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Acoustic Energy Aegis One loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

Despite its high specified sensitivity of 90dB/W/m, I estimated the Aegis One to give 84dB(B)/2.83V/m—about what I expected, given the speaker's size and price. However, its plot of impedance magnitude and phase (fig.1) shows that the speaker is a very easy load, dropping below 7 ohms only in the lower midrange. The saddle in the magnitude trace at 50Hz indicates the tuning of the port of the speaker's rear panel, implying only moderate LF extension.

Fig.1 Acoustic Energy Aegis One, electrical impedance (solid) and phase (dashed). (2 ohms/vertical…

Acoustic Energy Aegis One loudspeaker Measurements part 2

All things being equal, this would correlate with a rather laid-back balance. But, as can be seen from fig.4, which shows the Aegis One's lateral dispersion, the speaker is much more directional at the top of the woofer's passband than it is at the bottom of the tweeter region. In moderate-size rooms, this will tend to compensate for the lack of on-axis energy in the same region. However, as I did find the speaker somewhat laid-back, it obviously doesn't compensate entirely. And note how directional the 1" tweeter is above 9kHz. Although the Acoustic Energy has good HF extension on-axis, the…

Acoustic Energy Aegis One loudspeaker Measurements part 3

In the time domain, the Acoustic Energy's step response (fig.7) reveals that the tweeter and woofer are connected with the same positive acoustic polarity. The associated cumulative spectral-decay or waterfall plot (fig.8) is generally free from resonance-induced delayed energy ridges, but a distinct step can be seen at the crossover frequency, which I imagine correlates both with the slight nasality I occasionally noted and the hardness on some high-treble piano notes.

Fig.7 Acoustic Energy Aegis One, on-axis step response at 50" (5ms time window, 30kHz bandwidth).

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40 Years of <I>Stereophile</I>

"The monthly miracle," it's called in publishing: that magical moment when the new issue of your magazine arrives in the mailbox hot from the printer. And with this issue of Stereophile—No.274, or Vol.25 No.11—we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the start of our "miracle." With the 20 pages of Issue No.1, Vol.1 No.1, cover-dated September-October 1962, "Ye Editor & Publisher" J. Gordon Holt introduced both a new audio magazine and the philosophy that an audio product is best reviewed by doing exactly what its purchasers will do: listen to it. On that small rock of an idea was founded…

Arcam FMJ CD23 CD player

It is so tempting.

With just a couple of snips of the scissors and swipes of the paste brush, I could insert the introduction from my April 2000 review of Arcam's FMJ A22 integrated amplifier here, change a detail or two, and be done with it. After all, it's the same story: British manufacturer gives highly praised product a slick new case to entice those who find their Alpha line too downscale in appearance, adds a few internal tweaks to make it a bit more interesting, and kicks the price up by $400.

But I won't.

Description
The Arcam FMJ CD23 is the Full Metal…

Arcam FMJ CD23 CD player Page 2

The front-panel controls and display are those you'd expect from a CD player—and, needless to say, are quite tastefully presented. Not so obvious is a red LED above the Arcam badge that lights up when an HDCD disc is played—the CD23 has the Pacific Microsonics HDCD PDM100 filter/decoder chipset. Other than that, all displays and controls are self-explanatory.

One thing the CD23's remote has in common with the one that comes with the FMJ A22 is that it's plastic, which makes it feel as if the cosmetic upgrade wasn't quite completed. However, unlike the other remote, the only extraneous…

Arcam FMJ CD23 CD player Page 3

When the CD23 was compared with the Audio Alchemy setup, the differences in terms of perspective and tonality were less immediately obvious. Both offered front-of-the-hall perspectives with considerable "sparkle"; however, the Audio Alchemy gear was at times overly sparkly (that false detail again), as sibilants were a little harsh and a subtle haze of glare rode atop female vocals and cymbals, none of which happened with the CD23.

The CD23's ability to sort out complex passages was simply much better than that of the Audio Alchemy equipment, which tended to flatten the sonic picture. A…

Arcam FMJ CD23 CD player Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Single-box HDCD-compatible CD player with remote control. Outputs: two pairs RCA line-level outputs, coax and optical digital outputs. Laser pickup: 3-beam, 780nm wavelength, 0.45 numerical aperture. Dynamic range: 106dB. Signal/noise ratio (CCIR): >100dB. Harmonic distortion (0dB, 1kHz): ±0.005%. Frequency response: 20Hz-20kHz, ±0.5dB. Output level: 2.3V RMS. Output impedance: 50 ohms. Minimum recommended load: 5k ohms. Power consumption: 25VA max.
Dimensions: 16.75" (430mm) W by 3.33" (85mm) H by 11.33" (290mm) D. Weight: 14.3 lbs (6.5kg).…

Arcam FMJ CD23 CD player Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Digital source: EAD CD-1000 CD player, Audio Alchemy DDS III CD transport, Audio Alchemy DTI v2.0 jitter filter, and Audio Alchemy DDE v3.0 D/A converter.
Line Preamplifier: Anthem PRE 1L.
Power amplifier: SimAudio Celeste 4070se.
Loudspeakers: Thiel CS.5.
Cables: Digital: Audio Alchemy I2S, Kimber/Illuminati DV-75. Interconnects: Synergistic Research Alpha, Looking Glass; TARA Labs RSC Gen.II. Speaker: Cardas Crosslink 1. AC: Audio Power Industries Power Enhancer, Power Link.
Accessories: Audio Power Industries Power Wedge 110, 116 AC line…

Arcam FMJ CD23 CD player Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

The smart-looking FMJ's output level was 2.34V, almost 1.4dB above the standard 2V RMS—something to be aware of in A/B comparisons. Its output was absolute-polarity-correct and its source impedance was a low 47 ohms across the audioband. Its error correction was superb, the player not mistracking until the Pierre Verany test CD's track 34, which has 2mm gaps in its data spiral.

Fig.1 shows the CD23's frequency response without (top traces) and with pre-/de-emphasis (bottom), which is flat and almost perfectly balanced between channels. There is a slight…