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VTL 225W Deluxe monoblock power amplifier KT90 Measurements

Looking next at the 225's behavior with the KT90 output tubes (a different amplifier sample), there were a few differences compared to the EL34 version. I'll note these differences when they are significant.

Output impedance with the KT90s was virtually identical, measuring 0.95 ohms at 20Hz and 1kHz, decreasing to 0.87 ohms at 20kHz. Input impedance, though still fairly high, was much lower than the EL34'd 225's input impedance of 129k ohms at 74.5k ohms. Input sensitivity was 1.63V, about half a volt more being required than the EL34 version to be driven to clipping. Since the…

California Audio Labs Tempest CD player January 1987

Anthony H. Cordesman wrote about the Tempest in January 1987 (Vol.10 No.1):

If anyone is still around who hasn't been reading their back issues of Stereophile religiously, the California Audio CD player ($1895) uses tubes—without overall negative feedback—for all of the analog circuitry. It uses triode class-A tube stages, operating in dual mono, for current-to-voltage conversion rather than IC op-amps. It also uses passive filtering for output-waveform reconstruction within the tube analog section, instead of the active low-pass networks used in other players, and uses passive de-…

Cambridge Audio CD1 CD player Anthony H. Cordesman

Anthony H. Cordesman wrote about the CD-1 in January 1987 (Vol.10 No.1):

With the Cambridge Audio CD-1 ($2500), one never knows if one is hearing the final version of this elite and nearly total rebuild of the Philips Model 104, or even if there ever will be a final version of this player. I should point out, however, that Cambridge is now being imported by Sumiko—one of the best and most demanding importers—and hopefully will now be both consistently reliable and available in the form of a stable and finished product.

The two units I have heard so far avoid the treble edge and…

Meridian MCD & MCD Pro CD players Follow-Ups

Anthony H. Cordesman wrote again about the MCD Pro in November 1985 (Vol.8 No.7):

After prolonged listening, I've concluded that there is simply too much bass on the MCD Pro. This is a problem that's not immediately evident, and will affect you differently depending on your system. For systems with true low-bass response, such as the RS-1Bs or Quads with Janis subwoofers, there will be a definite problem. Not only that, the quality of that bass is somewhat loose, though not nearly as uncontrolled as the bass on the original Meridian MCD. In spite of its other virtues, I must modify my…

Mission PCM 7000 CD player Anthony H. Cordesman

Anthony H. Cordesman wrote about the Mission PCM7000 in January 1987 (Vol.10 No.1):

The new 16-bit-with-oversampling version of the $999 Mission CD player is more dynamic, with better bass, and a deeper, more open soundstage. Nevertheless, in my opinion the better modifications of the machines using the original Philips 14-bit process are still better-sounding in virtually every respect, the Mission having a touch of the 16-bit sound problems encountered in the Philips CD-650.—Anthony H. Cordesman

Listening #141

Johnny Town-Mouse was born in a cupboard, and Timmie Willie was born in a garden—this according to Beatrix Potter, who modeled both of her hantavirus-carrying protagonists after people of her acquaintance. Transposed to the city, Timmie Willie was chased by a maid and a housecat, while Johnny Town-Mouse's visit to the countryside was spoiled by cows, lawn mowers, and boredom. Both characters enjoyed good mental and physical health only in the settings to which they were accustomed, although Potter made it clear that her far greater sympathies lay with Timmie Willie.

My own sympathies…

Listening #141 Page 2

All three of us were delighted. Not only do we love that song; it was one of the numbers performed this year by my clarinet-playing daughter's high school marching band (really!). But afterward, when the deejay had moved on to the usual Mötley Leppard junk, I thought: We own that Led Zep album. Why didn't we just think to put it on—and get equally excited?

That's the thing about listening to music on the radio: Someone thought of it for us. It's exciting when someone else plays music that you know and enjoy. It's like when your father says he's going to take you out for ice cream—it's…

Revel Performa3 M106 loudspeaker

"Kevin Voecks is a genius, no ifs, ands, or buts." I wrote those words nearly 30 years ago, in a review of the Mirage 750, where I had also recommended Mirage's 350 bookshelf model (footnote 1). The 350, which costs $300/pair, was the first affordable bookshelf loudspeaker whose sound actually excited me. When I think now of how that speaker sounded back then, I chuckle. By today's standards, the Mirage 350 had some shortcomings. The transition between its tweeter and mid/woofer was raspy, there were prominent cabinet resonances, and the upper bass was a bit ripe. Nonetheless, it presented a…

Revel Performa3 M106 loudspeaker Page 2

I'm anxious to see John Atkinson's measurements of the M106's bass extension. In terms of clarity, neutrality, and forcefulness, I found the speaker's bottom end impressive for a bookshelf model of its size: just 14.9" high by 8.2" wide by 10.8" deep, and weighing just 17.6 lbs. In Eberhard Weber's Endless Days (CD, ECM 1748), Rainer Brüninghaus's bass-synthesizer lines filled and enveloped my listening room. From my notes: "Bloooooooom!"

The Performa3 M106 exhibited two strengths that deserve more detailed discussion. In these areas, the speaker exceeded the performance of any other…

Revel Performa3 M106 loudspeaker Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Two-way, stand-mounted loudspeaker with rear-firing port. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) aluminum-dome tweeter, 6.5" (165mm) aluminum-cone woofer with cast frame. Crossover frequency: 2.3kHz. Low-frequency extension: 39Hz (–10dB), 54Hz (–6dB), 59Hz (–3dB). Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Sensitivity: 87dB/2.83V/m. Recommended amplification: 50–150W.
Dimensions: 14.9" (381mm) H by 8.2" (210mm) W by 10.8" (278mm) D. Weight: 17.6 lbs (8kg).
Finishes: Piano Black, High Gloss Walnut.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: SB0004-000021 & '22 ("Made in…