APRIL 2006
Canadian Hi Fi, the Wilson Duette, and Double-Blind Testing
raises its ugly head again.
Hi, again. The Canadian trip was long and tiring. The trip's main purpose was to
visit three of the colleges to which my daughter has applied. My secondary purpose
was to visit any Canadian audio stores that we happened upon.
As it turned out, I only got to visit one but it was a good one. Target Hi Fi is located
in downtown London, Ontario. It appears deceptively small, viewed from the
outside. (Photo) The interior is much larger than it looks and encompasses two
floors of which the upper has the high end listening rooms.
Bil Robinson was kind enough to give me a tour of the high-end rooms. I got a
chance to listen to their top two-channel system. It is comprised of Balanced Audio
Technology electronics driving Von Schweikert Audio speakers. I didn’t get an
opportunity to check exactly what equipment was in the system but I believe it
included the VK-D5 CD player, the preamp was the VK-31SE, and the amp was the
VK-600. The speakers appeared to be the Von Schweikert VR 4sr models.
Interconnects were Nordost.
It was a great sounding system and was a real pleasure to hear. I have the CD that
was playing: Dead Can Dance’s Into the Labyrinth. I want to listen to it again in my
own system before my aural memory is completely lost. I want to see how close my
main system gets to what I remember hearing.
I appreciate the time and hospitality shown me; I enjoyed my visit. You can get a
tour of their listening rooms and check on the used equipment for sale at www.
targethifi.com.
The only other audio stop I made was on the way home at Glen Poor Audio Video in
Champaign, Illinois. Jeff was nice enough to show me what was new since I last
stopped by in November.
I got a chance to listen to the new Wilson Duette, a two way speaker designed to sit
on a shelf. There is a certain irony in this as originally, bookshelf speakers were
made to actually sit on shelves. Over time they have gradually migrated out into the
listening room to play from stands. The Duette is made to sit on shelves, hang on
walls, fit into non-audio-room layouts, as well as play from stands, and still deliver
great sound.
I have to say I heard nothing wrong with the sound produced by the Duettes and yet
more BAT electronics. I had a chance to write down what I was listening to and the
Duette system consisted of a VK-D5 CD player, VK-31 preamp, and VK-250 amp.
Jeff characterized the Duette as being for the listener who wants the Sophia
speakers but lacks the space.
Space he may lack but he better not lack money. The Duettes retail for $11,000.
After a quick listen to the Duettes, I got to listen to some vinyl through the main
system at Glen Poor. It consists of a VPI turntable (TNT 6?) with a Benz Ruby
cartridge and, sorry to say, I don’t have any idea what tone arm. The BAT
electronics are the VK-P10SE phono stage, VK-42SE preamp, and VK-600 amp.
The speakers are Wilson Maxx Series 2s.
This system sounded absolutely wonderful, too. Hardly a surprise. What interested
me was that it was the first BAT system I have heard that was all solid state. There
was nothing in the sound, though, to give any clue as to the type of electronics in
use. Thanks to Glen Poor’s also for allowing me some listening time.
I was happy that I got at least a couple of quick audio fixes while covering 2,800
miles in eleven days.
A SHOCKING DISCOVERY
I signed up for The Perfect Vision a year ago because they made me a really great
offer for a year’s subscription and I felt I needed to actually learn something about
serious home theater, as opposed to what passes around here for home theater.
On page 61 of the March/April 2006 issue, there is an ad for the Revel Concerta
F12 loudspeakers. Frankly, these look like really nice speakers. At $1298 for a pair
of floor standers, they would be something I would seriously check out if I were
considering spending that sort of money.
What got me worked up about this ad, though, was this sentence: “Then the
speakers were subjected to the ultimate test—double-blind testing.” DOUBLE –
BLIND TESTING!!!!
Like Count Dracula, double-blind testing just won’t die but who expected an
expensive high-end speaker company to endorse it? There have been articles for
years explaining just why double-blind testing doesn’t work so why would Revel hold
it up as “the ultimate test?” What are these people thinking?
I figured the ad appeared in TPV since it was about home theater, not high-end
audio. But then…
On Page 53 of the April/May The Absolute Sound, there the ad is again. How could
anyone at TAS allow this ad to run? If someone asked me what the least
appropriate place for an ad endorsing double-blind testing would be, my first
response would be TAS. This bothers me and it also bothers me that the company
that owns TAS has just purchased Hi Fi Plus. I think TAS has gone downhill in the
last few years and I sure don’t want to see that happen to Hi Fi Plus as well.
Fortunately, the ad isn’t in the March or April Stereophiles but maybe it’s just a
matter of time.
OTHER BITS AND PIECES
I have been breaking in the Infinity Primus 360s and am pretty pleased with them so
far. The bass is actually fairly excessive on some CDs but I’ll take it (for now) since it
sure is nice to have some real bass in the living room. I hope to have them broken
in pretty well before putting the Eico back in the system.
I have found the resistors I need to rebias the Eico HF-81 and will be working on
Improving the Eico HF-81, Part 2 soon. I picked up some JJ Tesla EL-84s for the
Eico to replace the Sovteks and some tube dampers I ordered have arrived as well.
With the other tubes I’ve got, I think it will be interesting.
Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it and Happy Spring to the rest of us.
Kent Johnson
April 12, 2006
Canadian Hi Fi, the Wilson Duette, and Double-Blind Testing
raises its ugly head again.
Hi, again. The Canadian trip was long and tiring. The trip's main purpose was to
visit three of the colleges to which my daughter has applied. My secondary purpose
was to visit any Canadian audio stores that we happened upon.
As it turned out, I only got to visit one but it was a good one. Target Hi Fi is located
in downtown London, Ontario. It appears deceptively small, viewed from the
outside. (Photo) The interior is much larger than it looks and encompasses two
floors of which the upper has the high end listening rooms.
Bil Robinson was kind enough to give me a tour of the high-end rooms. I got a
chance to listen to their top two-channel system. It is comprised of Balanced Audio
Technology electronics driving Von Schweikert Audio speakers. I didn’t get an
opportunity to check exactly what equipment was in the system but I believe it
included the VK-D5 CD player, the preamp was the VK-31SE, and the amp was the
VK-600. The speakers appeared to be the Von Schweikert VR 4sr models.
Interconnects were Nordost.
It was a great sounding system and was a real pleasure to hear. I have the CD that
was playing: Dead Can Dance’s Into the Labyrinth. I want to listen to it again in my
own system before my aural memory is completely lost. I want to see how close my
main system gets to what I remember hearing.
I appreciate the time and hospitality shown me; I enjoyed my visit. You can get a
tour of their listening rooms and check on the used equipment for sale at www.
targethifi.com.
The only other audio stop I made was on the way home at Glen Poor Audio Video in
Champaign, Illinois. Jeff was nice enough to show me what was new since I last
stopped by in November.
I got a chance to listen to the new Wilson Duette, a two way speaker designed to sit
on a shelf. There is a certain irony in this as originally, bookshelf speakers were
made to actually sit on shelves. Over time they have gradually migrated out into the
listening room to play from stands. The Duette is made to sit on shelves, hang on
walls, fit into non-audio-room layouts, as well as play from stands, and still deliver
great sound.
I have to say I heard nothing wrong with the sound produced by the Duettes and yet
more BAT electronics. I had a chance to write down what I was listening to and the
Duette system consisted of a VK-D5 CD player, VK-31 preamp, and VK-250 amp.
Jeff characterized the Duette as being for the listener who wants the Sophia
speakers but lacks the space.
Space he may lack but he better not lack money. The Duettes retail for $11,000.
After a quick listen to the Duettes, I got to listen to some vinyl through the main
system at Glen Poor. It consists of a VPI turntable (TNT 6?) with a Benz Ruby
cartridge and, sorry to say, I don’t have any idea what tone arm. The BAT
electronics are the VK-P10SE phono stage, VK-42SE preamp, and VK-600 amp.
The speakers are Wilson Maxx Series 2s.
This system sounded absolutely wonderful, too. Hardly a surprise. What interested
me was that it was the first BAT system I have heard that was all solid state. There
was nothing in the sound, though, to give any clue as to the type of electronics in
use. Thanks to Glen Poor’s also for allowing me some listening time.
I was happy that I got at least a couple of quick audio fixes while covering 2,800
miles in eleven days.
A SHOCKING DISCOVERY
I signed up for The Perfect Vision a year ago because they made me a really great
offer for a year’s subscription and I felt I needed to actually learn something about
serious home theater, as opposed to what passes around here for home theater.
On page 61 of the March/April 2006 issue, there is an ad for the Revel Concerta
F12 loudspeakers. Frankly, these look like really nice speakers. At $1298 for a pair
of floor standers, they would be something I would seriously check out if I were
considering spending that sort of money.
What got me worked up about this ad, though, was this sentence: “Then the
speakers were subjected to the ultimate test—double-blind testing.” DOUBLE –
BLIND TESTING!!!!
Like Count Dracula, double-blind testing just won’t die but who expected an
expensive high-end speaker company to endorse it? There have been articles for
years explaining just why double-blind testing doesn’t work so why would Revel hold
it up as “the ultimate test?” What are these people thinking?
I figured the ad appeared in TPV since it was about home theater, not high-end
audio. But then…
On Page 53 of the April/May The Absolute Sound, there the ad is again. How could
anyone at TAS allow this ad to run? If someone asked me what the least
appropriate place for an ad endorsing double-blind testing would be, my first
response would be TAS. This bothers me and it also bothers me that the company
that owns TAS has just purchased Hi Fi Plus. I think TAS has gone downhill in the
last few years and I sure don’t want to see that happen to Hi Fi Plus as well.
Fortunately, the ad isn’t in the March or April Stereophiles but maybe it’s just a
matter of time.
OTHER BITS AND PIECES
I have been breaking in the Infinity Primus 360s and am pretty pleased with them so
far. The bass is actually fairly excessive on some CDs but I’ll take it (for now) since it
sure is nice to have some real bass in the living room. I hope to have them broken
in pretty well before putting the Eico back in the system.
I have found the resistors I need to rebias the Eico HF-81 and will be working on
Improving the Eico HF-81, Part 2 soon. I picked up some JJ Tesla EL-84s for the
Eico to replace the Sovteks and some tube dampers I ordered have arrived as well.
With the other tubes I’ve got, I think it will be interesting.
Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates it and Happy Spring to the rest of us.
Kent Johnson
April 12, 2006
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