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without powering down the Pioneer, tered Rhymes, in the recording by Paul and practical objection to the practice then turning it on again. (It turned out Hilliard and the Estonian Philharmonic is that it manipulates the very musical that I could.) Chamber Choir (SACD, Harmonia signals whose purity we are trying to Although the DV-58AV is glossy Mundi HMU 807469), while the Op- preserve. black with blue indicators, its controls pos’ analog outputs were clean but The Bag End E-Trap ($1500) uses and connections are standard issue for obscured details. In that regard, the active electronics similar to those in an a modern universal player. Front-panel Pioneer was almost competitive with equalizer to control an acoustic device touch buttons manage Standby/On, the Bel Canto PL-1A. It was very sat- that acts directly on room acoustics disc control, and menu/navigation (this isfying to find this level of pure audio rather than imposing anything on the last is better managed with the remote enjoyment in such reasonably priced electronic signal path.2 The E-Trap is control). There are also two special but- hardware. And there was still more actually rather cute. With its 10” driv- tons, each with a tiny LED indicator: to be gleaned from SACDs, DVD-As, er, controls, and power amplifier in a One, the SACD setup control, sets pri- and even CDs by stay- ority among CD, two-channel SACD, ing with the Pioneer’s and multichannel SACD. The other, HDMI connection to labeled Pure Audio, turns off all digital the Integra DTC-9.8, and video outputs to optimize the ana- or by using a modified log output’s performance. On the rear 3xS/PDIF connection panel are the outputs: for audio, analog to the Meridian 861 5.1- and two-channel, digital coaxial, surround controller, and TosLink; for video, composite, as I’ve done with the component, and S-video; and for both, Oppo DV-980H. HDMI. The DV-58AV worked fault- With its more sub- lessly with all 5” discs stantial construction, Connected to the Integra DTC-9.8 superior analog out- multichannel preamplifier/surround puts, and reasonable processor via HDMI cable, the DV- price of $499, the Pio- 58AV played SACDs at a level about neer DV-58AV is an 3dB lower than the Oppo DV-983H outstanding candidate universal player. It would have been for a keeper legacy nice to use the Oppo’s trim control universal player. Oth- to match levels, but as this operates in ers will have to com- the digital domain and is likely to be ment definitively on accompanied with some loss of resolu- the values of its video tion, for comparisons, I had to use the performance, but I Integra’s calibrated volume control to found it no slouch in match the player’s outputs. And, of that department ei- course, this was also a comparison of ther. the Pioneer’s DSD output to the Oppo cutline DV-983H’s PCM-converted output. Bag End E-Trap The HDMI-based comparison of Although acoustically the DV-58AV and the DV-983H was treating your listening room may the box measuring 18” (457mm) H by 13” a near standoff, the Pioneer pulling most important thing you can do to (330mm) W by 9.5” (241mm) D and slightly ahead in bass definition and make your system sound its best, ev- weighing 33 lbs (15kg), it looks like a high-frequency sweetness. Recall from eryone seems to have a reason not to small subwoofer without input termi- my May report that I preferred the do it. I understand. Décor and signifi- nals. Fore and aft are two small micro- Oppo DV-980H’s PCM-converted cant others usually stand in the way, phones; either one can supply the input output to its direct DSD output, but but also imposing is the sheer bulk of to, effectively, two single-band paramet- the Pioneer’s DSD output was superior effective treatments, especially those ric filters (range 20–65Hz) that add tar- to the DV-980H in either mode. How- used to tame big problems in the bass. geted resonance peaks to the feedback ever, it took some quick A/B switch- Low frequencies simply demand that circuitry that powers the driver. As a ing to hear any of these differences; ex- effective treatments be several inches result, the input signal at those peaks is tended listening to all three players was thick and cover wide areas. All of this amplified and output via the 10” driver quite satisfying. is a lot easier if you’re designing a lis- but, cleverly, opposite in phase to that It was through its multichannel ana- tening room from the studs out, but of the input. Place the E-Trap in a high- log outputs that the Pioneer distanced retrofitting requires cunning and, of- pressure zone, such as the junction of itself from the Oppo DV-980H and, to ten, careful negotiation with whoever two or three room boundaries, and its a degree, from the DV-983H as well. shares your living space. output will oppose and cancel the en- The clarity and detail of the Pioneer’s This is where electronic room equal- analog stages, as well as their bass slam, ization can be a great help. At best, 2 Keith Howard examined the topic of active room mode cancellation in January 2008—see www.ste- were outstanding. The DV-58AV was however, room-EQ software is still reophile.com/reference/108tech—and Robert Harley able to reveal layer on layer of musi- imperfect. In practice, it works best reviewed the Phantom Acoustics Shadow, an early device to operate in the same manner in the E-Trap, cal meaning from such complex music only over small areas of the room. in December 1989—see www.stereophile.com/ as Tarik O’Regan’s choral suite Scat- However, one significant philosophical roomtreatments/1289phantom.—Ed.

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ergy in the room modes. sion of 12’, but my room measures 14.5’ I preset one of the E-Trap’s filters to Shaping the filters to match one or by 26’ by 8’, with large openings into about 47Hz and put the E-Trap on the two major room modes and adjusting other spaces. floor close to a sidewall in a corner creat- the feedback in the filters—effectively adjusting the Q and magnitude of the E-Trap’s response—reduces the total en- Recordings in the Round ergy in the room at those frequencies. Moreover, a significant advantage of acoustical treatment (active or passive) : Trinity Revisited Revisited is, indeed, the best title for this Plus: A Film by Pierre & Francois Lamoureux recording. It’s like meeting an old friend after a is that even the decreasing energy of a With: , Jeff Bird, , Natalie long interval: the differences are both appreci- decaying signal is subject to this attenu- Merchant ated and lamented. Rounder Zoe 01143-1121-2 (DVD, CD) Fire Burning in the Snow: Baroque Music from ation, leading to a steeper decay to in- The Cowboy Junkies’ second album, The Trinity Latin America 3 nocuous levels. These effects also apply Session (CD, RCA 8568-2-R), has become Jeffrey Skidmore, Ex Cathedra Consort and an iconic release for many of us. On the one Baroque Ensemble to the harmonics generated by these hand, it is a warm and moving dozen songs, Hyperion SACDA67600 (SACD) fundamental modes. Thus, while stay- half covers, half originals, offered in spare This lovely disc is filled with charming, simple ing out of the reproduction chain and but satisfying arrangements. On the other, it music and delightful sounds. The collection is a spectacular demonstration of what inti- begins with, is interspersed with, and con- leaving unchanged the signals emitted mate communication can be achieved with cludes with drum-paced processionals from by the speakers, the E-Trap attempts a simple microphone arrangement (in this the anonymous verses of Hanacpachap cus- case, a single Calrec Ambisonic mike) in an sisuinin. In between are lots of melodious and to remove the room’s low-frequency acoustically supportive and satisfying venue. foot-tap–inducing songs for voices accompa- colorations—sort of like a narrowband This recording holds a special place in the col- nied by colorful instrumental forces. Some lections of many of us. pieces are liturgical, some private and per- bass trap with gain. For this new recording, the original Junkies reas- You’ll find more information at sembled, along with some notable guests, at www.bagend.com, but you won’t find, the original recording venue, Toronto’s Church of the Holy Trinity, to re-experience and there or in the E-Trap’s shipping car- celebrate the 20th anniversary of that event— ton, a step-by-step guide to how to set though not to repeat it, even though the same 12 songs are performed in the same order as it up. Hasn’t everyone got an FFT spec- on . Like the original record- trum analyzer with 1/2Hz resolution ing, Trinity Revisited derives from a single ses- sion dictated by the need to fit all setup, sound in their closet? Bag End recommends checks, and performances around the church’s the SMAART analyzer (www.eaw. primary activities. Thus, this recording enjoys com/products/software/index.html), many of the original’s ad hoc liberties, which can be experienced in some of the prepara- but I used what I had on hand. These tions documented in the “Making of” video on tools included: TEF (www.gold-line. the accompanying DVD. com/tef/tef.htm), which is accurate, calibrated, and not cheap; TrueRTA (www.trueaudio.com/rta_abt1.htm), which is inexpensive and easy to use; sonal. Hyperion’s surround does not envelop and RoomEQ Wizard (www.homethe- so much as transport, and the clarity of the voices and instruments is very satisfying. atershack.com/roomeq/), which is free and has just added spectrum and RTA HAYDN: String Quartets Op.20 No.3, Op.74 No.1, Op.76 No.1 displays to its array of tools. Nonethe- Amsterdam String Quartet less, after spending half an hour on the Channel Classics CCS SA 25907 (SACD) From the first notes of this disc, one hears a phone with Jim Wischmeyer, president sound different from most other string quar- of Bag End, I still was at loose ends tets—the Amsterdam Quartet uses historical about how to start. instruments, original or re-created, that wrap Haydn in rich, burnished tones. The upper First, I turned off the room correc- At first, I was bothered by the differences from strings are bit thin-sounding, but the players tion built into the Meridian 861, but the original recording; I will never prefer balance them well and take every advantage Natalie Merchant’s somewhat nasal voice to of Haydn’s dynamic range and plasticity of left operative the single-band EQ in ’ frail directness, nor have I my JL Audio Fathom f113 subwoofer. acquired a taste for Vic Chesnutt. I did immedi- ately take to the contributions of Ryan Adams, I then began surveying the listen- both in performance and in the preparations. ing room, using TEF’s low-frequency With repeated listening, it became possible to spectral display with a bass pink-noise hold memory at arm’s length and appreciate this new and different session on its own signal from the TEF disc. As I walked terms. There’s a bit less world-weariness in around the room with the microphone, the voices, and the beat is less slack. Overall, the arrangements, though similar to those peaks grew and shrank, troughs deep- used in the original, are more conventional. ened and filled—but one big peak grew Nonetheless, I found Trinity Revisited engross- ing and addictive. even bigger, especially when the mike Sonically, it’s new. Multiple microphones provide approached the floor, ceiling, or a wall. greater clarity and more individuation of the At a floor corner, a 47Hz peak loomed performers, aided greatly by the video, and the bass is better defined. The multichan- like a 20dB Mt. Everest over the pink- nel soundstage (Dolby 5.1) is circular and tempo. With Channel’s careful balancing, one noise floor. It had started out at about enveloping, but the ambience is less pervasive can hear the individual voice and character of than on the original, particularly if one uses an each of these 16 strings, and, despite the evi- half that level, but grew as I maintained Ambisonic decoder with the latter. Listening dently warm ambience of the Doopsgezinde the signal. What was curious was that to Trinity Revisited, I’m very aware of every Kerk of Deventer, a church, they have great performer; listening to The Trinity Session, I’m immediacy and presence. An important addi- I hadn’t expected to find such a peak; more aware of my own perspective. Trinity tion to the library.—Kalman Rubinson 47Hz corresponds to a room dimen-

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ed by a large credenza. Then I placed my turned the E-Trap off. won’t do anything for nulls or reflec- measurement mike at the listening posi- But no. The E-trap was on the whole tions, nor will it provide a complete EQ tion, and turned the laptop to face me time and, when I when I discovered or acoustic treatment for an otherwise so that I could monitor how my settings the fact and bypassed the filter, the old, boomy or lively room. It lacks the tools of the E-Trap’s Feedback and Contour familiar 100Hz ripeness reinfected the and instructions needed for setup; it controls affected the response. I got opti- sound. This thing worked. would be nice if it came accompanied mal results with these set near their mid- points, but the E-Trap’s Fine Frequency The insertion of the E-Trap impressively control, with its range of ±1Hz, seemed to have no effect. Adding a second filter removed the superimposition of my own with a slightly lower Q made only an incremental improvement. Perhaps the room’s modes, and let the low brass and second filter would have been more use- ful had I had another significant peak in the organ’s low bass cut through the 20–65Hz tuning range. the ambience. What did have a big effect was the choice of microphone: Activating the one on the front of the E-Trap (about I tried some organ recordings, and by a simple acoustical measurement 15” from the walls) gave a tiny reduction they sounded wonderful. Ajoutez la tool, such as the XTZ Room Analyzer. in the peak on the RTA, but activating trompette! French Romantic Organ Music for On the other hand, it can be concealed the mike on the back (only 4” from the Organ & Brass Quintet, a new SACD by in places where it will minimally affect wall) caused a drop of about 10dB. Not organist Elmar Lehnen and the Interna- room décor, and where it will effective- only that, but a smaller peak at about tional Brass (Audite 92.556), is recorded ly complement reflection-control and 98Hz—probably the first harmonic of somewhat distantly in a highly reverber- broadband bass traps without offending the 47Hz fundamental—almost disap- ant basilica. The insertion of the E-Trap the visual sensibilities of significant oth- peared into the roiling surface of the impressively removed the superimposi- ers. In fact, while the appearance of the RTA display. Now, the smaller 98Hz tion of my own room’s modes, and let E-Trap is generally not noted, its effect peak is probably much more audible, the low brass and the organ’s low bass on room acoustics is substantial. as the threshold of audibility at 47Hz cut through the ambience, as they prob- is, for most people, about 20dB higher ably did in that venue. Other telling tests Next Time in the Round than at 100Hz. Nonetheless, compared were: the infamous “Cosmic Hippo,” I’m giving up trying to predict what’s to its measured effects, the E-Trap’s au- from Béla Fleck’s Flight of the Cosmic Hip- next. Often, an anticipated device fails dible effects seemed subtle. And with po (CD, Warner Bros. 26562), in which to arrive in time for a decent assess- that, I turned my attentions to other the descent into the deep bass was no ment. Often, I’m distracted by another things and didn’t think about the E- longer accompanied by tonal woolli- product (or real life) and can’t get to Trap for about a week. ness; and the delightful plucked bass something I’ve promised. What I can In the interim, my system sounded strings in the opening of Boccherini’s tell you is what I have in-house right great. The ripeness around 100Hz that La Musica Notturna delle strade di Madrid, now, so you’ll know my options; all had long plagued my room seemed to from the Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra’s will be dealt with in due course. have disappeared, an improvement I at Die Röhre—The Tube (SACD, Tacet 074), The multichannel amp promised last first attributed to my having switched which now were tight as rim shots on time, the Ayre Acoustics V-6xe, is cook- from the Bel Canto Pre6 to the Merid- a snare. ing in the big system right now. I received ian 861 and inserting the Ayre V-6xe Because the E-Trap was working the Rives sub-PARC bass equalizer and amp to power my B&W 802D speak- the entire room, it had a similar effect power amplifier, which came with a ers. In fact, I had assumed that I’d whether I used the speakers full-range, Talon Audio ROC subwoofer. I’ve also with the LFE fed to the JL Audio Fath- just taken delivery of the Anthem D-2 Contacts om f113 sub, or used bass management. preamplifier-processor, which includes It was also equally effective whether I ARC, Anthem’s new EQ system (brief- Bag End Loudspeakers, 22N272 listened to two or many channels. Per- ly described in my May column). Both Pepper Road, Lake Barrington, haps most remarkable was that the E- the Rives and the Anthem are going IL 60010. Tel: (847) 382-4550. Trap even reduced the effects of some into the weekend system as soon as time Fax: (847) 382-4551. Web: www. ambient noises that had bugged me for permits. Finally, at the 2008 Consumer bagend.com. years. I live 11 stories above Manhat- Electronics Show, I discovered the neat tan’s Third Avenue, and have learned and inexpensive W1 Premium Wire- Oppo Digital, Inc., 2629B Terminal to tolerate or wait out the noise of City less Audio Adapter from Audioengine, Boulevard, Mountain View, CA Transit buses idling below. As soon and have already been playing with it in 94043. Tel: (650) 961-1118. Web: as I heard the offending bus noise, I my office and den setups. I’ve held off www.oppodigital.com. jumped up and turned the E-Trap off— writing the report because the column and found that it had been substantially seems to fill so quickly, and because a Pioneer Electronics USA, P.O. reducing that pernicious hum. Will competitive product, the WPA24 Digi- Box 1540, Long Beach, CA 90810. wonders never cease . . . tal Wireless Transmitter/Receiver Sys- Tel: (800) 746-6337. Web: www. The Bag End E-Trap is a small but ef- tem from Acoustic Research, is on its pioneerelectronics.com. fective way to remove one or two fre- way; I’ll take the opportunity to com- quency peaks in the 20–65Hz range. It pare and contrast them.

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