Equipment used included almost all the amplification and source components I have reviewed in the past 18 months, but the primary review system consisted of Mark Levinson No.31.5 CD transport and No.30.6 D/A processor, a Levinson No.380S preamplifier, and No.33H monoblocks, hooked up with AudioQuest and Madrigal cables. (Unlike JM, who dismissed them as "Euro-Nanny" terminals, I have no philosophical problem with the speaker's shrouded WBT connectors.) I also played back AIF files of my own hi-rez recordings on my Apple PowerBook, hooked up to the Levinson…
search
Sidebar 3: Measurements
I estimated the Special Twenty-Five's voltage sensitivity at 89.3dB(B)/2.83V/m, 1dB higher than the specified 88dB. The speaker is specified as a 4 ohm load, but as its impedance plot (fig.1) reveals, it drops to this figure for only a small range of frequencies in the lower midrange. The impedance actually stays above 6 ohms for most of the audioband, which, in conjunction with the generally modest electrical phase angle and the higher-than-average sensitivity, suggests that the Special Twenty-Five is a fairly easy amplifier load.
Fig.1 Dynaudio…
Wes Phillips wrote about the Special Twenty Five in May 2006 (Vol.29 No.5):
Since Dynaudio's stated purpose in launching the Focus line was to bring the exacting performance levels of its top-tier Contour series to a moderate price range, I compared the Dynaudio Focus 140s ($1800/pair) to Dynaudio's Special Twenty-Fives ($5200/pair)—especially since I have a pair and enjoy listening to them. The Twenty-Fives were Blu-Tacked to 24"-tall Cliff Stone Foundation stands in their usual positions in my listening room, somewhat closer to the front wall than the optimal positions for the Focus…
Although the component that actually produces the sound is obviously the loudspeaker, audiophiles know that everything in the system—digital or analog source, preamplifier, amplifier, cables, room acoustics—has an influence on sound quality. No matter how good the speaker, its performance depends on the quality of the signal, the speaker's acoustical environment, and how the speaker is set up in that environment. I've heard speakers that I knew to be topnotch performers sound dreadful at audio shows and in dealers' listening rooms.
But not the speakers from Aerial Acoustics. I've heard…
Well, if that's how you get your kicks, you're welcome to it. I'm interested in enjoying music, and that's just what the Aerial 7B allowed me to do. In this sense, I'd describe it as an "easy-listening" speaker. There seemed to be no added harshness or edge, no annoying mechanical/electronic overlay. With every recording, I had the feeling that anything grating in the sound was most likely part of the recording itself.
The sound was so smooth, so grain-free that I found myself relaxing more, letting the music just come to me. (Of course, the rest of the equipment, especially the latest…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Three-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding, dynamic loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" aluminum-dome tweeter, 5" treated-fiber-cone midrange, two 7" treated-fiber-cone woofers. Frequency range: 35Hz-22kHz (-6dB at 30Hz). Sensitivity: 86dB/W/m. Nominal impedance: 6 ohms, minimum 4 ohms.
Dimensions: 43" H by 8.5" W by 15" D. Weight: 95 lbs.
Finishes: black ash, rose walnut, cherry, bird's-eye maple, rosewood.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: 072341, 072342.
Price: $4000-$5000, depending on finish. Optional spiked stands cost $400/pair. optional…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog source: fully updated Linn LP12 turntable with Linn Ittok tonearm, AudioQuest AQ-7000nsx cartridge.
Digital source: PS Audio Lambda II transport, Audio Alchemy DTI•Pro 32 anti-jitter/resolution-enhancement device, Sonic Frontiers Processor 3 D/A processor, Illuminati D-60/Orchid digital links.
Preamplifier: Convergent Audio Technology SL-1 Ultimate.
Power amplifiers: Bryston 7B-ST, Sonic Frontiers Power 2.
Cables: TARA Labs The Two interconnects, Decade speaker cables (two pairs) and power cables.
Room treatment: 5 Argent RoomLenses.…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The big Aerial's estimated sensitivity was a little lower than specified, at 84.4dB(B)/2.83V/m, probably due to a lack of energy in the low treble. Its plot of impedance magnitude and phase against frequency (fig.1) revealed the 7B to be a moderately demanding load, with a nominal value in the midrange and bass closer to 4 ohms than the specified 6 ohms. The speaker is basically an 8 ohm design in the treble, however. The saddle in the magnitude trace at 25Hz reveals the tuning frequency of the 3"-diameter port.
Fig.1 Aerial 7B, electrical…
Analog maven Wally Malewicz is no stranger to these pages. His first commercial product, a cartridge-alignment tool called the WallyTractor, became a hit among the vinyl cognoscenti after Michael Fremer wrote about it in "Analog Corner" in the November 1998 Stereophile, and Malewicz's full kit of Wally Analog Tools was the joint winner of our Accessory of the Year award in 2002.
The basic WallyTractor remains the same in 2005: In a departure from previous such devices, like the Dennessen Soundtraktor, Mobile Fidelity's Geo-Disc, DB Systems' DBP-10, and the boomerang-like Cart-A-Lign, each…
Last month I delved into avoiding reflective, parallel-wall slap echoes from ruining your audiophile day. But I've since learned of a perfectly useful workaround that's much less costly and involved than horsing around the Sheetrock. Much to my chagrin, the info came from the same source, George Cardas. When he told me about it, I slapped my forehead so hard I'm sure they heard it in Brooklyn. One caveat: This tweak works best with big, juicy collections of LPs. It could work with CDs...but we'll come to that.
Say, like most people, you have a rectangular listening room. With any luck,…