Fig.8 Epos ES 14, impulse response on…
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In the time domain, the Epos's impulse response (fig.8) is dominated by the ultrasonic tweeter ringing. This can also be seen on the associated step response (fig.9), which reveals both that the tweeter and woofer are connected with the same acoustic polarity, and that the former leads the latter a little in time, as is always the case with speakers with flat vertical baffles. Simple crossovers do not in themselves confer time coherency on a speaker; the drive-unit acoustic centers must also be the same distance from the listener/microphone.
"An amusement park for the mind." That was how, some years ago, one engineer described the Audio Engineering Society's biannual conventions, which alternate between European and American venues. The 111th convention, subtitled "Advancing the Art of Sound," was held at the cavernous Jacob Javits Center on Manhattan's west side in early December. (It had originally been scheduled to take place last September, but was postponed for the obvious reason.)
AES Conventions are Janus-faced. The show's primary source of revenue comes from manufacturers of pro-audio gear, who pay to display their…
People are wrong when they say the opera isn't what it used to be. It is what it used to be. That's what's wrong with it.—Noël Coward
If there's any single person who has made it his mission to prove Noël Coward wrong, it is former San Francisco Opera general director Lotfi Mansouri. He spearheaded the SFO's Pacific Visions program, which undertook to vindicate the vitality of the opera repertoire by commissioning new works and presenting rarely performed operas. The program was responsible for Conrad Susa's Dangerous Liaisons (1994), Stewart Wallace's Harvey Milk (1996), and André…
Even though everyone was convinced they had the makings of a success in their hands, the material itself took an emotional toll. Dead Man Walking tells the tale of a convicted murderer, Joseph De Rocher, who reaches out to Sister Helen Prejean—first as a pen-pal, later as a spiritual advisor—in the final days before his execution. In a prologue, the audience witnesses his participation in a brutal rape and murder; the rest of the work recounts Sister Helen's journey as she attempts to help him achieve a level of moral comprehension of his crimes as means of finding redemption. But the opera…
"I was in virtually every scene," said Graham. "And on top of everything else, it was really hard music to sing. There are times when you really have to just think technically, but you can't disassociate so much that you lose the emotional thread. There are just so many things to think about during the performance of a piece like that—not to mention the fact that we had open recording microphones on the very first performance of the piece ever!"
Adding to the pressure during the premiere run was the death of Graham's father. She took solace in her work and her collaborators. "Sister…
DON BYRON: Bug Music
Don Byron, clarinet, baritone saxophone, vocals; Steve Wilson, alto saxophone; Robert DeBellis, tenor saxophone; Charles Lewis, Steve Bernstein, James Zollar, Trumpet; Craig Harris, trombone; Uri Crane, piano; Paul Meyers, banjo; David Gilmore, guitar; Kenny Davis, bass; Pheeroan akLaff, Billy Hart, Joey Baron, drums; Dean Bowman, vocals. Nonesuch 79438-2 (CD only) 1996. Don Byron, prod.; Danny Kapilian, assoc. prod.; Tom Lazarus, eng.; David Merrill, assist eng.; Alan Tucker, mastering eng. Carol Yaple, exec. prod. ??? TT: 51:07
Music ****
Sonics ****
Don Byron, clarinet, baritone saxophone, vocals; Steve Wilson, alto saxophone; Robert DeBellis, tenor saxophone; Charles Lewis, Steve Bernstein, James Zollar, Trumpet; Craig Harris, trombone; Uri Crane, piano; Paul Meyers, banjo; David Gilmore, guitar; Kenny Davis, bass; Pheeroan akLaff, Billy Hart, Joey Baron, drums; Dean Bowman, vocals. Nonesuch 79438-2 (CD only) 1996. Don Byron, prod.; Danny Kapilian, assoc. prod.; Tom Lazarus, eng.; David Merrill, assist eng.; Alan Tucker, mastering eng. Carol Yaple, exec. prod. ??? TT: 51:07
Music ****
Sonics ****
…
The W-8 ($10,200) is the first of Simaudio's Moon series to incorporate the new Evolution cosmetics and new circuitry. I loved its predecessor, the Moon W-5, which was one of the first power amplifiers I reviewed for Stereophile (March 1999, Vol.22 No.3). I also loved the "new and improved" W-5 when I wrote about in the May 2001 issue. In the September 2005 issue, Brian Damkroger praised Simaudio's monstrous Moon Rock monoblock, a contemporary of the Moon Evolution W-8 stereo amp.
Many amps may share the W-8's general dimensions, but few pack as much mass into their chassis as…
In the bass, too, the Moon Evolution W-8 is an improvement over earlier Moons—the velvet gloves that always seemed to cover the W-5's steel fists are off. At first, I'd found the W-8's midbass as warm as the W-5's, but that impression turned out to be related to associated equipment. For one thing, that warmth wasn't as present with the Revel Ultima Studios as with the B&W 802Ds. For another, it mostly disappeared when I replaced my Bel Canto Pre6 preamp with the new Moon Evolution P-8 Reference. Deep voices were cleanly defined, and low bass was tight and granitic. All the great things…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state, two-channel power amplifier. Inputs: 1 pair unbalanced (RCA), 1 pair balanced (XLR). Outputs: 2 pairs binding posts per channel. Maximum output power: 250Wpc into 8 ohms (24dBW), 500Wpc into 4 ohms (24dBW), 1kWpc into 2 ohms (24dBW), 1kW bridged into 8 ohms (30dBW). Voltage gain: 33dB. Frequency response: 10Hz–200kHz, +0/–3dB. Signal/noise: >106dB ref. full power. THD: <0.015%, 20Hz–20kHz at 1W; <0.04%, 20Hz–20kHz at 250W. Input impedance: 47.5k ohms. Input sensitivity: 1050mV for full output. Output impedance: 0.01 ohm.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Sony XA-9000ES SACD/CD player, Bel Canto PL-1A universal player.
Preamplifiers: Bel Canto Pre6, Simaudio Moon Evolution P-8 Reference.
Power Amplifiers: Bel Canto eVo6 & eVo4, Classé Omicron monoblocks, McCormack DNA-1 Rev.A.
Loudspeakers: B&W 802D, Revel Ultima Studio, Revel F-12, Paradigm Reference Studio/20.
Cables: Digital: Stereovox HDVX. Interconnect: Crystal Cable Cinemax multichannel, AudioQuest Cheetah/DBS balanced. Speaker: AudioQuest Mont Blanc/DBS biwire. AC: JPS Aluminata.
Accessories: APC S-15,…