Stereophile - May 2011

Stereophile - May 2011
English | PDF | 144 Pages | 108 Mb

Want to know how good your audio system is? How about listening to it? Every month Stereophile magazine offers authoritative reviews, informed recommendations, helpful advice, and controversial opinions, all stemming from the revolutionary idea that audio components should be judged on how they reproduce music. Stereophile never loses sight of the fact that its primary responsibility is toward its readers and how they choose to spend their hard-earned money. Whether you enjoy your music on LP, CD, DVD or SACD, Stereophile enables you to get the most from it.

FEATURES
61 Attention Screen Takes Flight at Yamaha

EQUIPMENT REPORTS
72 Bowers & Wilkins 800 Diamond loudspeaker
83 Totem Dreamcatcher loudspeaker
95 Vincent C-60 CD player
105 Rega RP-1 turntable
111 Brinkmann Bardo turntable
114 Brinkmann 9.6 tonearm
114 Brinkmann Pi phono cartridge

COLUMNS
3 As We See It
Steve Gutteiiberg asks if digital technology is the cause of music's current doldrums, or did tlie insatiable drive for technical perfection sap music's spirit?
5 Letters
13 Industry Update
High-end audio news, including the dealer-sponsored events taking place in May and June, while Paul Messenger offers some European audio sales statistics and reports on new developments in measurement techniques.
Want to know more? Go to the "News Desk" at mmv.stereophile.comfor up-to-the-minute info.
21 Sam's Space
Sam Tellig listens to the new Rega DAC, but not before digressing into the world of apps for his iPhone.
29 Analog Corner
Michael Fremer lives with the Nitty Gritty 2.5Fi-XP record-cleaning machine and auditiotis the Transfiguration Axia phono cartridge.
37 Listening
Art Dudley continues his love affair with moving-coil step-up transformers and vintage phono cartridges with reviews of the affordable Silvercore One-to-Ten transformer and the EMT TSD 15 A-style pickup head.
47 The Entry Level
Stephen Mejias lives with the Head-Direct HiFiMan HM-602 portable music player, Music Hall USB-1 turntable, and Audioengine 5powered loudspeakers while preparing the best meatloaf Natalie and Nicole will have eaten.
55 Music in the Round
Kalman Rubinson reports on the multichannel music he heard at last January's Consumer Electronics Show, upgrades his Meridian 861 Reference Digital Surround Controller to i>6 status, and compares the Yamaha Aveutage BD-A1000 Blu-ray player with his reference Sony and Oppo players.
123 Record Reviews
For May's "Recording of the Month" we venture into the lair of Greg Dulli and choose Dynamite Steps, the latest from his post Afghan Whigs project, Tlie Twilight Singers. In classical music this month, we have a new recordingfrom violin phenom Lisa Batiashvili. In rock/pop, there are reviews of new albums by The Decembrists, The Spampinato Brothers, and Warren Haynes. In jazz, a critical ear is bent towards new recordings by Benito Gonzalez and Henry Threadgill.
132 Manufacturers' Comments
138 Aural Robert
Norman and David Chesky's high-resolution download store, HDtracks, is ww offering the early Rolling Stones catalog. Can the Fab Four be next? asks Robert Baird.

INFORMATION
135 Audio Mart
133 Manufacturers' Showcase
134 Dealers' Showcase
134 Advertiser Index