After running for several days, the Voltikus was warm, the Zodiac much warmer—due to the jitter-baking "oven" inside, I guess.
Setting It Up
I went to the Support area of Antelope's website and downloaded and installed the Zodiac Platinum DAC Audio Driver for Apple OS X (v.2.09, 2/11/2014), which worked as promised…
Zodiac Platinum: DSD-capable D/A processor and headphone amplifier. Inputs: USB: 2.0 Hi-Speed, datastream up to 480Mbits/384kHz, Type B. One 10M/WC on BNC: 10MHz sinewave, 44.1–384kHz. One AES/EBU XLR: 44.1–192kHz. Two S/PDIF RCA: 44.1–192kHz. Two optical TosLink. Two RCA analog: –10dBV unbalanced (2V RMS max). Two &3188;" TRS analog: +4dBu balanced (26dBu max). Outputs: One AES/EBU, dejittered, reclocked digital output, 110 ohms. Two S/PDIF, dejittered, reclocked digital outputs, 75 ohms. Two analog XLR, balanced, fully differential drive; trimmable, 14–…
Digital Sources: Apple MacBook Pro computer (2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 4GB RAM, 320GB hard drive) running OS 10.6.7, Audirvana Plus, iTunes 11.1.5, Sonic Studio Amarra Computer Music Player 2.5, Songbird 1.9.3, XLD; Western Digital 2TB NAS device; Oppo BDP-103 universal BD player; Meridian Digital Media System (Control 15, QNAP TS-669 Pro NAS); Apple iPad Air, Mini Apple iPod Touch (1G), Apple iPhone 4S.
Digital Processors: AudioQuest DragonFly USB DAC, Benchmark DAC1 USB & DAC2 HGC, MSB Analog DAC.
Preamplifier: Marantz AV7005 in Pure Direct…
I examined the Antelope Audio Zodiac Platinum's electrical performance with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 "As We See It"). Unless stated otherwise, all measurements were performed from the Zodiac's balanced outputs. I don't yet have files of DSD-encoded test signals, so the Zodiac's measured performance was assessed with PCM-encoded files, with sample rates extending from 32kHz up to 384kHz. Most of the testing was performed from the Antelope's balanced outputs—selected by holding down the output button for more than 3…
A match made in Maidstone…
The improvement in the bass was quite apparent. While the KEFs were still unlikely to satisfy headbangers, their bottom-end extension often surprised me. With Daft Punk's score for the film Tron Legacy (CD, Walt Disney D000567201), the KEFs certainly didn't sound like minimonitors with a pair of 6.5" drivers in a largish box thrown in for appearances. True, if you're familiar with how the gut-…
Description: Three-way, four-driver, floorstanding loudspeaker with vented enclosure. Drive-units: Uni-Q coincident driver array with 1" (25mm) vented aluminum-dome tweeter and 5" (125mm) aluminum-cone midrange; two 6.5" (165mm) aluminum-cone woofers. Crossover frequencies: 500Hz, 2.9kHz. Frequency response: 42Hz–28kHz, ±3dB. Frequency range (–6dB): 37Hz–45kHz. Sensitivity: 89dB/2.83V/m. Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, 3.2 ohms minimum. Harmonic distortion: <0.4%, second and third harmonic, at 90dB/m, 100Hz–20kHz. Amplification required: 25–200W.
Dimensions…
Digital Sources: Marantz UD7006, Oppo BDP-105D universal players.
Preamplification: Jeff Rowland Design Group Consummate line preamplifier, Integra DTC-9.8 preamplifier-processor.
Power Amplifier: Parasound Halo A 51.
Loudspeakers: KEF R900, Monitor Audio Silver 10, Paradigm Monitor 11, Revel Performa3 F208; Hsu Research VTF-15H subwoofer.
Cables: Digital: Kimber AGDL coaxial (sources to pre-pro), AudioQuest Carbon HDMI (to pre-pro for SACD), TARA Labs Rectangular Solid Core (sources to preamp), Cardas Hexlink (preamps to power amp).…
I measured the KEF R700's frequency response in the farfield with DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone. I used an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield response. All measurements were performed with the grille removed and with the twin ports' supplied foam plugs removed.
My estimate of the KEF R700's B-weighted voltage sensitivity was 87dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is 2dB lower than the specified 89dB/2.83V/m. KEF specifies the R700's impedance as 8 ohms with a minimum magnitude of 3.2 ohms. My own measurement (fig.1) shows that the minimum…
Uh huh
[This] “results in a delicate musical `pointillism.’
Oh yeah
“The idea is less about `performance’ in the traditional musical sense and more about attempting to translate directly into music the quiet internal rhythms of the body.”
Of course
There are records where one look at the cover art and…