo 90 measures 18-inches wide, 15.75 inches front-to-back and 7 inches tall. It weighs in at 60 pounds.

The set up

I used the Stereo 90 and Model 99 preamplifier with a multitude of components and peripherals, including Alpha-Core solid-silver interconnects and speaker cables, Oppo BDP-83SE universal audio player, Esoteric DV-50 universal player, Benchmark Dac1 Pre D/A, Rotel RP-955 turntable, and TASCAM DVRA-1000 PCM-DSD recorder/player. Speakers included Legacy Focus 20/20s, Westlake LC8.1s and Legacy Studio HDs. AKG K701s were used for headphone listening via the 99’s headphone amp. Both the Model 99 preamp and the Stereo 90 were plugged into the AC using Essential Sound Products Essence cables and power strip.

The audition

In audiophile terms, $6,200 is a modest amount of money for made-in-USA audio gear, yet, there is nothing modest about the Rogue Audio tandem’s sound quality. The sonic signature of the two components relay a sense of tube warmth, smoothing digital’s sometimes rough edges in the midrange and treble, but showcasing the essential accuracy that solid state preamps and amps can deliver. The bass performance of the Stereo 90 in the ultra-linear mode is amazing; you could drive a subwoofer with this amp and not be disappointed.

On the Groove Note SACD Anthony Wilson Trio — Our Gang, the warm-toned, hollow body jazz guitar, Hammond organ and drums recorded direct-to DSD was comfortingly analog in its presentation through the Rogues. That nice drum cymbal sheen and rich, organic Hammond organ overtones were there in force. Some tube systems sound overly bloomy on this recording — not the 99/90 combo; they projected the recording’s high-res warmth — without descending into the dark side.

The Super Magnum version, which I tested, includes the following upgrades: KT-90 output tubes, HEXFRED bias supply diodes, screen-grid resistors upgrade, polypropylene bypass filter capacitors, bypass coupling cap upgrade, PRP audio path resistors, Cardas binding posts, Cardas RCA jacks, upgraded wiring, and upgraded signal tubes.

In listening to Genre Bertoncini — Body and Soul (an Ambient Recordings SACD) masterful nylon string guitar recording of notable pop and jazz standards, the delivered sonics were even more impressive. The dynamic energy of the classical guitar was clearly evident with an expansive soundstage and nice transient energy to the string plucks. These tracks also revealed the Rogues’ excellent signal-to-noise performance and tube selection.

Speaking of tube selection, Rogue Audio’s Mark O’Brien told me that his technicians pay close attention in selecting tubes for the Model 99 preamp because 6SN7 tubes can get noisy as they gain hours of use. I have also noted this characteristic with the 6SN7. Even premium NOS USA tubes often get noisy. But the Chinese-based, hand-selected signal tubes picked by Rogue Audio stayed quiet and microphonic free for my testing. I have one set that dates back to 2005 — and not a hint of extra hiss or thermal noise.

On pop music, the 99/90 tandem was impressive on music that has good dynamic range. The Talking Heads — Little Creatures 24/96 PCM Dual-Disc sounded great on this system, with a nice, open analog recording feel — with multiple layers of guitars, vocals and a little pedal steel guitar sprinkled in. The Elton John — Captain Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy SACD was a sonic showcase for the duo. Lots of detail from the analog tape-to-DSD transfer was clearly heard through the Rogues.

On really dense, modern power pop/rap/dance kinds of music (the kind mixed for the Ipod generation), the slight “warming” of the already hyped midbass and compressed dynamics of the music does not lend itself to the best sound with the Rogues; even some of the most expensive audio gear has trouble with such sonic “mud.” I usually avoid that kind of new music, though some of the earlier analog recorded and mixed rap music, (Public Enemy — Fear of A Black Planet, for example), did sound pretty good via the Rogue siblings.

Handy bias adjust in the Stereo 90

I played a few LP records from my trusty Rotel RP-955/AT150ML cartridge setup to test the phono stage. The 99’s phono circuit is one of the best integrated designs that I have ever heard in a tube pre. In more than ten years of use, I would rank the phono stage’s lack of noise and dynamic quotient up there with much-costlier separates. Multiple plays of the latest remastered LP of Wes Montgomery — Full House and some old direct-to-discs LPs from Crystal Clear and other labels revealed the music, sweet music of well-mastered vinyl.

Ergonomically speaking, the Rogue tandem worked perfectly. All the controls and buttons were solid — without any noise. The tubes were hiss free and free of microphonics. Recommendations? Maybe putting the headphone jack on the front for the 99, and a speaker load switch on the 90‘s back panel, instead of having to change the wire jumpers from the inside.

The verdict

If you are shopping for an new amp/preamp, and want accuracy and that soothing quality of tubes, I recommend the Rogue Audio Model 99 preamp and the Stereo 90 amplifier as a matched set. Based on their performance and price, the pair receives our Everything Audio Stellar Sound Award — as a duo or as separates. You get great sound, relatively low cost, and plenty of functionality. Even as separates, you cannot go wrong when matching these components into a tube or solid state system.

And as a bonus, you get to support a USA audio company; Rogue Audio components are hand assembled in Brodheadsville, Pennsylvania.

©All original articles on this site are the intellectual property of the Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited.

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DC's Capital Audiofest 2011: Small Audiophile ShowsCan Have A Big Impact

2011-08-18T11:53:00.038-04:00

Everything Audio Network System at CAF 2011

by John Gatski

I have attended trade shows since the 1980s, big and small. From the mammoth Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to the big NAB broadcast technology extravaganza, the musician-gear focused NAMM show and numerous small, but hyper-focused, video and audio shows. As a publishing veteran of nearly 25 years, I like the buzz associated with seeing the new stuff and interacting with the dealers, manufacturers and end users at a trade show.
As much as I like the big expos — with all the royal trimmings — in big trade show towns like Vegas, I have always had a soft spot for the small audio shows. Not only do you get to see new hi-fi products, but you often get a chance to hang out, one on one, with the guy who designed the gear, the dealers who sell it and the fellow kindred spirits who share that fanatical audio equipment passion.
Case in point is the Washington, DC-based Capital Audiofest, that was held at the Rockville Crowne Plaza in Rockville, MD last July 8-10 — practically right in my back yard.
This show now fills a huge audio show void — in that there were no audio conventions or trade shows for the audiophile community in DC. Despite being one of the most affluent areas in the country with a healthy population of audio enthusiasts, folks here had to go to shows elsewhere to get their gear-gawking fix.

Getting on board
I had always hoped that a small, dedicated audio show would someday make its way to the DC area (I even contemplated doing one a few years ago). When I discovered the Capital Audiofest was being planned for its second annual show late last winter, I quickly called Gary Gill, owner of the show, and asked him how I could help.
I told Mr. Gill that, like him, I believed a thriving audio trade show, even on a small scale, is good for DC, and I offered my services. After all, I have been involved in various aspects of trade show planning for many years, at various publications and as partner with various associations.
Since I had struck up an acquaintance with Gary only a few months months before the show opened, my role was limited in the 2011 CAF preparations, but I helped him secure some giveaway items (Benchmark Media DAC1 and Essential Sound Products power cord). I also did a bit of promotion on EAN to help draw interest among potential attenders, dealers, manufacturers and service providers.

From my perspective, a small, close-knit audio show that is done right, like the CAF, brings a sense of community to those with like-minded interests and allows the companies and dealers to do a bit of business — without busting their annual promotional budget.

Gary took over the trade show in 2010 from its humble beginnings with a few local retailers, manufacturers and a swap-meet for tube gear; he has since doubled its size in just one year. The success of CAF 2011 shows that the local audio geeks had a pent-up demand for such an event. Judging by the attendance and number of dealers and manufacturers represented at the 2011 show, the Capital Audiofest did not feel small. Close to a 1,000 people came through the many rooms at the Crowne Plaza hotel, and it was pretty darn busy the entire three days.

Well-supported by business
More than 75 companies (manufacturers, dealers and service providers) were represented at the show, and even the Everything Audio Network was there. I set up a hospitality/listening suite in one of the smaller rooms, just enough room for a Pass Labs/Oppo/Westlake Audio playback system, a few peripherals — and some wine and snacks.
In my experience, these small shows, like CAF, allow the vendors to easily connect with the guys and gals who ultimately buy the gear. Local dealers, such as JS Audio, and companies such as McIntosh, Integra, Audience, Polk and others said they sold products at the show and garnered many more potential prospects for future buying. Products on display included amps, speakers, preamps, tube gear, turntables, CDs, records, power cables, interconnects, and modified reel-to-reel tape machines. Lots of goodies for audiophiles to see and hear.

CAF's Gary Gill and DAC1 Winner Gerald Wong

These small audiophile shows also allow for more intimate room interaction. Hundreds of attenders come into the EAN hospitality suite, two to five at a time, and listened to my one of my reference setups, as if I were a vendor demoing new gear. (My hottest gear, in terms of attender interest included the Pass XA30.5 Class A MOSFET amp, Oppo BDP-95 universal player, Westlake LC8.1 speakers, the pro/audiophile TASCAM DVRA-1000 high-res PCM/DSD hard drive recorder/player and the built-in-Mexico ATI ADAC — a digital A-D/D-A/SRC that displays word length and sample rate when connected to a digital output.)

These small audiophile shows also allow for more intimate room interaction. Hundreds of CAF attenders came into the EAN hospitality suite, two to five at a time, and listened to my one of my reference setups, as if I were a vendor demoing new gear.

Overall, people who attended as interested audiophiles and as vendors, told me that they were pleased with the show. McIntosh Eastern Sales Rep. Christopher Smith said that he was glad he came to the CAF, and that room visitors “showed a lot of interest” in the latest Mac products (myself included).
Phil Abish, an avid DC-area audiophile, said he was impressed with the growth of the Capital Audiofest from its first event in 2010. “This year's audio fest, especially given the state of the economy, was really good. I spent double the amount of time between Saturday and Sunday and can honestly say I could have spent a few more hours,” he explained. “While I looked at the list of scheduled exhibitors prior to July, I found it bigger in person that it seemed online. There was a much bigger variety of equipment, exhibitors, exhibitor types — i.e. dealer, manufacturer, review website, DIY room, and DIY looking to become a manufacturer.”

Looking forward to the next show
As we head into the fall, EAN is gearing up to attend the home-theater focused CEDIA show and impending 2012 NAMM and CES shows, but I won’t forget about the small shows. Rocky Mountain Audio Fest and Head-Fi are coming up, and of course, our own 2012 Capital Audiofest will be held again in the same location next summer. I am sure it will be a bit bigger next year, and hopefully, will expand to include some how-to sessions for audiophiles and home recording buffs. It will still have that nice, small-show feel.
From my perspective, a small, close-knit audio show that is done right, like the CAF, brings a sense of community to those with like-minded interests and allows the companies and dealers to do a bit of business — without busting their annual promotional budget. See you at the next show!

©All original articles on this site are the intellectual property of the Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited.

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Home Recording Review!Mojave Audio MA-300 Multi-Pattern, Large-Diaphragm Tube Microphone

2011-08-11T09:33:00.001-04:00

Brevis...

Price: $1,295

Likes: smooth accuracy, variable patterns, price

Dislikes: zilch!

More info: Mojave MA-300

by John Gatski

Within his ribbon microphone company, Royer Labs, and condenser microphone company, Mojave Audio, engineer David Royer produces microphones that rank up there with classic American and European microphones. You expect top-tier quality out of the premium priced, made-in-USA Royer ribbon microphones (and you get it). What is amazing is how high-end the affordable USA-designed/Chinese-built Mojave mics are. I am not talking about the “it’s good for the money” label you often hear in the world of Far East-made microphones, I am talking about performance and build that is comparable to any high-end microphone ever or currently made.

Case in point, is the new MA-300 multiple-pattern, large diaphragm, tube condenser microphone. This under-$1,300 wunderkind of a mic is so darn good on instrument and voice (and most any other application), that you will want multiples in your mic cabinet.

Mojave President Dusty Wakeman, was kind enough to loan me two new MA-300s for the review. Dr Fred Bashour of EAN had already reviewed a pair of the top-rated MA-101FET — a smaller-sized condenser instrument mic — so I decided to test the pair of the full-sized MA-300s.

Features

The $1,295 MA-300 is a full-sized condenser microphone with a hand-selected, 1-inch diameter/3-micron diaphragm and tube electronics — featuring a JAN 5480 vacuum tube and select Jensen transformer. It is based on the cardioid-only MA200, which I did not have a chance to review. The MA-300 adds continuously variable polar pattern adjustment that allows four polar patterns: from full-omnidirectional to figure 8, cardioid — and hypercardioid for those times you want to dial in that precisely focused vocal.

The mic is connected to the external power supply via a multi-pin connector umbilical wire; the power supply also contains the electronics for controlling the polar position. Onboard mic switches include bass roll off at 6 dB per octave below 100 Hz and a -15 dB pad. The mic boasts amazing specs, including 14 dB self-noise (A-weighted) and 20 Hz to 20 kHz frequency response (+/-3 dB). Maximum SPL is 120 dB with pad disengaged.

The Mojave MA-300 is a modern microphone classic. It’s accurate, yet warm inviting tube character, make you want to use it on almost everything.

The MA-300 comes in a nice case with a suspension mount, power supply, and connector cable. The microphone is solidly constructed with a good physical feel in the switches and the outboard polar-pattern control. The mic has some heft to it and needs a boom that is amply weighted to keep it all balanced. No light weight microphone here.

The recording setup

I recorded several instruments in my home studio including Martin HD-28, Gibson SJ-200 and Martin HD28V acoustic guitars as well as a Gibson L5CES jazz guitar into a Fender Twin Reverb reissue amp. I also recorded a Nord Electro 3 keyboard in Hammond B3 mode — via a McIntosh vintage MC275 tube amplifier that powered a pair of Lipinski L505 loudspeakers, one mic per speaker. For voice, I read aloud into the mic to test its vocal performance.

I used Accusound microphone cables from the mic power supply/pattern adjustment box connected to a True Audio P2 microphone preamp (one of the quietest on the market), which fed a TASCAM DVRA-1000HD master recorder. The TASCAM’s resolution was set at 24-bit/96 kHz. All components were plugged into an Essential Sound Products Essence power strip, which is immune to extraneous RF noise which can contaminate home studio microphone setups with low-level noise. This setup allowed me to hear how quiet the Mojave is.

The playback gear included Legacy Studio HD speakers, Pass Labs X350.5 amplifier and Benchmark Dac1 Pre D/A, which were linked by Westlake Low PE interconnects.

The audition

First up, were the acoustic guitars. I set up the mics on a stereo bar in a typical X-Y configuration about a foot from the Martins and Gibson and recorded using the cardioid mode. On playback of the Martin HD28V/Mojave recordings, I was impressed with how much detail the MA-300s transmitted, and how the stereo miking produced such an amazing sonic spread of the guitar. There was plenty of clarity and the mic’s focus on the Martin’s strong midrange/low treble character. And the bass was full, yet balanced. This is how the guitar sounds in real life. Wow! I was pleased that I could get the bottom end to sound so natural — without resorting to the bass roll-off switch, which is often the case with full-sized mics in cardioid mode, placed close to the source.

The Gibson SJ200 had even more of a midrange treble emphasis and the Mojave picked that up nicely, yet imparted just a tinge of smoothness. Again the imaging of the matched microphones really creates width and depth to a stereo recording. I should point out that although it is a tube microphone design, I heard zero hiss in the quiet parts of these recordings. This microphone is really quiet!

I moved on to the jazz guitar trial. The Gibson L-5CES Custom is a very warm sounding guitar with its solid wood construction, hollow-body design and classic Gibson humbucker, which projects a nice laid-back electric guitar tone. The Twin Reverb reissue is a perfect amp for the L5 with a warm, yet percussive tone that gets enhanced by a wee bit of reverb.

I close mic’d the cabinet in stereo about eight-inches from the speakers with the mics elevated a few inches above the speakers, but angled toward them. The result was one of the best recordings I have ever heard from my L5/Fender combo — warm, yet full of detailed overtones. I also took one mic and experimented with the variable patterns including the omnidirectional mode, which gave a bit more of the room sound, though my room is not that reflective to showcase any particular character.

I should note that the MA-300‘s sonic footprint is one of accuracy, not hype, yet with a gentle warmness that pleases the ear. Reminds me of those old Blue-Note recordings — a warm, yet accurate portrayal of the musical instruments. David Royer said that with his background in recording reference quality classical music, his mission is to make microphones that are accurate and not “overly-hyped” in any one area of the audio spectrum. He has really nailed it with the MA-300.

I mounted the mics in front of the Lipinski loudspeakers and recorded some bits of Hammond organ sound from the Nord Electro 3, which also has very convincing samples of Fender Rhodes and Wurlitzer electric piano in its arsenal of sounds. In the Hammond B-3-mode, the stereo or mono-mic’d recordings sounded very close to a real Hammond. With the key clicks, the rotating Leslie speaker effect’s fast and slow modes and that bit of tube distortion, the MA300 made the recordings that much more real.

Whether you are a seasoned pro or an aspiring, quality conscious home recordist, compare the Mojave Audio MA-300 to your favorite mics; you will be impressed.

What I like from Mojave is its ability to convey bass without the bass heaviness you get from close miking and proximity effect. I seldom used the bass roll-off switch. If you look at the Mojave cardioid frequency response graph, these mics are really flat in bass response from 50 Hz to 400 Hz.

Dusty Wakeman suggested I try the hypercardioid mode on voice. So, since I am not really a singer, I read aloud from book passages, kind of a narration thing using a single MA-300 and a pop filter. The mic’s accuracy on the voice was uncanny with smooth character that was not overly sibilant. The hypercardioid mode really focused in on the voice — with a concise character that was not distracted by room sound. Very nice.

I had no complaints about the Mojave Audio MA-300 or its peripherals. It worked perfectly, no tube noise, no intermittent switch noises, or any other anomaly. It all worked like it should.

The verdict

The Mojave MA-300 is a modern microphone classic. It’s accurate, yet warm inviting tube character, make you want to use it on almost everything: guitars, keyboards, string instruments (can’t wait to try it on a banjo). You throw in the polar pattern adjustability and you’ve got yourself one bargain of a tube mic package. Whether you are a seasoned pro or an aspiring, quality conscious home recordist, compare the Mojave Audio MA-300 to your favorite mics; you will be impressed. Of course, the mic qualifies for our Stellar Sound Award. Now I just need to save those quarters, nickels and dimes so I can buy one.

©All original articles on this site are the intellectual property of the Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited.

Home Cinema Review!Sony's ES Dynamic Duo:STR-DA5600ES 7.1 Receiver,BDP-S1700ES 3D/Wi-Fi BD Player

2011-08-04T15:43:00.001-04:00

Brevis...
Price: $1,999/$499 retail;
Likes: clean power, connectiions (STR-DA5600ES),
3D, pristine 1080P quality, Wi-Fi (BDP-S1700ES);
Dislikes: No analog multichannel in BDP
More info: Sony ES

by John Gatski

Sony ES audio and video components used to exemplify a top-end approach for the mass-consumer electronics company. Products such as the TAE-9000ES preamp/processor, DVP-999ES DVD player, SCD-5400ES SACD players, CDP-XA7ES CD player, or even the BDP-S2000ES BD players from a couple of years ago proved that Sony could be a force on the high-end — without being totally high-end price. They were built like exotic pieces of audiophile gear with stiff steel chassis (and innovative features such as a fixed laser/moving transport optical disc mechanism) with exemplary audio and video performance.

Times have changed. As with other A/V product lines from various manufacturers, recent Sony ES products are now produced in less costly packages. But although they don’t have the massive build and cosmetic impressiveness of the ES products of yore, they are still good performers that are a better value these days. The Sony $2,000 STR-DA5600ES receiver and the $499 BDP-S1700ES are prime examples of the new ES line, which are sold through custom installers.

Features

The STR-DA5600ES is a full featured 7.1 channel receiver with 130 watt-per-channel amplifiers and is capable of decoding all the major high-res home cinema audio formats, including DTS Master and Dolby TruHD. Its feature set includes Audio Network capability, decoding of SACD (DSD) data stream, dual- Faroudja DCDI video upsampling circuit, multiple HD video distribution, Deep Color support, and 3D pass though. Other STR-DA5600ES audio highlights include Sony’s proprietary DLL PCM audio upsampling to 192 kHz, Dolby Pro Logic IIz, and access to Rhapsody and Shoutcast Music services.

The ES receiver is nicely built, though not to the solid feel of the old ES components. Still, it is solid enough and what it lacks in ultimate audiophile/videophile construction it makes up in connectivity, performance and onboard niceties.

The STR-DA5600ES receiver is a first rate A/V multichannel receiver. Audio playback via the high-quality, multichannel lossless formats impressed my ears and its DSD conversion from SACDs gave it some high-res stereo listening flair.

The exposed front panel has a fresh, uncluttered layout with plenty of buttons and knobs to show you its versatility, but not so many that it becomes intimidating. The panel includes volume, bass and treble control, AM/FM tuner knob, input selector, speaker selector, headphone jack (yay), HDMI input, HDMI in/out selectors, mini-jack connectors for calibration mic, video and stereo audio inputs (video camera), standby switch, multi-display select buttons and the GUI information screen and its numerous function lights.

The back panel has a generous amount of connections including speaker jacks, 7.1 multi-channel inputs, preamp outputs, six HDMI inputs (two HDMI outputs), seven digital inputs (with one TOSlink output). There are also a host of zone connectivity jacks, composite and component video I/Os, five LAN jacks, an RS232 port and SIRIUS satellite radio input.

The amplifier section is pure analog with Class A/B bipolar outputs with an ample toroidal power supply and neatly laid out circuit design. We did not measure the STR-DA5600ES output, but Sony claims 130 watts per channel for all channels, thought it is likely to be about an honest 100 watts with all channels driven.

The receiver is easy to set up. I never needed the manual — except to perhaps identify a function. The on-screen menus were self-explanatory and the setup a piece of cake. The STR-DA5600ES comes with a calibration mic that makes auto or manual level, delay and EQ setting for the neophyte a snap. I used the manual setup mode with a real-time analyzer to make my level settings.

BDP-S1700ES BD Player

The BDP-S1700ES player is the furthest departure from the classic ES player products of yesteryear. No massive metal cabinet or hefty weight of, say, the classic SCAD-XA7ES. The outer cabinet is metal, but it looks like a mid-priced player at best. Its video performance is first rate, and it offers 3D (HDM 1.4) and wireless streaming video for various services, such as Netflix.

The ‘1700ES loaded up fast and its setup menus were a breeze to use. The 1080P picture is typical of Sony’s recent generations of BD players. They are among some of the most detailed sharpest players I have auditioned.

The BDP-S1700ES does not have multichannel decoding with analog output. In keeping with the A/V cost reduction trend (as well as eliminating potential high-quality copying connection points on A/V products) this player and numerous other BD players are now multichannel output-less. So using it with legacy analog input products is out of the question — unless you use a third party HDMI audio extractor. But since the point of the review is to mate it with the STR-DA5600ES receiver, its HDMI connection worked as intended and without a hitch.

The BD player is typically-sized of the players made today. It is light weight at 5 pounds and has very few controls on the front panel — except for small buttons for play, stop and pause, as well as the disc tray open/close button. There also is a front panel USB jack and indicators for HD video and WLAN. The excellent, but small-buttoned remote control gives you the control and feature operability that you need to fully control and set up the player.

The rear panel features a single HDMI output jack, a pair of stereo audio output jacks, composite and component RCA video output jacks, LAN Ethernet connection, a second USB jack and two digital audio output jacks.

Audio-wise, the player bitstreams high resolution lossless formats Dolby TruHD, DTS Master HD and LPCM; it also plays stereo SACDs through its internal decoder, as well as bitstreams stereo or multichannel DSD to compatible receivers or processor with DSD decoders, such as the STR-DA5600ES. More on the DSD feature later.

The setup

I placed the Sony ES tandem into my home cinema rig, which includes a Sony XBR4 52-inch LCD and high-end audio multichannel playback system. The system includes an AudioControl Maestro 3 preamp/processor, Carver amplifiers, Sony BDP-550 BD player from 2009, Pioneer Elite BDP-09FD player and an Oppo BDP-83SE BD player.

The speakers included Westlake LC8.1(L-C), Westlake LC2.65 (C), and NHT Ones for the rear channels; the Paradigm Reference Sub 15 handled the ultra-low end LFE duties. MIT speaker cable was used all around the room; WireWorld solid conductor HDMI cables connected the Blu-ray player and LCD to the ES receiver. Alpha-Core interconnects were used for the BD player’s analog stereo output to the receiver. All components were plugged into a Essential Sound Products Essence power strip

The ES duo’s playback was impressive on the BD, especially the receiver’s audio finesse. The ability to deliver prodigious amount of volume, yet stay focused and smooth, was quite welcome. I am not normally a receiver guy, especially for the medium-to-low price classes of products, but for its $2,000 class, the STR-DA5600ES delivers the goods.

To satisfy my audiophile curiosity I connected the BDP-S1700ES to a couple of extra widget boxes. I wanted to see if could pass high-resolution stereo audio via its HDMI or digital SPDIF output jacks, without the copy-protect handshake, so you could play bitstream DVD-Video or BD discrete high-res stereo audio tracks, as well as an SACD’s DSD-to-PCM tracks to an external audiophile DAC.

To test its audio output capability, I plugged the HDMI output into an Altona HDMI-to-SPDIF converter and connected the Altona coaxial output into an ATI ADAC, witch has digital audio word-length and sample rate indicators. These indicators would show me whether the player passes a BD or DVD-V’s native digital audio output or downsamples the sample rate and/or truncates the word length.

The audition

I did not have a 3D TV in at the time of the review. So, unfortunately, I could not evaluate the test system’s 3D quality. After my initial set up and calibration, I inserted The Incredibles blu-ray, a sonic tour de force in terms of sound track expansiveness, and deep bass. And it is a great animated movie to boot.

The ES duo’s playback was impressive on the BD, especially the receiver’s audio finesse. The ability to deliver prodigious amount of volume, yet stay focused and smooth, was quite welcome. I am not normally a receiver guy, especially for the medium-to-low price classes of products, but for its $2,000 class, the STR-DA5600ES delivers the goods.

On BD after BD, the audio was impressive. It is a tick or two behind my AudioControl Maestro 3 and Carver amp separates audio expansiveness, but of course that set up was five times the price. The STR-DA5600ES shows how good today’s converters and amp sections are in the better receivers.

I also had the STR-DA5600ES for a few days as I was reviewing the much-heralded Marantz SR-7005 receiver, which costs a few hundred bucks less. Both receivers are very close in performance (and the choice may come down to price).

If you use the receiver to process the video, The STR-DA5600ES’ video upconversion is exquisite for DVD conversion to 1080P, and its networking and zone features make it quite versatile. The onboard display was okay to use as reference when in point-blank visual range of the receiver, but from the viewing position, the on-screen info is the only way to know what modes you are in.

The Wi-Fi streaming worked well and it was easy to enable, unlike some other BD Wi-Fi players I have used. The BDP-S1700ES wireless Internet worked flawlessly — without any glitching or long connection times. The wireless also made it a breeze to do software updates.

The receiver will fit into most any setup situation with its connectivity, especially in the digital audio input and zone section. For you headphone listeners, it even has a good-sounding headphone amp, a feature that is becoming a rarity these days in receivers and processors. It also has a phono preamp for those vinyl diehards who have a turntable in the home cinema room.

The BDP-S1700ES is a perfectly fine Blu-ray player — in that its 1080P video is excellent, it offers 3D and streaming of various online video and audio services. But I think as an ES product, it should have analog audio multichannel outputs to maintain connectivity with legacy analog components. Currently, Sony manufactures no Blu-ray player with analog output.

The ‘1700ES loaded up fast and its setup menus were a breeze to use. The 1080P picture is typical of Sony’s recent generations of BD players. They are among some of the most detailed sharpest players I have auditioned. I currently own the BDP-550 from 2009, and the video performance of the ‘1700ES is on par with that machine.

Audio-only playback was very good via the stereo analog outputs, and the SACD playback of my jazz and classical music was more than satisfactory. About on the level of a $500 SACD player. Its sound was present with just a pit of extra energy in the treble. Good stereo separation.

Like most BD players that adhere to industry standard copy protection protocols, the ‘1700ES will not transmit full bit/sample rate digital audio via the SPDIF jacks. And these players will only transmit high-res audio via the HDMI jacks — if there is a digital “handshake” with a compatible receiver or processor like the STR-DA5600ES. If you connect the player to an external DAC via the SPDIF jack or use an HDMI-to-SPDIF converter box, you will get bit and/or sample rate reduced audio.

I tested the BDP-S1700ES high-resolution audio capability through the digital SPDIF and HDMI outputs by plugging the HDMI output into the Altona HDMI-to-SPDIF converter and then plugging the Altona SPDIF output into the ATI ADAC — with it visual word-length and sample-rate indicators. Using LPCM 24/96 audio tracks that I had burned to DVD-V and from AIX Records high-res audio DVD-Vs (the Sony does not play DVD-As), I found that the player would only pass 16-bit/96 kHz audio — not 24/96. And the SPDIF port spit out only 16/48; the copy-protect scheme at work again.

On a 2L music Blu-ray, the player’s digital PCM output from the HDMI muted altogether when I selected the 24/96 LPCM stereo soundtrack. It needs a “handshake” with a compatible receiver or processor to allow transmission of the audio from Blu-ray. And the BDP-S1700ES does not convert DSD to PCM without a “handshake” either.

Like the receiver, the BDP-S1700ES’ onboard display is for up close reference only, you move back a few feet and you need the on-screen display. The Wi-Fi streaming worked well and it was easy to enable, unlike some other BD Wi-Fi players I have used. The BDP-S1700ES wireless Internet worked flawlessly — without any glitching or long connection times. The wireless also made it a breeze to do software updates.

The verdict

All in all, the Sony BDP-S1700ES 3D/Wi-Fi BD player and the STR-DA5600ES receivers are really good A/V products that match well together — or as separates. The ‘1700ES is a very good player with enough features to satisfy most home cinema and semi-serious audio fans, but do not expect that big ES build that Sony customers have gotten used to over the last 20 years. It is a good companion to the STR-DA5600ES, especially if you want to watch 3D movies and wirelessly access streaming services.

The STR-DA5600ES receiver is a first rate A/V multichannel receiver. Audio playback via the high-quality, multichannel lossless formats impressed my ears and its DSD conversion from SACDs gave it some high-res stereo listening flair. The video engine is as good as many high-end BD players. Combine the A/V performance, plethora of connections, and extensive home networking capability, and the Sony STR-DA5600ES proves it is a serious contender in the upper class of mainstream home theater receivers.

Since the STR-DA5600ES handles most of the audio duties, the BDP-S1700ES is a logical choice as a companion Blu-ray player. I am giving the tandem an Everything Audio Network Stellar Sound Award, but the receiver receives a few extra points for its extra performance and functions.

©All original articles on this site are the intellectual property of the Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited.

Home Recording Review/Benchtest! Tascam DR-680 High-Resolution Eight-Channel Mixer/Recorder

2011-07-17T08:43:00.039-04:00

Brevis...
Price: $1,399 retail; $895 street
Likes: multi-track mixing, A/D, preamps
Dislikes: smallish LCD screen
More info: TASCAM DR-680

By Tom Jung

Smaller, lower price, and better sounding. That certainly is the trend with standalone audio recorders these days. With its $1,000 HDP2 stereo Compact Flash recorder now more than five years old, TASCAM has taken advantage of technology advances for multichannel audio recording/playback and given us the DR-680, an eight-channel FLASH recorder for under $900 on the street.

Don’t be fooled by its price; the DR-680 is a recorder that is capable of doing truly high-end professional multitrack work. Not all that long ago a high-resolution eight-track recorder in the $900 street price range was unthinkable — especially one that sounds this good.

Features

Priced at $1,395 retail ($895 street) the DR-680 is an audio marvel, recording up to eight channels of high-resolution PCM audio to SD/SDHC Class 4 or greater media cards up to 32GB. The DR-680 covers bit depth and sample rates up to 24/96 with all eight channels running — and up to 24/192 in the stereo mode. The standard PCM sample rates are covered — 44.1 kHz, 48 kHz, 96 kHz and 192 kHz — but no 88.2 kHz or 176 kHz. The AKM A/D-D/A converters are the same ones used in the highly regarded DR-100 stereo portable recorder reviewed on EAN last year.

If recording time is more important to the user than audio quality, the MP3 file format is available with bit-rates from 96 kbps to 320 kbps; the former rate yielding over 370 hours of four-track recording time with a 32GB card.

The DR-680 is perfect for small live recording gigs or home recordings where you want simple set up, record and mixing with more than two microphones. The DR-680 form factor is perfect — not too small, not too big — considering how much connectivity it offers. At 8-inches wide by nearly seven inches deep, the recorder features balanced/unbalanced/digital connections, headphone amp, top-mounted and front panel function buttons in a stout aluminum-framed package.

Yes, there were subtle audio differences that I still preferred with the original DSD, yet this $900 PCM multitrack recorder, that runs on batteries, captured much of the essence, detail and imaging of the master recording.

The DR-680 is powered by eight AA batteries or the included AC “line lump” 12V power supply. Batteries are easily accessible via the sliding bottom lid. Accessories include a carrying strap. TASCAM also sells a waterproof storage bag.

Connecting the TASCAM to a PC or Mac is a snap, using the supplied USB 2.0 cable. The PC recognizes the unit as a mass-storage device, and no driver software is necessary. If you have an external SD drive, you can also remove the SD card from the recorder and pop it straight into a computer. Input options include six balanced mic/line jacks (four are XLR/TRS 1/4-inch combo jacks; two are TRS 1/4-inch only), stereo SPDIF digital connection, and a live monitor mix can be selected to feed channels 7 & 8. All six microphone inputs have phantom power, switchable in pairs — along with individual channel gain ranges. Individual mic trim is software controlled in half-dB steps by simply selecting the dedicated front panel channel button and turning the knob, just like an analog control only with more precision.

The internal digital mixer has both level and pan controls so a quick six-to-two mix is a snap — whether you do it during recording or back at the ranch. A solo function is also provided. However, it is more of a PFL (pre fader listen) since it is mono and does not follow the panning. For output options, you have six individual unbalanced analog line jacks available — as well as digital in & out for channels 7 & 8 all on RCA jacks. The digital in/out jacks also serve as a cascade sync function that allows the transports of multiple DR-680 units to be controlled by a single master unit. Pretty sophisticated stuff for so little money.

The LCD screen is backlit and has 128 X 64 pixel resolution, which initially seemed undersized. But after using it for awhile, I deemed it adequate. The smallish, graphic bar meter display also has no reference legend. You have to figure out the peak levels so you don’t get digital distortion, as it has only a simple line you must not exceed on the meter.

The DR-680‘s operational software, in conjunction with the push-button and rotary controls, is very intuitive; you can easily set up the project, make recordings, mix and transfer the finished audio project to PC — without ever consulting the manual.

The DR-680‘s operational software, in conjunction with the push-button and rotary controls, is very intuitive; you can easily set up the project, make recordings, mix and transfer the finished audio project to PC — without ever consulting the manual.

For those that need the ultimate in syncing duties, the DR-680 does not have timecode generation or reading capability. But you have to sacrifice something at $900 bucks. If you want timecode, move up to TASCAM’s audio-for-film, high-end location recorder, HS-P82, for those high end functions and features.

It also should be pointed out that the DR-680 is designed to record separate audio tracks for stereo down mix. It does not allow overdubs or filling in extra tracks later after the original recording has been made.

The audition

Although one can use a variety of available computer digital interfaces to record multiple tracks, computer audio setups are often cumbersome and overly complicated. Standalone recorders like the DR-680 are extraordinarily focused audio computers and are often easier to operate. And that ease of use is one of many reasons that EAN Publisher/Editor John Gatski and I like the DR-680.

Most of the live musical recording for this review was done at John Gatski’s home studio, while I focused on the DR-680’s converter quality by recording various bits of analog to PCM music and dubbing some of my own original DSD masters from the DMP label.

Mr. Gatski recorded a number of acoustic guitar recordings — up to four tracks — with a Shure KSM-141 condenser, an ADK vocal, and two Audix SCX-25 microphones. His take on the TASCAM was that the guitar and vocal recording quality was clean and detailed (as high-resolution audio should be) in 24-bit/96 kHz mode. Mic preamps were clean and quiet, and in comparison to the TASCAM HDP2 midsize stereo recorder and the DR-100 portable stereo recorder, Gatski said the A/D quality of the DR-680 is virtually identical — which means it is quite good.

He said the DAC playback quality was about on par with the other machines as well, though the DR-680 is slightly smoother on the top-end than the five-year old HDP2, in which the converters are a couple of generations from current. (The current HDP2 has the latest generation AKM A/D-D/A converters.)

The headphone amp is good with the ability to drive AKG headphones. However, Mr. Gatski and I noticed a strange audio “buffering” sound when changing the headphone level as the music was playing. Once the level was set at the desired level, the sound was fine. The outboard speaker works okay as a general monitor for the audio, but it is mono and rather low-fi compared to the headphone or line output.

The DR-680’s A/D and D/A audio quality conclusions were further cemented by my subjective testing. I set up a most challenging audio evaluation for the DR-680 (or any PCM converter) — a direct analog-to-digital dub of my original multitrack DSD jazz recordings done in the 1998-2003 time frame. I copied the DSD surround production masters from my Sony Sonoma DSD recording/edit system to the DR-680. With six XLR cables I connected the output of the Meitner DAC8 MKIV DSD D to A converter (whew!) to the six balanced inputs of the DR-680 set to the max resolution of 24/96.

I copied master DSD of Warren Bernhardt — Amelia’s Song (the most open, transparent recording that I ever made). It was made using six microphones into six mic preamps — straight into a Meitner ADC8 A-to-D converter with no console or signal processing.

After the dub procedure, I plugged the unbalanced RCA outputs of the DR-680 into the Meitner Switchman multi-channel pre-amp which is connected to six channels of Bel Canto power amplifiers driving SLS ribbon monitors.

Input options include six balanced mic/line jacks (four are XLR/TRS 1/4-inch combo jacks; two are TRS 1/4-inch only), stereo SPDIF digital connection, and a live monitor mix can be selected to feed channels 7 & 8.

As a DSD fan and with my familiarity with this recording, I expected the playback from the Meitner to be much better than the budget TASCAM PCM A/D-D/A playback. But in truth, the PCM copy of the DSD tracks held up remarkably well. Yes, there were subtle audio differences that I still preferred with the original DSD, yet this $900 PCM multitrack recorder, that runs on batteries, captured much of the essence, detail and imaging of the master recording. And it played it back with good results as well. If you play the DR-680 recording through high-end D/A converters the result is even more impressive. This recorder has an excellent A/D converter.

Other than the small display, I cannot criticize the DR-680. Even the battery life with all channels being used is pretty good. Headphone amp is good, powering hard-to-drive AKGs with smooth output. Even the physical construction is fairly robust, as I got tangled in a line cable and sent the unit flying to the floor; no mechanical or cosmetic blemishes.

The verdict

For the money, the TASCAM DR-680 does multichannel recording with quality that was unheard of in my days of full time PCM digital recording. If you consider its features, performance and utility, the TASCAM DR-680 is a steal. Its range of uses include home recording of musical instruments — all the way to a professional live multitrack session at a club venue. I told the boss to give it an Everything Audio Network Stellar Sound Award. He heartily agreed.

EAN Publisher/Editor John Gatski also contributed to this review. A professional audio engineer for almost 50 years (Sound 80, DMP Records), Tom Jung reviews home theater, audiophile and high-end recording gear for the Everything Audio Network, testing products from his home studio in North Carolina. He can be reached via email at tjeverything.audio@verizon.net

©All original articles on this site are the intellectual property of the Everything Audio Network. Any unauthorized use, via print or Internet, without written permission is prohibited.

EAN BenchTest!

TASCAM DR-680
by Bascom King

The TASCAM DR-680 is a member of the multi-channel compact class of digital recorders. This one can record up to a bit density and sample rate of 24/192 in stereo, or up to six channels at 24/96. Although the DR-680 unit has digital I/O and analog I/O, most end-users are going to download the finished recording to a computer, so we decided that the A/D measurements were the more important measurement parameters, though we did make A/D-D/A calculations as well.

Frequency response at 0 dBFS at a sample rate of 192 kHz is shown plotted in Fig. 1 for analog inputs 1 & 2 and for the digital output for both the line input and the mic inputs at the high gain setting. Surprisingly, the flatter response is for the mic input here. The channel tracking is so good here that one can’t see any difference between the channels at this graph vertical resolution.

The analog output response for the same input conditions is down a bit more at 90 kHz due to the D/A filters and is at about –10 dB. The low frequency response was down about 1 dB at 10 Hz. When the response was measured at lower sample rates of 96 & 44.1 kHz, the response shape was much flatter up to the filter cutoff – a result I usually see in digital audio device measurements.

An interesting and revealing measurement is in the distortion vs. level of a 1 kHz tone in the digital output with input signals applied to the line inputs. Fig. 2 shows this plotted in a 20 kHz measurement bandwidth and at a sample rate of 192 kHz. This indicates a S/N ratio of 100 dB. This is quite good for an integrated all-in-one, rather inexpensive recorder/player (though the best converters can exceed -115 dB). This same test on the analog outputs showed some lumps upwards in the curve caused by some D/A misbehavior at sample rates of 192 & 96 kHz from –5 to –30 dBFS. In these deviations, the amount of distortion was still better than –83 dBFS. At sample rates of 48 & 44.1K, the curves were smooth like in Fig. 2.

S/N ratios at the digital outputs for sample rates of 192 kHz, 96 kHz, & 44.1 kHz and in a measurement bandwidth of 20 kHz were 100.0 dBFS, 95.5 dBFS and 95.5 dBFS respectively. Dynamic range measurements for the same sample rates were 102.8 dBFS, 98.1 dBFS, & 98.0 dBFS. Finally, for the digital output, the quantization noise measurements came out to be –96.0, 93.6, & - 93.6 dB. Again, these are very good measurement results.

In general, the same measurements at the analog outputs were just a few dB worse. When going through the mic inputs at the high gain setting, measurements were yet a few more dB worse for both analog and digital outputs, but still well into -90 dB+ range. That is still pretty quiet.

Adjacent channel separation was quite similar in both directions for both digital and analog outputs. What was a bit odd was that the nature of the separation was typical rising with frequency for the mic inputs but had a characteristic of rising at low frequencies for the line inputs.

All in all, the DR-680 performs pretty well on the bench — especially for its small size, features and what it costs.

Bascom King is owner and chief technician for BHK Labs in Santa Barbara, Ca.

Audiophile-Home Cinema Review!The New Oppo BDP-93, BDP-95 Universal Audio/Blu-ray Players

2011-06-24T07:09:00.033-04:00

Brevis...

Price: $499 (BDP-93), $999 (BDP-95)

Likes: Wi-Fi streaming, 3-D, audio upgrade

Dislikes: touchy touch panel controls

More info: Oppo Players

by John Gatski

Two years ago, the Oppo BDP-83 and its upgraded sibling, the BDP-83SE, introduced high-resolution universal audio/Blu-ray players to the masses. The $499 BDP-83 was an incredible bargain; the $899 SE version upped the ante with a higher-end DAC board.

The BDP-83 Series was a hard act to follow, but the market moves quickly. BD player manufacturers were adding new features, such as 3-D video playback and Wi-Fi streaming capabilities that merged the PC world with standalone players. If Oppo wanted to stay competitive in the BD player world, it needed more than just better audio performance and good pricing; it had to add those features as well.

With the new BDP-93 and BDP-95 models, Oppo has pulled off the perfect balancing act by maintaining their high-audio and video performance pedigree, but adding the bells and whistles that A/V customers want. And the company has kept the price nearly the same as the old models. From a performance perspective, the new BDP 93 maintains the quality that audiophile and videophiles crave, and the Oppo’s premium BDP-95 ups the audio quality quotient quite a bit.

The BDP-93

Let’s start with the BDP-93. The BDP-93 is priced the same as the venerable BDP-83, $499, and features the same audio engine from the BDP-83 (Cirrus Logic CS4382 DAC). But the player is now equipped with HDMI 1.4A, 3-D playback and Wi-Fi streaming of internet favorites, such as Netflix and Blockbuster On-Demand.

The BDP-93‘s operating system is virtually the same as the old ‘83 — with the additional features —and the player’s aesthetics have been subtly changed to keep it modern looking. The concentric controller ring and most of the push-button, on-board controls have been replaced by flush, touch-panel buttons.

Internally, Oppo switched to the Marvell Qdeo Kyoto G2 video processor, which offers the same subjective performance as the Anchor Bay processor used in the BDP-83 series. According to Oppo, the audio circuit is basically the same as the BDP-83, utilizing the good-performing Cirrus Logic CS-4382, which delivers solid, high-resolution sonics.

The BDP-93 (and BDP-95) mechanical operation is significantly quieter than the ‘83s, due to better noise suppression on the internals of the chassis and a revised disc drawer design.

Connection options now include two HDMI 1.4a jacks, eSATA port, RS-232 port, Ethernet, SPDIF optical and coaxial PCM output jacks, and 7.1 RCA analog audio outputs. Component and composite video jacks are maintained, and two USB ports allow the BD player to be used as an audio/video player using files from a USB portable drive.

For those who like to use peripheral DACs, Oppo has maintained its unencumbered LPCM digital output path. In fact, the BDP-93/95s output 24-bit/native sample rate audio from any PCM media including commercial DVD-As and Bluy-rays. With Blu-ray PCM, the high-res signal must be tapped from the HDMI jack and fed to a HDMI-to-SPDIF converter in order to allow it to connect to a DAC’s SPDF input. The Oppos’ SPDIF LPCM output of a Blu-ray is limited to 16-bit. SACD audio can be converted to 24-bit/ kHz PCM and output via the HDMI jack, too. No SPDIF digital output from SACDs.

The BDP-95

Several companies have taken the basic models used by Oppo and have offered various audio upgrade versions, some in the many thousands of dollars, to eek out the better sound. The BDP-95 is Oppo's “hot-rod” version of their own player, which costs less than a grand!

Operationally, it offers the same video processing, network streaming and 3-D capability as the BDP-93, but the audio section has been beefed up considerably. A toroidal power supply, courtesy of Rotel, SABRE ES9018 DAC chip, National Semiconductor 4562 op-amps and XLR stereo outputs put the BDP-95 squarely in the high-end two-channel player league — without the premium audiophile price. For a grand, this audiophile player is a steal. Throw in the excellent video, Wi-Fi streaming and 3-D capability, and the player package is simply amazing.

The setup

Both players were tested in my audiophile rig, then integrated into the home-cinema system. Audiophile components included Pass Labs XP-10 preamplifier, Pass Labs X350.5 amplifier, Benchmark Media DAC1 Pre D/A, Oppo BDP-83 and 83SE universal players, Esoteric DV-50 universal player, and Legacy Classic HD speakers. I also added a couple of additional audio tools, an ATI ADAC — an A/D, D/A/sample rate converter (with its very useful word length/sample rate status display) and an Altona HDMI-to-analog multichannel/SPDIF stereo digital converter box to gain access to PCM stereo signals from the HDMI port.

Oppo has pulled off the perfect balancing act by maintaining their high-audio and video performance pedigree, but adding the bells and whistles that A/V customers want.

Cables included Alpha-Core solid-silver interconnects, Westlake Low-PE interconnects, and Alpha-Core solid-silver speaker cables. Essential Sound Products Essence power cords and power strip connected the components to the AC. Headphone monitoring was courtesy of my AKG K701 and K702s and Benchmark H1 headphone amp.

The home-cinema rig components included an AudioControl Maestro M3 preamp/processor, Carver amplifiers, Sony BDP550, Oppo BDP-83SE and Pioneer BDP-09FD Blu-ray players. Speakers included Westlake LC8.1s for L-R, Westlake LC2.65 for center-channel duties, and a pair of NHT Ones for the rear surrounds. My reference Paradigm Sub 15 subwoofer provided the deep bass. MIT speaker cables connected the amps to the various speakers, and Alpha-Core solid silver RCA cables linked the preamp and BD players. Essential Sound Products power cords and power strip provided the AC.

A Sony XBR4 LCD was used to evaluate the video quality; I did not have a 3-D screen at the time of the Oppo testing, but I plan on updating the review later with 3-D Blu-ray playback.

The audition

In the audiophile rig, high-resolution media playback — DVD-A, SACD and my own home recordings on DVD-V — revealed the Oppo BDP-93’s similar sonic character to the BDP-83, which is to be expected since they both use the same DAC. Playback from the Natalie Merchant - Tigerlily 24/96 DVD-A was detailed, present with very good spacing of the instruments. On the Anthony Wilson Trio - Our Gang SACD, jazz guitar, organ and drums were equally as good with the familiar warmth on the organ and jazz guitar and a sheen on drum cymbals that was quite realistic. If you liked the BDP-83’s sonic attributes, you will like the BDP-93.

In the home cinema setup, the analog output matched well with the high quality A/V preamp section of my AudioControl Maestro. Like the BDP-83, the DTS Master HD and Dolby TruHD decoding is first rate, as is the lossy DTS and Dolby Digital soundtracks. The Incredibles Blu-ray soundtrack — with all its subwoofer effects and aggressive surround effects —was a joy to listen to on the BDP-93. The spaciousness of the 5.1 soundtracks really allows you to zero in on the subtle sound effects in the mix. As with the BDP-83 cinema playback, the BDP-93 player delivers smooth music soundtracks from BDs — with good energy in the top-end.

Video-wise, I did not notice much difference between the BDP-83 and the newer BDP-93. The BDP-93’s Marvell Qdeo video processor outputs native 1080P performance subjectively equal to the BDP-83‘s Anchor Bay processor. It also was difficult to see any real difference in the DVD-upscaling between the two players.

The BDP-93’s real improvements come in the extra features set: the ability to stream video/audio from the internet and its 3-D capability. It was easy to set up the menus to allow streaming via the BDP-93. The player supports streaming services such as Netflix instant streaming and Blockbuster On Demand. It also supports BD-Live and BonusView (Profile 2.0).

The BDP-95‘s upgrade list is more significant than the BDP-83SE. It includes a high-end SABRE DAC (ES9018), National Semiconductor 4562 audio-path op-amps, Rotel-supplied toroidal power transformer and improved power-supply components, balanced XLR stereo outputs and unbalanced stereo outputs.

Ergonomically, there are niceties such as the eSATA port, two USB inputs for playing audio or video from USB drives, and two HDMI jacks, which can allow you to output video straight to the LCD and use the other for audio connection to your processor.

I noticed that Oppo omitted the separate RCA stereo audio outputs from the BDP-93. If you are listening to stereo, you have to use the L-R jacks in the multichannel output section. The BDP-83 was equipped with dedicated stereo jacks as well as the multichannel jacks. This omission also further differentiates the BDP-93 from the BDP-95 — which not only has dedicated RCA stereo output jacks, and multichannel jacks, but XLR stereo outputs as well.

Overall, the BDP-93 maintains the good video and audio performance of the BDP-83, but adds Wi-Fi streaming and 3-D. Its redesigned cabinet and loading mechanism also, is quieter than its predecessors, giving it a bit more high-end refinement.

Best of all, the direct purchase price of $499 has not changed at all. With all the extras, it is still the same price as the BDP-83. Where can you get more features and equal performance for under $500? You can’t.

The BDP-95 is Oppo’s “hot-rod” audio player; it is the step-up for those who want a bit more out of the audio performance. Although it is double the price of the BDP-93, it is only $100 more than the BDP-83SE, which was their previous flagship player, and there are sonic improvements that audiophiles and picky eared home-theater fanatics will appreciate.

Oppo first indulged their customers with their factory upgraded player with the 2009‘s BDP-83SE. It was a BDP-83 with upgraded ESS SABRE DAC and a slight reworking of the power supply components — increasing the “smoothness” quotient and adding just a tinge more air to the sound.

The BDP-95‘s upgrade list is more significant than the BDP-83SE. It includes a high-end ESS SABRE DAC (ES9018), National Semiconductor 4562 audio-path op-amps, Rotel-supplied toroidal power transformer and improved power-supply components, balanced XLR stereo outputs and unbalanced stereo outputs. Versus the old ‘83SE, the BDP-95‘s multichannel output jacks get more real estate on the chassis’ back-end, so it can accommodate high-end cables.

Since the major selling point of the BDP-95 over the 93 is audio performance, I set up a critical test to see if I could hear any improvements versus the BDP93 and the older BDP-83SE. I digitally dubbed several DVD-As to PCM wave files using a TASCAM DVRA-1000. Music included Natalie Merchant - Tigerlily, Eagles - Hotel California, Beck - Seachange and bits of several Blu-ray music tracks. I burned the tracks to identical DVD-As. All the players were connected to my Coda preamp (with the analog output levels matched). The Coda then fed its stereo output to my Benchmark H1 headphone amp. With the Coda selector switch I could quickly switch the player outputs and evaluate the audio performance of each player.

With accurate headphones and amplifier, headphone listening allows you to hear deeper into the mix to pick up differences that may not always be audible when listening midfield or far-field with speakers. Subtle nuances can be heard in the close headphone monitoring environment.

In the first minutes of my comparison, I could definitely hear the improvements in the BDP-95. Versus the 83SE or the BDP-93, it was slightly more present in transient detail and space, but also smoother. Its sonic characteristic was closer to the $2,000 Vacuum State clock mod I have heard from a modified BDP-83SE. On recording after recording, those audible characteristics remained intact. And when I finally switched over to speaker and amp listening, my consensus stayed the same — the BDP-95 is clearly the better sounding player.

On PCM, the BDP-95 also kicked my first generation Esoteric’s DV-50‘s butt. The Esoteric’s upsampling PCM DAC, circa early 2000s, was just not in the league of the fresher BDP-95. The Oppo was way smoother on classical music that contained brass and solo violin, or jazz with lively drum cymbals. On SACD playback, the Esoteric is still pretty competitive with the Oppo.

The BDP-95‘s performance is equal to or better than DAC separates I have tried. With my Benchmark DAC1 Pre D/A converter. it was really hard to hear any substantial differences versus the BDP-95. I am impressed. The improved sound also translates to a bit more of the width and detail in analog multichannel output with lossless soundtrack movies. BDs with Dolby TruHD and DTS Master 5.1 audio were impressive. The Who - Live at the Isle of Wight DTS Master soundtrack showed how good the 1960s recording technology was. Outstanding guitar tone from Pete Townsend and clear energetic drumming from Keith Moon.

The improved sound also translates to a bit more of the width and detail in analog multichannel output with lossless soundtrack movies.

From a function standpoint, the BDP-95‘s balanced outputs are a nice touch — in that they give audiophiles a way to make longer cable runs and maintain signal integrity. And I can’t say enough about the low noise of the transport and loading mechanism. The old ‘83 and ‘83SE would grunt and groan noticeably when loading and unloading. In the new players, Oppo did a good job isolating the transport noise and also keeping the internal fan noise to a minimum.

My only complaints about the BDP-95 (and 93) are the control buttons (Stop, Forward, Back, Pause) on the unit; they are flush with the cabinet and it took more effort to engage the function than the old 83 controls. They were also harder to see in dim light. However, the Oppo’s big-buttoned remote control still comes with the new players, These remotes are robust and easy to use. In my opinion, they are among the best remotes ever supplied with a media player

The verdict

Oppo has successfully launched two improved universal players into the market, yet keeping the prices reasonable. The BDP-93 gets Wi-Fi streaming, 3-D capability, quieter operation — while keeping the good sonic and 1080P video performance that home cinema fans desire — all at the same $499 price of its predecessor.

My favorite of the two, though, is the BDP-95. It gets all the bell whistles of the BDP-93, plus a noticeable boost in audio performance thanks to the high-end SABRE DAC, new op-amps and beefed-up power supply. Throw in stereo XLR outputs, a generously spaced multichannel output section, and a selling price under a $1,000 — and you’ve got yourself one damn fine player. I gave both players the Everything Audio Stellar Sound Award, but the BDP-95 is the one to have — if you can swing the extra dough.

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