* J.S. Bach: The Well-Tempered Clavier
Bk.1 (Kirkpatrick) (Archiv 2CD)
* Steve Reich: Another Look At
Counterpoint (Amiata CD)
* Bill Evans: The Complete Village
Vanguard Recordings 1961 (d.1-2) (Fantasy/Concord 3CD)
* Lloyd McNeil & Marshall Hawkins:
Tanner Suite (Asha/Universal Sound LP)
* Marilyn Crispell Trio: Live in
Zurich (Leo CD)
* Billy Cobham: Simplicity of
Expression/Depth of Thought (Columbia LP)
* Weather Report: Mr. Gone (Columbia
LP)
* David Torn: Best Laid Plains (ECM
CD)
* Gary Burton/Chick Corea/Pat
Metheny/Roy Haynes/Dave Holland: Like Minds (Concord CD)
* Pat Metheny Group: American Garage
(ECM LP)
* Pat Metheny & Lyle Mays: As
Falls Wichita, So Falls Wichita Falls (ECM LP)
* Daybreak ltd.: Daybreak ltd. (Deva
LP)
* Stephan Micus: Athos: A Journey to
the Holy Mountain (ECM CD)
* Emerald Web: Dragon Wings and Wizard
Tales (Sebastian Speaks LP)
* John Serrie & Gary Stroutsos:
Hidden World (Narada CD)
* Marcos Valle: Vento Sul (Odeon/Light
in the Attic LP)
* Thievery Corporation: Saudade (ESL
LP)
* Vince Matthews & Jim Casey: The
Kingston Springs Suite (Delmore Recording Society LP)
* Grateful Dead: Coliseum, Greensboro,
NC 4/30/81 (selections) (SBD 3CDR)
* It’s A Beautiful Day: At Carnegie
Hall (Columbia LP)
* Vashti Bunyan: Heartleap (DiCristina
LP)
* Latin Playboys: Latin Playboys
(Slash/Warner Bros. CD)
* Los Super Seven: Los Super Seven
(RCA CD)
* Robert Pollard: Faulty Superheroes
(GBV, Inc. LP)
* The Mars Volta: Deloused in the
Comatorium (Universal/Music on Vinyl 2LP)
* The Mars Volta: Scabdates
(GSL/Universal CD) †/‡
* Enslaved: In Times (Nuclear Blast
2LP)
* Mew: Frengers (Sony CD)
* White Hills: h-P1 (Thrill Jockey CD)
* White Hills: White Hills (Thrill
Jockey CD)
* Locrian: The Crystal World (Utech
2CD)
* Minsk: With Echoes in the Movement
of Stone (Relapse CD)
* Alabama Shakes: Sound & Color
(Ato 2LP)
†=iPod/iTunes
‡=car
Commentary:
My
Clearaudio Maestro V2 arrived this week and, thanks to the precision Clearaudio
Cartridge Alignment Tool and digital Weight Watcher stylus pressure gauge
(which is accurate to one-hundredth of a gram), set-up was a breeze—much to my
relief. I was back up and spinning records in less than an hour.
Of course, I was
expecting the Maestro to sound significantly better than the stock Concept
cartridge (as it should, being exponentially more expensive) but I was unprepared
for how shockingly good it sounds.
Seriously, all the usual audiophile
superlatives apply here: more slam, deeper bass, cleanly extended high frequencies,
more finely resolved inner details, with a silky smooth presentation from top
to bottom. But most impressive to me are the almost dead-quiet backgrounds,
with surface noise (when present) recessed deep behind the music.
The Maestro
features the same Trygon P2 stylus and boron cantilever found in their highest-end
moving coil designs, with the magnets’ motor assembly housed in ultra-dense,
resonance-damping ebony, resulting in luscious sound quality with superb
tracking, even on the most dynamic LPs. Listening to vinyl records has never
been so rewarding—or downright fun!
Worth every penny,
and then some.
