Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded dynamic/ribbon hybrid loudspeaker. Driver complement: One 6.5" cone woofer, one 26" dipole ribbon. Crossover frequency: 1kHz. Recommended amplifier power: 50Wpc minimum, 200Wpc maximum. Nominal impedance: 6 ohms, 4 ohms minimum.
Dimensions: 14.5" W by 52.5" H by 14.24" D. Weight: 80 lbs each. Enclosure: 24 liters (0.8ft3).
Serial numbers of units reviewed: 001712/001713.
Price: $1995/pair (1995); no longer available (2008). Approximate number of dealers: 125.
Manufacturer: Apogee Acoustics, Inc., Randolph, MA 02368…
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Sidebar 1: Specifications
Sidebar 2: System
I used two amplifiers to evaluate the Slant 6: the $12,000/pair reference-quality Audio Research VT150 tubed monoblocks, and the $2355, more real-world McCormack DNA-1 Deluxe (see my Follow-Up elsewhere in this issue). Loudspeaker cables included 3' bi-wired runs of AudioQuest Dragon/Clear, and an 8' bi-wired pair of Symo—the Apogee-recommended cable for all Apogee loudspeakers. When Jason was visiting, we heard significant differences between cables—the Slant 6 appeared to be very cable-sensitive. I ended up doing most of my auditioning with the bi-wired Symo set, both…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
John Atkinson measured the Slant 6 in Stereophile's test lab and presented the graphs to me after I'd completed the auditioning and written the rest of the review.
The 6's calculated B-weighted sensitivity was 83.2dB for a drive level of 2.83V at 1m—a rather low value. The impedance plot (fig.1) shows a minimum impedance of 3.78 ohms at 120Hz—with a 4 ohm dip at 2kHz—and an impedance of less than 5 ohms above 1kHz. The port tuning can be seen as the impedance dip at 37Hz, implying reasonably good LF extension.
Fig.1 Apogee Slant 6,…
One question posed by John Atkinson at the July 1991 Stereophile Writers Conference had to do with the ease of reviewing: Is it harder to write a bad review of an expensive product than a good review? I find it hardest to write a good review of an inexpensive product. If I admire a less expensive loudspeaker, for example, it may become a recommended component, and can displace a more expensive speaker (that received mixed comments) from our twice-yearly rankings. This can be a big responsibility; even a conditional rave of a low-cost product means that JA may assign another Stereophile…
The Snell E/IIIs made a definite impression right away, and a good one. Despite their size, the E/IIIs came alive in my listening room, with a big soundstage presentation, a slightly forward quality, and no harshness or roughness. The speaker conveyed the warmth inherently present in music, while being open, fast, and showing considerable deep-bass extension. This warmth added a slight richness to the sound that I found very pleasing, particularly on well-recorded piano music. Chopin's Nocturne, Op.62 No.1, as played by Vladimir Horowitz (Last Recording, Sony SK 45818, DDD), came alive with…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Driver complement: one 8" cone woofer, one 1" treated textile-dome tweeter, one 0.75" soft-dome, rear-firing tweeter. Crossover frequency: 2.7kHz, 24dB/octave slope. Frequency response: 39Hz–20kHz, ±1.75dB anechoic (response specified on-axis or up to 15° off the horizontal axis). Nominal impedance: 6 ohms. Sensitivity: 91dB at 1W (2.83V) at 1m, anechoic (sensitivity higher in a normal environment). Power requirements: suitable for use with amplifiers rated from 20Wpc to 100Wpc.
Dimensions: 13" W…
Sidebar 2: Review System
Amplifiers included a Mark Levinson No.27 (used exclusively with the Quad ESL-63 USA Monitors) and a Krell KSA-250. In addition, I used a very inexpensive Lafayette Criterion SR 10A receiver, just to test Kevin Voecks's suggestion that the Snell Type E/IIIs could also perform with lesser electronics. The Quads and the Snell A/III's midrange/tweeter section were driven by the Levinson No.27 via 15' runs of Monster Cable. Because the two systems were bi-amplified, the Quad/Gradient subwoofer and the A/III's woofer section were driven by the Krell KSA-250 via HF10C…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
Before Tom Norton sent the E/IIIs off to Larry for auditioning, I ran them through a subset of my basically standardized set of tests. Fig.1 shows the speaker's impedance and electrical phase. (The twin curves in the treble show the tweeter-level control set to its minimum and maximum positions.) Dropping to 4 ohms or below only in the upper bass (and the high treble when the level control is set to its maximum position), the E/III is reasonably easy for an amplifier to drive. Even relatively inexpensive electronics—vide LG's antique Lafayette receiver—should have…
What's this? A review of a $3000 moving-coil step-up transformer in this digital day and age? Yep. Although the market for such a product is small, the fact that the Expressive Technologies SU-1 step-up transformer enters previously uncharted state-of-the-art territory warrants these pages of editorial space. Furthermore, LP playback appears to be alive and well at the upper end of the high-end spectrum, a market segment addressed by the SU-1 (footnote 1).
Before getting to the SU-1, a few words about Expressive Technologies are in order. In many ways, they are like the small tweaky…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Moving-coil step-up transformer: Voltage gain: 28dB. Turns ratio: 25:1. Input impedance: 75 ohms. Recommended preamp input impedance: 47k ohms, 100pF. Frequency response: 0.1Hz–250kHz, +0, –3dB. Phase shift: <3° at 20kHz. Group delay variance: <100;us (20Hz–20kHz). Noise: >–100dB (referenced to 0.5mV). Maximum input voltage: 1V. Maximum output voltage: 25V.
Dimensions: 19" W by 5.4" H by 8.25" D. Weight: 35 pounds (net).
Price: $2950 (1992). Approximate number of dealers: 5.
Manufacturer: Expressive Technologies, P.O. Box 6401,…