The GamuT CD-3 CD Player

My first reaction to seeing ads for GamuT in the magazines was, “Where have they been hiding?” My first meeting with GamuT gear was at a New York Stereophile Show about ten years ago. The company had a run of success with their original CD-1 CD player and their line of solid state amplifiers. Both their amps and CD player met with a wide body of critical approval in the audio press and were sought after by many. The CD player, as well as the amps, went through various upgrades and improvements to address some lingering criticisms as to relating to performance in the frequency extremes, for the CD player and, for some, their amplifiers sounding a little too analytical and sterile. The company has since changed hands -- Lars Golar is now in charge and is the design and spiritual leader of this Danish company. He believes in using solid science as the basis for his designs and in the end, like any designer worth his salt, he listens.

The CD-3 is quite large and heavy with well ordered cosmetics. The symmetrical arrangement of function buttons has written words on the brightly lit display, which has three settings: full on, reduced and off. Of course when 'off' is selected you can't read any of the disc information or functions. At least the remote, rather skimpy at this price level, has the usual function symbols. The CD-3's face plate is of a substantial solid piece of clear anodized aluminum, about a half inch thick, and the unit's footers have three silicon beads each to further isolate the player from vibration induced distortion.

The CD-3 arrived and I couldn't turn it on. I contacted David Stevens of Rhythm Marketing (US distributor) and he told me that the on/off switch is on the underside of the CD player, near the front at the right side. I found this a very odd location, not intuitive at all. I later found this mentioned on the inside rear page of the manual. Once I turned on the unit I proceeded to let the unit, burn in for the recommended two hundred hours with a variety of music and the XLO burn-in disc, as well. The burn-in also included a pair of balanced GamuT interconnects which the manufacturer sent along (but are not included with the unit). These are a twisted pair of silver plated copper interconnects that retail for $500.00 for a one meter pair. Therefore, my review also takes into account these interconnects. The power cord was of the standard variety and the manual encouraged the use of after market cords.

Before I get started with sonic impressions, I want to briefly describe some of the technical properties of the CD-3. The CD player is internally separated, by a stainless steel inner chassis, dividing the player into three distinct inner cabinets. This division isolates the separate digital and analogue power supplies from the suspended transport mechanism and dac, as well as, isolating the amplification section. The non magnetic stainless steel inner cabinet, running down the center of the unit, effectively prevents minute electrical signals and currents from intruding and contaminating the final signal and introducing unwanted distortions resulting in loss of detail retrieval and a smearing of the final sound. A 24 bit 192 kHz asynchronous sample rate converter was used to generate the up sampled signal for the 24 bit Burr-Brown PCM 1792 converter.

My first full listening session was with the supplied power cord and the supplied GamuT interconnects. Reading my notes, they were as follows: dead quiet background, grain free, very dynamic, deep soundstage with excellent transparency and more detail of which I've been accustomed. Frank Sinatra's and Holly Cole's voices had great immediacy and palpability. Imaging was excellent. Inner detail and voice textures were further revealed. On large orchestral works, string sections were more completely defined. I was hearing more of the individual instruments, the bows being drawn across the strings if you will, rather more like the experience one gets at a live concert sitting in the first few rows of the concert hall. The interplay between sections was also easier to follow. In general, images were more distinct across the board, in all soundstage dimensions. Clarity and resolution were there in spades with more air and separation around instruments. This player drew more detail out of the bits than I've previously experienced. That stainless steel isolation must really be working. On the negative side, I noticed a slight bass shyness and a tendency of voices to be leaner and cooler then I thought they should be. Also, the images seemed unnaturally sharp, as if there was too much, borrowing a term from the video world, 'edge enhancement'. Was this effect the result of the player, the interconnects, or the power cord? It was now time to further investigate. Ah, more fun.

My first change was replacing the power cord with my reference, Acoustic Zen's Absolute power cord. Immediately, images took on more body and weight and the 'edge ehancement' was reduced with, if anything, a gain in inner textures. The images seemed more natural in their presentation. The leanness I had heard was now almost gone. Soundstage depth, already excellent, improved as well. Voices seemed to be richer and fuller. Anyone who thinks power cords don't make a difference should reexamine those assumptions. It brought out more of what this CD-3 was capable of. It clearly pays to experiment with power cords and at this price level you're doing yourself a disservice not to. Now it was time to try examining interconnects.

I used Wasatch's excellent Ultama, Acoustic Zen's Silver Reference II and Acoustic Zen's Absolute. All had their individual characteristics but the Absolute really proved to be the best and offered the most complete improvement in the quality of sound. The bass performance further improved with greater weight and articulation. The soundstage seemed to grow in size with greater depth while the sound became noticeably smoother. It further improved localization of instruments and voices in the soundstage. High frequency performance also improved and cymbal strikes had more impact with greater definition with an even further clarification of low level detail. I now felt that this player was reaching heights I had not experienced from a CD player before.

My ultimate criterion for evaluating a component is how close its ability to convey the feeling of the live performance. The GamuT CD-3, with an appropriate level power cord and interconnects achieves this more completely than any other CD player I've had in my system. The combination gives a vitality and immediacy that signifies 'live'. Audiophiles all have differing points of view as to how something should sound and I won't tell you it will satisfy everyone. As I indicated earlier, the CD-3, gives the listener (at least in my system) an upfront presentation of the music. System matching would be key. If one likes a 'soft', 'tubey' sound this might not be your cup of tea. If you're looking to liven up a soft sounding system that is lacking in detail and dynamics, look no further. GamuT's CD-3 can perform magic. Highly recommended. I will miss this player. Keep listening.


http://www.audiophilia.com/hardware/CD_Players/reviews/gamutCD3.htm

The Lector .6 mk2 CD Player

A friend owns the Lector 7, a 2-box CD player. I have visited him several times. I have been told that the .6 CD player shares many of the attributes of the 7. As a consequence of my search for a CD player and my favorable impression of the Lector 7, I decided to review the .6 mk2. Although the mk2 version represented an “upgrade” of the original .6, I was unprepared for the presentation I experienced. I believe the original player had a 20 bit chip, while the current version uses a 24 bit chip. The distributor of Lector products, Brian Ackerman of Aaudio Imports, contrasted the difference between the original and mk2 as one being somewhat euphonic, the other accurate. The player is priced at $2190.00 and offers the following features: 1) Film foil output caps manufactured by Lector. 2) 2 Burr Brown PCM 1704 DAC chips 3) A simple toroidal power supply 4) No op amps 5) Short length of .999999996 ofc stranded copper from pcb out to panel/RCA 6) Transport manufactured by Lector based upon Phillips/Sharp design 7) All parts manufactured by Lector 8) tube buffer stage using 2 12AT7

Listening Sessions

The manufacturer provides 2 Chelmer 12AT7 tubes. I substituted several pairs of NOS tubes, including Mullard, Amperex and RCA. I selected the RCA grey plate, vintage 1960's, as it seemed to present the most linear frequency response. My preferences lean toward harpsichord and piano music from the baroque and renaissance periods. It would come as no surprise that I would select a Scarlatti sonata, XVII, K119, performed by Sophie Yates, harpsichord, from Chandos 0635. The clarity and focus enabled one to appreciate the expert musicianship of the artist. Following the attack of the keyboard, a short decay was observed. However, there was greater emphasis upon the percussive quality, relative to the body of the instrument, suggestive of a dip in the lower midrange.

Steely Dan, AJA, MCAD 37124, could be the subject of a term paper in the field of sociology. My favorite track on this disc is “Deacon Blues”. Donald Fagen's voice evinced his characteristic lisp and treble harmonics were never exaggerated. During a tenor sax solo, the upper register, upper mid/lower treble had a slight peak. However, the minor deviation from neutrality did not interfere with the enjoyment of the music. Holly Cole Trio, DON'T SMOKE IN BED, is often used as a test disk for evaluating stereo systems. Track one, “I Can See Clearly Now”, presents an ensemble of voice, bass and piano. The articulation of the bass was very controlled and yet there was a natural balance between the sound of the strings and the wood body. The voice is close-miked and the sibilance that one expects was not softened. It is not a pleasant experience to listen to this overemphasis of the letter “s”. While not minimized, it would seem that there was no exaggeration of this phenomenon.

A depiction of Paris in music, “Gaite Parisienne”, JVCXRCD 0224, track 1 is a good example of the scale of a symphony orchestra. The strings were positioned behind and at the edge of the left speaker, while the snare drum could be heard in the background, at the rear of the orchestra. The sound of the string ensemble exhibited no edge. The triangle, although positioned in front of the wood block, did not exhibit the separation I have experienced from other CD players. Moreover, the sound of the triangle was deficient in texture and weight compared to what I hear when listening to my reference CD player. Another test of spectral balance is track 3 from the CD TWO OF A KIND, Music Heritage Society 5162443. At the beginning of this track, “Sandstorm”, a cymbal is struck several times. The sound of the cymbal is timbrally incorrect. The density or thickness does not provide the aural cues of brass. Rather, what is portrayed is a metal thinner than brass. Although one would identify the instrument heard as a cymbal, the resulting timbre is different from what one would expect when listening to a typical brass cymbal. Shortly thereafter, Earl Klugh is heard playing acoustic guitar. The nylon strings sounded a bit steely and the wood body was understated, indicative of a dip in the lower midrange and possibly a peak in the upper midrange/lower treble.

Conclusion

My listening sessions revealed a component capable of resolving and not obscuring musical and non-musical details present on a recording. There was no warmth or other euphonic coloration. There were observed discrepancies from flat frequency response in areas I have noted before, often typical of current-production tube products, namely a dip in the lower midrange and a slight elevation in the upper midrange/lower treble. I would say that the aforementioned errors are typical of current tube designs and some of the 24/192 chips, especially the Burr Brown. It is possible that selecting a non-upsampling 16 bit chip instead of the Burr Brown 24/192 chip might lessen the extent of deviations from neutrality. Thus, the Lector is a tube player without the sound of tubes, having the aforementioned strengths and weaknesses of modern tube circuitry and 24/192 DAC chips. During my listening sessions I could hear inaccuracies in timbre, but they did not prevent me from enjoying the music. Since no component is perfect, a potential purchaser should decide if observed flaws are, or are not, objectionable, prior to purchase.


http://www.audiophilia.com/hardware/CD_Players/reviews/lectorCD.htm

The Navison Audio SE MK 1 Preamplifier

The Navison Audio room was one of my favorite exhibits at the 2007 SHOW. A single ended amp, a tube preamp, the Ayre CD player and a pair of Tannoy speakers produced the classic tube sound. Since I was looking for a preamp, I decided to review the preamp I heard. In fact, the review sample was the very preamp I heard in the room. Navison products are designed in California and manufactured in Viet Nam. The preamp is priced at $3900.00 and the chassis is constructed of barian kingwood, found in Viet Nam. Here are the salient technical details: 1) Design goal : warmth with a certain level of detail 2) Wiring: silver plated copper 3) Connectors: RCA females are rhodium coated copper 4) Op amps: none 5) Transformer: low noise toroidal 6) Caps : Jensen oil filled 7) Gain control: DACT 24 step attenuated-2 db per step 8) Tubes : 8 6H1-EB 9) Phase inverting.

Listening Sessions

My favorite instrument is the harpsichord. It provides a window on the frequency response in the upper midrange/treble region. My first selection was a Chandos release of Scarlatti's Sonata XVII, K119, performed by Sophie Yates, Chandos 0635. The presentation was a touch forward. The attack and release of the keyboard was heard without exaggeration, warmth or softening. The timbre was very realistic but a bit closer in position than I experienced with other preamps. From a woman's touch to a woman's voice, I next selected the Holly Cole Trio, DON'T SMOKE IN BED, track 1, Alert Z2 81020. The resonance of the body of the acoustic bass and the plucking of the strings were rendered in proper proportion. The voice was close-miked and exhibited sibilance which would be expected from such a microphone placement technique. I did not observe an exaggeration or softening of the sibilance.

Steely Dan, AJA is, in my opinion, their best work. My favorite track on the CD is “Deacon Blues”, track 3, MCAD 37214. Donald Fagen's voice was easy to recognize. One could hear his characteristic pronunciation of consonants. Voice and cymbals were spectrally balanced. However, the sound of the tenor seemed slightly deficient in lower midrange energy, with a bit more emphasis upon the upper midrange/lower treble. The resulting timbre was somewhat suggestive of an alto. Continuing in the jazz mode, an acoustic jazz ensemble is featured on the CD TEST RECORD1, Opus 3 7900, track 12, W.C. Handy, “Ole Miss”. This track provides a suitable test of timbre provided by a clarinet, trumpet and trombone. Of the three aforementioned instruments, the clarinet presented the most natural timbre. The trumpet lacked body as a result of an over emphasis of the upper midrange/lower treble frequencies. The trombone was fuller sounding than the trumpet but one could hear a slight imbalance between the lower midrange and upper frequencies. While it is impossible to reproduce the scale of an orchestra in a modest sized listening room, certain facets of stereo system performance are tested using such source material.

A classic recording in this repertory is “Gaite Parisienne”, conducted by Arthur Fiedler, JVC XRCD 0224, track 1. Immediately one is aware of the power of an orchestra with a crescendo at the beginning of the track. This preamp is capable of conveying the dynamic range of a crescendo. Two short solos from a wood block and a triangle ensue shortly thereafter. The triangle is in the foreground and the wood block was positioned slightly to the right and behind the triangle. A sense of space between the instruments was noted. One could observe the decay of the triangle even as the wood block was struck. The triangle possessed its typical sparkle without egregious frequency response errors.

Conclusion

While I expected the classic sound, I experienced the modern sound of tubes. I have mentioned the term “modern sound” in other reviews. The attributes implied by this term include the resolution associated with solid state, a lack of warmth and a presentation closer to truth than beauty. My personal exposure to modern tube components suggests that their imperfections are generally opposite those of older tube designs. Thus, designs in the '70s and '80s rolled off the treble and had a peak in the lower frequencies, while such products were replaced by components which have a peak in the “brightness” region and a dip in the upper bass/lower midrange. The differences between current designs are a matter of degree. Some have more annoying flaws, while others are slight, yet nevertheless, audible. With regard to the Navison preamp, deviations were slight, as previously indicated. I have heard other preamps and amplifiers whose errors have been more significant as to their effects upon the enjoyment of music. I expect that if one listens to a component long enough, it is possible to observe some level of coloration. Until perfection is achieved, one hopes that flaws can be overlooked and one does not dwell on them to the detriment of enjoying one's recordings. I had no problem appreciating the musicianship and enjoying my favorite recordings in spite of the aforementioned shortcomings.


http://www.audiophilia.com/hardware/Preamps/reviews/navisonpreamp.htm

The Melody CD M10 CD Player

I have been looking for a backup CD player for several months. I became aware of the Melody CD M10 as a result of a conversation with Brian of Venus HiFi. I decided to spend more time than usual at the Melody exhibit at the CES. I auditioned the CD player in the context of an all tube-based Melody stereo system. Based upon my brief exposure, I decided to review this player. At 78 pounds, it may be the heaviest one-box CD player in current production. At a cost of $2500, the price per pound is $32, a good value compared to other players whose price exceeds $1000. For those who are technically inclined, the following may be of interest: 1) transport: Sony 2) Dac chip: Burr Brown PCM 1792, 24/192 3) caps: Mundorf metal film 4) power supply CD type with Z7 material as the core 5) clock: 16.9344 6) tube rectifier: 5AR4 7) buffer stage: 2 6SN7

Listening Sessions

Prior to evaluation, I left the player on and fed a signal from the analog outputs for a period of about 300 hours. There has been a running commentary on Audiogon concerning the subject of break-in. I have no personal opinion on this subject. Each time I receive a component for review, it receives about 250 hours of a signal, before I give it my serious attention. This is standard operating procedure for me. I auditioned the CD player with 3 preamps: The Nobis Proteus, the Mapletree and McIntosh. Unless otherwise stated, my comments imply the presence of the Nobis preamp in the stereo system. I will cite the effects of the other preamps in a brief general statement, later in the review.

My favorite instrument is the harpsichord. Scarlatti and JS Bach are my co-favorite composers from the baroque period. Thus, I began my review with music of Scarlatti, Sonata XVII, K119, performed by Sophie Yates, Chandos 0635. You can learn a lot about a stereo system when listening to a harpsichord. What did I hear? The sound was spectrally balanced, but slightly forward. The treble harmonics were not exaggerated. The attack and release of the keys were not blunted or softened.

If you have read several of my reviews, you will recognize this selection, Offenbach, “Gaite Pariesienne”, conducted by Arthur Fiedler, JVC XRCD 0224, track 1. One experiences the full force of an orchestra. I noticed no deficiency in dynamic range. The articulation of the strings was reduced, compared to what I usually experience. The sound was a bit rounded. The wood block and the triangle exhibited realistic separation, the triangle in the foreground and the wood block positioned in the background. The treble frequencies produced by the triangle were slightly attenuated. Lest one conclude that this player is soft sounding, I observed a different presentation using the other preamps. Using the Mapleshade, there was greater extension and clarity, with less emphasis on the lower midrange. Using the McIntosh, there was more resolution and extension than that of the Mapleshade.

The contrast in the effects of the different preamps continued when I listened to the CD DON'T SMOKE IN BED, the Holly Cole trio, track 1, Alert Z2 81020. When there was an acoustic bass solo, the bass notes were clear, but the balance favored the body of the instrument. Hence, there was a slight emphasis upon the lower midrange or upper bass. Sibilance and vocal presentation were softened, creating a pleasant coloration. When using the other preamps, resolution increased and the sibilance was more pronounced.

Steely Dan, AJA, “Deacon Blues”, MCAD 37214 presents a challenge to any stereo system. The tenor sax can sound like an alto if a stereo system is not spectrally balanced. Donald Fagen's voice was slightly veiled in its presentation and the treble harmonics produced by the cymbal were somewhat attenuated. The tenor sax possessed a very natural timbre-realistic even in the upper registers. Using the other preamps removed the veil, but the McIntosh presentation of the tenor was somewhat unbalanced, favoring the lower treble.

Two of a kind, especially a pair of aces is often a winning poker hand. The CD TWO OF A KIND, track 3, Musical Heritage Society, 5162443 is a valuable tool when evaluating stereo systems. The front cover displays an ace of clubs and an ace of hearts. Cymbals and acoustic guitar were the focus of my attention. There was a slight attenuation heard at the beginning of the track when a cymbal was struck. However, the density of the cymbal reminded me of the sound of brass, rather than the sound of steel which I have observed on other stereo systems. The strings of the guitar exhibited the characteristics of nylon-thick and textured. I heard the body of the guitar resonate as the strings were plucked. I brought this CD to the CES last Jauuary. On many of the stereo systems I visited I could barely hear the presence of the wood body.

Conclusion

This component embodies the attributes of the modern tube sound: An absence of the “classic tube” colorations, a highly detailed and relatively neutral spectral balance and, therefore, a tendency toward truth rather than beauty. The sound of the stereo system changed significantly as I introduced each of three preamps. Its qualities of resolution and speed were readily apparent when I used the McIntosh preamp. I believe the combination of the 24/192 dac chip and the Mundorf capacitors are responsible for the clean, quick and relatively neutral presentation. The fact that the sound of the stereo system transformed from a somewhat colored to a relatively uncolored window on the music as I changed preamps is a testament to the relatively transparent nature of this CD player. However, beware of recording quality. Since this player presents none of the buffers between the listener and the source which one may experience using older tube products, a stereo system which includes this player should be configured with care to ensure synergy.


http://www.audiophilia.com/hardware/CD_Players/reviews/melodyCDM10.htm

The Gilmore Raptor 500D Monoblock Power Amplifiers

Individuals who were music lovers before anything else created the high-end or specialty audio industry. The products that they did and still produce were created with music as the main focus. If it were up to the large multi national corporations whose focus is the bottom line, we would be listening to a very different level of gear.

Mark Gilmore, founder of Gilmore Audio can be added to the long list of high end innovators. Mark has been a life long music lover and guitarist. He also went on to become an aerospace, digital and computer engineer. All of these abilities came together when Mark founded his company, Gilmore Audio. The first products created by Gilmore Audio were the very distinctive Model 2 and the smaller Model 3 loudspeakers. Each of these is a four woofer, full ribbon planar dipole design. While I have yet to hear them, I hope to do so soon. Among their other products are the Raven stereo power amp and the six channel Dragonfly amp, both are rated at 250 watts per channel. The Dragonfly is built to order and is delivered within one month. The Blackbird preamplifier is a class “A” balanced differential design with individually buffered inputs. New to the lineup is the soon to be available 400 WPC Puppy stereo power amp with a mono block version to follow. The Puppy is a full class D design with a switching power supply. As you would expect from Mark Gilmore, this will be anything but a “typical” class D design. The early word is that it will be a highly modified proprietary design that will deal with the noise generated by most class D amps. The Mega Raptor is a 1000 watt version of the Raptor. It too is made to order, like the Dragonfly, and is delivered within one month. Finally there are the Raptor 500D monoblocks, the subject of this review.

Background

Recently, there have been a number of class D power amplifiers that have come to market creating quite of bit of industry buzz along the way. From the look of things, that number is growing. While many performance claims have been made for them as a whole, they still remain very controversial. I find it interesting to note that many of the detractors usually comparing them to class A/B amps that cost two to three times or more. While the Raptors are digital amps, they could be described as 'class “D” with a twist'.

The Raptors measure 12” X 12” X 4” high. While they are fairly compact given their power output, their size makes a much lower demand for precious shelf space than a typical class A/B amp of comparable power. Along the front panel, there is large mute switch and a LED to indicate status. The mute switch does just that, mute the output. There is no on/off switch since the amps are intended to be left on and powered up at all times. Given the efficiency of these amps, the LED consumes more power than the amps do with no input signal. From left to right along the rear panel are the speaker binding post, the balanced input, high or low gain switch , RCA input, fuse holder, power cord socket and voltage setting switch. Each amp sits upon high quality composite feet made by EAR that provide additional chassis dampening.

The chassis is built from 1/2 inch machined T-6061 aircraft aluminum. It should be noted that this is true aircraft grade aluminum. This grade of aluminum is much harder and is more difficult and expensive with which to work. There are sixteen hex nuts around the top plate of the chassis in addition to special internal locking clips that secure the top plate. The unit is sealed making it impervious to dust. The amp must only be opened by a Gilmore Audio technician. In fact, if you open the chassis, not only will you not be able to properly reassemble it, you also will void the warranty

Earlier I said that these amps were class D with a twist. While these amps contain proprietary class D circuitry, it is coupled to an analogue (non-switching) power supply employing a huge and expensive toroidal transformer; hence the 37 pound weight. The circuitry utilizes a highly modified, very high sampling rate ICE digital engine. This is not the same off-the -shelf, engine that is typically used in many other amplifiers. Rather, it is highly modified and unique to the Raptors. The proprietary circuitry, analogue power supply, digital filtering and chassis design all combine to reduce the RFI that would normally be created by these amps to ravishingly low levels. In this regard, these amps can be considered hybrids. This is a solid approach when dealing with high amounts of RFI that class D amps produce. The high rates of RFI created by the switching power supplies of some class D amps, can result in serious sonic consequences if it is picked up by other components and fed back through your system. Finally, according to the manufacturer, the circuit boards are of equally high quality and, are populated with high grade components.

Setup

The hardest part of setting up the Raptors is hefting their 37 Lbs into place. The inputs are clearly marked and well spaced, so making the necessary connections is a breeze. I particularly liked the Cardas speaker binding post. They are very high quality and provide a very large surface area for securely connecting spade lugs. Even the thickest spade lugs are easily accommodated. I understand that the amps currently in production are being outfitted with even better speaker binding post that will provide more uniform pressure on the speaker wires spade lugs and make it virtually impossible to short out the amp by making a bad connection.

I especially liked the high/low gain feature. It is a very useful to be able to tailor the gain to different preamps since some of them can have a very high output. The plain box styling will appeal to some and not to others. Personally, I find their unobtrusive styling to be quite welcome.

The Sound

According to Gilmore, one of the design goals for these amps is that they have no sound of their own. I have heard this claim made for other components, only to find that brightness was being passed off as neutrality and worse, treble extension. In this case, these amps really have no sound of their own; so, how do you describe how they sound? Since it is futile to try to describe “No sound”, the best way to approach this is by describing what these amps do and not do. Their sonic presentation has a total lack of edge or hardness, (Thank You). There is also a lack of any electronic hash or haze with the sound. As far as being warm or cool, these characteristics do not apply to the Gilmores. Any warmth or coolness has to be laid at the feet of other components upstream. In short, these amps are very revealing of associated equipment while they remain as close to “neutral” as I have heard in any amplifier to date.

The music is presented with a very high degree of clarity yet, there is a total lack of brightness. This is something that I hear all too often with much of the gear that I have come across of late. I believe that this is in large part due to their very low noise floor. While the music comes from a dark background, it is not the anechoic black hole sound that to me is very unnatural sounding. This is testament to the careful design of the power supply. It is difficult and quite expensive to achieve a quiet power supply using a toroidal transformer. One of the by products of these transformers is noise unless they are very well made (expensive). The old ear to the tweeter test revealed a very low level of hiss that turned out to be tube noise from the pre-amp rather than any noise from the amplifiers.

Really good recordings have a presence and vibrancy that went un-noticed previously. Two that stood out were “A Night in Copenhagen”, by the Charles Lloyd Quartet, Blue Note [ST85104]. This is a live, not necessarily audiophile pressing, that was well none-the -less, well recorded. I noticed that the low level hall cues that give a sense of the space the musicians are performing in were more prominent but still sounded quite natural .

Another recording in the same vane is “Friday Night at the Blackhawk, vol. 1” by Miles Davis, [Columbia Cl 1669]. This is an original six-eye original pressing. These amps allow the presence and vibrancy of this recording to flow out of the speakers as I have never heard before from my system. I readily

understand why original pressings are so often highly prized.

Treble extension is quite good. Where it exists in the recording, cymbals have bigness, shimmer and decay that create an illusion that is much closer to the real thing. The high degree of resolution allows the tumbrel differences between different cymbals as well as triangles to be heard much more clearly than with my Bel-Canto amps.

The mid-range tends to be a touch on the dark side. This characterization is usually taken to be a negative criticism. That is not in any way my intention here. To be clear, this “darkness” is in comparison to other gear that I find to be somewhat bright in this area. The Raptors present instrumental timbres with a fullness and richness that to my ears mimic real instruments. I have to admit that this is much to my liking. Pianos sounded weightier with less emphasis on the initial transient but more on the body of the notes. Keith Jarrett's “Up For It”, [ECM 860B0000406-021] is a good example. Here again, the shimmer and decay of the notes were very good. The emphasis is on the body of the notes as opposed to razor sharp transients. It is not as if this was an artifact that is added on rather, it's just that these amps allow these qualities to come through the speakers unimpeded.

The mid to upper bass is handled quite well. It is tuneful and well detailed. The lower bass is another area that I was impressed with. These amps can go deep but they also do so with weight and authority. Large orchestral pieces are no problem for the Raptors. Aaron Copland's “Fanfare for the Common Man”, from his Third Symphony, [Reference Recording RR-93CD] is a case in point. This piece was reproduced with the appropriate size, dynamics and tumbrel weightiness that make for a realistic presentation.

Conclusion

The reason that this review took so long to write is that these amps compelled the kind of listening that had me revisiting much of my record collection. Because the way these amps performed, far more time was spent listening rather than trying to isolate, describe and write about the usual sonic checklist of audiophile attributes or artifacts. Mark Gilmore has combined a unique class “D” circuit design with a very high quality analogue power supply and, it works exceptionally well in this case. The design focused on only those elements that resulted in an audible improvement; Hence, the lack of fancy graphics and other unnecessary add-ons. The result is a musical presentation that I can best describe as whole cloth analogue as opposed to the spot lighted digital sound that is so common today. I find them highly engaging and they make listening most pleasurable over the long term.Mark Gilmore and Glacier Audio are so confident in their products that they come with a very liberal one month in home auditioning period before making the final purchase. I don't think that you will run into this deal very often. In addition, should you convince a friend to purchase a pair of Raptors, you will receive a $500.00 finder's fee, ($250.00 for a Raven.) Once you spend some time with the Raptors, you will understand why they have the confidence to make these kinds of offers.

The Gilmore Raptor amplifiers may not be as well known as a number of other entries in their class at present; I believe this will soon change. Never the less, considering their excellent build quality and performance, they are being offered at what I judge to be a reasonable price. Keep in mind that the price would be much higher if you had to purchase them through a dealer. If you are in the market for a pair of amps in this price range, do not overlook the Raptor monoblocks. These amps are true winners.


http://www.audiophilia.com/hardware/Solid_State_Amps/reviews/gilmoreamp.htm

Sony Mex-1gp: The Next Generation Of Car Mp3 Players

For all of those MP3 music owners, the future of car audio is finally here for you. Gone are the days where you had to burn your MP3s onto a CD for playback in your car audio system. Sony recently released the MEX-1GP CD receiver, a CD receiver that also features a built-in 1 GB flash memory unit. So now your car audio CD receiver behaves in the same manner as your iPod or other type of MP3 player. The 1 GB flash memory unit can store up to 500 of your favorite songs, giving you plenty of playback time for your music. This little device will make even the longest of trips in your car smoother and more enjoyable, since you will not have to worry about changing CDs any longer.

Aside from playing MP3s, this CD receiver also plays CDs (as the name implies) along with burned CD-Rs and CD-RWs so that those who wish to play their old CDs can still take advantage of this nifty product. However, the real attraction to this new car audio head unit is the MP3 playability. The flash memory unit is located in the detachable faceplate. Here resides the USB port which allows you to connect the faceplate to your PC (similar to your iPod or other MP3 player). Once your faceplate is connected to your CD, you simply drag and drop the MP3 files onto the flash memory unit of the faceplate. Unfortunately the faceplate is only compatible with Windows operating systems, so all of you Mac owners will have to go to your buddy’s house to copy the MP3s to and from the Sony MEX-1GP.

The new receiver is also aesthetically pleasing to the eye as well. It is finished in a high-gloss black color and features a 13-segment LCD display for simple navigation of track and title information. The screen displays album, artist and track name when playing your MP3 music files. Users can shuffle or repeat tracks, albums or personalized groups through controls on the faceplate or with the supplied remote control. The MEX-1GP unit has a built-in 208-watt power amplifier and a three-band equalizer enabling clear, rich sound. The selectable rear/subwoofer preamp outputs, controls the frequency and output level of an external amplifier.

After installing this receiver and experiencing it for a little over a week, I must say that I am quite impressed with this product. For one, the sound quality when playing MP3s through this unit is nothing less than phenomenal. If you didn’t know any better, you would think that you were playing a CD with the crisp and clear playback quality of this head unit. While traveling on a three hour road trip (three hours each way, six hours total) I was able to listen to one selection of songs on the way up and an entirely different selection of songs on the way back, all without the hassle of changing CDs and enduring a pause in play. I’m just a little surprised it took so long for a product like this to hit the market, especially with the increasing popularity of portable MP3 devices such as the iPod over the last several years. While it may have taken awhile for a product like this to hit the market, I’m sure Sony will have plenty of competitors very soon, which will benefit car audio enthusiasts like myself.


http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/Sony-MEX-1GP--The-Next-Generation-of-Car-MP3-Players/21675