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…
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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…
Booker T. & the M.G.'s, Sam & Dave, Otis Redding—few studios have ever achieved the kind of distinct sound that once poured out of Stax Studios in Memphis, TN. A bit of that gritty, funky mojo lives again in the music of Southern Avenue, a new R&B act from Memphis that's named after the street that runs by the old Stax Studio.
To cement their connection to Bluff City traditions even further, Southern Avenue is now signed to the rejuvenated Stax Records label, which is now a part of Concord Music Group.
Last week, just prior to a gig at the Mercury Lounge in downtown…
Two of the most cherished terms in the lexicon of high end are "no holds barred" and "cost no object." These are usually applied, together, to the most expensive version of something currently on the market. But is either term really appropriate for an audio product? The answer is a flat, unequivocal No. No consumer product has ever conformed to the real meaning of those terms, and it is unlikely that one ever will.
Consider for a moment their literal meanings. "No holds barred" means that if anything could have been done to make the product better, it would have been. "Cost no object"…
Because 8x oversampling puts very stringent demands on aperture timing and sample-and-hold settling speed (the time required for a switched voltage to overshoot the mark and return to its new setting), the DAS-R1 employs four D/A converters in what Sony calls a staggered overlap configuration. The 352.8kHz samples for each channel are switched alternately between two of the converters, so that each gets twice as much processing time as it would otherwise. The outputs from both converters are then averaged, as are noise and (in theory) distortion, resulting in 3dB reductions in both. In…
Sidebar 1: Gordon Holt's System
Equipment used for my tests included the Ortofon MC-3000 cartridge in the Versa Dynamics 2.0 arm and turntable, Vendetta Research SCP-2 head amp, a Mod Squad Prism CD player, Revox A-77 15ips open-reel tape deck, the Threshold FET-10L line controller, Audio Research M200 power amplifiers, and Sound Lab A-3 full-range electrostatic speakers. Audio interconnects were Monster 1000s, and speaker cables were AudioQuest Greens.
The listening room is extensively treated with ASC Tube Traps, for standing-wave control. Program material was some of my own…
Sidebar 2: Measurements
The R1 fared very well on both the CBS CD-1 and Pierre Verany PV.788031/788032 test discs.
The CBS has several series of 1kHz tones of diminishing level, down to –90dB and below, with and without dither added. Nearly every player I have tried them on has produced severe harmonics and/or buzzing from the undithered –80 and –90 tracks, and most were incapable of producing a recognizable pitch from the –100dB dithered signal; it became undifferentiated hiss. With the R1, the undithered –80 track had perceptible even-harmonic content and the –90 track had…
Sidebar 2: Specifications
Description: Two-piece CD player with separate D/A processor. Controls: CDP-R1: AC Power, Drawer Open/Close, Play, Pause, Track Advance/Retreat. DAS-R1: AC Power, Source selector (CD, Aux 1, Aux 2). Infra-red remote control.
Dimensions: Each unit 18.5" W by 5" H by 16" D. Weight: CDP-R1, 38 lbs; DAS-R1, 38 lbs.
Price: $8000 (1988); no longer available (2017). Approximate number of dealers: 20.
Manufacturer: Sony Corp., Park Ridge, NJ 07656 (1988); Sony Electronics, Inc., 16530 Via Esprillo, San Diego, CA 92127-1708 (2017). Tel: (858) 942-2400. Web:…