m

;lc

TI)MLUTARTAN All-British, or rather all-scottish, Ariston's complete

tvtt"t" consists of the established QlDeck nlus 1lre. ne-w
AriJ;;;;lifr"t I-"g" speakers' ReviewbvAlvin Gold
"rd

acq-uireA a new management team and have i""::t:9.11t:1tT.I:l:

*ii-."iLrJ iit.factory'and product development and the company is-
E;;;;;ll;1;k*- a much more aggressrve siance ln a low key.wavofof.the
E""ii..in. iiri, signs of renaisia"nce came wirh the inrroduction
O-a".t, *fri.f, nu,'gon" on to become a serious rival to the market
and
ri"o"ii. rt i svstenireviewed here is built around the Q-deck of
'
novel
i;;ffi;, ; bt;d
";*
amplifier and loudspeakers, the former
--if. ..ua., is entitled
desisn.
to ask
.why?'why have Ariston diversified in this
*r"i Wtt, .ttoose this time to do ii? Of course the answer is simple
.ndunf, Ari.,on don't see themselves expanding on the basis of the
;;i;;t";i; ,iu,i. iutntuur. market (static lbng term that is - turntable sales
;;;;;;;",1r-;;ine throogt the roof . Strange world, isn't it?) The point of
-6iueisificati"on
;;;i;ir-;'h;, for a companyariston's size wasn't an option '

It was a prerequisite.

ARISTON AMPLIFIER
OK. Let battle commence with the amplifier' The Ariston design is
r',nr.ualty proportioned, being quite tall but re.lativelV nqry9w
rai-.ntibiit are 9.5 and 32crn-respectively)' The midi-width
lrl.i.",r""" *as decided on with'an eye io the popularity of midi
-- !"rirrn.", e."erally and is welcome on space utilisation grounds'
-;j 'j-g trre h jight facilitates future developm-ents'
'r.,riiir".i
"irltl questioned Ariston on their future plans and thev uere
tri,Jrt tu!r.. hft.. ,ugg".ting that the release r'f a tuner * oulc be
timed to co]ncide with Radio One goine ]t'i:!r tri i:' I *:--':';i:
I
u\e on loudspeakers.
.-
iir.',i or. ii, . inputs. in.cluding.a moving-magnet sensitiviti' ph91cr
\tirre irnd a true tape-monrtor facf litv. Headphones can be plugged. in
..,,;t.,ii.trtlt: at thJ rezrr (as ,,pposej to mo.ri conreniently'still at the
i,1,,,,t1. socketrl is prorided ftlr one pair of louospeakers The
.i,r,-rk. ,en.,,rte coritroi hanclset. lvhich ri'orks over a surprisinglv lont
"na
rnuc.'irroVicles acccss to all inp^uts. r'ol.u.me Yp qt:Yn'lilpe T::It1"
:,;ii,,i,ii". thc last ol * hich is ri full 'suclclen death' facilitv' not the
u'Lrll -J(ld[] type .

'l hcre is IttJch ntorc ttr tell itbrlut the arngrlifier' whose design rvas
'l-hc rvith four
tionc itt-hotrsc. llos cr supl'rlt use: il lilrgL'.1(.)roid
\r.r)irl.rtu l(.[.lillC(l irrrr.t ler.rlr. rrrtc l,,r thJ,ligit:tl e.tttrttl rCCtitrllr trI
itt.thc
tf,r. .',:.'ri,. ;,n. iirr ihr pre-rrrtrp. :r thilJ lt'r thc nt c-tlt er :trtges
r

n,nr-r rrnn;rrrtl thc llr.t l,,t tll.l ,,tttntlt:tilqc it'elf. Althotrsh digitallt
L,'r,,,,iL.l.i rrll rlir.itrtl rr,'i'citkillcdtlurirrr'ln()rrnitl.li\t(nirrshvthe
srntnlc expc.iicnt-ot tlisconnecting the digital circuitrv until the
remote
.,,,,1r,,t *l,f .t it u|. All ;111ii,' prih: Jre \cr\ -rhort untl lttllrtlrr
.,,i ,rri,lg ii cmpl,ri ccl. the hiuh tlUrr litv circu ir hoilr tl having tracks on

firsttclstiffenthecleeptop.baseandsidepanels.The.re.sn0fl.ont()r
i.ui put .f bracing hc,ivetir. The enclosure is toaded bv a darr.rped port
- the back.
at
Ot,t. trl'o drive units. the SEAS H411 tweeter is the high
,".hnotngy onel it's equipped rvith a /+rn aluminium dome with an
;l;;i i;i;il ventillrted
,1,',ninin-i formecl in
not clear whether this is formecl
u.ntitrt.a ioimer (it is n.t
irn. p1.." u'ith the dorne). itnd withterrofluid for,n9w3r ha1a.\i.1gl
i.*iringlconf ing reasorls. 'l-he plastic nrounting plate has a mild
"
horn-krading elfect.
horrr-l<):rdins
itre 6'z:ini-,rass unit. type PlTRCY. has a flared poll'propylenecone
rrrr,,un,llii is rvell endowed with magnet and is built into
:r lisht but adeuuate tliecust chassis. The crossover point between
"ra'n,'utrtr". the
ir.iJrit.tt i. ri a sulpritingly'bw 2.5kHz' with 3rd order (lSdB/-,
il;;)
octave) slopes. The crosso\ er frequency !ls dounl)'
.ic,.tui=.foqr-"ncv g,o.u.bl):pYSiii'F tll:t rlrc
puzzlltlg slnce
irr..t.i Lft,..onance falls at 1.7k'Hzr at 2 it *ill be barell' lll:
-ikHz 10dB
io"ln. r,'t possible that the ferrofluid does something to damp the
rcs()nuncc. hut still. . .

lC packagcs along ri tth.rnainll' standrrcl qua,lit,r'' passive components'
N.irin.l-porvcr .r-,.,t1-,ut is gi'en bi' the nlanufacturer as 35W"churnnel
into fi ohrirs antl 50 irtto 'i tlhms. ri'ith peak cul'rents of arouncl
t9.5unr1'rs ott tltP.
:t:r,..i,i
,1.,lilicris nrulti v.ltagc and l.tits atlct.chrttrle IEC mains leacl
tri o rnrliciltions of the scriouincss li'ith $'hich the companV is tackling
t5c .'x',rit rttarke t.
'fhe seri.ttsness rvith i'r hich the llitish nlarket is
irii.,, i, implicit in thc price. At a feri,pence sh.rr of r18() if b.ught on
i;;.;;,-,. t5e arnplifier is singulrrll gtr.d r alue when essessed in strict
l.,l*d*are terms. NIanV of tfie c,,rn[onent.. rnc]ttding the all-import^ant
,",i*l i,:."tt,,tmer ancl some of th; lcs. are high qualiti't1pes and isfar
i,lnn-r .t .rp. Furthcrnlore. the standard cl{ construction
internallv
i.,".,:f,it.ri.. the ia'out ltl.kitlq st',rtl entrttgl.t t(-) h,\L'been made on an
;i,;ii"i" ;i,,"p()ncnt inscrti(rir inrrchine (ii *'arn't' th.ugh it mav be'
lutcrl. Hlvc'"'ou lookecl inside the amplilier'l'I was asked at one
it is lt reallv is'
i.,,r,i. 'ft:- l rvtrrk ol lrrt.' I haclrl't. but-t dicl nntl
ARISTON IMAGE LOUDSPEAKERS
The Image louclspeaker hlpperletl bce-11y.se' irr Ariston's rvords' thc,v
rvtrnted tir tre aUle to sell a s1'stenr :rt t-it)0. und their eristing speakers,
tne OlNs. *ould have putihem the bestpart of t200 over the top So
ifr.r*.t about proclucing something nes. usit'tg an outside consultant
to helo s'ith thc deriqn.
-[hc
lrnlse. rr h ich Lrv thc wa]' is nothing like the OLN ' is a compact
tO ilt,. :_"iiv rlcsign. p.r.r l.ade6 anrl intindccl to be p6ced
rvell clear
ol walls ancl irtherintpeclir,e .ta. It sh.r.rlcl be placed ttrr stands at least
l-lin tirll. the iclea beinsto listen just bclow the tw-eeteraxis The
carcirsc is ntaclc ll-tlm liSrrrlt chip. criticellv l'r'lcecl usitlg rvhat an.urunts
ttt a sec..1 baffle. clrir,er cuttrui: inelutled. \(rrne Llistance behind the
'lhe Image is adequatclv built in the main. but there nre worrylns
signs. for eiample iri the use .f low gracle internal citbles and loose tas
c;nnectors. the looseness ol the driie units its supplied' and the
frrr\\'ard oroiectinu edges of the rnain enclosures. $'hich enctturltge
un.t",ir"Lt. tliffreiti,,i. On the other hand. the Image cornes with
reticulated foam covers. rvhich are invariablv less obstructive
musicallv than cloth covers. Although the test pair didn't fit well' I
t oJ t..n f.rewarned. and I ha'e a iw.rn affidar,it to the effect that
pioO*tiun samples rvill be better. The external standard of joiner'v is
LiK. fini.h being an zrclequate if unexceptional black.ash vinyL -
t.n.dan.e is nJrriinaltv 6 ohms. rvhichhelps make the best of the
alrcildr sutislilcttrrv xsiB W \en\iti\ il\.
ARISTON Q-DECK
Although I have hacl to inrrocluce the amplifier and loudspeakers frorn
revisiort should suffice in the case of the
scratch]-a bit of simple
^the
y.o'. since it was released has carvecl itself a n.l
irrntrt,t.. which in
inc.nsiderable niche. parttl'at the e\Pen\e of the va.ous Duals' The
[.r' r;utut. of the desfn u'as to include atlegree of Dual 50-5 style
auiomation semi-aut-omation if you prefer - to a package which is
otherwise as broadly audiophile in concept and execution as prlce
allows. (I'he same idea is emboclied in the more expensive Icon'
irun.t,"i this vear arrd revierved by Paul Miller in HFN/RR'
June'ltlt.)
" -;Io
this'end, the Q-deck has r plltt!'r switch activrted by th-e arm a:
it is lified towards the platter. and at the ertd.f rec.td side, the arm
iiftt una po*"t is cut. it's worth noting however that when the arm i:
i=tu.n",ito its rest, the cueing plrtfo'm is still in its lowered position.
io tirat untit e the equivalent l)uals the uut.mation does not make th.
it
a..i i"i"f rv granny-'proof (mind i'tru, grrnny's.prohably makingcentur-'
*irt' Cn theie daysi. Speed chrnge is by switch too The 20th
rea[[y has arrived.
Disginc belou, the auromation. the ingredients are classic Aristor.
gJt iiit'in frrrm I s\ttchronous engine, the platter is a heavy and *'
male attov itern witil an integral inirer tlrive surface below-decks fo:
ttr. t.f t. a'nd access holes for-helt threading. which unfortunate-I1'
ii..uir tt.,. continuity ofthe surface and dictate^s a relatively stiff,
irt,tr.i pi.,i.. rnat. fhe arm is it fairly standarcl design' apparentl)
Hl Fl NF\\'S & Rl-( ORt) IIE\ I[\\ '\L Cil '- -
 TOTALLY TART'AN (D
them that a little further development woukln't _qo a long way to
curing. and to Arison's credit. their strengths rvere largely
complementarv to those of the amplifier. majoring on good transient
attack, a clean, precise bass. verv good focus and soundstii_{ing and .
intriguingl_v. a surprisinglv robust and enjoyable bass. There was some
roughness and coloration. Iencling percussion a rather'dirty'sounci for
example. perhaps associated u,ith ditfraction el'fects ancllol thc
tweeter LF resonnnce. And there again perhaps ntlt.
I'm not inclinecl to clig too dccp because the overull character of this
component is plainly right. 1'he speakers have arr outg,rinr
positiveness and inrrnaculate sense ol tinting that contrasts with the
politeness that often gets confused fol good hehaviour at this price.
The civilised nature of the amplifier saves the speakers from their orvn
worst qualitres and this far at least the outcome is more than the sum
of the individual parts. and the system is well matched. But there \\,as
no doubt in mv mind that this component rvas keeping the lid on the
music rvhen it should reallv have been cooking IEh'? Ed]. 'Scuse me
while I rnake a cup of coffcc.
-l-hat's
be tte r. thanks. The turntahle pror,'cd wcll up to the task tt
was askecl to perfonn. It repavs careful siting ancl positively clenrancls
ar classic Souncl Organisation-tvpe stiff , light turntablc stand to avoicl

the clanger of 'hanging on.'This is what tends to happen if the deck is

placed on a heavy sr-lpport. espcciallv if it isn't quite as stiff as it should
be. Inherently, the deck has a light and lively touch. ancl is caprible of
some surprisingly potent and tactile rlusic making. The bass encl is
strong and tuneful. u'hilst claritv and organisation elseu,here depend
:r.embled from off the shelf components. The bearings on mv sample to a large extent on the standard ofthe cartridge decided uporr.
;ere satisfactory and the fixed, offset metal headshell gave the arrn Plainly. Ariston have some running to clo before thel, finally achieve
::;isonable torsional stiffness, despite a rurther narlo\\'section lrm their anrbition ol becoming the Mission of the North. but even their
:ube, The arm and platter bearing sit on a O-board chassis (O-board is detractors will fincl thilt the first :\riston conrplete record playing
-l'he
: laminate of chipboard with an internal darnping layer) which in turn systern conres clangerouslv close to being highll,successful.
:3sts on four springy feet. amplil'ier is smootl.r und inoffcrrsivc. uncl consistent bet\\'ee n inf ut\.
The arm is prefitted with an Ortofon OM l0 cartridge. which rvas but could use heing morc sharplv lircusecl.'fhe l<ludspeakers arc u
:hosen on cost grounds. It is not a strong performer bv prevailinu little rough around the edges. hut funclamentallv right. not least
-l'hc
.tandards, but it can be upgraded easill, to OM20 or 30 standard by because of their sharpness ancl precision. turntable. meanwhile.
change of stylus. or switched for something else entirell,. I lives up to its re putation of being the best semi-automatic model at the
'imple price. The systeln as a whole sounds a little better in comhination than
:ursued the latter course, using an Audio Technica AT95E u'hich
:rior experience suggests would match the Ariston well. It dicl. some of the individual criticisrr might lead vou to expect. 'fhe remote
control is simply a unique bonus on this class of equipment. And that's
THE SYSTEM it folks. You can go now. .
.{t the time this review \\,as put together. the system was selling for
:-r00 as described. I gather there's a possibilitl,that loudspeaker cubles MANI.,] FAC'IL]ITERS' SPECII- IC,\1'IONS AI{ISToN SYSTEM
uill be made available free to system purchasers. but this hacl not been
Jecided for sure at press time. However I was told thut rr prict rcvicrv ARIS] ON Q-t)ECK T t RN'l'AIil.r
'f)pe clcclr0nic. belt-drivc
*ould take place in August, and the price will probahlv not holcl int<r
the autumn. Loudspeaker stands and other accessories are not Spccds 337:.'15rpnr
Wor'& fluttcr (DIN pcak utd) 0.0u,1
included of course. Rumhlc -75d8
The Q-deck is known to have suffered from assembly and QCI AIn tlPC auto-lift at end of side
problems in the past. affecting the arm lift off position and other such Finish black
r ariables. The components of which the deck are made appear to be Wcight 6kg
sood however. and Ariston seemed anxious not to cover anvthing up Dimensions (rvdh) 41.5x33.5x13cn1
u hen I questioned them on the subject. 'We've had problems' thcv Cartridgc supplicd Ortolim OMl0
conceded. whilst claiming that they are 'more or less' things of the Trpical pr icc inc VAT r l 39.95
past. whrtever that means.
ARISl'ON A]\,IPI,I I'I I,R
I did find some 24in stands which worked well, the ones desrgned by I)o$,cr outpul (into liohrn l()ir(l) .15W/channcl
Celestion for their SL700, but if these go on sale in their orvn right. I)oscr outl)ut (into.klhnt load) 50W/channe I
they're going to end up costing almost as nruch as the entire Ariston Pcak currcnt +9.-5A
svstem. Readers may be tickled pink to hear that they worked well. Inputs 5
but might justifiablv consider it academic. I{eadphone output switchi:d
r)[ on rear panel
On the whole. anyone with 1500 burning holes in their pocket Bahncc control
: Renrolc control Iacililics Volumc, source selec1, mutc
should look on this system favourabl.v. It far exceeds the standarcls of
normal commerical packaged audio systems at this price. though such Volumc control typc clcctronic.256-stcp
Typical pricc il79.95 ,
systems will invariably include twin cassette. CD and tuner facilitres as -,
standard. The Ariston also stacks up well against its natural ARIS'TON I]\IACI.] I,OUI)SI'EAKERS
competition, as much for its sharp pricing as its inherent musical Dimcnsions (wtlh) 22x21x42cn
attributes. E nclosu rc I-5nrn chipboarcl.
The one item which could sound unseetnl,v in the system u,as also critically braccd
the easiest to deal with - the cartridge. N'lv A't95E transplant rvas Intcrnal volumc l6 litrcs
rvholly successful. offering greater dynamics. clarity and control. Bass rlignnrcnl rear gas-tlorved port
Port dinrcnsions 38nrnr diarrctcr. l(X)nrm long
especialll irl higher irequencies.
I'oucr handling 15W-100W programme
After this the system's shortcomings were basically sins of omission Scnsitivitv 8tJdB/W/m
rather than of commission. The amplifier shovn's some notable Impeclancc 6ohms nominal
examples of this. Though always smooth and pleasant sounding. it lerminals :lmm sockct/binding posts
also sounded a little'sat-upon'and lossy. I could provide chapter and Recommerded placcmcnt frcc spacc on 40cm stand
verse on a list of recorded examples shorving how it obscured ambient Bass,mid tirivc unit l70mm polvmcr. diccast chassis
soundstage information here and smothered the fine detail during loucl 'frchlc unit l9mm rllov domc
passages there,bfi the real point of course is the general one: r'i: that (irillc rclicuiatcd foanr
('rossor r -lrd trrdcr acou.tic
data is Iost. Against this must be set arnyrle power output. glrotl control c

and a s$eet and neutral character. lt s a gottcl deal nrore li:Ienuble

Frcqucncr r cponsc h5tlz-lt tkl Iz. :1.idu
$js' ;g.p1,n.g jn 11r1r111 -:.iB .rt ii Il:
than manr . er en if it isn't quite ,5. ptrst enlishtening The Trrr:.rl r:::r rl. \ \l :.-'
k)udiaai\.i. Jre cltrser ttl being right l'h;:;'-:.Il: :t: .r:
Is
i
I

,-rn orchestral material I thought the

i:r-rnd lively but not quite as clean as may
ARISTON AMPLIFTER
- svished - worse via m-c than m-m. At under S20O f<rr a 38Wchannel ampli-
ff2no tfansients are made to sound a little fier, one expects to find a basic budget
i:rck. with the instrument's textufes con- unit with few real extras. and this is
:r-rse d by the m-c input especially. essentially what the Ariston provides. The
i*rsr-ever, dense synthe-pop textures are most noticeable extra is the remote con-
tell sorted out, and cvmbals sound clear. trol, a slim cordless affair with eight
buttons to select inputs, incfease or
Conclusion decrease volume, and mute. The second
Itre Orell SA-040 SE is likely to please most noticeable extra is the standard of ARISTON
:i.r-ssical music lovers who use CDs for construction, which is really excellent.
:reference. Pop people who like their The case is made of heaw-gauge steel, and Test results Ariston Amplilier
ru-sic very loud may encountcr overheat- the unit has the reassuringly solid f'eel of zolc., tkH, ioktL
Output, ma beforc clippirrg:
ng problems (to be fair, though, I did much more expensive pro-audio stull. W into 8ohm, both clunnels
ir-st the Cocteau I'wins for a wholc I-P Inside the case, the build quality is no driven a: llt -t-
V' into .iohm. both chainels
t: rde with the case temperature not less impressive. The Ariston is built on a driten ,i8 {9 +-
Peakcutrentvia lohm/7.5/r -II IIA
=ceeding about 4O'C). The phono/LP single, double-sided, circuit board, on Frequ@cyresponse: 1dB lini6 ldB limi6
:ection I find lets the amplifier down, as it which the input sockets and output ter- Lineiqratedpo$'er lSllz 1(X)kHz tiHz l5okHz
Linein. lV'out l5llz >200kllz8ltz >2(x)kHz
s not really up to the standard of the rest minals (4mm plugs only) are directly Phone m-m in. lWout 15117-6()kllz l'tl{z l(X)kHz
Phone response - commelb:
:t the unit. I would suggest auditioning mounte d. This cost-effective feature InE frequenc_y shel( +0.5dB o
:he phono stage for as krng a period as means that all the sockets are on a atDut -50llz
Noise. rcsidual. vol. ar min: -li-ldtlv. A urd
:xsible, with programme you know well. horizontal panel at the back of the amp, so S/N. linc in ( lkohm tcrm). rcf.
tce- that plugs can be inserted with the unit in
lkllz 50omv:
S,rN, nr-m in (ciltridge term), ref
f.idB.A.wrd

place on a shelf without the user being lkllz 5mV: l5dlt. A.std
(A'frd)
d required to perform contortions. A nice
Noise-figure. m-m input
'l'otal hamontc distortton
Line-in, rated pos(r out in(o
z0}tz
ldll
lkHz 20kHz
touch - why is it almost exclusively 8ohms 0.01% 0.047. 0.16-.n
confined to cheaper amplifiers? Line-if,. lV'out into Sohms o.02% 0.02% 0.08!1,
Pbone m m in, 10!i/ out, odB in O.Oz"t, O.O2%, 0.099,i
Given that the remote control requires Phone m-m in. lOW out.
+l5dBin o.o2% o.o29a 0.0996
a certain amount of logic circuitry and TIID commenls:
f electronic switching to operatc, it makes Chamcteristic prcdomitatrtl\' 3rd harmonic at l()wer
frcquencics. sith greatcr harmonic conlenr at llF
some sense to use the sarne circuitry with Phonooveiloadl*els,m-m llnrv lootrrv 1.ov

ln.;' thc front-panel controls. Ariston have

Input sensitivity, li)r rutcd p()ucr out. v(,
Phof,o m-01 (
(:I)
lkl{z)
nrax:
I 2m\i
5(InV
ORELL done this, replacing the usual mechanical
selector switch and volume control with a
'l uner
I
I 5onrv
lvl fcst results Orell SA-040 Str singlc pusl]-button to select input (which
'l'apc
I
1
5()nr\I
5omv
Stereo sepamtion: 20}tz lkllz 20kHz
?OIl.z lkHz 2OkHz cycles round phono, CD, tuner and aux), Phono m-m 59du (r'tlli 40dB
Linc -0dB 62dlr 36dt]
trIuL ma before clipping: two buttons for volume up/down. and one Dc-offset at output: OmV l- cha0nel.
! mto 8ohm, bolh channels 1

chalnel
irilen lm\r R
I nto 4ohm, hoth channels
68 68 -:O fbr tape monitor. These four buttons are Output lmpedmce,
n &iren 100 l lO lO2 hidden behind a small flap in the dark '11)P method:
Distortiotr via smel
0.052ohm 0.054ohm 0.065ohm
2.5 2.7',X, 16%
H ctrent via lohry7.5tr, tl4A Perspex front panel, a ver)' neat arrangc- T)?i@l price inc VAT t t79
fcquencyrespome: ldB lrmits 3dB limits
e
rin.mtedp(rwer llllz-26kLlz 6Hz-55kHz ment but one that I actuall\' find rather
rin. Iw()ut 1l\lz-26kllz 6Hz-6OkHz
tnc m-m in. tW out l4llz.26kl1a rtlz-6okHz irritating. I miss thc tactile and visual
troe m.c in. l\{ out 74112-26kllz tlllz.60kHz
feedback of a rotary volume control, but
l't'r f,ooe reslrcnse - comenls:
I id8 dip at 2OkHz, but phono
lar alone actually within I dB
people already, used trl rcmotc control
Supplier: Ansron Acoustics, Freeport,
Presnoick, Ayreshire. KA9 ZRB. Tel: (0292)
a:OkJIz. units will probably adapt better! 76933
a rdE. .csidual, yol. at min; -7c)dBw, A-*1d (lircuitry is based on op-amps for low-
;\ Iine in(1kohm term). rel
lk}Iz 5OOmV:
i\- m-m in (cffiidge tcrm). rel
91dts. A-ftd level signals and a discrete-transist()r
ll*tz 5mV: 76dB, A-nd power amp section. Switching is electro- Subjective performance
\F€-figu.e, m.m input (A-Eld): 2dB
nic, and the volume control uses an For a budget amplifier the Ariston ccr-

l
;\- m-c in ( l2ohm term), ref
IkHz.0.5mV:
\x'figure , m-c input (A ffd)r
77dB, A-*rd electronic attenuator. tainlv makes all the right noiscs. tsut
9 5dB
IEI hamonic dlstofiion zOH.z lkHz 20kHz unfortunately the op-amp circuitry usecl.
.&'in, rated pou,er out into
Sotrms 0.06% 0.067. 0.22"1
Technical performance although giving goocl measured spccs.
Ie-in. lW out into Sohms o.o4% o.o4% 0. r % The Ariston amplifier iust made its rated lcrtds to sound slightlv c()ars(' or grainr'.
lhde m-m in, lov our, OdB in 0.04% o.o4na 0.170
lhne m-m i0, 10V/ out. power into 8 ohms at lkHz, falling lW On the othcr hand. it is a cost-cftL'ctivc
-l5dBin
llboe m.c in. l0W out.odB in
o.2'n,
0.1%
o.24,% 0.6%
o.r2",4 0.167. short at 20Hz and 2Okllz. Thc peak way of builcling amplificrs. and with
lbnc m-c io, 10W out. current, and the output impedance were reasonable qualifi.' op-amps such as arc
-lidBin o.3.t, o.i5.4,
EDcoments: all mea^sured on a replacement unit, the used here the results are usualh' accept-
br tr amp section distoftion is mostl_y 2nd and Jrd
ihonic, x'ith some witching utefacts at IIF. Phono results being integrated in the table. able. Indeed, I did onlv sav 'slightlr-'
&oniun J\r) mosrl) 2nd and Jrd
is Bandwidth is very extended, indeed argu- coarse and by the standards of 5200
ioao ovedoad l*e1s, m-m 1 6mv 1 6OmV 4oOmV
ably too wide at the top end. The phono
,4/ tlooo ovedoad leels, m-c Toopv ItmV 15frv
hp.rt sensltl*'tty, for rated power out, vol mar
ihom-m(lkHz) 3.5mv
input has a slight shelf lift at low frequen-
to about 750IIz at
amplifiers thc eft'ect is reallv not offcnsivc.
Subiective balance and bandu.iclth are
,c hne m-c ( lkHz)
'aD
21o/rv
lonrv
cics, extending up g<xrd, and transients are reasonable - at
_,IE ,
*0.5c18, but the cffect would be least not distorted in thc 'clickr" wily that
E
:+e extremell' subtle in subiective terms. some designs managc. I rvoultl far rlthcr
1-iEo On both line and phono inputs. noisc is have an honest sluggish transient thlrn an
Lreo sepamtion: zOHz lkHz 2okHz
llono m.m 66dll 6,ldB l4tJB fine and distortion k;w, the latter rising t<-r artifi(allv cnhancctl ont'.
lbno m,c 68dB 62dB l8dB
around O.l% 20kHz but predominantlv 'I'he phono stage sounds ven' simiiar in
l,e 76<lB 63dB 12dB
Xofbet at ouqrutl l2mv L chmel. ^t
only 3rd harmonic. Phono overload mar- character to the line inputs. Again. tran-
l5mV R chmnel
rtuput lnpedece, gins are all good, typical of the generic sients are slightl.v blurred and r-iolin tonc.
TDP method:
flortlon via seme:
0.04ohm 0.o'lohm 0.08ohm
1% a% ll!% feedback-equalization circuit used, but fbr example, can be coarse. but bass
tDi€l prtce ttrcvAT s399 stereo separation is not quite what it instrumcnts arc well detl-rccl and clcan.
should be at IIF. Overall, a very healthy and voices comc ovcr n cll. (.onrplcx
lhpplTel,: Orell Electronics, 25 Nathans Road, set of results, giving no real causc for textures are quitc clcar. ru-r lrrclr s'hcrc
Semblq, Middx. HAO 3SA. Tel: 0l-908 5890
concern in practical terms. manl' budgct anrplificrs tirll ckrs'n. l-ong-
I,I1 NEWS & RECoRD RFf IEU I)taCFtltBLR l9a9 69
 1i)n 'l'he switchablc iufraso-
sound a little ctlarsc - elthr'it-:-
test is los'at
tcrm listening can lle slightlv tatigtttt-tg'
nic tilter cuts b\' 3dB at JIIz ancl attct-tt't-
rvcll defined.
-
;;; ".; bv an. means hcrdache'inclucing Listtnirlg t'or leng,tlrr pcrl' ".' '
--.'.4;F
,,., tf-r,,.rf. llclos tltrt l'llc l()ll( c()ntr()ls
I don't tl-rink manv people rl-<;ttld thros' .lu *h.t' riler usurllr do littlc t() c()nl- slightty fatiguing. though'rctt-t-'"
'-4*':-- of Lruving it *,,ch'at ;'ith some amPlilLr:'
;;;it amplifier within davsshat
""ff-r. ,rrcnt on, in fact' I
-----:.GFjF
..-,'r,. control cloes it is paicl he:rrtl qhich mlke a lrrttt r itt '
,u J,r. I must sa)' I rather likc havitlg ion. In fact the sottnd is tl()t 'l'i''l':
,,tr. -rt".t
"r-t.l sillr :t 13rotl oltl rol;trr kttolr Subjective Performance is simPlv not Yen' cxcitinq I :-'i -

tt cliin't take vcn long u'hcn auditioning

.,r.]..l"li'rrr llrclirltlrle lrttt tlttr :tt'ttlreans
;t lirl
this ar-llplificr to start ll-cling thllt
somc- ..arr-rta,rl with r-lt()tofi7-ccl
r o1ttl.tlr -. -'
"
n.,.rr" a.r,t,1'rliaatccl - tnil tl'tlt also WrtrkS *ell lltld t'rqotlrrtl'tit'tllr
ii,i;* *;t rttissirrg frrttlt rt't.rtlittg\ I krr()\\
expcnsivc - to makc' ;trr. lull h:rndsitltlr is thcrt qith flcr is a delight'
":.ii
r'r1Lnn ol portcr in rrs(r\(' ltttt
tltt sotttttl
Conclusion sctnting' ralhcr llrt rnd Conclusion
I,tn",,, ,i "i.f ()rtc dlv Iqould likt tr: t''Jr'(
-
it is a pin' that sttch a goocl-looking lrrcking lili'
-42: p.J..,'u'as afflictecl br- tq'o . highlv
dalragc'
t crmllressed.
'l'hese comments applv to all ir-rputs' but amplilier that functior-rs lrkr
controls and all. vet sound: ''''
': '
*1= unlikelY failures - onc of trlnsit n'r.r.. .o to themoving-magnet pl-rono
un.^^^-',.r..ittor tlrult - lroth of rvhich
vct more aH:lill t() 111( 1119!ing- linc stages of the Orell []--q:-
nlc arc tttticlttc stl. far' I irtttttl ltrrd rt crlntntctrd :t lull'htrtcti"tr'L:t'"'
-\riston irssurc
is e .i,iti' ,:i,r.1 l,rttcr st'trrttis sltrggish rntl rtrttl-' somc real cnthusixslll l r'':" - - -'
iiri"r.t, is sdc to sl' that tl'rc eurplificr is tt..l. t.r,-rri.,,ts strtlggling to gct out-
l'sillg
,*].'fi-.f.'tign..f end btrilt proclttct.that thcre' is rcctlntmcnd this tlrlt oll ::'-'
scrvice aud bc a ,ir;',.ri,r-r input I feit l.rappier' but grottnds - it is \\'cll ptlt t()gctl'.t:
iix.it,r.r"gluc goocl
' r,,if ovcrall fccling that sonrc'thing l':: '
nia,,.uaa ,,, ,,,t lt is trc:tt
totnp:.tct ;ttttl irc reliable. nice to tlse ctc -
k#:- '*--*<- '.oiai.n,, ;rntl rtltltotlgh tltt sottttrl is tlttt .rth.."" tt,htl.' htlt ilnp()rtxltt is lx'illH'
l)tlt rcservations about the soLti:J -
-'
in rctnott'd. (.1)s rtrt qttitt'ut'll fllttcr('(l crave th(j 'ILIL11('i:'r :
ii* *t".". it is complctelr- inoll'ensive vttu don't -

,,r.udrat at this plicc ll tltc rctrtott' ence' ,vou might s'ell likc ti::' ''.-
.un,.rf rppcats' girc this arnplilit'r st'rirrtt: but if Yotl have oncc i-rcci-' ':-
some <lf the best
'purist p:' ''-'-1'
thougl-tt. -i
vou filaY bc disaPPoirltcd
"*4, ADC A.2O8OE
-*'::;* NOTES ON THE TE>T:
D-' -5;<- .\t thc sanlc pricc tht ()rell rlloclel' this
as
ruuolificr /rroft.s likc oftt'ritrg, lrr hcttt 7'here were some dePurttu;' 'r"'|i
r '
('()rltr()l\' t''; '
,,,ii't.. ,rri.a :tll. it lr:ts t()n( ;t
in the methodologr'
"rtt11
:

fu",ft ata switch. clcctronic switching uere measured using t hiPh-S' ' '
-

..*.,e control too' a 'CD clirect' -''r' ':' -: - '

t:lrr-r u ADC 2O8OE nominal to 50kHz I it'erst R-l
,,or,.t . r!!-o sets of speaker terminals ' Test results
allows the use of tqurt;-:'J'' '
)ott, lkHz 2okHz
entl it's bigger. IIou'evcr' toclav's'rcnaiss- insrant eaoluatton of nt't:'i:: '-: -'
:
to Oulput. ilD bck'rc-LliPPing
e,rce audrophilc' knorvs better tl-ran \\ rnL,, Hi'hnl, h,tlr inrorlels 9l I0{ malies irt the resPonse' uni ':':
:'
..,t.,a,.1 ,r't,,i sort ol tllittg :ttttrttnlttic:tllr rr: '' -' -
for bypass listetting tcirJ t '':
\\ b()tlt clrann(ls
...,,'rr.r tlttalitr : altltottglt it i: ct
rt'tirll-r 'nlr'iohm,
155

"llii, :''':-
i..,.1 ,rrr, 'tiaditional' proclucts likc
this u 1l'rl;-!,,r,,,,,.. .h,nn"r Phono distortiort nrcosttrinli : :

nrrlscd
havc bcen it'nproving consiclcrallll
t2r'cr PJak currerrt rr.r I ohnr
- (P
ldB limils JdB limiE the inPui signal aPPli;i ::
FrequencJ resP('nse: atlz-+oktlz rltz-5kllz
. ): "
ollc shape up'/ through rhis rrcri;orh. f htt'
-':
irr. t.r.t.
florl- clocs this l.inc in, mtcd Pou'cr BItz-.l0kHz {lI/---5klIz
(.<tnstructiort is stiil disticth' nlltss-m''lr- Line in.
Phonc mri ifl' M'out
i\{ out
1 jIlz,:iokllz
:Hz--5kl12
inpur refets , orit eririu'i't : " '-

larl{z'iokHz gttz -5kl17

t-l.i.nt"t, and u'hile this alu'avs looks lV
at lhHz, 1[6 'Pr-' 'f ":-:''-
a !r-c in. out
t .i thcrc
Phooe
Ptrone resPonse - comen6: m-c,
-

little haphazard it must tre said that r rn flat. -b ldB 11 J0lI1

pcople oltt +O ldB.il lokJlz at b,)th grirrs.
'.1re some clcver cost-control
cu-t
rrrth g,rud squrrc_rr a! c rcsP' )ist
-81dUU:. \'$1ct resPectiz'elt, i /lr1i rt' - i:-:
there \\'ho knorv just [rou'tar a clesign \oisc. rt\tJurl. \ ' 'l f,t nlrn
s I tr[t in t I kulrnr ternl )' r(t roughlt' equi.'altilt t' :;t ;':-'
t,. ,,,ta" betirrc it bccomesstccl $'ith it rtnrclialrlc' 96dts, A'sId
I kl lz 50( rnr\ '
\ i[ (.trtridgc ttrnl )' r(f
found on dkc
L'f.l. a"a. is tnltclc of vcn thin
N' nr.m (
76dt}, A wtd
qrtr ' *td 2dtl Noisr, dtld ' r() j'lLl1A 'r;' - i"'"
,',itsric t,rci,r' :rll l'irrisllctl ilt t'ltart'o'tl \,,i\(Jtcul(. il "
ilr IilPUI l '\ l
s N nr c in( ll')hilllcril) r(l' Litrltlj ,iff ' -^' -r'
l:,r.lri,.t is on \R['ll lroard r:ttltt'r th:ttt tltc I kl Ir. o.5ilI\ rj idR
7'idu A tld wnh the
trieltt'r tltr:rlit1 lillrt-glrss tr pt '
N,r\( fictltt. il] . tnnul ( A \\1d ) zOHz lkHz 2OkHz .t(Iu,]ll\ usil 'l't ''1; l' ' -'- ' : -
' ToEl h;monic dis()nion
Ir".rr 'tle tails h:tr c lrqt n s t ll rtttcrtdt'tl l-i0< rn. rittd Pos'cr 0ut In!r t50PP ttPu'tr, ' r"r Ir" r' -"
k)hms
<ool?, <0.01"r, 0029'
Sp.ut.t selection is sq'itchecl bv rclals'
o-oZ';, 0.021',; 0 0lo1' ::
,r.r. Ir;c ilr. I \\' ( 'ut lnto Rohms <O0t% 0.019f 002'i' Perlomtdt^i 1' 'P''t- -:
Phdl( rn m in. 1U\\'rrut. OdB rn
l-hich also lnutc at po\ver-otl' s'hen
the :/:t'j::'-' : - -
i[.10\'. out' as a ttoise.figtut' -
ng edge ol taPe ()p(rxtcs lnd \\ht'rr tlrt' Phooc m_ol
+l5dBii oo11; 0.01% 0.029;
:-: - -
or()tccti()ll circ(lit Phon( m-c in. 1OV'r)ut odll in
001% o.ol'li 00296
indication o.f hoi: i"t:': :i:'
i,lt,,n,,,tng. is \$ it('h('d frotn ttt-nt ttt ttt-c Phonc m c in, l0\l out' O 02'li' 0.o2'l relatit-e to rl allr'irlJrt i :':':"'
+ I 5dll irr
gxin settillg. TllI) commetr6: \JB ndi;,ttt' r ,^'"'' -'
Al)ot().tchlllg ilc.l{Llrehlt llnrll IlIrrrV
sale at chemisls t]i'',"t,,'i*"?1,.alevels.n-rn Iln't .lJB '' ''
Technical Performance iiiiii'iii''.'i.,,ai*'t''-' r'rrn\ rrnrv ,ePrcsrrll) "l
i,l""i.i"iiiitiq. l"r r'ttt'J p'rurr"Ltt r'rl ntI rr' (.irrtlJg, ah''li' l - '-
at selected hi-li Iltt post'r ()ull)ttl ()l this eltrPlilit r is r trr i;riiil,,",'rirr.rr,r rrrr\

t,iri','ti,. :trt itrtcgr:tttd ntodt l t rt t'r'ditrg i,1,1,r" n1.r rrtrz) 1

ill]fi\ t P1 i1 -JJ! ':::':- : ' :

(]) ":'- :'' -

DENON i,I'r,',.laifiar,ti,,,r',quitt trrlnlirrtltblr'tlrd

.]*f rif,iiurs go,rtl lu;rtl tol(rltll( -
c \P()t th('
'luo(r
'I eoe
I
I
50m\
i(hn\
trom\
l'he tttttsl Iittt-tl:
intPtJatL,.,. us:'t. f:"' :' ' ' -
zoPrz lkllz zokllz
Dr,rk otrtfitrt (urrelll lt lohtlt! Frcqttrncl stireo sepamtion' RorlB >80dB (r+dB \Lill J rlg)lJ. - ..1 .-.
'r.l.n,rnsc' i: ttn sidt. ltrttl tllc plltrrltr Photlo m_m
Phono m'c
r'sas -odB 6odR r- :':' j" :- . : -
>80dR >80d8 68dI] -rpedAr'r IC7?tl:liir-r
..r,l,,li.,,ti,,n is ll:rt \\ itllill {) l(lB ir(rlll
l.ire ch3oncl'
f)C-offset at ouq)ut:
8mv I-
jr)rrr.( r.irr;l'- ts .-"
im\' ahinncl
irtllz tr,,,111 lokllz :tt lrotlt qilill :('tltllq\'
R
-'''r' I
Output imPeddce' th; 't,iit: :

r,,i.. i. flnc on ell irptrt:' rrltl I h:trtl1r'

(l oi{ollm {) (}i)ohn o l3(rht
ll)P m(rh()d
I', i" 1'
ca-,i l,-'.j;':--,':i:; :':::' * ''--
:lltlLll Dittonion \ rl vfiL
nrarragaaf to tirklc thc tlt'i'rJti\rll T\pir:l Pri.e inc \ '\f 1,.199
h' r)j' r''- _ -

n.tst
().()1 ( )\ url' ''!l t,i:.i;r:ng Lrd. L'nrr 9.
.Jri
,-' ., :
.llld \tt-trlr 'rl'.1:.:::
-l 'uPPlitr''':':::''
a . - '-: - :,'. LI::i.-r- HrlJ.
-.
( l) tlirc.t 1-::i -":- : :'-:; 3!- \DR
'-." l
-,: l1I'-1-lr i ::
ound Purist. -:-. ::: :'. 1l- - -:' ---