Hi h osidelilq JAN. -FEB PRICE $1.00 -the IN M www.americanradiohistory.com now available on new edeir91,44, 10'/2" reel HERE'S A NEW 2500-foot reel with a number of improved design features that will appeal to many tape recordists. SOLID, ONE -PIECE CONSTRUCTION Audiotape can now be supplied on this light-weight a order, STANDARD N.A.B. HUB DIAMETER Fiberglas reel at no increase in price. For trial get in touch with your nearest Audio distributor. If he doesn't have the new reels in stock, have him contact 25% LIGHTER THAN ALUMINUM REEL our New York, Chicago or Hollywood office and we'll see that your requirements are promptly filled. HAS SMOOTHER FLANGE EDGES This is another example of how Audiotape gives you WILL NOT BEND extra value at no extra cost. Its performance speaks for itself. Output, frequency response, noise level and distortion are correctly proportioned for the most satis- RESISTS WARPING AND DISTORTION factory end result -with no compromise on quality any- where along the line. PRACTICALLY INDESTRUCTIBLE cuidiadisu AUDIO DEVICES, Inc. audiotape 444 MADISON AVE., NEW YORK 22, N.Y. -audiofilm Offices in Hollywood - Chicago u'ts Export Dept., 13 East 40th St., New York 16, N.Y., Cables "ARLAB" www.americanradiohistory.com llllnfesh There's More Tkawit from record with the C -108 Professional Audio Compensator The abundant flexibility of the beautiful new McIntosh C -108 Professional Audio Compensator assures you of the most listening pleasure from all of your records. Five bass turnover switches and five treble attenuation positions as well as variable bass and treble controls compensate for all recording curves - those in use today and any that may be used in the future. A rumble filter diminishes or completely eliminates turntable rumble, especially annoying when listening to older records. An Aural Compensator Control maintains proper bass and treble loudness when you play your system at low volume level. The C -108 for the first time combines beauty and abundant flexibility with ease of operation. FREE BOOKLET Send for illustrated brochure on record company compensa- tion curves. LABORATORY, INC. 322 Water Street Binghamton, N. Y. IIt4nfosh Export Division, 25 Warren St., New York 17, N.Y. JANUARY- FEBRUARY, I954 1 www.americanradiohistory.com NO Here's what they mean OTHER RECORD CHANGER CAN MATCH THESE FEATURES to You '.CCESSI ELE Prolongs life of records by STYLI'S PRESSURE enabling you to keep correct ?LILiSTMENT weight of stylus upon delicate grooves. AL ANCE Guarantees true tangent track- OUNTED ing, eliminating disturbing ONE ARM resonances. For your convenience, insures U'rOtlATIC STOP positive and unfailing action at end of any type record. GENTLE, The only device that insures PRECISION gentle handling of records USHER with standard center holes. No LATFO RM overhead bridge to damage or dislodge records accidentally. Perfectly meshed to insure PRECISION constant, smooth action and GBOUNC GEARS years of service. Permits safe lifting and set- PROFESSI DNAL ting down of pick -up arm when TYPE FIHCER LIFT playing records manually. Accommodates your personal NTERCHANSEABLE choice of magnetic, ceramic PLUG -IN HEADS or crystal cartridges, and pro- 154'41; IiH STYLUS tects record grooves, since LE stylus can be front. inspected for correct vertical position. Gives you versatility ...manual NUAL or automatic playing, as you POSITION prefer. Why the SWITCH The same, regardless of playing FAST speeds; means less waiting CHANGING between long playing records. "CROWN" MODEL RC90 CYCLE NO WOWS! STEPPEO PULLEY Cannot slip. Eliminates belts and guarantees smooth. even DRIVE ... WITH INTERMEDIATE turntable speed, which you VALANCED DRIVE will enjoy as perfect musical pitch. GARRARD WH: EL All 3 speeds variable and ad- FAST -SLOW justable. Guarantees perfect SPEED pitch; accurate speed settings. ADJUSTMENT Compensates for current im- perfections. WEIGHTED, Means freedom from rumble, CAL A.:Cio and constant turning speed TURNTABLE through "flywheel" action. All levers fully adjustable ... easy, inexpensive to service. WATC1I-L18E Bronze bearings at all moving CONSTRUCTION points for longer life! Unique spring suspension. Mounting holes are identical SHOCKPROOF with former Garrard models, INSTALLATION so that replacement is simple. Makes your RC90 the smooth- est, most powerful, most silent record changer ever RUMB LE -FREE! built! Weighted, balanced ar- ADVANCED HEAVY mature. No appreciable speed :MTV 4 -POLE variation regardless of number IdiTCR of records on turntable; "hot" or "cold" operation, or varia- tions in line voltage. Continuity of your music un- disturbed by extraneous noises MUTING SWITCH between records. No sound while arrn is in dranging cycle. A great high -fidelity achieve- MAGNETIC EDDY ment! Speed controlled by CURREf-T SPEED varying the field of a pair of magnets...eliminat- Engineered for the future; under rigid nudity cantr CONTROL permanent ing old- fashioned mechanical or electrical braking. NTERCHANGEABLE SPINDLES A cnmp!eL steck -r naplaeeme parts rradlly av.nl.Vrlrr. al ;dl Fr all records, all sizes..,. the. CONDENSOR- Eliminates "plop" tomos tu GJrrar-1 , ... startling e deswn, -d to he i ff...t RESISTOR noise when changer shuts off part of Ure Ur- h.l S!'.. tint, (1,M splyd Ls .irr NETWORK at end of last record. World's Finest Record Changers and Record Players GARR[ RD Garrard Sales Corporation. 164 Duane Street. New York 13, N. Y Garrard Sales Corp., Dept. HF -12, 164 Duane St., New York 13, N.Y. WRITE FOR A COMPLIMENTARY Send my copy of Sound Craftsmanship. COPY OF "SOUND CRAFTSMANSHIP" 16 pages illustrating and describing Britain's finest Name - music reproducing equipment ... the Garrard Crown ,:40111. Model RC90 Record Changer and the other products of Here, in concise, useful Address_ - - the British Industries Group. form, are facts you'll want for planning improvements and additions to your own high fidelity set. City - - Zone State www.americanradiohistory.com figh jEde JiIq T H E M A G A Z I N E F O R MUSIC LISTENERS Volume 3 Number 6 January - February 1954 AUTHORitatively Speaking 4 This Issue. It's Noted With Interest 7 nice to have new readers, and we Readers' Forum 18 seem to have a As The Editor Sees It lot. But, in a way, they constitute a prob- 33 lem, since some of them are new to high Will We Run Out of Music to Record? by Erich Leinsdorf 34 fidelity as well as the magazine of the There is a grave shortage, a noted conductor discovers, of same name, and they keep asking for a just one particular kind of music. basic run -down on it. Yet we hate to keep presenting the seasoned aficionadi with Hi -Fi Revisited, by Charles Fowler 37 the same old what- is -hi -fi story. Luckily, Is there any clear way to distinguish nowadays between however, many of the old regulars them- what is high-fidelity and what isn't? selves have been demanding something Big Noise From Methuen not too dissimilar. What they want is a 40 The decline definition, distinguishing genuine hi -fi from and rescue of a fabulous organ. the quasi variety making its appearance so WGMS Makes Money, by James G. Deane widely these days in ready -made phonograph 42 Washington, D.C., bat one of the few good-music stations radios. It suddenly occurred to Charles which stays sturdily in the black. Fowler that perhaps both these wants could be Beethoven Begins satisfied with the same article, which at Six, by Eleanor Edwards 45 he then, after considerable pressure, volun- It's a job, but sometimes a parent can instill a love of music teered to write. Called "Hi -Fi Revisited," it into a child long before the teens begin. starts on page 37. In One Ear, by James Hinton, Jr. 46 Next Issue. Roland Gelait, feature editor Harpsichordist Among the Bubble Hunters, by Fernando of the Saturday Review and lifelong record Valenti 48 Record-shopping today is a strange, new enthusiast, has written a history of the art. phonograph, to be published late this year. Records In Review 49-88 It has some fascinating chapters on little - known phonographic events and ventures. Enclosures For Loudspeakers, Part III, by G. A. Briggs 89 You'll get a prepublication look at one in Tested In The Home March. 93 Bogen Tuner and Amplifier Fisher Preamp -Equalizer and Hi -Lo Filter Martin Amplifier System Pilot FM -AM Tuner CHARLES FOWLER, Executive Editor Pfanstiehl Pickup System JOHN M. CONLY, Editor Jensen Duette ROY H. HOOPES, JR., Associate Editor Dubbings Equalizer- Checker ROY LINDSTROM, Art Director Components Corporation Turntable Contributing Editors RoY ALLISON Traders' Marketplace 132, 150 C. G. BURKE Books in Review JAMES G. DEANE 133 Professional JAMES HINTON, JR. Directory 146, 147 EDWARD T. WALLACE Music Listener's Book Shelf MANSFIELD E. PICKETT, Advertising Mgr. 148 WARREN B. SYER, Business Manager Advertising Index I51 FRANK R. WRIGHT, Circulation Manager High Fidelity Magazine is publiahed bi- monthly by Audiocom, Inc., at Great Barrington, Great Barrington Mass. Telephone: 1300. Editorial, publication, and circulation offices at: The Publishing House, Great Branch Offices (Advertising only): New York: Barrington, Mass. Subscriptions: $5.00 per year in the United States, Canada, and Room 1209, 6 East 39th Street. Telephone: American postal countries of the Pan - union. Single copies: $1.00 each. Editorial contributions will be welcomed by the editor. Murray Hill 5-6332. Fred C. Michalove, Eastern Payment for articles accepted will be arranged prior to publication. Unsolicited Manager. - Chicago: 5449 W. Augusta Blvd. Tele- accompanied manuscript. should be by return postage. Entered as second -class matter April 27, 1951 at the post office phone: Columbus 1 -1779. Charles Kline, Western Barrington, Mass., at Great under the act of March 3, 1879. Additional entry at the post office, Albany, N.