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When a loudspeaker designer produces a world-class product, it is usually the result of years, perhaps decades, of experience gained from designing less ambitious products. To review a particular designer's product history is to witness the learning curve in action as both his skill and technology advance. Successfully battling the laws of physics to produce a truly exceptional loudspeaker is thus thought of as the domain of the seasoned veteran whose vast knowledge and experience culminate in the pinnacle of his career—a world-class loudspeaker. Moreover, it is just these designers, working…
These aspects of loudspeaker design are not trivial. To achieve low-frequency extension, the enclosure needs to have a large internal volume. A big enclosure means large panels which are prone to resonances, not to mention higher cost. The designer is thus forced to accept either reduced LF extension or cabinet resonances. The Hales System Two Signature solves this dilemma by lavishing a substantial portion of the build cost on making a large enclosure that is relatively resonant-free. I would speculate that the Signature's cabinet-to-drivers cost ratio is higher than that of nearly any…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way sealed-box dynamic loudspeaker with two 7" bass-midrange drivers and one 1" titanium-dome tweeter. Crossover frequency: 2kHz. Impedance: 4 ohms nominal, 2.9 ohms minimum. Frequency response: 40–26kHz ±3dB anechoic (in-room –—dB point will be lower). Sensitivity: 87dB (distance and input power not specified, but assumed to be 1W/1m).
Dimensions: 11" W by 48" H by 21" D. Weight: 181 lbs. net, 194 lbs. shipping, 24 lbs. external crossover, 440 lbs system.
Price: $4850/pair (1991); no longer available (2006). Approximate number of…
Sidebar 2: System Context
The playback system used with the Signatures included a Classé Audio DR-5 preamplifier, Electronic Visionary Systems Stepped Attenuator passive control unit, and VTL 225W Deluxe monoblocks. The analog front end was a VPI HW-19 Jr. turntable fitted with an AudioQuest PT-5 tonearm and Sumiko Boron vdH cartridge. Digital sources were decoded by the Wadia 2000 digital processor driven by either a Marantz CD-94 or the Esoteric P-2 transport. Speaker cable was bi-wired AudioQuest Green Hyperlitz and interconnects included Music Meter, van den Hul D-102 Mk.II, and…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Starting with the Listening Room Diagnostic Recording (LEDR) test on the Chesky Test CD (JD37), I heard the most accurate spatial positioning of any speakers I've had in my listening room. The "Up," "Over," and "Lateral" tests produced contiguous, stable images throughout their apparent travel beyond the loudspeaker boundaries.
Next, the Signatures were driven with a variable-frequency sinewave with my hand and ear on the cabinet walls to detect enclosure resonances. A loudspeaker will typically have several low-frequency modes that set the cabinet to…
Flip flip flip]...Where the heck is it?...[flip flip flip]...Got it!" What am I looking for? There, in black and white, on p.634 of J. Gordon Holt's Really Reliable Rules for Rookie Reviewers (footnote 1), is the Prime Directive On Loudspeaker Setup: "Never, ever, choose a loudspeaker that has too much bass extension for your room!"
Time and time again I get letters from readers who have relatively small rooms asking why they can't get an even tonal balance from their [insert brand-name of massive, flat-to-20Hz behemoth here] speakers.
The answer is a no-brainer: If you have only…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) metal-dome tweeter, 5" metal-cone woofer. Crossover frequency: not specified. Frequency response: not specified. Sensitivity: 84dB/W/m (2.83V). Nominal impedance: 6 ohms. Amplifier requirements: 100–200W.
Dimensions: 13.75" (349mm) H by 8.1" (206mm) W by 13" (330mm) D. Weight: 26.5 lbs (12kg) each.
Price: $2497.50/pair (1995); no longer available (2006) (matching Pedestal stands cost $499/pair). Approximate number of dealers: 23.
Manufacturer: Platinum Audio Ltd., 10…
Sidebar 2: Review Context
The loudspeakers under test were positioned for the best sound (with only one pair of loudspeakers in the listening room at a time), generally some 3' from the rear wall (which is faced with books and LPs) and approximately 5' from the side walls (which also have bookshelves covering some of their surfaces). Each pair of speakers sat on their dedicated stands, these spiked to the concrete floor beneath the rug/pad, and was driven by the magazine-owned pair of Mark Levinson No.20.6 monoblocks, a Mark Levinson No.333 dual-mono amplifier (review underway), or a…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The Platinum's plot of impedance magnitude and phase (fig.1) reveals it to be basically an 8 ohm load, with drops to 5 ohms or just below in the lower midrange and mid-treble. The tuning of the twin ports is revealed by the impedance minimum at 44Hz. As I found in my auditioning, however, the Solo is not very sensitive, 2.83V rising just 83.5dB (B-weighted) at 1m (footnote 1). Phil Jones has obviously decided to trade off sensitivity against bass extension (see later). No resonances make themselves known by causing wrinkles in the impedance curves, but a single…
The Ultimate Audio Toy—Or, if you will, the apotheosis of the iPod.
For those of you who can peel off and drop 25 or so $100 bills on what would be, for most of us, a sheer self-indulgence, I can confidently state that the Sound Devices Model 722, a hard-disk–based, high-resolution, portable audio recorder ($2650), is the coolest, most desirable piece of audio hardware I have encountered in a dog's age. Although designed as a rugged, high-performance, foolproof, battery-powered portable stereo recorder for electronic newsgathering (ENG) and video- and film-sound recording (especially…