Congratulations Gateway Mastering and DVD on your most recent list of Grammy nominees. Transparent is proud to have provided cables and connections throughout Gateway's mastering studios.
Below from their website:
54th Annual Grammy Award nominations
Gateway Mastering Studio’s Bob Ludwig and Adam Ayan work with many artists throughout the year. Some projects get recognized by The Recording Academy for outstanding achievement. Below is a list of songs and artists that have been nominated for a Grammy Award this year that were mastered at Gateway Mastering Studios.
There are 24 nominations in 17 diverse categories including Record of the Year, Best Rock Album, Best Country album, Best Bluegrass album, Best Blues, Album, Best Folk Album and Best Engineered Album non-classical.
Bob & Adam are eligible for certificates for any of the winning nominations. Bob is nominated for physical Grammy Awards in two categories: Best Engineered Album non-classical and Best Surround Sound Album
The 54th Annual Grammy Awards nominees that were mastered at Gateway:
1. Record Of The Year
The Cave
Mumford & Sons
Markus Dravs, producer; Francois Chevallier & Ruadhri Cushnan,
engineers/mixers Track from: Sigh No More
[Glassnote Records]
6. Best Pop Duo/Group Performance
Body And Soul
Tony Bennett & Amy Winehouse
Track from: Duets II
[Columbia Records]
Paradise
Coldplay
[Capitol Records]
11. Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Duets II
Tony Bennett & Various Artists
[Columbia Records]
Music Is Better Than Words
Seth MacFarlane
[Universal Republic]
12. Best Rock Performance
Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
Coldplay [Capitol Records/ EMI/ Parlophone]
The Cave
Mumford & Sons
Track from: Sigh No More
[Glassnote Records]
Lotus Flower
Radiohead
Track from: The King Of Limbs
[XL/ TBD Recordings]
14. Best Rock Song
The Cave
Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston, songwriters
(Mumford & Sons)
Track from: Sigh No More
[Glassnote Records]
Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall
Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion & Chris Martin, songwriters
(Coldplay)
[Capitol Records/ EMI/ Parlophone
15. Best Rock Album
The Whole Love
Wilco
[dBpm Records/ Anti Records]
16. Best Alternative Music Album
Circuital
My Morning Jacket
[ATO Records]
The King Of Limbs
Radiohead
[XL/ TBD Records]
25. Best Country Solo Performance
I'm Gonna Love You Through It
Martina McBride
[Republic Nashville]
Mama's Song
Carrie Underwood
Track from: Play On
[Arista Nahville]
27. Best Country Song
Just Fishin'
Casey Beathard, Monty Criswell & Ed Hill, songwriters (Trace Adkins)
28. Best Country Album
Here For A Good Time
George Strait
[MCA Nashville]
34. Best Gospel/Contemporary Christian Music Performance
Do Everything
Steven Curtis Chapman
Track from: re:Creation
[Sparrow Records]
44. Best Bluegrass Album
Sleep With One Eye Open
Chris Thile & Michael Daves
[Nonesuch]
45. Best Blues Album
Revelator
Tedeschi Trucks Band
[Masterworks]
46. Best Folk Album
Ukulele Songs
Eddie Vedder
[Monkeywrench Inc./Universal Republic]
59. Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)
Who Can I Turn To (When Nobody Needs Me)
Jorge Calandrelli, arranger (Tony Bennett & Queen Latifah)
Track from: Duets II
[RPM/Columbia Records]
64. Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical
Music Is Better Than Words
Rich Breen & Frank Filipetti, engineers; Bob Ludwig, mastering engineer (Seth
MacFarlane)
[Universal Republic]
67. Best Surround Sound Album
Layla And Other Assorted Love Songs (Super Deluxe Edition)
Elliot Scheiner, surround mix engineer; Bob Ludwig, surround mastering
engineer; Bill Levenson & Elliot Scheiner, surround producers (Derek & The
Dominos)
[USM/UMe/Polydor]
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Thursday, November 10, 2011
TAS December Back Page Interview with Karen Sumner
Karen Sumner, one of the original founders of Transparent Audio, is featured in the December issue of The Absolute Sound. The Back Page Interview was shortened in the printed version but you can read the interview in its entirety below.
What ignited your interest in the high end? Did it come from the music side or the electronics side?
Music was the foundation of my interest in high-end audio. I took my first piano lessons when I was 8. I picked up guitar in high school, and I sang and played my way through college.
My first stereo system expanded my musical tastes. When I was 14, my dad and I built a stereo system from a Heath kit and Radio Shack speaker drivers. I bought records with my allowance, and I started picking out my own arrangements from the records — folk, blues, and some rock. The amplifier blew up frequently. I’d test tubes for the amp at the local hardware store to keep the amp running. I consulted with our local Radio Shack (which was more like a real hifi store in those days) about ways I could improve the system. I was constantly seeking ways to get more information off my records.
I have been a music lover and electronics geek since childhood.
Women in leadership or executive positions were uncommon when you began in the high end. What was that like for you?
Jack Sumner, our friend Carl Smith, and I started Transparent Audio in 1980. They both continued with their careers and helped me evenings and weekends until they could join the company full time with me in 1986. I was the front person making contacts over the phone and travelling all over the United States to meet potential dealers in the early 80s. In the beginning, we couldn’t afford decent hotels. There were no cell phones or GPS. Asking directions or getting out of the car to use a pay phone was out of the question in some of the places I ended up while looking for my destinations. Thirty years ago, travelling was definitely not comfortable or safe for young women.
If it had not been for the many wonderful people I met in the industry who welcomed me and were genuinely interested in what I had to say and demonstrate, I would never have persevered. Jack and Carl also provided valuable advice and encouragement. Mentors and fearlessness (and maybe some naïveté) were important.
Yet women are still not a large part of the hobby. Why do you think that is? What can we do to change that?
Women love music just as much as men do. Many more today have the discretionary time and money to seek out a great hifi system. These women are really no different than any other potential first time system buyer. They are drawn to the idea of putting together a better hifi system because they want to get closer to the music they love. Audio magazines and retailers haven’t made enough effort to reach outside of a relatively small group of primarily men who have spent years experimenting with equipment as an end unto itself.
Magazines and dealers could do a lot to make the hifi hobby more accessible to all potential first time system buyers by talking more about the music listening experience in the context of an entire system of components rather than primarily focusing on the merits of the latest and greatest amplifier, speaker, or cable.
We need to help neophytes, whether they are successful professional women in their forties or aspiring music lovers from the MP3 generation, unlock the mysteries of what to listen for in a well balanced audio system and provide some how-to guidance.
How do you define high-end audio to someone unfamiliar with the hobby?
High-end audio is a listening experience that grabs you, and it can happen with the simplest, most basic system. High-end audio experiences happen when a system makes you want to explore music and improve the performance of the system in ways that help you engage more completely with the music you love.
What is the first thing you listen for in a high-end audio system?
The natural balance of music’s fundamental tones to harmonic frequencies is the most important element because natural tonal balance helps our minds and bodies relax enough to be open to deep listening experiences. Poorly matched components and cables and improper system set-ups frequently skew tonal balance upward. This upwardly skewed tonal balance emphasizes harmonics and system noise more than fundamental tones. The sound can be tiresome and irritating. In contrast, one never grows tired of the sound of a well-balanced system. It invites the listener to absorb the intent of the music performance totally particularly when the system is capable of revealing other critical musical elements such as dynamics and low-level information.
What is your best “how to” advice to a person who is assembling his first high-end audio system?
Go to a specialty audio retailer who demonstrates a love for music. Seek out a person there who is expert at setting up systems and who will readily answer your questions and help you solve any service problems. Work with a retailer who will help you upgrade your system when you’re ready to take the next step.
Outside of audio, what do you do for fun?
In the winter, I attend more than 30-40 live concerts, mostly classical orchestral, solo artist or small ensemble, and opera. I listen to a lot of music at home. I’m an avid golfer and sailor. I like to design gardens, houses, and interior and exterior architectural details. I collect art. I like cooking food that is beautiful to look at, delicious, and healthy. I paint and sketch when I get a chance. I really like to read, but I will pick up an article or book about current events, people, or history before I’ll read a novel or poetry (which I also enjoy).
What still inspires you about your work?
My biggest inspiration is the Transparent staff. They have taken full ownership of our mission to provide our dealers and distributors with high performance products and services that help them create the best music systems possible for their customers.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Transparent's Carl Smith Leads Symphony Discussion
On Saturday afternoon October 1st Carl Smith of Transparent led a Q & A session following the rehearsal performance by Awadagin Pratt of Beethoven's Piano Concerto #5 with the Portland Symphony Orchestra. Awadagin is a prominent concert pianist who has played with many of the country's leading orchestras and has performed for two presidents in the White House. His performances of the Beethoven concerto at two concerts with the Portland Symphony were very well received, with vigorous applause at the end of the first movement and standing ovations at the end of the piece. During one of the concerts an audience member's cell phone rang several times during the pause between the 1st and 2nd movements. At just the right moment Awadagin said in response to the ringing phone, "I'm busy just now" and the crowd loved it. He got a big laugh and more applause. You can learn more about this outstanding pianist at www.awadagin.com
Monday, September 19, 2011
Transparent Musicians Play Benefit Concert
A Saturday evening benefit concert at Jay York’s Last Church on the Left featured a number of Transparent family musicians and friends. Three bands split the evening playing a variety of roots oriented material.
Dank Roadie Uberdrive started the evening, featuring Transparent’s Mike Dank playing a Danelectro Longhorn bass. John Robertson, a machinist who makes many of our custom parts, sang vocals and played guitar, mandolin and Dobro. The band, which bills itself as psychelic honkey tonk, covered some Joe Henry and Warren Zevon among others.
Dank Roadie Uberdrive started the evening, featuring Transparent’s Mike Dank playing a Danelectro Longhorn bass. John Robertson, a machinist who makes many of our custom parts, sang vocals and played guitar, mandolin and Dobro. The band, which bills itself as psychelic honkey tonk, covered some Joe Henry and Warren Zevon among others.
Gretchen and Doug of the duo Day for Night sang great classic country tunes, featuring sweet harmonies, guitars and mandolin. Louvin Brothers and Stanley Brothers tunes were among the performances.
The Small Orchestra played rural blues featuring Transparent’s Mike Dank on snare and Mark Cousins on drum kit for a little of the North Mississippi sound with Kevin Midgley on vocals and guitar. The band was rounded out with two harmonica players, and Jeff Trippe of the local group the Mutineers on mandolin and backup vocals.
The bands each played two sets. Demos Dadiotes provided photo documentation. Many thanks to Jay York for providing such a great venue.
The Small Orchestra played rural blues featuring Transparent’s Mike Dank on snare and Mark Cousins on drum kit for a little of the North Mississippi sound with Kevin Midgley on vocals and guitar. The band was rounded out with two harmonica players, and Jeff Trippe of the local group the Mutineers on mandolin and backup vocals.
The bands each played two sets. Demos Dadiotes provided photo documentation. Many thanks to Jay York for providing such a great venue.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Transparent in Surat, India
Transparent is pleased to announce that we have a new distributor in India called Absolute Sound! They've been making waves all the way from the city of Surat, enough so that Electronic House noticed.
Absolute Sound! had a challenge on their hands. At 15-by-23 feet, it was a small theater room with brightness and bass issues. Jignesh Khatiwala took charge of the installation and got some amazing results. Click the link below to read more about it.
http://www.electronichouse.com/article/sound_solutions_home_theater_in_busy
_surat/
Friday, August 12, 2011
Noted Concert Pianist Lorin Hollander Writes About His Recent Experience in the Transparent Sound Room
Concert pianist and conductor Lorin Hollander recently visited Transparent Audio's sound room to listen to high resolution digital copies of archival tapes of Portland Symphony concert performances. Lorin Hollander made his Carnegie Hall debut at age 11 and performed on the Bell Television Hour on national television during his teenage years. He made recordings for RCA Victor and has performed with most of the world's great orchestras during his nearly 60 year career as a pianist and conductor. See his website www.lorinhollander.com for more details about his remarkable career.
A New Dimension in Sound Reproduction, by Lorin Hollander
Recently I heard sound reproduction at a level unprecedented in my experience. Not only did it exceed in orders of magnitude anything I have previously experienced in audio reproduction, it went beyond reproducing the sound of a live performance, for a series of important and unique reasons.
I was already familiar with the sound room in which I heard these recordings. I believe the room must equal or surpass anything that exists in the world. It uses the highest quality audio components and speakers, which are joined together into an organic synergistic whole by cables created and manufactured by Transparent Audio. These cables are a major dynamic generating force in the quality of sound and they are essential, but are not the full story. My several previous listening experiences in this room have been astounding. What made my recent experience even more extraordinary was due, in part at least, to the source material used, which were open reel tapes made for radio broadcasts of the Portland Symphony for many years. How they were originally created and the long history of their existence is a fascinating story in itself, which I will leave to Carl Smith who restored and transferred many of the best of them to high resolution digital files that are virtually indistinguishable sonically from the original tapes.
It is very difficult to find words that can describe such powerful and astounding musical reproduction. "Flabbergasting", "mind blowing", and "awe-inspiring" are descriptions I use rarely. Part of what made this a life enhancing experience was that it went beyond in many ways what I have heard in actual live performances. I have played in, and/or heard, more than 2500 concert performances, over nearly 60 years as a professional concert pianist and conductor. I have spent a lifetime being physically enveloped within live symphonic and instrumental music. I have listened to rehearsals and concerts in great and important concert halls. What makes these Portland Symphony recordings unique is, in part, the extraordinary microphone placement, 2 mikes set perfectly above the orchestra in the "line of fire" of the instruments, and therefore above the heads of most of the seated audience. These mikes pick up the instrumental sounds at their most pure, resulting in rich, vibrant, and breathtaking realism. Every timbre, partial, and harmonic component of each instrument is chiseled, sculpted, or painted in its individual sonic character, personality and contour, yet blended into a symphonic oceanic ambience, wave upon wave, which is quite frankly often overwhelming.
Part of the answer as to how all of this is possible can be found when understanding the scientific, artistic, and even spiritual process and mission of Carl Smith, Transparent Audio and its team of visionaries. The audio cables themselves apparently assure that every link in the audio reproduction chain is matched in impedance to the next and each link is fine-tuned to realize the highest potential of the unique source material. I realize there are schools of thought which debate the merits of the exact reproduction of the actual live sound of the musicians being recorded versus a more rich and "satisfying" sound, which may not be as pure as the original performance but can at times be somewhat more sensually pleasing. In the present case the sonic end result both reconciles and transcends these distinctions. The sound is more palpably sensual than what I have heard when sitting in fine seats in some of the great concert halls with which I'm familiar and there is a sense of intimacy and profound clarity enveloped within a vast spaciousness when hearing music reproduced in this way that is apparently not available when one is separated from the musicians in a concert hall or even when playing with them.
I will leave it to Carl to explain the history and the technical details of how this miracle came about. It is the latest step in his lifelong passion to bring sound reproduction to the highest possible level. For me and my wife Tara I am sure that all experience of musical sound, whether live or recorded, will be heard and evaluated based on what we heard in the Transparent Audio sound room---an unforgettable peak experience in my lifetime of performing and listening to music.
Lorin Hollander
Monday, August 1, 2011
Classical Music Course
Carl Smith, one of Transparent's founders, is teaching a classical music course in the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at the University of Southern Maine. A unique feature of this course is that all the musical examples are from recordings of Portland (Maine) Symphony concerts made over the past 50 years. Carl restored and transferred to multiple digital formats tapes of more than 300 concerts featuring world famous soloists such as Van Cliburn, Emmanuel Ax, Byron Janis, Lorin Hollander, and Martha Argerich, pops concerts under the direction of Arthur Fiedler, and guest jazz and popular music artists like George Shearing and Peter Nero.For use in his class Carl transferred many of the open reel tapes to a Tascam digital recorder in 192k/24 bit resolution and the resulting recordings are virtually indistinguishable from the original master tapes. The original tapes were made using Neumann microphones connected directly to top quality tape recorders without compression or processing of any kind. World famous mastering engineer, Bob Ludwig, whose Gateway Mastering Studio is located in Portland, worked with Carl on a 2 CD set of highlights from the collection and gave high praise to the sound quality of the best of these recordings.
The sound equipment used in the classroom must be stored in a small closet between class sessions, which ruled out the use of large speakers. Using very high quality amplifiers, Transparent cables, and a surprisingly synergistic combination of easily portable B & W speakers with a compact REL T9 subwoofer, the sound quality far exceeds what is customary in the typical classroom environment and the 31 students in the class have responded very enthusiastically. Many of them have said they have never heard such realistic sound outside of the concert hall and some have expressed interest in pursuing high quality audio themselves as a result of this experience.
The course has given Carl, who has also taught jazz music appreciation courses, an opportunity to combine his twin passions of sharing the music he loves and the experience of high quality sound reproduction.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Run, don't walk to connect a Transparent Ref MM2 Phono cable to your turntables
This e-mail just in from a happy audiophile and Transparent customer from Seattle, Washington:
"SUBJ: Run, don't walk to connect a Transparent Ref MM2 Phono cable to your turntables
I have always been a super happy with the many Transparent Cable products I have purchased from Definitive [a Transparent Dealer]. Each item has always been a sonic pleasure.
My system is all Transparent Reference except my VPI Scout 2 Signature that was connected via Audioquest Niagara’s.
The turntable sounds great and it has been a joy (thanks Curtis), but out of interest I had Gary and Brad build a TA Ref Phono cable to try out.
I was not ready for the improvement that I got yesterday when I swapped out the Audioquest Niagara to a Transparent Ref MM2 Phono cable that was calibrated for my Lyra Kleos source.
Of all of the Transparent cables that I have purchased, this change had a in your face difference. I felt I was listening to a different turntable. I got a larger improvement from the interconnect then I did from switching my cartridge from a Lyra Delos to Kleos earlier this year.
I thought Diana Krall’s Live in Paris sounded awesome with the Audioquest, but after hearing the clarity with the TA Ref, the old cable sounds like dirty glass.
The TA Ref Phono is definitely more clear, quieter and more dynamic.
You should put one of these on all of your tables. They are killer. "
-Mohammed
"SUBJ: Run, don't walk to connect a Transparent Ref MM2 Phono cable to your turntables
I have always been a super happy with the many Transparent Cable products I have purchased from Definitive [a Transparent Dealer]. Each item has always been a sonic pleasure.
My system is all Transparent Reference except my VPI Scout 2 Signature that was connected via Audioquest Niagara’s.
The turntable sounds great and it has been a joy (thanks Curtis), but out of interest I had Gary and Brad build a TA Ref Phono cable to try out.
I was not ready for the improvement that I got yesterday when I swapped out the Audioquest Niagara to a Transparent Ref MM2 Phono cable that was calibrated for my Lyra Kleos source.
Of all of the Transparent cables that I have purchased, this change had a in your face difference. I felt I was listening to a different turntable. I got a larger improvement from the interconnect then I did from switching my cartridge from a Lyra Delos to Kleos earlier this year.
I thought Diana Krall’s Live in Paris sounded awesome with the Audioquest, but after hearing the clarity with the TA Ref, the old cable sounds like dirty glass.
The TA Ref Phono is definitely more clear, quieter and more dynamic.
You should put one of these on all of your tables. They are killer. "
-Mohammed
Monday, May 9, 2011
Transparent at The Big Three Summit at HiFi House, May 4 and 5
The Big Three Summit Team at HiFi House: David Schultz, Josh Clark (Transparent); Jerron Marchant, Peter McGrath (Wilson); Karen Sumner (Transparent); Paul Sandquist (HiFi House); Dan D’Agostino, Ron Kinnear (D’Agostino Master Audio Systems).
Thanks to everyone at Transparent, D’Agostino, Wilson, and HiFi House for a great event the evenings of May 4th and 5th at HiFi House.
For a summary of the Transparent program and a complete playlist, CLICK HERE.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
My Life as a Roadie – Brad O’Toole
Recently I drove to Montreal to help put together a top-level sound system at Salon Son & Image 2011. The secret of this great adventure was several talented people coming together in one space. First of all, Coup de Foudre of Montreal brought together VTL, Wilson, and Transparent. Their own Erik Fortier and Graeme Humfrey kept us on the mark while we moved Wilson Alexandrias inch by inch to the best sonically neutral position within a hotel space. Peter McGrath queued up his key setup recordings and blessed the setup along with Trent Workman of Wilson Audio. Luke Manley made sure all electronics ran at their prime. Transparent and myself provided power and cabling expertise and made sure our personal day-to day experience with this setup came through. 
Keeping this great system in mind I still have to take a bow to live music. This shared search for that holy grail in audio equipment is my life, but standing in front of musicians always reminds me about how lucky we all are to enjoy great live music. On Thursday evening Coup de Foudre held a customer appreciation evening, with live music. The musician was not just any guitarist but a true icon of the Montreal music scene - John McGale. http://www.johnmcgale.ca/ What an amazing talented musician and a really cool cat to hang with in an amazing space. 
My weekend continued with one of those audio systems where you could enjoy opera from Puccini's Turandot to opera from Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. We even had moments where tears were shed as Leonard Bernstein came to life in front of us. Live concert after live concert graced our room for four days. For some, including me, it was music. Please check out John Atkinson had to say. http://www.stereophile.com/content/wilson150vtl150transparent150beethoven Salon Son and Image ended Sunday, but my roadie days continued. Grabbing all the OPUS cables from the hotel showroom I jumped in a van and headed for American Sounds of Canada’s new and unique house of audio/video. In the mini van I had the privilege of conversing with Dean Peer and Bret Mann. Check out their website at http://www.deanpeer.com/. Both performed live in an intimate setting of this new house/showroom. Many may know Dean as his recording entitled UCross rocked the CES show in Chicago many years ago. His continued use of bass harmonics mixed with southern blues rock guitar is amazing, especially when you get to witness it up close and personal. Thanks Angie Lisi of American Sounds for putting together an amazing and wonderful gathering of like-minded people. 
I also had a great opportunity to set up the new Jeff Rowland Corus and their new 625 stereo amp along with the Esoteric K-01 and Focal-JM Labs Stella Utopia to create music upstairs while the band was live downstairs. I downloaded Dean and Bret’s latest work entitled airborne in flac and played it on my computer using Amarra and Transparent’s near famous $100 USB cable. Did it work? Yes absolutely. Did it sound live…almost. Was it better than actual live downstairs? No, but my foot was still tapping to the beat, my face was still smiling, and I was not left wanting by the sound from the audio system.
Keeping this great system in mind I still have to take a bow to live music. This shared search for that holy grail in audio equipment is my life, but standing in front of musicians always reminds me about how lucky we all are to enjoy great live music. On Thursday evening Coup de Foudre held a customer appreciation evening, with live music. The musician was not just any guitarist but a true icon of the Montreal music scene - John McGale. http://www.johnmcgale.ca/ What an amazing talented musician and a really cool cat to hang with in an amazing space. My weekend continued with one of those audio systems where you could enjoy opera from Puccini's Turandot to opera from Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. We even had moments where tears were shed as Leonard Bernstein came to life in front of us. Live concert after live concert graced our room for four days. For some, including me, it was music. Please check out John Atkinson had to say. http://www.stereophile.com/content/wilson150vtl150transparent150beethoven Salon Son and Image ended Sunday, but my roadie days continued. Grabbing all the OPUS cables from the hotel showroom I jumped in a van and headed for American Sounds of Canada’s new and unique house of audio/video. In the mini van I had the privilege of conversing with Dean Peer and Bret Mann. Check out their website at http://www.deanpeer.com/. Both performed live in an intimate setting of this new house/showroom. Many may know Dean as his recording entitled UCross rocked the CES show in Chicago many years ago. His continued use of bass harmonics mixed with southern blues rock guitar is amazing, especially when you get to witness it up close and personal. Thanks Angie Lisi of American Sounds for putting together an amazing and wonderful gathering of like-minded people. I also had a great opportunity to set up the new Jeff Rowland Corus and their new 625 stereo amp along with the Esoteric K-01 and Focal-JM Labs Stella Utopia to create music upstairs while the band was live downstairs. I downloaded Dean and Bret’s latest work entitled airborne in flac and played it on my computer using Amarra and Transparent’s near famous $100 USB cable. Did it work? Yes absolutely. Did it sound live…almost. Was it better than actual live downstairs? No, but my foot was still tapping to the beat, my face was still smiling, and I was not left wanting by the sound from the audio system. 
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Seasons and the Sea
Our own Josh, David, Kevin and Amy all attended the Portland Symphony Orchestra's performance on April 5th, 2011. The program called the Seasons and the Sea started out gently with the Mendelssohn piece Overture: Calm Sea and Properous Voyage, Op. 27. The sweetness of the piece turned quickly into a wild wind sound using the horns. I could almost feel the wind on my face. The second piece, Four Seasons of Buenos Aires by Astor Piazzolla, was everyone's favorite. David said it had a surreal quality to it and he enjoyed the variety of sounds. Josh said that Piazzolla is known for his percussionistic additions to his works. The audience reacted in amusement at the short tribute to Vivaldi in this piece.
After intermission, the piece titled Interplay for Three Violins & Orchestra by Chris Brubeck received a standing ovation. Chris Brubeck, whose father is jazz pianist Dave Brubeck, was in the audience just behind us; his immense pleasure at the performance was contagious to everyone seated near him. Josh especially enjoyed the wonderful performance of the soloist Corine Brouwer. She is the current concertmaster of the Winston-Salem Symphony, the Asheville-Lyric Opera Orchestra, and the Carolina Chamber Symphony in North Carolina. The evening ended with Debussy's La Mer, three symphonic sketches of the sea. –Amy Farwell
Thursday, March 17, 2011
AudiophileReview.com's Interview with Karen
Interview with Karen Sumner of Transparent Audio
By Jerry Del Colliano
JD: Many suggest that Transparent Audio has the best pride of ownership of any audiophile product in the market place. What levels do you work on making your products special for consumers?
KS: It's certainly our key objective to engender pride of ownership with Transparent products. I think pride of ownership happens when a product provides long-term value. The product must perform beyond expectations, must be beautifully crafted, and must have a solid company behind it that genuinely cares about the end user's long-term pleasure from using their products.
Although our video cables are special too, I will focus on our audio cable line-up and secondarily Transparent Power Conditioners and Power Cords for this discussion because I assume that most AudiophileReview readers are most interested in sound quality.
Transparent's primary design team consists of 2 musicians and music lovers with physics degrees -- Jack Sumner and Josh Clark. The design team and the listening panel, of which I am an important part, attend live unamplified music performances in great sounding acoustical spaces at every opportunity. Listening to live music is the most important reference at Transparent. For long-term listening and product development, Transparent also owns two state-of-the-art RPG designed listening studios. The studios are equipped with a wide range of the latest high performance audio components and a large catalog of master tapes of music performances the team has attended. Transparent's investment in listening to live music and building the studios and music reference library help us build performance and value into our products in ways that truly set us apart from most audiophile manufacturers.
From entry level to the ultimate, each performance level in the Transparent audio cable line-up is designed to work together to help unify the performance of all the components of a system into a musical whole. Transparent's design model is based upon three primary musical criteria that we apply to every product at every performance level. This all-encompassing musical perspective is why Transparent brings the individual components in a system into more ideal harmony.
In order of importance, the criteria are: correct tonal balance (relationship of fundamentals to harmonics), dynamic range (from the very quietest passage to the loudest with realistic transient response), and space (low level resolution of reflected sound from the original acoustic space). These terms are the best way we have found to describe what we hear in a high fidelity system in musical terms.
The difference between performance levels in the Transparent line-up is a matter of the extent to which a specific product captures the full measure of each of the three criteria. Of course, one can never achieve the full measure of each criterion in a high fidelity system, but our goal is to come closer and closer to the ultimate OPUS MM level of performance, and then trickle the technology down throughout the rest of the product line.
Each and every type of cable and length of cable in the world has built-in levels of inductance (L), capacitance (C), and resistance (R). Transparent network technology controls and adjusts these levels for each of our specific cable designs to be more ideal in terms of achieving the three musical criteria: tonal balance, dynamics, and space. There is a specially calibrated LCR network on all our audio cables to control the performance of each type and length of cable we offer in our line-up. In general terms, this means that every audio cable and length of audio cable has its own specification from $85 a pair (The Link Interconnect) up to $33,000 a pair (OPUS MM Speaker Cable), and every cable is hand made. The more expensive cables are matched to specific output impedances of the listener's components.
In more specific terms, the precise LCR measurements of the ultimate Transparent OPUS MM at any given point in its continual development toward the musical ideal serves as the basis for an expanded mathematical model of LCR network values for every length and performance level of audio cable in the line-up.
The end result of all of this is that we have developed a range of products that provide predictable and measured levels of performance at graduated price points. We've removed the guesswork and resulting waste of money of trying to choose the best complement of cables for a system of components. Transparent Cables are also beautifully crafted, and most of them are upgradeable to higher performance levels while retaining much of the original value of the trade-in cables. The fact Transparent is always there to help our customers come closer to achieving the musical ideal in their home music systems provides long-term pleasure and value.
In conclusion, I guess you'd have to say that every audio cable we make is special; hence, pride of ownership should be high.
JD: How do you train and motivate your internal team to provide luxury for your end user clients?
KS: Our company culture is based upon the fact that we all know that our products and customers are very special. This culture starts with insuring that our employees know that they are special because they are the chosen ones to accomplish our objectives. The three founding partners, Carl Smith, Jack Sumner, and I, have always had a unified perspective on employee empowerment and rewards. Our principal managers operate the same way. The key concept is that no one person can deliver the level of product quality and service that our customers need. There is no single superstar at Transparent. For our luxury brand and approach to flourish, everyone at Transparent must work together as a team from front line salespeople to the employees who prepare shipments. Each employee has areas of special expertise, but they all operate as if there is no hierarchy. Everyone is ready to assume whatever responsibility is required at any given point in time to make sure our products are manufactured up to our standards and that we deliver the kind of support and service that keeps our dealers, distributors, and consumers loyal to our brand.
As you can imagine, our employees are all very intelligent and creative to operate efficiently in this type of environment. Once established in our culture, employees tend to stay.
We have also purposely avoided growth for growth's sake, diluting our product mix, or changing our mission over the past 30 years. We knew that uncontrolled growth would force us to expand our staff to include the type of employees who look at their job solely as a way to make a wage. What we look for are employees who see their jobs also as a source of personal fulfillment -- a perspective critical to us for maintaining our brand identity.
Hiring top-notch people who embrace our mission of quality at every level, inspiring them, and rewarding them appropriately means we can retain them. The result is our customers end up having a seamless luxury experience with our products and company.
JD: With brands like Wisdom Audio opening dealers like Sound Components in Miami, Definitive Audio in Seattle, Stereo Exchange in Manhattan - what do you make of the audiophile in-wall speaker movement?
KS: I really like what Wisdom Audio is doing. Their concept of really high performance in-wall and on-wall speakers is long overdue. Transparent has offered reference quality in-wall speaker cables for more than 10 years, so we have been waiting for more performance out of in-wall speakers for a long time. Thanks to Wisdom, people who can't or don't want to have speakers visible in a room now can achieve a level of sound performance they could only dream about in the past.
JD: If an investor came to you seeking your advice as how to start a profitable audiophile business in a top 25 U.S. Market - what advice would you give them?
KS: Having a profitable business and having a large business are probably mutually exclusive objectives in the audiophile business. Because of the limited nature of the market, I think the audiophile business is a good small to medium business opportunity that can be very rewarding. To reap the rewards, business owners need to be good stewards of their mission and all the people they depend upon to carry out that mission including staff, suppliers, and a good dealer network. Small to medium sized businesses do not have the financial resources for meteoric rises. It takes years, focus, and patience to build a specialty brand.
Audiophile manufacturers need to put a considerable amount of time and investment into acquiring and developing really good dealers for the whole high-end audio experience to come together for the end user. A successful audiophile manufacturer needs to treat specialty audio retailers like they are valued partners and expect their dealers to be full participants in the partnership in return.
JD: When skeptical audiophiles and or home theater enthusiasts tell you "All HDMI cables are the same," what do you tell them?
KS: The fact that most typical HDMI cables won't pass an accurate signal in lengths more than 2 meters while more generously designed HDMI cables do work well at longer lengths should be proof enough that HDMI cables make a difference. If that is not enough evidence to be convincing, all you need to do is try a Transparent HDMI cable to know that superior conductors, dielectric insulation, cable construction, and termination make a significant difference in picture and sound quality. Transparent offers three performance levels of HDMI cables. All are high-speed HDMI and 3D video compliant. Performance HDMI cables start at $100 for one meter and High Performance HDMI starts at $250. Our ultimate Premium HDMI starts at $500. Performance and High Performance HDMI in lengths over 20 feet come equipped with an active network terminated into the cable and calibrated for length to compensate for cable attenuation and skew.
JD: If you bought an Audi R8 would you chrome plate it?
KS: Never! I'm just not into glitz. The form and function of this beautiful machine do not need to be enhanced.
Are you making a backhanded comment about audiophile products that are all show and no go?
JD: (No - I was poking fun at Monster Cable's Noel Lee and his newest acquisition for his car collection which is a chromed Audi R8. I bet he won't let me drive it now. JDC)
Why do women stereotypically shy away from audiophile systems when they tend to love music?
KS: I really don't want to offend audiophiles or anyone else, but some audiophile systems really don't sound much like music. The gear and creating a particular kind of sound tends to be an end unto itself in these systems, and consequently the natural musical balance of the system suffers. To non-audiophiles and music lovers, some of these systems actually create sound that is off-putting and irritating because the sound is not musically authentic. This is often of no significant consequence to the audiophile who is more interested in changing the way the system sounds with different equipment than in trying to come closer to a musical ideal. I have met audiophiles who actually are very serious when they proclaim that they like the sound of their system better than the sound of live music. They will focus on a certain type of music to play on the system they think sounds great and play those few pieces again and again, but the system is typically not musically satisfying with a broad range of music.
Real musical sounds are all around us and the ability to recognize them and be moved by them is in our DNA. One doesn't have to be an audiophile to recognize when a system is musically authentic.
I think it would be great if more audiophiles empowered their significant others who love music to get more involved in the system building process and encouraged them to speak up when the system veers from musical truth. It's not that audiophiles don't like music. It's just that some of them get so focused on hardware and creating a particular kind of sound that they lose their way.
As a musician and music lover, it has been one of the most satisfying aspects of my career to be a key member of the Transparent listening panel. I usually weigh in on the sonic results of design changes near the end of the process. I've often been a welcome fresh set of ears in our never-ending quest to create products that help playback systems come closer to the music, and I'm not shy about weighing in on what I hear!
JD: What would you tell an informed consumer about why he shouldn't buy all of his audiophile gear from Audiogon.com?
KS: Audiogon has its place in our industry. It allows customers to sell older equipment so they can buy new equipment from dealers, and it gives other customers a chance to own a piece of pre-owned equipment that they might otherwise not be able to afford.
A prime danger is, of course, that a customer purchasing a piece of pre-owned equipment through an unauthorized source will not get an adequate level of support from a dealer or the manufacturer if the component needs repair.
Also, putting together a whole system of components purchased from Audiogon based upon what 12 different reviewers say about 12 different pieces of equipment will rarely result in a system that is musically satisfying.
Audiophiles and music lovers need specialty dealers who have worked out all the intricacies of putting together and setting up great sounding systems, and they need dealers to help with their concerns and service issues after the purchase is complete.
Most dealers have access to high quality pre-owned equipment if a customer wants to go that route. Dealers can provide aftermarket service and in some instances offer an extension of the warranty to their customers who purchase pre-owned components from them. Dealers are the most important link between the customer and high performance products, and high-end audio can't survive without them.
You can't keep customers interested in a hobby by selling them out-of-date, broken down, bad sounding equipment with no warranty.
JD: What audio-video icon do you miss most and why? Gayle Sanders (MartinLogan), Mark Levinson (Cello, Mark Levinson, Red Rose) or Sam Runco (Runco)?
KS: I miss them all, of course, and there are others like Neil Sinclair from Theta that I'd add to the group who has moved on for the moment to other pursuits. I think there's a good chance that Gayle and Neil will reappear in some form, and Mark is still active in the industry with Daniel Hertz amplifiers and speakers.
Of all those listed, Mark is the most iconic in my mind, and unfortunately I haven't had a face-to-face conversation with him for years. He was already a legend when I started in the audio business more than 30 years ago. He's an accomplished musician and recording engineer, and his vision of how to put together a high fidelity system that recreates music drove our industry forward for decades. One of my first and favorite systems was an HQD system that he designed. It consisted of Hartley subs and a pair of stacked QUADs with a Decca tweeter mounted between each stack. The HQDs created a heavenly, engaging sound. I remember joking with him about the system on a trip to Hong Kong to visit our mutual distributor Jadis Electronics. I said that I loved the system, but I didn't think it could hold up to the dynamic demands of home theater. He replied and smiled ironically: ". . . unless, of course, you watch only Ingmar Bergman movies . . ."
JD: Streaming audio and video from sources like CinemaNow, Netflix, Pandora and Rhapsody are all the rage these days but they are low resolution. Will they win out over HD sources like Blu-ray?
KS: Streamed audio and video for the moment has to be low resolution because network servers can't handle the data load of higher resolution downloads at this point. If streaming at this level makes more music and movies more accessible to more people, I'm all for it. There will always be aficionados who demand more resolution. I just hope there are enough of them to keep HD sources like Blu-ray alive and that ultimately higher resolution streaming becomes available.
JD: What luxury goods brand do you think is most like Transparent Audio and why - Gulfstream, Patek Philippe, Steinway, Hermes, Brioni or Rolls Royce?
KS: That's a really tough question. One could draw similarities with any of them, but I think I will choose Brioni for a number of reasons. The suit completes the man, and for it to do its job exceedingly well, the suit has to be made out of the right material and be custom fitted to make the most of the man's positive physical attributes. Like a Brioni suit, Transparent's ultimate OPUS MM cables are custom fitted to the customer's system to make the most of its attributes. We fit the cable not only in terms of length but the way the connections fit on the specific components. The cable and its network are also finely calibrated to fit the impedance characteristics of its associated components much the same way that every type of fabric and interface in a well-designed suit is crafted to drape and fit the owner's body in the most flattering way. As a good suit doesn't actually change the essence of the man within, the cable shouldn't stand in the way of the essential character of the system, but instead should enhance it. Quoted from http://www.audiophilereview.com/
By Jerry Del Colliano
JD: Many suggest that Transparent Audio has the best pride of ownership of any audiophile product in the market place. What levels do you work on making your products special for consumers?
KS: It's certainly our key objective to engender pride of ownership with Transparent products. I think pride of ownership happens when a product provides long-term value. The product must perform beyond expectations, must be beautifully crafted, and must have a solid company behind it that genuinely cares about the end user's long-term pleasure from using their products.
Although our video cables are special too, I will focus on our audio cable line-up and secondarily Transparent Power Conditioners and Power Cords for this discussion because I assume that most AudiophileReview readers are most interested in sound quality.
Transparent's primary design team consists of 2 musicians and music lovers with physics degrees -- Jack Sumner and Josh Clark. The design team and the listening panel, of which I am an important part, attend live unamplified music performances in great sounding acoustical spaces at every opportunity. Listening to live music is the most important reference at Transparent. For long-term listening and product development, Transparent also owns two state-of-the-art RPG designed listening studios. The studios are equipped with a wide range of the latest high performance audio components and a large catalog of master tapes of music performances the team has attended. Transparent's investment in listening to live music and building the studios and music reference library help us build performance and value into our products in ways that truly set us apart from most audiophile manufacturers.
From entry level to the ultimate, each performance level in the Transparent audio cable line-up is designed to work together to help unify the performance of all the components of a system into a musical whole. Transparent's design model is based upon three primary musical criteria that we apply to every product at every performance level. This all-encompassing musical perspective is why Transparent brings the individual components in a system into more ideal harmony.
In order of importance, the criteria are: correct tonal balance (relationship of fundamentals to harmonics), dynamic range (from the very quietest passage to the loudest with realistic transient response), and space (low level resolution of reflected sound from the original acoustic space). These terms are the best way we have found to describe what we hear in a high fidelity system in musical terms.
The difference between performance levels in the Transparent line-up is a matter of the extent to which a specific product captures the full measure of each of the three criteria. Of course, one can never achieve the full measure of each criterion in a high fidelity system, but our goal is to come closer and closer to the ultimate OPUS MM level of performance, and then trickle the technology down throughout the rest of the product line.
Each and every type of cable and length of cable in the world has built-in levels of inductance (L), capacitance (C), and resistance (R). Transparent network technology controls and adjusts these levels for each of our specific cable designs to be more ideal in terms of achieving the three musical criteria: tonal balance, dynamics, and space. There is a specially calibrated LCR network on all our audio cables to control the performance of each type and length of cable we offer in our line-up. In general terms, this means that every audio cable and length of audio cable has its own specification from $85 a pair (The Link Interconnect) up to $33,000 a pair (OPUS MM Speaker Cable), and every cable is hand made. The more expensive cables are matched to specific output impedances of the listener's components.
In more specific terms, the precise LCR measurements of the ultimate Transparent OPUS MM at any given point in its continual development toward the musical ideal serves as the basis for an expanded mathematical model of LCR network values for every length and performance level of audio cable in the line-up.
The end result of all of this is that we have developed a range of products that provide predictable and measured levels of performance at graduated price points. We've removed the guesswork and resulting waste of money of trying to choose the best complement of cables for a system of components. Transparent Cables are also beautifully crafted, and most of them are upgradeable to higher performance levels while retaining much of the original value of the trade-in cables. The fact Transparent is always there to help our customers come closer to achieving the musical ideal in their home music systems provides long-term pleasure and value.
In conclusion, I guess you'd have to say that every audio cable we make is special; hence, pride of ownership should be high.
JD: How do you train and motivate your internal team to provide luxury for your end user clients?
KS: Our company culture is based upon the fact that we all know that our products and customers are very special. This culture starts with insuring that our employees know that they are special because they are the chosen ones to accomplish our objectives. The three founding partners, Carl Smith, Jack Sumner, and I, have always had a unified perspective on employee empowerment and rewards. Our principal managers operate the same way. The key concept is that no one person can deliver the level of product quality and service that our customers need. There is no single superstar at Transparent. For our luxury brand and approach to flourish, everyone at Transparent must work together as a team from front line salespeople to the employees who prepare shipments. Each employee has areas of special expertise, but they all operate as if there is no hierarchy. Everyone is ready to assume whatever responsibility is required at any given point in time to make sure our products are manufactured up to our standards and that we deliver the kind of support and service that keeps our dealers, distributors, and consumers loyal to our brand.
As you can imagine, our employees are all very intelligent and creative to operate efficiently in this type of environment. Once established in our culture, employees tend to stay.
We have also purposely avoided growth for growth's sake, diluting our product mix, or changing our mission over the past 30 years. We knew that uncontrolled growth would force us to expand our staff to include the type of employees who look at their job solely as a way to make a wage. What we look for are employees who see their jobs also as a source of personal fulfillment -- a perspective critical to us for maintaining our brand identity.
Hiring top-notch people who embrace our mission of quality at every level, inspiring them, and rewarding them appropriately means we can retain them. The result is our customers end up having a seamless luxury experience with our products and company.
JD: With brands like Wisdom Audio opening dealers like Sound Components in Miami, Definitive Audio in Seattle, Stereo Exchange in Manhattan - what do you make of the audiophile in-wall speaker movement?
KS: I really like what Wisdom Audio is doing. Their concept of really high performance in-wall and on-wall speakers is long overdue. Transparent has offered reference quality in-wall speaker cables for more than 10 years, so we have been waiting for more performance out of in-wall speakers for a long time. Thanks to Wisdom, people who can't or don't want to have speakers visible in a room now can achieve a level of sound performance they could only dream about in the past.
JD: If an investor came to you seeking your advice as how to start a profitable audiophile business in a top 25 U.S. Market - what advice would you give them?
KS: Having a profitable business and having a large business are probably mutually exclusive objectives in the audiophile business. Because of the limited nature of the market, I think the audiophile business is a good small to medium business opportunity that can be very rewarding. To reap the rewards, business owners need to be good stewards of their mission and all the people they depend upon to carry out that mission including staff, suppliers, and a good dealer network. Small to medium sized businesses do not have the financial resources for meteoric rises. It takes years, focus, and patience to build a specialty brand.
Audiophile manufacturers need to put a considerable amount of time and investment into acquiring and developing really good dealers for the whole high-end audio experience to come together for the end user. A successful audiophile manufacturer needs to treat specialty audio retailers like they are valued partners and expect their dealers to be full participants in the partnership in return.
JD: When skeptical audiophiles and or home theater enthusiasts tell you "All HDMI cables are the same," what do you tell them?
KS: The fact that most typical HDMI cables won't pass an accurate signal in lengths more than 2 meters while more generously designed HDMI cables do work well at longer lengths should be proof enough that HDMI cables make a difference. If that is not enough evidence to be convincing, all you need to do is try a Transparent HDMI cable to know that superior conductors, dielectric insulation, cable construction, and termination make a significant difference in picture and sound quality. Transparent offers three performance levels of HDMI cables. All are high-speed HDMI and 3D video compliant. Performance HDMI cables start at $100 for one meter and High Performance HDMI starts at $250. Our ultimate Premium HDMI starts at $500. Performance and High Performance HDMI in lengths over 20 feet come equipped with an active network terminated into the cable and calibrated for length to compensate for cable attenuation and skew.
JD: If you bought an Audi R8 would you chrome plate it?
KS: Never! I'm just not into glitz. The form and function of this beautiful machine do not need to be enhanced.
Are you making a backhanded comment about audiophile products that are all show and no go?
JD: (No - I was poking fun at Monster Cable's Noel Lee and his newest acquisition for his car collection which is a chromed Audi R8. I bet he won't let me drive it now. JDC)
Why do women stereotypically shy away from audiophile systems when they tend to love music?
KS: I really don't want to offend audiophiles or anyone else, but some audiophile systems really don't sound much like music. The gear and creating a particular kind of sound tends to be an end unto itself in these systems, and consequently the natural musical balance of the system suffers. To non-audiophiles and music lovers, some of these systems actually create sound that is off-putting and irritating because the sound is not musically authentic. This is often of no significant consequence to the audiophile who is more interested in changing the way the system sounds with different equipment than in trying to come closer to a musical ideal. I have met audiophiles who actually are very serious when they proclaim that they like the sound of their system better than the sound of live music. They will focus on a certain type of music to play on the system they think sounds great and play those few pieces again and again, but the system is typically not musically satisfying with a broad range of music.
Real musical sounds are all around us and the ability to recognize them and be moved by them is in our DNA. One doesn't have to be an audiophile to recognize when a system is musically authentic.
I think it would be great if more audiophiles empowered their significant others who love music to get more involved in the system building process and encouraged them to speak up when the system veers from musical truth. It's not that audiophiles don't like music. It's just that some of them get so focused on hardware and creating a particular kind of sound that they lose their way.
As a musician and music lover, it has been one of the most satisfying aspects of my career to be a key member of the Transparent listening panel. I usually weigh in on the sonic results of design changes near the end of the process. I've often been a welcome fresh set of ears in our never-ending quest to create products that help playback systems come closer to the music, and I'm not shy about weighing in on what I hear!
JD: What would you tell an informed consumer about why he shouldn't buy all of his audiophile gear from Audiogon.com?
KS: Audiogon has its place in our industry. It allows customers to sell older equipment so they can buy new equipment from dealers, and it gives other customers a chance to own a piece of pre-owned equipment that they might otherwise not be able to afford.
A prime danger is, of course, that a customer purchasing a piece of pre-owned equipment through an unauthorized source will not get an adequate level of support from a dealer or the manufacturer if the component needs repair.
Also, putting together a whole system of components purchased from Audiogon based upon what 12 different reviewers say about 12 different pieces of equipment will rarely result in a system that is musically satisfying.
Audiophiles and music lovers need specialty dealers who have worked out all the intricacies of putting together and setting up great sounding systems, and they need dealers to help with their concerns and service issues after the purchase is complete.
Most dealers have access to high quality pre-owned equipment if a customer wants to go that route. Dealers can provide aftermarket service and in some instances offer an extension of the warranty to their customers who purchase pre-owned components from them. Dealers are the most important link between the customer and high performance products, and high-end audio can't survive without them.
You can't keep customers interested in a hobby by selling them out-of-date, broken down, bad sounding equipment with no warranty.
JD: What audio-video icon do you miss most and why? Gayle Sanders (MartinLogan), Mark Levinson (Cello, Mark Levinson, Red Rose) or Sam Runco (Runco)?
KS: I miss them all, of course, and there are others like Neil Sinclair from Theta that I'd add to the group who has moved on for the moment to other pursuits. I think there's a good chance that Gayle and Neil will reappear in some form, and Mark is still active in the industry with Daniel Hertz amplifiers and speakers.
Of all those listed, Mark is the most iconic in my mind, and unfortunately I haven't had a face-to-face conversation with him for years. He was already a legend when I started in the audio business more than 30 years ago. He's an accomplished musician and recording engineer, and his vision of how to put together a high fidelity system that recreates music drove our industry forward for decades. One of my first and favorite systems was an HQD system that he designed. It consisted of Hartley subs and a pair of stacked QUADs with a Decca tweeter mounted between each stack. The HQDs created a heavenly, engaging sound. I remember joking with him about the system on a trip to Hong Kong to visit our mutual distributor Jadis Electronics. I said that I loved the system, but I didn't think it could hold up to the dynamic demands of home theater. He replied and smiled ironically: ". . . unless, of course, you watch only Ingmar Bergman movies . . ."
JD: Streaming audio and video from sources like CinemaNow, Netflix, Pandora and Rhapsody are all the rage these days but they are low resolution. Will they win out over HD sources like Blu-ray?
KS: Streamed audio and video for the moment has to be low resolution because network servers can't handle the data load of higher resolution downloads at this point. If streaming at this level makes more music and movies more accessible to more people, I'm all for it. There will always be aficionados who demand more resolution. I just hope there are enough of them to keep HD sources like Blu-ray alive and that ultimately higher resolution streaming becomes available.
JD: What luxury goods brand do you think is most like Transparent Audio and why - Gulfstream, Patek Philippe, Steinway, Hermes, Brioni or Rolls Royce?
KS: That's a really tough question. One could draw similarities with any of them, but I think I will choose Brioni for a number of reasons. The suit completes the man, and for it to do its job exceedingly well, the suit has to be made out of the right material and be custom fitted to make the most of the man's positive physical attributes. Like a Brioni suit, Transparent's ultimate OPUS MM cables are custom fitted to the customer's system to make the most of its attributes. We fit the cable not only in terms of length but the way the connections fit on the specific components. The cable and its network are also finely calibrated to fit the impedance characteristics of its associated components much the same way that every type of fabric and interface in a well-designed suit is crafted to drape and fit the owner's body in the most flattering way. As a good suit doesn't actually change the essence of the man within, the cable shouldn't stand in the way of the essential character of the system, but instead should enhance it. Quoted from http://www.audiophilereview.com/
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Transparent's The Link and The Wave receive more praise
Taken from the recent March 2011 article titled "5 Cable Combos That Won't Break the Bank" by Andrew Robinson, AudiophileReview.com:“…Transparent Cable's The Link Interconnects and The Wave Speaker Cable.
Priced from $85 a meter The Link interconnects are Transparent Cable's entry level interconnect though their performance is anything but, possessing a rich, full, largely neutral sound that is ever so slightly laid back with excellent detail, air and speed. The Link interconnect is a great cable for many of today's budget and mid-fi components, especially MP3 players and other portable digital components such as iPods and iPads, which is how I use them. The Wave speaker cables are priced from $200 per eight-foot pair and like The Link are Transparent Cable's entry-level speaker cables. The Wave speaker cables are similar in sound to The Link and are obvious partners, though I believe The Wave speaker cables are marginally better than their interconnect counterparts, capable of performing quite well in systems costing considerably more…”
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Music Matters with Karen Sumner and Josh Clark
Time Wednesday, February 9 · 5:00pm - 10:00pm
Location Definitive Seattle - 6206 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, Washingtion
Music Matters highlights this year include the world debut of the new B&W PM1 Prestige Monitor loudspeakers, presented by their designer, Dr. John Dibb; Meridian's new DSP 3200 digital active bookshelf speaker system and the Media Core 200 digital music system; as well as the new VXR stereo amplifier from Ayre.
Manufacturer representatives include: Sterling Trayle from Finite Elemente, Mike Latvis of Harmonic Resolution Systems, Norm Steinke from Meridian, Jim Spaynhour from Peachrtree Audio and John Giolas from Wilson Audio. Our own Karen Sumner and Josh Clark will be in attendance.
During the evening, Audio Research will debut the Reference Anniversary Pre-Amp, and Linn will introduce the updated Akurate DS system, Classé will debut the new CP-800 digital preamplifier, HRS will present the MXR Reference stand, and GoldenEar will demonstrate the Triton Two loudspeakers, which is Sound & Vision's "Audio Product of the Year".
To read more about the event, click below for Karen's recent blog post:
http://blog.definitive.com/01/2011/music-audio/karen-sumner-transparent/
Key Links:
Music Matters info is on our home page: http://www.definitive.com/
Direct link to Invitation Registration: http://www.definitive.com/events_MM6_register.html
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/definitiveaudio
Facebook Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102420079833454
Location Definitive Seattle - 6206 Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, Washingtion
Music Matters highlights this year include the world debut of the new B&W PM1 Prestige Monitor loudspeakers, presented by their designer, Dr. John Dibb; Meridian's new DSP 3200 digital active bookshelf speaker system and the Media Core 200 digital music system; as well as the new VXR stereo amplifier from Ayre.
Manufacturer representatives include: Sterling Trayle from Finite Elemente, Mike Latvis of Harmonic Resolution Systems, Norm Steinke from Meridian, Jim Spaynhour from Peachrtree Audio and John Giolas from Wilson Audio. Our own Karen Sumner and Josh Clark will be in attendance.
During the evening, Audio Research will debut the Reference Anniversary Pre-Amp, and Linn will introduce the updated Akurate DS system, Classé will debut the new CP-800 digital preamplifier, HRS will present the MXR Reference stand, and GoldenEar will demonstrate the Triton Two loudspeakers, which is Sound & Vision's "Audio Product of the Year".
To read more about the event, click below for Karen's recent blog post:
http://blog.definitive.com/01/2011/music-audio/karen-sumner-transparent/
Key Links:
Music Matters info is on our home page: http://www.definitive.com/
Direct link to Invitation Registration: http://www.definitive.com/events_MM6_register.html
Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/definitiveaudio
Facebook Event Page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=102420079833454
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