The Absolute Sound 274 July / August 2017

The Absolute Sound October 2017

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.

Articles & Reviews In This Issue
6 A Methodology I'll Term As Pre-Analytic
Editorial By Allan Moulton

10 Letters

14 Guest Editorial
Allan Moulton on the right way to choose a hi-fi system.

16 FutureTAS
New products on the horizon.

18 TAS Legacy
The Wilson Audio WATT.

22. The Los Angeles Audio Show
We bring you the best new gear from LA's inaugural hi-fi show.

154 Manufacturer Comments

Equipment Reports
Personal Audio
44 Sonoma Acoustics Model One Electrostatic Headphone
Steven Stone listens to an ambitious new electrostatic headphone.

Absolute Analog
54 Spiral Groove SG1.2 Turntable and Centroid Tonearm
Jacob Heilbrunn on an innovative and musically rewarding turntable and tonearm from Alan Perkins.

The Absolute Sound Issue 276 October 2017

Loudspeaker Focus
60 Larsen Model 6.2
If you don't want speakers intruding in your room, Larsen has the solution. Andrew Quint reports.

64 Sanders Model 10e
Robert E. Greene offers an in-depth assessment of a groundbreaking hybrid electrostatic design.

74 Magico S3 Mk II
Discover why Andrew Quint bought this new version of Magico's mid-line S3 for his reference.

80 German Physiks HRS-130
Dick Olsher explains why this modern version of a "bending wave transducer," invented in the early 1960s, is more technically and musically correct.

86 Von Schweikert Audio Endeavor E-5
This big speaker plays even bigger than its size, rivaling some mega-transducers. Andrew Quint says that the E-5 will have you living large.

94 B&W 800 D3
Although this latest B&W shares its name with classic speakers from the past, this 800 D3 is a whole new animal, says Alan Taffel.

100 Rockport Technologies Lyra
Rockport Technologies has developed an astonishing new speaker enclosure. Robert Harley reports on the sonic results.

132 Magnum Opus
Wilson Audio WAMM Master Chronosonic Loudspeaker
In this world- exclusive review, Jacob Heilbrunn evaluates high end audios most celebrated speaker designer David Wilson's magnum opus.

Equipment Reports
114 Moon ACE All-in-One Music System
The compact ACE is the perfect solution for those short on space, says Neil Gader.

120 Cary Audio DMS-500 Network Player
With MQA decoding, extensive options, and great sound, this new Cary does it all. Neil Gader has the details.

126 Conrad-Johnson GAT Series 2 Preamplifier and TEA1 Series 2 Phono Preamplifier
Jacob Heilbrunn finds much to like about these new all-tube components from C-J.

Follow-Up
130 Berning 211/845 Power Amplifier
Robert Harley has further thoughts on one of high-end audio's most extraordinary achievements.

Music
158 Lyrita on Compact Disc
Arthur Lintgen on recent Lyrita reissues.

160 Classic Savoy Be-Bop Sessions 1945–1949
Duck Baker is impressed by a new Mosaic box set.

162 Catching Up with David Murray
Jeff Wilson talks to the veteran jazz musician.

166 Download Round-Up
Alan Taffel and Andrew Quint review hi-res pop and rock and classical downloads.

170 Rock Reviews
Tedeschi Trucks Band, Steve Earle, Lilly Hiatt, The Blackeyed Susans, Little Steven, Bobby Osborne, Don Bryant, The Magpie Salute, and Doug MacLeod's new SACD on Reference Recordings.

176 Jazz Reviews
Ben Allison, Bianca Rossini, Riverside's tribute to Carla Bley, a 2-CD live set by Roscoe Mitchell, and new vinyl from Gearbox Records.

181 Classical Reviews
György Kurtág, John Cage, banjo performances by John Bullard, piano music by Jack Gallagher, and Chasing the Dragon's new direct-to-disc LP.

184 Q&A
We talk with Mark Markel of Analysis Plus.

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