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If it's rare to go to an audio show and hear most of a company's products set up properly in multiple rooms, it's rarer still to hear those products also sounding terrific in each and every room. Such was my introduction to Marten's loudspeakers at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. In each of the systems in which the Swedish company's speakers were set up, and no matter what gear was upstream of them, I heard distinctly neutral, open, musical sound. After having the very same experience with Marten's speakers at the 2011 CES, I concluded that they must know what they're doing, and that…
However, setting the Django's bass level control to "–" did a very good job of taming this bass bump without robbing the rest of the bass of its weight and fullness. With most speakers that have bass-level controls, I find the choices a bit too extreme—they rob too much bass at the "–" setting and add too much at "+". The Django's control proved tastefully useful, and helped me get the speakers sounding just right. Interestingly, when I listened to the Djangos via Simaudio's massive Moon Evolution M880 monoblocks, I switched the bass selectors to the "+" position, to help the Martens…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" ceramic-diaphragm tweeter, 6" ceramic-diaphragm midrange unit, three 8" aluminum-cone woofers. Crossover: second-order, 250Hz & 3kHz. Frequency response: 26Hz–30kHz, ±3dB. Sensitivity: 89dB/2.83V/m. Impedance: 6 ohms nominal, 4 ohms minimum. Power rating: 250W. Terminals: single-wired, WBT. Internal wiring: Jorma Design. Supplied accessories: anodized aluminum outriggers with Marten cones.
Dimensions: 49.2" (1250mm) H by 10.6" (270mm) W by 19.7" (500mm) D. Weight: 104 lbs (…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Clearaudio Concept turntable & tonearm, with Concept moving-magnet cartridge; Clearaudio Ovation turntable & tonearm, Clearaudio Talisman V2 cartridge.
Digital Sources: Benchmark DAC1 HDR D/A converter/preamplifier, Sony Vaio laptop computer; Bel Canto Design CD 2 CD player & DAC 3.5 VB Mk.II D/A converter & VB-1 power supply.
Preamplification: Clearaudio Nano phono preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Audio Research Reference 150, Rogue Audio M-180 monoblocks, Simaudio Moon Evolution 880M monoblocks.
Loudspeakers…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Marten Django XL's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 mike for the nearfield responses. Because the Django XL is a large, heavy speaker, I could not raise it very high off the ground for the acoustic measurements. As a result, the measured responses have less resolution in the midrange than I would have liked.
My estimate of the Django's voltage sensitivity was 84.1dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is much lower than the specified 89dB/2.83V/m. Offsetting that,…
I'll have more to say about Dan Deacon's America, both here and in the pages of Stereophile, but, for now, I'll just quickly say that I like it—a LOT.
Full of major chords and glorious crescendos, littered with screeching electronic noise and dressed up with sweeping violins, America is bold, ambitious, arrogant, pretentious, and really beautiful.
It's available now from Domino Records, or you can stream the entire album over at The Guardian.
Read more about Dan Deacon's America here.
I’ll be honest, when Klipsch invited me to see the B-52s on Thursday, August 9th, all I really wanted was for Peter Griffin to stroll across the Irving Plaza stage oblivious to the swirling lights and drifting artificial fog, whip out an acoustic guitar, and play that jangly lead from “Rock Lobster”. A bearded lobster donning a turban would then prance to the front of the stage and everyone would scream “Death to America / And butter sauce!” This never happened. However, I did successfully ignore the opening band Love Funk, had my mind blown by the B-52s, but most importantly, I discovered a…
Michael Lavorgna reports on Philip Jeck and Ted Riederer’s performance, last night, at Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral, in Brooklyn. Jeck sat at a table, with access to a small keyboard and a few simple turntables. Meanwhile, Riederer played guitar and sang, sending his signals through various effects pedals, looping them and transferring them directly to lathe-cut vinyl. Upon the completion of a side, Riederer would hand the newly created record to an unsuspecting Jeck. In turn, Jeck, with a smile, would place the record upon a turntable and play along. It continued like that for some…
The D'Agostino Master Systems Analog Preamplifier, first seen at the 2011 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest. Photo: John Atkinson
Wednesday, September 19, 6–9pm: Innovative Audio Video (150 East 58th Street, New York) will hold a “Meet the Innovators” event, featuring Dan D’Agostino, who will introduce and demonstrate the new D'Agostino Master Audio Systems Momentum Analog preamplifier. Refreshments will be served. Space is limited. RSVP: (212) 634-4444 or info@iavny.com.
We all know that good beer and good music make a beautiful couple, so it should come as no big surprise that craft brewer Stillwater Artisanal Ales is partnering with independent artists to create a new line of beers. The first of Stillwater’s Sensory Series is inspired by “In the End is the Beginning,” the closing track from Lower Dens’ recently released Nootropics.
Says Brian Strumke, Stillwater owner and brew master:
“With Stillwater, we set out to create an environment of intrigue—from the visual aesthetics of the packaging to the lack of definitive style of the…