Reviews

by Kevin OBrien and Brad Easton on 03/28/2012

SILNOTE AUDIO POSEIDON USB VS. YFS USB-V2


We were interested in seeing how our YFS USB-V2 stacked up to the MUCH more expensive Silnote Audio Poseidon Silver USB cable. We went ahead and compared the two with our Minimax DAC Plus using the USB input. We could not conduct an A-B comparison due to the equipment involved. One must take the care to turn off the DAC BEFORE unplugging his or her USB cable to avoid damaging both the DAC and the computer. This did not allow us to hot swap or A-B the cables unfortunately.

We started with the Silnote Audio Poseidon USB which is no longer available. Silnote Audio has recently come out with a newer version but you'll get the idea by checking that out here. The Poseidon Silver USB retailed for $400 for a 1 meter length. The 2 meter length was almost double that cost ($650-ish). Whoa! That's a little steep for our liking but plenty of folks are willing to shell that out apparently. The Poseidon uses silver conductors with isolated signal and power lines with a proprietary shielding technique. Pretty cool!

Don't get us wrong here. This Silnote Audio USB digital cable is the real deal. We've tested it against some other expensive cables such as the Revelation Audio Labs Silver Reference USB and it won every time.

Let's see how our YFS USB-V2 stacks up against the Silnote Audio USB.

We played some classical, pop, rock, and jazz with the Poseidon USB to get ourselves familiar with its signature sound. We then played the same selections using our USB-V2 cable. To be honest, we could not tell a difference (especially during our blind test) between the two. We did notice a very slight advantage in the P.R.a.T. department as well as the mid-range response over our YFS USB-V2 cable but again, it was a slight difference. It just had a different feeling to the music. All the information was still present in the mix with both cables. They both sounded EXCELLENT!

We are not entirely sure how the economy is faring country-wide yet but we think it's safe to say that most folks are still looking for great deals on audio gear at this point. We're not sure about our readers but we know we'd rather shell out $99 for a 2 meter USB cable instead of ~ $600 for practically the same performance. The final call is yours but we think you'll be overjoyed with the performance of our YFS USB-V2 compared to the other guys especially for the price.

Until next time...

 -KOB. BJE

Associated Equipment for this Review:

  • YFS Computer Music Server - HD-Ref-1
  • Eastern Electric Minimax DAC Plus
  • Quicksilver Audio 12AX7 Preamp
  • Quicksilver Audio Silver 60 Monoblocks
  • Von Schweikert VR-5 HSE Speakers
  • YFS Custom Room Treatment
  • YFS Custom Interconnects and Cables
  • Herbie's Audio Lab Dampening Products

 

by Kevin OBrien and Brad Easton on February 2012

 YFS CUSTOM USB CABLE VS. 'BUDGET' USB CABLE

We recently set out to prove that there is indeed a difference between USB digital interconnects. After reading this article I think you'll agree we accomplished our goal. There is a lot of talk going around claiming there is absolutely no difference between the various USB digital cables out there. Apparently these "audiophile" cables are just a waste of money and there is no way to hear a difference between them. Afterall, USB cables simply carry 0's and 1's to your DAC and they either arrive or they do not. I agree but I disagree as well.

Would you skimp out on any other digital cable in your system? I wouldn't! Your system sounds only as good as the weakest link in your audio chain. Why spend thousands on gear to turn around and use a 5 dollar USB cable from China?

It just doesn't make sense to us and we set up a test to see if what the general public was saying about USB cables was really true.

We went ahead and purchased a plain ordinary USB 2.0 cable from our local computer store. We made sure it was under 8 bucks in cost and under 3 feet in length. These are the USB cables everybody sees in your favorite box store or computer store. Nothing special.

We then constructed our YFS USB-V1 prototype USB 2.0 cable from some decent 4-conductor data cabling we had laying around the shop. We kept the length under 4 feet and used the same connectors you could find in the Chinese USB cables. I do not believe there is a supplier of "High End" USB connectors as we could not find them anywhere!

We burned in both cables for a day each and then set out to test both cables with the same set-up. We switched back and forth and we could barely tell a difference between our prototype and the 'budget' USB but it was there. The difference was mainly in the presentation of the music. Everything sounded more 'right' with the original YFS prototype.

We then figured we could do a much better job with a little more time and thought invested into the design. We subsequently came up with the YFS USB-V2 cable. We used the best data transfer cable we could find and employed our proprietary shielding technique and came up with our second iteration of our USB 2.0 cable. VERY COOL.

We did the same test as above but switched between our first prototype and our second. The only difference this time was that we did not burn in the new design and implemented it 'cold'. Apparently burn-in didn't play a big role in this test because what we heard between the two was very interesting. WOW! The USB-V2 produced bass that was noticeably more controlled and more present in the music mix. Highs were more extended and the mid response was nice and smooth. We hands down preferred the USB-V2 to the USB-V1. We all unanimously agreed. This was easy to notice unlike our previous test between the first prototype and the 'budget' USB cable. We were VERY excited indeed!

So, the moral of the story here is that there is in fact a difference between various USB cables, especially between the 8 dollar 'budget' cables and what are considered "audiophile" grade USB cables. We cannot speak for the other audiophile USB cable manufacturers but we can tell you our YFS USB-V2 cable is a VERY nice step up from what's coming out of your local box store these days.

If you'd like to know the technical aspect of our USB cable design, head over to our F.A.Q. section and read about what design decisions we made in coming up with our YFS USB-V2 cable and how digital cables are designed in general. Good stuff!

Don't compromise your system with a cheap USB cable. It's just not worth it. Spend a little extra on your USB cable and know you're getting everything you paid for everywhere else in your system!

Click HERE for more info on purchasing currently available YFS USB cables.

THANKS for reading!

- KOB, BJE

 

Associated Equipment for this Review:

  • YFS CPU Prototype - HD Ref-1
  • Musical Fidelity V-DAC
  • YFS Custom Room Treatment
  • YFS/ SCH Custom Speakers
  • YFS Custom CA-60a Preamp and Custom 6L6 Tube Power Amp
  • YFS Custom Interconnects and Cables

 

by Kevin OBrien on January 3, 2022

FERRUM AUDIO ORR + HYPSOS HEADPHONE AMPLIFIER REVIEW

With so many new high end reference cans on the horizon or already shipping for 2022, how are we going to test and evaluate them all properly? I have it figured out, pick up a headphone amplifier that is as versatile as is it is good looking. I'm talking about an amplifier that can be right at home with a pair of Audeze LCD-XC and still power HiFiMAN Susvara well enough to make them sing. Hmmm? That's not an easy task for any amp now that you mention it.

If you're out of Poland and your name is Ferrum Audio, you don't have anything to worry about because this is exactly what you've been busy coming up with for the past two years. But honestly, how can one amp possibly fit all these flagship headphone models under one roof?  I am calling BS. Well I'll be damned, it turns out you can do just that. If you have flexibility with gain settings along with multiple connection options, from inputs to outputs, you're all set. That's where Ferrum comes in again.

Ferrum started out of a need from its parent company, HEM, to come up with a headphone-specific line-up of audio gear that could compete with the 'high end' gear but keep the prices closer to reality. HEM makes Mytek gear for the 2-channel world. HEM makes Ferrum gear for the headphone world. Problem solved.

Here comes Ferrum OOR mated to Ferrum HYPSOS to save the day. This pairing can power any headphone currently on the market (electrostats excluded obviously) with ease and do it with versatility in mind. The OOR + HYPSOS Stack is how versatility will be measured going forward. I know, that's a bold statement. Read on and see what we mean...

Let's begin by talking a bit about OOR. There is a single set of RCA and XLR inputs and outputs on the rear panel along with the volume control bypass switch and the power input connections. One power input is specifically designed to be used with HYPSOS and is called 'Ferrum Link'. The other power input is a 2.5mm x 5.5mm female DC barrel connector (use this if you want to try a YFS LPS with your OOR). You can use OOR as a stand-alone preamp if you so desire by implementing the outputs on the rear panel. OOR can bypass its volume control as well if you already have that covered elsewhere (like in your DAC). Working your way around OOR, there's a set of headphone outputs, one balanced 4-pin and one 1/4" (6.3 mm) single-ended, located on the front panel. Input (RCA, Stand-By, XLR) and gain selection (Low, Standard, High) are handled on the front panel as well. This is one handy and versatile amplifier.

HYPSOS is Ferrum's answer to multi-rail linear power supplies. This particular power supply is a linear / switching 'hybrid' design of sorts. It's not a linear or a switcher. Interesting. It definitely mates well with OOR and that is its ultimate purpose but it can be used to power all sorts of HiFi devices. HYPSOS comes pre-programmed from the factory with a multitude of device settings (Voltage and Current output settings). Select your device from the menu on the front panel OLED display, and you're ready to go. The front panel shows your device output voltage, current, and power output in Watts. Very cool! HYPSOS can output 5V up to 30V at a max of 6 Amps of current output ( 80 Watts max output -> W= (V x i) ). We must say, that all sounds pretty slick.

So anyway, how does it sound? It sounds great! The Ferrum Stack looks and feels like it should be clinical when judging a book by its cover. It's a solid state amp after all. As it turns out, OOR sounds more like a good tube amp than a solid state amp. This sounds crazy but it's true. We were able to test with our Audeze LCD-5 and HiFiMAN Susvara. These are two of the most difficult loads to drive on the market currently. The Ferrum Stack made quick work of the Susvara in 'high gain' mode. The Ferrum Stack made the LCD-5 sound incredible in 'standard gain' mode. There was never any hint of harshness or brightness at all but the presentation was ultra-detailed and bass was tight. Everything was spot on. WOW! Impressive. We have to hand it to Ferrum here. 

Keep in mind the Ferrum Stack is fully balanced, even when using the single-ended inputs. The Stack converts all incoming signals to balanced, if they are not already, and then does its thing. OOR outputs 8 Watts into 60 Ohms via the XLR inputs and outputs 2 Watts into 60 Ohms via the RCA inputs. Not bad at all for a little 10 pound stack of gear with a 8.5"W x 8"D x 4.5"H footprint. This is impressive. If you're on a budget, you can purchase OOR by itself and then partner it up with HYPSOS later on. This is a smart way to go financially if money is tight. After all, this hobby isn't cheap. We tested OOR on its own and it does sound good but it doesn't 'wow us' like it does when mated to HYPSOS. If you can swing it, pick up the entire stack at once. You will be rewarded. We were SO impressed with OOR, we became dealers. YFS is an authorized Ferrum Audio dealer.

US Distribution for Ferrum Audio (VANA Ltd.) is out of NYC which is nice and convenient. It gets old sending money overseas when placing orders. The standard factory warranty is 2 years from date of purchase and defects are handled in NYC. What's not to love?

Thank you for spending your time with us and reading our review. Contact us for pricing and availability. Let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

Until next time..

-KOB

 

by Kevin OBrien and Mike OBrien on 07/07/2011

YFS MODIFIED MCINTOSH MC75 MONO AMP VS. QUICKSILVER SILVER 60 MONO AMP

I was wondering how the Quicksilver Audio Silver 60 monoblocks compared to my prized YFS modified McIntosh Labs MC75 monoblocks from circa 1960's era. Is this a fair comparison or are these two sets of monoblocks just not even in the same league? Is there really a worthy successor to the MC75 monos with a modified power supply? I will be using my reference Von Schweikert Audio VR-5 Hovland Special Edition speakers which are nominally rated at 4 ohms. One point to note is that both the MC75 and the Silver60 have 4 AND 8 ohm taps. I will be using the 4 ohm taps.

First, let's talk a little bit about what YFS did to the MC75 power supplies. The original power supply in the MC75 in the 1960's was unique for its time in it's use of a voltage doubler. In stock form the power supply has been known to break into motor boating as the B+ filter capacitors deteriorate. On the other hand, many MC75's are still operating today with no issues. To maintain physical layout, we chose to reform the original electrolytic capacitors since the original units had relatively low leakage. The second step was to replace the entire power supply with modern design using Panasonic TSHC series electrolytics and ultra fast recovery rectifiers. As it turned out, the sound was outstanding with the original components so we went no further.

At YFS we understand that the MC75 is a pure classic but can be taken to the next level with modern components and matched vacuum tubes. Basic electronic components have come a long way in 40+ years so it makes sense that an inherently sound topology can be improved by simple component substitution. No modifications were made to component values or the basic topology. We loaded the MC75 with matched Sylvania NOS 6550 output tubes and matched section (transconductance matched to 5%) NOS GE twin triodes (12AU7, 12BH7, and12AZ7). We also added a power switch, replaced the stock power cord, increased bias supply capacitance, replaced all signal capacitors with modern polypropylenes, and substituted metal film resistors in critical places to reduce noise. We also replaced the speaker output terminal strips and the RCA input jack.

In the Quicksilver Silver60 monoblocks we are using the popular SED 6550's for a tube compliment. Although the power ratings are not equal, 60 watts for the QS and 75 watts for the Mac, I feel we are close enough to do a fairly legit comparison. Check out the Quicksilver website. This is the only way to buy Mike Sanders' creations.

I played a few of my favorite albums on the Silver60 monos after they were run in for over 200 hours. I have to say that these monos sound pretty nice. We all know by now that Mike Sanders has a real handle on amp design and his designs are respected among the audiophile community. He doesn't even have to advertise for crying out loud. So, how do these puppies sound compared to the MC75's you ask? I thought the S60's sounded great! Great slam and resolution with a nice midrange but still PLENTY of detail. This is what you would expect from a quality set of monos.

I then switched back to the MC75's. I noticed just a bit better midrange and slightly more warmth but with all the detail still intact. Although both sets of monos sounded great, the MC75's just had that Mac magic that I just cannot seem to find anywhere else in a monoblock. Keep in mind we're talking about monoblocks under the $6,000/ pair range here. I am sure you can do better by spending more money but how much better, I'm not entirely sure.

So, if you're in the market for a pair of monoblocks do not hesitate to give the Silver60's a try. They have that Quicksilver signature sound that is nice and holographic while keeping that sweet tubey midrange sound intact that we tube-lovers enjoy. Can I reiterate that these babies really reveal a TON of detail when using the 6550 output tube. If you prefer a bit warmer sound, go with the EL34 output tube. You can also try a KT88 for a little more power output and that signature KT88 sound. The best part is that the S60's will not break the bank but still provide great audiophile performance. I know these are discontinued at this point but if you can find a pair used, JUST BUY THEM! Yup, I said it. DO IT!

 

Associated Equipment for this Review:

  • Von Schweikert VR-5 HSE (Hovland Special Edition) Speakers
  • Quicksilver tubed Linsestage
  • EE Minimax DAC Bolder Cables Level 1 Modified
  • IBM Laptop with Foobar 2000 Digital Audio Source
  • Theta Digital Carmen II CD Transport
  • EE Minimax Phono Stage
  • VPI Scoutmaster Turntable with VPI Zephyr Cartridge
  • Equitech/ PS Audio Balanced Power Conditioners
  • YFS Custom Cables & Interconnects
  • YFS Custom Room Treatment
  • Herbies Audio Lab Dampening Devices and Tube Dampers

 

- KOB. MOB

 

by Robert C. Bryant on December 1st, 2013

FEMALE VOCALIST RECORDINGS: PART II

Female Vocalists: Part II

It’s been a while since my last review of some notable recordings of Female Vocalists – thanks for your inquiries about Part 2 and your patience! It’s been a busy and rewarding year at YFS.

Part 2 features several superb recordings that have been released on high quality vinyl. I mentioned in Part 1 how realistic reproduction of the human voice is a challenging undertaking but these recordings take it a step further with their excellent sound stage, separation, balance, and overall ‘listenability’.

1. Water Falls – Sara K (2002) (180gram Vinyl - 2LP)

This recording was Sara K’s first after ending a fairly lengthy run on the Chesky label. Already disillusioned with the business aspects of being a recording artist, Sara was seemingly taking a very simple and uncluttered direction in her music on this album – a simple acoustic trio/quartet with minimal production and straightforward songs. The songs are mostly ballads interspersed with some engaging grooves, characterized by her slightly gritty but pleasantly emotive voice, her trademark baritone-tuned 4 string guitar and some sparse and tasteful accompanists on everything from acoustic 6-string guitar, fretless bass, sitar, soprano sax, and even a bass clarinet.


I think it is the direct unadorned simplicity of this recording that I appreciate – the music is as much about the spaces as it is the sounds. This however, presents a challenge to the recording producer and engineer and playback system – the ‘noise floor’ (the background noise level) better be pretty quiet.  Fortunately, this meticulously produced German recording is up to the task – the 180 gram, 2 LP set is cut from a Direct Metal Master and is very very quiet. The sound stage is realistic, the mix is well balanced, only a tasteful amount of reverb has been used, and the recording levels are not too hot or sibilant - all of which result in a very pleasant and realistic listening experience.
This is not a challenging recording (either musically or dynamically) but it is very listenable and will give you further evidence of the qualities of your system – primarily in noise floor and vocal realism. (Be prepared, the first cut on the first side is a Russian street busker playing a short selection of the big band swing tune, Chattanooga Choo-choo on the accordion – don’t worry, its brief).
Sadly, Sara K retired from the music business about 4 years ago but she left a pretty good discography behind and I personally think Water Falls is among her best.

2. Café Blue – Patricia Barber (1994) (180gram Vinyl - 2LP)

Café Blue is a bit of an audiophile classic. Recorded in 1994 and previously released by Blue Note and later Mobile Fidelity, this Premonition label 180 gram, 2 LP set lives up to its reputation in every respect. Drop the needle on this recording, close your eyes and your listening area is transformed into a small jazz club for about an hour.


3. River - The Joni Letters - Herbie Hancock -Verve 2007 (180gram Vinyl - 2LP)

River is one artist’s subtle tribute to the artistry of another - Joni Mitchell, the poet and songwriter. This is not a simple collection of covers of some well-known JM tunes but rather a gentle and interpretative if somewhat meandering treatment of a range of material (including Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti" and Duke Ellington's "Solitude") by Hancock and an impressive supporting cast of musicians and singers. While not a recording of female vocalists per se, Hancock recruits Norah Jones ("Court and Spark"), Tina Turner ("Edith and the Kingpin"), Corinne Bailey Rae ("River"), Luciana Souza ("Amelia") and Joni Mitchell herself ("Tea Leaf Prophecy") to provide a fine selection of vocal styles in addition to solid instrumental selections. The outlier on the recording is a spoken-word treatment of "The Jungle Line" by poet/songwriter Leonard Cohen.

As one might expect of a Verve/Hancock undertaking, the quality of the recording is excellent with a reliance upon sparse arrangements of (mostly) acoustic instruments. This is not easy listening, but for those willing to immerse themselves in the expressive treatments, it is well worth the time to listen.

Thanks for reading.

Until next time...


 -RCB

 

by Robert C Bryant on April 28, 2012

FEMALE VOCALIST RECORDINGS: PART I

Female Vocalists: Part I

As promised, I’d like to suggest a few superb recordings which feature female vocalists. In keeping with my earlier review of various recordings of Respighi’s Pines of Rome, the recordings suggested here are not only notable with respect the artistic content, but also with respect to the recording quality and their potential for exploiting the capabilities of a good-sounding audio system.

Why female vocalists? The rich variety of performers certainly gives plenty to choose from, but there is something essential about the human voice, and especially the female voice I would argue, which challenges even the best audio system to adequately reproduce it. It has been suggested that this is due to the fact that the human voice is so fundamental to human communication, that we have a heightened sense of discrimination to any anomalies in the sound of it. If that is so, a good audio system must provide a high degree of realism and presence of a well-recorded voice in order to be pleasing.

You will notice that all of my reference recordings listed here are intentionally limited to artists who are recorded without the compressed, pitch-transposed, layered, and over-produced techniques so often used with so many of today’s pop singers.

So here are some of the best I’ve heard – a partial list that I will add to in my next review. Thanks for reading and enjoy!

1. Light My Fire - Eliane Elias

Brazilian pianist/singer/composer/arranger Eliane Elias has made quite a name for herself in recent years having been nominated for multiple Grammys as well as seeing her recordings make their way near the top of Billboard, iTunes, and Amazon charts. She has a musical style that is distinctive but never strays too far from her Brazilian roots for too long. Her sometimes-sultry, sometimes-playful voice, along with her impressive compositional and piano skills, are very listenable and anything but predictable.

Light My Fire is her latest album and was released in 2011 on the Concord Picante label. The album is a great mix of more traditional Bossa-like tunes intermingled with some innovative covers of some surprising tunes such as Stevie Wonder’s My Cherie Amour, the title track, Jim Morrison and the Doors’ Light My Fire, and yes, you heard that right, a scat-over-muted-trumpet version of the Dave Brubeck/Paul Desmond classic, Take Five in its original 5/4 time signature.

The instrumentation throughout the recording is limited to upright bass, acoustic piano, drum kit, percussion (of course!), acoustic and electric guitars and trumpet. The recording is superb – clean, detailed, with good imaging, presence and dynamic range. The compositions are diverse enough to maintain interest and there are some surprises as well such as the title track that is hauntingly slow with edgy overtones of a distortion-laden electric guitar, or the male/female duet of Turn to Me.

2. The Well - Jennifer Warnes

Like many, the honest clarity of Jennifer Warnes’ voice is remarkable to me. She has made a number of fine recordings throughout her long career including her homage to poet Leonard Cohen, Famous Blue Raincoat, the nicely recorded if somewhat over-produced The Hunter, and the subject of this review The Well.

This 2001 recording released on the Sin-Drome label includes four tracks composed by Jennifer Warnes herself as well as several covers of others’ compositions including a beautiful rendition of Billy Joel’s And So It Goes. The recording quality of this album is exemplary – validated by the fact that it was reissued in a pricey 3-LP box set in vinyl last year. This is one of our favorite system auditioning recordings in the YFS listening room – it displays wonderful vocal presence and evokes tremendous imaging and rendition of the acoustic instruments.

3. Hymns Of The 49th Parallel – K.D. Lang Nonesuch 2004

At one time I had the impression that k.d.lang was a talented performer but had never listened to too much of her material. One night I heard her duet with Roy Orbison of his timeless song Crying and I decided I needed to explore her talents further. I just happened to purchase this recording, a collection of covers of songs all composed by fellow Canadians (such as Neil Young, Leonard Cohen, and Joni Mitchell) released on the Nonesuch label in 2004 - I was extremely pleased with what I heard.

Like the other recordings mentioned here, Hymns is largely an acoustic recording – it is a mellow yet emotional collection of songs that relies heavily upon well-recorded vocals and sparse arrangements of mostly acoustic instruments as opposed to heavily produced or catchy top-40 renditions of these familiar songs. Highly recommended for not only its artistic interpretation and performance but for its ability to challenge your audio system to recreate the nuance of a subtle and unadorned vocal performance.

More to come…

 -RCB

 

 

by Robert C. Bryant on March 19, 2012

I believe this series of reviews may be somewhat of a departure from other music reviews that you have undoubtedly read where the emphasis is put upon the performance and the sound quality of the recording. Those are certainly important attributes but it occurred to me that there is another way to evaluate specific recordings – that is how well they exploit the capabilities of a good-sounding music reproduction system.

I think It is safe to assume that if you have navigated your way to us at YFS and that you are reading this review, that you have a keener interest in audio than most and likely own (or are interested in owning) an audio system that provides you with a highly enjoyable listening experience. I think it is also safe to assume that you have noticed that some combinations of recordings and program sources (e.g. CD, Vinyl, DAC, etc.) sound rather unremarkable, some sound quite good, and others sound exceptionally pleasing on your system.

There is an element of interaction between the program source and reproduction system that is responsible for a degree of variability in the overall quality of the listening experience.  For example, you may find that your system does an exceptional job reproducing female vocals or acoustic jazz but is less than remarkable when it comes to hard rock or techno.

My intent is to offer some suggestions of specific recordings that I have found to exploit the capabilities my own audio system in different ways – these have become my ‘audition’ recordings and have provided me many hours of pleasure not only for the musical content itself but also for the way that they bring life to my own (in my case, stereo 2.1) audio system.

To that end, my first suggestion for a piece of music that will exercise your system’s capabilities and reveal aspects of its overall musicality is a very approachable piece of classical music entitled The Pines of Rome by Ottorino Respighi.

The Pines of Rome is actually a “tone poem” – a piece of music which is intended to evoke a specific scene or event – in this case different locales around Rome. It was first performed in 1924 and has been recorded countless times including a remarkably good performance recorded for Disney’s animated movie Fantasia 2000 performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by James Levine.

Respighi’s orchestration for The Pines includes somewhat uncommon additions to the normal complement of orchestral instruments adding English horn, contrabassoon, buccine, tam-tam, ratchet, glockenspiel, piano, celesta, harp, double basses and importantly – a pipe organ.

The full range of sounds, pitches, timbres, and overall dynamic range are remarkable in this piece. Listen in the first of four sections, The Pines of the Villa Borghese, where the entire orchestra crescendos to a very high volume resulting in a highly complex waveform which is sure to challenge the tracking of any phono cartridge or IM distortion capabilities of your system.

Listen further to the second section entitled The Pines Near a Catacomb where initially, the orchestra is playing quietly enough for you to hear your own breathing over the music. Later in the same section, however, the organ and double bass are called upon to supply an infrequently-heard low D1 pitch in the musical scale - about 36 cycles per second - at fortissimo volume certain to give your woofers or sub a workout.

I own at least ten different recordings of this wonderful piece and as for the ‘best’ I would have to say that my favorite CD recording would be the 1993 Elektra version recorded by the London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Carlo Rizzi. Its hard to go wrong with the LPO and this is a particularly lush and well-paced rendition of The Pines which seems to capture the nuance and wide range of textures in the peice better than some others but I would also give high marks to the 2002 recording by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra conducted by Louis Lane although faster paced and more bombastic in its treatment.

My favorite vinyl recording of this piece hands-down is the 1960 version by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra conducted by Fritz Reiner on the RCA Victor Living Stereo Red Seal label (RCA LSC-2436) if you’re fortunate to find a good copy as I was.

Here is a link to a Hi-Res version, although not one of the recommended performances above, it still is however The Pines of Rome in HD.

For those of you who are interested in exploring classical music but are unsure of how to approach the broad range of composers, periods and styles, The Pines of Rome well may serve as an enjoyable entry point which will, in addition, reveal a lot about the musicality of your audio system.

Next time: Female Vocalists

 -RCB

 

We decided to have a group YFS listening session right before Easter. We're not sure why it took us this long to do this but hey, we got our act together finally. The multiple issues and formats we have on hand of Cannonball Adderley's Somethin' Else were just eating at us. Why not compare them all? Good idea. So we did!

We'd like to note that both copies of our vinyl reissues were cleaned on our VPI HW 17 record cleaner and then treated with Gruv Glide before we played them back on our vinyl rig. Even brand new records should be cleaned BEFORE playback to get everything out of the grooves including mold and other contaminants that may not be visible.

We started with the Stereo 33 RPM Blue Note 1595 reissue of Somethin' Else on vinyl. This is the classic recording mastered by Rudy Van Gelder. Not too bad. It definitely gave us that signature vinyl sound but we were a little disappointed with what we were hearing. Surface noise wasn't too bad but nothing sounded alive or vibrant. Things were a little on the 'dead' side. The piano especially sounded bland. Don't get us wrong, it still sounded good. We guess it's all relative. We're just being picky here because we can. Why not?

We then moved on to the Stereo 45 RPM Vinyl Blue Note 1595 Reissue from Analogue Productions. VERY COOL. This is the must-have vinyl reissue of Somethin' Else!  WOW!  We were really impressed with the job Steve Hoffman and Kevin Gray did with the remastering. This is the way this recording should be heard if you're a vinyl enthusiast. The music seemed to come alive compared to the 33 RPM version. No more 'dead' feeling. There was a type of presence that we couldn't get over. It just sounded right. We didn't notice much surface noise at all and the recording really brought out all the information and squeezed every last drop of musical performance out of the wax. Unfortunately this reissue will set you back $50 but we think it's well worth it for what you get. Vinyl fans should give it a shot. You really can't lose here.

Now let's move on to the stereo Red Book CD (16/44.1) version of the Blue Note 1595 title. This format gave us some interesting results. It definitely sounded better than the older 33 RPM vinyl reissue but could not compare with the 45 RPM vinyl. The mix portrayed the musicians slightly closer to the center of the room than either of the vinyl versions. Nothing major to note other than the slightly changed positions of the musicians. The recording definitely didn't sound 'dead' or veiled but it just lacked the sparkle and definition the Analog Productions 45 RPM vinyl gave us. The compact disc is obviously the cheapest price-wise of the reissues we tested so there's something to be said there. We don't really factor cost into the comparison but we're sure price factors in for plenty of folks.

The final format we tested was the 24/192 FLAC rip of the Classic Records HDAD. We used DVD-Audio Extractor to rip the files in 24/192 FLAC format onto our hard drive before we listened. The picture below shows the normal 24/96 DAD version but you get the point. We used the YFS HD Ref-2 music server as our source. We describe our latest iteration of our original YFS HD Ref-1 music server, the Ref-2, in a separate detailed article coming soon!!! We've been pretty busy testing the Ref-2 and we still have quite a bit of work left but we think we've got a real winner on our hands!  We implemented our playback suite of choice, Album Player and we used the ASIO option which gave us bit-perfect playback from our USB output.

We can definitely say the HDAD rip was our favorite format of this classic album. We experienced the same sound stage depth and placement as well as all the great attributes of the 45 RPM vinyl but with a more listenable sound. We would describe the FLAC files as having less fatigue. The sparkle was still there but presented in a more enjoyable way. The bass was more defined and tighter and the midrange was a little silkier/ smoother. The slight surface noise was obviously gone as well. A good way to describe what we heard was with a simple statement: we would play the 45 RPM vinyl if we planned on listening to only a track or two of the album but we would definitely play the 24/192 FLACs for an extended listening session. That's the main difference here.

We wanted to list the different reissues in our preferred order so here it is:

1) Stereo 24/192 FLAC from HDAD rip

2) Stereo 45 RPM Vinyl Reissue from Analogue Productions

3) Stereo Red Book CD

4) Stereo 33 RPM Vinyl Reissue

Take our comparison for what it's worth. It's just our opinion but we were all in unanimous agreement of the above statements. If you're a true vinyl fanatic, there's a terrific 45 RPM release that will blow you away! If you're a digital/ computer audio fanatic, there's a great 24/192 HDAD reissue for you as well. It looks like this album has gotten the royal treatment. Now we're patiently waiting for the rest of our favorite recordings to come out in 24/192 or 45 RPM vinyl. Are the labels listening in on this article or what? We hope so!

Thanks for reading and keep on listening!

 - YFS Design Team

 

Associated Equipment For This Review:

  • VPI Scoutmaster with VPI Zephyr cartridge
  • PS Audio P300 MWII+ as VPI Turntable Speed Controller
  • Eastern Electric Minimax Phono Stage (Tom Tutay Modified)
  • McCormack SST-1 Digital Drive CD Transport
  • YFS HD Reference-2 Computer Music Server Prototype
  • Eastern Electric Minimax DAC PLUS
  • Quicksilver 12AX7 Tube Preamp
  • McIntosh MC275 Tube Power Amp
  • Von Schweikert VR5 HSE Speakers
  • YFS Custom Litz Speaker Cables
  • YFS USB V3 Custom USB 2.0 Cable Prototype
  • YFS Custom Room Treatment
  • YFS Custom Interconnects
  • YFS Custom Power Cables
  • Herbies Audio Lab Dampening Products

 

I'm sure most folks have heard the story behind the recording so I'll spare you the details but we all know this should have been Kind Of Blue Part II. The sound of the cymbals really gets me every time I listen. They actually sound like the real thing, which can be tough to do. Maybe I'm just dreaming here but wouldn't it be great to see Brubeck's Time Out and Miles' Kind Of Blue in 24/192 format? I'm just sayin'. Some day it would be nice to see. For now I'm just excited to hear some classic 1958 Miles in 24/192 so you can consider me happy.

If you're a jazz fan this is a must have. It seems like it could have been overlooked based on the actual title but don't let that sway you. Give it a listen and tell me I'm not crazy here. There is a definite audible difference between the 16/44 and the 24/192 releases. It sounds great in my system and I'm sure it will perform well in any system. Hear it for yourself.

Happy listening!

-KOB

Associated Equipment for this Review:

  • YFS/ SCH Custom Speakers
  • YFS Custom Room Treatment
  • YFS HD Ref-1 Computer Music Server
  • Musical Fidelity V-DAC
  • YFS Custom CA-60a Preamp and Custom 6L6 Tube Power Amp
  • YFS Custom Interconnects and Cables

 

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