Barry
08-05-2012, 16:41
Eye-Fi
In the past when I have achieved a millennial posting I have usually marked the occasion with a longer than normal post. Often it is more of an essay, sometimes examining an aspect of audio that is usually a subject of contention. I do this both to put my own thoughts on the table and to open it up for debate.
Well it would appear my 5,000th post was ‘spent’ in allowing me to purchase one of the Amptastic Mini-T amplifiers, but that is no excuse not to mark my half-myriad post record.
This time I will write about a subject that is not directly concerned with acoustic matters, but may well be considered contentious: it certainly is a matter of personal opinion. What I would like to discuss on this occasion is the visual aesthetic or cosmetic appearance of the audio equipment available.
At the risk of opening up the rift between those who (rightly) state that the acoustic performance of a piece of kit is paramount and there should be no concession to looks, and those who cannot get past what they perceive is an ugly piece of kit, which prevents their appreciation of the acoustics – I have to say the following is a discussion and lists those items of (largely) domestic audio equipment whose appearance I find to be particularly attractive, if not beautiful. At no time do I consider the actual audio performance: I’m solely concerned here with the looks.
Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder – but this is my thread and it does introduce a note of contention.
So where to start? – well at the beginning of course, which for our purpose will be vinyl playback.
Turntables
Ironically since LP’s reported demise, there have been a plethora of new turntable designs. Many of these are ‘plinthless’, but my favourites are those integrated models exemplified by the handsome Thorens TD125 and Luxman PD131 designs.
http://www.tonepublications.com/media/1140.jpg
http://i6.tinypic.com/86ewdpt.jpg
[Image: WiredState Audio Community]
I must mention the Thorens TD124/II cast aluminium chassis with those lovely curved edges.
http://www.sowhatgallery.com/uploads/tx_imagecycle/Thorens_PetSounds.jpg
[Image: Sowhat Gallery]
and of course there is the Transcriptors Hydraulic Reference, again lovely to look at, though I doubt the wisdom of supporting the record at only ten points.
http://www.weareprivate.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/hydraulic_reference-546x407.jpg
[Image: weareprivate.net]
I find the Technics SP10 turntable to be particularly attractive.
http://www.theanalogdept.com/images/spp6_pics/JWslate/JW1195.jpg
I’m afraid I’ve never been terribly impressed by the looks of the Linn LP12, feeling that it is little different to the Thorens 150, the latter being far more elegant with cleaner lines and a lovely matt-grey anodised top plate.
Finally there is the Garrard 401. Essentially a model 301 “in a Savile Road suit”, thanks to the styling by Walter Marshall.
http://soundup.ru/images/stories/archive/Classic/Turntable/garrard-401-turntable-free-connoisseur-sau2-arm/garrard-401-turntable-1.jpg
[Image: Soundup]
That’s enough of turntables, let’s now turn to tonearms.
Tonearms
In general I favour simplicity and graceful lines, perfectly exemplified by the Thomas Schtick arm and the Brinkmann 10.5 arm (itself heavily based on the design of the Breuer arm)
http://www.oswaldsmillaudio.com/Products/images/productshots/schick/schick-6653.jpg
though I would prefer the counterweight to be finished either in black or in matt chrome:
http://www.oswaldsmillaudio.com/Products/images/productshots/schick/schick4.jpg
http://www.brinkmann-audio.com/inhalt/bilder/tn/tonarm105.jpg
The Brinkmann arm
[Image: Brinkmann]
http://pic6.audiogon.com/i/c/f/1319795100.jpg
Breuer Dynamic 5 arm
[Image: Audiogon]
I like the look of all of the Series II SME arms as well as their revision as with the M2-12R
https://homemedialimited.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/images/products/13281-M2-12R.jpg
SME M2-12R arm
[Image: Homemedialimited]
For some reason I don’t really like the appearance of the SME Series IV and V arms, nor that of the 309 and 312 arms. Nor can I go overboard with the looks of the Fidelity Research designs, despite having a ‘hewn from solid stainless steel’ look about them.
I do like the ultra-thin carbon fibre 'Black Widow' tonearm made for Infinity
http://members.shaw.ca/ken.j/_images/InfinityBlackWidow.jpg
However, I do have a sneaking admiration of the (black finished) Dynavector DV 505 biaxial tonearm. Considering this could have looked like something Desperate Dan might have used in his audio system, I think the cosmetics of this arm come as a pleasant surprise.
http://www.dynavector.com/etechnical/egazou/505fig00.gif
Finally as an example of the Bauhaus dictum “Form follows function”, we have the Zeta arm
http://www.theanalogdept.com/images/spp6_pics/zeta%20tonearm/Zeta_2.JPG
[Image: theanaloguedept]
Cartridges
It’s difficult to get excited about the appearance of pickup cartridges, and if I have any attractions it is to cartridges integrated with the headshell, such as:
the Fidelity FR-7 integrated headshell cartridge
http://www.audioinvest.no/images/fr/fr_7.gif
[Image: Audioinvest]
the EMT cartridges
http://pitchperfectaudio.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/emt-small-sampling.jpg
[Image: Pitch Perfect Audio]
as well as others by Sony and Dynavector. Plus of course Ortofon with their long running SPU and short lived MC200 ‘Concorde’ designs.
https://www.audiodestination.co.uk/image/cache/catalog/data/Ortofon/SPU/SPU_All02-800x700.jpg
[Image: Audio Destination]
http://www.vinylengine.com/images/cartridgedb/ortmc200t4c.jpg
[Image: vinylengine]
The best example of a cartridge integrated with the tonearm must be the Bang & Olufsen (as well as being an example of elegant turntable styling).
http://www.beoworld.org/assets/thumbnails/gram4kaaaaa.jpg
3xOc_OYKTu4&feature=relmfu
Electronics
I use this as a portmanteau term for tuners, amps and preamps, tape players and CD players.
As might have been suspected, I’m attracted to designs where the external styling is clean, unfussy and simple. Long, low and slim are the by-words here, or to quote the Bauhaus inspired architect Mies van der Rohe: “The less is more”.
An immediate example would be the Cambridge P-series electronics, exploiting the then recently available toroidal transformer to achieve a low profile.
http://i780.photobucket.com/albums/yy88/barrydhunt/013-3.jpg
http://i780.photobucket.com/albums/yy88/barrydhunt/006-1.jpg?t=1282783633
as well as the older Bang & Olufsen designs: the Beomaster 5000 electronics and the 1700 tuner.
aBYackO0VHs&feature=fvwp
http://i780.photobucket.com/albums/yy88/barrydhunt/BOtuner-1.jpg?t=1282861719
I also greatly admire the early Braun designs by Dieter Rams
https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=OIP.M90c5ddfafa94aece1d792e9562792a36o0&pid=15.1 http://design.designmuseum.org/media/item/4826/-1/103_6Lg.jpg
as well as virtually all of the electronics by Yamaha. For the latter I’ll just choose one item - the CT7000 tuner. I like the way the little-used controls are hidden away under a flap, preserving the clean lines. This is a perfect example of the dictum “the less is more”.
http://www.borrett.id.au/images/interests/yamaha_ct-7000.jpg http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/CT-7000.jpg
Most electronics have to involve knobs and switches. Lecson made a refreshing departure from this with their use of coloured sliders. I also like the cylindrical enclosure of the power amps.
http://lecsonaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/AC1-AP1-AP1X-AP3-Together.jpg
Finally I do like the Series 3 electronics by Quad (even with the ‘snot green’ colouring! Sorry, that should be ‘Quad bronze’).
pKLKha5EoJA
I can’t really get excited over power amplifiers, but as an example of a good looking ‘black box’, the ‘Chrome bumper’ Naim NAP 250 has to be commended.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Trh2oKAkurQ/TGbzEz-pzBI/AAAAAAAAAv8/WuNUwkDjKt0/w718-h485-k/misc-naim6.jpg
as does the Quad 405 (I prefer the earlier grey anodised finish to the heatsink over the later black finish)
http://www.retrotechaudio.co.uk/gallery/02_oi5k2ne3.jpg
[Image: retrotechaudio]
When it comes to the likes of cassette decks, well as far as looks are concerned they are all much of a likeness to me – save for the beautiful Yamaha (again) TC800 ‘Wedge’, designed by Mario Bellini
http://specialistdivision.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/yamaha-tc-800gl.jpg?w=710
[Image: Zstereo]
Likewise there are few, if any, CD players that turn my head with their looks. Ergonomically I dislike top-loaders, so if I have to choose a player with good looks it would be the Mark Levinson 380
http://www.jomagic.com/wp-content/uploads/player/jo-c4-010.jpg
Reel to reel tape players are usually too big (especially when fitted with 10.5” spools) to rest easily on the eye, but if I have to choose it would either be a professional Studer A62, the Revox PR99 or the Sony TC880
http://www.studerundrevox.de/images/stories/studer/tonbandgeraete/studer_b62_02.jpg
[Image: Studer]
http://www.reeltoreel.de/worldwide/Images/PR99-101.jpg
[Image: reeltoreel]
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7273/7119626027_c468b986d4_m.jpg
But if only 7” spools of tape are to be used, I would single out the jewel-like Nagra and Stellavox machines.
http://likecool.com/Gear/MediaPlayer/Nagra%20IV-S%20Professional%20Tape%20Recorder/Nagra-IV-S-Professional-Tape-Recorder.jpg
Nagra IV-S
http://www.allegrosound.com/Stellavox_headstack.jpg
Stellavox SP9, showing the provision for interchangeable head blocks
[Image: allegrosound]
Speakers
These are the most difficult items to choose on looks alone. Most speakers are large rectangular boxes. True, the likes of Sonus Faber have softened the impact with their superb cabinet making, but in general loudspeakers are just plain ugly! If I have to choose speakers I could happily live with based solely on the grounds of appearance, it would be planar speakers such as the Magnapan ‘Magnaplanars’, the venerable KLH model 9, and virtually all of the Martin Logan designs.
http://mikeaustin.org/Essay%20pix/maggies.jpg
Magnaplanar speakers
[Image: mikeaustin]
http://www.justrealmusic.com/images/speakers_other/klh9.jpg
KLH 9 speakers
[Image: justrealmusic]
http://www.stereophile.com/images/archivesart/clspic1.jpg
Martin Logan CLS speakers
[Image; Stereophile magazine]
I must also commend the original and venerable Quad electrostatic
http://www.wists.com/thumbnails/0/e1/0e14302d754bc619929ef116281199d9-orig
and if stacked
https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=JN.6o7p1glmlyL4nyOQ2Ujf%2bQ&pid=15.1&P=0&w=300&h=300
Conclusions?
Well if there is anything to be gleaned from my selection, it would seem to be that I like designs with simple clean and elegant styling. If those products are also of superb acoustic performance then one can ask for no more.
I suppose by rights I ought to mention those audio products that, no matter how good their acoustic performance, are just plain ugly to my eyes. I won’t spoil the above “presentation of products with perfect pulchritude”, by actually showing images. Rather I will simply list a few:
Virtually all valve power amps, especially those made by Cary and Icon Audio,
Anything made by DarTZeel,
Virtually all ‘open’ horn speakers, especially those made by Avantgarde.
Sorry!
Well that’s my selection – what "does it" for you? Remember, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and for the purpose of discussion we are [I]only considering looks.
In the past when I have achieved a millennial posting I have usually marked the occasion with a longer than normal post. Often it is more of an essay, sometimes examining an aspect of audio that is usually a subject of contention. I do this both to put my own thoughts on the table and to open it up for debate.
Well it would appear my 5,000th post was ‘spent’ in allowing me to purchase one of the Amptastic Mini-T amplifiers, but that is no excuse not to mark my half-myriad post record.
This time I will write about a subject that is not directly concerned with acoustic matters, but may well be considered contentious: it certainly is a matter of personal opinion. What I would like to discuss on this occasion is the visual aesthetic or cosmetic appearance of the audio equipment available.
At the risk of opening up the rift between those who (rightly) state that the acoustic performance of a piece of kit is paramount and there should be no concession to looks, and those who cannot get past what they perceive is an ugly piece of kit, which prevents their appreciation of the acoustics – I have to say the following is a discussion and lists those items of (largely) domestic audio equipment whose appearance I find to be particularly attractive, if not beautiful. At no time do I consider the actual audio performance: I’m solely concerned here with the looks.
Of course beauty is in the eye of the beholder – but this is my thread and it does introduce a note of contention.
So where to start? – well at the beginning of course, which for our purpose will be vinyl playback.
Turntables
Ironically since LP’s reported demise, there have been a plethora of new turntable designs. Many of these are ‘plinthless’, but my favourites are those integrated models exemplified by the handsome Thorens TD125 and Luxman PD131 designs.
http://www.tonepublications.com/media/1140.jpg
http://i6.tinypic.com/86ewdpt.jpg
[Image: WiredState Audio Community]
I must mention the Thorens TD124/II cast aluminium chassis with those lovely curved edges.
http://www.sowhatgallery.com/uploads/tx_imagecycle/Thorens_PetSounds.jpg
[Image: Sowhat Gallery]
and of course there is the Transcriptors Hydraulic Reference, again lovely to look at, though I doubt the wisdom of supporting the record at only ten points.
http://www.weareprivate.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/hydraulic_reference-546x407.jpg
[Image: weareprivate.net]
I find the Technics SP10 turntable to be particularly attractive.
http://www.theanalogdept.com/images/spp6_pics/JWslate/JW1195.jpg
I’m afraid I’ve never been terribly impressed by the looks of the Linn LP12, feeling that it is little different to the Thorens 150, the latter being far more elegant with cleaner lines and a lovely matt-grey anodised top plate.
Finally there is the Garrard 401. Essentially a model 301 “in a Savile Road suit”, thanks to the styling by Walter Marshall.
http://soundup.ru/images/stories/archive/Classic/Turntable/garrard-401-turntable-free-connoisseur-sau2-arm/garrard-401-turntable-1.jpg
[Image: Soundup]
That’s enough of turntables, let’s now turn to tonearms.
Tonearms
In general I favour simplicity and graceful lines, perfectly exemplified by the Thomas Schtick arm and the Brinkmann 10.5 arm (itself heavily based on the design of the Breuer arm)
http://www.oswaldsmillaudio.com/Products/images/productshots/schick/schick-6653.jpg
though I would prefer the counterweight to be finished either in black or in matt chrome:
http://www.oswaldsmillaudio.com/Products/images/productshots/schick/schick4.jpg
http://www.brinkmann-audio.com/inhalt/bilder/tn/tonarm105.jpg
The Brinkmann arm
[Image: Brinkmann]
http://pic6.audiogon.com/i/c/f/1319795100.jpg
Breuer Dynamic 5 arm
[Image: Audiogon]
I like the look of all of the Series II SME arms as well as their revision as with the M2-12R
https://homemedialimited.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/images/products/13281-M2-12R.jpg
SME M2-12R arm
[Image: Homemedialimited]
For some reason I don’t really like the appearance of the SME Series IV and V arms, nor that of the 309 and 312 arms. Nor can I go overboard with the looks of the Fidelity Research designs, despite having a ‘hewn from solid stainless steel’ look about them.
I do like the ultra-thin carbon fibre 'Black Widow' tonearm made for Infinity
http://members.shaw.ca/ken.j/_images/InfinityBlackWidow.jpg
However, I do have a sneaking admiration of the (black finished) Dynavector DV 505 biaxial tonearm. Considering this could have looked like something Desperate Dan might have used in his audio system, I think the cosmetics of this arm come as a pleasant surprise.
http://www.dynavector.com/etechnical/egazou/505fig00.gif
Finally as an example of the Bauhaus dictum “Form follows function”, we have the Zeta arm
http://www.theanalogdept.com/images/spp6_pics/zeta%20tonearm/Zeta_2.JPG
[Image: theanaloguedept]
Cartridges
It’s difficult to get excited about the appearance of pickup cartridges, and if I have any attractions it is to cartridges integrated with the headshell, such as:
the Fidelity FR-7 integrated headshell cartridge
http://www.audioinvest.no/images/fr/fr_7.gif
[Image: Audioinvest]
the EMT cartridges
http://pitchperfectaudio.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/emt-small-sampling.jpg
[Image: Pitch Perfect Audio]
as well as others by Sony and Dynavector. Plus of course Ortofon with their long running SPU and short lived MC200 ‘Concorde’ designs.
https://www.audiodestination.co.uk/image/cache/catalog/data/Ortofon/SPU/SPU_All02-800x700.jpg
[Image: Audio Destination]
http://www.vinylengine.com/images/cartridgedb/ortmc200t4c.jpg
[Image: vinylengine]
The best example of a cartridge integrated with the tonearm must be the Bang & Olufsen (as well as being an example of elegant turntable styling).
http://www.beoworld.org/assets/thumbnails/gram4kaaaaa.jpg
3xOc_OYKTu4&feature=relmfu
Electronics
I use this as a portmanteau term for tuners, amps and preamps, tape players and CD players.
As might have been suspected, I’m attracted to designs where the external styling is clean, unfussy and simple. Long, low and slim are the by-words here, or to quote the Bauhaus inspired architect Mies van der Rohe: “The less is more”.
An immediate example would be the Cambridge P-series electronics, exploiting the then recently available toroidal transformer to achieve a low profile.
http://i780.photobucket.com/albums/yy88/barrydhunt/013-3.jpg
http://i780.photobucket.com/albums/yy88/barrydhunt/006-1.jpg?t=1282783633
as well as the older Bang & Olufsen designs: the Beomaster 5000 electronics and the 1700 tuner.
aBYackO0VHs&feature=fvwp
http://i780.photobucket.com/albums/yy88/barrydhunt/BOtuner-1.jpg?t=1282861719
I also greatly admire the early Braun designs by Dieter Rams
https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=OIP.M90c5ddfafa94aece1d792e9562792a36o0&pid=15.1 http://design.designmuseum.org/media/item/4826/-1/103_6Lg.jpg
as well as virtually all of the electronics by Yamaha. For the latter I’ll just choose one item - the CT7000 tuner. I like the way the little-used controls are hidden away under a flap, preserving the clean lines. This is a perfect example of the dictum “the less is more”.
http://www.borrett.id.au/images/interests/yamaha_ct-7000.jpg http://www.fmtunerinfo.com/CT-7000.jpg
Most electronics have to involve knobs and switches. Lecson made a refreshing departure from this with their use of coloured sliders. I also like the cylindrical enclosure of the power amps.
http://lecsonaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/10/AC1-AP1-AP1X-AP3-Together.jpg
Finally I do like the Series 3 electronics by Quad (even with the ‘snot green’ colouring! Sorry, that should be ‘Quad bronze’).
pKLKha5EoJA
I can’t really get excited over power amplifiers, but as an example of a good looking ‘black box’, the ‘Chrome bumper’ Naim NAP 250 has to be commended.
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Trh2oKAkurQ/TGbzEz-pzBI/AAAAAAAAAv8/WuNUwkDjKt0/w718-h485-k/misc-naim6.jpg
as does the Quad 405 (I prefer the earlier grey anodised finish to the heatsink over the later black finish)
http://www.retrotechaudio.co.uk/gallery/02_oi5k2ne3.jpg
[Image: retrotechaudio]
When it comes to the likes of cassette decks, well as far as looks are concerned they are all much of a likeness to me – save for the beautiful Yamaha (again) TC800 ‘Wedge’, designed by Mario Bellini
http://specialistdivision.files.wordpress.com/2013/03/yamaha-tc-800gl.jpg?w=710
[Image: Zstereo]
Likewise there are few, if any, CD players that turn my head with their looks. Ergonomically I dislike top-loaders, so if I have to choose a player with good looks it would be the Mark Levinson 380
http://www.jomagic.com/wp-content/uploads/player/jo-c4-010.jpg
Reel to reel tape players are usually too big (especially when fitted with 10.5” spools) to rest easily on the eye, but if I have to choose it would either be a professional Studer A62, the Revox PR99 or the Sony TC880
http://www.studerundrevox.de/images/stories/studer/tonbandgeraete/studer_b62_02.jpg
[Image: Studer]
http://www.reeltoreel.de/worldwide/Images/PR99-101.jpg
[Image: reeltoreel]
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7273/7119626027_c468b986d4_m.jpg
But if only 7” spools of tape are to be used, I would single out the jewel-like Nagra and Stellavox machines.
http://likecool.com/Gear/MediaPlayer/Nagra%20IV-S%20Professional%20Tape%20Recorder/Nagra-IV-S-Professional-Tape-Recorder.jpg
Nagra IV-S
http://www.allegrosound.com/Stellavox_headstack.jpg
Stellavox SP9, showing the provision for interchangeable head blocks
[Image: allegrosound]
Speakers
These are the most difficult items to choose on looks alone. Most speakers are large rectangular boxes. True, the likes of Sonus Faber have softened the impact with their superb cabinet making, but in general loudspeakers are just plain ugly! If I have to choose speakers I could happily live with based solely on the grounds of appearance, it would be planar speakers such as the Magnapan ‘Magnaplanars’, the venerable KLH model 9, and virtually all of the Martin Logan designs.
http://mikeaustin.org/Essay%20pix/maggies.jpg
Magnaplanar speakers
[Image: mikeaustin]
http://www.justrealmusic.com/images/speakers_other/klh9.jpg
KLH 9 speakers
[Image: justrealmusic]
http://www.stereophile.com/images/archivesart/clspic1.jpg
Martin Logan CLS speakers
[Image; Stereophile magazine]
I must also commend the original and venerable Quad electrostatic
http://www.wists.com/thumbnails/0/e1/0e14302d754bc619929ef116281199d9-orig
and if stacked
https://sp.yimg.com/ib/th?id=JN.6o7p1glmlyL4nyOQ2Ujf%2bQ&pid=15.1&P=0&w=300&h=300
Conclusions?
Well if there is anything to be gleaned from my selection, it would seem to be that I like designs with simple clean and elegant styling. If those products are also of superb acoustic performance then one can ask for no more.
I suppose by rights I ought to mention those audio products that, no matter how good their acoustic performance, are just plain ugly to my eyes. I won’t spoil the above “presentation of products with perfect pulchritude”, by actually showing images. Rather I will simply list a few:
Virtually all valve power amps, especially those made by Cary and Icon Audio,
Anything made by DarTZeel,
Virtually all ‘open’ horn speakers, especially those made by Avantgarde.
Sorry!
Well that’s my selection – what "does it" for you? Remember, “beauty is in the eye of the beholder” and for the purpose of discussion we are [I]only considering looks.