This page is for my personal reviews of products which I have had the opportunity to audition at length and can therefore recommend and give my Decibel Endorsed rating.
These reviews will added to regularly.
I had the opportunity recently to spend some time comparing the Garrott Optim FGS cartridge and the Music Maker 3. Turntable used was a Linn Sondek LP12 with Armageddon power supply and Naim Aro tonearm. I was also using the ME RIAA phono preamp, a Sugden P51 power amp, and Jordan JX92S transmission line speakers.
The Optim FGS is tremendously revealing. It's remarkable how much information can be extracted from a wiggly groove in a vinyl disk. Overall sound is spacious, very good imaging, excellent bass and transients. After listening to the FGS for a day or two I changed to the Music Maker 3. There still was the same detail but somehow the sound was "sweeter", less harsh on loud passages. I replayed many of the tracks I had been impressed with with the Optim FGS and have to say I prefer the MM3 by quite a margin.
Both these cartridges will "find out" poor recordings. The difference between good and mediocre pressings is easy to notice. The good records are superb in their portrayal of the original performance.
I believe the MM3 to be more "fussy" of tonearms (the Aro is a unipivot) than the Optim, however when I changed over to a Moth (Rega) turntable with modified Rega 250 tonearm I did not notice any difference in tracking ability and only a slight reduction in the width of the sound stage and spaciousness.
I next changed to an Era Gold V5 phono preamp. Unbelievable. The clarity of this unit is a major step up from the ME. Everything sounds better. No wonder this has been getting such high praise from reviewers around the world. The combination of MM3 and Era Gold is magical.
I recommend that if you are interested in any of the items above you read all the reviews before deciding which to purchase. No one has ever returned an Era Gold after trying one, and I suspect the same will apply to the Music Maker 3 cartridge.
March 2003Phono Preamplifiers - Graham Slee Projects Gram Amp 2 Special Edition and ME Sound RIAA Phono Preamp.
The GSP unit arrived from the UK and I was eager to hear it compared to the phono stage in my aging Bose receiver. The initial impression was of a greater spaciousness and better definition. But after listening to it for many hours I am more and more impressed. I tried record after record and in every case the sound was better than I had ever heard before.
Then I borrowed a preamp from Peter Stein at ME Sound. This unit is more attractive than the GSP with its sleek black metal case, and at about half the price is an attractive alternative. Initially I thought there was no difference between the two units. I would play the GSP for a while, then change to the ME, then change back. After a while I thought the GSP was slightly better, a bit better bass extension, slightly fuller sound, a more musical sound overall. But after listening to the ME for an extended time I have to say the differences are only slight and I suspect many people will be more than happy with the ME. Several times I thought I was listening to one unit then found it was the other. I am not saying the sound of each is identical but they are close. Both reveal more from the records than the phono stage in my old receiver.
As a result I am quite prepared to endorse both, and willing to suggest that if people would like to compare them for themselves, they can purchase both on our 14 day trial and retain the one they prefer and return the other for a full refund. There are links to reviews by others in the detailed product information of each product.
September 2002Power Amplifiers - ME Sound 200 power amp.
I have had a long association with Peter Stein of ME Sound, having sold his amplifiers from my shop in Adelaide in the late 1970s. The fact that he is still recognised as one of Australia's leading hi fi amplifier designers and manufacturers after 25 years is a great testimony to the integrity of his original designs and his commitment to excellence. If you check the reviews of leading magazines such as Audio & Video Lifestyle you'll find they use ME power amps.
The ME 200 is a slim unit which sells for a very reasonable $1300. When we first connected it to speakers (a home made 2 way omnidirectional design) we had been using for about 15 years it was as if we had different ones. The bass extension compared the the old Bose receiver was astonishing. I always thought the speakers were a bit loose and lacking bass extension - not so - with this power amp the bass was both solid and extended - a real ear opener. Yet although that was an initial easy-to-notice improvement that wasn't the best change. The way the stereo image and separation of instruments seemed to be sculpted in mid air was a revelation.
If you have a stereo system with an integrated amp or receiver and want to get a substantial improvement in sound quality this ME 200 power amp will make you rethink whether your speakers need replacing. By the way a power amp like this has no volume control so it is intended to be connected to a preamp, or your existing integrated amp needs to have a preamp output. One way to implement a power amp this is to use it to drive your main front speakers and then use the power amps in your integrated amp or receiver to drive the rear channels in a home cinema setup (see the DIY pages).