That also makes big loudspeakers especially fun to review. The review is an adventure, akin to meeting a new…
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Big loudspeakers are where diligent hi-fi reviewers really earn their pay. Not only are they heavy and difficult to move, but they also require attention and patience to set up so that they sound their best in our listening spaces. They take time to understand and study. And they all sound quite different from each other—not subtle differences, like the ones between two high-quality, similarly designed DACs. In this respect, big speakers are like phono cartridges, only more so.
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive units: 1" TPCD (Thin-Ply Carbon Diaphragm) tweeter, two 6.5" carbon-cone midrange drivers, one 12" paper-cone woofer with rear port. Crossover frequencies: 350Hz, 2.3kHz. Frequency range: 20Hz–24kHz. Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, 5.4 ohms minimum at 85Hz. Sensitivity: 87.5dB/W/m. Recommended power: minimum 80W.
Dimensions: 45" (1143mm) H × 12.1" (307.3mm) W × 20" (508mm) D. Weight: 159lb (72.1kg) each.
Finishes: Each speaker pair painted to customer order, with automotive paint.
Serial numbers of…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Vinyl playback: Technics SL-1200MKV turntable with KAB 3-speed mod, fluid damping, and tonearm wiring; LP Gear The Vessel, Ortofon 2M Blue, Audio-Technica AT-VM95C cartridges. Technics SL-50C turntable with Ortofon 2M Red cartridge.
Phono preamplifier: Pro-Ject Phono Box RS2.
Digital playback: dCS Bartók APEX DAC/streamer.
Preamplifier: Benchmark LA-4.
Power amplifiers: Benchmark AHB2, Aragon 8002.
Streaming receiver: T+A Symphonia.
Loudspeaker: B&W 808.
Accessories: Butcherblock Acoustics equipment rack, SME turntable cable…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I measured one of the EgglestonWorks Andra 5 loudspeakers, serial number A5-88887, in Tom Fine's listening room. Tom and I maneuvered the 159lb loudspeaker onto a small dolly, wheeled it several feet from the wall behind it, and aimed the speaker along one of his listening room's diagonals so that it was well away from the room boundaries, apart from the floor. The speaker was driven by TF's Benchmark AHB2 amplifier for the measurements.
I used DRA Labs' MLSSA system with a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to examine the EgglestonWorks speaker's farfield…