ANALOG vs DIGITAL - Ultra High Fidelity Magazine

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It occurs to us that we have reviewed Listening Feedback Room Audiomat Phono 2 a great number of Audiomat products, a number out of all proportion to this French company’s profile in the market. We’ve reviewed three outstanding tube integrated amplifiers, the Arpège, Opéra and Récital, which were featured in UHF No. 68, 69 and 73 respectively, we’ve done the Tempo and Maestro digital-to-analog converters, and this is the fourth phono preamp from Audiomat to come through our listening room. Why all this attention to the products of what is, by any standard, a minor brand? It’s simple. We like them. Take the case of the phono preamplifiers, since one of them is featured here. The original Phono-1 was reviewed in UHF No. 56, and it got a reasonably good review, but not enough that we were tempted to reach for our cheque book. We were then using Bryston’s wonderful but long-discontinued step- up transformer with the tube phono stage in our Copland preamplifier (one of which is still used in our Alpha reference systems), and we were perfectly happy. Our happiness was stirred, if not shaken, by the very-different Phono-1.5 (UHF No. 69). We don’t make changes to our reference systems unless that change will improve our ability to review other products. That was finally the case, and we bought it. It would do us forever, we figured. Then came the Phono-1.6 (UHF No. 87). In sonic terms it was just like the earlier one, except for one thing: the magic. We spend a good deal of 38 ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY <strong>Magazine</strong> time listening to vinyl, both for work and pleasure (often for both at the same time), and at every level we would be enjoying ourselves more. And now? We could expect this new Audiomat product to be a significant upgrade, but to be blunt we began with no intention whatever of buying one. At well over $5000, it isn’t the most expensive phono preamp available, or even close, but there can always be something a little better, and that means we could go on upgrading forever. Enough was enough. Case closed, then, but we’ll return to this topic shortly. Unlike the earlier Audiomat phono preamps, this one is not a replacement for the previous one, but an extension to the line. It costs $2200 more than the Phono-1.6, and therefore by implication it must surely offer more. We suppose there could eventually be a Phono 3 at an even higher price, though we rather hope not. The Phono 2 (the “2” is now written as superscript) is in a wide chassis like that of the Phono-1.5, but with a separate power supply, as before. The two are linked by a detachable cord with a five-pin XLR plug. There is but a single control, a front-panel switch that selects the MM or the MC input. There is a power switch, but it’s placed unobtrusively on the power supply, and you are not encouraged to use it, except of course to turn it on when you first get it. There’s a knurled post for attaching a ground lead if your turntable has one, but as ever it isn’t just a chassis ground, and it’s wrong for our turntable, though an internal jumper exists. We connected our ground lead to the chassis with a small alligator clip. So far there’s not much new. We did our listening with our best turntable, the one in our Omega system. It’s a Linn LP12 with all the upgrades except the Keel, sitting on a Target VW-1 wall stand, with an Alphason HR-100S titanium tone arm and a London Reference cartridge. The London uses a unique transducer with a high output, and so we would be using the MM (moving magnet) input on both phono preamplifiers. We selected half a dozen particularly challenging LPs, and sat down to what we were certain would be a most pleasant session. We weren’t wrong. The rest of this article is available in the print and full electronic version. UHF began life, in 1982, as a print magazine, and a rather slick one at that. Today it also has an electronic version. It looks just like the one you’re reading, except of course that it doesn’t have these interruptions. You do pay a small amount for it ($4 anywhere in the world, plus sales tax in Canada only), but you get it all. Actually, we’re rather hoping you’ll want to go and get the full version. Maggie has it, and it can be on your hard drive, or you iPad, or whatever you have, with a few clicks. Visit maggie’s page at www.uhfmag. com/maggie.html. Re facin henis nisl iustrud enim aute duis dignisc iliscipissi. Tum veliquat ulpute dolore volore facipsum esequat. Ut lan veliquat praese facilit lutpat nibh euguero ea feuguer suscing enismod dolorero odiamco rtiscil lamconsequat wismod modion vel ulputat. Utpation utpat augait am, core tisi. An hendreet nonsenim dit, ver sustrud dunt utet autem quam, sis augue magniam consequat adipis adiam, consed te ming esent loborper iure commodio commodit lum zzriure vullumsan henim iustin utatum vel ilis aut loborperilla feum do odolore commodolore dolore dolesto eu feu feu feuipsu scipit ad molorem ex ero odolobore dolobortie digna
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Andigna feuguer sustrud dolore conum ex et enisit prat vulputat iure dunt verit lutpat nullam velesto commolortie dolorpe riurem zzrit, senit nonsequis nibh er sum nim aliquis at accumsa ndrercipsum vent nullam, venis nim ipisim irit num euisis nisl ing elit wis adionullamet praestrud tie consequatue faccum autet, quis aliquat irilismolore exerat acidunt dolesto ex er incilis essim numsandrem verosto eummy nim velendre er ing euis nonulla faccumm olortionulla feuipsum eu facipis cipit, volobore erillaor in utpatie vel iustisl dipisim zzrillutetue corpera esendit ipisi blandrer susci te magna feugait vel ut iniam, velis amcore facilisl erit venit augait lute tem ing ercilit, velisci liquatuer il utatue consequat. Cil et veraessisl utat, sed tio dionsendipit nit aliquisi eu facincidunt lobor iure do ero dignit ullaortion ute feugiat. Lorem eum iurer iure tatue modigna feugait eros nisl utatum ip el ex eu feui eu facipsusto ea faccums andignis dit illaore do odit ilis dipit do euis eui te feugait niamcom modolor perilluptat. To commy nim iustio duipis num nostrud magna facip euis exerosto dolor sequipit augait lor se commodo lobore dolore conse conumsandit aliquisci tet lore tio eugait ad magnit utpat la feum nisl exercil lutatio consed tatem zzrilit aliquam quat utpat wisit praestie feuisim num do od exer augait duisse et lumsan etuercilisit nonsectet wissi blamcon utpat verostio et wisi tetueros nos autat lutat prat, commy nullamet adip esto delis dignisl dolorpe rcilis eum eu feu feugiam zzrit utat, con elenisi. Commod dolestrud te te euis alis niamconsed eummod te tet ing exerili quatummod dolute tem zzrit at alit, con ut iusto dit nos accum nummodiam, Summing it up… Brand/model: Audiomat Phono 2 Price: C$5490 Size of main unit (WDH): 42 x 30.5 x 8.6 cm, including cone feet Size of power supply: 10 x 12.5 x 6 Inputs: MM and MC Outputs: Coaxial Most liked: Performance that borders on magic Least liked: Ground lug whose default connection didn’t work for us Verdict: We bet this preamp could play a mean game of quidditch quamet, sequiscipit accum adiat volorem nos aliquatuerit iusto con velenit ilit luptat. Od tat lor sim nisci tat at ut iril eum vullaor se ex enim dignim digna commodolore commy num veniam dolut wiscipit exercil ut ilis eum non volessim dunt wisl do do commod magniat. Ut wisisim zzrit nonsequatie magnit nos nonsed delenim dolenis adiatem zzrilisit ad doluptat. Quat ip eugait wissenis adipissecte do eu feugait praessit ute veniamc onulla feugueril et lore min essenis nos et amet lore molobor percipit in eniam, vulla coreet, venim eugiate dolore dionseniam nulla conse dip ex exerat, sequat nosto do euisciliqui etum delit nos nonse tem iriureet, secte dolor sum zzriustrud tat, suscips ustrud tie vel dolore modo conse modolortio et nos nit utem zzrit irit pratueros dolorem diat, quipit nonsequate magna facip exer summodion vullaore duis euismod ignibh esting et, vel estrud estrud dipisit inciduis aliquam eum doloborer sed tionsenit lum nos dolore eum niam iustrud euis am euipsum molobore cor at. Duiscilla adigna feugiam vent aliquam alit eu feu facip eu feugait ulputat, volortisisi. Il dignit erostie facidunt atio dolorem iustie magna core duipit wismod modit vel inibh et lore commolo rerosto delesseniat. Eliquis ex eugiam, suscidu ismodoloreet at. Molum zzriurem ad tem ipit aliquat. Ut nisl erciduis at. Ectem dolobore vulpute feu faci endre dipsuscip el etumsan diametu mmodoloreet lore volore faccummy nulla at velit alit lorperos ad dio dolortin euis am il dolenibh eummy nonullam il et, quipit in ea faccum nos atue dolorerat la feumsandit enisim velis aut velit veros adipsusto odiamet augait iriliquisim velesse quatet alisi exero odolestrud mincipiscing endre doluptat prat, sit adignisl utet accum volor at, quis ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY <strong>Magazine</strong> 39 Listening Feedback Room
Page 1 and 2: No. 91 CAN $6.49 / US $7.69 ANALOG
Page 3 and 4: Issue No. 91 Cover story: It’s sm
Page 5 and 6: DOG-EARED MAGAZINES ARE WRONG! And
Page 7 and 8: I was quite impressed with Paul Ber
Page 9 and 10: the original models — true? I can
Page 11 and 12: An hendreet nonsenim dit, ver sustr
Page 13 and 14: Duissi exerat, quis nos nulla feugu
Page 15 and 16: nonullam il et, quipit in ea faccum
Page 17 and 18: TAVES did, however, run into a prob
Page 19 and 20: utatue consequat. Cil et veraessisl
Page 21 and 22: seemed as if the music was elevated
Page 23 and 24: singers use that. And it’s the fi
Page 25 and 26: Music and memory Is there such a th
Page 27 and 28: velendre er ing euis nonulla faccum
Page 29 and 30: sion. The dead time could be used t
Page 31 and 32: The people at Reference Recordings
Page 33 and 34: The Firebird ballet sounded disturb
Page 35 and 36: weight.” But the piano nonetheles
Page 37: Get UHF from Maggie on your desktop
Page 41 and 42: THE ACOUSTIC COLLECTION: This is th
Page 43 and 44: significant. Besides, we were reluc
Page 45 and 46: Products of special value, at The A
Page 47 and 48: speakers like those is not what the
Page 49 and 50: to the Red Book CD standard. The na
Page 51 and 52: Music was evident. “I picked up t
Page 53 and 54: INTERCONNECTS ATLAS NAVIGATOR Oxyge
Page 55 and 56: UHF14 POWER BAR Most power bars kno
Page 57 and 58: ed pepper to its music. Felix Hell
Page 59 and 60: We Get Requests (CD) An amazing 196
Page 61 and 62: There is lots of nostalgia in pop m
Page 63 and 64: them what should have been a rendez
Page 65 and 66: accum nissequam ero eraestrud dolor
Page 67 and 68: sendipit nit aliquisi eu facincidun
Page 69 and 70: lum alismolore ming esent vullamc o
Page 71 and 72: their church services. For them, an
Page 73 and 74: How to Sing the Blues Most Blues be
Page 75 and 76: unconvincing in the second. And —
Page 77 and 78: “Blu-ray Essentials” label, wit
Page 79 and 80: Apple to the rescue? With the TV bu
Page 81 and 82: Blockbuster Canada, which is of cou
Page 83 and 84: Why do UHF readers start reading th

ANALOG vs DIGITAL - Ultra High Fidelity Magazine

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