Pace & Rhythm: one listener's lament
Some years ago it struck me that British writers were increasingly discussing the "rhythmic" properties of the components they reviewed. (I now see the issue coming up slowly in Stereophile and The Abso!ute Sound as well.) Although I understood all the words used to describe the differences ("bass was a bit slow...the highs lagged by a considerable amount...," etc.), this message made no sense to me; I felt no recognition. Rereading didn't help, and reading more of the same didn't help. So, on one of my annual trips to the HFN/RR Penta Show, I…
Yes?
Editor:
YES! YES! YES! Finally somebody wrote an article about the stuff I like---namely pace, rhythm, and timing. Kudos to Martin Colloms for providing me (in November 1992) with some explanations for something I couldn't even explain to myself. The salesman who first introduced me to the Linn LP12 invited me over to his house to listen to his system. I brought some records along with me that I thought "sounded good." His system consisted of a Linn LP12/Ekos/Asaka, Exposure electronics, and Linn's Kan II speakers on their dedicated stands. This was the first high-end system…
Like many audiophiles, I am finding myself listening to more and more music sitting in front of my computer. My experience with the little plastic-box horrors sold as "computer speakers" has not been positive, however, with even models from Altec Lansing and Cambridge SoundWorks scoring an "F." For a long time, therefore, I used a pair of RadioShack Optimus LX5s, stuck at the far ends of my desk because their unshielded drivers messed with the colors on my monitor. I tried and liked a pair of the A/V version of PSB's best-selling $249/pair Alpha. Then Jonathan Scull recommended I try a pair…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way desktop or bookshelf-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 3" shielded paper-cone midrange/treble unit, two shielded 3" paper-cone woofers. Frequency range: 55Hz–18kHz. Sensitivity: 80dB/2.83V/1m. Impedance: 4 ohms nominal. Recommended power: 5–100W (unclipped).
Dimensions: 8" (200mm) H by 4" (100mm) W by 10" (250mm) D. Weight: 15.5 lbs each.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: 0352 L & R.
Finishes available: Too many to list; includes metallic paint or wood veneer, all with black or white trim.
Price: $2200/pair in standard finish…
Sidebar 2: Associated EquipmentOffice system
Digital sources: Panasonic A-120 CD/DVD player, Meridian 500 CD transport, Musical Fidelity X-24K D/A processor.
Amplification: Yamaha RP-U100 desktop receiver.
Cables: Canare interconnects, AudioQuest CV-4 loudspeaker cable.
Accessories: Pentium MMX 166MHz PC with 20x CD-ROM drive and RME Digi96/8 Pro and Digital Audio Labs CardDeluxe soundcards running Windows 98, WinAmp 2.5, and CoolEdit96, connected to the Yamaha receiver via optical S/PDIF links.
Home system
Digital sources: Mark Levinson No.31.5 CD transport and No.…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
As expected from its diminutive dimensions, the Elan is not very sensitive: my B-weighted estimate came in at just 82dB(B)/2.83V/1m. Compounding the low sensitivity is a very demanding impedance (fig.1) that dips well below 2 ohms between 300Hz and 700Hz, coupled with a generally demanding electrical phase angle. While this did not prove much of a liability in the desktop situation—the volume was annoying my neighbors before the Yamaha receiver's protection cut in—it's something to be aware of when using the Elans in larger rooms or more private offices. And…
Looking back to see which of the multichannel discs I've reported on that have made a splash in the market, I detect an ominous trend. Most are reissues of classic performances, including all the RCA Living Stereo and the Mercury Living Presence SACDs, as well as a number of classic jazz and rock albums (including yet more editions of Kind of Blue, Dark Side of the Moon, and Brothers in Arms).
This phenomenon reveals a numbing conservatism on the part of producers and record buyers. Some listeners want to rediscover, by hearing them better, the awe they felt when they first heard these…
All I can say is, Wow. Led by Strobel, the recording is an appropriately cinematic experience. The Berlin RSO delivers, by turns, romance, drama, and outright tragedy as they dig into all the music cues, many of which do not appear in the cantata. The blockbuster sound boasts excellent dynamics, solid bass, and a spacious and open soundstage. Some of the cues are simply shawm fanfares or bells tolling, but all are deliciously vivid. The stage width is tremendous, and a few surround effects from the rear channels are hair-raising. Depth behind the speakers is merely okay, but that lapse and a…
Every summer, I invite a representative sample of Stereophile's equipment reviewers to the magazine's Santa Fe HQ. For the third successive year, I decided to tape some of the free-for-all discussion that takes place and offer readers the opportunity of peeking over the participants' shoulders by publishing a tidied-up version of the transcript (footnote 1). In addition to myself, present in
Stereophile's dedicated listening room that sunny Saturday afternoon in late July 1991 were Larry Archibald, Arnie Balgalvis, Bob Deutsch, Jack English, Corey Greenberg, Larry Greenhill, Bob… Emotional breakdown
Toward the end of my audition, the PA80/80 failed. I was listening to a test pressing of Analogue Productions' Lay Me Down by Nancy Bryan (AAPO 2002) when things went quiet. Glancing up, I noticed that the biasing lights were extinguished. Hmmm, I thought, the preamp must have passed some DC. I'll just change the fuse. Repeated attempts to power up the amp—with tubes in place and without—just blew a handful of fuses. Notice how uneventful the failure was: it just muted and powered down—no rude noises and speaker pyrotechnics. I'm impressed. The amplifier has gone…
