 Two speakers
July 29, 2009
Dear Doug,
My name is João Dias and I´m from Portugal.
Congratulations for the excellent "magazine," which has been going 13 years
without slowing down!
In Portugal, it’s not easy to listen to some products,
and almost every upgrade for my system was done after reading reviews. Sometimes it was a
good choice; others, well, a disappointment. In some cases, even after listening at the
store, I had a very different result when the product ended up in my room.
Since I was a boy, I always had my sound systems in my
bedroom. My bedroom is about 4.2m wide by 4.4m long and 2.5m high. The bed is near the
floor, and it’s where I listen to music. I love detail and a kind of sweet and clean
sound, but I also like solid, articulate bass response and a dynamic sound. Lots of
‘80s Pink Floyd, Dire Straits, and so on.
My system:
- Plinius 9100 integrated amplifier (I love this piece)
- Musical Fidelity A5 CD player
- A Clearaudio turntable is on the way and a Plinius Jarrah
phono stage is
already here
I need your opinion about the right speakers. Some years
ago I listened to KEF Reference 205 speakers with a Musical Fidelity amplifier and I just
loved it. I have the opportunity to buy these models (used ones) but, unfortunately, I
can’t listen before I buy: KEF Reference 201/2 and JMlab Mezzo Utopia.
What do you think? Thank you in advance for your kind
assistance.
Best regards,
João Dias
Thank you for writing from so far away. Also, I want to
thank you for recognizing just how long we've been publishing, and that we've never missed
a publication date!
Of those two speakers, I only know the KEF 201/2 well
because I reviewed
it. I really like that speaker, but because it’s a smaller speaker, I fear that
it might not deliver the kind of bass you want. The 201/2's bass is tight, but it's not
super-deep. On the other hand, your room isn't that big, so it might be ideal. The only
thing I know about the Mezzo Utopia is that it’s quite a bit larger and, as a result,
will likely deliver much deeper bass. But will it be too much bass for your room?
That’s hard to say, and that’s why it’s really best to try before you buy,
particularly with speakers. Unfortunately, that seems to be the predicament you're in.
The only suggestion I have is this: err on the side of
too little bass than too much. The reason is that if you have a small speaker that only
delivers modest bass, you can play with the placement in your room to maximize the bass.
For example, a speaker placed close to a wall boundary will produce more bass than one out
in the room. On the other hand, if the speaker produces too much bass and overloads it,
that's hard to get rid of, even with strategic placement. I hope that helps, at least a
little. . . . Doug Schneider
New floorstanding speakers
July 26, 2009
To Vade Forrester,
I read with great interest your review
on the Cerwin-Vega CLS-215 speakers. I am in the market for floorstanding speakers and
have about $900 to spend. Do you know about the Axiom speakers? Any help would be great. I
have a Yamaha RX-797 receiver. I only want stereo speakers. I have no need for surround
sound.
Thank you,
Richard Rogers
Thanks for checking out our reviews. Unfortunately, I've
never had the opportunity to hear any Axiom speakers, but we've reviewed several of them,
and I see that they've gotten raves from our reviewers.
The CLS-215 speakers are quite large. They take up lots
of floor space. They sound good, and should be a good match for a receiver, since they are
pretty efficient. If I were thinking of buying the CLS-215s, I might consider the CLS-15s,
which have a single 15" woofer in a shorter cabinet. They are cheaper, too. Pleasant
listening . . . Vade Forrester
Cartridge shopping
July 20, 2009
To John Crossett,
As someone who is about to invest in either a Clearaudio
Performance or at the very least the Ortofon Black model, depending upon finances, I would
love to know your honest opinion on these two cartridges, as I see from your review of the Black from
'08 that you know both of them quite well. As I tend to do a great deal of research prior
to investing in anything these days -- I've Googled my heart out -- I have only been able
to come across three cartridges that people tend to mention over and over again, namely
either the Maestro, the Black, or the Dynavector DV 20XH.
I'm primarily a jazz diehard with a great deal of
recordings from the early ‘50s until about 1988 or so, when many labels began to stop
releasing LPs besides Blue Note and Classic Records. As my main focus has always been on
jazz, I merely wish to have a cartridge that swings, yet without having the music thrown
into my listening seat. I tend to love a sound that is laid-back without being dull, if
you know what I'm getting at. I know that due to its maker the Maestro might be a better
fit, but what I wish to have above all is the best-sounding cartridge out of these three.
I wish to thank you in advance for your assistance on this,
as many dealers appear to have their minds set upon selling one or the other, yet in the
end I tend to believe that those who have actually used said cartridges within their own
systems are the ones I trust. Please share the knowledge.
Regards,
Oscar
I'm glad you enjoyed the review of the Ortofon Black
cartridge. I certainly enjoyed listening to it. It and the Maestro come very close in
their presentations and I think you'd be happy with either. The Maestro might be a bit
warmer and the Black a bit more precise, but it's very close. I own the Maestro, and like
it, but had I heard the Black first I might very well have leaned in that direction. As a
jazz fan myself I don't think you'll go wrong with either, given your priorities. . . .
John Crossett
Referrals
July 14, 2009
To Doug Schneider,
I've been a very long-time reader of SoundStage! and
consider you guys one of the best publications in the business. I've bought equipment
based on your reviews and have never disagreed with your conclusions.
I am anxious to hear someone, anyone, review the
just-released Wyred 4 Sound integrated amplifiers (STI-500 or STI-1000) which, at
$2000-$2500, could be killers. Actually, I'd love to see it reviewed at SoundStage!,
hence this email.
Bill Thomas
If you read my editorial this month, you'll see that
we're looking to diversify our coverage. Until now, I'd only heard about the company in
passing. This message has prompted me to look into them more. We can't guarantee that
we'll review the products, but rest assured that they're now on our radar. . . . Doug
Schneider
Power
and the Magico V2
July 7, 2009
Hello Doug,
I was reading AVGuide.com where Jonathan Valin gave a link
to your review
of the V2. I just finished it and found it very well written and informative. I
especially appreciate the comparison to the Aurum Acoustics Integris Active 300B speaker
system since my audio friend who lives down the street just bought a complete Aurum system
which I helped him to set up.
I have been interested in the Magico line of speakers for
some time, but cannot find a way to justify the cost -- until the V2 arrived, that is. My
Boston-area dealer does not yet have a pair, but I eagerly await their arrival for an
audition.
The question I have for you is regarding amplifier power.
In your sidebar, you recommend starting with at least 150W. Is that at 8 ohms or 4 ohms? I
have the incredible new Pass Labs XA100.5 amplifiers -- class-A operation delivering 100W
at 8 ohms and 200W at 4 ohms. In your opinion, would these monoblocks have enough power to
adequately drive the V2? I have a small room of 16' x 15' x 7.5'. My EgglestonWorks Rosa
speakers are 87dB with a 6-ohm load (4-ohm minimum), but I have the feeling they could use
even more power because that sense of ease and the explosive impact of live sound is
slightly missing. Are the V2s really 89dB?
Thank you for any advice that you may have.
Peter Ayer
In an anechoic chamber, which is where we measured the
V2, the voltage sensitivity is 86dB (2.83V/1m), which is what you'd expect from a speaker
of this type. The amplifier ratings I mentioned were all in reference to an 8-ohm load. I
found the V2 to sound better with higher-powered amplifiers than with lower-powered ones,
preferring something that outputs at least 150Wpc. However, don't get hung up on just
that. Use that as a guide and work from there. Certain amplifiers sound more powerful than
they actually are. For example, my Blue Circle Audio BC204 amp sounds more powerful than
its 150Wpc rating lets on. Other amps don't sound as powerful as their specs make it seem.
Since I don't have any experience with the XA100.5, I can't tell you how it will perform.
The only thing I can say is that given what you've said, it's certainly worth a try. . . .
Doug Schneider
Arcam FMJ A32
July 3, 2009
Hi Doug,
I'm writing about your review of the Arcam FMJ A32
integrated amplifier that you wrote way back in 2002. I currently own a Classé Audio
CAP-101 which was released back in 2002 also. It's very similar to the CAP-80 which you
may be familiar with. Are these integrated amps more similar than different? Would I just
be swapping one for the other and just making a lateral move?
I'd be interested in your thoughts.
Thanks,
Steve Anders
It's been almost seven years since I reviewed the A32
so any serious comparison is out of the question. Furthermore, I'm not that familiar with
the Classé Audio CAP-100 or the CAP-80 even though I currently have a CAP-2100 (their
current top-of-the-line integrated) in for review. That said, I distinctly remember being
impressed with the A32 because it was near perfect in terms of sound quality and
functionality. The only other thing I recall was that the build was a little flimsy when
you compare it to something like, say, a Classé, which, regardless of the model, seems to
have a more robust chassis. The CAP-2100 I have is made as well as anything out there.
It's more expensive, mind you, but all the Classé models seem to have that substantial
feel. So, in that regard, it might actually be a step backward. In terms of sound quality
and functionality, as I already mentioned, the A32 really impressed me, but it's been far
too long. . . . Doug Schneider
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