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The 2002 Products of the Year Product of the Year

2002 Product of the Year

Halcro dm58 monoblock power amplifier (review)

Runners-Up (in alphabetical order):
Accuphase DP-85 SACD player (review)
B&W Signature 800 loudspeaker (review)
Boulder 2008 phono preamplifier (review)
Classé Omega SACD player (review)
Manley Steelhead phono preamplifier
mbl 111B loudspeaker (review)
Rockport Technologies Antares loudspeaker (review)
Wilson Audio Specialties Sophia loudspeaker(review)

The cover of our October 2002 issue calls it "the best amplifier ever!" What more can we say? The dm58 ran away…

The 2002 Products of the Year Previous Awards

Previous Awards:

Stereophile's Products of 2001
Joint Products of the Year:
MartinLogan Prodigy loudspeaker (review)
Revel Ultima Studio loudspeaker (review)
Joint Budget Components:
Creek 5350SE integrated amplifier (review)
Perpetual Technologies P-3A D/A processor (review)
Polk RT25i loudspeaker (review)
Joint Loudspeakers:
MartinLogan Prodigy (review)
Revel Ultima Studio (review)
Amplification Component: TacT RCS 2.0 digital equalizer/preamplifier (review)
Joint Digital Sources:
Accuphase DP-100/DC-101 SACD transport/processor (…

Pioneer Elite Reference Loudspeaker System (SGHT Review)

When Pioneer commissioned Allen Boothroyd, a British industrial designer best known for his work with Meridian Audio, to come up with a unique appearance for its new surround-sound speaker system, they apparently knew what they didn't want: another boring set of square boxes. Nor did they want a speaker system that would blend into Ethan Allen surroundings.

The Pioneer Elite Reference speaker system is definitely not traditional-looking. The main left and right speakers would be right at home on a Star Trek set, with their sculpted appearance topped off by the oddest-looking mid-tweeter…

Pioneer Elite Reference Loudspeaker System (SGHT Review) Page 2

The spherical enclosure is no gimmick; the shape produces the lowest possible diffraction (unwanted reflections from the edges of the enclosure). The IRIS is mounted so that it can be rotated to fine-tune the imaging—and, in theory, eliminate the need to toe-in the speakers.

Users should exercise caution when rotating the IRIS to avoid touching the midrange diaphragm. I did so a few times without causing any apparent damage, but the diaphragm is quite vulnerable. If your environment exposes the IRIS drivers to the risk of damage (or you prefer a less esoteric look), you might want to…

Pioneer Elite Reference Loudspeaker System (SGHT Review) Page 3

Setup
Setting up the Pioneer Elite Reference speaker system involves nothing unusual. The TZ-F700s were placed to either side of my 78"-wide projection screen. The cabinets were aimed straight ahead, but the IRIS modules were toed-in considerably. Pioneer recommends that the cabinets be at least 18" from the rear and side walls. Unfortunately, the best I could manage in my room was 12" from the rear wall, but this didn't seem to compromise the system's performance. The distance from the side walls in my room was more than 5' on each side.

The TZ-F700's enclosure has anchors for…

Pioneer Elite Reference Loudspeaker System (SGHT Review) Page 4

Such quibbles faded to insignificance the longer I listened to the Elite Reference speaker system. In the past, Japanese speakers have had limited success in the US—at least apart from economy-oriented, single-branded systems—but Pioneer's design team has put together a speaker package that could change a lot of preconceptions. From vocals to large-scale orchestral fare, the Elite Reference system handles musical material with ease. The Fairfield Four's I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray (Warner Bros. 46698-2) is clean throughout, with an unmuddled midbass and lower midrange. Armada (Virgin…

Pioneer Elite Reference Loudspeaker System (SGHT Review) Page 5

Before listening to the system, I was a little concerned that the TZ-S700 surrounds might be the weak link. As the most simple speakers in the package, I'm sure they were designed to keep the overall system price under control. Why not design the surrounds with the same IRIS driver that graces the front speakers for better integration with the rest of the system?

I need not have worried. I normally prefer more diffusive surrounds of the dipole or bipole variety, but the Pioneer TZ-S700s admirably demonstrate the considerable attractions of more conventional, direct-radiating surrounds.…

Pioneer Elite Reference Loudspeaker System (SGHT Review) Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

TZ-F700: three-driver, four-way shielded L/R speaker
Drivers: two-way IRIS compound mid-tweeter; 6.5" midbass injection-molded cone; 12" injection-molded cone subwoofer (powered)
Frequency range: 25Hz-25kHz (tolerances not specified)
Crossover frequencies: 120Hz, 450Hz, 2kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms nominal
Sensitivity: 92dB/W/m
Maximum peak output: 112dB SPL (on program)
Bass amplifier power: 300VA
Recommended amplifier power: 10-150W @ 8 ohms
Dimensions (footprint): 51.25" by 15.75" by 21.36" (H by W by D)
Weight: 60 lbs.
Serial #:…

Pioneer Elite Reference Loudspeaker System (SGHT Review) Associated Components

Sidebar 2: Associated Components

Audio/Video Sources: Theta DaViD DVD player, Pioneer DV-09 DVD player, Pioneer CLD-99 LD/CD player
Processor: Meridian 861
Power Amplifier: Proceed AVP
Cables: Madrigal CZ-Gel audio interconnects, XLO VDO audio interconnects, XLO VDO speaker cables

Pioneer Elite Reference Loudspeaker System (SGHT Review) Driving an Onboard Powered Subwoofer

Sidebar 3: Driving an Onboard Powered Subwoofer

The most obvious way to drive a powered subwoofer is directly from the subwoofer output of a surround processor (ie, with a line-level signal). But there's another way. If you tap the output of the appropriate channel from the main system amplifier, you can use that signal to drive the subwoofer. The subwoofer must be designed for this application (many are), providing both line-level and speaker-level inputs.

With the Pioneer TX-F700 and TZ-C700, this is the only way to drive the built-in, powered subwoofer; in this case, the…