The Cutting Edge

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ital lifestyle; yet, for whole-house audio and basic video the Rotel is the answer. Although the Outlaw has suffered slightly in this comparison to the more refined sound of the Rotel, make no mistake—the RetroReceiver is competitive with some of the best integrated amplifiers I’ve auditioned at its price, like the NAD C 352. When you consider that the Outlaw has a tuner, phonostage, bass-management functionality, and more power, you begin to appreciate what a great bargain it is. Its appealing warmth and larger-than-life sound may just knock you out. Those listeners who demand a more neutral balance with slightly better detail, transparency, and transient quickness, will dig a bit deeper into their wallets and spring for the Rotel. Either way, it’s really good to discover a couple of stereo receivers that are legitimate entries into the world of high-performance audio. & SPECIFICATIONS Rotel RX-1052 Power output: 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms Audio only inputs: Phono (MM), CD, tape, and tuner (internal) A/V inputs: Four audio and composite video for A/V sources Dimensions: 17" x 4 .5" x 14.25" Weight: 30.4 lbs. MANUFACTURER INFORMATION ROTEL OF AMERICA 54 Concord Street North Reading, Massachusetts 01864 (978) 664-3820 rotel.com Price: $899 OUTLAW AUDIO P.O. Box 975 Easton, Massachusetts 02334 (866) 688-5297 outlawaudio.com Price: $599 Outlaw Audio RR 2150 Power output: 100 watts per channel into 8 ohms Audio inputs: Phono (MM/MC), video, CD, tape, external processor loop, 3.5 mm aux, 1 USB input, tuner (internal) Dimensions: 17.1" x 5.75" x 15" Weight: 27 lbs. WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 29
a b s o l u t e a n a l o g Pro-Ject RM-9.1 Turntable System Jim Hannon A very good turntable just got better— a look at the latest from Pro-Ject Several years ago I purchased a Kiseki Purple Heart Sapphire cartridge (then distributed by Sumiko) from former Bay Area audio retailer dB Audio. Its set-up guy, John Hunter, mounted the Kiseki on my SOTA Star and ETII rig, and then recommended that I leave it with him for 24 hours so he could run the cartridge in, allow it to settle, and then make final adjustments. Hunter’s setup was so good that I didn’t make any changes to it for a few years. Now John Hunter is Sumiko’s President, and he has assembled a team that shares his passion for all things analog. Among Sumiko’s latest imports is the $1499 Pro-Ject RM-9.1, which is designed by Heinz Lichtenegger in Vienna and built at Pro-Ject’s factory in the Czech Republic. A revised version of the RM-9 that was reviewed a few years ago in these pages, this massloaded, belt-driven turntable differs from the original in ways that are significant but not always obvious. The inverted bearing, tear-drop-shaped plinth, separate motor pod, acrylic platter, solid-brass record clamp, and tonearm-bearing structure are the same in both the RM-9 and the RM-9.1. So what’s left Well, enough that this new entry might instead have been called the RM-90. The single-piece arm tube is now molded from carbon fiber. It not only dissipates energy better than the old version but is both lighter and stiffer, as well. The “jointless” armtube and headshell evoke memories of the SME V that I once owned, but the arm is actually closer to a Wilson Benesch design because of the carbon-fiber application. The old plinth’s simple foot arrangement of rubber, plastic, and felt has given way to a more massive machined-aluminum cone that uses a Sorbothane layer between the plinth and the cone foot. And though the size and shape of the plinth remain the same, a steel plate has been added to the underside to significantly increase mass and to focus the dissipation of energy around a single point. Additionally, the MDF material and processing are changed to insure that the plinth will not break due to the extra weight of the steel plate. These differences are said to reduce noise, resulting in blacker backgrounds and better bass articulation and extension. Due to improvements in the fabrication and painting processes, the fit and finish of this new version makes it look like a more expensive ’table, too. Unfortunately, these revisions are not available as upgrades for current RM-9 owners, but stay tuned—there are others that are. So how does this new Pro-Ject sound The short answer is that its performance is much closer to that of a costly rig than to an entry-level one. Coupled with the Sumiko Blackbird cartridge, a high-output moving-coil that is sold along with the RM-9.1 at a $300 discount, 1 the sound is smooth yet detailed, the soundstage is wide, and the low end has authority. Massed strings lack the upper-midrange glare one hears with some moving-coils in this class, and can even sound lush. Voices and saxes are particularly seductive; images are stable; and transparency, transient quickness, and inner detail are all good. The RM-9.1 rivals the Rega P5/Exact combination in its surprising lack of groove and surface noise, and it’s easy to listen to for hours with- 1 Packages are also available with the Sumiko Blue Point No. 2 or the Blue Point Special EVO III. WWW.THEABSOLUTESOUND.COM 31
Page 2 and 3: IN THIS ISSUE ISSUE 164 ■ SEPTEMB
Page 4 and 5: L E T T E R S Nielsen’s Folly Whi
Page 6 and 7: L E T T E R S SACDs via the Web The
Page 8 and 9: e d i t o r i a l Are Audiophiles R
Page 10 and 11: package—a room-equalization syste
Page 12 and 13: new products on the horizon chris m
Page 14 and 15: s t a r t m e u p Rotel RX-1052 and
Page 16 and 17: Comparing these two receivers may s
Page 20 and 21: out any aural fatigue, even with mo
Page 22 and 23: PIEGA TC70X ty the sound is no bett
Page 24 and 25: BURMESTER B30 slotted pulp-cone woo
Page 26 and 27: ROTEL’S BUDGET STACK new. However
Page 28 and 29: MODERN MANIFESTATIONS Whereas it’
Page 30 and 31: traditionalist veterans J.D. Crowe
Page 32 and 33: were encouraged by supportive paren
Page 34 and 35: “pan-cultural” ethos and all bu
Page 36 and 37: System One: $15OO TOTAL (BEFORE CAB
Page 38 and 39: System Three: $35OO TOTAL (BEFORE C
Page 40 and 41: System Five: $55OO TOTAL (BEFORE CA
Page 42 and 43: equipment report DALI IKON 6 Loudsp
Page 44 and 45: equipment report be linear at very
Page 46 and 47: equipment report midrange warmth an
Page 48 and 49: equipment report YBA Design YA201 I
Page 50 and 51: equipment report Aerial Acoustics M
Page 52 and 53: equipment report I would rank it am
Page 54 and 55: equipment report Features and Opera
Page 56 and 57: equipment report mon to the DACs wi
Page 58 and 59: equipment report will not meet thei
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Page 62 and 63: equipment report An age-old concept
Page 64 and 65: Cover Story Talk about the mother o
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The 808 also exhibited a remarkable
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The Cutting Edge to which analog si
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The Cutting Edge they are its worst
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The Cutting Edge MBL 5011 LINESTAGE
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The Cutting Edge MBL 1521 A CD TRAN
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The Cutting Edge already noted, lis
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The Cutting Edge What I am referrin
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The Cutting Edge Both designs are b
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The Cutting Edge The low bass is mo
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when an experienced and critical re
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m u s i c classical Jacobs helps us
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m u s i c classical SACD RECORDING
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m u s i c JAZZ Jazz Caps Frank Kimb
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m u s i c jazz The Miles Davis Quin
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m u s i c POPULAR Rock, Etc. Comets
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m u s i c popular isn’t the bald
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m u s i c popular Ramblin’ Jack E
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m u s i c popular Emerging largely
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m u s i c popular Gram Parsons with
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The Cutting Edge

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