From Bag End: meet the amazing E-Trap!

The E-Trap is nothing less than a compact tunable electronic bass trap, which provides a unique and lifestyle-friendly solution to the age-old dilemma of how to fix standing waves in listening rooms. There is no more nagging problem for the audiophile than low frequency standing waves. You may not know the term, but you have experienced the effect. Basically, a low frequency standing wave is what happens when an audio system excites certain low frequencies within a room when playing a particular bass note. Every room has these frequencies, and they differ depending entirely upon the dimensions of the room. Traditionally, in order to get rid of these standing waves in a listening room, you had to engage in buying expensive and intrusive acoustic panels and absorbers. No longer!

The electronic bass trap offers a precise tool to attack the very worst bass problems with a high degree of effectiveness in a fraction of the space. It also offers a practical low cost solution to existing rooms where problems are present and room re-design or large passive absorbers are not an option.

The E-Trap will be available in mid to late December, and retails for $1200-2000, depending on finish. For proper installation, you’ll need a technician to take measurements of your listening room. Normally, this is billed at a flat rate of $1000, but with this deal, the price has been lowered to $850! Of course if you have the technical know-how and the necessary equipment, you can do the measurements yourself. You'll need some sort of Frequency Analyzer kit, such as the SMAART system, or the Goldline TEF system.

The E-trap can be viewed as an electronic acoustic absorber. It incorporates a feedback control scheme into a loudspeaker making the speaker exhibit the same dynamics as that of a reactive absorber. Because it is active it is capable of adding considerable damping to a room and still be very small in size (18" x 13" x 10"). The small size allows the designer to place it in acoustically strategic locations without effecting the rooms upper frequency characteristics or impacting floor space and cosmetics.

The E-trap offers precise tunability of two target frequencies simultaneously. The frequency and amount of damping is adjustable via controls. PC measurement software (for Windows(r)) is included with the E-Trap to allow the user to pinpoint the frequency that requires damping. Once the E-trap is placed and tuned, it requires no additional attention.

The precision, ease of tuning and small size offered by the E-trap provide an additional tool to absorb low frequencies and can provide a dramatic improvement in the sound of the room.

For the tweakers, the PC measurement Windows software will give you a window into the tweakability of your listening room!

Call us today to discuss the E-Trap, and what it can do for you and your system!
(212) 924-8600.

Easily pay via American Express or Paypal!

My desktop system consists of the Musical Fidelity X-RAYv8 CD player and X-T100 Integrated Amplifier, connected to a pair of Devore Fidelity Gibbon 3 loudspeakers. Total retail cost is over $4000. The heart of this system are the 2 new fabulous X-series components from Musical Fidelity. \

The X-RAYv8 CD player is a high-performance CD player in a small package. Don’t let its size fool you – its specs are comparable to CD players three to five times the price! It has a clear, sweet, ungrainy sound. The X-T100 Integrated Amplifier is based around exactly the same concepts as Musical Fidelity’s top-end Tri-Vista and kW series.
It is truly an amazing sounding amplifier at an unbelievable price. Both of these units are powered by the Triple-X power supply unit, which is in a separate chassis. This means that the sound of this system is as clean as can be!

When you buy them separately, the X-series components cost over $5000. Fortunately, we have put together a package which allows our customers to buy the X-RAYv8 CD player, X-T100 Integrated Amplifier, and Triple-X power supply for only $3000.

What about speakers? You can match the X-T100 Integrated Amplifier with speakers from $400 to $4000 to create a truly high-end system for your office. Of course, don't forget that weekend house where you have that awful B--- Wave Radio. The Musical Fidelity X-series components can make it possible for you to hear music the way you've become used to hearing it.

You can buy the X-RAYv8 CD player, X-T100 Integrated Amplifier, and Triple-X power supply package online by paying $3000 via American Express or Paypal. Please add $251 for sales tax for sales within New York State. Flat shipping rate nationwide, $40. You can also call the shop and talk directly to a sales associate at (212) 924-8600.

Easily pay via American Express or Paypal!

We will send out information on these suggestions on a weekly basis. We're going to call this the Christmas Grab-Bag.

For our first recommendation, consider the new Tube Pod by Sonic Integrity. As its picture suggests, the Tube Pod is nothing less than a complete desktop audio system which uses your iPod as its source. Amplifying it with 13 watts of good old fashioned tube power. * The entire system costs only $1000.

*I know what you're thinking! The iPod is hardly a high-end audio source. I couldn't agree with you more! However, when you rip CDs as WAV files, and run it through a halfway decent system, an iPod doesn't sound much worse than a 3 or 4 hundred dollar CD player.

The beauty of the Tube Pod, of course, is that you can take the iPod that you use for walking around town, traveling, driving around in your car, and stick it into the Tube Pod's docking station, and walla! you have pretty impressive sound for less than the cost of a fairly decent CD player. Tube Pods are available immediately. We will be happy to gift wrap the entire system, and ship it to your favorite music-loving person, wherever he or she may be. You can buy a Tube Pod without even talking to us, by logging on to our website, and click on the "make a purchase with AMEX" under the American Express icon. For sales within New York, please add $83.75 for sales tax. Flat rate shipping anywhere in the continental United States is $35.

The Sonic Integrity Tube Pod

* iTube Vacuum Tube Amplifier
* iTube Docking Station
* Brush / Glove for cleaning
* Power cable
* Audio cable to connect Docking Station and Amplifier
* Banana Plug speaker cables
* Aux source audio cable for connecting CD player etc
* Video cable to connect from docking station to TV
* Power Output 13Wx2
* Frequency Response 20Hz – 20KHz (±1.5Db)
* Harmonic Distortion 0.5%
* Signal-To-Noise Ratio 86Db
* Input Impedance 100K
* Output Impedance 4ohm, 8ohm
* Valve Type 2x6N1(ECC85) 1x6E2(EM87)
* Power Supply AC100~120V/50~60Hz AC220~240V/50~60Hz
* Amp (LxWxH) 260x145x130mm
* Dock (WxDxH) 155x130x123mm
* Weight 4.3KGs

Easily pay via American Express or Paypal!

We find ourselves in the unusual position of having stock in the following equipment:

1 Tom Evans Linear A amplifier

1 Tom Evans Vibe Line Stage

1 Tom Evans Groove phono stage

1 Tom Evans Groove plus phono stage

1 Tom Evans Microgroove plus phono stage


1 Zanden 5000 LE Dac

1 Zanden 3000 Line Stage

1 Pair Show special Zanden 9500 power amps (Call for the incredible price on these units)

1 Lyra Skala Cartridge

1 Pair Kondo/Audio Note Shinden Amplifiers

Normally what we have in stock is not a matter of news, but when it comes to these incredibly exotic, very special products, we thought you ought to know.

All the Best,
Andrew Singer

Dean was a loving husband and father and is survived by a wonderful wife and children who, along with him, I am proud to say I have considered friends for 20 years. While I know that there is no such thing as an ideal marriage, I would always marvel at how well Sally and Dean Roumanis jelled. This might be the case, in part, because Sally Roumanis is the kind of person who brings light into every room she walks into, and it also might be that Dean was the kind of guy who could keep that light burning by tending the fire behind it. My heart goes out to Sally and the rest of the Roumanis family. Unfortunately, there are no words that can comfort, so I will simply say that Dean made a profound impression on me and hundreds of other people. He will be missed.

Those of you who’d like to remember Dean can donate whatever you’d like to the The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in his name.

Another problem which can occur, and which can both damage components as well as make things generally sound pretty awful, is when there is some stray connection between the plus side and the center pin (ground). This can happen in a lot of ways when a place is wired, and should always be checked. Here's how you do it: take one lead of the volt meter, touch the center pin, take the other lead and stick it into the short slot on the left (plus) side. You should read no more than 5 to 10 volts (why not zero? the length that the wire travels between the main box and the outlet creates a phenomenon known in electrical terms as "induction", which will cause a minimum amount of stray voltage to arrive on the ground pin).

There are many other important issues to be dealt with when considering creating the electrical wiring for a home and/or apartment, when you have the opportunity to start from scratch. Issues such as grounding, wire size in the wall, and outlets should be taken up with your architect/electrical engineer if you are doing any major renovations or building a house.

Now that you've gotten your polarity straightened out, it is critical that you use a power conditioner which will eliminate as much as possible all of the stray noise which rides on the power lines, without in any way interfering with or changing the pure electrical waveform which you should be getting, or limiting the amount of current which you are drawing from the wall. The latter corollary virtually eliminates any power system which regenerates power from the wall. Why? Because, in order to deliver the full amperage capable from your wall outlet, the power regenerator has to be (and often are) the size of a small Chevrolet. Even then, you can hear a loss of dynamics. Clean power without dynamics is just not worth it.

Burmester 948 Power Conditioner

We have discovered that there are three companies that manufacture power conditioners that can be used beneficially in any situation. They are Burmester, Shunyata, and Nordost. The Burmester Power Conditioner 948 functions unlike any other line filter on the world market. In part, the 948 is a 500 W Power Amplifier that works in parallel with the AC power supply and as an active system neutralizes any DC components in the 120 volts AC from the wall outlet. The patented circuit design does not limit the power to the audio system in any way and, thus, allows very powerful amps, including several large mono amps to be hooked up to the 948. With common passive filters this would only be possible at the price of deteriorating sound.

Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner

The Hydra Model-8 combines high-current capability with Shunyata’s passive form of noise reduction and system protection to offer the perfect all-in-one power-distribution solution. All four of the Model-8’s silver-plated duplex outlets are isolated with their own buss structure and passively filtered, allowing each duplex to be interchangeably utilized for either high-current electronics or noise-sensitive digital equipment. The Hydra Model-8’s 20amp capability and 8 outlets will accommodate most entire systems on a single AC line.

Shunyata Hydra 6 Power Conditioner

Hydra Model-6 incorporates all of the innovative design and technical elements -- save Shunyata’s FeSi-1000 compounds -- that have earned the Hydra-8 its unprecedented array of critical awards and professional endorsements. Shunyata’s six cryogenically treated Venom silver-plated outlets are connected to the Hydra-6’s massive silver/rhodium plated CDA 101 copper buss bars, eliminating all point-to-point wiring.

Shunyata Hydra 4 Power Conditioner

Hydra Model-4 incorporates two of Shunyata Research’s cryogenically treated Venom silver plated duplex outlets, increasing system utility and functionality over the model two. Shunyata Research’s Trident-Defense System makes its first appearance outside of the Hydra Model-8 with Shunyata’s own 7-element Venom filter.

Shunyata Hydra 2 Power Conditioner

The Hydra Model-2 consists of Shunyata Research’s cryogenically treated Venom silver-plated outlet that are hard-wired with Shunyata’s own high-purity CDA-101 cryogenic copper conductors. Shunyata Research’s exclusive Venom noise filtration provides isolation from line and component borne noise as well as low-level spike protection. 10,000-amps of surge and spike protection offer peace of mind without compromising performance. The Hydra Model-2 provides up to 20-amps of clean continuous current, and can be used with any of Shunyata Research’s high-performance PowerSnakes PaceSetter power cords.

Nordost Thor Power Conditioner

Nordost’s Thor features IsoTek's Polaris-X circuit technology which eliminates product cross contamination, effectively offering any hardware plugged into the unit a clean power supply. This proprietary system shunts AC mains borne noise to Earth without compressing the dynamics of the music. This design also isolates each piece of equipment electrically, effectively giving each one a separate AC mains spur line. Other innovations such as sophisticated silver plated copper circuit paths and the use of silver solder throughout the system also improve overall performance. Thor also has full surge protection.

After you've selected the power condition for your system comes the necessary choice of power cords. We recommend those made by Shunyata, Nordost, and Synergistic Research.

By now, you all probably understand how a power cord can affect the sound of your system. The question is, isn't there one best power cord for all equipment? The answer is: I don't know. I don't know because I have never connected all of the Nordost and Synergistic and Shunyata power cords to every piece of equipment under similar conditions. I can tell you that there are some general compatibility guidelines which we use in recommending power cords for equipment that is based on our experience with our equipment in a wide variety of circumstances. So, in making your selection of power cords, it would be best to talk to one of our sales associates. One thing is certain, however. Any of the power cords made by Nordost, Shuntaya, and Synergistic Research will sound infinitely better than the black piece of rubber which gets shipped with the component as a freebee.

Recommended Systems

Customers have properly chastised me for showing only CD-based systems, as if that is what we, at Sound By Singer, really like. Point taken. The fact is that most people when they think of 2-channel audio systems today think of CD/SACD as their main, and sometimes their only, serious source. Boy, what they are missing! There is nothing like a vinyl record to bring music to life. But, then again, I doubt that many of you are unaware of this fact. Henceforth, we will make sure to put together recommended systems with both CD-only and analog sources.

SYSTEM #1:
CD/SACD: dCS P8i $14,000
Preamp: Tom Evans Vibe $4600
(Pulse Power Supply $4000)
Amps: Tom Evans Linear B monoblocks $16,000
Speakers: Peak-Consult InCognito X $16,500
TOTAL: $55,100

Analog Chain:
Phono Stage: Tom Evans Groove+ $7000
Turntable: Brinkmann Lagrange $11,270
Tonearm: Brinkmann $3650
Cartridge: Brinkmann-EMT $2850
Base for Turntable: Harmonic Resolution Systems $2400
TOTAL: $27,170

BRINKMANN LAGRANGE

TOM EVANS GROOVE PLUS

TOM EVANS VIBE

dCS P8i CD/SACD

Peak Consult InCognito X

SYSTEM #2:
CD/SACD: Esoteric X03-SE $7500
Preamp: Tom Evans Vibe $4600
Amp: Tom Evans Linear A $8500
Speakers: Sonics by JG Allegra $7800
TOTAL: $28,400

Analog Chain:
Phono Stage: Tom Evans Groove $3600
Turntable: Avid Volvere Sequel $7000
Tonearm: SME IV $3200
Cartridge: Lyra Helikon $2000
TOTAL: $15,800

AVID VOLVERE SEQUEL

ESOTERIC X03-SE

TOM EVANS LINEAR A AMPLIFIER

SONICS ALLEGRA

SYSTEM #3:
CD: Cary CD303/300 $4000
Integrated Amp: Pathos Classic III $2750
Speakers: Audiophysic Spark 4 $3000
TOTAL: $9,750

Analog Chain:
Phono Stage: Trigon Vanguard II $500
Turntable: VPI Scout w/ JMW9 Tonearm $1650
Cartridge: Lyra Dorian $750
TOTAL: $2,900

VPI SCOUT W/ JMW-9 TONEARM

CARY CD303/300

PATHOS CLASSIC III

AUDIOPHYSIC SPARK

At least when it comes to audio, this credo has guided me my entire adult life. I long ago decided that I would spare no effort or expense to own and luxuriate in the most truthful (and, by definition, the most beautiful sounding) hi-fi one could acquire. My obsession led me to leave a lucrative legal career 29 years ago to start Sound By Singer. As those of you who know me can attest, I am my own best customer. With this as a framework, imagine me wandering down the halls of the Consumer Electronics Show in January hearing one rather mundane system after another. All of them good, some excellent, but none of them like “crossing over the river to rest under the shade of the trees,” to quote Gen. Thomas Jackson‘s deathbed reverie about heaven. After all, what is more beautiful/truthful than heaven?

Zanden Audio!

It was in this wistful state of mind that I wandered into the Zanden room hoping to get a listen to the new Zanden 5000 Signature DAC ($15,470) and 2000P CD transport ($27,970). I expected quite a bit from the 5000S DAC, given all the positive press it has received from the online and print media, so I was prepared to hear something pretty good from the new Signature version with its outboard power supply (tube-rectified to avoid EM interference typical of diode rectification) and I2S connection, which ensures no loss of information between it and its stunning drive. Instead of hearing something pretty good, I heard what was unquestionably the best digital playback I had ever heard. Instead of just listening to two amazing components I heard an entire system which made my heart flutter and was unquestionably the best sound at the show.

Zanden Model 2000 CD Transport

Zanden Model 5000 Signature DAC

The back end of the system was the Peak-Consult Empress loudspeakers, transducers which we sell and love and which have no identifiable sound of their own. As a result, they are particularly revealing of electronics to which they are joined. In this case, they were linked with the new Zanden Model 9500 mono power amps ($40,000/pr.), the Zanden 3000 line stage ($14,970), the Zanden 1200 phono stage ($16,970), and the aforementioned digital components. I had never heard these speakers sound better. Indeed, I had never heard their much better and infinitely more resolving big brothers - the El Diablos, even sound as good.

Peak-Consult El Diablo

So, I ordered the entire system, praying that when I took all the Zanden electronics back home and hooked them up to the Peak-Consult El Diablos, the sound would at least be as good. It was not. It was like a million times better! As one of my associates put it, "these are the components the El Diablos were waiting for." What he meant is that until we hooked up the Zanden 9500 amplifiers and associated equipment, the gang at the store were ignorant of what these amazing speakers were capable of producing in terms of everything that defines music. I knew because I have them hooked up at home to a pair of Kondo GAKU-ON 60 watt-per-channel single ended triode amps ($125,000/pr). At my home with the Kondo amps, they perform flawlessly - perhaps, and i must stress "perhaps", a little better than with the Zanden at the store, but if so, only a little bit better. Then again, maybe that is my imagination. In any event, how much greater praise can you heap on an amp than to say that it is only a little behind another amp which A) renowned as the best amp in the world and B) is three times the price.

Zanden Model 9500 Amplifier

If I am focusing on the Zanden 9500 amp, it is probably only because everything else Zanden in the chain is so transparent, neutral, and dynamic that I can finally hear into the speakers without thinking about the other stuff. That makes it something I want to own and, in fact, I just ordered the 2000 drive ,and 5000 Sig DAC for myself.
Having discovered that the Zanden 3000 Line and 1200 Phono Stages actually significantly improve upon my venerable Kondo M-10 preamp ($100,000). I am only waiting to hear how the new Kondo M-1000 preamp ($92,500 including phono stage and MC transformer) which arrives in 2 months, does in a head to head comparison with the Zanden combo. Meantime, I am making comparisons and shaking my head in disbelief over how good the Zanden components are. I am reborn! High End is beautiful. All is well in the audio world.

Kondo/Audio Note

It has been two months, but I still have not accepted fully that the venerable Hiroyasu Kondo passed away in his sleep while attending the CES show in Las Vegas. When I visited with him earlier that day in the Audio Note Japan display room, he gave me a big hug. He was so frail that you could have blow him away with a whisper, but his heart burned as bright as the sun. I miss him and I miss his genius.

Kondo Gaku-On II Amplifier

Fortunately, he appointed his number one acolyte, the brilliant Masaki Ashizawa, as president of Audio Note six months ago, when he realized that he was becoming too weak to carry on all the functions that role entailed. Masaki decided to create a special limited edition of the Audio Note Gaku-On II to honor his master. Called the Shinden, which means holy temple in Japanese, this tribute to the Jedi master of audio is limited to ten pairs worldwide. The price is $125,000 per pair and there is only two pair left in the world. Of course we have dibs on both.

Kondo KSL-M1000 Preamp

CES gave me the opportunity to listen to the new Audio Note M-1000 ($85,000 with phono) and M-77 ($40,000 with phono) preamps through the KSL wired GAKU-ON II amplifiers. I mentioned before that the GAKU-ON amplifiers are the best in the world, so it follows that their preamplifiers should be as well. The elephant in the room is the question of how the Zanden components compare to similar Kondo equipment. First, let me point out that the Kondo preamps and amps are, with the exception of the $30,000 KSL M-7 (add $7,500 for step up transformer if you want to play MC cartridges), two to three times as expensive as the wonderful equipment made by Yamada San (Zanden). That being said, it is still not clear to me that there is a clear winner to any comparison between the components from these companies. Rather, they are different in the same way that Carnegie Hall is different from the Vienna Opera House. With Zanden, the music is vivid, palpable; every thread of sound existing in its own space, breath-taking. With Kondo, subtlety reigns supreme with nuance on nuance weaving and interweaving in an inexhaustible ballet of musical information.

Kondo KSL-M77 Preamp

If money is truly no issue and the associated speakers can work with single ended amplifiers, a Kondo M-77 or M-1000 with a pair of Gaku-On II or Shindens will probably get closer to the music than any thing else, even the Zanden 3000 line stage, 1200II phono stage and 9500 power amps. They are so close, however, in overall musical accuracy, that when I listen to the Kondo there is much about the Zanden that I miss and vice versa. What requires no decision between the two is what digital to go for. Here the Zanden 2000 transport and 5000 signature reign supreme over Kondo, and anything else for that matter.

PATHOS

One of my favorite companies, Pathos, introduced a number of new components which call out to those who love music but are not in the Zanden or Kondo price league. There is a new version of the Classic One-the MkIII ($2795) with a heftier power supply and improved input circuitry, especially relevant for those of you who love the Pathos Classic One sound but need more power.

Soon to arrive is the Inpol2 PW, a power-amp-only version of the fantastic Inpol2 50 watt-per-channel class A integrated amp. With all of us out there that have preamps we love, finally there’s a Pathos hybrid power amp under $13,000.00.

Lastly, the Anniversary TT has arrived. Same circuitry, with a transformer balanced input and remote source selection. Some of you may have heard about the Endorphin tube drive cd player that Gianni and his Tuscan pals are planning for a spring release. More as we get closer…

Our Exit From Krell

Effective March 9th, Sound By Singer will no longer be a Krell dealer. We will, of course, continue to provide the unparalled customer service, repair facilities, consultation and advice we have always given to each and every person who has ever purchased a Krell from us.

During much of the 25 years we sold Krell, Sound By Singer and Krell had a productive working relationship which benefited both us and the high-end audio community in general. Over the last period of time this was not the case. In recent years Sound By Singer and Krell found themselves lacking consensus over many of the fundamental criteria which define an effective trading partnership, including such matters as distribution, marketing and product development. Our mutual decision to discontinue our business relationship will allow both of us to pursue our different and individual visions of how and what high-end audio and high-end audio-video is all about.

Recommended Systems

Thiel CS2.4 Speakers

Old Enough To Vote System:
CD Player: Cary CD303/300 $4,000
Preamp: Balanced Audio Technology VK31 $4,000
Power Amp: Balanced Audio Technology VK250 $5,000
Speakers: Thiel CS 2.4 $4,400
TOTAL: $17,400

BAT VK-31 Preamp

BAT VK-75 Triode Tube Amplifier

Audio Physic Scorpio Speakers

Old Enough To Drink System:
CD/SACD Player: Esoteric DV-50S
Preamp: Balanced Audio Technology VK31 $4,000
Power Amp: Balanced Audio Technology VK75 Triode Tube Amp $6,000
Speakers: Audio Physic Scorpio $6,500/pr.
TOTAL: $22,500

Esoteric X-03 CD/SACD Player

Aethetix Janus Preamp

Pathos InPower Amplifier

JM Lab Alto Utopia

Partner, At Last! System:
CD/SACD Player: Esoteric X-03 $7,700
Preamp w/ Phono: Aethetix Janus $6,500
Power Amp: Pathos InPower Hybrid Class A $13,500
Speakers: JM Lab Alto Utopia Be $18,500
TOTAL: $46,200

Zanden Model 2000 CD Transport

Zanden Model 5000 Signature DAC

Zanden Model 9500 Amplifier

Peak-Consult El Diablo

Andy's System (Tubes):
CD Transport: Zanden Model 2000 $28,000
DAC: Zanden Model 5000 Sig. $15,500
Line Stage: Zanden Model 3000 $15,000
Phono Stage: Zanden Model 1200II $17,000
Power Amps: Zanden Model 9500 $40,000
Isolation: Harmonic Resolution Systems Turntable Base $2,400
Turntable w/ Tube Power Supply: Brinkmann Balance $17,950
Tonearm: Graham Phantom $4,200
Cartridge: Lyra Titan $4,500
Speakers: Peak-Consult El Diablo $70,000/pr.
TOTAL: $214,550

dCS Elgar Plus DAC

dCS Verona Master Clock

Burmester 808mkV Preamp

Burmester 911mkIII Amplifier

Ultimate System (Solid State):
CD/SACD Drive: dCS Verdi Encore $17,500
DAC: dCS Elgar Plus $17,500
Digital Clock: dCS Verona $7,500
Preamp: Burmester 808mkV Reference Linestage $26,000 to $35,000 (depending on inputs)
Power Amps: Burmester 911mkIII Mono Power Amps $39,000/pr.
Speakers: JM Lab Grande Utopia Be $85,000pr.
TOTAL: $192,500 to $201,500

My best New Year's wishes to everyone for a healthy, happy, and peaceful 2006.

Being audio aficionados you undoubtedly know that January is CES (Consumer Electronics Show) time so yours truly wound his way down to Las Vegas to hear and see what's new and exciting. Unfortunately, with some rare exceptions, there was little new product to bring a smile to my face from the high-end audio/video manufacturers. However, we'll cover those rare pieces of wheat among the chaff in a two-part series starting below.

Mass market companies showed both HD DVD and Blue Ray High Definition video players. At their best, they both looked somewhat better than the best progressively scanned DVD players available today. Definitely not night and day. On average an Arcam, Bel Canto, Krell, or Esoteric conventional DVD player looked about as good. And when you think about the fact that, at least, at present, high definition video is the subject of a turf war between major manufacturers promoting different incompatible systems, two things become apparent:

1. A practical, reasonably permanent format for high definition video is at least a couple of years away.
2. The only rational thing for a videophile to do at present is to buy the best DVD player available and take advantage of the thousands of DVD titles currently on the market.

Prototypes of hundred-inch plasma TV's were shown by several manufacturers but, as of yet, no one has really figured out how to make these huge screens practical for home installation.

ARCAM AV-9 Processor

Arcam, a company which has revolutionized affordable high end audio/video came out with its new top-end AV9 preamp/processor. While evolutionary in concept, the AV9 now incorporates HDMI switching of the highest quality - a feature available only on the finest high-end AV processors.

VTL introduced a new reference phono stage with an estimated target price of between $6,000-$7,000, to be delivered in the first quarter of 2006.

CONRAD-JOHNSON LP-140M

Conrad Johnson finally came out with their new 60 watt per channel stereo amplifier and 140 watt power channel mono amplifiers - the LP-70S ($7,000) and LP-140M ($13,000/pr.) respectively. Of roughly equal sonic quality, the LP-70S and LP-140M are the natural companion pieces to the CT5 and CT6 tube line stages which CJ has been selling for the past six months.

ESOTERIC P-01

Fantastic Digital Gear from Esoteric!

Too much praise cannot be heaped on Esoteric for their exceptional advances in CD, SACD and DVD playback. Leading the roster of new Esoteric components are the P-03 Super Audio CD transport ($12,500) and D-03 ($12,500) D-to-A converter. The P-03 features an exceptionally rigid one-piece body construction. With PCM digital up conversion, DSD conversion, word synchronization, a refined VRDS-NEO mechanism derived from the astounding P-01, a coreless motor with no rotational irregularities, etc. etc. etc., the P-O3 transport has more technical features than the space shuttle, and fortunately operates a whole lot better. Taken directly from their engineering statement piece, the monoblock D-01 DAC, the new D-03 Digital to Analog converter seems to do everything right. Consider their dual word synchronization modes, the highly advanced Ad 1955 DACs, the three separate high efficiency Rcore transformers (1 for digital processing, and one each for left and right analog processing), and the complete dual mono design, and you can begin to get your mind around the staggering level of technology involved in making the P-03 DAC.

New Products from Tom Evans!

TOM EVANS GROOVE PLUS

Technology is wonderful, but when it comes to real innovation - something which is completely new, one designer comes to mind more often than any other - that is Tom Evans. If you know anything about high quality phono playback, you must have heard about the now legendary Tom Evans Design Groove ($3,600) and Groove Plus ($7,000) phono stages. To give you some basis for comparison, I recently compared the Groove Plus to my Boulder 2008 phono stage. Remember, the Boulder sells for $32,500 and the Groove Plus a mere $7000. The result: The Groove Plus was ten times quieter and sounded infinitely more life-like than the Boulder in every possible way. Following on the Groove Plus, Tom Evans created the Vibe line stage ($4,600), the Pulse power supply, the Linear A amplifier ($8,500) and most recently, the Linear B mono amplifiers ($16,000/pair). It would be impossible for me in this limited space to give you the complete Tom Evans story. Besides, you can get probably as much as you want from clicking onto www.6moons.com and looking up the reviews of the Tom Evans Audio Design Linear A stereo amplifier in the August 2005 issue or checking out their December 2005 review of TE's Vibe Lithos 7 preamp & Pulse power supply.

TOM EVANS VIBE

The point, as made in the former review is "Each one of these products is unique in concept & design compared to anything else I am aware of. These Tom Evans designs are the real deal. They are true originals……” Or in the words of my friend -- TAS reviewer & fellow moonie Stephæn Harrell [system below with full complement of TEAD gear] -- after hearing the full suite of Tom Evans equipment in his own system: "This isn't just HiFi; this is stupe-Fi-ing!" As we both were in our respective systems, you'll most likely be stunned too when you hear the whole Tom Evans stack of gear playing the tunes."

TOM EVANS LINEAR A AMPLIFIER

Just as an example of the extraordinarily and innovative ideas incorporated into Tom Evans products is the fact that the Linear A, a single ended class A ultra linear device arrives at creating the effect of a legendary and virtually unavailable Japanese tube by combining four single ended EL 84's per side linked in parallel. What a brain, that thought this up! The Lithos 7 preamp is encased in Perspex, not to save money, but precisely because acrylic avoids trapping inside of the component the magnetic fields created by the mains power transformers. No capacitors, all DC coupled. The source selector is a Wesex advanced switching product (WASP). Why? Because it is the best in the world. Same for the DAC volume control. For a complete survey of the inside and the outside of the vibe linestage check out the Six Moons review. To hear what a Tom Evans audio design system sounds like, come on down to Sound By Singer and find out just how close to the music you can get.

The New Peak Consult Zoltan!

PEAK CONSULT ZOLTAN

The new speaker from Peak Consult is the Zoltan ($35,000/pair). With more detail than the Empress and all the slam of the El Diablo, the Zoltan is the logical speaker for the music listener with a penultimate system on his mind. Lke all Peak Consult speakers, processing, controlling and assembling of Zoltan is handled by skilled craftsmen within Peak Consult's own facilities. Countless hours of measurement and critical listening are logged to correlate design theory and practice. Zoltan’s impedance curve looks more like a purely resistive ribbon than a dynamic speaker, making use with any kind of amplifier easy. The final blend of art and technology have made Zoltan an uncompromising performer. Zoltan is a true State of the Art loudspeaker, able to recreate music with stunning realism, regardless of whether or not you are using small tubes or a big solid-state amplifiers

New SONICS Speaker Line From Legendary Designer Joachim Gerhard!

From Joachim Gerhard, the genius who brought you the original Audio Physic Virgo speakers, comes the new speaker line from SONICS! Joachim has not been a part of Audio Physic since designing the legendary Virgo II speaker. The Sonics line took the CES convention in Las Vegas by storm, and everyone's been talking about them since. The Sonics have the magic of the classic Virgo speaker, and even more detail!

SONICS ALLEGRA

The Allegra ($7,800/pair) combines the outstanding spatial three-dimensionality and lack of resonance of a mini-monitor with the authority of a large standing loudspeaker. The fine resolution over the entire frequency range sets standards, like all concepts by Joachim Gerhard. Not only tonal aspects, but also information about the place of recording, instruments and voices are transferred effortlessly. Beautifully designed and engineered, the Allegra is amazingly expressive, and provides everything an experienced listener could ever want!

SONICS ALLEGRETTO

The Allegretto ($5,200/pair) is designed as a classic 2-way floor standing speaker with many detailed improvements. Chassis material, housing and crossover are all state of the art. With a sound every bit as captivating as the original Virgo, the Allegretto is certainly heading for the Audio Hall of Fame. Tonally speaking, the Allegretto is tuned homogenously and free from discolouration. Tones are pleasingly differentiated. For example, there is no trouble in differentiating between an alto and a tenor saxophone. The bass goes way down and is very mobile. The watch word for the Allegretto is musical.

SONICS ANIMA

The Anima ($2,600/pair) is a 2-way monitor which can be operated both on shelves and freestanding. It can play in rooms of any size and can achieve very good results in large rooms if you sit near to the speaker (approx. 2m).

Finally, the Argenta ($1,500/pair) is a 2-way monitor of classic design which can be operated both on shelves and freestanding. It can play in rooms of any size and can even achieve very good results in large rooms if you sit near to the speaker (approx. 2m).

Next month will complete our report from the Consumer Electronic Show. Now it's time for recommended systems. This month will bring you a number of surround sound audio-for-video systems ranging in price from under $3,000 to $75,000. This is hardly a comprehensive list of all that is possible. You can go much higher. Please note the absence of any video recommendations. This will follow in the near future.

Recommended Systems

The Little System That Could
6.1 Surround Receiver: Cambridge Audio Azur 540R ($699)
DVD Player: Cambridge Audio Azur 540D ($399)
5.1 Speaker System: JM Lab Sib/Cub ($1,388)
Total: $2,486.00

JM LAB COBALT 816S

ARCAM AVR-250 SURROUND RECEIVER

The Family Moon System
Front Speakers: JM Lab Cobalt 816S ($1,895)
Center Speaker: JM Lab Cobalt CC-88S ($650)
On-Wall Rear Speakers: JM Lab Cobalt SR-800S ($795)
Subwoofer: JM Lab Cobalt SW-800S ($1,095)
Surround Receiver: Arcam AVR-250 ($1,599)
DVD Player: Arcam DV 78 ($999)
Total: $7,033.00

VIENNA ACOUSTICS MOZART GRAND SPEAKERS

ARCAM DV-79 DVD PLAYER

At The Movies System
Front Speakers: Vienna Acoustics Mozart Grand ($2,750)
Center Speaker: Vienna Acoustics Maestro Grand ($1,195)
Rear Speakers: Vienna Acoustics Hayden ($1,295)
Subwoofer: James EMB-10 ($1,195)
Surround Receiver: Arcam AVR-300 ($1,999)
DVD Player: Arcam DV-79 DVD Player ($1,799)
Total: $10,233.00

AUDIO PHYSIC SCORPIOS

JM LAB ELECTRA 1027Be

ARCAM AV-9 Processor

Front Speakers: JM Lab 1027Be ($7,495)
Center Speaker: JM Lab CC-1000Be ($2,695)
Rear Speakers: JM Lab 1007Be ($3,995)
Subwoofer: JM Lab SW100Be ($3,995)
Surround Processor: Arcam AV9 ($5,749)
7-channel Amplifier: Arcam P7 ($4,499)
DVD Audio Player: Arcam DV 29 ($2,999)
Total: $31,427.00

LEXICON MC-8B PROCESSOR

BAT VK-6200 AMP

The Full Monty System
Front Speakers: JM Lab 1027Be ($7,495)
Center Speaker: JM Lab CC-1000Be ($2,695)
Rear Speakers: JM Lab 1007Be ($3,995)
Subwoofer: JM Lab SW100Be ($3,995)
Surround Processor: Lexicon MC-8 V2 ($6,995)
5-channel Amplifier: BAT VK-6200 ($9,745)
DVD/Universal Player: Lexicon RT-20 ($4,995)
Total: $39,915.00

JM LAB ALTO UTOPIA Be

LEXICON MC-12 SURROUND PROCESSOR

BURMESTER 956mkII AMP

The "You Are There" System
Front Speakers: JM Lab Alto Utopia Be ($18,500)
Center Speaker: JM Lab Center Utopia Be ($6,000)
Rear Speakers: JM Lab Micro Utopia Be ($6,000)
Subwoofer: JM Lab Sub Utopia Be ($6,000)
Surround Processor: Lexicon MC-12 Bal V5 ($9,995)
Stereo Amplifier: Burmester 956 MKII ($10,995)
3-channel Amplifier: Burmester 37 ($12,995)
DVD/Universal Player: Esoteric UX-3 ($8,200)
Total: $78,685.00

First, let me & the entire staff at SBS wish you and yours a very happy holiday season, regardless of what it is that you celebrate. I know I speak for all of us when I say that we appreciate and value the trust and confidence you have placed in us for over 27 years. We will continue to strive to maintain and be worthy of that trust and confidence now and in the future. High End Audio and Video is a serious business at Sound By Singer. Making great music and creating a State of the Art Home Theater rises to the level of a religious experience here. So, while we are entirely ecumenical when it comes to the real thing, we are positively evangelical when it comes to putting the best audio/video systems in our clients' homes.

Second, as some of you probably know, when we first got started, I used to post a series of recommended systems in the classified section of the now-defunct AUDIO magazine. While the rest of this journal was pretty mundane, the classified section became the go-to underground enclave for the dissemination of information about high end audio products. Over the years people have come up to me over and over again to tell me that they used to look forward to buying that month's issue of AUDIO magazine so that they could see what we were recommending. In many cases, this first read became the introduction to a long term relationship between SBS and some of its best clients.

Carrying the idea forward, that spreading the gospel was the best way to show people what we were all about, SBS started a newsletter back in 1983, which continued on and off through 1995. I'm not really sure why we stopped sending it out, and, upon reflection, I think it was a bad idea to do so. In the spirit of everything that is old is new again, I am reintroducing the recommended audio and surround systems here on this newsletter/web log, which we will send out to you and which will be posted on our web site, (http://www.soundbysinger.com), on a regular basis. All the best for the coming year.

Andrew Singer
President

THE CARE AND FEEDING OF A YOUNG AUDIOPHILE

Are you tired of hearing the incessant groan of rap emanating from behind your teenager's door? Do you wish that your son's and daughter's musical taste ran more toward Beethoven, Bach, and the Beetles instead? If so, you can help to do something about it. By introducing them to a Hi Fi good enough to show up the difference between Dr. Dre and Dvorak. Consider the following systems: All affordable; all relatively teen proof; and all highly musical!

1)Preteen System
CD Player: Cambridge Audio 540C $379.00
Integrated Amp: Cambridge Audio 540A $379.00
Speakers: JM Lab Chorus 705 $395.00 pr.
TOTAL: $1,153.00

Cambridge Audio 540A

2)Now I Make A Minyan System
CD Player: Cambridge Audio 640C $529.00
Integrated Amp: Cambridge Audio 640A $529.00
Speakers: JM Labs Chorus 706 $550.00
TOTAL: $1,608.00

3)Tea For Two System
CD Player: Music Hall MMF CD-5 $600.00
Integrated Amp: Arcam A65 $699.00
Speakers: JM Labs 714S $795.00
TOTAL: $2,094.00

4)College Bound System
CD Player: Arcam CD73 $699.00
Integrated Amp: Arcam A65 $699.00
Speakers: JM Labs Cobalt 806 $1,095.00 pr. (Bookshelf)
OR
Speakers: JM Labs 716S $1,095.00 pr.(Floorstanding)
TOTAL: $2,493.00

Arcam CD73

5)What I Did With My Summer Job Money System
CD Player: Arcam CD73 $699.00
Integrated Amp: Arcam A80 $1,299.00
Speakers: Audio Physic Yara Evolution $1,245.00 pr. (Bookshelf)
OR
Speakers: Vienna Acoustics Hayden $1,295.00 pr. (Bookshelf)
TOTAL From: $3,243.00
To: $3,293.00

Vienna Acoustics Haydn

AN AUDIOPHILE ON THE WAY UP

The first thing I did with the spare money I saved from my first real job was to buy a decent audio system. Not enough people do that these days. But for those of you out there who are as musically involved as I was when I first started to make a decent living, think about the nine systems listed below. You will notice that some are clustered quite closely together in terms of price. Fine audio comes in several flavors. Please let us know how we can get you a taste.

6)My First Apartment System
CD Player: Arcam CD73 $699.00
Integrated Amp: Arcam A80 $1,299.00
Speakers: JM Lab Cobalt 816 $1,900.00 pr.(Floorstanding)
OR
Speakers: JM Lab Profile 908 $2,295.00 pr.(Bookshelf)
OR
Speakers: Devore Fidelity Gibbons $2,000.00 pr.(Bookshelf)
TOTAL From: $3,898.00
To: $4,293.00

7)Five Alive System (Solid State)
CD Player: Musical Fidelity A 3.5 CD $1,600.00
Integrated Amp: Musical Fidelity A 3.5 Amp $1,600.00
Speakers: Vienna Acoustics Bach Grand $2,000.00 pr.
TOTAL: $5,200.00

8)Five Alive System (Tubes)
CD Player: Arcam CD 192 $1,699.00
Integrated Amp: Manley Stingray $2,250.00
Speakers: Audio Physics Step Monitor $2,000.00 pr. (Bookshelf)
TOTAL: $5,949.00

9)Pickup Sticks Systems
CD Player: Musical Fidelity A 3.5 CD $1,600.00
Integrated Amp: Musical Fidelity A5 Int Amp $2,500.00
Speakers: Thiel 1.6 $2,400.00 pr.(Floorstanding)
TOTAL: $6,500.00

10)Aces Over Eights
CD Player: Musical Fidelity A5 CD $2,500.00
Integrated Amp: Musical Fidelity A5 Int Amp $2,500.00
Speakers: Audio Physic Spark IV $2,995.00 pr.
TOTAL: $7,995.00

11)Mean Machine System
CD Player: Musical Fidelity A5 CD $2,500.00
Integrated Amp: BAT VK 300SE $5,000.00
Speakers: JM Lab 1007 Be $4,000.00 pr.(Bookshelf)
TOTAL: $11,500.00

JM Lab Electra 1007Be

12)Now You Are A Man System
CD Player: Musical Fidelity A5 CD $2,500.00
Preamp: Musical Fidelity A5 $2,500.00
Power Amp: Musical Fidelity A5 Power Amp $3,500.00
Speakers: Thiel 2.4 $4,400.00 pr.
TOTAL: $12,900.00

Audio Physic Tempo

13)Sweet Sixteen System
CD Player: Cary 303/300 CD $4,000.00
Preamp: Balanced Audio Tech VK 31 $4,000.00
Power Amp: Balanced Audio Tech VK 55 $4,000.00
Speakers: Audio Physic New Tempo $4,000.00 pr.
TOTAL: $16,000.00

BAT VK-55

TWEAK OF THE MONTH

Cleanliness is next to Godliness. This could not be more true than it is with electrical power as seen by high end audio components. Unfortunately, we live in a world of microwaves, RF, DC induction, all of which fowl our power lines. For years there have been products out there which clean up the noise riding on electrical lines. However, just as with any filter, all of these products, while filtering out the noise, also changed the electrical wave form enough that it was hard to tell whether you were better off with dirty power and lots of current, or clean power with limited dynamics. Too many tradeoffs for our taste. Shunyata power products ended this problem by creating power cables and passive line conditioners which cleaned up the noise on the power line without decreasing speed or dynamics. Quite to the contrary, using their patented and proprietary technologies, Shunyata power cords and hydra conditioners not only filter out the noise, they increase power delivery from the wall receptacle to the component and allow exactly the proper alternating current sine wave to go through to your equipment. Shunyata power cords range in price from $99 to $2000. Shunyata line conditioners from $400 to $2000. If you are looking for a last minute holiday gift for the rabid audiophile in your life, you can buy a Shunyata power cord and line conditioner for her/him and be certain that it can only improve the sound of the system.