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Playing recordings of bombastic orchestral works, I was very impressed with the Chorus 807V's lower bass range. From the timpani passage in the first movement of David Chesky's Violin Concerto, from his Area 31 collection (SACD/CD, Chesky SACD 288), to the bass drum in the finale of Stravinsky's The Firebird in the recording by Antal Dorati and the London Symphony (CD, Mercury Living Presence SR90226), I felt I was listening to larger, more dynamic floorstanders. I had the same reaction to the opening tracks of Kraftwerk's Minimum/Maximum (CD, EMI ASW 60611)—when cranked to rock-concert…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, bass-reflex, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) TNV aluminum-magnesium inverted-dome tweeter, 7" (180mm) Polyglass-cone woofer. Crossover frequency: 3kHz. Frequency response: 50Hz–28kHz, ±3dB. Low-frequency point: 41Hz. Sensitivity: 92dB (2.83V/m). Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, 4.2 ohms minimum. Recommended amplification: 25–175W.
Dimensions: 17.5" (448mm) H by 9.2" (237mm) W by 13" (333mm) D. Weight: 22.2 lbs (10.1kg).
Finish: Ebony-Moka.
Serial Numbers Of Units Reviewed: 10A003579/80.
Price: $995/pair. Approximate…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: VPI TNT IV turntable, Immedia RPM tonearm, Koetsu Urushi cartridge; Rega Planar 3 turntable, Syrinx PU-3 tonearm, Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood> & Aurum Beta S cartridges.
Digital Sources: Lector CDP-7T, California Audio Labs Icon Mk.II Power Boss, Creek Destiny & CD53 Mk.II CD players; Pioneer DV-333 DVD player.
Preamplification: Vendetta Research SCP-2D phono stage, Audio Valve Eclipse and Audio Research Reference 3 line stages.
Power Amplifier: Audio Research VT100 Mk.II and Reference 110.
Integrated Amplifiers: Creek…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Focal Chorus 807V with its grille removed. Its voltage sensitivity on the tweeter axis was significantly higher than the average I have measured over the years, at an estimated 90dB(B)/2.83V/m, though this is a little lower than the 92dB specified. Though its impedance drops to 4.1 ohms at the bottom of the midrange, and there is a combination of 5.8 ohms magnitude and –40° electrical phase angle at 120Hz (fig.1), overall the speaker is a fairly gentle load for the partnering amplifier to drive.
Fig.1 Focal Chorus 807V, electrical…
"No, the Dynaudio Confidence C1 isn't a small loudspeaker, but it is a stand-mounted two-way monitor." I was struggling to explain to Fred Kaplan what I was working on for this month's deadline.
"So it would be good for people with smaller rooms?"
"That's what I thought at first, so I set them up in my small listening room, where they were fantastic, but later I decided I had to hear them in my big room, too. So I brought the C1s upstairs—and darned if they didn't shine in a room that most 'monitor' speakers can't fill."
"So let me get this straight," said Fred…
While auditioning the C1, I received a copy of Twin Falls, by Deidre Rodman and Steve Swallow (CD, Sunnyside SSC-1149). Duets of fretless electric bass and piano can be a hard row to hoe, but Swallow is endlessly inventive, and Rodman has a Debussyan flair for melody and dynamics. The C1 seemed particularly adept at conveying the nuances of touch and attack—and at capturing the instantaneous shifts in direction that occur in improvisation at an exalted level. The combination of e-bass and piano seems designed to bedevil any two-way loudspeaker; if the crossover has any weaknesses, the leap…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1.1" soft-dome tweeter, 6.6" plastic-cone woofer. Crossover frequency: 1800Hz, with first-order slopes. Frequency range: 44Hz–22kHz. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Sensitivity: 86dB/2.83V/m. IEC long-term power handling: 170W.
Dimensions: 17.4" (445mm) H by 7.8" (200mm) W by 16.8" (430mm) D. Weight: 24 lbs (10.9kg).
Finishes: rosewood, maple, cherry, black ash veneers.
Serial Numbers Of Units Reviewed: 519841, 519842.
Price: $6500/pair in standard veneers; premium gloss black or…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Ayre C-5xe, Muse Polyhymnia universal players; McIntosh MS750 media server.
Preamplifiers: Ayre K-1xe, Conrad-Johnson ACT2, Krell Evolution 202.
Integrated Amplifier: Creek 4340.
Power Amplifiers: Krell Evolution 600, Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 300, Portal Paladin, all monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Special Twenty-Five, Sonics Anima, Wilson Audio Specialties WATT/Puppy 8.
Cables: Interconnect: Shunyata Research Aries & Antares, Krell CAST. Speaker: Shunyata Research Lyra.
Accessories: Ayre L-5xe line filter;…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The Dynaudio Confidence C1's sensitivity on its woofer axis, which is 37" from the floor, is both below the specification and below average, at an estimated 85dB(B)/2.83V/m. As Wes Phillips found in his auditioning, it will benefit from being driven by a powerful amplifier. As can be seen from fig.1, however, its impedance is relatively kind to the amplifier, though a dip to 4.3 ohms in the upper bass and a combination of 5.9 ohms magnitude and a –38° electrical phase angle suggest that tube amplifiers would work best with this speaker when used from their 4 ohm…
Jim Austin wrote about the Dynaudio C1 in August 2008 (Vol.31 No.8):
Love is a lot to expect from a new relationship, especially when it's with a partner made of wood and rubber. But, jokes about "big racks" and Elliot Spitzer aside, true love is what most of us are seeking when we lay down our money for something expensive and potentially gratifying—like a new pair of speakers. I'm a happily married and a dad, but on the audio side, I'm on the prowl and looking for love.
I have found that in audio, as in other aspects of life, love is hard to come by.
Highfalutin audio…