In preparing to review affordable loudspeakers, I typically put together a list of potential candidates I've discovered at audio shows, or that have been recommended to me by other Stereophile writers. I add to that list products I've learned about from press promotions, usually from companies whose products have impressed me in the past. I boil this down to a short list,…
search
I thought I'd review the procedure I typically use to seek out affordable speakers for review as, in the case of the Denmark-designed DALI Zensor, made in the company's facility in China, there was a twist at the end.
The Zensor 1 had a remarkable sense of pacing when presented with an interplay of churning percussion as a backdrop for a solo melodic instrument. In "Song IV," from Peter Zummo's Zummo with an X (CD, New World 80656-2), Bill Ruyle sets up a hypnotic, repetitive, contrapuntal tabla continuo that provides a bedrock foundation for Zummo's long, angular, equally hypnotic trombone melodies. When I played this 20-minute-long track, the music embraced me—I found myself transfixed, and could focus on nothing else until the track was finished.
In "Blind Man Blind Man," from Herbie Hancock's My…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, rear-ported, bookshelf loudspeaker. Drive-units: 25mm fabric-dome tweeter, 5.25" woofer with wood-fiber cone. Crossover frequency: 2.9kHz. Frequency response: 53Hz–26.5kHz, ±3dB. Nominal impedance: 6 ohms. Sensitivity: 86.5dB. Recommended amplification: 25–100W.
Dimensions: 10.7" (274mm) H by 6.3" (162mm) W by 8.6" (220mm) D. Weight: 9.2 lbs (4.2kg).
Finishes: Black, White, Light Walnut (all vinyl).
Serial number of units reviewed: 3020369 L/R.
Price: $475/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 95.
Manufacturer: DALI A/S,…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: VPI TNT IV, Rega Planar 3 turntables; Immedia, Syrinx PU-3 tonearms; Koetsu Urushi, Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood cartridges.
Digital Sources: Lector CDP-7T, Creek Destiny CD players.
Preamplification: Vendetta Research SCP-2D, Creek Destiny phono stages; Audio Valve Eclipse line stage.
Power Amplifier: Audio Research Reference 110.
Integrated Amplifier: Creek Destiny.
Loudspeakers: Epos ELS3 & M5i, Wharfedale Diamond 10.1.
Cables: Interconnect (all MIT): Magnum M3, MI-350 CVTwin Terminator, MI-330SG Terminator.…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the DALI Zensor 1's frequency response in the farfield; and an Earthworks QTC-40, with its small, ¼" capsule, for the nearfield responses. (The small capsule doesn't interfere with the airflow.)
My estimate of the Zensor 1's voltage sensitivity was 88dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is both surprisingly high for such a small speaker and 1.5dB higher than specified. The plot of the DALI's impedance magnitude and electrical phase (fig.1) suggests that the speaker is relatively easy to drive.…
Erick Lichte wrote about the Clearaudio Concept in August 2012 (Vol.35 No.8):
It was high time I reviewed a turntable for Stereophile. One of the more intriguing and inexpensive ones I've seen lately is Clearaudio's Concept, and after reading Michael Fremer's review of the Concept in the June 2011 issue, I wanted to try one for myself. I also thought it might be nice for our readers to see what a raised-on-digital analog type (me) might think of Clearaudio's entry-level system.
The Concept ($1400 alone) is a turnkey analog rig that comes with platter, tonearm, and cartridge: a…
Just nine days after Independence Day, the third annual Capital Audiofest unfurls its banner with the hope of life, liberty, and good sound for all. Scheduled for July 13–15 in the three-story Crowne Plaza Hotel in Rockville, MD, the show promises up to 40 exhibit rooms stocked with enough high-quality equipment to send Paul Revere galloping from port to post declaring, "The Audiophiles Are Coming!"
For a one-man effort that began with 14 or 15 rooms in a Rockville mansion, the Capital Audiofest has grown considerably in its short existence. An idea birthed at a party—a group of well-…
Fab.com is an e-commerce company devoted to all kinds of design-related items, from visual art to furniture to clothing. The company specializes in flash sales on trending themes, keeping its eager followers coming back daily. Ms. Little lets us know that Fab.com is now selling LPs and turntables—further evidence, as if we needed it, that vinyl’s increasing popularity has hit the mainstream.
Interestingly, the available LP titles (Prince’s Purple Rain, Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs, Bon Iver’s For Emma, Forever Ago, Beach House’s Bloom, and others) are the same as those sold by…
From time to time, I’ve written about my interest in cassettes. While I still haven’t purchased a Nakamichi cassette deck—the decks are out there, I’m just waiting for the right time and the right deck—I’ve nevertheless kept an eye on cassette trends. For a long while, I saw very specific, very underground labels releasing tapes; and, though new cassette-only labels seemed to pop up regularly, those, too, were extremely underground and extremely independent.
But, interestingly, over the last few months, I’ve seen more well-established labels, such as Sub Pop, Domino, and…
In May 2009, JA gave dems comparing hi-rez recordings against CD and MP3 versions at the three ListenUp! stores in Colorado. This was part of the Music Matters program, in which audio retailers invite manufacturers and the occasional member of the audio press to demonstrate just how great music can sound on a high-end audio system. Before the Denver event, JA sat down with Adrienne Alterman to share his views.
In the second part of the interview, JA tells Adrienne that music does indeed matter, because it is one of the "four renewable pleasures": "food, drink, sex, and music." In the…