Miyajima Laboratory/Otono-Edison, 1-45-111, Katae 5-chome, Jounan-ku, Fufuoka 814-0142, Japan. Web: www.miyajima-lab.com
Tektron Italia. Tel: (39) 335-6693-597. Fax: (39) 06-6220-4300. Tel./Fax (US): (530) 430-3929. Web: www.tektron-italia.com
US Distributor (both): Robyatt Audio, Basking Ridge, NJ. Tel: (855) 762-9288, (908) 334-3241. Fax: (866) 576-3912. Web: www.robyattaudio.com
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Sidebar 2: Contacts
I approached this loudspeaker much as some of today's political candidates might approach sex: as a means of reproduction, not pleasure.
I brought it on myself. I asked to review Joseph Audio's stand-mounted, two-way Pulsar because I felt an obligation to step down from the rarified air of some of the absurdly priced gear I've been reviewing lately and sample something more "affordable." The Pulsar costs $7000/pair.
Also, I'd heard the Pulsars in Pure Vinyl's room at an audio show last year and was incredulous at their sound—how could such small boxes produce that much bass? I…
The major adjustment was a change in perspective: from a life-size sound seemingly without physical limits coming at me, to a compact, smaller-than-life sound I listened into, as if through a reasonably large, ultratransparent window. Immediately clear was that the Pulsar's overall tonal balance was remarkably flat from the upper midrange up, while the upper bass was slightly elevated, but so subtly that I heard it as a mild, inviting richness that never overstayed its welcome.
In preparation for writing a review for my website, MusicAngle.com, I'd been concentrating on a recent reissue…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, ported, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" Sonatex-dome tweeter, 5.5" cast magnesium-cone woofer. Crossover frequency: 2kHz. Frequency range: 42Hz–20kHz. Sensitivity: unspecified. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Power handling: 25–300W without clipping.
Dimensions: 15" (381mm) H by 9" (229mm) W by 13" (333mm) D. Weight: 36 lbs (16.3kg).
Finishes: Sapele, Rosewood, Cherry, Maple, Black.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: P-00067L & 'R.
Price: $7000/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 20.
Manufacturer: Joseph Audio…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn turntable, Cobra tonearm, Castellon stand; OneDoF turntable; Graham Phantom II, Kuzma 4Point tonearms; Lyra Atlas, Ortofon A90, Miyajima Labs Premium BE mono, Ice Blue cartridges.
Digital Sources: Simaudio Moon Evolution 650D DAC/CD transport, BPT-modified Alesis Masterlink hard-disk recorder, Meridian (Sooloos) Digital Media System, Pure Music software.
Preamplification: Ypsilon Electronics VPS-100 phono preamplifier, darTZeel NHB-18ns preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Music Reference RM-200 Mk.II,…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Joseph Audio Pulsar's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield and spatially averaged room responses. As Michael Fremer conjectured, the Pulsar is relatively insensitive, my estimate of its voltage sensitivity coming in at 83.5dB(B)/2.83V/m. However, as indicated by its plot of impedance magnitude and electrical phase against frequency (fig.1), the Pulsar is an easy load for the partnering amplifier to drive. Not only is the phase angle relatively…
Even at its humblest, a 300B is a fine thing. And at its best, this classic triode output tube can deliver some of the most intoxicating music playback imaginable. If tubes are liquor, the 300B is clearly absinthe. (The 2A3 is Cognac, the 45 is Armagnac, the F2a is Tequila, and the EL34 is vodka—which is to say, you can make almost anything out of an EL34, from the repulsive to the sublime.)
In the 20 years since the 300B reappeared on the home audio stage, the tube has appeared in a few thoroughly original designs; of those few, the ones I've heard have sounded magnificent. The 300B has…
Subjectively, the Allnics provided virtually the same generous amount of gain as my Shindo amplifiers (an early Haut-Brion stereo amp and a pair of Corton-Charlemagne monoblocks). The Shindos are equipped with level controls, which prevent me from having to use all of that gain all of the time. At first I took the two Allnic monoblocks to slightly differ in gain from each other, yet as the days and weeks wore on, I realized that that wasn't the case: Rather, the Allnics' high gain had led me to keep the volume potentiometer of my Shindo Masseto preamp turned to the low end of its range,…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Single-ended tubed monophonic power amplifier. Tube complement: one each CV1673, 3A/110B, 300B, 5U4G. Output power: 10Wpc into 8 ohms at 1kHz (10dBW). Input sensitivity: ca 0.6V for rated power. Input impedance: 100k ohms. Output impedance: 8 or 16 ohms (selectable). Damping factor: 4.7 at 1kHz into 8 ohms. Voltage gain: 24dB. Distortion: 0.5% at 1kHz into 8 ohms, 2.83V output. Frequency range: 20–20kHz, flat.
Dimensions: 17" (435mm) W by 9.5" (245mm) H by 12.5" (320mm) D. Weight: 44 lbs (20kg).
Serial numbers of units reviewed: 24035, 24036…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Garrard 301, Thorens TD 124 turntables; EMT 997, Schick tonearms; Ortofon SPU, EMT TSD 15 70th Anniversary & OFD 25 pickup heads, Miyajima Premium Mono BE cartridge (in Yamamoto headshell).
Digital Sources: Wavelength Proton USB D/A converter; Apple iMac G5 computer running Apple iTunes v.10.2.2, Decibel v.1.0.2 playback software; Sony SCD-777ES SACD/CD player.
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 Standard (SPU version), Robyatt Mono, Silvercore One-to-Ten step-up transformers; Shindo Masseto preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers:…