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Patches was the first to exit the car, sporting a nose like an overripe tomato. Amid the sawdust-and–tiger-dung smell that wafted through the bigtop, he nimbly extracted himself from the multicolored Mini Cooper, face beaming with vows of slapstick and mischief. Patches gestured behind him, to Chuckles, who emerged with floppy shoes the length of baguettes. Next to squeeze out of the Mini were Bozo, Klutzy, Wiggle, Dinky, Cletus, Peewee, Pinhead, Joey, Sparkles, and Poppy—all wearing baggy pants in shouty hues and huge smiles applied with grease paint. I shuddered with delight. I was 8.
After the speakers arrived at my home, I tricked myself into a repeat of that experiment. One of the first songs I listened to was Malia and Boris Blank's "Celestial Echo" (16/44.1, Qobuz), whose opening drum pads and fat bass notes sounded almost punishingly deep. I mildly chastised myself for having forgotten to turn off the two 3000 Micro subwoofers that SVS had sent along (my oversight was no bueno considering that my goal was to take the measure of the Prime Pros solo). But when I sauntered over, I found out that I had switched off the subs.
That experience alleviated some…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Rear-ported, active, two-way, wireless loudspeaker. Drive units: 1" aluminum-dome tweeter; 5.25" polypropylene-cone mid-woofer. Crossover: digitally controlled at 2kHz, 12dB/octave slope. Play-Fi, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Tidal Connect, Spotify Connect, Bluetooth 5.0 with AAC and aptX. Two 24/192 DACs. Class-D power amps deliver 200W (4 × 50W) RMS. 3" front-panel OLED display. Infrared remote. Analog inputs: RCA and 1/8" (3.5mm) Aux. Digital inputs: TosLink, HDMI ARC and eARC, Ethernet, USB service port. Outputs: Subwoofer (RCA), front 1/8" (3.5mm)…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: 16" MacBook Pro M1 Max running Roon 2.0, Roon ROCK on Lenovo ThinkCentre, Naim Uniti Atom, controlled through iPad Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, Auralic Vega.
Loudspeakers: Tekton Moab (powered by an Anthem STR integrated amp), Vanatoo Transparent One, KEF LS50 wireless. Two SVS 3000 Micro subwoofers.
Listening room: 22' × 14' 6" with 9' 8" ceiling, lath and plaster. Hardwood floor over reinforced joists. Moderately damped by large, medium-thick rugs, furniture, and a tall bookcase. Wooden stairs on rear wall lead to an open second-…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system, a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone, and an Earthworks microphone preamplifier to measure the SVS Prime's frequency response in the farfield. I used an Earthworks QTC40 mike, which has a ¼" capsule, for the nearfield responses. The TosLink optical input locked to data with sample rates from 44.1kHz to 192kHz. I performed a complete set of measurements using the Prime's analog Line input, repeating some of the tests using the TosLink input. For these tests, I converted the MLSSA signal to 24/96 digital using my Ayre QA-9 Twenty A/D…
Sometimes when the world shouts too loudly, I immerse myself in other sounds: in music. I escape the cacophony by diving into my stash of vinyl records (not literally, although that's a fun image) and reveling in the soundwaves they release. The soundwaves liberated from those physical grooves, combined with impressions stored deep in my hippocampus, never fail to soothe, energize, fascinate, excite.
Reviewing new analog equipment allows me to explore this sonic corporeality and gives me a chance to hear my cherished vinyl discs anew, with a different focus. Sound patterns and song…
The InPoL Remix MkII uses what the company calls "double-InPoL circuitry," in which two InPoL circuits are bridged, their inputs driven 180° out of phase, those aforementioned inductors wound in opposite directions around a single core. Double InPoL dramatically increases output-power potential. While this topology is said to be capable of up to 200W in class-A, the Remix is designed to deliver much less: a maximum of 25Wpc into 8 ohms or 38Wpc into 4 ohms.
While the Remix MkII is said to be pure class-A, the bias is variable. "Fixed bias is always at the max power, but this means a lot…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Stereo, balanced, class-A, two-channel integrated amplifier with double InPoL technology and digital bias/gain set technology. Tube complement: 1 pair ElectroHarmonix ECC88.Output power: 25Wpc into 8 ohms (14.0dBW), 38Wpc into 4 ohms (12.8dBW). Frequency response: 2Hz–150kHz ±0.5dB. Input sensitivity: 470mVRMS. Input impedance: 47k ohms. Output impedance: 0.9 ohms. Output polarity: Selectable by remote control. Volume control: Two Burr-Brown PGA2310 (180 steps, 0.5dB). THD: 0.1% at 25W. S/N ratio: >100dB. Gain: 31dB unbalanced, 37dB balanced.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: HoloAudio May DAC augmented with Sonore opticalRendu, Roon Nucleus+, Small Green Computer power supply, TRENDnet switch, streaming Roon/Tidal/Qobuz via Apple iPad Mini.
Integrated amplifiers: Ayre EX-8 2.0, Parasound Hint 6 Halo, Schiit Ragnarok 2.
Loudspeakers: DeVore Fidelity O/96, Spendor BC1, GoldenEar BRX.
Cables: Interconnect: Analysis Plus Silver Apex, Shindo (RCA). Speaker: Analysis Plus Silver Apex.
Accessories: IsoTek V5 Aquarius and V5 Titan line conditioners (in for review); Salamander five-tier rack (2); IKEA…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I tested the Pathos InPoL Remix MkII with my Audio Precision SYS2722, checking some of the results with the magazine's APx500 system.
The review sample was not fitted with the optional HiDac Mk2 digital-input board. Although the Remix MkII's output stages are described as operating in class-A, where the maximum heat dissipation is with no signal, I still preconditioned the Pathos amplifier before the testing by following the CEA's recommendation of operating it at one-eighth the specified power into 8 ohms for 30 minutes. At the end of that time, the…