Paradigm Defiance V10 Subwoofer

Details: Written by Hans Wetzel; Created: 15 May 2019

I’m not really a subwoofer guy. Getting a pair of ballsy floorstanding loudspeakers perfectly set up in a dedicated listening room is hard enough, but trying to integrate the output of a small sub with those of a pair of bookshelf speakers in a modern, open living space can be nearly impossible. But I get the appeal. A sub, properly set up, can quickly turn a cheap pair of two-ways into a nearly full-range system without having to spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on a pair of big, three-way towers. It also gives you system flexibility -- like the possibility of an ultimate desktop setup. I just wish there were an easier way to dial in a sub’s sound without having to constantly get up and fiddle with rear-mounted cabinet controls. Paradigm, it seems, has an affordable solution.

Dominic Miller: "Absinthe"

Details: Written by Joseph Taylor; Created: 15 May 2019

ECM 2614 (B0029695-02)
Format: CD

Musical Performance

Sound Quality

Overall Enjoyment

In the last 30 years guitarist Dominic Miller has played on recordings by an impressive number of musicians, including Chris Botti, Mark Hollis, and Youssou N’Dour, and from Bettye LaVette to the Chieftains. His discography shows how versatile and in demand he is, but his most enduring musical relationship has been with Sting. He’s played on all of Sting’s albums since The Soul Cages (1991), and has toured with him in support of those recordings.

Two Subs, One Listening Chair

Details: Written by Diego Estan; Created: 01 May 2019

Home-theater enthusiasts have long extolled the virtues of using two or more subwoofers. The advantages over a single sub are many, and include increased bass output with less compression, and better blend of the subs’ sound with the sound of the main speakers (that is, it’s more difficult to identify the subwoofers as the sources of the lowest frequencies). However, the biggest advantage of using two subs in a home-theater system is the mitigation of bass peaks and nulls, to produce a smoother, more consistent overall bass response audible at a greater number of listening positions.

Scansonic HD M-40 Loudspeakers

Details: Written by Hans Wetzel; Created: 01 May 2019

Scansonic HD came into being in 1970, as a speaker line of Scan-Speak, the famed Danish maker of drive-units. Scan-Speak was then purchased by Scansonic’s current parent company, Dantax Radio, in 1977, before being spun off on its own some ten years later. This left Scansonic under the Dantax umbrella, along with loudspeaker brands GamuT Audio and Raidho Acoustics. While Raidho’s ultra-high-end speakers are famed for their fast, airy sound, thanks in no small part to the ribbon tweeter used in all their models, their retail prices stretch well into six figures and make them pipe dreams for all but the wealthiest audiophiles. Scansonic’s mandate is to make available to a wider audience some of the Raidho magic at more affordable prices.

Luther Dickinson and Sisters of the Strawberry Moon: "Solstice"

Details: Written by Joseph Taylor; Created: 01 May 2019

New West NW6367
Format: CD

Musical Performance

Sound Quality

Overall Enjoyment

Luther Dickinson, lead singer and guitarist of the North Mississippi Allstars, has also released five solo albums and appeared on countless other recordings. Solstice is credited to him and Sisters of the Strawberry Moon, a collective of singers and musicians that includes Amy Helm, Amy LaVere, Shardé Thomas, the Como Mamas, and Birds of Chicago. A few guest musicians help out to create a beautiful album of American music that touches on many genres.

Crosley C6 Turntable

Details: Written by Thom Moon; Created: 15 April 2019

In my city, the Crosley name carries a lot of weight. It was here in Cincinnati, in 1920, that successful auto-parts manufacturer Powel Crosley Jr. found himself appalled at the price of radios: a simple crystal set cost $100 -- the equivalent of $2262.20 in 2018 dollars -- but that didn’t include the necessary headphones and long outdoor antenna. His son really wanted a radio, but Crosley was frugal. Instead, he bought a $9 book on how to build a radio. He built it, then hired a couple of engineering students from the local university to build replicas, which he sold for $20 apiece ($452.44 in 2018). He sold a ton of them. By the mid-1920s, Crosley was the largest radio manufacturer in the US, mostly because he made radios affordable for so many; he was often called “the Henry Ford of radio.”

Joe Jackson: "Fool"

Details: Written by Joseph Taylor; Created: 15 April 2019

Ear Music 0213592EMU (CD), 0213593EMU (LP)
Format: CD & LP

Musical Performance

Sound Quality

Overall Enjoyment

Fool is Joe Jackson’s 21st studio album, and at first it seems somewhat unassuming, with a clever cover image that looks like something an independent artist would use for a self-released disc. Even the way Jackson recorded Fool was modest. His last album, Fast Forward (2015), was recorded in four cities with four different bands. This time, Jackson and his touring band went “Straight into the studio at the end of a tour, still on the road,” he said in a press release. “Wherever we played the last show, we would record.” Wherever turned out to be Boise, Idaho.

ACCESSible Hi-Fi at Montréal Audio Fest 2019

Details: Written by Diego Estan; Created: 01 April 2019

My mission was to scour the halls of the Hotel Bonaventure Montréal, the venue for the 2019 Montréal Audio Fest, looking for affordable products to report on. That turned out to be fun but not all that easy -- most exhibitors were showing off their five- and even six-figure systems. But among all the audio bling, a few manufacturers and distributors displayed some gear that was indeed affordably priced. (All prices in Canadian dollars.)

Paradigm Monitor SE 3000F Loudspeakers

Details: Written by Diego Estan; Created: 01 April 2019

Note: Measurements taken in the anechoic chamber at Canada's National Research Council can be found through this link.

Paradigm has been around since 1982, and still designs and engineers all its loudspeakers in its headquarters just outside Toronto, Canada. The company can always be counted on to deliver high-quality products with good sound, at a variety of prices.

Guided by Voices: "Zeppelin Over China"

Details: Written by Joseph Taylor; Created: 01 April 2019

Guided by Voices, Inc. GBVi87
Format: CD

Musical Performance

Sound Quality

Overall Enjoyment

Robert Pollard has such a formidable recorded output, as both a solo artist and as leader of Guided by Voices, that it’s easy to take him for granted. If you’ve drifted away from the band, their last four albums are reason to return. The current lineup is the strongest since the band’s peak in the mid-2000s, and this new album, Zeppelin Over China, is one of their best. The descending riff that opens the first song, “Good Morning Sir,” is familiar -- Pollard’s used it before -- but this band sounds fresh and excited to be playing it.