Description: Three-way, four-driver floorstanding loudspeaker in a sealed, "thermoformed composite" enclosure. Drive units: 1" (26mm) Scan-Speak textile-dome "Illuminator" tweeter, two 5" (130mm) "Satori" Egyptian Papyrus-cone midwoofers, one 10" (250mm) "Faital" hard-pressed paper-cone woofer. Kubala-Sosna internal wiring. Frequency range: 35Hz–25kHz. Impedance: 4 ohms (minimum 2 ohms at 58Hz). Sensitivity: 90dB/2.83V/1m. Minimum amplifier power: 30W. Recommended room size: 160–645ft2.
Dimensions: 53.7" (1366mm) H × 15.1" (384mm) W × 14.4" (367mm) D…
search
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: Oppo Digital UDP-103 universal disc player, Custom Intel/Win11 music server running JRiver Media Center v30 and Roon, Merging Technologies Hapi MKII, exaSound s88 Mark II, and Okto DAC8 Pro D/A processors. QNAP TVS-873 NAS. Preamplifiers Coleman Audio 7.1SW for balanced DAC-to-amp switching.
Power amplifiers: Benchmark AHB2, NAD C 298.
Loudspeakers: KEF Blade 2 Meta, Revel Performa3 f206; two JL Audio e110 and 1 SVS SB-3000 subwoofers.
Cables: Digital cables: AudioQuest Coffee (USB). Analog interconnects: Benchmark Studio&…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured one of the Estelon Aura loudspeakers, serial number F35204B, in KR's apartment, using his NAD C 298 amplifier for the testing. I measured the Estelon Aura's impedance with Dayton Audio's DATS V2 system and used DRA Labs' MLSSA system with a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the speaker's behavior in the farfield and an Earthworks QTC-40 mike for the nearfield responses. Kal and I lifted the Aura on to a dolly for the measurements, but to minimize the effect of the first reflection from the ground, I measured the response and dispersion with the…
To misquote Morrissey, some knobs are better than others. The Manley Neo-Classic 300B amplifiers that I've been listening to, for example, have a knob marked "feedback" that goes from 0 to 10. I've learned so much from using it that I've come to believe that if your amp doesn't have such a knob, it should. You see, the higher you set this control, the better the amp will measure. Applying more global negative feedback to these amps lowers their nonlinear distortion and noisefloor, increases their bandwidth, renders them less sensitive to the speaker's impedance variations and otherwise makes…
On "Ring Them Bells," from the same album, Sufjan Stevens's band-geek arrangement features more than a dozen instruments including a viola, French horn, lap steel, and electric drums, sometimes playing loudly in unison and sometimes creating a floral setting for his delicate tenor voice, which here was thankfully recorded without the usual heavy reverb and overdubs. The d1-unity rendered the instruments with vivid tone color remarkable for a digital source, which lent the playing an unusual amount of beauty and realism. The astonishing electric guitar solo by Bryce Dessner of the…
The pleasures of reviewing a new CD player reside in its light weight, compact dimensions, and, most of all, its ABC-simple installation: no cartridge to mount, no stylus to break, no step-up trans formers or cartridge-load values to explore. No server, no Ethernet switches, no digital processor or outboard clock, no NOS, OS, filter choices, or upsampling (usually), no DSD or DXD, no specialized cables, and-especially-no garish, billboard-sized LCD menu to trigger anxiety. Just plug the player in, connect it to a preamp, and choose a CD to play first.
Yes, folks, digital audio was once…
The Viking's ability to expose Gieseking's morphing tempos enabled me to revisit and mind meld with Gieseking's transcendental Debussy via a four-CD box set of his performances of Debussy and Maurice Ravel (New Classical Adventure/Audiophidelity LC 12281). These CDs are digital remasters made from a digital source, most likely several steps removed from the original analog masters, yet the Viking found the room, air, microphones, and-I swear, during the quietest passages-some faint tube glow and a few momentary hints of these recordings' magnetic-tape origins. These are subtle things I'…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: CD player using a new-manufacture AKM-4493SEQ DAC chip. Analog outputs: one unbalanced (RCA) and one balanced (XLR), one BNC true 75 ohm digital. Maximum output level: 2.6V RMS. Output impedance: 22 ohms unbalanced; 44 ohms balanced.
Dimensions: 3.54" (90mm) H × 17" (431mm) W × 12" (305mm) D. Weight: 16.1lb (7.3kg).
Finish: Black steel.
Serial number of unit reviewed: VIK-63A 108. Assembled and packaged in China.
Price: $5000. Approximate number of dealers: 75. Warranty: Two years, nontransferable.
Manufacturer: Hegel Music…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital sources: Roon Nucleus+ music server; Denafrips Terminator Plus DAC.
Preamplifiers: PrimaLuna EVO 400, HoloAudio Serene.
Power amplifiers: Parasound Halo A 21+, Elekit TU-8900.
Loudspeakers: Falcon Acoustics LS3/5a Gold Badge, Heretic AD614.
Headphones: Meze Elite.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Diamond USB and Cinnamon coaxial. Interconnect: AudioQuest ThunderBird, Cardas Clear Beyond, Ikigai Audio Kangai-level. Speaker: Ikigai Audio Kangai-level. AC: AudioQuest Tornado, manufacturer's own.
Accessories: AudioQuest Niagara 1000…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Hegel Viking using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system. As this player doesn't have digital inputs, I used test signals that I burned on a CD-R. I first used the Pierre Verany Digital Test CD to check the Viking's error correction. It played the tracks with gaps in the data spiral up to 1mm in length without any problems, but there were audible glitches when the gap was longer than 1mm or when there were two 0.5mm gaps in succession. The Compact Disc standard, the so-called "Red Book," requires that a player cope with gaps of only up to 0.2mm, and the…