Exotic to Guide INTRODUCING DIGITAL -READY COMPONENTS

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Fantasies Night Carter's Elliot Prokofiev and Ravel Pocorelich's Seville of Barber The Rossini's Lucia De Meola Di McLaughlin Hardin Gus Zappa Fra,k Clark GLy Parker Graham Specials Disc

Stereo Car KE-7200 Pioneer Plus: System Speaker RS6 Infinity Headphones 100 MS Sennheiser Deck Cassette GX-R6 Akai Receiver FM AM 3285 MCS Penney J.C. System Speaker Subwoofer SM-.4 Mi-age Reports Test Equipment Realism Hall Concert of Myth the Exploding Questions Disc Compact to Answers Systems Speaker Exotic to Guide INTRODUCING DIGITAL -READY COMPONENTS. FROM THE PEOPLE WHO BROUGHT YOU THE DIGITAL DISC, DIGITALPLAYER, DIGITAL PROCESSOR, DIGITALMIXER, DIGITAL REVERBERATORY DIGITALRECORDER, DIGITALEDITOR, DIGITAL TITOri 11/1 A CTITETIDinure' When the history of music is Motion (APM) speaker design hasyour p:esent music collection, ES written, the chapter on digital will been engineered to handle pro- also includes a LaserAmorphous read like a list of accomplishmentsdigious quantities of power without3 -head cassette deck and linear from just one company-Sony. distortion. Even the tuner's Directtracking Biotracer turntable- And now, to meet the stringentComparator has been designed worthy challengers to anything dtmands of their digital creations,to complement the irr proved on the market today. Sony engineers have developed FM broadcast signals -hat result To find out the name of your an entirely new line of high-fidel-from digital source material. nearest ES dealer, call Sony toll - ity components. The ES Series. Furthermore, because no free at 1 -E00 -222 -SONY To handle the phenomenal dy-innovation, no matter how remark- SONY namic range of the new CDP-701ESable, should force you to discard THE LEADER IN 2.IGITAL AUDIO compact disc player and PCM- tt.:. 1993 Ser.-Corp ct America Sony and LaserA mot phous . are trademarks of the Sony Car Jorallon 701ES digital audio processor, ES SONY CIRCLE ND. 22 ON READER SERVICE CARD features what Stereo Review calls a "truly exceptional integrated amp. One that offers "the highest dynamic headroom of any ampli- F.(1.14 V fier we have yet measured." The patented Accurate Pistonic

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Q:12- 4411000., L immimmommoT, 477 Reasons Why You Need Radio Shack's New Auto -Reverse Cassette Deck

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1. You Can Play Both Sides Uninterrupted 4. You Can Locate Favorite Selections Fast 2. You Can Program the Order of Selections 5. You Can Repeat Any Portion of the Tape 3. You Can Sample Each Selection 6. You Can Do It All at the Touch of a Finger

Radio Shack's Realistic° SCT-42 lets you decide how your cassettes are played. One side, both sides, or continuous playback of both sides. Or program the Radio ihaelt deck to play only your favorites. And it's loaded with A DIVISION OF TANDY CORPORATION advanced features. Like solenoid logic controls to give you quiet, reliable and foolproof operation. Auto- matic Metal/Cr02/Normal bias selector. Dolby*B-C Take it from Mike Love of The Beach NR for extended dynamic range. Two-color, 14 -seg- Boys and Dean Torrence of Jan ment fluorescent peak level meter. And record mute and Dean: ..o eliminate unwanted noise when editing. Step up to "Rock'n'Roll from side The new standard in tape control and convenience. one to side Just $299.95, or as low as $27 per month on Radio two without miss- Shack/CitiLine credit. Visit Radio Shack today for a ing a hands-on demonstration. beat."

Catch Mike & Dean's "Rock'n'Roll City" Cassette Only $4.99 A Radio Shack exclusive! 12 GET YOURFREE 1984 CATALOG Rock'n'Roll recordings on 184 Full -Color PagesShow You What's Really New in Electronics Dolbyized* cassettes with spe- Mail to Radio Shack.300 One Tandy Center. Fort Worth. TX 76102 cial guests: The Beach Boys, Paul Revere & The Raiders, Name and The Association. All -new versions of 60's hits will make Address Apt # you feel 18 again. Produced by Daryl Dragon. City State Ztp 'TM Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corp 844-078

Prices apply at participating Radio Shack stores and dealers (ISSN 00391220)

VOL 48, NO. 11 \OV1-- VBR 1983

BULLETIN Christie Barter and Gordon Sell 5

SPEAKING MY PIECE William Livingstone 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR 8

NEW PRODUCTS 11 TAPE TALK Craig Stark 20

AUDIO QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Larry Klein 26

TECHNICAL TALK Julian D. Hirsch 31

EQUIPMENT TEST REPORTS Hirsch -Houck Laboratories 34

CAR STEREO Julian D. Hirsch and Christopher Greenleaf 46 INSTALLATION OF THE MONTH Craig Stark 48

A GUIDE TO EXOTIC LOUDSPEAKERS Ralph Hodges 50

ANSWERS TO YOUR COMPACT DISC QUESTIONS David Ranada 59

THE BASIC, REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 64

BEST RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

ROSSINI: THE BARBER OF SEVILLE George Jellinek 69 GUY CLARK: "BETTER DAYS" Alanna Nash 70 GRAHAM PARKER: "THE REAL MACAW" Steve Simels 73

IVO POGORELICH: RAVEL AND PROKOFIEV Richard Freed 73 CLASSICAL MUSIC 76 ELLIOTT CARTER: NIGHT FANTASIES Richard Freed 78 THE LIGHT BLUES: "TOUR DE FRANCE" Richard Freed 84 CAROLYN WATKINSON: RECITAL George Jellinek 86

POPULAR MUSIC 90 GUS HARDIN Alanna Nash 92 MCLAUGHLIN. DI MEOLA, DE LUCIA Mark Peel 96 FRANK ZAPPA Mark Peel 102 BENNIE WALLACE: "BIG JIM'S TANGO" Chris Albertson 110 DENNY ZEITLIN AND CHARLIE HADEN Chris Albertson 116

ON YOUR TOES Peter Reilly 118

LA CAGE AUX FOLLES Christie Barter 122

122 ADVERTISERS' INDEX See "A Guide to Exotic Loudspeakers.page 50 Cot ER Design by Borys Patchowsky; photo by Geoff Rosengarten. See pages 34 and 40 for test reports on the Mirage Subwoofer and the Akai GX-R6 cassette deck.

COPYRIGHT 1983 BY ZIFF-DAVIS PUBLISHING COMPANY. All rights reserved. Stereo Review. November 1983. Volume 48. Number 11. Published monthly by Ziff -Davis Publishing Company. Editorial and Executive Offices at One Park Avenue. New York. New York 10016; Telephone. 212 '25-3500 Richard P. Friese. President: Selwyn Taubman, Treasurer: Bertram A. Abrams. Secretary. Also publishers of Backpacker. Boating. Car and Driver. Computers and Electron Cs. Creative Computing. Cycle. Flying, Microsystems. PC. Popular Photography. Runner. Skiing. Stereo Buyers Guide, Tape Recording & Buying Guide, and Yachting. One-year subsciption rate for the United States and its possessions, $9.98; Canada. $10.98 All other countries. one-year subscription rate $14.98, cash orders only, payable in U.S. currency. Second-class postage pa.d at New York, New York 10016and at additional mailing offices. Authori7ed as second-class mail by the Post Office Department. Ottawa. Canada, and for payment of postage in cash. POSTMASTER: Forms 3579 andaddress changes should be sent to Stereo Review. Circulation Department. P.O. Box 2771. Boulder, Colorado 80102. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE: All subscription correspondence should be addressed to Stereo Review, Circulation Department. P.O. Box 2771, Boulder. Colorado 80302. Please allow at least eight weeks for change of address. Include old addressas well as new --enclosing if possible an address label from a recent issue. PERMISSIONS: Material in this publication may not be reproduced in asy form without permission.Requests for permission should be directed to Eli,abeth Amado. Rights and Permissions. Ziff -Davis Publishing Company. One Park Avenue, New York. New York 10016. To eliminate the major flaws of cone -shaped speakers we created speakers without a cone. Technics Honeycomb Disc Speakers.

One of the unfortunate aspects of the conventional audio speaker is the speaker design itself: a cone -shaped diaphragm that performs with un- desirable dips and peaks in frequency response. The result is reproduction that can be less than accuraull.r- Technics has eliminated this problem by eliminating thecorr. Instead Technics uses an ingenious, flat speaker called the Honeycomb Disc. This flat Honeycomb Disc is extremely rigid and lightweight. So it responds quickly and with superb accuracy to the most delicate or the most dynamic musical signal. And can handle a wider range of frequencies than conventional speakers without creating distortion. Another problem of conventional speakers is that each speaker cone is mounted at a slightly different distance from your ears. So you hear each musical frequency at a slightly different time. But the revolulionary design of the Technics flat Honeycomb Disc ensures precise speaker alignment. You hear the musical frequencies the way you're supposed to: all at the same time. In fact, Technics Honeycomb Disc Speakers are so well engineered, they achieve Waveform Fidelity: the speaker output signal is virtually a mirror -image of the input signal. And because of this Honeycomb Disc technology, these speakers are capable of reproducing the exceptional sound of digital recordings. But perhaps best of all, the price of all this technology is remarkably modest. Hear how eliminating the speaker cone can add to your music. Experience the startling fidelity of Honeycomb Disc Speakers from Technics.

Technics The science of sound CIRCLE NO ON READER SERVICE CARD Bulletin Edited by Christie Bader and Gordon Sell

BIG MOVE AFOOT: Warner Communica- Sumitomo, a Japanese banking and in- tions Inc., whose subsidiaries include dustrial company, are independently the Warner Bros., Elektra/Asylum, and trying to develop magnets made of Atlantic labels, and the European par- neodymium -iron alloy that would be ent companies of the PolyGram group, much more powerful than conventional which includes Polydor, Mercury, Lon- ferric magnets but no more expensive don, Philips, and Deutsche Grammophon, to produce. These are expected to have are discussing a "restructuring of applications for loudspeakers, phono their interests in recorded music." cartridges, and perhaps tape heads.... Under the proposed setup WCI would be Blaupunkt has expanded its ARI traffic a partner in two joint ventures --an information system to Philadelphia.... American company 80% owned by WCI and The FCC has ordered the Harris Corp. a Warner/PolyGram company, for all to stop selling its AM stereo exciter countries outside the United States, because it is different from the one 50% owned by WCI. The deal would also that the agency approved a year ago. put the Warner/PolyGram block ahead of Stations using the Harris exciters CBS as the largest in the business in will have to go back to mono. the U.S., a position that CBS can certainly be expected to challenge. One SUMMER'S DOUBLE HEADERS: In August rumor around the industry has it that the Recording Industry Association of CBS is talking to EMI. America certified three albums for both gold and platinum awards --the COMPACT DISCS FROM EMI are expected Police's "Synchrcnicity" on A&M, Lov- to reach the American market early in erboy's "Keep It Up" on Columbia, and 1984. Classics on Angel will include the RSO/PolyGram soundtrack album from the Debussy Images conducted by Andre the summer's hit movie Stayin' Alive. Previn (Angel's first -ever digital re- The Police also received a gold single cording) and two discs with violinist award, their first, for Every Breath Anne -Sophie Mutter in Mozart and Bach You Take, the hit single from the concertos. Among the pop performers "Synchronicity" album. represented on Capitol CD's will be Pink Floyd ("Dark Side of the Moon"), "THE NEW MEDIA BIBLE" is a filmed Cliff Richardson (an as yet untitled dramatization of the Bible, narrated new album), and David Bowie ("Let's by Alexander Scourby, that is being Dance"). The first release will con- distributed by RCA on video discs. sist of twenty CD's, ten on Angel and Already released is "The Story of ten on Capitol. Joseph." Two volumes devoted to "The Gospel According to St. Luke" follow THE ROLLING STONES, after more than during this pre -Christmas season. a dozen years with AtlanticRecords, are leaving that label and signing DELCO ELECTRONICS has announced that with CBS. The worldwide, long-term sales of the Delco/Bose car stereo deal will reportedly earn the Stones system for GM luxury cars have been about $25 million for a minimum of double their projections. Of the Cor- four records. CBS will also ulti- vettes sold, 78% have the system; the mately acquire rights to the twelve figure is 25% for Cadillac Sevilles, albums the band recorded for Atlantic. 20% for Toronados and Eldorados, and 14% for Buick Rivieras. Look for the TECH NOTES: A "unidirectional auto - system to be available in a wider reverse cassette deck" is the waythat range of 1984 models. Nakamichi is describing a product the company will introduce this fall.The HAPPY BIRTHDAY this month to Joni deck uses a pop -out turntable that Mitchell (November 7) and Randy New- flips the tape around and realigns it man (November 28). Both were born in with the heads....General Motors and the same year, 1943. Stereo Review Speaking My Piece PUBLISHER J. SCOTT BRIGGS EDITOR IN CHIEF WILLIAM LIVINGSTONE By William MANAGING EDITOR LOUISE GOOCH BOUNDAS Livingstone ART DIRECTOR BORYS PATCHOWSKY TECHNICAL EDITORS DAVID RANADA, GORDON SELL MUSIC EDITOR CHRISTIE BARTER POPULAR MUSIC EDITOR PAULETTE WEISS With TDK representatives ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITOR Kim Sato (left). DAVID STEIN Masatsugu Funakoshi. EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS and Tak Koyama BARBARA AIKEN, ROCCO MATTERA DIRECTORY EDITOR WILLIAM A. BURTON LONDON EDITOR THE ASTUTE BUYER HENRY PLEASANTS CONTRIBUTING EDITORS RING my student years at the Uni- friends and value my relationship with CHRIS ALBERTSON ALANNA NASH RICHARD FREED MARK PEEL DUversity of Copenhagen, Ispent a them as much as I value the pictures PHYL GARLAND LINCOLN PERRY spring holiday in Paris. Being in that I've bought from them. CHRIS GREENLEAF PETER REILLY DAVID HALL EBET ROBERTS cultural capital for the first time was There are parallels between collect- JULIAN D. HIRSCH CHARLES RODRIGUES veryexciting, and aftervisitingas ing art and buying audio equipment. GEORGE JELLINEK ERIC SALZMAN Aside from the artistic value of the mu- LARRY KLEIN STEVE SIMELS many museums as possible, I bought a PAUL KRESH CRAIG STARK picture as a souvenir of the city. It was sic that hi-fi reproduces, there is an aes- STODDARD LINCOLN JOEL VANCE a modestly priced etching of a cat by thetic pleasure in owning and operating Jonny Friedlaender, a young German well -designed technologicalproducts. ADVERTISING DIRECTOR printmaker. And think of the pride that owners of BRIAN E. McCABE When I completed my studies in Eu-certain Bang and Olufsen turntables ASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHER rope and came home, I discovered that and tape decks must have felt when JEAN ANDERSON Friedlaender's cat had been included in those units were added to the Museum Editorial and Executive Offices: 212 725-3500 Ziff -Davis Publishing Company an exhibition at the St. Louis Art Mu-of Modern Art's design collection. One Park Avenue. New York, New York 10018 seum and in his first one-man show in But just as some people are shy about National Advertising Manager Richard J. Halpern Eastern Advertising Manager: Charles L. P. Watson New York, where the remaining copies going into an art gallery and pricing a Midwestern Office. The Paths Group: 312 879-1100 of the etching were on sale for twicepicture, many othersareinhibited 476t Went Touhy Ave.. Lincolnwood, Illinois 60646 what I had paid in Paris. It made me about shopping at audio salons. They Arnold S. Hoffman, Dirk E. Barenbrugge Western Office: 213 387.2100 feel like an astute collector, and I've are bewildered by the number of prod- 3460 Wilshire Boulevard been buying pictures ever since. ucts available and feel insecure about Los Angeles, California 90010 My budget for acquisitions has not ri- decibels, watts, and prices. The atmo- Western Advertising Manager: Marge Doherty -Wilhite Japan: lwai Trading Co., Ltd. valed that of the Museum of Modern sphere of some salons intimidates them, J. S. Yagi and they fear that they will be thought 603 Ginza Sky Heights Building Art, but actually we have some of the 18-13, Ginza 7-Chome same things, MOMA and I. It gave me stupid and will be cheated there. Chuo-Ku, Tokyo, Japan 104 a little thrill to learn that the museum Some audio salons depend on snob Telephone: (03) 586-0165, 545.3908 Circulation Office had acquired David Hockney's etching appeal just as some art galleries do. P.O. Box 2771. Boulder, Colorado 80302 Jungle Boy at the same time I did, back They are selling image as much as EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS must be accompanied by rein 1969 when you could still buy a equipment, and there's nothing wrong turn postage and will be handled with reasonable care; however, publisher assumes no responsibility for the re- Hockney print for under $100. with that, just as there is nothing wrong turn or safety of art work, photography, or manuscripts. Besides the pride of ownership ofwith your buying equipment at a de- works of museum quality, Friedlaend- partment store or discount center if you Member Audit Bureau of Circulations er's cat and Hockney's Jungle Boy have happen tofeel more comfortable in rewarded me aesthetically every time I those less pretentious surroundings. have looked at them. And recently it But there are many dealers in con- CONSUMER COMPUTERS 8 ELECTRONICS dawned on me that much of the pleas- sumer electronics whose advice and MAGAZINE DIVISION ure I have derived from my small col- guidance can be very valuable to you, President: Larry Sporn Vice President. Publishing Director: J. Scott Briggs lection has been the fun of shopping at and knowing one or two can increase Vice President. Marketing: Jeff Hammond galleries I know well and buying pic- the pleasure you derive from your inter- Vice President. General Manager: Eileen G. Markowitz tures from dealers I respect and trust. est in audio. Creative Director: Peter J. Blank The shape of my collection has been Wherever you choose to buy equip- ZIFF-DAVIS PUBLISHING COMPANY most influenced by three dealers in par- ment, the more you know about it, the President: Richard P. Friese ticular. While doing business with them more likely you are to make satisfacto- President, Consumer Magazine Division: Albert S. Trains over a period of years, I have learned a ry purchases and to enjoy the process of Executive Vice President. Marketing and Circulation: Paul Chook lot from them. They have advised me buying. If our monthly columns, fea- Senior Vice Presidents: Philip T. Heffernan, well, have guided me gently and pa- ture articles, test reports, and record re- Sidney Holtz, Edward D. Muhlteld, Philip Sine tiently, and have prevented me from views succeed in making you feel like Vice Presidents: Baird Davis, George Morrissey Treasurer: Selwyn Taubman making serious mistakes of taste oran informed consumer and an astute Secretary: Bertram A. Abrams judgment.Inow think of them as buyer, we will have served you well. 0

6 STEREO REVIEW With this system,youmight want to buy abettercan This system is pure Kenwood. Add Kenwood's bi-modular And, pure ecstasy. speaker system with separate woofer From the new quartz PLL syn- and tweeter. And, two-way speakers. thesized KRC-7100 cassette receiver You have a system equalled with 24 presets (18 FM, 6 AM) to by none. the Sound Exciter graphic equalizer. So, get Ear Conditioned. It's To the high power amps. possible you'll want a better car. But Like most Kenwoods, it has it's more likely you'll fall in love with many automatic features: signal the one you have. improvement, automatic noise reduction, auto loading motorized tape transport and station finding. So, you KENWOOD can pay more attention to the music STEREO FOR YOUR CAR and less to the controls. If you haven't seen Kenwood's line of Ear Conditioning systems, call toll -free 1(800) 453-9000 for the dealer nearest you. In Utah call 1(800) 662-2500. CIRCLE NO. 3 ON READER SERVICE CARD Video Coverage

I would like to thankSTEREO REVIEW for reporting on video recorders. I've read the argument that audio magazines should Letteu stick to audio topics, but I think that sepa- rating audio from video will be an increasing problem in the future. P. M.WARDELL Portland, Ore. Room Acoustics indicates thatfor everyone the riskin- I was particularly pleased to read Wil- creases with the level and duration of expo- liam Livingstone's article on Pioneer Laser- High praise is in order for Robert Berk- sure.People who care about preserving Discs in September's "New Software" sec- ovitz for his simple and well -written article their hearing-and surely the readers of tion.I hope thatSTEREO REVIEW willbe on "Sound and Your Listening Room" in STEREO REVIEWappreciate the value of thiseven more helpful in this area in the future. September. It was easily digestible without precious sense-ought to be cautious about Since I have a LaserDisc player, I was being pabulum. Seconds, please. exposure to intense sounds. dismayed to read about the Metropolitan PAUL BURMEISTER DENNIS MCFADDEN Opera's negotiations with RCA. I hope that Madison, Wis. Austin, Tex. this does not mean thattheir offerings wouldnotbe available onLaserDiscs, Personal Portables Elton John which I think are better than the RCA video discs. Most video cassettes are issued in Myron Berger's September article on Commercial success does not always both Beta and VHS formats. Do you have "Choosing a Personal Portable" mentions imply musical quality and talent. With El- any more information about this? an issue that deserves greater public atten- ton John it does. In his September review, ANDY EVANS tion than it has received. Measurements in- Mark Peel describes John's new album, Cleveland, Ohio dicate that some personal portables are eas- "Too Low for Zero," as "self-satisfied and ily capable of producing sound -pressure lev- tepid rock." Mr. Peel, if this album is tepid, The Met has made no public announce- els in the ear canal as high as 115 dB. Theany music you consider exciting must as- ment, but it is expected that the material most commonly used government regula- suredly register on the Richter scale. As for will be licensed for both of the video -disc tion on noise exposure allows workers in "self-satisfied," I would hope that any art- systems. regulated industries to experience such lev- ist's music would satisfy himself. Mr. Peel els for no more than fifteen minutes perdescribes the performance as "the usual." It day, five days per week. There are large in- isJohn's usual. His usual is spectacular. Speaker Cables dividualdifferencesinsusceptibilityto CHARLESL.SNOW Laurence Greenhill's article on speaker noise -induced hearing loss, but the evidence Monroe, Ga. cables in the August issue has to be one of

WHAT YOU SEE IS WHAT YOU'LL NEAR.

STEREO REVIEW the best articles on stereo equipment I have practicable, scientificallycontrolled test many components, but it is very difficult to ever read. As a former subscriber to one of setup that can reveal these supposed sonic determine whether the different sound is re- the "underground" audio magazines, I am differences, we will be happy to sponsor the ally better sound. aware of their constant claims to do more experiment and publish the results. THOMAS G. TITUS thorough testing and run less biased articles Louisville, Ky. than such magazines as STEREO REVIEW. In Laurence Greenhill states that his test- my opinion, however, no underground mag- ing project "was unable to validate the sonic Compact Disc Players azine has ever published anything that benefits claimedforexotic speaker ca- comes close to Mr. Greenhill's article. The bles...." He should have said that the proj- Thank you for comparing several brands care he took to guarantee that human biases ect was unable to validate the sonic benefits of equipment in one article (July's report on would not enter into the evaluations was claimed for eight of the eleven participants eleven Compact Disc players) and pre- most interesting. His use of double-blind and was able to validate them for two par- senting the lab -test results in tables. I hope testing and statistical analysis gives ample ticipants. Otherwise his remains a statisti- STEREO REVIEW will take the same ap- weight to the conclusions. cian's conclusion-a statistician being de- proach with other categories of products, The burden is now on the undergrounds fined as someone who was drowned in a lake such as high -end speaker systems. toduplicate or surpass Mr. Greenhill's with ah average depth of one foot. MICHEL G. BOUGON methodology in order to regain credibility. I GILBERTO REGULES State College, Pa. will choose a scientific experiment over an Montevideo, Uruguay uncontrolled listening test any day. I'm certain tha: everyone has seen the BRUCE F. WoLLE BERG Bravo! for the test of audiophile speaker new CD players, and a lot of people have Albany, N.Y. cables in August.It was very interesting bought them. For those of us who can't af- and useful for the "rational -end" music lis- ford or just don't want one, could you please So what if you have discovered that 16 - tener. Keep up the good work. lay off on the reviews? If you've seen one of gauge zip cord equals the performance of RAUL I. L. HERNANDEZ these machines, you've seen 'em all, espe- Monster Cable under certain questionable Guadalajara, Mexico cially if you can't have one. conditions? Laurence Greenhill's test meth- MIKE SLATER ods leave too much room for error. For a number of years I've been tempted Nappanee, Ind. RAY L. KIMBER to buy Monster Cable in the belief thatI Ogden, Utah was "missing something" without it. My Correction gratitude to STEREO REVIEW for the evalua- We think that Laurence Greenhill's speak- tion in the August issue, which confirmed Last month's Classical Music "News er -cable tests were conducted in the most my suspicion thatIprobably wouldn't no- Briefs" incorrectly stated that Shirley Ver- scientific manner possible. If the "incredi- tice any improvement with it in my system rett is alternating with Jessye Norman in ble" improvements claimed for most of the (which is fairly high in quality). the roles of Dido and Cassandra in the Met- exotic cables are real, we'd like to see some Audiophiles are vulnerable to hype from ropolitan Opera's production of Les Troy - proof STEREO REVIEW will even help to de- manufacturers of audio gear. It is relatively ens by Berlioz. Norman's co-star this season velop the proof If anyone can devise a easy to detect differences in the sound of is Tatiana Troyanos.

What you'll hear is all of it. Everygood ut luyilg down magnetic material twang, toot, oom-pah-pah and crack. with incredi 5le consistency. Free from Konica Audio Tape will get it down anddropouts, ar,d delivering rich, powerful get it right. The first time. Everytime. dynamic range. Because not only is the reproduction Konica offers four types of audio absolutely flawless, so is the quality tapes for all types of recording situa- control. tions. So when you want to hear every-KONICA AUDIO TAPE. In fact, we're so sure that if for anything you see, make sure you see your reason you're not happy with our nearest Konica dealer. tape, we'll replace it free of charge. II INES UP TO YOUR KONICA AUDIO .VIDEO DIVISION After over a century of precision KONISH ROKU PHOTO IND USA. INC coating experience, we've gotten pretty440 SYLVAN AVE ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N J 07632 IMAE MOW CIRCLE NO .4 ON READER SERVICE CARD NOVEMBER 1983 9 Li...Jensen hasgonefar beyond anyothercompanyin developing the first totally integrated audio/video system."Video Review, March 1983

The experts who write for the leading high resolution picture circuitry which of all audio and video needs in the home entertainment magazines don't also provides superior color transient palm of your hand. just know video, they live it. That's suppression, full bandwidth flat lumi- Once you see a Jensen demonstra- why we want you to know what they nance signal and improved chromi- tion, you'll see why Video Review think about Jensen Audio + Video"' nance signal. The result is a picture said "Its features and flexibility Components. of startling clarity and realism which be copied by many manufacturers is easily distinguished from ordinary who want to cater to the needs of THE RECEIVER television. those videophiles who appreciate "Amazingly well thought out... its superb sound reproduction." flexibility and provisions for future THE SPEAKERS For complete reviews, product expansion put it in a class by "State of the art loudspeaker information and a list of Jensen itself." High Fidelity. June 1983 technology and design." retailers,write Jensen Audio+ That's what they said about the mot & Sound Marlotting, September 1982 Video Components, Dept. 13, 4136 AVS-15001" Audio + Video Receiver, The magnets in conventional high N. United Parkway, Schiller Park, IL the only electronic component which fidelity speakers distort television 60176 or call 1-800-621-0660. can provide access to every form pictures so as to be unrecognizable. of audio or video entertainment. It Jensen AVS-5250 incorporates an AM/FM tuner, 133 speakers have channel cable -ready video tuner and specially designed 50 watt per channel stereo amplifier. and shielded (50 watts per channel continuous magnets. The result output power, minimum RMS into is the first high 8 ohms, with no more than .05% total fidelity speaker harmonic distortion.) Performance designed for video is further enhanced by such features applications. The as DNRT" noise reduction system, sound that video simulcast tuning circuitry, micro- programming has processor controlled switching and always deserved completely independent headphone is now possible. circuitry. A wireless remote control THE SYSTEM is standard equipment, of course. "... a rare combination of good AUDIO VIDEO THE MONITOR taste, good engineering and func- COMPONENTS "We strongly suggest you see the tional design." Stereo Review, January 1983 AVS-3250 monitor in operation." The real beauty of Jensen Audio + Apnl 1983 Video Components is in how they Only from The 430 lines of horizontal resolution work together. Incredible sound. stem from Jew:fgt..: Ittetaeltiftwe 'TM Iltipri-c441elmd picture. Total control JENSEN

rime" 11110 C.Mt.11

I 'III1. A ituiv.Ivitul .411.dt 11 lo flew Product, Latest Audio Equipment and Accessories

ADC's New Line of P -Mount Cartridges

CIAll the cartridges in ADC's PSX series include a mounting adaptor enabling them Technics L tobeinstalledinstandardaswellas Second - P -mount tone arms. The four models in the series use ADC's high -output induced -mag- Generation net transduction system and have a one - CD Player

The SL -P8 digital Compact Disc allows the user to sample the first10 player from Technics features random- seconds of each track on the disc. A access cueing, wireless remote control, large fluorescent display shows the total and many other convenience features for number oftracks,thetrackbeing a relatively low cost. The front -loading played,thetracksremainingtobe point cantilever suspension system that is player has a motor -driven slide -out disc played, and the programmed track num- said to provide better definition and balance compartment. The unit's search func- bers if the programming functions are while lowering distortion. tions permit fine cueing with audible activated. A numerical readout shows The top -of -the -line PSX-40 (shown) has playback at three times normal speed track number, elapsed orremaining a rated output voltage of 3.5 millivolts at a for the first 3 seconds after the keys are time, and index -point data. 5-cm/s groove velocity at 1,000 Hz. Chan- pushed, after which the player switches Three new large-scale integrated cir- nel balance is within 1.5 dB, and channel to thirty times normal speed for coarse caits for digital decoding have been in- separation is greater than 28 dB. Frequency cueing. Index points on certain discs are carporated into the SL -P8. They use the response is given as 20 to 24,000 Hz ± 1.5 directly accessible using theplayer's Technics Ultra Super Decoding Algo- dB. Compliance is 35 X 10-6 centimeters SKIP key as well as through the program- r thm, which is said to offer improved per dyne. Recommended tracking force is ming functions. Those functions include error correction and concealment. Other 1.25 ±0.2 grams. Recommended load is the ability to play a thirty -two -selection audio features include a pitch control 47,000 ohms and 150 picofarads. Cartridge sequence of tracks. Selections can be with a range of ±6 per cent and a front - weight isthestandard5.9gramsfor programmed according to track num- panel headphone jack with volume con - P -mount units (7.2 grams with adaptor). ber, elapsed time (in minutes and sec- t -ol. The remote control handles all pri- The elliptical stylus is 0.2 x 0.7 mil and is onds) from the start of the disc, or index mary player functions. Price: $800. mounted on a titanium tapered -tube canti- number. An AUTO -MUSIC SCAN function Circle 122 on reader service card lever. Price: $135. Other PSX models are priced from $110 to $60. Circle 120 on reader service card by the consumer who wishes to reproduce mended amplifier power ranges from 10 to the full dynamic range of digital program 75 watts per channel. The cabinet measures sources without purchasing a high -power 26/4 x I11/2 x 121/2 inches. amplifier. A pair of the larger DM220's is Both speakers are available in simulated B&W's Budget -Priced rated to produce peak listening levels higher American walnut or black -ash veneers with "Digital Monitor" Speakers than 115 dB sound -pressure level (SPL) in removable grilles in brown or gray, respec- a 3,530 -cubic -foot room. Both systems are tively. Matching speaker stands are also

1=1 The B&W DM110 (left) and DM220 rated for less than 3 per cent second -har- available. Price per speaker: DM110, $149; (right) "Digital Monitor" speaker systems monic distortion and less than 0.5 per cent DM220, $249. Anglo-American Audio Co., are high -sensitivity units intended for use third -harmonic distortion. Inc., Dept. SR, 1200 Markham Road, Scar- The smaller DM 110 is a two-way system borough, Ontario, Canada M I H 3C3. with a vented enclosure. The 8 -inch woofer Circle 121 on reader service card crosses over at 3,000 Hz to a1 -inch dome tweeter by a fourth -order network. Rated sensitivity is 91 dB SPL atImeter with a Portable Beta Hi-Fi 1 -watt input into 8 ohms. Frequency response is given as 70 to 20,000 Hz ±3 dB. VCR from Sanyo Recommended amplifier power is 10 to 50 watts per channel. Dimensions are 191/4 x O Sanyo's VCR7300 Beta -format stereo 101/4 x 93/4 irches; weight is 181/2 pounds. video -cassette recorder includes the Beta A three-way sealed system, the DM220 Hi-Fi system for recording high-fidelity au- employs a1 -inch dome tweeter and two 8 - dio on video tape along with a picture. The inch drivers. One of the latter serves as a recorder uses standard 1/2 -inch Beta -format lower -bass driver while the other handles video cassettes; no special tape formulations the upper bass and the midrange. Sensitivi- are required. To maintain compatibility

ty is given as 90 dB SPL at 1 meter with a with all existing Beta VCR's and tapes, the 1 -watt input into 8 ohms. Frequency re- unit also has a fixed audio head. sponse is 53 to 20,000 Hz ±3 dB. Recom- Other features of the VCR7300 include a

NOVEMBER 1983 11 4 10 mg. "tar", 0.8 m nicotine ay. per cigaretteIN FTCmethod.1111111.-. )LS:,G6,761e 4se'

Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined That Cigarette Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health.

OFF A... broad bandwidth, wide dynamic range, low ly flat from 41 Hz to 20 kHz on axis." The coloration, and transparent sound quality impedance is 4 ohms ( ± 1.5 ohms) at all ordinarily found only in costly, full-sized frequencies above 125 Hz and is essentially headphones designed for home use Accord- flew ing to NAD, the bass response of the Model 830 extends a full octave deeper than that of any other lightweight model, yet the Produce headphones are completely free of boomy mid -bass resonances. For home use the NAD 830 is supplied with a coiled extension/adaptor cord terminating in a 1/4 -inch built-in 105 -channel cable -ready TV tuner phone plug. with twelve programmable station presets, a Frequency response isgiven as15 to seven-day/single-event timer with easy -to - 25.000 Hz, total harmonic distortion as 0.5 per cent at 1,000 Hz at a 100 -dB sound - pressure level, and sensitivity as 100 -dB SPL with a 0.5 -volt input of pink noise. Nominal impedance is 75 ohms, minimum 50 ohms. The earpieces use I6 -micrometer polyester -film diaphragms and high -temperature copper -clad aluminum voice coils with self-supporting windings. The magnets resistive in behavior. Sensitivity is 90 dB are made of high-energy samarium -cobalt sound -pressure levelat I meter with a with focused gaps for low flux leakage. The 1 -watt input. Maximum power -handling headphones weigh 13/4 ounces, 414 ounces capacity is 200 watts per channel. The cab- with the extension/adaptor. Price: $55. inet is walnut veneered on all sides except Circle 124 on reader service card the back, and it has four beveled, nondif- fractive front edges and a removable black foam grille. Optional stands are available Niles Device Adds that give the speaker a slight backward tilt read clock display, an eight -function wired to improve the alignment of the drivers for remote control, and a removable a.c. power Automatic Shutoff "optimum coherence" at ear level. Dimen- pack. Transport controls include high-speed sions are 22 x111/2 x 125/8 inches. Price: Beta -scan picture search at seven times nor- Niles Audio's MM -I Music Minder is $799 per pair. Fourier Systems, Inc., Dept. mal playing speed and a memory -rewind an automatic monitoring and shut-off de- SR, 540 Nepperhan Avenue,Yonkers, feature. Audio -only recording ispossible vice that electronically "listens" to an audio N.Y. 10701. without a video signal input; maximum re- system. When a record or tape ends, the Circle 126 on reader set -rice card cording time is5 hours using an L-830 unit starts a 5 -minute countdown. If play- cassette. Beta Hi-Fi specifications include a fre- Fuji Cassettes quency response of 20 to 20,000 Hz with harmonic distortion of less than 0.3 per For Car Stereo cent. Dynamic range is better than 80 dB Wow -and -flutter is less than 0.005 per cent Fuji's GT-I normal -bias cassettes are (wrms). Dimensions are 141/2 x 105/s x 161/16 specifically designed to perform well under inches: weight is 15 pounds (with battery). the environmental rigors of car use: temper- Price: $999.95. ature extremes, vibration, and sound ab- Circle Ill on reader service card sorption. The cassette shells are made of back of another record or tape isn't started ABS resin, which can withstand tempera- within that period, the Music Minder auto- tures of tip to 230' F (110"C). According to matically shuts off the system. There is also Fuji, ordinary tape stock has a degree of NAD's High -Performance a 60 -minute timer mode. The box connects molecular stress that makes the tape con- Lightweight Headphones to a system via a tape -monitor loop and will switch up to1.200 watts of a.c. power.

The NAD Model 830 headphone's com- Price: $99.95. Niles Audio Corp., Dept. SR, pact size, light weight, and miniature phone P.O. Box 160818, Miami, Fla. 33116. plug make it a good match with personal Circle 125 on reader service card portable stereo radios and tape players. The drivers in each earpiece have the low impedance and high sensitivity needed to obtain Two -Way Speaker from Fourier Systems The Fourier 8 speaker from Fourier Sys- tract at high temperatures, but this stress tems was designed to be a state-of-the-art has been minimized in the GT-I tapes, system within the limits set by size and its which are said to run smoothly over a wide two-way driver configuration.It has an temperature range. The magnetic coating 8 -inch polypropylene -cone woofer and a of ordinary cassettes is said to soften at high I -inchsoft -dome tweeterin a Thiele/ temperatures, resulting in a deterioration of Small -aligned B. vented box with an inter- the tape motion and an increase in modula- nal volume of 1.3 cubic feet. A computer tion noise. The magnetic layer in the GT-I was used to help design the crossover, and tapes uses a heavy-duty binder formulation undistortedhigh -volume sound from the the program included the electromechani- that has increased chemical stability at ex- small amplifiers in compact battery -oper- cal characteristics of the drivers. To opti- tremely high temperatures. ated players. The cable is the right length mize the transition between woofer and To counter vibration effects, the cassettes to serve as an antenna for shirt -pocket FM tweeter, the crossover has 24 -dB -per -octave have dual -spring pressure pads designed to radios. slopes. maintain proper tape -to -head contact by The NAD 830 is also said to provide the Frequency response is given as "essential- following subtle misorientations of the head

NOVEMBER 1983 13 tortion. The crossover uses 200 -volt Mylar capacitors and 16 -gauge air -core chokes. Midrange and tweeter controls facilitate A UNIQUE adjusting the ITC I to a wide range of room flew acoustics. OPPORTUNITY Overall system frequency response is given as 50 to 18,000 Hz ±3 dB in half -space TO JOIN THEProducts anechoic conditions (typical response is 55 to 17,000 Hz ± 1.5 dB). Sensitivity is rated WORLD'S FIRST as 86 dB sound -pressure level with aI -watt input at 1 meter. Power requirements range DIGITAL caused by car vibrations. A newly developed from a minimum of 20 watts in small- to pad holder exerts a firmer pressure and average -sizedlistening rooms atlow to AUDIO CLUB. keeps the pad aligned properly even undermoderate volume levels to a minimum of For those who want to attain conditions of high temperature and humidi- 100 watts in large listening rooms at moder- ty. To reduce the chance of jamming, the ate to high levels. Nominal system imped- an intimate understanding of the shells of the GT-I cassettes have special ance is 8 ohms. Crossover frequencies are remarkable technology behind tape guides to prevent the tape from looping 1,000 and 7,500 Hz. Dimensions are 71/4 x Sony's compact disc players, in the wrong direction. Head -cleaning lead- 121/4 x 8 inches for the speaker, 71/8 x 2'//4 x Sony introduces the Digital Audio er tape is also provided. 41/4 inches for the BDR. The speakers weigh Club-a source of informa- To combat the loss of high -frequency 16 pounds each. Price per pair, with the sounds in the car environment, the tape's BDR: $780 on the East Coast, $795 on the tion about digital audio from the magnetic layer has a denser and more even West Coast. Innovative Techniques Corp., company most qualified to distribution of particles. High -frequency re- Dept. SR, 314 Central Avenue, Pt. Pleasant provide it. sponse is stated as +11 dB at 15,000 Hz Beach, N.J. 08742. Join the club now, and you'll re- compared to a standard normal -bias tape. Circle 128 on reader service card Other magnetic specifications include an ceive our quarterly newsletter, intrinsic coercivity of 380 oersteds, retentiv- "The Sony Pulse"; The Sony Book ity of 1,400 gauss, and bias noise of -60 of agital Audio Technology dB. Other convenience features for automo- Sparkomatic Car Stereo (with more than 300 pages of tive use include an asymmetrical shell so Has Built -In Equalizer that the two sides look different, a concave facts and details); a 30" x 40" identification letter for side A and a convex Li Capable of delivering 45 watts into a compact disc poster; extensive in- one for side B, knurled edges on the short speaker load with 10 per cent total har- formation about Sony digital sides of the shell to provide a firm grip for monic distortion, the Sparkomatic SR 307 audio products; and a CD soft- insertion or extraction of the cassette, and a car stereo cassette player/AM/FM receiv- large tape window with an easy -to -read ware catalog. You'll even receive tape -remaining scale. Prices: C-46, $5.55; a digitally -recorded CD sampler. C-60, $6.20; C-90, $8.65. To join, simply mail the cou- Circle 127 on reader service card pon below, along with a check or money order for $15 (which covers postage and handling), to Innotec's Small Sony Digital Audio Club, Sony Three -Way Speaker er incorporates a five -band equalizer cen- Drive, Park Ridge, New Jersey tered at 60, 250, 1,000. 3,500, and 10,000 07656. But do it soon, because 0 The ITC 1 speaker system from Innova- Hz. There is also a DNR (Dynamic Noise tive Techniques Corp. has a 51/4 -inch Bex- Reduction) circuit for lower noise in tape quantities are limited. trene cone woofer designed for high per- playback and radio reception. Other fea- formance in the upper bass and lower mid- tures include balance and fader controls for Name range. The vented system has a sixth -order four-way speaker adjustments and light - alignment; an external processor, called a touch controls for FM muting, mono/stereo Address listening, and loudness compensation. The auto -reverse cassette deck has a switch to City select metal/chrome or normal playback equalization and locking fast-forward/re- State Zip wind. Specifications include a frequency response of 20 to 20,000 Hz and a 4 -microvolt Sony Digital Audio Club FM sensitivity. Dimensions are 7 x17/8 x Sony Drive, Park Ridge, New Jersey 07656 51/8inches.Price: $189.95. Sparkomatic Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery. Corp., Dept. SR, Milford, Pa. 18337. Circle 129 on reader service card

Bass Distortion Reducer (BDR), supplies the modest boost in the bass (6 dB at 50 JBL's Add -On Hz) required by the alignment and limits Bass Speaker the passband of the signal to that of the speaker by reducing the input signal 18 dB LI The B380 bass system from JBL has per octave below 50 Hz. According to Inno- many of the styling and performance fea- tee, this band limitation reduces doppler turesfirstintroducedinthe company's distortion significantly and increases the B460 system. The more compact B380 cov- speaker's power -handling capacity. ers the same frequency spectrum (25 to 70 The system's other two drivers, aI ./2 - Hz) and incorporates a I5 -inch driver with inch dome midrange/lower-high-frequency a 4 -inch ribbon -wire voice coil in a vented SONY driver and a1 -inch upper -high -frequency enclosure for high power -handling capabili- THE LEADER IN DIGITAL AUDIO' driver, are designed to operate in the ranges ty and low distortion. Maximum recom- where their response is most linear, making mended amplifierpoweris600 watts. them capable of high output with low dis- (Continued on page 16)

14 STEREO REVIEW SONYUNVEII3 ' wonlysFIRST compptcr PLAYER Ma) DISC tit *es ott the e -In yew Iti the Vrt**,. 1 ited I ated even* hie oct""' TOKY0(),:.t..mIti en' mosteager%)titOtit,telitY,1300 tittiv1*`" 01 4.11the en' OWhifStOry f(K1,I, tli,, today int compactIWO ho digitalaudio&w ow,s. tip first Adramatic11011,01. playr, WOW,tambe tOrPhiltionaltow. player ' 1,' rrtiCTOOr, niAmr31 ENT THE WORLD OF DIGITAL AUDIO WITH THE COMPANY PRESENT AT THE CREATI N. In the beginning, there was an-for example, Sony invented digital track access and greatest immunity alog sound. And through the gen- audio processing. to shock m the industry.** As well erations. its supremacy remained Sony established the industry as convenient horizontal loading and largely uncontested. standards that are most directly re- supplied wireless remote control. Then Sony engineers created sponsible for the remarkable So if you're confused by the cur- the CDP-101 digital audio com- sound of the compact disc: t tie 16 - rent deluge of compact disc pact disc player-"the most funda-bit linear quantization system, prayers. your choice is actually much mental change in audio technologyand the CIRC error-correcticri code.c:earer than you think. in more than eighty years."* And Sony developed the world's You can buy one of the players For the first time, audiophiles widest range of professional digi- inspired by Sony. could enjoy the total freedom from tal audio equipment. Including the Or you can buy the inspirat.on distortion that was previously ex- digital mastering system used m itself. clusive to concert halls. An incred- the mastering of every compact disc SONY ible dynamic range. And nearly made today. THE, LEADER IN DIGITAL AUDIO!" indestructible software. The benefits of Sony's long Predictably, the Sony CDP-101 head start in digital audio are, of spawned a host ci imitators. But course, manifest in the CDP-:01. while these other versions seemedSuch as filters that provide ec..cellent to spring up virtually overnight, frequency response without the process of creating the CDP- compromising the attenuation of 101 was considerably more ultrasonic noise. The same digi- deliberate. tal -to -analog converter used !n the Along the way to the CDP-101, legendary PCM-Fl. The fastest © 1983 Sony Corp. ofAmenca 1 Sony Drive, Park Ridge, New Jersey 07656 Sony is a registered tradem irk of the Sony Corporation *Quotes' from High Fidehiy. "Reported in Stereo Review. CIRCLE NO. 26 ON READER SERVICE CARD QI-201 measures 43/4 x 35/16 x 27/32 inches pensive models. It can automatically deter- and weighs 2/3 pound. Price: $104.95. Fujit- mine the disc size and correct platter speed su Ten Corp. of America, Dept. SR, 19281 Pacific Gateway Drive, Torrance, Calif. flew 90502. Products Circle 131 on reader service card Two ADS Auto Power Amplifiers Crossover frequency is 63 Hz. Impedance is (a manual override is included). To prevent 8 ohms. ADS's P80 and P120 (shown) automo- accidental damage, the stylus will not lower Use of the B380 in a biamplified speaker tive power amplifiers offer substantial pow- when there is no disc on the platter. Control system is said to reduce intermodulation ercapabilitiesinrelativelysmall -sized features include forward and backward distortion substantially in the main speak- units. The manufacturer ascribes the effi- search, auto -stop, auto -return, oil -damped ciency of the amplifiers to the design of cueing, and side repeat. All controls are lo- their power supplies, which employ a load - cated outside the dust cover at the front of sensing feedback control system that con- the unit. Horizontal and vertical tone -arm tinuously monitors power requirements and friction are reduced by a new four -point adjusts the output of the internal voltage gimbal suspension system. The tone arm converter accordingly. This system is said to takes P -mount plug-in cartridges. The plat- reduce power consumption by 20 per cent or ter is driven by a d.c. servomotor. more. The cast -aluminum chassis with its Wow -and -flutter is specified as 0.045 per integral heat -sink fins also helps to dissipate cent (wrms) or ±0.06 per cent (DIN - performance -limiting heat. The amplifiers peak). Rumble is given as -70 dB (DIN - are said to perform well with 2 -ohm loads. B). Dimensions are1615/16 x 31/2 x133/s Installation is said to be eased by the am- inches; weight is 93/4 pounds. Price: $185. plifiers' small size and the design of their Circle 133 on reader service card input and output connections. The speaker connectors have high -current spring -loaded terminalsthatcan accommodateeven heavy-duty speaker cable. The power con- Surface -Mount Car / Home nectors are screw -clamp terminal blocks Speakers from Pyle that can handle up to 10 -gauge wire. The inputs (phono jacks) have selectable sensi- 0 Pyle Industries' first surface -mounting tivity and impedance to ensure correct loudspeakers, the Horizon HS100A and matching with either preamplifier or speak- HS150P, are designed for use in cars, vans, ers and amplifiers and to produce a notice- er outputs from a car receiver/player. Pow- recreational vehicles, etc. as well as in of- ably purer midrange sound. The optional fices or homes. The speakers have die-cast BX63 dividing/summing network employs aluminum enclosures lined with vibration - a passive high-pass crossover for the main damping materials. The HS100A (left) has speakers while sending an actively summed LaatillthiLLUILLI a bracket that allows mounting on auto rear bass -only signal to the B380. Finished in Power Plate 'in° decks or in other mobile applications. oiled American black walnut, the heavily Both minispeaker systems are equipped braced enclosure of the B380 can be placed with a deep -excursion 4 -inch woofer, a either horizontally or vertically. A platform I -inch compression -loaded dome tweeter, that elevates the system 1 inch from the er may be switched remotely from a dash- and a crossover network with 12 -dB -per -oc- floor is included. Cabinet dimensions are board control or a receiver's on/off switch. tave slopes. The woofer has a chemically 271/2 x 203/4 x 17 inches. Prices: B380, $495; The P80 measures 111/4 x 2 x 61/s inches treated polyurethane -foam surround and a BX63, $225. and weighs 6 pounds. Its rated output is 40 high -temperature, four -layer voice coil de- Circle 130 on reader service card watts per channel into 4 -ohm loads with less than 0.1 per cent total harmonic distortion (THD) from 20 to 20,000 Hz, 30 watts per channel with less than 0.3 per cent THD Car Spectrum Analyzer into 2 ohms, and 35 watts into 8 ohms with From Fujitsu Ten less than 0.06 per cent THD. The top -of - the -line P120 is rated to deliver 60 watts per O Displaying the distribution of music fre- channel into 4 -ohm loads with less than 0.1 quencies over six bands (125, 400, 1,000, per cent THD from 20 to 20,000 Hz. Its signed for increased heat dissipation and 2,000, 4,000, and 8,000 Hz), Fujitsu Ten's 2- and 8 -ohm ratings are 40 and 50 watts, high power -handling capability. The speak- QI-201 spectrum analyzer for car stereo respectively, with THD of 0.3 and 0.06 per ers are rated for a maximum of 55 watts per cent. The unit can be operated in a mono channel with a frequency response of 50 to bridged mode for 90 watts into 4 -ohm loads 20,000 Hz. Impedance is 4 ohms. Prices per with less than 0.3 per cent THD. Although pair: HS100A, $230; HSI 50P, $215. Pyle the P120 is the same size as the P80, it Industries,Inc.,Dept. SR, 501Center weighs 63/4 pounds. Prices: P80, $259; PI20, Street, Huntington, Ind. 46750. $329. Circle 134 on reader service card Circle 132 on reader service card Panasonic Car Stereo Technics Linear -Tracking Has dbx Noise Reduction Belt -Drive Turntable systems covers a dynamic range of more 0 In addition to a dbx tape noise -reduction than 31 dB (from +10 to -20 dB) with 0 The first Technics turntable with both decoder, Panasonic's CQ-S793 car receiv- ten -point, three -color LED displays. There linear tracking and a ±6 per cent pitch con- er/cassette player incorporates a MOSFET is a level switch to match the display to the trol, the full-sized, belt -driven SL-BL3 has tuner front-end section, a multistage auto- output of other components in the car. The features normally found only on more ex- matic gain control in the AM section, sepa-

16 STEREO REVIEW

...NM...MM. A FURTHERINDUCEMENT TO OWN THE SONYOF COMPACT DISCPLAYERS: FREE COMPACT DISCS. IN MINN II

YOUR FIVE FAVORITE CD TITLES:

(And five alternatives.)

4. 5.

The new Sony Compact Disc Players deliver coupon, along with 5 alternatives, and send it

sound that's almost immeasurably beyond any- with proof of purchase and your warranty/regis- . thing you've ever heard. tration card to the address below marked "Free And now through January 31, 1984, when you CD Offer." Allow 4-5 weeks for delivery, and . purchase a Compact Disc Player from Sony, the the discs that are part of "the most fundamental people who developed the Compact Disc change in audio technology in more than eighty

player, Sony will deliver to you five free compact years" (High Fidelity), will arrive at your door. Offer limited to purchase of one Sony Compact discs (a retail value of around $100) courtesy of the CBS family of labels (Columbia, Epic, and Disc Player per household. Offer available only . in limited areas within the continental U.S.A. Void Masterworks), Warner Bros. (Elektra/Asylum, . Atlantic) and Telarc. where prohibited by law. Your Sony CD dealer has the catalog of avail- All coupons must be postmarked by Feb-

able titles. Just fill in your favorite choices on this ruary 28, 1984.

YOUR NAME, ADDRESS, ETC.

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W/E/A Zip SONY TELARC State . Free CD Offer. Sony Corporation of America. 1 Sony Drivi'Park Ridge, N.J. 07656.

.:.+83 Sony Corp The leader in equalizers still stacksupbest flew with improved specs, more features arid a new look. Products ADCs new line of Sound Shapersx. prove that the best Just gut boter. Again. Our stereo frequency equalizers incorporate the superb electronics. reliability, and high performance technology that have made AIX: famous. Plus we've improved them with new refinements that offer you more control rate bass and treble controls, and impulse - and a new design that makes them 1(x)k as g(xxl as they function. noise quieting. The tuner has four station Our top -of -the -line SS -315 offers a unity gain of I dB and the hest signal- to-noise ratio in the industry. For the utmost in versatility, the range of each frequency control is an extra wide 15 dB, far more than the 12 dB of lesser a ..41110111111111lie -I. equalizers. Tape monitoring and two dubbing capabilities for two decks are available. LEI) indicators for each control let you see the selected fre- wo me. a quency curve at a glance. The SS -3I5 includes a built-in real-time spectrum GOB MI SIMI NM MO analyzer, pink noise generator and calibrated electret microphone enabling ydu to attain flat response in minutes. Other features include external presets. The cassette player can be switched noise reduction and sound processor loops to accommodate time de- formetal, chrome -type,ornormal -bias lay. subharrnonic synthesizer. dynamic range expander or reverb tapes. Price: $280. units. There's also a subsonic filter that gets rid of damaging, Circle I3S on reader service card power -robbing subsonic frequencies. The other models in our Sound Shaper line offer the same fine ADC quality, with similar features geared to your equalization and budget needs. Hitachi Introduces If you've been waiting for the right stereo fre- Four Turntables quency equalizer for your system. don't wait any longer. With ADC Sound Shapers, the (7Hitachi's HT -L303 (shown) is a two - odds are stacked in your favor. (And if speed turntable with d.c. servo speed control you're into video, be sure to see and of its die-cast platter.It features feather - hear what our new ADC Video touch control of program repeat and arm Sound Shapers can do to improve cueing plus automatic disc-size/speed se- your video performance.) lection.Thelinear -trackingarmtakes

P -mountcartridges. Wow -and -flutteris given as 0.045 per cent (wrms) and signal- to-noise ratio (S/N) as 70 dB (DIN -B). The unit measures 171/s x 31/4 x 125/s inches and weighs 8 pounds, 13 ounces. The HT - L33 is a "record -jacket -size" version of the same turntable thatis only125/s inches square. Price for both models is $180. With a Unitorque direct -drive motor, the semi -automatic HT -2 has a 78 dB S/N with0.025per centwow -and -flutter (wrms). The unit has a straight low -mass pivoted tone arm, front -panel controls, and slim -line styling. Price: $1 30. The HT -1, another semi -automatic turntable, is a belt - drive unit that also has front -panel controls and a straight tone arm. Price: $90. Circle 136 on reader service card

NOTE: All product descriptions and specifications quoted in these columns are based on materials supplied by the manufacturers, who will respond directly to reader requests for further information. Domestic inflation and fluctuations in the value of the dollar overseas affect the price Shaping sound isas easy asAD of merchandise imported into this country. ADC Division BSR (USA) Ltd.. Blauvelt, N.Y. 10913 (914) 358-6060 Please be aware that prices quoted in this 1983 issue are therefore subject to change.

CIRCLE NO1 ON READER SERVICE CARD 18 STEREO REVIEW It

Masterpiece

.30111

Shirt pocket size and massive, earthshaking sound are now made possible in this audiophile quality FM personal stereo. 3 integrated circuits and gold banded 5% prime resistors make your FM stereo come alive.

rEILIII"";r714" "S T 11. .1 your money, we'll give you a free gift for your trouble. And, DAK's come with a deluxe hard plastic box, index insert card and a limited one year warranty. WHY, YOU MAY BE ASKING? You're very valuable to us in the form of future business. Over 330,000 customers have responded to bonuses like this. We find most of you keep buying Thunderingly vibrant, larger than life, brilliant FM stereo sound will once you've tried our cassettes and our engulf you as you put on the stereophones of this state of the art per- prices; and that's a worthwhile gamble. sonal FM stereo. It's all yours for just $7. But there's a catch. NOT A BAD CATCH It's no Hong Kong cheapie. Your FM So, here's our challenge. Start at 88MHz DAK manufactures a cassette with no stereo sound will explode with life. on the bottom of the FM dial. And, sta- problems and great sound. We've been In a market flooded with Hong Kong tion by station, compare the reception to hot on the heels of the frequency res- look -a -likes, this incredible Japanese your current home stereo. ponses of Maxell and TDK. The tape we crafted personal FM stereo from MGT, You're sure to leave virtually any other made last year had a great frequency (the super tweak auto -stereo company), personal stereo of any size in the dust, response up to 14,000 hz. was simply too expensively built for the and MGT's dramatically alive FM stereo Now, our new Gold Label MLX is se- market during the last recession. sound will even give a top of the line cond to none. We have a frequency res- So, DAK was able to buy (steal) all home FM tuner a run for its money. ponse to 19,500 hz and we'll go head to 64,000 of these audiophile quality per- TECHNOLOGY PLUS head against any tape on the market. sonal FM stereos for cold hard cash. Everything is automated. An extra large TRY NEW DAK MLX90 CASSETTES Each is complete with super feather- LED shows when the circuit automati- RISK FREE weight headphones, leatherette carry- cally switches to stereo reception. And, To cet the audiophile quality FM Stereo ing case and two standard AAA batteries. there's no on/off button. Just plugging Sports complete with headphones, case You get everything for just $7, but don't in the headset turns it on and off. and batteries for just $7, try 10 MLX 90 forget, there's a catch. The headphone cable becomes a sen- minute high energy cassettes. If you're MICRO-SIZE/MAGNIFICENT SOUND sitive FM antenna. The leatherette case not 100% satisfied, return only 9 of the MGT has produced an FM tuning cir- attaches to your And, there's a wrist 10 cassettes and the Stereo Sports in its cuit of incredible quality using three 16 strap to make it easy to carry. original box within 30 days for a refund. pin integrated circuits. For those of you But, frankly it's the smaller than shirt The 10th cassette is a gift for your time. who are electronic nuts as I am, even the pocket size and the incredibly pure sound To order your 10 Gold Label MLX 90 resistors are gold banded 5% prime as that make this an audiophile's delight. minute DAK cassettes and get the fabu- used in only the very finest equipment. MGT made the Stereo Sports in both lous Stereo Sports FM Personal Stereo So, you'll have the finest circuit and high-tech black, or white with blue ac- for only $7 with your credit card, call toll the best components to give you remark- cents. Whichever you choose, it's back- free, or send your check for $24.90 for ably drift free ultra clean FM stereo sound. ed by MGT's standard limited warranty. the 10 tapes, plus $7 for the Stereo Most fine stereo equipment is design- THE CATCH Sports, and $3 for postage and handling ed to be lovingly placed on a shelf and Frankly we are losing our shirts on the for each group. CA res add 6% sales tax. never moved. Obviously, this isn't a prac- FM stereo masterpiece, but we're look- Use Order Number 9711 for High - tical way to listen when you're walking ing for audiophiles who use cassettes. Tech Black or Order Number 9712 for your dog, jogging or mowing the lawn. If you buy top name TDK and Maxell White with Blue accents. So, whether you're working in yourcassettes, you probably pay $3.50 to You'll have massive 20hz to 20,000hz office with the Stereo Sports unob- $4.50 each for a 90 minute cassette. audicphile FM sound from the Stereo trusively sitting in your shirt pocket, ski- We want you to try DAK's new Gold Sports, and great audiophile sound from ing down a fast slope, or just lying on Label MLX ultra high energy, normal OAK'S' MLX 90 minute cassettes. your backyard hammock, you'll have mas- bias cassettes. Not at $4.50 or even at sively powerful, breathtakingly crisp, $3.50, but at a factory direct price of just 83SR FM stereo music anywhere. $2.49 each for a 90 minute cassette. DAK CHALLENGE YOUR HOME STEREO We challenge you to compare the fre- INDUSTRIES INCORPORATED This tiny FM receiver (it's only about the quency response, dynamic range and TOLL -FREE ORDER LINE size of a standard cassette), will easily signal to noise ratio of our new Gold For credit card orders call 24 hours a day 7 days a week slip in your shirt pocket, yet it's so power- Label MLX to Maxell UDXL or TDK SA. If CALL TOLL -FREE. . .1-800-325-0800 ful it can challenge your home stereo. they win, we'll not only give you back 10845 Vanowen St., N. Hollywood CA 91605 Here's a minor miracle: Sensible Sound,Tape Talk Stereophile and Stereo Review actually like the same amplified

because over a period of time the tapes Overshooting Dolby would "burn the heads out," making the Ours. r'N When / play prerecorded cassettes music sound progressively bassier." Since (And for the same reasons.; %-ae that have been Dolby -B encoded, I I use chrome -equivalent tapes extensively find that their signal peaks register' 3 dB for both my car system and my portable, If you're familiar with the "underground" higher on my meters than the Dolby cali- I'm worried. is he right? bration mark, which is at 0 dB. Does this GARY MAK publications, such as Sensible Sound mean my deck's meters are miscalibrated? Calgary, Alberta and Stereophile, you know that they Or was the prerecorded tape produced on have very strong opinions about audio better equipment that can safely record at A Your repairman is ill informed. In the higher levels than mine? first place, the playback signal from components and how they should STUART GRIGGS any kind of tape is so low in level (a couple sound. They have a choice selection Lake Charles, La. of millivolts) that it can't "burn out" any of adjectives to make their opinicrs tape head. Furthermore, if you ever did AActually, both your suggested burn out ahead(forinstance, if you unmistakably clear, and are quite nations, though plausible, are mis- plugged it directly into a power -line socket), blunt when they compare one brand taken.expla- The official Dolby -B cassette level you wouldn't get "progressively bassier" and model with another. (200 nanowebers/meter) is not intended to music, you'd get none at all. A burned -out represent the maximum undistorted signal tape head will produce no more output than Recently, these two publications re- level that you (or a commercial duplicating a burned -out light bulb, and for the same viewed the TransMos 150 power ampli- plant) can put on a tape. Strictly speaking, reason. fier, and we wanted to quote from their itis an arbitrarily defined level intended It is true is that inexpensive soft-permal- reports. Especially the parts describing only for the adjustment of the Dolby -B boy heads of the kind often used in car sys- encoder and decoder inside your deck. If tems and personal portables are much more it as the best choice over one of the you were to play a standard Dolby -level cal- susceptible to head wear than are the hard- best-selling amplifiers in the industry. ibrationcassette on your machine, the permalloy, Senalloy, and ferrite varieties and as sounding better than another chances are that its signal would register found in home decks. As an inexpensive right at the Dolby marking on your deck's head wears, its gap tends to widen, and as highly -regarded amplifier that costs meters. the gap widens high -frequency losses in- three times as much as ours. The confusion arises because, like many crease. This may be what your repairman But their policies require the entire fine recorders today, your deck has its 0 -dB was trying to say. At cassette -tape speed marking at the Dolby level. Thisis an and tape -to -head pressure, however, I have review to be quoted, or nothing. Stereo entirely reasonable practice provided that seen no evidence to suggest that one tape Review, which also reviewed our ampli- only occasional signal peaks are allowed to typeis more abrasive than another. So, fier, does allow quotes, but we resisted run a few decibels higher. The amount ofenjoy your tapes-all of them-and tell the temptation. leeway (or "headroom") allowed between your repairman to stop spreading rubbish. an indicated 0 -dB level and the onset of Instead, we've reprinted ail three re- serious distortion varies from one deck mod- views in their entirety, and they're yours elto another (itis always mentioned in Taping Abroad for the asking. If you telephone cr write Hirsch -Houck Labs test reports). In any case, however. 3 dB above Dolby level (that f -N Will the d.c. motors of a tape deck run to us directly, we'll respond by -eturn is, about 285 nWb/m) for occasional peaks kii at the right speed and without dam- mail, and let you know where you can is certainly safe. Moreover, so far from their age from 50- as well as 60 -Hz a.c. power hear what these audio experts heard. being produced on "better" equipment,I lines? Can my U.S.-standard (I/O volts) have found that most commerciallyre- deck he used in Europe (220 mils) and in And you'll be able to quote them any corded cassettes are sonically inferior to England (240 volts) with a suitable step- way you like. thoseI can make myself at home. down transformer? Sii VI 's R. Glom Fayetteville, N.C. Head -Burnout Myth A Direct -current(d.c.) cassette -deck

rl Recently a repairman told me never to motors will operate perfectly normal- 1/44 use chromium -dioxideormetal ly at either power -line frequency. In compo- 670 Airport Blvd. Ann Arbor. MI 48104 313-769-5522 tapes on car decks that do not provide bias/ nents with d.c. motors an internal power equalization switches for these tape types (Continued on page 24) "Only the music remains" STEREO REVIEW What a deal ! The RCA MUSIC SERVICE gives you

YEAH, but then you have to buy a whole lot more, RIGHT ?

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Don't Miss These Start Saving NOW! Send back this coupon...today! 0 MAIL TO: RCA MUSIC SERVICE, Smash Hits! Start Now with 3 Hit Albums for 1c! Yes, pick any 3 records. P.O. BOX RCA 1, TAPE Kenny Rogers Gt. Hits 50019 or 8 -track tapes. or cassettes...for just 10. Then agree to buy INDIANAPOLIS, IN 46291 PENN" Alabama Mtn. Music 60229 only 1 more hit at regular Club prices (usually $8.98 to $9.98) I enclose lc. Please accept my trial Duran Duran Rio 63452 ...and take up to one full year to do it...with nothing more to HERE B Manilow Here Comes Night 54146 membership in the RCA Music Fleetwood Mac. Mirage 04802 buy ever! That's 4 smash hits for the price of one! Service and send me the 3 hits I've

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"EVERY ALPINE/LUXMAN PRODUCT COMES WITH AVERY SPECIAL FEATURE: AN ALPINE/LUXMAN DEALER' -Reese Haggott, Executive VP/General Manager Alpine Electronics of America

Anyone who knows audio will tell help design the Alpine Car or Luxman you there's something special about High Fidelity System that's exactly the way Alpine Car Audio and Luxmanright for your particular listening High Fidelity products perform. And environment. in the way they look. And even a And why he'll also go to the time difference in the way their controls feel and effort to install your system so that when you touch them. it performs to your expectations. But that's just part of what makes And why he'll make himself available us unique. to answer any question along the way. The other difference is in the spe- If you have a question or an idea cial people who sell, install and service you'd like to share, please get in touch our products. with me at R You see, Alpine Car Audio and The way we look at it, we want Luxman High Fidelity components you to feel good about Alpine/Luxman are available only at a select numberof products. dealers: Audio specialists, whose per- And those formance standards are as selective as of us who those which we set for ourselves. bring them So it isn't enough to be knowl- to you. edgeable about electronics. Every one of our dealers is also hand-picked for the way he works with people. Which is why your Alpine/Luxman dealer will go out of his way to treat you like a valued client, instead of a customer. And why he'll work with you to

ALPINE / LUXMAN AUDIO SPECIALISTS

For the Alpine/Luxman dealer nearest you, call: 1-800-411-1395.1n California call: 1-80o-2-61-41 SO. Alpine/Luxman Electronics of America, 19145 Gramercy Place, Torrance, CA 90501 supply convertsthealternatingcurrent from the wall socket into direct current, which is used both by the motors and by any transistor circuits in the unit. Many cassette decks I have tested do not even need an external step-down transformer. Such decks arc marked on the back "50/60 Hz, 110/ SOLUTION. 220/240 volts": usually thereis a small recessed switch to select among the recom- Dear Bob Carver, mended line voltages. In other cases, howev- bcught a tuner four weeks before you introducedJur TX -II er, transformer taps inside the unit have to -urer. Now :hat I've read the AUDIO, STEREO REVIEW and be changed by a technician, and you may need a power -plug adaptor. When no inter- iIGH FIDE_ITY reviews and have 1-eard a demo at cry audio nal provision is made for a change to Euro- dealercoild kick myself. Couldn't you please put thEt special pean power lines, a step-down transformer 71v1ncise reduction circuit into an add-on unit? By the way, rated to handle the total current you intend have the C-4000 with Sonic Holography and your .v1 -I 5t to draw from it will suffice. My only concern would be for equipment anc Icove them "Pleading it Suburbia" marked "60 Hz," not "50/60 Hz." This may indicate that the power transformer for Dear Bob Carver, thecomponent'sinternalpower supply an sa: F fied with my present rece ver except when I try would overheat when used with a 50 -Hz 70 I sten toM. The stations in this city are fantastic but the outlet.If any of your equipmentisso marked, you should check with the manu- noise from -nultipath interference makes stereo listening facturer before assuming thatallyou'll almost impossible for me. However several friends n my need for European operation is the external Dui ding have your TX -I1 tuner and they get beautifil stereo FM step-down transformer. -ecep--Jol Is it possible for you to build your special FM circuit 3S 3 separate device so receiver owners can oenefi: -tom your :eclnology too? Headroom Margin "Hoping in Vlarnattan" r% Now that almost all cassette decks Dear' Pleading" and "Hoping." %,4 use peak -reading instead of VU me- d -d it! The Carver TXI-I I, Asymmetrical Change -Coupled ters for showing record levels, why should just there be any "headroom margin" between 0 FM Decoder, designed to be used in the stereo mcde cf any dB and the 3 per cent distortion point used FM tun -a o- receiver, will give you a 20 dB inprove-tent of the for measuring signal-to-noise ratios? ste-ec quieting (that's 10 times qu eteri) anc a 10 dB improve - GARY WINTUROP me -itr nultipath noise reduction. And you'll still have fully Cambridge, Mass. separated stereo FM reception with space, cepth and ambience. A1 here are a couple of reasons for this.

First, many people are so accus- Both my TX -11 and TXI-11 use the Asymmetrical Charge- tomed to getting away with "cheating" a Coup ez- FM Decoder circuitry which very significarly reduces littlein recording (running slightly "into :he- ITU ti oath noise and distant station hiss to which FM stereo the red") that they find the practice of s ect-ernely vulnerable. using 0 dB as a true maximum as hard to adhere to as the 55 -mph highway speed lim- To ?.et v irtua ly noise -free stereo FM, simply connect tF.e-X1-11 it. Second, it often happens that when you .Detween your tuner and pre -amp or through the tape rronitor/exter- set up for a recording, the actual maximum lal orocessor loop of your existing system. levels you will encounter are unknown, so when you try to judge a suitable recording Good listen rte! level for 0 dB, you may miss by a bit. Since tape distortion above the 3 per cent point rises very rapidly, it's best to allow a little margin for error. Bob Carver Finally, except for a few deluxe machines, the signal shown on the record -level indicatorsisthe input to the recording amplifier, not that amplifier's output to the recording head. In the recording amplifier the signal gets a very large treble boost (equalization)-on the order of 10 dB at 10 kHz and 20 dB at 20 kHz. High -frequency signal components that are well below 0 dB at the input may thus be well above it when they reach the tape, thus causing satura- tion. Decks that meter after the record equalization more accurately show the true ( VA I It level being fed to the tape, and such decks have traditionally set their 0 -dB point at the TXI-11 level of maximum acceptable distortion. 0

For information, please write to: Carver Corporation P.O. Box 664, Woodinville, WA 98072 Becausethe number of questions POWERFUL MUSICAL we receive each monthisgreater ACCURATE than we can reply to individually. only those letters selected for use in Distributed in Canada by Evolution Audio. Ltd. this column can be answered. Sorry!

24 CIRCLE NO. 8 ON READER SERVICE CARD STEREO REVIEW 3-D Sound New microphone developed by a brain surgeon uses same technology as your ear to produce startling audio.

The Sound Grabber© plugs into any cassette recorder to produce a sound you'll have to hear to believe.

Humans see in 3-D. It's primarily because You can then hold the Sound Grabber® in ing studios. The Sound Grabber®, however, we have two eyes. But we might not realize your hand, put it in your shirt pocket or just was designed for use outside the studio by that we also hear in 3-D too. Here's how. plain leave it out of the way taped onto a wall consumers. but it has become a favorite of Two ears help. With two ears we can hear somewhere in your room. professional record ng engineers, too. in stereo and determine where the sound is SOUNDS HIT SURFACE The Sound Grabber® was the end result of several engineering developments in the mid coming from. But our ears can do much Sound hits the Sound Grabber° surface more. Scientists have discovered that when and a pressure zone is created a few 70's. Recently, a brain surgeon who was also sound hits a surface, a "pressure zone" is an electrical engineer, took the technology to thousandths of an inch above the surface. By its ultimate direction-into a product that has created a few thousandths of an inch above inthis pressure sensing the fluctuations simulated the human ear and that we feel will that surface. Our ears transmit that pressure through a pressure calibrated membrane and to the brain through the eardrum. affecthe recordingof sound more then converting them into electronic impulses, dramatically than any new development in the sound will transfer in its purest form and NEW MICROPHONE audio since digital -ecording. A new microphone has just been announc- in its proper phase relationship. ed that simulates the human ear. Called the Conventional microphones can't match the REGARDLESS OF PRICE Sound Grabber°, it uses pressure sensitive human ear because sound is rather complex. We urge you to test the Sound Grabber® membranes to capture the same 3-D stereo For example. the sound that bounces off walls against any microphone regardless of price. effect we actually experience through our before it hits a microphone is called indirect See how one simple device can improve the ears. And it does it with just one microphone. sound and is usually out of phase with direct quality of your recordings and enhance the The Sound Grabber°uses "pressure zone" sound. This causes the echo effect we often utility of your recording devices. technology to pick up both distant and close hear in our recordings. If you record protssionally, compare the sounds with such clarity and depth that you'll You can actually eliminate this problem in Sound Grabber° against any studio be startled when you hear your first recording. a sound absorbing recording studio with very microphone you currently use. If you dictate, The implications are enormous. Suddenly expensive microphones and sound mixing record lectures, or music-whatever your every recorder you now own will record with electronics-but what about in your office, application-see how much better your re- dramatically greater quality and clarity. And conference oom or class? That's what is so cordings will sound. that's regardless of the quality of your record- beautiful about the Sound Grabber°. But don't just take our word for it. Order ing tape or how much money you paid for PHASE RELATIONSHIP one during our 30 -day free trial. Test it with your previous microphone. your recording equipment using the cheapest The Sound Grabber° takes all the sounds recording tape you can find. If your record- DICTATE LETTERS present in a room, places them into a proper ings don't sound better than they've ever phase relationship and eliminates the pro- You can dictate letters, while the Sound sounded before and if you aren't amazed at Grabber° lays on your desk, with better quali- blems of the conventional microphone. The the results, return the Sound Grabber® for a ty than holding a conventional mike to your end results enhanced sound with moreprompt and courteousrefund. Sound face. In our tests, we mounted the Sound depth, deeper tones, and greater clarity while technology is about to go through a revolu- Grabber° at one end of our conference room maintaining a life -like presence that can only tion. Order your Sound Grabber® and see and recorded the voices of six people sobe described as 3-D sound. why at no obligation, today. clearlythatyou'd thinkthere was a The Sound Grabber° has a 31/2" x 4" plate To order, credit card holders call toll free microphone in front of each person. onto which the pressure -sensitive membrane and ask for product number 5008SR or send We recorded music at a concert with such capsule is mounted. The 7" long handle also a check for $99 plus $4 for delivery. realism that it sounded like a professional livecontains its own power source-a single AA - recording. And we were able to record a cell battery which drives its built-in amplifier. classroom lecture without the echo effect and There's also a very generous 10 -foot long less of the annoying sounds made by the cable which lets you mount the Sound recorder itself. Grabber° practically anywhere. The Sound Grabber° will plug into 95 per- The Sound Grabber° is manufactured by cent of all cassette or microcassette recorders Crown Corporation, one of the leading One JS&A Plaza with its standard plug, however a special manufacturers of equipment for the recording Northbrook, Illinois 60062 adapter plug is supplied to fit most of the units industry. Crown also makes a $350 pressure CA_L TOLL FREE 800 323-6400 not covered by the standard plug. zone microphone designed strictly for record- IL residents add 6% sales tax(c.JS&A Group. Inc 1983 audio Q. and R. details A DIFFERENT KIND OF RECORD CLUB You can now own every record or tape that

you may ever want . . at tremendous savings and with no continuing purchase obligations. You can get valuable tree dividend certificates, you can get quick service and all the 100% iron -clad guarantees you want Now you can stop price increases that leave you with less music for your record and tape budgetYou can guarantee yourself more music for less money through membership in Discount Music Club Look at these benefits TREMENDOUS SAVINGS on every record and tape in print- no "agree -to -purchase'' obligations of any Mind DISCOUNTS Of 43% TO 73% off mfg. suggested list special catalog features hundreds of titles and artists. ALL LABELS AVAILABLE makes you uneasy, you can always rotate including most imports through special Audio Specs for Video the balance control to cut off the signal to custom ordering service. If we don't stock it we'll get it for you. considering purchasing one ofthe channel without the speaker. Qrm those new component TV systems If you want mono on your patio plus ster- SCIIINANN CATALOG and intend to wire the sound through my eo in your listening room, the necessary set- lists thousands of titles; classical, current hi-fi system. Are there any audio pop, jazz, ballet, opera, musical shows, up is more complicated. You'll need to iso- folk, rock, vocal, instrumental, country, etc. specs I should look for in a video system to late the stereo channels electronically and guarantee audiophile sound? And are these then mix them in phase. The isolation is DISCOUNT DIVIDEND specs usually available in the literature? necessary to prevent mixdown to mono of CERTIFICATES ROBERT C. BRYANT your main stereo signal. As shown in the Dividend Gifts-Every shipment carries a dividend gift or dividend certificate San Francisco, Calif. accompanying diagram, you will have to Certificates redeemable immediately tap off the signal from each channel using for extra discounts. AA It's safe to say that today's major- isolating resistors and then feed the mixed NEWSLETTERS manufacturer video components all signal to a separate mono amplifier. Con- happenings in the world of music; have audio specifications adequate to the sidering everything, however, I would sug- concerts, critiques, new releases .. special task of delivering reasonable -quality sound, gest that you resign yourself to running two super -sale listings at discounts of up to 73%. and generally the specs will be found in the manufacturer's literature. But as for "au- DISCOUNT L -CH (13) diophile sound," forgetitfor now. The R -CH 119) ACCESSORY GUIDE +) 01--) I+) l-) Diamond needles, cloths, tape cleaners, audio quality of TV broadcasts is seldom as 0 etc. Discount Music Club is your complete good as that of FM-which in turnis one stop music and accessory buying service. almost never as good as tapes and records 10K/1 1/2 WATT QUICK SERVICE played at home. True, I've heard a number same day shipping on many orders . of excellent -sounding LaserDiscs played . / rarely later than the next several days. through a Pioneer component video system, Partial shipments always made in the but even in those cases I would say the qual- event of unforeseen delay ... all at no extra cost to you. ity fell slightly short of "audiophile sound."

At the moment, the sonic limitations of TO MONO AMP 100% IRON -CLAD component video systems originate in the GUARANTEES broadcasts and the soundtracks of the soft- on all product.; and services. Everything is guaranteed factory fresh and free ware rather than in the circuits of the hard- Wiring diagram for tapping a mono of defects or damages of any sort. ware. But the coming stereo TV broadcast- signal from an amplifier without inter- Your total satisfaction is ing and the new VHS and Beta Hi-Fi sys- unconditionally guaranteed. feringwith stereo output for main tems will, I hope, change all that in the next speakers. If the signal delivered to Discount Music Club is a no -obligation mem- year or so. bership club that guarantees tremendous dis- the separate mono amplifier is too counts on all stereo records and tapes and weak, the 10-kilohm resistors should lets you buy what you want ... when you want be replaced with others having a low- . . . or not at allif you choose. Mono Patio Speaker er value. These are justa few of the money -saving reasons to write for free details. You can't r% Isitpossible to connect a single lose so why not fill out and mail the coupon %.0( speaker to the B outputs of my ster- pairs of leads to your patio and settling for below for immediate information. eo amplifier and pick up both channels ofstereo-particularly since an extra speaker the stereo signal? I want to have music on may cost less than a mono amplifier! If nec- 11, MN WIN MP ...... =I al DISCOUNT MUSIC CLUB. INC my patio, where the stereo effect is not essary you can always move the two patio 650 Main Street 9-1183 important. speakers close enough to each other to pro- P.O. Box 2000 W. H. GRANGER vide a mono effect. New Rochelle. N Y. 10801 Decatur,Ga. NAME AAssuming that you don't want to hear EQ Location stereo elsewhere at the same time ADDRESS you have mono on your patio, all you need n Since I plan to buy a graphic equaliz- CITY do is connect the patio speaker to your W er soon. I would like to know wheth- amplifier's right- or left -channel B output er I should put the equalizer "between" my and switch the amplifier to mono. The other turntable and open -reel deck for equalizing STATE ZIP

channel can be left on but unloaded. If that record copies. Or should I use the equalizer CIRCLE NO10 ON READER SERVICE CARD 26 STEREO REVIEW )16121.111.:1.1.1 I M *-.

D146411 1 (-1, :7_1I I;,a1.1k 1'1 I I ki A 1L 1 (-I

axeXLI -S .:dXL II-S +10 Iti .to frricoxide cassettztap-s. "recsion engineeedo b ng youa MOL(5°A, ISTORTION) signfic.t iprovernentin isrange. -10 XLI-3 providz.excep- a on.11ysmth liearper ormanc-cara' teritics LT; -20 withhigroluti.cf -40 XLII6Et' 70µ:,) SOUnd.d Iwer distortion. 1-I XLII-§(E :12ils) MileL I-Sas a 0 greater-.tuatiresis- i-CI'-50 lanceinighr fr:. uencies 8 esutogin e ,ellent -60 signaltonot r.io. Howild ahieve Ihis? -70 ACBIASN016E " 1 1 . 1 . 1. f . . -80 1/.."0.0.1,- .- manag- toim ove the 0020.050.1 0.2 0.5 1 2 5 10 21 EpitaxialHog-(3 parti- FREOUENCYkHz) ciesus- orbo'tapes. Soyouoatabettersig- Files.I the m- tie,e Bydeelopina cystal- nalto noiseratio,greater sugget you li-eno th-m.

zationrocessiat pro- resolutionotsoundand ;or htlicI 7,p.cifia ducesamorecmpact, higler outp.itlevels tionsh.-ts on i e L -S smooth:rcobaltern e Clfcourse,greater senes,wnle to:

.- 1-..cial.Ferric dyramicrangeisn'tthe i'is' -LI.-11 oxidece, they'e been onlyreasonto buyMaxell Corpoatioof A t' nc., ableto cktl le rtmoles highbiasXLII -Sor (Duiur-600 ft.! DU M in;- mordesela wh mabias- uivalentXL I-S. che ew Jers-y 17074 gre.ernifo-mionthe t htapeshavemore

_ t,. ,. ,..: ,_.. .-.-: maxelLXLIS90 This icrease-m..- greatlyrededdistrtion ,.....,.. imuri oput lev:I an levels. reducesA C bia-note se-both-se maxell. xis. 90 which inurn exp.:nd improvemeiis coveed ir) ---- maxpli *If, iia,. -- ....., i--a ,-;1-- ;-I,= . 6-- -.' '! 6 66-

111111=11211=121 1 IMPROVD EPIT IAJPARTUIFCHARArTFRICTICS /60 ((rib, ,411 C4SSETTE mORE UIFOR SMOOTHER 0 CO:AJ . ::::NCEMME0*#+12.. d111111,Aym.FFRRICCDLIDF ).-7-470A ITISWORTHIT. COATINI.THICKESS:1C-11A(1A=1/10,00D,00Dmm) CIRCLE NO.27 ONREADERSERVICECARD to control the speakers only? Is it possible to use two separate equalizers to do this? DAVID L. WORDEN Miami, Fla.

possible, but it's not necessary. All

AIt'sthe better equalizers have a switch that inserts the equalizer in the path to the tape recorder or in the path to the speakers. Since thereisno agreed -upon standard name for the switch, you'll have to check the manufacturer's literature to make sure that the function is present in the equalizer you are considering. One caution: excessive equalization applied to a tape or a speaker can cause overload distortion. When equalizing a tape copy, it's best to do a trial run first and listen for a sort of gritty distortion or momentary loss of signal. Both these symptoms are caused by excessive signal boost: the distortion is a result of tape satu- ration at high frequencies, and the loss of signal (blocking)is a result of amplifier overload at low frequencies.

Component Durability have read numerous test reports on %.4 receivers and would he able to make a choice except for one factor: / can't find a reliable answer to the question of durability. I'm looking for something more specific than the usual "well -constructed" generali- ties found in the test reports of most hi-fi publications. Any suggestions? Mk HALL PIERCE Chicago, Ill.

Ican't provide a reli- AUnfortunately,able answer to your durability question-or, for that matter, a durable answer A music loverb guide w to the reliability question, which reappears regularly in my mailbox. home improvement. Among my hi-fi-related past occupations Once upon a time serious stereo was a big investment. were a five-year stint as a factory trouble- shooter and technical correspondent for a Big amplifier. Big turntable. A system that seemed to take up kit company and several years of free-lance half the room and looked like the flight deck of a 747. hi-fi servicing. Despite all that, I've never If you still have yours it's time to redecorate. Because now, felt that I (or anyone else) could examine a ADS offers a better -looking, better sounding way to satisfy your reasonably well -designed piece of electronic craving for beautiful music. gear and make an educated guess about its potentialfor breakdown. By "reasonably It's called Atelier ("Ah-tell-yea") and it's built by ADS who well -designed," I mean a product that oper- made their name making superb speakers in human scale. ates well within the voltage, current, and In addition to the turntable, receiver. and cassette deck shown temperature limitations of its internal com- above, the Atelier range includes an amplifier, a tuner, and a ponents and has undergone an adequate speaker system. "burn -in" at the factory. Almost all manu- They're all fashionably matte black and sensibly engineered facturers put newly constructed components through a 24 -hour electrical -stress as slim modules, with removable rear covers that conceal outlets cycle. The purpose is to precipitate any ten- and cables. Place them side by side, atop one another, on a shelf, dency to early failure-it's called infant or smack in the middle of your room. Know too that future Atelier mortality-in the equipment. Reasonable components will fit the system so that you can add or upgrade manufacturers would much rather have without outmoding. their equipment fail in a heat rack at the If the logic of all this appeals to you as it does to us, write for factory than in the dealer's store or the customer's home. information to: Analog & Digital Systems, 233 Progress Way, The laboratory test procedures used by Wilmington MA 01887. Or call 800-824-7888 (in CA. Hirsch -Houck Labs also stress amplifiers 800-852-7777) Operator 483. and receivers to a much greater degree than Or better yet see your ADS dealer and make home' normal home use. If an amplifier survives a nicer place to come home to. the normal test -bench procedures, neither a ADS Atelier physical examination nor further specific testing is likely to provide additional data about its probable durability in home use. So when the phrase "well constructed" appears in a test report, it is best to take it as an aesthetic reaction rather than a technical judgment. 0

28 STEREO REVIEW 41111....ff-'1:PI1101.1431114

4 - - -

e ovar lc a ate r t111111A11i%)i Make your stereo system's sound explode with life. Improve the sound quality by 30 to 50%. Plus, you'll add tape dubbing too with this limited BSR $89 close-out It's like night and day. Crashing cym- is an especially great feature for basswith just 15,000 of last year's model bals, the depth of a string bass, more starved portables and high -end starved before they shut down for the new one. trumpets or more voice will come bursting car stereos to make them come alive. They had already paid for all the tool- forth from your stereo at your command. ing, all the research and design, so we You'll make your music so vibrant that were able to buy these for less than half it will virtually knock your socks off when the rormal price, for cold hard cash. you use this professional quality 10 band Sc, you can gc to any HiFi store and stereo Sound Detonator Plus Equalizer. buy this years design in an ADC equalizer It has a frequency response from 5 hz MSS: made by the parent company BSR, or you to 100,000hz t 1 db. BSR, the ADC equal- And, look at this. There are two tape can get this $249 value BSR equalizer izer people, make this super equalizer inputs and outputs, so you can dub from while our limited supply lasts, for $89. tape deck A to B, or make two tapes at THE FINAL FACTS ty. Our $89 close-out price is just a frac- once with or without equalization. There are 20 slide controls, each with tion of its true $249 retail value. EASY HOOK UP a bright LED to clearly show its position. CAN YOUR STEREO Use your tape monitor circuit, but don't Each control will add or subtract up to SOUND BETTER? lose it. Now your one tape monitor cir- 12db. (That's a 24db range!) Incredibly better. Equalizers are dif- cuit lets you connect two tape decks. There are separate sound detonation ferent from regular bass and treble con- Just plug the equalizer into the tape slide controls for e- :hchannel at 31 hz, trols. And, 10 band EQs are the best. 'in' and 'out' jacks on your receiver. We 62ha, 125hz, 250 nz, 500hz, 1,000hz, Bass controls turn up the entire low even supply the cables. 2000 hz, 4000 hz, 9000 hz, and 16,000 h z. end as well as the low mid -range, making As you listen to your records, FM or LED VU meters with ±0.5db accuracy the sound muddy and heavy. With an 'aux', any time you push the tape mon- show levels for each channel. Itis 17" equalizer, you simply pick the exact fre- itor switch on your receiver you'll hear wide, 61/2" deep and 4Y2" tall. quencies you want to enhance. your music jump to life. PUT LIFE INTO YOUR MUSIC You can boost the low -bass at 31 hz, The output from your receiver is always RISK FREE 62hz and/or 125hz, and the mid -bass at fed directly to your tape decks for re- Prepare for a shock the first time you 250hz and 500hz to animate specific cording, and with the touch of a button, switch in this equalizer. Instruments you areas of the musical spectrum. you can choose to send equalized or non - never heard in your music will emerge And, when you boost the part of the equalized signal to your recorders. and bring a lifelike sound that will envelop bass you like, you don't disturb the mid- When you want to listen to a tape you and revolutionize your stereo system. range frequencies and make your favorite deck, just press a tape monitor button If your system doesn't spring to life, singer sound like he has a sore throat. on the equalizer and your tape deck will simply return the equalizer within 30 The high frequencies really determine work exactly as it did before. Except, days in its original box for a refund. the clarity and brilliance of your music. that now you can choose to listen with or To order your Sound Detonator Plus You can boost the mid -range and highs without equalization and you can dub. Tape Dubbing BSR 1 10X 10 Band Stereo at 1,000hz, 2,000 hz, 4,000 hz, 8,000 hz You won't be listening to any distor- Frequency Equalizer risk free with your and 16,000hz. So, you can bring crash- tion or hum. The Sound Detonator Plus credit card, call toll free or send your ing cymbals to life at 1 6,000hz while at has a 95db signal to noise ratio and total check not for ADC's $249 value, but for the same time you cut tape hiss or an- harmonic distortion of just C.018% only $89 plus $7 for postage and han- noying record scratches at 8000hz. Once you've set your equalizer con- dling. Order No. 9724. CA res add 6% tax. You can also boost or cut specific trols, switch it in and out of the system. Wake up the sound in your stereo. mid -range frequency areas to add or You'll hear such an explosive improve- Your sound will explode with life as you subtract vocal, trumpets, guitars or what- ment in sound, you'll think you've added detonate each frequency band with new ever instrument ranges you prefer. thousands of dollars of new equipment. musical life. And now you'll be in control GREAT FOR 2 TAPE DECKS WHY A CLOSE-OUT? of two tape decks as an added plus. You can push a button and transfer all Last year DAK closed out over 18,000 the equalization power to the inputs of of BSR's 7 band equalizers because BSR 92SR two tape decks. So, if you have a cassette had decided to only sell equalizers under DAK deck in your car or a personal stereo that their ADC name and they still had some INDUSTRIES INCORPORATED you wear, now you can pre -equalize your left with the BSR name on them. TOLL -FREE ORDER LINE cassettes as you record them. Well, as Detroit comes out with new For credit card orders call 24 hours a day 7 days a week Now you can get all the dramatically cars each year, ADC comes out with new CALL TOLL -FREE.. .1-800-325-0800 enhanced sound wherever you are. This equalizers. We got them to supply us 10845 Vanowen St., N. Hollywood CA 91605 OM, NO.1

' -411 1.11.111/1 OMNI*maven I i I c ..ftilifflea74104 IMAM

THE REVERSE IS ALSOTRUE.

Most audio manufacturers don'tprovide for automatic azimuth adjustment in theirauto reverse cassette decks. So side Bnever sounds as good as side A.Yamaha doesn't do things likemost audio manufacturers. Introducing the K-700 autoreverse cassette deck.The only one that soundsas good as a Yamaha-in both directions. To insure reproductionaccuracy, we developed a special high- precision rotating head mechanism thatpermits precise, independent adjustment of head azimuth in bothdirections. And the head itself is the samepure Sendust type used in our top -of -the -line deck.The result is uncompromised sound quality withauto reverse convenience. But that's just the beginning of theK -700's convenience. During recording, the K-700counts down remaining tape time, automatically fades out at the end of thetape, then automatically fades back in after the tape is reversed andcontinues recording. Another fader button allows professional sounding fade-insor fade-outs at any point during recording.Youcan also preprogram up to 15 selectionsto be recorded or played back in any order. Then there's Intro Scan, Search, BlankSkip, Repeat, Auto Source Change, Auto Tape Selector, Dolby*B and C, Real-time Digital Counter, andan optional remote control unit. How much for all this? Much less thanyou'd expect topay for this much deck.The K-700. It's alltrue. Find out at your Yamaha dealer. Or write for complete information: YamahaElectronics Corporation,

USA, P.O. Box 6660, Buena Park, CA90622. Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Labs, Inc.

FOR THE MUSIC IN YOU. YAMAHA Technical Tcilk ByJulian D. Hirsch

The Myth of Concert -Hall Realism

ROM the earliest days of music record -like anything that can be generated in a Now, the sonic output of each instrument r ing, claims have been made of sound re-normal living room. Most of the soundin the orchestra radiates in various direc- production so natural that it could not bereaching any listener in a concert hall has tions according to that instrument's polar told from the live original. Today's sophisti-been reflected several times from a room characteristics. Some sound energy may be cated listeners are understandably amused boundary (wall, ceiling, floor) or other sur- absorbed by other, nearby players, and that such a claim was made for primitiveface. The direct sound-the first arrival most of the rest of the instrument's acoustic acoustic cylinder and disc recordings, yet from any single source to the listener's outputwillbevariouslyreflected,dif- we still eagerly follow current developments ears-constitutes a very small fraction of fracted or partially absorbed by everything hopingforsome technologicalbreak- the total audible sound energy. These first in the vicinity: the floor, back wall, and through that will finally bring us "concert - arrivals play a key role in the localization ofwings of the stage; the proscenium (if any); hall realism." a sound source but otherwise have a rela- the walls, floors, and ceiling of the auditori- Is it possible that we are as prone to self-tively small part in the total listening expe- um; and the audience itself. These reflec- delusion as the discophiles and cylindro- rience. In the case of an orchestral perform- tions will generally be multiple, so that most philes of the first quarter of this century? I ance, the sound source (the entire orches- of the sound energy emitted by each instru- believe that many of us are-that transport- tra) is rather large, subtending a consider- ment goes through numerous modifications ing the acoustic environment of the concert able angle as viewed from any good listen- before finally impinging on a particular per- hall to our homes is probably no more ating position. And it is formed of many indi- son's eardrums sometime after the arrival tainable than the science -fiction dream ofvidual sources whose outputs combine lin- of the relatively small amount of direct faster -than -light travel. early (without distortion) to form a single sound. The degree of reflection or absorp- Anyone who has listened with an open complex sound field surrounding each lis- tion at every part of this process is a func- mind as well as open ears to live concert - tener.(Actually, slightly differentfields tion of frequency, with higher frequencies hall performances and to recordings of suchsurround each ear of each listener.) typically being absorbed or scattered more performances played over any home music To have an exact-I prefer to call it "fac- than lower ones. system, no matter how costly or advanced,simile"-reproduction of a performance, Each reflected sound, which has to travel must realize that these are totally different one that is indistinguishable from the origi- a longer path than the direct sound, is more experiences. No one with normal (let alonenal, it would be necessary to re-create the or less delayed en route to the listener. superior) hearing can close his eyes, listen same sound field around the listener as he Since sound travels slightlyfaster than to a recorded reproduction of an orchestral would have experienced in the concert hall. 1,000 feet per second, delays between first work, and believe that he is hearing what he But that sound fieldis different at every arrivals and subsequent reflections range would have heard in the concert hall. This isseat in the hall, and it also varies according from a couple of milliseconds to as much as not, however, to denigrate the current state to the performers' placements, the size and 30 to 50 milliseconds or more. The longer - of sound recording or reproduction technol- distribution of the audience throughout the delayed sounds have considerably attenu- ogy. They are not the same as "the realhall, the room's temperature and humidity, ated high frequencies, but they still contrib- thing," but in some ways they can be even and no doubt a few other factors. For theute powerfully to the total ambience. better. sake of discussion, however, let us assume When you consider that in a concert hall The problem, as I see it, is one of scale. A that we have standardized the home listen- the sound of each instrument in, say, a full orchestra in a large concert hall creates ing conditions to match those of an original hundred -piece orchestra undergoes a sepa- a sound field around a listener radically un- concert -hall performance. rate and unique modification before being

Tested This Month

Mirage SM-.4/Subwoofer Speaker System Akai GX-R6 Cassette Deck Sennheiser MS 100 Headphones Infinity RS6 Speaker System J.C. Penney MCS Series A Model 3285 AM / FM Receiver

NOVEMBER 1983 31 heard and that what we finally hear is the Furthermore, in a normal home listening best some of them can greatly enhance the sum of all the contributing sources, can you room the proportion of direct to reflected realism of home sound, it is easy to misad- doubt the impossibility of creating the same sound is much higher than it would be in a just them and create an unnatural echo ef- result in a different room? For one thing, concert hall. Since we are closer to the fect. Another problem is that no two pieces the recording microphones do not pick up speakers to begin with than most listeners of recorded music require exactly the same what is heard by any person in the audience. are to the orchestra in a concert hall, we type of enhancement for optimum results, They are normally placed much closer to find that the perceived sound level varies so that the inevitable compromise adjust- the sound sources than any listener would rapidly as we change the speaker -to -listener ments all too often fail to deliver a believ- wish to be. This is done in order to capture a distance, unlike the relatively constant level able sound.Isuspect that no affordable larger portion of the direct sound, which is in most seats in a good auditorium. Speak- number of delay channels would be able to necessary to create a believable balance be- ers that direct some or all of their sound in supply "concert -hall" sound. The problem tween direct and reverberant sounds in different directions are less subject to this is probably too complex to be completely home playback. A basically "unrealistic" effect, but in every case there is a real dif- solved by after -the -fact electronic manipu- recording process is used to generate a more ference from the concert -hall situation. We lation, but a good time -delay system is cer- realistic result. have all noticed at live performances that tainly a big step in the right direction. Nowt let us move to our listening room, although the softest passages may be clear- Ironically, it is possible to come extreme- measuring perhaps 15 by 25 by 8 feet and ly audible, the loudest ones remain tolera- ly close to a subjective re-creation of the with acoustic properties totally unlike those ble; they do not cause the audience to flinch concert -hall environment, but the price is of the concert hall. The sound sources are or cover their ears. Try that at home, pref- too high, not in dollars but in listening con- (usually) two speakers at one end of the erably using a wide -dynamic -range source venience. Listening through headphones to room, radiating mostly forward but with an such as a digital Compact Disc, and you a binaural recording (one made using a pair irregular polar response that is almost cer- may find that a fortissimo causes you to of microphones built into a dummy head) tainly unlike that of any instrument in the reach for the volume control to turnit can sonically transport the listener to the orchestra or of the orchestra as a whole. down. The actual sound -pressure levels at exact spot where the recording was made. There will still be the unavoidable reflec- your eardrums may be virtually the same in Although there is no clear sense of front - tions from room surfaces, but the resulting both the live and the recorded perform- back location and the listener has to keep delays are much shorter than those in a ances, but their subjective effects are very his head in a fixed orientation for the best large concert hall. Typically, they might be different. This is,I believe, because of the results, binaural recording and reproduc- in the range of 2 to 30 milliseconds. No very different acoustic properties of concert tion can nevertheless convey an incredibly longer do we have one hundred different halls and home listening rooms. Most LP realistic illusion of sonic space. (A binaural sound sources, each with a unique combina- recordings meant to be heard in the home recordingplayedthroughloudspeakers, tion of directional properties, absorption, have had their dynamic range restricted, by however, sounds nearly monophonic.) I had and reflection delays. Each of the two chan- either musical or electronic methods, to hoped that the popularity of personal cas- nels in the stereo program may contain vir- minimize this effect. sette players might induce recording com- tually all the frequencies that were present One way to restore some of the character panies to issue binaural tapes, but apparent- in the original program, but their time rela- of a concert hall to home listening is to play ly this is not to be. Perhaps the dissociation tionships in the recording were determined a recording through additional signal chan- of the listener's sense of hearing from his by the placement of the recording micro- nels that drive speakers along the sides or physical environment would have been too phones and the mixdown of a multimike rear of the room with multiple delays com- dangerous! pickup. There is no way that this playback parable to those created in the original envi- As a factor in the problem of reproducing signal can reproduce any part of the origi- ronment. The time -delay devices that ap- sound realistically, scale refers not only to nal soundfieldinyour listening room peared several years ago were designed to how the size of one listening environment (which itself adds its own different reflec- do this, and each of them succeed in some relates to another but also to how the size of tions, absorptions, and resonances). respects but fail in others. Although at their the performing group (and the sound level it produces in a typical performing environment) relates to the size of the listening environment. Chamber music was meant to be heardinanintimateenvironment,of course, and would hardly be appropriate to a large outdoor stadium, while the opposite is true for an orchestra or brass band. My experience suggests it is possible to achieve facsimilereproductionof small ensembles-if the recordings are correctly made and the listening environments are appropriately scaled. In the earlier years of the high-fidelity industry, several speaker manufacturers gave public "live -vs. -recorded" concerts to demonstrate the accuracy of their products. Some were more successful than others, but it is important to realize that this was not quite the same "concert -hall realism" we have been discussing. The key to success in such a feat is to avoid "double reverberation": the recording must be made in the most nearly anechoic environment possible so that in playback only the acoustics of the listening room affect the sound as heard. The most successful such demonstrations that I heard were those given by Acoustic Research some twenty to twenty-five years ago, in which a string quartet was the live

sound source and a tape of the same quartet made out of doors was the recorded source. "I don't like to knock a product we don't stock, sir, but With the playback speakers placed close to listening to the Audak HX-7 speaker will make you impotent." the performers in the demonstration room

32 STEREO REVIEW If noise. hum and distortion turn performance with Sansui's 130 -watt* top - you off, turn on SansLi's new AU-D77V 1111.1t11-14/61/11 1101,1,110 of -the -line AU -D11 II integrated amp.) -111 integrated amplifier for pure. true sound. One cuts:ending performer deserves Oily Sansui offers a trio of another. The TU-S77X tuner adds a new exclusive noise -eliminating innovations. III 1111111 1111111:1111 1 11 1 dimension to the state-of-the-art. Its new Frst. the unique Super Feed - FM multiplex decoder improves channel forward DC power ampl fier system routs separation and reduces distortion signifi- virtually all types of distortion at all cantly. Also available is the TU-S77AMX frequencies in the power amplifier. tuner whic- automatically receives and Then. DD DC circuitry, another switches to every approved AM stereo Sansui breakthrough. produces high broadcast system. speed response and unmeasurable TIM The A U-D77X ana TU-S77X make in the predriver stage of the power amp. the perfect tuner amp combination for And finally. Sansui's latest contri- Sansui's new GF amplifiers depart from the people who appreciate great technology bution to silent performance. the Ground conventional to assure inaudible distolion even as much as they en.oy the silence in great at the highest level of sound. Free circuit, remarkably reduces Interface sound. Get :he "Silent Treatment" at Hum Modulation (IHM) distortion in the your Sansu audio specialist, cr write for power supply. literature. The result is clean, uncluttered THE SANSUI ELECTRONICS CORPORATION music that's virtually free of noise, hum and Lyndhurst, NJ 07071; Carson, CA 90746 distortion. (You also get this impeccable SILENT Sansui Electric Co.. LtdTokyo. Japan TREATMENT

sec 40100.

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PtittlAPtePtaiadiR,Gati Scuisui_ 'AU-D77X-110 watts, 0 0028% THD, AU -D11 II -130 watts, 0 0025% THD Minimum RMS. both channels driven into 8 ohms, from 10-20kHz ClICLE NO. 44 ON READER SERVICE CARD and with the transitions carefully chosen, it My conclusion from all this is that re- barks that punctuate the quieter moments was usually impossible to detect the switch cordings meant to be heard through loud- of so many concerts, the constant rustling of from the live performance to the recording speakers in a normal home environment can programs, or the conversation of people who of the same music. never give even a reasonable facsimile of a view the concert hall as a place for social A short time earlier (in 1955), I was in- live performance. Conversely, a recording chitchat with the music as a pleasant back- volved in a somewhat similar effort,in that can give facsimile reproduction of a ground? You don't have to put up with that which a recording of a pipe organ in a musical source in its own normal acoustical with a good recording. Have you ever church was compared with a live perform- setting is almost certain to be unsatisfying wished to rehear a piece of music, or a por- ance (obviously, in the same location). The for home listening.Isuggested near the tion of it, right away but found the orches- double -reverberation problem was handled start of this discussion that our current re- tra unwilling to oblige? Do you sometimes by placing the recording microphones next cording technology is capable of surpassing find it inconvenient to leave your home to to the organ pipes and the playback speak- live music in some respects, and for me this attend a concert? All of these capabilities, ers in as close as possible to the same posi- helps soften the realization that we can nev- and more, are at your fingertips with rections. The results were impressive, but any er achieve our impossible dream of packing ords and tapes, and the technical quality of hopes that such are-creation could be the Boston Symphony Orchestra into our today's recordings is-at least potentially- achieved at home were dashed by hearing living rooms, even with the aid of digital as nearly perfect as many of us could hope the tape played back in a normal room. It technology and a music system worth a for.I suggest, then, that you consider live sounded almost totally "dead" and made king's ransom. For example, are you as an- and recorded music as two different media for quite unpleasant listening. noyed as I am by the chorus of coughs and and enjoy the best of both. 0 Equipment Test Reports Hirsch -Houck Laboratories: Julian D. Hirsch and Craig Stark

Mirage SM-.4/Subwoofer Speaker System

IN recent years "three-piece" speaker sys- ble frequency range, together with a bas, woofer combination is the latest three-piece tems have begun to reappear (they en- module (sometimes calleda subwoofer I system to come to us for evaluation. The joyed a brief popularity in the early days of that can be placed almost anywhere in the SM-.4 is a small acoustic -suspension book- stereo but soon disappeared from the mar- room. We have tested several such systems shelf speaker with a 6 -inch woofer and a ket). The concept is attractive: two small, and have found them to give generally very 3/4 -inch dome tweeter. The crossover fre- unobtrusive "satellite" speakers, placed for good results. quency is not specified, but our measure- best imaging and handling most of the audi- The Canadian -built Mirage SM-.4/Sub- ments suggest that it is between 2,500 and

34 STEREO REVIEW larbal rarbrunirds 3,000 Hz. The tweeter faces a small plastic Mirage SM-.4 and the Subwoofer, although Subwoofer's lower frequency limit was ap- cone whose purpose is apparently to im- the room response was measured with them parently just below 40 Hz, since its distor- prove the polar dispersion, and itis sur- operating as a system. The 6 -inch woofer of tion increased to 10 per cent at 35 Hz and rounded by a ring of felt to smooth its high - the SM-.4 developed its maximum output 18 per cent at 30 Hz. frequency response. The Mirage SM-.4 has at about 100 Hz, falling off at 12 dB per The system impedance (Mirage SM-.4 no balance controls. A pair of binding posts octave below 70 Hz. With increasing fre- and Subwoofer combined) reached a mini- 3/4 inch apart are set into its rear surface. quency, the output fell off very smoothly to mum of 4 ohms at 700 Hz (and at 85 Hz in The Mirage Subwoofer is a fairly large the vicinity of 1,000 Hz, above which it lev- theINCREASEposition of the Subwoofer box containing two acoustically and electri- eled off and was very flat (with minor irreg- switch). Above 1,000 Hz, the impedance cally isolated 10 -inch acoustic -suspension ularities) up to 10,000 Hz, rising to its mid- was generally in the 6- to 10 -ohm range. woofers (in other words, a stereo pair) and a range level at 16,000 Hz and dropping off The major effect of the bass -level switch oc- crossover network that matches it to any of slightly at 20,000 Hz. From 700 to 20,000 curred between 50 and 300 Hz; when the several small Mirage speakers, including Hz, the output of the Mirage SM-.4 varied switch was in theDECREASEposition, system the SM-.4. It can also be used with other only ± 2 dB, which is excellent performance impedance was 8 ohms or higher from 20 to brands of satellite speakers. Electrical sepa- for any speaker. Its output variation, in- 250 Hz, and it dipped significantly below 8 ration of the two drivers is somewhat un- cluding the close-miked woofer response, ohms only between 400 and 1,500 Hz. usual, the traditional approach being to was ±4 dB from 50 to 20,000 Hz. Forming a composite frequency -response sum the low frequencies of both channels The wide response was confirmed by the curve for the combination of the Mirage for reproduction by a single driver. The IQS FFT quasi-anechoic response measure- SM-.4 and the Subwoofer was difficult be- woofers are on the ends of the box near its ment, which showed the Mirage SM-.4 to cause of the physical separation between bottom edge. The enclosure is finished on be flat within ±4 dB up to 19,000 Hz on the two units and the many uncontrolled all sides, and the manufacturer states that, the speaker axis. In fact, the tweeter output placement variables that could affect their if required for better bass balance, the box remained strong well beyond 20,000 Hz. combined performance in different rooms. can be turned over to increase the distance The SM-.4 had excellent dispersion; over a The bass level switch shifted the woofer out- from the woofer cones to the floor. ± 45 -degree angle in the horizontal plane put by about 5 dB. In our room, a prefer- The internal crossover of the Mirage Sub - the output varied by no more than ±6 dB ence for one setting or the other was often a woofer is at 300 Hz. An array of binding over the full audio frequency range. function of the program material, although posts set into one of its larger surfaces pro- The impedance of the Mirage SM-.4 theDECREASEsetting generally gave a bet- vides for connecting the driving amplifier reached its minimum of 4 ohms at 20 and ter balance between bass and midrange lev- and routes the signals above 300 Hz to the 200 Hz, with a peak of 20 ohms at its 75 -Hz els. We would estimate the typical overall satellites. Separate sets of connectors are woofer resonance. The speaker sensitivity system response to be about ± 5 dB from 30

provided for either the Mirage SM-.4 or was 87.5 dB at 1 meter with a 2.83 -voltto 20,000 Hz; using theINCREASEsetting SM-1 speakers and for the SM-.5. A toggle driving signal. The SM-.4 had excellentwould not extend the lower frequency limit switch markedINCREASEandDECREASEad- phase characteristics, with a group delaysignificantly, but it would give additional justs the level of the woofer output relative variation of less than ±0.3 millisecond upemphasis to the midbass. to that of the satellites. It is also possible to to 20,000 Hz. use biamplification to match the Subwoofer The Mirage Subwoofer had its maximum Comment.Heard by themselves, the Mi- to other speakers whose characteristics may output at 60 to 70 Hz. The output was 5 dBrage SM-.4 speakers are open, clean speak- not match those of the bass module. below that maximum at the 300 -Hz nomi-ers with a trace of brightness, especially in The Mirage SM-.4/Subwoofer system is nal crossover frequency, and it fell off rap- comparison with our reference speakers. rated to handle up to 200 watts per channel idly above 300 Hz to about 30 dB below av- We soon became accustomed to this bright- of program material, and a minimum am- erage bass level at 800 Hz. We made noness and accepted it as the norm, however, plifier rating of 20 watts per channel is rec- separate sensitivity measurement for the so that it made the reference speakers sound ommended. System impedance is quoted in Subwoofer, but its distortion was measureda trifle dull! (Actually, most of us soon be- conjunction with which satellites are used; with a constant input of 3.76 volts (the val- come accustomed to the sound characteris- with the SM-.4's the system is rated at 6 ue required to develop a 90 -dB sound -pres- tics of our systems and-assuming they are ohms with the bass switch set forINCREASE sure level atI meter from the SM-.4 satel-reasonably good-tend to judge others by and at 10 ohms with it set forDECREASE. lite). The Subwoofer's distortion was very comparison to what is a familiar sound.) As with most similar three-piece systems, low, rising gently from 0.3 per cent at 100Counterbalancing the slight brightness at the Mirage components give best results Hz to 0.93 per cent at 50 Hz and 1.63 perthe top end is the relatively boom -free and with the satellites on stands that place them cent at 40 Hz. These are exceptionally low uncolored lower midrange of the SM-.4, at ear level, a foot or two from the wall, and distortion readings for any speaker, but thewhich makes ita very pleasant sounding spaced slightly wider apart than the distance from them to the listeners. Mirage offers optional wooden stands for this purpose. The SM-.4 speaker is 16 inches high, 10 inches wide, and 63/4 inches deep, and it ,UDO@DI weighs 113/4 pounds. The Subwoofer is 251/2 inches long, 151/2 inches wide, and 19 inches 4 high. It weighs about 80 pounds. The Model T-4 stands are 28 inches high and are fin- E3ZCLEZ ished in black to match the cloth grille of the SM-.4 speaker. The Subwoofer's grilles ATTENTION are dark brown and beveled on the end next AUDIOPHILES to the top of the cabinet; they can be turned DONATE ONE PINT - over if the Subwoofer is operated in an in- GET ONE PINT verted position. Prices: SM-.4, $199 per TAPE NEAC, pair in walnut -grain vinyl finish, $259 per CLEANERFR :E ! pair in genuine oak veneer; the Subwoofer, $399 finished in walnut -grain vinyl, $529 in oak veneer; T-4 stands, $50 a pair. Mirage Acoustics, Dept. SR, 1361 Huntingwood Drive, Unit Seven, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada MIS 3J1. Laboratory Measurements.Most of our measurements were made separately for the

NOVEMBER1983 35 INTRODUCING Let go, for a minute, of all your preconceptions. about automotive styling and design, and study Renault's new hatchback achievement: Encore. Created with a dis- ENCOREtinctive European look, and European outlook. A panoramic hatchback that opens to fit your lifestyle. A 60/40 split rear seat configuration that provides functional access to cargo. dilly independent suspension with twin coaxial torsion bars, power front disc brakes, and electronic fuel injection-all for expres- sive performance, and impressive handling. Impressive fuel economy, too: 52 EST HWY, 138 EPA EST MPG` Renault Encore. Built in America from an inspired European design that's creatively expressed, and impressively priced: $ 5755 * * Now that you've let go of your preconceptions, take hold of Renault Encore.1 Use for comparison. Your mileage may vary with speed. trip length. weather. Actual highway and CA figures lower Manufacturer's suggested retail price. Tax, license. destination charges. rear deck spoiler $72 wheel covers $90. and regional equipment extra Built by American Motors NAULT TO WATCH reports speaker by itself (especially so in view of its above 60 Hz can hardly be called a "sub - attractive and versatile speaker system at a low price). woofer," and the Mirage Subwoofer goes reasonable price. As with any speaker, it is Adding the Subwoofer makes the system up to 300 Hz. This is indeed a small point, difficult to make any accurate predictions much more muscular and solid -sounding. A but the lower frequency limit of this entire of how it will perform in an arbitrary room clean, strong bass output down to 40 Hz is system iswithin the range achieved by environment, but its three-piece configura- all most of us ever need to give a sensation many fairly compact speakers on their own. tion should give the user much more flexi- of "all there" sound, and the Mirage three- The Subwoofer does not at all extend below bility in speaker placement and in many piece system certainly providesthat.It a "normal" woofer's range, though its dis- cases better overall results than might be seems to us, however, that the "Subwoofer" tortion level at lower frequencies is admira- achieved with two conventional speakers. designation is here applied to what could bly low. -Julian D. Hirsch more accurately be called a "bass module." Terminological nit-picking aside, the Mi- In our view, any speaker that operates much rage SM-.4/Subwoofer combination is an Circle 140 on reader service card

J.C. Penney MCS Series A Model 3285 AM/FMReceiver

HE current leader of the J.C. Penney Otherwise, the tuning advances by a single the filters and returns the tone controls to TMCS audio component seriesisthe increment (0.2 MHz for FM, 10 kHz for their flat settings. Model 3285, a digital -synthesis AM/FM AM) with each touch of the button or at a Completing the front -panel controls are stereo receiver rated to deliver up to 85 rapid rate while the button is held in. pushplates (like the tuning and input select- watts per channel into 8 -ohm loads from 20 The lower left portion of the control panel ors) for the bass and treble tone controls, to 20,000 Hz with less than 0.005 per cent contains fourteen small buttons for such the balance control, and volume. Pressing total harmonic distortion. Its front panel functions as the output connections (either one end of any of these controls causes its has no knobs or sliders. All functions are MAIN or REMOTE speakers), audio filters corresponding function to change up or controlled by momentary -contact pushbut- (suasorvic and HIGH), an FM -multiplex fil- down in small discrete steps similar to the tons or large rectangular pushplates. The ter, FM mute, i.f. bandwidth (WIDE or NAR- detented steps of a typical knob -operated settings are indicated either by adjacent red ROW), and stereo or mono mode selection. control. LED's or on one of the fluorescent display Other buttons mute the audio by 20 dB, se- The right quarter of the panel is devoted panels at the right of the controls. lect the MM or MC phono input, intercon- to the displays, which (together with the The receiver's dominant visual feature is nect tape decks for dubbing from either one LED's associated with the various controls) its satin -silver -finished control panel, which to the other, and change the scale of the flu- give a clear, unambiguous indication of the occupies about 75 per cent of the front. orescent output -power display. receiver's operating status. At the top is a There are a power switch, six program input Another group of similar small buttons frequency readout using blue -white fluores- selectors, and eight station -preset controls, controls the various memory functions of cent numerals about 3/8 inch high. Five red each of which can be used for either an AM the receiver. The tuning -processor buttons lights show signal strength, and below them or an FM station. In addition, the entire are used to enter a frequency into memory, are an indicator for stereo FM broadcasts group of presets can be switched to access a to select memory banks Nos. 1-8 or 9-16, and one marked QUARTZ LOCKED, which second bank of eight channels, for a total of and to activate either the AUTO SCAN or PRE- shows that a station has been acquired and sixteen AM or FM presets. The program SET SCAN mode. The latter mode causes the is tuned correctly. sources include FM, AM, phono (for either receiver to step through all the preset chan- In the center of the display group is the an MC or MM cartridge), and two tape nels, playing each for 5 seconds and moving power -output readout, calibrated for each recorders. on unless the corresponding preset button is channel over a range of 0.02 to 150 watts Pressing the TUNE button causes the pressed. There is also an ACOUSTIC MEMORY into 8 ohms. The power -scale button multi- tuned frequency to change up or down, ac- system in the Model 3285 that stores the plies these calibrations by 0.1 for increased cording to which end is pressed. Like many settings of the filters and tone controls for display resolution at lower listening levels. other digital -synthesis receivers, the Model subsequent recall at the touch of a button. At the bottom are the volume and tone 3285 can be set for auto scan (in either di- There are two ACOUSTIC MEMORY buttons, readouts. The volume setting is shown both rection) when its tuning button is pressed designated A and B, permitting instant re- as a two -digit value of attenuation, reading momentarily; scanning stops only when a call of either of two sets of tdne-control/fil- in decibels from 0 (maximum volume) to 79 signal of sufficient strength is encountered. ter settings. A DEFEAT button disengages (the minimum audible volume setting), and

NOVEMBER 1983 37 wsinirwea

O.3 111111 II 11111111IIIII 0.3 J.C. PENNEY 3285 O2 AMPLIFIER SECTION 0.2 J.C. PENNEY 3285 1111111.111111 AMPLIFIER SECTION 1111111111111111111 -REFERENCE POWER 1135VV)

).1 HALF POWER 1-3 DB) 0.1 111.11111E11111 2 - -LOW POWER( -1ODB) minimmiiimmoimi=MIEMOOliMilimillif1,11,1. SONO§&MIMEO I MIIMINESIIIIIMMii=iiiiMMIIMINI111111111111M1111= mow 15 .06=MIMMEMENIIMMMIMMINONIIMMIIMNAMMI I I Ellinimmunimommmenummoramon II 0 I 1/.1N,".... F II F

as an illuminated bar graph. There is also a rior at comfortable temperatures during our The sensitivity of the amplifier fora "volume -off- position in which the readout tests. Driving 8 -ohm loads at 1,000 Hz, the 1 -watt reference output was 16.5 millivolts shows two half-size zeros. amplifier outputs clipped at 100 watts per (mV) for aux and 0.23 mV for phono The tone- and balance -control settings channel for a clipping headroom of 0.71 dB. (MM). The signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) was are shown as illuminated vertical (tone -con- The output into 4 ohms was almost the the same for both inputs, a very good 83 dB trol) and horizontal (balance) bar graphs, same, 98 watts per channel, and into 2 -ohm (A -weighted). The MC sensitivitywas each centered on a "flat" or "balanced" loads the power output at clipping was 50 about ten times higher than the MM sensi- point. Each touch of one of these controls watts per channel. The short-term (dy- tivity. The phono (MM) overload input was adds one more bar to its display; holding the namic) power output was 125 watts into between 131 and 157 mV over the 20- to pushplate in causes the function to increase 8 ohms, 116 watts into 4 ohms, and 58 watts 20,000 -Hz range. The MM input termina- or decrease in steps to its limit. into 2 ohms, for an 8 -ohm dynamic head- tion was 47,000 ohms, shunted by a capaci- Except for the silver control panel, the ex- room of 1.67 dB. tance of 100 picofarads. terior of the receiver is finished in very dark At 1.000 Hz (8 ohms) the distortion was Atinputfrequenciesof18,000 and gray. The only front -panel feature other 0.003 per cent from 0.1 toI watt output. 19,000 Hz the IHF IM (intermodulation) than the controls and indicators is a stereo rising gently to 0.008 per cent at 40 watts distortion was very low, with a second -order headphone jack. The rear apron contains and 0.011 per cent at 100 watts. The 4 -ohm component at 1,000 Hz that was 95 dB be- the usual input and output jacks, binding distortion was only slightly higher, from low 85 watts. The third -order components posts for connecting two pairs of speakers, 0.003 per cent at I watt to 0.008 per cent at at 17,000 and 20,000 Hz were each 90 dB and binding posts for FM and AM antennas 20 watts and 0.05 per cent at 85 watts. Even below the rated power. The amplifier's slew (there is a hinged and pivoted AM ferrite - 2 -ohm operation did not increase the distor- factor was greater than 25 (our measure- rod antenna). One of the two a.c. conve- tion significantly; it ranged from 0.007 per ment limit), and it was stable with various nience outlets is switched. cent at 0.1 watt to 0.018 per cent at 20 reactive loads. When we tried to drive a The J.C. Penney Model 3285 is 19 inches watts and 0.071 per cent at 40 watts. high-level 10.000 -Hz square wave into a wide, 15 inches deep, and 53/4 inches high, The 8 -ohm distortion at the rated 85 low -impedance reactive load, the internal anditweighs about 30 pounds.Price: watts output was less than 0.02 per cent protective relay always shut down the am- $599.95.Itisavailable at J.C. Penney over most of the midrange (from 50 to plifier before any damage could occur. Op- stores nationwide. 5,000 Hz), reaching 0.036 per cent at 20 Hz eration was restored automatically when and 0.04 per cent at 20.000 Hz. The distor- the signal was reduced or removed. Laboratory Measurements.The Model tion curves at half and one -tenth power The tone controls had reasonable charac- 3285 is a rather large and heavy receiver, were similar in shape but with lower values. teristics, although the midrange level was and its effective convection cooling -with At about 8 watts ( -10 dB) output, for ex- shifted by several decibels when both con- air entering through the bottom grille, pass- ample, the distortion was between 0.005 trols were set to their extremes (about ± 12 ing over the heat -sinkfins, and exiting and 0.02 per cent over the entire audio dB for the bass and ± 10 dB for the treble). through the top -plate grille -kept the exte- range. The frequency response was extremely flat (less than 0.2 dB overall variation from 20 + 10 4 i I to 20.000 Hz) when the tone controls were u eras 4- :311/i 1:18i. I t set to their middle positions. The SLBSONIC 0 -rt L illulirid8:111. °AUDIO OUTPUT.': filter reduced the response by about 2.5 dB MOMapes111111/011111111111111111,1111Milla_ IMO (1) 1.1111:1.,_ at 20 Hz. The HIGH filter cut the response W10 r%dillUdilithilliMI HI!I 1111 -1 11111 0 DB z1 VOLT W by 3 dB at 4,500 Hz, with a 6 -dB -per -oc- a MMIMME J C PENNEY 3285 1- ..4 1 -20 MIill il tave slope at higher frequencies. The phono III FM -TUNERSECTION «, 111, saesNINO USABLE woo equalization was nearly perfect, within 0.1 MONO WIDE 2.F. BANDVviDTH 0 Itir.*" SENSITIViTv - dB of the ideal RIAA response from 20 to Z 30 il 2.2 MIN µ\.... 10,000 Hz and down only 0.5 dB at 20.000 Hz. It was completely unaffected by car- W 40 ... .. T HDr ric..E tridge inductance. I N . , 1 - J 50Mil ih . 11111111 Since many FM -tuner performance pa- 11111111111111 k'i14111 rameters are affected by i.f. bandwidth, we 6 ' . EMEIMIE measured the FM section using both wide "-slain:" -4114412150.- "'", and narrow bandwidth settings. The mono 50 DB QUIETING :NOISE 111111111111111111111M1 W -7.3 AV (MONO) : lagli 1 usable sensitivity was 12 dBf (2.2 micro- memo .42 Vv STEREO) ' . . -.1...P 1 volts, or µV) in wide and 11 dB (2 µV) in ...... 8 M 0 N 0 narrow. In the wide -band mode the stereo ", ASTER EO threshold was 23.3 dBf (8 µV), but in the 1 -9 d 1 t ": itt-t t f . 1 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 90 narrow -band mode it was only 12.4 dBf (2.3 R.F. TEST -SIGNAL INPUT IN DBF µV). The more important 50 -dB quieting

38 STEREO REVIEW 9 mg.' ar-. 0.7 n -g. nicotine ay. per -igaretti, FTC Report MAR '83.

Waning: Th 3 Surgeon General Has Determined Tha: Cigarette Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health. am, VANTAGE VANTAGE. loos THE TASTE OF SUCCESS.

Great Taste with Low Tar. VANTAGE That's Success! sensitivity was almost the same for both 33 dB over that same range in the narrow - bearing on a product's suitability for home conditions: wide -band, 15 dBf (3 µV) for band mode. system use, most receivers and amplifiers mono and 37.7 dBf (42 µV) for stereo; nar- As expected, the capture ratio was af- exhibit some degree of instability under cer- row -band, 13.8 dBf (2.7 µV) for mono and fected by the i.f. bandwidth. In wide -band it tain test conditions where we require simul- 36.6 dBf (37 µV) for stereo. was a very good 1 dB at 45 dBf (100 µV), taneous access to the input and output cir- At an input level of 65 dBf (1,000 µV), and it was 2 dB with the narrow bandwidth. cuits. This can greatly complicate the meas- the tuner distortion was 0.11 per cent for The respective AM -rejection measurements urement process. It was gratifying to find mono and 0.15 per cent for stereo with the were 55 and 60 dB. Naturally, selectivity no trace of this effect during our testing of wide i.f. bandwidth, and with the narrow was very much a function of bandwidth, the Model 3285. bandwidth the distortionreadings were with alternate -channel measurements of 77 The performance measurement figures 0.135 and 0.2 per cent, respectively. The dB and 49 dB for narrow- and wide -band speak for themselves-this is a first-rate re- noise level in the tuner output was not af- conditions, respectively. Adjacent -channel ceiver.Itis distinguished from its peers fected significantly by the i.f. bandwidth, readings were 7 and 4.3 dB, respectively. largely by its knobless control design. We measuring -76 dB for mono in either the The FM image rejection was 76 dB. The have seen this tried before, usually with wide or narrow mode. In stereo the noise muting and stereo -threshold signal levels some sacrifice of either performance or con- was either -72.5 dB (wide) or -70 dB were approximately the same. The FM -tun- venience, but this receiver was every bit as (narrow). When we measured theIHF IM er hum level was -63.5 dB (predominantly easy to use as any with conventional con- distortion of the tuner, which was typical of at 60 Hz). The AM -tuner frequency re- trols. And the excellent circuit -status dis- most good tuners we have measured in this sponse was down 6 dB (from the relatively play gives an accurate visual depiction of way(usingmodulatingfrequenciesof flat midrange level) at 26 and 2,350 Hz. the actual settings of the controls. 14,000 and 15,000 Hz), the distortion com- Over the past several years we have tested ponents in the narrow -band mode were typ- Comment. Clearly,theJ.C.Penney several J.C. Penney receivers, and itis in- ically about 4 to 5 dB higher than in the Model 3285 is a lot of receiver, with al- teresting that all of them have been very wide -band mode (though they were negligi- most every control or operating feature one competentperformers,hardly what we ble in either case). could desire (loudness compensation was would expect from a mass -market retailer The stereo FM frequency response was just about the only noticeable omission, and that does not specifically court audio enthu- flat within ±0.5 dB from 30 to 10,000 Hz, most people would hardly miss it, especially siasts. We have also noted a growing sophis- rising to +1.5 dB at 15,000 Hz (despite this with the memory tone controls). More to tication in the design of each new genera- high -frequency rise, the I9 -kHz pilot car- the point, everything on the receiver worked tion of Penney receivers. The Model 3285 rier was suppressed to a safely low -65 just as it was meant to. We experienced ab- takes another sizable step in the same direc- dB). The stereo channel separation was un- solutely no bugs or quirks in either its meas- tion, and itis quite attractively priced as usually uniform, measuring between 38 and urement oritsoperation. Although we well. -Julian D. Hirsch 41 dB over the full 30- to 15,000 -Hz range usually make no mention of the fact, since it in the wide -band mode and between 30 and is a function of our test setup and has no Circle 141 on reader service card

AAI'S G X -R6 cassette deck is a two -head In contrast, the GX-R6 has one set of GX" record/playback head itself is made of dual-capstan model with bidirectional two -channelrecord/playbackanderase crystal ferrite and actually contains sepa- (auto -reverse) recording and playback ca- heads mounted on the end of a vertical rategapsforrecording andplayback, pabilities, both Dolby -B and Dolby -C noise drum that can be rotated by a d.c. motor. A though these cannot be used simultaneously reduction, a variety of rapid -scan program - small ceramic block mounted on the rim of as in a three -head deck. locating functions, and an electronically the drum limits the heads' travel to a 180 - The GX-R6 uses conventional cassette - regulated record -level control. While there degree arc by stopping against an azimuth - well tape loading, and the wide window in are a number of ways to play or record both adjustment screw (one for each direction); the door and the interior illumination of the sides of a cassette, Akai has chosen to use a the block is held there under pressure until well allow inspection of the cassette label rotating head mechanism in the GX-R6. the tape direction is reversed. and tape packs. The door is removable for The more common approach in designing Despite the evident precision of Akai's ro- head cleaning and demagnetizing. As is in- an auto -reverse deck is to use four -channel tation mechanism, we had misgivings that creasingly common today, tape type (ferric, heads that are wired so that the deck's elec- proper azimuth alignment could be main- high -bias, or metal) is detected by cutouts tronics are switched appropriately between tained over time by any system that in- in the back of the cassette shell; the settings the two pairs of head elements. But with volved any head movement. These doubts cannot be manually overridden. such designs any electrical differences be- subsided, however, when our tests showed A single electronically governed d.c. mo- tween the two sets of head channels can inno change in azimuth alignment after auto- tor drives both the capstans and the reel troduce small performance variations be- matically cycling the mechanism some two hubs. The transport mechanism is solenoid tween the two tape -travel directions. thousand times. The "Twin -Field Super operated by flat pushplates, and the tape

40 STEREO REVIEW Email ricbrudnimila +5 17 kHz, respectively. For TDK MA this point was above the 20 -kHz limit of our 0 ... ../...... chart recorder. With an indicated 0 -dB input at 315 Hz, a 6 AKAI GX-R6 11 RECORD -PLAYBACK RESPONSE ...\ third -harmonic distortion was only 0.3 per -10 i .1 cent for Maxell UD and TDK SA, 0.5 per 0 METALITOKMA) cent for TDK MA. These are unusually low C,02 -TYPE ITDK SA) '1 a-15_-- -FERRIC(MAXELLUD) i distortion levels for a nominally maximum :1 input level and are mainly a result of the 20 . -Lo w.:-..**..."..."...... r....--,:;11:A deck's conservative 0 -dB indication, 3 dB :I %. below Dolby level. Referred to Akai's 0 -dB -25 indication, the 3 per cent distortion point 100 200 500 1K 2K 5K 10K 20K 20 30 50 was +7.7, +8.6, and +8.2 dB for UD, SA, +5 70 AS IMETAL/CrO2) FORWARD 120 }LS FERRIC and MA, respectively; the latter two figures 20 ...... are higher than the maximum value dis- -5 PLAYBACKRESPONSE REVERSE playable on the deck's record -level indica- FREQUENCY IN HZ (CYCLES PER SECOND) tor. Referred instead to the IEC 0 -dB level (250 nWb/m), the overload margins were The upper curves indicate overall record -playback response at the manufacturer's indi- 3.8 dB less, as they theoretically should be. cated 0 -dB recording level using the tapes designated on the graph. In the center are the The unweighted signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) same measurements recorded at -20 dB relative to the upper curves, a level convention- without Dolby noise reduction measured ally used for tape -deck frequency -response measurements. Bottom curves show playback 54.2 dB ( Maxell UD), 57.4 dB (TDK SA), response from calibrated test tapes and indicate performances with prerecorded tapes. and 57.3 dB (TDK MA). (Again, since the figures for the two tape directions measured within 0.2 to 0.3 dB of each other, the val- counter has a four -digit fluorescent display. flat for both 120 -microsecond (ferric) and ues presented here are averages.) The re- A second fluorescent display, with twelve 70 -microsecond (Cr02 and metal) equaliza- spective S/N's with Dolby -B and IEC A - elements per channel, is used as a peak - tions, showing only a slight high -end rise in weighting were 68.6, 70.7, and 71.3 dB. reading record and playback level indicator. the forward direction and a very slight tre- With Dolby -C the IEC A -weighted read- It is calibrated from -20 to +8 dB; the ble loss in reverse. The overall difference ings improved to 74.8 dB (UD), 77.7 dB Dolby marking is at +3 dB, which puts the between the two directions was only about 2 (SA), and 78 dB (MA). 0 -dB indication at a rather conservative lev- dB, which we did not find audible with pro- Wow -and -fluttermeasured0.046per el for today's tapes. gram material. cent wrms in the forward direction, 0.054 Akai's electronic recording -level control Our sample was factory adjusted for use per cent in reverse. The figures were 0.084 uses a large flat rocker switch to raise or with Maxell UD, TDK SA, and TDK MA per cent (forward) and 0.092 (reverse) us- lower the recording level in fixed, 2 -dB in- tapes, and we used these for our measure- ing the more stringent DIN peak -weighted crements (3- to 5 -dB increments for the ments, though most other premium -quality scale. At -20 dB the maximum Dolby lowest four settings). A third fluorescent tapes would have given about the same per- tracking error was 2 dB with Dolby -B and 3 display, with eight segments, shows the rel- formance. Because the same heads and dB with Dolby -C; there was much less mis- ative setting of the control. A memory back- electronics are used, in the 0- and -20 -dB tracking at -30 dB. We measured speed up mechanism retains the last adjusted re- overall record -playback response graphs the accuracy on two samples of the GX-R6. cording levelafter the deck's poweris tracings for the forward and reverse direc-One unit was within 0.2 per cent of the turned off, and the entirely electronic sys- tions proved to be identical. Our sample ofnominal 17/s ips, and the second was fast by tem is said to be highly reliable and free the deck was apparently somewhat over - 1.4 per cent. Input sensitivity for a 0 -dB in- from wear and aging problems. biased for metal tape, leading to less -ex- dication was 77 millivolts (mV) for the line Additional front -panel controls include tended high -frequency performance than inputs and 2.4 mV at the microphone jacks. pushbuttons to select the Dolby noise -re- should be obtainable. At the - 20 -dB level The microphone overload point was 0.33 duction system, for a multiplex FM filter, both Maxell UD and TDK SA showed a volt. for one-way, two-way, or continuous -loop slight(2 -dB)riseinhigh -end response operation, for auto muting (inserting a 4 - (though this was not audible), and the -3 - Comment. The Akai GX-R6 has much second pause between selections), and for dB points for UD and SA were at 18.2 and to recommend it. It reverses very rapidly (in thevarious automatic program -locating modes.Thesemodes include BLANK SEARCH, INTRO SCAN,program locate and play (ims), and a handyRECORD CANCEL feature that returns you to where you began recording and leaves the deck in record - pause mode. A timer switch with the usual features and a playback -level slide control (which also affects headphone volume) are included. The jacks for headphones and two microphone connections are concealed behind a door on the front panel. it The rear panel contains the standard input/output connectors and a jack for either a wired or wireless remote -control accesso- (1"rliERT VC% ry. Overall, the Akai GX-R6 measures 175/8 -114, inches wide, 11 inches deep, and 41/8 inches high, and it weighs a little over 10 pounds. MISSED Price: $399.95. The infrared remote -control COMPACT DISC system shown costs $115. Akai America, 5 IM'AKTRROUGH Ltd., Dept. SR, 800 West Artesia Boule- 13y8MOS. vard, Compton, Calif. 90024. 4 444fr 4 AA .11,`,.

',4 ;* , Laboratory Measurements. As the ac- f. companying graph indicates, the playback frequency response of the GX-R6 was very

NOVEMBER 1983 41 about 1 second), whether manually or auto- haves like a two -head deck, despite its sepa- occasionally audible on the finished tape. matically at the end of a tape (a semi -clear rate record- and playback -head gaps, direct There is also no way to correct for a channel leader is required since the detector is pho- A/ B comparisons between input and output imbalance in the program source. Apart toelectric). The use of the same head ele- are almost impossible to make. Neverthe- from this control, however, we found the ments ensures near -identical performance less, we would judge its ability to dub mu- GX-R6 very easy to use. in both tape directions. We found the sound sical material without undue degradation to In sum, for those who need a moderately of prerecorded tapes to be good, especially be essentially equivalent to that of other priced cassette deck that performs well, is for the price of the GX-R6. The bass was decks in its price class. easy to use, and has many convenient auto- not quite as solid nor the treble as transpar- The incrementally variable record -level matic -search features as well as a very ently clear as with our reference machine, control sometimes cannot be set to the pre- quick auto -reverse mechanism, the Akai but our reference deck costs about three cise recording level one wants. Moreover. in GX-R6 is an excellent choice. times as much as the GX-R6. our test sample at least, each change of level -Craig Stark Record -playback sound quality was also during a recording is audible as such and is very creditable. Because the GX-R6 be- accompanied by a slight click that is itself Circle 142 on reader service card

ALTHOUGH Sennheiser calls the new MS For "inside" use the MS 100 comes with loud 110 dB SPL) was almost perfectly flat PA 100 stereo headphones an "Inside -Out" a 6 -foot extension cable. A stereo mini - from about 500 to 1,200 Hz. The output model, this does not imply any unique phys- phone jack at one end accepts the phones' rose gently to about +4 dB at 150 Hz and ical construction. Rather, it emphasizes the fitted plug, and the other end is terminated fell off at 9 dB per octave below 100 Hz, dual-purpose design of these phones, which in a full-size 1/4 -inch phone plug compatible reaching -18 dB (referred to the midrange are equally suited for use with a home mu- with most home amplifiers, receivers, CD output) at 20 Hz. sic system ("inside") or with a personal por- players, and cassette decks. There was a 7 -dB peak centered at 2,600 table cassette player or radio ("outside"). The manufacturer's ratings of the Senn- Hz, with minor response irregularities be- The MS 100 (the "miniStar" marking on heiser MS 100 list its frequency response as tween 3,000 and 12,000 Hz, above which the headband gives a clue to the origin of 20 to 20,000 Hz (no tolerance given), im- the output dropped off rapidly. The overall that nomenclature) employs the Open -Aire pedance as 42 ohms, sensitivity as 96 dB variation of only 7.5 dB from 85 to 12,000 technology that has long been a feature of nominal sound -pressurelevel(SPL)at Hz represents excellent uniformity for a Sennheiser phones. Each earpiece is vented 1,000 Hz (no drive level given), and distor- headphone (peak -to -peak variations of 20 to the outside on its rear surface in addition tion as 1 per cent (measurement conditions dB or more are common in high -frequency to the direct inward coupling to the ear. The not stated). Price: $85. Sennheiser Elec- coupler measurements). earpieces rest very lightly on the ears with tronic Corp., Dept. SR, 10 West 37th The impedance of each earpiece was 40 acoustically transparent yellow foam cush- Street, New York, N.Y. 10018. ohms over most of the audio range, with ions. The cushions are removable, and a peaks of 50 ohms at 130 Hz and 52 ohms at spare, less flashy gray pair is included with Laboratory Measurements. The Senn- 20,000 Hz. The harmonic distortion of the each set of phones. A lightweight, adjust- heiser MS 100 phones were tested on a headphone output was measured at 100 and able metal -spring headband connects the standard headphone coupler. A drive level 1,000 Hz with input levels between 0.1 and two earpieces and rests lightly on the wear- of 1 volt and a sweeping sine wave with a 3 volts (corresponding to midrange sound - er's head. The MS 100 weighs a mere 1.4 one -tenth -octave "warble" were used for pressure levels from 90 to 120 dB). At 1,000 ounces, and its integral lightweight parallel - the frequency -response measurement. The Hz the distortion was lost in the measure- conductor 4 -foot cableisfittedwith a resulting frequency -response curve was im- ment system's noise levels for outputs below standard stereo miniphone plug that fits pressivelyflat and smooth (for a head- 100 dB. It was 0.16 per cent at 100 dB and any personal portable unit. phone). The midrange response (at a very rose smoothly to 0.26 per cent at 120 dB. As

42 STEREO REVIEW I Mil OM IIIIIMr CI ED 0 I3 =I IC ]E:= ©CSC J C-1

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(Even when things are changing around you.)

matically con- of features that make it the best trols the key receiver value you'll find: reception 8AM/8FM presets, Delta Power modes: local/ Supply for "digital ready" use, distant input two tape monitors, NB or sensit vity, A+ B speaker selection, two stereo/mono, muting levels, and a special multi- and high plex filter for FM recording. blend. The So remember, when things Onkyo's new APR system latter eliminates the noise associ- are changing around you, only ated with weak stereo transmis- Onkyo's APR guarantees your There are many factors- sions by mixing the left and right music won't be one of them. distance, buildings, temperature- channel high frequency signals (if that car create a loss of FM recep- necessary) while preserving the critical midrange. And, it takes only tion. Thanks to our TX -35 receiver, APR is also featured on Onkyo's new Integra though, all our friend above is 1/30th of a second for APR to Series Tuner, the T-4017. For complete literature. going to lose is his view. accomplish these critical functions, write directly to Onkyo. That's because Onkyo's new producing the finest APR (Automatic Precision Recep- FM you've ever 1111111111111111111111PW tion) insures crystal clear FM no heard. - matter where you listen. APR is a The 45W microprocessor controlled system per channel that instantly judges the quality of TX -35 also the incoming signal and then auto- offers an array

Nobody knows more abcut audio than Onkyo. ONKIL70® 200 Williams Drive, Ramsey, NJ 07446 expected, the low -frequency (100 -Hz) dis- measurements. The overall smoothness of was not audible as a balance coloration, al- tortion was higher because of the intrinsic its acoustic response surpasses that of many though it may have contributed to the feel- nonlinearity of the greater diaphragm ex- full-size circumaural headphones, a few ex- ing of immediacy and contact with the cursions. It varied from 1.6 per cent at 90 pensive electret or electrostatic models be- sound source that one experiences with dB to 17.8 per cent at 120 dB. ing the principal exceptions. The acknow- these phones. We found them completely We also measured the headphone re- ledged limitations of any supra -aural phone acceptable for use with a home music sys- sponse with the impulse driving signal of in the bass region apply, of course, to the tem, and their sensitivity leaves no doubt our IQS FFT analyzer, largely to confirm MS 100, but it is interesting to note that its that they will deliver equally satisfying re- the sweeping -sine -wave response measure- sound gives no sense of thinness or lack of sults with a portable tape player or receiv- ments. The results were essentially similar, bass. No doubt this is due in part to its ob- er. The high sensitivity of the MS 100 im- with the peak at 2,600 Hz being the most served attenuation of the extreme high fre- plies an ability to develop very high listen- prominent departure from flatness. quencies, since a balanced frequency re- ing levels from even the low -power output of sponse is always more pleasing than one a typical portable player. We would cau- Comment. We have been favorably im- that extends far into either the low -frequen- tion,however,againstindiscriminately pressed by the sound quality of several su- cy or high -frequency range without a corre- playing these phones at their maximum lev- pra -aural lightweight headphones we have sponding extension at the other end of the els. Prolonged listening at the highest levels used, and the Sennheiser MS 100 is unques- spectrum. these phones can develop could be dangerous tionably one of the finest of those we have The sound of the MS 100 has virtually to your hearing. -Julian D. Hirsch tested. Its quality was apparent from first none of the unpleasant colorations that af- hearing and was further confirmed by our flict many phones. The 2,600 -Hz emphasis Circle 143 on reader service card

MUCH of the advanced technology em- The drivers of the Infinity RS6 are all forated metal grille just behind the trans- ployed in the $35,000 Infinity Refer- somewhatunconventional.The 8 -inch parent dome protectsitfrom damage ence Standard speaker system has now been woofer, operating in a sealed enclosure, has caused by external physical pressure with- applied to the more affordable speakers in a cone of clear polypropylene, said to be su- out affecting its forward radiation. The sec- Infinity'sReference Standardseries,of perior to paper inits high stiffness, low ond crossover, at 4,000 Hz, is to an electro- which the RS6 is the least expensive floor - mass, and resistance to temperature and magneticinductiontweeter,orEMIT, standing model. The RS6 isa compact humidity changes. At 600 Hz there is a which employs a planar plastic diaphragm, three-way speaker that measures 22 inches crossover to a "Polydome" midrange driver, with extremely low mass, on which a rec- high, 131/2 inches wide, and 10 inches deep a 2 -inch -diameter polypropylene dome driv- tangular pattern of conductors is deposited. and weighs about 28 pounds. The vertical en at its outer circumference by a voice coil The diaphragm is mounted in a powerful front edges of the cabinet, veneered in oak, of the same diameter. This driver is said to magnetic field generated by samarium co- are curved to reduce diffraction effects that derive the same benefits as the woofer does balt magnets.Itradiates sound through can modify a speaker's polar response. from its polypropylene construction. A per- four vertical slits in a metal plate.

44 STEREO REVIEW The three drivers of the Infinity RS6 are speaker's response over the rest of its oper- mounted in a vertical line. A black cloth ating frequency range. Because of the limi- grille, retained by plastic snaps, covers the tations inherent in combining a room re- PURE front of the speaker. Although the RS6 is sponse measurement with an essentially meant to be operated vertically, it can also anechoic measurement, the composite fre- GENIUS be mounted horizontally on a shelf. In this quency response was not as flat as would position, the tweeter can be rotated (after have been expected from our FFT measure- removing the four mounting screws with a ments. Even so, its ±6.5 -dB variation from screwdriver) by 90 degrees to preserve its 30 to 20,000 Hz is certainly creditable per- wide horizontal dispersion. For floor mount- formance for any speaker. ing,itis suggested that the speakers be The midrange level control affected the raised slightly from the floor and tilted back output between 1,000 and 3,000 Hz, with a so that the tweeters point toward the listen- maximum reduction of about 6 dB. The er's ear level. Infinity manufactures an op- tweeter control range was about 7 dB, start- tional 81h -inch -high wooden pedestal base ing at about 6,000 or 7,000 Hz. The flattest response (and best sound, to our ears) was for that purpose. Twin binding -post con- The Carver Magnetic Field Power nectors, spaced 3/4 inch apart, are recessed obtained with both controls at maximum. Amplifier M -400t into the rear of the cabinet, together with a The speaker's phase -shiftcharacteristics fuse holder and small knobs for the contin- were excellent, with a group -delay variation 201 watts minimum continuous uously variable tweeter and midrange level of less than 0.2 millisecond from 1,000 to rower per channel into 8 ohms, adjustments. The RS6, whichis recom- 20,000 Hz. 23 Hz -20 kHz, with no more than mended for use with amplifiers rated be- The sensitivity of the Infinity RS6 was 0.05% T.H.D. tween 35 and 100 watts per channel, has a about average for a compact system operat- Within this 7 -inch, 9 -pound rated nominal impedance of 4 to 8 ohms ing in a sealed enclosure. Its acoustic output cube is, quite possibly, the most and a rated frequency response of 45 Hz to in the midrange was 87.5 dB at aI -meter powerful story in the history of 32 kHz, ±3 dB. The price of the Infinity distance with an input of 2.83 volts. The high fidelity amplifier design. RS6 is $259. Infinity Systems, Inc., Dept. woofer distortion was measured .with a con- The genius of a music loving SR, 7930 Deering Avenue, Canoga Park, stant input or 3.76 volts, corresponding to a physicist was turned loose and the Calif. 91304. midrange output of 90 dB. It measured be- result is an elegant technology tween 1.5 and 2.5 per cent from 100 to 48 that substantially reduces the Laboratory Measurements. We used the Hz, increasing to 7.5 per cent at 40 Hz and massive bulk, weight, and cost Infinity RS6 speakers on their pedestals for 20 per cent at 30 Hz. The system imped- of high power audio amplifiers. both testing and listening. The speakers ance dipped to 4 ohms between 100 and 150 Conventional amplifier power were positioned about 2 feet from the wall Hz, and it reached its minimum of 3 ohms supplies are very costly and behind them, and the midrange and tweeter at 2,200 Hz, with peaks of 20 ohms at 50 inefficient because they produce level controls were set to maximum. The av- Hz and 30 ohms at 750 Hz. We would con- a constant high voltage level at eraged room response curve was, for the sider this to be a 4 -ohm system from the all times-irrespective of the most part, very flat and smooth. It did, how- standpoint of amplifier loading. demands of the everchanging ever, show a 6 -dB midrange dip, between audio signal-even when there's 500 and 1,000 Hz. This measurement was Comment. The Infinity RS6 sounded no audio in the circuit at all! made with the microphone near the rear of every bit as good as it measured, with a In sharp contrast the M-400t's the room, some 12 feet from the speakers, smoothness, transparency, and overall clari- power supply is signal responsive and very similar effects were noted on both ty that seemed almost inconsistent with its and highly efficient. It produces speakers (in a normal stereo configuration, modest price. The midrange "hole" was exactly and only the power the but measured singly). never audible to us. However, the smooth, amplifier section needs from The FFT (quasi-anechoic) frequency re- widely dispersed output of its tweeter was moment to moment to carry the sponse, measured I meter from the front of audible: there was an overall sense of air signal with complete accuracy the speaker, showed a midrange drop of and space surrounding the music that was and fidelity. about the same magnitude, but at 1,500 Hz. clearlydiscerniblein A -B comparisons Once the crudeness of con- It also yielded the widest, flattest frequency against other veryfine speakers whose ventional power supplies was over- response we have yet measured from a tweeters lacked the dispersion and extreme- come, a wholly uncompromised speaker, varying about ±4 dB from 180 Hz ly wide -range response of the EMIT radia- signal path was designed: Fully (the lowest frequency of this particular tor.It was interesting to observe the im- complementary topology from measurement) to 27,000 Hz. From 12,000 proved high -frequency clarity, probably at- input to output; the latest, fastest, to 25,000 Hz, the output varied only ± 1 dB tributable to the extended high -frequency highest current transistors; direct (2 dB overall)! Even at 45 degrees off the response of the tweeter, in A -B comparisons coupling; linear metalized film speaker's axis, the response did not change with some other loudspeakers whose highs capacitors; precision laser trimmed significantly below 15,000 Hz (except for a were flat to 15,000 Hz but fell off at higher resistors; vapor -deposited 24 Karat single narrow dip in the 5,000- to 6,000 -Hz frequencies. gold connectors; and finally,an region). In its literature, Infinity makes a point of output inductor whose corner The closed-miked woofer response the spatial qualities of the Reference Stand- frequency is almost a quarter of a reached a maximum at 100 Hz, about 4 dB ard speakers. We must agree that, for what- megahertz. higher than the plateau from 250 to 450 ever reason (probably a combination of sev- Audition the Carver M -400t and Hz, and dropped off rapidly above 500 Hz, eral factors), the RS6 produced a strikingly hear the difference: transparency, presumably due to the crossover network. open sound stage in our listening room. We openness, detail. Without the The low -frequency response fell at 12 dB listened to a number of digital Compact clipping, distortion, and constraint per octave below 70 Hz. When we spliced Discs with these speakers, and the combina- of lesser amplifiers. With Carver this curve to the middle- and high -frequen- tion was a happy one. the pure sound of music can be, cy room response curve, the combination The Infinity RS6 represents, in our view, very affordably, yours. showed the midrange dip mentioned earlier. an exceptional combination of tasteful styl- Close-miked FFT measurements of the ing and superior performance at a bargain midrange driver response showed a drop be- price. There are many good speakers in its low 1,000 Hz, suggesting that the dip might price class, but in sound quality this one CAI(NTR be a real one caused by a crossover gap. We seems to be a pace setter. Powerful Musical Accurate could not hear the gap as such, and its im- -Julian D. Hirsch portance on our response plots was exagger- P O. Box 664 14304 N.E. 193rd PI. ated by the extraordinary smoothness of the Circle 144 on reader service card Woodinville, WA 98072

CIRCLE NO. 11 ON READER SERVICE CARD NOVEMBER 1983 45 rate hour and minute buttons; a brief pressure advances the readings by one digit, and sustained pressure causes rapid advancement until the button is released. The bass and treble knobs are on the Car Stereo same shaft as the volume knob, which also controls balance (pull and turn) and, as al- By Christopher Greenleaf and Julian D. Hirsch ready noted, tuner on/off. There is also a loudness -compensationbutton. The KE- 7200 has a power -antenna lead; any automatic antenna hooked up to it will be raised when the tuner is switched on and lowered when the tuner goes off. The tape player's pinch -rollerisautomatically disengaged when the car's ignition is turned off, pre- venting possible damage if a cassette is left in place. Price: $379.95. Lab Tests The KE-7200's tuning section is one of Pioneer's series of automobile "Supertun- ers," which are said to have exceptional sensitivity and resistance to various forms of FM noise and interference. The measured performance of the KE-7200 lived up to that promise in just about every important respect. Only its capture ratio was disappointing, measuring 5.1 dB with a 65-dBf PIONEER KE-7200 (500 -microvolt, or µV) input. The sensitivity, however, was indeed excellent, as were PIONEERSKE-7200 is an in -dashdigital - the cassette and resumes tuner operation all the other tuner characteristics (see the synthesis AM/FM receiver with an unless the tuner is switched off. There is a accompanying box for our full results). It auto -reverse cassette player and a digital Music Search (Ms) function that can be was not possible to measure the KE-7200's clock. Its integral power amplifier can han- used in either tape direction; it quickly lo- exact alternate -channel selectivity, since it dle one pair of 4 -ohm speakers. There are cates recorded selections on the tape during exceeded 98 dB-a truly remarkable figure no line -level outputs for an external power fast winding, stops the tape motion, and be- for any FM tuner, even for home use, let amplifier, but a booster amplifier can be gins normal playback. Lightly tapping ei- alone in a car. The adjacent -channel selec- used if desired. ther fast -wind button disengages the other. tivity was an impressive 17 dB. The tuner has two groups of FM presets There are LED indicators in the selector The AM frequency response, as often and one of AM presets, each with five mem- buttons for Music Search, Dolby -B noise happens, was very narrow, with the output ories. A ring concentric with the tuning reduction (for tapes only), and 70 -microsec- down 6 dB from its midrange maximum at knob is used to select the band, which is in- ond tape equalization. The indicators light 85 and 1,700 Hz. We found that the normal dicated by an LED display. Rocking the up when the buttons are depressed, though signalthresholdfor FM auto -scan was tuning knob to the right or left changes the the one for Music Search does so only when about 41 dBf (30 µV), and in the local mode AM .frequency up or down in 10 -kHz steps bothitand afast -wind button are de- it was 63 dBf (400 µV). and the FM frequency in 0.2 -MHz steps. pressed. Another button with its own LED The tape player's frequency response was Pushing the knob in causes the tuner to be- indicators reverses the direction of tape mo- very good, with less difference in high -fre- gin scanning, with each receivable station tion. Reverse play also occurs automatically quency response between the two tape di- being heard for 5 seconds before the tuner at the end of a cassette. rections than we usually find in auto -removes on to the next. Scanning stops when Pressing the CLOCK button causes the verse players. In fact, the difference was the knob is pressed again or rocked right or time to be displayed on the tuner readout. negligibleifnotinaudible.Flutter was left for manual tuning or if a station -preset Setting the time requires using a pointed slightly higher near the end of a cassette button is pressed. object (a pen or pencil) to hold down sepa- than at the beginning, but even the worst - The KE-7200 has a local -station scan function (Loc.$) that limits scanning to stations with strong, clear signals. In our road Hirsch -Houck Lab Measurements tests in the New York area, pressing the Loc.s button more or less halved the num- FM mono usable sensitivity (75 -ohm input; 120 -us EQ-50 to 16,000 Hz forward. 55 to ber of FM stations scanned, and there were 12.8 dBf (1.2 µV) 16,000 Hz reverse; 70-9s EQ-50 to 14,500 about a third as many AM stations. (Tuner Mono 50 -dB quieting sensitivity (75 -ohm Hz forward, 48 to 18,000 Hz reverse. sensitivity was not affected.) A MONO but- input): 18.6 dBf (2.2 µV) Tape signal-to-noise ratio (referred to 250 Stereo 50 -de quieting sensitivity (75 -ohm ton selects either mono or automatic stereo/ nWb/m at 315 Hz): 120 -us E0-51.5 dB input): 22.1 dBf (3.5 µV) unweighted, 60 dB with Dolby -B. CCIR/ ARM mono -blend FM reception. In the automatic Tuner signal-to-noise ratio at 65 dBf: mon 7, weighting; 70 -us E0-52.5 dB unweighted, mode, a strong -signal stereo broadcast will 65 dB; stereo, 61 dB 61 dB with Dolby -B, CCIR/ARM weighting be played with full channel separation and a Tuner distortion at 65 dBf: mono. 0.36 per Flutter: at start of cassette, ± 0.22 per cent stereo -display LED (marked ST) will light cent; stereo, 0.37 per cent CCIR weighted peak, 0.13 per cent JIS up on the readout panel (which doubles as FM frequency response: 48 to 15,000 Hz weighted; at end of cassette, ±0.25 per thefold -downcassette -welldoor),but -3 dB cent CCIR weighted peak, 0.15 per cent JIS weaker signals will cause the separation to Stereo separation at 100. 1.000, and weighted 10,000 Hz: 33.5, 37.5, and 26.5 dB Tape speed accuracy: exact at start of begraduallydecreaseduntilmonois Capture ratio at 65 dBf: 5.1 dB cassette, +0.6 per cent at end reached under poor reception conditions. AM rejection at 65 dBf 62 dB Fast -rewind time for C-60 cassette: 104 (The MONO button does not affect tape Alternate -channel selectivity: 98 dB seconds playback.) The tuner is turned on or off by Adjacent -channel selectivity: 17 dB Tone -control range: +9.5, -- 11.5 dB at pushing the volume knob. image rejection: 69 dB 100 Hz; + 10, -11 dB at 10,000 Hz As with most car stereo units, the KE- AM frequency response: 85 to 1,700 Hz Amplifier power output into 4 ohms at 7200's cassette player is turned on whenev- Tape -playback frequency response clipping (measured at 1,000 Hz): 4.52 watts er a cassette tape is inserted. Punching both (standard BASF test tapes, -3 -dB limits): per channel fast -wind buttons at the same time ejects

46 STEREO REVIEW case readings of 0.15 per cent wrms (JIS fortunate at highway speeds because the weighting) and ± 0.25 per cent weighted - high level of road and car noise-admitted- peak (CCIR) were typical of most car ster- ly in part the fault of my car, not the quiet- eo transports. The tape speed was exactly est vehicle one can drive-masked much of correct at the start of a cassette and about the music when I played it at volumes the The 0.6 per cent fast at the end. amplifier could handle. In any case, with The audio power output was 4.52 watts less demanding music and driving condi- into 4 ohms at the clipping point (1,000 tions, the unit produced sound that was in- Hz). The low -frequency response and pow- variably rich and well balanced. er capabilities of the radio were consider- It was pleasant for a change not to be high ably below the middle- and high -frequency greeted by a din from the radio whenever I values, but the unit was still capable of de- changed a cassette-provided I remem- livering 2.3 watts at 20 Hz. Since all meas- bered to leave the tuner switched off. But urements were made through the FM -tuner doing that is easier than remembering to section, the audio distortion could not be turn the volume down at the end of each measured accurately, but the total har- cassette, which you have to do with many end monic distortion (using 25 per cent FM other units. The tuner's FM performance modulation at 1,000 Hz) was around 0.33 was very good in strong reception areas. per cent up to more than 2 watts, 0.47 per Even the FM "Bermuda Triangle" near the cent at 4 watts, and only 0.65 per cent at 4.2 Empire State Building (from which most of watts, just before clipping occurred. the city's FM stations broadcast) failed to produce cross -modulation effects, in which isnow Our bench tests left us with very positive feelings toward the Pioneer KE-7200. This a station turns up in several different spots is a nicely engineered car stereo with genu- on the dial. Once a station had been tuned inely good performance in all important ar- in,Inoticed no intrusions from adjacent eas and a minimum of unnecessary or diffi- frequencies. cult -to -use extra features. Obviously, if you Long-distance FM reception on a trip just want to drive four or more speakers or be into the Adirondack Mountains upstate was heard several blocks away, the KE-7200 is generally quite good. I was glad to have a not for you unless you add a booster ampli- separate MONO button, though the automat- fier. But for those users (probably a major- ic high -blend circuit worked smoothly and ity) who consider an automotive sound sys- effectively. In the city, however, multipath conditions made it pleasanter to listen to 18" tem as basically a source of clear, undistorted music while driving, the KE-7200 weaker signals in consistent mono than ir- should do the job admirably. -J.H. regular stereo. Pioneer's Supertuner III circuitry not only pulled in more stations than Road Tests I expected to be able to get, but it allowed them to be heard with minimal interference Hot on the heels of what I suspect is New from electrical hash in the air or in my car's York City's only pothole repair crew, mywiring. Even shorting a spark -plug lead Volvo and I explored the terrain around the against the engine block did not produce a Brooklyn Navy Yard in search of new great deal of interference. places to test the KE-7200's tape transport. AM reception is always noisier than FM, It didn't take long to find some. but the AM sound from the KE-7200 re- The tape player resisted vertical shocks mained generallylistenable, and voices well enough to play piano and organ music emerged clearly from any noise. AM scan- with little more than a slight stutter or warning was another matter. Except when I ble. Horizontal shocks, however, such as used the Loc s function to limit scanning to thoseI encountered when Ihit a pothole strong signals, about every fourth or fifth with one wheel or had the left and right AM frequency at which the tuner stopped tires riding on different types of bad sur- was a mix of different distant and unreceiv- faces, did generate slight burbles. On the able stations.Pressing the Loc s button other hand, the transport had no troubleeliminated the problem. handling my favorite old C-120 test tape- The KE-7200 is an attractive unit that is a length that manufacturers recommend easy and convenient to use. The two slightly never using in a car player. The deck has a terraced rows of function and preset buttons mechanism to take up tape slack as soon as allowunusuallyeasyselectionwithout a cassette is loaded; it worked very well. much chance of punching the wrong button, The loudness control was so different and the various controls have enough resist- from the bass and treble controls in audible ance to pressure that it would be hard to effect that I was able to make fairly subtle engage one accidentally. All the LED indi- adjustments in tone quality by using them cators and the frequency/time display are all in different combinations. I was unable clearly visible from any reasonable angle to alter the upper -midrange region (an oc- and bright enough to be legible in all but tave or so above 2,000 Hz) because the tre- direct sunlight. Despite its size, the new Dahlquist ble control affected only the high treble and The faceplate is full of controls yet seems DQM-3 delivers a level of the loudness contour's effect did not extend uncluttered. I missed having some form of performance few measure up to. that high up. The latter control has no real noise reduction for tuner listening, and I treble shaping and only slightly boosts the would certainly want to add a booster am- Its full sound stage is the result lower midrange and mid -bass, but it does plifier to help in playing complex music of many technical advantages provide a substantial low -bass boost. loudly enough to be heard over highway including flat wound ribbon wire The amplifier generated enough power noise. Otherwise, the Pioneer KE-7200 is a voice coils and satellite mounted for most music at moderate volume levels, smoothly operating car stereo that is handy crossover networks. but it was unable to provide clean sound at to use and offers exceptionally listenable The Dahlquist DQM-3... discover high volume in music with a lot of bass or FM reception even under very adverse con- the energy. complex textures (such as Romantic organ ditions. Ten FM presets is more than I need works, some nineteenth-century choral mu- at present, but the capabilities of this Pio- sic, and an energetically performed Proko- neer Supertuner could easily change my lis- DAHLQUIST fiev piano sonata). This limitation was un- tening habits! -C.G. iiO1 Old Villets Path. Hauppauge. N.Y. 11788 In Canada, Evolution Audio, Ontario CIRCLE NO 23 ON READER SERVICE CARD NOVEMBER 1983 47 Installation of the Month

THE starting points for Stephen C. Mest- ment. The lower half of the leftmost module separately amplified AS -1320 subwoofers. ler's good-looking, practical audio in- has a swing -out door with built-in cassette A pair of Heath AS -I383 speakers are used stallation were his large collection of rec- storage slots. Additional storage space for in another room. ords and tapes, his elaborate stereo compo- cassettes and accessory paraphernaliais Mestler's other leisure -time interests in- nent system, and an unsightly waist -high provided inside. clude building and flying radio -controlled concrete wall between his kitchen and living Mestler's components are mostly Heath - model airplanes, but, he says, "Music is room. A co-pilot for Pan Am based in south kit models, selected because he is impressed first." While he and his wife mostly like Florida, Mestler combined his hobbyist's by their quality and reliability and because rock and jazz, they arc "just beginning to skills in furniture building and electronics he could build them himself. The electron- appreciate" classical music as well. to construct both the attractive cedar cabi- ic -component rack in the rightmost module Although Mestler's installation required netry for his system and much of the equip- contains a Heath AJ-1600 tuner, AP -1800 considerable advance planning, he confesses ment it holds. preamplifier, AD -1703 octave -band equal- that on one point his foresight was inade- The installation consists of four modules izer, AD -1701 graphic output indicator, quate-already his record collection has mounted on top of the old dividing wall. AD -1702 electronic crossover, and AA - outgrown theallotted space(italways Horizontal two-by-four's bolted to the con- 1600 and AA -1800 power amplifiers, to- does!), leaving another construction project cretedividerprovidefirmanchorsfor gether with a dbx Model 224 noise -reduc- to be undertaken in the near future. 6 -inch -wide cedar planks that cover the tion system. The other equipment module -Craig Stark wall and the spaces between the modules, contains a Sony TC-758 open -reeltape running from floor to ceiling on both sides deck, a Nakamichi LX -5 cassette deck, and to create a fully paneled room divider as a Philips Model 212 turntable with an Au- Is your system an Installation of the well as a home entertainment center. The dio-Technica AT3I moving -coil cartridge. Month? To find out whether itis, vertical side panels of each module are There are rear access panels for the equip- send a clear snapshot and a brief de- grooved to hold the shelves securely, and ment on the back of the room divider, and scription of its components to STEREO each shelf is reinforced front and back with there is a built-in light for the turntable. REVIEW, Dept. 10TM, One Park Ave- I/4 -inch threaded horizontal rods to help The main loudspeakers for the system are nue, New York, N.Y. 10016. support the weight of the records or equip- three-way Heath AS -1321's together with

48 STEREO REVIEW One Step Closer to Perfection The Ohm Walsh 2 is the "Speaker of the Year" The new Ohm Walsh 4 is even better.

Over 4,000 acknowledged Here's How We Did It experts chose the Ohm Walsh 2 We used the same as "The Speaker of the Year" in unique, patented technology Audio Video International's 1982 as in the Ohm Walsh 2. Hi-Fi Grand Prix Competition. The main transducer is in the How could anyone make a better shape of a conical pyramid, speaker than one that is "among inverted like an upside down the best speakers we have ever ice cream cone. This driver heard, regardless of price" (The is driven full range and by Complete Buyers Guide to its very nature gives perfect Speaker/Hifi Equipment), or that dispersion, so you can still has received more rave reviews sit anywhere in your room than any new speaker in the last and hear everything cor- 10 years? That question is an- rectly. Our patented design swered by the new Ohm Walsh 4 mates this driver to a tiny Here's What We Did super -tweeter supplement- 1We reproclucecl the sounu ing the highest octave. quality the New York Times They are in time and described as "a spacious acous- phase alignment at all tic ambience with precise stereo listening positions. This imaging creating a 'reach -out - perfect alignment is what and -touch -it' realism that this prompted The Washingtonian listener has rarely experienced .. ." 7o say "...the Walsh 2s are among 0 We gave it the ability to play louder. the best 'imaging' speakers at any price, The new Ohm Walsh 4 can handle additional Suo Bass Activator control to which means they create the original set- 500 watts rms of music. It can reproduce balance bass output-something no other ting in which the musc was recorded- a full orchestra at live levels in a normal speaker has ever had. The new Ohm Evoking the broad expanse of an orches- listening room, flawlessly.It also can han- Walsh 4 goes one better. We added a tra or the compact spacing of a 077 com- dle the new digital audio discs, effortlessly. truly exciting and unique control called bo, for example." The inverted driver and 3We made it play deeper. The Ohm "perspective." This allows you to change cabinet of the Ohm Walsh 4 are much Walsh 4 can reproduce over half an your 'seat' in the audience from up front to bigger, which allows it to handle more octave deeper bass. At 30 Hz the 4's put in the rear-matching your taste, your power and go deeper out 10 times as much volume as the music. your room and your state of mind. Now You Have A Choice superb 2's. Maybe only one record out of We made the Ohm Walsh 4 even Either the Ohm Walsh 2 speakers a hundred demands this-but the 4's are 5more convenient to live with. They which "..certainly mist be rated a 'best ready whenever you are. They let you come built w th casters for easy place- buy'" (Audio), "The fact that a pair sells for physically feel the impact of a bass drum ment or movement. Moreover, our three well under a thousand dollars is, in our or timpani. An unusual luxury, but it's ambience controls are placed witnin easy opinion, nothing short of a sonic miracle." there. reach on the rear. The speakers are tall (The Complete Buyers Guide to Speaker/ 4We gave it more control range, so enough (40") not be blocked by most Hifi Equipment), or the more expensive you can better match your own listen- chairs and sofas but small enougn (only new Ohm Walsh 4, with both the luxury of ing room to your musical taste. While most 121/2" square at the top) to be incon- extended bass and the ability to be high -end speakers do have a high fre- spicuous in most rooms. They come in played louder In either case, you will get quency control, the Ohm Walsh 2 has five finishes (all genuine wood veneer) to the sound Popular Mechanics has said. both a high frequency control and an match your furniture. " ..meets One ultimate audio test:It makes you unaware of its presence. You Specifications Ohm Walsh 2 Onm Walsh 4 feel there's nothing between you and the 32Hz to 17kHz ± 4dB Frequency Response 45Hz to 16kHz y 4 dB music." One step closer to perfection. Size 321/2 VOA. tall x 91/4 WV. x 91/4 AtAt at top, 405tve tall x 12fhAt5t x 121/2krx% at top. 111/25/04 x 111/2%1/2 at bottom 1.51/25kAt a 151/2415t at bottom Weight 29 lbs 63 lbs Call today toll free, Efficiency 87dEl at 1 meter with a 2.83 volt 87cfB at 1 meter with a 2 83 volt input and all controls at maximum input and all controls at maximum 800-221-6984 Finish Genuine wood veneer, walnut and oak Genuine wood veneer. walnut and oak to get details on buying factory direct. Or write. standard. Scandinavian rosewood and black standard. Scandinavian rosewood and black or white lacquer on oak finishes available or white lacquer on oak finishes available Ohm Acoustics Corp. on special order. on special order 241 Taafte Place. Brooklyn, New York 11205 Inputs Press connectors accepting "banana plugs" Press connectors accepting 'banana plug or bare wire up to 12 gauge or bare wire up to 12 gauge Controls 2 - low and high frequency each with 3 - low, high and perspective each with 3 positions 3 positions Power requirement 30 watts minimum/120 watts maximum 50 watts minimum/500 watts maximum on Music Impedance 4/4 ohms 4/4 ohms C)11n1 Price per Pair $750 - Standard finish $1500 - Standard finish $950 - Special order finish $1750 - Special order finish We make loudspeakers correctly. CIRCLE NO 41 ON READER SERVICE CARD A Guideto Exotic Loudspeakers By Ralph Hodges

EVERY BODY knows whatloud- fact, over the years they havedefined speakers looklike,of course. "high fidelity" for many speaker de- The proverbial man on the street signers, in that they have tried to make could easily pick out a loudspeaker their conventional speakers sound like from an assortment of such other electrostatics. And, when you examine householditems asfoldingscreens, the idea behind them, it does indeed smoke detectors, and TV antennas. Or seem to be a pretty good way to design could he? a speaker. In fact, probably not always. There Take a very thin sheet of some light- are on the market today loudspeakers weightconductivematerial(coated that look like all of the above and like Mylar filmis used as often as not), other things as well. They're not, as a mount it like a painting in an insulating rule, to be found at Radio Shack or frame, and sandwich the frame be- even Pacific Stereo stores. You have to tween two conductive, perforated plates go to the hushed, well -padded salonsor wire grids to form a wafer that is where audio is pursued with religiousquite thin in cross section but fairly fervor-and where your Visa or Mas-broad in surface area. If appropriate terCard credit line won't be enough nod.c. polarizing voltages are applied to matter how much your bank likes you. various elements of this wafer (usually As for why anyone would build a about 1,000 volts or so to the thin con- speaker that doesn't look like a speaker, ductive film and 0 volts to both grids), there are as many explanations as there the flimsy sheet in the middle will snap are different principles. But the real to attention and stand stiffly between reason these devices don't look like the two outer elements. If the polariz- speakers is because they're not meant ing voltages on the elements are then tosoundlike speakers. They're meant modulated by a high -voltage audio sig- to sound like "the real thing"-or at nal, electrostatic forces will cause the least what their designers think the real sheet to move back and forth, becoming thing sounds like, which is, of course, a an effectively rigid but very low -mass subjective matter, sometimes highly so. acoustic diaphragm that will generate Nevertheless,mostlistenerswould sound-very clear and low -distortion agree that many of these exotic speak- sound as a rule. This is a push-pull elec- ers sound very good, either because the trostatic speaker, the aristocrat of the principle itself is intrinsically good (it's breed (see Figure 1). unusual to hear a really rotten -sound- There are several practical disadvan- ing electrostatic speaker, for example) tages to this approach. One is that the or because the engineer's talents have single diaphragm's dimensions are larg- successfully wrestled a difficult design er than most audio wavelengths, and as concept into reality for the sake of some a result electrostatic speakers tend to be superiority it is believed to possess. Sovery directional in a way that is imme- let's consider some of the varieties. diately apparent tolisteners. To get around this effect,it was a common Electrostatics practice in the past to use small electrostatic elements for higher frequen- Electrostatic loudspeakers arevir- cies and larger ones for lower frequen- tually as old as high fidelity itself. In cies. The trend today, however, seems

50 STEREO REVIEW to be to employ arrays of identically can be both loud and bassy, is 8 feet Film -Diaphragm sized electrostatic elements and to live high and 3 feet wide. with the directionality, or else to aim There are a few electrical drawbacks Speakers theseparate elements sothatthey as well.Electrically, an electrostatic "Film -diaphragm"speakers?This create a spread-evenanomnidi- speaker is a capacitor;it responds tonomeiclatare is, as far as I know, of my rectional spread-of sound. The Quad voltage,notcurrent.But avoltage own invention, so if it elicits a few blank ESL -63 takes still another approach by source is precisely what many transistor looks from audio dealers, don't be sur- driving its diaphragm not as a rigid pis- amplifiers don't think of themselves as prised.In any case,Iuse the term ton but as an array of concentric rings, being. Furthermore, the polarizing volt- "film -diaphragm" to refer to a loud- with the drive signal delayed so that the ages must be rather high (hundreds or speaker that resembles an electrostatic inner rings "speak" first, the outer ones thousands of volts). The usual arrange- speaker acoustically but resembles a progressively later. The intent is to gen- mentisa boosting -transformer cou- conventional dynamic device electrical- erateanondirectional hemispherical pling between amplifier and speakers ly.Infact, a film -diaphragm design wavefront. Whether it actually does so together with a separate power supplymay present a pleasanter load to the or not, the Quad ESL -63's sonic image for the speakers that must also be con- driving amplifier than a typical dy- islike that of no other electrostatic nected to an a.c. wall outlet. namic speaker does since, for the most speaker I have yet heard. These high voltages within an elec- part, there aren't any of the mechanical The other side of the same coin is trostatic element, in turn, can break resonances that show up in a dynamic's thatat /ow frequencies (long audio down the insulating properties of air electrical impedance curve. wavelengths) most electrostatic speak- when the speaker is driven hard, caus- To build a film -diaphragm speaker, ers are not reallydirectional atall. ing an unpleasant -sounding and un- take the same sort of diaphragm mate- Since the radiation from the back of the healthy sparktopass between dia- rial used for an electrostatic, but in- speaker is equivalent to that from the phragm and plates. Materials technolo- stead of a continuous conductive coat- front, but out of phase with it, and the gy has helped with this problem, anding, apply what amounts to a zig-zag back radiation is not enclosed, there is designers such as those behind the Day-voice -coil pattern (using thin wire or considerable acoustic cancellation of ton Wright electrostatics have gone as metal foil) to one side (see Figure 2). low -frequency energy. Moreover, since far as to seal the elements in envelopes Then replace the electrostatic's perfo- the diaphragm's excursions must be of inert gas with much better (electri-rated "stator" plates with rows of per- kept small, it doesn't generate all that cal) insulation characteristics than or-manent bar magnets. And there you much bass anyway. One way around dinaryair. have it.It looks like an electrostatic, this limitation is to use a conventional These warts notwithstanding, howev- and itusually sounds something like woofer for the bass, which some people er, electrostatics have always had untir- one, but it plugs directly into your am- find satisfactory and others don't. An- ing appeal for serious listeners, andplifier without intervening transformer other way is to make the electrostatic there has always been an electrostatic circuitry, anditdoesn't have to be speaker verybig.Acoustat's Model speaker on the market for those whoplugged into a wall socket. Eight, built to show that electrostatics wanted to buy one. While small film -diaphragm drivers

Figure 1.In a typical electrostatic speaker, the thin, conductive film that is the diaphragm receives a high direct -current polarizing voltage. An audio signal, boosted in voltage level, is applied to metal grids on either side of the film, causing electrostatic forces to push and pull the diaphragm, generating sound.

The Quad ESL -63 electrostatic speaker

NOVEMBER 1983 51 have also been developed, but, although ate a continuous 200 -watt pink -noise they retain the bellows mode of opera- signal above 4,000 Hz. More recently, tion, their drive principle is basically the using similar design techniques, VMPS same as that of dynamic speakers.) demonstrated a ribbondiaphragm backed with polyester film that is said are used extensively as tweeters and Ribbon Speakers to sound good-and powerful-down to midranges in the Infinity line of speak- 300 Hz. The Magnepan device will first er systems, for many years Magnepan Another veteran of the earliest days be used to take over the top end of the has pushed the concept of full -range of hi-fi, the ribbon driver is essentially amanufacturer'sfilm -diaphragm sys- film -diaphragm systems. The trouble film -diaphragm speaker with the me- tems (measurements show it to have with full -range designs has principally tallic -foil diaphragm itself serving as flat response out beyond 40,000 Hz), been that the diaphragms are so large the "voice coil" (see Figure 4). Tradi- but the company has been talking seri- that the "voice coils" add appreciable tionally delicate, expensive, and hard toously about a full -range ribbon system, mass, impairing performance atthe get much out of, ribbons have recently and it seems clear that VMPS and oth- highest frequencies. And, of course, benefited a great deal from materials ers are headed in the same direction. they share the acoustical drawbacks of technology, and, whereas formerly only The result could be some exceptional full -rangeelectrostatics.Yetsuch a ribbon tweeter was even thinkable, we loudspeakers that are very "amplifier - speakers arestill much beloved by may now see some full -range ribbon many, often for good reason. systems. The first seems to be a three- As a variant on the film -diaphragm way all -ribbon system from Apogee theme, take your film, apply the "voiceAcoustics that has already impressed coil" in an up-and-down zig-zag pat- many audiophiles. tern, and then fold the whole works into The earliest ribbon tweeters were accordion -like pleats. If the surround- small -diaphragm affairs, often horn- ingmagneticfieldisappropriately loadedforacousticalefficiency and oriented, an audio signal will cause the transformer -coupled to the amplifier. pleats at front and back to open and Several companies later brought the art close alternately, generating acoustic along significantly, but apparently the energy not by pushing and pulling air big breakthrough didn't come until but by exerting a sort of bellows action 1980, when Magnepan filed a patent on it (see Figure 3). This is the princi- that resulted in a ribbon tweeter with a ple of the so-called Heil Air -Motion diaphragm only one ten -thousandth of Transformer (AMT), which was used an inch thick, less than an inch wide, extensively for higher -frequency driv- and 5 feet long! Used vertically, the de- ers by ESS until that company went vice becomes a line -source radiator into eclipse. Now, with new financing, withclose -to -perfectlateralomnidi- ESS seems likely to emerge again, and rectionality. It is driven directly by the the Heil AMT with it. (AMT woofers amplifier and is said to be able to toler- The ESS amt ll speaker with Heil tweeter

CONDUCTIVE GRID ON THIN FILM FOLDED MAGNET FILM MAGNET SHEET OF MAGNETS DIAPHRAGM AUDIO SIGNAL

AUDIO SIGNAL

Figure 2. A film -diaphragm speaker has a voice "coil" Figure 3. The Heil Air Motion Transformer "squeezes" the air that is spread out over the diaphragm's surface. caught in the pleats of a folded film diaphragm that is suspended The magnets can be on one or both sides. between the north (N) and south (S) poles of two magnets.

STEREO REVIEW \ 1\1\1\\KV 11 Magic Baloney You'll love the way we hated the Magic Stat thermostat until an amazing thing happened.

It had no digital readout, an ugly case and a stupid name. It almost made us sick.

You're probably expecting our typical sales stats to the time you want the furnace to go ganization. They have been in business for pitch, but get ready for a shock. For instead on in the morning, so when you wake up, several years, and hey back their products of trying to tell you what a great product the your room is once again warm. But what if with a three-year limited warranty. In addition, Magic Stat thermostat is. we're going to tear one morning it's bitter cold outside and thethe company has a policy of buying back it apart. Unmercifully. next morning it's much warmer? This means your unit it one year if you haven't saved its When we first saw the Magic Stat, we took that setting your furnace to go on at the same full cost in energy savings. We were satisfied one look at the name and went "Yuck." We time may. on one morning, leave you cold with the company, the people, the product, took one look at the plastic case and said and on the next morning cause you to waste its inc-edible features, the company's com- "How cheap looking." And when we look- energy by warming up your house too soon. mitment to the product and above all, the ed for the digital readout, it had none. So By golly, the Magic Stat has everybody energy savings. before the salesman even showed us how it beat on this one too. Throughout the night it We are so impressed now with the Magic worked, we were totally turned off. senses and computes the drop in Stat that we're going to make buying one ir- temperature and the time itwill take to get resistible. Euy one from us for only $79. In- REAL LOSER stall it yourself in a few minutes or hire a han- So there it was-at first blush a real loser. your room to your exact wake up temperature. So if you want to wake up at 7 AM dyman to install it. But wait, we did find one good feature-a Or order the new deluxe unit for $99 with feature that led us to a discovery. The Magicto 70 degrees-that's the temperature you'll Stat installs in a few minutes and no ser-wake up to every time. Because it'sa the exact same features as the regular model, but wth a beautiful new case. viceman is required. Thermostat wires in your patented concept, no other thermostat has wall follow standard color codes. So whenthis feature. But wait. There is also a patent Then enjoy the savings this next winter, Not you install Magic Stat, you attach the red wire on the setting feature. only will you save up to 30% on your heating to the red location and the white to the white. SIMPLE TO SET bills, but you're eligible for the 15% energy tax credit. Then if you're not absolutely in love That's playschool stuff. And it's safe. Conven- To set the thermostat, you press just one tional thermostats installed over the past 20 button. A small LED lightscans the with this product one year later. return it to years are generally only 24 volts, so you can JS&A. You'll get all your money back and you temperature scaleuntilyou reach your can reinstall your o d thermostat. either turn off the power or work with the desired temperature and then you release the "live" wires without fear. button. You change the temperature naturally, REALIZE SAVINGS OK, LET'S TEST IT throughout the day, up to six times. The unit But we're countirg on a few things. First, you w II realize an erergy savings and a com- The Magic Stat installation was so easy that responds and remembers that exact living the least we could do was test it. And that's pattern. The present temperature s displayed fort that will far surpass what you are currently when we made an incredible discovery. We by a glowing red LED on the scale. experiencing. Secondly, you probably will sleep better breathing cooler air yet wake up discovered that the Magic Stat was probably The system also computes the deal length the furnace should stay on to keep the to just the right temperature. the most consumer -oriented, technologically - Beauty is only skin deep and a name advanced and most sophisticated thermostat temperature within a range of plus or minus ever developed on the face of this earth and one and one-half degrees. A battery backup doesr't really mean that much. But we sure in our galaxy for all times ever. What made lets you keep your stored program inits wish those guys at Magic Stat would have us switch from hating the thing to loving it? memory so power outages as long as eight named they unit something more impressive. Maybe something like Twinkle Temp. Read the following. hours won'tletyour unitforget. Andif To order. credit card holders call toll free The Magic Stat has six setback settings per something happens and your power is out for day and a seven day program. That means a few days, the unit will automatically main- and ask for product by number below or send that you could set it for 700 when you get up tain 68 degrees when the power is restored. check plus $4 delivery for each unit ordered. in the morning, drop the temperature to 540 Quite frankly, we were so impressed with Magic Stat (0040SR) $79 when you go to work, raise it to 680 when you the unit, its ease of installation and setting plus Deluxe Magic Stat (0041SR) 99 return for dinner, raise it up to 720 after din- its many energy -saving features, we seriously ner as you watch TV and then drop it down considered advertising it until we realized that to 620 when you go to sleep. Count them- our customers would probably not want to five settings with one to spare. trust their future comfort to a product called In one day the Magic Stat is programmed Magic Stat. What if something went wrong for the whole week and for the weeks to with the unit'T' How substantial was this Magic come. If you want a different schedule for Statoutfit? Remember, a thermostatis weekends, you can individually program the something you live with as long as you live thermostat for those days, too. "Big deal," in your home, and they're supposed to last One JS&A Plaza you might think. "What's so great about ages. After all, your comfort depends on it. Northbrook, Illinois 60062 that?" Read on. Well, we did our homework, We found the CALL TOLL FREE 800 323-6400 You set most electronic setback thermo- company to be a sound, well -financed or- IL residents add 6,, sales tax JS&A Group Inc 1983 1984 Business Activity Planner Imagine! 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IS 12 Income and Expense Reports able information including Principal HALF-HOUR TIME SCHEDULING II 1984 Business Tax Calendar Holidays, French and California Convenient scheduling... seven 111 Executive Compensation ChecklistWine Vintage Charts and more. II Personal Investment Portfolio days a week. DIRECTORY HEALTH AND FITNESS AID THINGS TO DO TODAY Places all emergency and impor- Keep track of important follow-ups, Fat - Cholesterol - Calorie Charts tant telephone numbers at your telephone calls and correspondence. Value of Various Exercises fingertips. SEVEN SNAP -LOCK RINGS ZIFF-DAVISACTIVITY PLANNER P.O.Box 16-2354. Miami, FL 33116 The seven ring format insures that ease send me the following 1984 Activity Planners at $38.95' each plus $5 per copy your pages won't pull out ... unless postage and handling. Outside U.S.A. add $10 per copy postage and handling. you want them to! 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FOR FASTER SERVICE CALL TOLL FREE Order the 1984 Business Activity SATISFACTION GUARANTEEDor return 800-327-1969 Planner for everyone in your office 12:11 within 10 days for a prompt refund! (in Fla. and Canada call (305) 595-8744) 1 ...and select the cover imprint for Plasmatronics driver is a powerful de-and audio -modulated any air in its vi- vice that can get well down into thecinity. When last seen, in June at the midrange and really shout it out. TheSummer CES, it was a see-through grid air in the vicinity of the driver element of metal tubing that ionized, expelled, isheavily ionized-to the point ofand audio -modulated a sheet of argon friendly," but it's a little early to bebright incandescence-with the resultgas. Why the change in gases? Well, sure. that you see a fist -sized gaseous shapethe Pass prototype works at fairly ordi- Incidentally, over the past five yearsthat glows vividly in a darkened room. nary temperatures, and with plenty of a number of speaker systems with "rib-There is space in the back of the speak- high voltages creeping around a lot of bon" tweeters have appeared at com- er system for a tank of helium, a streamthe ionized oxygen in the air gets the paratively moderate price levels. Theseof which is bled into the quartz "plasma opportunity to form ozone, which is not are not, however, pure ribbons but rath-chamber" during operation. The func- a welcome byproduct. Argon, on the er film -diaphragm devices with lami-tion of the helium is not public knowl- other hand, is inert and won't form any- nated metal -foil diaphragms, and theyedge, but some have guessed that itis thing but argon whether it's ionized or pay a consequent penalty in moving there to control the rather high temper-not. A tank of argon is said to provide mass. These drivers are also calledatures that tend to build up in theabout thirty hours of listening at the "Lear' tweeters, which is probably aschamber. The Plasmatronics companyadequate but not extremely loud levels good a name for them as any. has kept a low profile during the lastthe speaker is now capable of. few years, but reliable word has it that Although very low bass cannot be No -Diaphragm Speakers the speaker is obtainable through a lim- had from the ion -cloud system, Pass ited number of dealers. sees it as a full -range device. But he will The first no -diaphragm speaker to Perhaps an even more lineal descend- not yet say whether he is ready to con- capture a sizable following was mar- ent of the lonovac is the Magnat tweet- sider it a commercial product. His only keted in the United States as the Iono-er developed in West Germany. This statement on the matter is, "I think its vac tweeter, and although its manufac- device is not horn -loaded but instead ture ceased decades ago, enthusiastsstands free for omnidirectional radia- stillcling to existing ones with un-tion with its element enclosed in what quenchable passion. The principle oflooks much like the grid of a ball -type the Ionovac was to ionize the air at themicrophone. Although I have seen it,I throat of a short horn. Electromagnetic have not heard the tweeter, and neither fields can move ionized air, and if suchhas anyone else I've spoken to. Dahl- a field is modulated by an audio signal,quist has been keen to distribute it in you'll get sound with no moving me- the U.S., but there is some uncertainty chanical parts at all (see Figure 5). as to when and for how much. Nothing replaced the lonovac for The latest no -diaphragm loudspeak- quite a few years untila company er, an "ion -cloud" reproducer, is an af- called Plasmatronics introduced a largeter-hours project of Threshold presi- and expensive system with a conven- dent Nelson Pass. When first seen (and tional woofer together with an air -ion- heard),last January atthe Winter izing driver for most of the upper regis-Consumer Electronics Show. it was a ter. Compared with the Ionovac, thesee-through grid of wires that ionized The Magnet ion tweeter

MAGNET QUARTZ BLOCK

METAL FOIL RIBBON

BOOSTED IONIZED AUDIO VOLTAGE AiR (PLASMA)

Figure 5 (above). In an ton -cloud speaker, very high voltages created by a radio -frequency oscillator ionize a cloud of gas (plasma), particles of which move according AUDIO to audio -signal modulations of the oscillator level. SIGNAL Figure 4 (left). A ribbon speaker is just a metal film suspended between opposite magnetic poles. MAGNET

NOVEMBER1983 55 had been mounted a spiral of numerous who wouldn't be?) but was gratified solenoids, each with a little diaphragm that most who had heard it reacted ap- attached. In the manner of solenoids,provingly. So far as I know, after this these behaved purely as electromechan- single mention in the English press, the icalswitches. When activated, they device utterly disappeared. sound is very interesting, and I'd like toplopped forward; when de -activated, Couldsuch a thing work? Don't ask have a pair for myself." they plopped back, with no subtleties of me (but see David Ranada's discussion I could be the victim of some journal- motion in between. A complex control in the box below). I wouldn't be too as- ist's perverse sense of humor, but sev-program governed the number of sole- tonished if such a mechanism were able eral years ago I saw, in an English hi-fi noids fired (corresponding to instanta- toreproducearecognizabletune magazine, a write-up on a loudspeakerneous waveform amplitude) and theamidst a welter of spurious "some- that would seem to qualify as being dig- rate at which the firings took placethings." But as for high fidelity . ..? ital, complete with a photo and favor- (corresponding to sampling rate). TheSo keep the faith, but beware of men in able comment on the sound quality. Itreporter seemed mildly surprised thatsnappy suits selling stock in digital - consisted of a flat baffle board on whichsuch a contraption could work at all (as speaker companies. 0

I millimeter in diameter, the largest element (2'5 times bigger-the sixteenth bit determines the direction of diaphragm Digital Loudspeakers? movement) would be181millimeters wide, or about 7 inches. This is hardly a DIRECTconversion of a digital audio waveform emitted by the array of drivers practical size for a headphone. As a loud- signal into sound waves is not only is exactly what you'd expect from a loudspeaker, the device would require large di- possible, but devices to do exactly that speaker: air -pressure variations in propor- aphragm excursions for high sound levels. were fabricated and tested back in 1979 tion to the audio signal. And it would also generate considerable by scientists at Bell Laboratories. Yes, Dr. James L. Flanagan and his col- amounts of ultrasonic energy; if this were folks, the research and development or- leagues at Bell Labs used an "electret" di- not filtered out by a special grille or baffle ganization that brought us the transistor, aphragm segmented into binary -weighted assembly, as in the Bell Labs devices, it negative feedback in amplifiers, the con- surface areas for their experiments (see could cause considerable consternation to denser microphone, information theory photo). Electret transducers are essential- household pets, not to mention passing (one of the cornerstones of both computer ly electrostatic drivers in which the neces- bats and porpoises. science and digital audio), and the first sary polarizing voltages are frozen into Why build a digital loudspeaker in the stereophonicrecordings madeinthis the diaphragm material. They too are an first place? Assuming the basic design country has already experimented with invention of Bell Labs. The audible results problems can be worked out-and there four-,five-,andsix -bitdigital -audio "compare favorably with the conventional are other techniques besides segmented transducers designed for telephone ear- electrical D/A [digital -to -analog] conver- diaphragms for making digital drivers-a pieces (called "receivers" in telephone - sion [scheme]," to quote the November digital loudspeaker could have very low company jargon). 1980 issue ofthe Bell System Technical distortion. In theory at least, the distor- The principle behind the Bell devices is Journal. tion it would add to the signal could be really rather simple. Let's take a four -bit But what's good for Ma Bell, or what's hundreds of times less than that added by example. Imagine a collection of three left of her after the coming dismember- typical dynamic loudspeakers. Moreover. electrostatic or film -diaphragm drivers, ment, may not be good for the average adirect -convertingdigitalloudspeaker the smallest being aI -inch square. The music listener. After all, when was the last would not need power -absorbing crossover rest have surface areas in binary propor- timeyouheard a phone call with high- networks and thus could be a relatively ef- tion, so the next larger diaphragm has a fidelity sound? While Dr. Flanagan spec- ficient transducer, requiring little power surface area of 2 square inches and the ulatesthatmodest -sizedloudspeakers to produce high sound -pressure levels. Fi- largest one an area of 4 square inches. To might be successfully fabricated as direct - nally, if the necessary all -digital computa- use these drivers as a direct digital trans- converting digital transducers, there are tions take place, a digital speaker could ducer, simply connect each diaphragm to some remaining design problems. For ex- have a "user definable" frequency re- the appropriate bit in each digital word. ample, if the smallest element of a six- sponse and directionality characteristic. For example, for the digital word 1110 teen -bit direct -converting driver were only -David Ranada only the largest and second-largest drivers would move, as commanded by the two Bell's prototype four -bit (top) and six -bit (bottom right) digital transducers for rightmost l's. (The leftmost digit deter- telephones used all -acoustic "desampling" filters (pieces at bottom left). mines whichdirectionthe diaphragms are

to move in-let's say that 1 means outward, 0 inward.) For the digital word 0011, only the smallest two diaphragms move; they both snap inward. It's crucial to realize that each diaphragm moves the same distance inward or outward each time it is activated. Continuous variations in the resulting air pressure are produced by differing combinations of different - sized diaphragms being activated very rapidly. The amount of air displaced with each change of digital word is proportional to the numerical magnitude (in binary notation) of that word. Since the digital words are fed to the array at the rate of many thousands per second (at what is called the sampling rate), the acoustical

STEREO REVIEW Thunder Lizard Mistake Plus Earlier this year we offered a 15" BSR speaker system with the wrong tweeter at a close-out price. Now, here's a super improved version of the same speaker for the exact same close-out price. It was a mistake. Somebody goofed and put the wrong tweeter in 3500 of BSR's best 1 5" 3 -way speaker systems. THUNDER LIZARDS BSR's salesman referred to the speakers as Thunder Lizards because the 1 5" acoustic suspension bass driver is so powerfully dramatic that it can literally recreate the power of an earthquake or explosion in your living room. Unfortunately, without the brilliant and powerful exponential horn tweeter, the bass simply overwhelmed the highs and so the name Thunder Lizard was born. But, DAK came to the rescue. We not only bought all 3500 of the speakers, we bought the exponential horn tweeters that BSR had left out and let our customers install the correct tweeter themselves. The highs and lows this system created were nothing short of awesome. BUT, THERE'S A PROBLEM We thought we'd have enough speakers for the rest of the year, but we sold over 3300 in just our Spring Catalogs. So, we went back to BSR and tried to buy more of the speakers. But, they only sold us the first batch at a close-out price because they had put in the wrong tweeters and didn't know what to do with them. BSR said that luckily they didn't make mistakes very often and the only other 'problem' they had was an inventory of 6000 too many super tweak 8" midrange drivers with an exotic polypropylene cone they used for an expensivethe pride of the BSR line, a 15' acoustic Soft listening will give you a fullness and BSR tower system. suspension bass driver. The lows seem realism of sound not possible with con- LOOK NO FURTHER to have life of their own. ventional 10" and 12" speaker systems. Well, to make a long story short, we You'll hear string basses emerge that And, wai: till you (and your neighbors) got BSR to replace the plain paper 5"you never knew were in your recordings. hear the thundering realism of high vol- midrange in the Thunder Lizard MistakeJust a bass drum is an experience. ume listening with these incredibly pure with the new exotic 8" polypropylene Andfinally, the midrange from 1000hzaudiophile speaker systems. midrange driver. And, they put the cor-to 4000hz is flawlessly reproduced by Normally, only the most sophisticated rect tweeter in for us too. the newest development in high-tech audiophile can afford the ultimate, a 1 5" So, for exactly the same close-outspeakers. Instead of using paper, poly-3 -way system. But now, due to BSR's price, we have 6000 speaker systemspropylene is used. errors, anyone can experience the incre- that produce a kaleidoscopic panorama Its characteristics give incredible puritydible realism of a truly great speaker. of sound that is nothing sort of incred-to the entire midrange. It's much more If for any reason you're not 100% over- ible. You're in for an earthshaking, boneaccurate than a paper midrange. whelmed by these speaker systems, sim- jarring musical experience. And, it's a perfect match for the drama- ply return them to DAK in their original The exponential horn tweeter givestic thundering bass and startling highsboxes within 30 days for a refund. you startling dramatic highs to 20Khz. these speaker systems produce_ There's To order your BSR top of the line 15" You won't just hear cymbal crashes, youa presence control that lets you adjust3 -way loudspeaker system with the ex- will experience them. The highs are sim-the midrange level to suit your taste. ponential horn tweeter and the new 8" ply brilliant.Plus, a brilliance controlGREAT LOOKS AND GREAT SOUND polypropylene midrange already instal- lets you decide just how powerful you The beautifully crafted wood -grain ap- led by BSR risk free with your credit want the highs to be. pearance cabinet is 29" tall, 13" widecard, call toll free, or send a check not for The bass, all the way down to 20hz isand 10%2" deep. It comes with a beauti-the suggested retail price of $199 for reproduced with thundering accuracy byful removable real cloth speaker grill. the system with the 5" midrange but for BSR backs this system with a 2 yearonly $119 each plus $12.50 each for limited warranty, and speaking of protec-postage and handling. Order Number tion, the tweeter is fuse protected. The9717. CA res add 6% sales tax. system can handle 180 watts peak, 90 Now, without even having to install watts continuous and requires 15 watts.your own tweeter, you'll experience dra- NEVER AGAIN? matic earthshaking musical sound that's BSR says that this isit. When theseso startlingly alive,it'llsend shivers 6000 speakers are gone, there'll be nothrough your body for years to come. more. They say they have no more mistakes and no more extra speakers. 85SR Well, we're delighted they make mis- DAK takes. And, we know once you've heard INDUSTRIES INCORPORATED these 15" three-way speaker systems TOLL -FREE ORDER LINE you'll be delighted too. For credi: card orders call 24 hours a day 7 days a week 'THUNDER LIZARDS NO MORE' CALL TOLL -FREE.. .1-800-325-0800 RISK FREE 10845 Vanowen St.. N. Hollywood CA 91605 MVCA

everytime. all target ourscanning On scattering Remote -het Insteadof SuperFox super place,the dead hatmakes overthe lens"looks" Sophisticated"pulsing:' and off focusing themid- radar soable to picks up "pulse" on dielectric down Such cunning, that signal. Woso sly,so road? signals Fox.Because ahead...straightevery onthe Even off the is ef- high - detectors vehicle And our throw circuitry dle...magnifying leads to outfoxany does it. won't wasnever super-heterodynemostelusive high-concentration Trickytechnology our the the sen- craftsmanshipmodel we against times sensitivity. cleverFox than inthe fective ten roads. evident radar.Providingdetectors. forrough in a more Remote. pride passive tough isencased is the sitivityof Built receiver callSuperFox Remote Remote strongenough SuperFox driver's bird. Our that's professional As little of chirp- box weath- pack. A fantasy. to the sound heavy-duty the worst of the carfan's a Listen hearthe down stand upagainst A sports detectors as When you light,slow to dream. see ared down roadconditions. fromordinary ing and erand far away ModelT. somethingchirp- from a there'slouderthe won't Maserati becauseAnd the Get warranty theroad. getting. Our of gas. carry a SuperFox. The closeryou're runout doesn't Invisible ing,the Remote 90. Orany The soinconspicuous.the TheSuperFox Or a give a compact, thedash, themessage? warranty. We So hidesunder And our loose 30 -day offer. box grille. canlet detectors It's end- control the bracket A Foxyou kindother warranty. than behindmounting only two LIFETIME better receiververtical tightest in thecity. have limited can'tdo exclusive intothe detectors highway you receiver cars. Mostradar city or less...and being tucksthe sports settings,offers awide to in thetiniest sensitivity that. it comes have SuperFox low to When detectors spaces Onlythe control radar But it's SuperFox. to Set the distrac- other baddays. Invincible theRemote selection. caught, daysand traps aFox. The enable aseasily downtownhighways...or theirgood someone 3uperpowers and hills the eliminatefor open daywhen aroundbends Providing tions...high in-between. a rare 'see" anypoint s onstraightaways.and rearprotection choose in front on allbands, Itimate coverage Fox Marketing, 'ithcomplete 4518 TaylorsvilleRd.nc. polarizations. Dayton, Ohio 45424 Call:1-800-543-7892tollfree Answers to Your Compact Disc Questions

By David Ranada

EVERY new audio technology is boundtocreateunanswered Why are Compact Discs compact? questions among interested au- The small CD's are easier to manufac- diophiles. Back issues of STEREO RE- ture than larger discs would be. In their VIEW show that when stereo hit the present size-a shade less than 43/4 scene in the late 1950's, readers were at inches in diameter-they require small- least as confused about it as they seem er machines and less raw material and to be about the Compact Disc system energy in manufacturing, and they will today. To help lower the overall confu- fit better in future portable and auto- sion level 1 will try to answer here some motive players. They also hold just the of the most common questions aboutright amount of music. Sony once the CD system. If you have any other demonstrated a 12 -inch digital audio burning technical questions about CD's disc that could hold fourteen hours of or digital audio in general, send them music, but what would you put on such to Stereo Review, Dept. CDQA, One a disc? And how much would you have Park Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016. to charge for it? We cannot promise to respond to individual readers, but we do intend to an- Should Compact Discs be stored ver- swer frequently asked questions in fu- tically or horizontally? It doesn't seem ture issues. to matter as long as the discs are stored intheiroriginalprotective"jewel What are the main sonic advantages boxes." In future years, budget -priced of the CD system? Low noise, low dis- CD's may come in cardboard slipcases. tortion at all recorded levels, wide and These will probably have to be stored so very flat frequency response, and abso- that there are no excessive stresses lute speed stability. Secondary advan- placed on the discs (bending a disc too tages include substantial sonic immuni- far may ruin it). ty of the discs to damage from handling and repeated playing. Will a CD player bought today play the longer discs of the future? Yes. Where does a CD player plug into a Longer playing times will come from system? Into the phono input? Definite- recording discs closer to the outside ly not into the phono input. Use a line - edge. level input (aux, tuner, tape -monitor, or an external -processor loop). liAlhatis the maximum playing time of a Compact Disc? Approximately 75 minutes.

NOVEMBER 1983 59 Answers

Why aren't all of them that long? Wby does a Compact Disc slow Why do some CD's sound so bad? Most program material-derived from down as it plays? At the start of play Mainly because the master tapes used the master tapes for LP's-is less than (from the inside), a CD spins at about to make them also sound bad. Many one hour in total playing time. Also, the 500 rpm; near the end of a CD lasting master tapes are made to give the best number of manufacturing defects per an hour or more, the speed has fallen to results with analog discs played on disc is proportional to its surface area: about 200 rpm. This steady decrease in inexpensive, inferior equipment. For the less surface area a program takes speed is necessary to keep constant the decades record producers used the re- up, the less likely a disc will have fatal rate at which the disc's information - quirementsof "consolestereos"to defects. CD playing times arestill bearing pits pass over the scanning las- guide them in their choices at the re- (relatively) short, possibly so as to in- er, and the purpose of a constant rate is cording session. It may take just as long crease the yield of usable discs. to maximize the playing time. A con- to convince them that average listeners stant -speed disc would have to contain are much better at discerning sound pitsthatwereunnecessarilylarge VIlhat are current production yields? quality than they used to be and that Roughly 70 per cent of all CD's pressed (long) near the outside of the disc as the sound quality of the average compo- are completely playable. Worldwidecompared with the minimum pit sizenent system has risen above that ob- production in 1983 will total some 12.4 that the laser -optical system can re- tainablein many studio monitoring solve. Therefore, having the disc slow million discs of 850 titles, and next year rooms. total CD production will be more than down as it plays increases the informa- 40 million. But these are still low num- tion density on the playing surface to its maximum. VVhat are index points? How are bers when you consider that one smash - they used? Index points are special cue- hit LP easily sells 5 million copies in the ing locations that are encoded on the U.S. alone. Why do some Compact Discs sound disc during a piece of music. For in- so different from their analog equiva- stance, index points might be used to lents? It is incorrect to assume that the Why does a CD play from the center mark out the exposition, development, of the disc to the outside edge? There same master tape used to cut an analog and recapitulation of a symphony's first are two main reasons, one historical,disc master is used to make the Com- movement. They can be used as option- the other practical. The standard diam- pact Disc version. In the case of multi- al cueing points by certain CD players eter for CD's was decided on fairly late track analog master tapes of popular (Ibok for an INDEX button or numerical in the game, and designing a system music, it is possible that different mix - INDEX display). It seems that only some that played from the inside out permit- downs were used to cut the analog anddiscs made in Japan have index points, ted prototype work to proceed even digital discs. It is also common practicethough I've been told that PolyGram though the final disc size was not yet for pop artists or record producers pres- will add index points to some of its early known. The practical reason is that a ent at an analog -disc cutting session to classical releases when they receive new Compact Disc-at least for the time tell the cutting engineer to process the press runs. being with some pressing methods-is sound in many different ways (equalization, compression, limiting, adding more likely to have molding problems Are players affected by their position close to its edge than close to its center reverberation, etc.). If the same processing is not done when the Compactof operation? All that I've tried are hole. Starting the program at the center not, as long as you don't try to turn thus increases disc yield. Disc is mastered, it is unlikely that the CD will sound like the LP. them over while a disc is playing- though some will even take that in stride. It may be inconvenient, however, to operate certain players in any but their intended orientations, mainly because the discs may keep falling out "I'm so sorry, sir. We when you try to load them. Slightly opened our new banked or tilted shelving should have digital Compact Disc no effect. department just two days ago, and we seem to have Is the laser in a CD player dangerous? misplaced it. But if you'll leave your No. The semiconductor lasers used in telephone number, CD players have very low -power beams well call you the that automatically diverge as they leave minute we find it." thelaser,unlikethelaser"death beams" of science -fiction writers. As the Philips literature says, "It is impossible to concentrate the total beam energy into the eye at a single moment, which would be the most likely source of danger." In all the CD players I have examined, the laser is turned on only when a disc has been inserted and is spinning. Both the cover/door and the iNt disc itself form effective barriers for the

laser emissions.

60 STEREO REVIEW PLAYERS PLAYERS wItrt B (nel

Regular and Menthol

Pt -dip Morns Inc 1983

Viarnilg: The Surgeoi General Has Deternined That Cigarette Smokir g Is Dar gerous to Your Health. 14 mg "tar: 1.1 mg mccine av per c,ga-ette, FTC method Answers

Does the laser burn out? How often Does digital filtering offer any advan- How can you tell if a CD is defective? will it need to be replaced? How much tages? Yes, at least in theory if not al- If a CD player has trouble playing a will it cost? Yes, semiconductor lasers ways in practice. Since a digital filter disc (it skips, gets "stuck," emits bursts willeventuallyfail.Fivethousand operates with numbers that are encodedof clicks, etc.), the problem is with only hours of "on" time seems to be the most in the physical construction of an inte- that disc if the player can play a known often quoted average lifetime of CD - grated circuit, it is not sensitive to tem- nondefective disc successfully. Usually player lasers. Lifetimes of more than perature drifts the way analog filterswhen a disc is defective or damaged 10,000 hours have been reported for can be. Digital filters are also more enoughtocreateaudible problems some semiconductor lasers, and work consistent in their frequency response there will also be a visible problem with on longer -lived devices is progressing. since the numbers don't change from the pressing. Check for any visible disc Replacement of the laser assembly (you chip to chip, whereas individual resistor defects (you might want to use a small can't replace just the laser) might cost andcapacitorvaluesalwaysvary magnifying glass). Look for particles around $100 to $120 for parts and la- around a statistical mean. And digital within the disc, scratches or bumps on bor. There is at least one positive aspect filters can be made phase -linear at high the inner reflective signal surface, and to laser replacement: failure is likely to frequencies, unlike most analog filters roughness, abrasion, or long or deep be sudden, leaving no doubt that some- used in CD players, but it has yet to be scratches on the outer surface of the thing is wrong. There will be none ofdemonstrated to me that there is any disc. Also make sure that the disc isn't the kind of gradually increasing distor- audible virtue in phase linearity at fre- warped. Any of these problem -causing tion or gradually increasing irreversible quencies of more than a few thousand defects-if they aren't due to careless record wear that you get with analog hertz. handling-are reasonable justifications cartridges and their styli. Digital filters have one other advan- for returning a disc. tage I have not yet seen mentioned in the CD technical literature: they per- What is error correction? The proc- Why do some CD players cope with ess by which a CD player, using data mit variable -pitch CD players. The cutoff frequency of the type of digital fil- damaged or defective discs better than stored on the record along with the au- others? The tracking of a Compact dio signal, detects and exactly corrects ters used in CD players is dependent on the sampling rate of the `system. Slow- Disc involves the complex interaction of (if possible) any erroneous data re- analog and digital electronic systems as ceived by the laser circuits. ing down CD playback lowers the apparent sampling rate, and a digital fil- well as the interaction of an electrome- ter will track the change and continue chanical/electro-optical device (the las- Whatis error concealment? Theto provide effective filtering as player pickup) with the Compact Disc it- process by which a CD player, if a sec- back pitch is varied. self. Whether disc damage or defects tion of the data stream contains too become audible depends to a great ex- many errors to correct, calculates rea- tent on how large the damaged area is sonable substitutes for the erroneous in what ways can a CD pressing be de- and on what disc surface it is located. data using correct data as the basis forfective? Ideally, all unplayably defec- Any player will have much more trou- numerical interpolations. tive CD's would be caught at the fac- ble with manufacturing damage on the tory level and never reach the consum- inner signal surface than with an equiv- er. Practically, however, it is not possi- alent -sized damaged area on the outer What isdigital filtering? All CDble to catch all defective CD's before surface of the disc. players require some sort of very -sharp - they are sold. Successful tracking also depends on cutoff low-pass (high -cut) filter at their Common manufacturing defects in- exactly where the scanning laser is posi- output to remove ultrasonic compo-clude air bubbles in the substrate, in- tioned over the pit track when the de- nents generated by the sampling proc-clusions (particles caught in the sub- fect passes it. This is why some defects ess in recording. The filters can operate strate), scratches or pinholes on the sig- may be audible only sometimes, even on on the audio signal either after it hasnal surface made before the protective the same player. The design and fac- been converted from digital to analog lacquer layer was applied, scratches on tory adjustment of the tracking servos form (using analog filters made of re- the outer surfaces of the disc, misal- is also important: if they let the laser sistors, capacitors, op amps, etc.) or be- igned center holes, and burrs around drift in relation to the pit track, a pass- fore it gets converted to an analog volt- the center hole. Other possible defects ing defect may throw off the tracking age-while it is still in digital form. In include a pebbly "orange peel" on the circuitry so that the error -concealment the latter case the digital low-pass filter outer surfaces and an opticaleffect capabilities of the machine are ex- isreally a special-purpose computercalled "birefringence"; both change the ceeded. that calculates the effect of an ideal path of the laser beam as it enters and Even though the mathematical equa- low-pass filter on the signal and sends leaves the disc. tions characterizing the CD system's the results of the calculations to be con- error -correctionscheme havebeen verted into an audio voltage. standardized, there exist various ways of going about solving them. They are notallequivalent. Some machines' "correction algorithms" and laser -servo circuits are better at coping with small but closely spaced defects, while others .might be more adept at dealing with rather large-scale but widely separated

damage.

62 STEREO REVIEW Where Do You Stand on Stereo?

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Better sound through research. asthegrand summing-up of Haydn's achievement as a symphonist (DG 2530 525 or in 2720 091). Dorati is also at his very best in this work (London STS 15324, The Basic Repertoire STS5 15324, or in his set). No other current By Richard Freed version seems quite as convincing as these. HINDEMITH: Mathis der Maier, Sym- phony. Eugene Ormandy's third recording of this work is illumined by proprietary fervor and authority (CBS MS 6562). Jascha Horenstein's version, available again as an import on Unicorn-Kanchana (RHS 312, © UKC 312), is similarly deeply felt and more smoothly recorded.

HOLST: The Planets. The astounding improvement in the sonic quality of the Walter Susskind/Saint Louis Symphony recording on the recent InSync cassette (© C-4103) commands new respect for the performance itself. Of the late Sir Adrian Boult's five authoritative recordings of this work, the next to last one is the best, but get the imported EMI disc (ASD 2301). Kara- jan's remake is a knockout sonically and very persuasive musically (DG 0 2532 019, 3302 019, 400 028-2). Alexander Gib- son (Digitech 0 ABRD-1010; Musical Her- itage Society 0 MHS 4514, © MHC 6514) and Seiji Ozawa (Philips 9500 782, 7300 856) are nearly as compelling, and both the MHS Gibson and the reissued Ormandy (RCA AGL1-3885, © AGKI-3885) are great buys. FoR some years critic Richard Freed, a 34) are crisp in the fast movements, mellow

contributing editor ofSTEREOREVIEW, in the largo, and thoroughly inside the mu- KODALY: Miry Janos Suite. Eugene has listened to all available recordings of sic. Colin Davis's recording, with his brisk Ormandy, who made the first recording of the nearly two hundred symphonic works slow movement, is the choice on cassette this suite some fifty years ago, remains the that form the essential core of orchestral (Philips 0 7300 534). clear choice in his latest remake (RCA programs and classical record collections, ARLI-1325). The recent Hungarian re- selecting those versions he considered the HAYDN: Symphony No. 94, in G Major cording under Janos Ferencsik is agreeable, best. We have published his choices in a ("Surprise"). George Szell's witty, elegant if not dazzling (Hungaroton SLPX- 1 2190, pamphlet, which we have updated annual- performance is the most satisfying of all, © MK -12190). ly, and we are now publishing his selections and itis paired with a magnificent one of of the best current recordings of the Basic No. 93 (CBS MY 37761, @ MYT 37761). LALO: Symphonic Espagnole. Itzhak Repertoire in a regular series in the mag- Colin Davis's version is somewhat less per- Perlman, with Daniel Barenboim conduct- azine. If you want the pamphlet, the most suasive but richly recorded (Philips 0 6514 ing, plays allfive movements irresistibly recent updating (1982) is available for SI 192, © 7337 192), and those by Eugen Jo - (DG 0 2532 011, © 3302 011, 400 (check or money order) and a stamped chum (DG 2720 091) and Antal Dorati 032-2). The magical Szeryng/Hendl re- (40e) self-addressed No. 10 envelope; send (London STS 15319/24) are easy to take in cording is good to have again in RCA's eco- to Basic Repertoire. P.O. Box 506. Murray their respective sets of all twelve of Haydn's nomical Victrola cassette series (Co ALKI- Hill Station, New York, N.Y. 10156. London symphonies. This work also gets an 4642). Other fine versions: Kyung-Wha All the selections are two -channel analog appealing performance in Herbert von Ka- Chung/Dutoit (London 0 LDR 71029, © stereo discs unless otherwise indicated by rajan's otherwise coolish new digital set of LDR5 71029), Stern/Ormandy (CBS MY one of our usual symbols: al for a digitally the twelve (DG 0 2741 015). 37811, © MYT 37811), Zukerman/Mehta mastered analog disc, © for a digital Com- (CBS M 35132, MT 35132). pact Disc, © for a stereo cassette, and, in a HAYDN: Symphony No. 100, in G Ma- few instances, for a mono recording. jor ("Military"). Jochum gives a splendid LISZT: Piano Concertos No. 1, in E -Bat account of this work in his economical six - Major, and No. 2, in A Major. Lazar Ber- HAYDN: Trumpet Concerto inI. -list disc set (DG 2720 091), as Dorati does in man, with Carlo Maria Giulini conducting, Major. Maurice Andre's two latest record- his (London STS 15319/24), but Neville is superb in these concertos (DG 2530 770, ings of this work head an impressive list- Marriner's crisp,stylish version (Philips 0 3300 770). Alfred Brendel, with Bernard with Theodore Guschlbauer conducting the 9500 225, © 7300 543) is more brightly Haitink, is nearly as compelling, and his

Bamberg Symphony on Musical Heritage recorded. disc, by interrupting Concerto No. 1 for Society (MHS 1299, MHC 2112) or turnover after its first movement, includes RCA (CRL2-7002) or Erato (STU 70652), HAYDN: Symphony No. 101, in D Ma- the Totentanz as well (Philips 6500 374, © and with Jesus Lopez-Cobos and the Lon-jor ("The Clock"). Colin Davis's reading is 7300 229). Also in the running: Sviatoslav don Philharmonic on Angel (S-37513, quite good, and his overside No. 102 is out- Richter with Kiril Kondrashin (Philips 835 4XS-37513). Of the several other fine ver- standing (Philips 9500 679, © 7300 774). 474) and Jorge Bolet with David Zinman sions, the one in which Gerard Schwarz Reiner's version is also good, and the com- (Vox Cum Laude VCL-9001, © VCS - does double duty as both soloist and con- panion work, No. 95, on his budget -priced 9001). ductor isthe richest sounding (Delos 0 disc is perhaps even more attractive (RCA DMS 3001). AG LI-1275). Dorati and Jochum are once LISZT: Les Preludes. Three of the most again more than satisfactory in their six - effective performances are on DG: Kara- HAYDN: Symphony No. 88, in G Major. disc sets. jan's, in a superb Liszt package (DG Privi- The economical recordings by Fritz Reiner lege 2535 110, Co 3335 110), Ferenc Fric- (RCA Victrola VICS-1366) and Antal Do- HAYDN: Symphony No. 104, in D Ma-say's in the same mid -price series (2535 rati (London STS 15442 or in STS 15229/ jor ("London"). Jochum projects this work 406, © 3335 406), and Daniel Barenboim's

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Putting more pleasure in sound CIRCLE NO 43 ON READ :El SER \ICE CARD full -price disc (2531 054, © 3301 054). Sir Nowyou cantake perfect Adrian Boult's version is solid and well-balanced (Quintessence PMC-7050, © P4C- 7050), Sir Georg Solti's more galvanic and flash shots withyour ears. brilliantly recorded (London CS 7084, © CS5 7084).

O MAHLER:Des Lied von der Erde.The incomparable recording by Bruno Walter and the Vienna Philharmonic with Kath- leenFerrier and Julius Patzakisgone again, as are some choice stereo recordings. Walter's stereo remake with Mildred Miller and Ernst Haefliger is a fine buy (Odyssey Y 30043, © YT 30043). The sumptuously recorded Karajan version,with Christa Ludwig and Rena Kollo (DG 2531 179, 0 3301179),isless persuasive than Otto Klemperer's with Ludwig and Fritz Wun- derlich (Angel SB-3704), but the latter is gratuitously expensive in its two -disc, three - sided format.

O MAHLER:Symphony No. 1, in D Ma- jor.The most poetic and convincing performances are those conducted by Rafael Kubelik (DG Privilege 2535 172, © 3335 172), Jascha Horenstein (Unicorn-Kancha- na RHS 301, UKC 301), and Klaus Tennstedt (Angel S-37508, © 4XS-37508). Somewhat less distinctive, but powerfully felt and handsomely recorded, are Haitink's remake (Philips 6500 342, @ 7300 397) and the recordings by Ozawa (DG 2530 993, © 3300 993) and Abbado (DG 0 2532 020, 3302 020, © 400 033-2).

MAHLER:Symphony No. Z in C Minor ("Resurrection").The more Ihear the recent recording conducted by Vidal/ Neu- mann (Pro Arte 2PAL-2011, © 2PAC- 2011), surely the finest part of his Mahler The Vivitar 3500 flash is so re- And bounce light to soften the cycle, the shorter my list becomes; few other conductors have realized the simple joy that markably easy to use, your only lighting and eliminate "redeye:' Neumann transmits in the finale. The re- requirement is a good pair of ears. And because our compact unit cordings by Maurice Abravanel (Vanguard Our 3500 literally talks Cardinal VCS -10003/04) and Rafael Ku- Beep, Beep, Flash Beeeeeeep! belik (DG Privilege 2726 062, 3372 062) you into great photography. are also uncommonly convincing and fine First by telling you with a buys too. Zubin Mehta's version, with the short "beep" that the flash Vienna Philharmonic,isgorgeouslyre- is charged and ready to corded and quite satisfying in its conventional approach (London CSA 2242, 0 shoot. And then, by letting CSA5 2242). out a longer "beeep" after the shot to tell you the light O MAHLER:Symphony No. 4, in G Ma- was correct (We've even in- jor.Two Czech conductors-Kubelik, with cluded a light that lets you Elsie Morison as soloist (DG Privilege 2535 119, 3335 119), and Neumann, with check everything visually) Magdalena Hajossyova (Pro Arte PAL - The automatic 3500 flash is so also has zoom capabilities, it will 1068, © PAC -1068) -let the music glow simple, about all you do is attach work perfectly with an assortment with unforced natural radiance, as does it to your Canon Minolta, Nikon, of lenses. Tennstedt inhis stunning new recording with Lucia Popp (Angel 0 DS -37954, Pentax. Olympus. Contax, Yashica If it seems incomprehensible 4XS-37954), which has a reasonable claim or other popular 35mm SLR cam- that our flash does so much and to the very top position on a pretty distin- era, focus and shoot yet costs so little, we suggest you guished list. Szell's recording with Judith visit a photo store and try one out. Raskin is meticulously detailed and com- municative (CBS MY 37225, MYT Hearing is believing. 37225), and the old Walter/ Desi Halban Vivitar version retains its unique appeal (Odyssey 32 16 0026). The relatively plush -sounding, The result? The 3500 delivers a grand -scaled Karajan reading, with Edith Mathis (DG 2531 205, © 3301 205), is im- level of performance that's The 3500 Flash pressive if a bit less endearing. unheard of. You can take superb automatic shots out to 47 feet byVivitar MAHLER:Symphony No. Sin C -sharp Minor.Kubelik strikes me as being more For a brochure U.S.I only) on our complete family of photographic product& send a self-addressed envelope with 40C "inside" this music than any other conduc- postage to. Vivitar 210AD. Box 2100 Santa Monica CA 5(1101, Vivitar Corporation 1983 In Canada. Vivitar Canada Ltd. Ltge. CIRCLE NO16 ON READER SERVICE CARD 66 STEREO REVIEW tor recorded in stereo, and his set has the advantage of including Dietrich Fischer- How to get 336 lenses Dieskau's remake of the Lieder eines Fah- renden Gesellen (DG Privilege 2726 064, 0 3372 064). Karajan's intensity and his or- in your camera bag. chestra's gorgeous playing are persuasive too (DG 2707 081, © 3370 006), asis Tennstedt's expansivelylyrical approach (Angel SZB-3883, © 4Z2S-3883). MAHLER: Symphony No. 9, in D M - j o r UntilKubelik's magnificent version reappears, the most convincing is Karajan's (DG 2707 125, © 3370 038), followed closely by those of James Levine (RCA ARL2-3461, © ARK2-3461) and Tenn- stedt (Angel SZB-3899, © 4Z2S-3899). Walter's budget -priced stereo remake still exudes authority, affection, and all-around conviction (Odyssey Y2 30308).

MENDELSSOHN: Violin Concerto in E Minor. Choose your favorite fiddler or the You have two choices. Either you of the lens' high degree of contrast coupling that appeals to you most, and you find a bag that's extraordinarily and resolution. won't be disappointed. Heifetz and Munch sound better than ever in RCA's new half - large. Or you find one lens that But performance is not the only speed remastering (ARPI-4567, ARE I- delivers 336 different focal lengths. part of our system that's unsur- 4567). Stern and Ozawa are stunning on Like the 75-410mm zoom lens passed. So is its value. There's Compact Disc aswellasinthe other system from Vivitar. formats (CBS 0 IM37204, © I MT simply no better 75-410mm lens 37204, (§) MK 37204). The recordings by system at any price. And each Milstein and Abbado (DG 2530 359), Gru- system is backed by a 5 -year lim- miaux and Krenz (Philips 6500 465, © Vivitar ited warranty. 7300 248), and Suk and Ander! (Quintes- So the choice is quite simple. sence PMC-7098, P4C-7098) complete Our lens system is made up of my own select handful. You can buy 336 lenses for your two components. We start with a Canon, Minolta, Nikon, Olympus.

MENDELSSOHN: A Midsummer 75-205mm f/3.5-4.5 lens, which is Pentax or other popular 35mm Night's Dream. Peter Maag's much -ad- the fastest smallest and lightest SLR camera. Or you can buy one mired nearly complete recording hardly lens in its class. And to it we add shows its age, and it's a great buy (London Vivitar 75-410mm zoom lens sys- STS 15084, 0 STS5 15084). Eugene Or- a specially designed 2X Matched tem. Ours is certEinly E nicer fit in mandy offers an even fuller selection, richer Multiplier" for doubling the your camera bag sound, and the superb Judith Blegen and focal range. Frederica von Stade in the vocal numbers (RCA ARLI-2084, © ARKI-2084). The result: a lens system that not only allows you to take portraits,

MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 3, in telephotos and very long tele- A Minor ("Scottish"). That elegant Men- photo shots, it also lets delssohnian, Peter Magg, has given us an you use macro for ex- outstandingly fresh account of this work, preceded by a similarly stunning one of Fin - treme close-ups.And gal's Cave (London STS 15091, © STS5- all of the pictures 15091). Riccardo Chailly is nearly a match will be incredibly for him, and his version is more richly re- sharp because corded-but also more expensive (Philips 6769 042, © 7699 128).

MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 4, in A Major ("Italian"). Leonard Bernstein's remake with the Israel Philharmonic is one of the very best and includes the first -movement repeat (DG 2531 097, © 3301 097). Other fine alternatives include those by Kurt Masur, in his four -disc set of all five Mendelssohn symphonies (Vanguard VCS - 10133/36), Andre Previn on RCA (AGL1- 2703, e AGKI-2703), and Klaus Tenn- stedt (Angel 0 DS -37760, 0 4ZS-37760) as well as Charles Munch's economical cassette reissue (RCA © ALKI-4465). MILHAUD: La Creation du monde. Bernstein's Paris remake, packaged with Le The 75-410mm Zoom System Boeuf sur le toil and some of the Saudades do Brasil, is stunning (Angel S-37442, © 4XS-37442). Milhaud's own remake, also byVivitar with Le Boeuf (Nonesuch H-71122), is al-

most as fetching. For a brochure IUS only) on our complete family of photographic products send a self-addressed envelope with 40( postage to. Vivitar 206AD. Box 2100 Santa Monica CA90406 Vivitar Corporation 1983 In Canada Vivitar Canada Ltd./Ltee. CIRCLE NO. 17 ON READER SERVICE CARD NOVEMBER 1983 67 HARMAN KARDON INTRODUCES STATE -OF -THE -MIND TECHNOLOGY

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30 years ago Harman Kardon in- used High Current Capability troduced the world's first high fidelity in our products and we are pres- receiver.It was built on the philosophy ently using it in all of our receivers and that quality audio must evolve from creative, amplifiers. quality thinking. The hk870 100 Watt3 power amplifier, our Over the years, Harman Kardon continued to intro- newest product,carriesthisphilosophy even duce original audio theories that were truly "state -of - further. The hk870 has an exceptional 60 Amps of the -mind", each proving so successful that they were High Instantaneous Current Capability and maintains immediately absorbed into the marketplace as "state- a negative feedback level of only 12dB. of-the-art". The hk870 is matched by the hk825 preamplifier. For example, in 1958, Harman Kardon developed the The hk825 offers dual RIAA equalization circuitry in the first stereo receiver. A state -of -the -mind theory that in- phono section, a discrete Moving Coil head amplifie stantaneously became state-of-the-art. and Ultrawidebandwidth Df 0.1Hz to 180kHz delivering Harman Kardon, in 1970, saw the need for a noise extremely pure, transparent sound. reduction system for recording tapes and became the So, while other manufac-.urers continue to pile on un- first company to use Dolby' in a cassette deck. neccessary features and performance reducing gimmicks, Harman Kardon continues to fine tune the Now, Harman Kardon's most important state -of -the - mind concept, High Current Capability, has turned basics and develop fundamentally advanced audi equipment. state-of-the-art. A recently published paper2 states that in order for an amplifier to properly drive loudspeakers 1. Dolby is the registered trademark of Dolby Laboratones Inc. it must have the High Current Capability to instanta- 2. "Input Current Requirement; of High Quality Loudspeaker Sys- neously generate as much as 6 times its rated power tems", published and presentec to the AES by Dr. Matti Otala. For copy of this paper, write to Haman Kardon. into a 1.33 Ohm load. Harman Kardon 3. 100 Watts RMS pe- channel, into 8 Ohms, 20Hz-20kHz has consistently with less than .06% THD.

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Rossini'sBarberGets HEREis good news for admirers ofa mastery of the style. Here he secures what is, in all likelihood, the best crisp orchestral playing, full of sensitive An Ebullient Readingopera buffo ever written: finally, after nuances and all kinds of clearly pointed Under Neville Marrinerseveral near misses and outright fail- textural niceties. Some of his tempo ures in recent years, we have a recorded choices could be questioned, such as the II barbiere di Siviglia that refuses to"Buono sera" ensemble (a shade too surrender its comic ebullience to hu- fast) or Berta's aria (a mite too slow), morless scholarship. Astonishingly, this but the overall pacing is alive and the- Philips release is virtually an all -British atrical and bears comparison with the accomplishment; the one Italian singer best on records (the previous sets by in the cast adds relatively little to it. Vittorio Gui and Alceo Galliera lead This appears to be conductor Neville the pack). Marriner's first recorded opera, but he Thomas Allen is an engaging Figaro has come to it after recording reams of with a bouncy presence and a firm voice Rossini overtures in which he displayed that he uses with imagination-tie is an

Agnes Baltsa (Rosina) and Thomas Allen (Figaro)

NOVEMBER1983 ) altogether welcome sight on the rela- ROSSINI: II barbiere di Siriglia. Thomas Clark has kicked around Texas and tively bleak baritone horizon. The Rosi- Allen(baritone),Figaro:AgnesBaltsa Nashville for a good while now, and al- na of Agnes Baltsa suggests more de- (mezzo-soprano), Rosina; Francisco Araiza though he's never cultivated mass ap- (tenor),Almaviva; Domenico Trimarchi termination than innate charm, but the peal(other artists have always had total mix is rather entertaining and is(baritone), Bartolo; Robert Lloyd (bass), Basilio;SallyBurgess(mezzo-soprano), more success with his songs than he enlivened by a good sense of comedy, to Berta; others. Ambrosian Opera Chorus; has), he's long been considered one of say nothing of vocal excellence. Fran- Academy of St. Martin -in -the -Fields, Ne- the best of the new breed of country cisco Araiza (Almaviva) sails fearlessly ville Marriner cond. PHILIPS al 6769 100 songwriters. Anyone not familiar with through Rossini's florid writing, includ- three discs $38.94, e 7654 100 $38.94. Clark's work (Heartbroke, New Cut ing the oft -omitted "Cessa di pii4 resis- Road,DesperadoesWaiting fora tere." It is a dispensable aria, but it's Train, L.A. Freeway, Let Him Roll, A worth restoring in such a clearlyarticu- Nickel for the Fiddler) will understand lated rendition as this one. why he's so well regarded after listen- Robert Lloyd is an expert and prop- ing to his new album, "Better Days," erly unctuous Basilio, if vocally unspec- Singer / Songwriter produced by his old friend and fellow tacular. Domenico Trimarchi's voice is Texan Rodney Crowell. downright insignificant, but he man-Guy Clark Makes As far back as I can remember, each ages Bartolo's patter with agility and New Country Classics of Clark's albums has yielded at least holds up his end of the comedy very two progressive -country classics, and well (with "castrato" sounds inthe each song has had a modesty of scope, "Caffariello" aria, among other nota- GUY CLARK'S music is my idea ofan economy of language, and a mini- ble effects). Sally Burgess, a new name what country music should be like mum of fuss. There may be as many as to me, contributes a solid Berta. and very rarely is. An amalgam of Tex-four new classics on "Better Days," The production has some excellent as styles ranging from progressive Aus- counting the wistful title song and the touches: the prominently captured gui- tin country -folk to traditional Westernsea -faring Blowin' Like a Bandit, but tar in the introduction to "Ecco ri- swing to Mexican mariachi, itis both perhaps the two that reach the head dente," the perky fortepiano contribu- squarelyderivativeandingeniously and heart fastest are the whimsical tions of Nicholas Kramer in the recita- original. And his lyrics, while romantic,Homegrown Tomatoes and the plain- tives and in the introduction to the Les- manage (sometimes humorously)to tive The Randall Knife. The former- son Scene, and the booming bass drum balance raw sentimentality with hard - half delightful novelty song and half in the tempest music. On the other eyed looks at the tender -tough under- gleeful paean to culinary ecstasy-is hand, Figaro's entrance in the Act I fi- side of the human soul. Usually they guaranteed to produce a wry smile if nale should have been more vividly draw sharp, detailed portraits of thenot a shuttle run to the nearest tomato "staged." As is often the case with non - wasted lives and dreams of back -alley, patch. But The Randall Knife, an ex- Italian singers, some recitatives are rat- bottom -window characters, and, more quisitely crafted tale about a boy and tled off too mechanically, and Allen often then not, they're about tryinghis father and the small things that and Lloyd do not always observe thetests of moral fortitude and dignity. both bind them and keep them apart, is double consonants. But, with all that, Sometimes they merely celebrate thethe sort of nugget that buries itself in this is the best Barber to come along in simple pains and pleasures of life, but the back of your brain and lurches for- some twenty years. -George Jellinek always with honesty and integrity. ward at the most inopportune, emotion -

Guy Clark: honesty and integrity

70 STEREO REVIEW Very simply, our R-851 is not for everyone. Not for every dealer. Not for every audio buyer. Only for those who demand the ONLY ONE AUDIO best. Those who want sound that's pure and distinctive... who hear subtleties others miss. For those discriminating listeners, the R-851 DEALER IN TWENTY is well worth the quest. Hear the silence before you WILL CARRY THE hear the sound. Switch on the R-851, switch from one function to another. Try Phono. Tape 1. Tape 2. Auxiliary. Back to Phono. KYOCERA R-851 Absolute silence (of course, you'll get sound on AM/FM). The silence is the mark of a great receiver. And great engineering. TUNER/AMPLIFIER The kind of quiet an audiophile loves to hear.

Sound that takes you closer to the source. We've turned on the R-851 for some very experienced-even jaded-audio ears, and all we can say is it stops 'em every time. The sound is different. The sense ofbeing thereis almost overpowering. All this comes from 85 watts per channel of power* (with dynamic power far above this figure) and some of the AUK most sophisticated circuitry in the wN3 business. Above all, it uses MOS FET's, the new breed of output transistors, in the amplifier section. They can handle the transients, the power surges, the power requirements of present-day sound (and AV tomorrow's digital sound) better than bipolar transistors ever could- and give you a sonic purity like no other (many claim MOS FET's have AUX picked up the warm, rich sound of the great tube amps and gone a step beyond!). ton .m TAPE, Fine tuned for every audio need. From front end to output jacks, the TAPE R-851 offers every feature an audio enthusiast might want. The most commonly used controls are right up front-the more esoteric ones are placed behind a neat flip -down front panel. There's microprocessor - controlled quartz -locked tuning with 14 station programmable memory (7 AM & 7 FM); automatic station seek; 3 -band parametric - style equalizer; fluorescent display panel; and two-way tape monitonng and dubbing. If you need some help in finding that one Kyocera dealer in twenty, contact: Kyocera International, Inc., 7 Powder Horn Drive, Warren, NI 07060 (201) 560-0060. CIRCLE NO .7 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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-DC Servo Capstan Motor. Soft -Touch Transport Control. Brilliance Circuitry (High End Boost). Dolby B NR. 8 -dot LED L & R Peak Meters. AutoMPX Filter. 3 Step BIAS/Ea Selector. Record Mute. Timer Capability. LED Lights for Rec/Rec Mute/Pause. L & R Input Level Control. -Same features as V-300 plus Dolby B&C NR. - DC Servo Capstan Motor. IC Logic Transport Control. dbx NR.dbx Disc. Dolby B NR; 13 -dot LED L & R Peak Meters. Auto MPX Filter. 3 Step BIAS/E0 Selector. Memory Stop. Auto Rec Mute to 4 seconds. Timer Rec/Play Capability. L & R Input Level Control. Output Level Control. - Same features as V -400X plus Dolby C NR. Cobalt Amorphous Head. Multi -Electronic Counter w/TRT (Tape Run Tine). Memory Play/Stop. Block Repeat.

If it were up to us there would be only one Teac model. We would simply build into it every advancement, every feature, and the mosz impressive specs our unceasing devotion to recording science has made possible. But even Fanatics have to be reasonable. And if we only built Teacs that encompassed everything we're capable of, you'd have an immoderately magnificent deck only a few could own. Therefore, though we never compromise, we do offer options. You can own a Teac which is merely superb. Or one that is unbearably superb. Each priced in fair proportion. The marvelous thing about Teac is that you can go as far as you want, but you can never go too far. TEAC. MADE IN WAN BY FANATICS. COPYRIGHT 1983 TEAC CORPORATION OF AMERICA. 773 TELEGRAPH ROAD, MONTEBELLO, CA 90640 'DOLBY' IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF DOLBY LABORATORIES, INC "dbxIS A TRADEMARK OF dbx, INC CIRCLE NO. 21 ON READER SERVICE CARD but they give the same exhilarating feeling of being just about to careen out of control. For his part, Parker has written a set of intelligent, unsentimental, adult love songs that are among the most well crafted and believable of his career, and he gives a vocal performance that is nothing less than extraordinary. The depth of feeling, the maturity and subtlety of phrasing, and the easy bravado of it all are close to breathtaking. This music is older and wiser than the stuff that brought Parker to our attention initially. He isn't quite the angry young man any more that he was on "Squeez- ing Out Sparks." But his songs here offer conclusive proof that growing up need not mean selling out or slackening, and for my money that makes them positively inspirational. I am more than a little curious about what Parker will do next to top them. Picks to click: the gorgeous, warmhearted, and reflective Life Gets Better and the enigmatic, voodoo -tinged near - instrumental (Too Late) The Smart Bomb, which begins like a remake for the Eighties of I Heard It Through the Grapevine and then veers off into some impressive dance -floor territory of its own. Welcome back, champ. -Steve Simels GRAHAM PARKER: The Real Macaw. Graham Parker (vocals); Brinsley Schwarz (guitar); George Small (keyboards); Kevin Graham Parker: positively inspirational Jenkins (bass); Gilson Lavis (drums). Just Like a Man; You Can't Take Love for Granted; Glass Jaw; Passive Resistance; a moments. If this one doesn't get you, Graham Parker Returns Sounds Like Chains; Life Gets Better; A son, you must not be breathing. Miracle a Minute; Beyond a Joke; Last Produce- Crowell has taken a gentle To His Peak Form in Couple on the Dance Floor; Anniversary; hand tothis project. He lets Clark"The Real Macaw" (Too Late) The Smart Bomb. ARIsTA AL8- drawl on naturally with that voice of his 8023 $8.98, © AC8-8023 $8.98. that sounds like a friendly wind rustling through dry sagebrush, and he adds GRAHAM PARKER'S records since the just en3ugh instrumentation to Clark's defection of his back-up band, the acoustic guitar to help ease his songs Rumour, have had their moments, but onto the commercial charts and to move by and large it's seemed as if the fight them along where they need to go musi- had gone out of him. Parker, who used Ivo Pogorelich: Irresistible cally. Together Clark and Crowell haveto rail at the world more convincingly come up with what is, for me anyway, than just about anybody else in rock, in- Imagination and Sweep the finest album to come out of Nash- creasingly resemb:ed a fading heavy- In Ravel and Prokofiev ville this year-and one of the best toweight champ-like Muhammed Ali in come out of country music, period. the days when he was battling sumo -Alanna Nash wrestlers and third-rate palookas. THE young Yugoslavian pianist No What he was doing didn't seem to mat- Pogorelich came to international GUY CARK: Better Days. Guy Clark (vo- ter much. attention in 1980 by not winning a big cals, guitars); Vince Gill, Gary Nicholson, Parker's new album, "The Real Ma- prizeinthe Chopin Competition in Reggie Young (guitars);Emory Gordy caw," shows very nearly a return to his Warsaw. Martha Argerichresigned (bass); Larrie Londin (drums); Hank DeVi- peak form, and it's a pleasure to hear from the jury in protest, and Pogore- tc (steel): Tony Brown (keyboards); Johnny him work again. There's a sense of lich's career was made. He soon went to Gimble (fiddle, mandolin): Rodney Crow- something important at stake. His new Munich to record for Deutsche Gram- ell, Paul Kennerley (back-up vocals). Blow- back-up players breathe fire in a way mophon, producing a Chopin recital in' like a Bandit; Better Days; Homegrown Tomatoes; Supply and Demand; The Ran- that the superstar sessioneers on the record followed in short order by a Bee- dall Knife; The Carpenter; Uncertain Tex- last two albums seemed unwilling to. thoven/Schumann package. as; No Deal; Tears; Fool in the Mirror. They don't really sound like the Ru- Deutsche Grammophon has now re- WARNER BROS. 23880-I $8.98, 023880-4 mour(althoughguitaristBrinsley leased athird album by Pogorelich, $8.98. Schwarz used to belong to that band), coupling Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit

NOVEMBER 1983 73 Best of the Month Recent selections you might have missed

POPULAR Joan Baez: Very Early Joan. VAN- GUARD VSD-79446,7. ". a spellbinding album by one of the most influential... popular artists of our time." (August)

Local Hero. WARNER BROS. 23827-1. "A beautiful,powerfully excitingfilm soundtrack by Mark Knopfler. " (September) SusannahMcCorkle:The People That You Never Get to Love. INNER CITY IC 1151. "Wonderful songs, wonderful singing." (September) Lou Reed: Legendary Hearts. RCA AFL 1-4568 "Passionateandinspiring rock-and-roll." (July) E Mitch Ryder: Never Kick a Sleeping Dog. RIVA RVL 7503. " a nearly perfect comeback album " (October)

E. Carlos Santana: Havana Moon. CO LUMBIA FC 38642"Soulful, fresh, and personal " (August) E Simon 8 Bard Group: Tear It Up. FLY !NG FISH FF 262"Sophisticated music Ivo Pogorelich: a striking balance of intensity and subtlety played with feeling." (July) L:Mel TiMs: After All This Time. MCA with Prokofiev's Sixth Piano Sonata, The Prokofiev Sixth Sonata has ap-

MCA -5378". . one of country music's and it is likely to be much less contro-parently been a specialty of Pogore- real vocal masters " (July) versial than the pianist's previous DGlich's for some time (an earlier record- Deniece Williams: I'm So Proud. Co recordings. It is, in fact, simply irresist-ing of it that he made in Yugoslavia be- LUMBIA FC 38622" a showcase for ible in its imaginativeness and sweep.fore his Warsaw experience is about to 'the songbird of soul.' " (October) The Warsaw jury did award Pogorelich be issued here by Vox), and the intensi- C ZZ Top: Eliminator. WARNER BROS aminor prize for "exceptionally origi- ty he brings to bear in its presentation is 23774-1 "Hard -rocking, low -riding, sleazy, nal pianistic talent," and that is what ismanifest more in terms of subtle inflec- and funny. " (August) stunningly in evidence here. tion and an unimaginable range of In the Ravel cycle Pogorelich seemscolors than of raw power. The opening CLASSICAL to have limited his range of colors topages sound almost like Scriabin, and C. Beethoven: String Quartets Nos. 12- varying shades of gray, only occasional-at no point is the music allowed to seem 16; Grosse Fuge. RCA ARL4-4509. "The Cleveland Quartet caps its Beethoven se- ly permitting a glimmer of some bright-predictable. This is not virtuosity for its ries with another winner " (October) er hue, but the balance of intensity andown sake, but nothing less than total in- Brahma: Vocal Ensembles. DEUTSCHE subtlety is very striking, as it is also involvement: the music isalivefrom start GRAMMOPHON 2740 280 "Clear,natural the Prokofiev. The evocativeOndinebe- to finish, without a superfluous note or singing, marvelous sound." (September) comes, in Pogorelich's treatment, shat-gesture anywhere, and it both demands Faure: Songs. ANGEL DS -37893."A tering in its very coolness. InScarbohe and richly repays repeated hearings.

prize selection . . . from Frederica von finds a terror that goes much deeper Pogorelich seems to have plunged far Stade " (October) than surface excitement, and the darkbeneath the surface in both the Ravel Mozart: Plano Concertos Nos. 20 motionlessness he achieves inLe Gibetand the Prokofiev, as if determined, and 27. LONDON CS 7251. "Elegant, pas- is downright hair-raising. without regard for technical challenges, sionate, and committed performances from As for the Prokofiev Sixth, Pogore-to reach to the music's very core. There Sir Clifford Curzon . ." (August) lich's recording is the third to comemay be some disagreement on how Mozart: Opera Arias.PIALIPS 8514 along this year. Only a few months ago,close he has come, but there can be very 319. "Marvelous music, gorgeous singing in the July issue of STEREO REVIEW, Ilittle resistance, I think, to the unique by Kifi Te Kanawa." (July) welcomed two very powerful recordingsand awesome splendor of these per- Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 31, 35, 38, of this sonata, which, as I noted then,formances. Some listeners may find the 40,and41. L'OISEAU-LYRE D172D4. has generally been in the shadow of thesound tending toward brittleness. To . . some of the finest Mozart playing around." (September) more popular Seventh and more or lessmy ear it is crisp and clear, and it pro- ignoredbythebig -namepianists.jects the music effectively without get- Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3; The MB of the Dead. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON Hence it came as no surprise that thoseting in its way. -Richard Freed 2532 065. "Definitive interpretations by Lo- two recordings were by young and rela- rin Maezel, stunning digital sound." (July) tively unknown artists, James Boyk RAVEL: Gaspard de la nuit. PROKOFIEV: Schubert: Plano Sonata In 8 -flat Ma- (Performance PR -3) and Peter Dono- Piano Sonata No. 6, in A Major, Op. 82. Ivo jor. HYPERION A66004. ". an exceptional hoe (Angel DS -38010). Pogorelich's is Pogorelich (piano). DEUTSCHE GRAMMO- realization of a great work." (August) perhaps more sweepingly persuasive PHON 0 2532 093 $12.98, e 3302 093 than either of them. $12.98.

74 STEREO REVIEW contains audio -processing and como_rerized s.gnal- prcceming circJ is that helo improve recepionand automatically lock in a station, koopinc it :rpm'drifting"

Music is truly an art.However, tion, mounting, size and bi-Iging that ar- to you in shape of every speakerto yojr car is purescience. No match that vehicle's acous- cetter than tics. A Delco MusicSystem is one knows that liter- DElcc ElectronicE. not an afterthought. It s :or example, Delco ally designed into the car. General And because we know engineers work ,with of GM Votors divisions when a caris the electrical system st I or the drawirg boardto cars, we also buildimpulse as you drive. scientifically design the loca- noise blankers into Delco Celco Electronics is truly a Music Systems to minimize leader in aJtomot veelec- interference. tronics techrology \Men Finally, Delco's Electroni- you buy your new caror cally Tuned Receiver(ETR truck, ask your deol.ertcdem- onstrate the :science o: a Delco Music System(including the incredible Delco- GNNBose Music E-..-ysterri).

Delco Electronics OF SOUND. BRINGING YOU HEART OF MUSICTHROUGH THE SCIENCE Classical musk

flews Briefs

cording of Mozart's Prague Bream's salute to that venera- Symphony by the Concertge- ble master, and the ever -en- LL

bouw conducted by Nikolaus during Concierto de Aranjuez Harnoncourt. by Joaquin Rodrigo. This per- CBS Masterworks received formance of the Rodrigo con- two Edison awards as well. certo, Bream's thirdin two One went to an album of vocal decades, was recorded digi- andinstrumentalmusic of tally with the newly formed Schoenberg performed by the Chamber Orchestra of Eu- 4 Boulez forces mentioned rope under the direction of above (three discs, to be re- John Eliot Gardiner. leased here in 1984), the other Bream's fall tour of North to the late Glenn Gould's re- America opens in San Juan, cording of Bach's Goldberg Puerto Rico, on October 26 Variations, which has already and moves on throughthe won many other awards. Midwest to California. There, EMI/Angel won the only in Pasadena on November 9, Edison given in the opera cat- he premieres a birthday piece egory. It went to the recording written for him by the British of Ravel's L'Enfant et les sor- composer Sir Michael Tippett AFTER many yearsasan Mozart's The Magic Flute tileges by the London Sym- called The Blue Guitar, after OA RCArecordingartist, and ldomeneo and Mahler's phony and vocal forces con- a poem by Wallace Stevens. conductor James Levine has Seventh Symphony. (Earlier ducted by Andre Previn. 0 Bream's final tour date is No- gone over to Deutsche Gram- this year Levine's RCA re- vember 22, at Town Hall in mophon. For starters at DG cording of the Mahler work New York. 0 he has two major projects with with the Chicago Symphony year Julian Bream is the Vienna Philharmonic-a received one of STEREO RE- THIScelebrating his fiftieth cycle of all of Mozart's violin VIEW'S Record of the Year birthday as well as his twenty- ACOUPLE of years ago, when concertos, with Itzhak Perl- Awards.) fifth year as an RCA record- Angel Records released man, and a complete cycle of Levine's television appear- ing artist. The eminent guitar- Ransom Wilson's album the Mozart symphonies. ances for this season began in ist has nearly forty LP's to his "Pleasure Songs forFlute," As music director of the September when he teamed credit on that label, the latest the arrangements for several Metropolitan Opera, Levine up with Leontyne Price for an being a two -record addition to of thefolksongsincluded will be especially visible this "In Performance at the White hisMusic of Spainseries, were credited to Peter Beste- year and next while he guides House" program over the PBS available as an import. Chetwynd, a character in Eve- that company through its cen- network. His TV schedule also The new anniversary set in- lyn Waugh's novelDecline tennial season. He was hailed has him presiding over the cludes works written for the and Fall. We pretended not to for a number of conspicuous Met's Centennial Gala tele- guitarist Andres Segovia, notice. successes abroad this summer, casts October 22 and conduct- notably at the Bayreuth Festi- ing the company's new pro- Julian Bream (left) with actor Donald Sinden at RCA party val,where he conducted duction of Verdi's Ernani to Wagner'sParsifal,andat be telecast by PBS on Decem- Salzburg, where he conducted ber 21. 0

ROUGHLY equivalent to the nard Haitink and the other for U.S. Grammy award, the Shostakovich's Twelfth Sym- Edisonisconsideredtobe phony by the same orchestra Holland's mostprestigious and conductor(which do honor in the field of recorded happen to be Dutch). music. It says something for Deutsche Grammophon al- the scruples of the jury voting so won two awards, one for the for the 1983 classical Edison three -discsetofHandel's awards that not one of the Concerti Grossi, Op. 6, by prizes wenttoarecording Trevor Pinnock and the Eng- from Philips Records, which is lish Concert, and one for an based in Holland. album of Stravinskysongs London/ Decca won two sung by Phyllis Bryn-Julson. Edisons, one for the recording Robert Tear, and others with of Brahms's First Piano Con- accompaniment by Pierre certo played by Vladimir Ash- Boulez and his Ensemble In- kenazy and the Concertge- tercontemporain. Telefunken bouw Orchestra under Ber- received an award for its re-

76 STEREO REVIEW This year Angel hasre- latter are recordings of Jan- leased an album called "The Rek'sJenufawith Elisabeth MagicPanpipesofMario Soderstrom and Lucia Popp Moreno."Itincludes James and Boito'sMefistofele µith Last's songThe Lonely Shep- Luciano Pavarotti and Mont- herd,which has been a hit for serrat Cabal*. 0 Romanian panflutist Zamfir on Philips Records. Of the nine other selections on More - O\ I Yone copy of a new al - no's album six are credited to bum by electronics whiz one E. Mergency. That's a lit- kid Jean -Michele Jarre was tle hard to ignore. From this manufactured, and thelac- album don't expect any hits to querfromwhich itwas e -merge. W.L. pressed was ceremoniously destroyed when that edition of one went up for auction in I ONDON RECORDShasan- Paris this summer. The idea, nounced a new price policy according to Jarre, whose al- for its opera recordings. The bums usually sell in the mil- suggested list price per disc on lions, was "to produce a single Ronald Pickup as Verdi inThe Life of VerdionPBS all of London's digital opera copy for a single buyer, just sets has been reduced from like a painting." The ironic ti- OMF ofthe top recording tured among thenetwork's $12.98 to $1 0.98 and on ana- tle:"MusicforSupermar- artists of the present and Great Performances this fall log sets from $10.98 to $9.98. kets." In the end the record recent past are highlighted in and made possible in part by The price reduction applies to went for $9,000, half of which six programs about The Life Exxon,theVerdi series stars LP's and cassettes and to all was used to cover expenses of Verdi, beginning on PBS British actor Ronald Pickup existing catalog titles as well and the other half donated to on October 24 and running as the composer. The narrator as to new releases. Among the UNICEF. through November 28. Fea- is Burt Lancaster. 0

Disc and Tape Reviews By RICHARD FREED DAVID HALL GEORGE JELLINEK STODDARD LINCOLN ERIC.SALZMAN

J. S. BACH: Sonatas for Viola da Gamba That general criticism aside, of these two earlier recorded performances, not to men- and Harpsichord (BWV 1027-1029). Yo -Yo releases the one by Yo -Yo Ma and Kenneth tion those by Milstein, Heifetz, Suk, Gru- Ma (cello); Kenneth Cooper (harpsichord). Cooper isthe less objectionable because miaux, Perlman, Stern,eta/. The last two CBS 0 IM 37794, © IMT 37794, no list Ma and Cooper play with some knowledge movements are taken so slowly here that price. of Baroque style and keep things moving. momentumisbarelysustainedinthe Performance:Stylish The performances by Nathaniel Rosen and Larghettoand simply disappears in the fi- Recording:Good Anthony Newman, in contrast, are rather nale. One can only wonder how this may square and heavy-handed. S.L. have sounded to the performers themselves, J. S. BACH: Sonatas for Viola da Gamba both during the session and in playback. In and Harpsichord (BWV 1027-1029). Na-BEETHOVEN: Violin Concerto in D Ma- any event, it came as a letdown after the thaniel Rosen (cello); Anthony Newmanjor, Op. 61. Yehudi Menuhin (violin); Leip- real exaltation of the first movement, and (harpsichord). VoxCUM LAUDEVCL 9020 zig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Kurt Masur I suspect most listeners would be put off by $8.98, 0 VCS 9020 $8.98. cond.ANGEL0 DS -37890 $12.98, © 4XS- the total lack of exuberance. Performance:Square 37890 $12.98. Fortunately, two of Menuhin's earlier re- Recording:Good Performance cordings of the Beethoven concerto are still Recording: available, and at about half the price of this While itis possible to achieve a balanced new one. The second of the two with Furt- sound in Bach's sonatas for violin and harp- Throughoutthefive -and -a -half decades wangler, recorded with the Philharmonia in sichord and for flute and harpsichord using since Yehudi Menuhin played the Beethov- 1953 (on Seraphim), is the one, I think, that modern instruments, it is impossible to do soen Violin Concerto, at the age of eleven, gives us Menuhin's Beethoven at its overall in the gamba sonatas using a modern cello. with the old New York Symphony under best, with a more beguiling sweetness in his All you hear is the lush string sound with a Fritz Busch, it has been the concerto with tone as well as a greater sense of mo- frustrating tinkle in the background. If cel-which he has been most closely identified. mentum than we find in his newest record- lists insist on playing these works, let them He did not get around to recording it until ing. It is a superb statement of the work by use a piano for accompaniment so we poorafter World War II, but then he made noany standards, and the sound is still more listeners can at least hear both parts! fewer than four recordings of it by the time than respectable. R. F . he turned fifty-two with Furtwangler in mono, a stereo version with Constantin Sil- BEETHOVEN: Symphony No. 6, in F Ma- Explanation of symbols: vestri and the Vienna Philharmonic, and a jor, Op. 68 ("Pastoral"). Y Chamber Sym- later one with Otto Klemperer and the New phony of New York, Gerard Schwarz cond. digital -master analog LP = Philharmonia. The orchestral contribution DELOS0 DMS 3017 $17.98. =stereo cassette in this fifth effort is perhaps the most im- 0 = digital Compact Disc pressive of all, gloriously Beethovenian and Performance: Brisk and flowing 0 = eight -track stereo cartridge enhanced by the rich digital recording. Recording:Excellent 0 = direct -to -disc recording = monophonic recording That much said, it must be added that, As Gerard Schwarz indicates in his jacket for all the burnished Beethoven nobility and notes for this album, Beethoven's First and The first listing is the one reviewed; warmth-and both qualities are evident in his even -numbered symphonies gain much other formats, if available. follow it. abundance-only the first movement here in clarity of texture and rhythmic litheness isfully competitive with Menuhin's own when performed by orchestral forces like

NOVEMBER1983 77 RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT BRITTEN: Our Hunting Fathers, Op. 8; Six Folk Song Arrangements. Elisabeth Soder- strOm (soprano); Welsh National Opera Orchestra, Richard Armstrong cond. EMI/ ANGEL ASD 4397 $12.98, © TCC-ASD 4397 $12.98 (from International Book & Record Distributors, 40-1124th Street, Long Island City, N.Y. 11101). Performance: Verygood Recording: Excellent Our Hunting Fathers was written in 1936 bythetwenty -three -year -oldBenjamin Britten to poems by W. H. Auden, who was himself only six years older.It was con- ceived as a three-part orchestral song cycle, with prologue and epilogue, on the subject of man's treatment of (or cruelty toward) animals. Although it bears the opus number 8, Britten regarded it as his first mature work, his "real Opus 1." It is a flawed yet haunting and undeniably striking composition.Auden's poetryis frequentlytoo oblique to make an immediate impact on the listener, and Britten's tendency toward Happy Birthday, the grotesque (a Shostakovich influence?) at times obscures his ultimate intentions. His command of the orchestra as an expres- Elliott Carter sive tool, however, was already phenomenal. The record is worth hearing for that reason LLIOTT CARTER composedhisNight strong, directive intentions or desires-to alone. EFantasies in 1980 on a joint commis- capture the poetic moodiness that, in an This highly unconventional cycle places sion from the four pianists to whom he ded- earlier romantic context, we enjoy in works enormous interpretive demands on the sing- icated the score: Paul Jacobs, Gilbert Kal- of Robert Schumann [such as] Kreisler- er, and Elisabeth Soderstrom responds to ish, Ursula Oppens, and Charles Rosen. iana, Carnaval, and Davidsblindlertanze." them with her unique brand of commitment The first and last of these four are repre- Clearly, both of these recorded perform- and an ever -alert imagination. On the resented now with recordings of the work; Op - ances may be considered authoritative, even verse side she performs six totally uncon- pens probably will not be, since Jacobs cred- if neither can be called "definitive." Jacobs troversial and quite irresistible Britten folk - its her with "cheerful encouragement" dur- issomewhatmore expansive-inboth song arrangements in their quite unfamiliar ing his session for Nonesuch, nor is Kalish works-and Rosen a bit more tightly fo-orchestral settings. Again, the orchestra- likely to be, since Nonesuch is his label too. cused and analytical. Between the two of tions are brilliant, and the singing is full of All four pianists have been associated with them, I feel there can be little left unsaid on subtle insights and descriptive power. The Carter's music for years. Carter coached either work, and both are vividly recorded. excellent work of the Welsh orchestra is Jacobs in the new work, was present at his Everyone at all interested in the music of capturedinlively and sharply detailed recording sessions, and wrote a note for the our time or music of American composers sound. G.J. record jacket, to which Jacobs appended ought to have one or the other of these fine one of his own; Rosen wrote his own notes. records, whose appearance together must Both Rosen and Jacobs pair Night Fanta- constitute one of the more significant trib- RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT sies with Carter's much earlier Piano Sona- utes to the composer on the occasion of his EGK: Peer Gynt. Roland Hermann (bari- ta (1945-1946), which they have both per- seventy-fifth birthday on December II. tone), Peer Gynt; Norma Sharp (soprano), formed frequently. -Richard Freed Solveig; Janet Perry (soprano), Ingrid; Kari According to Carter's brief description, Lovaas (soprano), Redhead; Cornelia Wul- Night Fantasies "is a piano piece of contin- CARTER: Night Fantasies; Piano Sonata. kopf (contralto), Aase; Hans Hopf (tenor), uously changing moods, suggesting the Paul Jacobs (piano). NONESUCH 0 D- Old Man; others. Chorus of the Bavarian fleeting thoughts and feelings that pass 79047 $11.98, © D4-79047 $11.98. Radio; Munich Radio Orchestra, Heinz through the mind during a period of wake- Wallberg cond. ORFEO 0 S 005823 F three fulness at night. . . . I wanted to capture CARTER: Night Fantasies; Piano Sonata. discs $41.94 (from Harmonia Mundi USA, the fanciful, changeable quality of our inner Charles Rosen (piano). ETCETERA ETC 2351 Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles, life at a time when it is not dominated by 1008 $10.98, © XTC 1008 $10.98. Calif. 90064). Performance:Good Recording: Excellent Werner Egk died at eighty-two earlier this year, just about the time his second opera, those current inBeethoven's day rather exuberant in the first movement, "Arrival Peer Gynt, reached worldwide distribution than by hundred -piece aggregations with in the Country," which is imbued with love- through this recording, a project he super- doubled woodwinds. Neville Marriner with ly flow and transparency in the brook scene vised. Back in 1938, when the opera was in- the Academy of St. Martin -in -the -Fields (the concluding bird calls have a pristine troduced in Berlin, it was attacked by some and Michael Tilson Thomas with the Eng- freshness and clarity), andhispeasant Nazi zealots for its allegedly anti -regime lish Chamber Orchestra have given us such dancers in the third movement are limned tendencies, but Hitler saw it, liked it, and authentic -scale recordings of all but No. 8, with more than usual dynamic finesse. The that was that. and now Schwarz offers another of No. 6. depiction of the storm is not aimed at blow- Ibsen's Peer Gynt, like Goethe's Faust, Compared with Tilson Thomas's, this re- ing out your speaker cones but rather to- which it resembles in several aspects, is a cording benefits most from the digital mas- ward elucidating the music's harmonic and drama too monumental in dimensions to be tering and the fine acoustic surround of textural substance. The ample impetus car- treated operatically in its entirety. Edvard New York's Masonic Temple Auditorium. ries over very nicely into a splendidly flow- Grieg was certainly wise in limiting his Schwarz's Pastoral is almost manically ing thanksgiving finale. D.H. treatment (1876) to incidental music, all

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'Naming: The Surgeon General Has Determined .11 at Cigarette S-notir g Is Dan;erous to Your Health. the more so since the sweet, romantic mu- here. Egk was a composer who had a knowl- Gynt, with Per Dreier conducting soloists, sic he wrote rarely represented the play's edge of stagecraft, who could combine sing- chorus, and orchestra, remains in a class by harsh, bitter spirit of rebellion. Egk's vision ing and pantomime to good effect, and who itself, but Neville Marriner here gives us was not beclouded by that kind of romanti- could write colorful orchestral interludes to the twelve familiar numbers in the two con- cism, but, in his brave attempt to create an bind his fast moving scenes together. In cert suites in proper dramatic order. One of opera, he was forced to eliminate many of Peer Gynt he wrote a stageworthy and sing- the striking differences made by this ar- Ibsen's episodes and even invent a few oth- able opera, which can't be said for more, rangement is that the festive Prelude to ers. The music is essentially conservative for than a few written in the last fifty years. Act Iis followed by the Wedding March the period, and quite eclectic: a bit of Ri- Roland Hermann sings the title role, a and then the abduction music in the Act II chard Strauss, an indebtedness to Stravins- tour de force if there ever was one, with a Prelude, in which the opening theme is ky in the many sharply rhythmic episodes, manic intensity. His baritone is powerful transposed into a minor tonality. Marriner's and echoes of Kurt Weill in the jazz -tinged, and wide-ranging, though the glottal at- reading of the first prelude is taut and brisk, tawdry cabaret scenes (though Egk rarely tacks he employs seem manneristic. Three and he avoids heavy-handedness in the Hal- favored the dry orchestral sounds of Stra- good sopranos are enlisted for the arduous vorsen orchestration of "Wedding Day at vinsky and Weill). The evocation of the Of- vocal tasks assigned to the ladies in the Troldhaugen" immediately following. The fenbach cancan in the Troll Scene seems hero's life-the abused Ingrid, the seduc- music of the abduction and lament is tense- more like purposeful parody than uncon-tive Redhead, and the loyal Solveig-but ly dramatic, and the famous "In the Hall of scious imitation. At times the music is quite the Aase is not as strong as she ought to be. the Mountain King" gets about the most melodious, for example in the poignant clos- In the role of the Old Man (really the Troll vivid musical treatment and soundI've ing scene where, after a series of wild ad- King and Peer's nemesis), the veteran Hans heard yet, with the Ambrosian Singers ventures, Peer finds serenity at the side of Hopf, born in 1916, is ideally cast: a robust making a most barbaric impression. The the faithful Solveig. tenor who sounds old. Heinz Wallberg and grotesque "Dance of the Mountain King's The opera is somewhat lopsided inits his Munich forces play with distinction, and Daughter" is highly graphic, and "Aase's construction. The first act promises a great the sound is magnificent. G.J. Death,"sooftensentimentalized,here deal with its frantic introductory scene and achieves an almost Tchaikovskian intensity its nightmarish vision of the troll kingdom. RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT at its climax. The brief second act, however, is something The "Morning Mood" music is uncloy- of a letdown. I was left wishing for more GRIEG: Peer Gynt, Incidental Music, Op. ing, for once, and the "Arabian Dance" evidence of Peer's misdeeds, for offenses 23. Lucia Popp (soprano); Ambrosian Sing- takes on fresh life with the addition of cho- demonstrated rather than merely implied, ers; Academy of St. Martin -in -the -Fields, rus and soprano soloist. "Anitra's Dance" is to justify the rather effective scene of judg- Neville Marriner cond. ANGEL 0 DS -37968 grace itself, again without oversweetness. ment and contrition in Act Ill. Just the $12.98, © 4XS-37968 $12.98. The storm music attendant on Peer Gynt's same-and even allowing fora certain return usually sounds pretty ordinary, but amount of rather obvious moralizing, some- Performance Distinguished Recording: Brilliant Marriner gives it an additional measure of how made even more explicit by the com- grit and spray.Ileave to the last Lucia poser's own rhymed libretto-there is con- The Unicorn-Kanchana two -disc recording Popp's performance in the two songs of the siderable theatrical imagination at work of all thirty-two numbers of Grieg's Peer long -waiting andlong-sufferingSolveig. Please remain seated for this performance.

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80 STEREO REVIEW Singing in German rather than Ibsen's Nor- and Truth. What could be dull moralizing RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT wegian, she brings exquisite pathos and is, surprisingly, sheer delight. compassion to both numbers without a trace The performance too is delightful. The LISZT: Hungarian Rhapsody No. 12, in C - of sentimentality. The digital recording is clear, delicate sounds of the old instruments sharp Minor; Liebestraum No. 3; Mephisto faultless too. Altogether, a distinguished and the singers' use of a light, natural man- Waltz No.1; Funerailles; Concert Para- achievement. D.H. ner of vocal production serve to remove us phrase of Verdi's Rigoletto Quartet; La from earthlyrealityinto anever-never Campanella. Jorge Bolet (piano). LONDON world of fragile beauty spiced with witty ob- 0 LDR 71096 $12.98, 0 LDR5 71096 RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT servation. All the singers are excellent, but $12.98. HANDEL: The Triumph of Time and Truth. Stephen Varcoe as Time is particularly so Performance Superb Gillian Fisher (soprano), Beauty; Emma with his flowing baritone, exquisite diction, Recording: Transparently lifelike Kirkby (soprano),Deceit; CharlesBret and sense of style. Both the chorus and or- (countertenor), Counsel, or Truth; Ian Par- chestra perform with clarity, and the read- Jorge Bolet has already made several out- tridge (tenor), Pleasure; Stephen Varcoeing is perfectly paced by conductor Denys standing recordings of the music of Liszt, (baritone), Time; London Handel Choir Darlow. The music reveals a little-known though not all of them are available now. and Orchestra, Denys Darlow cond. HYPER - facet of Handel's genius, and it's hard to This is his first to be recorded digitally, and ION A66071/2 two discs $27.96 (from Har- imagine a better performance. S.L. it represents a departure from the "genre monia Mundi USA, 2351 Westwood Boule- collections" of the past, such as the full disc vard, Los Angeles, Calif. 90064). HAYDN: Symphony No. 84, in E -flat Ma- of operatic transcriptions he recorded for jor; Symphony No. 85, in D Major ("La RCA (LSC-3259, now deleted) and the Performance: Sheer delight Reine"). Berlin Philharmonic, Herbert von more recent Oiseau-Lyre album of five con- Recording. Excellent Karajan cond. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON cert studies (DSLO-41). Here we have sets Originally written in Italy in 1707, expand- 2532 038 $12.98, © 3302 038 $12.98. of related works that are represented by a ed in 1737, translated into English and fur- single item apiece. Thus, instead of a full Performance: Strong program of Hungarian Rhapsodies, we have nished with further additions in 1757 and Recording: Excellent 1758, Handel's The Triumph of Time and only No. 12, in a performance of command- Truth draws on music from some twenty Despite the un-Classically large forces ofing authority and incomparable freshness. previous works. But this is no hodgepodge; the Berlin Philharmonic, these two Haydn The Rigoletto Paraphrase is the only oper- Handel constantly reworked his material, symphonies, written for Paris, sound splen- atic transcription-a little tighter in per- finally producing a stylistically consistent did in this recording. Herbert von Karajan's formance and much more vivid in its sound piece filled with exquisitely delicate music. readings are rhythmically strong, well ac- than the earlier recording on RCA. Similar- Being an allegory, the work lacks the drama centuated, and full of dynamic contrast. ly, only the best-known of the Liebestrilume of Handel's better-known oratorios and The minuets are on the slow side and per- and the Mephisto pieces and the Grandes operas, but this is offset by the constant haps rather too elegant, but the slow move- etudes de Paganini are included, while feeling of jaunty divertissement as Beauty is ments are beautifully poised and the finalesFunerailles representstheHarmonies persuaded to abandon the ways of Pleasure are wonderfully spirited. This is some ofpoetiques et religieuses. This sort of pro- and Deceit to take up the mirror of Time Karajan's best Haydn. S . L. gramming works in a recital hall, and it ARM YOURSELF FOR A MUSICAL ATTACK. The new 4BX with Impact Restoration. The clash of a cymbal. The blast of a sax. 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NOVEMBER 1983 works on records-particularly on this one, Totenfeier ("Death Celebration") after the with Bolet so unarguably at the very top of manner of Bruno Walter or Klaus Tenn- RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT his Lisztian form. stedt.Tennstedt'sreadingtakes almost MENDELSSOHN: Piano Trio No. 1, in D Although London has labeled the album twenty-five minutes, while Klemperer's is a Minor, Op. 49; Piano Trio No. 2, in C "Virtuoso Liszt," there is no question here ferocious Faustian struggle with destiny en- Op. 66. Kalichstein-Laredo-Robinson of virtuosity as an end in itself. Funerallles compassed in the space of just under eigh- Trio. Vox Cum LAUDE 0 D-VCL 9040 comes through as awesome, exalted, pro- teen. The second -movement Landler,in $10.98, © D -VCS 9040 $10.98. foundly tragic, and altogether noble. Deli- contrast, is handled with the utmost tender- Performance Endearing cacy and poignancy are balanced against ir- ness and a delightful touch of Mahlerian ruption in the Mephisto Waltz. And La portamento at the right spots. The St. An- Recording Rich and vivid Campanella demonstrates most pointedly thony scherzo moves along at just the right There could hardly have been a happier that fastidiousness need not reduce excite- pace, and Klemperer's use of portamento in choice for the debut recording of the Kal- ment. The clarity of Bolet's playing can be the cellos lends an extra note of savage iro- ichstein-Laredo-Robinson Trio than Men- especiallywellappreciatedinLondon's ny. The slow middle section is projected indelssohn's piano trios. The music suits the transparentlylifelikerecording, which I an unusually lighthanded and transparent players down to the ground and brings forth would consider an indispensable one for lov- fashion. the sort of commitment that presents the ers of this repertoire. R.F. Ferrier sings the famous Urlicht soprano most appealing image of a solid and perma- solo with an intensity unmatched by any nent entity, a whole at least a bit greater RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT other performance Ihave heard on or off than the sum of its parts. Pianist Joseph discs (Janet Baker's rapt interpretation for Kalichstein may not quite match Eugene Is- MAHLER: Symphony No. 2, in C Minor the Leonard Bernstein Ely Cathedral per- tomin's pearly elegance in the C Minor Trio ("Resurrection").KathleenFerrier(con- formance of 1974 is also of matchless qual- (CBS M 35835), nor is Sharon Robinson's tralto); Jo Vincent (soprano); Concertge- ity, but in a different style). As in the first cello as eloquent as Leopard Rose's in the bouw Chorus and Orchestra, Otto Klem- movement, the apocalypticorchestral opening scherzo of the more familiar D Mi- perer cond. DEccA D264D 2 two discs events of the finale move swiftly under nor (ibid.) or as firmly present in the under- $17.98 (plus $2.10 postage and handling, Klemperer'sdirection.Solemnityisre- pinning of that work's quicksilver scherzo. from Mode Record Service, P.O. Box 375. served for the choral utterances, which are But Kalichstein brings an elegance of his Kew Gardens. N.Y. 11415). doneinsuperbfashion.AgainFerrier own to delineate both the style and the very Performance Remarkable stands out in the great "0 glaube . ." foundation of these performances, and that Recording. Surprisingly good solo, but Jo Vincent, rather than being scherzo, which might well have been a eclipsed the way most sopranos are in this scramble at the heady pace favored here, is Other than informing us that this recording work, emerges with striking character. In one of the particularly impressive-and en- was transferred from 78 -rpm discs (not the duet that precedes the final chorus, Vin- dearing-segments of the new release. It is tape, surprisingly) of a July12,1951, cent combines with Ferrier to produce a as truly leggiero as it is vivace, the essence broadcast performance from the Holland musical experience that is truly more than of that peculiar balance of spontaneity and Festival, the album notes for this British the sum of its parts. fastidiousness that is Mendelssohn's alone. Decca issue supply no explanation for its re- For a 1951 public -performance record- Jaime Laredo's silky violin tone never lease more than thirty years after the event. ing, especially one taken from a 78 -rpm fails him, even in the most fiery passages. But the extraordinary music making on disc, the soundissurprisingly good. As But the individual playing, consistently on a these four sides, uniquely enhanced by the might be expected in a broadcast situation, very high level, is almost incidental to the voices of legendary contralto Kathleen Fer- the balances within the orchestra are some- stimulating sense of give-and-takethat rier and soprano Jo Vincent. who from the times less than perfect. Excessively promi- makes for the deepest pleasures in chamber early 1930's was one of Holland's finest nent trumpets and overbearing timpani are music: the three players seem to be listening singers, in a certain sense makes further ex- among the more obvious faults, but Klem- to and responding to each other with every planation superfluous. perer's musical message comes across with collective breath. While I'd have liked a lit- "White hot" would be the most apt de- extraordinary vividness nonetheless. Ortho- tle more cello presence here and there, the scription of this performance of the Mahler dox Mahler in the end movements this is balance between the three instruments is Resurrection Symphony, done in the same not, but taken on its own terms-and as an exceptionally natural, and the rich, vivid re- year as Klemperer's Vienna studio record- example of the value of public -performance cording enhances thefine performances ing for the first LP issue of the symphony recordings as documents of performance honestly. R.F. (on Vox, still available as Turnabout THS practices by major artists-this album is a 65087/8). The first movement is no solemn very special contribution. D.H. (Continued on page 84)

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In 1980, Congress passed an uses aspecialdedicatedduplication amendment to the copyright act that clearly technique that keeps the cost of the basic permitted consumers to duplicate their car- unit and the blank cartridges extremely low. One JS&A Plaza tridges.Congress recognizedthatcon- The Prom Blaster copier can copy both the Northbrook, Illinois 60062 sumers, through no fault of their own, could 4K and the 8K Atari° 2600 cartridges. CALL TOLL FREE 800 323-6400 accidentally destroy a program and they Act quickly and obtain a copier, a set of IL residents ado 6% sales iax,..'.1S8A Group. Inc .1983 an especially fetching account of No. 14 in E -flat) is more fully satisfying. It goes without saying that nothing this great musician offers is without value, but there is a great deal more pleasure to be had from his earlier recordings of both these works. Abbado, for his part, provides well -integrated ac- companiments without contributing much in the way of impulse. The sound on both long sides-K. 271 here runs nearly thirty- nine minutes, K. 453 nearly thirty-three-is quite good, though the winds are not too well defined in the finale of the G Major Concerto. R.F.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT MOZART: String Quartet No. 20, in D Ma- jor (K. 499); String Quartet No. 21, in D Major (K. 575).Guarneri Quartet. RCA ARL I -4687 $9.98, © ARKI-4687 $9.98. PerformanceExceptionally sensitive Recording Warm and bright All of Mozart's mature string quartets are marked by a certain contemplative quality, and those that came after the famous half - dozen dedicated to Haydn seem pervaded by a gentle sense of melancholy. This is reflected in the tempo markings of the two works on this disc: both first movements and one of the two finales are marked allegretto rather than allegro or anything more The Light Blues dashing. The opening of K. 575 as played here by the Guarneri Quartet may strike THE LIGHT BLUESconsists of six male own texts) glow with the bright freshness of some listeners as extremely cautious-more singers who met at King's College, discovery. Listeners who think unaccom-of an andantino than an allegretto, per- Cambridge, a school whose musical tradi- panied vocal ensembles are not for themhaps-but you sense soon enough that it is tions have been well represented on records. may be happily surprised by the Light not caution but subtly restrained passion It is a splendid ensemble, and its new Hy- Blues. The recording itself is of demonstra- that informs this movement and indeed the perion album, "Tour de France," is distin- tion class, and the surfaces are quiet enough whole of both performances, which may guished by an imaginative choice of reper- to pass for a CD. -Richard Freed well be the most completely satisfying the toire as well as by superb performances. quartet has yet put on a record. (They were The rich blend in Debussy'sTrois chan- THE LIGHT BLUES:Tour de France. actually recorded some fifteen years ago, at sons de Charles d'Orleansand the rhyth- Debussy:Troischansonsde Charles the same time as a now -deleted disc of the mic acuity in Poulenc's folk -song settings, d'Orleans.Poulenc:Chansons francaises. last two Mozart quartets.) The slow move- Chansons francaises,remarkable enough in Saint-Saens:Serenade d'hiver; Les Fleurs ments are especially sensitive, and the re- their own right, would have meant little if et les arbres, Op. 68. No. 2; Les Marins de corded balance, slightly favoring the viola the singers had not also shown the most as- Kermor, Op. 71. No. 1; Calme des nuits. and cello, rather agreeably enhances the sured French pronunciation and a total in- Op. 68. No. 1; Saltarelle, Op.74. The Light mellow "sunset" quality that suits these volvement with the meanings of the words. Blues.HYPERION0 A66059 $13.98 (from works so well. RCA's sound is appropriately The five songs by Saint-Saens that com- Harmonia Mundi USA, 2351 Westwood warm and bright. R.F. plete the disc (two of them settings of his Boulevard, Los Angeles, Calif. 90064). MUSSORGSKY/RAVEL:Pictures at an Exhibition. RAVEL: Le Tombeau de Cou- perin.Dallas Symphony Orchestra, Eduar- do Mata cond. RCA 0 ARC1-4573 $12.98, © ARK1-4573 $12.98. MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 9, in E -flat release of Nos. 9 and 17. The Concerto No. Major (K. 274 Piano Concerto No. 17, in G 9, the first of Mozart's truly great piano Performance Very good Major (K. 453). RudolfSerkin (piano); concertos and the true progenitor of the Ro- Recording Very good London Symphony Orchestra, Claudio Ab- mantic concerto as well, seems conspicu- In some respects Eduardo Mata's treatment bado cond.DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON ously deficient in the glowing vitality so of the Mussorgsky/RavelPicturesis almost 2532 060 $12.98, 3302 060 S12.98. abundant on Serkin's earlier DG disc and idiosyncratic, yet one can sense a rationale. Performance Undervltalized in his cherishable old CBS mono recording Mata seems intent on getting away from Recording. Generally good of the work with Alexander Schneider con- the usual virtuoso -showcase approach in or- ducting. The central andantino, spun out to der to give us a really vivid presentation of Some months ago the first installment in nearly sixteen minutes, does sustain the ex- these musical -artistic images. He uses flexi- Rudolf Serkin's new Mozart concerto series tra weight thus thrust upon it, but the outer ble tempos that, with a few exceptions, stay with Claudio Abbado, a pairing of Nos. 12 movements are devitalized and devoid of within reasonable musical parameters, and and 20 (Deutsche Grammophon 2532 053),sparkle and momentum, creating a context much of the time his approach works. was given an enthusiastic welcome in these in which the minuet with variations inserted Among the more successful sections are pages ("Best of the Month," February in the finale seems not merely poignant but "Gnomus" and "Tuileries," with the dia- 1983). The way Serkin, then nearing the virtually elegiac. logue element in the latter especially well completion of his eightiethyear, made The G Major Concerto fares better, but handled. On the other hand, the "Bydlo" every phrase glow with life made that discagain itis the slow movement that comes oxcart sounds more like an overladen six- welcome not only in its own right but as an off best, and again Serkin's earlier version teen -wheeler straining up a long grade. But implicit promise of what was to follow. That with Schneider (in this case a very bright the chicks are altogether delectable, and the promise is not entirely fulfilled in the new stereo recording, also on CBS, paired with solo trumpet in the "Two Jews" episode is

84 STEREO REVIEW just wonderful. Mata shines too in the poig- divided. Those who can accept the gratui- PhiladelphiaOrchestraandbyNeville nant lamentation in "Catacombs," and the tous sandwich will find handsome perform- MarrinerwiththeLondon Symphony, silent background afforded by digital mas- ances of all three works on this record, and which puts Enrique Batiz up against some tering allows the tremolando depicting the of the trio in particular. Ronald Roseman stiff competition. glowing skulls to be more than usually ef- brings a steadier, richer tone to the Oboe Batiz's reading of the Classical Sympho- fective, as is the interesting use of acceler- Sonata than Pierre Pierlot, whose recording ny strikes me as being somewhat studied ando at the opening of "The Hut on Fowls' with Jacques Fevrier, made just after they and in the slow movement even staid. Only Legs." Mata's opening for "The Great Gate gave the work's premiere, is on an earlier in the very neatly executed finale (with no- at Kiev" is unexpected, stressing a dark ton- Nonesuch disc (H-71033); Roseman and table clarity of the inner textures) do we get al coloration in the brass to begin with, then Kalish also make a bit more of the outer any sense of the fun inherent in this music. switching on all the lights, so to speak, at movements' elegiacnature(thesonata, The performances of the two suites go all the repetition. This may not be everyone's Poulenc's last major work, bears a dedica- out for brilliance and fine detail, with some- reading of the Pictures, but except for one tion to the memory of Prokofiev). The much times striking, sometimes disappointing re- or two miscalculations, it certainly held my earlier sextet for piano and winds isless sults. I would have liked more savagery and interest. spontaneous -sounding here than in some drive in the infernal scene from The Love While the Dallas Symphony is not gener- earlier recordings, but it shows no lack offor Three Oranges, and I did expect a more ally accounted among the big -league or- polish. The playing throughout this disc is extroverted treatment of the Troika move- chestras, its account here of Ravel's deli- first-rate, as is the sound. R . F. ment from Lieutenant Kije. On the other cately textured Le Tombeau de Couperin is hand, it is in the Kije suite that the sonics highly creditable in every respect, notably PROKOFIEV: Piano Sonata No. 6 (see Best are most impressive. If you like to hear the inthe Prelude and Menuet. The sound of the Month, page 73) extremes of the tonal spectrum with maxi- throughout is clean and full-bodied.D.H. mum transient impact, the "Wedding of PROKOFIEV: Symphony No. 1, in D Ma- Kije" episode here is a treat. POULENC: Sonata for Oboe and Piano;jor, Op. 25 ("Classical"); Lieutenant KO In general, producer Brian Culverhouse Trio for Oboe, Bassoon, and Piano; Sextet Suite, Op. 60; The Love for Three Oranges, has favored a very broad sonic picture; ul- for Wind Quintet and Piano. Ronald Rose- Suite, Op. 33a. London Philharmonic Or- tra -spacious and brilliant.It works well a man (oboe); Donald MacCourt (bassoon); chestra, Enrique Batiz cond. ANGEL 0 DS - good part of the time, but the sound also New York Woodwind Quintet; Gilbert Kal- 37960 $12.98, © 4X5-37960 $12.98. tends to blur in the full orchestral climaxes, hiding their busy inner workings. D.H. ish (piano). NONESUCH 0 1-79045 $11.98, Performance. Brilliant © 4-79045 $11.98. Recording Same RACHMANINOFF: Rhapsody on a Theme Performance. Polished of Paganini i see SA INT-SAENS) Recording Very good These three popular Prokofiev works have understandably drawn the attention of vir- The idea of splitting a really brief work tuoso conductors and orchestras from Kous- RAVEL: Gaspard de la nuit (see Best of the across the two sides of a disc is hard to ac- sevitzky and Reiner to the present, and all Month, page 73) cept in the sort of program offered here, three are currently available together on which has Poulenc's fourteen -minute trio so stereo discs by Eugene Ormandy and the (Continued on next page)

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HK 1983 thesewould develop amore informal, Americanized sound for music like this. It timbre. She lacks very little else, however. would make the texts more comprehensible Her tone is lovely and well centered, warm- and avoid that awful Mrs. Throttlebottom's ly vibrant and easy in extension. She enun- Opera Recital character that creepsin ciates clearly in all languages and knows when even the best of our trained vocalists how to color her phrases. Virtuosic effects use their Italo-German technique to sing a per se are not sought here, but Watkinson's English. The Nantucket Songs are heard in secure technique clears the way for natural - 8 a recording of their premiere at the Library sounding and effortless interpretations. of Congress in 1979, and some of the excite- The recital starts out auspiciously with ment of that occasion comes through. The three charming Bizet songs, all winners. other recording, although quite beautiful, (Serenade turns out to be the brief tenor ro- seems more studied. In both, Rorem himself mance "De mon amie" from The Pearl is the excellent pianist. E.S. Fishers, and it works just fine in this context.) The Brahms songs spring from the ROSSINI: I/barbiere di Siviglia (seeBest folkloric well; Watkinson builds Von ewiger of the Month, page 69) Liebe, the best of the group, to a fine climax. The early Dvoffik and Berg cycles SAINT -SANS: Piano Concerto No. 2, in formaninterestingjuxtaposition.The G Minor,Op.22.RACHMANINOFF: Dvoilk set displays their composer's ex- Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43. pected charm without too much special Bella Davidovich (piano); Concertgebouw identity. The first three of the Berg songs, Orchestra, Neeme Jarvi cond. PHILIPS 0 although in free tonality, pursue an inward 6514 164 $12.98. © 7337 164 $12.98. and contemplative course and are sung here Performance Warmhearted with sensitivity and absolute security as the RecordingUltra -spacious artist tightens her vibrato to good expres- sive effect; the fourth song calls for a near If it's glitter you want, the recent Angel re- Sprechstimme. The Ives group contains two cording of the Saint -Satins G Minor Con- audience -pleasing non -songs as well as the certo with Cecile Ousset and Simon Rattle witty Walking, the sardonic Grantchester, still sweeps the field. Bella Davidovich and Mezzoand the wistful Tom Sails Away, with its Neeme Jarvi take a decidedly more expan- poignant World War I sentiment. All are sive and freely romantic view of the score, imaginatively done. which may appeal more to some tastes. It is Carolyn Carolyn Watkinson will go places, and in the ever -popular Rachmaninoff that the when she does she should take her fine ac- Philips team is truly in its element, respond- Watkinson companist Tan Crone with her. For a live ing all-out to the work's passionate, ma- recital, the audience intrusion is minimal. cabre, and capricious elements. The Con- In all, a very satisfying record. certgebouw Orchestra also seems to be hiv only previous exposure to the young -George Jellinek more at one with this music. The recording English mezzo Carolyn Watkinson of the solo piano is wonderfully rich and was when I heard her singing the title role CAROLYN WATKINSON:Recitalat full-bodied, that of the orchestra a bit too in the CBS recording of Handel's Rinaldo Wigmore Hall.Bizet:Chanson d'avril; reverberant for my taste. D.H. (M3 34592) a few years ago.Iwas im- Serenade; Les Adieux de l'hOtesse arabe. pressed then. but on the strength of her new Brahms: Treue Liebe; Mddchenlied I and D. SCARLATTI (orch. Avison):Concerti recital album on the enterprising Dutch Et- II; Das Mlidchen spricht; Von ewiger Liebe. Grossi: No. 5, in D Minor; No. 4, in A Mi- cetera label, excellently recorded in concert Dvotak: Four Songs, Op.2. Berg: Four nor; No. 11, in G Major; No. 8, in E Minor. at London's Wigmore Hall in November Songs. Op. 2. Ives: Walking; Grantchester; Jean -Francois Paillard Chamber Orches- 1982, I can now see her as a worthy succes- Tom Sails Away; The Cage; The Side - tra, Jean -Francois Paillard cond. ERATO sor to Kathleen Ferrier and Janet Baker. OfShow. Trod: The Water of Tyne. Carolyn STU 71510$10.98, © MCE 71510 those two illustrious predecessors, Watkin- Watkinson (mezzo-soprano); Tan Crone $10.98. son is more reminiscent of the latter, since (piano). ETCETERA ETC 1007 $10.98, Performance: Suave shelacksFerrier's voluptuous contralto XTC 1007 $10.98. Recording: Fine Yes, that's Domenico, not Alessandro Scar- latti, and no, he did not actually write any concerti grossi. But the pragmatic eight- eenth -century English composer Charles RAVEL:Le Tombeau de Couperin (see Voices, settings of poems by women ranging Avison wished that he had and remedied MUSSORGSKY/RAVEL) from Anne Boleyn to Christina Rossetti tothe lack by recycling a batch of the harpsi- Adrienne Rich, was written earlier, in 1975. chord sonatas. Avison chose his pieces well, RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT The songs are more personal and inward in and his orchestrations work. Indeed, I like feeling than the Nantucket Songs, written the fugues better in Avison's versions than ROREM:The NantucketSongs.Phyllis in 1978-1979 for Phyllis Bryn-Julson on a inthe originals. Jean -Francois Paillard's Bryn-Julson (soprano); Ned Rorem commission from the Elisabeth Sprague chamber orchestra plays everything very (piano).Women's Voices.Katherine Cie- Coolidge Foundation. The Nantucket smoothly, so smoothly thatI would have sinski (mezzo-soprano); Ned Rorem (pi- Songs are, as Rorem says, in a more popu- preferred more contrast and rhythmic bite; ano). COMPOSERS RECORDINGS, INC. SD lar and entertaining vein-more emotional, even arranged for strings, Scarlatti is not 485 $8.95. he adds, than intellectual. But it is Women's all silk. S.L. PerformanceAuthentic Voices that seems to me more intensely Recording Very good emotional. The songs in the later cycle are SCHUBERT:Quartet No. 13, in A Minor, more objectified, more "set," more shared. Op. 29 (D. 804); Quartet No. 12, in C Minor These two song cycles have a great deal in At any rate, both cycles are striking. Neith- (D. 703).Juilliard Quartet. CBS M 37287, common: both are miscellaneous collections er Rorem's so-called conservatism nor his © MT 37287, no list price. of texts dealing with vastly different sub- Francophilism seems like a big issue any Performance Elegiac jects and states of mind; neither has a dra- more. What carries now is the lyric quality matic or lyric thread except for the compos- of the settings. Recording Very good er's own sensibility in arranging the texts Both performances are commendable, al- With this release the Juilliard Quartet com- andputtingmusictothem.Women's thoughI wish that gifted art singers like pletes its remake of all of Schubert's late

86 STEREO REVIEW quartets-if one may speak of "late" works performance ts a fine one in its way, and it streperousness. If this side is a bit of a let- from a composer who died at the age of thir- can be recommended to anyone wishing a down, the performances of Op. 15 and 18 ty-one. The Quartet No. 12, of course, is the second version or just an opportunity to nevertheless identify Francesch as a Schu- single movement known as just that, by its hear the No. 12 fragment as far as it goes. mann player from whom we ought to hear German designation,"Quartettsatz";in The sound is very good indeed. R.F. more. The recording itself is exceptionally this caseitis"Quartettsatz plus Frag- vivid. R.F. ment," for here, for the first time on rec- SCHUMANN:Fantasiestikke,Op.12; ords, the familiar movement is followed by Kinderszenen, Op. 15; Arabeske in C Major, SHOSTAKOVICH:Symphony No. 12, in D the forty-two measures Schubert sketched Op. 18. Homero Francesch (piano). Minor ("1917: In Memory of Lenin").Con- for a second movement he intended to fol- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 2530 644 certgebouw Orchestra,BernardHaitink low it. There is a precedent for this, of sorts, $10.98. cond. LONDON 0 LDR 71077 $12.98, C) LDR5 71077 $12.98. in Max Goberman's recording of the Unfin- Performance. One side superb ished Symphony with a similar fragment of Recording. Exceptionally vivid Performance Lyrical stress the scherzo with which Schubert had in- Recording. Very fine tended to continue that work. There are This SchumanncollectionbyHomero some enchanting threads in this abortive Francesch was recorded in or before 1977 Politicallyand geographicallyspeaking, andante, and itis intriguing to be able to but took until now to make its way here. some musical works are intended for inter- hear the piece, but it really cannot affect The artist is a winner of the Prix Italia, the nal consumption only. We would hardly ex- the status of the Quartettsatz itself, or our highest award international television has pect the Russians to respond wholehearted- response to it as an independent work. That to offer. And one side is utterly bewitching. ly to Randall Thompson's Testament of piece is given an especially somber perform- The Kinderszenen and Arabeske receive Freedom, on texts of Thomas Jefferson, or ance here. performances that reflect the most refresh- to Copland's A Lincoln Portrait. So, like- The great Quartetin A Minor, with ing sort of straightforwardness: no clutter. wise, is our situation regarding the various which Schubert launched his final trilogy in no interpretive overlay, no contrived phony cantatas, oratorios, and the like written by this category, also gets somber treatment simplicity, but the real thing, and graced major Scandinavian, Dutch, Swiss, and from the Juilliard Quartet, but the mood is with the most admirable regard for tone English composers for commemorative and pervasively elegiac; it suits the music well production as well as a near -ideal balance ceremonial purposes. The same goes for a enough, but Imissed the lyrical sweetness of delicacy and vigor. The Fantasiestiicke substantial portion of the output of Dmitri that is so essential to the work's character, come off less successfully, I think, because Shostakovich, including the October and and which one wants especially as counter- Francesch seems so self-consciously deter- May Day Symphonies (Nos. I and 2) and balance in a performance that so stresses mined to make an event of each of them- the two symphonies commemorating the the tragic element. On balance I prefer the quite the opposite of his seemingly intuitive revolutionary events of 1905 and 1917, the A Minor by the Alban Berg Quartet, whose directness in the Kinderszenen. In Op. 12 Symphonies Nos. II and 12, respectively. performance omits the first -movement re- everything is at least a little larger than Jife LikethoseThompsonandCopland peat and thereby leaves room on the record and overcharacterized, yet even here Fran- works,theShostakovichEleventhand for the entire G Minor Quartet, D. 173 cesch's feeling for the clean line keeps the Twelfth are grandiose tonal frescoes de- (Telefunken 6.41882). But the Juilliard merely outsized from tumbling over into ob- signed to reach out to the broadest possible

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But if foreign lis- first of the composer's two C Minor concer- teners can't respond wholly to the content, tos for two claviers, and the FaureSicilienne, itisstill possible to appreciate the craft. originally for cello, is played here by flutist Whereas the Eleventh interweaves popular Paula Robison with pianist Richard Goode revolutionary song throughoutitsmore in an unidentified arrangement. The Bach than one -hourlength,theforty -minute sounds a little wiry and less than ideally fo- Twelfth,playedin fouruninterrupted cused, perhaps because the performance it- movements, is based largely on metamor- self tends to sound a bit square, but the oth- phic treatment and outgrowths of its open- ers, by both CMS regulars and guests (in- ing theme. For me this repetition gets a bit cluding John Browning in Faure's Dolly), trying in the first movement, and its final are consistently good. The sound overall pages seem insufferably bombastic. The (except, as noted, in the Bach) is agreeably slow movement, however, is imbued with a bright and well balanced. R.F. genuinely eloquent poetry. All four movements bear progammatic titles relating to the October Revolution, but I found listen- RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT ing to the music more interesting without THE FITZWILLIAM VIRGINAL BOOK the subtitles. (excerpts). Christopher Hogwood (organ, Bernard Haitink, the great Concertge- virginal,spinet, harpsichord).L'OISEAL:- bouw Orchestra, and the London Records LYRE D261D 2 two discs $21.96. productionstaffhaveclearlyexpended every effort to make a "digital spectacular" Performance. Excellent out of their new recording of the Shostako- Recording. Crisp vich Twelfth, part of Haitink's complete cy- The Fitzwilliam Virginal Book is not only cle, and Ihave no doubt that sound buffs the greatest collection of Elizabethan key- will find themselves with a real feast. Musi- boardmusicbutprobably one ofthe cally, it is interesting to compare this read- greatest collections of keyboard music ever. ing with the now -deleted Melodyia/Angel It includes pieces by the foremost English recording by the Leningrad Philharmonic composers of the late sixteenth and early under Yevgeny Mravinsky. Haitink in gen- seventeenth centuries (Giles Farnaby, Wil- eral aims for the lyrical substance of the liam Byrd, John Bull, and others), and it score and adopts a somewhat slower pace, covers every known genre of the time.It in the first movement particularly. Mravin- also confirms the incredible technical prow- sky, who conducted the world premiere in ess of the early English keyboard players. 1961, went all out for the drama, and the ChristopherHogwood'sselectionshere first -movement allegro in his recording sim- range from light dances to intricate, contra- ply beggars description in its virtuosic bril- puntal fancies; it is an excellent sampling, liance. Both records are musts for Shosta- and his use of four period instruments-an kovich "true believers," but the Haitink is organ, a spinet, a virginal, and a harpsi- the choice for audiophiles. D.H. chord-reveals a rich variety of timbres. Hogwood is, of course, a master of all these VERDI:La Traviata(see Popular Discs and intruments and equally at home at any one Tapes, page 118) of them. His playing is always crisp and lu- cid, and he imparts a strong sense of char- COLLECTIONS acter to each work. All told, this is a very fine introduction to a wonderful body of CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF LIN- music. S.L. COLNCENTER:ThreeCenturiesof Chamber Music, J.S. Bach: Concerto in C Minor for Oboe, Violin, and Strings (BWV RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT 1060). Haydn: String Trio in G Major, Op. FRENCH DANCES AT VERSAILLES. 53, No. I. Moszkowski: Suite in G Minor Rameau: La Princesse de Navarre: Contre- for Two Violins and Piano, Op 71. Faure: danse; Menuets I and 2; Divertissements 1 Sicilienne, Op. 78; Fantasy, Op. 79; Dolly. and 2: Tambourin; Musette; Passepied; Op. 56. Saint -Satins: Caprice on Danish and Air. Dardanus: Tambourin. F. Couperin: Russian Airs. Op. 79. Carter: Eight Etudes Douzieme concert royal: Four Movements. for Woodwind Quartet.PaulaRobison Lully: Alcidiane: L'Assemblee au tambour. (flute); Leonard Amer (oboe); Gervase de Marais: Alcione: Air; Tambourin: Sara- Peyer (clarinet);Loren Glickman (bas- bande; Marche pour les matelots. Rebel: soon); Charles Treger, Jamie Laredo, Hiro- Les Elements: Le Feu. Chaconne. Anon.: ko Yajima, Romuald Tecco (violin); Wal- Branles et Bourree de Monsieur Brular. La ter Trampler (viola); Leslie Parnas (cello); Grande Ecurie etla Chambre du Roy, Alvin Brehm (double bass); Charles Wads- Jean-ClaudeMalgoirecond.CBS M worth, John Browning, Richard Goode (pi- 37822, 0 MT 37822, no list price. ano):Anthony Newman (harpsichord). MUSICAL HERITAGE SOCIETY 824704X two Performance Exuberant discs $15.50, © MHC 226704W $15.50 Recording. Vivid (plus $1.95 shipping, from Musical Heri- Although the cluttered typography on the tage Society, 14 Park Road, Tinton Falls, CBS liner makes it a little harder than it N.J. 07724). need be to figure out what's what, there is Performance Good absolutely no other cause for anything but Recording Good pleasure in this release. Jean-Claude Mal- goire has chosen some of the most attractive This is an attractive assortment, the kind of examples of seventeenth -century French varied program the Chamber Music Society music in dance forms, and his ensemble per- of Lincoln Center regularly offers in its con- forms them, on "original instruments," in a certs. The Bach concerto, in which oboist style that is not only "authentic" but down- Leonard Amer and pianist Charles Treger right infectious. Such sounds as the musette At/ are the soloists, is a reconstruction of the effect in the Tambourin from Dardanus, CIRCLE NO. 2 ON READER SERVICE CARD 88 STEREO REVIEW which opens side two, and the viols in the Couperin Lentement et pathetiquement are ingratiating in their own right, but there is an abundance of exquisite melody too. The drum -filled fanfare of the Premier divertissement from La Princesse de Navarre mighteventually challengethefamous 1 Mouret fanfare associated with Master- piece Theatre. The whole presentation is exuberant, joyous, affectionate,vividlyre- Available on New corded-and warmly recommended. R.F. High Quality XDR Cassettes The Standard JARMILA NOVOTNA: Songs and Arias. of Excellence Mozart: Le nozze di Figaro: Non so pii4; Vol the sapete. Die Zauberfiote: Scenes iGiTAL BRITTEN (with Helge Roswaenge, tenor; Willi Dom- 00' VERDI SACREDPIECES WAR graf-Fassbaender, baritone; Alexander Kip- FOUR Auger SoderstromREQUIEM nis, bass). Verdi: La Traviata: Ah, fors'e BerlinPhilharmonic Tear. Allen lui . . . Sempre libera; Addio del passa- Riccardo SIMON to.Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann: 13W RATTLE Scenes (with Margaret Harshaw, mezzo- Angel soprano; Raoul Jobin, tenor; Ezio Pinza, imixo bass). Smetana: The Bartered Bride: Ach jaky zal. Hubicka: Lark Song. Draft: Ru- salka: 0 Lovely Moon; Mam zlate vlasky. oG"A` Verdi: ERNANI Fibich: Poeme. Offenbach: La belle Helene: Domingo Freni Bruson Ghiaurov Paris's Song and Duet (with Gerd Niemar, Teatro alla Scala MUTI tenor). J.S. Bach/Gounod: Ave Maria. Anon.: Fifteen Czechoslovak Folk Songs. Jarmila Novotna (soprano); various orchestras, Bruno Walter, Arturo Toscanini, Et - D58-394 3 tore Panizza, Alfred Wallenstein, Erich DS -38000 Ortmann, Alexander von Zemlinksy conds.; Arpad Sandor, Jan Masaryk, Gibner King (piano). PEARL ® GEM M 261/262 two 9. discs $13.98.

PerformanceAffecting I:Ler- Recording Dated and variable DSCX- 3942 Although Jarmila Novotna enjoyed a long (1925-1956) and very successful career on two continents, she made relatively few recordings. This set contains a good many interesting items from many sources, including Metropolitan Opera and other broadcasts as well as private recordings from the artist's own collection. Technically, the results range from fairly primitive, off -the -air sound to the satisfactory likeness of the 1940-ishVictor78's,butthehistory - minded collector will find much to enjoy. A beautiful sight on stage and a very good actress, Novotna was an elegant and sophisticated singer whose vocal presence was never overpowering but who had a gift of poetic communication and a way to touch the heart. That special melancholy quality is captured in her Violetta, Antonia, and Marenka, and in Rusalka's song to the moon (in a private recording dating from 1956). It also lends special enrichment to the group of beautiful folk songs she recorded with the ill-fated Jan Masaryk, first president of an independent Czechoslo- vakia, during World War II. The list of Novotna's musical associates in this set is in itself impressive. Her soulful Cherubino is gently guided by Bruno Wal- ter in a pair of Met broadcast snippets; her Pamina, a Salzburg souvenir of 1937, gets exceptional stimulus from Toscanini's unusually propulsive pacing; and the conductor of her Fibich Poeme (the Czech original DESIGN INTEGRITY Denon does-i't build new models eiery few mortis with of what is known in English as My Moon- insignificant cosmetic facelifts or basic changes so radical you question the validity of tne light Madonna) is the renowned Viennese previous designs. composer Alexander von Zemlinsky. Instead, Denon builds models such as the DP -62L (Sug. Ret. $595) and DP -72L Informative notes come with the set, an (Sug. Ret. $695), Dynamic Servo Tracer tonearm-equipped versions of the legendary Hi-Fi Grand Prix award winning DP -60L. interesting and, for many, a nostalgic souve- To make something truly better, Denon starts with something very, very good. nir of a lovely artist. G.J. Denon Ame9ca, Inc., 27 Law Drive, Fatrfietd. New Jersey 07006

NOVEMBER 1983 CIRCLE NO.19 ON READER SERVICE CARD 89 Popular Musk

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BEFS TRACKS DISCOV- FRED: London's famous AbbeyRoadstudioshave yielded four never -before - heard recordings by the Bea- tles that, according to an EMI spokesman, may soon be released as singles. Capitol Rec- ords, the source of Beatles records in the U.S., however, has yet to assign a specific release date. One of the newly discovered tracks, Leave My Kitten Alone, was to have been issued in 1980 but was withdrawn when John Lennon

was killed. . . . Lennon's last recordings will appear in an upcoming album, "Every Man Has a Woman," written Tape favorites: the Police (left) and country singer Sylvia (right, with producer Torn Collins) entirely by his widow, Yoko Ono. Other performers on the MANUFACTURERS Of mag- album "Just Sylvia," recorded National Fellowships, now in LP includeRobertaFlack, netic recording tape on Ampex Grand Master 456 their second year, include a Carly Simon, the long -absent have every reason to love and tapeinNashville. She do- cash award of $5,000 for each Harry Nilsson, and the Len- honorsuccessfulmusicians. nated her award money to recipient. nons' son, Sean, age seven, When cassette sales of the Youth Town of Tennessee. Singer Margaret Whiting, making his disc debut. 0 A & M album "Synchronicity" Ozzy Osbourne shos4eda whose career spans four dec- by the rock group the Police strong set of teeth when he ades of American music, be- hit a million, BASF Systems smiled with pleasure at receiv- came the first recipient of the rACITARISTEric Clapton, Corporation honored the Po- ing two Golden Reel Awards Roseland Hall of Fame %AI whoselatestalbum is licewith an award. "Syn- for his Jet albums "Blizzard Award formajor contribu- "Money and Cigarettes," has chronicity" was recorded on of Ozz" and "Diary of a Mad- tions to ballroom music. The come under fire (pardon the BASF Pro II pure chrome au- man," both recorded on Am- daughter of composer Rich- expression) from the head of a diotape.The award,pre- pex456 inEngland. Os - ard Whiting(Hooray for stop -smokingclinic.Grace sented to the group after a bourne, who upset animal lov- Hollywood,Ain'tWe Got Reinbold, who runs a clinic in concert in Boston, consisted of ers a couple of years ago with Fun), Miss Whiting was the Lansing, Michigan, has filed a a plaque and racing jackets. publicity stunts that allegedly first artist signed to a contract complaint with theFederal Since 1977, Ampex has pre- included biting off the head of by Capitol Records. 0 TradeCommissionagainst sented its Golden Reel Award a bird,dividedhis$2,000 to any artist who has an al- award between the New York Orzy Osbourne with his two Golden Reel Awards bum certified gold by the Re- and Los Angeles branches of cording Industry Association the Society for the Prevention of America if the album in of Cruelty to Animals. question was recorded on Am- Since originating the Gold- pex tape. The Ampex Golden en Reel Award, Ampex has Reel Award consists of $1,000 given four hundred of them- to be donated to a charity of and $400,000 to charity. Oth- the artist's choice. er Golden Reelers of note this The Australian group Men year have beenBillyJoel, at Work have just received a Paul McCartney,Journey, Golden Reel Award for their Rick Springfield, Al Jarreau,

album "Business As Usual," and Donna Summer. which was recorded on Am- pex Grand Master 456. The group specified that the award THE bluesguitarist and money be donated to the State singer John Lee Hooker, Disaster Bushfire Appeal in known as the King of Boogie, Melbourne, where the album received a National Heritage E was recorded. Fellowship as a master tradi- r The country singer Sylvia tional artist in the Folk Arts received her first Golden Reel Program of the National En- Award this year for her RCA dowment for the Arts. The

90 STEREO REVIEW Clapton, Warner Bros. Rec- hobnobbing with the ex-Bea- that sign. The album for Scor- ords, and the R. J. Reynolds tle, and since Jackson is slated pio (October 24 to November Company, whichsponsored as "guest artist" on Paul's 21) contains selections by Gil- Clapton's most recent tour. new album, there is specula- bert Becaud, Georges Bizet, Reinbold,whoclaimsshe tionthatthe duetwillbe Charles Fox,andJohann

"loves Clapton and has every filmed as well. . . . In related Strauss. album he ever made," is none- news, the great Richard Whether popular or classi- theless offended by companies Thompson has just completed cal, the music sounds pretty that sell "addictive products" principal photography for a much the same.Itdoesn't and underwrite rock shows. video of one of the niftiest cuts swing, and it doesn't rock, but "It makes it seem as though on his recent "Hand of Kind- it has the relentlessly cheerful the performers are endorsing ness" album,The Wrong sound of music you hear in these products-products that Heartbeat, which should be elevators or at international do cause actual death." aired by the time you read airports.Don'tknockthat There'sbeen no comment this. The video is Thompson's sound, though. Last has been from Clapton on the matter. first. S.S. awarded more than 150 gold Maybe theRollingStones albums worldwide, which were on to something: their means sales in excess of 60 most recent tour was spon- THE German composer million records. W.L. sored by Jovan, whose fra- James Last, who has writ- grance products are not ad- ten such songs as Games That dicting and leave the Stones Lovers Play and Love Must THE TIMES THEY ARE smelling like a rose in the en- Be the Reason, is also a band- A-CHANGIN' AGAIN. A re- dorsement department. S.S. leader. Records by the James cent anti -MX -missile protest Grandmaster Flash Last Orchestra sell phenom- on the steps of the Capitol enallywellinEurope,al- Building brought together an whoorganizedtheaffair, VIDEO NOTES: Paul McCart- though they are little known interesting mix of concerned "Bob Dylan,BillGraham, ney and Michael Jackson, in the United States. citizens: Ted Kennedy. Tip and I were trying to think of who had a major hit single to- PolyGram Records hopes to O'Neil, former Orleans leader people who'd be good for the gether last year (The Girl Is change that with "Your Mu- John Hall, and Grandmaster event. Dylan wanted to find Mine), are considering anoth- sicalZodiac," aseriesof Flash and the Furious Five, the the musicians who stood for er collaboration, this time de- twelve albums by Last and his South Bronx rap group re- social commentary the way he signed for MTV. Ron Giraldi, orchestra. Each album is de- cently praised by Time maga- used to in the Sixties. Then it the commercial director re- voted to an astrological sign ine as "superfine." How did suddenly hit us . . . Grand- sponsible for Jackson's spec- and contains music by com- Flash and the Five get in- master Flash and the Furious tacular Beat It video, has been posers or lyricists born under volved? According toHall, Five." S.S.

Din and Tape Reviews By CHRIS ALBERTSON PHYL GARLAND ALANNA NASH MARK PEEL PETER REILLY STEVE SIMELS JOEL VANCE

inflected, which might be indistinguishable TA ARTISTS 811 072-1 M-1 $8.98, © 422- RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT from any number of middling New Wave 811 072-4 M-1 $8.98. THE ANIMALS: Ark. The Animals (vocals efforts were it not for the presence of lead Performance: Stylish modern r -&-b and instrumentals); other musicians. Loose singer Eric Burdon, who is, as always, an Recording: Good Change; Love Is for All Time; My Favorite excessive, undisciplined, preposterous, and Enemy; Prisoner of the Light; Being There; undeniablycompellingfigure, perhaps What makes Cameo so special is its ability Hard Times; The Night; and six others. rock-and-roll's only genuine Holy Fool. to create fresh, exciting sounds within a IRS 70037 $8.98, 0 CS 70037 $8.98. Burdon yelps, indulges in self-aggrandizing limited context. Although this male vocal asides, goes for notes he can't possibly hit, quartet is ostensibly just another contempo- Performance: Sublime/ridiculous and does his best to blow out the micro- rary r -&-b group, they manage to escape Recording: Very good phones. Sometimes he even sings, and the being predictable. They eschew the omni- This is not at all like the 1977 Animals re- songs here give him plenty of room to do all present funk beat to use a walking bass line union LP, which was an exercise in nostal- that and more. They're tacky and clumsy in on You're a Winner, then turn around and gia, howeverwonderful;that record the way Sky Pilot and San Franciscan bedazzle the listener with an updated ver- sounded so much like the Sixties' Animals Nights were, and they will probably sound sion of the oldie Can't Help Falling in Love thatitcould have been vault material. just as dated in a few years. But there's a with You, highlighting it with scintillating "Ark," on the other hand, is a thoroughly real person, however nutso, on display here, group harmonies. If you're a nostalgia buff, contemporary record, only vaguely blues - and while I do wish keyboard maitre Alan this one track might make the whole album Price had been given a little more freedom worthwhile-it works that well. And when to work out, this 1983 edition of Eric Bur - Cameo decides to get down to basic hot dance rhythms, they're handled with finesse Explanation of symbols: don's performing personality is as entertain- ingly askew as ever. You couldn't ask for a and cleverness, as on the title song, a hu- 0 = digital -master analog LP better comeback album. S.S. morous play on current fashion, and the hi- 0 = stereo cassette larious Slow Movin'. This is dance music = digital Compact Disc with class. P.C. e eight -track stereo cartridge RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT direct -to -disc recording e= monophonic recording CAMEO: Style. Cameo (vocals and instru- RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT mentals); vocal and instrumental accom- The first listing is the one reviewed; paniment. Aphrodisiac; This Life Is Not THE CARTER FAMIL1 : Breaking I radi- other formats. if available, follow it. for Me; You're a Winner; Can't Help Fall- tion. The Carter Family (vocals and instru- ing in Love; Style; and three others. ATLAN- mentals). Yankee Don't Go Home; Wom-

NOVEMBER 1983 91 RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT LACY J. DALTON:Dream Baby.Lacy J. Dalton (vocals); vocal and instrumental accompaniment.Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream); My Old Yellow Car; The Waltz That Time Forgot; Windin' Down; and six others. COLUMBIA FC 38604, 0 FCT 38604, no list price. Performance: Stylish Recording: Very good Lacy J. Dalton's last couple of albums have been smorgasbord affairs, and some have weighed rather heavily on the stomach. Her new "Dream Baby" also serves up a buffet of tunes, ranging from the title song, a stylish remake of the Roy Orbison classic, to a smattering of Southern rock, a couple of snail -slow love ballads, a pair of sophisticated rock-and-roll numbers, and some er- satz r -&-b. Because Dalton, whose appealis both cerebral and carnal, is such an immensely talented writer/performer, I tend to set higher standards for her than I do for oth- Gus ers, and some of this album disappoints me. Vocally, there are performances here that Hardin make your heart hop out into your hand. But she has chosen a couple of songs (the two fake r -&-b numbers by Troy Seals) that are simply beneath her talents, and she has written four others (with various collab- orators) that come across as little more than GUS HARDIN is a female singer with a country, pop, and blues.Buthe'salso high-class filler. raw, rough-hewn voice that bends your shaved off enough of her rough edges to en- Still, there's enough muscle and sinew ear around double. LeonRussell, with sure her acceptance in both mainstream pop here to push this album to the forefront, whom Gus worked in her native Oklahoma, and country. As a result,Iget the feeling mainly thanks to Dalton's sensational vocal describes her as a combination of Tammy Hardin can wail a lot harder than she does styling.It only takes one listen to Keith Wynette, Otis Redding, and a truck driver. here, and with a lot bluesier licks. That Sykes'sBaby. You Can Rock with Meor I hear a little of that-especially the black would probably scare the Levi's off about Rodney Crowell'sBaby. Better Start Turn - overtones-but Ialso hear the raspy sen- half the audience RCA hopes to reach, so in' Em Downto know that Dalton is one of sualityof LacyJ.Dalton,the catch - for now Iwon't complain. Besides, com- the most effective, and affecting, female throated delivery of Tanya Tucker, and a pared with most of the sweet young things singers working in any musical framework vibrato that is alternately reminiscent ofcoming along today, Hardin is about as today. For the most part, Billy Sherrill's Buffy St. Marie and Stevie Nicks. In truth, soothing as a dentist's drill-and that's high production is clinically clean. The guest though,Hardin has probablyalways praise inmybook. This one's going to be on singers, Charlie Daniels and Gail Davies sounded exactly like herself, and on her my turntable a while. -Alanna Nash (on Baby. You Can Rock with MeandDix- impressive solo debut mini -LP (six songs) ie Devil,respectively), seem buried and on RCA, her voice positively eats away at GUS HARDIN. Gus Hardin (vocals); vocal wasted, but there is some tasty instrumental the soul. and instrumental accompaniment.Loving work from Terry McMillan (on harmonica) Two of the songs here,After the Last You Hurts; If I Didn't Love You; Since I and by several players in Dalton's own road GoodbyeandIf I Didn't Love You,have al- Don't Have You; After the Last Goodbye; band. ready charted high, and producer Rick Hall You Can Call Me Blue; I've Been Loving What really sticks in my mind from this has given Hardin a uniformly good mix of You TooLong. RCA MHLI-8603 $6.98. album is the cover photo and the song it il- lustrates, Tom Schuyler'sMy Old Yellow Car.Dalton has often been able to reach the head and the heart at the same time, but perhaps never quite as successfully as with this song, a sentimental but deftly written an's Touch; Jesus; Maybelle; Baby Ride Danny, and their mother, Helen Carter paean to youth and innocence that will stir Easy (Chuck the Chuckwagon); Lovin' Me Jones. David, in particular, sounds as if the anyone who has ever driven a convertible on His Mind; Will the Circle Be Unbroken; Allman Brothers have been a big influence, down a dark, lonely highway on a late sum- and five others. AUDIOGRAPH 7783 $7.98. and his moving tribute to his grandmother mer night. A.N. Maybelle resembles Gregg Allman'sMulti- Performance: Updated colored Lady.It's a good song, but its im- THE DOOBIE BROTHERS:Farewell Recording Good pact pales against the family's rendition of Tour. The Doobie Brothers (vocals and in- The younger generation of the famous Car- Maybelle's signature song,Will the Circle strumentals).Takin' It to the Streets; Jesus ter Family has been getting into the act for Be Unbroken,which quivers with emotion Is Just Alright; Minute by Minute; Can't some time now, but this is the first album and meaning. Let It Get Away; Listen to the Music; where they've really been featured. With The backing is smart, understated, and Echoes of Love; What a Fool Believes;and the exception of banjo player Vicki Cook, decidedly modern, and the vocals are sprite- ten others. WARNER BROS. 23772-1G two all the members are really Carters, led by ly,distinct, and not-thank goodness- discs $11.98, © 23772-4 $1 1.98, © 23772-9 the late Mother Maybelle's daughters, Hel- overly polished. It's a lovely little album, $11.98. en and Anita, and including Anita's daugh- and a dandy way to break-and carry on- Performance: Winded ter, Lori, and Helen's sons, David and Kev- the tradition. A.N. Recording: Excellent in. The material is a good mix of traditional and modern country and features some fine GUY CLARK:Better Days(see Best of the The Doobie Brothers may have been one of original songs by David, his older brother Month, page 701 the best California pop bands of the Seven -

92 STEREO REVIEW

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Subscribing to Stereo Review makes sense. Whether you're Half Price shopping for your first stereo system, upgrading your Subscription Certificate present one, looking for maintenance tips or trying to sort through the hundreds of new recordings released every r 1 month, Stereo Review has answers you can rely on. Our world-famous Equipment Test Reports help you Stereo Reviewigtill:leorx, 2C_Olado 71 80322 select new audio equipment. Explanations of features, YES! Please enter my subscription to Stereo laboratory test results and comments from our expert tech- Review at 50% off (based on the full one-year nicians make it easy for you to select components for a great subscription price of $9,98). audio system. If you already have a terrific sound system, Stereo 0 One year (12 issues) for $4.99 Review can help you care for it and upgrade it. With hints on 0 Two years for $9.98 getting four -channel sound from your stereo discs...how to 0 Three years for $14 97 care for your tape deck's heads...how to handle records to CHECK ONE: 0 Payment enclosed. 0 Bill me later. preserve them ...and much more. Stereo Review also helps you select the music to play Mr. 'Mrs./Ms (please print full r ame) 8H559 over your sound system. We cover every category of record- Address Apt ing on disc or tape, to help you steer away from uninspired performances or mediocre recordings. city Stereo Review. When you subscribe you'll join the group of people who enjoy music on their own terms-and State Zip truly know what to buy. Foreign postage: Add $1 a year for Careca. Add $5 a year (cash payment in U S currency on'y) for other countries outside I) S. and Use the coupon to subscribe possessions. Please allow 3C to 60 days for delivery of first ssue. -and save 50%! ties,buttheirlivefarewell -tour album seem to be anything interesting going on and instrumentals). Secret Messages; Loser seems long overdue. Their last studio record elsewhere in the band either. Gone Wild; Bluebird; Take Me On and On; came out three years ago, keyboardist Mi- Like many two -record albums, "Farewell Four Little Diamonds; and five others. JET chael McDonald's solo album has been out Tour" should have been cut back to one, QZ 38490, Cl QZT 38490, no list price. for a year, and even guitarist Patrick Sim- since there's really only enough good mate- mons's solo debut beat this double LP to the rial to fill two sides. If Listen to the Music Performance Empty calories stands. comes across as one of the jiviest record- Recording: Rich The main reason thesetisoverdue, ings ever issued, there are also defioitive NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION though, is because the Doobies were on the versions of several of the Doobies' other Unerring Top -40 instincts 95% skids long before they finally decided to call hits, including Takin' It to the Streets and Production values 95% it quits. Michael McDonald's airy, double - Black Water. Overall, though, even an old Magical Mystery Tour bubble r -&-b often seemed schizophrenic friend can outstay his welcome, and "Fare- orchestral effects 33% alongside the Doobies' old street -band ma- well Tour" proves the Doobies did just Bee Gees falsetto harmonies 33% terial, especially since his keyboards con- that. .4.N. Catchy hooks 33% stantly challenged the group's longtime gui- Rock 'n' roll posturing 20%

Originality tar -dominated sound, and in the end his ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA:Secret Lyric interest material grew quirky and thin. There didn't Messages.Electric Light Orchestra (vocals 30,000 calories per serving. Less than 1% of the minimum adult requirement. M.P.

ARETHA FRANKLIN:Get It Right.Are- tha Franklin (vocals); instrumental and vo- You Can Afford cal accompaniment. Pretender; I Wish It Would Rain; Giving In; When You Love Me Like That; Better Friends Than Lovers; The Incredible Sound of Polk and three others. AaisTA AL8-8019 $8.98, © AC8-8019 $8.98. Performance Vandrossalized Recording Good I am generally an admirer of Luther Van - dross, but he gets several demerits for the way he has wasted Aretha Franklin's talent on "Get It Right," her new Arista album. The songs and arrangements on side one are both muddled and trite, and Aretha's voice is so highly echo -chambered that one would think Vandross was unaware of her enormous talent. What he has done here is the sort of thing Dionne Warwick's meager voice calls for (Vandross is, in fact, producing a new Warwick album). Interestingly enough, only the Vandross tunes do Aretha a disservice; the other three fit her like a glove, especially I Wish It Would Rain, on which she did her own vocal arrangements. Anyone who has heard Aretha sing such numbers as Spirit in the Dark, Ain't Noth- in' Like the Real Thing, The Masquerade Is Over, or-to go back almost twenty years-Sweet Bitter Love, knows what she can do when the tune and arrangement are right. Unfortunately, nothing on this album l'Acni.o 4: can compare with the best of her previous Monitor 11B. $309.95 Sc 9,95 efforts, and that includes her recent Arista recordings. Aretha Franklin has awesome natural talent, and she needs to work with producers who are aware of that: Jerry MM III. S7.' MM IV: $q4).95 Wexler and Arif Mardin are, Luther Van - dross apparently is not. This is a decent pop -soul album, but itis a failure as an State-of-the-art tehnology and performance Aretha album. C.A.

Reviewers and critics agree that all 7 Polk home sp?akers and 4 Polk RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT car speakers offer the most sours quality for the morey availa3le ()lithe THE FUGS:Greatest Hits,Vol.1.The market. Every Polk speaker is bui t to the same cri-ical and exazt. ingEtan- Fugs (vocals and instrumentals). Frenzy; dards of quality. '"ou must listen t-) the Polks anc hea- the difife-ence fo- Doin' All Right; Dirty Old Man; Coming you-self. Down; Slum Goddess; Supergirl; Boobs a Lot; andfourothers.PVC/JEM 8914 Write or use the readers service card for 77DigitalDi -c- Rea -Iv $7.98. information on ail our loudspealrs and Performance Sublime the lame of your nearest Polk dealer. Polk RecordingPrimitive Audio, Inc., 1915 Annapolis Rd., Baltimore Polk audio MD 21230. In Canada, Evolution At dio. The Speakee Special sty Talk about blasts from the past . . . . I first encountered the music here during my long -ago undergraduate days, in its original incarnation on the old ESP label, and I can CIRCLE NO. 37 ON READER SERVICE CARD

94 STEREO REVIEW remember quite clearly almost wetting my that David Grisman has. Not only has Gris- On Grisman's new Warner Brothers LP, pants with laughter. This was, and still is, man, long recognized as a mandolin vir- we actually get two albums in one: a Dawg some of the most hilariously incompetent, tuoso, made significant progress in getting Jazz record on side one (with its own hilar- scabrously obscene stuff ever committed to acoustic music on the commercial pop and ious canine jacket photo), and a Dawg vinyl. The Fugs (euphemism courtesy of jazz playlists, but he's developed an entirely Grass album on side two (with equally hi- Norman Mailer, if memory serves) were a new sound in acoustic string music-a two - larious jacket photo on the flip side). One ragtag collection of hippies and aging beat- mandolin hybrid of bluegrass, jazz, and cut on side one features the mandolin going niks from the bowels of New York's East swing that he calls Dawg Music. Suffice it Big Band with members of the Johnny Car- Village, and their recorded legacy, rescued to say, Dawg Music is not your average son Tonight Show orchestra. Two other from obscurity in this rerelease, proves pret- Grand Ole Opry pickin' and grinnin', al- cuts continue Grisman's collaboration with ty conclusively that the Sex Pistols were though Grisman was a serious bluegrass jazzviolinistStephaneGrappelli,with not, as some now seem to think, the first picker for a number of years and says his Scottish guitarist Martin Taylor sitting in. rock band to sit on the face of the Establish- use of the mandolin as a rhythm instrument Side two, the Dawg Grass program, fea- ment. This stuff isn'tforalltastes, of was inspired by Bill Monroe. It is, rather, tures Grisman and crew going atitat course, and some of the high-school sexism anintricate,sometimesimprovisational breakneck speed, with special guests Earl of the lyrics seems less liberating today than form rooted in jazz but played on instru- Scruggs, Tony Rice, and Jerry "Flux" it once did. Still, this is about as close to a ments normally thought of as bluegrass. (Continued on page 98) musicalequivalent of Walt Whitman's "barbaric yawp" as you're likely to hear in the 1980's. S.S. LARRY GRAHAM: Victory. Larry Gra- ham (vocals,bass, drums, guitar,keyboards); vocal and instrumental accompaniment. Just Call My Name; Don't Think Too Long; I Never Forgot Your Eyes; Movin' Inside Your Love; I'm Sick and Tired; I'd Rather Be Loving You; and four others. WARNER BROS. 23878-I $8.98, C) 23878-4 $8.98. Performance: Entertaining Recording. Good Although his songs are strictly pop in their rhythm, instrumentation, and styling, Larry Graham is one of the few current singers to dip into the vocal tradition of the old-time crooners, especially Billy Eckstine. There is some echo of Eckstine's approach in the way Graham handles his voice, dipping down and scraping against the bottom of his low register to come up with a rounded, vibrato -laden note. His newest album finds him in an upbeat romantic mood, crooning his way through a few selections but mostly bounding along with the spirit that might be expected of Sly Stone's former bassist and the one-time leader of the excellent power -soul group Graham Central Station. Nothing here is truly outstanding, but there are traces of humor and a touch of social commentary on I'm Sick and Tired, and Graham plays all those instruments impressively.Inall, a skillfully assembled and consistently entertaining album. P.G.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT DAVID GRISMAN: Daog Jazz/Dawg Grass. David Grisman (mandolin, mando- viola); Darol Anger (fiddle); Mike Mar- shall (fiddle, guitar, mandolin); Rob Was- serman (bass); Martin Taylor, Tony Rice (guitar);JerryDouglas(dobro);Earl Scruggs (banjo); Tommy Newsome (alto saxophone,clarinet); EdShaughnessy (drums); Stephane Grappelli (violin). Four- teen Miles to Barstow; Dawggy Mountain Breakdown; Dawg Grass; Dawg Jazz; Step - pin'with Stephane; Ina Sentimental Mood; and four others. WARNER BROS. 23804-1 $8.98, CI 23804-4 $8.98. We Performance: Stunning make high -end Recording: Excellent audio affordable You'd probably have to go as far back as 675 Canton Street Norwood. MA 02062 Bill Monroe to find anyone who's had the influence on acoustic string -band music CIRCLE NO13 ON READER S=RVICF CARD

NOVEMBER 1983 95 AI Di Meola, John McLaughlin, and Paco De Lucia A Trio of Master Guitarists

F I were forced to write a three -word re - man precision, and violent yet razor-sharp ful pieces by Di Meola. A bonus is the out- I view of the new Columbia album by John attacks tempered by soft, lyrical passages. standing stereo separation achieved by this McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, and Paco De The Latin, blues, and Mediterranean -fla- digital recording. Lucia, I couldn't do better than to quote the vored melodies seem to take shape almost Acoustic -guitar trio projects give every title. "Passion, Grace & Fire." The third re- spontaneously, spun out just from the ener- indication of becoming a regular outlet for corded collaboration of three of the most gy and inspiration the guitarists derive from McLaughlin, Di Meola, and De Lucia. This eminent jazzguitaristsof theEighties playing together. is not only their third album, but the three (though "jazz" is far too confining a term Far from being a show of speed -monger- have toured together annually since 1980. If the wide range of styles they play in) is ing, "Passion. Grace & Fire" is a work ofwe're lucky, they'll continue to prove that both an exciting technical achievement and substance and feeling. The musicians are superstar recording sessions can work. a powerful musical one. obviously driven to excel by their regard for -Mark Peel McLaughlin, Di Meola, and De Lucia one another, but the music never sounds like probably have more technique in their thir- dueling guitars. All three are sensitive and JOHN McLAUGHLIN, AL DI MEOLA, ty fingers than do most thirty -piece orches- aware accompanists, and when each has a AND PACO DE LUCIA:Passion, Grace & tras, and the music on this album is de- featured solo the other two invariably pro- Fire. John McLaughlin, Al Di Meola, Paco signed to give free rein to that technique. vide a pliant harmonic underpinning. Al- De Lucia (guitars). Aspan; Orient Blue The tunes are packed with intricate jaunts though McLaughlin's Aspan is probably Suite; Chiquito; Sichia; David; Passion, up and down the fretboard, doubled and the best composition, I was surprised at the Grace & Fire. COLUMBIA O FC 38645, 0 even tripled with what amounts to superhu- consistently imaginative, varied, and taste- FCT 38645, no list price.

CI a CLE NO14 DM READER SERVICE CARD

96 STEREO REVIEW We may have found a way to improve your sleep forever.

New Zealanders discovered that sleeping under sheep's wool induced sleep. The story we are about to tell you may been able to sleep through the entire night in your washing machine and has a limited seem rather incredible. And indeed it is. But practically every night. According to Thorn- five-year warranty. Complete instructions if you'll have an open mind, what you will ton, "I felt a sensation of buoyancy from the come with each pad. Sleep on a Woolrest and learn may indeed change your life. Woolrest. I have read in literature that a per- experience what we mean at no risk or obliga- There is a new product manufactured in son sleeps more restfully with natural fibers tion. Order one, today. New Zealand that is selling very well. It's call- surroundingtheirbody."Thornton has To order, credit card holders call toll free ed the Woolrest-a bed pad made of thick already purcnased seven Woolrest pads for and ask for product by number below or send wool. You simply place it over your mattress his entire family. check plus S4 delivery for each pad ordered. and then cover it with your bottom sheet as There are hundreds of other testimonials Twin Size (0025SR) $129 you normally do when you make your bed. we could mention from the thousands who Full Size (0026SR) 179 SLEEP INDUCING have purchased them, but one thing is clear. Queen Size (0027SR) 209 Sheep's wool has always had an outstan- Using a Woo'rest pad you know tnat the rest King Size (0028SR) 269 ding reputation for keeping you warm in of your life will be spent sleeping comfortably, The New Zealand wool used exclusively in winter and cool in summer. That is why wool with a minimum amount of sleeplessness. the Woolrest could be a major reason for its seat covers are so popular. But wool has Certainly, there will be nights when it will beeffectiveness. Here's why. difficult to go to sleep. But with the Woolrest another property known by New Zealanders Most sheep are raised in countries where those nights will be fewer, shorter and without for many years. Namely-wool induces sleep. temperature extremes cause their wool fibers the tradeoff of taking sleep -inducing drugs. In New Zealand, for example, a way to cure to become brittle, rigid and often cracked at insomnia was to cover yourself with a sheep- WARM IN WINTER the ends. In Australia sheep are often raised skin rug. For some very unscientific reason, In the winter the Woolrest holds your body in the dusty outback where temperature and the hypnotic quality of the wool encouraged heat and thus keeps you warmer You'd ex- rainfall can vary greatly. sleep. Counting sheep was another techni- pect that. But in summer it keeps you cooler In New Zealand however, the sheep enjoy que that was often recommended. But it was through a process of moisture absorption by a year-round temperate climate and graze in the development of the Woolrest bed pad that absorbing up to one-third of its weight in lush green pastures. Their wool fibers are suddenly turned an old wive's tale into fact. moisture to keep your body cool and dry. thick and vibrant with good shape retention . DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE Will the Woolrest work for you? We're will- NEW ZEALAND WOOL Sleeping on a Woolrest is a different sleeping to prove it with no risk on your part. Order The Woolrest uses only the best New ing experience. Whether you sleep on a hard one for a 45 -day sleep test. When you receive Zealand wool. The fibers are actually woven or soft mattress, the Woolrest apparently it, closely examine the surface. Feel the thick onto a pure wool blanket base and thoroughly radiates a feeling of comfort and relaxation pure woven pile of natural New Zealand wool. washed and tufted. Place it on your bed and then cover the pad from the wool fibers which mold, massage, We have mentioned the importance of New and conform to your entire body. with your regular bottom bed sheet-either fitted or plain. Zealard Wool for good reason. Just as there Scientific tests conducted by Dr. Peter are several grades of sheepskin seat covers, Dickson of Ohio State University proved that JUST A FEW DAYS we suspect eventually there will be several the Woolrest pad indeed helped induce That night go to sleep on it. But don't judge grades of wool bed pads. None will ever com- sleep. Testimonials from people who owned the effectiveness until you've slept on it for pare to the wool used in the Woolrest. them clearly demonstrated that Woolrest not at least a full month. You should actually only induced sleep but also provided great notice the difference in just a few days, but relief for backaches, arthritis, and rheumatism. after a month you'll turn from being skeptical 0 Its natural fibers tend to alleviate the pain and like we were, to a real enthusiastic believer. pressure caused by these illnesses and thus If not, we'll understand. After allit may not O make sleep come easier and deeper. work for everybody. Just return it within the One JS&A Plaza Frank Thornton, a Seattle Washington den- 45 -day sleep trial and you'll receive a prompt Northbrook. Illinois 60062 tal technician, had trouble sleeping for six and courteous refundincludingthe $4 CALL TOLL FREE 800 323-6400 years. He purchased a Woolrest pad and has delivery charge. The Woolrest washes easily IL residents acd 6% sales tax".c..)JS8u4 Group. Inc .1983

NOVEMBER 1983 97 Douglas. In the end the Grass side pays big- Strangers Again;and six others. MERCURY lightly. Haggard does his best Ernest Tubb ger dividends, since the numbers-clever, 812 183-1 M-1 $8.98, © 812 183-4 M-1 and Lefty Frizzell imitations, and he serves buoyant, and light as a meringue-stick in $8.98. up classic country harmony with Williams the mind a bit longer. Both programs depart Performance: Quirky on the jauntyWaitin' on the Good Life to somewhat from what we've been used to Come.And Williams, though overshad- Recording:Okay from the ever -innovative Grisman, but they owed by her famous husband (on her own both leave the mind reeling and begging for Leona Williams and her husband, country label), comes across as more than a pass- more. Just goes to show, I guess, that you superstar Merle Haggard, recorded this al- able country singer in the pure tradition, canteach an old dawg new tricks. A.N. bum early in 1983, and before the ink wassounding quite a bit like a young Tammy even dry on the jacket, Williams had filed Wynette. Ultimately, however, the album is MERLE HAGGARD AND LEONA WIL- forlegalseparation and been awarded disappointing on severallevels.Neither LIAMS: Heart to Heart.Merle Haggard $25,000 a month in temporary alimony. Haggard nor Williams, a fine songwriter (vocals, guitar,fiddle); Leona Williams That raises the irony factor pretty high in a who wrote Haggard's recent single,You (vocals, guitar); vocal and instrumental ac- couple of the Haggards' original songs here Take Me for Granted,contributes any companiment.Heart to Heart Talk; Let's (Let's Pretend We're Not Married Tonight, songs that will still be around when the final Pretend We're Not Married Tonight; You We're Strangers Again),but there are other divorce papers are served, and the rest of Can't Break the Chains of Love; We're reasons to look into this album, howeverthe material, some of it older than Roy Acuff, sounds more like B-sides than anything else. The album has its moments, to be sure, but the biggest problem is that nobody ever really gets downtoit. A.N.

Music takes a pounding DICK HAYMES: Imagination. Dick Haymes (vocals); orchestra.What's New; every time you play a record My Blue Heaven; Here in My Arms; Could Be: I Could Write a Book;and nine others. AUDIOPHILE e AP -79 $7.98 (from Audio- phile Records, 3008 Wadsworth Mill Place, Atlanta, Ga. 30032). Performance Very good Recording: Good mono These fourteen songs that Dick Haymes recorded in 1949, with Carmen Dragon and his orchestra, and in 1952, with Al Lerner and his orchestra, demonstrate why Haymes was Frank Sinatra's only legitimate contemporary rival. Whereas Sinatra, at the time, projected an underdog street - Untreated but cleaned Brand X cleaner -latyacant LAST treated. 200 plays regularly 50 plays treated. 50 plays kidbriomixed with out -front emotionalism, Haymes took a more mature vocal stance as an adult secure in his ability to make his unless you make it Last. points deftly and without undue dramatics. (His steady and professionally trained bari- Music grooves are pounded by a tion and appreciably less noise. tone voice had a good deal to do with this.) super -hard stylus during playback. STYLAST Stylus Treatment In casting terms, Sinatra was the romantic improves playback of your records juvenile lead, Haymes the leading man. The Powerful shock waves fracture the highlights of this album are a suave, know- walls, and gouge the bottom. Musicand helps your stylus last longer ing performance of ICould Write a Book,a grooves must withstand enormous -up to 10 times longer. STYLAST strong -voicedSome Enchanted Evening, pressure and friction generated by greatly reduces stylus friction and and a flawless version of the Van Heusen/ dynamic stylus forces. significantly increases cantilever Burke oldieImagination.Good listening, The stylus also takes a beating. suspension life. Tracking ability even today. P.R. is improved and distortion lowered. Its pitching and friction in the JAY HOGGARD: Love Survives.Jay Hog- torturous grooves accelerate wear, Enhance your listening experience, gard (vibraphone); other musicians.Don't destroying its configuration. Its while protecting your investments. Quit; Pacific Vibes; Felice; Love Survives; cantilever suspension deteriorates Visit your LAST dealer today. Or As If in a Dream;and two others. GRAMA- rapidly, and collapses. order directly from the LAST factory. VISION GR-8204 $8.98. Cleaners can't stop the devasta- Performance Jazz lion goes funk Call us now, toll -free tion. Lubricants don't protect RecordingSatisfactory against wear. In fact, only LAST 800-223-5278 Although vibraphonist Jay Hoggard has designs products to stop wear, and (In California call 800-222-5278) been acclaimed as one of the most outstand- preserve the integrity of music Or write us today ing young jazz musicians in America, hav- grooves and stylus assemblies. Post Office Box 41 ing recorded with such other young lions as LAST preservative is not a cleaner. Livermore, California 94550 saxophonist Chico Freeman and pianist An- thony Davis, he has stated inprint his A single application of LAST WHAT YOU VALUE dream of making money, of acquiring the Record Preservative protects your YOU WANT TO LAST visibility and popularity of a Grover Wash- music for 200 plays, or 10 years. ington, Jr. This album, his sixth as a leader, More, LAST treated records ar.3 is his painfully obvious attempt to cross over audibly superior: you'll hear more from jazz into mass -market r -&-b. The first side is devoted to the lowest common de- musical information, lower distor- LIQUID ARCHIVAL SOUND TREATMENT nominators of funk. The sole selection on it remotely worthy of Hoggard's talent isPa- FACTORY DIRECT ORDERS: COD/MO/Check/VISA and MASTERCARD accepted. Minimum $15.00 cific Vibes,which uses the funk beat to un- Calif. residents add 61/2% sales tax. Shipping/Handling extra. No foreign orders. Suggested retail: derscore his facile improvisations on vibes, Record Preservation Kit, $18.95/STYLAST, $15.95/Power Cleaner Kit, $9.95/Others on inquiry. countered by John Blake's sassy violin.

CIRCLE NO 25 ON READER SERVICE CARD 98 STEREO REVIEW Hoggard is too much of a musician to release a whole album as banal as that first side, however, and he pulls himself up by his WEAR A CONCERT. mallets for a second side with enough mu- Discover the ncredible acci.ry of Sennheiser -ID 420 Cpen-Aire' headphones. sical brilliance to salvage the set. He starts By combining exotic ma enals with advanced electroacoustE tachnology. we've off in a modified Roy Ayers vein with a lilt- done for personal listeni-ig wq3t our worlc-famous studio microphones have done ing rendition of Christopher Cross's Sail- for professional -ecordirr,. In a new ultra lightweight cesign surpassing even the ing, then eases into home turf with As If in performance of the HD -20s predecessors (which we -e also top -rated and rave - a Dream, a ballad of shimmering, bell -like reviewed). With improved transient characteristics Snoother, more extended re- loveliness confirming the claim of some that sponse. Clarity surpassng even the most expersive speakers_ And comfort so Hoggard is the heir to the early Bobby Hut- great, the only thing you II feel is the music smiiiiiiEusER cherson sound. The last cut, God Is Capable Try a pair of HD 420E (or our top -of - of Everything, finds him in a pensive mood the -lice 430s) at your SE nnheiser dealer. ELECTRONIC CORPORATION 10 west -:7th Street. Ne.. York. NY 10018 that recalls his background in the African Hear what its like to wear a ccncert (212) 239-0190 Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Choral comments effectively enhance his effusive statements on vibes. It's a shame that Hog- gard is having such a terrible time making it in the jazz milieu, since he obviously has so much to offer. P.G.

THE HUMAN LEAGUE: Fascination.The Human League (vocals and instrumentals). (Keep Feeling) Fascination; Mirror Man; Hard Times: I Love You Too Much; and two others. A& M/VIRGIN SP -12501 $6.98, © CS -12501 $6.98. Performance Miserable Recording Okay I guess this release could have gone only one of two ways: it might have followed in the path of the Human League's brilliant Don't You Want Me, a song that managed to capture the rage and frustration that lie at the heart of sexism; or it could have been like the rest of "Dare," a bore. Well, I have bad Manufacturing Plant Bissendorf/Hannover, West Germany © 1980. Sennheiser Electronic Corporation (N Y news. CIRCLE NO 18 ON READER SERVICE CARD It's hard to understand how it could have taken the Human League so long (over a year) to come with up with these hokey vocal lines and obstreperous synthesizers. The title track sounds like a cereal jingle-except that anything this bad would almost certainly be killed before it saw the light of Saturday morning TV. And it's the best track on the record. This mini LP exempli- fies all the worst qualities of bubblegum McIntosh rock: a shaky command of instruments that confines the music to simple tunes, simple STEREO CATALOG chords, and simple progressions, along with simple-minded lyrics (such as, "you remind me of gold"). Eminently dispensable. M.P. and FM DIRECTORY Get all the newest and tatest information on the new IAN HUNTER: All of the Good Ones are McIntosh stereo equipment in the McIntosh catalog. In Taken.Ian Hunter (vocals); vocal and in- addition you will receive an FM station directory that strumental accompaniment. That Girl Is covers all of North America. Rock 'n' Roll; Fun; Seeing Double; Every Step of the Way; and six others. COLUMBIA FC 38628, 0 FCT 38628, no list price. Performance:Very good Recording: Good Ian Hunter has had several successful solo albums since his Mott the Hoople days. This one is successful on four of the ten r 1 cuts-a high score considering that most al- McIntosh Laboratory Inc. SR bums these days have a ratio of one wheat East Side Station P.O. Box 96 to nine chaff. Hunter concentrates on melo- Binghamton, N.Y. 13904-0096 dy and pays close attention to arrange- SEND ments. The proof of his efforts are the fast NAME and slow versions of the title tune, both equally effective. On Fun, a satire on trying ADDRESS too hard to have a good time, there are ref- TODAY! erences in the lyrics to two Little Richard CITY STATE ZIP classics (Lucille and Ready Teddy) along L with an abrupt insert in the middle of the tune that cuts the manic tempo in half and If you are in a hurry for your catalog please send the coupon to McIntosh. has Hunter intoning homilies like a BBC For non rush service send the Reader Service Card to the magazine.

CIRCLE NO32 ON READER SERVICE CARD NOVEMBER 1983 99 announcer readingtheweatherreport. Playin' with Fire; A Hundred Feet Away; Important News Speechless,featuring an almost talked vo- SecretLove; and five others. MCA MCA - cal, is a parody of punkers set to a chord 5437 $8.98, © MCAC-5437 $8.98. progression spoofing a Rod Stewart -type for ReVox Owners Performance Raunchy wowser single. That's the wheat. The rest is Recording: Acceptable chaff, consisting of indulgent howls against war, politicians, and habitual TV -watching. Considering Joan Jett's reputation as a But compared with most of the records hard rocker, "Album" is disappointingly we're getting now, this is an attractive, skill- thin, a crude succession of stock three -chord ful album by a pro. J.V. riffs and inarticulate solos cut with not quite enough distortion to hide their inept- PHYLLIS HYMAN:Goddess of Love.ness. Along with the original songs, which Phyllis Hyman (vocals); vocal and instru- sound as if the band had plugged in their mental accompaniment.Riding the Tiger; guitars and let the tunes write themselves, Falling Star; Just Me and You; Your are spirited but sloppy covers ofEveryday Move, My Heart; Let Somebody Love You;PeopleandTossin' and Turnin'.But I guess and four others. ARISTA AL8-802I $8.98, such considerations are beside the point © AC8-8021 $8.98. with music that is essentially aimed below Performance Waste of talent the belt. M.P. Recording: Good KAJAGOOGOO:White Feathers.Kajagoo- In the mid -Seventies, Phyllis Hyman used goo (vocals and instrumentals).Too Shy; to make frequent appearances at a club in Ooh to Be Ah; This Car Is Fast; Lies and my neighborhood. She had not made any Promises; Ergonomics; Hang On Now;and A full -function infrared remote con- records yet, and I doubt if she was known fourothers.EMI/AMERICA ST -17094 trol is now available for most Revox for many blocks around, but it was a joy to $8.98, 4XT- I 7094 $8.98. hear her in those days, and her following tape decks and turntables. Made Performance: Good grew with each appearance. Then came in Switzerland by Revox, the com- Recording: Good plete system may be retrofitted into fame, and with it such awful albums as A77 and B77 open reel units; 8710 "Goddess of Love." This Arista release suc- The nonsense name belies the shrewdness of cassette decks; and 8790, B791, ceeds -with a lot of help from Thom Bell this British quintet. Originally an avant- and 8795 turntables. For more and, especially, Narada Michael Walden - garde quartet named Art Nouveau, Kaja- information, please write: Remote in making Hyman sound like a third-rate googoo alternated as the Handstands for Control, Dept. S, Studer Revox disco screamer. When you see that three commercial bookings and brought in a new America, 1425 Elm Hill Pike, members of the San Francisco 49'ers are lead singer, Limahl, a former actor. Li- Nashville, TN 37210. used as a back-up group, you know that it's mahl's chutzpah led to an introduction to gimmick time. I have never heard so many Duran Duran producer Nick Rhodes and =EMT REVOX worn-out hooks in one album, and there is then to a hit single,Too Shy.The group's not a moment here that does justice to Phyl- showbiz sense is evident on this debut al- lis Hyman. She had better find a producer bum; the lyrics are hoopla, the playing and STEREO & TAPE OUTLET who respects her talent. C.A. singing vaudevillian. It's meant to be enter- Call Toll Free 800-272-1362 taining, and it is. A bit silly, but fun.J.V. THE ISLEY BROTHERS:Between the CAR STEREO Jensen J-3923 73.99/ pr Jensen J-2037 67.99/pr Sheets.The Isley Brothers (vocals and in- LOVERBOY:Keep It Up.Loverboy (vocals SONY Jensen J -I069. J-1369 46.99/pr

All in stock . CALL FOR PRICE Jensen J-1405 46.99/pr strumentals).Choosey Lover; Touch Me; I and instrumentals). HotGirls inLove; Pioneer KE-6100 199 99 Jensen J-3013 58.99/pr Need Your Body; Between the Sheets; Let's Queen of the Broken Hearts; Meltdown; Pioneer KE -7200 239.99 Jensen J -I077 43.99/pr Pioneer UKE.7100 22499 Jensen J-3003 49.99/pr Make Love Tonight; Slow Down Children; Chance of a Lifetime; Strike Zone;and Pioneer KEX65 279.99 Jensen J-1093 38.99/pr and four others. T -N ECK FZ 38674, © FZT four others. COLUMBIA QC 38703, © QCT Pioneer KP A500 159.99 HOME STEREO Pioneer KP-A790 169.99 38674, no list price. 38703, no list price. Technics SA -I10 109.99 Pioneer KP4205 11999 Technics SA -210 13899 Pioneer UK E 3100 169.99 Performance- Predictably pleasant Performance Good, but . . . Technics SA410 18899 Pioneer GM -5 53.99 Technics SA -510 27999 Recording: Very good Recording: Good Pioneer GM 120 109.99 Technics SL -8L3 139.99 Pioneer TS -I08 45.99/pr Technics SL -0L5 149.99 Pioneer TS 1633 47.99/pr While the Isley Brothers explore no fresh Loverboy is the hottest thing in Canada and Technics SL8 179.99 Pioneer TS -168 78.99/pr Technics SL OX300 . 148.99 ground here, they forage through familiar one of the hottest things here, actually sell- Pioneer TS -6905 . 84.99/pr Technics RS -M222 . 229.99 Pioneer TS 6906 98.99/pr turf with a sure-footedness that guarantees ing millions of records in a time when the Technics RSM234X . 16499 Pioneer TS -X8 94.99/pr track after track of carefully crafted soul record business is . soft. A hard-working, Blaupunkt Manhattan ... 239.99 Technics RSM235X 179.99 Blaupunkt Chicago 24999 VIDEO sounds that seem more mellow than much conscientious touring band that gives a good Blaupunkt bacon BPA-415 .44992 Panasonic PV 6600 99999 of what is heard today. The first side is stage show, Loverboy works out its material Blaupunkt Richmond . . 229.99 JVC HR -7650U 134999 Blaupunkt Seattle 189.99 Colecoyislon 149.99 much better than the second, highlighted as and tests it on the road before audiences. Blaupunkl Washinoton So 439.99 Marl 5200 Game 14999 it is by the hit title cut,Between the Sheets. But the transfer of this material to studio Blaupunkt Sacremento. 274.99 Sanyo FTX140 19999 BLANK TAPES It's a gently rocking, sensual excursion pat- recordings doesn't work. The audience is Sanyo FTX-180 269.99 Maxell XL 1 or 11 C-90 2.59 terned unashamedly after Marvin Gaye's missing, the ambience is missing, and the Sanyo PA -6110 133.99 Maxell Xl. 1 or II C-60 225 Sanyo 002-6210 65.99 Maxell XL IS or 119 C-90.. 3.49 new super -sexy comeback posture, from the effect is lost. This should have been a live Sanyo F15-98 139.99 Maxell/TOK Metal C410 ...4.79 lead singer's high tenor cooing (pure Gaye) album. J.V. Jensen RE -530 309.99 TOK SA C-90 239 Jensen RE -520 25199 TON SA C-60 199 to the changes and instrumental backing, Jensen RE 518238.99 TON 0 C-60 199 though those grunts and oomphs are the Is- Jensen RE -512 221.99 TOK 0 C-90 139 RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT Jensen E0A5000 88.99 TOR AD C-90 199 ley's own. The other highlight isSlow Down Jensen J-3033 82.99/pr TON SAX C-90 3.99 Childrenon side two, an appealing dance THE MANHATTANS:Forever by Your Jensen J-1065. J-1365 67.99/pr TON LX 35.90 549 Jensen J-1401 67.99/pr T.120 VHS Video...... 899 tune with an urban -summer street theme Side. TheManhattans (vocals); instrumen- We carry a full line of Car Stereo 8 Accessories. Sorry. no and a few playful but utterly harmless jabs tal accompaniment.Crazy; Start All Over C 0.D.'s. We accept money orders. cashiers or certified checks, as well as MasterCard 8. Visa 13% Surcharge) and at the Reagan administration. Although the Again; Forever by Your Side; Just the American Express 15% Surcharge). Personal checks -3 week album as a whole tends to be predictable, it Lonely Talking Again; Locked Up in Your delay. Shipping to Continental USA '315. All items have manufacturer's guarantee.Write 1 or our latest FREE CATALOG. holds up well enough to make this musical Love;and three others. COLUMBIA FC NJ. Alaska. Hawaii call 1201) 572-1001. Mon -Sat 9AM-6PM journey a pleasant one. P.G. 38600, © FCT 38600, no list price. Performance. 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C,PC.L, NO39 ON READER SERVIC1 C ARCS vintage rhythm -'n' -blues group of men blending their voices in close harmony, es- them from album to album, he never re- pecially if they are the sort of sharp profes- peats any of them within a piece, so it's all sionals who pay close attention to each mu- but impossible to hold onto the music. Once sical detail. The Manhattans are such a it's passed, it's gone for good. The effect is group of smoothies, and their latest record- deliberate, of course, but not particularly ing finds them in a sweetly sentimental satisfying for the listener. frame of mind. Admittedly, the pacing of On the other hand, the sounds Zappa this album might be considered geriatrical- coaxes from an orchestra are fascinating. ly slow by younger r -&-b fans conditioned Because he's a tireless experimenter and a to the ever-present "party -party, get -down" seasoned performer, he has a deep under- themes that dominate today's top hits, but standing of the capabilities of the instru- this is real soul music in the classic r -&-b ments he writes for. He gets more interest- tradition. For proof, just listen to the title ing sounds from the string choir, for in- track, which is as mellow and affecting as stance, than John Williams has ever man- anything the Manhattans have cut in their aged, and no one else I know of can get the nineteen years together. P.G. kind of attenuated, woozy sound from the brass that Zappa does. He exploits fully the MARTHA AND THE MUFFINS: Danse- menacing/hilarious duality of the wood- parc.Martha and the Muffins (vocals and winds, and he is an unrivaled master in the instrumentals);othermusicians.Danse- use of percussion. It is on this level of sheer parc; Obedience; World Without Borders; aural experience that "Zappa, Volume r Walking into Walls: Sins of Children; and succeeds best. fourothers.RCA AFL I -4664$8.98, In his latest straight rock album, howev- © AFKI-4664 $8.98. er, Zappa is simply insufferable. Never one Performance:Cute to dodge the tough issues, on "The Man Recording:Excellent from Utopia" he mounts his soap box once again to tell us exactly what's wrong with "Danseparc" is an odd record. Mostly, it's our sick society: executive suites reeking the usual art -school minimalist funk-lots withrecreationaldrugs,corruptlabor - of banal soul riffs played slightly out of kil- union bosses sealing deals with the Mafia, ter and overlaid with Eno-esque electronic Zappa eighteen -year -old coeds who rediscover the effects. But there are real, even attractive, word "no," after five years of voracious sex. tunes lurking here and there, and there is a Oyea the years a number of major or - just as the band rolls into town, and an certain playfulness to the band's work that chestras, including the Los Angeles alarming, widespread lack of interest in ba- reminds me of Lindsey Buckingham's goof- and London Philharmonics, have performed sic kitchen sanitation. Let me add a couple ier touches on Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk." the orchestral music of Frank Zappa. While of things about this society that "The Man What's more, vocalist Martha Davis (when this may have much to do with Zappa's per- from Utopia" reminded me that I object to: you can get over the fact that she sounds sonal persistence, as well as the near -bank- self-righteous harpies who don't apply the uncannily like Helen Reddy!) has a lot more rupt condition of twentieth-century serious same moral standards to a horny bass personality than the singers you usually en- composition in general, it's clear that, as player as to teenage girls; and pompous, counter in self-consciously modern bands rock musicians go, Zappa is an accom- self-important artists who've forgotten what like Polyrock. Ultimately, what Martha and plished composer. A perceptive and critical it's like to have an original idea. the Muffins do is all pretty pretentious,I student of music theory, he has developed a Zappa may be the only person left who suppose, but somehow it's also kind of cute. highly individual, identifiable style, in part still thinks grade -B monster movies from As I said, an odd record. .S.S. a synthesis of the percussion -based tech- the Fifties are a fresh subject for parody. niques of Varese and, to a lesser degree, This album could have been called "Blah MEAT LOAF: Midnight at the Lost and Stravinsky, and in part a product of what blah blah," so shopworn and perfunctory Found.Meat Loaf (vocals); vocal and in- Zappa freely admits are his own "warped are its themes. The only new wrinkle is Zap - strumental accompaniment. Razor's Edge; sensibilities." His music is uniquely capable pa's latest vocal mannerism-a droning, Wolf at Your Door; Keep Driving: The of eliciting terror or laughter, but it has ab- half-witted, atonal delivery that is, to put it Promised Land; Fallen Angel; and five oth- solutely no warmth. plainly, unbearable. There are three fairly ers. EPIC/CLEVELAND INTERNATIONAL FE The London Symphony's new album interesting instrumentals buried here, but 38444,10 FET 38444, no list price. "Zappa, Volume I," on Zappa's own Bark- the chances are exceedingly slim that you'll Performance Overbaked be able to endure the rest of the garbage to ing Pumpkin label, is the most lavish and RecordingFair flattering presentation of his orchestral mu- get to them. Zappa the serious composer sictodate.Itrevealshisremarkable leaves me uneasy, but Zappa the rocker just Meat Loaf is a novelty act, and I find him strengths as an arranger and scorer as well turns me off. -Mark Peel quickly tiresome. His hambola delivery and as his complete lack of interest in conven- tantrum vocal tones may provide vicarious tional melodic values-an unconcern that FRANK ZAPPA: Zappa, Volume 1.Lon- release for kiddos in the hinterlands, but plagues much of contemporary music. The don Symphony Orchestra, Kent Agano they're still vaudevillian, and his monoton- pieces here have no unifying structure (I cond. Sad Jane; Pedro's Dowry; Envelopes; ous bellows and keenings (and Tom Dowd's don't care what's written in the score) that Mo 'n Herb's Vacation. BARKING PUMPKIN noisy production) can't disguise the medioc- is discernible to the average-or above-av- 0FW 38820, 0 FWT 38.820, no list rity of most of the songs here. Even Chuck erage-ear. Rather, they are vast, linear ex- price. Berry's The Promised Land is done in a panses of sound, series of spliced -together way that removes all the momentum and patterns of notes that could conceivably be FRANK ZAPPA: The Man from Utopia. humor of the original. The only time things called melodies but instantly dissolve in a Frank Zappa (vocals, guitar, synthesizer,jell is on Priscilla, where everyone is more cacophony of horn blasts or drum rolls. Lynn drum); vocal and instrumental ac- or less restrained and the song-a funny It turns out that Zappa is not exactly a companiment. Cocaine Decisions; The Dan- character sketch of a budding bimbo-is al- wellspring of new ideas; many of these gerous Kitchen; Tink Walks Amok; The lowed to breathe. Otherwise this is a suffo- clipped themes have appeared, with minor Radio Is Broken; Moggio; The Man from cating album. J.V. differences, in some of his more ambitious Utopia Meets Mary Lou; Stick Together; earlier works, such as "200 Motels." These Sex; The Jazz Discharge Party Hats; We GRAHAM PARKER:The RealVlacaw(see phrases are almost personal mannerisms for Are Not Alone. BARKING PUMPKIN FW Best of the Month, page 73) him. But, although Zappa may recycle 38403, © FWT 38403, no list price. PINK FLOYD: Works.Pink Floyd (vocals and instrumentals). One of These Days; Ar-

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TDK Performance Psychedelic SA -90 2.29 MAR -90 6.39 VIDEO SA -60 1.99 MA -90 4.39 Recording Archival SAX -90 3.39 0-60 1.15 ADX-90 3.15 0-90 1.29 "Works" dusts off six years of music re- MAXELL corded between 1967, when Pink Floyd XL I OR II 90 2.59 UDC -90 2.75 ALLiHE TOPEBRPANDSkDER THE XL I OR II 60 2.29 LNC-60 1.10 emerged from London's "Spontaneous Un- XL I OR 11-590 3.29 LNC-90 1 39 SONY derground" asBritain's answer to San UC X -S-90 2.79 LNX-C60 99 Francisco psychedelia, and 1972, when the UCX-90 2.39 LNX-C90 1.19 UCX-60 1.89 LNX-C120 1.99 group released the monumental "Dark Side FUJI of the Moon." The difficulty in summing up FR -Metal C90 4.45 DEALERS PAY ER -90 2.19 FR I OR II C-90 2.39 DR -60 99 Pink Floyd's best work from this period lies FR I OR II C-60 1.99 DR -90 I.19 partly in the fact that it rarely took the form * SAME DAY SHIPPING VIDEO TAPE a * NO -LEMON GUARANTEE TDK T-120 7.99 SONY L500 6.99 of three -minute song. "Atom Heart TDK 7.120 EXHG 10.95 SONY L750 8.95 Mother," "Umma Gumma," and "Med- * NO DEPOSIT FUJI T-120 8.19 SONY L830 9.95 MEMOREX 7-120 PRO819 SONY L750HG 9.95 dle" all included extensive side -length ex- PIONEER perimental compositions, none of which are CALL OR WRITE FOR OUR KE-7200 239.90 TS -6907 109.90 KEX-50 289.90 TS -6906 94.90 excerpted here. But the selections that are KE-6100 229.90 TS -108 45.90 included are representative and probably KPA-700 172.90 TS -1644 51 50 FREE BOOKLET BLAUPUNKT largely unknown to most American fans un- RICHMOND 229.90 VANCOUVER 269.90 der thirty. They include the band's first two "ULTRA HI -Fl DIGITAL SEATTLE 184.90 TUSCON 369.90 SANYO singles, Arnold Layne (a psychedelic arti- FTX-180 288.90 FT -C70 154.89 fact about a transvestite that was banned at HALF THE COST" FTX-160 254.90 FT -C48 134.90 FT4100 149.90 FT -C1 45.90 from broadcast in the U.K.) and See Emily FT -V90 128.90 PA -6100 109.90 9.9 DAILY-TIL 5PM ON SATURDAY JENSEN Play (another flower -power landmark and RE -530 329.90 J-3023 77.90 their first true smash). Both were written J-3033 84.90 J-3013 62.90 1.301-488-9600 J-2020 79.90 J-1279 72.90 by Pink Floyd's founder, Syd Barrett, the All Merchandise Fresh, Manufacturer Guaranteed odd, charismatic genius whose schizophre- nia made it impossible for him to continue ..---c--- CALL 914-664-2909 3r6 with the band after 1968. Barrett was both INTERNATIONAL HI-FI

Forprompt delivery use Money Order. Cashiers or CertrhedChee.. the creative inspiration for and the subject DISTRIBUTORS, INC. orCredit Card (Add 3% for Credit Card Orders.) Add 5.), for shipping and handling (Minimum 93.501. N.Y Residents must add of much of Pink Floyd's subsequent work, MORAVIA CENTER sales tax. Personal checks held 2 weeks. FREE CATALOG. particularly "Dark Side of the Moon," rep- Minimum COD Order 9100. INDUSTRIAL PARK resented herebyBrain Damage and BALTIMORE, MD. C CONSUMERS CO. Eclipse. 21206 P.O.Box 550 Dept. SR 1183 Mt Vernon N Y 10551 AfterBarrett'sdeparture,theband CIRCLE NO. 42 ON READER SERVICE CARD moved from psychedelia to space. One of CIRCLE NO. 40 ON READER SERVICE CARD These Days (from "Meddle") typifies the SEND FOR OUR NEW hypnotic, repetitive electronics that charac- terized Pink Floyd's music from 1969-1972. the==.' Perhaps the most unusual -and certainly ms air = FREE 40 PAGE the funniest -piece on "Works" is Several -VW Species of Small Furry Animals Gathered =Mr..=1M, MM..1 == HI-FI DISCOUNT Together in a Cave and Grooving with a Pict (from "Umma Gumma"), a clever ex- IF YOU'REWISE ercise in electronically augmented percus- SUBSCRIBER CATALOGNo.64 sion that sounds like a rodent jam session RETAIL COST fronted by an old Scotsman railing in an an- RECEIVERS/AMPS Yamaha 8700 $41, $327 cient dialect. Denon DRA-600 540 398 Lueman RX102 599 448 Lowest prices Sansui AU -O9 r =... As a historical retrospective, "Works" is 650 323 on audio -... TURNTABLES 9 simply too short. The addition of edited sec- components! tions of some of the longer compositions, Denon DP-SOL 5585 $389 ',scow', , Sony PSx-800 850 427 Cala9,64 Fast service! plus the inclusion of such notably missing Technics 0200 140 79 9. Technics SL10 630 252 --,, Thorens 1D.1 t5II Fully insured! ...... classics as Astronomy Domine, could easily 435 299 In factory have provided enough material for a two - CARTRIDGES , Onoton 0m10/20/30 938986 586 sealed record set. But it's not a bad sampler for the Dynaveclor DV IOxIII 150 82 cartons! present generation of Pink Floyd converts Super SDX-2000 600 216 Grace F9E 200 118 ..._ whose experience with the group began with . ,....--.... 4i.. CASSETTE DECKS/TAPE "The Wall." M.P. Aiwa ADF-660 $395 6274 H7K CD -I91 330 248. Nakamichi 4802 tdoloy EPC, 495 338. QUARTERFLASH: Take Another Picture. Sansu. 09708 680 358. MAXELL UDXL2C90/TDK SA90 1.99 Quarterflash(vocals and instrumentals). SPEAKERS Take Me to Heart; Take Another Picture; AR288 S298 _ Inc. /Or (*hip. incl.) OtiloDucTion. Shane; Eye to Eye; It Don't Move Me: BAW DWI() 300 'pr 92113./pr. (201) 227-6720 riCM OED 504 (4111p. incl.) Shakin' the Jinx; and four others. GEFFEN MISSION 700s 399 ,Dr 292./pr. ..pers 1.53 SA 640 Or 487./pr. CLIP & MAIL TODAY! GHS 4011 $8.98, © M5G 4011 $8.98. CAR STEREO .... -MIN EMI EM M IMI MI ii7 ,One 7327 5300 6182 II Performance Depressing :.,line 3000,18 Wx4 amyl 220 129 0 Sound Reproduction. Inc. -7 Recording. Excellent , Otne 3502 150 WX2 amp t 350 197 I 7 Industrial Rd.. Fairfield. N.J. 07006 I . ,n PLAYERS I suppose this is a harmless enough artifact, ,ny 00.0220 5285 liPlease rush your free Hi-Fi Discount Catalog 284 I but it's the kind of album that in my darker -ablet i19 moments strikes me as a metaphor for [[/6 041 ,20 57 95 IName -.CDP,7co- sl 19.. everything that's wrong with the record Au offers subiect to availability Address III I business, maybe even the world. Oh, techni- Dr.', tee not ICity cally, it's just about perfect. Quarterflash '.J 08540 0 sings and plays all the right notes, though it ORDERS ONLY CALL State Zip a 1-800-443-HIFI I------f---J - CIRCLE NO. 49 ON READER SERVICE CARD CIRCLE NO. 20 ON READER SERVICE CARD 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 '2 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 '2 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99100101102103104105 106107108109110111 112113114115116117118119120 121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135 136137138139140141 142143144145146147148149150 151152153154155156157158159160 4 U Please send me 12 issue; of Stereo Review for S4.99 and bill me (Full subscription price $9.98) SR 11833 PLEASE PRINT-Use only one card per person. NAME

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"PA residents add 6% sales tax should be noted that Rindy Ross, who acrobatic phrasingthis music demands. Holiday put on their historic performances fronts this collection of savvy pros, remains And what little remains of the old Renais- ofthe same material. Nevertheless, the least convincing sax player of the last sance-the occasional folk -like theme, for "What's New" is an almost sinfully pleas- twenty years. The production and engineer- instance-sounds hokey in this setting. A ing album. It goes down like a double -thick ing are state-of-the-art, and the songs, pure disaster. M.P. chocolate shake --and has just as little kick. New Wave hack -work though they may be. Yet Ican't imagine a pleasanter way of are tuneful enough to be almost memorable. LINDA RONSTADT AND THE NELSON hanging on "hold" until American popular The problem is that, to paraphrase Ray- RIDDLE ORCHESTRA: What's New. Lin- music comes up with something that is gen- mond Chandler, this is music with a heart da Ronstadt (vocals); the Nelson Riddle uinely new. P.R. as big as an olive pit, the kind of stuff that Orchestra. / Don't Stand a Ghost of a can only be produced by people who have Chance with You; What'll I Do; Crazy He DIANA ROSS: Ross. Diana Ross (vocals); gone directly from music school to the re- Calls Me: Someone to Watch Over Me; vocalandinstrumental accompaniment. cording studio without ever having passed What's New; and four others. Asvi.tm That's How You Start Over; Love Will through life. S.S. 1-60260 $8.98, © 4-60260 $8.98. Make It Right; You Do It: Pieces of Ice: Performance Charming and four others. RCA AFL 1-4677 58.98.0 RENAISSANCE: Time -Line. Renaissance AFKI-4677 $8.98. (vocals and instrumentals); instrumental Recording Splendid Performance. For the masses accompaniment. Flight; Missing Persons; This is an interesting, and mostly success- Recording Good Chagrin Boulevard; Richard the IX; The ful, attempt by Linda Ronstadt and conduc- Entertainer; and five others. IRS SP 70033 tor -arranger Nelson Riddle to re-create the By now, the hype surrounding Diana Ross $8.98, © CS 70033 $8.98. mood and feeling of top -of -the -line popular has become so dense that it is difficult to tell Performance Floundering record making of the 1950's. It's more than what her real talents are as a singer, per- Recording Okay a little reminiscent of the great Sinatra re- former, and actress. Her glittering perform- cordings of that period (Riddle collaborated ances before hundreds of thousands in sta- The old Renaissance's dreamy fusion ofon several of those also), particularly in its diums and parks have transformed her into folk, classical, and soft rock may not have repertoire. Of the nine songs here, there a legend not only bigger than life but, if pos- been for everyone, but at leastit was for isn't one that isn't a classic of its kind, im- sible, bigger than mere superstardom, that someone. Renaissance has been reduced to mediately recognizable after a bar or two. purely contemporary hyperthyroid Ameri- a trio now, and its new sound-coarser. gui- Ronstadtchallenges some formidable can condition. Ross has, indeed, come a tar -based arrangements, and harder rock predecessors in such songs as I've Got a long wa) from the projects of Detroit. But rhythms-isn't for anyone, I'm afraid. John Crush on You, Someone to Watch Over scratch the layers of make-up, contrived Taut's rhapsodic piano, which gave Renais- Me, and Lover Man. With Riddle's expert publicity, and public posturing and you'll sance its grandeur and created a more flat- help she gives a series of musically accurate. find an artist who has a legitimate claim to tering environment for Annie Haslam's del- professionally crafted, and totally charming significance. icate, crystalline vocals, is sorely missed. In performances. What they miss, of course, is Her newest album. "Ross," captures both this updated context, Haslam's fragile voice the truly personal stamp that such artists as the strengths and weaknesses of her current flounders; she simply can't manage the Lee Wiley, Gertrude Lawrence. and Billie position. It opens with a knockout number.

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NOVEMBER 1983 1 (17 That's How You Start Over, sizzling with effect imaginable. Now that song has been gospelish insistence.Itis followed by an redone as the disgustingly cute Snapshot, equallywonderfulselection,LoveWill and Collins has trotted out the same back- Make It Right, showcasing her slashingly ground singers to "ooh" and "aah" and FREEsharp, brightly sassy soprano against a chortle in all the same places as before. The background of clustered vocal harmonies. result is that Sylvia is beginning to make But then she begins playing to the masses, her way over into the pop charts, but she's CRUTCHFIELD trying to be everything to every fan, dipping also beginning to sound as vapid as a Juicy into New Wave, grabbing up a few Ray Fruit jingle. The rest of the album is as Parker tunes (not his best), and employing overproduced as usual. a pastiche of rock techniques on Pieces of Sylvia's voice hasn't really matured yet, Ice, which, though musically undernour- but she gets better every time out, and if ished, will probably be pumped up into a Collins doesn't succeed in making her into a megahit. latter-day Lesley Gore, she'll probably be I came away from this album with the leading the Nashville pack one day.A.N. feeling that the real Diana Ross isstill there, somewhere behindher exploding PAM TILLIS: Above And Beyond the Doll mane of hair and her dazzling costumes, of Cutey. Pam Tillis (vocals); orchestral ac- but that she has spread herself out in so companiment. Never Be the Same; Killer many directions that her essential musical Comfort; Make It Feel Better; Popular core has been weakened. This is an album Girl; and six others. WARNER BROS. 23871-

that will appeal in part to many but not en- 1 $8.98, @ 23871-4 $8.98. tirely to any. Maybe that's what superstar- Performance: Okay dom isall about-touching all the bases Recording: Good and managing to turn long flies into home runs. P.G. Pam Tillis apparently prides herself on her way with words (you did catch the Spooner- SISTER SLEDGE: Bet Cha Say That to All ism of the title, didn't you?), and that is ELECTRONICS the Girls. Sister Sledge (vocals); vocal andsomething of a mistake-especially when instrumental accompaniment. B. Y.O.B. she applies herself to furnishing the lyrics CATALOG (Bring Your Own Baby); Lifetime Lover; for such things as Killer Comfort and Make Once in Your Life; Shake Me Down; Dream It Feel Better, neither of which makes much Your BEST Catalog On; Let Him Go; and four others. COTIL- sense in any literal way. She is an energetic 84 page color guide to the latest in LION 90069-I $8.98, 0 CS -90069-1 $8.98. performer and does her best to pound her electronics Unique, informative rather confusing messages home. Unfortu- Performance Some good moments articles & charts help you pick the nately, both her voice and the surrounding Recording Satisfactory right product for your home or car. production seem to have found only one I thought Sister Sledge had finally hit its mode: LOUD. P.R. Your BEST Selections stride with the release last year of "The Sis- II Hundreds of quality car stereo, ters," which was full of quality materialBIG JOE TURNER & ROOMFUL OF home audio, personal computer, that did justice to the appealing way theyBLUES: Blues Train. Big Joe Turner (vo- telephone and video products from blend their high, light voices. The members cals); Roomful of Blues (instrumentals); Advent, Atari, Blaupunkt, Jensen, of the winsome quartet produced that excel- Dr. John (piano). Crawdad Hole; Red Sails Panasonic, Pioneer & more! lent set themselves and wrote much of thein the Sunset; I Want a Little Girl; and six material. But with this new album, they others. MUSE MR 5293 $8.98. Your BEST Prices have taken a step backward. George Duke. Largest possible discounts Our Performance Good, but . . . who seems to be spreading himself too thin, Recording. Very good volume buying means you save more. has done a so-so job as producer, cluttering I greatly enjoy Joe Turner's recordings Your BEST Service the album with too many lackluster songs 24 hour shipping IN 30 day and warmed-over arrangements. The last from the Fifties, and he was still in good three selections are the best, highlighted by form on the Pablo label reunion dates with Satisfaction Guarantee IN Toll -free the delightful Bet Cha Say That to All the the Count Basie band in the late Seventies. ordering and technical assistance. Girls, with Al Jarreau stepping in to deliver The present session is a bit disheartening. a jive dude rap. The clever lines and quick though. Turner's tone and volume are still CALL TODAY interplay here help salvage a mainly me- robust, but his phrasing is mechanical.I diocre album whose other high spots are a don't think this is due to any retreat of his For Your FREE Copy ballad called Gotta Get Back to Love and a artistic powers but rather to age and-judg- bouncing Thank You for the Party. Other- ing from the album photographs-illness. 800-336-5566 wise, zilch. P.G. Still, he turns in a creditable performance. Be sure to mentionStereo Reviewwhen calling. Roomful of Blues is at its hottest backing In continental U S . Puerto Rico and The Virgin SYLVIA: Snapshot. Sylvia (vocals); vocal him, and the group positively boils on the toll free 800-552.3961 and instrumental accompaniment. Snap- instrumentals Jumpin' for Joe and Last on min mi NEI NMI 1=1 UM =I I shot; Tonight I'm Gettin: Friendly with the Night, areprise of the oldMar-Kee's ,t,id ',leyour,.et catalog Blues;WinterHeart;TheBoyGets "Memphis Sound" strutter. Dr. John is on oy Third Class mail Around; Jason: I Never Quite Got Back hand to provide rococo piano backing on / ,,,musehrircnieosyionugr$IrlefeorceFlirasIctxgoass I (From Loving You); and four others. RCA Want a Little Girl. J.V. I AHLI-4672 $8.98, @ AHKI-4672 S8.98. I BONNIE TYLER: Faster Than the Speed I Performance Crossover completed of Night. Bonnie Tyler (vocals); instrumen- IName I Recording Good tal accompaniment. Have You Ever Seen IAddress RCA Records and producer Tom Collins,the Rain?; It's a Jungle Out There: Tears; I who originally saw Sylvia as a cross be-Take Me Back; Getting So Excited; and BCT City I tween Crystal Gayle and Barbara Man- four others. COLUMBIA BFC 38710, drell, now insist on packaging her as a mod- 38710, no list price. I State Zip I ern-day bobby-soxer merrily wending her Performance Okay way through life in imaginary poodle skirts. Recording Good Last winter. Sylvia scored big with a boun- cRuTcHFIELD: cy little pop tune called Nobody on which Eons ago Bonnie Tyler had a chart hit titled Collins exhausted every trendy production It's a Heartache. Since then it's been rather

108 STEREO REVIEW Hiss Assassin Get the musical impact of a live performance without tape hiss and with up to 90db dynamic range. Plus, decode dbx discs too. allM11.11111M111111 SO, HERE IT IS The new dbx NX-40 will assassinate tape hiss as you record and play tapes. It will let you decode dbx records and prerecorded tapes. It will let you achieve live performance quality, dynamic realism. And, best of all, you don't have to buy a new cassette deck to use it.It simply plugs into your system between your receiver and your tape deck (after an equalizer if you have one).

aims Don't make your music loud, make it normal signal strength is recorded. thunder. Don't make it just soft, make it And with dbx discs, where the record whisper. dbx brings the excitement and groove could only handle up to 65db of MOW emotional impact of a live performancedynamic -range for audiophile records Ode CIUTPVT MOLT to your stereo system. and 50-55db for standard records, now And, it will start giving you incredibly dbx is a two-part system. Not only both tape and records can achieve up to dramatic sound against a background of does it "for all audible intents and pur- 90db of dynamic range for an absolute- complete silence.It comes complete poses eliminate tape hiss",it also in- ly thrilling sound. with patch cords and a standard limited creases the overall dynamic -range capa- So, for recording your own audiophile warranty from dbx. city of your cassette deck, letting you quality cassettes or playing back dbx TRY THE HISS ASSASSIN record both louder and softer sounds. discs or cassettes, your system can now RISK FREE Dynamic range is the difference in produce incredibly dramatic sound. Yes, it's a hiss assassin. And, yes you'll volume between the softest and the loud- BUT, IT'S A HISS REDUCER have more dynamic range. And, yes it est passages in your music, and it's the The dbx system gives you over 30db can make your stereo sound dramatic. key ingredient in the drama and impact noise -reduction over the whole 30- So, bring dramatic, hiss free sound to of live music. 15,000 hz audible frequency spectrum, your stereo risk free. If you aren't 100% FANCY NAMES not just at the mid to high end like thesatisfied, simply return it in its original It's called Linear Decibel Companding. competition. The difference in the hiss box withir 30 days for a refund. And, basically it compresses the dynamic you won't hear is dramatic. And, it's To order your dbx noise reduction range as the music signal is transferred easy to test. Just compare a cassette system, risk free with your credit card, onto tape or disc by a 2 to 1ratio. And, it you record with 'their' system to the call toll free or send your check for only does the same thing in reverse when a same tape recorded with dbx. $99 plus $4 for post. Er handling. Order tape is played back. It's no wonder that dbx tape noise - No. 9747. CA res add 6% sales tax. So, you'll get full unrestrained uncon- reduction systems are used in about 80% Hiss free dramatically dynamic sound stricted sound because your tape isn'tof the professional recording studios is yours for use with any tape deck. And, being pushed to its limits. Only half thearound the world. It really works. this dbx is digital ready now. Click And Pop Assassin A click or pop on a record is just annoying. If you copy it onto a tape you'll be aggravated for years.

TRY IMPULSE NOISE REDUCTION RISK FREE Try it in your system. It makes a phenomenal difference you'll especially appreciate when you're recording. It hooks into :he tape loop in front of your deck. Ycu can use it when you're just listening to records too. If you're not 100% satisfied, simply return it within 30 days in its original box for a courteous refund. To order your SAE Impulse Noise Re- duction System risk free with your credit All records have them. Even when When the computer brain of this sys- card, call toll free or send your check for they're new. Those annoying clicks and tem finds clicks or pops, it shuts downonly $149 plus $4 for post Et handling. pops are caused by scratches, dirt, static the music for a microsecond while a Or. No. 9748. CA res add 6% sales tax. electricity and normal record wear. Music Restoration Circuit surrounds the It really works. It doesn't remove things Now from SAE, comes a way to remove impulse noise and replaces it with an like tape hiss and the like, but it does or at least drastically reduce clicks and extrapolation of the music around it. seem to remove 80 to 90% of all the pops with no loss of musical quality. The result is a significant reduction ofclicks and pops on my records. Clicks and pops (called impulse noise) impulse noise, with no sacrifice of the are different from music in that they music. In short, you won't hear the clicks have a rapid attack and decay time. In and pops. And, you won't hear the Click 98SR addition, they have a tendency to be out - and Pop Assassin doing its job either. DAK of -phase, while the music is in -phase. This unit has a neat switch called an INDUSTRIES INCORPORATED A logic circuit in the Click and Pop'invert' switch, which lets you listen to --1 TOLL -FREE ORDER LINE Assassin, monitors the musical program what it's taking out. It also has a sen- For credit card orders call 24 hours a day 7 days a week searching for the unique combination of sitivity control. So, you can hear the CALL TOLL- FR E E.. .1-800-325-0800 conditions that indicate impulse noise. music, the clicks or you can hear it all. 10845 Vanowen St.. N. Hollywood CA 91605 technique, but Vaughan is a much cleaner player and never lapses into the slushy power riffs Winter leaned on when he'd run out of ideas. Vaughan's vocabulary is as much a product of Chicago and Memphis dialects as of Texas, ranging from energized Chuck Berry licks to stinging B. B. King boogie. And,likeallthegreatbluesmasters, Vaughan can do more than bend a string. His husky, soulful vocals and straightfor- ward tunes get to the heart of the blues in a persuasive, unshowy way, with feeling rather than flamboyance. The current blues revival is one of the healthiest phenomena in pop music today,atonicforplaylists bleached by the silicon sounds of synth. Ste- vie Ray Vaughan's "Texas Flood" injects that revival with enough juice to keep it going for a long time. M.P.

LOUDON WAINWRIGHT 111: Fame and Wealth. Loudon Wainwright Ill(vocals, guitar); Richard Thompson (guitar, mandolin); other musicians. Reader and Advi- sor; The Grammy Song; Dump the Dog; Thick + Thin; Revenge; Five Years Old; and six others. ROUNDER 3076 $7.98. Performance Unsettling The Jazz of Bennie Wallace Recording Excellent Loudon Wainwright's new album, as usual, BI \ \ I LACE'S tenor saxophone has ways keeps good company), and it has just contains a couple of instant laugh -riot clas- the sonority of Coleman Hawkins's, the been imported from Germany by Poly - sics. My favorite is The Grammy Song, a smoothness of Ben Webster's, and the free Gram. The program contains one Colewry fantasy in which Loudon wins one, spirit of Ornette Coleman's. In other words, Porter tune, My Heart Belongs to Daddy, thanks the Lord and his producer (cf. Bob Wallace consistently mirrors neither anoth- complemented by four of the leader's own. Dylan), and then gets his behind pinched by er player nor another era. Of course, no one This repertoire gives Wallace a chance to Debbie Harry. Other songs here are about is wholly original, and there is undeniably a show what a stylistic chameleon he is, but it as funny as a successful suicide. When comfortable familiarity about his playing, really all boils down to an engaging, force- Wainwright sings about Revenge you can but Wallace's horn speaks in erudite tones ful Wallace style that is full of pleasant sur- tell he's only half kidding, and in April that are as readily distinguished from other prises. Jazz without surprises is pretty dull Fool's Day Morn he unloads a torrent of players as are the voices of Jimmy Stewart fare-if, indeed, itis jazz at all. Bennie self -loathing that most of us less celebrated and Bette Davis from other actors. Sad to Wallace plays jazz right down to the very folk would probably save for our shrinks. say, it is not often that we find a new jazz marrow. Let's hope he soon gets due atten- It'sall impeccably crafted, to be sure. voice with such individual character, so tion on this side of the pond as well. And musically Loudon's folkie minimalism there is reason to rejoice when one crops up. -Chris Albertson is considerably enlivened by the presence of No, Bennie Wallace isn't someone who the incomparable Richard Thompson, who popped up yesterday, but, half a dozen al- BENNIE WALLACE: Big Jim's Tango. provides chilling electric guitar on Reader bums notwithstanding, he is still relatively Bennie Wallace (tenor saxophone); David and Advisor. Still, "Fame and Wealth" unknown in his own country. His albums Holland (bass); Elvin Jones (drums). Big makes for extremely uncomfortable listen- are all on Enja, a European label. Jim Does the Tango for You; My Heart Be- ing overall. It's probably the most depress- The latest of these, "Big Jim's Tango," longs to Daddy; Green & Yellow; Monroe ing comedy record of the year. S.S. features Wallace with bassist David Hol- County Moon; The Free Will. ENJA/Potx- land and drummer Elvin Jones (Wallace al- GRAM SPECIAL IMPORTS 4046 $9.98. NARADA MICHAEL WALDEN: Looking at You, Looking at Me. Narada Michael Walden (vocals, drums, synthesizer); orchestra. Shake It Off Black Boy; Dream Maker; Tina; Burning Up; Reach Out (I'll Be There); and three others. ATLANTIC quiet around the office of Tyler's accoun- four others.EPIC BFE 38734, 0 BET 80058-I $8.98, © CS -80058-1 $8.98. tant. This elaborate attempt to resuscitate 38734, no list price. her popularity arrives with the musical Performance: Good equivalent of tail -fins. Tyler endows every- Performance Classic Recording: Good Recording Excellent thing with such frenetic energy that the ma- Narada Michael Walden's new album is an terialwilts around her like dead ferns. On the eve of his massive worldwide tour, extremely well -made piece of pop entertain- Things reach such a pitch on It's A Jungle David Bowie dropped an unexpected bomb: ment. Walden writes most of his own mate- Out There that I felt 1 was watching a mu- his lead guitarist, Stevie Ray Vaughan, had rial, and his performances have variety, sical version of an old Joan Crawford mo- quit over a money squabble. While a tour color, and an often extraordinary pace. His vie-you know, where she tells the D.A. with Bowie might have been great for his voice is emotional, street -direct, and capa- that things are far from easy for a beautiful, career, it's hard to imagine how Vaughan, a ble of getting the slackest sort of banality, sexy, good girl on her own. P.R. master of rockabilly and electric blues gui- such as Tina, up on its feet and running. tar, would have fit into the antithetical en- The best things here are a strong, part -rap, RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT vironment of Bowie's cool, synthetic, mod- part -disco Shake It Off and the gritty title ern -age theatrics. It's a moot question now. song, Looking at You, Looking at Me. STEN R:1 VAUGHAN: Texas Flood. But this gritty, jumping, and altogether Walden seems at his most natural and un- Stevie Ray Vaughan (vocals, guitar); in- thrilling record is anything but moot. strained in Dream Maker, a ballad with an strumental accompaniment. Love Struck As a display of rock guitar virtuosity, exceptionally heavy beat. The only problem Baby; Pride and Joy; Texas Flood; Tell"Texas Flood" isbrilliant. Like Johnny I have with his work is its chameleon quali- Me; Testify; Mary Had a Little Lamb; and Winter, Vaughan has a heavy, muscular ty, which often robs it of conviction.P.R.

110 STEREO REVIEW JOE %VA ESI You Bought It-You Name Building on Fire. And five others. WAR \I R there are lots of nifty things here: a great It. Joe Walsh (vocals, guitar); instrumental BROS. 23827-1 $8.98, 0 23827-4 $8.98. surf instrumental by the Pretenders; a Ger- man -language version of Shock the Mon- accompaniment. / Can Play That Rock & Performance Eclectic key, in which Peter Gabriel proves that it is Roll; Here We Are Now: I.L.B.T.s; Space - Recording Varies Age Whiz Kid; Class of '65; Theme from indeed possible to be soulful auf Deutsch; Island Weirdos; and four others.FULL Times are tough, all right. A few years ago,even the wonderful very -first -ever Talking MOON/WARNER BROS. 23884-1 $8.98, Warner Brothers would have been selling Heads single, which, given the direction the 23884-4 $8.98, e 23884-9 $8.98. this record at a discount by mail as one of Heads' music has veered in of late, sounds their loss leaders, and now they're so hardso pleasantly old-fashioned and conserva- Performance Good up it's on sale like a regular record. Well, no tive that it's hard to imagine anybody ever Recording Good matter-this collection of B-sides, vault taking them for modernists. Stylistically it's If he'd never done anything else, ex -Eagle items, and other ephemera happens to be a mishmash, with the Blasters' gritty r -&-b Joe Walsh would have earned a permanent the most entertaining album I've heard allcheek by jowl with Roxy Music's languid place in pop -music history with his wonder- year. The standout track, for my money, is electropop romanticism, but every cut here fully wry, definitive statement on rock star- Marshall Crenshaw's You're My Favorite repays attentive listening. S.S. dom, Life's Been Good from his 1978 "But Waste of Time, a glorious Rundgrenesque

Seriously, Folks . . ." album. Since then ditty taped in Marshall's living room. But (Continued on next page) he's done a lot of good work but nothing quite so ingenious. Now, on his debut album for Warner Brothers, the wittiest Walsh gets is on a little thing called I.L.B.T.s, which stands for "I love big tits." One stanza begins, "Well, lift they come in twos/Hard to choose" and de- and generates from there. I have to admit it has -free its moments, though, as does the rest of the COLustoll us album. / Can Play That Rock & Roll &al Give demonstrates in part what made the Eagles 1100Just price. or so great, and Space -Age Whiz Kid, for all your meet its trendiness in both subject matter (elec- name to tronic video games) and treatment (sort of thechance price New Wave Neil Young), holds on to your thebest ear for a while. In between, there's a stab at beat find. poignancy in Class of '65, a smattering of can fake -reggae, a piece of neo-funk left over you from an earlier phase in Walsh's career, Mat and another instrumental to continue his CA "Themes from Island Weirdos." Not the greatest album in the world, maybe, but an interesting trip. A.N.

TAMMY WYNETTE: Even the Strong Get RECEIVERS CASSETTE DECKS VIDEO Sony TA-AX44 $188 Sony ST-JX44 $137 Lonely. Tammy Wynette (vocals); vocal Technics SA -510 S274Technics RS-M245X $207Panasonic PV -1220. S429 Technics SU-V303 $170 Technics SA -410 S196Technics RS -M205. $89Panasonic PV -1320 Call and instrumental accompaniment. Unwed Technics SU-V707 S235 Technics SA -110 ... S108Teac V-909RX $395Panasonic PV -1520 Call Fathers; A Slightly Used Woman: Only the Technics ST -S707 $170 JVC RX-44 CallTeac V-4RX $255Panasonic PV -1720 . Call Strong Survive; Still in the Ring: and six Sony STR-VX750 $309Teac V -500X $205Panasonic PV -6600 . PORTABLES others. EPIC FE 38744, FET 38744, no Sony STR-VX550 $239Sony TC-FX505R $178Panasonic PK-957 Cal!Aiwa HS -J02 $129 list price. Sansui Z-5000 $279Sony TC-FX600 $219 TURNTABLES Aiwa CS-36013HU $123 Akai GX-7 Sony SR-F33W $44 Akai AA -R42 Call $260Technics SL -6 $164 Akai HX-3 $150 Panasonic RO-J20X $710 Performance Predictable Akai AA -R22 Call Technics SL -0X330 S146 Panasonic RX-C45. $153 Sony PS-FL77 $192 Recording Good SPEAKERS BLANK TAPE Panasonic RX-5085$174 Sony PS-LX500 $135 Technics SB-L51pr. $104 (Sold in carton lots only.) Panasonic RX-F15 .. $131 Sony PS-LX2 . . Tammy Wynette is the quintessential long- Technics SB-L71pr. S140 TIM BASF. Sony. 10/Box. $87JVC PCM100JW ... $163 suffering female country singer, and she's Technics S8 -X700 Call Maxell 12 Box. JVC OL-F300 Call JVC OL-L2 Call CAR STEREO even got a two -hankie, "B" -movie personal JVC SK -S44 CallBASF PRO II C-90 $25 Sony XR-65B Call Sansui S-930 CARTRIDGES life to match. Musically, though, she's been CallTDK SAX C-90 $34 Sony XR-45B Call WE CARRY NOSY SPEAKER BRANDS TDK SA C-90 $25Shure V15 -5B S110 PLEASE CALL OR WRITE FOR QUOTES, Jensen RE -530.... $300 traveling the same narrow path for a long Maxell UD-XLII C-90$33Shure V15-4 $69Jensen J-3033 ... pr. $80 time. She just goes on recording the same EQUALIZERS Maxell UD-XL11-S C-90 $44Shure M95HE . $24 CD PLAYERS Sony UCX C-90 $25Shure M110HE $36 album over and over, changing the one or ADC SS -315 $252 Technics SL -P10 Call Sony UCX-S C-90..$29Pickering XSV-3000 . S44 two halfway decent songs that manage to ADC SS -115 $145 Oftofon (all models).. CallTechnics SL -P7 Call sneaktheirwayin.Husband George ADC SS -20 $159 VIDEO TAPE Sony CO -P101 Call Sansui SE -8X Call AMPS & TUNERS TDK, BASF,Maxell or SonyScny TA -V7 Richey, who produces her now that Tam- Technics SH-8055 S215 $261 T-120 VHS . .ea. $8.59Scny ST -V7 my's split from mentor Billy Sherrill, wraps Aka iE A- G90 $182 $199 her up in arrangements that are about as ALL MERCHANDISE IS BRAND NEW & FULLY WARRANTEED. pink and lacy as the frock she wears in the back cover photo,buttheirrepressible trademark sob sounds as oiled and an- CALL OR WRITE FOR THE LOWEST PRICES ON OVER 80 MAJOR BRANDS. guished as ever. A.N.

COLLECTION Call Toll Free! 800-221-0974 (exZIY:t(i.".)9AM-5:30PM EST. or CALL 212-253-8888 RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITNIGHT OWL UNE! Call Toll Free! 800-327-1531M:1F0M EST. ATTACK OF THE KILLER B'S, VOL- UME 1. Marshall Crenshaw: You're My Favorite Waste of Time. Pretenders: In the STEREO CORPORATION OF AMERICA Sticks. The Blasters: What Will Lucy Do? Dept. 111 Ramones: Babysitter. John Hiatt:Take MasterCard 1629 Flatbush Ave., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11210 VISA` Time to Know Her. Roxy Music: Always Unknowing. Talking Heads: Love Goes to a CIRCLE NO 38 ON READER SERVICE CARD

NOVEMBER 1983 surely reached with a stunning performance disc package is chronological, so nearly all of Lecuona's bravura Gitanerias. P.R. the blues hollers wind up on one record and nearly all the more subtle ballads on the RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT other. The arrangements are sometimes corny, but Maybelle is timeless. Instinctive BIG MAYBELLE: The Okeh Sessions. Big about her music, she was tragically less so Maybelle (vocals); vocal and instrumental about her life; worn out by drugs and obesi- accompaniment. Just Want Your Love; So ty, she died in 1972. Her last words were, Good to My Baby; Gabbin' Blues; My "Thank God." J.V. Country Man; Jinny Mule; You'll Never Know; No More Trouble Out of Me; HairRECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT Dressin' Women; One Monkey Don't Stop No Show; Ain't to Be Played With; Whole JACK DEJOHNETTE'S SPECIAL EDI- RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT Lotto Shakin' Goin' On; and eleven others. TION:Inflation Blues.Jack DeJohnette EPIC/OKEH EG 38456 two discs, 0 EGT (drums, clavinet, piano, vocals); Baikida LAURINDO ALMEIDA AND CHARLIE 38456, no list price. Carroll (trumpet); Chico Freeman (reeds); BYRD:LatinOdyssey. Laurindo Almeida, Performance: Sensational John Purcell (flutes, reeds); Rufus Reid Charlie Byrd (guitars); Joe Byrd, Bob (bass). Starburst; Ebony; Slowdown; and Recording: Good Magnusson (bass); Jeff Hamilton, Chuck two others. ECM ECM -23790 E $9.98. Redd (drums). Memory; Adios; El Gavi- Billie Holiday gave the ultimate tribute to lan; Estrellita; Gitanerias; and five others. Performance Pungent Big Maybelle when Holiday refused to fol- Recording: Excellent CONCORD JAZZ CJP-21 I $8.98. low Maybelle onstage at a Newark club, Performance: Just fine saying, "I ain't singing as long as someone Drummer Jack DeJohnette's Special Edi- Recording: Good like that is singing." Like Lady Day, Big tion swirls around like fireworks and pops Maybelle had enormous talent and a bril- into glorious displays of colors and shapes. Laurindo Almeida and Charlie Byrd, two of liant career that was destroyed by drug ad- Every album brings different shapes,it the best guitarists in the business, combine diction. She was born around 1920 and seems, andIfound myself growing very their talents here for a lovely low-key, high - made her first records in 1944 for the all - fond of the ones yielded by "Inflation quality outing of mostly Latin music. Mem- black rhythm-and-blues market. But her re- Blues." Chico Freeman is on hand, which is ory is the sole exception to the south -of -the - cording career took off with these 1952- always an asset, and fellow reed player John border repertoire, and itis magnificently 1956 Okeh sessions, which represent the Purcell also leaves a lasting impression. performed in alternating choruses by Al- peak of her work except for some later re- Trumpeter Baikida Carroll -who is billed meida and Byrd. For the remainder of the cordings for Savoy. as "guest" -does dazzling things with a album these two modern-day masters me- If you haven't heard Big Maybelle before, clarity of tone that could surely shatter Ella ander through such standards as Estrellita you'll be struck by the power of her voice, Fitzgerald's Memorex glass. The five com- and Adios with the silken grace and steely by her phrasing, and by her child/woman positions are the leader's, and they range poise of twin matadors. The high point is sincerity. The programming on this two - from the raggedy (parts of Slowdown) to

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111111 ,C= .4=4 .CT),=,=,=* =1M,44M /SID *, OD OM GM OINI tD.CD(73== 4.1======MI MI MI 1 1 2 STEREO REVIEW reggae (Inflation Blues, a bit of social com- moves along, or if itis an adjustment my Mumbles, a satire on blues singers. Hen- mentary that painfully proves DeJohnette's cars made, but I found this album moredricks's voice is patchy, but his technique inability to sing but otherwise has a certain listenable as Forrest's tenor .bopped ever so and experience allow himto bring off island charm). Mainly, however, this is a lightly through Wee Dot, the first cut on Here's That Rainy Day as the big "emo- tine eclectic stew far removed from ECM's side two. The following number, however, is tional" number of the set. His accompanists frosty, antiseptic sound of old. C.A. a funereal What's New that we could all play as smoothly as a Rolls rides. His patter have done without. C.A. and laughter sometimes seem coldly profes- JIMMY FORREST/MILES DAVIS: Live sional, but after you've played as many at the Barrel. Miles Davis (trumpet); Jim- JON HENDRICKS: Cloudburst. Jon Hen- clubs as he has, I guess you just want to do my Forrest (tenor saxophone); Charles Fox dricks (vocals); Larry Vuckovich (piano); your set and go home. J.V. (piano); other musicians. A Night in Tuni- Isla Eckinger (bass); Kurt Bong (drums). sia: What's New: and two others. PRES FIGE No More: It Was a Dream: Here's That RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT ® P-7858 $8.98. Rainy Day; Shiny Stockings: Jon's Mum- Performance For collectors only bles: Watermelon Man: and four others. EARL KLUGH: Low Ride.Earl Klugh ENJA 4032 $9.98. (guitar, keyboards); instrumental accom- Recording Abysmal mono Performance Very good paniment. Back in Central Park; (If You There ought to be a law requiring record Want to) Be My Love: Low Ride: Just Like RecordingVery good companies to indicate when an album con- Yesterday: Christina: and threeothers. tains amateur recordings. I pity the con- Jon Hendricksonce part of the popular CAPITOL ST -12253 $8.98, Co 4XT-I 2253 sumer who, lured by the name of Miles jazz vocal trio of Lambert, Hendricks, and $8.98. Davis or Jimmy Forrest, buys a new Pres- Ross- -is a formidable entertainer and a Performance. Tasteful pop -jazz tige release called "Live at the Barrel" and skilled lyricist who grafts words to jazz in- Recording Very good expects to enjoy decent sound. Yes, the mu- strumentals. Like most American jazz per- sic is of more than passing interest, but only formers, he has found a continuing au- Earl Klugh is regarded by some people as a to the dyed-in-the-wool bebop scholar or the dience in Europe and Japan to sustain him once -refreshing jazz guitarist who has fall- collector whose ears have been hardened by when things grow thin at home. This Enja en into a rut of predictability, but he is still much listening to noisy, unbalanced, and album, released through PolyGram Clas- capable of producing albums that are ex- downright distorted recordings. These were sics, was recorded in a Munich night club, ceptionally easy to listen to. Here again he made in a St. Louis club, the Barrel, around the Domicile, in early 1972. presents an assortment of his own composi- 1952, and they are bad even by that day's Hendricks moves easily through his rep- tions, lightly Latin -flavored pieces with a standards. ertoire, which includes Hubert Laws's No trace of popular rhythms or a touch of folk If you can stand the sound quality, by all More, FrankFoster's Shiny Stockings, feeling. All feature his crisp, tasteful acous- means acquire this set, for it captures, how- Herbie Hancock's Watermelon Man, and tic guitar serving up engaging, if conserva- ever badly, a young, fiery Miles Davis and a Leroy Kirkland and Benny Harris's Cloud- tive, improvisations. A bonus is a pair of remarkably agile Jimmy (NightTrain) burst. Some of his lyrical attachments are first-rate orchestral arrangements, by John- Forrest at an opportune moment. Idon't successful, othersnot.His own Gimme ny Mandel on If You're Still in Love with know if the quality improves as the record That Wine is wonderfully funny, as is Jon's Me and by Clair Fischer on Christina, the

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TOLL FREE 800-356-9514 WISCONSIN DISCOUNT STEREO mai C.O.D. Weekdays 9-9 Saturdays 9-5 2417 w. badger rd. madison, WI 53713 CIRCLE NO 56 ON READER SERVICE CARD NOVEMBER 1983 113 loveliest selection of all. Perhaps this is little half years ago. The audience obviously POWERFUL more than high-grade Muzak, but Klugh loved what it heard. What the record cap- cannot be faulted for staking out a modest tures is a good forty-one minutes of smooth, corner of the musical turf and managing it very spirited jazz that ought to please any- DIGITAL with cool finesse. P.G. one with an ear for improvisation. C.A. BARBARA LEA, BOB DOROUGH, ANDTHEGLENNMILLER ORCHESTRA: /n JAZZ DICK SUDHALTER: Hoagy's Children. the Digital Mood. The Glenn Miller Or- from Barbara Lea (vocals); Bob Dorough (piano, chestra(instrumentals);JuliusLaRosa, vocals); Richard Sudhalter (cornet, flugel- Mel Torme, Marlene VerPlanck, Marty horn); other musicians. Old Man Harlem Nelson, Michael Mark (vocals). Chatta- New Orleans; Riverboat Shuffle; Little Old noogaChoo-Choo; The American Patrol; A daZ4)IRECT Lady: Washboard Blues; Small Fry;and String of Pearls; Moonlight Serenade; In seven others. AUDIOPHILE AP -165 $7.98 theMood; and five others. GRP 0 GRP- (from Audiophile Records, 3008 Wads- A-1002 $8.98, 0 CP-1002 $8.98, 0 G8T- worth Mill Place, Atlanta, Ga. 30032). 1002 $8.98 (fromGRPRecords, Inc., 555 Performance Good-humored West57thStreet,NewYork,N.Y. Recording. Very good 10019). The edges of Bob Dorough's piano playing Performance Clear reflections are a bit rough, and Dick Sudhalter's Bix- Recording Excellent ian cornet playing tends to be on the ego- Forty years have passed since a small plane centric side, but thereis an undeniable carrying bandleader Glenn Miller disap- charm in the grooves of "Hoagy's Chil- peared somewhere between England and dren," which pays tribute to composer/ France. His was an enormously popular singer/pianist Hoagy Carmichael. Much of band, and it had a sound unlike any other. that charm is found in the vocals, which are That sound was revived in 1956, when a ALL IN GOOD TIMEis the exciting new by Dorough and Barbara Lea, the other new "authorized" Glenn Miller Orchestra album by Rob McConnell and the Boss featured performer in what is essentially a was formed under the leadership of drum- Brass. andit sets new standards for night-club revue originally presented at Mi- mer Ray McKinley, the sideman who took musicality andfidelity.Ifyou haven't chael's Pub in New York. experienced this award -winning group, C.A. over Miller's military band in 1943. you're missing some of the most enjoyable I'm not sure it is a good idea to giveany large ensemble jazz ever recorded. PAT LONGO'S SUPER BIG BAND:Billy band eternal life, and as Time -Life's fif- May for President. Pat Longo's Super Big teen -volume "The Swing Era" series proved LIVE AND DIG ITAL-ROBMcCONNELL Band (instrumentals); Frank Sinatra Jr. a decade ago, re-creating the big -band clas- ANDTHE BOSS BRASS is the band's (vocals);othermusicians.Come What sics can be disastrous. The fact is that the only live recording, and it's created quite a stir. Nominated for last years Grammy as May: Missy; Joyful Junction; Sweet and big bands of the Forties were very well re- Best Big Band Album, it has received rave Lovely; Midnight Sun; Poor Butterfly;and corded, and no matter how advanced the reviews including five stars from Down five others. TowNHALL $9.98 (from Town - audio technology, a mechanical re-creation Beat.It includes the only recording of Hall Records, Box 5332, Santa Barbara, simply cannot compare with a good mono Rob's famous flag-waver T.O. Calif. 93108). reissue of a spirited original performance. "In the Digital Mood" applies digital re- THE BRASS CONNECTIONcombines PerformanceEnthusiastic the talents of five World Class trombonists Recording: Good cording technology to Glenn Miller's music, with a tight five -man rhythm section. A very obviously, and the result is not at all offen- tasty display of power and beauty. This album has been assembled by band- sive. Still,I have to say honestly that I get leader and saxophonist Pat Longo primarily greater satisfaction from the original re- FREE RECORDED SAMPLER Jazz as a tribute to the work of arranger Billy cordings, which are all currently available Direct would like to send you a FREE May. May provided the arrangements foron RCA's Bluebird label. Here itis the sampler featuring these and other superb five of the songs, includingMissy,which sound that dazzles, and I am sure the prom- jazz albums at a substantial savings (Au was composed and performed by Frank Si- ised CD version will be even more impres- albums are S7 95 up to $4.00 off retain natra Jr. May was, of course, the arranger sive. But no matter how sharp the image, a Call TOLL -FREE for many of Frank Sr.'s most famous al- mirror is only a mirror. C.A. 1-800-558-4320 bums, and his work for Frank Jr. gives the to receive your FREE sampler or to place eerie impression that cloning is possible. VAUGHN NARK: Cutting Through. an order using your VISA or Mastercharge Longo is a better -than -good sax player, and Vaughn Nark (trumpet); other musicians. he's able to work up quite a bit of enthu- Runaway; NightinTunisia;Line for of siasm from band to band. This is a relaxed, Lyons; Counting Down;and four others. good-humored session of nostalgic music LAVENHAM LVH8103 $8.98 (from Laven- 602 61018 ALL IN GOOD TIME $7.95 making. P. R. ham Records, 10604 Democracy Lane, Po- 60212018 LIVE IN DIGITAL $7.95 tomac, Md. 20854). MAINSTREAM:Steamin'Mainstream. 652-02018 THE BRASS Performance: Dizzying CONNECTION $795 Glenn Zottola (trumpet, flugelhorn, alto saxophone); Harold Danko (piano); Rick Recording.Good Postage and Handling $2.00 Laird (bass); Butch Miles (drums, vocals). Unless you live in the Washington, D.C., Wisconsin Residents add 5% sales tax Love for Sale; Ain't Misbehavin'; Silly area, trumpeter Vaughn Nark's name is TOTAL U.S. Funds Samba; Caravan; Lady Be Good;and five probably as unfamiliar to you as it was to others. DREAMSTREET DR 107 $8.98 (from me before Ireceived "Cutting Through," OVISA OMastercharge S Dreamstreet Records, P.O. Box 193, Ho Ho his first album. You will recognize elements Expiration Date Kus, N.J. 07423). of his style, however, and I don't mean that Allow 6 to 8 weeks for delivery Performance Steamin' indeed in any derogatory sense. Nark, now in his mid -twenties, has been lead trumpeter with NAME RecordingFair remote the Airmen of Note, a U.S. Air Force band, ADDRESS Mainstream is a quartet of talented, experi- since 1978, but he could easily hold a simi- enced players whose music can best be de- larpositioninthe commercial musical CITY/STATE/ZIP scribed just that way: mainstream. The world. He can scale a complex melodic line group'slatest album release, "Steamin'at any tempo with deceptive ease, and he li.2z42/REcr Mainstream," consists of tenselections, has a way of effortlessly blowing his horn to 2770 S 171 St PO Box 248 most of them familiar, recorded in a Larch- dizzying heights. But dazzling technique is New Berlin. WI 53151 mont, New York, club almost two and a not Nark's only musical asset: he also has a

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Although I could have done with a good deal more toughness of approach in almost everything here, Parker shows a very promising talent, and the Tommy Flanagan trio backs her up splendidly. P.R. THE WIDESPREAD JAZZ ORCHES- TRA: Swing Is the Thing. The Widespread Jazz Orchestra (instrumentals). Memphis Blues; King Porter Stomp; Knock Me a Denny Kiss;Chelsea Bridge;Flyin'Home; Swingin' the Blues; and four others. ADEL- PHI AD 5015 $7.95. Zeitlin Performance Zippy Recording Very good and This group used to callitself the Wide- spread Depression Orchestra, butIguess the real depression the country is in made Charlie them drop the term. Their new name, the Widespread Jazz Orchestra, and latest al- Haden bum, "Swing Is the Thing," indicate a more solid embrace of big -band swing. There is, of course, an aura of re-creation about this sort of thing, but the WJO's ef- Pianist forts do not have the mausoleum lifelessness Denny Zeitlin of many re -creations. Their strength is in live performances. Hearing them play King Porter Stomp, Swingin' the Blues, or Chel- sea Bridge on a record can never match the rainnns-r Denny Zeitlin first came to my lin's playing still has the flash that so im- experience of hearing the same tunes as re- V attention in 1964 when he made a Co- pressed me almost twenty years ago, but corded by Henderson, Basie, or Ellington, lumbia album, "Flute Fever" (CS 8936), now there is also more substance, and the but hearing the Widespread Jazz Orchestra with flutist Jeremy Steig. A debut for both one-time George Russell student has found in person is another matter. Do try to catch players, the release was as exciting a display the perfect partner in Haden. whose playing the WJO live, but I'd recommend passing of technical brilliance and imagination as I has always been profound. Their nine mu- up this album for reissues of the original had ever heard on a first outing. When Zeit- sical conversations here are eminently ac- recordings. C.A. lin made his own Columbia album. "Ca- cessible,yet thought -provoking and rife thexis" (CS 8982), shortly thereafter,it with intriguing nuances that are so subtle was equally impressive, and I expected to they may be overlooked until the second or RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT hear a great deal more from him. It was not third hearing. This is soft, gentle music, but THE YELLOWJACKETS: Mirage a Trois. to be, however, because Zeitlin was spend- it has a strong spine. I hope this is only the The Yellowjackets (instrumentals). / Got ing most of his time pursuing a career in first of many such collaborations. If Denny Rhythm; Claire's Song; Top Secret; Pass It psychiatry. Now this keyboard psychiatrist Zeitlin performs another disappearance act, On; and four others. WARNER BROS 23813- seems to be re-emerging on the jazz scene, the loss will be far greater now than it was I$8.98, CI 23813-4 $8.98. and we are all the richer for it. in the Sixties. -Chris Albertson Bassist Charlie Haden has, of course, Performance Excellent been on the scene for several years, record- DENNY ZEITLIN AND CHARLIE HA - Recording- Very good ing profusely. If he has ever made a record DEN: Time Remembers One Time Once. The Yellowjackets have charm, energy, and that was less than fine. I cannot recall hear- DennyZeitlin(piano);CharlieHaden great chops-and the misfortuneto be ing it, but neither do Irecollect one more (bass). Chairman Mao; Bird Food: As working in a jazz -funk groove that's already thoroughly satisfying than "Time Remem- Long as There's Music; Time Remembers crowded with superstars. The longer jazz - bers One Time Once," an ECM import that One Time Once; Love for Sale; Ellen Da- funk is around, the harder it becomes for brilliantly captures a collaboration between vid; Satellite/How High the Moon; The musicians to say something new with it, him and Zeitlin at San Francisco's Key- Dolphin. ECM/POLYGRAM SPECIAIIM- something that Chick Corea or Weather stone Korner in the summer of 1981. Zeit- PORTS ECM 1239 $9.98. Report or David Sanborn hasn't said already. Russ Ferrante, the Yellowjackets' leader and keyboard player, does his best to stretch the limits of the genre's familiar rhythms and chord progressions. Some- times he pullsitoff, setting up intricate commendable esthetic sense, and-as the KIM PARKER: Good Girl. Kim Parker (vo- contrapuntal patterns by weaving lyrical cut Alone here demonstrates very well-he cals); Tommy Flanagan (piano); Jesper themes and brisk variations among drum- can write a pretty tune and play it even Lundgaard (bass); Ed Thigpen (drums). mer Ricky Lawson's driving rhythms. But prettier. When he is not reminding us of Hooray; The Good Little Girl; How My at other times all he can manage are a few Dizzy Gillespie, Nark is apt to slip into a Heart Sings; Close Enough for Love; Bijou gratuitous modulations and some tricks mellow Chet Baker groove modulated with (I'm Crazy for You); and three others. Soul. with mixing time signatures. early Miles. NoTE/PoiNGsAm CI.Ass;csSN 1063 The inherent difficulty of trying to write The Vaughn Nark Quintet heard on this $9.98. original music in a genre that has begun to album is a working unit that includes two of Performance Promising sound "canned" is underscored by the fact Nark's fellow Airmen of Note, reed player Recording Good that the most interesting, energetic cut on Peter BarenBregge and bassist Tom Wil- the album is a bouncy, syncopated cover of / liams, one former Airman, drummer Dave Kim Parker, stepdaughter of both Charlie Got Rhythm by George and Ira Gershwin. Palamar, and Stef Scaggiari, an impressive Parker and Phil Woods, has a vocal and Still, there's a lot more feeling than formula pianist who free-lances in the Washington musical maturity that adds a great deal to in "Mirage a Trois," and that more than area. They sound fine as they go their bop- her performances. Her voice has a streaky - makes up for whatever limitations the band pish way together. C.A. amber quality, and her lyric readings, even labors under. M.P.

116 STEREO REVIEW THEATER FILMS

CLUES TO A LIFE (Alec Wilder). Origi- nal -castrecording.Christine Andreas, Keith David, Craig Lucas, D'Jamin Bart- lett (vocals); orchestra. ORIGINAL CAST OC 8237 $8.98 (from Original Cast Records, Box 496, Georgetown, Conn. 06829). Performance: Good Recording: Good This collection of Alec Wilder songs was produced as a revue called Clues to a Life by the Vineyard Theater, a small nonprofit arts center on the East Side of Manhattan. Barbara Zim and Elliot Weiss drew the show's text from Wilder's book Letters I Never Mailed. Wilder was one of America's most interesting and prolific songwriters, but he never wrote in any particular commercial form. This album is a pleasant tribute to his work, as modest and unassuming as the man himself was said to be. The highlights are performances of his It's So Peace- ful in the Country, the poignant I'll Be Around, and the truly immortal While We're Young. P.R.

OCTOPUSSY (JohnBarry).Original - soundtrack recording. Rita Coolidge (vocal); orchestra, John Barry cond. A& M SP - If you d like to know mule about Mr lacklel us hear from you 4967 $8.98, 0 CS -4967 $8.98. Performance. Flashy fun JACK DANIEL'S STATUE generally needs a Recording Good John Barry's scores for the James Bond good scrubbing after the fall rains and there's films have always boasted a heavy-duty flashiness of execution and a tongue-in- always someone willing to do it. cheek wit in conception. This latest is no exception. One of Barry's most impressive at- tributesishis refusal simply to ape the Jack Daniel was a proud man. He was proud of screen action in his music. Instead, he finds a unifying mood or theme for whole seg- the Hollow and his whiskey and the medals it ments of the movie. Unfortunately, in this case the song All Time High, written with won. We'reproud of the same things-and Tim Rice and clearly aimed to be a chart hit, is no Goldfinger, and Rita Coolidge is of Mr. Jack. That's why Lem Motlow no Shirley Bassey. P.R. had this statue made. And RETURN OF THE JEDI (John Williams). Original -soundtrack recording. London we're nearly as particular Symphony Orchestra, John Williams cond. RSO 811 767-1 Y -I $8.98. about keeping it clean as we CHARCOAL Performance: Good MELLOWED Recording: Excellent are makingJack Daniel's John Williams's hortatory scores for Steven Spielberg's and George Lucas's films are Whiskey just the way he DROP beginning to take on an intricate sameness: great patches of purple sound billowing up always did. A sip, we from the speakers, quiet moments that por- tend peril, and finales that verge on the ce- believe, will tell you why BY DROP lestial. Williams's work is highly effective in the theater, where it benefits from the wefeel the way we do. wide-screen image and the mammoth Dol- by surround sound. At home it seems more Tennessee Whiskey 90 Proof Distilled and Bottled by jack Daniel Distillery than a little predictable. But Return of the Lem Motlow. Prop.. Route 1. Lynchburg (Pop 361). Tennessee 37352 Jedi has made more money than all but a Placed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Government

NOVEMBER 1983 117 Monk (baritone), Baron Douphol; others. Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra, ties. In that sense, On Your Toes is some- James Levine cond. ELEKTRA 60267-1 two thing of a landmark in the American mu- discs $19.96, © 60267-4 $19.96. sical theater. Performance Caveat emptor In 1983, however, it is the melodic feast of Richard Rodgers's music and the brut Recording: Good sparkle of Lorenz Hart's lyrics that make On the back cover of this set we read the the Polydor recording of the revival an en- following statement by conductor James tirely new joy. First, and most important, Levine: "This recording reproduces the mu- the orchestrations are as close to the 1936 sic track of the film exactly as it is heard in

originals as Hans Spialek could make them. the movie theater. . . . The level adjust- The producer, Norman Newell, has played ments and other technical characteristics of it straight and smart all the way, with the this music track produce an effect very dif- result that the orchestra never sounds ricky- ferent from a complete opera recording pro- ticky or cute but absolutely right for Hart's duced under studio conditions." words and Rodgers's music. This is a warning, but it severely under- Then there is the charming ease of the states the case. I can understand that mov- performances here, from Lara Teeter and iegoers wish to retain a souvenir of Franco Christine Andreas caroling There's a Small Zeffirelli's cinematic achievement. But in Hotel with a freshness and lack of preten- so doing they will acquire a severely cut edi- sion that make it sound brand new to Dina tion of the Verdi opera in which the princi- Merrill and George S. Irving, as heiress and pals are erratically miked in an artificial - internationalimpresario, cozily deciding sounding audio ambience that reflects cred- that rich really is better in Too Good for the it to no one. Average Man. Andreas is heart -touching in They will also acquire an inferior per- Christine Andreas and Lara Teeter the immortal Glad to Be Unhappy, and formance. However superbly Teresa Stratas Teeter is translucent in Quiet Night. The may act the role (and her reading of Ger- big orchestral numbers are conducted by mont's letter is certainly worth hearing), John Mauceri as if real people could actual- the musical requirements are beyond her. ly dance to them on a real stage, not as if Cornell MacNeil's Germont is a faded echo On Your Toes John Williams had dropped by with the of what his singing used to be, and even the Vienna Philharmonic. otherwiserock -solid Placido Domingo THE surprisehitofthe1982-1983 But perhaps that is the most engaging as- sounds sharp and ill at ease in the first -act Broadway season was the revival of pect of this recording: everything seems to "Libiamo." Except for the firm Douphol of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart's On have been kept within human scale. Since Allan Monk, the subsidiary singers (Metro- Your Toes. In the year of its initial staging, Hart'slyricsarecertainlyaboutreal politan Opera regulars but not specifically 1936, the big news was not the inventive- people's real emotions and Rodgers's music identified on the jacket) are all below par. ness, beauty, and wit of the score; blasé the- never fails to touch human feelings without James Levine's conducting is not without atergoers of that Golden Age could count manipulating them, I would say that this impressive moments, but it displays more on new shows almost seasonally from Por- performance of On Your Toes is a perfect rigidity and less precision than we remem- ter, Kern, Schwartz and Dietz, et al. No, match. -Peter Reilly ber it from happier occasions. In short, en- thebig news was the choreography of joy the movie but avoid the recording. George Balanchine, in particular his sensa- ON YOUR TOES (Richard Rodgers and -George Jellinek tional pop -ballet Slaughter on Tenth Ave- Lorenz Hart). Broadway -revival -castre- nue.Balanchine'sspectacularcrossover cording. Lara Teeter, Dina Merrill, Chris- from classical dance to Broadway, and his tine Andreas, George S. Irving, others (vo- RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT success at it, made possible the later work of cals); orchestra, John Mauceri cond. POLY- UPSTAIRS AT O'NEALS'. Original -cast such choreographers as Agnes de Mille in DOR 813 667-1 Y- I$10.98, © 813 667-4 album. Douglas Bernstein, Randall Ed- the Forties and Jerome Robbins in the Fif- Y-1 $10.98. wards, Bebe Neuwirth, Michon Peacock, Richard Ryder, Sarah Weeks (vocals); orchestra. PAINTED SMILES PS 1344 $9.98. Performance Amusing Recording: Good few other films (among them its Star Wars have been able to do the same thing for this Upstairs at O'Neals' is an amusing, light- predecessors), and there's no reason to sup- movie if Stallone hadn't been the director. weight revue that was assembled and pro- pose the soundtrack album won't be a Just as he took the original screenplay out ducedbyBroadway composerMartin smash hit as well. P.R. of Norman Wexler's hands, Stallone also Charnin for O'Neals' restaurant in Man- decided to add several songs to the score by hattan and is still around at this writing. STAYING ALIVE. Original -soundtrack re- none other than his brother, that interna- Charnin also contributed a couple of the cording. The Bee Gees, Cynthia Rhodes, tionally known chart -buster Frank Stallone. songs, but most are by unknowns. There is Frank Stallone, Tommy Faragher, others Brother Frank's contributions, which take some funny stuff here: Cancun, about an ur- (vocals and instrumentals). RSO 813 269 up almost half of the recording, never rise ban jerk who goes to that newly famous Y-1 $8.98, © 422-813 269-4 Y -I $8.98. much beyond the C -plus amateur level. Mexican resort in search of cocaine and Performance: Overdone and empty Even the Bee Gees' efforts sound strangely ends up in the arms of a female undercover Recording: Humongous dispirited and unprofessional, as if they had narc; Little H and Big G, a retelling of the been sifted through some committee proc- Hansel and Gretel legend as if it were one Staying Alive is the hugely successful se- ess. The result is an album in which every- of those wispy little jazz operas so dear to quel to Saturday Night Fever. The film's thing is overdone, from conception to per- the Gallic heart of Michel Legrand; and major attractions seem to be Sylvester formance, apparently in an attempt to mask Soap Operetta, in which Gilbert and Sulli- "Sly" Stallone's frenetic direction, its soapy the basic emptiness. The production is gau- van are pinned to the mat. Perhaps the most underdogplot(it'sreally Rocky Goes dily humongous. P.R. hilarious track is Mama's Turn, in which Broadway), and the opportunity for teeny- the supposed mothers of the New York dra- boppers to see John Travolta leap about in LA TRAVIATA (Giuseppe Verdi). Original - ma critics' fraternity offer their opinions carefully torn shorts. The Bee Gees, who soundtrack recording. Teresa Stratas (so- about what's happening on the Broadway contributed a lively and evocative score for prano), Violetta Valery; Placido Domingo scene. If you live in or love New York City, Fever, were hired to do the same thing for (tenor), Alfredo Germont; Cornell Mac- this one is guaranteed to make you laugh Staying Alive. Who knows? They might Neil (baritone), Giorgio Germont; Allan out loud-a lot. P.R.

118 STEREO REVIEW STEREO REVIEW CLASSIFIED

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Ortofon, Jensen, Fultron, Pro- model 350, 50/50/W, $299.00 3 different direct -to -discs ton, NAD, Yamaha. SOUND ADVICE, Village Plaza, Rus- $15.00 postpaid. Warranty. SCC. Box 551 (SF11183). Dub- source, DCM, ADS, Boston Acoustics, Ohm, Rogers, ton. LA 71270,318-255-8000. lin, OH 43017. (614) 889-2117. MC/VISA/COD. Tandberg, Thorens, Grace, Grado, Nitty Gritty, VPI, Dy- COMPACT DIGITAL DISC and PLAYERS, VSP, SONY ES, ANNIS HAN-D-MAG IS THE BEST Demagnetizer for mag- navector, more. AUTOMOTIVE: Concord, Kenwood, Lin- HAFLER. FRIED kit, KLIPSCH, SAE, CARVER, NAKAMI- netic tape equipment. Price is $29.70. `Demagnetizing ear Power, Zapco, more. Friendly, expert consultation. CHI, more. In stock. Immediate, FREE shipping! READ Notes' and literature on request. Annisco, 1101 N. Dela- BROTHERS STEREO. 593-B King Street, Charleston. ware, Indianapolis. Indiana 46202. (317) 637-9282. Fast,free shipping. MC/VISA. REFERENCE AUDIO South Carolina 29403. (803) 723-7276. SYSTEMS, 18214 Dalton Avenue, Gardena, CA 90248. NEEDLES! RIBA (213) 398-4205. NEEDLES! NEEDLES! NEEDLES! NEEDLES! NEEDLES! NEEDLES! NEEDLES! BEAT PRICING On TheBest Names In MUSIC LOVERS AND AUDIOPHILES!! We are proud to Video/Home & Car Stereo/Computers. Over announce the GRAND OPENING of "APPLE AUDIO", NEEDLES! NEEDLES! NEEDLES! NEEDLES! 40 Lines - MC & Visa/COD's Ok. Catalogue. featuring the finest such as: ADS, Amber. Audio Pro. Au- GENUINES lowest prices, +CARTRIDGES +MICRO- Color Literature. THE STEREO FACTORY dio Control, Beyer, Blaupunkt, Celestion, Dynavector, PHONES, COD OK. CALL: audiofon 800-431-3232, 4349 Route 60 East Huntington. WV 25705 Grace. Grundig. GEM. Last. Monster Cable, Sherwood, (304) 522-8031 Sumiko. Sony, Thorens. 3D Acoustics. Ortofon. Ungo Box (212) 438-6400 Mon -Fri 10AM-7PM FOR CONSUL. and more! Professional installations on Car Audio and 60 PIONEER" TATION & TO ORDER. Alarms. FREE SHIPPING IN USA. Feel free to call for information. Open 7 days. 220 Volts Electronics for over- TAPES & RECORDERS seas also available. APPLE AUDIO, 74-18 37th Ave., TATE II SURROUND STEREO SYSTEM. 3 Dimensional re- Jackson Heights, NY 11372. EXIT BROADWAY/ROOSE- alism from stereo audio/vision sources. Winner of 1982 Hi- OLD TIME RADIO -original broadcasts on quality tapes. VELT ON BOE (278). MC/VISA, Tel: 212-507-0561. Fi Grand Prix. Fosgate Research Incorporated, 215 W. Free catalog. Carl R. Froelich. Route One, New Freedom, Leroux, Prescott, AZ 86301. (602)445-6999. Pennsylvania 17349. HIGH PERFORMANCE AUDIO KITS. PHONO. EQUALIZ- ERS, DELAY and more. Send for FREE catalog. PHOENIX UNPRESSURED, PERSONALIZED CONSULTATION and 1400.2454030 SYSTEMS. 91 Elm Street, Manchester, Connecticut 06040, lowest prices on a variety of superb components. COM- MUNITY AUDIO. 318 West Duval, Philadelphia, PA 19144 TAPE WORLD (203)643-4484. Jilt or SONY T 120 829 MAXELL. TDK T-120. L -7501.-0r404ix 44 (215)843-9918. MK MA.90 439 MAXELL. TDK T-120. L-750 84'. MK SAX93 319 MAXELL XLI4416.90 349 TM A0X.90 299 MAXELL UDXL la 11C43 249 ELECTRACRAFT features Aiwa, Audio Control, B&O, MK SA 90 219 MAXELL UOXL 1.11C TO 22' TDK SA.60 U090 2 Iv Concord, Dahlquist. DCM, Denon, Grado, HAfler, Linear, TDK 4190 i 69 MAXELL XL 13.59013 6 4, Mitsubishi. NAD. NEC, Signet. Snell, Spectrum, Thiel. TEA A0-130 I 49 MAXELL 11035'90 5 F. TOO 0-90 129 SONY UCXS-90 259 ELECTRACRAFT, 212 North First Avenue, Sandpoint, ID TOK 060 iis Me 6100104600ree9 , 13 94 Lwonan WE WILL HONOR ANY COMPS T 11011S PRICE OF THE TOTAL ORDER 83864(208)263-9516. 3 75 Showy any Anode 41 US VISA MC no 9/4411.150 COD POO 165 Harmon Kardon MInerwrn COO oar 40 00 PA AM SA. TAR *Pow 2. In aislrwry BEST PRICE & IN STOCK! Perreaux, Bedini, Acoustat, Tandberg 323 Wow, Aw. Sox 361 Wee, PA HMI 412-2634421 ARC, Thorens. RGR, Hafler, Onkyo, Technics. B&W, Me- Boston Acoustics Audio Control ridian. Vandersteen. Dynavector. Snell. Tascam, Spen- Sherwood Pt.etit OPEN REEL TAPES. Prerecorded. Catalogue. $1.00. Bar- dor. Bryston .P K. Audio. 4773 Convention St. Baton Rouge. Hitachi ADS clay -Crocker. 313-S Mill Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601. LA 70806 (504) 924-1001. Denon AIWA Revox Grace - eei 1930-1962 RADIO PROGRAMS. Beats Television!! Tapes, THE MOD SQUAD. Extraordinary handbuilt products: Onkyo firl&K $1.00 Hour! Established esteemed dealer. Informative 275 TRIPLANAR Tonearm, Oracle Power Supply, Intercon- Ortofon 8&O We Deliver FREE page catalog. $1.25. AM Treasures. Box 1925R, Babylon, nect Cables, TIPTOES. Exceptional modifications: Rog- Hafler SME Anywhere in the N.Y. 11702. ers LS3/5A, Linn Ittok and Basik LV-X. QUAD Amplifiers. Thorens & Many More Continental USA. Spatial Preamplifier. Technics EPA -100. Request complete catalog from THE MOD SQUAD. 144 Athena Street. the SOUNQAppt6acli Leucadia. CA 92024(619)436-7666. Topes 6067 Jericho Tpke., Commack, NY 11725 AUDIOPHILE RECORDINGS at affordable prices. Mobile IDELOW WHOLESALE SPECIALS fidelity $15. Nautilus $14. Telarc $13. American Grama- Charge it...Call 516-499-7680 TDK MAR 90 639 SWELL MX C90 469 TM MA 90 429 NOXELL XL II S C.90 329 phone $12. Compact discs & more. Send $2.00 (refunda- TDK SAX 90 309 MAXUS. UDXL II C.90 249 SDK SA 90 215 MAXELL 0001. 11060 225 ble in/first purchase) for complete catalog. Satisfactions TDK SA 60 I 55 MAXELL U0 C 90 1 15 Sounds. 2888 Bluff St.. Suite 381, Boulder. CO 80301 TOO ADO% 265 MAXELL 140 35 90 525 TDK AD 90 185 MAXELL KO 35 9013 639 TDK A060 ,45 SONY UCXS 90 245 AUDIO DEN, call us for our service. our experience and SDK 090 IIS SONY °Cs 90 235 TOK060 99 SONY FECR 90 1 79 especially our prices. We carry Adcom, Audio Research. MK LX 35 90 S 15 SONY LNX 90 1 10 TOK LX 35-904 595 SONY 1140 60 95 Dahlquist. Infinity. Nakamichi. Polk, SAE. Revox and TINTO 01 DEMAG 1399 BASF PRO 111C90 Klipsch. We ship anywhere in the USA. Experienced with FUJITIIMETAL 90 439 5 TAPES . FREE GARBO% ,2 95 The Lowest Price FujiFRI0r1190 269 X000 overseas sales. AUDIO DEN LTD.. Smith Haven Plaza. 2021 DISCWASHER MSC KIT 33 49 TOO MAXELL T 120 645 DISCWAS.ERD, TOO MAXELL 1120110 1095 Nesconset Highway, Lake Grove, New York 11755 (516) on Stereo Advice SYSTEM 949 SONY 1 500 715 DISCWASHER DISC SET 16 49 SON`, '50 945 360-1990. t''' ss,s JOS cs, 999 wake cnooung a memo NosierSee now heir, DrSCWASER 16o, FLUID SONY, rsorCr 995 ,ressronol persona, anent., Can be CALL RUH' 212-434 HI, Or order by mail, MOBILE FIDELITY AUCTION -Sealed. most titles avail- ,-en when yOu ye COaCafed equipment Add $3 50 Shoppow On watts up to 270 Over 170 add 5'. or rota/ orde able. Send $1 for list. D.B. Jones, Dept SR. Box 21-C. We have a super sevactIon, lag tree Oddbld ,dove d parrs/ post OoSide USA onto MC Visa add handlong Convent Station. NJ 07961. %,350,3for 0 snail charge and erten°, QUALITY TAPES ...,ruaeries war include tree 0.06 uP TN it OH 864 East 791 Street. Dept. SR10. Brooklyn, NY 11230 OnCeS 0150 you ger real stereo value In tact A you C

: Fve That on oUlhOn200 dealer offers INN some woo. ss wrayin 30 oays or vow purchase and has The sow . ..5 we well refund rev The difference FREE CATALOG!! Complete selection of Consumer and 1 Iot fr.Podh, 'horn'. A SINGER'S DREAM! Industrial Audio/Video tape and accessory products. COMPETITIVE PRICES! PROMPT DELIVERY! Corpo- ....-- 212 7 62-3220 rate/Bid Solicitations Welcome. Wyco Sales, Dept. SR, P.O. Box 887, Cary, NC 27511. (919) 467-8113. ..-, Aps 4,w 044,17, MOT. LINGO 00 a WW1 [ARV. 111744144. YMCA PAWS. .4441. 1.40418.14A 411.0.010 ocesrawxcoussx s MAO .4000ld ALLMON 644144944, C.Iimur14,441r, OCY JEW. IVIL441110 141.4. MILOS. masa., TAPE PLACE S00, merC74 IINJESORIC ACOWITC11 DICO or000s. °Cm s ot I, f ill IAN 4..,s4v4, 1014 SA90 52 39 52 29 Elk TDK SA60 199 112:i'21 10 49 MAX 164.10 tar.* Harding Espy,' TDK A090 i99 SONY 130%90 2 39

1 59 F.44/1 Heeeknes. NY 11345 TDK A060 SONY UCH° i99 TDK SAX50 3 25 SONY uCKS90 289 Exit 25 LSE.. Utopia Pews TDK AOX90 299 SONY 114090 1 19 WILJNI) TDK MAR93 6 49 SONY LNX60 99 4444404LI" OM, TIN MA90 4 39 SONY T120 899 STACE TN 030 1 10 SONY L500 699 TDK 0130 1 10 SONY L750 899 TIM D90 i 25 SONY 1830 95 u F II VBt tO 10K LX3590 5 19 1112 T120 1099 REMOVES VOCALS FROM RECORDS! 799 JVC 1111260 ,295 Our VOCAL ELIMINATOR can remove most or 999 SONYt's1)12 849 virtually all of a lead vocal from a standard stereo 120000 10 49 record and leave most of the background untouched! FUJI 7L500 699 PERSONALIZE YOUR CASSETTE recordings with de- TDK UU5180BM 960P10011200 7 99 Record with your voice or perform live with the signer inserts. Money back guarantee. Set of 8/$3.00. West TDKSX35906 7 49 AL.LSOP 3 1399 backgrounds. Used in Professional Performance yet TOO SA351801/I 22 50 DiSCRiT 13 49 Coast Innovations. Box 7055B, Mission Hills, CA 91346- TN 1120 L750 849 DI SYSTEM 999 connects easilyto a home component stereo 7055. 10 99 TAINCARE Kit 999 system. Not an equalizer! We can prove it works over ADDITIONAL CHARGES SNIPPING BY UPS Wilma 48 STATES ORDERS UP T0870 ADO 13 50 OVER 870 ADD 5'. OF TOTAL ORDER OUTSIDE 43 STATES DOUBLE the phone. Write or call for a free brochure and demo ENJOY STEREO ON THE GO! The pocket size AM/FM ABOVE MC visa WELCOME NOTE Primal checks cam 4 eta otruy 800-645-6529 TAPS PLACE 516-569.5976 record. Koss Music Box lets you take your favorite stereo sound BOX 248 NOWAK) BEACH NY 11414 Write to: LT Sound, Dept. SR. PO Box 338 everywhere. Comes complete with famous Koss Sound Stone Mountain, GA 30086 Partner stereophones. Usually $89.95. now only $49.95. In Georgia Call (404)493-1258 Call toll -free 1-800-872-5677. Local call 964-2550. In- 40.000 OLD RADIO SHOWS on Tape. Jazz Big Band re- TOLL FREE: 1-800.241-3005 - Ext. 41 clude $2.50 shipping/handling. Wisconsin residents in- motes. Country Western, discographies, anthologies. clude 5% sales tax. Check. Visa, Master Charge or chronologies. Send $2 for huge catalog (refundable). American Express accepted. Porta-tronics, 4124 N. 6th St.. McCoy's Recording. Box 1069S. Richland. Washington Milwaukee, WI 53212. 99352. RADIO Classics On Cassette! Catalogue $1.00. Vincent FREE CHAMBER MUSIC RECORD CATALOG! FREE re- Bernardo, 5 Steven Court. Deer Park, NY 11729. cord offer! Brass! Woodwinds! CRYSTAL RECORDS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES Sedro Woolley, WA 98284. RELAXATION TAPE -Soothing, relaxing Stereo Piano LEARN WHILE ASLEEP. Hypnotize! Astonishing details. Music. $7.95/cassette (postpaid). Alan Lee Enterprises. WHILE YOU WERE LOOKING FOR "Out -of -Print' Rec- strange catalog free! Autosuggestion, Box 24-2D, Olym- pia. Washington 98507. Box 36-B-13. L.A.. CA 90036. ords you should've been looking for us! DISCoitinued (213) 846-9192. LARGE SELECTION of records and cassettes (Import and FOR INVENTORS Domestic). Compact Classical. International. Jazz. Rock. HAND NUMBERED LIMITED EDITIONS. Rare and unis- New Wave. Broadway Shows. Soundtracks. Disc. Walk - sued boxed sets with booklets. Monk, Mulligan, Am- INVENTORS!IDEAS HAVE VALUE! mans and accessories. Schwann catalog $1.00. Melody mons/Lewis. For information write: MOSIAC RECORDS, Record Shop, Inc. 1529 Connecticut Ave. R.W., Washing- 1341 Ocean Ave., Suite 135S. Santa Monica. CA 90401. Ever think of an idea. forget it and see it later on the ton. D.C. 20036. (202)232-4002. market? Many people don't forget, act quickly and RARE JAZZ AND POPULAR VOCAL Ip's sold by auction. are rewarded by American Industry. Write down OLD RADIO PROGRAMS on cassettes and reels. Free In- Free lists/Leon Leavitt, P.O. Box 38395. Los Angeles, CA your idea! We offer free disclosure registration and troductory catalog. Radio memories. Box 56S, California, 90038. initial consultation regarding your idea's potential MD 20619. value. Call or write without delay for your tree infor- SUPERB SELECTION OF AUDIOPHILE RECORDS/IM- manor package. OPEN REEL TAPE -Mostly Ampex 641/671, used once, PORTS. Detailed monthly bulletin offers latest releases. sales, more. Discount on initial order. Send for FREE cat- AMERICAN INVENTORS CORPORATION unspliced, unboxed. 7" 1800' or 2400' 25 Reels: $39.00. alog issue. The Essentials Marketing. Dept @R-113. Box 82 Broad St., Dept. SR 7724, Eugene, OR 97401. Westfield, MA 01086 Sample: $2.00. Ten 3600' 101/2" Reels: $32.00. Sample: 413-568-3753 FREE IMPORT RECORD CATALOGUE! Finest quality rock, $3.50. New, premium cassettes/8 track cartridges A fee Based Marketing Company new wave, audiophile pressings from Japan, Europe, UK. Offices Coast to Coast available. Sample: $1.00 each. AUDIO TAPES, Box 9584- Large selection. Huge Inventory. 24 hour service. K, Alexandria, VA 22304. (703)892-8722. VISA/MC. STRAIGHT LINE MARKET, P.O. Box 8822-E. Durham, NC 27707. INVENTIONS, IDEAS, NEW PRODUCTS WANTED! In- AUDIO SPECIALTY SHOPS dustry presentation/national exposition. Call tree 1-800- ORION RECORDS, CASSETTES, $8.00 each postpaid. 528-6050. Arizona, 1-800-352-0458X831. FOR ALL MUSIC LOVERS! We have the widest selection $7.00, three or more. Free catalog. Box 4087. Malibu, CA of audio equipment available in all price ranges. Kyo- 90265. PERSONALS cera, Sherwood, Allison, Harmon-Kardon, Infinity, Aiwa, JAZZ AND BLUES. Below list. Free catalog. Rutabaga Thorens, Luxman, Hoffer, Klipsch, SAE, Sennheiser and MAKE FRIENDS WORLDWIDE through international cor- more. Call for information or stop in. CONTINENTAL Records. Dept. S 437 N. 5th St.. Stroudsburg, PA 18360 respondence. Illustrated brochure free. Hermes-Verlag. Box 10660/2, D-1000 Berlin 11. W. Germany. SOUND, 98-77 Queens Blvd., Rego Park, NY 11374. (212) WANTED 459-7507. Immediate Delivery. MC/VISA. CORRESPONDENCE FOR FRIENDSHIP IN PHILIP- CASH FOR Unwanted LP's, Prerecorded Reel/Reel Tapes. PINES, MALAYSIA. Free information. AAWS-(SR), Box KLIPSCH, CROWN, DENON, NAKAMICHI, ADS, lux - Reder, Box 323S, Hillburn, NY 10931. 2777, Orc:utt, California 93455-0777. man etc. Outstanding sound rooms. Visit us! Open WANTED: MUSIC LOVERS to review and rate nationally INDIVIDUALS, COUPLES -all ages -meet others na- anytime by appointment. Ideal Acoustics, 110 Willow released rock albums. Receive Free album in exchange for tionwide for sports, hobbies, friendship. correspon- your opinion -Music Poll! Write: Class -A -Researching, dence. Electronic Exchange, Box 68-S31, Manhattan Rd., Starkville, MS 39759, (601) 324-1020. Box 07023(SR), Milwaukee, WI 53207. Seach, CA 90266. CURRENT RADIO SHOWS (countdowns) -Pop, Country. BEAUTIFUL PHILIPPINE LADIES seek nice friendship, RECORDS Soul and others! Only discs or top quality tapes! Also: year- correspondence!! Photos, information, Free! Transcor-(F), end shows (all categories!) & radio specials like holiday Box 2321 Manila, Philippines 2801 SHOW ALBUMS, Rare. Out -of -Print LP's. 64 pg. list. $1.00. shows (new and old!). Harald Wachner, Walter-flexstr. 90, Broadway/Hollywood Recordings. Georgetown. Conn. 7000 Stuttgart, Germany. JSA/CANADA/EUROPE -Sophisticated singles seek 06829. STORE: 68 Sugar Hollow (Route 7) Danbury. Conn. correspondence, meaningful relationships. Details (Send COLLECTORS' Soundtracks. Mint. List $1 (refundable). BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Stamp) ScannaClub-4SR, Box 4, Pittsford, NY 14534. Jemm's, P.O Box 157, Glenview, III. 60025. ERASE DEBTS with little-known law -CREATE wealth! CLASSICAL MUSIC LOVERS' EXCHANGE. Nationwide Details FREE-WealthKit, No. DD10, Billings, N.Y. 12510. RARE ORIGINAL RECORDS. all kinds. mostly mint. 5000 link between unattached music lovers. Write CMLE. Box list $2.00. refundable. Carl. Box 828. Princeton, NC 27569 MAILOR DER OPPORTUNITY! Start profitable home 31, Pelham. NY 10803. DIRECT -DISC. DIGITAL, hall -speed mastered, DBX en- business without experience or capital. Infcrmation free. Mail Order Associates. Dept. 52, Montvale, NJ 07645. RUBBER STAMPS coded, and YSL Japanese Pressings. Send $1.00 for catalog. DISConnection. P.O Box 10705, Tampa, FL 33679. BORROW $300-$30,000 INTEREST FREE! Keep indef- RUBBER ADDRESS STAMPS, BUSINESS CARDS. Free initely! Free Details. Write: American, 1601 Main. Plain- Catalog 1-800-851-4945 Jackson's. Brownsville Road -E- RECORD COLLECTORS SUPPLIES. S.S.B. Cardboard field. Indiana 46168. 101, Mt. Vernon, Ill. 62864. jackets, 50C Plastic lined sleeves. 15C Opera boxes, 78 sleeves, etc. Postage $2.00. FREE CATALOG. VISA -MC AMAZING PROFITS SELLING How to Make Money Books! phone orders. 614-299-0476, 614-272-6715 DAY OR Details $1.00. Tom. 298"S" Sandbug Lane. North Bend, NIGHT. CABCO. 400-3. Box 8212, Columbus, Ohio 43201. OR 97459. STEREO REVIEW'S 1 PROTECT your LP's -Poly sleeves for jackets 134: Square BORROW $30,000 without interest! All eligible. Repay 1984 TAPE RECORDING Bottom Inner Sleeves 8C: Poly lined paper 155 white jack- anytime. Free details! Infohouse-508S, 533 Sutter. San ets 355 Postage $2.50. Record House. Hillburn, N.Y Francisco, CA 94102. 8 BUYING GUIDE 10931. SALES REPRESENTATIVE. Part Time -For large na- SiMPlity tional audio distributor. Knowledge of audio equipment l'lltliplileiii buying THOUSANDS of like new LPs. prerecorded tapes cata- with Stereo Ref 'lea. 198-i 'lope Recording & logue $2.50. Records. Hillburn, New York 10931. important. Many areas still open. Call 9AM to 9PM daily or till 5PM Saturdays. International Distributors, Baltimore, liurilg Guide Just send your name and ad SOUNDTRACKS -New and out -of -print film music re- MD 21206, Phone 1-301-488-9600. tires- along with EA Sit i if511" +- $I post cordings. Free listings. CINE MONDE RECORDS, 1488 ELECTRONIC REPRESENTATIVES NEEDED! Lowest age /'-undling)to: Vallejo St., San Francisco. CA 94109 possible prices!! Over 100 brands! Audio, Video. Car AUDIOPHILE ALBUMS. COMPACT DISCS! DISCOUNT Stereo. Computers. Electronic Experts. 1000 Orange Ave , TAPE RECORDING PRICES! Prompt shipping. FREE catalog. FOR THE RE- West Haven, CT 06516. & BUYING GUIDE CORD, Box 2120100. Columbus. OH 43221 CAPTURE BOOMING HOLIDAY MARKET. Huge profits, CN 1914, Morristown, NJ 07960 ORGAN AND CHORAL RECORDS. For free catalog write: Residents of CA, CO. CT DC, fl, II.. MA, MI MO, NI NY running your own stereo, video business at home. We Natc and VT add applicable sales tax Price outside t 'SA Gothic Records. P.O. Box 1576-F. Tustin, CA 92681. ss stock and ship equipment for you. Details $2.98. K.W. So JAPANESE RECORDS! Thousands of high quality Japa- nese records available, including the largest in -stock in- Egan, Box 172, Watervliet, NY 11189. ventory and an extensive special order catalog. Send $1.00 for our complete catalog, which also features imports from INSTRUCTIONS over 30 countries. Paradox Music Mail Order, 20445 Gra- YOUR OWN RADIO STATION! AM, FM, cable. licensed, mercy Place. PO Box 2896. Torrance. CA 90509. (213) 320- unlicensed, low cost transmitters! Free information. INDEXING and MICROFORM 1331. MC/VISA. AMEX. Established 1978 Broadcasting. Box 130-R10, Paradise, CA 95969. INDIANA'S FINEST JAZZ AND FOLK: REDBUD REC- BE A RECORDING ENGINEER! New classes quarterly. AVAILABLE ORDS! Send $1.00 for catalogue. 611(s) Empire Mill, Institute of Audio/Video Engineering, 1831 Hyperion. Dept Bloomington, IN 47401. VISA/MC (812) 824-2400. Imme- L. Hollywood. CA 90027. (213) 666-3003. This magazine is indexed in THE diate Delivery. MAGAZINE INDEX available MOVIE FILMS/VIDEO TAPES from Information Access Cor- 16mm SOUND Features, Shorts. New. Used for Sale. Free

Catalog. National Cinema, P.O. Box 43. Ho-Ho-Kus. NJ poration, 404 Sixth Avenue, COMPACT DISCS 07423. Menlo Park, California, and in Also: VIDEO MOVIES. Everything imaginable including adult CURRENT& HARD TO FIND entertainment. VHS -Beta -Disc. Catalog $1.00. Tower. microform from Xerox University ALBUMS & CASSETTES Dunkirk, MD 20754-0213. Microfilms, Ann Arbor, Michigan BOOKS & MAGAZINES and Bell and Howell, Micro WRITE FOR M US IC SUPERMART PO. BOX 1635 PUBLISHERS' OVERSTOCKS. BARGAIN BOOKS 2,000 Photo Div.sion, Wooster, Ohio. GIANT CATALOG RESEDA,CA. 91335 titles, all subjects! Free catalog: Hamilton's. 98-58 Clap- board. Danbury. CT 06810. ADVERTISERS' INDEX MI READER PAGE SERVICE NO ADVERTISER NUMBER

1 ADC Division BSR (USA) Ltd 18 ADS 28 Alpine Electronics of America. Inc 22-23 AMC -Renault 36 Angel/EMI Records 89 12 Audio-Technica U.S., Inc. 82

15 BASF Cover 3 Bose Corporation 63

8 Carver Corporation 24 11 Carver Corporation 45 42 Consumers Company 104 Crutchfield Corp 108

23 Dahlquist, Inc 47 DAK Industries 19 DAK Industries 29 DAK Industries 57 DAK Industries 103 DAK Industries 109 dbx, Inc 81 Delco Electronics 75 19 Denon America. Inc 89 14 Design Acoustics 96 10 Discount Music Club 26 9 Discwasher Cover 4 George Hearn as Albin as Zara Fox Marketing 58

Herman Kardon, Inc. 68 Harman Kardon, Inc. 85

La Cage aux Folles Illinois Audio 112 40 International Hi-Fi Distributors. Inc. 104 WIIFN La Cage aux Folles opened on on the album are indeed committed; the few Jack Daniel's 117 Broadway on a hot Sunday evening in I heard during the recording session were 39 J & R Music World 101 August, itnot only officially opened the done almost in a single take. Hearn's voice Jazz Direct 114 5 Jensen Sound Laboratories 10 new season; it was the new season's first sounds a little gravelly, probably because of JS&A Group 25 runaway hit, and RCA's original -cast al- pre -opening fatigue, and Barry's baritone, JS&A Group 53 bum was alreadyinManhattan record thanks to the close miking, sounds a lot JS&A Group 83 JS&A Group 97 shops (it had been recorded ten days ear- heartier than it does on stage. But the digi- lier). Based on a play by Jean Poiret that talrecording beautifully documents the 3 Kenwood Electronics 7 enjoyed a long run in Paris and that subse- heartfelt performances both of them will be Konica Audio Tape 8 4 Konica Audio Tape 9 quently served as the basis for two enor- giving eight times a week for a good while to 7 Kyocera 71 mously popular films, the musical version of come. La Cage is the product of a team of certifi- 24 LaBelle Camera & Stereo of Maine 115 Most of the rest is delivered by the towns- 25 The LAST Factory 98 able hit-makers-Harvey Fierstein (book), people of St. Tropez on the French Riv- Jerry Herman (music and lyrics), and Ar- iera-where Georges's club, itself called La 27 Maxell Corp. of America 27 thur Laurents (staging). Cage aux Folles, is located-and by the ten 32 McIntosh Laboratory, Inc 99 Twenty minutes or so into the second act, men and two women who are the club's 13 NAD USA 95 John Weiner, playing Jean -Michel, the son headliners, the "notorious and dangerous" 41 Ohm Acoustics Corp 49 of the night-club owner Georges (Gene Bar- Cagelles. In the theater there is a startling, Onkyo 43 ry), blurts out the kind of line you might amusing moment, shortly after the first -act hear from anyone's kid, something like, Phillip Morris/Players 61 curtain, when this line-up of feminine beau- 37 Polk Audio 94 "How about a little understanding and re- ties suddenly bursts into song-predomi- 46 P.R.I.C.E. 107 spect around here?" Whereupon Georges nantly in the baritone range. In the record- Radio Shack 2 points across the stage, to where Albin ing it sounds as though women's voices have RCA. International Preview Society 21 (George Hearn), his lover of long standing been added, perhaps to make it all sound R. J. Reynolds Salem 12 and top banana at his club, is seated, and more Broadway -chorus -like. If so, it was a R. J. Reynolds/Vantage 39 R. J. Reynolds/Winston 79 sings the first lines of the evening's third mistake. Another mistake, to my mind, was love song, Look Over There. The message is to tack on a reprise of the show's big, really 44 Sansui Electronics Corp. 33 that this man has been a "mother" to Jean - 43 Sansui Electronics Corp. 65 Broadway -chorus -like, sure -to -be -enduring 18 Sennheiser Electronic Corp 99 Michel and has lavished more care, consid- number, The Best of Times, at the very end 45 Shure Brothers 87 eration, and love on him than he will ever of the record. The show itself ends most ef- 22 Sony Corp Cover 2.1 Sony Corp 14 get from anyone else in his life. It's a lovely fectively with a repeat of Song on the Sand, 26 Sony Corp 15 song and a touching tribute. which in a way is the show's theme song and Sony Corp 17 It's also an old-fashioned song in a basi- probably its most memorable tune. Nothing 49 Sound Reproduction, Inc 104 20 The Source 104 cally old-fashioned musical thatisvery needs to follow it. 29 Stereo & Tape Outlet 100 much of today in that it speaks to and for a Otherwise, though, this is a must -have re- 38 Stereo Corp. of America 1 1 1 47 Studer Revox 80 cross-cultural minority in a way that no pre- cording for anyone who has seen or will ul- Studer Revox 100 vious Broadway musical has ever done. The timately see La Cage aux Folles. And that relationship between Georges and Albin will probably be about half the population. 2 Tandberg of America 88 21 Teac Corp. of America 72 and, by extension, any human love relation- -Christie Barter 6 Technics 4 ship, is at the very core of what the show is all about, and the songs that Jerry Herman LA CAGE AUX FOLLES (Jerry Herman). 16 Vivitar Corporation 66 17 Vivitar Corporation 67 has written, some of his best, are at all times Original -Broadway -castalbum. George VSP Labs 20 to the point-sometimes hauntingly tender, Hearn, Gene Barry, John Weiner, others as in Song on the Sand, and sometimes mil- (vocals); chorus and orchestra, Donald Pip- 56 Wisconsin Discount Stereo 113 itant, as in I Am What I Am. pin cond. RCA 0 HBC I -4824 $9.98, Yamaha International Corp. 30 The performances by Hearn and Barry H BE I -4824 $9.98. NOVEMBER 1983

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