Welcome to The Abso!ute Sound online! We explore music and the reproduction of music in the home. We believe that the sound of music, unamplified, occurring in a real space is a philosophic absolute against which we may judge the performance of devices designed to reproduce music. Our goal is to provide the resources consumers need to judge how a component's sound either honors or departs from the music's truth, and to make sound purchasing decisions that maximize their experience of reproduced sound. Below is our Issue 161, April/May 2006 table of contents and editorial.

April / May 2006

Editorial

Equipment Reports

122 - Cover Story: Mark Levinson No.326S Preamplifier and No.432 Power Amplifier Listening to Levinson’s latest, Robert Harley finds the company’s tradition of excellence not just upheld but improved upon.

14 - Absolute Analog: Lamm Industries LP2 Deluxe Phonostage and Clearaudio Titanium Cartridge, Spin a few LPs with Jonathan Valin, who is savoring some tasty analog goods.

97 - Sonus Faber Concerto Domus Loudspeaker Neil Gader on an Italian speaker that makes you feel right at home.

101 - Thule Audio Spirit IA350B Integrated Amplifier and Space DVA250B DVD/CD Player Sallie Reynolds on two sweet performers from Denmark.

106 - Esoteric X-03 CD/SACD Player Jacob Heilbrunn listens to the latest from TEAC’s high-end division.

112 - Channel Islands Audio D-200 Monoblock Amplifier Class D amps are all the rage. Chris Martens listens to another offering inthis rapidly growing field.

118 - Krell SACD Standard CD/SACD Player Fred Kaplan explains how one player changed a critic’s mind about the SACD format.

The Cutting Edge

130 - HP’s Workshop Memoirs of the CES: What happened in Las Vegas doesn’t stay in Las Vegas—this time around.

Colums

12 - From The Editor

Music

136 - Recording of the Issue - Mogwai’s Mr. Beast

118 - Rock Etc. Reviews of 11 new CDs, including the latest from the Flaming Lips, Drive-By Truckers, Cat Power, Loose Fur, Rosanne Cash, Sarah Harmer, Tom Zé, and Swearing at Motorists. Plus, a round-up of recent Pure Pleasure and Analogue Productions audiophile blues LPs.

151 - Classical Shostakovich’s Cello Concerto No. 1 with Han-Na Chang, Shostakovich’s Piano Trios Nos. 1 and 2 with Beaux Arts Trio, Handel’s Delirio with Natalie Desay, and five more new CDs critiqued. Also, four Mozart SACDs with which to celebrate the composer’s 250th birthday.

161 - Jazz The scoop on the latest from Manu Katche, Ken Hatfield, Paul Motian, and Quinsin Nachoff, plus four Nina Simone reissues and Monster Cable’s Vince Guaraldi set.

Viewpoint

6 - Letters

134 - Manufacturer Comments

Finale

160 - TAS Retrospective: Harman Kardon Citation 16 Power Amplifier Sue Kraft goes shopping on eBay.

In the Next issue: A complete Goldmund system Hovland HP-200 preamp Adept Response power conditioner Revel F52 speaker And More!