Nordost Corporation, 200 Homer Avenue, Ashland, MA 01721. Tel : (800) 836-27501, (508) 881-1116. Fax: (508) 881-6444. Web: www.nordost.com.
Quantum Resonant Technology, 1507 Seventh Street #270, Santa Monica, CA 90401. Web: www.quantumqrt.com.
Teo Audio, 2551 Highway 2 E., Kingston, Ontario K7L 4V1, Canada. Web: www.teoaudio.com. US distributor: Brian Kurtz, 1813 Medio Calle, Austin, TX 78733. Tel: (512) 377-2834. Fax: (512) 233-5399. E-mail: sales@teoaudio.com.
Vertex AQ. Tel: (44) (0)1597-825993. Web: www.vertexaq.com.
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Sidebar: Contacts
Step 1: Find something that works. Step 2: Use it. Step 3: Repeat as necessary, then retire.
That doesn't work everywhere—the arts are inhospitable—but for those with less lofty goals, it's nice to have a formula, especially a good one. The people behind the PrimaLuna line of audio electronics probably know that as well as anyone. A few years ago they combined a unique amplifier design with a similarly distinctive business model to create the ProLogue One, a product known for both value and reliability: the former by combining Chinese assembly with European (in this case, Dutch) quality…
Notwithstanding unrectified current on all tube heaters, the Sevens never hummed—another testament to their excellent layout and construction. There were no unwanted noises of any sort, in fact, except for a soft and apparently harmless click that I heard when using the remote control to switch between triode and ultralinear modes (which, incidentally, is the handset's only function). The only problem I experienced was when the handset became taciturn, seemingly overnight, and would no longer work from distances of greater than a foot. I attempted a battery change, but became listless…
I was very impressed with the Essence's reproduction of the great Clifford Curzon recording of Brahms' Piano Concerto 1, with George Szell and the London Symphony Orchestra (LP, Decca/Speakers Corner SXL 6023). From the very first notes, all of the sonic attributes one might hope for from such a product were in place, including powerful, surprisingly well-extended bass, very good string color and texture, and—again—a big, spacious soundfield. Yet the Essence's musical attributes were equally obvious and compelling, including an almost uniquely clear exposition of the timing between the…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 2.5" transformer-coupled ribbon tweeter, 10.3" paper-cone woofer with an integral "whizzer" cone. Woofer loading: proprietary (see text). Frequency range: 30Hz–40kHz. Sensitivity: 97dB/W/m. Impedance: 12 ohms nominal, 9 ohms minimum.
Dimensions: 49" (1255mm) H by 12" (310mm) W by 12" (310mm) D. Weight: 65 lbs (29.5kg) net, 73 lbs (33.2kg) shipping.
Finishes: Matte wood-veneer finishes standard; additional finishes available at extra cost.
Serial Numbers Of Units Reviewed: 92176, 92177.
…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Thorens TD-124 Mk.II turntable; EMT 997 tonearm; Shindo SPU, Ortofon SPU 90th Anniversary, EMT OFD 25 & OFD 65 cartridges.
Digital Sources: Sony SCD-777ES SACD/CD player, Wavelength Cosecant v3 USB DAC (with Apple iMac).
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 Hommage T1 step-up transformer, Shindo Masseto preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Shindo Corton-Charlemagne monoblocks & Haut-Brion, Quad II, Fi 2A3 Stereo.
Loudspeakers: Audio Note AN-E/SPe HE, Quad ESL.
Cables: USB: Kimber B Bus. Interconnect: Audio Note AN-vx, Shindo…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
One of the Zu Essence's unique selling points is its very high efficiency. While my estimate of its sensitivity, 92.5dB(B)/2.83V/m, is lower than the specified 97dB (due, I suspect, both to the 12 ohm impedance and to the lack of presence-region energy in the on-axis response—see later), it's still 10dB higher than the sensitivity of the BBC LS3/5A. Probably to oversimplify, the Zu speaker driven by 10W will play as loudly as the LS3/5A driven by 100W—assuming the little BBC monitor could actually handle 100W without melting!
Not only does the Essence not…
There have been lots of great, and even some fabulous books of music criticism or reportage, and I've recommended several in these pages. So far, however, only one has made me chuckle, chortle, or laugh out loud, time and time again.
Don Breithaupt and Jeff Breithaupt's Precious and Few: Pop Music in the Early '70s ($12.99; New York, St. Martin's Griffin, 1996) covers popular music from the breakup of the Beatles, in 1970, to the ascendance of disco, in 1975. One of the many startling, thought-provoking aperÁus contained in this eminently readable, down-to-earth survey is that, for the…
As I stated in my coverage of the PSB Imagine B ($1000/pair) in the February issue, if your budget for an entire system comes to the $1995 you'd have to pay for the Carat I57 CD receiver alone, the $1999 combination of Arcam Solo Mini and PSB Imagine Bs is very admirable—I just don't have a huge amount of confidence that, down the road, you won't get the itch to spend a little more to get a little more.
However, on the subject of spending more—and this part has me scratching my head—while the Solo Mini's sound has a strong family resemblance to that of the twice-as-powerful,…
Sidebar: Contacts
Arcam, Pembroke Avenue, Waterbeach, Cambridge CB25 9QR, England, UK. US distributor: American Audio & Video, 153 Willow Drive, Plattsburgh, NY 12903. Tel: (866) 916-4667. Web: www.americanaudiovideo.com.
Carat, InoVadis, 314 rue Milliez, 94506 Champigny cedex, France. Tel: (33) 1-55-09-18-30. Fax: (33) 1-55-09-15-31. Web: www.carat-audio.com. US distributor: VMAX Services Inc., PO Box 570, Chazy, NY 12921. Tel: (800) 771-8279, (514) 932-7786. Fax: (514) 931-8891. Web: www.vmax-services.com.
Luxman, Overseas Sales: Level Three, Three Pacific Place, 1 Queen'…