THE
E-ZINE
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FRUGAL
AUDIO
BUYERS
Affordable$$Audio Premiere Issue: January 2006 Copyright 2006 AffordableAudio.org. All Rights Reserved.
Buyer Preparation Have the itch to upgrade your system? here are some training tips to help you prepare for the shopping adventure. Page 2
Polk LSi9 The Rodney Dangerfield of quality bookshelf speakers. Page 4
DIY Workbench How To Use a VOM (VoltOhm-Meter) Well Enough To Get By.
Big sound in a small package. Page 8
Outlaw RR2150 Receiver. Retro looks and 21st Century power
Linn Keilidhs Warm, mellow towers. Page 12
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A little sledge hammer of an amp
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Welcome Affordable$$Audio is an idea born out of a des-
perate quest to find reviews on various pieces of used and vintage audio equipment. The Goal In starting Affordable$$Audio it is my goal to bring reviews of reasonably priced quality audio gear based upon real-world buyers testing environments. The big audio magazines test $500 speakers using $10,000 amplifiers and $6,000 preamplifiers. Not to mention interconnects priced at double most people’s car payments. Therefore, when you read reviews in Affordable$$Audio you will see that the author’s equipment is very consistent with what the vast majority of buyers can afford. In that way, you can be assured that what you may eventually hear is very similar to what our reviewers did in their own homes. The reviews will consist of both new and used equipment. I, myself, am notorious for buying demo or used equipment. However, new pieces will be reviewed as well, but not when they first hit the market. Why? Since Affordable$$Audio doesn’t accept manufacturers advertising, reviews will occur when the writers have the op-
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Totem Dreamcatchers
Adcom GFA-535
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portunity demo the model in their own home as they become curious about the specific item. But count on most reviews to cover equipment that has a bit of age and has earned a strong reputation and fan club. In my case, I will be working with a few independent new/used dealers focusing on intriguing pieces that were found on the resale shelves. After all, quality audio gear ages very gracefully when well taken care of. Thus allowing the new owner greater bang for the buck. You will notice that the photography in the pieces I reviewed has some issues, namely my unsteady hands. Next month I promise to use a tripod. The Staff All the writers for Affordable$$Audio are volunteers. They do this out of sheer passion, and in some cases, frustration with the lack of independent reviews of equipment they could afford. Since writing reviews is a hobby, don’t expect to see a review/ article each month by everyone. Instead, just sit back, turn on your current favorite piece of music and enjoy reading Affordable$$Audio. Mark Marcantonio, Publisher, Editor, Owner P.S. Please, feel free to email your comments to:
[email protected]
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AUDIO TRAINING CAMP: P R E PA R E D T O A U D I T I O N By Mark Marcantonio For years I have teased my wife about how much effort she expended preparing to shop. Now granted, she is a Professional Organizer. But still, the time spent laying the foundation for a shopping adventure seemed downright silly. Then, I got the itch to upgrade my audio system after an amazing 15 year run. At first, I just wanted to re-acquaint myself with brands, statistics, and terms. I began where I had left off by perusing the audio equipment I had grown fond of in the wonderfully chaotic world of eBay, and later, the refined spaces of Audiogon. Names and numbers I hadn’t heard of in eons jarred my memory. Then came new names and designs, I felt as if I had ignored an old and dear friend. I knew that I was wholly unprepared to purchase, I needed to reawaken my auditory perception/ recognition. Below, is the regimen that led me to a successful upgrade. Step One: Get back to “critical listening”, the concentrated analysis of picking out the good, the bad, the euphoric, and the downright painful passages of recorded music. This means going thru virtually every piece of music you may own. Don’t be surprised at how terrible some recordings sound from the 1980’s. One artist, whose album won a couple of Grammies comes to mind as sounding horrifically compressed. Then again, some absolute gems appeared that you had no memory of sounding so good. Step Two: Visit your area dealers; find out what kind of business they operate. Are they friendly to the serious audio shopper? Is there a sense of passion towards audio equipment? Are the sound rooms setup like a typical home, or modified to the point of unrealistic perfection? Do they 2!
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encourage direct in-store comparison to your current equipment? Finally, are they willing to be patient that it may take several listening sessions before purchasing? Step Three: Select a handful of cd’s and spend several days listening to just those selections. Try to select specific passages and listen for items such as: fingers sliding on the guitar strings, breathing, straining of high frequencies, anything out of the ordinary. Day after day listen for the subtleties, train your ears to discern the specific reason for the flaw, if possible. Write down what you hear, and save it for later. Step Four: Back in the 1980’s when I sold low to mid-fi stereo equipment I kept on hand several cassettes (metal) of all types of music recorded from my trusty Harman Kardon deck. Using metal tapes was my way of tweaking the sound to get the most favorable reaction possible. Nowadays, virtually most any speaker shopper can do the same thing. All one needs a computer with a CD-RW burner and by copying your favorite songs from your own personal library you can create a demo disc encompassing the variety of music you enjoy. In my own case, that involved a couple of acoustic guitar songs, followed by Joe Jackson’s “Cha-Cha Loco (Body and Soul), James Taylor, Donald Fagan, Phoebe Snow’s “Something Real”, Dan Fogelberg, George Winston, Melissa Etheridge, Spyro Gyra, Pete Townshend, and Aaron Copeland. Every track should have both an overall musical quality, and a specific passage that you can recognize as a critical sound reproduction point. I went so far as to bring along a note pad reminding me of the absolute impressions I had with my current speakers. This may sound like overkill, but I found it had a tendency to keep the salesperson quiet, so I could listen in peace. Step Five: After doing the initial auditions, join a couple of audio chat rooms. The variety and experience of audio enthusiasts is both refreshing and inspiring. It used to be that havAffordable$$Audio
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ing a conversation with another stereo fanatic was limited to the occasional party conversation. Nowadays, it is a virtual guarantee that anyone can find a post discussing his or her specific interest. For myself, it was more a much a confirmation of what my retrained ears were hearing than a college dorm stereo war. Step Six: To some, audio equipment reviews are nothing short of religious truth, to others, selfserving sanctimonious snobbery. I take more of a middle ground, a thorough conversation about a product. After all, no matter who the reviewer is, they are writing because they have a passion for audio equipment. So, I began my reading, luckily we live in the cyber age where research can be done via the Internet. A few words “Googled” and I had my list of sites to visit. One that I came to enjoy was www.audioreview.com, where anyone could post his or her opinion. What I valued most about these reviews was what equipment the person posting was comparing it to. Of the professional sites, www.stereophile.com with its free access to all its reviews should be a highly valued resource to any audio fan.
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made was to come in on a weekday, when the shops were less crowded. It made it much easier for the sales staff to work with my desire to compare what I owned versus what they carried. It made the entire process (2 plus hours on average) far more enjoyable and focused. In addition, having a demo CD made the sales staff’s life much easier. I was given the remote and was able to swap tracks at will. The only down time was the few seconds in swapping cables between equipment. The down time may seem to be make for a difficult direct comparison, but having spent the time to train my audio perceptibility it wasn’t difficult to pick out the differences. In the end, the most important thing is to relax and enjoy the pursuit. After all, the opportunity to compare equipment is a joy that takes but a short time, but is remembered for ages.
Step Seven: The final step involves direct auditioning. This usually requires an independent dealer, as the chains rarely approve of bringing in equipment. Besides, independents are the life-blood of quality audio equipment. In many cases they enjoy comparing as much as the customer does. I have been lucky enough to find a number of shops in the Portland, Oregon area. A personal courtesy I Affordable$$Audio !
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Polk Audio LSi9 Bookshelf Loudspeakers: By Steveaz (Club Polk member) Editors note: This review originally appeared in Polk Audio discussion board before the review standards were setup for this e-zine. The author has given permission for it to be published here. Music: Pearl Jam; Allison Krause; Rush; No Doubt; Steely Dan; John Mayer; Seal; Trapt; Avril Lavigne; Lifescapes "Smooth Jazz" Setup: The Polk Audio LSi9 Speakers were setup on makeshift (err...redneck) stands that placed the tweeter at ear level. My apologies for the cheesy stands, but I haven't owned a standmounted bookshelf since 1992. Front baffles were approx 4' from the rear wall, 5' from side walls, 7' apart, and 8' from the listening position with about ½" of toe-in. The room is approx 23' x 48' (14' vaulted ceiling) great room, the living room/dining room/kitchen are all in a single open space, with the living room (listening area) at the first 1/3 of the space. This means no wall for about 28' from behind the listening position. Grilles were left off. There were no stock jumpers supplied, so we used 4" lengths of 14awg copper wire to jump the binding post on the speakers. Initial Impressions: Oddly enough, the LSi9 looked smaller than I had imagined, at first I thought they were LSi7's. The build and aesthetics are very nice—the speakers are heavy for bookshelf style speakers. The finish was Ebony and well executed with black piano gloss top. Binding posts are of good quality and beefy/rugged; everything about the build exudes quality & elegance. They wouldn't look at all out of place sitting next to rack full of Krell or Levinson gear.
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Listening: From the moment I hit the "Play" button on the CEC I was immediately impressed with the LSi9's BIG sound. It wasn't the typical bookshelf sound at all, and Wes and I were all smiles. They filled the room quite easily with modest volume settings, and the midrange grabbed me right away during the Steely Dan set. Wes commented on how Allison Krause' voice can sound a bit nasal on lesser quality speakers, but noted that her vocals sounded very good thru the LSi. I agree, extremely accurate in weight, tone and realism. The LSi9 is a wonderful "vocals" speaker. I noted during the John Mayer set that the Lsi9's do miss the lowest octaves, but to be expected on a bookshelf speaker---still bass was very good; the best I've heard in a bookshelf especially considering they were off the back wall a good distance. I can understand how the LSi9 might be accused of being a little heavy in the midbass if it were closer than the 4' distance he had them at. Midrange was a "ten ring" all the way, beautiful. Treble was very extended and though a touch forward as compared to my Energy Connoisseur's, it never got edgy or etched. The air around cymbals was apparent and abundant---a very nice 3 dimensional portrayal. Imaging was very good, soundstaging left-to-right very good, depth pretty good. Piano music sounded extremely real, no huffy or chestiness in the sound of the notes, just beautiful bell-like clarity with great attack and smooth decay--two thumbs up. Caveats? A few minor nitpics: Keep in mind this is a bookshelf speaker and my listening room is large. In that context, the Lsi9 did begin to unravel a bit when pushed hard—very hard. Some perspective: My preamp volume knob has never seen the 1 o'clock position, we had the LSi's at about 11:30; I approximate (seat-of-the-pants-estimation) that we were probably pushing 103db or more when I noticed the speaker began to sound compressed in dynamics; hey, again, to be expected when pushing a bookshelf this hard in a room this big. Everything just shy of "concert" levels sounded wonderful, regardless of the material thrown at them, and was plenty loud and unAffordable$$Audio
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compressed for music well beyond typical listening levels. My only other observation was that on a couple of rare occasions, with certain music, the transition from midrange to the tweeter sounded a little disconnected---let me explain; On a few passages I felt like I could "locate" the tweeter as it sounded as if it were playing by itself, does that make sense? Let me try again, I could localize sounds coming straight from the tweeter, it was a little strange---and rare, so not that a big a deal. I noticed it specifically on a track that had finger snapping in it; the snapping of the fingers sounded like it was coming exclusively from the tweeter, rather than blended in with the midrange.
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you'd never know if that was the Polk’s playing or my Energy towers"...Wes agreed. The midrange was gorgeous; treble very nice 99.9% of the time; and bass, as good as you'll get in a package this size. It never sounded bloated or boomy, like a lot of bookshelves can, it was very clean and deep reaching at reasonable playback levels. Build: ***** Sound: **** Value: **** Related equipment: - C.E.C. CD-3300 CD transport AES/EBU digtal output - Benchmark DAC1 DAC - Musical Fidelity A3CR Preamp - Parasound HCA-1500A Power amp - Kimber PBJ Interconnects - Signal Cable AES/EBU digital cable - Kimber 8TC speaker cable
Addendum: 12/12/2005 After much debate/brainstorming on the Lsi9 displaying dynamic compression, some believe that amplifier clipping may have been the culprit. Although I have doubts about this, it's important to understand the Lsi9 can dip to 2 ohms in some frequency ranges. Bottom line, it might be wise to select an amplifier that is stable to 2 ohms. Just an FYI. I'm still convinced that what I heard was compression, not clipping, as the speakers didn't sound harsh,, but rather the soundstage just collapsed; however, keep the above in mind. Conclusions: I'm impressed; really impressed. The first 5 minutes of listening, Wes and I just stood there with our mouths hanging open, looking at each other in disbelief---we were speechless. The Lsi9 sounded much better than I had anticipated and that’s saying a lot, as I had pretty high expectations. It's really amazing to see such a small speaker sound so large. Wes and I were out on my patio as the system was playing, and I told Wes "from out here, Affordable$$Audio !
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DIY – By and for the Marginally Competent. By Bob Lombard This article, and any that may follow it, is not intended to educate experienced audio Do-ItYourselfers. If you are one of those, feel free to read on and send critical letters to the editor. (Just be aware that, for some editors, any feedback is good feedback.) The intent is to help make the use of vintage (i.e. affordable) equipment more practical for the ‘common man’. How To Use a VOM (Volt-Ohm-Meter) Well Enough To Get By. You need to know how to use a VOM so that you can do simple chores like setting the DCoffset at the speaker outputs of your amp, checking/setting the bias current on the pc board of your amp (somewhat scary, but otherwise simple), and checking to see if that solder connection you just made is really a connection.
We’ll use a Fluke 77 VOM for illustrative purposes; there are a lot of Flukes around that look like this one, and a lot more VOMs that work like it. Plus, it’s easy to see the controls, and this is the VOM I have. This VOM is auto-ranging. If yours isn’t, it has more positions around the selector knob; no 6!
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big deal, you’re just more apt to see the outof-range message in the LCD window. The sine wave symbol after the V(olts) and the A(mps) indicates AC positions. The horseshoe symbol represents Ohms. The position marked with a symbol that looks something like ->|- |||| is for testing diodes. Some VOMs have a selector knob for choosing ranges, and another one to read volts, milliamps, or Ohms. I don’t know if all VOMs make you move the non-common lead to a different jack to check current rather than volts/Ohms; this one does. I think this way is safer. The Fluke also has the capability to measure current up to 10 amps when connected in series with the circuit. I can’t think of a use you will have for this in DIY audio work, and it’s possible to ‘smoke’ the meter using it that way, because it isn’t fuse protected there. Checking Continuity and Measuring Resistance Lets examine how to check continuity/ resistance. If you have a populated pc board you can get at, good. Otherwise we can make do with your body. No harm should come of it. The first thing you have to do before checking resistance is to make sure that the device has NO POWER going to it. You can’t check resistance in a powered circuit, but you can blow the meter’s fuse, which is annoying, or zap yourself, which is also at least annoying. Unplug the device; that’s safer than relying on the position of its power switch. Plug the black lead into the COM(mon) jack on the VOM, and the red lead into the volt/ ohm jack. It doesn’t really make a difference now, but when you’re checking DC volts or milliamps it does, so you may as well get used to it. Move the selector knob from the OFF to the Ohms position. When the meter finishes its self-test and battery check, the window will show 0.L and the bar graph will extend all the way to the right. M (Ohms) will appear on the right side of the window. That’s lack of continuity. Now take a probe in each hand and Affordable$$Audio
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squeeze it with your fingers. You’ll see a reading, probably some decimal part of a megohm. Touch the two probes together and the widow will change to show some small value, probably 1 or 2 tenths of an Ohm. If you have that populated, NOT POWERED pc board, you can play with checking resistances across various sub-circuits. It will give you practice placing the probes where you want them to be; that becomes important when you are checking voltage in a poweredup circuit. Measuring Voltage and Current It’s easy to find a voltage source - you can use a wall outlet. Set the VOM’s selector knob to V-AC (sine wave symbol); plug the red lead into the volts/ohms jack. Insert a probe into each, ah, prong-hole of the wall outlet and the meter will display the voltage that’s there. What we really want to see though is DC volts and milli-amps. I thought about taking you directly to setting DC-offset and bias current in an amplifier here, but that makes me nervous. You really ought to get more practice with those probes; sticking one in the wrong place could mess up your amp. So, how about using a wall-wart? That’s what some folks call those little plastic-cased power supplies you plug directly into a wall outlet. You want one that outputs DC and is rated at not more than 300 mA. We need to cut the cord, but when you’re done it can be reattached and will work good-as-new. OK. With the wall-wart NOT plugged into the wall, cut the output cable 3 or 4 inches from it’s free end. Strip an inch of outer covering from the end of each piece; since this is a DC power supply, one of the wires revealed ought to be insulated in red. Strip a half-inch of insulation from each wire. Bend the wires that are connected to the wall-wart away from each other (to avoid shorting them together in the next step).
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Now we are ready to read DC voltage. Set your VOM to Volts DC. Place a wooden bench (or whatever is non-conductive and handy) near the wall outlet; rest the cable on it, and plug in the wall-wart. Touch the black lead of your VOM to the black wire and the red lead to the red wire. You should see a reading in volts. Now swap the leads; you should see the same reading, except that now there is a minus sign before it. You probably noticed that it isn’t all that easy to get and hold a good connection between probe and wire. Remember that, and you won’t accept faulty readings later. To read current, we need to connect one of the wires back to the plug, leaving the other wire disconnected. Unplug the wall-wart first. It doesn’t matter which color, just be sure it’s red to red or black to black. Twist the wires together tightly and wrap electrical tape around it. Bend the two unconnected wires away from each other. Now plug in the unit the wall-wart is meant to supply, and the wall-wart back into the wall. If the unit has an on-switch, turn it on. Set the selector knob on the VOM to Amps DC, and move the red lead to the milli-amps jack. Touch the probes to the wire ends. If you have a good connection you will see a reading in milli-amps. Note that what you are doing here is connecting the VOM is series with the load. When you’re done with this experiment, connect those two wires together, and wrap some electrical tape around the pair and the outside covering; good as new, right? Next time (if there is one), I’ll go over setting DC-offset and bias current.
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Totem Dreamcatcher Speakers By Mark Marcantonio Manufacturer: Totem Acoustics Saint-Leonard Quebec, Canada www.totemacoustic.com Type: Compact 2-way bookshelf speaker, rear ported Frequency Response: 57 Hz – 25kHz Impedence: 4 Ohm Power Handling: 100 watts max Crossover: 2.5 kHz 1st order Terminals: 4 way bi-wireable Woofer: 4in Long Throw Tweeter: 1in Titanium Dome Dimensions: w 5 x d 7 x h 11 ¼ New $430-470, Used pricing: $250-300
Discovering audio in the 1970’s meant that when it came to speakers, bigger was always better. Sure, one heard rumors of a mightymite speaker from Europe (Rogers LS3/5A) that was supposed to be amazing, but the opportunity to actually hear it was non-existent. The bigger the woofer, the better was almost the only thing anyone wanted to know. Well, as Bob Dylan sings, “The times, they are a changing”, smaller, faster drivers are now the rage, backed up by endless computer generated graphs. One of the best examples of room filling sound from just a pair of wine bottle-size boxes is the Totem Acoustic Dreamcatchers. I first heard the Dreamcatcher’s this past summer, but my attention at that time was on their big brother, the Rainmakers. Very recently, I noticed on the website for Portland, Oregon’s Echo Audio (www.echohifi.com) that 8!
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a used pair was available. A quick email to the owner, , and I was all set to pick them up for an in-home audition. When I arrived, I asked if they could be hooked up for a quick listen, just to make sure I wasn’t crazy. Although Totem says 100 watts max, the speakers were connected to a DK Audio Design VS.1 Reference MkII, 150w Integrated amplifier. Once the music began, I was startled by what was coming out of such a small pair of boxes. As a comparison, I had the salesman switch over to a quality brand bookshelf, the change was amazing, the Dreamcatchers just blew the bigger, more expensive bookshelf away. I just knew I had to get these little monsters home and see what they could do with both a simple Adcom GFA-535 amplifier (60 wpc) and when powered by a Harman Kardon AVR75 receiver (75 wpc). The pair I tested came in a wonderful burgundy mahogany veneer. The fit and finish was impeccable. Normally, I am not a fan of this finish, but in this case it works very well. On the back is the standard bi-wireable terminal setup. A small rear firing port sits opposite the tweeter. I tested the Dreamcatchers without the grills and found that dust, etc. weren’t attracted to the cones at all. I first set up the Dreamcatcher’s in my living room (21 x 12), on 24 inch metal stands, approximately 12 inches from the back wall and 30 inches from a side wall. Being Christmastime, I played a random selection of seasonal music while I went about setting up the yuletide tree. My first impression while moving about was how well they sounded off axis. There was only the slightest hint of being off Affordable$$Audio
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the sweet spot. Instrument placement could still be located even when standing way off to one side or another. I was particularly impressed by the how the Dreamcatcher’s handled creating the soundstage once the tree was placed between the speakers. For lack of a better description, the sound flowed around the obstacle like a stream around a boulder. My second session occurred in my family room, a 12 x 12 room. The speakers were placed on a low bookcase shelf (15 inches from the ground) on either side of the entertainment center. This time I used my HK AVR75 to power the Totems. I then popped in my demo cd. The first song is John Mellencamp’s “Justice and Independence” with its energetic drum solo. What I heard was amazing, the room became the stage! Musicians were all around me. The drums were right off my feet as I sat in my recliner. The bass was a bit more pronounced and deeper, but not tiresome (bass fatigue is a pet peeve of mine). The Dreamcatchers used the natural acoustics of the bookcase to accentuate the sound. The deliciously clear voice of Phoebe Snow in “Something Real” with her abrupt cut offs brought me forward in my chair. During Dire Straits “Making Movies”, the cymbal crashes shimmered even standing up, demonstrating once again the outstanding dispersion capability. Equally fun during that song was hearing the combination of bass guitar and bass drum thumping the room.
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speakers struggle to handle the deep intonations of Brad Roberts vocals. The Dreamcatchers performed flawlessly. Another test is the drum roll from one speaker to another while Dan Fogelberg’s voice stays front center in “Higher Ground”. Once again, the Dreamcatcher’s passed with flying colors. As a Fogelberg fan, I was also pleased how these gems didn’t exaggerate the sometimes raspy/ breathy nature of his voice. In the third & fourth listening sessions I finally detected a crack in the Dreamcatcher’s armor. The French horns from John Williams underrated score “Dances with Wolves” lacked a bit of their pronounced emphasis. This I caught wind of during the third session in the family room, and was more pronounced in the living room with its larger, non-bookcase setting. Interestingly enough, later in that same piece the trumpets come through strongly, as they should. This could be a case of a specific sound not being able to accurately reproduce due to cabinet size. Whatever the case may be, it is a minor, minor issue. Conclusion: Vince Bruzzese, has done audio a great service in creating a truly affordable speaker capable of quality, room filling sound, to those who desire very small footprints. If you are looking for a speaker can perform at audiophile level and truly fit on a normal bookcase, then the Totem Dreamcatcher should rank at the top of your list of speakers to audition.
A favorite musical test of mine for speakers is seeing how well they handle the deep bass vocal of Crash Test Dummies, in a live recording of “Superman’s Song”. Many bookshelf Affordable$$Audio !
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Outlaw Audio RR 2150 Stereo Receiver By Steve Eddy Outlaw Audio RR 2150 Receiver Price: $599 http://www.outlawaudio.com Specifications: Audio Section • Continuous Average Power: 100 watts per channel, 20 Hz - 20kHz,25dB General •Supply Voltage 120V, 60Hz only •Power Consumption: 5W Idle 400W maximum, both channels driven
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•Dimensions: (HxWxD) 5.75 x 17.1 x 15 in. Weight 27 lbs
Outlaw Audio’s “retro” receiver was nearly an idea whose time never came. Production was repeatedly delayed, to the point that it became an item of nearly mythological proportions. But, like so many other things in life, the 2150 has emerged as undisputed proof that good things are worth waiting for. Although it can be a fatal flaw for audiophile opinions to be skewed by a product’s looks, an exception has to be made for the 2150. With its sweeping metal face, large, blue digital readout and one-of-a-kind design, it is indeed striking. And it’s heavy – at 27 pounds, it presents a solid, noplastics fit and feel. Straight operation with FM, CD and the movingmagnet phono output as sources were tested here (the unit also has a moving-coil cartridge option). Although “retro” in appearance with a nod to the lovely Bakelite radios of the late 1930s and 1940s, the 2150 boast such 21st-century accoutrements as an MP3-player input and USB hookup, should the listener want to link it to a home computer. Instead of a conventional “loudness” control, the 2150 features a bass boost at selected frequencies. This will particularly appeal to lisAffordable$$Audio
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teners who have bookshelf-style speakers that can use a little extra “oomph.” Adding a sub? The receiver boasts a twochannel version of the “bass management” function found in hometheater receivers (you’ll need a sub whose built-in crossover can be bypassed to enjoy this feature.) As always, it’s the music that counts, and those coming from a mid-fi receiver will immediately notice a delicious transparency, particularly on string selections. In honor of the season, we pulled out Leroy Anderson’s venerable “Sleigh Ride” (Naxos). Our slender Polk towers threw an unusually wide soundstage with this recording, and it was nearly possible to denote each individual string instrument. The trumpets boasted plenty of bite, and the “whip” was holography suspended above and to the right of the left speaker. With renewed interest in recordings from the 1950s, we put the 2150 up against the formidable RCA "Living Stereo" re-release of Gershwin’s "Rhapsody in Blue" by Arthur Fiedler and the Boston Pops. Even without benefit of SACD reproduction, this classic exhibited a realistic front-to-back orchestral presentation and a heart-stopping dynamic range. The receiver packs an honest 100 watts of power, and never developed heat or seemed to strain.
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Stereo devotees are frequently vinyl fans as well, and the receiver’s phono stage tested quite well. Female vocals are always a good measure, and the Classic Records 200-gram pressing of Norah Jones’ “Come Away With Me” made the popular singer’s voice sound almost eerily lifelike, completely natural and uncolored. (The realism of the slide guitar on "Lonestar” and the solid punch of the bass on “I’ve Got To See You Again” are also worth noting.) More good points? The manual is unusually complete, and Outlaw customer service is deservedly legendary. Weaknesses? They are few and far between. With the remote, the volume control is imprecise, and radio-station presetting has a bit of a learning curve. But these are minor piffles. Outlaw has a major hit on its hands, and deservedly so. Without any sort of conventional marketing, the 2150 has already been out of stock twice since its introduction in November. It seems that interest in stereo is alive and well, particularly among those willing to look beyond the Denon’s and Sony’s of the world and latch onto a product as unique and noteworthy as this. Associated equipment: Polk Audio Monitor 70 speakers, Canare 4S11 cable, Panasonic RV-32 CD/DVD player, NAD 533 turntable, Rega Super Elys cartridge.
On the jazz side, pianist Jacques Loussier’s rendition of Ravel’s “Bolero” (Telarc) remains one of the finest jazz-trio recordings ever, particularly noteworthy for the reproduction of Benoit Dunoyer de Segonzac’s exquisite standup-bass lines. This is the kind of track that would sound good on the weakest of systems, but in the hands of the 2150, it is nothing short of hypnotic. Affordable$$Audio !
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Linn Keilidhs Compact Tower Speakers By Mark Marcantonio Type: 2 way loudspeaker with crossover at 2.8kHz Frequency response 50Hz - 20kHz +/-2dB, 1m on axis. Input impedance: 4 Ohms nominal Amplifier requirements: At least 60W per channel into 4 Ohms. For example, Linn LK140. Features: Internal adjustment of treble level. Wiring options: Single-wiring, Bi-Wiring, Biamplification, Active Bi-Amplification, Active TriAmplification. Size: 825mm (H) x 200mm (W) x 275mm (D) Weight 18kg each. Used pricing: $575-750 Nothing has diffused the decorator versus the audio fanatic debate as much as the change in speaker design. Until the early 1990’s tower speakers looked something akin the the monolith in 2001: A Space Oddessey. Thankfully, the “post” design came into favor, thus allowing for both music and plant stands to be combined into one. One of the best examples of this graceful design is the Linn Keilidhs. A slim, but exceptionally sturdy short tower. I was able to procure a pair from the fine folks at Echo HiFi in Portland, Oregon. The Linn Keilidhs can be found in either a black ash or medium cherry veneer. The pair that graced my living room was in a gorgeous cherry. No grills were present in the my model but Linn offers a unique solution to those that require such items. The front “face” has deep groves whereby a simple piece of fabric can be place with some type of elastic band. The drivers are recessed, allowing for a flat covering of the face. In this way, the grill becomes virtually transparent, eliminating sound deflections. The Keilidhs came with the side feet affixed. This bass gives an exceptionally sturdy stance to a fairly narrow mini-tower. One is warned to use caution with the spikes, as I managed to slightly impale my palm when placing them in my car for the ride home. The Keilidhs require some form of bi-wiring. For my own tests I used the simplist form, a jumper wire from one connection to another. My first little test is to see how they sound when using a long run of 14 gauge wire from my equipment in the family room. The Keilidhs definitely didn’t like the connection. The speakers sounded bland, 12!
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lacking life, especially in the deep end. The sound stage was severely compressed. they were not the same speaker I had heard in the showroom. Next, I brought into the living room my Adcom 535 amplifier, Harman Kardon cd player, and my 20 plus year old Monster Cable speaker wire. I have never heard speaker performance change so drastically. The sound stage opened wide, something akin to blackout curtains being removed from London windows on VE day. Most impressive was the appearance of a whole new low octive. Bass remained acceptably tight. In the shop, Kurt had described the Linn’s as “mellow”. He was quite right, but in my home a new description also became apparant, a warm chestiness during acoustic guitar music. While not unpleasant, it did color the music. In addition, the bass did begin to wear on my listening, causing a slight fatigue in my enjoyment. I don’t want to over emphasize this as I am quite sensitive to boomy bass. The mids are quite pleasant on the Keilidhs, very smooth with a hint of warmth. Brass instruments sound quite natural with a satisfying sense of sharpness. The french horns that sounded muffled with the Totem Dreamcatchers, were full and airy, giving off the impression of the openess of the great plains as it is shown in the movie Dances With Wolves. The highs sounded quite similar that of the Celestion SL6 models. Not bright or showy, just simply content. This may be why the Keilidhs weren’t on many Americans “must have” lists. I found them quite pleasant, especially with the low ceiling in the living room. I tried a variety of piano music to try and get the tweeters to show some sense of strain, alas, nothing fazed these speakers. I was determined to see if I could reduce the chestiness. For a final test. I took the Keilidhs out to the garage, setting them on some carpet and played my demo cd. The
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Dolly Parton issues disappeared, what was left was a wonderful musicality, with a sound stage of crisp instruments and just a hint of warmth. I pondered why the garage would be so special to bring out the best in these cherry beauties. Being a geography teacher the answer was only an image or two away. In Scotland, most flooring is hard surfaced (stone, concrete, hardwood) with area carpets. My home is typical North american with cut-pile carpeting above a pad and plywood, with a crawl space below. The Linns were using the natural acoustics to expand on their inherent characteristics.
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Had I still lived in Colorado, or on a hillside with a basement, the Linn’s would still be there. The Keilidhs are a rare speaker, European in consistency, but with a warmth and liveliness of the best of the new world. If your in the market for a small tower, that you can support with quality wiring and a hard surface underlayment, skip some of the more famous big box names and look for a used set of Keilidhs, you won’t regret the time spent with these friendly towers. Associated equipment: Harman Kardon PL-8450 CD Changer Harman Kardon AVR-75 (used as a preamp and receiver) Linn Keilidh compact tower speakers Infinity Kappa 200 speakers
www.echohifi.com
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Adcom 535 Power Amplifier
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Gone was the massive face with macho man handles. Understated elegance was the statement.
By Mark Marcantonio The first indication of what was lurking under the hood came when lifting it. The 535 was no microchip flyweight. Their is some serious quality transformers and heat sinks powering this unit. The weight is equally balanced on both sides.
60 watts per channel, 20Hz - 20kHz into an 8 ohm load with both channels driven with less than 0.09% Total Harmonic Distribution The ability to drive low impedance loads Instantaneous Distortion Alert which indicates when distortion products are above the 1% level
As is typical of power amplifiers, the front panel of the Adcom 535 has few buttons switches. Just a square power button with a red light on the left. Two instantaneous distortion alert lights (one for each channel) on the right, along with buttons for both A and B pairs of speakers. This, a nod of recognition that many buyers of the 535 were probably replacing a receiver operating more than one pair of speakers.
Outputs for 2 sets of speakers (A & B Channel) Two additional pass-thru AC outlets for additional rack components supporting 100 watts maximum Used pricing: approximately $150-200
Every so often a watershed product (or product line) comes along that shakes up the audio industry. In most cases the actual idea is pretty damn simple. In the mid-1980’s Adcom did just that. It came out with a slim-line, lower powered amplifier with the raw energy to kick the daylights out of some big name, big power competition. It was the wolf in sheep’s clothing.
The back panel is in the typical non-painted steel look, with black lettering. One set of RCA inputs along the right side. Then cam the one clunker in the entire design; the connections for the speakers are not the typical audiophile binding posts. But instead, the mass market insert and twist connection. Maybe it was another nod to the beginner for ease of connection, but this style of posts has significant problems: First, no larger than 14 gauge wire can be used without issues. Second, it eliminates the usage of spades, banana plugs, pins, etc.. This was changed in later models, but so was the “B” set of speakers.
Adcom was not the The real beauty of first with the slim-line this amplifier lies undesign. Harman der its black metal Kardon had the 700 hood. A low profile series amplifier a few version of many high years prior. But it power amplifiers. didn’t have the monWhat surprises many ster lurking under the first time lookers at hood. The Adcom the insides of amplifi535 was one piece in ers is how simple the a whole new line of design usually is. equipment bearing The weight comes what is now their sigfrom just four parts: two transformers and two heat nature look. A flat face plate with one to several hori- sinks. To show complete isolation the left and right zontal groves running from one edge to the other. channels are completely separate. The image to the 14!
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left shows the virtual mirror image of the two sides. This balanced approach with the massive heat sinks to either side allows for even cooling of the 535 during heavy load periods.
Jubilee with its wonderfully diverse instrumentation and dramatic sound taxes many amplifiers. The Adcom just kept pumping.
Listening: The Adcom’s big brother, the GFA 555 was well known for both it’s brute power and occasional harsh sound. I, myself owned that model in the late 1980’s and experienced it firsthand. I counter-balanced it with the tube pre-amp, the ConradJohnson PV7. Thankfully, the Adcom GFA-535 suffers not from that malady. Instead, it sounds more along the lines of Harman Kardon solid state pieces. A slightly warm sound. The piano music of George Winston, with its occasional sharp attacks hit and decay smoothly, something that I specifically NOT remember from its bigger sibling.
I also ran the Adcom into the Infinity Kappa 200. This Infinity Kappa series are well known to be difficult speakers to drive. My HK receiver never was able to handle the Kappa’s load. The Adcom once again using its brute strength of 100 wpc at 4 Ohms, made the Kappa’s flush. The effect of the sledge hammer!
This is not to say that the 535 is perfect, by comparison to similar models produced today it would be considered slightly noisy and a bit dry. That includes the Music Hall A25 and the Parasound NC 275 to name a few. Those two models exhibit a more liquid quality to their output. But then again their engineers have had 20 years to improve upon the Adcom design.
To wrap up, if your budget is strained but you want to improve upon the sound of your receiver, take a serious look at the Adcom GFA-535. Chances are pretty fair that your local used dealer has these come in and out of stock quite often. If that doesn’t work, then roll the dice with Audiogon or eBay. Just remember, most any used dealer will give you some type of warranty, plus trade up options. Associated equipment: Harman Kardon PL-8450 CD Changer Harman Kardon AVR-75 (used as a preamp) Linn Keilidh compact tower speakers Infinity Kappa 200 speakers
The best way to describe the power of the Adcom GFA-535 is comparing a simple hammer to a small sledge hammer. One can hear and feel the impact, and the item being driven pierces the resistive force. Where the 535 really shines is it’s ability to deliver difficult passages without compressing the sound. I specifically chose to run this amp with the Linn Keilidhs, not an easy speaker to drive with lower powered equipment. Using original Monster Speaker cable the 535 pushed the Linn’s to the max without causing the distortion lights to come on. Equally impressive was how cool the top of the unit stayed during the extended test. John Mellencamp’s Lonesome Affordable$$Audio !
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About Affordable$$Audio: Is a privately held venture, published via the Internet, the content is delivered free of charge to readers. Created using Apple Computer’s Pages software program and translated into .pdf document format. Writing Opportunities: If you have an interest in audio equipment, especially quality affordable or vintage gear, please contact the publisher for guidelines. Specific areas of interest being looked for are vintage wood-sided equipment and tube fanatics. Advertising: Retail shops dealing in both new and used audio equipment are highly encouraged to advertise as this e-zine was created specifically to support your business. For rates please contact the publisher at:
[email protected]. Affordable$$Audio: accepts no manufacturer advertising, however, if you would like your equipment reviewed please contact the publisher at:
[email protected].
Copyright Notice All articles are the property of Affordable$$Audio. Manufacturers need only to ask permission to reprint or post a link to the web page.
Staff Biographies: Mark Marcantonio- Editor, Owner, Publisher Is a school teacher in the Portland, Oregon metro area. Audio has been a fascination/budget drain since his early teenage years. Steve Eddy, 57, is a longtime journalist and jazz writer currently doing freelance writing. He lives in Southern California with his wife, Diana, and son, Brian. Bob LombardWas a field service technician/manual writer for a machine tool company. Now retired, tripping along through The Golden Years.
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