About this time last year, I received what EMM Labs referred to as the Reference PRE. The only identification that appears on the preamp are the letters PRE, which I find a bit confusing, given that the earlier design was called the PRE2. While I really did not expect drastic improvements from the PRE over the PRE2, I hooked it up in my system and almost immediately realized that the PRE was a stunning leap forward. The remainder of this review focuses on the differences and how those differences contribute to a more lifelike recreation of the recorded event.

Technical Details

One of the many things that sets the PRE apart from the vast majority of solid-state preamps is the relative simplicity of its design. Whereas most other modern preamps often boast of the number of opamp chips or large-scale integrated circuits in the audio path, the PRE eschews the use of such devices in favor of discrete transistors, which in total are far less than the number of signal path transistors inside a single opamp chip. The audio signal path of the PRE is, in comparison to the well regarded PRE2, purer and more simplified. As the PRE is designed for balanced operation, there are two identical but distinct class A audio paths per channel, one for the positive polarity signal and one for the mirror image negative polarity. Given the claim of purity and simplicity, you may wonder why the motherboard contains hundreds of parts; however, ninety percent of these parts — visible on the surface mount, ceramic printed circuit board — are part of the highly sophisticated power supply regulation system protecting the relatively few transistors in the audio signal path from unwanted external influences. This regulation system ensures that every transistor in the audio signal path is in its own special cocoon of stable and noise-free voltages to give state of the art, low distortion, class A, DC coupled performance. Much like in the EMM MTRX Reference amps, the audio circuitry is characterized by extremely wide bandwidth, extremely fast rise time, and vanishingly low distortion.

Set-up

As good as the PRE sounds straight out of the box, it benefits significantly from some break-in as well as from careful choice of a power cord and proper mechanical isolation. With the wrong power cords the unit can sound somewhat bleached and lacking in tonal color. Two power cords that work superbly are the Jorma Prime and what I think of as the Furutech RED (Furutech DPS-4 wire, which you will need to terminate).  Likewise, depth, focus, and detail benefit from the use of isolation feet. Two products that I have found to work superbly are the Stillpoints Ultra 6 (two at the front and one at the rear) and the CenterStage 2 (in this case two at the front and two in the back). In this particular application, I would go with the Stillpoints Ultra 5 or Ultra 6.

Listening (digital sources)

Bill Evans, Sunday at the Village Vanguard, XRCD.This is probably the best that I have heard this XRCD. In particular, the soundstage is less flat with Paul Motion’s drum set more clearly located behind Scott LaFaro’s bass. LaFaro’s bass is not “in” the left speaker in the same way that I have heard before. Instead, it is set back just a bit. The audience noises are clearly there, lending a sense of occasion and reality, but not as intrusive —just there, like in real life. The piano does not sound quite as big as I recall, but in the past I thought that I heard some overload, which I no longer hear. All good, all musical.

Tord Gustavsen, ECM, CD.First, the cymbals are fantastically detailed — very important here because the drums are so exposed with this quiet Scandinavian piano trio and the cymbal work is often delicate. The bass is big, fat and rich, but clearly located. I can also hear La Faro’s breathing during the bass solo that begins track 2. The detail is incredible. The main tonal difference that I note that between the EMM and the Audio Note preamps is the piano sounds fatter and warmer with the tubes, i.e., the “tube midrange.”  Which is more real? I am somewhat more aware with the PRE that the piano is appropriately considered a percussion instrument, consisting of hammers that strike metallic strings, but this is not in a bad or exaggerated way. It’s just reality. You could tell me that the EMM had some tubes in it and I would probably believe you —the end result is not just very detailed, but very musical as well.

Corinne West and Kelly Joe Phelps, Magnetic Skyline, Tin Angel Records, CD.Two guitars, two voices, one of them the great Kelly Joe Phelps. Likely recorded in live takes in the studio (if my ears are right) and superbly so. I got goose bumps multiple times. The sound of two fine singers, male and female, harmonizing with superb pitch and taste, is one of the most beautiful things that humans can do, particularly when done over the foundation of two very experienced acoustic guitarists playing fine sounding guitars. This preamp opens up every detail. I know where Phelps and West are sitting. I can hear the details of the picks on the strings (the guitars sound freshly strung). I can hear the details of the pronunciation, the closeness of their lips to the microphones, which, taken with everything else, accounts for the shivers down the spine. This is as good as it gets.

Linda Ronstadt, What’s New, FIM CD.What I expected to hear was slightly bright and edgy strings from Nelson Riddle’s terrific arrangements . . . and then the brass would come in with gusto, sparkling but just a bit painful. On both counts, I was wrong. First of all, this sounds as if it was recorded yesterday.  I’d swear that Ronstadt was singing into a Neumann tube mike.   I can hear all the detail of her voice. It has bothered me at times that Ronstadt does not sound like Anita O’Day or Helen Merrill or Chris Connor — the angels of the American Songbook in the 1950’s (to me at least, though, yes, Fitzgerald and Vaughan can bury them in many respects — maybe the flaws and vulnerability are what grab me). Here, Ronstadt sounds like Ronstadt and she has nothing for which to apologize, especially with Nelson Riddle providing the safety net. With that safety net so clean that a pro could transcribe the arrangements by ear. The placement of instruments is nearly 180 degrees across the listening stage and the speakers disappear. What an illusion.

Beethoven, 4^th Symphony, La Chambre Philharmonique. Beethoven on original instruments, the strings played without vibrato, by a chamber orchestra-sized ensemble, can be a dangerous combination when played with too many microphones up close. This live recording does not suffer from the edginess and brashness that often characterize such performances, at least not as heard via the EMM Labs PRE (and EMM digital gear and MTRX amps). The soundstage is quite clear. The antiphonal effect of the strings on either side of the stage is right there and, for me at least, is one of the many new and exciting things I hear with these performances. Most exciting, however, is the very palpable sense of eager enthusiasm that we can hear from the musicians. I find it hard to define the precise musical cues that make this so palpable, but it is there in spades as heard via the EMM gear. Indeed, it is edge-of-the-seat excitement. Is it the exceptional attention to dynamics fostered by Krivine but captured by musicians that are right there with him? Is it the hair’s breadth musical acuity? Is it the occasional edge of an excited bowstring? All of those things? Whatever it is, the thrill of the music comes across in exceptional glory.

Schumann, Symphony 2, Dausgaard, Swedish Chamber Orchestra, BIS SACD. There is no doubt that this is an SACD as it presents a level of spaciousness, air, detail and ease that easily surpasses Redbook CD, especially as presented to us by the EMM gear. Dausgaard’s historically informed performances of standard repertoire have been attracting very positive press (with a few detractors) over the last few years. This Schumann 2^nd is a huge success to these ears. The EMM presents wonderfully grain-free strings over a very wide soundstage. With the smaller orchestra we get the advantage of more colorful blending of the winds with the strings. The prevailing wisdom of the past was that Schumann was a poor orchestrator whose work needed “cleaning up.” With the smaller orchestra, it is hard to see how the objection stands.

The second movement is one of my favorites in the literature and Dausgaard moves it along with exceptional élan. The EMM helps us hear, in particular, the careful attention to dynamic gradations that make this performance special. It also helps us hear the careful attentiveness of the orchestra. The players do not miss a beat — literally — in this performance, which, while brisk, is also somewhat liberal with rubato and expressive hesitations.

Gillian Welch, EMI, CD. The LP of this album has held me almost breathless on multiple occasions. It is almost as if even the most minor squeak of my chair will utterly ruin the quiet, moonlit atmosphere spun by Welch and her companion. I have not in the past been overly impressed with the Redbook version of this album and, apparently, neither was Welch who pushed for the LP issue. While I do not completely understand the why of it, listening now with all EMM gear, the Redbook CD makes me almost as breathless as the LP. This is to suggest that there is clearly a synergy among the EMM pieces and, for that matter, between the PRE and digital media.

Frank Sinatra, Only the Lonely, CD. I have heard some listeners say that early CD’s are sonically among some of the best, which seems silly given the rather huge technical strides that have been made since the early 1980’s, not to mention the continuing growth in understanding how to exploit the differences between digital and analog. Yet this early issue of what is arguably Sinatra’s greatest record sounds just terrific tonight, as it almost always has. Sinatra is perfectly centered and I feel as if I can practically reach out and touch him. That slightly nasal quality is right there, captured in the most flattering light by the ubiquitous Neumann tubed microphone.  At least fifty percent of what makes this album such a gem goes to Nelson Riddle. The instruments are placed very well on the soundstage and sound marvelous. In fact, I had forgotten how intricate some of the wind work is.

deHavilland Electric Amplifier Company, proudly announces the launch of the Super40 Monophonic Power Amplifier.

Fans of amplifiers using the Loktal base Sylvania 7N7/7AF7 drive tube rejoice!

Washington-based deHavilland Electric Amplifier Company has launched its latest incursion, the Super40 monoblocks, onto the high-performance, mid-priced vacuum tube amplification scene. Outputting 32 watts per channel on 6L6GC tubes or 40 watts on KT88, the Super40 weighs 34 pounds and runs on the low-feedback, push-pull topology.

Niceties of the Super40 includes the use of V-plate 5AW4 rectifier tube, vintage Brimar, Mullard or Amperex (Holland) 12AU7 tubes, carbon composition resistors, paper-in-oil signal capacitors, silver mica capacitors, and the aforementioned Loktal base Sylvania 7N7/7AF7! A built-in soft-start circuit protects the cathodes during power-on. Tube bias adjustment is via the onboard digital bias meter.

All letterings and markings on the amplifier are engraved in aluminum and then anodized via the in-house CNC milling machine.

Retail price is $5,800 the pair.

SPECIFICATIONS:

Monophonic power amplifier: 32 watts (6L6GC) or 40 watts (KT88) (either tube can be used.)
Hum and noise: 1 mV residual noise, approximately 90dB S/N ratio.
Power bandwidth: 20-50,000 Hz, +0 , -1dB . 4 or 8 ohms
Tube complement: (1x) 12AU7, (1x) 7N7, (1x) 5AW4, (2x) 6L6GC
Power Supply: Tube rectified with soft start delay circuit
Speaker Posts: Cardas pure copper
Bias: Adjustable for each power tube, onboard illuminated meter.
Dimensions: 15″ L x 8″ W x 9″ H
Shipping Wt.: 34 lbs.
Power consumption: 90 watts.

Price per pair: $5,800  plus shipping. All Super40s are hand built by deHavilland in-house, per order.

In this award-winning production, the life, music and career of early Jazz piano player James P. Johnsonare explored with musical examples and audio clips from the radio series, Jazz Rhythm. Actor Peter Coyote readsfrom Johnson’s recollections and Mark Borowsky expertly traces his career, sharing insights gleaned from a lifetime studying this overlooked American genius.

JAMES P JOHNSON_A Introduction with Peter Coyote, narrator & Drums.mp3

James P. Johnson in the 1920s.

Forgotten Genius

James Price Johnson (1894-1955) should be hailed as one of the greatest composers, jazz musicians and song writers of American music.  But despite his vast achievements, he remains largely unknown to general audiences.

Johnson was the foremost proponent of Harlem Stride jazz piano and an absolute master of the keyboard with perfect pitch. Before 1920 his Stride piano style transformed Ragtime into Jazz, laying the cornerstone of jazz piano.  He influenced pianists Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Art Tatum and Thelonious Monk.  His protege Fats Waller recalled learning more in his first afternoon with Johnson than the previous 10 years.

He was in great demand throughout the 1920s, ‘30s and ‘40s for recordings as a soloist, accompanist to singers or band pianist.  His list of collaborators is a who’s who of Jazz and Blues: Bessie Smith, Ethel Waters, King Oliver, Sidney Bechet, Eddie Condon. A sober, disciplined, middle-class, church-going family man, he only superficially exemplified the larger-than-life flamboyant persona of the era’s piano professionals.

Johnson cut some 55 piano rolls — the finest of their kind — for a half-dozen companies.  His “Charleston” became the signature tune of the Roaring Twenties.  He made hundreds of records for the most important labels of his time, which today confirm his exceptional composing, arranging and pianistic skills equal to masters of any musical tradition.

JAMES P JOHNSON_B Charleston, Piano Rolls and Solos 1921-45.mp3

Johnson circa 1940.

Jersey City Origins

Johnson was raised in Jersey City, New Jersey on, in his own words “an old-time honky tonk street.” His first informal job was playing piano in a bordello.  Though at the tender age eight he was an innocent, unaware of the true circumstances.

Located at the convergence of rail lines, Jersey City was a collecting node for African American piano players from the South and Midwest.  They were local celebrities on which young James modeled his personal style, recalling:

“When we lived in Jersey City I was impressed by . . .  real ‘ticklers,’ cabaret and ‘sportin’ house’ players.  They were my heroes.  They led what I thought was a glamorous life; they were welcome everywhere because of their talent.  If you could play piano, you went from one house to another.  Everybody made a fuss about you.  They fed you ice cream and cake, all sorts of food and drinks.”

Ragtime in The Jungles

At age 14, Johnson’s family moved to the tough San Juan Hill neighborhood of New York on Manhattan Island (located about where Lincoln Center stands today).  Nearby was The Jungles — a rowdy entertainment area and nexus of musical currents where young James hung out.  Before long, he would be playing for dancers at the famed Jungles Casino where he conceived “The Charleston.”

According to Johnson, The Jungles district contained a superlative collection of ivory ticklers who had developed a unique ragtime piano style heard nowhere else. Drawn by work in the plentiful cabarets, theaters and entertainment houses of New York City these piano professionals were flamboyant characters.  Each had a distinctive personal style and bag of tricks, each competing to outdo the others in skill, personal flair or swagger.

Though Ragtime was the dominant musical form, in his youth Johnson also heard popular songs, folk and rural music, ethnic dances from the Southeastern United States and remnants of West African ring-shout dances. Importantly, The Jungles was not far from the “legitimate” music of Carnegie Hall, the New York Philharmonic or the top vaudeville palaces of the land. Johnson said:

“The ragtime player had to . . .  get orchestral effects, sound harmonies, and all the techniques of European concert pianists who were playing their music all over the city.  New York ‘ticklers’ developed the orchestral piano — full, round, big, widespread chords in tenths, a heavy bass moving against the right hand.”

Young James flourished in this rich stew of influences, developing his own piano style.  He began a professional career in the Summer of 1912 –in a rickety cabaret just off the beach at Far Rockaway, Queens.

JPJ Borowsky 1920s Pt. 1 Early solos.mp3

Elusive Disc, an online high-end audio hardware and software retailer, has announced a limited re-release of one of the most seminal jazz recordings of all time: Bill Evans Trio “Portrait In Jazz.”

Lauded as the breakthrough studio recording for the artist Bill Evans himself, PIJ came to be after his last collaborations with Miles Davis and John Coltrane separately. The LP established a standard for many jazz trios to follow.

Each 180g 45RPM 2LP Box set is mastered from the original master tapes using Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab’s new state-of-the-art UltraDisc One-Step (UD1S) process, in which the conventional three-step process gives way to a new technological advancement that enables record stamps to be formed directly from the lacquers, which are cut from the master tape.

MFSL claims the resultant vinyl “serves as an immaculate replica of the lacquer sourced directly from the original master tape. Every conceivable aspect of vinyl production is optimized to produce the most perfect record album available today.”

Each UD1S set of “Portrait In Jazz” is housed in a collector’s deluxe box, containing special foil-stamped jackets and faithful-to-the-original graphics.

Musicians:
Bill Evans, piano
Scott LaFaro, bass
Paul Motian, drums

Selections:
1. Come Rain Or Come Shine
2. Autumn Leaves
3. Witchcraft
4. When I Fall In Love
5. Peri’s Scope
6. What Is This Thing Called Love?
7. Spring Is Here
8. Someday My Prince Will Come
9. Blue In Green

$129 per set. 6,000 numbered sets available. One set per customer per address.

Margules Audio

While vacationing in Mexico City with my wife Martha, I had the opportunity to visit Margules Audio, one of the premier manufacturers of fine audio equipment. This is a family owned business run by a tight knit family.Julian Margules is the president and chief audio designer while his wife Laura is the business and financial manager. Their son Jacob is the operations manager and their daughter Deborah is the industrial designer. They also have a family dog named Olivia who seemed to serve as the goodwill ambassador.

The Margules family has been in the audio business since 1928, when Jacobo Margules founded Emporio Electrico in the field of professional radio broadcasting systems. In 1954, Tel Rad was founded as a manufacturing branch for consumer products such as radios, record players, gramophones, amplifiers, speaker systems, sound trucks, etc. Tel Ra is currently run by the third generation family. The past 30 years this company has been developing its own technology under several audio brands: Margules, Magenta and Marvox. The company recently relocated to the trendy section of Mexico City called Colonia Roma. They are still in the process of remodeling their new facilities. Julian and Jacob took us to a wonderful seafood restaurant in the neighborhood. Julian opened up the company to me and I got to see the intricacies of running a high-end audio company. Even though this is a family business, it is a fairly good-sized operation.

Julian first showed me the demonstration room, which is right outside of the elevator. I listened briefly, and then I was given a more extended demonstration after the tour. There was a prototype of the SA-L3, a new wall-mounted speaker in the room.

The manufacturing tour began at the end of the building where the offices are located.  Julian and Laura share an office in the corner with Jacob’s office right next to theirs. A large conference room is in the other corner.

The engineering department is adjacent to the offices. The engineering department has some very talented engineers who were working on various projects while I was there, including a new digital audio converter (DAC). Julian lectures at a number of universities, so he has access to some of the brightest young engineers in Mexico.  Everything is designed in-house.

The engineering department.

Engineering test equipment.

Julian pointed out that measurements are important in the design of his audio equipment; however, the lifelike production of sound is the most important thing. For example, his power amplifiers use zero feedback, which means they do not measure as well as they might, but he feels the music has a more realistic, natural sound. This young engineering team seems more than capable of handling the task of designing some wonderful sounding amplifiers and speakers.

Next was the production department where each piece of equipment is painstakingly hand built to precise specifications. I got to see some of their finished products.

The production department.

Currently the production team was assembling Bluetooth speakers. There is a fairly large supply in the raw inventory room right across from the production area. Margules buys in substantial quantities, which helps reduce production costs.

There is a storage area between engineering and production where the finished goods inventory is kept.

They have all types of equipment here, including a CNC machine.

There were a number of prototypes of new products, including a new turntable that their daughter Deborah was designing.

The final step is quality control where each unit is tested to meet specifications. This was a separate room at the end of the hall.

During the tour, I noticed all of the employees seemed very hardworking and happy to be working here. The working environment is very laid back and there is a nice employee break room available.

Julian explained that there is an established audiophile community in Mexico. There were people coming in for audio demonstrations during the day. Margules Group, USA is the manufacturer’s representative in the United States and is run by Carlos Smith. The demonstrations would feature an entire chain of Margules components except for the phono cartridge and cables.

Julian showing me the precise assembly of each product, including the high quality parts used.

We went back to the demonstration room after the tour. Julian started the demonstration by playing some excerpts from Handel’s Messiah streamed from YouTube through Bluetooth. Right away I noticed the limitations of a number of the YouTube recordings when played through top-notch audio gear. Later, when Julian switched to his turntable playing some Dave Brubeck on the Magenta TT-10 turntable ($2,800) with a Soundsmith phono cartridge, the improvement was staggering. The phono stage was the FZ47db ($799).  Julian played a wide variety music, all of which sounded wonderful through their SF220 Black 1.2 tube preamp ($4,000) and U-280sc Black amplifier ($6,000) operating in the triode mode. This is 25 watts driving the 88dB Orpheus Speakers ($19,000 per pair) with no problem. The output tubes were a set of KT88’s and the amplifier runs in class A, which kept the room nice and warm. Julian pointed out the precise imaging and layering of the music; however, what struck me was the deep bass coming from the 6.5” drivers when he played Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite on Reference Recordings. Atlas Cables rounded out the system. I also saw a VPI record-cleaning machine in the corner. Margules is an authorized dealer for VPI. There is also a fine piece of art hanging in the room by artist Mario Garcia Torres.

The Magenta TT-10 turntable.

I remember seeing this futuristic looking turntable at the California Audio Show last year and I was glad I got the opportunity to listen to it. This is the first production turntable made by Margules, created as part of a project made by Margules and the Technologic University. The students proposed a fresh and futuristic aesthetic design along with high-end requirements. Julian let me hold the platter, which weighed about 11 pounds and you could tell it was solid. The turntable has a spring suspension to isolate unwanted vibrations. The turntable comes with a unipivot tonearm, which means you would prefer a higher compliance cartridge. The Soundsmith cartridge seemed to be a perfect match. I wonder how the tonearm would handle a lower compliance cartridge, such as my Hana EH.

The larger speaker is the wonderful Orpheus. The smaller speaker is a new model that will sell for about $2,700 per pair.

Due to the constraint of being in the middle of our vacation, I was only able to spend one afternoon visiting the Margules facilities. I would like to thank the entire Margules family for being such gracious hosts. I would also like to point out that my wife Martha let me use one of our limited vacation days to spend on audio and helped me by taking the pictures. While I was there, I lost track of time listening to music, so when I saw all of the employees leaving, I knew it was probably time for me to go.  You don’t have to travel to Mexico to listen to the Margules line.  Julian tells me he has already made arrangements to have a room at the California Audio Show this July 26-28^th, 2019, at the Hilton Oakland Airport Hotel in Oakland, CA. The opportunity to hear these magical Margules components would make attending this show worthwhile.

Web Site:
https://margules.com/en/index.php

Address:
Morelia #38-4 Colonia Roma
Mexico City 06700 Mexico
Telephone: 
52(55) 5514 7448
52(55) 5533 4654

US Distributor:
Margules Group USA
Charles Smith
Columbus, Georgia
Telephone (706) 575-0926
Email: 
carlos.smith@margules.com.mx

Copy editor: Dan Rubin

Colorado-based PS Audio has launched an unprecedented equipment trade-in program, in which a customer’s equipment of another make in good working and cosmetic condition may receive its original retail value towards a new PS Audio product, or two.

On the company website is a page where customers can enter equipment detail such as Make, Model, Original MSRP, Condition (Poor, Good, Great), Original Owner (Yes, No), Contact with tobacco smoke (Yes, No, Unsure), With original packaging (Yes, No), With accessories (Yes, No) and Comments.

Trade-in claims are reviewed by the PS Audio Sales Team within 48 hours, emails or phone calls will be made in case of questions, and then an order confirmation email will be sent to the customer. Most product types are accepted except for accessories, phono cartridges, power cables and interconnects.

Per Kevin Jackson, PS Audio U.S. Sales Manager, “We offer an excellent trade-in program for PS gear or non-PS gear.  We essentially wanted a way to help customers that were upgrading their system.  The problem we all face when upgrading is ‘what do I do with the old one’ and ‘I don’t want to throw it out, it still has value.’  The trade-in program allows us to address both of these concerns and of course entice them to purchase one of our new products to add to their system.

Secondarily, once in a while dealers tend to discount products excessively, ours and our competitors’.  While unintentional, this can hurt the brand and diminish the value.  The trade-in program allows us to offer a discount without painting a dark cloud over what these products are truly worth.”

Dagogo: What is the current response level from consumers?

Kevin: We have a great response from our customers, in fact it’s almost rare to get an order that doesn’t include trade-in items.

Dagogo: What is your policy when the original price of the old products equal or exceed the price of your products?

Kevin: The way the program works is we take the original MSRP of the trading item and apply it to the new PS item with a max discount of 30%.  Unfortunately we don’t currently have a way to rollover trade-in credit, however we do allow for the credit to be applied to more than one item.  Or the reverse, we allow multiple items to be traded-in against one PS product.

Dagogo: What do you do with the trade-in products?

Kevin: Currently we work with one of our dealer The Music Room who is geographically close to us.  We have our customers directly ship their trade-in items to TMR who repairs if necessary and photographs them and posts them on their site for sale.

Pro-Ject X2: The Heavyweight, Uncompromised High-End

In 1991 Pro-Ject Audio Systems started a revolution in the HiFi industry with the introduction of the Pro-Ject 1 turntable; a new high-end, low-budget turntable released at a time when CD was king. Against all odds, we were creating interest in analogue audio at a time when others were turning their backs, and the success was only down to three critical philosophies:

1. Simple yet technically correct design
2. High-quality valuable materials
3. Fully handcrafted by expert engineers, made in the EU.

The P1 delivered unbelievable sound at a fantastic price, but as is the way in hi-fi many people still wanted more. So, working to the same core philosophies, today we announce the latest generation of this turntable, X2. X2 takes the same enhancements as the latest generation X1 record player and improves on those technologies:

• The raw materials used in production are of a much higher quality and also more difficult to source.
• The selected components are bigger, heavier and more robust, for improved performance and greater build quality.

Investing in middle/high-end analogue technologies is increasingly rare in the analogue hi-fi industry, as the affordable and esoteric high-end markets become saturated with choice; but the middle ground is still full of passionate audiophiles who wish to avoid poor quality alternatives but cannot afford the high-end price tags. X2 therefore typifies Pro-Ject’s belief that all analogue enthusiasts need to be individually catered in our range.

The X2 is carefully tuned to offer only audio-focused features for the best possible price, and due to our decades-long experience in analogue technologies its hand-assembled by a European-based factory you can trust. Every effort has been made throughout to not cut corners on cost or sonic ability and the end result is a highly engaging, musical turntable that delivers deep, detailed lows, crisp high frequencies and an engaging well-presented midrange.

The X2 is available in four finishes; a premium walnut wood veneer, a luxurious black 8-layer high gloss paint, or black or white eight-layer hand-polished satin paint.

PJ-X2: Mat, Subplatter, Pulley.

SIMAUDIO REVEALS TWO LUXURIOUS NEW MOON HIGH-PERFORMANCE STEREO COMPONENTS

The MOON 700i v2 integrated stereo amplifier and 780D v2 streaming DAC

MOON has added two outstanding new products to its class-leading range of audiophile electronics. Designed to offer performance way beyond their price, both the 700i v2 integrated stereo amplifier and 780D v2 streaming DAC will permanently alter listeners’ expectations of audio quality.

The 700i v2 is the most flexible, most extensively specified integrated stereo amp MOON has ever made. Building on its 40-year heritage of designing some of the world’s finest integrated amps, the MOON 700i v2 is created to provide a lifetime of thrilling audio performance. Featuring four unbalanced RCA inputs alongside balanced XLR, and with an RCA monitor loop, plus line-level outputs, the 700i v2 is capable of utterly faithful, uncoloured audio reproduction from any source.

175 watts per channel of power, delivered by an oversized dual-mono power supply, ensures effortless dynamic dexterity, and gives absolute control over even the most demanding loudspeakers. MOON’s ‘Lynx’ technology eliminates the global feedback loop and ensures class-leading transparency and detail-rich authenticity of sound. And, the 700i v2 can even contribute to an extensive home theatre system, thanks to the ability for each input to bypass the volume control.

700i v2 FEATURES
• Power output: 175 wpc @ 8ohms/350 wpc @ 4ohms
• Frequency response: 10Hz – 100kHz
• Inputs: 4 x RCA, 1 x XLR
• Outputs: 1 x monitor loop, 1 x line-level RCA

The 780D v2 is the most accomplished digital-to-analogue convertor MOON has ever built – and, at the same time, it’s a feature-packed network streamer. An abundance of digital inputs, plus DAC architecture that embraces the cutting edges of digital audio (PCM up to 385kHz and DSD256) ensures the 780D v2 will make your digital music sound its best, no matter the source. It’s Roon-ready and features MQA decoding via every input.
As well as class-leading D-to-A conversion, the 780D v2 also delivers the finest possible network streaming experience. Premium streaming services like TIDAL Masters, Qobuz Sublime+ and Deezer Hi-Fi are integrated into the MiND2 (MOON intelligent Network Device) streaming module, which also allows any of the 780D v2’s inputs to stream wirelessly to other MiND devices on the network. Bluetooth aptX is on board as well as ethernet connectivity to ensure absolute signal stability.

From every conceivable digital source, at any file size or standard whatsoever, the MOON 780D v2 is the
comprehensive answer to the question of digital audio quality.

780D v2 FEATURES
• Roon Ready
• DSD and MQA decoding from every digital input
• TIDAL Masters, Deezer Hi-Fi and Qobuz Sublime+ integrated
• Inputs: USB, AES/EBU, 3 x SP/DIF, 2 x optical, ethernet, wi-fi, aptX Bluetooth
• Outputs: Balanced, unbalanced
• PCM bit-depth range: 16 – 32
• PCM sampling frequency range: 44.1 – 384kHz
• DSD sample rates: 64 – 256

Both the MOON 700i v2 and 780D v2 are available in black, silver or two-tones finishes and come with a 10-year warranty.

RETAIL PRICES
MOON 700i v2: £13,000 / starting at 14,000 USD
MOON 780D v2: £13,500 / starting at 15,000 USD
AVAILABLE NOW

Readers who own the Exogal Comet have some very good options recently. I have written previously of the sensitivity of the Comet DAC and the Ion PowerDAC to power cords. Earlier today I swapped power cords on both units for an effective sea change in sound quality associated with running the Legacy Audio Whisper DSW Clarity Edition Speakers, which I used during the assessment of the HyperDrive upgrade to the Ion.

Before I make an umbilical recommendation, those who own the Ion PowerDAC are especially urged to take advantage of an extended period of reduced price on sending in the Ion for the HyperDrive upgrade for $250, including return ground shipping through Friday, July 19^th! No one should miss this opportunity, as it is a sensational upgrade for a pittance! You can read about it in my article focusing on the Ion’s HyperDrive upgrade.

Now to the point of this brief article, the Marigo Audio Lab 22” Litz Umbilical Cable. Marigo is known for their Litz wiring, a “tried and true” geometry in the community. Designer Ron Hedrich uses his own twist on Litz design in his interconnects and speaker cables. They are made with six 9s OFHC copper drawn to Marigo’s specifications. Proprietary modified organic dielectric is used – no plastic. The cable is double cryogenic treated.

Ron explains the nature and assembly of the Marigo umbilical for the Comet’s Plus Power Supply succinctly, so I will simply share his thoughts:

The umbilical for the Comet DAC power supply is a custom wound 500 strand six-nine copper litz, double cryo treated with a superior custom designed DC power plug. The dc power plug is built larger to accept the heavy Marigo Audio Lab  litz wire. The dc plug also has high current conductor pathways.  The Comet Plus PS umbilical is 24”overall. 21” is exposed from the ps. Other lengths are available. Installation requires a customer to send their PS to me, as the circuit board dc connection block must be unsoldered and fully removed and the Marigo Audio Lab litz umbilical directly soldered to the board dc power traces This is due to the much larger wire diameter of the high current litz  umbilical wires. Soldering is professional. I’ve working in both R&D labs and the aerospace industry. In my shop, I use a state of the art Metcal RF high precision soldering station.

Marigo Audio Lab is an authorized Exogal dealer, so the enthusiast seeking to upgrade both the power supply and umbilical can order both from Marigo. The Plus Power Supply from Exogal costs $600. The cost of the Plus with the Marigo umbilical (24”) is $850 and includes shipping in the USA. If you have the Plus Power supply you can send it to Marigo for the specialized work to replace the stock umbilical with the Marigo Litz umbilical (24”) in the USA for $399 including return shipping.

I had on hand already the Plus Power Supply with the Clarity Cable umbilical that I had installed for comparison to the Marigo-enhanced Plus Power Supply that Ron sent. The Marigo Plus is more blown out, enlarged in soundstage, similar to when a person changes between a typical solid-state amplifier and a tube amplifier. The effect was not unlike what I describe in my review of the gorgeous Gold Note PA-1175 Amplifiers, which have a unique Damping Factor switch allowing for Low (25) or High (250) damping factor! The Clarity Cable Plus supply was like an amp with high damping factor, leaner and a bit more linear. The Marigo Plus supply is fatter with more richness.

Here is another way to enliven a system that seems flat or dull. The Marigo Plus supply will warm and expand a system much in the way that a tube buffer does. An increase overall in extension of the soundstage is to be expected. For optimum performance you will want to arrange interconnects and power cables to suit. It is possible with a power cable such as the Anticables Level 3 Reference that there can be too much high end energy and stretching of the soundstage. A power cable like the Snake River Audio Cottonmouth or the Clarity Cable Vortex Power Cord will do well.

This is a solid upgrade for a reasonable price, and is highly recommended for those who wish to improve the already notable performance of the Comet. Do both of these upgrades, the HyperDrive and the Marigo Umbilical, and you will have a solid reworking of a strong performing PowerDAC!

Audio Note UK announces official production of its edition of the 300B single-ended triode tube, the 4300E.

AN UK 4300E Front & Back

Peter Qvortrup, Audio Note UK founder, offers the following: “I always felt that although valves/tubes are by far the best amplifying devices, hardly any of the currently available types are optimised for the best sound possible. In search of the best sound, I built an enormous tube collection, going back to triodes from the early 1920s.

Listening through the various versions of the 211s I came across several variants that used metal anodes instead of carbon, the nickel versions did not have the dissipation of the carbon types, but the Molybdenum versions did and to my considerable surprise, sounded much better than any of the carbon types, including the United Electronics 38111a reinforced anode.

As with all other parts of the ‘chain’, resistors, signal and electrolytic capacitors, transformers both audio and mains, we have been conducting a thorough and detailed search for the best sounding materials and processes for many years, proof of the results can be found in the improvements in sound of our silver and copper foil signal capacitors, the Rubycon made KAISEI electrolytic capacitors, the non-magnetic Tantalum resistors, and of course, the silver/Tantalum versions of the non-magnetic resistors and so on.

About 3 years ago, Andy grove and I visited Psvane in Changsha, China to discuss closer co-operation and joint development of tubes with materials directly targeted at better sound, whilst retaining the correct electrical parameters that makes them proper replacements.

We started with the Molybdenum anode version of the 211, called the 4242E (picture below) and parallel with that a version of the 300B, which we dubbed the 4300E.  We knew what a Moly version of the 211 sounded like as I have a number of NOS 211s with Molybdenum anodes, and they all sound amazing, but the development of a 300B version with Molybdenum was largely speculative and it took quite a lot of experimentation to develop the right coatings and processes to get the right sound, reliability and longevity (still somewhat speculative, as only years of use will tell) whilst retaining the same electrical characteristics.

We finally got there about 3 months ago!”

The Audio Note UK 4300E is available exclusively from local Audio Note UK authorized dealers.

Price: 800 GBP

AN UK 4242E Front & Back

Respondent: Phil Marchand, Marchand Electronics, Room 5218, 2019 California Audio Show.

Merrill Audio is releasing a tape head preamplifier for reel to reel tape decks, dubbed PURE.

On July 13, 2019, Xtreme Fidelity in River Vale, NJ will host a demonstration of the Merrill Audio PURE on an Ampex ATR tape deck that is fully restored by ATR Services. There will be a comparison of the PURE against the Ampex native cards. Request information for limited invitations at XtremeFidelity.net.

According to the press release, “[the] Merrill Audio PURE Tape Head Preamp provides a superior Tape Head Preamp that brings out the full dynamics of Reel to Reel Tape, with the details and immediacy of the live recording.”

“Merrill Audio Pure Tape Head Preamp is the 1^st of series of 3 Tape head Preamps. The Merrill Audio PURE Tape head preamp will feature the purity of the sound from Reel to Reel tape with minimal adjustments and is focused on the Purist Audiophile demanding the most accurate sound signature with the least amount of artifacts.  Price at $9,000,  it is an ideal addition to the Ampex ATR 100, 102 and 104 series. Merrill Audio can provide the plug in card to access the Tape Head directly on the Ampex ATR 100 series Machines, replacing the onboard preamp cards.

The Merrill Audio PURE Tape Head Preamp takes its designed cues from the famed Jens Phono stage and circuit designer, Jens Waale. The Merrill Audio PURE Tape Head Preamp has 6 speed and eq settings 3.75 NAB, 7.5 NAB, 15 NAB, 7.5 IEC, 15 IEC and 30 IEC2. The gain is selectable at 71db of 65db. All settings are saved. The display brightness can be dimmed, delayed dimmed or delay blanked. All setting and speed/eq settings can be set using a remote. The Eq and gain settings can also be manually switched.  The low noise Merrill Audio Kratos External Power Supply provide the 1^st level of power filtering.

The Merrill Audio ELEMENT PURE Tape Head Preamp is built with ultra-tight tolerance components, Silver plated Teflon sleeved wire, fully balanced inputs and outputs, custom XLR connectors with gold plated pins with Teflon body in metal housing is used. The external power supply is ultra-low noise power supply gives the Merrill Audio PURE Tape Head Preamp an ultra-low noise floor with great immediacy in reproduction.”

Now at select dealers and direct from Merrill Audio.

More information at www.MerrillAudio.net/tape-head-preamplifier/

Respondent: John-Paul Lizars, Aurender America, Boardroom 2, Boardroom 1, Room 5109, 2019 California Audio Show.

In celebration of the company’s 40th anniversary, Focal is holding a contest for its existing customers to win a complete system between May 9 and December 24, 2019.

The system will consist of:

• Focal Kanta No. 2 speaker system. RAL finishes available.
• Naim Audio Uniti Star premium music streamer/player/amplifier.
• Naim Audio Super Lumina cable system.

Six (6) of such system will be given away.

ENTER

Celebrating the Legacy of Herbert von Karajan

Thirty years ago next Tuesday (7/16/2019), the classical music world lost one of its foremost champions in the digital age, Herbert von Karajan (1908-1989).

Deutsche Grammophon is commemorating the legacy of the maestro with the re-release of two of his renowned symphony cycles, of Tchaikovsky and Bruckner: “Remastered at 24bit / 96kHz from original analogue sources, these are released on Blu-ray audio for the first time accompanying 4- and 9-CD sets of the same re-masterings respectively. The Bruckner release is now available, while the Tchaikovsky Symphony set is now available for pre-order.”

Carlos Kleiber (1930-2004)

Also lost to the classical music world in the same month was the reclusive but equally celebrated Carlos Kleiber, a contemporary and friend of von Karajan.

“This week, we commemorate the passing of Austrian conductor Carlos Kleiber (1930–2004) on July 13. Explore a curated collection of his discography on Deutsche Grammophon in our new website section, DG Discovery. Simply select your preferred streaming service and you will be led to the chosen albums or playlists.”

From Constantine’s Desk (Official Directory edition)

Dear Attendees and Exhibitors of CAS9,

Welcome to the ninth annual California Audio Show!

Music is a conduit to the inner beauty of us all. Through music, we connect beyond religions, politics and social divides. Through music, we are all elevated to the apex in human spirituality. Indeed, music can even restore memories and the joy of life to seniors with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Alive Inside (https://www.aliveinside.org/) is an organization devoted to improving the lives of seniors with the disease. It is also a 2012 documentary movie made by Alive Inside founder, Michael Rossato-Bennett. It chronicles his discovery of the conditions of nursing home seniors with Alzheimer’s and how they were transformed by music. The movie earned numerous awards and is now available on Netflix streaming and Amazon Prime streaming.

On Sunday, July 28, Tony Fisher of Healdsburg Senior Living, a local partner of Alive Inside, will host an Alive Inside event in the Forum Room from 10am to 4pm. Check the CAS website for updates on details.

Proceeds from all CAS9 Sunday walk-in ticket sales will be donated to the Alive Inside Foundation. Ticket price is $30 each ticket per attendee. Each ticket purchase comes with a Reference Recordings SACD, courtesy of Reference Recordings, while supplies last. We thank Marcia Martin of RR for the generous contribution.

Come! Bring a friend or two, for the good cause, good music and free Reference Recordings SACDs.

Photo: Evelina Pentcheva

Now, certified International Recording Artist Lyn Stanley will be presenting her latest Direct-To-Disc LP London With A Twist and the SACD version at this year’s CAS. She will demonstrate the LP and SACD in the Margules Audio’s Boardroom 4 on Saturday and Sunday. Don’t miss “A Conversation with Lyn Stanley” at 2pm on Sunday, July 28. Also inside Boardroom 4.

So, CAS9 Attendees, show your support of the Show by planning your purchases from the exhibiting companies and artists. Let’s show them why coming to the Bay Area is a good idea.

Next year marks the tenth anniversary of CAS. And we are reminded once again that we wouldn’t be here without the stern support of our exhibitors and attendees. We love you!
See you around.

Constantine Soo, producer
July, 2019

IN MEMORIAM

JEREMY KIPNIS

1965 – 2019

GoArt rendition of Jeremy and Carolina Kipnis by Stephen Hollyday Rosser

The audio industry mourns the passing of Jeremy Kipnis, member of the press for EnjoyTheMusic.com, The High Fidelity Report, Positive Feedback, Theo’s Roundtable and Widescreen Review. Jeremy was also the record producer at Epiphany Recordings Ltd. and CEO at Kipnis Studio Standard.

Jeremy is survived by his wife, Carolina.

I met Jeremy at the 2017 California Audio Show, and have been in constant contact ever since. We were having dialogues to figure a way for him to come the show this year. Jeremy drowned while swimming this past weekend.

Steven Rochlin of EnjoyTheMusic.com, a longtime friend of Jeremy’s, have the following to offer in Jeremy’s Facebook page:

Pictured: Tim de Paravicini (left), Jeremy Kipnis (right) at 2017 CAS

Dr. Roger West of Sound Lab (Dr. Roger West Seminar, 10:30am, Saturday, July 17, 2019)

I was honored by Constantine Soo, Publisher of Dagogo.com, to jointly moderate with him a Q&A seminar with Dr. Roger West of Sound Lab, which has produced distinctive electrostatic speakers since 1978. It was an honor, since the speakers are legendary, and I had the pleasure of reviewing for Dagogo the Ulitmate 545 last year.

Roger set the tone for the event with his cowboy boots, copiously prepared notes, and fierce resistance to anything but a full out effort at preaching the Sound Lab gospel and entertaining the crowd. Roger is an octogenarian, I presume, and everyone could see that this was not an easy task, yet he proudly worked through his notes and visuals making sure that everyone had full appreciation of the design and beauty of music in life and how Sound Lab products present it. We are losing the fathers of the industry of yesteryear, so I knew we were witnessing a rarity, personal recollection from a seasoned manufacturer.

Roger began with a nod to the mystery of music and ears that enjoy it. Then he proceeded to a brief description of the design and operation of an electrostatic speaker. This was a panacea to the tendency to jump into product design or reduce the experience of listening down to grooves and bits. As he progressively took the audience deeper into his goals of scale, impact and focus in speaker design he visually displayed the technology employed – single diaphragm drivers, critical dampening to ameliorate the effects of resonances, curvature of the driver for proper dispersion, and other enhancements  – to overcome obstacles to better performance. He forcefully denied the perception that electrostatic speakers make more demands on amplifiers by noting that an ESL speaker’s higher impedance occurs in the lower frequencies, where the musical spectrum requires more dynamic power, and the higher impedance occurs in the Treble, which musically demands less dynamic power.

Roger spent several minutes enthusing about Sound Lab’s PX technology, which uses a lattice backing to improve the rigidity of the stators, as well as Bass Focus, which segregates the frequency zones into a vertical mirror image placement with the Bass at the extreme top and bottom, and the treble in the center. In my review I called this a form of D’Appolito arrangement, a concept Dr. West referred to in his seminar. Proudly he announced how it was revealed that by that arrangement the average increase in Bass was a measured +6dB!

As he led the talk to a close, Dr. West showed a visual history of the development of Sound Lab designs, from the first model which looked quite like Roger Sanders’ model 10, to a circular, 360 degree radiating, kettle drum-like speaker with a bass driver in the bottom for light commercial applications. He touched on the more obscure Home Theater models such as the MiniStat and the WallStat In-wall Speaker. The most impressive effort by far was the gargantuan 20-foot-tall installation in what Roger referred to as the world’s largest hall.

In the question and answer period Roger fielded earlier submitted questions including, “Do you ever plan on producing a headphone?” (Answer: Roger is not comfortable putting a person’s head between 35,000 Volts.) Another was direct, and boiled down to, “What do you want to do in retirement, and is there a plan for succession?” (Answer: He is retired, and doing what he loves. The succession inquiry was ignored.) In that respect Sound Lab is a closed lab, which won’t reveal its secrets, at least not yet. Roger doesn’t seem to want to quit. He reminds me of my father, who worked until he was 82.

Long may you live, Roger! You have brought literally a towering achievement to this industry, and ethereal enjoyment to many! Even beholding him in his twilight, it was easy to see the inspiration that has made Sound Lab one of the factories of delight for audiophiles!

California Audio Show 2019
Oakland Hilton Airport
July 26^th through July 28^th, 2019

Produced by Dagogo

Byron Baba and California Audio Show Producer Constantine Soo

California Audio Show 2019 took place at the Hilton Oakland Airport July 26^th through July 28^th, 2019 and judging by the packed rooms and hallways it was an astounding success.  I have enjoyed attending many California Audio Shows as an attendee.  Constantine Soo is a wonderful host so my wife and I always felt welcome.  This will be my first time covering the show as a member of the Dagogo press with my wife Martha taking pictures for me.

The Dagogo Staff (left, front to back, right, back to front): Byron Baba, David Blumenstein, Dan Rubin, Dave Radlauer, Doug Schroeder, Constantine Soo, Richard Austen, Ed Jaffe.

One of the highlights of the show was the press luncheon where the Dagogo staff had the opportunity to meet each other.  This is a great bunch of guys and provided a nice camaraderie with each other.  I noticed there were diverse opinions on both choices of equipment and choices of music by all of the reviewers with everyone being very respectful of the different opinions.

I was given four room assignments and I also included a recap of my favorite rooms.  Day 1: I did a quick overview of the entire show briefly listening to each room.  I also spent a lot of time socializing with the exhibitors and other reviewers.  Day 2: I spent more of my time covering my assigned rooms and also the rooms I enjoyed the most.  Day 3: I went to my favorite rooms, sometimes multiple times, and remained in those rooms for an extended period of time.  I also made sure I listened to every room.  Although this is a smaller show and I am not familiar with some of the brands, I was introduced to some wonderful products.

Boardroom 3

Tim Marutani Consulting/MartinLogan/Doshi/Berkeley Audio Design/The Tape Project:

Now This is a System

The first room I was assigned was the Tim Marutani Consulting/MartinLogan/Doshi/Berkeley Audio Design/The Tape Project room.  Playing 1/2” tapes at 15 ips on a refurbished Ampex 102 using Doshi tubed electronics V3.0 tape stage $18,000, V3.0 line preamplifier $18,000, V3.0 monoblocks $36,000 per pair and the MartinLogan electrostatic panel speakers CLX Art $25,500 with 4 sets of their BalncedForce212 subwoofers set the bar so high that I was concerned that all of the other room would be a huge letdown.  Their system also included 512 Engineering cables and power.  Other items in the room were the Berkeley Audio Design Reference Series 3 DAC $22,000.  This was one of my favorite rooms at the show.  I chatted with Nick Doshi president of Doshi Audio and he gave me a brief overview of his product line.  The Doshi monoblocks running on the new KT150 output tubes generates over 200 watts per channel.  This was a great combination with the Martin Logan speakers.  I returned to this room several times.