Digital Source: PS Audio PerfectWave Memory CD transport & DirectStream DAC.
Analog Source: Acoustic Signature WOW XXL turntable & TA-1000 tonearm, Soundsmith MIMC cartridge.
Preamplifier: Convergent Audio Technology SL1 Renaissance Black Path Edition.
Power Amplifiers: McIntosh Laboratories MC275LE (stereo), Theta Digital Prometheus (monoblocks).
Loudspeakers: Avantgarde Uno Nano.
Cables: Interconnect, Speaker, AC: Nordost Valhalla 2.
Accessories: PS Audio PerfectWave P5 Power Plant power supply; Nordost QB8 AC power-outlet…
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Wilson Sabrina's frequency response in the farfield; for the nearfield frequency responses, I used an Earthworks QTC-40, which has a ¼" capsule and thus presents no significant obstacle to the sound. For logistical reasons, I measured a different sample (serial no.0485) from those auditioned by Robert Deutsch (0375 and 0376). For the measurements, I hoisted this surprisingly heavy speaker onto my Outline speaker turntable—oh, my achin' back—and to avoid the possibility of damaging…
Tomorrow, Saturday April 23, from 4–10pm, JS Audio (4919 St. Elmo Avenue, Bethesda, MD 20814) is hosting a Wilson/dCS/Dan D'Agostino/Audio Research/Nordost event. Wilson's Peter McGrath will be introducing the new Alexx loudspeaker; Dan D'Agostino Master Audio Systems President of Sales, Bill Mckiegan, will be showing the iconic company's new amplifiers; John Quick of dCS will be discussing the latest developments in their Vivaldi (2.0), Rossini, and Debussy ranges; Dave Gordon will be present the new Reference 6 and Reference Phono 3 preamplifiers, along with the New Ref 150 SE amplifier;…
I vividly remember a conversation with Richard Vandersteen at the turn of the century, when he predicted that the only audio companies that would flourish in the 21st century would be those that made products offering greater performance than the customer expected for their prices. Historically, the Vandersteen brand typified that paradigm, with the Model 2, in all its various guises, remaining a best-selling speaker since its launch in 1977. (Between 1977 and 1993, 80,000 pairs were sold.) I was surprised, therefore, by the appearance of Vandersteen's Model Seven, which sold for $45,000/…
These review samples were much-traveled, having been used at last fall's Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, and in subsequent photography sessions and dealer demos. "We have very recently discovered that this failure is related to an issue with the crating/packaging that the amplifiers ship in," Richard Vandersteen e-mailed me. "While they are packed sturdily and rigidly fastened to the crates, they are too rigidly held to withstand the constant shaking of shipping over a period of days as shipping invariably requires."
At the time of writing, the repaired amplifiers have been continually…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Vandersteen M7-HPA: Hybrid monoblock power amplifier. Tube complement: one 6N1P-EV, one 6H30. Input: one balanced (XLR). Outputs: two pairs of screw terminals, one marked "Tweeter Midrange" the other "Mid-Bass Bass." Maximum output power: 600W into 4 ohms (24.8dBW). Frequency response: 100Hz–100kHz, –3dB. Input impedance: 200k ohms. Voltage gain: 25dB. Distortion: 0.15% at 300W. Signal/noise: 90dBA ref. 2V, 110dBA ref. maximum output.
Dimensions: 14.9" (381mm) H (with cone feet) by 10.1" (260mm) W by 20.9" (533.5mm) D (with terminal block). Weight: 119.9 lbs…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Source: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Linn Ekos tonearm, Linn Arkiv B cartridge.
Digital Sources: Antipodes DX Reference and Aurender N10 music servers; Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP universal player; dCS Rossini disc player with Rossini Clock; Apple 2.7GHz i7 Mac mini running OS10.10.1, iTunes 11, Pure Music 2.0, Audirvana Plus 1.5.10; PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream D/A converter; dCS Vivaldi upsampling D/A system; AudioQuest JitterBug, UpTone Audio ReGen USB cleaner-uppers; Ayre Acoustics QA-9 USB A/D converter.
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Sidebar 3: Vandersteen Seven Mk.II Measurements
As the Mk.II Model Seven loudspeaker differs only in detail from the original Model Seven, I refer you to the measurements sidebar that accompanied Michael Fremer's review for the overall picture. I performed only a few measurements on the updated version. Fig.1 shows its electrical impedance and phase, taken with the two pairs of binding posts in parallel. This is generally similar to that of the Mk.1, and, like that speaker, drops to a low value at the top of the audioband, particularly with the rear tweeter turned on. The minimum…
Sidebar 4: Vandersteen M7-HPA Measurements
I performed a full suite of measurements on one of the Vandersteen M7-HPA amplifiers (serial no.107), using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 "As We See It"). I preconditioned the amplifier by running it at one-third the specified power, 100W, into 8 ohms for 60 minutes. At the end of that time, its heatsinks were warm, at 112.4°F (44.7°C). The percentage of THD+noise at this power level was 0.07%.
A note on the measurements: the M7-HPA's hair-trigger protection caused it to shut down several times…
Henry Threadgill won the Pulitzer Prize this year for his 2015 album, In for a Penny, In for a Pound, but his latest album, Old Locks and Irregular Verbs (just out this month on the Pi Recordings label), is better still. It's his true career milestone, one of the great jazz compositions of the past several years, a musical masterpiece beyond category.
An alto saxophonist and flutist of distinctive fluency, Threadgill, 72, is also one of the era's most inventive—and influential—jazz composers. He was an original member of the Chicago-based Association for the Advancement of Creative…