Our English Synopsis
1. Audio Culture
(Editorial notes)
2. Soundservice
Space for those desiring to inquire, needing advice, wishing to
comment or argue or even advertize.
3. Mozart-Böhm
Numerous conductors have already attempted to produce recording series
of Mozart's grand operas. Hungaroton will soon issue in Hungary as
well the DG recording of the great Mozart--conductor's Magic flute.
4. Music in Oil and Vinegar
(Experimental recording reviews)
Is the reviewer dependant on a Hi-Fi set? The answer to this question
has not been treated for a long time elswhere - it has not been a
subject of interest at home. It is not impossible that our experiment
is the one and only of its kind. We have asked young musicians twice
in two occasions to write short reviews of Mozart's Haffner-symphony,
a suite from Hándel's Water music and Stravinsky's Firebird. A whole
month elapsed between the two listening sessions. We suggested that
for the second hearing a different interpretation of the same work
would be presented. In reality the second performance was identical
except for the stereo equipment which we substituted for an
inexpensive set. There were marked differences between the paired
reviews of otherwise identical recordings.
5. Recording Sheet
Reviews, criticism.
6. Page of Mirages
There is a component of recordplayers generally neglected by the
designers. This is the chassis. No wonder that recordplayers, even the
more expensive ones, tend to be very sensitive to all kinds of noise
originating from the street, building of room itself, as well as to
acoustic feedback. Almost all sets will be improved by placing them on
a heavy, acoustically dead matter which is standing on precision
springs. Such bases for recordplayers are produced by only one company
in the world (to our best knowledge) and costs more than $200. This
could be manufactured in Hungary without necessitating one pensy of
import.
7. The Quintessential Octafon Receiver
There can never be enough buttons, switches, lamps, levers on a Hi-Fi
set. This problem is tackled by our best expert having crystallized
the experience of several hours spent in Hong Kong into one machine.
The design includes an integrated revolving seat which enables the
owner to manipulate the buttons with both hands without discomfort. As
the technology for button and lamp production improve, we reserve the
right to change any or all of them accordingly.
8. The Yellow Brick Road
(Press digest)
9. Miss Plastic
(Sony SS-860 speaker)
Even though the abundant make up makes one suspicious, many of our
readers will consider our Playmate Of The Month a real heartthrob. It
was presented at the 1980 Budapest International Fair. Miss Plastic
stood in front of our camera without an inch of cloth (luckily we are
not bashfull). Our measurements and subjective listening reinforced
our previously held view that simple two-way, 40-liter speakers have a
definite future.
10. Three wishes
(Fairy tale for adults about woofers)
Once upon a time there was a lad who wanted to aquire a pair of good
speakers. While he was walking through a nearby forest he spotted an
old woman carrying with great difficulty a big bundle of G-cleffs. He
helped her and immediately realized that the old lady was the Fairy of
Acoustics herself ready to satisfy his wishes in return for his help.
"I have three wishés", he said, "I would like to have a speaker, the
smallest possible, with a bass the deepest imaginable and with the
greatest efficiency." "I will fulfill two out of three", the fairy
replayed. "You decide which two. Say it loud: Q=0.7, and I will be
here". (Our fairy tale is illustrated by the magicians of KEF.)
11. Presenting
To the great pleasure of our music lovers, this sections is larger
than usual. To start with, the first domestically produced Hi-Fi
tower is available: Orion tuner, integrated amp, tape deck and
speakers. (To top it all a record player will be imported, no decision
as yet what kind.) A novelty in a more humble category is the 2 x 20 W
Merkury receiver from Poland. New cartridges: Ortofon VMS 30/II and
the moving coil MC 10 with STM 72 transformer, the Shure M95 EDM and
the completely Hi-Fi compatible soviet (!) Pulsar GZM-003.
12. MOD
Monitorswitch for Videoton Prometheus
13. Between Takes
(Forecast)
