Sensible Sound articles from December 2002

Sensible Sound archives from December 2002

Ramblings.
December 1, 2002... Welcome to Issue #93, another one of those issues with a little bit of everything--component reviews, speaker reviews, show commentary, CD reviews, SACD reviews, DVD reviews, and a newly revitalized Forum section that captures the essence of...

If it ain't broke ... (Forum).
December 1, 2002... Allow me to offer another answer to your article, "Tu*be or what?" Solid-state amplifiers often break after a year or two, and when they do, their circuits are so complicated that they are almost impossible for anyone but the factory to repair...

Let's hear it for the good buys! (Forum).
December 1, 2002... I wanted to pass on the good news regarding a $ensible buy, having recently taken the plunge to SACD. I was skeptical for some time as I read about our little war between DVD-A and SACD, until reading an excited review in The Absolute Sound,...

September is now behind us, we hope. (Forum).
December 1, 2002... Did you notice the typo on your Number 92's front cover? I love it! I particularly enjoyed the Skeptimania in 92--being somewhat of a fossil on the stereo scene (I still run a Harman-Kardon tube amp which I built 40 years ago, driving a...

Bungee boxes may be silly ... (Forum).
December 1, 2002... I read TK's review of the unique Synfactory U-vola loudspeaker with great interest. But did the name of this speaker derive from the Italian phrase for "the flying egg"? U-vola is reminiscent of the anatomical term "uvula"; that's the little...

... But T$S is sillier. (Forum).
December 1, 2002... Issue 91 has some of the silliest reviews I have ever seen. Here is a product from Italy, "The Flying Egg." Clever. But what bothers me is that it came cross-wired. The review should have ended right there. But not a Problem... "A few...

Shakira may be annoying ... (Forum).
December 1, 2002... I love your article about Shakira. She is nothing but annoying. Anyway, my best friend is bilingual, and on our way to L.A. from Cancun, she read a magazine in Spanish that had a long article about Shakira: "Shakira, our Latin Colombian pop...

... But T$S is retarded. (Forum).
December 1, 2002... Your review of Shakira's latest album "Laundry Service" was interesting. Your grasp of musical and/ or artistic talent is obviously mired in some form of relative retardation. She, in the long run may not have the staying power of a Madonna or...

The obligatory big finish. (Forum).
December 1, 2002... I purchased your entire back-order collection about two months ago for $70. This was money well spent! The $ensible Sound is the most informative, well-written, easily understood, honest and technically accurate audio magazine that I have ever...

Surveying the soundscape.
December 1, 2002... The Show Must Go On: It looks as if the Home Entertainment Expo is going to be in New York City again next summer. That will make three in a row for the Big Apple. In its formative years as Stereophile magazine's Hi-Fi Expo, the show meandered...

Practical surround technologies for music lovers (plus a review update). (Skeptimania).
December 1, 2002... I have lately had a chance to try out two wonderful surround-sound technologies that will just have to be of interest to those of you who have large collections of two-channel source material--be it in CD or LP form. One of these is Dolby Pro...

Ascend Acoustics CBM-170 speaker. (Equipment).
December 1, 2002... Manufacturer: Ascend Acoustics, Inc., 16921 S. Western Avenue, Building 111, Gardena, CA 90247; 310/719-9786; www.ascendacoustics.com; e-mail: custservice@ascendacoustics.com Price: $360/pair; $800/pair with Hsu VTF-2 subwoofer; $1258 for...

Balanced Audio Technology VK-3: Preamplifier. (Equipment).
December 1, 2002... Manufacturer: Balanced Audio Technology, 26 Beethoven Drive, Wilmington, DE 19807; 302/999-8855; fax 302/999-8818; www.balanced.com; info@balanced.com Price: $2,995 as tested, which includes $500 for remote control, $500 for phono preamp....

Buggtussel Amygdala loudspeakers. (Equipment).
December 1, 2002... Manufacturer: Buggtussel, L.L.C., 170lB Vanderbilt Avenue, Portage, MI 49024; 616/321-9660; www.buggtussel.com Price: $4,000/pair Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: David R. Moran And we're back. Thanks to all who emailed...

Buggtussel Solitarius loudspeaker. (Equipment).
December 1, 2002... Manufacturer: Buggtussel, L.L.C., 1701B Vanderbilt Avenue, Portage, MI 49024; 616/321-9660; www.buggtussel.com Price: $2,600/ pair Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: Kevin East For every guy out there who makes an amplifier...

EOSS Musiko stereophonic speaker ensemble. (Equipment).
December 1, 2002... Manufacturer: EOSS Corporation, 19420 Hallmark Lane, Cerritos, California 90703; 562/809-8630 www.soundpoles.com; eoss@soundpoles.com Price: Two Soundpole satellites, cables, and two dedicated outboard woofer systems: $4,990 Source:...

Thule Audio "Spirit" IA-60B integrated amplifier and CD-150B CD player. (Equipment).
December 1, 2002... Manufacturer Thule Audio ApS, Horkaer 14, 2730 Herlev, Denmark Distributor: Trian Electronics, Inc., 5816 Highway K, Waunakee, WI 53597; 608/850-3600; www.triancorp.com Price: IA-60B, $1,195; CD-150B, $1,495 Source: Distributor...

Triad InRoom Silver Subwoofer/satellite Speaker Ensemble. (Equipment).
December 1, 2002... Manufacturer: Triad Speakers, Inc. 15835 NE Cameron Boulevard, Portland, Oregon 97230; 503/256-2600; www.TriadSpeakers.com Price: InRoom Silver Monitor, $2,000 each; InRoom Silver Subwoofer (including outboard amplifier/ crossover), $1,400...

Universal Remote Control Home Theater Master MX-500. (Equipment).
December 1, 2002... Manufacturer: Universal Remote Control, 500 Mamaroneck Ave., Harrison, NY 10528; 800/901-0800; www.universal-remote.com Price: $189 Source: Manufacturer Loan Reviewer: Glenn O. Strauss In our seemingly endless quest for audio...

Yamaha RX-Z1 Audio/Video Receiver. (Equipment).
December 1, 2002... Manufacturer: Yamaha Electronics Corporation, 6660 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park, CA 90620; 800/4-YAMAHA Price: $2,800 Source: Manufacturer Loan Reviewer: Howard Ferstler The last Yamaha receiver I reviewed for this magazine...

Home theater musings--Yamaha's CDR-HD1000 and Energy Connoisseur C-7s. (Equipment).
December 1, 2002... Tivo offers videophiles a classic way of recording video classics and favorites. I suggest that Yamaha's CDR-HD1000 compact Disc Recorder is a candidate for a CD recorder with classical qualities as well. I am, frankly something of a neophyte...

More jazz than not. (The Music).
December 1, 2002... John Adams: Naive and Sentimental Music Los Angeles Philharmonic/Esa-Pekka Salonen (Nonesuch 79636-2) Although not designated as such, Naive and Sentimental Music is for all practical purposes a three-movement symphony. The first movement,...

Double double. (The Music).
December 1, 2002... Here we go again, comparing two competing recordings of large-scale orchestral music; in fact, a piece of large-scale orchestral music with soloists and chorus, and one of our favorites of the whole symphonic literature, Gustav Mahler's mighty...

Carousel corner heartland bands, part 2. (The Music).
December 1, 2002... While neither the Jayhawks nor the BoDeans share the gripping intraband drama that propelled Uncle Tupelo and its offspring, Son Volt and Wilco, each has had its share of personnel changes, transcendent moments, and false starts. Better still,...

Reissue roundup. (The Music).
December 1, 2002... Karrin Allyson: Ballads--Remembering John Coltrane, Pure Audiophile PA-001 (A vinyl reissue licensed from Concord Records, CCD-4950.) Pure Audiophile, Kansas City, MO 64114, 816-361-2713 LP produced by Dennis Cassidy, Executive Producers: Deb...

Scoping software. (The Music).
December 1, 2002... Most of these reviews were done on my main system, with my usual Allison speakers, and with surround control handled by a new Yamaha RX-Z1 receiver. Variations from that standard are noted. All Dolby Pro Logic II (Music) evaluations were done...

American Works for Organ and Orchestra.
December 1, 2002... David Schrader, organ; Carlos Kalmar, Grant Park Orchestra. Cedille CDR 90000 063. To help celebrate the new organ at Chicago's Orchestra Hall, Cedille Records present the first recording of the Casavant Freres instrument in a collection...

The Best of the Three Tenors.
December 1, 2002... Decca 289 466 999-2. What do you mean, who are they? This album collects twenty-two of the fellows' best songs from all three major performances: Rome, 1990; Los Angeles, 1994; and Paris, 1998. The accompanying orchestras and conductors...

The Noel Coward Songbook.
December 1, 2002... Ian Bostridge; Jeffrey Tate, piano. EMI 7243 5 57374-2. Most young people won't recognize the man at all, but for older folks the name "Noel Coward" conjures up images of urbane, sophisticated song and patter, the vocal equivalent of a...

Essential Debussy: 26 of His Greatest Masterpieces.
December 1, 2002... Various artists. DG 289 472 505-2 (2-disc set). Times are hard all over the music industry, and it seems like the classical music industry is seeing the brunt of the impact. Sony has practically abandoned its classical market, giants EMI...

Deutsch: The Maltese Falcon and Other Classic Film Scores.
December 1, 2002... William Stromberg, Moscow Symphony Orchestra. Marco Polo 8.225169. Stromberg and his Moscow forces have been doing a whole series of famous movie scores for Marco Polo over the years, and it was only a couple of months before this one...

Dvorak: Slavonic Dances; Overtures; Symphonic Poems.
December 1, 2002... Rafael Kubelik, Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. DG 289 469 366 (3-disc set). Here's another in DG's new "Trio" series of CDs, three-disc sets of reissued material of a very high order. In this case we have 227 minutes of Dvorak by one...

Essential Guitar: 33 Guitar Masterpieces.
December 1, 2002... Various artists. Decca 289 470 477-2 (2-disc set). As the name suggests, this two-disc compilation includes some of the best works from virtually every major composer who ever wrote for the guitar. Appropriately, the first disc starts with...

Evening Adagios.
December 1, 2002... Various composers and artists. Decca 289 470 780-2 (2-disc set). Compilations and more compilations. The classical music industry is currently living off its old catalogue, which in some cases is a bargain for the music collector who needs...

Harris: Symphonies Nos. 7 and 9.
December 1, 2002... Theodore Kuchar, National Symphony Orchestra of Ukraine. Naxos 8.559050. Naxos's American composer series goes on its way, continuing the most comprehensive survey of American classical music any single record label has ever attempted. The...

Lerner and Lowe: Orchestral Selections.
December 1, 2002... Richard Hayman and His Orchestra. Naxos 8.555015. Probably the best thing about this disc is its sound. Not that the music isn't fun, too, coming from the collaborators who brought us My Fair Lady, Camelot, Gigi, Brigadoon, and Paint Your...

Mahler: Symphony No. 6, "Tragic.".
December 1, 2002... Benjamin Zander, Philharmonia Orchestra. Telarc 3CD-80586 (3-disc set). Teacher and maestro Benjamin Zander continues his march through the nine Mahler symphonies, this time producing what may be his finest recording yet. I was thoroughly...

Massenet: Esclarmonde Suite; Suite No. 1; Cendrillon Suite.
December 1, 2002... Kenneth Jean, Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra. Naxos 8.555986. This is extremely lightweight material derived from several operas by Jules Massenet (1842-1912). Most of the music is forgettable but pleasant enough while listening to it....

Pleyel: Symphonies.
December 1, 2002... Howard Griffiths, Zurcher Kammerorchester. CPO 999 759-2. If the music sounds like Haydn or Mozart, don't be surprised. Ignaz Pleyel (1757-1831) was a contemporary of those men, and, surprisingly, in his day he was thought to be greater...

Rott: Symphony in E major; Pastorales Vorspiel.
December 1, 2002... Dennis Russell Davies, Radio Symphonieorchester Wien. CPO 999 854-2. The music world, like any other, can be pretty freakish sometimes. Take the case of Hans Rott (1858-1884), for instance. He was a contemporary of and fellow student with...

Russo: Street Music; Three Pieces for Blues Band and Orchestra; Gershwin: An American in Paris.
December 1, 2002... Corky Siegel, Siegel-Schwall Band. Seiji Ozawa, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. DG Originals 463 665-2. Things are never so easy as they appear. Despite the cover picture on the front of the CD, these recordings derive from two separate...