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The big Canton was significantly more sensitive than average, at an estimated 92dB(B)/2.83V/m. However, as shown by its plot of impedance magnitude and electrical phase against frequency (fig.1), it actually draws more like 2W from the amplifier to achieve this rating. With a true 1W drive, its sensitivity will be exactly to specification at 89dB/W/m.

Fig.1 Canton Karat Reference 2 DC, electrical impedance (solid) and phase (dashed). (2 ohms/vertical div.)

The impedance stays within tight 3 and 6 ohm limits from 70Hz to 40kHz, meaning that…

One day a guitarist came into the shop and asked John and Rudolf if they would make him a special instrument. The brothers set aside their differences long enough to work together, and the result was a guitar that looked and sounded like no other. The guitarist was so pleased that…

Actually, maybe you know not Circe, so here's a refresher: When Odysseus landed on Aeaea, Circe placed an enchantment upon his crew, turning them into swine. Odysseus was unaffected because he was protected by an herb called Moly, a gift of Hermes, and he forced Circe to restore his crew's human forms. Odysseus then hung out with her for a year (fathering Telegonus, among other pastimes) before she dispatched him…

If we want things to stay as they are, things will have to change.
Maybe it was Circe's transformative powers that inspired the speaker's name. As I shuffled amplifiers and wires, the speakers went through some real personality changes. Marchisotto is insistent that the Circes be used only with components of the very highest quality, which, for him, include single-ended triode amplifiers such as the Cary CAD-…

The midrange and top end certainly do not partake of any classic coloration, however. Time after time, I was drawn into the music through the…

Description: Floorstanding three-way dynamic loudspeaker system with external passive crossover. Driver complement: 1" aluminum-dome tweeter mounted on open baffle, 5.5" pulp/plastic-cone midrange on open baffle, 10" pulp-cone woofer in sealed enclosure. Crossover frequencies: 400Hz, 3500Hz. Frequency range: 20Hz-25kHz. Sensitivity: 87dB/W/m. Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, 4 ohms minimum.
Dimensions: 52.5" H by 12.75" W by 15" D. Weight: 65 lbs each.
Serial number of units reviewed: 101/102.
Finish: Cherry with black cloth.
Price: $12,000/pair.…

LP playback: Linn LP12/Lingo/Cirkus/Ekos/Arkiv.
CD playback: Audio Research CD2/DAC3, Linn Sondek CD12, Sonic Frontiers Transport 3/Processor 3.
DDVD player: Denon DVD-3000.
Preamplification: Audio Research Reference One, Conrad-Johnson ART, Mark Levinson No.380S; Linn Linto phono section.
Power amplifiers: Accuphase M2000, Audio Research VT200, Cary CAD-805C, Mark Levinson No.332.
Cables: AudioQuest Lapis, Madrigal CZ-Gel 1, Siltech SQ-80B G3.
Accessories: API Power Wedge Ultra, Cinemedia PowerPRO 20 AC line balancer, OSAR equipment and…

The big Alón's sensitivity was to specification at an estimated 87dB(B)/2.83V/m. Its impedance plot of magnitude and phase against frequency (fig.1) dropped below 6 ohms only in the upper bass and upper midrange, with a moderate phase angle across most of the band other than in the bass. The Circe will be relatively easy to drive, which presumably explains why listeners have had success using the speaker with SE triode amplifiers. But note the very high impedance peak at 39Hz: 24 ohms. This will exaggerate the midbass with such amplifiers. It also indicates that…

Fig.4 Alón Circe, response at 50" of woofer without crossover (top) and with (bottom), both curves corrected for microphone response.

Fig.5 Alón Circe, response at 50" of midrange unit without crossover (top) and with (bottom), both curves corrected for microphone response.

Fig.6 Alón Circe, response at 50" of tweeter without crossover (top) and with (bottom), both curves corrected for microphone response.

A similar effect can be seen in both the equalized and raw responses of the tweeter (fig.6). Note that the HF unit is still putting out significant…