THE AUDIO CHEAPSKATE ( Feb 1986)

Sam T. --The Cheapskate is a New England Yankee at heart: the idea of gambling-actually losing money!-is abhorrent. It's not surprising I never visited Vegas before. There's also the problem of Mrs. Cheapskate-I could never keep her away from the one-armed bandits. Fortunately, Mrs. Cheapskate had classes to teach and couldn't accompany me to the Winter CES. Lo and behold, I love Las Vegas. There's the fun of watching other people lose money; the satisfaction of exercising self restraint; and the neon signs, masterpieces of pop art. There's something very refreshing about the vulgarity of Vegas: it's so up-front, so totally without pretense., And Vegas can be a great town for cheap skates. Almost all the hotel/casinos have cheap eats: steak and eggs for $2.49, prime ribs for $3.99, all-you-can-eat buffets for $4.50, that sort of thing. All these cheap (and, yes, mediocre) meals are offered in hopes that you'll drop a few dollars gambling. Which is exactly what Dick Olsher did at the blackjack table, as I enjoyed my $3.99 prime rib. I thanked Dick for subsidizing my meal.

[1. Skeptical readers should know that ST, in his real-life job, writes ads for cheap watches in the pages of Parade, and similarly felicitous fare. –LA ]

Actually, my first meal in Vegas was absolutely free. On the eve of the show, Pro ton held a party and press reception at the Tivoli Gardens Restaurant to celebrate their fifth anniversary (actually, it was the beginning of their fourth year-but, you know, the beginning of the fifth does come at the end of the fourth). All the big names (and big people) from mass-fi dom were there, attracted, as ever, by free food. What's more, each of us got a free quartz watch. It was fun to see writers for magazines as diverse as Stereo Review, High Fidelity, and Stereophile stuffing watches into their pockets as they left the restaurant.

Dick Olsher came up with the groaner of the evening: When Proton announced the free watch, Olsher remarked, "Ah, a timely gift." There were more to come: Proton's Director, Mr. M. T. Hong of Taiwan, gave a speech so forgettable I can't recall the products introduced. But his name gave rise to further puns from the Cheapskate and others: "What does Proton's factory say when they run out of product?" "Empty Hong." Down to business.

My apologies. This was a good show for a cheapskate-lots of interesting, inexpensive products. Over at the Zoo (the main convention center), Sanyo's CP700 CD player ($199 list) looked like an update of their $300 CP660, which reputedly has very good sound. Expect to see the new Sanyo selling for $149 or less; I hope to receive a review sample soon.

Magnavox, too, was showing a new line of Philips-built players, including the FD1051 (list $349, but probably available for about $229 at discount houses). This machine is already getting rave reviews in Europe; it may be worth waiting for.

Harman Kardon's HD500 CD player ($600) now comes in black as well as silver.

The black undoubtedly sounds better. In fact, all H/K gear sounds better in basic black.

Seriously, the H/K is the best-sounding CD player I've heard from a major company.

Hitachi has an interesting $1000 player, the DA-003, which should be available in May.

It's a two-piece design with outboard processor containing all the D/A converter circuitry. If available at a reasonable price (and Hitachi does tend to be discounted), this might be a killer unit.

The show seemed to have something for everyone CD-wise. 'Rentable-wise too. , Conrad-Johnson had a production model of one of the most beautiful turntables I have ever laid eyes on, the Sonographe.

Available for $395 ($550 with arm), the Sonographe may pose stiff competition for the AR Connoisseur 'table, not to mention the $250 British 'tables costing upwards of $500 in the U.S. (Incidentally, I understand that Rega's Roy Gandy is on his fourth Porsche. Maybe it will be his last -Rega needs to come out with a new 'table to match the quality of their superb RB300 tonearm.) AR hasn't been asleep either. I got a first look at the AR EB-101, which has been slow getting into production. The improved spindle bearing assembly is most impressive-frankly, I think it leaves most of the competition behind, including, in this price range, Dual and Thorens. The EB-101 lists for $399 with arm. The arm now couples better to the floating subchassis, which I'm certain will improve the sound.

[2. If only ST was more accomplished wisdom-wise, we'd all make better decisions buying-wise-sagacity-wise, that is. –LA]

AR's exhibit was at the MGM Grand, away from both the Convention Center and the Sahara (which housed the high-end, "specialty audio" exhibits). Good idea. No subwoofer going crazy with the Sheffield Drum Record in the next room. A new Connoisseur Series speaker, the model 50 (expected list: under $1500), was sounding very, very good-even better when we got it away from the back walls. As you know, I wasn't too keen on earlier Connoisseur Series models, but this time AR may have come up with a winner. Stay tuned.

Overall, this was a good show for speakers. Castle (imported by May Audio Marketing in Montreal) showed a stunning new small speaker-the Durham, which will list for $495/pair. The cabinetry is good, as with all Castle speakers, but this time Castle has really outdone itself; the appearance of the Durham is stunning. Sounds good, too. A little bass-shy, of course, but with excellent soundstaging and imaging, even better than Castle's Pembroke, which is also outstanding in these areas.

Fanfare Acoustics has a fine-sounding small speaker in the Prelude, listing for $275 a pair-but the stands (recommended) get you up to $400 a pair. Very good sound for very little money; a pair has been promised for review.

Spectrum, a favorite speaker manufacturer of mine, has a new floor-standing speaker called the 410, which will list for $595 a pair. You don't get Castle's magnificent cabinetry, nor, I'm afraid, the delicacy of sound that characterizes the best British loudspeakers. But you do get very good sound, with tight, if not superbly defined bass. I don't want to say more, because the speaker has not been finalized. This may be an excellent choice for cheapskates who like lots of bass but can't afford something like a Thiel CS2.

Guess who joined me in the Spectrum listening room? Enid Lumley, of JAR! There we were: Sam and Enid side by side, both of us liking very much what we heard. I found Enid delightful; she even gave me some pointers on what to listen for. Thank you, Enid.

There were just too many good speakers to mention or review them all, but I do hope to get hold of a pair of Vandersteen Model 1Bs, listing at $650 a pair and sounding as nice as could be for the price.

Back at the Zoo, Adcom had two interesting new amps to show: the GFA-545 ($450) rated at 100 watts/ch, and the GFA-535 ($300), rated at 60 watts/ch. In other words, three hundred bucks for what might be a terrific amp to drive a pair of Spendor SP-1s, for instance. Adcom also has an interesting new tuner/preamp on the way, model number and price unknown (probably under $500). I foresee a great market for a good tuner/preamp.

There were integrated amps aplenty. Most notable was a 55 watts/ch Denon--the DMA 3000-listing at a mere $250. Now that might be competition for the British.

Speaking of the British, Cambridge Audio had a good-sounding 55 watt/ch integrated, the Integer, listing at $475. It's designed by Stan Curtis, one of England's best audio engineers, and should be worth a listen.

Roy Hall (Music Hall), Ivor Tiefenbrun's Glaswegian school chum and one of the most charming men in the business, will be bringing in the Onyx integrated from Britain. It sounded fine, despite the demo Linn Index speakers (so sorry, Ivor). The Onyx is sort of a beefed-up Naim Nait offering 40 watts/ch and CD input, which the Naim lacks. Interesting, in light of the recent Linn Naim divorce. List expected to be around $600. Dave Wilson, of WAMM fame, was showing his new $4400/pair mini-monitors- the WATTs ( Wilson Audio Tiny Tots sic). The WATB are probably the most overpriced pro duct I have ever encountered. 3 No way do are these worth anything like the money.

The $495 /pair Castle Durhams sounded almost as good, and looked better. As one manufacturer commented, "I think Dave Wilson's customers are subsidizing his inefficient, small-scale method of production." I'd like to tell you that the Lazarus Cascade Basic tube preamp ($600) was the hit of the show, but that would be stretching things a bit. There was interest, as indeed there should have been. Let's hope Lazarus picks up some distribution. They also had their $1600 tube amp (100 watts/ch, bridgeable to 300). Hard to say how good it sounded, given the room and all the noise from their neighbors.

The Show, even at the Sahara, is a little hard to take after three days; some of us departed early on Sunday to tour nearby Hoover Dam, I with an even deeper loathing for subwoofers: too much noise, not enough music.

[ 3. Lack of CES experience, my dear Watson. Think back on the Reuben Guss $50.000 system- it cost much more, sounded much worse, and took up loads more space. Or the Gold Ribbon Concepts catastrophe at $66,000, which earned Stereophile's not-so-coveted Reuben Guss Memorial Award at last summer's CES. The WATTS lust don't make it in a competition of this nature. -LA ]

That noise drove AR, Threshold, Madrigal, and Martin-Logan to quarters at the Golden Nugget, away from the main circus. It was a good idea; none seemed to suffer a loss of traffic.

The Martin Logan room was something of a puzzle, however. In Chicago last June, the $2450/pair Martin Logan CLS electrostatics sounded very good indeed- perhaps formidable competition for the Quad ESL63. In Vegas the CLSs sounded very thin, and bass seemed to bottom the speaker out (though perhaps no worse than Quads). Finally, Onkyo had a non-working prototype of its new Digital Audio Tape (DAT) recorder. It uses a cassette two-thirds the size of a standard audio cassette, with two hours' recording time possible. Because the system offers the ability to record at a 48 kHz sampling rate, the DAT offers a theoretical increase in resolution over the CD.4 I had one of those moments of instant revelation. Remember this prediction: the DAT, once it gets going, will trounce the Compact Disc-if only because it is a more convenient medium for car audio. This is the medium that will supersede the LP and do in analog. You read it here first.

Onkyo, incidentally, is working on a power amp derived from the M-510 Grand Integra (see review in Vol. 8, No. 8), expected to list for about $1000. It may debut at Chicago this June. Imagine, a killer amp for a kilo-buck. If any Japanese company can do it, it's Onkyo; they not only have the means, they have the will. Onkyo, by the way, is Japanese for "audio." My daughter, who is heavily into pig paraphernalia, refers to her excellent Onkyo TA-2056 cassette deck as an Onkyo.

---4. No. better resolution would be conferred by a higher number of bits. Higher sampling rate merely moves slightly farther out the point at which the anti-aliasing filters must be placed during recording; using steep-rolloff filters, the sampling rate would have to be moved out to probably lot) kHz to avoid phase shift in the audible range.

-LA

You're welcome.

The final night of the show was our dinner at Andre's-a fine French restaurant with no slot machines in the foyer (and no $2.49 steak-and-egg specials). Stan Klyne, John Atkinson (editor of HFNRR), LA, and I had a very heavy discussion over whether hi-fi products have souls-the Jungian approach to technological artifacts.

Funniest Moment of the show: LA looking at Andre's wine list, the first four pages of which had no wines under three figures.

And Andre's was suggested by the Cheapskate!

Second Greatest Moment of the Show: Stan's Jan showing up in her new mouse coat -a stunning fake fur covered with faces of Mickey Mouse. This underscored an important point: nice people tend to make nice products. That's why I love this business.

[5. Knowing LA would pick up the tab Say what ? –LA]

THE CHEAPSKATE TAKES ON CARTRIDGES ... AGAIN

Let's catch up on some cartridges--I've received quite a few lately, including . . .

The Shure Ultra 500

At $400, this is supposed to be the ultimate Shure-at that price, it should be! The Shure V15-VMR (5MR, for short) lists for "only" $275, but you can find it discounted for as little as $129. The Shure Ultra 500, on the other hand, has limited distribution and presumably will not be substantially discounted. Assuming you get something off-say 20%--the Ultra 500 would still be $320-4190 more than the 5MR, or two and a half times the price.

One thing you get for all that extra money is an extravagantly crafted wooden chest that may cost Shure half as much to make as the cartridge itself. And inside? A cartridge only marginally better than the 5MR. The Ultra 500 offers a little more depth and detail, and a little more of everything, including information you may not want from your records. While the Ultra 500 may sound better than the 5MR on pristine audiophiles recordings (none of which I own, by the way), the 5MR may sound better than the Ultra 500 on less-than-ideal source material; the highs are less fatiguing.

If you collect records for music rather than sound, you may find the 5MR preferable to the Ultra 500. I did.

If this is the ultimate Shure, to me it's the ultimate failure It's not as quick, detailed, or exciting as the best moving coils, some of which now cost half as much as the Ultra. If you want a moving magnet for a smooth, sweet, un-fatiguing sound, however, you might be better off spending your $400 on a Grado Signature 10MR. I like some things I like about the Ultra 500: the headshell mounting arrangements

are the best I've seen, the cartridge tracks beautifully, and it's not overly fussy about arms (at more than 9 grams, however, it may be too heavy for some). But what's the point if I'm not crazy about the sound? It's just not the killer cartridge it should have been for Shure to go out with a blaze of glory before everyone forgets expensive cartridges and succumbs to CD mania.

The Signet MR 5.0 lc

This is not the day for moving magnets in Cheapskateville. Could it be I'm at last changing my mind about moving coils? As bargain preamps get better and better (the Audible Illusions Modulus 2a, Counterpoint SA-7.1, Lazarus, Superphon Revelation Basic Dual Mono), I become more and more aware of the limitations of moving magnets.

(There are crummy moving coils around--plenty, in fact.) I'm also becoming less concerned about trackability and record wear. I have over 5000 records and nearly 1000 CDs. It's impossible for me to wear out my collection, even with a low-compliance cartridge tracking at 2 grams.

Besides, there are advantages to high tracking force. I believe Naim's Julian Vereker was the first to point out that higher tracking force acts to clean the record while you play it-it scoops out the dirt. I believe it. I have far fewer problems with stuck records with a cartridge that tracks at 2 grams rather than 1.

But before we move to moving coils, let's consider this Signet moving magnet. The most accurate cost I can give you is some thing-or-other-Signet "anticipates" a dealer selling price of between $250 and $275.

(By the way: As you probably know, there's a nice markup on expensive cartridges, and Signet has been known to give salesmen extra incentives to move their cartridges. The next time a salesman suggests a Signet, ask him if he's earning points towards a free trip or something. In the trade, it's known as a spiff.

Nobody will ever earn spiff (or much money, for that matter) selling a S20 Grado MTE + I, which is one reason I recommend it with such glee. I'd rather listen to a Grado MTE + 1 than the Shure Ultra 500, although I am sure the Shure is more accurate. I keep a supply of Grados around to give to nice children-and adults-who deserve decent sound.) Back to the Signet MR5.01c: you can own it for the cost of about 10 cheap Grados. The Signet sounds like a moving magnet, all right -it's smooth and un-fatiguing. The depth and detail are about as good as moving magnets get. Transient response is okay, but the cartridge is not as quick as most MCs. The Signet sounded very nice with a Superphon Revelation Basic Dual Mono preamp, a little less satisfactory with an Audible Illusions 2a-maybe I needed more capacitance to smooth the upper midrange.

But I was starting to lose interest in the Signet.

The big problem with this cartridge would seem to be its high compliance (not specified). I would guesstimate it to be on the order of 40 cu, both vertical and lateral.

In the Rega RB 300 arm, this cartridge got the shakes around 6 Hz, which is very close to the warp region. This, then, is a cartridge for lightweight arms. The best arms, how ever, tend to be medium-mass. My conclusion this is a very good, but expensive, cartridge with ripe potential for cartridge/arm mismatches. With so many other choices available, why bother?

The Shinon Red Boron

He-he-he. What's the Cheapskate doing with a $600 cartridge? Same thing I've done with a Klyne preamp. How do you judge the cheap stuff unless you listen to expensive stuff? (And the cheap stuff gets closer and closer to the expensive stuff every month.) Is any cartridge worth $600? Only you can answer that, but I say this: If any cartridge is worth six C-notes, it's the Shinon Red Boron. It's lovely! It may also be inaccurate, but who cares? There seems to be added warmth in the lower midrange-not much, just a bit. The highs seem a little rolled off-again, very slight; this cartridge doesn't lose its sparkle. The soundstage seems perhaps artificially extended in depth and width. It all sounds just fabulous.

Unlike, say, the Shure Ultra, which sounds kind of awful with lousy source material, the Shinon seems to make the best of bad situations. Crummy old Columbia’s and RCA’s (not to mention DGGs of the '70s and early '80s) are more listenable than with other expensive cartridges. The Shinon Red Boron is the Carnegie Hall of cartridges: rich, mellow, warm, and full. I also dig the fact that the output is 1.1 mV; generally speaking, you need no step-up device.

As AHC pointed out in Vol. 8, No. 4, tone arm height is critical. The arm must be low enough so it looks like it's slightly tilted back-that's how you get the right stylus rake angle with the Namiki cantilever. Loading, too, is critical. At 47k, the cartridge sounded just a bit too forward, even a bit coarse; at 1-k it was fine. I don't like to go below 1-k because of excess noise.

The Audioquest 404 M

Before long, we may get MCs as good as the Shinon for a third of the price. In fact, that day may almost be here. The new line of Audioquest 404 cartridges is truly excellent, and the list is "just" $225. Yes, I know that's expensive, but look at the Ultra 500! I'm jumping to conclusions, perhaps; I've heard only the medium-output version. The 404 comes in three versions: low-, medium , and high-output at 0.2 mV, 1.1 mV, and 2.2 mV, respectively. Audioquest (wisely) recommends the medium- or high-output version unless your preamp will take the low output model straight in.

The AC-404M is neutral, smooth, quick, and detailed. It doesn't quite have the smoothness of the Signet MR 5.01c, or the soundstage width and depth of the Shinon.

But it's quite good nonetheless, and excel lent value for the money. It combines very well with the Superphon Revelation Basic Dual Mono or the Audible Illusions 2a pre-amps. As with the Shinon Red, the arm should be low and you should experiment with different loading-again, 1k sounded good, 47k a bit too bright.

The price ain't cheap. But Audioquest's liberal trade-in policy should be taken into account. They give you credit for your old AQ cartridge when you upgrade, and they'll let you upgrade to a more expensive model if you wish. Buying one of their cartridges in the first place admits you to the club.

My cartridge recommendations? Among cheap ones, the Grado MTE + 1 is an easy and automatic choice: a 1620 cartridge that sounds as good as some for $125. Over $100, I'd probably look into the Shure V15 -VMR or such new high-outputs as the $115 Denon DL-160. Or maybe some of the medium-priced Grados (none of which have heard lately-but I really like Grados). At $200, I'd take either one of the Audio quest 404s or Joe Grado's Signature 8MR. If I were going crazy, I'd buy Joe Grado's $400 Signature 10MR, or perhaps the Shinon.

Cartridges are getting [much] better these days, which is ironic since so many people are buying CD players. With the Magnavox 1040 and the Harman Kardon HD500, I now like CD players-witness my collection of 1000 CDs-but they don't allow you to tailor the sound of your system (to accommodate various sources or colored speakers) the way cartridges allow you to do. Cartridges are still a big kick.

THE AUDIO CHEAPSKATE MEETS THE BRITISH FIDELITY A-1 AND AUDIOLAB 8000A INTEGRATED AMPS

I wish some U.S. manufacturer, like Super phon or B&K, would produce a good, inexpensive integrated amp. By the time most British integrated amps get here, they're twice the British price. Bargain amps there become something less than bargains here.

But, since there's so little competition in this category, people pay the price.

The Audiolab 8000A The Audiolab 8000A (50 watts/ch, $695) is a case in point. This integrated amp was introduced in Britain two years ago at £250 (it's over £300 now)! As of this writing, the pound was just under $1.50. Keep this in mind if you read the British reviews on this product.

At 250 pounds, I too would have gone wild over this product. In fact, the amp is not bad for $695, but at this price point you can stretch and go for separates. A Super phon Revelation Basic costs $329 in its standard version. Add $440 for a B&K ST 140 power amp and you're up to $769-just $75 more than the Audiolab.

[1. This makes the 8000A a bargain in the U.S. at lust $695; I figure the importer takes a bare 20% markup unless he's getting a terrific deal from the factory. Credit where credit is due. -LA ]

I'm torn; the Audiolab 8000A is one of the finest integrateds I've auditioned. It is also well-constructed and nicely finished. The sound is difficult to fault: very neutral, with tight and extended bass, and a smooth, sweet midrange. Highs are extended and reasonably detailed, never shrill. My only criticism: there's good depth and the sound stage is quite wide, but the sound is overly forward.

I didn't have the British Fidelity Synthesis (the favorite in my Vol. 8, No. 5 survey) on hand to compare; what with a weaker dollar, its price is up to $550. The Synthesis offers 80 watts per side vs. the Audiolab's 50, but the Audiolab looks better built and offers more facilities: tone controls, a balance (!) control, and very good tape record facilities (you can listen to one source while recording another). Both of these integrateds feature very good moving coil sections. Sonically, the Synthesis is a little smoother and romantic, but possibly a bit less detailed. I could live happily with either one, but I think the Synthesis's lower price will win more friends.

The British Fidelity A-1

This is the 20 watt/ch class A integrated amp I drooled over at last summer's CES.

Class A is like that; it seduces you. What you notice is an exceptionally sweet, euphonic midrange and a very smooth treble. This is one fabulous amplifier for chamber music, or for someone who owns a pair of old Quads-they don't need, or even want, much power, and 20 watts class A will do the job. (You could buy a $350 A-1 and then look for a pair of used old Quads; quite easy to find, depending on age and condition, from $500 to $800.) There's a lot to like about the A-1: it has an expensive look, if not feel (the entire top of the chassis functions as a heat sink, which is necessary-this amp gets very hot!), and the control knobs and buttons are recessed into the faceplate for a very modern, streamlined, almost Art Deco look.

But alas, there are problems. The heat is one thing; I don't think I'd want to live with an A-1 in the summer. Then there's the matter of power: 20 watts is simply not enough for most decent speakers these days, especially in this country, where listening rooms tend to be larger than in the rest of the world. 20 watts of British Fidelity class A sounds much better than 20 watts of cheap receiver, but it's still only 20 watts. The amp simply can't open up; it isn't dynamic when the music requires it.

On the other hand, if you don't push it, the amp sounds superb, with surprisingly tight and extended bass. But I found that I did want to push it beyond its capabilities.

After a while, the lack of dynamics bothered me more and more.

The $350 price tag is very attractive, and very reasonable compared to the British price. There may be some people-those with small rooms, old Quads, or Klipsch Horns-for whom this product is perfect.

British Fidelity A-1

Anthony Michaelson (of British Fidelity) is to be commended for coming up with something unique; this is not another "me too" product. It gives audiophiles an option they didn't have before-good class A on the cheap. And, who knows, the A-1 might lead to a more powerful A-2. As it is, I can give the A-1 only a marginal recommendation because of its power limitations.

--

[based on a Feb. 1986, Stereophile review article]

Also see:

Letters (Nov. 1992)