Stereophile June 2016

THIS ISSUE: Sad to say, not all reviewers are as impartial as they should be. Note: All dialogue quoted verbatim from e-mail exchanges to which I am privy; the stage directions are imaginary. Dramatis Personæ: BILL, director of marketing for PS Audio RANDY,1 amateur reviewer for a commercial audiophile website DICK, 2 professional reviewer for an established audio magazine (not Stereophile SCENE ONE The stage is completely darkened, save for a small pool of light L. and another R. At L. we see RANDY in his office, sitting with his feet up on his desk. Other than a computer and a telephone, his desk is barren. At R. is BILL, sitting in his office. On BILL’s desk are an “I love Colorado” coffee mug, a half-eaten croissant, several piles of paperwork— one of which mostly…

TAKE HEED! Unless marked otherwise, all letters to the magazine and its writers are assumed to be for possible publication. In the spirit of vigorous debate implied by the First Amendment, and unless we are requested not to, we publish correspondents’ e-mail addresses. R.I.P. Roy Allison Editor: I am writing to let you know that Roy Allison passed away at the beginning of March. Roy was very big in the audiophile community, with his legendary work with Edgar Villchur at AR, and then with his own line of loudspeakers. I was also surprised to learn 30 years ago, when I married my wife, that Roy was her uncle. His younger brother is my wife’s father. I always liked to brag to my audiophile friends that I was related to Roy Allison (even though…

SUBMISSIONS: Those promoting audio-related seminars, shows, and meetings should e-mail the when, where, and who to JAtkinson@enthusiastnetwork.com at least eight weeks before the month of the event. The deadline for the August 2016 issue is May 20, 2016. US: NEW YORK John Atkinson With this issue, we welcome to our staff Jana Dagdagan. Jana has joined us as The Enthusiast Network’s Hi-Tech Group Editorial Assistant after some time spent working in audio retailing, video blogging, and performing music. She will be working on all of TEN’s Hi-Tech properties—Stereophile, AnalogPlanet.com, AudioStream.com, InnerFidelity.com, Sound&Vision, and Shutterbug—and will be based in our New York office. I asked Jana to write a few words describing what she brings to us: “I am 23, Filipino-Chinese, and am originally from Honolulu, Hawaii. Music has been a part of my life…

ATTENTION ALL AUDIO SOCIETIES: We have a page on the Stereophile website dedicated solely to you: www.stereophile.com/audiophilesocieties. If you’d like to have your audio-society information posted on the site, e-mail Chris Vogel at info@XLinkAudio.com. Please note that it is inappropriate for a retailer to promote a new product line in “Calendar” unless this is associated with a seminar or similar event. Arizona ❚Wednesday, June 29, 7–9pm: the Arizona Audio Video Clubis having a PS Audio night, during which we will sample the soon-to-be-released BHK Signature preamp, coupled with the well-reviewed BHK Signature stereo amplifier. The highly regarded line of Bascom H. King (BHK) amplifiers demonstrate Paul McGowan’s commitment to providing marketleading electronics at prices many people can afford. Come join us at Trinity Lutheran Church, 9424 N. Seventh Street, Phoenix 85021. For additional…

THIS ISSUE: Two phono cartridges and a remanufactured direct-drive turntable pass through Mikey’s listening room. The review gear piles up, and it’s time for a late spring cleaning—not that any dust has gathered on the uniformly excellent products covered in this column. I’ll start with two very different phono cartridges. IKEDA SOUND LABS 9MONO MOVING-COIL CARTRIDGE: $4400 The Ikeda Sound Labs 9mono cartridge ($4400) is a dedicated mono design intended to integrate well into a modern stereo system. Within its curved body, made of solid aluminum alloy, is a low-output (0.22mV) moving-coil motor with a very low internal impedance (2.0 ohms). Generally, both specs mean fewer coil windings and low moving mass. And lower mass usually means fast response and excellent detail retrieval. The 9mono’s specified vertical tracking force (VTF) is 1.8gm, ±0.2gm. Its…

THIS ISSUE: Auditions of the Tavish Audio Adagio phono preamp and a disappointing LP reissue. Though Westchester County, New York, seems a likelier locale for Bikram yoga studios, pet psychologists, and pricey restaurants specializing in “grain bowls” and fermented vegetables, the idea of manufacturing audio gear there is not without precedent. Cartridge manufacturer Micro-Acoustics (Elmsford, NY) thrived there for over two decades. George Kaye and Harvey Rosenberg’s New York Audio Laboratories (Croton-on-Hudson, NY) assembled Moscode amplifiers there. Even the notorious loudspeaker manufacturer Fourier Systems (Yonkers, NY and Cocytus, Hell) got their start in the county that Hillary Clinton calls home, as needed. Tavish Design (Amawalk, NY) is one of the newer names on that lofty list. Founded by engineer Scott Reynolds, Tavish offers three phono preamplifier models and a 140Wpc integrated amplifier.…