As soon as he'd left, I jumped up…
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New York City, 1989: I had a music and audio-guru friend named George, who worked at both Tower Records and Stereo Exchange. Every Saturday I'd slip him a Grant and, over the following week, he would choose $50 worth of used Tower LPs he thought I should own. One midweek afternoon, on my way home from work, I dropped in on George at Stereo Exchange, to chat and maybe see what was new. Grinning, he led me to a back room and pointed to a pair of small speakers mounted on stands. "Tell me what you think of these." He walked out and left me to listen alone.
On a roll, I tried Handel's oratorio Samson, with Karl Richter leading the Munich Bach Orchestra and Choir (4 LPs, Archiv 413 916-1). In Act II, scene 2, the voice of Martina Arroyo (Dalila) was stunningly clear and undistorted. The Totems' formerly fuzzy mid-midrange was now clear.
Generally, I am not a fan of operatic singing but something about Arroyo's voice seduces me. On this recording she sounds not only harmonically pure and enticing, but gives Dalila an extra dose of seductive voluptuousness. My hormones and dream-addled brain forced me to play all eight sides—and especially…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, stand-mounted, reflex dynamic loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) aluminum-titanium dome tweeter (SEAS), 6.5" (165mm) woofer with cellulose-acrylate cone and 3" (75mm) voice-coil. Crossover frequency: 2.7kHz. Crossover slopes: quasi second-order. Frequency response: not specified. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Sensitivity: 87.5dB/2.83V/m. Maximum sound pressure: 103dB.
Dimensions: 13.8" (350mm) H by 7.7" (195mm) W by 10.6" (270mm) D. Weight: 19 lbs (8.6kg).
Finishes: Black Ash, Mahogany, Sapele, Satin White veneers.
Serial numbers…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: AMG Giro G9 turntable & 9W2 tonearm; AMG Teatro, Dynavector DV-20X2L, EMT TSD 75, Koetsu cartridges; Mobile Fidelity UltraDeck turntable & UltraTracker cartridge.
Digital Sources: Mytek HiFi Manhattan II, Schiit Audio Yggdrasil DACs; Integra DPS-7.2 DVD-A player (as transport).
Preamplification: Auditorium 23, Bob's Devices, Dynavector SUP-200 MC step-up transformers; Lounge Audio LCR Mk.III phono preamplifier & Copla MC stage; Parasound Halo JC 3+, Tavish Design Adagio phono preamplifiers; Pass Laboratories HPA-1, Rogue…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Totem Acoustic Signature One's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield responses. The Totem's specified sensitivity is 87dB/2.83V/m, which is the same as that of the earlier Model 1 Signature; my estimate, however, was much lower, at 83.5dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is 3dB lower than that of the 2008 speaker. Fig.1 shows how the impedance and electrical phase vary with frequency. The impedance is significantly higher than that of the Model 1 and Model 1…
One of the better things about bookshelf loudspeakers is that they're innately portable. Though not generally considered the sort of music-reproduction machines you'd bring to a party, a 12-step group, or a Burning Man rave (though you certainly could), high-quality bookshelf speakers are overlooked tools in the eternal work-in-progress of introducing lovers, friends, and family to our beloved lifestyle. So during the first week or three of breaking in the Quad S-2 bookshelf speakers, I thought, Why keep these to myself? It's strict Stereophile policy that all gear be evaluated in the…
Recorded at the now-closed Avatar Studios, Bringin' It evokes the classic big bands of Count Basie and Thad Jones–Mel Lewis, with nods to Oliver Nelson and Nelson Riddle. But Bringin' It is pure Christian McBride—rock-'em sock-'em big-band dynamics and polished swing performed with the kind of enthusiasm and soul that are atypical among today's math-jazz merchants and their methodical, grant-enabled compositions. The Quad S-2s made the most of Bringin' It, from McBride's sinewy double-bass notes and drummer Quincy Phillips's steaming pulse to the assembled brass and reed instruments' shouted…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, rear-ported, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 0.5" by 1.75" (12 by 45mm) True Ribbon tweeter, 4.9" (125mm) woofer with woven Kevlar cone. Crossover frequency: 3kHz. Frequency response: 48Hz–22kHz, ±3dB. Bass extension: 37Hz, –6dB. Sensitivity: 87dB/2.83V/m. Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, 4.5 ohms minimum. Peak SPL: 98dB. Recommended amplification: 25–150W.
Dimensions: 13" (330mm) H by 7.1" (180mm) W by 10.25" (260mm) D. Weight: 13.5 lbs (6.1kg).
Finishes: Black Oak, Sapele Mahogany, Piano White or Black.
Serial numbers of…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Kuzma Stabi S & Stogi S turntable & 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, PS Audio NuWave, Mytek HiFi Manhattan DACs; 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.
…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Quad S-2's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield responses. My estimate of the Quad's sensitivity was 86.9dB(B)/2.83V/m, confirming the specified figure of 87dB. Fig.1 shows how the impedance and electrical phase vary with frequency. Though the impedance has a minimum value of 4.17 ohms at 190Hz and there's a combination of 5.8 ohms and –37° phase angle at 117Hz, the S-2 is a relatively easy load for amplifiers to drive.
The traces in…