From the Vault

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From the VaultPre/Power Amplifiers
Mark Levinson flagships
Martin Colloms  |  Jul 30, 2019  |  First Published: Mar 01, 1990
Martin Colloms hears the ultimate amplifier system from one of audio's elite names: the No26/No20.5 pre/power duo and No25 phono stage

Since acquiring the Mark Levinson Audio Systems company five years ago, Madrigal Labs has pursued an evolving research programme, generating improved circuits and product designs. The result is that current MLAS products now have an importance comparable with the original brand's landmark designs.

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From the VaultPre/Power Amplifiers
Vacuum-packed: the 'Airtight' amplifier
Ken Kessler  |  Apr 26, 2019  |  First Published: Aug 01, 1989
Few specialist Japanese valve amps ever leave Honshu, so as the Air Tight ATC-1 and ATM-1 finally hit British shores, Ken Kessler is on standby...

For the past four years, I've been waiting impatiently for a stab at the electronics from Air Tight. I admit that the charm of the name, the absolute perfection of that moniker for a brand of valve amplifiers, caught my attention as much as did the obviously exquisite manufacture. The price, too, appealed, considering that these amplifiers promised peerless construction and attention to detail you just don't find this side west of a Jadis. At last there's a UK importer, so my wait is over.

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From the Vault
British pre-conceptions (August 1985)
Ken Kessler  |  Dec 01, 2018  |  First Published: Aug 01, 1985
Ken Kessler investigates control units from Musical Fidelity and Deltec

By 1985 standards, preamps selling for between £500 and £1000 are thought of as 'upper mid-fi' and not really expected to match the standards of the Krell PAM-3/Audio Research SP-10 variety. But they should bring you close enough to the state-of-the-art that you have to think long and hard about justifying an expenditure of double their prices – or even more. Aah, diminishing returns...

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From the Vault
CD: The story so far
Martin Colloms  |  Aug 30, 2019  |  First Published: Mar 01, 1984
A year after the launch of CD, Martin Colloms looks at the progress made by player manufacturers before reviewing the new generation of machines

This issue marks the first anniversary of CD's UK launch, the Philips CD100 appearing on these shores in March 1983. There has been some comment in the press concerning a 'second generation' of CD players and this appears to be the case for some manufacturers.

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From the VaultTurntables, Arms & Cartridges
State of the AR-T
John Atkinson  |  May 21, 2019  |  First Published: Oct 01, 1983
hfnvintageThe Acoustic Research turntable is back! John Atkinson looks and listens

It is June 1982 and Compact Disc is still more science fiction than fact (although both sides have carried out their groundwork and preliminary skirmishing). The scene is the restaurant of Boston's classy Copley Plaza Hotel and a handful of British hi-fi journalists, fresh from the Chicago CES, are dining with Ron Fone, the (English) President of Teledyne Acoustic Research. Over dessert arises the subject of turntables and the question, 'Why doesn't anyone – apart from Rega, or Thorens – produce a good mid-price mass-market deck?'.

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From the Vault
Chicago, Chicago . . .
John Atkinson  |  Jun 21, 2019  |  First Published: Sep 01, 1980
John Atkinson reports on the 1980 summer Consumer Electronics Show

Thought highly of by many, the Canadian 'Oracle' turntable is winning a reputation as perhaps the first design to supersede the performance of Linn's respected Sondek. Beautifully engineered, the rigid laminated subchassis arm mount is hung from three springs, which can be adjusted from above.

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From the VaultLoudspeakers
Three loudspeakers: Leak, Lentek and Chartwell
Trevor Attewell  |  Mar 26, 2019  |  First Published: Dec 01, 1976
With a pair of Quad ELS electrostatics as his benchmark, Trevor Attewell compares multi-driver loudspeakers from Leak, Lentek and Chartwell

Here we audition three models ranging in price from £250-£300 and all from British manufacturers. But which will top our trio when it comes to musical performance?

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