CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS

• POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Buyer’s Guide to
Cables, Power Products,
Accessories, and Music
2016
SPONSORED BY

1 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
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CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

From the
“Some designers maintain that
Editor
Welcome to the new Buyer’s Guide to Cables,
geometry is the most important
factor in cable design—even
Power Products, Accessories, and Music!
This new 2016 Guide not only features 26 full-length product reviews hand-selected
by TAS editors, but you’ll also find:

On the Horizon – A sneak peek at the hottest new gear about to be intro-
duced—19 items across all cable and power-product categories and price-points.

Cable and Interconnect Construction – Robert Harley explains everything you

more important than the conductor

need to know about how cables are made and why it matters.

Music: Top Releases of 2016 – TAS Music Editor Jeff Wilson has created Top Ten
lists of the year’s best tunes across genres and formats.

Music Feature – Find out about Mobile Fidelity’s unique one-step LP process and
its sonic benefits for playback.

This Guide is designed to help you discover a wide array of cables, power products,
and myriad accessories that can noticeably enhance your system—no matter what
your hi-fi budget or system preferences might be.

material and type.”

Happy listening!

Julie Mullins, Editor

6 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound

FROM THE EDITOR ON THE HORIZON CABLE AND INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

Julie Mullins welcomes you to our Neil Gader has the scoop on Robert Harley explains how cables are built and why it matters in this excerpt
Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power the latest hot new cables and from The Complete Guide to High-End Audio.
Products, Accessories, and Music. accessories to enter the hi-fi market.

CABLE AND INTERCONNECT DIGITAL INTERCONNECT ACCESSORIES REVIEWS

REVIEWS REVIEWS
Klaudio KD-CLN-LP200 ultrasonic record cleaner
Shunyata Research Venom Clarus Cable Crimson and Kimber Kable KS 2436 Critical Mass Systems Sotto Voce rack
Audience Ohno Audience Au24 SE USB AudioQuest JitterBug
Kimber Kable KS 6800 Stillpoints Ultra6
Harmonic Technology Pro-7 VooDoo Iso-Pod
Cardas Audio Clear Reflection
Nordost Frey 2 POWER CONDITIONER AND
Morrow Audio Grand Reference SP7, MA7; POWER CORD REVIEWS
Reference MA4 MUSIC: TOP RELEASES OF 2016
Synergistic Research Atmosphere Level 4 Shunyata Research Venom PS8, Defender, HC
Wireworld Nano Eclipse (headphone) Shunyata Research Sigma Feature: Mobile Fidelity’s One-Step LP Process
Crystal Cable Next (headphone) Audience aR12 -TSOXX (power conditioner) Top Ten New CDs of 2016
WyWires Blue AudioQuest Niagara 7000 (power conditioner) Top Ten CD Reissues of 2016
Nordost Odin 2 Top Ten New Vinyl Releases of 2016
Skogrand SC Beethoven Top Ten Vinyl Reissues of 2016
Wireworld Platinum Eclipse 7 Cli ck on the titl e to Top Ten Pop/Rock/Jazz Hi-Res Downloads of 2016
go to tha t review Top Ten Classical Hi-Res Downloads of 2016

3 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
4 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Email the Editor: rharley@nextscreen.com or: TAS, 2601 McHale St. #100 Austin, Texas 78758 nextscreen, LLC
chairman and ceo . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Martin
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reviewers & contributing writers. D

 uck Baker
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Greg Cahill
Stephen Estep
Vade Forrester
Andre Jennings
Mark Lehman

Buyer’s Guide to Sherri Lehman

David McGee

Cables, Power Products,

Kirk Midtskog
Mark Milano SPONSORED BY
Bill Milkowski

Accessories, and Music 2016 Derk Richardson

Karl Schuster

© 2016 Nextscreen LLC

5 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

From the

Editor
Welcome to the new Buyer’s Guide to Cables,
Power Products, Accessories, and Music!
This new 2016 Guide not only features 26 full-length product reviews hand-selected
by TAS editors, but you’ll also find:

On the Horizon – A sneak peek at the hottest new gear about to be intro-
duced—19 items across all cable and power-product categories and price-points.

Cable and Interconnect Construction – Robert Harley explains everything you
need to know about how cables are made and why it matters.

Music: Top Releases of 2016 – TAS Music Editor Jeff Wilson has created Top Ten
lists of the year’s best tunes across genres and formats.

Music Feature – Find out about Mobile Fidelity’s unique one-step LP process and
its sonic benefits for playback.

This Guide is designed to help you discover a wide array of cables, power products,
and myriad accessories that can noticeably enhance your system—no matter what
your hi-fi budget or system preferences might be.

Happy listening!

Julie Mullins, Editor

6 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

On the Horizon
Hot New Products Coming Your Way Cardas
Clear Beyond
Neil Gader Interconnect
Clear Beyond features
Cardas Audio’s most advanced
line-level litz conductors, constructed
of ultra-pure Cardas copper scaled to the Golden Ratio.
The conductor core is arranged in a star-quad geometry and
suspended by carbon-impregnated air-tubes. As with the rest of
the Clear product line, Clear Beyond Interconnect uses Matched
Propagation technology, in which the propagation rate of the
conductor is matched to that of the dielectric. This technology
helps keep the signal intact and intelligible, with the goal of
sound that is both musical and neutral. Clear Beyond takes the
Clarus Crimson CCP-HC2 Power Cable performance of Clear Interconnect further, offering improved
The Clarus Crimson HC2 power cables are engineered by noted imaging and tighter bass control. It pairs well with any
high-end cable designer Jay Victor. Their design specifies combination of Cardas Clear speaker, digital, and power cables.
PCOCC copper and focuses on three main areas: low-frequen- Made in the U.S.A. and terminated in Bandon, Oregon, with
MIT Predator 6 AC Filtering Cord cy signals, current capacity, and noise reduction. Operating Cardas CG XLR or SRCA connectors.
MIT’s new Predator 6 can be added to a system to improve at 60Hz, the power cables include insulated solid conductors Prices: $3750/1m; $4550/1.5m; RCA and XLR. cardas.com
both audio and video performance to increase enjoyment from of sufficient size to favor low frequencies to improve perfor-
music and movies. The patented parallel AC Filterpole technol- mance. They are designed with a combination of large- and
ogy cleans and conditions the power going to your AV system medium-gauge wires to form an overall 8 AWG design support-
without the compromises that other power conditioners can ing current flow and signal dynamics. For maximum AC line
introduce (some series filters can create noise and limit the noise reduction, alternating lays of twisting cable are employed
available current). Predator 6 features six Filterpoles opti- to cancel out magnetic fields and help eliminate distortion.
mized for AC powerline and video noise reduction. Compared Additional shielding is provided by an aluminum/Mylar wrap
to MIT’s Predator 3 model, the wider bandwidth noise filtering and a high-density silver-plated copper braided shield to help
is reported to provide superior black levels and color satura- eliminate ingress and egress of RFI and EMI, reduce noise, and
tion, reduced grain and “snow,” and better detail and dynamic improve detail. The Clarus Crimson HC2 is terminated with a
contrast for video. Power factor correction reportedly provides male 6-20P Nema AC plug and an IEC 320 C19 female connec-
improved dynamics and soundstaging for your audio. Available tor.
in two-, three-, and four-meter lengths. Prices: $910/3ft.; $1610/6ft.; $3010/12ft.
Price: $699. mitcables.com tributariescable.com

7 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

On the Horizon

Cardas Iridium Interconnects and Speaker Cable EnKlein Zephyr 2 Interconnects and David Reference Nordost Sort Lift 

New for Cardas Audio’s 30th anniversary, the Iridium speaker Power Cord Nordost’s Sort Lift is the latest addition to the company’s Sort
cable features a twisted pair of Cardas 11.5 AWG Litz con- The EnKlein/Hi Fi One “David” Reference power cord and the System and is composed of two integral components: the base
ductors, and is terminated either with Cardas CGMS spades Zephyr 2 analog interconnect are new cable designs built upon and the springs. The base is a stable, anodized aluminum disk
or CABE bananas. Cardas’ most affordable speaker cable to the bespoke David cabling system technology. Through a unique designed to inhibit any transference of electrical charge from
use litz conductors, the Iridium is suitable for virtually any asymmetrical length-based geometry and a passive dissipation the floor to the cable and eliminate static build-up on the
two-channel or multi-channel system, and works well at any system, the Zephyr is said to nearly eliminate common cable dielectric itself. This base supports the proprietary Floating
length. The Iridium interconnect employs a star-quad arrange- interactions that create compression and signal loss. With signal Spring System that uses a flexible, titanium alloy spring-wire,
ment with four 23.5 AWG Cardas Golden Ratio-scaled Litz con- conductors of solid copper and silver for both the RCA and XLR which makes up both the support wings and tension wire sup-
ductors; it’s also shielded and can be terminated as a phono versions, the result is a cable that clearly identifies the Zephyr as ports. In both elements, the alloy wire is coated in FEP, mirror-
cable. The Iridium cables continue the company’s tradition of a member of the David family. ing the design of Nordost cables and making the supports an
warmth and musicality—and compared with their predeces- The David Reference power cord is a design of serious engi- extension of the cable jacket—eliminating any electrical inter-
sors, the Twinlink speaker wire and Microtwin interconnect, neering. Current flow under continuous, transient, and impulse re- ference while allowing the cables to maintain their natural res-
the Iridium cables are said to offer improved imaging. Iridium sponses was analyzed to determine its effects on power supplies. onance properties. Using the Sort Lift in your sound system is
wires also feature upgraded terminations, and soft rubber The resulting refinement of the use of silver for current bearing said to produce several effects such as an elevated soundstage,
jackets for improved look and feel. Prices: Iridium intercon- and reference ground propels this cable to a new standard of improved dynamic range, increased detail in low-frequency re-
nect, $250/1m, $285/1.5m XLR or RCA; speaker, $380/2m, performance. Prices: Zephyr 2, $1795. David Reference, price production, and more natural timbres.
$440/2.5m, $500/3m; spades or bananas. cardas.com TBD. enklein.com Price: $600, set of two. nordost.com

8 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

On the Horizon

Audience PowerChords VooDoo Air Phoenix Powercord Shunyata Research Delta, Alpha, and Sigma “NR”
Audience introduces its next-generation powerChords: Au24 The VooDoo Air Phoenix is a hand-built 8 AWG power cord de- Power Cords
SX, Au24 SE-i, and powerChord SE-i. The Au24 SX is the re- signed to elevate the sonic performance of analog and digital Shunyata Research introduces a new generation in noise-can-
sult of R&D innovations and is the culmination of 20 years components. Each strand of their pure silver Ohno contin- celing technology within its Delta, Alpha, and Sigma NR (Noise
of powerChord design experience. The new Au24 SE-i is the uous-cast conductors is individually insulated with veloci- Reduction) power cord range. Each of the three models contains
evolution of the award-winning Au24 SE powerChord; it has ty-matched Teflon dielectrics and protected by silver-plated new filter technologies that measurably eliminate noise at the
been upgraded with all new proprietary power connectors copper braid shielding. The power cord body is sheathed in source—the components themselves. Starting with the Delta
designed for a smoother and more refined musical presenta- static-resistant Nomex for durability and flexibility. The Air Phoe- model, this new range of power cords captures power-sup-
tion. The longstanding powerChord SE has been upgraded to nix is terminated with the VooDoo PowerPhase rhodium over a ply-generated noise that can improve system resolution and
the powerChord SE-I, purported to offer a more spacious pre- platinum-plated tellurium copper IEC connector and AC plug with performance. Whether they are applied to audio, medical, re-
sentation thanks to a newly developed wiring configuration machined aerospace aluminum shells. All of the conductors and cording, or film systems, the power cords in this new range can
of its six conductors. All prior Au24, Au24-SE, powerChord, connectors used to build the Air Phoenix have been treated in act as independent power filters for each component. The Del-
and powerChord-SE models can be upgraded. our proprietary Cold Fusion deep-immersion cryogenic process ta, Alpha, and Sigma NR power cord models contain explainable,
Prices: Au24 SX: $4600/6ft; MP, $3500; Au24 SE-I: to structurally align and fuse the molecular bond of the conduc- measurable science that can enhance the performance of any
$2500/6ft; MP, $1410; LP, $1240; powerChord SE-I: tive alloy crystals for less resistance in order to lower noise and component to which they are applied, whether the electronics
$915/6ft. audience-av.com improve sonic performance. Available in 15- or 20-amp IEC with are digital, analog, or high-current.
U.S., Schuko, or Australian AC Plugs. Prices: Delta NR Power Cord 1.8m, $695; Alpha NR power cord
Price: $4500/6ft. voodoocable.net 1.8m, $1495; Sigma NR power cord 1.8m, $2995.
shunyata.com

9 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Synergistic Research PowerCell 12 UHF Shunyata Research Delta, Alpha, and Sigma Signal
On the Horizon The new PowerCell 12 UEF is the first PowerCell to utilize Cable Range
graphene, a near superconductor at room temperature, to dra- Shunyata Research will soon introduce a complete new range
matically increase the PowerCell’s efficiency. In fact, SR states of Signal cables named Delta, Alpha, and Sigma. The new
that systems plugged into the new PowerCell 12 UEF can actually interconnects and speaker cables possess patented and patent-
draw more current than when they are connected directly to AC pending technologies, including a range of custom-engineered
wall outlets themselves. Each of its six graphene-infused EM Cells parts, conductors, and materials that are exclusive to
acts like a super-capacitor, delivering additional peak current on Shunyata’s expanding library of proprietary parts. As with all of
demand. Further performance enhancements include UEF Tech- Shunyata’s products, explainable science and technology form
nology from SR’s Black Fuses applied directly to the PowerCell’s the cornerstones of new designs that aim to improve listening
ground plane and EM Cells for increased system holography and experiences. Shunyata Research has targeted real-world pricing
realism. Lastly, an Ultra Low-Frequency Field Generator is used to for its new products, emphasizing that state-of-the-art, science-
re-clock the EM Cells with a rich low-frequency harmonic, making based performance can be affordable for any serious music-
60-cycle noise a thing of the past. All told, these improvements lover.
make the PowerCell 12 UEF the company’s highest performing Prices: Delta series: interconnects, $695/1m pr; speaker,
noncurrent limiting PowerCell to date. $1995/ 2m pr.; Alpha series: interconnects,
Price: $5995, which includes an Atmosphere Level 3 PowerCell $1995/1m pr.; speaker, $3995/2m pr.; Sigma
power cord ($3395 value). synergisticresearch.com series: interconnects, $3995/1m pr.;
Furutech e-TP309 NCF Passive Power Distributor speaker, $7495/2m pr.
The e-TP309 NCF is a sophisticated power distributor that
eliminates many problems caused by poor connections, con-
tact resistance, EMI, RFI, and poor resonance control. It fea-
tures a patented Axial Locking System for its GTX NCF outlets
and EMI-Absorbing Formula GC-303 granules inside the unit
to block EMI/RFI radiation. Furutech’s Nano Crystal Formula
(NCF) is composed of a crystalline material that generates
negative ions that eliminate static and converts thermal
energy into infrared light—thus making NCF a powerful elec-
trical and mechanical damping material. The e-TP309 NCF
uses top-shelf GTX NCF AC outlets to complete the package.
Each pure-copper conductor receptacle is equipped with a
patented, stainless-steel spring system that holds power plug
blades in a tight grip. Each receptacle is secured by an Axial
Locking screw that’s hand-torqued at the factory and measur-
ably reduces receptacle resonance by a factor of ten.
Price: $3300. eliteavdist.com

10 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

On the Horizon

Wireworld Category 8 Ethernet Range Wireworld USB3.1 Type C Cables

Chroma, Starlight, and Platinum Starlight Category 8 Ethernet The new USB3.1 connection standard is twenty times faster than
are designed for high-speed media network applications. These USB2.0 and so it naturally holds great promise for improving
innovative cables utilize a new conductor geometry that Wire- high-end audio. In the realm of USB2.0 audio cables, Wireworld
world has developed to support higher transmission speed for offers the flagship Platinum Starlight 7 as a reference. Now that
more lifelike reproduction of streamed music and video. These audio systems are moving to USB3.1 connections, Wireworld has Morrow Audio 10-Year Anniversary Line of Cables
cables are the first to incorporate Wireworld’s patent-pending designed a new series of cables to tap into the sonic potential In celebration of Morrow’s 10-year anniversary, Mike Morrow
Tite-Shield technology, a new structure said to overcome limita- of this new connection standard. These cables use an updated decided to design some special cables that offer performance
tions of previous network cable designs. This design replaces version of Wireworld’s patented DNA Helix conductor geometry far above even Morrow’s Elite Line! How is this possible? In
the conventional twisted conductors with triple-shielded par- with three layers of strands that are isolated, precisely spaced, addition to the great increase in wire count over the Elite, a
allel conductors to improve critical parameters of digital signal and completely parallel. This structure optimizes electromagnetic cloth insulation material has been included that decreases
transmission. In addition to performance benefits, the flat struc- transmission reported to provide improvements in audible and dielectric reflection distortions. Results are reported to be a
ture is extremely flexible and thin enough to hide under carpet. measurable fidelity. Another feature of all Wireworld USB audio sense of improved ebb and flow, nuance, and effortless pow-
Price: Chroma, $95/1m OFC; Starlight, $210/1m, silver-clad cables is a noise-absorbing, isolated power conductor that’s said er behind the music, with deep harmonic structures coming
OFC; Platinum Starlight, $850/1m, OCC-7N solid silver. wire- to provide cleaner power for smoother and more lifelike sound through.
worldcable.com quality. Prices: Anniversary interconnects, $7495; speaker cables,
Price: TBD. wireworldcable.com $9995; power cord, $3995. morrowaudio.com

11 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

On the Horizon

Crystal Cable Ultimate Dream Power Cable Kimber Kable AXIOS HB Siltech Triple Crown Power Cable
In addition to elegant appearance, finish, and musical pre- The AXIOS headphone cable from Kimber Kable is now avail- Siltech’s high-end cables and amplifiers are designed to be
sentation, Crystal Cable products are also known for their able in a hybrid version (silver and copper conductors) in a products of sound engineering built to high standards. The
concept clarity and advanced technology and engineering. sixteen-wire braided geometry. Positive and negative conduc- company invests in top-tier materials, the latest tools, and ac-
There’s a new introduction to the Diamond and Monocrystal tors cross at vertically opposite angles resulting in low series curate measurement technology—so that owners know that
cable series: the Ultimate Dream. Previously, the use of four induction that equates with reduced crosstalk and unrestricted Siltech knows exactly why its products sound the way they do.
unique monocrystal silver conductors resulted in Crystal Ca- signal delivery from DC–20kHz. They’re soldered with lead-free, Siltech’s Triple Crown monocrystal cables aim to take the musi-
ble’s Absolute Dream, the world’s first 100% monocrystal ca- high-silver solder under a protective nitrogen curtain for bet- cal accuracy of audio cables to a new level. Their unique, brand-
bles. The Dreamline Plus cables followed—constructed with ter connection, as nitrogen improves the flow of the solder and new construction and connectors resulted in interconnect and
two of these unique conductors and designed to help make protects the solder interface from oxidation during the soldering speaker cables with remarkably low inductance, resistance, and
their monocrystal performance quality more accessible. Now, process. The fluorocarbon dielectric is used for low electrical capacitance. Now, Triple Crown has extended its family with the
Crystal Cable has taken the next step in purity: Six unique losses, chemical resistance, and immunity to UV degradation. introduction of the Triple Crown power cables.
conductors elevate the 100% monocrystal experience to the Price: $2940/2m; other lengths/models (CU, AG) are available. Price: U.S. price TBD; available with U.S., U.K., or Schuko con-
next level. The first introduction in the new, aptly-named Ulti- axios.kimber.com nectors. siltechcables.com
mate Dream series is an ultra-high-end power cable.
Price: Ultimate Dream, 1m; 1.5m. U.S. prices TBD. crystalca-
ble.com

12 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

On the Horizon

Straightwire Expressivo Grande II

Expressivo Grande II Speaker Cable combines CCT (Compressed Conductor Technology) with a
modified Symmetrical Helix design. CCT designs combine the best attributes of solid-core and
stranded conductor technology. The Grande II is low in resistance with six “compacted, air-sus-
pended” positive conductors at 15 AWG of OFHC copper. Multiple low dielectric insulations are
employed to optimize mechanical and electrical performance. The Expressivo Grande II cable is
said to deliver three-dimensional spatial cues effortlessly while preserving timbre and tonality
of recordings. Upper-register frequencies are reportedly presented with better air, space, and
harmonic structure, while lower registers are said to have weight and authority.
Price: $1180/8ft. pr. (addl. $120/ft. pr. plus $220 termination) straightwire.com

13 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
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Feature

Cable and Interconnect Construction

Robert Harley

Excerpted and adapted from The Complete three-thousandths of one percent impurities. has about 1500 grains per foot; LC copper has OCC. OCC copper has one grain in about 700
Guide to High-End Audio (fifth edition). These impurities are usually iron, sulfur, about 70 grains per foot. Fig.1 shows the grain feet—far less than even LC copper. The audio
Copyright © 1994–2016 by Robert Harley. antimony, aluminum, and arsenic. Higher- structure in copper having 400 grains per foot. signal travels through a continuous conductor
hifibooks.com. To order call (800) 841-4741. purity copper—99.99997% pure—is called Note that the copper isn’t isotropic; it looks instead of traversing grain boundaries. Because
“six nines” copper. Many believe that the purer decidedly different in one direction than the OCC is a process that can be performed on any

C
ables and interconnects are the copper, the better the sound. Some copper other. All copper made into thin wires exhibits a purity of copper, not all OCC copper is equal.
composed of three main elements: is referred to as oxygen-free copper (OFC). This chevron structure, shown in the photograph in The other primary—but less prevalent—
the signal conductors, the dielectric, is copper from which the oxygen molecules Fig.1. This chevron structure may explain why conductor material is silver. Silver cables
and the terminations. The conductors carry have been removed. It is more proper to call some cables sound different when reversed. and interconnects are obviously much more
the audio signal; the dielectric is an insulating this “oxygen-reduced” copper, because it is expensive to manufacture than copper ones, but
material between and around the conductors; impossible to remove all the oxygen. In practice, silver has some advantages. Although silver’s
and the terminations provide connection OFC has about 50 parts per million (ppm) of conductivity is only slightly higher than that
to audio equipment. These elements are oxygen compared to 250ppm of oxygen for of copper, silver oxides are less of a problem
formed into a physical structure called the normal copper. Reducing the oxygen content for audio signals than are copper oxides. Silver
cable’s geometry. Each of these elements— retards the formation of copper oxides in the conductors are made using the same drawing
particularly geometry—can affect the cable’s conductor, which can interrupt the copper’s Fig 1: Copper in cables and interconnects has a grain techniques used in making copper conductors.
sonic characteristics. physical structure and degrade sound quality. structure. (Courtesy AudioQuest) Some cables and interconnects are made from
Another term associated with copper is a combination of copper and silver, often with
Conductors linear crystal (LC), which describes the copper’s Conductors are made by casting a thick rod, then silver plating over a copper core.
Conductors are usually made of copper or silver structure. Drawn copper has a grain structure drawing the copper into a smaller gauge. Another
wire. In high-end cables, the copper’s purity is that can be thought of as tiny discontinuities in technique—which is rare and expensive—is The Dielectric
important. Copper is sometimes specified as the copper. The signal can be adversely affected called “as-cast.” This method casts the copper into The dielectric is the material surrounding
containing some percentage of “pure” copper, by traversing these grains; the grain boundary the final size without the need for drawing. the conductors, and is what gives cables and
with the rest impurities. For example, a certain can act as a tiny circuit, with capacitance, The highest-quality technique for drawing interconnects some of their bulk. The dielectric
copper may be 99.997% pure, meaning it has inductance, and a diode effect. Standard copper copper is called Ohno Continuous Casting or material has a large effect on the cable’s sound;

14 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Feature Cable and Interconnect Construction

comparisons of identical conductors and by insertion in the jack. Most high-quality RCA and compare that to the schematic symbol for a virtually identical electrical properties. Litz
geometry, but with different dielectric materials, plugs are copper, with some brass mixed in to capacitor, which is two parallel lines. strands push skin-effect problems out of the
demonstrate the dielectric’s importance. add rigidity. This alloy is plated with nickel, This is the grossest example; there are many audible range. Because litz strands are so
Dielectric materials absorb energy, a then flashed with gold to prevent oxidation. On fine points to cable design. I’ll describe some small, many of them bundled together in a
phenomenon called dielectric absorption. A some plugs, gold is plated directly on the brass. of them here, with the understanding that random arrangement are required to achieve a
capacitor works in the same way: a dielectric Other materials for RCA plugs and plating I’m merely presenting certain opinions on sufficient gauge to keep the resistance low.
material between two charged plates stores include silver and rhodium. cable construction, not endorsing a particular A problem with stranded cable (if it isn’t of
energy. But in a cable, dielectric absorption RCA plugs and speaker-cable terminations method. litz construction) is a tendency for the signal
can degrade the signal. The energy absorbed are soldered or welded to the conductors. Most Most designers agree that the skin effect, and to jump from strand to strand if the cable is
by the dielectric is released back into the manufacturers use solder with some silver interaction between strands, are the greatest twisted. One strand may be at the outside at a
cable slightly delayed in time—an undesirable content. Although solder is a poor conductor, sources of sonic degradation in cables. In a cable point in the cable, then be on the inside farther
condition. Dielectric materials are chosen to the spade lugs are often crimped to the cable with high skin effect, more high-frequency down the cable. Because of skin effect, the
minimize dielectric absorption. Less expensive first, forming a “cold” weld that makes a gas- signal flows along the conductor’s surface, less signal tends to stay toward the outside of the
cables and interconnects use plastic or PVC for tight seal. In the best welding technique, through the conductor’s center. This occurs in conductor, causing it to traverse strands. Each
the dielectric. Better cables use polyethylene; resistance welding, a large current is pulsed both solid-core and stranded conductors (Fig.2). strand interface acts like a small circuit, with
the best cables are made with polypropylene through the point where the conductor meets Skin effect changes the cable’s characteristics capacitance and a diode effect, much like the
or even Teflon dielectric. One manufacturer has the plug. The resistance causes a small spot at different depths, causing different frequency grain structure within copper.
developed a fibrous material that is mostly air to heat, melting the two metals. The melted ranges of the audio signal to be affected by the Individual strands within a conductor bundle
(the best dielectric of all, except for a vacuum) metals merge into an alloy at the contact point, cable differently. The musical consequences of can also interact magnetically. Whenever
to insulate the conductors within a cable. ensuring good signal transfer. No matter what skin effect include loss of detail, reduced top- current flows down a conductor, a magnetic
Other manufacturers inject air in the dielectric the termination method, a mechanism inside octave air, and truncated soundstage depth. field is set up around that conductor. This
to create a foam with high air content. Just the cable, called a strain relief, protects the A technique for battling skin effect is litz alternating magnetic field can induce a signal
as different dielectric materials in capacitors termination from physical stress. construction, which simply means that each in adjacent conductors, and degrade the sound.
sound different, so too do dielectrics in cables strand in a bundle is coated with an insulating Some cable geometries reduce magnetic
and interconnects. Geometry material to prevent it from electrically interaction between strands by arranging them
How all of these elements are arranged contacting the strands around it. Each small around a center dielectric, which keeps them
Terminations constitutes the cable’s geometry. Some strand within a litz arrangement will have farther apart.
The terminations at the ends of cables and designers maintain that geometry is the most These are just a few of the techniques used
interconnects are part of the transmission path. important factor in cable design—even more by cable designers to make better-sounding
High-quality terminations are essential to a important than the conductor material and type. cables.
good-sounding cable. We want a large surface A cable’s performance can be affected
contact between the cable’s plug and the by something as simple as twisting a pair
component’s jack, and high contact pressure of conductors around each other instead Excerpted and adapted from The Complete
between them. RCA plugs will sometimes have of running them side by side. Twisting the Guide to High-End Audio (fifth edition).
a slit in the center pin to improve contact with conductors greatly reduces capacitance and Copyright © 1994–2016 by Robert Harley.
the jack. This slit is effective only if the slit end inductance in the cable. Think of the physical Fig 2: Skin effect causes more of the audio signal to travel on
hifibooks.com. To order call (800) 841-4741.
of the plug is large enough to be compressed structure of two conductors running in parallel, the outside of the conductor. (Courtesy AudioQuest)

15 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
16 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

CABLE AND INTERCONNECT REVIEWS

Contents
SHUNYATA RESEARCH VENOM • AUDIENCE OHNO • KIMBER KABLE KS 6800 • HARMONIC TECHNOLOGY PRO-7 • CARDAS AUDIO CLEAR REFLECTION • NORDOST FREY 2
MORROW AUDIO GRAND REFERENCE SP7, MA7, AND REFERENCE MA4 • SYNERGISTIC RESEARCH ATMOSPHERE LEVEL 4 • WIREWORLD NANO ECLIPSE (HEADPHONE) • CRYSTAL CABLE NEXT (HEADPHONE)
WYWIRES BLUE • NORDOST ODIN 2 • SKOGRAND SC BEETHOVEN • WIREWORLD PLATINUM ECLIPSE 7

17 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Shunyata Research Venom

Interconnects and
Speaker Cables
No Snake Oil
Julie Mullins

W
hether it’s cries of “snake oil” its measurements and problem-solving prow- conductor’s OCC copper. Rather than relying
or balking at prices, of all the ess. on off-the-shelf connectors, Shunyata also has
components in an audiophile’s Since it began sixteen years ago, the Poulsbo, them custom-made.
system none seems to raise Washington, company has quietly (or perhaps As for external characteristics, the Venom ca-
more hackles than cables. But like it or not, ca- not so quietly) specialized in the design and bles are highly flexible and pliable (I could wrap
bles can—and do—make a difference. Naturally, construction of cables, interconnects, power them around my slim wrists)—not only in their
quality of materials and construction are the en- conditioners, and other accessories. Shunyata length but also in their termination options,
try-level essentials for achieving desirable sonic Research is led by founder and CEO Caelin Ga- thanks to Shunyata’s STIS (Speaker Terminal In-
results. briel—an audiophile who has a military back- terconnect System), which allows you to swap
Shunyata Research is not your typical cable ground working for top-secret, NSA-type proj- out termination types simply by unscrewing the
manufacturer. Though the company invests ects. It also happens that Gabriel is an expert Designed to punch well above their price one on the cable and screwing on a different one.
most of its budget in top-tier parts and mate- low-level-signal scientist specializing in dis- points, the Venom cables and interconnects Their form factor is on the slim side, but it makes
rials, its main focus is keeping prices as low as tortion reduction. So it follows that in addition use a proprietary hollow-core conductor that the wires that much easier to connect in the tight-
possible for the end user. In keeping with this to some pro-audio market interests—legend- Shunyata calls VTX. According to Shunyata, VTX er quarters of certain power components.
philosophy, the Venom Series is Shunyata’s ary record producer Rick Rubin is reportedly is a type of wire geometry that approximates a How do the Venoms sound? After living with
most affordable line yet to meet high-perfor- a fan—Shunyata also now leverages its sig- virtual tube, containing small, microfine wires these speaker cables and interconnects in my
mance standards, and under review here are nal-distortion-reduction technologies for ap- that form a hollow core wherein the signal reference system most of the time for several
the Venom speaker cable and interconnects. plications in the medical field—electrophysiol- travels over the wires’ surfaces in a more lin- months, I found both to be very natural, open,
The “Research” part of the Shunyata name isn’t ogy imaging used in cardiology clinics and for ear path to eliminate skin effects and random and dimensional. In other words, in much the
just a catch-phrase; it’s a nod to the on-going heart surgery. Every product Shunyata makes is eddy currents. This hollow-core VTX design is same way that Shunyata’s designs strive to keep
R&D and real-world science the manufacturer geared towards maintaining signal integrity, be fabricated from highest-purity copper and, ac- distortion out of the signal path, its cables get
brings to the table, from the eight patents held it for audio or cardio, and eliminating distortion cording to Shunyata, only two factories in the out of the way of the music. The Venom speaker
and the other nine pending, to white papers on or keeping it from getting in the way. world (both in Japan) are licensed to make that cables and interconnects offer a reasonably

18 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Shunyata Research Venom

SPECS & PRICING full orchestra, from forte to pianissimo and
Price: Interconnect, $295 1m/pr.; beyond. Strings sounded gorgeous, particularly
speaker cable, $595 (custom lengths in the second movement, conveyed with a silky
also available) smoothness, a sense of ease, and a natural
sweetness. Woodwinds, especially oboe, were
SHUNYATA RESEARCH also quite realistic. Sure, I have heard harder-
26273 Twelve Trees Lane hitting transient response from snare and
Poulsbo, WA 98370 cymbals, but the presentation was far better
(360) 598-9935 than respectable—especially given these
shunyata.com friendly price-points. I was pleased.
Perhaps what’s struck me as most noteworthy
is that when compared to several far more
neutral palette with pleasing delicacy of detail expensive cables I’ve had in my system the
and rich, warm harmonics. To borrow a favorite sonic differences didn’t prove to be nearly
expression from JV, they are quite gemütlich and as stark or glaring as I would have expected.
sweet, without glare or etching. Some might find Naturally, most of you won’t be pitting cables
them a touch polite dynamically (I don’t), but in this low-to-mid three-figure price category
that’s a matter of personal taste. against those retailing for well over five figures,
On some harder-hitting indie rock tracks such but my point is that, even if you do make this
as the title cut from El Vy’s Return to the Moon comparison, Venom’s cost-to-performance ratio
LP, at times I longed for just a little more tran- is remarkable, as is the line’s lifetime warranty.
sient impact, which occasionally prompted me Based on my experience with the Venom
to turn up the volume a bit (not a bad thing with cables and interconnects, the line exemplifies
El Vy), and the midbass was nice and full though the company’s primary focus on developing
not the very last word in definition. Backgrounds products with an eye to maximizing quality
were quiet, however, and I never noticed any while striving to get to the lowest possible retail
upper-midrange glare. A listen to the Mobile prices. It’s unusual for a cable in this price range
Fidelity LP reissue of Special Beat Service from to contain Ohno cast copper (OFE 101 certified),
The English Beat played back as pacey as you for instance, but the high-grade materials and
please, with crisp, clean-sounding percussion, build-quality seem to have paid off handsomely.
full of the lively snap and energy that define These lovely-looking and -sounding cables are
ska. Palpable images of sax, trumpet, and vocals easy to handle, easy on the eyes, and, most
emerged sounding very natural and wonderful. importantly, easy on the ears. As such, the
On a different note, a listen to Khachaturian’s Venom wires would be welcome additions to
Masquerade Suite (RCA Living Stereo LP reissue any system, whether for the hi-fi newbie or any
from Analogue Productions) revealed the audiophile on a budget. These offer hard-to-
majestic sweep, scale, and dynamics of the beat value—no snake oil here!

19 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

A System’s Foundation
Equipment Report

Audience Ohno
Neil Gader

Niagara 5000: The World’s Second-Most

Effective Noise-Dissipation System . . . at half the cost.
There are many cute lines and myths about results. However, some of these techniques also
a system only being as strong as its weakest cause ringing, current compression, and nonlinear

A
link, or that the source or the speakers are most (obnoxious) distortions. Some cures are worse
udience’s new value line of Ohno vocals were full-bodied and expressive. And important. Of course the truth is that everything than the disease—some are not as good as
interconnects and speaker cables runs importantly, Ohno’s sibilance range was nicely matters, and the chain-analogy is bogus because plugging straight into the wall.
there is no link which prevents changes elsewhere
counter to the perceived wisdom that kept in check and transient behavior was clean Niagara designer Garth Powell has devoted 20
from being important.
high-performance wires always require thick, and naturalistic. Most significantly, they had no years of intense research to furthering the science
heavy, unyielding jacketing and confoundingly additive colorations and didn’t crimp midrange However, a system’s entire job is converting the AC of AC power. With the Niagara Series, Garth has
wall current into first an electrical representation verifiably advanced the science and efficacy of
complex conductor geometries. Employing the dynamics. They were not the last words in reso- of the audio and video signals, and finally into power conditioning.
same 6-nines, 21AWG, OCC-stranded copper that lution—that is, they lacked the bottom-most photons and air pressure changes that bring that
Supplying clean AC power doesn’t necessarily
it uses in its tony Au24 SE powerChords, these excursion in the bass and the effortlessly airy beautiful signal to you — so noise-free AC is truly
make a Niagara the most important piece in a
whip-thin and unobtrusive featherweights are extension in the harmonic range. However, giv- fundamental to a system’s performance. Every
system — but any one of the Niagara Noise-
component’s performance is affected.
nicely built and very pliable, making them ideal en their entry-level mission Audience Ohno was Dissipation Systems, the 1000, 5000 or 7000, is
partners for smaller systems—and most espe- right on the money in every other respect. There are many approaches to reducing the noise frequently the least expensive way to make the
associated with AC power—conditioner-filters, biggest improvement.
cially those of the desktop persuasion. Soni- Easy to position and so light that they won’t regenerators, isolation transformers, battery
cally the Audience Ohno cable lineup achieves tug a compact loudspeaker off its stands, Please give Niagara a look and a listen.
inverters, and more—and all can yield meaningful
a level of balance and midrange tonal weight Ohno offers an unerring sense of musical-
that seemed almost contradictory to its diminu- ity at a price that won’t bust the budget. In- “The Niagara 7000 better resolved fine detail and threw a
tive profile. It was quiet, quick, and extended terconnect, $199/1m ($82 per add’l meter); deeper, more expansive soundstage…. Transients of the struck
notes sounded faster, less thick, more naturally expressed
with well-focused and dimensional imaging. speaker, $209/1m ($20 per add’l meter) through the Niagara, as did the length of the notes’ decays.”
Characterized with a slightly warmer balance, (full review forthcoming) —Michael Fremer, Stereophile, February 2016

20 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Kimber Kable KS 6000 Series Loudspeaker

Cables and Interconnects
Wallets Ready?
Neil Gader

K
imber Kable’s 4PR was the Everything about this blue-chip wire screams give you in return. But that’s not to say that this Beatles in Mono the Kimber captured not only
defining entry-level cable for a extreme (see the sidebar)—its sophisticated wire is without its own character. There’s a feath- the warm vintage nature of hit songs recorded
generation of young audiophiles construction, geometry, and materials, large ery, light-footedness to its sound that seemingly to analog tape but also the finely wrought
(including me) back in the early 1980s. Its cross-section, pure silver conductors, and, yes, doesn’t so much add power but transient speed. precision of these deceptively complex mixes.
distinctive brown/black braided design was my breathtaking price. Yet there are paradoxes, There’s no lag time as Chris Thile’s flatpick ac- This was an instance in which every instrument
constant companion across a vast landscape of too. For example, compared with the unyielding celerates across the mandolin strings, and no de- and vocal could be isolated and individually
beginner systems. Its sound was honest and stiffness of so many competitors’ cables, the lay as the Turtle Creek Chorale takes a collective appreciated, even as the recording retains its
clean with no discernable tonal colorations to KS 6000 is surprisingly supple and light for its breath before the next bar of Rutter’s Requiem. monaural presentation.
hijack an unwitting hobbyist. At that time it size and girth, easy to maneuver. But there’s The cable moves music in a way that leaves no Sonically the KS achieves a level of intimacy
was the rare audiophile who didn’t own a pair another area where “extreme” doesn’t apply. corner of the soundstage unaffected. It has both and low-level resolution that’s almost
of 4PRs, and didn’t keep them. I still have mine. It’s the area of sound. It’s here, in the company directness and a dimensional component that embarrassing in its nakedness. As I listened
Available still, in various and more advanced of a finely tuned audio system, that the Kimber unerringly position every player on the stage, to the high-resolution file of “Somewhere”
braided iterations, Kimber’s 4PR is a testament Select settles into such a natural and organic yet fully immerse them in the surrounding am- from the San Francisco Symphony’s staging of
to the enduring popularity of the original, a relationship with the music that you forget bience. As I listened to the “Duet for Cello and West Side Story, I could almost feel the walls
popularity so great, perhaps, that it sometimes about the effort that went into designing and Bass” from Appalachian Journey I found each shimmering from the diaphragmatic power
obscures the fact that Kimber doesn’t just play building these wires, forget that you’re even image physically established yet oh so finely fo- of the mezzo’s performance. As I cued up
small ball. It offers some serious Big League listening to a system, even forget the hole still cused, much in the way a precision set of optics the DSD file of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” I
products, too. At the summit is Kimber’s Select smoking in your wallet. edge-sharpens a subject. became hypnotized by the interplay of Lindsay
6000 Series wire, which debuted in 2010 and With a tonal balance that’s predominately By virtue of the combination of pure resolving Buckingham and Christie McVie harmonies
now vies for prominence in the most respected neutral, the KS’s overall personality—though not power and a bottomless well of dynamic contrast backing up the youthful Stevie Nicks. These
and competitive venues of the high end—a point invisible—isn’t hard to nail down. And rightly and tonal color, the Kimber wire unearths a startling moments add up to a talent for image
that was driven home continually as I fell under so, as it promptly assumes the character of the body of energy and atmospheric lift in even specificity and macro/micro liveliness that
the sway of the crown jewel of Kimber’s Select system it’s immersed in. So, whether your audio the most familiar recordings. For example, would compel even the most OCD listener to
line, the KS 6068 loudspeaker and KS 1036/ rig is strictly grain-free photorealistic or gauzily when I launched a weekend Beatles binge-fest drop whatever he’s doing or thinking of doing
KS1136 unbalanced and balanced interconnects. impressionistic, that’s what Kimber is going to listening to the complete LP box set of The and just sit still and listen.

21 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Kimber Kable KS 6000

SPECS & PRICING moves. Wireworld’s flagship matches Kimber
KIMBER KABLE
2752 South 1900 West
Select stride for stride through the mids, and is
arguably a bit bolder dynamically in the lower
Building a Better Speaker Cable
Ogden, UT 84401 mids and below. Its treble is buttery, but the Kimber’s 6000 Series speaker cable de- process—extrusion, winding, braiding, and finally
(801) 621-5530 KS draws an uncanny bead when it comes to buted in 2010. In a recent conversation, termination—the silver can be degraded. At the
kimber.com feathery, low-level information—the brushed Nate Mansfield, Kimber’s Sales Manager, ex- manufacturing stage it needs to be drawn at an
strings of a concert harp, for example, or the plained that KS 6068 is an evolution of 3038, ideal temperature and tension. Flash heating and
Price: KS 6068 speaker, $23,880 (2.5m/ decaying flutter off the drum head of a tympani, which features an all-silver conductor braid with cooling processes degrade the silver’s conduc-
pr.); KS 1036 interconnect, $3300/1m, for another. Element CTS also dances but with constrained matrix and ESD (Electrostatic Dissi- tive properties, as do chemical baths. Even as the
RCA; KS 1136 interconnect, $3335/1m, a warmer, more boldly resonant style. During pative) yarn woven around a flexible X38R rubber finished conductor is wound onto the bobbin at
XLR Adele’s “Someone Like You” her vocal possessed core. The core spaces out the braid and constrains Kimber’s Utah factory in preparation for braiding,
a heavier chest character and conveyed a hint it so that its angles (and polarities) are held per- every inch of wire runs through someone’s fin-
more density in the lower mids with a darker fectly in place in relation to one another and con- gers, searching for imperfections.
As great wire has the habit of doing, the overall cast. During Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” sistently along the length of the cable. Essentially The final stage is adding the terminations. And
Kimber Select prompted me to revisit one CTS delivered loads of low-end dynamic punch, no matter how you bend it the braided geometry that responsibility falls to WBT. For KS 6068 only
of my favorite LPs, the Reference Mastercuts more bass, air, and bloom—just a shade more stays intact. WBT Pure Silver Connectors are used with con-
1992 pressing of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in than Platinum Eclipse—but the KS provided The 6068 begins with twelve 20-gauge vari- nector options, including silver-sandwich spades,
Blue [RM-1003] with the St. Louis Symphony, greater transient thrills and nuanced detail with strand silver conductors plus 12 pieces of ESD bananas, and silver angled-bananas. And since
Leonard Slatkin conducting. Recorded in Powell every tap off Mick’s high-hat, each snare crunch, yarn braided around a smaller core than the 3038, Kimber uses a gas-impermeable crimp system at
Symphony Hall, Saint Louis, the soundstage is or Buckingham’s raucous acoustic guitar. The KS but then braids an additional layer of twelve sol- the end of each cable, it’s easy to swap out con-
somewhat exaggerated in scope, but musically bass response may be slightly compacted, but id-core silver conductors, followed by an entire nectors in the field. The system is reliable and el-
it’s a superb recording for timbre, detail, and Stevie Nicks’ youthful voice has never been layer of 24 pieces of ESD yarn. Finally the con- egant in that each connector has just two screws,
its “throw-open-the-barn-door” dynamics. more shimmering or translucent. strained-matrix layer is applied on the outside. one for strength and another single Torx screw
Complex piano passages played at fortissimo By any benchmark that I’m aware of Kimber Ultimately the finished cable is run through the that goes into the crimp. The quality of contact
levels never drift or confuse or clutter. In Select Series 6000 is as sonically breathtaking braider three times. Dimensionally, KS 6068 is between wire and connector and connector and
the same way the KS defines and delineates as is its price tag. For the life of me I can’t roughly the same diameter as 3038 but with a source is more about correct pressure than con-
orchestral images, it similarly will take a run of think of another a top-tier cable that has ever smaller core to accommodate the extra layer of tact-patch size. Those curious raised bumps are
piano notes, played presto, and deliver them to compelled me to listen quite as deeply as I solid-core silver and damping. However, and this vital in creating high contact pressure over a small
the ear without a hint of smear or indecision was able to with these wires. On the one hand is big, there is roughly 50% more conductor in the surface area, and are a key player in transferring
and not a single nuance left unexpressed. it’ll expose every weakness in a system. But KS 6068. After three passes through the braiding current between cables and binding posts.
Of course the Kimber Select also finds itself on the other, it will also permit an otherwise machines, the 6068 ready for termination with
in some fast and expensive company. Tonally excellent system to realize a whole new level of WBT silver sandwich or locking banana plugs.
there is not a whole lot separating the KS resolution and musicality. Gulp, wallets at the I asked Mansfield about silver conductors and
from my two reference wires, the Synergistic ready? My highest recommendation. the bad sonic rap the material has often received.
Research Element CTS and Wireworld Platinum Silver especially needs to be optimized for audio
Eclipse 7. They both know how to cut a rug applications, he explained. At each stage in the
with panache, albeit with slightly different

22 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Harmonic Technology Pro-7 Reference

Armour Loudspeaker Cable and Armour
Link III Interconnects
Battle-Ready
Neil Gader

H
armonic Technology Pro-7 sign. The larger conductors are composed of
Reference Armour and Armour Link double-layer, single-crystal OCC Litz wire with
III are the firm’s top-line speaker ca- microporous Teflon insulation, while the two
bles and interconnects. As the name implies, smaller conductors are a single-crystal OCC sil-
they more than look the part—their silver-mesh ver-plated Litz copper wire with central polyeth-
jacketing appears to be as battle-ready as chain ylene air-tubing. The Armour Link interconnects
mail. Construction and quality control are, in- employ three conductors which have a central
deed, robust and physically imposing to see. polyethylene air-tube and a spiral, double-layer,
In fact, some dear friends unacquainted with single-crystal, OCC Litz copper core, plus a run of
how substantial high-end cables can be joked single-crystal OCC silver-plated Litz copper wire,
that the sheer weight and girth of the Pro-7 Ref and finally microporous Teflon insulation. In oth-
seemed more suitable for use by an electrical er words, there’s a lot going on here, much of it
utility company, or for suspending a bridge intended to isolate the wires from RF and EMI.
somewhere, or for lying at the bottom of the A word to the wise: Plan the path of your run
Atlantic Ocean supporting a telecomm sector. of Pro-7 Armour wire beforehand. As the word
Kidding aside, while sheer size is not necessar- “armour” in its name implies, this is an un-
ily determinative of sonic quality, the complex wieldy cable that requires a firm hand when it
composition of these cables—fashioned from comes to negotiating obstacles. I also wouldn’t be adequately spaced and heavy-duty enough musically insightful sonics straight across the
a handful of key high-tech materials—does ex- suggest trying to wire up a lightweight, stand- to handle this stiff wire at its terminations. board. The Harmonic Technology wires impart-
plain their appearance. The Pro-7 Ref speaker mount loudspeaker without securing it to a That said, the aforementioned set-up chal- ed a wide spectrum of tonal colors, micro-shad-
wire uses single-crystal OCC Litz copper wire heavy stand with plenty of Blu-tac or a similar lenges quickly recede as the musical delights ings, and dynamic contrasts. There was not an
plus single-crystal OCC silver-plated Litz cop- ultra-sticky substance. Additionally, the termi- of Pro-7 Ref and Armour Link III come into play. element in its overall sonic resume that sug-
per wires in a symmetrical quad-conductor de- nals on the back of your amplifier will need to This system produced highly communicative, gested hype or overreach.

23 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Harmonic Technology Pro-7

Overall, the HT’s tonal character was essen- SPECS & PRICINGmy attention most of all
What captured of Joan Baez’ Diamonds & Rust in the Bullring The Harmonic Technology Armour cables are
tially neutral with just the barest hint of a light- Price: Speaker, $3500/8' pair for single- (“Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”), I got an accurate statement products, pure and simple; they join
er balance—a characteristic that often accom- wire, $3800/8' pair for bi-wire; Armour sense of the dimension and connection the ranks of some of the most elite wires I’ve
panies quick transient behavior. As I listened to Link RCA interconnect, $1300/1m pair between the singer and the audience. Everyone heard. While every set of cables has a unique
various vocalists, including Norah Jones cover- ($400 per 0.5M additional pair) is familiar with how easy it is to hear performers signature, I have found that at these exalted lev-
ing “The Nearness of You,” it became clear that sounding disconnected from the audience on els (and depending on associated equipment)
HT had created a cable that swings cleanly in HARMONIC TECHNOLOGY live recordings, as if both were taped in separate the margins of sonic differences begin to nar-
the midrange with just a hint of forwardness 2240 Farady Avenue places. The HT reproduced a three-dimensional row. As I said at the outset, HT’s latest offerings
and a small diminution of front/back depth. As Suite 113 stage, with Baez placed forward enough to are battle-ready. They enter the fray with all the
mentioned, transient speed was notable; the HT Carlsbad, CA 92008 be intelligible but not so close as to sound virtues critical to the attainment of a great high-
shone on Joe Morello’s potpourri of percussion (858) 486-8386 aggressive. The audience handclaps and calls end system. Highly recommended.
throughout his ever-colorful, ten-minute solo harmonictech.com and responses, while clearly at a much further
from “Castilian Drums (Live)” with the Dave distance, were still lively, intelligible, and “of
Brubeck Quartet [Columbia]. a piece” with the ambience surrounding the
The treble had good air and lift with the string was the HT Armour’s ability to elicit dynamic soloist. Baez is in great voice on this recording,
sections on the largo from Bach’s Concerto No. gradients from recordings. For example, there’s and her powerful soprano with its almost trill-
5. There was no claustrophobic “lowered ceil- the rich, immersive atmosphere that the Turtle like vibrato creates a warmth and weight in the
ing” over the stage—the music’s harmonics Creek chorale generates on Rutter’s Lux Aeterna surrounding air that the Harmonic Technology
decayed freely, filling the venue. During the [Reference Recordings]. Listen closely and you reproduced beautifully.
Tchaikovsky Concerto for Violin and Orchestra can hear the chorus intensifying in volume at Early on, I concluded that in many respects
[DG] I thought that symphonic layering—the critical moments, moving great waves of air (perhaps in most), the HT Armour cables rivaled
delineation of each section of the orchestra and then backing off. It’s these small, graduated the very best wires that I’ve experienced, in-
row by row—was also very good. These cables shifts that help build the deep spiritual emotion cluding in-house favorites like Synergistic Re-
achieved a natural balance between sharply fo- of the piece. In the midst of this, all the low- search’s latest Atmosphere and Wireworld’s
cusing soloist Anne-Sophie Mutter’s violin and level information is preserved, from the rumble Platinum Eclipse Series 7, the latter significantly
truthfully reproducing the flavor of the ensem- of the organ, which anchors the performance, more expensive. In this face-off, the HT narrow-
ble. to the supportive cello and harp. In fairness, ly missed the top rung, but only in a couple of
The HT managed to illuminate detail without I’ve heard this piece through many reference areas. It came up a bit short trying to match Syn-
adding any grit or etch to the upper octaves. If wires and though in some instances the organ ergistic Research’s 3-D imaging and soundstage
anything it might have been just a little forgiv- has had a little more depth and weight, and the holography. In the lowest octaves, Wireworld
ing on top, sweetening harmonics and rounding massed voices of the chorale greater upper- Eclipse produced a more satisfying solo cello
and smoothing the often complex and shifting harmonic delicacy, the Harmonic Technology from artist Pieter Wispelwey, with more con-
textures of voices and strings. Bass response was well within the ballpark of cost-no-object trast and bloom, a broader image, and a greater
was similarly balanced, with impeccable pitch references. sense of the musician aggressively laying into
definition—an uncanny ability to clearly “sing” Soundstage was portrayed as a single, near- the strings of his instrument (plus a deeper well
the notes —from acoustic bass, bass/kickdrum, continuous curtain of sound. And as I listened of resonance rising up from the entire double-
and even the seismic rumblings of pipe organ. to the superb Acoustic Sounds’ LP remastering bass/cello section).

24 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Cardas Audio Clear Reflection

Interconnect and Speaker Cable
Fluid and Coherent
Kirk Midtskog

M
any audiophiles seem to regard Background, Design, and Context
cables with a mix of resentment and Cardas Audio, founded by George Cardas in
begrudging admiration—resent- 1987, has demonstrated resiliency and growth
ment because cables are just long thin things in the highly competitive cable and accessories
that move electrical signals to the “real” com- market. One of the elements of its success is
ponents in an audio system, and yet they can the quality of the wire strands Cardas makes. To
cost more than an amplifier or pair of loud- my knowledge, Cardas Audio is one of the few
speakers, and begrudging admiration because companies that manufactures its raw wire in the
astute listeners have recognized that better ca- U.S. A year or two after starting the company,
bles can contribute enormously to overall sys- Mr. Cardas apparently approached a wire-
tem performance. drawing factory in New England that was on the
Cable makers continue to have a tough brink of going out of business and worked out
sell, though. They seem to have to constantly a partnership to ensure Cardas would get high-
justify their existence (and product pricing), quality wire (and the wire factory would get a
and sometimes lament not getting their due steady stream of orders to keep it in business).
respect. The manufacturing and design prowess Prior to forming this partnership, Cardas could
involved in the production of cables may not be not procure the quality of wire he needed from of high-purity, slow-drawn wire Cardas needed (for windings) and connectors, is now the largest
as glamorous as that of electronics or speakers, either overseas sources or from other U.S. to realize his design goals. Cardas Audio also part of the company’s business.
but some cable designers put a great deal of suppliers—at least, not at the prices he knew makes some of its connectors at a machine Cardas is known for an easy-to-understand
effort into what they make. Lofty cable prices he would need to make his cables viable in the shop in Bandon, Oregon, the same small seaside and readily identifiable design principle:
may offend many of you, but well-made cables market. As you will see in the accompanying town where Cardas Audio has been located for the Golden Ratio—the ratio of proportions
can make an astonishing difference. Advances sidebar interview with Mr. Cardas, the only other over 20 years. (Some connectors are machined exemplified by the cross section of a nautilus
in cable design have proven themselves. Why available high-quality wire-drawing sources at in various different locations.) As it turned seashell (the Cardas logo), as well as by the
not take advantage of some of the choices now the time were in Japan, and they were charging out, supplying other manufacturers with OEM length, width, and height of many ancient
available? U.S. manufacturers very high prices for the sort internal “hook-up wire,” as well as raw strands Greek buildings such as the Parthenon. This

25 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Cardas Audio Clear Reflection

1.618 times larger than the conductors in the innovation is achieving matched propagation to Clear’s, but employs fewer bundles of cable,
next inner layer, and this pattern is repeated velocities continuously within the conductor. though CR IC also uses the same connectors as
until the innermost conductor ends up being In cost, Cardas’ Clear Reflection (CR) the top Clear.
the smallest. interconnect/cable ($1150, 1m/$2800, 2.5m)
Cardas not only follows the Golden Ratio in its falls a little below the halfway point between Listening
conductor sizes and layouts, it has also devised the model above it (Clear $2320/$4750) and Right from the beginning Clear Reflection
a way to match the signal propagation speed the model below it in the Clear line (Clear struck me as both coherent and fluid. Coherent
of the signal-carrying conductors with the Light $750/$1470). George Cardas told me because everything sounded organized and
“speed” of the surrounding dielectrics. Cardas’ that he did not design CR to a price point, and clean, without much interstitial noise or
principle of “matched propagation” asserts that I believe him. Cardas’ Director of Marketing “splashiness,” if you will. And fluid because
the conductors within a cable charge at roughly Josh Meredith mentioned to me, however, all types of music seemed to simply emanate
the speed of light, but the best solid dielectrics that dealers and customers had pointed out with a wonderful sense of ease and immediacy,
charge at a rate roughly 22 percent slower. This there was, indeed, a price and performance without any sort of subliminal tension. It was
velocity difference apparently causes a sort of gap in the Clear line before Clear Reflection as if my inner dialog were, “Ah, this is nice. Just
“shearing” of the signal, similar to the wake was added—and quite a large one cost-wise. relax and enjoy the music.” I arrived at these
ratio, expressed mathematically, is roughly of a boat cutting through water. Cardas does That price gap used to be filled by the now- impressions by means of the following audition
1:1.61803398871. So if the width of a building, not believe cable “networks” can adequately discontinued Golden Reference model. Golden process: 1) Switching the interconnect between
for example, is 10 units long, the length would correct for this conductor/dielectric velocity Reference and the new CR share some DNA— the sources and the preamp and listening for
be 16.1803398871 units long. What does mismatch. Instead, Cardas precisely applies an CR was specifically designed to have some of a while; 2) switching the link between the
this have to do with audio? As it turns out, additional conductor geometry—in conjunction the warmth associated with Cardas’ traditional, preamp and power amp and listening some
the Golden Ratio not only adds to a building’s with the Golden Ratio—involving varied twist pre-Clear, Golden Reference “house sound,” more; and 3) changing the speaker cable. I did
aesthetic appeal, but also to its ability to and pitch angles specific to each conductor blended with the resolution, dynamic range, this a couple of times in my own system and
mitigate destructive resonances. George layer. As a result, signals moving through the and speed of the current flagship Clear model. also repeated the process in an audio buddy’s
Cardas first applied the Golden Ratio principle conductors have to travel a longer distance In addition, Clear Reflection speaker cable
to controlling resonances in racecar engines than the overall cable length, which more apparently employs a modified geometry that SPECS & PRICING
and exhaust systems. He then transferred the closely aligns the conductors’ velocity with that was implemented in the Golden Reference, but Price: Interconnect, $1150/1m (RCA or
concept to decreasing unwanted interactions in of the surrounding dielectrics. (All conductor CR has the same forged, rhodium-plated copper XLR), additional .5m add $300; speaker,
audio cables (such as eddy currents, RF radiation layers end up having the same length, but connectors used in the flagship Clear Beyond $2800/2.5m (spade or banana),
and absorption, mechanical resonance, strand their different spiral pitch angles compensate model. CR is “shotgun” bi-wireable, like Golden additional .5m add $350
interaction, high filtering, reflections, electrical for their relative distance from the center of Reference was. (Clear Beyond is the only other
resonance, dissipation factors, envelope delay, the cable bundle.) This “Matched Propagation Clear model that is also bi-wireable.) CR has a CARDAS AUDIO, LTD
phase distortion, harmonic distortion, structural Technology” reportedly results in reduced black jacket—like the Golden Reference had— 480 11th St. SE
return loss...and probably others I am leaving underlying noise and increased low-level with a copper-colored stress-relief bead (at Bandon, OR 97411
out). Cardas applies the Golden Ratio to cables resolution. Matched velocities are the basis of the “Y” breakout for the + and – terminations), (541) 347-2484
through the relative location and size of the telephone transmission lines; the telephone whereas the rest of the Clear line has a light cardas.com
various conductors within each cable bundle— companies realize matched propagation blue jacket with black beads. CR interconnect cardas@cardas.com
for instance, the outer conductors are about with coils spaced at certain intervals. Cardas’ apparently uses a conductor geometry similar

26 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Cardas Audio Clear Reflection

system, a meticulously set-up and beautiful- so let me address resolution next. The CR’s and the current market. Can Clear Reflection cables’ overall performances with dynamics
sounding system. I also swapped my normal kind of clarity tends more towards allowing compete with more expensive cables? were, for all intents and purposes, the same,
reference cables (Shunyata ZiTron Anaconda) to the greater whole to come through rather than I compared CR to Shunyata Research ZiTron but I would give the CR the edge in overall
CR, and back again few times. Over the course spotlighting those aspects of the sound that Anaconda interconnect/cable ($2250/1m, resolution. Now, I must stress that I have also
of two months of listening, nothing altered this might immediately suggest high resolution in $4327/2.5m) in my own system and to heard the same Siltech cable in my own system
baseline “coherent and fluid” impression. The an audiophile sense. For example, there was Siltech Classic Anniversary 770i interconnect and thought it did some things better than the
combination of coherence and fluidity allowed a winning balance between the sounds of the ($2700/1m) and the now discontinued LS- Shunyata set did, such as throwing a wider
the music to take on a calm, non-electronic whole orchestra and the individual instruments 188 Classic Mk2 speaker cable (~$5200/2.5m soundstage and sounding a little more musically
quality and a sense of “proper balance.” When throughout Miraculous Metamorphoses [RR]. when still available)—both without Siltech’s natural in some respects. These comparisons
I considered the unforced blend of drum head- CR’s resolution was also good enough to SATT treatment—in a friend’s system. This puts illustrate how cables can perform differently
and-body sounds, of acoustical guitar strings give me the distinct impression that the first Clear Reflection ($1150/$2800) within a few than expected across myriad systems.
and body, or of a singer’s throat and chest, piece on Miraculous, Hindemith’s Symphonic hundred dollars of half the price of the other So, the answer to the question of whether Clear
on a recording like Doug MacLeod’s There’s a Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von two cable sets. Reflection can compete against more expensive
Time [RR], it struck me that the CR’s coherence Weber, was most likely recorded with different In my system, the Shunyata Anaconda cables is yes. Which cable you gravitate towards
was responsible for many of those musical microphone placements and/or with different sounded more detailed, open, transparent, and will probably depend on your sonic priorities,
elements sounding believably proportioned. eq than the other works on the same release. revealing. Transient response seemed to be system, and budget. As a reviewer, I prefer the
This coherent quality drew my attention to the (The Hindemith has much more of a front-of- quicker with the Shunyata, and subtle dynamic Shunyata Anaconda for its remarkable transient
musical progression in the songs rather than to the-hall perspective than either the Prokofiev shadings came through more readily as well. On response, transparency, and open soundstaging
an analytical breakdown of the particular sonic Love for Three Oranges Suite or the Bartók the other hand, Clear Reflection sounded a little (as I’d mentioned). Others will favor the more
minutiae in the mix. Miraculous Mandarin Suite, with their more more organized, more relaxed, more liquid, smooth, silk-like qualities of the Siltech, or lean
I also noted a light lower midrange emphasis mid-hall perspective typical of Reference and, dare I say it, more “organic.” I prefer the towards the clean, balanced musicality of the
in tonal balance—at least in direct comparison Recordings.) Shunyata on the whole for its dazzling dynamics Cardas.
to my reference cables and to my friend’s Siltech As a corollary to resolution, I consider CR’s and remarkable resolution, but I can easily
cables. (Further comparisons are addressed soundstaging and imaging performance to be understand if another listener—in a different Conclusion
below.) This more “low-weighted” quality strong points. The proportions of an overall system—might prefer the less expensive Cardas When stacked against more expensive cables,
helped lend a pleasant touch of warmth to the soundscape are portrayed credibly, with for its coherence and musicality. Cardas Clear Reflection held its own and,
presentation—just as George Cardas set out to commendable width, height, and depth—as In my audio buddy’s very well tuned system accordingly, gets high marks for delivering
do. Mind you, the level of warmth in relationship well as depth layering. Individual images are (Lou is a meticulous set-up guy, bordering on good performance at a reasonable price. Clear
to the aforementioned commendable levels rendered precisely and clearly but without fanatical actually), the Cardas sounded a little Reflection is a fantastic cable in its own right.
of apparent speed, dynamic range, and overall exaggeration. Images also have heft and more expansive and slightly more focused than Cardas is on to something with its blend of the
resolution, was not the overriding quality I depth, rather than appearing like ethereal two- the Siltech. The Cardas threw a larger, deeper, company’s previous Golden Reference design
heard in the CR, nor was this warmth quotient dimensional cutouts. Some other cables tend to and more defined soundstage and individual and its current Clear technology. I was charmed
as high as my recollections of the pre-Clear spotlight aspects of the tonal spectrum. Not so images were a little better fleshed-out, as by Clear Reflection’s fluid, organized, detailed,
Golden Reference sound, but it still offered with CR; everything “sings” with a unified voice. well. The Siltech and CR had similar respective and generally musically satisfying qualities. I
a beautiful blend of lovely timbre with image So what we have here are a positive set of tonal balances, with the exception of the CR would not hesitate to recommend it to others
specificity and resolution. sonic qualities in a well-made cable at a very emphasizing the lower midrange a bit more. and would consider it myself for a second
We’ve already discussed the warmth factor, reasonable price—considering its performance (There’s that warmth factor again.) The two system. Mr. Cardas, take a bow.

27 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Cardas Audio Clear Reflection

An Interview with I do these things because they are essential el- How significant is the OEM side of your business to tive was a musical feel I wanted back in my life.
ements, and, over the years, it has become in- your overall business approach? Price points...yeah, I guess this will fill that hole.
George creasingly difficult to find true quality in metals OEM is the largest part of my business. I love work- But think about it: It took something like five years
and metal processing. As it turns out, I supply ing with other manufacturers. They are very de- for this combination’s time to come. A price point?
How has the cable segment of the market changed for the bulk of the manufacturers. I would guess manding and keep me on my toes. My metal would I could have done that in a heartbeat.
since you founded Cardas Audio in 1987? that we produce the majority of the “metal” not be where it is today if not for the goading of
Well it has obviously grown tremendously. Cables sold in high-end audio. As time goes on, mid- Bill Low [of Audioquest]. I love helping other man- Is the Clear Reflection speaker cable basically a
have gone from “all are the same” to “most im- sized manufacturers are being purchased by ufacturers do what they do best. I have a unique revival of the Golden Reference conductor geom-
portant link in the system.” larger operations that do not want to be both- set of personal skills that allow me to figure out etry, or are there other design elements involved?
ered with ultra-refined, slow-drawn products. It better ways of doing things and a love for doing Well, yes and yes. It uses the connectors and incor-
Are audiophiles more open to the importance of seems we are becoming the only game in town. things better. This works for me. My metal is art. porates several design elements seen in the other
cables now than in those early years? My conductors are art. If my friends in the business Clear models, and the strand layering has a slight
In general, yes! Now even the general public is Do you incur higher costs by manufacturing your want to use my “paint” to embellish their art, I am adjustment. It adds a lot of fine refinements to a
starting to get the message. Mainstream manufac- own parts and by doing so in the U.S.? honored...in fact, I am dedicated. tried and proven design.
turers are now a big and growing segment of our Cost and quality implications run both ways. If
customers. you want metal like ours, it would be virtually un- When you set about designing the Clear Reflection Can you please explain how the Clear Reflection
obtainable for anywhere near what we sell it for. cables, were you also targeting a return to a form interconnect resembles or differs from Golden
What was your first inspiration to apply the Gold- We went into the business initially because of of the “classic Cardas sound,” rather than merely Reference?
en Ratio to cable design? what the Japanese were charging my peers in the addressing a product price point? It uses a different dielectric formulation-combina-
I used it as a resonance control technique when business. Similarly with conductors, we bought or I gave little thought to price point. I didn’t make tion and a different strand layering. The intercon-
designing racecar engines and two-stroke exhaust built our own machines for layered Litz winding. It the product for the point. The product is at the nects look similar on paper. The Clear Reflection
systems. would not be possible for us to trust the job to Chi- point it is because of its relative cost to produce. speaker cable is, to the eye, very similar to the
na, and it would probably not save us anything if Clear Reflection is, in fact, a refinement of Golden Golden Reference.
What have been your biggest challenges, both as a we did. The price on cables these days is nuts. We Reference. The Clear cables were an experiment
designer and as a business owner? can easily manufacture here and have the control in broadband clarity and a test of just how flat a You should be proud of your accomplishments in
They’ve been mostly personal. The business has we are looking for. We manufacture all over the response you can achieve without offending the the specialty audio field. What is next for Cardas
grown since the day the door opened. My biggest globe. On some things like the OEM headphone leading edge of the sound. They are what they are: Audio?
challenge was deciding where and how to limit the drivers, it is not possible to get what we want here. Clear and fast, neutral and articulate. Well, thank you very much! I have an amazing in-
business itself to a “family unit” in size. Obviously, This is a nightmare really. I would much prefer to The Golden Reference cable is an obsessive bot- vention related to loudspeaker drivers—especial-
the business has grown beyond all expectations, do them in the U.S., but we have no choice. It has tom-up approach delivering pure musical sound ly small ones. I will work on this project until it has
so... taken me decades to develop partners in Asia who from the bottom up without regard to bandwidth. wings. We are changing the wire-drawing opera-
share our values, and still it is a constant battle. I Those cables felt awesome, but, at the end of the tion to be able to draw down to unheard-of sizes.
Your company actually has a partnership with a am not opposed to outside manufacture if it is a day, were a little dark. The Clear Reflection is an (We are looking at 54awg silver.) This will open
wire-drawing factory in the U.S. How important is better choice, but money is not the name of the attempt to achieve some Clear-like bandwidth windows for cartridge and hearing-aid manufac-
this vertical integration to your business strategy game here; quality and quality control is. within the bottom-up approach of the Golden Ref- turers, etc. I will go where I can best improve the
and overall product results? erence. So in answer to your question, my objec- state of the art.

28 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Nordost Frey 2 Speaker

Cable and Interconnects
Evolving and Improving
Neil Gader

R
ecently upgraded, Frey 2 cable replaced by MoonGlo, but Neutriks still prevail
is the sweet-spot wire of Nordost’s for XLR. Additionally, the Frey 2 interconnect has
mid-priced Norse 2 collection. In truth adopted Dual Micro Mono Filament technology
it’s actually only one player in a much larger compared with its predecessor’s Micro Mono Fil-
bloodline that, in its complexity, begins to resem- ament. Finally, new mechanical tuning algorithms
ble the competing factions in Game of Thrones— have re-optimized the line as well. The Frey 2
the addictive HBO series overflowing with in- power cable (successor to Brahma) uses a new
trigue, swords, and sex. And like that TV show, the proprietary connector, enhanced mechanical tun-
cables are christened with Scandinavian names ing, and improved spacing of the Micro Mono Fil- sient and micro-dynamic elements of the past and SPECS & PRICING
that whisper of royalty and kinship. Nordost’s aments. integrating them with richer mids and a brawnier, Price: Speaker NORDOST
four collections lead off with Leif and Norse 2, My experience with Frey 2 reinforced some im- meatier bottom end that gives orchestral mu- $2924/pr. 2m; CORPORATION
and ascend to reference-caliber Valhalla 2, and pressions that I’ve noted about Nordost recent- sic more discernable atmosphere and weight. In interconnect 93 Bartzak Drive
culminate with supreme reference Odin/Odin 2. ly—a gradual evolution of tonal qualities that has a word, there’s more fidelity to the live event. A $1459/1m; power Holliston, MA 01746
Frey 2, though not quite a noble, is flanked in the caused me to rethink some earlier critiques. To my great example was the “Venus” movement from cord, $1679/1m (508) 893-0100
House of Norse by Tyr at the top end, and finally, ear, Nordost frequently emphasized sharply fo- Holst’s The Planets [LSO/Previn: EMI]. Predictably, nordost.com
a couple of ranks lower by Heimdall 2. I know— cused detail and electrifying micro-dynamic en- the Nordost reproduced the finer details like the
it’s complicated. ergy with a general forwardness and a drier push. tambourine with distinction right down to the last
I spoke with Nordost’s Jon Baker regarding It excelled at speed and lightness of foot at the rattle. The solo violin, which is prominently fea- ed these complex and powerful passages that are
changes that have elevated Frey to its current expense of the darker color, energy, and full-bod- tured, was still slightly forward, but more sweetly the hallmarks of this movement.
“2” status. Carried over are the silver-plated ied weight in the mids and lower octaves. These so and more warmly illuminated. Further along In this lofty class of cables I expected the pre-
99.99999 OFC copper solid-core conductors, elements just seemed baked into the DNA-cake of in The Planets, the deepest underpinnings of the sentation to go beyond mere surface reproduc-
but first among the Frey 2 upgrades are increas- Nordost’s conductors and geometry. orchestra—the low strings and winds—were rich tion and reveal the air and ambience both in
es in gauge size: the speaker cable from 24 AWG However, Frey 2 (and to a lesser extent the fine, and refined, conveying the weight and mass of front of and behind the players. In the case of the
to 22 AWG, and the interconnects from 26 AWG entry-level Purple Flare that I reviewed in Issue our solar system’s largest planet “Jupiter.” In this nouveau-bluegrass band Nickel Creek’s This Side
to 24 AWG. The WBT RCA connectors have been 236) has rebalanced the scales, taking the tran- aspect, Frey 2 was startling in the way it delineat- [Sugar Hill], this was largely accomplished. I eas-

29 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Nordost Frey 2

ily heard just how “clean” these acoustic players’ or a personal reference like the Synergistic Re-
articulation was—the guitar and mandolin strings search Atmosphere Level 4—cables that closely
sang out with transient speed and authority. But I resemble each other in terms of mellower timing,
also noted the wave launch of energy propelling rounder edges, and greater ambience—Nordost
off the soundboard and at least some three-di- Frey 2 conveyed a slightly cooler, more modern
mensional physical presence of the players and take, and seemed a bit faster but dimensionally
their instruments. As flat as Nordost cable might just a bit shallower. During Peter, Paul and Mary’s
appear to the eye, to the ear Frey 2 retrieved the “500 Miles” [Warner Bros], Frey 2 presented
ambient information of my favorite recordings acoustic guitar and vocal harmonies that were
with 3-D ease, including the soaring acoustics very discrete although the volume gradations of
from Laurel Massé’s a cappella folk singing from each note sung were not as finely expressed. By
Feather and Bone [Premonition] and the “found comparison, the WyWires and Synergistic offered
sound” chirps and creaks that find their way up the same track with darker resonant textures
onto the tracks in Tom Waits’ converted barn/ and finer low-level contrast. Whereas the Nordost
studio during Mule Variations [Asylum]. Anoth- was bit tighter and punchier in the bass, the oth-
er important beneficiary of the Frey 2’s balance er pairs contrasted with a more musically tune-
was its more finely faceted timbre, particularly in ful and acoustically looser low end. It almost
complex groupings of string instruments, such as became a matter of comparing the best of sol-
those heard in a classical chamber ensemble; its id-state with tubes—different but equally valid
ability to sort out the voices of cello, bass violin, presentations according to one’s preferences
and fiddle during selections from Appalachian and listening biases. Frey 2 power cords deserve
Journey [Sony] was equally impressive. some special props and probably a separate
Certain aspects of Frey 2 performance remain review, but space restrictions limit my remarks
familiar. For example, during the superb Refer- here. Suffice it to say, they imparted supernatu-
ence Recording LP of Nojima Plays Liszt [RR-25], rally quiet black backgrounds for supporting the
Frey 2 expertly captured the artist’s concussive low-level resolving power that the Frey 2 cable
dynamics during “The Mephisto Waltz.” And the displayed.
cut “Joan of Arc” from Jennifer Warnes’ Famous In my world—a little neck of the woods
Blue Raincoat [Impex] conveyed a lighter and more I call Reality—a cable of the class that the
illuminated signature that finely honed the edges Nordost Frey 2 represents is a damned serious
of the boundaries of images, and underscored expenditure. However, its cost is commensurate
the lowest-level details. On the other hand, while with high-end systems in the $15k–$25k range,
there was still a little added astringency on the the sweet-spot for advanced audiophiles. In that
massed strings during “Song For Bernadette,” the context Frey 2 is an exceptional performer from
vocal air riding high above Warnes’ vocal more a proven brand that through the decades has
than made up for this minor coloration. continued to evolve and improve. Audition with
In comparison to the pricier WyWires Platinum confidence. You will not be disappointed.

30 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Morrow Audio SP7 Grand Reference

Speaker Cable and MA4 Reference and
MA7 Grand Reference Interconnects
Up-and-Comer
Neil Gader

M
orrow Audio is a relative manageable. The MA7 ups the ante with 72 ven’s Ninth [Chicago, Solti, Decca], the imaging (review forthcoming) or the Wilson Audio Sa-
newcomer to the high-end cable runs with its stiffness increasing only slightly. of each section grew a little less distinct, the brina (Issue 256). Naturally that’s why Morrow
segment. Founded in 2006 and The SP7 speaker wire consists of a whopping dimensional outlines of the hall a bit impre- Audio offers Level 7.
based in Independence, Kentucky, the company 120 runs. For insulation Morrow uses PVDF, a cise. The sound also wasn’t quite as dynami- If the MA4 proved to be a great warm-up act,
currently manufactures both a pro line as well plastic material of the fluoropolymer family. cally charged, exhibiting hints of compression the combination of MA7/SP7 was a very satis-
as a comprehensive consumer line that includes The wires are finished with nylon jacketing and on the gut-churning opening kickdrum of The fying main event. Compared with the MA4, the
power cords and an expanding assortment of silver-soldered to a choice of terminations. Police’s “Murder By Numbers.” darker overall character was lifted. And while
headphone cables. Morrow’s interconnects and The cables have an attractive, nondescript ap- However, the MA4 is particularly well suited the MA4 was midrange centered, the pricier
speaker cables are divided into seven levels pearance and are refreshingly light and pliable. to the entry-level world in that it possesses a MA7 spiced up harmonics and offered more
not including the Elite Grand Reference Series, Whereas some cables approach the rigidity of darker, more forgiving character that soothes than a bit juicier textures. It fully restored
which, as the name implies is in a class of its conduit pipes, Morrow makes it a breeze to an- and slightly softens treble anomalies rather the delicacy and dynamic throw-down of pia-
own. Common to all Morrow cabling is a three- gle its offerings around equipment or furnish- than resolving every last harmonic detail. This nist Ivo Pogorelich’s performance during the
pronged design philosophy that it describes ings. makes it an ideal palliative for systems that Mozart Piano Sonata in A Major [DG]. Though
as SSI Technology—an acronym for solid-core, Morrow Audio might be the new kid on the already have some attenuation in the lower a little cooler overall than its budget sibling,
small-gauge, individually insulated. Key to block, but its wire performed like an old pro. frequencies and might also have a bit of a tre- the MA7/SP7 wire was by no means bright or
Morrow’s SSI configuration is the excellent The entry-level MA4 was nicely weighted with ble kick that tends to bleach orchestral string edgy. The sibilance range was nicely controlled
RFI- and noise-rejection characteristics that its a firmly centered midrange sweetspot that fo- and brass harmonics. At this juncture, I always and conveyed naturally occurring energy rath-
technologies are said to bring to the table. cused images with clarity and conviction. In all- return to the all-important issues of perspec- er than a hard sizzle. Also on hand were very
My review samples included two levels of inter- out extension, MA4 is a hint subtractive in that tive and system-matching. As well positioned good low-level resolving power and solid bass
connects, the MA4, the MA7, and the marque’s it couldn’t fully capture the air and ease of the as the MA4 is in its entry- to mid-level niche, it responsiveness. During Nickel Creek’s “Sabra
penultimate speaker cable, the SP7. The MA4 fancier MA7 interconnects. For example, when would be overmatched in the company of ul- Girl,” I admired how the MA7/SP7 captured
consists of 24 runs of insulated silver/copper it was tasked with reproducing the complexi- tra-high-performance electronics driving res- the delicate, acrobatic character and transient
conductors and is thin, very lightweight, and ties of orchestra and chorus during Beetho- olution monsters like the Vandersteen Treo CT speed of Chris Thile’s mandolin, and the ripe

31 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Morrow Audio SP7, MA4, and MA7 VENOM SERIES
resonance of the acoustic flat-top accompani-
ment, and fiddle player Sara Watkins’ touching
SPECS
By any & PRICINGMorrow Audio is an up-and-
standard,
Price: Interconnects, MA4 $329, 1m/pr.;
Signal Cables
vocal on This Side [Sugar Hill]. In soundstage MA7, $1399/1m pr. THE FINEST IN SIGNAL CABLE PERFORMANCE NEED NOT COST A FORTUNE
and dimensionality, the Level 7 combination Speaker cable: SP7 level, $1499/2m pr.
came up a little short of reference level in
conveying the vast spread and dimensional MORROW AUDIO The Reviews are unanimous...
depth that top-tier cables such as the much 5195 Madison Pike
more expensive Kimber Select KS and Syner- Independence, KY 41051 “If it sounds like I’m gushing over Shunyata Research’s VENOM cables,
gistic Atmosphere offer. During Norah Jones’ (859) 356-6994 I am. Rarely have I used products that had such immediate, profound
“The Nearness of You,” her piano didn’t ful- morrowaudio.com and long-lasting sonic impact.”
ly inhabit the soundspace and decay into the ~ Guy Lemcoe, The Audio Beat, March 2016
resonant hall. And micro-dynamic differences
were not as distinguishable. In comparison, my comer. Its products may not be head-turners “…VENOM’s cost-to-performance ratio is remarkable,
reference wire placed Pieter Wispelwey’s cel- to look at, but in the high end performance is as is the line’s lifetime warranty.”
lo precisely within a pocket of the orchestra, where the rubber meets the road, and perform ~ Julie Mullins, TAS Issue #266, October 2016
while the Morrow was a little more tentative Morrow’s cables do. Going forward I expect its
in committing to this unambiguous, locked- offerings will challenge many of the more highly
down position [Bruch, Channel Classics]. How- regarded notables. An impressive debut.
ever, in terms of the absolute sound—acoustic
music recorded live in a hall—on balance, the
Morrow wire bore most of the hallmarks of the
very best cables, particularly in the areas of dy-
namics, tonality, resolving power, and harmonic
nuance. It possessed a general ease and lack of
artifice when reproducing complex groupings
of musicians on the symphonic stage.
Setting performance aside for a moment, Mor-
row Audio is also making an aggressive play on
the marketing side of the equation. For exam- Shunyata XLR Connectors STIS Interchangeable Terminals Shunyata RCA Connectors

ple, all Morrow Audio wire comes with a lifetime

guarantee. Morrow also offers bundle packages,
an “easy pay program” option, a break-in ser-
vice option, and a 60-day return. That’s what I
call confidence. Morrow is even shaking things
up in the more freewheeling headphone market
with innovative ideas such as color selections
OHNO - Continuous Cast Copper VTX™ Conductors OFE 101 Certified Copper
for some headphone cable models.

32 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound

Shunyata Research • Poulsbo, WA www.shunyata.com

CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Synergistic Research
Atmosphere Cables, Level 4
The Insider
Neil Gader

T
he Atmosphere line of speaker then (and still) remains an outspoken and cre-
wire and interconnects from ative designer. In my conversations with him I
Synergistic Research (SR) noted a curiosity that bordered on obsession
represents the brand’s latest thinking on about the reproduction of three-dimensional
cables. Comprising four distinct models soundspace, immersiveness, and ambience in Each gradation of Atmosphere adds increas- Synergistic product. It carried over the same
that correspond with ascending levels of recorded music. This quest inspired Synergis- ingly sophisticated runs of conductors and pro- high degrees of tonal neutrality, inner detail,
performance, Atmosphere is perhaps SR’s tic to develop Uniform Energy Field (UEF) tech- prietary shielding. But the real fun begins with and dynamic authority that have marked my
most ambitious offering to date and the nology that has yielded a collection of prod- Levels 2, 3, and 4, which are equipped with SR’s SR experiences over the years—experiences
summit of the brand’s efforts to bring the full ucts and accessories which address resonance Ground Plane Technology (described further that include the actively shielded Tesla and
weight of its innovative conductor, isolation, control, room treatment, isolation technology, on). Additionally, for Levels 3 and 4 exclusively Element series. Atmosphere is not a gee-
and anti-resonance technologies from its and the elimination of RF/EMI distortions. Syn- there are special terminations for Atmosphere whiz, shout-out-loud attention-grabber for
premium, actively-shielded range into a less ergistic’s actively shielded cables have been Tuning Modules—small red or blue cylindrical superficial listening, however. Rather it’s an
costly “passive” design. For this review I spent available since 1998, but with their thick DC “bullets” that users can freely substitute to honest, even conservative purveyor of sound,
the lion’s share of the time listening to the wires and mini-power-couplers (MPC) they fine-tune a system. Red tuners for “warmth, designed for the perceptive, thoughtful
Atmosphere Level 4. demanded not only a higher level of commit- liquidity, and musicality,” and blue tuners for listener with a highly resolved and nuanced
First, let me say at the outset, I’m no stranger ment from owners but also enough AC outlets “refinement, detail, and focus.” I swapped out system. Atmosphere revealed the dark-
to Synergistic Research. Hard to believe, but it to plug in each cable’s MPC. The key goal of tuners at various times over the course of this wood cello resonances, detail, and low-level
was nearly ten years and one hundred issues the Atmosphere Series was to achieve compa- evaluation, and though I’m still in the dark as intricacies of the Bach Cello Suites [MA
ago (Back Page, December 2006) that I inter- rable performance without that burden. The to how they work I found myself consistently Recording], inviting me to listen deeper than
viewed its chief designer and owner Ted Den- company now believes it can build non-active settling on the blue tuners in my reference sys- ever before into Martin Zeller’s well-measured
ney, III. Soon thereafter I spent an afternoon cables with performance levels that are only tem. performance. The cable’s superb transients,
touring the Synergistic factory, and listening to surpassed by its Reference Galileo LE Active In sonics, Atmosphere Level 4 performance bracing immediacy, and bloom of Lew Soloff’s
the just released Tesla Series cables. Denney cables. was instantly familiar to my ears as a trumpet in the Manhattan Jazz Quintet [King

33 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Synergistic Research Atmosphere Cables, Level 4

SPECS & Tricky
Records]. PRICINGvocal sibilance combined that releases the resonant energy of cello and to reproduce symphonic music. While every cables and interconnects to the SRGB and then
Level 4 RCA interconnect bass violin, baritone sax, and bassoon. Moving genre of music provides clues about a moved on to individual components, using an
SR matrix of mono crystal silver conductors further into the upper mids there’s a delicate cable’s performance, in the end it’s classical available RCA or XLR input on that component’s
with a separate ground conductors from bloom and a slightly warmer, unconstricted music’s complexity, broad tonal spectrum, back panel.
a shield and 99.9999% pure mono crystal harmonic range that eliminates thin, papery wide dynamic range, inner detail, and venue Inserting the SRGB into the system was in all
silver conductors employing the air sealed textures and whitewashed timbres. acoustics that makes it the final arbiter of a candor a surprise—the cynic in me did not ex-
dielectric, UEF Ground Plane and UEF Cell More than any single parameter, Atmosphere cable’s potential. It’s also the strongest reason pect this level of sonic improvement. As I set-
Filtration technology resulting in 44 point-to- connected each image in its own contextual to consider auditioning Atmosphere Level 4. As tled into the Mozart Piano Sonatas [DG], there
point hand soldered connections space. I didn’t just hear the deep guttural pitch I listened to Solti’s reading of the Beethoven was no question about an overall shift in the
Price: 1m/pr., Level 3, $1495, Level 4, $2495 of the baritone saxophone during Jen Chapin’s Ninth [Decca], I sat transfixed as I experienced system’s character. At first blush there seemed
cover of “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” [Chesky]; the specificity of section layering across the to be a slight darkening overall, but as I listened
Level 4 Speaker there was also the shimmer of ambient air re- entire orchestra—the array of the large chorus, further it became more of an awareness of the
SR matrix of silver copper conductors with verberating in the recording space. Atmosphere the placement of the soloists, the texture and noise floor having significantly dropped and
a polyethylene dielectric separate ground also doesn’t manufacture false fore and aft di- skin resonances of the timpani positioned the soundstage having further stabilized into
conductors from a silver Mylar shield, silver/ mensionality by suppressing frequencies to cre- deep in the percussion section. Similarly, and an unyielding brick-and-mortar foundation.
copper mono crystal conductors with a ate a depth effect—in perspective this cable is as if your speaker system and listening setup is Imaging stability improved while individual
Teflon dielectric, separate ground conductors neutral as they come. I often listen to the Laurel optimized, you should be able to locate cellist notes and chords firmed up in texture. There
from a shield, and Ground Plane technology, Massé’s deceptively simple recording of “I Am Pieter Wispelwhey sitting in a cushioned was a greater density beneath and behind each
and 99.9999% pure mono crystal silver the Mountainy Singer” from Feather and Bone pocket onstage, taking a measured breath note—plus more authoritative soundboard en-
conductors employing the air sealed [Premonition]. Recorded in the vast Troy Savings during the Bruch Kol Nidre [Channel Classics]. ergy and resonance from the grand piano. My
dielectric resulting in 36 point-to-point hand Bank auditorium, the folk song is voice and vio- I also had an opportunity to listen to theSR takeaway was that the SRGB drilled deeper into
soldered connections with UEF and ground lin only. But there is a second phantom “accom- Grounding Block. To paraphrase Synergistic, “it the recording and uncovered detail at the low-
plane terminations panist” to Ms. Massé, and it’s the vast reverber- connects the cable’s shields and noise directly est discernible levels. The effect was also cu-
Price: 8 ft./pr., Level 1 and 2, $895 and ant sound of the venue. When everything else to ground and not through a component’s mulative with the addition of each component
$1295; Level 3 and 4, $3595 and $4995 in the playback chain is working properly and power-supplies or speaker crossovers as is to the SRGB. It quickly became a mandatory
there’s a loudspeaker like the Vandersteen Treo normally the case.” Not much bigger than a option in my view and is cost effective, to boot.
SYNERGISTIC RESEARCH CT (review forthcoming) anchoring the system, pack of cigarettes, the SRGB is fitted with a Perhaps the greatest compliment I can
17401 Armstrong Ave I began to pick up cues regarding the volume copper top plate, and plugs directly into a wall confer on a cable is summed up in three
Suite 102 and height of the space, the amount of sustain outlet. It’s equipped with eighteen mini ground words: “Cable? What cable?” The transparency
Irvine, CA 92614 and decay, and most specifically how the singer connections. The SRGB package includes four 4’’ of Atmosphere continues what has become
(949) 476-0000 gradually closes in on the microphone. She be- ground wires for Atmosphere interconnects and for me an SR tradition of expanding the
gins the song from a more distant perspective two 8’’ ground wires for Atmosphere speaker boundaries of soundstage dimensionality,
than where she finishes. It’s an effect that makes cables. Although it was engineered to improve pursuing every microdynamic cue, and
clarity and speed without veering into bright her sound as if she is indeed descending from ground performance on all SR products with resolving the lowest level details. Aptly named,
sizzle territory. The wires also have an innate the mountain and approaching the listener. external ground plane connections, any system Atmosphere elevated the listening experience
vitality and gravitas that infuses the mids and The line that separates good wire, even component with an unused input or output can with every spin of a recording. A must-audition
lower mids with a darker natural authority the very good, from the great is an ability also be integrated. I began by linking the speaker component.

34 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Wireworld Nano Eclipse and Crystal

Cable Next Headphone Cables
What a Difference a Cable Makes
Alan Taffel

H
eadphones are diverging into two Now, another purely sonically oriented fea- phones, so be sure to test that before audition- informed me that a set of the best ’phones plus
camps: those intended for millen- ture has found its way to the latest audiophile ing.) Crystal put a lot of effort into creating a an appropriate portable player (e.g., the As-
nials and those with audiophiles in headphones: a detachable cable. As when de- headphone cable that’s thin, light and flexible, tell&Kern AK380) or a serious headphone amp
mind. At one point, it appeared that some mod- tachable power cords replaced captive cords in yet strong enough to stand up to the tugging would easily set a buyer back over $5k. In that
els at the upper end could satisfy both constit- audio components, detachable headphone ca- and twisting inherent in headphone use. An context, a cable at this price point—assuming
uencies. However, even though good sound bles enable the use of aftermarket alternatives. aramid fiber core gives the cable its strength it makes a significant sonic difference—is not
is important to both groups, it has become You won’t find this feature on cans meant for without compromising flexibility. The trans- out of line.
increasingly clear that millennials and audio- millennials, who prize simplicity. But for audio- parent outer sleeve is hypo-allergenic and soft Nonetheless, I also wanted to evaluate a
philes use their ’phones in different ways, and philes, choosing and using aftermarket cables to the touch. Inside, the Crystal Cable Next is more modestly-priced offering. Fortunate-
consequently demand distinctly different fea- are old hat. Furthermore, audiophiles know no less uncompromising. The conductors are ly, one of my stops at CES was the Wireworld
ture sets. that aftermarket cables and power cords make a high-purity proprietary silver/gold alloy. room. There, David Salz treated me a demo of
For millennials, it’s all about portability and a significant difference in the sound of their au- Shielding is silver-plated mono-crystal copper, his entire range of headphone cables, the Nano
smartphone compatibility. That translates to dio systems. Why shouldn’t the same hold true reminiscent of Crystal’s high-end intercon- series, which runs the gamut from $45 to $450.
headphones with ear pads that can fold flat, the for headphones? nects. For me, the sweet spot in the line was right
ability to patch through phone calls, and a cable At this year’s CES, I noted several audiophile If that sounds to you like it’s going to add in the middle: the $175 Nano Eclipse. At this
that includes a microphone for such calls. Millen- cable companies jumping into this fertile ter- up to something expensive, you’re right. All price, the cable is an affordable adjunct to even
nial-oriented cans may also support Bluetooth, ritory, so I arranged to borrow two samples at that R&D and component quality pushes the modest headphone/amp/player rigs.
in which case there will also be a built-in volume different price points. At the high end is the price of this cable to $750. I gulped when I first Physically, the Eclipse is slim by high-end in-
control, DAC, and amp in the signal path. It goes Crystal Cable Next, a shimmering, thin strand heard the price; after all, that’s more than many terconnect standards, yet beefier than the Crys-
without saying that serious audiophile head- that oozes quality. In keeping with the cable’s a good set of cans. But then I realized that it’s tal Cable Next. The cable evinces Wireworld’s
phones eschew every one of these features. Each minimalist profile, the terminators are compact not unusual in the high end for top-tier cables traditionally high build-quality, right down to
of them either adds expense without improving and easy to handle. (I found, however, that the to cost more—sometimes far more—than mid- its brawny terminators. Internally, the Eclipse is
sound, or is actively detrimental sonically. terminators didn’t work with all of my head- range components. A little calculating further composed of OCC high-purity copper conduc-

35 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Wireworld Nano Eclipse and Crystal Cable Next Headphone Cables
SPECS
tors in a &DNA
PRICING
helix configuration surrounded determine how much aftermarket cables dif- grade of the headphones themselves. It’s im- that amount is ridiculous—a scenario never to
Wireworld Nano Eclipse fered from the stock wire supplied with head- possible to overstate how much the Wireworld be seen in the real world. However, this config-
Terminations: As ordered phones. Secondly, I was curious as to whether opens up, cleans up, and tightens up the sound. uration did prove that, given a good source, the
Conductors: Copper there was a sizable sonic difference between The Nano Eclipse delivers the full merit of its sonic capability of the Crystal Cable Next is ev-
Price: $175 two headphone cables in distinctly different source in glorious technicolor, with detail, pace, ident even with modest headphones.
price ranges. The headphones I employed for and dynamics beyond reproach. If I must pick a In sum, it seems that cables do make as big
WIREWORLD CABLE TECHNOLOGY this endeavor were the NAD VISO HP50 ($299). nit, it’s that the cable is ever so slightly over- a difference in headphone applications as they
6545 Nova Dr., Suite 204 Don’t be fooled by their modest price; these warm in the midrange. I don’t know about you, do everywhere else. Now that I’ve heard what
Davie, FL 33317 are superb cans. They also happen to be the but given the Eclipse’s overall fabulous sound, aftermarket cables can do, I will never again
(954) 474-4464 best I have with a detachable cable. (I do own I can easily live with that. consider a set of cans with a captive cord; the
wireworldcable.com more bespoke headphones, but they aren’t As good as the Wireworld cable is, the Crystal question of how much music I was losing would
new enough to have a detachable cable.) Cable Next is even better—as well it should be constantly nag me. For those of you who own
Crystal Cable Next Given my experience that cables invariably for its substantially higher tariff. The Next does or are considering buying headphones that
Terminations: As ordered make a difference, I went into this test expect- pretty much what the Wireworld does, only support aftermarket cables, either of these
Conductors: Proprietary silver/gold alloy ing both the Wireworld and Crystal wires to more of it. After its 100-hour break-in—before two would be an excellent choice. At just under
with silver plated monocrystal copper shield trump the NAD’s stock cable. Still, I was unpre- which the cable comes off as threadbare—the $200, the Wireworld Nano Eclipse is an abso-
Price: $750 pared for just how great the difference was. Next’s sound is even clearer than the Nano’s, lute no-brainer for any reasonably high-quali-
Frankly, I was aghast at how much musical and allowing even more timbral, rhythmic, and spa- ty personal audio setup. And for those with a
CRYSTAL CABLE sonic information was being lost somewhere in tial information to flow through. Decays seem state-of-the-art personal listening setup, the
Nieuwe Stationsstraat 10 the strands of the stock headphone cables. The to go on forever rather than fading into a very Crystal Cable Next will be a state-of-the-art
6811 KS Arnhem standard string forfeits so many of the AK380’s low-but-still-present noise floor. Bass notes are complement.
The Netherlands benefits, it sounds like a completely different as taut as a rubber band stretched to the break-
+31 26 353 9045 unit. For instance, the air pocket around in- point. Accordingly, you can easily follow the
crystalcablenext.com struments that the AK380 so beautifully and most complex bass line no matter what else is
uniquely conjures is completely missing when going on. Needless to say, the slight midrange
using stock cable. That loss is indicative of all bump of the Eclipse is absent with the Next.
by Wireworld’s Composilex 2 insulation. Up- the other micro-details the AK380 can deliv- The Next also excels from a usability stand-
per-range Nano models substitute silver con- er—but doesn’t through this cable. Other defi- point. All of Crystal Cable’s hard work on this
ductors for copper, but during my CES audition cits of the stock cable include a lack of bass product’s form factor pays off big-time. The
I concluded that that change came with some weight, curtailed highs, smeared rhythms, and cable is significantly lighter—less of a drag on
tradeoffs. Ultimately, the Eclipse won me over a general glaze over the proceedings. If this the cans—than the comparatively bulky Wire-
with its sound and value. had been the only cable I used to compare the world. That carefree weight, combined with
To take the measure of these cables, I em- AK240 with the AK380, I would never have ful- loose twistability, renders the cable effective-
ployed them as an integral part of my eval- ly appreciated the latter’s superiority. ly “not there,” which is exactly how wires at-
uation of Astell&Kern’s new flagship AK380 Switching from the stock cable to the Wire- tached near your head should be.
portable player (see review elsewhere in this world Nano made a difference of a magnitude I fully recognize that pairing a $750 cable
issue). My goals were twofold. First, I wanted to that would be commensurate with a major up- with a set of headphones costing less than half

36 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

WyWires Blue Speaker Cable

and Interconnect
Sweet, Supple, and Sensible
Neil Gader

A
lex Sventitsky, the who behind geometry. The Blue line is derived from the WyWires Blue is lightweight and very flexi- Stands Still” I heard the wonderful way the ca-
the why of WyWires, says that he Silver line with key differences that include ble, one of the most flexible cables I’ve handled bling has with inner detail. It revealed the strik-
began thinking about making audio a less costly combination of conductor, out- in years. Yet it sounds anything but humble in ing amount of piano “pedal” in this song along
cables in 2002, but because of his career in er sheathing, and connector. Blue uses Cardas playback. Its sonic signature is dynamically en- with the breathy details borne of the close-
the computer-software industry had to put that RCA and Neutrik XLR connectors whereas Silver ergetic, with a potent midrange, plenty of drive, miked vocal.
passion on the back burner—until 2010, that is, is equipped with more costly Xhadow connec- and a slightly forward tilt. The Blue doesn’t The purity of the WyWires’ performance
when he made the leap from software to wires. tors. The elite Gold ups the ante in every di- sound juiced-up or overheated; if the goal is makes it awfully difficult to be critical. At the
A self-described lifelong audiophile with music mension and, in a unique spin, integrates By- high transparency and black-satin background end of the day it’s less about raw tonality and
in his DNA (his father was an audio-equipment bee Slipstreams for interconnects, phono, and silences, it can be considered a real achiever. more about fairly minor subtractions. For ex-
manufacturer in post-WWII Europe and Latin digital, and Quantum Purifiers for the speaker The Blue may lack the physical bulk of some ample, during Norah Jones’ “Sinkin’ Soon” from
America), Sventitsky regards his firm grounding cables and Juice II Power cords. of its competitors, but don’t be fooled. Its bass Not Too Late [Blue Note] the Blue conveyed a
in mathematics as one of the keys to WyWires’ All WyWires are manufactured by hand at response was strong, even intimidating, during presence range with a bit of silvering around
development. After Sventitsky completed his room temperature, which according to Sven- the Copland Fanfare [Reference]. While veering the edges of images. During Evgeny Kissin’s
own intensive research, WyWires was officially titsky allows the use of the best conductor ma- slightly to the cooler side of neutral, it exhibit- performance of “The Lark” piano chords were
launched in March 2010. Today, WyWires is terial without fear of damage due to excessive ed fine rhythmic pace, excellent top-to-bottom not as pristinely delineated as I’ve heard from
a global company with distribution in ten heat. Conductors are ultra-pure copper allow- balance, and a good sense of dimensionality some cables; there was just a hint of smearing
countries along with fifteen dealers in the USA. ing them to withstand prolonged, intensive along the horizontal and vertical planes. Tier- that reduced the clarity of individual notes.
There are three WyWires lines. The entry-lev- use. WyWires use the ideal insulator: air with ney Sutton’s jazzy vocals were appropriate- During Ms. Sutton’s “Alone Together,” the low-
el is Blue, the middle-range is Silver, and the a little assist from cotton. The conductors are ly lively and playful—my attention was only end response from the standup bass had a little
flagship is Gold. A new Platinum line is under wrapped in organic cotton (mostly air after all) diverted momentarily when I noted a hint of added thickness that undercut detail and sub-
development. They all share the same design and then encased in a larger diameter PTFE added sibilance on certain “s” sounds, as in tracted some of the resonant decay at the end
principles, using air, cotton, and PTFE Teflon tube—that Teflon tube is three isolating layers the line “Get your kicks on Route 66.” During of each vamp of the intro compared to more
dielectrics along with WyWires own Litz-wire away from the conductor. Mary Chapin-Carpenter’s intimate “When Time expensive competition.

37 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report WyWires Blue

WyWires Silver Series Litespd USB SPECS & PRICING
I’ve been listening to a lot of hard drive- Price: Blue Series speaker cables, $599/8'
sourced music via USB lately so I had a go pr.; RCA analog interconnects,
with WyWires Silver Series Litespd USB cable. $469/4' pr.; XLR analog interconnects,
I’m glad I did. Like the Blue speaker and inter- $499/4' pr.; Litespd S/PDIF digital, $249
connects, the Litespd is remarkably flexible. for 1m; Silver Series Litespd USB digital,
I’d recently downloaded Carol King’s Tapestry $429 for 1m
[Ode] from HDtracks in 24-bit/192kHz format.
It’d been nearly a generation since I sat down WYWIRES
to listen critically to this mega-hit disc. It was 16501 Sherman Way, Suite 120
both a disappointment and a delight sonically. Van Nuys, CA 91406
Its vintage analog sound—warm and woolen— (818) 981-4706
was dated to be sure, but amidst the nostalgic wywires.com
hiss of tape noise there also rose an acousti-
cally unprocessed truth and honesty that is so
often missing in today’s recordings, where stu- comparison, my current reference USB cable,
dios perform digital plastic surgery to lift, fill, AudioQuest’s Coffee, has a few more ounces
and tune every flaw of a recording. The track of weight in the bass frequencies and a touch
“So Far Away” held some surprises. There was more low-level resolution. However, in image
considerably more definition and punch to the focus and harmonic integration my guess is
simple kick drum downbeat and downward that both these wires have enough sonic caf-
spiraling bass line; the images were nicely feine to keep you up all night listening.
spread and airy. The guitars of James Taylor
and Danny Kortchmar, in particular, were more Wy Not?
detailed and defined than I recalled them. The Some cables just want to be the star of the show.
Litespd turned in a terrifically musical perfor- But nothing impresses me more than an unpre-
mance with a clean top end, very quick deliv- tentious component that lets the quality of the
ery of transients, and well-balanced tonality. In recorded performance speak for itself. Here we
have a humble cable in the WyWires Blue—a
cable with a small visual footprint but a mighty
sound. WyWires puts the music upfront and cen-
terstage. A truly auspicious debut.

38 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Nordost Odin 2 Interconnect

and Speaker Cable Supreme
Reference Range
Mighty!
Jacob Heilbrunn

A
t a recent Rocky Mountain Audio endary Nordic heroes, with Odin be- Nordost’s Valhalla 2 cable, which I felt in some liken the almost invisible scrim of noise that
Fest, one of the most compelling ing at the top of the heap). It was also ways exceeded the performance of the Odin accompanies most playback to an air-condi-
demos that I heard was conduct- prompted by Nordost’s announcement cable. Now that Nordost was debuting an Odin tioning system that you forget about for awhile.
ed by the Nordost cable company. of several significant technical advances in 2, I felt more than a pinch of excitement about Realize air con is on, turn the setting lower, and
Its representatives played a VPI turntable with the construction of Odin 2. The company has its prospective performance. the music emanating from your radio sudden-
stock tonearm versus one wired with Nordost changed and improved terminations for both That excitement was more than merited. The ly seems louder. Something similar occurs, I
cable. Sitting in the row in front of me was one its interconnects and speaker cables. The in- more I listened to the Odin 2, the faster it be- think, when you lower the noise floor in your
Andre Jennings of TAS, a turntable expert if terconnects, Nordost reports, consist of ten came apparent that it greatly exceeds its pre- audio system with a better preamp or cables.
there was ever one. As I recall, he along with silver-plated, 23AWG 99.999999% OFC con- decessor in every parameter of performance. Odin 2 does this in spades. With the Odin 2,
just about every person in the room shook his ductors, each utilizing proprietary dual mono- While the original Odin was a very fast and the notes seem to leap out of the loudspeak-
head at the difference between the standard filament technology and precise FEP extrusion. resolving cable, it continued to suffer from a ers with the tiniest, low-level details excavated
cable and the Nordost. It wasn’t even close. Oden 2f also features a patented, low-mass slight thinness of sound—a tincture of bleach- with remarkable fidelity. On one of my go-to
Now, if you’re an especially stubborn type, you plus called the HOLO:PLUG. Nordost has also ing in the treble. This is precisely where the recordings, Beethoven’s piano trio’s played on
might dismiss that demonstration as a one-off. added more conductors to the speaker cables Odin 2 offered a very different presentation. the Harmonia Mundi label by Alexander Mel-
But Nordost’s new flagship Odin 2 cable was and one black and one white strip that are sup- The startling amounts of inner detail and nu- nikov, Isabelle Faust, and Jean-Guihen Queyras,
also featured in not a few other rooms at RMAF posed to help suppress untoward resonances. ance that Odin 2 reproduces almost creates the the Odin 2 played a vital role in bringing their
and most of them sounded quite enticing—en- Apart from these technical advances, it’s also feeling that a center channel has been added to magnificent performance to life. It did this by
ticing enough for me to covet the opportunity the case that I was also curious about the sonic a two-channel system. allowing the micro-details of a bow scraping
to give them a run in my own system. evolution of the Odin because of my familiar- One of the most striking attributes of the the string, the sense of touch on the keys of the
My curiosity was piqued not simply because ity with the company’s earlier efforts. When I Odin 2 is its vanishingly low noise floor. When 1828 Alois Graff fortepiano, to emerge with
of these demos or because I’m somehow a great was an audio newbie, I used a combination of I’m driving my car, I often listen to the radio. exquisite fidelity. You can almost visualize the
fan of Norse lore (company tradition seems to the Nordost SPM speaker cable and Valhalla If it’s summer and the air conditioning is one, descending thirds in the second movement of
dictate that Nordost name its cables after leg- cable. Then, about two years later, I reviewed I like to play around with the settings. I would Trio No. 6 as Melnikov’s hands cascade down

39 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Nordost Odin 2

the keyboard. At the same time, the Odin 2, SPECS &the
possesses PRICING
ability to deliver a bullwhip qual- wavering on the brink of its second holocaust.” minuses to the level of resolution provided by
because of the blackness of the backgrounds, Price: Odin 2 speaker cable, The Odin 2 not only helps to set up an enor- the Odin 2. For one thing, it will prove ruthless-
provides a startling sense of dynamics. A for- $29,999/1m pr. (additional half-meter mous soundstage, reaching into the corners of ly revealing of equipment upstream. This cable
tissimo, preceded either by a pause or pianis- increments, $3999/pr.); Odin 2 analog the hall, but also recreates the sweep of the or- deserves to be allied with top-drawer equip-
simo passage, appears, more often than not, to interconnect, $19,999.99/0.6m pair chestra. I had the feeling that the I was hearing ment to really strut its stuff. It’s also the case
emerge from nowhere. The ability of the Odin (additional half-meter increments not just the string section but the individual in- that some listeners may prefer a more sumptu-
to convey the percussive effects of a piano $2499/pr.); Odin 2 power cord: struments that make it up, akin to the sensation ous cable. I don’t mean to imply that the Odin
may be unrivaled, partly because of the tran- $16,999/1.25m of listening in a concert hall. 2 is in any way sonically anemic. Nordost has
sient speed. All of this adds up to a sum of the This precision means that the Odin 2 layers handsomely overcome some of the deficien-
parts being larger than the whole. The fact is NORDOST CORPORATION the instruments front to back, and left to right, cies that constituted a kind of penalty for the
that the longer I listen, the more I’m convinced 93 Bartzak Dr. with remarkable verisimilitude. On Chad Kas- speed of its earlier versions. It is emphatically
that it cannot be sufficiently emphasized that Holliston, MA 01746 sem’s Analog Productions 45 RPM pressing of the case that there is no hint of stridency with
micro-detail, particularly on classical or jazz (508) 893-0100 Shelby Lynne’s album Just A Little Lovin’, the the Odin 2. In the crowded world of high-end
music, is at the heart of creating a convincing cable helps to preserve the harmonic distinc- cables, however, there are indubitably other
simulacrum of an original performance. tions among instruments. The accuracy of the competitors that will deliver more overtones
Then there is the sheer speed of the Odin ity in the nether regions. It’s that the definition Odin is perhaps most notable in the treble around each note, a more overtly silky back-
2. Nordost cables have long been renowned is also superlative. This isn’t bass as mushy, in- region, where the greatest virtue of the new ground and a grander bass.
for their alacrity but the Odin 2 takes tran- distinct blob; on the contrary, every nuance and cable is likely its ability to soar into the em- In my view, Nordost deserves the highest
sient speed to a new level. In some ways, the shading is delivered with ravishing finesse. On pyrean. Treble appears endless. Whether its possible commendation for building on its pre-
rapidity of the Odin 2 translates into its own the opening cut “Café” on the Impulse! label’s vocals, saxophone, or the string section of an vious efforts to produce a statement product
form of dynamic power. The cable’s ability to recording of the Art Blakey Quartet, Art Davis’ orchestra, the sense of purity and expansion in that is remarkable for its purity and resolution,
deliver commanding transients will leave even bass plucks are perfectly enunciated and de- the treble adds a layer of air to the proceedings transparency and clarity. If you get the colly-
the most experienced listeners slack-jawed. fined in space with not a hint of bloat or splash- that is quite addictive. On an Erato CD compi- wobbles at the imposing prices that state-of-
Consider the cut “Secret Love” on the album ing. The sense of decay is spooky and there is lation of popular recordings by the late French the-art cables command, then you look should
Love For Sale, which features Hank Jones, Bust- simply no overhang with the Odin 2. trumpeter Maurice Andre, I was taken aback by elsewhere. But if you can shoulder the tariff,
er Williams, and Tony Williams. The opening Wwhile it would be going too far to call it a the extra pop and explosiveness that the Odin’s then the Odin 2 is worth every penny and more.
drumroll sounds like an AK-47 is firing away in refulgent sound, Odin 2 endows instruments ability to reach into the treble with ease im- Mighty Odin. indeed.
the front of my listening room. Or take the EMI with a pleasing sense of body. A most impres- parted to his piccolo trumpet. On Offenbach’s
LP of Shostakovich’s Cello Concert No. 1 with sive recording that I recently acquired in Los “Parisian Dream,” the notes were enunciated
the legendary French cellist Paul Tortelier and Angeles at one of the remaining vinyl stores, from the bore of the trumpet with a delicacy
the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra. Not Record Surplus on Santa Monica Boulevard, is and power that almost defied belief. Cymbals
only is the overall resolution off the charts with an EMI pressing of Benjamin Britten’s Violin had a metallic crunch that showered into the air
the Odin 2, but the tympani whacks sound like Concerto, which is played by Ida Haendel with like a profusion of fireworks exploding on July
hand grenades exploding. You get the mallet the aforementioned Bournemouth Sympho- 4th. At the same time, Odin’s ability to convey
whistling down, the impact, and then the ex- ny Orchestra. Written in Canada in 1939, it is the smallest swishes of cymbals was riveting.
plosion of air. Bass could hardly be more taut a deeply emotional concerto that, as the liner Lest this sound like a dithyrambic paean to
with the Odin 2. And it’s not just that the cable notes observe, appeared “when the world was Nordost, I feel obliged that there are pluses and

40 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Skogrand SC Beethoven Loudspeaker

Cables and Interconnects
New Kid on the Block
Jacob Heilbrunn

T
he Atmosphere line of speaker ative designer. In my conversations with him prietary shielding. But the real fun begins with whiz, shout-out-loud attention-grabber for
wire and interconnects from I noted a curiosity that bordered on obsession Levels 2, 3, and 4, which are equipped with SR’s superficial listening, however. Rather it’s an
Synergistic Research (SR) represents about the reproduction of three-dimensional Ground Plane Technology (described further honest, even conservative purveyor of sound,
the brand’s latest thinking on cables. Comprising soundspace, immersiveness, and ambience in on). Additionally, for Levels 3 and 4 exclusively designed for the perceptive, thoughtful
four distinct models that correspond with recorded music. This quest inspired Synergistic there are special terminations for Atmosphere listener with a highly resolved and nuanced
ascending levels of performance, Atmosphere to develop Uniform Energy Field (UEF) technol- Tuning Modules—small red or blue cylindrical system. Atmosphere revealed the dark-
is perhaps SR’s most ambitious offering to date ogy that has yielded a collection of products and “bullets” that users can freely substitute to wood cello resonances, detail, and low-level
and the summit of the brand’s efforts to bring accessories which address resonance control, fine-tune a system. Red tuners for “warmth, intricacies of the Bach Cello Suites [MA
the full weight of its innovative conductor, room treatment, isolation technology, and the liquidity, and musicality,” and blue tuners for Recording], inviting me to listen deeper than
isolation, and anti-resonance technologies elimination of RF/EMI distortions. Synergistic’s “refinement, detail, and focus.” I swapped out ever before into Martin Zeller’s well-measured
from its premium, actively-shielded range into actively shielded cables have been available tuners at various times over the course of this performance. The cable’s superb transients,
a less costly “passive” design. For this review I since 1998, but with their thick DC wires and evaluation, and though I’m still in the dark as bracing immediacy, and bloom of Lew Soloff’s
spent the lion’s share of the time listening to mini-power-couplers (MPC) they demanded not to how they work I found myself consistently trumpet in the Manhattan Jazz Quintet [King
the Atmosphere Level 4. only a higher level of commitment from own- settling on the blue tuners in my reference sys- Records]. Tricky vocal sibilance combined
First, let me say at the outset, I’m no strang- ers but also enough AC outlets to plug in each tem. clarity and speed without veering into bright
er to Synergistic Research. Hard to believe, but cable’s MPC. The key goal of the Atmosphere In sonics, Atmosphere Level 4 performance sizzle territory. The wires also have an innate
it was nearly ten years and one hundred issues Series was to achieve comparable performance was instantly familiar to my ears as a vitality and gravitas that infuses the mids and
ago (Back Page, December 2006) that I inter- without that burden. The company now believes Synergistic product. It carried over the same lower mids with a darker natural authority
viewed its chief designer and owner Ted Den- it can build non-active cables with performance high degrees of tonal neutrality, inner detail, that releases the resonant energy of cello and
ney, III. Soon thereafter I spent an afternoon levels that are only surpassed by its Reference and dynamic authority that have marked my bass violin, baritone sax, and bassoon. Moving
touring the Synergistic factory, and listening to Galileo LE Active cables. SR experiences over the years—experiences further into the upper mids there’s a delicate
the just released Tesla Series cables. Denney Each gradation of Atmosphere adds increas- that include the actively shielded Tesla and bloom and a slightly warmer, unconstricted
then (and still) remains an outspoken and cre- ingly sophisticated runs of conductors and pro- Element series. Atmosphere is not a gee- harmonic range that eliminates thin, papery

41 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Skogrand SC Beethoven Loudspeaker Cables and Interconnects

SPECS and
textures & PRICING
whitewashed timbres. she is indeed descending from the mountain cables and interconnects to the SRGB and then
Prices: SC Beethoven (speaker cables): and approaching the listener. moved on to individual components, using an
$22,000 for a 2m pair; SCI Beethoven The line that separates good wire, even available RCA or XLR input on that component’s
(interconnects): $19,500 for a 1.5m pair the very good, from the great is an ability back panel.
to reproduce symphonic music. While every Inserting the SRGB into the system was in all
SKOGRAND CABLES genre of music provides clues about a candor a surprise—the cynic in me did not ex-
skograndcables.com cable’s performance, in the end it’s classical pect this level of sonic improvement. As I set-
music’s complexity, broad tonal spectrum, tled into the Mozart Piano Sonatas [DG], there
wide dynamic range, inner detail, and venue was no question about an overall shift in the
More than any single parameter, Atmosphere acoustics that makes it the final arbiter of a system’s character. At first blush there seemed
connected each image in its own contextual cable’s potential. It’s also the strongest reason to be a slight darkening overall, but as I listened
space. I didn’t just hear the deep guttural pitch to consider auditioning Atmosphere Level 4. As further it became more of an awareness of the
of the baritone saxophone during Jen Chapin’s I listened to Solti’s reading of the Beethoven noise floor having significantly dropped and
cover of “You Haven’t Done Nothin’” [Chesky]; Ninth [Decca], I sat transfixed as I experienced the soundstage having further stabilized into
there was also the shimmer of ambient air re- the specificity of section layering across the an unyielding brick-and-mortar foundation.
verberating in the recording space. Atmosphere entire orchestra—the array of the large chorus, Imaging stability improved while individual
also doesn’t manufacture false fore and aft di- the placement of the soloists, the texture and notes and chords firmed up in texture. There
mensionality by suppressing frequencies to skin resonances of the timpani positioned was a greater density beneath and behind each
create a depth effect—in perspective this cable deep in the percussion section. Similarly, and note—plus more authoritative soundboard en-
is as neutral as they come. I often listen to the if your speaker system and listening setup is ergy and resonance from the grand piano. My
Laurel Massé’s deceptively simple recording optimized, you should be able to locate cellist takeaway was that the SRGB drilled deeper into
of “I Am the Mountainy Singer” from Feather Pieter Wispelwhey sitting in a cushioned the recording and uncovered detail at the low-
and Bone [Premonition]. Recorded in the vast pocket onstage, taking a measured breath est discernible levels. The effect was also cu-
Troy Savings Bank auditorium, the folk song during the Bruch Kol Nidre [Channel Classics]. mulative with the addition of each component
is voice and violin only. But there is a second I also had an opportunity to listen to theSR to the SRGB. It quickly became a mandatory
phantom “accompanist” to Ms. Massé, and it’s Grounding Block. To paraphrase Synergistic, “it option in my view and is cost effective, to boot.
the vast reverberant sound of the venue. When connects the cable’s shields and noise directly Perhaps the greatest compliment I can
everything else in the playback chain is work- to ground and not through a component’s confer on a cable is summed up in three
ing properly and there’s a loudspeaker like power-supplies or speaker crossovers as is words: “Cable? What cable?” The transparency
the Vandersteen Treo CT (review forthcoming) normally the case.” Not much bigger than a of Atmosphere continues what has become
anchoring the system, I began to pick up cues pack of cigarettes, the SRGB is fitted with a for me an SR tradition of expanding the
regarding the volume and height of the space, copper top plate, and plugs directly into a wall boundaries of soundstage dimensionality,
the amount of sustain and decay, and most spe- outlet. It’s equipped with eighteen mini ground pursuing every microdynamic cue, and
cifically how the singer gradually closes in on connections. The SRGB package includes four 4’’ ground performance on all SR products with resolving the lowest level details. Aptly named,
the microphone. She begins the song from a ground wires for Atmosphere interconnects and external ground plane connections, any system Atmosphere elevated the listening experience
more distant perspective than where she fin- two 8’’ ground wires for Atmosphere speaker component with an unused input or output can with every spin of a recording. A must-audition
ishes. It’s an effect that makes her sound as if cables. Although it was engineered to improve also be integrated. I began by linking the speaker component.

42 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Wireworld Platinum Eclipse Series

ple. That stiffness made me reconsider my choice Tonal balance is essentially neutral with just
of the delicate banana terminations used for my a suggestion of midrange warmth and a top end

7 Speaker Cable & Interconnects

review samples. I would opt for the more robust that at first blush can sound slightly shaded, but
spades if these were mine. in fact is not. I’ll return to this point further on.
Over the years I’ve found that when a system Most importantly PE7 possesses a uniform pal-
The Sound of Nothing? is paired with Wireworld cabling—entry-lev- ette—there are no color shifts across the musical
el to cost-no-object—the distinctions are not spectrum. Rock-steady, its sonics don’t ripen in
Neil Gader (initially) obvious. It’s not a sense of “lights on” one octave and then narrow or bleach out in an-
in the treble or “fasten your seatbelts” in the other. And these include the frequency extremes
bass. Platinum Eclipse, for all its technology where such discontinuities manifest most au-

W
ireworld always seems to end up that most audible differences among cable in- and (let’s face it) awesome cost, is not about dibly. When I listen to Joni Mitchell singing “A
on my short list of preferred speaker sulation materials are caused by spectral varia- hype. If there is one phrase that describes its Case of You” as I recently did in my evaluation
cables and interconnects. The tions in the noise they create. Furthermore, that character, it would be relaxed but ready. PE7 is of the Ortofon Quintet Black cartridge (review in
reason? The line embodies uncolored sonics noise is modulated and therefore amplified by first about balance and about uncovering the this issue) I don’t want to hear splashes of treble
year in and year out. If we can agree that every the electrical energy of the music signal. This bundles of inside activity that animate a great harmonics and air decoupled from the funda-
wire (every component) leaves something discovery led me to focus on custom-blend- recording. These include the details, dynamic mentals of the vocal. This is all too common in
akin to fingerprints on a pane of glass—a ing composite insulation materials specifically gradations, and harmonic nuances that were cables that miss the mark. But Platinum Eclipse’s
smear, a smudge that impairs transparency and optimized for sonic purity.” The result of that preserved during the recording/mixing pro- overall response is continuous and smooth. At
resolution—Wireworld, in my experience, has effort is Wireworld’s Composilex 2 insulation cess—and the higher the playback resolution the other extreme, its bass response is as open,
consistently left fewer traces of itself than most technology, which dramatically reduces tri- the better (LPs especially). well defined, and complex as its treble, impart-
others. Actually, as weird as this may sound, boelectric noise (note: static electricity occur- At rest, there’s an underlying silence to this ing body and air proportional to the demands of
Wireworld wires never seem to be actively doing ring through friction is an example of triboelec- wire that creates something akin to a glassy ex- the music. For instance, listen closely to the final
much of anything—except making music, and a tric noise) at the interface between conductor panse of deep black water—a motionless land- smack of the bass drum during John Williams’
whole lot of it, as I discovered with Wireworld’s and insulation. “Additional improvements were scape waiting in anticipation of the micro-rip- Liberty Fanfare [Wilson Audiophile]. Beyond the
latest, Platinum Eclipse. (The flagship now garnered from new versions of Wireworld’s ples of music to begin. Listening to Malcolm immediate and immense impact, you’ll hear and
carries the Series 7 moniker in celebration of DNA Helix conductor geometry, which channel Arnold’s English Scottish and Cornish Dances I feel the resonance and flutter of the drum head
the firm’s 20th Anniversary.) more electromagnetic energy and therefore could hear the ever-present hall sound rever- as it does a slow fade into the background.
Beyond its newly refined cosmetics, Platinum more music, than the previous designs.” The berating behind every note and filling every As I alluded to earlier, Platinum Eclipse is at
Eclipse represents the summit of Wireworld’s new geometry is the most obvious visual dif- pause and musical rest. Or the crackle of the its most expressive in the treble octaves—to my
current thinking. When I reviewed the en- ference compared with the flat-profile of the far upstage tambourine that rockets down the mind audio’s most precarious region where most
try-level Equinox and mid-priced Eclipse (Issue cable’s immediate predecessor. center section of the London Philharmonic wires either narrow, bleach, or otherwise wring
238) Wireworld’s David Salz discussed Series Platinum Eclipse Series 7 (PE7) uses heavy nine- orchestra, its reverberation flaring and fading out the harmonic juices of the signal. The initial
7, and his remarks regarding its improvements gauge OCC Silver conductors (interconnects are into the soundscape. The point is that it’s the tip-off for me is the sibilance range, the 6–8kHz
bear repeating here. He describes a develop- seventeen-gauge OCC Silver). The speaker cable is sheer silence of these cables that provides the regions, where overtones either gently punctu-
mental process that began with “the discovery as stiff and unwieldy as the interconnects are sup- launching pad for all that comes later. ate a singer’s articulation or begin to sizzle like

43 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Kimber Kable KS 6000 Further Thoughts From Wireworld’s David Salz
SPECS & PRICING My Mother Taught Me [JMR] had a stridency, a It’s consistent with the Wireworld philos- performing these tests is what led me to invent
WIREWORLD AUDIO stinging string tone more penetrating than the ophy that the only valid comparison is the Cable Comparators. With direct switching
6545 Nova Drive, Suite #204 instrument deserved. Similarly the upper oc- against no cable at all, hence the creation of the between cables and the reference bypass, I was
Davie, FL 33317 taves of Valentina Lisitsa’s piano registered a Cable Comparator. I asked Salz about its develop- then able to test more easily, and I also gained
(954) 474-4464   more metallic signature as if the felt had worn ment. the capability of demonstrating the audibili-
wireworldcable.com off the keyboard’s hammers. The Tara effective- Back in 1980, about 14 years before I even thought ty of cable losses in double-blind comparisons.
Price: Speaker cable, $20,500/8’ pr.; ly put an end to that immediately. It smoothed, of creating a Cable Comparator, I performed my Even though the Cable Comparators are a great
interconnect, $3000/1m pr.; power cord, sweetened, and opened up these octaves. The first cable bypass test by soldering together a convenience, I now perform most of my bypass
$1700/1m Platinum Eclipse is the first wire since the Tara pair of two-inch-long twisted-pair jumpers to re- testing manually to avoid the sonic losses of
to score as highly in this area. On solo piano and place the various high-end one-meter intercon- the extra connections within the Comparators.
violin there is a consistent sweetness, especial- nects I had been using between my preamp and
bacon on the griddle. As I listened to Norah ly in the treble range, a warm air enriching each amplifier. The moment I listened to my system Do you have more than one reference system and
Jones’ “Wish I Could,” consonants and especial- image in the way an artist adds rich swathes of with the interconnect bypass, I realized that I was do you use a listening panel? 
ly “s” sounds were smooth, devoid of trailing color to a line drawing. hearing much more music than I had ever heard Throughout my thirty-odd years of performing
smudge off the transient. At first blush, this can Beyond its upper-octave performance, dimen- through any of the one-meter interconnects. The cable bypass tests, I have always gone out of my
lead to the (false) impression that there is some sionality and spatial gradations are Platinum’s confusion of only being able to hear differences way to repeat important tests on multiple refer-
shadowing in the treble, but it’s really the reduc- most persuasive virtues. It sets a symphonic between cables was gone, because I had gained ence systems to avoid system-dependent effects
tion of distortion. It was a lesson in naturalistic soundstage with the same precision as the staff the ability to hear what each cable was losing! I or limitations. Despite obvious differences in the
reproduction—like I said earlier, no hype. What preparing the dining room table at Downton also realized that I had discovered the way I could sonic impact of various cables on those systems, I
you won’t hear from the Platinum are violin sec- Abby. Once again I turned to Rutter’s Requiem learn to create cables that let more of the music have learned that the actual effects of cables are
tions losing bits of resonant body and sounding [Reference Recordings], a reference album of through, and so I vowed to turn that challenge into very consistent from system to system. I have also
stringy, or brass sections depleted of their spar- immersive spatiality and vast staging. As heard my career. enjoyed the benefits of having some very talent-
kling golden bloom from lack of air and trunca- through the PE7 wire, the Turtle Creek chorale Creating excellent cable bypass tests is rarely ed listeners, including high-end audio designers,
tion of harmonics. remained fully integrated within the reverber- easy and it’s often very tedious to keep switching recording/mastering engineers, and musicians,
In these upper octaves PE7 most reminds me ant venue yet, if the mind’s eye so chose, the among various cables and reference jumpers. The assist me in my testing and prototype evaluations.
of my first experience listening to Tara Labs Zero individual vocal nuances of each chorus mem- very detailed and tiring work of perfecting and
and Omega (at JV’s suggestion) many years ago. ber could be singled out. The presentation nev-
They were driving MBL’s three-way compact, er devolved into a slice-and-dice affair that set
the mbl 121 Radialstrahler via MBL electronics. players apart from their acoustic surroundings. a dime’s worth of difference in a more “real For those prepared to go all the way, and I’m
This omnidirectional speaker (since replaced) Only the Synergistic Research Tesla CTS, with its world” high-end system. Unfortunately it does glad there are those of you out there, I wouldn’t
had a reputation—as musically luminous as a uncanny holographic soundstage, has bettered make a difference, and all too much of one. hesitate to commend these wires. I’ve heard
loudspeaker could be, it was equally ruthless in the Wireworld in this regard. Loudspeakers as cost-accessible as the new Au- plenty of other cables that have proven them-
the way it exposed component impurities. Pri- What price glory? Platinum Eclipse is cer- dio Physic Classic 30 floorstander and the ATC selves over various criteria, but Wireworld’s
or to the Taras it was also disturbing to me that tainly well beyond my pay grade. But don’t as- SCM19 stand-mounted monitor benefitted to Platinum Eclipse Series7 is the most balanced
the vaunted treble purity of the Radialstrahler sume that just because it is so costly it requires no small degree from these wires. So much so and musical cable I’ve experienced yet. A com-
was proving so elusive in my listening room. an ultra-high-resolution, fancy pants system that it may not be a good idea to try them unless ponent worthy of the designation, the state of
The violin solos of Arturo Delmoni from Songs to make its magic—or that it wouldn’t make you’re prepared to go all the way to purchase. the art.

44 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

DIGITAL INTERCONNECT REVIEWS

Contents
CLARUS CABLE CRIMSON USB AND KIMBER KABLE KS 2436 • AUDIENCE AU24 SE USB

45 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Two USB Cables

Clarus Cable Crimson USB and Kimber Kable KS 2436
Neil Gader

O
ver the past year I’ve been using (Pure Copper by the Ohno Continuous Casting)
the USB output from my MacBook Pro and 6% silver plating. Power conductors are
sparingly. This was not my original in- 20 gauge. Clarus uses proprietary twisting to
tent, but ever since I set up a NAS drive the Lu- reduce noise and jitter, and separate shielding
min A-1 Network Music Player (Issue 248) has for both signal and power conductors. The five
been my go-to digital source. Consequently, separate shields in the Crimson include alumi- ue atmosphere but on another suggested some ver and emphasizes that the metal needs to be
USB kind of fell off the radar. However, having num foil, copper foil, and braided silver-plated minor pitch ambiguity. optimized for audio applications, not jewelry.
just powered up the excellent new Esoteric copper. Signal conductors are insulated with Throughout this survey I kept returning to the The silver is drawn at the ideal temperature and
K-03x, which is equipped with USB and multi- high-grade, high-density polyethylene, while ballet section of Vaughan Williams’ The Wasps, tension, and there are no chemical baths using
ple 32-bit DACs, I thought it a good time to put a the jacketing is PVC with nylon braiding. specifically the opening flute theme with harp lubricants like graphite which can embed them-
little USB back in my life. Fortuitously, I also had The Clarus USB nails the middle range of the accompaniment (later joined by percussion tri- selves in the silver. Terminations are realized
two new USB cables on hand—the makings of a musical spectrum with a fullness of body, a tim- angle and strings). In this delicate example of by bonding the connector body to the concen-
tidy little comparison. bral warmth, a transient alacrity, and an overall low-level interplay the Clarus was slightly dark- tric shield with conductive epoxy and copper
For the tests I used a MacBook Pro, running honesty that calms and relaxes the ear. As I lis- er in character and transparency seemed ever foil. Next, each conductor is soldered to the
iTunes/Pure Music, connected via USB to the tened to Laurel Massé’s luminous a cappella per- so slightly muted—a minor subtraction. gold-plated pins using a nitrogen-charged sys-
Esoteric K-03x, a Classé Audio CP-800 preamp formance of “How Can I Keep From Singing,” I was Summary: The Clarus is an authentic bargain tem to eliminate the possibility of impurities
and CA-D200 amplifier, and the Dali Rubicon struck by how persuasively warm and articulate with performance that flirts with top-tier ca- at the interface. Finally, the ebony wood shell,
6 or TAD CE-1 loudspeakers. Loudspeaker and the character of this cable was. Its balance and its bles. A terrific upgrade cable (a standard-setter which also insulates the conductors, is added.
interconnect cables were Synergistic Research light touch with vocal sibilance were excellent. in this range) for nascent and experienced com- The Kimber established the widest, most
Atmospheres, and power cables were Audience During the Tchaikovsky, the Clarus USB repro- puter-audio fans alike. detailed soundstage I’ve yet heard from a USB
Au24SE’s. duced Anne Sophie-Mutter’s violin with a little cable. During the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto
more grit, a little more tension in the upper oc- Kimber Kable KS 2436 orchestral images seemed to fill every corner
Clarus Cable Crimson USB taves, yet had a nice enveloping warmth and The 2436 is all about the silver. Stranded and of the venue; a flurry of timbral information
Clarus Cable has quickly gained a well-de- weight with larger stringed instruments like solid-core conductors are woven together in a and ambient activity flooded the space behind
served reputation for standout performance at cello and contrabass. Low-end response was field-isolating braided geometry which keeps violin soloist Mutter. Low-level retrieval of the
reasonable prices (for the high end anyway). Its powerful and expansive with hints of added the power and signal paths separate through- aggressive bowing from the bass violins was al-
USB cable uses conductors of 22-gauge PCOCC bloom that on one level conveyed a lively ven- out the entire assembly. Kimber is big into sil- most distracting in its clarity.

46 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Clarus Cable and Kimber Kable

SPECS & PRICING Age of Swing not only did the KS demonstrate
excellent transient attack and micro-dynamic
CLARUS CABLE/GORDON J. GOW expression, but it also allowed me to hear fur-
TECHNOLOGIES. INC. ther back in the mix. The KS 2436 also followed
(470) 477-2277 descending bass lines a little more attentively
claruscable.com and clung to that pitch information with tenac-
Price: $250/1m; $350/2m ity.
During “The Wasps” referenced earlier, the
KIMBER KABLE Kimber seemed to reproduce the finest threads
(801) 621-5530 of a performance especially during the low-lev-
kimber.com el interplay with flute and harp and triangle. The
Price: $1195/1m KS also hinted at a little more keyboard tonal
color, finer gradations of the player’s “touch”—
contrasts of loudness-to-softness—during pi-
anist Evgeny Kissin’s performance of Glinka’s
“The Lark.” During the high-octane rush of key-
board trills near the end of this composition,
the KS was as open and free from treble tension
as I’ve heard from this piece.
Summary: A brilliant soundstager, the KS has
a cooler character that’s ultra-detailed and
transparent. It’s so revealing that only the finest
DACs need apply.

Conclusion
These are both musically persuasive USB ca-
bles. But there’s another consideration to
keep in mind—application. The Clarus is the
sweetspot, sure to please the majority of users.
The Kimber is a different kettles of fish. This is
The Kimber’s character was the embodiment an ultra-premium wires designed for first-class
of speed with a hint of added top-end brilliance DACs and well-informed (and -heeled) users.
and extension. It’s a cable of strong tonal and Candidly, the full breadth of its performance
micro-dynamic contrasts. It doesn’t offer a will be lost in the entry-level world. The take-
harder sound, mind you, but is a hair’s breadth away is to know your system and your aspira-
more finely grained in energy and treble air. For tions for that system. That will help make the
instance, during Dick Hyman’s big band disc The choice an easy one.

47 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Audience Au24 SE USB Cable

No Compromise
Robert Harley

A
udience is an interesting company.
Although this 18-year-old firm offers
signal cables, AC power cords, AC power
conditioners, and speakers, it doesn’t easily fit
into any of those particular niches. Audience
brings products to market only when it believes
it can contribute something unique—no matter
the category. Take its 1+1 loudspeaker, for
example. With two 3” full-range drivers in
a bipole configuration, dual side-firing 3.5”
passive radiators, and no crossover, the 1+1 is conductors is reportedly key to the Au24 SE’s Pure Music and a Berkeley Alpha USB USB-to- for USB to sound a bit mechanical and artificial
not your typical speaker. Yet its combination of performance. The Au24 is available with either AES/EBU converter. This then fed a Berkeley is replaced by an organic flow and ease with
midrange clarity, transparency, resolution, and one or two USB-A connectors at the source Alpha Reference Series DAC via an AudioQuest the Au24 SE in the system. Similarly, the treble
naturalness of timbre is sublime. end. In the single-connector version, the power AES/EBU digital interconnect. Amplifiers were is the antithesis of bright, hard, forward, and
Audience’s new Au24 SE USB cable is and signal conductors are joined at the USB Soulution 701 monoblocks driving Magico Q7 thin. The top octaves never call attention to
similarly distinctive—and similarly impressive. connector. In the double-connector version, loudspeakers through MIT Oracle cable. In other themselves; the treble sounds like a natural
The culmination of nearly two years of data and power are sent from two different USB words, this is a reference-quality system that part of an instrument’s timbre rather than a
development, the Au24 SE breaks new ground busses for greater isolation. I evaluated the lays bare every other link in the chain. separate component.
in USB cable performance, in my experience. dual-connector version. I’ve listened to a number of top-end USB I also greatly enjoyed the Au24 SE’s rendering
The first thing you’ll notice is that the Au24 SE The Au24 SE is a super-premium design with cables, but none approaches the Audience in of space and depth. The overall perspective is
has two jacketed sets of conductors rather than a premium price: $945 for a meter with two USB sheer naturalness of timbre. The Au24 has an a bit laid-back, with the presentation taking a
one. One set carries the signal, and the other, the connectors, and $895 for the single-connector extremely smooth, rich, and liquid rendering step behind the speakers. Concomitant with
power. The data conductors are shielded silver- version. Like other products in the Audience of tone color that is a welcome departure from this relaxed perspective is tremendous depth,
coated OCC copper wires with Teflon insulation. catalog, the Au24 SE is intended to deliver the many USB cables that impart a synthetic, expansiveness, and holographic imaging.
The power conductors are also shielded and uncompromised performance. “plastic” character to the sound. Midrange Instruments within this space are beautifully
made from OCC copper wire with polypropylene I listened to the dual-connector Au24 SE in textures through the Au24 SE are rich, dense, delineated and defined, surrounded by a
insulation. This separation of signal and power the link between a MacBook Pro running iTunes/ dark, complex—even voluptuous. The tendency richly reverberant field. These qualities were

48 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Audience AU24 SE USB Cable

SPECS & PRICING
Type: Dual-conductor USB cable
Price: $895 (single connector); $945
(dual connector)

AUDIENCE
120 N. Pacific Street, #K-9
San Marcos, CA 92069
(800) 565-4390
audience-av.com

have a good impression of the Au24 SE’s overall

character.
Despite the laid-back spatial presentation
and tonal warmth, the Au24 SE is not lacking
in resolution. All the fine details are there, but
presented in a subtle rather than hyped way.
It’s the type of presentation that doesn’t sound
highly resolved at first, but the more you listen,
the more you’re drawn into the subtleties of the
particularly vivid on the 176.4kHz/24-bit musical performance. The Au24 SE’s resolution
Reference Recordings files. Although I’ve heard is achieved by revealing nuances of expression,
these recordings many times, the Au24 SE not sonic fireworks. It’s a sophisticated and
revealed an even larger and more dimensional refined sound that fosters an intimacy with the
spatial perspective. music and encourages long listening sessions—
The Au24 SE’s bass is spectacular. The bottom always a good sign.
end is extended and powerful, but what makes Frankly, there’s nothing to fault in the Au24
it so satisfying is the Au24 SE’s warmth and SE. Many USB cables—as with everything else in
richness through the midbass and upper-bass. audio—force you to make trade-offs; this cable
This quality provides a solid tonal foundation has better resolution while another may have
for midrange textures, which partly explains greater smoothness and ease. The Audience
the density of tone color mentioned earlier. cable seemingly does it all; it is convincingly
The Au24 doesn’t bleach or thin the upper bass superior in every sonic criterion. The Au24 SE
and lower mids, a quality that contributes to is priced at the very top end of the scale, but if
this cable’s warmth and texture. Think of a bass you want a no-compromise USB cable, look no
clarinet’s rich “chocolatey” timbre and you’ll further.

49 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

SPONSORED BY

POWER CONDITIONER &

POWER CORD REVIEWS
Contents
SHUNYATA RESEARCH VENOM PS8, DEFENDER, HC • SHUNYATA RESEARCH SIGMA • AUDIENCE AR12-TSOXX POWER CONDITIONER • AUDIOQUEST NIAGARA 7000 POWER CONDITIONER

50 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
51 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Shunyata Venom PS8 Power Distributor,

Venom Defender, and Venom HC
Power Cords
How Dedicated Are You?
Neil Gader

M
y history with AC power-distri- entering a listening room to the next step without The final link in Shunyata’s power chain are the cy and they output high-frequency noise. It all
bution and line-conditioning prod- engaging the services of an electrical contractor. Venom HC power cords. Big brothers to the orig- starts and ends with junction integrity, materi-
ucts is a fairly spotty one. Sonically, There are three basic components to its entry-lev- inal Venom cords (still a steal), they use heavier al quality, material manipulation—all aimed to
they give and they take away, and I generally put el Venom Series of power products, starting with 10-gauge conductors, and employ hand-soldered lower the insertion-loss of the device. The over-
them aside after a few weeks. Nowadays I just a Venom PS8 power strip. Nicely constructed of contacts that are crimped to improve the met- riding design goal of this system is to minimize
grab a power cord and head for the nearest avail- heavy, brushed steel, the PS8 is 20-amp rated al-to-metal contact integrity. peak-current loss at every junction.
able outlet, avoiding power-surge-protection to cover even the most demanding high-current All Shunyata components are cryogenically “The Defender builds upon the foundation the
strips for critical components. I’ve come to view components, provides eight Hubbell outlets that treated. Each can be purchased individually, but PS8 establishes. Its filters are computer-modeled
such “convenience” strips as a hangover from the are cryogenically treated using Shunyata’s Alpha these three have been designed and priced to to capture and filter the high-frequency noise
days of tower computers, forty-meg hard drives, process, and a tough Carling Hydraulic Electro- perform in trio. With three Venom HC cords, the that exists on any line and prevent it from re-cir-
and 14” monochrome displays, when the fear magnetic breaker. It sits on thick rubber feet, but complete Venom system Shunyata set me up culating within the system. All of this is accom-
of a brownout sent shivers down the spine. My steel spiked-footers with floor protectors are also with retails for under $1800. plished without any added connections and with
listening room isn’t blessed with a dedicated cir- offered as a $195 option. Shunyata’s Grant Samuelson filled me in on no loss of peak current integrity—which is our
cuit, either. I’ve considered remedying this but The second component is the Venom Defend- Venom system particulars. He reiterated that baseline for performance.”
just haven’t gotten around to hiring an electrical er—a tidy little plug-and-play power conditioner. “all home electronics are extremely peak-cur-
contractor. The truth is that I’m a little skeptical Chassis-free, it’s a plug-in module that incorpo- rent-sensitive. Their power supplies draw current All Amped Up
of monkeying with power and conditioning prod- rates the MPDA (multi-phase-differential-array), dynamically off the peak and trough of the sine- My approach to evaluating power strips, power
ucts. My room is quiet with a seemingly low noise thirty-element parallel filters found in Shunya- wave. Any break or open contact in the electri- cords, and line conditioners pretty much comes
floor. Basically what I’m admitting is that my lis- ta’s flagship Hydra models. Ruggedly built, De- cal chain represents a loss that can affect system down to the same tried-and-true methodology.
tening space is probably a lot like yours. Sensible fender is equipped with 20,000 amps of surge performance.” After concluding a period of extended listening
but nothing fancy. protection and its own LED fault-detector. It can Shunyata, he says, “views current delivery as a with the current reference system, I unplug the
Shunyata must’ve seen me coming. It has de- be plugged directly into the PS8 or, ideally, into high-frequency event, not a low-frequency event entire rig, substitute the electricals under evalu-
signed a system that takes the existing AC power the same wall outlet. because systems draw current at a high-frequen- ation, and let ’er rip. Electronics in this instance

52 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Shunyata Venom PS8 Power Distributor, Venom Defender, and Venom HC Power Cords
SPECS & PRICING more ambient information and harmonic
Venom PS8 Shunyata minutiae from venue and orchestra were freely
Number of Research emerging.
outlets: 8 26273 Twelve Celli and bass viols exhibited more pitch
Price: $695 Trees Lane, Ste D precision and less bloat. The individual voices of
Poulsbo, WA 98370 a chorus were unwavering in space and could be
Venom Defender (360) 598-9935 more easily pinpointed, almost visualized. String
Price: $195 shunyata.com section layering was better defined in depth. The
Venom system was not just quieting the system
Venom HC Power down; it was also allowing resolution within those
Cord silences of the acoustic/reverberant life that
Price:$295/1.75m exists between notes or during musical pauses,
but which is so often obscured. It was like the air
was fueled with a different mixture of energy and
were the Parasound JC 3 phonostage, the MBL harmonics. I listened closely to Copland’s Fanfare
Corona C11 preamp, and the MBL C21 stereo For The Common Man and its near overpowering
amplifier in rotation with the Aragon 8008 amp dynamic swings. Thankfully, what I didn’t hear
(review to come)—a system requiring three pow- was a softening or smoothing over of transient
er cords. A Meridian Director USB DAC decoded detail and contrasts. The textures of music, from
computer-sourced files. the reedy and bristly to the buttery, were fully When I turned to pop vocals like Shelby come off as more deeply extended per se but as
My first impression of the Venom system flat- represented. Compression of dynamics—the Lynne’s “Just A Little Lovin’,” I encountered the considerably tightened up, with more rhythmic
out caught me off-guard, largely because my bane of many conditioning products–was non- same enriched ambient quality that I had with bounce and melodic character.
expectations were built on previous encounters existent on either the micro or macro scale. symphonic recordings. In this instance it was In as little time as it takes to plug in a couple
with power distribution products, some good, Weirder still was that when I took out the Ven- the distinctive, heavily damped, reverb-washed power cords, I’ve gone from skeptic to believer.
some not so good. I began by cueing up The om system the individual artists of St Martin’s character of the recording studio. Imaging The Shunyata Venom system refined the voicing
Wasps Overture [RCA] followed by the third in the Fields, performing excerpts from Stravin- on this disc was truly stunning. Drums, bass, of my system to an extent I never would have
and fourth movements of the Beethoven Ninth sky’s Pulcinella, seemed somewhat abandoned, acoustic guitar cues were so clean, quick, and predicted at the outset. And I never felt the
Symphony [Decca]. In each instance I heard the as if they were separated by acoustic dead zones stable that it was as if someone had applied music was being compromised. To be clear,
same thing, which arrived in the form of newly rather than joined as a contiguous ensemble. a squeegee to a grimy window. Even the title Shunyata doesn’t promise a seismic shift in
discovered orchestral weight and a more rigidly With the PS8 out of the system, the air and di- track’s metronomic hi-hat had more drive and system performance, but a subtle clarification of
grounded soundstage. The system revealed a mensionslity, the swirl of ambient activity be- a thicker, less tinny quality. The Shunyata found previously hidden musicality. Don’t look at me
density change in the way I perceived ambient came spotty. The impression of a single sound- more sustain in the instrument, while the slight to pull the plug anytime soon. For the dedicated
information. At first I thought I was hearing a tonal space unbroken from one end of the proscenium smearing that collected in the wake of certain among us (without a dedicated line) the Venom
shift downward, as if a darker palette of colors to the other, upstage and down, sounded more of its transients all but vanished. Bass response system represents a cost-effective, plug-and-play,
were being applied to the performance. But in thread-bare, like an unframed musical canvas. was further defined in character and timbre. real-world solution to power issues. Another way
truth this was more about system or line noise Reinserting the Shunyata into the system, the For example, the bass vamp that kicks off the of saying that I guess I better tell my electrical
being reduced to the extent that significantly fully framed picture rematerialized. intro to Holly Cole’s “I Can See Clearly” didn’t contractor not to wait up for my call.

53 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Shunyata Sigma
Reference!
Robert Harley

S
hunyata Research continues to
push forward thestate of the art in AC
power for audio, with the Sigma be-
ing a prime example. These AC cords incorpo-
rate noise filters inside the connectors, which
act as miniature power conditioners to isolate
components from noise. Build-quality is out-
standing, with all-custom parts, including the
carbon-fiber housing. The Sigma is the best
cord Shunyata has made (though not the most
expensive), improving on previous models
by deepening background silences, increas-
ing resolution at the lowest levels, rendering
textures more realistically, and allowing the
rest of your components to sound their best. I
swapped out my entire system’s previous gen-
eration of Shunyata cords with the new Sigma
all at once and was surprised to discover a new
level of detail, timbral purity, and dimension-
ality. Comes in three versions: analog, digital,
and HC for power amplifiers. RH’s reference.
$2495 (analog or digital), $3495 (high-current)
(full review forthcoming)

54 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Audience adeptResponse aR12-

TSSOX Power Conditioner
The Evolution Continues
Greg Weaver

A
udience has a near two- a very high-quality XLPE (cross-linked polyeth-
decade-long history of building ylene) jacket—was implemented throughout.
exceptional products of high With typical stranded roped wire, the center
build-quality that perform (almost conductors are shorter in length than the out-
uniformly) above their price class. First er ones, resulting in a shorter conductive path Given my experience with Teflon, I suspected In addition, everything grew substantively
released in 2005, its adeptResponse line of in the center than in the wires wrapped around the forming time would be something on the more organic sounding. Not that the aR12-TS
power conditioners is no exception. it. In the case of the new O wire, (the O in TS- order of 400 hours, and Audience founder John sounded “grainy,” but with the aR12-TSSOX in
I have been using one variant or other of the SOX) the center wires have been replaced with McDonald agreed. Before replacing my aR12-TS place everything was less “granular” and more
adeptResponse12 (the number in the mod- an XLPE core, which the outer wires are wrapped with the new aR12-TSSOX, I connected it to a coherent and cohesive. Mids had a creamier
el name describes the number of AC outlets) around, in order to deliver more coherent con- spare AC socket for a full two weeks. Granted, texture and were more “fleshed” out, with
since 2008. Until this latest SOX update, I’d had duction. this would have no impact on the break-in of the greater body and bloom, while bass detail and
the 2011 iteration, the aR12-TS. Aside from Also new in late 2015, the long-standard, outlets, but I felt that the long forming time for definition were also notably improved.
utilizing all its existing technologies (a com- high-quality-brass Hubbell hospital-grade out- Teflon should be addressed independently. To my ear, the aR12-TSSOX represents
plete chronology may be found at the Audi- lets were replaced with optional copper du- Once the aR12-TSSOX was dropped in a substantial improvement over its pre-
ence website), the TS also used Audience’s all- plexes plated with rhodium (re-presented by place, the sonic differences were anything but decessors, so much so that it would be fair to
Teflon-based Auricap capacitors, which clearly the X in the TSSOX designation) to impart a bet- subtle. This iteration ups Audience’s previously say that it borders on an order of magnitude
improved performance. ter sense of speed, clarity, and soundstaging. performance-setting technology to an entirely advance. I do not make such statements often,
The new TSSOX line of conditioners incorpo- In addition, gold-plated copper forks, replac- new level. Immediately apparent with all or lightly. This is a world-class device, deserving
rates a number of advances over the TS model. ing the tin-plated copper forks previously used, sources was that background silence, which your full attention. Give one a listen—perhaps
First introduced in 2012, the S filter option (the are now included in all Audience power condi- was conspicuously darker and quieter. This the 6- or 2-socket variety—but be prepared to
second S in the model number) affords an even tioners to connect the filter capacitors to each is no small feat, considering that background buy it. If you are anything like me, there is no
darker background and a more focused sound- of the outlets. Finally, my aR12-TS had been silence had been one of the aR12-TS’s strongest chance it will come out of your system once it
stage. connected to the wall with an Audience power- attributes. The heightened silence had the is in place.
In late 2015, optional copper power wire—6- Chord SE; this new TSSOX is connected by the additional benefit of offering an enhanced
nines-pure OCC (Ohno Continuous Casting) in newer Au24 SE powerChord. sense of space.

55 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Audience adeptResponse aR12-TSSOX

Neil Gader comments on the aR-TSSOX—plus

first impressions of the Au24 SX powerChord
I’ve been using the six-outlet version of some reduction in dynamics. For the SX design
the Audience aR-TSSOX (aR6-TSSOX) for a the company found that the answer is to shield
few months. And Greg Weaver pretty much took the ground leg only, so each of the two ground
the words right out of my mouth when he stat- wires is shielded and then insulated with hand-
ed that the improvements in performance were wrapped Teflon. The cord is finished with an ele-
“anything but subtle.” I can only concur that his gant Furutech Fi-52M NCF AC connector.
descriptors of “darker and quieter” sonic quali- First things first—the Au24 SE power cord re-
ties pretty much nail down its character. In my mains a reference-caliber product. While the SX
more-modest system there was all this plus may not provide an order of magnitude differ-
a sharper, clearer perspective on the musical ence, it still clearly revealed yet another layer
event as a whole—a macro quality that created of music, dimension, and transparency. Images
a fully realized and involving performance. That, grew ever more direct, and there was an expan-
my friends, is the goal. sion of ambient aura. You’ll need to judge this
The only thing I would add is that shortly be- upgrade for yourself within the bounds of your
fore copy deadline, I received a call from Au- own system and budget, but beware: I found the
dience where the caller exclaimed, “But wait, differences compelling. Check these out only if
there’s more!” and asked if was up to swapping you’re prepared to fork over the steep price dif-
out the Au24 SE powerChord (a $1650 upgrade ference.
over the standard equipment powerChord SE-i)
and replacing it with Audience’s new Au24 SX Price: aR6-TSSOX is $6450 with 6'
powerChord. The SX, the company’s statement standard powerChord SE-i. For the optional
power cord, is an advanced design of the late Au24 SX powerChord, add $4200.
Roger Sheker that is much thicker and more
imposing but still quite flexible. Like the entire
SX line (look for my review of its speaker/inter-
connects in a forthcoming issue), the SX power-
Chord is made with six-nines pure OCC copper
in the highest quality XLPE insulation. There
are two 13 AWG wires per leg in the 10 AWG SX
powerChord. Historically Audience has not been
a proponent of shielding power cords due to

56 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

AudioQuest Niagara 7000 Low-Z

Power-Noise-Dissipation System
Don’t Call It a Power Conditioner
Jacob Heilbrunn

T
he Wall Street Journal ran an Equitech 10 WQ balanced transformer which
article this August about Japanese severs my dedicated stereo lines from the rest
audiophiles who have it all—and of my house.
(gulp) still want more. Sound fa- If by mistake I happen to plug one of my com-
miliar? The reporter focused on audiophiles ponents into a regular house line, I immediate-
who are buying their own power poles and ly start to get hum emanating from the loud-
mounting their personal transformers on them. speakers. Not everyone, however, wants—or and essentially told him to design a new power One of the things that Powell likes to empha-
“Electricity is like blood,” one fellow explained can—go to the length of messing around with device from scratch. With its deep pockets, Au- size is that the Niagara 7000 is not a power con-
to the newspaper. “If it is tainted the whole heavy-duty transformers. Enter AudioQuest. dioQuest could afford to bankroll Powell for a ditioner. Instead, it relies on dielectric-biased AC
body will get sick. No matter how expensive The company, which was founded in 1980 full year as he set about trying to devise a new isolation transformers to reduce distortion with-
the audio equipment is, it will be no good if the by Bill Low, has long been famous for its spiffy approach. The truth is that Powell, who visited out reducing current to any component, includ-
blood is bad.” lines of cables, and has recently begun to ex- me to listen to the Niagara 7000 in my system, ing amplifiers—the Transient Power Correction
The image may be graphic, but he has a point. pand its reach. One move was to acquire dis- was like a kid in a candy shop. He could bare- feature is said to deliver up to a 90-amp current
At bottom, your audio equipment is modulat- tribution of the Lyra line of cartridges. Another ly stop talking about the different challenges reservoir for power amps. Essentially, the Niag-
ing electricity that’s sent to you from the pow- has been to move into power products, ranging that electricity poses for stereo systems. He ara seeks to create a power bank for your amps
er company. But what are you receiving? If you from simple power strips all the way up to the asserts, among other things, that up to a third so that it doesn’t have to strain to grab voltage
live in a city and are sharing a transformer with $7995 Niagara 7000 Low-Z Power Noise-Dis- of the audio signal can be masked by the crud from the wall. (The Niagara is complex enough
your immediate neighbors, then you’re more sipation System under review. The 81-pound riding on power lines. Given carte blanche by that I don’t want to go overboard here on the
than likely the recipient of all the junk their Niagara 7000 is the brainchild of Garth Powell, AudioQuest to design a new unit, Powell clearly technical aspects, but felt that the accompany-
computers, refrigerators, and so on are dump- the company’s director of power products. Pow- went nuts on the Niagara 7000 design, whose ing interview with Powell might be illuminating
ing back into the power line. There are different ell has an extensive background in electronics technology has trickled down into a variety of for readers who want to explore those further.)
ways to address these problems—a few years and is also a professional jazz percussionist. other less expensive power products the com- Alas, many of the conditioners that I’ve heard
ago, I had an electrician install a 375-pound About two years ago, AudioQuest hired him pany produces. in the past may provide a more velvety back-

57 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report AudioQuest Niagara 7000 Low-Z Power-Noise-Dissipation System

SPECS & PRICING was upped. Throughout, the Niagara increases
Type: AC power AUDIOQUEST fine detail, expands the soundstage and im-
device 2621 White Rd. proves the sense of black space. In some ways,
Outlets: 12 (four Irvine, CA 92614 listening to the Niagara really is like plunging
of them high- (949) 585-0111 over a waterfall—it carries you into a new sonic
current) audioquest.com world.
Dimensions: The most immediate and salubrious effect of
17.5" x 5.24" x the Niagara was to offer a more controlled and
17.2" refined performance. On Uncle Kracker’s mem-
Weight: 81 lbs. orable debut album Double Wide, for example,
Price: $7995 there was an enhanced sense of transient snap
and accuracy, along with relaxation and mellif-
luousness, on songs such as “What ’Chu Lookin’
ground or tighter bass control, but a certain At” and “Follow Me.” The syllables of the epi-
dynamic constriction seems, more often than thets he employs as well as his more emollient these effects, as is the case with many condition- pect—the unit itself can emit a buzzing sound. I
not, to accompany these beneficial effects. croonings came through with a greater sense of ers? Not that I could discern. The treble is defi- have one friend in whose home it is dead silent,
The Niagara 7000 seeks to deliver it all. To that precision. At the same time, the backing chorus nitely smoother and rounder with the Niagara. to the extent that he stuck a stethoscope on it
end, it features a bank of twelve outlets in the was better separated from his solo lines. On a Harmonia Mundi recording of the Freiburg and couldn’t hear any noise at all. But another
rear, with a set of four especially reserved for This sense of precision was also vividly ap- Baroque Orchestra playing Bach’s violin concer- acquaintance of mine, who couldn’t live with-
high-power devices. The plugs themselves are parent on the Alabama Shakes’ imaginative tos, I was smitten by the overall refinement of out the Niagara, does experience some slight
called NRG Edison AC outlets and, as Audio- album Sound & Color. On a variety of songs, the sound of the violins as well as the deftness hum. I plugged my Niagara into both the house
Quest warns, feature an extremely firm grip on the enhanced clarity that the Niagara supplied with which the Niagara helped place the harp- wiring and my Equitech-fed lines to see if there
the plug that mandates careful wiggling when seemed to have the effect of subtly widening sichord in the context of the orchestra. On the was any difference. There wasn’t. I don’t want
inserting it into the unit. Flip on the engage and deepening the soundstage. Once again, the violinist Hilary Hahn’s CD Encores, both her vi- to make too big a deal of this, but feel I would
switch in back, as well as a switch in front, and bass-lines were more starkly delineated, pro- olin and the piano had a pleasing fullness with- be remiss if I didn’t point it out.
you’re off and running. viding a better foundation for the vocals. Time out a trace of etch in the treble. What’s more, on Overall, the Niagara is a fabulous piece of
From the outset it was clear to me that the seems to slightly slow down with the Niagara— other recordings, telltale instruments such as equipment that adds a sheen and palpability
Niagara is an extraordinary piece of equipment lead singer Brittany Howard’s voice appeared triangles didn’t appear to suffer any diminution to the music that are utterly addictive. Once
that delivers numerous sonic improvements. Far to hover in the air for a split-second longer on in resolution or sparkle, near as I could tell. you’ve heard the Niagara, it may be impossible
from sagging in performance, the more compo- “Gimme All Your Love.” Similarly, on the Chris- There is no gainsaying, however, that the Ni- to go back.
nents that I plugged into it, the better the Niag- tian McBride Trio’s CD Out Here, the Niagara agara will enrich the sound. Whether you con-
ara sounded. Given the sheer number of com- delivered audibly tauter bass. Both McBride’s clude that this is an artificial enhancement or
ponents I use—Wilson Audio’s Hammer of Thor initial pluck and the decay of his bass appeared an actual diminution in distortion is going to be
subwoofers dictates a second set of amps as to be more elongated and controlled. All this a judgment call, which is why it’s best to demo a
well as two separate active crossovers—Audio- added up to a more suave and sophisticated unit like the Niagara. In my view, the latter was
Quest ultimately sent me a second Niagara for performance. emphatically the case. My only slight reserva-
my power amplifiers. Once again, the sonic ante Did the Niagara shear off the treble to achieve tion about the Niagara centers on a different as-

58 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report AudioQuest Niagara 7000 Low-Z Power-Noise-Dissipation System

Interview with Niagara Designer Garth Powell

What prompted you to join AudioQuest? What are your principal duties? there was no need to enter it unless we could not to create a subtle euphonic effect, or a pleas-
I spent over 16 years at another company My primary duties are designing the company’s provide products that immediately demonstrated ant tone color for a system; it’s to unveil all the
that specialized in AC power products (Furman AC power products, but, as more time has gone by, precisely why we entered this market in the first information that is otherwise distorted or entire-
Sound). It manufactured AC power conditioners, Bill [AudioQuest President-Owner Bill Low] has place. I had ideas that I had not been able to im- ly missing when the components are connected
isolation transformers, distro-sequencers, battery prompted me to help with some design aspects plement in the past due to complexities and bud- to the utility’s AC lines.
backup (UPS), and voltage reg- or refinements to many of our get. In some cases, I was missing certain pieces of
ulators primarily for broadcast latest cable offerings, as well. the puzzle and couldn’t crack the circuit. I spent What does Transient Power Correction mean?
and professional sound rein- Working with Bill is inspiring in many late nights talking endlessly with Bill about The other aspect of utilizing any AC power prod-
forcement. While there, I created that he is a dedicated scientist cable design and theory, I started to map out sche- uct with an audio system is its power amplifi-
many of those products, as well who has approached electrical matically what he had been doing for years, and, cation. Whereas source components (digital or
as starting the home/custom-in- and mechanical design from a eventually, that triggered new ideas to explore analog, valve or solid-state) are constant-current
stall AC power division. I loved different direction than I might in AC power filtering and radio frequency noise devices, a power amplifier has a dynamic current
my job and the rolling vineyards have or had been trained to do. dissipation. This led to the creation of the Niag- draw. That’s important because when an audio
of Sonoma County, California. However, my background can ara Series, the Niagara 7000 being the flagship. transient signal is presented to the power ampli-
I’m also a professional jazz mu- sometimes bring greater clari- fier, its power supply is required to draw from its
sician (drums, percussion) when ty or a different perspective to What is the Niagara supposed to accomplish? power supply condensers, and the supply imped-
I’m not creating power products, his work, and, in turn, he has One simple answer is to reduce both symmetri- ance drops. When that occurs (this is short dura-
and I was well ensconced in the challenged many of my assump- cal and asymmetrical noise on the AC line (line/ tion, i.e., milliseconds), many power amplifiers
jazz and creative improvised tions. The results born of our neutral/ground), drain as much as possible away can require transient current draws well in excess
music scene in the San Francisco Bay area. Unfor- collaborations are inspiring! I submitted two pat- from the critical audio component circuits and of the electrical panel’s rated breaker value. The
tunately, corporations are bought and sold, new ents within my first six months with AudioQuest. power supplies, and dissipate as much into heat problem with AC power products (whether so-
managers are hired, things change. as possible. We do this because, with today’s called power conditioners, AC regenerators, DC
Additionally, I had long missed designing prod- What inspired you to design the Niagara? levels of AC service, noise, and radiated RF (ra- battery/AC inverters, isolation transformers, UPS
ucts specifically for audiophiles. I started in this I was given a rare gift that almost never happens dio frequency) signals, it is impossible to avoid units, and many more technologies) is that they
part of the industry at age 15 and was yearning to in today’s corporate environment. Typically, sales distortion of low-level audio signals. Much of this all tend to raise the AC line impedance, thus cre-
return to it. Through the years, I had had a great and marketing determine a need, and as an en- noise is either filtered or lost in the component ating the lack of dynamic and low-frequency con-
relationship with AudioQuest, and for nearly gineer-designer I create a product or line to suit power supplies, but not nearly enough. Ground is trol associated with current compression. Even
a decade I had had a standing job offer. Audio- the demands (and in as little time as possible). At also a coupler of noise, and, in nearly all cases, AC isolated “high-current” outlets only minimize this
Quest’s Senior Vice President of Marketing and AudioQuest, it’s different. I was given a massive ground bypasses the component power supply. problem by reducing the increased amount of AC
Product Development (Joe Harley) had produced/ budget, and nearly unlimited time to create. Bill Digital difference tests and spectrum analysis impedance the power amplifier will be subjected
co-engineered three of my recordings… It was a Low’s belief was that, as a company, AudioQuest can show as much as a third of the low-level au- to in the AC source component outlets. With tran-
great fit, and the right time to make a change. had entered the power category late, and that dio signal is distorted or lost to noise. The point is sient power correction, we can actually reduce the

59 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report AudioQuest Niagara 7000

Interview with Niagara Designer Garth Powell (continued)

impedance of the current transient, create an AC counts, and everything falls short of perfection.
buffer for the amplifier’s power supply, and pro-
vide a current reservoir of up to 90 amps peak Why is it not a power conditioner?
for well in excess of 20 to 25ms. That’s more We call it a Low-Z Power Noise-Dissipation System
than enough to ensure that the power amplifi- because that emphasizes the two primary tasks at
er can successfully navigate its way through the hand (current delivery to the power amplifiers
worst audio transients. That’s always the chal- and noise dissipation for all components). By the
lenge with relatively low-efficiency loudspeak- way, “Z” is the electrical symbol for impedance.
ers and software that has wide dynamic range. You are welcome to call it a “power conditioner.”
I simply feel it’s an abused term that has been
Why does the unit work better the more pieces made to include a vast range of technologies and
you plug into it? topologies, most of which are riddled with prob-
That’s not necessarily true. It is true that any lems, one of the most offensive being grossly
AC-powered component that is a part of the non-linear behavior when subjected to real-world
audio system will greatly benefit from the tech- AC line and system impedance. This is to say, the
nologies we employ. Even with the substantial noise dissipation needs to be predictable and as
isolation our Niagara 7000 has between the even as possible through about 23 octaves from
high-current power amplifier outlet banks, and the middle of the audio range into the Gigahertz
two dielectrically biased symmetrical power radio frequencies. When a portion of the noise is
banks, you have to consider that the RF carrier dissipated, and another is not (or the difference
signal from a cell tower is 2.2GHz. The sine- from octave to octave is too great), the low-level
wave is substantially smaller than the edge of audio signals we are trying to unveil will be either
the paper this is printed on! That means that we (alternately) masked or laid bare. Further, this ef-
will always fight to reduce these noises suffi- fect will change with drive level, making a mess
ciently so that the smallest audio signal is left of the low-level audio signals. Traditional power
undistorted, pristine. In a perfect world, there products that are based on designs and math that
could be a good argument made for having a go back to the 1920s are based on some pretty
separate Niagara unit for nearly every compo- erroneous assumptions. Many audiophile power
nent, but it would be enormously costly, and, in products suffer far less from these pitfalls, but
the case of some systems, considerations like instead leave far too much noise to distort and
ground loops from multiple AC service lines mask the low-level signals.
would need to be made. It’s audio—everything

60 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

ACCESSORIES
Contents
KLAUDIO KD-CLN-LP200 RECORD CLEANER • CRITICAL MASS SYSTEMS SOTTO VOCE RACK • AUDIOQUEST JITTERBUG • STILLPOINTS ULTRA6 • VOODOO ISO-POD

61 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Klaudio KD-CLN-LP200 Ultrasonic

Vinyl Record Cleaner
Ne Plus Ultrasonic
Andre Jennings

R
ecord care has been part of the In May 2013, Klaudio (based in Auburn,
vinyl experience from the dawn of Washington) introduced its own version of
the LP. Over the years the process has an ultrasonic record-cleaning machine, the
evolved from a simple wipe of an anti-static KD-CLN-LP200. What is unique about the
cloth or a squirt from a dust blower to an all- Klaudio unit is that it uses ultrasonic cleaning
out-assault on uncleanliness via record-clean- exclusively (no brushes), is fully automated,
ing machines equipped with vacuum pumps, and, perhaps most importantly, requires no
rotating platters, cleaning brushes, and sin- special cleaning fluids. The unit only needs
gle-to-multistep fluid-dispensers. distilled water to work its magic.
Recently, a few of the latest commercial units The KD-CLN-LP200 Ultrasonic Vinyl Record
have added a new wrinkle: the use of ultrasonic cleaner arrives wrapped in clear plastic,
transducers to scrub the record grooves the way surrounded on all sides by approximately
printed circuit boards or surgical instruments two inches of dense, closed-cell-foam inserts
are cleaned after sterilization—through precisely cut to neatly fit into the triple-walled
cavitation in a cleaning bath. Cavitation bubbles shipping box. Included with the unit are a user
are the result of the high-frequency pressure manual, marketing/feature brochure, treated
waves generated by ultrasonic transducers fabric dust cover, rubber funnel (more on this
agitating the liquid inside cleaning machines. later), PVC drain hose, and AC power cable.
Not only does the agitation produce these tiny If you follow the user manual, setup is pretty chamber and creating an overflow condition Once the unit has been filled so the water
cavitation bubbles, but it also pushes them straightforward. After setting the unit on a level that could potentially damage the internal line is between the Min and Max fill-level in
into the nooks and crannies of the groove walls surface in its final location, use the supplied electronics. In other words, be cautious when the reservoir window on the front panel, this
and valleys of our records. The force exerted funnel to slowly add 2.5 liters (0.66 gallons) of filling the reservoir with distilled water, and part of the set-up process is done. The next
on the vinyl by this cavitation bubble-action distilled water through the fill port on the top avoid the temptation to use a larger funnel to step is connecting the power cable and turning
dislodges and removes dirt and debris that of the machine. (The use of the supplied funnel fill the Klaudio more quickly, or you may be the unit on. After that, all that’s left to do is to
standard cleaning brushes just can’t reach. prevents you from too rapidly filling the wash asking for trouble.) select washing and drying times.

62 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Klaudio KD-CLN-LP200

There are three controls on the Klaudio: a the record. When the wash chamber fills, the temperature during repeated cleaning cycles. and-after images of cleaning results under
rotary switch for wash time (which can be set priming pump continues to run, circulating During my testing of up to 21 continuous 400x magnification with my own records. This
from 1–5 minutes), a rotary switch for dry time water to maintain the proper level, and the 4-minute wash-time cleaning cycles, the has been with lightly dusty records and also
(2–4 minutes), and a toggle switch to select a four 50-watt 40kHz ultrasonic transducers temperature of the water bath in the wash with used records that are pretty filthy. In both
“wash & dry” or “dry only” cycle. Ease of use (two horizontally placed per side) start the chamber increased slowly in a linear fashion cases, the resulting images showed groove
and operation is where the KD-CLN-LP200 has cleaning cycle for the selected wash time. with each consecutive cleaning cycle, from a walls and valleys that were much cleaner than
the biggest advantage over any other cleaning On my review unit, the record appears to room temperature of 72 degrees to upwards of before. I’ve also tried putting some fresh oily
method I’ve used in the past. The cleaning complete approximately seven rotations every 100 degrees Fahrenheit for the last record in the fingerprints on test records; they were also,
cycle goes like this: Put the record in the top- two minutes. The display panel shows current batch. I first took note of this when I observed somewhat surprisingly given there is nothing
loading slot; the cleaning starts; in 3–9 minutes status and washing progress. (The amount an LP going through what I would call a “yoga but distilled water in the unit, removed by the
(depending on the “wash & dry” settings) the of record wetting during the unsubmerged exercise”—or flexing—during the heated wash ultrasonic cleaner.
green “completed” LED illuminates; and you rotation of the cleaning process can vary from cycle, only to return to being perfectly flat Subjectively, Klaudio-cleaned record tend to
are done. barely damp to what I call “juicy.” This wetting during the dry cycle. It should be noted that show across-the-board sonic improvements,
After spending some time with the Klaudio, difference appears to be related to different the record never stopped rotating or got stuck most notably in the perceived depth of
I’ve settled on a 4-minute wash cycle for most vinyl formulations. In no case has water made or suffered any damage I could discern. When I recording venues, the clarity of images and
of my new and used records, with an occasional its way on to the record label.) observed this occurrence, I started measuring surrounding areas, and more natural tone,
1–2 minute rewash on a few newer LPs. A Once the wash cycle is complete, the priming the record temperature as it emerged from density, and texture on instruments. One
2-minute drying time has worked for nearly all pump stops, the water drains from the wash submersion during the wash cycle. What I example would be Duke Ellington’s Jazz Party
of the records I’ve cleaned so far. If the record chamber and the drying cycle begins. During noticed was that as the water temperature In Stereo. The opening track on this record,
needs more drying, set the toggle switch to the the drying cycle, two centrifugal-type, air- increased with continuous use, the submerged “Malletoba Spank,” is a horn and percussion
“dry only” mode and reinsert the LP to start an blower fans dry the record surface while the surface of the record would follow suit. This festival of dynamic delight. After I ultrasonically
additional rotary-switch-selected dry cycle. (A display panel shows drying progress. Once the heated water created a temporary thermal cleaned the disc, the impact, tone, and decay of
nice undocumented feature is that if a record dry cycle is complete, the Klaudio beeps twice imbalance (via thermal expansion of the every percussion instrument had greater clarity
requires additional dry time and you notice this when the “completed” LED illuminates and submerged grooved area) between the outside and less haze, and the horn section went from
before removing the LP from the unit, after the flashes green until the record is removed. of the record and the inner label area, which a moderate wave of occasionally aggressive
full “wash & dry” cycle is complete a simple The Klaudio accepts only full-sized records in caused this temporary flexing of the vinyl. sound to a full set of instruments with greater
flick of the toggle switch to the “dry only” cycle the range of 11.65–12”, according to the user This thermal exercise, in my estimation, may resolution of individual players than I’d heard
will restart the previously selected drying cycle manual. Every one of my 12” LPs worked in the increase the cleaning benefit since the record before. On this opening track, the percussion
without any need to remove the record from unit, including a few warped ones, without any temporarily flexes under the temperature instruments closely followed by the horns are
the unit.) problems. However, recognizing that there are imbalance during ultrasonic cleaning, helping the stars of the show, but what’s interesting
What is going on inside the KD-CLN-LP200? KD-CLN-LP200 users with a need to clean 7” the cavitation process with debris removal. In is that I could also more clearly follow Jimmy
Inserting a record into the top loading slot 45-rpm and 10” 33/78-rpm records, Klaudio short, if you see a record in the cleaner begin Woode’s bass rhythmically plucking along,
triggers a lever switch; the priming pump fills has recently introduced two adapters that this little “yoga exercise,” don’t panic. Things providing a solid foundation in the center
the stainless steel wash chamber while the allow these smaller records to be cleaned in will return to normal during the dry cycle. background. Additionally, Sam Woodyard’s
record is supported—half-submerged in the the Ultrasonic cleaner. Besides its ease of use, the Klaudio cleans stick work on the cymbals was much clearer
bath (below the label area)—on four internal The four 50-watt ultrasonic transducers tend records deep in the grooves better than any unit after Klaudio ultrasonic cleaning, to the point
rollers, three of which are belt-driven to rotate to generate some heat that increases the bath I’ve observed to date. I’ve viewed the before- of having increased noticeably throughout the

63 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

New TAS
CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Klaudio KD-CLN-LP200 Book!

SPECS & PRICING when purchasing something like the Klaudio Volume Two:
Type: Ultrasonic
record cleaner
KLAUDIO
2840 W Valley
ultrasonic unit. Some of you may have a
backlog of records numbering in the thousands Electronics
Dimensions: 7.12" Hwy N that are in need of a good cleaning. Others may
x 11.65" x 17.12" Auburn, WA 98001 have come to the conclusion, long ago, that it
Weight: 45 lbs. (253) 249-7813 is highly unlikely they are going to perform a
Price: $3999 klaudio.com multi-minute, multi-step cleaning exercise
info@klaudio.com for each side of their LPs. To them, let me just
say that as the quality of analog playback
continues to advance it may be that the level
entire performance, even though the drum kit of sonic engagement conveyed by Klaudio’s
is deep in the background on the right side of ultrasonically-cleaned records will become
the stage. The Klaudio ultrasonic cleaning took
this particular track on the Classic Records
increasingly difficult to do without, even if you
hate the time spent washing and drying your
The second volume in TAS’
reissue from moderately enjoyable to clean,
clear, and very near to great sounding. On the
vinyl.
History of High-End Audio series,
other end of the musical spectrum, large-scale
classical recordings gained an abundance of this lavishly illustrated, 336-page
depth and recording-venue expansion from
Klaudio ultrasonic cleaning. I want to point landmark book celebrates the
out that this isn’t the type of effect, similar
to a speaker positioning change, where the high-end’s most iconic electronics
entire soundstage takes a
wholesale step backwards. manufacturers, including:
This ultrasonic cleaning keeps
instruments where they were, • 97 company profiles
but allows the recording
venue’s full expanse and • Exclusive new interviews
reverberant clarity to be
heard more clearly. • Rare archival photos
Value is always something
of a personal choice, but • Technological and design
for me this unit has proven
to be an unflagging asset breakthroughs
in the enjoyment of vinyl
playback. Of course, there • And much more!
are many factors to consider
See previews and order now at tasbook2.com
64 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Critical Mass Systems Sotto Voce

Equipment Rack
Pretty and Smart
Alan Taffel

S
ometimes, if you’re lucky, you me not at all, given their $40k price tags and
acquire a component or accessory that my satisfaction with the Goldmunds. Truth
is so good the thought of replacing it is, I probably would have lived happily with
never comes to mind. You install it, have a listen, those racks right into my twilight years if not
and say to yourself: “Well, that’s that.” For me, for their bête noir. You see, these things are
this happened when I replaced whatever racks ugly. I mean seriously ugly. Massive blocks of
I was using to support my system (see, I can’t sharp-edged black iron form the frame, which
even remember, so thoroughly did I jettison supports equally-square, equally-black slabs of
them) with a contraption from Goldmund. Back methacrylate shelves. On the style-ometer, the
in the day, when Goldmund was blazing trails Goldmund racks earn a solid zero.
that others are still following, the company Why is this relevant, given that the racks
made a rack system built from state-of-the- perform so well from a sonic perspective? Well,
art materials and with a clever method of I happen to believe that aesthetics contribute
isolating shelves from each other. Isolation of mightily to the pleasure of this hobby. Top-
the equipment from the shelves was handled notch audio components don’t just sound
by the superb Goldmund Cones, which were an good; they look the part, oozing craft and
integral part of the system. I put my gear onto workmanship and, yes, style. Some are even
those racks, had a listen to their effect, and I was sexy (“audio porn” as my buddy Karl Schuster The equipment—not to mention the room— industrial style (though not with the brutality
done. The sound had improved substantially in calls them). In my view a rack should show off deserved better. of the Goldmund stuff), but the Sotto Voce has
every way. these components to best effect, and also show So when Critical Mass came out with a brand a much friendlier, warmer, and more inviting
Since then, understandably, racks haven’t off the system as a whole within the room. new entry-level rack, the Sotto Voce, the first look. This is because, while metal connections
been on my radar. Oh, sure, over the years I This is why, despite the eyesore-Goldmund’s thing that intrigued me about it was not its within the frame are milled from billet
have read the glowing TAS reviews of some sound, I have rankled at inhabiting it with the potential sonic benefits, which were purely aluminum, the frame and shelves themselves
pretty fancy-shmancy racks, like the Critical stream of gorgeous components I am fortunate theoretical at that point, but rather its looks. are made of good old-fashioned wood. Sapele
Mass Systems Maxxum. But they tempted enough to have flowing through my home. Other CMS racks lean toward a purposefully African hardwood, to be exact. Not high tech, to

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Equipment Report Critical Mass Systems Sotto Voce Equipment Rack

SPECS & PRICING sound of my speakers with and without their a rack-system review because it turns out D1 preferred to be right on the SV’s shelf.
CRITICAL MASS SYSTEMS normal Goldmund Cone underpinnings. Using that the Sotto Voce has the exact same effect In contrast, and more typically I suspect, the
69 Windsor Dr. “God Bless the Child” from the terrific OMG on everything set upon it. Bass tightens, Esoteric K-01 transport/player/DAC virtually
Oak Brook, IL 60523 pressing of Blood, Sweat and Tears, I could transients gain more verve yet maintain better breathed a sigh of relief when set atop the
(630) 640-3814 easily detect that the Cones conferred more air control, rhythms sharpen, and—perhaps most spikes. On its own feet, the K-01 had played the
criticalmasssystems.com to the brass, nicely tightened the bass, brought significantly—that subliminal low-level noise ravishingly-recorded “Title of This Song” from
some needed control to the top, generated plummets. All this without any noticeable Beck’s recent Song Reader CD with typical élan.
Price: $4500 for a four-tier, four-shelf previously-missing depth, and gave drums sonic degradation, at least not compared to my But compared to the same track through the D1
system ($5500 in black) both more realism and more visceral impact. reference rack. I knew very quickly that I could the Esoteric betrayed some spatial confusion,
Man do I love these Cones! But if I’m being live happily with the Sotto Voce. Sound: check. paler tonality, and a loss of clarity. With
honest, I must admit that they also dulled the But wouldn’t it also be nice if, unlike the the MXK-SVs in place, though, the K-01 was
be sure, but purposefully chosen and certainly mids a tad, and rhythms weren’t quite as razor- Goldmund rack, the CMS wasn’t a closed suddenly doing a mighty close impression of a
appealing to the eye. The rack also appealed sharp either. system? Even the most content of us will revisit transport costing twice as much. The difference
to my value detector. Unlike CMS’ ultra-pricey I then replaced the Goldmunds with a set the upgrade situation in the wake of a lottery was that transformational. My conclusion is
top models, a four-tier SV system with shelves of three Rize! footers under each speaker. My win, or even just a hefty bonus check. Upgrades that for gear that has not been as fanatically
costs just $4500 ($5500 if you’d like it in black). hope was that they would sound as good as are especially appealing (and tempting) if they engineered for mechanical grounding as CH
That’s right: the SV is one-tenth the price of the the Cones—a tall order since nothing else ever can be done over time, at incremental cost, and is—which is to say, most gear—this $225 per
top-line model. has. To my delight, the footers delivered all in place. As it turns out, while the stock SV will, component upgrade will be worth every penny.
I took delivery several months later. By the the benefits of the Cones. If anything, drums, I believe, ably serve most audiophiles, it is only The next step up is to place our friends the
time CMS’ affable and deeply-knowledgeable and transients in general, became even more the beginning of what can be done with this Rize! footers between components and SV
Joe Lavrencik personally delivered two SV visceral. Even better, the footers also nixed system. shelves. This will cost $775 for a set of three
racks, plus assorted accessories and options, I the Cones’ drawbacks; tempos regained their The first step in CMS’ multi-layered upgrade ($600 if you buy them with the SV). I found
had already seen them at many trade shows. drive, and there was no dullness anywhere in plan is an inexpensive one that doesn’t require it a rewarding upgrade. The difference is in
Still, experiencing the Sotto Voce in my own the sonic spectrum. Then there was the wholly changing anything about the SV itself. Simply the “purity factor”—a measure of how much
room was something of a revelation. Replacing unexpected icing on the cake: The footers insert a set of MXK-SV spikes ($225 for a set random noise is being banished. The footers do
the Goldmund racks with the CMS quite literally removed some of what I can only describe of four) between a component and its shelf. I a better job at this than the spikes, so the sound
transformed the look of my room. Rather than as “random energy” in the system. You don’t found that the efficacy of this upgrade depends clarifies. I’d say the footers get you about half
being a blight, the new racks melded into the consciously hear this energy; but you can on the component being spiked. When I slid the way between the spikes and the next step
décor and showed off the components within definitely hear its absence. A layer of electronic the spikes under the CH Precision D1 transport, in the upgrade path.
to great effect. I took stock. Looks: check. Value: noise recedes, leaving a rare and blissful purity. there was a loss of transparency, spatial focus, For a more profound—and yet again more
check. Ah, but would the SV rise to the sonic Somehow, the reduction of this stray energy and dynamic nuance. But then let’s remember expensive—upgrade, you can swap out stock
standard of my long-time reference rack? lets the ear-brain mechanism interpret what it that one of the things you get with the CH’s Sotto Voce shelves for one of CMS’ “filters.”
Before I delve into that, let’s talk about the is hearing as “music” rather than “sound.” That, $40k price tag is an intricately conceived These are shaped and function like shelves,
component that doesn’t sit on a shelf: the in turn, means more realism co-joined with vibration-evacuation system, of which the feet but are mechanically far more complex. The
speaker. CMS’ solution for SV (and other) more relaxation. are an integral part. The spikes bypass the D1’s filters compatible with the SV rack are the
buyers is their Rize! footers ($225 each). To I have gone into detail about the effect of feet, thus completely defeating CH’s elaborate very ones that snuggle into CMS’ high-buck
get a feel for what they do, I first compared the footers in what is, after all, supposed to be scheme. In this case, it’s not surprising that the systems. I tried swapping out an SV shelf

66 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report Critical Mass Systems

for the entry-level filter, the Black Sapphire outboard amps. For starters, amps that would
Mk.2 ($995). I was expecting this upgrade to otherwise be on the floor can be placed on
be subtle, but, boy, was I wrong. The filter is Rize! footers. Alternately, an SV shelf ($125)
clearly more accomplished at noise abatement, can sit atop a set of MXK spikes, resulting in an
and the “purity quotient” takes a sizable jump. apparition of the shelf hovering just above the
Under some components, like turntables, the carpet or floor. The shelf can also be set atop
improvement can be even more dramatic. The footers. The ultimate option, sonically, is to use
filter allowed bass from my ’table to really one of the amplifier stands CMS offers as part
speak out, and there was a good deal more of their higher lines. They won’t match the rack,
timbral information and tonal richness. These though.
filters aren’t cheap (there are two more models I was able to test the latter scenario thanks
above the Black Sapphire Mk.2), but they to Joe having provided a pair of QXK amp
deliver the goods. Don’t listen to them if you stands ($1995 each) with the mid-tier Black
aren’t prepared to buy them. To be exposed to Platinum Mk.2 filters ($1895 each). Compared
what they do is to be spoiled for anything less. to the previous Goldmund amp stands, the
The nice thing about the SV system is that if QXK imparts that same wonderful feeling of
funds do not permit making an upgrade right the electronics getting out of the way, letting
away, it can always be done later. And when the more music shine through. They also make
time comes, the process couldn’t be simpler. the amps more coherent, with more air, more
Even installing a filter is a breeze. Heck, there dynamics, and more bass, yet with more control
aren’t even any screws involved; just lift off the of spurious elements. The SV shelves on spikes,
SV shelf and plop down a filter. Voîlà—better however, are impressive as well. They give up
sound. Also, there is no requirement to replace little—just a smidge—in the by now familiar
all the shelves at once. Instead, you can upgrade “purity factor.”
selectively, moving to spikes/footers/filters I realize that this has been a highly
one by one, starting with the components that deconstructive analysis, so it’s important to
will benefit most. Mixing and matching shelves sum up by saying that the Sotto Voce not only
and filters in the same SV rack is perfectly okay. looks good and is more than fairly priced; it
The only gap in the SV system, to my mind, is just plain works. My system has never sounded
the lack of a proper amplifier stand. Depending better. The hallmark of the SV rack, in all of its
on the size and quantity of your amps, they various permutations, is that it gets the crap
may or may not fit in the SV rack. In my case, out of the sound, delivering a less electronic,
with two swank but bulky, inhumanly-heavy less hurried, less blurred presentation of the
CH Precision A1’s, there was no way they were music.
going on the rack. Amplifier stands to match
the SV would look cohesive, but CMS offers
plenty of sonically workable possibilities for

67 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

AudioQuest JitterBug
Robert Harley

T
his little device looks like a
miniature plug-in DAC, but actually
fits between a DAC or USB cable and
a USB jack on a computer or music server. Its
mission is to reduce jitter (hence the clever
name), isolate the computer from the DAC, and
reduce noise on the digital signal and the USB
interface’s power lines. Judging from its sonic
effects, the JitterBug does just that, providing a
smoother treble, deeper soundstage, and more
relaxed and natural presentation. Multiple Jit-
terBugs can be cascaded (connected in series)
for improved performance. You can even add a
JitterBug to a non-audio device to reduce the
noise on your computer’s USB bus. A no-brainer
recommendation for the asking price. $49 (full
review forthcoming)

68 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

Stillpoints Ultra6
Jacob Heilbrunn

T
he Ultra6 isolation footer is a state-of-the-art
isolation device. Deploy it under an audio chassis, and
it
will disclose addictive new layers of detail and harmon-
ic richness—in addition to improvements
in dynamics and just
about everything else that contributes to the lifelike reproduction
of music. Put simply, the Ultra6 does a stellar job of lowering the
noise floor of everything from preamplifiers to phono step-up
transformers. There’s no apparent minus to using the Ultra6—no
bleaching or thinning of the sound, no strident treble, and so on.
Instead, you get a laser-like focus on the micro-details that make
up a live performance. The aim of the Ultra6 is simple: It seeks to
drain energy that is produced by the equipment itself. This is why
the Ultra6 couples directly to the bottom of a chassis and why a
little tweaking is in order when deploying it. Depending on where
you place it—directly underneath transformers, for example, is
where the manufacturer recommends—the Ultra6 will produce
slightly different sonic results. But the overall result is nothing
less than stunning. The degree to which this fiendishly clever little
device can improve image solidity and bass control is remarkable.
It’s also nice to able to report that the Ultra6 is an unobtrusive
and fairly elegant looking device when situated underneath your
equipment. Obviously, the Ultra6 can’t reveal anything that stereo
equipment isn’t already producing, but it does suggest that vibra-
tions obscure more—much more—of the audio signal than many
audiophiles realize. $899 (full review forthcoming)

69 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Equipment Report

VooDoo Iso-Pod Isolation System

That Voodoo That You Do So Well
Neil Gader

H
iding beneath almost every high-end using in the 1980s. Bass performance firmed
component is one of its most unsung up immediately; pitch became more tuneful
heroes: footers. Their importance to and extension tighter and more dynamic. Most 243) and the Parasound JC 3+ phonostage (Issue Coltrane’s tenor sax. The ’Pods created a more
audio performance is well recognized, yet with footers today owe a debt of gratitude to isola- 245). These components don’t lack for quality lively sense of light and rhythm from the drum
the exception of a few manufacturers (typical- tion pioneers such as McCormack and his Tip- factory isolation footers, but the addition of the kit. Reversing course and removing the Iso-
ly high up in the food chain), most have pretty toes. (Today, see SMc Audio and McCormack Iso-Pods was still transformational in multiple Pods left the same tracks a bit drained of at-
much yielded this segment to aftermarket spe- Audio for more information.) ways. For example, during Vaughan Williams’ mosphere and air. The presentation was less
cialty “tuners.” Thus we find isolation footers Which brings us to the Iso-Pod Isolation sys- The Wasps Overture [RCA], the busy wind and cohesive, micro-dynamics were flatter and less
arriving in all shapes and sizes, materials and tem from VooDoo Cable (a company whose fine string sections represent the swirling activity of involving.
technological compositions. There are discs, power cords I’ve reviewed in the past.) Based in the hive. Immediately notable was greater buoy- VooDoo’s Iso-Pods are among the easiest and
cones, pads, points, pucks, and pods, but what- Oakland, California, VooDoo uses a slightly dif- ancy around each note—no less intense than I’d most effective products that I’ve come across
ever the configuration, the mission is by and ferent formula to achieve isolation goals. Out- heard previously, but with an additional airiness to increase resolution and extract detail. They
large the same. By using principles of decou- wardly the Iso-Pods look like innocent, circular and lift to the sound that was both sweeter and are reasonably priced, nicely finished, and, for
pling and mass-loading, acoustic (airborne) and discs. Their flat, felt-covered surface makes less astringent. The articulation of the concert this reviewer are staying right where they are. A
internal mechanical resonances are reduced— them very stable beneath a component. But in- harp displayed improved inner detail—easily worthy accessory for the “tuner” in all of us.
with the excess energy removed through heat side, things get more interesting. Each Iso-Pod is buried in this performance, it also emerged in its
dissipation. actually a pair of CNC-machined aerospace alloy own atmospheric pocket with each string pluck
Few of us are complete strangers to these discs that are suspended from within by three clearly articulated and stable in space. SPECS & PRICING
devices but I needed to crank up the old Way- small zirconium ball bearings that rest in tiny in- Turning to Mobile Fidelity’s recently released Iso-Pods
Back machine to recall my first encounter with dividual dimples. Like a ball-bearing sandwich, and outstanding 45RPM vinyl set of Miles Da- Price: $299 (set of 3); $399 (set of 4)
isolation appliances. And I mean all the way the assembly is held together by powerful op- vis’ Kind of Blue [Columbia], the Iso-Pods re-
back to The Mod Squad’s Tiptoes, the Steve posing magnets centered in each disc. Iso-Pods moved the fine dusting and smear from imag- VOODOO CABLE
McCormack-designed, pointy aluminum cones ship in combinations of three or four discs. es, and sharpened focus. I noted a firmer, more (510) 535-9464
that transformed the sound of a pair of small, For this evaluation I placed three Iso-Pods be- intelligible bass line, and finer volume grada- voodoocable.net
loose, and lively AudioPro subwoofers I was neath the superb MBL C51 integrated amp (Issue tions from Bill Evans’ piano playing alongside

70 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
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MUSIC
Contents
FEATURE: MOBILE FIDELITY’S ONE-STEP LP PROCESS • TOP TEN NEW CDS OF 2016 • TOP TEN CD REISSUES OF 2016 • TOP TEN NEW VINYL RELEASES OF 2016 • TOP TEN VINYL REISSUES OF 2016
TOP TEN POP/ROCK HI-RES DOWNLOADS OF 2016 • TOP TEN CLASSICAL HI-RES DOWNLOADS OF 2016

71 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Music Feature

Making Better-Sounding Records

Mobile Fidelity’s One-Step Process
Robert Harley

R
eissue label Mobile Fidelity has process. (Incidentally, the process is identical in
developed, in conjunction with the CD manufacturing, right down to the chemical
record-pressing plant RTI, a new composition of the plating bath.)
method of creating stampers from which Mobile Fidelity’s Ultradisc One-Step process
LPs are pressed that enables better sound, simply skips two of these steps, creating stamp-
called Ultradisc One-Step. To understand the ers directly from the master lacquer. Although
significance of the Ultradisc One-Step process, it may sound simple in theory, making stamp-
you first need to know how LP stampers are ers from a lacquer is challenging. For starters,
traditionally made. the silver One-Step stamper (which MoFi calls This approach seems good in theory, but a sense of life and vitality. In short, it’s almost
Conventional LP manufacturing is a three-step a “convert”) is much more fragile than the nick- how does MoFi’s Ultradisc One-Step sound? like listening to a different—and far superior—
process. After the master lacquer has been cut, it el stampers of conventional LP manufacturing. The company’s first release is Santana’s recording of this music.
is dipped in a chemical bath and electroplated Second, if the convert is damaged, the master masterpiece Abraxas. Fortunately, I own MoFi’s Cut at 45rpm and spread out over two discs,
with silver (step one). The silver coating that lacquer must be cut again. Third, the One-Step previous reissue of this title and am very familiar the new Ultradisc One-Step version of Abraxas
is peeled away from the lacquer is called the process allows only one stamper to be created with its sound. There is simply no comparison; also benefits from a deluxe graphic and
metal master. The metal master is a negative from a master lacquer, thereby limiting the num- the Ultradisc One-Step is so much better in packaging treatment. The embossed outer box
impression of the lacquer; the lacquer’s groove ber of copies that can be pressed from a lacquer. every sonic criterion. The Ultradisc is much features the original album art. Inside you’ll
becomes a ridge in the metal master. In conventional three-step production, multiple more alive, detailed, present, and dynamic find two embossed jackets, each containing an
The metal master is then electroplated; stampers can be pulled from a single mother. than even MoFi’s excellent prior reissue. The LP. A re-creation of the album art is included,
the part peeled away from the metal master MoFi’s One-Step removes from the process percussion fairly leaps out of the speakers, as along with an explanation of the One-Step
is called the mother (step two). The mother two physical generations of electroplated metal though it had been recorded yesterday. Carlos process. Priced at $100, the album isn’t cheap,
is electroplated to create the stampers (step parts, theoretically realizing better sound quali- Santana’s searing guitar soars in the middle of but it’s safe to say that you’ve never heard this
three) that are put into the record press to ty. That is, the “convert” that stamps the records the soundstage as if a lid had been lifted off album sound anywhere close to this good.
create the groove impression in the heated more closely represents the groove modulations the sound. The bass is phenomenally better, Bill Evans’ Sunday at the Village Vanguard is
vinyl. This conventional method is called the than would a stamper made in a three-step pro- with more depth and definition. A wealth of next in line for release in Ultradisc One-Step,
“master-mother-stamper” or “three-step” cess. small details emerges, infusing the music with with many more titles to follow.

72 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten New CDs of 2016

David Bowie: Blackstar. Columbia/ISO. Fred Hersch Trio: Sunday Night at the Van- Nels Cline: Lovers. Blue Note John McLaughlin: Black Light. AbstractLogix.
guard. Palmetto. (2 CDs or LPs).
Call it David Bowie’s death house letter. It may be more than 40 years since John Mc-
With its lyrical themes of death and rebirth, A pianist of uncommon sensitivity and elegant None of chameleon guitar hero Nels Cline’s Laughlin pioneered jazz-rock with the Miles Davis
Blackstar is the final chapter in Bowie’s lyricism combined with an infinite capacity to many ambitious recordings, during a career electric groups, Tony Williams’ Lifetime, and his
flirtation with everything from the occult to swing, Hersch benefits greatly from a remark- that has taken him from the L.A. jazz and rock own Mahavishnu Orchestra, but the 73-year-old
gay culture (“Girl Loves Me”) while its liberal ably interactive, elastic rhythm section (bass- underground to rock stardom with Wilco, sums British musician still plays with the energy and
references to film and literature demonstrate ist John Hebert and drummer Eric McPherson) up his encyclopedic musical tastes, unfettered curiosity of a hungry young man. His latest ver-
his life-as-performance-art aesthetic. The on this intimate live recording from the hal- creativity, and kaleidoscopic electric, acoustic, sion of electric-guitar-driven fusion is no mere
mood throughout is dark, beginning with the lowed subterranean space in the heart of NYC’s and lap steel guitar wizardry like this orchestral throwback, as McLaughlin and keyboardist Gary
mournful title track, an epic piece of cinematic Greenwich Village. A followup to Hersch’s 2012 double album. Whether it’s a romantic standard Husband employ the latest synthesizers and pro-
art rock that was used as the theme to the BBC- double album Alive at the Vanguard, Sunday (“Secret Love”), an offbeat jazz or rock number gramming machines to keep the sound fresh and
TV crime series The Last Panthers. On this and Night includes a gentle, impressionist take on (Jimmy Giuffre’s “Cry Want,” Gabor Szabo’s edgy. Black Light is an ideal follow-up to 2014’s
“Lazarus,” the theme to Bowie’s recent off- a Rodgers & Hammerstein tune (“A Cockeyed “Lady Gabor,” Sonic Youth’s “Snare Girl”), re- live The Boston Record, featuring the same 4th
Broadway play, Bowie’s vocal hovers ghostlike Optimist” from South Pacific), underscored by imagined film music (Henry Mancini’s “The Dimension quartet, with the virtuosic Etienne
atop a sonic bed of synth washes, stuttering McPherson’s hip, lightly swinging pulse and Search for Cat”), or a Cline original (“Hairpin & M’Bappe on electric and fretless bass guitars, and
drumbeats, and honking sax parts. While Hebert’s sparse, contrapuntal approach on the Hatbox”), each piece is a night visitor drifting in the astonishing Ranjit Barot on drums and vocals.
experimental pop and Krautrock underpin bass. “The Optimum Thing” is Hersch’s clever on a different mood, robed in a unique arrange- The studio mix boasts enveloping breadth and
these recordings, Bowie enlisted saxophonist Lennie Tristano-esque contrafact on Irvin Ber- ment by conductor Michael Leonhart, and bene- jolting crispness. The eight tunes, all McLaugh-
Don McCaslin and drummer Mike Guiliana to lin’s “The Best Thing for You,” and his jauntily fitting in one way or another from 22 musicians lin compositions, come in two essential modes:
perform on “’Tis a Pity She was a Whore” and swinging “Blackwing Palomino” may be the who add strings, brass, reeds, drums, percus- barnburners with ridiculously fast runs and fu-
the re-recording of “Sue (Or in a Season of only jazz song ever dedicated to a pencil. The sion, keyboards, and such unusual instruments rious complexity (including bursts of scat-like
Crime),” and other jazzers also contributed to trio takes a daring walk on the avant-garde side as celeste, harp, and slide trumpet. Intimate vocals emphasizing the Indian konokol rhythmic
the album. Of course, Bowie was no stranger on “Calligram,” a Hersch original dedicated to and lovely, abstract and dark, disorienting and patterns), and romantic explorations of sweet
to jazz—such hits as “Changes” and “Young French pianist-composer Benoit Delbecq, and hallucinogenic—all qualities befitting Cline’s melodies and cosmic space. McLaughlin pays
Americans” featured sax breaks—but here they deliver a transcendent reading of Jimmy long-held dream come true—Lovers is a like a homage to Ravi Shankar and Remember Shak-
it’s more exploratory. It’s difficult to imagine Rowles’ hauntingly beautiful ballad “The Pea- postmodern, electronics-and-effects-enriched, ti mandolinist Srinivas, and on “El Hombre Que
another artist capable of delivering such an cocks.” Other highlights include a melancholic outside-veering twist on Miles Davis’ and Gil Sabia”—dedicated to the late Paco de Lucia—he
intimate, powerful, mature and, yes, painful take on The Beatles’ “For No One” and a vibrant Evans’ Quiet Nights and the most surprising switches to acoustic guitar, maintaining the same
epitaph as Blackstar, Bowie’s parting gift to his interpretation of Monk’s “We See.” There’s a and absorbing “jazz” album of the year thus far. bristling energy and emotional depth that course
fans. Greg Cahill brilliant bit of telepathy going on in this in- Derk Richardson through the entire album. Derk Richardson
spired set. Bill Milkowski
Further Listening: David Bowie: Sound + Further Listening: Nels Cline: Dirty Baby; Alex Further Listening: Mahavishnu Orchestra:
Vision; Station to Station Further Listening: Fred Hersch: Sarabande; Cline: The Lamp and the Star Birds of Fire
Whirl

73 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten New CDs of 2016

Sarah Jarosz: Undercurrent. Sugar Hill. Paul Simon: Stranger to Stranger. Concord. Sonny Rollins:Holding the Stage: Road Shows Ferit Odman: Dameronia with Strings. Equinox.
Vol. 4.Okeh.
There’s nothing jaded about Sarah Jarosz, a “Sound is the theme of this album,” Paul Simon “There is enough ugliness in the world,” Tadd
Yes, a Sonny Rollins live set is predictable. The
Dameron once said. “I’m interested in beauty.”
conservatory-trained Texan whose 2009 debut has said of Stranger to Stranger, and the res- repertoire will mix standards (here, “In a Sen-
So he wrote melodies that were unabashedly
album Song Up in Her Head garnered a Gram- ervoir of sounds he draws from come from all timental Mood”), originals (including the Ca-
pretty and, in many cases, as hummable as a
my nomination. On the first line of the open- over the globe. Pitch-shifted, sped up, slowed ribbean-tinged “Don’t Stop the Carnival”), and
good pop song. His compositions shine in small
ing song of Undercurrent, the sparsely arranged down, and otherwise tweaked and distorted, perhaps a quirky pop tune (“Sweet Leilani”).
group settings (including his own quartet date
and introspective ballad “Early Morning Light,” sources include Cloud-Chamber Bowls creat- Most of the sidemen will be familiar names;
with John Coltrane) or with larger ensembles,
these performances—from seven different
she fingerpicks an acoustic guitar and tells an ed by Harry Partch, the Italian dance sounds of including the one Blue Mitchell headed on
concerts dating from 1979 to 2012—include,
invisible lover it’s time to move on and try a Clap! Clap!, flamenco handclaps, a 1939 Gold- 1961’s Smooth as the Wind, for which Damer-
in various alignments, bassists Bob Cranshaw
different plan. That theme permeates this al- en Gate Quartet recording, African rhythms on penned some arrangements. That album
and Jerome Harris, trombonist Clifton Ander-
bum, yet it’s unsullied by bitterness or malice; that hearken back to Graceland, and gospel inspired this project, which pairs a jazz quartet
son, pianists Mark Soskin and Stephen Scott,
indeed, what makes Undercurrent distinctive is melodies that trace back further; electronics with a string sextet and delves into some bet-
guitarists Bobby Broom and Peter Bernstein,
Jarosz’s ability to serve heartbreak with equal flit in and out without disturbing (and at times ter-known Dameron compositions, including
and drummers Al Foster and Victor Lewis. And
portions of spiritual renewal. She soars on the enhancing) the groove. Somehow everything “On A Misty Night,” “If You Could See Me Now,”
while the supporting band members are im-
“Smooth as the Wind,” “Our Delight,” and
joyful, pop-inflected “Green Lights,” reflect- gets rolled into songs that can be surprising- pressive, the main reason to listen to Sonny
“Soultrane.” Soloists Danny Grisell (piano) and
ing on the magic feeling one gets at the first ly radio-friendly, as with the leadoff single, Rollins has always been to hear him improvise
trumpeter Terell Stafford (trumpet) both spar-
blush of love and embracing life’s seemingly “Wristband.” Propelled by Carlos Henriquez’s on tenor sax. He was 49 when the earliest of
kle on Dameronia with Strings, whose first run
endless possibilities. “Everything to Hide” re- driving bass line, the song spins a narrative that these road-show songs was recorded (“Dis-
of all-analog vinyl will probably sell out soon.
turns to a sparse, fingerstyle arrangement; the in the first two verses finds Simon’s wry sense co Monk”) and 82 when he played the brief
Fortunately a second, non-limited, less-expen-
“Mixed Emotions,” a duet with guitarist Saul
song’s refrain (“Can you feel this undercurrent of humor intact—and then suddenly goes big sive vinyl release is planned, and all along a CD
Rubin. He’s 85 now, and no longer performing.
and the pulling of the tides?”) gives the album picture, the wristband taking on cosmic impli- has been available that features a warm and
But you won’t hear any flagging of stamina on
its title. The need to push on informs “Comin’ cations. On the ballads Simon’s lyrics tend to natural string sound and a nice sense of air. If
these tracks, and there’s never a shortage of
Undone,” where Jarosz explores how to hold be abstract and philosophical; elsewhere he you’ve been complaining about audiophile re-
musical ideas unfurling in rapid and surprising
it together as the world collapses around her bumps up against street angels, ERs, bouncers, cordings where the performances fail to match
succession when Rollins blows. He embodies
and proclaims, “I’m a lover but also a fighter.” werewolves, war veterans, and Cool Papa Bell. the same high level as the sonics, Dameronia
the joy of music, and his gutsy playing makes
with Strings will remind you what happens
Such small declarations run throughout Un- Heck, he still has enough street creds to be that joy palpable for us, often in epic pro-
when everything gels. Jeff Wilson
dercurrents, and Jarosz shows a country- and barred from the venue where his ax is on the portions. That is grandeur you can count on.
folk-singer’s talent for penning smart, personal bandstand—no rock star bubble for him. Jeff Derk Richardson
songs filled with hope and courage. Greg Cahill Wilson Further Listening: Philly Joe Jones: To Tadd
Further Listening: Sonny Rollins: A Night at the with Love; Milt Jackson Orchestra: Big Bags
Further Listening: Sarah Jarosz: Song Up in Her Further Listening: Harry Partch: A Portrait; Village Vanguard; Without a Song: The 9/11
Head; Laura Veirs: Year of Meteors Carlos Fernandez: The Bronx Pyramid Concert

74 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten New CDs of 2016

Lucinda Williams: The Ghosts of Highway 20. High- one of many songs that show off Williams’ gift for Sibelius, others: Trios. Sibelius Piano Trio. Yar- by currently active composers, three of them first
way 20/Thirty Tigers. phrasing, calling to mind Frank Sinatra in her abil- lung (2 CDs). recordings of commissions by the group. Each is
ity to stretch a word just so or leave just the right roughly a quarter-hour long, though they vary wide-
Lucinda Williams doesn’t sound like anybody else, space between syllables. Perhaps this is a side ef- Though renowned for his symphonic works, Si- ly in style and mood and hence give the players a
yet she reminds all of us of somebody we know. fect of being raised by a noted poet and literature belius wrote a lot of chamber music too, much of chance to display their versatility and wide-ranging
Hers is the voice of the person who crawls into bed professor, father Miller Williams. On “Louisiana,” it early in his career, that remains little known. This musicianship. Diego Schissi’s clever and engaging
at 3 a.m., sleeplessness slicing it to ribbons, whiskey she delivers every line with a precision that sounds includes several piano trios from the 1880s that the Nene uses soothing harmonies, delicate instrumen-
dulling its edges. On her darkly brilliant new two- kicked-back but is anything but, her pauses remark- young composer (an accomplished violinist) wrote tal interplay, and intricate rhythms that bounce
disc The Ghosts of Highway 20, Williams’ voice— ably effective as she sings, “So hot you could fry an to play with his brother and sister. They sound noth- merrily along to create an air of insouciant activi-
weathered by experience and crackling with pain— egg on the sidewalk.” ing like his mature masterpieces but are neverthe- ty; slower sections offset the predominant busily
evokes a mood so real you can almost taste it. Throughout “Ghosts,” Williams stretches herself less charming, expertly made, and brimming over repeating figurations with meditative calm. David
In the hands of Williams and her tight-as-a-tour- with complex arrangements and styles. “Doors of with dandy tunes, inventive but always idiomatic Lefkowitz’s Ruminations is a rhapsody that explores
niquet band, including guitarists Bill Frisell and Greg Heaven” has a rabble-rousing gospel vibe, while and transparent instrumental textures, and a youth- exotic melisma and nasal, at times acrid timbres
Leisz, bassist David Sutton, and drummer Butch “Faith and Grace” could be heard in a jazz club, with ful, high-spirited delight in music-making. (with the strings mimicking Middle Eastern winds
Norton, the Deep South and its people and places an almost improvisational arrangement. As deli- Korppoo Trio is the most ambitious and expan- and ouds, the piano strummed like a plucked lyre)
come alive. Twelve of the 14 songs were informed cious as the playing is, however, the star of these sive of the three Sibelius trios on Yarlung’s program, to convey effusions both ecstatic and lamenting.
by the experiences and mood of Highway 20, which songs—as always with Williams—is the words. Her coming in at 26 minutes, its fluent, melodic open- More intense still, and more violent, is Kaija Saa-
slashes through the region from Texas to South Car- lyrics would work as poems or even chapters in a ing allegro interrupted on occasion by stabbing, riaho’s Je sens un deuxième coeur (“I feel a second
olina. On the brooding title track, steel guitar and Southern-soaked novel in the Faulkner vein. On rather Beethovenian assertions and even a clean- heart”), a programmatic depiction of the inner tur-
unrelenting percussion (played with brushes, to song after song, lyrics leap from the speakers, Wil- lined fugato at one point, though the overall form moil of a pregnant woman who survives a vicious
haunting effect) build a somber atmosphere, Wil- liams painting pictures of slamming screen doors, is classic in outline and clear as a bell. The second attack and discovers, to her relief, that her unborn
liams observing, “I know this road like the back of scorned lovers, and achingly desolate nights alone. movement unfolds elaborate episodes that delve child’s heart is still beating. Finally, there’s Lotta
my hand.” I listened to this album while hurtling “I’ve seen the face of hell/I know that place pretty into Romantic pathos and fantasy, with striking use Wennäkoski’s Päärme, another angry fantasia, this
across a lonely highway in the dark on a passenger damn well,” she sneers on “If There’s a Heaven.” On of high birdcalls and glassy harmonics in the violin one without the consoling resolution of Saariaho’s,
bus, and I swear it felt like a soundtrack written just the scorching “Bitter Memory,” a had-it-up-to-here (presumably to show off the young composer-vio- driven along by a rapid mechanical pulse beneath
for that night. Williams promises, “Let me show you to the door, linist’s prowess on his instrument). A vivace rondo widely disjunct piano punctuations and screechy
“Place in My Heart” is a lilting two-step that cap- bitter memory.” And in what is surely the most finale dances gaily along, bringing the trio to an strings that stutter, twist, and howl in torment. Not
tures both sweetness and pain. And “Can’t Close memorable lyric, on “Death Came,” she mourns, exhilarating conclusion. Hafträsk Trio is warmer, comforting stuff, but definitely enough noise to
the Door on Love” manages to sound slow-dance- “Death came and gave you his kiss.” more relaxed, and closer to Grieg, while the concise keep the wolves away.
tender and vaguely menacing, with provocative Growled in Williams’ voice, raw and ragged, even Lovisa Trio puts two light-hearted and celebratory The Sibelius Trio plays with absolute technical se-
guitar licks dancing atop Williams’ warning: “You a kiss from death can sound like a seduction. Karen allegros around a more emotive andante. All three curity and impeccable tonal polish, traversing this
can’t close the door on our love.” The musicians Bells works, especially as played con amore here by the large expanse of musical territory without missing
show restraint and pacing honed over decades and superb Sibelius Piano Trio, will be immediately ap- a step. Yarlung’s recording is, as usual, the epitome
know when to hit the throttle—the swinging “Bit- Further Listening: Various Artists: Return of the pealing to any lover of chamber music, as they most of sonic realism. The two-disc CD release is sup-
ter Memory”—and when to ease off the gas, as on Grievous Angel: A Tribute to Gram Parsons; Emmy- certainly are to yours truly. plemented by downloads in several hi-res formats.
the unhurried and moody “Louisiana.” The latter is lou Harris and Rodney Crowell: Old Yellow Moon The SPT fills out its program with four new works Mark Lehman

75 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten CD Reissues of 2016

The Beatles: Live at the Hollywood Bowl. Ap- Patricia Barber: Café Blue. Premonition (Un- James P. Johnson: Classic James P. Johnson ly recordings, especially the 20-odd tracks from the
ple/Capitol. mastered SACD Hybrid). Sessions (1921–1943). Mosaic (6 CDs). early 1920s that predate the electric recording era,
and the necessity of taking transfers from old 78s
For Beatles fans, the Miracle of 1977 was the There’s a story behind every reissue. Most are James P. Johnson’s place in the history of Ameri- means that noise is audible on many later transfers
release of recordings culled from the group’s purely commercial ventures generated to give can music has long been assured, but never easily as well. Overall, most of the later tracks sound good,
1964 and 1965 Hollywood Bowl concerts. sales a pop. But some are actually intended defined. First and foremost, he is regarded as the and the early ones sound good enough.
Brilliantly restored from abysmal three-track to produce a sense of artistry that audibly im- greatest exemplar of the Harlem stride piano style, As the Great Depression set in, Johnson found
tapes by George Martin, Live at the Hollywood proves on what came before. In this instance which evolved in the Northeast on the heels of the himself in the recording studios less frequently. He
Bowl proved beyond doubt the Fab Four’s on- Premonition has taken an oft-reissued audio- classic ragtime style of the first decade or so of the never worked with important big bands as pianists
stage supremacy. The Miracle of 2016 is this phile chestnut, Barber’s 1994 quirky and cap- 20th century. Since stride developed at the same like Earl Hines and Claude Hopkins did, but he did
restored, expanded edition (with four tracks tivating Café Blue, and handed over the Capitol time as jazz, it is often designated as the first jazz find a unique way to adapt stride to various small-
unavailable on the ’77 vinyl version) wherein Studio 2011 mix to the estimable engineer Gus piano style (though one wonders where that leaves band situations, from the quasi-novelty flavor of
John, Paul, George, and Ringo, performing with Skinas for a new hybrid CD/SACD disc. Rath- New Orleans pianists like Jelly Roll Morton). Stride the Clarence Williams sessions here to dates put
unremittent passion, intensity, and infectious er than retouching the work of the previous pianists also worked in theater bands, as accompa- together by such producers as Hugues Pannassié
joie de vivre, make that point even more em- mastering engineers, Skinas has “unmastered” nists for blues and pop vocalists, and with musical and John Hammond, that featured both swing and
phatically thanks to further masterful audio the digital recording, removing the fine tuning shows. Besides making great contributions in all trad-jazz musicians. Small-group tracks predomi-
polishing by George Martin’s son Giles and en- and limiting often engaged to commercialize these areas, James P. Johnson was an important nate on the last three CDs here; many are terrific:
gineer Sam Okell. The breathtaking panorama recordings. His intention was to let the bene- songwriter, as classics like “Old Fashioned Love,” Frankie Newton session and the Johnson-led date
of brilliance includes Ringo’s solid drumming; fits of DSD shine particularly in “its ability to “If I Could Be with You One Hour Tonight,” and that that produced “Swinging at the Lido.”
George’s electrifying, Carl Perkins-redolent preserve the integrity of the very quiet parts early dance-craze hit “Charleston” all attest. He also Other high points include the wild sounds of
lead guitar; and the bass, rhythm guitar, and of the music” and more specifically to capture composed Third-Stream and classical music, though the Louisiana Sugar Babies, a quartet that included
lead vocal mastery of McCartney and Lennon— the magic of Capitol’s analog reverb chambers most of this has unfortunately been lost. Johnson on piano and Fats Waller on organ, and the
John’s ferocious “Help!” being worth the price and custom Neve board. He’s largely succeed- Johnson’s early recordings and piano rolls were one-off collaboration between Johnson and writer
of admission alone, although the melanchol- ed, as warmth and intimacy are now in greater enormously influential, especially the rollicking Langston Hughes (the poignant “Hungry Blues”).
ic undercurrent in Paulie’s treatment of the supply and the reverb elements are far more “Carolina Shout,” which such aspiring young “tick- Mosaic’s exemplary production values are reflect-
strangely passive-aggressive “Things We Said buttery. During “Ode to Billy Joe,” for example, lers” as Fats Waller and Duke Ellington learned from ed in the excellent notes and detailed discography
Today” is a wonder in and of itself. Yes, once the fingers snaps and bass are more tactile and piano rolls. The 1921 version heard on the first CD in the 28-page accompanying booklet. Prospective
there was a rock ’n’ roll band as great in concert the sibilances understated. Triumphantly, the is often called the first solo jazz piano performance buyers may want to check how much of this six-CD
as it was in the studio, and now it can be heard SACD layer sounds more analog than even the on record. Another 21 solo performances are includ- set is already in their collection, and listeners both-
better than the musicians could hear them- excellent 2011 two-LP set. An achievement! ed this set, mostly toward the beginning and end of ered by surface noise should exercise caution, but
selves on those fateful nights. Wonders never Neil Gader the chronological proceedings. The first three CDs early jazz fans will certainly enjoy this.
cease in Pepperland. David McGee are largely devoted to tracks where Johnson, alone Duck Baker
Further Listening: Patricia Barber: The Cole or with small bands, accompanies vocalists. These
Further Listening: The Beatles: Live! at the Porter Mix; Smash range from transcendent (Bessie Smith) to great Further Listening: The Original James P. Johnson
Star-Club in Hamburg, Germany; 1962 (Ethel Waters) to forgettable (Roy Evans). It should 1942-1945, Piano Solos; Fats Waller: Turn on the
be noted that sound fidelity is a concern on the ear- Heat: The Fats Waller Piano Solos

76 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten CD Reissues of 2016

Kenny Wheeler: The Complete Remastered The Beatles: 1+. Capitol.
Recordings. Black Saint/Soul Note (5 CDs).
Expectations have run high among fans waiting
Miles Davis once said of the great bossa nova for the Fab Four’s complete original catalog in
musician João Gilberto, “He could read a news- surround sound. This ain’t that, but it’s a step
paper and make it sound good.” Similar thoughts in that direction. This super-deluxe edition of
would apply to Kenny Wheeler, whose tone on the 1+ compilation, packaged in a hardcover
the trumpet and flugelhorn was so warm, rich, portfolio with detailed liner notes, includes a
full, and creamy that he probably could have stereo CD of the original 27-track 1 album and
made a silly radio jingle sound like a substan- a pair of Blu-ray discs featuring 50 restored
tial piece of music. Fortunately, throughout his videos, some with alternative versions, in 5.1
career Wheeler, who passed away in September surround mixes. Audio is offered in DTS-HD
of 2014, wrote and interpreted compositions Master Audio 5.1 (96/24), Dolby Digital 5.1,
with real weight, his body of work ranging from and LPCM 2.0. The surround mix of “A Day in
edgy projects with Anthony Braxton to the lyrical the Life” alone is worth the price of admission.
sounds of his ECM outings as well as this com- The earlier songs sound best on multi-channel
pilation of recordings as a leader and sideman stereo, the remixed vocals being brought into
on the Soul Note label. Four of the releases con- the center of the soundstage. Later material,
sist of small-group settings that allow Wheeler beginning with the Help! era, fares best in
plenty of room to stretch out. The two dates with surround. For example, the blaring horns in
Wheeler at the helm feature his frequent (and the fade-in coda to the Dada-esque 1967
ideal) collaborator, pianist John Taylor; quartet video for “Strawberry Fields Forever” pan from
dates, where bassist Paolino Dalla Porta (Tales) the front to rear speakers. One of the best
and saxophonist Claudio Fasoli (Welcome) han- surround mixes is the “Within You Without
dle the songwriting duties, are similarly expres- You/Tomorrow Never Knows” mashup from the
sive. For these reasons this highly consistent promo video to Love, which was produced by
set, one of several new compilations from the Giles Martin. Also serving as remix producer on
Black Saint/Soul Note archives, would serve as this set, Martin strenuously avoided gimmickry
an excellent introduction to the talents of Kenny in handling these pop gems. Greg Cahill
Wheeler. Jeff Wilson
Further Listening: The Beatles: A Hard Day’s
Further Listening: Kenny Wheeler: Deer Wan; Night (Blu-ray); Help! (Blu-ray)
Angel Song

77 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten CD Reissues of 2016

Leonard Bernstein: Leonard Bernstein Edition: committed soloist. Four recordings here are as the typical British roast beef and Yorkshire of performances is consistently, astonishingly
Concertos & Orchestral Works. Sony Classical near definitive as you can get: the Barber with pudding by playing it with ears that grew up high; that of the recordings more variable,
(80 CDs). Stern as soloist; and the Gershwin Rhapsody in on Stravinsky and Copland. Back in the day but usually good or very much better in the
Blue and the Ravel and Shostakovich concertos Bernstein was highly regarded (among others, Columbia/John McClure mode of spot-miking
The first volume of Sony’s continuing Leonard with Bernstein himself at the keyboard. by no less a critic than Virgil Thomson) as a with atmosphere mixed in. The range and
Bernstein Edition, “big box” collections Throughout his career, and especially in his conductor of French music. Here you’ll find a variety of music and interpretation are matched
of everything the conductor recorded for last two decades, Bernstein was a conductor dynamic La Mer, a dramatic complete Daphnis by an equally impressive depth.
Columbia, CBS, and Sony, documented Bernstein of such high seriousness, never shirking the and Chloe, and the darkest, most pulverizing Anybody familiar with Bernstein hardly needs
as interpreter, custodian, and composer of the toughest challenges of the orchestral and and assaultive La Valse ever. to be informed that he went for idea, effect,
symphony as a musical form (TAS 212). With choral/orchestra repertoire, that despite all Bernstein was famous for his performances emotion, and meaning, and if that meant putting
80 CDs, this second volume contains all his the music he wrote for Broadway, he was rarely of 20th-century music from Stravinsky to up with occasional roughness, imprecision, and
recordings of concertos and orchestral works thought of as a “pops” conductor or noted Copland and beyond, though primarily as mistakes, so be it. He was not a Karajan for
that aren’t symphonies, throwing into relief for his performances of lighter music, a few an exponent for what is sometimes called whom smoothness and homogeneity reigned
three aspects of his accomplishments that are conspicuous exceptions notwithstanding. This “traditional modernism.” But he was also a supreme, or an Ormandy who sought a lush,
sometimes obscured: accompanist, “pops” collection proves a revelation. Way back in selective avant-gardist, as fine recordings of tonal opulence, or a precisionist like Szell.
conductor, and infrequent avant-gardist. my early years as a music-loving audiophile Ives’s Holidays, Berg’s violin concerto, Foss’s For the most part this is viscerally exciting,
Taking these in order, “accompanist” is I purchased a three-LP Bernstein set called Time Cycle, Copland’s gnarly Connotations for electrically volatile, emotionally intense, and
misleading because Bernstein was simply too Overtures. The first thing I listened to was the Orchestra and Inscape, Ligeti’s Atmospheres, passionate music making. The Amazon price for
strong and protean an artistic personality to William Tell, which took the top of my head off. and Feldman’s “Last Pieces” impressively the box comes to $1.52 per CD, but the riches
subordinate himself wholly to someone else’s I must have played it a hundred times that first demonstrate. Best of all is a stupendous it contains are priceless, indeed, quite beyond
conception. “Who’s the boss?” he asked the year, each section so vividly characterized with performance, much admired by the composer, evaluation. Paul Seydor
audience before the notorious performance of the most viscerally exciting thunderstorm and of Carter’s Concerto for Orchestra, which should
the Brahms D Minor where he and Glenn Gould the most sensationally thrilling sunrise—the have joined the standard repertoire decades
did not agree on how the piece should go. Yes, “Lone Ranger” part—of my experience. Indeed, ago. Further Listening: Leonard Bernstein: The
that performance is here, sounding rather less the whole set of Rossini overtures is fabulous: As just listing the contents of the first 24 of Symphony Edition (Sony); The Bernstein
radical than it once must have coming after the bold, brash, bursting with energy. these 80 CDs would use up my word allotment, Collection Vol. 1 (DG)
DG recording with Krystian Zimerman, where I’d never heard Bernstein’s recording of allow me to conclude with a few general
it’s the conductor setting the slow tempos. Enescu’s Romanian Rhapsody No. 1 before: observations. The physical presentation is as
Outstanding here are Beethoven concertos like the William Tell, each section marvelously before, with an LP-sized box and booklet (David
with Serkin (sensational “Emperor”), Gould characterized and building to a wild yet Gutman is the lone essayist this time), many
(poetic, introspective Fourth; see my review supremely controlled final dance. If Reiner’s nice photographs, and, unlike the symphony
in Issue 229), and Stern (ardent and romantic); Bartok Concerto for Orchestra is gourmet set, different recordings of the same works
Sibelius with Francescatti (the melting lyricism goulash, Bernstein’s, robust and outgoing, all included. Documentation remains skimpy,
of the lovely descending violin theme in the comes straight from the farm. Because he and there is a spectacular error on the back
first movement remains unsurpassed); and a conducted so little British music, a big surprise of the box, as the New York Philharmonic is
passionate Harold in Italy, William Primose the might be this revelatory Planets that eschews omitted from the list of orchestras! The quality

78 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten CD Reissues of 2016

Various Artists: Legends of Old-Time Music: 50 Instruments like fiddles and banjos might lead and you can see why young musicians all over
Years of County Records. County (4 CDs). listeners to expect a bluegrass compilation, the world try to copy them.
but this old-time music is bluegrass’ eccentric Nowadays, when even Brooklyn echoes with
As the music industry shrinks, fascination with old uncle, drawing on downhome blues and fiddles and banjos, Legends of Country Music
the recording process is booming. Today’s vintage pop as well as Scots-Irish fiddle and returns us to the true vine. The sound may be
interest in all things analog stretches to the ballad traditions. Highlights include Joe and lo-fi, but the music is authentic and unique.
golden age of field recordings, characterized Janette Carter (children of A.P. and Sara of Produced by Christopher King and beautifully
by the traveling, makeshift studios of the the original Carter Family) keeping the Scots- annotated, it’s a roots-music must-have. Larry
1920s, 30s, and 40s, when audio expeditions Irish ballad style alive on the Carter classics Nager
were launched by labels like Columbia and “Will You Miss Me” and “Anchored in Love.”
Victor, as well as the Library of Congress. The Guitarist E.C. Ball fingerpicks an elegant “Home Further Listening: Wade Ward: Uncle Wade;
tradition of field recording continued into Sweet Home.” A true pioneer, fiddler Clark Clark Kessinger: Sweet Bunch of Daisies
the second half of the 20th century. By then Kessinger recorded since the 1920s; the five
it was mostly urban folkies hauling Nagra pieces found here all stand out, including his
reel-to-reel recorders into remote locations duet with guitarist Gene Meade on “Sally Ann
in the Appalachians, the Mississippi Delta, Johnson.” At the other end of the age spectrum
and beyond, documenting the last musical is 13-year-old dulcimer whiz Bonnie Russell of
generation before mass communications the Russell Family, who owns “Ebenezer,” “Sail
homogenized regionality. In 1963 the launching Away Ladies,” and “Old Suzanna.”
of the County Label furthered these efforts. County’s trademark was the mountain
Traveling to Virginia, North Carolina, and Texas, banjo/fiddle player, and the set opens with
Dave Freeman, Richard Nevins, Charles Faurot, Wade Ward’s solo version of the very popular
and others captured the sounds of musicians “June Apple,” a seminal example of the
whose efforts otherwise would have been lost clawhammer style of banjo playing. Much of
to further generations. Selections from those the best music comes from less well-known
recording sessions fill the new four-CD boxed banjo players, including the obscure Dee
set anthology Legends of Old-Time Music. Hicks, who contributes an exquisite, sparkling
The name of the label refers to the isolation “Lost Gander.” Kyle Creed and Fred Cockerham
of these musicians, which was so severe team up for a wonderful fiddle/banjo duet on
that each county had a distinct musical style, “Stillhouse.”
unimaginable in today’s global village, where But the string bands pack the biggest wallop.
Japanese musicians replicate the Memphis Jug When they get a head of steam (and probably
Band. That unique sense of place is one of the a little moonshine), they rock with an anarchic
delights of this 113-song box. Listening to it, energy that shames the Ramones. Listen to the
you enter a lost world as remote as Jurassic Camp Creek Boys’ “Susannah Gal” or Oscar
Park (but more danceable and less carnivorous). Burris and the Mountain Ramblers’ “Fortune”

79 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten CD Reissues of 2016

Frank Sinatra: A Voice on Air (1935–1955). diverse archival sources, with over 100 tracks, the Las Vegas shows sometimes deluded he breaks into song, New Jersey disappears
Sony Legacy (4 CDs). 90 previously unreleased, 48 of those songs he himself into thinking he had gifts as a standup, and he becomes…well, let me quote a close
never recorded elsewhere, and a 60-page book these broadcasts reveal a confident, convivial friend of mine who teaches English as a second
If Frank Sinatra were alive today he would have by Charles L. Granata, this set documents for host with a winning personality that radiates language: “I’m no Sinatra fan, but I could teach
celebrated his 100th birthday on December the first time a vitally important early stage in enthusiasm, sincerity, warmth, and charm. my students how to pronounce English correctly
12, 2015. Round-number decades inspire Sinatra’s development as singer and performer. Little wonder people so eagerly welcomed the just by playing them his records.” Sinatra did
celebrations; centennials erect monuments. Digitizing original glass and aluminum young man with the gorgeous voice into their not accomplish this accidently. It was watching
Last year witnessed the Grammy Museum’s transcription discs, Granata and Andreas Meyer living rooms. the likes of Cary Grant, Clark Cable, and others
exhibition Sinatra: An American Icon in New York work miracles of sonic restoration, the results And what a voice it is—even in these years at the movies that first made him aware their
and Los Angeles; HBO offered Alex Gibney’s clean, clear, and fabulously alive. before it became The Voice. What strikes you English was different from what he and his pals
four-hour documentary Sinatra: All or Nothing at Before the rise of long-playing records and immediately is an almost honeyed smoothness, spoke, and as he put it, “Alone in my room, I’d
All, UCLA a course called “Why Sinatra Matters” 45rpm singles, most popular musicians made a supple lightness, which Hamill characterized keep practicing the other kind of English.”
(the title from Pete Hamill’s fine book on the their big money from radio. Likewise Sinatra, as a violin that evolved into a viola, then a cello. As with so much else in this singular artist’s
centrality of Sinatra’s career to the immigrant whom the medium made into a superstar years The voice of the great years—late Columbia music, the perfection of his art was as much
experience); several labels repackaged their before Hollywood turned him into a movie star through Capitol and well into Reprise— an act of willed intelligence and dedicated
holdings into new collections; his movies and the Capitol recordings established him as exhibits ever darkening timbre as the ravages application as raw talent and intuition. These
proliferated in festivals and on air while many the greatest exponent of the Great American of whiskey, cigarettes, insomnia, and age exact broadcasts document both the apprenticeship
of his filmed concerts and television specials Songbook. Some of the new material here their toll. It’s a cliché that as singers mature and the developing mastery of a young man
were rebroadcast; the Sinatra family created is Hit Parade stuff and other ephemera, but the greater depth of their interpretations who knew where he wanted to go and the work
an app called Sinatra 100; Jack Daniels saluted much else yields real gems, including songs compensates for the loss of youthful splendor he needed to do to get there. Paul Seydor
its “biggest fan” with a new bourbon named by Porter, Kern, Loesser, Berlin, and others that in their voices. Well, yes, yes, true enough—as
“Sinatra Select”; and some ten (or more—I Sinatra never recorded again. Included among Sinatra got older his interpretations certainly Further Listening: Frank Sinatra: In the Wee
stopped counting) new or reissued books saw the bands, arrangers, and guests are Harry did deepen, becoming more subtle, nuanced, Small Hours; Only the Lonely
publication (including James Kaplan’s Sinatra: James, Tommy Dorsey, Alex Stordhal, Dorothy and powerful. But a good many of those
The Chairman, the eagerly anticipated second Kirsten, Nat King Cole, Doris Day, Peggy Lee, qualities are in evidence here: the exquisite
volume of his definitive biography Sinatra: The Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, and Benny Goodman. phrasing, the rhythmic sureness allied to
Voice). This list is by no means complete. Granata and Meyer wisely eschew trying to flexibility, the absolute primacy placed upon
Though he died in 1998, Sinatra never really excavate the music alone, which would have expressing the feelings, the meanings behind
disappeared, so is there anything more to involved some pretty brutal clippings and the words, and of course the perfect diction.
learn about the man and his music? Turns out, fades, instead presenting several complete This last is worth remarking upon. When
there is. Released this past November, Sony broadcasts (most were very short), including Sinatra banters with his guests, hawks cigarettes
Legacy’s Sinatra: A Voice on Air (1935-55) is introductions, announcements, commercials, (the sheer amount of tobacco sponsorship
an elegantly bedecked four-CD compilation news (President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s D-Day staggering), pushes savings bonds for the war
of radio performances from his first broadcast address), even rehearsals. The resulting effort, or simply addresses listeners at home,
(singing “S-H-I-N-E” with the Hoboken Four) to aural snapshots of both era and singer are his articulation is no less precise, yet the accent
his last on The Frank Sinatra Show. Culled from invaluable. If the Sinatra of the Rat Pack and is straight out of Hoboken. But the moment

80 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION

CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS

ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

A System’s Foundation
Top Ten CD Reissues of 2016
Larry Young: In Paris: The ORTF Recordings. Them: The Complete Them 1964–1967. Sony
Resonance Records. Legacy (3 CDs).

Many guitarists and pianists absorbed the Although personnel constantly shifted, one
musical and spiritual influence of John Coltrane; founding member of Them is the reason the
Larry Young—born in Newark, NJ, in 1940— British Invasion band still holds our attention.
was the musician who most dramatically Van Morrison was already, by the time a 1964
channeled the saxophonist’s innovations into recording session produced “Don’t Start Crying
the Hammond organ. He is remembered for Now” backed by “One Two Brown Eyes,” fully
the psychedelic piano and organ sound he prepared to take on the role of frontman.
brought to jazz-rock fusion in drummer Tony Singing with swagger and bravado over reverb-
Williams’ Lifetime, Miles Davis’ Bitches Brew, drenched garage rock, Morrison was one of
John McLaughlin and Carlos Santana’s Love the best belters out there. On originals like
Devotion Surrender, and his own experimental “Gloria” and covers of blues gems like “Baby Niagara 5000: The World’s Second-Most
recordings in the early 70s. These recently Please Don’t Go,” Morrison launches every line Effective Noise-Dissipation System . . . at half the cost.
discovered performances, recorded in Paris in with so much attitude you can almost picture
There are many cute lines and myths about results. However, some of these techniques also
December 1964 and January 1965, show Young him snarling behind the microphone. The
a system only being as strong as its weakest cause ringing, current compression, and nonlinear
transcending the soul-jazz of B-3 master Jimmy Complete Them 1964–1967, which contains link, or that the source or the speakers are most (obnoxious) distortions. Some cures are worse
Smith, both in his touch, pushing the instrument mono versions of all of Them’s official releases important. Of course the truth is that everything than the disease—some are not as good as
in new sonic directions, and in his embrace of along with 24 demos, sessions, and rarities, matters, and the chain-analogy is bogus because plugging straight into the wall.
there is no link which prevents changes elsewhere
modal structures and free improvisation. He chronicles the transition between Morrison’s Niagara designer Garth Powell has devoted 20
from being important.
shines here in trios, quartets, and octets (the hard-edged early style and an approach that laid years of intense research to furthering the science
larger groups organized by Paris-resident tenor the groundwork for his solo career. Against his However, a system’s entire job is converting the AC of AC power. With the Niagara Series, Garth has
wall current into first an electrical representation verifiably advanced the science and efficacy of
saxophonist Nathan Davis), with the phenomenal bandmates’ wishes, Morrison started delving of the audio and video signals, and finally into power conditioning.
but historically underrated trumpeter Woody more deeply into soul during the second Them photons and air pressure changes that bring that
Supplying clean AC power doesn’t necessarily
Shaw bringing additional post-bop energy and LP. Above a less frenetic background, his vocals beautiful signal to you — so noise-free AC is truly
make a Niagara the most important piece in a
melodic licks. The songs include Davis’ “Trane developed a depth and sweetness hitherto fundamental to a system’s performance. Every
system — but any one of the Niagara Noise-
component’s performance is affected.
of Thought,” Young’s “Talkin’ About J. C.,” the undiscovered. As on earlier recordings, he still Dissipation Systems, the 1000, 5000 or 7000, is
standard “Mean to Me,” and Wayne Shorter’s had influences, but no one had sounded quite There are many approaches to reducing the noise frequently the least expensive way to make the
associated with AC power—conditioner-filters, biggest improvement.
“Black Nile.” A booklet of commentaries by John like that before—though his rich vocal style regenerators, isolation transformers, battery
Medeski, Bill Laswell, Dr. Lonnie Smith, and others would quickly launch a long line of imitators. Please give Niagara a look and a listen.
inverters, and more—and all can yield meaningful
reinforces the importance of this miraculously Jeff Wilson
unearthed treasure. Derk Richardson “The Niagara 7000 better resolved fine detail and threw a
Further Listening: The Troggs: From Nowhere; deeper, more expansive soundstage…. Transients of the struck
notes sounded faster, less thick, more naturally expressed
Further Listening: Larry Young: Lawrence of The Animals: Animal Tracks through the Niagara, as did the length of the notes’ decays.”
Newark; Unity —Michael Fremer, Stereophile, February 2016

81 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten New Vinyl Releases of 2016

Vanessa Fernandez: When the Levee Breaks. Anthony Wilson: Frogtown. George Duke: The Era Will Prevail: The MPS sophisticated yet accessible. Unlike some 1970s
Groove Note (three 180-gram 45rpm LPs). Goat Hill (two 180-gram LPs). Studio Years 1973–1976. MPS (7 LPs). musicians surrounded by racks of keyboards, Duke
focused less on flash, pyrotechnics, and displays
This album boasts top-notch production quality, Anthony Wilson is surely one of today’s most In 1966 the owner of Saba Records, Hans Georg of virtuosity than colorful soundscapes that could
including an all-analog recording, mastering by versatile, creative, and chameleonic guitarists. Brunner-Schwer, entered a nightclub where he mesmerize the listener.
Bernie Grundman, and an all-star cast of studio A longtime member of Diana Krall’s band, he’s expected to hear Les McCann, but taking the stage Another key musician responsible for shaping the
musicians. Engineer Michael C. Ross’ claim that played with the likes of Paul McCartney and that evening was another pianist, George Duke. sound during this period was frequent collaborator
the LP—which boasts remarkably clean, trans- Willie Nelson and worked with some of Brazil’s Because of his performance, Duke was offered a “Ndugu” Leon Chancler. Locking into one infectious
parent, and realistic sound—echoes the golden finest; he’s also led a nonet, guitar quartet, and cozy situation for launching a recording career. rhythm after another while working with elite bass
age of audio seems reasonable, but in theory a trio with a Hammond organ and drums. On With Saba and its later incarnation, MPS, Duke was players (Alphonso Johnson and John Heard, mostly),
these pristinely-recorded and mostly-acoustic Frogtown Wilson moves into singer-songwriter free to experiment endlessly, bouncing around to Chancler steadfastly avoided the metronomic
performances move into dangerous territory territory, adding his voice to six of the record’s different styles. The records sounded great, and rhythms that would eventually proliferate in jazz-
by reshaping some old-school raunch ’n’ roll. 13 tracks. With a stellar group beside him, in- Duke was able to work with some of the best jazz, rock circles. On cuts like “Funny Funk,” “Look Into
Actually, though, that’s part of the fun—take cluding drummer Jim Keltner on several tunes fusion, Brazilian, rock, and soul musicians of the Her Eyes,” and “Psychosomatic Dung,” the jagged,
a huge, billowing sound, scale it down, have a and Charles Lloyd’s sax on “Your Footprints,” period. Musically the high point of the ten-year nasty rhythms bring out the best in Duke, Chancler,
woman sing some very male-centric songs, and Wilson weaves a coherent, personal, and collaboration with Brunner-Schwer occurred during and the bass player of the moment.
see what happens. The best cuts succeed for dif- jazz-inflected album. Starting with “She Won’t the MPS years, which saw six full-length releases Other highlights of The Era Will Prevail include the
ferent reasons. Drummer Jim Keltner and bassist Look Back,” he shows his imagery as lyricist (one a double LP); the albums from that period Brazilian-influenced cuts. Here Duke is sometimes
Chris Chaney lay down a killer groove on “Kash- (“Leave your burden/Set down your pack/And comprise The Era Will Prevail. That this music has joined by Airto (percussion) and Flora Purim, whose
mir,” where violinist Charlie Bisharat adds a wild don’t look back”) before moving to the jaunty staying power Madlib, A Tribe Called Quest, Gang vocals on “Yana Aminah” offer the same ethereal
streak; he also brings some edginess to “Immi- wit of the title track. On the turbocharged “Sil- Starr, and other rappers who have sampled Duke’s flavor that helped make the first Return to Forever
grant Song.” Instead of swagger, Fernandez uses ver and Flint” he struts his considerable guitar songs would attest, as would Zappa fans who album so memorable. Zappa repeatedly made his
sly seduction to state her case on “Black Dog.” ability, and the ballad “Our Affair” showcases recognize Duke as an important sideman. Cut from presence felt during this period with guitar solos
At the beginning of “Babe I’m Gonna Leave You” his easy, redwood-toned voice. Wilson has re- original mastertapes, this stylish-looking set boasts on “Love” and “Old Slippers” from Feel. On I Love
she sounds emotionally drained, like she’s been corded for the audiophile label Groove Note, polished sound that skillfully blends Duke’s richly- the Blues, She Heard My Cry guest artists include
waiting all night to break the news to her lov- and his records are generally excellent sound- layered keyboards with the intricacies of first-rate Zappa associates Tom Fowler, Bruce Fowler, Johnny
er. As the song progresses she gains strength ing. Frogtown is open and airy, with a relaxed, rhythm sections. “Guitar” Watson, and Ruth Underwood, and
but not conviction, as if the person she’s really warm clarity that suits the music. Instruments The first album in the series, The Inner Source “Echidna’s Arf” and “Uncle Remus” from The Aura
trying (and failing) to convince is herself—a fine are beautifully captured tonally and texturally, is a double LP with one platter primarily devoted Will Prevail originally appeared on Zappa albums.
reading of a great song. Jeff Wilson and Wilson’s voice is nicely integrated with the to soul jazz and the other to Latin jazz. While that Although musically “Uncle Remus” resembles
unfussy mix. Wayne Garcia record has its virtues, it’s the one that followed, Duke’s mellow R&B vocal excursions, it has more
Further Listening: Vanessa Fernandez: Use Me; Faces in Reflection, that set the template for the bite lyrically, and its status among Zappa fans is
Page and Plant: No Quarter Further Listening: Anthony Wilson: Power of remaining MPS releases. Working with the latest well-deserved. Jeff Wilson
Nine; Seasons instruments—Clavinets, Fender Rhodes electric
pianos, ARP synthesizers, and Minimoogs—Duke Further Listening: Billy Cobham: Life and Times;
created music that was heady yet soulful and Airto: Virgin Land

82 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten New Vinyl Releases of 2016

Vivaldi: Four Seasons. Intrepreti Veneziani. Ennio Morricone: The Hateful Eight. Third Man Frank Kimbrough: Meantime. Newvelle (LP). The New Mastersounds: The Nashville Session.
Chasing the Dragon (LP). (2 LPs). Royal Potato Family (LP).
When a new all-vinyl label sells records on a
The first new direct-to-disc recording to This deluxe release is a kind of audio souvenir subscription-only (and pricey) basis, it better It seems fitting that the New Mastersounds,
come my way since I can’t remember when, of The Hateful Eight, combining about 47 deliver quality across the board, with music a tight, hard-hitting instrumental foursome,
this originates from a British company called minutes of the Oscar-winning original score that stands out and great sonics to boot. I sus- should record an album directly to one-inch tape
Chasing the Dragon by way of the Italian by Ennio Morricone with a few additional pect Newvelle can live up to those standards. and then mix down to quarter-inch tape before
chamber group Interpreti Veneziani, which on songs (by the White Stripes, David Hess, and Production values are nonpareil, with gorgeous cutting straight to vinyl lacquers. After all, their
this occasion numbers four violinists, a violist, Roy Orbison) interspersed with many audio photography by Bernard Plossu and stylish- blend of R&B, funk, and soul jazz reaches back
a cellist, a double-bassist, a harpsichordist, and excerpts from the film which director Quentin ly presented poems by Tracy K. Smith. Gram- to bands like the Meters and Booker T & the
a solo violinist. According to the producer, Mike Tarantino describes in the liner notes—with my-award winner Marc Urselli engineered the MGs, who reigned during a period when analog
Valentine, the recording technology—a direct some understatement—as “rude and hateful sessions, and Scott Hull mastered the first LP was the only game in town and ProTools was
mike-feed to the cutting lathe, which once it dialogue.” The prolific 87-year-old composer in the series, Frank Kimbrough’s Meantime, the hardware store down the street. While
begins cannot be interrupted without starting is best known for a small portion of his work where the leader’s talents as a songwriter and overdub-free recordings can make for self-
again with a new lacquer—dictated choice of in the Western genre decades ago, but this arranger are on the same high level as his pia- conscious playing, the New Mastersounds
repertoire, since a pair of seasons easily fits on score—mostly newly created, except for a no playing. During his solos he mixes fluid lines recorded after a tour instead of before,
an LP side. How did it come out? Sonically the piece written for and not used in the classic with more jagged phrasing that owes some- and the opening tracks (“One Note Brown,”
perspective seems a bit close-up: I never felt I 1982 thriller The Thing—does not echo the thing to Monk, and the interaction between “Coming Up Roses,” “Burnt Back”) threaten to
was hearing an ensemble deployed realistically scene-stealing psychedelic mixtures of sounds him and saxophonist Andrew Zimmerman and spring audiophiles from their sweet spot to a
in a convincing space. Despite the absence and motifs of those earlier scores, with the trumpeter Riley Mulherker during their solos makeshift dance floor. Guitarist Eddie Roberts
of digital intervention, the tonal balance isn’t exception of a single piece using wordless is the mark of a fully-engaged small band. This and organist Joe Tatton share a penchant for
warm; on the contrary, it’s somewhat brightly vocals from a male chorus. Instead it is a subtle, well-sequenced album effectively mixes me- finishing each other’s thoughts and delivering
lit, though very dynamic. Performance? The fascinatingly textured, and mostly orchestral dium tempo post-bop with ballads (including straight-to-the-point solos, allowing the band
restricted instrumental complement took me a set of pieces which relentlessly build tension Kurt Weill’s “Alabama Song”) that have a noirish to pack ten songs comfortably onto two sides
movement or two to get used to, but I did like and depth without forcing attention away from quality. And the ending is set up perfectly: the of an LP. Simon Allen’s in-the-pocket drumming
the overall vigor and drive, not to mention the the images, and thus more akin to his past work most straightforward cut, “Last Night When We and Pete Shands’ fluid bass lines are cleanly
really strong, powerful attacks on tutti chords in suspense and drama. The maestro himself Were Young,” is a heart-wrenching ballad that articulated on a vibrant recording that boasts
(“Winter” is quite sensational). This can hardly conducted the Czech National Symphony seems tailor made for the wee hours. Meantime both clarity and punch. Drum breaks and a bass
be a first recommendation, but if you hanker Orchestra in a recording session at Abbey Road, boasts clean, realistic, well-balanced, and al- solo (still concise) help vary the formula for
for a different Four Seasons, it might appeal. presented here with a sound and mix that luring sound; clearly Newvelle is off to a good what might be described as a jam band minus
Paul Seydor simply could not be better. Mark Milano start. Jeff Wilson the noodling. Jeff Wilson

Further Listening: Vivaldi: Four Seasons Further Listening: Ennio Morricone: Duck, You Further Listening: Frank Kimbrough: Lonely Further Listening: Melvin Sparks: Akilah!; Merl
(Harnoncourt) Sucker!; Crime and Dissonance Woman; Noumena Saunders: Fire Up

83 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten New Vinyl Releases of 2016

Applewood Road: Applewood Road. Gearbox Bennett/Brubeck: The White House Sessions, Harry Partch: A Portrait. New World (LP).
(LP). Live 1962. Impex (two 180-gram LPs).
The original recordings of Harry Partch are
Singer-songwriters Amy Speace, Emily Barker, I’m all for hearing ever-improved re-reissues a real treasure of the 20th century, and this
and Amber Rubarth joined forces last fall, of old favorites, often on spectacular sounding exceptionally well-curated LP, compiled
writing the song that became their group name 45rpm platters. But it’s also really nice to through the efforts of longtime associate
and opening track and title of their debut for receive something fresh, and this never- Danlee Mitchell and others, provides a concise
England’s Gearbox label. This is the sound of before-released gem recorded live in August introduction for new listeners, representing
the newest generation of Music City, based in of 1962 at the White House Seminar American smaller and larger works in duration and
East Nashville, far from the pressures of Music Jazz Concert is pretty wonderful. Disc one instrumentation. Partch was a troubled and
Row. There’s a fierce young creativity there that features the Brubeck Quartet, which kicks off challenging personality as well as a brilliant
the trio brought to Welcome to 1979’s analog with a fast-paced rendition of “Take Five.” As independent innovator; he sometimes used
studio, recording around a single microphone, usual Paul Desmond’s sweet-sounding alto is a classic or ancient sources, sought support
no mixing, no overdubs, no pitch correction. highlight, and the band really cooks throughout from various cultural institutions, and
The result captures the warmth and intimacy of its four tracks. Bennett gets to shine on the created pieces that required considerable
their first writing sessions. The title song is a second LP, delivering a joyful set with his resources to perform, but he also maintained
stunner, three voices gliding gracefully around trio that culminates in “I Left My Heart in San an unpretentious humility and sharp humor
one another in close harmony, backed only by Francisco.” The Brubeck group, sans Desmond, in drawing on his own distinctly American
the lazy thump of Telisha Williams’ upright joins Bennett for the final side’s unrehearsed experiences. Those contradictions made for
bass. The other dozen songs expand on that, set of four tunes, and it’s a treat to hear Bennett an uneven career, but they also make him a
but only slightly, keeping vocals and lyrics perform with a more swinging jazz group. The relatable figure for modern audiences that may
front and center, adding a banjo here and an tape was discovered in 2012, and Kevin Gray not otherwise have much interest in microtonal
electric guitar there. All three band members and Impex’s Robert Pincus mastered the two- music or unusual instruments. While the enclosed
are accomplished writers, and whether the LP vinyl edition. The concert was recorded booklet adds extensive background and some
subject is devastating loss (“Josephine”), outdoors at the Sylvan Theater, so don’t expect rarely seen photos, no explanation of Partch’s
finding joy in little things (“Sad Little Tune”), spectacular sonics. Still, the sound is quite theoretical importance is ultimately needed or
or happy cheatin’ (“Lovin’ Eyes”), this is an clean (if a tad lean), the balance is excellent, could compare to the hypnotic, timeless sound
album of surprises, evoking traditional country and there’s plenty of dynamic snap (check out of the first of “Two Studies on Ancient Greek
without trying to replicate it, in memorable Morello’s drum solo on “Castilian Blues”) and Scales” or the most essential composition here,
songs and haunting harmonies that stay with good energy in these grooves. Wayne Garcia “U.S. Highball,” which functions as a tragi-comic
you. Larry Nager film about his Depression-era travels while
Further Listening: Dave Brubeck: Time Further showing the theatrical side of his unique sound
Further Listening: The Lone Bellow: Then Out; Tony Bennett: At Carnegie Hall vocabulary. Mark Milano
Came the Morning; The Secret Sisters: Put Your
Needle Down Further Listening: Harry Partch: Enclosure Six:
Delusion of the Fury; The Bewitched

84 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten Vinyl Reissues of 2016

Ryan Adams: Heartbreaker: of Whiskeytown, and it was wise to leave it off the Pink Floyd: The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. Jefferson Airplane: Surrealistic Pillow. Mobile
Deluxe Edition. Pax-Am (2 CDs/4 LPs + DVD). original LP. Ryan and Emmylou talk guitars and Columbia/Pink Floyd Fidelity (2 LPs).
then run through “Oh My Sweet Carolina”; the (180-gram LP).
In 2000, the former lead singer of an alt-country tempo feels a hair faster, and it seems a little less For parents tuning into Top 40 radio in the
band called Whiskeytown released his first solo melancholy. This is Syd Barrett’s psychedelic masterwork. 60s, hits like “White Rabbit” and “Somebody
album, to immediate praise. Of course, it’s hard to Hearing “Come Pick Me Up” with just guitar, vo- Pink Floyd’s 1967 debut—beautifully remas- to Love” probably confirmed their worst fears.
go wrong when you’ve got Gillian Welch and Da- cals, harmonica, and drums, doesn’t add anything tered and reissued as part of a US program that The band was the Jefferson Airplane from San
vid Rawlings contributing, Glyn Johns’ son Ethan to the life of the song. “When the Rope Gets Tight” started with the band’s first four albums and Francisco’s Haight-Ashbury district—the coun-
producing, and the likes of Emmylou Harris drop- would end up on Jacksonville; this take is stark and culminating in an 11-disc rarities set—is star- terculture’s ground zero. The 1967 blockbuster
ping in for a duet. Heartbreaker starts off with an forbidding, and it’s a reminder of how emotionally tling in its originality. Released two months release harboring these hits was Surrealistic
argument—Adams bickering with Rawlings about powerful Adams’ singing can be. The pre-album after the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper, this haunting Pillow, whose 11 tracks were in reality less trip-
which album a Morrissey song appeared on—be- demo for “Bartering Lines” reminds you how bad avant-rock disc, produced by Beatle engineer py psychedelia and more a fusion of rock and
fore the twisted rockabilly twang of “To Be Young he can sound when he overdoes things. Except for Norman Smith, is as groundbreaking as that Fab folk, with harmonies echoing the Byrds, the
(Is to Be Sad, Is to Be High)” peels rubber all down “War Horse” and “Locked Away” at the very end, Four landmark. The title is derived from Ken- Yardbirds, or The Mamas and the Papas. It was
the street. After that, the sound tends toward the the other pre-album demos are barely interesting. neth Grahame’s classic children’s novel Wind the Airplane’s second release and crucially the
acoustic side of things, but the variety in Johns’ The DVD is of a performance at the Mercury in the Willows, and guitarist, vocalist, and chief first with added power-vocalist Grace Slick and
producing doesn’t let it seem like an “unplugged” Lounge in New York City from October, 2000, a songwriter Barrett was inspired by the book’s drummer Spencer Dryden, who joined singer
album. The songs are among Adams’ best—nei- month after Heartbreaker came out. The lighting is pantheistic mysticism. Barrett would infamous- Marty Balin, singer/guitarist Paul Kantner, gui-
ther sappy nor overly introspective. Love, loss, unbelievably dim; the sound is generally clear but ly melt down on acid, but his textural fretwork tarist Jorma Kaukonen, and bassist Jack Casa-
and self are addressed, sometimes obliquely and has a few touches of distortion. It’s just Adams and is crucial here. Such galactic space jams as “The dy. MoFi’s 45rpm double LP is a beautifully
sometimes simply, but always poetically. Heart- his guitar and harmonica. He’s compelling, and the Gnome” and “Interstellar Overdrive” have a ga- packaged gatefold. Sides are short but surfaces
breaker became of one of Elton John’s favorite songs mostly work in this stripped-down setting. rage-y quality: it is pre-synthesizer, so Barrett’s are quiet, the sound vintage analog. But what
records, and it has a conciseness and consisten- Eight selections are from Heartbreaker. “Gimme edgy guitar complements Richard Wright’s makes this remastering significant is the use
cy that several later issues would never find, for Sunshine” would show up a few years later on Love churchlike organ and piano and Norman’s of the monaural mix. Much less reverb was ap-
all their high points. Pax-Am’s deluxe reissue in- Is Hell; “Just Like a Whore” (actually a decent little studio magic, while Roger Waters contrib- plied compared to the stereo originals, giving
cludes the original release, a disc of outtakes and love song) has come out on some bootleg demos; utes spooky vocal harmonies and animalistic each track a stunning clarity and detail and inti-
demos, and a DVD. and there’s the Oasis cover “Wonderwall.” The ac- sounds, all of which anticipate the symphonic macy–and a far heavier, more cohesive energy
The bonus disc starts with Adams and the Heart- companiment on “To Be Young” has overtones of synth-and-slide of Dark Side of the Moon, Wish that places the spotlight on the musicianship
breaker cast messing around with Morrissey’s early blues during the verses, and it’s a fascinating You Were Here, and other latter-day Floyd re- and enlivens classic tracks like “Today” and
“Hairdresser on Fire,” which leads into the argu- version. As you’d expect, there’s some chaff in the cordings. Note that this reissue, based on the “Plastic Fantastic Lover.” If you’ve only known
ment that starts the album proper; it’s nice to hear, extras, but this reissue is worth getting for moder- original UK release instead of the US version, the stereo version, you’re in for a real treat. Neil
after all these years, where that came from. “To ate-to-rabid fans of the original. Stephen Estep does not include “See Emily Play.” Greg Cahill Gader
Be Young” is a stripped-down early take. There’s
some good ol’ profane studio banter, then “Petal Further Listening: Caitlin Cary: While You Further Listening: Pink Floyd: Obscured by Further Listening: The Byrds: Mr. Tambourine
in a Rainstorm” complete with a “god-damned” Weren’t Looking; Elton John: Songs from the Clouds Man
false start; it’s a loping country song reminiscent West Coast

85 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten Vinyl Reissues of 2016

Thelonious Monk: Big Band and Quartet Live Joe Jackson: Look Sharp! Intervention (LP). Lightnin’ Hopkins: Goin’ Away. Analogue Pro- Booker Ervin: The Freedom Book. Analogue
in Concert. Speakers Corner (180-gram LP). ductions (200-gram LP). Productions (200-gram LP).
Although Joe Jackson is rarely mentioned in
the same breath as contemporaries like Elvis
I own a lot of Monk LPs, but this excellent live set The timing of Lightnin’ Hopkins while fronting The third of ten titles recorded for Prestige
Costello and the Clash, he should be. All share
had previously eluded me. Recorded in 1963 a group was so unpredictable rhythm sections between 1963 and 1966, Booker Ervin’s The
a post-punk sensibility that melds that genre’s
at New York’s Philharmonic Hall, the concert passionate delivery with strong melodies, struggled to follow him. That may have influ- Freedom Book finds the Texas-born tenor play-
mixed sets featuring a 10-piece band with one catchy beats, a dash of reggae on the side, and enced the Rudy Van Gelder-engineered Goin’ er supported by the in-sync rhythm section of
utilizing Monk’s quartet of the day. As he had in a decidedly cynical worldview. More than that, Away, where the guitar (acoustic) and vocals Jaki Byard (piano), Richard Davis (bass), and
Monk’s 1959 Town Hall concert with orchestra, Jackson’s music has aged extremely well, re- were recorded first and the bass and drums Alan Dawson (drums). “A Lunar Tune” immedi-
Hall Overton wrote the band arrangements. “I vealing new levels of songwriting and arrang- added later. At times the guitar seems a bit low ately kicks the LP into a racetrack groove, with
Mean You” begins with an electric jolt of en- ing. Perhaps this explains why he’s showing in the mix, but on this remastered Analogue Ervin blowing hard as his fellows breathless-
ergy before Thad Jones’ fine cornet solo, and up frequently on multiple Sirius/XM stations. Productions LP, cut from the original master ly tear into this furiously paced, time-shifting
the rest of the brass section—featuring Monk Consequently, the timing of Intervention’s un- tapes by Kevin Gray, it sounds warm and natural track. Randy Weston’s “Cry Me Not” winds the
anchor Charlie Rouse, Steve Lacy on soprano, compromising vinyl release of Jackson’s first while the boisterous vocals have a command- pace down to show what this group can do with
and Phil Woods on alto—adds slashing, almost three albums couldn’t be better. The debut re- ing presence; the recording also does a fine job an introspective ballad; “Grant’s Stand” picks it
cord, Look Sharp!, is made pungent by snappy,
percussive accents to the theme. “Evidence” of capturing Leonard Gaskin’s deep bass tones up again. Ervin’s tone was big and full-throat-
minimalist arrangements (later, Jackson would
swings just as hard, and includes fine solos by and the timbre of Herbie Lovelle’s brushes. As ed, if a tad ragged around the edges, but “A Day
incorporate more of his jazz background), a de-
Rouse (who seems energized by his fellow horn lightfully surly delivery of humorous/sarcas- witty and unpredictable as any songwriter in to Mourn,” said to be inspired by the Kennedy
players), Jones, Woods, and Monk. Monk plays tic lyrics, and consistently memorable tunes. any genre, Lightnin’ had a way of addressing assassination, indicates the influence of early
unaccompanied on “Darkness on the Delta,” a These include not only the numerous hits—my standard blues themes while throwing out lines 60s Coltrane, as Ervin delivers a richer, rounder
ballad given a loping stride treatment. The flip fave is “Sunday Papers”—but the non-hits as no one else would have dreamed of. “Wake Up sound to his dirge-like composition. Rudy Van
side features three more big band numbers, well. Intervention’s pressing is phenomenal. Old Lady” documents an attempt to persuade Gelder captured this Prestige title in stereo,
“Oska T.,” “Four in One,” and “Epistrophy,” with Mastered from analog tapes by Kevin Gray on his significant other to cook him some bread, and it reflects his consistently fine work. Ton-
the quartet on “Played Twice.” The sound, if not 180-gram vinyl, the grooves are so quiet the and on “Don’t Embarrass Me, Babe” the newly ally it’s a touch on the light side, but otherwise
“audiophile,” is plenty good enough: clean and staccato guitar work fairly crackles through the sober Lightnin’ tries to set a new standard for the band’s energy is clearly and dynamically
crisp, with a nice weight to the brass and per- air. Bass is equally tight; it’ll give your woofers the couple; in both cases he sounds like he has captured, with a decent sense of air and focus.
cussion, and a real sense of rhythm and drive. a thorough workout. All in all, there’s no better his work cut out for him. Simultaneously a true Kevin Gray did the mastering of this excellent
time to rediscover an old friend. Alan Taffel
Thank you Speakers Corner for this splendid blue blues man and his own man, po’ Lightnin’ QRP platter, so the quality of this welcome reis-
reissue. Wayne Garcia was somethin’ else. Jeff Wilson sue is as good as it gets. Wayne Garcia
Further Listening: Elvis Costello: My Aim is
Further Listening: Thelonious Monk: The The- True; Joe Jackson: Night and Day Further Listening: Smokey Babe: Hottest Brand Further Listening: Booker Ervin: The Song
lonious Monk Orchestra at Town Hall Goin’; Reverend Gary Davis: Pure Religion! Book; Charles Mingus: Ah Um

86 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten Vinyl Reissues of 2016

Sacha Distel & John Lewis: Afternoon in Paris. Jennifer Warnes: Famous Blue Raincoat. David Bowie: Five Years 1969–1973. Rhino World”—songs that could only belong to Bowie—he
Sam (LP). Impex (LP). (12 CDs or 13 LPs). still, on his first two albums, strikes me as somewhat
derivative. The opening cut of Hunky Dory, howev-
Though he enjoyed matinee idol status as Originally released on LP in 1986 by Cypress Deluxe David Bowie reissue packages continue to er, is a different story. Where lyrically some earlier
a pop crooner by 1960, Sacha Distel was Records, Famous Blue Raincoat was a sensitive roll out, and if anything they’ve become more ambi- work came across as grandiloquent, on “Chang-
known as a fine jazz guitarist in the 50s, and tribute album of Leonard Cohen songs. tious. Where 2014’s Nothing Has Changed covered es” he uses plain words to say profound things,
never completely abandoned his early calling. Rather than hew to Cohen’s darker, weighty five decades, this new box set—with the help of RE:- and that song ushers in three five-star albums. On
Among the many jazz records he appeared sensibilities, Jennifer Warnes reimagined the Call 1, a collection of singles and B-sides—contains Hunky Dory, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and
on, the only one that is really remembered is songs for her luminous voice and lifted the almost everything officially released from 1969 to the Spiders from Mars, and Aladdin Sane, many deep
Afternoon in Paris. Of course, the presence of atmosphere with production gloss and light. 1973, a particularly protean period for Bowie. Five cuts are as compelling as the hits that helped define
John Lewis and other great American players It was hailed in TAS at the time as an artistic Years captures him as he reaches artistic maturity, the 1970s. Fortunately the three strongest albums
has a lot to do with the record’s durability, as and sonic delight by editor and founder Harry achieves fame, forms and dissolves the Spiders of this batch (plus Ken Scott’s 2003 mix of Ziggy)
do the contributions of French tenor phenom Pearson, and over the years FBR has become a from Mars, and adopts and ditches his Ziggy Star- sound superb. Compared to my original pressings
Barney Wilen. French companies often sought reference-caliber recording. It was remastered dust persona. The collection isn’t cheap—the CD of these three albums, Rhino’s 180-gram LPs boast
out touring Americans to strengthen recording for compact disc by Bernie Grundman (who set costs $150, the vinyl $250—and if you’re going quieter pressings, cleaner sound, tighter imaging,
sessions, and the presence of the Modern Jazz crafted the original) for the 20th Anniversary to spend that much, you’d better really love Bowie. more depth, and greater clarity, and the same high
Quartet in Paris was the impetus for this 1956 Edition (2007), an excellent effort, and more A lot of people do, including a new generation for standards are mirrored throughout the set. Also, the
date. Besides Lewis, MJQ bassist Percy Heath recently by Impex Records in a superb, three- whom Bowie has reached Mount Rushmore status. CDs are radically improved from early reissues.
and drummer Connie Kay were on hand, as was LP 45rpm archival edition. Well, once again Stylish packaging (including a 128-page hardback Five Years also contains two live albums from
original drummer Kenny Clarke. The member Impex has done the recording proud. Under the book for the vinyl version and an 84-page version the Ziggy Stardust tour. Here the sound varies, and
not present, Milt Jackson, is represented by his supervision of Warnes, Grundman has taken for the CD box) makes these sets more enticing. some of the more intricate arrangements have a
signature tune “Bag’s Groove.” The title track, the original masters and breathed more warm If, in 1969, you had heard, from Bowie’s epon- hard time leaving the studio. But I love both live
one of Lewis’ best, is the other contemporary analog life into each track than ever before. ymous second LP, “Memory of a Free Festival” sets, warts and all. Often raw and ragged in concert,
piece in a program that’s weighted towards The dead-quiet surfaces of the superb 180- or “Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud” on an under- the Spiders from Mars delivered the brute force
easy-swinging standards. It’s impossible to gram pressing permit more penetrating micro- ground rock station, they probably wouldn’t have and scruffy edge that can make a rock show exhil-
listen to 19-year-old Wilen’s playing here dynamics and yield greater transparency and struck you as particularly innovative or original, and arating. Oddly, 1973’s Pin Ups, a nostalgic tribute
without marveling at his poise and ability to breadth between images. Vocal air is elevated, at times the folk-psych phase of Bowie seem mo- to some great 1960s rock and roll songs, lacks that
improvise melodically. And close to impossible sibilances are more relaxed, and the bleach notonous and heavy-handed. Switching to high-oc- energy. Nonetheless, it has its charms, including
to stop listening to this timeless record once and astringency of its early digital multitrack tane rock, 1970’s The Man Who Sold the World has Bowie’s sax playing, which, in its almost amateurish
you have it on the turntable. Production values origins has been largely put to rest. “Jenny a looser feel. It’s a big step forward, due in part to way, gives the Spiders from Mars swan song more
are through the roof for this rerelease. Duck Sings Lenny” is now, more than ever, required Mich Ronson’s blistering guitar work. However, it of a personal touch. Jeff Wilson
Baker listening. Neil Gader might be argued that Bowie “fully arrived” here, I
still sense the cobwebs of late-60s psychedelia Further Listening: Mott the Hoople: All the Young
Further Listening: Bobby Jaspar All Stars: Mod- Further Listening: Leonard Cohen: I’m Your clouding his vision, despite the blues-rock swagger. Dudes; T. Rex: The Slider
ern Jazz Au Club Saint Germain; John Lewis: Man; Jeff Buckley: Grace So when did David Bowie self-actualize? Aside
Improvised Meditations and Excursions from “Space Oddity” and “The Man Who Sold the

87 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten Pop/Rock/Jazz Downloads of 2016

Elvis Costello Comes to Hi-Res–Part 1

the heart-rending “Alison.” The arrangements confident and cohesive. Keyboardist Steve
here are spare but propulsive. The years have Nieves, the Ray Manzarek of his time, adds
done nothing to diminish the delight and sense immeasurably to the mix’s fullness and the
Alan Taffel of wonder that My Aim Is True engenders. sound’s distinctiveness.
Compared to the Hip-O CDs, all of the down- Yet sophomore albums that follow successful
“Now that your picture’s in the paper being add to an already rich supply of digital releas- loads of this album, regardless of purveyor or debuts are notoriously daunting. Despite the
rhythmically admired/And you can have any- es, including the original CDs, reissues by both sample rate, exhibit goosed-up volume—a sure new band and Nick Lowe’s continued sure hand
one that you have ever desired…” So began the Rykodisc and Rhino Records, and the 2007 sign of compression. Further listening confirms at the production helm, This Year’s Model is a
torrent of smart, smart-aleck words the world “Originals” series from Hip-O. that dynamic squash reigns on these down- mild letdown. The album is certainly solid and
would soon hear from Elvis Costello, a gangly, While I didn’t have every version of every loads. As a result, the music loses its grip on enjoyable, but as a virtual continuation of the
bespectacled musician who bore an uncanny album at my disposal, I had enough samples the listener. The Hip-O “Originals” CD is more debut, it lacks that record’s sense of surprise
resemblance to Buddy Holly and who had au- on hand to determine that the original CDs engaging because, among other reasons, it con- and boundary-shredding. There are several
daciously appropriated the King’s first name. are surprisingly fine. Their greatest asset is veys far more of Costello’s quirky-yet-emotive great tracks here, but the writing feels more
Those lines from “Welcome to the Working a complete lack of compression, which gives delivery. Listening to the downloads, my atten- self-conscious.
Week” opened Costello’s 1977 debut release, the sound a liveliness that suits the music per- tion kept wandering. The sonic situation is essentially the same
My Aim is True, which closed with this immor- fectly. Next in the pecking order is the Hip-O There’s no point in my dissecting the differ- as on the debut release. That is, the Hip-O CD
tal couplet from “Watching the Detectives”: “Originals” series. Though mildly compressed, ences between the SHR and HDtracks releases, is very good and the downloads, with one ex-
“Though it nearly took a miracle to get you to these discs get the music across, exhibit no or between the respective 96/24 and 192/24 ception, suffer from compression. Miraculous-
stay/It only took my little fingers to blow you major sonic deficits, and are engaging as heck. versions. All four are effectively identical and ly, the HDtracks 192/24 is far better than the
away.” Between those bookends was an on- That’s fortuitous, because the Hip-O series is suffer from the same clampdown on dynamics other three downloads. The top opens up and
slaught of lyrical sarcasm, angst, cockiness, and readily available and a great value at under ten and emotions. As noted above, even the Hip-O Costello’s voice no longer sounds smothered.
cleverness. bucks (on Amazon) apiece. The Ryko and Rhino CDs underwent modest compression compared There’s even more fleshed-out bass than on
Costello’s way with words would be a staple releases have their pros and cons, but among to the actual originals. HDtracks and SHR had the CD. This—and only this—download is rec-
throughout his prolific, genre-busting, still on- the reissues my overall preference was for the a golden opportunity to give us a modern ve- ommended.
going career. Yet that was not his only asset. Hip-O “Originals.” And since I was able to ob- hicle for those early, wide-open recordings; in-
The artist’s unusual (yet remarkably versatile) tain a Hip-O series CD for every album, I used stead, compression-wise, they went the other
voice and catchy tunes were the perfect foils these as the main basis for comparison against direction. That makes the Hip-O or the original
for his lyrics. As it turned out, those were the the downloads. CD the version to own, and the downloads a
only constants in Costello’s discography. Like missed opportunity.
the earliest Dylan and Beatles albums, My Aim Elvis Costello: My Aim Is True. HDtracks.com
is True heralded a major new talent but didn’t and SuperHiRez.com (96/24, 192/24) Elvis Costello: This Year’s Model. HDtracks.
hint at the direction that talent would take or My Aim Is True instigated Costello’s reputation com and SuperHiRez.com (96/24, 192/24)
the influence it would achieve. as an “angry young man.” In truth, though, the By his second album, Costello had assembled
Now both SuperHiRez and HDtracks have re- album is far more about adolescent pain and his own permanent band, the Attractions, and
leased Costello’s entire catalog for download frustration than anger. That a tender, vulnerable the benefits are instantly obvious. Compared
at both 96/24 and 192/24 resolutions. These heart lies beneath the bravado is made plain by to the debut release, the playing here is more

88 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten Pop/Rock/Jazz Downloads of 2016

Elvis Costello Comes to Hi-Res–Part 2

tent, as are a slew of instrumental details. Further, the blast it was when released. Both the CD and
the downloads have a harsh texture that’s absent LP are highly recommended.
on the Hip-O CD. The four options are indistin-
Alan Taffel guishable, which shows you how wasteful buying Elvis Costello and the Attractions: Imperial
the 192/24 versions would be. So, as with Costel- Bedroom. HDtracks.com and SuperHiRez.com.
What began as a celebration of the Elvis Costello Elvis Costello and the Attractions: Armed lo’s previous two albums, the recommendation (96/24, 192/24)
catalog becoming available from HDtracks.com Forces. HDtracks.com and SuperHiRez.com. from here is to spend a fraction of even the 96/24
and SuperHiRez.com in 96/24 and 192/24 ver- (96/24, 192/24) version and rip the Hip-O CD. This guidance also With Imperial Bedroom, Costello finally spreads
sions took an unexpected turn when the down- applies to the Costello’s next two releases, covered his stylistic wings. The album is “Produced by
loads proved to be terrible. The two I reviewed in Although the players, instrumentation, and pro- below. Geoff Emerick from an original concept by Elvis
Part 1 of this two-part series were so dynamically ducer on Armed Forces are identical to those of Costello.” That would be the same Geoff Emer-
compressed they squeezed out all of the music’s This Year’s Model, the songs sound different. The Elvis Costello and the Attractions: Get Happy!! ick that engineered the Beatles’ albums, and
energy. None of the files from either service, in arrangements are more varied, and Costello turns HDtracks.com and SuperHiRez.com. (96/24, Costello’s concept aims to create something as
either resolution, for either of Costello’s first two his lyrical insights to territory beyond adolescent 192/24) exploratory as one of that group’s later releas-
albums held a candle to the Hip-O “Originals” CD lust. The subject is power struggles wherever they es.
releases, which in turn aren’t quite as good as the may occur. In “Two Little Hitlers” Costello is simul- In some ways, Get Happy!! feels like a return It shouldn’t be a surprise, given the produc-
actual original CDs. As you will read below, those taneously personal and geopolitical as he sings: home, “home” in this case being Costello’s tion personnel, that several tracks from Imperi-
findings held true for the next three releases as “Two little Hitlers will fight it out until/One little first album. The arrangements are again lean, al Bedroom have stylistic counterparts from the
well. Because of these results, a project once en- Hitler does the other one’s will.” Of course, this the sarcasm again biting. Yet there are key dif- Fab Four. “The Long Honeymoon,” with its stringed
visioned as a sonic celebration has morphed into being Costello, many of these struggles take place ferences. The Attractions, who weren’t even arrangement and sorrowful mood, echoes “She’s
a re-exploration of a fascinating artist’s first five in the context of relationships or the bedroom. formed on My Aim is True, have had time to gel, Leaving Home” while “And in Every Home,” which
albums. When it first came out, I couldn’t get enough of and on Get Happy!! they’re tight, tight, tight. includes carnival sounds, evokes “For the Benefit
In Part 1, I found that Costello’s debut, My Armed Forces. Today, I find that while my past fa- Costello, too, has honed his songwriting craft, of Mr. Kite.” “Almost Blue” allows Costello to show
Aim is True, has lost none of its brash brilliance vorites remain compelling, they are surrounded by both lyrically and melodically. off his chops as a crooner. Nearly every track here
with the passage of time. The album remains a a good deal of filler. Indeed, the album’s highlight The result is a non-stop parade of catchy is exceptional, but “Town Cryer” deserves special
model of concise, clever lyrics mated to snap- wasn’t written by Costello at all; rather, the clos- hooks and propulsive beats. No filler here; every recognition. The album’s last track is so sad, beau-
pily irresistible music. However, with the bene- ing track is an impassioned cover of the Nick Lowe track on Get Happy!! is an irresistible gem that tiful, and compositionally mature it effectively
fit of 35 years’ worth of hindsight, it’s apparent anthem “(What’s So Funny ‘Bout) Peace, Love, and still sparkles. A good chunk of these 20 (!) songs closes the door on the “angry young man” Elvis
that the follow up This Year’s Model didn’t move Understanding.” Coming as it does after a record proceed at breakneck speed and clock in at two Costello and opens a new one onto a future that
the needle much and offered fewer standout focused on conflict, the song’s innocent energy minutes or less. Costello gets in and gets out, is still unfolding.
songs. But Costello’s next three albums both and message of conciliation serves as both balm spending no more time than absolutely neces-
reaffirmed his potential and introduced us to and catharsis. This track alone makes Armed Forces sary to get the message across. The lyrics, most
the fully developed musician he ultimately be- worth the price of admission. of which have double or even triple meanings,
came. Sonically, as noted above, the downloads of this aid in this efficiency, and render these punchy
release continue the compression crusade. And songs even more powerful. Although the down-
that’s not their only problem. Imaging is nonexis- loads aren’t recommended, Get Happy!! is still

89 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten Pop/Rock/Jazz Downloads of 2016

Richard Thompson: Rumor and Sigh. HDtracks. Cécile McLorin Salvant: For One to Love. ment of artistic purpose that hold the album’s
com (96/24, 192/24) and SuperHiRez.com. HDtracks.com (96/24) title: “I only sing for those I love/I only sing for
(192/24) one to love/I only sing for one to love me too.”
Cécile McLorin Salvant’s second release, Wom- Salvant’s accompanying trio consists of pi-
There are so many great Richard Thompson al- anChild, received high marks from Jeff Wilson anist Aaron Diehl, bassist Paul Sikivie, and
bums, but 1991’s Rumor and Sigh is unquestion- in TAS 239, not to mention a Grammy nomina- drummer Lawrence Leathers. They respond to
ably among the best. Thompson was clearly in tion for Best Vocal Jazz Album. For One to Love the music with the same degree of care, econ-
a mischievous mood when he wrote the play- provides more of the same, a satisfying mix of omy, and imagination as the singer. The record-
ful “Read About Love” and off-kilter “Psycho originals and standards as well as early jazz ing is immediate and highly detailed, yet not
Street.” Yet the album also contains some of classics introduced by great female singers
Thompson’s most enduring, bittersweet com- during the first half of the 20th century. Salvant Salvant’s own
positions. “I Misunderstood” and “1952 Vin- delivers Bessie Smith’s hit “What’s the Matter
cent Black Lightning” will be familiar to anyone Now?” with low-key slyness; “Growlin’ Dan,”
compositions reveal a
who’s had the deep pleasure of attending a live composed and recorded by Blanche Calloway musical mind alert to any
RT concert. Throughout, Thompson’s voice and (Cab’s older sister) in the early 1930s, simmers
awe-inspiring guitar work are in fine fettle. with winking sexuality; “The Trolley Song”—
potential to illuminate
Sonically, the CD of Rumor and Sigh is quite sung by Judy Garland in the film Meet Me in textual and emotional
poor. The biggest problem—and it’s huge— St. Louis—is transformed from trite catchiness
is pale and thin tonality. HDtracks recently into something much more. More recent ma-
meaning.
released the album at 96/24 and 192/24, and terials also get imaginative new spins: “Wives claustrophobic. With the 96/24 download, one
SuperHiRez has also come out with a 192/24 and Lovers,” “Something’s Coming,” “Stepsis- hears the tiny variations in volume that occur
version. When I cued up the HDtracks 96/24 ter’s Lament.” when an unprocessed voice is experienced live;
download, my immediate reaction was, “Now Salvant’s remarkable vocal capabilities are you’ll also sense the way Salvant is changing
that’s more like it!” All the instruments are fully in evidence. Her control over dynamics, the shape of her mouth and throat, and moves
way more fleshed out, bass makes a welcome pinpoint intonation, and exceptional ability to from her chest to her head to produce the exact
appearance, and RT’s baritone at last takes change vocal color to suggest other singers, sound she wishes. These aspects of Salvant’s
on some chest and warmth. The CD and this address the emotional moment, or provide vocal production just don’t come together as
download are night and day different. an evocative sonority are nonpareil. (Her rep- organically on the Mack Avenue CD, good as it
Yet both of the 192/24 files are even better. resentation of a flutter-tongued cup-muted is. Andrew Quint
They deliver an extra dollop of purity. This is trumpet in “Growlin’ Dan” is uncanny.) Sal-
especially noticeable on Thompson’s voice, vant’s own compositions reveal a musical mind
which loses the last vestiges of edginess and alert to any potential to illuminate textual and
gains silky smoothness. In sum, a masterwork emotional meaning. Examples include the im-
by a master musician has finally received the pressionistic “Fog” that opens the program;
sonic treatment it deserves. Needless to say, “Monday,” a melancholy waltz; and “Under-
highly recommended. Alan Taffel ling,” a presumably autobiographical state-

90 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten Pop/Rock/Jazz Downloads of 2016

David Bowie: Then and Now soundtrack for that stage. Most of us can’t say be his parting release, Black Star. The opening but meaning yes/This is all I ever meant/This is
that about many artists. title track is one of the most strikingly original the message that I sent.”
I’ve been trying to figure out why David Bow- And what a soundtrack it was! For such a songs Bowie—or anyone, for that matter—has For an album with so much going on sonical-
ie’s recent death, at the age of 69, has hit me so commercially successful musician, Bowie was ever recorded. It instantly makes plain that ly, much of it electronic, Black Star manages to
hard. Did his music forever shape or alter me? never influenced by contemporary musical for- Bowie never stopped innovating. Structurally, avoid unsavory digital artifacts. As Greg Cahill
No. Did the world lose him before it had time to mulas. Instead, he boldly, inspiringly followed the piece somewhat resembles “Station to Sta- noted in his review, the CD’s sound is quite
fully appreciate his artistry? Clearly not. Bowie his own muse wherever it took him. The jour- tion” in that it is ten minutes long, encompass- good. I’d wish for a little more top end, but
released his first hit album, Space Oddity, when ney encompassed folk-rock, Britpop, Krautrock, es multiple movements, and has nary a sign bass is nice and taut, and Bowie’s voice is pure
he was 22, and continued making music until funk, soul, ambient, industrial, and dance-floor of a verse or chorus. Yet the two songs sound when it’s supposed to be. Happily, the 96/24
Black Star, which came out almost exactly the material. His lyrics likewise traveled from nothing alike. “Black Star” is slow and dreamy, HDtracks.com and SuperHiRez.com downloads
day he died. short-form storytelling to long-form narrative closer to Gregorian chant than rock song. The I auditioned are even better, directly address-
Yet as the somber headlines faded, apprecia- arcs to abstractions, all set within songs that lyrics, not so much sung as incanted, echo that ing my only area of complaint. Both are more
tion columns ran their course, and radio stations progressed from standard rock structures to sensibility. Rhythms are initially hyperkinetic extended than the CD, and consequently more
reverted from tributes back to their previous those that stretched boundaries. Some of the and off-kilter. But despite its many unfamiliar open sounding. I recommend both, but give a
formats, I found myself still deeply saddened characters Bowie created might have been sil- elements, “Black Star” is immediately and per- slight nod to the HDtracks version for being a
by Bowie’s passing. In search of reasons, I de- ly, but never his music. sistently captivating. Like all of Bowie’s music, tad more transparent.
voured articles about his life and legacy. Most it draws you in with its melodies, beat, and Black Star is tangible, heartbreaking evi-
focused on his various and ever-changing im- For an album with so soundscape. dence that Bowie was growing right up to the
ages: Major Tom, Ziggy Stardust, the Thin White much going on sonically, The album continues with tracks that subtly end. The album, fittingly and deliberately, is
Duke, et al. I suppose that’s a convenient ed- embrace various aspects of jazz while eschew- this soundtrack’s closing credits. Black Star il-
itorial “hook” for such pieces, efficiently dis- much of it electronic, ing traditional pop form. “’Tis a Pity She Was a luminates the degree of our loss, while simulta-
tinguishing Bowie from other musicians. But Black Star manages to Whore” is semi-improvised singing over a tight neously reinforcing all that was extraordinary
frankly I never paid much attention to all that bass riff; “Lazarus” is sad, slow, cool jazz with about this man and his music. Alan Taffel
riff-raff. Quite a few of those personae struck avoid unsavory digital the prescient line “Look up here, man, I’m in
me as silly. I never identified with any of them. artifacts. heaven”; “Sue” is upbeat-but-dark electronica;
So that wasn’t it either. “Girl Loves Me” won’t make much sense until
Then I realized that Bowie was the first bona Indeed, Bowie’s visual constructs may well you consult your Clockwork Orange dictionary.
fide rock star who had been with me virtually have obscured the level of musicianship he By the sixth and penultimate track, Bowie is
my entire music-consuming life. He and his mu- brought to every project. Watch the Showtime moving back toward more traditional jazz-rock.
sic were young and unformed when I was only documentary Five Years for a glimpse at the fo- Finally, there is the ravishingly beautiful “I
slightly younger and less formed. He evolved cus and musicianship Bowie brought to every Can’t Give Everything Away,” which stands out
as I evolved. We grew more assured together. detail of his craft. precisely because it is so comfortably normal.
Bowie changed over time, and so did I. Togeth- Besides this documentary, its accompanying Much has been said of the way the lyrics from
er, we entered maturity. In sum, wherever I was album, and the superb hits compilation Chang- “Lazarus” foreshadow his death, but in the
in my life, David Bowie was also there—even if esonebowie, the best artifact we have for appre- closing track Bowie contemplates his own leg-
I wasn’t consciously aware of him—providing a ciating the full scope of Bowie’s gifts may well acy: “Seeing more and feeling less/Saying no

91 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten Pop/Rock/Jazz Downloads of 2016

Judy Collins: Strangers Again. HDtracks.com seem purposely designed to minimize their Keith Richards: Crosseyed Heart. HDtracks.com stuff. Still, there is no question that the HDtracks
(88.2/24) unique character. (96/24) 96/24 version sounds better. It has dimensionali-
However, two factors more than compensate ty, does a better job of revealing details, and illu-
Strangers Again, the new album from veteran for these weaknesses. The first is Collins’ still If you want to know where the Rolling Stones get minates the highs so that they achieve better bal-
singer Judy Collins, falls into the oft-reviled sweet and lithe voice. Look at the cover pho- their loose-limbed style, just listen to any Keith ance with the bass. Recommended. Alan Taffel
genre of duet albums. Most of the species are to and you’ll know a lot of time has passed Richards solo album. His latest, Crosseyed Heart, is
blatantly pandering commercial exercises. since the days of “Both Sides Now.” But listen a case in point. The wheels are constantly threating
However, with an artist of Judy Collins’ stat- to Strangers Again and you’ll hear a still-young to come off, but miraculously never do. That tight-
ure and integrity, there’s no question that the starling. This is a voice that never fails to de- rope is part of Richards’—and the Stones’—charm.
motivation was purely musical. This assump- light and move the listener. The second saving For this solo outing, his first in a whopping 23
tion is borne out with one look at the roster grace is Collins’ impeccable choice of material. years, Richards has assembled a generous 15
of guest singers, few of whom are household Although I find the duet treatments of “Some- tracks, virtually all of which are catchy and great
names. The singer’s intent to explore new ways day Soon” and “Send in the Clowns” super- fun. They’re delivered by his makeshift band,
to present her music is further confirmed by a fluous, the more recent songs are, without the X-Pensive Winos, with a suitable ramshack-
track list that includes both new material and exception, beautifully crafted and sensitively
new versions of her own classics. produced. Strangers Again is a flawed but ulti- It all adds up to a
mately winning album.
This is a voice that never Sound quality is a disappointment. Typical highly-engaging, highly-
fails to delight and move Pro Tools here: compressed, one-dimensional, satisfying album.
tonally flat. I’m afraid these comments apply
the listener. The second equally to the download and the CD. In fact, I le verve. Of course, Richards takes center stage
saving grace is Collins’ hear no difference between the two formats.
Therefore, if you want this album for the music,
with his angular guitar work and gruff vocals.
The latter are the biggest surprise of the album.
impeccable choice of save some money and rip the CD. Alan Taffel Richards’ singing has never been more assured
material. or effective. He certainly sounds way better than
Bob Dylan at this point in his career. Indeed, at
The album is almost sunk by the generic de- times Richards seems to be channeling Dylan
liveries of most of Collins’ duet partners (all are in both sound and style (“Suspicious”). At other
male). They’re certainly up to the task of tak- times, he could be mistaken for Nick Lowe (“Love
ing their turn on the verses and harmonizing Overdue”). It all adds up to a highly-engaging,
on the choruses, but one longs for more of the highly-satisfying album.
distinctive mark than, for instance, Michael Mc- The CD’s sound is adequate, but a bit dull. It
Donald stamps on “Miracle River.” Two of the gets the vibe right, which is most important, and
better-known singers, Willie Nelson and Glen the rhythm section in particular comes through
Hansard, are squandered. For reasons I can’t with punch. There are plenty of fine-sounding
fathom, Collins saddles them with songs that acoustic tracks interspersed with the electric

92 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten Pop/Rock/Jazz Downloads of 2016

The Cars: The Complete Elektra Albums Box; band’s best non-hit tracks, including “Double singles. As such, does it even make sense to
Moving in Stereo: The Best of the Cars. HDtracks. Life” and “Dangerous Type.” Unfortunately, buy this set? I would argue that it doesn’t, es-
com and SuperHiRez.com (96/24, 192/24) 1980’s Panorama broke no new ground and pecially when there are several comprehensive
was, in the estimation of critics and fans alike, greatest hits compilations available. Allow me
It’s hard to think of them this way now, but entirely dispensable. Hearing it today reaffirms to suggest the equally recent Moving in Stereo:
when the Cars released their 1978 debut al- that verdict; the only standout track is the single The Best of the Cars, which features the exact
bum, they were considered a groundbreaking “Touch and Go.” Similarly, on 1981’s Shake It Up, same mixes and masters as the box set, pared
group. Combining strong melodies, harmony, the hits “Since You’re Gone” and the title track down to the essential tracks. Elektra was even
heavy synths, and crisp electric guitar in equal distinguish themselves while the rest is filler. kind enough to include a couple of worthy non-
parts, the Cars created a sound that was fresh At this point the band took a three-year hiatus hits.
and radio ready. Nine years later, at the expira- to work on solo projects. When they returned, Regardless of whether you go for the box
tion of their Elektra run, the band had achieved after being essentially written off, the Cars sur- set or the greatest hits package, I’d highly rec-
pop stardom, produced a string of multi-plat- prised everyone with a strong album dubbed ommend both the SuperHiRez.com and the
inum albums and hit singles, fallen into a cre- Heartbeat City. This work found the group mov- HDtracks.com 96/24 downloads. The two are
ative valley, recovered, and finally cratered. ing toward a soft-pop sound. The result reso- virtually indistinguishable from one another,
So here we have a brand new “box” of those and both sound just great—vibrant and de-
albums in all their glory and disappointments. Compared to the CD tailed. Compared to the CD equivalents, these
There’s nothing creative or exclusive about this equivalents, these downloads are more spacious, dynamic, and
compendium; it consists simply of each of the clear. Both sites also offer 192/24 versions of
Cars’ six Elektra studio albums—no extras. The downloads are more both release, but you can skip them; for some
set’s only distinction is that it was remastered spacious, dynamic, reason they sound more subdued than their
by Sterling Sound’s Ted Jensen under the su- lower-res counterparts. So whether you’re in-
pervision of Cars founding member Ric Oca- and clear. vesting in either the box set, or going straight
sek. HDtracks.com lumps it all into one big file, nated with both fans and newcomers, making for the “best of” collection, 96/24 is the way to
while SuperHiRez.com better honors the “box” Heartbeat City the Cars’ best-selling release. I go. Alan Taffel
concept by giving each album its own file. Let’s personally prefer their earlier albums, which
take a quick tour of them. are closer to the group’s New Wave origins. Yet
The Cars’ self-titled debut release perfectly there’s no denying the craft of songs like “Drive”
captured the band’s quirky and tuneful-yet- and “Magic.” After three more blank years the
terse style. The album spawned a plethora of group released its last Elektra album, the pleas-
hits, including “Just What I Needed,” “Good ant but wholly redundant Door to Door.
Times Roll,” and “My Best Friend’s Girl.” Those Listening to these albums back to back, what
songs are still perfect pieces of pop candy. In becomes clear is that the Cars were a great sin-
1979, the Cars produced the edgier Candy-O, gles band. Their albums were neither internally
which had fewer hits but was—and is—none- consistent (song quality-wise) nor thematically
theless a solid album containing some of the cohesive. Several were largely excuses for the

93 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten Pop/Rock/Jazz Downloads of 2016

Counting Crows: August and Everything After. version has no such flaw and is also more dy- Various Artists: Dr. Chesky Presents You’re styles and some specific audio experiments
SuperHiRez.com, DSD; HDtracks.com (96/24, namic. Although the tonal balance still has less Surrounded. HDtracks.com (44.1/16, 96/24, that clearly illustrate binaural’s unique quali-
192/24) bass than the MSFL CD, the clean mix makes 192/24) ties. Half of the cuts have a jazz flavor. A sextet
every instrument easy to hear. In the end, it’s led by Wallace Roney (trumpet) and the late
Prompted by a hot tip that SuperHiRez.com’s a tradeoff, rendering the choice between these Since 1988 Chesky Records has explored sound Bob Belden (soprano saxphone, flute), Power-
new DSD download of the Counting Crows’ two options one of personal preference. and recording techniques in order to emulate house pays homage to the early electric work
stellar debut album is a winner, I wasted no That said, the winner of this survey is the SHR the way we hear music in a real setting. Its re- of Miles Davis, and tenor saxophonist Javon
time in downloading it. While I was at it, I also DSD download. The tipster was right. This is a cordings are known for their accurate sound- Jackson plays two tracks of up-tempo soul jazz.
obtained every other available download and no-compromise recording that’s clear and pure, stage and realistic sense of scale. Chesky also The two cuts by the Manhattan Brass Quartet
ripped some of their shiny silver predecessors. with unforced detail and meaty bass. All the has an uncanny ability to reveal depth, accura- impress me with their lack of compression. On
The original CD was notoriously compressed PCM versions sound a bit clouded by compar- cy, width, and height (in other words, three-di- these and most other cuts, the recording’s pres-
and, at the time of its release, a great disap- ison. And, given that this music remains as per- mensionality). The label attempts to make the ence, clarity, realism, and three-dimensionality
pointment after the demo-quality LP. Today, sonal, original, and compelling as ever, I highly were exceptional.
the CD still sounds lifeless and cloaked. “Rain recommend this download. Alan Taffel Chesky saves for last There’s also international music (and a
King,” the album’s loudest (and therefore most the recordings that most chance to hear what percussion sounds like
compressed) track, is downright grimy. Signifi- in binaural) with Mangue Sylla & the All-Star
cantly better is the Mobile Fidelity gold CD, clearly illustrate the Drummers of Guinea. Unfortunately, I found
which is way more open and transparent, yet characteristics of this recording a little too congested to really
still doesn’t approach the standard set by the bring out the full binaural effect. Two contem-
LP. At least “Rain King” is restored. binaural sound. porary bluegrass songs by the New Appala-
listening experience acoustically immersive, chians are the most intimate recordings on the
This is a no-compromise and it has achieved success in rendering natu- sampler; here the musicians sound like they’re
ral reverb decay. Chesky’s introduction of “bin- playing in the same room as you.
recording that’s clear and aural” recordings took realism to a new level Chesky saves for last the recordings that most
pure, with unforced detail for headphones. Available as a download, the clearly illustrate the characteristics of binaural
new Dr. Chesky Presents You’re Surrounded is an sound. “Basketball” is, simply enough, a record-
and meaty bass. opportunity to hear the results. This sampler, ing of basketball bouncing around a room. On
As for the download options, the two pur- which can be downloaded at HDtracks.com, is Wycliffe Gordon’s rendition of “When the Saints
veyors took different tacks. HDtracks went available in 44.1/16, 96/24, and 192/24. I lis- Go Marching In,” you hear the band march into a
PCM, with 96/24 and 192/24 offerings, while tened to the 44.1/16 and 192/24 on a pair of room while already performing the song, circle,
SHR stuck exclusively with DSD. The HDtracks Beyerdynamic DT 770 headphones. In 44.1/16 and then exit. Remarkably realistic sounding,
96/24 sounds completely different than ei- the recording struck me as more organic and that spirited and raucous performance ends Dr.
ther of the above CDs. Vocals are clearer, but more analog. On the other hand, the noise floor Chesky Presents on a high note. Dave Baubach
bass gets slighted. The overall effect is rather was lower with the 192/24, and the high-end
threadbare. Unexpectedly, there’s also a mod- detail and information were extended.
icum of digital glare. Thankfully, the 192/24 The sampler offers a nice mix of musical

94 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten Classical Downloads of 2016

Matheson: Violin Concerto. String Quartet. tet. Repeating, spiraling patterns superficially Stravinsky: Pulcinella Suite. Apollon accomplished—like Stravinsky, Respighi
Times Alone. suggest minimalist technique, but this is actual- musagète. Concerto in D. Suzuki, Tapiola was a Rimsky-Korsakov pupil—but this is
HDtracks.com, eClassical.com, and e-onkyo. ly music that’s quite traditional in its sense of Sinfonietta (96/24) unequivocally “absolute music.” Neschling
com (88/24) structure and the passing of time—hyper-alert, concludes the program with Belfagor, a concert
focused, and invigorating. Best of all is Times Respighi: Sinfonia drammatica. Belfagor. overture employing materials salvaged from an
Yarlung Record’s program, produced and fi- Alone, a song cycle based on five poems by the Neschling. Orchestre Philharmonique Royal de opera that fell flat critically.
nanced by the musical philanthropists J and Spanish writer Antonio Machado (1875–1939), Liège (96/24) The multichannel presentation for both
Helen Schlichting of Southern California, is an as translated by Robert Bly. Matheson doesn’t releases is mid-hall, which is more suitable
excellent introduction to the notable American merely “set” the texts—he seems to take own- EClassical now offers more than 200 albums—all for the Respighi than the Stravinsky. There’s
composer James Matheson. Matheson, now in ership of them like a singer-songwriter. The BIS titles—as multichannel downloads. Having a a wonderful solidity to the lower brasses
his mid-40s, wrote his Violin Concerto for Baird Concerto recording scales the solo instrument noted early music specialist lead a program of on Neschling’s recording, and strategically
Dodge, principal second violinist of the Chica- correctly and the orchestral sonority is lumi- neoclassical Stravinsky is inspired, with Suzuki employed organ pedals in Sinfonia drammatica
go Symphony—and once the composer’s room- nous. Times Alone captures the impressive dy- playing Pulcinella as if it really was an 18th- provide a center-of-the-earth foundation at
mate at Swarthmore College. All of Matheson’s namic power of soprano Laura Strickling and century score, with vibratoless strings, rhythmic key moments.
music has a bold, cinematic flair. His writing massive, dimensional piano sound. flexibility, ornamentation, and a transparent
ensemble texture that highlights contrapuntal
Matheson doesn’t merely techniques. There’s an innocence that nicely
“set” the texts—he seems complements more worldly views, like those
of Pierre Boulez or the composer himself. This
to take ownership of them approach also works well with Apollon musagète
like a singer-songwriter. and the Concerto in D for Strings.

for solo violin is highly idiomatic and virtuo- It’s definitely “mature”
sic; the orchestral contribution is extravagantly
colorful. Matheson employs an advanced tonal
Respighi, predating
syntax and confidently cites other styles as he Fountains of Rome by only
makes his argument: the central Chaconne of
the Concerto references the slow movement
a few years.
from Mahler’s Sixth Symphony and the energet- John Neschling continues his exploration of
ic finale strongly suggests bluegrass. Esa-Pekka Ottorino Respighi’s abundant orchestral output
Salonen was on the podium leading the CSO for with an album devoted mostly to Sinfonia
the world premiere recorded here in December drammatica, an unaccountably neglected
of 2011. (if sprawling) three-movement piece that
Dodge joined three other players from the runs close to an hour. It’s definitely “mature”
flexible chamber ensemble Color Field for a Respighi, predating Fountains of Rome by
scintillating reading of Matheson’s String Quar- only a few years. The scoring is opulent and

95 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten Classical Downloads of 2016

Shostakovich: Piano Trios Nos. 1 & 2. Viola inflected finale builds to a grinning dance of Beethoven: Piano Sonatas 1, 6, 19, and 23 sion (the “Appassionata”). Biss has the benefit of
Sonata. Ashkenazy, Visontay, Lidström, death. Ada Meinich is the string soloist for (“Appassionata”). Jonathan Biss (96/24) a top-drawer production team led by David Frost,
Meinich. (96/24) Shostakovich’s Viola Sonata, his last completed plus one of the finest recording venues in the U.S.,
work, and the two musicians capture perfectly Schumann: Piano Concerto. Introduction and the Academy of Arts and Letters in New York City.
Dvořák: Piano Trio No. 4 (“Dumky”). its valedictory spirit. The studio recording is Allegro Appassionata. Introduction and Con- The Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki signed an ex-
Mendelssohn: Piano Trio No. 1. Rozanova, close-up with warm, resiny string tone. cert-Allegro. Jan Lisiecki; Antonio Pappano clusive recording contract with Deutsche Gram-
Roussev, Salque. (96/24) The Ukranian-born pianist Elena Rozanova (96/24) mophon in 2010—not too shabby for a 15-year-
Both: HDtracks.com teams up with violinist Svetlin Roussev and Both: HDtracks.com old. But this was no typical adolescent phenom;
cellist François Salque for Dvořák’s “Dumky” Lisiecki is another player who values substance
These two Decca releases are anchored by their Trio—a reading that’s fully alert to the work’s Pianophiles will tell you there are two kinds of over flash, and his performance of the perhaps
respective keyboard players. The Shostakovich sudden shifts from moody introspection to players. There are showmen—a line that began too-frequently-heard Schumann A Minor Concer-
program features Vladimir Ashkenazy, 78 exuberance—plus an electrifying account of with Liszt, ran through Horowitz, and continues to- to is poised, subtle, and majestic. He’s supported
years old at the time of the recording, and if Mendelssohn’s D Minor Trio that showcases day with artists like Lang Lang. Then there are the by Antonio Pappano and the Orchestra dell’Ac-
his playing is less crisp than it once was, it’s Rozanova’s astounding technique in the two cerebral types—Alfred Brendel, Richard Goode, cademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. Instead of
as interpretively astute as ever. Ashkenazy outer allegros and effervescent scherzo. Here, Jeremy Denk, and a host of others. Jonathan Biss programming another warhorse concerto to fill
is joined by violinist Zsolt-Tihamér Visontay, the recorded sound may lack the last word in is definitely in the latter camp. Nowadays espe- out the program, Lisiecki plays two less familiar
concertmaster of the Philharmonia Orchestra, clarity and impact, but that shouldn’t dissuade cially, that doesn’t mean technique is deficient, Schumann works for piano and orchestra before
and cellist Mats Lidström, and they cruise anyone from obtaining this accomplished just that it’s put in the service of the music. Biss’ concluding with a couple of intimate solo pieces.
program. Warm, detailed sound.
Ashkenazy begins the Lisiecki is another player
ineffably sad largo with who values substance
eight weighty chords that over flash, and his
communicate a bone- performance of the
weary spiritual depletion. perhaps too-frequently-
smoothly through the 13-minute Trio No. 1, an
heard Schumann A Minor
early work that alternates a Romantic sensibility Concerto is poised, subtle,
with Shostakovich’s more recognizable frisky
style. The group then tackles Trio No. 2, a World
and majestic.
War II-era piece that’s regarded as one of the fourth installment of Beethoven Sonatas presents
composer’s finest chamber works. Ashkenazy meticulously shaped, thoughtful performances
begins the ineffably sad largo with eight that illuminate a composer who had mastered the
weighty chords that communicate a bone- Classical style (Nos. 1 and 6) but always looked
weary spiritual depletion, and the Klezmer- ahead to the drama of full-out Romantic expres-

96 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten Classical Downloads of 2016

Schumann: 6 Studies in Canon Form. Debussy: Partch (1901-1974) without the word “original” Telemann: Recorder Sonatas and Fantasias. momentum from a single melodic line.
En blanc et noir. Bartók: Sonata for 2 pianos coming up early on. Partch rejected the twelve- Pamela Thorby (192/24) Sivan Magen is an Israeli harpist in his mid-30s
and percussion. Daniel Barenboim & Martha tone equal temperament scheme that underlies with both a monster technique and a highly de-
Argerich (48/24) Western music and was among the first to work French Reflections. Sivan Magen, harp veloped musical sensibility, here applied to an
Partch: Plectra and Percussion Dances. Partch with microtonal scales, eventually settling on a (192/24) all-French program—music by Fauré, Debussy,
(96/24) tuning system that divided the octave into 43 Both: Linnrecords.com André Caplet, Marcel Lucien Tournier, and two
Both: HDtracks.com unequal parts. This necessitated the composer contemporary composers, Philippe Schoeller
designing and fabricating his own instruments; Pamela Thorby—25 years ago, with Rachel and Bruno Mantovani. Magen’s playing is lyrical
From the initial bars of the Schumann piece, it’s the ensemble “Partch” has built copies and Podger and two others, she started the highly re- and impassioned, and he makes the consider-
clear that one is experiencing the melding of offers a new recording of the tripartite Plectra garded Palladian Ensemble—is now considered able technical challenges utterly invisible. Linn
two extraordinary musical minds. Martha Ar- and Percussion Dances. The music is percussive to be the finest active English recorder player. veteran Philip Hobbs recorded both the Magen
gerich and Daniel Barenboim were born in Bue- and metrically regular—intended to accompa- Her latest release for Linn Records offers 110 and Thorby programs. Thorby’s recorders have
nos Aires within a year and a half of each other, ny dance—but less animated sections take on minutes of music by the famously prolific Georg their woody character intact and the harp recital
and both were youthful piano-playing super- a lyrical, dreamlike character. The recording Philipp Telemann, half accompanied sonatas has attention-grabbing dynamics that contribute
stars. Yet both artists came to prefer musical is highly intelligible and colorful, with atten- and half fantasias for recorder alone. Listening significantly to the drama of the performances.
collaboration—Barenboim as a conductor and tion-grabbing percussion transients. to nearly two hours of Telemann is a potential-

Partch rejected the twelve- Thorby maintains

tone equal temperament our interest by varying
scheme that underlies the makeup of her
Western music and was continuo group and,
among the first to work in the solo works, the
with microtonal scales. recorder she uses.
Argerich as a chamber music performer. This ly tedious undertaking, but Thorby maintains
recital was taped last summer and includes our interest by varying the makeup of her con-
a Baroque-toned but lyrical rendering of the tinuo group and, in the solo works, the recorder
Schumann studies, a perfectly in-sync respon- she uses. Thorby eschews vibrato but employs a
siveness to the quicksilver changes in mood perky, piping tone in the higher reaches of her
and color of the Debussy suite, and an angular instrument’s range and a sensual, breathy so-
but playful performance of Bartók’s Sonata. nority at the bottom that’s very appealing. Her
The sonics are vivid and dynamic, though never playing is always artfully fluent; the Fantasias
aggressively percussive. are especially impressive, Thorby generating a
You’re unlikely to read anything about Harry strong sense of harmonic structure and rhythmic

97 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten Classical Downloads of 2016

Mendelssohn: A Midsummer Night’s Dream. five piano concertos could serve as a good intro- Bach: Brandenburg Concertos 1–6. Butt, Dune- ern instruments. The five works included on
The Fair Melusine. The Hebrides. Thomas duction to these virtuosic but musically substan- din Consort (96/24) this download were recorded when Mackerras
Dausgaard. Swedish Chamber Orchestra tive works. The young Swiss soloist brings a glit- Mozart: Symphonies 29, 31, 32, 35, and 36. was 83, a year before his death in July of 2010.
(96/24) tering technique and solid interpretive instincts Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Charles Macker- From the gliding affability of No. 29’s opening
to the frequently performed Concerto No. 2 and ras (88/24) movement to the ceremonial brilliance of the
Saint-Saëns: Piano Concertos Nos. 2 & 5. Louis to No. 5, subtitled “The Egyptian” and composed Both: HDtracks.com expansive “Linz” (No. 36), these readings are
Schwizgebel. (44.1/24) when Saint-Saëns was visiting Luxor—and Eu- fresh, assured, and nuanced. The dependable
Both: eClassical.com rope was going through its infatuation with all The Dunedin Consort, led by John Butt, is a Philip Hobbs engineered both the Mozart and
things “Oriental.” Fabien Gabel leads the BBC baroque ensemble consisting of both singers Bach programs; the sound is clear and detailed,
It’s always thrilling when extremely familiar rep- Symphony in a 2014 live broadcast performance and instrumentalists. Linn Records’ 2012 re- with a somewhat more distant aural perspec-
ertoire gets a new performance that’s so fresh of No. 2 and Martyn Brabbins is on the podium cording of J.S. Bach’s complete Brandenburg tive for the Brandenburgs.
and vital that we’re reminded why the piece got with the same orchestra for “The Egyptian.” Concertos was their first purely instrumental
to be a warhorse in the first place. A stone mas- Though the aural presentation of the orchestra is release. Though these readings are “histori-
terpiece written at age 17, Mendelssohn’s A Mid- somewhat two-dimensional, the piano is record-
summer Night’s Dream Overture gets my vote for ed with satisfying weight, volume, and power. The sturdy yet joyous
the most extraordinary instance of compositional
precocity of all time. (The rest of the “incidental
tread of the work’s finale
is soulfully ennobling.
The young Swiss soloist
brings a glittering cally informed”—vibratoless stings, piquant
woodwinds, rustic-sounding natural trumpets
technique and solid and horns—they never place scholarly authen-
interpretive instincts ticity above musical accessibility. For once, the
trumpet player in Concerto No. 2 doesn’t sound
to the frequently like he’s suffering, and the last movement, un-
performed Concerto No. 2. usually, ends quietly. For Concerto No. 6, the
solo group of violas and gambas—the latter
music” came a decade-and-a-half later.) Thomas instrument was a bit old-fashioned even in
Dausgaard and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra Bach’s time—deliver a darkly rich and woody
are a match for the standard interpretive bench- aural texture. The sturdy yet joyous tread of the
mark, Peter Maag’s 1957 London ffss recording. work’s finale is soulfully ennobling.
In addition, BIS’ sonics are of reference caliber, Even though Charles Mackerras was a pio-
possessing exceptional transparency and natural neer in period practice Mozart performance, his
instrumental timbres. complete set of the composer’s symphonies on
Recorded for the French Aparté label, Louis Telarc and his later versions of many of the bet-
Schwizgebel’s readings of two of Saint-Saëns’ ter known ones for Linn were played on mod-

98 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound
CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • CABLE & INTERCONNECT CONSTRUCTION • CABLES & INTERCONNECTS • DIGITAL INTERCONNECTS • POWER CONDITIONERS & POWER CORDS • ACCESSORIES • TOP MUSIC OF 2016

Top Ten Classical Downloads of 2016

Sibelius: Symphonies 3, 6, and 7. with two contrasting chamber music master- Pärt: Passacaglia. Meyers, MDR Leipzig RSO & wasn’t a project Sibelius especially enjoyed,
Vänskä, Minnesota Orchestra (96/24) works. Op. 41, No. 1 unfolds in the sunny key Chorus, Kristjan Järvi (48/24) and the work was largely forgotten for decades,
Mendelssohn: String Quartets 5 and 6. Escher of E Flat Major except for its over-too-soon until it was recorded in 1990 by—who else?—
Quartet (96/24) scherzo (in the relative minor of C Minor) that Sibelius: Scaramouche. Turku Philharmonic Neeme Järvi. The plot is truly creepy, with an
Both: eClassical.com manifests the featherweight fleetness of A Orchestra, Segerstam (96/24) evil viola-playing dwarf placing a young mar-
Midsummer Night’s Dream. Op. 42, No. 2 effec- Both: classicsonlinehd.com ried woman under his spell. She eventually
The eClassical.com download service contin- tively exploits the dramatic tonality of D Minor. murders Scaramouche and then dances herself
ues to add to its substantial store of BIS multi- Both are tightly argued by the Escher Quartet, If there were many high-profile 80th birthday to death as her husband plays the piano—hon-
channel files with two new releases. and played with impeccable technique and observances for Arvo Pärt in 2015, I missed estly! Conductor Leif Segerstam is a master of
Osmo Vänskä, arguably the finest living ex- an attractively blended group sound. Two of them. But the occasion wasn’t ignored by Krist- this kind of pictorial, super-theatrical fare, and
ponent of orchestral Sibelius, completes his Mendelssohn’s Op. 81 pieces complete the jan Järvi, the younger of Neeme’s two conduc- Naxos assists with vivid, transparent sonics.
traversal of the composer’s symphonic canon program. The recording is immediate, with the tor sons, who devoted Volume 4 of “The Kristjan
with three more notable performances. The surround version quite conservative in its exe- Järvi Sound Project” to the revered composer.
opening movement of the Third has a deter- cution. Pärt’s well-known tintinnabuli style is general-
mined, yet not overemphatic pointing; it’s ly tonal with a spiritual glow, but there’s always

BIS’ recording delivers The sound is quite good,

beautifully textured especially the massed
strings, colorful reeds, string sonorities that
and burnished brasses. dominate the program.
lovingly shaped without much in the way of a hyper-alertness and focus present that pulls
Northern darkness. In the sad waltz that’s the one in, producing a mood of intense introspec-
main theme of the andantino, Vänskä relishes tion that lingers after the last note has sound-
the three-against-two rhythms, and the Finale ed. Järvi performs Credo, a work for large or-
features a triumphant close. Symphony No. 6 chestra and chorus dating from the 1960s, the
evokes the cragginess of the Scandinavian nat- string/percussion version of Fratres, and sever-
ural world while the single-movement Seventh al other shorter pieces. The centerpiece of the
is infused with a Brucknerian sense of cosmic album is three works for solo violin and strings
significance. BIS’ recording delivers beautifully (Darf ich…, Passacaglia, and the violin version
textured strings, colorful reeds, and burnished of Fratres) featuring the superb American vi-
brasses, plus a mid-hall perspective manifest- olinist Anne Akiko Meyers. The sound is quite
ing unexaggerated depth. good, especially the massed string sonorities
The Escher String Quartet, from New York that dominate the program.
City, finishes their Mendelssohn quartet cycle The composition of the ballet Scaramouche

99 Buyer’s Guide to Cables, Power Products, Accessories, and Music 2016 the absolute sound