Stand Loudspeaker Reviews

Rogers LS7t loudspeaker Review Context

Sidebar 1: Review Context

The most important consideration with speakers such as these is what stands to use. Often treated as an afterthought, a good pair of stands is fundamental to getting optimum performance from even inexpensive loudspeakers. Paradigm did supply a stand intended for use with their Control Monitor, but in order to keep the effect of the stand a constant during the listening tests, I decided to use the same stands for all three models. These were $300/pair, 18"-tall Celestion SLSi stands, a single-pillar design, with steel top and bottom plates. Their center pillars were each filled with 30 lbs of lead shot, topped up with sand. With my listening chairs placing my ears 34–36" from the ground, the tweeters of the speakers were placed at ear height.

The stands were fitted with floor spikes, and each speaker was coupled to the stand top plate with small blobs of EZ-Tak, a not-very-reactive damping compound. Each pair of speakers was carefully positioned for the best sound, generally some 4' from the rear wall (which is faced with books and LPs) and 5.5' from the side walls (also faced with bookshelves). With the exception of the Amritas, each pair was toed-in to the listening seat. The amplification was either a Mark Levinson No.25/No.26 preamplifier combination or an Audio Research SP14 driving my 1986-vintage Krell KSA-50.

Speaker cable was 15' lengths of AudioQuest Clear Hyperlitz, doubled-up for biwiring, while interconnects were 1m lengths of AudioQuest LiveWire Lapis connecting CD player to preamp, and preamp to power amplifier (1m lengths of Magnan V—an excellent cable—also served). Six-foot lengths of Madrigal unbalanced HPC connected the No.25 to the No.26. Source components consisted of a Revox A77 to play my own and others' 15ips master tapes, a Linn Sondek LP12/Ekos/Troika setup sitting on a Sound Organisation table to play LPs, and the CAL Tempest II two-box CD player.

Only one pair of loudspeakers was in the listening room during the critical tests.—John Atkinson

COMMENTS

Rogers, after all these years.

Submitted by tonykaz on December 7, 2016 - 10:00pm

These guys are offering a nice little Cadet V Amp, I wonder if your new girl would review it? I saw it in Europe, not long ago, it's a cute little KT-88 low power rig, just the sort of thing I pine for after loving the Conrad-Johnson MV-45a ( as I did and still do ), 4,8 and 16 ( old-school ) taps. It's probably perfect for LS3/5a.

Thanks for bringing Bob Katz back, he's managed to get his hands on a pair of Dynaudio M5P , maybe their very first owner ( it's a brand, spanking, new design ). Bob is putting them against the Audeze LCD4s. Best vs. Best!, by a Mastering Engineer, no less: a must read event. Those M5P come in Piano Finnish for the Audiophile, might be on your Cover, one day.

Nice work Mr.JA!

Tony in Michigan

Chime accompanying the regal

Submitted by monetschemist on December 8, 2016 - 5:11am

Far from home on a holiday morning with Stereophile and my laptop and music and DragonFly and Shure SE-215s... and I read John Atkinson's comments about the chime accompanying the regal. Well the Hyperion CD is ripped onto my hard drive and therefore I decide I must see if I can detect this. The first few listens, nothing, at which point I'm blaming my ears and my equipment and my attention span and then I decide to turn up the volume, and THERE it is. And the first few times I can't tell if it continues or not. But all of a sudden I can hear the difference before and after the start of the chime.

For me, this was a true learning moment. My wife and I used to play this work a lot, but it has fallen out of rotation in the past 10 or 15 years. What a delight to be invited to listen to it afresh, to pay close attention, to hear something small but new in it that reminds me that it is a wonderful work.

Thank you, Mr. Atkinson.

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Stand Loudspeaker Reviews

Rogers LS7t loudspeaker Review Context