Analog Sources: Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn, Cobra, and Castellon turntable, tonearm, and stand; Graham Phantom II tonearm; Oracle Delphi Mk.VI turntable, Oracle/SME tonearm; Lyra Titan i, Ortofon MC A90, Transfiguration Orpheus cartridges.
Digital Sources: Camelot Roundtable DAC, BPT-modified Alesis Masterlink hard-disk recorder, Sooloos music server.
Preamplification: Manley Steelhead, Einstein Turntable's Choice, Sutherland The Hubble, AMR PH-77 phono preamplifiers; darTZeel NHB-18NS preamplifier.
Power Amplifier: Musical Fidelity Titan.
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Other than the in-room and nearfield measurements, for which I used an Earthworks QTC-40, the quasi-anechoic measurements of Vandersteen's Model Seven were all performed using DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone. The Seven has a low specified voltage sensitivity of 83.5dB/2.83V/m; my estimate of the figure was within experimental error of the specification, at 84dB(B)/2.83V/m. As well as requiring an amplifier capable of swinging enough volts to play at high levels, the Seven also needs high currents, especially with its rear tweeter…
I was looking out the window. I was waiting for the plane to take off. I was wearing Monster Cable's Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones ($349.95). I was listening to Pens' burning, fuzzed-out, 27-minute onslaught, Hey Friend, What You Doing? (320kbps MP3; LP, De Stijl IND071). I was shouting with sudden shock and pain.
"Ow! What?"
My brother-in-law had reached across the aisle and punched me in the leg. He'd been trying to get my attention for a while.
"How do the headphones sound?"
"They sound good, jerk. I couldn't hear a thing you were saying." Apparently, the…
Everything is designed to be pleasing to the touch. Even the case's zipper handle is smooth and soft. To the left of the headphones, a second compartment contains the quick-start guide, warranty, and an effective antimicrobial cleaning cloth. The Beats' high-gloss finish smudges easily—you will get fingerprints on these headphones. However, the new, hot-looking white version may be less prone to smudging. Also included is a 1/8"-to-1/4" adapter and Monster iSoniTalk cable, compatible with iPhones, Blackberries, and other music-enabled cell phones. I didn't use the iSoniTalk, but I can see…
Finally, I played a lossless file of Espers' "That Which Darkly Thrives," from last year's III (CD, Drag City DC416). Here, interestingly, voices were rendered appropriately: They sounded lovely and ethereal, and seemed to float above everything in a way that even my stereo can't manage. In my review of this album, I highlighted the "groaning bass and cello runs that lift the listener from the ground." Compared to my memory of that sensation as conveyed through my hi-fi, the Beats came up short, however, sounding slightly diffuse and not nearly as impactful. Bass, overall, had a distinctly…
Low-level resolution was also greater with the Phiatons. Valet's "Rainbow" opens with a whispered vocal from Honey Owens that the Phiatons zoomed in on and embraced; in fact, Owens' voice throughout the track was clearer, more human, more present—unambiguous pluses.
Looking back . . .
. . . at the listening habits I fell into with the Beats, I clearly gravitated toward music that offered aggressive imaging, an area in which the Monsters excelled. I therefore decided to do a few more listening tests, using songs in different genres of music.
I began this time with the…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Binaural, noise-canceling headphones. Frequency range: 20Hz–20kHz. Sensitivity: 115dB/V. Cable: Monster Cable Quadripole, four-twisted-pair construction. Cord: 1.3m, straight, left side.
Weight: 9.2oz (260.8gm), excluding cable.
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: 190003-00.
Price: $349.95. Approximate number of dealers: gazillions.
Manufacturer: Monster Cable Products, Inc., 455 Valley Drive, Brisbane, CA 94005. Tel: (415) 840-2000. Fax: (415) 468-0311. Web: www.monstercable.com.
I miss the High End Shows. Not the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas—no thanks. I can do without the overpriced hotels, the 45-minute taxi lines, the frantic racing from venue to venue. No, it's the Stereophile shows I miss, with the centralized location, the rubbing shoulders with readers ("Hey, you're the cheap-speaker guy! Check out room 206!"), the listening to live music, and maybe even playing a little of it.
There was always a number of manufacturers who regularly displayed their wares at the Stereophile show and always achieved good sound, no matter what they…
Woodwinds, too, shone with perfect purity and verisimilitude. As I listened to accordionist Richard Galliano perform "Aurore," from his Love Day (CD, Milan M2-36398), the Dynaudio reproduced that most underrated of polyphonic woodwind instruments with breathy, linear, low-level dynamics and flawless timbre. This speaker also loved piano recordings—Marilyn Crispell's rich but minimalist mid-register textures on her introspective Amaryllis (CD, ECM 1742) reminded me of a concert of hers I attended about the time this disc was recorded, in 2000.
The Excite X12's reproduction of the lower…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (26mm) silk-dome tweeter, 5.7" (145mm) magnesium-silicate polymer-cone woofer. Crossover frequency: 2kHz. Frequency response: 50Hz–23kHz, ±3dB. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Sensitivity: 86dB/2.83V/m. Power handling: 150W.
Dimensions: 11.2" (285mm) H by 6.7" (170mm) W by 10" (255mm) D. Weight: 14.3 lbs (6.5kg).
Finishes: Maple, Cherry, Rosewood, Black Ash real-wood veneers; add $75/pair for high-gloss white or black.
Serial Numbers Of Units Reviewed: 03632378/9.
Price: $1200…