Issue 23

As I write this, the Old Year is drawing to a close, so media outlets near and far are posting Best of 2016 lists in many categories. Even classical music gets a nod, especially in upscale publications like the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal (not much of a nod there, but check the Radiohead mention). If you’re an active fan or critic, it’s fun to see how their picks compare with your own. You do need to remember a couple things: (1) there’s too much “product” out there for you to hear—and judge—it all; (2) your own taste and experience matter; what you need and what Anthony Tommasini or Jim Fusilli highlight may be miles apart but equally valid. (That second caveat doesn’t apply unless you’ve actually been paying attention: no one develops an actual aesthetic stance—definable here as knowing what you like and why—without making an effort.)

As always, I got a kick out of seeing a few of my top picks show up this year in TAS or Stereophile or as Grammy nominees. On the other hand, some recordings I genuinely loved never found their way into Too Much Tchaikovsky. Either they didn’t fit a theme, or they duplicated repertoire I’d covered too recently. What follows are thumbnail recommendations for a half-dozen great classical recordings that otherwise got away this year.

Sibelius: Symphonies No. 3, 6, & 7. Minnesota Orchestra, Vänskä. BIS-2006; SACD. Minnesota’s plans for a complete Sibelius cycle began in 2012 with a stunning hi-res recording of 2 and 5, the composer’s most popular symphonies. They would have released this, their third and final installment, in 2015, the 150th anniversary of Sibelius’s birth. A bitterly contentious 15-month lockout by orchestra management disrupted those plans and very nearly led to the demise of the orchestra itself. That it was able to regroup under a new contract and with new managers was itself a considerable achievement. The excellence of their now-completed Sibelius cycle indicates an artistic rebirth as well. These three symphonies vary widely in style, making them a good introduction to the composer’s work. (Although longtime Sibelius devotees will tell you that the mighty Second Symphony is a better place to begin!) Here is a bit of the brisk, clean Third’s triumphant first movement:

And the sombre opening of the single-movement Seventh:

Mozart: Great Mass in C Minor [K427]; Exsultate, Jubilate. Bach Collegium Japan, Suzuki. BIS-2171; SACD. Most of Mozart’s church music belongs to his childhood and youth in Salzburg, because he was obliged to write liturgical music there. Two works from his grownup years are exceptions, and exceptional. The Requiem is well-known thanks to the tragic circumstances of its creation. Here’s what I like about K427, the other: in 1782–83 Mozart was fully grown but still young, exploring the world of Bach and Handel for the first time courtesy of his friend and patron Baron van Swieten. He was also delving more deeply into the craft of opera, learning to create characters that move through a story with palpable desires and frailties. The Da Ponte operas lay ahead, but he already knew how to write thrilling music for a prima donna, which is to say for a character. You can sense all this in the Great Mass. (Soprano soloists play a major role.) Like the Requiem, it was left unfinished, but not for sad reasons. By 1783 Mozart was in great demand in Vienna; he needed time for other projects. Here’s a taste of the Kyrie, right at the moment where its monumental “Kyrie” (Lord, have mercy) gives way to “Christe” (Christ, have mercy) and C minor turns gracefully to E-flat-major :

Masaaki Suzuki must be having a blast. Having wrapped up his Bach cantata cycle, he’s now playing joyously in other fields. He pairs K427 with an orchestral “motet” for soprano, Exsultate, Jubilate. Carolyn Sampson, who made enormous contributions to the later Bach cantata albums, comes through in Mozart with expressive—and, in the case of Exsultate—exultantly athletic contributions; I don’t think I’ve ever heard her sing better for Suzuki.

“Death and the Maiden.” Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Patricia Kopatchinskaja. Alpha Classics ALPHA 265; 24/192 download available. What do you get when you pair up a fiercely independent, scrappy American chamber ensemble with the most creative, free-spirited violinist in Europe today? Here’s what. Music by Schubert—his great Quartet in D Minor D810, arranged for strings by PK herself (there’s an older arrangement by Gustav Mahler)—plus related tracks from Dowland, Gesualdo, György Kurtág, and medieval sources, done up with Kopatchinskaja’s signature blend of wit and intensity. Death has never sounded like so much fun. You can sample sizable chunks of everything here (try Kurtág’s “Ruhelos”). More with PK, not related to the SPCO’s Schubert project:

Michael Daugherty: Tales of Hemingway et al. Zuill Bailey, cello; Paul Jacobs, organ; Nashville SO, Guerrero. Naxos 8.559798. What do you get when a former Mister Smarty-Pants of American classical music decides to play it straight? Here’s the latest gratifying result. I’m old enough to remember when anything Michael Daugherty delivered to us came with a side of snide, a wink, an ironic sneer tucked in somewhere. Two works, his bassoon concerto Dead Elvis and opera Jackie O, stand out in that regard. But since Mount Rushmore and Niagara Falls (and probably before that), he has simply done what he loves: quote, paraphrase, and transform American vernacular music (Daugherty’s jazz bona fides go way back) in order to give us American portraits in sound. Here we get not only Papa but also Grant Wood and the Hearst Castle (or is it Citizen Kane’s Xanadu?). This feel-good music actually is good. Ably performed by the Nashville Symphony; nominated for a Grammy this year. See Daugherty’s Grove Dictionary entry here; the “composer background” essay is also good. And here is video of a complete performance of Tales by Mr. Bailey, the Detroit SO, and conductor Leonard Slatkin.

A couple quickies: (1) Debussy: Images pour orchestre; Jeux; La plus que lente. San Francisco SO, Thomas. SFS Media SFS 0069; SACD and download. (2) Jane Ira Bloom: Early Americans. Outline/Solo Luminus SL Editions SLE-70005; Blu-ray Pure Audio. I put these on the list because they’re the best-sounding records in this pile. You’re probably already aware of the San Francisco Symphony’s outstanding track record for sonics. This ain’t Mahler or even Mason Bates, but it still sounds terrific. Your ears and your equipment will thank you. The music is also well performed. Regarding Jane Ira Bloom: she plays straight horn, i.e., soprano sax, with consummate refinement. This post-mainstream, piano-less trio date heaps responsibility on sidemen Mark Helias (bass) and Bobby Previte (drums). Their rapport is singularly fine, but just wait until you hear the way they assume corporeal presence in your listening room. No kidding! True chamber music.

No fear of running out of great musicians who may or may not have slipped below your radar … or never been on it. This bunch brings us up to 50.

41)     Doris Day

Like too many people not around in the 1940s, I knew Ms Day solely as an actress. My old man soon corrected that misconception with a spin of the original soundtrack LP to Love Me Or Leave Me, which I still own and cherish. Goodness, what a voice! What control! Day would drift in and out of my playlists during my lifetime, but an encounter with her version of “I’ll See You In My Dreams” leapfrogged her over nearly every distaff warbler in my library. Yes, even beyond Ella, Julie and Nancy. “Que Sera, Sera” may be her signature tune, but you owe it to yourself to hear the now-ancient mono material and the staggering stereo releases from the 1960s. Start with Show Time from 1960, and pick up one of the bargain sets of her late-1940s work with Les Brown. Apparently, by 1947, she was the highest-paid female vocalist on the planet. Trust me: she was worth every penny.

42)     Sam & Dave

Otis vs Marvin, “James Brown is the Godfather”, Sam Cooke, “Wicked” Wilson Pickett, Isaac Hayes, Solomon Burke – there are so many soul giants with a claim to being the greatest, if a greatest there must be. For me, the quintessential soul act was Sam & Dave, and on so many levels that I don’t have to stretch to make their case: Stax label sound (gutsier than Motown), the greatest backing bands of all time (Booker T & the MGs, The Mar-Keys), material by Porter and Hayes, and their inimitable call-and-response, straight-outta-gospel delivery so clearly from the heart that they live up to the title of their biggest hit, but in plural: “Soul Man.” Among the masterpieces are “Hold On, I’m Comin’”, “You Don’t Know What You Mean to Me”, “I Thank You”, and a dozen more. Along with the Beatles, Buddy Holly, Howard Tate and the Buffalo Springfield, the music I want to be listening to during my last days on earth. How much do I love this duo? Enough to name our son “Samuel David”.

43)     Kevin Ayers

An unlikely choice for me, given that I am not predisposed toward any of the genres even remotely associated with prog-rock, jazz-rock or, especially, Artsy-Fartsy British Eccentric Rock. As Ayers was a founding member of Soft Machine, was part of the “Canterbury Scene” and was an early supporter of Mike Oldfield, pre-Tubular Bells, he should have ticked all the wrong boxes. But this is a more personal choice than most because, when I moved to the UK in ’72, I had a room in a B&B in Canterbury next door to his sister, Kate. She introduced me to the hippie answer to Noel Coward and I was hooked immediately, and eventually to Kevin himself – who lived up to the persona with great theatricality. Start with his fourth solo, Bananamour, for a taste of British whimsy, with sublime sound quality, too – a no-brainer for those who love the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band, or, indeed, the aforementioned Coward. Nearly all of Ayers’ solo LPs featured musicianship of the highest order, especially the titles on Harvest and Island, and – in the context of this webzine – glorious sound.

44)     Squeeze

Peripherally related to Ayers in sheer Englishness, though writing pop and rock classics rather than dabbling with the avant-garde or “post-modern music hall”, Squeeze also was (and remains) as thoroughly, unapologetically British as the Kinks. Despite emerging during the tail-end of the punk era, Squeeze’s attitude is more closely aligned with 1960s British Invasion brands, British “kitchen sink” drama and the trials and tribulations of the English working class, than with punk per se. Channeling the aforementioned Kinks, the Beatles and other maestros from the previous decade, Squeeze added a post-punk vibrancy, while Difford’s and Tilbrook’s compositions have been favorably compared to Lennon and McCartney. Once you’ve listened to the original version of the oft-covered “Tempted”, with the great Paul Carrack on vocals, you’ll know why.

45)     Keely Smith

Overshadowed by her jokey collaboration with Louis Prima, where she played straight to his clowning, Smith categorically deserves to be grouped with the very best of the interpreters of the Great American Songbook. Respected by no less than Sinatra, Smith is easily recognized by a teeny vestige of her southern accent that came through whenever she had to sing words such as “I” or “my”: they emerge as “Ah” or “mah”. It adds unique character to a school of vocalists who some find almost interchangeable: Smith is as distinctive as Peggy Lee. Even when being teased by Prima and occasionally struggling to keep a straight face, she managed to sing with clarity, authority, feeling and, yes, wit. By all means, wallow in the delight of the Prima-Smith duets, but do not miss her solo releases. You will be staggered.

46)     Willy DeVille and Mink Deville

Those of you who read my scribbling in Hi-Fi News will know that one of my references for assessing hi-fi is DeVille’s “Assassin of Love”. Produced by Mark Knopfler, it has as much activity in its groove as any a stereo test record, and the reactions to it at this year’s hi-fi shows during my demos were all of the where-can-I-get-a-copy? variety. I first got hooked on DeVille’s rich, soulful vocals when he was fronting Mink DeVille, a group that arrived during the punk era and was as out-of-step with that aberration as was Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. Mink DeVille paid homage to street-corner music and Latino roots sounds with the same passion as did Zappa with doo-wop, only DeVille played it straight and created a run of albums that sound like an alternate-universe score to West Side Story. His solos embraced other genres, while the albums of his final years were imbued with the spirit of New Orleans. Willy, thanks for so many hours of sheer musical bliss. RIP.

47)     Rick Derringer

Like many baby boomers, I first heard Derringer when he was in the McCoys, and I was in a little band that – yes – just had to cover “Hang On, Sloopy”. As sharp as they were, the McCoys could only contain this incendiary guitarist for so long. Working with the astounding Johnny Winter in Johnny Winter And…, with Johnny’s brother Edgar in White Trash and carving out a varied solo career, Derringer became one of those journeymen guitarists who spices up albums with exceptional playing. His guest spots range from Todd Rundgren to Steely Dan to Alice Cooper to Cyndi Lauper to Kiss to Ringo Starr, and he’s a seasoned producer. But the killer has to be his solo debut, <All American Boy>, worth owning just for the best-ever take of “Rock’n’Roll, Hoochie Koo.” Play it loud.

48)     Roy Wood and the Move

Another British eccentric, Roy Wood sent out mixed signals. He looked like a freaky, demonic hippie of the Arthur Brown variety, but the music he made owed more to Brian Wilson than to Aleister Crowley. With the Move, he crafted Top 40-friendly hits that undermined the band’s hipness at home, and I didn’t realize how disrespected they were until I emigrated to the UK: Rich Colburn had turned me on to them when we were in college in Maine, the band ironically enjoying underground status in the USA. Spinal Tap surely would have admired “Brontosaurus”, while the antics of their management conspired to ruin the band’s finances and credibility. After forming and then leaving ELO, Wood produced a series of eclectic albums – solo and with his other band, Wizzard – that probably never threatened the US charts, but his star shone brightly during the glam era in the UK. He delivered hits that celebrated the rock of the Beach Boys, the Monkees, the Merry-Go-Round and other American purveyors of sunshine pop. Start with Mustard, a completely self-performed/recorded masterpiece and wonder how he slipped past your consciousness … if, that is, you adore well-crafted pop music.

49)     Trudy Richards

A mystery woman, this torch singer could turn the warmest and fuzziest of Broadway tunes into intense, in-your-face declarations of love. She recorded but one album for Capitol in the 1950s, which apparently enjoys cult status in Japan, before retiring. I discovered her because of track on Capitol Records compilations honoring the composers of the Great American Songbook. It was immediately clear to me that she was of the caliber of Keely Smith. Her version of “Let’s Do It” would surely have had  Cole Porter grinning from ear-to-ear, for it is the most salacious take I’ve ever heard of a classic from the Great American Songbook. “A Wonderful Guy”, “Can’t Help Lovin’ That Man” – imagine the devastatingly sexy Julie London without any inhibitions and that’s the sound of Trudy Richards. Redefines “torch singer”.

50)     Wilson Phillips

Just as the Move was disrespected by the British, so has Wilson Phillips been treated like dirt. Nepotism may have gotten them a few rungs up the ladder, but talent will out, and wow, can these ladies sing! If you can turn off your hip-o-meter for a few minutes and just listen to their interpretations of myriad or their Left Coast rock treasures, as well as their renditions of their parents’ hits and their own original compositions, you’ll find that the trio is as polished and musical as any “girl group” of the genre’s 1960s heyday. No, they don’t challenge the Supremes or the Shirelles, but I’d gladly place them on the same shelf as the Shangri-Las or the Cookies, and they have the added benefit of releases with stellar sound quality rather than AM-radio-friendly compression. If you must, file them under “Guilty Pleasures”, next to the Dave Clark Five, Herman’s Hermits or early Lesley Gore, but try them again with an open mind.

In last issue’s Vintage Whine  I ran through my personal list of the ones that got away—those special pieces of audio gear that I owned in the past and somehow let get away, to my everlasting regret. Judging by the volume and intensity of responses, I’d say that almost every audio enthusiast has a list of gear they wish would magically reappear.

I also threw out  the blue-sky topic of “if you could have any single piece of audio gear, what would it be?”

I pinged readers, friends, colleagues, and Copper contributors for their lists—and here are some of their responses. You’ll notice that once a piece of gear is mentioned, it often provokes an “oh, YEAH!!” response from others. EPI, Audio Research, Conrad-Johnson, and Spica in particular are regarded with fondness:

–I have sold off hundreds of items and can’t think of one I regret. I tend to make the decision to sell an item and then wait a few years to see if pre-seller’s remorse kicks in before actually letting go.  If I could have one item, its a tough choice, it would probably be a Klangfilm Europa Junior Klarton or space permitting (a movie theater?), a Euronor.–Jonathan Halpern, Tone Imports.

–My old CJ PV5, what a little sweetie. Lemme add a Nikko receiver, the 501 I think, with Advent speakers and their single-meter cassette deck. But it’s the PV5 I miss… also had a Luxman 1040 that was pleasing.–Jonathan Scull, audio maven/legend, Scull Communications.

–Probably my old Counterpoint SA-5000, though generally absence makes the heart grow fonder in these cases…–John DeVore, DeVore Fidelity.

–Tannoy GRF Corner Horns, 15″ Monitor Gold units, in Sapele Mahogany. Sold them to help pay the deposit on a house. —Haden Boardman, Audio Classics UK, Copper.

–I wish i had my original Nait amp and NAT tuner back! Wish I could have: Big Western Electric theater horns and 555 drivers.–Beau Ranheim, NY audiophile/chef extraordinaire.

—Leak TL12 plus. The little EL84 mono amps and preamp were just beautifully taken care of and sounded great. Later I had a bunch of the TL12 point one with the KT66 valves which are much better, but those were just beautiful to watch, touch and listen…I cant remember who I sold them to or for how much. Western Electric 18 field coil woofer pair, but I sold those for a lot of money! I did keep my Ampex 350, still have it and absolutely love the stainless steel feel of it, the human size bolts and parts you can grab with your hands, the 3 motor construction, no plastic at all: and it beats almost all Tape machines I have listened to! Had since I was 16, got it for 5 bucks!–Jorge Sadurni, Sadurni Acoustics.

–Not listed among the anointed but I’d go for a pair of Spica TC-50s.—Michael Fremer, Analog Planet, Stereophile.

–An Audio Research SP-11b. Sold it when I wanted to raise some extra cash. Not that I was displeased with what I bought subsequently…an Audible Illusions Modulus 3, which I still have, in fact…but man, I should never have let that SP-11b go.–Frank Doris, ex-TAS, industry veteran.  –-I’d go for SP 11 too!–Fremer, redux.

—Wright Sound 300B amps, designed by George Wright of Kent, WA. Just insanely beautiful-sounding little amps with Magnequest/Peerless TFA-204 trannies. George was a friend who passed away recently. I’d buy them back in a heartbeat. Wish I could have:Tannoy rectangular GRFs with vintage drive units.–Alex Halberstadt, ex-Listener, pundit, biographer of Doc Pomus.

—Original Snell Type A’s.–Walter Schofield, industry veteran, SVS. Always wanted to own a pair, but never did. Even though I have a better vinyl setup now, I still loved how my first “really good” turntable rig showed me how much music is in the grooves of records. Ca. 1979: Rega Planar 3, Grace G707 Mk II, GAS Sleeping Beauty Shibata, Threshold M1 step-up. It was really musical to me.–Dave Kakenmaster, industry veteran, GoldenEar Technology.

–My Epicure 10 speakers. Oh, and my Technics SL-I-don’t-remember-the-model-number DD turntable. I should add that this was my first “real” stereo gear, purchased in the 1970s in an actual, brick and mortar stereo store in suburban Philadelphia. Because, of course, you needed all that extra information. —Steven Folberg, unofficial Rabbi to the audio industry.

—My old Acoustat Monitors. Come to think of it, I would love to get another set of EPI 180 speakers. Those got me through college and right up until I bought my Acoustats. Spendor BC-1. Always wanted a set of those.–Steve Lefkowicz, Positive Feedback.

—Altec 604-8Gs rescued from a rubbish skip outside Theatre Projects, Covent Garden, London then later reconed and put into Ported enclosures by the late Australian Acoustical Engineer Richard Priddle. Wish I still had them as a reference to compare with my current “Bouncy’ things!–Graham Craig, painter and audio experimenter/artist.

—Celestion Ditton 66. —Ronald Neale, Aussie audiophile.

–My old stash of JBL pro horns and drivers, oh man what I could do with those now……–Lou Hinkley, industry veteran, Daedalus Audio.

–No real regrets over things I’ve sold, but the one vintage thing I still have a lust for would be a super clean pair of Altec Valencias.—Mark Almirall, Cali audiophile.

—VAC 90s.—Peter Breuninger, AVShowrooms.

—Scott 310e tuner and Grado walnut tonearm.–Clark Johnsen, The Wood Effect, Positive Feedback.

–For me, Tandberg 1040 receiver, open reel deck, and EPI speakers. Classics.–Barnaby Fry, industry veteran, Audio Plus Services.

—Audio Research SP3A.–Doug Henderson, industry veteran, B&W Group USA.

—Revox G36 that I stupidly sold at an Audiomart swap meet in NJ many years ago. Then there’s the Naim 32.5/Hicap/135s I had at the peak of my flat earth period, not to mention the Marantz 9s.–Michael Trei, turntable king, Sound & Vision.

–Easy. Conrad-Johnson PV11 preamp. Second would be my Spica TC 50s.–Wil Hinds, audiophile, bass monster. Yes! Years ago I sold my C-J PV2ar for next to nothing, and I wish I still had that, too. The vintage product that I owned but sold and now want back is the McIntosh mono FM tuner I owned briefly in the early 70s (I don’t remember the model number—MR something). The vintage product I’ve never owned but would most enjoy having is the EMT 930.–Art Dudley, country squire, Listener, Stereophile.

–One of my Sony TC766-2 half track.–Robert Gaboury, Arteluthe.

–A Tandberg Sølvsuper stereo receiver from 1973 – the first component I opened and managed to short… Not very popular with my step mom who owned it. But it sounded great . —Knut Skogrand, Skogrand  Cables.

—Duelund Behemoth horns.–Frederik Caroe, Duelund.

—Moscode 600 hybrid amp.–Kemper Holt, Enjoy the Music.

–My Marantz 10b in the wood cabinet I had painted gloss black by my friend Jack Shafton when he was at CWD— BUT I still have my Crown SX700 open reel tape machine which I played last night. I still have a pair of Quad 57‘s and a pair of Acoustat Model 3‘s —David Hardin, industry veteran, Audio Center.

–I was raised on a pair of Nelson Reed 804b‘s… i loved those damn loudspeakers ,as that ATC mid dome is to die for.–Randy Kunin, audio artisan, Randall K.

–-I never owned a pair, but the single most interesting speaker I ever heard was the Hill Plasmatronics!! Yes, I really would like to hear one again! Marcel, up at his showroom in Scarsdale had a pair – That Pink Floyd with the helicopter was stupendous, truly.–Randall Bradley, audiophile.

—Audio Research SP10 preamplifier – wait, I still have the one I bought in 1984!–John Atkinson, man/myth/legend, Hi-Fi News, Stereophile.

—EAR G88. Gone, to my regret. And: IRS V or an EAR Discmaster.–Dan Schwartz, bassist extraordinaire, ex-TAS, Copper.

–Four perfect Cunningham globe CX250 tubes from 1937. To pay the rent. I’m such an asshole. And a 1955 Esquire.–jc morrison, legendary designer, Fi/Sequerra/Electro-Harmonix/Silbatone/lab jc.

—Audio Research SP3a-1 mk2 improved modified, REL Precedent Tuner- both abducted.–Jeff Joseph, industry veteran, Joseph Audio.

—Quad speakers.–Dr. Bob Odell, ex-PS Audio.

—My Pioneer RT-707 RtR. Loaned it to a friend and never saw it again. Oh, and the Hovland HP-100 preamp w/phono – had to give it up when they folded. Incredibly transparent.–Elliot Kallen, shakuhachi demon, industry veteran, The Tweak Shop.

–A ’68 white Fender Strat.–Michael Lavorgna, artiste, AudioStream.  OK, Guitars – a ‘64 SG with factory Bigsby that was mint and for which I got 1/10th its current value and a 65 strat that I traded straight across for a Santa Cruz acoustic – I was dumb.–Steven Stone, TAS, Audiophile Review. Yup. My ’55 hardtail Strat, too.–Art Dudley, again. [I keep telling these guys: musical instruments have NOTHING to do with audio! Sheesh!!–Ed.]

–I really haven’t owned a lot of gear, but I do wish I had held on to my Vandersteen 2Ce Sigs.–Julien Therrien, audiophile.

–My picks are so easy (but so painful): My RCA-sourced Ampex 300 RTR (It was used in their red field-recording truck) & my TWO Fletcher MDC-800 “The Arm” arms. One arm I gave away, the other I sold for like $100, and the Ampex (and all the right tube preamps I sold (ouch) together for $300 . . . woe and perdition. Also wish I had my Acros and the fresh LS-55s.–Herb Reichert, audio poet, Listener, Sound Practices, Stereophile.

–Miss our Magneplanar Tympani 1d. Sold them off when our first born started crawling. Got tired (and concerned) when I was having to fish him out from behind the speakers all the time.–Dan Muzquiz, industry veteran, Blackbird Audio.

—Ohm F. Although by now if I still had them they prolly wouldn’t work. The old joke was you needed 200 Watts to drive them, and 201 to blow them up. Oh! And of course I wish I still had my Quad 57. I do not have a proper room for either the Fs or Quads.–Ken Furst, industry veteran, furstmarketing.

—NAD 3020. I’ve still got a pair of Spica TC-50s. The cabinets are rather beat up after three decades of moves, but I couldn’t bear to sell them. It would be like selling a faithful and well – loved dog just because it got old.-–Rob Doorack, audiophile, ex-Listener.

–Toss up between a Yamaha YST-C11, a JVC PC-V55, and a JVC JR-S301 with the perfectly weighted tuner wheel.–Malachi Kenney, political flak/coder/hacker, ex-PTA, Copper.

—Sansui AU5900 amp – Tannoy Berkeley Speakers- Denon DRM44HX.–Johan Coorg, legendary party animal, industry veteran, KEF.

—I have it: Marantz 2230 driving ESS AMT-1s. Set up in my home office.–Mark Larsen, Esq., keeper of audio industry secrets.

In a previous issue, Jim Langley shared his famous DIY CNC phonostage with us, recommending various component modifications and upgrades.  We will soon have CNC PCBs available for purchase directly from PS Audio; this is a non-profit effort from Leebs and me to encourage and support the DIY community.

You will need a soldering iron, solder, and an inexpensive multimeter for checking resistor values or battery voltage (optional but recommended).

We’re awaiting final details, but it looks as though the PCBs will cost approximately $15.00, subject to variance. We hope to have the boards available soon, and will provide details in the next issue of Copper. The component values are written on the PCB, making it easy for anyone to populate and know where each component belongs.

The link below will send you to a cart at Digikey.com with all the parts that you’ll need (be patient—it may take a few seconds  for the cart to populate). I’ve included various different capacitive loading resistors for you to experiment with (47pF, 100pF, and 180pF). If you are using long RCA cables out of your turntable, you may want to experiment with leaving these capacitors unpopulated. For shorter, low capacitive cables, try 100pF or 180pF.

http://www.digikey.com/short/35wh82

The cart also includes two different OP amps (2 each) so that you can experiment with different amplifiers and see what sound you prefer.  Jim recommends an OPA2134 in position 1 and a LM4562 in position 2.

For indication, I’ve added a red LED and 8.2K bias resistor to the cart. You may choose to go with a different color such as blue or green. Refer to Jim’s previous article for more information on how to wire this.

9V battery contacts and mechanical clips are included in the cart so that you’ll have to do is decide on an enclosure and add some 9V batteries.

Special thanks to muffsy.com for the PCB design and my close friends Jim Langley and Bill Ennis for making this DIY project possible for so many.

Enjoy!

-Darren