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Audio journalists tend to wander the corridors of a CES in a minor state of shell-shock. There are no carnival-barkers outside the rooms enticing one to enter (not yet, at any rate), but the sounds and reputations oozing from the open doorways yield little to the "hurry, hurry, hurry" crowd. The Signet room has always, it seems, been one of the quieter oases, often eschewing sound altogether while contentedly displaying their phono cartridges, cables, and various accessories. On a recent CES hunt, I was therefore intrigued to find them demonstrating two new loudspeakers, of all things, to the…
Sidebar 2: Measurements
The UltraLink Two's maximum output level from the balanced jacks was a lowish 3.15V (balanced) and 1.58V (unbalanced). These low output levels we're starting to see in digital processors are caused by the 6dB of attenuation required in HDCD-equipped processors when decoding standard CDs (including test discs). This is still plenty of level to drive any preamplifier. Output impedance measured a low 160 ohms (balanced) and 78 ohms (unbalanced). DC levels were unmeasurable, and the UltraLink Two correctly decoded 32kHz and 48kHz sampling frequencies.
The…
But to return to Chapter 1: I initially set up the Signets on their dedicated stands 6–7' out from the short wall of the listening room, 3–4' from the sidewalls. The height of the stand plus the loudspeaker placed the listening axis roughly level with the center of the woofer, with the tweeters then a few inches above ear-level. The speakers were toed-in and aimed at the listening position. The grilles were removed for all of the sessions. The first amplifier in the ring was the Rowland Model 1 (prior to an update which had not been incorporated as of this evaluation). The result was…
Sidebar 3: Specifications
Description: Digital-to-analog converter with HDCD$r decoding. Inputs: Coaxial on RCA jack, AES/EBU, ST-Type optical, TosLink. Digital output: S/PDIF on RCA jack. Analog outputs: Balanced on XLR jacks, unbalanced on RCA jacks. Conversion: UltraAnalog 20-bit dual DAC. Filtering: 8x-oversampling. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz ±0.5dB. THD: <0.1%.
Dimensions: 17" W by 9" D by 2.5" H. Weight: 15 lbs (shipping).
Serial number of unit tested: 523292536.
Price: $2295 (1995); no longer available (2016). Approximate number of dealers: 110.
Manufacturer…
Sidebar 1: Review Context
This is the first equipment review I have done in Stereophile's updated dedicated listening room. First, however, a word or two about what this room is and is not. It is not the location where all of Stereophile's listening tests are done. Practically all of our reviewers do their listening in their own homes. When I arrived in Santa Fe, only Dick Olsher used the Stereophile listening room. Robert Harley had also used it temporarily last year when he was waiting for his new home, with its dedicated listening room, to be completed. Since it appeared that I would…
Sidebar 2: Measurements
The impedance magnitude and phase angle for the Signet SL280 are shown in fig.1. The double peaks in the magnitude plot below 100Hz are typical of a reflex tuned cabinet. Note that the minimum impedance of the system is just below 7 ohms (at about 150Hz), indicating that no competent, appropriately powered amplifier (into 4–8 ohm loads) should have any difficulty in driving the Signets.
Fig.1 Signet SL280, electrical impedance (solid) and phase (dashed) (2 ohms/vertical div.).
Fig.2 shows the impulse response. The ringing in the tail of…
Sidebar 3: Specifications
Description: Two-way dynamic loudspeaker. Drive units: 1" aluminum-dome tweeter, 8" woofer. Frequency response: 35Hz–25kHz ±2dB. Sensitivity: 89dB/W/m. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms (4 ohms minimum). Amplifier requirements: 20W minimum. Power handling: 200W.
Dimensions: 25" H by 9.75" W by 12.75" D. Weight: 35 lbs each.
Price: $900/pair (1990); no longer available (2016) Dedicated stands (ST-280): $160/pair. Approximate number of dealers: undisclosed.
Manufacturer: Signet division of Audio-Technica US, Inc., 1221 Commerce Drive, Stow, OH 44224: Tel: (330…
First, The Audio Salon (Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Avenue, Unit F1, Santa Monica, CA 90404) is hosting a special event Saturday, April 16, from 4pm–8pm. Nagra's CEO, Pascal Mauroux, Hi-Fi Director, Matthieu Latour, and US Sales and Marketing Manager Rene Laflamme, will be hosting the US premiere of the Nagra HD amplifier and will be playing HD files from Nagra's vault. RSVP to (310) 863-0863 or via email to MaierShadi@gmail.com.
Second, Evolution Audio & Video (5341 Derry Avenue, Suite S, Agoura Hills, CA 91301) on Friday April 15 (noon–6pm) and Saturday April 16 (noon–5pm) will…
First things first. Yes, Dave Douglas named his new album, Dark Territory, after my new book of the same title. This may seem odd: my book is about the history of cyber war; Douglas' album is a deep-dive exploration of improvisation, composition, and technology in the risky corners of jazz and electronica. But in an email sent out by his self-owned label, Greenleaf Music, he explains that both works are about "similarly mysterious murky waters of underground activity" and that he found my title fitting because, like the characters in my book, he and his band are "playing through a similar…
The least-expensive Wilson speaker and the most-expensive Vandersteen speaker go head-to head in the May issue, accompanied by reviews of PS Audio's affordable DSD DAC, Schiit's high-value Ragnarok integrated amplifier, Vandersteen's unique monoblock amplifier, and Luxman's high-performance EQ-500 phono preamplifier.
With Michael Fremer on vinyl playback, Art Dudley on a rebuilt Naim amp, Kal Rubinson on surround sound, and Steve Guttenberg polling speaker designers on how close they are to achieving "accuracy," our 140-page May issue has something for everyone.