Mark Levinson Nº 531H Monoblock Power Amplifier

Jim Clements

Mark Levinson is one of the world's great high end audio manufacturers. They make a wide variety of electronic components, including pre amps, DACs, CD transports, SACD players as well as a surround sound processor they call a "Media Console". Levinson has also teamed with luxury auto manufacturer, Lexus so you can take their audio products on the road. Nonetheless, Mark Levinson is almost certainly best known for their very large, very powerful and very expensive power amplifiers. They enjoy a well deserved reputation for making some of the best - if not the best - solid state power amps around. The Nº 531H is the subject of the current review, and it delivers 300 watts RMS into 8 ohms.

Power Amplifiers

Harman Kardon HK 990 Integrated Amplifier and HD 990 CD Player

Tyler Stripko

Most likely recognized in today's market as a purveyor of home theater receivers, desktop/PC speakers, iPod docks, and factory-installed automotive sound systems, Harman Kardon is a name that is also well-recognized in traditional 2-channel audio. While the history of the company is quite interesting (see the "about us" link on the company's webpage), one thing has remained constant at Harman Kardon over the years: they produce an aesthetically pleasing product that delivers the high-sound quality sought after by the brand's customers. Here, we review their 990 Integrated Amplifier and HD 990 CD Player.

Integrated Amplifiers

Marc Audio Red Line (Signature) and Black Line (Reference) RCA Interconnects and Red Line Speaker Cables

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Marc Audio - Update:  Black Line RCA Interconnects - The Reference Line.

Marc Audio is another new audio cable manufacturer that has just set up shop in October. I received a sample of their first product, an RCA interconnect that is going to be their mid-level line of audio cables, called the Red Line (as of June, 2011, they renamed them as the Signature Line). I thought it might just be more of the same. But, it turned out this one is different, and it is not even their top model. For one thing, it is totally a USA product.

Audio Cables

Zildjian 19″ K Custom Hybrid Crash Cymbal

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Cymbal makers are always looking for new ways to give their customers more sound options. The "Hybrid" refers to the body of the cymbal being treated differently at the inner region vs. the outer region. In this case, the Zildjian 19" K Custom Hybrid Crash Cymbal is hammered near the bell, and hammered as well as lathed at the perimeter. Besides producing a crash sound that is unique, riding the two regions gives two very different sounds, one that has plenty of wash (the outer region), and one that has a dry sound with a strong ping (near the bell).

Cymbals

T.H.E. Show Newport – Show Report

Niko Coromelas and Michael Galvin

T.H.E. Show: Newport took place last Friday, June 3, through Sunday, June 5, in the Newport Hilton, adjacent to Orange County's John Wayne International Airport.   T.H.E. Show: Newport was initiated and organized by Bob Levi, President of the Los Angeles & Orange County Audio Society, and Richard Beers, President of T.H.E. Show.  And a very successful and exciting show it was, covering many rooms and six floors of the Hilton.  Niko Coromelas and Michael Galvin covered T.H.E. Show for SECRETS of Home Theater....and Niko sums up his first day after covering two floors......" a bit of oversaturation"....completely understandable, just look at the photos from Niko and Michael.....available now in the CAVE.  Check back as more photos are added over the next few days.

T.H.E. Show:  Newport Show Reports from Niko and Michael

Show Reports, Film Festivals and Concerts

Olive O4HD Music Server

Robert Kozel

Olive Media, Inc. has been in the business of digital music since it was started by Dr. Oliver Bergmann and Robert Altmann back in 2005. I have admired the Olive products for many years and had the opportunity to visit with Robert Altmann at CES 2011 this past January. I really appreciated his introduction to their products and I was especially impressed with his love of music. We recently reviewed the Olive 03HD, and here, we cover the 04HD.

Media Servers

Supernatural 22″ Universal Ride Cymbal

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Supernatural Cymbals is one of several small companies that have emerged during the past few years, who are based in Turkey, and who still make cymbals the way they have been made for centuries (except for the electric motor that turns the lathing machine). The cymbals start out as cast bronze discs, which are heated, rolled, cut into the desired diameter for the cymbal, hand hammered, and hand lathed. There is no machining at all. The results are quite distinguishable from machine hammered and lathed cymbals. It is not that one way is better than the other, but rather, you now have several additional choices in sound, and some of them are due to the old world ways of producing them. Here, we review the Supernatural 22" Universal Ride. It has a clear ping that always stays above the wash, but also, the wash is intense with a long sustain, typical of hand hammered cymbals.

Cymbals

Home Theater Movie Renter’s Guide – June, 2011

SECRETS Movie Review Team

Sanctum (Blu-ray), The Dilemma (Blu-ray), The Usual Suspects Digibook (Blu-ray), The Terminator Digibook (Blu-ray), The Manchurian Candidate (1962) (Blu-ray), I Am Number Four (Blu-ray), Dead Man Walking (Blu-ray), True Blood Season 3 (Blu-ray), Le Mans (Blu-ray), Grand Prix (Blu-ray), True Grit (Blu-ray), Rocky (Blu-ray), Platoon (Blu-ray), Hotel Rwanda (Blu-ray), American Graffiti (Blu-ray), Once Upon a Time in the West (Blu-ray), The Horse Soldiers (Blu-ray), The Mechanic (Blu-ray), A Nightmare in Las Cruces (DVD), Gnomeo & Juliet 3D (3D Blu-ray)

Movie Reviews

Olive 03HD Music Server

Chris Heinonen

Of all the gear that I reviewed last year, my favorite component by far was the Squeezebox Touch. Having instant access to all of my music, and high resolution downloads, was just a fantastic thing that led me to listen to far more, and varied, music that before. However, the one thing I always said about the Touch is that while I loved it, I wasn't going to buy one for my Dad since I'd have to install a PC server component, or hook up an external hard drive that I'd have to keep ripping his music to for him. For him, a simple, all-in-one solution would be what I would want.

Media Servers

Audiolab 8200CDQ CD Player with Built-In Preamplifier

Brian Alvarez

Early adopters live in a world of potential. We latch on to a new paradigm shift significantly ahead of the adoption curve. As such, we're often saddled with legacy methodology or products. Solutions are never simple or straight forward. We push ahead and often have to improvise. Eventually the mass marketplace catches up and products appear addressing our needs. Audiolab markets a CD player called the 8200CD. The 8200CDQ, reviewed here, also contains a built-in preamplifier that can deliver 4 volts RMS through its fully balanced outputs. This eliminates signal loss in cables that would normally connect a CD player's outputs to the preamplifier.

CD Players

Dream 20″ Bliss Crash/Ride Cymbal

John E. Johnson, Jr.

Dream Cymbals is one of the new companies whose products are manufactured in China. From what we are told, the cymbals are totally hammered and lathed by hand, directly from the cast bronze disc, rather than put through rollers to flatten them before hammering. If that is accurate, I don't think I would want to get into a fight with any of the cymbal smiths, because it must take enormous strength and endurance to perform this task from the raw cast ingot. However, the sound is very revealing, and suggests that it is so. The cymbals have a very strong wash that sustains. Dream has a Bliss 20" Thin Ride and a Bliss 20" Ride, so this cymbal, the Bliss 20" Crash/Ride is a medium thin weight in between the other two. The sound quality is exceptional for a cymbal with a street price of only $144. This represents tremendous value. I expect more good things to come from this new company.

Cymbals

Olive

Secrets
Olive was founded in 2005 by Dr. Oliver Bergmann and Robert Altmann, who are not only passionate about technology but also about music.
AV Directory