Prior to publication, I showed my handiwork to my wife, Janet, as per my usual practice. I expected her to laugh at the funny bits and praise my superior logic, also as…
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Fifteen years ago, when I was the Editor of Listener, I wrote a response to a reader's letter in which I repaid unpleasantness with unpleasantness: something I justified by flattering myself that my brand of unpleasantness had the advantage of being clever. Not satisfied with making his point sound foolish, I made certain that the writer of that letter would himself be made to look ridiculous. I made fun of his name, too.
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, four-driver, floorstanding loudspeaker with rear-ported enclosure. Drive units: 1" titanium-dome tweeter, 4.5" glass-fiber-cone midrange, two 6" aluminum-cone woofers. Crossover frequencies: 400Hz, 1.9kHz. Frequency range: 39Hz–30kHz. Sensitivity: 87dB/2.83V/m (anechoic), 91dB/2.83V/m (pair in-room). Impedance: 4 ohms nominal, 3.67 ohms minimum. Recommended amplification: 20–250W.
Dimensions: 40.1" (1030mm) H by 10.2" (260mm) W by 10" (255mm) D. Weight: 58.1 lbs (26.4kg).
Finishes: Gloss Black, Gloss White, Rosewood, Espresso…
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…