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The Carmel 2…
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For me, one of the highlights of 2013 was being able to live with the Sonja 1.3, the flagship loudspeaker model from Colorado-based YG Acoustics. I reviewed this tall, massive, three-enclosure tour de force of a design, which costs $106,800/pair, in July 2013, and was not surprised when, for the December 2013 issue, Stereophile's writers voted it one of the magazine's two Loudspeakers of the Year. So when I was asked last spring if I wanted to review the new version of the smallest and least-expensive model in YGA's lineup, the request fell on receptive ears.
In July 2000, I reviewed the Mark Levinson company's first integrated amplifier, the No.383, and found that its sound had "clarity, transparency, liquid mids and highs, with dynamic contrasts." Also evident were the No.383's power-output limitations, the result of building large power supplies and heatsinks into a single case that had to fulfill multiple functions. Still, the No.383's price of $5900 was much less than the total cost of the equivalent in Mark Levinson separates. Later, in April 2007, I reviewed a similarly powered integrated amplifier, Bryston's B100-DA ($3195), which included…
If you've been following my loudspeaker reviews for any length of time, you'll have noted that I almost never use tube amplification. I'm always suspicious that a typical tubed design, with its relatively high source impedance, acts as a suboptimal tone control. But as none of the amplifiers I had were hitting the Carmel 2s' sweet spot, I got out of storage the sample of the PrimaLuna DiaLogue Premium HP integrated amplifier that Robert Deutsch had reviewed in December 2014. The PrimaLuna offers a fairly low output impedance, especially from its 4 ohm output transformer tap in triode mode:…
Two fully differential, class-AB, 200W amplifiers, based on modules from the No.535H five-channel amplifier, comprise the output section. These employ 12 power transistors per channel, and these modules. reportedly chosen for their small size, low power requirements, and superior reliability. They enable the No.585 to deliver 200Wpc RMS into 8 ohms, and 350Wpc into 4 ohms.
The No.585's power-amp section is protected from internal and external component failures by some of the most extensive precautions I've seen in some time. A mains relay, driven by the AC line voltage and frequency-…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, floorstanding loudspeaker with sealed enclosure. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) ForgeCore soft-dome tweeter, 7" (178mm) BilletCore aluminum-cone woofer. Crossover frequency: 1.75kHz. Frequency range: 32Hz–40kHz. Sensitivity: 87dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Minimum impedance: 3.5 ohms.
Dimensions: 39" (991mm) H by 9" (230mm) W by 13" (310mm) D. Weight: 76 lbs (34kg).
Finish: Anodized aluminum.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: Not found.
Price: $24,300/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 15.
Manufacturer: YG Acoustics…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state integrated stereo amplifier. Preamplifier section: Analog line-level inputs: 1 pair balanced (XLR), 3 pairs single-ended (RCA) inputs. Analog outputs: 1 pair single-ended (RCA). Input impedance: >45k ohms (RCA, XLR). Input overload: >5.5V RMS (RCA, XLR). Voltage gain, maximum volume setting: 40.7dB. Preamplifier section (digital): Digital audio inputs: 1 balanced AES/EBU (XLR), 2 coaxial S/PDIF (RCA), 2 optical (TosLink), 1 asynchronous (USB-B). Bit depths: up to 32. PCM sampling rates: 32, 44.1, 48, 88.2, 96, 176.4, 192kHz. DSD:…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Linn Ekos tonearm, Linn Arkiv B cartridge.
Digital Sources: Antipodes DX Reference music server; Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP universal player; Apple 2.7GHz i7 Mac mini running OS10.7, Audirvana Plus 1.5.10, iTunes 11, Pure Music 2.0; PS Audio PerfectWave DirectStream D/A converter; dCS Vivaldi digital playback system; AudioQuest JitterBug USB filter, UpTone Audio ReGen USB cleaner-uppers; Ayre Acoustics QA-9 USB A/D converter.
Preamplification: Channel D Seta L phono preamplifier.
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Linn Ittok tonearm, Spectral moving-coil cartridge; Day-Sequerra Anniversary Reference FM tuner.
Digital Sources: Bryston BCD-1 CD player & BDP-2 media player (with IAD sound board) & BDA-2 DAC; Lenovo W510 laptop computer running Windows 7 (64 bit), Mark Levinson USB driver, JRiver Media Center 20.
Preamplifiers: Bryston BP-26, Mark Levinson ML-7.
Power Amplifier: Mark Levinson No.334.
Loudspeakers: Quad ESL-989, Revel Ultima Salon2; Tannoy TS2.12 subwoofer.
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Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the YG Acoustics Carmel 2's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield and spatially averaged room responses.
The Carmel 2's voltage sensitivity is specified as 87dB/2.83V/m; my estimate was less than that, at 84dB(B)/2.83V/m. The impedance is specified as 4 ohms, with a minimum magnitude of 3.5 ohms. Fig.1 shows my measurement of the YGA's impedance magnitude (solid trace) and electrical phase angle (dotted). The impedance drops below 4 ohms…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured the Mark Levinson No.585 using my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 As We See It"). As usual, before measuring the amplifier I preconditioned it by running both channels at one-third power into 8 ohms for an hour. However, the No.585 turned its output off after 35 minutes, its front panel displaying "Over Temperature." The top panel was hot, at 115.4°F (46.4°C), and the heatsinks even hotter, at 149.8°F (65.4°C). I unplugged the amplifier from the wall and let it cool down, after which I could turn it on again and continue testing…