19
Sep

CEDIA, Grado e Series , and amplifier power

It’s time for CEDIA

The 2014 Custom Electronic Design & Installation Association show is running full steam in Denver as we write this. This year’s new star technology is Dolby’s ATMOS, which puts surround sound overhead. Every manufacturer is getting on the ATMOS bandwagon. Here is a report of the GoldenEar Technology display system:
http://www.avsforum.com/forum/89-speakers/1683562-goldenear-atmos-demo-cedia-2014-a.html

The new Grado e Series headphones are here.

I have stocked up on all models up to the SR325e so feel free to come and listen.

Follow-up on amplifier power

In the last newsletter I asked about the reality of claims by Roger Sanders of Sanders Sound that 500 watts was required for undistorted sound. ssue

First there was this response –

Hi,

Not necessarily a fact but a belief I’ve been running around with for years—although I believe learning it in my physics of hifi class in undergrad–back in the dark ages.

Anyway, here goes:
Even if we play an amp at 1 watt, some of the audio information it gets can send its “potential” output up to very hi levels in milliseconds—500 watts and more.

So, I was always under the impression one bought a hi watt amp not so much to drive the speakers better, but rather to provide reserve “oomph” (I know, I know, that is a very technical term) that can then cleanly handle those hi intensity peaks, thereby resulting in less clipping.

Your thoughts …

Ralph

I replied to Ralph

Hi Ralph,
I always felt more or less the same. What is puzzling, and I haven’t ever read anything that directly addressed this, is what sort of brief peaks cause audible distortion, and how much headroom would be needed to avoid audible distortion. After all, an honestly rated amplifier will have much greater output on brief peaks than its RMS power rating.

Clearly Roger Sanders’ answer is “500 watts”, but I doubt that he has much agreement to that opinion/fact. The answer is no doubt complex, but surely this has been researched and that complex answer is out there.

Sincerely ,
Wylie Williams

As good luck would have it the response I needed came from subscriber Paul Stamler.

Well, run the numbers. Sanders says that with 90dB speaker sensitivity, 500W are needed to avoid clipping. That implies a peak speaker output of 27dB over 90dB-SPL, or 117dB-SPL. That’s very very loud.
Back in the 1970s or 1980s, someone (I’m still trying to find out who) published a paper in Audio concluding that 17dB of headroom are required to avoid clipping. Assuming a peak-to-average ratio of 17dB, this suggests that Sanders is listening at an average level of 100dB-SPL, which is way higher than most people listen, and sufficient to cause hearing damage in short order. Alternatively, he has recordings with a peak-to-average ratio of 27dB, and is listening at 90dB-SPL, still higher than is safe. Recordings with that kind of peak-to-average ratio are virtually nonexistent.
Some research has shown that home listeners who are actually listening to their systems (as opposed to using them for background music) typically listen at 85dB-SPL — not 100dB-SPL. With speakers of 90dB-SPL sensitivity, this suggest about 0.316W average power, and about 15.8W peak power. Which would explain how we all got along with Stereo 70 amplifiers, at least until acoustic suspension speakers began dominating the market, with sensitivities of about 82dB-SPL.
My conclusion is that Mr. Sanders is all wet, and is pulling his numbers out of the air.

Peace,

Paul

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7
Sep

Quest for perfection (or something like)

“… but the highs are missing a little bit of sparkle.”
That is an actual quote from an owner’s evaluation of Tung Sol 6550 tubes posted on Upscale Audio’s website. But not to worry, as the writer continues “However the balance is perfect for my system. ”

I mention this because it made me realize how accustomed we can become to that little bit of sparkle, not because it is in the music, but because it’s kind of an exciting addition to the natural sound. We get used to that and miss it when it’s gone.

In case you wonder why I was reading about 6550 tubes (probably not) it’s because I have decided to have my Harman Kardon Citation II tube amp refurbished and was thinking of “tube rolling”. I finally decided on the refurb because the arrival of the Triton One speakers started a chain of events. When people came over to listen they brought their own music and their own idea of good sound. I discovered that I am more willing to put up with a softer less accurate sound than others, all for the sake of blurring the defects of less-than-optimal recordings, so I found myself obliging more discriminating tastes by switching to more accurate amps.

Of course I have known for years that audio systems are imperfect and that we end up choosing the colorations that fit our tastes, but having changed amps for critical listening several times I became more aware of the colorations and in consequence have become less certain about what I really want, or whether there is an amp that will please more people. I consequence I have begun my own amplifier shootout. To wit: Given the very positive reaction to the Bel Canto REF150S amp I have ordered another pair of Bel Canto REF500 monoblocks, I have begun to do tube rolling with the Vincent Audio SV237 integrated amp (finding through the generosity of friend Byron F. that changing only one tube from a “China” brand to a Mullard made a substantial improvement), and decided to refurbish the HK. Also Keith Herron (Herron Audio) has said he will come by sometime to hear the Triton Ones and let me hear his excellent electronics. And I am awaiting the latest amp from Musical Design, so new that only one has been made and sold so I am waiting for the next one. John Hillig is busy but he made a (sort of) promise that it would be ready in late September.

An Invitation to an ongoing shootout
One goal is to discover which sound is my favorite; but since I have found that my customers often prefer another it’s important to find amps that cover the range of tastes. For those willing to listen to some music and share your opinions I will be conducting listening sessions. If you want to participate, please let me know by phone or email.

Then and Now

Then – Tube vs. Transistor

There was a time when tube sound vs transistor sound was usually a clear choice. Typically tubes were warmer, softer, sweeter; transistors were more dynamic, better controlled and brighter. In those early days the makers of each style had little choice – tubes and transistors seemed to have inherently different sound.

As I read the literature it seems that designers now have more choice in achieving the sound the want. The best examples of each style are converging toward an accurate sound with some of the pleasantness of tubes. At higher prices brands like Pass Labs and Herron Audio are said to have these qualities in solid state designs. At lower price points brands like Vincent Audio, Musical Design, and Rogue Audio use hybrid designs (amps with tubes in the early gain stages) and solid state in the later and output stages to achieve the synthesis sound.

Now – Euphonic vs. Accurate
Even though using euphonic and accurate as contrasting adjectives is common, it just seems wrong. Shouldn’t having a sounding pleasing sound and being true to the source be the same? Visitors have pointed out that my preference for the euphonic tends to make me choose less accurate amps. When the system uses the more accurate amps I do hear the difference,someimes appreciating the accuracy, but sometimes missing the sweet colorations. its hard for me to pin down because differences in program material change my prefernce.

This is not a unique conundrum, but I am lucky in being able to experiment with a few examples of each style. I hope that I can find my “perfect” amp in a price range I am willing to entertain.

The problem of Outliers
I realize that this is a wandering narrative, but the lack of clear distinctions is greater than I have described. The HK Citation II tube amp is said to have a highly defined sound, though I won’t be able to judge that statement till mine comes back. The one kind of amp I have longed to hear is the low power SET. These are legendary for a seductive sound that makes listeners stop caring about accuracy.

Like the person quoted at the beginning of the newsletter I hope to find a sound that is “missing a bit of —–” but is “perfect for my system”. Maybe that dream goal won’t be realized but the process of listening to a lot of music through a few good amps should be a bearable burden.

Happy listening,

Wylie

Posted in Amplifier, bel canto design, Components, Hybrid amplifier, Hybrid integrated amplifier, Integrated amplifier, Preamplifier, Speakers, Tower speakers, Vacuum tubes, Vincent Audio | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on Quest for perfection (or something like)
26
Aug

The GoldenEar Technology Triton Ones are here!

Compared to to other GoldenEar dealers I am having a very late start with the Triton Ones. After months of delays they arrived two days before the start of a ten day family vacation. That was good in one way – I was able to put a CD on repeat and let them break in those ten days.

These have been highly anticipated and the first question asked is “How do they compare to the Triton Two?”, which really puts me in a spot. I have had a year’s worth of glorious listening with the Twos, and I hear a lot of similarity, but the Ones bring the realism and ease of music to a higher level. I never seem able to discuss the lows, mids, and highs the way reviewers do, but I am able to say that the sense of “being there” that the Ones bring is at a higher level. As is the larger sound stage. As for bass, I must admit that having set the bass control louder than normal for break-in, I left it that way for a few days. Honestly I had a lot of fun with the extra bass until I got out my test rig and reduced it for accurate sound. In the process I learned that the low 100Hz crossover to the subwoofers lets you the bass be cranked way up without corrupting the midrange.

I’ve had two audiophile friends drop in for different purposes and both declared the Ones to be a huge leap past the Triton Two.

My wife always hates being asked how to describe differences in sound, but when asked told me she liked them better – that they are easier to listen to, and that she found herself more involved with the music. As she put it, music is always going on in the house and when she finds her attention hijacked by the music she knows she likes the speaker.

While I was on vacation other dealers were selling the Ones and the new owners have been emailing and forum-posting their reactions. GoldenEar sent me an email today with these customer comments.

In an email to his dealer:

Your statement pretty well sums up my experience with the Triton Ones thus far…powerful, deep, well-defined bass (when it’s on the recording, not forced or boomy) that you can feel as well as hear. A very wide soundstage … and the detail is amazing. … Female vocals were awesome being both realistic and natural … The sound emerges from a jet-black space and the air around the individual instruments and vocals is surreal. They sound great with all the types of music I have thrown at them thus far, large-scale orchestral works, small-scale chamber pieces, pop, rock, jazz, blues, and c&w…instrumental and vocals, male, female and groups. Although the sound is certainly the most important aspect of a loudspeaker, the Triton Ones are also very stunning visually, being minimalistic but with a sense of elegance and they are relatively unobtrusive…at least as unobtrusive as a pair of 80 lb., 54″ monoliths can be. As good as the Triton Ones are upon initial listening, I can hardly wait to hear them once they are broken in. A real winner and one I look forward to enjoying for a long time to come. Please pass along our appreciation to Sandy and the other folks at GoldenEar.

And a few posts from our website forum:

The imaging is off the charts realistic and the overall soundstage is just right, not too big or small. Instruments sound so lifelike and great separation, even on complex songs. Plugged in some Magnepans just to compare and it’s not even close, the Tritons are a clear winner in every way. Very pleased and pretty close to the holy grail!!

Short note to say they sound amazing!! Like the Twos but bigger, more expansive sound stage and better detail … man do they sound beautiful with only an hour on them. Did a quick sample of various jazz, vocals and classic rock, all spectacular.

I received my Triton One’s last Friday … I am truly amazed by these speakers and they are everything I was hoping for. I am completely satisfied with my purchase and became a huge fan of Goldenear after purchasing a 3D array and SuperSats last year.

In playing around with the Ones I learned one thing for sure – they will show you the different sounds of different amps. I compared the Audio Control AVR1 100wpc receiver (a rebadged Arcam AV600), a Vincent Audio SV237 150wpc hybrid integrated amp, a Vincent Audio SP331Mk 150wpc hybrid power amp, and a Bel Canto REF150S 75wpc power amp. The receiver is voiced like a tube amp, and it’s my preference for general listening, as I think its sound is a little sweeter, even though it is less well-defined (therefore less “accurate”). That helps with inferior CDs. Both Vincents have that smooth hybrid sound of tubes married to the dynamics of transistors, with the bonus of Vincent’s amazingly solid bass. The surprise is the Bel Canto – not only that it’s the most accurate, or that it has an amazing sweetness that you wouldn’t expect from a digital amp. No, the surprise is how dynamic those 75 watts are. At this point I am not sure which one to use for demonstration, but I am leaning toward the Bel Canto, if only to show that the Triton Ones do not need megawatts to rock.

So the Triton One is here. It not only improves on the concepts first seen in the Triton Two but adds newly developed technologies. I predict that the professional reviewers will be all over this speaker heaping praise.

Posted in Amplifier, bel canto design, Components, Hybrid amplifier, Hybrid integrated amplifier, Integrated amplifier, Speakers, Tower speakers, Vincent Audio | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments Off on The GoldenEar Technology Triton Ones are here!
8
Mar

Vinyl – the original High Definition format

In several recent conversations with fellow audiophiles it has come up that we have a common desire to relive the glory of great past audio experiences. As I thought back to what these experiences had in common it occurred to me that most of them involved listening to an LP record. Mind you, I have been so in love with using my iMac and Bel Canto gear as a music server that my turntable was left unhooked for nine months. But I recently read a comment by a recording engineer that the LP record was the original high-definition format, and I recalled all the reviewer’s comments about the virtues of vinyl. . Last week out of pure embarrassment at my no-turntable situation I put it back into the system and played a few LPs. Now I am back in love with vinyl. Why? I don’t know; it just sounds nicer, and my wife says she likes it much better. Not that there is anything wrong with my music server. My Bel Canto DAC3.5VB with its VBS1 power supply and REFLink USB converter are top drawer components, and I have a few HD downloads for reference. But there something about the sound of vinyl that is pleasingly musical.

But the old downsides of vinyl are still there – noise and inconvenience. I can probably mostly fix the noise with record cleaning, as I have a Record Doctor 2 left over from an order for a customer (I had to make a minimum order of two and I kept the leftover one.) Now I have the inconvenience of cleaning the LPs. Having grown up on LPs, I am not particularly sensitive to ticks and pops, at least not compared to those who grew up with CD and can’t tolerate LP’s noises. Nevertheless I plan to start cleaning my vinyl because those who do say it really helps with sound quality. See this review.

I am a dealer for the Record Doctor 2 he reviewed, which at $199 retail is the lowest priced full suction record cleaner available. If any of My St. Louis customers want one I promise a price lower than the Internet.

Nothing can be done to eliminate the time and effort involved in the ritual of playing an LP, but for now I am willing to endure the inconvenience. I suppose if I buy any 180 gram LPs the strain of lifting and carrying that much weight might be justified as exercise.

If this blog post whets anyone’s appetite I want to remind you that I am a dealer for Music Hall turntables, and cartridges from Ortofon and Grado Labs. I won’t get into prices here, but let me assure you that, like all my prices, my special order prices for my St. Louis customers are lower than any on the Internet. Yes, even with all shipping and taxes are taken into account. I feel especially needful about mentioning this because one of my email correspondents who recently asked me some turntable advice just wrote me and said that he had bought a Music Hall 11.1 table ($4495 retail price) from the Internet having forgotten that I am a dealer. He told me the deal he got and let me assure you that his memory lapse cost both of us significant sums. At times I wonder why I send out newsletters and blog posts. Of course if you got to the end of the post my concern does not apply to you.

Posted in Accessories, bel canto design, DAC, Music Hall 11.1, Phono cartridges, Record cleaning machine, Turntables, USB converter | Tagged , , , , , , | Comments Off on Vinyl – the original High Definition format
25
Feb

Gallo Acoustics newsletter announces new products

I just got my first issue of Gallo’s new email newsletter, which I have copied and pasted into the newsletter. I am proud to be the St. Louis Missouri dealer for Gallo Acoustics speakers and I look forward to the new floor-standing speaker due to come someday.

First Quarter Newsletter

In celebration of our 20th anniversary this year, Anthony Gallo Acoustics is launching a quarterly newsletter. Welcome to the first edition of the Anthony Gallo Acoustics newsletter! We’ll be sending this out on a quarterly basis, keeping you up with news about our latest products, tech tips from our founder and chief engineer Anthony Gallo, and more. If there’s anything you’d like to see discussed in our newsletter, or any topics you’d like to see Anthony tackle, please e-mail us at techsupport@roundsound.com.

Anthony’s Lab Notes – Why Are Our Speakers Round?

A lot of people assume our speakers are round because it looks cool. I have to admit there’s some truth to that, but it’s not the main reason I pioneered spherical speakers more than 30 years ago. I chose the spherical design partly because it’s the strongest geometric shape there is, and partly to minimize diffraction.

Why is it important for a speaker enclosure to be strong? Because if the enclosure vibrates, it will act like a speaker driver, creating a sound of its own. If you read magazines and websites, such asStereophile, that do spectral decay measurements when they review speakers, you’ve probably seen how enclosure resonances can mar the sound of a speaker.

The spherical shape of our speakers makes their enclosures much, much more rigid than an ordinary box speaker could be. This becomes especially important when you’re designing very compact, high-output loudspeakers because of the enormous internal air pressures involved. This is why all our spherical speakers use metal alloys, chosen for their rigidity and acoustical properties.

Diffraction is an unwanted reflection of sound from parts of the speaker other than the drivers themselves. With a conventional box-shaped speaker, there’s a big drop in sound pressure as the sound moves past the face of the speaker and into open space. The change in pressure creates a sound wave of its own that emanates from the corner of the speaker enclosure. This sound wave creates interference patterns and “comb filter” effects when it mixes with the sound coming off the drivers. It boosts some frequencies and cuts others — and as a result, produces unnatural sound.

But our satellite speakers don’t have any corners! Thus, the diffraction is minimal, and what little there is emerges from the edge of the speaker driver itself, so it doesn’t produce interference and doesn’t color the sound.

Other manufacturers have tried making round speakers, but from what we’ve seen, they’ve been unable to overcome the inherent acoustical resonance of the sphere shape. Our patented S2 technology lets us get all the advantages of the spherical shape with zero downsides. But more on that later.

Simply put: When you hear our Nucleus Micro and A’Diva satellite speakers, you’re hearing nothing but the speaker driver. And that’s just the way it should be.

Product News – New Floorstanding Speaker on the Way!

Since we launched it four years ago, the Reference 3.5 floorstanding speaker has earned countless enthusiastic reviews. The Absolute Sound gave it an Editor’s Choice award, 6moons.com gave it a Blue Moon award, and respected reviewer Steve Guttenberg called it one of the 10 best speakers available at any price. So it might come as a surprise that we’re discontinuing it!

We’ll have more details about the new model in future newsletters. Until then, we’ve discontinued production of the Reference 3.5. We don’t have any left.

Latest Reviews – Coming up in the April issue of The Absolute Sound!

strada-side-onstandThe Strada 2 will be on the cover, and Anthony is featured in a Designer’s Roundtable. Be sure to get a copy if you don’t already subscribe!

TAS’s Chris Martins on the Strada 2 & TR-3D subwoofer

The Absolute Sound veteran reviewer Chris Martins tested the new Strada 2 & TR-3D sub and concluded that “Best of all, it may look like an elegant ‘lifestyle’ speaker but it turns out to deliver legitimate, audiophile-grade, big-speaker performance.”

Our new Micro SE and A’Diva SE satellite speakers have been out for only a few months, but the great reviews are already rolling in. See below:

CNet’s Steve Gutttenberg on the Micro SE and A’Diva SE

On CNet, veteran reviewer Steve Guttenberg tested the new satellites, and concluded that “The Anthony Gallo Acoustics’ Micro SE and A’Diva SE are, pound for pound, the best sounding miniature speakers I’ve heard to date. They redefine the performance standard for very small speakers.”

Link: CNet

Sound & Vision’s Mark Fleischmann on the Micro SE

In Sound & Vision, veteran reviewer Mark Fleischmann praised the Nucleus Micro SE, commenting that it offers “transparent sound quality” and a “big soundstage with no restrictive sweet spot.” When listening to stereo music, Mark commented that the soundstage was “…seemingly impossible to undermine with changes in seating position.” That’s great to hear, because it’s exactly what we were going for. We were happy to see that S&V selected the Micro SE as a “Top Pick,” too!

Link: Sound and Vision

Posted in Bookshelf Speakers, center channel speaker, Gallo speakers, Speakers, Subwoofers, Tower speakers | Leave a comment
19
Feb

Focus on subs and tiny speakers, and followup on the Triton 7

When small can be great

You may recall that I reported on a kitchen system I built my wife using Gallo A’Diva SE speakers and a Marantz MCR603 AM/FM/CD network receiver.

The MCR603 has been replaced by a new model, the MCR610 that supports more digital functions. It has already earned its own 5-Star review in What Hi*FI? that can be read at this link.

They summarize thusly:

FOR

  • Excellent connectivity
  • Easy to use
  • Big, clean sound

AGAINST

  • Could be accused of being a little too refined
  • Could do with more bite

Its main features are:

  • AM/FM tuner
  • CD player
  • Four 30 watt digital amplifiers to power 2 pair of speakers (yes, true bi-amping) is possible
  • AirPlay Music Streaming for iTunes
  • Built-in Wi-Fi with Diversity Antenna; Ethernet Port
  • ​ ​Digitally Transmitted Playback for iPhone iPod charging function via either of the available USB ports
  • Spotify built in and wifi
  • Plays FLAC 24 bit 192kHz filesS
  • Supports gapless on any non AirPlay content.

Photos and more explanation of the features may be found by clicking on this link.

The retail price is $699.

Gallo’s new speakers

The new Micro SE and A’Diva SE speakers are in stock and I can attest to excellent sound as full range speakers, though obviously lacking in bass, so to hve full range system you need a subwoofer. That’s what I have decided to add to my wife’s kitchen system. As much as I love GoldennEar, their smallest subwoofer is too large for our kitchen, so I turned to another supplier, SNAPAV, which specializes in home installation products. They have some fun products, including subwoofers finished in gloss white in 10″, 8′, and 6″ versions. I am ordering the 6″ version which, with dimensions of 8″ x 8″ x 9″, will replace a few cookbooks on a shelf under the microwave.

See how tiny it is? There is more info at http://www.snapav.com/p-1892-es-sub-evo6-100-wht.aspx

Here’s a follow-up on the GoldenEar Triton Seven

In response to my recent comments about the relative merits of the Triton Two versus the Triton Seven I got an email from an audio/videophile who has a pair of Triton Two and a pair of Triton Seven in his home theater, and also a pair of Triton Seven in a bedroom two-channel system. As he is a very discerning listener, has a good writing style, and I agree with his comments I am passing them on to you below:

I couldn’t agree more with your assessment of the Triton Seven, Wylie. I just bought 5 more albums from HDTracks – all female vocals. I’m listening to them on the Sevens as I type, and they sound wonderful! There is something magical about the midrange. One of these days I might put the two Sevens from my bedroom system in my main home theater, just as an experiment to find out how it would sound with 4 Sevens and a SCXL across the front. I love the Twos as mains in that room, because they have more impact for home theater, but the Sevens are something special.

The next day I received this email:

After listening to female vocals on the Sevens all day yesterday, I couldn’t wait to try my experiment. I moved the two Sevens from my bedroom system into the main home theater room and pulled the Twos out. For the next few days I’m going to be running the 4 Sevens in that room for music and home theater. For certain kinds of music, I already know I prefer the Sevens. Whether that holds up for “slam, bam, thank you ma’am” action movies – well, I’ll find out. 🙂

A week later I received a third email:

I’m fairly certain I’m going to keep the 4 Triton Sevens in my main home theater room, instead of 2 Sevens and 2 Twos. The 4 Sevens and the SCXL present a smooth, clean and unified front sound stage. They give up some separation and a bit of spaciousness, but I love the sound of instruments and sound FX both with the 4 Sevens.

Bear in mind that his home theater system has an SVS subwoofer so the bass capability is immense. The significance that I draw from these reports is that the Triton even, though smaller than the Two is voiced to have a sound that is competitive with the renowned TritonTwo as a stereo speaker, so long as the listener does not want the higher SPL capability in the bass. I visited his home theater and was treated to some select scenes from BluRay DVDs, including one from Transformers. Terrible film, but spectacular surround effects. The “slam, bam, thank you ma’am” power was all there, and smooth as silk.

Later, while visiting a GoldenEar forum I read a post by the same person that seemed to summarize it all.

For acoustic music and intimate female and male vocals, I love the sound of the Sevens, but they don’t have the low end impact of the larger Tritons. Not that they’re weak in the low end (quite the contrary), but they won’t shake the house the way the Tritons can if you crank the subs up. I have a friend who owns 4 Martin Logan electrostatics. He was quite impressed with the Triton Sevens and felt they were similar in some ways to his MLs. I think the Sevens are one of the most revealing speakers I’ve heard. Of course, audio is a very subjective area.

So the Seven is more than it would seem, in that it is a match for the Two in sound quality and sometimes sounds better so long as you accept that it will not have the extreme dynamics of the powered subs in the Two. As I listen to compare the GoldenEar speakers to each other I hear exactly what I expect from a well-desgned family. The midrange and highs are very similar and as the models go up the line the bass gets a little deeper with each step and the ability to play louder and with more dynamics. While more bass sounds preferable the confusing aspect is that sometimes music sounds better when there is less bass because that seems to make the midrange stand out more prominently. One internet forum post declard that a husband and wife liked their music better when they turned down the Triton Two bass amp volume. All this is just anther reminder that no matter how scientific audio seems to be the big variable in this experiment in pleasure is the human element.

Posted in Bookshelf Speakers, Marantz CD network receiver, Network receiver, Speakers, Subwoofers, Tower speakers | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments
19
Feb

Musings on listening

“Yes, but…”

Yes, 20Hz to 20,000Hz is the accepted range of human hearing, and frankly most of us can’t hear nearly as high as 20,000Hz

But speakers that go to 30KHz and above, like GoldenEar Technology’s folded ribbon tweeter tweeter, have an audible superiority over tweeters that cut off lower. And when soft dome tweeters have been compared to metal dome tweeters even when they both test flat to 20k, the metal domes with resonant peaks above 20K sound harsh by comparison. To me this means that the tests an audiologist give us do not tell the whole story. I believe that when listening to music we can sense the presence of higher frequencies. After all, music is not listening to sine wave test tones and pushing buttons to show we hear something.

Yes, it’s true that the fundamental of the lowest note of musical instruments if seldom are below 40Hz (with rare exceptions like piano at 27Hz, and organ at 18 Hz) but very little use is made of these lower notes in acoustic music.

But speakers with extended deep bass somehow have richer and fuller sound. Could it be that the combining of tones that produce the timbre of instruments has a low frequency component that we sense rather than hear? I think so.

Yes, it’s generally thought that 20Hz is the accepted lower limit of human hearing and frequencies below that can’t be heard.

But Bruce Thigpen of Eminent Technology has made an infrasonic woofer that goes down to DC at high SPL and proved that we can hear bass below 20Hz, but it must be very loud.

Link: Eminent Technology

Do you like listening in the dark?

Here’s another difference between testing by instrument and listening – people’s hearing improves in the dark. Many audiophiles have noticed this, and the idea that blind people hear better than sighted people has been around a long time. Now a study confirms this. Interesting reading.

Make it sound right with the DSPeaker Dual Core processor

In previous newsletters I’ve mentioned the DSPeaker 2.0 Dual Core for its most famous capability – removing peaks and flattening your room’s bass response. But it can do much more than that – its parametric equalizer allows you to create the frequency response you want to hear in your room. and store four different custom frequency responses, selectable at the push of a button on its remote. There is lots more, like a USB DAC, etc. etc. but there’s no need to get into all its capabilities now.

What is important is that it is a neutral, transparent component, without the problems of previous analog EQs that degraded the sound and ruined the reputation of equalization aong audiophiles. I offer as witness to the sound quality its Stereophile Class A rating which I have copied and pasted below.

2013 Stereophile Recommended Components Signal Processors

Signal Processors – Class A

DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core digital room equalizer: $1199

DSPeaker’s Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core is a highly versatile, remote-controllable, two-channel room/system equalizer for full-range loudspeakers. It has two VS8053 IceDragon processor chips, a small color display, XLR and RCA analog inputs and outputs, a datalink connector for linking multiple Anti-Mode 2.0 units, and a USB connector for USB audio mode, firmware updates, and data downloads. By default, the Anti-Mode 2.0 measures and automatically corrects from 16 to 150Hz, but can be configured to work from 16Hz to an upper limit ranging from 80 to 500Hz. In addition, it provides a large array of filter and configuration options, and can store up to four different sound profiles. “The DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 may be a small and unprepossessing black box, but its performance and power are huge,” summed up KR. (Vol.35 No.11 Read Review Online)”

TAS likes it too

In a review by Robert Greene in The Absolute Sound wherein he says that after fine tuning the system frequency response with the Dual Core “…in the end you can get truly remarkable sound out of a system corrected and adjusted with a Dual Core.”

The entire review can be read at The Absolute Sound

I have the Dual Core on demo, and available for loan to anyone who wants to see if it solves their problems and/or provides the correction and adjustment they need in their system.

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19
Jan

Anxiously awaiting the GoldenEar Triton One

CES comes but once a year, and the publicity it generates for new audio products is immense. Manufacturers are very eager to use it to introduce new products, even if they are not ready to ship. That’s why GoldenEar Technology showed advanced prototypes of the Triton One aqt the January 2014 CES, with an estimated ship date in April. They wanted to create a buzz, and they got a roar. If you want to see the earliest reactions check out the links below. If you want a summary of the reactions it is that the Triton One is magnificent and competes with speakers in the $20K to $50K range, but is $5K.

Links:
GoldenEar Technology’s flagship Triton One shames some speakers costing ten times as much (YouTube)
GOLDENEAR TECHNOLOGY TRITON ONE REVIEW
GoldenEar Triton One Flagship Tower Speaker Makes Its Public Debut at CES 2014 (Big Picture Big Sound)

After CES I called GoldenEar’s national sales manager, Dave Kakenmaster. Since I am such a fan of the Triton Two my first thought was to ask him how they compare to the Triton One. Essentially he said that the One is superior in every way. Of course there is no way to quantify the differences until the Ones arrive for comparative listening, so I asked how soon I could get mine. He says that a more realistic shipping estimate is probably June. So any serious consideration must wait until then.

I understand that CES is a once-a-year opportunity to show the One to almost everybody in the audio world. Such an opportunity is not to be missed, even if the speakers are not yet available. The timing just had to be this way.

GoldenEar Triton Seven

– Just right, and available right now

Comparing the Triton One and the Seven may seem silly, but let’s do it anyway. Firstly, the Triton Seven is not $5,000; it’s $1400. Many may want the One but there are reasons few will buy them. Mainly that the $5000 price of the One is way above most people’s mental and/or financial limit, but also because the larger size is too much for their speaker size limit. Also the Seven sounds incredibly good – so good that it may satisfy those who do not want the prodigious output of a larger speaker.

Lately I have been listening to the Triton Seven on all my favorite tracks and I came to realize that it has enough deep tight bass for most music, and it has some advantages in the midrange over the Two. It’s voiced a little more forward which gives it a more “live in the room” presence. And the Seven midrange seems subtly more pure. It may not be more pure, but it gives that impression, which leads me to a story about frequency response balance. A customer with a really good high-end system, but whose speakers are little light in the bass, borrowed a subwoofer from me. On its return he told me that it gave him weight in the bass that really made some of his classical music assume its proper scale, but on other classical music it reduced the clarity of the midrange and treble. He had to choose which music he wanted to enjoy more. This seems a strange idea, but I have experienced something similar. When demonstrating the Triton Two I begin with the bass volume set for flat response for neutral sound. During the demonstration I ask for reactions to the sound, and quite often I have to increase the bass volume to make the listeners happy. Yes, I confess to adjusting the bass to taste, and that’s one of the reasons I like the Triton speakers with subwoofer amps – I can turn the bass up or down depending on the music. Maybe I need to try turning the bass of the Two down below flat response to learn if less bass makes me perceive more midrange and treble. I strongly suspect that this is so.

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19
Jan

DSPeaker Dual Core followup

This is a Followup/Correction on Dual Core – Part 1
Somehow I called the DSPeaker Anti-Mode 2.0 Dual Core “Dual Mode” several times in the last newsletter.
Clearly the long name confused me.

While on the subject I’ll tell a little about DSPeaker. The maker is VLSI Solution in Finland, a manufacturer of integrated circuits. What’s cool is that they make both the chip and the finished product. This allows them much more responsive to changes suggested by the USA distributor, Tim Ryan, who has a terrific background in electronic circuit design and professional sound. He works closely with VLSI and is responsible for many improvements and additions to functions.

The Dual Core has been in short supply – I have only my first sample, with the expectation/hope of more next week.

Yesterday I was eager to make my first report on the Dual Core so I just analyzed them where they stood. Today I took the trouble to put my Triton Three at the location suggested by a computer program owned by my GoldenEar Technology sales rep. As you can see in the photos the dip at 70 Hz is still there but is much improved.

Here is yesterday’s result:

P1000658

And here is today’s:
Happy listening,

Wylie

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14
Nov

TAS reviews the GoldenEar Triton Seven

Once again I have become so lazy that I merely forward an email, but in any case I doubt that I can do a better job than Sandy Gross.

Nov 14th, 2013

Dear Wylie,

I have to say that the reviewers at The Absolute Sound are among the most critical, astute and perceptive listeners in the world. When I received Chris Martens’ review of the Triton Seven, which is in their December issue that’s just out now, I was, well, in seventh heaven. Chris was blown away with the speakers, and I was blown away with his review!


Absolute Sound Review of Triton Seven

I think his summation that the Triton Seven is,

“a masterpiece of value-oriented engineering that will not easily be matched or surpassed”

pretty well says it all. And his clear declaration that the Seven is,

“dollar for dollar, the finest high-end loudspeaker I’ve yet heard”

says it even more clearly. Of course, his more specific observations like,

“the most accomplished hybrid mix of Heil-type drivers that I have yet heard in any loudspeaker regardless of price”

and raves like,

“superior dynamic performance across the board…authoritative (and I mean really authoritative) low-end response that extends well into the 30 Hz range.. remarkably good imaging and three-dimensionality”

etc., all help to justify his conclusions. As he says,

“the genius is in the details, which is certainly the key to an extraordinary loudspeaker like the Triton Seven”.

And we are just getting rolling….

Please download and read the whole review, share it with your team and customers, and highlight on your website, Facebook page and Twitter feeds. Click here or on the image above to download this great review.

Sandy Gross
President and Founder
GoldenEar Technology
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