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It is perhaps the most cherished tale from hi-fi's primordial past: In 1951—when music was first being recorded on magnetic tape, when the use of much-improved microphones became a mix of science and art, and when Stereophile's founder, J. Gordon Holt, was still a little nipper, years away from his first martini (though I wouldn't swear to that)—the team of Robert (Bob) and Wilma Cozart Fine began to build a legendary catalog of recordings of classical music. It eventually included the work of conductors Rafael Kubelik, Antal Doráti, and Frederick Fennell; the Chicago and Minneapolis…
I can’t wait for this one to be released on a physical format, preferably orange vinyl (please, Island Def Jam?), but we can stream Frank Ocean’s prog/R&B/soul/funk/quiet storm epic, Channel Orange, right now via his tumblr.
The sprawling, 17-track album features cameos from Earl Sweatshirt (Odd Future), John Mayer, and Andre 3000, and is also available now from iTunes. Official release is next Tuesday, July 17th.
Back at home, I'd recently set up Polk Audio's RTi A3 loudspeakers ($399.95/pair), which, at 14.75" H by 8.58" W x 14" D, are by far the largest bookshelf models I've had in my listening room. Right out of the box, the RTi A3 impressed me with its fit and finish. In Polk's Damped Asymmetrical Hex Laminate Isolation (DAHLI) cabinet design, five layers of MDF are glued together to form a damping system, then topped by a real-wood veneer of black ash or, in the case of my review samples, an impeccable cherry. The gracefully curved cabinet narrows in width from 8.58" at the front to about 5" at…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" silk-dome tweeter, 6.5" polymer-composite-cone woofer. Crossover frequency: 2.8khz. Crossover soples: 12dB/ocatve. Frequency reange: 40Hz–27kHz. Frequency response: 50Hz–26kHz –3dB. Voltage sensitivity: 89dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Recommended amplifier power: 20–150Wpc.
Dimensions: 14.75" (375mm) H by 8.58" (214mm) W x 14" (356mm) D. Weight: 16 lbs (7.26kg).
Price: $399.95/pair.
Manufacturer: Polk Audio, 5601 Metro Drive, Baltimore, MD 21215. Tel: (800) 377-7665, (410) 358-…
Sidebar 2: Review System
Initially, I connected the RTi A3s to my NAD C316 BEE integrated amplifier ($380) using the Kimber 8VS speaker cable. Source components were my Rega P3-24 turntable ($1295, discontinued) and my NAD C515 BEE CD player ($300). When playing vinyl, I used the outstanding Parasound ZphonoUSB phono preamplifier ($349). All interconnects were Kimber's PBJ.
I spent some time experimenting with speaker placement, but found that the Polks performed best when placed exactly where the PSBs had been: about 8' from my listening position, 30" from the sidewalls, and 42…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I subjected the RTi A3 to my usual test regime. I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the speaker's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield responses. I estimated the Polk's voltage sensitivity at 89.3dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is both high and a little higher than the specified 89dB. This speaker will play loudly with relatively low-powered amplifiers. Fig.1 shows the RTi A3's electrical impedance and phase, plotted against frequency. The impedance drops just below 4 ohms in the lower…
In my review of Bryston Ltd.'s SP-3 preamplifier-processor ($9500) in my May 2012 column, I found that it sounded outstandingly open and dynamic when used as an analog stereo or multichannel preamp. This was evident regardless of the rest of the system, which began with a McIntosh Labs MC303 three-channel power amplifier driving B&W 800 Diamond speakers, but eventually included Bel Canto REF1000M and Anthem Statement M-1 amps, as well as Adam Audio's Classic Column Mk.3 speakers. Didn't matter. The Bryston's transparency allowed each component to perform as well as I'd ever heard it.…
I think the Bryston SP-3's analog performance is the secret sauce of this wonderful pre-pro—its qualities shone through regardless of whether I used digital or analog sources, and whether or not they were processed. (What else, besides the analog outputs, is common to all the SP-3's functions?) In addition, by including absolutely no video processing save for stripping the audio signal from the HDMI input, the Bryston SP-3 avoids having the added noise from those higher-frequency processes bouncing around inside the chassis. As a byproduct of not having any video processing, the Bryston's…
Sidebar: Contacts
Bryston Ltd., PO Box 2170, 677 Neal Drive, Peterborough, Ontario K9J 6X7, Canada. Tel: (800) 632-8217, (705) 742-5325. Fax: (705) 742-0882. Web: bryston.com.
Electrocompaniet AS, Breivikveien 7, 4120 Tau, Norway. Tel: (47) 51741033. Fax: (47) 51741010. US distributor: Electrocompaniet Inc. 97 Linden Street, Oakland, CA 94607. Tel: (510) 291-1222. Web: www.electrocompaniet.com.
The Audiophile Tree of Life—a present from AudioStream's Michael Lavorgna. This guy watches over me while I listen to music.
In May, I exchanged a few e-mails with Wojciech Pacula, editor of the Polish online magazine, High Fidelity.
We discussed publishing, music, hi-fi, and life. (I can’t believe I didn’t mention Natalie, Nicole, the Mets, or beer.) You can read the interview here. There are also lots of pictures of my listening room and gear, which you might find interesting.
Pacula did a great job with the images and the translation. I don’t look or sound too…