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Bowers & Wilkins 683 S2 loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Bowers & Wilkins 683 S2's frequency response in the farfield; and an Earthworks QTC-40, with its small, ¼"-diameter capsule, for the nearfield responses.

The 683 S2 is specified as having a sensitivity of 89dB/W/m; my estimate of its voltage sensitivity was slightly lower, at 87.7dB(B)/2.83V/m. The impedance, specified as 8 ohms, drops below 4 ohms in the lower midrange and in the top audio octave (fig.1), with a minimum magnitude of 2.92 ohms at 124Hz, very close to B…

RIP Bobby Palkovic of Merlin Music Systems

Photo: Stephen Mejias

We were saddened to hear of the death of loudspeaker designer Bobby Palkovic, apparently by his own hand. We had published positive reviews of Bobby's Merlin speakers, including one of his VSM Millennium design and the VSM-MX at www.stereophile.com/floorloudspeakers/439/index.html. Following is the news posted to Facebook by Bobby's friend, Rich Brkich of audio retailer Signature Sound:

"I am greatly saddened to report the loss of my long time friend Bobby Palkovich, President of Merlin Music Systems. Apparently more distraught than I had ever thought about…

Dancing Queen

For Grace Potter it's seemed inevitable for awhile now that the clock was about to strike Midnight. It started on 2010’s Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, when her personal look went glam, her hair turned permanently blonde and the album itself came in a reflective silver foil cover. Once a folky Vermont hippie girl, check the cover of her first record Original Soul, young Gracie has now become a rock star. And there’s nothing rock stars like more than reaching for hits, and here Potter’s naked attempt to pile up mainstream dance pop tunes will offend the purer souls among her ever-growing…

Dieter Burmester (19462015)

Photo: Paul Messenger

Dieter Burmester founded Burmester Audiosysteme GmbH in 1977 and ran it for 38 years. For me, he was the friendly face of an unusually friendly and outgoing German high-end hi-fi company. He died on August 15, and his company will badly miss him.

I first met Dieter years ago; he was playing bass guitar in a practice session with his band. Although he aspired only to play in a local band, the scene I witnessed pretty much summed up the man and his priorities. Burmester Audiosysteme, with its bright chrome-plated faceplates, is one of Germany's best-known hi-fi…

The House of Armstrong

I've lived in New York City for 20 years, but until last weekend, I'd never visited the Louis Armstrong House and Museum in the borough of Queens. My lapse was inexcusable. The place, which has been opened to the public since 2003, isn't a difficult destination: a nice ride out on the No.7 subway line (to the 103rd Street–Corona station), followed by a five-minute walk. The place is a sheer delight. I plan to go again. You should, too.

Armstrong and his wife, Lucille, moved into the two-story dwelling, at 34-56 107th Street, in 1943, soon after they were married, and they stayed there…

Capital Audio Fest 2015: Day One

These things always start in the parking garage; Chattering fellows unloading boxes from vans with out-of-state license plates. This evolves into dozens of impromptu mini-fetes taking place in elevators with old friends making excited small talk over the tops of hotel carts stacked with amps and turntable boxes. By the time I make it to the Hilton Rockville's lobby Thursday afternoon, I am already in it—I can feel the "Audiofest" excitement building. I have only been out of the car 10 minutes and I've already shook 5 hands and I am staring into the grinning goateed face of Gary Gill…

Capital Audio Fest: Day Two VPI

It didn't take long for me grasp that this 2015 edition of Capital Audiofest was a big moment for the universally admired (and loved) VPI clan. Everywhere I looked, clan patriarch Harry Weisfeld (center in photo) was smiling and telling great stories. Harry gets my Best In Show award for fascinating tales and amazing tutorials (we talked a lot about drag racing in the 1960s and turntable/arm-bearing lubes). His son Mat (peeking over shoulders in the background) and Mat's fiancée Jane win the Best Couple Ever award and I saw them hugging, kissing, and holding up the "Holy Shit!—That's My Son…

Capital Audio Fest: Day Two Continued

Walking from room to room at CAF, it occurred to me, that these shows are the best place—probably better than any audio dealer's showroom—for audiophiles to observe how the science and art of audio design infect each other. Every manufacturer creates his own art & engineering admixture—one that reflects his values and worldview. Moving directly from the really big VPI traveling show to the significantly more modest, artful, architectural feeling "fern & roby hard wares" emporium was a stirring example.

Fern & Roby make artful-looking, and (to me) an impressive…

Capital Audio Fest: Art Dudley's Saturday

People who speak of running with the big dogs describe the experience as a good thing; I can't imagine why. I'll take the small dogs any old time: They're more characterful, less self-possessed, and just plain friendlier. And among hi-fi shows, Capital Audiofest is the friendliest and most interesting small dog on the porch, and still one of my favorites.

Gary Gill's regional show, which retains its slight and very pleasant DIY vibe, returned to the Washington DC area on August 28–30 for its sixth year, and drew respectable numbers of people, especially by the end of the day on Saturday.…

Capital Audio Fest: Herb's Saturday Highlights

EMIA stands for Experience Music Intact Audio. It represents a partnership and brotherhood between two of the finest most creative minds in world audio: Wunderkind amp and hornspeaker designer Jeffrey Jackson (Experience Music), and transformer-winder, amp designer, and tube audio savant, Dave Slagle (Intact Audio/HiFi Heroin). Both are cherished friends and engineering mentors. Both evolved out of the early days of New York Triode Mafia/New York Noise.

I need to explain all this about them, so when I tell you that while sitting in the EMIA room, I listened to one whole side of a…