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AudioQuest DragonFly USB D/A converter Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

I measured the AudioQuest DragonFly with Stereophile's loan sample of the top-of-the-line Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 "As We See It"); for some tests, I also used my vintage Audio Precision System One Dual Domain. I received two samples of the DragonFly: one from initial production, the second following a running production change in which a slight modification was made in the operation of the digitally controlled analog volume control.

With the DragonFly connected to one of the USB ports of my MacBook Pro, the Mac…

Breaking News: Erick Lichte's New Live Reference

On September 27, 2012, Stereophile Contributing Editor and choral conductor Erick Lichte was appointed Artistic Director of Vancouver's Chor Leoni Men's Choir, effective September 2013. Lichte previously served as the ensemble's Associate Conductor under founder and current Artistic Director, Diane Loomer, C.M. In that capacity, Lichte conducted the choir's close to 60 members to Europe this past summer, where they won 12 major awards at the 51st Seghizzi Concorso Internationale Di Canto Corale in Gorizia Italy.

Lichte's appointment follows a string of prestigious conducting positions…

Sony SS-AR2 loudspeaker

A highlight for me of Stereophile's 2011 equipment reviews was Kalman Rubinson's report on Sony's SS-AR1 loudspeaker in July. I had been impressed by this unassuming-looking floorstander at the 2009 Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, when, courtesy Ray Kimber, I had used a pair for my "Loudness Wars" demonstration—and was equally impressed when I used another pair for a dem of my recordings at Massachusetts retailer Goodwin's High End, in summer 2011. The SS-AR1 costs $27,000/pair and combines a full frequency range with an uncolored, detailed midrange, sweet-balanced highs, and excellent dynamics. "…

Sony SS-AR2 loudspeaker Page 2

As I mentioned in my September 2011 review of Musical Fidelity's AMS100 amplifier, I use, as a reference for midrange purity, a 1998 recital by the late mezzo-soprano Lorraine Hunt Lieberson, accompanied by pianist Roger Vignoles (CD, Wigmore Hall Live 0013). The SS-AR2s sounded superbly natural with this album; Lieberson's rich, creamy-toned performance of the aria "E Viva Ancora," from Handel's opera Ariodante, was uncolored, with apparently unlimited dynamic expression.

Nor was the SS-AR2's superlatively natural way with voices restricted to those of women. Not only was there a lack…

Sony SS-AR2 loudspeaker Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Three-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) soft-dome tweeter; 5" (130mm) sliced-paper-cone midrange; two 6.5" (165mm) aluminum-cone woofers. Crossover frequencies: 300Hz, 4kHz, with multiple slopes. Frequency range: 42Hz–60kHz. Sensitivity: 89dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Power handling: 100W maximum.
Dimensions: 37.625" (980mm) H by 11.125" (280mm) W by 16.25" (410mm) D. Weight: 84 lbs (38kg) each.
Finish: Wood Grain Piano.
Serial Numbers of Units Reviewed: 0200109 & '110.
Price: $20,000…

Sony SS-AR2 loudspeaker Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Sources: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Linn Ekos tonearm, Linn Arkiv B phono cartridge.
Digital Sources: Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP & DX-5 universal players; Apple 2.7GHz i7 Mac mini running OS10.7, iTunes 10, Pure Music 1.86; Shuttle PC with Lynx AES16 soundcard & dual-core AMD Athlon processor running Windows 7, Foobar 2000, Adobe Audition 3.0; Halide DAC HD, Musical Fidelity V-DAC II, AudioQuest DragonFly, CEntrance DACport LX, Logitech Transporter, dCS Debussy, Mark Levinson No.30.6 D/A converters; Ayre Acoustics QA…

Sony SS-AR2 loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Sony SS-AR2's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield and spatially averaged room responses.

My estimate of the SS-AR2's voltage sensitivity was slightly higher than the specified 89dB, at 90.5dB(B)/2.83V/m. However, while the impedance is specified as 4 ohms, the magnitude drops below 4 ohms for most of the lower midrange (fig.1). The minimum magnitude is 2.6 ohms at 110Hz, and there are also current-hungry combinations of 4 ohms…

Can You vis<i>You</i>alize Yourself Wearing Denon Headphones?

In late September 2012 from their headquarters in Bergen County’s own Mahwah, New Jersey, Denon Electronics announced the launch of their interactive visYOUalize Yourself website and mobile app as an accompaniment to their four headphone lines released in the summer of 2012. These four headphone divisions target offer clearly positioned models unified through product image and technological goals targeting four different sects of customers. Denon wants to know: which one are you?

With their Music Maniac line, Denon targets listeners completely obsessed with music and willing to put down…

TAVES Day 1

Location, location, location. Although there are more factors that go into a successful audio/video show, unless the location and the venue are right, it's really an uphill battle. The organizers of the Toronto Audio Video Entertainment Show recognized that unless the show is in location that's convenient and has a venue that's attractive, only the most devoted audio/videophiles will attend.

They got it right by selecting the King Edward Hotel, a luxury hotel in downtown Toronto, with many restaurants nearby, and also close to theaters. All right, so parking is expensive, but the King…

Thomas J. Norton, February 1996

Thomas J. Norton wrote about the Sennheiser HDC 451 NoiseGuard headphones In February 1996 (Vol.19 No.2):

On my recent trip to the UK (see "Industry Update" in this issue), I brought along the same set of Sennheiser noise-cancelling headphones reported on by Wes Phillips in the November 1995 issue (Vol.18 No.11. p.193).

Since I didn't want to carry along a portable CD player and a large enough collection of CDs to make the effort worthwhile, I used the Sennheiser 'phones either for straight noise canceling or in place of the airline's headset to listen to the in-flight…