But when I unpacked Ensemble's Dirondo single-box CD player ($8999), I saw that it was built like a Swiss watch. The design is thoughtful and well executed, and all its mechanical…
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I've encountered a number of audio products over the years whose thoughtful design and intricate craftsmanship brought to mind the expression "built like a Swiss watch." As often as I'd thought or even written that phrase, however, I don't think I'd ever stopped to seriously consider what an audio component might be like if actually built by the nation that produces Rolex and Breitling wristwatches.
Part of the Dirondo's character could be attributed to a somewhat light tonal balance, most noticeable with instruments and vocals that spanned the midrange. On Rickie Lee Jones' live acoustic CD, Naked Songs (Reprise 45950-2), there didn't seem to be a body or a resonating chest cavity behind the voice; Jones sounded girlish and coy instead of husky, sultry, or breathy. I could easily discern and feel the vibrations of both the strings and the guitar's body, but the latter lacked the deeper, more booming components. Jones' vocals and guitar were sweet, and satisfying, but compared to the…
Sidebar 1: Specification
Description: Integrated CD player. D/A conversion: 24-bit/96kHz, following upsampling of 16-bit/44.1kHz input. Analog output: 1 pair RCA jacks. Output level: fixed, 3.1V RMS. Output impedance: 2 ohms. Digital output: 1 S/PDIF (RCA), 75 ohm. Frequency response: 20Hz–20kHz, ±<0.1dB. Signal/noise: 114dB, A-weighted. Crosstalk at 1kHz, 0dBFS: –112dB. Distortion: THD+N at 1kHz, 0dBFS: 0.003%.
Dimensions: 15.5" (395mm) W by 5.4" (138mm) H by 12.4" (315mm) D. Weight: 31 lbs (14kg) net, 37 lbs (17kg) shipping.
Serial number of unit reviewed: 0405263.
Price…
Sidebar 2: Associated Components
Analog Source: VPI TNT HR-X turntable & tonearm, Lyra Titan cartridge.
Digital Source: Burmester 001, Simaudio Moon Eclipse CD players.
Preamplification: Burmester 011, VTL 12.5 preamplifiers; Ensemble Fonobrio phono stage; Placette remote volume control unit.
Power Amplifiers: Simaudio Moon Rock and Mark Levinson No.20.6 monoblocks, VTL S-400.
Loudspeakers: Thiel CS6.
Cables: Nirvana S-X Ltd., Audience Au24, Nordost Valhalla, Silversmith Silver speaker cables and interconnects. AC: Audience PowerChord, Synergistic Research Designers'…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
At 3.25V, the Ensemble Dirondo's maximum output level was 4.2dB higher than the CD standard's 2V. The output was noninverting with the pushbutton polarity switch set to "0º," inverting with it set to "180º." The source impedance was very low, 1 ohm, in the bass and midrange. Though it rose to 14 ohms at 20kHz, this is still very low; the Dirondo should have no problem driving awkward preamplifier loads or passive preamplifiers. Error correction was very good. There was an occasional glitch on track 32 of the Pierre Verany test CD, which has 1.25mm gaps in the data…
One of the fundamental tenets of high-end audio is that a loudspeaker's bass output should be appropriate for the listening room's size. The smaller the room, the less bass the loudspeakers should produce. Any manufacturer of large loudspeakers who has set up such a system in a CES hotel room can attest to how difficult it is to avoid boominess in a tiny space.
Bass extension works against good sound quality in small rooms or rooms with poor dimensional ratios. Any volume of air in an enclosed space will reinforce certain frequencies when that air is excited (such as by a woofer cone…
In its most basic configuration, the Tukan can be single- or bi-wired. The separate bass and treble input terminals also allow passive bi-amping (two amplifier channels driving the Tukan through the Tukan's passive crossover), or active bi-amping. In active bi-amping, an external electronic crossover splits up the frequency spectrum before the power amplifiers, eliminating the need for passive crossover components (capacitors and inductors) in the signal path. All Linn amplifiers, including the Majik integrated, can be upgraded to actively drive the Tukans. If you have a Linn Majik and a…
To its credit, however, the little Tukan was clearly doing some good things that I wasn't getting from the Aerial 5. The Linn presented more detail, life, and presence, particularly at lower listening levels. I heard lots of fine detail in recordings, both fine inner detail and transient information. The Tukan sounded more upbeat and visceral than the somewhat staid Aerial 5. Drums had a sharper attack that accentuated the music's rhythm. A good example is Terry Bozzio's fabulous drumming on the 13-minute Zappa instrumental "The Ocean is the Ultimate Solution" (Sleep Dirt, Ryko RCD 10527).…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded loudspeaker, with internal adjustment of treble level, and single-wire, bi-wire, bi-amplification, and active bi-amplification options. Drive-units: 1" ceramic-dome tweeter, 5.1" cone bass/midrange unit. Frequency response: 70Hz-20kHz, ±3dB (passive); 65Hz-20kHz, ±3dB (active). Impedance: 4 ohms (passive); 6 ohms treble, 4 ohms bass (active). Sensitivity: 87dB/W/m at 1kHz.
Dimensions: 7.4" W by 12" H by 7.2" D. Weight: 12.3 lbs each, net.
Serial numbers of units tested: 013189 & 90.
Price: $799/pair. Approximate…
Sidebar 2: System & Setup
I drove the loudspeakers with a wide range of amplifiers and source components over the past five months. The Linns saw action with five integrated amplifiers: the Audio Note OTO SE, Linn Majik, Sonic Frontiers Anthem Integrated One, Rotel RA-970BX, and NAD 317. Source components included the Well Tempered Turntable and Lary Pederson-modified Well Tempered Arm, fitted with an AudioQuest AQ7000nsx phono cartridge; all the budget and midpriced CD players I've reviewed recently (particularly the Rotel RCD-990); and that long-term favorite, the Sonic Frontiers…