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A visiting manufacturer recently told us here at Stereophile of an ongoing informal "survey" he was conducting. He would ask strangers to name three brands of loudspeakers. Their responses were not what I would have expected. They almost invariably named Japanese companies—two of the most commonly mentioned were Hitachi and Panasonic. Other than my spell-checker insisting that I change "Hitachi" to "hibachi," I have nothing in particular against these two manufacturers; they are well-recognized in many product categories. But loudspeakers? I can only guess that the respondents were dredging…
The rear connection panel, site of the bi-wire terminals and the tweeter-level control, was a bit small and cramped when used with heavy-gauge audiophile cables—when will manufacturers stop recessing these panels? And one of the terminals on one of the XPLs came loose during the testing. It never lost electrical contact, but had to be tightened with caution to keep from twisting and (possibly) breaking the internal contact.
The cabinet finish of the XPL series is noteworthy. Our 160s were dressed in a flawless, high-gloss black lacquer which would not be out of place on a top-quality…
Sidebar 1: Associated equipment
Analog Source: Oracle Delphi Mk.IV turntable, Oracle 345 arm, Dynavector XX-1L cartridge.
Digital Source: Sony CDP-X77ES CD player
Preamplifier: Rowland Consonance.
Power amplifiers: Threshold SA/12e and Krell KSA-250.
Loudspeakers: PSB Stratus Gold.
Cables: Interconnects were AudioQuest Lapis and Cardas Hexlink (the latter in a 25' balanced configuration from preamp to power amp). All listening was done in the bi-wire mode using 7' lengths of AudioQuest Clear.—Thomas J. Norton
Sidebar 2: Measurements
Fig.1 shows the magnitude and phase angle for the impedance of the XPL-160. The port is tuned to about 33Hz. The system's minimum impedance of 4 ohms indicates an easy load for any reasonably designed amplifier to drive.
Fig.1 JBL XPL-160, electrical impedance (solid) and phase (dashed). (2 ohms/vertical div.)
Fig.2 shows the (MLSSA-derived) impulse response, the lazy hump typical of high-order crossovers. Particularly notable is the lack of ultrasonic ringing which is often visible on the tail of the impulse response, especially on systems…
Sidebar 3: Specifications
Description: Three-way loudspeaker. Drive units: 10" woofer, 3" metal-dome midrange, 1" metal-dome tweeter. Crossover frequencies: 800Hz, 4kHz. Frequency response: 40Hz–25kHz (–6dB points). Impedance: 6 ohms nominal. Power recommended: 20W minimum, rated 150W continuous, 600W peak. Sensitivity: 90dB/W/m.
Dimensions: 15" W by 33" H by 13" D (dedicated stands increase height to 42"). Weight: 62lbs.
Price: $2498/pair (1991); no longer available (2014). Dedicated stands optional at $222/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 75.
Manufacturer: JBL…
For its PerfectWave DirectStream D/A processor, featured on our September issue's cover, PS Audio took a different approach. Rather than using the usual off-the-shelf parts, designer Ted Smith used Field-Programmable Gate Array chips (FPGAs) to process DSD data without compromising the integrity of the music. Art Dudley takes the new DAC out for a test drive and returned impressed by what he heard. This issue also sees the indefatigable Mr. D. enthusing about 47 Laboratory's Model 4730 Midnight Blue FM tuner—which uses a dial! A dial!
The September Stereophile kicks off with Jason Serinus…
Whether or not they vote to be independent next month from the UK, Scotland has always been independent musically. When I spent time there in the '80s, no one was bigger than New Wave band Aztec Camera and Roddy Frame. Although High Land, Hard Rain, the band’s first record had come out to great acclaim, the Mark Knopfler–produced Knife, is what hooked me. Seeing them live with ex–Orange Juice guitarist Malcolm Ross in the band sealed the deal. Unmercifully slagged on both sides of the Atlantic for being too shiny and happy, Knife and tunes like “Still on Fire” and “The Back Door to Heaven”…
Forget those damned blade wielding misfits from today’s mindless slasher films, real horror films need a monster and after Lugosi and Chris Lee’s vampires, never was there a better monster than Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein who was fleshed out with speaking parts in James Whale’s still brilliant Bride of Frankenstein, the only one of the great Universal horror films to transcend its genre with comedy, allusions to WWI, and yes, if you must, possible nods for and/or against homosexuality and religion. The 1998 film Gods and Monsters is a clever exploration of Whale’s bio and all the film’s…
On the evening before the California Audio Show opened, as I gazed at San Francisco International Airport and the beautiful stretch of San Francisco Bay directly in front of the Westin SFO, I thought to myself, "This area is already accustomed to a lot of high-decibel booming and shrieking. But I wonder if it's ready for the sounds that CAS has in store?"
The answer came in the form of what appeared to be a very healthy attendance for Day 1 of the show, and some of the finest sound I've ever heard at an audio show. Virtually every room I entered on the first floor could boast could boast…
As soon as I entered the room sponsored by Loggie Audio of Redwood City, CA, the system's superior air, depth, and resolution were immediately apparent. The reason: YG Acoustics "Hailey" loudspeakers ($42,800/pair), Bryston 28B SST-2 1000Wpc monoblocks ($19,200/pair), Esoteric K-01 SACD player ($20,000), Audio Reference Technology "Analyst" cabling and power conditioning (it must cost a lot, because they didn't list a price), and Harmonic Resolution Systems SXR stands and platforms. Oh, and a large room that gave the system more than enough space to expand and breathe.
Audio…