#Telarc Digital

[audio-luddite]

Battle Lines.

Many conflicts occur from misunderstandings. Those lead to opinions and different opinions lead to taking sides. Criticism of what I think is criticism of me. Wanna fight? I just watched an interesting You Tube video on digital recording. (see below) They talk about sample rates and bit depth and well stuff which engineers deal with in audio. Interesting they relate bit depth directly to tape noise.

The consumer or audiophile listener has to take a side right? I mean I have said many times I prefer my analog source of LPs to Streaming and CDs. The fight between digital and analog is very similar to the solid state versus glass conflict. You wanna fight?

But recently I have gone on about how I have some really good CDs. There are true audiophile CDs even with the limits of 16 bit and 44 khz.

My CD player is good, but not high end. It costs less than my current phono pickup. But good can be pretty good.

I am beginning to lean on the idea that it is the recording and processing of the disc (either shiny clear, or big black type) that is the big difference. A poorly done recording and a ham fisted mastering will make a poor playback no matter how fancy and expensive your music spinner is. Or for that matter if it is digital or analog.

And there is a direct parallel between how a digital signal can go bad and how a solid state or tube amplifier can sound good or bad. Clipping is a word used when a signal exceeds the capacity of a medium to portray it. In a power amplifier tubes are always praised for how they clip. Overdrive them and they keep pretty calm and if you are a guitar player they make nice distortion sounds. A solid state amplifier reacts dangerously with nasty harmonics and even gobs of DC to blow speakers. Personally in audio I think if you are clipping an amp you have got something seriously wrong.

I get frustrated when people go on and on about how tubes clip nicely or better. Why clip anything at all? It can explain why a relatively small tube amplifier, say 60 Watt, can sound as good as a much bigger solid state one of 240 Watts. But generally clipping is something to be avoided. Don't do it!

In digital recording if you clip a signal it generates harmonic artifacts that sound very bad. So much of poor CD sound can be from bad recording or conversion from analog to digital at the front end of the process. Done right it sounds fine.

The debate about bit depth is also a distraction. A CD has much more Dynamic Range than an LP, but an LP is adequate for almost all music. Sound effects maybe not.

In one of my discussions with the Tube Guru he used the analogy of hearing a bee buzzing on the other side of the garden then it gets hit by a lightning bolt. That is about the DR that a CD is capable of. Need that much?

The real application is in the recording and studio mixing phase where more bits give you lower noise so layering tracks will not lose everything into hiss. Higher bit rates are to facilitate analog input filters of easier slope to prevent frequencies above the Nyquist limit from getting in. That is a problem at the front end.

I like reasoned factual discussion. You can still like this or that, but lets not fight. There still is no best, just preferences. Enjoy the sounds.

[tippysattic]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Movie Love Themes Cincinnati Orchestra Pops CD.

[jmciii57]

Relaxing into my evening with a cold Conehead microbrew from Zero Gravity brewing located an hour away from me in Burlington, Vermont. What makes this beer special is that it cost me nada, zip, bupkis. My wife found four cans left behind by guests at the resort she works at. So I get to enjoy a cold brew with the very first SACD I ever heard/bought - the Ray Brown, Monty Alexander, Russell Malone self titled disc. I can still recall hearing both this disc and SACD for the first time on an aisle end display at the late Circuit City using a Sony 5-disc changer and I forget the speakers. I was floored. I bought the player on the spot and the disc with it. That was many years ago, and the musicianship of these three still brings me immense pleasure. And with my current setup, I’m hearing this recording as if for the first time. What a great way for me to begin this evenings listening. #SACD #jazz #music #highresolutionaudio #digital #audio #stereo #Telarc #albumcover #album #highend #audiophile #microbrew #conehead #beer #zerogravitybrewery #relaxing #beverage #enjoyment https://www.instagram.com/p/BtRqfjZHFx9/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=i32rss8sxmzw

[sofakingmanyrecords]

Bach Toccata & Fugue in D Minor and Other Delights LP. Was gonna save this for Halloween but I got high tonight and decided to see how this monster sounded through my Sennheiser's. It was pretty awesome. I put the first minute or so on when I first got this and turned it up real loud and you could feel it in your chest. It will be a true test to my speakers when I get to listen to the whole 8+ minute piece one evening at high volume. Aside from the fact that I suspected it for years, another reason I suppose I'm not too offended or surprised over the MoFi controversy of late is that I have long appreciated Cleveland's own Telarc Records as my go-to label for a fair number of the meager amount of classical vinyl I keep in my collection. Telarc was one of, if not the first, digitally recorded audiophile labels out there. They made great sounding recordings. Then again, especially in the early 80's, they were proud to speak of the wonders of digital in audio. But I digress. This is one of those records that is cool to have because of the iconic piece plus the fact that it was recorded well and played on a powerful instrument that can cause harm to your speakers, which is cool in its own way. #LP #Vinyl #Records #MichaelMurray #Bach #ToccataAndFugueInDMinor #Classical #Organ #Telarc #Digital #Audiophile #MoFi #TelarcRecords #Cleveland #Ohio https://www.instagram.com/p/CihO-MTOPXv/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[wasznu]

Adobe Photoshop 4, unopened

Lotus 1-2-3, unopened

Activision Shanghai

CD Rack:

FALLA: EL AMOR BRUJO EL SOMBRERO DE TRES PICOS ORCHESTRE SYMPHONIQUE DE MONTRÉAL/DUTOIT

LONDON 410 008-2H

GERSHWIN: RHAPSODY IN BLUE: AN AMERICAN IN PARIS, etc: PREVIN: 7 471612 CDC

PAGANINI: VIOLIN CONCERTO No. 1: SARASATE: CARMEN FANTASY:

PERLMAN: CDC 7 47101 2

HOLST: THE PLANETS PREVIN/ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

TELARC CD-80133

LDC 278883/KHATCHATURIAN/CONCERTO/D. OISTRAKH

LECHANT DU MONDE

RIMSKY-KORSAKOV SUITES DAVID ZINMAN

PHILIPS 411 435-2 DIGITAL

RESPIGHI: PINES OF ROME THE BIRDS FOUNTAINS OF ROME

LANE/ ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

TELARC CD-80085

MOUSSORGSKY: PICTURES AT AN EXHIBITION MAAZEL/THE CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA

TELARC CD-80042

MUSIKFEST BOLERO

STEREO 413 250-2 GM

RD85168

PROKOFIEV LIEUTENANT KIJE/LOVE FOR THREE ORANGES SUITES STRAVINSKY-SUITES NOS 1 AND 2 FOR SMALL ORCHESTRA DALLAS SYMPHONY MATA

RACHMANINOV: PIANO CONCERTO NO. 2/PAGANINI VARIATIONS

ASHKENAZY/LONDON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA/PREVIN

LONDON

417 702-2 10 LM

[tinyshe]

WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - “I started this list as the 100 Best Pieces of Sacred Music, but I decided instead to recommend specific recordings. Why? No matter how fine the music, say Bach's Mass in B minor, a poor performance will leave the listener wondering where the "greatness" went.  So the recommendations below represent a merging of both: All of the compositions are among the very best sacred music ever written, but the recorded performances succeed in communicating their extraordinary beauty.  

“I also dithered over whether or not to make a list of "liturgical" music, or "mass settings," or "requiems." Each of these would make interesting lists, but I chose the broader "sacred music" with the hope that this list might be of interest to a wider spectrum of people. Composers are not limited to any denomination -- some are known to have been non-believers -- although the music belongs to the Christian tradition.  

“I've also decided to limit my choices to recordings that are presently available on CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays, or digital downloads.  I don't expect those who are curious about a particular title to start hunting down LPs, especially since these vinyl recordings are suddenly in great demand and prices are rising.  

“This list is alphabetized, rather than listed in chronological order. This was necessary, since recordings will often include several pieces composed years apart, perhaps much more. Thus, to reiterate, there has been no attempt to arrange them in order of preference -- all 100 are among "the best" recordings of sacred music currently available. The recording label is indicated in parentheses.

What I would call 'Indispensable Sacred Music Recordings' are marked with an ***.

1.Allegri, Miserere, cond., Peter Phillips (Gimell).*** 2.Bach Mass in B Minor, cond., Nikolaus Harnoncourt (1968 recording;Teldec).*** 3.Bach, St. Matthew Passion, cond., Philippe Herreweghe (Harmonia Mundi).*** 4.Bach, Cantatas, cond., Geraint Jones and Wolfgang Gonnenwein (EMI Classics). 5.Barber, Agnus Dei, The Esoterics (Naxos). 6.Beethoven, Missa Solemnis, cond., Otto Klemperer (EMI/Angel). 7.Bernstein, Mass, cond., Leonard Bernstein (Columbia). 8.Berlioz, Requiem, cond. Colin Davis (Phillips). 9.Brahms,  Requiem, cond., Otto Klemperer (EMI/Angel).*** 10.Briggs, Mass for Notre Dame, cond., Stephen Layton (Hyperion). 11.Britten, War Requiem, cond., Benjamin Britten (Decca). 12.Brubeck, To Hope! A Celebration, cond. Russell Gloyd (Telarc). 13.Bruckner, Motets, Choir of St. Mary's Cathedral (Delphian).*** 14.Byrd, Three Masses, cond., Peter Phillips (Gimell). 15.Burgon, Nunc Dimittis, cond., Richard Hickox (EMI Classics). 16.Celtic Christmas from Brittany, Ensemble Choral Du Bout Du Monde (Green Linnet) 17.Chant, Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos (Milan/Jade). 18.Charpentier, Te Deum in D, cond., Philip Ledger (EMI Classics). 19.Christmas, The Holly and the Ivy, cond., John Rutter (Decca). 20.Christmas, Christmas with Robert Shaw, cond., Robert Shaw (Vox). 21.Christmas, Cantate Domino, cond., Torsten Nilsson (Proprius).*** 22.Christmas, Follow That Star, The Gents (Channel Classics). 23.Christmas, The Glorious Sound of Christmas, cond., Eugene Ormandy (Sony). 24.Christmas: Moravian Christmas, Czech Philharmonic Choir (ArcoDiva) 25.Desprez, Ave Maris Stella Mass, cond., Andrew Parrott (EMI Reflexe). 26.Dufay, Missa L'homme arme, cond., Paul Hillier (EMI Reflexe). 27.Duruflle, Requiem & Motets, cond. Matthew Best (Hyperion) 28.Dvorak, Requiem, cond. Istvan Kertesz (Decca). 29.Elgar, The Dream of Gerontius, cond. John Barbirolli (EMI Classics).*** 30.Elgar, The Apostles, cond. Adrian Boult (EMI Classics). 31.Elgar, The Kingdom, cond., Mark Elder (Halle). 32.Eton Choirbook, The Flower of All Virginity, cond., Harry Christophers (Coro). 33.Faure, Requiem, cond., Robert Shaw (Telarc). 34.Finnish Sacred Songs, Soile Isokoski (Ondine). 35.Finzi, In Terra Pax, cond. Vernon Handley (Lyrita). 36.Gabrieli, The Glory of Gabrieli, E. Power Biggs, organ (Sony). 37.Gesualdo, Sacred Music for Easter, cond., Bo Holten (BBC). 38.Gonoud, St. Cecilia Mass, cond. George Pretre (EMI Classics). 39.Gorecki, Beatus Vir & Totus Tuus, cond. John Nelson (Polygram). 40.Gospel Quartet, Hovie Lister and the Statesman (Chordant) 41.Guerrero, Missa Sancta et immaculata, cond., James O'Donnell (Hyperion) 42.Handel, Messiah, cond., by Nicholas McGegan (Harmonia Mundi)*** 43.Haydn, Creation, cond., Neville Marriner (Phillips). 44.Haydn, Mass in Time of War, cond., Neville Marriner (EMI Classics). 45.Hildegard of Bingen, Feather on the Breath of God, Gothic Voices (Hyperion). 46.Howells, Hymnus Paradisi, cond., David Willocks (EMI Classics).*** 47.Hymns, Amazing Grace: American Hymns and Spirituals, cond. Robert Shaw (Telarc).*** 48.Lauridsen, Lux Aeterna & O Magnum Mysterium, cond. Stephen Layton (Hyperion).*** 49.Lassus, Penitential Psalms, cond. Josef Veselka (Supraphon). 50.Leighton, Sacred Choral Music, cond., Christopher Robinson (Naxos). 51.Liszt, Christus, cond., Helmut Rilling (Hannsler). 52.Liszt, The Legend of St. Elisabeth, cond., Arpad Joo (Hungaroton). 53.Lobo, Requiem for Six Voices, cond., Peter Phillips (Gimell). 54.Martin, Requiem, cond. James O'Donnell (Hyperion). 55.Machaut, La Messe de Nostre Dame, cond., Jeremy Summerly (Naxos). 56.Mahler, 8th Symphony, cond., George Solti (Decca). 57.Mendelssohn, Elijah, cond. Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos (EMI 58.Monteverdi, 1610 Vespers, cond., Paul McCreesh (Archiv). 59.Morales, Magnificat, cond., Stephen Rice (Hyperion). 60.Mozart, Requiem, cond. Christopher Hogwood (L'Oiseau-Lyre). 61.Mozart, Mass in C Minor, cond. John Eliot Gardiner (Phillips). 62.Nystedt, Sacred Choral Music, cond., Kari Hankin (ASV). 63.Organum, Music of the Gothic Era, cond., David Munrow (Polygram). 64.Palestrina, Canticum Canticorum, Les Voix Baroques (ATMA). 65.Palestrina, Missa Papae Marcelli, cond. Peter Phillips (Gimell). 66.Part, Passio (St. John Passion), cond., Paul Hillier (ECM New Series). 67.Parsons, Ave Maria and other Sacred Music, cond., Andrew Carwood (Hyperion). 68.Pizzetti, Requiem, cond., James O'Donnell (Hyperion). 69.Poulenc, Gloria & Stabat Mater, cond., George Pretre (EMI Classics). 70.Poulenc. Mass in G Major; Motets, cond., Robert Shaw (Telarc). 71.Puccini, Messa di Gloria, cond., Antonio Pappano (EMI Classics). 72.Purcell, Complete Anthems and Services, fond., Robert King (Hyperion). 73.Rachmaninov, Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, cond., Charles Bruffy (Nimbus). 74.Rachmaninov, Vespers, cond., Robert Shaw (Telarc). 75.Respighi, Lauda Per La Nativita Del Signore, cond., Anders Eby Proprius). 76.Rheinberger, Sacred Choral Music, cond., Charles Bruffy (Chandos). 77.Rossini, Stabat Mater, cond., Antonio Pappano (EMI). 78.Rubbra, The Sacred Muse, Gloriae Dei Cantores (Gloriae Dei Cantores). 79.Rutter, Be Thou My Vision: Sacred Music, cond., John Rutter (Collegium).*** 80.Russian Divine Liturgy, Novospassky Monastery Choir (Naxos). 81.Rutti, Requiem, cond., David Hill (Naxos). 82.Saint Saens, Oratorio de Noel, cond., Anders Eby (Proprius). 83.Schubert, 3 Masses, cond., Wolfgang Sawallisch (EMI Classics). 84.Schutz, Musicalische Exequien, cond., Lionel Meunier (Ricercar). 85.Spirituals, Marian Anderson (RCA).*** 86.Spirituals, Jesse Norman (Phillips) 87.Telemann, Der Tag des Gerichts, cond., Nikolaus Harnoncourt (Teldec). 88.Thompson, Mass of the Holy Spirit, cond., James Burton (Hyperion). 89.Shapenote Carols, Tudor Choir (Loft Recordings) 90.Stravinsky, Symphony of Psalms, cond., Robert Shaw (Telarc). 91.Tallis, Spem in alium & Lamentations of Jeremiah, cond., David Hill (Hyperion).*** 92.Tschiakovsky, Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, cond, Valery Polansky (Moscow Studio). 93.Taneyev, At the Reading of a Psalm, cond., Mikhail Pletnev (Pentatone). 94.Vaughn Williams, Five Mystical Songs, cond., David Willcocks (EMI Classics).*** 95.Vaughn Williams, Mass in G, cond. David Willcocks (EMI Classics). 96.Vaughn Williams, Pilgrims Progress, cond., Adrian Boult (EMI Classics).*** 97.Verdi, Requiem, cond., Carlo Maria Guilini (EMI Classics).*** 98.Victoria, O Magnum Mysterium & Mass, cond., David Hill (Hyperion).*** 99.Victoria, Tenebrae Responsories, cond., David Hill (Hyperion). 100.Vivaldi, Sacred Music, cond., Robert King (Hyperion).   “ -----

Deal W. Hudson is president of the Pennsylvania Catholics Network and former publisher/editor of Crisis Magazine. Dr. Hudson also a partner in the film/TV production company, Good Country Pictures.

[bloggogreen528]

Drivers Musical Fidelity

Drivers Musical Fidelity Definition

Drivers Musical Fidelity Login

Musical Fidelity likes to make use of SMT (surface mount technology), using mini components on the circuit boards, because the technique the mechanised board population process is extremely reliable. Because SMT saves space, Musical Fidelity is able to offer more inputs and increase the continuous power output of the amplifier. The Musical Fidelity MF-200 is a closed-back portable dynamic driver headphone with an audiophile tuning and a comfortable design. It is priced at £229. Disclaimer: The Musical Fidelity MF-200 sent to us is a sample in exchange for our honest opinion. We thank the team at Musical Fidelity for giving us this opportunity.

In this era of flyweight amplifiers, Musical Fidelity’s M6si ($2999 USD) is a middleweight. We often assume that quality is directly proportional to mass, but in this case that might actually be true.

The M6si weighs 36.5 pounds and measures 17.2”W x 4.9”H x 15.6”D. The build quality is high -- nothing feels insubstantial. Drivers mobile connector. Even the top and rear panels feel as if made of heavier-gauge metals than the norm. The sample I received was black with silver accents; it’s also available in all silver. The M6si comes double-boxed and wrapped in a nice fabric bag, with white gloves for handling and setup, to prevent the transfer of skin oils to the nicely finished exterior.

The M6si has enough subtle details to make for a very nice appearance. Like its controls, the M6si’s faceplate is slightly convex, bulging slightly at the center, where it’s a bit over 0.5” thick. At its center is a large, silver volume dial about 2.3” in diameter, and notched to indicate the volume setting. Along a line tangential to the bottom of the dial are eight small silver pushbuttons, four on each side. From left to right, these are: Power, CD, USB, Phono, Tuner, Aux 1/HT, Aux 2, and Balanced. To the right of the Balanced button is the IR receiver for the remote control. At top left are the model name and company logo. Heatsinks running from front to rear act as the side panels, the topmost rail nicely scalloped. On the top panel are three rows of ventilations slots, and the M6si sits on silver feet.

The rear panel is where all the fun is. The top half contains two pairs of easy-to-use, plastic-over-metal speaker binding posts. Between these are a heavy-duty ground post and trigger inputs and outputs. In the bottom half are a USB input for the digital-to-analog converter, a pair of balanced inputs (XLR), a phono input switchable between settings for moving-magnet and moving-coil cartridges, four pairs of line-level inputs (RCA), pairs of line outs and pre outs (all RCA), and the IEC power inlet. The left-channel binding posts are directly over one of the balanced input jacks, and the right-channel posts are directly over the pre-out RCA jacks. I know that there are often limitations of space in audio electronics, but manufacturers, please: Stop putting speaker binding posts directly over input jacks. I used the M6si’s balanced inputs for some testing, and had trouble routing the input interconnects and speaker cables without stressing the connections. Speaker cables with spades or bare wires hang down directly in front of the other jacks, or must be run into the tops of the posts -- your only choices seem to be to put stress on something or make the installation look ugly.

I generally set up for direct digital connection via USB from my Mac computers, or balanced connection from my reference D/A converter, a Benchmark DAC2 HGC. Once everything was connected, all of my interaction with the M6si was via the supplied remote control -- a large device of typical design with a multitude of buttons for controlling everything Musical Fidelity currently makes. As usual, this type of plastic remote didn’t live up to the M6si’s level of build quality.

Linux developer community usb devices driver download for windows xp. At musicalfidelity.com, Musical Fidelity indicates that the M6si’s USB port will accept signals of resolutions up through 24-bit/96kHz. This was a subtle problem for me, as I usually make most of my connections via the optical ports offered by many DACs. Make sure you’re able to connect your DAC to the M6si via USB, as that’s your only option. Musical Fidelity claims for the M6si a power output of 220Wpc into 8 ohms, with a total harmonic distortion plus noise of less than 0.007%, 20Hz-20kHz. The claimed frequency response is 10Hz-20kHz, +0/-0.1dB.

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I ran the M6si in the background for some time, to get accustomed to its sound before doing critical listening. Its sound reminded me of that of its big brother, the M6 500i, reviewed on SoundStage! Hi-Fi in August 2012 by my brother, Hans. When I felt that the M6si was fully broken in, I estimated that it would excel at small-scale choral and orchestral pieces because, as I’d gone about my life with the system providing background music, I’d often been drawn in by solo instruments or small instrumental groups. Life would then be put on hold so that I could listen more actively.

A Little Princess (1995) is a melancholic film about an upper-class child who sees the depths of humanity when changed circumstances force her to live in a boarding house, disconnected from her family. The film’s original score, by Patrick Doyle (16-bit/44.1kHz AIFF, Varèse Sarabande), supports the film fabulously. One character, an Indian neighbor who brings a magical quality to the story, is represented by the opening track, “Ramayana: A Morning Raga,” which introduces many of the score’s styles and subtleties. It’s not a big piece, and each instrument stands very much on its own. Tabla and sitar are introduced immediately, followed by closely miked flute, supported by small chimes. The sound of the flute was rendered very well by the Musical Fidelity, and included the sound of rushing air associated with not quite hitting a note full center, a technique that is often part of Indian-styled music. Most of this track felt as if planned to hit the sweet spot of each instrument as it was introduced. As a result, the sound was sweet and comfortable, with no harsh upper-end glare or boomy bottom.

Doyle’s music for A Little Princess varies widely, from quiet solo and lightly supported main melodies to several sections for full orchestra. In “The Miss Minchin School for Girls,” a harp flows lightly through the air above masses of supporting strings that never overwhelm the soloist. I enjoyed this soundtrack immensely through the M6si -- it never got in the way of the individual instruments. The choral sections are all sung by a children’s choir, which never sounded shrill, as can happen with some gear. The grouped strings and voices in “Crewe and the Soldier” were never hard or sharp, and didn’t produce the winces I usually give equipment or recordings that are very bright at the top end. Throughout the soundtrack, the sizes of instrumental images vary with the miking distance, but the soundstages thrown by the M6si largely remained between my speakers.

Figuring that middle-size groups -- and, even more, solo flute -- would sound good through the M6si, I played some selections from The Best of Jean-Pierre Rampal (16/44.1 AIFF, Erato). First was something of small scale: the Siciliano of J.S. Bach’s Flute Sonata in E-flat, BWV1031, a quiet piece with a sedate pace. The flute can be glaring, but was nicely projected and well balanced by the harpsichord and plucked strings. There was a softness to the sound through the M6si that suggested a luxurious space with heavy carpets, curtains, couches, and little room reverberation. The sound was not analytical, but felt as if there was just enough sharpness to avoid sounding fat. As with the Patrick Doyle pieces before it, the Bach sonata rendered well the sound of the soloist, without ever allowing it to be overwhelmed by the supporting instruments. Again, the soundstage remained mainly between the speakers, and the reproduction of the music felt neutral to slightly laid-back.

I moved on to the Presto of Handel’s Flute Concerto in F, Op.4 No.5, HWV 293, to hear how the M6si would handle a bigger supporting cast. The soloist could still be heard independently, above the orchestra, but with a very nice integration of their sounds. I was able to pick and choose instruments out of the complex work with little effort. The sharpness that a lot of supporting strings can have sounded slightly rolled off, but I think that was to the benefit of the system’s performance here. I have found that a highly analytical reproduction of the highs can sound a bit grating, depending on the recording. The M6si struck a fine balance between resolution and smoothness.

I then listened to Robert Shaw directing the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in the Polovtsian Dances, from Borodin’s Prince Igor (16/44.1 AIFF, Telarc). The oboe and piccolo solos about a third of the way through struck me as sounding pleasant without being particularly strident. When the orchestra and chorus crescendo to the top of this track’s dynamic range, I loved that I did not find cringe in anticipation of over-the-top transients of drums, voices, and cymbals. The chorus felt as if it were located well behind the orchestra, but its sound was never overwhelmed by the instrumentalists. The soundstage was wider though no deeper than before. The cymbal crash that ends this recording, neither under- nor overwhelming, proved to me how balanced the M6si’s sound was: critical but not raw, musical without being fat or bloated.

Hearing a polished chorus and orchestra left me wanting to shift into more aggressive mode. I pulled out “Du Hast,” from Rammstein’s Live Aus Berlin (16/44.1 AIFF, Slash/Mercury). For a live performance, it has a surprisingly good balance of sound and appears to be well mixed. The M6si triumphed over this challenge as well. Deep bass from the stage was surprisingly clear, for a rock show. The band’s wild sound was not limited in any way. Each guitar, bass, drum, and keyboard had its space on the soundstage, but was still appropriately connected with the rest of the players.

The M6si could play loud. Really loud. In my space, it never fell short when powering Rammstein, even at concert volume levels. It was easily able to push the big bass drivers of my Bowers & Wilkins 801 Series 2 speakers to long excursions, yet was still clearly in control of everything. Other integrated amplifiers haven’t been as successful at projecting this band with force while retaining sonic order.

That Rammstein performance drove me to another that must be played at a thunderous level: “Perpetual,” from VNV Nation’s Reformation 01 (16/44.1 AIFF, Anachron Sounds). In some ways, VNVN’s precise music, created almost wholly electronically, is fairly easy to reproduce -- the sounds don’t have anywhere near the nuances or complexities of those produced by analog instruments. On the other hand, that purity of electronic signal can be difficult to play at high volumes if the system is sloppy or underpowered. The M6si wasn’t sloppy with anything. At all times, it retained full control over Ronan Harris’s raspy voice, and the deep bass was nicely balanced with the midrange. High-pitched synthesizer notes can sound shrill through more analytical systems. They were not too sharp here.

Comparison

I was fortunate to still have on hand, to compare with the Musical Fidelity M6si, the Simaudio Moon Neo 340i integrated amplifier-DAC. The Neo 340i is more analytical than the M6si, and can be a bit overbearing with trebly music. In the $5450 configuration I reviewed, it is also significantly more expensive than the $2999 M6si. With most of the recordings I played, the Simaudio sounded more precise than the M6si, presenting what sounded like more exact representations of aural images, especially with music weighted toward the top end. As a result, it had the more open sound. Voices in the Rammstein and Borodin tracks sounded more realistic. Subtle sounds of struck cymbals had more of the expected hiss through the Simaudio. Overall, the M6si sounded more uniformly pleasant; the Moon 340i was more uniformly accurate.

I also used both the Simaudio and the Musical Fidelity with the Benchmark DAC connected to their analog inputs. In both cases, the Benchmark DAC opened up the soundstage and increased the clarity -- and notably so for the M6si. The two components, when used strictly as integrated amplifiers, were much closer to each other in sound with the Benchmark used as a DAC than they were with their own DACs in circuit. When I removed the Benchmark DAC, I found the Simaudio with its DAC closer to it in sound quality. The Musical Fidelity with its DAC produced a smaller, flatter soundstage, and lower resolution.

Conclusion

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The Musical Fidelity M6si’s features are useful -- with its full complement of analog inputs and USB digital input, it’s all that many users will ever need. The M6si’s sound never drew attention to itself, handling all types of music with aplomb, and its performance was evenhanded at any listening level. I enjoyed listening to it because its sound produced no stress in me. That’s how the experience of listening to music should feel, but often doesn't. The M6si struck just the right balance.

. . . Erich Wetzel erichw@soundstagenetwork.com

Associated Equipment

Speakers -- Bowers & Wilkins 801 Series 2, Paradigm Reference Prestige 95F

Headphones -- Bowers & Wilkins C5

Preamplifiers -- Benchmark Media Systems DAC2 HGC, Hegel Music Systems P20

Amplifiers -- Audio Research D300

Source -- Apple iMac and MacBook Pro running iTunes

Digital-to-analog converter -- Benchmark Media Systems DAC2 HGC

Speaker cables -- Transparent MusicWave Ultra

Interconnects -- Dynamique Audio Shadow (XLR), AudioQuest King Cobra (XLR) and Ruby (RCA), Transparent MusicLink Super (RCA), generic TosLink (optical), generic USB

Musical Fidelity M6si Integrated Amplifier-DAC Price: $2999 USD. Warranty: Two years parts and labor.

Musical Fidelity Limited 24-26 Fulton Road Wembley, Middlesex England HA9 0TF UK Phone: +44 (0)20-8900-2866

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Musical Fidelity North America PO Box 51206 Phoenix, AZ 85076 USA Phone: (480) 297-4053

[bigjoe11]

TechDAS Air Force III Premium Turntable Review

TechDAS Air Force III Premium Turntable Review

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“Members of the Living Stereo cult will know that the LPs under that imprint make almost any system sound silky, sexy and superior, so I turned to an album some analogue purists find a mite brittle, due to its digital origins. Telarc’s Romeo & Juliet/Nutcracker Suite [DG-10068], performed by Loren Maazel and the Cleveland Orchestra, was so free of fatigue-inducing artefacts that I had…

[jmciii1957]

Kicking off tonight’s listening with this Telarc SACD by the legendary McCoy Tyner with help from Gary Bartz, Terrence Blanchard, Christian McBride. And Lewis Nash. Quite the lineup that gells quickly here to produce some top notch playing of some great jazz. Recorded in 2003, this still sounds fresh today. And the sound, as one would expect from Telarc, is lovely. This pure DSD recording offers sonics that will have you closing your eyes, and if your system is up to it, transporting you to the studio to ease drop on the recording session. If you love top flight jazz played back with verve and gusto in excellent sound, look this disc up. Most highly recommended. #sacd #highresolution #digital #audio #jazz #music #stereo #album #highend #audiophile https://www.instagram.com/p/BuFUy5LAIHd/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1invq2r8cpvh6

[wiovsacoavpa]

STRAUSS / Ein Straussfest - Kunzel TELARC DIGITAL DG 10098 / LP NM: 405.0$ Price . End Time… https://t.co/EA5Er6jm3J

STRAUSS / Ein Straussfest - Kunzel TELARC DIGITAL DG 10098 / LP NM: 405.0$ Price . End Time… https://t.co/EA5Er6jm3J

— Wiovsa Coavpa (@wiovsa) August 16, 2018

from Twitter https://twitter.com/wiovsa August 16, 2018 at 05:49AM

[audio-luddite]

Pure Digital versus Pure Analog

From where I sit they can both be pretty good.

Right now I have a TELARC CD spinning. It is pure FN digital. Recorded in 1980 in Atlanta Georgia on a Sound Stream digital tape system. (16 bit 50 kHz! oh dear not CD rebook) The insert says no compression, no limiting, no equalization. How much more pure do you want?

It is my Carmina Burana disc. Chorus and Orchestra doing big music. I hear nothing wrong with it. The treble is way past what my old ears can detect. The Bass is seismic. And yes the ARC Cl60 is on duty so the drums have great texture and I cannot explain how great a chorus of human voices sound.

It would only be better if I understood Latin and Old German from the 12 Century. Then the songs about bad luck, lost love, and not getting the girl while getting drunk would be so in tune with the 20th century experience. (that was my century). I imagine the 21st century aint that different.

The sound is splayed across my wall. Some feels outside the angle of the speakers, but most is stretched clearly between the geometry of their location. It has height which is weird but it is an amazing illusion.

I got no complaints. Well maybe too many mikes so the mix was tricky. The venue space is "complicated".

I think from outside adhering to the dogma of pure this or pure that puts a frame of reference that people will use to throw cold water on the experience of great art. Wow that drum was HUGE.

I will be following this with a pure analog recording. I got lots of those. Where infinite resolution and purity of an analog signal falls down is limiting and equalization. We shall see. They are different.

Analog actually has infinite resolution you know. If the recording is simple you get intimacy. If it is not, well other stuff.

Next up Jazz.

Ok a different purity. Organic? Forgive me in that I have had enough wine to not be a legal motor vehicle operator. But I get a real nice feeling with this one. Jazz at the Pawn shop. From the age before digital. Nagra IV tape decks with a simple mix and just let run. There is no info on mastering or equalization but it is acknowledged as a good one.

The space is good. And yes there is clinking of glasses and silverware. Really cool and natural details. Good? Yes! The music is fine and for purists the performance is not up to New York or Chicago, but damn this is Sweden people!

That vibraphone is spooky.

If I had access to 96kHz DSD I could say bits slay, but I don't. My analog front end is much better than my CD player, but hey to each their own. Oh and I have each.

The main thing is the music.

[jmciii57]

Some days it’s fun to stroll down ones musical memory lane. Like today. The wife is napping and I wanted to listen to some good music. Compromise? Nope. Just pull out the very first SACD I ever heard (playing in an aisle rack at the late lamented Circuit City, on, of all things, a Sony SACD changer) that introduced me to what digital music was truly capable of. Finally I was hearing digital that closed the gap on vinyl. I said closed, but not equaled, as vinyl replay, to these ears, still exceeds any other mainstream musical media. But this hybrid stereo/multichannel SACD featuring the great Ray Brown together with Monty Alexander and Russell Malone is the perfect Sunday afternoon musical interlude. The playing is top notch (as would be expected from this group), the sound levels are reasonable, and the sound from this Telarc SACD is exceptional. While I’m enjoying it anew today, I can still remember how my jaw hit the floor the first time I heard it. As played back through my current system (Oppo 105D/Jeff Rowland Design Group Continuum S2/AudioQuest/Magneplanar 1.7i’s) I’m hearing this album as I’ve never heard it before. The Maggie’s put the musicians in my room - especially Alexander’s piano. But the Continuum S2 give the music just the right texture and tonal balance to allow me to suspend disbelief and wallow in sound that’s about as good as digital gets these days. So, if you own a copy, pull it out, pop a cold microbrew, and enjoy again. If you don’t, find a copy. Most highly recommended. #SACD #digital #music #stereo #jazz #multichannel #album #disc #albumcover #highend #audio #audiophile

[audio-luddite]

Opera and stuff.

When I was a kid my dad would listen to broadcasts of the Metropolitan Opera from New York on Saturday afternoon. I was surprised to find they still do that and have for almost 80 years. Poking about I found the Met now has a subscription service where you can stream any opera they have done for many decades. I have not signed up. But I thought about it as I played a DECCA CD of operatic gems. I have a 5 CD set of opera "highlights".

That lead me to other sources and I then played a stream of La Boheme on the Apple platform. It was a good one with Pavarotti. I have noted before that Opera is great music presenting mostly terrible plots of unpleasant people. In La Boheme it is writers and artists stealing and cheating as background to love then death from disease. Oh Joy.

As is usual there is limited information about the performance save for the key artists. Dates? Venue? nope. You could hear the people move about the stage, and there was some space apparent, but it was probably not on an Operatic stage. Trivial. I could clearly hear it was Pavarotti, his voice is particular. I was tired and may have drifted off a couple times, but hey its opera.

After a few hours of arias and such I decided to play my TELARC Carmina Burana. It is a pure digital document. No analog at all from an age when DDD was a good thing. It is very well recorded in Atlanta Georgia USA with a well drilled orchestra and choral group. Once you get past the spectacular parts, of which there are many, there is much to notice. The vocal timbres and textures were excellent. You could definitely hear there were people making these sounds in a real space. Oh and even the HUGE drum had texture and presence. It is interesting how the big boom is everywhere, but the drum is solidly located in the back left side.

This is a great recording.

While I was listening I read up on the composer and the origin of the work. It is a setting by Carl Orff of medieval manuscripts of poems and songs that were published in the late 19th century. Orff was a German (Bavarian) composer know mostly for this one work, though he produced others including things for music students. His most productive period occurred during the Nazi Era. He was cleared by the American occupational officials after that came to a violent end.

The manuscripts were by and about students writing about the things young people still worry and think about. Weird to think that there were monks in cloisters copying out stories of love, lust and drinking parties into medeival manuscripts, but hey.

Apparently Orff was buried in a church within a Barvarian monastery that is famous for strong beer.

There is always a story behind this stuff.

[audio-luddite]

Digital recordings.

Too much discussion of sound today is about bits. I expect almost no one taking a hard stand either side really understands what a bit is. CD "red book" is 16 bits and 44 khz sampling rate. Oh that is so much worse than streaming, blah blah blah.

Those TELARC discs I like are CD red book, but were recorded at 20 and even 24 bits and 50 khz. Every additional bit doubles the dynamic range available. 20 bits is 4 doublings over 16. Telarc knew how to work it.

My TELARC CDs are full on audiophile quality.

See this.

Note they are talking about TELARC LPs. You can buy these new LPs. I am happy with the CDs. There are plenty of TELARC CDs on Discogs. Oh and forgive me if I link TAS as I often slag them for being out of touch with reality. But they carry a lot of weight in the biz.

It is kinda fun that CDs are now the obsolete tech. They may even make a comeback!

It has nothing to do with quality this streaming thing. I know from direct experience that high quality streams I get from Apple lossless with plenty of bits do not sound as good as my LPs of the same music, and CDs when I have them. Streaming is about convenience. It is about big music labels making lots of money with minimal capital investment. LP and CD factories are expensive to run.

High end CD players all use microchips made by people in bunny suits. Those are a commodity. The fancy high end parts (including tubes) are there to voice the sound to some personal preference.

Lots of bits are only really good for the recording and mixing process. 16 bits is plenty for playback if properly mixed and mastered. TELARCs are such.

Oh and after not much thought I ordered another TELARC CD. The 1812 overture. And yup they have real artillery. Yes that is juvenile, but this is supposed to be fun right?

Oh do not take this to mean I think less of vinyl. I still prefer it. I have several albums with both CD and LP copies. In about every case I prefer the LP rendition. Oh and some of those are originally digitally recorded.

IMPEX who make really exotic LPs for eye watering cost (like Getz / Gilberto) also make an "analog" repress of Jennifer Warnes Famous Blue Raincoat for stupid money. That was recorded in the studio digitally. My ordinary copy is a fabulous recording. Digital is only worse when done poorly.

[audio-luddite]

Music is back!?

I read the BBC news online. There was a headline today "music is back" touting that sales of music (in the UK) were finally back up to the level in before times. At least they were in money spent. They noted for physical media LPs outsold the value of CDs but CDs had more units. Funny two presumed dead medias fighting it out. One dead and resurrected, the other not quite dead yet.

Whatever.

The rest and largest part were the streams.

I admit to being overwhelmed by the scope of choice in streaming. Hell I have about 600 LPs and I get overwhelmed when I try to choose what to play from them. Huge choice is not an advantage in every case.

Streaming has the promise of potentially better quality. It is only potential. Consumers seem to not care. The music produced for the streams is usually short, highly compressed tunes intended to catch attention and get the count up. Artists overall are still struggling to get paid fairly with that non-media. It only lives up to the promise with a very few boutique labels that usually sell directly and not on any streaming platforms.

Debating which can be better is pointless. CDs LPs and streams can all be excellent under the best conditions. My preference for physical media is partly being able to find and buy good quality recordings. Some have historical value, others technical and when lucky both.

Take for example Jazz at the Pawnshop. It is noted as a milestone in recording quality. Excellent technique combined with excellent equipment and minimal processing. It was so good it became historical because of that. The only negatives were by weird jazz fans who did not like jazz played by Swedes.

Another is Getz / Gilberto which is right at the start of the stereo age when the engineers did not know how to do it. From the audiophile perspective of space and bringing a venue to life, it is a total failure. But due to its naive engineering and simple production it is still a technical triumph. It is a historical document for Jazz as an art form because at that time the artists were looking for some path to the future.

The same could be said for Miles Davis in the later 50s / early 60s, where is Jazz going? Kind of Blue was an experiment. Those recordings are valuable documents. And there are really good copies out there.

Funny that the first to come to mind are all Jazz.

The debate about which media, or method is better is undecidable. People push their opinions as solid fact, when they really are rather soft. Digital has greater dynamic range that is true. Also true is analog has greater high frequency response potential. Which sounds better is a personal choice.

For seismic bass CDs are it, as proved by several TELARC recordings.

For breath taking clear treble I prefer LPs. Yes LPs.

And of course I own both.

[audio-luddite]

discs of two types.

After my normal warm up of 2 hours I played a few special discs.

First I did a TELARC CD of Music by Ferde Grofe'. He did a lot of arranging with George Gershwin. He also did his own stuff including one of my favorites "The Grand Canyon Suite".

TELARC CDs are very good. End to end digital recordings. They also brag that there is no equalization or compression on the CD, and no transformers in the line. Yes they are audiophile grade. My Carmina Burana is also a TELARC CD. They pioneered full digital recording long ago for LPs if you can believe it. They liked to show off.

One aspect of the technical showing off on the G.C. Suite is a digital recording of real thunder. There is a storm sequence in the suite. There are warnings about possible damage to equipment if played too loud. It is an alternate take on the usual symphony orchestra big drum used when real thunder is not available.

Cute warning label there.

Interesting that the ARC tube amp ran out of power for that big boom.

The big drum cut on track 10 was really good and deep and very convincing. When I played the real thunder alternative on track 12 it wimped out. Just not enough horsepower. The Franken-amp likes this cut.

Overall though it was a really good listen. Great image and sound stage and wonderful presentation of the timbre of instruments.

Of course the TELARC label is defunct now, but there are copies floating around. Worth getting.

I next played a couple of Steely Dan LPs. Black discs on the TT. First was Aja. The sound is 100% studio magic. It had great clarity and one track sounded better than I remembered it ever sounding. Side 2 track 1, "Peg". For the very first time I could hear the name "Peg" clearly pronounced. Usually it is lost in a complex mix of lead and background singers and some other stuff.

It may be a combination of fresh vacuum tubes and the microline stylus mounted on the AT7. Or it may just be the sharper stylus. I call it as just better.

Next up my recent purchase of "Gaucho". It is supposed to be a special audiophile pressing by the original label. I bought it from a fairly reliable vintage LP shop. It is clean and has good sound but is not a heavy LP like the Aja disc. Sounded very nice.

Steely Dan is notorious for Jazz influenced Pop/Rock, or is it rock influence Jazz? They are totally obsessed with sound and effects and spent many extra hours in the studio to get exactly what they were looking for. And of course they used lots of hard drugs. It was the 70s.

Since they were so obsessive the complexity of their records cannot be overstated. So for people obsessed with listening it is perfect.

I had to shut it down as the wife and I had to get out of the house. The weather has been epic. Wind and rain and all that. Get outside while you can. I also had to rake the leaves in the back yard. So no more tunes.

Wet leaves are hard to pick up you know.