Sound
The dominant characteristic of Magnepan speakers over the years has been their uncanny coherence. The Maggie I've lived with most recently, the MG3.5/R, was incredible in this regard. With the '3.5s, individual images were distinct and detailed, yet continuous. They were cut from a single cloth, so to speak, with no sense that the signal was being fragmented and routed through separate drivers and crossovers. Images struck just the right balance between edge definition and coherence with the surrounding space, all wrapped up in a seamless, rich portrayal of the original ambient…
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The '1.6/QR's resolution of inner detail was another area of surprising strength and a contributor to its vivid presentation. Instruments and voices were dense and dimensional, and rich with tonal and dynamic subtleties. Album after album, my notes were filled with comments like "clear," "precise," or "great inner detail—individual voices and instruments within a section are wonderfully distinct." I was repeatedly taken aback by how complex and real a familiar voice—say, Joni Mitchell's or Rickie Lee Jones'—sounded through the '1.6.
Similarly, its reproduction of solo piano—Artur…
Sidebar 4: PW-1 Specifications
Descrption: Passive downward-firing stereo subwoofer in a single cabinet with distributed resistive-vent loading. Drive-units: two 6?" long-throw bass drivers. Sensitivity: 88dB (no conditions specified). Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, 4 ohms minimum when used as part of the Alón Trio system. Crossover: internal, 12dB/octave at 55Hz. Frequency response: 32Hz in-room.
Dimensions: 29" H by 8" W by 15" D. Finish: black ash laminate.
Serial number of unit reviewed: 133.
Price: $500. Approximate number of dealers: 60.
Manufacturer: Acarian Systems, 15…
Sidebar 5: PW-1 Measurements
With its twin 6.5" drive-units and small enclosure, the Alón PW1 really only qualifies as a woofer rather than a subwoofer. As can be seen from figs.1 & 2, its output starts to rollout below 42Hz, the region of the lowest note of the double bass or 4-string Fender bass. Fig.2 shows that it neatly fills in for an octave below the Petite, however, which has its 6dB-down point at a moderate 55Hz—not bad extension for such a small speaker. With an impedance dropping to just below 6 ohms (fig.3), the PW-1 won't present amplifiers with any drive problems, even…
Robert J. Reina commented on the Alón Petite in February 2001 (Vol.24 No.2):
When I pitted the PSB Image 4T against the three speakers I already own and love, the comparison was interesting—any speaker costing $1000/pair or less demands sonic tradeoffs whose acceptability depends on personal taste. My reference Alón Petites were more delicate, articulate, and extended in the highs than the 4Ts, and significantly more transparent through the midrange and highs, revealing more layers of inner detail (as they should, given their 50% higher price). The Petites' microdynamic performance was…
Trees. All I could see from Route 44 was trees. Many, many trees. How many trees? Exactly 251.1 million maples, hickories, pines, hemlocks, ashes, and oaks of all colors, with trunks 5" or greater in diameter, according to an online survey I later found on the Web. Once you get away from I-95 and the coast, Connecticut seems to be one large forest, its towns peeking out from barely adequate clearings. And not just "seems"—the same online survey says that 57% of the Constitution State's 3,205,760 acres are officially classified as "forest."
I told you in December 2001's "As We See It"…
Paul Barton, founder of PSB Speakers International, is an icon of the North American speaker industry. A talented designer who has for many years produced innovative and cost-effective designs at a range of prices, Barton does not let time stand still, constantly updating and revising his designs. But what makes him unique, in my view, is that, unlike the designers at most North American speaker companies, whose successful affordable designs are trickled down from their more expensive models, Barton, like the British designers, seems to get most of his excitement from his budget lines. His…
The B25's high-frequency articulation showed up well on the tutti brass passages of the Basie LP as well. The muted trumpets were searing and biting, but not a bit spitty. I noticed a similar effect on the brass passages of my white-dog pressing of Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra (LP, RCA Living Stereo LSC-2643). Moreover, the passages of massed strings in this work were searing yet silky and sweet, as they are in live performances. Finally, the PSBs were capable of a tremendous sense of drama—the high-level passages of this orchestral blockbuster showed no hint of strain or compression…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded, magnetically shielded, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: ferrofluid-cooled 1" aluminum-dome tweeter; 6.5" injection-molded, metalized polypropylene-cone woofer. Crossover frequency: 2.5kHz. Crossver slopes: 3rd-order Butterworth. Frequency response: 45Hz-23kHz,±3dB. Sensitivity: 89dB/2.83V/m anechoic, 91dB/2.83V/m in typical listening room. Recommended amplification: 10-100W.
Dimensions: 15¾" H by 8½" W by 11 15/16" D. Weight: 15 lbs.
Finishes: Maple, Black Ash.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: 10120 403038…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog sources: VPI TNT IV turntable, Immedia RPM tonearm, Koetsu Urushi cartridge; Rega Planar 3 turntable, Syrinx PU-3 tonearm, Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood & Aurum Beta S cartridges.
Digital sources: California Audio Labs Icon Mk.II Power Boss, Creek CD53 Mk.II CD players; Pioneer DV-333 DVD-V player.
Preamplification: Vendetta Research SCP-2D phono stage, Audio Valve Eklipse line stage.
Power amplifier: Audio Research VT100 Mk.II.
Integrated amplifier: Creek 5350SE.
Loudspeakers: Epos ELS3, NHT SB3, Alón/N&243;la Li'l Rascal Mk.II.…