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Driving the loudspeaker with a variable-frequency sinewave oscillator revealed a lively cabinet, the enclosure vibrating significantly. Many resonances were detected, the most severe of them at 100Hz and 270Hz, which produced audible cabinet contributions to the tone. Rapping the enclosure with my knuckles produced a fairly lively tone.

Looking at fig.1, the Type K/II's impedance magnitude (solid line) and phase angle (dotted line), the sealed-box tuning is evident from the single impedance peak which reaches 24.3 ohms at 63Hz. The impedance never drops…

It was a frantic fax from Houston.

Sorry to say, I'm unable to answer most letters or faxes because I don't have the time. But this one intrigued me.

"My current speakers," the fax continued, "appear to be too large for the bedroom. Any ideas on what to audition?"

I shot back—

"This is great news, Houston! With a smaller room, you can go for quality instead of quantity. Think small!!! Smaller speakers, smaller amplifier. Aside from the bass, you may get better…

The Mini References' inability to rock is one way in which they differ from the more expensive ProAc Response 2s. While they have a similar tonal balance, the ProAcs can be driven hard. The $3000/pair ProAcs excel in soundstaging, the retrieval of…

The Allison name is one every audiophile should recognize. For me it brings back pangs of nostalgia for the '70s, when many of my audiophile friends owned Allison Ones. That triangular, floorstanding dynamic loudspeaker was unusual for its day, in that its widest face was intended to be placed flat against the wall. At the time, this excellent-sounding speaker was much more spouse-friendly than most of the competition.

Following more than a decade of acclaimed design work for Acoustic Research…

Description: Two-way speaker with sealed-box woofer loading. Drive-units: 6" paper-cone woofer, 0.5" plastic-dome tweeter. Frequency response: 55Hz–20kHz, ±3dB. Crossover frequency: 3kHz. Nominal impedance: 6 ohms. Sensitivity: 90dB/2.83V/1m. Finish: black vinyl.
Dimensions: 14" H by 8.5" W by 8.25" D. Weight: 9 lbs each.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: B06496 & 97 (Reina pair); B0039 & 40 (original pair; see measurements text).
Price: $173/pair (1994); $224/pair (1997); no longer available (2007). Approximate number of dealers: factory-direct…

I used the Mini-References on Celestion Si stands about 12" to 15" from the rear wall. I conducted most of my reviewing on my "affordable" reference system. Front-ends were a Thorens TD-160/SME 3009 Mk.II/Grado Signature 8MZ (analog) and a California Audio Labs Icon Mk.II HDCD with Power Boss (digital). Amplification consisted of a Creek 4240 SE integrated amplifier. Wires were MIT 330SG interconnects and Acarian Black Orpheus speaker cables.

I also assembled a second, less expensive "entry-level" system to audition the Mini-References. It consisted…

Despite its small size, the RA Labs speaker is surprisingly sensitive; my B-weighted estimate was around 89dB/2.83V/m. However, as its impedance (fig.1) drops below 6 ohms for most of the midrange, 8 ohm–rated amplifiers and receivers should be avoided. The tuning of the sealed box is revealed by the peak at 65Hz, implying only moderate bass extension.

Fig.1 RA Labs BG Mini-Reference, electrical impedance (solid) and phase (dashed) (2 ohms/vertical div.).

Note the small wrinkle in the traces between 200Hz and 300Hz. These suggest the…

More recently, Burmester has been showing up at CES and in my local hi-fi emporium with a mind-boggling array of jewel-finished components and a no-holds-barred approach to design. Demonstrations were as impressive as that first one, and I leaped at the prospect of getting the 970 DAC and 971 transport for…

Sitting on matching baseplates and carbon-fiber discs, the $27,500 Burmester 969 transport and 970 DAC look very much alike. On its front panel the 969 has fewer buttons and a larger, single display, and on the top, the central of its three armor plates can be slid back to reveal a top-loading, belt-driven CD turntable. I really got a kick out of hearing the subtle relay click as I slid back the cover. Indeed, the mechanism was so smooth that the relay was the only perceptible feedback to the operator.

Udo Besser gave me a demo transport…