Analog Sources: Thorens TD-124 Mk.II, Linn Sondek LP12 turntables; EMT 997, Thomas Schick, Naim Aro, dps tonearms; Shindo SPU, Ortofon SPU 90th Anniversary, EMT OFD 25, Edison Spirit 78, Miyabi 47, Grace F9E cartridges.
Digital Sources: Sony SCD-777ES SACD/CD player; Ayre QB-9 USB DAC (with Apple iTunes).
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 Hommage T1 step-up transformer; Ayre Acoustics P-5x phono preamplifier; Shindo Masseto, Tempo Electric Arthur Loesch 1.1 preamplifiers.
Power Amplifiers: Shindo Haut-Brion & Corton-Charlemagne, Quad II.
…
search
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
A few years ago, I had a phone call from a marketing organization. I was asked, as a member of the audiophile press, to participate in a survey dealing with the "images" of various brands of loudspeakers.
I declined to participate in the survey—Stereophile editorial policy does not allow writers to act as consultants, and this was tantamount to being a consultant, albeit an unpaid one. However, if one of the brands in the survey had been Monitor Audio, my answers would not have been terribly helpful: I had no very clear "image" of Monitor Audio speakers. British, well-made, uses…
The solution presented itself when I remembered that Monitor Audio has exhibited very successfully with Simaudio electronics. A loan of the Moon Evolution W-7 amplifier (150Wpc) was arranged, and the folks at Simaudio also suggested that I use the matching Moon Evolution P-7 preamplifier as well—which, in combination with my Ayre CX-7eMP CD player, would result in a fully balanced system. Well, why not? Besides, the P-7 and CX-7eMP are both listed in Class A of Stereophile's "Recommended Components," and the W-7 is a lower-powered version of the Moon W-8, another Class A denizen. In terms of…
Another way to assess a speaker's resolution is to listen to how it reproduces any changes in sound produced by changes in other components or tweaks. This opportunity presented itself when I was replacing my interconnects and AC cords with Nordost Valhalla products. Because I wasn't doing a cable review as such, I didn't spend a lot of time switching cables back and forth, but I did listen carefully before and after each swap (having first unplugged and replugged the original cable, to make sure that any sonic difference was not merely a function of cleaning the contacts, a natural…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 21/4" tall C-CAM (magnesium) ribbon tweeter, 4" RDT (metal-coated Nomex)-cone midrange driver, two 6.5" RDT-cone woofers. Crossover frequencies: 600Hz, 3.6kHz. Frequency range: 35Hz–100kHz. Sensitivity: 90dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Maximum SPL (per pair in room): 117.8dB. Power handling: 250W. Recommended amplification: 100–250W.
Dimensions: 39" (998mm) H by 10" (255mm) W by 111/4" (285mm) D (including fixed plinth). Weight (including plinth): 72.7 lbs (33kg).
…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Source: Linn LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Ittok tonearm, AudioQuest AQ7000nsx cartridge.
Digital Source: Ayre CX-7eMP CD player.
Preamplifiers: Simaudio Moon Evolution P-7, Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Renaissance.
Power Amplifiers: Simaudio Moon Evolution W-7, PrimaLuna ProLogue Seven.
Loudspeakers: Avantgarde Uno Nano.
Cables: Interconnect, Speaker, AC: Nordost Valhalla.
Accessories: PS Audio Power Plant Premier AC conditioner, Arcici Suspense Rack, PolyCrystal amplifier stands, Furutech RD-2 CD demagnetizer.—…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I performed the quasi-anechoic measurements of the Monitor Audio Platinum PL200 with DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone. The grille was left off for the measurements, as that was how Bob Deutsch auditioned the speakers. The Platinum PL200's sensitivity is specified as a usefully high 90dB/2.83V/m; my estimate was actually a little higher, at 90.4dB(B)/2.83V/m, though this is within experimental error of the specification. This speaker will play loud when driven by amplifiers of low or moderate power. However, its electrical impedance (fig.…
It's been over two years since I reviewed a pair of JL Audio's Fathom f113 subwoofers. Kalman Rubinson and I both gave the f113 top marks for delivering clean, powerful bass in a wide variety of full-range systems. At the end of the review period, JL Audio's Carl Kennedy told me that they wouldn't send me another subwoofer for review until they had developed one that outperformed the Fathom f113 (footnote 1). To this day, the Fathom f113 tops the subwoofer category in Stereophile's "Recommended Components."
The Fathom f212
Finally, they offered me a pair of their newer twin…
To initiate the ARO procedure, the owner must plug the Fathom f212's calibration mike into a front-panel jack next to the three ARO controls. The Demo button verifies that the ARO functions are ready by running a 20-second sequence of test tones; Defeat turns off the ARO system to compare the ARO and non-ARO settings; and Calibrate initiates ARO self-calibration with test tones that measure the listening room's response, then runs the f212's automatic equalization procedure.
All set-and-forget inputs and controls are on the rear panel, which is also identical to the f113's. These…
JL Audio's ARO first tests the room, then applies single-band equalization to tune out its most prominent deviation from a linear frequency response. With the rest of the stereo system shut off, ARO automatically generates its own test signals. But before I began, I made certain to turn off my dishwasher and air-conditioner, which can generate subsonic artifacts of their own that can mislead the ARO algorithm. I plugged the ARO calibration mike's cable into the right Fathom f212's front control panel, cranked up the sub's Master level control to its maximal (4 o'clock) position, set all…