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The good-sounding products that pass through a reviewer's system fall into three categories: those he liked but felt little sense of loss about when they were sent back to the manufacturer or distributor; those he loved and could afford to purchase; and those he loved but that were financially out of reach. The Rossini Player from British company dCS, which I reviewed along with the Rossini Clock in our December 2016 issue, was an example of this last category: the Player costs $28,499, the Clock $7499. Even though I summed up my review findings with "The Rossini Player and Clock are a…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Upsampling SACD/CD transport. Transport mechanism: dual-laser SACD/CD mechanism. Digital outputs: dual AES/EBU (XLR), single AES/EBU (XLR), 2 S/PDIF (1 RCA, 1 BNC), word clock (BNC). Input: word clock (BNC). RS232 port. Clock accuracy: ±10ppm. Power consumption: 16W typical, 50W maximum, <0.5W in standby.
Dimensions: 17.5" (444mm) W by 7" (178mm) H by 17.2" (437mm) D. Weight: 45.3 lb (20.6kg).
Finishes: Silver, Black.
Serial numbers of unit reviewed: RTT 0S2 1D1 1C1 1B2 S02 0054332.
Price: $23,500. Approximate number of dealers:…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Roon Nucleus+ media server, iPad mini running Roon 1.6; dCS Rossini, PS Audio DirectStream D/A processors, Ayre Acoustics CX-5MP SACD/CD player.
Integrated Amplifiers: Ayre Acoustics EX-8 Digital Hub, Cambridge Audio Edge A.
Preamplifier: NHT PVC.
Power Amplifiers: Lamm M1.2 Reference monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Joseph Audio Perspective2, KEF LS50.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Vodka (Ethernet), Transparent (AES/EBU, word clock). Interconnect: AudioQuest Wild Blue, Canare (balanced). Speaker: AudioQuest K2, Cardas. AC:…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
There are only two meaningful measurements of a disc transport's output quality: how well it copes with disc errors, and the amount of timing uncertainty or jitter there is in the datastream it outputs. To assess the latter, I used my Audio Precision SYS2722 as a digital oscilloscope, overlaying successive snapshots of the dCS Rossini Transport's datastream to show what's called an "eye pattern." With an ideal transmission system, all the pulse transitions in the datastream will overlay one another to produce an image of a wide-open "eye," with apparently just one…
Visit any consumer audio show these days and you'll see rooms full of systems costing from six to seven figures. Manufacturers like to put their best foot forward, and demoing systems with loudspeakers designed to sell for $50,000/pair and up (often up) seems an obvious way to go.
It's also common for an audio company to launch its flagship models first, and only later release more affordable products, for a wider range of buyers. The hope is that the promotional shine of the dream products will be reflected onto the budget models. Infinity Systems' first loudspeaker system, introduced…
On that same sampler, Swedish singer Sophie Zelmani's voice in "How It Feels" (from her Sing and Dance) was rich, sweet, and uncolored. I did, uh, feel that the top end was a bit airless, and so resorted to a non–audiophile-approved fix I've used before: a 1dB boost from the Marantz pre-pro's Treble control. Before you choke on your lunch, this will be no more significant than what might result from a subtle change in room acoustics. The result was subtle, rewarding, and almost invariably positive. I used it for the rest of my listening.
Post-boost, Zelmani occupied a slightly livelier…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, rear-ported, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" by 1.25" (25 by 32mm) Airmotiv folded-ribbon tweeter, 5.25" (135mm) woven-fiber cone midrange, two 8" (205mm) woven-fiber cone woofers. Crossover system & frequencies: not specified. Frequency response: 35Hz–28kHz, ±3dB. Sensitivity: 91dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Power handling: 200W continuous, 400W peak.
Dimensions: 42" (1070mm) H by 10.75" (270mm) W by 12.25" (310mm) D. Weight: 56.9 lb (25.8kg).
Finish: Satin Black.
Serial numbers of units reviewed:…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Source: Marantz UD7007 universal BD player.
Preamplification: Marantz AV8805 preamplifier-processor.
Power Amplifier: Parasound Halo A 52+.
Loudspeakers: Monitor Audio Silver 10.
Cables: Digital: Kimber Kable AGDL (coaxial). Interconnect: Cardas Hexlink. Speaker: AudioQuest Rocket 88. AC: generic.—Thomas J. Norton
Sidebar 3: In-Room Measurements
For my experiments with using the Marantz' AV8805's equalization options to optimize the T2's balance in my room, I restricted my efforts to the Bass control plus just three controls on the graphic equalizer: 63Hz, 125Hz, and 250Hz (each channel's EQ can be individually adjusted). None of the alterations I made (apart from the 1dB boost in the Treble, which I retained) altered the frequency response above 450Hz, as measured at the main listening seat. The settings were determined by measurement, not by ear (I've found the latter to be a recipe for failure…
Sidebar 4: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Emotiva Airmotiv T2's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 microphone for the nearfield responses. Emotiva specifies the Airmotiv T2's sensitivity as a very high 91dB/2.83V/m; my estimate was within experimental error of that number, at 90.3dB(B)/2.83V/m. Props to Emotiva for an honest high-sensitivity spec, even if they incorrectly refer to it as "efficiency" in the speaker's manual. The Airmotiv T2's impedance is specified as 4 ohms. Fig.1 shows that the T2'…