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And when my career in the audio press began—in 1985, when I became the managing editor of The Abso!ute Sound—I came to know some of the loveliest people in audio: reviewers such as Arthur S. Pfeffer, Sid Marks, John Nork, Tom Miiller, and Enid Lumley; manufacturers including Jim Thiel, Bill Conrad, Lew Johnson, and Harry Weisfeld; and a great many generous-spirited readers. Yes, I also met journalists who acted on the assumption that they had certain equipment suppliers by the balls, and equipment suppliers who had a pretty good idea it was the other way around. Happily, most of the folks I…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Marantz UD7007 Smart 3D universal BD player.
Preamplification: Integra DTC-9.8 preamplifier-processor, Jeff Rowland Design Group Consummate preamplifier.
Power Amplifier: Proceed AMP5 5.0-channel.
Loudspeakers: Monitor Audio Silver 10.
Cables: Interconnect: Kimber Kable AGDL digital (sources to Integra) & analog (to Rowland Consummate), Cardas Hexlink analog (preamps to power amp). Speaker: Monster M1.5. AC: Manufacturers' own.—Thomas J. Norton
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Thiel TT1's frequency response in the farfield; and, for the nearfield frequency responses, an Earthworks QTC-40, which has a ¼" capsule and thus doesn't present a significant obstacle to the sound.
My estimate of the Thiel's voltage sensitivity was 88dB(B)/2.83V/m, confirming the specified figure. The speaker's electrical impedance magnitude and phase are shown in fig.1. Like earlier Thiel models, the TT1 is a fairly demanding load for the partnering amplifier to drive,…
Sidebar 4: TJN's In-Room Measurements
Although I took all of these in-room measurements after I'd written the rest of this review, they shouldn't be compared to the in-room responses measured by John Atkinson that accompany almost all reviews published in Stereophile. This is not only because they were taken in a room very different from his, but also because John uses a superior microphone and bases his averaged results on more data points. My measurements were made with OmniMic v2 from Parts Express, and while that system employs a calibrated mike, I suspect that, on the basis of price…
In 1982, when moving-coil phono cartridges were gaining in popularity among audio perfectionists, the cable specialists at AudioQuest entered the source-component market with their first-ever phono cartridge, the AQ 404. Introduced at a price of $225, the 404 cost significantly less than most other perfectionist-quality MC pickups, and it had the advantage of high (2.5mV) output: a then-novel distinction that allowed the 404 owner to avoid the extra expense of a step-up transformer or additional active gain stage. More to the point, the AudioQuest 404 won almost universally positive reviews,…
Another telling comparison between the old and new Blacks was when I listened to Nikolai Lugansky's recording of Chopin's Prelude 15 in D-flat (AIFF from CD, Erato 0927-42836-2). This recording sounded impressive through the original DragonFly. I enjoyed it well enough through the Black, which offered a clear window on Lugansky's crisp technique and brisk tempos, but the new DAC also sounded slightly bass-light—especially during the ominous portion in D-flat minor. I wondered if the leaner bass was a byproduct of the Black's lower level, and guessed that the old and new Black DACs might…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Portable, USB-powered digital-to-analog converters. Sampling rates supported: 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96kHz. Digital input: USB Type A, male plug (hardwired). Analog output: three-conductor, 3.5mm phone jack. Maximum output voltages: DragonFly Black (v1.5), 1.2V RMS; DragonFly Red (v1.0), 2.1V RMS.
Dimensions: (both) 2.4" (62mm) L by 0.75" (19mm) W by 0.5" (12mm) D. Weight: 0.77oz (22gm).
Serial numbers of units reviewed: N/A.
Prices: DragonFly Black, $99; DragonFly Red, $199. Approximate number of dealers: 1457. Warranty: 1 year.
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Stereophile and Music Hall Audio share a long mutual history. Like most relationships, it's had its ups and downs; unlike most relationships, this one is well documented—in retired writer Sam Tellig's much-loved "Audio Cheapskate" and "Sam's Space" columns, and Music Hall Audio proprietor Roy Hall's responses in "Manufacturers' Comments." I always found Sam and Roy's gentlemanly brawling to be good, clean, if occasionally uncomfortable fun—like the touchy rapport between a gregarious dog and a rascally cat forced to live under the same roof: A truce may have been called, but don't expect…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Garrard 301, Thorens TD 124 turntables; Abis SA1.2, EMT 997 tonearms; EMT OFD 15 & TSD 15, Shindo Laboratory SPU pickup heads; Denon DL 103 cartridge.
Digital Sources: Original AudioQuest DragonFly, Halide Designs DAC HD USB D/A converter; Apple iMac G5 computer running Audirvana Plus 1.5.12; Apple iPhone 6 Plus smartphone; Sony SCD-777ES SACD/CD player.
Preamplification: Hommage T2 step-up transformer, Shindo Laboratory Masseto preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Shindo Laboratory Corton-Charlemagne (monoblocks) & Haut-…
Off the mark, soundstages were generally wide and clear. Tonality sounded dark, and images were small and recessed, with individual instruments clustered together and of almost teeny stature. Voices sounded one-dimensional.
Listening #2: the Goldring Elite
The Ortofon 2M Bronze is an admirable budget cartridge, but in my system its deficits were soon clear. I mused that the 2M Bronze was preventing the MMF-7.3 from revealing its true nature. Like the Ortofon Quintet Bronze I reviewed for a different publication, the 2M Bronze had tonal and spatial problems that prevented a true…