Loudspeaker Reviews

All of the loudspeakers under test were auditioned in my large listening room (about 120m³). Associated equipment included an Eminent Technology II with Monster Alpha 2 mounted on a Luxman PD-300 turntable (used with Audioquest mat sans the turntable's vacuum holddown), and California Audio Labs Aria CD player. CD was used heavily on this evaluation, partially because my reference analog front end is on the verge of an update. Analog was used as an important cross-reference. Also used were the Klyne SK-5A preamp, Aragon 4004 power amp, and Monster Interlink Reference A (turntable to preamp) and M-1000 (everywhere else) interconnects and M-1000 speaker cable.

The loudspeakers were auditioned on Chicago Speaker Stands Hercules 24" stands—the latter spiked and weighted down to within an ounce of their lives (standard floor spikes; short TipToes—in actuality, "Tone Cones," a Delrin equivalent sold by Simply Physics—between the loudspeakers and the stands; stand uprights filled with a lead-shot/sand mixture and further ballasted at the base with records; and a VPI brick atop each speaker for good measure).—Thomas J. Norton