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Sources were, on phono, the now-familiar SOTA Star Sapphire with SME IV and AudioQuest 7000 running into the VTL Ultimate preamplifier. CD came from both the CAL Tempest II and the Stax DAC-X1t digital processor driven by a JVC XL-Z1010 player's digital output; this latter setup delivers the most musical sound from CD I've ever heard. It's the first CD source that's made me wish some of my LPs were on CD—though extended listening to even this setup revealed greater intimacy from LP. Still, I was impressed. The CS5s are very evenhanded, showing no…

Looking at the CS5's impedance (fig.1), it can be seen that the CS5 presents an amplifier with a pretty severe load, dropping under 4 ohms in the lower midrange and below, as well as at 2kHz. In fact, disregarding the slight phase lag in fig.1 in this region, the speaker pretty much approximates a 2 ohm resistor throughout the bass, which means that the amplifier with which it is used must have ample—to say the least—current capability if the sound is not to become anemic. In addition, if the preamp doesn't have some sort of subsonic high-pass filter on its phono…

Description: Floor-standing, five-way, six–drive-unit, "Coherent Source," moving-coil loudspeaker. Drive-units: two 8" Kevlar-cone subwoofers, 8" Kevlar-cone woofer, 5" Kevlar/foam-cone lower-midrange unit, 2" metal-dome upper midrange unit, 1" metal-dome tweeter. Crossover frequencies: 50Hz, 400Hz, 1kHz, 3kHz. Crossover slopes: first-order, 6dB/octave. Frequency response: 23Hz–20kHz ±1dB. Phase response: minimum ±5°. Sensitivity: 87dB/2.83V/1m (equivalent to around 82dB/W/m, given the low impedance). Impedance: 3 ohms (2 ohms minimum). Recommended power: 100–…

When, following the superb Wide Angels (2003), recorded with his 15-piece Quindectet, Michael Brecker decided to end his long-term contract with Impulse!/Verve and hook up with Heads Up International, part of…

My knowledge of art history is limited to what I learned in high school and a few bits and pieces I've picked up since. It's not much, but it's enough for me to realize that there's an analogy, if only a rough one, to be made between art and the audio hobby.

The history of art is long and complex, but if you narrow the focus to the European tradition you can uncover a useful if oversimplified narrative. Up until the late 19th…

One manufacturer rises above the rest when it comes to invoking sheer gizmoidal lust: Nagra. Since 1951, the Swiss firm has built the gear that professional recordists in the broadcast and film industries have turned to when they couldn't afford to risk using more temperamental components. Nagras were built to work in the field, and to keep working. Hang out with anthropologists…

I'd take precision over power any day
My first sonic impression of the CDP was of a tightly focused, phenomenally detailed musical image. I listened to "Cloudburst," from Lambert, Hendricks, & Ross's The Hottest New Group in Jazz (…

Description: Single-box, fixed-output CD player with outboard 12V DC power supply and remote control. Formats played: CD, CD-R, CD-RW. D/A conversion: 24 bits. Oversampling: 8x (352.8kHz). Analog outputs: 1 pair RCA, 1 pair balanced XLR. Digital outputs: coaxial S/PDIF, AES/EBU, TosLink S/PDIF. Analog output levels: 3.5V/1V, user-delectable, balanced and unbalanced. Frequency response: 20Hz (0dB)–20kHz (–1dB). Signal/noise: >108dB. THD: <0.003%. Channel separation: 90dB. Jitter: "unmeasurable." Power consumption: 6W continuous, 12W peak.
Dimensions: 12…

Digital Sources: Ayre C-5xe universal player, Krell Evolution 505 SACD/CD player.
Preamplifiers: Ayre K-1xe, Krell Evolution 202.
Power Amplifiers: Ayre MX-R, Krell Evolution 600.
Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Confidence C4, Wilson Audio Specialties WATT/Puppy 8.
Cables: Interconnect: Shunyata Research Aries & Antares. Speaker: Shunyata Research Lyra.
Accessories: Ayre L-5xe line filter; Furutech eTP-609 distribution box, FP-20A(R) duplex outlets, RDP panels; OSAR Selway/Magruder equipment racks; Ayre Myrtle Wood Blocks.—Wes Phillips

The Nagra CDP's maximum output level at 1kHz was 3.175V from its unbalanced jacks, 4dB higher than the CD standard's 2V. The balanced output was 0.67dB higher, at 3.42V. Both outputs were absolute-polarity-correct; ie, non-inverting (the XLRs are wired with pin 2 hot, the AES standard). The output impedance was a low 50 ohms from both sets of outputs at treble and midrange frequencies, but rose at 20Hz to 344 ohms (balanced) and 146 ohms (unbalanced). With preamps having an input impedance of 10k ohms or higher, this increase will not have any audible consequences…