Beginning at the end of 2003, PF established its first annual awards for fine audio. The Brutus Award was established for the best that David Robinson and Dave Clark (and Carol Clark) had heard in their own listening rooms during that year. You can think of it as our equivalent of an "Editors' Choice" award.
The Gizmo Award, on the other hand, was established in memory of our very good audio friend, Harvey "Gizmo" Rosenberg, and is given by David Robinson to the most conspicuous audiomaniac(s) of the year. Only one Gizmo is given per year.
The following is an opportunity for our editors and writers to recognize superior merit in the audio arts though their "Writers' Choice Awards." Our writers and reviewers have been given broad leeway to cite excellence in fine audio wherever they find it: products, people, recordings, events, groups, etc., so that our readers can be better informed.
It is our hope that you will find the PF Writers' Choice Awards to be helpful to you in your audio journey.
All the best,
Positive Feedback
John Acton
Audio Physic Avanti Loudspeaker $8500
Meticulously hand-crafted in Germany, the Avanti floorstanding loudspeaker incorporates Audio Physic's most advanced technologies in a compact, easy-to-place package. Aside from its surprising bass reach and power, the Avanti excels at tonal accuracy, soundstaging pyrotechnics, and dynamic scale. Involving and musical, the Avanti disappears into the soundscape, cleaving away sonic artifice, and leaving behind just the performance.
Read more HERE
Luxman L-507uXII Integrated Amplifier $6495
Possessed of tank-like build quality, the Luxman L-507uXII integrated amplifier eschews the current minimalist trend in amplifier design for a full feature set more typical of models introduced in decades past. Accommodating of a myriad of sources, including both moving-coil and moving-magnet phono, the L-507uXII provides tone controls, switching for multiple pairs of speakers, and VU meters. The Luxman's robust feature set does not detract from its performance, which is powerful, smooth and transparent, with superior detail retrieval tempered by a hint of midrange warmth. An amplifier for those who refuse to sacrifice sound quality for convenience, the L-507uXII deserves to find many admirers.
Read more HERE
Marantz SA-10 SACD Player / DAC $6999
Not formally reviewed for Positive Feedback, the Marantz SA-10 SACD player is a tour-de-force when both cutting-edge technologies and sonics are considered. A DAC possessed of multiple inputs supporting PCM and DXD files at resolutions up to 384kHz/32-bit, as well as DSD files up to 11.2MHz, the SA-10 also features a proprietary Marantz-built disc transport that plays conventional CDs, SACDs, and high-resolution files stored on DVD-ROM discs. The SA-10 does not possess a DAC chipset in a conventional sense, instead upsampling PCM data to quad-DSD (11.2MHz) and passing as a high-frequency signal directly to the output stage via a gentle low-pass filter. The sonic results are spectacular. Resolving and transparent, the SA-10 reveals astonishing levels of detail and texture. Soundstaging is extraordinarily three-dimensional and populated with images that are rock-solid and possessed of tremendous presence. The SA-10 is marvelous with SACD, DSD and high-resolution PCM formats, but where it really shines is with its reproduction of Redbook CDs—by upconverting PCM data to quad-DSD, CDs sound remarkably close to SACD quality. The Marantz SA-10 is the finest digital playback system I've experienced.
Myles Astor
Skogrand Beethoven interconnects and speaker cables $22K for 2-meter length
Interconnects and speaker cables should be seen and not heard; few wires meet this ideal better than a loom of Knut Skogrand's Beethoven series line. Like the best speaker setup, these pure copper, air dielectric conductor design cables simply vanish into the background and let the music flow course them. His Beethoven cables possess a vanishingly low noise floor from the top to the bottom of the musical spectrum that allows for incredible resolution, delicacy and purity. Yes, the Beethovens are on the stiff side but that's a small price to pay for this level of performance. The Skogrands are along with Transparent Audio's Ref. XL Gen. 5 cables one of current go to reference cables.
Read more HERE
Fuuga moving coil cartridge $8975
There's just something about the Fuuga's balance that warms my heart. More importantly the Fuuga displays—whether mounted in VPI's new 3D 12-inch Fatboy tonearm or Swedish Analog Technologies (SAT) new 12-inch LM-12 tonearm—a consistent, sonic character. A lack of artificiality. An unfettered sense of dynamics. A massive soundstage. A lack of transient smearing. A simply outstanding midrange that brings vocalists to life. The Fuuga's spooky, tactile feel when mounted in the SAT arm (review forthcoming) really brings instruments to life. No cardboard cutouts need apply here.
Read more HERE
Van den Hul Colibri XGW Signature Stradivarius moving coil cartridge $11,975
The latest Colibri XGW Signature Stradivarius is one of renowned cartridge designer A.J. van den Hul's best efforts (the new Colibri XGW Master Signature is in house too awaiting mounting). This version of the Colibri takes a back seat to no other cartridge when it comes to low level resolution, recreating the recording's the sense of space and floating instrumental overtones. Dynamics are reminiscent of reel-to-reel tape. Most of all, this cartridge continues to show we haven't come close to recovering everything carved into those LP grooves.
Read more HERE
VPI 3D 12-Inch Fatboy Dual Pivot tonearm $4000
Some audiophiles will after hearing the latest iteration of VPI's 3D printed arm undoubtedly question the necessity to spend more money on a tonearm. The new 3D Fatboy tonearm is a significant improvement—both structurally and sonically—over VPI's original printed tonearm. Mounting some cartridges in the dual pivot can be a trying and somewhat tricky task. The Fatboy arm's sonic signature is defined by its exceptionally neutral sound allowing the character of each mounted cartridge to develop and emerge. The tonearm's biggest area of improvement, however, lies in the new arm with a more fleshed out midrange. Add to that the arm's great resolution, soundstaging/imaging and bass dynamics and we have a winner.
Review coming
Software
LP Soundtrack from the movie One From The Heart, Tom Waits and Crystal Gayle, Bones Howard and Biff Dawes (recording engineers), Recorded October 1980 to August, 1981 at Wally Heider Recording, Hollywood, CA, Mobile Fidelity MFSL 1-448 $34.99.
Give yourself (or an audio buddy) a gift this Holiday season with this sensational Mobile Fidelity reissue.
Unlike some of my audio buddies, I was never a great Tom Waits fan (who also wrote the score for this soundtrack) but the combination of his baritone and Crystal Gayle's pure tenor voice really makes for four very special duets on this collection of romantic ballads. Many will immediately fall in love with the opening duet "Once Upon a Time" with its dropping coins; my heart, however, lies with their second duet "Picking up After You" starring Jack Sheldon, one of the originators of the West Coast jazz sound who played with Shelly Manne, Curtis Counce, and Gerry Mulligan, displaying his special style on trumpet. The sound production is top notch with a huge soundstage and sound. Waits and Gayle, or either separately, are in the room in front of the listener. Onc From The Heart definitely merits a 45-rpm reissue, perhaps even strong consideration for a one-step Ultra-Disc treatment.
15-ips reel-to-reel Tape (new) of Nostos, Tes Mousikes (The Homecoming of Music), Cal. State Fullerton Singers, Robert Istad (music director), Yarlung Records $500 (three reels)
Undertaking a choral recording is no easy task. For instance, the hall's acoustics can make or break the recording not to mention having to carefully balance the direct vs. reflected sound. With that in mind Bob Attiyeh (of Yarlung Records) set out to find just the right venue to record Nostos, and in the end chose the recently finished Valley Performing Arts Center at Cal. State Northridge. (Nostos was also the premiere recording at this new hall.)
Fans of the old Decca/Argo choral recording will love this new Yarlung recording. Nostos features the likes of Howell's Requiem, Brahms' Schaffe in mir, Gott, ein rein Herz (Psalm 51), Martynov's Zapovedi blazhenstv (The Beautitudes), Part's Nunc dimittis and Eriks Esenvalds' arrangement of Amazing Grace. No one will be disappointed with the solos on Howell's Requiem nor the Martynov's piece. Nostos is also sonic blockbuster with a sense of space even exceeding those old Argo recordings. Those into digital can also download Nostos in Quad DSD (or other resolutions). Price: $500/3 reels.
Review coming
15-ips reel-to-reel Tape (reissue) of Muddy Waters' Folk Singer $450 (two reels)
Acoustics Sounds shows there's plenty of life left in this classic 1963 recording (plus an extra track from a 1964 Muddy Waters session). The 15-ips tape release's unrestrained dynamics, sense of studio and instrumental presence easily bests even Acoustic Sounds recent 45-pm reissue. Just until you hear Buddy Guy like never before on guitar! Run, don't walk and order this tape.
Read more HERE
Tim Aucremann
One of the things I like best about writing for Positive Feedback is the opportunity to review quality audio equipment that interests me, suits my system and that I believe will be of interest to you. One of my goals is to provide you with comprehensive information about the product under review; that includes details you may not find in other reviews or on the manufacturer's Web site. Another goal is to describe to the best of my ability what I hear when using the product in my system, while comparing or contrasting the product to similar or predecessor products when available.
Wilson Audio Specialties Alexia Series 2 Loudspeakers $57,900/pair
Any new speaker from Wilson Audio is a high-end event that merits consideration from our community. With a heritage derived from the well-awarded original Alexia loudspeakers and taking advancements from Wilson's new WAMM and Alexx models, the Alexia Series 2 breaks new ground for coherence, temporal accuracy, dynamic prowess, and clarity, not only within the Wilson lineup but for the broader realm of mid-size speakers in general.
With significant advances in cabinet construction, room-specific driver alignment and crossover design, the Alexia Series 2 delivers tight linear bass and mid-bass better integrated with mids and highs. From soloists to large scale orchestral gatherings, the new Alexia yields point-source sonic precision with accurate wave form preservation. This means capturing subtle dynamic shifts, keener articulation of attack and decay, tonal nuances, and greater overall venue context with an uncanny sense of presence and ambiance. Any aspect of a musical performance related to timing —which is pretty much most of it—gains considerable improvement. I was most impressed with the ability of the Series 2 to bring considerable clarity to individual instrumental lines with immediacy and vitality.
Read more HERE
Silent Running Audio Virginia-Classαε Reference isoBASE (price varies)
SRA's Virginia-Class Referenceαε is the most effective component isolation and vibration abatement product I've experienced. If you've put your gear on fancy footers, it is hard to grasp the full degree of vibration's distortive impact until you hear something better. Used with my Lamm M1.2 amplifiers these platforms allow the amps to offer the best of themselves, true to their designer's intent.
These SRA platforms are designed for the component that will sit upon them, targeting the amps specific resonance-frequency potential. They are hand-made using materials and techniques developed in house by Silent Running Audio and backed by that company's commercial expertise in clinical, military and industrial vibration isolation applications.
Themselves colorless, seemingly offering no sonic signature of their own, the V-Class platforms enabled focus with lucidity—a greater sense of clarity with improved transparency. My system delivered a more realistic performance envelope, with improved ambience, dimensionality, and presence on large in-hall orchestral performances. I heard more detail with a greater depth of refinement and articulation than I'd known previously from my amps. Though I'm usually circumspect with recommendations, the Virginia-Class Referenceαε is at the head of their class.
Pricing is partly a function of size; Virginia-Class Referenceαε platforms start at $4500; the pair built for the Lamm M1.2 monoblocks are $5082 each. Entry level SRA platforms start at $800. All V-Class platforms come with a lifetime warranty to the original owner. If you change out components, SRA will recalibrate the V-Class performance for a different component as long as the platform dimensions remain the same.
Read more HERE
