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Ken Kantor: Now Hear This

Stereophile Editor John Atkinson walked into our office brandishing a CD (footnote 1). "Guess what Ken Kantor did? He took a year off from running NHT (footnote 2) to make this disc."

"That's really cool," I responded, drifting into a fantasy about what I'd do with a year off. "I'd like to meet a guy who'd do that."

"You could go visit NHT's factory when you're in San Francisco for HI-FI '97."

So I did. It wasn't a typical manufacturing plant, but NHT—like its founder—doesn't aim for the typical. It revels in its quirkiness. As I was shown around the factory, I observed…

Ken Kantor: Now Hear This Page 2

I was gone. It was my first real job. I'd done piecework for AR and Boston Acoustics, but now I was sitting down with distributors and learning what they wanted, then meeting with circuit engineers and discussing new parts and design considerations. It was a real education. Originally, NAD wanted me to design loudspeakers and develop a program for testing speakers, but that wasn't how I ended up spending most of my time. I designed tone-control circuits for the 3020 series, I designed test and measurement equipment for them, and I also worked on their turntable. I wasn't a team leader, so I…

Ken Kantor: Now Hear This Page 3

That's what makes a product great. It has nothing to do with its price. Other companies may argue with that, but I think they're wrong. Either they don't know how to purchase or they're trying to create a mystique around themselves.

For example, I can't think of a better tweeter than the one in the NHT 3.3—there were no cost guidelines involved in choosing it. That tweeter costs me about $14. Of course, if you just wanted to buy one, it would cost upwards of $50—maybe as much as $80. But because we can sell a lot of loudspeakers, we can buy cheaper than a smaller company. We decided to…

Ensemble Fonobrio phono preamplifier

The original plan, back in mid-2004, was to audition an entire Ensemble system and then review the individual components over the next two years. Most audio companies produce lines of matching products, but Ensemble takes it a bit further, with a modular approach and extensive commonality of everything from chassis to circuit boards. They firmly believe that everything affects sonic performance, and their approach helps ensure a consistent sound throughout their line.

Ensemble and its then importer, Ray Lombardi of Ray of Sound, note that the individual components stand on…

Ensemble Fonobrio phono preamplifier Page 2

The Fonobrio was most directly comparable to the Halcro dm10. The VAC CPA1 Mk.III was lovely, but added far more of its own voice than the others. The Sutherland PhD's incredible quiet and freedom from any sort of electronic texture set it apart, but so did its softened dynamic transients. The Whest PhonoStage.20 offered a balanced perspective, as Michael Fremer noted in his "Analog Corner" review in the March 2005 issue, but it couldn't quite match the pricier models' resolution and sophistication.

The first thing I noted was that Ensemble has achieved their goal of a consistent sonic…

Ensemble Fonobrio phono preamplifier Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: Moving-magnet/moving-coil (MM/MC) phono preamplifier. Inputs: 1 MM, 1 MC (both unbalanced, RCA). Line outputs: 1 unbalanced (RCA). Input impedances: 48k ohms, 220pF (MM); selectable, 51.7–1k ohm, 2300pF (MC); custom values available. Maximum input levels: 60mV (MM), 4mV (MC). Maximum output level: 9.5V RMS. Voltage gain: 44dB (MM), 68 or 74dB (MC). Frequency response: 10Hz–85kHz, ±3dB. RIAA accuracy: 20Hz–20kHz, ±1dB. Total noise, A-weighted: <–80dB (MM), <–68dB (MC).
Dimensions: 15.5" (395mm) W by 5.4" (138mm) H by 12.4" (315mm) D. Weight…

Ensemble Fonobrio phono preamplifier Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Source: VPI HR-X turntable & tonearm, Lyra Titan MC phono cartridge.
Digital Sources: Simaudio Andromeda, Cary CD-303/300, Ensemble Dirondo CD players; EMM Labs CDSD SACD transport with DCC2 preamplifier-processor.
Preamplification: VTL TL-7.5, Placette line stages; Halcro dm10 preamplifier; Sutherland PhD, Whest Audio PhonoStage.20+MsU.20 phono preamplifiers.
Power Amplifiers: VTL S-400, VTL Ichiban, Halcro dm58, Mark Levinson No.20.6.
Loudspeakers: Thiel CS6, Wilson Audio Sophia.
Cables: Interconnects & speaker cables:…

Ensemble Fonobrio phono preamplifier Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

The Ensemble was noninverting in both MM and MC modes. In MM mode it offered less gain at 1kHz than specified: 37.8dB vs 44dB. The MC mode gains were also correspondingly lower, at 56.4dB ("24dB") and 62.2dB ("30dB"). Its input impedance in MM mode was a high 52k ohms at 1kHz, dropping slightly at 20Hz to 45k ohms and, more significant, to 19k ohms at 20kHz. Set to "51.7 ohms," the MC mode's input impedance was a uniform 77 ohms across the audioband; set to "1k," it measured 1k ohm from 20Hz to 1kHz, rising slightly to 1.5k ohms at 20kHz. Output impedance was to…

REL Studio III subwoofer

Makers of powered subwoofers fall into two camps: those that fit a high-powered amplifier and a single, large woofer into a relatively small, unobtrusive enclosure; and those that build two or more 10" woofers and an amp of moderate power into a larger, heavier enclosure.

REL Acoustics Ltd. is of the latter persuasion. Led by Richard Lord, the Welsh firm has dedicated its considerable engineering talents and facilities to creating dedicated bass loudspeakers. Beginning with Lord's Stadium series in 1992, REL has produced cost-no-object subwoofers designed to reproduce both bass and what…

REL Studio III subwoofer Page 2

Then Hager began jamming the sub into the corner and slowly pulling it out on the diagonal, equidistant from the side and front walls. At a point about 6" from room corner to enclosure corner, the drum beat from "Cosmos, Old Friend," from the Sneakers soundtrack, sounded more solid, heavy, and loud than it had before. That was where the subwoofer was left.

Hager switched the low-pass filter to the bottom of its range, 22Hz, then slowly advanced the Studio III's gain control until the bass-drum beat was solid and clear. Advancing it further made the drum sound more diffuse, with an image…