MEASUREMENTS
I used DRA Labs’ MLSSA system and a calibrated DPA 4006 microphone to measure the Dragonfire Mini Dragon Satellite’s frequency response in the farfield, and an Earthworks QTC-40 mike for the nearfield responses of that and the SB-8P powered subwoofer. I measured the performance of the Dragonfire MD-4 power amplifier with my Audio Precision SYS2722 system (see the January 2008 “As We See It”1). Because the MD-4 uses a class-D output stage, around 320mV of ultrasonic switching noise was present on its outputs. As this noise might overload the SYS2722’s input circuitry, I used the Audio Precision auxiliary AUX-0025 passive high-power filter, which eliminates noise above 200kHz, for the amplifier testing.
Although Dragonfire recommends that purchasers of the Mini Dragon Satellites use them with their MD-4 amplifier, which is how they were auditioned by Jason Victor Serinus, the manual states “As an ultra-efficient purely resistive load, the Mini Dragons require only a few watts of power to reach normal listening levels and may be driven by a wide variety of high-end amplifiers.” I therefore performed the first round of testing using one of the Mini Dragon speakers driven by the’s speaker testing.
