Affordable Integrateds (with phono!)
The Cambridge Audio Topaz AM10 has a phono stage.
Stephen Mejias
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It's ALIVE!!!
This morning we received our office copies of the October 2010 issue, which includes the latest installment of "Recommended Components."
Puma: Half Nelson Courtship
Puma is Oystein Moen on keyboards and electronics, Stian Westerhus on guitar and electronics, and Gard Nilssen (also of Bushman">http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/bushmans_revenge_jitterbug/">…’s Revenge) on drums. Half Nelson Courtship, an often unsettling piece of work and one that refuses to be ignored, is the band’s third album, and their first for the excellent Rune">http://www.runegrammofon.com/">Rune Grammofon label.
Proofing the Buyer’s Guide
Each year, while proofing the data which makes up the Stereophile Buyer’s Guide, I come across new and interesting components. At this point in the proofing process, we’re deep into the analog gear, which of course comprises my favorite section of the book. So, while the task can be tedious and draining, it’s fun to discover new products. Here are just a couple that have caught my eye:
Klipsch’s New Synergy Series
Today Klipsch announced the launch of their new Synergy Series loudspeakers. If recent reviews by Wes Phillips (of the">http://www.stereophile.com/audaciousaudio/klipsch_palladium_p-39f_louds… $20,000/pair P-39F) and Erick Lichte (of the">http://www.stereophile.com/standloudspeakers/klipsch_palladium_p-17b_lo… $4000/pair P-17B) can offer any indication of what to expect from this new Synergy line, we are in for a treat.
Now On Newsstands: Stereophile, Vol.33 No.9
The September 2010 issue of Stereophile is now on newsstands. The cover shows an extreme close-up of the Audio Research VSi60 integrated amplifier, highlighting its beautiful tubes. I was very impressed by this amplifier’s looks, as well as what I (perhaps fancifully) perceived to be its contributions to a very fine system at">http://blog.stereophile.com/ssi2009/audio_research_vsi60/">at the 2009 SSI, so I was happy to learn we’d be featuring the VSi60 on our cover.
Cubicle Life
The">http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/moving/">The move is going fairly well. I’m almost completely settled in. I didn’t feel like waiting for the movers, so I just moved myself. Because all Source Interlink employees at 261 Madison Avenue will now be on a single floor, some people lost their private offices. While some are now sharing offices, I took a cubicle. So I no longer have a view onto sunny decks, no redbrick walls, no green trees; the only thing I can see from my seat is a gray cloth partition.
Do You Audyssey?
Audysseyhttp://www.audyssey.com/">Audyssey;, a company specializing in room equalization technologies (ask Kalhttp://www.stereophile.com/musicintheround/music_in_the_round_40/index1…;), has launched a sweepstakes for fans of high-quality sound. There are some cool prizes, including a Marantz NR1601 slimline home theater receiver and an 8GB iPod Touch. To participate, become a fan of Audyssey on">http://www.facebook.com/Audyssey">on Facebook and fill out a short questionnaire. For complete details, click herehttp://wildfireapp.com/website/6/contests/52020">here;.
A First System
I’m so much more impressed by good, affordable systems than I am by those costing tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars. I find it difficult to concentrate on music when I’m overwhelmed by the high prices of the gear delivering it. Price should never be the most impressive aspect of hi-fi.
Jazz on the Tube
For just a few days now I’ve been receiving mysterious e-mails from “Jazz on the Tube.” At first I wondered if they were spam, and I was afraid to click on the links inside. But they all seemed harmless enough: A few kind and thoughtful words, a passion for jazz, a hand held out in friendship, a smile. So I clicked the link and was taken to a simple page with a narrow, white field against a black border and a YouTube video at the center.