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| Letters -- May 2008 “...price...is insane” May 23, 2008 Editor, I just read your review of the Audio Acoustics Sapphire Ti-C SE and must say that I think the price of that speaker is insane. There is no way that that speaker is competitive with current offerings from other companies that you have written about, such as those from Wilson Audio, Rockport Technologies, and YG Acoustics. You always seem so level-headed that I was just surprised by that review. Otherwise I really enjoy your writing. Please keep up the great work. Asanti What can I say? You’re right. The price did put that speaker completely out of the realm of competition with products from the companies that you mention. I did recently hear that Audio Acoustics has lowered the prices on their products substantially, but I don’t know all the details or whether it’s enough to make them fall more in line with the competition. I still believe they are fine speakers, but if I had that article to write over again I would have raised a more suspicious eyebrow on the price and definitely would have questioned it with more verve….Jeff Fritz Question about in-room measurements May 17, 2008 Editor, In your excellent JL Audio Gotham review you state, “I use a relatively inexpensive Behringer ECM8000, which can be found in most local music stores, and a real-time spectrum analyzer. For the latter I use TrueRTA, a program from True Audio that’s available for a reasonable sum as a download from their website.” What I can’t figure out is how to interface the microphone with my computer. I don’t have an XLR connector on my laptop. What’s the deal? Ralph Good question, and certainly an oversight on my part not to mention it. The answer is that you need a microphone preamp. There are several on the market that accept an analog XLR input and have a USB digital output. Inside is an analog-to-digital converter and a phantom power supply for the microphone itself. Do a Google search for a Marshall MXL Mic Mate and you’ll see one option, though there are several brands available. Most of the models are under $100 and widely available online….Jeff Fritz Rockport choice May 5, 2008 Editor, I've just finished reading your reviews of the Rockport Mira and Altair, and I have a few quick questions. I'm in the market for new speakers and Rockport is on my list. The Miras are at the top, and the new Ankaas are also obtainable. The Ankaas have the same midrange driver in the Altair, which is custom made by Rockport, while the Miras use an Audiotechnology midrange unit. In the review of the Altair you mentioned the upper frequencies and the lower frequencies as being superior in weight and definition, but I didn't see anything about the midrange. Was there a significant difference between the two in the midrange band? Did the Altair have more inner detail or palpability than the Mira because of the higher-end midrange driver? I'd really like to hear your thoughts, because the Mira has a price tag that is easier to swallow at $15,000, while the Ankaa is more expensive at $26,500. I think ultimately the Ankaa becomes the best buy because of the better tweeter and midrange, although the bass unit remains the same, I think, but I'd love to hear your thoughts. Harry The midrange in the Altair is superior to that in the Mira. There is more resolution of detail and more weight when called for. It’s just across-the-board better. That said, the Miras’ midrange is quite neutral and will become something of a non-issue if you own them. Their clarity is one of their hallmarks. As for the Ankaas, I only heard them briefly at CES and though they sounded very good, I really can’t compare them with what I’ve heard in my room. The rooms make that big a difference. My guess would be that they would better the Mira as they have a larger, more elaborate cabinet and the better midrange driver as you state. My experience with Rockport is that more money really does buy you better sound. That’s the way it should be, but isn’t always….Jeff Fritz
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