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With the LS50s, driven by the Pass Labs XA25 amplifier, I started by listening to Buddy Holly's Down the Line: Rarities (44.1/16 FLAC, Decca/Tidal) and was surprised at how dense and resolved the music sounded. On "Buddy & Maria Elena Talking in Apartment," I was surprised how clear Maria Elena's voice came through: I got that really close in-the-room-with-Buddy feeling. I started thinking, Who could want anything more? Then, without my permission, Tidal's algorithm bot played Chuck Berry's "Promised Land" (single version, 44.1/16 FLAC, Chess/Tidal), and I freaked!
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way floorstanding quasi-ribbon panel loudspeaker. Frequency response: 50Hz–20kHz, ±3dB. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms (3 ohms minimum). Sensitivity: 86dB/500Hz/1m/2.83V.
Dimensions: 48" (including feet) by 14.5" by 1.2" (H by W by D). Shipping weight: 46 lb.
Finishes: Natural oak, black oak, or cherry trim; off-white, gray, or black fabric.
Serial numbers of units tested: 011110-1 & 2.
Price: $650/pair Approximate number of dealers: 76. Also sold factory-direct. Warranty: 3 years to original purchaser.
Manufacturer: Magnepan…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Dr. Feickert Analogue Blackbird turntable with Jelco KT-850L tonearm, AMG Giro G9 turntable & 9W Turbo tonearm; AMG Teatro, EMT TSD 75 SFL, Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue, Zu/DL-103 Mk.II, Hana SL & ML, Koetsu Rosewood Signature Platinum, My Sonic Lab Ultra Eminent Ex cartridges.
Digital Sources: Mac mini computer running Audirvana Plus 3.2; JVC X-Z1010 CD player (transport only); Chord Qutest, Schiit Yggdrasil Analogue 2, Mytek Manhattan II, HoloAudio Spring "Kitsune Tuned Edition" Level 3 DACs.
Preamplification: Auditorium 23,…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
When a loudspeaker is measured, the underlying assumption is that the distance from the speaker to the microphone is significantly greater than the largest dimension of the speaker's drive-unit array. With conventional moving-coil loudspeakers, this assumption is almost always correct: The microphone is in the speaker's farfield, where any differences in the path lengths from all the drive-units are negligible. However, with a panel loudspeaker such as the Magnepan LRS, this becomes difficult to arrange. The LRS's Magneplanar panel is 38" tall by 10" wide, which…
Dear Newbie: Welcome to the wonderful world of hi-fi! If you're besotted with a desire for audio gear that can make your recorded music sound better than you've ever heard it, you've come to the right place.
And at just the right time: Not only is there an unprecedented amount of sanely priced, excellent-sounding audio gear on the market; there's this thing happening between us right here and now—the fact that you're reading a letter I wrote especially for you. It's a serendipitous concurrence, because when I think back to when I was a tenderfoot, I wish I'd had a mentor—or, better yet,…
I love listening to new audio products and discovering how they make me feel. I do my best to open my mind, ears, and pores, to trust the process and see where it leads me. Ultimately, for all the words and analogies I or any reviewer may conjure up, what we do isn't very different from a dog sniffing out a new patch of grass or an insect sending out its antennae to determine what's what.
In all cases, the spirit and care with which we approach new territory helps inform our conclusions.
So it was with eager anticipation that I approached the Mimas integrated amplifier, the…
Jim White seems of like mind when he states, in the manual, "Although proprietary RFI (radio-frequency interference) filtering is built into the Mimas, in some situations an AC power-line filter may provide additional sonic benefits." My Niagara 5000 seemed a good choice since, when AQ's designer Garth Powell was developing the Niagara, he tested it with an Aesthetix Atlas power amp, among other equipment. I listened to the Mimas plugged directly into the wall, and then with AC conditioned by the Niagara 5000. Through the AudioQuest I heard a smoother top and tighter bass.
One of the…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Tubed and solid-state integrated amplifier. Power section: Balanced bridge, zero-feedback, fully discrete, FET input, bipolar output. Power output: 150Wpc into 8 ohms (21.76dBW), 280Wpc into 4 ohms (21.4dBW). Frequency response at full power: 4Hz–150kHz, –3dB. THD at full power: <1%, both channels driven. Preamp section: Fully differential, zero feedback, tubed. Tube complement: two 6922. Inputs: 5 line, single-ended (RCA), balanced (XLR). Preamp output: single-ended (RCA), balanced (XLR), headphone (¼"). Volume control: differential switched…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: dCS Rossini SACD/CD transport & Rossini DAC & Rossini Clock; EMM Labs DV2 DAC; Intel NUC-7i7BNH computer with 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD, running Roon; Linksys routers with 2 sets TP-Link gigabit Ethernet media converters & multimode duplex fiber-optic cables; Small Green Computer linear power supplies (3); external hard drives, USB sticks, Apple iPad Pro.
Power Amplifiers: Dan D'Agostino Master Audio Systems Progression monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Wilson Audio Specialties Alexia 2.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Diamond (…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Before measuring the Aesthetix Mimas with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"), I installed its two Electro-Harmonix 6922 tubes and left the amplifier's internal jumpers as set by the factory. Before I test an amplifier, I precondition it with both channels driving a 1kHz tone at one-third power into 8 ohms for an hour. The Mimas turned itself off after 30 minutes, however, its front panel displaying the message "Temp HIGH RITE." The amplifier's top panel was hot, at 126.6°F (52.6°C), the temperature of the side panels was 110.4…