Stand Loudspeaker Reviews

Each pair of loudspeakers was carefully positioned for optimal performance sitting on their own stands, coupled to the floor beneath the rug with spikes. Amplification was provided by either a pair of VTL 100W Compact monoblocks or a Krell KSA-50 power amplifier, each bi-wired with Monster M1 speaker cable. The preamplifier was either the combination of the Mod Squad Line Drive Deluxe AGT and Vendetta Research SCP2 phono preamp, or the Conrad-Johnson PV9 (also reviewed in this issue). Source components consisted of a 1975-vintage Revox A77 to play my own and others' 15ips master tapes, a Linn Sondek/Ekos/Troika setup sitting on a Sound Organisation table to play LPs, and the new Philips LHH-1000 two-box CD player, its transport section also used to drive the Sony DAS-R1 D/A convertor. Interconnect was AudioQuest LiveWire Lapis.—John Atkinson