Low-Fi?

On top of the IKEA cabinet sit the Revox combo. Beneath the Onkyo can be seen with the iPod inserted. Also the Sony DVP-PR50P.


My Lowest-Fi?
Brief Review: Onkyo NS-D1 Digital Media Transport, Part II
Brief Review: Micromega MyDAC, Part III
Brief Review: Revox A722/A720
Brief Review: Sansui F55 loudspeakers

Sometimes, like this past Chinese New Year, I spend quite a bit of time in Shenzhen. I have a make-shift system there:

Revox A720/A722 This combo is the center of the system, making a sound that is hard to fault. Built quality is exemplary. The A720 preamp (info here) is quite bulky; most interesting is its tuner display, which employs tubes. Too bad I have never tried its phono, which I am sure is superb. Too bad too that Shenzhen does not have a good FM music station. Curiously, the matching A722 amp (info here) is rather compact, but it sounds very powerful; as the speakers are efficient, I use the 50% power setting.

Micromega MyDAC More need not be said. Read my reviews here.

Onkyo NS-D1 Digital Media Transport (well reviewed here.) Also, in my Micromega review quoted above, it performed very well.

Sansui Now  Sansui is now a Chinese brand, but there is ample confusion. I'd guess a Chinese company bought the name, then licensed the name to others, but the relationships turned sour. www.sansui-cn.com seems the real thing, concentrating in audio (and their website is the only one which pays tribute to the Sansui history in Chinese), and the loudspeakers I use (just using what is around) originate from them. www.sansui.com.cn appears to be the same company (many models are the same) and they serve a notice there on the discontinuation of relationships with various others who now infringe on the Sansui name (link in Chinese). Note too there are Sansui Singapore/India/US! But the most famous debacle is probably Sansui UK, whose existence is in doubt (What HiFi article). You figure, sad saga of a once-great name.


Sansui F55 Loudpseakers This is a discontinued product. This link shows it and the spec's are in Chinese:

低音单元 (bass driver) 8"+8" 辐射器 (reflex)

中音单元 (midrange)  3*3"

高音单元 (tweeter) 1"

阻抗 (impedance) 6 ohm

灵敏度(sensitivity) 88dB

分频频率: (crossover points) 500Hz/3KHz

The same company's F56 is a similar successor (link in Chinese here). It confirms the loudspeaker to be a 3-way, 5-driver unit. The tweeter and midrange's have their own internal enclosure separated from the woofer. I have opened the F55, and I am pretty sure the 3x midrange units are "near-fullrange's"; a single cap links to the tweeter. The woofer fires to the side, with rear reflex ports. If you ask me, this is not a bad design, and the sound proves it.

Impressions:

• The loudspeakers are very efficient (spec's notwithstanding) and an even performer, producing quite good bass down to less than 40 Hz, ensuring good renditions of large orchestral works like Bruckner and Bartok. Transition between the midrange and tweeter is quite seamless, as is usual for a first-order crossover. Jazz has good snap and rhythm.

• Originally I had the YBA WD-202 DAC. Substituting the Micromega MyDAC improved focus, but I had to make some changes in cables. Originally I used optical with the Onkyo and coaxial XLO 0.4 with the Sony, but the sound of the Sony proved too sharp, so now I had the cables reversed, and they sound just right. The iPod Classic playing Bartok and Bruckner was excellent!

• Overall, a very enjoyable system, making BIG sounds, for very little money.