Analog Sources: Kuzma Stabi S turntable & Stogi S tonearm; Music Hall MMF-7.3 turntable; Denon DL-103, Goldring Elite MC, Ortofon 2M Bronze cartridges.
Digital Sources: Apple MacBook computer running Audirvana Plus; Ayre Acoustics QB-9DSD DAC; LG BD-550 BD player; Western Digital T2 Mirror Drives (2).
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 A23 moving-coil step-up transformer, Heed Audio Quasar phono stage, Shindo Laboratory Allegro preamplifier.
Power Amplifier: Shindo Laboratory Haut-Brion.
Integrated Amplifier: Heed Audio Elixir.
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Of all the speakers I have most enjoyed in recent years, two were from British manufacturer KEF: the LS50 Anniversary Model ($1500/pair), which I reviewed in December 2012; and the Blade Two ($25,000/pair), which I reviewed in June 2015. Though these two speakers lie at opposite ends of the price scale, they have in common KEF's unique Uni-Q drive-unit, in which the tweeter is mounted on the front of the midrange unit's pole piece, so that the lower-frequency cone acts as a waveguide for the higher-frequency output. Not all Uni-Q drivers are identical, of course—the one in the LS50 must…
Sidebar Measurements
I performed a full set of measurements on the Rega Brio, using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 "As We See It"). Via its line inputs, the Brio's maximum voltage gain into 8 ohms was typical for an integrated amplifier, at 39.55dB. The amplifier inverted absolute polarity for line input signals at both the speaker terminals and headphone jack, and its input impedance at 20Hz and 1kHz was, at 41k ohms, fairly close to the specified 47k ohms. Though the line input impedance dropped to 36k ohms at 20kHz, this will be inconsequential.
The…
The Reference 5's massive cabinet is heavily braced, and the aluminum baffle is connected to it with a lossy damping material. Outriggers fitted with spiked feet provide stability for the tall, narrow enclosure, and heavy-duty chromed terminals provide for single and biwiring. My review samples came in the visually stunning, white "Kent Engineering and Foundry Edition" finish.
Sound Quality
After experimenting with positioning the Reference 5s in my room, Jack Oclee-Brown eventually decided on using the long port for the two top woofers and the short port for the two bottom…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: Uni-Q driver array with 1" (25mm) vented aluminum-dome tweeter, 5" (125mm) aluminum-cone midrange unit, four 6.5" (165mm) aluminum-cone woofers. Crossover frequencies: 350Hz, 2.8kHz. Frequency response: 40Hz–35kHz, ±3dB. Frequency range: typical in-room bass response, 25Hz, –6dB; free field, short port, 35Hz–45kHz, –6dB; free field, long port, 32Hz–45kHz, –6dB. Sensitivity: 90dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Minimum impedance: 3.2 ohms. Harmonic distortion (2nd & 3rd…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Source: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Linn Ekos tonearm, Linn Arkiv B cartridge.
Digital Sources: Aurender N10 music server; Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP universal player; Ayre Acoustics QX-5 Twenty & QB-9DSD, PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream D/A converters; AudioQuest JitterBug, UpTone Audio ReGen USB cleaner-uppers; Mac mini running Vinyl Studio, Pure Music 3, Audirvana 1.5, Roon 1.3; Ayre Acoustics QA-9 USB A/D converter.
Phono Preamplifier: Channel D Seta L.
Preamplifier: Ayre Acoustics KX-5 Twenty.
Power…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the KEF Reference 5's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield and in-room responses. The Reference 5's specified sensitivity is 90dB/2.83V/m; my estimate was slightly lower, at 89.1dB(B)/2.83V/m. Its impedance is specified as 8 ohms with a minimum magnitude of 3.2 ohms. Fig.1 shows how the impedance and electrical phase vary with frequency. While the impedance lies above 8 ohms in the low treble, it remains between 4 and 5 ohms throughout the…
It's a debate as old as those fateful moments when Bob Dylan first plugged in and went electric: are you the kind of listener who prefers singer songwriters to perform and record acoustically? Do drums and electrical current automatically add a taint? Must singer songwriters always be alone?
Still not as well known in the States as he should be, Australian Paul Kelly, started his musical life as a solo player with just his voice and a guitar. He later spent time in bands, the best known of which was initially called the Coloured Girls, a name later changed for obvious reasons to the…
How to describe music that is so personal, so deeply reflective and rooted in Buddhist contemplation that only listening to the music itself, without distraction, will suffice? Such is the conundrum that, hopefully, will lead you from this page to Channel Classics' hybrid SACD, Sounds & Clouds: Works by Hosokawa & Vivaldi.
I first learned of the music of Hiroshima-born Toshio Hosokawa (b. 1955) from an overview of his oeuvre in Gramophone. Intrigued, I was delighted to discover that one of the discs recommended in the article—one that is also available as a hi-rez DSD download—had…
Register to win a copy of Murray Head's Nigel Lived 2-Disc 45 RPM Set from Intervention Records (retail value $38) we are giving away.
According to the company:
Murray Head's Nigel Lived is a groundbreaking classic and one of the boldest, most daring and inventive albums of all time. Recorded by the great recording engineer Phill Brown, Nigel Lived is from the golden era of all-analog recording, a sonic and musical masterpiece that every music lover and audiophile simply must have.
Nigel Lived is an ambitious, experimental album full of great songs that required…