Tower Speaker Reviews

Five channels driven into 8-ohm loads: 0.1% distortion at 110.7 watts; 1% distortion at 121.7 watts

Analog frequency response in Direct mode: –0.12 dB at 10 Hz; –0.03 dB at 20 Hz; –0.40 dB at 20 kHz; –2.32 dB at 50 kHz.

Analog frequency response with signal processing: –0.69 dB at 10 Hz; –0.19 dB at 20 Hz; –0.42 dB at 20 kHz; –57.70 dB at 50 kHz.

This graph shows that the AVR300's left channel, from CD input to speaker output with two channels driving 8-ohm loads, reaches 0.1% distortion at 119.3 watts and 1% distortion at 135.4 watts. Into 4 ohms, the amplifier reaches 0.1% distortion at 131.9 watts and 1% distortion at 145.5 watts.

Response from the multichannel input to the speaker output measures –0.12 dB at 10 Hz, –0.03 dB at 20 Hz, –0.39 dB at 20 kHz, and –2.28 dB at 50 kHz. THD+N from the amplifier was less than 0.028% at 1 kHz when driving 2.83 volts into an 8-ohm load. Crosstalk at 1 kHz driving 2.83 volts into an 8-ohm load was –79.17 dB left to right and –84.19 dB right to left. The signal-to-noise ratio with 2.83 volts driving an 8-ohm load from 10 Hz to 24 kHz with "A" weighting was –90.84 dBrA.

From the Dolby Digital input to the loudspeaker output, the left channel measures –0.03 dB at 20 Hz and –0.35 dB at 20 kHz. The center channel measures –0.03 dB at 20 Hz and –0.35 dB at 20 kHz, and the left surround channel measures –0.04 dB at 20 Hz and –0.35 dB at 20 kHz. From the Dolby Digital input to the line-level output, the LFE channel is +0.01 dB at 20 Hz when referenced to the level at 40 Hz and reaches the upper 3-dB down point at 110 Hz and the upper 6-dB down point at 118 Hz.—MJP

HT Labs Measures: Anthony Gallo Acoustics Reference 3 Speaker System

• Reference 3 L/C/R Sensitivity: 84 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz

• Dué Surround Sensitivity; 83 dB from 500 Hz to 2 kHz

This graph shows the quasi-anechoic (employing close-miking of all woofers) frequency response of the Reference 3 L/C/R (purple trace) and Dué surround (red trace). All passive loudspeakers were measured at a distance of 1 meter with a 2.83-volt input and scaled for display purposes.

The Reference 3's listening-window response (a five-point average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal and vertical responses) measures +2.86/–4.54 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. An average of axial and +/–15-degree horizontal responses measures +3.26/–2.65 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. The –3dB point is at 63 Hz, and the –6dB point is at 53 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 3.10 ohms at 20 kHz and a phase angle of –140.53 degrees at 20 kHz.

The Dué's listening-window response measures +3.80/–2.98 dB from 200 Hz to 10 kHz. The –3dB point is at 198 Hz, and the –6dB point is at 166 Hz. Impedance reaches a minimum of 2.21 ohms at 20 kHz and a phase angle of –104.11 degrees at 13.9 kHz.—MJP