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1111111ULLETIN

by Christie Barter and Gordon Sell

IIICEDLIVE;!The CBS Records Group says it

will continue to make CED videodiscs along with RCA despite thelatter's decision to stop produc-tion of CED video disc players.CBS is a leading custom presserof video discs, which it producesat its state-of-the-art facilityin Carrollton, Georgia. Supportfor the CED format is also comingfrom such companies as Toshiba,Hitachi, and Sears, which plan tocontinue selling the players.

TECH NOTESTechnics has introduced a CompactDisc player changer that can hold

and access fifty-one CD's in sec-onds. It has remote control and

costs $1,500....Watch for RCA tolaunch a line of audio componentsto go with their new stereo TV'sand hi-fi audio VCR's. RCA'sstereo TV's come with multipleconnectors for external VCR's,video disc players, and cabledecoders, plus stereo audio in-terconnects for video and audioequipment. They are expected onthe market in June or July....Polk is introducing a bookshelfspeaker that utilizes their SDAtechnology....Analog recordproducer Sheffield Labs is takingthe digital plunge and releasingeleven Compact Discs....Motorolahas been pushing manufacturers touse their AM stereo system exclu-sively. The list of Motorola -onlycompanies now includes Sherwood,GM-Delco, Chrysler, Concord, Sam-sung, Jensen, Marantz, McIntosh,and Pioneer. Toshiba will manu-facture and sell the Motorola AMstereo chip in Japan....Sansuihas just introduced a line ofreceivers and tuners that decodeall four AM stereo system broad-casts....Onkyo has introduced an

$800 three -head cassette deckwith Dolby B and C, dbx, andDolby HX Pro....KLH, now ownedby Kyocera, will introduce a newline of speakers this summer.

III HOME VIDEO WINS"Pavarotti," a Las Vegas produc-tion starring the famous operatictenor, is being released on videocassette by U.S.A. Home Videoahead of any scheduled telecast.The show was taped live in Marchbut won't be aired until the sum-mer, giving U.S.A. Home Video ahead start in getting the LucianoPavarotti show to home viewers.

AI TAPE FORMULATIONSAtco's cassette version of theYes album "90125" introduces aformulation called Magnetite -12,an "extremely high quality" biasI tape produced by Agfa-Gevaert.Magnetite has been used in tapebefore, but this is the firsttime such a formulation has beenincorporated into a prerecordedtape for the consumer market....All new cassette releases on A&M,Windham Hill, I.R.S., and GoldMountain are being duplicated onpremium BASF chromium dioxidetape at no increase in price.

STEREO REVIEW JULY 1984 1

Radio Shack's RemarkableNew 3 -Way Speaker System

Advanced Leaf Super TweeterExtends Response to 40,000 Hz!The Optimus°-400 has a revolutionary tweeter thatreproduces high frequencies more accurately thanconventional types. It extends frequency response be-yond the human hearing range so that response withinthe audio spectrum is far more linear. "Paper cone"resonances are eliminated. Transient response is im-proved. The result is musical details that take on aremarkable crispness and vitality. Because of the in-creased high -frequency content of today's analog re-cordings, these advancements are especiallyimportant. And the Optimus-400 is ready now to revealthe full sonic capabilities of the new digital discs.

FREE RadioShack CatalogMail to Radio Shack.Dept. 84A-084,300 One Tandy Center,Fort Worth, TX 76102

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What's more, the leaf super tweeter provides extra -

wide dispersion for audibly superior stereo imaging.Complementing the leaf tweeter are a 12 -inch wooferand a tuned -port enclosure for exceptionally tight, well-defined bass. There's also a 5 -inch, high -compliancedriver for smooth, natural midrange. The enclosure ishand -finished in genuine oiled walnut veneer and thesystem is backed by Radio Shack's 5 -Year LimitedWarranty. Come in and audition the Optimus-400.You'll be impressed with its performance. Only 199.95each. Use your Radio Shack/CitiLine card!

Radio ihae__The Nationwide Supermarket of Sound°

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(1\17 KaN\A

"AUDIO MEETS VIDEOSTEREO TV-HERE AT LASTExtending sound beyond the screen addsgreatly to the enjoyment of music ontelevision / by Len Feldman

VHS HI -Fl: FIRST LAB TESTSAudio comes out on top in Hirsch -HouckLabs' tests of the new VHS Hi-Fi videocassette recorders from RCA and Jensen

36

40

SYSTEMS 44An investment banker's "screening room" isa first-class combination of home audio withvideo / by Gordon Sell

100 TOP MUSIC VIDEOS_AO Critic Louis Meredith1.- recommends ten rock classics0 and ten sonic -spectacular

movies that are must -havesfor the collector

46

LOOKING AT MUSIC 49The best opera and ballet on video

tape and video discs / by Chris Albertson

"AUDIO EQUIPMENTCAR STEREOThe Audia DTX-1000 stereo tuner/cassettedeck proves its mettle in lab tests and on theroad / by Julian Hirsch and Chris Greenleaf

EQUIPMENT TEST REPORTSHirsch -Houck Labs test theProton 930 AM/FM receiver, the DenonDR -M44 cassette deck, the KenwoodDP -1100B Compact Disc player, and theHarman Kardon T60 turntable

VOL 49 NO. 7 JULY 1984 IISSN 0039-12201

18

21

COMPONENT COMPATIBILITY 51Some components just don't work together.What trouble spots should you watch for whenmaking hi-fi matches? / by Julian Hirsch

THE COMPACT DISC TAKEOVER 54Digital audio technology is chang:ng,and not just in the directions you mightthink / by David Ranada

THE dbx SOUNDFIELD ONE SPEAKERThe first dbx speaker has four-teen drivers and unbelievablestereo imaging-a specialreport by Julian Hirsch

RECORD MAKERSThe latest from PeteTownshend, Gary Glitter,and Luciano Pavarotti, theRoyal Opera in L.A., The HitlerRap at the movies, and more

MORE MUSIC60

56

BEST RECORDINGS OF THE MONTH 63Joe Jackson, Lou Reed, Bono's Mefistofele.and Rachmaninoffs Second Violin Concerto

-""\TREGUIARS\ EDITORIAL

LETTERS

NEW PRODUCTS

AUDIO Q & A

CLASSICAL MUSIC

POPULAR MUSIC

BASIC REPERTOIRE

THE HIGH END

COVER DESIGN BY SUE LLEWELLYN, PHOTO BY _TOOK LEUNG;

PHOTO Of PETE TOWNSHEND BY BOB GRUEN/STARFIIE.

4

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9094

COPYRIGHT © 1984 BY ZIFF-DAVIS PUBLISHING COMPANY. All rights reserved. Stereo Review, July 1984, Volume 49, Number 7. Published monthly by Ziff -Davis Publishing Companyat 3460Wilshire Boulevard. Los Angeles, Calif 90010 Editorial and Executive Offices of One Pork Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10016; Telephoner 212 503-3500. Richard P. Freese, President; Selwyn Taubman,

Treasurer; Bertram A. Abrams, Secretory. Also publishers of Booting, Car and Driver, Computers and Electronics, Cycle. Flying, Popular Photography, Skiing, Stereo Buyers Guide, Tape RecordingBuying Guide. and Yachting. One-year subscription rote for the United States and its possessions, $9.98; Conodo, $10.98. All other countries, one-year subscription rote $14.98, cashordem only,payable in U.S. currency. Second-class postage poid of Los Angeles, Calif. 90052 and or additional moiling offices. Authorized os second-class moil by the Post OfficeDepartment, Ottowo, Canada,and for payment of postage in cash. POSTMASTER: Forms 3579 and address changes should be sent to Stereo Review, Circulation Deportment, P.O. Boy 2771, Boulder,Colo. 80:1432. SUBSCRIPTION

SERVICE: All subscription correspondence should be addressed to Stereo Review, Circulation Deportment, P.O. Box 2771, Boulder, Colo. 803C2. Please allow at least eight weeks fordhonge ofaddress. Include old address as well os new-enclosing d possible an address label from o recent issue. PERMISSIONS: Material di this publication may not be reproduced ,n any form w shoutpermission. Requests for permission should be directed to Elizabeth Amado, Rights and Permissions, Ziff -Doris Publ shing Company, One Park Avenue, New York. N.Y 10016


-PEAKING MY PIECE

by William Livingstone

14'ith mezzo-soprano Joanna Simon

I LOVE L.A.

THIS country has changed a lotsince I was a kid. When I stud-

ied geography in grade school, themajority of the population livedeast of the Mississippi, there wereno active volcanoes in the continen-tal United States, and in SouthernCalifornia there was a large culturaldesert called Los Angeles.

Now, according to the 1980 cen-sus, there are more Americans liv-ing west of the Mississippi than eastof it, Mount St. Helens has provedthat our crust is not as tough as wethought it was, and I am told thatLos Angeles has replaced New Yorkas the nation's number -one marketfor books. Furthermore, the art mu-seums in and around Los Angelesare among the richest in the coun-try, and L.A. has a thriving and var-ied musical life.

After a few years in New York,even transplanted Southern rusticslike me get a little smug about beingin the center of the artistic universe.New York isn't turning into a has-been city, but it is making me un-easy to see many musical "firsts"now taking place out West in Texasand Southern California.

This summer the English Nation-al Opera company is making itsAmerican debut in Texas. Then itcomes to New York for a stint at theMetropolitan Opera House. Thelarger British company, the RoyalOpera, Covent Garden, will bemaking its American debut this

month in Los Angeles, but it won'tbe stopping in New York at all!

The Royal Opera's visit is part ofan arts festival staged in Los An-geles in conjunction with this sum-mer's Olympic games, and it prom-ises to reach epic proportions. Wellknown as a launching pad for mus-cular young athletes, Southern Cali-fornia has received insufficientcredit for the music and musiciansit has produced.

In 1981, Michael Tilson Thomasconducted the L.A. Philharmonic ina Festival of Music Made in LosAngeles. The compositions in-cluded works by George Antheil,John Cage, Erich Wolfgang Korn -gold, George Gershwin, ArnoldSchoenberg, and Igor Stravinsky.

A principal guest conductor of thePhilharmonic, Thomas grew up inLos Angeles and received his mu-sical training there. The newly des-ignated music director of the or-chestra is another home -town boywho made good as an internationalconductor, Andre Previn.

Previn will succeed the glamorousItalian maestro Carlo Maria Giu-lini, and I think it shows consider-able maturity on the part of the ad-ministrators of the Los AngelesPhilharmonic that they can engage amusic director who was trainedright there in Southern Californiaand began his musical career in themovie industry.

Previn has gone on to conduct thefinest orchestras in the world. He isat present the music director of thePittsburgh Symphony and next yearwill become music director of theRoyal Philharmonic in London.The high quality of his work is doc-umented on more than 150 record-ings on various labels.

Southern California has long beena center of the hi-fi industry, andmany record companies have theirAmerican headquarters in Los An-geles. I'm glad live music is flourish-ing there as well.

I congratulate Previn and the L.A.Philharmonic on their new relation-ship, and I send the city best wishesfor the success of the Olympic ArtsFestival. And if the people of LosAngeles want to turn what was oncea cultural desert into the nation'snumber -one music center, my ad-vice is to go for it.

Stereo ReviewPUBLISHERWILLIAM F. LIPPE

EDITOR IN CHIEFWILLIAM LIVINGSTONE

MANAGING EDITOR1OUISE GOOCH BOUNDASART DIRECTORSUE LLEWELL YN

TECHNICAL EDITORSDAVID RANADA, GORDON SELLMUSIC EDITORCHRISTIE BARTER

ASSISTANT MANAGING EDITORDAVID STEIN

ASSOCIATE EDITORWILLIAM BURTON

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Editorial and Executive Offices: 212 503-3500Ziff -Davis Publishing CompanyOne Park Avenue, New York, New York 10016National Advertising Manager: Richard J. HalpernEastern Advertising Manager: Charles L. P. WatsonMidwestern Office, The Paths Group: 312 679-11004761 West Touhy Ave., Lincolnwood, Illinois 60646Arnold S. Hoffman, Dirk E. Barenbrugge

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4 STEREO REVIEW JULY 1984

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MIETTERS

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Ar Great digital debateAfter having read the preposterousCon statements in May's "TheGreat Digital Debate," I must con-clude that gentlemen like Doug Saxare either getting old enough to havesome hearing loss or are afraid oflosing their livelihoods to the newCompact Disc technology. Has Mr.Sax ever really listened to a goodCD (one of the Telarc releases, forexample) on a good system? Or thenthere's Anthony Gregory's 5,512 -Hz square wave. None of the musicI listen to has any such square -wavecontent. Is Mr. Gregory accustomedto listening to the unfiltered 'outputof an Apple II's sound port?

As far as sampling rate is con-

cerned, how many of the gentlemenin question can hear a 10,000 -Hztone, let alone one at 20,000 Hz? Ican hear ultrasonic alarm systems,and I find that CD's clearly repro-duce all the necessary (and much ofthe unnecessary) parts of the soundspectrum. My CD player also repro-duces the full and complete dy-namic range of the music I'm listen-ing to. No other medium, exceptperhaps a dbx-encoded tape, can dothat. In short, I've given up buying"black discs." I'm tired of warpedrecords, pops, ticks, hisses, inner -groove distortion, and "analogsound."

EARL ALLENFort Worth, Tex.

One of the most essential criteria,for me at least, as to what consti-tutes true high-fidelity sound in arecording is reproduction of thatlovely, silken sheen of the stringsone hears in a live orchestral per-formance. Digital recording has notbeen able to capture it. In over fortyyears of record collecting, I havefound only one that has: a Chalfontalbum of music by Vaughan Wil-


liams and Elgar (C77.005)-an ana-log recording.

PAUL ASCHERLSheffield Lake, Ohio

Is there any truth to the rumor thatsticking your hand into the drawerof a Compact Disc player and press-ing PLAY will result in a digital read-out of your elapsed lifetime and to-tal life expectancy to the nearest sec-ond? Is it also true that the manu-facturers are withholding this infor-mation because they're afraid a po-tential buyer might perform the ex-periment, find out he doesn't havelong to live, and forgo the pur-chase?

BRAD GRUNNIWALDTCuster, Wis.

William Burton's May article on the"Great Digital Debate" was an in-teresting cross-section of opinion,but not one shred of scientific evi-dence was presented by the partici-pants to support their views. I singleout the statement by Michael Tapesthat "It's the emotion that digitaltakes out" as a prime example ofpurely superstitious audiophilia.

Those who believe it is "unmusi-cal" or "unnatural" to represent awaveform as a series of numberswould do well to remember that allnatural phenomena are governed byquantum mechanics. This meansthat there are no smooth, contin-uous functions in nature, only step-wise jumps from one physical stateto another.

WARREN K. TENBROOKCorvallis, Ore.

Time for XTCThank you to Steve Simels for hislong-awaited high praise of XTC inhis May review of "Mummer." Thisband's songwriting is imaginativeenough to cover everything fromlife as a fly to military attitudes, andtheir arrangements are hooky yetmaintain individuality. "Too smartfor the room" is an apt descriptionof why they are a well -kept secret. Itwould only take one commerciallysuccessful song to make newly ac-quired fans wonder where XTC hadbeen all their lives and to grantthem the recognition they deserve.

JOANNE OSSIHackensack, N.J.

Our new lookDuring the many years that I havesubscribed to your fine magazine, Ican't recall a single issue with thevisual impact, sparkling format,and editorial excellence of the issueof May 1984. For the past sever-al months I have noticed subtlechanges in both the looks and feel ofSTEREO REVIEW. Now the fruits ofyour efforts are stunningly obvious.Kudos to your staff and especiallyto Sue Llewellyn, your new art di-rector. You folks have s .idifiedSTEREO REVIEW'S position as thepremier publication of its type.

JASON A. BROOKSReedsport, Ore.

I find the gaudy, pastel colors ofSTEREO REVIEW'S May issue to bevisually offensive. But the biggestproblem is with the "Bulletin." Theformer way it was presented, type-written on a bright yellow back-ground, communicated a sense ofurgency which commanded atten-tion. Now it gives the impression ofstale news several months old.

JAMES P. MARTINAtlanta, Ga.

Ar Juice NewtonAlanna Nash missed the mark onseveral points in her March reviewof Juice Newton's "Dirty Looks" al-bum. First of all, she says that"most of [Newton's] hits have beensafe, pale reworkings of oldies -but -goodies." But only three hits out ofnine have been remakes, and ofthese three, Angel of the Morningwent gold in 1981, when the record-ing industry was in a major salesslump, and Break It to Me Gently

6

Newton: "pale reworkings"?

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won a Grammy award. Not bad fora couple of "pale reworkings."

Second, Ms. Nash's attempt athumor in regard to the lyrics ofRunaway Hearts simply revealshow dense she is. The words meanthat some people would rather liveshorter, more adventurous livesthan longer, more monotonousones. Hardly a "dumb" sentiment.

About the only point I agree withMs. Nash on is that she is "the onlyperson in the Northern Hemispherewho doesn't find Juice Newton'svoice very interesting."

BILL NELSONIthaca, N.Y.

Met centennialWilliam Livingstone's appreciationof the Metropolitan Opera's centen-nial (March "Speaking My Piece")should be applauded except for oneerror in fact. The "one Americanamong the principal artists" duringthe first season was not Frank Nash,who was British. It seems to be es-tablished that the leading Americanartist at the Met in 1883-1884 wassoprano Alwina Valleria, who wasborn in Baltimore in 1848. Her roles

included the Trovatore Leonora,Philine, Micaela, and Isabella inRoberto it Diavolo.

LOUIS SNYDERFairfield, Conn.

Involved with U2I would like to commend Mark Peelon his rave review of U2's "Under aBlood Red Sky" in April. I alsoagree with him that guitarist Dave("The Edge") Evans gives a per-formance that is "fiercely rhythmic,clean, and agile." A great record getsyou involved and makes you feellike you're at the concert instead oflistening to a recording. And U2'srecord does get you involved.

JEFF LAABSNorthfield, Minn.

Air Strauss textsGeorge Jellinek is, of course, rightin noting that other record compa-nies have "for decades" obtainedthe rights to print translations of thetexts of Richard Strauss's Four LastSongs. Their absence in the recentPhilips album sung by Jessye Nor-man (March "Best of the Month")

resulted from the discovery bythe music's publishers, Boosey &Hawkes, that the rights to three ofthe texts, the poems by HermannHesse, lie with the literary publish-ers Suhrkamp Verlag of Frankfurt.All requests for reprint/translationpermission are now being referredto Suhrkamp, which is taking a hardline and selling only one-shot re-print rights for the original German.As far as I know, we are the firstrecord company to suffer under thisnew setup.

A. DAVID HOGARTHPhonogram International

Baarn, The Netherlands

AmplificationWe got a bit carried away last issuein our zeal to chastise some manu-facturers of car stereo power ampli-fiers for their exaggerated powerspecifications ("SR Tests 19 CarAmplifiers"). The Philips EN2100is said by the manufacturer to be a"200 watt" amplifier. The "600watt" rating we ascribed to it actual-ly refers to the unit's power -supplyrating, not its output power. We re-gret the error.

ANY WAY YOU PLAY IT.Compact Discs, audio or video

tapes, records or AM/FMstereo reception, any way youplay it you'll hear it better withAKG headphones.

Used by professional audioengineers around the world asrecording studio monitors, AKGheadphones help to "fine tunethe recordings that you listento.

AKG, the innovator inheadphone design for over 30years, has introduced such"firsts" as open air and passivediaphragm technology and theunmatched dynamic/electro-static two-way system.

Whether it's one of AKG'slightweight or studio models,there is one designed for you...any way you play it.

. And for the finest stereophonocartridges, ask yourdealer about the AKGTransversal SuspensionSystem.

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AU1)10P1-111.11:1 1=11.1='/.I:°COMPACT DISC COMPATNILE

Maxell introduces thenew XL -S audio cassettes;a series of ferric oxidetapes which deliver a levelof performance that cancapture the sound nu-ances found on Com-pact Discs more faithfullythan other ferric oxidecassettes on the market.

There area number ofareas where this achieve-ment is apparent.

GREATERDYNAMIC RANGE.Through a new formu-

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IP duce the perceived resid-ual AC bias noise level by1 dB in the critical 2 kHzto 10 kHz mid -frequencyrange. And simultaneous-ly increase sensitivity andmaximum output levelsby as much as 2 dB.

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As a result, the dyna-mic range of each tapehas been significantlyexpanded. So you get a

better signal to noise ratioand a fuller impact of thedynamic transients exclu-sively inherent to digitalCD recordings.

LOWER DISTORTION.The newly formulated

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Our refined particlecrystallization process isthe basis for all of theseaccomplishments. Maxellengineers are now able toproduce a more compactneedle -shaped Epitaxialmagnetic particle ofextremely high uniformity.

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PACKING DENSITY OFUNIFORM PARTICLES.

Which is why Maxellhigh bias XLI I -S and nor-mal bias XLI-S are unsur-passed at reproducingthe sound qualities foundon today's finest record-ings. Regardless ofwhether your frame of ref-erence is analog or digi-tal audio discs.

For technical specifica-tions on the XL -S series,write to: Audiophile File,Maxell Corp. of America,60 Oxford Drive,Moonachie, New Jersey07074.

IT'S WORTH IT084


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CIRCLE NO. 10 ON READER SERVICE CARD

NEW PRODUCTS

SONY DECODERFOR STEREO TV

Mf/Sony's MLV-1100 is designed to de-code stereo TV broadcasts when usedwith a "stereo ready" Sony TV. Its out-put goes directly to a pair of stereospeakers or the auxiliary inputs of astereo receiver. The unit has a built-instereo amplifier rated at 5 watts perchannel. It also has the dbx compand-ing circuitry necessary for proper noisereduction of stereo TV programs.

There are two pairs of output con-nectors on the back of the unit as well asa pair of audio input jacks for FM si-mulcasts. There are sliding controls onthe front panel for treble, bass, and bal-ance. A headphone jack is included.The MLV-1100 measures 17 incheswide, 21/8 inches high, and 104.8 inchesdeep. Price: $199.95. Sony Corp. ofAmerica, Dept. SR, Sony Drive, ParkRidge, N.J. 07656.Circle 120 on reader service card

LEVINSON PREAMPSMATCH ANY PICKUP

Universal phono stages with user -adjustable gain and input -loading op-tions enable two new preamplifiersfrom Mark Levinson to match anyphono cartridge precisely. No headamps or pre -preamplifiers are needed.The ML- I 2A also has a line -level sec-tion with internally selectable gain tomatch it to other components. It re-quires a separate power supply, thePLS- I 24, unless it is used with the Le-vinson ML -11 power amplifier. Price:$1,370; PLS- I 24 power supply, $390.

The ML -10A preamplifier (shown)has a built-in power supply. The bal-ance controls work by changing theclosed -loop gain of the line -level stageindependently foreach channel, therebyavoiding the noise and distortion of or-dinary balance controls. Levinson givestypical distortion figures for the phonocircuit of 0.014 per cent total harmonicdistortion and 0.005 percent intermo-dulation distortion at 6 volts outputfrom 20 to 20,000 Hz with 63 dB of

gain. Signal-to-noise ratio is given astypically -72 dB from 20 to 80,000 Hz,referred to an input of I millivolt at1,000 Hz with 63 dB of gain. Price:$2,870. Mark Levinson Audio Systems,Dept. SR, Post Office Box 701, Middle-town, Conn. 06457.Circle 121 on reader service card

NAKAMICHI'STWO -HEAD DECKS

Two new cassette decks from Naka-michi, the BX- I 00 and the BX-150,have two heads, three -motor transports,and single -capstan drive. They use theNakamichi laminated-sendust record/play head. Both feature a dual -speedmaster fader, Dolby B noise reduction,defeatable MPX filter, and a headphonejack. Microprocessors permit switchingeasily between functions. AUTO REPEATenables replay of an entire side or a se-lectable segment between zero on the

CZ3

49Li

counter and the end of the tape. TheBX-150 also has Dolby C noise reduc-tion, an output -level control, and anLED tape counter.

Wow -and -flutter for both models isgiven as 0.06 per cent wrms, signal-to-noise ratio as better than 62 dB (withDolby B). Separation is better than 36dB, crosstalk better than 60 dB. Thedecks come in black or silver finishes.Both measure 161546 inches wide, 41516inches high, and 97/8 inches deep.Weight is 1243 pounds. Prices: BX-100,$349; BX-150, $495. Nakamichi USA,Dept. SR, 1101 Colorado Avenue, San-ta Monica, Calif. 90401.Circle 122 on reader service card

CONCORD CAR STEREOHAS LESS FM NOISE

ii/Concord's HPL-520 car stereo cas-sette player/radio features FNR, a newnoise -reduction system for FM that issaid to reduce the effects of multipathand other interference with weak sig-nals. FNR can be disengaged if notneeded. Six AM and six FM station pre-sets are included, along with LCD dis-plays, auto -scan tuning, and a front/rearfader. The cassette section has Dolby B

and C noise reduction, a d.c. servo -con-trolled drive motor, and playbackequalization for metal or chrome tape.

Power output is rated at 12 watts perchannel into 4 ohms from 20 to 20,000Hz with less than 0.8 per cent total har-monic distortion. The unit is only 454inches deep. Price range: $399 to $449.Concord Electronics, Dept. SR, 6025Yolanda Avenue, Tarzana, Calif.91356.Circle 123 on reader service card

JAMO SPEAKERHAS SUBWOOFER

The PP 2504 tower speaker, the topof Jamo Hi-Fi's new Scan line, is a four-way, bass -reflex system with a built-insubwoofer. The subwoofer section hastwo 10 -inch drivers operating as one inan antiphase (push-pull) configuration.They are mounted facing each other inthe lower half of the tower, and the bassfrequencies emerge from a slot at thebottom. Claimed advantages of the de-sign are high sensitivity and greaterpower -handling capability.

The subwoofer drivers in the PP 2504cross over at 400 Hz to an 8 -inch woof-er, which crosses at 1,400 Hz to a 5 -inchmidrange, which crosses at 4,500 Hz toa 1 -inch dome tweeter. Tweeter over-load is signaled by an LED indicator.The system can handle continuouspower of 250 watts (rms) and peaks of400 watts; rated sensitivity is 92.8 dBsound -pressure levelat 1 meter with a 1 -

watt input. Frequencyresponse is given as 20to 20,000 Hz, imped-ance as 8 ohms. Thetower measures 42inches high, 14 incheswide, and 12 inchesdeep, and it weighs67 pounds. Price:$879.90 per pair. TheScan Line also includesthe two-way SL 60minispeaker ($151.80per pair) and four oth-er systems ranging up-ward in size and inprice, from $199.90 to$439.90 per pair.Jamo Hi-Fi U.S.A.,Inc., Dept. SR, 916Ash Street, Winnetka,III. 60093.Circle 124 on readerservice card


NEW PRODUCTS- - -

SLIM -LINE TWO-WAYCANTON SPEAKERS

Measuring only 31/2 inches deep,Canton's GL 300F two-way loudspeak-ers can be mounted on or even inside awall. The 160 -millimeter long -throwwoofer and 25 -mm dome tweeter arevertically aligned, with a crossover fre-quency of 1,700 Hz. Frequency re-sponse is given as 48 to 30,000 Hz, dis-tortion as less than 1.5 per cent. Thespeakers are recommended for use withamplifiers rated up to 45 watts. Thenominal impedance is 4 ohms.

The GL 300F speakers are availablein black, white, or walnut finishes.The removable perforated -steel grillematches the cabinet finish. Height is

131/4 inches, width 834 inches. Weight is10 pounds. Price: $375 per pair, includ-ing 16 -foot connecting cables and wall-mounting fixtures. Canton NorthAmerica, Inc., Dept. SR, 254 First Ave-nue North, Minneapolis, Minn. 55401.Circle 125 on reader service card

WOOFER ON TOPIN PAISLEY SPEAKER

The two-way, vented Model 10speaker system from Canada's PaisleyResearch has its woofer placed above itsrecessed tweeter. According to the man-ufacturer, this unusual configurationgives more accurate phase alignmentfor improved stereo imaging and clari-ty. The 8 -inch polypropylene bass/mid-range driver has layered -cone dampingfor a smoother frequency response. TheI -inch tweeter has a soft polyesterdome.

The system crossover is at 2,200 Hz.Sensitivity is given as 90.7 dB and thenominal impedance as 6 ohms. Fre-quency response is 35 to 23,000 Hz± 2.5 dB. The Model 10 is recom-mended for use with amplifiers rated


from 15 to 100 watts per channel. Theenclosure measures 23 x 14 x 8 inches,and weight is 251/2 pounds. The manu-facturer recommends that the speakersbe placed on I5 -inch stands (as shown)so that the woofer is at the optimumheight. Price: Model 10 speakers, $359per pair; stands, $1 1 per pair. PaisleyResearch, Dept. SR, 135 Torbay Road,Markham, Ontario, Canada L3R 107.Circle 126 on reader service card

EQUALIZER INAUDIOVOX ETR

The AV X-990 electronically tunedreceiver/cassette player for cars fromAudiovox includes a five -band graphicequalizer. The equalizer offers up to 12dB boost or cut in bands centered at 60,250, 1,000, 3,500, and 10,000 Hz. TheAM/FM tuner can automatically scanup to twelve preset stations. A back -litLCD panel indicates time, frequency, orfunction. The autoreverse cassetteplayer has locking fast -forward and re-

,11w si: :111 MirL.! -

wind controls and a music sensor to lo-cate the next selection. There is a metal/chrome playback -equalization setting.Maximum output power is given as 50watts. The chassis is 51/8 inches deep.Price: $390. Audiovox Corporation,Dept. SR, 150 Marcus Boulevard,Hauppauge, N.Y. 11788.Circle 127 on reader service card

PROGRAMMABLETOSHIBA CD PLAYER

The Toshiba XR-Z70 Compact Discplayer can be programmed to play up tosixteen tracks in any order. Controls al-

low scanning in forward or reverse andskipping to the beginning or end of thecurrent track. Displays show the num-ber of the current track and one of threetimings: from the start of the disc, fromthe start of the track, or to the end of thedisc. The headphone output level isvariable. The player, 161h inches wide,3W16 inches high, and 12418 inches deep,has a wireless remote control. Price:$749.95. Toshiba America, Dept. SR,82 Totowa Road, Wayne, N.J. 07470.Circle 128 on reader service card

SUMO POLARISCLASS -AB AMPLIFIER

The Sumo Polaris from All Ameri-can Audio is a Class AB amplifier ratedat 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms,175 watts into 4 ohms, or 300 watts into2 ohms. It has a power-MOSFET out-put stage, common -ground output, andclaimed total harmonic distortion

(THD) of less than 0.1 per cent at ratpower into 8 ohms. Rise time is given as2 microseconds, and signal-to-noise ra-tio is 100 dB below rated power. Price:$399; rack -mount panel and handles,$80. All American Audio, Inc., Dept.SR, 31316 Via Colinas, Suite 103, West-lake Village, Calif. 91362.Circle 129 on reader service card

LOWER -COST SONYCD PLAYER

III Sony's new CDP-200 Compact Discplayer has many of the same features asits more expensive CDP- 101 at a retailprice of only $700. The drawer -loadingCDP-200 includes Index Search to lo-cate specific sections within individualtracks, Automatic Music Sensing to findthe start of the current, previous, orsubsequent track, and Fast Scan tosearch the disc at increased speed withthe program still audible. The playercan also repeat either one track or a se-lected section of a disc. Displays indi-cate the current track and index numberand the elapsed or remaining time. Theheadphone output level is adjustable. Ina brushed -silver finish, the CDP-200measures 14 inches wide, 37/8 incheshigh, and 127/8 inches deep. Weight is 14pounds, 9 ounces. Sony ConsumerProducts, Dept. SR, Sony Drive, ParkRidge, N.J. 07656.Circle 130 on reader service card

ed

Come to

Mar Not°

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IMMIUDIO Q & A

BY LARRY KLEIN

NOISE COLORSQWould you please explain the dif-ference between white noise and

pink noise?LowsBEFoupdtm

North Bergen, N.J.

AThe term "white noise" wascoined by analogy to white light.

Just as white light has an equal mix ofall colors in the visible frequency spec-trum, white noise has an equal mix ofall frequencies in the audible frequencyspectrum. Actually, in white noise everyfrequency is not present simultaneous-ly, but statistically every frequency av-erages out to having the same energy asevery other frequency. (White noise issometimes referred to as "random"noise since it is produced naturally bythe random movements of free elec-trons in conductors and semiconduc-tors.)

When white noise appears in an au-dio system-purposely or otherwise-itsounds very hissy because most of itsenergy falls in the area that the humanear perceives as the high -frequency partof the audio spectrum. (There are manymore frequencies-and hence muchmore energy-between 1,000 and20,000 Hz than there are between 20and 1,000 Hz.) Because it is weighted soheavily toward the high -frequency endof the audio spectrum, white noise isless than ideal as a test signal.

The solution: feed the white noisethrough a shaping network-a special-ized tone control, if you will-thatattentuates the energy at the same ratethat it naturally rises. The result (usingthe light analogy) is a "warmer" -sound-

ing noise that is balanced more towardthe low -frequency "red" end of thespectrum. This so-called "pink noise"sounds warmer than white because itsenergy is distributed equally by octaverather than by frequency. In otherwords, there's as much energy in thelower five octaves, from 20 to 640 Hz,as there is in the upper five octaves,from 640 to 20,480 Hz.

TONE -ARM FRICTIONQI've been studying turntable speci-fications and have noticed that,

while manufacturers almost always givethe numbers for wow -and -flutter andrumble, there is seldom any mention oftone -arm friction. Isn't such friction im-portant?

GERALD FENNINGWest Allis, Wis.

AYes, tone -arm friction certainly isimportant. Fortunately-consid-

ering how difficult it is to measure pre-cisely-Julian Hirsch reports that it hasbeen negligible on every tone armHirsch -Houck Laboratories has testedfor many years.

If arm friction is no more than 10 percent of the vertical tracking force, it willnot greatly affect performance. Thatmeans that even a cartridge tracking at1 gram should be able to tolerate 100milligrams of tone -arm pivot frictionwithout being in trouble. Consideringthat the few turntable manufacturerswho do specify friction generally quotefigures lower than 20 milligrams, I

would consider pivot friction a problemlong since solved-at least in high-fidel-ity turntables.

You can easily check the lateral fric-tion of a pivoted tone arm. Disable itsantiskating and set the tracking force tozero. When the arm is floating freely in

a balanced condition, blow gently onthe side of the headshell. The armshould then drift slowly toward theturntable's center. If at any point in itsdrift across the playing surface it seemsto drag or slow down suddenly, thepivots may be binding or there may be aproblem with excessive friction. If indoubt, check with the tone -arm manu-facturer for his suggestions.

Incidentally, none of the above ap-plies to radial -tracking tone arms since,with only a couple of exceptons that I'maware of, they are all driven by somesort of servo -control mechanism thateasily overcomes any friction problem.

DIRTY AMPLIFIERQI added two external cooling fansto my 700 -watt amplifier. The fans

are aimed to blow into the heat sinks ofthe amplifier. The problem is that thefans also blow dust and dirt onto theheat -sink fins and output -transistor cov-ers. The dirt builds up to such an extentthat I find it necessary to take my ampli-fier apart and clean it four or five times ayear. Could this dirt damage the ampli-fier over time?

JOHN SEKANTelluride, Colo.

ADirt can cause damage if it is elec-trically conductive or thermally

insulating. If the accumulation is asthick as you claim, you would probablydo well to vacuum clean your amplifieron a regular basis. But do you reallyneed to have the two fans operating allthe time? Perhaps in your enthusiasmto prevent heat buildup, you are aggra-vating the dirt -buildup problem. Myrule of thumb (actually, forefinger) isthat if heat sinks don't get too hot totouch comfortably, they don't needforced -air cooling.

A.C. SWITCHINGQI have two accessory components,a time -delay unit and a noise

reducer. In both owner's manuals itstates that the units should be connectedonly to an amplifier's unswitched a.c.convenience outlet. I understand that tomean that the accessories will then neverbe turned off I also have an equalizerconnected to the unswitched a.c. outleton my tape recorder, the a.c. cord ofwhich is plugged into a switched outleton my amplifier. Does all this affect thesignal, and am / doing anythingwrong?

R. W. BIELSKIMt. View, Calif.

AOnce you understand the reasonsbehind them, the manufacturers'

a.c.-outlet recommendations makemore sense than is obvious at first


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DK.THE MACHINE FOR YOUR MACHINE.CIRCLE NO. 48 ON READER SERVICE CARD

glance. Keep in mind that an a.c. conve-nience outlet is meant to be just that-aconvenience. Consider it merely an a.c.extension cord built into a compo-nent-.t has nothing to do with theaudio signal path.

The original reason for having bothswitched and unswitched a.c. outletswas simple: some electromechanicalcomponents (turntables and tape re-corders) might be damaged by being left"in gear" if their power is suddenlyswitched off during play, so their linecords should be plugged into un-switched outlets. Those components

that can conveniently be switched onand off simultaneously with the ampli-fier are connected to switched outlets.

The advent of transistorized equip-ment modified this rule somewhat.Tubes have a slow warm-up time thatallows circuits more or less to settledown before they start operating. Solid-state devices, however, come on in-stantly and-if precat. tions aren't tak-en-loud thumps and crackles are likelyto be heard as the circuits start to oper-ate before they stabilize. Although somesolid-state configurations don't producewarm-up noises, many components re -

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3 Polk Winners in 3 Wars The AudioVideo. Grand Prix is a prestigious ar.nualcompetition for products that best exemplify the state-of-the-art in audio, combinedwith benefits and value for you the consumed Palk speakers have won the Grand Prbfor the ast three years and this year Polk was voted as the number one loudspe4seimanufacturer overall. Dedication to the qualty approach in each and every Polkproduct is what makes the difference. Hear kir yourself why Polk is #1.

Write ar use the reader's service card forinforma:ion on all our loudspeakers aid thename o' your nearest Polk dealer.Polk Audio, Inc. 1915 Annapolis Rd.,Baltimore, MD 21230. In Canada,Evolutica Audio.

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polk audioSpcaker

quire special built-in circuits to provideturn -on muting. But sometimes a de-signer of circuitry that is not naturallyimmune to noise may decide that it'snot worth the trouble and expense toput in a muting circuit-and that, inany case, the equipment is most stable ifleft on constantly. The manual is thenlikely to instruct the user to plug thecomponent into an unswitched a.c. out-let. I see nothing wrong with suchadvice, since most of the componentsfor which it is offered draw no morecurrent than a small night light.

DENTED DOMEQI accidentally bumped the wooferin my speaker system, and its cen-

ter dome is now dented. I can't tellwhether this has caused any bass distor-tion, but will it ultimately result in eitherthe dome or cone cracking?

GARRY SHIRINGFord City, Pa.

AUnless you've damaged the cen-tral dome (also called a dust cap)

so badly that it physically distorts theadjacent voice coil, I doubt that you willhear any sonic ill effects from the dent.And in regard to its effect on the life ofthe woofer, I don't think you have any-thing to worry about on that scoreeither. Nevertheless, if you would liketo try "pulling" the dent out, you canmake an appropriate tool out of a largesewing needle. Heat it in a gas flameuntil it is red hot. This will allow you tobend about Vo inch of its tip at a rightangle. Force the needle point throughthe dome in the dented area and pull thedome back into shape as best you can.Finally, seal the needle hole(s) with aspot of Elmer's white glue applied withyour fingertip.

If the damaged dome is metal, thebest I can suggest is that you wrap someduct tape around your finger, sticky sideout, and try to pull the dent out throughthe power of adhesion. In any case,since the dented dome is far more likelyto offend the eye than the ear, feel freenot to do anything about it.

P -MOUNT ADAPTORSQCan I buy an adaptor that makes

it possible to use a P -mount phonocartridge in a conventional tone arm?

JOHN HICKMANDyersburg, Tenn.

AYes, but why would you want to?As far as I know, most separately

available P -mount cartridges come withadaptors that will fit them into standardtone arms, and at least one companymakes an adaptor that plugs into an S-shaped arm with the standard bayonetsocket. But P -mount cartridges have nospecial advantage in conventional armsand may even be at a disadvantage giv-en some of their standardized parame-ters. And in any case, any worthwhileP -mount cartridge has a conventional -mounting equivalent.

CIRCLE NO. 37 ON READER SERVICE CARD16 STffE0 REVIEW JULY 1984

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Turn up your highs and lows withthe Ford Premium Sound Systemsfeaturing separate low -distortionamplifiers with up to 80 watts RMSpower and acoustically matched dualcone speakers. And now available fororder on 1984 Ford EXP, Escortor Mercury Lynx: a 7 -Band GraphicEqualizer and power amplifier that puts you in control of your musicall the way from 20Hz to 20KHz.

When it comes to quality sound systems, seek and you shall EndAt your Ford and Lincoln-Mercury dealers today.'Dolby noise reduction Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corp

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-AR STEREO

BY JUL/AN HIRSCH ANDCHRISTOPHER GREENLEAF

Erm

AUDIA DTX-1000i ;ism

PART of Clarion's new Audia lineof high-performance car stereo

equipment, the Audia DTX-1000includes a cassette player and anAM/FM tuner featuring "diversityreception" for improved FM listen-ing quality. The diversity -receptionsystem uses two separately placedantennas-the Audia DTX-1000has a separate FM -tuner section foreach antenna-and fast -acting sens-ing and switching circuits to selectthe better signal at any moment.The rapid switching action is imper-

ceptible to the listener, but the sys-tem makes it possible to hear satis-factory FM sound in situationswhere conventional, single -antennacar receivers are unusable. Signallights on the DTX-1000's front pan-el indicate which antenna is in useat any time. (A clear plastic windowantenna, together with a connectingcable to the receiver, is provided forcars without a second installed an-tenna.)

Besides the usual features youwould expect to see on a car tuner/cassette player in the same pricerange (separate bass and treble con-trols, five AM and five FM presets,station scanning, tape programsearch, a digital clock, loudnesscompensation, Dolby B noise re-duction, high/low tape equalization,and a front/rear fader), the DTX-1000 has a few we haven't seen be-fore. One is the Acoustic Compen-sation Control, a notch filter that at-

tenuates the response around 180Hz to reduce the effect of typicalcar -interior resonances. Another is a"Super SASC" circuit that reducesnoise on weak FM signals (con-trolled with the Dolby B button).Still another is a radio/tape switchthat permits changing from onesource to the other without insertingor ejecting a cassette. The tapeplayer is one -directional, not auto -reverse, so as to avoid, according toClarion, the compromises in per-formance found in many autore-verse players.

The Audia DTX-1000 is designedto be used with separate power am-plifiers and comes with output ca-bles and adaptors for them. Thechassis box dimensions are 71/8 x 2 x49/16 inches, and the nosepiece is 41/13x 13/4 inches. Price: $670. Audia by

Clarion, Dept. SR, 5500 RosecransAvenue, Lawndale, Calif. 90260.

LAB TESTSOur bench tests of the Audia DTX-1000 were made using only a singleantenna input. When the unit wasfirst turned on, its maximum audiooutput (which is adjustable) was 1.3volts, but after a period of operationthe output clipped asymmetricallyat about 0.9 volt. Therefore, we keptthe output voltage below the latterpoint for our measurements.

In the bench tests, the FM tunersection was not particularly sensi-tive, nor were its distortion, captureratio, or image rejection as good aswe would have expected. But, ac-cording to Clarion, the sensitivityand capture -ratio measurements areaffected by the operation of the di-versity -reception switching circuit,and it was impossible to disengage

the circuit to confirm the betterspecs claimed by the company. Themeasured frequency response, chan-nel separation, selectivity, and AMrejection were all good, however,and AM frequency response wassatisfactory.

Clarion's installation literaturerefers to a number of FM -tuner fea-tures in the Audia DTX-1000 whoseeffect could not be measured on thebench because of the operation ofthe diversity -reception tuning sys-tem. These include a keyed AGCcircuit to eliminate the need for a lo-cal/DX switch (used to prevent FMfront-end overload) and a signal -ac-tuated stereo control that blends thechannels and reduces high -frequen-cy response at low signal levels orwhen multipath distortion is de-tected. The effects of the latter sys-tem were not evident in our tests,which showed good stereo perform-ance down to signal levels wherenoise and distortion became appre-ciable. The controls and loudness-compensation characteristics weregood (the latter boosted both lowand high frequencies considerablyat reduced volume -control settings).The 180 -Hz filter introduced anotch about 12 dB deep at 210 Hz,but it had little effect on frequenciesabove 400 or below 100 Hz.

Aside from a somewhat fast tapespeed, the cassette player's perform-ance was satisfactory. The tape fre-quency response was very similarfor both equalization time con-stants, although the 70 -microsecondresponse was slightly flatter and ex-tended slightly further above 9,000Hz. J.H.

ROAD TESTSThree 150 -mile round trips fromBrooklyn to a recording job in NewHaven, Connecticut, gave me agood opportunity to test the AudiaDTX-1000's diversity -receptionsystem. Half of the runs were atnight and the others at varioustimes of the day, thus giving me apretty good impression of how theunit works under almost any recep-tion conditions imaginable.

On one of the trips I disconnectedthe second antenna and confirmedthat the system increases actual FMrange only a tiny bit. It does, howev-er, make virtually all receivable sig-


nals listenable. If I could get stereofrom 25 to 30 miles away using oneantenna, with two antennas I couldalmost always get fully listenable

THE DTX-1000 'STAPE PLAYBACKWAS VERY QUIET,STEADY IN PITCH,BROAD IN FREQUENCYRESPONSE, ANDGENTLE ON TAPE.

stereo at 35 miles. Occasionally Ipicked up clean stereo from 45miles away at night, but I usuallylost reasonable separation sometime before the 40 -mile mark. Inmono (automatic and nonswitch-able with the DTX-1000), the listen-ing range sometimes extended as faras 60 miles, but usually it was slight-ly less than the 50 -mile cutoff I'mused to.

As I drove past the old BrooklynNavy Yard, invariably a roughplace for FM radio, I noticed a fewsmall sputters and one or two"foop-foop" sounds as the tunertried to keep the signal clean. But Iheard almost none of the incrediblehash I am used to putting up with inthis location. The same held true inmost of the other trouble spots inour urban test route. There was nev-

er a hint of cross -modulation or sig-nal overload, nor was there eitherpumping or fading as the tuner ad-justed its sensitivity from spot tospot. Only at the Manhattan foot ofthe Brooklyn Bridge did I ever losestations, and then only for brief in-stants. This is Manhattan's poorestsignal area, so getting anything at allthere was surprising.

Everywhere I was astonished atthe constant flicker of the antennaindicator lights as the diversity sys-tem kept switching between themfor the better signal. Even standingstill, the system responds to passingcars, changing atmospheric condi-tions, and planes overhead. Ruraldriving well away from trees andbuildings also showed a notable de-crease in picket -fencing and otherrude FM noises. The improvementwas startling in places I have longassociated with poor reception.There was some interference, ofcourse, but at much lower levelsthan any non -diversity tuner hasbeen able to provide. The operationof the noise -reduction circuits forFM was noticeable on weak signalsand appeared to increase the effectof the high -blend circuitry.

Tape playback was very quiet,steady in pitch, broad in frequencyresponse, and gentle on the tape. Abad stretch of granite -block streetsdid cause the tape transport to quiv-er slightly, but in general it was verywell behaved. One day my old, oldC-120 test cassette will come to griefin a tangle of dry, brown plasticwrapped around a locked -up cap-

HIRSCH-HOUCK LAB MEASUREMENTSFM mono usable sensitivity (75 -ohm

input): 24.7 dBf (4.7 AV)Mono 5O -dB quieting sensitivity (75 -ohm

input): 26 dBf (5.5 µV)Stereo 50 -dB quieting sensitivity (75 -ohm

input): 43.3 dBf (40µV)Tuner signal-to-noise ratio at 65 dBf: 68 dBTuner distortion at 65 dBf: 0.7 per centFM frequency response (-3-dB limits): 20

to 16,500 HzStereo separation at 100, 1,000, and 10,000

Hz: 30, 30, and 19 dBCapture ratio at 65 dBf: 3.6 dBAM rejection at 65 dBE 61 dBAlternate -channel selectivity: 63 dBAdjacent -channel selectivity: 5.8 dBImage rejection: 40 dBAM frequency response (-6-dB limits): 60

to 2,700 HzTape -playback frequency response

(standard BASF test tapes, -3 -dB

limits): 120 -As EQ-31.5 to 9,000 Hz;70 -As EQ-31.5 to 13,000 Hz

Tape signal-to-noise ratio (referred to 250nWb/m at 315 Hz): unweighted, 54 dB;with Dolby B and CCIR/ARMweighting, 64.5 dB (120 -As EQ) and 66.5dB (70 As EQ)

Flutter ±0.15 per cent CCIR-weightedpeak; 0.08 per cent JIS-weighted rms

Tape speed accuracy: +1.6 per cent errorat start of tape, +1.3 per cent at end

Fast rewind time for C-60: 126 secondsTone -control range: ± 10.5 dB at 100 Hz;

+9.5, -11.5 dB at 10,000 HzLoudness compensation (at -30 -dB

volume setting, referred to 1000 -Hzoutput): +12 dB at 100 Hz; +9.5 dB at10,000 Hz

Amplifier line output into IHF load atclipping (measured at 1,000 Hz): 1.3volts cold; 0.9 volt warm

man, but nothing I did with the Au-dia DTX-1000's transport controls,including the automatic programsearch, bothered it a bit.

I was impressed by the tonal flex-ibility that the four quite simpletone controls gave me. I was able tofine-tune my car's acoustics withoutonce feeling that I really needed aone -third -octave equalizer. Usingthe loudness control and the 180 -Hzfilter together with the bass controlenabled me to get results I've nevermanaged with any other car stereo,even those with integral five -bandequalizers or bass center -frequencyselectors. My sole objection was tothe amount of hiss and noise in thetreble with the loudness controlswitched in. I can't say whether thiswas a peculiarity of our test unit or acharacteristic of the design, but the

I WAS ASTONISHEDAT THE CONSTANTFLICKER OF THEANTENNA LIGHTSAS THE DIVERSITYSYSTEM KEPTSWITCHING FOR ABETTER SIGNAL.mimm

effect was fairly audible even at highmusic levels.

The Audia DTX-1000 is a logical-ly arrayed, convenient tuner/tapeunit. The controls are easy to oper-ate, the display easy to read bothday and night, and the styling at-tractive. When the ignition is off thedisplay is off, making the unit lessattractive to thieves. I certainlydidn't miss autoreverse because Ihave always felt better about using amachine's main direction of play.I'll gladly trade an autoreversedeck's convenience for greater reli-ability and treble performance.

The Audia DTX-1000 is an excel-lent o'erall performer, especially ifyou regularly drive in FM disasterareas as I do. Returning it after thetest period was the only regrettablepart of the experience! C. G.Circle 145 on reader service card


C 1984 R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CO.


That Cigarette Smoking Is Dangerous to Your Health.

. 11 mg. "tar", 9.7 Mg. nicotine av per cigarerte by FTC method.

MINQUIPMENT TEST REPORTS

PROTON 930AM/FM RECEIVER

HIRSCH-HOUCKLABORATORIES

111111/THE Proton 930 stereo receivercombines a high-performance

FM tuner section designed by LarrySchotz with an amplifier capable ofdriving load impedances as low as2 ohms at high power levels withoutdamage or excessive distortion. It israted to deliver 30 watts per channelinto 8 ohms. There is an "anti -clip-ping circuit" designed to reduce theaudible consequences of waveformpeak clipping and a BASS EQ circuitto correct for the bass -response lim-itations of many compact speakersystems. Dimensions are 4 x 161/2 x93/4 inches, weight l51'4 pounds.Price: $360. Proton Corp., Dept.SR, 737 West Artesia Boulevard,Compton, Calif. 90220.

LAB TESTSThe Proton 930 demonstrated anexceptional output -current capabili-ty. Its measured 1,000 -Hz outputpower at clipping was 44 watts into8 ohms, 63 watts into 4 ohms, and66 watts into 2 ohms. Its dynamicpower output was even more im-pressive: about 54, 78, and 130watts into 8, 4, and 2 ohms, respec-tively. Clearly, this is no ordinary"30 -watt" receiver!

Our test unit, an early productionsample, lacked a final instructionmanual as well as any of the per -

.11.11.

Features

0 Digital tuning (search and stepmodes)

0 Five preset station memories, eachusable for one AM and one FMchannel

0 LED radio signal -strength indicator0 Headphone jock

Pushbutton control of loudness, topemonitoring for one deck,stereo/mono mode, BASS EC), twopairs of speaker outputs

0 Rear -panel switches for NORMAL or HIspeaker load impedance,anti -dipping circuit, MM or MCphono-cartridge

0 Two a.c. outlets, one switched0 75- and 300 -ohm FM antenna

inputs; hinged, pivoted ferrite AMonterna

0 Separate preomp outputs and mainompl fier inputs with removableJumpers

0 One pair of phono jocks (MM orMC), one pair of line -level VIDEOinput jocks (audio signal from VCR,CD player, etc.), one tope loop

other than rated output. In a way,this made our tests more interest-ing, since each measurementshowed this to be an even more un-usual receiver than we could haveexpected.

The amplifier distortion of theProton 930 was not only very low,but it remained low over the full au-dio range and at any power level upto the clipping point. The noise lev-el was exceptionally low, the phonopreamplifier overloaded at the samehigh level of 210 millivolts over thefull audio range, the RIAA equaliza-tion was highly accurate and unaf-

inductance, andso on. The amplifier did shut downas we approached the clipping levelwhen driving 2 -ohm loads. An audi-ble click and lapse of a few secondsbefore the amplifier returned to ser-vice suggested that there was a ther-mal protection system in opera-tion.

We were especially interested inthe FM -tuner performance in viewof the acknowledged talents of itsdesigner and our previous experi-ence with his products. We were notdisappointed. The measured sensi-tivity was high, and the noise levelwas as low as we would expect to

find in any competi-tively priced receiv-er or tuner. The dis-tortion in stereowas very low-low-er, in fact, than wecan recall havingpreviously meas-ured in an FM tun-er. In only one re-spect did the FMtuner's performancedisappoint us. Itsimage rejection wasso unexpectedly lowat 40 dB that wesuspect it was only adefect in the early

HIRSCH-HOUCK LAB MEASUREMENTS//Audio Amplifier1,000 -Hz output power at clipping:

44.2 watts into 8 ohms, 63.2watts into 4 ohms, 66.1 wattsinto 2 ohms

Dynamicpower output: 53.8 wattsinto 8 ohms, 78 watts into4 ohms, 130 watts into 2 ohms

Clipping headroom: 1.68 dB(8 ohms)

Dynamic headroom: 2.53 dB(8 ohms)

Maximum distortion from 20 to20,000 Hz, 30 watts output:0.0056 per cent

Sensitivity (1 -watt output): video,27 mV; phono (MM), 0.42 mV;phono (MC), 0.033 mV

Signal-to-noise ratio (I watt):

video, 87.5 dB; phono (MM),83.5 dB; phono (MC), 71.5 dB

Phono (MM) input overload: 210mV

Phono (MM) input impedance:52,000 ohms, 100 pF

Phono (MC) input impedance: 100ohms

Slew factor: greater than 25Tone -control range : +8.5, -9.5

dB at 100 Hz; +6.5. -7.5 dB at10,000 Hz

/FM Tuner SectionUsable sensitivity (mono): 11 dBf

(2 AV)50 -dB quieting sensitivity: mono,

15 dBf (3.1 AV); stereo, 37.8 dBf(40 AV)

Stereo threshold: 35 dBf (30 µV)Muting threshold: No mutingTHD + noise at 65 dBf (1,000 µV):

mono, 0.18 per cent; stereo, 0.1per cent

Signal-to-noise ratio at 65 dBf:mono,76 dB; stereo, 69 dB

Capture ratio: 1 dB at 45 dBf (100AV)

AM rejection: 70 dB at 45 dBfImage rejection: 40 dBSelectivity: alternate -channel, 96

dB; adjacent -channel, 15.6 dB19 -kHz pilot -carrier leakage: -72

dBHum (60 Hz): -;62 dBStereo channel separation: 31 dB at

30 Hz; 37 dB at 1,000 Hz 32.5dB at 10,000 Hz


TEST REPORTS

+ 20

+15

+10

+5

0

-5

10

- 15

- 20

PROTON 930ONE CONTROLS

1

I

MAXIS EQ

. ... ...

. .. ......... ......

MIN I50 100 200 500 1K 2K

FREQUENCY IN HZ (CYCLES PER SECOND)5K 10K 201.

production sample that we tested.The selectivity of the Proton 930

was among the highest we have evermeasured: 96 dB for alternate -chan-nel spacing and almost 16 dB for ad-jacent -channel spacing. This waseven more noteworthy in view ofthe tuner's low distortion, since dis-tortion usually must be traded offfor high selectivity.

Capture ratio and AM rejectionwere both much better than aver-age. The stereo channel separationwas more than adequate and quiteuniform. The front -panel LED sig-nal -strength indicators were wellspaced, coming on unambiguouslyat input levels ranging from 23 to 72dBf (when at least three lights are lit,the full tuner performance is real-ized). Even the AM tuner had a bet-ter than average frequency re-sponse, flat within 2.5 dB overallfrom 26 to 3,300 Hz and down 6 dBat 4,000 Hz.

COMMENTSThe Proton 930's anti -clipping cir-cuit causes the waveform to clipmore "softly" than is usually thecase. Though in theory this is desir-able, we are not necessarily con-vinced of its practical benefits. Weprefer to operate an amplifier wellbelow clipping, and the power re-serves of the Proton 930 make clip-ping even less likely than with mostreceivers of considerably highercontinuous -power ratings. But as faras we can tell, the circuit does noharm and has no detectable ormeasurable effect below the clippingpoint.

The BASS EQ is a useful feature thatcomplements the bass rolloff ofmany compact and bookshelf -sizedspeaker systems. Its 10 -dB peak atabout 45 Hz and steep infrasonicrolloff below 30 Hz can greatly en-hance the low -bass performance ofsuch speakers (see graph). The BASSEQ response can give an actual re-duction in audible rumble instead ofthe increase likely to result from the

use of a simple equalizer or tone -control circuit for that purpose. Theboost frequency is so low that it hasno significant effect on most repro-duced sound, including voices. Butwhen the program material calls forit, the BASS EQ gives a welcome solid-ity to the sound of a typical book-shelf -sized speaker system, thoughwithout any boominess.

The Proton 930 is conspicuouslyfree of most of the gadgetry and glit-ter of other recent receivers, but itmore than makes up for this by itsstellar performance. Its relativelyhigh short-term output power andhigh -current capability make it amuch more "powerful" receiverthan its 30 -watt rating would sug-gest. The Schotz FM tuner is, in itsown way, even more noteworthythan the amplifier section. Assum-ing that the somewhat low meas-ured image rejection was a peculiar-ity of our sample and not typical ofthe design, this receiver easily out-performs anything we have seen atanywhere near its price.

Julian HirschCircle 140 on reader service card

"The speaker demonstration room will be free in just a few moments, sir. Our manageruses it on occasion when he has to . . . uh speak to one of our salesmen."


4 out of 5 Sonycarstereoowners

wouldgo down thesame road again.

It seems there is one road that most Sony owners would gladly travel again.The road to a Sony car stereo.

In a recent survey, an overwhelming majority of Sony car stereo owners contactedgave Sony the ultimate testimonial. They said they would be more than willing tobuy a Sony again*. As one Sony owner, Ronald Dokken of Minneapolis, Minnesota, vol-unteered, "When there's a car stereo that sounds as good and works as well as aSony, why would you want another one?"

In fact, most Sony car stereo owners when asked went so far as to say that theywould keep their car stereos longer than they'd keep their cars. Or, in the words ofValerie Roussel of New Orleans, Louisiana: "My car was in the shop for a few weeks.I missed my car stereo a lot more than my car" And Mark Share of Tempe, Arizona,added, "I have two cars and two kinds of car stereos. I find myself driving the car withthe better sounding one-the Sony"

Which is not at all surprising, considering the fact that Sony car stereos arenot just engineered to perform reliably. They are also engineered to deliver bril-liant high-fidelity stereo sound. Because they take advantage of the same experienceand innovative technology that goes into Sony's home stereos.

So if you're in the market for a car stereo, it makes sense to go down the sameroad that 4 out of 5 Sony owners would travel. SONY

Buy the Sony. THE ONE AND ONLY.In an Ind ndent su, o1200 recent Son car stereo rchasms whose,t n warram cards 85% id bu a Sal am 0 1984 So

TEST REPORTS

KENWOOD DP- 1 1008CD PLAYER


ENWOOD'S second -generationn digital Compact Disc player,the DP -1100B, offers an impressivearray of performance and operatingfeatures in a low -profile package. Itcomes with a compact, battery -op-erated, infrared remote -control unitthat not only duplicates the player'sextensive front -panel control func-tions but also has a feature, calledM -SCAN, that automatically samplesthe first 10 seconds of each pro-grammed selection.

Many second -generation CDplayers have special provisions forimproved tracking ability withdamaged or defective discs, and theDP -1100B is no exception. Its Op-

timum Servo Control circuitryis intended to reconcile twoconflicting design goals forthe servo -tracking systemthat makes the player's las-er beam follow the spiralpattern of recorded infor-mation embedded in aCompact Disc. A high -gain servo trackingsystem is desirable toincrease a player's re-

sistance to external vibra-tion and shocks. But a high -gain sys-tem could also cause a player to beunduly sensitive to minor defects ordamage on the discs themselves.

Kenwood's Optimum Servo Con-trol is normally a high -gain system,but internal circuits sense the firstsigns of a potentially"untrackable" disc de-fect and temporarilyreduce the servo gainso that the laser doesnot become "de-tiacked" as the defectpasses. Since damagesand defects usually ex-tend over severalrevolutions of a disc,the system also storesthe location of the de-fect, and during thenext revolution the

HIRSC

Features

0 Front -loading, motorized disc drawerEl Optimum Servo Control for greater

immunity to disc damage andexternal vibration or shock

0 Cueing by track and index numbers0 mUsiC SEARCH controls skip from track

to track0 Program audible in fast -forward and

fast -reverse modes0 Programmed playback of up to

sixteen selections from discs

containing up to ninety-nine tracks0 Infrared remote control with M -SCAN0 Vacuum -fluorescent displays

indicating a properly loaded disc,repeat, programmed playback,M -SCAN mode, track and indexnumbers

0 Time display switchable to show timeon current track, time from start ofdisc, or time from end of disc

0 Switchoble repeat playback of wholedisc or single track

0 Headphone output with volumecontrol

servo gain is again lowered at thesame point in anticipation of thepassing damage.

The DP -1100B is finished inblack and measures about 175/16 x123/16 x 31/2 inches. It weighs about15 pounds. Price: $899. KenwoodElectronics, Dept. SR, 1315 EastWatsoncenter Road, Carson, Calif.90745.

LAB TESTSThe performance of the KenwoodDP -1100B, like that of every othercorrectly functioning CD player wehave tested, was superb, usually tax-ing the abilities of our test instru-ments to their utmost. The only de-parture from near -ideal audio per -

Maximum output level: 1.88 voltsHeadphone output: 8 -ohm, 0.18

volt; 600 -ohm, 4.9 voltsTotal harmonic distortion at 1,000

Hz: 0.0011 per cent referred to 0dB; 0.0019 per cent referred to-10 dB; 0.007 per cent referredto -20 dB

intermodulation distortion: 0.003per cent referred to 0 dB; 0.011per cent referred to -20 dB

Signal-to-noise ratio: 90 dBunweighted; 94 dB A -weighted

Channel separation: 108 dB at1,000 Hz; 73.5 dB at 20,000 Hz

formance (and it was a trivial one)was a difference in the left- andright -channel output levels of justover 0.5 dB. This could easily havebeen a characteristic of our testsample alone. Besides, the inherentunbalance in just about any otherprogram source, to say nothing ofthe rest of a stereo system, is likelyto be at least this great.

There was a moderately highphase shift between the outputs ofthe two channels at the highest au-dio frequencies, less than a few de-grees at 1,000 Hz and increasing to43 degrees at 10,000 Hz and 75 de-grees at 20,000 Hz. This phase shifthas no audible significance that weare aware of. It merely suggests thata single digital -to -analog -converter

integrated circuit is be-ing switched to supplyboth channels, an al-ternative to using aseparate converter foreach channel.

In our tests, the DP -1100B did a nearly per-fect job of tracking thecalibrated defects onthe Philips TS4A testdisc, failing only totrack the largest (800-micrometer) black dotpainted on the disc's

Frequency response: +0.4, -0.1dB from 20 to 20,000 Hz

De -emphasis accuracy: -0.04 dBat 1,000 Hz; -0.12 dB at 5,000Hz; -0.15 dB at 16,000 Hz

Cueing time: 5.5 secondsImpact resistance: top, A; side, A;

front, ACueing accuracy: A-Defect tracking (figures are size of

the largest defect successfullytracked): signal -surface damage,900 micrometers; painted dots,600 micrometers; simulatedfingerprint, pass

H-HOUCK LAB MEASUREMENTS

24 SIEREO REVIEW JULY 1984

PERHAPS THE ONLY PIECEOF HOME ENTERTAINMENT

EQUIPMENT THAT CAN'TBE CONTROLLED BY THE

SX-V90 RECEIVER.One look at the diagram to the right should

convince you thatmerely an audio receiver.

In fact, it might just be the most revolu-tionary piece of equipment in the entire homeentertainment revolution.

Because it serves as a control center formore pieces of audio and video equipment thanany other competitive product of its type.

Through the SX-V90, you can channel twoVCRs (of any format), one TV monitor, oneregular TV, one video disc, one compact disc,two cassette decks, two turntables, and onevideo game or one computer.

But not only does the SX-V90 have the bestconnections in the business, it also has ingenuity.Because as well as reproducing video sourcedsignals ;such as MTV), it creates simulated -stereo imaging from any mono signal (such asregular TV).

In short, it turns your television into a sterec.As for the quality of the stereo, with its

advanced DDD tuner technology, and 125 wattsof powerper channel

TAPE 1

DSC

(at 8 ohms, TAPE:

from 20- I i1414444+11

20,000 Hzwith nomore than0.005%THD), tieSX-V90 ranks at the top of audio receivers.

Mich is a very important point.Because there's no sense in investing

control center, only to have it sound like itbuilt-in popcorn popper.

C

° L

UAW

_1=COMUX

VCR

....11/IMMTPITM111111111.111%.7AMM:::::,.../..:: : ::! .. .. ...... """"--,-,%"""--"-.:: ,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, , , -

I I-±" impummomiii

dor

oi r n- J I. 7U_.

.., P.M...., ...a=MM. .0110.11110NM_SONME Ift- ...WM twine

(y) PIONEERBecause the music matters.

©1984 I'ioneer Electronics ( USA) Inc., (8(X)) 447-4700.

*itCIRCLE NO 4 ON READER SERVICE CARD

TEST REPORTS

+2

+7Lei

, 00

-220 50 100 200 500 I k 2k

FREQUENCY IN HZ (CYCLES PER SECOND)

KEN WOOD DP -1100BFREQUENCY RESPONSE

TEST DISC = PHILIPS 410 055 2

5k 10k 20k

surface. And it was easily the bestCD player we have yet tested interms of immunity to external

tairm

IT WAS EASILYTHE BEST CD

PLAYER WE HAVEYET TESTED IN

TERMS OF

IMMUNITY TOEXTERNAL SHOCKAND VIBRATION.IT REQUIRED A

STRONG BLOW TOCAUSE A DROPOUT.

shock and vibration. Not only did itignore moderate blows to its exter-nal surfaces (any of which wouldhave caused a phono stylus to leavethe groove and jump about), but itactually required a strong blow, de-livered with genuine effort, to causea momentary dropout of the pro-gram. This is in striking contrast tomost of the first -generation CDplayers we tested last year, whichrequired rather careful handlingto avoid such effects. Most CDplayers, however, are fairly resistantto common feedback effects.

We judge the cueing accuracy of aCD player by how effectively it han-dles the transition from Track 17 toTrack 18 of the Philips TS4 samplerdisc. There is no blank space be-tween these two tracks, and theplayback goes directly from the endof No. 17 to the vocal beginning ofNo. 18. Most players detectably clipthe first syllable of Track 18, some

lose much of the first word, and avery few make the transition per-fectly. The DP -1100B was almostperfect, rating an A- in this re-spect. Sometimes we could detectthe loss of what we would guess tobe a few milliseconds of Track 18,but on other tests the transition wasperfect.

COMMENTThe Kenwood DP -1100B was avery easy player to use (although themanual should be read carefully ifyou want to take full advantage ofits many features). The front panelpresents a relatively uncluttered andnonformidable appearance, yet theonly programming features avail-able on the other players that itlacks are time cueing and phrase re-peat.

The remote control worked well,

although it should not be too farfrom the player for most effectiveuse. On the other hand, the range ofthe infrared system is considerablygreater than the ability of mostpeople to read the illuminated le-gends in the display window of theDP -1100B, without which one oftencannot be certain of the operatingstatus of the unit. We were sur-prised to find that the remote -con-trol unit has an on/off switch, un-like all other similar units we haveseen on other equipment.

The headphone output was excel-lent, more than adequate to driveany medium -impedance headset toa satisfactory listening volume. Thisfeature is often omitted from CDplayers, but we would consider itsinclusion well worth any modestadded cost.

The Kenwood DP -1100B com-bines great programming flexibilitywith a straightforward, easy -to -usesystem of operation. A similarly ef-fective compromise between diver-gent ideals is evidenced by its finedisc -tracking ability combined withoutstanding resistance to externalshock and vibration. This product isyet another example of the genuine(as opposed to merely cosmetic) im-provements available in second -generation CD players.

Julian HirschCircle 141 on reader service card

". . . Of course, sir, you understand it will sound different in your home.The bales of peat moss tend to make this a rather 'dead' area. . . ."


1980 R.J. REYNOLDS TOBACCO CO.

hare the spirit.hare the refreshment.



LIGHTS: 10 mg. ":ar", 0.8 mg. nicotine, KING: 17 mg. "tar",

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

3.

TEST REPORTS

DENON DR -M44CASSETTE DECK


DENON, a division of Nippon Co-lumbia, is probably best known

to audiophiles in the U.S. for itshigh -quality turntables and digitallymastered LP's and Compact Discs.The company is very active in thetape field also, as exemplified by theDR -M44 cassette deck. A three -head, dual -capstan model, the DR -M44 includes an automatic tape -op-timizing circuit and both Dolby Band Dolby C noise reduction.

A d.c. servomotor directly drivesthe main capstan. A second servo-motor belt -drives the second cap-stan, which differs slightly from thefirst in diameter and rotationalspeed. This design feature isolatesthe tape as it passes across the headsand thus helps minimize wow andflutter. The separate record andplayback heads (mounted in a com-mon case) permit immediate moni-toring of the recorded signal and en-able each head's magnetic gap to besized optimally for its function.

The DR-M44's conventional cas-sette well is illuminated from therear to show the tape remaining. Itsdoor is transparent, affording full la-bel visibility, and removable forhead cleaning and demagnetizing.Sensors inside the well detect thecutouts on the rear of the cassetteshell and automatically switch thebias and equalization for the fac-

Featuresminr Four -digit fluorescent tope counter Memory rewind to 0000 on counter Selectors for Dolby B, Dolby C, or

no noise reduction Twelve -segment -per -channel

fluorescent peak -reading record -level

indicators, -20 to +8 dB Playback level control External timer -activated record or

playback switch Pause/record mute switch Switchable FM -multiplex filter Front -panel headphone lack Rear -panel connector for optional

remote control

tory-reference ferric, Cr02-type, andmetal tape formulations. The selec-tions cannot be overridden. Whentape types are changed, an illumi-nated rectangle beneath the fluores-cent record -level indicators changesposition to show the recommendedmaximum peak -input levels.

To optimize the deck's internaladjustments for the slightly differ-ent needs of various tape brands,there is an AUTO TUNING START but-ton that activates a built-in micro-processor program. This recali-brates the deck's bias and tape -sen-sitivity adjustments, stores the newsettings in memory, and rewinds thetape to the point where the fine-tun-ing process began. The proceduretakes only 7 or 8 seconds. Repeated-

ly pressing the MEMORY/REFERENCEswitch during recording permits in-stant comparisons between the fac-tory -reference and optimized set-tings. While many decks have tape -optimizing systems, no other withinour recollection permits a user tomonitor their effects directly.

The DR-M44's dimensions are18I/4 x 4th x 111/4 inches, and itweighs about 14 pounds. There areno microphone inputs. Price:$599.95. Denon America, Inc.,Dept. SR, 27 Law Drive, Fairfield,N.J. 07006.

MEASUREMENTSThe playbackthe DR -M44,

frequency response ofas measured with our

IEC-standard tapes,was very smooth.With the ferric(120 -microsecond)test tape it fell with-in +1.5, -3 dBover the 31.5- to18,000 -Hz cali-brated range. Withthe Cr02 (70 -micro-second) tape thevariation was. evensmaller: +2, -0dB. There was nosign of fluctuationsin low -frequency re-sponse (so-called"head bumps").

HIRSCH-HOUCK LAB MEASUREMENTSFast -forward time (C-60): 92

secondsRewind time (C-60): 91 secondsSpeed error: +0.5 per centDolby tracking error: +0, - 1 dB

with Dolby B; +2, -1.5 dB withDolby C

Wow -and -flutter: 0.023 per centwrms; 0.036 per cent DINpeak -weighted

Line input for indicated 0 -dB: 76mV

Line output at indicated O -dB: 0.76volt

Meter indication at IEC-standardO.dB: + 1 dB

Tape used: Denon DX4 (Type I.ferric)

IEC 0 -dB distortion: 0.67 per centMeter indication at 3 per cent

third -harmonic distortion: +4.5dB

Signal-to-noise ratios (in decibels):

CCIR/Unwtd. A-wtd. ARM

NR off 52.1 55.2 54.4Dolby B 59.6 66.4 64.7Dolby C 62.5 73.2 74.2

Tape used: Denon DX7 (Type II,chrome -equivalent)

IEC 0 -dB distortion: 1.75 per centMeter indication at 3 per cent

third -harmonic distortion: +3 dB

Signal-to-noise ratios (in decibels):CCIR/

Unwtd. A-wtd. ARMNR off 52.5 57.5 54.9Dolby B 58.6 66.0 65.1Dolby C 61.0 73.3 74.3

Tape used: Denon DXM (Type IV,metal)

IEC 0 -dB distortion: 1.1 per centMeter indication at 3 per cent third -

harmonic distortion: +5.1 dBSignal-to-noise ratios (in decibels):

CCIR/Unwtd. A-wtd. ARM

NR off 53.8 58.4 55.7Dolby B 59.8 66.7 65.9Dolby C 62.2 74.4 75.3


Overall record -playback measure-ments were made using the DenonDX4. (ferric), DX7 (Cr02-equiva-lent), and DXM (metal) tapes forwhich the DR -M44 was factory ad-justed. We also checked the deck'sperformance with a number of morereadily available tapes from Maxell,TDK, BASF, and Scotch. The auto-matic optimizing system was espe-cially useful in this regard, tamingan excessive (+6 -dB) treble peak wefound with Maxell XLI-S and prop-erly increasing (by 2 dB) the tapesensitivity for BASF Pro II Chrome.Scotch XS I and XS II were ex-tremely similar to the correspond-ing Denon formulations, and TDKSA was so close that the effect of op-timizing, though measurable, wasinaudible.

Using the Denon tapes, frequencyresponse at the customary - 20 -dBlevel measured ± 1.5 dB from 40 to20,000 Hz with all three tape types.Below 40 Hz the response droppedsharply, a characteristic of manycassette decks. The IEC referencelevel of 0 dB (250 nanowebers/me-ter) registered + 1 on the DR-M44'sindicators. At these levels the su-perior treble storage capacity of themetal tape is evident from thegraph. Because Dolby C reduces thenormal record treble pre -emphasis,the metal -tape response extendedout to 20,000 Hz -3 dB.

The signal-to-noise ratios of theDenon DR -M44 were very good, as

+5

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DENON DP -M44RECORD -PLAYBACK FREO,JENCY FESPONSE

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PLAYBACK RES 'OW

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FREQUENCY IN HZ (CYCLE; PER SECOND)

The upper curves indicate overall record -playback response at the manufacturer'sindicated 0 -dB recording level using the tapes designated on the graph. In the centerare the same measurements recorded at -20 dB relative to the upper curves, a levelused for frequency -response measurements. Bottom curves show playback responsewith calibrated test tapes and indicate performance with prerecorded tapes.

were the wow -and -flutter measure-ments. Tape speed error was aboutaverage. Fast -winding times wereon the slow side, but not exception-ally so, and the line input and out-put levels were entirely normal.

COMMENTWe found that the DR -M44 did anexcellent job playing prerecordedcassettes and in dubbing and play-ing back material from both LP'sand CD's. Wow -and -flutter was not-able only for its absence, and withDolby C hiss was noticeable only

"I said Wo' and I mean 'No,' Robert! You are not going to purchase a tunerthat has rhodium -plated jacks, and if I hear one more word about Rill Hoff -man's tuner with the rhodium -plated jacks, you can leave the table!"

against the virtually silent back-ground of a wide -range digitalsource.

We have had occasion to criticizea number of automatic tape-opti-

sAm

WE FOUND THATTHE DENON DR -M44DID AN EXCELLENT JOBPLAYING PRERECORDED

TAPES AND DUBBINGFROM BOTH LP'SAND CD'S.

asva

mizing systems, but the one in theDR -M44 did its job properly. Wewere particularly pleased at the abil-ity to make direct comparisons be-tween optimized and factory -setperformance-one feature wewould like to see widely emulated.

Nor could we fault the human en-gineering of the deck, except per-haps for its somewhat slow rewindspeed. Others might find a single -memory rewind -to -stop insufficientautomation, but we did not.

In short, the Denon DR -M44 hasthe features and performance welike to find in a cassette deck, andwe can recommend it without hesi-tation. Craig StarkCircle 142 on reader service card


TEST REPORTS

HARMAN KARDONT60 TURNTABLE


HARMAN KARDON'S Model T60is a single -play, two -speed,

semiautomatic turntable whoseheavy (4 -pound) die-cast alumi-num -alloy platter is belt -driven by aservo -controlled, quartz -locked d.c.motor. Special measures have beentaken to reduce the turntable's sus-ceptibility to external vibrations.

The T60's base is made of high -density particle board chosen for itsacoustical damping properties. Theplatter and tone arm are rigidlymounted on a floating subchassisthat is suspended as a unit from thebase on compliant isolation springs.The center of gravity of the sus-pended system is located on the cen-ter axis of the platter to improve thestability of the subchassis. Fourlarge feet support the base, eachone adjustable for leveling the turn-table.

The relatively thin rubber matthat covers the platter of the T60 issaid to have only a few thousandthsof the rebound coefficient of thetypical rubber turntable mat. In oth-er words, it forms an acousticallyabsorbent "dead" layer that mini-mizes the transmission of vibra-tions from the platter to the stylustip. Also assisting in this regard is a1 -pound disc "stabilizer" thatcomes with the turntable. Whenplaced on the spindle, it presses thedisc firmly against the mat.

The tone arm's cueing lever oper-ates with a definite toggle action, re-maining either up ordown and causing thearm to lift or descendat a fixed rate virtuallyindependent of the rateat which the lever ismoved. Lifting thearm from its rest startsthe motor. Duringplay, the arm is notcoupled to any internalmechanism, but it canbe set to lift automati-cally at the end of play

Featuresffm

0 Vernier speed control0 Weighted disc stabilizer with

stroboscope markings for 331/3- and45-r pm speeds and50- and 60 -Hzline frequencies

0 Low -mass tubular tone arm with plug-inheadshell

0 Highly damped rubber platter mat Defeatoble auto -lift function at

end of ployEl Arm capacitance -trim control, which

adds 100 or 200 pF to basic armand cable capacitance

0 Gold-plated signal lacks and cableplugs

0 Operating controls that ore accessiblewhen dust cover is lowered

(this also shuts off the motor butdoes not return the arm to its rest).

Other unusual features of the HKT60 include a three -position car-tridge -load capacitance switch andseparate 1 -meter -long low -capaci-tance cables for connecting the turn-table to an amplifier. The completeunit weighs 20 pounds, counting thedisc stabilizer, and measures 171/2inches wide, 151/4 inches deep, and5;13 inches high. Price: $440. Har-

man Kardon, Dept. SR, 240 Cross-ways Park West, Woodbury, N.Y.11797.

MEASUREMENTSWe installed a cartridge in the armof the T60 with the help of a tem-plate and tracking -error protractorsupplied by Harman Kardon. Whenadjusted according to the instruc-tions, the tracking -error and stylus -

force calibrations arevery accurate. The an-tiskating adjustment,as in most tone armswe have tested, gaveoptimum correctionwhen set a few tenthsof a gram higher thanthe indicated trackingforce. Unlike mostother turntables, theT60's antiskating com-pensation did notcause a significant out-

H-HOUCK LAB MEASUREMENTSHIRSCFlutter: 0.075 per cent

1IS-weighted rms; ±0.1 per centDIN peak

Principal flutter frequencies: under5 Hz with a 20 -Hz componentabout 15 dB lower in level

Rumble: -40 dB unweighted;-62 dB ARLL weighted

Tracking -angle error: maximumof 0.25 degree per inch at 4 -inchradius

Effective tone -arm mass: 10 gramsTracking -force calibration error:

none from 0.5 to 1.5 grams; 0.05

grams low at 2- and 2.5 -gramssettings

Capacitance of connecting cable:25 picofarads (pF)

Total capacitance of arm andcable: 100 pF

Added switched capacitance: 100or 200 pF, as marked

Speed adjustment range: +4 to-3.6 per cent at 331/3 -rpmsetting; +5.8 to -4.6 per centat 45 -rpm setting

Warp tracking ability: aboutaverage


The Casio KX-101.Casio's new computerized

audio system does more than justdouble on keyboards. It lets yourecord your own hits.

For Casio has packed a com-plete audio entertainment center into16 portable pounds of state-of-the-art wizardry.

The KX-101 isthe only sound systemaround that givesyou an AM / FM stereoradio. Detachablespeakers. A cassetteplayer and recorder. A

three -channel keyboard. And a minirecording studio.

So you can not only tune intosome beautiful music-you can makeyour own. The 37 -key keyboard hasmonophonic and polyphonic chan-nels that let you record melodieschords, and acconipani-

onto a cassette tape for storage.And the computerized tape

recorder's nine different automaticscarring functions allow you -.0program and play back your tapesin a \.ariety of ways.

Sound too good to be true?Just check out the new Casio KX-101.And discover the lightweight virtuosothat projects the most sound perpound.

CASIOment-then dump them Where miracles never cease

Casio, Inc. Electronic Musical Instrument Division: 15 Gardner Rcad, Fairfield, N.J. 07006 New Jersey (201) 575-7400, Los Angeles (213) 803-3411.CIRCLE NO 5B ON READER SERVICE CARD

TEST REPORTS

ward drift of the arm when the cue-ing device was used. The 10 -gramnet effective mass of the tone armwas slightly less than average, andwe would describe it as a low -me-dium -mass arm. With our test car-tridge, it resonated at a nearly ideal8 Hz.

The unweighted rumble of theT60 was among the lowest we haveyet encountered, although the rela-tively high motor speed-comparedto that of a direct -drive motor, for

THE UNWEIGHTEDRUMBLE OF THEHARMAN KARDONT60 TURNTABLEWAS AMONG THELOWEST WE HAVEYET ENCOUNTEREDIN TESTING.

example-placed the principal rum-ble component around 9 Hz. Thisprevented the ARLL-weighted rum-ble measurement from being as out-

standing as the unweighted meas-urement. Nevertheless, the ARLLreading of - 62 dB was considerablybetter than most of the measure-ments we have obtained from otherturntables.

Considering the T60's very com-pliant turntable suspension, whichappeared to resonate at a few hertz,the transmission of audio frequen-cies through the mounting feet wassurprisingly high. Although therewas no measurable transmissionabove 100 Hz, the major modes at10 to 25 Hz and at 45 to 55 Hz werecomparable to those we have meas-ured on many conventionally sus-pended turntables. As usually hap-pens, operating the turntable withits cover raised greatly increased itssusceptibility to base -conducted vi-bration.

COMMENTThe Harman Kardon T60 is a verysolidly built, smoothly operatingrecord player. If it is placed on a ri-gid surface, as the instructions rec-ommend, the turntable is nearly im-mune to shocks resulting from strik-ing or pounding the supporting sur-face (or even the turntable base it-self). But if the support is not rig-id-like the steel shelves on which

"... I'm sorry, Bernie, Joe is in no condition to come to the telephone. He's stillcelebrating the Supreme Court's decision making home video taping legal."

we placed the unit-even a slow,gentle pressure on the supportingsurface can rock the turntable on itssoft mountings and cause mistrack-ing or groove skipping. This is not afault, nor is it unique to the T60-itis characteristic of any turntablesuspension with a lightly damped ortotally undamped infrasonic reso-nance frequency-but it is a possi-

THE T60 IS AVERY SOLIDLYBUILT, SMOOTHLYOPERATING RECORDPLAYER. IF IT ISPLACED ON ARIGID SURFACE,IT IS NEARLYIMMUNE TOSHOCKS.

ble installation consideration.Switchable load capacitance is a

good idea, although a few amplifiersalso offer this feature, but the con-trol should probably have been lo-cated in the rear of the player, sinceit is an installation adjustment rath-er than an operating control. Boththis and the vernier speed controlare nearly flush -mounted knobsmeant to be turned with a coin.

The operation of the T60 couldhardly be simpler, and we found theautomatic motor turn -on when thearm is lifted an ideal arangement. Iteliminates the need for a powerswitch, which we did not miss for aninstant. Even when the automaticend -of -play arm lift is activated, thepickup can be cued to the innergrooves of almost any record with-out triggering the lift mechanism, afelicitous touch not always found onautomatic turntables.

All things considered, our experi-ence with the Harman Kardon T60showed it to be an excellent turnta-ble-easy to set up and use, attrac-tively styled, and reasonablypriced. Julian HirschCircle 143 on reader service card


GMCTruck & Coach.General MotorsCorporation

Pickuyour li

Just pick up a pickup from GMC.A truck, you say? Yes, but no ordinary

trucks, these. We're talking cream -of -the -croppickups from GMC, the people who bring younothing but trucks.

Our little S-15 is as stylish as can be. Itoffers optional luxuries and civilized amenitiesyou'd expect in a car.

An S-15 is a useful second vehicle to havearound. It's available with either 2- or 4 -wheeldrive. With V-6 power optional. So it will goalmost anywhere, off -road or on.

You can equip an S-15 to haul your boats

or snowmobiles or other stuff. Or convert to acamper. And be generally helpful.

Look in the Yellow Pages for the GMC truckdealer nearest to you. Buckle yourself into alittle fun, a little spirit, a little something

you've been missing. Add a littlepickup to your life.

For a free copy of GMC's28 -page, "How To LiveComfortably With A Truck:'

please write to: GMC TruckMerchandising Drawer 30093,

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A truck you can live with.

Official Truckpqr of the XXIIIrd

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956)Los Angeles1984

GMC S-15 "4x4" PICKUP

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Some GMC trucks are equipped.r ft, engines produced by other GMdivisions subsidiaries. or affiliated

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STEREOTVHERE AT LAST

EXTENDING SOUND BEYOND THESCREEN ADDS GREATLY TO THE

ENJOYMENT OF MUSIC ON TELEVISION.BY LEN FELDMAN

Irs been available in Japan formore than five years, in WestGermany for more than three.Now, after lengthy and exhaus-

tive testing, it is finally available inthe U.S. "It" is stereo TV-or, asthe industry prefers to call it, "mul-tichannel sound for TV."

The difference in terminology re-flects the fact that in the UnitedStates interest in multichannelsound for TV broadcasts extendsbeyond just stereo music. There aremany areas of the country popu-lated by Spanish-speaking groups,for instance, and having multipleaudio channels available for TValso means being able to transmit asecond -language soundtrack for net-work TV programs or being able tobroadcast foreign films with sound-tracks in both English and the origi-nal language.

While the Japanese and Germansystems give broadcasters the op-tion of either stereo or dual -lan-guage mono sound, the system be-ing launched in the U.S. makes pro-vision for high-fidelity stereo audioand a simultaneous second languagein lower -fidelity mono.

GENESISWay back in 1959, when the FederalCommunications Commission wasconsidering systems for stereo FMbroadcasting, the question of stereosound for TV was also raised. At

that time, however, the consensuswas that stereo sound mated withthe small -screen pictures of a typicalTV set would be distracting and un-satisfying, and further considerationof two -channel sound for TV wasdropped.

But since then the viewing and lis-tening public has become familiarwith simulcasts (TV for picture,stereo FM radio for sound) of con-certs, operas, and other musicalfare. We have learned that stereosound adds to the enjoyment of vid-eo concerts even though the sonicimage often extends well beyond theTV screen.

THE CHANGEOVERBy the late Seventies, strong interestin multichannel TV sound, particu-larly on the part of broadcastersseeking second -language capability,led to the establishment of a sub-committee of the Electronic Indus-tries Association (EIA) for the pur-pose of testing and evaluatingmeans of providing it. After nearlyfive years of intensive effort andmany laboratory, broadcast, and lis-tening tests, the committee pub-lished two large volumes of data in-tended to assist representatives ofthe electronics and broadcasting in-dustries in voting on a single stan-dard for multichannel sound.

It was determined early on that allthe proposed transmission systems

STEREO REVIEW JUY 1984 37

would entail an unavoid-able and unacceptable in-crease in noise level frommono to stereo of about15 dB. While not as badas the 23 -dB or so noisedifference between monoand stereo FM radio, thiseffect was found to resultin poor sound quality forlisteners in suburbanweak -signal areas. There-fore, the search for atransmission or modula-tion system compatiblewith present-day monoTV sound was expandedto include tests for audionoise -reduction systemsthat could maintain high-fidelityaudio quality in stereo TV sound.

To avoid altering TV sound forthose who would still be listening inmono, it was decided that noise re-duction would be applied only tothe stereo "difference channel," notto the mono "sum channel," whichmono listeners would continue toreceive as before. Noise reduction,or companding, would also be ap-plied to the second -language chan-nel, or "secondary audio program"(SAP), which has a rather poor sig-nal-to-noise ratio without it.

Mitsubishi's CM -2501 component color monitor includes stereoinputs and speakers for use with a stereo VCR or TV tuner.

The winning modulation systemwas proposed by Zenith, and thechosen companding system camefrom dbx. Once the industry votefor a single standard system wastaken, the results were submitted tothe FCC. And at the end of lastMarch, the FCC issued a limited"free-market" decision-saying ineffect that any stereo -TV transmis-sion system could be used as long asit was compatible with a specific setof technical parameters. Those pa-rameters match the parameters ofthe Zenith/dbx system.

Most of the legal im-pediments having beencleared up by this ruling,both broadcasters andequipment makers havebegun gearing up for thearrival of stereo and bilin-gual TV. The ABC TVnetwork even announcedtentative plans (whichhave since been shelved,we understand) to tele-vise this summer's Olym-pic Games from Los An-geles using stereo and bi-lingual sound channels.

The coming of stereoTV and bilingual broad-casting will have a pro-

found effect both on the way we useour audio and video equipment andon the types of components we'll beable to buy in the future. To beginwith, you can expect TV/FM simul-casts gradually to disappear. TheFCC has tolerated such duplicationof audio programming on TV andFM only because until now therewas no other way to obtain stereosound for TV programs.

But the chosen system for stereo/bilingual TV sound in no waymakes anyone's present TV set "ob-solete." The many millions of mono

THE TECHNICAL DETAILS OF STEREO TV

Abroadcast television signal is avery complex waveform that

has to carry o great deal ofinformation. It can be analyzed astwo separate signals mixed together:o video carrier and on audio carrier.Most of the broadcast signal'senergy is in the video carrier, whichcarries the TV picture and the signals

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The audio carrier used to be afairly simple signal, like a mono FM

radio broadcast. But in order totransmit stereo sound and bilingualprogramming, subcarriers hove beenadded. In the stereo TV systemdeveloped by Zenith, the modulationof the main audio channel consists ofa left -plus -right IL R) audio signalsumming the two stereo audiochannels. This makes it compatiblewith mono TV's.

The channel -difference audiosignal -R) causesdouble-sideband, suppressed -carrieramplitude modulation of o subcorrierat twice the TV horizontalscanning -line rote (which is 15.734kHz). The bandwidths of both thesum and difference audio signalsextend to 15 kHz (as in stereo FMradio broadcasting), and thepre-emphosis of the main signal (1 +R) during transmission remains 75microseconds (also os in FM radio).The pre -emphasis of the L - Rsignal, however, is controlled by thecompanding noise -reduction system.

The subcarrier for the secondary

audio program (SAP) is five times thehorizontal line rate, and it isfrequency -modulated by on audiosignal limited in bandwidth to 10kHz. The SAP channel'spre-emphosis is also part of thecompanding system.

Still another subcorrier is providedfor in the Zenith stereo TV system.Known as the "professionalsubchonnel," this is intended fortransmitting data or low -fidelity voiceprograms. Its frequency is six and ohalf times the horizontal line rate,and the audio bandwidth is limited to3.4 kHz.

Finally, to supply a synchronizingsignal to the stereo TV decodingcircuitry, there is o pilot tone at thehorizontal line rate. Its function issimilar to that of the 19 -kHz pilottone in stereo FM radio.

NOISE REDUCTIONSome sort of audio compressionduring transmission and equivalent


TV sets currently in use will contin-ue to receive a monophonic signaleven when stereo is broadcast, justas you can hear a stereo FM broad-cast on a mono radio. Of course,you won't be able to receive any sec-ond -language broadcast on your oldTV set unless it is one of the fewthat are "stereo -ready." But thecompanies selling stereo -ready sets(usually using some form of multi-plex -output jack) will surely offeradaptors to convert them to fullstereo/bilingual operation. (Sonyand General Electric have alreadyintroduced such devices for theirstereo -ready sets.)

If your set isn't stereo -ready, youcan, of course, wait for the introduc-tion of all -in -one stereo TV setsequipped with twin integral or de-tachable speakers, but that willmean discarding your present TV ormoving it to another, secondaryviewing location. If you own a goodstereo component system, youprobably won't want to convert tostereo TV via an all -in -one set.Rather, taking the same componentapproach that works so well forhigh-fidelity audio systems, you willwant to integrate stereo TV soundinto your existing stereo system anduse your present amplifier or receiv-

FIXED PRE -EMPHASIS

TE COMING OFSTEREO TV WILLHAVE A PROFOUNDEFFECT ON THEWAY WE USE OURAUDIO AND VIDEOEQUIPMENT ANDON THE TYPES OFCOMPONENTS WE'LLBE ABLE TO BUY.

er and loudspeakers, which arebound to be better than those sup-plied with almost any television setor monitor.

For some years now, leadingmanufacturers of video productshave offered video components aswell as complete television receiv-ers. A video system usually consistsof a TV tuner and a separate TVmonitor. The TV tuner resemblesan audio tuner or receiver. Beforelong, manufacturers will be offeringstereo TV tuners whose audio out-put jacks can be fed into any unused

VARIABLE -GAINELEMENT

expansion during reception isrequired with stereo TV if thereceived signal is to havehigh -quality audio. This"componsion" or "componding"action is provided by circuitryoriginating from dbx.

More sophisticated than the dbx-IIsystem used for home audio -topenoise reduction, the dbx stereo TVsystem operates in two stages:during transmission, one stagecompresses the overall signal leveland the other applies o variablepre -emphasis to the audio (seechart). The wideband amplitudecompression reduces the dynamicrange required in the transmissionchannels (the L - R difference signaland the SAP channel). The variablepre-emphosis system is o spectralcompressor able to boost or cuthigh -frequency levels depending onthe spectrum of the audio signals. Astereo TV receiver or tuner undoesall this compression with equivalentbut opposite expansion.

high4evel input (aux, tape, or tuner)on an audio amplifier or receiver.

Such tuners will have the requireddecoding circuitry built in, andswitches will select either stereo au-dio cr bilingual outputs. The moreelaborate models may also havevideo outputs, for feeding a TVmonitor, or stereo FM radio out-puts. If you already own a goodcolor TV set, though, you may pre-fer to buy a tuner that provides onlythe audio signals broadcast with thevideo. Then you can continue towatch your present set, but with thevolume turned all the way down,and listen either to high -qualitystereo -TV sound or a secondary au-dio program through your stereosound system.

The beginning of stereo TVbroadcasting is the most significantstep taken yet toward the final inte-gration of audio and video. Morethan likely, this new service willhave as profound an effect on thefuture of audio in the home as didthe coming of stereo FM more thantwenty-three years ago. Like themore recent introduction of the dig-ital Compact Disc, stereo TV prom-ises 1.o bring us closer to you -are -there realism in electronic home en-tertainment.

SPECTRAL COMPRESSOR

RMSDETECTOR

CLIPPER

BAND-PASSFILTER

SPECTRAL CONTROL

WIDEBAND COMPRESSOR

I

RMSDETECTOR

BAND-PASSFILTER

GAIN CONTROL

The spectral- and rtideband-compressor loops in dbx's noise -reduction encoderfor stereo TV act to reduce the dynamic range of the transmitted signal.

Special rms detectors control bothamplitude and spectral componsioncircuitry in order to minimize sensitivityto interfering impulse noises whilemaintaining appropriate reactiontimes for music signals to preventnoise "pumping" and "breathing."

A limiter is provided within the dbxTV encoder for preventingtransmission -channel overload withoutintroducing compressor/expandertrockng errors. A sum -channel filtercorrects for phase shifts added bythe componding.


AUDIO COMES OUTON TOP IN OUR

LABORATORY TESTSOF NEW VHS HI-FI

VIDEO CASSETTERECORDERS FROMJENSEN AND RCA

A SPECIAL TEST REPORTBY JULIAN HIRSCH

VHS HI TI:

Ai

UDIOPHILES have been "listen-ng" to a lot of video lately.We see more and more au-

dio equipment being hooked -up tovideo systems and more videoequipment with fantastic audio per-formance. The new Jensen AVS-6200 and RCA VKT-550 VHS Hi-Fi video cassette recorders certainlybelong in that category.

Until recently the sound qualityavailable from home VCR's wasgenerally poor or worse. A few mod-els had stereo, and some also in-cluded Dolby B noise reduction.But 45 -dB signal-to-noise ratios, 8-kHz frequency responses, and an-noyingly audible wow and flutterbarred them from consideration asserious products for the audiophile.About a year and a half ago, Sony

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announced the development of theBeta Hi-Fi system, with which aBeta -format VCR could record andplay sound of exceptional qualitywith or without an accompanyingvideo program. In general, the BetaHi-Fi decks have lived up to theclaims made for them. Their soundquality nearly matches that of digi-tal audio recording, and it is certain-ly better than that of the finest ana-log tape recorders used at home.

Shortly after the introduction ofBeta Hi-Fi, JVC responded by an-nouncing the development of VHSHi-Fi with similar performancespecifications. The first VHS Hi-FiVCR's have reached the market,and we took advantage of the op-portunity to test and compare twoof them. Our sample of the RCA


FIRST TEST

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VKT-550 ($1,000) was from an ear-ly production run. The Jensen AVS-6200 (approximately $1,200) was apreproduction sample said to meetthe performance standards of theproduction models but possiblyhaving minor differences in circuit-ry and appearance. These two mod-els are at or near the top of theirmanufacturers' VCR lines and in-clude all the operating features onewould expect in premium video-cassette recorders. The Jensen unit,in keeping with the company's high-fidelity tradition, has quite a fewfeatures designed to appeal to au-diophiles as well as videophiles.

The key to the high-fidelityVCR's is frequency modulation.Frequency -modulated signals arerelatively immune to interfering

noises, which is why FM radio cansound as good as it does. Like theBeta Hi-Fi system, VHS Hi-Fi fre-quency -modulates high -frequencycarriers with the two audio signals.Aside from this, however, the twosystems have little in common.

HOW IT WORKSIn Beta Hi-Fi, the FM carriers are

mixed with the video signal and re-corded on the video tape simulta-neously through the same set of ro-tating heads. In the VHS method,the frequency -modulated audio sig-nals are recorded and played backusing what JVC calls "depth multi-plexing." Separate audio heads onthe rotating video -head drum re-cord the stereo information rela-

tively deep into the tape's magneticcoating. The video signal is re-corded over i-. on the same portionof the tape, but much closer to thesurface of the coating so that it doesrot completely erase the audio car-riers. Crosstalk or interference be-tween the audio and video signals isavoided by using very different azi-muth angles for the FM -audio andvideo recording heads, which makesthe upper (video) layer of the re-cording effectively transparent tothe VHS Hi-Fi heads during play-back. The audio heads respond onlyto the FM carriers below the videosignal layer.

The basic modulation schemesused in both the Be -.a Hi-Fi andVHS Hi-Fi formats lead to audioplayback with a relatively poor sig-

20

STEREO REVIEW JULY 1984 4 I

RCAFEATURES COMMONTO BOTH RECORDERS

10 Wireless infrared remote control0 Unattended timer recording for

up to fourteen days (five eventsfor RCA, eight events for Jensen)

0 Input for video camera0 Sound recording from TV

broadcast, camera, TV/FMsimulcast, or any externalhigh-level audio source

0 Electronic four -digit index counter(displays time when recorder is offor when switched)

0 Twin -slider audio recording -levelcontrols

0 Separate peak -reading LEDaudio -level indicators for eachchannel (marked from -20 to+8 dB, red above 0 dB)

nal-to-noise ratio. Therefore, bothsystems use proprietary encode -de-code noise -reduction circuits thatare similar in concept, if not execu-tion, to the Dolby and dbx systemsfound in home audio -cassette decks.Also, in both systems, conventionallongitudinal analog soundtracks arerecorded simultaneously with theFM audio signals so that tapes canbe played on conventional VCR's aswell as those equipped with hi-fisound.

LAB MEASUREMENTSOur laboratory tests of these ma-chines were limited to their audioperformance (principally in the Hi-Fi mode, although we also checkedsome aspects of their longitudinal -soundtrack performance). For lis-tening comparisons, we dubbedCompact Discs onto both VCR's forA/B comparisons during playback.Their video qualities were judgedsubjectively, by recording TVbroadcasts and viewing the play-back pictures.

The frequency response wasmeasured by recording a sweepingsine -wave signal from a CD testdisc. This signal was flat within 0.5dB from 20 to 20,000 Hz. The play-back from the VCR was displayedon our UREI automatic plotter, us-ing an expanded amplitude scale.(Note: Our earlier tests of the Beta

0 Selectable automatic levelcontrol (ALC) for normal -modeaudio recording on longitudinalsoundtracks

0 Instant -recording mode(single -button selection of 30 -minuterecording periods for up to 4 hours)

0 All usual VCR features, includingfast forward and rewind, pause,high-speed search, single -frameviewing, digital -synthesis TV tunerincluding cable channels, etc.

RCA VKT-550

Frequency response in Hi-Fi mode(referred to 1,000 -Hz level): 20 to 20,000Hz +0.2, -1.7 dB

Frequency response in normal mode (at-3 -dB response points): 60 to 11,000Hz at SP speed; 58 to 2,700 Hz at SLPspeed

Harmonic distortion (at 1,000 Hz in Hi-Fimode): 0.32 per cent at 0 dB; 0.29 percent at +10 dB

Signal-to-noise ratio (A -weighted, referredto 0 -dB signal level): 71.5 dB in Hi-Fimode; 45 dB in normal mode

Flutter in Hi-Fi mode: 0.005 per centJIS-weighted; ± 0.008 per centCCIR-weighted

Flutter in normal mode: 0.1 per centJIS-weighted, ±0.17 per centCCIR-weighted at SP speed; 0.2 per centJIS, ±0.4 CCIR at SLP speed

Speed error: +0.4 per centInput sensitivity for 0 -dB recorded level:

100 millivoltsInput overload level: 4.2 voltsPlayback level from 0 -dB signal: 0.45 voltFast-forward/reverse time for T120

cassette: 4 minutes, 17 secondsStereo channel separation at 1,000 Hz: not

measurable (see text)

,.,...,,...

..--

Hi-Fi system were done using theregular scale, and thus the graphscannot be directly compared withthose given here.)

The 1,000 -Hz playback distortionwas measured for various recorded

SPECIAL FEATURES

OF RCA VKT-550

0 Records and plays back at allthree VHS speeds (SP, LP, SLP)

0 Peak -hold option onrecording -level display

0 Remote control has "doublespeed" mode to speed up pictureadvance (sound is inaudible in thismode)

0 Dimensions: 171/8 inches wide,141/2 inches deep, 43/4 inches high

0 Weight: 22 pounds, 6 ounces

input levels, all referred to the "0-

dB" LED of the recorder's scale.The A -weighted playback noise lev-el was measured relative to the out-put from a 0 -dB recorded signal at1,000 Hz. A 3,000 -Hz signal was re-corded from our flutter meter andthe playback signal returned to themeter for measurement. These testswere made at both the standard(fastest) and the slowest speed ofeach machine. Several types of vid-eo cassettes were used, includingMaxell HGX, BASF Chrome, and3M HGX Plus, but no differencesbetween them could be detected.We measured the playback channelseparation at 1,000 Hz for the Jen-sen recorder, but this was not possi-ble with the RCA unit since a signalapplied to only one input jack wasautomatically recorded on bothchannels (it performed properlywith stereo programs, however).

HOW /T SOUNDSIn their audio performance, thesimilarities of the Jensen and RCAmachines were much more strikingthan their differences. For mostpurposes, in fact, they could be con-sidered audibly equivalent. Andeven the measurable differenceswould probably not be heard with-out a direct A/B comparison.

Most of the differences we foundcould well stem from inevitable


JENSENSPECIAL FEATURES OFJENSEN AVS-6200

Records and plays back at twospeeds (SP and EP)

Separate pairs of audio outputsfor Hi-Fi audio and mixedHi-Fi/normal audio (continuouslyvariable front -panel mixer control)

Audio outputs switchable forstereo or one channel onlythrough both output jacks

Switchable Dolby B noisereduction for normal audiosoundtracks

Stereo or mono normal audiooutput

Switch -selectable audio andvideo inputs

Stereo headphone jack Separate microphone input jacks

sample -to -sample variations as wellas the fact that our samples werevery early production or preproduc-tion units (which, in our experience,do not perform as well as later full -production units). Besides, becausethe circuitry and tape transports areso thoroughly standardized, the de-sign of the VHS Hi-Fi system leadsus to expect very little audible dif-ference between any two correctlyoperating VHS Hi-Fi VCR's.

How good, then, was the audioperformance? In a word, excellent.For example, unlike conventionalanalog audio recorders, the VHSHi-Fi units are not subject to high -frequency tape saturation, whichusually requires the frequency re-sponse of a cassette deck to be meas-ured at a -20 -dB level. On the VHSHi-Fi decks, the overall frequency -response curves made at the indi-cated 0 -dB levels were virtuallyidentical to the ones made at - 20dB. And those curves were so flatthat they can be displayed as curvesonly with the expanded -amplitudescale we have adopted for digitalCD player measurements-theywould appear as straight lines other-wise! (The Jensen unit showed a"bump" of about 1 dB in the 70- to80 -Hz region and a rolloff of low -frequency response when measuredat -20 dB. But we've been told thatthe latter effect can be caused bymisadjusted VHS Hi-Fi circuits.)

for each channel (plugging in amike disconnects other audio signalsfrom that channel)

Picture -sharpness control Search mode selects eight speeds

in either direction, from one -fortiethnormal to seven times normcl (nosound is heard in search mode)

Index counter can be switched toshow remaining playing orrecording time (T120 and T160lengths only)

JENSEN A. VS -6200

Frequency response in Hi-FI mode(referred tc 1,000 -Hz level): 20 to 20,000Hz +0.5, -1.5 dB

Frequency response in normal mode (at-3 -dB response points): 70 to 8,000 Hzat SP speed; 90 to 2,300 Hz at EP speed

Harmonic distortion (at 1,000 Hz is Hi-Fimode): 0.05 per cent at 0 dB; 1.3 percent at +1) dB

Signal-to-noise ratio (A -weighted. referredto 0 -dB signal level): 80 dB in Hi -Flmode; 38.5 dB in normal mode, Dolbyoff; 45 dB in normal mode, Dolby on

Flutter: 0.00' per cent JIS-weighted, ±0.1per cent CCIR-weighted in Hi-Fi mode;0.24 per cent .11S, 0.4 per cent CCIRin normal -node (either speed)

Speed error: -0.15 per centInput sensitivity for 0 -dB recorded level:

120 millivolts at line inputs; 0.52millivolt at microphone inputs

Input overload level: 6.1 volts at lireinputs; 25 millivolts at microphoneinputs

Playback level from 0 -dB signal: 0.4 voltFast -forward /reverse time for TI20

cassette: 3 minutes, 17 secondsStereo channel separation at 1,000 Hz:

77 dB

u ,Arbu S,451

111

These VHS Hi-Fi machines havea headroom above their marked 0 -dB levels of at least 13 dB beforewaveform distortion becomes ap-preciable, and even then the distor-tion does not take the form of the

Insert editing permits changing alimited audio/video segment of arecorded tape

Audio dubbing permits normalaudio tracks to be rerecordedwithout affecting video program

Cue switch con be set to stop topeautomatically in fast -wind mode atthe beginning of a recording madeon the AVS-6200

Remote control provides directentry of TV channels

Dimensions: 17 3/16 inches wide,144.8 inches deep, 43/16 inches high

Weight: 21 pounds, 8 ounces

third -harmonic distortion com-monly used as the basis for settingthe upper limit in analog tape re-cording. Therefore, we specified thesignal-to-noise ratio (S/N) of thesemachines relative to their 0 -dB lev-els. When defined in this ultracon-servative manner, the noise per-formance of both decks was excel-lent: 71.5- and 80 -dB S/N's, respec-tively, for the RCA and Jensenunits. Since the distortion does notbecome significant until the level isconsiderably higher, one might wellbe justified in adding 13 dB to thesefigures, yielding S/N's of 84.5 and93 dB-figures that rival those ofCD players and digital -audio re-corders. The same could be said forthe almost unmeasurable-and cer-tainly inaudible-flutter figures (be-tween 0.007 and 0.01 per cent).

Listening tests for noise reductionmisbehavior revealed a little noisepumping or breathing when wedubbed a digitally mastered pianorecording from a Compact Disc.The effect was no different fromwhat occurs when Beta Hi-Fi decksattempt the same task. Since the au-dibility of the effect seems to varywith the setting of the tracking con-trol and with the tape speed em-ployed, this might be another resultinfluenced by our test units' beingearly samples. You might want tolisten carefully for this effect (using

(Continued on page 84)


SYSTEMSA FIRST-CLASS COMBINATIONOf HOME AUDIO WITH VIDEO

BY GORDON SELL

The idea of a unified audio and video systemwas very appealing to Malcolm Rutledge, aNew England investment banker. "But at heartI'm a tweak," he says. "It seemed almost

sacrilegious to play my audio system (Linn Sondek,Dynavector, Kyocera, Revox, and Magnepan) in thesame room with a projection TV." So he decided tobuild what he calls a "screening room."

Rutledge got rid of his floor -standing projection TVand mounted an Inflight Services V Star 4 in theceiling. The V Star 4 is a $13,000 consumer version ofthe video projector used on commercial airliners. Also inthe system are a Magnavox video -disc player, aPanasonic VCR, and a Jensen AV -1500 audio and videoreceiver. On the audio side are a Mark Levinson ML -9preamp and ML -10 power amp, a Sony CDP-200Compact Disc player, Cabasse Clipper speakers, and aNiles A/V Patch Bay. Most of the system is operable byvarious remote controls. The walls and cabinetry arefinished with seven coats of hand -rubbed lacquer. Thecolor is Money Green.

10VIDEO CLASSICS:A BASIC LIBRARY OFROCK -&-ROLL

BY LOUIS MEREDITHAs little as two years ago,compiling a reasonable Hallof Fame list of home rockvideos would have been aniffy proposition. Therewasn't much out there, anda lot of it was terrible. Thissituation has changed withsurprising speed, probablythanks to MTV. Right now,in fact, we may be onlyweeks away from the timewhen every rock -relatedfilm or TV clip ever madewill be available for homeconsumption.

In compiling thisadmittedly subjective AllTime Top Ten, I've usedthree secondary criteria tonarrow the field. First, theprograms had to beabove -ground commercialreleases. Second, when indoubt, I opted for videoswhose home versions differfrom theater or broadcastversions. And, finally, Itried to maintain somehistorical perspective.

Unless otherwiseindicated, all of thefollowing are video tapesavailable in both the VHSand Beta formats.

1 THE KIDS AREALRIGHT

(RCA tape and CED disc).A love letter from a fan,director Jeff Stein, to a

Left, Roger Daltrey in theearly Seventies (photo,Michael Putland/Retna).Inset photos, from top:Sixties Who (Retna); Queentoday (Capitol); early TinaTurner, far left (Capitol);early Seventies MickJagger (StephenMorley/Retna).

band, the Who. From MyGeneration to Won't GetFooled Again, fromperformances on the TVshow Ready Steady Go tothe final concert withKeith Moon, this remainsthe most comprehensive,exhilarating, andaffectionate rockdocumentary of them all,and no band deserved itmore. Available in monoon tape, but don't throwaway your CED versionbecause RCA's video dischas a spectacular stereosoundtrack.

2 GIMME SHELTER(RCA/Columbia).

On tour with theRolling Stones at their

performing peak(Keith Richards was

awake most of the time)and culminating with the

horrific violence andmurder of the AltamontFestival. If rock-and-rollever produced a Greektragedy, this is it. Justreleased on LaserDisc, itsfirst appearance in stereo.

3 QUADROPHENIA(Thorn/EMI). AnotherWho product, this gritty,kitchen -sink -realist accountof growing up Mod in themid -Sixties is a sort ofEnglish Graffiti, with arunning musical narrationbased on Pete Townshend'sgrand, ambitious follow-upto Tommy. It's still the bestdramatic film ever madewith rock as a subtext. Thedance -hall scenes, featuringSting of the Police, havemore kinetic excitementthan a week's worth ofMTV. Not yet available instereo 5

Avs %GO

4 A HARD DAY'SNIGHT

(Maljack). Four lovableLiverpool lads frolickingthrough a black -and -whitewonderland while makinginfectious, affectingrock-and-roll music.Showing the Beatles as all

Top, Sigourney Weaver in Alien (photo, Sygma); middle, ascene from Apocalypse Now (photo, Sygma); bottom,Christopher Reeve in Superman II (photo, DC Comics)of us remember them (andas they probably neverwere), this has taken onadded poignancy sinceDecember 8, 1980. JohnLennon couldn't have anicer memorial.

5 THIS WAS ROCK(Media HomeEntertainment). Editeddown from two famousdrive -in -movie rock concert

classics of the Sixties (theTAMI and TNT shows),this is probably the mostexciting live video you'llever see, with a talentroster including nearlyeverybody who was makingmusic at the time exceptthe Beatles. High points:James Brown's Night Trainon one foot and the Stones'game efforts to upstage him.


10MOVIE CLASSICS:A BASIC LIBRARY OfSONICSPECTACULARS

BY LOUIS MEREDITHBelatedly, it seems to bedawning on everybody thathalf the fun of home videois aural. That being thecase, here's a personalsampling of some of thebest -sounding videomovies you can get at themoment. I've selectedthem both for their demovalue, as old-fashioned

sonic spectaculars to showoff your equipment, and fortheir aesthetic value, wherethe sound significantlyenhances your enjoymentof what you're watching.Most are available on bothtape and disc. The sound isbest in the LaserDiscversions.

1 SUPERMAN (THEMOWE)

(Warner Bros.).Anotherspectacle thatloses somethingon the tube and amarvelous exampleof how sophisticatedsound can restore yoursense of wonder. Whetheryou're listening to thefustian John Williams scoreor a detonating A-bomb,the LaserDisc sound canconvince you that you'reback in the theater.

2 ALIEN(CBS/Fox). SigourneyWeaver's incomparablebehind excepted, most ofthe visual impact of thisouter -space spook show islost on the small screen.The cacophonous stereosound on my disc versiondid much to restore theshudders to director RidleyScott's stylish Lovecraftianhorrors.

3APOCALYPSE NOW(Paramount).Notwithstanding MarlonBrando's peculiarperformance as a beached



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VIDEO CLASSICS:A BASIC LIBRARY OFBALLET& OPERA

BY CHRIS ALBERTSONFor the longest time,producers of video softwarefor the home market stayedclear of classical music, butwith VCR's going stereoand the release of videodiscs escalating, that

situation is gettinggolliM better. Naturally, the

concentration is on themore visually interestinggenres, ballet and opera,although a few symphonicworks have also appeared.

The ballet and operavideo catalogs offer avaried repertoire, rangingfrom a British productionof H.M.S. Pinafore withAmerican game -show hostPeter Marshall to a Russiandocumentary on primaballerina Maya Plisetskaya.

Except for FrancoZeffirelli's La Traviata,which I viewed on cassettebut which is also availableon LaserDisc, all the tapes Iconsidered came from onesource, Video ArtsInternational (mono VHSor Beta), and all the discswere from Pioneer.

In making my selections,I focused on the artisticmerits of the performances,but I also took into accountthe audio and videoquality, direction, scenicdesign, and generalappearance. I made specialallowances only formaterial of historical valuewhose artistic strength issimply overpowering. (Ifyou have trouble findingthe VAI tapes, write toVideo Arts International,

Inc., P.O. Box 153,Ansonia Station,

New York, N.Y.10023.)

Maya Plisetskayaas Odette inTchaikovsky'sSwan Lake

1 SWAN LAKE(Video Arts International).An extraordinary 1957Bolshoi production of


Tchaikovsky's classic balletwith Plisetskaya in the twinroles of Odette and Odileand with Fadeyechev as amasculine Prince Siegfried.Although forty-sevenminutes shorter and lessremarkable technically, thisperformance has a dramaticflair unmatched on theotherwise superb PioneerLaserDisc version of a 1980Royal Ballet performance atCovent Garden withNatalia Makarova.

2 CARMEN BALLET(Video Arts International).This seventy -three -minutetape of the legendary MayaPlisetskaya also includesvery brief excerpts fromDying Swan, Raymonda,and (with VladimirVasiliev) a Bach prelude.But consider these littlebonuses attached to anextraordinary full-lengthperformance choreographedby Alberto Alonso to musicby Russian composerRodion Shchedrin afterBizet's opera Carmen. Thecinematic treatment is rifewith memorable imageryand superb dancing. As inthe other Russian balletfilms, the production leavessomething to be desiredtechnically, but it is anartistic triumph that shouldnot be missed by any loverof dance.

Cotrubas and Domingo inTales of Hoffmann (photo,Pioneer)

3 THE TALES OFHOFFMANN

(Pioneer LaserDisc). One ofthe first classical LaserDiscreleases, this 1981 RoyalOpera House performanceof Offenbach's operaremains one of the best. SirJohn Gielgud introduceseach segment, and PlacidoDomingo is the poet whogets progressively drunkeras he tells three tales ofpast heartbreaks and thusbrings about a fourth. Hisfanciful stories comewonderfully alive in thisfine production, with asplendid supporting cast,including Ileana Cotrubasand Agnes Bal:sa,conducted by Colin Davis.

4 AiDA(Pioneer LaserDisc). Thevastness of the 25,000 -seatarena in Verona, Italy, is initself impressive, but it is

Domingoand Stratasin LaTraviata(photo,MCA HomeVideo)

doubtful that in its2,000 -year history the sitehas seen a more spectacularproduction than this 1981staging of Verdi's Aida.Conducted by AntonGuadagno, with sets andcostumes by Vittoria Rossiand featuring singers MariaChiara, Fiorenza Cossotto,Nicola Martinucci, andGiuseppe Scandola, this isgrand opera at its grandest.The sound is astonishinglygood when you consider theimmense problems thatmust have faced theengineers in trying tocapture it.

5 THE NUTCRACKER(Pioneer LaserDisc). ThisAmerican Ballet Theatreversion of Tchaikovsky'sChristmas perennial wasproduced, conceived,directed, and almostentirely choreographedby Mikhail Baryshnikov.

William Conrad as the Mikado

He also dances, togetherwith Gelsey Kirkland andAlexander Minz. Thestudio recording takesadvantage of the videomedium for special effects.The entire production is ajoy-even the mice arelovable. Add to that thesuperb sound and picturequality of a well -pressedLaserDisc, and you have anhour and nineteen minutesof solid familyentertainment that candelight the year round.

6 LA TRAVIATA(MCA Home Video VHSand LaserDisc). FrancoZeffirelli's feature -filmversion of La Traviatatakes Verdi's hauntingopera out of the confines ofthe stage and lets it rompin magnificent outdoorsettings and opulentinteriors. Only the look isdifferent from an ordinaryopera production, for the

score is faithfully adheredto by conductor JamesLevine and theMetropolitan OperaOrchestra and Chorus.Flora's ball is beautifullystaged, and Teresa Stratasand Placido Domingo aresplendid as Violetta andAlfredo. No opera videocollection should bewithout this gem.

7 THE MIKADO(Pioneer LaserDisc). Thecampy goings-on in Gilbertand Sullivan's The Mikadohammer home theAmerican musical theater'sdebt to the famousnineteenth-century writingteam. Pish-Tush, Pooh -Bah,Nanki-Poo-the namesalone are irresistible, butthis studio production, withWilliam Conrad (star ofTV's Cannon) in the title

role, has a specialcharm and is

(photo, Pioneer Artists)

excellently engineered. Thesoloists, London SymphonyOrchestra, and AmbrosianChorus are conducted byAlexander Faris.

8 THE SLEEPINGBEAUTY

(Pioneer LaserDisc). Thisperformance of theTchaikovsky ballet by theKirov Ballet was taped lastyear at Leningrad's KirovTheater, but theproduction's lineage tracesback to 1890, when thework was first performedon the same stage. Backthen, the city was known asSt. Petersburg, the hall wasthe Maryinsky Theater, andthe resident corps was, ofcourse, the ImperialRussian Ballet. Only thenames have changed, andon these four LaserDiscsides the traditioncontinues with all thebrilliance of old. Irina(Continued on page 89)

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COMPONENTCOMPATIBILITY

SOME COMPONENTS WORK WELL TOGETHER,SOME DON'T. WHAT SHOULD YOU WATCH

OUT FOR WHEN MAKING HI -fl MATCHES?BY JULIAN HIRSCH

0 NE of the great advantagesof building a music systemfrom separate components

is that you can select each part withan eye to your own special needs,taste, and budget. But it is also nec-essary to consider how well the var-ious components will work togetherin a system.

There are some component com-binations that simply will not workvery well. They may produce an un-satisfying sound quality or even re-sult in damage to one or more of thecomponents involved. On the otherhand, you don't have to worryabout every link in the high-fidelityreproduction chain. Compatibilityproblems arise with only a few ofthose links, and they can be avoidedby following a few guidelines.

CARTRIDGE/TONE ARMAt first glance, you'd think therewas nothing to worry about inmatching a phono cartridge with aturntable's tone arm. After all, ex-cept for P -mount units, every tone

arm can accept cartridges whosemounting holes are spaced half aninch apart, and every cartridge hasmounting provisions for that spac-ing. Can it be that we don't have tobe concerned with compatibilityproblems in record players?

Unfortunately, the answer is no.This is one of the cruciat match -upsin a hi-fi system, and it requires ex-treme precision in order to realizethe full performance potential ofboth cartridge and arm.

The first point to consider regard-ing the compatibility of a given car-tridge with a given tone arm ismass. Some tone arms are specifi-cally designed for use with a rela-tively massive, low -compliance car-tridge, and others are intended foruse only with very lightweight car-tridges. In any case, check thesespecifications before buying.

A cartridge that is too light can beweighted down to meet a tone arm'sminimum requirements but addingmass to the counterweight to bal-ance a heavy cartridge upsets thetracking -force calibration. In gener-

al, adding any mass to the pickupsystem is undesirable, so it is betterto make a good match in the firstplace. Regardless of specifications,an inability to balance the arm withthe cartridge in place is prima-facieevidence of incompatibility.

Related to the question of tone -arm and cartridge mass is the prob-lem of tone-arm/cartridge reso-nance. The compliance (springi-ness) of the cartridge's stylus -hold-ing cantilever assembly will reso-nate at some low frequency with thecombined "moving mass" of thecartridge and tone arm. It is desir-able to have this resonance occuraround 12 Hz, which is high enoughto avoid groove -skipping problemswith warped records and lowenough to avoid a peak in the lowend of the audible range.

You can predict whether you willhave problems with tone-arm/car-tridge resonance by taking a look ateither the recommended tracking -force range of the cartridge or itscompliance specification. A lightertracking force or a higher com-pliance means that the cartridgeshould be used in a lighter tone arm.Some tone arms are electronicallyservo -controlled to eliminate reso-nance problems, and certain car-tridges have attachments that dampout most low -frequency resonance.

Once you have a compatible car-tridge and tone arm, you must becareful to install the cartridge cor-rectly. Installing a'conventional car-tridge is, as I have often noted inthese pages, a tedious, exacting, andyet critically important job in set-ting up a record player. While mi-nor errors are not usually as seriousas many people would have you be-lieve, large ones can not only causesubstantially increased distortionbut also degrade channel separationand stereo imaging.

Fortunately, questions of compat-ibility as well as all problems of in-stallation are neatly resolved by theincreasingly popular P -mount sys-tem. Designed several years ago by

Technics and now licensed to sev-eral other turntable manufacturers,the P -mount system eliminatesevery cartridge installation and set-up adjustment.

SOURCE/AMPLIFIERWith any line -level (or high-level)signal source-a tuner, a cassettedeck, an equalizer, a Compact Discplayer, etc.-the only issue inequipment matching is impedance,and with modern equipment it isvery unlikely to be a problem. Theobject is to have a low -impedanceoutput drive a high -impedance in-put so as to prevent an undesirableloading of the signal source. All theusual line -level sources have outputimpedances of a few thousand ohmsor less (often only a few hundredohms), and the line- or high-levelinput impedance of today's pream-plifiers (or the preamplifier inputsof receivers or integrated ampli-fiers) is rarely less than 47,000 ohmsand typically at least 100,000 ohms.A mismatch between source andpreamp is theoretically possible, butit is not a practical concern.

Similarly, there is almost no pos-sibility that a preamplifier and apower amplifier of recent vintagewill be incompatible. The input sen-sitivity of power amplifiers is typi-cally on the order of 15 to 50 milli-volts for a 1 -watt output, and al-most any amplifier can be driven toits full output by a signal of no morethan about 2 volts. This suggeststhat a preamplifier needs a maxi-mum output of at least 2 volts and anoise level at least 70 to 80 dB be-low that in order to drive a poweramplifier to its full output withoutcontributing audible noise at nor-mal listening volumes. Just aboutany name -brand preamplifier avail-

able today surpasses these require-ments by a healthy margin.

AMPLIFIER/SPEAKERAn amplifier's ratings are usuallybased on the power it can deliver toa pair of 8 -ohm resistor loads overthe full audio frequency range withless than a specified maximum dis-tortion percentage. That is fine asfar as it goes. But real speakers donot seem much like 8 -ohm resistorsto an amplifier. They are a complexcombination of resistance, capaci-tance, and inductance, and all ofthese change with frequency and tosome extent with signal level.

A speaker's highly variable im-pedance causes it to draw from theamplifier a current whose amplitudeand phase, relative to the ampli-fier's output voltage, can vary over awide range even with a constant -amplitude input signal. If the ampli-fier can deliver the required currentat the required voltage without dis-

C.

sc

L

tortion, all will be well. The troubleis, most real amplifiers do not be-have this way except under rathernarrowly defined conditions, andnone of them have infinite currentcapability.

If the amplifier balks at giving thespeaker the amount of current thatit requires, the result will be someform of distortion since the wave-form of the acoustic output will notmatch that of the input signal. Thisdeparture from ideal conditionsmay take place at frequencies out-side the usual audio range, eitherbelow or above it, but that does notmean that its effects go unheard. Ifthe amplifier itself becomes non-linear because of an overload atsome inaudible frequency, it willnot be able to do a proper job withinthe audio band. The results can cer-tainly be heard, and they are notpleasant.

Some amplifiers are more suscep-tible to this effect (current limiting)


than others because of their over-load protection systems or theirlimited power ratings. If the speakerimpedance is reasonably constantthroughout the audio band and doesnot become too low or too reactivefor the amplifier to drive, thereshould be no problem with ampli-fier output -current limiting. The ac-tual impedance of most "8 -ohm"speakers drops to lower values atsome frequencies, sometimes to lessthan 4 ohms, but almost any goodamplifier can drive 4 -ohm loadswithout difficulty.

Problems can arise, however,from using two pairs of nominally8 -ohm speakers in parallel or (theworst case) two pairs of "4 -ohm"speakers, the combined impedanceof which may be less than 2 ohms.Few amplifiers will perform at theirbest under such conditions. Mostwill distort or shut down at a frac-tion of their rated power output,though a few can develop morepower output into 2 ohms than with4- or 8 -ohm loads. If tests show thatan amplifier can deliver at least asmuch power into 2 -ohm loads as itcan into 8 -ohm loads, there is littlechance that it will have any difficul-ty driving real speaker loads.

SPEAKER/ROOMA major interface in a music systemis the one between the speakers andthe listening room. In this case,"compatibility" involves very com-plex (and largely unpredictable) in-terrelationships among the speak-ers, the room boundaries, the fur-nishings and wall, ceiling, floor, andwindow treatments, and the posi-tion of the listeners. Together thesefactors are likely to have a greater

effect on the sound of a system thanall other factors combined.

You'll have to experiment to getthe best results from your installa-tion-which may not necessarily bethe best sound that your system


PHONO CARTRIDGE/PREAMP COMPATIBILITY

Among all the signal sourcesthat may be used in a music

system, the phono cartridge is themost likely candidate for apreamplifier -interface problem. Buteven with cartridges these problemstend to be small and easily avoidablewith typical high-fidelity products today.

Almost all moving -magnet (MM)cartridges are designed to delivertheir rated performance when loadedby a resistance of 47,000 ohms andshunted by a total capacitance(including that of the preamplifier,the tone arm, and the connectingcables) on the order of 100 to 500picofarads. As a rule, neither of thesevalues is critical, and a resistance ofat least 47,000 ohms is a de factostandard in hi-fi preamplifier designthese days. The capacitancecomponent of the cartridge load isless easily determined, but with mostcartridges the effect of even a largeerror in capacitive termination will bea relatively minor change inhigh -frequency response-rarelyenough to be audible without somesort of A/B comparison.

A problem that was prevalent adecade ago but rather rare todayconcerns the RIAA equalizationaccuracy of the phono preamplifier.Some designs can be affected by theinductance of an MM phonocartridge connected to them. Theresult is usually a slight alteration (acouple of decibels) of the responseabove several kilohertz.

More than impedanceconsiderations is involved in thecartridge/amplifier interface. Theavailable maximum signal level mustbe sufficient to drive the amplifier toits full output-or at least asufficiently high one. (No great harmwill result if your 200 -watt amplifierputs out "only" 100 watts whendriven by the peak output of yourcartridge!) On the other hand, toohigh a cartridge output level mightoverdrive the preamplifier andproduce distortion.

In the past, some phono cartridgescould deliver very high outputs, asmuch as 50 millivolts or more, when

playing high-level passages. Theresult could be an overload of thepreamplifier, even at low listeninglevels, clipping the waveform beforeit reached the power amplifier.That problem has been effectivelyeliminated by the expandedheadroom of today's phonopreamplifiers. Almost all can handlesignal inputs of more than 100millivolts without clipping. In someamplifiers, increased phononeadroom has assumed overkillproportions, reaching 300 or moremillivolts, although even a50 -millivolt peak output from anymodern cartridge and record isunusual.

There is also a potentialcompatibility problem at the low endof the amplitude scale. Moving -coil(MC) cartridges have become quitepopular in recent years, and most ofthem develop a rather small outputvoltage in comparison to MMcartridges. A fraction of a millivolt istypical, and in some cases the outputis best expressed in microvolts.Additional gain is needed in thephono preamplifier to raise thissignal to the level of an MMcartridge output. Sometimes this gainis built into the preamplifier, or eveninto at integrated amplifier or.weiver, but many people prefer touse an external transformer, "headamplffier," or "pre -preamplifier"between an MC cartridge and astandard MM phono input.

There are also a number ofhigh -output MC cartridges available.Typically, they are able to deliver upto 1 to 2 millivolts from mostrecords. They are designed tointerface with a regular preamplifierMM phono input with its47,006 -ohm resistance. It is usuallynecessary to set the volume controlhigher than normal when you areusing an MC cartridge, but its lowresistance is an effective short circuiton the preamplifier's phono input,reduciag its noise. The overall systemsignal-to-noise ratio can be betterwith an MC cartridge and highvolume settings than with an MMcartridge operated at lower settings.


The

COMPACT DISCTAKEOVER

DIGITAL AUDIO TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING, ANDNOT JUST IN THE DIRECTIONS YOU MIGHT THINK

BY DAVID RANADA

To

HE digital -audio CompactDisc system will succeed. Salesf some record companies'

CD's already exceed those of theirequivalent black -disc LP's (Telarcclaims a seven -to -three ratio in fa-vor of its CD's). Consequently,there seems to be little doubt thatthe system will fulfill its inventors'expectations: parity in productionwith the LP within ten years.

A NEW MEDIUMCritics of the system, however,claim that it is in its infancy, thatfurther development will have to

take place before the technology canbe called mature. They are right.Compact Disc technology is brandnew, as the ages of information me-dia are measured, and it will under-go vast changes as it develops.

From the start of the combinedresearch and development work onthe CD system by Philips and Sony,it has been hoped that the systemwould eventually supplant all play-back -only audio media (specificallyLP's and prerecorded cassettes).With CD player prices starting at$500 and player sizes at least aslarge as mini -components, thereseemed little chance that the CD

system would ever get into automo-biles, or that there would ever bedigital -disc equivalents of Walkmanportable players. Until now, that is.When I was in Japan on a recenttrip, Sony engineers showed me thefuture of CD technology and it in-cludes exactly those devices.

SHRUNKEN CIRCUITSThe best way to reduce the size andcost of any stereo component, with-out sacrificing features or perform-ance, is somehow to reduce thenumber and size of the parts neededto make it. In this digital age, that


usually means putting as much aspossible in one integrated circuit.An IC can perform the functions ofthousands of transistors and otherelectronic components in what is es-sentially one part. Not only is thatpart smaller than the components itreplaces, it is also more rugged andreliable, it simplifies the design ofcircuits around it, and-in the longrun-it is less expensive.

A ONE -CHIP PLAYERWhat Sony has done (and, to judgeby the date code stamped on thesample chip I saw, has been doingsince early this year) is to integrate asubstantial portion of the circuitryneeded to run a CD player onto oneIC (part No. CX23035). Includedon this small chip of silicon are theservo speed control for the disc mo-tor, sync detection for the digital bitstream, the error -correction circuits,time -base correction, and data -in-terpolation circuits. These functionswere formerly performed by threeseparate IC's and a fair number ofdiscrete components. The olderchips themselves were equivalent toabout 27,000 discrete transistors.

The new integrated circuit, alongwith a newly developed miniatur-ized laser "pickup," allows a sub-stantial reduction in CD player size.The CMOS (complementary metal -oxide semiconductor) process fromwhich the chip is made leads to asubstantial reduction in power con-sumption-which implies, ofcourse, battery -operated players. Infact, the first Sony products that willuse this chip are those in whichsmall size and low power consump-tion are an absolute necessity: carCD players and portable, Walkman -like CD players (for around $500).Both have been demonstrated inlaboratory prototype form, and pro-duction versions will probably ap-pear in audio stores this fall.

Sony is by no means the onlycompany working to extend CDtechnology. Matsushita (Technicsand Panasonic) is also working onreducing the size and number ofCD -player parts. They are develop-ing car and portable players as wellas some interesting home units, in-cluding a CD changer. Philips andPioneer, among others, are alsoknown to be developing new CDproducts for the home and car.

Although the potential audioquality of the CD system is mathe-matically limited by the present au-dio -encoding standard, there areother aspects to the CD standard

that are only now being exploited.For example, the storage of picturesand text information-along withthe music-on a Compact Discpressing for playback on a TV orcomputer -monitor screen was envi-sioned in the early developmentwork on the CD. That is why theCD bit stream contains as yetunused room for picture and textdata (in the form of "subcode sym-bols"). A standard for encoding textand video -game -like pictures is onlynow being reached, but soon the lin-er notes for an album may appearnot on paper but on your TV screenor computer monitor.

Such screen -output players arethe first stage after car and portableplayers. Then will come the bigmove of CD technology into thecomputer biz: "optical data stor-age." Work is well along at Tech-nics, Sony, Philips, and other re-search labs on the storage and distri-bution of computer data recordedon Compact Discs.

BIG BYTESA typical home -computer floppydisc can hold about 500 thousandbytes of information (one byte is es-sentially equivalent in informationcontent to one letter or numeral).Sony's proposed digital -data encod-ing scheme could preserve as muchas 500 million bytes of informationon one disc, which is why the tech-nology might become very attrac-tive to the computer industry. Ency-clopedias, maps, books, computerdata bases, dictionaries, and evenmagazines may eventually be pub-lished on CD's. Several companiesrecently demonstrated working pro-

totypes of such a system, whichSony calls the CD-ROM (for Com-pact Disc Read -Only Memory).

MIX AND MATCHAnd that's only the beginning.DRAW technology (for Direct ReadAfter Write) permits digital record-ing on a CD -like substrate. That dig-ital data could turn out to be a digi-tally encoded audio signal. Evenmore exciting are developments in"magneto -optical" disc technology.A magneto -optical disc recorder willnot only record on a CD -like me-dium, but it will also permit im-mediate playback or, unlike aDRAW disc, erasure of the recordedmaterial. With this technology atrue CD audio recorder is possible;it would record discs playable on fu-ture car CD players and CD person-al portables. And magneto -opticalstorage is just what is needed forcomputers: a relatively inexpensive,reliable, rugged, and transportablemass -storage medium capable ofholding, on a single optical disc,more computer information thanthe average person will ever use in alifetime.

If Sony and Philips get theirway-and they control CD licens-ing agreements-all these media(audio CD, CD-ROM, DRAW, andthe magneto -optical disc) will becompatible. A fully equipped CDplayer of the future will be able torecord magneto -optical or DRAWdiscs and to play a CD-ROM intoyour home computer or an audioCD into a stereo system. The im-portant aspects of disc compatibili-ty (track pitch, disc speeds, laserwavelength and intensity, etc.) willhave been standardized.

If you think this is all idle "futur-ologist" speculation, take a closelook at the functions performed bythat Sony all -in -one chip. Not oneof the functions it performs is spe-cifically limited to audio. Turning aCX23035 chip into a CD player stillrequires the addition of a digital -to -analog converter and analog outputcircuitry. The chip's own output isonly digital data. Digital data couldbe anything digitally encoded: au-dio, text, computer graphics, com-puter programs, or video signals.Sony and others obviously intend touse this chip (or its relatives or de-scendents) as the central circuit in afamily of CD -related technologies.Yes, the CD age is just beginning,and the technology will prove to bemore useful and versatile than wecan presently imagine.


THEAir

SOUNDFIELD ONESPEAKER SYSTEM

THE FIRST dbx SPEAKER HAS FOURTEEN DRIVERSAND ALMOST UNBELIEVABLE STEREO IMAGING

A SPECIAL TEST REPORT BY JULIAN HIRSCH

WIDELY known for its disc and

cetape

noise -reduction systemsand related signal -processing ac-ssories, dbx has now developed

its first speaker system, and it is asdistinctively different in design and operationas the company's other products. Called theSoundfield One, or SFX-1, the system was de-signed to provide optimized stereo imagingthroughout a listening room, freeing listenersfrom the usual need to remain in a closely de-fined area in order to obtain the intended ster-eo effect.

Each speaker in the Soundfield One systemtakes the form of a large, free-standing squarecolumn -42 inches high and 16 inches on aside. Finished in walnut, each side of thespeaker has two drivers mounted in it, a 10-inch acoustic -suspension woofer and a 4 -inchmidrange, covered by a removable browngrille. On top of the 80 -poundcolumn is another removablegrille that covers a hexagonalarray of six 1/2 -inch tweeters.The comprehensive, well -written instruction manualrecommends against placingthe speakers next to a wall orin corners but says that other-wise they aren't terribly sensi-tive to room position (withwhich we would agree).

So that the fourteen (!)drivers in each speaker cabi-net will produce the desired

radiation pattern, the key to the SFX-1'ssound quality, their input signals are individ-ually equalized in phase as well as amplitude.Because of some parallel internal driver con-nections, each speaker unit requires "only"ten sets of individually corrected signals,which are derived from an unusually complexpassive crossover network. This network hasalso been designed to give a relatively flat andresistive average system impedance of 4.5ohms ( ± 1.5) over the entire audio range.

Since the crossover network mainly pro-vides the required phase and amplitude char-acteristics for each driver, additional equaliza-tion is necessary to produce a reasonably uni-form overall output throughout the audiorange. This equalization is provided by the ex-ternal control unit, the SFC-1, that comes withthe Soundfield One system. Normally con-nected into the signal path via a tape -monitor

loop or between the pream-plifier and power amplifier,the SFC- l permits system re-sponse to be tailored to theroom or listener.

Measuring 171/2 x 81/2 x 13/4inches and finished in blackwith silver trim (optionalwood side panels are in-cluded), the SFC-1's appear-ance matches that of otherdbx electronic components.But the control options itLeft, the complex crossoverused in the dbx SFX-1.

1

2

5 6 STEREO REVIEW JULY 1984

provides includes some that are as unusual asthe speakers it is used with. The LOW -FRE-QUENCY COMPENSATION slider boosts or cutsthe deep -bass response (below 100 Hz) tocomplement the low -end response of the lis-tening room. The HIGH -FREQUENCY COMPENSA-TION slider is actually a spectral -tilt control. Itcan progressively slant the frequency balanceof the system downward from low to high fre-quencies to compensate for recordings thatwere made to sound spectrally balanced withconventional speakers but sound overly brightwith the SFX-1 when the controller is set forflat response.

The AMBIENCE slider adjusts the proportionsof channel -sum (L + R) and channel -differ-ence (L - R) signals present in the midrangeto control the perceived spaciousness of thesonic image. The AUTO BALANCE buttonswitches in a circuit that keeps the two chan-nels in balance as the user changes from oneprogram source to another. The SFC-1 also in-cludes a low -frequency filter ( -3 dB at 32Hz), a high -frequency filter ( -3 dB at 18,000Hz), and a RUMBLE SUPPRESS circuit that pro-gressively blends the channels below 100 Hz.All of these are switchable.

SELF-DEFENSEBecause of its enormous boost capability(more than 35 dB at 20 Hz relative to the

The SFC-1 not only equalizes the response of theSFX-1 but also contains unusual control features.

1,000 -Hz gain), the SFC-1 includes a fixed in-frasonic filter and a unique power -monitorcircuit that is connected directly to the speakerterminals on the music system's amplifier.The power monitor uses dbx's proprietaryrms-level detectors to monitor the levels de-livered to the speakers. Intended to protectthe drivers against burnout, it has operatingtime constants comparable to those of thespeaker coils. If the time -averaged output ofthe amplifier comes within 5 dB of the speak-ers' safe limits, a yellow warning light on theSFC-1's front panel comes on. At the absolutemaximum limit, a red LED lights and the sig-nal level is slowly reduced (it is graduallyrestored when the potentially dangerous pow-er levels have ceased).

BACK TO BASICS:THE DESIGNPROCESS

S[range as it may seem, it is rare tofind an audio product designed

from the start to interactsynergistically with properties of thehuman hearing system. Time -delaysystems are one example of the genre,and the dbx SFX-1 speaker system isanother. Instead of concentrating onwhat might be called the engineeringtrivia of loudspeaker design-drivermaterials or shape, exotic forms ofdistortion, and the like-Dr. MarkDavis, psychoacoustician and designerof the SFX-1, had only one basic goal:"the design of a stereophonicloudspeaker system whose radiationpattern has been optimized to maintainconstant imaging throughout most ofthe listening room."

Note that the traditional audioparameters of high fidelity (frequencyresponse, distortion, etc.) are absentfrom this goal. Why? Because therewere more important things to worryabout. "The overall sound quality of a

loudspeaker system is primarilymediated by its radiation pattern" wasDavis's fundamental hypothesis. Notonly frontal, or "on -axis," responsehas to be considered, but all theso-called "off -axis" responses mustalso be controlled, not simply left tochance once the frontal response hasbeen made flat.

When listening to speakers "you donot hear the drivers, you hear theradiation pattern," according to DavisA speaker's "sound" is a composite ofthe frontal radiation and what bouncesoff the walls, ceiling, and floor. Get the

Figure 1: the desired radiation pattern

radiation pattern right, and the restwill fall into place.

The derivation of the ideal radiationpattern was the first task in the designof the SFX-1 and the point where

psychoacoustics first stepped in. Theoptimum pattern was determined by anexperiment, a controlled listening teston the "psychoacoustics of horizontallocalization"-that is, how we hearstereo images. It was found that theideal pattern is moderately directional,with about a 10 -dB difference betweenthe levels in the loudest and softestdirections of radiation (Figure 1).What's truly unusual is that theloudest axis points toward the otherspeaker.

A stereo image is formed by theears' analysis of the comparativearrival times and intensities of thesignals from each speaker. When youare standing closer to, say, theleft -channel speaker, its sound arrivesat your ears before that of the rightchannel, which would normallycollapse the image into the leftspeaker. To maintain a stereo imagebetween the speakers, the perceivedlevel of the right -channel speaker hasto be higher when the listener isstanding closer to the left speaker,thus "pulling" the image toward thecenter. Davis's radiation pattern tradesoff differences in sound -arrival time fordifferences in sound intensity.


The most significant feature of the dbxSoundfield One system is not its unusual de-sign or fine measured performance, but how itsounds. Regarding that, let me say first of allthat the imaging qualities of this system livedup to the manufacturer's claims in full meas-ure. With programs that placed perceivedsound sources at distinct points between thespeakers, it was possible to walk around theroom, and even up to the speakers themselves,with little or no apparent change in position orvolume of the program components. It wasdisconcerting, in fact, to find that standingclose to the front of one speaker sometimescaused it virtually to disappear sonically, ap-parently leaving the other speaker to carry theprogram alone. In general, however, the ap-parent volume and stereo -stage configurationwere practically independent of the listeninglocation. This quality alone would be suffi-cient to set the SFX-1 apart from convention-al speakers-and, in our opinion, above mostof those on the market.

VANISHING SPEAKERSWhat about the sound quality itself as distin-guished from the imaging properties? We soondiscovered that listening to the SoundfieldOne can be very addictive. Once suitable con-trol settings on the SFC-1 have been estab-lished, these rather large speakers seem to

vanish, leaving the listener gratefully im-mersed in a sea of music. Almost any compli-mentary adjective could be applied to thesound of these speakers without undue exag-geration. Still, it must be remembered that thesystem's control flexibility permits considera-ble variation in the overall sound. Thesespeakers can be made to sound just as good (orbad) as the listener prefers-or as the programmaterial itself may merit.

POWERFUL IMPRESSIONListening to music on both Compact Discsand dbx-encoded LP records, we were able toput the controller's power monitor to the test.The red warning LED lighted a: approxi-mately the clipping point of our 200 -watt am-plifier with such dynamic material as Telarc'sCD recording of Stravinsky's Firebird. Thesound reproduction at this high level was su-perb in its stereo spread and impact, and thespeakers withstood this treatment easily. It isapparent that even more powerful amplifierscould be used to advantage with the SFX-1system since dynamic peaks can far exceed theaverage power output to the speakers withoutoverheating or damaging the dr:vers. To-gether, the twenty-eight drivers in a pair ofSFX-1 speakers can safely absorb surprisinglylarge amounts of power.


Figure 2: a typical speaker's pattern.

Davis also discovered that in orderto maintain a "fused" image withmusic, the radiation pattern had to beheld "across substantially the entireaudio band." The frequency response,in other words, had to be flatregardless of the horizontal angle ofradiation from the speaker. This wasthe hard part.

A typical front -firing speaker system(like most speakers on the markettoday) has a radiation pattern thatlooks something like that in Figure 2,which shows the radiation pattern infive frequency bands of one highlyregarded front -firing three-way system.As the frequency changes, so does theradiation pattern, becoming narroweras the frequency rises. Although thefrontal response is flat (all the curvesmeet on the front axis), the off -axisresponses are definitely not. Thisbehavior is typical of front -firing

speakers, and Davis believes it isresponsible for their characteristic"boxy" sound quality.

The problems in designing the dbxSFX-1, then, were how to create thedesired radiation pattern, an unusualone to begin with, and how to maintainit over a wide range of frequenciesusing cost-effective, rugged, and provendynamic drivers-which wouldordinarily produce radiation patternslike those in Figure 2. The solutionwas to adopt a technique used inadvanced radar and sonar systems: thephased array. A phased array is amultidriver system in which thefrequency and phase response of eachdriver is manipulated so that thecombined responses from all thedrivers results in the desired radiationpattern. The drivers "interfere" witheach other deliberately in a specific,controlled fashion.

In dbx's SFX-1, the fourteen driversin each speaker are in a phased array.The complex signal conditioningnecessary is performed by a verycomplicated crossover circuit. Nearlyevery driver must receive a signal thatdiffers even from the other driverscovering the same frequency range.

The crossover circuit-and theacoustical analysis needed to specifythe necessary crossovercharacteristics-could only have beendesigned with the aid of a computer,though in this case it was nothingmore advanced than a bank of Applehome computers.

The outcome is the radiation patternshown in Figure 3, measured from thefinished SFX-1. It closely matches theideal pattern, at least above 150 Hz(lower frequencies are emitted almostomnidirectionally but have little effecton the stereo image). It's nice to see

Figure 3: the SFX-I 's radiation pattern.psychcacoustical research and audiopractice come together in a productthat can accurately be described asunprecedented. It's also gratifying thatIt sounds so glorious. David Ranada


RECORD MAKERSBY CHRISTIE BARTERAND STEVE SIMELS

RITAIN'S Royal Opera,ID from Covent Garden inLondon, will make its firsttrip to America when it vis-its Los Angeles this monthas part of that city's OlympicArts Festival. Led by its mu-sic director, Sir Colin Davis,the company will presentthree operas, including itscelebrated production ofBenjamin Britten's PeterGrimes with Jon Vickers inthe title role.

Davis, Vickers, and thecompany recorded Grimesfor Philips Records in 1978.A later performance of thework with the same artists isavailable in video on Pio-neer LaserDisc.

The Royal Opera opens atthe Dorothy Chandler Pavil-ion in Los Angeles on July 9

Hairy Gary Glitter

with a new production ofPuccini's Turandot. Gwy-neth Jones and PlacidoDomingo will sing the lead-ing roles. The third opera inthe company's repertoire forL.A. is Mozart's The MagicFlute. Davis's new recordingof that work will be releasedby Philips in the fall. 0

Alsocoming from across

the Pond for his firstAmerican tour is Britishrocker Gary Glitter. No lessan authority than BoyGeorge has described Glitteras "pure entertainment onall levels," proving thatchest hair still has a place inrock-and-roll.

Although Glitter has neverappeared in the UnitedStates before, his records

Jon Vickers as Grimes in L.A Olympic Arts Festival

have-most recently as oneof Epic's ill-fated ten -inchNuDisks of a few years ago.His early Seventies singleswere among the purest popmusic ever made by Westernman, and they influenced anumber of American per-formers (ask Joan Jett, forinstance).

It's a fairly safe bet thatGlitter will not be doing anyBritten operas on his Ameri-can tour. He will be bringinghis original back-up, theGlitter Band, and a new al-bum, "The Leader," whichcontains all eleven of hisU.K. chart singles, includingRock and Roll (Parts I & 2).

Big Question: Will Gary,who is known for mammothweight problems, be able tosqueeze back into that ridic-ulous suit? 0

GUITARS for bars? It's nota scene from a rock-

and-roll remake of 20,000Years in Sing Sing, but justPete Townshend in a posefrom his soon -to -be -releasedSony Video LP, called sim-ply "Pete Townshend."(They're clever, those Brits.)Originally made for MTV,the tape features seven videoclips done to accompany theaudio album "All the BestCowboys Have ChineseEyes." It will be available inBeta Hi-Fi and VHS stereo.

Also due and noteworthyfrom Sony, through a newleasing arrangement withMTV, are excellent VideoLP live concerts by GrahamParker and Warren Zevon,and, on a slightly less exaltedaesthetic level, sets by Kan-sas and the Outlaws. 0

Townshend behind guitars, soon to be a major Video LP


8 ACK in Romania theymay have laughed when

young Gheorghe Zamfir satdown to play the accordion,but when he switched to thepanpipes, or panflute, it be-came serious business. Nowthat he is the King of thePanflute, it is very seriousbusiness indeed. His inter-national record sales are sobig that in ten countries theyhave won him all of nine-teen Platinum and twelveGold records.

Even in the United States,where Zamfir made his firstsolo appearances only re-cently, his record sales havetopped 200,000. He ap-peared at the classiest WestCoast halls in the spring, andhe will return in the fall toplay at the Kennedy Centerin Washington and at AveryFisher Hall at Lincoln Cen-ter in New York.

A multimedia performer,

Zamfir goes Hollywood

Zamfir has taken to U.S. ra-dio and television (includingthe Mery Griffin Show). Hecomposed the score for JohnAvildsen's film The KarateKid, released in June. Thesoundtrack is a current Poly -Gram release from which asingle is being pulled.

His other recent film cred-its include the scores forRobert Duvall's Angelo, MyLove and Peter Weir's cultpicture Picnic at HangingRock. Zamfir's panpipes arealso featured on the sound-track for Sergio Leone'sOnce Upon a Time in Amer-ica starring Robert de Niro.

Zamfir has not neglectedhis classical career, however.His latest Philips release(412 221-1) features his ownRhapsodie du printemps andConcerto No. 1, which heperforms with the MonteCarlo Orchestra! 0

RECORD ,JVIAKERSMel Brooks shakes hisbooty in the brilliant

video version of The HitlerRap, his hilarious dance rec-ord "inspired" by his re-make of Ernst Lubitsch's1942 film To Be or Not toBe. As you may know, MTVhas refused to air the five-minute parody (allegedly for"tastelessness," which ismildly astonishing given thesex -and -violence MTV ped-dles routinely), but have nofear. Soon you'll be able tocatch the video in movietheaters. In a canny market-ing move, 20th Century Foxhas decided to re-release ToBe with The Hitler Rap as anaccompanying short subject(the record, by the way, isstill available as an Antillestwelve -inch). 0

AMERICAN concert musicis no longer the wall-

flower of the arts. flutistRansom Wilson's album ofworks by Steve Reich, PhilipGlass, and Frank Becker, re-leased by Angel Records in1982, sold well enough thatAngel had Wilson back inthe studio this year to recordmore of the same.

The new album, "Meet theMinimalists," is scheduledfor September release. Itcontains Reich's Eight Lines

It's dance time for Hitler, but not on MTV

albums, says, "I feel verygood about the renaissancein American composing. Fortoo long it was academic andreached only a few people.The minimalists have some-thing that reaches youngpeople, and it's exciting tosee these composers drawinglarge, enthusiastic, youngaudiences."

Minimalist Reich, conductor Wilson, producer Laursen

and the premiere recordingof John Adams's Grand Pi-anola. Wilson performs herenot as flutist, but as the con-ductor of his orchestra, theSolisti New York.

Angel's Patti Laursen,who produced both of these

THE new recording ofpop-ular Italian songs sung

by Luciano Pavarotti andcollected under the title"Mamma" on London Rec-ords was recorded in Gene-va while the great tenor wassinging in performances of

Verdi's Un ballo in mas-chera. The musicians for therecord were members of theOrchestre de la Suisse Ro-mande, but to assure an id-iomatic sound the back-upchoristers were bussed overthe Alps from Italy. Sales of"Mamma" are sure to peakin this country later thissummer when Pavarotti ap-pears at major Americanarenas in New York, Dallas,Chicago, San Francisco, andLos Angeles. 0

Van Dyke Parks has puttogether a charming set

of twelve songs for his newalbum, ''Jump." Togetherthe compositions form asong cycle based on JoelChandler Harris's classicchildren's book, Tales of Un-cle Remus. The adventuresof Brer Rabbit, Brer Fox,and company may be prettyfar out for a pop artist, butParks has never been exactlyconventional. His recentprojects have ranged fromcalypso music ("The Clangof the Yankee Reap-er") to film scores("Popeye"). For the

"Jump" album he adopteda musical -comedy sound.Martin Fydor Kipper's lyricsare hopping good fun, andthe music is as hummableas anything coming out ofBroadway this season. F.R.

HE name of Los Angeles-/ born soprano ArleenAuger is familiar to Ameri-can classical record collec-tors because her discographyconsists of more than onehundred titles. But since shehas spent almost all of hersinging career to date in Eu-rope, Auger is virtually un-known to concertgoers inher native country. Thisyear she is changing all thatand is shifting her base ofoperations back to the U.S.

Unable to make up hermind between the East andWest Coasts, she is stillshopping for a new home.But she will be appearing

Auger comes home

frequently on the Americanfestival circuit this summerand in concert halls fromcoast to coast next season.Her latest record release is amajor one, and it is onan American label. It'sBrahms's German Requiemconducted by Robert Shawfor Telarc. 0

THE Rolling Stones havesettled their nearly dec-

ade -old legal dispute withformer manager Allen Klein.This clears the way for Kleinto release a home -video ver-sion of Ladies and Gentle-men, the Rolling Stones, theband's 1974 live concertfilm. Unfortunately, the dealdoesn't cover the Stones'never -aired Rock and RollCircus TV special. 0


In 8.5 seconds,Sityhawit will change your mind

about 13uicks.Let's face it. Some people think of a Buick

as being, well, traditional. But an 8.5 secondzero -to -sixty time at our proving grounds ishardly what you would call staid.

This is a Buick? Ah, yes. This is a newBuick Skyhawk T TYPE. It's smartly outfitted,as you can see. And full of surprises.

It sports an available multi -port fuel -injected, turbocharged 1.8 litre engine thatmakes it both responsive and practical.

It has front -wheel drive.

And high -rate suspension linked with quicksteering produces the precise handling youjust might not expectfrom Buick.

Visit a Buick dealer andbuckle yourself into aSkyhawk. Then braceyourself for a change ofmind. And a pleasantone at that.Wouldn't you really rather have a'Buiclz?

OM fcral Cat of the XXII1rd OlympiadLos 'Ingo's, 1984

7.=

Some Buicks are equipped with engines pnxluced by Dther GM divisions,subsidianes or affiliated companies worldwide. See your Buick dealer for details.

=UST OF THE MONTH

JOE JACKSON'S"BODY AND SOUL":INTELLIGENTROMANTIC BALLADSTHAT LEGITIMIZENAKED EMOTION

ANYONE without the kind of"New Music" credentials Joe

Jackson has would be hooted off toLas Vegas-or, worse, the Gram-mies-for making music as unapol-ogetically romantic as that on hisnew "Body and Soul" album. ButJackson's honesty and intelligencelet him get away with it.

Apart from legitimizing nakedemotion, Joe Jackson has done an-other wonderful thing with "Bodyand Soul"-revived the lost art ofliner notes. The ones here were writ-ten by the album's producer, DavidKershenbaum, and they are infor-mative and insightful in the tradi-tion of Leonard Feather, Nat Hen -toff, and Ralph Gleason. In fact, theentire package-patterned exactlyafter a Sonny Rollins series on BlueNote records, right down to theduotone cover, liner typography,and thicker -than -average disc in-

JacA .von: ecting

side-has theIt A eriaR

Piano chords,look and feel of Fifties jazz. ',Ones" I

But, except for the larger ensembleused here, which includes mutedtrumpet and flugelhorn, saxophone,flute, and jazz guitar, the music it-self retains the Latin/light-jazz fla-vor of Jackson's "Night and Day"and "Mike's Murder," with an em-phasis on ballads and slow -to -mod-erate dance tempos.

This is not to suggest that JoeJackson hasn't progressed with thisalbum: he has. Lyrically, he's lesscleverly circumspect about the emo-tional content. It's right out in theopen this time. And "Body andSoul" can claim three of the bestthings he's ever done-The Verdict,Loisaida, and Heart of Ice. The Ver-dict is a song of powerful con-trasts-majestic drum and brass

fanfaresalternate with the hushed tone ofJackson's piano accompanimentand fragile vocal, all the more af-fecting because it scrapes again: thevery top of his range. Loisaida andHeart of Ice are, interestingly, in-strumentals. The former is a

mournful theme for sax and trum-pet, which plumb the deepest lamp -lit sorrows while Jackson's pianochords flicker above like a starrynight. Heart of Ice starts with just asteady rhythm in the high -hat thenadds trumpet and flute, bass, tenorand alto sax, piano, synthesizer andguitar-each combination restating,amplifying, and embellishing thesong's luminous theme. It's cappedwith a chorus-sung by Jackson,


BEST OF THE MONTH

Elaine Caswell, and Ellen Foley-that's so jubilant it's impossible notto feel better after hearing it.

While Jackson's muse isn't alwaysthat sharp-Go for It is a good ideaawkwardly executed-"Body andSoul" has so much heart you hardlynotice. It's the kind of album thatcan carry emotions and attach itselfto a time, a place, or a feeling like afavorite hat-or an old Sonny Rol-lins ballad. Mark Peel

JOE JACKSON: Body and Soul. JoeJackson (vocals, piano, saxophone); vo-cal and instrumental accompaniment.The Verdict; Cha Cha Loco; Not Here,Not Now; You Can't Get What YouWant (Till You Know What You Want);Go for It; Loisaida Happy Ending; BeMy Number Two; Heart of Ice. A&M SP5000 $8.98, © CS 5000 $8.98; © CD5000, no list price.

atmFRESH, GRIPPINGRACHMANINOFFSHOWPIECES

JUST when you think you've hadyour fill of Rachmaninoff war-

horses, the C Minor Piano Concertoespecially, along comes a perform-ance that seizes and holds your at-tention from first note to last. So itis with the new album of the con-certo and the Paganini Rhapsody byCecile Licad, the Manila -born 1981Levintritt Award winner, with Clau-

dio Abbado conducting theChicago Symphony in the firstrecording CBS has done withthis orchestra in a good manyyears.

Theirs is no razzle-dazzletreatment of the much -played and sometimesabused Second Concerto.Throughout the firstmovement in particularthere is a feeling of

towork onrmth

andthe intelligence Reed snapshots.from

pianist and conductor. Both seemintent on bringing out the sym-phonic quality of the music withoutslighting its sentiment and bril-liance. The hallmark of the finale isstated in the crispness of the quietorchestral opening, and the cele-brated horn solo later on emergeswith unusual loveliness.

In the Paganini Rhapsody, Licadcuts loose with all the virtuosity ather command, but never at the ex-pense of musicality. And Abbado,too, takes great care to achieve aperfect integration of balance, color,and textural detail throughout. Thedigitally mastered sonics are up tothe highest CBS standard. This discis a winner! David Hall

RACHMANINOFF: Piano ConcertoNo. 2, in C Minor; Rhapsody on aTheme of Paganini. Cecile Licad (pi-ano); Chicago Symphony Orchestra,Claudio Abbado cond. CBS 0 IM38672, ©IMT 38672; © MK 38672, nolist price.

Claudio Abbado and Cecile Licad: warmth, intelligence, and virtuosity

a teal Rrownop,s

LOU REED'STUNEFUL, ACCESSIBLE"NEW SENSATIONS'

"N EW SENSATIONS:. among otherthings, just might be the Lou

Reed album for people who've nev-er liked Lou Reed. Though it's assmart and moving and (occasional-ly) abrasive as anything he's done inthe past, it's also tuneful, beautifullyproduced, and (obviously deliber-ately) accessible. And yet, oddly, it'sof a piece with his other recent ef-forts, "The Blue Mask" and "Legen-dary Hearts," which were madewith the same instrumental forcesbut recorded more or less live.

Some of the album finds theformer avatar of punk in an ex-tremely sunny, even jocular mood.Turn to Me, for example, initiallysounds like the raunchiest sleaze -rocker since the Stones' Honkv-Tonk Women (Reed plays his ownguitar, by the way), but on closer ex-amination it turns out to be a hilar-ious deadpan mock -urban blues.Other times, the humor is blacker.In Endlessly Jealous, for example,Reed is fighting with his girl friendand begs his fingers, "Please don'tbreak her arm."

Mostly, though, this is a (gasp!)serious record. The songs, by andlarge, are poetic snapshots from areal life-sometimes passionate,sometimes matter-of-fact musingsby an actual grownup who hasn'tquite given up on pop culture butwho knows, as John Lennon onceobserved, that there's more to lifethan the Billboard charts.

Add to all that a very fine record-ing, lots of felicitous little touches in

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BEST OF THE MONTH

5

the arrangements (the real ratherthan synthesized strings that creepin at the end of Endlessly Jealous,Lou's brief, witty guitar solos), andthe powerful jazz -tinged bass workof Fernando Saunders, and whatyou have is, if not the best, certainlythe most consistent solo album ofReed's career. As he himself ob-serves in one of the songs, "NewSensations" is rooted in the Fifties,but its heart is right here in 1984.Don't miss it. Steve Simels

LOU REED: New Sensations. LouReed (vocals, guitars); Peter Wood(keyboards); Fernando Saunders (bass);Fred Maher (drums); other musicians. /Love You, Suzanne; Endlessly Jealous;Red Joystick; Turn to Me; New Sensa-tions; Doin' the Things That We WantTo; Legend; Fly into the Sun; My FriendGeorge; High in the City; Arcade. RCAAFLI-4998 $8.98, C) AFK1-4998$8.98.

Ghiaurov: fearsome presence.

mmmDISTINGUISHED CASTIN AN OUTSTANDINGDIGITAL MEFISTOFELE

HE first digital recording ofT Boito's Mefistofele, on London,is outstanding, an imposingly cap-tured, consistently well-balancedperformance. There is depth as wellas richness to the sound, and thewide dynamic range serves this in-

termittently awkward but frequent-ly exciting opera magnificently. Alarge share of the credit for the al-bum's success surely belongs to theveteran conductor Oliviero de Fab-ritiis, who died before this crowningachievement of his recording careercould be released.

Nicolai Ghiaurov has long beenassociated with the formidable titlerole. While he cannot now sustainthe demonic energy of "Son to spir-ito the nega" without audible signsof fatigue, he still projects a fear-some presence and dominates allhis scenes with a fierce authority. Inaddition, there is the real luxury ofhaving Mirella Freni and Montser-rat Caball6 as the opera's two her-oines. Freni sings poignantly and istouching in her realization ofMargherita's tragic predicament.

The dramatic requirementsof Caballe's role are notgreat, but the vocal onescould hardly be fulfilledmore lusciously. LucianoPavarotti's singing asFaust cannot be seriouslyfaulted, and he is abso-lutely melting in the Gar-den Scene. But he showsa growing tendency tooverinflect his much -ac-claimed tones, to phrasewith a certain self-con-scious artiness.

All the supportingsingers are fine, espe-cially the remarkablePiero de Palma asWagner, the same rolehe sang in London'sfirst recording of Me-fistofele (withdrawn,alas) some twenty-

five years ago. The choral tone andprecision are good, though the pro-nunciation could use more defini-tion at times, and Julian Budden'snotes are a mine of pertinent infor-mation. George Jellinek

BOITO: Mefistofele. Nicolai Ghiaurov(bass), Mefistofele; Luciano Pavarotti(tenor), Faust; Mirella Freni (soprano),Margherita; Montserrat Caball6 (sopra-no), Elena; Piero de Palma (tenor),Wagner; others. London Opera Chorus;National Philharmonic Orchestra,Oliviero de Fabritiis cond. LONDON 0LDR 730 1 athree discs $32.94, ©LDR573010 two cassettes $32.94; 410175-2 three discs, no list price.

NEW ON CDRecent releases ofpreviously recommendedrecordings

POPULAR

O Jeff Beck: Wired. COLUMBIA EK33849. "Taste, thought, and delicacy."(October 1976)

O Thomas Dolby: The Flat Earth.CAPITOL CDP 46028-2. "Flashes ofinspiration." (June 1984)

O Dream Girls. Original Broadway cast.GEFFEN 2007-2. "Jennifer Hollidayclearly reveals an impressive voice...."(October 1982)

O The Fantasticks. OriginalOff-Broadway cast. POLYGRAM 821943-2. ".. .fantastick. "(November 1979)

42nd Street. Original Broadway cast.RCA RCD1-3891. "Demonicallytap -happy." (April 1981)

O Emmylou Harris: White Shoes.WARNER BROS. 23961-2. "Real rockenergy." (March 1984)

O The Jacksons: Triumph. COLUMBIAEK 36424. "An impressive(February 1981)

O Christine McVie. WARNER BROS.25059-2. "Sterling music, a rareachievement." (May 1984)

CLASSICAL

Bach: Mass in II Minor. Rifkin.NONESUCH 79036-2. "Fascinating."(January 1983)

O Britten: War Requiem. Rattle. ANGELCDC 47027. "A beautiful, stirringperformance." (May 1984)

Charpentier: Acteon. Christie.HARMONIA MUNDI HM 90.1095."Contagious rowdiness." (February 1984)

El Chausson: Concert in D. Perlman,Bolet. CBS MK 37814. "A lovingperformance pf a little-knownmasterwork." (October 1981)

DJ Mahler: Symphony No. 9, in DMajor. Karajan. DG 410 726-2."Stunning orchestral execution."(October 1981)

El Mozart: The Magic Flute. Karajan.DG 410 967-2. "A beauty." (November1980)

O Ravel: Gaspard de la nult. Prokofiev:Piano Sonata No. 6. Pogorelich. DG 410363-2. "Awesome splendor." (November1983)

Rimsky-Korsakov: Scheherazade.Muti. ANGEL CDC 47028. "A refreshingaccount." (June 1983)


0

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VI

HIGHTIECH

Test Bench vs Real World:The Difference Can Be Heard

Considering the many different designconcepts and technologies available,choosing an audio component can bea complicated matter. Manufacturersattempt to ease the task by providingperformance specifications on theirvarious models. The implication is thatby simply comparing the specificationsof a number of components, an audio-phile can choose the desired caliber ofperformance in a given price range.

While specifications can reveal some-thing of a particular product's technicalcapabilities, they may not accuratelyreflect that unit's performance in anactual use situation. Our test benchphoto shows a component surroundedby testing equipment -and it clearly illus-trates the difference between a labora-tory and a music listening room.

Onkyo products have long reflectedleadership in innovative technologicaldesign coupled with precision manufac-ture. Our design approach embodies ourconcern with both the laboratory andthe actual listening environment, andour components possess technical vir-tues that are clearly audible. Here arejust a few examples of Onkyo's techno-logical/musical approach to the prob-lems of sonic fidelity.

AMPLIFIERS FOR MUSIC.Our two proprietary amplifier circuits -Delta Power Supply and Dual SuperServo -provide outstanding performancebecause they were designed based onan understanding of what actuallyoccurs in a listening environment, whenmusical signals and not test tones arethe program source. Conventional ampli-fier power supplies use bridge rectifiers.Unfortunately, the 120 Hz ripple volt-age in the bridge output producesmodulation noise in music signals that

are near or at the same frequency. Thislimits the dynamic range of the amplifierand causes bass "smear." The OnkyoDelta Power Supply incorporates aspecial rectifier topology that providesclean DC and prevents any intermodu-lation effects.

Super Servo circuitry, found in Onkyo'spower amplifier sections, provides a spe-cial feedback loop that operates from 5Hz down to 0 Hz (DC). This loop elimi-nates unwanted DC offsets and spuriousinfrasonic AC components while main-taining the benefits of direct -coupledamplifier performance. The audibleresult is deep, taut bass reproduction,with rock -steady stereo imaging.

CASSETTE DECK MOTORSAND SOLENOIDS.In ordinary cassette decks, the tapetransport section is operated by a singlemotor. This motor drives the capstanthat moves the tape past the heads, andin addition, drives the tape supply andtake-up hubs. This can present a prob-lem as it is impossible to optimize a one -motor mechanism for a multiplicity oftasks. The problems are alleviated some-what by adding a second motor. Onemotor serves the capstan, and the otherdrives the cassette hubs during play andfast wind. Three -motor designs usuallyprovide a motor for the capstan andseparate motors for each cassette hub.This provides good tape speed stabilityplus fast wind and rewind times.

However, with most three -motortransports, solenoids are used to reposi-tion the tape head block assembly whenswitching from play/record to fast windor off. Solenoids are moving -core elec-tromagnets that are fast and abrupt intheir action, and the normal repeatedrepositioning of the head block caneasily shock it out of alignment. Theazimuth alignment of the tape head tothe tape is extremely critical, in that afraction of a degree of misalignmentcauses severe high frequency loss, andDolby mistracking.

Onkyo's approach to maintaining headalignment is a special three -motor trars-port configuration: one motor drivesthe capstan, a second motor drives thetake-up and supply hubs, and a thirddedicated motor and gear -reduction

assembly provides smoothly controlled,shock -free positioning of the head block.This ensures stable long-term azimuthalignment and maximum tape fidelity

COMPUTER -ASSISTED FM.Our new Automatic Precision Reception(APR) system takes the guesswork outof FM tuning with microcomputer con-trolled automatic circuit optimization.As each new station is tuned in, criticaltuner parameters are adjusted automati-cally to the actual demands of the signalbeing received, thus ensuring maximumfidelity, even under poor receptionconditions

TURNTABLE ISOLATION.A phono cartridge is designed to be anextremely sensitive vibration transducer.Unfortunately, the stylus also responds towhatever non-musical vibrations impingeon it, such as turntable rumble andexternal shock and vibration. The resultcan be a constant low -frequency back-ground noise, a blurring or ringingquality in the sound -or even a loudhowling if the volume or bass controlsare turned up too high.

The techniques for dealing with turn-table rumble are well known, and Onkyohas applied them in full measure. How-ever, the problems of external shockand vibration have not been addressedsuccessfully by most turntable manufac-turers. Onkyo developed a three -stepturntable decoupling system thatthoroughly isolates the playing mecha-nism from unwanted acoustical andmechanical interference. The OnkyoTriple Stage Isolation system provides agreater degree of protection from exter-nal vibrations, including acoustic feed-back, and thereby provides cleanersound with wider dynamic range:

These design concepts, developed byOnkyo, provide maximum audio fidelityin the actual listening environment, inaddition to superb test bench specifica-tions. Your Onkyo dealer can show youhow our advanced engineering can pro-vide an incredible listening experienceand demonstrate why...Nobody KnowsMore About Audio Than Onkyo

NKYO.200 lams Drive, Ramsey. Ni 0744r,

Introducing Maxell XL -S Cassettes-Two Paths to Recording Perfection

Many recording engineers believe thesingle most important element in accu-rate sound reproduction is dynamicrange. And that area, above all, is whereMaxell's new XLI-S and XLII-S cassettesare overachievers. The truth of theexperts' belief can be heard: When acassette can capture and play back thedynamics of an original performance,you do hear the difference. And theimprovement in quality is astounding.

As technical support for the improveddynamic range, we've also providedhigher sensitivity, higher output levels,greater signal-to-noise ratios, and greatlyreduced distortion, and then housed thattape in cassette shells made to toler-ances five times stricter than industrystandards. The result is Maxell XLI-S andXLII-S Audio Cassettes-clear superiorityat the leading edge of recordingtechnology.

IMPROVED MAGNETICPARTICLES.A unique new High Epitaxial particle isthe basis for the unexcelled performanceof the XL -Series. Maxell engineers liter-ally grow these two -layer particles undertightly controlled conditions that enablethem to consistently meet a variety ofspecial requirements. Because they areultra -fine in size, and completely uniformin shape, the particles can be packedsmoothly onto the tape in unprece-dented density. That, in turn, translatesinto higher output and greater sensitivityat high frequencies, with lower noise.

ION ARRANGF_AENT OF EPITAJUAL MAGNETIC PAFMCLE

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You'll also find you carisertg-record-ing levels higher than with other cas-settes. That's because XL -S casettes haveremarkable resistance to tape saturationor overload, the bugaboo that causesdistortion and loss of highs when moresignal is fed to the tape than it can hold.

On playback, output will be higher, yetwith lower distortion and noise.

ADVANCED BINDERTECHNOLOGY.Maxell has long understood that creat-ing a superior magnetic particle is onlyone step in the process of making asuperior recording tape. Equally impor-tant are the methods used to apply andfix that oxide onto the tape's base film.Maxell engineers created an entirelynew binder technology for XL -S, theMolecular Fusion system that offersseveral important advantages. For one,the high polymer resin that's used is self -curing. This eliminates the need foradhesive -type binders-and the plasti-cizer oozing that often accompaniesthem. The oxide -to -base bond isstronger, more durable, and more uni-form, thus providing significant improve-ments in the uniformity of packingdensity, thickness, and dispersion. Theresult is a flatter tape-from one end tothe other-and a tape with dramaticallyreduced modulation noise.

NEW HOUSINGS.Because the cassette housing becomespart of the tape transport system, Maxellhas always focused special attention onthis aspect of their products. The new PA(Phase Accurate) mechanism is part ofevery XLI-S and XLII-S cassette. PAincludes refinements such as anti -curlinghubs, onto which the tape is secured byan exclusive Quin-Lok clamp assembly.This eliminates bumps in the tape packas the tape winds, and thereby preventsloss of head contact during play orrecording. Special smoothing guiderollers hold the tape tension in balanceand suppress vibration during use. Thetape pack is sandwiched between spe-cially embossed slip sheets, compoundedwith graphite, to reduce friction duringplay and fast winds and ensure neat,smooth packing. And a new type of

Constant thicknesswith nigh precision

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pressure pad has been devised for thePA mechanism. The pad thickness andthe tension of the phosphor bronzespring to which it is affixed have beenmade twice as accurate as those in con-ventional cassettes.

THE RIGHT TAPE FOR THERIGHT SETTING.XLI-S is suitable for use in Just about anycassette deck ever made. It has beendesigned to work optimally at the Nor-mal bias and equalization standard, yetto tolerate the small differences in biasand equalization that occur from onedeck manufacturer to another.

XLII-S should be used in the High(Chrome) bias and equalization switchpositions. That yields an improved signal-to-noise ratio plus the wide frequencyresponse, and other fine performancecharacteristics inherent in both XL -S cas-settes. Since the beginning of cassetterecording, Maxell has been in the busi-ness of creating excellence...the XL -Scassettes continue in that tradition

IT'S WORTH ITMa Kell Corporation of America60 Orford Dose, MuOndchIr. NI kYi


I -I I GT IE C I -I For Superior Car Stereo Performance

Dynamically Equalized/Bi-amplified/Powered Speakers

Most researchers would agree that theamplifier -to -speaker match is one of themost problematic -if little discussed -areas in audio. For an engineer, thereare at least four compelling theoreticalreasons for integrating the speaker andamplifier into a single unit:

1. The output circuit of the amplifiercan be specifically matched to theimpedance characteristic of the driver.

2. The damping factor of the amplifiercan be set to provide the optimum"Q" at resonance for a given driver

3. The amplifier can be designed todynamically control the normal electro-acoustic and mechanical characteristicsof the driver to flatten its frequencyreponse and to prevent overdrive distor-tion -or damage.

4. The usual crossover network inseries with the driver is no longer neces-sary. This eliminates the losses of damp-ing factor and dynamics typical ofconventional crossovers.

And when a powered speaker is alsobi-amplified, there are at least four addi-tional significant advantages:

1. The dynamic characteristic of theindividual amplifiers can be tailored foroptimum match (in respect to crossoverfrequency, relative level, etc.) to the needsof each driver.

2. Intermodulation distortion effectsare eliminated by separate dedicatedamplifiers for the high and low bands.

3. Momentary overdrive of either ampli-fier leaves the other amplifier and itsfrequency band unaffected.

4. The specific power demands ofeach driver are met separately.

THEORY INTO PRACTICE.Audiovox, a 19 -year -old autosound com-pany totally invested in state-of-the-arttechnology, made their own engineeringanalysis of the advantages of bi-amplified,powered, and dynamically equalizedspeakers. And their full commitment tothe concept is expressed in the new lineof "Constant Velocity" car -stereo speak-ers introduced early this year. There arefour drivers currently available in the CVseries: a 6 x 9 -inch woofer (Model SW1),a 6 x 9 -inch two-way coaxial (Model620), a 51/4 -inch two-way coaxial (Model520), and a 4 -inch single -cone full range(Model 410).

The physical and electrical operationof the CV series embody a host of novelfeatures:

Within the compact housing sur-rounding the magnet structures of thecoaxial models are individual, direct -coupled bridged output amplifiers forboth the woofer and the tweeter. Thewoofer is driven by an 18 -watt amplifierand an independent 12 -watt unit drivesthe tweeter. In this way, each amplifiercan be optimized for the specific fre-quency range and driver that it serves.The result is a measureable reduction inintermodulation distortion and a more -than -noticeable increase in clarity. (TheCV-SW1 subwoofer also has two amplifi-ers but they drive the dual windings ofits voice coil. The CV -410 has a singlebuilt-in amplifier.)

The CV circuit is completely sealed inepoxy to ensure maximum long-termstability. The aluminum heatsink is keptwell within safe operating temperatureseven under the often hostile automotiveenvironment by means of a unique(Patent Pending) and very efficient radi-ant cooling technique that also employsthe woofer cone movement to supplyadditional air flow.

DYNAMIC EQUALIZATION.The fact of built-in amplification doesnot in itself explain the quality of soundof the CV speakers. By treating theamplifier and speaker as a single inte-gral system, it is possible to design indynamic equalization circuits to auto-matically compensate for non-linearitiesin the speaker, the acoustic environmentof the car, and the human ear's loudnessresponse. The functions are provided onan automatic and dynamic basis withmore precision than can be achievedthrough manual adjustments.

To compensate for the tremendousvariety in automobile interiors -and

speaker mounting -and the effect thesecan have on high -frequency absorption,detented tweeter -level controls are pro-vided for the CV -520 and the CV -620.The CV-SW1 subwoofer has a similarcontrol to set its relative output level.These controls, when set at the time ofinstallation, need no further adjustment.

CONTROLLED EXCURSION.The Constant Velocity design's specialbreakthrough is in the manner in whichits circuits control speaker cone motion.Standard designs have always beencompromised in performance by theconstraints placed upon the cone move-ment by the typical tight cone suspen-sion. Without such restrictions, the conewould be free to move easily in directcompliance with the input signal, thusproviding greater efficiency and widerfrequency range. But the cost of such"freedom" would be increased potentialfor distortion through non -linearity and"bottoming -out" of the voice coil.

These and similar problems areavoided in the CV speakers because thevoice coil behavior is under electronic,rather than purely mechanical, control.This assures that the response is full andperfectly defined at all volume levels. Itis virtually impossible for the speciallydesigned polypropylene -coated woofercone to break up or bottom out. The fer-rofluid-treated cone tweeters used onthe CV -520 and CV -620 reproduce thehigher frequencies with clarity and inperfect balance with the woofer.

In total, the Audiovox CV series clearlyrepresent a substantial step forward inthe theory and performance of car -stereo speaker design. Prove it to your-self at your nearest Audiovox dealer.

E-- # motorox150 Marcus Blvd, Hauppauge. NY 11 788 (5161 231.7750


EHG Hi-Fi and HD-PRO-TDK upgradesits video tapes to meet the demandsof a changing market

When TDK Electronics was founded in1935 to explore the commercial poten-tial of industrial ferrite magnetic materi-als, little did its engineering team realizethat its strength and leadership in thatfield would lead it nearly fifty years laterto become the number one manufac-turer of quality magnetic media. In fact,almost 60 percent of today's audio hard-ware manufacturers use TDK tapes astheir reference standard and count onTDK for the development of new prod-ucts. TDK also produces 75 percent ofthe rotary transformers used in videohead drums, a fact that keeps TDK'sresearch on the leading edge of videotechnology.

AVILYN MOVES AHEADBack in the early 1970's, TDK steppedbeyond the existing formulations thatexisted in audio tape at that time -mostnotably the chromium dioxide particle -to produce Avilyn, a magnetic particleconsisting of cobalt ions adsorbed(coated) on finely -milled, needle -shapedgamma ferric oxide particles. These early

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developments in fine -particle audiotechnology laid the groundwork forbreakthroughs in today's video tape

' technologies -particularly TDK's twonewest tapes formulated to meet thedemands of today's new wave of highfidelity VCRs. The first of these break-through formulations, dubbed TDK EHGHi-Fi, benefits the videophile who wantsto be certain that lifelike video imagesare coupled with high quality stereosound. The second breakthrough tape,HD -Pro, is the closest thing the connois-seur video tapist can get to % inch reso-lution in a hat -inch format -a tapewhich is ideal for live camera recordings,dubbing, special effects work and otherpro or semi -pro applications.

CRITICAL PERFORMANCEBoth EHG Hi-Fi and HD -Pro share certaintechnical similarities which enable eachto offer visually better results than theircompetition. TDK accomplished this byfurther refining Super Avilyn particles sothat they are noticeably shorter, thinnerand more uniform than particles used

Note the smaller size of the new HD -Pro particles(right) compared to standard particles (left)

in other tapes. This means the tape par-ticles can be packed together moredensely to produce better sound andvideo. In HD -Pro's case, the particlesare so fine that they can be packedtogether 12 times more densely thanTDK's own Standard tape. Designedto meet the demands of today's unerr-ingly precise VCR's, TDK's EHG Hi-Fidelivers exceptional picture qualityand dynamic sound -even after hundredsof plays. Signal-to-noise ratio is up 4.5 dBin luminance and 5 dB in chrominanceover TDK's current Standard tape. Thismeans razor-sharp definition, extra -bright colors, and extra detailing andshading even in black and white. EHGHi-Fi also offers cleaner, more naturalsound, with improved frequency

I -I I G IiT IE C I -I

response and sensitivity up 1 dB overStandard TDK tape.

The second tape, HD -Pro, is withoutquestion the highest definition half -inchvideo tape on the market, boastingunequalled freedom from dropouts. Andif you don't believe us, testing experts atAsahi Camera in Japan agreed, placingTDK well above its competition in thisrespect.

DIGITAL AUDIO RECORDINGA good video tape has wide andremaikably uniform response over amegahertz bandwidth, low noise relativeto the signal recordable, and reasonablefreedom from dropouts (random lossesof signal as a result, usually, of physicalimperfection in the tape coating). Digitalrecording on videotape doesn't careabout bandwidth and low noise -but isprofoundly disturbed by dropouts. Drop-outs in digital audio are heard, and ifsufficient in duration can sound asviolent as the deepest sort of recordscratch. The digital world has learned, asdid Asahi Camera's tape tester, that notall video tapes are equal.

Digital usability has become a by-product of TDK's meticulous attention tophysical integrity and the uniformity ofthe cassettes coming off its line. BothHD -Pro and EHG Hi-Fi reflect this carefulattention to quality and detail. Remem-ber, however, that these tapes are stillthe best video tapes you can buy, withfeatures such as a precision -made "SQ"shell mechanism built to tolerances 2.5times industry standards, a conductivityback coating, and ultrasmooth base film,contr buting to the smoothest runningperformers on the market.

So whether you're a videophile whoseneeds are met by TDK's EHG Hi-Fi, or amaster "pro" recordist who demands thesophistication of HD -Pro, you'll welcomethe benefits of these recent develop-ments. Just visit your favorite retailer andpick out a few to try on your own VCR.You'll quickly discover that the height ofvideo performance just got higher.

...TDK.TDK Electronics Corp.Technical Services Dept12 Harbor Park Drive, Port Washington, NY 11050


Defining a Cost EffectiveDigital Monitor Loudspeaker

As readers of this publication are nodoubt aware, audio technology is in themidst of a world-wide "digital revolu-tion." And it is evident that loudspeakersystems are among the products mostaffected by the demands of digital pro-gram material.

B&W's approach to loudspeakerdesign has been clearly validated by onesimple fact: More conductors, orchestras,and instrumentalists world wide havechosen B&W 801's as their classicalmusic monitor system. This was true dur-ing the recent analog period, and it hascontinued to be true for today's digitalrecordings. In fact, it can be said that theB&W 801 has become the definitivemonitor for the world's most discriminat-ing recording professionals.

A FORMIDABLE TASKLate in 1982, B&W set themselves a for-midable task: The Research and Develop-ment team was commissioned to createa new line of loudspeakers that wouldembody all that had been learned fromthe Model 801 -and in addition wouldmeet certain other special requirements.The, design goal, simply stated, was toprovide the advantages of digital capabi-lity in a less costly package; the intentionwas to make B&W quality accessible to agreater number of music listeners.

The successful execution of the proj-ect is expressed in B&W's eight newmonitor speakers. The DM Series arelegitimate digital monitors that are notonly affordable in themselves, but which,through their high sensitivity (efficiency),also reduce the power demands -andcost -of a digital playback system.

111

BEHIND THE DESIGN.The "design brief" for the DM modelshad three main requirements:

(1) High sensitivity not less than 90 dBSPL with 1 watt input measured at 1 meter.In fact, the DM Series systems offer 5 to7 dB greater sensitivity than previous B&Wsystems. In addition to their high sensitivity,the systems must be capable of extremelyhigh acoustical output, approximating thatof a live performance.

(2) A wide and linear frequencyresponse, mirroring as closely as possiblethe reference standard -the Model 801.

(3) A dramatic reduction in manufac-turing costs. To achieve this, the driveunits were totally redesigned so as toadapt them to cost-effective automatedproduction methods.

The precision made possible by com-puter controlled production resulted insystems capable of extremely high per-formance. In particular, the exceptionallyclose tolerances between speaker pairsand their good polar distribution pro-vides extremely accurate stereo imagingand depth information.

DM TECHNICAL DATA.The smallest of the new models, theDM1 1 0, is a two-way system with avented enclosure measuring only 19.3inches high by 10.25 inches wide by 9.8inches deep and weighing 18.5 pounds.The 8 -inch woofer is crossed over at 3kHz to the 1 -inch dome tweeter via afourth -order Butterworth squared circuit.Rated sensitivity is 91 dB SPL; frequencyresponse is 70 Hz to 20 kHz 3 dB.

I-1 I C- I.1

T IE C I.1

Recommended driving power is 10 to50 watts RMS. Suggested list price is anastonishingly low $149 each, and match-ing speaker stands are available.

The DM220 is a three-way system witha more extended bass response andgreater power handling capability. Itemploys two 8 -inch drivers; one servesas a lower -bass driver, while the otherhandles the upper bass and midrangefrequencies. The same 1 -inch dometweeter is used as in the DM110, andthe 3 kHz crossover employs the Butter-worth squared configuration plus a first -order difference filter. Rated sensitivity is90 dB SPL; frequency response is 53 Hzto 20 kHz ± 3 dB. Recommended driv-ing power is 10 to 75 watts RMS. Thesealed enclosure of the DM220 meas-ures approximately 26.75 inches high by11.4 inches wide by 12.6 inches deepand weighs 30.4 pounds. Suggested listprice is $249 each, and matching standsare available.

The DM330 uses essentially the samedriver and crossover configuration asthe DM220, but in a taller (by 7 inches)floor -standing enclosure. The cabinetdesign has been optimized by computermodal analysis for improved bass tran-sient response and lower coloration.Sensitivity is improved by 1 -dB over theDM220, power handling is up to 100watts, and bass response (-3 dB) hasbeen extended down to 48 Hz. Sug-gested list price is $349 each. The topmodel, the DM 3000, has a suggestedlist of $895 each.

All eight models in the DM Series arecapable of extremely high acousticaloutput levels. Typically, a pair of DM220'scan produce 115 dB SPL in a 3,500 cubicfoot room.

In all respects, the models in the Digi-tal Monitor series have more than mettheir stringent design goals. Their highsensitivity, substantial acoustic -outputpotential, and excellent transient behav-ior, combined with a broad and linearfrequency response, easily meet thetechnical demands of digital programmaterial -and the musical demands ofcritical listeners.

PO 653, Buffalo, IVu2v 14240


I -I I C- I -I

IE C I -

Proton Offers Some Advice on How toLook at Video Monitors

R M

From its very beginning, Proton has beena product -driven company. About twoyears ago we found an area where ourtalents and know-how could make asignificant difference. With the improve-ment in laser discs, and the continuedsuccess of music videos, music lovers arebeginning to seek full fidelity video tocomplement their high fidelity audio. Tomeet that need Proton has designed andproduced an excellent video tuner -preamplifier, an exceptional integratedTV monitor receiver, and two superbvideo monitors with 19- and 25 -inchscreens. The superiority of the Protonvideo technology is clearly visible if youknow what to look for -and we wouldlike to tell you how to do just that.

The five main technical qualities thatdistinguish our high-performance moni-tors from conventional products are:Overscan, Black Level, Linearity,Convergence, and Detail.

OVERSCAN.Most IV screens do not give you the fullpicture; in fact, the typical television setcrops as much as 20 percent off theedges of the broadcast image! Sets aredesigned to overscan to compensate forpicture size fluctuations. (People seldomnotice when the picture edges aretrimmed, but they usually complainwhen the picture doesn't completelycover the face of the screen). Size fluctu-ations occur because a very bright scenecan cause the picture to "bloOrn"(expand) and dark scenes can causeshrinkage. Normal variations in the ACline voltage can also result in picturesize shifts. Proton solves such problemsby the use of a special -and expensive -ultra -stable power supply. It costs usmore money, but you get to see morepicture.

BLACK LEVELBlack can be beautiful, particularly whenyou compare the true blacks of a Protonmonitor against the dark greys of con-ventional color sets. The ability to pro-duce the dynamic range from pureblack to pure white is the first steptoward ensuring picture contrast, colorquality, and three -dimensionality. The sec-ond step is to maintain the black underdynamic signal conditions. A computer -

grade power supply provides the hum -free DC voltage that does the first part ofthe job; a DC restoration circuit takescare of the rest.

A discussion of the operating theoryof DC restoration would more than fillthis page, so for the moment let's justpoint out the very visible benefits youshould look for. The black and whitedynamic range strongly affects therange, strength, and subtle shading ofcolors. In addition, previously unseendetail will be visible in the picture's blackor dark areas, night scenes won't be lostin grey fog, and a sort of three-dimen-sional quality (which depends on subtletonal gradations in the picture) willcome through

LINEARITY.Most television screens do not produceaccurate sizes and shapes. Circlesbecome egg shaped, squares becomerectangles, and straight lines bend nearthe edges of the screen. These problemsarise from a lack of geometric linearity.The cure is not to be found with com-pass and protractor, but rather throughpaying special attention to the design ofa complex arrangement of electromag-netic coils mounted on the neck of thepicture tube. Properly known as thedeflection yoke, its task is to magnetic-ally deflect the electron beams passingthrough the tube neck so as to scan thepicture tube screen linearly and pre-cisely. Through careful tube design andprecise yoke geometry, Proton achievesa visible improvement in linearity, fromtop to bottom and edge to edge.

CONVERGENCEAlso under the precise control of thedeflection yoke, there are three separateelectron beams shooting through theneck of the picture tube. These areresponsible for the red, green, and blueelements on the screen. The beamsthemselves are colorless, but they areaimed to impinge on sets of phosphorusdots on the inside of the tube face that,when hit by the electron beams,fluoresce red, green, or blue.

These three colors, by themselves or incombination, produce all the colors -including white -that you see on a TVscreen! Enormous precision is needed in

controlling the intensity and focus of thethree beams to ensure the proper colormix in the continuously varying picture.When you see color fringes on edges orthe wrong colors because the beams areoff target, you'll know that the deflectionyoke sn't all that it could be -and thatyou are not looking at a Proton monitor.

DETAILWhen you see crisp sharp lines and hardclean edges, when individual strands ofhair are visible, you know that a set isdelivering fine detail. Two factors deter-mine picture detail: (1) the size of thephosphorus dots on the picture tubeface, and (2) the bandwidth of the moni-tor's video section. Perhaps needless tosay, we have paid particular attention toboth areas. You should be aware thatthere are several different ways of speci-fying video frequency response and linesof resolution. As a result, it's wiser tocompare video pictures than videospecifications.

Although it takes an engineeringbackground to fully appreciate the tech-nical quality built into Proton products,we hope we've made the point that youdon't need to be an engineer to see thequality differences built into the Protonpicture. Let your own eyes convince youthat our television picture is "clearly thebest' For the location of your nearestProton dealer call toll -free 800-447-4700. For other information write or call

PROTONVIDEO

737 W Artesia Bk. -pion CA 90220 21 3 638-51


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MELASSICAL MUSICmirrDISCS AND TAPESREVIEWED BYRICHARD FREEDDAVID HALLGEORGE JELL INEKSTODDARD LINCOLNERIC SALZMAN/MIMI

BIZET: Carmen. Julia Migenes Johnson(soprano), Carmen; Placido Domingo(tenor), Don Jose; Ruggero Raimondi(bass), Escamillo; Faith Esham (soprano),Micaela; others. Chorus and Children'sChorus of Radio France; Orchestre Na-tional de France, Lorin Maazel cond.Eitivro/RCA 0 NUM 751133 three discs$32.94, C) MCE 751133 three cassettes$32.94; ECD 880373 three discs, no listprice.

Performance. Basically goodRecording: Very good

This new version of Carmen is the by-product of a motion picture to be releasedin the U.S. this fall. Lorin Maazel pre-sides over a lively performance with gen-erally brisk tempos, maintaining lightand transparent orchestral textures inwhich instrumental details emerge withgreat clarity. He has an excellent chorusat his disposal, and that includes the chil-dren, whose rendering of "Avec la gardemontante" is exceptionally authentic -sounding. There are, however, several ec-centricities. Maazel's opening tempo forthe Chanson boheme is almost unbear-ably stow. Things pick up later, but theepisode lacks spontaneity. The quintet inAct II is too fast and charmless, and cer-tain later episodes (the "Be! officier" en-semble, for one) are a bit fussy.

Placido Domingo has now recordedDon Jos6 three times. He towers over allhis rivals in this role-and, for that mat-ter, over all his colleagues here. Listenersattuned to a Berganza/Horne/Troyanoskind of mezzo lushness in the role of Car-men will require some adjustment to thelight soprano timbre of Julia MigenesJohnson. But she offers an interesting,well -thought-out, and quite convincingportrayal of a wild, sexy, kittenish Car-men who turns into a tiger in the tragicfinale.

Ruggero Raimondi's bass -baritonefinds the in-between tessitura of Escamil-lo's music quite congenial: he sings thepart well enough, though there couldhave been more personality projection.The Micaela of Faith Esham, on the otherhand, is not yet of high international cal-iber, particularly in view of her recordedcompetition. The supporting singers arealmost uniformly competent.

BRENDEL'S NEW BEETHOVENHE new set of Beethoven piano con-

/ certos by Alfred Brendel and the Chi-cago Symphony under James Levinecommands special attention. In an albumnote that is simultaneously charming andenlightening, Brendel gives valid reasonsfor his recording these works a third time,citing specific corrections made in someof the scores since his last cycle some sixyears ago. He also points out the aestheticadvantages of recording in concert in-stead of in a studio setting without an au-dience. But there's the rub. The audienceis quiet enough during these perform-ances, but Philips has unaccountably de-cided to give us generous helpings of theapplause preceding as well as followingeach one. This is not only tiresome on re-peated hearings, but perverse. It is themore regrettable because the perform-ances, collectively and individually, areperhaps the finest yet recorded of theseworks-and the best sounding.

Everything about these performances isutterly right-so majestic and yet so com-

passionate, so profound and yet socharged with wit, so filled with Beethov-enian spontaneity yet so meticulous indetail, balance, and proportion. In Levineand the Chicagoans Brendel has the bestcollaborators he has ever been given inconcert recordings. One might revel inthe glory of the orchestral playing itself,but the peaks of musical insight reachedagain and again throughout the cycle ren-der even this level of virtuosity a matterof strictly secondary interest (though stillindispensable in making these perform-ances what they are). The recorded soundis superb in detail and in balance, and it islifelike in the most flattering sense.

Richard Freed

BEETHOVEN: Piano Concertos Nos.1-5. Alfred Brendel (piano); ChicagoSymphony Orchestra, James Levinecond. PHILIPS 0 411 189-1 four discs$47.92, © 411 189-4 three cassettes$47.92; 411 189-2 three discs, no listprice.

On the whole, this is a respectableachievement, captured in excellent digitalconics. The spoken dialogue is closelymiked, which can be distracting, butthere is less of it than in the Solti record-ing for London. In the end, however, Sol -ti's recording and Abbado's, on DeutscheGrammophon, remain my choices forthis marvelous opera. G.J.

Explanation of symbols:

O

OO

Digital -master analog LPStereo cassetteDigital Compact DiscEight -track stereo cartridgeDirect -o -disc recording

= Monophonic recording


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BOTTO: Mefistofele (see Best of theMonth, page 66)

BRAHMS: String Quintet No. 1, in FMajor, Op. 88; String Quintet No. 2, in CMajor, Op. 111. Pinchas Zukerman (vio-la); Guarnieri Quartet. RCA 0 ARC I-4849 $12.98, © ARK 1-4849 $12.98.

Performance: RadiantRecording: Excellent

Brahms's two string quintets, both mel-low, ripe works of his mature years, haveinexplicably been just about the least fre-quently encountered titles in his abun-dant legacy of chamber music. They maystill represent "discoveries" to a largenumber of otherwise experienced listen-ers, but they are both thoroughly and lu-minously Brahmsian in their coloring,characteristic themes, and wonderfulrange of moods. And it would be hard toimagine either work more beautifullyplayed than they are here. The GuarnieriQuartet has never sounded more appeal-ing, and Pinchas Zukerman's viola fits inseamlessly. Both works are beautifully re-corded too, with all the strands clear andin ideal balance. This album may be justwhat is needed to win a wider audiencefor these curiously neglected works. Inany event, it is one of the most enjoyablechamber -music releases of the last severalseasons. Highest recommendation. R.F.

GLUCK: 1phigenie en Tauride.Pilar Lor-engar (soprano), 1phigtnie; WaltonGroenroos (tenor), Oreste; Franco Boni-solli (tenor), Pylades; Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (baritone), Thoas; AngelikaNowski (mezzo-soprano), Diane; others.Chorus and Orchestra of the BavarianRadio, Lamberto Gardelli cond. ORFEOS 052833 three discs $41.94.

Performance: StarkRecording: Fine

1phigtnie en Tauride was Gluck's penul-timate opera. When he wrote it he wasnot only at the apex of his creative powerbut also at his most laconic. It is an aus-tere work.

And this is an austere performance.Both Pilar Lorengar as 1phigEnie andWalton Groenroos as her brother Orestesing with continuous intensity, rigidrhythms, and little vocal coloration. Die-trich Fischer-Dieskau barks out the roleof Thoas in an appropriately savage man-ner. The only humanity in the opera isdisplayed by Pylades, and Franco Boni-solli makes the most of Pylades's heart-felt compassion for Oreste. LambertoGardelli paces the music spaciously andbrings a chill to Gluck's unyielding nobil-ity of style. Perhaps Gluck's controlledmusical language and chiseled classicismis not to everyone's taste, but those whoappreciate his music will appreciate thisfine album. S.L.

MENDELSSOHN: Symphony No. 4,Op. 90 (see SCHUBERT)

MOZART: Sonata in D Major for TwoPianos (K. 448); Fugue in C Minor (K.426); Larghetto and Allegro in F -flat Ma -


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ORDER FROM: TEST RECORD, Dept. 30013, CN 1914,Morristown, NJ 07560.

jor. Malcolm Bilson, Robert Levin (forte -pianos). NONESUCH 78023-1 $11.98, @78023-4 $11.98.

Performance: ImpeccableRecording: Crisp

Although Mozart's Sonata in D Majorsparkles with airy melodies and crisp tex-tures, when it is performed on modern in-struments it can seem somewhat elephan-tine and muddy. But here, as it is per-formed on copies of Classical Viennesefortepianos, the textures are lucid, andthe whole affair is transformed into an el-egant romp. It is not only the instrumentsthat work toward the transformation:Robert Levin and Malcolm Bilson en-hance Mozart's sparkle with their ownimpeccable sense of articulation, rhyth-mic drive, and masterly ensemble.

The Larghetto and Allegro in E -flatMajor, discovered some twenty yearsago, is a real treasure. Although the man-uscript takes us only through the exposi-tion of the allegro, Levin's completion ofthe development and recapitulation is ex-cellent and adds another masterpiece tothe two -piano repertoire. S.L.

RACHMANINOFF: Piano Concerto No.2 (see Best of the Month, page 64)

RAVEL: Sheherazade; Trois poemes deStephan MaBarn* Chansons made-casses; Don Quichotte d Dukinee; Cin-ques melodies populaires grecques.Heather Harper, Jill Gomez, Jessye Nor-man (sopranos); Jost Van Dam (bari-tone); BBC Symphony Orchestra; Mem-bers of the Ensemble InterContemporain,Pierre Boulez cond. CBS M 39023, © MT39023, no list price.

Performance: SuperbRecording: Excellent

Rare is the Ravel album that can boastsuch riches as a Sheherazade by HeatherHarper, Jill Gomez's languid MallarmePoemes, Jessye Norman's barbaric Chan-sons madecasses, or Jose Van Dam's wry

Don Quichotte or virile Greek peasant.The music and singers are magnificent,and Pierre Boulez and his forces offer re-fined support that transports us into animpressionistic past that only Ravelcould have created. S.L.

SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8, in B Mi-nor ("Unfinished"). MENDELSSOHN:Symphony No. 4, in A Major, Op. 90("Italian"). Philharmonia Orchestra,Giuseppe Sinopoli cond. DEUTSCHEGRAMMOPHON 0 410 862-1 $11.98, © 410862-4 $11.98; 410 862-2 no list price.

Performance: ProvocativeRecording: Impressive

Giuseppe Sinopoli's performance of theUnfinished bespeaks a view that is pro-foundly tragic in the first movement andseraphically nostalgic in the second.Tempos are slow but not ponderous, andthe dynamic range is extraordinarilywide. Whether you choose to go alongwith some of the hairpin shifts in dynam-ics is to some degree a matter of taste.One thing is sure, after you hear this per-formance you will never hear the Unfin-ished with quite the same ears again.

The Mendelssohn Italian here strikesme as ripely Mengelbergian: a slowishopening movement and an ultra -digni-fied Andante con mow. Most other con-ductors working at this pace would makethe movement a hopelessly plodding af-fair, and for those used to the volatileToscanini or Koussevitzky approach, itmay well seem that way. There is ampleenergy to the finale, with genuine mo-mentum and a delineation of much love-ly detail. D.H.

VERDI: Rigoletto. English translation byJames Fenton. John Rawnsley (baritone),Rigoletto; Arthur Davies (tenor), Duke;Helen Field (soprano), Gilda; John Tom-linson (bass), Sparafucile; Jean Rigby(mezzo-soprano), Maddalena; NormanBailey (baritone), Monterone; others. En-glish National Opera Chorus and Orches-

tra, Mark Elder cond. ANGEL 0 DSBX-3957 two discs $26.98, 4X2X-3957 twocassettes $20.98.

Performance: FineRecording: Very good

Compared with some truly bizarre effortsby certain stage directors who have in-vaded opera in the past decades, Jona-than Miller's much -heralded productionof Rigoletto for the English NationalOpera appears relatively tame. VictorHugo's basic plot is played out in NewYork's "Little Italy" around 1950. The li-bretto's Italian Renaissance characters re-main Italians, but they have here beenturned into a Mulberry Street mob.

Within Miller's concept, James Fen -ton's English translation must be judged asuccess. The language is natural, conver-sational, and occasionally enlivened withingenious rhymes (or near -rhymes). It isalso singable, a few awkward bits of pros-ody notwithstanding, and the words arereasonably well fitted to Verdi's music.The performance is paced by Mark Elderwith an expert hand in a traditional, un-mannered fashion, a shade tamely in thefirst act but gathering momentum as theaction progresses. Baritone John Rawns-ley emerges as the recording's hero, as theRigoletto should. He reveals a smoothlyproduced lyric tone, full, well-cente red,and even across the range. Tenor ArthurDavies also has his role well in hand,though his top notes are forced. The cal-low -youth image he projects is perfectlyacceptable for medieval Mantua, but itrequires more imagination than I possessto accept him as a modern-day capo.

Helen Field's Gilda is small -scaled,tremulous, but certainly adequate. Theminor roles (Marullo, Borsa, Ceprano)are also filled no more than adequately,but there are notable contributions fromNorman Bailey's solid Monterone, JeanRigby's lusty Maddalena, and John Tom-linson's truly sinister Sparafucile (can hisgoing rate of $80 per "hit" be realisticeven in pre -inflationary 1950?). G.J.



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MINOPULAR MUSIC

DISCS AND TAPESREVIEWED BYCHRIS ALBERTSONPHYL GARLANDLOUIS MEREDITHALANNA NASHMARK PEELPETER REILL Y

STEVE SIIVIELS

JOEL VANCE

THE ALARM: Declaration. The Alarm(vocals and instrumentals). Declaration;Marching On; Where Were You HidingWhen the Storm Broke; Third Light; 68Guns; We Are the Light; Shout to the Dev-il; and five others. IRS SP -70608 $8.98,CS -70608 $8.98.

Performance: Transparently phonyRecording: Excellent

These guys are being touted in some crit-ical circles as the most exciting thingsince sliced bread, apparently because oftheir fondness for acoustic guitars andpolitical lyrics. Well, I suppose I'm gladthey're not another synth dance band,and I'm as big a sucker for a protest songas the next Sixties relic, but I don't be-lieve in these guys for a minute. Neither, Isuspect, will you. In fact, once you listenpast the Wall of Mud production, past the"White Album" -style martial horn licks,and the old Delaney and Bonnie guitarparts, what you hear is simply anotherthird-rate British punk band that couldn'tconcoct a memorable tune if their livesdepended on it and whose politics, atleast as far as I can figure out from thesongs here, are so vague they could just aseasily be Trotskyites or Young Republi-cans. Highly underwhelming stuff. S.S.

THE CARS: Heartbeat City. The Cars(vocals and instrumentals). Hello Again;Magic; Strange Eyes; It's Not the Night; IRefuse; Looking for Love; and four oth-ers. ELEKTRA 60296-1 $8.98, © 60296-4$8.98.

Performance. Almost endearingRecording: Excellent

About the Cars ... as Joan Rivers wouldsay, can we talk? I mean, does anybodyout there, except perhaps Ric Ocasek(who writes the songs), still take this out-fit's steely futurist pretensions seriously?Come on, now, these guys are a popband-always were and always will be. Itwas not an accident that the intro to theirJust What I Needed was exactly the same

KEEPING UP WITH THE SMITHSTHE new Sire album by a four -manBritish rock group called the Smiths is

a delicate, even precious, little record in adeliberately anachronistic way. Its quietintensity has a genuine if fragile appeal.The album's dominant influence seemsto be the third Velvet Underground al-bum-which, as one writer described it,was "one long sigh." The parallels arepretty explicit, actually, and go beyondthe Smiths' stripped -down Byrdsy folk-rock instrumentation. The cover photo isfrom an old Andy Warhol film, Flesh,and the band's lead singer calls himselfMorrissey, which might be a nod to War-hol's director, Paul Morrissey.

The songs are mostly midtempo loveballads with a not -so -subtle homoeroticambiguity. They're very matter of fact,however, and seem genuinely felt. Mor-rissey has a vocal style that manages to

walk the tightrope between being affect-ingly plaintive and cloyingly sensitive.He comes off as a reasonable post -libera-tion version of the early Lou Reed-a bitof a wimp, perhaps, but so is JacksonBrowne, whom he also resembles.

Beyond that, let's just say that theseguys sound promising. Not a great band,certainly, but probably an honest one.And on some cuts here already an excit-ing one. Stay tuned. Steve Simels

THE SMITHS. The Smiths (vocals andinstrumentals). Reel Around the Foun-tain; You've Got Everything Now; Misera-ble Lie: Pretty Girls Make Graves; TheHand That Rocks the Cradle: ThisCharming Man: Still Ill; Hand in Glove;What Difference Does It Make?; I Don'tOwe You Anything; Suffer Little Children.SIRE 25065-1 $8.98, © 25065-4 $8.98.

U

as the intro to the old bubblegum classicYummy Yummy Yummy.

"Heartbeat City," the Cars' first albumwith producer Mutt Lange, sounds prettymuch like their others (tick-tock rhythms,massive instrumental layering), thoughthe band seems much less embarrassedthan usual about having absolutely noth-ing to say and more relaxed about getting

Explanation of symbols:

= Digital -master analog IP= Stereo cassette= Digital Compact Disc

® = Eight -track stereo cartridge= Direct -to -disc recording= Monophonic recording


on instead with what they do well-which is, let us not mince words, simplyto grind out catchy, stylish, high -glossfluff, pure pop confections such as YouMight Think and Hello Again. In fact,apart from their debut album, this is thefriendliest -sounding record the Cars haveever made. To indulge in an automotivemetaphor, it's closer to a Chrysler than,say, a Lamborghini. S.S.

GLORIOUS STRANGERS. GloriousStrangers (vocals and instrumentals).Modern Life; Deception; Young and inLove; Move It Time; It's Hot; One Person/One Vote; and four others. FUN CITY GS -I $6.98 (from Fun City Records, 340 East22nd Street, New York, N.Y. 10010).

Performance Avant -cuteRecording: Pretty good

This is an interesting little record but notat all what I expected. Wharton Tiers,who more or less runs this show, was inthe Theoretical Girls with Glenn Branca,and he's been involved in a number ofthe more . . . er, rigorously avant-gardebands in the recent New York rock un-derground. This new project, however,verges on pop, though not of a type togive the Sheena Eastons of this worldanything to lose sleep over. It's an oddmixture of the slick and the primitive,with some extremely lush synth texturescounterpointed by simplistic organ riffs,awkward drumming, and girl -next-doorvocals by Carol Tiers. In its more me-lodic moments it could pass for the Shan-gri-Las if they'd been produced by PhillipGlass. Not exactly epochal stuff, butquirky and worth a listen. S.S.

GUS HARDIN: Fallen Angel. Gus Har-din (vocals); vocal and instrumental ac-companiment. Fallen Angel (Flyin' HighTonight); Not Tonight I've Got a Heart-ache; I Pass; Are We Still in Love or JustLonely; and six others. RCA CPL1-4937$8.98, © CPKI-4937 $8.98.

Performance MuzzledRecording: A bit cluttered

As with her impressive debut mini -LP oflast year, Gus Hardin's first full-length al-bum may not seem all that grabby at first,but after a few listenings it's hard to get itoff the turntable. Producer Rick Hall hasonce again taken her down to MuscleShoals, Alabama, for that homogenizedSouthern funk sound, and it works to bestadvantage on the uptempo numbers,Where's the Fire and I Pass. The lattersounds delightfully like a cross betweenan old Elvis tune and a Beatles number.

Hall is also producing Terri Gibbs now,and at times here, especially with the useof the harmonica, it seems as if he's mere-ly rolling out his "Husky Female Vocal-ist" production formula No. 4. No matterhow manufactured the arrangements get,however, Hardin's rough-hewn voice cutsthrough, promising still greater things tocome with just the right song and a lotmore soulful production. A.N.

JOE JACKSON: Body and Soul (seeBest of the Month, page 63)

THE JUDDS. Wynonna and NaomiJudd (vocals); vocal and instrumental ac-companiment. Had a Dream (for theHeart): John Deere Tractor; Isn't He aStrange One; Blue Nun Café; and twoothers. RCA MHL1-8515 $5.99, C)MHK 1-8515 $5.99.

Performance: GutsyRecording: Very good

The Judds are a mother/daughter duofrom the tiny town of Morrill, Kentucky(population fifty, "and most of them cou-sins"), but Maybelle and the Carters theyare not. Naomi (that's the mother) maymake her own lye soap, but she's alsobeen a professional model (that's her onthe cover of Conway Twitty's "Lost inthe Feeling") and lived for a time in Cal-ifornia, where she worked as a secretaryto the pop group the Fifth Dimension. Inother words, Naomi and daughter Wy-nonna have been exposed to just about allthe music that's come down the pike, andyou can hear everyone from Bonnie Raitt

electrifying. Guts have been in short sup-ply in country music lately, and I, for one,am glad the Judds have decided to go forit. Reward them with a listen. A.N.

JUMP 'N THE SADDLE BAND. Jump'n the Saddle Band (vocals and instru-mentals). The Curly Shuffle; It Should'veBeen Me; Deep in the Heart of Texas; TheChicken Song (Ain't Nobody Here But UsChickens); Night Life; and five others.ATLANTIC 80141-1 $8.98, © 80141-4$8.98.

Performance High spiritsRecording: Very good

It's hard to resist an album whose covershows six grown men in bed with a horse,and, when you get right down to it, there'sno need to. These are the guys whobrought you The Curly Shuffle, that lu-natic paean to the Three Stooges that gota fair amount of play on MTV in thespring. If this album is any indication,they are the quintessential frat-party

Wynonna and Naomi Judd: a progressive style with Kentucky roots

to the Andrews Sisters in their inflectionsand dead -eye harmonies.

RCA obviously believes that Naomiand Wynonna have what it takes, and,judging from this first offering, I'd haveto agree. Producer Brent Maher culled theselections from some of Nashville's topsongwriters (Dennis Linde, KennyO'Dell, Harlan Howard), and he workedout the arrangements to balance such tra-ditional "instruments" as jugs and wash-boards with the most contemporary ofelectric studio sounds. Thus, the Juddssound vaguely country (they pronounce"steel" as a two -syllable word), and theirrural appeal is helped along nicely bysongs with such back -forty titles as JohnDeere Tractor. But there is also a decided-ly hip stance to their music, and, all in all,they really do have a sound all their own,one that manages to be progressive whilekeeping a toe -hold on the Judds' Ken-tucky roots and front -porch singalongs.To my ears, it is a style as gutsy as it is

band, a good-time, high-energy, let -it -all -hang -out group that alternates originalmaterial with tunes by the likes of WillieNelson and Britain's Nick Lowe.

The repertoire ranges from big -band toboogie, rock, and jazz, with an occasionalcountry theme thrown in, and, for alltheir clowning around, these guys are noslouches in the instrumental department.Still, Peter Quinn's big -shot vocals reallycarry the group along. If he wanted to,Quinn could probably take Jump 'n theSaddle Band out of the novelty -tunerealm and put it up against the competi-tion. Be interesting to see what wouldhappen. A.N.

MIDNIGHT OIL: /0, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2,1. Midnight Oil (vocals and instrumen-tals). Outside World; Only the Strong;Short Memory; Read About It; Scream inBlue; US Forces; Power and the Passion;Somebody's Trying to Tell Me Some-thing; Tin Legs and Tin Mines; Maralin-


ga. COLUMBIA BFC 38996, © BCT 38996,no list price.

Performance: ImpassionedRecording: Excellent

This summer will see Midnight Oil's firstAmerican tour. For those who aren'tlucky enough to catch what is arguablyAustralia's best rock band, the U.S. re-lease of the triple -platinum album "10, 9,8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, I" is as good as beingthere. It is, very simply, a remarkable rec-ord. Midnight Oil's reputation-such asit is-is that of a politically motivatedheavy-metal band. Political it is; heavy itis not.

"10, 9, 8, . . ." is as balanced and articu-late as a string quartet, with meticulousarrangements of the band's impassionedmusic. Every chord from the twin guitarsof Martin Rotsey and Jim Moginie, everybeat, every sound effect makes a discrete,audible contribution. Nothing is wastedor redundant. The melody lines, some-times carried on piano and synthesizer,but chiefly sustained by guitar and thevocals of Peter Garrett, tend to be longand unhurried but punctuated with slic-ing, distorted guitar effects. They havethe quality of folk or street music electri-fied by barely contained anger.

Garrett, a frightening specter at six -and -a -half feet and completely bald, is themenacing force behind Midnight Oil'sdeadly serious message. One moment hedeclaims in somber tones, the next withthe frenzy of a sane man in an asylum.While the album title is meant to suggestthe countdown to nuclear Armageddon,the subjects range over big -power poli-tics, militarism, apathy, and the politicsof personal relationships. The treatmentsare personal and compelling, neverpreachy. Fused with the accomplishedmusic writing of Moginie and drummerRob Hirst, Garrett's raging lyrics makethis an album of uncompromising forceand conviction. See Midnight Oil if youcan, but get this record regardless. M.P.

OMNI. Omni (vocals and instrumen-tals); vocal and instrumental accompani-ment. On & Off (Love Affair); Roctron;Just How Bad; Let Me Run It; All for theOne; and three others. MERCURY 818 035-1 M-1 $8.98, © 818 035-4 M-1 $8.98.

Performance: PromisingRecording: Good

Although the three members of Omnihave been around for years as studio mu-sicians and songwriters, this representstheir first exposure as a group on a majoralbum. They have drawn liberally fromtheir roots in rhythm -'n' -blues while lean-ing at times toward a more electronicsound, as on Roctron, which features me-tallic vocal and instrumental effects thatmake it the best dance cut here. But whatthey are doing doesn't seem to be all thatnew. They're really at their best whenthey settle down and sing songs in theclassic r -&-b style, such as the lovely JustHow Bad and All for the One. P.G.

LOU REED: New Sensations (see Best ofthe Month, page 64)

TANIA MARIABRAZIL has yielded so many musical

treasures from its rich blend of Por-tuguese, Indian, and African cultures thatthe emergence of Tania Maria, the mostexciting new artist to fuse Latin musicwith jazz, should come as no surprise.Born in the country that gave us bossanova, Flora Purim, and Milton Nasci-mento, Tania Maria has since 1980 beenliving in New York City. She has beenpaying her dues on the jazz circuit andgaining attention nationally through a se-ries of excellent Concord recordings. Herfourth album, "Love Explosion," con-firms her enormous talent.

In her varied roles as composer, singer,and pianist, Tania Maria spans such di-verse musical horizons that her stylemight be called contemporary eclectic.Her music, brilliantly melodic and al-ways accessible, sizzles, surges, and pul-sates. Her piano style is solid, her voice

lusty and full-throated. She intermingleshypnotic Brazilian rhythms and assertivejazz improvisations with sophisticatedfunk. And she is a masterly creator andinterpreter of those bittersweet ballads soclosely identified with Brazil.

But in singing and playing her wayacross much of the contemporary mu-sical spectrum, Tania Maria fuses allthese disparate ingredients into a richlycompelling, highly personal whole. Themusic on "Love Explosion" is all herown, and it is wonderful. Phyl Garland

TANIA MARIA: Love Explosion. TaniaMaria (vocals, piano, keyboards); instru-mental accompaniment. Funky Tambo-rim; It's All in My Hands; You've Got MeFeeling Your Love; Love Explosion; BelaBe Bela; The Rainbow of Your Love; DeepCove View; Pour Toi. CONCORD PICANTECJP-230 $8.98, © CJP-230C $8.98.

R.E.M: Reckoning. Peter Buck (guitar);Mike Mills (bass); Bill Berry (drums); Mi-chael Stipe (vocals). Harborcoat; 7 Chi-nese Brothers; S. Central Rain; Pretty Per-suasion; and six others. IRS SP -70044$8.98, © CS -70044 $8.98.

Performance: Mystery rockRecording: Deliberately difficult

A year and a half ago, R.E.M. wasn't eventhe best-known band in its home town ofAthens, Georgia. But after its 1983 LP,"Murmur," won a number of major crit-ics' polls, R.E.M. became a band thatcommands the attention of serious rock

listeners "Reckoning" contains tensmart, engaging pop tunes shrouded inmystery. The lyrics are frequently ren-dered unintelligible by Michael Stipes'snasal, slightly sluned vocals, and they'reoblique even when you can make themout. Yet they're wonderfully evocative.The music is totally approachable popmade to seem less polished and more al-ien than it really is by the low -tech pro-duction. That "Reckoning" just seems toget better-if not more fathomable-with repeated listenings means R.E.M.can expect the same enthusiasm from lis-teners that it has won from critics. M.P.


AND THE SHIP SAILS ON. Original -soundtrack recording. Mara Zampieri,Nucci Condo, Giovanni Bavaglio, others(vocals); orchestra. MILAN A 228 $4.99,© A 228 $4.99 (from Musicrama Recordand Tape Distributors, P.O. Box 1275,Long Island City, N.Y. 11101).

Performance: FineRecording: Good

Federico Fellini's best films have alwayspossessed a dreamlike quality, none moreso than his latest, And the Ship Sails On.This delightful mixture of fantasy, come-dy, and music is set aboard a shipcrammed with admirers and/or col-leagues of a recently deceased diva andsailing through a cardboard sea just be-fore the First World War. Most of themusic derives from Rossini and Verdi,and it is carefully performed by the vocal-ists and orchestra in a tradition of PalmCourt gentility. While this approach maynot serve the musical interests of thecomposers, it does perfectly frame Fel-lini's ecstatic vision of the world of thegrand salon, a world that vanished totallywith the first shot fired by the guns of Au-gust. P.R.

CARMEN. Original -soundtrack record-ing. Paco de Lucia (guitar); Regina Res-nick, Mario del Monaco (vocals); orches-tra. POLYDOR 817 247-1 $8.98, © 817247-4 $8.98.

Performance: Interesting pasticheRecording: Good

The latest incarnation of Carmen appearson the soundtrack of the celebrated Span-ish director Carlos Saura's new movieversion. Well, perhaps not the latest.since Saura has chosen to use old record-ings as counterpoints, recordings that starRegina Resnick and Mario del Monaco.Both are in fine fettle, and their contribu-tions are dropped in amidst lots of expert-ly steely flamenco guitar playing by Pacode Lucia and what sounds like enoughclacking, stomping feet to fill a SuperBowl performance of 42nd Street. P.R.

FOOTLOOSE. Original -soundtrack re-cording. Kenny Loggins, Shalamar, De -niece Williams, Mike Reno, Ann Wilson,Bonnie Tyler, others (vocals and instru-mentals). COLUMBIA JS 39242, © JST39242, no list price.

Performance: ListlessRecording: Okay

Footloose is another of those torrid teen -movie dance epics, a sort of male Flash -dance in which the pubertal hero is

trapped in a small town that has (wouldjabelieve?) banned dancing! The film itselffeatures only about ten minutes of actualdancing by its star, Kevin Bacon (or hisdouble). The rest of the time is taken upwith a listless soundtrack that featuressongs by Kenny Loggins, Sammy Hagar,Karla Bonoff, Bonnie Tyler, and so on.For a score that is supposed to celebratethe joys of movement, I can only reportthat I didn't tap either of my feet once-not even the good one. P.R.

RUMBLE FISH (Stewart Copeland).Original -soundtrack recording. StewartCopeland (instrumentals); Stanard Ridg-way (vocals, harmonica, string synthesiz-er); instrumental accompaniment. A&MSP -6-4983 $7.98, © AAM-6-4983 $7.98.

Performance: AccomplishedRecording: Nice

I haven't seen Rumble Fish, which ap-pears to be the latest installment in Fran-cis Ford Coppola's plan to film the col-lected novels of S. E. Hinton, but be as-sured that its score is not exactly Alexan-der Nevsky. The Police's Stewart Cope-land, who tinkered it into shape, has a fu-sion background that he has only fitfullykept under wraps in the past. Here hedoesn't so much re-create the style ofCurved Air-the hippy jazz-rock bandwhere he first learned the music of thespheres-as come up with a contempo-rary equivalent. It's all eclectic in the ex-treme and extremely well played (Cope-land does nearly all the instrumentalwork, not just the drums), but basicallyit's the sound of a musician warming up.The tracks could be rhythm jams the Po-lice abandoned before turning them intoactual songs. High-class noodling-noth-ing more, nothing less. S.S.

TO BE OR NOT TO BE (John Morris -Mel Brooks). Original -soundtrack re-cording. Anne Bancroft, Mel Brooks, oth-ers (vocals, dialogue); orchestra. AN-TILLES 8 ASTA 2 $8.98, © 8 ASTA 2$8.98.

Performance: InimitableRecording: Mostly good

What you think about To Be or Not to Beprobably depends on your degree of affec-tion for Mel Brooks and/or the old ErnstLubitsch/Jack Benny/Carole Lombardoriginal that the movie is based on.Speaking as a Brooks fan, and as some-body too young to have experienced theLubitsch Touch the first time around, Ifound the remake charming and in noway a violation of a (near) classic. Thisnew soundtrack album is a hybrid; it in-cludes all the musical numbers (includingeverybody's favorite, the Brooks/AnneBancroft Polish version of Sweet GeorgiaBrown) as well as healthy chunks of dia-logue. It also includes, as a bonus, a short-ened version of Mel's current rap single,which might be described as Grandmas-ter Flash meets Field Marshal Goering.Probably you won't play the album as of-ten as either "Thriller" or Bruno Walterconducting Mahler's Ninth, but it's funnonetheless. S.S.

VHS HI -Fl(Continued from page 43)headphones) with the unit you areconsidering buying.

TRADING OFFOur interchangeability tests indi-cated that one or both of our sam-ples did not conform totally to theVHS Hi-Fi standard. A tape re-corded on the Jensen produced anelevated high -frequency response(+5 dB at 15,000 Hz) when playedon the RCA. A tape made on theRCA was down by the same amountat the same frequency when playedon the Jensen. Until standard cali-brated test tapes become available,there is no telling which machine is"right."

By any standards, however, theRCA VKT-550 and Jensen AVS-

THE VHS HI-FISOUND QUALITYIS BETTER THANTHAT OF THEFINEST ANALOGTAPE RECORDERSUSED AT HOME.

6200 are excellent audio recorders.The VHS format is the only me-dium allowing up to eight hours ofcontinuous recording time, justright for those interminable Wagneroperas. And don't forget that withthese machines you are also buyinga video recording capability that canbe used simultaneously. Their videoquality at the slowest speeds seemedto be unaffected by the VHS Hi-Fiprocess and looked equivalent towhat is generally available with top -of -the -line VHS recorders. On theother hand, neither the Beta norVHS format comes as close to stu-dio -quality video recording as theVHS and Beta Hi-Fi systems cometo studio -quality audio recording.So far in high-fidelity VCR's, mostof the fidelity is sonic. Let's hopethe picture can catch up.

For more information on the JensenAVS-6200, write to Jensen SoundLaboratories, Dept. SR, 4136 NorthUnited Parkway, Schiller Park. Ill,60176. For more on the RCA VKT-550, write of RCA, Dept. SR, 600North Shore Drive, Indianapolis,Ind. 46201.


COMPATIBILITY(Continued from page 53)components can theoretically de-liver since some compromise is al-most always necessary. Of course,there are some obvious caveats,such as being aware of any specialpositioning requirements a speakermay have before buying a pair. Ifthe speakers are designed to soundbest on free-standing pedestals, forexample, don't place them onshelves against a wall.

TURNTABLE/ROOMThere is a potentially serious rec-ord-player compatibility problemthat has nothing to do with theusual turntable specifications, suchas rumble, flutter, or speed varia-tion. It is never specified by turnta-ble manufacturers or anyone else,probably because there is no estab-lished way to measure it or to deter-mine its importance to a particularuser. I am referring to a recordplayer's susceptibility to external vi-bration from footsteps, jarring, orthe output of loudspeakers.

The response of the record playerto airborne vibration originating

from the speakers can, in its mostsevere form, cause acoustic feed-back-a howling or deep rumblingthat not only renders the programunlistenable but can even damagethe amplifier or speakers. In a mild-er form, feedback may not be audi-ble as such yet have an audible ef-fect in terms of "muddying" thesound of the program.

In general, the more "softlysprung" record players are less sen-sitive to feedback effects as wellas to base -conducted vibrations.Sometimes placing the turntable onaccessory isolating mounts canhelp, but the best treatment is pre-vention: keep the turntable wellaway from the speakers and other

sources of vibrations. This may re-quire some trial and error in theplacement of the components.

THE BOTTOM LINEThese days most name -brand com-ponents will work well with eachother without any extraordinarymeasures to ensure their compati-bility. But you do need some basicunderstanding of what hi-fi compo-nents are built to do before you startto assemble a system or buy a newcomponent to fit into the systemyou have. And use common sense.

If you know where the real trou-be spots are likely to be, you canconcentrate on them and stopworrying about the rest of the sys-tem. Instead of fretting aboutwhether your preamplifier can livehappily with your Compact Discplayer, for example, you'd probablydo better to give some thought tohow well the speakers you like inthe store are going to work in yourlistening room. Real problems, nottheoretical ones, are very commonin this area, and they are not alwaysvery easily solved. But that's anoth-er article! 0

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Stereo ReviewNow your magazines can be a handsomeaddition to your decor, well organized, and easyto find, thanks to these durable library -qualitycases or binders. They're made of luxury -lookleatherette over high -quality binders board. Andboth styles are custom -designed for this or anymagazine you save. with size, color, and imprintselected by the publisher. FREE transfer foilincluded for marking dates and volumes.

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Print Name

,Adaears dbx SOUNDFIEID ONE(Continued from page 59)

At $2,500 for two speakers andthe controller, the Soundfield Onesystem is not inexpensive, but by to-day's standards it is hardly out ofreach for any serious listener. Thedbx SFX-1 is a great and importantspeaker system. Hear it for yourself,

but be prepared for dissatisfactionwith your present loudspeaker sys-tem after you do.

For more information on the dbxSFX-1 Soundfield One speaker sys-tem, write to dbx, Inc., Dept. SR, 71Chapel Street, Newton, Mass.02195.

HIRSCH-HOUCK tAB MEASUREMENTS

Because of the almost infinitevariety of response curves made

possible by the SFC-1 controls, wemeasured the system's limit conditionsand then concentrated onmeasurements made with the controlsettings established during oursubjective listening tests. We obtainedthe most pleasing sound balance in ourroom by setting the LOW -FREQUENCYCOMPENSATION to its center positionand the HIGH -FREQUENCYCOMPENSATION to the upper end of itsmarked "normal" range. It wasapparent that the actual acousticbalance could be made almostanything that one desired.Interestingly, however, thesemodifications had no effect on thestereo imaging qualities of the system.

The system's averaged and smoothedroom response, with our preferredcontrol settings, was fiat within ±3 dBfrom 150 to 20,000 Hz. It wasessentially independent of themicrophone's location in the room. Thebass response was a very creditable±4 dB from 20 to 150 Hz, and itcould be spliced to the middle- andhigh -frequency room curves to obtain a±6 -dB response from 20 to 20,000 Hz.

Measurements with our IQS FFTanalyzer showed a single dbx SFX-1speaker's quasi-anechoic response tobe about ±-6 dB from 180 to 23,000Hz at a 45 -degree angle inward fromthe front of the speaker. At 90 degreesinward (facing the other speaker), theoutput rose smoothly with increasingfrequency, changing by about 10 dBfrom 4,000 to 20,000 Hz. Thetraditional frontal (0 -degree) responsecurve was somewhat ragged, anexpected effect of multiple -driverinterference interacting with thecharacteristics of our FFT system.Measurements of individual drivers,with close microphone spacing, showedthem to have smooth outputs in theiroperating ranges. The group delay,measured on the 90 -degree axis, wasconstant within 0.4 millisecond from5,000 to 20,000 Hz.

The SFX-1's impedance was prettymuch as claimed and one of the mostuniform we have yet measured. Itdipped to 3.2 ohms at 100 and 1,000Hz, and the minimum value of about2.5 ohms was measured at 20,000 Hz.The maximum values were 4.5 to 5ohms, measured at several frequencies.

The exceptional uniformity of thespeaker impedance tends to supportdbx's claim that it is essentiallyresistive and therefore probably an"easy" load for most good amplifiersdespite its relatively low value.

The system's sensitivity (in themidrange) is rated at a 90 -dBsound -pressure level (SPL) at 1 meterwith an input of 2.83 volts. Our teststended to confirm this, although thesystem's directionality makes itnecessary to specify the relativeorientation between the speaker andthe microphone. Our measurementsshowed an SPL of 94 dB (themaximum output with a 2.83 -voltinput) on the axis between thespeakers and 88 dB on the frontalaxis. We measured bass distortion bysupplying a constant -amplitude signalto the SFC-1 controller, equivalent to aspeaker drive of 2.83 volts at 100 Hz,and varying the frequency downwardfrom that point. Although the SFC-1greatly increased the drive voltage atlower frequencies, the distortion of thewoofers remained quite low. At 50 Hz,for example, it was only 1.65 per cent,even though the speaker was beingdriven with about 10 watts. Even at 30Hz, the distortion was only about 9 percent with 45 watts of drive power!

The SFC-1 controller did its jobwithout any degradation of thesystem's essential signal properties. Itsmaximum output was in the range of 5to 6 volts at the frequency extremes.The 1,000 -Hz maximum output was1.7 volts, but that required an input ofabout 6 volts, a level unlikely to befound at an amplifier's tape outputs!The distortion at a 1 -volt output wasabout 0.01 per cent. A -weighted noiseoutput was 90 dB below 1 volt.

The pulsed -power capability of theSFX-1 speakers was measured withshort -duty -cycle tone bursts at 100 and1,000 Hz (we were unable to reach thesaturation limits of the tweeters at10,000 Hz). At 100 Hz, the woofers"bottomed" at roughly 500 watts input.At that level, the tone burst produceda house -shaking "thump." At 1,000Hz, visible waveform distortionappeared on the acoustic output atabout 200 watts. These signals did notactivate the power -monitor circuits,which respond only to relativelylong -duration signals that couldoverheat the voice coils.

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112 MUSIC VIDEOS:ROCK & ROLl(Continued from page 48)

6 THIS IS ELVIS(Warner Bros.) The King,from white heat at nineteenon the Milton Berle Showto blubbery self -parody andgrisly death. This is morethan a rockumentary-it'spractically a metaphor forAmerica. The home versioncontains forty minutes notincluded in the theatricalrelease. Most of it is Fiftiesperformance stuff and asriveting as you'd expect.Stereo.

7RUDE BOY(Columbia). A backstagesemi -documentary, thisspends a little too muchdramatic time with itsnominal star, a young Clashfan who is the Rude Boy ofthe title. But every time itcuts to the band the energylevel becomes close tooverwhelming. Regardlessof how they've since turnedout, at this point the Clashhad more charisma (there's

no other word) than anyother band in the world.It's nice to have them andthe punk scene theyexemplified documented sowell. No stereo yet.

8 THE LAST WALTZ(Warner Bros.). The Band'sretirement concert, withgreat guest performances byeverybody from VanMorrison to MuddyWaters, shot withold-fashioned MGMelegance by MartinScorsese. A lovinglydocumented farewell to theroad, this is also nothingless than, as one criticcalled it, "the sight andsound of an era shuttingdown."

9 ROCK AND ROLLHIGH SCHOOL

(Warner Bros.). TheRamones, Eating Raoul'sMary Woronov and PaulBartel, and the delectableP. J. Soles demolish VinceLombardi High in thisdelirious parody/homageto those Alan Freedrock-sploitation films of the

Fifties. This one has it all,from a great soundtrack(Chuck Berry, the MC5) toa great ending (they blowup the school).

10 WE'RE ALL DEVO(Pioneer LaserDisc). Acareer retrospective, thistime a sort of GreatestVideo Hits, from a bandwhose ideas have alwaysbeen most cogentlyexpressed in visual terms.The best of all the currentrock video packages by amile.

HONORABLE MENTIONSThe Rut/es (Pacific Arts)Woodstock (Warner Bros.)

MUST-HAVE'SAWAITING RELEASEThe Girl Can't Help Itstarring Little Richard,Eddie Cochran, GeneVincent, Fats Domino, andJayne Mansfield.

Riot on Sunset Strip withthe immortal Standells, theChocolate Watchband, anLSD gang rape, and AldoRay as the cop.

NI MUSIC VIDEOS:SONIC SPECTACULARS(Continued from page 48)

whale at the conclusion,this film remains a dazzlingjourney through what PaulKresh called "the tunnel ofhate that was the war inVietnam." The soundtrack,from the helicopter attackto the Ride of the Valkyriesto the Mekong Delta surfscene to the Stones'Satisfaction, is nearly aseffective at home as it wasin the theater.

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(Paramount). Or, APompadour Grows inBrooklyn. Starring JohnTravolta and the Bee Gees'classic disco score, this notonly sounds great but has asignificant advantage overthe LP version: it willprobably never wear out.

5 FORBIDDEN PLANET(MGM/UA). A Fifties sci-fiversion of Shakespeare'sThe Tempest starringRobbie the Robot and a

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remarkably effective stereosoundtrack that probablyhasn't been heard since thefilm's initial release. Bestmoment: when the steelshutters on Dr. Morbius'shouse slam shut insequence and the soundmoves from one speaker tothe other.

6 STAR TREK: THEMOTION PICTURE

(Paramount). One of thegreat light shows of alltime, the special longerversion offers some of themost impressive stereosound effects ever createdfor a feature film. JerryGoldsmith's score is alsoone of the loveliest ever,making this worth buyingfor the pre -credit overturealone.

7WEST SIDE STORY(MGM). If you canoverlook the fact thateverybody in this movie ofLeonard Bernstein'smusical, including NatalieWood, looks like a memberof Mink DeVille, you'll findit is still one of the niftiest

of all film musicals. Andthough the stereo sound isnot quite Eighties state ofthe art, it's such a kick tohave it blasting in yourliving room that youprobably won't care.

8 A STAR IS BORN(Warner Bros.). MoreFifties stereo andremarkably good in thisrestored version. Your TVset may not be able toreproduce George Cukor'sgroundbreakingCinemascope visuals, but,here again, the terrificsound supplies the sense ofscale.

9 RAIDERS OFTHE LOST ARK

(Paramount). The greatestRepublic serial Republicnever made, this StevenSpielberg/George Lucascollaboration featuresHarrison Ford and anexceptionally realistic audiotrack. The sound of thegiant boulder in theopening temple scene aloneis worth the price of theLaserDisc (the VHS stereo

version is merely okay incomparison).

10 AROUND THEWORLD IN EIGHTYDAYS

(Warner Bros.). MikeTodd's all-star rendering ofthe Jules Verne fantasy isless fun now than Iremember its being when Isaw it as a child, and someof the movie's wide-screenvisual effects are necessarilycompromised in my livingroom, but the soundtrackworks. You haven't liveduntil you've experiencedDavid Niven's brittlecharm in early stereo.

LOOKING AT MUSICBALLET AND OPERA(Continued from page 50)

Kolpakova and SergeiBerezhnoi dance theleading roles, and ViktorFedotov conducts. Soundand sight have beensuperbly captured byRussian television directorElena Macheret, whochoreographed the cameras

with appropriate sensitivityand grace.

9 SPARTACUS(Video Arts International).Made in 1977, this film isslightly flawed by the kindof jumps and wear youmight expect from a mucholder print, but it is asplendid cinematic effortwith stellar performancesby Vladimir Vasiliev in thetitle role and Marius Liepaas Crassus, the villainousRoman general.Choreographer YuriGrigorovich directed thedefinitive ninety -five-minute Bolshoi Theaterproduction, and A.Zhuraitis conducts theKhatchaturian score.

10 SAMSON ETDALILA

(Pioneer LaserDisc). Thiswas a 1981 performance atthe Royal Opera House,Covent Garden, preservedby the BBC with typicalexpertise. Jon Vickers andShirley Verrett seem tohave been born to the titleroles. Colin Davis conducts.

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-HE BASIC REPERTOIRE

BY RICHARD FREED

OR some years critic Richard Freed,I- a contributing editor of STEREO RE -view, has listened to all available re-cordings of the nearly two hundred sym-phonic works that form the essentialcore of orchestral programs and classicalrecord collections, selecting those ver-sions he considers the best. We have pub-lished his choices in a pamphlet, whichwe have updated periodically, and weare now publishing his selections of thebest current recordings of the Basic Rep-ertoire in a series in the magazine. Allthose cited are stereo LP's unless indi-cated otherwise by our usual symbols.

O RODRIGO: Concierto de Aranjuez.Narciso Yepes's oldish recording withArgenta conducting remains for me themost persuasive of the several excellentaccounts of this most beloved of all gui-tar concertos (London STS 15199, C)STS5 15199). Among the newer andmore expensive versions, AlfonsoMoreno's, with Enrique Batiz conduct-ing, is especially recommendable, notonly in its own right but also for the lit-tle-known material on the other side(Angel 0 DS -37876, © 4XS-37876).

O ROSSINI: Overtures. RCA's digitalremastering of the Reiner collection,still at the low Gold Seal price, makes itcompetitive with the best available, andthe selections are choice (AGL I -5210,© AGK1-5210). An outstanding mix-ture of familiar and unfamiliar titles isserved up by Riccardo Chailly (London0 LDR 71034, © LDR5 71034, 400049-2). Abbado's album is nearly asfetching (RCA ARL1-3634, ARKI-3634). None of these collections in-cludes Semiramide, for a broader selec-tion, the best combination of two discswithout duplication would be PeterMaag's (London STS 15030, © STS515030) and the first of Marriner's fivepackages of this material (Philips 6500878, © 7300 368).

SAINT-SAENS: Carnival of theAnimals. The recording by Andre Pre -vin and the Pittsburgh Symphony ex-cels in every respect and in every format(Philips 0 9500 973, © 7300 973, 400016-2). For the original chamber ver-sion, try JOrg Faerber on disc (Turna-bout TV 34586) or Philippe Entremonton tape (CBS © MT 35851). Anyonewho really wants the Ogden Nash versesshould buy the original recording inwhich Noel Coward recites them withAndre Kostelanetz conducting (Odys-sey eito Y 32359).

SAINT-SAENS: Piano ConcertoNo. Z in G Minor. The new recordings

by Cecile Ousset, with Simon Rattleconducting (Angel 0 DS -38004, © 4XS-38004), and by Pascal Rog& withCharles Dutoit (London CS 7253, ©CS5 7253), are both outstanding. Entre-mont's older version with Ormandy(CBS MS 6778) is superior to his re-make with Plasson, and the Tacchino/Froment is a genuine bargain (CandideQCE 31080, Vox © CT -2124, or in VoxQSVBX-5143, © CBX-5143).

SAINT-SAENS: Symphony No. 3,in C Minor ("Organ"). Charles Dutoitand the Montreal Symphony Orchestra,with organist Peter Hurford, may besaid to sweep the field with their ex-tremely sympathetic, brilliantly re-corded performance (London 0 LDR71090, © LDR5 71090, 410 201-2),but Munch's 1959 Boston recording, re-vivified in RCA's half -speed remaster-ing, is still a contender for top honors(ARP1-4440, © AREI-4440).

SCHOENBERG: TransfiguredNight. Several of the choice string -or-chestra recordings have been deleted re-cently. Of the surviving ones, Horen-stein's (Turnabout TV 34263) and Sto-kowski's (Seraphim S-60080) are themost expressive, Neumann's a bitbrighter sounding (Quintessence PMC-7177, © P4C-7177). There are appeal-ing recordings of the sextet version bythe Ramor Quartet and friends (Turn-about TV 37012, © CT -7012) and fromthe Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival(Nonesuch 0 1-79028, © 4-79028).

SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 8, in BMinor ("Unfinished"). Top honors maybe divided between Carlos Kleiber'sprofound, freshly thought out reading(DG 2531 124, © 3301 124) and Jo-chum's powerful, heartfelt Boston per-formance (DG 2530 318). Also excep-tional are BOhm's live Viennese remake(DG 2531 373, © 3301 373), Klemper-er's (Angel RL-32038, © 4RL-32038),and the latest by Karajan (Angel SZ-37544, © 4ZS-37544, or in SE -3862).

O SCHUBERT: Symphony No. 9, in CMajor ("The Great"). The Munch/Bos-ton version, back on cassette only (RCA© Victrola ALK1-4507), is a marvel-ously exuberant performance, well re-corded, and now an incredible bargain.At the expensive end of the scale, I likeHeinz Reigner's provocative, grand -scaled digital recording (Denon O OB-7350/51-ND, © 38C37-7035). Kara-jan's DG version, reissued now in thePrivilege series, is a gem (2535 290, ©3335 290). Szell's CBS recording standsup beautifully in its latest transfer (MY37239, © MYT 37239). BOhm's Dres-den remake is marked by a splendidbalance between majesty, urgency, andlyricism (DG 2531 352, © 3301 352).

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BEST PRICE & IN STOCK! Perreaux, Bediri, Acoustat,ARC, Thorens, RGR, Metier, Onkyo, Technics, B& W, Me-ridian, Vandersteen, Dynavecter, Snell, Tascam, Spen-dor, Video ... P.K. Audio, 11420 Airline Highway, BatonRouge, LA 70816. (504) 292-5105.

DYNACO OWNERS: 60,000 lbs parts/manuals/tubes/drivers/accessories/kits. FREE BARGAIN CATALOG. SCC,POB 551, Dublin, Ohio 43017.

PHILIPS, AUDAX, PEERLESS, FOCAL, ANC DYNAUDIOLOUDSPEAKERS in stock with good prices and compe-tent service. Crossover components also. MADISOUNDSPEAKER COMPONENTS. 8982 Table Bluff, Box 4283,Madison, WI 53711. (608)767-2673.

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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.

B&K COMPONENTS, LTD. brings 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 TCLL FREE: 1-(800)543-5252. (NY only 1-(800) 235-5020).

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ATTENTION HEADPHONE USERS, sound professionals.Finally available Binaural Converter. Restores space per-spective. Industrial Cybernetics, P.O. Box 2477, SantaBarbara, CA 93120.

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COMPACT DIGITAL DISCS and players, Mitsubishi. Sony,Haller, Nakamichi, Klipsch. Acoustat. SAE. Carver. Fried,Adcom. Proton, more. Immediate. FREE shipping' READBROTHERS STEREO. 593-C King Street, Charleston. SC29403. (803) 723-7276.

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ATTENTION', LOWEST PRICES ON ALL BRANDS OF CARAND HOME STEREO. PLUS ELECTRONICS. Pioneer.Sanyo, Fox. Concord. Whistler. Alpine and more. Same dayshipping. Check their prices -Call us Toll Free (800) 621-2451. In Florida call (305) 689-2629 MICRO SOURCESOUTH.

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LOW PRICES on the world's largest selection of audi-ophile components and accessories. Many not normallydiscounted products for less. (616) 451-3868 M -F 10-6.AUDIO ADVISOR INC.. Box 6202. Grand Rapids. MI, 49506.VISA/AMEX.

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PEERLESS AND OTHER top name loudspeakers, cross-overs, components, plans, accessories. Lowest prices.Send for catalog. KDS Electronics Marketing, POB 907,Rye, NY 10580.

AUDIOPHILES: With offices in both Tokyo and California,we are unique and different. All High -end equipment dis-counted: Sony, Yamaha, Nakamichi, STAX, Micro's bestturntables, Esprit. Yamaha R-100 $595! T-70 $295! CD -XI$520! Nakamichi RX-505, Dragon, lowest anywhere! SonyCDP-610ES. $795: 701ES, call! Accuphase AC -2 $265!Dynavector DV-17D1)$199!Stax Lambda $155! We list withprices, over 40 tonearms. 100 cartridges, 20 MC Mans -formers, 30 turntables. These lists free. Our detailed cat-alog $3. Japanese Stereo MUKASHIYA, 930 NorthLacienega Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90069. (213) 652-3337 (10-5:30PM).

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JUST HAVING THE EQUIPMENT is not enough, expertadvice with over 12 years experience. Amber, Hafler, Kim-ber Kable, Janis, NAD, PS Audio, Pyramid, Rega. Spica.Spectrum Acoustics, Grace, Grado. Nitty Gritty, Vanders-teen, Oracle. DKL Sound Lab. 804 Burlington Ave., SilverSpring. MD 20910. (301) 588-6257. MC/VISA. Packageprices available.

INDOOR FM ANTENNA. Replace cumbersome wire an-tenna with quality. compact fixed antenna. Complete $13.95plus $2.00 shipping. Aerial Technology, Box 813, Kenne-bunk, Maine 04043.

THEY DON'T DISCOUNT IT? WE DO! GET LOW PRICESon ALL types of audio equipment -including high -end andeven esoteric products not normally discounted' Now wecan save you money on the equipment you REALLY WANT.Extensive selection -no need to settle for second choice.Thousands of satisfied customers nationwide. Call us forprice quotes or friendly, expert advice. Catalog $1. (616)451-3868. VISA/MC/AMEX. THE AUDIO ADVISOR, INC.,BOX 6202, GRAND RAPIDS, MI 49506.

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Bring new life to TV or FM Audio with this fabulous product'Order yours today - comes complete with all cables instruc-tion. two-year warranty 30 day money back guarantee Sendcheck. M 0 Visa. or MC M to below address. or call for freeliterature Also available at better dealers The TE-600 Teledap-ter $14995 4 Needed Features In One Audio Processor.

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SUPERB SELECTION OF AUDIOPHILE RECORDINGS/IMPORTS/COMPACT DISCS. Detailed monthly, bulletinoffers latest releases, sales, more. Discount on initial or-der. Send for FREE catalog issue. The Essentials Market-ing, Dept. SR -54. Box 7724, Eugene, OR 97401,

COMPACT DIGITAL DISCS AND PLAYERS, MITSUBISHI,SAE, HAFLER, NAKAMICHI, KLIPSCH, ACOUSTAT,THORENS, CARVER. FRIED, ADCOM, PROTON more.Immediate, FREE shipping: READ BROTHERS STEREO,593-C King Street, Charleston, South Carolina 29403. (803)723-7276.

DISCOVER THE SOURCE. Our international buying groupoffers you a wide range of quality audio gear at astonish-ing prices! THE SOURCE newsletter contains industrynews, new products, equipment reviews and a confiden-tial price list for our exclusive members. Choose from Aiwa,Alpine, Amber, B&W, Denon, Grace, Harman Kardon,Kenwood, Mission, Nakamichi, Quad, Revox, Rogers,Spica, Sumo, Walker, Yamaha and much more. For moreinformation call or write to: THE SOURCE, 745 AlexanderRoad, Princeton, NJ 08540. 1(609) 987-1100.

TAPES & RECORDERS

OLD TIME RADIO -original broadcasts on quality tapes.Free catalog. Carl R. Froelich, Route One. New Freedom,Pennsylvania 17349.

OPEN REEL TAPES. Prerecorded. Catalogue. $1.00. Bar-clay -Crocker, 313-S Mill Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601.

1930-1962 RADIO PROGRAMS. Beats Television!! Tapes.$1.00 Hour! Established esteemed dealer. Informative 275page catalog. $1.25. AM Treasures, Box 192SR, Babylon,N.Y. 11702.

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OPEN REEL TAPE -Mostly Ampex 641/671, used once,

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$3.50. New, high bias cassettes. Sample: $1.00 each.

AUDIO TAPES, Box 9584-K Alexandria, VA 22304. (703)

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FREE CATALOG -LOWEST PRICES on car stereo andother major brand electronics and tapes. Write: Electron-ics. Suite 1052, 1204 Avenue U. Brooklyn, NY 11229.

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SURPLUS AMPEX 671 SCOTCH. SOUNDCRAFT. 7" 2400reels, box of 62 $65.00 10P/2" 3600' reels, box of 30 $65.00check. COD. C.K. LTD.. P.O. Box 527. Cottondale, FL 32431.

AMPEX PROFESSIONAL SERIES AUDIO TAPE SALE.High quality open reel 1800' or 2400' on 7" reels, used once.Case of 40, $45.00. 101/2 t. 3600' and cassettes. MC/VISA.Valtech Electronics, Box 6 -SR, Richboro, PA 18954. (215)322-4866.

1800' 7" blank tape 7" reel, low as $1.40. SASE. RMTC. POBox 1733. San Leandro, CA 94577.

GOLDEN AGE RADIO -Your best source for radio tapes.Free catalog. Box 25215-T, Portland, OR 97225

AUDIO SPECIALTY SHOPS

AUDIOPHILESI!!!! Grado. B+0. NAD, DCM, Dahlquist.Boston Acoustics, Carver. Denon. Hailer. Signet. Bestvalues available. CSA AUDIO. 193 Bellevue, Montclair. NewJersey. 07043. (201) 744-0600.

FOR ALL MUSIC LOVERS! We have the widest selectionof audio equipment available in all price ranges. Ky-ocera, Dual. Allison Jamo Harmon-Kardon, Infinity. Aiwa,Thorens, Ortof on, SAE, Hatter, Klipsch, Lux man andmore. Call for information. CONTINENTAL SOUND, 98-77Queens Blvd., Rego Park, NY 11374. (212) 459-7507. Im-mediate Delivery. MC/VISA.

Are you tired of no literature. poor advice, bad choices. noservice or repair, money on deposit, hidden charges, poordelivery then MAKE A CHANGE. Salon One Audio, 2031West Grand Ave.. Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494. (715) 421-5910. Home trial available. God's blessing with you.

RECORDS

COLLECTORS' Soundtracks. Mint. List $1 (refundable)Jemm's. P.O. Box 157, Glenview, III. 60025.

RARE ORIGINAL RECORDS, all kinds. mostly mint. 5000list $2 00. refundable, Carl. Box 828. Princeton. NC 27569.

AUDIOPHILE ALBUMS. COMPACT DISCS! DISCOUNTPRICES! Prompt shipping. FREE catalog. FOR THE RE-CORD, Box 21201 SR. Columbus, OH 43221.

ORGAN AND CHORAL RECORDS. For free catalog write'Gothic Records. PO. Box 1576-F, Tustin, CA 92681.

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.

COMPACT DIGITAL DISCS exclusively -in -stock -catalog$1, refundable with order. Ethel Enterprises. Box 3301.Dept. SR. Falls Church, VA 22043.

SOUNDTRACKS -New and out -of -print film music re-cordings. Free listings. CINE MONDE RECORDS. 1488Vallejo St.. San Francisco. CA 94109.

COMPACT DISCS! Over 1100 titles available -immedi-

ate delivery -FREE catalog. LAURY'S RECORDS, 9800C

North Milwaukee Ave., Des Plaines, IL 60016. (312) 296-

0420.

OPERA -HISTORICAL PERFORMANCES ON DISC. Mostcomprehensive selection anywhere. Send 31.00 for cata-log -refundable. LYRIC. BOX 181, Roslyn Heights, NY11577.

RECORDS/CD COLLECTORS: Serious about classicalmusic? Then enjoy the largest in -stock collection of clas-sical imports, domestic Compact Discs and audiophile re-cordings in the United States. Free import catalog. CDguide and newsletters. Write or call: Serenade RecordShop, Dept SR -84. 1713 "G" St. N.W., Washington, DC20006. (206)638-6648.

SUPERB SELECTION OF AUDIOPHILE RECORDINGS/IMPORTS. Detailed monthly, bulletin offers latest re-leases, sales, more. Discount on initial order. Send forFREE catalog issue. The Essentials Marketing. Dept. SR -84, Box 7724, Eugene. OR 97401.

OLDIES BUT GOODIES. Records and tapes. Free dis-count catalog. GOODTIMES CO. Box 363. Hawthorne. CA90250.

CD DISCS. One of the largest selections in North Amer-ica. 1200 titles in stock. Catalog available. Same day ship-ping. New arrivals daily. Phone orders welcomed. CapitolRecord Shop, 7 Capitol Avenue, Hartford, CT 06106. (203)278-6530.

MUSIC VIDEO! All Kinds. Complete *alternative video"Catalog. $2.00 refundable. STEFFAN JANSSEN STUDIO,Dept S. 4615 N. Lincoln, Chicago, IL 60625.

JAZZ COLLECTION OF 45 YEARS. L.P'S, 78's, tapes.Harold Lamb, 225 Nichols Rd., Suwanee, Georgia 30174."

FREE CATALOG. Quality cassette releases. Hollywood'sfinest new recording artists. Exclusive. New Hat Music Co..Box 291087(S). Hollywood. CA 90029.

COMPACT2550DISC 664-2550

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CLIFTON PARK, NY 12065QUALITY. AT AFFORDABLEPRICES FREE CATALOGUE

}LARGE SELECTION1-3 per disc $16.994-9 $15.99OVER 10 $14.99

FREE GIANT LP AND TAPE CATALOG. Discount LP's,cassettes, Compact Discs, blank tapes, Current, budget,out -of -print, and collectors items. MUSIC SUPERMART.P 0 Box 1635, Reseda, CA 91335.

DIGITAL COMPACT DISCLUB. Members get SUPER LOWPRICES. Super Selection. TRADE -in -PRIVILEGES. FREEquarterly catalog. Send $1.00 (refundable on mermber-ship) for details. SOUNDPRO DISCLUB-S. POB 645. Car-mel, Indiana, 46032.

FREE STEREO ALBUMS. For more information sendSASE. Music and Music. Inc., POB 6698, Birmingham, Al-abama 35210.

WHILE YOU WERE LOOKING FOR 'Out -of -Print" Rec-ords you should've been looking for us! DISContinued (213)846-9192.

COMPACT DISCS! Lowest prices -most titles $15.49.Send for catalog. DISC HAVEN. Box 16, Storrs, CT 06268(203)429-3444

COMPACT DISCS, $14,99-$15 99 Send $2.00 (refund-able with order) for large current catalog. OZ RECORDS,

30083.(404)292-5452.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES

ERASE DEBTS with little-known law -CREATE wealth!Details FREE-WealthKit. No. DD7, Billings, N.Y. 12510.

MAILORDER OPPORTUNITY! Start profitable home busi-ness without experience or capital. Information free. MailOrder Associates, Dept. 725, Montvale, NJ 07645.

BORROW $300-$30,000 INTEREST FREE! Keep indefi-nitely! Free Details. Write: American, 1601 Main, Plain-field, Indiana 46168.

ELECTRONIC REPRESENTATIVES NEEDED! Lowestpossible prices!! Over 100 brands! Audio, Video. CarStereo, Computers, Electronic Experts, 1000 Orange Ave..West Haven, CT 06516.

CAPTURE BOOMING MARKET. Huge profits, running

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KILLING BACK PAIN? FREE 16 page. color catalog, spe-cializing in back -relief products. We market only medi-cally tested equipment recommended by doctors. WriteThe Backache Store. P.O. Box 111, Wabasha, MN 55981.

INSTRUCTIONS

YOUR OWN RADIO STATION! AM, FM, cable, licensed.unlicensed. low-cost transmitters! Free information.Broadcasting. Box 130-R7, Paradise. CA 95969.

BE A RECORDING ENGINEER! New classes quarterly. In-stitute of Audio/Video Engineering. 1831 Hyperion, DeptL, Hollywood, CA 90027. (213) 666-3003.

BOOKS & MAGAZINES

SATELLITE TV VIEWERS' etie y

Send $1 for sample copy.

P 0 Box 308, Fort . Cilifol no 9554(00.35$-9997 (U.S.) 800-5S6-8717 (Calif.)

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MOVIE FILM/VIDEOTAPES

VIDEO MOVIES. VHS -Beta -Disc. Giant catalog directory$3.00 (retunded: first order). Tower, Dunkirk, MD 20754-0213.

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SONY --120 5.99TDK T-1 20 6.1TDK T-120 HO 7.6MAXELL T-120 ....6.1MAXELL T-120 HOE 7.6MAXELL T-120 GOLD 10.39MAXEL- T-160 (6hr.)12.59MAXELL TC20 ....6.4RCA T-120 5.9JVC 7.120 5.9FUJI 7.120 6.1KODAK T-120 6.2SONY L-500 4 9SONY L-750 6.1SONY L-830 8.3SONY L-500 HO 5.9SONY L-750 HO 7.2SONY L.830 HO .. 10.3MAXELL L.750 5 9MAXELL L-750 HO% 6.9MAXELL TC20 HO. 8.4

HITACHI VT7P . LOW PRIGHITACHI HIFI...LOW MICERCA VKP 800. PRICE

RCA CC017.... Low PRICEWe haws a complete lino oAccessory Tripods, CarryingCases, Microwave Ovens,

V., Video, Phone Answer-Modinos, Car Anionnass,

torsos, in -Car Stereos.RECOTON-RCA.MIT ACMTOSHIBA-PANASONICSONTPHONEMATERECORO-A

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MOVIES.ALK M A NOSHIBA KTAS10 .. 135.OSHIBA WM KTRS1129.OSHIBA WM KTAS1 99.OSHIBA WM KTVS2 85.OSHIBA WM KT -S3 59.

AIWA CR-01-FM 49.ADD .20 EXTRA FOR CHARGE PER TAPE.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIESLEARN WHILE ASLEEP. Hypnotize! Astonishing details,strange catalog free! Autosuggestion. Box 24-ZD, Olym-pia, Washington 98507.

FOR SALE

NAGRA w/OGB 101/2" reel adapter for sale. This is thebest tape recorder in the world. portable. Used twice.Mourier, 1705 Aubrun Drive, Richardson, TX 75081. (214)699-6670.

REPAIR SERVICES

C.A.S. and other audio electronics expertly repaired.Contact AUDIO DIAGNOSTICS. INC., 19888 Kelly Road,Harper Woods, Michigan 48225. (313) 527-5400.

FOR INVENTORS

INVENTORS, IDEAS HAVE VALUE!

Ever think of an idea, forget it and see it later on themarket? Many people don't forget, act quickly andare rewarded by American Industry. Write downyour icea! We offer free disclosure registration andinitial :onsultation regarding your idea's potentialvalue. Call or write without delay for your free infor-matior package.

AMERICAN INVENTORS CORPORATION82 Broad St., Dept. SRWestfield, MA 01086

413-568-3753

A lee Based Marketing CompanyOffices Coast to Coast

INVENTIONS, IDEAS, NEW PRODUCTS WANTED! Indusry presentation/national exposition. Call free (1-800) 528

6050. Arizona, (1-800)352-0458.X831.

PERSONALS

Iv AKE FR:ENDS WORLDWIDE through international cor-respondence. Illustrated brochure free. Hermes-Verlag,Box 10660/Z, D-1000 Berlin 11, W. Germany.

ORIENTAL SINGLES seeking cultural exchange, friend -slip, sharing, marriage. WRITE: CHERRY BLOSSOMS,Box 1021 P, Honokaa, Hawaii 96727.

CORRESPONDENCE TO ASIA FOR LASTING RELA-TIONSHIP Free information. AAWS-SR, Box 2777, Orcutt,CA 93455-0777.

THIS MAGAZINE ISAVAILABLE IN MICROFORM

DIRECT INQUIRIES TO:MICRO PHOTO Envislon

EJ BELL E, HOWELL

C.C.rElocE Chr.sr.neColl loll Nee 18001 321 vex/

In 0010 coil 1216) 264-6666 Collec'

_HE HIGH END

BY RALPH HODGES

AUDIO/VIDEOPHILIA

WHEN assembing an audio sys-em today, high -end or other-

wise, it behooves the purchaser toconsider whether, sooner or later,some form of video might not windup as its centerpiece. This is trueeven if you've decided that musicvideos are not for you or that TV,stereo or not, is going to remain TV.The chances are too good that,somewhere down the line, a particu-larly effective amalgamation of au-dio and video will grab you seduc-tively, awaken your acquisitive in-stincts again, and send you back tothe store for an additional some-thing you hadn't realized youcouldn't live without. That some-thing could well turn out to be awide-screen or projection TV, soplan ahead while there's time.

Of course, it's farfetched to imag-ine that anything like video gameswill cause you to want a seven -footpicture between your Acoustat tow-ers (although, even at this moment,somewhat sophisticated stereo mu-sic is being synthesized and re-corded for the next generation of ar-cade time -wasters). No, you willprobably succumb, as so many au-diophiles have in the past, to mo-tion pictures and their more -ambi-tious -than -ever soundtracks.

With good reason, film criticshave been advising that a Holly-wood spectacular is only half expe-rienced if not heard in a proper cin-ema auditorium with large batteriesof behind -the -screen loudspeakerstogether with arrays of "surround"speakers around and behind the au-dience section to deliver sonic infor-mation about off -screen action. Andthe result is often well worth drag-ging yourself downtown to a show-case theater for. But now, today,you can also take it with you-takeit home, that is, to a domesticscreening room that, sonically atleast, can equal or exceed the im-pact of the $5 seat in the movie pal-ace. To the minds of those who areinvolved with it, that is what high -end audio for video is all about.

The key development has been

the establishment of Dolby Stereooptical soundtracks as a de factostandard for the cinema industry.These two tracks running along theedge of the film furnish properlyequipped theaters with left- andright -channel information for a truestereo presentation, a derivable cen-ter channel, and a matrix -encodedsurround channel that is extractedelectronically and piped to side andrear speakers. The scheme is noth-ing more than the matrix -quadra-phonic technology of the 1970's in anew but not fundamentally differ-ent application, and the recordedinformation is accessible to virtual-ly any home quadraphonic decoder,simple or complex, ever made.

None of this would be of morethan passing interest if the sound-tracks in question were not avail-able to the home consumer. Butthey are. Any Dolby Stereo motion

Lost Ark, Star Wars] and designerof the state-of-the-art THX theatersound system, started with the clas-sic seven -foot Advent Videobeampicture, added front and rear pairsof Boston Acoustics A40 speakersystems along with a subwoofer (forsummed left and right), and drivesthem, suitably amplified, with a Pi-oneer SP -101 signal processor,which decodes the surround chan-nel reasonably well ("I do get a bitof 'dialog shift' to the rear occasion-ally," he reports) and provides somebass enhancement. Processors fromFosgate and Surround Sound, Inc.are intended for the same home -de-coding application.

Such is the outlook for high -endaudio video in the near future thatat this point further words from meare not particularly relevant. Rath-er, now is the time for all interestedparties to go out and experience one

"Manchester, go to my den, load my shotgun, and bring it here.I'm going to put a cartridge out of its misery."

picture actually released in stereo,whether on tape or disc, is repro-duced from the same audio record-ing that created the stereo opticalprint for theater release-or is per-haps reproduced directly from a the-ater print. Everything the theaterneeds for its most ear -stunning ef-fects is right there in the hand thathas paid money for a video tape ofRaiders of the Lost Ark, and to de-prive yourself of the full worth ofsuch a soundtrack is foolishness.

But what do you do with it onceyou've got it? For his own home set-up, Tomlinson Holman, technicaldirector of Lucasfilm [Raiders of the

of these multimedia presentations.Courtesy of Kloss Video, Sony,

Fosgate, SSI, and Warner Brothers,I was able to play Beta Hi-Fi movietapes at home for several monthslast year. The experience renderedday-to-day reality intolerably drabfor a while, but it did absolute won-ders for my social life. Were it notthat projection TV's don't workvery well when the sun is out, I'dhave had permanent boarders. Sodon't overlook video as you planyour home -entertainment system.Otherwise, you may find yourselfbecoming somebody else's perma-nent boarder.



That Cigarette Smoking Is Dangerois to Your Health.

Today;Camel Lights,unexpectedly

mild.

9 mg. 'tar ',1.8 mg. nicotine ay. per cigarette by FTC method.

HARMAN KARDON'SSTATE -OF -THE -MIND TECHNOLOGY TAKES TO THE ROAD

harmanica,cloc Higt Fidelity Car Amplifier

W th the introducticn of the CA260hign fidelity car amplifier. Harman

Kardon blazes new trails. The commitmentto sonic superiority that's synonymous with

Harman Karcon home audio equipment is nowready for those who demand the same quality on

the road.

At Harman Kardon we believed that there was a need forquality car audio components for the discerning listener. Acar amplifier that would outperform any car amplifier on themarket. Harman Kardon s thirty years of and o expertise isunleashed with the CA260.

The unrivaled design technologies that are embodied in theCA260 include: High instantaneous Current Capability, LowNegative Feedback. Ultrawidebandwicith and DiscreteComponents. The CA260 goes beyond industry standardsto set new ones.

Incorporated in the Harman KardonCA260 is 30 amps of High instantaneousCurrent Capability to provide 60 Watts ofpower into 4 Chms, 90 Watts into 2 Ohms, and180 Watts bridged mono into 4 Ohms. Two 10.000p.IF capacitors provide full power even at 20Hz.

The CA260 is rugged and reliable enough to performunder any environmental and automotive conditions_ Ithas been designed to overcome extreme humidity. var /logvoltages in the cars electrical system mechanical vibra-tions. intense !emperatures and engine noise.

Tie CA260 is the debut of a line of superior and fundamen-tally advanced car stereo products from Harman Kardon.

Harman Kardon s state -of -the -mind technology. Un-paralleled excellence in advanced audio equipment nowJourneys with you.

harman / kardonOur state -of -the -mind is tomorrow's state-of-the-art.

240 Crossways Park West, Woodbury. NY 11797 In Canada. Gould Marketing. Quebec. For more information call toll -free 1-(800) 528-6050 ext. 870

HK 1984 elk

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