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I measured the Bryston B1353 with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 As We See It). The review sample was not fitted with the optional phono and digital input modules. Before I performed the testing, I preconditioned the amplifier by running it at one-eighth its specified power into 8 ohms for 30 minutes, as recommended by the CEA. After preconditioning, the heatsinks on the amplifier's sides were too hot to touch, at 148.5°F (64.8°C). The top panel was also hot, at 106.4°F (41.4°C). This amplifier needs plenty of ventilation.

The…

Looking at the pictures, the products do look much more elegant, well made and ambitious than those from the usual hi-fi startup, but still, I'm thinking, I've heard a lot of clever and ambitious fluff like this before: a full-blown catalog of home theater–friendly speakers and,…

Description: Four-way loudspeaker in bass-reflex (or sealed) enclosure. Drive-units: 28mm beryllium-dome and two 28mm thin-ply carbon-diaphragm tweeters in a "DPC" waveguide; four 180mm thin-ply carbon-diaphragm woofers. Crossover frequencies: 500Hz, 1.1kHz, 4.4kHz. Frequency response: 80Hz–20kHz (±1.5dB), 22Hz–37kHz (–10dB). Typical in-room bass extension: 16Hz. Impedance: 4 ohms (3.2 ohms minimum). Sensitivity: 92dB/2.83V/m. Recommended amplifier power: 100–600W RMS. SPL capability (100Hz–20kHz): 117dB peak at <2% 2nd and 3rd harmonics.
Dimensions: 51.…

Digital sources: Oppo Digital UDP-105 universal disc player, custom Baetis Prodigy-X4i music server running JRiver Media Center v28 and Roon 1.8, exaSound s88 streaming DAC and Okto DAC8 Pro D/A processor. QNAP TVS-873 NAS for file storage.
Preamplifiers: 3 Topping Pre90 for gain/buffer. Coleman Audio 7.1SW for source switching.
Power amplifiers: Benchmark AHB2, NAD C 298.
Loudspeakers: Revel Ultima2 Studio with IsoAcoustics Gaia I isolation feet. Revel Performa3 F206 for surrounds. Two SVS SB-3000 & one SB-2000Pro subwoofers.
Cables:…

The center of the Perlisten S7t's DPC high-frequency driver array is just 32" from the floor. While the distributor had placed the loudspeaker on a 3"-high dolly when he delivered it, I wasn't able to lift the speaker any higher for the measurements. (It weighs 122.5lb.) I therefore performed my farfield frequency response measurements at 1m rather than my usual 50" in order to push the reflections from the floor as far back in time as possible.

(I allowed for the slight tiltback of the loudspeaker's front baffle, to ensure that the microphone was on the…

John Coltrane's career as a bandleader can be divided, with haphazard tidiness, into three periods. His so-called classic quartet with pianist McCoy Tyner, bassist Jimmy Garrison, and drummer Elvin Jones, which deserves every bit of its legendary status, dominates the 1962–1965 middle section and encompasses Coltrane's greatest achievements. Before that was the ramp-up and after lay the free jazz…

I bought a Wi-Fi–connected Slim Devices Squeezebox at the beginning of 2006, to experiment with streaming. When Slim Devices released the high-performance Transporter, I was sufficiently impressed that I purchased the review sample after measuring it for Wes Phillips's review in the February 2007 issue. I used the…

Listening
For my first listening session, I selected the HiFi Rose RS250's network connection as Roon's active Audio Zone and played files from the internal hard drive I had fitted to my…

Description: Roon Ready music streamer/digital processor, with ES9038Q2M DAC, dual-core Cortex-A72 processor up to 1.8GHz, and quad-core Cortex-A53 up to 1.4GHz, running Android 7.1 and compatible with Airplay, DLNA, Roon, Spotify Connect, Tidal, Qobuz, Bugs, Internet Radio, RoseTube (YouTube), and RosePodcast. Display: 8.8" TFT LCD & capacitive touchscreen (MIPI-DSI). Digital audio inputs: one each coaxial S/ PDIF, TosLink S/PDIF, USB, Ethernet network port; USB ports. Analog inputs: 1 pair single-ended on RCA jacks. Digital audio outputs: USB, S/PDIF…