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Going Too Far Dear Editor: I have been an avid reader of Audio for many years, and although I expect I'll never have enough excess money to invest in the ultra-high-end equipment you review, I'm usually entertained and impressed with your commentary on the creative engineering that produces such outstanding audio products. I feel compelled to tell you that your August 1987 report of arc welding, using $9,600 worth of Levinson power amps, clearly went too far; as it hap pens, though, I really like folks who go too far, and your momentary molten stereo flash helped strengthen the bond that secures my ongoing reader ship. Viva Audio!! -Gerald R. Martin, Ph.D Richfield, Minn. Stuff Dreams Are Made Of Dear Editor: I was delighted to read the recent reviews in Audio the Threshold (January 1987) and the Mark Levinson No. 20 mono amplifier (August 1987). It's good to see how these Class-A high-power amps perform in objective tests. I hope that you'll now round out this set of reviews with an evaluation of the Krell power amps. After all, descriptions of "affordable audio gear" are not enough to sustain the dreams of your readers. Keep up the good work! -Robert Pascal, Jr., Princeton, N.J. Hearing Should Be Believing Dear Editor: In your August 1987 profile of the Mark Levinson No. 20 mono amp, Laurence Greenhill and David Clark say, "Recognizing that the controlled [A/B/X] tests had failed to correctly identify the No. 20s ..." Surely they meant, "Despite costing more than most domestic automobiles, the No. 20s were audibly indistinguishable from amplifiers costing thousands less." I find their casual dismissal of such irrefutable, objective results in favor of subjective psychobabble inexcusable in a review-and in a journal-purporting expertise in these matters. Mr. Greenhill and Mr. Clark claim they have not heard an amplifier that sounds as good, but as their A/B/X tests prove, they have. Too bad they don't believe their ears. Where's Julian Hirsch when we really need him? -Ronald W. Stone; Lusby, Md. Revealing Review Dear Editor: I much enjoyed the August 1987 issue: Leonard Feldman's information regarding the DAT spoiler chip and Don Davis' article on LEDE were most informative. I was also intrigued by Laurence Greenhill and David Clark's review of the Mark Levinson No. 20 mono amplifier. I suspect you will get a number of letters pointing out that one can buy a very good arc welder for about one-twentieth the price of a pair of Levinson 20s. I wonder if anybody has measured the frequency response, headroom, and distortion of arc welders... More seriously, I applaud the inclusion of an A/B/X comparative listening test in the Levinson 20 review, along with the authors' subjective impressions. I wonder, however, if Mr. Green hill and Mr. Clark realize just how revealing this is. Since they could hear no difference during the A/B/X test, their subjective impressions of differences in sound must be completely imaginary and heavily influenced by expectations. By extension, this could cast doubt on the validity (or, more charitably, the usefulness) of Audio's usual practice of presenting a reviewer's subjective impressions of subtle differences between similar components, frequently to the favor of the more expensive. Amplifiers and CD players spring to mind. I hasten to add that I am not attempting to sling mud or arrows, but merely identifying an issue I would be grateful to see you address. Bruce D. Bender; Jamestown, R.I. Always a First Time Dear Editor: I've been enjoying Audio since 1960, and your June 1987 issue is the first one that I've found difficult to grasp. George F. Bittancourt; San Francisco, Cal. (Audio magazine, Nov. 1987) = = = = |