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I think it’s in every Englishman’s DNA that the gene ‘Must love Elgar’ exists. I have it, but as an identical twin, it was halved and diluted at birth. Therefore, I love Elgar’s Violin Concerto, In The South, and the 1st Symphony. Froissart, the Cello Concerto and his oratorios I can do without (ever played The Music Makers?!).
The two most recent audio shows, Toronto and Denver were instructive both aurally and visually. Yes, the equipment was great and much of the sound. But, sometimes the ‘front of house’ and many times, the back was sorely lacking. In this day, audio sex sells. You have to get the educated listener coming and going.
Before Martin gets started, I’d like to say thank you to him for rekindling this popular series on Audiophilia. It’s been the longtime opinion of Audiophilia that dealers have the most difficult task in our business — the very sharp tip of the high-end triangle of Manufacturers, Editorial and Dealers.
Last weekend was spent in the delightful company of Audiophilia writers and our wives. The destination for this annual ‘audiophiliacamp’ is Saugerties, NY, about ninety minutes up the Hudson from the city. Nestled in seven peaceful acres, Mike and MaryAnn Levy’s gorgeous home sits atop a bluff overlooking the Saugerties Lighthouse and the meandering Hudson River.
Angie Lisi is an audiophile force of nature. I’ve known her for almost twenty years and have not found many people who are more knowledgeable about our business. She is especially gifted in the ultra important art of system synergy. As such, many of her clients are repeat customers and treat her suggestions like the gold standard. She’s always available for customers, both audiophile ingenues and the most jaded, opinionated hard cases.
Conrad Mas, the guru of turntable design and creative force behind Avid HiFi emailed me about a year and a half ago to tell me about his new, “amazing” phono-preamplifier, the Pulsare. Normally, when manufacturers contact me about their new, best in the world gizmo, I’m very skeptical.
Focal asks on its website whether the Grande Utopias are the best speakers in the world. It’s an almost impossible question to answer given audiophiles’ tastes, style, etc, but in other ways, it’s almost a simple question. I figured out my answer quite quickly, so resplendent are these extremely expensive monoliths from France.
I don’t believe in trickle down economics. Ronald Reagan and the 80s saw to that. Robert Suchy of German company Clearaudio obviously does. And his form of the free market works. I have been listening intently to Clearaudio products for many years. I reviewed a few for Audiophilia. They have always made outstanding analogue products, from fairly inexpensive to technological, pricey marvels.
Michael Bublé is a very fine vocalist. Let’s make no mistake about that. He has arrived on a scene which has lain pretty much fallow since Frank Sinatra’s vocal decline in later years and eventual death in 1998. The splash made by Harry Connick Jr. has largely abated, and Bublé is the flavour of the month, so to speak, for those who have enough appreciation to understand and appreciate good popular music and good singing.
Dieter Burmester has been a force in the high-end audio business since 1977, but North America has experienced his particular brand of brilliance for only the past few years. I first heard about Herr Burmester and his glittering equipment through the pages of The Absolute Sound – hp raved about digital and power gear alike. The look of the equipment was intriguing and certainly espoused an expensive aura; if the look was commensurate with sound, then winners had arrived from the Federal Republic of Germany.
I’ve been listening to JM Lab products for many years, primarily at shows and at a few Canadian dealers. They always seem to be on show. They look magnificent, feature top quality components and are in the upper echelon of high end pricing. Interestingly, they have never been among my favorites. Sure, all the models, from stand mounted monitors to the aptly titled Grande Utopia sound grand, indeed, but to my ears they miss some of the clinical nature of other similarly priced loudspeakers.
I must have had a weak moment a few days ago, for I was wandering around a video/CD store in Bang Saen, Thailand, where I’m on staff at Burapha University’s western music department, and much to my surprise, among the Thai pop CDs, I spied Diana Krall’s new release, Quiet Nights. Checking out the tunes, largely standards and bossa novas, with arrangements by Claus Ogerman, I put aside my inherent distaste for Krall (I had reviewed her live) and bought the CD.
Canada’s Clearaudio distributor, has been very generous with me in the loan of high end cartridges. They import great analogue equipment of all types, and when I review any of their turntables I usually get (ask/beg) for a superstar cartridge. One such example was the second in line to the Clearaudio cartridge throne, the magnificent Titanium.
Without apology, the review that follows will be an unreserved rave! Essential Purcell is a sampler of selections from Hyperion Records' comprehensive survey of the works of Henry Purcell. Purcell's music, much of it hitherto unknown to me, makes an indelible impression as he casts spell after spell in the popular and religious musical forms of the 17th century. I believe the music is essential listening whether secular or devotional. With quality such as this, it is no wonder Purcell was a star of the compositional firmament during the Restoration.
