Geography 101
Hi,
I
just wanted to draw your attention to the fact that
the Elnika Edgar amplifier is made in Slovakia, not
Czech republic as the review states. Czechoslovakia
has been split to Czech Republic and Slovakia in
1993. Presov, the town where it is manufactured is
located in eastern Slovakia.
Best regards,
your fan,
Tomas
Polakovic
Many thanks
for the correction, Tomas.
Standard
CD playback on Sony's SACD machine
Editor,
How
did Sony's player rate on standard CDs? Does the
sound playing CDs compare with anything else on
the market? I'm thinking of upgrading my Anthem
CD-1 and have an extensive CD library.
Thanks
for any feedback.
Larry
Glasner
Thousand
Oaks, CA
I
found the
SCD-1's
onboard standard CD player to be smooth, detailed,
with excellent bass definition. The instrumental
timbre was outstanding, too. While not in the
exalted domain of its SACD cousin, the SCD-1's
standard player will offer you considerable
improvement over the excellent
Anthem
CD-1 player.
Editor
Silverman's
Beethoven
Editor:
Experience
has taught me to beware of CD reviews, and yours of
the Silverman Beethoven is a case in point. I
certainly won't argue your right to exalt
Silverman's playing, which certainly has its merits
(though your failure to mention Wilhelm Kempff's
among your favorite sets is telling), but your
review gives nary a clue as to the very peculiar
nature of the recording itself. I have in fact
written about this to John Atkinson and he agreed:
this is a recording for which only one volume level
setting is correct. Now, the same may be said of all
recordings, but this is an extreme case and there
are number of salient points your review doesn't
mention: the "right" volume level is quite
low, which sets limits on how the CD may be
auditioned; at volume levels greater than the "right"
one, not to put too fine a point on it, the sound
goes to hell; finally, for those of us used to, and
perhaps who favor, close miking (witness ProPiano's
Pianist's Perspective technique), this is an unusual
recording in which ambient information plays a very
big role. I don't say that any of this is
necessarily good or bad, merely that it is useful
information which belongs in a review of the
recording.
Best,
Russell
Lichter
My
experiences with this remarkable set was obviously
very different than yours, Mr. Lichter. The
recording could be played back on my reference
system at exceedingly high levels without much
strain or diffusion of piano tone.
About
not mentioning the 'peculiar nature of the recording
itself' -- read the review again, Mr. Lichter.
Carefully. Also,
I am glad to see that you find my exclusion of
Kempff 'telling'. Good taste does have its virtues.
Editor
Solid
Tech
On
your article for the 2001 Festival du son et de
Image you describe the room for Canadian distrbutor
Audiopathic. One thing that caught my eye was the
equipment rack displayed on the picture showed with
this article. Can you tell me what brand they are or
who manufacture them? I will appreciate it.
Also
I like to congratulate you for such an informative
e-magazine. Thank you.
edgar.santiago@salem.af.mil
The
stand is the Soild Tech 'Rack of Silence'. It is
manufactured in Sweden and has some real buzz around
the industry. Check it out at
http://www.solid-tech.net
Audio
Note, where are you?
Hello:
I
like what you're doing on your website. Keep up
the great work. I am curious if you have reviewed
any of the single-ended triode amps from Audio
Note. I'm having difficulty finding any.
Thank
you.
Lincoln
Wong
Great
products, with a dynamite one-box CD player, the
CD 3. (Ex?) distributor, Herb Riechert, tends to
be very cautious when handing out review samples.
We have tried, but to no avail.
Is
the Rowland Concentra integrated that good?
Hello
@udiophila.com:
Just
browsing, and I read Anthony Kershaw's review of
the Rowland Concentra. Rowland's accomplishments
are legend in high-end audio. But you know
what?...I'm a tube head, and despite all the
superlatives, solid state, for me just doesn't
make music, Rowland or otherwise. I know, I know,
everybody's got an opinion, and tube vs. solid
state is like Democrat vs. Republican. Wait...this
is interesting. I wonder, are Dems linked to
tubes, and Repubs to SS?? Hmmm.... But for
example, at an audio show, I quickly walk out of
most SS rooms. They just don't make music that
sounds like music. My best example is Joseph
speakers, and the "new" $15K Pearl. For
its introduction two years ago at CES, they used
VTL 750 monoblocks. I voted that room Best of
Show, and it ended up being second overall, I
think. Nowhere else did I hear a trumpet that was
front and center, au natural, in-the-room, like it
was there. The next year (last year), the Pearls
were played with Rowland monoblocks. Guess what?
The magic was gone. GONE. And, you know, Joe
Joseph is a VERY careful guy who always has a
superbly set up room. This year, Joseph displayed
the new RM33si, with VTL 450s. Yes, the magic was
back, and that room got a lot of attention. David
Chesky was doing his six-channel demo there. One
example, sure, but, really, it says it all. Sure ,
I give SS clarity, transparency, impact. But
musical truth, NO. I just wonder if the Rowland
Concentra really deserves the superlatives. But
you have a nice bunch of reviews up currently.
Keep up the good work!!
Dave
Sturdevant
Juneau,
Alaska
Nothing
like a passionate Alaskan tubehead. Keep the flag
flying, Dave. But to answer your question about
the Concentra: unequivocally, yes!
Editor
Oh
boy!
I'll
be muddling on without you guys. After the physical
description of a product (vide: Metronome) which
goes on a some quite modest length, a few brief
words on the sound quality perhaps? No heavy
lifting. You may feel that since we are getting it
free, well some banners, we aren't deserving of much
content. And you do indeed hew to this motto. So I
tried a couple of other reviews...same deal. What
gives? Is this a basement hobby for some amateur?
It's Canadian...so maybe it's Wayne World of audio?
You're putting me on, right? A little of the old
satire, no? Let's see, for example, the Metronome
edges the Planet "by a nose." How? What
part of the music contains the nose? The top end I
guess. Maybe it edged it at the end of the CDP hurl?
A young staffer throws the Planet, Kershaw the
heavier Metronome...they are neck and neck down the
stretch, but...it is the Metronone, by a nose at the
finish line. A fine image. And original. And I have
learned so much, thank you. Well, I'll meander over
to Show report. I'll start at the top. Weather. OK.
Good for a paragraph. On to a review. Scarlett.
Cool, hmmm...with Merlins. Hey, no good. Why? Mikey
Fremer spent a few thousand words why they were
great. The previous issue I saw them in George
Cardas' studio. Hmmm....I'm sure those other
feckless reviewers are on the take. Mr. Kershaw has
a scoop that will turn the audio world upside down.
Plus, I'm dying to read a nice dirty, contentious
and contrarian view, after all, they are also
getting too damn expensive. "They don't beat my
baton." Huh? None of my speakers beat my baton,
either. (Hey, get your mind out of the gutter.) Was
that an extra option I missed? Maybe a stab at a
metaphor....read further. OK, "lean and still"
followed by an ellipsis: ....and then nothing. Was
it a silent display? I've never heard lean and still
speakers. Still? Maybe the woofer was turned off by
Merlin. And the tweeters too. Trying to fool Mr.
Kershaw. Maybe the power amp wasn't connected? OK,
enough fun. On to tilting at more of those audio
windmills. After all, this audio game is tough.
After taking on Merlin, Mr. Kershaw isn't tired of
those "odd looks." Sorry, but he has to
speak his mind! But wait, it's Mr. Wilson! Hey, it's
that polite young journalist, Mr. Kershaw, sir. This
young whippersnappers isn't listening to rap and
wearing his hat backwards! No sir, Mr. Wilson! Those
big expensive speakers you make, I hate to tell you,
sir, they aren't that nice. Sorry. A little tough,
more of those "odd looks" and that odd
feeling that Merlin "inculcated" him
with...he is not impressed. Not his "cup of
tea." No cliches for Mr. Kershaw! He tells it
like it is! And, by the way, Mr. Wilson, I want to
talk to your designer. No more tea cup shaped
speakers. Wait, I forgot, the key to a good sonic
review from Mr. Kershaw is to turn it off. Scarlett,
I know you cynics are think, they're Canadian,
right? But "Wow!" Of course, there is a
price to be paid for THAT encomium, he warns, "If
they sound as good as they look." The Verity "dance"
was noted. Damn, Canadian speakers actually move in
syncopation--none of that damn American "stillness"
from Merlin! Let's see, yeah, I own Sonus Faber
Guarneris: "smooth and refined." Whew! I'm
safe. And I was thinking of selling them and buying
Merlins! Now onto the high-priced spread...an easy
hundred K with cabling....the Wilson
Benesch/Rowland/dCS....let's see: "Digital
brilliance." Wait, isn't that a bad thing?
Audiophiles hate digital brilliance! I know I do.
But, MDG have "an eye for the finer things."
Hey, so do I. I love wine and a good cigar, just
like MDG. I don't know how the equipment sounds, but
given that they are "progressing well," I
guess they are out of intensive care and heading
towards recovery. If we scroll down, we see what MDH
has his well-attuned eye on--it's Michelle! He does
have an eye on the finer things indeed! All this
dancing and "delightful ease" over at Cary
has Mr. Kershaw, who had been "lusting"
after equipment in a positive tizzy! But it's good
at Audiophilia. Up is down. Brilliance is sweet.
Still is lean. They lust. They have their eyes of
fine ladies. I haven't learned anything about how
things actually sound, but I realize I should have
had my eyes open and directed at finer things. I
spend too much time leaning, still and not dancing
with my eyes. Me, and I guess, Mr. Clemo, have got
to muddle out of here. But, I'm telling you, the
word has got to get out! I'm going over to Audio
Asylum and spread the word! Your pellucid reviews.
They soar, they dance. They drink tea. And you...you
lust. You have your eyes on the finer things. You
are not to be stopped with those odd looks you get.
No wonder there isn't any time or space for that
intrusive audio. I've never seen any mention of your
work at any audio site and that's unfair. You are
revolutionizing audio reviewing and everyone else
has missed the boat. Onwards!
Your
admiring fan, John
I
thought our readers would enjoy this one unedited.
We do so enjoy your letters, John. Keep 'em comin'!
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