The Absolute Sound

Email the Editor: rharley@nextscreen.com or: TAS, 2211 Denton Dr., Ste. J, Austin, Texas 78758 Paul Seydor and the Thorens TD 124 DD As a fellow audio journalist, I always appreciate Paul Seydor's thoughtful and often thought-provoking reviews. His article in Issue 337 about the revival of a turntable masterpiece (or rather Meisterstuck), the Thorens TD124 DD, is an outstanding example of not only how to describe this component's structure and functions, but he also takes the time to walk readers through a Mahler symphony and how the TD124 DD allows listeners to experience the quintessence of a great recording. I once owned an original TD124 and enjoyed having friends over to my college dorm room to listen to it play classical records through my Dynaco tube electronics and AR-3 speakers. When I…

This issue marks 50 years since Harry Pearson published the first issue of The Absolute Sound and sparked a revolution in audio and music reproduction. Harry couldn't have known in 1973 that the audio industry was on the cusp of a once-in-a-generation transformation, let alone that the magazine he created would be a driving force behind that transformation. That first issue—more a stapled booklet than a magazine—laid the foundation for what The Absolute Sound would very quickly become—a cultural touchstone for an entire generation of music enthusiasts. It is impossible to overstate TAS' influence on the rise and trajectory of high-quality audio beginning in the early 1970s. TAS was the place where dreams were created and sometimes realized, where worthy manufacturers rose from garage operation to establishment players, where a…

SOTA's QUASAR TURNTABLE features a three-phase synchronous motor that is controlled by the company's Condor power supply to realize precise speed control. The system sports the Ultimate 3-phase, brushless, AC synchronous, low-vibration motor driven by the Ultimate Condor digital power source with crystalcontrolled motor-speed precision in 33-1/3, 45, and 78rpm operation. The new 2.25”-thick American walnut wood plinth reportedly improves the turntable's bass extension. The 1.5” clear acrylic platter features a hand-lapped steel shaft in a brass bearing cup. The standard tonearm is the well-regarded Rega RB330, but the Quasar mount also accommodates SME, Rega, and other tonearms. Included are 360 brass-spike feet with pads for improved imaging and sonics. Optional is the RoadRunner tachometer with built-in accumulated-time counter and direct connection to the Condor's power supply for automatic fine-adjustment…

MOFI SOURCEPOINT 8 offers the same exceptional sound quality as its larger sibling, the SourcePoint 10, but in a more compact package. Created by Chief Speaker Designer Andrew Jones, the SourcePoint 8 sports a custom-made eight-inch concentric driver and MoFi's innovative Twin-Drive high-flux magnet structure. The paper-pulp cone-shape with its new corrugated surround is optimized for resonant behavior and tweeter waveguide requirements. The 1.25” soft-dome tweeter with large-diameter voice coil and wide surround extends both the low- and high-frequency response of the tweeter. Combined with the loading of the waveguide, which increases its low-end efficiency, the tweeter is able to work optimally down to the low 1.6kHz crossover frequency. The SourcePoint 8's cabinet is made of ¾”-thick MDF panels for the sides, top, bottom, and back and boasts a sculpted,…

LIKE ITS HIGHLY regarded predecessors, Nordost's QBASE Mark III is a passive distribution block that addresses the noiseinducing conflicting flows of signal and ground paths by using a unique method called “star-earth topology.” The significant upgrades made in the QBASE Mark III will amplify the benefits it brings to any hi-fi system. Mark III upgrades include: Newly designed, dual PC-board configuration; increased separation of all ground connections from the line and neutral traces; minimized interference/crosstalk between live/neutral and ground currents; and a revised resistance “sink” to add protection and effectively damp eddy currents. Additionally, the construction and trace geometry of each PC board has been optimized to include enhanced trace sizes, further maximizing current flow and crosstalk, and each QBASE Mark III is internally wired with Nordost Mono-Filament wire. Price:…

If you're looking for more great high-end audio content, check out The Absolute Sound's new YouTube video channel. Our channel is chock-full of videos (more than 125 and counting) that cover everything from a nostalgic look at classic audio products to reviews of the latest components. We've got behind-the-scenes factory tours, show reports, audio-basics tutorials, and designer interviews. We've also got product reviews, primarily of lower to midpriced components. New videos on our channel include an extended tour (in 4k video) of Michael Fremer's listening room; full coverage of the AXPONA show by Tom Martin and our newest contributor, Cynthia Blankenship (The Audio Belle); a look at the first public demonstration in 40 years of the legendary Plasmatronics plasma tweeter; Michael Fremer record shopping at Utah's Randy's Records, a review of…