Now more than ever, companies rely on solid partnerships to carry them through. But which partners should they choose?
How do distributors decide which manufacturers to partner with, and vice versa?
I spoke with several distributors, asking how they connect with international manufacturers. How do they…
For me, the MayFly MF-201A speakers were a bit like that: a…
An excellent recording to judge soundstage width is Steely Dan's "Hey Nineteen," from Gaucho (24/96 FLAC, Qobuz). On speakers that image like champs, the guitar will appear two-plus feet outside the far boundary of the left cabinet, and that's where the MayFlys placed it with…
Description: Two-way, stand-mounted bass-reflex loudspeaker with internal skyline diffusers, front-firing slotted bass port. Drive unit: Coaxial, with 26mm treated–fabric-dome tweeter, 180mm clear polypropylene-cone midrange/bass driver with reverse-roll rubber surround and 850gm ceramic magnet. Symmetric two-pole crossover. Crossover frequency: 2.9kHz. Binding posts: gold-plated copper. Frequency range: 40Hz–20kHz. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Sensitivity: 88dB/W/m. Recommended amplifier power: 40–100W.
Dimensions: 20.5" (520mm) H × 12" (300mm) W × 10.6" (…
Digital sources: Naim Uniti Atom controlled through iPad Pro. 2021 16" MacBook Pro with M1 Max processor, running Audirvana Studio. PureAudio Lotus DAC5, RME ADI-2 DAC FS, Bluesound Node 2i, Musical Fidelity V90, and Auralic Vega DACs.
Preamplifiers: Naim Uniti Atom. PureAudio Lotus. Apt Holman (overhauled and returned to factory specs 2020).
Power amplifiers: Naim Uniti Atom, Krell FPB 200c (recapped 2020), PrimaLuna DiaLogue Premium HP, Schiit Ragnarok.
Loudspeakers: Tekton Moab, MartinLogan Odyssey, KEF LS50W on IsoAcoustics Aperta aluminum…
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system, an Earthworks microphone preamplifier, and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the MayFly MF-201's farfield behavior, and an Earthworks QTC-40 mike for its nearfield responses. I used an Outline computer-controlled turntable to examine the off-axis behavior, rotating the loudspeaker under test in 5° increments.
Though MayFly specifies the MF-201's sensitivity as 88dB/W/m, my estimate was significantly lower, at 83dB(B)/2.83V/m. While the MF-201's impedance is specified as 8 ohms, the impedance magnitude (fig.1, solid…
Thank you, Stereophile, for this excellent review of my loudspeakers. If there is one thing consistent with all the folks who have tested them, it's that the MF-201s need different placement from a "usual" setup. What is interesting is that different folks achieved good results in completely different ways. Some liked them high. Some liked them low. Some liked them dead-on ear level. Some like a lot of toe-in, some not. Experimentation in the final listening room is required.
Regarding the reviewer's comments on the slightly soft presentation in the upper…
Ornette's classic LPs are the six he made for Atlantic Records from 1959–61, especially The Shape of Jazz to Come, which…