The Paradigm Reference Studio 60 v.5 is specified as having a voltage sensitivity of 89dB, but with no drive voltage given. My estimate of its sensitivity on the speaker's tweeter axis was a little higher, at 90dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is usefully higher than average. The Paradigm will play at satisfyingly high levels with relatively low-powered amplifiers. Its impedance (fig.1) remains between 5 and 8 ohms over most of the audioband, though a minimum magnitude of 3.6 ohms at 185Hz and a combination of 5 ohms and –37° electrical phase angle at 110Hz mean that the…
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About 2200 years ago, a Greek writer named Antipater of Sidon compiled a list of the seven wonders of the world, which included a 100'-high statue of the Sun god Helios, erected next to the harbor of Rhodes on the Aegean sea. A of S called it the Colossus of Rhodes, for an obvious reason. Now there's a new Colossus, the derivation of whose name is a little less obvious, but which could justifiably be included in any contemporary listing of the seven wonders of the audio world.
Developed by Louis Dorren, inventor of Quadracast, the national FM quadraphonic broadcast standard, Colossus is…
Sidebar 1: Error Correction
Most audiophiles still do not understand that error correction is not a Band-Aid for patching together a damaged signal, but is in fact the recovery of a perfect signal. Digital recording systems simultaneously use several systems for checking for lost or erroneous data and for completely correcting what's lost. The result is not "an educated guess" at the missing data, but a full reconstruction of it, identical in every detail to the original data. Listeners who claim to be able to hear error correction taking place are deluding themselves; corrected…
Sidebar 2: Colossal Reviews
BEETHOVEN: Sonata No.32, Op.111; Sonata No.21, Op.53 ("Waldstein")
Tibor Szasz, piano
Bainbridge BCD-6275 (CD). Leo de Gar Kulka, eng. & prod. DDD. TT: 58:03
MOZART: Piano Concerto No.13, K.415; Overture to Lucio Silla, K.135
Jeremy Menuhin, piano; George Cleve, 1987 Midsummer Mozart Festival Orchestra
Bainbridge BCD-6273 (CD). Leo de Gar Kulka, eng. & prod. DDD. TT: 36:58
PROKOFIEV: Alexander Nevsky, Lieutenant Kijé
Andre Previn, Los Angeles Philharmonic
Telarc CD-80143 (CD). Jack Renner, eng.; Robert…
Sound in a nutshell
The following is condensation of all the results from the many listening tests undertaken in both locations.
The following is condensation of all the results from the many listening tests undertaken in both locations.
The most exciting aspect of the X-1/Grand SLAMM was undeniably its extraordinary dynamic expression. Really good dynamics do not result from any single aspect of technical design. Rather, a whole group of interrelated factors come together to generate accurate, lifelike dynamics. These include low distortion, high thermal capacity, low coloration, and fast attack and decay of transients. High sensitivity and good electrical load matching are also important…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Four-way, seven-drive-unit, floorstanding, reflex-loaded loudspeaker system. Drive-units: 1" (25mm), ferrofluid-cooled, inverted titanium-dome tweeter; two 6.5" (170mm) plastic-cone midrange units; 12" glass-fiber-reinforced pulp-cone upper woofer; 15" pulp-cone lower woofer; two rear-firing 1" metal-dome tweeters. Crossover frequencies: 120Hz, 3kHz, 12kHz (rear tweeters). Electrical crossover slopes: first-order, 6dB/octave woofer/midrange; second-order, 12dB/octave, midrange/tweeter. Frequency response: 19Hz-22kHz ±3dB. Low-frequency extension:…
Sidebar 2: Wilson Audio Specialties
During discussions with Dave Wilson when he was setting up the X-1/Grand SLAMMs in my room, I wondered aloud how someone without formal training as a speaker designer could possibly produce the sophisticated and uncompromising products for which his company is renowned. Wilson's own background is based in years of research in the medical engineering field, where reliability and safety standards are second to none. However, when I learned that he was also an enthusiastic audiophile of many years, standing as well as a self-taught recording engineer and…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Incorporated in this speaker's title is the term "Super Linear," which implies low distortion. It certainly sounded as if it should have low distortion, but would the X-1/Grand SLAMM really measure better than typical moving-coil designs? Characteristic distortion measurements in loudspeaker reviews are often made at more than one sound-power level: 86dB at 1m is a typical midrange sound level on music and natural speech; 96dB is quite loud—loud enough for most purposes, in practice; 100dB is quite often the upper working limit for miniature speakers; while 106dB…
My inner engineer keeps whispering that flat curves must sound better; but it ain't necessarily so. Judgment of the semi-anechoic laboratory frequency response of a loudspeaker must be tempered by assessment of the performance over a range of forward axes. You need to judge the energy uniformity seen in the forward solid angle which encompasses the listener and the relevant reflective boundaries. The overall energy response as reflected in the Room Averaged Response is also most useful.
A loudspeaker's single axial response cannot, therefore, fully reflect its perceived "sound." Yet…
Okay, back to equipment racks and resonance tuning.
Let's say your components are snugged into one of those ubiquitous Target racks I used to use myself, or a similar round- or square-section hollow-tube rack with MDF shelves supported at their corners by tabs or push-in paddles. Shut your system down, remove the component on the top shelf, and rap the shelf with your knuckles. Not very reassuring, is it? Not only is the shelf resonant, but being supported at only its four corners makes it rattle'n'jump when you rap it.
Back in February's "Fine Tunes," I suggested making your own…