nat ural, prov- ing once again that the sibilant artifacts we often hear are the result of problems in the playback, not the origi- nal recording.
But it’s not even the voice that strikes you first. Rather it’s the perfect balance of voice, piano, cello, bass and percussion. We
all asked for a second listen, and then we noticed the other virtues: a drum kit that was clearer and much more natural, and details of diction we are not used to hearing quite so clearly. Gibson’s presence was notable too.
We continued with Eric Bibbs’ Gospel Blues piece, Needed Time. It opens with a soft and subtle duet between Bibbs’ own guitar and Göran Wennerbrandt’s bottleneck, and it was well night on perfect. The balance between the actual sound of the guitar strings and the resonance of the instru- ment bodies was just right.
As for Bibbs’ voice, it was pretty well nailed by the CEC as well. It was
very clear, putting the lyrics in evidence, full of life and expression, but without at any point overemphasizing
SUMMING IT UP…
Brand/model: CEC HD53-R
Price: C$990/US$790
Size (WDH): 22 x 26 x 6 cm
Most liked: Fine performance, two independent sections
Least liked: Crapola output binding posts
Verdict: Worthy of the best phones you can afford
any aspect of it. “He’s just there,” said Albert, “and there’s a lot of space
all around him.”
We ended with the Stölzel piece sung by Karina Gauvin, and once again we were delighted. She sang with lots of power, and indeed we all
reached for the volume knob to turn her down a little, though only because this CD is recorded louder than most. Gauvin’s voice remained smooth and effortless even when she rose in both pitch and volume. The harpsichord was clear, but a little way back, as it should be. Albert, it must be said, thought this recording sounded
superb with all three amplifiers.
With the session over, we hooked up our Living Voice speakers to the output binding posts. They’re the same horrible posts as on the CEC integrated amp, unfortunately. The sound was clear, without artifacts that made us cringe, but we would consider this a stopgap bonus, not something you would plan on using for the rest of your life. 
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