I've recently reviewed most of the contenders for the world's best headphones: the Audio Technica ATH-W5000, Denon AH-D7000, Sennheiser HD 800, Grado PS-1000, Ultrasone Edition 8, and the best headphones I've heard so far, the Stax electrostatic SR-007Mk2. I listened to the Stax with the Woo Audio WES headphone amplifier. If you want and can afford the best, go for the Stax-Woo combination.
The HE-5. real wood earcups, innovative technology, and awesome sound quality!
(Credit: Hifiman)But now I have yet another headphone to check out, and this one is a very different-sounding design. Oh, and it's less than half the price of the least expensive of those models!
It's called the Hifiman HE-5, and it uses planar-magnetic drivers to create sound. A planar magnetic driver is a large, flat Mylar diaphragm, coated with superthin aluminum, suspended between rows of slender bar magnets. The HE-5's diaphragm is therefore driven over its entire area, which dramatically reduces distortion; conventional dynamic headphone drivers are "driven" by a voice coil on the outer edge of the diaphragm, so the inner portion is more likely to distort.
The HE-5's driver is similar to the Stax electrostatic 'phones in that way, but the HE-5 doesn't use the bias charging scheme that all electrostatic headphones use, which also means the HE-5 can be used with standard headphone amplifiers. The Stax cannot.
The HE-5 is incredibly detailed sounding, but at the same time it's very smooth and laid back. Swapping between the HE-5 and the Sennheiser HD 800--considered by many to be the world's best dynamic headphone--the two headphones are opposites. The HD 800 is brighter, crisper, with more apparent treble detail; the HE-5 is softer, warmer, and more natural-sounding.
... Read moreWhen the CD was introduced in 1982, everyone thought the LP's days were numbered, but it's still here. Now it's starting to look like the LP might outlast the CD.
(Credit:
Steve Guttenberg)
Of course "record stores" are also on the endangered species list; here in NYC, Tower, Virgin, and Sam Goody are long-gone, but J & R Music World in lower Manhattan is the last remaining full-size outfit. Smaller shops are hanging in there, too.
You can still buy CDs and LPs online, and vinyl's selection is getting better and better. So if you're a music lover, what should you buy, CD or LP? First, it depends on whether you can get the music you want on vinyl.
Sound quality issues aren't black and white. CD wins in terms of noise-free listening, though clean records, played on a decent turntable can sound amazingly quiet. But even then, there will be occasional clicks and pops. That's a deal breaker for some, but if you've never heard records played on a decent turntable, you don't know how quiet records can be.
LPs can sound warmer, fuller, and more natural than CDs, and way better than low-bit MP3 and AAC variants. LP sound seems to engage listeners in a very different way than digital recordings do. It's not that digital sounds bad, but vinyl is more fun to listen to. Music on LP seems more immediate and realistic than digital. Oh, and it's worth noting that most people who use vinyl actually listen to music, while digital listeners rarely do. Digital makes do as background sound. That's just the way it is. If you can't see yourself ever really listening to music--without talking, reading, working on the computer, etc--sure, CDs and MP3s are perfectly fine.
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"Bowie: A Biography" by Marc Spitz (Crown, 429 pages) isn't just about David Bowie.
After the Beatles, there was David Bowie. I'm not equating them, not by a long shot, but Bowie's music felt like a big change from what preceded it in the 1960s.
Born David Jones in the suburbs of London in 1947, Bowie had a huge impact on the music of the 1970s. If you're old enough to remember you know "Space Oddity" made him a star, and "The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust" and his spiky haircut put him over the top.
I can't claim to be the biggest fan, but I love the way Spitz recounts when Bowie signed a record deal with RCA he met Andy Warhol, and that led to hooking up with Lou Reed, and that brought him to Iggy Pop. And according to Spitz there's a bit of Iggy in the creation of Ziggy.
Like all great stars lucky enough to have long careers, Bowie had a knack for continuously reinventing himself; he fused pop music with art, glam, synth, ambient, dance, rock, and soul. Bowie kicked heroin, sang a duet with Bing Crosby, starred in one of the great space oddity films of the 1970s, "The Man Who Fell to Earth," and "The Hunger" in 1983. He acted on Broadway in "The Elephant Man" in 1980.
Granted, reading about faded rock stars can be a big waste of time. Thing is, Spitz's book had me listening to a lot of Bowie, and I came away with a new appreciation for his music. And some of it, like "Low," the album that marked Bowie's first collaboration with Brian Eno, sound amazing. "Pin Ups" was definitely a high point for me.
"Bowie: A Biography" isn't just for fans, but it may spawn some new ones.
Matt's turntable, amp, and speakers.
(Credit: Matt Calderone)What's the definition of a great hi-fi? It's the one you're listening to. Not just for background "listening," but actual, focused listening.
Investing a lot of money on a hi-fi isn't the only way to get there. In fact, spending as little as possible on decent gear is the best way to get acquainted with good sound. Who knows, you might become an audiophile.
My friend Matt Calderone might be on his way. He was given a used Denon DP-7F turntable, and recently bought a Kenwood KA-701 integrated stereo amplifier on eBay and a pair of Klipsch speakers through Craigslist. All told, he spent less than $200.
Calderone is 26 years old so I was curious about how and why he wound up with a hi-fi. He says he's always been interested in LPs, and he likes listening to them over a decent stereo, not computer speakers. Calderone thinks good speakers make a big difference.
It's not just that the sound is better, music engages on a different level when heard over a hi-fi. Calderone frequently winds up just sitting on the couch and get this, he listens to entire records! The music is the main focus; vinyl has that effect on some people. Calderone is going to add a CD player soon, but for now his system is analog only.
The hardest part of buying a used hi-fi is picking the right gear. If you're new to hi-fi ask an older relative who knows audio about which brands are worthy, but for starters I'd recommend steering clear of Sony and Bose products. I like Creek, Denon, NAD, Onkyo, Pioneer, and Yamaha amplifiers and receivers; look for used Advent, AR, Boston Acoustics, DCM, Epos, Infinity, Klipsch, Magnepan, Mirage, Monitor Audio, NHT, Polk, Snell, or Vandersteen speakers. For a few hundred bucks you can put together a very listenable used system.
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The Force tower speaker.
(Credit: Perfect8 Technologies)Getting crystal clear sound never comes cheap, but Perfect8 Technologies' ultimate Perfect8 5.1 system shatters the price ceiling for glass-speaker systems.
The $566,000 ensemble consists of two Force tower speakers for the front left and right, a Force Center channel speaker, and a pair of Point speakers as surround speakers. If stereo is all that you need, a pair of Points go for a more modest $149,000. The advanced-technology designs represent the latest thinking in "see through," highly transparent sound quality.
Perdect8 Technologies is a Swedish manufacturer of high-end ribbon tweeters. dynamic loudspeakers, and subwoofers. The company was founded in 2005 with a mission: produce the world's most exclusive and best sounding loudspeaker systems.
Since I haven't actually heard any Perdect8 speakers, I'm in no position to judge their sound; however, the company is developing a buzz among adventurous and wealthy audiophiles.
I discovered Perfect8 Technologies' glass speakers on the Ultimate AV Web site.
You'll find more images of Perfect8 Technologies' glass speakers after the jump.
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Stereophile magazine has just published its "2010 Buyer's Guide," a tell-all "book" for audiophiles on the prowl for new gear.
Sure, you can get a lot of this information on the Internet, but it's nice to have it all neatly arranged between two covers of a magazine. Inside you'll find listings for 4,000 audio products. So if you're in the market for a hi-fi,the "2010 Buyer's Guide" will save you a lot of time.
You'll find listings of turntables, phono cartridges; CD, SACD and DVD-Audio players; preamplifiers, power and integrated amps; speakers and subwoofers; and headphones.
And don't get the wrong idea, the "2010 Buyer's Guide" may be published by Stereophile magazine, but the components aren't limited to high-priced gear. I found lots of affordable components in there.
Looking for hi-fi that's less than $1,000? How about an Onkyo DX-C390 CD player ($219), Denon DRA-297 stereo receiver ($299), and a pair of Monitor Audio Bronze BR2 speakers ($450 a pair). They're all in there, and each one is accompanied by a set of useful specifications.
High-end goodies are well represented too. Read all about the Wilson Audio Alexandria X-2 MkII speakers that weigh 1,210 pounds per pair ($158,000) and the stunning SME Model 30 turntable that runs $50,000!
The Z-Base575 is a speaker and a TV base.
(Credit: Zvox)Sound bar speakers vastly simplify home theater setup and installation, but their sound quality always falls short of bona fide 5.1-channel speaker-subwoofer-based systems. The single-box Zvox Z-Base575 get closer to that ideal than most.
The problem with sound bars is they're too small. Even pricey bars like Yamaha's YSP-3050 ($1,199 MSRP) can't generate full-blown home theater impact. And it's a bit bigger than average (31.5 inches wide by 6.1 inches high by 6 inches deep), but films like "Mission: Impossible III" sound tepid over the YSP-3050. The film's explosive effects lack the excitement you'd get from a 5.1 system. Yamaha's technology is amazing, but it can't produce high-impact sound from skinny cabinets. I'm not singling out Yamaha here; Denon, Marantz, Polk, Samsung, and Sony sound bars all--to varying degrees--squash dynamic range of movies.
Stepping up to the YSP-4000 ($1,600 MSRP) won't make that big a difference; in my CNET review I noted that it stumbled with big special effect-driven flicks like "Mission: Impossible III." The explosions fell flat, the bass was rumbly, and the Yamaha couldn't play loud at all. Hooking up an Acoustic Research HT60 subwoofer to add extra muscle helped a little, but the YSP-4000 still lacked punch.
Part of the problem is that almost all sound bar speakers are too small. Zvox's Z-Base575 is big and very, very deep. How deep is it? Sixteen inches! So unlike other surround bar speaker systems that can either be wall-mounted or set on a shelf, the Z-Base575 was designed to be used as a base under your TV. Don't worry, the sturdy medium-density fiberboard cabinet can support heavyweight displays.
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A cutaway drawing of an Ohm CLS Driver.
(Credit: Ohm Acoustics)
Ohm offers a micro tower that will even fit in cramped rooms.
(Credit: Ohm Acoustics)I remember listening to Ohm Acoustics speakers ages ago, but I've lost track of the company. Founded in 1971, Ohm Acoustics is still around and still building all of its speakers in Brooklyn.
Ohm speakers feature radical technology, and it's not just that they're omnidirectional designs.
Ohm Micro Walsh tower speakers.
(Credit: Ohm Acoustics)Quoting from the Ohm Web site, here's how the technology works: "The Ohm CLS Driver is a vertical line source that combines inherently perfect time and phase alignment and uniform polar frequency response....At the source, the sound originates simultaneously from the face of the super tweeter and the top of the inverted cone driver..." Translation: they sound good.
The CLS Driver looks like a downward-facing cone, but its sound radiates up and out, in a near 360-degree radiation pattern. In all Ohm designs a single CLS Driver produces bass, midrange, and most treble frequencies; no wonder it sounds nothing like speakers that use separate woofer, midrange, and tweeter drivers.
During my recent factory visit I listened to a set of Ohm Micro Walsh speakers ($1,000 a pair). They're skinny towers: 36 inches high, 6 inches by 6 inches wide, and deep. Even within the huge factory space, the wee towers sounded huge. Bass wasn't super deep, but it was rich and warm. There's no need to add a subwoofer for stereo systems; and larger Ohm speakers sound much the same but can play louder and make deeper bass.
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McIntosh Labs president Charlie Randall and some of his favorite things.
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)
Totem Acoustic's Vince Bruzzese with one of his latest creations.
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)Recession? What recession? New York City's venerable fixture of high-end audio and video, Stereo Exchange, celebrates its 25th anniversary this weekend. It's running a sale through Sunday, November 8 with substantial discounts on select products from several manufacturers. The opening night party on Thursday was jam-packed and there were no shortage of customers!
For the opening night party, many of the participating companies were demonstrating their wares. Featured products on display include: Panasonic's new 85-inch plasma HDTV; NAD's new M2 Direct Digital Amplifier; McIntosh Labs' MEN220 Room Correction System; and Grado's PS 1000 headphones, which I just reviewed for CNET.
Stereo Exchange also sells Anthony Gallo Acoustics, Arcam, Audio Research, Ayre, B&W, Crestron, Furman, Integra, JA Michel, Kaleidescape, Marantz, Meridian, Peachtree Audio, REL, Rotel, Sonus Faber, Totem Acoustic, Transparent Cable, and Wadia. Stereo systems at Stereo Exchange start about $1,000.
For more information on Stereo Exchange, visit its Web site.
The best sounding room at Stereo Exchange featured Vienna Acoustics speakers and Ayre electronics.
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)The Audioengine P4 is a cheap speaker.
Correction, it's an audiophile speaker that sells for $249 a pair. But that hasn't stopped it from getting raves from audiophiles who live with speakers that sell for a whole lot more.
I use Audioengine A2 self-powered speakers ($199 a pair) with my computer, so I thought I had a handle on what to expect from the P4.
The review P4 speaker sported a real, solid bamboo cabinet, wow!
(Credit: Steve Guttenberg)I did not; it's a whole new ball game. First, the P4 is a "passive" speaker, so you need to hook it up to an amplifier or receiver. The A2 is an "active" self-powered design that can be connected to a computer or MP3 player via a headphone jack.
I started listening to the P4 with my computer, with the speakers hooked up to an old Jolida hybrid tube/solid-state amplifier. The A2 is a sweet sounding little speaker, but the P4 was dramatically clearer, cleaner, and more vibrant. The P4 blows the A2 away--it's not even close.
At 9 inches tall by 5.5 inches wide by 6.5 inches deep, the P4 looks like a larger A2 (the A2 is 6 inches high by 4 inches wide by 5.25 inches deep). The P4 comes in satin-finished black or gloss white paint for $249 a pair, or in bamboo for $325 a pair. The wood isn't merely a veneer over medium-density fiberboard; no, the P4's cabinet is made out of solid bamboo, it's gorgeous!
Audioengine offers a nifty tabletop stand, the DS1 ($29 a pair), that cants the speaker back at an angle to project sounds up. The rubbery stands also isolate the speaker and prevent it from transmitting bass into your desk. Want to wall mount it? No problem, use the threaded inserts on the speaker's rear-end.
The P4's three-quarter inch silk dome tweeter and 4-inch Kevlar woofer appear to be of very high quality. Both drivers are made by Audioengine.
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