Description: Two-way, coaxial, rear-ported loudspeaker. Drive-units (coaxial): 0.75" (19mm) dome tweeter, 6.5" (160mm) flat woofer. Crossover frequency: 2.5kHz. Frequency response: 20Hz–100kHz, –16dB; 45Hz–80kHz, –10dB. Sensitivity: 85dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms.
Dimensions: 13.1" (336mm) H by 8.9" (229mm) W by 11.2" (286mm) D. Weight: 18.7 lbs (8.5kg).
Finish: White or black.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: WX5AA001035 (both), "Made in China."
Price: $1699/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 10. Warranty: 3 years, parts & labor…
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Sidebar 1: Specifications
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Acoustic Signature WOW XL turntable & TA-1000 tonearm, Ortofon 2M Black cartridge; Technics SL1200 Mk.2 turntable, SME M2-9 tonearm, Soundsmith Carmen cartridge; Thorens TD 124 turntable, Abis SA-1.2 tonearm; Jasmine Turtle MC, Ortofon CG 25 Di Mk.II, Zu Denon DL-103 cartridges.
Digital Sources: Integra DPS-7.2 DVD-A player, Halide HD DAC.
Preamplification: Intact Audio step-up transformer; Blue Horizon Ideas Profono, Schiit Audio Mani phono stages.
Preamplifier: Simaudio Moon Neo 350P.
Power Amplifiers: Pass Labs XA100.…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Technics SB-C700's frequency response in the farfield; for nearfield frequency response, I used an Earthworks QTC-40, which has a ¼" capsule and thus doesn't present a significant obstacle to the sound.
The SB-C700's voltage sensitivity is specified as 85dB/2.83V/m. My estimate was usefully higher than this, at 87.5dB/2.83V/m. The speaker's nominal impedance is 4 ohms, but as fig.1 shows, the impedance magnitude drops below 4 ohms only in a narrow band in the lower midrange,…
Apogee Electronics Corp. has been in business for 30 years, and I've always thought of them as one of the pro-audio companies responsible for moving digital in the right direction. They've made their mark in recording studios around the planet with digital-audio interfaces and master clocks that have long been considered some of the most technically and sonically advanced, and that were probably used in a high percentage of the recordings in your collection. So when I saw Apogee pop up at the consumer end of the market with a technically unique product, budget-priced at $295, it got my…
Current Covers
To test Apogee's claims, I listened to the Groove through a wide variety of headphones: Sennheiser Amperiors and HD600s (the latters' impedance curve is similar to that of the HD800s, which threw off the Bakoon); Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 in-ear monitors; my trusty Grado Labs HP 1s; NAD's Viso HP50 full-sized, circumaural 'phones; and AKG K240 studio 'phones. DAC-headphone amps included AudioQuest's DragonFly, Aurender's Flow, Cambridge Audio's DacMagic XS (all three include ESS's Sabre chip), Audioengine's Model D3, and Meridian's Explorer. And to keep them all honest,…
To test Apogee's claims, I listened to the Groove through a wide variety of headphones: Sennheiser Amperiors and HD600s (the latters' impedance curve is similar to that of the HD800s, which threw off the Bakoon); Ultimate Ears Triple.fi 10 in-ear monitors; my trusty Grado Labs HP 1s; NAD's Viso HP50 full-sized, circumaural 'phones; and AKG K240 studio 'phones. DAC-headphone amps included AudioQuest's DragonFly, Aurender's Flow, Cambridge Audio's DacMagic XS (all three include ESS's Sabre chip), Audioengine's Model D3, and Meridian's Explorer. And to keep them all honest,…
Déjà vu all over again?
Apart from being reminded of this Yogi-ism by the death, in September 2015, of its originator, I was all set to begin by commenting that this would be my first review for Stereophile of a Paradigm loudspeaker. But—the recent online posting of my June 1992 review of Paradigm's Studio Monitor took me back.
That speaker sold for $1899/pair in an era when $5000/pair was near the top of the price structure of high-end audio—apart from a very few nosebleed models. I have in my hands a copy of the April 1992 Stereophile. In that issue's edition of "Recommended…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: USB DAC/headphone amplifier. Input: USB Micro B 2.0 port. Output: 3.5mm headphone jack. Resolution/sample rates: 24 bits/192kHz. DAC chip: eight-channel ESS (4 DACs per channel). THD+N: –107dB, 600 ohm load at 16dBu; –100dB, 30 ohm load at 10.5dBu. Dynamic range: 117dB (A-weighted). Frequency response: 10Hz–20kHz, ±0.2dB. Maximum output: 225mW into 30 ohms, 40mW into 600 ohms. Power: 5V, 500mA via USB 2.0 bus.
Dimensions: 3.7" (95mm) L by 1.2" (30mm) W by 0.6" (16mm) D. Weight: 1¾ oz (45.35gm).
Serial number of unit reviewed: G1E100151900145…
Except as noted, I drove the Paradigms full-range with two-channel recordings, using an Integra DTC-9.8 surround processor strictly as a 2.0-channel digital preamplifier in its Direct mode. I later briefly tried a Jeff Rowland Design Group Consummate analog preamp, but the system's sound jelled better with the Integra. The amplifier was a Proceed AMP5, though for this review I used only two of its five channels. Each channel of the AMP5 is driven by a completely separate power supply and transformer, in effect making it, for this review, two monoblocks built on the same chassis. The source…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Apple MacBook Pro computer (2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Duo, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) running OS 10.11, Amarra Computer Music Player, iTunes 12, JRiver Media Center 19, Reaper 4.78, Roon v.1.1 Build 65, VLC, XLD; Western Digital NAS Device (2TB); Oppo BDP-103 universal BD player; Meridian Sooloos Digital Media System (Control 15, QNAP TS-669 Pro NAS); Apple iPad Air, iPod Touch 1G, iPhone 6.
Digital Processors: AudioQuest JitterBug, Audioengine D3, AudioQuest DragonFly USB DAC, Aurender AUR-V1000 Flow, Cambridge Audio DacMagic XS, Chord Hugo TT,…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Floorstanding, 2.5-way, bass-reflex loudspeaker with two rear ports. Drive-units (all X-PAL): 1" dome tweeter, 8" mid/woofer, two 8" woofers. Crossover frequencies: 400Hz, 2kHz. Crossover: 2.5-way, second-order electroacoustic. Frequency response: 37Hz–20kHz, ±2dB (on axis); 37Hz–17kHz, ±2dB (30° off axis). Sensitivity (anechoic): 91dB. Impedance: compatible with 8 ohms. Recommended amplification: 15–450W.
Dimensions: 44.4" (1138mm) H by 13.2" (338mm) W by 17" (435mm) D. Weight: 99 lbs (45kg).
Finishes: Piano Black, Walnut, Black Walnut,…