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VTL Compact 160 monoblock power amplifier Alright<I>you</I>: up against the wall

Sidebar 1: Alright—you: up against the wall

No, I'm not Daryl Gates. I was just telling the Muse Model 18 active subwoofer that its services weren't going to be needed for this review; I can't very well judge an amp from 75Hz up only, can I?

The playback system included the Well-Tempered Record Player fitted with either an AudioQuest 404i or the Sumiko Blue Point, this taken to an Audio Research SP-14 and "hotrodded" via its rec-out jacks to Aunt Corey's Homemade Buffered Passive Preamp. CDs were played on my modified Philips CD-50.

Interconnects were Straight Wire…

VTL Compact 160 monoblock power amplifier Measurements

Sidebar 2: Measurements

Unlike the EL34-equipped Compact 100s that I favorably reviewed a couple of years back (Vol.11 No.11), the Compact 160s have this front-panel switch to switch between pentode and triode modes. Nice for the listener; awkward for the reviewer who therefore has to measure every aspect of performance twice. I'll try to concentrate on the differences between the two modes, but bear with me if the words "pentode mode" and "triode mode" pop up rather frequently.

Looking first at output impedance, the 160 is a typical classic tube design in that it doesn't much…

VTL Compact 160 monoblock power amplifier Specifications

Sidebar 3: Specifications

Description: Tubed monoblock amplifier. No specifications given.
Dimensions: 13.5" W by 8.5" D by 7.5" H each.
Serial numbers of review samples: AMC 1605305 and 1605306.
Price: $3000/pair (1991); no longer available (2014). Approximate number of dealers: 25.
Manufacturer: VTL Amplifiers Inc., 4774 Murrieta Street, Suite 10, Chino, CA 91710. Tel: (909) 627-5944. Fax: (909) 627-6988. Web: www.vtl.com.

JBL XPL-160 loudspeaker

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…

JBL XPL-160 loudspeaker Page 2

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…

JBL XPL-160 loudspeaker Associated equipment

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

JBL XPL-160 loudspeaker Measurements

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…

JBL XPL-160 loudspeaker Specifications

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…

Rocking It with the September <I>Stereophile</I>

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…

Roddy Frame

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”…