On the other hand, well-recorded material assumes a degree of richness, grace, and grandeur which is totally involving and remarkably satisfying. Also, unlike some other large speakers, which often make everything played through them sound grandiose, the M-3sis seemed chameleon-like in their ability to change "colors"…
search
The M-3sis were also extremely revealing of program material. With these loudspeakers in your system, you'll probably hear things on your favorite recordings you haven't heard before. For better or worse, they can and will expose warts on less-than-ideal recordings.
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Floor-standing, three-way, vented-box dynamic loudspeaker with one 10" carbon-filled polypropylene-cone woofer, two 5" carbon fiber/polypropylene-cone midrange drivers, and two 1" titanium-dome tweeters. Crossover frequencies: 350Hz and 2kHz. Frequency response: 30Hz–3kHz, ±2dB. Impedance: 6 ohms nominal, 4 ohms minimum. Sensitivity: 83dB at 2.83V (anechoic chamber at 1m).
Dimensions: 52.5" H by 18.1" W by 8.3" D. Weight: 135 lbs.
Serial number of pair auditioned: 003208.
Price: $2800/pair (1992); no longer available (2007). Approximate…
Sidebar 2: System Context
You've read in my past reviews about the system used in evaluating the new Mirages: at the analog source-end, I used either a VPI HW-19 Mk.IV with an upgraded Eminent Technology ET 2 tonearm/Wisa/Airtech setup, or a stock Well-Tempered Turntable. The cartridge used with both turntables is one about which I'll have more to say in an upcoming review—the Roksan Shiraz moving-coil. For my primary digital source, I used a Meridian 602 transport into a Meridian 606 processor. Other processors on hand (and listened to briefly) were the Enlightened Audio Designs DSP-…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The impedance curve (fig.1) shows the double hump at low frequencies typical of a reflex design; the "saddle" between these two humps at about 29Hz (and just over 5 ohms) is the tuned frequency of the M-3si's ports. The overall impedance indicates a fairly easy load to drive, dipping just below 4 ohms only once, at just under 100Hz. The sharp peak just above 20kHz probably indicates the presence of a notch filter to tame a tweeter resonance.
Fig.1 Mirage M-3si, electrical impedance (solid) and phase (dashed) (2 ohms/vertical div.).
The…
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, two 4.5" (110mm) metal-cone woofers. Measured crossover frequency: 4kHz. Crossover slopes: first-order, 6dB/octave. Frequency response: 65Hz–18kHz ±2.5dB, 50Hz–22kHz ±4dB. Sensitivity: 91dB/W/m (2.83V). Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Amplifier requirements: up to 250W. Harmonic distortion (no frequency specified): less than 0.05% of second and third harmonic at 90dB at 1m; less than 0.1% of second and third harmonic at 100dB at 1m. Power compression factor:…
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, or a Cary Audio Design CAD…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
As I found with the single-ended Cary, the Acoustic Energy will play reasonably loud with only a few amplifier watts, reaching spls in the mid-90s without discomfort: I estimated its B-weighted sensitivity as 88dB/W/m (footnote 1), but this figure is compromised by the frequency response on the tweeter axis (see later). With an impedance magnitude that drops to 4.3 ohms in the lower midrange but stays above 6 ohms over almost all the rest of the audioband, the AE2 Signature is a relatively easy load for an amplifier to drive (fig.1). The double peak in the bass is…
Among the more intriguing audio-related announcements this year was that Koetsu phono cartridges were once again available in the States. In fact, they're being handmade in limited quantities by the sons of founder Yoshiaki Sugano.
There are three new models, each using samarium-cobalt magnets with a healthy 600µV output: the Standard (Red), the Rosewood Signature, and the Urushi—$2500, $3500, and $4000, respectively. The Urushi was reviewed in the October '98 Stereophile by Michael Fremer; its aluminum lacquer-coated shell leaves some enthusiasts drooling on their tonearms. The Rosewood…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Low-output, moving-coil phono cartridge. Stylus: specially designed and ground for Koetsu. Output: 200µV (1kHz, 5cm/s). Internal impedance: 5 ohms. Frequency range: 20Hz–100kHz. Channel separation: >30dB/1kHz. Channel balance: within 0.5dB/1kHz. Recommended VTF: 1.8–2.0gm. Recommended loading: 5–100k ohms. Compliance: medium-low. Recommended tonearm: medium-high mass.
Price: $5500. Approximate number of dealers: 30.
Manufacturer: Koetsu, Kyoto, Japan. Distributor: Musical Surroundings, Inc., 5856 College Avenue, Suite 146, Oakland, CA…