J. Gordon Holt

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Infinity RS-4.5 loudspeaker system
Floor Loudspeaker ReviewsJ. Gordon HoltHistorical
J. Gordon Holt  |  Nov 05, 2006  |  First Published: May 05, 1979  |  0 comments
There are certain manufacturers for whom every new product implies the promise of countless modifications, Usually a month or so apart, culminating inevitably in a version so far removed from the original that it must be assigned a new model designation—usually a letter suffix ranging from A, to D. By the time E is envisioned, another CE Show is approaching, so the decision is made to give the unit an exterior facelift and a brand-new model number. Presto! A new product for CES.
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Infinity Servo-Statik 1 loudspeaker
Floor Loudspeaker ReviewsHistoricalJ. Gordon Holt
J. Gordon Holt  |  Nov 25, 1996  |  First Published: Dec 01, 1970  |  0 comments
An equipment reviewer for one of the consumer hi-fi magazines once confided to a manufacturer that he found it hard to like electrostatics because of the kind of people who usually like electrostatics. His implication—that certain kinds of people gravitate towards certain kinds of sound—is an interesting thought, and one that might bear some further investigation. But there is no questioning the fact that electrostatic speakers in general do have a particular kind of sound, that might be characterized as "polite."
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Is Music in Danger?
As We See ItJ. Gordon Holt
J. Gordon Holt  |  Sep 24, 2009  |  First Published: Jan 24, 1988  |  0 comments
When I attended the Audio Engineering Society convention in October 1987 (my first time in over eight years; full report in this issue), I was impressed by the incredible technology now available to composers of music. I was also dismayed, however, by the extent to which so-called purist audio, as well as "acoustical" music, have been consigned to oblivion by the pro audio community. It was clear, both from the exhibits and the many conversations on which I eavesdropped, that audio professionals are no longer concerned about fidelity, in the sense of trying to reproduce sounds accurately. A "real" sound has become to them merely raw material of no value except as something to be processed, manipulated, folded, bent, and spindled to produce any sonic effect except the original one. About a third of the products displayed at the 83rd AES convention were tools for doing that.
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It's the Real Thing!
As We See ItJ. Gordon Holt
J. Gordon Holt  |  Oct 22, 2014  |  First Published: Oct 01, 1980  |  36 comments
We are aware that much of what we have to say about reproduced sound in these pages goes completely over the heads of a lot of our readers, simply because they have not heard live, un-amplified music recently enough (if ever) to relate their own listening experiences to our observations. These are the people who tend to have developed a strong mental image of what hi-fi ought to sound like, and it is not surprising that that image should bear little if any resemblance to reality. In most cases, this image of hypothetical perfection involves a broadly sweeping sense of spaciousness, awesome power, floor-shaking low end and silky, velvety highs—rather similar, one might say, to the sound of a Magnificent Magnavox with a couple of extra octaves at each end.
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Janszen Z-600, Z-900, & Z-960 loudspeakers
Floor Loudspeaker ReviewsHistoricalJ. Gordon Holt
J. Gordon Holt  |  Mar 10, 2022  |  First Published: Dec 01, 1966  |  5 comments
The Z-600 is the latest of the "console" (as opposed to "bookshelf") systems made by Neshaminy Corp., and using Janszen electrostatic tweeters (footnote 1) and a Neshaminy-designed 11" woofer. The nominal crossover frequency is 1500Hz, with a broad overlap between the woofer's top and the low end of the paralleled tweeters. Tweeter level is not adjustable (footnote 2).
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JBL 250Ti loudspeaker
Floor Loudspeaker ReviewsJ. Gordon Holt
J. Gordon Holt  |  Aug 16, 2013  |  First Published: Oct 01, 1985  |  7 comments
685jbl.jpgOnce upon a time, in audio's infancy, anyone who wanted better than average sound—average sound during the 1940s being rich, boomy and dull—had no choice but to buy professional loudspeakers. In those days, "professional" meant one of two things: movie-theater speakers or recording-studio speakers. Both were designed, first and foremost, to produce high sound levels, and used horn loading to increase their efficiency and project the sound forwards. They sounded shockingly raw and harsh in the confines of the typical living room.
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Jecklin Float electrostatic headphones
J. Gordon HoltHeadphone Reviews
J. Gordon Holt  |  Nov 11, 2013  |  First Published: Jun 01, 1975  |  5 comments
These are some of the most lusciously transparent-sounding headphones we've ever put on our ears, but we doubt that they will every enjoy much commercial success, for a couple of reasons.
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KEF Home THX Loudspeaker System
Stand Loudspeaker ReviewsJ. Gordon Holt
J. Gordon Holt  |  Nov 26, 2012  |  First Published: Jan 01, 1996  |  3 comments
KEF's Home THX speaker system is somewhat unusual in that it includes an active subwoofer. (While most Home Theater subs are powered types; it's just that few THX models are.) Although powered speakers have never enjoyed much popularity with American audiophiles, they can yield better results than the mix'n'match approach because each amplifier/driver combination can be optimized.
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Keith O. Johnson: Reference Recordings
InterviewsJ. Gordon Holt
J. Gordon Holt  |  Feb 17, 2015  |  First Published: Aug 01, 1984  |  6 comments
Keith Johnson is the man responsible for the records issued by Reference Recordings, from Professor Johnson's Astounding Sound Show through Tafelmusik—not to mention upcoming releases of Your Friendly Neighborhood Big Band and Respighi's Church Windows. As is frequently the case, Johnson's astounding recordings result from his intimate (molecular-level) knowledge of the process with which he deals and his ingenious adaptations to squeeze the most out of available (and not so available) technology. He is also one of the few critics of digital recording who has actually used a digital recorder, who has run tests to specifically identify digital's problems, and who would welcome a digital format that works as perfectly as the claims would have us believe the current system works.—Larry Archibald
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KLH Model Nine loudspeaker
Floor Loudspeaker ReviewsHistoricalJ. Gordon Holt
J. Gordon Holt  |  Mar 05, 2006  |  First Published: Jun 05, 1966  |  0 comments
Editor's Note: Although this product has been available for several years, it is being reviewed in considerable detail because it is a strong contender for the title of "Best Available Loudspeaker System, Regardless of Cost," and because we plan to review some of the other contenders for the same title within the next few issues. We feel that since all of these systems represent a considerable outlay of money, prospective buyers should have a thorough understanding of the merits and demerits of each system, so they will know what to expect from them in the way of performyince capabilities and operational requirements.
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