The "Want to make an easy $1,000,000?" e-mail wasn't a scam from Nigeria but an alert from Paul DiComo, late of Polk Audio and now of Definitive Technology, about a double-blind cable-identification challenge made by The Annoying Randi, a magician and debunker of paranormal events who goes by the name of "The Amazing Randi."
After reviewing a long series of minimonitors, I am now working on what may well be an equally varied selection of large floorstanding loudspeakers. This trend began with <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/1207sonus">my review</A> of the Sonus Faber Cremona Elipsa in the December 2007 issue, and continues this month with the Series 2 version of the KEF Reference 207, until recently the flagship model from this English manufacturer (footnote 1). I <A HREF="http://www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/775">reviewed</A> the original Reference 207 in February 2003, and was very impressed by what I heard.
<B>PJ HARVEY: <I>White Chalk</I></B>
Island B0009972-02 (CD). 2007. PJ Harvey, John Parish, prods., mix; Flood, prod., eng., mix. ADD? TT: 33:34
Performance *****
Sonics ***1/2
At some point during my time with George ($499), I lost a neighbor. The IT guy who sat in the cubicle immediately outside my office suddenly wasn't around anymore. Weeks later, I learned that the music had been bothering him. It had been too loud, I suppose. Or there had been too much of it. I'm not sure. I started apologizing to people: "Sorry about the music. It's just that I've got this new radio in my office. It's a lot of fun. His name is George."
Beneath George's top panel, you'll find a list of his creators.
George uses a pair of three-inch woofers with coaxially mounted tweeters.
In addition to its coaxial speakers, George has a four-inch down-firing sub.
George's back panel offers an Aux input, headphone output, preamp output, USB port, and bass level control.
George's smart remote. It's great. I only wish it was smaller and more comfortable to hold.
See these two smiling faces? That's my uncle Omar on the left. He's standing with John Rutan of <a href="http://www.audioconnect.com/">Audio Connection</a> in Verona, New Jersey, a short and happy drive from downtown Jersey City, along the Parkway and up good old Bloomfield Avenue, dotted with trees and liquor stores, pizzerias and movie theaters. A very fine place, indeed.