Manufacturer's Comment
Editor: There are comments in this review, both positive and negative, that are right on target. We have only a couple of major bones to pick with Tom Norton's subjective review, but we have many comments about John Atkinson's test methodology and interpretation of the measurements.
Tom Norton's taste in previous loudspeaker reviews has seemed to gravitate heavily toward systems that can deliver extended and generous bass, such as the B&W 801s he refers to at the beginning of the review. When compared to such systems, the Panoramas will admittedly be shy…
Sidebar 3: Specifications
Description: Two-way, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" concave-dome tweeter; 7" woofer. Frequency response: 45Hz–22kHz ±3dB. Sensitivity: 87dB/W/m. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms (6 ohms min.). Amplifier requirements: 25W minimum. Power handling: 150W.
Dimensions: 16.5" H by 12" W by 11.5" D. Weight: 35 lbs each.
Price: $1595/pair in oak ($1795 in Black, $1895 in Ebony, Cocobola, and Brazilian Rosewood) (1990); no longer available (2015). Dedicated Sound Anchor stands: $350/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 50.
Manufacturer: SOTA Industries…
In a recent trip to New Orleans, my wife and I found that Bourbon Street, once the capital of genuinely wonderful smarm in the deep south, this place where dudes went to get away from their wives, has, despite this classic old sign, become a version of Times Square lite. What was once so flavorful about this liquor mall has been swept away. In its place are crowds unsteady from too many Hand Grenades, whose major ingredient is Everclear 100 proof alcohol. What was once low down has become low rent. Admittedly, Bourbon was never a cultural mecca unless you consider going blind from booze to be…
On Thursday December 3, In Living Stereo, the high-end audio store in Manhattan's East Village, hosted a party to celebrate the arrival of the Gibbon X, a new floorstanding, three-way loudspeaker from Brooklyn-based DeVore Fidelity. The event attracted a crowd of Manhattan-based audiophiles—among them Andre Phills (below) and Paul Baldasare, with whom I had the pleasure of speaking—and audio luminaries Herb Reichert, Ken Micallef, and Steve Guttenberg. Also in the house was tall person and loudspeaker designer John DeVore, who is known for naming his speakers after apes: gibbons, gorillas ("…
In a four-room, every-seat-filled extravaganza that rivaled some of the Music Matters events in the number of high-quality components simultaneously on active display, the Berkeley, CA wing of Music Lovers Audio devoted the afternoon of December 5 to showcasing components from Vivid, dCS, Wilson, Luxman, Spectral, and other companies. With Philip O'Hanlon of On A Higher Note (distributor of Vivid, Luxman, and other brands), John R. Quick (dCS), Peter McGrath (Wilson Audio), and yours truly (above) on hand to give introductions and offer guidelines on how to listen and evaluate, a large store…
Technics’ little gem of a speaker, the two-way SB-C700, signifies both the Japanese brand’s return to the high-performance audio scene and the start of Stereophile’s 54th year of continuous publication. Paradigm’s Prestige 95F tower speaker also gets the full review treatment, along with an idiosyncratic two-box CD player from the UK’s Audio Note, BAT’s cost-no-object Rex II tube preamplifier, and Apogee’s affordable but great-sounding Groove D/A headphone amplifier.
On the vinyl front, Michael Fremer reviews the new SME Model 15A LP player and Art Dudley auditions the unique Siberian…
Thursday, December 17, from 4–8pm, Audio Excellence (661 Chirslea Road, Unit 1, Vaughan, Ontario) will be hosting a special Nordost Event, "Cables, Power, and Accessories: How to get the most from your system." Throughout the evening, Nordost’s VP of North American Sales, Michael Taylor, will be presenting product demonstrations, making cable comparisons, and answering questions. Attendees will be able to take advantage of special pricing on Nordost products for the duration of the event!
Verdi: Aida
Anja Harteros, Aida; Eleonora Buratto, High Priestess; Jonas Kaufmann, Radames; Ekaterina Semenchuk, Amneris; Ludovic Tézier, Amonasro; Erwin Schrott, Ramfis; Marco Spotti, The King; Chorus & Orchestra of Santa Cecilia Academy Rome, Sir Antonio Pappano
Warner Classics 0825646106639 (3 CDs). 2015. Stephen Johns, prod.; Luca Padovano, Giancarlo Ianucci, Claudio Emili, Marco Emili, engs. DDD. TT: 2:26:45
Performance ****½
Sonics ****½
It has been a long time since we've had a big-budget, studio recording of Aida; in fact, the last was from 2001, and it was…
My spirits sank as I read the comments on Stereophile's Facebook page. In the November issue, we had published reviews of UpTone Audio's USB Regen device by Kalman Rubinson, Michael Lavorgna, and myself. Michael and Kal had enthused about the positive effect the USB Regen had made, but I could detect no measurable difference. On Facebook, Dan Madden had written, "I think a device like this would need a blind listening test to verify that a listener could hear the difference in a statistically measurable way, in a very high percentage of times."
I have no argument with that statement. But…
Saturday, December 19, from noon –7pm, Sandy Gross, president of GoldenEar Technology, will be at Manhattan high-end audio retailer Stereo Exchange (627 Broadway, New York) demonstrating GoldenEar loudspeakers, including the Triton One, Stereophile's Joint Loudspeaker of 2015, as well as the new SuperSub XXL. Sandy will also be there to answer all your questions, and to talk about the speakers, the design process and his 40+ years in the audio industry.
