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Anyone who has ever heard Marshall guitar amplifiers up close knows that they have a sound that cannot be duplicated or faked. A guitarist friend of mine was shopping for an amp not long ago. I tagged along as he played through a number of amps, including hybrid and tubed Marshalls, and we both swiftly came to one conclusion. A tubed Marshall has the ability to pop the overtones of a plucked string into space with singular definition and presence, especially when overdriven and distorted. It is a highly complex event that occurs as one highly complex event. Rock recordings from the 1960s…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Hybrid monoblock power amplifier with solid-state input stage, tubed driver stage, and MOSFET output stage, comprehensive short-circuit protection, and High Impedance/Low Impedance bias settings. Tube Complement: 6922. Inputs: balanced on XLR with pin 2 wired as hot; two single-ended on RCA connectors in parallel with pins 2 and 3 of XLR; 12V trigger. Outputs: Two sets of brass, gold plated binding posts. Rated output power, high impedance setting (minimum continuous sinewave power, 20Hz–20kHz): 110W into 8 ohms (20.4dBW) at 0.3% THD, 220W into 4…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog source: SOTA Cosmos Series III turntable, Graham 2.2 tonearm, Dynavector XV-1S cartridge.
Digital source: Classé Omega SACD/CD player.
Preamplification: Manley Labs Steelhead phono stage; VTL TL-7.5 Reference, BAT VK-51SE, Aesthetix Calypso line stages; McIntosh C200 preamplifier (as line stage).
Power amplifiers: McIntosh MC501 and Atma-Sphere MA-2 Mk.III monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Innersound Kaya Reference, Legacy Audio Whisper, EgglestonWorks Andra II.
Cables: Phono: Hovland Music Groove 2. Interconnect: Cardas Golden Reference,…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Before I perform any tests on an amplifier, I run it at one-third power into 8 ohms for an hour. For an amplifier with a class-B output stage, which the vast majority are, this power level thermally stresses the amplifier to the maximum extent. At the end of that time, even with its heavy class-A bias both the vertical heatsinks and the chassis of the Lamm M1.2 were almost too hot to touch, implying a temperature of around 55ºC. However, the measured distortion level had dropped slightly, from 0.065% when cold to 0.058% when fully warm.
The Lamm was…
MOZART: Requiem
Christine Schafer, soprano; Bernarda Fink, alto; Kurt Streit, tenor; Gerald Finley, bass; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Concentus Musicus Wien; Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 82876 58705 2 (SACD/CD). 2004. Friedemann Engelbrecht, prod.; Michael Brammann, Josef Schutz, engs. DDD. TT: 50:23
Performance ****
Sonics *****
Christine Schafer, soprano; Bernarda Fink, alto; Kurt Streit, tenor; Gerald Finley, bass; Arnold Schoenberg Choir, Concentus Musicus Wien; Nikolaus Harnoncourt
Deutsche Harmonia Mundi 82876 58705 2 (SACD/CD). 2004. Friedemann Engelbrecht, prod.; Michael Brammann, Josef Schutz, engs. DDD. TT: 50:23
Performance ****
Sonics *****
Though the performance history of a standard-repertoire masterpiece can level off into minute refinements of what has come before, Mozart's Requiem has enjoyed extraordinary dynamism in recent years as scholars and conductors…
Émile Durkheim (1858-1917) once wrote, "The less limited one feels, the more intolerable all limitation appears" (footnote 1). Although directed at the paradoxical observation that suicide rates are higher in newly prosperous countries than in those mired in poverty, his comment applies equally well to subwoofers.
Why? When an aftermarket subwoofer provides multiple adjustable settings for different satellite and main speakers and listening environments, an owner's choices greatly expand. If finding the best match means trying too many combinations of adjustments, the result is anomie—…
I moved the Paradigm sub around, first into corners and then to the center of the rear wall behind the main speakers, about 3' behind the Quad ESL-63's grilles and 10' from my listening chair. The review took place in my 5500-ft3 listening room: 25' long by 13' wide, with a 12' semi-cathedral ceiling and a rear area that opens into a large kitchen. Some subwoofers have overloaded ungracefully when played at high volumes into this large area. As a result, it's no surprise that, when I've asked a subwoofer to deliver 20-25Hz bass notes, it's the big ones—18" drivers with lots of amplifier…
The good news is that the Servo-15, when teamed up with excellent dynamic monopole speakers such as the Dynaudio Contour 3.0 and the B&W Nautilus 805, had outstanding tonal accuracy, great timbre, and clear, deep bass pitch. With these speakers, the Servo-15 was a champion at resolving bass detail and instrumental color. Drum-head timbre was evident in the bass-drum strokes that open La Fiesta Mexicana: Prelude and Aztec Dance, from Fiesta (Reference Recordings RR-38CD). Pitch changes in Joel Goodman's very deep synthesizer chords on "Silk Road," from Of the Marsh and the Moon (Chesky…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: active, front-firing, sealed-enclosure, servo-controlled, closed-loop, audio/video subwoofer system with outboard X-30 crossover/control module. Drive-unit: 15" Kevlar-fiber reinforced composite cone with 2.1" voice-coil, 1" maximum excursion. Frequency response: 17-80Hz, +/-2dB. Total harmonic distortion: +/-0.3% at 50Hz, 90dB SPL. Amplifier: 400W RMS continuous output. Input impedance: 20k ohms.
Controls: Subwoofer: level, 3-way power switch (Off/Signal Sense/Always On); IEC detachable line cord socket; single-ended input connector (RCA jack).…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog source: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Ittok tonearm, Spectral moving-coil cartridge.
FM Tuners: Day-Sequerra FM Reference Classic, Rotel RH-10, Fanfare FM-1, Magnum Dynalab MD-108/Model 205 Sleuth RF amplifier, Myryad T-100.
Digital source: Krell MD-1 CD transport, Adcom GDA-700 D/A processor.
Preamplification: Krell KBL, Mark Levinson ML-7A with L-2 phono section, Duntech MX-10 head amplifier.
Power amplifier: Mark Levinson No.334.
Loudspeakers: Snell Type A Reference system, Revel Ultima Salon, Dynaudio Contour…