The first thing I noted was that Ensemble has achieved their goal of a consistent sonic…
search
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.
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…
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:…
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…
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…
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…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Super "Acoustic Resistive Matrix" (ARM)-loaded, powered subwoofer. Inputs: 2 line-level, unbalanced (RCA) phono inputs with 0dB and +12dB sensitivities, 1 line-level, balanced XLR input, 2 speaker-level inputs using Neutrik Speakon connectors, one balanced, one unbalanced. No signal-sensing auto on/off. Drive-units: two downward-firing, long-excursion, heavy-duty 10" paper-cone woofers made by Volt. Crossover: low-pass filter (defeatable) using REL Active Bass Control (ABC) in 24 semitone increments, 22-96Hz, 12dB/octave slope; no high-pass filter…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog source: Linn Sondek-Lingo turntable, Ittok tonearm, Spectral moving-coil cartridge.
Digital sources: Krell KRC-28 CD player, Sony SCD-C555ES SACD/CD multichannel player.
FM tuners: Day-Sequerra Classic, McIntosh MR-78, Sony ST-5000.
Preamplification: Mark Levinson ML-7 preamp with L3A MC phono cards, Duntech MX-10 head amp, Margulis phono section, Krell KCT preamp.
Power amplifiers: Mark Levinson ML-2 monoblocks & No.334, Krell FPB 600C.
Loudspeakers: Quad ESL-989; James EMB-1200 and Velodyne DD-18 subwoofers.
Cables:…
It has become accepted lore in audiophile circles that the 44.1kHz sampling rate adopted for Compact Disc is too low. Some writers have argued that, as a 20kHz sinewave will only be sampled about twice per cycle, it will not be reconstructed accurately, if at all.
Now, it may be true that 44.1kHz is too low a sampling rate, but certainly not for this reason. H. Nyquist, a researcher at Bell Labs, many years ago proved mathematically that as long as the sampling frequency is at least twice the highest frequency of interest in the signal to be sampled, the waveform will be accurately…
Yes, I know---there are tens of thousands of happy CD player owners. But you should now start to see why there are subjective shortcomings. Take the first assumption, that the signal had no components above half the sampling frequency. Real music inconveniently has a spectrum that extends up and up, well above the traditional "20 to 20k" audio bandwidth. Before it can be sampled, the music signal has therefore to be viciously filtered to avoid the particularly audible nasties of "aliasing"---such a benign word to describe one of the more unpleasant-sounding distortions---and the design of…