Stereophile -julkaisun February 2021 -irtonumeron sisällysluettelo

Phasemation, DS Audio, and an upgrade from Audio Research I feel compelled to repeat here an eerie occurrence I related a while back on AnalogPlanet. I reviewed, in the February 1999, Analog Corner column, the Cartridge Man’s Digital Stylus Force Gauge,1 which back then sold for $299. I still have it, but a decade ago, the battery stopped taking a charge. I put it aside, planning to replace the battery someday. One late October afternoon, I looked over at the device and decided it was time to resurrect it. I opened it up and inside found an odd-looking soldered-in battery. I emailed Len Gregory, aka the Cartridge Man, and asked how he was all these years later. Then I inquired about the battery. Instead of waiting for a reply, I…

RECORDS TO LIVE FOR! In an ordinary year, the name of this annual feature, published every February since 1991, is a harmless, even amusing joke. In last year’s opening essay, I evoked a heavily armed intruder perusing your record collection late at night and holding your favorite record in his hands: Would you risk your life by confronting him? That’s hardly the first time that an author of the R2D4 lead essay made a joke about possibly dying. The usual phrase—“Records to Die For”—would probably go over okay in 2021 as well. If I proceeded in the usual, lighthearted way or made ironic reference to our current circumstances, I doubt I’d get many angry letters. But, frankly, I don’t have the heart to write it. The time isn’t right. We’re…

For his review of the Pink Faun 2.16x music server in the December 2020 issue, Kal Rubinson needed to use a Linux-compatible multichannel D/A processor. A little Googling uncovered the 8-channel dac8 PRO from Okto Research in the Czech Republic, so Kal borrowed one from the manufacturer. He found it to be a great-sounding DAC with an intriguing feature set. He purchased the sample. I have no interest in multichannel reproduction, but when Kal shared with me his very positive experience with the dac8 PRO—and then I found out that a two-channel version, the dac8 Stereo, would soon be available—I lobbied Editor-in-Chief Jim Austin for a review of the two-channel version, the Okto dac8 Stereo. Traditionally, Stereophile has mandated that a company have US-based representation for a full review. For…

What sort of audiophile are you? I think of myself as a critical listener, perhaps a purist, definitely an enthusiast, of music and audio, who enjoys both the journey and the nuts and bolts. I like my hi-fi direct, simple, and personal. Also, I guess I’m a little bit old-school: tube-driven amplifiers with point-to-point wiring; vinyl, preferably early pressings; spun with belt-drive or idler-drive turntables. I listen to digital audio, too—and when I do, I prefer nonoversampling DACs. I like high-efficiency, high-sensitivity floorstanding loudspeakers and prefer them horn-loaded. Lately, I’ve reviewed conventional class-AB solid-state integrated amplifiers and overachieving low-sensitivity bookshelf speakers, finding them thoroughly enjoyable. My first Stereophile review was of a fantastic class-D power amplifier: the Spec RPA-W7EX Real-Sound. I can listen to lots of different kinds of things,…

I measured the Benchmark HPA4’s performance with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 “As We See It”1), repeating some tests with the magazine’s sample of Audio Precision’s current top-line APx555. As a line preamplifier, the HPA4 performed almost identically to Benchmark’s superb-measuring LA4, which Kal Rubinson reviewed in January 2020, so I will refer you to that review.2 This report therefore focuses on the HPA4’s behavior as a headphone amplifier. To examine the performance of the conventional ¼" single-ended stereo output, I used a ¼" jack plug–to-RCA adaptor cable I bought at RadioShack back when there was a RadioShack. For the HPA4’s balanced headphone output, which uses a 4-pin female XLR jack, I constructed a cable with a 4-pin male XLR plug on one end and two…

Joy. It’s all about the joy. Joy manifests during those moments when the critical mind suspends, the lens clears, and only union between you and your experience exists. When joy arises, time stands still, all sense of separation vanishes, and only wonder remains. Many of us live for those moments. Moments of understanding that transcend verbiage and mental chatter and affirm what is real and eternal about the human condition. Music offers the opportunity to live in joy for more than a fleeting second. The sense of oneness can last for an entire live performance or recording. Suddenly, all distance between you, the artist, and their creation vanishes. During those transcendent moments, the acoustics of the hall and the quality of the recording or sound system mean naught. All that…

I measured the Okto dac8 Stereo with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 “As We See It”1). Apple’s USB Prober utility identified the Okto as “dac8STEREO” from “OKTO RESEARCH” with the serial number string “000000.” The USB port operated in the optimal isochronous asynchronous mode, and Apple’s AudioMIDI utility revealed that the dac8 Stereo accepted 16- and 24-bit integer data sampled at all rates from 44.1kHz to 384kHz. The AES/EBU and coaxial S/PDIF inputs accepted data sampled at rates up to 192kHz. The TosLink inputs were limited to sample rates of 96kHz and below. The dac8 Stereo’s maximum output level at 1kHz with the balanced outputs or the headphone outputs feeding a high 100k ohm load was 4.22V. The processor preserved absolute polarity (ie, was noninverting) from…

The Zesto Leto Ultra II looks identical to the original Leto preamplifier that the late Robert J. Reina reviewed in April 2014,1 although its two 12AX7 tubes have been replaced by 12DW7s. (The Ultra II also has two 12AU7 tubes.) The manual warns against installing the tubes incorrectly, so I made sure that I inserted each tube in its correct socket and, once that was done, I measured the Leto Ultra II’s performance with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 “As We See It”2). There are three gain settings; the manual says to use the setting that allows you to use the volume control close to its 12 o’clock position. The maximum gain in the nominal 3dB setting was 3.95dB, balanced input to balanced output, and 2.83dB,…

Is this all there is to it? I had done some superficial investigations of Volumio online, after the Primo was suggested to me for review. I had learned that the Volumio player software is available for several hardware platforms including Windows, Mac, and Raspberry Pi, but I had not tried it before. I discovered Volumio’s reputation as an efficient, Linuxbased music player, installable with an SD card on minimal hardware and said to support virtually all music formats and resolutions including DSD and multichannel. But I had not experienced any of this for myself. When I unpacked the Primo, I was surprised to find such a small black box. Could such a small, lightweight device do all that and do it with adequate sound? There’s a precedent, but it’s 10…

The magnificent eight The Story of the Grateful Dead, a 14-LP, 8-album collection of Grateful Dead recordings with booklet and deluxe packaging, from Vinyl Me, Please (VMP-A006, 2020), is intended as a curated sampling of the high points in the Dead’s extensive catalog. The first seven albums were cut from analog tape, while Without a Net comes from the original digital master. The sound is breathtaking. I remember buying Live/Dead at an old bookstore on E. 7th St. around the corner from the Fillmore East, run by a grizzled lower–East Side bouquiniste called Max. When I got home, my parents were out, so I put it on the old Magnavox console in the living room, which was used to play show tunes, Andy Williams, and Sinatra. Here it was, the…

GERMANY: WUPPERTAL AND MUNICH Julie Mullins It’s no secret that the pandemic has forced an unprecedented number of audio show cancellations and postponements, in 2020 and into this year. Now, High End Munich, which was canceled in 2020 and was slated for May 13–16, 2021, has been rescheduled for September 9–12, 2021. These changes were announced via social media and a press release from the presenting organization, Wuppertal, Germany–based High End Society. (Previously, the High End Society told Stereophile that the show’s alternate dates were December 6–9, 2021, which we reported in our December issue. We were later informed that those dates were “only for unforeseen circumstances” and “not intended for publication.”) The High End Society is the organization behind several European audio shows including the flagship High End Munich…

In Gramophone Dreams No.36,1 I wrote a rave report describing how well Linear Tube Audio’s Z10e 12W power amplifier/preamplifier/headphone amplifier drove my highsensitivity Zu Audio Soul Supreme and DeVore Fidelity O/93 floorstanding speakers. I was especially dazzled by how effectively the Z10e drove the Stax SR-009S and Dan Clark Voce electrostatic headphones. I was equally impressed by how well the Z10e played the relatively insensitive 88dB/mW JPS Labs AB-1266 Phi TC headphones. My only disappointment was the Z10e’s lack of power and gain driving HiFiMan’s glorious—but insensitive (83dB/mW)—Susvara. I wrote, “It did let the Susvaras play most of my difficult, bass-heavy program with reasonable clarity and élan. Unfortunately, there was zero punch, instrumental weight, or get-up-and-go energy. Clipping was noticeable especially on deep plucked or synthesized bass, where the Z10e…

When I received the sample of the Moonriver 404 Reference that Jason Victor Serinus had auditioned, serial number DK201002153RE, it rattled when I unpacked it. I removed the top cover and saw that the amplifier had incurred damage during its transcontinental journey. The heavy toroidal power transformer is mounted on one side of the large printed circuit board that occupies almost all the amplifier’s internal space, with two aluminum straps connecting the board to the central internal heatsink to provide the necessary support. The box must have been dropped on its top during the journey, as the two aluminum straps had fractured, with one loose inside the chassis. When I connected the amplifier to my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 “As We See It”1), the left channel…

Kal Rubinson loaned me his 8-channel Okto dac8 PRO so I could compare its measured performance with that of the dac8 Stereo. From the front, the PRO looks identical to the Stereo. On the back, there are four AES/EBU inputs and one USB Type B port. Apple’s USB Prober utility identified the multichannel DAC as “dac8PRO” from “Okto Research” with the serial number string “000032.” The firmware version was 1.3. Like the dac8 Stereo, the PRO’s USB port operated in the optimal isochronous asynchronous mode, and Apple’s AudioMIDI utility revealed that the dac8 Stereo accepted 16- and 24-bit integer data sampled at all rates from 44.1kHz to 192kHz. The AES/EBU inputs accepted data sampled at rates up to 192kHz. The dac8 PRO’s maximum level at 1kHz was 4.24V at both…

I am certain the quality of life I live is determined by two factors: who and what I give my attentions to, and my ability to observe all that I encounter with an open mind. This approach to living has served me well—especially during this review of the Benchmark Media Systems HPA4 headphone amplifier ($2999). Unboxing While removing the Benchmark HPA4 headphone amp from its simple-but-effective packaging, I noticed three things. First, I noticed that the amp had shipped from Syracuse, NY, where it was made. Second, one whole side of the box said “Benchmark… the measure of excellence!™” As I cut the clear tape with my boxcutter, I noticed the “THX Technology” logo printed on it and wondered why it was there. After sliding it out of the box,…

I measured the Volumio Primo with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 “As We See It”1). I used test-tone WAV and AIFF files on a USB stick inserted into one of the four USB Type A ports on the Primo’s rear. I selected the appropriate directory on that stick with the Volumio Settings page that appeared on my iPad mini after I logged on to the Volumio Wi-Fi network. The Primo is specified as being able to decode PCM data with sample rates up to 768kHz. I don’t have any test tones encoded at that sample rate, but the Primo worked correctly with files with sample rates up to 384kHz that I did have. As I didn’t have access to something like the GeerFab D-BOB format converter…

EDITOR’S PICK RECORDING OF THE MONTH NEWVELLE RECORDS SEASON FIVE Pablo Ablanedo, Dave Douglas, Sullivan Fortner, Elan Mehler, OWL Trio, Rufus Reid, Carmen Staaf, Patrick Zimmierli Newvelle Records NV025–30 (6 LP) 2020. Reviewed from 16/44 AIFF files. Elan Mehler, prod.; Marc Urselli, eng. If Newvelle Records is any indication, jazz’s future looks bright. Since 2015, the New York label has produced four series of artist-curated, all-analog, subscription-only box sets of vinyl records with superb fidelity and top-tier musicians performing original material. Highlights included pianist (!) Jack DeJohnette’s Return, guitarist Gilad Hekselman’s Eyes of the World, bassist John Patitucci’s Irmãos de Fé, tenor saxophonist Noah Preminger’s Preminger Plays Preminger, and guitarist Lionel Loueke’s Close Your Eyes. Newvelle co-founder, producer, and house pianist Elan Mehler describes the label’s house sound as “honest,…