Sensible Sound articles from January 1999

Sensible Sound archives from January 1999

RAMBLINGS.(Brief Article)(Editorial)
January 1, 1999... Welcome to Issue #73, an issue with a focus on transducers -- from tiny phono cartridges to towering speakers. In other words, we are looking where the motion comes into the system, and the emotion goes out -- where there are compromises to be...

FORUM.(Letter to the Editor)
January 1, 1999... Possible Improvements Thank you for publishing such a wonderful magazine. I'm a recent subscriber and purchased about 30 of your back issues. Two of my most recent purchases have been due in large part to your reviews: Legacy Classics and...

What Really Matters in CD/DVD Player Performance, Part III: Does Price Really Matter?
January 1, 1999... Parts I and II (Issues 71 and 72) of this series highlighted key aspects of what really matters in player performance and reviewed various ways users can test the error correction/concealment and tracking capabilities of their players. Given...

Recordings, Speakers and Compatibility: Part II.
January 1, 1999... The following continues the thread begun in Skeptimania 72, and deals with the assorted variables and interactions that will impact the sound of any home audio system. Unfortunately, a production snafu in printing Issue 72 resulted in a figure...

Grado The Reference.
January 1, 1999... Manufacturer: Grado Laboratories, 4614 7th Ave., Brooklyn, NY 718/435-5340 Price: $1,200 Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: Karl A. Lozier What's going on here: The $ensible Sound reviewing a phonograph cartridge retailing...

Sumiko Blue Point Special.(Evaluation)
January 1, 1999... Manufacturer: Sumiko, 2431 Fifth St., Berkeley, CA 94710; 510/843-4500 Price: $295 Source: Reviewer purchase Reviewer: William C. Heck Background: In his cartridge summary in Issue 67, KWN remarked that TL and I have "had...

Sumiko Blue Point.(Evaluation)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 1999... Manufacturer: Sumiko, 2431 Fifth St., Berkeley, CA 94710; 510/843-4500 Price: $195 Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: James T. Frane A few years ago Sumiko introduced the high output moving coil Blue Point cartridge. It did...

The $ensible Choice List: Phonograph Cartridges.(Brief Article)
January 1, 1999... For many years, when friends asked me what phono cartridge to buy, I would recommend they purchase either the Shure V15 Type VMR or else get a Grado Signature. If they really wanted to save money, then I would suggest one of the inexpensive...

B&W CDM2SE.(Evaluation)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 1999... Manufacturer: B&W Loudspeakers of America, 54 Concord St., North Reading MA 08164-2699; 508/664-2870 Price: $800/pair Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: David R. Moran Two-way loudspeakers have an undeservedly high opinion...

B&W ASW 2000 Subwoofer.(Evaluation)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 1999... Manufacturer: B&W Loudspeakers of America, 54 Concord St., North Reading MA 08164-2699; 508/664-2870 Price: $1,000 Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: Howard Ferstler Subwoofers are popping up all over the place. A big (maybe...

Legacy Audio Whisper.(Evaluation)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 1999... Manufacturer: Legacy Audio, 3021 Sangamon Avenue, Springfield, IL 62702; 800/283-4644 Price: $12,900/pair (includes shipping) Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: William C. Heck Background: First, I haven't listed components...

NHT 2.9.(Evaluation)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 1999... Manufacturer: NHT, 535 Getty Court, Benicia, CA 94510; 800/NHT-9993; website: www.nhthifi.com Price: $2,500/pair Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewers: Tom Lyle and David M. Doll A Brief Story: I was shopping for new speakers in...

PSB Stratus Gold i.(Evaluation)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 1999... Distributor: PSB Speakers, The Lenbrook Group, 633 Granite Court, Pickering, Ontario, Canada L1W 3K1; 888/772-0000; www.psbspeakers.com Price: $2,549/pair Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: Joseph M. Cierniak Why wait until...

Rosinante Evolution Signature.(Evaluation)(Product Announcement)
January 1, 1999... Manufacturer: Rosinante, Inc., 602 West Acorn Plaza, Eudora, KS 66025; 785/5423922 Price: $6,000/pair Source: Manufacturer loan Reviewer: Steven G. Baird This is not the first time that a review of an expensive loudspeaker...

Arthur Blythe: Lenox Avenue Breakdown (Koch Jazz KOC-CD-7871).(Review)
January 1, 1999... Arthur Blythe: Lenox Avenue Breakdown (Koch Jazz KOC-CD-7871) I had never heard of alto saxophonist Arthur Blythe when I picked this up on Columbia LP back in 1979; however, the cover art drew my attention and then the lineup of musicians...

Brian Blade Fellowship.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Brian Blade Fellowship (Blue Note CDP 72438 59417 2 6) It seems as though you do not find all that many jazz recordings being led by drummers these days (Leon Parker and Joey Baron are quick examples that come to mind), but young...

Judy Collins: Colors of the Day (DCC Compact Classics GZS-1130).(Review)
January 1, 1999... Judy Collins: Colors of the Day (DCC Compact Classics GZS-1130) For fans of Judy Collins, this new offering from the folks at DCC should be virtually self-recommending. Featuring tunes from four of her best releases of the late '60s and...

Dave Douglas: In Our Lifetime (New World/Countercurrents 80471-2), Stargazer (Arabesque Jazz AJ0132) and Charms of the Night Sky (Winter and Winter 910 015-2).(Review)
January 1, 1999... Dave Douglas: In Our Lifetime (New World/Countercurrents 80471-2), Stargazer (Arabesque Jazz AJ0132) and Charms of the Night Sky (Winter and Winter 910 015-2) As a letter in this issue's Forum points out, trumpeter Dave Douglas is starting...

The Don Ellis Orchestra: Electric Bath (Columbia/Legacy CK 65522).(Review)
January 1, 1999... The Don Ellis Orchestra: Electric Bath (Columbia/Legacy CK 65522) Recorded in that fateful year, 1968, Electric Bath has just been rereleased as part of the Legacy Series. The opening cut, "Indian Lady," is an incredibly energetic romp in...

Chris Hillman: Like A Hurricane (Sugar Hill SHCD-3878).(Review)
January 1, 1999... Chris Hillman: Like A Hurricane (Sugar Hill SHCD-3878) Most readers probably recognize Chris Hillman's name because of his '60s' gig as bass player for the Byrds, while others may remember his work with the Flying Burrito Brothers or...

Dave Holland Quintet: Points of View (ECM 1663 78118-2-21663-2).(Review)
January 1, 1999... Dave Holland Quintet: Points of View (ECM 1663 78118-2-21663-2) The ECM label has long had a reputation for producing "chamber jazz," and this new CD from bassist Dave Holland, although energetic, certainly has a chamber-music feel to it....

Holst: Beni Mora; Somerset Rhapsody; Hammersmith; Egdon Heath; Invocation for Cello and Orchestra and Orchestra Tim Hugh, cello/Royal Scottish National Orch/David Lloyd-Jones (Naxos 8.553696).(Review)
January 1, 1999... Holst: Beni Mora; Somerset Rhapsody; Hammersmith; Egdon Heath; Invocation for Cello and Orchestra Tim Hugh, cello/Royal Scottish National Orch/David Lloyd-Jones (Naxos 8.553696) Although many audiophiles have several CDs by Gustav Holst on...

Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/ Jack DeJohnette: Tokyo '96 (ECM 1666 78118 21666-2).(Review)
January 1, 1999... Keith Jarrett/Gary Peacock/Jack DeJohnette: Tokyo '96 (ECM 1666 78118 21666-2) I'm not sure why this took two years to get released: it's a nice set. Many jazz lovers probably already have several CDs by this outstanding trio in their...

Cindy Mangsen: Songs of Experience (Redwing Music RWMCD 5403).(Review)
January 1, 1999... Cindy Mangsen: Songs of Experience (Redwing Music RWMCD 5403) This is one of those discs that arrived in the mail that I really dreaded auditioning. I had never heard of Redwing Music or Cindy Mangsen, and I have never been all that much of...

Brad Mehldau: Songs (The Art of the Trio, Vol. 3) (Warner Bros. 9 47051 2).(Review)
January 1, 1999... Brad Mehldau: Songs (The Art of the Trio, Vol. 3) (Warner Bros. 9 47051 2) Young (mid-20s) pianist Brad Mehldau is supported on this recording by Larry Genadier (currently touring in a trio with Pat Metheny on guitar and Brain Blade on...

Tom Petty: Full Moon Fever (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UDCD 735).(Review)
January 1, 1999... Tom Petty: Full Moon Fever (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UDCD 735) The folks at MFSL are excited about their new "GAIN II" mastering system, and this is the first release using this technology. I have no idea how much better this release might...

Rubbra: Symphonies 3 and 7 BBC National Orch of Wales/Richard Hickox (Chandos Chan 9634).(Review)
January 1, 1999... Rubbra: Symphonies 3 and 7 BBC National Orch of Wales/Richard Hickox (Chandos Chan 9634) This is the third Chandos disc of symphonies by Edmund Rubbra (1901-1986) that I have recommended in these pages. His music always strikes these ears...

Tears for Fears: Songs from the Big Chair (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UDCD 730).(Review)
January 1, 1999... Tears for Fears: Songs from the Big Chair (Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab UDCD 730) I mentioned above how Tom Petty succeeded in his CD by not overreaching; Tears for Fears, on the other hand, seemed to continually be overreaching, writing...

Tiny Town: Tiny Town (Pioneer Music Group 92801-2).(Review)
January 1, 1999... Tiny Town: Tiny Town (Pioneer Music Group 92801-2) I'll say it right up front: Tiny Town is my favorite rock release of 1998. Featuring singer/ guitarist Tommy Malone and bassist Johhny Ray Allen -- both formerly of the Subdudes -- along...

The Yockamo All-Stars: Dew Drop Out (Hannibal HNCD 1422).(Review)
January 1, 1999... The Yockamo All-Stars: Dew Drop Out (Hannibal HNCD 1422) Dew Drop Out is described on the back cover as "a New Orleans second-line R&B jam," and it surely is that, but it is more than that -- it is one heck of a jazz recording. Players...

Double Double.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Although long-time readers probably get tired of reading this little explanation each issue, there may occasionally be readers new to our magazine who might appreciate a brief word of explanation, so for you folks, here it is: in Double Double,...

Reissue Roundup: An interview with Roger Armstrong, founder of Ace Records, UK.(Interview)
January 1, 1999... With digital audio poised to enter its third decade (yes, it really has been a little over 20 years since the appearance of the first digital recordings on vinyl), I thought that a little retrospective on reissues in the marketplace might be in...

Carousel Corner.(rock musician Chris Hillman)(Interview)
January 1, 1999... It doesn't matter/Which of our fantasies fled. --Manassas, "It Doesn't Matter" In the music and recording business, longevity is a coveted state. Too many good, even great, artists fall out of style, burn out, or otherwise fall by the...

Scoping Software: Some Interesting CD Transcriptions.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Beethoven, Ludwig Van: Pathetique Sonata; Seven Bagatelles; Moonlight Sonata. James Boyk, piano. Recorded in 1991; location not listed. Engineers: James Boyk and James Fraser. 55+ minutes. Performance Recordings PR-9-CD. (Those who care about...

Back to Titanic.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Back to Titanic. Original music composed and conducted by James Horner. Sony SK 60691. I can't remember when I last sat through and reviewed a movie soundtrack recording. I usually find them repetitive and dull. But I thoroughly enjoyed...

Jeff Beck: Blow By Blow. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II UDCD 727.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Jeff Beck: Blow By Blow. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II UDCD 727. From 1975, Jeff Beck's first solo effort blends jazz and light rock into album that went gold, then and now. Mo-Fi's 24K remastering is largely successful. The sound is clean,...

The Cars: Greatest Hits.(Review)
January 1, 1999... The Cars: Greatest Hits. DCC Compact Classics GZS-1123. For some readers the title The Cars: Greatest Hits may seem incongruous at least or enigmatic at best, but it is not my place to criticize the musical taste of millions of fans...

Nat "King" Cole: The Greatest Hits.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Nat "King" Cole: The Greatest Hits. DCC Compact Classics GZS-1127. After DCC's spectacularly successful remasterings of Nat "King" Cole's albums Love Is The Thing and The Very Thought of You on 24-kt gold foil, it seemed inevitable that...

Colors of the Day: The Best of Judy Collins.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Colors of the Day: The Best of Judy Collins. DCC Compact Classics GZS-1130. Wonderful. Wonderful album. I am always pleased to see any company trying to improve something, and I must applaud DCC in particular for straying occasionally from...

Gershwin: The 100th Birthday Celebration. Michael Tilson Thomas, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. RCA 09026 68931-2 (2-disc set).(Review)
January 1, 1999... Gershwin: The 100th Birthday Celebration. Michael Tilson Thomas, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. RCA 09026 68931-2 (2-disc set). Although I prefer Previn's recordings from the '70s and early '80s and, of course, Bernstein's performances,...

Jethro Tull: Original Masters. DCC Compact Classics GZS-1126.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Jethro Tull: Original Masters. DCC Compact Classics GZS-1126. Individually culled from the vaults of EMI, these carefully remastered tapes from 1972-1977 sound clean, clean, clean in their new trappings. There is not a trace of distortion,...

King/Bluiett Trio: Makin' Whoopee: A Tribute to the King Cole Trio. Mapleshade 04832.(Review)
January 1, 1999... King/Bluiett Trio: Makin' Whoopee: A Tribute to the King Cole Trio. Mapleshade 04832. Mapleshade just keeps right on making good, and good-sounding, jazz. Here, the King/ Bluiett Trio pay a tribute to some of their favorite people, the old...

Loggins & Messina: Full Sail. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II UDCD 733.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Loggins & Messina: Full Sail. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II UDCD 733. In time, all good things come. I have always loved this 1973 album, but a slight edge in Columbia's sound always put me off listening. No more edge. Yet, while Mo-Fi's...

Chad Mitchell Trio: Mighty Day on Campus (Folk Era FE3262); At the Bitter End (FE3281); and Blowin' in the Wind (FE3313).(Review)
January 1, 1999... Chad Mitchell Trio: Mighty Day on Campus (Folk Era FE3262); At the Bitter End (FE3281); and Blowin' in the Wind (FE3313). The late '50s and '60s were heady days for folk music. The Kingston Trio revitalized the genre with "Tom Dooley,"...

Tom Petty: Full Moon Fever. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II/GAIN 2 UDCD 735.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Tom Petty: Full Moon Fever. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II/GAIN 2 UDCD 735. Full Moon Fever is special for several reasons. First, it marked Tom Petty's solo debut. Second, it contains some good rock. Third, it did very well commercially....

Ragtime Razzmatazz, Volume II.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Ragtime Razzmatazz, Volume II. Mark P. Wetch, piano. Wilson Audiophile Recording WCD-8212. Dave Wilson shut down his recording operation several years ago, presumably to concentrate on his speaker building. While we can be grateful he is...

Alex Rostotsky Trio: Boiled Borsht. PopeMusic PMG2014-2.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Alex Rostotsky Trio: Boiled Borsht. PopeMusic PMG2014-2. Producer-engineer-audiophile Gene Pope carries on a noble tradition in the world of high-end sound by having created a magnificently beautiful recording of mediocre material. This 24...

Warren Smith: Cats Are Stealing My Shit! Mapleshade 05332.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Warren Smith: Cats Are Stealing My Shit! Mapleshade 05332. For a better explanation of the album's title, Cats Are Stealing My Shit (Lock the Toilet Door), I refer you to track three; it's not exactly what you think. Warren Smith is an...

Tango Tango.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Tango Tango. Performed by Viveza. Omega OCD 3030. Given the movies about it, the documentaries, and the slew of record albums in recent years, I think it's safe to say the tango is back. Moreover, after listening the last couple of years to...

Tears For Fears: Songs From The Big Chair. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II UDCD 730.(Review)
January 1, 1999... Tears For Fears: Songs From The Big Chair. Mobile Fidelity Ultradisc II UDCD 730. One can argue the musical merits of these mid-'80s songs; I find them a pleasant fusion of pop, rock, and jazz. But there is no denying their sameness,...