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The conventional wisdom in publishing is that magazines are dependent on scoops—that getting the news out to the readers first is of primary importance. Yes, being timely with what it has to say is important for any publication. But soon after I joined Stereophile in 1986, a series of negative experiences with review samples that were little better than prototypes led me to rethink the need for scoops. As a result, I decided to impose restrictions on what we chose to review; this would allow us to focus the magazine's review resources on products that were out of beta testing and were ready…
I have been playing a lot of late a CD-R that recording engineer Tony Faulkner had pressed into my hands at the 2004 Heathrow Show. It was a live recording he had just done of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes, performing Gustav Holst's The Planets (subsequently released on CD as Warner Classics 61991). The disc had gotten lost among the many piles in my listening room, and I uncovered it while tidying up in mid-December to get the room presentable for Alon Wolf, who was visiting to help set up the V3s. The Planets has long been a favorite of mine, but what…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, sealed-box, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) ring-radiator tweeter, 6" (152mm) Nano-Tec midrange cone, two 7" (178mm) Nano-Tec woofer cones. Frequency range: 32Hz–40kHz. Sensitivity: 89dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms. Recommended power: 50–300Wpc.
Dimensions: 42" (1050mm) H by 12" (300mm) W by 15" (380mm) D. Weight: 160 lbs (72kg) each.
Finish: Satin-varnished birch-ply, black-anodized aluminum.
Serial Numbers Of Units Reviewed: 1000011 & 1000015.
Price: $25,000/pair. Approximate number of dealers:…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Ayre C-5xe, Pioneer DV-578A universal players; PrimaLuna ProLogue Eight CD player; Mark Levinson No.30.6, Benchmark DAC 1 USB, Bel Canto e.one DAC 3 D/A converters; Logitech (Slim Devices) Transporter WiFi music player with Apple Mac mini running OSX for media storage.
Preamplifiers: Parasound Halo JC 2, Mark Levinson No.380S.
Power Amplifiers: Parasound Halo JC 1, Musical Fidelity 550k Supercharger, Mark Levinson No.33H (all monoblocks); Boulder 860.
Loudspeakers: Sonus Faber Cremona Elipsa, KEF Reference 207/2, PSB Synchrony One…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
My estimate of the Magico V3's voltage sensitivity was 87dB(B)/2.83V/m, slightly lower than specified. The speaker's impedance (fig.1) remained below 4 ohms for much of the audioband, with minimum values of 3 ohms at 97Hz and 2.7 ohms at 7kHz. There is also a combination of 4 ohms and a –50° capacitive phase angle at 4kHz. Overall, the V3 is a demanding load that should be partnered with amplifiers that have no problem delivering high currents.
Fig.1 Magico V3, electrical impedance (solid) and phase (dashed). (2 ohms/vertical div.)
The…
When I attended the 2006 GuangZhou Hi-Fi Show in China, it seemed as though most of the Asian-built loudspeakers I saw were huge, astonishingly efficient, and had horns. When I walked into Usher Audio Technology's room, however, Paul Chen was making music happen with the Usher S-520s ($500/pair).
"Ah, sweet music," I said, sitting in the sweet spot. "But what's an American stand-mounted monitor doing in a show so Asia-centric?"
Chen was politely amused. "Usher's more of a global collaboration," he said. "Dr. Joe [D'Appolito] designs the loudspeakers. Mr. Tsai Lien-Shui…
First Kate begins to sing, then Pat Donaldson's Fender bass peals down low, then Kate's piano begins, followed by multiply tracked harmony vocals by both sisters, which are pierced by Andrew Cowan's screaming lead guitar, which is reinforced by Anna's accordion—and that's not even including Chaim Tannenbaum's bar-walking tenor-sax solo. Far from being the quiet acoustic gem I remembered, "Midnight Flight" is an immense, sprawling studio masterpiece, and the Be-718s simply floored me by keeping up with it every step of the way.
I resolved to heed my own advice about assumptions. No more…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1.25" beryllium-dome tweeter, 7" doped-paper–cone woofer. Crossover frequency: 2.06kHz. Frequency response: 42Hz–35kHz, ±3dB. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Sensitivity: 87dB/W/m. Power handling: 200W.
Dimensions: 15.2" (390mm) H by 10.2" (260mm) W by 16.9" (430mm) D. Weight: 37.9 lbs (17.2kg).
Finishes: Silver or Piano Black with Pioneer Birch side panels.
Serial Numbers Of Units Reviewed: B0770027 A/B.
Price: $2795/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 60. Warranty: 3 years…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Ayre C-5xe and Muse Polyhymnia universal players, McIntosh MS750 digital music server.
Preamplifiers: Ayre K-1xe, Conrad-Johnson ACT2.
Power Amplifiers: Musical Fidelity Nu-Vista 300; Portal Audio Paladin monoblocks.
Integrated Amplifier: Ayre AX-7e.
Loudspeakers: Dynaudio Confidence C1.
Cables: Interconnect: Shunyata Research Aries & Antares. Speaker: Shunyata Research Lyra.
Accessories: Ayre L-5xe line filter; Furutech eTP-609 distribution box; APC APCS15 AC line conditioner; Furutech RDP panels, RealTraps Mini…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The Usher Be-718 was both less sensitive than average and less sensitive than specified, at an estimated 85dB(B)/2.83V/m. Offsetting the speaker's need for voltage, however, is an impedance modulus that remains above 6 ohms throughout the bass and midrange, and drops below 6 ohms only briefly in the treble (fig.1). Only a combination of 5.7 ohms magnitude and –41° electrical phase angle at 2.5kHz keeps the Usher from being rated an easy load for the partnering amplifier to drive.
The traces in fig.1 are free from the small wrinkles that would hint at the…