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This almost happened 13 years ago. Thinking the time was right for a Klipschorn review—2006 was the 60th anniversary of its design—I got in touch with a Klipsch representative, who requested photos of my room and details of its size and construction style. My reply was followed by a three-day lag in correspondence, after which came the disappointing news: "We're sorry: It won't work." The problem: There were baseboard radiators too near the corners of the room where the speakers would be installed; consequently, the Klipschorns couldn't be snugged all the way against those corner walls—an…
That first evening of listening was a mixed bag. The sheer tactile immediacy and startling clarity of the solo tenor saxes on Sonny Rollins and Coleman Hawkins' Sonny Meets Hawk! (LP, RCA/Classic Records LSP-2712) were almost without precedent in my home. But there was very little bass, and musical involvement was compromised by a lack of coherence: Those remarkable sounds weren't jelling into a comprehensible whole. We've all heard, at one time or another, the effect where reproduced music sounds uncannily convincing from just outside the room where the system is playing (something I…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way horn-loaded loudspeaker. High-frequency driver: Klipsch K-771 compression driver with 1" polyimide diaphragm, loaded with a polymer Tractrix horn. Midrange driver: Klipsch K-55-X compression driver with 2" phenolic diaphragm, loaded with a polymer exponential horn. Bass driver: Klipsch 15" K-33-E woofer with fiber-composite cone, loaded with 8' bidirectional folded horn. Crossover frequencies: 450Hz and 4.5kHz. Frequency response: 33Hz–20kHz, ±4dB. Sensitivity: 105dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: "8 ohms compatible."
Dimensions: 53" (134…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Garrard 301 turntable; EMT 997 and Thales Simplicity II tonearms; Ortofon SPU Century, Shindo SPU, and EMT TSD 15 pickup heads; EMT TSD 15 SPH cartridge.
Digital Sources: Apple MacBook Air laptop computer running Roon v.1.5, Hegel Music Systems Mohican CD player, Mytek Liberty D/A processor.
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 Hommage T1 & T2 and EMIA Phono step-up transformers, Shindo Laboratory Monbrison (2017) preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Air Tight ATM-300R, Luxman MQ-88uC, Shindo Laboratory Haut-Brion.
Loudspeakers:…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Because of the Klipschorn AK6's bulk—each weighs 220 lb—I drove my test gear the 177 miles to Art's place and measured the speaker sitting on a furniture dolly in his driveway. I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Klipschorn's behavior in the farfield and an Earthworks QTC-40 mike for the nearfield responses.
Klipsch specifies the Klipschorn's sensitivity as 105dB/2.83V/m, which is extraordinarily high. My estimate was lower, at 101.1dB(B)/2.83V/m, but this is still the second-highest sensitivity of all the…
Every year, the Expert Imaging and Sound Association hands out awards for the best products in each of 19 hi-fi categories, as determined by a panel of judges from the world's leading hi-fi magazines.
Notice that I wrote "world"—for, EISA, once a European organisation, has gone global, with members from Japan, Hong Kong, Australia—and the United States, where Stereophile is the only member of EISA's Hi-Fi Expert group. (Stereophile's partner publications, Shutterbug and Sound & Vision, are also EISA members—in the Photography and A/V categories, respectively.)
This year's…
A dale is a broad valley. The Yorkshire Dales are broad, picturesque valleys in Northern England, mostly named for the rivers or streams that run through them. One of these is Wharfedale, which is the upper valley of the River Wharfe—and which was the original home of British firm Wharfedale Wireless Works, founded in 1932 by Gilbert Briggs.
I grew up in backwoods America. I never heard of Wharfedale speakers (or the River Wharfe) until 1982, when the company introduced a squat, cubic loudspeaker called the Diamond. At less than $100/pair, the Diamond delivered a satisfying portion of…
On previous recordings, the Lintons demonstrated a slight bass overhang, which added a halo of tubelike resonance that made some recordings sound more atmospheric than they are. I imagined this effect would blur room tone and smear their voices. I was wrong. On "Buddy and María Elena," voice intelligibility was exceptional. Room atmosphere was decidedly well-recovered.
With the Line Magnetic amplifier
Every review has a defining moment. With the Lintons, it came while listening to Igor Stravinsky conducting the Columbia Chamber Ensemble in a performance of his 1919 suite, L'Histoire…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, bass-reflex (twin rear ports), stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) textile-dome tweeter, 5" (135mm) midrange with woven-Kevlar cone, 8" (200mm) woofer with woven-Kevlar cone. Crossover frequencies: 630Hz and 2.4kHz. Frequency response: 40Hz–20kHz ±3dB. Bass extension (–6dB): 35Hz. Sensitivity: 90dB (2.0V/1m). Recommended amplifier power: 25-200Wpc. Peak SPL: 110dB. Nominal impedance: 6 ohms. Minimum impedance: 3.5 ohms.
Dimensions: 22.25" (565mm) L by 11.8" (300mm) W by 13" (330mm) D. Weight: 40.5 lb (18.4kg). Enclosure…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Dr. Feickert Analogue Blackbird turntable, Jelco TK-850L tonearm, AMG Giro G9 turntable with 9W tonearm; Hana ML, Etsuro Urushi Cobalt Blue moving-coil cartridges.
Digital sources: Apple Mac mini computer running Audirvana Plus. HoloAudio Spring "Kitsuné Tuned Edition" Level 3 D/A processor.
Preamplification: EMIA Phono step-up transformer; Musical Surroundings Phonomena II+ and Tavish Design Adagio phono preamplifiers; PrimaLuna EVO 400 line-level preamplifier.
Power amplifiers: Line Magnetic LM-518 integrated amplifier (used…