d test extensive - americanradiohistory.com...1979/11/12 · by speight jenkins jenkins offers his...

U. t ;R NOVEMBER-CECEMBER 1979 $1.35 III/stereo BUYERS' GUI MD:

RECEIVER FEATURES LIGHTS, KNOBS, SWITCHES, BUTTONS: WHAT TO BUY AND WHY

SPEAKER DESIGN

CONCEPTS A SAMPLING OF

SUCCESSFUL INNOVATIONS

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New shapes of sound from RTRTHE RHOMBUS SUBWOOFER...THE PYRAMIDAL SATELLITE

Now your speaker systemcan reproduce true bass.With the new RTR DAC/1Rhombus Subwoofer, lowfrequency instruments and

deep tones emerge with adegree of undistorted realism never

before heard in a home system.In Rhombus, RTR engineers have created the

only enclosure which combines advantages of bothvented and acoustic suspension systems - withouttheir shortcomings. This is the Differential AreaCoupler* system, the first all -new enclosure designin a quarter century.

Rhombus delivers flat frequency response from16 Hz to 150 Hz. Below 16 Hz, the system cuts off

rapidly to eliminate modulation distortion.Bass peaks and resonances are wiped outby impedance leveling circuits and theDAC* format.

Pyramidal design yields an advancedsmall speaker. The RTR PS/1 pyramidalsatellite loudspeaker solves mostproblems inherent in small speakers.

Geometrically, pyramid form follows functionbetter than rectangular enclosures. Space for amajor woofer in a minimal package facilitates

output levels. Non -parallel sides smooth bassreproduction and curtail internal resonance.

Capitalizing on this format, the RTR PS/1Satellite incorporates an array of RTR componentsin a dynamic 3 -way speaker system. A new total -immersion -damped woofer cone reduces soniccoloration and eliminates breakup. Carbon fiberimpregnated soft dome midrange and soft dometweeter offer superlative response with wide disper-sion. All told, these are live performance audiophilespeakers in a package destined to become classic.

New shapes combine into a formidable system.Match Rhombus Subwoofers and PS/1 Satellites.Be rewarded with hauntingly realistic sound repro-duction. Attack and dynamics of actual perform-ance reproduce with smoothness, accuracy andsuperb detail. This system defines new standards ofperformance for all sonic parameters. Equallystartling, the price is well below other state-of-the-art contenders. Audition it soon at your RTRdealer... and believe your ears.RTR Industries, 8116 Deering AvenueCanoga Park, CA 91304 Pat applied for

Listen...you'll be hearing

from RTR.lower frequency response and higher, undistorted more ITOMwoofer in

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1979 Circle No. 41 On Reader Service Card

Az u 2

if

Sony Tape. Full Color Sound.

Music is full of color. Incredibly beautifulcolor. Color that you can hear... and (if youclose your eyes) color you can almost see.From the soft pastel tones of a Mozart tothe blinding brilliant flashes of hard rock tothe passionately vibrant blues of the Blues.

In fact, one of the most famous tenorsin the world described a passage as"brown...by brown I mean dark... rich and full'

Music does have color. Yet when mostpeople listen to music they don't hear thefull rich range of color the instruments areplaying.They either hear music in black -

and -white, or in a few washed-out colors.That's a shame. Because they're miss-

ing the delicate shading, the elusive tintsand tones, the infinite hues and variationsof color that make music one of the mostexpressive, emotional and moving arts of all.

Music has color. All kinds of color. Andthat is why Sony is introducing audio tapewith Full Color Sound.

Sony tape with Full ColorSound can actually recordmore sound than you can hear.

So that every tint and toneand shade and hue of colorthat's in the original music will

be on the Sony tape. Every single nuanceof color, not just the broad strokes.

Sony tape with Full Color Sound istruly different. Full Color Sound means thatSony tape has a greatly expanded dynamicrange - probably more expanded than thetape you're using. This gives an extremelyhigh output over the entire frequency range,plus a very high recording sensitivity.

There's even more to Sony tape withFull Color Sound, however. Sony hasinvented a new, exclusive SP mechanismfor smoother running tape, plus a speciallydeveloped tape surface treatment that givesa mirror -smooth surface to greatly reducedistortion, hiss and other noise. Each typeof tape also has its own exclusive binderformulation, that gives it extra durability.

Any way you look at it - or rather,listen to it, you'll find that Sony tape withFull Color Sound is nothing short of superb.

If you're not hearing thewhole rainbow on your audiotape, try recording on Sonytape with Full Color Sound.Then you'll be hearing all theglorious full color that makesevery kind of music, music.

SONY.

2

© 1979 Sony Industries, A Division of Sony Corp of America Sony is a trademark of Sony Caporation

Circle No. 17 On Reader Service Card HI-FI/STEREO BUYERS' GUIDE

stereo!BUY Fmk LJI Ma®CONTENTS: NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 79 Vol. 14 No. 6

22/POP DISCSby Ken IrsayIrsay gives you the lowdown on some of thelatest pop disc releases. including itemsfrom James Taylor. Carly Simon. PeterFrampton. David Bowie. and Arlo Guthrie

24/CLASSICALRECORDINGS

by Thomas D. KellyA sampling of recent classical record releasesare given detailed review

28/JAZZby J.R. TaylorThe performing career of pianist BudPowell is examined and commented uponby Taylor.

30/OPERAby Speight JenkinsJenkins offers his insights into the careerof Regine Crespin.

32/SOUND PROBEby Hans Fantel and Christopher GreenleafFantel and Greenleaf expound on theirexperience of the sound quality producedby two speakers: the Mitsubishi MS -40and the Speakerlab Model 3.

37/RECEIVERFEATURES

by Fred PetrasWe round up the latest available receiversand focus our discussion on their operatinofeatures and what they do

43/THE METTLEOF METAL

by Hert FriedmanOur technical maven subjects three newmetal particle tapes to oscilloscope testingand reports on his findings.

47/SPEAKERDESIGNCONCEPTS

by A.W. MyersInnovative speaker designs and theirtheoretical merits are discussed. This willserve as a springboard to your thinkingwhen buying new speakers.

qmmomil

53/17 HAND-PICKEDSUPER DISCS

by Alfred MyersYou deserve to treat yourself to at least oneof the new direct -to -disc or digitalrecordings. and Myers has auditioneddozens to come up with theserecommended albums.

59/TEST REPORTSRECEIVERSTUNERSINTEGRATED AMPSCASSETTE DECKSRECORD PLAYERSPHONO PICKUPSHEADPHONES

DEPARTMENTS6/AUDIO SHOWCASE

57/READER SERVICECARD

80/CLASSIFIED ADS

Cover photo by Leonard Studios.For details on the cover. see page 73.

D

: ABC :1.4

MPA

NOVEIMER/DECIPAIIER 1979 3

Remove bothstatic and dust

in one easy stroke!iud I otex Laboratories

erIntroduces the

RC -2000

HOW IT WORKS: The RC -2000 wilizes a piezo-electric element which you activate by simply pushinga trigger bar. Imnediately a stream of iorized airbombards the re:ord. neutralizinc its sta'ic chargeand freeing dust particles. These particles are thenswept away by the RC -2000's nylon brush and caughtby a soft velvet surface. As easy as that, you've got aclean record. No more liquid residues: no moreremoving static a second time after you clean. Nobatteries to replace either! Try it, then throw awayyour cloths. liquids and brushes.

ACCLAIMED EVERYWHERE! Lightweight. durable.the RC -2000 is cesigned for years of repeated use.Stereo owners throughout Europe have used it andloved it: now it's available to U.S. audio connoisseurs.too, through leacing stereo high fidelity sores.RC -2000 (Cat No 30-8585,

NitASTER STROKEIttitECORD CARE!

Audio$exLaborator.es

Products c' GC Elecron csRocktor:. -31101

Circle No. 16 On Reader Service Card

Ifyou can finds receiverthat doesmore.

LC configuration Relay protection 18 LED logarithmicCCL power amplifier with LED power display

C_Onrie, lions for gasi/rnirange3 pair of speakers treble tone controls

with variable turn-over frequencie,and by-pass

Scott's new 390R is perhaps themost complete receiver ever made.

A professional control center for yourentire sound system, the 390R delivers afull 120 watts per channel min. RMS, at8 ohms from 20-20,000 Hz with no morethan 0.0.3`/ THD. And it offers more options,features and flexibility than you'll findon most separates.

Compare the Scott 390R with any otherreceiver on the market today. If you canfind one that does more... buy it.

Twin positionactive subsonicand high filters

Front panel acces- 2 tape monitorssory switch with full tape copy

capability

. For specifications on our com-plete line of audio components,

contact your nearest Scott dealer, orwrite H.H. Scott, Inc., 20 CommerceWay, Dept. HR, Woburn, MA 01801.

El SCOTTThe Name to listen to.Makers o' high quality high fidelity equipment since 1547

1-1i/stereoEBLJN1FR' GLJIEDAssociate PublisherJulian S. Martin

EditorChristine Begole

Associate EditorGordon Sell

Editorial AssistantCynthia McClean

Ad DirectorRalph Rubino

Cover Design DirectorIrving Bernstein

Associate Ad DirectorDavid Pindar

Assistant Ad DirectorMichael Vessio

Production DirectorCarl Bartee

Production ManagerCarole Dixon

Advertising DirectorEdmund M. Lassus

Subscription Circulation DirectorRobert B. Enlow

Subscription Circulation ManagerEugene S. Slawson

Newsstand Circulation DirectorDonald L. Gabree

Marketing DirectorJames C. Weakley

President and PublisherJoel Davis

Vice President and General ManagerLeonard F. Pinto

Vice President and TreasurerVictor C. Stabile

HI-FI/ STEREO BUYERS' GUIDE is published bi-

monthly by Davis Publications, Inc. Editorialand business offices: 380 Lexington Ave.. NewYork, NY 10017. All subscription orders and mailregarding subscriptions should be sent to P.O.Box 1855 GPO, New York, NY 10001. One-yearsubscription (six issues) in the U.S. and its posses-sions: $795. Outside U.S. and its possessions. addS1 . per year. Advertising offices: 380 LexingtonAve.. New York, NY 10017, 212-557-9100 Chicago:Didier & Broderick, 550 Frontage Road, P.O. BoxN 337. Suite 288, Northfield. IL 60093, 312-446-9571.Los Angeles: Montague 'Bass Media 5900 WilshireBlvd.. -1145. Los Angeles, CA 90036, 213-933-9217.For change of address, please advise 4 to 6 weeksmoving. Send your current mailing label with newoddress to Hi-Fi/Stereo Buyers' Guide. P.O. Box1855 GPO, New York, NY 10001. Second classpostage paid at New York. NY and at additionalmailing office. Copyright 1979 by Davis

Publications. Inc ISSN 0018-1218

4 Circle No. 43 On Reader Service Card HI-FI/STEREO BUYERS' GUIDE

The tonearm that isn't.

The traditional ton. arm ha._Linatrack. A revolutionary tracking system devel-oped by Revox.

This sophisticated and highly refined electronic servo-system ensures that -your records are played just theway they were cut, with perfect tangential tracking.

We've eliminated the causes of distortion inherent inconventional tone arm design. There's no need for ananti -skating device because there is no skating force.Our unique LED/photo diode array monitors the stylusangle and makes instant corrections to keep the tip ab-solutely perpendicular.

Pivot friction has also been dramatically reduced by ourunique single -point jewelled pivot/magnetic supportand suspension system.

With Linatrack, tracking error is reduced to a phenom-enal 0.5' or less, virtually eliminating distortion andprotecting your records from excessive wear.

The high torque direct drive motor of the Revox B790uses Hall -Effect magnetic sensors tied to a quartz crys-

mrmEp REVOX America, Inc., 1819 Broadway, Nashville. TN 37203

oillVialAINIII140, il,"C

--*_1,..

---_-_>-c,-

I. L2. Paolo 1/imleY4 -n- I /riVi.4. le w Pivot5.114Liglet iv Suilp411,

tal to constantly read and instantly correct rotationalspeed. This eliminates the moment -to -moment deviationsfound on even the most expensive conventional directdrive motors. You can verify speed accuracy with thefast responding LED digital readouts. The readouts alsoprovide an accurate log of manual speed adjustments.

Even with its advanced features, the Revox B790 is apleasure to operate with safe and convenient automa-tion. It works with virtually every cartridge and is rug-gedly built to stand up to years of daily operation.

For more good reasons to play your records withouta tone arm, experience the B790 at your Revoxdealer today.

R E'VOX615 329-9516/ In Canada: Studer Rerox Canada, Ltd.


Extend yourlisteningdistancewith a newFINCO...

auto FMamplifier

stereoIIFINCO'sself contained topof the line Auto FMAmplifier withvariable gain control Increases Signal up to 16 Tones Will Not Overload in Strong Signal

Areas

Provides Crisp, Clear FMReception

Switch for FM and AM Reception No Adverse Effect on AM

Reception Extends FM Reception Range L.E.D. Indicator Lighta Linear Potentiometer Gam

Control SOLID State Dual MOSFET

Circuitry

Highest gain FMauto amplifieravai lable...write for catalog

No. 20-852, Dept.BG4-79

THE FINNEY COMPANY34 West Interstate Street.,Bedtord, Ohio 44146

(216) 232.6161

6 Circle No. 15 On Reader Service Card

THELATEST HI-FICOMPONENTSIN OUR...

A,DSHOWCASE

Car Stereo That Rem r inters

Compo III by Fujitsu Ten is a micro-processor -based ANI/FM/MPX radio -plus -tape combination with digitalreadout. The pre -amp all -in -one unitcontains an auto reverse cassette unitwith Dolby, quartz clock, and five -band graphic equalizer. Also featuredis a pre-set channel selector that memo-rizes fourteen channels (7 on the AN!band, 7 more on the FM band) forinstant recall. There are also search up.search down, and scan functions. Elec-tronic tuning provides constant digitalfrequency readout, and a pushbuttonis included for digital time display

$11 0 '79, 111

n CASINA4V. W.= I

1111111U II II II I-Circle No. 102 On Reader Service Card

when the radio or tape deck is in op-eration. A "Life Time Metal" high -frequency tape head is designed forlong service life, according to the com-pany. The system delivers a frequentresponse of 40 to 14,000 Hz, and thefive -band graphic equalizer allows bothtape deck and FM radio sound to beadjusted for car acoustics and listenerpreferences. There's also a four-wayfader control, built-in FM muting andan equalizer switch to accommodatechrome and metal tape. Other featuresinclude: FM noise blanker to blockpulse noises during FM broadcasts:lockable fast forward and rewind slidecontrols. The retail price is $569.95.

Distinction Series Power Amplifier

Crown International's SA2 "DistinctionSeries" stereo power amplifier is ratedat 220 watts per channel minimumRMS into an 8 -ohm load, both chan-nels operating, 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.with total harmonic distortion less than0.05(;; . For a 4 -ohm load, the outputis 350 watts per channel. Crown saysthe SA2 incorporates new circuit tech-nology to avoid arbitrary output limits


used in voltage or current limitingamps designed for worst -case possibili-ties. The SA2 self -analyzing circuit al-lows output devices to function at op-timum levels under any conditions,according to Crown. The SA2 limitsoutput only when a built-in computerreports that the power transistors areapproaching their safe operating limitsfor the conditions under which it isoperating. The two channels are elec-trically separate, each with its ownpower supply and circuitry; in essence,they are two separate amplifiers.There's also a unique cooling systemconsisting of a two -speed fan built intothe rear of the unit. The front panelincludes two LED output level indica-tors. Since the range available on theseindicators is 42 dl3 (compared to only13 dB with a VU -type meter) no range -switches are needed to obtain full -range monitoring. Green LEDs indicateactual signal levels through simultane-ous display of peak -hold and instan-taneous peak functions. Price: $1595.

Four -Head Reel -to -Reel Tape Deck

Pioneer's Model RT-909 reel-to-reeltape deck accepts 10 -inch as well as7 -inch reels. The unit features a so-phisticated closed -loop dual capstantransport that provides complete con-trol over the tape segment under thehead assembly, according to Pioneer.The dual capstans and two oil -dampedtension arms eliminate any interference


that might be created by take-up orsupply reels. The result is smooth, con-sistent tape velocity and regulated ten-sion between capstans. DC -controlledmotors are used. Operation of the RT-909 is easy, because of feather -touch

(Continued on page 11)HI-FI/STEREO BUYERS' GUIDE

Introducing the AvidMode1110 MinimumDiffraction Loudspeaker.

The New ReferenceStandard Under $150.

Utilizing the innovative designtechniques which have made our

revolutionary line of loudspeakers sopopular, Avid introduces a compactMinimum Diffraction Loudspeaker'for less than $150.

Its performance characteristics

are so superior for the price, that theModel 110 establishes a reference

standard that challenges comparison.

Overall system response (48 Hzto 20 kHz ±3 dB) is truly exceptionalfor a speaker in this price range, andfew loudspeakers in its class offer88 dB efficiency along with 100 -watt

power handling capability.Avid builds its own drivers to

meet the specific design objectives ofeach system, and the Model 110 is no

exception.Power handling of the 1 -inch

soft dome tweeter is achieved with adesign incorporating magnetic fluidsand a high -temperature voice coil.

Avid's proprietary cone treatmenttechniques enable the 8 -inch woofer

to roll off mechanically, eliminatingthe need for an electronic crossover.

The Model 110 is a totally inte-grated design yielding a level of per-formance usually found only in themost expensive loudspeaker systems.

Audition the Model 110 andother Avid Minimum Diffraction Loud-speakers' at your Avid dealer.

UnboxedSound

AVIDthe careful integration of specialengineered Optimum DispersionCouplers' and solid front grillpanels with rolled edge designsignificantly reduces unwantedcabinet diffraction effects.

r Avid Corporation HFBG111

Department 110, 10 Tripps Lane

East Providence, R.I. 02914

Please send me complete technical infor-mation on the new Model 110 MinimumDiffraction Loudspeaker'.

Name

Street

City

State Zip

Even themost enlightened

consumer canget eaten alive inthe hi-fi jungle.

There are probablyfew places where

lithe phrase "caveat

emptor"- let the buyerbeware-is more applicable than in high fidelity.

The average consumer walks into a hi-fi storeonly to be confronted by a morass of receivers,turntables and tape decks, running the gamutfrom the unaffordable to the unpronounceable.And to make matters worse, the salesman seemsto speak some bizarre dialect about megahertzand transient response.

At Sony, we sympathize with the plight ofthe music lover caught in this rather distressingsituation. And to this end we offer somereassurance:

Since 1949, Sony has been at the very forefrontof high fidelity (In fact, our name is derived fromthe Latin word "sonus" for sound.)

And while the technologyhas changed, one thing hasn't:Since the beginning we've neverput our name on anything thatwasn't the best.

The V4 receiver:You don't need anengineering degree to understand

what makes it superior.Put as clearly as possible, the V4

was designed for people who are as interestedin getting good value as they are good sound.

In terms of power, for example, the V4offers ample wattage to fill almost any size livingroom with clean, clear sound. (55 watts perchannel at 8 ohms from 20 to 20,000 hertz, withless than 0.1% total harmonic distortion.)

It has absolutely no audible distortion.It features the same kind

of "direct coupled" circuitry used in the most expensive

professional broadcast ampli-fiers to ensure rich bass.

LIMiro

It's completely encased:2 in metal to reduce interference.r r 0 It's capable of running

two sets of speakers withoutI he new Sons micro

components: small in esers thing straining, and has somethingbut performance. called a "phase -locked -loop IC

stereo multiplex stage"that guarantees

extraordinaryFM reception.

All ofwhich explains 7why if you paya few dollarsless for one of

our competitor'sThe 44 Receiver the latest from the company that founded receivers it's prob-

the era of transistorized high fidelity.ably because you're gettingless receiver.

C 1979 Sony Industries, a division of Sony Corp. of America. 9 West 57th Street,

111111111111111111111111Must.,,

"Ube law of the jungle:t, ....-

....... ---4,---' ' The X30 turntable: ., __----- ,i,,, Survival of the smartest.

here to tell you the whole Sony hi-fi story.

7p7n--Proof, once again, that Son) is the Obviously, we don't have enough

real pioneer in high fidelity. spaceToday, virtually all of the world's most Like the way our new micro components use

expensive turntables feature "quartz lock:' An Sony developed "pulse power supplies" that reduceelectronic circuit that works like a quartz watch to distortion almost to the point of beingensure perfect turntable speed. SSU-2070 speakers: Sony remeins unmeasurable.

Now Sony has improved on this one of the only hi -11 companies to produce Or the way our new SSU-2070incredibly accurate system in the only way ouraTrZeterecc.bo=nr=e2T" speaker system guarantees you'll hearpossible: by making it less every part of the music withexpensive. But to buy the X30 distortion reducing carbon fiberon it's price alone would be speaker cones. And a computer -selling it short. designed speaker arrangement

Like today's most that makes sure you hear theexpensive turntables, the X30 music exactly as it was recorded.features a direct -drive motor The point of all this, however,that eliminates pulleys and is that for over three decades Sonyunreliable belts. But unlike has built superior audio equipment.models built by Pioneer and Extraordinary products whoseTechnics, our direct -drive motor i reputation for quality, value andis both brushless and slotless- reliability is unsurpassed.which means it's more accurate. So even if you don't know

Instead of using an inexpensive watts from ohms, at least you'll beparticle -board base like many of our able to survive in the hi-fi jungle bycompetitors, the X30's base is knowing Sony.

rhe l30 For more information, or the namemade of a Sony patented"bulk dfre,..k,_ se turntable

molding compound" that re- it elm compensWesfor warped ecords. of your nearest Sony dealer, write us at

duces acoustic feedback. Sony, P.O. Box CN-04050, Trenton, N.J. 08650.And we've even made the X30's platter mat BONY AUDIOslightly concave-so if your records area bit warped, We've never put our name on anything

they won't sound that way. that wasn't the best.New York. N.Y. 10019. Sony is a registered trademark oldie Sony Corporation


We've just improvedevery record you own.

Perm,i

Individual moving magnetfor each channel

Low impedancelow inductance

toroidal coil

Mu -metal shieldbetween magnetic

systems

us

Non resonantmagnesium -alloy

body

Stylus assembly se' screw

Improved radial damping r ng

0 3mm diameter Beryllium cantilever

Square -shank, nude -mounted 0 2 x 0.7 -mil miniature diamond stylus

Calibrated overhang adjustment

Pluls directly into most tine tone arms

Bold, creative new technology sets new standardsfor clarity, dynamic range, and stereo separation.

Of course the new AT25 doesn't look likeother stereo phono cartridges. It'sentirely different. And not just on theoutside. We've rethought every detail ofdesign and construction. All in theinterest of the smoothest, cleanest soundyou've ever heard. The AT25 frequencyresponse is utterly uniform. Definitionand stereo separation are remarkable.Dynamic range is awesome. Even themost demanding digital and direct -to -disc records are more spectacular, moremusically revealing.

But set our claims aside and listen.The AT25 is unexcelled for transparencyand clean, effortless transient response.Individual instruments are heard crisply,without stridency even at extremelyhigh levels. Even surface noise is lessapparent.

The cutaway view shows you howwe do it. Start with the coils. Just two,hand -wound in a toroidal (doughnut)shape. A unique shape which cuts losses,reduces inductance, and lowers imped-ance. The coils are wound on laminatedone-piece cores which also serve as polepieces. Again, losses are lower. Eddycurrent effect is also reduced. Which alladds up to superior transient response.It's like having the electrical perfor-mance of the finest moving coil designs,but with the high output of a moving

magnet. The best of both worlds!Each magnetic system is completely

independent. No common circuits. Weeven add a mu -metal shield between th-3coils to insure no leakage betweenchannels. Which results in stereo separa-tion which must be heard to be believed.

But there's more. An entirely newstylus assembly with one of the smallestwhole diamond styli in series produc-tion. Only 0.09mm in cross section andalmost invisible. It's nude -mounted andsquare -shank to insure exact alignmentwith the groove. And it's set in a Beryl-lium cantilever that eliminates flexing.

Instead of snapping into place, thisstylus assembly is held rigidly to aprecisely machined surface with a smallset scr"w. A small detail which insuresperfect alignment, no spurious reson-ances, and simple stylus replacement.

We treat cartridge shell resonancestoo, with special damping materialapplied to the top of the unique plug-inshell. The magnesium shell even has acalibrated adjustment for stylus over-hang to insure perfect installation.

The many technical differencesbetween the new AT25 and every otherstereo cartridge are fascinating ... andsignificant. But the real difference is inthe resulting sound. It's almost as if youhad plugged your stereo system directly

into the studio console. Every subtlety ofartistic expression is intact, no matterhow complex-or simple-the music, nomatter how loud-or soft-the perfor-mance. It's as though a subtle barrierhad been removed adding clarity andpresence to every record you own.

A cartridge of this sophisticationand high quality cannot be producedquickly. Initially the AT25 may be inshort supply. But your patience will berewarded with performance which willsend you back through your recordlibrary to discover nuances you neversuspected to hear. And you'll eagerlyawait the sonic splendors of tomorrow'sdigital recording techniques.

This outstanding performance isnow available two ways: the directplug-in AT25 and the standard -mountAT24. Either one will make every othercomponent you own sound better,including your records!

audio-technicaINNOVATION i PRECISION ,__, INTEGRITY

AUDIO -TECH N ICA U S INC . Dept 119BG, 33 Shiawassee Avenue, Fairlawn, Ohio 44313

Model AT25 UnitizedHeadshell/Dual Magnet'"Stereo Fhono Cartridge$275

Model AT24 DualMagnet'," Stereo PhonoCartridge $250

ADIOSHOWCASE(Continued from page 6)

logic controls. Tape direction is imme-diately changed without first stoppingthe machine. The logic circuitry alsoprotects against more than one con-trol button being pushed at a time.When in the forward mode, sensingfoil drives the mechanism into reverseplay at end of tape, thus doublingplay time for longer uninterrupted mu-sic. By depressing the "auto repeat"switch, the unit is returned to the for-ward play mode when the four -digitelectronic counter indicates "9999,"thus allowing an indefinite period ofoperation. A "timer start" switch is alsoprovided. By depressing the "recordmode" buttons, the timer activates theunit for recording late night FM broad-casts and the like. When the "timerstart" feature is used alone, the unitautomatically begins to play ratherthan record. Frequency response at7% ips is 20 to 28,000 Hz and wow andflutter is 0.04%. Price: $795.

Two -Speed Auto Cassette Player

B.I.C. introduces the C-1, claimed tobe "the world's first two -speed metal -

equipped car stereo cassette deck."Light -emitting diodes show selectedspeed, Dolby noise reduction, EQ se-lector (70/120), and loudness selector.A quick -disconnect under -dash mount-


ing to discourage rip-off temptation isstandard, as is single -connection wiringharness. The peak level output meteris illuminated. This B.I.C. unit offersthe car audiophile high performanceat 3% ips tape speed, in addition to thecustomary 1% ips speed. The deck iscompatible with any type of tape, in-cluding new metal particle tape. Nota-ble features: 12 watts RMS per chan-nel; fast forward and rewind controls;individual level controls for volume,bass, treble, and balance; preamp out-put jacks. List price: $229.95.

Under $100 TurntableAkai's Model AP-B10C complete turn-

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1979


table system, including dust cover andmagnetic cartridge, will retail for under$100. The unit has a gun-metal graybase and a hinged, removable smokeddust cover. The AP-B10C features oil -

damped cueing control, vibration -ab-sorbing insulated legs, a low mass, lowresonance straight tonearm, a stylusoverhang adjustment, and anti -skatingcontrol. The belt -driven, manual turn-table is powered by a 4 -pole synchron-ous motor that provides a choice of 33and 45 rpm speeds. Measurements:5J inches high by 13% inches deep by17% inches wide. Weight: 11 pounds.

Three -Way Speaker System

This ADS three-way speaker system,model L630, features a very high qual-ity dome midrange that provides un-usual clarity and openness in the hu-man voice, according to the company.An acoustic suspension soft -dome 1 -

inch tweeter with a single -layer, high -

temperature metal voice coil, has amagnetic flux density of 1.65 Teslas(16,500 gauss), a magnetic flux of onemillion nW, and an operating frequen-cy range from 4,000 to 25,000 Hz. Theacoustic suspension soft -dome mid-range 1% -inch driver with high tem-perature metal voice coil has a mag-netic flux density of 1.5 Teslas (15,000gauss), the same magnetic flux as thetweeter, and an operating frequencyrange from 650 to 4,000 Hz. The long -excursion woofer is 10 inches in diam-eter, with a 1% -inch high -temperature


= It soundsCie like music.c.a) lnterface:C Senes II

(n is the fulfillment ofour six -year asso-

ciation with optimallyIIvented speakers basedon the theories ofA.N. Thiele - speakerdesigns first int'oducedby Electro-Voice in 1973.The Interface:C offersyou a unique combinationof high efficiency andhigh power capacity- theonly way to accuratelyreproduce the 120+ dBpeak sound pressurelevels found in sometypes of live music.

The SuperDomeTvtweeter, an E -V exclusive,and the VMRTN vented

111m.midrange driver, the firstto apply optimally venteddesign to mid frequen-cies, ensure your musicis reproduced withoutthe coloration normallyfound in other high -efficiency drivers. Anhonest 30 Hz low endtotally eliminates theneed for expensive sub -

41..woofer assemblies.

When you spend $1fora speaker system.

,000

get your money's worth.

Interface dealer. If youwant a speaker that

Audition the Interface:CSeries II at your nearest

sounds like music. theInterface:C Series II isthe one you'll buy.

Ey EleCtiC):OC(10gagultrt company

EDO Cec IStraet,Buchanan. Michigan 1007


11

McIntosh"A TechnologicalMasterpiece..."

--o -0 00000-6- E

McIntosh C 32

"More Than a Preamplifier"

McIntosh has received peerless ac-

claim from prominent product

testing laboratories and outstand-ing international recognition! Youcan learn why the "more than apreamplifier- C 32 has been

selected for these unique honors.

Send us your name and addressand we'll send you the completeproduct reviews and data on all

McIntosh products, copies of theinternational awards. and a NorthAmerican FM directory. You will

understand why McIntosh productresearch and development alwayshas the appearance and tech-

nological look to the future.

Keep up to date.Send now - - -

McIntosh Laboratory Inc.Box 96 East Side StationBinghamton. NY 13904

Name _

Address

City State Zip

If you are in a hurry for your catalog pleasesend the coupon to McIntosh. For non -rushservice send the Reader Service Card to themagazine.


A,DOSHOWCASEvoice coil and shallow StiffliteTM cone.The magnetic flux density is 0.90 Teslas(9,000 gauss), the magnetic flux is850,000 nW, the free air resonant fre-quency is 20 Hz, and the operatingfrequency range is 20 to 650 Hz. Theoverall speaker system has a frequencyresponse of 33 to 20,000 Hz (± 3 dB)or 22 to 22,000 Hz (± 5 dB). Otherspecs: musical peak power rating, 200\V; recommended amplifier power, 20W minimum, 200 NV maximum; cross-over frequencies, 650 and 4,000 Ilz;slope, 12 dB 'octave; efficiency, 91SPL at 1 watt RMS input at 1 meter.Price: under $300 each.

Metal Cassette Tape

TDK Electronics' newly - developedmetal particle tape, designated MA -R,is loaded into a "Reference Standard"cassette mechanism made of die-castmetal. The metal tape utilizes particleshaving much greater magnetic energythan do conventional oxide particles.The company claims to have "balanced"these magnetic properties with otherfactors to produce a stable, reliabletape. Coercivity of the new tape is1050 oersteds, while remanence is

MIT AM SA ...MI:it ergo

-AL

MC MEW CASSE TE

IMMOIMMO MA -R C60 ettTCIK a,s1Mire UM

IMWIlr S ..c.COEACIrtTr I NM EMMA imMIll

IE


fixed at 3000 gauss. In a suitably bi-ased cassette deck, a "phenomenal"increase of high -frequency maximumoutput level (MOL) of as much as7 dB can be expected. Higher MOLat mid -frequencies is also obtained.The revolutionary new shell that housesthe tape is designed to be less sensi-tive to warp than conventional plasticmolded shells, and is not subject at allto deformation caused by changes inambient temperature or humidity. Per-formance uniformity between A and Bsides of the cassette shell is assured.Other features of the new shell in-clude: removable, replaceable erasesensor lugs; new dual -spring pressurepad assembly; transparent slip sheet.The die-cast transport mechanism andtape pack are mounted between twotransparent sheets of plastic material.

TDK's 60 -minute MA -R cassette has asuggested retail price of $12.99.

E_xtended Dynamic Range Preamp

To preserve the dynamic range andmusical detail of your records, RCDynamics offers this new RC: Dimen-sion 3 Stereo Control Preamplifier for$595. The unit's primary advance isclaimed to be a new circuit architec-ture that is free of the transient over-load distortion that plagues the phonosections of other preamps. If a recordsounds flat and lacking in detail, saysRG, the problem might be in yourpresent preamp rather than in yourrecords. Operating features include: a32 -step volume control; tone controlswith true center "flat" positions and acomplete bypass; six inputs, including


two phono inputs; gold-plated phonojacks. The phono section offers a dy-namic overload capability in excess of20 dB over conventional units, accord-ing to the company. Also featured are:two tape inputs; two auxiliary inputsfor tuners or other sources; a connec-tion for an outboard dynamic proces-sor, equalizer or other add-on.

Time Delay System

Audio Pulse's Model 1000 time-delaisystem is a third -generation unit fea-turing refined functions and aesthetics.New to the unit is an exclusive dynam-ic range expander circuitry with LEI)gain display. Delay time in microsec-onds, and ambience in seconds, are


digitally displayed on the front panel.Input level is displayed by means ofan LED array. A unique mono voice -detection system defeats the ambiencesystem for between -song dialogue onradio broadcasts. Ambience circuitrycan also be over -ridden by a remotedefeat switch. There's an output withambience mix control for headphones.Additional features include: tape mon-itoring facilities; external long/shortadditional outputs for six or eight chan-nel operation; separate rear -channelbalance control: individual input 'imt-

12 HI-Fi/STEREO BUYERS' GUIDE

FROM PICKERING

44149 4,,,ildTHE STEREOHEDRON SERIESFrc-i on: of tie oldes: names n soundde\alopment comes the latest sound innovation...the Ste-ejhedron Stylus tip...with e:zp-andedcor-3ct a -ca for truest fideli:v. Aid no+.4a it'savE ab E from Pickering in three great cartridges.The critically acclaimed XS V/3000, the newXS' '400J with expanded frequency responserange, and the ultimate in h gh compliance, theXS?'5300 with the mcst farh'Ll low frequencytrac-.abil ty for rich bass responsepliAs waceabilityto c pture al the high 'requency info-rrationcorr ain3:11 ii today's finest recordings. creatingwhale new experience in recorded sound.

XSV/3000

pc<ERING -

k,57.14000

XSVi4000

lox

pool

XSV/5000

c 1970P CKIERIKG &CO INC

PICKERING "for those who can /hear/ the difference"101 Sunnyside Blvd., Plainview, N.Y. 1180.3

Circle No 36 On Reader Service Card

HI-Fi/Stereo BUYERS' GUIDEgives you the absolute tops innumber of equipment testreports per issue.

tilliAtentoCASSETTE DECK FEATURES

If you're a"best -buy -buyer, don'tmiss a singleissue!

Mail this coupon to.HI-Fi / StereoBUYERS' GUIDEBox 1855 GPONew York, NY 10001

SAVE$2.00 off regular subscription rate.$2.15 off newsstand rate.

E Enclosed is $5.95 for 6 issues of HFSBG(outside U.S.A., possessions send $7.00)

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These are just a few of the money -saving reasons to writefor free details. You can't lose so why not fill out andmail the coupon below for immediate information.101=

. dam DISCOUNT MUSIC CLUB. INC. DEPT11-1.17,650 Main Street, New Rochelle. N.Y 10801

I Name

Address

Lin,

..Circle No. 25 On Reader Service Card

14

I'D

,DOSHOWCASEput controls; front/rear function switchfor mode selection; six initial delays;capability to mix ambience in frontchannels to obtain stage depth. Model1000 is designed for use with externalamplification and secondary speakers.Specifications: frequency response. 20to 20,000 Hz for direct (front) mode,headphone amplifier and dynamicrange expander; frequency responsefor delayed (rear) mode, 20 to 10,000Hz; input sensitivity, 50 mV to 60Vvariable; input impedance, greaterthan 100K ohms; initial delay, 7, 12,

18, 32, 41 and 53 mSec minimum;(continuously variable to 12, 21, 33.58, 74 and 05 mSec maximum). Price:$950.00.

Carryin' Case for CassetteTapes On the Go

Savoy Leather Co. offers a full line of8 -track and cassette tape carrying andstorage units. This one is the AC -60(Style 2160), which is a padded at-tache -style carrying case that holds 60cassettes at a time. Designed to benigged, the AC -60 includes threepiano -type hinges which assure hassle -free opening and closing of the caseand prevent the case from warping.


Exterior is made of virgin vinyl, andflocked rayon is used for the interior.Price is $25.95 each, with a one-yearmaterials and workmanship warranty.

Three -head Cassette Deck

United Audio Products' Dual 830 front -loading stereo cassette deck offersthree heads for true tape monitoringduring recording, full record/playbackmetal capability, and electronic fade/edit fo rediting during playback. Aphase -locked loop DC servo motorwith integral frequency generator pro-vides highly accurate and stable tapedrive, according to the manufacturer.Logic -controlled tape -transport func-tions and an electronic tape -motionsensor prevent jams and tape spills. Aunique Dual Direct Load and Lock

System (DLLS) eliminates hinged cas-sette door and provides automatic headprotection during insertion and removalof a cassette. A six -way bias/equaliza-tion switch includes a setting for newmetal tapes. Equalized LEDs providepeak -level indications. Other features:twin -belt drive system; two-way lineMIC mixing; switchable limiter cir-cuit; headphone level controls; MPXfilter switch; Dolby noise reduction;left/right microphone inputs; Sendustrecord and playback heads. Price:$499.95.

10 -Band Equalizer

A new 10 -band equalizer from USJVC Corp. can "tune your room" foraudio reproduction of the highest qual-ity. The equalizer utilizes a pink noisegenerator that simulates the responseof the human ear; energy distributionis constant as the signal doubles be-tween 100 Ilz and 200 Hz; for ex-ample. The SEA -80 is claimed to actu-ally analyze a room's acoustics so thatyou can make exact compensations oneach of the ten channels. A FluorescentSpectrum Analyzer Display divides in-put into ten bands (corresponding tothe center frequencies of the equaliza-tion controls) and displays the dlilevel of each on ten, bright fluorescentbars. An eleventh bar charts over-allvolume. This visual graph of a room'sacoustics ensures real equalization, saysJVC. Each display bar is designed torise rapidly and fall slowly to enhancethe visual representation of what your


ears actually hear. The display coversthe frequency range from 32 Hz to16,000 Hz over the range from 0 to26 dli. The SEA -80's mode switch al-lows a graphic reading of either theleft- or right -channel signals alone, aswell as both together. A memory fea-ture allows holding an input indicationfor closer inspection. The unit is sat'd

to aid in control of high frequencysignals when recording on cassettetapes. Suggested retail price: $599.95.

(Continued on page 19)

HI-FI/STEREO BUYERS' GUIDE

ACCURACY.JBL LAYS IT ON THE LINE.Why do so many stars and stu- to match the music as played.dios use JBLs? And more dis- Clear and lifelike.cos* than any other speaker? We can state this withAccuracy is the some pride since weanswer. The , create our speakersmusic as per- from the gr)und up.formed. That's i; Concept, design, indi-the sound the vidual components-pros insist on. " all are created at ourNo wonder 7 of plant and tested

20 5 0 100 200 .5oo Ik K20tithe 10 top al- F,,,,,, (Hz, against stmgent en -bums in 1978 On -axis frequency response, gineering s2ecifi-were recorded, L212 system. cations. Rigorousmixed or mastered on JBLs!* quality control is applied every

And that's the sound we step of the way.demand in every

-

We could go intospeaker in our ""'"""-- more technical detailline. JBL speak - 0ers are designed


but we want toReep our mes-sage short and sweet. Thereason so many stars, studiosand professional installationsprefer our speakers is JBL ac-curacy. Their living depends onhow good they sound. So if youquestion your own ears, trusttheirs.

James B. Lansing Sound,Inc.. 8500 Balboa Boulevard,Northridge. CA91329.

FIRSTWITH THE

PROS.

4 -

*Billboard Disco Survey, 1!78.**Recording Institute of America Survey.

Circle No. 21 On Reader Service Card15

Ifyou readthe specs,youworitbelieve the prices:

MS -10 Loudspeakers:$330.00* a pair

DP-EC7 Turntable: $300.00*

s ip

DA -C7 Tuner-

Preamplifier:$360.00*

00 0 firF ;ECG

DT -10 DA-A7DCCassette Tape Deck: Power Amplifier:

$370.00* $330.00*

16

*Manufacturer's suggested retail price.


Ifyou readthe pnces,youwont

believe the specs:DP-EC7 Turntable:Drive

SpeedsSpeed selectionWow and flutter

Speed adjustmentSignal-to-noise ratio

Tone arm, S -type

Effective lengthOverhangTracking errorOffset angle

Headshell fiber reinforced plastic (FRP)Anti -skating mechanism Dial settingPossible cartridge wt. 5.0-10.5 gr.Tracking force adjustment

0-3.0 gr. (0.1 gr. step)Special functions: Auto lead-in, Autoreturn from lead-in. Auto lead -out, Freelift/cue, Free L -R traverse, Cue preventionin absence of record, Auto speed change.

20 -pole direct -driveDC Servomotor331/3 and 45rpm

Automatic/manualLess than 0.03%

( WRMS)±3.0%

Better than 73dB(DIN 45-539-B)

universal,static balance227mm (9")14mm (9/16")

+2.9° - 1.5°22°

MS -10 Loudspeakers:

System/cabinet finish 2-way/walnutImpedance 6f/ ( min. 5n at 2kHz)Power handling capacity

100W (IEC rated power)Frequency response 35-20,000Hz ±4dBSpeakers

Woofer 25cm ( 10") cone,GFRP honejcomb

Tweeter 5cm (2 coneOutput acoustic (pressure level)

87dB/W L 1 meter

DA-A7DC Power Amplifier:Note: All measurements are for 8 ohms

output unless otherwise stated.Minimum continuous output power 75W

per channel, both channels driven, from15Hz- 20kHz, with no more than0.01% total harmonic distortion.

Total harmonic distortion 20Hz -20kHzAt 40W per channel 0.004%

Intermodulation distortion(70Hz: 7kHz, 4: I )


DA-A7DC Power Amplifier: (cont.)At rated power 0.008%At 1W per channel 0.01%

Power bandwidth (IMF) (10Hz- 60kliz)(0.05% THD)

Frequency responseAt rated power

At 0.5W per channel+0, -1dB DC- 150kHz

Input sensitivity 1VDamping factor 100, 20Hz - 20kHzChannel separation

At IkHz 80dBAt 20kHz 60dB

Signal-to-noise ratio at rated powerIHF-A closed circuit 122dB

+0, -0.1dB20Hz - 20kHz

DA -C7 Tuner -Preamplifier:FM Tuner SectionUsable sensitivity

Mono 11.2 dBf (2.0µV)Stereo 23.1 dBf (7.8µV)

50 dB quieting sensitivityMono 20dBf (5.5µV)

40dBf (55 µV)StereoSignal-to-noise ratio

Mono: 76dBFrequency response

Stereo: 73dB+0.5,- ldB

30Hz- 161cHzTotal harmonic distortion at 1kHz, 65dBf( figures in brackets for 'narrow' setting)

Mono 0.08% (0.25%)Stereo 0.1%(0.5%)

Capture ratio 1dB (2dB)Alt. chan. selectivity 50dB (75dB)Stereo separation (1kHz) 45dB (35dB)

AM Tuner Section

Usable sensitivitySelectivityTotal harmonic distortionIF response ratio

200µ V/m (bar ant.)25dB

1%40dB

Preamplifier SectionInput sensitivity/impedance

Phono 1/2 2.5mV/50k1/Aux, Play 1/2 150mV/50kf2

Output level/impedanceRated 1w600n


Preamplifier Section (cont.)Maximum 10VRec 1/2 150mV/6000

Signal-to-noise ratio, IIF-A networkPhono 1/2 87dB (10mV)Aux, Play 1/2 99dB (closed circuit)

Total harmonic distortion at rated output,attenuator at -20dB, 1kHzAll inputs 0.003%

RIAA deviation -±0.2dB,20Hz-20klizTone controls boost/cut

Bass ±710c1B at 100 HzTreble ±10dB at 10kHz

Subsonic filter 18Hz ( -6dB/oct)Power consumption 25W

DT -10 Cassette Tape Deck:

Tape speed 4.75cm/sec (17/sips) 7-171%Wow and flutter

(playback) 0.06% wrmsFast forward/rewind 80sec (C-60 tape)S/N ratio +3VU, weighted, 400Hz

(200pwb/mm)Dolby out: 56dB Dolby in: 64dB

Erasure ratio(1kHz)

CrosstalkBetween channels( 500 - 6,300Hz)Between tracks( 1 kHz)

Harmonic distortion, 400 HzI 160pwb/nun)

Frequency responseNormal tape 40-12,000Hz ±3dBSpecial tape 40-15,000Hz ±3dB

Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories, Inc.

70dB

35dB

65dB

1%

The"Economy"audio systemfrom Mitsubishi. Hear it atyour dealer's now. And don'tbring a lot of money.

ArtMITSUBISHISAUDIO SYSTEMSPor more injunntillon write

Melco Sales, Inc. Dept. 44, 3030 E Victoria St.Compton, California 90221.

17

Ohm'sLally 9It is possible to make a loudspeakerthat gets loud and still sounds good.

Ohm introducesanother new loudspeakerthat defies the traditionallaws of loudspeaker design.The new Ohm I.

It used to be, if youliked listening to music asloud as life in your home, youhad a tough choice to make.You could buy high efficien-cy "monster" systems, andput up with the boom andshriek. If you wantedsomething smoother (withreally deep bass), you couldbuy low efficiency systems,but then you'd need anamplifier big enough topower Toledo.

The Ohm I solvesthe problem. It can achieve

concert hall levels inyour home effortlessly,with no sacrifice in band-width, linearity, or imagingabilities. While the Ohm Igets amazingly loud withas little as 10 watts input,it can handle 1000 wattscomfortably.

It's the world's firstgood and loud loudspeaker.

Inside the Ohm I, you'llfind everything we'velearned about multi -driverdynamic loudspeaker de-sign. It uses a total of fivedrivers, including a 12 -inch,optimally -vented subwooferwith an incredible 72 ounce

magnet. Voice coils arecooled by magnetic fluid toincrease power handling.The Ohm I's beautifully -finished, floor -standingenclosure is compactenough to fit gracefully intoany home.

The new Ohm I's arealready earning rave re-views from stereo critics.After listening to them, The

discreet. It was all there,without saying 'Here I am'....The treble filled the roomwith a spacious sweetnessthat seemed...downrightseductive...(The Ohm I) willbring out the best from anyprogram material and willalso do justice to the comingglories of digital recording...this is a speaker with a

Complete Buyer's Guide future - for the future."to Stereo/Hifi Equipment For a listening exper-says, "The volume level ience you've never enjoyedwas approaching the before except at a live per -threshold of pain, but the formance, visit your localspeakers were showing no Ohm dealer. Ask to hearsign of strain. The response, the world's first good andregardless of level, was loud loudspeaker: the newsmooth and free from Ohm I.annoying colorations...Toooften a loud loudspeaker isdeficient in many otherareas. Fortunately, this isnot the case with theOhm I...."

According to HifiStereo Buyer's Guide(8/79), the new Ohm I has"...a combination of effi-ciency and power handlingthat, as far as we know, For 16 complete reviews,is unmatched." They con- and full specifications,tinue: "(The Ohm I) is one of please write us at: Ohmthe finest speakers we've Acoustics Corp., 241 Taaffeever heard. There is nothing Place, Brooklyn, N.Y. 11205.it couldn't do and do itsuperbly...it thundered outthe lowest pipe -organpedal notes in a way thatmade us feel we were in agreat cathedral...Whenappropriate, the bass was

We make loudspeakerscorrectly.


A,SHOWCASE(Continued from page 14)

Floor -Standing Loudspeaker System

Mitsubishi Audio's MS -40 floor -shut&ing loudspeaker s5 stem is a new top -of -the -line model that utilizes light andextremely rigid aluminum honeycombin the woofer; the honeycomb is sand-wiched between layers of glass fiber -

reinforced plastic to produce powerfulbass response with excellent definitionand clarity, according to the company.Ferro -nickel rings in the woofer andmidrange reduce distortion to a tenthof that in conventional designs, it'sclaimed. and a gain of 20 d13 can beobserved. The dome tweeter is nestedin a cone -like recess to give a crisp,clear edge to transients and unusual

---

Circle No. 78 OnReader Service Card

smoothness to the highest frequencies.The tweeter's edge material is of hut c1rubber, which also permeates the foam-ed polystyrene that fills the cavity be-hind the hybrid dome tweeter. Thetweeter also incorporates a drive mag-net with very high flux density. A verysharp slope of 18 dB per octave for thehigh-pass filter between midrange andtweeter was selected as optimum. In-ductors are dipped in special varnishto modify impedance characteristics ofthe crossover elements, capacitors withvery low loss factors are used, and re-sistors are of special silicon -dipped ma-terial. Retail price: $550.

Two Speed Cassette Deck

Fisher's CR4028 "Studio Standard"two -speed cassette tape deck recordsat both I% and 3% inches per second.This "major headliner" model, one offive added to the Fisher line, featuresVHT/Sendust heads to enable use ofmetal tapes. At high speed, with eithermetal or other high-performance tape,performance is claimed to be outstand-NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1979

Mg, with frequency ranges extendingfrom 30 Ilz to the 20,000 to 23,000Ilz range, ± 3 dli. At the slower tapespeed, the frequency range is from30 Hz to 14,000 Hz with normal tape,

r, a ,,,,rrit&fioN4sb


15,000 HZ with chrome or FeCr tape,and 16,000 Ilz with metal tape. Signalto noise ratio (CCIR weighted is saidto be 52 dli with Dolby off, 62 dBwith Dolby on. The CR4028 has Fish-er's auto search function (ASF) forautomatically locating and playing se-lections on tape. The deck also in -

chides a cue button to create a silentspace between music selections whichare sensed by the automatic search.function logic circuitry for automaticselection. Suggested retail prices of thenew decks range from $250 to $500,with the CR4028 pegged at an inter-mediate $350.

Automobile Loudspeakers

James B. Lansing Sound now offers twonew automobile loudspeakers, desig-nated as models A30 and A15. Theeconomy model, A15, is rated at 30watts and sells for $179.95 a pair.Model A30, priced at $219.95 a pair,handles 40 watts, with a frequency re-sponse of 30 to 15,000 Hz, and a sensi-


tivity of 93 dB /I watt/1 meter. Thespeaker magnet weighs 20 ounces. Thecoaxial -design speakers feature heavy,cast aluminum frames for durabilityand steel mesh grilles for cone protec-tion. The A30 is a 6 by 9 inch oval,and incorporates a piezoelectric tweeterand long -throw voice coil for wide fre-quency response and great volume andpower handling capability, accordingto JBL. Both models are designed forstandard and custom installations.

MicroScan Cassette Deck

Phase Linear's Model 7000 Series TwoMicroScan cassette deck, claimed to be

the most sophisticated cassette deck onthe market, features automatic settingof bias, level and equalization by meansof a MicroScan microprocessor. Thereare nine memories for nine differenttypes of tapes. The deck has threeheads, including a uni-crystal Ferriterecord/playback combination (plusseparate eraser head). A quartz, PLLdirect -drive motor drives the capstan,while a special coreless DC motor drivesthe reel. Wow and flutter is put at lessthan 0.03':;, WRMS. Other specifica-tions: signal-to-noise ratio, greater than70 dB with Dolby on, and greater than60 dB with Dolby off; frequency re-sponse with standard tape, 20 to 19,000

r33.Z.:


Hz, or 25 to 16,000 Hz ± 3 dB; totalharmonic distortion, less than 1'4, (0dB). Other features include: record orplayback timer capabilities; digital read-outs for tape counter and memory loca-tions as well as fluorescent VU displaymeter; memory/repeat feature. Price:$1,350.

New AR Vertical Speaker

Teledyne Acoustic Research says thisnew AR92 vertical loudspeaker systemis essentially the same as its cousin, theAR91 model, except for use of a 10 -inch rather than 12 -inch woofer, anduse of a walnut -grained vinyl veneerinstead of oiled walnut veneer for thecabinet. In addition to the acousticsuspension type woofer, the systemutilizes a 11k -inch liquid -cooled domemidrange with semi -horn, and a %-inchliquid -cooled dome highrange driver.Crossover frequencies are 700 and 7500Hz, nominal impedance is 4 ohms, andefficiency is put at 87 dB SPL at 1

meter on axis with a 1 -watt input. Thespeaker may be used with amplifierscapable of delivering up to 200 watts


19

A,DISHOWCASE(Continued from page 19)

continuous power per channel, beingdriven into clipping no more than 10percent of the time, using normal musicor speech source material. Nominal 12dB/octave half -section LC networksare used on all drivers. The midrange.network is a modified half -section con -

tanking additional components for im-proved impedance characteristics andoptimal network -to -driver matching.The midnurge and highrange outputsare controlled by switchable resistornetworks. Components used include:air -core chokes wound with #17 A\VGsolid conductor; computer -grade bi-polar electrolytic capacitors; non-indue-tive high power ceramic resistors. Otherspecs: system low -frequency response,-3 dB at 44 Hz; effective system Q,0.7 at resonance; flux densities, woofer8900 gauss, midrange 13,000 gauss,highnuige, 14,000 gam's. Suggested re-tail price: $300 per speaker.

Audio Pulse Digital Time Delay is pos-sibly the greatest advance in soLndreproduction since stereo. A strongstatement indeed, hut we feel strongl.about it. By means oftime delay, the ambi-ence of the live per-formance is returnedto the music in a waynot possible witho-dinary stereo repro-duction.

Stereo gave us leftand right imaging-Audio Pulse gives wthe realism of deptland spatial percep-tion by digitally pro-cessing, delaying arc

reci-cula:ing p -c gram material througha seccr dary set of rear speakers. Theapc are -it size a -id acoustic treatmentof t -iat are I can be adjusted by simple

front -panel functions.Digital time delay

must really be heardto be appreciated...but once you do, youwon't want to listenwithout it.

Audio Pulse offerscomplete digital timedelay systems. ModelTwo, the new Model1000 and two sets ofspecially designedsecondary speakers

II PulseYOU WON'T MISS IT UNTIL IT'S C -ONE...

© 1979 Audio Puke, Inc., 4323 Arder Drive, El lvixqe, CA 91731 (213) 579-4873

A4.00 1111

lilt NA..

20

DIG, UL rnmE-oeute irsEM

Ci-cle No. 6 On Reader Service Card

Cassette Deck for Metallic Tape

Sony Audio's TC-K75 cassette deckprovides a four -position equalizationand bias switch that includes a metallictape setting, as well as settings for nor-mal, ferrichrome and chromium dioxidetapes. To ensure accurate sound re-production with all types of tapes, aspecial dual -process three -head designis used. Two motors move the tape.


The first, a BSL DC servo motor pow-ers the capstan drive; the second is aservo spooling motor used to drive thereel hubs and to provide fast forwardand rewind. This system helps providewow and flutter of only 0.04'; \1'R \1S,according to the company. In additionto Dolby noise reduction, there is a19 -kHz switchable filter and variablebias adjustable settings with built-intest -tone oscillator. A sixteen -segmentLED peak program meter displays peakrecording levels for each channel. Func-tions of the TC-K75 are programmedwith microprocessor solenoid -logicfeather -touch controls for going fromfast forward to rewind, without firstgoing through stop. The logic circuitalso permits "punch -in" recording ofnew materials, even during playbackmode. Other features include: Auto -Space REC mute to delete unwantedprogram material while recording; timeractivated record/play capabilities; dualconcentric record level controls withline/mic input selector; headphone/line-out level control; Auto Play withmemory activation; removable wellcover for easy maintenance; air -dampedsoft eject. Frequency response is 30 to18,000 Hz ± 3 dB. Price: $600.

Stereo Integrated AmplifierAiwa's model AA -8300U stereo inte-grated amplifier features power outputof 45 watts per channel, at 8 ohms,with 0.1% total harmonic distortion.Many features are incorporated intothe unit, and include: peak powermeters; two -deck capability with A -B,B -A dubbing; muting switch (-15 dB)for temporarily lowering volume; lowand high filters; and a four-way speakersystem selector switch (A,B,A+B, Off).Power amplifier specifications: inter -modulation distortion, no more than0.1% (continuous rated power output);damping factor, 45, 20 to 20,000 Hz,8 ohms; IHF power band width, 10 to40,000 Hz. Pre -amplifier specifications:

(Continued on page 74)HI-FI/STEREO BUYERS' GUIDE

That's not a big "if."Most records manufactured today are

warped. And even when the warps arebarely discernible, they interfere withaccurate tracking.

The stylus must follow the groovewhether it's flat or warped. The heavierthe tonearm and cartridge, the more thestylus will tend to dig in when it ridesup the warp and to lose contact on theway down.

Conventional tonearms and cartridgeshave a total effective mass of approxi-mately 18 grams. (Some are even higher.)Dual's new Ultra Low Mass (ULM)tonearm and cartridge system has a totaleffective mass of 8 grams. The differencethis makes in record playback is audibleand measurable.

The high inertia of an 18 -gramtonearm and cartridge combination cancause tracking force to vary as much as30 percent. And a warp as small as 1.5mm (not unusual in new records) cangenerate harmonic distortion of 2.7percent. That's audible!

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popdiscsA review of the lc tost 00oular music rolecses

by KEN IRSAY

James Taylor: "Flag." Columbia. $8.98.Carly Simon: "Spy." Elektra. $8.98.

Dear James and Carly: I recommendyour latest releases unhesitatingly to myreaders. James, your album, as usual.is a quality stereo -owner's delight withits state-of-the-art production values.Your laid-back vocals combined withthe Section's hot rock instrumentationare perfection indeed. And Carly . . .

what can I say? Carly, Carly, Carly . . .

"nobody does it better." From the rock-ing "Vengeance" to your Jake Brack -

man collaboration. "Never Been Gone,"my neighborhood pizza joint shouldhave delivery half as good as yours.

The Knack: "Get The Knack." Capitol.$7.98.

Capitol Records definitely wants youto think of the early Beatles when yousee and hear this record. The coverphoto has the group posing in the fami-liar Beatles performing configuration,and the color spectrum perimeter re-cord label design has been revived bythe company for this release. It wasused on the early Beatles albums, butlong since retired. A well -crafted com-bination of "new wave" abandon andmainstream rock, the music brings theLiverpudlians to mind. The unit is en-tirely self-contained: rhythm and leadguitar, bass and drums. The produceris Mike Chapman, among whose creditsare Blondie, Exile and Nick Gilder.

Peter Frampton: "'Where I Should Be."A & M. $7.98.

There's much more of his guitar play-ing here, and his vocals are more

blues', although of a boogie rathezthan bereaved bent. It's his best effortsince the big live album.

John Cougar: "John Cougar." Riva.$7.98.

John Cougar is the pride of Bloom-ington, Indiana. His gritty vocals andunpretentious bar band backup havecome to be known as the Midwest Rocksound, most typified by Bob Seger andhis Silver Bullet band. "Welcome toChinatown" is particularly similar tothe Seger style, complete with femalebackground singers a la "Night Moves."Cougar's group, The Zone, plays toughand assured.

David Bowie: "Lodger." RCA. $8.98.Just about every style Bowie has

ever experimented with is representedin this collection. Chanting, straightnarration and progressive rock borderon the weird at times but the tone isgenerally more "up" than some of hisrecent works.

The Who: "The Kids Are Alright."MCA. $12.98.

This retrospective of The Who'scareer from 1966 through 1978 is com-prised of some of their biggest hitstaken from the soundtracks of variousU.S. and overseas TV appearances andlive concerts. "My Generation," from a1967 Smothers Brothers TV show, ispreceded by a howlingly funny intro ofthe group by Tommy Smothers. The

sound quality can most charitably bedescribed as variable, but as rock his-tory, the set is a gem.

Arlo Guthrie: "Outlasting the Blues."Warner Bros. $7.98.

In terms of sound quality, melody,lyrics and instrumentation, this is quitesimply Arlo Guthrie 's best album. In aforceful opener called "Prologue," Arloreveals his disillusionment with the"love generation" of the mid -Sixties.On "Which Side," he admits the world'stroubles are many and confusing, butdeclares that one must take a stand oneither the right side or the wrong. Theinstrumental backup by Arlo's long-time accompanists, Shenandoah, is firstrate soft rock with some occasional


22 HI-FI/STEREO BUYERS' GUIDE

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A GUIDE TO LONDON DIGITAL RECORDINGwith the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Ifind disappointing, both

RECENTMEHTMAHLER

S6 niptburn Na 4 in G AO.Me &reel Pfillharmortir On ini

liarturu / kndrirtrOgwoune

musically andsonically. Mehta's new version of theSymphony No. 4 is a rather hasty

he doesaffair and not sentimentalize,an approach very far removed from

STEREO the Claudio Abbado-Vienna Philhar-monic Deutsche Grammophon LP of

RECORDINGS. i

last year. The Israel Philharmonic playswell enough, and Hendricks is appro-priately angelic in the final movement.

by THOMAS D. KELLY While the dynamic range of the record-

\iling is indeed quite wide, I do not hearvery much warmth, and there is little

An avid record collector for nearly 20years, Thomas D. Kelly has a keen earfor both live music and full-fi sound.Mr. Kelly played the records he reviewshere on equipment consisting of anEmpire 39 transcription system with aShure V15 III cartridge, a C/M Labs911 stereo amplifier, a Marantz 7T pre-amp, and two Bozak B-400 speakers.

Subdued sound

corded with the digital process, butMahler's gentle score is of such a placidnature, with a minimum of percussion,that I expected a more spectacular dis-play piece to be selected by London,

concert -hall ambience. Although per -haps not recorded with the advantagesof the new technological process, I stillprefer hearing the superb I laitink-Con-certgebouw performance on Philips, orthe old but still remarkably fine sound -ing Solti-Concertgebouw LP on Lon -don in addition to Abbado's recordingmentioned above.

@ Mahler: Symphony No. 4 in C; Ma-jor. Barbara Hendricks, soprano, withthe Israel Philharmonic Orch., cond.Zubin Mehta, London LDR 10004( digital recording).

It seems to me that the choice ofNlahler's Symphony No. 4 for a digitalrecording is somewhat strange. True,any orchestra performance should bemore accurately reproduced when re-

such as one of the Respighi symphonicpoems, or a Stravinsky ballet. Regard-less, here we have this new recordingof Mahler's most popular symphony,and it is a fine, if not totally outstand-ing disc. Mehta's way with Mahler isparadoxical. Ile has recorded a mag-itificent Symphony No. 2 with theVienna Philharmonic for London, buthis recordings of the Symphony No. I

and Symphony No. 5, the former withthe Israel Philharmonic and the latter

@ Prokofiev: Lt. Kije Suite, Op. 60;1 Scythian Suite, Op. 20. Chicago Sym-phony Orch., cond. Claudio Abbado,Deutsche Grammophon 2530 967.

Neither of these scores is new to theChicago Symphony on discs, althoughthe orchestra's early RCA recording ofthe Scythian Suite with Desire Defauwconducting has long been absent fromthe catalog. Defauw had a very short

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career with the Chicago Orchestra, andwas followed by Rodzinski, Kubelik,Reiner, Martinon and Solti. During

Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 1 hasbeen reissued, along with new record-ings of the other two Rachmaninoff

London stereo version with Ernest An -sermet and the Suisse Romande Or -chestra, still available on London. Since

Reiner's regime the orchestra recorded symphonies, in this bargain -priced Vox that time there have bee a number ofLt. Kije for RCA, a performance ofconsiderable merit, beautifully cap-

Box with a list price of $11.95. Thesame high musical qualities that dis-

fine recordings of this remarkable score,notably versions by Boulez and the

tured by the engineers in the good old tinguish the recording of the first sym- New York Philharmonic, Davis withdays of Orchestra Hall's finest aeons- phony are also to be found in the other the Concertgebouw, Monteux with thetics. This disc is still i the catalog two. It is amazing how the Saint Louis Boston Symphony and by the composer(coupled with The Song of the Night- Symphony Orchestra produces the himself with an excellent studio or-ingale of Stravinsky, RCA LSC 2150). sounds heard in these recordings; they chestra. London's new recording easilyAbbado's new recording of both Pro- surely have never impressed like this can stand comparison with the best ofkofiev scores is stunning. The DG en- on previous disc efforts. The answer these. Dolinkinyi is unquestionably onegineers have found the perfect way to obviously is that the orchestra has of today's fine young conductors, andcapture the rich beauty of the Chicago grown enormously in stature, that he already has to his credit a mag-orchestra, and there is a rather remark- Slatkin is a Rachmaninoff conductor of nificent coupling of Mendelssohn's fifthable dynamic range. Lt. Kije here is the first rank and that the engineers and first symphonies, as well as the finala quixotic affair, as Abbado misses have worked "miracles" in capturing scene from Strauss's Salome and anone of the score's wit, and under his such incredibly rich orchestral textures. suite from Berg's opera Lulu, the latterdirection the masses of sound of the The solidity in the bass is remarkable disc recorded with soprano Anja SiljaScythian Suite, particularly the conclu- on appropriate audio equipment, and as the two depraved heroines. It ission of the final movement, are much high frequencies have that satisfying rather painful to listen to Silja attempt -more than mere cacophonous display. sizzle so dear to audiophiles. By all ing to sing these difficult roles, but theIf you're looking for a new recording means get this album. You will ,not be orchestral accompaniment is utterlyof these brilliant Prokofiev scores, you disappointed. magnificent and beautifully recorded.could do no better than to get this This new version of Petrushka is equal -superlative DC recording. ly stunning sonically, with the right hall

@ Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 1 in

© Stravinsky: Petrushka ( completeballet). Vienna Philharmonic Orch.,cond. Christoph von Dohnanyi, Lon-

sound, plenty of warmth and depth,and a remarkable dynamic range. In-terpretively, too, it offers a brilliant

D Minor, Op. 13; Symphony No. 2 in don CS 7106. balletic approach, with Horst Gobel asE Minor, Op. 27; Symphony No. 3 in Ever since the early days of LP, the superlative pianist in this fascinat-A Minor, Op. 44. Saint Louis Sym- Petrushka has been a display vehicle ing ballet that began life as a work forphony Orch., cond. Leonard Slatkin, for fine sound equipment, and perhaps piano and orchestra and later expandedVox Box QSVBX 5152, three records. some collectors remember the early into its present form.

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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1979 Circle No. 23 On Reader Service Card 25

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RECORDINGSTchaikovsky: Suite No. 3 in G

Major, Op. 55. Los Angeles Philhar-monic Orch., cond. Michael TilsonThomas, Columbia M 35124.

Tchaikovsky's four orchestral suitesare surprisingly neglected by concertaudiences, as they contain some of theRussian master's most inspired writing.Each is a suite of dances, all richlyorchestrated. The Suite No. 3 is themost popular of all because of its final"Theme and Variation" section, inwhich a simple theme is given a dozencolorful variations culminating in anexhilarating Polacca. If you enjoyTchaikovsky's ballet scores you'll doubt-lessly enjoy the music in his orchestralsuites, particularly the Suite No. 3.Michael Tilson Thomas, who alreadyhas to his credit a fine account ofTchaikovsky's Symphony No. 1, isequally at home in this music, and theLos Angeles Philharmonic, while notone of the most polished orchestras inthe U.S., plays vigorously. Keen com-petition for this new recording comesfrom an Angel Melodiya disc withKiril Kondrashin conducting the Mos-cow Philharmonic. And if you'd like tohear all four suites immaculately playedand wonderfully recorded, get the\lercury three -LP album (speciallypriced) with the New Philharmonia Or-chestra conducted by Antal Dorati, oneof the true Tchaikovsky master inter-preters of our time.

Tchaikovsky: Violin Concerto in D,Op. 35; Meditation, Op. 42 No. 1.Isaac Stern, violinist, with the NationalSymphony Orchestra of Washington,cond. Mstislav Rostropovich, ColumbiaM 35126.

This performance of the concertowas made last season iii Washington

/ iiie ter/mica/ tlisidat/


after Stern and Rostropovich had per-formed the work on the National Sym-phony's regular subscription series inthe Kennedy Center. Rostropovich is aspecialist in music of Tchaikovsky, like-wise, Stern is an old -hand at the score,with his older recording with Ormandyand the Philadelphia Orchestra still inthe catalog (coupled with the Men-delssohn Concerto in E Minor). As onewould expect, this is an intensely emo-tional, dynamic account of the score,with the first movement having partic-ular breadth and power. Stern, wholately has not always been up to partechnically in his live performances, isin fine form here, and this must becounted among the finest extant record-ings of the concerto. While most com-peting recordings have a complete con-certo as a disc -mate (usually the Men-delssohn), the beautiful but modestMeditation is used as the filler here.

© Verdi: Overtures to Nabucco, Aida,La Forza del nestino, Aroldo, LuisaMiller, I Vespri Siciliani. London Sym-phony Orch., cond. Claudio Abbado,RCA Victor ARL1-3345.

This LP is of particular interest as itoffers the first recording of the originalversion of the overture to Verdi's all-time favorite opera, Aida. Written forthe premiere at La Scala, but with-drawn after orchestral rehearsals, thisversion remained in manuscript until1940 when it was performed with Tos-canini and the NBC Symphony. Oneother performance took place in Italy,but this should be new to today's au-

/ 14 :AfOLDO/ LA FORZA DtL!.OM 111111 H ^OR I( CO ," LIMY NCItWW1 SYMPMAY OfiCHES7RA

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Aida original

diences. The overture begins the sameway as the prelude we all know, but isthen followed by a series of familiarthemes from the rest of the opera.The remainder of the program on thisVerdi LP is a welcome combination ofthe familiar and unfamiliar. RCA's re-production is superlative, with thesound of the large orchestra well cap-tured. A welcome recording that shouldhave great attraction for collectors.

© Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera (Operain Three Acts). Jose Carreras (Ric-cardo); Montserrat Caballe (Amelia);Ingvar Wixell (Renato); PatriciaPayne (Ulrica); Sona Ghazarian (Os-car); Robert Lloyd (Samuel); GwynneHowell (Tom) and others, with theOrchestra and Chorus of the RoyalOpera House, Covent Carden, cond.Colin Davis: Philips 6769 020 (threerecords).

"Un Ballo" can be an exhilaratingexperience in the opera house, or onrecords, if the cast is up to the score's

VerdiUp Ballo in Maschera

CABADI-CARRERAS-PAYINE-111U121'Al 011.114 MOOSI MU. WM..

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Flaws and perfection

demands. This is an opera that is brim-ful with captivating, unending melody,a delight to the operaphile. Philips'new recording cannot be called a totalsuccess, but I would not want to bewithout it because of the sheer vocalbeauty of the leading tenor and so-prano. Carreras has a virile, youthfulsound, perfect for the role of the ill-fated King. His voice is, indeed, amajor plus on the worldwide operascene. Caballe has been around formore than two decades, but on thisrecording she sounds as fresh as ever,and when she is good, she is reallygood. Never before have I heard thefirst act aria, "Ma dall 'arido stelodivulsa," sting more exquisitely. She isutterly magnificent, and seems moredramatically involved with the role ofAmelia than she has been in the pastwith other operatic heroines she hasput to disc. Wixell is a fine Renato,with Robert Lloyd and Gwynne How-ell creating a convincing pair of con-spirators. But Patricia Payne possessesneither the range nor the power in herlower register for the gypsy role ofUlrica, and Sona Ghazarian's Oscar isjust passable. Davis, the orchestra andchorus are as impressive here as theywere in the recent Philips Tosco, andthe engineering is excellent, of thequality one has come to expect fromPhilips. Some listeners may prefer theolder RCA "Ballo" (with LeontynePrice and Carlo Bergonzi with Leins-dorf conducting) for its more even dis-


27

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3ud Dowel/by .?.Tay orThe story of Bud Powell rings

with the harshness of a cliché-theyoung -man -with -a -horn pattern ofartistic brilliance, emotional dis-turbance and early death-forcingitself on a hapless living human.His life followed those eventswhich comprise the classic story ofthe jazz musician: a piano prodigybefore the age of ten, a profes-sional musician during his teens, amajor pianist throughout his twen-ties, in decline at thirty, dead atforty-one.

Although he was a major in-fluence on nearly every jazz pianistwho emerged from the mid -1940'sto the early 1960's, the best ofPowell's music rings differently,and with greater strength. Amongall the hop musicians of the 1940'sPowell was closest in inventivespirit to Charlie Parker and DizzyGillespie. Though certainly influ-enced by such older figures as ArtTatum, Billy Kyle, and his idolThelonious Monk-and possiblyby his contemporary Al Haig aswell as childhood friend ElmoHope-Powell became the style -

setter for his period.He was born Earl Powell in New

York City in 1924 to a pianisticfamily-his father's avocational in-terest in piano rubbed off onPowell and his younger brotherRichie worked as pianist and ar-ranger for the short-lived CliffordBrown -Max Roach band. By 1943Bud Powell was good enough tojoin trumpeter Cootie NVilliams's

big band, and was still with Wil-liams two years later when he tooka savage beating from a policemanin Philadelphia. The beating un-questionably affected his mind,and Powell was in and out of in-stitutions for the next decade-in-cluding the entire year of 1948.Despite his illness which steadilyled to alcoholism, he did his bestwork in these years. The clarity ofhis touch; the speed of his inven-tion; his harmonic imagination;the percussive inspiration of hisacompaniments for the solos ofothers and for his own intricateright-hand melodies-these pointsdrew pianists and fans to Powellat the crest of his career.

By the mid -1950s, his sufferingbegan to tell in his work. His tech-nique faltered, and though heemployed a more restrained (andquite innovative) chordal styleduring these years, his efforts atrecapturing his early melodic stylevaried in success, and rarelyreached his earlier heights.

In 1959, failing physically andin little demand as a performer,Powell exiled to France. There hismusic and health improved, and heoften worked with another expa-

(Continued on page 79)Photo courtesy of Quintessence JazzSeries, Pickwick Records, Inc. Artworkby David M. Olmstead, Spectrum Studio.

J. R. Taylor is with the Smithsonian Insti-tution's Jazz Program. He has written onmusic for the Washington Post BookWorld. the Village Voice and others.


STEREORECORDINGS(Continued Iron) page 27)

tribution of vocal strengths, but evenwith its flaws, I will listen to the newPhilips recording often.

Collections@ The Artistry of Artur Rubinstein.Artur Rubinstein, pianist, RCA VictorARL2-2359, two records.

Now in his nineties, Artur Rubin-stein no longer concertizes because offailing eyesight. But he has been in-deed a legend in his own time fordecades, idolized by millions through-out the world-and his name is magic.Throughout his career he has recordedfor RCA, and countless discs havebeen issued: most of the piano musicof Chopin (but why never theEtudes?), concertos of Beethoven,Brahms, Chopin, Crieg, Liszt, Rach-manilla and Tchaikovsky, and manyother encore -type pieces. All of theconcerto recordings could hardly beconsidered successful, not because ofthe pianist himself, but because of thesubstandard engineering on many ofthem which did not do justice to theperformances. Examples of this are hisrecent recordings of the Beethovenpiano concertos with Barenboim con-ducting, and his concerto recordingswith the Boston Symphony. This newtwin -LP from RCA offers twenty-two"encore" pieces, ending with his fa-mous performance of the "Ritual FireDance" from Falla's El Amor Brujo, along-time favorite of both Rubinsteinand his audiences. Also, one hears shortworks of Schubert, Chopin, Poulenc,Chabrier, Debussy, Liszt, Faure, Schu-mann, Brahms, Prokofiev, Ravel andVilla -Lobos. The reproduction of thesolo piano is close-up and very clear.This is a delightful collection, all takenfrom previous releases, and indeeddoes represent "The Artistry of ArturRubinstein."

Angel 45 RPM Sonic SeriesFaster recording speeds provide the

capacity for greater fidelity. This is aknown fact, and explains why open -reel tape recorded at 15 ips potentiallyis superior to tape at 7% ips, and bothare superior to 3%. This same principle,of course, applies to discs. When Co-lumbia released the first LP they couldhave made the speed 45 rpm, or anyother speed they wished, as long asthe equipment on which to play themwould be available. A speed of 333kwas established for various reasons, one



fact:we've put a NEW plusinto the Super -TrackPlus family of V15Type Ill Cartridges

Freedom from distortion!One of the critically acclaimed Developments introduced in Shure'sincomparable V15 Type IV phono cartridge is its revolutionarydistortion -reducing Hyperelliptical nude diamond tip. It establisheda new standard of sound purity through a dramatic reduction of bothharmonic and intermodulation distortion. Now, the Hyperelliptical tipis also available in the world-famous V15 Type III Super -Track PlusCartridge, bringing together the sound purity and flat response ofthe IV at an eminently affordable price. It is truly second only to oneother cartridge in the world-the V15 Type IV.

If you already own a V15 Type III you canupgrade it!If you already own a V15 Type III, simply replace your present styluswith the new VN35HE improvement stylus. It will give your Type IIIcartridge the same specifications as the new V15 Type III -HE. Thecost is extraordinarily low, yet the difference in sound will beimmediately apparent.

V15 TYPE III -HEStereo Dynetic" Phcno Cartridge and Improvement Stylus

I-1 L.J I=?Shure Brothers Inc.. 222 Hartrey Ave., Evanston. IL 60204. In Canada:A C. Simmonds & Sons LimitedOutside the U.S. or Canada, write to Shure Brothers Inc., Attn: Dept. J6 forinformation on your local Shure distributor.Manufacturers of high fidelity components. microphones. sound systems andrelated circuitry.

Circle No. 47 On Reader Service Card29

In Sixight Jenkins

This column marks mythirteenth profile for thismagazine of a major operaartist and the first one of aperson born in France.Since France is consideredone of the three majorcountries to have producedopera (standing wellahead in the internationalpublic's mind of Britain,the United States andRussia), such an omissionwould seem to be deliber-ate. In fact, however,France unexplainedly hasproduced few interna-tional singers since WorldWar II. But Regine Cres-pin counts for several, andshe is quintessentiallyFrench. Her Gallic quali-ties include charm, bothsensuousness and sensual-ity, the capacity to becoquettish and suggestivewithout seeming either

As Bizet's Carmen, Nis.Crespin envelops theaudience with her en-chanting stage presence.

Rcginc Cres

The stately role of NIme. De Croissy in Dialogues of theCarmelites was one of Regine Crespin's signal triumphs.

silly or offensive and agrasp of how to sing theFrench language unsur-passed in our time. Shepasses from a nationalsinger into the area of in-ternational significance inher musical grasp of Ger-man and Italian styles inmusic and her profound

1 sense of language. MissCrespin speaks Englishwith an attractive, heavilyGallic accent; she singsEnglish with a clarity thatcomes over even in aslarge a house as the Metro-politan Opera. And herknowledge of how to holdthe eye of every memberof the audience whenevershe is onstage, whethersinging or not, makes hertruly, to use the most over-worked word in the Ian-

guage, a star.Born in Marseilles in

1927, she is contemporarywith many of the greatsingers before the publictoday: Leontyne Price,Leonie Rysanek, JoanSutherland, Christa Lud-wig, Beverly Sills andmany others. Her career,of course, began in France,but from the beginningthe size of her voice ledher into the big dramaticroles of Italian opera andinto Wagner. In the firstmajor year of singing inParis-1951-she was hail-ed for Tosca at the OperaComique and for Elsa inLohengrin at the Opera.By the time such a recordas "The Sound of Wag-ner" appeared on Angelin the early 60s, she was

oin

a known and valued com-modity internationally.

Her sound-a huge,round, warm and envelop-ing instrument-was prob-ably larger than BirgitNilsson's. Miss Nilsson,however, focused her voiceprecisely, and it alwaysseemed much larger thanit actually was. Miss Cres-pin had in addition aunique quality of sweet-ness to her sound; herswas the feeling of thecaress of the lover, with aproblem only in the con-trol of the top register.Though her use of the softsound was marvelous inthe middle and lowervoice, time and againwhen she went above a Bflat, she was forced to singat forte. This took awayfrom her overall effect, be -


Ms. Crespin has sungthe role of Brunnhildein Die Walkure in NewYork as well as abroad.


There are many reasons forowning the new Sansui SC -3300.

Metal is just one.Metal particle tape could be the most excit-

ing thing that's happened to tape recording in years.But to get the full benefits of metal, you need aspecial cassette deck - like the new Sansui metal-compat ble SC -3300.

The great thing about theSC -3300, though, is that even ifyou're not sure about metal or arewary of the software expense, thisdeck still makes a great deal ofsense. Here's why:

SOUND QUALITY ISSUPERB.We SC -3300 is designedto get the most out of any tape,including the newest pure metalformulations. We're using a special alloyrecord/play head that's particularly im-mune to saturation from the high biascurrents needed for metal recording;and it's much more wear -resistant than even thestronges4 conventional heads.

The erase head, too, is special -a double -gap ferrite design that produces a 70dB erasurefactor for beautiful low -noise recordings. Our newRoller Back holdback tension mechanism furtherimproves sound quality by suppressing frequency -modulated distortion and reducing wow andflutter to a mere 0.04%.

OPERATION IS EFFORTLESS. The feather -touchcontrols of the SC -3300 are monitored by an LSIClogic chip tied to high precision solenoids. So youget the freedom you need to concentrate on themusic you're making or taping. It's so foolproof thatno matter how fast you push the buttons, the tape will

TAPE gLEC TORNIA tQUAI I/ER

t(Kw11104

.1titNORMAL

never jam or stretch.The unusually versatile tape selector system

provides separate switches for bias and equaliza-tion, with numerical indications of the optimum levelsfor normal, chrome end metal tapes.

And our16-segment/channel LED peak -levelindicators make it easy to set just the right levels formaximum signal and minimum noise. They're cali-brated in dB and indcate red if a signal is too strong.

ALL THE EXTRAS, TOO. For added conven-ience, you can connect the SC -3300 to a timer, andthe logic circuits will start recording or playing anytime you want. Sansu's exclusive Tape Lead -In fea-

ture automatically skips overthe unusable leader and be-gnning portion of each tape.And of course there's DoIbyTMnoise reduction, memory re-wind, variable output and a

computer -assisted pause control.The brushed aluminum face and simulated

rosewood cabinet of the SC -3300 perfectly com-plement our new Double -Digital receivers. We alsohave a complete line of matte -black finish metal -compatible models that come equipped withrack -mounting handles.

So, whether you're a strong believer inmetal or just looking for a new cassette deck, visityour authorized Sansui dealer to see the best.DolbyTM s a registered trademark of Dolby Labs Inc.

SANSUI ELECTRONICS CORP.Lyndhurst New Jersey 07071 .3c rdeno, Ca. 90247Sansui Electric Co.. Ltd.. Tokyo. JcpanSansui Audio Europe S.A.. Antwerp. BelgiumIn Canaoa. Electronic Distributors SaJLS UL


As any audio fan knows, the only way to judgea speaker is by ear. Numerical specifications givehelpful indications about a speaker's capabilities,

SOU D but don't really convey the "feel" and characterof the sound. For this reason, we evaluate speak-ers simply by living with them for a while, playing016"pniu rKwhoDE many different kinds of music. We then pass onour impressions in these pages. They are neces-sarily subjective, but based on a standard of

judgment formed over many years of listening to sound equipment as well as attending "live" concerts.by and C-RS--(Th,.? CRL:r\-:V

CAI gun 1111511DC


Mitsubishi MS -40

"You've just got to hear this speaker,"our editor said to us on the phone.

Why?"Because of the honeycomb cone."The what?Mitsubishi, we were told, had de-

veloped a new type of woofer construc-tion with an aluminum honeycomb conebuilt on the same principle as aircraftwings and designed with the same ob-jective: to gain maximum strength andrigidity with minimum mass. The ideais to prevent cone break-up-the buck-ling of the cone under heavy bassthrusts-which is the main cause of dis-tortion in the lower range.

In theory, this made sense. But we'vebeen around long enough to know thateven sensible theories don't always panout in practice. Still, our curiosity wasaroused, and once we'd heard the MS -

40's our ears were more than satisfied

It is our pleasure to report that thenew honeycomb woofer pumps out justabout the most hair-raisingly accurate,ultra -clean, natural, yet toe -curling basswe've ever heard. But we'll get to thatlater. First the vital statistics.

Description:Outwardly, the Mitsubishi MS -40

seems like a conventional 3 -way floor -standing, acoustic suspension speaker,except that the left and right speakersaren't alike. They come as an asymmetrically matched pair, with midrangeunits and tweeter not at the center butnear the outer edge. This makes forbetter dispersion and, consequently, formore open sound. It also contributes tobetter stereo imaging.

The speaker measures 151/4 inches inwidth, 15-5/16 inches in depth, andon its permanently attached base, itstands 341/4 inches high. If that's tootall for you, you can take the base off



Speakerlab 3

Unlike any of the speakers we havetested so far, this one is available bothfactory -finished and in kit form. Thefully assembled speaker sells for $175.As an alternative, you can buy thedrivers and the crossover network for$136 and build your own enclosurefrom plans provided by the manufac-utrer. An extra $5 buys you a pre-cutfront board in case you're hesitantabout cutting holes. Or you can buy acomplete kit with all panels pre-cut andpre -fitted for $169, and for an extra$30 you can get the panels with walnutveneer. These prices, by the way, giveyou a pretty good clue how productioncosts break down nowadays in speakermanufacturing.

The complete kit includes all thematerials needed-the damping materialfor lining the inside of the enclosure,silicone rubber glue for sealing the en-

closure, grille cloth, the finishing mixfor the veneer, plus detailed instruc-tions. All you have to supply is a stapleror tacks, a caulking gun for the sealant,and a pair of willing hands. The esti-mated working time for completion ofthe kit project is about three hours,and it's the kind of job you can doright in the living room without makinga mess.

Speaker kits are by far the simplestof all audio kits to build because thestructures involved are less complicatedthan those in electronic assemblies.That's why Speakerlab is able to offeran unusual guarantee: If you can'tmake the kit work properly, just ship itback to the company and they'll finishthe job for you. They even maintain atoll -free telephone "hot line" where youcan get advice if you're stuck. But that'snot likely to happen. Gordon Sell ofour staff, who assembled the kit wetested, says it went together very easily


32 1.1411/STERIO BUYERS' GUIDE

The standard 1973 TDK Electronics Cc rp

The high bias standard.In the past few years, these fine deckmanufacturers have helped to pushthe cassette medium ever closer tothe ultimate boundaries of highfidelity. Tbday, their best deckscan produce results that arevirtually indistinguishablefrom those of the best reel-to-reel machines.

Through all of their tech-nical breakthroughs,they'vehad one thing in common.They all use TDK SA astheir reference tape for thehigh bias position. Thesemanufacturers wanted atape that could extractevery last drop of per-formance from their decksand they chose SA.

Save, Preeman Carmel. PAechereirn

SA -C90 &TM<

And to make sure thatkind of performanceis duplicated by eachand every deck thatcomes off the assemblyline. these manufac-turers use SA to aligntheir decks before theyleave the factory.

Which makes SA the logical choicefor home use; the best way to be sureyou get all the sound you've paid for.

But sound isn't the only reasonSA is the high bias standard. Itssuper -precision mechanism is themost advanced and reliable TDK hasever made-and we've been backingour cassettes with a full lifetimewarrant? longer than anyone elsein hi fi -more than 10 years.

So if you would like to raise yourown recording standards, simply switchto the tape that's become a recordinglegend-TDK SA. TDK ElectronicsCorp. Garden City, NY 11530.

The machine for your machine.In the tae, euen1 Mal any TOO, cassette e..r rats lo Vert000 Clue ,o a clelec I ,e rea,e,seS

10 you, boa, maker o le TOO hor a oee ,epOxeeent


SOUND112151111C

OWNIJ rICVDC(Continued from page 32)


by loosening a set of holding screws.The enclosure is finished in carefullymatched walnut veneer, even on thefront panel, so you can play the speakerwith the grille removed to show off itsimpressive array of drivers. Its weightof 77 lbs. gives a clue to the solidity ofthe overall construction. Its price isabout $550 each.

The most distinctive feature of the\IS -40 is its radically innovative woofer.From the outside, it looks like just an-other 12 -inch cone. The inside story issomething else. According to Mitsu-bishi, the idea for the honeycomb conesprang from the realization that ordi-nary paper cones could not properly re-produce low frequencies at high powerlevels without buckling under the forceof the heavy bass thrusts. The usualway to get around this problem is touse heavier paper for the cones, but thisnecessarily increases cone weight andconsequently inertia. With higher in-ertia, transient response, crispness, anddefinition are compromised.

Mitsubishi tackles and surmounts thisproblem in a unique way: An aluminumhoneycomb structure sandwiched be-tween layers of plastic, reinforced andrigidified with fiberglass. As structuralengineers have long known, the honey-comb is one of the most efficient con-figurations in terms of its strength -to-

mass ratio for any given material, andin this unique application to the designof loudspeaker cones the contradictoryrequirements of stiffness and lightnessare reconciled.

In this particular case, the aluminumhoneycomb is a mere 20 microns indiameter and the plastic layers formingthe outer surfaces of the woofer coneare only 0.1 mm thick. The whole struc-ture pushes the air like a piston -head,with no flexing or buckling, and nofalse resonances of its own. And, de-spite our initial doubts, you can reallyhear the difference.

The midrange driver is a 4 -inch conedesign, and the tweeter is a 11/2" domeset within a flared recess that aids fre-quency dispersion. Overall responseranges from a floor -warping 25 Hz to20,000 Hz, with crossover points at 600and 5000 Hz.

The dividing network provides anunusually sharp separation between thethree drivers with a steep 18 dB slopesin the crossover network. This con-tributes to overall clarity yet leaves noaudible "holes" at any point of the tonalspectrum. Overall response seems solidand integrated with exceptional smooth-ness. Stepped controls on the frontpanel permit regulation of tweeter andmidrange output in 2 dB intervals. We



and should present no problems to anynormally handy person.

Description:The Speakerlab 3 is a hefty acoustic

suspension model, measuring 271/2inches high by 151/2 inches wide by11% inches deep, which makes it toobig for a bookshelf and more likely tohe used as a floor -standing speaker.The manufacturer recommends a mini-mum input of 15 to 25 watts per chan-nel (the sensitivity rating is 91 dB at adistance of 1 meter for 1 watt input)and the unit will handle up to 200watts RMS. Drivers include a 12 -inchwoofer, a 6 -inch midrange cone unit,and a 1 -inch dome tweeter, with cross-over frequencies at 600 and 4000 Hz.The nominal impedance is 8 ohms.

The woofer cone is made of twoseparate layers bonded with a polymer-a type of construction that resistsbending and buckling under power bassthrusts. As for the tweeter, it is of thesoft -dome type, which provides smoothfrequency response without harsh -sounding peaks, combined with wide-angle dispersion. Two toggle switchesat the rear allow you to attenuate mid-range and tweeter output in 2 dB stepsto -4 dB. Overall response is substan-tially flat between 40 and 19,000 Hz.

Performance:Nothing whatsoever has been com-

promised here for the sake of makingthis speaker available as a kit. It soundslike the first-rate design it obviously is,and at the kit price, that's a bargain.Even at the full price of factory -finishedversion, you get your money's worth.

What you get is a clean, well-balanced speaker that in no way callsattention to itself and just lets you listento the music. Like many designscapable of handling high power levels,it sounds best at fairly high volume,where its clarity and fine overall bal-ance are most readily apparent.

The words coming to mind as onelistens to the Speakerlab 3 are unobtru-sive and accurate. The manufacturerclaims that it sounds good on anythingfrom Steely Dan to Rostropovitch. Wetook them at their word and tested thespeaker with all kinds of music-rock,jazz, vocal solo, piano, classical orches-tra, and organ-and the Speakerlab 3acquitted itself very well on all of these.There is no hump in the mid -bass re-sponse, so disco -freaks might miss thebooming "thump" to which they areaccustomed. All other listeners are likelyto be very happy with this speaker. Nosingle attribute focused our attention-and that's high praise for any speaker.A


Restore the impact of "live"...easy as 1-2-3.AimimmiL

No matter how accurate your stereo system is, it's onlyas good as the records and tapes you play on it-andthey leave much to be desired. The recording processdoes some terrible things to live music. and one of theworst is robbing it of dynamic range, the key elementwhich gives music its impact.

Fortunately dbx has developed a whole line oflinear dynamic range expanders which can restore lostdynamic range.1BX. The 1BX is the most sophisticated one -band ex-pander on the market. Its RMS level detector in-corporates an infrasonic filter to prevent mis-tracking caused by turntable rumble andrecord warp.2BX. The 2BX divides the frequencyspectrum into two bands and expandseach separately. It doesn't allow thebass to influence the vocals or mid-range instruments, and in stronglypercussive music, that's important. Making Good Sound Better

3BX. The 3BX .s the state-of-the-art, but with the in-troductIon cf the 3BX-R Remote Control option, it'smore flexible and more fun than ever. The 3BX dividesmusic into three frequency bands. Low bass will notinfluence the midrange. And midrange crescendi willnot boost low level highs, so operation is virtually inau-dible. For :omplex musical material, the 3BX is the bestway to restore dynamic range.

All dpx expanders have design features in com-mon. All uti:ize true RMS level detection. All feature aprogram -dependent release time, for natural, life -likesound. All are true stereo expanders that maintainrock -solid stereo imaging And all dbx linear expanders

have a pleasant benefit-up to 20 dBof noise reduction.

The 3BX is still the standard.But new there is a family of dbx

expanders designed to bringany system one step closerto "live."

1

dbx, Incorporated, 71 Chapel Street, Newton, MA 02195 (617.964-3210.Circle No. 19 On Reader Service Card

HIGH SPEED RECEIVERS:FASTER RESPONSE MEANSMORE ACCURATE SOUND.

The new Kenwood receivers actually outperformall other receivers, as well as our competitors' sep-arate amplifiers and tuners in transient response.

The reason is Kenwood's exclusive technicalbreakthrough: Hi -Speed. It allows our receivers toreact more quickly to musical changes. So whatcomes out of your receiver matches precisely whatwent in.

You'll hear the difference as dramatically accu-rate, open sound with superior imaging and detail.Like hearing an individual singer in a vocal group.

Hi -Speed is available in four models, all DC -amplified for clean bass response. Each one alsohas switchable wide and narrow IF bands for low -distortion FM reception, plus dual power meters.

And each Hi -Speed receiver has unique individ-ual features that make a real difference in thetonal quality of music. Like dual power suppliesthat eliminate crosstalk distortion. Or a pulse countdetector that digitally reduces FM distortion by half

1[\Distorted

waveform responseproduced byconventional

receiver.

LSquare

waveform responseof Hi -Speed

receiver

while significantly reducing background noise. Or abuilt-in equalizer with ten turnover frequencies forfull acoustic control.

Whichever model you choose, you'll be gettingthe most advanced receiver technology and per-formance available today. Advances far beyond thecompetition.

Your Kenwood dealer will be happy to demon-strate Hi -Speed, now.

HI-SPEEDHear the future of high fidelity

KENWOOD.For the Kenwood dealer nearest you, see your Yellow Pages,or write Kenwood, P.O. Box 6213, Carson, CA 90749In Canada Magnasontc Canada. Ltd

1111."4,11

CD VP C:3 _ IMP MP WM MI Ca

qtttitil ta, Z.5

serious buff, checking out re-ceivers in terms of pricing, pow-er output, specs/performanceand quality, will soon conclude

that at any given dollar level you'llgenerally get as much power output,specs/performance and quality in anyone major national -brand model as inany other. Whatever the differences,they are minimal, they are largelytradeoffs (one spec over another), andmost are inaudible.The areas in whichyou will find differ-ences of consequencewill be in operatingfeatures, control"feel," appearanceand styling details.

Thus, within theframework of a spe-cific budget, the mat-ter of choosing a re-ceiver boils down tosettling on a modelthat has all the fea-tures you need andwant, whose con-trols feel good toyour touch, and onewhich excites or sat-isfies you visually.

To make your se-lectionchecked out the re-ceiver offerings of 28manufacturers andplaced representa-tive models in essen-tial categories cover-ing four price rangesand four groupingsof features. The fea-ture groupings rangefrom basic to "every-thing but the kitch-en sink," the latterincluding many ofthe esoteric featuresfound in deluxeseparate - componentaudio systems.

We've also devel-oped a glossary onpage 82 to give youan idea of what spe-cific features provide in the way ofoperating capability, flexibility, bene-fits, as well as overall satisfaction.

Before we get into nitty-gritties, let'stake a look at what's been happening infeature trends. In general, technologyonce common only to high-priced audioequipment continues to filter down tobroader price levels. A collateral trendis that features previously available onlyin separate components are now also

available in receivers.One specific trend is the increasing

use of LEDs in place of meters formore accurate readouts of power out-put, tuning precision, and radio stationsignal strength. Another is the wideruse of digital displays for station fre-

hi-itstentoBUYSGLJII=IENOV/DEC 1979

metric equalization (SAE Two) are allmore widely available now. A fifthtrend is the wider availability of re-ceivers offering deck -to -deck tape dub-bing capability.

Once you've decided how muchyou'd like to spend for a receiver, studythe glossary for features that you musthave. Then check the four receivergroupings to see how well your pro-posed budget figure fits in with what

you need. If all thefeatures you musthave are encompass-ed by the price cate-gory you want,you're all set. Yourbuying decision willbe a simple matterof determining whatlooks and feels goodto you, and whatbrand you'd like.

If your budgetfigure looks like itwon't be able to getyou all the featuresyou need, you'll haveto either stretch yourbudget or reevaluateyour needs. Somefeatures representgenuine benefits ona broad scale, othersoffer benefits on alimited scale. Put adollar value on cer-tain features and askif they are worth thedifference. For ex-ample, is it worth a$75 increment tohave a set with auto-matic station scan-ning, as opposed tomanual tuning? Tryto separate your realneeds from wishes.

In evaluating yourneeds, look into thefuture. For instance,you have but onetape deck now, acassette unit, andtherefore need onlyone tape input. But

.1 year from now you may also own areel-to-reel machine. For convenientoperation of both decks through the re-ceiver, you'll need two tape connec-tions. Or, at some point in the futureyou might decide to upgrade your rec-ord playing system via a moving coilcartridge. Anticipate such a possibilityby buying a receiver with a moving coilcartridge input.

As noted, the receivers are broken

RECEIVERFEATURES

BY FRED PETRAS

Choose the ones that respond to your needs

88 90 9211I111111111111111IIi, ,,1,1111AM 55 60

quency readouts (and also time read-outs). A third trend is the growingnumbers of receivers with automaticstation scanning capability, and stationpre-set capability. Yet another trend isthe broader availability of receivers of-fering more than just bass and treblecontrols for tonal adjustments; midrangecontrols, selectable frequency turnoverpoints, five -frequency graphic equaliza-tion (JVC, Fisher), and even para.

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1979 37

RECEIVER FEATURES

down into four main categories cover-ing features generally offered in the in-dicated price ranges. A precise break-down is not possible since companieswill often offer an extra feature or twogenerally found in a higher -priced cate-gory, or several features may be tradedoff in favor of others. An example of thelatter is evident in the Kenwood KS -

4000R receiver (basic category) thatdoes not offer switching for two pairsof speakers, but in-stead, offers tapedubbing and micinput/mixing.

BASIC RECEIVER( $170 to 6250 )A basic stereo re-

ceiver will havepower on /off switch;volume, bass, treble,balance controls;mono/stereo switch;tuning dial; signalstrength tuning me-ter; and selectorswitches for AM,FM, phono, auxil-iary, and tape moni-tor; two -speaker sys-tem capability withappropriate switch,and a stereo head-phone jack -all onthe front panel.

You'll find receiv-ers with most of theabovemention-ed features in thefollowing models(power output capa-bilities are indicatedas-wpc):

Aiwa AX -7300U,25 wpc, $230; Fish-er RS1022, 22 wpc,$250; Harman Kar-don hk340, 20 wpc,$250; Hitachi SR -2010, 15 wpc, $200;JN'C R -S5, 25 wpc,$220; Kenwood KS-

4000R, 14 wpc,$199; Marantz 1520,15 watts per channel,$215; Nikko NR -519, 20 watts per chan-nel, $250; Onkyo TX -1500 Mk Two, 17watts per channel, $215; Philips AH784,20 watts per channel, $200 (and $210 inblack ); U.S. Pioneer SX-580, 20 wpc,$225; Sanyo 2016, 16 wpc, $170; Scott320R, 15 wpc, $220; Sherwood S-7250CP, 20 wpc, $250; Sony STR-V1, 15wpc, $220; Technics SA -200, 25 wpc,$240; Toshiba SA -725, 25 wpc, $250;Yamaha CR-220, 15 wpc, $235.

Sony's STR-V1 receiver provides 15 wattsper channel of amplifier power and offersboth center station and signal strengthmeters as well as FM muting, tape monitor,and headphones jack. $220. Circle No. 94.

Hitachi's SR -4010 receiver offers 25 wattsper channel and features loudness com-pensation tape monitor. LED powerindicators that double as signal strength/tuning indicators. $250. Circle No. 72.

BASIC/PLUS ( $260 to $335)A basic/plus receiver will have a few

additional features beyond those of abasic model, as well as a few wattsmore of output power. Among theextras may be: loudness control, FMmuting, dual tuning meters, 25 micro-second Dolby de -emphasis switch, andfilter switches.

Basic/plus receivers with all or near-ly all of the above features include the

following: Akai AA-R30, 38 wpc, $310;Fisher RS2002, 20wpc, $280; JVC R -S7, 50 wpc, $300;Kenwood KR -3010,27 wpc, $280; Ma-rantz SR -1000, 20wpc, $265; NikkoNR719, 35 wpc,$320; Optonica SA -5201/5205, 45 wpc,$330; Philips AH-785, 30 wpc, $270(and $280 in black);U.S. Pioneer SX-680, 30 wpc, $275;Rotel RX-404, 30wpc, $290; Sanyo2050, 50 wpc, $300;Scott 330R, 25 wpc,$265; Sony STR-V3,35 wpc, $300; Tech-nics SA -300, 35wpc, $300; ToshibaSA -735, 35 wpc,$300; Yamaha CR-420. 25 wpc, $310.

Onkyo's TX -20 "midi ' receiver puts out 30watts a channel and ncludes Servo -Locktuning circuitry, high filter, FM mute, andloudness compensation on its features.$330. Details in Test Reports. Circle 80.

Kenwoods KR -6050 receiver includes ahigh speed DC amplifier that puts out 60watts per channel. Subsonic and highfilters, wide/narrow bandwidth selection,are among its features. $499. Circle 75.

BASICFULL -FEATURE($350 to $500)A basic full -fea-

ture receiver will,essentially, satisfythe needs of theaverage music lover/audiophile whowants the necessaryfeatures for listeningas well as recording,but within theframework of a mod-est budget and mod-est power needs.

Such a set will provide the features ofthe basic and basic/plus models alongwith some other niceties such as: dualtape monitor switches for dubbing fromone deck to another, power outputmeters, high and low filters, midrangetone control, quartz (or variant) lockedtuning, as well as higher power output.

Basic full -feature receivers include:Aiwa AX -7700U, 40 wpc, $340; AkaiAA -1150, 62 wpx. $465; Fisher RS-


2004A, 45 wpc, $450; Hitachi SR804,50 wpc, $449; JVC JR-S301, 60 wpc,$480; Kellwood KR -6050, 60 wpc,$499; Lux 1040, 40 wpc, $495; Ma-rantz SR -4000, 50 wpc, $400; NikkoNR -815, 55 wpc, $480; Onkyo TX -

4500 Mk Two, 60 wpc, $460; OptonicaSA -5401 (SA -5405 in black) 65 wpc,$450; Philips AH787, 60 wpc, $430(and in black, $440; U.S. Pioneer,SX-880, 60 wpc, $425; Rotel RX-604,50 wpc, $400; San-sui C-5500, 60 wpc,$465; Sanyo Plus55, 55 wpc, $400;Scott 370R, 60 wpc,$450; Sony STR-V4,55 wpc, $390; Tech-nics SA -500, 55 wpc,$430; Toshiba SA -

750, 50 wpc, $350;Yamaha CR-840, 60wpc, $495.

FULL FEATURE/PLUS

($500 and up)This receiver will

be the ultimate mod-el, offering the essen-tials of the precedingcategories, as well assome niceties, forfull listening and re-cording capabilities,additional conveni-ence, along with lotsof amplifier power.

Among featuresnot covered in ourglossary that youmay find in a full-feature/plus modelare: tone defeat,narrow / wide -bandtuning, mic jackwith mic mixing,digital time readout,touch -sensitive con-trols, lighted movingdial pointer, air -check calibration forpre-setting FM re-cording levels, pow-er display range con-trol, phono cartridgeloading selector, dual phono inputs(one for moving coil phono cartridge).Some of these features are exclusive (atthis time), or proprietary -such asSanyo's moving digital display of fre-quency offered in its Plus 200 receiver.

If you are looking for the "UltraSuper" model combining all these fea-tures, forget it. There is no such model.You'll have no trouble finding feature -

laden receivers that will satisfy your

Sanyo's Plus 75 receiver (75 wpc) offersbass anc treble controls with threeselectable turnover points each, midrangecontrol, high and subsonic filters, plusmore. $500. Circle Number 96.

Akai's AA -R50 receiver offers tape monitorsfor two tape machines; low and high filters;25 uSec FM de -emphasis; bass, midrange,and treble tone controls; among otherfeatures. Output: 62 wpc. $465. Circle 62.

Sansui's G-5700 75-wpc receiver offers DCamplification, digitally quartz -locked tun-ing, digital frequency readout microphonemixing co-drol with front -panel mike jack.Details in Test Report. $630. Circle 89.

Philips' AH901 receiver (80 wpc) offersmike mixing knob and microphone jack,two tape monitors and dubbing. FM mute,20dB AF mute, high and low filters, otherfeatures. $550. Circle Reader Service 84.

particular needs and desires to the full-est. Fortunately, the selection is wide.A rule of thumb applies here: the moreyou spend, the more features you'll get.

Following are key examples of full-feature/plus models. Others are pic-tured elsewhere in these pages. Addi-tionally, you may find other models atprice points in between those giventhat will fit your budget/needs pre-cisely. (Power output figures for this

group have beenomitted because ofspace limitations.)

Aiwa AX -7800U,$590; Fisher RS -2007, $550, RS2015,$850; Hitachi SR -904, $600, SR2004,$1,095; JVC JR-5401, $600, JR-5501, $700; Ken -wood KR -8050,$820, KR -9050,$1,150; Lux 1050,$695, 1120, $995;Marantz SR -6000,$550, SR -2385,$1,000, SR -2500,$1,250; Nakamichi530, $850, 730,$1,200; Nikko NR -

1219, $650; OnkyoTX -8500 Mk Two,$1,000; OptonicaSA - 5601 / 5605,$600, SA - 5901 /5905, $800; PhilipsAH901, $550, AH-903, $750; U.S. Pio-neer SX-1280, $900,SX-1980, $1,250;Rotel RX-2001,$750, RX-2002,$850; SAE Two R-9, $800, SAE TwoR-18, $1,350; San-sui C-5700, $630,G-9700, $1,100, C-3000, $1,900;Sanyo Plus 75, $550,Plus 200, $900;Scott 380R, $580,390R, $700; Sher-wood, S-110CP,$750; Sony, STR-

V6, $650, STR-V7, $820; TandbergTR2080, $1,200; Technics SA -800,$730, SA -1000, $1,700 (the most pow-erful set in the market, 330 wpc);Thorens AT403, $895, AT410, $1,195;Toshiba SA -7100, $630, SA -7150,$1,100"; Yamaha CR-2040, $860, SR-3020, $1,500.

ON THE VISUAL SIDEAmong trends in receivers relative


RECEIVER FEATURES

to appearance is a slimming of theirprofiles, as well as a general downsizing.While this slimming/downsizing is

limited at the moment, it is a burgeon-ing trend. Technology has advanced tothe point where there is no need tobuild receivers in the "traditional" sizemold. Keep an eye on the new "micro"audio components being offered byseveral manufacturers; if consumers likeyou are attracted to them in siginficantnumbers, you're like-ly to see a rash ofreceivers sportingmicro - miniaturiza-tion, or an evengreater degree of thedown -sizing nowtaking place.

Key examples ofthe smaller receiversare in the Onkyoand Rotel lines.Onkyo's TX -20, 30

wpc AM FM servoreceivers priced at$330 stands barelythree inches high,and is about 17inches wide. (Theaverage receiverstands about 5%

inches high.) Ifyou're decor - con -scions or space islimited, the benefitof slim profile is ob-vious-and there isno trade-off in termsof perform:nice orfeatures. Further,the TX -20 has a dis-appearing panelcovering all controlsexcept those usedfor operation-also ofaesthetic value. Infeatures, it fits thebasic 'plus category.Rotel's Macro RX-1000, 35 wpc AM,/FM receiver, pricedat $300, is describedas being sized "ap-proximately midwaybetween 'micro andconventional components," which trans-lates out to 3.9 inches high, by 17.2inches wide, and 11.6 inches deep.This basic 'plus model comes in a shinyblack finish.

Perhaps the most visually intriguingreceivers in the marketplace today arethose of Bang & Olufsen. So intriguingindeed, that they are on exhibit at NewYork's Museum of Modern Art on thestrength of their "break I ing ) dramati-

The SAE Two R9 receiver features quartz -lock tuning with digital readout, automaticscanning capability, bass/midrange/trebletone controls, FM mute, 20 dB muting, 4 -function meters. 90 wpc. $800. Circle 88.

AIWA's AX -7800U (60 wpc) offers 6 -stationpreset selectors, LED peak power indica-tors, automatic scanning and hold cap-ability, dual turnover bass and treble tonecontrols. $590. Circle Reader Service 112.

Nikko's NR -1219 receiver (100 wpc) offersbass, midrange and treble tone controls,25 uSec FM de -emphasis, high and sub-sonic filters, tape monitoring and dubbingfacility. $650. Circle Number 79 for details.

Yamaha's CR-2040 receiver (120 wpc)offers continuously variable bass, pres-ence, and treble tone controls, head ampfor moving coil cartridges, switch -select-able impedance, more. $860. Circle 101.

cally away from the standard designmotifs used for most electronic soundequipment."

The Beomaster Model 2400 and1900, priced at $625 and $525, areboth FM -only 30 wpc models housedin long, low slope -fronted teak cabi-nets measuring 24% inches wide by 9%inches deep, but only 2% inches high.Key contrlos, incorporated in a metalstrip, are touch-sensitive-a mere bnmsh

of a finger activatesthem. Secondarycontrols are hiddenbehind an aluminumpanel incorporatedin each model's top.The 2400 comeswith a cordless re-mote control that al-lows you to selectany of four pre-setFM stations, adjustthe volume level,switch to phono in-put, and turn thereceiver on or off.The 1900 is essen-tially the same, butcomes minus remotecontrol.In Summary. With alittle luck, a littleresearch, and a bitof compromising,you should have notrouble finding a re-ceiver that bothmeets your needs andcaters to your tastesas far as appearanceand non -necessaryconvenience featuresare concerned.

Consult our newproducts columnand our regular fea-tures, which will beof help in keepingabreast of everythingthat's new, both interms of new fea-tures and in terms ofinnovative techno-logical developments.

Check our test re-ports to find help in evaluating a re-ceiver's performance capabilities.

Try to find a communicative, well-in-formed salesperson who can help in pin-pointing the receiver that will meetour requirements.Couple all of the above advice with

a generous dose of legwork, patience,and a sense of humor, and without doubtyou'll soon arrive home with a receiverthat will give you years of pleasure. A


Wharfedale. First and everlasting.

The Wharfedale E's are the newestspeakers in an unequalled tradition ofexcellence that goes back to the earlydays of music reproduction.

In those days. our speakers-likethe unique sand -filled designs of Gil-bert Briggs-were received with wideacclaim despite the limited technicalresources of that era. Today's Wharfe-dale E's benefit from our space-agetechnology, and hold a special posi-tion of leadership in acousticengineering.

The design goal for America'sWharfedale E's was to achieve thatelusive combination of crystal -likeclarity, strong bass and extremelyhigh efficiency. We met this objective

using computer optimization andholographic research, developingspeakers with extremely widedynamic range and no coloration.They've won the praise of lovers ofevery kind of music. And seem des-tined to keep that praise for yearsto come.

A Wharfedale E can fill a roomwith just a couple of watts. Or handlehundreds for unusually large areas.At any level, with any music, youwon't detect any of the harshness orroughness inherent in lesser speakers.

Each Wharfedale E goes througha stringent Quality Control procedurethat rejects all but the most perfectspeakers. Those that pass represent

XIIRANK HI Fl Inc., 20 Bushes Lane. Elmwood Park. New Jersey 07407 (201) 701 7888


the highest attainable audio technol-ogy, enhanced by the skills of old-world craftsmen who make each pairof perfectly matched hand -rubbed,fine wood veneer cabinets.

Many speaker makers have comeand gone in the nearly 50 years sincethe first Wharfedale was made. Andwhen you listen to the E's you'll knowwhy Wharfedale lasts.

The new E90 measures 45-3 8"H x 15-3 16 'Wx 14-3 4"D and has a typical frequency response of30 18,000Hz -1-3dB The E70 is 32" x 13-1 2' x14" with frequency response from 35 18.000Hz-3dB The E50 measures 25" x 13-1 2" x 13-1 2"with a frequency response of 40- 18.000Hz 3dBThe new E30 is 22-3 4" x 13-3 16' x 10-5 16" witha 45 18,000Hz 1- 3dB frequency response Efficiencyis 94dB at 1 watt and 1meter for the E30.and 95cB for theother models A®

AWHARFEDALE

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Mitsubishi Car Audio.Funny thing this stereo business. The worlds

full of advanced technology -so how do youmake a better unit? More features? More power?

Not necessarily so.Our equipment stands on its own merit as being

reliable, rugged, and the highest in quality caraudio. Mitsubishi has never had to rely on the easyway out.

AM/FM cassettes and 8 -track. In -dash, under -dash units. Speakers. And something we're espe-cially proud of ...the Mitsubishi component separatesTuners, tape decks, amplifiers, amplifier/equalizers.All engineered as separate units designed to ulti-

mately come together in an awesome collec-tive system.

See your nearest Mitsubishi dealer and point to,poke at and above all, listen to our exciting newline of car audio products.

Shown here are the RX-79 in -dash cassette with AM/FMMPX, the CV -23 control amplifier and equalizer, the CX-20component cassette deck, the SX-30SA 2 -way speakernnnlocums and the SB-2SA surer tweeters.

AptMITSUBISHI`CAR AUDIO

SOUND US OUT

a

c 1979 Melco Sales, Inc., 7045 N. Ridgeway Ave.. Lincolnwood. III. 60645. 800-323-4216 (Outside III.) 312-973-2000 (Within 111.1


Our testing lab reports on metal tape's performance capabilitiesetal tape is probably the most im-portant technical developmett in cas-sette technology since the introductionof the cassette system itself. Obviously,

there will be further improvements-there alwaysare-but even now metal tape performance isspectacular.

What Problems Does Metal Tape Solve?Without getting into more technical goJbbledy-gook than needed, what eventually happens when

using even the best non-metal cassette tape is thaton rlayback there are severe high frequency lossesif tf.e stereophile attempts to record at maximumrecording level (NIRL). Luckily, most naturalhigE frequency inforn ation has less volume levelthan midband sounds, but this is not true of musicprocured by electric instruments and synthesizers.Thus, when dubbing a disc or tape or whenmaking a hve recording of non -electric instru-ments, the high frequency losses might go un-


noticed. Problems rear their heads,however, with recordings ofmodern, electronic music.

What we need in these problemcases is a tape that does not satur-ate at the higher frequencies atmaximum recording level (whereMRL is defined as the midbandrecording level that produces from1 to 3 per cent third harmonicdistortion-called H3-on playback).The exact percentage of H3representing MRL depends onwho is doing the testing and thereference levels being used. Threeper cent H3, which is generally thesame value as 3% THD (total har-monic distortion), is the standardreference value.

The performance of metal tape

K HZ .2 4

50 100 HZ1.7 31 6 12 '

Fig. 1-Bottom trace shows the frequency response of -DKSA tape on the AIWA AD -6700U machine. Top trace showsthe frequency response of TDK's MA -R metal particle tape.

depends largely on the performancecapabilities of the particular tapemachine you're using and ques-tions regarding the tape/taperecorder interrelationship formedthe basis for our research andtesting for this article:

For starters, we obtained threeproduction -run metal tape cassettesamples (from Fuji, 3M Scotch,and TDK) and also obtained thefirst of the available production -run metal tape cassette machines:the AIWA AD -6700 U, which is,incidentally, one of the bestcassette machines we've evertested. It's a two -head model witha combination record/play head.In our testing laboratory weproceeded to explore the iin-

Fig. 4-Compare this trace of the distortion at 1000 Hz usingFuji's metal particle tape with the same measuremeit inFigs. 2. 3. and 5. H values are within 2.5 db. worst case.

portant questions at hand.Figure 1 illustrates the problem

of high frequency losses. (Theoscilloscope traces are displacedvertically for clarity.) The hori-zontal axis represents 20 to 20,000Hz. Each major vertical divisionrepresents 5 dB. The bottom traceshows the performance of TDK-SA tape recorded at 0 -VU recordlevel on the AIWA AD -6700Uusing optimized chrome bias.(On this machine, SA tape at 0 -VU record level produces about0.8% THD.)

Note that the response is down-from the midband reference -8 dBat 12,000 Hz, and 28 d13 at15,000 Hz. Under normal musicrecording conditions (using records,

Fig. 5-Distortion trace for 3M's Metafine metal particletape. under the same conditions as described to- Figs. 2-4.Horizontal axis spans audible frequency range (20-20k Hz).

44HI-FI/STEREO BUYERS' GUIDE

I 1. Y F.I.

Fig. 2-Oscilloscope trace of the distortion measured for Fig. 3-Oscilloscope trace of distortion using TDK metalTOK's SA, using 1000 Hz as test tone, and the pre-set bias/ particle tape on tie same reference machine Each majorEQ adjustments on AIWA machine. Compare with Figs. 3-5. vertical division represents 5 dB. Reference tone 1kHz.

tapes, FM program material, andlive conventional musical instru-ments as your sound source) thistape and others of equally superiorquality are ideal to do a yeoman'sjob.

Metal Tape Compared WithOthers. The top trace in Fig. 1 isreally what we want and need intape performance. k is actually +1dB at 12,000 Hz, and -2 dB at16,000 Hz. It is only down 3 dB at18,000 Hz. What is the top trace?The top trace is the frequency re-sponse at 0 -VU record level usingTUK metal -tape. It is this improvedhigh frequency response that's themain reason for the excitement overthe metal tape concept.

As for distortion and signal-to-

noise ratio, metal cassette tapeapproximates the performance ofthe better -quality chrome -biastapes. The maximum variation inour measurements of signal-to-noiseratio was about 1 dB at almost 60dB down ( Dolbyized ) -An unim-portant consideration. As for dis-tortion, again it's not worth wastingtime discussing it. It's all veryclose, as shown in Figs. 2 through5. Using TDK-SA as the reference,using the factory adjustments ofthe AIWA machine, there isn't 2dB difference in output level at1000 Hz, while 113 is within 2.5dB worst -case). Depending on themachine adjustments and thespecific cassette of tape, the H3values will vary from tape to tape;

Fig. E-The frequency iesporse curves for the TDK. Fuji,and 3M tapas. The two that virtually overlap a -e the TDKand the Fuji. The other s the 3M Metafine trace

CB

5f.

4 8 1,7 6 12 2C

while Fuji metal tape has asmidgen less distortion thau theScotch metal tape, on anothermachMe the results could be re-versed. All in all, the values are solow that the whole subject ofdistortion comparison should beleft to the nitpickers. In the end wecome back to the fact that metal'shigh frequency performance is theonly real difference (there is alsoa small improvement at the verylow bass, but it's insignificant whencompared to the high endperformance improvements).

Three Metal Tapes Compared.You can see that at a common0 -VU record level the distortioncharacteristics of the three metal

',mtinued on page 78t

Fig. 7-Shows the freq,iency response you cal expect ifyou try to record and play back metal tape on a ccriven-Conal cassette deck. Note the 8dB peak at 12,000 Hz.

p'

6

6

12 2

NOVEMBER/DECEYIBER 1579 45

WOULD YOU BETGOLIATH AGAINST DAVID?Probably. Goliath certainly looked awe-some. Like he could handle any competitor.But David (a musician, of course) took thetitle in just one round.

The average $300 receiver looks as awe-some as Goliath. Knobs, buttons, lights,doodads and diddlybops. It may evensound...not bad. But most of the effort andmoney went into catching your eye andhigh fidelity is about music. So don't placeyour bet on Goliath just yet.

There's a David around: the HarmanKardon hk340. Don't be misled by its lowcost-way under 5250 -and its modest ap-pearance. The hk340 performs on the same

level as its more powerful relatives in therenowned Harman Kardon line. Why not?It shares such qualities as an oversizedpower supply, discrete transistors (insteadof calculator -type chips), ultrawidebanddesign and low negative feedback. Tran-sients are crisp, clean and handled with con-summate ease. Bass is full and rich. Highsare open and natural.

Visit your Harman Kardon dealer andlisten to the hk340 against any Goliath. Wewon't suggest that only a Philistine wouldchoose Goliath, but we will say that Davidis a cinch to win. No contest.

Write to us for complete information.

harman/kardon

46

Yi) ()oft N Y 118CH



BY

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trier statemen

cqming fro

orent parts of a hi- sy. em y,ous

put'-.ce of speakers is by far the m

ost pe:sonar. Aw

as never made. If you like the sound

t particular box, then allis w

ell and

av of Epicure P7oducts Inc. and Jack FticA

rnood, Ph

1'1 3wered Adventspeaker is a tw 3-1A ay,

ac3u.sticsuspension speakersystem A bt. ilt-inpo Nee E m pl iier,aiiEble input sensi-tivity control, andoverIcad incicatorare al iicluded inis p -ice of abo it345C each. I:s mea-sure -me -its are 283/41,7 14 vs by 117,irchBs.

A /id s Mc del 3::0 3 -wayscous'ic suspensionsleeker is designed

*o signif certify reducecabine-. di -fractioneffects. $400 each.Circle Number 120.

KEF's Model 105 was designed to achieve stereo realismwithout confining the listener to a preferred listeningposition. It uses three phase -aligned drivers to achievethat end. $950.00 each. Circle Number 106 for details.

SPEAKERDESIGNCONCEPTSgood. After all, you are the one who is spending the moneyand you are the one who has to listen to it at home. A$1,000.00 per channel state-of-the-art speaker that yourfriend owns may sound no better to you than a systemcosting half the price. Which of you is right and which iswrong? Answer: you are both right in choosing the speakerthat best suits your individual needs and ears.

If you were to assemble an assortment of reputableloudspeaker designers and engineers, you'd no doubt havetrouble in getting them to agree on what constitutes aperfect speaker, much less to agree on what is the bestway of designing such a speaker. All speakers represent atrade-off or compromise somewhere along the line, and Idoubt that there is a single speaker system anywhere thatwould satisfy every pair of discerning ears.

The following pages attempt to give an overview ofsome of the innovations in speaker design that have ap-peared over the years. Because there have been so many,the article naturally cannot even begin to be comprehen-sive in its coverage of this topic. Our hope is to give youa sampling and a sense of the wide variety of solutionsavailable to you.WORKING WITH REFLECTED SOUND

Eleven .e;irs ago, a -revolutionary- concept in speakerdesign went on sale-the now -famous Bose 901. So popularwas it when first introduced, that purchasers often had togo on a waiting list. The 901 currently being sold is a


The Bose 901 Series IVspeaker uses a combinationof direct and reflected sound

to recreate the character-istics of a live performance.It must be used in conjunc-

tion with the Bose equalizerthat comes with it, or witha Bose spatial control re-

ceiver that has the equalizerbuilt into it. Priceof the 901' 3 with

equalizer is $859a pair. Circle 66.

fourth generation model. But, if you compare the latestversion with the first, there is a world of difference. Thebasic concept of the 901 remains the same: thanks tocarefully controlled amounts of rear -firing sound waves(that are never perpendicular to the wall) coming fromtwo angled panels at the rear of the speaker, in conjunctionwith a conventionally mounted driver at the front of thespeaker, the listener perceives a much larger sound. Theidea is to create the acoustical perception that yo-i havewith live music-that is, a combination of direct and re-flected sound. Also, instead of utilizing different types ofdrivers to reproduce specific frequency ranges, the 901employs nine of the same full -range drivers, each capableof covering the full frequency range.

What are the differences between the "old" and the"new" 901s? First off, in the new version, each driver ismounted in it's own "chamber." These chambers are allpart of the "acoustic matrix," which is actually a moldedpiece of plastic. In the earlier version they were allmounted on the wood speaker enclosure itself. However,probably the most important factor in the improved 901is the vastly improved efficiency of the speaker. In fact,Bose engineers have stated that in a normal sized listeningroom, a receiver or amplifier with no more than 25 wattsper channel will be more than adequate. Like its prede-cessor though, it is capable of handling several hundredwatts per channel-providing that you can take the deafen -

The ESS TempestLS -4 speaker uses

a Heil air -motiontransformer to

hanc le high fre-quer cies, and a10 -inch woofer

with 10 -inchpass ve radiator

to handle the lowfrequencies. It

measures 350212x1218 inches

and costs about$368 each.

Circle No. 103.

Acoustic Research'sAR9 speaker is a four-way floor -standingspeaker design whichincludes two side -firing woofers. It'sdesigned to be placednext to a wall tooptimize the quality ofthe bass response.AR9 includes a 8 -inchlow midrange driver,a 112 -inch upper mid-range driver, and a34 -inch dome tweeter.$750 each. Circle 60.

Infinity's ReferenceStandard 4.5 speakerincorporates two dual -voice coil woofers(made of polypropyl-ene), four EMIMdrivers and threeEMIT tweeters. Twospeakers plus roomequalization and con-tour controls in sepa-rate enclosure sell forabout $3000. CircleNumber 105 on theReader Service Card.

Ohm's F speakerhas no woofers,

midranges ortweeters. A single

electrodynamicdriver, 12 inches in

diameter and 17inches deep han-dles 30 to 20,000

Hz. $950. No. 104.

Technics SEI-L200 linear phase speaker systems incor-porate a 10 -inch woofer, tapered -flare radial -horntweeter, and a 4 -inch midrange driver. Its powerhandling capacity is 100 watts. $200 each. Circle 98.

SP1D1KERDESIGNCONCEPTSing volume. The current price of the 901 is $859.00 perpair including the equalizer.RECEIVER TO MATCH

Even though the latest 901 performs admirably witheven low powered amplifiers and receivers, it is speciallydesigned to operate with Bose's own new receiver, the550 Spatial Control Receiver ($349.00). Owners of 901Series III or IV have noticed what appears to be an extraset of connections for a second pair of speaker wires. Whenused with the new Bose receiver, the user actually doeshave four individual wires to attach to each speaker. Thisis because the receiver is actually two separate stereopower amps. Through the use of the appropriate receivercontrol the user can vary the "feed" of the middle andhigh frequencies to either of the rear panels: you candirect the signals to the panels that fire out away from thespeakers, giving a big full sound for symphonic or popularorchestral music or, by increasing the volume of the innerfiring panels, a narrower more intimate sound can beattained. Also, the 550 receiver has the equalizer for the901's built in. Thus, if you buy the receiver and speakersat the same time, you can pay $734 for the speakers with-out the equalizer (for a savings of about $125).BUILT-IN POWER AMPS

Another design approach has been adopted by at leasttwo manufacturers of quality speakers: internal power.By having the power amplifier built into the speakers, you



Our pressurepad is locked intoa special four-sidedretaine- to maintainperfect tape -to -headcontact.

Our slip sheet ismade of a substancethat's so slippery, evenglue can't stick to it.

Our leadernot only keepsyou from makingrecording errors,it also keeps yourtape heads clean.

Our cassette is heldtogether by steelscrews to assure precisealignment and evendistribution of pressureon all sides of thecassette

Our special guiderollers make sure ourtape stays perfectlyaligned with your tapeheads.

Our standard cassette shellis finished to higher tolerancesthan industry stancards.

Our recording tapeis considered by mostaudiophiles to be the

world's finest tape.

Our tape windowis welded in to keep

dust out

Our tope is anchoredto our hub by a specialclomping pin that makesslippage impossible.

There's more tothe world's best tape than

the world's best tape.Our reputation for making the and more work into our cassettes we believe in a simple philosophy

world's best tape is due in part to than most manufacturers put into To get great sound out of amaking the world's best cassettes. their tape. cassette takes a lot more than just

In fact, we put more thought We do all this, because at Maxell putting great tape into it.

Most direct drive turntables are a

Cog 'n' Pull Story.There's a common problem shared by most

direct arrive motors: cogging. They cog becausethe spaces or "slots- between the magnetic polesof the motor exert a different force than the polesthemselves. So you get cog and pull, cog andput. Uneven rotation. Pumbie.

Two new turntables from Garrard.And ro cocgirgt

:...ortard's two new direct drive, single playturntables-the DD131 and DD132 -are free ofcogging. But more. G`orrard engineering hasdesigned and incorporated he ingen.ous Fail -Sate Drive System that assures the user a powerfulthrust and cbsolu'ely steady rotational speed.

Three key elements.One. The motor is he heart of any direct drive

turntable The new DC Servo -controlled motor,developed and built by Garrard, is brush:ess,coreiess and slotless. It ends cogging by exertinga constant magnetic force during the entire 360°rotation of the platter!

Two. State-of-the-art speed monitoring. ATime -Integral -Velocity monitying system instancydetects the slightest variation that couldaffect speed,

Three. "Hall effect" circuitry gives final assur-ance of precise speed by making instant correc-t:on of any rotational irregularity.

There it is. Garrard's Fail -Safe Dr ve Systemwith a cogless motor, constant monitoring andinstant correction.

And still more.The Fail -Safe Drive System by itself makes for a

great turntable. But, in addition, both modelsboast the same ultra -light, 12 -gram tonearm (in-cluding magnesium heodshell!). Moreover, thedrive system and tonearm are integrated with thesilent, smooth and dependable Delglide® system.(You've seen the 'ave reviews.) and both turntablescome with the now -famous Garrard Three-yearwarranty. Differences? The DD131 is semi-automatic, the DD132 fully automatic.

A great value.mere the good news that provides

as much reason to buy one of these turntablesas their quality and features. The price:under 3200!

Write to us. We'll forward complete informatiorabout both of tnese handsome models. And wepromise. No cog and pul stories.

Cir-,le No. 34 On leader Seniice Card

s or of Plessey Consumer Product 100 Commercial St eet Deot B, Plain ew New York 11803

17iii Picking a "super disc" from a growing selection of direct -to -disc and digital recordings,either for yourself or for a friend, can be difficult because both the recording qualitand the program materials vary so widely. And at $15+ per shot (on the

defective recording, and you can imagine what's bound to happen

average), you'd just as soon avoid making a mistake. You may already befamiliar with the difficulties one always has in returning a genuinely

y

GI discs, one generalization arose immediately:while most audiophile recordings are techni-cally state-of-the-art (boasting wide dynamic

if you try to get a refund on an expensive discon the basis of not liking the musical content.

In reviewing a wide selection of audiophile discsto come up with a collection of recommended

PICK

range, freedom from back-ground and surface noise,etc.), the musical con-tent often leaves a lot

Illof room for improve-ment . . . for example,how many audio buffsare truly interested inadding a

ofdirect-cutimprovisa-tional

re-cording0their permanent recordcollection? Likewise, whileI occasionally enjoy

DISCwatching a flamenco dancer,listening to an entire two recordsides of nothing but flamencomusic leaves me quite cold.

Keeping this in mind led me touse two criteria for recommendedrecordings: (1) They must beIFleasttech-nically superior to "run-of-the-mill".sue

i scs and(2theyualbums and at

musthave musical appeal to a large number of potentialers. And, while it is doubtful that all of the albums men-tioned herein will appeal to everyone, there is certainly some-thing for everybody, and they are all enjoyable. Without any further

DISC-OPHILES°Seventeen direct -to -disc or digital recordingsthat earned the distirction of ourcritic's recommeida:ionBY A. W. MYERS

NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1979 tt 53

SUPERDISCS

BILL BIROAND HIS

LI LINCTONAl L STAR',

Ow.

ww.01

N.14

FOR DUKE

GREAT JAZZ TRIO DIRECT FROM L.A.

TOMMY NEWSOM LIVE FROM BURBANK

ado, here are my choices, which are inci-dentally, not mentioned in any order ofpreference.

The Missing Linc-Lincoln Mayorgaand Distinguished Colleagues Vol. ILis a classic in the direct -cut field. Thismore than any other album broughtabout the whole idea of direct -cut andaudiophile recordings. First released in1972, it has been out of print for sev-eral years. Many readers will probablybe overjoyed to learn that it is beingre -issued, in a direct -cut state by Shef-field Lab at the original low price ofonly $12.00. When Sheffield was inthe process of moving to newer facili-ties they evidently found metal stamp-ers for this rare disc, that had beenmis-filed several years ago. Selectionsinclude Litnehouse Blues (listen for thebass drum at the close of this song),Norwegian Wood, We've Only JustBegun, If (note the clarity of the harp-sichord), and others. Side Two of thisalbum features the Miraflores StringQuartet used to compliment the brass,guitar, piano and drums. This albumis a real winner, both musically andtechnically, and it offers the consumera chance to get a true collector's itemfor a relatively low price.

Live from Beautiful Downtown Bur-bank (Direct -Disk Labs #DD -108) fea-tures Tommy Newsom (with a guestappearance by Doc Severinson). Mostof the other musicians are regulars ofthe NBC Tonight Show Band, and ifyou've enjoyed their all too -infrequentfull-length performances on the Carsonshow, this disc will certainly make upfor it. The six selections include Stayin'Alive, Send In The Clowns, Just TheWay You Are and a must -hear jazzarrangement based on the NBC threechime musical logo, brought to life bythe trumpet and flugelhorn of Doc Sev-erinson. Along with the dead -quiet discsurface, the stereo spread is perfectlybalanced with just the right amount ofreverberation. All in all, an excellent disc.

Orchestrations Astromantic (RCA#RDCE-6) is a direct -cut disc by theTokyo Philharmonic. Back in the 1950s,RCA released a record titled ClassicalMusic for People Who Hate ClassicalMusic. This might well be considered a"today" version of that earlier disc.While I don't remember if the olderrecord had any sort of memorablesound, this one certainly does. Classicalpurists will undoubtedly shudder atwhat was done on this album, but it isvery enjoyable and technically excel-lent. Compositions such as Also SprachZarathustra, Concierto de Aranitiez andThe Light Cavalry Overture (andothers) have been combined into asymphonic medley along with themes

from Gone With The Wind and StarWars (both classics of another type).Admittedly on paper it all sounds rathersilly, but pouring forth from a goodstereo system, it sounds glorious. Myone complaint with what would other-wise be a perfect disc is that the re-placement of the usual 32 foot organpedal (at the beginning of Also SprachZarathustra) with less thunderous bass.Of special interest are the liner noteswhich are an education in the periland problems encountered in producinga direct -cut disc. Good as the overallsound on this album may be (and it isgood) it is even more improved by theaddition of a time delay system-as aremany of the discs mentioned here.

For Duke (M&K Real Time Rec-ords, #RT-101) is a tribute to DukeEllington by long-time members of hisband. The sound is exceptionally cleanand tight, with very close miking, al-though it could have used a wee bitmore reverb (but that is a part ofdirect -cut recording: you can't go backto the master tape and tweak up thereverb or echo electronically). If you'veever enjoyed the close-up miking onProject Three albums by Enoch Light,you'll love this album. The selectionsare all Ellington "standards" includingSatin Doll, Take the A Train, MoodIndigo and five others. Soloists includeBill Berry, Ray Brown, Frankie Capp,and Scott Hamilton.

The Living Legend Plays the Chi-cago Theatre Organ features GeorgeWright, organist, at the Mighty Wur-litzer (four manual, 29 rank). It is areal pleasure to hear this album forseveral reasons: it is the first direct -cutalbum of theatre organ (after a seem-ingly inexhaustible string of classicalorgan direct -cut discs), it is Mr.Wright's first recording in several yearsand it is just a plain, great recording.Older readers may remember the bestselling series of organ albums done byMr. Wright on the now-defunt HiFi-Record label, back in the 1950s. Thisnew Wright recording proves that heis still the undisputed master of thetheatre organ. At first hearing, unpre-pared listeners may question whatseems to be a lot of background noiseand hiss. The liner notes claim that thisis "air noise" caused by the organ itself.It sounds reasonable, but to be sure Ichecked with Robert A. Neyland, oneof the nation's leading authorities onthe refurbishing and maintenance oftheatre pipe organs. Yes, it really is thesound of air, and his opinion, like mine,is that this is an exceptional disc. Thetwelve selections include Yesterday,Liza, Black Moonlight, a Wright favor-ite called Vera Dero and a humorous


treatment of the Mickey Mouse March.This is another disc that cries out for atime -delay system and a sub -woofer.This disc is released on the CenturyRecords label (formerly GreatAmerican Gramophone Co.). Note: fansof Mr. Wright may be interested inknowing that Doric Records, P.O.Box 482, Monterey CA 93940, has ac-quired the master tapes to those olderWright recordings and is re -equalizingthem and selling them through the mail.

Prokofiev-Excerpts from Romeoand Juliet (Direct -Cut, Sheffield#LAB -8) features Erich Leinsdorf con-ducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic.Also of interest is a companion album(#LAB -7) in which we have a selec-tion of Wagner compositions includingRide of the Valkyries, Tristan and!soIde: Prelude to Act I, Siegfried'sFuneral Music and Forest Murmurs.Both of these albums employ a single -point miking system. This yields a veryrealistic, life -like sound and naturalstereo balance-as opposed to somemulti -mike, multi -track classical discsthat sound over -processed. One of themost important ingredients in anydirect -to -disc endeavor is the choice ofrecording site and the amount of naturalreverberation the site yields. These clas-sical albums were done on a soundstage at M -G -M studios in Culver CityCalifornia, and the excellence of theirchoice shows up on both discs. Theseare albums that should appeal to any-one who likes classical music. Like allSheffield discs, these have absolutelyno surface noise-and in case you havedoubts as to the similarities between"reviewer pressings" and those sold instores, my two copies of the Sheffieldclassical discs were purchased locally.

Limited Edition: Arthur Fielder andthe Boston Pops (Crystal Clear #CCS-7003) is another exceptional direct -cutclassical recording. The late Mr. Fiedlerwas probably the most well known (andloved) classical conductor in this coun-try (if not the world) and his other re-cordings on RCA, Polydor and Londonhave sold millions. However, this hasgot to stand out as the best recordinghe has ever done. The enthusiasm thatFiedler instilled in the orchestra is al-ways evident, making these two "war-horses" more enjoyable than ever be-fore. As with the two above mentionedSheffield classical discs, we have an-other ideal recording location: Boston'sSymphony Hall, providing a natural"you -are -there" sound. Tchaikovsky'sCapriccio Italien and Rimsky-Korsakov'sCapriccio Espagnol are perfect selec-tions for the direct -cut recording pro-cess: big, boisterous finales and quiet,delicate interludes. The liner notes say

that this record sounds better at highlistening levels. Maybe this is a demon-stration of what one speaker manufac-turer means when they say "loud is

beautiful, if it is clean."Live on the Wire is at the opposite

end of the musical spectnim, featuringrock singer Jeff Campbell. This is adigital recording from a new company:Oneiric Records (available via mailorder at 920 East Haley St., Santa Bar-bara, CA 93103), and if the quality oftheir future releases remains this high,they deserve much success. There aretwo unique things about this album-(1) it is the first real rock album to bereleased which was produced via thedigital process and (2) it has the verylow price of just $7.00. Campbell has agood, strong voice that is well suitedto this type of music, which is all origi-nal compositions. Most other digital al-bums produced in this country haveused the Soundstream process, this discis done on the new Sony PCM-1 digitalencoder. How this company can turnout such a superior product for such alow price is a mystery to me, but it hasa totally quiet surface and the widedynamic range that one usually paystwice the price to try and obtain.Whether you buy this album for themusical content, the digital techniqueor the low price, it's a wise investment.

Anita Kerr Performs Wonders(#CRD-1160) on the Century Recordslabel is another audiophile recording tomake use of the Sony digital encoder.To the best of this listener's knowledge,none of the Stevie Wonder compositionsperformed here ever became big hits,but all are melodic, interesting songsmade very listenable by Anita Kerr'sarrangements and performances. Theultra -lush background of strings, piano,brass and guitar is conducted by JoeReisman (who has produced many ofHenry Mancini's RCA albums). Evenif this disc were not musically enjoyable(which it definitely is), it serves toshow that the digital recording processworks well with "middle-of-the-road"music as well as with classical block-busters and jail or rock "screamers."

A Cut Above by the New Dave Bru-beck Quartet (Direct -Disk Labs #DD -106) is a two -record set and is, there-fore, one of the more expensive audio-phile albums on the market. But, it isworth every penny. It is sure to even-tually become a collector's item, bothwith jazz enthusiasts and with audio-philes, since the direct -cut processbrings you as close as possible to at-tending a live performance. All of thenecessary requirements to make this aspecial album are present: ultra- quiet


STRAVINSKY'S THE FIREBIRC SUITE

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Capricc.k. I t,lk:0 Caw-keit!) EspagnolARTHUR FIEDLER & THE BDSTON POPS

ANI1A KERR PERFORMS WONDERS


Why, after pioneering 2 -speed cassette decks, 6.1.0 introduces the T-05 Single -Speed.The answer lies in the photograph. Our new bottcm-of-the-line T-05 (on top) shares somethilg unique with our unex-celled top -of -the -line T -4M. Broadband Electronics. B.I.C's exclusive package of electronic circuitrythat lets each out-perform, in musically audible ways, decks costing 'mice as much. Its the reason the T-05 caq guarantee frequencyresponse of 30-18,000Hz-±-3dB on 70p sec tape (unheard of in the"budget" range). And why it's theworld's fi nest pop-ular -priced cassette deck. :=or details write B.I.C[AVNET, Westbury. N Y. 11590. The new T-05 Cassette Deck.

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TEST REPORTSRECEIVERS /59

TU\ERS/61 67/RECORD PLAYERSI\TEGRATED AVPS/62 68/PHONO PICKUPS

CASSETTE DECKS/63 69/HEA3PHO\ES

RECEIVERS

a


ONKYO TX -20AM/FM RECEIVER

A 30 -watts -per -channel "midi- receiver whichsurpassed our expectations in the testing lab-oratory. Its FM tuning lock is unusually effec-tive: you'll always get optimum tuning. $330.00,housed in a metal cabinet.

DESCRIPTION: An AM FM stereo receiver FTC -ratedfor 8 ohms at 30 watts RMS per channel, 20 to 20,000Hz, at no more than 0.08% THD. Features include anFM tuning "lock" (also called Automatic FrequencyControl) that is automatically applied when the hand isremoved from the tuning knob. When the FM mutingswitch is set for auto -stereo reception, the tuning lockcircuit is activated as is the interstation mute. Whenthe mute switch is set to off, FM reception and theamplifier are switched to mono operation and thetuning lock circuit is turned off.

Other features include a front panel door that con-ceals infrequently -used controls and switches, a 5 -stepLED signal strength and AM tuning indicator, a triplexLED FM tuning '"lock" indicator, and automatic FMhigh blend (mpx noise filter).

There are inputs for magnetic phono, aux, and tape.Outputs for two speaker systems, tape, and phones.

Controls are provided for tuning 'autolock, volume,balance, ganged bass, and ganged treble. There areswitches for power, speaker selection, high filter, FM

muting 'lock" on -off, loudness compensation, tuner,'phono aux selector, tuner phono selector, tape sourcemonitor, and AM 'FM selection.

The FM antenna input is 300 ohms. A rod antennaand external connection are provided for AM. Switchedand unswitched AC outlets are provided.

Overall dimensions are 16-9'16 in. wide x 2-61/64in. high x 13-7 16 in. deep. Weight is 15.8 lbs.PERFORMANCE-FM TUNER: Full limiting was attainedwith 2.4 uV. The morophonic high fidelity sensitivity(60 dB quieting) measured 7.5 uV. The stereo highfidelity sensitivity (55 dB quieting) was 38 uV. Full muterelease was attained with 1.7 uV. (Stereo receptiondoes not switch in-from mono-until the signalstrength is 28 uV.)

At standard test level, the stereo frequency re-sponse measured +0.5 /-1 dB from 30 to 15,000 Hz(rated frequency response range), down 2 dB at 20 Hz.Monophonic distortion measured 0.08% THD. Stereodistortion measured 0.45% THD. The signal-to-noiseratio was 69 dB. Stereo separation was 40+ dB. Selec-tivity was good. (Note: Pilot signal rejection was some-what low, the leakthrough was -48 dB. While this can-not be heard, it can affect an associated recorder'sDolby tracking if the -ecorder's Dolby mpx filter isn'tused.

The FM tuning lock is unusually effectiveit literallygrabs onto the signal and holds it precisely tuned foroptimum distortion separation characteristics.PERFORMANCE-AM TUNER: Background noise levelwas considerably higher than average.PERFORMANCE-AMPLIFIER: Power output at the clip-ping level with both channels driven 20 to 20,000 Hzinto 8 ohms measured 34 watts RMS. The frequencyresponse at 34 watts '8 ohms measured +0 -0.5 dBfrom 20 to 20,000 Hz at a distortion no higher than0.075% THD at any frequency.

The tone control range measured ±12 dB at 50 Hz;±10 dB at 10,000 Hz.

The magnetic input hum and noise measured -63dB; stereo separation was 59 dB.


TEST REPORTS RECEIVERS


SANSUI G-5700AM/FM RECEIVER

A 75 -watts per channel receiver that featuresboth digitally quartz -locked tuning and digitalfrequency readout. AM tuner performance is not-ably excellent. Features include peak-readingpower output indicators. $630.00.

DESCRIPTION: An AM 'FM stereo receiver FTC -ratedfor 8 ohms at 75 watts RMS per channel, 20 to 20,000Hz, at a distortion no higher than 0.03% THD.

Features include: conventional and digital readoutAM and FM tuning indicators; an FM stereo beacon;7 -step LED -type signal strength indicator; normal (75uSec) and Dolby (25 uSec) FM de -emphasis; LED-typetriplex FM tuning meter; peak reading light-bar leftand right output power indicators calibrated from 0.006to 75 watts into 8 ohms; a monophonic microphoneinput that can be mixed with other signal sources; asubsonic filter; tone control defeat; an output hold -offthat prevents power supply turn-on transients from be-ing fed to the speakers; and auto -dubbing betweentwo recorders.

There is a front panel monophonic microphoneinput. Stereo inputs for magnetic phono, aux, and twotape. Outputs for two speaker systems, two tape, andphones.

Controls are provided for tuning, volume, balance,ganged bass, ganged treble, and microphone mixinglevel. Switches for power, speaker system A, speakersystem B, tone control defeat, subsonic filter, 20 dBaudio mute, loudness compensation, FM muting,stereo/mono mode, tape monitor 1', and tape monitor2. (Tape 1 auto -dubs to tape 2 when both switches aredepressed.)

The FM antenna input is 75/300 ohms. A rod an-tenna and external connection are provided for AM.There are switched and unswitched AC outlets.

Overall dimensions are 18-5/16 in. wide x 7 in. highx 16 in. deep. Weight is 30.4 lbs.PERFORMANCE-FM TUNER: For 300 ohm and "tee"antennas: full limiting was attained with 3 uV. The

monophonic high fidelity sensitivity (60 dB quieting)measured 9.5 uV. The stereo high fidelity sensitivity(55 dB quieting) was 85 uV. Full mute release was at-tained with 3 uV

At standard test level, the stereo frequency responsewith 75 uSec de -emphasis measured +0.1/-1.8 dBfrom 30 to 15,000 Hz (the rated frequency range), down3 dB at 20 Hz. With the front panel selector set to theDolby FM position (25 uSec de -emphasis) the stereofrequency response measured +0 '-3.5 dB from 30 to15,000 Hz (down 3.5 dB at 15,000 Hz). Monophonic dis-tortion measured 0.2% THD. Stereo distortion was 0.25%THD. The signal-to-noise ratio measured 71 dB. Stereoseparation was 40 dB. Selectivity was good. (Note:The stereo "carrier" of 38 kHz was -40 dB, an unusu-ally high value. Though it has no effect on listeningsound quality, make certain the mpx filter is switchedin when making Dolby recordings even though mostrecorders have the filter connected at all times.)PERFORMANCE-AM TUNER: Notably excellent. Veryhigh sensitivity and unusually low background noiselevel.PERFORMANCE-AMPLIFIER: The power output perchannel at the clipping level with both channels driven20 to 20,000 Hz into 8 ohms measured 78 watts RMS.The frequency response at 78 watts/8 ohms measured+0;'-0.4 dB from 20 to 20,000 Hz at a distortion nohigher than 0.025% THD.

The tone control range measured +11 '-12 dB at 50Hz; +9 -10 dB at 10,000 Hz. The subsonic filter wasdown 2 dB at 20 Hz.

The magnetic input hum and noise measured -64 dB.Separation was into the noise level.PEFORMANCE-OUTPUT METERS: The peak readingoutput meter calibrations are approximate. Each LEDindicator, which represents a "power step," covers arelatively broad range. The frequency response ap-pears to be essentially flat from about 100 Hz to20,000 Hz; there is moderate rolloff in response below100 Hz. (The meter is quite adequate for estimatingpower delivered to the amplifier load. It is not suf-ficiently accurate to be relied upon as a test ormeasurement device.)PERFORMANCE-DIGITAL DISPLAY: The digital displaysteps up in 1 kHz increments on the AM band, and 100kHz increments on the FM band. The indicated AMfrequency was not precisely "right on the mark" as weattained slightly better reception by rocking' the tuning.Best AM results were generally attained when the AMfrequency read 2 kHz low. The FM display is precise.When the digital display indicates the station fre-quency, distortion is lowest and separation highest.Overall, the digital display tuning aid performance isgood (AM) to excellent (FM); it sure beats tuning withthe conventional dial.

Worst Case: The test results that we report within these pages are always the worst case measurement for thepiece of equipment being evaluated. For example, if the frequency response of an amplifier's left channel is 20 to20,000 Hz, ± 2 dB, while the response of the right channel is ± 3 dB from 20 to 20,000 Hz, the test report will showthe worst case measurement, that is, -± 3 dB. Similarly, if an FM tuner's stereo separation measurement is 40 dBleft -to -right and 32 dB right -to -left, the test report will show a separation figure of 32 dB. This method of reportingallows you to be certain that performance in all other cases was equal to or better than the published results.


TEST REPORTS TUNERS


AKAI AT -2650AM/FM TUNER

An AM/FM tuner that features outstanding AMreception and notably excellent stereo align-ment, according to our lab's findings. User -

adjustable FM muting threshold is among itsfeatures. $299.00.

DESCRIPTION: An AM FM stereo tuner featuring astereo beacon, FM center channel tuning meter AMFM signal strength meter, user -adjustable FM mutinglevel, and a variable line level output.

There are controls for tuning, output level, and FMmuting threshold. Switches for power, FM muting,

AM /FM selection, and noise cancel (suggested forelimination of impulse -type noises).

The FM antenna input is 75 300 ohms. A rod an-tenna and external connection are provided for AM.

Overall dimensions ae 17.3 in. wide x 5.7 in. high x14.5 in. deep. Weight is 16.5 lbs.PERFORMANCE-FM TUNER: For 300 ohm and "tee"antennas, full limiting was attained with 2.2 uV. Themono sensitivity (60 dE quieting) measured 7 uV. Thestereo high fidelity sensitivity (55 dB quieting) was 41uV. Full mute release could be user -set over the rangeof 10.5 to 120 uV. The noise cancel feature appears tobe nothing more than an ordinary fixed -type FM mutethat releases at 10 uV. Suppressed noise is any noisebelow the 10 uV release level. Once the noise cancelmute releases, there is no noise suppression.

At standard test level, the stereo frequency responsemeasured 4-0 -1.5 dB from 20 to 15,000 Hz. Mono-phonic distortion measured 0.5% THD. Stereo distor-tion was 0.12% THD. The signal-to-noise ratio meas-ured 71 dB. Stereo separation was 40+ dB. Selec-tivity was excellent.

The maximum output level corresponding to 100%modulation of the transmitter was 1.4 volts.PERFORMANCE-AM TUNER: Notably superior (wellabove average) sensitivity. Extremely low backgroundnoise level; one of the most quiet AM tuners we haveever tested.

C

LT 1 t I .T_LT


KENWOOD KT -413AM/FM TUNER

An AM/FM tuner with motor -driven, all -electronicautomatic tuning system. Also included are 5 -sta-tion pre-set capability that works extremely welland an interstation noise mute that may be setat either of two threshold levels. $250.

DESCRIPTION: An AM FM stereo tuner with motor -driven automatic tuning. An electronic "servo -lock"stops tuning on the next station (AM or FM band's or onone of five preset FM or five preset AM stations asdetermined by the user. (The tuning dial is cDnven-bonal. If the tuning pointer does not locate or sense astation, the pointer and tuning travels to the end of thedial and then reverses to search out the next station.)An interstation noise mute for both AM and FM isalways active, at one of two user -determined thresholdlevels (low or high).

Other features include a stereo beacon, 5 -step LEDsignal strength indicator, and a dual-purpose LED indi-cator that shows either that the servo -lock has tuned

a station correctly, or that a preset tuning indicatorhas been set correctly.

The presets are two rows of five sliders (one row forFM, the other for AM) above and below the tuning dial.When a station has been tuned the preset is set bymoving a slider directly above or below the dial pointeruntil the servo -lock LED illuminates. In the presetmode. the tuning and dial will stop only where there isa slider. Moving a slider(s) to the extreme right or leftof the dial sets it beyond the range of the presetsearch, and the individual slider(s) is turned off.

One output is provided at line level.Touch switches are provided for: power, sequential

tuning left (lower in frequency). sequential tuning right(higher in frequency), AM FM preset tuning (sequen-tial tuning switches search out only the preset sta-tions), stop level (mute level), AM FM, and autostereo mono FM.

The FM antenna input is 75 300 ohms. An adjustableinterral antenna and external antenna are providedfor AM.

Overall dimensions are 153/4 in. wide x 5-15 32 in.high x 11 in. deep. Weight is 9.26 lbs.PERFORMANCE-FM TUNER: For 300 ohm and "tee"antennas, full limiting is already in at the lowest fac-tory -set mute level of 3.5 uV. The monophonic highfidelity sensitivity (60 dB quieting) measured 8 uV. ThestereD high fidelity sensitivity (55 dB quieting) was 50uV. Full mute release was attained with 3.5 or 12 uV.

The stereo frequency response measured +-0'-1.2dB w thin the rated frequency range of 30 to 15,000 Hz.Moncphonic distortion measured 0.5% THD. Stereoseparation was 404 dB. Selectivity was very good. The


TEST REPORTS TUNERS

output level corresponding to 100% modulation of thetransmitter was 1 volt.

The servo -lock tuning is very accurate. Though al-most impossible to expect, if the broadcast station'scarrier frequency started to drift, the servo -lock tuningtracks the station. The preset station search was aseffective as the sequential tuning. As with the sequen-tial tuning, if there should be a station below thethreshold level (mute release) you would never knowit existed because there is no way to turn off the mute.(A minor inconvenience because such a station's signalwould be buried in the noise level and would beunpleasant to listen to.)PERFORMANCE-AM TUNER: Sensitivity is better thanaverage. Background noise is extremely low. An ex-cellent AM tuner. The comments on the FM servo -locktuning apply for AM. Also, the AM tuner utilizes anunusual internal antenna. You can't see the antenna.On the rear apron is a rotator knob that adjusts the

AM antenna for optimum reception. The knob movesmore or less from side to side, and the complete sys-tem requires much less extra clearance than the typi-cal AM rod antenna. (Nice feature, especially if you'reshort on space.)PERFORMANCE-PRESET TUNING: To adjust a presetyou first tune a station in the normal manner and thenmove a slider directly over (FM) or under (AM) thedial until the dual-purpose LED illuminates. That's thewhole adjustment. When you press the tuning switchthe dial moves to the nearest slider, stops, and theservo -lock tunes the station. Unfortunately, the slidershave very little friction and are easily disturbed. If theslider moves out of position. even slightly, the pointercan stop well off the station frequency and there'snothing for the servo -lock to lock onto. The presetsliders could benefit from considerable tightening.The servo -lock tuning works extremely well, however.

INTEGRATED AMPLIFIERS

.7V

!Al ',41 jCircle No. 62 On Reader Service Card

AKAI AM -2650INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

A 65 -watts -per -channel integrated amplifier whosedistortion as measured by our laboratory is con-siderably less than even the low value specifiedby the manufacturer. Features 3 -position phonoinput impedance selector. $299, metal cabinet.

DESCRIPTION: An integrated stereo amplifier FTC -rated for 8 ohms at 65 watts RMS per channel, 20 to20,000 Hz, at no more than 0.08% THD.

Features include: left and right output power meterscalibrated from 0.01 to 130 watts into 8 ohms and -40dB to 4-3 dB, with 0 dB representing 65 watts; a three -

position phono input impedance selector for 33K, 47Kand 100K ohms; automatic dubbing to and from eitherof two tape recorders; and an output hold -off that pre-vents power supply turn -on transients from being fed

to the speakers.There are inputs for two magnetic phono, tuner, aux,

and two tape. Outputs for two speaker systems, twotape, and phones.

Controls are provided for volume, balance, gangedbass, ganged treble, speaker selection, input selection,and tape monitor tape dubbing selection. There areswitches for power, tone control defeat, low filter, highfilter, 20 dB audio mute, stereo mono mode, andloudness compensation.

One unswitched and two switched AC outlets areprovided.

Overall dimensions are 17.3 in. wide x 5.7 in. high x13.6 in. deep. Weight is 23.5 lbs.PERFORMANCE: The power output per channel at theclipping level with both channels driven 20 to 20,000Hz into 8 ohms measured 69 watts RMS. The frequencyresponse at 69 watts 8 ohms measured 0 -0.4 dBfrom 20 to 20,000 Hz at a distortion no higher than0.03% THD at any frequency.

The tone control range measured ±11 dB at 50 Hz;±-9 dB at 10,000 Hz.

The low filter-which is not a subsonic filter-had anattenuation of 1.5 dB at 50 Hz, 6 dB at 20 Hz.

The magnetic input hum and noise measured -64dB; stereo separation was 50 dB.

The output meter power calibrations were accurateto better than 10% from 0.01 to 65 watts into 8 ohms.The frequency response was almost ruler flat from 20 to20,000 Hz. Accuracy is good enough to permit themeters to be used as "test equipment" if needed.

Please note: All prices listed in the test reports section, as well as prices listed elsewhere in this issue, areapproximate and subject to change. Use them only as a ballpark guide to what you can expect to pay for a pieceof equipment. It is assumed that prices vary at the discretion of individual dealers and that advertised prices maychange without notice.


TEST REPORTS CASSETTE DECKS

9 . aetw000

MEW


KENWOOD KA-405INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER

A 55 -watts -per -channel integrated amplifier whosefeatu;es include a monophonic microphone inputthat allows you to cross -fade the mike input withother signal sources. Other signals are attenuatedas the mike level increases. $299, metal cabinet.

DESCRIPTION: An integrated stereo amplifier FTC -rated for 8 ohms at 55 watts RMS per channel, 20 to20,000 Hz, at no more than 0.05% THD.

Features include left and right output power meterscalibrated 0.001 to -.00 watts into 8 ohms, a mono-phonic microphone input that can be blended (mixed)with other signal sources, automatic dubbing to andfrom e ther of two recorders, and an output hold -offthat prevents power supply turn -on transients frombeing fed to the speakers.

There are stereo irputs for magnetic phono, tuner,aux, and two tape. Outputs for two speaker systems.two tape, and phones.

Controls are proviced for volume, balance, gangedbass ganged treble, microphone mixing, input selec-tion, and speaker selection. There are switches forpower, tone control defeat (labled "Power Amp Di-rect"), loudness compensation, tape dubbing selector,and tape monitor selector.

An unswitched and two switched AC outlets areprovided.

Overall dimensions are 153/4 in. wide x 5-15 32 in.high x 11-21 32 in. deep. Weight is 16.8 lbs.PERFORMANCE: The power output per channel at theclipping level with bcth channels driven 20 to 20,000Hz into 8 ohms measured 58 watts RMS. The frequencyresponse at 58 watts 8 ohms measured -1 dBfrom 20 to 20,000 Hz at a distortion no higher than0.015% THD at any frequency.

The tone control range measured +11/-10 dB at 50Hz; ±10 dB at 10,000 Hz.

The magnetic input hum and noise measured -72dB. Stereo separation was into the noise level.

The output power meter readings were essentiallyaccurate up to 10 watts. 25 watts actual output indi-cated 50 watts. 55 watts actual output indicated 100watts. The meter's frequency response was essentiallyflat from 100 to 20,000 Hz, down 10 dB at 20 Hz. Themeters have a fast rise and slow decay.

CASSETTE DECKS


B.I.C. MODEL T -4MCASSETTE DECK

A feature -laden Iwo -speed three -head cassettedecks that is fully equipped to record/play backon metal particle tape. Due to its many capa-bilities, exceptional recording quality may beattained in several ways. $850, wood cabinet.

DESCRIPTION: A frcnt-loading two -speed (17/8 and 33/4ips), three -head system (simultaneous record play-back :apability), dual capstan Dolby cassette deckfeaturing special bias for 33/4 ips speed and equaliza-

tion and bias selectors for normal, high bias (chrome -type:, and metal tapes. Other features include: a biastrim adjustment on the front panel; front panel left andright Dolby calibration controls; a two tone (40010,000 Hz) test oscillator system for bias and Dolbycalibration; peak -indicating, bar -graph, record levelmeters; an LED peak record level indicator (called a"clipping" indicator); microphone line input mixing;an electronic LED digital tape counter with two com-puter memories that can be user -programmed to pro-vide auto rewind, replay, or continuous play betweentwo predetermined tape locations; automatic end oftape stop disengage, rewind, or rewind any replay;a front panel "pitch" control (tape speed adjustment);a re -note control connector (though no remote controlunit is currently supplied by B.I.C.); and a record mutethat disables the record signal source while the tapedrives.

There are inputs for microphones and line. Outputsfor l'ne and phones.

Controls are prov ded for concentric -clutched leftand right microphone record level, concentric -clutchedleft and right line level, "pitch," headphone level, out-put level, and bias trim. There are recessed screw-driver adjustments fo- left and right Dolby tracking cali-bration (using 400 Hz tone). Switches are provided forpower, speed select, tape type (equalization), bias,reccrd safe ready muting, Dolby on -off, mpx filter,


TEST REPORTS CASSETTE DECKS

tape source monitor, 400 10,000 Hz test oscillatoron -off, counter clear, counter memory 1, counter mem-ory 2, memory inhibit, auto rewind, and auto play.

The tape mechanism has micro -touch buttons forrecord preset, REW, play, FF, stop. and pause. Thereis a pushbutton for eject.

Overall dimensions measured 17-15 16 in. wide x6-7 16 in. high x 101/2 in. deep. Weight is 20 lbs.PERFORMANCE: The playback frequency responsefrom a standard test tape produced severe high fre-quency loss, caused by a non-standard head align-ment. While the machine proved to be in alignment toitself, it is not in alignment to prerecorded tapes.

(Note: The metal tape tests were specifically madeusing Scotch Metafine because this tape was suppliedwith the machine.)At 33/4 ips: Using TDK-AD tape: with Dolby, the recordplay frequency response measured -0.9 -2 dB from20 to 15,000 Hz. Distortion at the meter -indicated 0 -dBrecord level was 0.05% rHD with 8 dB headroom to3% THD. The signal-to-noise ratio referenced to 0 -dBrecord level was 51 dB wideband; 59 dB narrowband.

Using TDK-SA tape ;chrome -type): with Dolby, therecord play frequency response measured +3 -2 dBfrom 20 to 15,000 Hz. Distortion at the meter -indicated0 -dB record level was 0.05% THD with 8 dB headroomto 3% THD. The sig ial-to-noise ratio referenced to0 -dB record level was 54 dB wideband; 64 dB narrow -

band.Using Scotch Metafine (metal) tape: with Dolby, the

record play frequency -0.6 -2dB from 20 to 20,000 Hz. Distortion at the meter -indicated 0 -dB record level was 0.05% THD with 8 dBheadroom to 3% THD. The signal-to-noise ratio mea-sured 54 dB wideband; 64 dB narrowband. At 0 -dBrecord level (rather than the -30 dB level normallyused for Dolby cassette tests), the frequency responsemeasured +0 -3 dB from 20 to 12,000 Hz.

Wow and flutter measured 0.07% steady.At 17/8 ips. Using TDK-AD tape: with Dolby, the recordplay frequency response measured +2.8 -2 dB from20 to 13,000 Hz. Distortion at the meter -indicated 0 -dBrecord level was 0.07% THD with 6 dB headroom to3% THD. The signal-to-noise ratio referenced to 0 -dBrecord level was 54 dB wideband; 60 dB narrowband.

Using TDK-SA tape: with Dolby, the record playfrequency response measured +3/-0 dB from 20 to15,000 Hz. Distortion at the meter -indicated 0 -dBrecord level was 0.09% THD with 7 dB headroom to3% THD. The signal-to-noise ratio referenced to 0 -dBrecord level was 52 dB wideband; 60 dB narrowband.

Using Scotch Metafine tape: with Dolby. the recordplay frequency response at the standard -30 dB testlevel measured 2.5 -3 dB from 20 to 16,000 Hz. Dis-tortion at the meter -indicated 0 -dB record level was0.09% THD with 7 dB headroom to 3% THD. The

signal-to-noise ratio referenced to 0 -dB record levelwas 54 dB wideband; 61 dB narrowband.

At 0 -dB record level, the Metafine record 'play fre-quency response measured 4-2.5 -3 dB from 20 to11,500 Hz.

Wow and flutter measured 0.1%.The maximum output level corresponding to 0 -dB

record level was nominally 2 volts.The peak record level ("clipping") indicator turns

from green to red 4 dB above 0 -dB record level.At 11/2 ips, the pitch control provided a range of

+6.9 -7.1%. The control is detented in the positioncorresponding to standard tape speed. Since the con-trol affects both record and play speeds you must becertain it is detented if you want to make a "standard"recording.

The microprocessor -controlled tape counter memorysystem works very well. Each memory "remembers"(for as long as the power is turned on) the counterreadout at the moment the memory switch is de-pressed. You can then run fast wind to the counterreading, or program the machine to rewind or auto -play when the tape reaches the programmed count, oreven repeat play between two programmed locations.It's a somewhat time-consuming job to learn all theins and outs of the "computer," but once learned it iseasy to use, and very efficient. The only limitation isthat there is approximately 5 -seconds between coun-ter increments (in units of 1), so you cannot programfor excessively sight cues. The counter cannot be pre-programmed to a known readout unless you actuallyrun a tape through at high speed and depress thememory switch at the instant the counter shows thedesired readout. (Yes, the counter follows the tape athigh speed. It is not a "clock" that works at its ownpace regardless of the tape speed.)

For many reasons-metal tape handling, peak indi-cators, higher speed-it's possible to turn out notablyexcellent recordings with this machine. Results aresuperb under some conditions. It's important to re-member that if you utilize the 334 ips speed, a C-90cassette will provide about 23 minutes recording timeper side, which might not be sufficient for dubbingsome LPs. (It will generally accommodate pop LPs.).In general, performance with high quality "standard"tapes at 33/4 ips is about equal to that of metal tape at11/2 ips. We leave the economics of the situation upto you.

The calibration test oscillator system was excellent;one of the very best. Extremely easy to use and ex-tremely accurate. Almost the equal of the computer-ized test adjust models in some respects, and betterin others. Virtually insures optimized performance fromany type of tape. Since there's only one adjustmentcontrol, best bet is to standardize on one particulartype of tape.

Readers often ask what we mean when we say that the performance of a piece of equipment is average. We haveestablished high critical standards for all pieces of equipment that are reviewed on these pages. After all, we areconcerned with high fidelity components-not just any gear that produces sound. An average rating means that thecomponent meets our rigid performance standard and is a good buy in its price range. For example, if a $1000receiver is rated average, this means that it is the equal of other average $1000 receivers. superior to an average$600 receiver, and far superior to an average $200 receiver.

64HIFI/STEREO BUYERS' GUIDE

TEST REPORTS, CASSETTE DECKS

^1 1.4


JVC KD-A8CASSETTE DECK

Features built-in computer system, which se ectsthe best bias, equalization and sensitivity toensure optimum performance from any tape youchoose to use. It is capable of handling metalparticle tape (both record and play). $750.

DESCRIPTION: A front -loading computerized stereocassette deck featuring: JVC's ANRS/Super ANRSnoise reduction system (Dolby compatible); compati-bility with normal, Ferrichrome, chrome -bias, andmetal tapes; individual tape type selector with presetparameters as well as computer adjustment of bias,equalization and sensitivity to the particular tape beingused; left and right calibrated VU meters; a 5 -steppeak record level indicator calibrated at -10 dB, -5dB, 0 dB, +3 dB, +6 dB; automatic maximum recordlevel set when dubbing tape or disc (called S&L);timer -controlled record or play (with computerizedtape adjustments when recording); built-in remote con-trol connection for optional accessory; automatic endof tape stop/disengage; and a memory reset counterwith automatic stop or play after rewind. Most of theoperating controls and selectors are concealed behinda front panel door.

There are inputs for microphones and line. Outputsfor line and phones.

Controls are provided for left record level, rightrecord level, and ganged output level. There areswitches for power, tape type, ANRS /Super ANRS,manual/auto S&L record level set, computer 'manualtape type preset; computer start; record mute (killsinput signal while tape is driving); timer operation;counter memory on off; and counter memory operation(stop/play).

The tape mechanism has touch push -buttons for therecord interlock, REW, play, stop, FF, and pause.There is a pushbutton for eject.

Overall dimensions are 173/4 in. wide x 47/8 in. high x153/4 in. deep. Weight is 24.2 lbs.PERFORMANCE: Note: All tests were conducted onlyin the computerized mode because this provides theoptimum performance.

The playback frequency response from a standardtest tape with a 40 to 12,500 Hz range measured +1.3-0.5 dB.

Using TDK-D tape: without ANRS, the record 'playfrequency response measured +0.5'-2 dB from 40 to15,000, down 2.5 dB at 30 Hz. Distortion at the meter -

indicated 0 -VU record level measured 1.1% THD with5 dB headroom to 3% THD. The signal-to-noise ratioreferenced to 0 -VU record level measured 47 dB.

With the Dolby active, the record/play frequency re-sponse was +0/-2.5 dB from 30 to 10,000 Hz, down 3dB at 11,000 Hz. Distortion and headroom remainedthe same. The signal-to-noise ratio referenced to 0 -VUrecord level measured 54 dB wideband; 58 dB nar-rowband.

Using BASF Type III (Ferrichrome-bias) tape: withANRS; the record /play frequency response measured+0.1/-2.5 dB from 40 to 15,000 Hz; down 3.5 dB at30 Hz. Distortion at the meter -indicated 0 -VU recordlevel measured 1.4% THD with 5 dB headroom to3% THD. The signal-to-noise ratio referenced to 0 -VUrecord level was 54 dB wideband; 59 dB narrowband.

Using TDK-SA (chrome -bias) tape: with ANRS; therecord/play frequency response measured +1.51-2dB from 30 to 15,000 Hz. Distortion at the meter -indicated 0 -VU record level was 0.9% THD with 8 dBheadroom to 3% THD. The signal-to-noise ratio refer-enced to 0 -VU record level measured 54 dB wideband;59 dB narrowband.

Using Scotch Metafine (metal) tape: with ANRS; atthe standard -30 dB level commonly used for cassettetape tests, the recoro play 'frequency response mea-suret +0 -9 dB from 30 to 13,000 Hz. At 0 -VU recordlevel, the frequency response measured +0/-3 dBfrom 30 to 11,500 Hz. Distortion at the meter -indicated0 -VU record level measured 1.1% THD with 8 dBheadroom to 3% THD. The signal-to-noise ratio refer-enced to 0 -VU record level measured 54 dB wideband;59 dB wideband.

The maximum output level corresponding to a 0 -VUrecord level was nominally 0.3 volts.

The calibration of the LED peak record level indica-tors was exact. Also, they snap, rather than fade, onand cff (good operation).

Wow and flutter measured a "rock steady" 0.07%.PERFORMANCE-COMPUTER: Simply load a tape, se-lect the general tape type, and press the computerstart switch. The tape starts by itself, runs its owntests, sets the proper bias, sensitivity and equalization,and rewinds to the starting point, ready for operation.Panel lights blink while the computer is testing as anindication that "something is going on." If the tape'scharacteristics are beyond the range of the computer,say if you have loader a metal tape with the tape typeselector set for normal, an error lamp turns on. Thislamp illuminates whenever the computer cannot ad-just to a particular tape.

The overall precision of the computer is quite good,though we found it more accurate with some tapesthan others. One problem is finding suitable tape: thetape must be uniform. If the computer runs its tests ona poor section of tape the computer gets programmedincorrectly ("garbage in = garbage out"). Among themost consistent tapes were the Maxell UD; XL typesand the TDK AD and SA types. Some of the best knowntapes proved too inconsistent for computerization.

The computer does not have a memory for "remem-bering" its adjustments to a particular type of tape.Unless you use the manual selection, the computer


TEST REPORTS / CASSETTE DECKS

tests (which take but a few seconds) must be run eachtime the recorder is powered up for recording.PERFORMANCE: S&L: The S&L system automaticallysets the record level, starting from maximum gain, tothe maximum level of the input signal when dubbing.For example, to dub a tape you need simply feed itinto the machine. The KD-8A locks onto the loudest

input level and uses this as the maximum record levelvalue. (The circuit is not a compressor; it doesn'tamplify the lower input levels.) Surprisingly, it worksquite well if you have the time to test each input pro-gram for maximum volume. When dubbing many pro-grams onto one tape it does a good job of keepingthe playback level constant from program to program.


SANYO PLUS D62CASSETTE DECK

A Dolby cassette deck that handles record andplayback of metal particle tape and also includesan Automatic Music Select System that permitsquick location of any selection on the tape.Peak -hold level meters, too. $330, metal cabinet.

DESCRIPTION: A front -loading Dolby cassette deckfor normal, ferrichrome, chrome -bias, and metal tapes.Features include: tape bias and equalization selectors;left and right bar -graph record level meters with op-tional peak -hold; automatic end of tape stop disen-gage; a memory reset counter; a record mute thatdisables the input signal as long as the key is helddown; microphone 'line input mixing; and an AutomaticMusic Select System (AMSS). The AMSS operates inthe rewind and FF modes, locating the beginning orend of a program by the "dead air," which must lastfrom three to five seconds for proper operation ofAMSS. When the AMSS detects dead air it switches tonormal play speed and plays the program following the"dead air." During the fast wind using AMSS the "tapechatter" is heard for cueing purposes.


Controls are provided for: concentric -clutched leftand right microphone level, concentric -clutched leftand right line level, and ganged output level. There areswitches for power, tape bias selection, tape equaliza-tion selection, Dolby Dolby mpx filter, record meterpeak hold, counter memory on -off, record mute, andAMSS on -off.

The tape mechanism has lever controls for therecord interlock, REW (AMSS), FF (AMSS), play, stopeject, and pause.

Overall dimensions are 17-5/16 in. wide x 51/2 in.high x 117/e in. deep. Weight is 12.8 lbs. Unit is suppliedwith adaptors for converting to 19 -inch rack mounting.PERFORMANCE: The playback frequency responsefrom a standard test tape with a 40 to 12,500 Hz rangemeasured +1 -0.5 dB from 63 to 12,500 Hz, up 2.5

dB at 40 Hz.(Note: Since Scotch Metafine tape is factory speci-

fied, it was the only tape tried for the metal tapemode.)

Using TDK-AD tape: with Dolby, the record/playfrequency response measured ±3 dB from 20 to 12,000Hz. Distortion at the meter -indicated 0 -dB record levelwas 1% THD with 8 dB headroom to 3% THD. Thesignal-to-noise ratio referenced to 0 -dB record levelwas 52 dB wideband, 58 dB narrowband.

Using BASF Pro II (Ferrichrome bias) tape: withDolby, the record/play frequency response measured+1.8/-1.5 dB from 20 to 15,000 Hz. Distortion at themeter -indicated 0 -dB record level was 1.5% THD with7 dB headroom to 3% THD. The signal-to-noise ratioreferenced to 0 -dB record level was 53 dB wideband,61 dB narrowband.

Using TDK-SA (chrome -bias) tape: with Dolby, therecord/play frequency response measured +0 "-3 dBfrom 20 to 11,000 Hz. Distortion at the meter -indicated0 -dB record level was 1% THD with 6 dB headroom to3% THD. The signal-to-noise ratio referenced to 0 -dBrecord level was 57 dB wideband, 63 dB narrowband.

Using Scotch Metafine metal tape: with Dolby, therecord/play frequency response at 0 -dB record level,a level that is not used for standard cassette tapebecause standard tape has severe high frequency satu-ration, measured +0;!-3 dB from 20 to 10,000 Hz. Atthe standard -30 dB test level when using Dolby, therecord /play frequency response measured +3/-1 dBfrom 20 to 15,000 Hz. Distortion at 0 -dB record levelwas 1.2% THD with 5 dB headroom to 3% THD. Thesignal-to-noise ratio referenced to 0 -dB record levelwas 52 dB wideband, 60 dB narrowband.

The maximum output level corresponding to a 0 -dBrecord level was nominally 460 mV.

Wow and flutter measured 0.09% steady.The peak -hold feature on the record level meter

holds the maximum reading for up to 3 seconds, al-lowing the user to "see" the true peak level which isnot normally visible from the record level indicator.The peak reading meter more or less "tracks" theprogram peaks, allowing the user to easily keep therecord level in the low distortion area. Overall, anexcellent metering system.

The AMSS works very similar to other systemswhich sense the "dead air" between programs. Natur-ally, if there is a gap within a normal program it willsense the gap as the beginning or end of the programand resume play. Unlike some other sensing systems,the AMSS provides full time monitoring as the taperuns at the higher speed, so its easy to know, orrecognize, whether the AMSS has detected the proper"dead air." Overall, the system was unusually reliable.

A


TEST REPORTS/ RECORD PLAYERS

Circ'e No. 10 On Reader Service Card

TEAC A-510CASSETTE DECK

A Dolby cassette deck offers a programmabletimer function and a bar -graph meter with peakhold and automatic/manual reset option. Soft -touch mode controls are also included. $499,including a metal cabinet.

DESCRIPTION: A front -loading Dolby cassette deckfeaturing peak -reading fluorescent light bar level indi-cators with instantaneous and peak -hold modes. Otherfeatures include: bias and equalization selectors forNORMAL, ferrichrome, and chrome -bias tapes; pre -wired socket for optional plug-in remote control unit;a record mute that disables the input signal while thetape drive continues in the record mode; automaticend of tape stop disengage; a record /play timer con-trol switch; and a memory reset counter.


Controls are provided for left record level, right re-cord level, and ganged output level. The separaterecord controls are simultaneously driven through afriction "belt"; after the basic adjustments are made,adjusting one control also adjusts the other. There areswitches for power, record /play timer control, biasselection, equalization selection, Dolby, input selec-tion, counter memory on -off, peak -meter modes, andmeter brightness.

The tape mechanism has touch -buttons for the recordinterlock, REW, forward, FF, stop, pause, and eject. Thelogic -controlled mechanism allows "flying stag" re-cording in addition to the usual safety interlock. Forexample, with the tape playing, it is possible to godirectly into the record mode, without stopping, by

depressing the forward and record buttons simultane-ously. The unit will not shift from play to record if onlythe record button is pressed.

Overall dimensions are 17-5/16 in. wide x 53/4 in.high )1 131/2 in. deep. Weight is 20 lbs.PERFORMANCE: The playback frequency responsefrom a standard test tape with a 40 to 12,500 Hz rangemeasured +0.5/-3 dB.

Using TDK-D tape: without Dolby, the record/playfrequency response measured +1.8/-1.4 dB from 30to 15 000 Hz. Distortion at the meter -indicated 0 -dBpeak record level was 1.5% THD, with 2 dB headroomto 3% THD. The signal-to-noise ratio referenced to0 -dB record level was 49 dB.

With the Dolby active, the record 'play frequency re-sponse measured +2.8/-2 dB from 30 to 15,000 Hz.Distortion and headroom remained the same. Thesigna'-to-noise ratio referenced to 0 -dB record levelwas 52 dB wideband; 58 dB narrowband.

Using Sony ferrichrome tape: with Dolby, the record/play r'requency response was +3'-0 dB from 30 to15,000 Hz. Distortion at the meter -indicated 0 -dB peakrecord level was 1.5% THD with 3 dB headroom to3% THD. The signal-to-noise ratio referenced to 0 -dBrecord level was 49 dB wideband; 59 dB narrowband.

Using TDK-SA chrome -bias tape, for which thismachpe was factory adjusted: with Dolby, the record /play frequency response measured +2 '-3 dB from 30to 15 000 Hz. Distortion at the meter -indicated 0 -dBpeak record level was 1% THD with 6 dB headroom to3% THD. The signal-to-noise ratio referenced to 0 -dBrecord level was 52 dB wideband; 61 dB narrowband.

The maximum output level corresponding to a 0 -VUrecord level was nominally 560 mV.

Wow and flutter measured 0.09%.The fluorescent level indicators form a light bar pat-

tern. They can be set to track the peak level, or peakhold. In the hold mode the peak reading will hold untila higher peak comes along, or the indicators can beset to hold for about 2.5 seconds and then release fortracking the next peak.

The peak calibrations are notably precise, as evi-denced by the small difference in signal level neededto prcduce 3% THD once the signal exceeds the 0 -dBpeak level indication. This means you can operate therecord level right up against 0 -dB, thereby maximizingthe s gnat -to -noise ratio while avoiding record leveloverload.

RECORD PLAYERS

1111P Circle No. 90 On Reader Service Card Mir

SCOTT PS-97XVAUTOMATIC TURNTABLE

An automatic two -speed turntable that incorpo-rates quartz -locked speed control under mostrecord playing conditions. If users want to fine-tune the speed with the pitch controls, thequartz -locked mode may be switched off.$260


TEST REPORTS RECORD PLAYERS

DESCRIPTION: A two -speed (33, 45 rpm) automatic ormanual start record player with integral base and dustcover. Tonearm always recycles to off at the end ofplay regardless of the starting mode unless the userselects continuous repeat play. The motor speed islocked to a quartz reference, which can be turned offto provide variable speed control through separate 33and 45 pitch controls. A full-time illuminated strobefor both speeds is provided around the platter's rim.

There are controls for speed selection, quartz -lockon -off, 33 pitch, 45 pitch, play, reject, single repeatplay, tonearm lift, and record size 7-, 10-, or 12 -inchtonearm indexing).

The tonearm has a micro -adjust counterweight thatalso serves as a 0 to 3 gram vertical tracking force(VTF) adjustment calibrated in 0.1 -gram increments.There is a calibrated anti -skate. The pickup mounts ina universal plug-in carrier for which no overhanggauge or measurement is provided. The tonearm rest

has a positive lock. The output cable capacity is 180pF. (Note: Manufacturer suggests pickups rated for1.5 to 3 grams VTF.)PERFORMANCE: Both speeds remained constant withtotal immunity to transient line voltage variations overan applied test range of 90 to 140 volts. Wow andflutter measured 0.06%.

The pitch control range measured ±6% at 33 rpm,±-8% at 45 rpm.

The tonearm's VTF calibrations were accurate to 0.1gram.

This record player's sensitivity to external shock andvibration is somewhat higher than average, and it isrecommended for use where it can be mounted on afirm surface, with no shaky floors. The lack of anoverhang gauge or measurement can be a problem.Best bet is to leave the mounting screws loose andslide the pickup back and forth until you hear thebest sound; then tighten the screws.

PHONO PICKUPS

AUDIO-TECHNICA AT -25PHONO PICKUP

A very good pickup. At this level of quality youmust look for your own nuance in sound quality.Headshell is integral part of the pickup, with awide -range calibrated stylus overhang gaugebuilt in. 5275.

DESCRIPTION: A magnetic stereo pickup integratedin a universal headshell that has a user -adjustablerear -of -shell -to -stylus spacing of 47 to 55 mm. A built-in calibrated gauge and lock allows the overhang to beset within 0.5 mm accuracy. The recommended verti-

cal tracking force is 1.0 to 1.5 grams, with a nomin,setting of 1.2 grams. Essentially similar results wereattained anywhere within the vertical tracking forcerange.PERFORMANCE: The frequency response at 55 mm(standard) spacing measured within ~2 dB from 20to 20.000 Hz. Channel balance and separation meas-urements could not be made because the pickupcaused instability on one channel of our test equip-ment, though no instability was heard during listeningtests when the pickup was connected to the amplifier.The listening panel judged the sound quality to beequal to that obtained from typical "high performance"pickups. Depending on the record player the soundwas even better than attained with other high perform-ance pickups because the overhang could be literally"fine tuned" for the tonearm. It is simply a fact thata "universal" tonearm is not universal. (The rear -of -shell -to -stylus -tip measurement for proper overhangreally does vary.) The ability to "tune" the overhanggives this pickup an extra edge in attaining best per-formance from a tonearm pickup combination.


DESCRIPTION: A stereo magnetic pickup with a 0.3x 0.7 elliptical stylus. Pickup is supplied factory -installed in a universal headshell with 55 mm. (stand-ard) between rear of shell and stylus tip. Recom-

NAGATRONICS 1951EPHONO PICKUP

Meets our stringent requirements for phono pick-ups in this price range and offers the additionalconvenience of an integral headshell. 555.

STEREO AVERAGE FRED RESPONSE

r.3

0

3

20 50 100 200 500 1000 2000 5000 1000020000FREQUENCY ,N Ni


TEST REPORTS HEADPHONES

mended vertical tracking force is 1.5 to 2.0 grams andessentially similar results were attained anywhere with-in this range.PERFORMANCE: The frequency response measuredwithin ±2 dB from 20 to 20,000 Hz. Channel balance wasexact, the frequency response from each channel

overlapped. The worst -case stereo separation meas-ured 21 dB at 1000 Hz; 22 dB at 15,000 Hz.

This report appeared last issue with a frequency re-sponse curve and price that belong to a different car-tridge. Correct copy appears here. Mea culpa.


DESCRIPTION: A magnetic pickup with a ' Hyper -elliptical" stylus and built-in "hinged" stylus guard.Recommended vertical tracking force is 1/4 to 11/2

grams and best results were attained in the 11/4 to11/2 gram range.PERFORMANCE: The frequency response measured

SHURE M95HEPHONO PICKUP

This is the next -to -the -top -of -the -line Shure pick-up, which incorporates the same stylus as isused in the top -of -the -line model. Overall thesound quality is very good, with slightly hothighs. $90, ihith user -replaceable stylus (whichmay also be Lsed by those who now own the M95pickup) at $34.

±3 dB from 20 to 15,000 Hz, rising to +4.5 dB at20,000 Hz. Overall channel balance was within 2 dB.The worst -case stereo separation was 23 dB at 1000Hz; 20 dB at 15,000 Hz. (This pickup sounds a lotbetter than it measures.)

HEADPHONES


DESCRIPTION: 5 -ounce stereo headphones with sus-pension headband and pressure ear cushions. A 9 -footcord is provided.PERFORMANCE: An unusually light pair of head-

SENNHEISER 420HEADPHONES

A five -ounce pair of headphones in the Open -Aire' line. They are exceptionally comfortableand have higher than average efficiency. Theycome with a one-year warranty (repairs will bemade free of charge). $84.80.

phones. Suspension headband is somewhat difficult toadjust for optimum fit. Sound quality is generally wellbalanced. Transient response is lower than averagefor headphones in this price range. Efficiency is muchhigher than average and these phones can be drivento high sound levels with relatively little power. Theyare exceptionally comfortable, which is something toconsider if you will be wearing headphones for ex-tended periods of time.

JoinHie Greening of America

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popdiscs(Continued from page 22)

kick -out -the -jams numbers. Hopefullythis fine work will not be crushed todeath between the forces of ho -humdisco and megaton hard rock.

Lene Lovich: "Stateless." Stiff/Epic.$7.98.

Stiff Records, distributed here byCBS, is the British "new wave" labelthat launched Elvis Costello, NickLowe, Devo and other non -mainstreamrockers. Lene (pronounced Lay-na)Lovich seems to be next in line forstardom. Her vocal style is similar tothat of Patti Smith. Her six -piece bandplays highly spirited, yet disciplined,no -frills rock. After three blisteringtunes on side one, Lene shines on alovely ballad, "Too Tender (ToTouch)," with Don Snow providing acatchy piano riff.

Dire Straits: "Communique." WarnerBros. $8.98.

Mark Knopfler's moody guitar linesand Dylan -like vocals continue the pat-tern that was set in the group's out ofnowhere smash debut last year. Muchof Dire Straits' music bears the brood-

ing, understated intensity of the earlyworks of Jim Morrison and the Doors.Mark Knopfler's vocal on "Follow MeHome" sounds eerily like Morrison.

Carole King: "Touch The Sky." Capitol.S7.98.

If you always knew that Carole Kingcould make it big again, you wereright. After too many years of personaland professional hardships, Carole isback with her strongest set since the"Tapestry" chartbuster. With Jerry JeffWalker's excellent band supporting her,Carole sings with more vigor, tender-ness and hope than she has in quite awhile. She touches all bases, with asampling of rock, disco, country and,of course, ballads, with "You Still WantHer" a moving standout in the lastcategory.

Willie Nelson & Leon Russell: "OneFor The Road." Columbia. $13.98, two -record set.

"Willie and . . ." is a phrase thatspins pure gold. First it was "Willieand WayIon." Now Leon Russell sharesthe spotlight with the fuzzy -faced out-law. One of the two discs in the setfinds the duo alternating lead vocalson such good-timey Texas swing clas-sics as "Detour," "Don't Fence Me In"and "You Are My Sunshine." The sec-

V 40

1

Ilk I 40WIP

and record is a fine continuation ofWillie's lush "Stardust" album of lastyear. With Leon providing all instru-mentation, Willie eases his way throughthe likes of "Danny Boy," "Tenderly"and "Stormy Weather."

Jeremy Spencer Band:,"Flee." Atlantic.$7.98.

Spencer is a founding member ofFleetwood Mac and a superb guitarist.Side one of this exceptional disc iscomprised of three disco cuts, and theirimpact can be partly attributed to the

Aphex Aural Exciter used in the mix-ing. Side two is more mainstream rock,in which Spencer cultivates his afore-mentioned musical roots.

Rachel Sweet: "Fool Around." Stiff/Columbia. 7.98.

It's Brenda Lee all over again. Youremember Brenda from the 1950s. Youwere too young? Brenda Lee was an

iddy-biddy girl of 13 who belted outa rock song and oozed a ballad likesomeone twice her age, height andsophistication. Rachel Sweet, 16, pow-ers out rockers like "Who Does LisaLike?" and croons ballads like "Wild -wood Saloon" just the way Brenda did.Her cover of Dusty Springfield's "StayAwhile" is a nostalgic highlight for allyou 60s freaks.

thba: "Voulez-Vous." Atlantic. $7.98.The masters of pop -modified church

choir harmonies, Abba delivers a pol-ished package with a little for every-one: rock, romantic and disco. Thesound is room -filling.

Bram Tchaikovsky: "Strange Man,Changed Man." Polydor. $7.98.

Like his more famous namesake (no,not Bram Stoker), Tchaikovsky deliversa wrenching blow to the gut, only heemploys his powerful hard rock trio toachieve the effect. A thick guitar soundsupports strong vocal harmonies inwhat is basically the epitome of thecurrent English rock sound.

TOIAIKOVSKTEVENING...g.firio..memo

/:


Karl Ratzer: "Street Talk." Vanguard.$7.98.

A gifted guitarist who plays disco-funk -rock -jazz -ballad and can soundalternately like Jimi Hendrix and GeorgeBenson is what Karl Ratzer is all about.His licks sound largely improvisational.Keyboards, horns, bass and percussionprovide solid backup.

Missouri: "Welcome Two Missouri."Polydor. $7.98.

A belting lead singer, Ron West,backed by the close harmonies of WebWaterman and Gary West, make thisLP one of the better mainline rockdebuts of the year. Ron composed andarranged all of the mostly upbeat tunes.Lead guitar by Waterman is excep-tional-his searing strings are clearlyheard weaving through the strong, up-front rhythm tracks.

Night: "Night." Planet. $7.98.Night's debut album was produced

by veteran helmsman Richard Perryand bears his heavy drumming style,executed by Rick Marotta. Other well-known session players include NickiHopkins and Steve Porcaro on piano.The basic group consists of StevieLange, who shares lead vocals withChris Thompson; Robbie McIntosh onguitar and Billy Kristian on bass. Thealbum contains original group -com-posed songs, plus interpretations of theworks of Walter Egan and MarvinGaye. The music is rock and soul, witha very Fleetwood Mac-ish sound.

Best of the SuperDiscs

Ry Cooder: "Bop Till You Drop."Warner Bros. $7.98.

Cult guitarist Ry Cooder, along witha tight rhythm section and soulful malebackground singers, weaves a tapestryof down home rhythm-and-blues, plusthe ultra -funky "Look at Granny RunRun." The solo guitar intros to severalsongs are stunning in their clarity, asare the percussive elements. Get your-self a fresh stylus, fine-tune your sys-tem and enjoy the sound of Ry, crisp!(3M digital master)

Merl Saunders: "Do I Move You."Crystal Clear.

Best known for his early 1970s asso-ciation with the Grateful Dead's JerryGarcia, master keyboardist Saundersteams up with horns, percussion andbackground voices. The result is a finemixture of rock, soul and jazz. Saundersplays no less than six of the very latestelectronic synthesizers on this disc.(Direct to disc) A

STEREO RECORDINGS (Continued from page 29)

major consideration being that by util-izing this speed it would be possibleto put up to a half-hour of programmaterial on one side of a disc.

Now Angel has released a new seriesof LPs recorded at 45 rpm. The initialseries of releases, all taken from pre-vious Angel recordings, has been se-lected for their superior sound quality:From Hoist's The Planets we havefour movements played by the LondonSymphony Orchestra conducted byAndre Previn (SS 4500); the sameperformers also collaborate on a ratherincongruous coupling of Cershwin'sRhapsody in Blue and Ravel's La Valse(SS 450001); Herbert von Karajan andthe Berlin Philharmonic perform Rav-el's Bolero and Strauss's Blue DanubeWaltz (SS 45002), as well as a col-lection of Wagner preludes (SS45008); the Chicago Symphony Or-chestra is conducted by Seiji Ozawa inJanacek's Sinfonietta (SS 45007), andby Carlo Maria Giulini in Stravinsky'sFirebird Suite (SS 45003); LambertoGardelli conducts the London Sym-phony in Respighi's Pines of Rome(SS 45005). Three other records offermarches of Elgar and Walton playedby the London Philharmonic conductedby Sir Adrian Boult (SS 45009), aKetelbey collection with the Philhar-monia Orchestra conducted by JohnLanchbery (SS 45012), and MstislavRostropovich conducting the Orchestraof Paris in Rimsky-Korsakov's CapriccioEspagnol, Night on Bald Mountain ofMussorgsky and Glinka's Russian andLudmilla overture (SS 45011).

Angel advises that these special discshave been produced with the mostcontrolled conditions, achieving "aspectacular new dimension in classicaldisc mastering through utilization ofthe superb dynamic range offered by45 rpm." This results, according toAngel, in "greater clarity of transientand high frequency response, betterdefinition of midrange inner voicinggreater ability to accommodate soundbelow 100 Ilz, a higher recording level,and higher peak dynamic events due tothe measurably larger groove geometryduring the cutting process."

And, indeed, the new recordings aremightily impressive. They are uniform-ly clean and distortion free, with asolid bass, dazzling high frequencies,and there is no question that these aresuperior to Angel's 33% rpm counter-parts. The ugly question raises itshead: Why is it necessary for Angel toutilize 45 rpm to achieve such results?Many other companies, though carefulmastering, achieve equal results at 3331

rpm.The some advantages of 45 rpm are

obvious. But, unfortunately, at thisfaster speed it is only possible to get amaximum of 16 minutes of music perside. The list price of these records is$8.98, which means that the collectorpays $1 more for half as much music.I do not mean to negate what Angelhas achieved on their new 45 rpmSonic Series. But it is unfortunate thatthey cannot achieve similar results atthe regular LP speed, or, at the veryleast, charge less for these "premiumdiscs" which contain only half as muchmusic.

© Viennese Concert by the ViennaPhilharmonic Orch., cond. Willi Bos-kovsky, London LDR 1001-2, tworecords.

The enormous interest in the highestqualities of sound reproduction, whichled first to direct -to -disc and then todigital recordings, has, for the discern-ing collector, been rather a letdown.Most of the classical direct -to -disc re-cordings I've heard have been quitedisappointing. True, there is a widerdynamic range, and the bass is unusu-ally solid, but often the studios inwhich the performances were recordedare inadequate acoustically, resulting inthin string sound, and seldom is thereany attractive concert hall ambience.Digital recordings surely will replacedirect -to -disc recordings, as there is theenormous advantage of editing, (impos-sible on direct -to -disc), and there isvirtually no distinction or loss of dy-namic range. This "Viennese Concert"is London's first digital recording, andis quite sensational, although not with-out some qualifications. Recorded livelast New Year's Day, it offers a typicalholiday concert, consisting primarily ofmusic of the Strauss family, with VonSuppe's "Beautiful Galatea Overture"thrown in for good measure. Two ofthe major works are Johann Strauss's"Blue Danube" and "Wine, Womenand Song" waltzes, interspersed withlively polkas and marches. The ViennaPhilharmonic here has a splendid, solidsound, the dynamic range is quite re-markable and there is a fine stereospread. Needless to say, I eagerlyanticipate future London digital re-cordings.

© Paderewski: Piano Concerto in AMinor, Op. 71; Scharwenka: PianoConcerto No. 1 in B Flat Minor, Op.32. Earl Wild, pianist, with the LondonSymphony Orch., cond. Arthur Fiedler(Paderewski) and the Boston Sym-


phony Orch., cond. Erich Leinsdorf( Scharwenka ), RCA Victor Gold SealAGL1-2876.

I am delighted with this reissue, asit couples together two of Earl Wild'svery finest concerto performances. Thepianism displayed on these virtuosoconcertos is positively stunning, as Wildplays in the grand manner, a style thatin public performance would be guar-anteed to "bring down the house."Paderewski's concerto is very dated tomy ears, particularly the final move-ment, but it is fun to hear occasionally.Fiedler, who conducted the first re-cording of this concerto several decadesago with Jesus Maria Sanroma as solo-ist, offers an enthusiastic accompani-ment. Wild made a tremendous impres-sion with the Scharwenka concerto in aseries of performances some years agowith the Boston Symphony, and thisrecording, made at that time, capturesthe excitement of the occasion. Thereproduction throughout is excellent,and this medium-priced LP can berecommended without reservation.

Prokofiev: Piano Concerto No. 1 inD Flat, Op. 10; © Ravel: Concerto forthe Left Hand. Andrei Gavrilov, pian-ist, with the London Sy:1;hony Orch.,cond. Simon Rattle, Angel S 37486.

Gavrilov, the latest young Sovietsensation who won the TchaikovskyCompetition at 18 years of age, hasoften been called "a young Horowitz."He creates a sensation whenever heplays, and is remarkably impressive onthis coupling of Prokofiev and Ravel.His playing of Prokofiev's precociousyouthful concerto is stunning by anystandards, with wit and sensitivity aswell, while I don't recall ever hearinga finer performance of Ravel's uniqueconcerto. Simon Rattle, although an-other youngster on the major musicalscene, provides a concise accompani-ment. The London Symphony playsbrilliantly, and the engineers have donetheir work well. The LP is filled outwith solos by Gavrilov, Ravel's "Pavanefor a Dead Princess" and two brief ex-cerpts from Prokofiev's "Romeo andJuliet." This is a major recording debut.

Qo Prokofiev: Alexander Nevsky, Op.78. Claudine Carlson, mezzo-soprano;Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra andChorus, cond. Leonard Slatkin, Can-dide QCE 31098.

Sergei Eisenstein and Serge Proko-fiev collaborated on a 1938 film epic"Alexander Nevsky," which depictedepisodes in the life of Nevsky, a GrandDuke of Vladimir who was consideredto be both a hero and a saint. For thisfilm Prokofiev wrote some of his mostpowerful as well as some of his mostpoignant music. Surely the sixth move-ment, "Field of the Dead," depicting a72

young Russian girl searching the battle-field for the body of her lover, is one ofProkofiev's most touching statements,while the preceding movement, "TheBattle on the Ice," is possibly his mostsavage. There has not been a lack ofrecordings of this colorful score, al-though never before have the engineerscaptured the full scope of the music.This new Candide issue easily is thefinest of the lot sonically, with awarmth, depth and dynamic range un-matched by any of the others. TheSaint Louis Symphony plays as if itwere one of America's top five orches-tras, with Claudine Carlson making animpressive disc debut in her brief solo.The chorus, trained by Thomas Peck,copes well with the Russian text. Incomparison, the Svetlanov AngelMelodiya disc has its own particularkind of authenticity and is vividly re-corded while the RCA Gold Seal discwith Reiner has the advantage of theChicago Symphony Chorus and thedisadvantage of a dated reproduction.

Do Prokofiev : Romeo and Juliet Ballet( excerpts ). Los Angeles PhilharmonicOrch. cond. Erich Leinsdorf, SheffieldLab 8.

Direct -to -disc recording, eliminatingthe distortion and dynamic limitationsof tape, can produce a sound qualitythat is superior to standard recordingtechniques, but it still cannot reproducesomething that isn't there to start with.This recording of excerpts from Proko-fiev's colorful ballet was made in Julyof 1977 in the M.G.M. Studios in Cul-ver City, California, obviously not avery good recording site. The acousticatmosphere is dry and unflattering par-ticularly to the strings. The dynamicrange is wide, percussion sound is veryclear, but there is a lack of warmth tothe sonic picture. One of the disadvan-tages of direct -to -disc recording is thatthere can be no editing, and any mis-takes in performance cannot be cor-rected. It is to the credit of the LosAngeles Philharmonic that they acquitthemselves so professionally on thisdisc. But there are many other record-ings of Prokofiev's ballet that are farsuperior to this musically, and soundmore natural even if not reproducedwith the dynamic range heard on thisnew Sheffield disc.

© Puccini: Turandot ( Opera in ThreeActs). Montserrat Caballe ( Turandot );Mirella Freni (Liu) ); Jose Carreras(Calaf ); Paul Plishka ( Timur ); MichelSenechal ( The Emperor); and others,with the Rhin Opera Chorus and theStrasbourg Philharmonic Orch., cond.Alain Lombard, Angel SCLX 3857,three records.

This is quite an intriguing recording

of Puccini's last opera, to add to theseveral superb versions that alreadyexist. The role of the icy Princess Tur-andot is one of the most demanding forsopranos. One would not expect Ca -bane, famous for her performances ofthe bel canto repertory, to be idealfor the part. But then I didn't think shewould be an effective Salome, and sheturned out to be one of the best vocally.Caballe sings Turnadot quite magnifi-cently. She must force a bit on occa-sion, producing a rather strident sound,but there are moments of great sensi-tivity, and she is a more human prin-cess than Birgit Nilsson, who remainsthe supreme interpreter of the role.Mirella Freni is magnificent as theslave girl, I have never heard the partsung better, while Carreras' youthfulsound and robust vocalism are perfectfor the impetuous prince. Plishka is tc,outstanding Timur, the remainder ofthe supporting cast more than ade-quate. I find the reproduction ratherdisappointing, with too much fiddlingof the dials by the engineers. Thechorus, so important in this opera, isnot particularly well recorded, the or-chestral sound not very opulent. Thereis much competition for this recording,particularly the first of Nilsson's record-ings, still available on RCA, in whichshe is partnered by Bjoerling and Te-baldi. One must not overlook the Lon-don set with Joan Sutherland in fineform as the Princess Turandot, Caballeas a sensitive Liu and Luciano Pavarottias a sterling Prince.

© Stravinsky: Firebird Suite; © Boro-din: Overture and Polovtsian Dancesfrom "Prince Igor." Atlanta SymphonyOrch. and Chorus, cond. Robert Shaw,Telarc DG 10039.

The sonic quality of this recording isthe prime interest here, and indeed, itis quite fabulous. But it is unfortunatethat the musical values are not equallyhigh. America boasts many superb or-chestras, and while the Atlanta Sym-phony is an enthusiastic group it ishardly among the more accomplishedorchestras and is incapable of produc-ing the rich sonorities demanded bythese colorful Russian scores. Shaw's.conducting is decidedly unimaginative,and this is an insensitive Firebird witha hopelessly rushed finale. This record-ing, made with a digital computer, isalmost certain to become a demonstra-tion disc for the highest quality audioequipment. The dynamic range is as-tounding. The solidity of the bass drum,particularly in the Polovtsian Dances,will break many a lease. I eagerly awaitthe day when musical values match thelevel of sonic excellence now possiblewith digital recording techniques.


Tchaikovsky: 1812 Festival Over-ture, Capriccio Italien, Op. 45, MarcheSlave, Op. 31. Detroit Symphony Orch.,cond. Antal Dorati, London CS 7118.

About two decades ago Dorati andthe Minneapolis Symphony Orchestra(now the Minnesota Orchestra) record-ed for Mercury the 1812 Festival Over-ture, a disc that soon became a millionteller. Dorati's Minneapolis recordinghas been reissued on Mercury's GoldenImports Label (SRI 75001), and stillenjoys brisk sales. It was an extraordi-nary record for its time, offering somevividly recorded, dubbed -in cannonshots and massive pealing bells, alongwith Deems Taylor's explanation ofhow all of it was put together. The ideacaptivated the record -buying public.Most succeeding recordings of the over -hire were made with cannons, someeven adding a chorus. Now Dorati hasmade a brand new recording this timewith his new orchestra, the DetroitSymphony. Muzzle -loaded Civil Warcannons and bells from the NationalCathedral in Washington were dubbedin, as well as the sound' of the Bicen-tennial "Liberty" Bell. The engineersapparently felt the acoustics of De-troit's concert hall were not goodenough for the enterprise, so the re-cording was made in what is describedas "an abandoned neo-Moorish cine-ma," with a platform built for the or-chestra, producing results that "as-tounded the engineers." I wish I couldbe as enthusiastic. The Detroit Sym-phony plays as well as the Minneapolis

' Symphony did on their recording, butinterpretively these are quite prosaicperformances, with a particularly blandCapriccio Italien. The reproductionfavors the bass, there is little brilliancein the higher frequencies, and the can-non shots lack impact. If you're look-ing for a demonstration quality record-ing of Tchaikovsky's popular score, Iwould suggest you look elsewhere. Aparticularly good buy is the budget -

priced Quintessence disc with CharlesGerhardt and the National Philhar-monic.

Do Tchaikovsky: Francesca da Rimini,Op. 32, Romeo and Juliet FantasyOverture. London Philharmonic Orch.,cond. Mstislav Rostropovich, Angel S37528.

Not too long ago Angel issued aseven -LP set of all of Tchaikovsky'ssymphonies (including Manfred) withthis orchestra and conductor, an enor-mously successful venture and right-fully so. Rostropovich has a particularflair for the works of Tchaikovsky, andit was inevitable that he would recordmore of his music. This new disc oftwo of the popular symphonic poems isa winner, with incredibly dynamic per-formances that are perhaps more per-

sonalized than any others put to disc.Francesca is outstanding for its intens-ity-just listen to that attack on theopening notes! The timpani role at theclimax of Romeo and Juliet is distinc-tive and powerful. The love motives ofboth symphonic poems are given asoaring, intensely dramatic treatment.I find the reproduction on this LP tobe quite superior to that afforded thecomplete set of symphonies. This boastsa broad, spacious sound, with plentyof richness and dynamic range, perhapsa bit undefined in the bass, but other-wise outstanding. This disc deservesgreat popularity.

(0) Crystal Rainbows. Sounds Reason-able Associates, SR 7801.

Here's a rather unique LP thatshould appeal to those looking for some-thing off the beaten path. Last yearthere was an exhibition of esotericAmerican handcrafted musical instru-ments, called collectively "The Har-monious Craft: American Musical In-struments." This was on display in theRenwick Gallery of the National Col-lection of Fine Arts of the SmithsonianInstittuion, and it included such exoticAmericana as the Bicentennial TurkeyTambourine, Single String StainlessSteel Cello, Sansa Finger Piano, Porta-tive Organ, and Appalachian Dulcimer.These, along with Cloud ChamberBowls, an Electronic Jawbone, AcousticPiano, Finger Cymbals, Rubber Piano,Highland Bagpipes, a synthesizer andvarious other strange instruments, canall be heard on this new LP performingmusic especially written for the oc-casion by Washington composer Wil-liam Penn. The titles of the pieces areas evocative as the music: "Reflectionsin a Pastel Vase," "Moonshine," "Gos-samer Looms," "Irridescent StillnessThrough Curved Space" and "CrystalRainbow." The music is impressionistic,generally rather subdued and quiteimaginative, with the unusual soundscaptured by the engineers with un-common fidelity.

© The Twelve Cellists of the BerlinPhilharmonic. Telefunken 6.42339.

Perhaps some collectors will remem-ber a release several years ago on thenow defunct BASF label featuring thissame group performing music of Funck,Klengel, Blacher and Francaix. An ex-traordinary display of unusual sonori-ties and virtuosity were heard, and ifyou can find a copy of this disc any-where, grab it quickly; hopefully itmay be reissued some time on anotherlabel. This new disc is labeled "VolumeI," hopefully to be followed by manymore. It offers a wide variety of musicfor these sterling players, comprised ofthe complete cello section of the world-

famous Berlin Philharmonic. "Windun-gen" by Xenakis, and "Melodia-Rit-mica" by Eder were both composed es-pecially for the BPO cellists, and offerthe listener some positively uniquesounds, many of which one wouldnever expect would be produced bycellos. "Bachianas Brasileiras No. 1" ofVilla -Lobos, originally scored for eightcellos, here is played on twelve; per-haps some collectors will remember thefamous Stokowski recording of the sec-ond movement, "Modinha," surpris-ingly still available on Everest. This LPends with three works one might neverexpect would be played by members ofthe Berlin Philharmonic, the traditional"Gospel Train," the Beatles' "Yester-day" and Handy's "St. Louis Blues."Although expertly played, they stilldon't quite come off. Telefunken's en-gineering is exemplary, and this LPshould interest many collectors.

ON OUR COVERSansui's G-5700 feature -laden 75 -

watts -per -channel receiver is dis-cussed in the Receiver Features ar-ticle that begins on page 57 of thisissue. Its performance capabilitiesare evaluated by our independenttesting laboratory in our Test Reportsection (see page itsmany features are: digitally quartz -locked tuning, digital frequencyreadout, microphone mixing optionwith front -panel mike jack, LEDpeak level power display, audiomuting, FM muting, tape monitorand dubbing functions. $630. Fordetailed literature from Sansui,circle Reader Service Number 89.

HFSBG UPDATEGremlins must have gotten into ourSeptember -October issue. Pleasemake note of the following correc-tions:

RTR 300D Speaker Weight. No,our speaker reviewers are not weak-lings-the RTR 300D ($399 each)weighs 51 pounds, not 15, which iswhy you might need help carryingit home.

Nagatronics 195 IE Test Report.Our test report on this $55 phonocartridge appeared with the wrongfrequency curve and an incorrectprice. The correct report appears onpage 68.

NOVIMIER/DICI#111111979 73

SOUND PROBE: MITSUBISHI (Continued from page 34)

preferred to keep the tweeter controlin the -2 dB position.

Suspecting that the speaker's remark-able bass capability might tempt somelisteners to drive it very heavily, Mitsu-bishi has wisely included a foolproofand effective system of overload pro-tection. Whenever dangerous powerpeaks are fed to the speaker, an attenu-ator circuit goes into action. It won'tcut off the speaker altogether-like afuse. Rather, it will just reduce thevolume to a safe level. At the sametime, an LED lights up on the frontpanel to alert the listener that thespeaker is operating in the overloadmode. A simple touch on a re -set but-ton at the rear then restores normalfunction without the need to replacefuses and without any interruption ofthe music. Since the MS -40 readily ac-

cepts 150 watts input it's not likelythat you'll trigger this circuit often.Performance:

What really gets us about this speak-er is the bass. It would arouse the envyof a howitzer. In fact, it can render acannon shot realistically enough tomake you run for shelter. We mentionthis not because we're hung up on ar-tillery but because it's a fair indicationof what this speaker does with the bot-tom notes of music. Kettledrums andorgan pedal passages came throughwith a wonderful combination of clarityand depth, and even the softest notesof the bass fiddle had a discreet but un-deniable presence. All that clarity andtightness deep down made the rest ofthe musical spectrum seem uncommon-ly lucid. For example, in a heavilyscored passage for chorus and orches-

tra, every vocal strand stood out clearly.The top is equal to the bottom:

sweet, clean, and open. Voices, strings,and brass all assert themselves insplendidly sharp definition, yet withouta trace of harshness. Piano transientsare so crisp you can almost feel thehammers hit the strings-yet there is

no sense of brittleness and the textureof the sound remains full and solid.

In sum, Mitsubishi's pioneering workin cone design has paid off, and thecharacteristics of the new material havebeen successfully integrated into thesonic profile of the entire system. TheMS -40 unquestionably ranks among thebest speakers we know. Others itclass may sound differently, but notnecessarily better. At the top, one mustchoose between superlatives on thebasis of personal taste.

AUDIO SHOWCASE (Continued from page 20)

0

4 GOOD


phono frequency response, 30 to 15,000Hz ± 0.3 dB; S/N ratio, 80 dB forphono and 90 dB for Aux and Tape -In;filters, 30 and 10,000 Hz; input sensi-tivity/impedance, phono 2.5 mV/47 kohms, all other 150 mV/47 k ohms;tone control, bass ± 10 dB (100 Hz)and treble ± 10 dB (10 kHz). Price:$300.

Hi-Fi Auto Speaker System

Avid Corporation "takes to the road"with this new Road DriverT" modelTen -Plus high-fidelity speaker systemfor cars. The Avid Ten -Plus is a com-plete 4 -ohm system consisting of a pairof rear deck Avid model Ten "Back-seat Drivers," each with the company'snew 6% -inch woofer and one -inch soft


dome tweeter, plus a pair of door -74

mounted full -range Avid 4% -inch conespeakers. The drivers have been de-signed and manufactured by Avid tomeet the unique environmental andperformance conditions in cars. Thesystem has a suggested retail price of$250, and has a limited 5 -year warranty.

Electrostatic Headphone

This new Beyer ET 1000 headphone,the first electrostatic headphone devel-oped and produced in West Germany,features a wide frequency range of 10to 25,000 Hz, and is said to be capableof a maximum output of 115 dB SPLat 1 kHz. The acoustical quality of theheadphone derives in part from use of


sintered -bronze cover plates-the firstsuch application of the material inheadphone design. A broad, paddedheadband helps ensure wearer comfort,as do the soft ear cushions. The unitcomes with an 8 -foot cord and a stand-ard quarter -inch stereo phone plug.The companion N 1000 power supply,

used to drive the ET 1000 and provide

it with polarizing voltage, is capable ofdriving two sets of ET 1000 head-phones. It operates from standard 110 -volt AC current. Prices: ET 1000,$159.95; ET 1000S (the headphoneplus N 1000 power supply), $279.

In -Dash Cassette Deck

Pioneer Electronics' KPX-9500 in -dashcomponent cassette deck with Super -


tuner AM/FM stereo radio featuresDolby noise reduction for both tapeand FM. The unit can be matched withother Pioneer components to provide atotally controllable sound environmentfor a car, the company claims. TheKPX-9500 features five -station pre-setpushbutton tuning and automatic mut-ing on FM stereo. The tape playerfunctions include locking fast forwardand rewind, automatic replay after re-wind, automatic eject and lighted stereoand Dolby indicators. The electronic-ally governed motor assures low wowand flutter. The unit requires a sepa-rate poWer amplifier such as Pioneer'sGM -12, GM -40 or GM -120. ThePioneer AD -307 noise suppression sys-tem can also be added to reduce staticand multipath interference. Other fea-tures include: phase -locked loop multi-

NI-RA1IIII0 BMW GUIDE

SUPERDIS(Contiaued from page 551

LIVE 01s. THE WIRE: JEFF CAMPBELL

\II sOIR,shl RPk I l (I.':\I \\ I HIBITION

I ttl1,41. I11111.1.1 'II 11111110111 XS NN 1114111,111

PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION

WAGNER SELECTIONS

disc surfaces, wide open dynamic range,clean and sharp transients and a "name"performer. While there is a debateamongst jazz lovers regarding the mer-its of the "new" Brubeck Quartet vs.the "old," I'll simply say that this is agreat album. One full side of one discis devoted to a non-stop medley ofDuke Ellington hits, given the Brubecktouch. The remaining three sides fea-ture such Brubectic favorites as TakeFive, Unsquare Dance, Blue Rondo (1la Turk etc. This album is a joy to hearand even non -jazz listeners will enjoy it.

Smashing by Nobuo Hara and hisSharps and Flats is an album you willundoubtedly sit up and take notice ofonce you get over laughing at the band'sname. Superb sound is packed in thegrooves of this big band direct -cut disc.Side One is made up of four Gershwinstandards: Strike Up The Band, TheMan I Love, S' Wonderful, and Sum-mertime while the flip side is devotedto Rodgers & Hart: Thou Swell, Springis Here, My Heart Stood Still and MyFunny Valentine. This direct -cut albumis imported on the EMI/Toshiba label,#LF-95017. The music is relaxed andswinging and the sound is "alive" witha very quiet disc surface. Just aboutany audiophile would be happy to re-ceive this record as a gift.

Stravinsky's Firebird Suite anddin's Music From Prince Igor (Telarcdigital recording #DG -10039) may be-come a million seller thanks to the factthat (unlike direct -to -disc recordings)the digital process allows you to makeas many records as you need to satisfyconsumer demands from a totally noise -free tape. This recording features Rob-ert Shaw conducting the Atlanta Sym-phony Orchestra and Chorus. The dy-namic range of this album is outstand-ing. The opening notes of Firebirdmight be mistaken for turntable rum-ble, rather than what it actually is: avery soft bass drum and later, whenthe bass drum is really whacked,the listener can fully appreciate thecapabilities afforded by the digital pro-cess. Often a record comes with a sillywarning label about how the recordedmaterial might damage a speaker ordrive an amplifier into clipping. Oneof those caution labels accompanies thisdisc, but this time it should be heeded.While this album sounds spectacularwhen played at a very loud level, workup to it gradually. This disc is so cleanand natural that even at floor -shakinglevels, the overpowering sound and vol-ume are not at all objectionable. Thisalbum has been nominated for AudioTechnica's annual audio excellenceaward, and it deserves every prize it gets.

The Three (#EW-10001) and The

Great Jazz Trio From L.A. are two ofthe most exciting direct -cut records ofjazz trios. Both are on the East Windlabel and are distributed in the U.S. byNautilus Recordings. The first discsimply titled "The Three" features JoeSample on piano, Ray Brown on bassand Shelly Manne on drums. The selec-tions include 'Yearnin, On Green Dol-phin Street, Satin Doll and three others.Although this was recorded in Japanfour years ago, when the audiophile -

disc craze was just starting to catch on,it can stand up to the most technicallyperfect disc produced today. A com-panion album "The Great Jazz TrioFrom L.A." has only two songs perside: A Night In Tunisia, 'Round AboutMidnight, Satin Doll and My FunnyValentine. The three musicians (HankJones, Ron Carter and Tony Williams)play superbly-to the point of earningwords of praise from a "long hair" clas-sical music lover for whom I playedthis disc. On both of these albums youwill hear piano and string bass asneither has likely been recorded before.Both are truly exceptional albums fromboth technical and musical standpoints.Finally, if you've been put off by thethought of jazz trios or were neverterribly impressed by improvisationaljazz, these discs will likely change yourmind. Chances are, that if you buy one,you'll want the other, too.

Power . . . Rock . . . Direct -to -Discon the Direct -Disk label (#DD -107)stands out as a super disc both musical-ly and in terms of general audio sound,though I would be very reluctant tocall it a true rock album (as the titleimplies). A group of excellent studiomusicians perform recent hits such asYou Should Be Dancin', Superstar,Feels So Good and seven others. Agroup of back-up singers add occasionallyrics and the light use of a drumsynthesizer add a very "modern" sound.The too -infrequent use of the keyboardsynthesizer is very exciting and makesthis disc even more enjoyable. The com-bination of close miking, arrangementswith a lot of "punch" and high record-ing levels should satisfy the audiophilewho wants blasting sounds and quicklyrecognizable songs.

Aspen Gold (Nautilus #NR2D) de-serves special mention since it is a re-union of the Kingston Trio. Actually,reunion is the wrong word-Bob Shaneis the only original member in the trio.The new names are Roger Gambill andGeorge Grove. The album was recordedusing the digital process and the titlesong is enough to bring tears to theeyes of anyone who has been longingfor a new album from the Trio. For -



plex demodulator; FET front end;loudness control; separate center -clickbass, treble and balance controls; auto-matic stereo muting; adjustable shafts.

Expanded Micro Component Line

Heading Toshiba's new micro com-ponent line-up is a T10 AM/FM stereotuner, priced at $249.95, that offersLED signal strength indicators, as wellas a LED stereo indicator for precise,accurate tuning. An integrated ampli-fier, Model A10 selling for $299.95, hasa signal-to-noise ratio of 85 dB, andphono overload capability of 180 mV

for "superb" reproduction of direct cutdiscs. Steady power of 20 watts perchannel minimum RMS at 8 ohms from40 to 20,000 Hz is provided, with nomore than 0.01% THD; this is achievedthrough a toroidal -core power trans-former. The unit also offers mike mix-ing for greater versatility. The poweramp, Model M12 selling for $279.95,is contained in an aluminum die-castbody and offers 30 watts per channel,minimum RMS at 8 ohms from 20 to20,000 Hz with no more than 0.05%THD. The pre -amp, Model C12 cost-ing $229.95, features a signal-to-noiseratio of 85 dB and a phono overload

Circle No. 99On Reader Service Card

capability of 180 mV for true life re-production of direct -to -disc and digitalrecordings, according to Toshiba. TheModel D15 remote controlled microtape deck with IC logic is tagged at$549.95. It has a dual flywheel systemthat reduces wow and flutter to .04%.

SUPER DISCS (Continued from page 75)

tunatel, they have not forgotten thesongs that made the original trio fa-mous and have included GreenbackDollar, Tom Dooley and MTA. This isthe first Kingston Trio album to be re-corded in eleven years, and the soundthat has been captured (thanks to thedigital encoder) makes it even morespecial. The reproduction of theirvoices is so damned accurate that you'dswear they are in the room with you,about ten feet away. Naturally, withthe digital process you don't get anytape noise, but the total absence ofdisc surface noise also adds greatly tothe "live" sound of this album. My onlygripe is that one of my favorite King-ston Trio "oldies", Tijuanna Jail, wasnot included. But maybe it will appearon a follow-up digital album by them.

Mussorgsky's Pictures At An Exhibi-tion and Ravel's Pavane Pour InfanteDefunte (Denon OX -7072) are on oneof Denon's most spectacular -soundingdiscs. Although audio writers and rec-ord reviewers (including myself) con-tinue to wax ecstatic over the resultsachieved by using Soundstream andSony digital recording encoders, weoften lose sight of the fact that thereare also over 200 digitally recordeddiscs available on the Japanese -importDenon label, all made using the

Denon PCM digital encoder. (And,lest you think that the idea of digitalrecordings is brand new, the first DenonPCM disc was released in 1972.) Theaforementioned has Kurt Sanderlingconducting the Berlin Symphony Or-chestra. A quick listening comparisonbetween this and the same music re-corded on an analog system will demon-strate, very quickly, that there simplyis no comparison! The brass drum usedfrequently and loudly in Pictures isabsolutely clean and when playedloudly gives you the same feeling inyour chest as if a live bass drum in aparade just marched by. The upperregister strings sound so "live" that itis positively uncanny. On the record-ing of Pavane, the interplay betweenstrings and flutes is beautifully cap-tured. Another Denon PCM albumthat is very definitely worth hearingfeatures Zdenek Holzer conducting theCzech Philharmonic Orchestra perform-ing two works by Leos Janacek: Sin-fonietta and Taras Bulba ( #0X-7110).The opening brass section of Sinfoniet-ta is stunning-for a second you'll be-lieve that they are right there in theroom with you. Throughout the entireside, the brass and strings practicallycome to life. While the entire albumis one great listening experience, pay

particular attention to the accuracywith which the chimes, very soft harpand triangle is reproduced in TarasBulba. And, if you plan on auditioningsome ambient time delay systems inthe near future, take one of these al-bums with you as a test. Such a sys-tem really places you in the concerthall. Neither of these discs have anysurface noise, at all.

Ray Linn . . . Chicago Jazz (TrendRecords #TR-515) is last, but certainlynot least, on my recommended list.Readers who are unfamiliar with thistype of jazz might at first compare itto Dixieland. Not quite. It is the typeof music played in the speak-easiesduring prohibition. If you've ever seenthe Jack Webb movie Pete Kelly'sBlues and liked the music they played,well, that is Chicago Jazz. The nineselections include Poor Butterfly, Jeep-ers Creepers, Ain't Misbehavin' andKeepin' Out Of Mischief, Now. Themusical instruments used include trum-pet, clarinet, baritone and tenor sax,trombone, piano, string bass and drums.This is the first time that genre of jazzhas been recorded on an audiophiledisc. Hopefully, it will not be the last,as it is hot, it swings, and is so welldone on this album that you can't helpstomping your feet.

SPEAKER DESIGN CONCEPTS (Continued from page 50)

immediately overcome the potentialproblem of amplifier/speaker mismatch,as the amplifier is specifically meant tooperate optimally with that speaker. Ofcourse, there are certain questions aboutthis approach that the consumer mustask. What if he already has a poweramp or receiver? The answer is that thepower amp is no longer needed (or theamp section of the receiver must be by-passed). In a case like that, however,the answer might be that he does notneed a powered speaker. The idea ofself -powered speakers has been adopted

76

by Philips and Advent. The "Pow-ered Advent" is not cheap (at$450.00 each) but it does fill somegaps in the audio field. People juststarting out might well consider this asa viable alternative to a separate poweramp. Also, listeners who wish to playremote speakers simultaneously withthe main set, and who fear that theirmain amplifier is not powerful enoughcan use a powered speaker in the re-mote location. Finally, with the in-creasing interest and popularity of am-bient time delay systems, the powered

Advent seems like an excellent way toadd the rear channel speaker and am-plification. (All you need then is thetime delay unit). The amplifier portionof the Powered Advent is rated (ac-cording to FTC requirements) at 80WPC. It offers user variable sensitivitycontrols (a mini -equalizer) for thehigh and low -end frequency ranges,and a series of "fail-safe" protection de-vices that protect both the drivers andamplifier in case they are over -driven.While the concept of the poweredspeaker is certainly not for everybody,


for some audiophiles, they do deserveserious consideration.MINIMUM DIFFRACTION

Regardless of the popularity of rea-sonably sized bookshelf speakers, manyenthusiasts feel that if you want a BIGsound, you must have a BIG speaker(or speaker enclosure). One particularmanufacturer (Avid) of a series ofbookshelf speakers is trying to over-come one of the major factors in whysmall speakers sound small. Accordingto Avid the culprit is diffraction. Thatis, the sound waves coming out of thefront 'of the box (in addition to pro-jecting out into the listening room)also spread to the sides. In other typesof enclosures, the side waves hit theprotruding edge of the front of theenclosure and bounce back (diffract)according to the lines imposed by theenclosure. By securing the tweeters andmidrange drivers in special mounts(with gently sloping sides) and theninstalling all of the drivers (and theirrespective mounts) almost flush withthe front of the speaker enclosure, theyattempt to eliminate the diffraction pat-terns caused by conventional boxes.Avid has incorported their "minimumdiffraction" theory into five differentmodels, ranging in price from $400.00for their top of the line 330, to alow of $90.INSIDE -OUT ELECTROSTATICS

Electrostatic speakers have becomefavorites with a select (and usuallywell heeled) segment of the audiophilecommunity. One West German manu-facturer, BTM Inc., has come up witha new wrinkle in electrostatic designs,which they have named the ES Trans-lators. There are two main differencesbetween the BTM electrostatics andothers. First, unlike other models whichrequire an external polarizing supplyvoltage (acquired by literally pluggingthe speakers into AC wall outlets) thenew BTMs obtain their needed highvoltage directly from the audio inputsignal. And, while most other electro-static designs employ a single plasticmembrane (diaphragm) mounted be-tween two energized grids, the BTMdoes the exact opposite: it uses a singlepowered grid with diaphragms sus-pended on either side. An inside -outelectrostatic driver or, if you prefer, aslice of bread between two slices ofham. The claimed advantage of thisdesign is that you get a higher soundpressure level with lower power re-quirements. Like most other electro-static systems, the BTM models arehybrids. The electrostatic elements areused for the midrange and high fre-quencies while a conventional dynamicwoofer is used for the low end. De-pending on the system chosen, thewoofer module employs either two 10 -inch woofers or a single 12 -inch woofer,


a single 10 -inch or 8 -inch. The fourdifferent system models range in pricefrom a high of $499.00 (per speaker)to a low of $139.00 each-which maywell represent a new low price for an

BTM's 310 electrostatic speaker includesa 12 -inch woofer element in addition toelectrostatic elements that are made upof two plastic membranes surrounding onefixed plate. $350 each. Circle Number 121.

electrostatic speaker. They are all ratedat a nominal impedance of 8 ohms.CONICAL FUNNEL FOROMNI-DIRECTIONAL DISPERSION

The Ohm "F" ($950 each) speakeris deserving of special mention, notonly because of its excellent sound andunusual design, but due to its ongoingpopularity. Picture a very large invertedfunnel that's made out of an alloy ofcopper and titanium and mounted overa wooden enclosure which acts as aninfinite baffle for the bask notes. Theactual transducing part of the speakeris at the very top of the funnel (thenarrowest part) and when the musicalsignal is applied, the mid and highfrequencies radiate up and down thesides of the metal "funnel." Becausethe funnel is conical in shape, you getperfect 360° omni-directional disper-sion.HEIL AIR MOTION TRANSFORMER

One of the most radical departuresfrom traditional speaker design is theHeil air motion transformer. This driverwas introduced several years ago andis used as a mid and high frequencyspeaker. While Lafayette has used theHeil driver in their Criterion speak-ers, the major backer of this unusualitem has been ESS. How does it differfrom a "regular driver"? To appreciatethe Heil workings, it is necessary toremember that the objective of anyspeaker is to create sound waves bycausing air to move in controlledamounts. To do this, Heil uses a plasticdiaphragm which has been folded inpleats, similar to the folds of an ac-cordion. This is then mounted in, andsurrounded by a magnetic "frame" orstructure. The musical signal from theamplifier, in the form of alternating

current, causes the pleats to expandand contract, thus forcing air wavesinto the listening area. Due to the veryshort excursion of the plastic dia-phragm, extremely clean and sharptransient response -is achieved.

More recently, a full -range Heilspeaker system has been marketed.In ESS's Transar atd speaker, thesame mid and high frequency driver iscoupled to an equally revolutionarywoofer. Instead of the usual speakercone, Heil uses a set of five circularplastic diaphragms which are mountedin a single vertical row and are sur-rounded by a wooden frame-whichacts to aid the sound dispersion as wellimproving the cosmetics of what is avery futuristic looking piece of equip-ment. Each of the diaphragms is con-nected at four points to a set of carbonfiber "drive rods" which, being highlyconductive, carry the electrical signaland cause the round plastic diaphragmsto vibrate-yielding air waves andsound. While the very high price of theTransar atd system is in excess of$5000.00 (for both channels) it doesinclude a power amplifier capable ofputting out 200 watts per channel.ACOUSTIC SUSPENSION TOWERS

The name "Acoustic Research" hasalways been linked with acoustic sus-pension systems-and rightly so sinceAR invented them. Now, they aremarketing two floor standing "towers"(the AR -9 and the AR -90) which arealso acoustic suspension types. It isinteresting to note the direction that thistype of speaker has taken. While beingideally suited to perform as a smallbookshelf speaker, it is only logicalthat eventually someone would goahead and design a large, size -is -no -object system using the same conceptwhich has been employed so well inless imposing designs. The two towerswere engineered to perform optimallywhen placed in the proper position. Bypre -determining where the speakersshould be placed in the consumer's home(and instructing the user regardingplacement) the manufacturer can thenuse the relationship between speaker,wall and floor to improve the charac-teristics of dispersion and how theroom itself will affect the sound. Tothis end, both the AR -90 and the AR -9use two side -firing woofers (12 -inchand 10 -inch respectively) in the baseof each tower. These woofers aremounted in a sealed enclosure whichis acoustically separate from the otherdrivers in the tower, but for cosmeticpurposes all share the same exteriorcabinetry. Both models also have alower midrange driver mounted in itsown sub -enclosure, along with uppermidrange drivers and tweeters. Theplacement of either of these systems iscritical to proper performance and

77

sound reproduction. They are not "freestanding" in the sense that they can goanywhere in the room. They should beplaced along a reflecting wall, but nocloser than a few inches. Additionally,while they can be placed within twoinches of a side wall, the manufacturerrecommends further distancing. TheAR -9 sells for $750.00 each and the

.AR -90 costs $550.00 each.PHASE COHERENCE ADHERENTS

Several well known and highly re-spected audio equipment companiesare employing the concept of phaseintegrity in their speaker designs. Thegeneral concept has a variety of names.Regardless of the name, the principleremains the same: to have the soundscoming from the various drivers of aspeaker system reach your ears simul-taneously, as they reached the micro-phones. If you examine a typical book-shelf speaker with the grille cloth re-moved, you will usually see two or threedrivers mounted flush on the front ofthe cabinet. Looks O.K. Right? Not ifyou are aiming for phase coherence.While the outer edges of the driversmay indeed be flush, the actual voicecoils are not even. The woofer, with itsdeeper cone has the voice coil furtherback into the box than, say, the muchsmaller tweeter. Although a phase co-herent speaker is also designed to pre-vent phase abnormalities from occur-ring electronically (in the crossover net-work) the physical positioning of the

drivers is the most visually obvious in-dication of this type of design. Thisalso often results in some oddly shapedspeaker enclosures (which have beenreferred to as resembling pregnant kan-garoos). The idea of phase coherent (orlinear phase) speakers have beenadopted by numerous companies whichinclude KEF, Bang & Olufsen, Heath -Kit, and Panasonic/Technics.DUAL -VOICE -COIL WOOFERS

Several years ago, Infinity Systemsbegan marketing speaker systems em-ploying the "Watkins Woofer" as animprovement upon traditional dynamicwoofers. Simply put, a Watkins Wooferis a dynamic woofer with two voicecoils. Careful attention to both imped-ance and resonance points can, accord-ing to the manufacturer, lead to a muchcleaner and "tighter" bass end. Thefaith that Infinity has in this designseems to be cast in stone as it has beenthe basis (for the low frequencies) ofalmost all of their speakers. At thepresent time, their top of the line-theQuantum Reference Standard-has aprice ticket that makes it truly a specialorder item: $6,500.00. A more reason-able price is charged for their top "con-sumer" speaker system: $3,000.00. Thismodel, the Infinity Reference Standard4.5 makes use of a pair of WatkinsWoofers in each channel, delivering aclaimed flat bass response down to 23Hz. The woofer cones are made of poly-propylene (instead of the more usual

paper) which are said to provide dra-matically less mass with a greater de-gree of internal damping. Infinity alsotakes a novel approach to the repro-duction of higher frequencies. Both thetweeters and midrange drivers are"electromagnetic induction" types, inwhich the voice coil is actually etchedonto the low mass plastic diaphragmand appear, to the eye at least, to besmall individual electrostatic drivers. Ifthe price of the 4.5 still seems too high,Infinity makes no less than five othermodels which include the WatkinsWoofer and EMIT and EMIM tweet-ers and midrange drivers (albeit withfewer drivers per speaker and less im-posing physical dimensions). Theirnewest, and lowest priced model costsonly $175.00 each. It uses a five -inchWatkins Woofer and a single EMITtweeter. This model, called the "In-finitesimal," measures 11x6k8 inches.

The proof of the proverbial puddingwith these and other speaker innova-tions is, of course, in the way your earsperceive the overall sound producedby the speaker. When speakers areplaced in your home environment, thesonic subtleties offered by the speakersyou've chosen become part of your day-to-day life. With just a touch of fore-sight and good judgements, you cantrust your own ears to tell you whichdesign innovations do something foryou. Pay attention to what your earsare telling you, and you'll be all set.

METAL TAPE (Continued from page 45)

tapes are similar to each other and also,to non-metal chrome -bias TDK-SA, oneof the best tapes of any type, but a non-metal formulation. The signal-to-noiseratios are limited more by the recorderelectronics than by the tape. What's leftfor analysis is output level (for Dolbytracking adjustments) and frequencyresponse and this is where the hasslestarts over standards. If you look backat Figs. 2 through 5 you'll see thatthere isn't enough variation in outputlevel (referred to a constant input) torate anything beyond a mere mention.This leaves us with frequency response.Frequency response has always beenthe criterion that really separates thedifferent tapes and tape types fromeach other. Historically this holds truegoing all the way back to the intro-duction of the cassette system.

Metal Tape Frequency Response.The AIWA machine was specificallyadjusted with 3M's Metafine tape as thereference tape, so we expected that theFuji and TDK metal tapes wouldn'tperform quite so well. But look at the0 -VU record level frequency curves ofall three tapes shown in Fig. 6. Thetwo that virtually overlap are the Fuji7$

and TDK tapes; looking at Fig. 6 onewould be tempted to bet they are thesame tape. The third curve, with slight-ly less high frequency response, is3M's Metafine, which 3M acknowledgeshas specs that are about 2 dB lessoutput at 15,000 Hz than TDK.(Actually we measured 3.5 dB butthat's normal tape variation.) This isan insignificant difference, the typethat could be tweaked out in the nextproduction run if necessary.

Somehow, when we compare fre-quency response, distortion, outputlevel, and signal-to-noise ratio betweenthree metal tapes there isn't a differ-ence worthy of mention.

A Word About Packaging. The3M and Fuji metal tapes are pack-aged in the usual plastic enclosure. TheTDK enclosure has a cast aluminumframe and overall construction morerepresentative of a computer data cas-sette than of an audio cassette. It isdesigned to be more resistant to de-formations that can be caused when acassette is stored in a vehicle bakingin the sun. While this can be of signifi-cant value, it has nothing to do withmetal tape itself.

Before closing we should take a lookat one other aspect of using metal tape.If all you want to do is to playback arecording that's been made on metaltape, any cassette machine-even a con-ventional pre -metal -tape -era recordercan handle the playback. If, however,you want to record and erase as well asplay back recordings, you'll have to besure that the machine you plan to useperforms well in all these areas.

If you try to make a metal tape re-cording on a conventional cassette deck,using the chrome -bias and equaliza-tion, on playback your results will beakin to those shown in Fig. 7. Notethe rising high frequency character-istic, with a peak of 8 dB at 12,000 Hz.

Many of the recently introduced cas-sette recorders are metal -capable ormetal -compatible (the terms seem tobe used interchangeably). The crucialquestion to ask your dealer is, "Can thismachine record properly and erase aprevious recording properly when usingmetal tape?" At the very least, a ma-chine you plan to use with metal tapeshould have a separate bias/EQ posi-tion that you can select when usingmetal tape.


JAZZ: BUD POWELL (Continued from page 28)

triate, drummer Kenny Clarke, and theFrench bassist Pierre Michelot in atrio. But in 1963, Powell contractedtuberculosis; on partial recovery, hesought to recoup with a "comeback"trip to the United States. Withinmonths of his return in August of 1964,Powell's wildly varying but usually un-satisfying performances combined witherratic offstage behavior and thereafterhe worked only rarely until his deathin August 1966.

Powell's career on records beganwith Cootie Williams. Cootie Williams:Sextet and Otchestra (Phoenix) coversmost of his work during 1944; andconsiderable amount of maturity is stilllodking here. A somewhat over decora-tive flourish, predominates the earlyrecording sessions, but "Blue GardenBlues," recorded towards the latter partof 1944 is quite recognizable as thePowell of later years.

In 1946, Powell began to record insmall -group settings with bop musicianDexter Gordon, who led the sessionsthat make up Long Tall Dexter(Savoy), a two -record set with Powellappearing on most of one side alongwith a rhythm duo he would use oftenduring his early career: bassist CurleyRussell and drummer Max Roach. OtherPowell sideman -appearances from 1946included selections on Sarah Vaughan(Archive of Folk and Jazz) and MadBe Bop (Savoy) under trombonist J.J.Johnson's leadership, again with Roach.

Most of Powell's earliest recordingswere done with a co-operative bandthat grew and shrank in size. Thegroup was best known as The Be -BopBoys, and the album of the same namewas recorded on the Savoy label. Thistwo -record set features the core of theBe -Bop Boys group through most ofits length-Powell, saxophonist SonnyStitt, trumpeter Kenny Dorham, bassistAl Hall, and drummer Kenny Clarke.Some selections on the album bytrumpeter Fats Navarro Fat Girl(Savoy), featured essentially the samegroup. (Several of these selections"fade" down and up again in mid -track,since they were originally issued as

two-sided 78 RPM discs; still, "WebbCity," one of these erstwhile extra-length 78s, has one of the best earlyPowell solos.)

1947 brought Powell's first recordingas leader of a trio, accompanied by Rus-sell and Roach; unfortunately this ses-sion, originally issued on Roost andcurrently owned by Roulette, has beenout of print for nearly two decades.with the exception of a single track.."Somebody Loves Me" on The Smith-sonian Collection of Classic Jazz(Smithsonian Collection). I

Powell's only studio recordings withCharlie Parker (along with Roach andMiles Davis) are collected complete inThe Savoy Sessions (Savoy) underParker's name. The originally issuedtakes from this essential session appearon Master Takes (Savoy); alternatesare on Encores (Savoy). Though hismeeting with Parker found Powell atthe height of his powers, he did notrecord again for two years. The fouryears that followed (1949-1953) pro-duced most of his finest work. TheGenius of Bud Powell (Verve) is cer-tainly the best compilation from theseyears, comprising three trio sessionsfrom 1949 and 1950 (two with Roach)and a fascinating set of solo piano from1951.

Valuable though the Verve set is, itdoes not touch upon Powell's work withthe major horn soloists who were inmany ways his peers. The two sepa-rately available volumes of The Amaz-ing Bud Powell (Blue Note) combinetrio and solo selections with a 1949quintet date with Fats Navarro anda very young Sonny Rollins; thesequintet pieces also appear on Navarro'sPrime Source (Blue Note). Equallyworth hearing are 1949-1950 quartetsessions with saxophonist Sonny Stitt,duplicated on Bud's Blues (Prestige)and the two -record Genesis (Prestige).

Also in this vein, but in some waysmore remarkable, are two live sessionsrecently released under Charlie Parker'sname. On the two -record One Night inBirdland (Columbia), Powell and Park-er are joined by Fats Navarro in several

brilliant extended performances from1950; and half of Summit Meeting atBirdland presents a 1951 Parker -Powell -Dizzy Gillespie pickup group, with aparker quartet session on its flip side.

The Parker -Gillespie -Powell "sum-mit" reconvened on The Greatest JazzConcert Ever (Prestige) in 1953. Halfof this two -record set is by the fullquintet, while half presents Powellalone with Charles Mingus and MaxRoach. The trio disc is also availableas The Bud Powell Trio (Fantasy).From the same period, a recently out -of -print live Powell trio date on theESP -Disk label is worth the searchrequired to find it.

The haunting introspection of someof the late trios on The Amazing BudPowell foreshadowed the severelyflawed Powell of 1954-1958. TheGenius of Bud Powell Volume Two(Verve) selects from these years,when the pianist's often sloppy execu-tion served a new range of interpreta-tion that stretched from the "typical"Powell style through a Monkish spare-ness to a seemingly perverse banality.Several of these pieces are duplicatedon Masters of the Modern Piano(Verve), which also has collector's -item treasures by Cecil Taylor, BillEvans, Mary Lou Williams, WyntonKelly, and Paul Bley. Strictly Powelland Swingin' with Bud (both FrenchRCA) from 1956 and 1957 are thenadir of Powell's studio work, for com-pietist collectors only.

In Europe, Powell recorded mostoften at the head of a trio. All ofthese records are out of print-as isthe single record he made on returningto the U.S.-and in no case is the lossto the listener very great. The pianistwas summoned to his best efforts inthese years by other soloists: ColemanHawkins on the out -of -print Essen JazzFestival All Stars (Fantasy), Lee Mor-gan and Wayne Shorter on Art Blakey'sout -of -print Paris Concert (Epic) ,

Don Byas on the oddly named A Trib-ute to Cannonball (Columbia), andDexter Cordon on Our Man in Paris(Blue Note).

OPERA: REGINE CRESPIN (Continued from page 30)

cause she could shape a line only so far.At the crucial moment of the high note-say the high C in "0 patria mia" inAida-she would blast and break theline. This problem became more acuteas the years went on, but it was presentwhen she made her Metropolitan Operadebut, in 1982.

For Miss Crespin's debut in NewYork, Rudolf Bing had asked LotteNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1979

Lehmann to come back to the Met tocoach Miss Crespin for Marschallin inDer Rosenkavalier. Though stories havealways abounded that Miss Lehmannactually did very little, the public be-lieved that what they saw onstagewas inspired by Miss Lehmann, themost famous Marshallin of all time.From that first performance on, how-ever, thanks to interviews, the way her

backstage presence was perceived, andto some degree to her handling of hercurtain calls, opera fans began to ap-preciate the fact that Miss Crespin hasanother quality, rare and precious inopera. She is a real prima donna, not awoman whom one ever expects to seecasually ensconced en tamale. Wherev.er she lives, there are flowers, attend-ants, champagne, all the perquisites of

79

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theatrical elegance.This does not mean that her career

has been easy. In the first six or sevenyears in the '60s, all went swimmingly.She moved from the lighter Wagnerroles to the major dramatic parts. Herappearances at Bayreuth were extremelysuccessful, and when Herbert Von Kara-jan set out to make his Ring in the Salz-burg Easter Festival, he chose MissCrespin as his Briinnhilde in Die Wal-kiire, deliberately and spectacularlypassing over Birgit Nilsson. As wasoften the case with Maestro von Kara-

, jan, however, his desires for a soundand his concept of how a part could besung did not coincide with the singer'scapacities. Miss Crespin recorded therole, then sang the young Walkiire inSalzburg and a few times in New York,but the strain of the role ate up hervoice. And the problem with the highnotes became more and more severe.In the late 60s and early 70s she had asevere vocal crisis, all too obvious insome performances in New York ofSantuzza and of Giulietta in Offen-bach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann. She hada wobble and often lost the pitch whenshe moved anywhere near the top ofthe staff.

Vocal problems almost always hap-pen to great artists at sometime, how-ever, and Miss Crespin withdrew andstudied, coming back in the mid -70ssinging mezzo-soprano roles. She is notnow any more of a mezzo than before,because the basically warm and richcolor of her voice is absolutely a so-prano. But she found unknown subtletyand vocal strength in the middle andlow register and decided to eschewthose roles that move high above thestaff. In the years since 1975 she hasscored signal triumphs in recital, as Car-men at the Met and also as the OldPrioress in Poulenc's Dialogues of theCarmelites. Ever indomitable, her pres-ence enlivens the stage whenever shesets foot upon it.

In this later lower -voiced investiture,listeners have a had a chance to hearmore of her French singing and thishas been a delight. On records herCarmen exists on RCA (70900/2) andthough it is handicapped by the lessthan brilliant conducting of Alain Lom-bard, is quite a performance. One canhear the suggestiveness in the Seguidil-Ia, the abandon of the Gypsy Song andthe irony in the Card Scene. Miss Cres-pin's death scene in Carmen haschanged dramatically since she firstsang it four years ago in New York;on records it is very much the dramaticsoprano and an exciting aural experi-ence.

Another valuable side of the artistcaptured in the last few years is hermastery of the operetta genre. Colum-bia has given us La Grande-DuchesseNOVEMBER/DECEMBER 1979

de Gerolstein (M2-34576) while Angelhas offered a rich harvest, La VieParisienne (SX-3839) and RCA, myown favorite, has La Perichole (FRL2-5994). On each record she is funny,sexy and completely in musical controlof the French master's subtlety. Thereis never a moment when she movesoutside the form and becomes coarseor lacking in taste. Another disc-not acomplete opera-gives much pleasure aswell-London Records offers a highlightdis (26248) of Miss Crespin as anartist of the French operetta. The rec-ord includes other composers besidesOffenbach.

One of the soprano's greatest successes was as Dido in the heavily trun-cated version of Berlioz' Les Troyens atSan Francisco. Part of her interpreta-tion with its honeyed sound completeand in rare estate can be heard onSeraphim (S-60263). Others since havemade a great success with this marvel-ous music, but Miss Crespin had a handin making it popular in the UnitedStates.

Of her earlier career she made a re-cording just before her vocal crisis thatstands as one of her best: the Marschal-lin in a Der Rosenkavelier with SirGeorg Solti conducting (London 1435).It is a testament not only to her com-

of the part b of what shemight have received rom Miss Leh-mann. Miss Cresp. , incidentally, neversounds on this recording as though shehas planned her emotional outpouring;it is natural and she is from first note tolast a real aristocrat, not a singer tryingto play a Countess. On this recording,too, there is no blasting on the high Bof the Trio, a virtue of recordingtechnique.

Her Wagner recordings are amaz-ingly successful if not too instructiveabout the real state of her voice. Heryoung Briinnhilde on Karajan's Ring(DG 2713002) sounds easy, but theperformance's anemia affects one's en-joyment of it. When the maestro movedon to Siegfried and Gotterdammerung(with other sopranos) he was muchmore "Wagnerian." In Die Wa/kiire hischamber approach to Wagner was infull flower, and the music often soundsdull.

Miss Crespin is also represented inone of the best of her Wagner roles:Sieglinde. This is the Solti Ring per-formance of Die Wa/kiire (London1509), and here all that was greatest inher Wagner can be heard. The marvel-ous sweetness of the voice, the power,the range, the expressivity, the com-mand of the text make her Sieglinderank with the finest of our era. A for-midable voice, a larger -than -life pres-ence, a real opera singer-that is RegineCrespin. And, gratefully, her essence ispreserved faithfully on record.

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HI -Fl STEREO BUYER'S GUIDEINDEX TO ADVERTISERS

READER PAGESERVICE NO. ADVERTISER NUMBER

4 Aiwa 26- Audis Technics 106 Audio Pulse 20- Avid 7

33 Bose CV319 DBX 3525 Discount Music Club 14- Discwasher CV226 Electro Voice 1115 Finney 634 G 5216 GC Electronics 4

44 Harman Kardon 4648 Hitachi 2321 1BL . 15- Kenwood 3642 Maxwell 51

9 Mitsubishi (Car) 4211 Mitsubishi (Home) 16 & 1735 McIntosh 1220 Ohm 18

12 Panasonic Technics C V4

36 Pickering 1318 Rank 41

13 Revox 5

41 RTR 1

38 Sansul 3143 H. H. Scott 4

22 Shure 2823 Shure 24 & 2547 Shure 2929 Sony Audio 8 8 917 Sony Tape 214 TDK . 33- United Audio 21

81

RECEIVER FEATURES GLOSSARYSee page 37 for details on how to buy a receiver with the features you need.

PREAMPLIFIER AND AMPLIFIER SECTION

Audio Muting-For reduction of loudnessby as much as 20 dB at the flick of a switch.Provides instantaneous change in volumeto answer a phone call or the ring of thedoorbell without altering basic volume set-ting.Balance-Permits adjusting individualchannel sound levels to compensate forunbalanced program material. acousticalconditions, etc.Bass-Permits emphasizing or deempha-sizing the lower end of the frequency spec-trum to tailor the sound to your personaltastes.Equalizer, Graphic or Parametric-Permitsadjustment of various frequency ranges formore precise tonal control. Graphic equal-izers utilize slide controls at five or morefixed frequency ranges: parametric equal-izers allow you to select which frequencyrange you want to adjust.Headphone Jack-Gives you the option ofpersonal, private listening via stereo head-phones. When headphones are connectedto the jack, speakers are silenced on mostreceivers.High Filter-Reduces record scratch, tapeand FM hiss. yielding improved overallsound clarity.Loudness Compensation- Allows bal-anced. natural -sounding hi-fi listening atnormal or low volume levels by automati-cally boosting bass (and sometimes treble)response.Low or Subsonic Filter-Reduces the ef-fects of turntable rumble. vibrations, ex-traneous noise.Midrange Tone Control-Permits adjust-ment of those frequencies in the middle ofthe audible frequency range to emphasizeor de-emphasize vocal music or to createa more "forward- kind of response.

Mode Switch or Function Selector-Oftena single rotary control that selects a re-ceiver's mode of operation: FM, AM. phono,tape, etc. Sometimes these functions arecontrolled by individual switches or push-buttons.Mono/Stereo-Permits single or doublechannel listening. Mono position effectscombination of right and left stereo chan-nels, which sometimes can improve .thesound quality of weak FM reception.Output Level Meter-An indicator in meter.LED or fluorescent form, that indicatespower output peaks during receiver opera-tion. Some offer individual channel read-outs. some a combined readout.Power-For turning receiver on and off.Selectable Frequency Turnover-Allowsadjustment of response at bass and treblefrequency extremes with no effect on themidrange frequencies.Speaker Selector-Enables switching fromone pair of speakers to another, to a posi-tion that combines both pairs and/or to aheadphone setting.Tape Dubbing or Dual Tape Monitor-Per-mits a tape being played on one deck con-nected to the receiver to be dubbed (copied)on a second deck that is also connected tothe receiver.Tape Monitor-Allows listening to programmaterial as it's being recorded. Also allowsmonitoring from a tape as it is being record-ed via a three -head machine, which permitsadjustment of recorder controls for opti-mum results.Treble Tone Control -For emphasis/de-emphasis of higher end of the frequencyrange.Volume Control-For raising or loweringsound levels.

TUNER SECTION

Automatic Tuning/Scanning-Tuning orscanning of station frequencies via a motor -driven system that moves to the next avail-able station. pauses, then moves to the nextavailable station. pauses. then moves on tothe next, until the desired station is locatedand locked in.Center Channel Tuning Meter- Indicatesbest reception when pointer registers at thecenter of the meter scale.Digital Readout-Station frequency indica-tion via lighted numerals. most often in con-junction with a quartz crystal oscillator thatgenerates a reference frequency.Multipath Meter - Indicates multipath dis-tortion. to suggest repositioning of the ro-tatable FM antenna. if used.

Quartz -locked Tuning-A circuit that "locksin" with utmost precision to a station fre-quency in conjunction with a quartz crystaloscillator that generates a reference fre-quency.Signal Strength Meter-Displays strongestreception point on the dial when tuning inFM stations.Station Pre-Select-Permits setting of fa-vorite AM and/or FM stations for instant re-call at the press of a button or switch.Tuning Knob-Rotates tuning capacitor tovarious station frequencies to "bring in" thestations you want to hear.25 Microsecond Dolby Deemphasis (25 uSDolby)-For proper decoding of DolbyizedFM broadcasts in conjunction with an ex-ternal Dolby adaptor.


The Bose 901- past, present, future.Past The first Bose 901 Direct/Reflecting® speaker was introduced in 1968. tt was the result of

research started twelve years before at M I T. under the direction of Dr. Bose. This speaker introducedthe furdamental advances of a balance of reflected and direct sound, nine matched, full -range

speakers, active equalization and uniform power response - all very ccn:rovers al concepts at thetime. But the performance produced by this new technology soon earned for t+ -le 901 speaker its

international reputation as the most highly reviewed loudspeaker rega-dless. of size or price.

Present The founders of Bose, all from the field of science, decided -hat Bose would reinvest100% of its profits back into the company to maintain the research that WES responsible for the birth

of the D01 oudspeaker. The unprecedented success of the Bose° 901 ° in world markets, coupled withthis 100% reinvestment policy, has created what we believe is by far the best research team

in -he industry. This team has made over 300 design improvements in -he 901 sneaker since itsintroduction - including such basic developments as the Acoustic Matrixt Enclosure (illustrated), the

helical, low impedance voice coil and the advanced full -range precisipn driver3. And the newconcept of controlling the spatial properties of the 901 speaker has just been introduced via the

unique Bose Spatial Control '^ Receiver.

Future At Bose we have decided that "901" will continue to be the des ignat ol of the productthat represents the state-of-the-art of our technology - whatever size, shape or -orm that product

may take. In our research we continue to ook at any and all technologies and product concepts thatmight hold possibilities for better sound reproduction. Consistent with the past, we will introduce new

technology into the 901 speaker as it is developed - often without aniouncement. This is ourdedication to the goal that whenever you iivest in the Bose® 901* system you w II receive the latest

technology and the best in music reproduction.

Covered by patent rogrits issued and pending

_17151-5"Better soJnc through research.


It's simple. Just get into Technics SU-8011 stereo amplifier,

5T-8011 AM/FM stereo tuner and SH-8010 ste-eofrequency equalizer. You'll get a lot of performance out ofthem, without pouring a lot of money into them.

Try our SU-8011 amplifier on for size. You'll ;et a lot

more than 25 watts RMS per channel, into 8 ohms from20 Hz to 20 kHz, with no more than 0.08% tot;. -I harmonic

distortion. A lot more. Like 13,600 microfarads worth ofhigh -capacitance filtering for plenty of reserve power. Like a

two -stage, direct -coupled phono equalizer with the kind of

S/N ratio (80 dB) that doesn't know the meanirg of noise.

And II fast -acting LED peak -power indicators that let your

eyes share the performance your ears hear.

With our ST -801I AM/FM stereo tuner, your yes get in

on the action, too. Take its tuning indicator for example. It

not only tells you what station you're tuned to, t also tells you

how well you're receiving it. Two green LED's indicate ideal

signal strength, while one LED tells you the stereo quieting

level is at least 50 dB. You also get a frequency -esponse

of 20 Hz to 15 kHz (+I, -2 dB) and a 50 dB stereo quieting

sensitivity of 38.6 dBf.But whether you're listening to your favorite station or

your favorite records, our SH-8010 stereo frequency equalizerwill let you make the most of each. By dividing the audio

range into 5 bands with each center frequency yet 1.6 octaves

apart, you can tailor the sound to match your speakers, your

room and your own taste. You can also add top; to the highs,bottoms to the lows, or vice versa, by as much as 12 dB.

Technics SU-8011 amp, ST -801I tuner and SH-8010

equalizer. It's as easy to get into their performance as it is to

keep out of debt.

Technics

How to get into the performance ofseparates without getting into debt.

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d test extensive - americanradiohistory.com...1979/11/12 · by speight jenkins jenkins offers his...

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