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I'm known for saying that, and to me, it's obvious: box speakers with dome tweeters sound like box speakers with dome tweeters. I can hear their tweeters calling to me when I'm in the next room, making a phone call. I can hear their boxes hissing and groaning even after I turn off the stereo. Many a day, I think Edgar Villchur, inventor of the acoustic-suspension loudspeaker and the dome tweeter, ruined audio, and that audiophiles will never stop denying how artificially colored the sounds of domes and cones in boxes really are.

One…

Van Lear Rose is the most heart-grabbing recording I've heard in the 21st century. One of its songs, "Women's Prison," begins with Loretta shooting her lover, and ends with her in the electric chair—symbolized by White's guitar solo. The Harbeths…

Description: Two-way, bass-reflex, stand-mounted, ported loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) soft-dome tweeter, 7.9" (200mm) bass/midrange. Frequency response: 50Hz–20kHz, ±3dB. Sensitivity: 85dB/W/m. Nominal impedance: 6 ohms. Power handling: 150W. Recommended amplification: >25W.
Dimensions: 18.1" (460mm) H by 10.9" (277mm) W by 10.8" (275mm) D. Weight 25.6 lbs (11.6kg).
Finish: Silver Eucalyptus.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: 40THX 135R & 135L.
Price: $6495/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 30. Warranty: 3 years.
Manufacturer…

Analog Sources: AMG Giro G9 LP player, Linn Sondek LP12 Valhalla turntable with SME M-2 tonearm; Dynavector DV20X2, EMT TSD 75SFL, Koetsu Rosewood Standard, Miyajima Laboratory Saboten cartridges.
Digital Sources: Holo Audio Spring Kitsuné Tuned Edition, Mytek HiFi Manhattan II, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil DACs; Integra DPS-7.2 DVD player (used as CD transport).
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 (for EMT TSD 75), Bob's Devices CineMag 1131, Dynavector SUP-200 step-up transformers; Lounge Audio LCR Mk.III RIAA, Parasound Halo JC 3+, Tavish Design Adagio…

I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Harbeth Monitor 30.2's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield responses. My estimate of the Harbeth's sensitivity was 87.3dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is usefully higher than the specified 85dB. The Monitor 30.2's nominal impedance is specified as 6 ohms, and its impedance magnitude (fig.1, solid trace) actually remains at or above 6 ohms throughout the audioband. I would have specified this speaker as an 8 ohm design; it should be an easy load for…

"The synergy between these…

Seek and ye shall find
Bel Canto's downloadable Seek iOS app lets you stream music from Tidal to a networked Bel Canto Black system, create and manage playlists, control volume via an iOS smartphone or tablet, and play MQA, DSD, and PCM files from a computer, external drive, or USB stick. Alas, Bel Canto offers but a single page of instructions remarkable…

Description: Solid-state, class-D integrated amplifier. Digital inputs: AES, S/PDIF, TosLink to 24/192; Ethernet to 24/192, DSD64, MQA; USB 2 to 24/384, DSD128, MQA. Analog inputs: line 1/2, MM/MC phono. Outputs: line/subwoofer, 4.5V RMS; headphones, 4.5V RMS maximum, 32 ohms minimum impedance. Two pairs WBT NextGen five-way speaker binding posts. Power output: 300W into 8 ohms (24.8dBW), 600W into 4 ohms (24.8dBW). Peak output current: 27A. Minimum load: 2 ohms. Frequency response: 0.5Hz–50kHz, ±3dB, all loads. THD+N: 0.001%, 1W, 1kHz, 4 ohms (overall); 0.003…

Digital Sources: dCS Paganini SACD/CD transport & Scarlatti clock & Vivaldi DAC & Network Bridge network player; Mytek HiFi Manhattan II DAC; Intel NUC7i7BNH computer with 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD running Roon; iPad Pro, external hard drives, USB sticks.
Power Amplifiers: Pass Laboratories XA200.8 monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: Wilson Audio Specialties Alexia.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Diamond (FireWire, Ethernet), Wireworld Platinum Starlight Cat8 (Ethernet), Nordost Odin 1 & Odin 2 & Valhalla 2 (USB). Interconnect, Speaker, AC:…