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Recording of March 1982: Elgar: <I>Orchestral Works</I>

Elgar: Orchestral Works
Falstaff, The Sanguine Fan, Fantasia and Fugue in c (transcribed from J.S. Bach), excerpt from The Starlight Express
London Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Adrian Boult
Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab 2-501 (half-speed–mastered LP, pressed in Japan, 1981). Originally released as HMV ASD 2970 (LP, 1974). Reissued as EMI CDM 7 63133 2 (CD, 1989). Christopher Bishop, prod.; Christopher Parker, Stuart Eltham, engs.

It's finally happened. Until now, every symphonic recording that has come along has been compromised to some extent by an indifferent performance or an…

What's Right?

A recent experience with two excellent loudspeaker systems and two of the top power amplifiers raised a question that has been cropping up more and more frequently these days: When one component sounds more toppish or more bassy than another, which one is really flat and which isn't?

The question arose this time in connection with some listening tests on a pair of FMI 80 speakers and a pair of IMF Monitor III speakers, using Audio Research Dual 75 and Crown DC-300A power amplifiers.

Both speakers, according to their manufacturers, had been designed to produce the flattest, most-…

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Paradigm Studio Monitor loudspeaker

Paradigm is not a new name to US audiophiles, but the Canadian loudspeaker company hopes to increase awareness of its products with their Monitor series, all members of which incorporate a similar design philosophy and drive-units. Heavy and apparently massively constructed, the top-of-the-line Paradigm Studio Monitors ($1899/pair) are the first commercial loudspeakers to pass my way with provision for tri-wiring: three sets of terminals on the back of the enclosures provide direct links to the crossover segments feeding each separate driver (or drivers, in the case of the low end).

…

Cary Christie: from Infinity to Artison

When Cary Christie, Arnie Nudell, and John Ulrick founded Infinity Systems more than 25 years ago, high-end audio as we know it today didn't exist. Hi-fi was audio, though the reverse wasn't necessarily true.

Through the growth years, Infinity became a major force in the High End. Cary Christie is the only one of the original players still associated with Infinity in 1995, now part of Harman International. His relationship, however, is now as an independent designer and consultant with Christie Designs, Inc. (footnote 1). I corralled him by phone on a clear fall day in Santa Fe, and a…

Cary Christie: from Infinity to Artison Page 2

We were also going through a recession during those years—I would say during the last four or five years. There was a tremendous growth requirement in what I call the "bread-and-butter" product—like the Infinitesimal 4, the Infinitesimal Micro, a couple of international reference lines—just a whole lot of product development. We were also trying to express ourselves in automotive; we did this with the digital amplifier again, because that's where we felt a digital amplifier would be most effective—in a car, where you need the efficiency. So there was an awful lot of high-tech development as…

Paradigm Studio Monitor loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 2: Measurements

The impedance plot of the Paradigm Studio Monitor (fig.1) shows a rather high average impedance which should be no problem for any amplifier to drive; it only drops below 4 ohms for an octave or so centered at 100Hz, to a minimum of 3 ohms. The cabinet is tuned to a low frequency of approximately 25Hz—the dip in the saddle between the two typical reflex resonant peaks in the bass. The impulse response in fig.3 shows a small amount of high-frequency ringing typical of metal-dome tweeters, but it is well damped. The reflection just after the 4ms mark is probably…

Paradigm Studio Monitor loudspeaker Specifications

Sidebar 3: Specifications

Description: four-driver, three-way, floorstanding loudspeaker with quasi-3rd order, resistive port bass loading. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) metal-dome tweeter, 5" (130mm) polypropylene-cone midrange, two 8" (210mm) polypropylene-cone woofers. Crossover slopes and frequencies: 2nd-order at 275Hz, 3rd-order at 2.5kHz. Frequency response: 30Hz–20kHz, ±2dB (on axis). Sensitivity: 90dB/W/m (room). 87dB/W/m (anechoic). Nominal Impedance: 6 ohms (4 ohms min). Amplifier requirements: 15–300W.
Dimensions: 43.5" (1105mm) H by 12.25" (320mm) W by 16.5" (420mm) D. Internal…

Paradigm Studio Monitor loudspeaker Associated Equipment

Sidebar 1: Associated Equipment

Four power amplifiers were used in the course of this evaluation: the Threshold S/550e, the Mark Levinson No.23.5, the Audio Research Classic 120 monoblocks, and the PS Audio 100 Delta. The preamplifier was the Rowland Consummate, and the CD player was the Wadia WT-3200 driving the Audio Research DAC1-20 converter. (CD was the primary source in this audition.)

Interconnects were AudioQuest Lapis between CD and preamp and for the unbalanced link between preamp and power amp with the ARC and PS Audio amps. For balanced hookup to the Threshold and…

Dealer Events This Week in North Carolina & Tennessee

On Wednesday, July 22 (Raleigh) and Thursday, July 23 (Pineville), 5–9pm, Audio Advice (8621 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh; 11409 Carolina Place Parkway, Pineville) will host its annual Digital Living event, while on Friday, July 24, 6–8pm, Vintage King Audio (2826 Dogwood Place, Nashville) will host an evening seminar with AudioQuest's Steve Silberman, focusing on the tools and resources needed to turn a computer into a true high-resolution music source.

Audio Advice, July 22 & 23
Manufacturer representatives from Bowers & Wilkins, Classé, Control4, Devialet, Rotel, Sonance, Sonos…