Digital Sources: Sony XA-5400ES SACD/CD player; Oppo BDP-105 universal BD player; Baetis XR2 PC-based music server; exaSound e28, Mytek Stereo 192-DSD D/A converters.
Preamplification: Audio Research MP1 multi-channel preamplifier, Meridian HD621 HDMI audio processor & 861 Reference v8 digital surround controller.
Power Amplifiers: McIntosh Labs MC303, Parasound Halo A 31.
Loudspeakers: Bowers & Wilkins 800 Diamond, Bryston Middle T; JL Audio Fathom f113 subwoofer.
Cables: Digital: Black Cat Veloce, van den Hul Flat 180 HDMI,…
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Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I let the Allnic D-5000 DHT warm up for an hour before passing any signal, to give the tubes' operating conditions a chance to stabilize. (When the unit is first turned on, the needle on the front-panel meter slowly rises until it rests just to the right of the indicator on the scale.) I examined the processor's electrical performance with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 "As We See It"), mainly using the TosLink optical input, though I repeated some of the tests using a USB connection from my MacBook Pro Laptop running on…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Before examining the DEQX PreMate's equalization and correction features, I wanted to make sure that its basic performance as a D/A processor was up to the expected standard—"First, do no harm" is as fundamentally important in digital signal processing as it is in healthcare. I examined the PreMate's electrical performance with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see www.ap.com and the January 2008 "As We See It"), mainly using the TosLink optical input, though I repeated some of the tests using a USB connection from my MacBook Pro laptop running on battery power.…
Manufacturers' Comment
Editor: Thank you, Messrs. Dudley and Atkinson, for your listening review and test measurements of the Allnic Audio D-5000 direct-heated-triode digital-to-analog converter in the December 2014 issue (p.93).
While Art was very positive about the D-5000 DAC's performance, though questioning the value of the flexibility provided by upsampling and DSD conversion (about which we all know many audiophiles are rather ambivalent), the measurement results John obtained shocked him—and us!! John wondered if the results could have been due to something that happened…
Can an $18,000 power amplifier be a bargain?
Can an $18,000 wristwatch?
After a certain point, the usual value-for-money considerations don't apply. With amplifiers, I'm not sure where that point is. But, for me, the Boulder 1060 is hors de categorie, as the French hi-fi scribes like to say: "out of category."
Nevertheless, I like to escape now and then, as I did with the Lamm Industries ML1.2 monoblocks and the $15,000 McIntosh MC2000 Commemorative (in the July 1998 and November 1999 issues, respectively).
Hell, I could have gone crazier still: $59,000 for a pair…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Solid-state, balanced stereo power amplifier. Rated power: 300Wpc into 8 ohms (dBW), with 800W peaks into 4 ohms, 1600W peaks into 2 ohms. THD+noise: 0.001% (20Hz–2kHz), 0.005% (20kHz). Frequency response: 0.015Hz–150kHz, –3dB. Voltage gain: 26dB. S/N Ratio: 127dB, unweighted, 20Hz–20kHz, re: 500W/8 ohms. Input impedance: 50k ohms, balanced.
Dimensions: 18" W by 9.5" H by 22.5" D. Weight: 140 lbs. Shipping weight: 220 lbs.
Serial number of review sample: Not noted.
Price: $18,000 (2000). Approximate number of dealers: 28.
Manufacturer:…
Art Dudley returned to the DeVore Fidelity O/96 in January 2015 (Vol.38 No.1):
A few months ago, I finally got around to putting self-adhesive felt pads on the bottoms of the stands that support my review pair of DeVore Fidelity Orangutan O/96 loudspeakers ($12,000/pair; see my review in the December 2012 issue). Those solid-maple stands aren't fitted with adjustable spikes or adjustable anything else, and because few hardwood floors are dependably, perfectly flat—including the ones I've installed, such as the Jatobá floor in my listening room—loudspeakers and equipment supports are often…
Register to win a set of Bower’s and Wilkin’s C5 Series 2 in-ear Headphones (MSRP $179.99) we are giving away.
According to the company:
C5 Series 2 in-ear headphones bring you amazingly natural acoustics and fit so snugly you’ll hardly be aware you’re wearing them. These headphones use a new 9.2mm dynamic driver, and have been optimized to deliver bass that’s powerful yet precisely controlled, resulting in a more natural, open and detailed sound.
Click here for more info.
To enter the sweepstakes, all you need is an account on this website. If you don't…
The $1500/pair price point for loudspeakers is now very hot. Many manufacturers offer interesting models at or near this price, which gives the most creative designers an opportunity to show off: they can come up with interesting speakers that attempt to deliver a level of performance an order of magnitude beyond their entry-level wares by trickling down technology from their costlier floorstanding models. For the buyer, a $1500/pair speaker is a great way to start building a complete system for $4000–$5000 that can deliver extremely high sound quality for the dollar.
Although I've…
I was sitting in my high chair, eating strained peas. My father was walking around the kitchen with a wooden box in one hand and a cord with a plug in the other. The box and the cord were attached to each other. I was inspired to utter my first actual sentence: "Plug it in over there!" Moments later, a man with a disturbing voice began squawking from inside the wooden box. It was a radio. Schnapps, our dachshund, barked angrily. I started to cry. Ever since, I've been charmed, fascinated, and mostly annoyed by wooden boxes that talk to me.
At the 2014 Capital Audiofest (July 24–27), I…