The Occasional SPRING 2018 ISSUE NO. 3 - Part-Time Audiophile
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
S P R I N G 2 0 1 8 I S S U E N O . 3 The Occasional
THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 5
71
the Leica life: an Oahu photo essay
contents/spring 2018
12 INCENDIARY TOPIARY
13 AUDITORIUM 23 EMT SUT
16 ABYSS – IMPERIAL STOUT
22 THE VINYL DETECTIVE
6 SPRING 2018 THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 7
contents/spring 2018
24 THE LISTENING ROOM
41 DIAL 911 FOR AUDIOPHILE
51 CASUALTY OF CONVENIENCE
59 CLARUS CRIMSON CABLES
60
Pure Fidelity: a quintessentially Canadian turntable
THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 9
contents/spring 2018
68 DUST & GROOVES
82 FERN & ROBY FOOTERS
85 SUNNY GIN & TONICS
97 THE LITTLE FWEND
part-time audiophile
the occasional, spring 2018, vol.1, issue 3
the occasional
©2018 part-time audiophile
publisher – Scot Hull
creative director/editor – Rafe Arnott
contact: rafe@parttimeaudiophile.com
Kar
in M www.parttimeaudiophile.com
contributors:
John Stancavage
ika
Brian Hunter
Sho
Jan Zeschky
ji ©
Robb Niemann
10 SPRING 2018
fern roby
contents/spring 2018 A U D I O
99
Made by real people in Richmond, VA
LOOKING INSIDE
www.fernandroby.com
103 TOTALDAC D-1 INTEGRAL
112 SOULUTION 330
116 THIS IS THE END
28
comparing the PS Audio P10/P20 PowerPlants
12 SPRING 2018 THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE WINTER 2018 13
INCENDIARY TOPIARY not
Internet surge, and I’d gotten a sign-
ing bonus. I went to Myer-Emco and
changed me. Maybe not “for the bet-
ter,” but I am certainly different for SUbT
-le
bought a Denon receiver and a set of having received them.
Klipsch speakers. My friend Eric Shook recently wrote
I remember “accidentally” discover- a piece about a moment he had with
ing that the volume control, which a friend of his.
started with negative numbers, actu- How he opened the door for her into
Auditorium 23
Elektro-Mess Technik
ally rolled over into positive num- the weird little world of the audio- step-up transformer
bers. And how loud that was. I was phile. Whether or not she spends
watching the movie Pitch Black, and any time exploring that world isn’t Step-up transformers (SUT)
the crash scene was so loud it shook exactly the point either, though that are not as well known as
the walls and carved a grin into my would be great. What I was struck by they should be by many
I
face that the Joker would have been was this sense of “gift” that this rep- audiophiles. Utilizing pas-
didn’t become an audiophile on proud of. resented. It made me think of my fa- sive transformer windings
purpose, nor was I even aware it But my friend Martin was the one ther. It made me think of my friend. rather than active gain stages,
was happening. who flipped that over into hi-fi. And then I started wondering about a SUT builds up the deli-
I was just into movies. Martin was a gifted financial plan- all the other gifts I’ve been given, cate electro-acoustic signal
One of my fondest memories as a ner. He bought this beautiful home both knowingly and inadvertently. of low-output moving-coil
kid was the weekend that my dad near Lake Needwood and kitted out I started wondering if that’s really all (LOMC) cartridges to line
brought home a Betamax that he’d the living room with some great big that I am, all that any of us are, just a level so they may be passed
rented from Errol’s. I think this Totem loudspeakers and even bigger collection of such gifts. And I won- on to a preamplifier or
might have been 1979. I have no Plinius amplifiers. dered at all the gifts we all, each of amplifier.
idea what conversations happened I’d visit; he’d crank it up. And up. us, might be giving to others. What Keith Aschenbrenner of
between him and Mom. No idea if And up. Then, he’d turn his head to gifts that we might yet give? Auditorium 23 – a bespoke
there were concerns about what “it me – so slowly – with only a hint of a My friend Martin died several years audio company based in
might do to our family.” grin, as if to say “what do you think” ago. In his will, he gifted that stereo Germany – has dedicated
At 10 years of age, I was oblivious to and it was only when I responded to me. I used it and loved it for years. his formidable engineering
all that. that I realized that the music was so As such things go for an audiophile, skills to making improve-
TV was a treat and movies were loud I could not hear myself shout- I upgraded each piece, and now my ments in passive-transformer
something we went out to see, or ing. In fact, the sound was so effort- system is completely different from windings in particular for
caught on Prime Time, or that I less, so clear that I hadn’t noticed the system he started me with. But Denon, EMT, and Ortofon
caught on the Saturday morning that it was even loud. It was aston- the gift, the seed for my system, for cartridges. When compared
creature-feature. ishing. my exploration, for my hobby, for to standard active-stage
But that Friday afternoon, Dad came I think all of us have stories like this. the website, for this magazine, for phono preamplifiers, I per-
home with a stack of tapes and the Stories of a friend or a loved one my livelihood, all of it came from sonally find that unless you
two of us watched every single one. who flipped a switch for us. Turned that man, from that one day, from are spending consideable
I think it was a 14-hour Betamax us on. Opened a door to a room that that one moment when I literally sums of money, a decent
marathon. It was heaven. And that’s we hadn’t thought existed. My father couldn’t speak. valve-based phono pream-
when the hook was set. I’ve been film did that for me. My friend Martin How odd. How rare. How magical. plifier and a SUT delivers the
fan ever since. did that for me. I am not certain that Of course, each of you, reading this, most lifelike, emotional and
My first hi-fi system was not a hi-fi I am precisely grateful, exactly, to ei- has that kind of magical power too. transparent reproduction
system – it was a home theatre sys- ther of them for their particular gift, My hope is that you use it and use it available – without sacrificing
tem. but that’s not really the point. well. warmth for accuracy.
This was the 90’s, the height of the I did accept their gifts and those gifts –S COT HU L L www.auditorium23.de
–Rafe Arnott
16 SPRING 2018 THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 17
sink
down
into...
words and photography by Jan Zeschky
“Und wenn du lange in einen Abgrund
blickst, blickt der Abgrund auch in dich
hinein. [And if you gaze long into an abyss,
the abyss also gazes into you.]”
I
t’s time to get down.
Not in a funky sense — we’d need a
good Brettanomyces-inoculated wild
ale for that — but in the sense of a descent
into a deep, dark place.
There’s something about the void that holds
a morbid fascination. A sense of infinite
nothingness, of dissipation into an eternal
blankness.
But nothing, except perhaps a black hole, is
truly empty. There is always shape, colour,
sensual stimuli, no matter how muted.
And, as Nietzsche hinted at, the more we
glean from what we sense there, the more
we can learn about ourselves.
I’m not saying drinking a beer can be an
exercise in self-psychoanalysis. Where the
hell is the fun in that? Just that subjectivity
is important. Your sensory detection says
a lot about you. Vive la difference and all
that.
Which is why it’s so much fun tackling a
powerhouse beer with friends and seeing
what flavours and aromas different people
pick out. And make no mistake, beers like
The Abyss are ones for sharing.
The blackest beers often fascinate the most.
From surprisingly refreshing dark lagers
to silky, nutty oatmeal stouts, a black beer
– given colour by roasted specialty malts
– gives away nothing in appearance, but
reveals all in the savouring.
That’s particularly true of inky, high-
strength imperial stouts that can throw off
an enormous range of aromas and flavours.
continued on page 20
20 SPRING 2018 THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 21
The multi-award-winning Abyss, first Taking a sip, an initial brightness comes
brewed by Deschutes in Bend, Oregon in through in a rich and slightly tart cherry
2006, is one of the finest examples of this sweetness at the fore. This is supported
style, seducing drinkers with the lure of by profiles of port, melted baker’s choc-
sinking into its depths. olate and fudge as the brightness begins
The descent begins with the beer’s very to fade. Together with a vinous seam “Sink slowly into the deep, complex
concept. We’re already in way deeper through the middle, these flavours de-
than a simple dry Irish stout. As well as velop into an engulfing malt profile and roasted malt profile...”
malted barley, roasted barley and wheat, a growing, silent roar of robust bitterness
blackstrap molasses, licorice, vanilla and astringency-laced alcohol heat. JAN ZESCHKY
beans and cherry bark all contribute to Relax. It feels good being this deep.
this beer’s immensity. Comfortable? Now you can start explor-
Time is another vital ingredient. Half of ing. Chase a chunk of aged gouda with
the beer is aged for a year before release, a sip of Abyss for a blissful sweet and
with most finding a home in bourbon savoury hit; or pair with Black Forest
and wine barrels, while a smaller portion gateau for a symphony of chocolate and
sits in new oak. The results are carefully cherry flavours. Cap it off with a few
married to a fresh batch of The Abyss, languorous pulls on a maduro cigar.
making the finished bottled product Want to go even deeper?
as much about blending as it is about Stash a bottle or two of The Abyss away
brewing. in a dark, cool place – ideally about 8-10
Before beginning the dive proper, make C (46-50 F), if you can manage. De-
all preparations: score off the bottle’s schutes assistant brewmaster Ben Kehs,
protective wax seal, savour the release who heads up barrel-aging operations in
of CO2 from the cap opening, and pour Bend, says that for him, the beer hits its
slowly into a large brandy glass. peak after around two or three years in
Give everything a once-over: the pitch the cellar.
blackness of the liquid, with a dull glow Thanks to the slow invasion of oxygen,
of scorched golden ochre at its extremi- time smoothes out the beer’s edges,
ties; the generous espresso-crema head, meshes flavours, introduces more
which has impressive retaining power savoury notes and sweetens up the
for a beer this strength (11.4% ABV); malt, allowing you to sink even further
the glass-coating foam that peels slowly into bliss.
down the walls, leaving beads of bubbles. “I love fresh Abyss, just for some of
Now dive in, nose first. the brightness, but as the product
Sink slowly into the deep, complex roast- gets a couple of years on it the alcohol
ed malt profile that features tar, molasses, softens a little bit … and all those fine
muscovado sugar, vanilla-laced fudge, points you can pick out in the fresh
dark fruit and hints of cocoa powder and product meld into something that’s
coffee grounds. Latch on to a current of greater than the sum of its parts,” Kehs
sweet, lightly peppery alcohol, which, says.
combined with the blackened malt pro- If you want to fully embrace The
file, delivers the effect of charred sweet Abyss, line up a vertical of different
chillies. Finally, take note of the savoury vintages, pick out differences between
character, with a hint of soy sauce de- them, choose your favourite.
rived from the aging process. You might find out something new
The blackness awaits. Succumb. about yourself. T/O22 SPRING 2018
now
read
this
Titan Books
The Vinyl
Detective
Priceless, ultra-rare LP press-
ings, vintage Quad ESL-57 elec-
trostatic speakers, and Garrard
turntables mixed with intrigue,
murder, gun-toting molls, black
humour, and a fantastic plot are
just a few of the hallmarks of
Andrew Cartmel’s inital foray
into the shadowy underworld
inhabited by The Vinyl Detec-
tive.
Written in Dead Wax is the first
of three in a series (followed by
The Run-Out Groove and Vic-
tory Disc) that the author has
been penning since 2016.
If you love digging into a great
mystery novel, like to laugh out
loud while reading, and have
a bent for the more esoteric
(nerdy) aspects of being an
audiophile and record collector
then this the series fyou’ve been
waiting for.
I had to constantly force myself
to put these books down while
revving through them because
I didn’t want the joy of their
unfolding storylines to end too
soon.
www.titanbooks.com
–Rafe Arnott24 SPRING 2018 THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 25
the
listening
room
bridging the generational audiophile gap
by John Stancavage
I
was checking my email recently when I noticed
a breathless announcement from Best Buy that
“AUDIOFEST IS HERE,” with “Incredible Sav-
ings on Amazing Sound.”
OK, worth a look, I thought as I clicked on the
message. Many Best Buy stores include a Magnolia
outfit, which routinely stocks high-end brands such
as MartinLogan, Sonus Faber, McIntosh, Sennheis-
er and AudioQuest.
As I scrolled down, though, the first item promoed
(with a photo) was a TV sound bar. The second
was a Bose Wave radio and then a Sonos wireless
speaker. Farther down was a Google Home Max
voice-response speaker.
Almost lost amongst all these “lifestyle” gadgets
was a small photo of an inexpensive Denon receiv-
er next to a budget Audio-Technica turntable. Still,
they were the closest thing to traditional audio in
the ad. The high-end names I mentioned above
might have been included in AudioFest had you
walked into the store looking for them, but Best
Buy wasn’t expending any space in this particular
ad to promote them.
To be fair, Magnolia did follow up with its own ad.
The first item? A Pioneer Elite “smart speaker” with
Alexa.
It struck me that this is the stark reality of hi-fi as
a mainstream hobby in 2018. The electronics most
people think of for playing music – if they are not
using cheap earbuds or even their phone’s mina-
scule speaker – are, at most, monophonic wi-fi
photo/Rafe Arnott
boxes or the dreaded sound bars.
continued on page 13SPRING 2018 27
It seems that proudly installing better than others – a lot better.
in your home a system made up For me, it was when a friend
of a separate amp/preamp or re- of my parents bought a pair of
ceiver and a pair of traditional huge Bozak speakers. I reclined
speakers has faded into the past on the carpet in front of them
with other quaint pastimes such all evening, mesmerized.
as raking your shag carpet and “Can we get those?” I asked
developing film. my mother. “No,” she replied.
At every audio show I’ve at- “Why not?” I pushed, with her
tended in the past decade, at explaining they were much too
least a couple of people will expensive. “But he works at the
bring up the same question as same company dad does,” I con-
they scan the sea of grey hair: tinued, even then not wanting
“How do we get more young to lose a disagreement. “Yes, but
people into our hobby?” he’s a bachelor,” my mom coun-
With a few exceptions, hi-fi tered, firmly shutting down my
today remains rooted in the hi-fi dreams for the moment.
component-system strategy Today, many of us AARP
of decades past. When I was a audiophiles with similar child-
teenager in the 1970s, this was hoods wonder aloud why there’s
alluring because such rigs were not a likeminded fervor among
everywhere. There were the the current younger generation
“stereo shops” where you could about better sound. The thing
ogle the good stuff like Marantz that occupied many of our wak-
electronics, Thorens turntables ing hours seems to have been
and KLH speakers. Every- usurped in part by time spent
where else, though – depart- on social media and gaming,
ment stores, appliance outlets with music listening primarily
and even furniture retailers taking place through ear buds
– you would see some type of and single Bluetooth speakers.
two-channel (or, for a fleeting “If these kids could just hear
couple of years, four-channel) good two-channel – even the
setup for sale. Typically, these entry level,” we say.
were cheap Japanese brands Therein lies the challenge,
with a lot of flashing lights but though.
poor sound quality. Stereos no longer are every-
Still, for kids like me even the where. Smart boxes are.
most sketchy systems became Even veteran audiophiles have
the primary goal of income to expend considerable effort
from a paper route or summer these days to find and audition
of mowing lawns. After buying the newest gear. What chance
a stereo, earnings and weekly does a newbie have? Many of
allowances went toward one the traditional access ramps
album a week, after a long into the hobby closed quite a
search through the record store, while ago.
studying covers and listening to “Wait a minute,” we say. “Isn’t
what the weird guy behind the this younger age group buying
counter was playing. vinyl – our format?”
At some point, you discovered
photo/Rafe Arnott
continued on page 90
that some stereos soundedpower lies within
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAFE ARNOTT
“Power tends to corrupt; absolute power regeneration corrupts
absolutely.”
A
fter living with the PS
Audio Power Plant P10
for more than a year
now, I can say it’s a key piece of
my reference system, that I don’t
do a review without it, and that
it has absolutely corrupted me
for anything else (except the new
DirectStream Power Plant 20, more
on that later).
Apologies to Lord John Dal-
berg-Acton whose phrase I co-opt-
ed.
I know there is a division in opin-
ions on AC-power conditioning,
filtering, and aftermarket power
cables among audiophiles. This
isn’t news, and I’m sure there will
be different camps for time in me-
moriam. I’m not here to belabour
those divisions.
continued on page 31
W
E
I
V
E
R30 SPRING 2018 THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 31
If stock power cables work for you, and you’ve never in, I’m explaining this to you so you’ll understand that
been curious about upgrading your cables, or address- when I had the opportunity for a long-term review of
ing the incoming AC power to your home, then I envy the P10, it made sense for me to continue with PS Au-
you in a way. dio because I had a solid baseline to measure what – if
I say that because I was instantly curious about both any – improvements I was to encounter by adding the
after reading various reviews, and online forum discus- P10 into my system based on previous experience with
sions on the subject when I was first wading into this their products already.
hobby several years ago. Experience listening with, and without the P10 has
This curiosity led me to start demoing power cables revealed that my incoming AC power is saturated with
from a local hifi shop. I’d critically listen to a few tracks RF noise, contamination, and current fluctuations
with the stock cables in place, then power down, swap (using the P10’s bright front LED control panel allows
in a new cable, and repeat the cycle. me to see exactly what’s coming into my home from
Not only did I hear distinct changes to the sound I was the grid – which appears to vacillate anywhere from
getting out of my modest system at the time, I noticed 113~122 volts).
they weren’t always improvements. Due in no small part to the varying load demands
From this experimentation I learned some important being placed on the power grid at different times of
lessons: Most of the AC current our systems receive day, and noise/interference from the crazy myriad
through wall sockets is unstable, and fluctuates con- of electrical devices that are connected to said grid –
stantly. Changing AC cables isn’t necessarily a good computers, refrigerators, televisions, radios, stoves, mi-
thing if all it’s doing is colouring your output. crowaves, hair dryers, washing machines, fluorescent
Over time I found the cables that allowed me to hear lights – you get the picture – I’ve consistently noted
deeper into a haze/hash
the recording “Most of the AC current our systems receive over the musi-
by lowering through wall sockets is unstable...” cal reproduc-
the noise floor, tion occurring
or helping RAFE ARNOTT in my sound
to eliminate system when I
RF-related grunge – without affecting tone, or tim- do not have some sort of filtering in place.
bre, or artificially goosing upper or lower registers Now, there are many different ways to approach what
– were adding to my enjoyment of what artists had I think is a fundamental problem with modern AC
committed to tape. A significant discovery for me. coming into the bulk of urban homes: You can have an
Through the ensuing years I continued with my per- electrician install a dedicated 20, or 15-Amp line (or
sonal, and professional research (as a reviewer) into lines) into your home, you can get your own dedicated,
power cables, power conditioning, and finally power audiophile-grade power pole installed to channel cur-
regeneration as funds allowed. rent into your home (both of which, while somewhat
It was through this experimentation I came to home effective, are still channeling crappy power IMO). You
audition the PS Audio Dectet AC Power Conditioner, can move to an area with no neighbours so you don’t
and AC5 Power Cables. These impressed me enough share the grid, you can go off-grid with solar power, or
with their ability to allow more of the recording to you can purchase a device that separates your delicate
come through – without colouration – that I purchased audio component circuitry completely from incoming
them. Next came the PS Audio Power Port AC recep- power.
tacle which reduced background hash further. I con- Given my current living situations, and finances, the
tinued to experiment with numerous manufacturers latter was the most prudent choice.
AC cables, only now trying them first in the wall, and So, what exactly does the PS Audio Power Plant P10
then through the Dectet, which proved to allow clearer do? In a nutshell it generates a completely new, ar-
insights into what each cable was contributing (or not) tefact-free stream of AC power from the incoming
to the sonic signature of components. current that your home receives from transformers on
Now, before this starts to sound like a PS Audio love- the greater grid. continued on page 3232 SPRING 2018
drops in hard followed a heartbeat later by ming unleashes about 30 seconds into the
Albert “Tootie” Heath’s sticks smacking the track over Somerville’s aching voice is like
rack toms. Playing this through the totaldac machine-gun fire with the speed of attack
d-1 integral, and a Soulution 330 integrat- on every strike of the sticks standing clearly
ed amplifier plugged into a standard wall apart, never bleeding into one another, and
socket yields a historical sonic portrait of rocking your head back.
this, her only Bethlehem Records session, Without the P10 in the mix, the big dynamic
without focus on any particular slice of the swings of the original Canadian pressing I
frequency spectrum: a beautifully rendered, own through the EMT JSD VM cartridge,
and musical balance is clearly achieved. Auditorium 23 step-up transformer, and
Her voice coming across cool, collected, and the all-valve single-ended Soro integrated
How does it do this? It’s a fresh start for your the double bass of Jimmy Bond thrumming with built-in phono stage is big, bouncy,
It first converts that equipment to draw upon, deep in the mix alongside Heath’s metro- and organic with its rubber-band bass lines,
incoming stream to DC, because the reality – to nomic percussion. slick synthesizer noodling, and polyphonic
then using “patented PS my ears – is what you’re Swapping the d-1, and 330 into the P10, and rhythms.
Audio technology re- really listening to when queuing up the track again in Tidal Hi-Fi, Plugging the amp into the Power Plant
generates and produces one is assessing a sound the background blackens considerably. reveals a wealth of previously glazed-over
new sine-wave-perfect, system is the incoming There is more air around Simone’s voice – electronic micro dynamics which had been
regulated high-current power: it makes or breaks which now possesses projection more from concealed under a haze of noise floor. The
AC power. In the pro- the sonic efficacy which the chest rather than just her mouth – the black background helps free a number of
cess of regeneration any your components are bloom off her piano notes, and the decay off keyboard textures from anonymity, and
problems on your power truly capable of. Heath’s now more palpable drum skins con- allows for further percussive heft to be phys-
line such as low voltage, To that end, the P10 veys a more spatially-evocative landscape. ically felt in the lowest bass notes.
distorted waveforms, sag- allowed every single piece Simone’s playing jumps further forward on It’s not night-and-day between the two, but
ging power and noise are of gear I added to it to the sound stage, and Bond’s bass notes seem in a system of reasonably revealing capa-
eliminated.” reach deeper into the to drop another octave, and become more bilities, which possesses a transparency to
Sounds pretty trick. recorded event, with an clearly defined, and separated from Heath’s source, the gain in accuracy, and fidelity to
The P10 isn’t conditioning improvement in dynam- stick work in the recording. the recorded event is welcomed, all the more
the power, limiting the ics, at both the micro, and Bronski Beat dropped their debut album The so because it doesn’t come at the expense of
current or dynamics like macro levels. Age Of Consent in the fall of 1984. warmth.
passive devices which are The difference was some- I remember it clearly because I was touched Having had the P10 for some time, and
basically magnetic chokes times subtle, sometimes by the sad, poignant video of the first single having run a healthy number of integrated
doing their best to scrub eye opening. released off it – “Smalltown Boy” – and amps, power amps, preamps, CD players,
high-frequency interfer- But the difference is because it featured the wailing falsetto of streamers, DACs, phono stages and turnta-
ence from the line. No, always there, and it is my Jimmy Somerville over the hypnotic synth bles through it, I can safely say I have a very
the P10 is creating a new experience that it is not beats, staccato percussion, and goosebump clear set of indicators of what I know the
power wave for your gear colouring the recording. It keyboarding of band members Steve Brons- unit delivers to the sonic landscape of my
to ride. One without cur- is removing a veil of noise cians committing their the recorded event. ki, and Larry Steinbachek. home.
rent eddies, without RF which was previously art to tape, whether it’s Take Nina Simone’s 1958 Not only was the track a heartfelt political So, when PS Audio recently asked me if I
noise, without a sine wave masking not only details, a live venue or a studio, soul-jazz album Little Girl anthem on homophobia, it was a riotous could compare the new DirectStream Power
degraded, and beaten out but one of the most key that sense of aural space Blue, in particular the dance number which always got the liv- Plant 20 to my P10, and add that to my P10
of all proportion by the attributes I seek out in surrounding players is track “Plain Gold Ring.” ing-room floor packed when the 12-inch review, I was curious, and agreed to hold
demands being placed on playback: reproduction of one of the most power- After a plaintive vocal single got spun at house parties in my youth. my P10 review so I could add in thoughts
it by hundreds of other the dimensionality of the ful indicators for me of introduction solo by The explosive force that Bronski’s drum- on the P20. continued on page 34
electrical consumers be- recorded space. whether or not playback Simone which sets the
fore it even has a chance Those four walls, and the will be able to transport stage for the space of the
to reach your wall outlet. air surrounding musi- me back to the moment of recordeding, her piano34 SPRING 2018 THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 35
PS Audio Perfect Wave 10 Power Plant: $4,999 USD
PS Audio DirectStream P20 Power Plant: $9,995 USD
First off, the P20 is larger (96 pounds, 17x14x11 inches) PS Audio
than the already massive P10 (73 pounds, 17x14x8.5 inch- 4826 Sterling Dr., Boulder, Colorado
es), so make sure you run it either on the ground, or a very 80301 USA
www.psaudio.com
sturdy rack system or table. The P20 delivers 3,600VA peak
output (compared to the P10’s 1,500VA peak), can accom-
modate both 20, and 15-amp power cables, is equipped
with 16 power receptacles (compared to 10 on the P10) in
five zones – two zones of which are high-current – features
an all-new FPGA-based DSD sine wave generator, and
has three times lower impedance than any previous Power
Plant.
The P20 features a new, larger, more detailed seven-inch
LED screen (4.5-inches on the P10), and comes with the
standard PS Audio remote control.
In direct-comparison tests between the P10, and P20
(power-down component, swap cable, power-up), with the
kit I currently have on my racks (Solution 330 integrated
amplifier, totaldac d-1 integral DAC/streamer, Audio Note
CD 4.1x, Audio Note Soro Phono SE Signature – Thales
TTT-Slim II doesn’t count because it’s battery-driven), the
P20 brought out more of everything – in varying degrees
depending on recordings – that the P10 was already re-
vealing, with the biggest difference between the two being
the sense of grunt behind the music that the P20 delivered
over the P10.
The P10 opens up the bottom end on recordings, it allows
the lowest notes to come through unimpeded, with author-
ity, with power, and mostly with a real sense of solidity.
The P20 does all of that, but with it’s improved headroom,
there is a more palpable, tactile sense of unrestricted flow
to the musicality.
A feeling of composure through even the most raucous
tracks. “Figure 8” off Tahliah Debrett Barnett’s (FKA twigs)
2015 album M3LL155X has the ability to peel the skin
off listeners, and tear apart loudspeakers at volume in the
wrong system.
Through the d-1, and the Soro being fed from the P10
“Figure 8” is the electronic equivalent of a high-speed car
crash involving a dump truck, and a Lamborghini Hu-
racan: gut-wrenching bass impact like ceramic, and asphalt
rending welded steel from itself while being ground across
concrete at 80 miles per hour.
continued on page 3636 SPRING 2018 THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 37
It’s a driving sonic maelstrom. power diet, never stray or overlap
The track rumbles the window into each other.
panes in my home, and the elec- Tone, and timbre of instruments
tronically-enhanced bottom end are spot-on, with wood-bodied
is there in all it’s thunderous glory. ones in particular in possession
The almost physical wall of key- of the proper scale, weight, and
boards, synths, computer-pro- resonance that I associate with real
gramming effects, and vocal ar- acoustic guitars.
rangements that I’ve heard smear Organ, and piano notes are mel-
together in an auricular haze on lifluous, and the slide guitar, and
some systems is here articulate, horn arrangements have a bur-
musical, and most of all alive with nished, brassy flavour.
human presence. Opting in to the P20, the already
Swapping in the P20 noticeably big, hip-shaking bottom end
widens/deepens the already cav- seems to swell in size, and weight,
ernous sound stage, further lowers with a deeper tonal shading now
the noise floor, and allows a deeper coming through. Vocals take on a
emotional connection to be made sweeping, more expansive quality
with the conviction that Barnett to the air volume surrounding the
brings to her snarling, hyper-vocal physical arrangement of singers,
singing. and a more chesty composition to
George Harrison’s 1970 triple-LP the character of the oral discourse.
All Things Must Pass was his first This was a scenario that continued
solo effort following the breakup to play out every time I listened to
of The Beatles earlier that year. a track off Tidal, closed the lid on
Co-produced by engineering a CD, or dropped the needle on an
legend Phil Spector, it features LP: everything that was pulling me
his Wall of Sound of production deeper into the listening expe-
technique, and was referred to in rience, into the meaning of the
Rolling Stone as “… the music of artists intent through the recorded
mountain tops, and vast horizons.” medium – be it digital or analog –
Recorded mostly at Abbey Road was enhanced through the P20.
Studios, the album is awash in If the P10 was helping sink me
overdubs, and star power with a into the depths of the song, the
huge amount of artists contrib- P20 was like throwing an anchor,
uting to the sonic flavour, not the and chain around my legs as I sank
least of which were Eric Clapton, down. It seems that with this latest
and Ringo Starr. The LPs possess (and largest) edition to the compa-
a huge amount of air, and space ny’s regenerator line (a new Di-
around both Harrison’s vocals, and rectStream Power Plant 15, and 12
those of the many back-up singers have been unveiled since I received
employed, with a deep sound stage the P20), PS Audio has taken
populated by myriad instruments everything I’ve come to expect,
that could be daunting to separate and appreciate from the P10, and
from the mix, but with the P10 improved upon it wholesale. T/O
firmly in control of the amplifier’sHPA-1
Class A Headphone w ww.passl abs.com
Enjoy the Experience
At Pass Labs we have one goal — to create products that invite
you to listen. We want you to enjoy the experience so much that you
go through your entire music collection — again and again. Each time a joyous
Pass Laboratories discovery of something new. We want music lovers for the long haul.DIAL911 for AUDIOPHILE WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAFE ARNOTT
42 SPRING 2018 THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 43
T
here’s something that clicks within my – had a serious bent for fast cars (as well fine
psychic alignment about the sound of wines, and whisky) I couldn’t resist the urge to
a stylus first touching down into the get a hold of him.
run-in groove of an LP, just the same way Turns out Niemann was able to meld high
there’s something about the exhaust note of a fidelity with German automotive engineering in
high-performance, or vintage automobile. the form of a Burmester soundsystem-equipped
The two, while mutually exclusive in many Porsche Carrera S.
aspects, seem to contain a shared resonance, or We decided to meet, and spend a day together
metaphysical frequency that makes me feel as in the 911 driving around our hometown of
if all is right in the world – even if it’s just for a Vancouver, British Columbia. We hit the road,
moment – and I can let the smile stay on my and then hit a local distillery to talk about fast
face. cars, music, turntables, watches, wines, whis-
So when I found out that Robb Niemann, the kies, and the future of high fidelity. Here’s an
CEO of Burmester North America – who I excerpt of our chat, I hope you enjoy it.
know as a music lover, and dedicated audiophile –Rafe Arnott44 SPRING 2018 THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 45
Rafe Arnott: Robb, you’ve been involved RA: You’ve often talked about the been bitten by the hi-fi bug. Hi-fi clubs or events where “those peo- Stuttgart at the Porsche factory, Au-
in high fidelity for some time now, can lifestyle crossover that music, and hi-fi will become a passion and a hobby ple” hang out, I am most often met gust Auchliner, the chief designer of
you talk about your start in the industry, occupy for some audiophiles, and what no doubt, it simply took an experi- with a dull stare. the 911 program, came out to sign
and what it is you’re doing now with a key niche it fills as part of the appre- ence of their favourite music on a Last week I was at a Scotch-tasting the car, as it was one of the nicest
Rutherford Audio, and Burmester? ciation of the finer things in life for you. great system to educate them. event where I showed a national configurations he had seen in a long
Cars, watches, art, boats, whisky, wine, sales director of said Scotch house time. I have a photo of Mr Auchlin-
Robb Niemann: Rutherford Audio furniture – collectables of any type – also There are far too few places in an article that you had written on a er signing the car along with a few
was born of the passion to provide the have a major crossover with lifestyle in North America to really experience turntable paired with a Scotch, and special mementos from Auchliner,
best of the best of European hi-fi to my opinion. Yet we often see the difficul- exceptional hifi in a profession- he got incredibly excited. and the Porsche facility in Stuttgart.
the North American hi-fi enthusiasts. ty that many high fidelity manufacturers al manner where someone feels Every single rep they have is a vinyl Krebs recently upgraded to a new
This journey started with me trying seem to have in capitalizing on their comfortable from the moment they lover and posts daily about their GT3 and thankfully he needed to
to purchase Burmester as a customer. products lifestyle value when compared walk into the store. Scotch and listening experiences. make room in his garage and I am
I stumbled upon the brand at CES in to items like cars, watches or wine. Why I’m talking about the people they Now we are going to work togeth- the beneficiary of this very well
2007 thanks to Alan Vintr, the region- do you think that is? are greeted by, the couch they sit er to try and bring the two areas loved and cared for machine.
al director of Apple who later worked on, the artwork on the walls, the together nationally by pairing great
with me for a number of years, Vintr RN: The hi-fi industry as a whole is still magazines on the tables, the coffee scotches with vinyl listening nights RA: What do you enjoy most about
dragged me in to listen to this remark- very small and fragmented compared or sparkling water they are served, at unique venues. owning an exotic automobile? What
able system and I was smitten by it. The to other lifestyle-based industries. We etc. is it that it does for you on a person-
Burmester sound filled my soul like have a very long way to go to get to the How many hifi stores are you aware RA: Not only are you smitten with al level, and how do you share that
nothing else I had ever heard. size and scale of the likes of Mercedes of that have the fit and finish of great wines, watches, whisky, hifi passion with others?
A few years later, as the old adage states or the international following of a first a Rolex store, the same level of gear, art – never mind your passion
– right time right place – following growth Bordeaux. Burmester is cele- professionalism as a Rolls-Royce for growing organic food – and trav- RN: Automotive for a man of my
a visit to Berlin and Munich High brating its 40th year this year and that dealership, or the passion of an art el, but you’ve been bitten hard age culturally has been part of life.
End, I was offered an opportunity is still rather young when you consider gallery owner for the artists they by the automo- Ever since I was a kid I have been
by Dieter Burmester that I sim- some of the respected wine houses of represent? bile, and a passionate automotive enthusiast
ply had to embrace. Fast for- the world. I have great faith that audio It is all too easy for someone to driving and specifically a Porsche 911 lover.
ward and I am closing in as we know it will grow over time, it call themselves a dealer these bug. Can I simply enjoyed every aspect of my
on 10 years as the CEO simply takes an experience involving days. you talk to Porsche journey from my first drive
of Burmester North it, and for that we have to be ambassa- It is an expensive proposition me about in a 930 Turbo back in the ‘80s to
America and dors sharing these wonderful products to have a dealership and do it your current more recent events like driving a
Rutherford wherever we go. right. With the cost of equip- ride, and 356 from the museum in Stuttgart
Audio I recently met a billionaire who travels ment and property these days what the back at Pebble Beach, and now taking
Inc. with an iPhone and uses a Bluetooth I feel that most retailers stop story is to it? It’s my kids on “dates with dad” in the
pill speaker and considered that hi-fi at hanging a sign and expect my understand- Porsche.
until they had an experience listen- the brands to carry people in the ing it’s a unique car. My oldest son and I have had great
ing to their favourite music doors. I am a proponent of rela- bonding times attending Porsche
with a nice bottle of wine tionship building and in this we RN: I have a 2013 Porsche events locally and we look forward
at our office. must go into the world and meet Carrera S that was a custom config- to many more.
Now they people where they are at. I am often uration by a good friend of mine – continued on page 46
have told by dealers they need to con- Volker Krebs in Vancouver. This car
nect more to those that can afford has all the right options including
these products but when I ask them Burmester of course. When Krebs
if they go to restaurants or golf took European delivery of the car in46 SPRING 2018
I enjoy every spare moment RN: For me it is always about
I have where I can share the quality in every facet of life.
experience with others. Car Quality in audio is like a
culture is a wonderful one performance sport, trying to
and it’s the people and their maximize the reproduction to
passion that is captivating. the best it can possibly be.
Passion for the automobile I do have a number of unique
seems to cross over into so albums, most of the ones I
many other areas; food, wine treasure the most are gifts. I
and music, it is natural and have received albums from
you meet some of the nicest wonderful individuals in
people along the way. Ev- this industry and from a few
eryone has a story when it artists whom I have met along
comes to cars. I remember the way. I travelled to Stock-
meeting a couple at Pebble holm a few years ago on be-
Beach and we ended up half of the late Winston Ma to
drinking wine late into the pick up the original tapes of
evening sharing stories of Jazz in the Pawnshop. When
travel and family, only the I returned Ma produced a
following day I found out he new and improved three-disc
is one of the largest collectors version of which I have a
in the world of Porsches. number of the test pressings
and a few early pressings. We
RA: Getting back to music, did an event years ago in New
what are some of your favour- York where I had a copy of
ite LPs? Do you have anything Swedish House Mafia singles
rare in your collection? Are release sent over from Europe
you a digital, or analog en- the day it came out.
thusiast first? Does it matter Only a few weeks later they
to you if the sound quality is disbanded.
there? continued on page 49
“Car culture is a wonderful one and it’s the
people and their passion that is captivating.”
ROBB NIEMANN48 SPRING 2018 THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 49
RA: We’ve seen numbers from
various reporting agencies around
the planet regarding the continued
growth of vinyl sales, the decline
of CD sales, and the juggernaut of
market share that is streaming au-
dio. What’s your opinion on these
various formats, and do you think
the future of true high fidelity
will be non-physical formats like
FLAC, or MQA that are remotely
stored, and accessed via the cloud?
RN: I have the pleasure of own-
ing one of the best CD players
in the world, a Burmester 069
as well as a number of high-end
turntables and a few exceptional
streaming units.
I enjoy all formats but there is
something tactile about hunting
for an album then removing it
from the sleeve and setting it up
to play.
It is much like a great wine in my
opinion, there is a process that
takes time and in that time there
are subtle nuances and textures
involved which add to the overall
enjoyment.
I do believe that vinyl will be
here to stay because of that
tactile experience but stream-
ing is doing well and with new
improved quality for streaming
like MQA it can only add to the
overall positive experience.
As long as there is an effort to
improve the quality I will ap-
preciate that effort and keep
listening to music no matter the
format. T/Ocasualties
of
convenience
words by Brian Hunter, photos by Bryan Beasley & Brian Hunter
T
he din of the party had faded into
the background much like the
voices of parents, or teachers on
Peanuts cartoons emanating from a TV on
low volume. My query to the host’s young
daughter had ellicited nothing more than
a questionable look tempered with subtle
enthusiasm.
“I got soul but I’m not a soldier” I repeated.
“You’ve never heard it?” I asked querulous-
ly.
Intrigued and without skipping a beat the
little five-year-old girl yells across the room
a request for the Killer’s “All These Things
That I’ve Done” without mentioning the
proper name of the track and obediently a
plastic hockey puck of a speaker retrieves
the song post haste.
This is the futuristic dark corner that music
playback has found its way into.
This call-to-play narrative is just a short
neural pathway from a Genie-wish fulfill-
ment of musical reproduction and a long
distance from either your collection of LPs
or the symbiotic curation of radio play.
Sure, we still have radio in some of its
forms, but album playback is all but a fleet-
ing memory that was never even formed in
the minds of the upcoming generation of
music listeners.
The planet has turned so far into streaming
cloud-based files that the well-documented
vinyl resurgence almost appears to borrow
a counter-culture feel to the mainstream
photo/Bryan Beasley
need for right here, right now.
continued on page 5252 SPRING 2018
Still the joy on that five- of love for its constituents.
year-old girl’s face was gen- That is to say, the con-
uine, and the track played venience factor is lower
endlessly all night from the across the board for both
kitchen. vinyl and (when it comes
Having been involved in to hardware) tubes, but the
this lovely hobby for many preverbal juice is worth
years now (from the media the squeeze to those who
side), its grown apparent to engage in the practice.
me that I do love to contem- After all, reward is ever
plate the tent-pole discus- sweeter when you have put
sions that swirl amongst all 20 hours against the task. 40
who have ever considered a hours? How about hun-
large ticket purchase in the dreds? You get it.
name of the audio gods. Sky-high price tags aside,
I prefer to mull over ques- the turntable as a playback
tions and not engage the device requires a manual
combative banter of forum/ pound of flesh, no matter
comment sections. how much you money you
Through those insights, it’s throw at it.
clear that the path through Records should be cleaned
analog – in its many forms before initial play, regardless
– is a more challenging but of how close a relation to
ultimately rewarding labor the master it might be.
continued on page 56
photo/Bryan Beasley54 SPRING 2018 THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 55
56 SPRING 2018 THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 57
The reward on the other side, answer may become clearer. becomes further diminished.
untethered in its relationship to Love without labor can become Its hard not to discuss the impact
other more concrete benchmarks, labor without love. of the iPodization to the listening
is real enough for the hero who Shortcuts to happiness have an sphere of high fidelity, where it’s
emerges victorious from this unfortunate way of chipping away easier to get more for less (fidelity,
melee. at any experience as a whole and that is).
That’s not to say the digital boys taken too far, leave the sharpened Single-serving bits for two ears
don’t have their cake and spin
it too, but the playback is often
times immediate, and, in the case
of streaming, requires little more
than a flick of a finger to engage.
What happens then when we get
pencil with nothing but a nub and
eraser.
Some of our joy is firmly planted
in the pain it takes to get to the
finish line. On the digital end,
much of this same cyclical game
“
only. The portable mid-step
between the playback-wish fulfill-
ment is constrained now only by
the strength of the wireless infra-
structure in any given city.
Has the increased portability of
“
what we want, exactly when we can be recreated in the battle for audio become a greater metaphor
want it – forever? a “trueness to source,” but when for the micro-transaction, silo’d
Ask any former Betty Ford resi- the sleeve art is gone, the immer- social-media-packed reality we
dent from ample means and the sion into the vision of the album now live in?
photo/Bryan Beasley
The portable mid-step between the
playback-wish fulfillment is constrained
now only by the strength of the wireless
infrastructure in any given city.
–Brian Hunter
Or will the idea merely become The video game industry has man- car stereo then there is still hope
the tale of another generation of aged to hold on to the second-hand to transcend the trappings of the
humans waxing about the simper disc market for another generation numerous audiophile distractions
times from days long gone? of consoles but the writing is cer- available.
More importantly, how long will tainly on the wall. Hopefully your love for listening
it take for old technologies to fade We own less but have access to is a combination of both personal
away completely from the public more. But has this unfettered access and shared experiences, analog and
consciousness? There really isn’t a to everything we want brought digital, and is both inspired and
solid measuring stick to follow giv- us closer to personal nirvana or emotionally rewarding.
en the short overall timeline we’ve further from it? As with most Love the music, love the tech. Har-
been on, digitally speaking, but one all things balance is needed for ness and hone the passion, contrib-
thing appears to be changing: local a healthy execution of any form ute positively to the community
storage of any type of information of entertainment. If you can still and most importantly, don’t forget
photo/Bryan Beasley
continues to go the way of the hear the emotion from both your to listen like a five-year-old stuck at
8-track. reference hifi rig AND a passing a parents party. T/OTHE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 59
point
to
point
Clarus
Cables
Crimson-level
AC, RCA, Digital, Speaker
Constructed from multi-
gauge (heavy, flat and
spiral configurations) and
individually-insulated pure
copper Ohno continuous
cast wire that features three
uniquely-shaped conductor
types, Clarus Cables pat-
ented Crimson line features
more science than fiction
in their design. While there
are still many who ques-
tion not only the ability to
accurately measure the in-
tegrity of signal degradation
in cables, never mind the
sonic differences audible to
listeners, Clarus’s president
Joseph C. Perfito told me
that I’d be impressed with
the transparency to source
of the designs his company
builds in the United States. I
for one believe that cabling
can make or break a system
and look forward to hearing
what the Crimson line is
capable of.
www.claruscable.com
–Rafe Arnott60 SPRING 2018 THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 61
Total
ECLIPSE
of the
ART
WORDS AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAFE ARNOTT
W
hat do you do when
you’ve owned a number
of turntables over the
years but always found one aspect
of each design you’ve entertained
to be wanting?
You design and build your own
deck and start up a company to
produce and bring them to market.
This is exactly what John Stratton
of Vancouver, British Columbia
did when he decided he wanted a
‘table that could deliver the sound
he loved from high-price turnta-
ble designs but at a cost grounded
more in reality.
The result was two decks: the En-
core and the Eclipse, which both
retail for roughly $4,500 USD de-
pending on the exact specifications
at the time of ordering. The Encore
features a traditional-style plinth
and the Eclipse a modern take on
shape.
Both feature 50mm Ultra MDF
cores, CNC machining, precision
bronze bearings, a 12-volt AC-syn-
chronous motor and an outboard
speed-controller with a separate
W
linear power supply.
E
I
continued on page 63
V
E
RTHE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 63
When Stratton first reached out to me loudspeakers. accomplished on a few turntables
to see if I would be interested in re- I fed the Eclipse a steady diet of vinyl pushing $20k at trade shows.
viewing one of his designs, I couldn’t for several days to familiarize myself Operation of the TA-1000 tonearm
say no after checking his website and with its sonic abilities before I got was fluid, well-damped and concise.
realizing he was located about 15 down to taking a serious look at what This isn’t an ‘arm that flops around or
minutes from my home. made up the deck and how it sound- feels flimsy: just the opposite. It has a
The unit he brought over was finished ed. feeling of such high-quality machin-
in beautiful matte Santos Rosewood Taking off the large 36mm-thick Del- ing and fluidity to use that I often
(Stratton said that a high-gloss finish rin platter and examining the bearing smiled whenever I queued-up a track
could be available as an option), and shaft, tonearm mount, dual-pulley and dropped the needle in the groove.
equipped with a package deal that driven polished-aluminum subplatter Getting familiar with the sound took
included the Maestro outboard motor and fit and finish of the unit I came a while, but one of the first things
controller and a TA-1000 tonearm. away with a deep respect for what I noticed was how rock-steady the
He had kindly outfitted the deck with Stratton and his crew had accom- pitch was. Stratton’s attention to detail
a Benz Micro Wood SL low-output plished. QC was outstanding and the in the motor-control assemblies obvi-
moving-coil cartridge for me as well. ‘table would not have been embar- ously paid off as did his use of a heavy,
Getting the ‘table into my system took rassed by other designs I’m familiar damped plinth because I’ve heard the
a matter of minutes, and after mak- with at double the price point. Benz SL on other decks and the bass
ing sure the deck was levelled, I ran The platter and sub-platter fit was that was being produced with this
unbalanced cables into an Audio Note truly precise and spun so true and flat combination was contributing more
S2 step-up transformer and from that I often forgot I’d left it running bottom-end definition and speed to
there into an Audio Note Soro Phono because you had to be only a few the lowest notes than I’d ever heard
SE Signature integrated amplifier and inches away to see if it was actually previously from Benz Wood or
out to my Audio Note AN-E/Spe HE spinning. Something I’ve not seen Glider. continued on page 6464 SPRING 2018 THE OCCASIONAL PART-TIME AUDIOPHILE SPRING 2018 65
Pure Fidelity Eclipse Turntable w/Acoustic Signature
TA-1000 Tonearm $4,495 USD
The treble signature was always underneath them. post-rock LP Laughing Stock, which
Pure Fidelity
open, airy and extended and never The Classic Records QUIEX SV-P features a large ensemble of session
sound@purefidelity.ca
strayed into dryness or etching. A 200-gram LP of Sonny Rollins A musicians backing up what was left www.purefidelity.ca
real feat on some of the LPs I spun Night at the “Village Vanguard” that of the group core in Mark Hollis
which I’d heard go sour up top on I own is one of my favourite live and Lee Harris after Paul Webb’s
other rigs. recordings. It’s unassuming in its departure. More eerie-atmospherics
Midrange was well balanced with mic’ing of Rollins’ tenor sax, Wil- exploiting the recorded space and
tonal accuracy and transparen- bur Ware’s bass, and Elvin Jones’ about a specified environment that
cy without sacrificing details like stick work. No one outshines the the listener is placed into, the LP
massed strings, or multiple guitar other, there is a delicate balance be- is heavily punctuated with dispa-
and horns. tween the artists that is maintained rate instrumentation that bristles
Piano qualities in playback were throughout the session. The audi- melodically all over the sound stage
smooth, well-rounded with beau- ence never becomes overly-intru- and has led lesser cartridge/tone-
tiful rendering of timbre, ditto for sive like some live-venue recordings arm/turntable combos astray into
cellos and violins which both had I own or have heard where cutlery smearing of the many micro dy-
excellent weight and body. can often be heard on plates as namics at play in every track.
Grabbing my copy of the Chromat- patrons dine. Not here. The focus is Here the Eclipse did not put a foot
ics Night Drive, I was eerily trans- on the musicians. wrong and carved out a clear space
ported by the title track’s ambient I’ve heard this LP more times than in the presentation for every in-
recording strument and
of a call “Running Up That Hill off the same side had Hollis’ aching
from a pay Radelet’s ghostly musings sparking goosebumps vocal tracks.
phone that Not uber high-
segues into up my spine...” end, and not
a deep, RAFE ARNOTT necessarily
rolling budget-con-
electronic scious, the
bass line synched with overdubs of I can remember, but I’ve never Pure Fidelity Eclipse turntable
Ruth Radelet’s ethereal vocals. Key- heard it with this authoritative of a walks a line between the promise of
boards were layered back into the bottom end. Once agin the Eclipse big-money sound and what’s prac-
sound stage with classic deep-vee seems to allowing the cartridge tical from a materials and engineer-
3D-rendering of the sparse guitar, and tonearm to mine the depths of ing standpoint at the sub-$5K level.
drums and programming which these grooves in a way that other If I was forced to describe/compare
make up the song. ‘tables I’ve played it on haven’t been the sound of the Eclipse I’d say it
The cover of Kate Bush’s “Running able to. Ware’s finger fret work has combines the PRAT (pace, rhythm
Up That Hill” off the same side had organic texture with every brush of and timing) of an RP8, the dynam-
Radelet’s ghostly musings spark- the strings during “Striver’s Row,” ics and resolution of a Clearaudio
ing goosebumps up my spine and and Jones’ skins have a papery-dry Ovation and a bottom end I’d more
showed off that sub-basement bass presence to every strike that comes closely associate with something
that I’d started to identify as the through with clarity and speed on like a Dr. Feickert Analogue Wood-
Eclipse letting that TA-1000 and “Softly As In a Morning Sunrise.” pecker deck.
Benz SL do their thing, all the while Rollins’ sax blows hard and has The Eclipse is a deck that Stratton
allowing the subtle synth work real meaty punch with brassy hues wanted to incorporate those facets
of Johnny Jewel and the hypnotic apparent through every breath on of turntable design he values high-
guitar riffing of Adam Miller to “Old Devil Moon.” est into what he described as “the
come through clearly defined and Switching things up I pulled out ultimate hybrid,” I’d say he achieved
unruffled by what was going on Talk Talk’s last effort, their 1991 his goals and then some. T/OYou can also read
