Analog Corner #209: Moon Evolution 810LP and Fono Acustica Sinfo
Their proven success with phono preamps has encouraged Simaudio to now go way upscale: The Moon Evolution 810LP ($12,000) is the company's no-holds-barred entrant in the premium end of the market, and the first phono preamp in its Evolution line of high-end models.
Analog Corner #210: Rocky Mountain Roundup: Too Much Misinformation!
Analogplanet.com covered new products exhibited at the 2012 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in Denver last October (Stereophile's full coverage can be found here); in this month's column I'll comment on the show generally, and specifically on two seminars.
Analog Corner #211: Fremer on Tonearms
Audiophiles who attend my seminars on turntable setup often ask the most basic questions about tonearms, including the meanings of terms with which I (incorrectly) assume everyone is familiar. This is a good thing—it indicates that new people are entering the ranks of vinyl enthusiasts. This column is for them.
Analog Corner #212: Analog Comparisons, New Phono Products from Zesto & Miyajima
How was last fall for you? Mine was crazy. I traveled much of October: the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest one weekend, emceeing Chad Kassem's Blues Masters at the Crossroads Blues Festival the next, and the week after that, appearing at two Audio Advice stores, in Raleigh and Charlotte, North Carolina. From there I traveled to Los Angeles to attend a 30th-anniversary celebration for Tron at Grauman's Chinese Theatre.
Analog Corner #213: the TechDAS Air Force One turntable
In vinyl's heyday, Roy Matthews ran EMI's record-pressing plant in Hayes, Middlesex, in the UK. He even had a hand in designing and building new presses for the company. But when EMI shut down their plant and scrapped most of their presses, Matthews retired. I thought of Matthews when, at the 2013 CES, I spoke with the chief designer of TechDAS's Air Force One turntable, Hideaki Nishikawa.
Analog Corner #214: The Ortofon MC Anna Phono Cartridge
Ortofon's limited-edition MC A90 was the first phono cartridge made with selective laser melting (SLM). Using this technique, metallic powder is fused to build up, layer by layer, a specific shape. SLM allows the creation of complex constructions impossible to fabricate from a block of wood or metal using traditional machining techniques.
Analog Corner #215: B.M.C. Phono MCCI phono preamplifier
In July 2008 I reviewed the intriguing Phono 2Ci moving-magnet/moving-coil phono preamplifier from Aqvox Audio Devices. Though it then cost only $1400, the Phono 2Ci's current-input circuitry represented a high-tech departure from the typical voltage-gain circuits used by almost everyone else. Although keeping its retail price so low resulted in some sonic compromises, it sounded remarkable, and tough to beat at the price.
Analog Corner #216: The Power of Vinyl and the NVO SPA-II phono preamplifier
I was in Seattle last February to take part in one of the popular "Music Matters" events promoted by retailer Definitive Audio. Definitive's Mark Ormiston and Craig Abplanalp and their crew really know how to produce a memorable evening for both their customers and the manufacturers who fly in to demonstrate their gear. I was there to talk about . . . guess what?
Analog Corner #217: AMG Viella 12 turntable and 12J2 tonearm, Teresonic Clarison Gold interconnect
There are incredible values in audio, and then there are incredible values. The ones that deserve italics are those like Pioneer's SP-FS52 floorstanding speaker, designed by TAD's Andrew Jones and recently reviewed.
Analog Corner #217: Sutherland Engineering Insight phono preamplifier
Veteran phono-preamplifier designer Ron Sutherland has been partial, of late, to battery power. Getting off the grid can produce superb results, as demonstrated by his Hubble phono preamp ($3800), powered by 16 alkaline batteries.
I favorably reviewed the Hubble in the February 2010 issue, and remember loving most everything about itparticularly its drop-dead-quiet backdrops, its solid, weighty bottom end, and its fully fleshed-out instrumental textures. I was less enthused by its somewhat soft, muted high-frequency transients, though of course tastes and associated gear will differ. I need more grit, particularly for rock; you may not.