Appearing in person and each giving presentations lasting 30 minutes, will be representatives from Audio Research, Ayre Acoustics, B&W, Classé, Finite Elemente, GoldenEar, Harmonic Resolution, Linn, Meridian, Peachtree Audio, Transparent, and Wilson Audio, while Stereophile editor John Atkinson will be demonstrating the benefits of high-resolution audio and the…
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Pacific Northwest audio retailer Definitive Audio is holding its sixth Music Matters, "A Night of the Best in 2-Channel Audio," this coming Wednesday (February 9) at its Seattle location (6206 Roosevelt Way NE) from 5–10pm.
This is one of those albums that will turn an otherwise ordinary Tuesday into a special day. I’ll definitely be running over to Other Music on April 12th to pick up Vivian Girls’s third full-length release, Share the Joy. (With a title like that, it’ll be easy for me to pretend that the album was created just for me. I’m all about sharing the joy. Plus, lead singer and guitarist Cassie Ramone says that Share the Joy is “more hi-fi” than the previous records!)
The album is Vivian Girls’s first on Polyvinyl Records and their first with current drummer, Fiona Campbell. (Previous drummer…
Last July I reviewed the $4850/pair Hales System Two Signature loudspeakers and enthusiastically recommended them. In fact, they displaced the B&W 801 Matrix 2 as my reference loudspeaker, and have become a fixture in my listening room. Over the past seven months, my impressions of the Signatures have been largely confirmed: transparent and uncolored midrange, resolution of fine detail, precise imaging, superb transient abilities, and, most importantly, an ability to thoroughly involve the listener in the music. These qualities earned the Signature a Class A recommendation in Stereophile'…
Like the Signatures, the System Two's three drivers are mounted in a D'Appolito configuration, with the tweeter in the acoustic center of the two woofers. This arrangement simulates a point-source radiation characteristic as well as reduces lobing (variations in vertical radiation patterns) for smoother dispersion and reduced sensitivity to listening height.
The crossover is second-order electrical, resulting in effective third-order slopes when combined with the drivers' acoustic rolloff. The Butterworth filters feature Wonder Cap and Solen polypropylene capacitors, Solen 14-gauge air-…
The System Two's treble had a tendency toward tizziness, the degree of which is highly dependent on the amount of toe-in toward the listener. Pointing the System Two nearly straight ahead with a little toe-in somewhat ameliorated the slightly excessive mid-treble energy. There is a tradeoff between best imaging (listener on-axis) and treble smoothness (listener about 20° off-axis). With a little experimentation, I was able to strike a good balance. Another factor that contributes to a fizzy top end is the amount of treble energy in the recording. The System Two is highly revealing of…
Like the Signatures, the System Two has an unusual low-frequency character. Both loudspeakers lacked extension or a feeling of weight, and just didn't provide that visceral impact important to much music. However, the bass the System Two does produce is fast, precise, and exquisitely detailed. Although I much prefer this type of performance to a tubby, bloated, or colored LF presentation that constantly calls attention to itself, the System Two nevertheless left me wanting some meat and power in the bottom two octaves. Bass drum lacked the lowermost component that is the rhythmic foundation…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, sealed-box, stand-mounted dynamic loudspeaker with two 7" bass/midrange drivers and one 1" titanium-dome tweeter. Impedance: Nominal 4 ohms, 2.9 ohms minimum. Frequency response: 45–20kHz ±3dB anechoic (in-room, –3dB point will be lower). Crossover frequency: 2kHz. Sensitivity: 88dB (2V, 1m).
Dimensions: 11" W by 38" H by 16" D. Weight: 92 lbs net, 100 lbs shipping.
Finishes available: natural oak, natural walnut, stained walnut.
Prices: $3000/pair, $3100/pair in stained walnut (East Coast prices $50 higher); stands, $300/pair (…
Sidebar 2: Review System
The dedicated listening room has optimum dimensional ratios for room-mode distribution. Amplification was my standard reference, the VTL 225W Deluxe monoblocks, but a new version employing KT90 output tubes instead of EL34s (footnote 1). The collective experience of some Stereophile reviewers—JA, DO, and me—has been that tube amplification seems to work best with the MB tweeter found in the System Two and other loudspeakers. JA found both the VTL 500s and the Audio Research Classic 60 to be a synergistic combination with the Avalon Eclipse, and DO liked the Air…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The Listening Environment Diagnostic Recording (LEDR) on the Chesky Test CD produced an impressive feeling of the image moving above the loudspeaker. The "over" test was similarly good, with a continuous "rainbow"-shaped arc traced between the loudspeakers. Driving the System Two with a sinewave oscillator and feeling the cabinet for resonances revealed the enclosure's rigidity. Very minor resonances were felt and heard at 65Hz, 200Hz, with the strongest at 500Hz. The System Two was noticeably less inert than the Two Signature, but far more solid than most…
The Snell Type C/IV's design has been highly influenced by both the testing methods and philosophy of Canada's National Research Council in Ottawa. Other well-known loudspeakers to have benefited from the NRC's testing facilities include the Mirage M-1 and M-3, PSB Stratus Gold, the Waveform, and Camber 3.5. The NRC provides a variety of services to loudspeaker designers, notably use of their testing facilities which include a full-sized anechoic chamber. In addition, the NRC is heavily involved in carefully controlled blind listening comparisons between loudspeakers, used to aid the…