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The Bower’s and Wilkin’s C5 Series 2 in-ear Headphones Sweepstakes

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.

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Wharfedale Jade 3 loudspeaker

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…

Sjöfn HiFi (the clue) loudspeaker

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…

Sjöfn HiFi (the clue) loudspeaker Page 2

Exasperated, I tried for a while not to think about audio reviewing. I played one record after another, doing my best not to analyze, but just enjoy. But every record made me tense and unsettled, so before it finished I'd take it off and put on another, hoping it might be more satisfying. One recording did stand out and play quite well: Kander and Ebb's "You're My Thrill," from the soundtrack to Philip Leacock's 1960 film, Let No Man Write My Epitaph, on Ella Fitzgerald's Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie! (CD, Verve/Classic VSCD-4053). This disc showed enough of that great force we call "Ella…

Wharfedale Jade 3 loudspeaker Page 2

Remarkable #2—Dynamics: I've heard many speakers than can produce the entire dynamic range from ppp to fff in a linear manner, but occasionally I've found a speaker that is scarily realistic at the lower end of the dynamic spectrum or is capable of earthshaking blasts at the opposite extreme. The Jade 3 did both. Susie Ibarra's solos on a broad range of percussion instruments, on her Radiance (CD, Hopscotch HOP 2), explore the softer end of the dynamic spectrum. With many of these tracks, the Jade produced the pppp-to-p range with delicacy, air, and speed, and Ibarra's barely audible…

Sjöfn HiFi (the clue) loudspeaker Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 0.875" silk-dome tweeter, 5.5" damped paper-cone woofer. Frequency range (in-room): 28Hz–42kHz. Crossover frequency: 2.3–11.4kHz (axis transitional). Sensitivity: 87dB/W/m. Impedance: 6 ohms nominal, 4.2 ohms minimum. Recommended amplification: 30–150W.
Dimensions: 13.9" (355.6mm) H by 7.9" (203.2mm) W by 10.9" (280mm) D. Weight: 16.5 lbs (7.5kg).
Finishes: Piano Black lacquer, Cherry or Maple wood veneers.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: None found.
Price: $999/pair…

Wharfedale Jade 3 loudspeaker Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Three-way, sealed-box bookshelf speaker. Drive-units: 1" aluminum-dome tweeter, 3" aluminum-pulp composite midrange cone, 7" Acufibre-cone woofer. Crossover frequencies: 350Hz, 2.8kHz. Frequency response: 45Hz–24kHz, ±3dB. Sensitivity: 86dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 6 ohms. Recommended amplification: 30–150W.
Dimensions: 16.9" (433mm) H by 9.6" (246mm) W by 15.6" (400mm) D. Weight: 26 lbs (11.8kg).
Finishes: Black Oak, Rosewood, Vintage Cherry; Piano Black, add $300/pair.
Serial number of units reviewed: WHO47129BBC0102 (both).
…

Sjöfn HiFi (the clue) loudspeaker Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Sources: VPI Traveler turntable & tonearm; Thorens TD-124 turntable, SME 3009 II tonearm; Miyabi Mono, Miyajima Spirit, Ortofon 2M Black, Zu Audio Zu & DL-103 Mk.II cartridges.
Digital Sources: Puresound A-8000 CD player, Line Magnetic LM 502CA DAC, Oppo DV-980H SACD/CD player.
Preamplification: Soundsmith MMP3, Blue Horizon BN:09-11-009, Sentec EQ11 phono stages; Intact Audio, Audio Note S1 step-up transformers; NAD 1020 preamplifier.
Power Amplifier: B&K ST-140.
Integrated Amplifiers: Creek 4330, Line Magnetic LM518 IA…

Wharfedale Jade 3 loudspeaker Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Sources: Rega Research Planar 3, VPI TNT IV turntables; Immedia, Syrinx PU-3 tonearms; Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood, Koetsu Urushi cartridges.
Digital Sources: Creek Destiny, Lector CDP-7T CD players.
Preamplification: Vendetta Research SCP-2D phono stage, Audio Valve Eklipse line stage.
Power Amplifier: Audio Research Reference 75.
Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Excite X14, Epos Elan 10.
Cables: Interconnect (all MIT): Magnum M3, MI-350 CVTwin Terminator, MI-330SG Terminator. Speaker: Accent Speaker Technology Blue Thunder.
Accessories…

Sjöfn HiFi (the clue) loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Sjöfn Clue's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 for the nearfield responses. My estimate of the Clue's B-weighted voltage sensitivity confirmed the specification of 87dB/2.83V/m. The minimum impedance is specified as 4.2 ohms; the solid trace in fig.1 shows that our samples went a little lower than that, reaching 3.7 ohms at 270Hz and 2.67 ohms at 4.7kHz. However, as the electrical phase angle is never high when the impedance is low, a good, 4 ohm–rated…