Apart from their inherent sensuousness, materials can make a difference in the sonics of audio components, especially loudspeakers.
Exotic wood enclosures are old hat. Carbon fiber isn't exotic anymore. Glass seems an odd choice for a loudspeaker enclosure—but that's the choice made by Perfect8 speakers, which I encountered at T.H.E. Show in Newport Beach a few years back. And then there are the Jörn speakers…
After Sefton left, I experimented, settling on a setup with listening…
Description: Two-way, bass-reflex loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" beryllium-dome tweeter; 5.5" sandwich paper-cone midrange/bass. Crossover frequency: 3kHz. Binding posts: Cardas, rhodium over pure copper. Frequency range: 43Hz–35kHz. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Sensitivity: 86.5dB/W/m.
Dimensions: 9" (26.5mm) W × 11" (279mm) D × 13" (330mm) H. Weight: 59lb (26.8kg) each. Metal stands: 27" (28" with spikes) × 14" × 15". Weight: 43lb each (19.5kg). Granite stands: 27" (28" with spikes) × 17" × 16.5". Weight: 93lb (42.3kg) each.
Cabinet material: High-polish…
Digital source: MBL N31 CD player/DAC.
Analog source: Clearaudio Performance DC Wood turntable with Tracer tonearm and Talismann MC cartridge.
Preamplification: Boulder 508 MC/MM phono preamplifier.
Amplification: VAC Sigma 170i integrated amplifier; MBL N51 integrated amplifier; Soulution 330 integrated amplifier.
Cables: Ansuz Acoustics D2, AudioQuest NRG, and Morrow Audio (interconnects and other cabling).
Accessories: AudioQuest Niagara 1000 Low-Z Power Noise-Dissipation System with NRG 10 power cord, and Vodka Ethernet cable,…
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Acora SRB's frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 mike for the nearfield and in-room responses. My initial measurements were performed on one of the original samples auditioned by Julie Mullins, serial number TIB0010. After Acora found out that the first samples had been incorrectly assembled with the tweeters wired in the wrong polarity, which resulted in a massive suckout in the crossover region, they submitted new samples. I performed a complete set of…
To this day, many audio…
The middle and…
When I first read Mikey's introduction to this review, I was struck by his matter-of-fact statement that class-D isn't digital. Really? Are you sure?
Yes, I know the D in class-D doesn't stand for digital, but that doesn't mean the technology isn't digital. After all, in a class-D amplifier, the signal fluctuates rapidly between two levels, just as it does in DSD—what could be more digital than that?
Fact is, I've always thought of class-D as digital, and of class-D–isn't-digital claims as marketing propaganda propagated by people who want…
Description: Hybrid class-D monoblock power amplifier. One 12AU7 vacuum tube, ICEedge ouput module. Inputs: 1 balanced (XLR), 1 single-ended (RCA), DC trigger. Outputs: 2 pair five-way binding posts. Output power (1kHz, 1% THD): 600W into 8 ohms, 1200W into 4 ohms (both 27.8dBW). Frequency response (2.8V RMS into 4 ohms): 10Hz–45kHz, ±3dB. Voltage gain: 30.5dB, ±0.5dB. Sensitivity: 2.08V for rated output power. Input impedance: single-ended, 50k ohms; balanced, 100k ohms. Damping factor (50Hz, 2.8V RMS), 8 ohms: >1100; 4 ohms: >550. THD: <0.005% (1kHz,…
Analog sources: Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn & Castellon turntable & stand; SAT XD1 direct-drive turntable, OMA K3 direct-drive turntable, SAT CF1-09, CF1Ti-09, Schroeder OMA, and Kuzma 4Point tonearms; Lyra Atlas Lambda SL, Ortofon MC Century, Anna Diamond, A95, A90, Grado Epoch3, Miyajima Labs Infinity (mono), Grado Epoch (mono), Aidas Audio Gala Gold LE cartridges.
Digital sources: dCS Vivaldi One SACD player DAC; Lynx Hilo A/D-D/A converter; Roon Nucleus server; Pure Vinyl and Vinyl Studio software.
Preamplification: darTZeel NHB-18S,…