Setup
Not much to say here. Introducing the Horn Monos into my system was completely straightforward, the…
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As its name implies, the Horn Mono is designed to match horn loudspeakers, but the important criterion is the speaker's sensitivity, not the use of horn loading. Sanders suggests sensitivity ratings in the upper 90dB range as being appropriate, which usually means horns. In any case, my own Avantgarde Unos have a sensitivity rating of 100dB (John Atkinson actually measured 102.5dB in the September 2000 review), so it seemed that the match with the Horn Mono would be a good one.
The Horn Monos also excelled in providing dynamics. Constantine Orbelian and the Philharmonia of Russia's Vodka & Caviar (Delos DS-3288), a recent recording of Russian orchestral showpieces and one of my "Records To Die For" this year, is full of material to give any system a dynamic workout, and selections like Khachaturian's "Saber Dance" simply crackled with energy. Compared to the Wavelength Gemini and the CAD-2A3, whose power output is in the 3-5W range, the Horn Monos were, as one might expect, able to drive the Avantgardes to a higher undistorted level.
One aspect of…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Tube monoblock power amplifier. Tube complement: two EL34s, one 7247. Power output: 25W into 4 or 8 ohms (14dBW). Peak power: 50W. Bandwidth: 9Hz-100kHz. Input impedance: 100k ohms. Input sensitivity for full output: 9V.
Dimensions: 9.25" W by 6" H by 14.75" D. Weight: 30 lbs each.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: 0017 & 18 (auditioning), none visible (measuring).
Price: $1595/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 20. Warranty: 3 years parts & labor, 90 days tubes.
Manufacturer: Quicksilver Audio, 5635 Riggins Court, Unit 15,…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog source: Linn LP12 turntable (fully updated), Ittok tonearm, AudioQuest AQ-7000nsx cartridge.
Digital source: PS Audio Lambda II CD transport, Perpetual Technologies P-1A and ModWright P-3A digital processors.
Preamplifier: Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Ultimate.
Loudspeakers: Avantgarde Acoustic Uno 2.0.
Cables: I2S: Mystic Reference. Digital: Illuminati Orchid AES/EBU. Interconnect: Nordost Quattro Fil, Nirvana S-L. Speaker: Nirvana S-L with Avantgarde Uno 2.0 wiring harness. AC: PS Audio Lab Cable, Mini Lab Cable, TARA Labs Decade.…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Compared with the immaculate-looking Hovland Sapphire and Music Reference RM-200 tube amplifiers that preceded it on my test bench, the Quicksilver Horn Mono amplifier, with its three tubes atop its chromed chassis, looked unprepossessing. But you should never go by looks; it's performance that matters, right?
The input impedance at 1kHz was usefully high, at 98k ohms, and the amplifier preserved absolute polarity. No surprises there. However, the voltage gain into 8 ohms measured a very low 8.86dB from the 8 ohm output transformer tap. It was an even…
This behavior is not different in character at higher powers, as can be seen from fig.8, which shows the spectrum of the amplifier's output while it drives 13W into 4 ohms from the 4 ohm tap. The third harmonic has risen to -54dB (0.2%), but the other harmonics are all still low in level, with the fifth apparent at -74dB (0.02%), the second at -80dB (0.01%), and the fourth at -92dB (0.0025%). Given that intermodulation distortion is also extremely low at what was probably the maximum power level used by RD with the Avantgarde Uno horn speakers (fig.9), it's no surprise that he found the…
SANTIAGO DE MURCIA: ¡Jácaras!
Paul O'Dette, Pat O'Brien, Steve Player, baroque guitars; Andrew Lawrence-King, harp, psaltery; Pedro Estevan, percussion
Harmonia Mundi 907212 (CD). 1998. Robina G. Young, exec. prod.; John Hadden, prod., eng. DDD. TT: 78:21
Performance *****
Sonics *****
Paul O'Dette, Pat O'Brien, Steve Player, baroque guitars; Andrew Lawrence-King, harp, psaltery; Pedro Estevan, percussion
Harmonia Mundi 907212 (CD). 1998. Robina G. Young, exec. prod.; John Hadden, prod., eng. DDD. TT: 78:21
Performance *****
Sonics *****
"This really rocks!" John Atkinson commented as he handed me ¡Jácaras! during our search for January's "Recording of the Month." A strange accolade, you might think, for a recording of 18th-century music for baroque guitar, harp, and psaltery, but an apt one. This music does rock. It is,…
Imaging, imaging, imaging. That's what I thought when I first heard the Sonus Faber Electa Amators reviewed by Jack English last October. How could such small speakers create such a wide, deep soundfield? John Hunter, president of Sumiko, Ltd. and importer of Sonus Faber products, was amused but not surprised at my reaction. I did the natural thing and begged for a review pair.
Instead, he sent along the $1800/pair Minima FM-2, the Amator's baby brother. These 13-lb minimonitors are the company's smallest model. Of all the Sonus Faber speakers, John predicted that the tiny Minimas would…
Sound
The Minimas passed all my usual subjective listening tests with flying colors. I played pink noise to determine the optimal listening axis. Midband colorations were not evident, and the sound was natural over a wide listening area. This was confirmed by the sit-down, stand-up, walk-around test. The sound remained uniform, changing character only when I was standing right above the speaker. I broke the Minimas in over three months, but even over this long a time I heard little change in sonic character.
The Minimas passed all my usual subjective listening tests with flying colors. I played pink noise to determine the optimal listening axis. Midband colorations were not evident, and the sound was natural over a wide listening area. This was confirmed by the sit-down, stand-up, walk-around test. The sound remained uniform, changing character only when I was standing right above the speaker. I broke the Minimas in over three months, but even over this long a time I heard little change in sonic character.
I set up the Sonus Fabers at the narrow end of the room, 4' from each side…
The Minima's treble response was smooth and sweet, rolling off gently. Perhaps this was more evident than usual because its midrange emphasis gave the Minimas a tipped-down sonic balance overall. Nowhere was this sweetness more evident than on the LP of the Glory soundtrack (Virgin 90531). In the opening cut, "A Call to Arms," the choir spread from wall to wall, rich, sweet, and airy. On the other hand, this sonic balance did not favor the direct-injected bass guitar on Stereophile's Test CD 2. Corey Greenberg's guitar was warm, but lacked extension in the treble and bass, particularly…