NOVEMBER 2005
“See, that’s the way it is now. They don’t ask you if you’ll do it.
They just ask you if you can remember it.”
-Jackson Browne
(Song introduction on Solo Acoustic Vol. 1)
It’s November and at our house the atmosphere is tense. College
applications need to be filled out and essays written. Financial aid forms
make the IRS’ demands seem trivial. What seemed at one time an
incomprehensively far-off timeframe has moved in and taken everyone
hostage. There isn’t much I can do help the process except proofread and
offer the sort of lame advice an out-of-touch parent is gifted with. Another
reason to look forward to Christmas.
I am happy to announce that Californian Scott Walker will be contributing
articles to the web site starting this month. Scott’s interests in tubes,
tweaking, and inexpensive improvements parallel my own, which is nice. I
expect, though, that there will be enough areas of divergence to make
things interesting. I’m looking forward to reading what he has to say.
I have finished the review of the Sovtek 6L6 WXT+ tubes and I loved them.
More details are in the review itself.
I used my spare pair of Eichmann RCA plugs to reterminate the
interconnects between the Dahlquist crossover and the Hafler bass amp at
the amp end. There was no obvious change in the sound as a result but
the Eichmann plugs do fit the input jacks vastly better. I expect that there
may be some improvement but sorting it out is just too much work.
I have been doing some looking around the Internet at used CD players. I
recently burned some CDRs for the car and tested them in the Denon DCD
3300 that is my system transport. The Denon didn’t read any of them.
Then, two days later, it read them fine and has since. It got me wondering,
though, if a prudent person shouldn’t be doing some looking around for a
replacement for it, just in case. This in turn got me thinking about how
every October for many years, even after I stopped reading it, I would
always pick up the October Audio for its Annual Equipment Directory. This
would be the perfect resource for a short-list of potential replacement CD
transports. Unfortunately, no equipment guide has been published since
1999.
Many years ago, I’m ashamed to admit, I used to buy all sorts of stereo
equipment directories and peruse them for that receiver (you read that
correctly) that would be the perfect combination of lowest price, highest
power, and lowest rated distortion. I was a total objectivist then but
through ignorance, I hasten to add, not intention. I truly wanted the best
sound and I was sure the best specifications would deliver it. Happily, I
have gotten beyond that.
Having a collection of October Audio back issues, though, is still extremely
useful for someone whose purchases are mainly in the used market. The
listings in these magazines not only told me what had been offered by
manufacturers at the time, covering equipment that never got reviewed, but
provided information that years later is extremely useful. It’s much easier
to evaluate an offering price on something used when you know how much
it cost new, what features it had, how old it is, even what it weighs when
considering shipping. I miss having that new issue every October. I still
have all the issues from the 1990s but much of the equipment listed is now
older than even I want. I did buy the Stereophile Equipment Directory last
year but it is not nearly as comprehensive as the old Audio was. I’m glad to
have it, though. Maybe it will get more comprehensive with time.
If you are reading this, thank you. Let me know what you think. Have a
great Thanksgiving.
Best, Kent Johnson
November 1, 2005
UPDATE! I have purchased a used Sony SCD-C333ES CD/SACD player to
replace the Denon as a transport. During the course of my searching, I
came across several of these units on Audiogon and then reread the review
in the April 2001 Stereophile. It’s exactly what I was looking for. It’s
reasonably new, about 4 years old, sold for $1200 new, but has depreciated
to where I paid just over a quarter of that amount. It is stereo, not multi-
channel, and isn’t a DVD player. (A lot of the annoyance with using the
Philips DVD 963SA as a transport and SACD player stems, I believe, from
its also being a DVD player.) The Sony is also substantial, 23 pounds, and
got a very good review—Stereophile Class A in October 2001. I am looking
forward to reporting on what, if any, changes it brings to the system.
Kent Johnson
November 4, 2005
“See, that’s the way it is now. They don’t ask you if you’ll do it.
They just ask you if you can remember it.”
-Jackson Browne
(Song introduction on Solo Acoustic Vol. 1)
It’s November and at our house the atmosphere is tense. College
applications need to be filled out and essays written. Financial aid forms
make the IRS’ demands seem trivial. What seemed at one time an
incomprehensively far-off timeframe has moved in and taken everyone
hostage. There isn’t much I can do help the process except proofread and
offer the sort of lame advice an out-of-touch parent is gifted with. Another
reason to look forward to Christmas.
I am happy to announce that Californian Scott Walker will be contributing
articles to the web site starting this month. Scott’s interests in tubes,
tweaking, and inexpensive improvements parallel my own, which is nice. I
expect, though, that there will be enough areas of divergence to make
things interesting. I’m looking forward to reading what he has to say.
I have finished the review of the Sovtek 6L6 WXT+ tubes and I loved them.
More details are in the review itself.
I used my spare pair of Eichmann RCA plugs to reterminate the
interconnects between the Dahlquist crossover and the Hafler bass amp at
the amp end. There was no obvious change in the sound as a result but
the Eichmann plugs do fit the input jacks vastly better. I expect that there
may be some improvement but sorting it out is just too much work.
I have been doing some looking around the Internet at used CD players. I
recently burned some CDRs for the car and tested them in the Denon DCD
3300 that is my system transport. The Denon didn’t read any of them.
Then, two days later, it read them fine and has since. It got me wondering,
though, if a prudent person shouldn’t be doing some looking around for a
replacement for it, just in case. This in turn got me thinking about how
every October for many years, even after I stopped reading it, I would
always pick up the October Audio for its Annual Equipment Directory. This
would be the perfect resource for a short-list of potential replacement CD
transports. Unfortunately, no equipment guide has been published since
1999.
Many years ago, I’m ashamed to admit, I used to buy all sorts of stereo
equipment directories and peruse them for that receiver (you read that
correctly) that would be the perfect combination of lowest price, highest
power, and lowest rated distortion. I was a total objectivist then but
through ignorance, I hasten to add, not intention. I truly wanted the best
sound and I was sure the best specifications would deliver it. Happily, I
have gotten beyond that.
Having a collection of October Audio back issues, though, is still extremely
useful for someone whose purchases are mainly in the used market. The
listings in these magazines not only told me what had been offered by
manufacturers at the time, covering equipment that never got reviewed, but
provided information that years later is extremely useful. It’s much easier
to evaluate an offering price on something used when you know how much
it cost new, what features it had, how old it is, even what it weighs when
considering shipping. I miss having that new issue every October. I still
have all the issues from the 1990s but much of the equipment listed is now
older than even I want. I did buy the Stereophile Equipment Directory last
year but it is not nearly as comprehensive as the old Audio was. I’m glad to
have it, though. Maybe it will get more comprehensive with time.
If you are reading this, thank you. Let me know what you think. Have a
great Thanksgiving.
Best, Kent Johnson
November 1, 2005
UPDATE! I have purchased a used Sony SCD-C333ES CD/SACD player to
replace the Denon as a transport. During the course of my searching, I
came across several of these units on Audiogon and then reread the review
in the April 2001 Stereophile. It’s exactly what I was looking for. It’s
reasonably new, about 4 years old, sold for $1200 new, but has depreciated
to where I paid just over a quarter of that amount. It is stereo, not multi-
channel, and isn’t a DVD player. (A lot of the annoyance with using the
Philips DVD 963SA as a transport and SACD player stems, I believe, from
its also being a DVD player.) The Sony is also substantial, 23 pounds, and
got a very good review—Stereophile Class A in October 2001. I am looking
forward to reporting on what, if any, changes it brings to the system.
Kent Johnson
November 4, 2005
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