Analog Sources: Continuum Caliburn turntable; Graham Phantom, Continuum Cobra tonearms; Lyra Titan (stereo, mono), Miyabi/47 Labs, Clearaudio Goldfinger cartridges.
Digital Sources: Musical Fidelity kW DM25 and kW DM25 CD transport and DAC; Alesis Masterlink BPT-modified hard-disk recorder.
Preamplification: Manley Steelhead, Oracle Temple phono preamps; Musical Fidelity kWP preamplifier; Manley Skipjack switcher.
Power Amplifiers: Musical Fidelity kW monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Wilson Audio Specialties MAXX2.
Cables: Phono: CrystalConnect…
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The ASR Emitter II Exclusive's battery power supply was fully charged when I began my testing. After I'd preconditioned the amplifier with both channels running for an hour at one-third maximum power into 8 ohms, the heatsinks were only just too hot to touch (around 65°C), and the THD+noise percentage was 0.0164%—not significantly different from the figure of 0.0137% with the amplifier cold. The voltage gain into 8 ohms with the volume control set to "61," the normal highest level in "Energy Saving Mode", was 27.2dB. Setting the volume control to its maximum of "…
All of a sudden, it seems there's a renaissance in in-ear monitors. Used to be there was just Etymotic, but now Etymotic, Shure, and Ultimate Ears are all producing high-performance in-ear headphones. It's almost enough to make me suspect we audiophiles have become a marketing juggernaut.
I suspect, however, that the renaissance in hi-fi in-ear 'phones is the result of a different juggernaut: the paradigm-shifting Apple iPod, which has sold in the kazillions. Apparently, some small percentage of all those consumers have noticed that the freebie earbuds sound like day-old crap.…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Lightweight, sound-isolating, in-ear headphones with three balanced armatures, passive crossover, and 1/8" stereo minijack. Frequency range: 20Hz–16kHz. Sensitivity: 119dB/W/m, ±3dB. Impedance: 13.3 ohms. Optional accessories: spare cables, metal carrying case, wax-remover tool, ear-mold cleaner, disinfectant wipes, replacement cables.
Dimensions: Cable lengths: 46" (1.18m) or 64" (1.64m). Weight: 1 oz (28gm).
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: 9027.
Price: $900, plus custom ear-mold fee; includes personalized hardshell carrying case.…
Sidebar 2: Measurements
As I've written before, I don't have any means of assessing the frequency response of headphones. However, I did measure the electrical impedance of the UE-10 Pros with my review samples inserted in my ears to provide the correct acoustic loading. The results are shown in fig.1. The impedance magnitude is significantly lower than that of the less-expensive UE-5 'phones, which I reviewed in December 2004, with an average low-frequency value of 13 ohms rather than 22 ohms. In addition, the upper-midrange rise in impedance reaches 16 ohms rather than the UE-5s' 42…
The good news: Domestic audio has survived its first half century and continues to live above ground. The bad news: At an age when most hobbies can enjoy the luxury of splintering into smaller factions that hate each other with impunity, ours isn't big enough. There are too few audiophiles on Earth to indulge that kind of specialization, let alone support the very different magazines that would ensue—so we'll never get to enjoy such promising titles as Liberal Tube Lover (not that I didn't try), The Elderly Skeptic, or, of particular interest, Cable Hating for People Who are Barely…
Also during those three years, my main interconnect has been a borrowed 6m pair of Nordost Valhallas: the best-sounding long interconnect I've used. Thus, substituting an identical length of the Heimdall interconnect seemed a pretty fair review comparison, the only other difference being the upgrade to those fancy WBT phono plugs. I used 1m and 1.5m samples of the Heimdall interconnect for my source components. The speaker cables reviewed were 2m Heimdalls, with spades on the source end to suit my Lamm monoblocks, and the excellent Nordost Z-Plugs (a number of which I bought years ago for…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Wires. Capacitance: 11.0pF/foot (speaker cable), 32.0pF/foot (interconnect). Inductance: 0.11µH/foot (speaker), 0.46µH/foot (interconnect).
Dimensions: 1m, 1.5m, 6m (interconnect); 2m (speaker).
Serial Numbers Of Units Reviewed: 70449, 70453 (short interconnect pairs); 70448 (long interconnect pair); 80163 (speaker pair).
Prices: Heimdall interconnect: $600/1m pair with WBT Nexgen phono plugs; $630/1m pair with XLRs; $160 each additional 0.5m. Heimdall speaker cable: $1500/2m pair with choice of Z-Plug bananas or spades; $175 each…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Linn LP12 turntable, Naim Armageddon power supply, Naim Aro tonearm, Linn Akiva cartridge; EAR 834P, Artemis PH-1 phono preamplifiers.
Digital Source: cartonless Sony SCD-777ES SACD player.
Preamplifiers: Lamm LL2, JuicyMusic BlueBerry Xtreme.
Power Amplifiers: Lamm ML2.1 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Quad ESL.
Cables: Interconnect: Audio Note AN-Vx, Nordost Valhalla. Speaker: Nordost Valhalla. AC: JPS Labs The Digital (CD players), Cardas Golden Reference (some other components).
Accessories: Mana Reference Table &…
At the extreme high end—Halcro, VTL, Boulder, etc.—reviewers gush about a lack of character. If you're paying $20,000, you want a preamplifier or power amp to disappear. At those price points we also want extreme, unfatiguing resolution, and noise that's well below what most people would consider audible. But at those prices, an absence of character is definitely something most people aspire to.
Oddly, a lot of people think it's a good thing when a less expensive amplifier has character. We're generally tolerant of noise and limited resolution in cheaper gear, as long as a…