John Atkinson's measurements of the Aavik U-380 integrated amplifier appeared to indicate that the amp had suffered damage, perhaps during shipping. Aavik U-380 measurements will be published as a follow-up review in a future issue.—Jim Austin
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Dear XX,
No industry is ever immune to setbacks and disasters that loom large on our personal landscapes. Sometimes, they seem small in retrospect, but sometimes, the magnitude of the crisis is never diminished, and the only thing that matters is survival and managing the calamity with as much grace as we can muster. At RMAF, our hearts have been broken by some of those disasters, but our spirit has always triumphed. We have never shied away from difficult times. Over the years, we have endured many obstacles, including:
Alan Stiefel's unexpected death; The city electrical grid going…
I'm not in perfect agreement with my colleagues and friends who believe that RCA's Living Stereo LPs from the late 1950s and '60s are the best-sounding commercial classical recordings ever made. To me, the Decca SXL catalog outshines them sonically, in addition to showcasing the talents of an even greater roster of artists. But that's not to say I'm immune to their charms.
The RCA catalog contains some real gems.
Like some of you, my interest in RCA classical LPs was spurred by the writings of the late Harry Pearson, founder of the magazine The Absolute Sound. But by the time I…
Reviewing a new loudspeaker from Totem feels like destiny—as if a formative moment 30 years ago has come full circle. That's because the first genuine audiophile speaker I ever owned was Totem's now-iconic Model 1, a product whose arrival altered many audiophiles' expectations of how much great—and wide-range—sound a small speaker can deliver. It's still being made today, at least in spirit (footnote 1).
Thirty years later and I'm reviewing for Stereophile the Totem Skylight ($1000/pair), a two-way ported standmount similar to the Model 1, but closer in kinship and appearance to the…
I initially suspected that this midband clarity might be the result of a tipped-up tonal balance, but then I reconsidered: The speakers didn't sound etched or fatiguing. Rather, I think it was because I was accustomed to my LS50s' tonal character, which is darker overall. Through the Skylights, I was hearing more music than I was used to. And faster music, too: The Skylights served at the temple of tempo, keeping things running at a tight clip and on time.
The Skylights revealed the distinct characters of a wide range of recordings. While the music on Walters's album sounded brash,…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, stand-mounted, reflex-loaded loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" laser-etched textile soft-dome tweeter, 5.75" mid/ bass driver. Frequency response: 51Hz–26kHz, ±3dB. Sensitivity: 88dB/W/m (2.83V). Nominal impedance: 8 ohms.
Dimensions: 11.875" (301mm) H × 6.31" (160mm) W × 9.5" (240mm) D. Weight: 10.35lb (4.68kg).
Finishes: Black Ash, Mahogany, Sapele, Satin White veneers.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: SIG 01008, 01009.
Price: $1000/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 225. Warranty: 5 years.
Manufacturer: Totem Acoustic,…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Rega P5 turntable with RB700 tonearm and Audio Musikraft Denon DL-103 cartridge.
Digital sources: Simaudio Moon 260D transport, Bryston BDP-1 USB Digital Player running Tidal, Bryston BDA-2 DAC.
Preamplification: Audible Illusions Modulus L3A preamplifier, Sonic Frontiers SFP-1 Signature phono preamp.
Power amplifiers: Antique Sound Labs AQ-1009 845 DT tube monoblocks.
Loudspeakers: KEF LS50.
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Diamond (USB), BIS Audio Maestro (RCA). Interconnect: Moon Audio Silver Dragon (RCA). Speaker:…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system to measure the Totem Skylight's farfield behavior with a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone. For the speaker's nearfield responses, I used an Earthworks QTC-40 mike, which has a small, ¼"-diameter capsule that doesn't obstruct the sound from the woofer or port.
Totem specifies the Skylight's sensitivity as "88dB," presumably for 1W at 1m. My estimate was 85.4dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is about what I would anticipate from such a small loudspeaker and 1dB higher than that of the KEF LS50. However, while the Totem Skylight's nominal…
Soon after I took over preparing Stereophile's biannual Recommended Components listing from the magazine's founder, J. Gordon Holt, in 1986, I ran into a problem. With so many products listed, the magazine was running out of the necessary pages to include them all (footnote 1). To solve this problem, I looked at how long a typical product remained on the market before being updated or replaced. The answer was 3–4 years. I therefore implemented a policy that unless one of the magazine's editors or reviewers had continued experience with a product, it would be dropped from Recommended…
The bass guitar and kickdrum were reproduced with appropriate force and definition, though I felt I needed to remove the plugs from the Minos' upper ports to optimize the system's low-frequency reproduction. Mark Knopfler's vocalizing sounded clean and appropriately husky. But what really enthralled me about this atmospheric track was the depth of the soundstage. Some of the instruments had been mixed with various amounts of reverb. The piano that accompanies the acoustic guitar at the beginning before the verse, for example, was set way back in the soundstage, behind the voice and marimba…