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There’s already one good bit of news out of the 2017 Montreal Audio Fest, which begins at 11am today and runs through 5pm on Sunday: reconstruction of the interior of the show’s longstanding venue, the Hotel Bonaventure—a project that was in full, noisy swing during last year’s show—has now been completed, restoring the Bonaventure’s glory in general and its superb bistro/watering hole in particular. It was there that I enjoyed a short pre-show encounter with the audio-industry luminaries pictured above (L–R): Jeff Joseph (Joseph Audio), Doug Schneider (Soundstage.com), Keith Pray (…
The soul of a loudspeaker cannot be exclusively characterized by such unmeasurable, reviewer-friendly declarations as "lush tonality," "gossamer textures," "clear-water transparency," "microdetail," or "pacey dynamic rhythmic expression." Neither can it be fully described by such measurable characteristics as anechoic frequency response, dynamic impedance, or step response. More than anything else, a loudspeaker expresses its full character in how and where it directs the listener's attention. What a loudspeaker emphasizes—what it reveals, what it obscures, what it forces the listener to…
When rear-ported speakers are moved closer to the wall behind them, port plugs made of foam (or old socks) are sometimes necessary. Dynaudio's plug can be used to either fully block the Contour 20's port, or—by removing the center of the plug—merely narrow its aperture. I experimented with the plugs and nearly drove myself crazy. Every time I moved the speakers closer to or farther from the wall, I felt I had to try all three port possibilities: open, narrowed, and plugged. I was in audiophile purgatory.
After four days of anxious struggle, I ended up with the Contours slightly toed in,…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, rear-ported, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1.1" (28mm) cloth-dome tweeter, 7.1" (180mm) MSP-cone woofer. Crossover frequency: 2.2kHz. Frequency response: 39Hz–23kHz, –3dB. Sensitivity: 86dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. IEC power handling: 180W.
Dimensions: 17.3" (440mm) by 8.5" (215mm) by 14.2" (360mm). Weight 34.2 lbs (15.5kg).
Finishes: White Oak Satin, Walnut Light Satin, Grey Oak High Gloss, Rosewood Dark High Gloss, White or Black Lacquer.
Serial number of units reviewed: 391113 & '4.
Price: $5000/…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Palmer 2.5 turntable, Audio Origami PU-7 tonearm, AMG Teatro cartridge; Roksan Series 7 turntable, Nima tonearm; Dynavector DV-20X2L, LP Gear Vessel cartridges.
Digital Sources: Mytek Brooklyn, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil DACs; Hegel Music Systems Mohican CD player; Integra DPS-7.2 DVD-A player.
Phono preamplification: Lounge Audio LCR Mk.III phono preamplifier & Copla MC step-up transformer; Parasound Halo JC 3+, Tavish Design Adagio.
Preamplifier: Pass Labs HPA-1.
Power Amplifiers: Bel Canto Design REF500S, PrimaLuna…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Dynaudio Contour 20's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield responses. I estimated the Dynaudio's voltage sensitivity as 84.2dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is slightly lower than the specified 86dB. On the other hand, while the nominal impedance is specified as 4 ohms, I found that it remained above 4 ohms for most of the audioband (fig.1, solid trace), with a minimum value of 4 ohms at 285Hz. Though there is a combination of 5.2 ohms and –38° capacitive…
What better way to start an audio show than with live music? With that in mind, one hour before the official start of the 2017 Montreal Audio Fest, Canadian distributor Plurison hosted, in their capacious display room, a too-brief performance by cellist Vincent Bélanger and singer-pianist Anne Bisson. They performed a few selections from their new LP Conversions—a project that was sponsored by Lily Luo and cable manufacturer XLO. While listening, I remembered something Steve Guttenberg once said (and I'm paraphrasing): How can one expect playback of a piano recording to sound realistic in a…
As Stereophile's true cub reporter—sorry, Herb Reichert, you're senior staff!—I work in the domestic fields of the high-end audio landscape. Meanwhile, my fellow Stereophile correspondents trot the globe, attending international audio shows, experiencing all the sweet spots offered by such far-flung locales as Munich, Montreal, and Northamptonshire, UK. Am I complaining? Not! But when an audio show of merit invades New York City, still the capital of the civilized world, you can believe I'm there on opening day, pen and pad in hand. The first rooms on my must-visit list usually include Audio…
At the top of the Di150 LE's rear panel are two pairs of WBT speaker binding posts. Below those are, from left to right: pairs of unbalanced outputs marked Tape Out and Out; balanced right and left outputs marked R Out and L Out; that tiny HTH toggle; unbalanced HTH, Tape, Tuner, and CD inputs; and two sets of right and left balanced inputs, labeled Bal 1 and Bal 2. In the lower left corner is the IEC mains plug. All balanced outs and ins are XLR plugs and sockets, respectively; unbalanced connections are Neutrik-made RCAs. And each side panel of the Di150 LE is actually a massive heatsink…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state, class-AB, integrated amplifier. Analog inputs: 2 balanced (XLR), 4 unbalanced (RCA). Amplifier outputs: 1 balanced (XLR), 1 unbalanced (RCA), 1 tape (RCA), 1 speaker. Power output: 180Wpc into 8 ohms (22.55dBW), 360Wpc into 4 ohms (22.55dBW, 700Wpc into 2 ohms (22.4dBW). Frequency response: 10Hz–50kHz, ±0.1dB. Distortion: 1kHz, >0.05% (mainly second harmonic). Signal/noise: >100dB, A-weighted. Input impedance: 20k ohms unbalanced, 40k ohms balanced. Line output impedance: 75 ohms unbalanced, 150 ohms balanced. Power consumption:…