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Aerial Model 5B loudspeaker John Atkinson on the Sound

John Atkinson on the Sound

When Robert Harley reviewed Aerial Acoustics' original Model 5 for Stereophile in April 1997, he concluded that this moderately sized, stand-mounted, two-way, sealed-box speaker sounded "super-smooth, uncolored, and had a top-to-bottom coherence rivaling those of much more expensive loudspeakers." However, he did note what he felt to be the speaker's shortfalls in soundstaging and bass extension, as well as an unassuming character that gave the music "a certain reticence that made me want to turn up the volume."

The original Model 5 combined a 1"…

Aerial Model 5B loudspeaker Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Two-way, sealed box-loaded, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" titanium-dome tweeter, 7.1" damped laminated-fiber–cone woofer. Crossover frequency: 3kHz. Frequency response: 70Hz-20kHz, ±3dB. Impedance: 4 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum. Sensitivity: 85dB/2.83V/m on-axis. Power requirements: 50W minimum..
Dimensions: 8.125" W by 13" H by 10.25" D. Weight: 48 lbs/pair net.
Finishes: Matt black.
Serial Numbers Of Units Reviewed: 052741 & '2.
Price: $2200/pair. (Dedicated stands cost $700/pair.) Approximate number of dealers: 65.…

Aerial Model 5B loudspeaker JA's Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: JA's Associated Equipment

Digital Sources: Ayre C-5xeMP universal player; Meridian 808i.2 CD player; dCS Puccini SACD player; Benchmark DAC1, Ayre QB-9 D/A converters; dCS 972 D/D converter; Logitech (Slim Devices) Transporter WiFi music player with Apple Mac mini for media storage.
Preamplifiers: Parasound Halo JC 2, Simaudio Moon Evolution P-8.
Power Amplifiers: Parasound Halo JC 1 monoblocks, Simaudio Moon Evolution W-7.
Loudspeakers: Acoustic Energy AE1 Mk.III Special Edition, Totem Acoustic Mani-2.
Cables: Digital: Kimber Illuminations Orchid AES/EBU,…

Aerial Model 5B loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

My estimate of the Model 5B's voltage sensitivity was 85.8dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is within experimental error of the specification. Though this is a couple of dB lower than average, as I commented in my auditioning notes, the speaker did sound less sensitive than I would have expected. The speaker's impedance (fig.1) is almost identical to that of the original, with an average level of 10 ohms in the midrange and above, but a drop to 4 ohms in the upper bass and a demanding combination of 6 ohms and a –40° electrical phase angle at 100Hz. A 4 ohm–rated amplifier…

Listening #83

"Think before you speak is criticism's motto; speak before you think is creation's."—E.M. Forster, "The Raison d'Être of Criticism in the Arts," 1947 (footnote 1)

1. Just as there are many different genres of films, comprising a list that grows longer with each passing season—Brit-indy horror, gal-pal western, art-house horror—there are many different genres of audio components.

Somewhere, a circuit designer tries loading the plate of a driver tube somewhat differently than he used to. He likes what he hears, builds a new amp around his new idea, and sells about two dozen of them…

Listening #83 Page 2

Then came the coup de grâce: Last year, blogger Robin Goldstein submitted an entry for a fake restaurant—and won an award. Osteria L'Intrepido could now legitimately display a Wine Spectator award in its window, if only it existed. Perhaps more important, Goldstein points out, the wine list he created for his fake restaurant was, intentionally and unmistakably, sub-par.

Wine Spectator's executive editor posted a response on the magazine's website. Surprisingly—at least I was surprised—he refused to admit any fault on his magazine's part, and in fact rather contentiously stood his ground…

Listening #83 Page 3

I'm on record with the opposite point of view: English suits me just fine, thanks. If, as is parroted time and again, our noblest goal is to compare reproduced music with real music, then it seems hypocritical to suggest that a vocabulary that has served the latter for centuries is somehow not up to the task of describing the former. Indeed, generations of composers, musicians, musicologists, and listeners have managed to convey their meaning without such expressions as macrodynamics, image structure, dimensionality, or grain.

So I've tried, whenever possible, to avoid the jargon of…

HRT Music Streamer USB D/A Converter

My favorite moment in the Zack Snyder film Watchmen—apart from the Dylan-fueled title sequence, which itself contains some of the most memorable scenes in recent cinema—comes when retired crimefighter Daniel "Nite Owl II" Dreiberg arrives home to find the doctrinaire and mildly crazy Walter "Rorschach" Kovacs in his kitchen, eating beans straight from the can. The startled Dreiberg asks his visitor, "Would you like me to heat those up for you?"

Rorschach's spare reply: "Fine like this."

Not long ago, after I'd already spent a fair amount of time with the High Resolution…

HRT Music Streamer USB D/A Converter Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Single-box digital-to-analog converter. Formats supported: all PCM-output audio codecs (AIFF, WAV, MP3, etc.). Digital input jack: USB only (type B plug). Analog output jacks: RCA. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, +0/–1.8dB. Maximum output voltage: 2.25V. Signal/noise ratio: 86dB, A-weighted, ref. full output. Power requirement (via USB bus): 250mA.
Dimensions: 4.1" (130mm) L by 2.1" (55mm) W by 1.2" (30mm) H. Weight: a few ounces.
Serial Number Of Unit Reviewed: None found.
Price: $99. Approximate number of dealers: 9.
Manufacturer: High…

HRT Music Streamer USB D/A Converter Associated Equipment

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; Sony PlayStation 1; Wavelength Cosecant v3 USB DAC (with Apple iMac), High Resolution Technologies Music Streamer+.
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 Hommage T1 step-up transformer, Shindo Masseto preamplifier.
Power Amplifier: Shindo Haut-Brion.
Loudspeakers: Audio Note AN-E/SPe HE.
Cables: USB: Belkin Pro Series, Kimber B Bus. Interconnect: Audio Note AN…