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I began writing this essay on New Year's Day 2007. The passing of the old year reminded me that I am now in the 21st year of editing Stereophile, my 25th of being the editor-in-chief of a mainstream audio magazine, and my 31st of working full-time as an audio journalist. (Prior to joining Stereophile in 1986, I had worked for 10 years at British magazine Hi-Fi News & Record Review, the final four as its editor.) Back in the innocent 1970s, reviewers and editors generally picked and chose what products to review based on their own interest and what they felt appropriate for their readers…
My plan was to begin by revealing the highest sum I've paid for a wristwatch. It wasn't very much, and that would have been the point.
But when I sat down to think, as I often do while writing, it occurred to me that I've never actually paid for a watch: They've all been gifts. Working backward in time, there was the Swatch that my travel-agent wife brought back from a trip to the Virgin Islands; the very convincing fake Rolex that my mother bought for me during a trip to Bermuda; and the beautiful vintage Wittnauer that once belonged to my great-uncle Jack Dunphy, and which is now one…
Now let's talk about loans. As I've mentioned on a number of occasions, I usually keep review samples 60 to 90 days, depending on what my schedule looks like and how much running-in the product requires. Right now there are some interesting things on hand, waiting to be written up—including integrated amplifiers from Simaudio and Musical Fidelity, cables from JPS Labs, a newer and less expensive version of the Audio Note AN-E loudspeaker, and a new Rega turntable.
Some readers have a sharp and reasonable interest in products that are here for more than 60 to 90 days: long-term loans,…
One of the highlights of such annual events as the Consumer Electronics and Primedia Home Entertainment shows has been the demonstrations of loudspeakers from TAD, the professional division of Pioneer Electronics. Designer Andrew Jones is always generous in using recordings brought by visitors, and enthusiastic in explaining the technology behind these beautiful behemoths. Among these speakers' unique features are a beryllium dome tweeter mounted concentrically inside a beryllium midrange cone, and a cabinet built of stacked, carved horizontal sections, for incredible rigidity without using…
The S-1EX's large soundstage representation was wide and tall, though less deep than a warmer, richer speaker would make it, and at first I missed that depth. However, I have no way of knowing exactly how far behind the orchestra the choir stood during the recording of, say, Sibelius' Kullervo, by either Sir Colin Davis and the London Symphony (SACD/CD, LSO Live LSO0574) or Robert Spano and the Atlanta Symphony (SACD/CD, Telarc SACD-60665). In the former, the entry of the men's chorus in Part 2 is thrilling, the deep voices spread broadly across the back of the soundstage just behind the…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 13/8" (35mm) beryllium-dome tweeter with aluminum voice-coil and concentric 5.5" (140mm) magnesium-cone midrange unit, two 71/16" (180mm) aramid-cone woofers with 2.5" (64mm)-diameter voice-coils. Port: 5" opening. Crossover frequencies: 400Hz, 2kHz. Frequency range: 28Hz–100kHz. Nominal impedance: 6 ohms. Sensitivity: 88.5dB SPL Distortion at 4W, 100Hz–10kHz: <0.7% second harmonic, <0.35% third harmonic. Maximum power: 200W.
Dimensions: 501/2" (1283mm) H by 165/8" (422mm) W…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Sony XA-9000ES SACD/CD player, Bel Canto PL-1A universal player.
Preamplifier: Bel Canto Pre6.
Power Amplifiers: Bel Canto REF-1000 monoblocks; Classé CA-3200, Mark Levinson No.433.
Loudspeakers: B&W 802D, JL Audio f113 subwoofer.
Cables: Digital: Stereovox HDVX. Interconnect: Crystal Cable Cinemax multichannel, AudioQuest Cheetah/DBS balanced. Speaker: AudioQuest Mont Blanc/DBS biwire. AC: JPS Aluminata.
Accessories: APC S-15, Environmental Potentials EP-2450 power conditioners.—Kalman Rubinson
Sidebar 3: Measurements
At an estimated 89.5dB(B)/2.83V/m, the big Pioneer's voltage sensitivity was both significantly higher than average and a little higher than the specified 88.5dB. My measurement is close to being within experimental error of the specification, but there is no doubt that the S-1EX will play loud with lower-powered amplifiers. However, its impedance drops to 3.6 ohms in the upper bass (at 115Hz), and there is a demanding combination of 4.36 ohms magnitude and –50° capacitive phase angle at 88Hz (fig.1). As most music has considerable energy in this frequency region,…
Recommended Components Addendum
FM Tuners
A
Day-Sequerra FM Reference Signature Modification: $1680 (+ cost of tuner)
David Day's Signature Mod effectively addresses this ultimate FM tuner's cathode-ray tube's tendency to burn out. Switching circuitry has been added to allow the CRT to turn off when not needed. The Signature Mod also replaces the tuner's incandescent bulbs with longer-lasting LEDs, and uses hand-matched, low-group-delay filters for lower distortion and better channel separation. LG noted punchy, quick bass response, a deeper soundstage, and a more transparent…
Back in 2000, when Lyra introduced the Helikon moving-coil cartridge, which replaced the then six-year-old Clavis D.C., the company inexplicably retained the Clavis D.C.'s retail price of $2000. This was inexplicable because the Helikon's revolutionary design was new from the ground up, and because audiophiles—like most, if not all, consumers—perceive price to be a reflection of quality and performance.
If you think otherwise, consider "In Tuition Game, Popularity Rises with Price," a December 12, 2006 New York Times article about how good but lower-priced schools actually lose…