When I measured the Radia 520i loudspeaker for Larry Greenhill's review in the December issue (p.115), I was bothered by the apparent unevenness of the 50" ribbon unit's frequency response. This unit covers the region above 400Hz, and its output was marred by roughly equal dips and peaks up to about 15kHz, above which it rolled off steeply. The microphone was placed 50" away from the speaker on an axis level with the midpoint of the ribbon for the quasi-anechoic measurement, and, as I wrote, this may well not have…
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John Atkinson wrote about the Radia 520i in January 2005 (Vol.28 No.1):
While audio writers find the siren song of cost-no-object components an ever-present temptation, I do ask Stereophile's reviewers to be on the lookout for affordable products that sound better than they have any right to. So when I listened to an inexpensive system based on Monitor Audio's Silver S2 loudspeaker and Musical Fidelity amplification at Home Entertainment 2002, held at the Manhattan Hilton in May 2002, I followed my own instruction and asked the US distributor of this English model to send me review samples.
The Silver S2 is a nicely finished speaker with elegant proportions…
That the Monitor Audio speaker's upper bass was a little exaggerated was confirmed by listening to the 1/3-octave warble tones on Stereophile's new Editor's Choice CD (Stereophile STPH016-2), which also revealed the Monitor Audio to reach down to 50Hz, with some energy still audible in the 31.5Hz band. This is respectable low-frequency extension for what is basically a small speaker. The pink-noise track on this CD indicated that listening height was quite critical. The balance was fullest on or just below the tweeter axis, while a hollow coloration developed if I could see the top of the…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded, stand-mounted, magnetically shielded loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) dome tweeter, 7" (178mm) cone woofer, both of C-CAM aluminum-magnesium alloy. Crossover frequency: 3.2kHz (measured). Frequency response: 40Hz-30kHz, ±3dB. Sensitivity: 91dB/2.83V/m. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Power handling: 100W continuous.
Dimensions: 14" (360mm) H by 8" (200mm) W by 10.5" (270mm) D. Weight: 15 lbs (7.4kg) each.
Finishes: Warm Beech, Black Oak, Natural Oak, Rosemah veneers.
Serial numbers of units reviewed: 1691/92.
Price…
Sidebar 2: System
Analog source: Linn Sondek LP12/Cirkus/Trampolin/Lingo/Ekos/Arkiv LP player on a Sound Organisation table.
Digital sources: Mark Levinson No.31.5 CD transport; Mark Levinson No.30.6 D/A processor; Ayre CX-7 CD player; Technics DVD-A10 DVD-Audio player; and Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista SACD player.
Preamplification: Linn Linto phono preamp, Mark Levinson No.380S line preamp, Z-Systems rdp-1 digital control center (updated to handle 96kHz sources).
Power amplifiers: Mark Levinson No.33H monoblocks.
Cables: Datalinks: Kimber Illuminations Orchid AES/EBU,…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The Monitor Audio Silver S2's sensitivity was slightly above average, at an estimated 88dB(B)/2.83V/m, but this is a significant 3dB lower than the specified figure. The speaker's plot of impedance magnitude and electrical phase (fig.1) shows that it drops to 4 ohms in the midbass and lower midrange, but is otherwise a reasonably easy load for the partnering amplifier to drive. The saddle centered at 42Hz in the magnitude trace reveals the tuning frequency of the rear-facing port, while the small blip in the curve just below 20kHz suggests that the metal-dome…
"The idea that intellectual property in a Net-based economy can lose its value horrifies most owners and creators. They'd better get over it."—Esther Dyson, "Intellectual Value" Wired, July 1995, p.136
One of the conclusions Esther Dyson drew in her recent article in Wired was that the one commodity in scarce supply in cyberspace is content. I agree, having found the Noise/Signal Ratio to be just too high for effective, easy electronic communication. As magazines and newspapers are the longest-lasting traditional "content providers," the subject of how to transfer their content-providing…
From The Audio Catechism:
Q: What is a subwoofer?
A: A large, ugly device that must be placed in the most inconvenient location in the listening room—for instance, in front of the only door.
Q: What is the purpose of the subwoofer?
A: To produce prodigious amounts of low-frequency sound and to glorify its owner, who can rest safe in the knowledge that his is the biggest.
Q: What is a subwoofer?
A: A large, ugly device that must be placed in the most inconvenient location in the listening room—for instance, in front of the only door.
Q: What is the purpose of the subwoofer?
A: To produce prodigious amounts of low-frequency sound and to glorify its owner, who can rest safe in the knowledge that his is the biggest.
Ah, but it doesn't have to be that way. At the same time that home theater has made "subwoofer" a household word, many high-end companies have also discovered that a deep, tuneful bottom end can serve as the…
Bass is the place
Intellectually, I realize that you can obtain deep bass from a well-designed woofer system featuring smallish drivers. However, time and again during my extended audition, I found myself saying, "All this from two 10" drivers?" The reality of deep, deep, taut bass kept overriding my logic circuits. The Studio II really delivered the LF goods.
Intellectually, I realize that you can obtain deep bass from a well-designed woofer system featuring smallish drivers. However, time and again during my extended audition, I found myself saying, "All this from two 10" drivers?" The reality of deep, deep, taut bass kept overriding my logic circuits. The Studio II really delivered the LF goods.
But man-oh-man did it take some fiddlefication to get it to do so without boominess or doubling. First off, it took two visits from Sumiko's Stirling Trayle to find a good woofer location; then it took several weeks of minor…
Sidebar 1: Stirling Trayle on REL Setup
Since Sumiko and the REL's manual offer different recommendations for setting up the Studio II, I asked Sumiko's Stirling Trayle to explain his recommended setup procedure.—WP
"To begin the setup process, choose a piece of music that has a repetitive bass line that is quite low in frequency. We recommend the soundtrack to Sneakers (Columbia CK 53146) because it has a repetitive bass drum throughout, which gives you a lot of time to move the woofer around—but, more important, it was recorded in a large venue and therefore has a deep and…