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Hi-fi is at a crossroads. One road takes us toward modernized versions of the gear we grew up with, stuff that has been around since the 1950s. The other road faces the future. While sometimes accommodating physical media, including vinyl records, that's not where that road leads. On that road, streaming is the norm, and equipment may be hooked up with traditional signal cables or with no cables at all, just GHz-range electromagnetic radiation, the digital kind. In the more extreme cases, the music may remain digital all the way to the amplifiers, which themselves are likely to be class-D.…
After break-in, I plugged my studio's monitor controller into the balanced analog inputs on the primary speaker using standard XLR cables. (The Neutrik universal-balanced sockets on the 4329Ps, which are common on pro and prosumer equipment, also allow a ¼" TRS connection.) I switched the input to balanced analog and cranked the volume up all the way to listen for hum or hiss. Hearing none, I turned the volume back down to a civilized level and listened to some music played back from the studio computer.
My downstairs space is about 10' × 20', with an 8' ceiling. I set up the…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way bass-reflex, standmount digital loudspeaker system with integrated D/A conversion, class-D amplification, and on-board DSP. Drive units: 1" compression-horn tweeter, 8" paper-cone woofer in a front-ported enclosure made of ¾" MDF finished in wood veneer. Crossover frequency: 1675Hz. Frequency response: 28Hz–25kHz (–6dB). Dispersion: 90° horizontal, 60° vertical (2kHz to 15kHz). Digital inputs: Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, S/PDIF (TosLink), USB2 Type B, USB-A (for attaching a thumb drive). Analog inputs: One pair balanced (XLR/ TRS combo…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Technics SL-1200MK7 Anniversary Edition turntable, Shure V-15 Type III cartridge, Pro-Ject Phono Box RS2 preamp.
Digital sources: Apple iPhone 7S, Lenovo ThinkPad L530 laptop, Oppo DV-981HD universal disc player.
Preamplifier: Benchmark LA-4.
Power amplifiers: Benchmark AHB2, LSA Warp 1.
Loudspeakers: Amphion Two18, B&W 808.—Tom Fine
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system with a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the behavior of one of the JBL 4329Ps in the farfield and an Earthworks QTC-40 mike for the nearfield responses. Before I started the testing, I connected the 4329P to my network router with an Ethernet cable and opened its local webpage. The review sample was running firmware version 0100.1685.0x1010f. I performed a factory reset and checked to see if a firmware update was available. It wasn't.
The Roon app's audio settings window indicated that the network-connected speaker had…
In red letters on the first page of Chinese audio manufacturer Audio-GD's website are these words: Wisdom in mind, enthusiasm at heart.
I like this goodwill greeting because it sets a mindful tone. I presume that sentiment was issued by one Mr. He Qinghua, because farther down the page, it states, "All Audio-GD's products are designed and developed under the leadership of Mr. He Qinghua." When I began my auditions, I took this salutation as an advisement, making it my plan to study Audio-GD's Vacuum HE1 XLR line-level preamp with as much wisdom as I could muster and the enthusiasm of high…
Compared to the HoloAudio Serene
For this next part, I connected the HE1 to my solid state reference power amplifier, the Parasound Halo A 21+. This and all subsequent comparisons were made single-ended because the Lab 12 Pre 1 has only single-ended inputs and outputs and I wanted to use the same Cardas Clear Beyond cables for all comparisons.
Driving the Falcon Gold Badge speakers, the powerful Parasound offers a more balanced, evenly rendered contrast structure, never too soft or hard. Music does not get loose or blurred at the frequency extremes.
With the Parasound…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Fully balanced stereo, tube-rectified, line-level preamplifier with 11dB maximum gain, a regenerative power supply, and a 100-step volume control with an exponential characteristic. Tube complement: six 6H2N-EB twin triodes, four 6U4N-EB half-wave rectifiers, all Russian. Inputs: 3 balanced (XLR), 2 single-ended (RCA). Outputs: 2 balanced (XLR), 1 single-ended (RCA). S/N ratio: >96dB (2V input, 2V RMS output, unweighted). Output impedance: <300 ohms (RCA). Power consumption: 40W.
Dimensions: 17" (430mm) W × 5" (132mm) H × 18" (450mm) D incl…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Dr. Feickert Analog Blackbird turntable with My Sonic Lab Ultra Eminent Ex moving coil cartridge. Sutherland Engineering SUTZ transimpedance step-up device. Tavish Design Adagio phono stage.
Digital sources: Roon Nucleus+ music server; Denafrips Terminator Plus DAC.
Preamplifiers: HoloAudio Serene, Lab 12 Pre 1, PrimaLuna EVO400.
Power amplifiers: Parasound Halo A 21+, Elekit TU-8900.
Loudspeakers: Falcon Acoustics LS3/5a Gold Badge.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Diamond USB. Tonearm and interconnect: Cardas Clear Beyond.…
Sidebar 3 Measurements
I measured the performance of the Audio-GD Vacuum HE1 XLR with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system, checking some of the results with the magazine's APx500 analyzer. Although this preamplifier has both balanced and single-ended inputs and outputs, HR told me he exclusively used the single-ended input and output so he could use the same unbalanced interconnects with the HE1 XLR that he used with his other preamplifiers. I focused primarily on the preamp's single-ended performance, therefore.
The HE1 XLR preserved absolute polarity (ie, was noninverting) with…