Only twice have I gotten a series of negative…
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I often receive letters from Stereophile readers. I've even gotten a few letters from female readers, one an attractive young lover of tube gear who sent me a picture of herself and [sigh] her boyfriend. But most are from people who are either thanking me for a specific review that resulted in a purchase and a satisfied buyer, or are suggesting products they'd like me to review. I frequently take the advice of writers of this second category; in fact, two of the inexpensive speakers I'll review in the next year were recommended by readers.
I expected a bookshelf speaker this small to sound a bit bass shy in my larger (15' by 35' by 11') listening room, but I never felt it did. Charlie Haden's double bass, on his and Denny Zeitlin's Time Remembers One Time Once (CD, ECM 1239), was woody and airy, with excellent senses of weight and drama and no trace of coloration. Electronic bass, too, fared well. The bass synthesizers in Björk's Homogenic (CD, Elektra 62061-2) and the Sade recording were round, deep, and dynamic, and their interaction with the electronic percussion was crisp and clean. However, don't expect miracles of bass…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way bass-reflex bookshelf speaker (not magnetically shielded). Drive-units: 1" soft-dome tweeter, 4" structured-surface cone woofer. Frequency range: 55Hz–20kHz. Nominal impedance: 6 ohms. Sensitivity: 85dB/2.83V/m. Maximum input power: 80W. Crossover frequency: 3kHz.
Dimensions: 12 9/16" (320mm) H by 7 1/8" (180mm) W by 8 7/16" (215mm) D. Weight: 9 lbs 2 oz (4.1kg).
Finish: Wood-grain vinyl.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: LNV004559VC (auditioning), LFNV0082030C (measuring).
Price: $159.99/pair. Approximate number of dealers:…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: VPI TNT IV, Rega Planar 3 turntables; Immedia, Syrinx PU-3 tonearms; Koetsu Urushi, Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood cartridges.
Digital Sources: Lector CDP-7T, Creek Destiny CD players.
Preamplification: Vendetta Research SCP-2D, Creek Destiny phono stages; Audio Valve Eclipse line stage.
Power Amplifier: Audio Research Reference 75.
Integrated Amplifier: Creek Destiny.
Loudspeakers: Epos ELS3, Pioneer SP-BS21-LR, Wharfedale Diamond 10.1.
Cables: Interconnect (all MIT): Magnum M3, MI-330SG Terminator, MI-350 CVTwin…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Pioneer SP-BS22-LR's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield responses. For logistical reasons, the sample I measured, serial no. LFNV0082030C, was from a different pair from the ones auditioned by Bob Reina.
Pioneer specifies the 'BS22's voltage sensitivity as 85dB/2.83V/m. My B-weighted estimate was actually a little higher, at 86dB(B)/2.83V/m. Fig.1 shows how the Pioneer's impedance magnitude and electrical phase vary with frequency.…
I had been anticipating getting to audition a pair of TAD loudspeakers in my system since the introduction of the original TAD Model-1, in 2003. It was designed by Andrew Jones, who had recently assumed the mantle of chief designer at Technical Audio Devices Laboratories (TAD), at that time a subsidiary of Pioneer. Although TAD dates back to the mid-1970s, its research and development efforts had been focused on the professional sound market, something that continues. Jones came from a long line of speaker innovators at KEF and was assigned the goal of developing state-of-the-art speakers for…
Listening
After Jones's departure, I began my casual cohabitation with the Evolution Ones—I prefer to let a speaker begin the conversation before I move on to a more rigorous interrogation. The sound was warm and rich, with extended bass and, at first, a reticent treble, with little airiness. The reticence diminished as I turned up the volume and found myself focusing on the copious detail and depth I was hearing throughout the audioband. The soundstage was seamless and very wide; sounds variously emerged from points just inside, at, or outside the positions of the speakers, as well as from…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: coaxial driver comprising 13/8" (35mm) beryllium-dome ribbon tweeter and 5½" (140mm) magnesium-cone midrange; two 7" (180mm) laminated-diaphragm woofers. Crossover frequencies: 250Hz, 2kHz. Frequency range: 28Hz–100kHz. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Sensitivity: 88dB/2.83V/m (anechoic). Recommended amplification: 50–250W.
Dimensions: 45.5" (1166mm) H by 13" (334mm) W by 20" (512mm) D. Weight: 118.8 lbs (54kg).
Finishes: Wood, Piano Black.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: TP…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Sony XA-5400ES SACD/CD player, Oppo BDP-105 universal Blu-ray player, Mytek Stereo192-DSD DAC.
Preamplification: Parasound Halo JC 2 BP preamplifier, Meridian HD621 HDMI audio processor & 861 Reference v.6 digital surround controller.
Power Amplifiers: McIntosh Labs MC303, Parasound Halo A 31 (both three-channel).
Loudspeakers: B&W 800 Diamond, Sony SS-AR1.
Cables: USB: AudioQuest Carbon. Digital: Black Cat Veloce, van den Hul Flat 180 HDMI, AudioQuest Vodka HDMI. Analog Interconnects: AudioQuest Cheetah balanced.…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the TAD Evolution One's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield responses. For the farfield measurements, I left in place the grilles that cover the woofers and the coaxial midrange and high-frequency drivers.
The Evolution One is specified as having a voltage sensitivity of 88dB/2.83V/m. My estimate was almost 1dB higher than this, at 88.9dB(B), which is usefully higher than average. The impedance magnitude (fig.1, solid trace) remains…