Some people, including some audiophiles, believe that product habituation is what's really behind what some people refer to as product break-in. It's not a mechanical or electronic phenomenon, they contend, but a mental one. Assuming the sound of the new gear is of adequate quality, it's the listener that breaks in to the product,…
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Has it ever crossed your mind that the reason you like your system more than your friend's or the store's is not because yours is better, even if you think it is, but because you're used to the sound of yours and not of theirs? Welcome to product habituation.
My son said the 40s had the nicest finish he'd ever seen on speakers in our house, at which point I could've sworn I saw my Focals' tweeters roll up in their sockets.
Another touch I appreciated was the option to install metal spikes or rubber feet—rigid metal for more bass, softer rubber for, presumably, more definition and perhaps a little bit less bass (footnote 2). I started with the metal spikes and felt, first, that I didn't have too much bass—the speakers are placed far from walls—and second, that the definition was just fine. I kept the spikes.
Triangle…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, four-driver, bass-reflex floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive units: one 1" (25.4mm) horn-loaded anodized magnesium-dome tweeter; one 6.5" (135mm) cellulose pulp-membrane midrange driver; two 6.5" (135mm) wood pulp, flax, and carbon fiber-membrane bass drivers. Crossover frequencies: 185Hz, 3.9kHz. Frequency range: 37Hz–22kHz. Sensitivity: 92dB/2.83V/m. Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, 3 ohms minimum. Power handling: 140W RMS. Recommended amplification: 80–250W.
Dimensions: 42.9" (1090mm) H × 7.8" (200mm) W × 13.6" (345mm) D. Weight: 59lb (26.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: Rega P5 turntable with RB700 tonearm and Audio MusiKraft Denon DL-103 cartridge.
Digital sources: Simaudio Moon 260D CD transport, Cambridge Audio EVO 150 all-in-one player (used as DAC).
Preamplification: Sonic Frontiers SFP-1 Signature phono preamp.
Integrated amplifier: Grandinote Shinai.
Loudspeakers: Focal Aria K2 936.
Cables: Digital: BIS Audio Maestro (RCA S/PDIF). Interconnect: Moon Audio Silver Dragon (RCA). Speaker: Audience Studio One. Power: Shunyata Research Black Mamba CX, LessLoss DFPC.
Accessories:…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system, a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone, and an Earthworks microphone preamplifier to measure the Triangle Antal 40th's behavior in the farfield. I used an Earthworks QTC-40 microphone for the nearfield responses. This mike has a ¼"-diameter tip, so it will not obstruct the radiation from the driver diaphragms or port.
The Antal 40th's anechoic sensitivity is specified as a high 92dB/W/m. My B-weighted estimate was 3dB lower, at 89dB(B)/2.83V/m, though this is still higher than average. Triangle specifies the Antal 40th's impedance…
I remember the exact moment I became an audiophile. It was 1954. I was 12 years old. My father's friend, Mitch Rose, wanted to buy a "hi-fi set," which was what they called them in those days. Mitch asked my father to go with him to help pick one out. My father asked if I wanted to go along for the ride.
I did, and we went to Emmons Audio in Studio City, California, for what turned out to be one of the formative moments of my life.
When we got there, Dick Emmons, the proprietor, showed us around, asked Mitch some questions about his musical preferences and budget, and then…
My late father-in-law used to say that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer you get to the end, the quicker it passes. I was reminded of that when I was asked to review Bel Canto's new e1X DAC/Control Preamplifier ($6800). It didn't seem that long ago that I favorably reviewed the Minnesota company's e.One DAC3, but Google told me that it was 15 years ago! "Other than the jitter performance via its USB input, the Bel Canto e.One DAC3 is the best-measuring digital component I have encountered," I wrote in November 2007 (footnote 1), adding that it "offers some impressive audio…
I initially used the e1X DAC for several days of casual listening, to make sure all was working correctly. I then started the critical listening, primarily using recordings that I had made myself. Low frequencies were well-defined with good weight, high frequencies were neither exaggerated nor rolled off, and the midrange sounded natural. It was difficult to ascribe an identifiable tonal character to the Bel Canto. As I kept listening, the thing that struck me was how clear a view into recorded soundstages I was experiencing. Whether it was the subtle acoustic of Robert Silverman's 1992…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Roon Ready streaming D/A processor/ preamplifier. Inputs: coaxial and TosLink optical S/PDIF (supports 16- and 24-bit PCM 44.1–192kHz); 10/100 Ethernet (supports 24-bit PCM up to 192kHz, MQA, and DSD64); USB2 (supports 24-bit PCM to 192kHz, MQA, and DSD64/128 in DoP format); and USB Type A port for use with external FAT32-formatted storage devices. Analog inputs: 2 pairs unbalanced line (RCA); 1 pair unbalanced MM/MC phono (RCA). Analog outputs: 1 pair balanced (XLR); 1 pair unbalanced (RCA); 1 pair unbalanced subwoofer (RCA); ¼" stereo headphone.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog source: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Linn Ekos tonearm, Linn Arkiv B cartridge, Channel D Seta L phono preamplifier.
Digital sources: Roon Nucleus+ file server with HDPlex linear power supply; Ayre Acoustics C-5xeMP universal player; MBL N31 CD player/DAC; Ayre Acoustics QA-9 A/D converter.
Power amplifiers: Parasound Halo JC 1+.
Loudspeakers: Audiovector QR 7, Mission 770.
Headphones: Audeze LCD-X
Cables: Digital: AudioQuest Vodka (Ethernet), AudioQuest Coffee (USB), DH Labs (1m, AES3). Interconnect:…