Sme's Series V- Is This Sota Star Sapphire the Ultimate Tonearm? Turntable Comparison Test: Denon Dcd-1500 Four Cd Changers Cd Player
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JUNE 1986 $2.00 EXCLUSIVE REVIEW: TESTED: SME'S SERIES V- IS THIS SOTA STAR SAPPHIRE THE ULTIMATE TONEARM? TURNTABLE COMPARISON TEST: DENON DCD-1500 FOUR CD CHANGERS CD PLAYER Attention Magazine Retailer: Important notice on first Classified Ad page Lots of new companies make speakers forcars. AR has made speakers since thiscar was new. W TELEDYNE ACOUSTIC RESEARCH 330 Turnpke Street, Carlton MA02021 In 1954, the Dodgers were on Brooklyn, Brando was an :he wate-front, and Elvis was in Sun Shims. In September 1954, a classic two-seater called the Ford Thunderb rd WE n t into production. That same year, Acoustic Research invented the Acoustic Suspension principle and used it to create another classic: the first high fidelity bookshelf speaker. Soon, AR prod Jcts Decane the most revered, most sought-after. most imitated speakers in history. Now, Acoustic Research pits its years of loudspeaker experience of the road. With the sophisticated new GCS Speakers. Most car speakers a mtheir tweeters at your rear window, rut at your ears. AR's GCS -100 system -la SE pa rate component woofers, m drangesand tweeters. So you can m DI_ nt the tweeters up front, where you can hear their. And the GCS -300, a classic 6.x 9, ti its the tweeter towards the front. While many car speakers have no crossover at all, these AR speakers have treue electronic crossovers for minimum IM distortion. And while others use flimsy Dater cones, AR uses ultra -rigid polypoopylene Ultimately, making car speakers is easy. The hard part is malting speakers sound good. And that's precisely what AR has been doing for 32 years. ACOUSTIC RESEARCH We speak from experience. Enier No 2 on Reader Service Cad JUNE 1986 VOL. 70, NO. 6 See page 88 FEATURES CHANGE FOR THE BETTER: FOUR MULTI -DISC CD PLAYERS Leonard Feldman 62 CASSETTE TEST UPDATE: 49 FORMULATIONS Howard A Roberson 74 EQUIPMENT PROFILES SME V TONEARM AND TALISMAN VIRTUOSO DTi CARTRIDGE Edward M. Long 88 SOTA STAR SAPPHIRE TURNTABLE Edward M. Long 98 MAGNUM DYNALAB FT -101 TUNER Leonard Feldman 108 DENON DCD-1500 COMPACT DISC PLAYER Leonard Feldman 116 SHURE SM91 MICROPHONE Jon R. Sank 122 AURICLE: ORACLE DELPHI II TURNTABLE Anthony H Cordesman 130 MUSIC REVIEWS FITTING REVIVALS: THE MOSAIC REISSUES Frank Driggs 136 COMPACT DISCS 140 ROCK/POP RECORDINGS Michael Tearson, Jon & Sally Tiven 146 CLASSICAL RECORDINGS Edward Tatnall Canby 152 JAZZ & BLUES 160 DEPARTMENTS SIGNALS & NOISE 6 AUDIOCLINIC Joseph Giovanelli 10 TAPE GUIDE Herman Burstein 14 BEHIND THE SCENES Bert Whyte 18 DIGITAL DOMAIN Ken Pohlmann 27 SPECTRUM 33 ROADSIGNS Ivan Berger 39 AUDIO ETC Edward Tatnall Canby 46 THE BOOKSHELF 53 The Cover Equipment: SME V tonearm, Talisman Virtuoso DTi cartridge, and SOTA Star Sapphire turntable. The Cover Photographer: Carl Zapp. Audio Publishing, Editorial and Advertising Offices, 3PA 1515 Broadway, New York, N.Y. 10036. Subscription Inquiries, (800) 525-0643; in Colorado, (303) 447-9330. See page 136 THE BALANCE OF POWER arica-cwilEria 1:211F1=t P:=11 Er a1TPL1F1t The need for power is undeniable. But raw power is no measure of a great amplifier. At Sumo, we recognized the need but ap- proached the problen in a new way. The resultis a dVferential amplifier employing a unique full wave balanced bridge output circuit. This provides impressive statistics as well as awesome perfor- mance. The power is 200 watts RMS per channel into 8 ohms at 0.05% THD. There is no current limiting. As a consequence Andromeda is capable of delivering 80 amp peaks at 1 ohm instantaneously. Music has definition and detail. Sonic texture is smooth and trans- parent. Bass is tight, and -range natural, and highs clean. Instrumen- tal timbre is accurate through the top two octaves. Soundstage is wide, instrument placement consistent. The reviews are consistent too. Your Sumo dealer will show them to you. Among the select group of dealers showing the Sumo Andromeda are: MUSICAL IMAGES OF KENRJC0 SPEAKER CRAFT INC. AUDIBLE DIFFERENCE AUDIO 11027 Buckeye Trace 7505 Big Bend Blvd. 556 Halcombe Ave. Goshen, KY 40026 Webster Groves, MO 63119 Mobile, AL 36606 ar-imr-orrirziaTel 502 228-3200 Tel. 314 968-2170 Tel. 205 479-7195by 11MII2 (21300 Superior St. Chatsworth, CA 91311 818/407-2427 VARIATIONS ON A THEME Audio =ine furniture from CWD EugenePitts III iandmade of select Editor iatural hardwoods, hand Art Director: Cathy Cacchione 'inished with care, Technical Editor: Ivan Berger 3utfitted with precision Managing Editor: Kay Blumenthal iardware. And CWD Copy Chief: Elise J. Marlon -Abinets are good Associate Art Director: Linda Zerella nvestments. Our Assistant Editor: Andrea Lynne Pieper modular concept lets you Associate Editors: Edward Tatnalt Canby, Bert Whyte. B. V Pisha ;elect cabinets and Senior Editors: accessories to create Leonard Feldman, Richard C. Heyser jour own unique system Howard A. Roberson 3f cabinetry... a system Senior EditoriMusic Features: Ted :(3x .iou can add to and Editor -At -Large: David Lander -earrange as you Contributing EditorsiArtist: enhance your audio and Susan Borey, Herman Burstein. David L. Clark. Anthony H. Cordesman, Ted Costa, John Diliberto, video systems. John M. Eargle, Joseph Giovanelli. The theme: the finest in Laurence L. Greenhill, Bascom H. King. Edward M. Long, C. G. McProud, 'urniture. The variations: Peter W. Mitchell, Jon Sank, Donald Spoto, with CWD's modular Michael Tearson, Jon & Sally Tiven, Paulette Weiss designs, they're up to Business Services Director: Catherine Hennessey you. See for yourself, call Production Director: David Rose -oll free 1-800-323-2159 Production Manager: Patti Burns -or the dealer nearest Special Projects Coordinator: Phyllis K. Brady. You. (In Illinois, call Ad Coordinator: Susan Oppenheimer 312) 563-1745.) In Dark Oafr, Natural Oak and NaiaraMmerican Walnut Stephen Goldberg Publisher HIGH PERFORMANCE MODULAR FURNITURE THAT ADVERTISING KEEPS PACE WITH YOUR ELETRJNIC SYSTEM Advertising Director: Stephen W. Witthott CUSTOM. WOODWCRK & DES GN INC. (212) 719-6335 CWD® Account Managers: Lesa Rader Giberson (212) 719-6291 Nick Matarazzo (212) 719-6346 Western Manager: William J. Curtis Regional Manager: Megean Roberts (818) 784-0700 Classified Manager: Laura J. LoVecchio (212) 719-6338 Classified Assistant: Mary Jane M. Adams (212) 719-6345 LEES MAGAZINES EXECUTIVE STAFF President: Peter G. Diamandis V P., Editorial Director: Carey Winfrey Sr. V.P., Publishing: Robert F. Spillane 5-. V.P., Circulation: Robert E. Alexander Sr V.P., Operations: Robert J. Granata V.P., Finance: Arthur Sukel ,./.P, Subscription Circulation: Bernard B. Lacy V P.. Mfg. & Distribution: Murray M. Romer Pre,s CBS Magazine Marketing: Carl Kopf AUDIO (ISSN 0004-752X. Dewey Decimal Number 621.381 or 778.5) is published monthly by CBS Magazines, A Division of CBS Inc., at 1515 Broadway New York, N.Y. 10036. Printed in U.S.A. at Nashville, Tenn. Uributed by CBS Magazine Marketing. Second class postage paid at New York, N.Y. 10001 and additional mailing offices. Subscriptions in the U.S . $17 94 for one year, $32.94 for two years, $45.9.= for three veers; other countries, add $6.00 per year AUDIO is a registered trademark of CBS Inc. 161986. CBS Magazines, A Division of CBS Inc. All rights reserved. Editorial contributions are welcomed but should Oe accompanied by return postage. Submissions will be handled with reasonable care, but the Editor assumes no responsibility for safety or retuir of rnarisciipts, photographs, or artwork. The Publisher. in his sole discretion, reserves the right to The best soundyou can hear reject any ad copy he deems inappropriate. Subscription Service: Forms 3579 and all subscription correspondence must be addressed to next to Carnegie Hall AUDIO, PO. Box 5316, Boulder, Colo. 80302. Please Toshiba's new CD player makes concert quality sound portable. allow at least eight weeks for the change of address ::: become effective. Include both your old and your new Yet, rooked up to your stereo system it's a top of the line home CD player. address and enclose, if possible, an address label Offering 16 program random memory, 3 beam laser pick up, even born a recent issue. If you have a subscription In Touch with Tomorrow problem, olease write to the above address or call a wirers remote. Toshiba's XR-P9 is the (800) 525 0643; in Colorado. (303) 447-9330. complete, portable CD player. Outside of TOSHIBA a concert hall nothing sounds better. Toshba Am. roca 1, 82 Totowa Road. Wayne. NJ 07470 4 AUDIO/JUNE 1986 Enter No. 51 on Reader Service Card Special Introductory Offer From RCA COMPACT DISC! with Club membership F plus shipping & handling Pavarotti Mc Mister Vivaldi PASSIONE WELCOME TO THE The- Four REAL WORLD Seasons The English Concert YES, TAKE ANY Pir neck COMPACT DISC HERE. Three Dozen To Choose From! 115441 143765 115356 Whitney DVORAK MOZART liZTOP I'iano Concertos Boston Pops New World VINER John Williams Nos. 12 & 20 AMERICA, Symphony Rudolf Serkin Chicago THE DREAM London Symphony Symphony/ GOES ON Orchestra Abbado Houston SOlti 154381 115168 1.12 1'5062 164042 115134 James Galway Lzhak Perlman PEER GYNT SUITES MOZART SIBELIUS, PELLEAS Henry Mancini Violin Concertos et MELISANDE Nos. 3 & S Elt RI IN Nit HARMONIC HERBERT Ski VON KARAJAN In The Pink HARLEQUIN 115169 144512 151.513 144101 115146 154203 Ella Fitzgerald: The Johnny Phil Collins: No Jacket Bach, Organ Works Daniel The Cars: Greatest Hits Sunday In The Park With Mercer Songbook Too Marvel- Required One More Night, Sus- Chorzempa plays the Toccata 8 Tonight She Come:;, Drive, You George Bernadette Peters, ous For Words, Skylark. Dream, sudio, Don't Lose My Number, etc. Fugue in D Minor, others. Philips Might Think. Shake It Up. others. Mandy Patinkin & original cast. etc. Verve 163610 Atlantic 120771 DIGITAL 115193 Elektra 153702 RCA DIGITAL 154014 Brahms, 21 Hungarian Dances Stars And Stripes Forever The Daryl Hall & John Oates: Live The Canadian Brass: High, Bach, Brandenburg Concertos Claudio Abbado conducts the Philip Jones Ensemble plays 15 At The Apollo Apollo Medley, Bright, Light & Clear Baroque Nos.