5196105913

/• .# t

•

¹ ll iii •••»» *•

MM

Peter E. Sutheim: Proprietorofa "private audio practiceand audio/ musie radio-showhost

(KPFK, Los Angeles), he concentrates on setup as well as componentchoice.

A Notę About Prices. . . .

• •

:i^:v

. MHli ••

• •ImiJh*¹* •*•••••##•• • * ••• #

VA*

<&s

settes. and other program sources or eon-vcnience fcatures for later add-ons. (If you absoluicly musi havc FM. Eli make an alternale suggestion laler on.)

To me. getting the hest possible re-produciion from records means cx-tracting maximum information from ihe groovc. Forlhat reason. I am prepared to spend morę ofihe total on the turntablc/ lonearm/carlridge system than the usual rule-of-thumb guidclines for budget ap-portionmenl would permit. Conven-lional audio folk wisdom tells us that the rcproducing chain is only as strong as its least faithful link and that. thereforc. all components in a system should some-how be matched so that nonę of them is significantly superior (a waste of money) or interior (compromised sound) to its mates.

I believe something different: If the player unit is thought of as an informa-tion-retrieval device. it musi be very

w

carefully designed and built in order not to losc information at the outset that no amount of altention to the aniplifter. speakers. equalizer. or any other acces-

sorv can rccover. The motions of the

*

Stylus, guided by the moving record

groove. arc very liny: and equally smali

amounts of turntable-spindle wobble.

tonearm-bearing play. and such can

cause a loss of musical detail. heard as

indistinetness or a veiled qualitv in at

least some part of the musical spectrum.

If the turntablc is insufficiently isolated

*

from the vibrations of nearby loud-speakers. the Stylus will transduce them right along with the information in the groovc. muddling musical detail.

So I have chosen a turntable that I bc!ieve will do the best job possible within the given price limit: the Thorens TD-160 Mk. IIB ($400). a long-provcn belt-drive turntablc with a spring-sus-pended subchassis. The Grace 707 Mk. II tonearm ($225) is a moderately priced model that has been around for several vears: its dynamie mass is Iow. its bear-

•    90 ings arc reasonably tight. and serious mechanical resonances in the audible rangę are notably absent. The Grace F-9F. cartridge ($200) is arguably the best of the so-called moving-magnet de-signs. (Since anything but the coil can be the moving element in “moving-mag-nct" pickups. we prefer the term “fixed-coil.’*-Ed.j These itenis. at fuli list price. will use upabout half the budget.

For electronics. I would choosc the $400 NAD 3140 integrated amplifier. rated at 40 watts (16 dBW] per channel into 8 ohms. Apart from its outstanding capabilities for a unit at this price. it has scveral useful fcatures—not the least of which is its auementability: An addi-

w    »

tional power amplifier. the 2140. can be added later to provide approximately 6 dB morę power (four limes the watlage) per channel if and when you desire.

l or speakers. I suggest a pair of Thiel Model 02s ($310 a pair). TheyTe musically well balanced. capable of good imaging when correctly placed and

If you study the foregoing tcxts carefully—and particularly if you have been shopping for components recently—some of the prices quoted by our expcrts may not strike you as quite right. Bear in mind that the Federal Trade Com-mission considers all publication of ‘list" prices as a lightly veiled form of pricc-fixing (though it is permissiblc to quote a “nationally advcrtised value") and that selling prices do vary from storę to storę, from region to region, and from limę to time. And so do availab!e

aimed. and reasonable in bass performance and loudness capability for a rela-tivelv smali box. But at this price you can’t have evervthing. Besides giving up FM and cassettes. vou will not be able to liii a very large room with orchestraI musie at realistic levels and with gut-rumbling. nalural-sounding bass.

This system. I feel. incorporates in-telligent compromise w herc compro-mises are necessarv. And it lends itself to logical. systematic upgrading: but that\s another storv. If you musi include FM in

#    w

your system. I suggest you buy the unique combination of arm and cartridge that Linn calls the Basik ($150). It will do quite well for less than half the price of the Grace items (though I think the latter justify the extra cost) and leave morę than cnough for an NAD 4020A tuner ($220)-and perhaps even cnough for a good FM antenna. if you should need one. You should also allow something in your budget for a spccial speaker cable of Lit/, or other braided configu rat ion. and the Discwasher record and Stylus cleaners.

A finał word: This system is good enough to justify real care in setup. In particular. turntable. tonearm. and car-triege should be adjusted by a skilled technician using an appropriate gauge to assure minimum lateral tracking error. Speakers should be on stands. and lo-cated at least one foot olf the Hoor and two to three feet awav from walls or

9

other large reflective surfaces. This equpment won’t generally be found in discount Stores, but the apparently pre-mium prices you pay should cover the cost of having a competent salesperson help you get the system sounding right— something you won‘t get at a discount storę.

F.njoy your musie!    p.f.s.

HF

discounts from the ligures that (pace the FTC) have taken the place of list prices.

But. as the introduction makes elear, specific components and prices are not the point of this article. Our six authors have madę their choices on the basis of their individual prioritics. dramati/ing the importance of addressing your own prioritics before you shop. Likewise. you should research the prices available to you. rather than shopping in the expectalion of linding the prices quoted herc.

45

DKC I MBKR I9KI