Description: Three-way, port-loaded, floorstanding, magnetically shielded, triwirable loudspeaker. Drive-units 1" Aspirated Tweeter Technology, aluminum-dome tweeter, 4" continuous-profile aluminum-cone midrange driver, two 6.5" continuous-profile aluminum-cone woofers. Crossover frequencies: 350Hz, 3kHz, damped second-order filters. Frequency range: 35Hz–32kHz. Sensitivity: 89dB/2.83V/m. Impedance: 4–8 ohms. Power rating: 15–250W.
Dimensions: 48" H by 9.5" W by 17.5" D. Weight: 66 lbs.
Finishes: Brilliant Silver, Granite Gray.
Serial numbers of units…
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Sidebar 1: Specifications
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable, Rega RB1000 tonearm, Linn Akiva cartridge; Magnum Dynalab MD 102 tuner.
Digital Sources: Naim CDS 3, Burmester 001 CD players.
Preamplifier: Naim NAC552.
Power amplifiers: Naim NAP500, Yamaha MX-D1, Leak Stereo 20 (restored).
Loudspeakers: B&W N802D, Tannoy Kensington.
Cables: Naim Audio interconnects; Vertex AQ Moncayo, Chord Signature, speaker cables.
Accessories: Mana, Naim support furniture; Vertex AQ platforms.—Paul Messenger
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I estimated the Performance 6's voltage sensitivity at 88dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is slightly but inconsequentially below the specified 89dB. The speaker's impedance (fig.1) mostly ranges between 4 and 8 ohms, with a minimum value of 3.6 ohms at 33.5Hz. Probably the point hardest to drive lies at 27Hz, where a fairly low 5.2 ohms is combined with a –39.4° capacitive phase angle; fortunately, with the exception of classical organ recordings and some techno, music has very little energy in this region.
Fig.1 Mordaunt-Short Performance 6, electrical…
Going from being an audio hobbyist to a professional reviewer is like passing kidney stones in an emergency room staffed with Playboy bunnies: Not only can you not have what you want, but you don't even want it anymore. In fact, you begin to consciously associate desire with a blinding pain in your crotch.
And if you think I shouldn't whine about this cushy, cushy job, think again: There's nothing more brutally sadistic than to tease a man by dangling a never-ending stream of desirable but unobtainable worldly goods before him, only to snatch them away three months later and…
Again, where the Thortofon combo had trouble keeping up was in getting very subtle sonic details across. The timbral differences between, say, different kinds of electric bass guitars were much clearer and easier to hear on the Linn rig. So was the sense of air in a recording—not to mention bumps, groans, crashes, and other noises in the studios.
And, yes, because bass notes were clearer in their attack/sustain/decay entireties, the pacing of some music was snappier with the Linn—although the Thortofon was hardly terrible by comparison, and was certainly less ponderous than, say, your…
Thirty years ago, the upstart audio company NAD revolutionized the manufacturing of consumer-electronics components by "internationalizing" the process. Instead of physically making products, NAD hired a project team in one location to design a product that was then built at a sub-contracted factory located elsewhere. The arrangement allowed NAD to go into business with relatively little capital outlay and low overhead. Other companies have since copied this ingenious business model, and, as transportation and communication have improved, doing so has become easier and more efficient. It has…
Setup and Use
In its unusually detailed instruction manual, Parasound recommends using the Halo JC 1 in balanced configuration. But my Hovland HP-100 preamplifier is single-ended, so that's how I used the Halos, with their Bias Level switches set to High, which configures the amp's output stage to operate at up to 25W in class-A. I placed the JC 1s on a pair of Finite Elemente Pagode amplifier stands and plugged them into the Shunyata Research Hydra power distribution center with Anaconda AvX power cord. I used both Harmonic Technology Fantasy 10 and Wireworld Silver Electra AC cords.…
In its unusually detailed instruction manual, Parasound recommends using the Halo JC 1 in balanced configuration. But my Hovland HP-100 preamplifier is single-ended, so that's how I used the Halos, with their Bias Level switches set to High, which configures the amp's output stage to operate at up to 25W in class-A. I placed the JC 1s on a pair of Finite Elemente Pagode amplifier stands and plugged them into the Shunyata Research Hydra power distribution center with Anaconda AvX power cord. I used both Harmonic Technology Fantasy 10 and Wireworld Silver Electra AC cords.…
On Jones' spare, languid arrangement of Hank Williams' "Cold Cold Heart"—just her piano, acoustic bass, and a sprinkle of percussive accents on electric guitar—the picture was so cleanly and exquisitely drawn that I found myself playing it again and again, even though such repeats don't give the grooves a chance to cool down and almost certainly cause damage. (Can I have another copy, Hobson?)
Admittedly, the insertion of the SME 30 turntable added an unknown variable to the mix. The only way to discern the JC 1's contribution to the super sound I was getting was to put my reference…
As I switched out the amps, I tried to sum up the experience I'd just had: I wondered whether the JC 1s or the other changes—or a combination of all of them—were responsible for the phenomenal transparency, resolution of low-level detail, and overall tonal neutrality I'd been hearing. More than that, the system was unusually "at ease"—a quality that kept me listening long into many nights.
A day-long warmup preceded any serious listening. In fact, I purposely stayed out of the room while the system played. Next evening, I played Norah Jones, Sibelius, Zombies, the Quiex SV-P of Muddy…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Solid-state monoblock power amplifier. Maximum output power (20Hz-20kHz): 400W into 8 ohms (26dBW), 800W into 4 ohms (26dBW) "continuous"; 1200Wpc into 2 ohms (23.6dBW) "short term." Class-A power, 25W into 8 ohms (14dBW); bias set to Low: 10W into 8 ohms (10dBW). Frequency response: 2Hz-120kHz, +0/-3dB. THD: <0.15% at full power, <0.018% at typical levels. IM distortion: <0.03%. Input impedance: 100k ohms. Input sensitivity: unbalanced, 1V for 28.28V output into 8 ohms (100W); balanced, 1V per leg for 28.28V output at 8 ohms.
Dimensions…