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Arcam FMJ CD23 CD player Measurements page 2

Linearity error (fig.4) was very low down to below -100dBFS, with noise then dominating the measurement. This noise can also be seen overlaying the three discrete voltage steps in the waveform of an undithered 1kHz tone at -90.31dBFS (fig.5).

Fig.4 Arcam FMJ CD23, left channel departure from linearity, 16-bit data (2dB/vertical div.).

Fig.5 Arcam FMJ CD23, waveform of undithered 1kHz sinewave at -90.31dBFS, 16-bit data.

The CD23's analog output stage seems to be bombproof. Loading it down with 600 ohms and feeding it with data representing a full-scale…

Arcam FMJ CD23 CD player Measurements page 3

Finally, the spectrum of jitter products in the Arcam's analog output (fig.8), produced with the Miller Audio Research Jitter Analyzer, revealed low jitter, at 214 picoseconds p-p. The sidebands marked with purple numeric markers in this graph are due to a modulating tone at 18.6Hz and its harmonics. The pair of sidebands marked with a brown "3" lie at ±60Hz, and are due to the power supply. These are very low in level, however, as are the data-related sidebands, marked with red numerals.

Fig.8 Arcam FMJ CD23, high-resolution jitter spectrum of analog output signal (11.025kHz at -…

Recordings of April 1996: <I>Ones All</I> & <I>A Time Remembered</I>

DAVE HOLLAND: Ones All
Dave Holland, acoustic bass
Intuition INT 21482 (CD only). Dave Holland, Clare Holland, prods.; James Farber, eng. AAD. TT: 57:27

ART DAVIS: A Time Remembered
Art Davis, acoustic bass; Ravi Coltrane, tenor & soprano sax; Herbie Hancock, piano; Marvin "Smitty" Smith, drums
Classic/Jazz Planet 4001-1 (LP), JPCD-5001-2 (CD*). John Koenig, prod.; Rik Pekkonen, eng. AAA/AAD. TTs: 45:00, 69:06*

These new albums are both led by their bass players, and both are quintessential paradigms of their respective genres. Dave Holland invents a new genre…

SACD & DVD-Audio: The Pre-Launch Mess

Audiophiles have a mess on their hands. In a somewhat surreal press conference in May, a half dozen audio luminaries—representing Sony, Philips, and several titans of the high-end recording business—stood on a HI-FI '99 stage looking awkwardly at the audience.

They couldn't agree on what the public should and should not know about Super Audio CD. Yes, they were firm on the October 1999 US launch date for Sony's SCD-1 SACD player, but Sony Senior VP-A/V Michael Fidler, hedged that it was a bit too early to talk about software prices. Telarc's Bob Woods blurted out an intended price of $24.…

Classé Omega Omicron monoblock power amplifier

Non-audiophile friends and relatives raised their eyebrows when they saw the Classé Omega Omicron monoblocks. Not only is the Omicron more expensive than any other amp I've used; at 108 lbs, it's heavier than some of the speakers I've used. The Omicron is Class&#233's next-to-top-of-the-line amp in its Omega series, but is still definitely a "statement" product. Brian Damkroger reviewed the Omicron's big brother, the Omega Mono, in the July 2003 Stereophile. I refer you to that review for a more detailed description of the Omicron's basic circuitry.

The Omicron's considerable weight…

Classé Omega Omicron monoblock power amplifier Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Solid-state monoblock power amplifier. Inputs: 2 pairs line-level (RCA, XLR). Outputs: 2 pairs multiway binding posts. Output power: 300W into 8 ohms (24.8dBW), 600W into 4 ohms (24.8dBW), 1200W into 2 ohms (24.8dBW). Frequency response: 10Hz–20kHz, ±0.1dB; 10Hz–140kHz, –3dB. Input sensitivity: 2.25V RMS at full output. Voltage gain: 29dB. Input impedance: 100k ohms. THD+N: 0.003%. Signal/noise: 135dB. Output impedance: 0.017 ohm.
Dimensions: 16.5" H by 10" W by 19.5" D. Weight: 108 lbs.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: 1480070, 1480071.
…

Classé Omega Omicron monoblock power amplifier Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Digital sources: Sony SCD-XA777ES SACD player, McCormack UDP-1 universal player, Theta Gen.VIII D/A processor.
Preamplifier: Sonic Frontiers Line-3.
Power amplifiers: Sonic Frontiers Power-3, Classé CAM-350.
Loudspeakers: Revel Ultima Studio, Paradigm Reference Studio/60 v3.
Cables: Digital: Stereovox HDVX. Interconnect (all balanced): AudioQuest Anaconda, Python, Cheetah; JPS Super-Conductor 2. Speaker: AudioQuest Granite, Mont Blanc. AC: JPS Aluminata.—Kalman Rubinson

Classé Omega Omicron monoblock power amplifier Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

As is my usual practice, I ran the Classé Omega Omicron monoblock at 1/3-power into 8 ohms before performing any testing. At the end of that time, the black vertical heatsink area was way too hot to touch and the chassis temperature was around 55 degrees C. Soon after, the amplifier shut itself off and the Omega symbol on the front panel started flashing red. I waited a few minutes, unplugged the AC supply, and pressed the Power button. All was normal—the amplifier's protection circuit monitors temperature as well as overload—and I continued testing.

The…

McIntosh MC501 monoblock power amplifier

It's true—you never forget your first love. And no, I'm not talking about little Jackie Lynn Neeck in my second-grade class when I was seven years old. I still remember her, almost as vividly as I remember my first encounter with a fantastic stereo system, and therein hangs a tale.

When I was in my early teens, I studied classical and theater organ for several years. My teacher, Elaine, and her husband were, to put it mildly, fanatical about their hobbies. They spent four months slowly moving a moth-eaten, mouse-infested, and utterly non-functional 1925 Wurlitzer pipe organ into…

McIntosh MC501 monoblock power amplifier Page 2

McIntosh's Power Guard circuit, a waveform comparator, monitors input and output waveforms. When the amp is overdriven, the Power Guard notices any difference in the two waveforms that exceeds 0.3% harmonic distortion, and engages a dynamic attenuator at the amp's input to reduce the signal just enough to prevent any further distortion reaching the amp. This is not limited to the amp's rated output power; the manual states that the MC501 will actually produce distortion-free output well above its rated power (footnote 4).

Unwrapping and getting comfortable
McIntosh's packaging is…