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r -L JANUARY 1984.$1.50 (e J; How to Deal with Your Audio Dealer Use an Equalizer For Better Sound Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs Equipment Test Reports Harman Kardon hk 590i AM/FM Receiver Acoustic Research's New AR Turntable Shure ML140HE Phono Cartridge Klipsch kg2 Speaker System Mitsubishi DP -103 Compact Disc Player Plus Yamaha YCT-800 Car Stereo Disc Specials The Rolling Stones Sissy Spacek Tom T Hall Bob Dylan Joe Jackson Jaco Pastorius Stephanie Mills Debussy's La Mer Bach's Goldberg Variations 20SOP AN NOIONIX31 Od IS3d3 Nr1083 ESU NOtT0 NUN8HDT18 OIA80 8W 98NOr rTo3 i60pEszz HD8 002TEP 20SCP 1I010 -S****************

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Page 1: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

r -L JANUARY 1984.$1.50

(e J;How to Deal withYour Audio DealerUse an EqualizerFor Better SoundDigital Recordings:25 Top Compact Discs

Equipment Test Reports Harman Kardon hk 590i AM/FM Receiver Acoustic Research's New AR Turntable Shure ML140HE Phono Cartridge Klipsch kg2 Speaker System Mitsubishi DP -103 Compact Disc Player

Plus Yamaha YCT-800 Car Stereo

Disc SpecialsThe Rolling StonesSissy SpacekTom T Hall Bob DylanJoe Jackson Jaco PastoriusStephanie MillsDebussy's La MerBach's Goldberg Variations

20SOP AN NOIONIX31Od IS3d3 Nr1083 ESU

NOtT0 NUN8HDT18 OIA80 8W

98NOr rTo3 i60pEszz HD8 002TEP20SCP 1I010 -S****************

Page 2: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

SANSUI, THE LEGENDIN HOME AUDIO,HITS THE ROAD.

Shift into supersound. Noother car audio shares the roadwith Sansui for pure sound, purestatus-and pure exhilaration!

Our 36 years of home audioadvancement have enabled us todesign the most intelligent caraudio in the world.

And once you've experiencedits performance, you'll feel more athome on the road with Sansui thanany other brand.

THE END OF THE ROADFOR DISTORTION

Distortion? Sansui engineersjust wouldn't hear of it. That's why

we've achieved a record low for dis-tortion in a car amplifier.

With our ASRC"" (AutomaticStereo Reception Control), you'rehome -free from multipath distor-tion and drift caused by tall build-ings, mountains and tunnels-anywhere you drive.

Sansui's computerized ASRC automatically reduces mult,-path Interference and weak signal problems.

HOLD ONTO YOUR SEATSComputer -age integrated

circuitry makes Sansui the new

super -power in car audio. It deliverstotal power from amps to speakerslike no other unit.

Whether you're mellowing outwith Sinatra or reaching exit velocitywith Hendrix, Sansui sound willexhilarate you most.

KEEP YOUR EYES ONTHE ROAD

With advanced ergonomic de-sign and soft -touch, computer -likecontrols, Sansui car audio lets youkeep your ears on the music andyour eyes on the road.

Our IC logic -controlled tapetransport with tuner/monitor doesthe work for you. So all you have todo is sit back and enjoy the supe-rior sonic performance.

Page 3: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

And 24 station pre-sets (18FM, 6 AM) give you further assur-ance that you won't be driven todistraction while driving to yourdestination.

GET BETTER HANDLING INTHE CORNERS

Sansui's versatile Fle-Axisn"speakers send music straight toyour ears, without detouring it offthe back window or letting it be ab-sorbed en route.

Powerful strontium magnetsgive you greater power handling,plus crisp, coloration -free sound,low distortion and flat, wide fre-quency response.

And waterproof cones for ourdoor speakers assure that acid rain

TEwon't distort your acid rock-or di-lute Handel's Water Music.

Sansuit exclusive Fle-Axis tweeter adds better high -frequency dispersion to a line of speakers that can blowall others off the road.

THE ULTIMATEPERFORMANCE PACKAGE

In addition to better soundquality Sansui gives you all the fea-tures found in other units. Plus in-strument lighting in a choice ofinterior -compatible Hi -Tech Greenor Luminary Orange on two of our

top models.If you believe, like we do, that

hi -tech and high -quality are a wayof life, then Sansui car audioshould be part of yours. Get it andexhilarate for the ultimate pleasuretrip.

For the name of your nearestSansui dealer, cal! or write: SansuiElectronics Corporation, Lyndhurst,NJ 07071 (201) 460-9710.Carson, CA 90746 (213) 604-7300.

51211S111_Putting more pleasure In sound

CIRCLE NO 44 ON READER SERVICE CARD

VOLUME Push BALo FADER

Fr 1

F

BASS TREBLE

;JO itiouwimmai

BAND

P SLAP

OFF/C*J

I RIGHT

AM - F

1111 1.1MONO LOCAt

Mil EliCX-910 allARTZ PLL S -r NTHESIZER CASSETTE TUNER

Page 4: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

TheRealSoundofMusic

Discover It With Radio Shack's New Equalizer /Tape Control CenterGet Your Free 1984 Catalog

184 full -color pages showwhat's really new in electronics

Mail to: Radio Shack, Dept. 84-A-094,300 One Tandy Center, Ft. Worth, TX 76102

Name

Address Apt.#

City

State Zip

Price applies at participatingRadio Shack stores and dealers

Our 10 -band graphic equalizer takes you about as close as you can get to alive performance, without leaving your living room. Ordinary broadbandtone controls simply can't compensate for distortion caused by poor roomacoustics. But with twenty narrowband linear boost/cut controls you enjoytotal command of your listening environment from 31-16,000 Hz. And youcan make your own custom -equalized recordings with the sophisticatedbuilt-in dual -tape control system. So, bring your favorite music to the s=orenear you and discover the new dimension of listening this equalizer canmake. Only S119.95, exclusively at Radio Shack.

00 g[ifFGEhA DIVISION OF TANDY CORPORATION

Page 5: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

VOL. 49, NO. 1

R (ISSN 0039-1220)

JA\UABULLETIN Christie Barter and Gordon Sell 5

SPEAKING MY PIECE William Livingstone 6

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

NEW PRODUCTS 13

TAPE TALK Craig Stark 18

AUDIO QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS Larry Klein 20

CAR STEREO Julian D. Hirsch and Christopher Greenleaf 23

TECHNICAL TALK Julian D. Hirsch 26

EQUIPMENT TEST REPORTS Hirsch -Houck Laboratories 31

AUDIO/VIDEO NEWS David Ranada 46

HOW TO USE AN EQUALIZER Craig Stark 48

HOW TO DEAL WITH YOUR AUDIO DEALER Steve Booth 53

TWENTY-FIVE TOP COMPACT DISCS David Ranada 60

BEST RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH

63DEBUSSY: LA MER; NOCTURNES David Hall

SISSY SPACEK: "HANGIN' UP MY HEART" Alanna Nash 64

J. S. BACH: GOLDBERG VARIATIONS Richard Freed 65

JOE JACKSON: "MIKE'S MURDER" Mark Peel 65

CLASSICAL MUSIC 67

ARTHUR RUBINSTEIN: "IN MEMORIAM" Richard Freed 68

A CELEBRATION OF VIOLINS Richard Freed 78

POPULAR MUSIC 79

BOB DYLAN: "INFIDELS" Steve Simels 80

THE RETURN OF TOM T. HALL Alanna Nash 84

STEPHANIE MILLS: "MERCILESS" Phyl Garland 88

THE ROLLING STONES: "UNDER COVER" Steve Simels 94

JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96

EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97

THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102

ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102

COVER Design by Borys Patchowsky: photo by Geoff Rosengarten. See pages 37and 44 for test reports on the Klipsch kg? speaker system and the MitsubishiDP -103 Compact Disc player.

1984

Michael Tilson Thomas-see page 63.

COPYRIGHT © 1983 BY ZIFF-DAVIS PUBLISHING COMPANY. All rights reserved. Stereo Review. January 1984, Volume 49, Number I. Published monthly by Ziff -DavisPublishing Company. Editorial and Executive Offices at One Park Avenue. New York, New York 10016; Telephone: 212 725-3500. Richard P. Freese, President; Selwyn Taubman,Treasurer; Bertram A. Abrams, Secretary. Also publishers of Backpacker, Boating, Car and Driver, Computers and Electronics, Creative Computing. Cyc'e, Flying. Microsystems, PC,Popular Photography. Runner, Skiing, Stereo Buyers Guide, Tape Recording & Buying Guide, and Yachting. One-year subscription rate for the United States and its possessions, $9.98;Canada. 110.98. All other countries, one-year subscription rate 114.98, cash orders only, payable in U.S. currency. Second-class postage paid at Los Angeles. California 90052 and atadditional mailing offices. Authorized as second-class mail the Post Office Department, Ottawa, Canada, and for payment of postage in cask. POSTMASTER Forms 3579 and addresschanges should be sent to Stereo Review. Circulation Department. P.O. Box 277;. Boulder, Colorado 80302. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICE. All subscription correspondence should beaddressed 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 asnew-enclosing if possible an address label from a recent issue. PERMISSIONS: Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Requests forpermission should be directed to Elizabeth Amado, Rights and Permissions, Ziff -Davis Publishing Company, One Park Avenue, New York. New York 10016.

Page 6: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

Perfect

Selection

(When thmood callsfor just theright song.)

PROGRAM

AMCS :R

COUNTER .REPEAT

REPEAT

Onkyo's Instant Song LocationEveryone has a special song

for a special moment, as our friendabove will tell you. And, Onkyo'snew TA -2044 Integra Seriescassette deck makes finding thattune easier than ever before.

That's because the TA -2044

number three,locates itand playsit. It canalso repeatthe song(or anyother) as

provides the mostadvanced Automa-tic Music ControlSystem (AMCS)you can buy. Notonly will it scan tolet you identify thenext cut, but youcan program it to in-stantly play only theone song you wantto hear. If you wantto listen to the thirdsong on a sevensong tape, all youdo is punch up theand the TA -2044

often as you wish.The TA -2044 is a three motor

cassette deck that features AutoSpace for precise spacingbetween songs when recording,Dolby B&C, Hard Permalloy head,timer standby, continuous repeatmode, and ten segment LEDmeter. As with our other new tapedecks, the TA -2044 utilizes a fulllogic, computer controlled design.That means from our low end toour high end, Onkyo cassettedecks guarantee the finest record-ing/playback performance.

So remember, when themood calls for just the right song,

there's onlyone right cas-sette deck-the OnkyoTA -2044. Butplease, don'tuse your feet.

Nobody knows more about audio than Onkyo.

For complete literature on our TA -2044, plus ournew TA -2022, TA -2033 and our Integra SeriesTA -2066 and TA -R77 with Auto Reverse, writedirectly to Onkyo.

ONKYOg200 Williams Drive, Ramsey, NJ 07446

Page 7: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

BulletinEdited by Christie Barter and Gordon Sell

BEST SELLERS: A survey by PolyGramRecords of its initial Compact Discsales shows that the two top titleswere Holst's The Planets, conductedby Herbert von Karajan, and the soundtrack of Chariots of Fire. A closethird was the music for the film Famefollowed by discs by Rush, the BostonPops, and soprano Kiri Te Kanawa.

YELLOW PERIL. Camera and film giantKodak has reserved a booth at the up-coming Consumer Electronics Show inLas Vegas, and the rumors about it areflying among tape manufacturers andvideo equipment makers. Speculationcenters on a new home movie/video tapeformat. Kodak has such marketing anddistribution clout that current tapeand VCR makers might have no choicebut to follow.

RED TAPE is decidedly unpopular withRussian audiophiles. The quality ofaudio cassettes produced by some USSRfactories is so poor that Maxell andSony cassettes are selling for twicethe price of Soviet tapes in Moscowand Leningrad. According to Billboard,a music -industry trade magazine, tapefactories in the USSR don't produceC-90 or C-120 tape because there areno machines suitable to use them. Let'em eat ferrichrome.

DIGITAL DEMO: A new CD from ElektraRecords, "The Digital Domain: A Demon-stration," explores the potential ofdigital audio technology. The soundsof jet planes, bird song, gongs, and avariety of instruments, as well as thehuman voice, illustrate the capabili-ties of the medium. A joint projectof Warner Special Products and Stan-ford University's Center for ComputerResearch in Music and Acoustics, thedisc also includes tests allowingaudiophiles to fine-tune their hi-fisystems. It is available in CD formatonly through record outlets and audiospecialty shops. Price: $18.98.

TECH NOTES: Car radios manufacturedby Chrysler Corp. will be equipped toreceive Motorola -system AM stereo.Production will begin in 1984....The

UL (Underwriters Laboratories) hascanceled plans for loudspeaker safetystandards because there would be "nobenefit to consumers." The UL speakerstandards were to have covered fireand such physical hazards as tipping....Mitsubishi plans to introduce acar stereo CD player in the fall of1984....Clarion is looking at digitaltape systems for the car....Expect thefirst VHS hi-fi systems in the latespring or early summer of this year.

ELVIS ON CD: RCA's latest CompactDisc release includes a three -disc,limited -edition set of Elvis Presleyrecordings. Called "Elvis the Legend,"the boxed set contains sixty classicElvis songs, twenty per CD. Only 5,000numbered copies will be made availableworldwide. RCA claims that "even Elvisfans without CD players will want toown this set," which lists for $75."Elvis' Golden Records," a single CD,is slated for RCA release this month.

NEW CONTRACTS: Conductor Sir GeorgSolti has signed an exclusive ten-yearcontract with London/Decca, continuingan unbroken association begun in 1947.The Chicago Symphony, which Solti hasserved as music director for almosthalf that time, signed a new five-yearagreement with the record company....Klaus Tennstedt, who is recording theMahler symphonies for Angel with theLondon Philharmonic Orchestra, hasbeen named the principal conductor andmusic director of the LP0....BernardHaitink, who is entering his twentiethyear as sole permanent conductor ofAmsterdam's Concertgebouw Orchestra,will also become Covent Garden's nextmusic director. He will succeed SirColin Davis, whose appointment endsin July 1986.

A SONG FOR DEAD WARRIORS, a contro-versial ballet by San Francisco's Mi-chael Smuin, is being shown on the PBSNetwork on January 16. The hour-longepic has music by Charles Fox, knownfor his TV music (ABC's Wide World ofSports), film scores (Paper Chase),and popular song hits (Roberta Flack'sKilling Me Softly with His Song).

Page 8: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

Speaking My Piece

With John Eargleand Porter Smith

at JBL

HAPPY 1984

VERY generation of college students=has a few books that are required

reading for anyone who wishes to beconsidered "with it," "in," "hep,""hip," or "cool." When I was in grad-uate school, you had to have readGeorge Orwell's 1984, and if you as-pired to more than the bare minimumof with-it-ness, you also had to be ableto talk about Aldous Huxley's BraveNew World.

Huxley's book was first published in1932, and Orwell's came out in 1949.Both are satirical novels that presentgloomy views of the future. The two au-thors assumed that some form of social-ist or communist totalitarianism wouldtriumph and that a powerful elite wouldharness technology and use it to domi-nate and, in one way or another, dehu-manize the rest of the population.

Both books show a world in which re-ligion and family life have been abol-ished and spiritual and moral values aredispensed with. In Brave New World allhuman conception takes place in vitro,and human embryos are developed inbottles. All strong emotions are sup-pressed by conditioning or drugs, andsexual promiscuity is not only permit-ted but required.

Like his earlier novel Animal Farm,Orwell's 1984 is a biting satire on So-viet Russia, dwelling on the grimness ofeveryday life there. In 1984 sex is re-pressed in order to make citizens moreneurotically involved with the Partyand more enthusiastic about suchthings as the annual Hate Week. Indi-vidual privacy is destroyed through theuse of electronic media, and at alltimes, through giant telescreens, BigBrother Is Watching You.

Now that the real 1984 is here, I'vejust reread Brave New World and 1984,and I was surprised to find that bothhold up well. Huxley's book is funnierthan I remembered, and, despite its de-

pressing grimness, 1984 is more touch-ing than I remembered. I read bothwith a sense of relief.

Thank God, it hasn't happened here.To be sure, our government sometimesexpresses itself in Doublethink andNewspeak, but if we leap out of bed inthe morning to do pushups or run a fewmiles, it is because we want to and notbecause orders are being barked at usthrough telescreens. Big Brother is notwatching us.

In these futurist novels Orwell andHuxley both express concern about me-chanical production of artistic works.In /984 the heroine operates novel -writing machines, and an automaticversificator grinds out sentimentalsongs.

In Brave New World, people who hadno mothers but were born out of bottlessing, "There ain't no Bottle in all theworld/Like that dear little Bottle ofmine." And the hit love song is Hug MeTill You Drug Me. It won't surprise meif either turns up on the charts tomor-row, but if we don't like them, we canalways turn them off.

In the novel 1984 the telescreen can-not be turned off. In the real 1984 whatthe electronic media offer us is an evergreater variety of program materialand formats and ever greater freedomof choice. So far, computers have pro-duced no music worth listening to, but Ihope I'm still here when the movies be-come what Huxley described as "thefeelies."

I want us all to be here at the start ofthe twenty-first century to watch re-runs of 2001: A Space Odyssey. It's gota great score composed not by comput-er but by human hands in the service ofhuman minds and hearts. As machinesare developed to behave more and morelike people, I suppose it's up to uspeople not to behave like machines.

Happy New Year. 0

Stereo ReviewPUBLISHERJ. SCOTT BRIGGS

EDITOR IN CHIEFWILLIAM LIVINGSTONEMANAGING EDITORLOUISE GOOCH BOUNDASART DIRECTORBORYS PATCHOWSKY

TECHNICAL EDITORSDAVID RANADA, GORDON SELL

MUSIC EDITORCHRISTIE BARTERPOPULAR MUSIC EDITORPAULETTE WEISS

ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITORDAVID STEIN

EDITORIAL ASSISTANTSBARBARA AIKEN, MARGARET LIDZ,ROCCO MATTERA, FRAN ROSENBLATT

DIRECTORY EDITORWILLIAM BURTON

LONDON EDITORHENRY PLEASANTS

CONTRIBUTING EDITORSCHRIS ALBERTSON MARK PEELRICHARD FREED LINCOLN PERRYPHYL GARLAND PETER REILLYCHRIS GREENLEAFDAVID HALLJULIAN D. HIRSCHGEORGE JELLINEKLARRY KLEINSTODDARD LINCOLNALANNA NASH

EBET ROBERTSCHARLES RODRIGUESERIC SALZMANSTEVE SIMELSCRAIG STARKJOEL VANCE

ADVERTISING DIRECTORBRIAN E. McCABEASSISTANT TO THE PUBLISHERJEAN ANDERSON

Editorial and Executive Offices: 212 725-3500Ziff -Davis Publishing CompanyOne Perk Avenue, New York, New York 10016National Advertising Manager: Richard J. HalpernEastern Advertising Manager Charles L. P. Watson

Midwestern Office. The Pettis Group: 312 679.11004761 West Touhy Ave., Lincolnwood, Illinois 60646Arnold S. Hoffman, Dirk E. Barenbrugge

Western Office: 213 387-21003480 Wilshire BoulevardLos Angeles. California 90010Western Advertising Manager Marge Doherty -Wilhite

Japan: lwai Trading Co., Ltd.J. S. Yagi603 Ginza Sky Heights Building18-13, Ginza 7-ChomeChuo-Ku, Tokyo, Japan 104Telephone: (03) 588-0165, 545.3908

Circulation OfficeP.O. Box 2771, Boulder. Colorado 80302

EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS must be accompanied by re-turn postage and will be handled with reasonable care;however, publisher assumes no responsibility for the re-turn or safety of art work, photography, or manuscripts.

Member Audit Bureau of Circulations

CONSUMER COMPUTERS 8 ELECTRONICSMAGAZINE DIVISIONPresident: Larry SpornVice President, Publishing Director: J. Scott BriggsVice President, Marketing: Jeff HammondVice President, General Manager: Eileen G. MarkowitzCreative Director: Peter J. Blank

ZIFF-DAVIS PUBLISHING COMPANY

President: Richard P. FriesePresident, Consumer Magazine Division: Albert S. Trains

Executive Vice President, Marketingand Circulation: Paul ChookSenior Vice Presidents: Philip T. Heffernan,Sidney Holtz, Edward D. Muhlfeld, Philip SineVice Presidents: Baird Davis, George MorrisseyTreasurer: Selwyn TaubmanSecretary Bertram A. Abrams

6 STEREO REVIEW

Page 9: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

1111111111111111111111111111111111 fill is wig.

A unique solution to a serious turntable problem:Technics turntables with the P -Mount system.

Unforturately, standard turntable design has left toomuch to chance in terms of cartridge mounting andperformance.

Tecrnics turntables with the patented P -Mounttonearm/cartridge system have changed all that. Byproviding complete compatibility between tonearm andcartridge to achieve the optimum tonearm resonantfrequency: the level at which annoying bass frequencyinterfere -ice is minimized. For the accuracy and fidelityconventional turntables can deny you.

In addition, P -Mount is a plug-in system. You'll getoutstancing performance without struggling to installthe cartrdge. There's nothing to wire. There's no longera headsrell There's no more fumbling to calibrateoverhang or stylus position. Tracking and anti -skatingadjustments have been virtually eliminated.

Just plug any P-Moun: cartricge into a Technicsstraight, low mess, high pe-forrrance tonearm, andtighten one locking screw With Technics, your recordsare now virtually immune t the g-oove wear, poorchannel separation and distortion caused by impropercartridge-to-tonearm mounting.

Technics hE-s standardi?ed all <ey specificationswith manufacturers of P -Mont cartridges: cartridgeweight, external dimensions. conrector shape, stylusposition and more. So you :an chcose from a widerange of cartridges from vi -wally every manufacturer.

The P -Mount plug-in cart-idge system. Just one ofthe many advances you'll fir d in the entire line ofsophisticated Technics turntables. Including oursurprisingly affordable nevi. qt..artz-locked series

The turntaole revolutioi continues at Technics.

TechnicsThe science of sound

C RCLE NO I ON READER SERVICE CAR)

Page 10: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

LettersPink Floyd

I must disagree in one respect withMark Peel's favorable November review ofPink Floyd's "Works." Mr. Peel thoughtthat few people under the age of thirtywould be familiar with earlier Pink Floydreleases. On the contrary: "Dark Side of theMoon" has been among the top twohundred sellers since its release, and I haveto believe that many of us between the agesof twenty and thirty have been exposed tothis classic premise album.

DAVID R. LONGWest Jefferson, N.C.

CD -Player Reviews Regarding Mike Slater's November let-ter in which he requests that STEREO RE-VIEW stop testing Compact Disc players be-cause he either doesn't want or can't affordone-talk about self-centered! I have no de-sire for a tuner or an open -reel tape deck,but I still enjoy learning about them andstill read your test reports.

Moreover, contrary to Mr. Slater's belief,there are audible differences between CDplayer models. I had the chance to try oneout at home that, to my ears anyway, had a"boomy" bass and a shrill high end. Butsince getting the model I chose, I doubt thatI've used my "regular" record player morethan a few hours.

I anxiously scan every audio publicationeach month for reviews of CD players andsoftware-and, incidentally, STEREO RE-VIEW has been sorely lacking in reviews ofthe discs.

ALFRED W. MYERSWhite Plains, N.Y.

Most of the CD's released so far appearedfirst as LP's, and noteworthy ones havebeen reviewed in these pages. But for a sur-vey of the best -sounding CD's, see the arti-cle on page 59.

"Concert -Hall Realism"I agree fully with Julian Hirsch's con-

clusion, in November's "Technical Talk,"

that home reproduction of "concert -hallsound" is impossible, but it seems to methat he left out an important argument.That is, which concert hall do you want toreproduce? Boston's Symphony Hall? NewYork's Carnegie Hall? Avery Fisher Hall-or, heaven forfend, Philharmonic Hall be-fore Mr. Fisher paid to have it rebuilt? Thehigh-school auditorium where the localcommunity orchestra plays?

While it may be argued that any "good"concert hall will do, everybody has a favor-ite hall. More important, most people havea least favorite one and would certainly notlike to hear their favorite music reproducedas if in this most -disliked hall.

Still, if someone could reproduce thesound of Boston's Jordan Hall, center or-chestra, just in front of the balcony ....

K. A. BORISKINBellingham, Mass.

Arthur C. Clarke, co-author of thescreenplay for 2001: A Space Odyssey andauthor of many science -fiction novels andstories, once formulated a "law" accordingto which "When a distinguished but elderlyscientist says something is possible, he's al-most always right; when he says somethingis impossible, he's almost always wrong."

When Julian D. Hirsch, in his Novembercolumn, supposedly "explodes" the "mythof concert -hall realism," proclaiming on thebasis of nothing more than his theories andauthority that "transporting the acousticenvironment of the concert hall to ourhomes is probably no more attainable than

WHAT YOU SEEIS WHAT YOU'LL HEAR.

STEREO REVIEW

Page 11: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

the science -fiction dream of faster -than -light travel," he's out on a limb and sawingit off.

DON F. HILLRiverside, Calif.

Elliott CarterI find it impossible to reconcile Richard

Freed's appraisal of Elliott Carter's NightFantasies, reviewed in November, with therecognition Mr. Carter has received formuch earlier and better works. It would beunwise to consider Night Fantasies a seri-ous, musical, or interesting contemporarypiece; it is simply prolix, an attribute char-acteristic of much of Carter's work-for in-stance, the Concerto for Orchestra, theSymphony of Three Orchestras, and the Pi-ano Concerto.

H. R. CROWELLNewark, N.J.

CD Program Lengths Larry Klein's response to a questionabout Compact Disc playing times in Octo-ber's "Audio Q. and A." was overly polite.Mr. Klein said that we do not get the fullpotential seventy-five minutes of music onCD's because of "... disc -manufacturingproblems and program -material limita-tions...." I cannot speak about the manu-facturing problems, but "program -materiallimitations" is pure wind. Before buying myCD player, I taped my LP's, and I can as-sure you that I do not have any tape with

more than three minutes blank on eitherside. If I, with my limited library, can man-age to fill up every recording I make, surelya record company can do as much fortheirs.

The few CD's I now have average onlyforty-five minutes -60 per cent of capacity.Why? The reason is obvious: forty-five min-utes is the optimum playing time for an LP.Longer playing times do create manufac-turing problems for analog discs as thegrooves get closer together. Longer playingtimes for cassettes mean more tape and in-creased cost, so it made sense to limit themtoo. But neither of these excuses serves forCD's. It is just that it's convenient for therecord companies, not their customers, tohave exactly the same program in all threeformats. Thus CD buyers are still sufferingfrom the limitations of the LP. At morethan $20 per CD, this is an outrage.

The additional material to fill out a CDwould not necessarily have to be new oreven digitally recorded. Some unusual pieceout of the record company's vaults would befine. It would cost them nothing except per-haps additional royalty payments to theperformers, and many fine works mightfind their way onto CD's in this manner andin no other. If I don't like the choice, I caneasily program i: out.

WILLIAM G. NABORMission Viejo, Calif.

Thank you for David Ranada's interest-ing article about Compact Discs in Novem-ber. Now I have another question: Will any

CD's be released with reduced playingtimes, something ike 45 -rpm singles?

L. CHORNYBronx, N.Y.

We know of no such plans, and it wouldhardly seem a cost-effective move.

Simels vs. Plant In reviews of Led Zeppelin albums and,more recently, of Robert Plant's two solo al-bums, Steve Simels goes to great pains tosay how much he dislikes both Led Zeppe-lin and Mr. Plant. His October review ofPlant's "The Principle of Moments" reallypoints up his prejudice. I don't think Mr.Simels is prepared to give Robert Plant afair shake no matter what he records.

GREG WINMILLBrandon, Manitoba

Macrocomponents Numerous issues of STEREO REVIEW be-fore 1983 have had pictures of Larry Klein,at the head of his "Audio Q. and A." col-umn. posing with rather large versions ofaudio and video equipment, but in 1983only the October issue has such a picture.This raises several serious questions: Whywere the Japanese producing such equip-ment? Why was then -Technical Director(now Contributing Editor) Klein shownposing with it? And why haven't we seensuch pictures in recent months?

Information just made known to me indi-

What you'll hear is all of it. Everytwang, toot, oom-pah-pah and crack.Konica Audio Tape will get it down andget it right. The first time. Everytime.Because not only is the reproductionabsolutely flawless, so is the qualitycontrol.

In fact, we're so sure that if for anyreason you're not happy with ourtape, we'll replace it free of charge.

After over a century of precisioncoating experience, we've gotten pretty

good at laying down magnetic materialwith incredibl? consistency. Free fromdropouts, and delivering rich, powerfuldynamic range.

Konica offers four types of audiotapes for all types of recording situa-tions. So when you want to hear every-thing you see, make sure you see yournearest Konica dealer.

KONICA AUDIO VIDEO DIVISIONKONISHIROKU PHOTO IND USA. INC

440 SYLVAN AVE ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS. N J 07632

Konica111E. =MIMI 11111MB=M11 ME I

111111111111M111111111M110MIIIIIIIIMEM111111111111111Ulna mearmirrom tIN.Z.MBINIIIIIII...71116:a1MO IN I

(IfIAND MASTER .1

KONICA AUDIO TAPE.IT INES UP TO YOUR

IMAE IATION:

JANUARY 1984

CIRCLE NO. 4 ON READER SERVICE CARO

9

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The leader in equalizersstill stacks up best

with improved specs,more features and a new look.ADCs new line of Sound Shapers° prove that the best just got better.

Again. Our stereo frequency equalizers ircorporate the superb electronics.reliability, and high performance technology that have made ADC famous.Plus we've improved them with new refinements that offer you more controland a new design that makes them look as good as they function.

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 eachfrequency control is an extra wide ± 15 dB. far more than the 12 dB of lesserequalizers. Tape monitoring and twoway dubbing capabilities for two decksare available. LED indicators for each control let you see the selected fre-quency curve at a glance. The SS -315 includes a built-in real-time spectrumanalyzer. pink noise generator and calibrated electret microphone enablingydu to attain flat response in minutes. Other features include externalnoise reduction and sound processor loops to accommodate time de-lay. subharmonic synthesizer. dynamic range expander or reverbunits. There's also a subsonic filter that gets rid of damaging.power -robbing subsonic frequencies.

The other models in our Sound Shaper Inc offer thesame fine ADC quality, with similar features geared toyour equalization and budget needs.

If you've been waiting for the right stereD fre-quency equalizer for your system. don't waitany longer. With ADC Sound Shapers. theodds are stacked in your favor. (And ifyou're into video, be sure to see andhear what our new ADC VideoSound Shapers can do to improyour video performance.)

Frequency Cr0Equalizers Cr06,{ ' 04II ,1,41

41f1. , r,It '.

olifill4.

40,:t1 1

Tic

14

Shaping sound is as easy as A DADC Division BSR IUSA) Ltd.. Blauvelt. N.Y. 1091319141358-6060© 1983

AIL

cates that the Japanese are/were manufac-turing these items in order to exploit a vastnew market, that of the Yeti or AbominableSnowmen. Granted that this market issomewhat undeveloped, the potential for in-credible profits exists. The need for in-creased -size components is obvious giventhe physical stature of the Yeti and theirunfamiliarity with small, fragile, highlytechnical objects. The Japanese hoped tobring them into the modern world quite rap-idly and make them good consumers.

The Chinese, however, being reluctant toaccept most outside influences, initiallybarred the import of these items for theYeti (who dwell in Chinese -controlledMongolia), calling such plans "silly and im-perialistic." The Japanese persevered andjust last February were granted the right toexport macrocomponents into China for theYeti market. This explains the long absenceof photos of Mr. Klein with such equipmentand the subsequent appearance of one inOctober.

Please keep us posted-and keep the pho-tos coming.

THOMAS HENKEWest Lafayette, Ind.

Martha of the Muffins Just a quick note about a slight mistake(November, page 102): the great vocalist ofMartha and the Muffins is Martha Johns-ton, not Martha Davis (who's with theMotels). Personally, I found the group's"Danseparc" to be a great LP!

ED MCDOWDDKalispell, Mt.

On Your ToesI was pleased to read that Peter Reilly

enjoyed the revival -cast recording of OnYour Toes (November). He must have beenso taken, however, with the "translucent"rendition of Quiet Night that he neglectedto note that it is sung, on stage and on therecording, by Michael Vita, not Lara Teeter.

STEVEN J. PAGGIOLINew York, N.Y.

Renaissance In his November review of "Time -Line"b) the group Renaissance, Mark Peel de-scribes the performance as "floundering."While he gives some recognition to thebeautiful blend of classical, folk, and rockelements that distinguished the Renais-sance of old, he can't seem to accept thegro'up's natural progression to a more mod-ern sound. All of the old musical elementsare still there-they've just been arrangeddifferently and added to by a harder andmore electronic rock style. Renaissance hasaccomplished what few groups have everdone: changing to a refreshing new soundwhile actually increasing the quality oftheir music.

PIERRE KENYONDeSoto, Tex.

Correction Our November 1983 test report on theInfinity RS6 speaker system incorrectlystated the price. The suggested retail priceis $299 per speaker.

10CIRCLE NO. 2 ON READER SERVICE CARD

STEREO REVIEW

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Why this is the tape that sets the standard.JVC sets the standard for all VHS film. Using a new binding system, we higher color S/N ratio; with our new

videotapes, no matter who makes coat the film with super -fine magletic Super HG tape, the improvement isthem. particles, which improves the packing 4.0 dB.

That's the way it has been ever since density of the coating. Our own unique Ail three grades of JVC videotape,JVC engineers originated the format for dispersion process makes the coating including our Standard formulation,VHS videocassette recorders. more uniform and sharply reduces the belefit greatly from JVC's extensive

That's why we feel a special respon- occurrence of drop -out. pioneering research in VHS tape-to-sibility- for manufacturing our own The result is videotape that provides head dynamics.brand of VHS videotape at the highest a continuously stable picture, wth So no matter which grade of video -possible quality level. clear, pure colors. tape you prefer, now you know how to

For our HG and Super HG videotapes, Compared with JVC's own reference pick the brand that sets the standardthe process begins with a polyester -base tape, our new HG tape has a 2.3 dB for all the others.

JVC®JVC JVC JVC JVC JVC JVC JVCJVC COMPANY OF AMERICA Magnetic Tape Division, 41 Slater Drive, Elmwood Pcrk, NJ 07407 JVC CANADA INC, Scarborough. Ont.

CIRCLE NO 7 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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414

1

...Marlboro Red or Longhorn littrs-

you get a lot to like.

c Phihp Morris Inc 198317 mg 'tar," nc nicotine av

per cigarette, FTC report Mar '83

Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined

That Cigarette Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health.

Page 15: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

flew ProductsLatest Audio Equipment and Accessories

Programmable LuxmanCompact Disc Player

Luxman's DX -104 front -loading Com-pact Disc player can be programmed toplay up to eight selections on a disc in any

order. The programmed track and indexnumbers can be recalled to confirm what isin the memory. Frequency response is givenas 5 to 20,000 Hz ±0.3 dB. The DX -104measures 161/2 x 53/4 x 133/4 inches. Price:$1,200. Luxman Division, Alpine Electron-ics, Dept. SR, P.O. Box 2859, Torrance,Calif. 90509.

Circle 120 on reader service card

Seven NewADS Speakers0 ADS has introduced a line of sevenspeaker systems that are said to offer im-proved performance at lower prices than thecompany's previous models. The systemswere designed for smooth, flat response andare said to be capable of reproducing themost demanding digital program material.All the speakers have proprietary Stifflitewoofers, frameless metal grilles, and flushdriver mounting to eliminate diffraction ef-fects. Nominal impedance of all models is 8

ohms. Sensitivity specifications range from87 to 89 dB sound -pressure level measuredat 1 meter with a 1 -watt input.

The new line ranges from the bookshelf -sized L470 (shown), with a 7 -inch wooferand a 1 -inch woven soft -dome tweeter, to

the top -of -the -line L1290, which has two 8 -inch woofers in cast baskets, a 2 -inch mid-range positioned for optimum dispersion ata seated listener's ear level, and a 3/4 -inchtweeter. Rated frequency responses rangefrom 50 to 20,000 Hz ±3 dB for the L470to 20 to 23,000 Hz ±3 dB for the L1290.Available finishes are walnut veneer ormatte -black heavy laminate. Prices per pairrange from $319 for the L470 in either fin-ish to $1,299 for the L1290 in walnut,$1,259 in black. ADS, Dept. SR, OneProgress Way, Wilmington, Mass. 01887.

Circle 121 on reader service card

Blaupunkt Car RadioGives Traffic News0 The Sacramento model car stereo AM/FM/cassette player from Blaupunkt is thecompany's first self -amplified (7 watts per

channel) electronically tuned model withAutomatic Radio Information (ARI) re-ception capabilities. Currently broadcast byselected FM stations in New York City,Philadelphia, Detroit, and Trenton, NewJersey, and scheduled for operation inSouthern California by this spring, ARI

e, [ 81111104100 3

elle; .4 r

enables motorists to hear important trafficbulletins even if a cassette is playing or thecar stereo is shut off.

The Blaupunkt Sacramento combines astereo radio with an auto -reverse cassetteplayer in a mini -sized chassis. Cassettes aremotor -loaded and ejected automaticallywhen the system is turned off. The Sacra-mento offers electronic station search, six

Carver ReceiverCombines

Amplifier, TunerInnovations

0 The new digital -synthesis AM/FMstereo receiver from Carver Corporationcombines technological innovations firstintroduced in the company's power -am-plifier and FM -tuner components. TheMagnetic Field power -amplifier sectionprovides 130 watts per channel withoutthe need for heavy heat sinks or largepower capacitors. The AsymmetricalCharge Coupled FM detector in the tun-er section affords a usable sensitivity instereo of 16.3 dBf (1.78 microvolts) witha 75 -ohm antenna. The FM detector isclaimed to eliminate the distortion,noise, and hiss caused by weak signalsand multipath snterference without sac-rificing stereo separation.

The receiver has phono, video/digital,auxiliary, and two tape inputs. There aresix station presets, each usable for bothAM and FM. There is a front -panelswitch for dubbing from either of twotape decks to the other. The three tonecontrols have adjustment ranges of ± 10dB at 100 Hz (bass), ±6 dB at 1,500 Hz(midrange), and ± 10 dB at 10,000 Hz(treble). There are front -panel controls

for FM mutng, an AM noise filter, andloudness compensaticn as well as a ster-eo headphone jack. Displays includepower levels for each channel, frequen-cy, and signal streng:.h.

Total harmonic distortion at ratedpower into 8 ohms is gi-en as 0.05 percent, intermodulation (IM) distortion as0.1 per cent (SMPTE); transient IMdistortion is said to be below measurablelimits. Frequency response of the ampli-fier section is 20 to 20,300 Hz ±0.05dB. FM tuner specifications (with thecharge -coupled detector switched in) in-clude a stereo 50 -dB quieting sensitivityof 23 5 dBf 14 microvolts), stereo signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of 85 dB at 85 dBfinput, and channel separation of 30 dBat 100 Hz, 45 dB at 1,000 Hz, and 25 dBat 10.000 Hz. Phono S/N (referred to 5millivolts) is 80 dB, and preamplifier -section frequency response is 20 to20,000 Hz ±0.5 dB. Price: $699. CarverCorporation, Dept. SR, 14304 N.E.193rd Place, Woodinville, Wash.98072.

Circle 122 on reader service card

JANUARY 1984 13

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flewProductsstation presets, and a digital time/frequen-cy display. A low-level output jack is pro-vided for attaching an external power am-plifier. A power fader, four-way balancecontrol, and four speaker -output plugs ena-ble use with two pairs of speakers. Price:$399.95. Blaupunkt Division, Robert BoschSales Corp., Dept. SR, 2800 South 25thAvenue, Broadview, Ill. 60153.

Circle 123 on reader service card

Audio / Video FurnitureFrom Custom Woodwork0 The 21 -inch Woodmore cabinet (shown)from Custom Woodwork & Design can ei-ther be used as part of a modular wall sys-

em or by itself as a stand for a turntable,TV, tape deck, etc. with space for two morecomponents on the inside. The inner shelf isfully adjustable, and the unit featuresbronze -tempered glass doors and chromehardware and casters. It measures 21 x 24 x19 inches.

The Woodmore entertainment table canalso be used either as part of a system oralone to provide storage space for severalhundred LP's. Optional features include apull-out cassette drawer, glass doors, andslide -out shelves. The ET 9000 is hand fin-ished and measures 16 x 4714 x 19 inches.Hand -finished wood doors with shaped orfully adjustable handles are available for allCW &D cabinets.

Prices: Woodmore 21 -inch cabinet, $235in natural or dark oak, $275 in natural wal-nut; Woodmore entertainment table, $320in natural or dark oak, $395 in natural wal-nut; wood doors, $85 in natural or dark oak.

Custom Woodwork & Design, Dept. SR,7447 South Sayre Avenue, Bedford Park,III. 60638.

Circle 124 on reader service card

Technics EqualizerHas Real -Time Analyzer0 The SH-8055 graphic equalizer fromTechnics includes a real-time spectrumanalyzer and a pink -noise generator. Thetwelve -band equalizer has center frequen-

cies at 25, 40, 63, 100, 160, 250, 500, 1,0002,000, 4,000, 8,000, and 15,000 Hz. Thecontrol range is switchable from ± 12 to±3 dB. Each slider has an LED in its knobfor easy visibility of the selected eqaaliza-tion curve. Other features include level indi-cators, volume -level display, and tape -mon-itoring loops for two decks. The use of band-pass filter circuitry is said to prevent distor-tion and noise. Rated total harmonic distor-tion is no more than 0.005 per cent, and thesignal-to-noise ratio is at least 108 dB.Price: $340. Technics, Dept. SR, One Pana-sonic Way, Secaucus, N.J. 07094.

Circle 125 on reader service card

Circuitry inNew Sansui Receivers

Sansui's new Z -9000X, Z -7000X, Z -5000X (shown), and Z -3000X AM/FMstereo receivers all feature the company'sSuper Feedforward distortion -reductioncircuitry. This system, which combines neg-ative feedback with feedforward in the pow-er -amplifier section, is claimed to reduce to-tal -harmonic, intermodulation, transient-intermodulation, crossover, switching, and"envelope" distortions to a greater degreethan systems using only negative feedbackcan achieve. The four digital quartz -synthe-sis receivers also all have fluorescent fre-quency/time displays, automatic or manualtuning, sixteen station presets, preset scan-ning, and preset station indicators. Thebuilt-in digital clocks are connected to athree -event timer.

All four models have peak power meters(with fluorescent indicators in the Z -9000X

and Z -7000X, LED's in the Z -5000X andZ -3000X). Three pairs of speakers can behandled by the Z -9000X, two pairs by theother models. The Z -9000X and Z -7000Xhave microphone mixing and built-in mov-ing -coil -cartridge pre -preamplifiers. The Z -9000X has a built-in seven -band graphicequalizer and a reverberation amplifier

with adjustable echo decay (from 0 to 3 sec-onds), and the Z -7000X has a four -bandtone -control system.

The Z-9000X's rated output into 8 ohmsis 130 watts per channel (rms) from 20 to20,000 Hz with no more than 0.005 per centtotal harmonic distortion (THD). The Z -7000X is rated for 100 watts per channelunder the same conditions. The Z -5000X israted at 70 watts with no more than 0.007per cent THD, the Z -3000X at 55 wattswith no more than 0.008 per cent THD.Phono signal-to-noise ratio (S/N) is 82 dBin the Z -9000X and Z -7000X; auxiliaryS/N is better than 95 dB in the Z -5000Xand Z -3000X. Prices: Z -9000X, $960; Z -7000X, $800; Z -5000X, $500; Z -3000X,$400. Sansui Electronics Corp., Dept. SR,1250 Valley Brook Avenue, Lyndhurst,N.J. 07071.

Circle 126 on reader service card

Hitachi Cassette DeckAdjusts Head Azimuth0 The D-RV7 auto -reverse cassette deckfrom Hitachi has a record/playback headthat is automatically repositioned for op-timal azimuth alignment on both sides of acassette. The deck uses three computer -con-trolled motors: one for shifting the head, a

second for driving the capstan, and a thirdfor driving the reel hubs. The auto -reversemechanism is activated by an infrared sen-sor that detects the leader at the end of acassette side.

The D-RV7 can be programmed to playselections in any order on either side of atape. A multiple -repeat function allows in-definite playback of a section between anytwo points on a tape, even if they are ondifferent sides. The deck can also be pro-grammed to sample the first few seconds ofeach track. Wow -and -flutter is specified as0.04 per cent (wrms), frequency response as20 to 19,000 Hz with metal tape, and sig-nal-to-noise ratio as 68 dB with Dolby -Band 74 dB with Dolby -C. Price: $229. Hita-chi Sales Corp. of America, Dept. SR, 401West Artesia Boulevard, Compton, Calif.90220.

Circle 127 on reader service card

Time -Aligned DriversIn Small B&W Speaker0 The woofer and tweeter of B& W'sDM17 Limited speaker system are timealigned to each other so that, aided by acomputer -optimized fourth -order crossover,they are said to produce a perfectly coher-ent and symmetrical wavefront. The 150 -millimeter woofer, vertically aligned withthe tweeter, has a Bextrene thermoplasticcone that is heavily damped with polyvinylacetate compounds. The 26 -millimeterdome tweeter on top of the enclosure is

14 STEREO REVIEW

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made from woven polyester filaments. Thecabinet measures 16 inches high, 83/4 incheswide, and 101/2 inches deep; it is constructedfrom 12 -millimeter -thick high -density par-ticle board laminated with 6 -millimeter bi-

tuminous pads. There is a 19 -millimeter -thick front baffle to ensure an almost totallyinert enclosure with low resonance. Avail-able finishes are walnut or black -ash ven-eer. The speaker weighs about 20 pounds.

Each pair of DM17 Limited speakers iscomputer matched within ±0.5 dB. Therated on -axis anechoic frequency responseat 2 meters is 85 to 20,000 Hz ±2 dB. Sen-sitivity is rated at 85 dB sound -pressure lev-el (SPL) with a 1 -watt, 300 -Hz sine -waveinput measured at 1 meter. Minimum rec-ommended amplifier power is 40 watts;there is no upper limit because an electronicoverload -protection circuit limits the SPLto 106 dB (1,000 -Hz input measured at 1

meter). Price: $790 per pair; optional stands(shown), $60 per pair. Anglo-AmericanAudio, Dept. SR, P.O. Box 653, Buffalo,N.Y. 14241.

Circle 128 on reader service card

New MOSFET AmplifierFrom Soundcraftsmen The A2801 power amplifier fromSoundcraftsmen, intended to meet the highcurrent demands of Compact Disc players,is designed for high dynamic headroom as

well as high continuous power. Rated at 140watts per channel into 8 ohms and 205watts into 4 ohms, the A2801 will operatecontinuously into as little as 2 ohms withouttriggering the protective circuitry, whichdoes not use current limiting. Separate

front -panel indicators for each channellight up when a distorted waveform is de-tected, and a third LED indicates when theprotection circuitry has been activated.

Speaker connectors are heavy-duty five -way binding posts. The A280I can be rackmounted and has large carrying handles.Oak- or walnut -veneer side panels are op-tional. Price: $549. Soundcraftsmen, Dept.SR, 2200 South Ritchey, Santa Ana, Calif.92705.

Circle 129 on reader service card

Koetsu Tone Arm NeedsNo Antiskating Gear The SA -1100D Mark II tone arm fromKoetsu features a tri-pivot lateral balancesystem-a three-point gimbal -suspensionsystem employing both center and side sup-

ports-that is said to eliminate the need foran antiskating mechanism. A vertical bal-ance system that supports the total weightof the tone arm and its bracket on a singlecenter pivot is said to reduce vertical vibra-tions to below audible levels. To minimizeresonance, the fulcrum is placed at a levelslightly above the tone arm's center, and forsmoother operation the needle side pivotsride in friction -reducing housings contain-ing five ball bearings. For precise armmovement, the special alloy used in the pi-vots is polished to extremely close toler-ances. Price: $700. D & K Imports, Inc.,Dept. SR, 146 East Post Road, WhitePlains, N.Y. 10601.

Circle 130 on reader service card

Lower -Priced TechnicsCompact Disc Player The Technics SL -P7, one of the compa-ny's "second -generation" digital CompactDisc players, contains many of the samefeatures as the higher -priced SL -P8. TheSL -P7 is also a front -loading design with amotor -driven slide -out disc compartment.Its SEARCH/INDEX keys can be used eitherfor fine cueing with audible playback atthree times normal speed or for coarse cue-

ing at thirty times normal speed without au-dible playback, and they can also be used toaccess index points on specially coded discs.Other controls include SKIP keys to jumpahead or back to the previous or next selec-tion, a REPEAT key for repeating one selec-tion or a whole disc, PAUSE/STOP, and PLAY.A fluorescent digital display shows the total

I

number of tracks, total playing time, thetrack being played, elapsed time, and index -point data.

Unlike the SL -P8. the SL -P7 lacks a re-mote -control unit, thirty -two -selection pro-grammed playback, and a headphone out-put. Both units use the three new integratedcircuits Technics developed for digital de-coding. They also incorporate the propri-etary Technics Ultra Super Decoding Algo-rithm, said to improve error correction anderror concealment. Price: $700.

Circle 131 on reader service card

Aloine's Auto -ReverseAM / FM / Cassette Players

Two new in -dash AM/FM/cassetteplayers from Alpine Electronics, the Mod-els 7155 (shown) and 7154, feature auto-matic tape reverse and automatic dimmingof the six station -preset buttons and the cas-sette loading -slot light. The cassette sec-tions of each unit feature cobalt heads forfrequency response up to 16,000 Hz in bothdirections and have music sensors to cue upthe beginning of the next or the previous se-lection. Other features include selectablemetal/chrome equalization, a digital clock,and separate bass and treble controls.

In addition, the Model 7155 has an on/

off switch for output to a subwoofer; in theon position, frequencies below 80 Hz go tothe subwoofer, and in the off position allfrequencies go to all speakers. Model 7155also offers both Dolby -B and Dolby -C noisereduction and has a special noise suppressorfor FM. Prices: Model 7155, $399.95; Mod-el 7154, $349.95. Alpine Electronics ofAmerica, Dept. SR, P.O. Box 2859, Tor-rance, Calif. 90509.

Circle 132 on reader service card

NOTE All product descriptions and specifi-cations quoted in these columns are basedon materials supplied by the manufacturers.who will respond directly to reader requestsfor further information.

Domestic inflation and fluctuations in thevalue of the dollar overseas affect the priceof merchandise imported into this country.Please be aware tnat prices quoted in thisissue are therefore subject to change.

JANUARY 1984 15

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IP

"EVERY ALPINE/LUXMANPRODUCT COMES WITH AVERYSPECIAL FEATURE:AN ALPINE/LUXMAN DEALER'

Anyone who knows audio will tellyou there's something special aboutthe way Alpine Car Audio and LuxmanHigh Fidelity products perform. Andin the way they look. And even adifference in the way their controls feelwhen you touch them.

But that's just part of what makesus unique.

The other difference is in the spe-cial people who sell, install and serviceour products.

You see, Alpine Car Audio andLuxman High Fidelity componentsare available only at a select number ofdealers: Audio specialists, whose per-formance standards are as selective asthose which we set for ourselves.

So it isn't enough to be knowl-edgeable about electronics. Every oneof our dealers is also hand-picked forthe way he works with people.

Which is why your Alpine/Luxmandealer will go out of his way to treatyou like a valued client, instead ofa customer.

And why he'll work with you to

-Reese Haggott,Executive VP/General ManagerAlpine Electronics of America

help design the Alpine Car or LuxmanHigh Fidelity System that's exactlyright for your particular listeningenvironment.

And why he'll also go to the timeand effort to install your system so thatit performs to your expectations.

And why he'll make himself availableto answer any question along the way.

If you have a question or an ideayou'd like to share, please get in touchwith me at 1-80o-411-1184.

The way we look at it, we wantyou to feel good about Alpine/Luxmanproducts.And thoseof us whobring themto you.

ALPINE /LUXMANAUDIO SPECIALISTS

For the Alpine/Luxman dealer nearest you, call: 1-- R00-4 11-I 395. In California call: 1-8°o-262.-4150.Alpine/Luxman Electronics of America, 19145 Gramercy Place, Torrance, CA 90501

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Tape Talk

Play or Store?n To reduce print -through and tape%.4 sticking I play each of my cassettesevery six months whether I listen to themor not. Several people (you included) havesaid, however, that each playing removessome high frequency information becausethe tape is squeezed between the capstanand the pinch -roller. Which is more harm-ful to the sound on the tape, long-term stor-age or regular playing? My tapes arestored "tail out," protected from tempera-ture extremes and direct sunlight, and leftin their plastic cases w keep dust out. Also,the heads on my recorder are kept cleanand demagnetized.

GARY R. CHASERedding, Calif.

AIf I were as meticulous about my tapesas you evidently are, I'd stop worry-

ing about very small high -frequency lossesthat will be spread over many years! Thoselosses will probably even amount to lessthan those affecting your own high -fre-quency hearing abilities as you age.

"Exercising" a tape by playing it everysix months or so is a good idea since itrelieves internal stresses that may havebuilt up because of slight changes in theplastic materials of both tape and shell.Rewinding a tape just before playing it low-ers print -through, at least temporarily,which is one reason professionals store theirtapes "tail out" (played but not rewound).But because cassettes are usually recordedon both sides and because print -throughtends to be a greater problem for open -reeltapes, tail -out storage is less important forcassettes. What is important is to storetapes of any kind (video as well as audio) ina played condition, not a fast -wound condi-tion. This is because high-speed windingcan cause uneven tensions within the tapepack and often leaves a number of danger-ously exposed tape edges.

The gradual deterioration in high-freqen-cy response caused by repeated playings isless predictable than I would wish. On theone hand, as far back as 1967 those incharge of the Ampex Corporation's open -reel test -tape production reported that "atest tape which has been carefully handledand played 50 times will have a loss of 0.5 to

2 dB at 0.5 mil wavelength (15 kHz at 7.5ips). For 100 plays, the loss may be about3.5 dB at short wavelengths [high frequen-cies]" (Journal of the Audio EngineeringSociety, April 1967). At a 7'/2-ips speed, 15kHz is the equivalent, in terms of wave-length, of 3,750 Hz at the 17/8-ips cassettespeed, and higher frequencies on cassetteswould be even more fugitive. Some tape -

deck manufacturers' factory setup instruc-tions call for replacement of high -frequencycalibrated alignment tapes after only ten totwenty-five playings.

Yet with today's cassette tapes these"magnetostrictive" high -end losses (whicharise, as you indicate, from pressing thetape around a small radius) are nowherenear as great as earlier data would predict.Improved magnetic particles-smaller insize and better shaped-are one reasontoday's slow -speed tapes hold their high fre-quencies better than their predecessors did.Magnetostrictive and even simple storagelosses are still a serious consideration whenit comes to videotapes, whose high -frequen-cy requirements extend far above those ofaudio cassettes, but 18 -kHz losses on myBASF IEC-standard test tapes have yet tobecome apparent after twenty-five to fiftyplayings. With less carefully made and han-dled tapes, however, some treble losses mustbe expected from both playing and storage,though how much of a loss and how long itwill take to show up are not currentlypredictable.

Dubbing Car Cassettesn I have several questions about making.14 copies of my cassettes for my carsystem. What specs are the most importantin a deck to be used for the dubbing?Should I use the better deck for recordingthe copies or for playing the originals? IsDolby -C important, even though my cur-rent deck doesn't have it, and should I useDolby -B for the copies?

GEORGE R. MADDEN, JR.Williamstown, N.J.

ATwo general considerations should beborne in mind when you think about

dubbing cassettes for a car system. First, allanalog copying processes involve a loss in

quality (especially in wow -and -flutter andin signal-to-noise ratio), and these losses aremore likely to be evident when dubbingfrom another cassette than if the sourcewere an LP, open -reel tape, digital Com-pact Disc, or FM broadcast. This is becausethe noise and the wow/flutter spectra of twocassettes are likely to be very similar andthus will reinforce each other. But, with afew exceptions, the audio performance ofautomobile tape players is low enough thatcopying losses are likely to be the least ofyour worries!

Because most auto players have rapidlydiminishing response beyond about 10 kHz,high -end response is not the most importantspecification if you're dubbing for the car,though it is, of course, very important incopying for a home hi-fi system. Wow -and-

flutter figures for car systems tend to beabout twice as high as for home players(sometimes nearly unlistenably high for mywow -sensitive ears), so you should keep thisspec as low as you can afford in the copyingdeck. Noise build-up in the copy is inevita-ble, so you should obviously add as little aspossible. For home dubbing this probablymeans recording the copy using Dolby -C ordbx; for the car, however, this is impracticalsince while most of today's car players haveDolby -B, very few offer Dolby -C or dbx. Sodon't use Dolby -C or dbx for your copiesunless your car player is one of thoseequipped for them (outboard dbx decodersare available, however).

As for which machine to use as the playerand which as the recorder, I'd use the high-er -quality deck for recording unless youhave reason to believe that the other deck isespecially poor in playback performance.

Worn HeadsQI recently acquired a used open -reel

tape deck about one and a half yearsold. Already, however, there is a noticeable"groove" across the head faces from tapewear. While I haven't observed any obviousdegradation in sound quality, can you tellme: How much wear is tolerable? Whethera worn head will damage tapes? Andwhether, at $20 for each of the three heads,it's worth having them relapped ratherthan buying new ones?

THOMAS SHERWOODSJAFB, N.C.

AIn judging when to replace open -reelheads I've always followed a rather

literal "rule of thumb." If you can catchyour fingernail on the edge of the weargroove, the time to act has come. Wornheads can indeed damage the edges of thetape, since tape width is never absolutelyconstant. Edge damage will lead to erratichigh -frequency performance, especially inthe left channel.

Relapping heads (smoothing and repol-ishing them with abrasives) is always achancy business with consumer decks sincethe head faces are not as deep as those inprofessional recorders. Based on my experi-ence, at least, the odds are about two to onethat you'll get away with relapping a con-sumer head once; after that, forget even try-ing. Since I don't know what new headswould cost from your deck's manufacturer,I don't know whether I'd take the risk. 0

18STEREO REVIEW

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READER SERVICE CARE

Page 22: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

ADVERTISEMENT

PerreauxQ. and A.New Zealandn Why are Perreaux audio components..1( . made in New Zealand?

A Because the commute to anywhere. else would have been murder on

Peter Perreaux.

Highest Qualityn Why does Perreaux design and man-

ufacture the world's highest qualityaudio components?

A. Somebody had to.

Pure Gold Circuit Boardn Why is the Perreaux circuit board

. plated with 99.9% pure gold?

ABecause there wasn't much of a cost. advantage in using only 99% pure

gold.

Solid Aluminum Knobsn Who cares that Perreaux's knobs are

. machined from solid aluminum?

A Perreaux cares, that's the differencein. between us and them.

Impressed Friendsn Will my friends be impressed if I own

. a Perreaux?

AIf your friends are impressed with lots. of knobs and a front panel that lights

up, frankly no. But now it's our turn to ask aquestion. If your friends think that's quality,are you impressed with your friends?

Serious Advertising

Q. Why isn't this ad serious?

AWe can explain this with a Stereo. Review quote about Perreaux-

"This 'no -holds -barred' approach to doing afirst rate design and manufacturing job isuncommon in all walks of life these days. . ." You see, when you manufacture one ofthe highest quality products in the world youcan afford to have a sense of humor.

Perreaux

Perreaux International875 Merrick Avenue

Westbury, New York 11590Tel. (516) 683-3000

Audio Q. and 11.

Waveform Aberrationsn I'm curious about some of the prob-e lems affecting amplifier waveforms

that I read about in test reports. Can youtell me more about clipping, crossover dis-tortion, and ringing?

CORNELL PROVEYMorton Grove, III.

AFirst of all, practically any problem anamplifier is likely to have is going to

affect its handling of signal waveforms. If itdidn't, it wouldn't be a "problem."

The four oscilloscope traces shown belowwere photographed some years ago when Iwas doing some work on an experimental

amplifier. They show a normal sine wave(A), symmetrical clipping (B), severe clip-ping and crossover distortion (C), andasymmetrical clipping with ringing (D).Clipping occurs when the signal demandsmore from an amplifier than it is able toprovide; when the amplifier has reached itslimit it is unable to reproduce the peaks ofthe waveforms and simply clips them off.

Crossover distortion occurs when thepart of the circuit responsible for handlingthe positive portion of the waveform doesn'tquite dovetail with the negative -handlingpart of the circuit. The little jog ("glitch" inengineering jargon) in the middle of thesine wave is a visual representation of thecrossover distortion. It occurs, logicallyenough, at the point where the signalcrosses over from one part of the circuit tothe other.

Ringing is a form of spurious oscillationthat reflects some instability in an ampli-fier's design. Despite its name, ringing isn'talways audible, but it does indicate that allis not as it should be. In the case shown in

(D), the clipping of the negative part of thesine wave triggered the oscillation.

Speaker Wiresn I am planning on installing permanent%.11( in -wall speaker cables the next timeI update my audio system. One pair ofspeakers will be in the den and a secondpair will be in the back parlor. The cableswill be fished down one wall, run throughthe basement joists, and then run upthrough the appropriate walls. The cableswill terminate in outlet boxes with cover -plate jacks. I plan to use 12-2 (12 -gauge,two -conductor) Romex for the wiring sinceits insulation is obviously much longerlasting than that of zip cord. Would therebe any advantage in using 12-3 Romex andconnecting the third, ground wire to themetal outlet boxes?

PETER M. NEELYLawrence, Kan.

AI think your plan is a good one exceptfor its possible "overkill" aspect. For

many years I used 12 -gauge wire in mybuilt-in speaker -test switching setups invarious New York City apartments. Butinstead of heavy-duty two- or three -conduc-tor Romex solid wire I used single -conduc-tor stranded wire. It has the same lowresistance as Romex but is both thinner andfar more flexible. This was an importantconsideration when I needed to run five orsix parallel lengths of it around corners andunder carpets.

The I2 -gauge stranded wire is verystrong and inexpensive, and it comes withred, black, or white insulation to assist inkeeping your phasing polarities consistent.The two leads can be either tightly twistedor run with wide spacing between them,depending on what you believe about theeffects of inductance and capacitance inspeaker leads. I think installation is easier ifthe leads are simply run adjacent to eachother. Twisting the leads on very long runsmay introduce sufficient capacitance to dis-turb some amplifier output circuits.

If you have your heart set on using Ro-mex I see no reason not to except for theconvenience aspect. I can't think of anygrounding reason to use three -conductor

CIRCLE NO. 3 ON READER SERVICE CARD 20 STEREO REVIEW

Page 23: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

Romex, but future upgrades of your system(perhaps biamplification?) might benefitfrom a couple of extra conductors in thecable. I recently saw four -conductor Romexon sale, and you might consider it. Unusedconductors can always be paralleled for fur-ther resistance reduction on long runs.

Truncated Speakersr% I have noticed that my car speakers\1( seem to be putting out most of theirpower from their rear and feeding it intothe trunk. I have put a lot of money into mycar stereo system to hear my 6 x 9 -inchspeakers from inside the car, not frominside the trunk. What can I do to solve thisproblem?

RANDY SYKESGarland, Tex.

AI don't think you have a problem. I

assume that your rear speakers arefull -range two- or three-way drivers ratherthan just 6 x 9 -inch woofers. Because of theway two- and three-way speakers are con-structed, almost all of their midrange andtweeter energy radiates forward. The woof-er, however, radiates equally well from itsfront and rear. With your trunk open andlistening outside the car, you mostly hearthe woofer's rear radiation-which, be-cause of its heavy bass, seems to embodymost of the "power." In truth, though, it islikely that the bass is just as heavy insidethe car, but its relative audible contributionthere is balanced by the output of themidrange and tweeter drivers.

You might be able to demonstrate thisfor yourself by turning your amplifier's tre-ble control (and the midrange control, ifthere is one) to full cut. You should thenhear the same bass -energy balance in thecar and in the trunk. Woofers in a homeenclosure perform in exactly the same way.but you seldom get to listen to a home woof-er from inside its cabinet.

Power Drawn Does it make any difference in electric\-4 consumption and utility costs if thea.(. outlets on the rear panel of my receiverand timer, rather than the wall sockets, areused as the power sources for my tuner.open -reel recorder, cassette deck. etc.?

BOBBY SPARKMANHouston, Tex.

ANo, since the total current consump-tion remains the same. The only pos-

sible problem is overload of the timer switchby excessive current draw through it. This isnot likely to occur unless you are switchingvery large-or class-A-power amplifiers.To be safe, compare the maximum currentor wattage rating of the timer switch withthe total of the current or wattage ratings ofthe equipment it is switching.

Because the number of questions wereceive each month is greater thanwe can reply to individually, only thoseletters selected for use in this columncan be answered. Sorry!

SOLUTION.Dear Bob Carver,I bought a tuner four weeks oefore you introduced your TX -11tuner. Now tria reac the AUDIO, STEREO REVIEW andHIGH F DELITY reviews anc have heard a demo at my audiodealer, I could kick myself. Couldn't you please D_It that SpecialFM no se reduction circuit into an add-on unit' By the way,I have tie C-4)00 with Son!: Hclog-aphy and ;our M-I.5tand I love them Pleading in Suburbia -

Dear Bob Carver,I am satisfied with rny presem rece.ver except when I tryto I sten to FM. The stations in this city are fantastic btit thenoise f-om miltipath irterference makes stereo listeningalmost impossible for me. Flowevei, several 'r ends in anybuilding have your TX -II tuner and they get beautiful Stere:: FMrecep-ion Is it possible for you to build your st.ecial FM circuitas a separate device sc receive- owners can benefit from your

"Hoping in Maifihattan'technology, bo?

Dear "Pleading" and "Hoping."I lust did t! The Carve- TX1- :.Asvrnmetrica Charge -CoupledFM Decoder designed to be used in the stereo mode of aryFM tiller or -eceiwer, will give iou a 20 dB improvern nt of thestereo quieting (teat's 10 times quieter!) arc a 10 dB improve-ment in mut:loath noise reductior. And you' .I still have fu lyseparated stereo FM reception with space, cepth and ambience.

Both my TX -11 and TX1-11 use the Asymmetrical Charge -Coupled Fhr Decoder circuitry which very significantly reducesthe multipath no se an° cis -ant station hiss to which FM ste-eois ext-emeh vulrerahk

To ge: virtua ly no se -free s-_erec FM, simply connect the TX1- IIbetween your tuner and pre -am) or through tne tape monitor:exter-nal processcr loop of your exist-ng system.

Good listening!

Bob Carver

TX1-11

CARPOWERFUL

For inforrnat,on, please write to: Carver CorporationP.O. Box 664, Woodinville, WA 98072

MUSICAL ACCURATE

Distributed in Canada by Evolution Audio. Ltd.

JANUARY 1984 CIRCLE NO. 11 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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Page 25: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

Car StereoBy Christopher Greenleaf and Julian D. Hirsch

YAMAHA YCT-800

THE Yamaha YCT-800 is an in -dash carstereo with a digital -synthesis AM/FM

tuner and an auto -reverse cassette player. Ithas separate line -level outputs for front andrear speakers using short cables terminatedin phono jacks. For our road tests we used itwith Yamaha's YPA-800 power amplifier.

The operating functions of the YCT-800are controlled by an efficient combinationof knobs, ring controls, and pushbuttons.The knob and ring controls on the left of thepanel switch the unit on and off, adjust thevolume, control the left -right and front -rearspeaker balance, reverse the tape -play di-rection, and return the cassette to the playmode from fast -forward or rewind. Theright-hand controls adjust the loudnesscompensation and the bass and treble tone,switch the tuning mode from automatic tomanual, and open the memory for storageof six AM and six FM station presets.

Next to the cassette slot is an eject but-ton, and above it is a rocking bar switch foreither tuning the radio or fast winding atape. Above this bar is a display panel withLCD indicators for all of the unit's func-tions and operating settings. To its right arethe six rectangular station -preset buttons,and below these are six smaller control but-tons. One of these engages the YamahaMusic Search system (VMS), which can beused either to find the next recorded selec-tion on a tape, in either direction, or to re-peat one selection indefinitely. The tape -scan function successively samples the first10 seconds of each selection on a tape. TheSPATIAL EXPAND button engages an enhanc-er circuit that extends the breadth of thestereo image. The MONO/MTL button eithersets the tuner for mono reception or the cas-sette player for 70 -microsecond chrome/metal tape playback equalization. Anotherbutton selects Dolby -B noise reduction inthe tape mode or switches between local anddistant sensitivity in the tuner mode. Thelast button selects AM or FM.

Tape direction reverses automatically atthe end of a side during normal playback,scanning, or either fast -wind mode; it can

be reversed manually by pressing the left-hand knob. There is a sensing circuit thatautomatically advances the tape to the be-ginning of the next selection, or to the endof the side, if there is a quiet section of morethan 16 seconds. A unique MaintenanceMonitor circuit keeps track of the totalhours of tape play. One LCD indicatorlights after twenty hours have elapsed, anda second glows after forty hours. When theuser has cleaned and demagnetized the tapeheads and capstans, the monitor can be re-turned to its zero setting.

The motorized tape -loading system drawsa cassette into playing position; unlike mostsuch systems, it loads the cassette with theexposed tape to the left. The tape bay isslightly recessed in the panel, and a hinged,spring -loaded flap shelters the tape openingfrom some of the airborne dust and dirt in-evitably present in a car. The cassette auto-matically ejects when the YCT-800 isturned off. If the car's ignition is switchedoff without turning off the cassette player,

the pinch -roller disengages; when power isrestored the cassette is ejected. Disconnect-ing the car's battery erases the unit's sta-tion -preset memories.

The YCT800's adjustable loudness con-trol, similar to that on Yamaha's home ster-eo components, is quite different from theway most manufacturers approach thisfunction. It is not an on/off control but acontinuous one. Turned fully clockwise, theknob sets the unit for a nominally flat fre-quency response. Turning it the other waygradually attenuates the midrange, cen-tered at 1,000 Hz, until at its maximumthere is a midrange dip of 20 dB. The resultis, o' course, a decrease in overall volume,which can be compensated for by use of thevolume control. The bass and treble controlsaffect regions well away from the midrange,so the three controls together give muchflexibility in modifying tonal balance.

The instruction manual is brief but clear-ly written and useful. Price of the YCT-800is $600. Yamaha Electronics Corp., USA,Dept. SR, 6660 Orangethorpe Avenue,Buena Park, Calif. 90620.

Lab TestsTesting the YCT-800 was relatively

straightforward. All of the figures in micro-volts given here and in the accompanyingtable are based on the 75 -ohm input imped-ance of the FM tuner section. The usablesensitivity in mono was 12.8 dBf (1.2 micro-volts, or µV), with 50 -dB quieting occurringat 15 dBf (1.5 µV). The stereo threshold-when the stereo indicator light came on-was 12 dBf (1.1 µV), and 50 -dB quieting instereo was 32 dBf (11 µV). The stereo sep-aration was good. Automatic channelblending began at about 40 dBf (30 µV),and at 25 dBf (5 µV) the midrange separa-tion was only 5.5 dB.

Other FM -tuner performance measure-ments included a capture ratio of 8.8 dB (arather poor figure, but it seemed that themeasurement was being influenced by theaction of the tuner's various signal -level -controlled circuits, making it somewhat un-certain) The AM rejection was an excellent68 dB at 65 dBf. The selectivity was good,68.5 dB for alternate -channel (400 -kHz)spacing and 8 dB with adjacent -channel

Hirsch -Houck Labs Measurements

FM mono usable sensitivity (75 -ohminput) 128 dBf (1.2 NV)

Mono 50 -dB quieting sensitivity (75 -ohminput) 15 dBf (1.5 xiV)

Stereo 50 -dB quieting sensitivity(75 -ohm input) 32 dBf (11 j.iV)

Tuner signal-to-noise ratio at 55 def.mono, 68 5 dB; stereo, 66 dB

Tuner distortion at 65 dBf: mono, 0.21per cent; stereo. 0.3 per cent

FM frequency response (- 3 -dB limits):20 to 17.500 Hz

Stereo separation at 100, 1,000, and10.000 Hz 38.5. 40. and 30 dB

Capture ratio at 65 dBf: 8 8 dBAM rejection at 65 dBf: 68 dBAlternate -channel selectivity: 68.5 dBAdjacent -channel selectivity: 8 dBImage rejection: 62 dBAM freqdency response (--6.d8 limits):26 to 2.800 Hz

Tape -playback frequency response(standard BASF test tapes, -3 -dB

120-ks EQ-31 5 to 18,000 Hzforward, 31.5 to 4,200 Hz reverse, 70 -usE0-31.5 to 18,000 Hz forward, 31.5 to6,500 reverserape s goal -to -noise ratio (referred to250 nWbim at 315 Hz): 120-ps EQ-51dB unweighted; 63 dB with Dolby -I3CCIR/ARM weightirg.

Flutter (at both star and end ofcassette). 0.15 per cent CCIR weightedpeak, 0 09 per cent JIS weighted peak

Tape speed accuracy: -- 1 25 per centat start ' 2 per cent at end

Fast rewind time for C-60 cassette: 98secor ds

Tone -control range: 4 11.5 dB at 100Hz, 1- 11 5, - '2 dB at 10,000 Hz

Preampdfler output at clipping (into IHFload at 1,000 Hz) 1 9 volts

JANUARY 1984

Page 26: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

(200 -kHz) spacing. The image rejectionwas a good 62 dB.

The tone controls had their rated charac-teristics, with maximum ranges at 100 and10,000 Hz of about ± 12 dB. The loudnesscompensation was good, with an 18 -dB con-trol range and a maximum relative bassboost of 10 dB. The maximum audio outputat the clipping point was 1.9 volts.

The tape transport worked silently andsmoothly. Flutter level and speed were es-sentially the same'at both the beginning andend of a cassette. The tape -playback fre-quency response in the forward directionwas excellent. Measured using the newBASF standard test tapes, it was within± 1.5 dB from 31.5 to 17,000 Hz with ei-ther 70- or 120 -microsecond equalization.In the reverse direction, however, the highswere greatly attenuated, indicative of anazimuth -alignment error, possibly due totape skewing (there was evidence of poortape -to -head contact in reverse, which re-sulted in fluctuations in level at test fre-quencies above about 8,000 Hz). But aswe've said before about auto -reverseplayers, you can always turn the tape overby hand.

Overall, the Yamaha YCT-800 is one ofthe more versatile auto radios we havetested, and it is all the more impressive be-cause of its operating simplicity. Its appear-ance is not at all intimidating, although, aswith all such units, careful reading of theinstruction manual is a must if one is to useit to the fullest. Everything worked well,though we found it disconcerting when try-ing to measure tape noise levels to find theblank -skip feature shifting the player intohigh speed at inopportune moments!

We were struck by how closely the YCT-800's operating features (and performance)resembled those of a moderately pricedhome stereo receiver. Most of the FM per-formance characteristics of the YCT-800would do justice to a typical home receiver,and the tape transport is comparable tomany home decks. In a package of this size,that is no mean achievement.

Road TestsSeveral trips over our New York area test

route and a weekend trip of several hundredmiles subjected the Yamaha YCT-800 to afair sampling of what any car audio compo-nent is likely to encounter during its tenurein a dashboard.

Unlike many contemporary car stereos,the YCT-800 has excellent AM perform-ance. Stations I normally receive marginal-ly or only intermittently came throughclearly, and I noticed no interference fromadjacent stations.

On FM I got clean, sharp signals fromcity stations well beyond where I can ordi-narily receive them. Instead of hunting foranother station, I could keep my favoriteone tuned in for a dozen or even two dozenmiles further from town. As the signalstrength weakened, the tuner's noise -con-trol circuitry reduced the stereo separationsmoothly and gradually until it reached amono condition; then a high -cut filterswitched in and finally a soft -muting circuitto reduce the really bad hash. The blendingseemed to begin at higher signal levels thanwith other tuners I have tested, though itsoperation was unobtrusive. Multipath noise

tended to be much less jarring than I amused to hearing from car stereos, but therewas also somewhat more of it in my favoritehigh -interference test areas.

The cassette player loads and plays cas-settes quite gently. It easily handled my"worst -case" C-120 test cassette, an old,cheap, off -brand product with tight hubs.Transports that can play this tape with noaudible problems and without damage canplay anything! The transport mechanismalso appeared to be stable and resistant toshock. I noticed an occasional warble driv-ing over the usual stretch of granite -blockback streets in Brooklyn, but there was noaudible flutter or loss of tape -to -head con-tact. The forward tape playback soundedexceptionally clean, but in reverse there wassome dulling on tapes with considerablehigh -frequency content.

The tape controls are close together andtoo easy to activate. When reaching to with-

"Most of the FM perform-ance characteristics of theYCT-800 would do justiceto a typical home receiver."

draw a cassette I often -pressed the MONO/MTL Of the SPATIAL EXPAND button acciden-tally. And pushing in the fader ring to ad-just it almost invariably changed the tunersetting or started fast winding of the tape.The cassette -eject button was also prone tosuch hair-trigger response, though to a less-er degree. The most irksome thing about us-ing the tape player, however, was the auto-matic blank -skip function, which cannot bedefeated. On classical music with a widedynamic range, the low-level signals areread by the sensor as unrecorded passages.If they last for 16 seconds, the player skipsto the next part of the tape that's loudenough to be perceived as a selection-sometimes just a little further on in thesame track! (This would not be a problemwith most popular -music tapes since thesetend to be recorded at more constant levels.)The cueing was always accurate after ablank skip or when I used the YMS selec-tion search or scan functions.

The tone and loudness controls offer plen-ty of versatility, and I did not miss an equal-izer. Playing the midrange (loudness) offagainst the ends (bass, treble) enabled meto tailor the sound to my car and to correctany perceived tape equalization problemsquickly and easily. The continuously vari-able loudness compensation gives the usermuch more control than the usual on/offswitch. The on/off spatial -expansion circuitwas more blatant in its effect but did suc-ceed in giving breadth to the imaging. Sincethe effect also changed the equalization, itwas not equally enjoyable with all recordedinstruments, but that's what the tone con-trols are there to fix. In some cases I evengot a better tonal balance with the expan-sion on.

I thoroughly enjoyed the performance ofthe YCT-800. The Maintenance Monitor isa great idea, and the few vexing character-istics of the unit do not greatly detract fromthis obviously fine car stereo from an inno-vative company. -C.G.

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24STEREO REVIEW

Page 27: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

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Page 28: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

Technical TalkBy Julian D. Hirsch

How Audible Is Distortion?mr. all know that audio distortion is abad thing, that it needs to be elimi-

nated or at least minimized if we are to en-joy the full benefits of today's advanced hi-fi technology. I have no argument withthat-favoring distortion (at least outsideof certain rock -music circles) must surelybe equivalent to denouncing the flag andmotherhood! Still, this is a less than idealworld, and compromise is an inherent partof life. And so we must learn to live with acertain amount of distortion, which, likedeath and taxes, will always be with us.

There is literally an infinity of possibledistortions of an audio signal, but, fortu-nately, not all of them produce the same au-dible effects even if they are usually ex-pressed in the same format (usually "x percent" or the mathematically equivalent

-y dB"). One broad distinction is be-tween linear and nonlinear distortions, ofwhich we'll consider only the latter in thisarticle. (Examples of linear distortions arenonuniform frequency response and thevarious forms of phase distortion.)

Nonlinearity in a music system or compo-nent means that the output signal does notvary in exact proportion to changes in theinput signal level (that is, the input and out-put waveforms are not identical in shape).For example, in a linear system or compo-nent, doubling the amplitude of the inputsignal should precisely double the outputlevel. If the latter goes up by a factor of 1.99or 2.01, the system is nonlinear, and wecould express this nonlinearity as a distor-tion of "0.5 per cent" or as I part in 200.(Filters-such as tone controls-also alter

output waveforms, but they do so in a math-ematically linear fashion and thus, at !easttheoretically, do not generate nonlineardistortion.)

Strangely enough, while minute quanti-ties of some nonlinear distortions may beunpleasantly audible, others measuringhundreds of times greater may be quite im-perceptible to the listener. It is misleadingand incorrect to conclude that, say, 0.1 percent distortion is less audible than 1 percent distortion or that an amplifier with0.002 per cent distortion is necessarily "bet-ter" than one having I per cent distortion atthe same power output. Either of those as-sumptions might be correct, but it is muchmore likely that there would be no signifi-cant correlation between the distortion fig-ures and the sound of the system.

One important type of nonlinear distor-tion is harmonic distortion, usually meas-ured with a sine -wave input signal, whichconsists of only a single frequency. Any de-parture from an ideal sine -wave shape inthe output waveform is equivalent to the ad-dition of one or more frequencies at multi-ples of the original, or "fundamental," fre-quency. These harmonics can be measuredin any of several ways, and their amplitudeis expressed as a percentage of the ampli-tude of the fundamental frequency. If (asusually happens) there are several differentharmonics present, their combined magni-tude (called total harmonic distortion orTHD) can be computed by squaring theamplitude of each one, adding all thesquared values, and taking the square rootof the total.

The lower -order even harmonics (particu-larly the second, at twice the fundamentalfrequency) can affect the timbre of thesound but are rarely harsh or unpleasanteven when present at a considerable level.Low -order odd harmonics are less accept-able, but moderate amounts of third -har-monic distortion are not likely to offendmost listeners. Certain types of distortionmechanisms, however, create high -orderharmonics (such as the ninth, the eleventh,and so on), and these have been shown to beaudible and unpleasant in extremely lowamounts under some conditions. The audi-bility of any form of distortion dependsgreatly on the nature of the test signal. Aminute amount (as little as 0.05 per cent) ofalmost any high -order harmonic added tothe usual I,000 -Hz sine -wave signal may beaudible as a separate, higher -pitched com-ponent of the sound. But if the test signalconsists of two or more different signal fre-quencies, as in certain intermodulation (orIM) distortion measurements, the distortionlevel may have to be many times greater be-fore it can be detected by ear. And if theprogram is complex (music or speech), it isoften impossible to hear surprisingly highamounts of distortion-up to 6 per cent ormore-because the sound of the distortionis psychoacoustically masked by the pro-gram signal.

Furthermore, individual people differwidely in their ability to detect varioustypes of distortion as well as in their toler-ance for a distortion once it has been de-tected. For example, low -order harmonicdistortion may merely change the sound of

Tested This MonthAcoustic Research's New AR Turntable Shure ML140HE Phono CartridgeKlipsch kg2 Speaker System Harman Kardon hk 590i AM/FM Receiver

Mitsubishi DP -103 Compact Disc Player

26 STEREO REVIEW

Page 29: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

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Page 30: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

an instrument slightly, certainly less thanmight result from the performer's using adifferent make of violin or clarinet. This ef-fect might be clearly perceptible or evendisturbing to the performer or to a fellowmusician yet be of no importance whateverto other listeners, even those with consider-able musical sophistication.

I am not trying to suggest that nonlineardistortions can be ignored in judging or en-joying a music system. Certain types are in-tolerable to almost everyone. For example,sharp discontinuities in the waveformcaused by amplifier clipping, excessivecrossover distortion in an amplifier's outputstages, or (for me, worst of all) a mistrack-ing phono cartridge produce large amountsof very high -order harmonics, usually theodd ones, which are the most objectionable.A rather small amount of ninth- or elev-enth -harmonic distortion is likely to pro-duce a negative reaction from any listenerwho appreciates good sound. As in any as-pect of listening to music, it is not possibleto be dogmatic about the exact audibilitythreshold of such distortion. In general, dis-tortion frequencies that are not also presentin the program material and thus cannot bemasked by the music are the ones most like-ly to be audible and irritating.

In view of all this, it is hard to justify theemphasis placed by some amplifier manu-facturers on reducing their products' distor-tion to nearly unmeasurable levels (under0.001 per cent at normal listening levels inmany current amplifiers and receivers). Anamplifier is but one part of a music system,and it is by far the most nearly perfect onein its reproducing characteristics and thus

A 1

the least likely to contribute audible distor-tion under normal conditions. (I am notconcerned here with the sonic subtleties at-tributed to some amplifiers-which areprobably due to frequency -response behav-ior-but with objective and measurablenonlinearities.) Only a true clipping over-load is likely to produce a significantamount of harsh, high -order harmonic out-put from an amplifier, and even that maynot be audible unless its duration is exces-

market. Record playback always producesdistortion percentages of some tenths of aper cent at low signal levels and of severalper cent at high levels-in contrast with theamplifier's probable maximum of 0.05 percent at any level below clipping.

The loudspeaker, as most of us realize, isalso not an ideal transducer. The nonlineardistortion of a well -designed speaker systemcan be quite low under most conditions(above 100 Hz it may be only a small frac-

. . . most of the common ratings for nonlineardistortion in an electronic component have littleto do with how that product might sound . . . ."

sive. Brief moments of clipping can easilypass unnoticed, being masked by the pro-gram that produces them.

Still, our reproduced music does not al-ways sound as clean as we would wish it tobe, so something must be distorting it audi-bly. And so it is. The playback signal froman analog phonograph record contains enor-mous amounts of distortion, almost neverless than ten times the distortion created byeven a mediocre amplifier and more likelyhundreds or thousands of times greater athigh signal levels. This is the case even withthe finest direct -to -disc or digitally mas-tered LP played on the best turntable withthe most highly regarded pickup on the

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lion of a per cent at normal listening levels),yet it is inevitably many times greater thanany distortion contributed by the amplifier.And this ignores the speaker's inherentproblem of trying to achieve the desiredacoustic response in the room, as comparedwith the amplifier's comparatively simpletask of increasing the level of, or amplify-ing, an electrical signal without adding anydistortion.

The conclusion I am approaching is thatsimple nonlinear distortions (harmonic andintermodulation) are by no means as seriousa detriment to ideal sound reproduction inthe home as many of us believe. Returningfor a moment to the phono cartridge and theloudspeaker, we find that each of thesetransducers can not only introduce small,relatively inaudible amounts of nonlineardistortion but can also create huge amountsof very obvious and unmusical distortionwhen pushed beyond their limits. These ef-fects-whether from cartridge mistracking,excessive excursion of a speaker cone orvoice coil, or even the buzz of a resonatingor loose speaker grille assembly-are trulygrating and unacceptable even to someonewith no previous exposure to a good musicsystem. And since these distortions are notintrinsic in the normal operation of thecomponent but result from a defect or in-correct operation, they are not specified bythe manufacturer or anyone else.

Tsum up, most of the common ratings fornonlinear distortion in an electronic audiocomponent have little or nothing to do withhow that product might sound in your sys-tem. They usually describe effects whoseaudible contribution is minuscule comparedwith those of the record-player/record com-bination and the speaker system. And, inmy opinion, even those two sources of non-linear distortion are almost trivial com-pared with the linear distortions that pre-cede and follow them in the music -repro-duction chain: those that derive from theoriginal recording environment, the micro-phone setup, and the mixdown, as well asfrom your own listening room. But that isanother matter, which we will have to dealwith in a future column.

Test Reports start on page 31

28 STEREO REVIEW

Page 31: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

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Page 32: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

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Page 33: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

Equipment Test ReportsHirsch -Houck Laboratories: Julian D. Hirsch and Craig Stark

Acoustic Research'sNew AR Turntable

ABOUT a quarter of a century ago, Acous-M tic Research developed a turntablewhose simplicity, outstanding performance,and low price earned it a unique place in thehi-fi marketplace-and something close toclassic status among knowledgeable phono-philes. Aware of the degradation of soundquality caused by acoustic feedback, AR'sfounder, Edgar Villchur, designed a turnta-ble (actually a complete record player, sinceit was available only with an AR tone arm)that was virtually immune to external me-chanical excitation.

In addition, the AR turntable essentiallyeliminated audible rumble by using a verysmall, low -torque twenty -four -pole a.c. mo-tor (similar to those in electric clocks),which turned at only 300 rpm instead of the1,800 rpm of the four -pole induction or syn-chronous motors commonly used at thetime. The motor's fundamental vibrationfrequency was thus lowered from the veryaudible 30 Hz of the higher -speed motors toan inaudible 5 Hz. Since the torque of theAR turntable's motor was relatively low, itsplatter mass was kept correspondinglysmall, and it was driven via a light rubberbelt. Speeds were changed (between 331/3

and 45 rpm) by removing the platter andmanually shifting the belt to a different -di-ameter pulley.

The original AR turntable was upgradedseveral times before being withdrawn fromthe market a few years ago, but there hasevidently been sufficient demand to war-rant designing and manufacturing a newmodel with the same basic virtues. The newAR turntable that we tested for this reportis, in many important respects, almost iden-tical to its respected ancestor. Its styling ismuch handsomer. however, and it is avail-able either with an AR tone arm or with a"blank" mounting board that can accom-modate any of a number of high -qualitytone arms from other manufacturers. Thisoption disposes of one of the more persistentand valid criticisms of the earlier model,which paired a superb turntable with arather old-fashioned and hard -to -replacetone arm.

The key to the remarkable acoustic isola-tion of both the old and new AR turntablesis the rigid coupling of the tone arm to theplatter by a T-shaped cast -metal plate. Thisentire arm -and -platter assembly is then sus-pended on damped springs from the turnta-

ble's motorboard and base. The extremelysoft three-point sutpension (we would esti-mate its resonant f-equency as about 2 or 3Hz) makes it possible for the base or dustcover to vibrate with rather large ampli-tudes at audio and infrasonic frequencieswithout transmitting this motion to the armor platter And even if the arm and platterdo move as a result of external vibration,they do so as a single unit and therefore donot affect the output from the cartridge.

The cast -aluminum outer platter of theAR turntable weighs about 21/2 pounds, andthe total weight of the platter is given as 3.9pounds in the specifications. The recordmat is a thin disc of felt -like material. Thenew AR tone arm is a straight tubular de-sign with a low -mass removable headshell.The counterweight, which is moved from abalanced condition to set the tracking force,carries a scale calibrated from 0 to 3 gramsin steps of 0.5 gram. A similarly calibratedantiskating dial is mounted on the arm basenear the arm -lift (cueing) lever, the down-ward action of which is viscous damped. At-tached to the arm base is a clip that servesas an arm rest or retainer.

The base of the AR turntable is made of

JANUARY 1984 31

Page 34: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

/vial inairunints

oiled walnut and is supported on small rub-ber feet (which do not serve any isolatingfunction and merely protect the supportingsurface). A rocker switch on the top of thebase controls the power to the motor, and asmall pilot light on the front surface glowswhen it is on. A hinged clear -plastic dustcover remains open when fully raised (butnot at intermediate angles). The turntable'sdimensions are 183/16 inches wide, 151/4

inches deep, and 7 inches high with the cov-er closed (a 17 -inch vertical clearance isneeded to open the cover). It weighs 18pounds. Price: with the AR tone arm,$429.99; without the arm (but including ablank tone -arm mounting plate), $299.99.Acoustic Research, Dept. SR, 10 AmericanDrive, Norwood, Mass. 02062.

Laboratory Measurements. We installeda Shure V15 Type V cartridge in the ARtone arm for our tests. The measured capac-itance of the arm and signal -cable wiringwas about 80 picofarads per channel (thenominal rating is 85 pF) with a very lowinterchannel capacitance of 2 pF. We setthe stylus overhang with the aid of the plas-tic jig furnished with the turntable, and theresulting tracking error was less than 0.33degree per inch (barely measurable). Afterthe arm was balanced, the actual verticaltracking force was about 0.1 gram higherthan the scale setting (this is a function ofhow accurately the arm is balanced whenthe player is first set up).

The effective arm mass (exclusive of thecartridge) was a relatively low 9 grams. It israted at 13 grams, but different measuringtechniques can easily account for the differ-ence. With the rather compliant VI5 car-tridge the arm system resonated at an idealfrequency, 10 Hz. The antiskating dial hadto be set about 0.5 gram higher than thetracking force for optimum correction. Be-

cause of the floating suspension, considera-ble care was necessary to avoid jarring thearm when using the cueing lever, but aftersome practice we were able to use it effec-tively. The antiskating torque caused about5 seconds of a record to be repeated eachtime the arm was lowered, and the descenttook 4 to 5 seconds.

The turntable speed was about 0.3 percent fast, and its flutter was a very low0.055 per cent weighted rms (.11S) or±0.08 per cent weighted peak (DIN). Themeasured flutter was largely a result of test -record eccentricities, and its componentswere principally below 10 Hz. As with theoriginal AR turntable, rumble was verylow, measuring -40 dB unweighted ( -46dB in the lateral plane) and -64 dB withARLL weighting. The rumble had a broad,random frequency spectrum, and the meas-urement may have been limited by our par-ticular test setup and the inherent rumble ofour silent -groove test records.

Comment. Anyone who saw the old ARturntable being demonstrated cannot forgethow it could be pounded with a hammer(actually, a soft mallet) without skipping oreven adding an audible thump to the music.The new AR turntable is, if anything, evenbetter than the old one in this respect. Wewere able to strike it as hard as we wishedwith a fist or open palm with absolutely noaudible effect on the program. The isolationsystem should make the turntable highly re-sistant to base -conducted vibration, and weexpected it to excel in this test. Even so, wewere not prepared for a measured immunityto external vibration that was 20 to 40 dBbetter than' that of any other turntable wehave tested in the past couple of years. (Be-cause of changes in our test setup, a closecomparison to still earlier units is not feasi-ble.) It is safe to say that the new AR turn-

table is, by a comfortable margin, the best -isolated record player we have ever used ortested. The only significant transmissiontook place below 20 Hz, with a minor re-sponse at 50 Hz. Anyone who has had prob-lems with acoustic feedback need look nofurther than the new AR turntable for asolution.

As we noted earlier, one of the few validcriticisms of the old AR turntable con-cerned the tone arm it included, which waslacking in refinement even by the standardsof that time. The tone arm available withthe new AR turntable is a very good onethat is thoroughly compatible with the turn-table and with almost any cartridge onemight wish to use. For more demanding au-diophiles, however, the blank -mounting -board option permits using the turntablewith almost any other arm available.

Our only criticism of the new AR turnta-ble concerns the considerable delicacyneeded to handle its arm -cueing lever andthe fact that the arm rest lacks any lockingdevice. It is only too easy to knock the armfrom its rest clip accidentally, and in the in-terest of stylus longevity we soon developedthe habit of keeping the lift lever up at alltimes when not playing a record.

The new AR turntable appeals powerful-ly to our sense of good design. It is almostpurely functional yet very attractively andtastefully styled. A simpler record playercould hardly be imagined, and, like its pre-decessor, it should give many years of ser-vice with no more maintenance than a peri-odic belt replacement. And in terms ofacoustic isolation, even pounding the basewith a hammer (not really a recommendedpractice, of course) is unlikely to do morethan mar the handsome finish.

--Julian D. Hirsch

Circle 140 on reader service card

Shure ML140HEPhono Cartridge

HE MLI4OHE is one of a new series ofT Shure cartridges incorporating manyof the innovations originally introduced inShure's V15 series in newly designed car-tridge bodies. Replacing the traditionallychunky, block -like Shure cartridge shape isa slim, tapered body whose total weight of4.5 grams is about 2 grams lower than thatof the company's older models. The coil andcore assembly, rigidly encapsulated in plas-tic, features interlocking laminated polepieces and coil leads terminated in gold-plated pins.

The user -replaceable stylus assembly in-cludes the integral hinged Dynamic Stabi-lizer first introduced in the V 15 Type IVand later incorporated in other Shure car-tridges. In normal operation, its conductingcarbon -fiber brush rides in the groove to re-move dust and debris and to drain away anyaccumulated static charges on the vinyl sur-face. The pivots of the hinged assembly con-tain a viscous damping material, so that thestabilizer actually damps vertical arm/car-tridge resonances and improves the abilityof the pickup to track warped records. The

entire stabilizer can be swung up out of theway if one does not wish to use it; in its fullylowered position it also serves as a stylusguard.

The MLI4OHE has a Side -Guard featurethat raises the stylus into the cartridge if itis accidentally scrubbed from side to side,thus minimizing the possibility of stylusdamage. The stylus itself is a nude -mounteddiamond with a hyperelliptical tip (0.2 x I .5mils) that has been specially polished to re-duce record wear. The cantilever (like thatof the VI5 Type V) is a hollow beryllium

32 STEREO REVIEW

Page 35: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

WhyYour First CompactDisc Player Should Be A Second

Generation Mitsubishi.No wow. No flutter. Dynamic range over

90dB. Plus complete freedom from dust, dirt,surface noise, rumble and speaker feedback.

The truth is, the basic technology of thedigital audio disc is so vastly superior to analogsound, that deciding on a player becomes verytricky indeed.

That is, until you check the record.

YOU DONT BECOME A DIGITALAUDIO EXPERT OVERNIGHT

Most companies now introducing digitalaudio players were just recently introducedto digital audio themselves.

Mitsubishi has been at the leading edgeof digital audio research since the beginning.Moreover, much of the second generationtechnology found in the Mitsubishi DP -103compact disc player you see here is a directresult of that experience.

For example, the DP -103 employs a three -beam optical pickup in place of the conven-tional single beam. These two insurancebeams constantly correct for imperfections inthe disc, ensuring stable, error -free tracking.

The retaining springs for the laser opticspickup, which are susceptible to vibration,have been replaced by Mitsubishi's exclusivelinear -sliding cylinder- in effect eliminatinga problem before you've had one.

These second -generation refinements alsoallow simplified servo circuitry which resultsin fewer parts, less to go wrong.

The play, fast forward, fast reverse, skip,and repeat functions are yours all at the touchof a button.With track number and elapsedtime visually displayed. And when you'veexperienced the music that emerges in its fullpower and range, every nuance etched inmagnificent relief, you'll know you've heardthe future.

Like stereo componentry that preceededit, the compact disc player of the future willoffer improved technology at a lower price.

Just like the Mitsubishi DP -103 does.Today.

MEven If You Cant Have The Best Of Everything,

You Can Have -The Best Of SomethingMitsubishi Electric Saks America, Inc.. 3030 E. Victoria St.. Rancho Dominguez. CA 90221.

Page 36: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

tf$ E1 eriarkaiunic

(0JW -m

WO

10

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5 SE MLTESTHUR DISC.140STRHE100. II_ts .._.......

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3 650 100

FREQUENCY IN HZ (CYCLES PER SECOND)

In the graph at left, the upper curve represents the frequency re-sponse of the cartridge. The distance (measured in decibels) be-tween it and the lower curve is the average separation betweenthe two channels (anything above 15 dB is adequate). The insetoscilloscope photo shows the cartridge's response to a recorded1,000 -Hz square wave, which indicates resonances and overallfrequency response (see text). At right is the cartridge's response

tube, which is said by Shure to provide avery high ratio of stiffness to density. Ac-tual transduction of stylus motion to electri-cal output is done by a tiny magnet at thepivoted end of the cantilever, near the openends of the pole pieces.

The ML14OHE has a rated output of 4millivolts per channel at 5 cm/s peak groovevelocity, with a channel separation of atleast 25 dB at 1,000 Hz and 15 dB at10,000 Hz. The channel outputs are bal-anced within 2 dB. Optimum tracking forceis I gram (1.25 grams maximum), but tocompensate for the weight of the stabilizerthe arm's vertical force must be set 0.5gram higher. Price: $190. Shure Brothers,Inc., Dept. SR, 222 Hartrey Avenue,Evanston, III. 60204.

Laboratory Measurements. The total ef-fective mass of the ML14OHE cartridgeand the test arm was 15 grams, and the sys-tem's 10 -Hz resonant frequency was in theideal range. In order to measure this fre-quency (using the Shure ERA V "AudioObstacle Course" test record), it was neces-sary to swing the Dynamic Stabilizer up sothat it did not contact the record. With thestabilizer in use, the vertical resonance of

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to the intermodulation-distortion (IM) and 10.8 -kHz tone -burst testbands of the TTR-102 and TTR-103 test records. These high ve-locities provide a severe test of a phono cartridge's performance.The intermodulation-distortion readings for any given cartridge canvary widely, depending on the particular test record used. The ac-tual distortion figure measured is not as important as the maximumvelocity tracked before a sudden increase in distortion occurs.

the arm/cartridge system was so fullydamped no arm movement could be seen.

The output at a 3.54-cm/s groove velocityat 1,000 Hz was 4.1 millivolts per channel,with the channel levels matched within 0.1dB. The cartridge tracked the Fairchild 101test record (30 cm/s at 1,000 Hz) at 0.75gram, the Cook 60 (32 Hz) at I gram, andthe 70 -micrometer level of the 300 -Hz toneson the German HiFi #2 record at 1 gram; atthe rated maximum force of 1.25 grams, ittracked the 80 -micrometer level of the HiFi#2 record. The cartridge's frequency re-sponse was affected only slightly by chang-ing the load capacitance from 150 to 385picofarads. This increased its output in the5,000- to I5,000 -Hz range and decreased itbetween 15,000 and 20,000 Hz by a maxi-mum of slightly more than 1 dB.

We used a load of 225 picofarads for ourmeasurements, and the response was within+0.5, -1 dB from 40 to 20,000 Hz, bothchannels yielding identical response curves.The channel separation was 25 to 30 dBfrom 500 to 10,000 Hz, 13 dB at 15,000 Hz,and 10 dB at 20,000 Hz. The intermodula-tion distortion was measured with Shure'sTTR-102 test record; readings were be-tween 1.2 and 1.8 per cent from 7 to 24

poNK IF You!? SPEAKERSNAVE FANTASTKIMAGO* Too!

I

cm/s and 2.5 per cent at 27 cm/s. High -frequency tracking distortion, measuredwith the 10.8 -kHz tone bursts of the ShureTTR-103 test record, was 0.6 to 0.7 per centfrom 15 to 30 cm/s. Using the CBS STR112 test record, the square -wave responseshowed a slight overshoot (about 15 percent) on the 1,000 -Hz waveform followedby lower -level ringing at about 40,000 Hz;the ringing is on the record and only showsup with a cartridge that can track this high.With the ERA IV "Audio ObstacleCourse" record, it showed traces of mis-tracking only on the maximum level of theflute section. The ERA V record revealed atrace of mistracking on Level 6 (the maxi-mum), indicating that the "trackability" ofthe ML14OHE is well above average.

Comment. The Shure ML140HE em-bodies almost every feature of the top -of -the -line V15 Type V (with only slightly low-er -rated trackability) at a substantially low-er price. While perhaps no one of its fea-tures could be said to give the cartridge adecisive competitive advantage, all of itscharacteristics add up to make it a ratherimpressive product.

The proof of a cartridge is in the lis-tening, and in our listening tests theML14OHE did a first-rate job with a vari-ety of records. It was unfailingly smoothand clean sounding, it tracked warped rec-ords in a superior fashion when used in alow -mass tone arm, and it was almost total-ly noncritical with respect to its loading bythe amplifier and cable capacitance.

Although we could not directly measurethe ML14OHE's frequency response abovethe audio range, it is plain from its square -wave response that the low -mass stylus sys-tem and the numerous design improvementsin the fixed magnetic system give it the sortof extended high -frequency response onceassociated only with moving -coil designs. Itis an excellent cartridge in every respect.

-Julian D. Hirsch

Circle 141 on reader service card

(Continued on page 37)

34 STEREO REVIEW

Page 37: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

If you think this is just anothercar stereo, please reserve judge-ment until you've read aboutwhat's underneath the lights,buttons, and knobs.

All of it is designed to makelistening to mobile audio morethrilling than ever before.Let's talk specs

Nothing better illustrates therevolutionary advancementsof our FTX 180 better than itsspecifications.

First we started with a remark-able new technology: Dolby "C",Sanyo's FTX 180 is the first carstereo that can actually removeup to 20dB of tape hiss andbackground noise...all withoutsacrificing one iota of music.

Next, we designed an all -new power amplifier circuit thatpumps out 15 watts per channelwith only 0.3% total harmonic dis-tortion. That means you can turn

SAN YO 15W+15W

50

30

20

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11.11

4111111MINIMEMINISM411111111111111111111111,2111101111111

41111111111111111.4.0FININIIIIANIMPIPT4.11221MIPIRMIN

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r.: , luo 200 500 1000 20

IIIINOISE 1:1011 B NR C NR

up the volume and get the thun-derous lows and crystalline highsthat the original musiciansintended you to hear ...with noaudible distortion!

Then we combined our FMOptimizer circuit with a 12 -stationfrequency synthesized tuner. Theresult: it not only locks onto theexact frequency you want,but is virtually impervious toannoying noise.Let's talk features

Here are just a few:1) automatictape searching; 2) LCD digital

FF ALLENII D4/ _OC

pn rON

IIII

SANYO

station frequency/time readout;3) switchable Dolby B/C; 4) metaltape compatibility; 5) ultra -longlife S.S.P. tape head; 6) specialbass equalizer with triple turn-ova- controls; 7) full auto -reverse;8) fader control for balancing4 -speaker setups; 9) standbyswitch, so you can listen to radiowhile fast -winding a tape.

We refer to the FTX 180 and theother Sanyo FTX Series modelsas "mob le studio sound systems".

Admittedly, that's a pretty loftydescription. But once you hearone in your car, you won't darecall it anything less.

SAN YO*TM Dolby Labs © 1983 Sanyo Electric Inc

CIRCLE NO. 12 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Page 38: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

KING: 17 mg. "tar", 1.3 mg. nicotine, 100's: 17 mg. "tar",

1.4 mg. nicotine, ay. per cigarette by FTC method.

of what it t

Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined

That Cigarette Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health.

Page 39: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

test reports

1

Klipsch kg2 Speaker System

Tfie Klipsch kg2 (pronounced "kay-geetwo") is a compact two-way speaker

system with a passive radiator to extend thebass response of its woofer. The 8 -inchwoofer has a 21/2 -inch -diameter voice coiland a polypropylene cone. The crossoverfrom the woofer to the 1 -inch hard -dometweeter is at 1,800 Hz, and the tweeter isfront -loaded by a short horn with a 21/2 -inchmouth diameter.

The passive cone, about 10 inches in di-ameter, is on the rear surface of the enclo-sure. According to Klipsch, it becomes op-erational below about 70 Hz and is most ef-fective when the speaker is placed about 1/2to 1 inch from the wall; in that position thelow -bass output emerges from the narrowslot created around three sides of the speak-er cabinet. The instructions suggest, howev-er, that users experiment with different lo-cations (including corner placement formaximum bass) and note that the speakercan be mounted horizontally or vertically.

The rated frequency response of the kg2 is45 to 20,000 Hz ±3 dB on axis (down 6 dBat 35 Hz). The system's low -frequency cut-off is at 35 Hz, and, since the woofer is es-sentially unloaded below that frequency,Klipsch recommends that the speaker beused with an amplifier that has a good in-frasonic filter to prevent overdriving it withsignals below the audible range. A 1 -am-pere fuse in the speaker line is also sug-gested as a safety precaution. The angularcoverage of the kg2, between its -6 -dB re-sponse points, is about 100 degrees in boththe horizontal and vertical planes. The sys-tem has a nominal 4 -ohm impedance (2ohms minimum) and a rated sensitivity of90.5 dB sound -pressure level at 1 meterwith a 1 -watt input of band -limited pinknoise. It can handle 65 watts of pink noisefor 8 hours without damage and is recom-mended for use with amplifiers that are rat-

ed between 10 and 120 watts per channel.The enclosure of the Klipsch kg2 is 187/8

inches high, 131/4 inches wide, and 111/2inches deep. It is available with oiled oak orwalnut veneers; the snap -retained grille iscovered in black or brown cloth. Weight isabout 231/2 pounds. Price: $420 per pair.Klipsch & Associates, Inc., Dept. SR, P.O.Box 688, Hope, Ark. 71801.

Laboratory Measurements. Before mak-ing any measurements on the Klipsch kg2speakers, we tried several different mount-ing positions to determine their effect on thesound. Floor mounting, either with or with-out short stands, was not as satisfying as atypical "bookshelf" installation about 28inches from the floor and an inch or so fromthe wall, so we conducted our listening testsand room -response measurements with thespeakers in the latter mounting position.For quasi-anechoic response measurementswith our 1QS FFT analyzer, we placed onespeaker on a stand about 24 inches high.

The averaged room response of the kg2was exceptionally smooth, varying only 6dB overali from 140 to 20,000 Hz. Theclose-miked woofer response was summedwith the separately measured passive -coneresponse (corrected for the different sizes ofthe diaphragms). The resulting low -fre-quency response was flat within 5 dB over-all from 50 to 1,600 Hz. The bass driver'soutput was down 3 dB at the 1,800 -Hzcrossover frequency and dropped steeplyabove that point. In the low bass, the pas-sive radiator's output was dominant belowabout 55 Hz and remained strong down to35 Hz (where it was about 7 dB below itsmaximum, between 100 and 200 Hz).

The bass curve and the room curve over-lapped through more than an octave, mak-ing possible an unambiguous composite fre-quency -response curve. Referred to the av-

erage midrange output in the 500- to 1,000 -Hz octave, the maximum output was +5dB in the vicinity of 200 Hz and down 3 dBat 35 Hz. After a 2.5 -dB total variation be- .tween 550 and 13,000 Hz, it rose to +3 dBat 17,000 Hz. Overall, the +5-,sponse between 35 and 20,000 Hz would beconsidered excellent for any speaker.

The FFT analyzer confirmed the excel-lent performance of the kg2, although it dif-fered in details from the room response. Asmall dip in the quasi-anechoic response at2,000 Hz was probably due to a floor reflec-tion, and the output fell off at 6 dB per oc-tave above 13,000 Hz. Our curve was grati-fyingly similar in most respects to an ane-choic response plot made by Klipsch on thesame unit. Clearly we were both measuringthe same essential properties of the speaker.Our response curves measured on axis and45 degree off axis differed at frequenciesabove 3,000 or 4,000 Hz, with a typical dif-ference of 12 dB in the range of 10,000 to20,000 Hz. The phase response of the sys-tem was notably linear, resulting in agroup -delay variation of less than 0.2 milli-second between 2,000 and 20,000 Hz.

The impedance of the kg2 system reacheda milimum of 4 ohms at about 200 Hz anda maximum of about 25 ohms at 68 Hz.Over most of the audio range the imped-ance was between 8 and 20 ohms, makingthe speaker's 4 -ohm rating both valid andconservative. The sensitivity of the systemwas 90 dB SPL at 1 meter with an input of2.83 volts of midrange pink noise. At thismoderately loud level, the bass distortion ofthe system was very low, increasing from0.8 per cent at 100 Hz to 3.2 per cent at 35Hz. At 30 Hz, however, the speaker was ob-viously being overdriven by this input, emit-ting a rasping distortion. This result empha-sizes the imporance of the manufacturer's

(Continued on page 4/)

JANUARY 1984 37

Page 40: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

INTRODUCING DIGITALES COMPONENTS

FROM THE PEOPLE WHOBROUGHT YOU THE

DIGITAL PLAYER,DIGITAL DISC,

DIGITAL :,led CI]

DIGITAL PROCESSOR,DIGITAL 0

DIGITAL RECORDER,DIGITAL EDITOR,

11 r LI WillWhen the history of

music is written, the chapteron digital will read like alist of accomplishments fromjust one company-Sony.

And now, to meet thestringent demands of theirdigital creations, Sony engi-neers have developed an

1 Lr MIN I 71 IA Y 1.1 _entirely new line of high-fidel-ity components. The ES Series.

To handle the phenom-enal dynamic range of thenew CDP-701ES compact discplayer and PCM-701 ES dig-ital audio processor, ES fea-tures what Stereo Reviewcalls a "truly exceptional" inte-

Min ILIgrated amp. One that of-fers "the highest dynamicheadroom of any amplifierwe have yet measured."

The Sony -patented Ac-curate Pistonic Motion(APM) speaker design hasbeen engineered to han-dle prodigious quantities of

Page 41: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

power without distortion.Even the tuner's Direct

Comparator has been de-signed to complement the im-proved FM broadcast sig-nals that result from digitalsource material.

Furthermore, because

remarkable, should forceyou to discard your presentmusic collection, ES alsoincludes a LaserAmorphous"3 -head cassette deck andlinear tracking Biotracer turn-table-these are worthychallengers to anything on the

To find out more infor-mation on the Sony ES Seriesand the name of your near-est ES dealer, call Sony toll -free at 1 -800 -222 -SONY.

SONYTHE LEADER IN DIGITAL AUDICY"

no innovation, no matter how market today. ©1983 Sony Col p of America Sony and LaserAmorphousare trademarks of the Sony Corporation

CIRCLE NO. 17 ON READER SERVICE CARD

Page 42: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

TURBOCHITDON'T STEP ON THE GAS IINIESS YOU MEAN IL

Purpose: to put pavement -scorching performancewithin reach of every driverwho can handle it.

Car in point: Turbo Colt,imported for Dodge andPlymouth, built by Mitsu-bishi Motors Corp.

0 to 50 in 5.78 seconds.Now, while you're re-readirgTurbo Coifs acceleration num-ber in wide-eyed amazement,let us remind you that there'smuch more to Turbo Coltthan a turbocharger. TurboColt is equipped to give youall the fun, the great han-dling, and the looks thatshould go along with itskind of acceleration. It rollson Michelin XVS 165/70HR 13's, with non-linear,

AO'

high -control springs, solidfront and rear stabilizerbars (.79" up front, .57 " outback), heavy duty trans-mission and clutch, andfront gas -filled shocks.Front air dam, rear spoiler,tachometer, halogen head-lamps and a sport brakingsystem are all standard.

Check out the rest ofTurbo Colt's stats and gograb hold of one at yourDodge or Plymouth dealer.

TURBO COLT:VITAL STATISTICS

ACCELERATION: Zeroto 50 mph...5.78 seconds

ENGINE: 1.6 liter turbo-charged, electronically -

41111111111401111

controlled injected 4-cyl. MCA -JetTURBO BOOST: 7.5 lbs. psiPOWER: 102 bhp @ 5500 rpmPOWER TO WEIGHT

RATIO: 19.77 lbs per hpTORQUE: 122 lbs-ft.

3,000 rpmTRANSMISSION: 4x2

Thin Stick

el&

=.41

"Now that's a purpose!"

IMPORTS- WM A PURPOSE_-4111111111111M

11111111111111111.11111111111MM

Dodge PlymouthBUCKLE UP FOR SAFETY

Page 43: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

fad rsbiniaantrecommedation that the driving amplifierhave a good infrasonic filter.

Comment. Our first experience with aKlipsch speaker the famous Klipschorn-was in 1947, and it made an unforgettableimpression. For many years, the Klipschname was associated only with large, expen-sive speakers, beginning with the cornerKlipschorn and later including large direct -radiator systems as well. When we learnedof the inexpensive Klipsch kg2, we could nothelp but wonder how it would compare withits larger relatives.

Well, though we were not able to make aside -by -side comparison, it was apparent

that the kg2 rates a place in the Klipschfamily tree purely on its own merits. Thespeaker sounds very smooth and well bal-anced, with only a moderate extra warmthimparted by its sightly elevated mid -bassoutput. The deep bass (35 to 50 Hz) wasmost impressive, especially in comparisonwith almost any other speaker of compara-ble size we have heard lately. During oursine -wave tests, the output was strongenough to rattle light fixtures and anythingelse not securely anchored. Although theangular coverage of the system at high fre-quencies is completely adequate, a changein high -frequency output can be heard eas-ily if you walk past the speaker while it is

reproducing a pink -noise signal. What weheard in this test seemed quite consistentwith the directivity measurements we madewith the FFT analyzer (and is not neces-sarily in conflict with the ratings, estab-lished under very different conditions).

The "bottom line" on the Klipsch kg2 isthat it is a compact, relatively efficient, at-tractively finished, and inexpensive speakerthat also sounds very good. We listened to itfor extended periods without feeling anyurge to switch to other speakers, a sure signthat its sound was as good as our measure-ments later confirmed. -Julian D. Hirsch

Circle 142 on reader service card

NV . I - vineMI I won. em - I U 3.3

boare err "= yaw. 'WW1V:7R F941041.04,1

mem ::;:LHarman Kardon hk 590i AM i" FM Receiver

AcomoiNc to Harman Kardon, the hk590i AM/FM stereo receiver was de-

signed with an eye more to its ultimatesound quality than to numerically impres-sive specifications. The moderately poweredunit's amplifier section, therefore, uses rela-tively little negative feedback. While nega-tive feedback is a common technique to re-duce overall amplifier distortion, its exces-sive use has been blamed for causing vari-ous types of dynamic distortions.

The power -amplifier section has a highinstantaneous current capability, enablingit to deliver as much as 35 amperes of in-stantaneous signal current into a low -im-pedance or reactive speaker load. Its normalcontinuous -power rating is 45 watts perchannel into 8 -ohm loads from 20 to 20,000Hz with no more than 0.08 per cent distor-tion. The rated frequency response at the-3 -dB points is 1 to 120,000 Hz.

The hk 590i uses digital -synthesis quartz -locked tuning for both AM and FM bands,with pushbutton presets for up to eight FMand eight AM stations. The memory cir-cuits retain their information for up to threeweeks even if the receiver is unplugged froman a.c. power source. The pale -gold satin -finish front panel contains a number ofpushbuttons, including the station -presetselectors and tuning -mode selectors (AUTO

and MANUAL). There are two pushbars forscanning up or down in frequency. In AUTOtuning, scanning continues until the tunerencounters a signal strong enough to un-mute it; in MANUAL the tuning steps up ordown by one interval (0.1 mHz for FM, 10kHz for AM) each time a tuning bar ispressed.

Small buttons are used to select the tone -control turnover frequencies (200 or 400 Hzfor bass and 2,000 or 6,000 Hz for treble),bypass the tone controls entirely, separatelyactivate the two sets of speaker outputs, andswitch in the SUBSONIC FILTER (6 -dB -per -octave cut below 15 Hz) and the loudnesscompensation. The AUDIO MODE button par-allels the two channels for mono listening,the MUTING button switches off the FM in-terstation muting, and the TAPE COPY but-ton connects two tape decks for dubbingfrom one to the other. Larger buttons con-trol power, tape monitoring (connecting theoutput from either of two decks, or from theregular source, to the amplifiers), and inputprogram selection (FuNcrioN). The lastgroup includes buttons for phono, AUX/DAD(for a digital disc player), AM, and FM.

A window across the top of the pane con-tains the numerical frequency display andLED's that show the status of the tape -monitor and function switches. Five small

green LED's light up in sequence to showrelative tuner signal strength; other lightsshow that a station has been tuned in andwhether it is transmitting in stereo. On thelower portion of the panel are three smallknobs for tone and balance adjustment, alarge volume knob, and a headphone jack.

The rear apron of the hk 590i containsheavy-duty speaker binding posts, the vari-ous signal irput and output jacks, and bind-ing posts for a 300 -ohm FM antenna andfor the supplied detachable AM loop anten-na. There is also a 75 -ohm FM -antennacoaxial connector. A screwdriver -adjustedcontrol varies the FM -muting threshold lev-el. There are three a.c. convenience outlets,two of then- switched. The hk 590i is 171/2inches wide, 143/8 inches deep, and 51/4

inches high. It weighs 17 pounds, 10 ounces.Price: $525. Harman Kardon, Inc., Dept.SR, 240 Crossways Park West, Woodbury,N.Y. 11797.

Laboratory Measurements. One hour ofpreconditioning at one-third rated powerleft the top of the receiver only moderatelywarm, and, except when driving very low -impedance leads at high power levels, itnever became uncomfortable to the touchduring our tests. With both channels driv-ing 8 -ohm loads at 1,000 Hz, the power out -

JANUARY 1984 41

Page 44: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

_test reports

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put at clipping was 60.5 watts per channel,for a clipping headroom of 1.3 dB. Al-though the hk 590i is not specifically ratedfor load impedances other than 8 ohms, itshigh -current capability was demonstratedmost impressively by its 1,000 -Hz poweroutput at clipping of 92.2 watts per channelinto 4 ohms and 134.5 watts into 2 ohms(both channels operating). When we usedthe 20 -millisecond tone -burst test signal ofthe dynamic -power test, the maximum out-put was 71, 112, and 170 watts into loads of8, 4, and 2 ohms, respectively. The dynamicheadroom of the amplifier was, therefore,just under 2 dB. Encouraged by this un-usually good behavior, we tried parallelinga 4 -ohm resistance with the 2 -ohm load,giving a net load of only 1.3 ohms, andfound that the tone -burst output clipped at273 watts per channel -not bad for a "45 -watt" receiver! At no time during our testswas the hk 590i shut down by its internalprotective system, and it showed no ill ef-fects from this extreme treatment, a "tor-ture test" that few other amplifiers in ourexperience would have been able to survive,let alone perform properly under.

The 1,000 -Hz distortion with 8 -ohmloads was under 0.05 per cent from 0.1 to 55watts output. Lower load impedances in-creased the distortion slightly. Into 4 ohmsit was between 0.04 and 0.1 per cent fromless than 1 to 85 watts, and into 2 ohms itwas between 0.1 and 0.15 per cent for allpower outputs up to more than 130 watts.

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Distortion was nearly independent of fre-quency, with 8-ohri readings between 0.02and 0.03 per cent Tim 20 to 20,000 H c atthe rated 45 watts ltput. At redu( ed pow-er levels, the distortion was slightly ligher,but even at 4.5 watts it never excerc ;d 0.05per cent across the audio range.

The amplifier's slew factor exceeded 25,it was perfectly stable with complex simu-lated loudspeaker loads, and all of its inter -modulation (IM) distortion products withmixed input signals of 18,000 and 19,000Hz were below -85 dB. With the 200- and6,000 -Hz turnover frequencies, the highlyeffective tone controls were able to vary theresponse significantly at the extremes of theaudible range with no effect on the mid-range. With the 400- and 2,000 -Hz turn-over frequencies they essentially duplicatedthe performance of conventional tone con-trols. The loudness compensation boostedboth low and high frequencies moderately,and the SUBSONIC FILTER began to roll offthe response below 50 Hz, to -3 dB at 20Hz. The RIAA phono equalization was ac-curate within ±0.5 dB from 20 to 20,000Hz, and it was not affected significantly bycartridge inductance.

Through the high-level (Aux/DAD) input,only 18 millivolts (mV) were needed for areference output of I watt, and the phonosensitivity was 0.29 mV for 1 watt. The re-spective A -weighted noise levels for the twoinputs were -79 and -78 dB referred to 1watt. The phono-input impedance was

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2.7 JAV

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50-08 QUIETING3.6AV (MONO)60)LV (STEREO)

11111pHiliz M ..... ..... .....0 10 20 30 40 50 60

R.F. TEST -SIGNAL INPUT IN DBF70 80 90

50,000 ohms in parallel with 140 picofa-rads. It overloaded at inputs between 170and 200 mV, depending on frequency.

The FM -tuner section had a usable sensi-tivity in mono of 13.8 dBf (2.7 microvolts,or µV). The stereo threshold was 39.2 dBf(50 µV), which corresponded to its stereo50 -dB quieting sensitivity. The mon 0 -dBquieting sensitivity was 16.3 dBf (: µV).The noise level was -77 dB in mono and-70 dB in stereo, and the respective distor-tions (at 65 dBf, or 1,000 IN) were 0.155and 0.18 per cent. The FM frequency re-sponse was flat within ±0.5 dB from 30 to15,000 Hz, and the channel separation wasan almost constant 36 dB over that range(decreasing to 33 dB at 15,000 Hz).

The capture ratio was 1.2 dB at 65 dBf,and the AM rejection was 52 dB at 45 dBf(100 µV). The image rejection was an ex-cellent 89 dB. Alternate -channel selectivitywas above average at 71 dB (although itwas highly asymmetrical about the centerfrequency of the tuner), and adjacent -chan-nel selectivity was about 8 dB. The mutingthreshold was adjustable between approxi-mately 27 dBf (12 µV) and 45 dBf (100µV). The 19 -kHz pilot -carrier leakage intothe audio was at a -60-dB level, and thepower -line hum was a very low -77 dB.The frequency response of the AM tunersection was typical: down 6 dB at 22 and2,200 Hz.

Comment. The Harman Kardon hk 590iis distinctly different from the many receiv-ers offered by other manufacturers. Thisdifference is not a matter of cosmetics, al-though the receiver's styling is also suffi-ciently unusual to set it apart from the com-petition. For many years, one could assumethat a moderate -power receiver or inte-grated amplifier would do a perfectly com-petent job of driving resistive loads on thetest bench (and often challenge the meas-urement abilities of the finest laboratory in-struments). But it was almost axiomaticthat low load impedances (even, in manycases, 4 ohms) would severely limit the out-put of the amplifier and sometimes produceharsh distortions when its current -limitingcircuits were triggered. It is not even un-usual for an amplifier to be damaged, or atleast to have its fuses blown, by such opera-tion. Such behavior has not been limited tointegrated amplifiers or receivers; evensome powerful and expensive separate pow -

42 STEREO REVIEW

Page 45: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

From a conductor breathing to a cannon firing. the Bose 901Series V Direct/ Reflecting Speaker System reprodt.ces the fulldynamic range of a live performance 3ut dynamic re nge is onlythe beginning. The culmination of 25 years' research. the Series Vsystem maxim.zes the potential of the wor.d's most demandingrecordings. To fully appreciate its spacious, rfelike sound, auditionthe Series V system with a Digital Audio Dsc, and experience thethrill of a live performance.

Bose will help you invest in live performance for your home. RIout the coupon below, and Bose will sang you a free brochure, a listof authorized dealers, and details on a $100 Digital Audio Pebate.

Return to: NameBose CorporationDept SR -901D, P.C. Bor 200 AddressCathedral StationBoston, MA 02118 City State Zp

Bet ter sound through research.

Page 46: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

dmad mania-kr-1a

er amplifiers have proved to be anemic per-formers when loads of 2 ohms or so wereconnected to their outputs.

This effect has audio significance becausemany popular loudspeakers can demandenormous signal currents from an amplifierunder certain conditions that can be en-countered in home use as well as in the lab-oratory. Investigations by Harman Kar-don's consultant Matti Otala and othershave shown that an effective load imped-ance as low as 1 ohm could be presented toan amplifier by some ostensibly "8 -ohm"speakers. Obviously, Harman Kardon hastaken these findings to heart, and the hk590i is a superb example of a product de-signed to cope with the worst -case signaland load conditions one might encounter ina home music system. I can think of no oth-er amplifier, past or present, that is capableof delivering a dynamic output of six times

its rated 8 -ohm power to a load of less than2 ohms.

Apparently this has been achieved with-out sacrificing reliability or any other per-formance qualities. The other amplifier pa-rameters of the hk 590i, including distor-tion, noise, and stability, are also excellent,if not quite as impressive as its high -currentcapability. The FM tuner, likewise, is goodwhere it really matters-in respect to inter-ference rejection, noise, and distortion. Inoperation, the hk 590i is a smooth, silentperformer, free of unexpected noises underany conditions of operation. Even the tinyLED signal -strength indicators switch onand off instantly, with none of the usual un-certainty or vagueness, and the five lightsspan most of the range of signal strengthsone is likely to encounter, making them tru-ly useful indicators.

It is almost superfluous to say that the hk

590i sounded as good as its measurementssuggested. It can be played far louder thanmost comparably rated receivers or ampli-fiers without signs of strain. It is not alwayseasy to wax enthusiastic about a new stereoreceiver, no matter how good it may be. Infact, it is sometimes too easy to concludethat most comparably rated receivers arepretty much equal. Nevertheless, the hk590i strikes us as being somewhat "moreequal" than most in the ways that reallycount. We could not help wondering what amore powerful, scaled -up version of the590i might be like-perhaps a kilowatt ofdynamic power into I or 2 ohms? At anyrate, the hk 590i is surely a step in the rightdirection as we enter the age of the digitaldisc and other extended -dynamic -rangeprogram sources. -Julian D. Hirsch

Circle 143 on reader service card

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Mitsubishi DP -103DP -103 Compact Disc Player

ALTHOUGH less than a year has elapsedsince the digital Compact Disc (CD)

made its appearance in the U.S., a secondgeneration of players is already reachingthe marketplace. The Mitsubishi DP -103 isone of that group, following the MitsubishiDP -101, which we reported on last July.Most of the first group of CD players werelarge, heavy, and replete with many pro-gramming features. They were also expen-sive, typically selling for $1,000 or more.The DP -103, at $650, is the least expensiveCD player we have tested.

Although the "compact" nomenclatureactually applies to the disc and only by ex-tension to the player, there has been a cer-tain incongruity in the disparate dimensionsof the hardware and software portions ofthis new medium. The DP -103, however,merits the adjective "compact" in its ownright, with a volume (and weight) just over

half that of the first -generation Mitsubishiplayer. Although it lacks the complex pro-gramming features of the DP -101, the DP -103 is exceptionally easy to operate.

The DP -103 is a low -profile, front -load-ing machine with a horizontal drawer thatglides open silently to receive the disc at thetouch of the OPEN/CLOSE bar and closes justas silently with another touch of the samecontrol. When the drawer closes, the discturns briefly and then stops, after which thedigital display at the upper right of thefront panel shows the number of distincttracks on the disc and their total playingtime in minutes and seconds. To the left ofthis display, a DISK SET indicator light showsthat the disc has been loaded and is readyfor playing. Between the OPEN/CLOSE bar atthe top center of the panel and the powerswitch at the bottom are three flat plateswitches marked PAUSE, PLAY, and sroP.

Normally, touching PLAY begins the recordfrom Track I, and the time indicator showsthe playing time in the current track. Thedisc is played to its end, after which theplayer shuts down. The PAUSE and STOPcontrols have the same functions as similarcontrols on tape decks and other CDplayers.

Below the digital display are two large,flat plates that are pivoted at their centers.A touch on the appropriate end of the upperone (SKIP) either advances the laser pickupto the beginning of the next track or slews itback to the beginning of the current track.Repeated operations of this control can cuethe pickup to the start of any track on thedisc, with the display showing the numberof the track about to be heard. Below theSKIP control is a FF/ FR (fast forward/fast re-verse) pushplate. Pressing one end of itcauses scanning to advance in the corre-

44 STEREO REVIEW

Page 47: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

Jr_stireportssponding direction, slowly for the first 3 sec-onds, then at a very fast speed. The pro-gram can be heard during the fast scan atits normal pitch but greatly accelerated intempo.

Next to the scan controls is a REPEAT but-ton; pressing it causes the entire disc to berepeated indefinitely until the button ispressed a second time (it is not possible toset the machine to repeat only a singletrack). An indicator light next to the digitaldisplay shows that the repeat function hasbeen engaged. Below the REPEAT button is aheadphone jack, and below that there is ahorizontal -slider headphone level control.The rear apron of the DP -103 contains thetwo audio -output jacks. The player meas-ures 133/4 x 4 x 125/8 inches and weighs about141/2 pounds. Mitsubishi Electric SalesAmerica, Inc., Dept. SR, 3030 East Victoria,Rancho Dominguez, Calif. 90221.

Laboratory Measurements. The outputvoltage from a 0 -dB (maximum level)1,000 -Hz recorded signal was 1.95 volts(the nominal rating is 2 volts). The maxi-mum headphone output was 5.6 volts into a600 -ohm load and 0.58 volt into 8 ohms (theplayer is rated to deliver 20 milliwatts perchannel to 8 -ohm headphones). We listenedthrough 600 -ohm phones and found the vol-ume more than adequate.

The DP -103's frequency response wasflat within +0.5, -0 dB from 20 to 20,000Hz, with a slight rise occurring above 5,000Hz. The stereo channel separation was 114dB at 1,000 Hz and 95 to 96 dB at 20,000Hz. The output noise level during playbackof the silent "infinity zero" test -recordtrack was -96 dB unweighted and -103dB with A -weighting (both referred to a 0 -dB signal level). The total harmonic distor-tion at 1,000 Hz was 0.003 per cent at 0 and

+2

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FREQUENCY RESPONSE

TEST DISC =PHILIPS 410 055 2

20 50 00 200 500 1K 2K 5KFREQUENCY IN HZ (CYCLES PER SECOND)

-20 dB (the lowest level at which we couldmeasure it), falling to about 0.0015 per centbetween those limits. The inter -modulationdistortion was 0.006 per cent at 0 dB and0.009 per cent at -20 dB. We also meas-ured the phase difference between the leftand right channels, playing mono test sig-nals between 100 and 20,000 Hz. The phaseangle below 1,000 Hz was under 5 degrees,increasing to 30 degrees at 7,000 Hz, 60 de-grees at 15,000 Hz, and 90 degrees at20,000 Hz. These measurements indicatethat the DP -103 utilizes a single digital -to -analog converter circuit whose output israpidly switched (multiplexed) between thetwo output channels. There are no apparentaudible effects from this.

The effectiveness of the error -correctingsystem of the DP -103 was tested with thecalibrated "defects" on the Philips TS4 testrecord. Any CD player should be able totrack data interruptions of up to 400 mi-crometers on the information -carrying sig-nal surface of the disc or 300 micrometersof an outer -surface blemish, and it shouldalso be able to cope with the simulated fin-gerprint. The DP -103 was able to play the700 -micrometer signal -surface defect andthe 600 -micrometer outer -surface defect;this is very good performance (more ex-tended interruptions cause a "stuttering" orhang-up of the laser tracking system when

Mitsubishi DP -103 Operating Featuresand Hirsch -Houck Labs Test Results

Manual Features

Skip to next track? YesSkip back to previous track? YesSkip to start of current track? YesScan/search? YesProgram audible during scan/search? YesRepeat track/side? No/ YesRepeat phrase? NoCue by track number? YesCue by index number? NoCue by time? No

Programming Features

No programmable playback facilities

Lab Measurements

Maximum output level: 1 95 voltsHeadphone output: 8 ohms, 058 volts,

600 ohms. 5 6 voltsTotal harmonic distortion at 1,000

Hz: 0 003 per cent referred to 0 dB. 0 0014per cent referred to -10 dB. 0.0032 per centreferred to -20 dB

Intermodulation distortion: 0 006 per centreferred to 0 dB. 0 009 per cent referred to-20 dB

Signal-to-noise ratio: 96 dB unweighted,103 dB A -weighted

Channel separation: 114 dB at 1,000 Hz,95 dB at 20,000 Hz

Frequency response: +0.5. -0 de from20 to 20.003 Hz

Cueing time: 6 seconds

Other Lab Tests

Impact resistance: top, C; side, ACueing accuracy: ADefect tracking (figures are size of largest

defect successfully tracked) signal -surfacedamage. 730 micrometers; painted dots, 600micrometers; simulated fingerprint, pass

10K 20K

it fails to follow the spiral pattern of pits onthe record). The simulated fingerprint hadno effect on the reproduction.

Related to defect -tracking ability is theability of the player to withstand a physicalshock that might cause the pickup to "lose"the recorded pattern. The DP -103 was fair-ly sensitive to impact blows on its top andfront but almost totally resistant to sideblows. We would grade it C and A, respec-tively, in those directions. The pickup servowas able to cue up the second of two trackson the Philips TS4 sampler record that haveno silent gap between them without losingeven part of a syllable of the vocal portionthat begins the second track. Not everyplayer cart pass this unusually demandingtest.

Comment. The Mitsubishi DP -103 wasexceptionally easy to use as well as beingtotally silent and bug -free in its operation.In genera:, skipping from one track to an-other took about I or 2 seconds, and ad-vancing from Track 1 to Track 15 of one ofour records required only about 6 seconds.The FF/FE function was very convenient be-cause of the simultaneous audible programoutput and digital time display. Brieftouches on these controls allowed accuratecueing to a particular moment within atrack, and sustained pressure caused thelaser to fairly fly through the contents of thedisc.

We did not mind the lack of program-ming facilities in this machine, which morethan compensated for their absence by plac-ing no upper limit on the number of tracksthat could easily be accessed. It was as easy(and nearly as fast) to get to Track 39 ofone of our test records as to Track I, a fea-ture that we greatly appreciated during ourtests.

The evolutionary trends in CD -player de-velopment were predictable given the ex-traordirary flexibility built into many of thefirst -generation products. Now, more thanever, the consumer is being given a choicebetween size/price and operating features,which is all to the good. It is also reassuringto find that the actual playing performanceof this second -generation player is even bet-ter than that of its predecessors. It is worthrepeating that all properly operating CDplayers sound essentially alike (the differ-ences between them are so minor as to benegligible). But there are some real differ-ences in how well they work under less thanideal conditions (particularly when playingdirty or damaged discs) and in their ease ofoperation. In both these respects the Mitsu-bishi DP -103 is an excellent performer, andits very reasonable price only makes it moreattractive. -Julian D. Hirsch

Circle 144 ow reader service card

JANUARY 1984 45

Page 48: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

Audio/Video IleumBy David Roncidci

DIGITAL AUDIO DEVELOPMENTSROM music synthesizers to computer -

r aided design of audio components, fromstudio master recorders to the home digitalCompact Disc system, digital audio in itsvarious manifestations dominated the latestannual convention of the Audio Engineer-ing Society. This has been the case for thelast couple of years, of course, but this timethere were reports on several engineeringdevelopments that promise importantchanges in the way we listen to music athome.

Perhaps the most startling of these camefrom Philips, inventors of both the LaserVi-sion video -disc system and (with Sony) theCompact Disc digital -audio system. It nowappears that it is possible to encode twochannels of digital -audio sound on a Laser -Vision video disc in addition to the pictureand the analog stereo soundtracks. Evenmore significant is Philips' announcementthat the exact same digital -audio encodingsystem used for the Compact Disc can beused to encode digital LaserVision sound-tracks. All a LaserVision player needs toplay back digitally encoded soundtracks isthe additional CD -decoder and digital -to -analog -converter integrated circuitry-thelaser -tracking circuits essential to a CDplayer are already contained in LaserVisionplayers.

This is important news to the video -musicindustry since it means that music -orientedvideo productions can be recorded on videodiscs with the same sound quality availablefrom the audio -only Compact Disc system.This development, which may take morethan a year to reach the stage of commer-cial hardware and software, does not implythat combination LaserVision/CD playerswill become common items, nor does itmean that the CD has suddenly become ob-solete. The Compact Disc is a music -oriented medium intended eventually to su-persede analog music -oriented media suchas the LP disc and the tape cassette. A La-serVision video disc with digitally encodedsoundtracks is perhaps best thought of as atotally new, high -quality entertainmentmedium.

Considerable work on digital signal pro-cessing was also presented at the conven-tion, mainly efforts to replace standard ana-log studio equipment (mixers, equalizers,reverberators) with cost-effective digital -audio devices. The most fascinating work ofthis type, from the standpoint of future de-velopments as opposed to current results,was described by Roger Lagadec of Studer(maker of Revox tape recorders). He dis-cussed the company's efforts to improve thesound of existing analog recordings throughall -digital reprocessing. The goal of Laga-dec's work is to take "decent" older record-

ings and to improve their signal-to-noise ra-tios by a perceptible amount "so as to makethem better suited for new media such asthe Compact Disc."

Lagadec also announced an even moreambitious goal: "To take recordings of evi-dent cultural value but objectionable tech-nical quality and attempt to restore whatoccurred in front of the microphone."Should these efforts continue to yield goodresults-and the examples Lagadec playedwere most impressive-music lovers willeventually be able to hear historic record-ings of the pre -digital and pre -stereo erastruly remastered for the Compact Disc (in-stead of just being digitally copied for thenew medium).

Those still intensely worried about the"sound" of digital recordings should startpaying more attention to the sound of ana-log tape recorders, at least according to theresults reported by one researcher. LaurieFincham of KEF has found that while the

generated clicks, so conclusive evidence onthis controversial subject is not yet in. Myown feeling is that if a difference is audiblewhen switching a sharp -cutoff low-pass fil-ter with a high cutoff frequency, it probablystems from the filter's not -quite -flat fre-quency response at lower frequencies. Themusical import of such small errors ( -± 0.2dB) is nil, of course.

There were several papers about digital -audio cassette recorders, but the interestingnews in this field comes instead from pri-vate conversations I had with a couple ofJapanese engineers. They told me thatwhen a digital -audio -cassette standard is is-sued, it will actually be two standards, onefor a fixed -head recorder much like today'sanalog cassette recorders and the other for arotary -head recorder based on helical -scanvideo -cassette technology. Such standardsmay be issued by the middle of this year,with products to follow as soon as produc-tion lines can get rolling.

And in regard to the fears that recordcompanies have about digital -cassette re-cordists' ability to make an exact copy of aCompact Disc, I was told that the CompactDisc data stream contains a copy -prohibi-tion "flag" signal that could prevent a flag -detecting digital -cassette machine from re-cording the audio data. Such codes willprobably be ineffectual in preventing copy-ing, however, since a suitable circuit foroutwitting them would cost no more than$15 in parts and could be soldered togetherin half an hour. The problem remains.

An announcement that I hope will be-come important was made jointly by Stu-

. . . through all -digital reprocessing . . . musiclovers will eventually be able to hear historicrecordings of the pre -digital and pre -stereo erastruly remastered for the Compact Disc . . . ."

low -frequency phase distortion characteris-tic of analog (but not digital) tape recordersis distinctly audible and "imparts a 'boomy'characteristic to the sound," phase -correct-ed low -frequency playback is "noticeablyfree from the 'chesty' sound so often presenton recorded male speech."

Anti-digitalists often point to the exten-sive phase shifts introduced by the sharp -cutoff anti-aliasing and output -smoothinglow-pass filters present in most digital audioequipment as the culprits in the creation of"that digital sound." Doug Pries of TuftsUniversity, however, presented experimen-tal results showing that listeners were notable to detect the effects of a series of eightsuch filters-far more than a signal wouldever be passed through in the digital -audiochain from studio recorder to home CDplayer. The filters that he modeled (on acomputer) even had a lower cutoff frequen-cy (15 rather than 20 kHz) than that of thefilters used in digital recorders and CDplayers, so they should conceivably havebeen more audible. On the other hand, thelistening tests were done using headphones,and the "music" was a series of computer -

der, Sony, MCI, and Matsushita, who haveagreed on an encoding format for profes-sional multichannel digital -audio recorders.They have proposed the DASH (digital -au-dio stationary -head) system as the industry-wide standard for master -tape machines.None of the new equipment fascinated memore than the digital music synthesizerfrom Kurzweil. With its uncannily realisticre-creation of standard orchestral instru-ments, pop -music producers won't have topay an orchestra to get the sounds of one ontape. Also new at the AES convention was acollection of papers given at the society'sfirst all -digital -audio meeting. Digital Au-dio, Collected Papers from the AES Pre-mier Conference ($75) contains a great dealof information on digital -audio techniques,especially the encoding of Compact Discs.This book and the October 1978 digital -audio tutorial issue of the Journal of theAES ($5) are recommended reading foranyone who wants to know more about thetheory and practice of digital audio. Theycan be obtained from the Audio Engineer-ing Society, 60 East 42nd Street, NewYork, N.Y. 10165. 0

46 STEREO REVIEW

Page 49: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

ONLY ONE AUDIODEALER IN TWENTY

WILL CARRY THEKYOCERA R-851

TUNER/AMPLIFIERWITH MOS FETAMPS.

Very simply, our R-851 is not foreveryone. Not for every dealer. Notfor every audio buyer.

Only for those who demand thebest. Those who want sound that'spure and distinctive... who hearsubtleties others miss. For thosediscriminating listeners, the R-851is well worth the quest.

Hear the silence before youhear the sound.Switch on the R-851, switch fromone function to another. Try Phono.Tape 1. Tape 2. Auxiliary. Back toPhono.

Absolute silence (of course,you'll get sound on AM/FM). Thesilence is the mark of a great re-ceiver. And great engineering.

The kind of quiet an audiophileloves to hear.

Sound that takes you closer tothe source.We've turned on the R-851 for somevery experienced-even jaded- audioears, and all we can say is it stops'em every time. The sound is dif-ferent. The sense of being there isalmost overpowering. All this comesfrom 85 watts per channel ofpower* (with dynamic power farabove this figure) and some of themost sophisticated circuitry in thebusiness. Above all, it uses MOSFET's, the new breed of outputtransistors, in the amplifier section.They can handle the transients, thepower surges, the power require-ments of present-day sound (andtomorrow's digital sound) betterthan bipolar transistors ever could-and give you a sonic purity like noother (many claim MOS FET's havepicked up the warm, rich sound ofthe great tube amps and gone a stepbeyond!).

Fine tuned for every audio need.From front end to output jacks, theR-851 offers every feature an audioenthusiast might want. The mostcommonly used controls are rightup front-the more esoteric ones areplaced behind a neat flip -downfront panel. There's microprocessor -controlled quartz -locked tuningwith 14 station programmable mem-ory (7 AM & 7 FM); automaticstation seek; 3 -band parametric -style equalizer; fluorescent displaypanel; and two-way tape monitonngand dubbing.

If you need some help in findingthat one Kyocera dealer in twenty,contact: Kyocera International, Inc..7 Powder Horn Drive, Warren,NI 07060 (201) 560-0060.

CIRCLE NO 8 ON READER SERVICE CARD

KYOCER2

'85 watts RMS per channel, both channelsdriven, at 8 Ohms with no more than 0.015%THD from 20-20,000 Hz. 23A

Page 50: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

E

HOW TOUSEAN

QUALIZERBy Craig Stark

FROM the phono stylus or tapehead to the loudspeakers, today'sbetter stereo systems handle the

musical frequency range so uniformlythat it might seem there is little need toalter it. Indeed, there are some audio-philes who either pay thousands of dol-lars for preamplifiers that omit bassand treble controls altogether or else,almost as a point of religious dogma, re-fuse to use the ones they have. Nothing,they feel, must be allowed to tamperwith the Original Sound.

This purist approach is based, howev-er, on two false assumptions. First, evenleaving aside deficiencies in micro-phone technique and recording equip-ment, the exact tonal balance of theOriginal Sound almost never gets to thetape or disc. Recording and pressingengineers almost always use equalizersto modify the response of the originaltapes to make it better suited to thesonic limitations of the LP or cassettemedium and to their own personal feel-ings about what "sounds right." Thislatter factor plays an enormous role inpopular -music recording, and it haseven (alas) entered the classical field aswell.

The second false assumption is that ifyou put a signal with a flat frequencyresponse into a speaker you will get aflat frequency response in your listen-ing room. Speakers are notoriously theweak link in the hi-fi chain, which iswhy you must always make a directcomparison between competing modelsbefore buying. (Some listeners with"golden ears" claim to hear significantdifferences between components of alltypes that escape most people's notice.But if you can't hear any differencesbetween loudspeakers, I suggest youhave your ears checked.) Further, asevery audiophile knows, manufacturersof high -quality loudspeakers take greatcare to optimize their systems' enclo-sures, for the box/speaker interactionplays a critical part in determining howthe system sounds. On a larger scale,the listening room itself is simply an en-closure or box that we share with thespeaker system. Interaction betweeneven the best of speakers and the listen-ing room can also significantly modifythe frequency balance of the soundreaching our ears-which are the onlypoints where fidelity to the OriginalSound really matters.

The best way to compensate for theeffects of a recording engineer's sonicmisjudgments and for some, at least, of

48 STEREO REVIEW

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Figure 1. The tone -control response curves of a typical high -quality preamplifier. Note thatheavy boosts or cuts at the frequency extremes can also slightly affect the midrange.

the response aberrations arising fromspeaker variations and from speaker/room interactions is to use an equalizer.While basic tone controls may sufficeto make overall corrections in bass andtreble response, they usually affect bothchannels simultaneously, even if onechannel needs a boost and the other acut, and they usually affect too much ortoo little of the audible spectrum. Aglance at the tone -control curves of atypical high -quality preamplifier, shownin Figure 1, will make this clear.

Looking at these curves, you can seethat there is no way, for example, thatyou can set the bass control to reduce a5 -dB hump in the 125- to 250 -Hz re-gion (characteristic of some ventedspeaker systems) without rolling off thebass response completely. To makematters worse, the particular monitorspeaker I have in mind also needs abass boost at 50 Hz and below! On theother hand, if you want to add a fewdecibels boost in the 2,000- to 3,000 -Hzregion (which will add "presence" to asinger's voice), an ordinary treble con-trol can do it only by simultaneouslyboosting all the higher frequencies evenmore, creating a noisy, shrill screech.

As shown in Figure 2, however, anequalizer divides the audible frequencyspectrum into several different bands,thus giving you control over the amountof boost or cut applied to each (normal-ly as much as 12 or 15 dB). Moreover,in all but the least expensive models,there are separate controls for the leftand right channels.

Equalizer TypesMost of the equalizers used in home

music systems are graphic equalizers.They are so called because the positionsof their controls are like the points on afrequency -response graph, letting theuser see at a glance a reasonable ap-

proximation of the response curve thatthe equalizer is imposing on the inputsignal. The center frequencies of eachband in a graphic equalizer are eitherfixed or variable only in switch -con-trolled increments, buz those of para-metric equalizers can be continuouslyvaried for more precise control of a fre-quency band. Most parametrics also al-low the width (the "Q") of the affectedband to be varied, so that, for example,you could set the center frequency of acontrol at 500 Hz and either limit theband it affects to a small fraction of anoctave or else open it up to control threeand a half octaves. Parametric equaliz-ers are named for' their ability to con-tinuously control the parameters of fre-quency, bandwidth, and level, but theirgreater flexibility usually comes at ahigher price.

Deciding between a graphic or aparametric equalizer depends on whattype of control you want over the sound.A parametric is ideal for coping withacoustical problems extending oversmall frequency regions-for example,a nasty bass room resonance or a persis-tent humgraphic is better when several relativelybroad -band problems need to be solvedsimultaneously (as in room or speakerequalization). A graphic equalizer isthe only type that can impart a smoothtilt upward or downward over a largeportion of the audible spectrum.

(Continued on the next page)

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Above, the ADC Sound Shaper SS -315, aten -band graphic equalizer with a built-in

spectrum analyzer and pink -noise generator.The analyzer display's resolution is 2 dB

per division. Price: $399.95.

Left, the Audio Control Ten, a ten -bandgraphic equalizer with switching foraudio or video inputs, tape-recordingequalization, and a built-in infrasonicfilter with an 18 -dB -per -octave slope.Price: $269.

JANUARY 1984 49

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Most stereo graphic equalizers dividethe audible spectrum into octaves; thatis, their bands are centered at such fre-quencies as 50 Hz, 100 Hz, 200 Hz,400 Hz, and so on. Full -octave bandsare fairly easy to adjust by ear whilelistening to music. One -third -octavebands (thirty or more per channel) pos-itively demand the use of a calibratedmicrophone and a pink -noise generator.Depending on the lowest and highestcenter frequencies selected by the man-ufacturer, octave -band equalizersusually have anywhere from eight totwelve bands per channel, ten being themost popular number. Most majormanufacturers produce octave -bandequalizers, which generally range inprice from about $200 to $350, oftendepending on the number of controlsper channel. At lower price points arefive- and seven -band units, with eachcontrol handling two octaves. Thoseequalizers can very well serve tocomplement bass and treble tone con-trols, but the bands are too widelyspaced to achieve optimum results inroom equalization. There are also a fewbass -only equalizers for this problem -ridden frequency region.

While there are a few rare individu-als who claim to have developed "cali-brated ears" that correlate well withmeasured results (who can, for exam-ple, say something like, "This speaker isabout 3 dB hot around 3,000 Hz," andbe right), I must confess that I still find

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Figure 2. The individual response curves of a ten -band graphic equalizer. When two adjacentbands are fully boosted or cut, their curves overlap so that their center frequencies are nomore than 3 to 5 dB above or below the point midway between them.

adjusting an equalizer by ear for flatlistening -room response either beyondmy capacity or my self-confidence. Forthis reason I especially welcomed theintroduction, in recent years, of equal-izers with built-in calibration equip-ment. Typically these include, in addi-tion to the equalizer itself: (1) an oc-tave -band display (called a "real-timeanalyzer," or RTA) that shows you thefrequency distribution of the soundsyou are hearing, (2) an electret con-denser microphone (accurate enoughfor the purpose, though usually not oflaboratory quality), and (3) a pink -noise generator, which produces a sig-nal containing all audible frequencies

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Above, the Technics SH-8025 graphicequalizer. It has seven bands with -1-12-dBboost or cut available in each; featuresinclude recording equalization and anequalizer bypass. Price: $125.

Right, Sansui's SE -8X ten -bandgraphic equalizer and in -line spectrum

analyzer. It has two tape circuits forequalized dubbing from either deck to

the other. Price: $400.

distributed so that each octave containsequal energy. (Pink noise is by far thequickest and most accurate signal touse for setting up an equalizer.) TheAudioSource EQ-One and the ADCSound Shaper SS -315, both with listprices of $400, are typical of this typeof unit. The Soundcraftsmen AE2420-R Scan-Alyzer ($499), which incorpo-rates differential comparator circuitryto permit measurements accurate with-in 0.1 dB, is also a noteworthy unit ofthis kind.

Offering the ultimate in ease of ad-justment and flexibility are the micro-processor -equipped equalizers, suchas Sansui's SE -9 Compu-Equalizer($700), an eight -band unit that not onlyanalyzes and displays the in -room re-sponse of your system but automati-cally adjusts the sliders for you. In ad-dition, this unit permits you to store upto four compensation curves (for differ-ent listening locations or different kindsof music). Even more advanced is thedbx 20/20, which eliminates sliders al-together (it tunes itself electronically),has ten equalization -setting memories,comes with a very accurate measuring

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50 STEREO REVIEW

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microphone, and is also calibrated as asound -pressure -level (SPL) meter.

Equalizer SpecificationsIn addition to the major features dis-

cussed above, a number of equalizerspecifications should be considered inevaluating competing units. Figures fortotal harmonic distortion and signal-to-noise ratio should generally be compa-rable to those for your preamplifier (orthe preamplifier section of your receiv-er or integrated amplifier). The amountof overall boost or cut for each frequen-cy band, generally either 12 or 15 dB, isless important than the accuracy of theslider markings since a full boost or cut

is rarely necessary. The ability to re-solve and repeat a boost or cut within± I dB is excellent; ± 2 dB is good; ± 3dB, though typical, is only fair.

If the unit incorporates a real-timeanalyzer spectrum display and pink -noise generator and is supplied with amicrophone, the accuracy of the read-out should be stated both with andwithout the calibrated microphone. Ex-cept for the highest -quality units, thesupplied microphone cannot be ex-pected to be of laboratory quality, butthe manufacturer can and should com-pensate (in the unit's input circuitry)for its known frequency -response defi-ciencies to bring its readings within ± 2dB or so of flat. Among other useful

features are center-detented "flat" po-sitions and an output level control thatenables you to readjust for equal appar-ent loudness from the equalizer's out-put as compared with its input. A by-pass switch is a must to permit auralin/out comparisons.

Other Equalizer UsesWhile the principal use of an equaliz-

er is to tailor the frequency balance ofthe sound in your listening room, it hasseveral other applications as well. Forexample, if a particular recording ispoorly mastered and sounds markedlydifferent from others in your collection,you can use your equalizer to help cor-

Setting Up a Self -Calibrating Equalizer

IF you purchase an equalizer with a built-

in spectral display, a pink -noise gener-ator, and a calibrated microphone, equal-izing your music system is a simple proc-ess that requires few precautions.

(1) Place the microphone at ear level inyour normal listening location but at leasta foot or two away from large reflective(for instance, a desk top) or absorptive (anoverstuffed sofa) surfaces. Aim it midwaybetween the speakers, not directly at ei-ther one.

(2) Connect the equalizer to your sys-tem following the manufacturer's instruc-tions. This will usually be in the tape loop,and you will normally have to reconnectyour deck to the equalizer jacks providedfor that purpose. When possible, however,I prefer to avoid using an amplifier's tapejacks for the equalizer. Some integratedamplifiers have a pair of "pre -main" jacksthat are excellent for this purpose, and, ofcourse, all separate preamplifiers permitconnecting an equalizer between thepreamp and amp, which is how I prefer todo it.

(3) With your listening room as quiet asyou can get it, feed pink noise at a ratherloud volume into the left speaker andwrite down the spectrum -display readingfor each frequency band. You should ad-just the sensitivity control for the display(if the equalizer has one; otherwisechange your amplifier's volume control)to center the display as much as possible.You'll find that the display will not becompletely stable, particularly at the lowfrequencies, so you'll probably have to av-erage several sets of readings. Withoutchanging the volume level, do the samefor the right speaker. By keeping the samevolume setting, your figures will reflect

both relative frequency response and ab-solute loudness differences between bandsfor your two speakers.

(4) You may want to plot these une-qualized relative left- and right -channellevel readings on graph paper, using thereading at 250 or 500 Hz as your 0 -dBreference point. (The maximum outputpower of a symphony orchestra occursaround 400 Hz.) With an octave -bandequalizer, all the points you'll be plottingwill be an octave apart, so there is no needto use the kind of semi -log graph paper weuse for STEREO REvitw's frequency -re-sponse test charts. Ordinary linear graphpaper will do.

(5) Although, as explained in the con-clusion of the accompanying article, youprobably won't like the sound that resultsfrom genuinely flat measured response,you should probably make your first ad-justments to achieve it, both to familiarizeyourself with the equalization process andto hear what it sounds like. The frequency

bands controlled by the equalizer knobsoverlap, so you'll have to juggle back andforth a bit When both speakers are iden-tical (flat) in their response curves, adjusttheir relative volume so they match in thisrespect also. Try to use as little equaliza-tion as possible, and avoid having all theknobs either above or below the center.

(6) The degree of high -end rolloff youuse for your "house curve" must be yourown decision, and it may vary with thetype of music you wish to hear. Differentlistening locations may require differentcontrol settings to achieve the same curve.As a good starting point, however, I sug-gest using the curve I arrived at for mylistening room, which is shown below.This curve produces an average of the fre-quency response at -good seat" locationsin four of the world's best concert halls.The measurements were made by Bolt,Beranek, and Newman, Inc., with the up-permost octave shown (8 to 16 kHz) de-rived by simple extrapolation.

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JANUARY 1984 51

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rect its sonic imbalance(s) while dub-bing it onto tape. Most equalizers pro-vide a switch to feed an equalized signalto a recorder. If you have one thatdoesn't, simply connect the output ofthe equalizer to the input jacks of yourtape recorder.

There are two cautions to be observedwhen you record through an equalizer,however. First, don't use your "housecurve," the one you normally use tocompensate for speaker/room prob-lems. If you do, when you play thedubbed version back through your sys-tem with the equalizer at its normal set-tings you'll find that you've simply dou-bled your speaker corrections withoutfixing the imbalance of the record.What you want to do 'in dubbing anodd -sounding record is to find the fre-quency compensation that makes . itsound the way, others in your collectionsound without equalization, so that thedub will sound right when played backwith your normal settings.

The second caution is to use as littlerecording equalization-particularly atthe frequency extremes-as possible.The cassette medium automaticallyuses a very large amount of treble boostin the recording process, for example,and to add much more is to risk tapesaturation. You can boost the high endof a treble -shy record slightly, butyou'll have to experiment to see how faryou can go without saturation.

Another important use for an equal-izer is in educating yourself about the

Above, Sansui's SE -77, a twelve -bandgraphic equalizer with infra- and ultrasonicbands (centered at 16 and 32,000 Hz) forsmoothing the ends of the response curves.It also has two-way dubbing equalization.Price: $280.

Right, the Soundcraftsmen DX4200. Itcombines a ten -band graphic equalizer with

the source -switching, amplifying, dubbing,and level -control functions of a preamplifier.

Price: $699.

frequency distribution in music. Whilea unit with a spectrum display makesthis more dramatic, even a "plain"equalizer can yield surprising insightswhen you experiment by raising andlowering individual sliders that coverknown, identifiable bands. For exam-ple, you'll find that 1,000 Hz, the nor-mal frequency used for testing equip-ment, isn't really in the middle of theaudible spectrum. In fact it's just abouttwo octaves above middle C. Moreover,you'll find that there is usually very lit-tle musical content in the lowest (20 to40 Hz) and the highest (above 15,000Hz). parts of the nominal audio fre-queticy range. Exploring just what youhave to do with your equalizer ,to, say,.make a voice on FM sound nasal or tub-by will train your ears in things to listenfor when speaker shopping.

And if you are interested in reallycomparing speakers, an equalizer canbe a wonderful tool even without otherinstruments. Place a speaker to betested next to your reference speakerand feed it equalized sound, leaving thereference unequalized. If you now ad-just the equalizer so that both speakerssound the same, you can read the fre-quency -response difference(s) betweenthe two speakers from the positions ofthe equalizer knobs. While you can usemusical material to make these adjust-ments, you'll find that a constant noisesource (FM interstation hiss if yourequalizer doesn't have a pink -noise gen-erator) is a lot quicker. If you can take

a pair of new speakers home for a try-out before buying them and comparethem with those you already have, youcould save yourself a costly mistake-or confirm your hope that the newspeakers really do give a broader,smoother response.

There are, of course, limits to whatstereo equalizers can accomplish, andthere are some precautions to observe inusing them. An equalizer will not ex-tend the designed -in high- and low -fre-quency limits of a speaker very much.If you try to use one to supply largeboosts at the frequency extremes,you're likely to find that your amplifierbegins to distort and/or that yourspeakers' woofers "bottom out" or theirtweeters burn. out. Similarly, while anequalizer may help tame standing'waves (spots in the room where specificbass notes sound either excessively loudor soft), it won't cure them. Movingyour speakers a foot or so in any direc-tion may do as much or more good.

Finally, if you equalize for perfectlyflat measured room response, you'relikely to find the sound too bright.That's because in a concert hall the tre-ble frequencies are naturally attenu-ated both by transmission loss throughthe air and by absorption by the walls,floor, ceiling, chairs, audience, musi-cians, etc. Listening to a loudspeaker,you're much closer to the sound sourcethan you would be in the hall, and yourroom's boundaries may not absorb asmuch high -frequency energy. Thus,you're likely to want to adjust for asmooth tilt or rolloff in room response(perhaps 3 dB per octave above 2,000Hz, depending on your room) beforeyou're satisfied with the result. Thatslightly rolled -off treble is the soundyou've learned to recognize as "flat,"that is, as "the way you'd hear it live."And without an equalizer you wouldn'tbe able to hear it from your home sys-tem at all. 0

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52 STEREO REVIEW

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HOW TO DEALWITH

YOUR AUDIO DEALERANairline advertising slogan used totell us that Getting There Is Half

the Fun. And for many peoplethe enjoyment of actually traveling to aresort is an important part of a vaca-tion. Similarly, for many hi-fi enthu-siasts the process of studying availableequipment and deciding what to buy isan important aspect of their interest inaudio and the pleasure that they getfrom it.

A private STEREO REVIEW survey ofhi-fi component buyers made last yearshowed that the majority spend morethan five months in study and compari-son shopping before making a final de-cision on the purchase of any major unitin their stereo installation. Of those sur-veyed 85 per cent consulted dealers-among others-while making up theirminds, and four out of five of thesepeople (68 per cent overall) found thedealer's advice helpful.

Not everybody reports favorably onencounters with audio dealers. Begin-ning audio buyers often approach theprocess with feelings of inadequacy andtrepidation. But a great deal of anxietyand trouble can be avoided by efforts of

"... Another nicefeature is the crossovernetwork, sir. It utilizes

heavy -gauge wire so thesounds that cross over

into the midrangespeaker will have, in

effect, 'a safecrossing.' "

the consumer alone. Suitable prepara-tion before you shop can help you getthe products you want.

A Cautionary TaleTo show what can go wrong, howev-

er, when unwary shoppers encounterthe many pitfalls of the hi-fi market-place, let's consider a "worst -case" ex-ample from real life. A young coupleplanning to spend up to $500 for theirfirst cassette deck became so discour-aged after visiting four reputable hi-fidealers in a large metropolitan areathat they ended up buying nothing.

What happened is that the couple-let's call them the Smiths-had seen amanufacturer's ad for a deck ("BrandA") with the features they wanted, styl-ing they liked, and a suggested retailprice that fit their budget. Armed withthis information alone, they hit thestreets looking for the best deal on theirselection.

The first dealer they visited didn'tcarry that brand of tape deck at all, andhe volunteered the information that themanufacturer was about to go out of

By Steve Booth

business. He offered to save them mon-ey on a comparable deck from anothercompany whose line he carried. TheSmiths walked out.

The second dealer carried both thebrand they originally wanted and theone offered by the first dealer, as wellas others. He couldn't confirm whetherCompany A was going out of businessor not, but he said that the Brand B ma-chine offered by the first dealer was a"discontinued" model. He offered tomeet the other dealer's price on thatdeck with a current model from thesame manufacturer-but he assuredthe Smiths that they would really behappier with a deck made by CompanyC that was similar in price and features

had originally wanted. Feeling unsureat this point, the Smiths decided to shopfurther.

The third dealer didn't carry any ofthe brands A, B, or C. But he offeredthem a Brand D deck for the same priceas the Brand A and Brand C models,claiming that it would perform at leastas well. And if they wanted somethingcheaper, he could match the price andvalue of the discontinued Brand B mod-el with a discontinued model from stillanother company! This was really con-fusing, because the second dealer hadstrongly implied that buying a discon-tinued model was a bad idea.

The Smiths' last stop was at a dealerwhose stock included all the brandsthey had seen so far. The salesman as-sured them that all the decks they hadbeen shown were well -made machinesfrom reputable manufacturers. More-over. he said that his store would itselfguarantee anything it sold, includingproducts from any manufacturer thatmight go out of business. If a compo-nent purchased there couldn't be fixedon the premises within a week, the storewould provide a "loaner" until it was.But then he suggested that the Smithsconsider still another cassette deck,from a manufacturer that none of theother stores had carried, at a price closeto their budget limit.

JANUARY 1984 53

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The Smiths conceded that this BrandF deck did seem to be worth its price,and the fourth store and the salesmanwho spoke with them had impressedthem favorably. But by that time, con-fronted with such a multiplicity ofchoices and such conflicting, thoughseemingly reasonable, arguments forthem, they chose to withdraw from thefield until they could study the litera-ture more carefully and come back witha clearer idea of the kind of deck theywanted.

The best that can be said of theSmiths' experience is that it is not typi-cal of that of most hi-fi componentbuyers. Like most shoppers, the Smithsvisited several different stores and con-sidered factors other than price alone;unlike most other buyers, they had adefinite product in mind when they setout. So why did they end up empty-handed? The reason is that they hadn'tdone enough "homework" to be able todefend their initial choice or to discusstheir requirements with dealers offer-ing competing products. The troublewas not in the dealers' sales pitches butin the Smiths' lack of preparation.Faced with multiple offers of equiva-lent or better products at the same orlower prices, they found themselves un-equipped to decide.

Be PreparedKnowing what you want and need,

not merely what you can afford, is thefirst step toward making a satisfactorypurchase. You wouldn't go shopping fora car without deciding in advance

".. . Do speakers really soundbetter with Godzilla Cable?

I can only tell you thatin Los Angeles. when asked.118 out of 150 ouija boards

said yes."

whether you need a four -wheel -drive,all -terrain vehicle or a three -speed, au-tomatic -transmission subcompact, yetsome people will go into an audio storeto buy, say, "a tape deck" without evendeciding whether they will use the ma-chine primarily to make and play backtheir own recordings (and, if so, fromwhat kind of source) or will use it most -

an incompetent or dishonest salesmanto stick to the facts.

Communication goes both ways.While you may know clearly whatyou're looking for, even the most well-intentioned and discerning salesmancan't read your mind. You have to pro-vide enough information about yourtastes, circumstances, and needs for

"Knowing what you want and need, not merelywhat you can afford, is the first step towardmaking a satisfactory purchase. . . ."

ly to play commercially prerecordedtapes.

Customers who go shopping withoutclear objectives tend to settle for prod-ucts that are merely unobjectionablerather than optimal for their needs.They make themselves dependent onthe sincerity and knowledge of stran-gers, and the two don't always coincide.Actually, most of the misinformationbandied about by audio salespeopleowes more to incompetence than to awillful intent to deceive. An under -trained, inexperienced, or ill-informedsalesman may try to satisfy you withany answer that comes to mind ratherthan admit his limitations or send youaway disappointed. But a well-in-formed customer cannot easily be mis-led. Asking intelligent, relevant, andprecise questions will usually lead even

him to advise you intelligently. He'llneed to know what kind of music youlisten to and how loudly, whether youplay music as background to other ac-tivities or like to listen closely with nodistractions (or both at different times),the size and shape and type of furnish-ings in the room where you'll installyour equipment, and the kind of pro-gram sources (tuner, records, cassettesor open -reel tapes, Compact Discs, vid-eo tapes or discs, etc.) that you eitherhave now or are interested in having atsome future time.

If you're not shopping for a completesystem, he'll also need to know whatother equipment the components hemay sell you will have to be compatiblewith. And, finally, he'll need a realisticestimate of your budget limitations aswell as an idea of how you rank otherfactors (performance, features, style,etc.) as compared with price. (For anexample of how one audio dealer helpshis customers give his salespeople theinformation they need, see the ques-tionnaire reproduced on page 57.)

No matter how well they prepare,many people will not have enough in-formation to make a rational, definitivepurchase decision before they ever en-ter a store. Even if you have a very goodidea of what you want, it's just possiblethat the dealer will be able to show yousomething even more to your taste thatyou hadn't seen or read about before,suggest a feature or performance pa-rameter whose value you hadn't consid-ered, or point out an advantage or alimitation of a particular product thatwas not evident from the advertising orliterature you studied.

On the other hand, if you are in themarket for just one specific componentand are sure of exactly which modelyou want, use the Yellow Pages or writeor call the manufacturer (there's oftena toll -free inquiry number given in ad-vertisements) to find out which dealers

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in your area carry it. The first mistakemade by the Smiths in our opening ex-ample was to select a particular deckand then go into stores at random hop-ing to find one that carried it.

Shopping for several components atonce, or for a whole system, is naturallymuch more complicated and requireseven more preparation than going outjust to buy, say, a new tuner or tapedeck. But it can also create the opportu-nity to get a much better deal. You canoften get price breaks on the individualcosts of components if they are boughtas part of a package. And when a dealeris helping you to assemble a whole sys-tem, he can suggest alternative modelsthat will work well together and possi-bly offer better features or performancefor the money than what you originallyhad in mind. If you go from store tostore to buy several different compo-nents, you run the risk of making mis-matches of your own-which thenwon't be covered by any one store'sguarantee. In addition, you won't getthe best possible advice from dealersbecause you're not giving them the fullpicture of what you're after or the in-centive to spend a lot of time working

with you to make sure your purchasewill be satisfactory.

By and large, audio dealers, like oth-er retail merchants, are in business forthe long run. Those who hope to contin-ue making a profit need satisfied cus-tomers-customers who will come backagain to buy new products or to up-grade their systems, customers who willrefer their friends and other potentialbuyers. Thus, it's really in a dealer's in-terest to see that you get fair value foryour money. Only a character flaw-one that's fatal to business success inthe long run-could lead a retailer tobehave otherwise.

But even granted a presumption offair dealing, our opening examplepointed up some oddities in hi-fi retail-ing that can be a source of confusion, orworse, to unwary shoppers. For in-stance, why would a dealer carry onlytwo brands of a popular component cat-egory? How can two dealers price thesame piece of equipment differently?Why would a retailer offer to match an -other's price on a different brand ofproduct-or match the price of a dis-continued model with a mint -new com-ponent of the same brand? Why do

some dealers carry brands that no oneelse in the area has? And so on. Theanswers to such questions lie in thestructure of the hi-fi marketplace, thedistribution strategies of the hi-fiequipment manufacturers, and thepricing flexibility granted to dealers bylaw and custom.

The Hi-Fi MarketUnlike new automobiles, which are

sold only by dealers whose business islimited to cars, and usually only one ortwo brands at that, audio equipment issold by a wide variety of "tradeclasses"-merchants whose productlines, services, and prices may differsubstantially. Generally speaking, theless a dealer offers in the way of expertadvice and after -sale service, the lowerthe purchase price for what he sells.

At one end of the market are the au-dio specialists. These dealers generallysell only one type of product-audioequipment. But within this categorythere is also a wide range. Some audiostores will sell every kind of equipment,from the most esoteric, high-pricedcomponents for finicky ears and bot-

When a Deal Is Not a DealS()M1 -.TRIES what appears to be a great

deal is no bargain! "Buyer bcware" isa good slogan to bear in mind when you'reconfronted with certain types of promo-tions, merchandise, and merchandisers. Inthe end, you only get what you pay for-one way or another.

The "penny cartridge" and the "dollarloudspeaker" are legitimate retail ploys-as old as hi-fi retailing itself-to get youinto a store where you may buy other mer-chandise. But they're not necessarily gooddeals. The "penny cartridge" is probablynot the best you can buy on your budget.Since you're paying for it anyway-thereal cost is buried elsewhere, usually inthe turntable price-ask the dealer to putits value toward a better model and paythe difference. The "dollar loudspeaker"("Buy one for S89 and get the other foronly SI") may or may not be worth halfthe total price of the deal. Make sure thatthe speakers (both of them) are suited toyour system, satisfy your ears, and carryreasonable warranties.

Certain types of merchandise should beregarded very carefully no matter how at-tractive the price. One such is "graygoods" (see box on page 58), and anotheris the so-called "private label" or "housebrand" manufactured for a specific deal-er. The profit margin on a house brand ishigh because the dealer can set any pricehe wishes; moreover, you can't shoparound for the best price since no one else

carries the product. The quality of pri-vate -label or house brands ranges fromokay to awful. But even when the producthappens to be good, it will have less resaleor trade-in value since there's no estab-lished reputation or price structure. Witha type of component that you expect tokeep for a very long time, this may notmatter, but for anything you might wantto upgrade in a few years, it's a baddeal.

Other types of risky merchandise areused goods and so-called "factory recondi-tioned" products, also known as "Bgoods." By law, used merchandise mustbe identified and advertised as such. Ifyou buy it from an established dealer, hewill probably offer some sort of limitedwarranty, but its value depends on the ca-pabilities o' his service department. And ifyou move to another part of the country,you're on your own.

There is a class of itinerant merchantsthat proliferates in bad economic times.Their so-called "road shcws" zoom intotown, set up in a vacant lot or motel park-ing area, and "blow out" merchandise atextremely low prices. Sometimes thesemerchants are liquidators selling off re-possessed or surplus goods; sometimes anestablished retailer will use such an oper-ation to unload excess inventory outsidehis normal market. The goods might becurrent major -brand products in the origi-nal cartons, but they can also be recondi-

tioned goods, private -label brands, dam-aged goods, or even those shady itemsknown as "knock -offs."

A knock -off is an inferior product thatis designed and packaged to resemble a"name brand" prcduct, thereby exploitinga major manufacturer's reputation andconsumer good will while siphoning offsales. A notorious example of such para-sitic offerings is the "Jessen" car stereoknock -off that was barred from importa-tion and sale last year; it aped the logo anddesign of the Jensen car stereo line. Otherknock -offs are more subtle. A salesmanmight tell you, for instance, that the un-known brand he's showing you is actuallymade by a famous manufacturer-or thatit includes parts made by that manufac-turer. Big deal; many reputable manufac-turers sell off parts that don't meet theirquality standards. If you really want aBrand A product, buy the real thing, la-beled as such.

Regardless of the quality of the mer-chandise offered by itinerant sellers, con-sider your recourse (or lack thereof) if theproduct you buy is a dud or needs servicelater. it could cost you much more in thelong run, to fix it or replace it, than yousaved on it in the first place.

Finally, when it comes to the matter ofbuying "hot" or stolen merchandise, yourown moral sense should be your guide.Just don't expect to have the manufactur-er's warranty honcred for "swag."

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tomless pockets to decent -soundingcompact systems to fit the budget of ahigh-school student. Then there are thehigh -end -only "audio salons" and cus-tom specialists, the ones where if youhave to ask what it costs you probablycan't afford it. At the other extreme-but still within the class of audio spe-cialists-are the audio chains, whichconcentrate on the "bread-and-butter"mid -priced hi-fi components, with per-haps only a few offerings at the highand low ends.

What all the audio -specialty storeshave in common is salespeople withsome degree of audio expertise, somekind of in-house service facilities, show-rooms equipped for demonstrating andcomparing equipment, and, usually,fairly generous return and exchangeprivileges. They may also offer free ornominally priced delivery and even in-stallation of the equipment they sell.All of this can make shopping morepleasurable and less risky, but it doesn'tcome for nothing. Prices in these storesare generally higher than in other typesof stores that sell audio equipment, es-pecially if the dealership is indepen-dently owned and doesn't have thehigh -volume buying power of a chain.

In a different but related category ofdealer are the so-called consumer -elec-tronics retailers. These dealers sell a lotof things besides hi-fi components: vid-eo equipment, audio and video software(discs and tapes), car stereos, calcula-tors, computers, video games, CBequipment, and so on. Because thesestores concentrate at least on electron-ics products, they can offer a fair levelof knowledgeable advice and service tohi-fi shoppers, if generally somewhatless than the audio specialists do.

Audio equipment is also sold in de-

partment stores, hardware/housewaresstores, TV/appliance emporiums, andother mass merchandisers. Even in thefew cases where the selection rivals asmall specialty store's, the diversity of amass merchandiser's wares and theusual high turnover of salespeoplemakes it rare to find a salesman able to

model number, fork over your cash, andget a "factory -sealed" carton. Knowl-edgeable advice isn't extra-it's notavailable. If anyone working in one ofthese stores can tell you anything morethan a model's price and a few specifi-cations, it's by chance, not design.

There's no doubt that discount out-

". . . a lot of the confusion . . . derives fromcompetitive practices that can work to theadvantage of careful, informed shoppers."

do much more than parrot the manu-facturer's literature. Such stores dostrive for customer satisfaction, howev-er. While few offer on -premises service,most will exchange defective or other-wise unsatisfactory goods within astated time after purchase, after whichyou have the manufacturer's warrantyto rely on. Because they buy in largequantities, these mass merchandiserscan offer very good prices on audioequipment. You just have to bring a lotof your own knowledge into the store inorder to be able to recognize whichproducts are good values for you.

Finally, there are the discounthouses, including mail-order discount-ers, which sell high -demand, fast -turn-over products (whether audio only, au-dio and video, or a whole range of cate-gories) solely on the basis of price. Lit-tle is lavished on store fixtures, salestraining, service, or anything else thatmight add to the cost of the products.Merchandise is seldom even displayed,let alone demonstrated. You furnish a

. . Of course, it won't sound exactly the samewhen you play it on a crowded bus. . . ."

lets can offer very low prices, but buy-ing from them is best left to the ruggedindividualists who know exactly whatthey want, don't need any advice orhelp, and are willing to send theirequipment off to the manufacturer (oran authorized service center) if it everneeds repair. While a discounter willusually exchange an obviously defectiveunit for another of the same model,beyond that the only warranty or back-up you get is whatever the manufactur-er offers.

Prices and DealsCompetition, whether on the basis of

price, service, or anything else, is sup-posed to help the consumer ultimately.But the competitive nature of the hi-fimarketplace is responsible for a lot ofthe shopping confusion buyers have tocontend with. Manufacturers competewith each other, and they use advertis-ing to try to persuade potential custom-ers to seek out and buy their products.But dealers-and categories of deal-ers-also compete. If you look closely,you're liable to see the same brandsacross the street from each other. Mostoften, of course, dealers try to attractprospective buyers on the basis of price;that is, they compete through the dis-count each is willing to make fromthe manufacturer's "suggested retailprice."

Since federal law prohibits manufac-turers from "fixing" retail prices,thereby stifling competition, the sug-gested retail price (or "list price") ismerely a manufacturer's estimate of aprice that is competitive with that ofcomparable products and allows a cer-tain percentage of profit over the retail-er's cost. It is likely, then, to represent amaximum price for the product, mak-ing it something of a guide to theamount of discount you're getting. Al-though the list price for a productmight not appear in the manufacturer's

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cr retailer's ads, it can usually be foundin product reviews in hi-fi magazines orin annual directories such as STEREOREVIEW'S Tape Recording & BuyingGuide or Stereo Buyers Guide. (Audiocomponent directories, by the way,might not list "private -label" or housebrands, since they aren't available toother retailers and probably not to themajority of consumers.)

Bear in mind, however, that interme-diate price reductions do occur as aproduct nears the end of its selling life.It's shoddy practice for a retailer totrumpet in his ads a deep discount onthe "original suggested retail price" ofa three -year -old model that he has got-ten from the manufacturer at much lessthan its original cost.

Average price levels among the dif-ferent audio trade classes vary so wide-ly because different kinds of dealerscan afford different levels of discount-ing-or, what is the same thing, needdifferent amounts of mark-up to makea profit. But within the same tradeclass, different dealers may compete onthe basis of many things other thanprice-services, guarantees, and, espe-cially, selection (the models offered forsale). In any case, all the different au-dio retailers compete for customersshopping for components within a cer-tain price range. If a dealer can't meethis competition's price on one model ina brand, he may be able to do so on an-other, or with an equivalent productfrom a different manufacturer, or byoffering the product as part of a pack-age, and so on. That's why it's very im-portant for you to know what factorsbesides priceare important to you.

While most assembly -line audioequipment is widely sold by differentclasses of dealers, some highly regardedbrands have "limited distribution"agreements with a network of dealers.In any given area, only one or a fewdealers will be allowed to carry thatbrand, thus providing them a competi-tive advantage. If a customer wantsthat brand, or can be persuaded thatit's what he needs, the dealer won'thave to shave his profit margin by com-peting in terms of price; he can demandthe full list price. Watch out, though,that an "exclusive" brand is not just ahouse brand (see the box on page 55,"When a Deal Is Not a Deal").

How much or how little profit a deal-er can or wants to make on an item onlypartly explains why prices differ fromstore to store. Other factors that affectretail pricing-and which can lead tobargains for buyers-include volume -purchasing discounts, model changesand close-outs (discontinued products),"leader" models, "push lines," and evenmore esoteric marketing arrangements

between manufacturers and retailers.Volume purchasing is the basis of the

great majority of "deals" to be found,and, as noted earlier, it is a major rea-son for the generally lower prices avail-able from audio chain stores, mass mer-chandisers, and discount houses Themore of any given component a dealerorders, the lower his unit cost and thecheaper he can sell it at a profit-pro-vided he can sell a lot. Large inventoriesthat don't turn over quickly can eat upa dealer's volume -discount savings, sosuch merchandise is often priced only alittle above wholesale in order to moveit out of the store as fast as possible.

Dealers can save-and pass on theirsavings to customers-by buying largequantities of a number of differentmodels in a manufacturer's line. Butthey can also concentrate on one model

and use it as a traffic -generating "lead-er." (It's not necessarily a "loss lead-er," since the rock -bottom price maystill allow a small profit.) Attractivelypriced leader models draw more cus-tomers into a store, where they may buydifferent or additional products at high-er markups.

Another form of volume deal, calledthe "push line," comes about when amanufacturer wants to establish orstrengthen his position in a market.Typically, the manufacturer will offerselected dealers extra discounts on mer-chandise and other help to build con-sumer demand for the line, such as co-op advertising in local media (the man-ufacturer and the local dealer split thecost), rebates, and premiums ("gifts" topurchasers). In addition, the manufac-turer might offer special incentives to a

Your Music System RequirementsAudio LraIt is truly unique. We really care. Our pnme

concern is to tit a music system or component to your ex-act needs.

To make that right tit we must ask questions. Your

Do you own a stereo musicsystem?rvi Nis C.; Nu

What pleases you the mostabout your stereo musicsystem?

What doesn't you stereo musicsystem provide that you wouldlike to have?

What role does music play.inyour home?

What musical experience haveyou had recently that has im-pressed you?

If it were within reason, wouldyou like that experienceduplicated?0 Yes No

What types of music do youprefer?C CaredC Hard RockC Soh RuckO Jags

E PularC Country

How loud will you normally beplaying your stereo musicsystem?

Extra Loud 0 LoudAverage 7_, soft

answers will enable us to loco. quickly and accurately onyou and your needs.

We are ditterent. We will tare the time to guide you tothe correct selection of equipment.

What component capabilitiesdo you want in your stereomusic system?

RadioAMHM

Rested Kaye,Single Pla. semi AutomateSingk Play Automate.Multiple Play Automata.

Tape Re. order

Cassette

Open keel

Digital Disc Player

Extension Speakers

TV Audio Through the StereoMusic System

Remote Cantrol Cagobilities

How is the AM, FM, TV recep-tion is your area? Good a.d

Do you have or are youfamiliar with phonographrecord, needle, and tape deckmaintenance accessories need-ed to keep your equipmentoperating properly?

Yes C No

What do you expect front theretailer from whom you pur-chase your stereo music

NOW Future system?

0O

O

OC

O

O

O

How much do you intend to in-vest in your stereo musicsystem? $

Will you want to take athan-tage of Audio Craft's freedelis.ery and system set-upservice?0Y. 0 No

Et How will you he handling pay-ment of your new stereo musicsystem? Coedit Card CaslYCheck 0 Financed

Do you have any further ques-tions or needs that we have notcovered?

WHAT is the physical layout of your listening room?

Good salespeople ask a lot of questions, so don t get your guard up as long as the questionspertain to hi -ti. The questionnaire reproduced above is given to customers of Audio Craft, aCleveland, Ohio, audio dealer. Their answers help the store's salespeople gauge customers'needs. Copyright Audio Craft, reprinted with permission.

JANUARY 1984 57

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store's sales personnel-in the form ofmerchandise or monetary bonuses(called "spiffs")-to get them to"push" the line.

Volume buying isn't limited to newmerchandise. Retailers often jump atthe opportunities provided by changesin a manufacturer's line, snapping uplarge quantities of discontinued modelsat "close-out" prices. And the manu-facturer is equally eager to part withdiscontinued equipment. Moreover,even models still in the line may beheavily discounted if their position haschanged-for instance, if last year'stop -of -the -line receiver has been de-moted by this year's sensation at theConsumer Electronics Show. The pre-vious top model can become a goodleader for an astute dealer and a goodbargain for a smart shopper.

The main thing to consider in evalu-ating an attractively priced close-out iswhy the model was discontinued. Wasit simply to make room for a newer onewith different styling, minor changes infeatures, or slight improvements in per-formance? Or has there been a quan-tum leap in audio technology thatmakes the older model, however worthyin its day, distinctly less than "state-of-the-art" now? Or, though rather un-likely, was the discontinued model a"lemon" from the start, a poorly de-signed or badly built product that is fi-nally being abandoned?

One of the best ways to answer thesequestions, of course, is to study the lit-erature-including the specs and fea-tures of both the discontinued modeland the one replacing it in the line aswell as any published test reports onthem in STEREO REVIEW and other au-dio magazines. If you cannot find suchinformation about a specific product,study the specs of similar products andprepare yourself to ask informed ques-tions of the dealer. Again, it is in a deal-er's best interests to answer your ques-tions honestly. And the better he knowsyour requirements and preferences, thebetter advice he can give you.

You'll also have to use your ears and,if possible, your hands to check theproduct out, just as you would a brand-new model. Major advances in audiotechnology don't occur as often as mod-el changes, and the differences betweenlast year's top of the line and this year'smay not be audible to you or may be inareas you don't care much about (forinstance, if you don't listen to morethan a couple of FM stations, havingsixteen presets on a tuner or receiver is,for you, a "frill" you can do without).

Besides, not everyone needs, or canafford, "state-of-the-art" equipment. Agood product will still be good even if abetter one has been introduced. So if

you can get a deal on a discontinuedmodel from a reputable manufacturerthat seems right for you, by all meanstake it.

A Last WordAs our initial example of the couple

shopping for a cassette deck showed,the hi-fi marketplace can be a very con-fusing one. But a lot of the confusion-especially the wide variability in retailprices-derives from competitive prac-tices that can work to the advantage ofcareful, informed shoppers. Knowinghow the marketplace works, you'll bebetter equipped to evaluate what differ-ent salespeople tell you-for instance,why one may disparage a discontinuedmodel while another praises it. Peopleare fairly honest, by and large, and it'srare to find an audio salesman who willactually try to cheat his customers.Salespeople are not disinterested either;obviously, their job is to sell their prod-ucts. On the other hand, if you establisha continuing working relationship withone or two audio dealers, you will prob-ably find that you have a good source ofinformed advice there.

When you go shopping for audioequipment, from a single component toa complete system, you'll need all theadvance preparation you can getthrough studying the literature and

talking with others who own goodequipment. And you also need somepsychological priming. Keep your criti-cal faculties sharp, don't allow yourselfto be rushed or pressured, and neverforget that you can always say "No."Don't be afraid to ask questions, takenotes, and request literature or a dem-onstration (if the store is equipped forit). And especially if you're buyingmore than one component at a time,don't hesitate to bargain; as we've seen,the "suggested retail price" is only asuggestion. Finally, don't be afraid tosay you'll think it over and come back.You're going to have to live with theequipment you buy, not the salesman,and you should be sure that you will behappy with it.

If you take a lot of time between be-ginning to think about buying some-thing and actually taking your new gearhome, remember that you're not alone:most people who buy component -levelstereo equipment do. And STEREO RE-VIEW'S survey also showed that mostpeople who shop carefully end up withequipment that satisfies them-at leastuntil the "upgrading bug" hits themagain! 0

Steve Booth is senior editor of AudioTimes, a New York -based trade journalthat has been covering the retail hi-fi busi-ness for twenty-five years.

The Gray MarketBESIDES

the legitimate discounts froma suggested retail price, some of the

"unbelievably low" prices you seequoted for foreign -made audio goods re-sult from an ethically and legally du-bious practice called "the gray market"or "parallel importing." What thismeans is that the dealer has acquired themerchandise from a source other thanthe authorized importer or domesticsubsidary of the foreign manufacturer.His cost for the goods is lower, since byeliminating a middleman he avoids help-ing pay for the national advertising andother expenses of doing business in theU.S. that are absorbed by the legitimatedomestic supplier and reflected in high-er prices to dealers.

Although buying gray goods may saveconsumers money too, purchasers runthe risk of losing warranty protection.Warranties are generally issued by theauthorized importer or domestic subsid-iary, rarely by the overseas factory, andgray goods may either come withoutwarranty cards or have cards that willnot be honored. In some cases, the dealerhimself will back up the product (if hehas a service department that can do thework), and major manufacturers will of-

ten honor even illegitimate warranties toprotect their reputations. But there isstill a risk of getting a product cheaplythat will require expensive servicing.

It's hard to tell if a given product wasacquired on the gray market. The pack-aging will not say so, and the low priceitself is not a reliable clue since theavailability of gray goods often causesother retailers to lower their prices ongoods bought through the normal distri-bution channels. Missing or strange -looking warranty cards may be the bestwarning signal.

If you suspect that you're being of-fered gray goods, demand to see themanufacturer's warranty cards and -in-sist on clearly stated return or exchangeguarantees (on paper) from the dealer.If you get a brush-off, you can take awalk --or take the risk.

The gray -market phenomenon mightbe short-lived. At press time there werecases before the federal courts thatcould halt the practice. If the courtsgrant protection to the authorized im-porters and domestic subsidiaries, theCustoms Bureau has new regulationsand procedures already drafted thatwould stop gray goods at the docks.

58 STEREO REVIEW

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25Top CompactDiscs

Not all Compact Discs sound great.Here are some of the best.

By David Ranada

THE -RE are now several hundreddigital Compact Discs (CD's) onthe market. If you were a firm

believer in advertising copy, you'd un-questioningly think that every one ofthem is a paragon of sonic virtue, a re-cording suitable for demonstrating thecapabilities of your stereo system or offiltering out less satisfactory compo-nents while shopping. Not so! In reality,a relatively small number of currentlyavailable CD's -1 estimate about 10per cent-meet the highest standardsof sonic quality, standards establishedby hundreds of fine -sounding "black -disc" analog LP's.

The CD's cited below as demonstra-tion -quality recordings, however, havebeen chosen according to one basic cri-terion: each must show off at least oneof the attributes that makes the CDsystem potentially superior to any otherconsumer music medium. Principalamong these characteristics are a verywide dynamic range, very low-levelbackground noise (especially noticeablein classical music and in the increasedclarity of bass frequencies in all types ofmusic), no wow -and -flutter (when theCD is derived from a digital original re-cording), very low distortion (most evi-dent in high-level passages), and flatfrequency response extending from thelowest to the highest audible frequen-cies. Most of the discs listed here incor-porate all of these attributes. To lendsome objectivity to what otherwise weremy totally subjective sonic and musicaljudgments, I have included some oscil-loscope photos that visually portray the

dynamic range of several CD's (also seethe box on page 61).

Don't think, though, that these arethe only CD's of demonstration quality.I've been able to hear all, part, or asmuch as I could stand of just about halfof the 450 Compact Discs said to beavailable in the United States. Thereare probably many more that are wor-thy of showing off the CD system. Ifyou like the sound of the analog press-ing of a recording now available as aCompact Disc, you'll probably like thesound of the CD as well.

There are quite a few CD's thatsound just as bad as their black -discequivalents because the master tapeswere recorded poorly. But several of therecordings I like best derive from ana-log -tape originals, showing once againthat it is not the original recording me-dium that determines the overall soundquality but how well that medium isused.

Classical MusicO BACH: Goldberg Variations. GlennGould (piano). CBS MK 37779 (digitaloriginal).O BACH: Concertos for Three andFour Harpsichords. Trevor Pinnock,Kenneth Gilbert, Lars Ulrik Morten-sen, Nicholas Kraemer (harpsichords);English Concert, Trevor Pinnock cond.A.RCHIV 400 041-2 (digital original).O BEETHOVEN: String Quartet No.1, Op. 18, No. 1; String Quartet No. 5,Op. 18, No. 5. Smetana Quartet. DEN -ON 38C37-7036 (digital original). 111.

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BERNSTEIN: West Side Story,Symphonic Dances. GERSHWIN:Rhapsody in Blue; Piano Prelude No. 2.Leonard Bernstein (piano); Los An-geles Philharmonic Orchestra, LeonardBernstein cond. DEUTSCHE GRAMMO-PHON 410 025-2 (digital original). COPLAND: Fanfare for the Com-mon Man; Rodeo, Dance Episodes; Ap-palachian Spring Suite. Atlanta Sym-phony Orchestra, Louis Lane cond.TELARC CD -80078 (digital original). FALLA: The Three -Cornered Hat;El amor brujo. Colette Boky (soprano);Huguette Tourangeau (mezzo-so-prano); Orchestre Symphonique deMontreal, Charles Dutoit cond. LON-DON 410 008-2 (digital original). HANDEL: Water Music Suite; Mu-sic for the Royal Fireworks. Academyof Ancient Music, Christopher Hog -

wood cond. L'OISEAU-LYRE 400 059-2(analog original). MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Ex-hibition (arr. Ravel); A Night on BaldMountain (arr. Rimsky-Korsakov).Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazelcond. TELARC CD -80042 (digital origi-nal). ORFF: Carmina Burana. AtlantaSymphony Orchestra and Chorus, Rob-ert Shaw cond. TELARC CD -80056(digital original). RAVEL: Daphnis et Chloe. Or-chestre Symphonique de Montreal,Charles Dutoit cond. LONDON 400-055-2 (digital original). RIMSKY-KORSAKOV: Schehera-zade, Op. 35. Concertgebouw Orches-tra, Kiril Kondrashin cond. PHILIPS 400021-2 (analog original). RODRIGO: Concierto de Aranjuez;Fantasia para un gentilhombre. CarlosBonell (guitar); Orchestre Sympho-nique de Montreal, Charles Dutoitcond. LONDON 400 054-2 (digital origi-nal). RODRIGO: Concierto Madrigal;Concierto Andaluz. Los Romeros (gui-tars); Academy of St. Martin -in -the-

Fields, Neville Marriner cond. PHILIPS400 024-2 (analog original). STRAVINSKY: The Firebird. Con-certgebouw Orchestra, Sir Colin Daviscond. PHILIPS 400 074-2 (analog origi-nal). STRAVINSKY: The Rite of Spring.Cleveland Orchestra, Lorin Maazelcond. TELARC CD -80054 (digital origi-nal).

Pride of place in the ranks of CDdemonstration records must go to thoseon the Telarc label, only some of themost spectacular of which are listedabove. Telarc's minimal-miking tech-niques lead to recordings with verywide dynamic range, very low back-ground noise, and wide and even fre-

quency response. If I had to pick onlyone CD to show off what the mediumcan do, it would be Telarc's Copland re-cording. The opening tam -tam stroke ofthe Fanfare for the Common Man hasnever had such startling impact, norhas the end of Appalachian Spring everfaded into such delicious silence as on

OdB

- 20

-40

-60-80iFigure 1. The start of Copland's Fanfare forthe Common Man (Telarc CD -80078) with atam -tam stroke about 70 dB above the back-ground noise. Trace duration is 8 seconds.

0 dB

-20

-40

-60-80

Ntool'A VomtA\

Figure 2. An excerpt from Pink Floyd's "TheFinal Cut" (CBS CK 38243) including a pass-ing jet and explosion (large hump at left).Trace duration is 1 minute, 22 seconds.

Figure 3. Freddie Hubbard's "Back to Bird -land" (RealTime RT-3005) has wide varia-tions in level and very low background noise,as shown by the sharp dip at right.

OdB

-20

-40

-60-80

Awoor-vo11 V 'f-

Figure 4. Billie Jean by Michael Jackson(Epic EK 38112) has an overall dynamicrange that decreases greatly as the bassline comes in after the opening drumbeats.

this disc (see Figure 1). For generallyexcellent sonics-with somewhat less ofa dynamic range than the Telarc rec-ords-you can depend on the tastefullymultimiked London recordings ofCharles Dutoit and the Orchestre Sym-phonique de Montreal.

The two recordings of Bach keyboardmusic and the two Rodrigo guitar -con-certo discs show off the digital me-dium's lack of wow and flutter. Yes,you can hear the late Glenn Gouldhumming his own Goldberg Variationsalong with Bach's, but for the first, andunfortunately last, time in a Gould re-cording, the effect sounds lifelike andrealistic and, to me at least, is not ob-trusive. Less realistic, but a very vividlive concert recording nonetheless, isBernstein's reading of his SymphonicDances ' from West Side Story (theGershwin pieces on the same disc areless successful musically and sonically).This disc also demonstrates one of themusical advantages of the CD system'scueing capabilities. Each of the danceshas a separate track number (nine inall), so that locating a favorite excerptis greatly simplified.

Popular and Jazz DONALD FAGEN: The Nightly.WARNER BROS. 23696-2 (digital origi-nal). PETER GABRIEL: Security. GEF-FEN 2011-2 (digital original). FREDDIE HUBBARD: Back toBirdland. M&K REALTIME RT-3005(digital original). MICHAEL JACKSON: Thriller.EPIC EK 38112 (analog original). BILLY JOEL: The Stranger. CBSCK 34987 (analog original). KENNY LOGGINS: High Adven-ture. CBS CK 38127 (digital origi-nal). MAMBA PERCUSSIONS. PIERREVERNAY/AUDIOSOURCE PV.78 291(analog original). JONI MITCHELL: Court andSpark. ASYLUM 51001-2 (analog origi-nal). PINK FLOYD: The Final Cut. CBSCK 38243 (analog original). TOM SCOTT: Desire. ELEKTRAMUSICIAN 60162-2 (digital original).

It's usually as hard to find a nonclas-sical recording with very wide dynamicrange as it is to find one that hasn'tbeen overequalized or otherwise over-

processed in the making of the originaltape. For example, a typical pop record-ing might have a drum track thumpingalong in the 60- to 100 -Hz range at alevel fully 6 dB above the rest of themusic. While this might be tolerablewith an analog LP played on a low-

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Digital Dynamic RangeERHAPS the most widely touted feature

V of the Compact Disc system is its po-tential for storing a very wide dynamicrange, in theory as wide as 98 dB. But howmuch of that potential 98 dB is really be-ing used by typical Compact Discs?

In a preliminary effort to answer thisquestion, I constructed a dynamic -rangemeter that shows on an oscilloscope screenthe level of a recorded signal plottedagainst time. The vertical scale in thescope traces shown in this article is therms (root mean square, a type of average)level of a CD player's output. The baseline represents the background -noise levelof the measurement system added to thatof the CD player, the combination beingmore than 90 dB below the maximum pos-sible CD output level of 0 dB. Time runssteadily from left to right. In all but one ofthe scope photos shown here, a trace cov-ers I minute and 22 seconds of music.

What do the traces show? In all the re-cordings of music-as opposed to test sig-nals-that I examined in this fashion, thedynamic -range limits of the CompactDisc medium aren't even approached.

Take a look at Traces A and B, eachfrom a different recording of the openingof Richard Strauss's Also sprach Zara-thustra, a work with extraordinary varia-tions between loud and soft when heardlive. The opening 32 -Hz organ pedal andpianissimo bass -drum roll are shown inthe flat portion at the left of the trace, andthe climactic portion of this opening se-quence ("Sunrise") shows up in the mid-dle (the V-shaped decrescendo/crescendoon a C -major chord). The right half of thetrace is the start of the following sectionfor the lower strings and winds ("Von denHinterweltern").

Close examination of these photos re-veals many things about the use of a CD'spotential dynamic range. Although theopening organ note sounds rather soft inplayback, the traces show that it is 40 to50 dB above the player's noise floor. TraceA's organ pedal is noticeably lower in lev-el than Trace B's. Trace A's climax alsopeaks slightly higher than Trace B's,showing that for at least this portion of themusic the recording that generated TraceA has a wider dynamic range. But the

highest levels in both recordings don'tcome near the maximum output level ofthe player, nor does the drop in level afterthe climax even approach the CD's noisefloor, though both of these recordingshave a vividly wide apparent dynamicrange when played at any reasonable (notlouder -than -life) volume. According tothe calibration marks shown, both record-ings have a total dynamic range of about70 dB (when the whole trace is taken intoaccount). This is 28 dB less than what theCD medium is theoretically capable ofreproducing.

Why don't CD recordings use the fulldynamic range of the medium? The na-ture of music signals and of studio record-ing practices are a large part of the an-swer. Pop recordings are usually consist-ently loud, if only from the omnipresentdrum tracks or the overuse of compressionand artificial reverberation in the master -recording process. Classical -music record-ings are limited by natural hall or studioreverberation and by the recording lo-cale's low -frequency background -noiselevel. Most recordings are additionallylimited by the noise levels inherent in stu-dio equipment, some of which are higherthan any audiophile would tolerate in ahome system From multiple microphonesto mixers, artificial reverb systems, andequalizers, the machinery for the inadver-tent introduction of noise and/or a reduc-tion of peak levels is widely available andoften used.

On the other hand, it's easy to jump to

0 dB

- 20

- 40

- 60

-80

*so

N#N4** 2

Trace A. A. The opening of Richard Strauss'sAlso sprach Zarathustra with the BostonSymphony Orchestra conducted by SeijiOzawa (Philips 400 072-2).

hasty conclusions regarding these scopetraces. While none of the rms levels shownapproach 0 dB, the short, transient volt-age peaks present in all musical signalstypically extend 10 to 15 dB above themeasured rms level and will not show upin these traces. At least 10 dB must beadded to the values obtained by this meas-urement method to arrive at a reasonableapproximation of the recorded dynamicrange on a CD. When this is done forTraces A and B, a total value of about 80dB is obtained. Moreover, the measure-ment system has a flat frequency re-sponse, unlike the human ear, which be-comes less sensitive to low- and high -fre-quency sounds as the volume level is re-duced. A recording with a restricted dy-namic range in such traces may not soundso restricted in playback because of thefrequency distribution of the music.

Nonetheless, at least two preliminaryconclusions can be drawn from the dy-namic -range traces. First, contrary to thebeliefs of some people who are opposed tothe CD system, the sixteen -bit digital en-coding used for CD's provides a dynamicrange wide enough for the full variety ofmusic as it is now being recorded. There isno pressing need to move to very expensiveeighteen -bit encoding. Second, recordingengineers and producers have a long waygo before they run up against the dy-namic -range limits of the CD system. Andwhether listeners would be able to livewith a full 98 -dB dynamic range is anoth-er question altogether.

Trace B. The same music but this time per-formed by the New York Philharmonic con-ducted by Zubin Mehta (CBS MK 35888).Note tne relatively high level at the start.

quality console stereo, the effect is un-bearably boomy with the flat low -fre-quency response of a CD played on ahigh-fidelity component system.

Many of the rock and pop discs I au-ditioned had an overall dynamic rangeof 20 dB at most. On the other hand,the "Mamba Percussions" record hasthe potential for becoming the CDequivalent of the direct -to -disc (analog)"Sheffield Drum Record" (SheffieldLab 14); both are spectacular discscompletely devoted to percussion

rhythms and effects. If you are lookingfor impressive transients, these are therecords for you.

Most of the remainder of the discslisted take advantage of the CD sys-tem's dynamic range in ways that typi-cal popular -music recordings do not.The Pink Floyd album, for example, isloaded (some might say overloaded)with wide -dynamic -range sound ef-fects, including the flyby of a jet planefollowed closely by a loud explosion(see Figure 2). The Freddie Hubbard

disc is very closely miked but has verylow background noise and wide varia-tions in dynamics (Figure 3). JoniMitchell's "Court and Spark" is verycompressed in dynamics but is thank-fully free of much of the signal process-ing often used to "enhance" the soundof a vocalist. And it's nice to hear thebass line in Michael Jackson's BillyJean without masking analog -disc low -frequency noise, though this tracksounds wider in dynamic range than itreally is (Figure 4). 0

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15 mg."tar",.1.0 mg. nicotine ay. per cigarette, FTC Report MAR. '83.

Experiencethe Camel taste inCamel Filters.

O 1153 mrearoa as 0114XXI CONI.Nv

FILTERS

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Warning: The Surgeon General Has Determined

That Cigarette Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health.

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Best of the monthStereo Review's Selection of Recordings of Special Merit

Thomas's Debussy:Excellent Performances,

Superb Digital Sound

THE new CBS recording of Debussy'sLa Mer and Nocturnes is one of the

best ones to come along in years. Thereis an extraordinary rapport betweenconductor Michael Tilson Thomas andthe musicians of the Philharmonia Or-chestra, especially in the Nocturnes,and the recording has the best digitallymastered sound I have heard from thislabel yet.

Of the three Nocturnes, the first,Nuages (Clouds), with its subtle pasteltonal shadings and evanescent pianissi-mos, benefits enormously from the ex-tended dynamics and clarity of detailafforded by digital technology. And so

does the concluding Sirenes, with itsspecial problems of balance and blendbetween the orchestral textures and thewordless women's voices. Both Nuagesand Sirenes are performed with exqui-site sensitivity here, and special creditis due the English -horn and flute so-loists in Nuages for their finesse in dy-namic shading and achieving the illu-sion of varying distances. Overall, theresult can best be described as gor-geously languorous.

Fetes, seemingly the easiest of theNocturnes to bring off with its greatsplashes of sound and flamboyant cen-tral processional, does present some

Michael Tilson Thomas: extraordinary rapport

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problems in performance. Thomas's is afine one, but I would have welcomed amore accurate match of articulation be-tween the instrumental groupings asthey enter; this and getting just theright type of cymbal sonority seem tobe the bites noires any conductor facesin realizing this score.

In La Mer Thomas is competing withrecordings by just about every majorvirtuoso conductor of the recent pastand the present. While his performancedoes not efface for me the memory ofthe best of its predecessors, it has manyexcellences. The sea as he pictures it inthe first two movements reminds memore of the Mediterranean than theNorth Atlantic; it glitters with brightsunshine. The opening is stately andmajestic, with a proper massiveness andpower at the close of the section (recall-ing Hokusai's famous print The GreatWave, which is in fact reproduced onthe cover of the orchestral score pub-lished by Durand). The middle move-ment is marked by a great delicacy oftexture but also by a certain lack of ten-sion. The finale, which darkens to evokea windswept northwest day, is a totalsuccess in Thomas's hands.

On the whole, this is very well -per-formed Debussy, and, I repeat, the dig-ital recording is superb-a sonic tri-umph for CBS. -David Hall

Sissy Spacek:no hick licks

DEBUSSY: La Mer; Nocturnes. AmbrosianSingers (in SirEnes); Philharmonia Orches-tra, Michael Tilson Thomas cond. CBS 0IM 37832, S IMT 37832, no list price.

Sissy Spacek HasA Fine 01' Time in"Hangin' Up My Heart"

SISSY SPACEK, the actress who por-trayed Loretta Lynn so well in the

movie Coal Miner's Daughter, has justlassoed her first full-fledged solo al-bum, and, any way you look at it,"Hangin' Up My Heart" is cuter than aspeckled pup in a little red wagon.

A Texan who originally went to NewYork to be a folk singer, not an actress,Spacek claims she hated country musicwhen she was growing up. Neverthe-less, she sails right into this collectionof country -rockers, country classics,Western swing, and even country -punkwith joyful buoyancy, her natural LoneStar accent so thick as to brand eachtrack with undeniable authenticity(and to send a careful listener scurryingfor the lyric sheet). Better still,"Hangin' Up My Heart" proves that

the success of Spacek's soundtrack al-bum was no fluke. She can sing, andshe can write original material thatshould send most of Nashville's lethar-gic tunesmiths into a sweaty panic.Hank De Vito's spunky title tune rocksgently in the memory, and SusannaClark's This Time I'm Gonna Beat Youto' the Truck packs a gut -bucket wallopthat closes out with a wild sax breakand the rebellious spirit of a joy-ridercrossing over the state line. But by farthe most haunting track here is Spa-cek's own He Don't Know Me, aboutthe uninvited attentions of a semi -psy-chotic, David Hinckley -like admirer.There's a chill built into the melody ofthis one, an overall menacing quality,reinforced by a twin -guitar solo, thatsneaks up on you and shoots shiversdown the spine.

Make no mistake about it, "Hangin'Up My Heart" hasn't a hick lick to itsname, nor an unnecessary one for thatmatter. Producer Rodney Crowell, withhis clean, country -hip assimilation ofthe best of the L.A., Nashville, andTexas sensibilities, has fashioned a verysmart album here, one that works onjust about every level. Some of thesongs (Lonely But Only for You, If YouCould Only See Me Now) have slow,romantic tempos and high, wispy har-monies that are evocative of Crowell'swork with his wife, Rosanne Cash (whodoes some back-up vocals here). But onothers, especially Have I Told YouLately That I Love You and Hank Wil-liams's immortal Honky -Tonkin', Spa-cek's loose intonation and winning in-souciance suggest a tongue -in -check,mock -cowgirl quality.

Spacek seems to be having a fine ol'time, and whether she's co -writing astunning piece of sassy put-down withcountry legend Loretta Lynn (SmoothTalkin' Daddy) or fronting such invin-cible pickers as Johnny Gimble andReggie Young (who sound as if they'rehaving a field day themselves), she actsas if she were born to it, her easy altosoaring without a trace of fear or pre-tense. In short, a more charming albumwill be hard to find. -Alanna Nash

SISSY SPACEK: Hangin' Up My Heart.Sissy Spacek (vocals); Reggie Young,Vince Gill (guitars); Hank De Vito (pedal -steel guitar); Johnny Gimble (violin, man-dolin); David Briggs (piano); Emory Gordy(bass); Larrie Londin (drums); vocal andinstrumental accompaniment. Hangin' UpMy Heart; Have I Told You Lately That ILove You; He Don't Know Me; Lonely ButOnly for You; This Time I'm Gonna BeatYou to the Truck; Honky -Tonkin'; OldHome Town; Smooth Talkin' Daddy; IfYou Could Only See Me Now; If I Can JustGet Through the Night. ATLANTIC AMERI-CA 90100-1 $8.98, e CS -90100-1 $8.98.

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Pianist Andras Schiff'sImpressive, PersuasiveGoldberg Variations

XCEPT for historical reissues, inE which case the performance itselfis the point of interest, most of us tendto be put off by record annotations thattell us how great the performance is; wewould rather read reviews that are notattached to the product-or write themourselves. But George Malcolm's en-thusiastic remarks on Andras Schiff'sperformances of Bach's Goldberg Vari-ations, in his annotation for Schiff'snew London set, must be regarded in adifferent light. Malcolm himself madea very impressive recording of this workon the harpsichord more than twentyyears ago. He writes here that he al-ways felt this was the one work ofBach's that "positively demanded thetwo keyboards of the harpsichord, in or-der to achieve contrapuntal clarity inthe numerous hand -crossing passages"but that Schiff's recorded performance"proved [him] wrong!" Of course, thecountless listeners who have admired("venerated" might be a better word)the late Glenn Gould's two recordingsof the Goldberg Variations may notshare Malcolm's astonishment in thisrespect, but the charming genuinenessof these remarks, so free of pretentious-ness or condescension, by a senior artistlong identified as a specialist in thismaterial can hardly fail to make an im-pression. That Schiff's presentation ofthe music itself makes a bigger one willcome as no surprise to those who havefollowed his recordings.

Actually, Malcolm knows Schifffrom a good deal more than this newrecording. Schiff was in Malcolm'smaster classes in the mid -Seventies, heplayed concertos with Malcolm con-ducting on several occasions, and herecorded Bach concertos with him forDenon. Though Schiff only recentlyturned thirty, he is a veteran of the re-cording studios, having made severalfine discs for Hungaroton over the lastsix or eight years, as well as some forDenon, before joining the Decca/ Lon-don roster. He has built up a phono-graphic identity as a musician of bothstyle and substance, not by going theblockbuster route but in recordings ofMozart, Bach, and Schubert.

Schiff's new Goldbergs happily con-firm the impression made by the earlierreleases. The recording is, like Mal-colm's note, genuine and unpretentious:an expansive, thoughtful, clarifying, yetutterly unselfconscious reading by aperformer who is thoroughly inside themusic. The tempos tend to be broad ex-

cept in the showy, toccata -like varia-tions, and Schiff is generous with re-peats. There is plenty of variety andcharacterization of the individual vari-ations, and the restatement of the ini-tial aria at the end of the brilliant se-quence takes on, without ceremonialgestures or special fuss of any kind, anunfeigned spiritual quality.

Spreading this seventy -three -minuteperformance over three sides (it will bejust right for one maximally filledCompact Disc later on) means there ismore Bach to enjoy on side four: theFour Duets (BWV 802-805) and theChromatic Fantasy and Fugue in DMinor. Malcolm goes so far as to saythat the piano is "the only instrumentwhich can do justice" to both parts ofthe latter work. Schiff goes furtherthan merely "doing justice": this is an-other very stimulating and very satisfy-ing performance, the sort that is memo-rable not as a showpiece for the playerbut because of what it makes us hear inthe music.

I wouldn't want to do without theGould Goldbergs, and one must have atleast one harpsichord performance (I'dsuggest Trevor Pinnock's on DeutscheGrammophon), but Schiff's version toohas the sort of insight, integrity, andoverall communicativeness that give ita special persuasiveness, and it is su-perbly recorded. If he never gets aroundto the Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoffconcertos, so be it; they are covered wellenough by others. Let's hope Schiffgoes on giving us more performances onthis level in the repertoire he has identi-fied as his. -Richard Freed

Andras Schiff.style and substance

J. S. BACH: Goldberg Variations (BWV988); Four Duets (BWV 802-805); Chromat-ic Fantasy and Fugue in D Minor (BWV903). Andras Schiff (piano). LONDON 0LDR 72013 two discs $25.96, LDR572013 two cassettes $25.96.

Joe Jackson's Evocative"Mike's Murder": A VoiceFor New York City

JOE JACKSON'S "Night and Day," oneof 1982's best albums, made a per-

suasive argument for Jackson's beingthe heir to George Gershwin and ColePorter as pop -music laureate of NewYork City. His score for the forthcom-ing movie Mike's Murder settles the is-sue. Although Jackson is only anadopted New Yorker (he was born inPortsmouth, England), and althoughMemphis actually gets mentioned moretimes than Manhattan, Mike's Murdercaptures the thrill, danger, and loneli-ness of being young in New York in theEighties.

The A &M soundtrack album is di-vided into vocal and instrumental sides,with the instrumentals largely in thesame cool, enchanting Latin -jazz veinJackson explored in "Night and Day."The five songs make up what amountsto a suite of character sketches. Wheth-er owing to the thematic demands ofthe film or to .5ackson's own familiarskepticism, they are drawn with equal

JANUARY 1984 65

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Best of the MonthRecent selections

you might have missed

POPULAR Posh° Bryson and Roberta Flack:Born to Love. CAPrta. ST -12284. "... aflawlessly assembled album of contempo-rary rhythm-and-blues . ." (December)

Guy Clark: Better Days. WARNER BRos.23880-1. ". . . the finest album to come outof Nashville this year . ." (November)

Local Moro. WARNER BROS. 23827-1. 'Abeautiful, powerfully exciting film sound-track by Mark Knopfler." (September)

Susannah McCorkle: The PeopleThat You Never Get to Love. INNER Cm IC1151. "Wonderful songs, wonderful sing-ing." (September)

Graham Parker: The Real Macaw.ARISTA AL8-8023. "... intelligent, unsenti-mental, adult love songs .. . positively in-spirational " (November)

Mitch Ryder: Never Kick a SleepingDog. RIVA RVL 7503. ". . . a nearly per-fect comeback album." (October)

Carly Simon: Hello Big Man. WARNERBROS. 1-23886. "... exuberant, sexy, fun-ny, sometimes poignant. . . . Don't miss it."(December)

Denlece Williams: I'm So Proud. CO-LUMBIA FC 38622. ". . . a showcase for'the songbird of soul.' " (October)

Nell Young: Everybody's Rocklin'.GEFFEN GI -IS 4013. "... a brilliantgoof . .spontaneous sounding and funny."(December)

CLASSICAL Beethoven: String Quartets Nos. 12-16; Grosse Fug.. RCA ARL4-4509. "TheCleveland Quartet caps its Beethoven se-ries with another winner." (October)

Brahma: Vocal Ensembles. DEUTSCHEGRAMMOPHON 2740 280. "Clear, naturalsinging, marvelous sound." (September)

FaurO: Songs. ANGEL DS -37893. "Aprize selection . . . from Frederica vonStade." (October)

Handel: Hercules. ARCHIV 2742 004."A great work gets a great performance."(December)

Mozart: Symphonies Nos. 31, 35, 38,40, and 41. L'OISEAU-LYRE D 17204

. some of the finest Mozart playingaround." (September)

Rachmaninotf: Symphony No. 3;"Youth" Symphony. LONDON LDR 71031." . sensuous and richly nuanced . . . ."(December)

Ravel: Gaspard de la nu/t. Prokoflev:Piano Sonata No. 6. DEUTSCHE GRAMMO-PISON 2532 093. "... (Ivo Pogorelich's per-formance is] simply irresistible in its imagi-nativeness and sweep." (November)

Rossini: // berbiere di Siviglia. PHILIPS6769 100. "... the best Barber to comealong in some twenty years." (November)

parts of cynicism, menace, and melan-choly. More than anything else, howev-er, they are about uncertainty.

Cosmopolitan, a cocky, surging mid -tempo number in which piano and vibesshadow a pulsing beat in rising and de-scending minor scales, is a perfect pic-ture of the empty satisfaction that canbe the reward for hitting the big time:"See my home, see my car/And thebeach always used to seem so far." Af-ter this dubious nod to the good life, thealbum moves downtown to where whitemiddle-class kids live in fashionablydestitute rebellion on the Lower EastSide. 1-2-3 Go pinpoints the queasy ex-citement of the punk underground,Laundromat Monday the languid day-light hours that fill the time betweensessions of all-night club -hopping. Theintellectual torpor implied by bothsongs hints that the glitzy treatmentNew York's New Wave gets in thepress may not tell the whole story.

Elsewhere the theme of uncertaintytakes shape in more romantic ways.Most evocative are the instrumentaland vocal versions of Moonlight, a songthat suggests either a last look over theskyline before setting out for anothernight on the town or a silent cab ridehome down a rain -slicked avenue-windshield wipers swishing in time to alazy rim shot, organ chords suggesting

Joe Jackson:the melancholyof Manhattan

the sound of wet asphalt whooshing byunder the wheels, the sad, slow, highnotes of the piano suspended like themoon over the city. It is a time to won-der: "I think the moonlight is myfriend/But sometimes, I'm not sure."

Like the sophisticated "Night andDay," "Mike's Murder" blows warmand cool, lyrical and sardonic. Jack-son's playing, whether on piano, organ,vibes, sax, or synthesizer, alternates be-tween restrained sentimentality andnocturnal mystery. In the absence ofguitar, these instruments must shoulderthe responsibility for melody and har-mony. Perhaps it's because Jacksonplays them all himself that they achieveso perfect a balance of color and articu-lation. By wedding his brooding melo-dies to open, airy jazz and salsarhythms, Jackson has found a voice forthe only New York City that really ex-ists anyway-the one that leaves youwondering. -Mark Peel

JOE JACKSON: Mike's Murder. Original -soundtrack recording. Joe Jackson (vocals,keyboards, percussion, saxophone, vibes);Graham Maby (bass); Larry Tolfree(drums); Sue Hadjopoulos (percussion).Cosmopolitan; 1 -2 -3 -Go (This Town's aFairground); Laundromat Monday; Mem-phis; Moonlight; Zemio; Breakdown;Moonlight Theme. A&M SP -4931 $8.98,© CS -4931 $8.98.

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Classical Musk

VIOU N IST Eugene Fodor,shown here with Secre-

tary of State George Shultzfollowing his performance atthe Williamsburg summitmeeting, has joined the rostersof two independent labels,Pantheon and Laurel Record.

flews Briefs

This month he is recording forthe latter an album couplingthe violin sonatas of John Co-rigliano and Nicholas Flagel-lo. The accompanying pianistis Veronica Jochum, daughterof the veteran German con-ductor Eugen Jochum.

AHIGHLIGHT of the annualMontreux Festival in

Switzerland is the announce-ment of the year's best record-ings. Normally three "equallyweighted" prizes are given;this year there were four,picked by an internationaljury of nine critics. Cited for1983 were Alfred Brendel's re-cording of Mozart's PianoConcertos Nos. 15 and 21,with Neville Marriner con-ducting the Accademy of St.Martin -in -the -Fields for Phil-ips, the complete string quar-tets of Mendelssohn played bythe Melos Quartet on DG,Schubert's Easter cantata,Lazarus, conducted by Ga-briel Chmura and released inthis country by Pro Arte, andtwo works, Metaboles andTimbres espace mouvement,by the contemporary Frenchcomposer Henri Dutilleux,played by the Orchestre Na-tional de France under Mstis-lav Rostropovich and availablehere as an Erato import. A

special "historical" prize wentto the recently released 1950Furtwangler-conducted Wag-ner Ring cycle recorded at LaScala, also available as an im-port, and another, for "specialachievement in the field ofchamber music," was given tothe Beaux Arts Trio.

IOU IN 1ST Gidon KremerV was the first to receivethe Accademia Musicale Chi-giana Prize in Siena when itwas inaugurated in 1982. Thepianist Peter Serkin was thesecond to be so honored whenhe appeared in Siena recentlyto play an all -Beethoven reci-tal. Included in the programwere the Sonatas Opp. 90 and101 (the Hammerklavier),both of which he subsequentlyrecorded for Pro Arte for re-lease this month. The instru-ment is an "original" from1820 that belongs to the St.Paul, Minnesota, SchubertClub. 0

CALENDAus for 1984: TheMetropolitan and San

Francisco Opera Companieshave both published 1984 wallcalendars picturing, in color,scenes from their current pro-ductions. Also shown, in addi-tion to major holidays, are thebirthdays of opera's leadingsingers, conductors, and com-posers. The Met's "centennialedition" calendar is $6.95 (ortwo for $12.50), plus $1.85 forhandling and shipping, fromthe Opera Guild, 1865Broadway, New York, N.Y.10023. "San Francisco Opera1984" is available from thatcompany's Opera Shop, WarMemorial Opera House, SanFrancisco, Calif. 94102 for$8.95 plus $2.50 handling andshipping. New York and Cali-fornia residents should addtheir respective sales taxes. 0

A SALZBURG FESTIVAL per-formance of Mozart's

The Magic Flute will be tele-cast over the PBS network onJanuary 9 as part of theGreat Performances series un-derwritten in part by Exxonand the Corporation for Pub-lic Broadcasting. Featured inthe cast are Edita Gruberovaas the Queen of the Night,Christian Boesch as Papage-no, Ileana Cotrubas as Pami-na, Peter Schreier as Tamino,and Martti Talvela as Saras-tro. The production is credited

to Jean-Pierre Ponnelle;James Levine conducts. . . .

National Public Radio beginsthis month (January) a com-plete fourteen -week broadcastseason from the 1983 SantaFe Chamber Music Festivaland a series, Music fromWashington, relaying recitalsand chamber music taped inthe capital's major perform-ance venues, including theKennedy Center, the Libraryof Congress, the SmithsonianInstitution, and the FolgerShakespeare Library.

ANGEL RECORDS recentlyPI\ reached back into its ster-eo catalog and "caught up,"as one company spokesmanput it, with current interest inmusic on cassette by releasingin that format a number of itsmost impressive operatic andchoral titles. Included in thisgolden -age series of tapes isthe Gobbi/Schwarzkopf/Ka-rajan recording of Verdi'sFalstaff, the Callas/SerafinNorma, Giulini's recording ofthe Verdi Requiem, and Han-del's Messiah conducted byKlemperer. All have been re -mastered, and in a few casesthey have been spread overfewer "sides" than on discs;for example, the Wachter/Schwarzkopf/Giulini DonGio-vanni, originally released onfour LP's, is available now onthree cassettes. 0

Christian Boesch as Papageno and Ileana Cotrubas as Pamina

JANUARY 1984

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Disc and Tape ReviewsBy RICHARD FREED DAVID HALL GEORGE JELLINEK

STODDARD LINCOLN ERIC SALZMAN

J. S. BACH: Goldberg Variations; FourDuets; Chromatic Fantasy and Fugue in DMinor (see Best of the Month, page 65)

J. S. BACH: Violin Concerto in E Major(BWV 1042); Violin Concerto in A Minor(BWV 1043); Concerto in D Minor for TwoViolins (BWV 1041). Anne -Sophie Mutter,Salvatore Accardo (violins); English Cham-ber Orchestra, Salvatore Accardo cond.ANGEL 0 DS -37989 $12.98, © 4XS-37989$9.98.

Performance. InappropriateRecording Very good

These performances are exemplary of thebest modern string playing, and the digitalsound is wonderfully warm and spacious.Moreover, both of the soloists and the mem-bers of the orchestra produce rich, vibranttones that forcefully project long, seamlesslines of dynamically molded melodies.What a shame that it all has nothing to dowith Bach's style and quite destroys themusic. S . L.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITBERNSTEIN: Seven Anniversaries (1942-1943); Four Anniversaries (1948); Five Anni-versaries (1949-1951); Two New Anniversa-ries (1965); Touches; Song Without Wordsfor Felicia; Moby Diptych. COPLAND(trans. Bernstein): El Salon Mexico. JamesTocco (piano). PRO ARTS 0 PAD 109$9.98, © PCD 109 $9.98.

Performance: CommittedRecording: Excellent

It is convenient that Leonard Bernstein's"Complete Works for Solo Piano" (as thiscollection is headed) fit snugly on a singleLP disc, and it is fortunate that since wehave no similar recording by Bernstein him-self (who did, of course, record the earlierAnniversaries on 78's some thirty-five yearsago), this music has found in James Tocco apianist so sympathetically responsive to theBernstein idiom and so well equipped toproject it on the most persuasive level. Ac-cording to John Gruen's annotation, the

A RubinsteinMemorial

T was more than twenty years ago thatI RCA released an album of live recordingsfrom Arthur Rubinstein's fall 1961 Carne-gie Hall recitals. Now we have a fine newimported German pressing of those record-ings, and the much brighter sound enhancesthe vividness of the great pianist's elegantperformances.

The program here is a lovely one consist-ing of music with which Rubinstein hadspecial ties. He probably did more than anyother pianist to popularize Villa-Lobos'stwo Baby's Family suites, and Szymanow-ski's Op. 50 mazurkas were dedicated tohim. His understanding of all the individualstyles is as apparent as his enthusiasm forthe music.

Moreover, these are very fine live record-ings. The applause and cheering might havebeen edited out, but the recitals were majorartistic events, and as preserved here theystill are. The new labeling fails to specifywhich twelve of Prokofiev's twenty Visionsfugitives are included or to note that it isthe first of the Villa -Lobos suites that is of-fered-and in an abridged form. But musi-cally there is no cause for complaint here.

-Richard Freed

ARTHUR RUBINSTEIN: In Memoriam.Debussy: La Cat hedrale engloutie; Pols-sons d'or; Hommage d Rameau; Ondine.Szymanowski: Four Mazurkas. Op. 50.Prokofiev: Twelve Visions fugitives, Op. 22.Villa -Lobos: A prole do bebe, Suite No. I.Arthur Rubinstein (piano). RCA RL 42024$13.98, RK 42024 $13.98 (from Interna-tional Book & Record Distributors, 40-1124th Street, Long Island City, N.Y.11101).

project was suggested by Bernstein himself,when he had just completed Touches in1981 and Tocco pointed out that his name isan Italian word for "touch." Gruen alsopoints out that the various Anniversarypieces served as source material for some ofBernstein's larger works, such as the Jere-miah Symphony and the Serenade AfterPlato.

Bernstein's own descriptions of Touches(composed for the Van Cliburn Competi-tion) and the Moby Diptych (written forAnton Kuerti) are included, and he isquoted by Tocco as having stated that hearranged the Copland orchestral fantasy asa piano piece because "he grew tired ofhearing American pianists end their pro-grams with Hungarian Rhapsodies."Whether it's in the transcription or the ex-ecution, it struck me that the percussiveelements come across a good deal betterthan the warmth of heart, but it's an effec-tive piece for all that, and Tocco plays itquite brilliantly. It is the Anniversary piecesin the three early sets, though, that leavethe most lasting impressions-vigorous, ca-pricious, bluesy, a unique meld of Gershwinand Debussy in an idiom wholly Bernstein'sown-and Tocco presents them with totalcommitment, abetted by superb sound andexemplary pressing. R.F.

BOITO: Nerone. Janos B. Nagy (tenor),Nerone; Rizsef Dene (baritone); SimonMago; Lajos Miller (baritone), Fanuel;Ilona Tokody (soprano), Asteria; KlaraTakacs (mezzo-soprano), Rubria; J6zsefGregor (bass), Tigellino; others. HungarianRadio and Television Chorus; HungarianState Opera Orchestra, Eve Queler cond.HUNGAROTON O SLPD 12487-89 threediscs $38.94.

Performance Strong and involvedRecording Very good

Arrigo Boito completed the libretto of hissecond opera, Nerone, in 1870, shortly afterthe launching of Mefistofele. His work onthe music of Nerone, however, was con-stantly delayed by various literary tasks,notably writing the librettos to Ponchielli'sLa Gioconda, to Verdi's revised Simon Boc-canegra, and, later, to Otello and FalstaffWe can also imagine that exposure to Ver-di's musical genius at close range couldhardly have been the ideal stimulus for themodestly gifted Boito. The years passed,Nerone progressed snail -fashion, and not

Explanation of symbols:0 = digital -master analog LP© = stereo cassette

= digital Compact Disce = eight -track stereo cartridgeCD = direct -to -disc recording0 = monophonic recording

The first listing is the one reviewed;other formats, if available, follow it.

68 STEREO REVIEW

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even Verdi's death in 1901 freed Boito'smind of self-doubts concerning the worth ofhis second opera. When Boito himself diedin 1918, the long -frustrated house of Ricor-di finally prevailed on Arturo Toscanini andVincenzo Tommasini to complete the or-chestration. And so, nearly sixty years afterits inception, on May I. 1924, Nerone waspremiered at La Scala and welcomed withsome enthusiasm. Its subsequent perform-ance history, however, has been rather in-significant. Eve Queler's enterprising OperaOrchestra of New York gave the opera'sfirst American performance, in concertform, in April 1982.

Despite certain limitations, Nerone is aninteresting and provocative opera. In hisperceptive annotation for this set, CharlesA. Rizzuto draws attention to Boito's abid-ing fascination for the conflict betweengood and evil. In Nerone, he wrote blaring"pagan" music for Nero and his disreputa-ble cohorts to contrast with the serene, attimes transfigured, quality of the music sur-rounding the figures of Fanuel and theChristian martyrs. This contrast is theopera's central element; the message is theultimate triumph of Christianity over theforces represented by Nero, who is imagina-tively portrayed as an irrational and bloodytyrant with an obsessive theatrical bent.

Considering the limited time Queler hadat her disposal to involve her cast in thisout -of -the way opera, the results are quiteremarkable. The Hungarian ensemble cer-tainly rose to the occasion. Outstandingamong the singers is mezzo Klara Takics,whose plush tones compensate for rathercloudy diction in the sympathetic role ofRubria, the Vestal priestess (Nero had can-celed her virginal credentials). Janos B.Nagy brings a clarion tone and the sense ofdemented fury the title character calls for,while baritone Lajos Miller, with his flow-ing be! canto delivery, endows Fantle' withbecoming nobility. Although rather miscastin the role of the hysterical Asteria, IlonaTokody makes a strong impression, as doesJozsef Gregor as Tigellino, Nero's hench-man, the part young Ezio Pinza sang in theopera's 1924 original cast. I was less happywith Jozsef Dene, who is malevolent enoughbut tonally unsteady as Simon Mago.

With the chorus and orchestra giving itsapparent best, Queler holds this nowsplashy, now serenely understated, and oc-casionally quite impressive music remark-ably well in hand. In sonic terms, the re-cording is effective and rich sounding,though the Finale of Act I sounds a bit com-pressed. Altogether this release is quite acoup for Eve Queler and Hungaroton. G.J.

BORODIN: Scherzo in A -fiat Major (seeMUSSORGSKY)

BRUCKNER: Symphony No. 8, in C Minor.London Philharmonic Orchestra, KlausTennstedt cond. ANGEL 0 DSB-3936 twodiscs $25.96, 0 4X2S-3936 $19.98.

Performance: WarmRecording: Good

For those who may find Herbert von Kara-jan's 1976 recording of Bruckner's EighthSymphony a bit too solemnly austere andBernard Haitink's recent digitally masteredAmsterdam recording rather studied, thisleaner yet warmly phrased version by Klaus

Tennstedt may represent an attractive al-ternative. It came rather as a surprise to meafter Tennstedt's expansive recording ofBruckner's Romantic Symphony (No. 4),and, in truth, he makes the Eighth more ro-mantic in outlook than many conductors do.Within the framework of his concept, Tenn-stedt and the London Philharmonic delivera finely honed performance-a little toofinely honed, I feel, in the outer sections ofthe scherzo, which could have stood moreabrupt accentuation at certain points. I alsofound the great climax of the adagio unex-pectedly rushed. The sonics are warm andclean but don't offer quite the cathedralspaciousness, combined with presence, ofthe Haitink discs. D.H.

CHAUSSON Poeme de !'amour et de lamer, Op. 19; Chanson perpetuelle, Op. 37;Le Colibri; Serenade italienne; La Dernierefeuille; Les Papillons; Le Charme. JessyeNorman (soprano); Michel Dalberto (pi-ano); Orchestre Philharmonique de MonteCarlo, Armir Jordan cond. ERATo /RCA 0NUM 75059 $10.98, @ MCE 75059$10.98.

Performance Not idealRecording Very good

This well -planned disc yields a generousrepresentation of the vocal writings of Er-nest Chausson: five songs from his Op. 2song collection (1879-18:82), the elaboratetwo-part song cycle Poeme de !'amour et de

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mer (1890), and the unusual Chansonperpetuelle for voice and string quartet withpiano, one of the composer's last works be-fore his untimely accidental death in1899.

Both the Poeme and the Chanson speakof lost love in Chausson's characteristicallybrooding, endlessly modulating idiom. Al-though Jessye Norman's plush tones givemuch pleasure, I don't find her voice to bethe ideal instrument for this music. It worksbest in the Chanson perpetuelle, where themood is nicely sustained and the voiceemerges with the desired clarity over thesubtle instrumental accompaniment. More-over, the music moves at a fresher, less lan-guid pace than it does in Frederica vonStade's otherwise beautifully sung versionon Columbia. Although Norman shades hervoice expressively in the Poeme, she doesnot communicate the text with the natural-ness evident in past renditions by MaggieTeyte and Victoria de los Angeles, nor doesshe seem comfortable in the high climaxesin this admittedly difficult Gallic answer toMahlerian vocal -orchestral writing. Thesound, of course, is vastly better here.

The five songs from Opus 2 are brief,charming, and reasonably varied. Here too,though, I miss the lighter touch and firmerintonation of an Elly Ameling. G.J.

COPLAND: El salon Mexico (see BERN -STEIN)

DEBUSSY: La Mer; Nocturnes (see Best ofthe Month, page 63)

DVORAK: Violin Concerto in A Minor, Op.53; Romance in F Minor, Op. 11; Mazurekin E Minor, Op. 49. Sergiu Luca (violin);St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, LeonardSlatkin cond. NONESUCH 0 79052-1$11.98, Co 79052-4 $11.98; 0 79052, no listprice.

Performance: SolidRecording: Very good

More than a half -dozen recordings of theDvoilk Violin Concerto are limed inSchwann, with both the hot-blooded gypsyand the solid Central European Brahmsianapproaches being represented. Romanian -born Sergiu Luca opts for the latter, and ifyou don't object to an occasional wiry qual-ity in his tone, there is much pleasure to behad from the rhythmic vitality and iyricalintensity he brings to the music. Not theleast of the assets here is the handsomebacking provided by Leonard Slatkir withthe St. Louis Symphony and the handsomerecording job by Marc Aubort and JoannaNickrenz. As for the filler pieces, the earlyRomance is no piece of negligible fluff but asolid, Brahmsian essay contrasting a slowwaltz pulse with an emphatic middle sec-tion. The Mazurek has a decided gypsy fla-vor and is cut from the same cloth as thefirst set of Slavonic Dances. D.H.

HANDEL: The Choice of Hercules.AlaineZaeppffel (countertenor), Hercules; ArleenAuger (soprano), Virtue; Venceslava Hru-ba-Freiberger (soprano), Pleasure; Eber-hard Bilchner (tenor), Attendant of Pleas-

ure; University of Leipzig Choir; New BachCollegium Musicum, Max Pommer cond.PRO ARTE 0 PAD 150 $9.98, PCD 150$9.98.

Performance: IndifferentRecording: Lush

Salvaged from incidental music for Alceste,Handel's score for the single -act TheChoice of Hercules is a real charmer. So-phisticated and suave, it bubbles along inArcadian bliss. Would that the New BachCollegium Musicum and the University ofLeipzig Choir did the same. Their sound islovely but inarticulate and rhythmicallyflabby. The soloists turn in some fine sing-ing, but bad diction and a complete lack ofword coloration remove them from themeaning of the music. It all becomes a sortof Baroque Muzak, so that one could notcare less whether Hercules chooses Virtue,Pleasure, or Boredom. S.L.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITHAYDN: The Creation. Edith Mathis (so-prano); Francisco Araiza (tenor); Jose vanDam (bass); Wiener Singverein; ViennaPhilharmonic Orchestra, Herbert von Ka-rajan cond. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON2741 017 two discs $25.96, CI 3382 017$25.96.

Performance. SumptuousRecording: Superb

The massive forces of the Vienna Philhar-monic and the Vienna Singverein are

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enough to make a purist shudder, but Her-bert von Karajan keeps them in check, ex-ploiting their sheer volume when neededand reducing them to a gentle murmur tosupport the soloists during the lyrical mo-ments of Haydn's Creation. In portrayingGabriel, Edith Mathis sounds labored andeven at times forced, but when she ad-dresses herself to Eva, her purity and inno-cence is winning. Francisco Araiza's Urielis stunning, full of vocal and musical de-lights. Although Jose van Dam's rich bassbrings appropriate virility to the role of Ra-phael, a lighter baritone would suit Adam'sBefore -the -Fall naïveté rather better. Thereal victory, however, belongs to Karajanand his sense of grandeur, which servesHaydn's masterpiece very well. S.L.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITHAYDN: String Quartets in B -fiat Majorand D Major, Op. 71, Nos. I and 2. Salo-mon Quartet. HYPERION A 66065 $13.98(from Harmonia Mundi USA, 2351 West-wood Boulevard, Los Angeles, Calif.90064).

Performance MagnificentRecording Excellent

The only British quartet using authentic in-struments and specializing in music of theeighteenth century, the Salomon Quartetplays magnificently and produces a hand-some sound appropriate to its repertoire. Inthese first two of the six quartets Haydnwrote specifically for public concerts man-

aged by the impresario and violinist JohannPeter Salomon, the ensemble displays themusic's technica' brilliance, high-spiritedstyle, and warm lyricism. The pure sound ofthe old-style strings brings a clarity to itsinvolved textures and adds a dimension im-possible to achieve on modern instruments.Not only does the quartet play with techni-cal accuracy, but it scrupulously observesall of the composer's articulations and dy-namic markings, often overlooked by quar-tets today. These performances give us thereal Haydn. S.L.

LIADOV: A Musical Snuff Box, Op. 32 (seeMUSSORGSKY)

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITLISZT: Apres une lecture de Dante: Trans-criptions of Six Songs from Chopin's Op.74; Funerailles. Claudio Arrau (piano).PHILIPS 0 6514 273 $12.98, © 7337 273$12.98.

Performance MagisterialRecording Lifelike

With both Claudio Arrau and Alfred Bren-del on its roster, Philips is covering Liszt'spiano music a good deal more comprehen-sively than simply from A to B as well asillustrating the variety of approaches thisextraordinary material sustains. This latestoffering from Arrau is itself extraordinary.

The disc is laid out so that the Chopinsongs serve as centerpiece, split across thetwo sides, and it is probably a good idea to

have these charming intermezzos separat-ing the two darker and more extendedpieces. Arrau is, however, very much awareof the little dramas contained in the songsettings, ana, while he projects their sponta-neity, he also shows us that there is nothingreally casual about them. Similarly, hisslowish tempos for the two original pieceshaven't as much to do with simple "expan-siveness" as with the dramatic weight withwhich he invests the music-a weight thatdemands relatively deliberate pacing and atthe same time ensures that momentum willbe sustained at such a pace. Arrau perhapsreaches an extraordinary level of exaltationin Funerailles, and he establishes a scale ofmajesty for the Dante Sonata that few of usmay have suspected. In all, a magisterialexposition of great music, which Philips haspreserved in especially lifelike sonics. High-est recommendation. R.F.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITMONTEVERDI: Il ballo delle ingrate; Lasestina. Agnes Mellon (soprano), Amore;Guillemette Laurens (mezzo-soprano),Venere; Gregory Reinhart (bass), Pluto;Les Arts Florissants, William Christiecond. HARMONIA MUNDI USA HM 1108$11.98.

Performance Eye-openingRecording. Great

Until I heard this recording, my main reac-tion to performances of Monteverdi's Il bal-lo delle ingrate was extreme tedio del reci-

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tativo. The singers of Les Arts Florissants,however, immediately displace any shred ofboredom by dramatic tension and excite-ment. Agnes Mellon's plea to the ungratefulladies who withhold their favors is eloquent,Gregory Reinhart's Pluto is chilling, andJill Feldman's final lament brings this littlework to a moving conclusion. Les Arts Flo-rissants, under William Christie, shows that11 ballo is a masterpiece.

Even more revealing is the ensemble'sperformance of La sestina, in which thepiercing voices of the five singers lay barethe raw passions of this cycle of madrigals.The emotion is so powerful that criticism ispointless. This is simply an excellentrecord. S.L.

MOZART: Violin Concerto No. 1, in B -flatMajor (K. 207); Violin Concerto No. 2, in DMajor (K. 211). Pinchas Zukerman (violin);Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, PinchasZukerman cond. CBS 0 IM 37833, IMT37833, no list price.

Performance VivaciousRecording: Crisp

Generally speaking, these are elegant per-formances of Mozart's first two violin con-certos. Pinchas Zukerman's solo playingsparkles, and the Saint Paul Chamber Or-chestra produces a clear, articulate soundappropriate for Mozart. But, while the out-er movements are perfection itself, the slowmovements seem to lack repose, and figura-

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tions that should offer quiet support are fre-quently rather too busy, marring the essen-tial poise required by this music. Nonethe-less, the readings overall are strong onesthat do the performers credit. S.L.

MUSSORGSKY: Pictures at an Exhibition.TANEYEV: Prelude and Fugue in G -sharpMinor, Op. 29. LIADOV: A Musical SnuffBox, Op. 32. BORODIN: Scherzo in A -flatMajor. TCHAIKOVSKY: Dumka, Op. 59.Vladimir Ashkenazy (piano). LONDON 0LDR 71124 $12.98, © LDR5 71124$12.98.

Performance Good to superbRecording: Very good

Vladimir Ashkenazy's second recording ofMussorgsky's Pictures at an Exhibitionhighlights its elements of dramatic contrast,with a strong emphasis on dissonance whereit occurs, as in "The Hut on Fowls' Legs."The tone for the whole performance is set inthe very opening "Promenade," which isbright, decisive, and a bit fierce. All thirty-two minutes of Pictures are accommodatedhere on a single side, after which comes forme the most interesting and exciting part ofthe disc: the shorter pieces by Taneyev,Liadov, Borodin, and Tchaikovsky.

The Taneyev is far removed from thescholarly expectations raised by its title; it isa Chopinesque prelude in the grandest stylefollowed by a fugal essay remarkable in itsimagination and dramatic ferocity-a realtour de force. The delectable little piece byLiadov comes as a welcome contrast and isplayed with the utmost elegance. The Bor-odin Scherzo is a kind of Polovstian dancetamed down for the drawing room. TheTchaikovsky Dumka, on the other hand, isprobably the composer's most substantialsolo piano work, though it appears to havebeen available previously in the U.S. onlyon early LP's by Horowitz and Ray Lev.Ashkenazy plays it to the hilt, with an unerr-ing feel for the contrasting mournful andwild episodes. The piano sound throughoutis both brilliant and rich, though perhapsjust a shade too reverberant in the Kings -way Hall acoustic. D.H.

PROKOFIEV: Romeo and Juliet, BalletSuites, Opp. 64a and 64b. National Sym-phony Orchestra, Mstislav Rostropovichcond. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON a 2532087 $12.98, © 3302 087 $12.98; 410519-2, no list price.

Performance: IntenseRecording: Very good

Rather than performing the Romeo andJuliet ballet excerpts in the order of thedrama, as some conductors have done in re-cent years, Mstislav Rostropovich here optsfor the two seven -movement concert suitesprepared by the composer. The first endswith the terrifying "Death of Tybalt" mu-sic, and the more familiar second beginswith the "Knights' Dance" ("Montaguesand Capulets") and concludes with "Romeoat Juliet's Grave."

As pointed out in the sleeve notes, thereading is based in large part on the conduc-tor's memories of the composer's piano per-cormances at home when the young Ros-tropovich was a protege of Prokofiev. Addto this Rostropovich's own special brand ofintensity and vehemence, and you get a ren-

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dition somewhat different from the usualvirtuoso orchestral treatment that will ap-peal to some listeners and not to others.

Despite a certain lack of rhythmic bite inthe famous sequence of separated chords atthe end, the "Death of Tybalt" is one of thehigh points here, as is the deliberately pon-derous and menacing treatment of the"Knights' Dance." Of course, in such epi-sodes as "Romeo and Juliet Before Parting"and in the final scene Rostropovich and theNational Symphony squeeze out every dropof emotional expression inherent in the mu-sic, and then some. The motivic interweav-ing in these scenes also comes off remark-ably well. Except for a somewhat slowtreatment of the "Masks" episode in Suite

No. I, most of the shorter pieces have theproper lightness and mercurial qualitywhere called for. The recording is big andhandsome. D.H.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITRAMEAU: Dardanus, Suite. English Ba-roque Soloists, John Eliot Gardiner cond.ERATo/RCA 0 NUM 75040 $10.98, 0MCE 75040 $10.98.

Performance. SparklingRecording: Excellent

Although Rameau was primarily a vocalcomposer, most of us are more familiar withhis instrumental music than with his operas.

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This album offers about an hour's worth ofinstrumental music from his opera Dardan-us. It ranges from the overture and descrip-tive "symphonies" to ballet music-the lastof such high quality that it easily classesRameau as one of the finest ballet compos-ers of all time. He had a unique orchestralpalette, and his tone colorings, especiallyusing the wind instruments, can be appre-ciated properly only in performances by au-thentic instruments. John Eliot Gardinerand the English Baroque Soloists have cap-tured that unique sound in a sparkling per-formance and a topnotch recording thatshould not be missed. S.L.

RECORDINGS OF SPECIAL MERITSCHUBERT: Lieder. An die Musik;Schwestergruss; Sei mir gegriisst; Die Mu-mensprache; An den Mond; Abendbilder;Frfihlingssehnsucht; Erster Verlust; Nach-thymne; Die Sterne; Der Knabe; Wiegenlied(D. 498); Bertas Lied in der Nacht. EllyAmeling (soprano); Dalton Baldwin (pi-ano). PHILIPS 0 6514 298 $12.98, © 7337298 $12.98.

SCHUBERT: Lieder. Liebesbotschaft;Wehmut; Die Rose; Am Grabe Anselmos;Sehnsucht; Das ZugenglOcklein; WandrersNachtlied I and II; Heidenroslein; Wiegen-lied (D. 867); Am See; Abendstern; BeiDir.': Der Jiingling an der Quelle; Gondel-fahrer; Auflosung. Elly Ameling (soprano);Dalton Baldwin (piano). ETCETERA 0 ETC1009 $10.98, XTC 1009 $10.98.

Performances. Both excellentRecordings Richer on Philips

These two releases offer renewed proof ofElly Ameling's eminence among today'ssong recitalists. There are no duplications inthe two programs, nor are any songs repeat-ed from her previous Philips recital discsdevoted to Schubert. As usual, moreover,Ameling has planned her programs with thesame care and sensitivity she lavishes on herinterpretations.

The songs on the Philips disc are almostinvariably meditative and frequently re-lated in mood or poetic substance. Seven ofthem revolve around nocturnal themes, andthree tell of parting or express yearningfrom afar. There are at least four familiarsongs here; the rest are seldom encounteredbut worth discovering. In An den Mond, aGoethe setting, Schubert's music beautiful-ly reflects the poet's ambivalence as histhoughts penetrate the serene night "roam-ing through the labyrinth of the heart."Schwestergruss belongs to the eerie worldof Der Erlkonig, it is masterfully set, de-spite Schubert scholar Richard Capell's dis-missal of the text as "graveyard poetry."Not all of the unfamiliar songs are top-levelSchubert: Nachthymne is quite unmemora-ble, and Der Knabe, a delicate piece in thecomposer's mercurial Musensohn manner,seems relatively insignificant.

Of the sixteen songs on the Etcetera disc,only three (Liebesbotschaft, Heidenr6slein,and Der Jiingling an der Quelle) are heardvery often, though the settings of Goethe'stwo Wandrers Nachtlied poems certainlybelong among Schubert's greatest inspira-tions. Several songs in this collection sharethe nocturnal and meditative mood of thePhilips sequence. No less than four are

STEREO REVIEW

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based on the poems of Johann Seidl (thepoet of Die Taubenpost, Schubert's lastsong). Best among them is Das ZUgen-glocklein, a little gem. Wiegenlied is prettybut a bit overlong, and Bei dir is more apt toimpress the listener with its buoyant enthu-siasm than by its melodic allure.

Virtually all these songs are tailored tothe delicacy, charm, and mastery of inti-mate communication that are Elly Ame-ling's trademarks. I find the tempo she setsfor Liebesbotschaft not quite lilting enough,and Auflosung calls for a weightier soundfor an optimum effect. But these are minorcavils in two recitals that are nearly alwaysengrossing. As usual, Dalton Baldwin pro-vides model support. Both discs are well en-gineered, with exemplary clarity and sur-faces, but Philips offers the more resonantsound. The Philips annotations are bettertoo, for Etcetera offers minimal notes andtexts in German and French only. G.J.

SCHUMANN: Violin Concerto in D Minor(see SIBELIUS)

SIBELIUS: Violin Concerto in D Minor,Op. 47. SCHUMANN: Violin Concerto inD Minor. Gidon Kremer (violin); Philhar-monia Orchestra, Riccardo Multi cond. AN-GEL 0 DS -37957 $12.98, © 4XS-37957$9.98.

Performance Sibelius betterRecording Good

Gidon Kremer's second go -around with theSibelius Violin Concerto is decidedly morefortunate in sound quality than his caver-nous and ill -balanced 1979 Vanguard re-cording with Gennady Rozhdestvensky con-ducting. Riccardo Muti and the Philhar-monia Orchestra give Kremer strongbacking throughout, and for a violinist ofhis caliber technical difficulties just do notexist. His interpretation is virile and lyricalin the first two movements and exceptional-ly fiery in the finale, yet with no sacrifice ofnuance.

Less happy are the results in that step-child of high -Romantic violin concertos, theSchumnan D Minor, which both Joachimand Brahms felt should not be publishedsince the composer, on the verge of his finalmental collapse, had been functioning crea-tively below standard. (The album notes, bythe way, are in error with respect to the firstpublic performance, which was given not byJelly d'Aranyi with the BBC Symphony un-der Sir Adrian Boult on February 16, 1938,but by Georg Kulenkampff in Berlin on No-vember 26, 1937.) Kremer and Muti havenot, I think, succeeded in cracking thistough nut of a piece in terms of achieving aconvincing line and steady flow in the open-ing movement. Matters improve in the slowmovement, to which Kremer brings a finelnnigkeit and tenderness, and he imparts agood flow to the somewhat repetitious po-lonaise -like finale, handling the sometimesintractable solo episodes with remarkableease. The sound as such is good in bothworks, though the orchestra is a touch over -reverberant now and then in the opening ofthe Schumann. D.H.

R. STRAUSS: Symphony for Wind Instru-ments in E -flat Major. Munich Wind So-loists Academy, Wolfgang Sawallisch cond.ORFEO O S 004821 A $13.98 (from Har-

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CIRCLE NO. 28 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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monia Mundi USA, 2351 Westwood Boule-vard, Los Angeles, Calif. 90064).

Performance: GoodRecording: Good

During the late years of World War II, be-fore Allied bombers blasted away the lastvestiges of the milieu in which his life hadbeen centered, Richard Strauss composedtwo works for an array of sixteen wind in-struments, both originally called sonatinas.The earlier one was subtitled From an Inva-lid's Workshop, and the later one, in E -flat,was called The Happy Workshop. The scor-ing calls to mind Mozart's Serenade, K.361, for thirteen wind instruments, but theStrauss pieces have a more elaborate instru-mental layout and use a four -movementformat embodying far more developmentalmatter than Mozart's.

I confess to being somewhat overwhelmedby the richness of texture and detail in TheHappy Workshop, but certainly the com-poser's fans and woodwind buffs should de-light in it. I did enjoy the elegant crafting ofthe expansive third -movement Menuett andthe contrasting somber and humorous ele-ments in the finale. The Munich ensembleunder Wolfgang Sawallisch gives a readingthat is both precise and affectionate. Thedigitally mastered recording was made in aspacious locale whose name sends a bit of achill down the spine: Renaissance-Festsaaldes Schlosses Dachau. D.H.

TANEYEV: Prelude and Fugue in C SharpMinor (see MUSSORGSKY)

TCHAIKOVSKY: Dumka, Op. 59 (seeMUSSORGSKY)

TCHAIKOVSKY: Symphony No. 6, in BMinor, Op. 74 ("Pathetigue"). ClevelandOrchestra, Lorin Maazel cond. CBS 0 IM37834, © IMT 37834, no list price.

Performance AnalyticRecording. Crystal clear

Lorin Maazel was never one to tear a mu-sical passion to tatters, and here with theCleveland Orchestra, over which he pre-sided as music director for a decade, he of-fers us a Tchaikovsky Pathetique notablefor delineation of textural detail but also, inthe end movements, for an essential cool-ness. To the famous 5/4 second movementMaazel brings an intriguingly febrile quali-ty by no means out of keeping with the mu-sic's character, with the pedal -point middlesection moving along more swiftly thanusual. The quickstep third movement issomething of a virtuoso tour de force here:every line is clearly audible, including thedescending contrabasses at the point wherethe clarinets set forth the main theme. I

have the distinct feeling that here and else-where in this performance the timpani bal-ances were arranged so that the linear as-pects of the music would not be swamped atthe climaxes. It's an interesting, even re-vealing reading, if not an altogether con-vincing one. You could practically write outthe score simply from hearing this disc. Butis that really what Tchaikovsky's Sixth is allabout? D.H.

VERDI: Simon Boccanegra. Lajos Miller(baritone), Simon Boccanegra; ..116zsef Gre-gor (bass), Fiesco; Veronika Kincses (so -

CIRCLE NO 32 ON READER SERVICE CARDSTEREO REVIEW

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prano), Amelia; Janos B. Nagy (tenor), Ga-briele; Istvan Gati (baritone), Paolo Al-biani; Balazs Hantos (bass), Pietro; others.Chorus and Orchestra of the HungarianState Opera, Giuseppe Patane cond. HUN-GAROTON O SLPD 12522-24 three discs$38.94.

Performance GoodRecording Very good

Recognition came belatedly to Simon Boc-canegra, particularly outside Italy. TheVienna State Opera produced it for the firsttime in 1930, the Metropolitan in 1932. I

had the good fortune to discover it in 1937,attending, as a student, its first perform-ances by what was then the Royal Hungar-ian State Opera under the leadership of thetheater's great resident Italian conductor,Sergio Failoni. Hearing the opera now, withan all -Hungarian cast led by another Ital-ian conductor (and a great local favorite),revives wonderful memories for me.

The world has become much smallersince then. Recorded complete operas-even such one-time rarities as Simon Bocca-negra-have become commonplace, and thefront-line Hungarian singers of this genera-tion have learned to perform operas in theiroriginal languages. More astonishingly,they form ensembles in recordings of Verdiand Puccini (to say nothing of Goldmarkand Boito) that can stand up to formidableinternational competition.

Giuseppe Patane is unquestionably thehero of this particular enterprise. It is cer-tainly his accomplishment that the per-formance has an authentic Verdian soundand spirit. He may not have worked withthe cast of his dreams, but, shaping the or-chestral framework to the strength and limitations of his singers, he has given us acommitted account of this deeply movingopera.

Lajos Miller rises to commanding heightsin Boccanegra s great Council ChamberScene, where he intones the "Piango suvoi" cantilena very movingly. The music,however, frequently taxes his resources;when it does, his smooth lyric baritone be-comes unsteady. Still, his is a commend-able, stylish, and intelligent portrayal. Ve-ronika Kincses, likewise, is not ideally castin the rather demanding role of Amelia; Imiss a certain solidity in the lower rangethat the part calls for. But when the musicmoves into the bounds of Kincses's very at-tractive lyric compass (the RecognitionScene, in particular), the Hungarian sopra-no meets its requirements with exquisitepoignancy.

Janos B. Nagy reveals a firm and ratherpowerful tenor that has no difficulty copingwith Adorno's music. He sings in a forth-right manner, though not with much subtle-ty or tonal variety and with occasionalrhythmic and intonational lapses. JozsefGregor projects an appropriately stern andmenacing Fiesco, with a snarling edge to hissubstantial voice. His command of the up-per range is enviable, but I miss the mellif-luous manner of a true basso cantante inthis music, that is, the Pinza/Siepi sound asopposed to the Christoff/Ghiaurov model.Baritone Istvan Gati is a major artist and,as the villainous Paolo Albiani, he soundslike one. The subsidiary roles are adequate-ly handled.

While Simon Boccanegra is not in the

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RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERIT

ltzhak Perlman and Ivry Gitlis

A Celebration of ViolinsBRONISLAW HUBERMAN was not only a

famous violinist but also the founder ofwhat became, in 1948, the year after hisdeath, the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra.For the centenary of Huberman's birth, inDecember 1982, the orchestra's music di-rector, Zubin Mehta, conceived the idea ofa week-long Huberman Festival with theIPO accompanying a group of today's out-standing violinists. Spanning a couple ofgenerations, the participants included theIsraeli -born, Paris -based violinist Ivry Git-lis, a protege of Huberman's; the Polish -born British violinist Ida Haendel; and Is-aac Stern and three of his proteges-ItzhakPerlman, Pinchas Zukerman, and ShlomoMintz.

The festival performances were broadcastlive on radio and filmed for television, andsome of them were recorded live byDeutsche Grammophon, which has now re-leased them in a two -disc or two -cassettepackage. The set includes three works formultiple soloists and one, Vivaldi's TheFour Seasons, in which Stern, Zukerman,Mintz, and Perlman are each featured inone of the component concertos. Stern andMintz are heard together in Bach's Con-certo for Two Violins, and they are joinedby Haendel and Gitlis in Vivaldi's B MinorConcerto for Four Violins (the one Bachtranscribed for four claviers). Perlman andZukerman (the latter as violist this time)play Mozart's Sinfonia Concertante, K.364. Mehta conducts the Israel Philhar-monic in all the performances.

Most of these fiddlers have recorded

these works before. No matter. The live TelAviv performances have an air of excite-ment about them, an air of occasion-per-haps in part generated by the artists' joy inplaying for their assembled peers as well asfor the larger audience. (Some of the ap-plause and cheering might have been editedout, though in this case it seems a part ofthe occasion, perhaps the only apt releasefor the intensity built up in the perform-ances.) There are other fine recordings ofall these pieces, several possibly superior inone respect or another to those here, but allthe solos in The Four Seasons are excep-tionally beautiful, and so is the Perlman/Zukerman partnership in the Mozart (de-spite a rather perfunctory orchestral contri-bution). As a document of a violinistic"summit meeting," the set is very much in aclass by itself.

The sound is splendid, and there is a fine,concise note by the distinguished Israelimusicologist Peter Gradenwitz.

-Richard Freed

VIVALDI: The Four Seasons, Op. 8, Nos.1-4; Concerto in B Minor for Four Violinsand Strings, Op. 3, No. 10. J. S. BACH:Concerto in D Minor for Two Violins andStrings (BWV 1043). MOZART: SinfoniaConcertante in E -flat Major for Violin, Vio-la, and Orchestra (K. 364). Isaac Stern, Pin-chas Zukerman, Itzhak Perlman, ShlomoMintz, Ida Haendel, Ivry Gitlis (violin); Is-rael Philharmonic Orchestra, Zubin Mehtacond. DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON 0 2741 026two discs $21.96, © 3382 026 $21.96.

current Budapest repertoire, under the cir-cumstances the choral and orchestral workis entirely praiseworthy. There are a fewmeasures cut from the third act, a conduc-torial preference to which only diehard pur-ists will object. Gabriele's first entrance ismuch too close for the desired "offstage" ef-fect, but this is the only negative element in

an otherwise excellent technical production.The total effect here exceeds the sum of itsparts. Hungaroton's achievement does notquite match the glamorously cast DeutscheGrammophon set (Cappucilli, Freni,Ghiaurov, and Carreras, Claudio Abbadoconducting), but it runs a surprisinglystrong second to it. G.J.

Ia

WAGNER: Die Meistersinger: Prelude;Prelude to Act III; Dance of the Appren-tices; Procession of the Mastersingers. DieGotterdammerung: Siegfried's Rhine Jour-ney; Siegfried's Funeral March. ChicagoSymphony Orchestra, Fritz Reiner cond.RCA ARP1-4738 $12.98, © ARE1-4738$12.98.

Performance: MagnificentRecording: Splendid

RCA has done well to go back and remastersome of its priceless Reiner/Chicago re-cordings at half -speed, and this is the mostimpressive achievement yet in its ".5" se-ries. The 1959 recording, quite good to be-gin with, has been opened up to yield a con-sistently rich, brilliant, and altogether real-istic sound, fully competitive with almostanything else now offered in analog format.And what magnificent performances! R.F.

COLLECTIONS

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITPETER HURFORD: The Organ at SydneyOpera House. J. S. Bach: Toccata andFugue in D Minor (BWV 565); Jesu, Joy ofMan's Desiring. Albinoni: Adagio in G Mi-nor. Purcell: Trumpet Tune in D Major.Franck: Chorale No. 2, in B Minor. Murrill:Carillon. Davies: Solemn Melody. Widor:Symphony No. 5, Toccata. Peter Hurford(organ). ARGO 0 ZRDL 1016 $10.98, ©KZRDC 1016 $10.98.

Performance WonderfulRecording: Excellent

The organ at the opera house in Sydney,Australia, was built in 1979 by RonaldSharpe, and Peter Hurford exhibits itssplendors in this wonderful tour of musicranging from Baroque to modern times. Heis a virtuoso performer who understands theorgan's potentials and is not afraid to ex-ploit them. Although opportunities to de-scend into vulgarity and banality may seemoverwhelming with such an instrument,Hurford succeeds in keeping within thebounds of good taste while obviously revel-ing in the music's sonorities. The recordedsound is superb. S.L.

JULIAN LLOYD WEBBER: Cello Man.Canteloube: Bailer°. Fella: Ritual FireDance. Saint-Saens: Samson et Dalila:Mon coeur s'ouvre a to voix. Bridge: Scher-zetto. Faure: Elegie. Villa -Lobos: Bachia-nas brasileiras No. 5, Cantilena. J. S. Bach:Cantata No. 156. Arioso. Popper: GavotteNo. 2. Delius: Hassan, Serenade. Bruch:Kol Nidrei. RCA (UK) RL 25383 $13.98,© RK 25383 $13.98 (from InternationalBook & Record Distributors, 40-11 24thStreet, Long Island City, N.Y. 11101).

Performance SyrupyRecording: Good

As far as technique is concerned, JulianLloyd Webber plays the cello very well, butmost of the arrangements in this collectionare so oppressively tasteless, and the fewpieces in their original form so extremelysentimentalized in the interpretation, thatlistening to the record offers little pleasurebeyond the technical security itself. R.F.

78 STEREO REVIEW

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Popular Musk

Trte first time I chattedwith the amiable South -

side Johnny (Lyon) of the As-bury Jukes was in conjunctionwith the release of "Hearts ofStone" (1979), since widelycelebrated as the Jukes' chefd'oeuvre. I talked to Johnnyagain recently in celebrationof the band's first new releasein over two years, "Trash ItUp," and I asked what hadcaused the recording hiatus.

"It took me a year just toget over the disappointment ofour live album not doing aswell as I thought it should,"he said. "Why should I sub-ject myself to all this again if Idon't feel I have something tosay? So mostly I worked onmy voice. For the last two anda half years I've been thinkingabout Billie Holiday, FrankSinatra, Muddy Waters, peo-ple who aren't really trainedsingers but have great expres-sion. I think I've learned a lotabout being a singer since werecorded last."

Johnny was not exactlysinging in the shower all this

flews Briefs

time, however. The Jukestoured and made what has be-come a somewhat controver-sial Miller Beer commercial.Johnny himself also worked asmusical consultant for themovie Eddie and the Cruisers.

Asked to describe the newalbum, he thought a moment,then declared it "a wry, hu-morous look at sex and how itcan be fun without being ex-ploitive-which doesn't gettouched on that much. It's notsoft candlelight and wine, butwe've done that already."

With its stripped -downsound (fewer horns, more syn-thesizer) and updated dancerhythms (courtesy of producerNile Rodgers of Chic), therecord is a bit of a departure,and I wondered if Johnnyworried how the band's hard-core fans would take it.

"Sure," he said, "I worriedfor a while. But what the hell:basically it's still rhythm-and-blues, and what else have webeen doing all this time? Youhave to keep 'em on theirtoes." S.S.

ViDEOLA. Scottish rock art -ist Jesse Rae has used

video to deliver a diplomaticmessage of peace. "Rusha,"his Sony Video 45 featuring ayoung ballerina from the NewYork City Ballet dancingamong images of soldiers, wassent to Soviet Premier YuriAndropov with the followingmessage: "It is my hope thatyou accept this tape as a ges-ture of good will and under-standing between our nations.It is also my hope that theyoung Russian people andtheir Western counterpartscan learn to dance together,rather than fear each other.". . . "Whoops Apocalypse"from Pacific Arts Video Rec-ords is a recently released vid-eo cassette from a British TVseries about imaginary inci-dents leading up to WorldWar III. Featuring JohnCleese of Monty Python and ahost of other British comic ac-tors, the cassette providesmore than two hours of gal-lows humor and other enter-tainment. C:

CELLULOID ROCKERS: De -spite published reports,

r -&-b crossover hero Princewill not be playing LittleRichard in the forthcomingfilm biography of Fifties rocklegend Gene Vincent. It wouldhave been inspired casting,but there you are. The Vin-cent bio-pic, titled Rockabil-ly, will star Sean Penn (hilar-ious in 1983's Fast Times atRidgemont High) as Vincentand Ray Sharkey (the man-ager in The ldolmaker) asVincent's songwriting partnerJohn. Mackey. Prince, mean-while, is about to go into pro-duction in the starring role ofhis own full-length feature, asyet untitled.... Word has itthat Torn Waits, currently vi-sible in Francis Coppola'sRumble Fish, will be playingthe manager of the CottonClub in Coppola's forthcom-ing film about the legendaryHarlem nightspot, and KingSunny Ade will be playing asmall role and performing twosongs 'n the next movie fromdirector Robert Altman. S.S.

eniece Williams is the lat- est pop star to appear on adaytime soap opera. In her re-cent debut on CBS -TV's Asthe World Turns, Williams(shown below with continuingseries star Scott Bryce) por-

trayed herself performing at anight club on board a luxuryyacht. Her latest ColumbiaLP, "I'm So Proud," was re-viewed here in the "Best of theMonth" section in October1983.

JANUARY 1984 79

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Disc and Tape ReviewsBy CHRIS ALBERTSON PHYL GARLAND ALANNA NASH MARK PEEL

PETER REILLY STEVE SIMELS JOEL VANCE

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITASHFORD AND SIMPSON: High -Rise.Nickolas Ashford (vocals); Valerie Simp-son (vocals, piano); vocal and instrumentalaccompaniment. Side Effect; Experience(Love Had No Face); It's a Rush; MyKinda Pick Me Up; I'm Not That Tough;

Explanation of symbols:0 = digital -master analog LP = stereo cassette = digital Compact Disc0 = eight -track stereo cartridgeCD = direct -to -disc recording = monophonic recording

The first listing is the one reviewed;other formats, if available. follow it.

and three others. CAPITOL ST -12282 $8.98,4XT-12282 $8.98.

Performance Mellow and imaginativeRecording: Good

Nickolas Ashford and Valerie Simpson,that protean creative duo, have worn manyfaces and played many roles over the years.On this latest album we mostly encounterthem as an urbane, super -hip couple play-ing with themes reflecting the ennui of con-temporary fast -track city life. The title songis a harshly realistic appraisal of the empti-ness of ostentatious success, and It's a Rushcomments on the pressure that compelssome to seek one-night stands on the dancefloor. Experience (Love Had No Face) ex-presses the same jaded mood.

Yet there are also more warmly appeal-ing, sentimental musings here, such solidsoul music as I'm Not That Tough and It's

Dylan Lives!BOB DYLAN'S new "Infidels" is a sprawl-

ing, uneven, infuriating mess of an al-bum-but it's alive in ways that most cur-rent rock product rarely even aspires to be.At the very least, it puts Dylan back in theball game, for good or ill.

Actually, "Infidels" is more than infu-riating; it's almost willfully perverse. Exam-ples: hiring the pre-eminent reggae rhythmsection of our age, Sly Dunbar and RobbieShakespeare, and then making music thatonly fitfully verges on reggae; employingtwo spectacular guitarists, Mark Knopflerand ex -Rolling Stone Mick Taylor, andthen often mixing their contributions intoinaudibility; juxtaposing an almost condes-cendingly pro -feminist song, License toKill, with an otherwise glorious ballad,

Sweetheart Like You, whose ludicrouslymacho sentiments are probably not in-tended ironically. What the hell is this mantrying to do?

Confound our expectations, probably,just as he used to do before his recent stringof thoroughly awful religious albums. He'ssucceeded, I think, because, despite the er-ratic production and the occasional songthat runs longer than it needs to, "Infidels"gives us an overwhelming sense of a living,breathing, thinking human being at work.And if there's anything that rock has beenin conspicuously short supply of lately,that's it. That this particular real personshould turn out to be an aging bard whommost of us had long since written off ascompletely irrelevant is merely another ofthe album's pleasures, one of life's littleironies.

There is some genuinely brilliant stuffhere, notably Union Sundown, a meditationon greed mated with a slashing blues -basedrhythm track; I and I, a terrifying song thathas one of the most impassioned vocal per-formances of Dylan's career; and, especial-ly, Neighborhood Bully, a return to politi-cal songwriting that is guaranteed to alien-ate Dylan's old leftie constituency for alltime. Overall, it's quite an album. While it'spossible that I'm overrating it simply be-cause hearing Dylan breathe (secular) fireagain is such a pleasure, I'm inclined todoubt it. Head for your nearest record storeand decide for yourself. -Steve Simels

BOB DYLAN: Infidels. Bob Dylan (vocals,guitar); Mark Knopfler, Mick Taylor (gui-tar); Robbie Shakespeare (bass); Sly Dun-bar (drums); other musicians. Jokerman;Sweetheart Like You; Neighborhood Bully;License to Kill; Man of Peace; Union Sun-down; I and I; Don't Fall Apart on Me To-night. COLUMBIA QC 38819, © QCT38819, no list price.

Much Deeper. Best of all is Still Such aThing, a love song delivered with such em-bracing sweetness that it recalls all the mostmoving hits these two have given us in theirlong careers. With its intimate vocal ex-changes, this song provides full assurancethat, far from being lost to commercialism,the "old" Ashford and Simpson are not onlyalive and well but singing better than ever."High -Rise" is a rich and rewarding albumwith an exceptionally wide thematicrange. P.G.

PHILIP BAILEY: Continuation. PhilipBailey (vocals); vocal and instrumental ac-companiment. / Know; Trapped; It's OurTime; Desire; The Good Guy's Supposed toGet the Girls; I'm Waitin' for Your Love;and two others. COLUMBIA FC 38725, 00FCT 38725, no list price.

Performance: Fine, high singingRecording Very good

Although Philip Bailey's name might be un-familiar to the popular -music public, hissound is well known. For more than twelveyears he served as co -lead singer, along withMaurice White, in the pacesetting progres-sive -soul group Earth, Wind & Fire, lend-ing his distinctive, piercingly high falsettoto their most memorable songs. If you stillcan't place him, try to recall that spectacu-lar A above high C he hit on the phrase"higher and higher" during the refrain ofEW&F's That's the Way of the World, oneof the outstanding popular performances ofrecent years. That single sky -scraping noteand the way he built up to it were enough toestablish him as a modern master of falsettosinging. Recently he teamed with DenieceWilliams on They Say, the searing gospelnumber that was a highlight of her remark-able album "I'm So Proud."

"Continuation," Bailey's debut solo al-bum, is not as consistently excellent as someof his previous collaborations. There is asomewhat lower level of musical imagina-tion in the material he sings here (some hisown compositions). But the album doesdemonstrate that he is an artist with a sin-gular and highly polished vocal style who iscapable of generating considerable heatthrough his incisive attack, zestful delivery,and firm professionalism. There's not asloppy note to be heard here.

One of the highlights is It's Our Time.Deniece Williams joins him on it, repayinghis favor; their duet scintillates with ebul-lience and joy. Just listen to the way theyplay vocal games with each other as theypitch for those startlingly high notes. Sev-eral of the other selections are safely unad-venturous funk, but some are fresh enoughto permit Bailey to dazzle us with his vocalfootwork. Your Boyfriend's Back mighthave bogged down interpreted by a lesserartist, but Bailey drives it across with a sassand verve that are riveting. This same spiritshines through on two other cuts, Trappedand Vaya (Go with Love), each of themenough to make it on its own. So is PhilipBailey. P.G.

80 STEREO REVIEW

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PAT BENATAR: Live from Earth. Pat Ben-atar (vocals); instrumental accompaniment.Fire and Ice; Medley-I Want Out/We LiveFor Love/Hell Is for Children; Hit Me withYour Best Shot; Love Is a Battlefield; andfour others. CHRYSALIS FV 41444, © FVT41444, no list price.

Performance. Hit -mongeringRecording Undistinguished

"Live from Earth" is a throwback to thedays when producing a credible live record-ing was beyond the technical means of mostrock bands. The sound is muddy and unfo-cused, the performance banal, knee-jerkhit -mongering. There's a lot of posturingbut no genuine feeling in this music. Thetunes-Pat Benatar's best, I'm afraid-aren't nearly interesting enough to hold upunder such perfunctory, hash -slingingtreatment. Considering Benatar's operatictraining and hard-nosed reputation, youwould think she could hold her own onstage. But she's no Valkyrie; she has to re-sort to a raw, tuneless scream in order toproject over the thrashing accompaniment.Perhaps sensing the futility of the project,Benatar and producer/guitarist Neil Geral-do bring the live music to an abrupt haltmidway into the second side. The two con-cluding studio tracks-Love Is a Battlefieldand Lipstick Lies, the first a weak stab atnew music, the second an Electric Flag -style white r -&-b number with a datedsound-are only marginally better. M.P.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITBIG COUNTRY: The Manor. Big Country(vocals and instrumentals). In a Big Coun-try; Inwards; Chance; 1000 Stars; TheStorm; Angle Park; Fields of Fire; HarvestHome; and three others. MERCURY 812870-1 S8.98, © 812 870-4 $8.98.

Performance. Guitar heavenRecording Good

These guys are getting tremendous hype,being the first recent non -heavy-metal Eng-lish act to use the traditional guitars -onlylineup, which may signify that the anti -syn-thesizer backlash is finally upon us. What Ireally find interesting about the band is thatit's so aptly named. Despite the Celtic folkovertones of a lot of the material, thegroup's almost orchestral use of massed gui-tars really does evoke Cinemascopic West-ern vistas and the Marlboro -ad school offilm -music composition. Anyway, there aremore obvious antecedents for the group'ssound: the Byrds and, especially, Televisioncome immediately to mind. I suppose youcould label this stuff the new Folk Rock, assome have already done. The point is thatwhatever it is and wherever it came from,it's good. Although the lyrics, when you canmake them out, seem mostly functional,and some of the songs could use some edit-ing, for the most part this is a bracing set oftough -and -tender tunes done up with spec-tacular, original -sounding guitar work. Itwill be interesting to see how these guysdevelop. S.S.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITTHE BLUEGRASS CARDINALS: Cardi-nal Class. The Bluegrass Cardinals (vocalsand instrumentals). Pulleybone Gayden;

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CIRCLE NO 47 ON READER SERVICE CARD

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Warm Kentucky Sunshine; Is Your HeartRight with God; Country Poor and CountryProud; and seven others. SUGAR HILL SH-3731 $7.98.

Performance SmoothRecording Very good

The Bluegrass Cardinals are five guys inpolyester suits who make 100 per cent cash-mere music. Formed in 1973, the group hasgone through various personnel changes,but the mainstays have been Don Permley,on banjo and baritone vocals, and his son,David, on lead vocals and guitar. TheParmleys are class operators, and on theirfirst album for Sugar Hill the Cardinalsdemonstrate an uncommon degree of musi-cianship and finesse. Unlike so many otherbluegrass groups, who just throw it all outthere, the Cardinals understand the idea ofdynamics, and they temper the usual fast -driving banjo numbers with a couple of realstunners-a gorgeous a cappella version ofBill Monroe's inspirational That HomeAbove, and a western -bluegrass rendition ofBob Nolan's Way Out There that may justspawn a whole new musical form.

The Cardinals place more emphasis onvocals than they do on instrumentals, andDavid Permley's baritone is consistentlysmooth, rich, and commanding, while hispartners' exquisite harmonies often soundmore like those of a gospel quartet than ahigh -lonesome bluegrass group. What im-presses me most about this band, though, isthe sense of integrity they bring to their mu-sic. Their picking is tasteful and econom-

ical, with nary an extravagant note, andtheir instrumental interplay is more imagi-native than most bluegrass groups care tobother with. Best of all, they don't even be-gin to play Rocky Top or Rollin' in MySweet Baby's Arms. A.N.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITCLARENCE CLEMONS AND THE REDBANK ROCKERS: Rescue. Clarence Clem-ons (saxophone); the Red Bank Rockers(vocals and instrumentals); other musi-cians. Jump Start My Heart; Rock 'n' RollDJ; Money to the Rescue; A Woman's Gotthe Power; A Man in Love; and three oth-ers. COLUMBIA BFC 39833, 40 AL 39833,no list price.

Performance: Great funRecording: Excellent

This is a nifty little record, familiar -sound-ing or not-a big, warmhearted tribute tovarious r -&-b styles that really suggests aSixties soul album without being overlypurist about it (there is, for example, theoccasional use of a synthesizer). ClarenceClemons, the nominal star, doesn't handlethe singing, but J. T. Bowen, who does, isquite convincing in a Wilson Pickettish sortof way. Clemons's saxophone, always a de-light, is prominent throughout. The songsthemselves are mostly fine; they don't strainfor the Big Statement, and they're not im-mediately memorable, but they range fromquite grand (A Man in Love) to spookilyamusing (Money to the Rescue, which

seems derived from my personal all-time fa-vorite r -&-b single, Alvin Cash's TwineTime), and they get the job done. In short,"Rescue" is a thoroughly entertaining pieceof work. S.S.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITCULTURE CLUB: Colour by Numbers.Culture Club (vocals and instrumentals);other musicians. Karma Chameleon; It's aMiracle; Black Money; Changing EveryDay; That's the Way (I'm Only Trying toHelp You); Church of the Poison Mind;and four others. VIRGIN QE 39107 $7.98,QET 39107 $7.98.

Performance: Light, engagingRecording: Excellent

In the current British popular -music scene,it's impossible to divorce style from sub-stance. You are what you wear as much aswhat you play. Among the latest crop ofnew -music stars, there are no stories ofstruggling geniuses who have emerged afteryears of seclusion spent perfecting theircraft. Quite the opposite: most are newcom-ers to music who've learned on the job.There's no better example of this triumph ofimage over education than Culture Club'sGeorge O'Dowd, or Boy George-an an-drogynous vision in lipstick and mascara,plucked eyebrows, dreadlocks, and a broad -brimmed felt hat. It is not a look likely tooccur to a guitarist who's spent ten yearsshut up in the woodshed mastering thestyles of T -Bone Walker or Chuck Berry,

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CIRCLE NO. 15 ON READER SERVICE CARD

82 STEREO REVIEW

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but it's entirely plausible for someone whosetraining, like Boy George's, consisted ofchecking hats at London's chic Blitz cluband applying make-up to the faces of theRoyal Shakespeare Company.

What galls the Puritan work ethic in meabout Boy George is that he's good. Besidesbeing pretty, Boy George is a very appeal-ing vocalist. The frequent comparisons ofhim with Smokey Robinson are apt; he putsthe same kind of emotion into a song. "Col-our by Numbers" is a light, soulful mix offunk, synth, and Latin influences deliveredwith none of the heavyhandedness you'd ex-pect from someone who looks like a HasidicRastafarian. Boy George's colleagues-JonMoss on drums, Mikey Craig on bass, andRoy Hay on keyboards and guitar-playwith crisp precision (maybe these guys ac-tually did study their instruments). Andback-up vocalist Helen Terry, whose acro-batic phrasing reminds me of Nona Hen-dryx, is used to great effect.

The song lyrics play off Boy George'sparadoxical image-both sexual and ra-cial-in an oddly innocent and unthreaten-ing way. Were it not for Culture Club'spowerful visual image and the lyrical possi-bilities this creates for the band, therewouldn't be much to distinguish "Colour byNumbers" from an album by, say, theThree Degrees. What Culture Club andother British new -music groups are doing isreshuffling the elements that make up ourpopular music and thus redefining the crite-ria we use to judge a pop performance. TheBeatles did the same thing with their mop

tops. It's up to the public to decide whethera featured boa, spiked, tinted hair, or anyother visual element is a legitimate compo-nent of pop music. Judging from the successof MTV and the popularity of groups suchas Culture Club, the answer seems to be aresounding yes. M.P.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITGAIL DAVIES: What Can I Say. Gail Da-vies (vocals); vocal and instrumental ac-companiment. Boys Like You; On a RealGood Night; What Can I Say; You're aHard Dog (To Keep Under the Porch); Set-ting Me Up; and five others. WARNERBROS. 23972-1 $8.98, © 23972-4 $8.98.

Performance TerrificRecording: Quite good

Gail Davies consistently puts out some ofthe most engaging and stylishly producedalbums in popular music. Her new one,"What Can I Say," produced by Daviesherself with her usual command and verve,further showcases her stubborn streak of in-dividuality; she continues to record what-ever songs turn her head instead of songsthat sound like what everybody else is do-ing. We get such stunners here as RodneyCrowell's On a Real Good Night, RayCharles's Hallelujah, I Love Him So,Mark Knopfler's Setting Me Up, and sev-eral fine new songs by Davies, including thetitle tune. My favorite is a muscular, full -tilt number written by Harlan Howard andSusanna Clark, You're a Hard Dog (To

Keep Under the Porch). which is aboutsomething other than straying canines.

Davies is an accomplished singer techni-cally, and her voice comes from someplaceoutside country (maybe even jazz/rock fu-sion), but she never lets that get in the wayof having a good time. Part of her appealstems from her infectious joie de vivre,which she manages :o pass on to her musi-cians, who pick and strum like there's notomorrow. Not every song here is compel-ling. of course, but the way she does it is,whether she's singing exquisite double -tracked harmony, setting a funky horn sec-tion down in the middle of a surprise turn,or wailing like a banshee. Occasionally shestring -sweetens a tittle too heavily for mytaste, but she smooths me over with a bitter-sweet duet with Ricky Skaggs, It's YouAlone, written by her brother Ron.

So far. the Nashville establishment hasalmost ignored Davies. 1 predict that beforelong they won't have any choice but to ownup that she's one of the most talented peoplenow operating out of Music City. A.N.

THE DOORS: Alive. She Cried. The Doors(vocals and instrumentals); John Sebastian(harmonica). Gloria; Light My Fire; YouMake Me Real; Texas Radio & the BigBeat; and three others. ELEKTRA 60269-1$6.98, © 60269-4 $6.98.

Performance: Matter of tasteRecording: Surprisingly good

Viewed dispassionately, this anthology ofrecently unearthed live Doors material is

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JANUARY 1984 83

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The Return of Tom T. HallJUST when it looked as if Tom T. Hall

would be relegated to the graveyard ofcountry music, here he comes with an im-pressive new album, "Everything from Je-sus to Jack Daniels," that should refurbishhis reputation as country music's greateststoryteller. It's been many a year since Hallcame up with a passel of tunes that actuallysaid anything or had any of his old satiricbite, and while there aren't any songs hereto rival The Year That Clayton DelaneyDied or Ballad of Forty Dollars, nobodyelse is writing songs like those on a regularbasis either. We do get some very listenableword portraits, including one about a truckdriver who murders his wife after he over-hears a stranger discussing her midnightvirtues, another about a Mac Sledge type,and a terribly moving one about a travelerwho finds a cache of letters in a Bible in aWest Virginia boarding house.

Hall recorded most of his major hits forMercury and then bounced around on acouple of other labels before returning to

Mercury for this album, and he sounds re-laxed and happy to be home. Produced byChet Atkins and Hall's old colleague JerryKennedy, it also marks a return to the most-ly acoustic ensemble sound that so distin-guished Hall's early recordings, completewith Kennedy's expressive dobro playing. Ifyou close your eyes and drift away on themusic, you just might forget all those badalbums Hall put out in between. Welcomeback, Tom. -Alanna Nash

TOM T. HALL: Everything from Jesus toJack Daniels. Tom T. Hall (vocals); vocaland instrumental accompaniment. Every-thing from Jesus to Jack Daniels; How'dYou Get Home So Soon; Barroom Stran-ger; Senior Citizen Star; The Letters; I'mJust Not an Easy Man to Love; The Har-monica Man; The Adventures of Linda Bo-hannon; What Am I Gonna Do with MyMusic; Wasted, Borrowed Money. MERCU-RY 814 025-1 M-1 $8.98, © 814 025-4 M-1$8.98.

hard to fault. The sound is terrific, the per-formances are exceptionally good, and I

think it's safe to say that if this had beenreleased around the time it was recorded itwould be remembered now as one of thegroup's better efforts. But granted all that,its arrival now is, for me anyway, a mixedblessing. Yes, it's a fascinating historicaldocument, and yes, it has moments of genu-ine excitement, but it also raises the spectrethat seems to be haunting the current Doorsrevival: namely, Jim Morrison's Grad Stu-dent Superstud act.

I suppose all that macho poetic posturingseemed revolutionary and liberating back in1968, but fifteen years later it's just embar-rassingly swinish. Frankly, if anybody triedthis kind of thing today (Gloria is the prime

offender here), he'd be laughed off thestage, which I don't think is a bad thing.Unfortunately, the teenagers who keep buy-ing Doors albums are probably swallowingMorrison's anachronistic sexism whole, andthat is a bad thing. Oh well, far be it fromme to condemn an album solely on politicalgrounds. Let's just say that this is a periodpiece but still a nice gift for the Doors fanson your lists and a significant addition tothe canon. As raids on the tape vaults go,this one is pretty respectable. S.S.

SHEENA EASTON: Best Kept Secret.Sheena Easton (vocals); vocal and instru-mental accompaniment. I Like the Fright;Almost Over You; Sweet Talk; Don't LeaveMe This Way; Devil in a Fast Car; Best

Kept Man; and four others. EMI AMERICAST -17101 $8.98, © 4XT-17101 $8.98.

Performance: Fast lanef. Recording: Good

Sheena Easton's career is still firmly in thefast lane, and her performances have the as-sured enthusiasm of someone riding astreak of success. She's loud, hammy, andfrenetic on most of the tracks here, andshe's a lot of fun to listen to. She tearsthrough such soap -opera songs as Don'tLeave Me This Way and Best Kept Man asif she were auditioning for the Royal Acad-emy of Hysterical Art, and her simperingsteaminess in I Like the Fright is worthy ofOlivia Newton -John. My own favorite isher runthrough of (She's in Love) With HerRadio, about a girl who dreams of 50,000watts the way other girls dream of Tom Sel-leck. The best thing about Easton, asidefrom her drop -dead good looks, is her abili-ty to give the impression that she isn't tak-ing any of this too seriously either. P.R.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITMICK FLEETWOOD'S ZOO: I'm Not Me.Mick Fleetwood (drums); George Hawkins(bass, keyboards, guitar, vocals); Billy Bur-nette, Steve Ross (vocals, guitars); Chris-tine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham (vocals);other musicians. Angel Come Home; YouMight Need Somebody; State of the Art;This Love; I Give; and five others. RCAAFLI-4652 $8.98, AFKI-4652 $8.98.

Performance. Very goodRecording: Very good

There's a holiday feeling about this album,as though Mick Fleetwood and his cronieshad written and played some of the selec-tions just for fun. George Hawkins, SteveRoss, and Billy Burnette are all very tal-ented writers. Burnette, the son of DorseyBurnette and the nephew of Johnny, is espe-cially accomplished in the neo-rockabillystyle. He wrote the title tune, turns in a finevocal on the Beach Boys' Angel ComeHome, and blasts off on Tear It Up, a Bur-nette family anthem. Ross has a grand timewith the Lloyd Price oldie Just Because,and Hawkins wrote the dandy Put MeRight, a lighter -than -air ballad with terrificharmonies. Christine McVie and LindseyBuckingham of Fleetwood Mac are on handas guest vocalists, but it is Messrs. Haw-kins, Ross, and Burnette who fairly claimthe honors for this refreshing and delightfulalbum. J. V.

DEAN FRIEDMAN: Rumpled Romeo.Dean Friedman (vocals, guitars, keyboards,harmonica); vocal and instrumental accom-paniment. First Date; Are You Ready Yet;Marginal Middle Class; Special Effects;Buy My Baby a Car; I Depend on You; andfour others. THE RECORD Co -OP DF 1 00$10 (from The Record Co -Op, P.O. Box1806, Ansonia Station, New York, N.Y.10023).

Performance: Very goodRecording: Very good

Dean Friedman had an oddball hit a fewyears ago with Ariel, a hilarious song abouta male wimp and a true -believer bimbo whoblunder into bed. Friedman's is a specialtalent that, unfortunately, has limited

84 STEREO REVIEW

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mass -market appeal. His lyrics are wry andsentimental at the same time, and, althoughhe uses the instrumentation of pop, there isa neo-folkie aura about his vocals.

In this album Friedman celebrates andgently kids love in suburbia. His programbegins with a rather tender description of anervous girl making ready for her first datewith a new boy and wondering about thefuture. At the end of the album, in Margi-nal Middle Class and I Will Never LeaveYou, a male protagonist takes stock of ro-mance and security and opts for both. Norock-and-roll outlaw nonsense here.

If all this sounds cloyingly cutesie-poo, it'snot. Friedman has accurate insights andwrites some very funny lines. The onlydrawbacks are the occasionally ploddingtempos and sluggish arrangements. "Rum-pled Romeo" is a flawed gem, but a gemnonetheless. J. V.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITMERLE HAGGARD: That's the Way LoveGoes. Merle Haggard (vocals, guitar); theStrangers (instrumentals); other musicians.That's the Way Love Goes; Don't SeemLike We've Been Together All Our Lives; IfYou Hated Me; I Think I'll Stay; and sixothers. EPIC FE 38815, FET 38815, nolist price.

Performance Soulful and subduedRecording: Very good

Anyone coming out of a failed love affairwould have to be masochistic or even suicid-

al to want to spend too much time with thisalbum, a collection of gorgeously melan-choly songs that reflect the Hag's own es-trangement from his songwriter wife, LeonaWilliams. No one else in country music isquite as good as Merle Haggard at convey-ing devastation and desolation, partly be-cause he stays away from self-pity, relyinginstead on understatement and irony.

Haggard copied a lot of his vocal licksand nuance from the late Lefty Frizzell,and one of Frizzell's songs serves as the titletune here. But seven of the songs are neworiginals, and while some of them soundwritten out of need rather than inspiration,several others are classic country perform-ances. If You Hated Me, with a wistfullybluesy Reggie Young guitar solo, is a quietHaggard masterpiece. This is Haggard'sfifty-second album in eighteen years, andalthough it's a downer, it's a wonderfuldowner, the kind that makes you say,"Okay, I've bled enough for now; let's geton with it." Overall, a magnificently mov-ing album. A.N.

HEART: Passionworks. Heart (vocals andinstrumentals). How Can I Refuse; JohnnyMoon; Sleep Alone; Blue Guitar; Love Mis-take; Allies; and five others. EPIC QE38800, © QET 38800, no list price.

Performance: SpottyRecording: Loud

A typical Heart album has two or threegood songs interspersed with several piecesof tripe sung in a blunderbuss manner and

dominated by clumsy, overrecorded drums.The wowsers can be most convincing, how-ever, and in this typical Heart album thereare two gems: How Can I Refuse, which iscredited to the whole band, and the wonder-fully constructed Johnny Moon, written byHeart's two lead singers, Ann and NancyWilson, along with Sue Ennis. JohnnyMoon is almost a jazz tune in its lengthenedbreaks, and the vocals are steamily sexy.For the rest of the album, unfortunately,the band plows, plods, and pummels its waythrough the kind of showbiz stuff its incomedepends on. The Wilson sisters deserve bet-ter of themselves. J.V.

JOE JACKSON: Mike's Murder (see Bestof the Month, page 65)

RICK JAMES: Cold Blooded. Rick James(vocals, keyboards, guitar, percussion); theStone City Band (instrumentals); the MaryJane Girls, Smokey Robinson, Grand Mas-ter Flash, Billy Dee Williams (vocals). UBring the Freak Out; Ebony Eyes; P.I.M.P.the S.I.M.P.; Tell Me (What You Want);New York Town; and four others. GORDY6043GL $7.98, © 6043GC $7.98.

Performance: Predictably palpitatingRecording: Good

You don't walk away from a Rick Jamesperformance humming the melody, becausethere usually isn't one. But if you are turnedon by long, repetitive rhythmic patterns, hewon't let you down. On "Cold Blooded"James actually gives us a brief break from

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86 STEREO REVIEW

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the funk by including a pleasant near -bal-lad, Ebony Eyes, featuring Smokey Robin-son; it does not, however, go well withJames's gaudy, drag -queen image. There isalso a perfectly dreadful track called TellMe, which exploits actor Billy Dee Wil-liams's much touted sex appeal and featureshim in a narration that sounds more like abad parody. I don't know why James felt aneed to include guest performers on this al-bum, for he could certainly have performedas well himself. It is not always apparent,but beneath that make-up and wig, behindthe glitter and funk, hides a talent we onlyrarely get a glimpse of.

James's instrumental contingent, theStone City Band (which now also has itsown album) sounds hot, and with a Princelyvocal assist from the Mary Jane Girls(James's answer to Vanity 6) it's all quitefunktional, so to speak. This is not exactly aclassic release, but "Cold Blooded" is a hotalbum, and that spells money. Objective at-tained, I suppose.. C.A.

PAUL KANTNER: The Planet Earth Rockand Roll Orchestra. Paul Kantner (vocals,guitars); Grace Slick (vocals); other musi-cians. (She Is a) Telepath; Circle of Fire;Mount Shasta; Lilith's Song: and six oth-ers. RCA AFLI-4320 $8.98, © AFK1-4320 $8.98.

Performance Interplanetary bombastRecording. Very good

Here's an album that raises an unpleasantquestion: Was the original Jefferson Air-

plane really that great, or were we all justtoo stoned to tell? If you're expecting thisrecord to be a return to the psychedelic glo-ries of decade -old Kantner and Slick al-bums such as "Sunfighter," you're going tofind it somewhat disappointing. The manwho made the very first Hugo Award -winning science -fiction record now offersnothing more visionary or interesting thanthe arena -rock sludge that is his currentband's stock in trade. While it's nice to hearKantner and Slick's soaring harmoniesagain (and so prominently), this all soundsintolerably retro to me. Of course, so doesnearly everything on the radio at the mo-ment. Given a pop climate in which Journeyremains the biggest concert draw in Ameri-ca, I probably have no right to carp aboutPaul Kantner's attempt to duplicate thatsound. Still, this is emphatically not recom-mended for aging flower children. S.S.

THE MOODY BLUES: The Present. TheMoody Blues (vocals and instrumentals)Blue World: Meet Me Halfway; Sitting atthe Wheel: Going Nowhere; Hole in theWorld; Under My Feet: and four others.THRESHOLD TRL- I -2902 $8.98, 0 TCR4-1-2902 $8.98.

Performance GoodRecording: Excellent

For a band that seemed to have no futurefive years ago, the Moody Blues seem prettyrobust in "The Present." It's fitting thatthis band has survived to see rock enter theage of technology, which they presaged

more than a decade ago with fanciful flightsinto the Cosmos while the rest of the rockworld was wearing blue jeans and figuringout how many ghetto kids could be fed onthe money Uncle Sam spent putting oneman into orbit. Now it's 1984, Major Tomis back, synthesizers hold sway, and eventhough the future isn't as touchy-feely asthe Moodies imagined it, they can still say"I told you so."

"The Present" finds the group doing whatit does best: spinning rich, harmonically or-nate magic carpets of sound that floatdreamily above the real world. It is a betterrecord, even, than their surprisingly suc-cessful comeback album, "Long DistanceVoyager." Focus on any part -Justin Hay -ward's economical yet rocking guitar, Pat-rick Moraz's rhapsodic synthesizer, the mu-sic -of -the -spheres vocals, even GraemeEdge's sober drumming -and you begin tounderstand how hard this band works tocreate their sonic tapestries. Songs such asBlue World, Meet Me Halfway, and Sittingat The Wheel are masterpieces of harmony,balancing acoustic- and electric -guitar voic-ings and a wash of synthesizer with a strongrhythmic edge to flesh out the sensuous ar-rangements. Forget about the lyrics or any-thing not written by Hayward or JohnLodge. (Graeme Edge, with the blubberingGoing Nowhere, and Ray Thomas, the per-petrator of I Am and Sorry, once againprove themselves incapable of writing asong with backbone. These two don't com-pose; they snivel.) Just lean back, set thecontrols for the Milky Way. and blast off

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0

StephanieMills

Hits HerStride

ekTEPHANIE MILLS has done some floun-dering about over the years looking for

a way to focus her considerable singing tal-ent. When disco was the rage she tried that,then she attempted to come across as anabrasive punk when the popular moodshifted. Later she sank to the lowest com-mon denominator of funk in a grab for thelargest possible audience. But for her newalbum, "Merciless," she has finally learnedto exploit her own special gifts: a wonder-fully robust and immediately responsivevoice with a delicate shiver at its edge, amarvelous sense of phrasing, and boundlessexpressiveness. The result is perhaps herbest album yet, with a panoply of differentemotions conveyed through her finely tunedvocal instrument.

All of Mills's talent bubbles up to the sur-face here in Endless Love, a ballad with abittersweet tang that recalls songs byJacques Brel and Edith Piaf. As with all thebest singers, Mills does more with this songthan just perform it; she uses it to touch herlisteners' deepest feelings.

A new steadiness and self-confidenceshows throughout the album in the selectionof material and pacing. Mills is not afraid to

start out with an off -beat, slow -tempo bluesnumber, How Come U Don't Call Me Any-more?, where she gives Aretha Franklin arun for her money. On a lilting little num-ber called His Name Is Michael that's sim-ilar in theme to Michael Jackson and PaulMcCartney's The Girl Is Mine, Mills andPeggy Blue sing together as effectively asJackson and McCartney did. Another high-light is the rakish Pilot Error.

"Merciless" suggests, overall, that Steph-anie Mills has hit her stride. She's alreadylived up to her promise as a teen star onBroadway in The Wiz, and on the evidencehere she could surpass even that in the fu-ture. As long as she keeps singing from theheart instead of according to popular for-mulas, she can't miss. -Phyl Garland

STEPHANIE MILLS: Merciless. Stepha-nie Mills (vocals); vocal and instrumentalaccompaniment. How Come U Don't CallMe Anymore?; Never Get Enough of You;Eternal Love; His Name Is Michael; Here IAm; My Body; Do You Love Him?; PilotError; Since We've Been Together. CASA-BLANCA 811 364-1 M-1 $8.98, © 422-811364-4 M-1 $8.98.

with a band that's turned out to have theRight Stuff after all. M.P.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITTHE MOTELS: Little Robbers. The Motels(vocals and instrumentals). Where Do WeGo from Here: Suddenly Last Summer;Isle of You; Trust Me; Monday Shutdown;and five others. CAPITOL ST -12288 $8.98,

4XT-12288 $8.98.

Performance. ArrestingRecording: Clean

The first time she walked into my office, I

knew this woman would be nothing buttrouble. Name? "Martha Davis." Address?"Just say, the Motels." It wasn't exactlylove at first sight. She was a big womanwith an assured yet surprisingly girlishvoice. Fragile, but tough. Somehow shedidn't look like the type who could deliverserious rock-and-roll.

Man, was I wrong. By the second timethrough "Little Robbers," I knew thiswasn't just another slick Sunset Strip caper.The way she belted out sizzling rockers likeTrust Me, Monday Shutdown, and Into theHeartland . . . well, she bit off those lyr-ics and spit them in my face like the cap offa bottle of Moxie. The drummer had hishands full keeping up with her. That wasmy first clue. Then, before you knew it, shewas jerking my heart strings with SuddenlyLast Summer. The way that low, gritty gui-tar curled around her voice, like a smokering around a careless remark. I'm tellingyou, it was haunting.

Before long, I was hooked. She couldfunny (Little Robbers, a snappy study inparanoia) or chillingly mysterious (WhereDo We Go from Here). And that guitar shealways had with her-driving, hard-nosed,a heartbeat but also a buzzsaw. I hadn'theard a guitar like that since I stopped tak-ing heavy-metal cases back in '75.

And then she was gone without a trace.Left me with this album. I can't stop play-ing it. I guess that's one of the risks you takein this business. M.P.

(Continued on page 9!)

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SMOKEY ROBINSON: Blame It on Loveand All the Great Hits. Smokey Robinson(vocals); vocal and instrumental accom-paniment. Just a Touch Away; Blame it onLove; Tell Me Tomorrow; Baby ComeClose; Cruisin'; and five others. TAMLA6064 TL $7.98, C), 6064 TC $7.98.

Performance Silken soulRecording Quite good

Smokey Robinson's new Tamla releasespans roughly a decade of recording activi-ty. There is nothing rough about the music,however. The so-called Motown sound haslong since spread thin beyond recogrition,but Smokey's high-pitched voice is intact,and here he delivers three new songs -JustLike You, Don't Play Another Love Song,and Just a Touch Away -with as smooth asound as on the older recordings. The style,too, is the same easy reading that launchedMotown twenty-five years ago. This collec-tion may lack the spunk of funk and thesteely edge of synthesized New Wave, but ithas personality, and as enduring pop fare itwill always find attentive ears. Count mineamong them. C.A.

PETER SCHILLING: Error in the System.Peter Schilling (vocals); instrumental ac-companiment. Only Dreams; LifetimeGuarantee; The Noah Plan; Major Tom(Coming Home); Major Tom, Part II;(Let's Play) USA; and three others. ELEK-

TRA 60265-1 $8.98, © 60265-4 $8.98.

Performance The synthesized manRecording Very good

"Error in the System" is a grim study of thedeath of humarity, of the substitution of or-der and science for desire and will, of steeland plastic for flesh and blood. Peter Schil-ling's cold, mechanical synthesized compo-sitions create a vision of man swallowed byhis own inventions -computers, television,and other products of technology. OnlyDreams, for instance, deals with the inter-nalizing of experience, the intellect's retreatfrom reality, a consequence of an automat-ed existence that makes no demands on hu-mans other than to watch. In Major Tom(Coming Home), a sequel to David Bowie'sseminal Space Oddity (although its chorussounds more like the Moody Blues), an as-tronaut is carried into deep space, the pris-oner of a machine that has failed to respondto a human command.

It is a powerful but troubling and some-how hollow achievement. The album is en-gineered with razor-sharp, almost sterileprecision, as if it had been recorded in agerm -free environment. To add to the inhu-man feel, Schilling, who is German, sings ina perfectly unaccented English, much asyou'd expect a robot to sound. There is iro-ny in an album that exploits technology inorder to convey the theme of mar enslavedby machine: by dehumanizing his music,Schilling has re-created the very conditionhe's trying to warn us about. If you findyourself enjoying it, perhaps that meansyou've succumbed too. M.P.

SISSY SPACEK: Hangin' Up My Heart(see Best of the Month, page 64)

STRAY CATS: Rant n' Rave with the StrayCats. The Stray Cats (vocals and instru-mentals). Rebels Rule; Too Hip Gotta Go;

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Look at That Cadillac; Something's Wrongwith My Radio; /8 Miles to Memphis:How Long You Wanna Live, Anyway?: andfour others. EMI AMERICA SO -1 7 102$8.98, © 4X0-17102 $8.98.

Performance Good, but .Recording Good

The Stray Cats are not a genuine rockabillyband. Despite a reasonably authoritativegrasp of the genre's musical vocabulary,they're no more a bunch of Southern crack-ers than the Rolling Stones are a bunch ofDelta bluesmen, which is not necessarily acriticism. The question with these threeLong Islanders, as with the Stones, iswhether they transcend their influences,

whether they've created something new. Idon't think so in this case, but I'm willing toremain open-minded and concede that thejury is still out.

In the meantime, though, the Cats domake entertaining, if limited, records, andthis new one is no exception. I could do witha little less of the teenage attitudinizing, butsongs like Sexy and Seventeen swagger at-tractively. Brian Setzer does terrific ScottyMoore guitar imitations, and, as usual,Dave Edmunds's production couldn't bebettered. Also as usual, I don't get the sensethat these guys particularly mean whatthey're singing, but I suppose if I was fif-teen and had never heard "The Sun Ses-sions" I might feel different. S.S.

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VIDEOGE.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITDURAN DURAN. Duran Duran (vocalsand instrumentals). Is There Something IShould Know?: The Chauffeur; CarelessMemories; Girls on Film; Planet Earth;and six others. PIONEER LASERDISC PA -83-044 CX stereo, standard -play $24.95.

Performance In the vernacularRecording. Fine video and audio

I wondered how long it would take beforevideo -disc producers began utilizing theever-growing number of music videos assource material. Concert footage has thedistinct advantage of presenting artists inactual performance, but no matter how in-teresting the music might be, watching anhour or more of any group miniaturized bythe tube easily becomes trying when the ac-tual concert atmosphere is missing. Themusic can be captured quite vividly with to-day's technology, but no way has beenfound so far to reproduce the feeling of be-ing part of the audience at a live perform-ance. Duran Duran has come out insteadwith a LaserDisc consisting entirely of vid-eos-the group's first eleven, to be exact,filmed on location in England, Antigua, andSri Lanka. Who cares if it's all lip-synched?The music is good, and the visual accom-paniment is even better.

Two of the tracks, Lonely in Your Night-mare and The Chauffeur, make their debutwith this album, and another, Girls onFilm, here contains the parts that even ca-ble left out. The following for Duran Du-ran's music probably includes very youngpeople, but some of this material is clearlyadult oriented, as a note on the jacket pointsout. There is some sadomasochism and ex-plicit lesbianism in Girls on Film and TheChauffeur; frame 18903 is, well ....

Whether you are a Duran Duran fan ornot, this disc will give your imaginationplenty to work with. The individual seg-ments are well conceived and crammed withwonderful visual tricks. Compiler RussellMulcahy has cleverly woven them into a fif-ty -five-minute whole that bears repeatedviewing. You may have seen some of this oncable, but it could not have been reproducedwith the same quality. C.A.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITA FLOCK OF SEAGULLS: A Flock ofSeagulls (vocals and instrumentals). Wish-ing (I Had a Photograph of You); Night-mares; / Ran (So Far Away). SONY stereoVideo 45, VHS $19.95, Beta $15.95.

Performance GlitzyRecording: Good

I never expected to cotton to this band, but,somewhat tardily, I have. A Flock of Sea -

92 STEREO REVIEW

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Page 96: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

The Stones: A New IntensityTHE new Rolling Stones album, "Under

Cover," is a nervy release: powerfuland even scary at times. I have to admit Ididn't think the Stones still had it inthem.

It's not a departure, really. A lot of famil-iar Stones riffs turn up throughout, andwhile the songs have been dressed up withappropriately up-to-date electronic and per-cussion effects, you're not likely to mistake,say, It Must Be Hell or Tie You Up for thework of anybody else. The basic theme ofthe album, sex and violence, isn't new forthe Stones either. What is new is the bleakintensity with which these concerns are ad-dressed. If "Under Cover" has a message,it's that chaos has arrived and the only wayto survive it is to dig yourself a foxhole,climb in, and hope for the best.

The lead song, Undercover of the Night,the first explicitly political piece this bandhas done since the late Sixties, is particu-larly spectacular, conjuring up nightmarevistas of unending brutality while the gui-tars simulate explosions and the sound ofmachine guns punctuates Charlie Watts'sdrumming. But most of the rest of the rec-ord is on the same level; even the throw-aways don't feel like fluff. This could beconsidered the real blues album that theStones have always threatened to make.

There's genuine pain and terror here, andthe music seems like a kind of exorcism.

At the same time, if you want to dance toit, you can. This is one of the Stones' bestparty records ever, especially the almostnonstop rockarama on side two. But it's aparty record for a world in flames, a cry ofconfusion and desperation without even ahint of the drugged -out, tongue -in -chic dec-adence of some earlier Stones albums.

In short, "Under Cover" is a brutal, un-compromising, possibly even uncommercialpiece of work, the hardest shot of the hardstuff the Rolling Stones have given us in fartoo many years. It may even be a master-piece. In any case, it is perhaps the first realEighties record, and if that seems an unlike-ly achievement for a bunch of middle-aged,jet -setting millionaires-well, strangerthings have happened. Whatever it is, how-ever, you should hear it. -Steve Simels

THE ROLLING STONES: Under Cover.The Rolling Stones (vocals and instrumen-tals); other musicians. Undercover of theNight; She Was Hot; Tie You Up (The Painof Love); Wanna Hold You; Feel On Baby;Too Much Blood; Pretty Beat Up; TooTough; All the Way Down; It Must BeHell. ROLLING STONES 90201-1 $8.98, 0CS 90201-1 $8.98.

it's resolutely entertaining. The best thinghere is I Ran, cleverly done as an almost

continuous succession of 360 -degree pansand edited with a real feeling for therhythm of the song. But both Wishing, themost genuinely affecting number, andNightmares, which finds the boys dressedup as men in white coats, have their mo-

< ments too. Actually, my only complaintconcerns the omission of the recent clip toIt's Not Me Talking, a big -budget parodyof Fifties sci-fi B movies that makes thekitschiness at the core of this band's workfairly explicit. Still, what is here makes verypleasant viewing and listening.

-Louis Meredith

gulls makes the most entertaining schlockpop around these days, and the odd thing isthat I suspect it's because of, rather thandespite, the band's futurist affectations. It'sfairly obvious that the Seagulls know howsilly their Flash Gordon by way of DavidBowie posturing really is. When you listenpast the fashionable wall of synthesizersand sonic glitz on their records, you discov-er the most unashamed bubblegum rocksince the heyday of the 1910 Fruitgum

1

Company, and the contrast between thesurface pomp and the banality at the heartof it is really rather breathtaking. And letus not forget lead singer Mike Score: afterall, who can resist a performer whose hair-style is identical to the helmet Hawkmanused to wear in the comic books?

This new video compilation of the Sea-gulls' work is every bit as seductive as theirmusic. It's flashy and empty, but knowinglyso; it says nothing, but says it very well; and

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITGIRL GROUPS: THE STORY OF ASOUND. The Angels: My Boyfriend'sBack. Frankie Lymon: Why Do Fools Fallin Love? The Chantels: Maybe. The Mar-velettes: Mr. Postman. The Shangri-Las:Leader of the Pack. The Ronnettes: Shout.The Supremes: Stop in the Name of Love;Back in My Arms Again. And eighteen oth-ers. MGM/UA mono CED MD 100194$29.95, VHS cassette MV 600194 $59.95.

Performance. Rock heavenRecording. Okay

Based on Alan Betrock's book with thesame title (from Delilah), this video pro-gram chronicles a magical era in Americanpop music, from roughly the late Fifties tothe beginning of the British Invasion. It wasa time when the Brill Building was pop'sMecca, when there were singing groups inevery high-school washroom, and when rockwas still innocent: the time of Motown, PhilSpector, and a hundred one-shot groupswhose records still resonate in our collectiveunconscious.

Naturally enough, the emphasis here ison the music. Priceless TV clips by the Ex-citers, the Ronnettes, Martha and the Van-dellas, the Shangri-Las, and the Chantels,to name only a few, are interwoven with fas-cinating recent interviews with people whoshaped the sound of the time, from suchbackstage figures as songwriter EllieGreenwich (Chapel of Love) to such per-formers as Mary Wilson of the Supremes.The result is an evocative and often veryfunny portrait of a time that now seems asremote as the Civil War.

Conventional wisdom has long held thatthese were culturally barren years, that be-tween the time Elvis Presley was draftedand the Beatles arrived rock-and-roll was atits all-time low ebb. "Girl Groups" ratherconvincingly helps put the lie to that. It'salso so much fun to watch that you probablywon't even notice that this is time -capsulestuff, a slice of genuine Americana. I couldquibble about the choice of producers inter-viewed (Shadow Morton remains just ashadow) or about what songs are givenshort shrift (the unutterably sublime OneFine Day), but, given the limitation of anhour's running time, I don't see how it couldhave been done much better. If the words"da doo ron ron" ever meant anything toyou, you're going to have to have "GirlGroups." In fact, I can't imagine anyonewith even a casual interest in rock-and-rollbeing without it for a moment.

-Louis Meredith

94 STEREO REVIEW

Page 97: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

MOSE ALLISON: Lessons in Living. MoseAllison (vocals, piano); Jack Bruce (bass);Billy Cobham (drums); Eric Gale (guitar);Lou Donaldson (alto saxophone). LostMind; Middle Class White Boy; YourMind Is On Vacation; Night Club; SeventhSon; Wild Man on the Loose; and three oth-ers. ELEKTRA/ MUSICIAN 60237-I $8.98, ©E4-60237 $8.98.

Performance GoodRecording Excellent

Mose Allison has been a jazz cult figuresince the Fifties, a "hipster" from the erawhen to be a hipster was avant-garde. LikeJon Hendricks, with whom he shares a tal-ent for satirical lyrics, he is a jazz entertain-er. His eccentric piano playing and wafer-thin vocals are acquired tastes, and the tar-gets of his satire (the musician's life, themiddle class) are somewhat passé. Yet heremains a skillful and ingratiating perform-er. This album, recorded live at the Mon-treux Jazz Festival in 1982, has terrificsound, and Allison puts on a professional,zippy show for an enthusiastic crowd. J. V.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITHERB ELLIS, BARNEY KESSEL,CHARLIE BYRD: Great Guitars at Char-lie's Georgetown. Herb Ellis, Barney Kessel,Charlie Byrd (guitars); Joe Byrd (bass);Chuck Redd (drums). Where or When;Change Partners; Opus One; Old Folks;Get Happy; and three others. CONCORDJAZZ CJ -209 $8.98, CJ -209 $8.98.

Performance ExcellentRecording. Excellent

Charlie Byrd, Herb Ellis, and Barney Kes-sel are three very accomplished guitarists.For more than a decade they have operatedas a trio with verve and subtlety. Each artistretains his individuality while blending andcontrasting their ideas as well as the differ-ent sounds of their guitars-Ellis's and Kes-sel's are amplified instruments, Byrd's is anacoustic gut -string model. The trio alsomakes excellent, and sometimes surprising,choices of material. Hoagy Carmichael'slovely New Orleans is not heard oftenenough, and the rearrangement of Whenthe Saints Go Marching In gives new life toa tune that has been done to death. This al-bum is an exquisite display of talent andtaste. It was recorded live with the crispsound that, in studio or out, we have cometo expect from Concord Jazz releases. J. V.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITLINDA HOPKINS: How Blue Can YouGet. Linda Hopkins (vocals); Rod Holloway(tenor and alto saxophones); Clora Bryant(trumpet); Art Hillery (organ); Gerald

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Page 98: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

Jaco PastoriusAOST jazz musicians play in a big band

nri at some point in their careers, usuallyearly on. They hone their chops, learn a lit-tle about arranging, and then get out at thefirst opportunity-for big -band jazz islargely seen as a moribund art form. JacoPastorius is trying to do something aboutthat image, and he appears to be succeed-ing. His second large -ensemble album is"Invitation," which he recorded on tour inJapan (a country that seems to be extraor-dinarily receptive to swing bands judgingfrom the number of concert albums re-corded there). The album is a condensedversion for U.S. release of a two -disc set re-leased in Japan in 1982 under the title"Twins I and II." Like bassist/leader/com-poser Pastorius himself, it's playful, inven-tive, and energized.

The title cut is straight out of the StanKenton book: driving percussion and trickyhorn charts that bob and weave beneath asoaring trumpet solo by Randy Brecker.The Chicken is served in a tasty Memphis -style soul stew spiced with the Caribbeanflavor of Othello Molineaux's steel drum.Side two features the inestimable TootsThielemans on harmonica, cavortingthrough Pastorius's flamboyant Liberty

City and caressing Duke Ellington's So-phisticated Lady, the latter an especiallyfitting choice for Pastorius since it was amember of Ellington's band, Jimmy Blan-ton, who practically invented the modernjazz bass.

Having nodded to Kenton and Ellington,Pastorius caps the album with the John Col-trane classic Giant Steps and the GilEvans/Miles Davis tune Eleven. Both areparts of medleys: Steps rises up in the mid-dle of an electrifying, breakneck Pastoriuscomposition called Reza, and Eleven is real-ly just a coda to the swinging twelve -barblues Fannie Mae. By referring to so manyjazz legends, Pastorius does more than payhomage to some of band music's central fig-ures; he infuses his own music with theirspirit. And in so doing, he injects somemuch -needed life into the sleeping giant ofswing. -Mark Peel

JACO PASTORIUS: Invitation. Jaco Pas-torius (bass); Word of Mouth Big Band (in-strumentals). Invitation; Amerika; Soul In-tro/The Chicken; Continuum; Liberty City;Sophisticated Lady; Reza/Giant Steps/Reza; Fannie Mae/Eleven. WARNER BROS.23876-1 $8.98, © 23876-4 $8.98.

Wiggans (piano); Calvin Newborn (guitar);Bob Maize (bass); Jimmie Smith (drums);Leonard Feather (piano). Salty PapaBlues; Born on a Friday: Why Don't YouDo Right; Evil Gal Blues; Counting MyTears; I'm Hungry; and four others. PALOALTO JAZZ PA 8034-N $8.98.

Performance Pure joyRecording Good

Here's the absolutely terrific Linda Hop-kins in an almost equally terrific album."How Blue Can You Get" is not quite acomplete show -stopper because of the deci-sion by Leonard Feather, who co -produced

with Herb Wong, to fill most of the albumwith his own songs. While Feather is a finewriter of blues-most of these date from theFifties-it would have been nice to hearfrom some other talents. Nonetheless, Hop-kins gives her considerable all to such thingsas the old Dinah Washington hit Evil GalBlues, the saga of an ugly woman who wasBorn on a Friday, and the classic WhyDon't You Do Right? She has a wonderfulright -on approach to her material, and herfreewheeling way with a lyric is a pure joyto hear. She's supported by a fine group ofmusicians, including the legendary CloraBryant on trumpet. This is Linda Hopkins's

first album in several years. Why on earthdo the great brains of the recording industrylet such talent languish? P.R.

ART PEPPER: Art Lives. Art Pepper (altosaxophone); George Cables (piano); DavidWilliams (bass); Carl Burnett (drums).Allen's Alley; Samba Mom Mom; ButBeautiful; For Freddie. GALAXY GXY-5145 $8.98, © GXY-5145 $8.98.

Performance Fine PepperRecording. Good remote

If you liked "Roadgame" (Galaxy GXY-5142), one of the first Art Pepper albums tobe released after his death, you will not bedisappointed in "Art Lives," which containsmore material recorded at Maiden Voyage,a Los Angeles club, in mid -August 1981.Pepper is in wonderful form, playing farbetter and with a great deal more zeal thanhe did on his final dates the following year.Pianist George Cables also shines on allfour selections, especially Samba MomMom. My favorite, however, is a very in-tense blues called For Freddie. C.A.

CARRIE SMITH: Fine and Mellow. CarrieSmith (vocals); instrumental accompani-ment. God Bless the Child; I Cried for You;Don't Explain; Lover Man; and eight oth-ers. AUDIOPHILE AP -164 $8.98 (from Au-diophile Records, 3008 Wadsworth MillPlace, Atlanta, Ga. 30032).

Performance PleasantRecording Good

Carrie Smith shines on "Fine and Mellow,"a new release that she recorded in 1976.The material consists of songs associatedwith Billie Holiday, and though Smith'srange is limited, she has the good sense tostay within it. Pleasant listening. C.A.

RECORDING OF SPECIAL MERITSTEVE SMITH: Vital Information. SteveSmith (drums); Dave Wilczewski (tenorsaxophone); Mike Stern, Dean Brown (gui-tars); Tim Landers (bass). Looks Bad,Feels Good; Questionable Arrivals; V.G.;All That Is; and three others. COLUMBIAFC 38955, © FCT 38955, no list price.

Performance. Hard -blowingRecording Excellent

If you know Steve Smith at all, it's probablyfrom his stint as a drummer for Journey be-tween 1979 and 1981. "Vital Information"is his recording debut as leader of a jazzfusion group. In the tradition of such drum-mer -bandleaders as Art Blakey, ElvinJones, and Billy Cobham, Smith has put to-gether a hard -blowing all -pro session withalumni of the Miles Davis, Cobham, andJean Luc-Ponty groups.

If it were just a matter of credentials, anyfive of a thousand jazz musicians could pro-duce a great album. In the case of Vital In-formation, we have good players workingwith good material-ambitious composi-tions build around fast tempos, unusualtime signatures and key changes, quick ex-changes between soloists, and frenetic butuncluttered rhythmic backing. It's a distil-lation of the best ideas from such electronicjazz pioneers as John McLaughlin, MilesDavis, and the European ECM performers.Recommended. M.P.

96 STEREO REVIEW

Page 99: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

Stereo Review 1983 Editorial Index

AUDIO/VIDEO, NEWS (Ranada)Bits of the Future, Feb. 20Digital -Audio Cassettes, Sep. 30

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Amplifiers and PreamplifiersCrown Power Line 3 (power). May 38Kenwood C -I (preamplifier) and M -I (power),

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recorder, Dec. 33Sony SL -5200 Beta Hi-Fi video -cassette

recorder, Apr. 29Car Stereo (Greenleaf and Hirsch)Alpine Model 7146, Jan. 46; Model 7347,

Aug. 22Blaupunkt CR-3001H, Mar. 26Clarion 7500R, Jan. 46Concord HPL-130, Jan. 46Delco ETR-520, Jan. 46Delco-GM/Bose Music System, Jun. 32Fujitsu Ten CR-I 134, Jan. 46; CM -6530,

Oct. 22Kenwood KRC-922, May 20Jensen RE520, Jan. 46; RE530, Jun. 50JVC KS -R7. Jan. 46Lear Jet A -IS, Jan. 46Nakamichi TD -1200, Dec. 52Panasonic CQ-S768E1.1, Jan. 46Pioneer UKE-7100, Jan. 46; KE-7200. Nov. 46

Cassette DecksAiwa AD -F660. Sep. 37Akai GX-R6, Nov. 40Harman Kardon CD91, Mar. 40Nakamichi Dragon, Apr. 38Onkyo TA -2035. Jun. 48Revox B7I0 MkII, Mar. 31Sherwood S-6000CP, Jan. 32Teac Z-6000, Jul. 24Technics RS-M234X, Dec. 43Vector Research VCX-800, Feb. 46Yamaha K-2000, Aug. 42

Compact Disc PlayersAkai CD -D1, Dec. 46Hitachi DA -I000. Jul. 44Kenwood L-03DP, Jul. 44Kyocera DA -01, Jul. 44Magnavox FD 1000SL, Jul. 44Marantz CD -73, Oct. 27Mitsubishi DP -I01, Jul. 44Phase Liner 9500, Jul. 44Sharp DX -3, Jul. 44Sony CDP-I01, Jul. 44Technics SL -P10, Jul. 44Toshiba XR-Z90, Jul. 44Yamaha CD -I, Jul. 44

HeadphonesKoss K/20. Jul. 36Sennheiser MS 100, Nov. 42

Phono CartridgesBang & Olufsen MMC 2, May 40Dynavector DVIOX Type 3, Mar. 52Goldring Electro II, Sep. 52Receivers and TunersADS Atelier RI, Apr. 44Denon DRA-300, Sep. 46NAD 7150, May 25Onkyo TX -51, Feb. 30J.C. Penney MCS Series A

Model 3285, Nov. 37Pioneer F-90 (tuner), Oct. 40Realistic STA-I12, Aug. 30Toshiba SA -R3, Jun. 36Yamaha R-50, Dec. 36

Signal ProcessorsAce Audio Model 4100-X24

(infrasonic/ultrasonic filter), Jan. 42

Prepared by Margaret Lidz

ADC Sound Shaper Thirty (graphicequalizer/analyzer), May 32

AudioSource EQ-One (graphicequalizer/analyzer), Mar. 46

dbx 4BX (dynamic -range expander), Jul. 30Fosgate Research Model 101A Tate II

Surround Stereo System, Oct. 32

Speaker SystemsAcoustic Research AR8B, Jul. 28Allison:Seven, Jan. 36Celestion Ditton 110. Oct. 30DCM QED, Feb. 28Design Acoustics PS -10. Sep. 50Electro-Voice Type 35i, Jun. 40IMF Professional Monitor, Mar. 39Infinity RS6, Nov. 44Jamo CBR 1303, Apr. 40JBL J216. Aug. 36KEF Carina II, Dec. 50Mirage SM-.4/Subwoofer, Nov. 34Mission 7005, Aug. 29Snell Type J, Jun. 34Technics SB-X700, May 31

TurntablesDenon DP -I IF, Feb. 44Hitachi HT -68, Aug. 39Pioneer PL88F, Jan. 38Sherwood ST -905, Jul. 38

TAPE TALK (Stark)International Cassette Standards, Feb. 24Reader Questions and Answers, Jan. 22.

Mar. 24. May 18, Jun. 28, Jul. 20, Sep. 26,Oct. 20, Nov. 20, Dec. 26

TECHNICAL TALK (Hirsch)Closing Pandora's Box, Jan. 24Do You Hear What I Hear?, Feb. 27Upgrading Your Stereo System -Part I,

Mar. 28; Part II, Apr. 25; Part III, May 23The Delco-GM/Bose Music System, Jun. 32Apples and Oranges, Jul. 23How I Would Choose a Speaker. Aug. 24Speaker Distortion Measurements. Sep. 35Dynamic Range and Decibels. Oct. 24The Myth of Concert Hall Realism, Nov. 31Phase Shift and Group Delay, Dec. 29

TECHNICAL FEATURESAmplifier Buying Guide (Mitchell), Oct. 46Audio Myths, Twenty -One (Mitchell), Jul. 60Car Stereo: How Good Is It? (Greenleaf and

Hirsch, Jan. 46); New Products at the WinterCES (Greenleaf), Apr. 22; Products andTrends at the Summer CES (Greenleaf),Sep. 28

Cartridge Buying Guide (Hirsch), Dec. 57Cassette Deck Buying Guide (Stark), Mar. 60Cassette Recording, How to Make a Good

(Ranada), Mar. 71Compact Discs: Hands on the Digital Disc

(Ranada), Apr. 61; CD Player Buying Guide(Ranada), Jul. 57; Answers to Your CompactDisc Questions (Ranada), Nov. 59

Frequency Response (Mitchell), Mar. 66Gift List (Staff), Dec. 69Installation of the Month: Oct. 44 (Livingstone),

Nov. 48 (Stark)Jargon! (Bartlett). Oct. 57New Audio Products: Winter CES (Hodges),

Apr. 50; Summer CES (Meyer), Sep. 53

Personal Portable Buying Guide (Berger),Sep. 69

Record Quality: How to Judge a RecordWithout Playing It (Ranada), May 56

Sound and Your Listening Room (Berkovitz),Aug. 54

Speakers: Ten Tips for Buyers (Livingstone),Arg. 52; A Guide to Exotic Loudspeakers(Hodges), Nov. 50

Speaker Cables (Greenhill), Aug. 46Styli: How to Clean a Stylus (Ranada), Jan. 58;

Understanding Stylus Shapes (Burton).Dec. 60

Tape vs. Disc. Which Sounds Better? (Ranada),Jun. 62

Turntables: Buying Guide (Lofft), May 45; Howto Evaluate the Specs (Hirsch), May 54

2008: A Sonic Odyssey (Lofft), Feb. 63Video Hardware (Meyer). Dec. 74

BEST OF THE MONTHClassicalJ. S. Bach: Goldberg Variations, Jan. 63Bartok: String Quartets Nos. 1-6, May 65Beethoven: Spring Quartets Nos. 12. 13, 14, 15

and 16, Oct. 69; Piano Sonatas Nos. 4 and 7,Apr. 67

Brahms: Vocal Ensembles, Sep. 81Cesti: Orantea, Mar. 66Faure: Songs, Oct. 66Handel: Hercules, Dec. 84Mozart: The Marriage of Figaro, Jan. 61; Piano

Concertos Nos. 12, IS, 20. and 21, Feb. 69;Opera Arias, Jul. 70; Symphonies Nos. 31, 35.38. 40. and 41, Sep. 84

Poulenc: Piano Works, Jun. 72Purcell: The Fairy Queen, Mar. 82Rachmaninoff: Symphony No. 3, Jul. 67;

Symphony No. 3 and Youth Symphony,Dec. 86

Reich: Tehillim. Feb. 68Rossini: The Barber of Seville, Nov. 69Schubert: Piano Sonata in B -fiat Major,

Aug. 67Schumann: Symphony No. 3, Mar. 79Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, May 61R. Strauss: Death and Transfiguration, Four

Last Songs, Jun. 70

Pogorelich, Ivo: Ravel's Gaspard de la nuit andProkofiev's Piano Sonata No. 6, Nov. 73

PopularBaez, Joan: Very Early Joan, Aug. 64Bofill, Angela: Too Tough, Jun. 69Bryson, Peabo, and Roberta Flack: Born to

Love, Dec. 86Captain Beefheart and the Magic Band: Ice

Cream for Crow, Jan. 64Clark, Guy: Better Days, Nov. 70Collins, Phil: Hello, 1 Must Be Going, Jun. 71Fagen, Donald: The Nightfly, Mar. 81Jackson, Michael: Thriller, Apr. 67Little Steven & the Disciples of Soul, Mar. 82McCorkle, Susannah: The People That You

Never Get to Love. Sep. 84The McGarrigles: Love Over and Over, May 62McLaughlin, John: Music Spoken Here, May 64Meyer, Liz: Once a Day, Apr. 65Parker, Graham. The Real Macaw, Nov. 73Reed, Lou: Legendary Hearts, Jul. 69Reeves, Dianne: Welcome to My Love. Jan. 62The Roches: Keep On Doing, Feb. 69Ryder, Mitch: Never Kick a Sleeping Dog,

Oct. 66Santana, Carlos: Havana Moon, Aug. 67Simon & Bard Group: Tear It Up, Jul. 68Simon, Carly: Hello Big Man, Dec. 83Tillis. Mel: After All This Time, Jul. 68Utopia. Feb. 67Williams, Deniece: I'm So Proud, Oct. 69Young, Neil. and the Shocking Pinks:

Everybody's Rot -kin', Dec. 85ZZ Top: Eliminator, Aug. 63

Local Hero, Sep. 82

GOING ON RECORD (Barter)The Show Goes On, Jan. 98Notes on the Cassette, Mar. 56

Page 100: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

STATEMENT OF OWNERSHIP, MANAGEMENTAND CIRCULATION (Required by 39 U.S.C. 3685)

1. Title of Publication: Stereo Review.a. Publication No. 00391220

2. Date of filing: October 1, 1983

3. Frequency of issue: Monthlya. No. of issues published annually: 12b. Annual subscription price: $9.98

4. Location of known office of publication (not printers):One Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016.

5. Location of the headquarters or general businessoffices of the publisher (not printers) One Park Av-enue, New York, New York 10016.

6. Names and complete addresses of the publisher,editor, and managing editor: Publisher, J. ScottBriggs, One Park Avenue, New York, New York10016. Editor, William Livingstone, One Park Ave-nue, New York, New York 10016. Managing Editor,Louise Gooch Boundas, One Park Avenue, NewYork, New York 10016.

7. Owner: Ziff -Davis Publishing Company, One Park Av-enue, New York, New York 10016; Ziff Corporation,One Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016.

8. Known bondholders, mortgagees, and other securityholders owning or holding 1 percent or more of totalamount of bonds, mortgages or other securities:None.

10. Extent and Nature of Circulation:

Actual No.Average Copies of

No. Copies Single

Each Issue Issue

During PublishedPreceding Nearest to12 Months Filing Date

A. Total no. copies printed(net press run) 644,272 678,778

B. Paid circulationI. Sales through dealers

and carriers, streetvendors and countersales 57,471 52,400

2. Mail subscriptions 487,042 521,409

C. Total paid circulation(sum of 1081 and 1082) 544,513 573,809

D. Free distribution by mail,carrier or other means,samples, complimentary,and other free copies 18,958 18,840

E. Total distribution(sum of C and D)

F. Copies not distributed1. Office use, left over,

unaccounted, spoiledafter printing

2. Returns from newsagents

G. Total (sum of E, Fl and2-should equal netpress run shown in A)

563,471 592,649

3,035 2,529

77,766 83,600

644,272 678,778

11. I certify that the statements made by me above arecorrect and complete.

WILLIAM L. PHILLIPS,Assistant Treasurer

SPEAKING MY PIECE (Livingstone)Predictions, Jan. 6Twenty -Five, Feb. 4Audio/Video Wagner, Mar. 6Looking for Audio, Apr. 8Gimme Records, May 4Choice, Jun. 6Gluttony, Jul. 4Auditions, Aug. 6Software, Sep. 6Preferences, Oct. 6The Astute Buyer, Nov. 6Is Video Musical?, Dec. 6

MUSICAL FEATURESArmstrong, Louis, and Roy Eldridge: Jazz

Masterpieces (Albertson), Feb. 82Ashkenazy, Vladimir: Beethoven Symphonies

Nos. 5 and 6, Brahms Piano Concerto No. I.Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2 and PianoSonata No. 2 (Freed), Apr. 94; also seeChopin

Audiophile Records (Weiss), Sep. 79Bach, J. S.: Mass in B Minor (Lincoln), Jan. 68Bagley, Ben: Kenward Elmslie Visited, Leonard

Bernstein Revisited (Barter), Sep. 116Baker, Dame Janet: Donizetti's Mary Stuart

and Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice (Freed),Jun. 116

Bandy, Moe: / Still Love You in the Same OldWay (Nash), Jun. 78

Beethoven: Piano Trios (Freed), Feb. 86; theLate Quartets (Freed), May 68; also seeAshkenazy

Bell, Delia (Nash), Oct. 74Berlioz: Symphonie fantastique (Hall), Aug. 92Bernstein, Leonard-see BagleyBizet: Carmen (Salzman), Dec. 64Blakey, Art, and the Jazz Messengers:

Keystone 3 (Albertson), Apr. 88Blythe, Arthur, Quintet: Elaborations

(Garland), Mar. 100Bowie, David: Let's Dance (Peel), Jul. 86Brahms-see AshkenazyBritish Music for Cello and Orchestra (Hall),

Oct. 98Bruckner: Symphony No. 4 (Hall), Jan. 70Byard, Jaki: To Them-To Us (Albertson),

May 78La Cage aux folles (Barter), Nov. 122Carter, Elliott: Night Fantasies, Piano Sonata

(Freed), Nov. 78Cash, Johnny: The Adventures of Johnny Cash

(Coppage), Mar. 102Casino Lights (Garland), Mar. 106Champaign: Modern Heart (Garland), Jul. 88Chapman, Marshall: Take it On Home

(Coppage), Jan. 80Chess Reissues (Vance), Jan. 92Chopin: Piano Music (Freed), Jan. 72Compact Discs (Barter), Sep. 74; Telarc's CD's

(Barter), Oct. 90Conley, Earl: Don't Make It Easy for Me

(Nash), Dec. 90Deutsche Grammophon Collector's Series

(Freed), Jan. 76De Lucia, Paco-see McLaughlinDigital Cassettes (Albertson), Sep. 76Di Meola, Al-see McLaughlinDonizetti-see BakerEcho and the Bunnymen: Porcupine (Peel),

Aug. 76Eclectricity: Language of the Heart (Nash),

Dec. 96Eldridge, Roy: The Early Years (Albertson),

Feb. 82; also see ArmstrongElmslie, Kenward-see BagleyEtcetera (Freed), Sep. 94Feliciano, Jose: Romance in the Night

(Albertson), Aug. 84Fischer, Annie: Mozart Piano Concertos Nos.

20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 27 (Barter), Apr. 96Gabriel, Peter: Security (Peel), Feb. 74Gift List (Staff), Dec. 69Gluck-see BakerHaden, Charlie-see ZeitlinHaggard, Merle, and Willie Nelson: Poncho &

Lefty (Nash), May 78Hancock, Herbie: Quartet (Peel), June. 96;

Future Shock (Garland), Dec. 102Handel: Messiah (Salzman), Dec. 114Hardin, Gus (Nash), Nov. 92Henley, Don: I Can't Stand Still (Coppage),

Jan. 82Janadek: Jenufa (Jellinek), Dec. 64Jarrett, Keith: Concerts (Peel), Jan. 88Jennings, Waylon: It's Only Rock and Roll and

(with Willie Nelson) Take It To the Limit(Nash), Aug. 80

John Renbourne Group: Live in America(Coppage), Mar. 110

Johnson, Jimmy: North/South (Albertson),Jun. 82

Jones, George: Shine On (Nash), Sep. 98Khan, Chaka (Garland), Apr. 76Kodaly: Hary Janos (Jellinek), Feb. 90LaGrene, Bireli: 15 (Albertson), Jul. 100The Light Blues: Tour de France (Freed),

Nov. 84Lipskin, Mike: Harlem Stride Piano (Vance),

Mar. 108Little Shop of Horrors (Barter), Apr. 91The Lounge Lizards: Live from the Drunken

Boat (Peel), Dec. 98Lynott, Philip: The Philip Lynott Album (Peel),

May 88Marley, Bob: Confrontation (Peel), Oct. 78Marsalis, Wynton: Think of One, Classical

Trumpet Concertos (Albertson), Sep. 110McDonald, Michael: If That's What It Takes

(Coppage), Jan. 82McLaughlin, John, Al Di Meola, and Paco De

Lucia: Passion, Grace & Fire (Peel), Nov. 96Monk, Thelonious: Live at the Jazz Workshop

and (with Gerry Mulligan) 'Round Midnight(Albertson), Mar. 104

Mozart: Requiem, Other Sacred Works(Salzman); Cosi fan tutte (Lincoln), Dec. 65;also see Fischer

Mulligan, Gerry: The Original Gerry MulliganQuartet (Albertson), Dec. 104; also see Monk

Myers, Amina Claudine: Salutes Bessie Smith(Albertson), Apr. 84

Nazareth, Ernesto: Piano Pieces (Freed),Dec. 122

Near, Holly: Speed of Light (Nash), Apr. 78Nelson, Willie-see Haggard and JenningsNewman, Randy: Trouble in Paradise (Simels),

Jun. 88Newton, James (Albertson), Oct. 86Offenbach: Eight Operettas (Jellinek), Jul. 78On Your Toes (Reilly), Nov. 118Original Jazz Classics (Albertson), Jul. 102Ousset, Cecile: French Piano Music (Freed),

Aug. 100Panufnik: Symphony No. 8, Other Orchestral

Works (Salzman), Jul. 82The Police: Synchronicity (Peel), Sep. 102Prokofiev: Piano Sonata No. 6 (Freed), Jul. 76Rachmaninoff-see AshkenazyRameau: Anacreon (Lincoln), Mar. 88Richie, Lionel (Garland), Feb. 78Ronstadt, Linda: Get Closer (Coppage), Feb. 76Rossini: Mose in Egitto (Freed), Mar. 90Say Amen, Somebody (Garland), Aug. 88Schubert: Symphonies Nos. 3, 5, 8, and 9

(Hall), Apr. 98Seger, Bob, and the Silver Bullet Band: The

Distance (Peel), Jun. 92Serkin, Peter-see ChopinSessions: Symphony No. 7, Divertimento and

Concerto for Orchestra (Salzman), Jul. 82Smetana: The Bartered Bride (Jellinek),

Mar. 92Stewart, Billy: The Greatest Sides (Simels),

Apr. 80Stone, Sly: Ain't But the One Way (Vance),

Jul. 96Stravinsky: Pulcinella, Concertino, Dumbarton

Oaks Concerto (Salzman), Jun. 102Szymanowski: String Quartets (Freed), Dec. 108Thin Lizzy: Thunder and Lighning (Peel),

Oct. 82Thompson, Richard: Hand of Kindness (Simels),

Oct. 84Three Dog Night: It's a Jungle (Vance),

Dec. 94U2: War (Peel), Aug. 82Verdi: Falstaff (Barter), May 73; Nabucco

(Jellinek), Sep. 88Video Discs and Tapes: Pioneer LaserDiscs

(Livingstone), Sep. 77; Video Software(Albertson), Dec. 78

Wagner: Tristan and Isolde, Apr. 110(Jellinek), Dec. 66 (Freed)

Wallace, Bennie: Big Jim's Tango (Albertson),Nov. 110

Watkinson, Carolyn: Recital at Wigmore Hall(Jellinek), Nov. 86

Watson, Gene: Sometimes / Get Lucky (Nash),Jul. 98

Wilson, Carl: Youngblood (Vance), Sep. 104The Young Lions (Albertson), Aug. 86Zappa, Frank: Zappa, Vol. I and The Man

from Utopia (Peel), Nov. 102Zeitlin, Denny, and Charlie Haden: Time

Remembers One Time Once (Albertson),Nov. 116

98 STEREO REVIEW

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10016. To charge your ad to a major credit card, call Lois Price at (212) 725-7226. For customer service. call (212) 725-4312.

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Page 102: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

PHILIPS, AUDAX, PEERLESS, FOCAL, AND DYNAUDIOLOUDSPEAKERS in stock with good prices and compe-tent service. Crossover components also. MADISOUNDSPEAKER COMPONENTS. 8982 Table Bluff, Box 4283.Madison, W153711. (608) 767-2673.

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MIRAGE, 3D, SNELL, SPICA, HEYBROOK, RGR, Amber.Perreaux, Counterpoint. A.A.D., Robertson, Dynavector,Grado, Audioquest. MAS, Walker, Thiel. etc. Audio File,1202 South Congress. Austin, Texas 78704. (512) 443-9295.

TATE II SURROUND STEREO SYSTEM. 3 dimensional re-alism from stereo audio/vision sources. Winner of 1982 Hi-Fi Grand Prix. Fosgate Research Incorporated, 215 W.Leroux, Prescott. AZ 86301, (602)445-6999.

AUDIO DEN, call us for our service, our experience, andespecially our prices. We carry Adcom. Audio Research,Denon. Infinity. Klipsch, Nakamichi, Polk, SAE. Thorens.We ship anywhere in the USA. Experienced with overseassales. AUDIO DEN LTD., Smith Haven Plaza, 2021 Nes-conset Highway, Lake Grove, New York 11755. (516) 360-1990.

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B&K COMPONENTS, LTD. rings to you -the SERIES 140POWER AMPLIFIER. The 140 amplifiers are a 70 watt perside mosfet design that start at under five hundred dol-lars. Please write for information: B&K Components Ltd..PO 331. Orchard Park, NY 14127 or CALL TOLL FREE: 1-(800) 543-5252. (NY only 1-(800) 235-5020).

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GOETZ SYSTEMS -Manufacturer of new. state of the artloudspeaker systems, in a class by themselves (404)441-2190

MIDWESTERN AUDIO/VIDEO mail order distributor forKinetic Audio defined loudspeakers, and other well knownproducts has enjoyed overwhelming customer satisfac-tion due to our affordable prices and experienced inte-grating of audio/video components. Send $3.00 K.A.I.L.POB 2147, Des Plaines, IL 60018.

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SAVE. BUILD THE FINEST ESOTERIC LOUDSPEAKERS.We've been making the best, affordable for years. Cata-log -$2.00 refundable. Audio Concepts, Dept. SR. 1631Caledonia, LaCrosse, WI 54601.

CONNECTICUT: APT -Holman. Carver. Dahlquist. DCMTime Windows, Hafler, Mitsubishi. Nakamichi, Ortofon,Micro -Acoustics, N.A.D., Signet. Marcof, f Boston Acous-tics, B&W. Walker. Dynavector. Proton, Thorens, Fourier,Panasonic, Pioneer, Sanyo, KLH, will ship prepaid.SOUNDS INCREDIBLE. 39 Federal Road, Brookfield, CT06804. Phone quotes

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Page 103: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

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FOR ALL MUSIC LOVERS! We have the widest selectionof audio equipment available in all price ranges. Kyo-cera, Sherwood, Allison, Harmon-Kardon, Infinity, Aiwa,Thorens, Ortof on, SAE, Metier, Klipsch, Luxman andmore. Call for information or stop in. CONTINENTALSOUND, 98-77 Queens Blvd., Rego Park, NY 11374. (212)459-7507. Immediate Delivery. MC/VISA.

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PROTECT your LP's -Poly sleeves for jackets 13'. SquareBottom Inner Sleeves 8': Poly lined paper 15' white jack-ets 35' Postage $2 50 Record House. Millburn. N Y 10931

THOUSANDS of I.ke new LPs precorded tapes catalogue$2.50. Records. Millburn, New York 10931

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FREE RECORD CATALOGUE. New releases at discountprices and huge selection of classical. soundtrack, pop-ular and jazz special values. Rose Records. Dept. R, 214So Wabash. Chicago. IL 60604.

WHILE YOU WERE LOOKING FOR "Ow -of -Print' Rec-ords you should ve been looking for us, DISContinued (213)846-9192

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THE HIGHEST QUALITY HI -TECHNOLOGY RECORD-INGS... L. P's from Mobile Fidelity, Telarc, Delos, Sheffield,DBX, Realtime, Sefel, Reference Recordings, etc. Audro-phile Cassettes from Mobile Fidelity, Debi in -Sync, DBX,etc. Compact Discs from Telarc, Delos. Realtime, etc. Plushard to find audiophile accessories. Plus FREE GIFTS,SPECIAL SALES, FREE NEWSLETTER, TOLL FREECREDIT CARD ORDERING. FREE CATALOGUES. TheQuality Connection. Dept. S.. 18653 Ventura Blvd.. Suite314. Tarzana, CA 91356. (213) 882-3542 for catalogue re-quests. (800) 423-0688 for Toll Free Orders.

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JAPANESE RECORDS' Thousands of high quality Japa-nese records available. including the largest in -stock in-ventory and an extensive special order catalog. Send $1 00for our complete catalog. which also features imports fromover 30 countries. Paradox Music Mail Order. 20445 Gra-mercy Place, PO Box 2896. Torrance, CA 90509 (213) 320-1331. MC/VISA. Established 1978

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EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITESOVERSEAS POSITIONS. Hundreds of top paying posi-tions available. Tax free incomes. Attractive benefits. Op-portunities for all occupations, skilled trades.professionals. management. technicians. etc. Free de-tails Overseas Employment Services. Dept SR, PO. Box460. Town of Mount Royal. Quebec. Canada H3P 3C7

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Page 104: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

ADVERTISERS' INDEX IR

The Bask RepertoireBy Richard Freed

FOR some years critic Richard Freed, acontributing editor of STEREO REVIEW,

has listened to all available recordings ofthe nearly two hundred symphonic worksthat form the essential core of orchestralprograms and classical record collections,selecting those versions he considered thebest. We have published his choices in apamphlet, which we have updated annual-ly, and we are now publishing his selectionsof the best current recordings of the BasicRepertoire in a regular series in the mag-azine. If you want the pamphlet, the mostrecent updating (1982) is available for $1(check or money order) and a stamped(40t) self-addressed No. 10 envelope; sendto Basic Repertoire, P.O. Box 506, MurrayHill Station, New York, N.Y. 10156.

0 MOZART: Clarinet Concerto in A Ma-jor. With the disappearance of the stylishDe Peyer/Maag version, the most appeal-ing survivors are the durable Jacques Lan-celot/Paillard recording, now on MusicalHeritage Society (MHS 1391, MHC2068) and the more recent one by HaroldWright and Seiji Ozawa (DG 2531 254, ©3301 254).

O MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 20, in DMinor. Rudolf Serkin is the commandingsoloist in both the best -sounding recordingof this work, his new one with Claudio Ab-bado conducting (DG 0 2532 053, © 3302053), and the best low-priced version, withGeorge Szell (CBS MY 37236, © MYT37236). The reading by Stephen Bishop-Kovacevich and Colin Davis is especiallyfresh, cogent, and altogether compelling(Philips 9500 570, © 7300 703).

O MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 21, in CMajor. Alfred Brendel, with Neville Mar -

ruler conducting, presents an exceptionallybracing view of this frequently ceremonial-ized work (Philips 0 6514 148, © 7337 148,(§) 400 018-2). Ingrid Haebler's ingratiatingperformance with Witold Rowicki conduct-ing (Philips Festivo 6570 077, CD 7310 077)is not far behind. Other good, though some-what less individual versions: Radu Lupuwith Uri Segal (London CS 6894), WalterKlien with Giinter Kehr (Turnabout TV34504, © CT -2207), and Jorg Demus play-ing a restored 1800 instrument with theCollegium Aureum (Pro Arte PAL -1040,0 PAC -1040).

O MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 23, in AMajor. For all-round style and freshness,the most appealing versions are those byBishop-Kovacevich (on the other side of hisNo. 20), Demus (with his No. 21), WilhelmKempff (Leitner conducting, DG Privilege2535 204, © 3335 204), and Brendel (Phil-ips 6500 283, © 7300 227). Ashkenazy,conducting from the keyboard, makes astrong impression on CD (London $:§) 400087-2).

O MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 24, m CMinor. Robert Casadesus and George Szellwere at their awesome best in this work(CBS M 31814, © MT 31814). MurrayPerahia, conducting from the keyboard,gives a poetic, well-proportioned account(CBS M 34219, © MT 34219). Kempffand Leitner are even more persuasive herethan in No. 23 on the same record.

O MOZART: Piano Concerto No. 27, in B -flat Major. There's not one major disap-pointment among current recordings of thisfinal concerto, but those by Emil Gilels withKarl Bohm (DG 2530 456) and by bothPerahia (CBS M 35828, MT 35828) andAshkenazy (London 0 LDR 71007, ©LDR5 71007, © 400 087-2) as pianist -con-ductors are a cut above the rest.

MOZART: Violin Concerto No. 5, in AMajor. The radiantly communicative re-cording by Anne -Sophie Mutter, with Ka-rajan (DG 2531 049, © 3301 049), holds aplace of honor among those by such distin-guished senior colleagues as Arthur Gru-miaux, with Colin Davis (Philips 835 112,© 7505 003), Isaac Stern with George Szell(CBS MY 37808, © MYT 37808), Heifetzconducting for himself (RCA LSC-2957 orLSC-3265), and the elegant Josef Suk withLibor Hlava4ek (Eurodisc 200 053, © 400053, or in Supraphon set 1110 1521-5). Its-hak Perlman, with James Levine and theVienna Philharmonic, is perhaps even morepersuasive and surely the most radiantly re-corded (DG 0 2532 080, © 3302 080, CD400 020-2).

MOZART: Serenade in G Major ("Einekleine Nachtmusik"). Karl Bohm's reissuedBerlin Philharmonic recording (DG Privi-lege 2535 492, © 3335 492) exudes Ge-miitlichkeit. So does Karajan's latest re-make with the same orchestra (DG 0 2532031, © 3302 031, (P) 400 034-2). In thesame mellow frame are the performancesunder Karl Ristenpart, with especially at-tractive companion works (Musical Heri-tage Society MHS 753, © MHC 2156),Daniel Barenboim (Angel S -3676I,4XS-3676I ), and Bruno Walter (OdysseyY 30048, © YT 30048).

O MOZART: Sinfonia concertante in E -flat Major for Violin and Viola. Dated son-ics fail to muffle the pleasure of the stylishperformance by Arthur Grumiaux and Ar-rigo Pelliccia with Colin Davis conducting(Philips 835 256, © 7505 003). Josef Sukand Josef Kodousek, with Hlava4ek con-ducting, make a similarly happy impression(in Supraphon set 1110 1521-5), and Suk'searlier version with violist Milan Skampaand conductor Kurt Redel is a fine buy(Quintessence PMC-7106, P4C-7106).Of the two Stern/Zukerman recordings, Iprefer the earlier one, with Barenboim con-ducting (CBS M 31369 or in M2 36936).

READERSERVICE NO ADVERTISER

PAGE

NUMBER

2 ADC Division BSR. (USA) Ltd 10Alpine Electronics of America, Inc 16.17

5 Angel /EMI Records 77

Bose Corporation 43

11 Carver Corporation 2124 Celestion Industries, Inc 74

Chrysler Corporation 4042 Consumers Company 91

28 Denon America, Inc 7614 Design Acoustics 8810 Discwssher Cover 4

Harman Kardon, Inc Cover 3Harman Kardon, Inc 71

Illinois Audio 6740 International HiFi Distributors. Inc 91

Jack Daniel's 9539 J 8 R Music World 8613 Jensen Sound Laboratories 83

7 JVC 11

4 Konica Audio Tape 8-98 Kyocera 47

30 LaBelle Camera & Stereo of Maine 93

Marlboro 1227 Maxell Corp. of America 1932 McIntosh Laboratory, Inc 76

Mitsubishi 33

31 NAD USA 6923 Nagaoka 76

Onkyo 415 Ortofon 82

3 Perreaux International 209 Philips Auto Audio 81

37 Polk Audio 72

Radio Shack 2R. J. Reynolds/Camel 62R. J. Reynolds/Salem 38R. J. Reynolds/ Winston 29

44 Sansui Electronics Corp. Cover 2.112 Sanyo 3545 Shure Brothers 7017 Sony Corp 38.39

Sony Corp 2426 Sony Corp 25

Sony Corp 2722 The Source 9129 Stereo 8 Tape Outlet 9138 Stereo Corp. of America 92

Sterling Treasury 7747 Studer Revox 81

50 Tandberg of America 7548 TDK Electronics 30

I Technics 7

66 Wisconsin Discount Stereo se

JANUARY 1984102

STEREO REVIEW

Page 105: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

READ THIS AD AND YOU'LLBUY A HARMAN KARDON CASSETTE DECK

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The CD491 is Harman Kardon's most sophisticatedstate -of -the -mind cassette deck and one of the few inthe world that can equal the full range of human hearing.The CD491 has a remarkable 20Hz to 24kHz frequencyresponse using any tape formulation, not just expensivemetal tape. An audiophile would settle for nothing less.Even more remarkable is that in a national challenge'Harman Kardon measured frequency response andbeat 98% of the competition, including units costingtwice as much.

The CD491 incorporates a dual capstan transport withtwin flywheels to insure perfect movement of the tapeacross its 3 high performance heads. The dual capstanserves to isolate the tape from the cassette shell whilethe dynamically balanced flywheels help generate a

consistently accuratspeed. Together they enable tl- eCD491 to reduce wow -and -flute, to aninaudible .025%. The only "wow' you'll everhear is the reaction of people listening to yourHarman Kardor cassette deck.

The CD491 incorporates Dolby HX P -o' for extendedfrequency response. plus Dolby B and C' for maximumnoise reduction Three precisior head s o'fer improvedperformance and the convenience of monitorir g whilerecording. Included is a Sendust head to withstand highrecord levels w thout overloac and a fer-ite p aybackhead for extended high frequer cy response.

The combir ed benefits of the CD49- 's perfo -mancefeatures allow for the accurate record ng of more dy-namic audio signals than previously possib e. In tact, thelarge signal response (frequercy response at Nu) ofthe CD491 is a virtually unrivaled 20Hz-20kHz t 3dB.This is especially significant as more demanding formsof software, such as digital audio. become available.

So, while other manufacturers continue to pile onunnecessary features and gimrricks, Hannan <ardoncontinues to develop only findamertally ad iancedaudio equipmen-..jij Dolby is the registered trademark of C oby Labo-atones Inc.(2) In 1982, Ha -man Kardon challenged individuals to bring in theircassette decks to a local HK dealer Ail units were clealed anddemagnetized in order to insure fair tes rlsults. The Harman Kardonunit was factory packed.

harman / kardonOur state -of -the -mind is tomorrow's state-of-the-art.

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HK 1983

Page 106: Digital Recordings: 25 Top Compact Discs · JACO PASTORIUS: "INVITATION" Mark Peel 96 EDITORIAL INDEX: 1983 97 THE BASIC REPERTOIRE Richard Freed 102 ADVERTISERS' INDEX 102 COVER

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CIRCLE NO 10 ON READER SERVICE CARD