Sidebar 3: Measurements
I was intrigued by the Larsen 8 loudspeaker. More than 40 years ago, I had auditioned a pair of the late Stig Carlsson's unique Sonab speakers and come away with mixed feelings: While Carlsson's original designs, with their arrays of tweeters pointing in all directions, seemed to me innovative attempts to design an omnidirectional mono speaker, I felt they just didn't work when used in pairs for stereo.
But that was a long time ago, so I unpacked from their wooden crates the Larsen 8s that Art Dudley had shipped to me and set to work measuring sample…
Manufacturer's Comment
Editor: We are very grateful to Art Dudley for all his high praise and many accolades of the Larsen 8 speaker in his insightful and positive review. We appreciate all his efforts. As Art rightfully states, the Larsen 8 is a speaker for music lovers who want to forget the gear, sit back, and enjoy their music. When you do that, the Larsen speaker makes you "immensely happy," as Art writes.
Larsen speakers continue the development of the highly acclaimed Carlsson Acoustics OA-52, which Stig Carlsson developed in the 1980s with John Larsen. John Larsen worked…
In the United Kingdom, the first seeds of perfectionism in audio separates were sown by Goodmans Industries, founded in 1925. Then, in 1930, Garrard (est. 1722) produced its first commercial gramophone. Shortly thereafter, England experienced the Great Slump, the British name for the worldwide catastrophe known in the US as the Great Depression. Near the beginning of this economic downturn, in 1932, Gilbert Briggs founded Wharfedale Wireless Works—and the first British "high-fidelity" audio amplifiers began being manufactured by H.J. Leak & Co. Ltd., founded by Harold Joseph Leak in…
I wanted to find out if the 25W of First Watt's J2, designed by Pass Labs' Nelson Pass, would be enough power to make me, Metallica, and the Wharfedale 225s skip, mosh, and fist-pump through some densely vibrating air. I cranked "Battery" to old-man loud, and holy effing shit—these shiny little Brit boxes lit a hot flame that belied their size. They sawed fast and pounded hard. They got me up. I felt loose and free like I was 23. With easy clarity and ambitious drive, they powered my small room to average levels of 89dB and peaks of 96dB. No overcompressed muck. No congealed textures. No…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, port-loaded, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) cloth-dome tweeter, 6.5" (165mm) woofer with woven-Kevlar cone. Crossover frequency: 2.3kHz. Frequency response: 45Hz–20kHz, ±3dB. Sensitivity: 87dB/2.83V/m. Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, 4.2 ohms minimum. Peak SPL: 96dB. Bass extension: 40Hz, –6dB. Recommended amplification: 25–120W.
Dimensions: 14" (355mm) H by 7.7" (196mm) W by 10.3" (262mm) D. Weight: 14.3 lbs (6.5kg).
Serial number of units reviewed: WH057516BKF0083 (both).
Finishes: Black, White, Walnut, Rosewood.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Palmer 2.5 turntable, Audio Origami PU-7 tonearm, AMG Teatro cartridge; Linn Sondek LP12 turntable, SME M2-9 tonearm, LP Gear Vessel cartridge.
Digital Sources: Mytek Brooklyn, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil DACs; Hegel Music Systems Mohican CD player; Integra DPS-7.2 DVD-A player.
Preamplification: Lounge Audio LCR Mk.III phono preamplifier & Copla MC step-up transformer; Parasound Halo JC 3+ phono stage; Pass Labs HPA-1 preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: First Watt J2, PrimaLuna ProLogue Premium.
Integrated Amplifiers: Line…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Wharfedale Diamond 225's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield responses. Wharfedale specifies the Diamond 225's voltage sensitivity as 87dB/2.83V/m; my estimate was lower than that, at 85dB/2.83V/m. The speaker's impedance is specified as being "8 ohm compatible," with a minimum value of 4.2 ohms. My measurement is shown in fig.1—an 8 ohm rating would be fair, particularly given the generally moderate phase angle, but the minimum magnitude…
Every so often in the ever-changing world of physical and digital media, there is an outbreak of reel-to-reel fever. Over my years at Stereophile, I've occasionally been approached by a wild-eyed breed of audiophile, the ones who've become devoted to making on-demand tape copies of albums. They are a special group, easy to spot what with their flashing eyes, zealot grin, and maniacal enthusiasm. In a hobby/way of life filled with enthusiasts, no one, not even the folks devoted to 78s or—gulp!—cassette tapes, can match the sheer, all-in passion of the open-reel tape guys.
The latest brave…
Fear not. Not only is Adam Schoenberg, 36, one of America's most performed living composers, but his music (and, perhaps DNA) bears no relationship to the horrors of that 20th century demon of twelve-tone discord, Arnold Schoenberg. Quite the contrary. The three works on the new, vividly recorded Adam Schoenberg hybrid SACD from Reference Recordings, recorded in 24/176.4 surround and played by the Kansas City Symphony under Michael Stern, are deliciously tonal, filled with color and energy, and irrepressibly optimistic.
In some ways, Adam Schoenberg's music is reminiscent of the…
Imagine that you own an audio store, and business is good. Sales are up, and you'd like to take on additional lines. It's a good position to be in, but it has its challenges. You need more space, for sure. But what if the only suitable space that's available is some distance from the original store. Will customers follow you to the new location?
Adrian Low, owner of Audio Excellence, has had to face this challenge three times. The first store, which was basically just one room, was established in 1991, in an industrial plaza in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough, part of what's known as…
