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With hindsight, it should have been obvious at the time that the 1970s witnessed a glorious flowering of high-end audio. Almost all the brands now regarded as leaders had their start in that decade, though with perhaps the exceptions of Audio Research, Linn, Magnepan, and Naim, those of us working at audio magazines missed the significance of the new names. Dynaudio, for example, was founded in 1977, but not until the end of the 1980s did I become fully aware of the ground being broken in drive-unit and overall system design by this Danish loudspeaker manufacturer.
The 1/3-octave warble tones on Editor's Choice (CD, Stereophile STPH016-2) extended smoothly down to the 40Hz band, with some energy still audible in the 25Hz band but not the 20Hz band. The 32Hz warble tone was somewhat exaggerated in level, which added a richness to the sounds of bass instruments that go that low, but also exaggerated the air-conditioning noise of some live recordings. At last October's Rocky Mountain Audio Fest, for example, I picked up a copy of Ray Kimber's 2008 Super IsoMike Test SACD (IsoMike AUD079), which includes pianist Robert Silverman playing two Mozart works,…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1.1" (28mm) soft-dome tweeter, 5.25" (130mm) Magnesium Silicate Polymer (MSP) cone midrange unit, two 8" (200mm) MSP-cone woofers. Crossover frequencies: 450Hz, 2.2kHz. Frequency response: 30Hz–25kHz, ±3dB. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Sensitivity: 88dB/2.83V/m. Recommended amplification: up to 300W.
Dimensions: 53.1" (1350mm) H by 13" (330mm) W by 12.8" (325mm) D. Weight: 88 lbs (40kg) each.
Finishes: Ivory, Amber, Bordeaux, Mocca high-gloss wood veneers; matte black.
Serial…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Ayre C-5xe universal player; Cary Audio Design 306 Pro SACD player; PrimaLuna ProLogue Eight CD player; Mark Levinson No.30.6, Benchmark DAC 1 USB D/A converters; Logitech (Slim Devices) Transporter WiFi music player with Apple Mac mini for media storage.
Preamplifiers: Mark Levinson No.380S, Simaudio Moon Evolution P-7, Ayre KX-R.
Power Amplifiers: Mark Levinson No.33H, Ayre MX-R, Parasound Halo JC 1, Musical Fidelity 550K and 750K Supercharger (all monoblocks).
Loudspeakers: PSB Synchrony One, Revel Ultima Salon2.
Cables:…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The Dynaudio Sapphire's voltage sensitivity is specified as 88dB/2.83V/m. My B-weighted estimate on the speaker's tweeter axis, calculated by DRA Labs' MLSSA system with a calibrated DPA omnidirectional microphone, was a little higher, at 89.2dB(B)/2.83V/m, but I suspect this was because I performed the measurement with the grille removed (see later). The impedance remains between 4 and 6 ohms over most of the audioband (fig.1, solid trace), with an electrical phase angle (fig.1, dashed trace) that remains low. Though there is a combination of 5.3 ohms magnitude…
It's always fun to visit the Burmester Audio suite at the annual Consumer Electronic Show. Founder Dieter Burmester and CEO Udo Besser are upbeat, fun-loving personalities who enjoy demonstrating their latest home audio gear—that is, when they're not working on the latest updates to their sound system for the $2.1 million Bugatti Veyron 16.4 supercar. This past year they introduced their new B25 loudspeaker, an 88-lb floorstander. This "baby" Burmester's suggested retail price of $12,000/pair is only one-sixth that of Burmester's flagship speaker, the B100, only one-fourth its weight, and…
I positioned the Burmester B25s 5' from the front wall, 6' apart (measured from the tweeter centers), and toed-in 45° to focus on my listening chair 7' away. This placement maximized soundstage depth. I biwired the B25s by using four Pure Silver Cable double-ribbon speaker cables. I used two different solid-state amplifiers from Mark Levinson: a pair of ML-2 monoblocks (50W into 4 ohms) and, later, a No.334 (250Wpc into 4 ohms). The B25 allowed me to hear these amps' characteristics: the ML-2s' three-dimensional, transparent sound at more intimate volumes, and the No.334's lease-busting bass…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 30mmx40mm Air Motion Transformer tweeter, 5.25" (130mm) Kevlar-cone midrange unit, 9.1" by 6.5" (232mm by 165mm) air-dried paper-cone woofer. Crossover frequencies: 180Hz (third-order Butterworth), 2.7kHz (second-order). Frequency response: 35Hz–45kHz, ±3dB. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Sensitivity: 88dB/2.83V/m. Recommended amplification: 200W. Maximum SPL output per pair: not given.
Dimensions: 42.1" (982mm) H by 7.9" (200mm) W by 13.6" (350mm) D. Enclosure volume: 40 liters,…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Linn Sondek LP12 turntable with Lingo power supply, Linn Ittok tonearm, Spectral cartridge; Day-Sequerra Classic FM tuner.
Digital Sources: Bryston BCD-1 CD player, Sony SCD-C555ES SACD/CD player.
Preamplifier: Mark Levinson ML-7.
Power Amplifiers: Mark Levinson ML-2 monoblocks & No.334.
Loudspeakers: Quad ESL-989, Revel Ultima Salon2.
Cables: Digital: Wireworld Starlight Coaxial. Interconnect: Mark Levinson Silver, Red Rose Silver One, Totem Acoustic Sinew single-ended, Pure Silver Cable, Bryston balanced. Speaker: QED…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The Burmester B25's voltage sensitivity is specified as 88dB/2.83V/m. However, my B-weighted estimate on the speaker's tweeter axis came in a little higher, at 89dB(B)/2.83V/m. The speaker's impedance magnitude and electrical phase with the port open are shown in fig.1. Though the magnitude remains above 6 ohms in the upper midrange and treble, it drops to 3 ohms between 75 and 250Hz, with a high capacitive phase angle through much of the bass region, making the speaker a difficult load for the partnering amplifier to drive. The saddle at 41Hz in the magnitude…