That in itself is not necessarily bad; the darker presentations of some concert venues and hi-fi systems often enhance detail. But I prefer my music more illumined, with all the color and brilliance that instruments and voices can offer. And over the last three years or so, Esoteric's sound has become better lit, as though a 40W bulb was replaced by a 75W bulb.
At AXPONA 2022, I eagerly headed to the company's exhibit, where I spoke with Keith Haas, national sales manager of 11 Trading Company, Esoteric's US distributor. When I learned of the forthcoming Grandioso MIX monoblock ($35,500 each), the culmination of a complete revision of the company’s top-selling M1 monoblock (now discontinued), I worked with Haas and Editor Jim Austin and set up a review.
As excited as I was, though, I grew concerned when I noticed that the M1X’s specified compatible loudspeaker impedance is 4–16 ohms, and that specified maximum output power is rated only down to 4 ohms. Could the M1X handle my Alexia V’s impedance dip, to approximately 2.5 ohms at 85Hz?1 In a Zoom session with Haas; Esoteric’s marketing and internationalsales managers, Hiroyuki Machida and Tsuyoshi Sugiura; and the company’s digital marketing, website design, and social media guru, Shota Terai, Terai told me that it could. “Our manual has to conform to Japanese safety standards,” Terai explained. “This is why we limit our recommendation to 4–8 ohms. But the amplifier’s performance [extends farther] than what’s on the spec sheet; its linearity extends to 2.4kW into 1 ohm.”
Sizable simplicity
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Denne historien er fra April 2023-utgaven av Stereophile.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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My last Far East trip
First comes the anticipation, that initial jet of warm water, that miraculous searching, finding the sweet spot, then heaven on earth as it cleans and caresses.
Riding the Common Wave
In the e-commerce era, brick-and-mortar dealerships must give customers compelling reasons to stop by. Los Angeles hi-fi dealership Common Wave's owner Wesley Katzir keeps customers coming through the door with a simple idea: that music matters in our everyday lives and that what he enjoys, other people will enjoy, too.
Mind Games to the bottom of the rabbit hole
After a wild decade in the biggest pop music group ever, John Lennon's post-Beatles years were spent in protest, in various kinds of therapy, in immigration court, and in search of a new musical identity.
Trane meets the Motor City
Detroit became a destination for migrating African Americans early, starting with the Underground Railroad; the city's proximity to Canada was convenient for those seeking to escape Southern slavery.
Vital art never rests
At this late date, it seems impossible that there could still be \"lost\" albums lingering in the vaults by musicians as important and successful as Johnny Cash and Paul McCartney.
DUKE IN 10
TO COMMEMORATE THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF DUKE'S DEATH, ROBERT BAIRD SELECTS A DOUBLE HANDFUL OF EXEMPLARY TRACKS FROM PERHAPS AMERICA'S GREATEST MUSICAL GENIUS.
Piega Coax Gen2 811
It's funny how we discover some music in unexpected, twisting ways.
Pass Laboratories XP-27
One of the pleasures of reviewing-and also using-products from Pass Laboratories is an encounter with Nelson Pass's writing, which can usually be found in the owner's manual and is always competent, insightful, and sometimes funny.
EMT 928 II
Modern turntables are a paradox.
Dynaudio Contour 30i
Ah, Denmark. Land of the Vikings and blue-eyed, blond-haired folk with faces sculpted just so.
