Analog Sources: Linn LP12 turntable, Linn Lingo power supply, Linn Ekos tonearm, Miyabi 47 cartridge; Rega Planar 3 turntable, Lyra Helikon Mono cartridge; Linn Linto phono preamplifier.
Digital Sources: Naim CD5x CD player, Linn Unidisk SC universal player.
Preamplifier: Fi.
Power amplifiers: EAR 890; Lamm ML2.1 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Quad ESL-989.
Cables: Interconnect: Audio Note AN-Vx, Nordost Valhalla, Linn. Speaker: Audio Note AN-SPx, Nordost Valhalla.
Accessories: Mana Reference Table, Reference Wall Shelf under turntables.—Art…
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Sidebar 2: Measurements
The Lamm LL2 Deluxe preamplifier offered a maximum voltage gain of 17.97dB, this the same from both the Line and the Direct inputs. The unity-gain setting of the volume controls was 11:30. The LL2's input impedance measured 50k ohms in the bass and midrange, dropping slightly to 45k ohms at 20kHz, which is still within the specification. The LL2 preserved absolute polarity; ie, was noninverting.
The LL2's output impedance was a low 245 ohms in the midrange and treble, this rising to 3.3k ohms at 20Hz, presumably due to the finite size of the output…
Art Dudley wrote about the LL2.1 Deluxe in September 2009 (Vol.32 No.9):
Change comes slowly if at all to a Lamm amplifier, which seems the product of such deliberation that change is little needed. But parts suppliers change their parts, consumers change what they wish to consume—and Vladimir Lamm, who designs all of the circuits for all of his amplifiers, responds by drawing his products a little bit differently. In doing so, he often finds a way to make them sound better.
So it was this spring: In addition to the LL1 Signature ($42,690), a four-chassis assault on the state of…
COPLAND: Piano Concerto
MENOTTI: Piano Concerto in F
Earl Wild, piano; Jorge Mester (Menotti), Aaron Copland (Copland), Symphony of the Air
Analogue Productions APC 029 (LP). Seymour Solomon, prod.; Jack Bryant, Ed Fiedner, engs.; Doug Sax, Gavin Lurssen, Ron Lewter. remastering engs. AAA. TT: 49:23
Also available on a spectacular CD transfer: Vanguard SVC-3.
MENOTTI: Piano Concerto in F
Earl Wild, piano; Jorge Mester (Menotti), Aaron Copland (Copland), Symphony of the Air
Analogue Productions APC 029 (LP). Seymour Solomon, prod.; Jack Bryant, Ed Fiedner, engs.; Doug Sax, Gavin Lurssen, Ron Lewter. remastering engs. AAA. TT: 49:23
Also available on a spectacular CD transfer: Vanguard SVC-3.
JANIS IAN: Breaking Silence
Analogue Productions APP 027 (LP), CAPP 027 (Gold CD*). Janis Ian, prod.; Jeff Balding, prod., eng. AAA/AAD.* TTs: 44:34, 48:50*
Each of these releases is an example of the…
I can't resist reading about a company's flagship loudspeaker—the price-no-object product that embodies the most advanced ideas from a company's research and design department. Flagship loudspeakers tend to be large, heavy, and complex, and are designed to perform best in large rooms; often, each part of each driver is hand-built to the highest level of quality, with precisely tight tolerances. The cost? Don't ask. Some two-channel, audio-only flagships cost more than a BMW M5 sports sedan or a Porsche 911.
But the cutting-edge technology, extraordinary craftsmanship, and price-no-object…
High-grade aluminum is precision-cut on a CNC milling machine to form the one-piece midrange-and-tweeter baffle, the cabinet interlocking mechanism, the back-plate, the removable crossover bays inside the mid-section, and the specially designed adjustable floor spikes.
I found the review samples' bird's-eye-maple veneer exquisite. Every inch of the Evidence shows attention to detail, from the specially molded center section's front baffle to the setup tools packed with each loudspeaker pair. Fit'n'finish are first-rate; the elegant cabinets are solidly constructed, and their overall…
Vocal recordings—my favorite type of music—were especially enhanced by the Evidence's focus. Sarah McLachlan's subtle vocal shifts on the bittersweet "I Will Remember You" (Mirrorball, Arista 19049-2) gave that song a raw emotional power. On "Getting Over You" and "What Was it You Wanted" (from Across the Borderline, Columbia CK 52752), Willie Nelson's clear, sweet baritone free of honk, hollowness, and grain. The Evidence captured the building tension and utter resignation of Emmylou Harris' showstopper, "The Maker," also from Spyboy. Detail abounded, rendering a complex, dramatic portrait…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, floorstanding, reflex-loaded dynamic loudspeaker. Drive-units: two 1.1" (28mm) soft-dome tweeters; two 6" (150mm) polypropylene-cone bass/mid units, each with a 1.5" (38mm) voice-coil; four 8" bass drivers with polypropylene cones, 3" (75mm) voice-coils, and hybrid magnet systems. Crossover frequencies: 160Hz, 400Hz, 2.5kHz, 8kHz. Crossover slopes: 6dB/octave. Frequency response: 27Hz-26kHz, ±3dB. Sensitivity: 92dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms; 3.2-12.7 ohms, 0 degrees to +13 degrees phase angle, 20Hz-20kHz. IEC long-term power…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog source: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable, Lingo power supply, Ittok tonearm, Spectral moving-coil cartridge.
Digital source: Krell MD-1 CD transport, Adcom GDA-700 D/A processor.
Tuners: Day-Sequerra FM Reference Classic, Rotel RH-10, Magnum Dynalab MD-102 tuner with Model 205 Sleuth RF amplifier.
Preamplification: Krell KBL, Mark Levinson No.383, Mark Levinson ML-7A with L-2 phono section, Margulis and Duntech MX-10 moving-coil preamplifiers.
Power amplifiers: Mark Levinson No.334 and No.383, Bryston 7B-ST monoblocks, Bryston 9B-ST (5…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Although my estimate of the big Dynaudio's sensitivity was fractionally lower than specified, at 90.5dB(B)/2.83V/m, this is still significantly higher than average. In addition, the speaker's impedance (fig.1) drops below 4 ohms only in the upper bass, which, coupled with the generally benign electrical phase angle, will make it relatively easy to drive. However, the combination of 45 degrees capacitive phase and 5 ohms impedance at 70Hz might be problematic with some current-starved tube designs.
Fig.1 Dynaudio Evidence, electrical impedance (solid…