The Sound Room

All Things Vinyl, June 3, 2010: Fosgate Signature Phono Preamp and the Fozgometer.

by Oliver Amnuayphol

If you've been around hi-fi for a while, chances are you're already familiar with surround sound shaman and car audio extraordinaire Jim Fosgate, founder of Rockford Fosgate, creator of Dolby Pro-Logic II surround, and holder of over 25 patents. No question Fosgate has an extraordinary legacy in specialist hi-fi components, so when he releases something new it's sure to be a showstopper--like this shiny new phono preamp, simply dubbed the Signature. Courtesy of a joint partnership with Musical Surroundings, the Signature phono preamp resulted from Fosgate's testing of more than 100 different designs over 30 years and is chock-full of all the best features--like all tube amplification and rectification with no solid state devices in the signal path; switchable moving-magnet and moving-coil gain settings (42.5 and 60.5 db, respectively); and variable load settings from 100 ohms to 100K ohms. What's more, Fosgate's SRPP design features a novel power supply utilizing over-spec'd local storage capacitance (instead of regulation) for each tube stage, and internal PC board layout is configured as a "dual-mono" design. With all that's gone into Fosgate's Signature phono stage, it certainly looks the business and should be quite the value at $2499. Available now.

And after you get the boss Fosgate phono pre, how do you make sure your cartridge is sending it the maximum musical goodness? By perfectly aligning your phono cartridge of course! One of the alignment parameters critical to good sound (but often very difficult to achieve) is correct cartridge azimuth, or your cartridge's left-right axial tilt. Simply put, if your cart's azimuth isn't perfect, you're just not getting proper channel balance or separation, let alone fully developed stereo imaging. Unfortunately, you can't just eyeball the azimuth to get it dead-on; usually you'd need an oscilloscope or other expensive gear to set this properly, or hope 'n pray to the vinyl-luvin' gods that your cart's cantilever is perfectly aligned within its generator and housing (for a full explanation of azimuth ins and outs, check out Michael Fremer's great analog piece on the subject here). But now, thanks again to Jim Fosgate's brilliant mind, there's an inexpensive and easy to use tool to help you with that, too--the Fozgometer! This handy-dandy device allows you to dial in your cartridge's azimuth with 100% accuracy by using a “Log Ratio Detector” Jim Fosgate developed for surround processor steering logic circuits to measure channel separation. Simply plug in the leads from your tonearm or phono stage and adjust your cartridge's azimuth according to the instructions until the center LED turns green. Easy-peasy! And believe you me: Once it's dialed, you'll immediately hear improved stereo imaging and soundfield depth like never before. And at only $249, the Fozgometer costs much less and is easier to use than the 'scope or other similar methods, making it an absolute bargain. I'd say get one right away, but you can't: the Fozgometer is back ordered everywhere, so just get one as soon as you can.

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All Things Vinyl, March 17, 2010: New Lyra Delos cartridge; Bill Evans Riverside Recordings.

by Oliver Amnuayphol

Regular readers of ATV already know I'm a big fan of Lyra cartridges, having owned the Lydian Beta and the Argo i for quite a number of years. Well now Lyra's just released their replacement for the Argo i, the Delos($1499). Housed in a striking, machined from solid, golden-hued aluminum body and red magnet carrier, the Delos features Lyra's all new asymmetrical damping mechanism--a first in MC pickup cartridge design. Why asymmetrical dampers? According to Lyra, "A major problem with most cartridges is that the signal coils are located so that applying normal tracking force restricts performance. The reason is that the cartridge's signal coils should have the same angle as the magnetic circuit when the tracking force for playback is applied, but are nearly always designed so that applying normal tracking force pushes the signal coils out of alignment with the magnetic circuit. This impairs the sensitivity and linearity of the coils, and reduces the quality of sound." Lyra goes on to explain that, in the Delos, "The pre-angled dampers work together with the angle of the body structure so that, when tracking force is applied, the signal coils are optimally aligned with the magnet circuit." the improved damping alignment is said to offer better tracking ability, resulting in better sound quality, low-level resolution, dynamic range, transient impact, and overall immediacy. Wow. The Delos also features a solid boron cantilever, microridge stylus, and nude body construction. With all that's featured in Lyra's Delos, it's got to be a stunner; and if it sounds anything like the Argo i it replaces, it definitely will be. You can find a detailed description of the new damping design here, along with a nice visual aid here. Available now.

Love you some Bill Evans? Me too. And apparently so does Analogue Productions, the in-house label of Acoustic Sounds, who specializes in reissuing classic jazz recordings on high quality vinyl: They recently released one ginormous Bill Evans box set--Riverside Recordings--and it's a doozie. The set consists of 22 records in all and even includes Cannonball Adderley's Know What I Mean? album, since Evans was such an integral part of these sessions. No doubt, Analogue Productions pulled out all the stops on this one: The set includes an 18-page booklet detailing Evans' career and Riverside era, and every album has been pressed on glorious, 180-gram, 45-rpm vinyl. So if you're a die hard fan who absolutely has to have the highest quality pressings--and are willing to shell out $600 (!)--you'd better get yer mitts on one of these sets right quick: Bill Evans - Riverside Recordings is limited to 1500 copies worldwide and, once they're gone... Get yours now from various online dealers, like Acoustic Sounds, Music Direct, or your local record hut.

Oppo's BDP-83 initial impressions

by Mark Alt

Well, it's been about two weeks since my Oppo BDP-83 has arrived and set up in my home, so I figured it's high time to give my initial impressions on the player.

First, let me say that I have an older Onkyo TX-SR703 which does not have HDMI.  So I connected the HDMI out from the Oppo to my Samsung DLP TV for video and I am using the multichannel analog audio inputs on the 703 for the audio portion.  Since the Oppo has an on-board decoder for both Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD (and, obviously, my 703 does not), I can still enjoy the higher quality audio with my older 703 through the multichannel inputs.

The Oppo is really easy to set up.  It has an initial setup that walks you through the basics.  And then a more extensive menu for tweaking the setup.  The menu is one of the best I've seen.  It has a really simple layout and very helpful menu tips that describe what each setting does.  In my case, since my DLP is 1080p capable, I am enjoying the best picture available.  And since I am using the on-board decoder, I needed to set up the speakers specifics on the Oppo as well (very similar if not the same as what you need to do on your A/V receiver to calibrate the speakers).  The multi-channel inputs on the receiver are essentially pass-throughs, the receiver does not do anything to the signal aside from controlling the volume.

Loading a Blu-ray disc to display on the screen is the fastest I've seen of any Blu-ray player.  I've seen first generations players take almost a minute (if not more) to start to display a picture from the disc - worse if it is a BD-live disc.  The Oppo takes mere seconds for a non-BD-live disc (virtually as fast as a standard DVD) and about 15 to 20 seconds for a BD-live disc - although I have not done any actual timing as of yet so those are estimates.

Picture and audio are top notch.  Even my wife is starting to come around when I did an A/B comparison with Disney's Cars first with a DVD version, then with the Blu-ray version.  The detail on the Blu-ray disc is amazing.  Maybe it was because it was my personal setup, but it seemed to me that the picture quality from the Oppo was even better than most of the players that I've seen.

Granted, I've had the player about two weeks now, but over that short time, I can say that I am extremely well pleased with the Oppo and am looking forward to incorporating it in my home theater system for years to come.

If anyone is curious about certain features or specs about the Oppo, let me know and I'll try to include them in future posts.

Oppo's new BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc player

by Mark Alt

For my first blog post, I figured I would write a teaser about the new Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray Disc player which is currently being released to those lucky few who signed up for a pre-release.  That includes yours truly.  Mine is currently on its way to me and should be here tomorrow.

For those of you not in the loop, the BDP-83 is being touted as the first to be released "universal" Blu-ray player.  It isn't the first announced, Denon took those honors with their DVD-A1UD.  Unfortunately, that one has been delayed, so the Oppo gets the prize of "first one in the wild."

What's a universal Blu-ray player you ask? Well, it is a player that not only plays Blu-ray, DVD, and CD, but also plays SACD and DVD-Audio. Sorry, no HD-DVD support though.

The Oppo, which has undergone two rounds of "beta" testing, features some other impressive features such as on-board decoding of Dolby TrueHD and DTS HD with both HDMI and 7.1 analog outputs for those of us with older non-HDMI receivers such as myself, full 1080p upscaling via an Anchor Bay VRS processor, and the ability to play music or display pictures from USB drives via two USB ports (one conveniently located in the front).  Of course, it is BD-Live compatible with 1GB memory onboard and an Ethernet port on the back which also allows for easy firmware updates.  Oppo also has an optional add-on for a wireless adapter if necessary. Couple this with Oppo's impressive customer service and reputation for quality DVD players and it is shaping up to be a winner.

I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of my player and will follow up in the coming weeks with my thoughts on it after I get a chance to play with it.

All Things Vinyl, April 7, 2009: Zu Audio/Denon DL-103

by Oliver Amnuayphol

This week I wanna tell all you analog addicts out there about a very special range of products: The Zu Audio modded Denon DL-103 and 103r cartridges. Most vinylheads out there are already familiar with the legendary 103 range of cartridges; but just in case, a little background for ya: Way back during the Kennedy administration, Denon and the Japan Broadcasting Corporation wanted to produce a durable, wide-bandwidth, fuss-free, set-up friendly moving coil pick-up suitable for broadcast use. This collaboration gave us the Denon DL-103, a square-sided, plastic-bodied, low-output (0.3 mV) MC featuring a spherical stylus tip and a high-ish source impedance of 40 ohms. The Denon became an instant success with both industry professionals and consumers alike due to its reliability, ease of set up and unfailingly musical tone. In fact, the Denon has been so successful that the 103 and its variants (such as the 103 "r" with its larger diameter coil windings and lower 16 ohm impedance) have remained in continuous production for 45+ years--darn near HALF A CENTURY! What's more, all this analog goodness can be yours for a measly $229--a mere pittance for the amount of musical kicks on tap, and much less kwan than a lot of newer n' prettier (and quite likely not more musical) carts out there.

Of course, like any budget cartridge, the Denon has its sonic limitations, namely rolled off frequency extremes, a mild thickness in the bass region, and a minor peak in the mids/lower treble range; most vinylheads--including the folks at Zu--will tell you the 103's shortcomings are mainly due to its lightweight, non-rigid plastic body and the less than ideal manner in which various cartridge bits contact it. Zu addresses these shortcomings by dispensing with the plastic body altogether and encasing the nude cartridge into an absolutely gorgeous, CNC-machined from solid, 6061 grade aluminum body that retains the original's mounting geometry and dimensions. A good portion of the inner works are then sealed with a generous dose of clear epoxy for even better coupling. These mods are then incorporated into a range of increasingly tighter-tolerance 103s and 103rs that are available at ascending price points; I decided to purchase the $499, 1% tolerance Grade 1 Zu DL-103 to see how it compares to my stock Denon DL-103. So: We're now talking $229 for the Denon vs. $499 for the Zu modded cart; can the Zu possibly be more than twice as good?

Absolutely, positively, yes: Zu took everything that was good about the DL-103 and made it even gooder, keeping just enough of that rich, full-bodied tonality the Denon's famous for and increasing the overall bass depth, definition and clarity. There's still a slight warmth to the lower mids and bass region for sure, only now it's mated to a more neutral midrange and silky smooth treble. The sound is always compelling, with an altogether more even-handed presentation than the plain-jane Denon. This is a heck of a cart for only five Franklins; and if these were the only tricks this Zu-modded pony had over a stock 103, I'd already pick it as my first choice in a sub $5 hundy pick up. But the improvements don't stop there: There's also greater extension at the frequency extremes; wider and finer dynamic gradations; out-of-this-world timbre and gads of texture, with a smooth, coherent character from top to bottom. Add it all up and the Zu DL-103 becomes a thoroughly engaging cartridge, one that consistently pulls more musical goodness from more records than any sub-thou cartridge I've listened to. And Buh-Leeve you me, I've listened to a big hot mess of 'em.

No doubt, the Grade 1 Zu/Denon DL-103 is a very special cartridge, competing more than favorably with other pickups costing twice its modest asking price. In fact it's so good, I even prefer some things about its presentation to my $1500 Lyra Argo i, a great cartridge in its own right; that the Zu DL-103 costs only a third of the Argo i's already reasonable sum makes it an insanely awesome value (kinda like Aperion speakers, wink wink!) and quite possibly the best value in all of hi fi. So even if you're budgeting for a more expensive cartridge, do yourself a favor and check out the Zu/Denon DL-103 first: its so eminently musical and supremely engaging that listening to records with it is an absolute joy. You may just save yourself a pile of scrilla for some more licorice pizzas and find that this is all the cartridge you'll ever need.

Cedia '08- More great stuff

By Caleb Denison

Ok.. I just have to get this one out of the way right away. If you're a fan of "This is Spinal Tap" I think you'll love this. If you're not, then I think you're missing out. That said, I present you with this:

That would be one of Marin Logan's finer subwoofers. Most folks familiar with Martin Logan know that they make fantastic, if not a bit pricey, audio equipment. What you may not know, is that they obviously have a sense of humor too. Check out the volume dial on this Bad Boy.

Yeah... that's right. It goes to 11. You might be asking "what's great about that" To which I would reply, "It's one louder isn't it?"

But it's not all just fun and jokes, there are some great new looks to some of the more popular A/V receivers. Check out the new top of the line Harmon Kardon AVR 7550 featuring the new Dolby Volume processor: Those curved edges are a really nice touch and the new Dolby Volume processing promises to be really useful. It is a volume moderator of sorts. You know how you're sitting comfortably, watching your favorite TV episode then BAM a commercial comes on and you're running for the volume control. Maybe you switch channels and you can barelty hear what's going on. Dolby Volume promises to change that by keeping the volume level the same, no matter what you're watching, listening or switching to. THANK YOU DOLBY. My family will love you for this (especially my cat)

Cedia '08- Day 1

By Caleb Denison

Our first day at Cedia has come and gone and it was great! After a very early 4 AM wake-up call, we got to the airport, endured the security gate and made it to Denver in record time.

One rental car and a few sammiches later, Ken, Mike and I arrived at the Denver convention center greeted by the big blue bear that stands guard, on it's hind quarters, poised to break through the glass and attack whatever is inside. Who's idea was this sculpture?

Inside the generously sized convention center is, well...just about everything a consumer electronics fan could ever want to geek out about. Amplifiers, receivers, turntables, speakers, custom integration devices, speakers, movie screens, projectors, speakers, giant LCD and Plasma displays and a few speakers.

One of the coolest devices I saw today was none of the above, really. It's the Squeezebox Duet and Squeezebox Boom that had me really impressed. The Squeezebox device, now owned by CE accessory giant Logitech, is a slick piece that wirelessly accesses ANY music that you could access with your computer. You name it: Pandora, Rhapsody, Music Giants, your entire stored music collection and every internet radio station out there- the Squeezebox can access it and play it for you. With the Boom, you're getting all of this functionality in a liitle boombox. With the Duet, the on-screen interface is replaced by a touch screen remote control. VERY slick. Talk about putting a wealth of music at your fingertips.

We also spent considerable time ogling Sharp's 108" LCD display which was not really perceivably larger than the equally impressive 106" Plasma discplay from Panasonic. I've read about them, but witnessing them in action is quite an experience. That there's a big TV!@!!!  Both of them made me reconsider my plans to use a projector in my new home theater space.

Macintosh is also on hand to provide some seriously impressive eye AND ear candy. Their latest addition to their speaker line is a very impressive point source design derived from their monstrous Line Array design seen here (as you can see, the tower somewhat dwarfs speaker engineer genius Ken Humphreys). While I did feel like the highs were a bit on the aggressive side, the overall tonal balance was amazing. Of course, I think the 2400 watts of power driving these beasts may have had something to do with the jaw dropping experience as well.

More to come. Lots more.  Also, before I go, let me please thank the free Wi-Fi service courtesy of a certain coffee mega-giant. Were it not for their internet hot spots, I wouldn't be able to blog from the general vicinity of the show at all. While there are at least 60 operating routers at this show, they are all secured and not available to the public. Bummer.

All Things Vinyl, April 28-May 2, 2008: Turntable Set Up Tools

by Oliver Amnuayphol

If you've been reading "All Things Vinyl" for sometime or know a bit about turntable setups, chances are you're probably aware that, in most cases, installing a high-quality phono cartridge at the front end of your vinyl-spinning rig can yield huge improvements in sound quality. I previously wrote about the benefits of a quality cartridge in the February 11-15, 2008 of "ATV" so I won't go into detail about that here. Suffice it to say that, if you're choosing a separate cart for whatever reasons, you can't just bolt cartridge to tonearm and expect great results: for the best sound--and most importantly, the least wear--from your cherished licorice pizzas, every cartridge must be properly aligned for geometrically correct contact with your vinyls.

Unfortunately, the number of dealers who have the know-how or inclination to do this for you are slim indeed; if you know one, count your lucky stars! But if not, you'll have to align the cart yourself, paying extra special attention to five important parameters: Overhang, azimuth, VTA (vertical tracking angle), VTF (vertical tracking force), and anti-skate. Not an easy task, to be sure--so it's a good idea to know the ins and outs of such a feat and to equip yourself with the right tools for the job. And while I love to endlessly wax poetic about the joys of vinyl, I've got limited space (and time!) to do so; check out Audiophilia's superb guide to setting up your cartridge here. If you're more of a visual person, I'd highly recommend "21st Century Vinyl: Michael Fremer's Practical Guide to Turntable Set-Up"--a must if you're serious about getting the most music off vinyl discs. And on that note, here are some other set-up goodies that should be in every vinyl lover's toolbox:

 

--DB systems alignment protractor ($49): A long-standing favorite for accurate cartridge alignment on the cheap, nothing beats the value of this protractor card from DB. It's super easy to use--quick alignment of your cartridge in just three steps. Less time fussing and more time listening? Amen DB, amen. 

 

-- Shure SFG-2 Stylus Force Gauge ($25): This simple and highly effective tool for measuring tracking force has been around since before I was born, and for good reason: it's by far the most cost-effective way of setting accurate tracking force for any cartridge out there. Cheap, durable, and easy to use--what's not to like?

 

--Hi-Fi News Test Record ($45): Chock-full of various turntable optimization tracks, this LP has been the long-running standard for setting correct anti-skate and azimuth and even has a cartridge/arm resonance test track. With over 17 tracks designed to help optimize your rig, the gains in performance will far outweigh its modest cost.

 

--Feickert Universal Protractor/alignment tool ($250): This beautifully built, dead-accurate gauge allows you to absolutely dial in the overhang and alignment for any tonearm/cartridge combination, making this the perfect tool for those with chronic upgradeitus or anyone who swaps cartridges on a regular basis. Expensive, yes; but if you have a top-tier vinyl playback system and want to get all the music you paid dearly for, consider this premium tool absolutely mandatory.

 

Next week: some more new hardware and software releases. 

All Things Vinyl, April 7-11, 2008: Cleaning Your LP Records

by Oliver Amnuayphol

So now that you're firmly committed to spinning the black circles, let's talk about good vinyl hygiene. Hygiene? As in cleaning? Absolutely! If you want to hear your records at their best, proper cleaning of your records is a must. You know all those ticks and pops and static-type sounds that notoriously goes hand in hand with vinyl? Nearly all of that can be eliminated by simply keeping your records clean. Most of those vinyl noises are caused by dirt, dust, and various other particles that are trapped the grooved walls of your records, causing lots of noise and, even worse, permanent damage to your precious vinyl. And even if it's a new record, chances are there's still some grime (and mold-release agents) that need to be cleaned from the record for best performance.

So--how does one go about getting those vinyl contaminants outta there? There are three basic things things you should do before playing any record: treat each one to a thorough wet wash (preferably with a specialized vacuum cleaning machine); clean each record with a record brush before every play; and clean the stylus before and after every record side. By keeping the record and the various parts it comes into contact with free of any possible contaminants, you'll guarantee noise-free play and top-notch sound quality from your vinyls for years to come (for a detailed description of a very thorough process, check out the excellent article from the musicangle.com site here).

And now, a smattering of some stellar record care products:

Gruv-Glide II Record Treatment LP cleaner ($28.99): A simple, spray on LP cleaner, the Gruv Glide is perfect for quick cleaning of garage sale finds or a great solution for those a little short on scratch for a wet-cleaning system. Can leave a residue of used with a heavy hand, but definitely better than no cleaner at all.

 

Nitty Gritty 1.0 Vacuum record cleaning machine ($365): If you have a substantial record collection or just want to get your records uber-clean, the 1.0 model from Nitty Gritty should be considered mandatory--especially considering its beer-budget price when compared to other models out there. Its powerful vacuum action and simple, fuss-free operation means you'll be enjoying super-quiet and squeaky-clean vinyl goodness for many moons to come.

 

The Disc Doctor record cleaning solutions (prices vary depending on item): I've tried many vinyl cleaning solutions with my cleaning machine over the years, and the Disc Doctor products are my cleaners of choice. The Miracle Record Cleaner spreads easily yet stays neatly on the record until it's time to suck it up. What's more, every item is a superb value, and their wet clean records are the best I've ever used.

 

Sleevetown.com record cleaning brush ($13.95): Using a quality, non-damaging brush to dust off those records before every play is important to maintaining clean vinyl surfaces, and the brush from Sleevetown is a dandy. Pretty much the same as that audiophile standard of brushes, the Hunt EDA--but less than half the cost.

 

Last Factory stylus cleaner and stylus treatment ($22.50 and $33 respectively): Even with the most immaculately cleansed records, over time microscopic dust, dirt, and grime particles form into a thin, coarse, sandpaper-like film that gouges your record's grooves with every play. An unavoidable occurrence--unless you clean your stylus before every listening session. Thank the analog gods for Last's stylus cleaner and treatment which will, when correctly applied, extend the life of both your records and your cartridge's stylus. Amen Last, amen.

Next week: Setting up your vinyl rig. 

Home Theater Week in Review, March 10-14, 2008

by Oliver Amnuayphol

If you're serious about accurate home theater performance, you've probably attempted the mystical art of calibrating your home theater display. With so many parameters to adjust (gray scale, color temperature, saturation, oh my!), it's no wonder one often has to call a bona-fide, ISF-certified tech to wring the best picture performance possible from your HD display. Well praise be the flat-screen gods at Panasonic, who've recently announced a line of THX-Certified displays that will display a dead-accurate, ATSC calibrated picture with the press of a magic "THX Movie Mode" button. Panasonic will have four sizes available in the THX-certified Viera PZ800 series (42", 46", 50" and 58"), and all will feature 1080p resolution, 30,000:1 contrast ratio, and four HDMI 1.3 connections. pricing and availability will be announced sometime this Spring.

Movie Releases for Next Week.

DVD: I am Legend; Atonement; Enchanted; Love in the Time of Cholera; Seekers; The Ice Storm--Criterion Collection; Antonio Gaudi--Criterion Collection; The Dragon Painter; Jet Li's Shaolin Fists Collection.

Blu-ray: I am Legend; Enchanted.

HD DVD: Atonement; Justice League--The New Frontier; Led Zepellin--The Song Remains the Same.