The Dynaudio Contour 3.0's voltage sensitivity was to specification at 86dB(B)/2.83V/m; as LG notes, this is below average for a dynamic speaker (footnote 1). However, it draws quite a lot of current from the partnering amplifier to achieve this sensitivity, as can be seen from its plot of impedance magnitude and phase against frequency (fig.1), measured with an Audio Precision System One. The impedance reaches a minimum value of 3.5 ohms at 100Hz and remains below 8 ohms over almost the entire audio band. The saddle between the twin peaks in the bass in this…
search
The vertical dispersion plot (fig.4) shows the changes in response as the microphone is moved above or below the tweeter axis. The slight suckout in the mid-treble can be seen to fill in for listeners who sit with their ears slightly below the tweeter's 37" height from the ground. Conversely, the suckout deepens for standing listeners.
Fig.4 Dynaudio Contour 3.0, vertical response family at 50", normalized to response on tweeter axis, from back to front: differences in response 15 degrees-5 degrees above HF axis; reference response; differences in response 5 degrees-15 degrees…
WAGNER: The Ring of the Nibelung
Norman Bailey, Wotan, Wanderer; Derek Hammond-Stroud, Alberich; Alberto Remedios, Siegmund, Siegfried; Rita Hunter, Brünnhilde; Margaret Curphey, Sieglinde, Gutrune; Gregory Dempsey, Mime; Aage Haugland, Hagen; Norman Welsby, Gunther; Emile Belcourt, Loge; Clifford Grant, Fafner, Hunding; Katherine Pring, Fricka I, Waltraute II; Ann Howard, Fricka II; Anne Collins, Erda, First Norn; Valerie Masterson, Woglinde; Shelagh Squires, Wellgunde; Helen Attfield, Flosshilde; Gillian Knight, Second Norn; Anne Evans, Third Norn; Maurine London, Woodbird; others;…
Norman Bailey, Wotan, Wanderer; Derek Hammond-Stroud, Alberich; Alberto Remedios, Siegmund, Siegfried; Rita Hunter, Brünnhilde; Margaret Curphey, Sieglinde, Gutrune; Gregory Dempsey, Mime; Aage Haugland, Hagen; Norman Welsby, Gunther; Emile Belcourt, Loge; Clifford Grant, Fafner, Hunding; Katherine Pring, Fricka I, Waltraute II; Ann Howard, Fricka II; Anne Collins, Erda, First Norn; Valerie Masterson, Woglinde; Shelagh Squires, Wellgunde; Helen Attfield, Flosshilde; Gillian Knight, Second Norn; Anne Evans, Third Norn; Maurine London, Woodbird; others;…
The science of recording music is, to apply a metaphor from a very different context, akin to "breaking a butterfly on a wheel" (footnote 1). The art of recording is to make it appear as though that pinned insect could still take wing. I have been devoted to both the science and the art of recording music since 1965, when I was given a Grundig ¼" open-reel tape recorder as a birthday present. You could even say that my evolving interest in audio and my current position at the helm of Stereophile date back to my finding out how different a Shure SM57 dynamic cardioid microphone sounded from a…
[1] Channel Identification (from Test CD 2, STPH004-2)
[2] Channel Phasing (from Test CD 2, STPH004-2)
[2] Channel Phasing (from Test CD 2, STPH004-2)
Performer: John Atkinson, (1964 Fender Precision Bass guitar fitted with Rotosound round-wound strings), with spoken introduction by Richard Lehnert
Recording Venue: Stereophile's and JA's dedicated listening rooms, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Recording Date: February 1992
Instrument Amplifier: Fender Bassman 50, fitted with ARS tubes, signal feed taken from speaker terminals
Microphone (voice): B&K 4006 omni
Mike Preamp: EAR 824M
A/D Converter: Manley (16-bit)…
[3] Mozart: Flute Quartet in D Major, K.285, Allegro (from Serenade, STPH009-2)
Performers: Carol Wincenc, flute; Yasushi Toyoshima, violin; Michelle Kim, viola; Peter Wyrick, cello
Recording Venue: St. Francis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Recording Dates: July 27-28, 1996
Producer & Musical Director: Heiichiro Ohyama
Executive Producer: Gretchen Grogan
Assistant Engineer: Wes Phillips
Piano Technician: Michael Blackwell
Microphones: two DPA 4006 ½" omnis with (diffuse-field) nose-cone grids (spaced pair); two DPA 4011 ½" cardioids…
[4] Mozart: Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K.581, Larghetto (from Mosaic, STPH015-2)
Performers: Antony Michaelson, Rossi clarinet in A; Adrian Levine, first violin (the "Wilmotte" Stradivarius); Kathy Andrew, second violin; Stephen Tees, viola; Judith Serkin, cello
Recording Venue: Blue Heaven Studios, Salina, Kansas
Recording Date: May 11, 1999
Producers: Adrian Levine & John Atkinson
Assistant Engineer: John Brandt
Microphones: two Neumann M147 1" tube cardioids (ORTF pair); two DPA 4006 ½" omnis with diffuse-field nosecones (spaced pair)
Mike Preamps: two…
[5] Mozart: Piano Quartet No.1 in G Minor, K.478, Rondo: Allegro (from Bravo!, STPH014-2)
Performers: Pinchas Zukerman, violin; Cynthia Phelps, viola; Eric Kim, cello; Marc Neikrug, piano
Recording Venue: St. Francis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Recording Dates: August 16-17, 1998
Producer: Philip Traugott
Assistant Engineer: Wes Phillips
Piano Technician: Michael Blackwell
Page Turner: Kent Williamson
Microphones: two Shure SM-81 cardioids (piano, close ORTF pair); two DPA 4006 ½" omnis (distant spaced pair); two DPA 4011 ½" cardioids…
[6] Brahms: Horn Trio in E-flat Major, Op.40, Finale: Allegro con brio (from Serenade, STPH009-2)
Performers: Julie Landsman, horn; Sheryl Staples, violin; Max Levinson, piano
Recording Venue: St. Francis Auditorium, Museum of Fine Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Recording Dates: July 30-31, 1995
Producer & Musical Director: Heiichiro Ohyama
Executive Producer: Gretchen Grogan
Assistant Engineer: Wes Phillips
Piano Technician: Michael Blackwell
Microphones: two DPA 4006 ½" omnis with (diffuse-field) nose-cone grids (spaced pair); two DPA 4011 ½" cardioids (ORTF…
[7] Schulhoff: Sonata for Solo Violin, Allegro con fuoco (from Duet, STPH012-2)
Performer: Ida Levin, violin
Recording Venue: Loretto Chapel, Santa Fe, New Mexico
Recording Dates: November 18-19, 1997
Producers: Ida Levin & John Atkinson
Executive Producer: Gretchen Grogan
Assistant Engineer: Wes Phillips
Microphones: two DPA 4006 ½" omnis with (diffuse-field) nose-cone grids (spaced pair at 27") with central DPA 4011 ½" cardioid
Mike Preamps: Millennia Media HV-3B (omnis), Forssell M-2a (cardioid)
A/D converters: Manley (20-bit, cardioid) and dCS 902D…