Buyer's Guide to Loudspeakers 2017

Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017

SPONSORED BY

A MASTERPIECE OF DESIGN AND ENGINEERING

Renaissance ESL 15A represents a major evolution in electrostatic design. A 15-inch Curvilinear Line Source (CLS™) XStat™ vacuum-bonded electrostatic transducer with advanced MicroPerf ™ stator technology and ultra-rigid AirFrame™ Blade construction provide the heart of this exceptional loudspeaker.

A powerfully dynamic low-frequency experience is rendered with unﬂ inching accuracy and authority courtesy of dual 12-inch low-distortion aluminum cone woofers. Each woofer is independently powered by a 500-watt Class-D ampliﬁ er, and controlled by a 24-Bit Vojtko™ DSP Engine featuring Anthem Room Correction (ARC™) technology. Hear it today at your local dealer.

1 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound

MartinLogan_DLR_TAS_Renaissance_ESL15A_Buyer's_Guide_SPREAD_2016.indd 1 2016-03-15 7:49 AM 2 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound Click here to go to that section

CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS Contents SPONSORED BY You can’t tell anything about the loudspeaker until you listen to it. Don’t be in a hurry to buy the first speaker you like; audition several products. A MASTERPIECE OF DESIGN AND ENGINEERING

Renaissance ESL 15A represents a major evolution in electrostatic design. FROM THE EDITOR ON THE HORIZON HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER A 15-inch Curvilinear Line Source (CLS™) XStat™ vacuum-bonded electrostatic transducer with advanced MicroPerf ™ stator technology and ultra-rigid Julie Mullins welcomes you to our Neil Gader has the scoop on the Robert Harley helps you navigate the tricky process of speaker auditioning AirFrame™ Blade construction provide the heart of this exceptional loudspeaker.

Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers. latest loudspeakers to enter the and purchasing in this excerpt from The Complete Guide to High-End Audio. A powerfully dynamic low-frequency experience is rendered with unﬂ inching accuracy and authority courtesy of dual 12-inch low-distortion aluminum cone hi-fi market. woofers. Each woofer is independently powered by a 500-watt Class-D ampliﬁ er, and controlled by a 24-Bit Vojtko™ DSP Engine featuring Anthem Room Correction (ARC™) technology. Hear it today at your local dealer. DESKTOP AND POWERED BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT FLOORSTANDING <$10K SUBWOOFERS

Audience ClairAudient 1+1 V2+ Air Tight Bonsai MartinLogan Motion 60XT JL Audio e110 Micromega MySpeaker Aerial Acoustics Model 5T Vandersteen Treo CT JL Audio Gotham Audioengine HDP6 Passive Starke Sound IC-H3 Halo Elite ATC SCM19A REL T7i KEF Muo Crystal Cable Arabesque Minissimo Diamond Monitor Audio Gold 300 GoldenEar SuperSub XXL Our Top Picks in Desktop and Powered Dynaudio Xeo 2 Our Top Picks in Floorstanding <$10k Harbeth 40.2

Revel Concerta2 M16 MartinLogan_DLR_TAS_Renaissance_ESL15A_Buyer's_Guide_SPREAD_2016.indd 1 2016-03-15 7:49 AM B&W 805 D3 Focal Sopra Nº1 FLOORSTANDING >$10K Gamut RS3i Elac Uni-Fi UB5 MartinLogan Neolith Our Top Picks in Bookshelf and Stand-Mount Monitor Audio Platinum PL500 II Von Schweikert VR-55 Aktive Click here to read our Magico S1 Mk II Top Picks in every category Paradigm Persona 9H Legacy Aeris with Wavelet Processor Muraudio PX1 Audio Physic Cardeas 30 LJE Ryan Speakers Tempus III Our Top Picks in Floorstanding >$10k

3 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound Premium sound solutions for every space.

MartinLogan excels at doing things that have never been done, like integrating exotic Folded Motion™ driver technology, inspired by our legendary high-end electrostatic designs, into the aﬀ ordable Motion® Series and reference Stealth™ Architectural Series. Smooth, reﬁ ned sonic performance with stunning dynamic range and jaw-dropping clarity – MartinLogan magic in an application to suit every lifestyle.

EM-ESL X Motion 40 Motion 60XT Motion SLM

Motion Vision X Edge Axis Vanquish

4 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Email the Editor: [email protected] or: TAS, 2601 McHale St. #100 Austin, Texas 78758 nextscreen, LLC chairman and ceo ...... Tom Martin publisher ...... Jim Hannon senior writers...... Anthony H. Cordesman vp/group publisher...... Jim Hannon editor-in-chief ...... Robert Harley Wayne Garcia executive editor...... Jonathan Valin Robert E. Greene advertising reps ...... Cheryl Smith acquisitions manager Jim Hannon (512) 891-7775 and associate editor...... Neil Gader Jacob Heilbrunn managing editor and Ted Libbey Marvin Lewis buyer’s guide editor...... Julie Mullins Arthur Lintgen MTM Sales Dick Olsher (718) 225-8803 creative director...... Torquil Dewar Andrew Quint art director...... Shelley Lai Don Saltzman Scott Constantine production...... Rachel Holder Paul Seydor (609) 275-9594 Steven Stone Alan Taffel webmaster...... Garrett Whitten Greg Weaver

reviewers & contributing writers. Duck Baker Soren Baker Karen Bells Greg Cahill Stephen Estep Vade Forrester Andre Jennings Mark Lehman Sherri Lehman David McGee Kirk Midtskog Mark Milano SPONSORED BY Buyer’s Guide to Bill Milkowski Derk Richardson Loudspeakers 2017 Karl Schuster © 2017 Nextscreen LLC

5 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound A MASTERPIECE OF DESIGN AND ENGINEERING

MartinLogan_DLR_TAS_Renaissance_ESL15A_Buyer's_Guide_SPREAD_2016.indd 1 2016-03-15 7:49 AM CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP

& POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

From the Editor SOPRA REVEAL THE INVISIBLE Welcome to the new Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers! The more time THE PRESS IS UNANIMOUS! “I was capable of playing Our new 2017 Guide not only features 28 full-length loudspeaker reviews hand-se- I spent with the Sopra everything with aplomb lected by TAS editors, but you’ll also find: N°1s, the more eager “with a lot of power and “For me, these and power. The soundstage control behind them, I am I became to re-explore speakers are my was huge, expanding beyond my music collection always amazed at how much the speakers.” On the Horizon – A sneak peek at 16 of the hottest new loudspeakers to hit the Home Theater Review, of the flagship Focal sound is audio nirvana’’ Stereophile, Sopra No3 o present here’’ HiFi and Music Source, market. Sopra N 1 o ToneAudio, Sopra No3 Sopra N 2

How to Choose Loudspeakers – Robert Harley offers sage advice on all the factors you should consider before buying speakers.

Premier Reviews – Brand-new reviews of the Starke Sound IC-H3 Halo Elite and the Crystal Cable Minissimo Diamond Edition, published here before they appear in print.

Top Picks – We choose our recommendations for each category, from desktop and powered, to bookshelf, stand-mount, and floorstanders.

No matter what your budget or sonic preferences, this Guide is designed to help you explore the wide range of loudspeakers across all design categories and price-points.

Happy listening! CARRARA WHITE CARRARA BLACKLACQUER ORANGE ELECTRIC RED IMPERIAL VEINEER WALNUT

Julie Mullins, Editor 5 AVAILABLE FINISHES SOPRA No1 SOPRA No3 www.focal.com $8999 SOPRA No2 $19999 $13999 6 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound USA www.audioplusservices.com www.facebook.com/audioplusservices — CANADA www.plurison.com www.facebook.com/Plurison CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

On the Horizon Hot New Products Coming Your Way

Neil Gader

KEF LS50 Wireless The LS50 Wireless is a stylish and fully active music system whose architecture builds upon LS50’s lauded acoustic capabilities. The LS50 Wireless has advanced DSP crossovers that correct for inherent time delays introduced in the crossover stage, and with KEF’s Uni-Q concentric driver arrays housed in acoustically inert cabinets, remarkably even sound dispersion is now attainable in virtually every room. In his CES 2017 report, Neil Gader says of the LS50, “Sonically, it was everything I enjoyed in the original—heft, reasonable scale and precision, plus the added bass extension and control that are part and parcel of the active loudspeaker experience—a segment and solution that have achieved more high-end popularity than ever before with the advent of computer media and network music.” On the specs front, the LS50 Wireless features an end-to-end 192kHz/24-bit high-resolution digital signal path, two separate DACs per channel (per speaker), and two 230-watt amplifiers powering each channel in a bi-amp dual mono configuration. The LS50 Wireless provides 2.4GHz/5GHz dual-band WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 aptX, asynchronous USB type B, TosLink optical, and RCA analog inputs. A dedicated LS50 Wireless app (iOS and Android) facilitates network setup, streaming, playback, EQ and speaker placement options, and DSP controls. In addition to all this versatile technology, colors are available, with drivers matched to cabinet finishes for a look that should make them welcome in most listening rooms—even more so given that only a smartphone is required to complete this soup-to-nuts system. Price: $2199/pr. kef.com

7 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

On the Horizon

Muraudio Domain Omni PX2 Manger Audio z1 Totem Acoustic Sky The utopian dream for the audiophile and music lover is to Manger Audio of Germany has recently released a completely Soon to be celebrating its 30th year, Totem is now shipping bring the live performance home. Muraudio’s purpose in new product line of active and passive floorstanding and compact the Sky bookshelf monitor worldwide. Designed to appeal to launching the Domain Omni PX2 was an attempt to bring that loudspeakers using its proprietary Manger Sound Transducer a broad audience, the new Sky marries the Totem focal points dream closer to reality. In his review (TAS Issue 258) Robert E. (MSW), a design known for its unique transient behavior. The lat- of imaging, phase coherence, and bass response with amplifi- Greene states, “Muraudio’s speakers are one of the all-time est model z1 is a sealed two-way bookshelf speaker. As time pre- er-friendly compatibility and prodigious power handling. The triumphs of speaker design...a huge step in a new direction.” cision is the credo of Manger Audio, the 8" custom-made woofer Sky’s auditory capabilities are designed to defy the usual cate- The Domain Omni PX2 electrostatic loudspeaker presents a works in a sealed cabinet that supports the MSW down to 40Hz gory expectations associated with a conveniently sized cabinet. full-range point-source image that follows you around the room with a Q of 0.6. The low crossover frequency of 340Hz supports The Sky woofer possesses a longer throw than any other current much like eyes in a photograph, so the sweet-spot becomes the the Manger sound transducer’s point-source behavior over a Totem 5.25" driver—its 3" voice coil is wound with flat wire to entire room rather than just, say, a solitary chair. The PX2 incor- wide frequency range up the 40kHz. Completing the package are avoid air gaps, and boasts a power handling rating of 500 watts. porates attractive design elements, such as a variety of custom state-of-the-art crossover parts, and WBT Nextgen binding posts. The tweeter is said to be the world’s first wide-dispersion 1.3" trim options in chrome, brushed nickel, and gold, and an 18-lay- For the enclosure there’s a choice of a full palette of RAL- and soft dome powered by a formidable neodymium magnet that er luxury paint and finishing process. The speakers also feature NCS-colors as well as elegant veneers. The z1 fuses cutting-edge goes out to 30kHz. Available in three finishes: satin white with the patented construction of Muraudio’s compound curve ESL technology with eye-catching design. Price: $8300/pr. white magnetic grille, and black or mahogany veneer with black panels, precision-formed cast aluminum, and a resonance-free mangeraudio.com magnetic grilles. Price: $1850/pr. totemacoustic.com driver enclosure to offer a new level of design and music reproduction. Price: $79,500/pr. muraudio.com

8 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

On the Horizon

Zellaton Statement Estelon Model YB The new Zellaton Statement is aptly named. These magnificent, The new Model YB is an asymmetrical three-way design that ultra-high-end, three-way, five-driver d’Appolito floorstanders repre- like all Estelon speakers features a cabinet employing a propri- sent an amalgamation of state-of-the-art technologies and materials. etary composite material developed to maximize rigidity and The latest transducer from Zellaton—one of the oldest loudspeak- eliminate cabinet coloration. Its shape was designed to min- er manufacturers in Germany whose drivers are hand-assembled imize vibration and resonance, facilitate in-room placement, Spendor D9 by Manuel Podszus, grandson of the inventor, Emil Podszus, who and optimize performance of the drive units. An 8" woofer has An elegant, modern three-way, four-driver loudspeaker, the founded Zellaton in the 1930s—the Statement boasts patented, an extremely stiff aluminum cone for enhanced bass precision 44.3" tall Spendor D9—a follow-up to the company’s ac- handcrafted, ultra-light rigid-foam-and-foil sandwich diaphragms. and deep natural bass. A 5.25" mid-woofer, known for its sliced claimed D7—is said to deliver any genre of music with a high Each driver is housed in its own chamber and discretely wired with paper cone technology wherein the slices are filled with damp- level of resolution and realism. Features include Spendor’s premium Schnerzinger cable. The speaker’s hand-tuned, 660-pound ing glue, reportedly reduces breakup modes in the diaphragm LPZ tweeter that is built around a stainless steel front plate, enclosure features semi-open rear baffles. North American distrib- to deliver accurate and natural sound. A beryllium-membrane which forms a damped acoustic chamber directly in front of utor Gideon Schwartz describes the Statement’s sonics as “akin to 1" tweeter provides extreme rigidity along with very low mass a lightweight woven polyamide diaphragm. Bass response a Quad 57 with meat on its bones.” The speakers’ spaciousness, and high damping. Estelon follows a meticulous handcrafted extends to 27Hz thanks in part to its fifth-generation Linear exactingly high resolution, superb dynamic contrasts, and effortless approach that includes careful testing and pair matching of Flow Port. Easy to drive and highly efficient at 90dB sensitiv- dispersion lend an uncannily lifelike quality to acoustic music. But drivers and fine-tuning of all the high-quality internal compo- ity, the D9 is also remarkably versatile and can be placed in the Statements can also rock out without losing their composure. nents for a more lifelike sonic performance. Price: $21,900/pr. any living environment. Price: $9995 for cherry, dark walnut, During a recent showroom visit, JV and JM listened to a wide array of bluebirdmusic.com or black finishes. Premium rosewood and ebony finishes are music through these wonderful speakers for hours with no fatigue available, $11,995/pr. bluebirdmusic.com and constant delight. Price: $350,000/pr. audioarts.co

9 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

On the Horizon

Magico S3 Mk II B&W CI800 Series Diamond The S3 Mk II is a floorstanding, three-way loudspeaker design that The new CI800 Series Diamond takes custom installation features a 1" diamond-coated beryllium-diaphragm tweeter, a 6" performance to the next level thanks to incorporating techno- midrange driver, and two new 9" bass drivers that are all for- logical innovations from the flagship Bowers & Wilkins 800 mulated using Multi-Wall carbon fiber and a layer of XG Nanog- Series Diamond. These in-wall and in-ceiling speakers feature raphene that when combined are 20% lighter and 300% stiffer Diamond dome tweeters, Continuum midrange drivers, and than previous cone designs. The monocoque enclosure is formed Aerofoil bass cones. The models include the CWM8.3 D, the from a single piece of extruded aluminum that is sealed by a CWM8.5D, and the CCM8.5D. The CWM8.3 D is a three-way in- Raidho Acoustics D-4.1 machined 3-D convex aluminum top plate and massive four-point wall speaker conceived for the customer who requires great The D-4.1 is a true three-way Raidho Diamond Driver loud- aluminum outrigger base plate. An internal sub-enclosure made sound without seeing the source. The CWM8.5 D is a two- speaker designed to integrate the finest qualities, technology, from a proprietary polymer material provides an optimized cham- way in-wall speaker for those who want high performance and performance of the acclaimed Raidho D-5 in a smaller, ber for the midrange driver to operate within. Magico’s Elliptical from a compact model. The CCM8.5 D is a two-way in-ceil- more room-friendly package. The driver complement includes Symmetry Crossover incorporates state-of-the-art components ing speaker delivering high-quality acoustics in a discreet four bass drivers, two 4" midranges, and the famed Raidho from Mundorf in Germany designed to preserve frequency band- package. Drive units are located in a continuously rotatable tweeter to create a speaker that’s truly full range and carries a width and phase linearity, and minimize intermodulation distor- mini-baffle allowing the user to “toe in” the drive units of the high level of impact and refinement. It’s an extreme performer tion. Price: S3 Mk II M-Cast (textured powder coat), $28,000/pr; loudspeaker to customize performance. All models will be for those who cherish their music and enjoy optimizing every S3 Mk II M-Coat (smooth high-gloss paint), $32,000/pr. available Summer 2017. Price: (per speaker including back parameter of a system. Price: $119,000 (black); $138,000 magico.net box) CWM8.3D, $4500; CWM8.5D, $2500; CCM8.5D, $3000. (walnut). raidho.dk bowers-wilkens.com

10 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

On the Horizon

GoldenEar Triton Reference Bluesound Pulse Soundbar Legacy Audio Foundation The Triton Reference is an evolution of the award-winning Tri- Bluesound, respected maker of wireless, hi-res, multi-room music Legacy Audio’s new Foundation subwoofer launches lower-oc- ton One, taken to a new level of sonic performance and aes- systems, has launched the Pulse Soundbar, the company’s first tave frequencies with ultra-low distortion and weighty tran- thetics. All of this flagship speaker’s components—the active soundbar product that’s said to be the world’s first to feature hi- sients while utilizing only 1.5 square feet of floor space. Using sub-bass drivers, upper-bass/midrange drivers, and high-ve- res network audio streaming. The Pulse Soundbar offers versatile patented compound passive radiator technology and a pair of locity folded ribbon tweeter—are new and have been spe- sonic performance: It supports audio resolutions of 24 bits and Legacy’s renowned long-throw 12" woofers, Foundation deliv- cifically developed for use in the Triton Reference. The fully up to 192kHz sampling rate in addition to Master Quality Au- ers a forceful attack, rebounding without the usual mechanical balanced crossover is engineered for the Reference, and the thenticated (MQA) high-resolution audio streams—another first shuddering present in subwoofers. Foundation offers tonality subwoofer amplifier and 56-bit DSP control unit are upgraded in the soundbar category. With BluOSTM, Bluesound’s wireless and definition previously unattainable at this price level. Su- extensions of those used in the Triton One and SuperSubs. multi-room streaming operating system, the Soundbar enables percharged with the latest ICEpower amplifier technology, it As for its style, the Reference offers a striking update to the the TV room to become the heart of a wireless music system that benefits from 30 amps of peak current—ultimately necessary to classic Triton look, with a piano gloss-black lacquer one-piece delivers access to hi-res music to all members of the household provide tight control to the 3-inch voice coil within the massive monocoque cabinet. Sleek and statuesque, the Reference is through an easy-to-use app available for smart devices. Intended 30-pound magnetic structure of each cast-frame woofer. Avail- a statement loudspeaker designed to excite listeners with its for use with flat panel displays of 42" or greater, the Soundbar of- able in a wide variety of finish options. Price: $3850 in stan- visual presence as well as its sonic performance. fers sound quality—both for soundtracks and movies alike—that dard finishes. legacyaudio.com Price: $8995/pr. goldenear.com can be compared to audiophile speakers in realism, detail, and dynamics. Price: $999. bluesound.com

11 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

On the Horizon

Paradigm Persona 3F The Paradigm Persona 3F represents the mid-priced sweet Dynaudio Contour 60 spot of the company’s latest series. It’s a 44" tall, three-way, The latest addition and fourth model in the revamped and four-driver passive floorstander that features Truextent modernized Dynaudio Contour line is the Contour 60 (pictured beryllium cones in its 1" tweeter and 7" mid drivers. These center), a three-way floorstander that features new dual 9" MSP transducers also incorporate Perforated Phase-Aligning (PPA) MartinLogan Renaissance ESL 15A woofers, a new 6" MSP midrange driver with 38mm diameter Driver Lenses—a patent-pending technology that actively Renaissance ESL 15A represents a major evolution of MartinLo- aluminum voice coil, and the latest variant of Dynaudio’s top blocks out-of-phase frequencies to smooth output without gan’s classic electrostatic loudspeaker design. At the heart of this tweeter, the Esotar2 soft-dome model. The heavily damped, coloring the sound. The Persona 3F’s mid and high frequency loudspeaker is a 15" proprietary Curvilinear Line Source (CLS) multi-layer MDF cabinet design sports a solid aluminum baffle section delivers wide-spectrum dynamics (from a detailed XStat vacuum-bonded electrostatic transducer with advanced and curved edges for reduced diffractions plus high-quality well-blended 40kHz down to a deep 500Hz) while remaining MicroPerf stator technology and ultra-rigid AirFrame Blade con- Mundorf capacitors and an upgraded wiring configuration for virtually transparent. Handling the bass frequencies are a pair struction. The dynamic low-frequency experience is rendered the crossover. The 60 was designed and produced at Dynaudio’s 7" high-excursion X-PAL woofer drivers mounted in a dual-di- with accuracy and authority courtesy of dual 12" low-distortion newly expanded R&D manufacturing facility in Skanderborg, rectional array within isolated chambers, efficiently damped aluminum cone woofers. Each woofer is independently powered Denmark. The Contour 60, as the rest of the new Contour series, to eliminate internal standing waves. Designed, engineered, by a 500-watt Class D amplifier, and controlled by a 24-bit Vojtko is offered in four standard finishes: Gloss White, Gloss Black, and crafted in Canada, Persona 3F is offered in an elegantly DSP engine featuring Anthem Room Correction (ARC) technology. Walnut (satin), and White Oak (satin). Two special order finishes curved, heavy-duty, waveguide cabinet and is available in a Price: $24,995/pr. martinlogan.com are available at extra cost. Price: $10,000/pr. variety of finishes. Price: $10,000/pr. paradigm.com

12 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Book Feature

The Absolute Sound’s Illustrated History of High-End Audio Robert Harley

he Absolute Sound’s Illustrated History of High-End Audio, Volume T One: Loudspeakers brings to audiophiles and music lovers the behind-the- scenes stories of high-end audio’s most iconic companies and their legendary products. This lavishly produced large-format book features never-before-published interviews with Illustrated History the founding fathers of the high-end loudspeaker industry, informative profiles of their com-

panies, timelines detailing the most significantIllustrated History of High-End Audio advancements in each company’s history, clas- of High-End Audio sic and contemporary TAS commentary on each company’s landmark products, and an overall Volume o ne assessment of each company’s contributions to the high end. The company profiles are chock- E rs full of fascinating details, nearly all of them new. LoudspEAk t HaR ley The stories of how these legendary pioneers e dited by RobeR overcame technical and business challenges to create the high-end industry as we know it today are riveting. In addition to these in-depth profiles, we’ve included shorter pieces on many other companies that have helped shape the high-end industry, including those at the forefront today.

13 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound

LoudspEAk

Volume

rs CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Book Feature

frequent touch of fingertips, and why couldn’t the whole fascia be glossy black, which looked way classier? Eventually the faceplates were made from glass with the stenciling on the inside, which required a special custom-made dye for the combination of lettering that appeared gold in a normally lighted McIntosh room and glowed teal blue when the lights were dimmed. Thus was born the signature McIntosh style, which proved very complicated and expensive to manufacture. But it’s doubtful any McIntosh owner ever wished it away or regretted the extra money it cost. Part of the appeal—not to mention the prestige—of owning a McIntosh is that classic look, which, because it is Laboratory classic, is and will be forever contemporary. This look also translated into something else. McIntosh components BY PAUL SEYDOR were and are always physically large, heavy, rugged, and massive—obviously intended for serious business. Yet the image the company courted and built appears to have anticipated the lifestyle components of today, albeit on a In the early years of home high fidelity—from, grander and far more imposing scale. McIntosh took pride in ownership say, the mid-Fifties through the early Seventies— very seriously, and obviously intended its preamps and tuners to be not just McIntosh and Marantz pretty much had the crème- displayed but proudly so. While there was nothing pretentious about them, de-la-crème electronics market to themselves. Indeed, owning them conferred upon the buyer a certain difficult-to-define but real it could be said that they practically defined it. sense of caché—they were very embodiment of class. The amps were initially Saul Marantz divested himself of his company industrial in appearance, yet once the blue meters and black glass panels were in the late Sixties to the Japanese, but McIntosh introduced, even they became too beautiful to hide: “Mac” components were continued, and continues, to grow and prosper. always called “Mr. Mac”—essentially left the running of the company to in some respects the first “luxury” products of the audio industry, with a style Asian companies eventually acquired it, too, but these three men. And so it remained until the deaths of Gow in 1989 and that involved a distinctly “clubby” aesthetic, redolent of an English-style study despite the changes in ownership, McIntosh itself Mr. Mac himself in 1990. In 1951, the company moved from Maryland to or library. Doctors, dentists, lawyers, business executives, and celebrities were was left fairly autonomous, its several owners Binghamton, New York, where more than six decades later it still remains. the obvious buyers, and it was easy to get the impression that the men—it was realizing that its value lay in its heritage and identity. Throughout its long, distinguished history McIntosh has brought out so always men in those days—who owned McIntosh components also owned That identity began to form in the late Forties many products of high excellence that it would be almost an insult to name a smoking jackets that were actually used for their intended purpose, a snifter when Frank McIntosh—a man with considerable best (or even a handful of the best). Nevertheless, there are certain signature of cognac to accompany the cigar or pipe full of tobacco, with Brubeck on experience in broadcasting and in designing products that define the company’s overall character, its goals and values, and, the turntable or Mozart over the airwaves. Not too surprisingly, the company professional sound systems, and also, like more of course, its style. In the Fifties, the C8 preamplifier, the C60 and MC30 ampli- soon acquired a sizable list of celebrity clients, which included Harold Lloyd, than a few of the early audio pioneers, a musician fiers, and the MR55 tuner (unusual for the time, it featured AM as well as FM) (cellist)—started thinking about an amplifier capable set a performance standard that few other manufacturers could even aspire to, of dramatically higher power and lower distortion let alone meet. Its only serious competitor in what might be called the “blue than anything available at the time. He hired Gordon chip” market was Marantz. If you could afford a product from one or the other, Gow as an assistant and between them they invented you bought it. If you couldn’t, you bought what your budget allowed and lusted the “unity coupled circuit,” which is still in use after the Mac or Marantz of your dreams. One thing that distinguished all pre- today. The resulting 50W-1 amplifier demonstrated amplifiers before the onslaught of minimalism in the mid-Seventies was that unprecedented performance in its day: 50 watts control units really should offer both control and controls. The C8 came with bass at less than one percent distortion, response flat and treble, plus five-position knobs for rumble and loudness compensation, to within 1dB from 10Hz–100kHz with less than and ten slide switches labeled “Record Compensation” for pickups and phono 10-degrees of phase shift between 10Hz–30kHz. At equalization, which was far from standard in the days before the advent of the five percent distortion—typical of good amplifiers LP and the RIAA equalization curve. of the time—the W-1 could have been rated at 80 Apart from the olde English font for the company name, what you don’t watts. find in the McIntosh components from the Fifties is the famous, virtually By 1949, McIntosh had set up the company that Left: Gordon Gow and iconic McIntosh look: the black glass faceplates, the imposing blue meters, soon became known as McIntosh Laboratory, with Frank McIntosh. the gleaming metal knobs, the rows and columns of knobs and buttons Gow as general manager and Maurice Painchaud as Top: Maurice cleanly, logically laid out—a model of order and elegance. Initially the first controller. Two years later, Sidney Corderman was Painchaud. black panels were Plexiglas and covered only part of the fascia; the rest were

hired and put in charge of research, engineering, Bottom right: Sidney in brushed gold with stenciled lettering. But soon customers complained that and development. McIntosh himself—who was Corderman. the Plexiglas was prone to scratches, the stenciling came off easily from the

25 McIntosh Laboratory 26

And to make the book definitive, we’ve added a series of features on landmark technological developments and trends, and on the overall history of high-end loudspeakers. We trace the loudspeaker’s development from its earliest incarnations in 1874 all the way through to today’s high-tech marvels. This is truly a monu- mental project that tells the complete story of high-end loudspeakers. The 320-page deluxe hardcover book is nearly the size of an LP cover, and is richly illustrated with rare archival photos of the company founders, their workshops, and early products. No expense was spared in this book’s production, from its UV-coated hardcover format, to its deluxe dust jacket, to its ultra-premium paper and made-in-the-USA quality. I encourage you to visit our Web site for The Absolute Sound’s Illustrated History of High-End Audio at tasbook.com. There you’ll find sample page layouts, the table of contents, and a complete description of the project. A limited quantity of books are still available for ordering online.

14 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Feature

How to Choose a Loudspeaker Robert Harley

Excerpted and adapted from The Complete and art that is loudspeaker design. Guide to High-End Audio. Copyright © 1994– Although even the best loudspeakers can’t 2017 by Robert Harley. hifibooks.com To order convince us that we’re hearing live music, they call (800) 841-4741. nonetheless are miraculous in what they can do. Think about this: a pair of loudspeakers con- f all the components in your verts two two-dimensional electrical signals audio system, the loudspeaker’s into a three-dimensional “soundspace” spread O job is by far the most difficult. The out before the listener. Instruments seem to ex- loudspeaker is expected to reproduce the ist as objects in space; we hear the violin here, sound of a pipe organ, the human voice, and the brass over there, and the percussion behind a violin through the same electromechanical the other instruments. A vocalist appears as a device—all at the same levels of believability, palpable, tangible image exactly between the and all at the same time. The tonal range of two loudspeakers. The front of the listening virtually every instrument in the orchestra is room seems to disappear, replaced by the mu- to be reproduced from a relatively tiny box. sic. It’s so easy to close your eyes and be trans- This frequency span of 10 octaves represents a ported into the musical event. sound-wavelength difference of 60 feet in the To achieve this experience in your home, how- bass to about half an inch in the treble. ever, you must carefully choose the best loud- It’s no wonder that loudspeaker designers speakers from among the literally thousands of spend their lives battling the laws of physics models on the market. As we’ll see, choosing to produce musical and practical loudspeakers. loudspeakers is a challenging job. Unlike other high-end designers who create a variety of products, the loudspeaker designer is How to Choose a Loudspeaker singular in focus, dedicated in intent, and deep- The world abounds in poor-quality, even dread- ly committed to the unique blend of science ful, loudspeakers. What’s more, some very bad

15 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP

& POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Feature How to Choose a Loudspeaker loudspeakers are expensive, while superlative sure that you get the best loudspeaker for your models may sell for a fraction of an inferior individual needs. As you apply each criterion model’s price. There is sometimes little rela- described, the list of candidate loudspeakers tionship between price and musical perfor- will get shorter and shorter, thus easing your de- mance. cision-making process. If you find yourself with This situation offers the loudspeaker shopper too few choices at the end of the process, go both promise and peril. The promise is of find- back and revise your criteria. For example, if you ing an excellent loudspeaker for a reasonable find a loudspeaker that’s perfect in all ways but price. The peril is of sorting through mediocre size, you may want to find the extra space in your models to find the rare gems that offer either living room. Similarly, an ideal loudspeaker cost- high absolute performance, or sound quality far ing a little more than you planned to spend may above what their price would indicate. suggest a budget revision. As you go through This is where reviews come in handy. Review- this selection process, remember that the per- ers who write for audio magazines hear lots of fect loudspeaker for you is probably out there. loudspeakers (at dealers, trade shows, and con- Be selective and have high standards. You’ll be sumer shows), but review only those that sound rewarded by a much higher level of musical per- promising. This weeds out the vast majority of formance than you thought you could afford. underachievers. Of the loudspeakers that are reviewed, some are found to be unacceptably 1) Size, Appearance, and Integration in the flawed, others are good for the money, while Home a select few are star overachievers that clearly After you’ve designated a place for your loud- outperform their similarly priced rivals. speakers, determine the optimum loudspeaker The place to start loudspeaker shopping, size for your room—the urban apartment dwell- therefore, is in the pages of a reputable mag- er will likely have tighter size constraints than azine with high standards for what constitutes the suburban audiophile. Some listeners will good loudspeaker performance. Be wary of want the loudspeakers to discreetly blend into magazines that end every review with a “com- the room; others will make the hi-fi system the petent for the money” recommendation. Not room’s center of activity and won’t mind large, all loudspeakers are good; therefore, not all imposing loudspeakers. When choosing a place reviews should be positive. The tone of the for your loudspeakers, keep in mind that their reviews—positive or negative—should reflect placement is a crucial factor in how your system the wide variation in performance and value will sound. (Chapter 14 includes an in-depth Clear Beyond found in the marketplace. treatment of loudspeaker positioning.) After you’ve read lots of loudspeaker reviews, The loudspeaker’s appearance is also a fac- Interconnect make up your short list of products to audition tor to consider. An inexpensive, vinyl-covered from the crème de la crème. There are several box would be out of place in an elegantly fur- criteria to apply in making this short list to en- nished home. Many high-end loudspeakers are cardas.com

16 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP

& POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Feature How to Choose a Loudspeaker finished in beautiful cabinetry or automotive characteristics. The power amplifier and loud- paint finishes that will complement any decor. speaker should be thought of as an interactive This level of finish can, however, add greatly to combination; the power amplifier will behave the loudspeaker’s price. differently when driving different loudspeak- If you don’t have room for full-range, floor- ers. Consequently, the loudspeaker should be standing speakers, consider a separate sub- chosen for the amplifier that will drive it. woofer/satellite system. This is a loudspeaker The first electrical consideration is a loud- system that puts the bass-reproducing driver speaker’s sensitivity—how much sound it will in an enclosure you can put nearly anywhere, produce for a given amount of amplifier power. and the midrange- and treble-reproducing el- Loudspeakers are rated for sensitivity by mea- ements in a small, unobtrusive cabinet. You’ll suring their sound-pressure level (SPL) from still get a full sound, but without the visual one meter away while they are being fed one domination of your living room that often goes watt (1W) of power. For example, a sensitivi- with floorstanding speakers. Moreover, the sat- ty specification of “88dB/1W/1m” indicates ellite speakers’ small cabinets often help them that this particular loudspeaker will produce a achieve great soundstaging. sound-pressure level of 88dB when driven with Although the term “bookshelf” is often ap- an input power of 1W, measured at a distance plied to small speakers, you can’t get optimum of 1m. High-end loudspeakers vary in sensitiv- performance from a speaker mounted in a ity between 80dB/1W/1m and 106dB/1W/1m. bookshelf. Small speakers need to be mounted A loudspeaker’s sensitivity is a significant on stands, and placed out in the room. Small factor in determining how well it will work with loudspeakers mounted on stands, sometimes a given power-amplifier output wattage. To pro- called minimonitors, often provide terrific im- duce a loud sound (100dB), a loudspeaker rated aging, great clarity in midband and treble, and at 80dB sensitivity would require 100W. A loud- can easily “disappear” into the music. On the speaker with a sensitivity of 95dB would require down side, small loudspeakers used without a only 3W to produce the same sound-pressure subwoofer have restricted dynamics, limited level. Each 3dB decrease in sensitivity requires bass extension, and won’t play as loudly as their double the amplifier power to produce the floorstanding counterparts. same SPL. (This is discussed in greater technical detail in Chapter 5, “Power Amplifiers.”) 2) Match the Loudspeaker to Your Electronics Another electrical factor to consider is the The loudspeaker should be matched to the rest loudspeaker’s load impedance. This is the elec- of your system, both electrically and musically. trical resistance the power amp meets when A loudspeaker that may work well in one sys- driving the loudspeaker. The lower the loud- tem may not be ideal for another system—or speaker’s impedance, the more demand is another listener. placed on the power amp. If you choose low-im- Let’s start with the loudspeaker’s electrical pedance loudspeakers, be certain the power

17 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS Divine Madness

Feature How to Choose a Loudspeaker amp will drive them adequately. (See Chapter tastes, you’ll get the best performance in the 5 for a full technical discussion of loudspeaker areas that matter most to you. impedance as it relates to amplifier power.) On a musical level, you should select as son- Other Guidelines in Choosing Loudspeakers ically neutral a loudspeaker as possible. If you In addition to these specific recommendations, have a bright-sounding CD player or power there are some general guidelines you should amp, it’s a mistake to buy a loudspeaker that follow in order to get the most loudspeaker for sounds soft or dull in the treble to compensate. your money. Instead, change your CD player or amplifier. First, buy from a specialty audio retailer who Another mistake is to drive high-quality loud- can properly demonstrate the loudspeaker, ad- speakers with poor amplification or source vise you on system matching, and tell you the components. The high-quality loudspeakers pros and cons of each candidate. Many high-end will resolve much more information than less- audio dealers will let you try the loudspeaker in er loudspeakers—including imperfections in your home with your own electronics and music the electronics and source components. All before you buy. too many audiophiles drive great loudspeakers Take advantage of the dealer’s knowledge— with mediocre source components and never and reward him with the sale. It’s not only un- realize their loudspeakers’ potential. Match the fair to the dealer to use his or her expensive loudspeakers’ quality to that of the rest of your showroom and knowledgeable salespeople to system. (Use the guidelines in Chapter 2 to set find out which product to buy, and then look for a loudspeaker budget within the context of the the loudspeaker elsewhere at a lower price; it Aristotle wrote that the creative act was a natural event, and as such, conformed to natural law. Plato held a contrasting view. cost of your entire system.) also prevents you from establishing a mutually He believed that artistic inspiration arose from singular moments of “divine madness.” At Wilson Audio, we understand that both beneficial relationship with him or her. philosophers had it right. 3) Musical Preferences and Listening Habits In general, loudspeakers made by companies If the perfect loudspeaker existed, it would that make only loudspeakers are better than All cutting-edge products are impelled by the careful balancing of two motivating sources: science and passion. They are the physical work equally well for chamber music and heavy those from companies who also make a full line manifestations of the idealist philosophy that it is possible for a specific assemblage of inductors, resistors, capacitors, tweeters and metal. But because the perfect loudspeaker of electronics. Loudspeaker design may be an woofers to possess the ability to not only recreate a realistic simulacrum of the musical event, but to convey an ineffable sense of the remains a mythical beast, musical preferences afterthought to the electronics manufactur- emotional intent of the performing artist. To do this, a designer must develop both a near polymathic understanding of the natural must play a part in choosing a loudspeaker. If er—something to fill out the line. Conversely, laws of physics and possess the passionate heart of an artist. you listen mostly to small-scale classical music, many high-end loudspeaker companies have an choral works, or classical guitar, a minimonitor almost obsessive dedication to the art of loud- The new Yvette draws from this rich cultural philosophy. It is, at the same time, the most technically advanced and emotionally would probably be your best choice. Converse- speaker design. Their products’ superior perfor- evocative single-enclosure loudspeaker in Wilson’s history. ly, rock listeners need the dynamics, low-fre- mance often reflects this commitment. There quency extension, and bass power of a large are, however, a few companies that produce a Watch the story unfold in a new video at wilsonaudio.com. Click on the YouTube icon. full-range system. Different loudspeakers have full line of products, including loudspeakers, strengths and weaknesses in different areas; that work well with each other. by matching the loudspeaker to your listening Don’t buy a loudspeaker based on technical

18 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound www.wilsonaudio.com

TAS Yvette November 2016.indd 1 9/17/16 8:50 AM CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Feature How to Choose a Loudspeaker claims. Some products claiming superiority in better than four mediocre ones. Further, the of familiar recordings of your own choosing. Some loudspeakers have different tonal bal- one aspect of their performance may overlook larger the cabinet, the more difficult and expen- Remember that a dealer’s strategic selection of ances at different listening heights. Be sure to other, more important aspects. Loudspeaker de- sive it is to make it free from vibrations that de- music can highlight a loudspeaker’s best qual- audition the loudspeaker at the same listening sign requires a balanced approach, not reliance grade the sound. The four-way speaker’s more ities and conceal its weaknesses—after all, his height as your listening chair at home. A typical on some new “wonder” technology that may extensive crossover will require more parts; the job is to present his products in the best light. listening height is 36”, measured from the floor have been invented by the loudspeaker manu- two-way can use just a few higher-quality cross- Further, auditioning with only audiophile-qual- to your ears. Further, some loudspeakers with facturer’s marketing department. Forget about over parts. The large loudspeaker will probably ity recordings won’t tell you much about how first-order crossovers sound different if you the technical hype and listen to how the loud- be unlistenable; the small two-way may be su- the loudspeaker will perform with the music sit too close to them. When in the showroom, speaker reproduces music. You’ll hear whether perbly musical. you’ll be playing at home, most of which was move back and forth a few feet to be certain the or not the loudspeaker is any good. If both of these loudspeakers were shown in likely not recorded to high audiophile stan- loudspeaker will sound the same as it should at Don’t base your loudspeaker purchases on a catalog and offered at the same price, howev- dards. Still, audiophile recordings are excellent your listening distance at home. brand loyalty or longevity. Many well-known er, the large, inferior system would outsell the for discovering specific performance aspects Make sure the loudspeakers are driven by and respected names in loudspeaker design of high-quality two-way by at least 10 times. The of a loudspeaker. The music selected for au- electronics and source components of compa- 20 years ago are no longer competitive. Such a perceived value of more hardware for the same ditioning should therefore be a combination rable quality to your components. It’s easy to company may still produce loudspeakers, but money is much higher. of your favorite music, and diagnostic record- become infatuated with a delicious sound in its recent products’ inferior performance only The bottom line: You can’t tell anything about ings chosen to reveal different aspects of the a dealer’s showroom, only to be disappoint- throws into relief the extent of the manufac- a loudspeaker until you listen to it. In the next loudspeaker’s performance. When listening to ed when you connect the loudspeakers to less turer’s decline. The brands the general public section, we’ll examine common problems in your favorite music, forget about specific sonic good electronics. Ideally, you should drive the thinks represent the state of the art are actu- loudspeakers and how to choose one that pro- characteristics and pay attention to how much loudspeakers under audition with the same lev- ally among the worst-sounding loudspeakers vides the highest level of musical performance. you’re enjoying the sound. Shift into the ana- el of power amp as you have at home, or as you available. These companies were either bought lytical mode only when playing the diagnostic intend to buy with the loudspeakers. by multinational business conglomerates who Finding the Right Loudspeaker— recordings. Of course, the best way to audition loud- didn’t care about quality and just wanted to ex- Before You Buy Visit the dealer when business is slow so you speakers is in your own home—you’re under ploit the brand name, or the company has for- You’ve done your homework, read reviews, and can spend at least an hour with the loudspeak- no pressure, you can listen for as long as you saken high performance for mass-market sales. narrowed down your list of candidate louder. Some loudspeakers are appealing at first, like, and you can hear how the loudspeaker per- The general public also believes that the speakers based on the criteria described earli- and then lose their luster as their flaws begin forms with your electronics and in your listen- larger the loudspeaker and the more drivers it er—you know what you want. Now it’s time to to emerge over time. The time to lose patience ing room. Home audition removes much of the has, the better it is. Given the same retail price, go out and listen. This is a crucial part of shop- with the speakers is in the dealer’s showroom, guesswork from choosing a loudspeaker. But there is often an inverse relationship between ping for a loudspeaker, and one that should be not a week after you’ve bought them. And don’t because it’s impractical to take every contender size/driver count and sonic performance. A approached carefully. Rather than buying a pair try to audition more than two sets of loudspeak- home, and because many dealers will not allow good two-way loudspeaker—one that splits of speakers on your first visit to a dealer, con- ers in a single dealer visit. If you must choose this, save your home auditioning for only those the frequency spectrum into two parts for re- sider this initial audition to be simply the next between three models, select between the loudspeakers you are seriously considering. production by a woofer and a tweeter—with a step. Don’t be in a hurry to buy the first loud- first two on one visit, then return to compare 6” woofer/midrange and a tweeter in a small speaker you like. Even if it sounds very good to the winner of the first audition with the third Excerpted and adapted from The Complete cabinet is likely to be vastly better than a sim- you, you won’t know how good it is until you’ve contender. You should listen to each candidate Guide to High-End Audio. Copyright © 1994– ilarly priced four-way in a large, floorstanding auditioned several products. as long as you want (within reason) to be sure 2017 by Robert Harley. hifibooks.com To order enclosure. Two high-quality drivers are much Audition the loudspeaker with a wide range you’re making the right purchasing decision. call (800) 841-4741.

19 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

DESKTOP AND POWERED Contents

AUDIENCE CLAIRAUDIENT 1+1 V2+ • MICROMEGA MYSPEAKER • AUDIOENGINE HDP6 PASSIVE • KEF MUO

OUR TOP PICKS IN DESKTOP AND POWERED Click any product name to read that review

20 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report

Audience ClairAudient 1+1 V2+ Not Just for Desktops

Robert Harley

s enthusiastic as I’ve been about fact, I spend more time listening to the 1+1 V2+ Audience’s tiny ClairAudient 1+1 V2+ than I do to my main system (ah, the downside Aspeaker, I’m afraid that I’ve done the of being the editor). product a disservice. All my references to it But the 1+1 V2+ is much more than a desktop have described it as a “desktop” speaker, and speaker, as I recently discovered on a visit to the that’s where it’s been categorized in the Ed- home of Audience co-founder John McDonald itors’ Choice Awards and our annual Buyer’s (he’s a ten-minute drive from me). I also got a Guide. I think of the 1+1 V2+ that way because chance to hear a new revision to the speaker, a pair of them is right in front of me every day, made as a running update without a change in one on either side of my computer monitor. In the product name. We first listened briefly to my pair of 1+1 V2s that I had brought with me, but SPECS & PRICING now mounted on stands in a medium-sized living Impedance: 8 ohms room. We then listened to the updated version Sensitivity: 84dB/1W at length. This new version removes an internal Maximum RMS continuous output per baffle that had isolated each of the two active pair: 104dB drivers. The updated model also incorporates a rhythmic drive. The improved bass performance rather than on my desktop, the 1+1 V2+ shone. Maximum RMS continuous power per circuit that corrects for the baffle-step function, a created a more solid tonal foundation for the It had the same coherence, conferred by the speaker: 45 watts phenomenon that caused a steep drop in output music. This impression was even more apparent crossoverless single-driver design, that made Price: $2345 level at 450Hz in the first-generation speaker. when I got the 1+1 V2+ back to my desktop me fall in love with this speaker in the first The improvement to the revised speaker was where the desk’s surface helped reinforce place. But on the stands in the open room the Audience, LLC immediately apparent as more weight and body the bottom end. The bass is full enough that I soundstage became immense, with images 120 N. Pacific Street, #K-9 in the mid and upper bass. On Brad Mehldau’s wouldn’t consider adding a subwoofer. fully fleshed out spatially. The stage was deep, San Marcos, CA 92069 piano on the superb Blues and Ballads, the new As interesting as these differences were, expansive, and richly portrayed. I experienced (800) 565-4390 speaker had greater solidity to left-hand lines, however, the real revelation was listening to a bit of cognitive dissonance when I opened audience-av.com and the piano lost its thin “tinkly” quality. The this intimately familiar speaker in a completely my eyes after each piece of music and saw bass was fuller and richer, better conveying different setting. Out in the room on stands the tiny speakers that threw such a billowing

21 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report Audience ClairAudient 1+1 V2+

soundstage. design, seeming to hang in space with life and Resolution was remarkable; the Audience palpability. Many five-figure speakers aren’t speakers revealed very fine nuances in the this transparent and immediate through the sound of instruments and in the musicians’ mids. Surprisingly for a one-way speaker, the inflections, beautifully conveying musical top treble had plenty of energy and sparkle. meaning. The speakers did this in a completely Incidentally, I know someone who sold his Quad natural and organic fashion, much the same 57s and now listens to the 1+1 V2+ as his main way you hear detail in live music. There was a speaker. distinct impression of hearing nothing between The Audience 1+1 V2+ is an unusual and me and the music—something you don’t expect very special product. Although it’s the ultimate from a $2345 speaker. desktop speaker, it works equally well in a small Although the bass response is understandably to medium-sized room, provided that you have limited, the entire range from the lower mids realistic expectations about the bass extension through the uppermost treble was extremely and playback level. But that aside, I don’t think clean, transparent, and pure. Vocals were that you’ll find greater musicality for the price— particularly well served by the crossoverless whether on a desktop or on stands.

A Most Unusual Design

There’s no other speaker that I know of that’s designed like the 1+1 V2+—or that sounds like it. The small, handsome, wedge-shaped enclosure houses two identical active drivers, one front-facing and one rear-facing. That driver is a full-range 3" transducer developed by Audience and refined over the past 15 years. The stiff and lightweight cone is made from titanium alloy, and driven by an unusual motor structure. The neodymium magnets, oversized voice coil, open basket, vented pole pieces, spider, and even the shape of the surround are all proprietary. The goal was to create a driver with a wide frequency response that was rugged enough to handle high excursions and produce high sound-pressure levels without compression. Audience first deployed this driver in a giant line array of 16 drivers, then adapted it to The One speaker, and later to the 1+1 and its variants. The newest version has a single 16-ohm voice coil in place of dual eight-ohm voice coils. Bass response is extended in the 1+1 by a pair of side-firing passive radiators. The V2 and V2+ designations indicate various levels of tweaky upgrades. The full-blown V2+ version reviewed here features Audience’s top Au24SX internal wiring and solder-free tellurium binding posts. The wire and posts are cryogenically treated in Audience’s own cryo tank, which I saw during my visit to the company’s nearby shop.

22 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report Micromega MySpeaker with MyAmp Inside MyLittle…MyEverything

Neil Gader

icromega’s ever-expanding results from materials ranging from marine “My Range” of compact and plywood, MDF, and solid woods to aircraft M affordable electronics has in just aluminum and Formula One exotics. They can a few short years grown to encompass the all work to varying degrees of success. MyDac (TAS’ 2012 Product of the Year), MyAmp, The reflex port is downward-firing rather than MyGroov (you guessed it, a phonostage), and the more typical front- or back-firing. Micromega a headphone amp, the MyZic. Still, the French believes that this not only aids placement company, known for its full-fledged electronics, options but also offers the smoothest and most realized there was something missing from the linear launch of bass reinforcement into the overall picture, and created the MySpeaker. Or, listening space. To give the port room to breathe, for those who desire to bundle the entire, er, each speaker is fitted with chrome footers that MyCaboodle, there’s the MySpeaker/MyAmp elevate the ported bottom panel. This makes Inside—the subject of this review. the MySpeaker ideal for bookshelf or tabletop At its core the MySpeaker is a conventional placement, but the user will need to carefully compact two-way in a bass-reflex configuration. consider speaker stands to ensure the stands’ It’s outfitted with a one-inch soft-dome tweeter top plates are big enough to accommodate the sporting an anti-reflective surround and a woofers. To take the guesswork out of choosing 5.25” mid/bass driver. The molded composite stands, Micromega offers a dedicated stand. cabinet is available in a black satin or white Today’s wireless speakers are available in finish. It appears durable to the touch and a wide array of configurations. For example, nicely finished to the eye. Some may look Dynaudio’s Xeo series (see the Xeo 2 review askance at the apparent economy of these in Issue 270) represents the fully wireless/ enclosure materials but it’s really all about actively powered school whereby only a pair the implementation. Micromega knows this of power cords are required. On the other hand territory. The fact is, there is no consensus on Audioengine’s HD6 (Issue 262) installs most what material necessarily guarantees the best of the wireless connection electronics and sonic and functional results. I’ve heard great amplification in one speaker that connects to

23 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP

& POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report MicroMega MySpeaker with MyAmp

the passive speaker with an umbilical cable. This latter approach, taken by Micromega with the MySpeaker, is less costly but has its own virtues including simplicity of set up. Another of these virtues is a rear-panel switch that allows you to choose left or right placement of the amplified speaker. This is a huge benefit during setup, making it easier to connect source components, or when there’s only one awkwardly located AC outlet. The active channel contains “the brains of the operation” (the wireless electronics, decoders, and DACs) as well as the MyAmp amplifiers. The MyAmp section is built around a Class AB output stage that delivers 30Wpc into 8 ohms, a figure that commendably doubles into 4 ohms. The amplifier is powered by an advanced resonant- mode power supply, a variation of switch- SPECS & PRICING mode technology that reduces switching losses Type: Two-way, powered compact, bass-reflex common to traditional switching supplies. The enclosure communication section accepts streams via the Drivers: 1" tweeter, 5.25" driver ubiquitous aptX Bluetooth module. MySpeaker Frequency response: 50Hz–20kHz +/- 3dB offers one stereo pair of analog inputs along Sensitivity (at 1W/1m): 90dB with coaxial and optical digital inputs. These Impedance: 4 ohms two digital inputs can accept sampling rates up Dimensions: 12.4" x 7.5" x 12.5" to 192kHz. The USB input is limited to 96kHz Weight: 25 lbs./pr. sample rate. A subwoofer output rounds out the Power output: 30Wpc into 8 ohms connection jacks. Price: $999 Convenience is a must with speakers of this segment, and the Micromega didn’t disappoint. AUDIO PLUS SERVICES (U.S. Distributor) MySpeaker arrives packaged with a pre-stripped 156 Lawrence Paquette Industrial Drive bare wire speaker umbilical to run between the Champlain, NY 12919 multi-way terminals of the active and passive (800) 663-9352 speakers. Once connected, double-check to audioplusservices.com make the sure the correct voltage (110V/220V) micromega.com is selected. Then using the remote control, “pair” your phone or tablet via Bluetooth with

24 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP

& POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report MicroMega MySpeaker with MyAmp

MySpeaker. A blue LED flashes to indicate that never shied away from higher sound-pressure MySpeaker is pairing with your device. Up levels, it ultimately revealed its econo-roots to eight devices can be paired. Another nice nature with a little bit of port overhang—a feature: a rear-panel USB port for recharging sensation of looseness and over-bloom in the handheld devices. midbass that could mask high-frequency detail. Sonically, MySpeaker put on quite a display In most smaller settings however, MySpeaker of solid midbass/midrange dynamics and could deliver more than enough low-end output. In balance it had a slight forward lean impact to satisfy all but the most sadistic head- but possessed an openness that was arresting bangers. in this price class. Images were depicted with One thing I’ve got to say for the MySpeaker: physical weight and dimension rather than as It’s got guts. While it has limits, it doesn’t mere cardboard cutouts. Unusual for a speaker shrink from orchestral crescendos. It dug of this size, I could discern the actual physical into the crunch-groove of Michael Jackson’s presence of musicians behind the music—a “Billie Jean” with plenty of gusto. During the greater realization of the live performance. Manhattan Jazz Quintet’s rendition of “Autumn Vocals were smooth, and revealed a nice Leaves,” brass transients were swift, and solo degree of air and lift that enhanced their piano was reproduced with good note-to- expressiveness. I would have preferred a hint note articulation, although some of the finer more chestiness with male singers, baritone elements of ambient information and harmonic sax, or cello, but you’ll hear no real complaints air seemed a little squeezed. As one would from me on that score. There were traces of expect with a loudspeaker of this spec, there vocal sibilance during Holly Cole’s cover of “I was some dynamic compression. But with a Can See Clearly” but in general the tweeter was few exceptions MySpeaker adeptly handled nicely integrated into the frequency spectrum just about every example of sonic firworks I with only minor hints of localization. This slight could throw at it, from Dire Straits’ “Telegraph discontinuity was most likely due to a small Road” to the histrionics of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 energy dip near the crossover point. Overture courtesy of André Previn and the Bass response extended confidently into the London Symphony Orchestra. fifty-cycle range with little apparent effort. As Versatility and convenience define the wire- I listened to tracks from Ray Brown’s Soular less game. Whether it’s a small den, dorm or Energy and Jen Chapin’s ReVisions I was able to desktop, music or TV, Micromega’s MySpeaker/ follow acoustic bass lines with notable timbral MyAmp excels in this role—happy to perform accuracy, a tightly controlled attack, and a for one person or an entire Eight Is Enough fam- feeling of room-filling weight. Even big fanfare ily. The fact that it’s also a superior sonic per- music like the National Symphonic Winds Winds former makes it a complete musical bundle. of War and Peace didn’t ruffle this game little Micromega’s wireless wonder is a one-outlet speaker. Still, size matters. Although MySpeaker winner.

25 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

in mind, the under-$1000 speaker segment is Equipment Report one tough neighborhood. It’s hotly competitive and populated by the likes of Elac, Revel, Magnepan, and PSB, just for starters. Joining these ranks is the HDP6, a worthy inductee that can hold its head high in such company. And Audioengine HDP6 that spells even more great news for the budget-minded audiophile.. Who Are You Calling Passive?

Neil Gader

n Issue 272 I left little doubt about including walnut and cherry veneers, as well how much I enjoyed the flexibility and as satin-black paint. The front baffle is free of I musicality of Audioengine’s HD6 pow- unsightly exposed woodscrews, and the de- ered loudspeaker system. For a compact bare- tachable grilles affix to magnets hidden in the ly a foot tall, this plucky bundle had it all—it enclosure. was self-amplified, DAC-equipped, and Blue- Lacking the built-in amplification of the HD6, tooth-enabled. All that was needed was a source HDP6 owners have the freedom to use the amp component. And for its target audience—the and cabling of their choice. In this instance I em- smartphone, tech-savvy millennial—it was just ployed the excellent Simaudio Moon Neo ACE what the audio doctor ordered. 50Wpc music player (review forthcoming) with So what’s left when Audioengine strips away Audience’s remarkable entry-level Ohno ca- the power and connectivity? Actually, a lot. You bling. In my opinion, this represented gear that also better managed than the powered version. get the HDP6, where the “P” stands for passive prospective Audioengine owners would reason- As I noted in my original review, neither the or unamplified—the type of loudspeaker that ably consider pairing with these speakers. HD6 nor HDP6 is ruler-flat across the frequency most audiophiles are familiar with. Cosmeti- The HD6’s sonic character wasn’t turned on spectrum. There’s still a rise in the mid/upper SPECS & PRICING cally this stout little compact suggests a cozy its head with the Moon ACE amp, either. And bass that creates more of a general impression Type: Two-way, bass-reflex compact and classic British monitor, a look suitable for a that’s a good thing. The HDP6 retained the same of bass rather than genuine low-end response. Drivers: 1" silk-dome tweeter, 5.5" Kevlar small den or study. It’s a bass-reflex configura- forgiving, ear-coddling midrange that I noted in And with female vocals the HDP6 has some add- mid/bass tion that uses a cleverly installed, rear-mount- the original review, a richer voicing allied with a ed emphasis in the lower treble that imparts a Frequency response: 50Hz–22kHz ±1.5dB ed, horizontally slotted port. It uses a silk-dome level of bass response that suggested orchestral whiter coloration in these octaves. To be per- Dimensions: 11.75" x 7.25" x 10" tweeter, ferrofluid-cooled, with a neodymi- scale beyond what its petite enclosure implies. fectly fair, however, sonic tradeoffs are part and Weight: 12.5 lbs. each um magnet. The woofer is a 5.5” Kevlar wo- Still, the change in amplification revealed pos- parcel of loudspeakers in this range—the Audi- Price: $499 ven-glass/Aramid composite with a rubber sur- itive differences. Transparency was improved; oengine keeps the colorations to a minimum. round that’s housed in a cast aluminum frame transient attack was quicker off the mark; and The Audioengine HDP6 is a handsome, high-lev- Audioengine for rigidity and increased heat dispersion. The image focus and detail were better. Dynamic el performer for the traditionalist—the high- audioengineusa.com crossover is unchanged from the HD6. The stiff liveliness in the midrange had more rhythmic ender who still enjoys the rough-and-tumble (877) 853-4447 MDF cabinets are available in several finishes, jump. Pitch control and grip in the midbass were mixing and matching of components. But keep

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is, but its sound can fill a small-to-midsized room Equipment Report quite capably. In addition, either one (or a pair) is handy for desktop use, offers portability for travel, and paired most easily with my iPhone. (On practical note, I’d suggest that a slipcover case might be a worthy addition for a future model KEF Muo Wireless Desktop to help protect against marks and small surface scratches on the aluminum.) You can stream via System Bluetooth 4.0 aptX from your computer or mobile device, or listen via an auxiliary input (DAC, Honey, I Shrunk the Speaker NAS, etc.); plus there’s a micro-USB input, which can be used for charging and firmware updates. Julie Mullins The Muo comes with a mini-USB (3.5) cable and a selection of international plug-in chargers (which vary by region) for its Li-ion battery; KEF emand for personal, wireless, Muo, which represents the opposite end of the flexible usage later. has also just introduced an optional pocket-sized and on-the-go audio has never been speaker spectrum size-wise and price-wise. Yet Yes, the tiny two-way Muo is elegant look- portable charger ($50) shaped like a mini Muo D higher—certainly among Gen Xers, the two have plenty in common: Many of the Mu- ing, cute even, but don’t let its stylishness belie (which can also be used to juice up your smart- Gen Yers, and Millennials—but audiophiles of on’s key design elements have been reproduced some serious proprietary technologies inside phone or other devices)—not that you constant- any age, or anyone else who wants a portable in the Muo, though obviously on a smaller scale. that have been “trickled down” from the Muon. ly have to worry about that: A full charge lasts for or desktop system shouldn’t have to settle for The Muo’s smooth, modern exterior is made (If you shine a light and look through the grille up to 10–12 hours of listening time, depending substandard sonics. Enter the KEF Muo, a won- from the Muon’s same acoustically inert, solid, holes on the front panel you can actually see the on playback SPLs. Also included is a small quick- derful little wireless loudspeaker that delivers brushed aluminum that minimizes resonances drivers.) Let’s start with the unique Uni-Q “point- start guide booklet (available as a PDF download the sonic goods well beyond expectations, espe- (though with the Muo you can feel some slight source” driver array, a miniaturized version of the on KEF’s website as well) with mostly pictori- cially given its petite dimensions. Intended for vibration in the lower octaves). The Muo has a Muon’s. There are two identical 50mm/2-inch al-based explanations and less text. Better still, those who want quality listening on the go, it’s substantial weight and feel; at just shy of two full-range Uni-Q drivers, each with a decoupled there’s a free KEF Muo app for both Android and a tiny two-way that pumps out big, full, and ex- pounds, it’s heavier than it looks. (A pair could central dome tweeter and midrange, in addition iPhone (available via the Google Play Store and pansive sound with respectable resolution—and almost double as hand weights for arm curls.) to one auxiliary long-throw radiator in between the Apple App Store). It contains clearer wire- even reproduces some sense of soundstaging on It’s available in six striking matte color options: for better bass extension. When two drivers are less setup instructions than the quick-start guide many recordings. Light Silver, Neptune Blue, Sunset Orange, Storm placed closely together in a small enclosure, ste- Achieving both great sound and portability is a Grey, Horizon Gold, and a limited-edition Bril- reo imaging becomes difficult to extend beyond SPECS & PRICING tall order. Even in this crowded market segment, liant Rose. The form factor is vaguely cylindrical, a limited sweet spot close to and directly in front Drivers: 2 x 2" tweeter/midbass, 1 x bass it’s not easy to find that combination in a small, only with three sides and gently curved edges. A of the speaker. High-frequency interference can radiator sleek, and smartly designed package. Producing pair of soft, rubberized stoppers on the bottom distort and color the sound outside this area. In Inputs: Bluetooth 4.0 aptX codec, 3.5mm big sound from a small speaker also presents prevents rolling when the speaker is in its hor- the Muo, only one Uni-Q driver handles the full aux big engineering challenges. Fortunately the UK- izontal position. It can also be positioned verti- frequency range, while the other driver plays Dimensions: 8.3" x 3.1" x 2.3" based loudspeaker manufacturer KEF has indus- cally on its side/end and, when paired with a sec- only low and midrange frequencies. This config- Weight: 1.8 lbs. trial designer Ross Lovegrove in its corner. Lo- ond Muo, played in two-channel stereo mode. uration enables a “gentle” crossover for wider Price: $350 each vegrove, who designed the company’s acclaimed When both speakers are positioned horizontally overlap and better sonic dispersion. Indeed, the kefdirect.com Muon flagship floorstander, also conceived the they’re said to be in “party mode.” More on this Muo not only sounds like a larger speaker than it

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Equipment Report KEF Muo Wireless Desktop System and offers handy access to your phone’s iTunes two or three seconds. Repeat this on the second Sonically Speaking White Stripes’ heavy-duty, brash and bluesy library. speaker (right channel). Sit tight while the Muos How does the Muo sound? What struck me most “Ball and Biscuit,” where the speakers flexed synchronize—about ten to thirty seconds or so, was how engaging the presentation was; I didn’t their muscles to reproduce Jack White’s growl- Setup and Synchronization depending on the strength of the Bluetooth con- expect the degree of detail, coherence, and ing guitar licks admirably. I was told the Muo Basic setup when paired with my iPhone 6 was nection. You’re ready for two-channel playback. immediacy. How they packed this remarkably goal was to maintain cleaner sound over louder quite user-friendly, but connecting with my Mac You can also shift the speakers into horizontal clean- and clear-sounding configuration into this sound, even if that means sacrificing a little dy- computers proved more challenging (as I’ll de- position while they’re playing, and they auto- sleek, petite form is a wonder—and a testament namic headroom or bottom-end. Obviously the scribe shortly). You can pair the Muos in their matically reset from stereo to dual-mono or “par- to the Muo’s clever design. Muos don’t sound like floorstanders, but they vertical position for stereo use, or place them ty mode.” Various combinations of two or three I mostly listened to Tidal streaming (hi-res ver- sound larger than they are, and their ability to horizontally for “party mode” listening (that tones and a small ring of LED light (that switches sion in Chrome) and tracks from my library rang- image in stereo is more than respectable, albeit is, two speakers each playing in mono for in- colors) around the main button indicate changes ing from lousy mp3s and Red Book CD rips, to miniaturized. Careful placement also helps. creased volume potential); an internal DSP sen- in connection, disconnection, and power. high-resolution tracks. The Muo certainly made Priced at $350 each, the Muo might not be the sor automatically shifts the output based on the I experimented some with placement for ste- the most of the lossy/low-res files, presenting cheapest in its category, but its sound and robust speaker’s orientation. The smart little Muo even reo playback, varying distances between the them with better sound than they had any right to build-quality would give a good many compact, remembers up to seven devices and can priori- speakers. Distances of up to 6 or 8 feet between have. Cuts from Tori Amos’ Under the Pink (2015 portable, and wireless speakers a run for their tize pairings based on their initial chronological the Muos with just a little toe-in seemed to work remastered version) streamed via Tidal (in its hi- money. order. well for stereo, but I found I did as much nearfield res version) revealed excellent midrange prow- The Muo has four buttons on one end: the main listening at just a few feet. Though I listened less ess and presence. The Muos were able to convey Conclusion power and multi-function button (round one in in dual-mono or party mode, up to 10 feet apart the emotion behind her plaintive, pleading vo- In the areas the Muo is designed to play in, it the center), a smaller round one for synchroniz- seemed do-able there. cals. Sibilants seemed spot-on. Tori sounded like plays very nicely indeed. As I’ve described, it’s ing one speaker with another (via Bluetooth) for Setup is quite similar with computer sourc- Tori, and her Bösendorfer piano also sounded a scaled-down “mini-me” version of the Muon. stereo mode, and a button each for volume up es. As I’m a Mac gal, I used both a MacBook Pro quite true-to-life (though miniaturized). A listen Though it contains many of that flagship model’s and down. Various chime tones indicate power (mid-2012) running OS X 10.9.5 and a MacBook to Miles Davis’ “So What” and other cuts from materials and technologies, the little Muo could on and off, as well as Bluetooth connection, dis- Air (2015) running OS X 10.10.5. (The folks at Kind of Blue via Tidal delivered pretty quick tran- hardly be expected to deliver comparable sound. connection, and synchronization. KEF informed me that the connection process is sient attacks and delicate decays, particularly on But the point here is about leveraging what can To connect one speaker to your iPhone, turn quite similar for PCs—as expected.) In contrast Paul Chambers’ double bass, and pacey energy be reapplied—such as the design of the driv- the speaker on by pressing the center button for with my iPhone source, I encountered a couple of throughout. Cymbal taps were quite clean and er array—to elevate the portable and wireless about three seconds, make sure your Bluetooth is minor glitches along the way—hardware-related nuanced, with effortless loud-to-soft dynam- speaker experience. As such, it’s an overachiev- on (under Settings native app), then select “KEF as it turns out. I found I needed to reboot the lap- ics across all percussion. As one would expect er in many aspects. It’s no small feat to make a MUO” from “My Devices.” You’re all set. Connect- tops once or twice for the Bluetooth to “find” the of such small speakers, soundstaging in stereo speaker of this size sound as big, expansive, and ing a pair of Muos in stereo mode (vertical posi- Muo. In stereo mode, the Bluetooth connection mode wasn’t huge; nevertheless, some sense of remarkably detailed as it does. I’d enthusiasti- tion) requires another couple of button-presses was dropped in the right channel a couple of the musicians’ distances from each other was cally recommend the Muo (probably a pair) to (plus a little patience). First connect one—and times but only very briefly. My MacBook Pro was maintained. non-audiophile friends who are music lovers. I’d only one—Muo to your phone via Bluetooth, running an older OS that didn’t support Blue- The Muo is light and quick in balance, which even give it a thumbs-up for certain audiophile then turn on the second Muo. On the first speak- tooth aptX, but I was able to find a workaround. If lends it a pleasing sense of effortlessness—an friends (those who listen to digital, that is). Fur- er, press and hold down both the main button possible, I’d recommended updating to El Capi- advantage of certain smaller speakers. But the ther proof that great things can, and do, come in and the smaller round one at the same time for tan or Yosemite, which both seemed to work fine. Muos can also rock out, as I discovered on the small packages.

28 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Our Top Picks Desktop and Powered

Audioengine A2+ KEF Muo Audioengine HD6 and HD6P Audience The One and 1+1 V2+ $249 $299 $749 $995, $2345 Easily one of the best deals in high-end This wonderfully portable wireless loudspeaker The powered, DAC-equipped, Bluetooth- The One is a single full-range driver audio, these powered desktop speakers are delivers the sonic goods well beyond enabled, two-way HD6 is comfortable on a shoehorned into a small box. The driver itself is simply incredible. How is it possible to get expectations, especially given its petite desk or shelf, flanking a flat panel or set out the same unit, the A3A, that Audience uses in such low-end extension, wide soundstaging, dimensions. Intended for those who want in the room on a pair of stands. It’s basically its flagship $72,000 16+16 speaker. According pinpoint imaging, and smooth sonics from tiny quality listening on the go, it’s a tiny two- a complete audio system that only needs a to Audience, the A3A has exceptionally flat desktop speakers that cost $249? Perfect for way that pumps out big, full, and expansive source as humble as a smartphone to get up and response, claimed to be +/-3dB from 40Hz to the workshop, bedroom, desk, or dorm room, sound with respectable resolution—and even running. Sonically it has a forgiving signature in 22kHz. The One is the second-best desktop the A2+’s should be at the top of everyone’s reproduces some sense of soundstaging on the treble range, and an ear-coddling midrange speaker reviewer Steven Stone has heard (after small powered-desktop-speaker list. USB, RCA, many recordings. It also features a mini version with a warmer, slightly darker voice that is the Audience 1+1). SS, 236 3.5mm inputs, and subwoofer-out make these of the same driver technology found in the effective at conveying big sound from a small The Audience 1+1 V2+ greatly improves on speakers as plug ’n’ play as they come. SH, Issue maker’s Muon flagship. JM, 265 box. It’s hard to imagine a loudspeaker that this fundamental design, adding a second 241 does more for less. A crossover product like few rear-facing driver and dual side-firing passive others. NG, 262 radiators. The bass is weightier, fuller, and deeper, and the other refinements result in even greater resolution and detail. Although the 1+1V2+ is the ultimate desktop speaker, it works equally well in a small to medium- sized room, provided that you have realistic expectations about the bass extension and playback level. RH says that you won’t find greater musicality for the price—whether on a desktop or on stands. RH, 273 29 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT Click any product name to read that review Contents

AIR TIGHT BONSAI • AERIAL ACOUSTICS MODEL 5T • STARKE SOUND IC-H3 HALO ELITE • CRYSTAL CABLE ARABESQUE MINISSIMO DIAMOND • DYNAUDIO XEO 2 •

HARBETH 40.2 • REVEL CONCERTA2 M16 • B&W 805 D3 • FOCAL SOPRA Nº1 • GAMUT RS3I • ELAC UNI-FI UB5

OUR TOP PICKS IN BOOKSHELF AND STAND-MOUNT

30 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report

Air Tight Bonsai AL-05 Tiny but Mighty

Julie Mullins

f you think mini-monitor means Luxman, the company Mr. Miura’s father-in-law materials and multi-polymer paints to apply just a touch of toe-in is all it takes to get them up small sound, the Air Tight Bonsai will have founded and that Mr. Ohmura joined in 1976. to his nano-woven glass-fiber diaphragm to and running with images snapping readily into I you thinking again. Forget mini; the sound (For more about Mr. Miura, see JV’s recent Hall achieve the quickest transmission speeds. The place. My listening positions ranged from about here is decidedly, uh, maxi. For starters, the of Fame feature on the designer in Issue 268.) Japanese have a long cultural tradition of poly- 7–12 feet away from the speakers. Up close, I speaker’s wide dispersion and voluptuously full Mr. Ohmura now runs his own factory in Malay- mer chemistry and lacquering techniques—and heard more detail; further back, more color. My and rounded imaging will fool you into thinking sia called AMM Laboratory where the Bonsai’s Ohmura-san’s chemistry degree helps, too, as room is quite large (approximately 35 feet by you’re listening to a far larger transducer. Plus, driver is made and where the speaker is assem- does his studies of violin finishes and piano lac- 17 feet with 12-foot plaster ceilings). For my in the midband the Bonsai delivers an exciting bled. quers. critical listening I mostly drove the monitors sense of immediacy and a bold presence, cou- The version of the Bonsai I auditioned, also Speaking of finishes, the Bonsai’s wooden en- with the superb Air Tight ATM-1S stereo power pled with remarkable detail, that also belie its known as the AL-05, marks the monitor’s third closure is available in either a high-gloss rose- amp—a great match. I’d heard this combo de- size and single 4” driver. It’s a thing of beauty to iteration over a decade and a half; the previ- wood or piano-black; my review samples were mo’d at a few audio shows, too. (See above for behold, to boot. ous versions are the MSM-1 and the AL-03. The the elegant rosewood. There are grilles that the rest of the system.) To keep this review to its Air Tight, founded by the legendary Atsushi “AL” designation refers to the multi-core Alnico attach to four tiny pegs on the speaker’s face, assigned length I’m going to stick to that tube Miura and based outside of Osaka, Japan, is magnet used in the driver assembly. but I never really used them. The drivers are too amp pairing and to LP listening. (Analog all the known first and foremost as a manufacturer of According to information provided by Air pretty to cover up! Surrounded by a near-square way!) extraordinary handcrafted tube electronics. In- Tight, Mr. Ohmura’s ongoing interest in full- panel of glossy rosewood, the gold-toned coat- Broadly speaking and on most program mate- deed, the single-driver Bonsai is currently the range drivers lies in their general phase cor- ing of the diaphragm glows with a subtle sheen. rial (especially well-recorded music), playback sole loudspeaker bearing the marque’s name. rectness. All versions of the Bonsai have had through these transducers resulted in a big, full, But it’s quite a special speaker and one that’s 10cm-diameter diaphragms. (Ohmura-san has Setup and Sound highly engaging sound. These monitors ain’t no certainly a delight to have around. Before I delve never increased diaphragm size—to obtain Given their diminutive dimensions and light wallflowers. Thanks in part to the diaphragm’s into why, let’s begin with a little background. louder volumes and deeper bass—as this would weight (11 pounds) the Bonsais were a snap to unique proprietary coating, the Bonsai’s single Mr. Takanori Ohmura, formerly of Luxman, lead to a loss of phase coherence due to time set up. However, you will need to consider sup- driver offers a pacey presentation that feels designed the Bonsai’s driver and enclosure. delays.) To offset single-transducer disadvan- plying stands for them, as none are included evenhanded and effortless yet offers a round- An expert on speaker diaphragms, Mr. Ohmura tages—specifically, a lack of scale, impact, and with the speaker. I used custom ones I had on- edness that might be described as tube-like in has focused his research on full-range drivers power—Ohmura-san has not only improved the hand, but for a time I also placed the Bonsai’s its dimensionality. There’s also a decided mid- for more than 15 years. His connection to Mr. enclosure through the years, but has also con- atop another pair of speakers I have in house for range emphasis (as you would expect from a Miura and Air Tight dates back to their days at centrated on finding the most suitable coating an upcoming review. These are small guys, so single-driver speaker of these dimensions).

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Equipment Report Air Tight Bonsai AL-05

With jazzy material, such as Diana Krall Live in er in a very small box, this must be considered Bonsais even recovered some studio ambience, While I wouldn’t describe the Bonsais as Paris on ORG’s excellent 45rpm LP, vocals reg- part and parcel of the Bonsai experience. Bass drawing me deeper into a classic taped more than highest-resolution speakers, they do present istered as smooth, present, and quite realistic. doesn’t go much below 100Hz and thins down half a century ago. Imaging was also impressive, a remarkable degree of detail (especially on While I wouldn’t call the soundstage the deep- well above that point.) Yes, not all of the usual as was the resolution of the details and textures well-recorded source material), far more than est or widest I’ve heard—these are mini-mon- high-octane gusto of this energetic album was of these spare arrangements—the guitar strings’ one would expect for their size and type. But, itors, after all—the sense of venue was por- conveyed—it could have used a dash more hot subtle squeaks, the growls of Muddy’s voice. oh, their presence and dimensionality! Those trayed admirably well, with instruments placed salsa in the mix. Still, the sound was quite enjoy- combined with their big, full soundstage (and where they should have been (given the scale ably realistic where the speakers played. Conclusion almost complete disappearing act) make them here). There’s an openness, size, and spacious- OK, I must admit I wasn’t expecting rock ’n’ The Bonsai AL-05 mini-monitors offer an - ex winners that exceed expectations across most ness to the Bonsai presentation that’s surprising roll to blow me away with the Bonsais, but my tremely pleasing mix of tube-like bloom, nim- criteria. Where they’re intended to play, they and pleasing. Krall’s piano on “Deed I Do” was old promo copy of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” ble pace, snappy transients (particularly in the play exceedingly well, and (not surprisingly) reproduced with quick-footed transient attacks on a 12-inch single (remember those?) did just midband), impressively wide dispersion, and the midrange is their strong suit. As such, and and good verisimilitude—ditto Jeff Hamilton’s that. Wow! I almost had to turn the volume the octave-to-octave timbral and dynamic co- given their petite dimensions, these might crisp snare delivery. On top I detected a slight down, but it was too much fun to listen loud. The herence that only a single-driver speaker has to make a good choice for a secondary setup, say softening on some cymbal taps, an almost lispy whole mix came alive—from the excitement of this degree, coupled with higher-than-expect- in a study or a bedroom. effect—but this was a rare occurrence. John the initial hard-hitting drum attacks to the bold, ed resolution of detail. Whatever shortcomings I’d imagine that Japan’s smaller-scale living Clayton’s upright bass seemed slightly recessed resonant swagger of Stevie Ray Vaughan’s gui- exist at the frequency extremes, they are more quarters must have influenced the Bonsai’s de- at times, but I suspect this might well have been tar to the synth effects flickering between right than made up for by the monitor’s three-dimen- velopment. They certainly fulfill the desire for in part because of the way it was miked. There and left channels, to Bowie’s expressive vocals, sionality. Transients are quite fast even if their large-scale sound in a small, yet beautiful pack- may have been a touch of brightness to the pi- with claves clean and crisp as you please. It was leading edges aren’t always razor-sharp. age. ano’s upper registers, but then I’m sensitive to hard to believe that such huge and impactful brightness. I’m picking nits—the Krall LP was sound was coming from these little boxes with SPECS & PRICING overall a thoroughly enjoyable experience. their little drivers. (Indeed I have been fooled at Type: Single-driver mini-monitor Associated Equipment (specific to this Next I spun Buena Vista Social Club’s epony- shows more than once into thinking that other, Driver complement: 10cm (4") full-range review) mous album; this one is also packed with mid- larger speakers were playing when it was the li’l driver Amplifier: Air Tight ATM-1S stereo amplifier range delights but contains more complex layer- Bonsais sitting beside them that were doing the Frequency response: 70Hz–20kHz (-10dB) Source: Acoustic Signature Challenger 3 ing of instruments than the Krall disc. Here, right deed!) I just about leapt up off my couch follow- Impedance: 4 ohms with TA-1000 tonearm, Air Tight PC-7 car- from the “Chan Chan” opener, the snare had en- ing Bowie’s lead. Dimensions: 170mm x 270mm x 220mm tridge ergetic snap and speed while the multifarious I feel compelled to share one more notable lis- Weight: 5 kg (approx. 11 lbs.) Phonostage preamplifier: Soulution 520 percussion instruments were distinct and well tening example: Analogue Productions’ superb Price: $2500 Power conditioner and power cords: Ansuz defined. Shakers and various hand-drums dis- 45rpm reissue of Muddy Waters’ Folk Singer, Cables and interconnects: Shunyata played lovely delicacy and detail. Muted cornet which sounded terrific with the Bonsais, “Good AXISS AUDIO (U.S. Distributor) Research Venom series, AudioQuest Fire, sounded richly lifelike, as did Ibrahim Ferrer’s Morning School Girl” and “You Gonna Need My 17800 South Main St., Suite 109 Crystal Cable Absolute Dream lively tenor. Again, the Bonsai’s pacey nimble- Help,” in particular. The rapid-fire attacks of Gardena, CA 90248 Equipment racks and amplifier stands: ness carried the day; the counterpoint to which Clifton Jones’ snare were suitably snappy; Mud- (310) 329-0187 Critical Mass Systems Maxxum is reduced power-and bass-range color and im- dy’s vocals were realistic and reproduced with Acoustic treatment: Stein Music pact. (Given the inherent limits of a single-driv- the slight reverb I’m accustomed to hearing; the

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Equipment Report

Aerial Acoustics Model 5T A Compact to Covet

Neil Gader

ou don’t need to be a connoisseur on a stand. (Aerial will be offering its own be- uses polypropylene capac- of compact loudspeakers to recognize spoke speaker stand later this year.) itors, silver solder, and Tef- Ythat the Aerial Acoustics Model 5T is The posh enclosure is crafted by bonding lon-shielded wiring. Cross- quite a looker. Short (a mere 15" in height), multiple layers of wood together under high over is at 2.7kHz. The back dark, and handsome, it’s a gracefully propor- pressure for 48 hours in a 20-ton press. Aeri- panel has two pairs of bind- tioned two-way in a bass-reflex configuration. al then adds crossbracing to the already thick ing posts with jumpers for single-wir- In spite of its modest $3795 base price, the 5T walls and damps the interior with New Zealand ing, bi-wiring, or bi-amping. A thoughtful It has a forgiving character that keeps sibilance in many ways mirrors Aerial’s larger and pricier long-fiber wool. The slanted, front baffle is- at touch: There are the four adjustable spikes in check, soothing and smoothing the reedy rasp models, the Model 6T and Model 7T. For exam- tached to the cabinet face with an environmen- with protective covers for furniture or book- of a tenor sax or the smoky sensuality of a Stevie ple, it has comparable curvilinear cabinet con- tally safe damping glue. The port is front-fac- shelf placement. Nicks vocal on, say, “Dreams.” Its treble range is struction; the same luxe, high-gloss finish; the ing and optimized with a streamlined flow for The sonic mission of the 5T came through lightly shaded, and on occasion this lowers the same tweeter; similar refinements to its woof- extended bass response near wall boundaries. loud and clear—a deceptively small footprint ceiling of the acoustic. To my ears, the 5T was not er; and similar premium crossover components Aerial has always been known for its exquisite to disarm the listener and then, ka-boom, a full pool-table flat over the frequency spectrum, ei- and wiring. At the same time it also represents finishes, and it hasn’t dropped the ball witha bodied, big-boy, musical signature. From the ther; yet, the overall truth of its warm midrange an all-new design at its price point, entering the more modest effort like the 5T, using what it fusillade of winds, bass drum, and timpani that always kept its balance musical. In my opinion, Aerial line as a replacement for the 5B. describes as “architectural veneers.” Four prim- opens Copland’s Fanfare to the crunch-groove when a fifteen-inch-tall loudspeaker trades Readers may recall that the 5B was a smaller, ing layers are applied followed by a ten-layer of Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean,” the 5T stands some overall accuracy for a bit of added charm acoustic-suspension two-way, with lower sensi- hand-polished gloss finish. The 5T is offered in as a rebuttal to the small compacts of yore that and musical flattery, it’s a fair exchange. tivity. Aerial’s Michael Kelly says that “with the Nero metallic black, high-gloss rosenut, or an were not only bass-shy but carried stingers in- With the 5T positioned about two feet from new 5T, we wanted to extend the bass, maintain all-new premium high-gloss ebony. stead of tweeters. the back wall of my listening room, I enjoyed good bass definition, and increase sensitivity The driver complement comprises the In tonal balance, the 5T is not a speaker of ex- bass response that was smooth and tuneful, slightly. The 5T accomplishes these things but same custom-made ScanSpeak 1" woven, tremes. It satisfies by concentrating its energy with extension into the 50Hz range. (Response uses about 30% more internal volume to do so.” ring-dome, dual-magnet tweeter from the right down the middle, projecting a round, rich, weakened when the speaker was moved further Significantly, the 5T is also purposely designed 7T, with machined aluminum face plate, and colorful musical landscape that avoids any brit- out into the room, lending credence to Aerial’s to be flexible in placement—anywhere from a new 6.7" long-stroke, dual-magnet, papy- tle, aggressive, or forward tendencies. Its bal- claim that the 5T is, indeed, optimized for wall two inches to two feet from a wall, and equally rus-blend mid/woof, custom-made for the ance is not of the over-hyped variety, either in proximity.) The 5T was also lively and nicely happy on a bookshelf, a tabletop, or mounted 5T. The high-order multi-element crossover the upper octaves or in the mid-to-upper bass. weighted in the critical mids and lower mids—

33 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report Aerial Acoustics Model 5T the range that captures the physical presence ingale Sang in Berkeley Square”—a tasteful, In the final analysis, some loudspeakers feed a small loudspeaker in this range. The 5T is a of vocalists, cello resonances, and the bloom of intimate track for voice, sax, and bass—the tex- the head, while others like the Aerial 5T touch speaker you can curl up with and enjoy all day, a concert grand piano. For example, during the tures were velvet, relaxed, and forgiving. Mi- the heart. Its performance, warm listenabili- everyday—as I found myself doing. cello solo from Nickelcreek’s “Green and Gray,” cro-dynamics and transient information were ty, and fetching cosmetics are uncommon in A compact to covet. the 5T provided a real sense of the way the good, and the percussive hand-tapping upon movement of the bow creates a ripple of har- the bass was nicely defined though not quite monics as it passes over the lower strings. Keep as crisp as I’ve heard it sound on my reference in mind that in order to extract the quality of ATCs. Port artifacts or overhang were close to A Few Words with Michael Kelly, Aerial Acoustics bass I was enjoying, amplifier power is import- nonexistent, even when the speaker was fac- ant—the 5T’s really start to sing with 100Wpc ing the challenge of pipe organ during Rutter’s What are the challenges in designing a is exceedingly natural and transparent, images but will be even happier with more. Requiem. Only a slight looseness crept into the modest two-way compact? well, and ages well. By that I mean it doesn’t Low-level resolution was also very good. lower reaches of its midbass. All in all, the 5T The new 5T is the smallest speaker we make, have some characteristic that over time starts During Harry Connick, Jr’s rendition of “A Night- performed uncommonly well in this regard for but it has about 30% more internal volume to annoy you. It is always satisfying—yet small. its modest size, and while a great small sub like than our previous 5B and is slot-vented. We SPECS & PRICING the REL T7i would add to the bottom-octave wanted to reach lower, avoid a bass signature Could you name a couple things that TAS Type: Two-way, bass-reflex compact festivities, the little speaker rarely left me un- (a typical problem with small speakers), readers would be surprised to know about Drivers: 1" soft-dome tweeter, 6.7" satisfied. and improve sensitivity and dynamics while Aerial Acoustics? papyrus-blend cone mid/bass One of the key strengths of the 5T is its re- correctly balancing bass and midrange using Aerial was started in 1989 and incorporated Frequency response: 48Hz–25kHz production of soundstage and dimension. As I just the woofer—also a challenge in a two-way in 1991 by David Marshall and myself. Dave +/-2dB listened to Audra McDonald’s performance of design. I think the 5T’s combination of a long, and I worked together at Analog and Digital Sensitivity: 87dB at 2.83Vrms and 1.0 “Somewhere” from her album How Glory Goes, smooth slot vent with low tuning and a unique Systems (ADS) for many years before that meter on axis her vocal clearly projected from a point slightly crossover design with modified crossover where we built all of our own drivers in-house Nominal impedance: 4 ohms (3 ohms further upstage than I usually experience with “knees” achieves those goals. The laminated on a large scale. I learned about driver design min) this recording. Equally impressive was the man- and heavily braced curved cabinet is lavishly and manufacturing at Braun in Germany and ner in which symphonic music was conveyed built and is exceptionally inert for a small was the guy who transferred that know-how Dimensions: 15.0" x 7.9" x 12.6" with a depth and section-layering that often speaker. to the U.S. Today we have custom drivers Weight: 23 lbs. extended to the back wall of the auditorium. made mostly in Denmark. Our complex, Price: $3795/pr. (high-gloss rosenut or If you picture yourself in a concert hall, the 5T Do you learn something from every new high-quality laminated and curved cabinets Nero metallic black); $4195/pr. presents a row G perspective—a little further model—something that makes you a better are made in various places using the latest (high-gloss ebony) back than average but still a seat that would al- designer? If so, what did the 5T teach you? German and Italian furniture machinery. We low a listener to gather in the entire ensemble Well, it is always fun to make something small have always designed and assembled 100% AERIAL ACOUSTICS while also zeroing in on individual musicians. that turns out better than you expected and of our products here in our small but modern 100 Research Drive Part of the credit for this perspective might be does almost everything right. It is my kind-of factory in Massachusetts near Boston. Our goal Wilmington, MA 01887 owed to the warmer general character of the 5T, “desert island” speaker—a speaker that has is to provide exceptional performance at a (978) 988-1600 and a small drop off in the upper-mid or pres- sufficient bass to be satisfying on most music reasonable price that people will enjoy for a aerialacoustics.com ence range. Also playing a role is the absence without a sub, is excellent from about 50Hz up, long time. of diffraction artifacts, due to the narrow baffle.

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Equipment Report

Starke Sound IC-H3 Halo Elite Elite, Indeed

Neil Gader

first encountered Starke Sound (including beryllium transducers), cabinets, and to support its 64-pound weight. To this end, loudspeakers at T.H.E. Show Newport crossovers, producing its own paints, and do- Starke markets a dedicated stand—the hand- I a couple of years ago. As I elbowed my ing its own assembly. Its current product cata- some all-aluminum Stand3. way into Starke’s crowded demo room, I was log boasts roughly sixteen models—left/right, The driver complement includes a 1" soft- impressed by the buzz of excitement from the center, and surround speakers, in-walls, and a dome tweeter, a 4" carbon-fiber cone midrange, mostly younger attendees—good news as I’m subwoofer. Starke even offers amplification. Its and twin 6.5" composite-paper woofers. The always on the lookout for indicators of the high lineup includes the “standard” Brio series, the IC-H3 employs a fourth-order crossover with end’s future. Starke’s line of loudspeakers not Halo series, and the Elite and Signature series 300Hz and 2.9kHz hinge points. For the mid and only sounded promising; they also seemed rea- that include bespoke wiring and, in some in- bass drivers Starke employs its own dual-gap sonably priced, and teased the eye with splashy stances, beryllium drivers. Linear Magnetic Field (LMF) technology—a candy-color and metallic finishes, sparkling, There are two stand-mount three-ways in long-coil/short-gap design where the voice coil thick, aluminum baffles, and copper accents. I Starke Sound’s Halo series. The IC-H3 Elite re- travels through multiple gaps. The voice coil is thought to myself that this was a team trying to viewed here is the larger of two, and it sure underhung with regards to the entire magnet- shake things up. does know how to make an entrance. Its unique ic structure, but overhung with regards to each I learned that Starke Sound is a Southern Cal- look disrupts the stand-mount-speaker social individual magnetic gap. Starke says that with ifornia-based company founded in 2009 by a order with glossy full-color finishes set off LMF there’s no reduction in magnetic flux den- group of designers and engineers—all of them against gently raked, brushed-aluminum front sity in the gap. Translation: less distortion. audio enthusiasts. Their goal was to create a baffles that extend beyond the edges of the The sealed (acoustic-suspension) enclosure speaker company whose products spanned the enclosures. These and other details lend the uses constrained-layer construction compris- home cinema, multi-channel, and audiophile IC-H3 a hip look, ideal for contemporary open ing laminated HDF and MDF boards of varying markets, and embodied top-notch technology spaces. At nearly 26" tall, the IC-H3 is not truly thicknesses. These are then shaped with a CNC and contemporary design. Today, Starke Sound a compact; it’s too big to be placed on a book- cutter and finished with an epoxy coat to cre- assembles its subsystems and products in Eu- shelf and too short to rest on the floor without ate a seamless surface for the application of rope, North America, and Asia. The company is stands. Because of the fifteen-inch depth of the piano-gloss paint. The sides, top, and rear are vertically integrated, building its own drivers speaker, the platform it sits on needs to be able braced with a matrix of 25mm-thick MDF. The

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Equipment Report Starke Sound IC-H3 Halo Elite tweeter is housed in its own machined-alumi- measure of each rippling harmonic with tuneful- num chamber. Starke Sound midrange drivers ness and control. Such bass precision is one of the are similarly isolated inside a 25mm-thick HDF keys virtues of sealed-box loudspeakers, with bot- enclosure. The rest of the internal volume is re- tom octaves devoid of overhang or port effects. In served for the woofers. this instance, the Starke found a happy medium, Starke uses the term “hybrid” to express the neither truncating the note nor (as is the case multi-dimensional mission of its speakers. The with some bass-reflex designs) letting it overstay word suggests a loudspeaker that can easily its welcome. Additionally, in the macro-dynamic span the cinemaphile/audiophile divide. Dan sense, there was no mistaking that I was in the Wiggins (Chief Technical Officer of Starke) told presence of a three-way. The typical two-way me that “there are different expectations [from would be inviting a hernia if it attempted to sum- cinema and audiophile speakers], but both mon the low-frequency dynamic energy and sheer must do the same thing. A cinematic speaker is SPLs that the Starke effortlessly displayed. often sought out because of its dynamics. Audio Moving upward into the lower-mid octaves, typically requires exacting frequency response, the melancholy, expressive voice of the cello a very smooth and linear off-axis response (for during the Bruch Kol Nidrei was warmly repro- imaging), and low distortion (to avoid sonic col- duced—the resonant body of the instrument oration). As cinema and audio benefit from each was fully present, and its dark sonic radiance, other’s strengths (high dynamic range never which conveys the power and spirituality of this hurts in an audio situation), we set out to make music, was powerfully affecting. With Edgar a speaker that can do both.” I think the high end Meyer’s acoustic bass, I found that the Starke has always considered wide dynamics critical to hung onto the sustain with outstanding clarity the listening experience, but I grant the notion and conviction. As I listened to these large-bod- that the HT “explosion” in the 90s brought the ied instruments it struck home that the quali- issue into even greater prominence. ties that I often miss with many loudspeaker Sonically, the IC-H3 Elite was a boisterous systems is the distinctive woody timbre that floorstander thinly disguised as a stand-mount- separates a hollow-bodied string instrument ed compact. From the initial percussion bursts of from other members of the orchestra. With its Copland’s Fanfare for the Common Man, the gusto superb performance in this area, the loudspeak- and linearity of its dual-woofered low end quicker seemed to be reading my mind. ly upended any thoughts that the Starke was go- As the IC-H3 ascended into the upper middle ing to be a paper tiger. During this showpiece the octaves and lower treble it displayed a con- sound was explosive, with considerable grip on servative and forgiving side that was more in the bass drum/timpani concussions and clean, keeping with audiophile values than the hot natural decays that didn’t smudge the adjoining metallic approach of some of the less-than- fiery brass and winds sections. The IC-H3 gamely genteel home-theater efforts I’ve experienced handled the full weight of this piece, taking the over the years. This was not an in-your-face,

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Equipment Report Starke Sound IC-H3 Halo Elite studio-monitor type of delivery. Imaging was tions that most listeners will easily factor out solid and the speaker created firm center-stage of the overall listening experience. I found that images with vocals. However, at times I felt that the Starke more than made up for these losses vocalists were a step or two recessed in the thanks to its tremendous soundboard weight soundstage. Further, as I listened to the DSD file and sustain in the lower registers. of Dave Brubeck’s “Take Five,” Paul Desmond’s What about movies? It’s a dirty little secret alto sax struck me as sweeter than I typically but there are more than a few audiophiles who, hear it sound—that some of the sax’s reedy at- on occasion, are also looking to satisfy that tack was reduced. During Evgeny Kissin’s per- home-theater sweet tooth—and I admit to be- formance of Glinka’s The Lark, the concert grand ing one of them. In my modest listening room, also lost some of its note-to-note clarity and in- a pair of H3s all by its lonesome (no sub or cen- tensity during lightning-fast trills. Was the IC- ter channel) was in its element. Soundtracks H3 slightly overdamped in the upper mids and heavy with dialogue, like the film Fences, were lower treble? Perhaps a bit, but I don’t want to articulate but not overly assertive. Movies that exaggerate this impression. While you won’t featured pyrotechnics and assorted special mistake the Starke for an electrostat, the loss- effects, such as Star Wars: The Force Awakens, es of transparency and speed are minor reduc- were a showcase for the Starkes. During battle sequences, and even in lieu of surround chan- SPECS & PRICING nels, they twisted the air in the listening room Type: Three-way, acoustic-suspension, with an authority and fury that created an atmo- stand-mount loudspeaker sphere of intergalactic immersion. Their wide Drivers: 1" tweeter, 4" carbon-fiber mid, dynamic range unleashed the energy of the (2) 6.5" aluminum woofer John Williams-conducted, ninety-piece sym- Frequency response: 38Hz–22kHz phony orchestra with almost casual ease. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms My first encounter with Starke Sound and its Sensitivity: 90dB IC-H3 was one of the more memorable blends of Dimensions: 11.8" x 25.6" x 15.4" style and substance I’ve come across lately. With Weight: 64 lbs. its combination of two-way delicacy and thrill- Price: $6495 ing low-frequency slam, it carves a unique niche for stand-mounted speakers in today’s market. STARKE SOUND, LLC When you add its bold, eye-catching, contem- 17810 S Main Street, porary design, you get the kind of speaker that Suite B creates a stir in a hobby that is often a little too Carson, CA 90248 conservative and insular. (213) 291-9484 An auspicious debut, and an enthusiastic starkesound.com thumbs-up to a company that I will be watching with anticipation in the coming years.

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Equipment Report

Crystal Cable Arabesque Minissimo Diamond Edition with Subissimo Subwoofer Grace under Sound Pressure

Julie Mullins

hen high-end audio manufac- and amplifiers to top-tier cables and accesso- turers delve into the so-called “life- ries—and now a subwoofer too, the Subissimo, W style” category they must tread which I paired with the rather exotic loudspeak- lightly to avoid giving the impression that ers under review here, the Arabesque Minissi- they’re prioritizing good looks at the expense mo Diamond Edition two-way stand-mounts. of great sound. Sure, there are many approach- Even their names are apt and clever. es to product development and how budgets First off, this isn’t a new speaker per se (see get divvied up, just as there are audiophiles Andrew Quint’s review of the original Minissi- who crave not only high-fidelity musical re- mo in Issue 256), but rather a major update, the production but also gear that’s a pleasure to centerpiece being a new namesake diamond have around—to look at and live with in their tweeter. Other changes include an upgrade to home, to enjoy interacting with it. Can’t one Absolute Dream internal wiring featuring mo- have the best of both worlds? Certain compa- no-crystal silver conductors, bi-wiring capabil- nies seem to think so (Sonus faber, Burmester, ity via a double set of solid-silver WBT NextGen McIntosh, among many others), and this brings terminals, internal cabinet damping refine- us to the inimitable Crystal Cable led by Edwin ments, and even more rigorously pair-matched and Gabi Rijnveld, the husband-and-wife team mid/bass drivers (which use a strong neodym- who are the creative minds behind the Nether- ium air-optimized magnet structure and a car- lands-based company. Crystal Cable stands out bon-fiber-reinforced sandwich paper cone dia- for its seemingly endless capacity for innova- phragm). A single Absolute Dream MonoCrystal tion, its high-end technology (thanks to Edwin’s Jumperset (JD-1) is also included. engineering prowess), and its exquisite design If you’ve ever seen—and hopefully heard— across all product offerings, from loudspeakers either the original or the Diamond Edition

38 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report Crystal Cable Arabesque Minissimo Diamond Edition with Subissimo Subwoofer model of the Arabesque Minissimo, chances a special dampening mat for shelf or surface er and is mechanically coupled within a special detection and will enter standby mode after 20 are you’d remember or recognize it as much for mounting. The stands’ heavy steel tubes are frame designed to cancel resonance. The top minutes without signal. Of course, a pair of subs its sweeping, curvy “comma”-shaped form fac- filled with fine-grain sand and their weight en- and bottom plates of the enclosure are made will provide greater dynamic impact as well as tor and quartet of unexpected high-gloss color sures mechanical and sonic stability—indeed, of 2-1/4"-thick solid aluminum that serves both drive the room more evenly, but as you’ll see choices—Aquamarine blue, Pearl white, and they are said to be resonance-free. Another to build up the sub’s structure and to help cool in my comments below I was very pleased with Solar orange (like a Dreamsicle)—as for its in- striking design detail is the artfully and math- its powerful internal amps. The sub rests on six the results of a single sub. credible resolution, musicality, dispersion, and ematically designed laser-cut grille that serves adjustable feet that come fitted to the base. The way the Minissimo and Subissimo work “disappearing act”—which make this two-way both to protect and further showcase the dia- There’s a toggle switch for polarity that can together is a bit like a pair of Olympic figure an all-around standout that defies any number mond tweeter. And yes, it’s acoustically trans- be set to 0 or 180 degrees. Conveniently, the skaters—an all-around aesthetically pleasing of category expectations. parent. Subissimo can be left on, as it has auto-on/-off combo displaying a blend of power, strength, Partway through my review timeframe, Crys- It occurred to me once again that tal Cable sent me a pair of Scala weighted forms SPECS & PRICING I didn’t expect such in-your-face to be placed atop the speakers to enhance sta- Minissimo Arabesque Diamond Edition Frequency response (low point in-room): muscle and raw power from these bility, reduce resonance, and improve disper- loudspeaker -6dB @ 16Hz elegant little speakers. sion. These beautifully machined solid-alumi- Type: Two-way, full-range stand-mount Crossover frequency range: 35Hz–70Hz @ num accessory pieces with wavelike, textured, Driver complement: Diamond tweeter, 12dB/octave; 35Hz, 70Hz, 120Hz @ 24dB/ 3-D layers follow the Minissimos’ curvilinear neodymium magnet structure with car- octave forms and rest like “hats” on their tops. There’s bon-fiber-reinforced sandwich paper cone Inputs: Stereo low-level RCA and XLR; ste- Its cabinet, which is machined from a single a rubberized coating around the perimeter of diaphragm for mid/bass reo high-level 4mm banana solid piece of metal resin composite, looks each to secure placement and block the trans- Frequency response: 47Hz–50kHz (–3dB) Dimensions: 16" x 32" x 22.8" modern and elegant but its smooth shape is mission of vibration. near-wall position Weight: 159 lbs. more than just whimsical; it’s also functional, Crystal Cable’s Subissimo subwoofer was Impedance: 8 ohms nominal Price: $13,999 minimizing resonance and facilitating wider developed concurrently with the Minissimo Sensitivity: 83.5dB @ 2.83V dispersion. Interestingly, the speakers can be Diamond Edition speakers and designed to “in- Weight: 56 lbs. each, including stands CRYSTAL CABLE placed—as a mirror-imaged pair—with the full- tegrate simply and seamlessly” with them (or Price: $19,999 without stands; $21,499 with Nieuwe Stationsstraat 10 er, rounded parts of the enclosures facing in- other speakers). For my review purposes I was stands (Scala stabilizing accessory, $1199/ 6811 KS ward or outward for different sonic results, de- provided with a single Subissimo, a hefty unit pr.) Arnhem pending on your room and preferences. Per the in the same Pearl White color enclosure as my The Netherlands user manual, the former configuration is said to speaker samples. Also, like the speakers, for Subissimo subwoofer +31 26 353 9045 provide a deeper soundstage, while the latter, more natural sound, lower distortion, and dif- Type: Powered crystalcable.com a soundstage of greater width. The Minissimos fraction-free dispersion the sub cabinet has no Driver complement: 2 x 13" long-throw were designed to perform well across a variety corners, only curves. The sandwich cabinet, re- paper cone units in a force-canceling config- AUDIO PLUS SERVICES (U.S. Distributor) of room sizes—from 110 to 1300 square feet portedly resonance-free and highly stable, was uration 156 Lawrence Paquette Industrial Drive or more. designed using the Comsol Multiphysics soft- Champlain, NY 12919 The Minissimos are shipped securely con- ware platform for physics-based 3-D modeling Integral amplifier power: 2 x 600W power (800) 663-9352 nected to self-contained stands, but they can and simulation. As the Subissimo is a powered amps (one per driver) audioplusservices.com also be separated from these and placed on sub, each woofer has its own dedicated amplifi-

39 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report Crystal Cable Arabesque Minissimo Diamond Edition with Subissimo Subwoofer and technical abilities tempered by effortless their amazing versatility—how hard they could mensionality that I felt I could visualize cellist’s grace and gorgeous musicality. They gain points rock out in addition to excelling with classical upper body shifting and moving in time as he for both technical prowess and overall presen- and acoustic fare. Although I had heard this played his heart out. Magnificent! tation. One partner supports the other, and they Minissimo/Subissimo combo at a couple of Speaking of standout strings, I gave a listen to must interact seamlessly as a unit, while mind- shows, I realized I had listened to—and enjoyed an old favorite, Leonard Cohen’s Live in London ing the laws of physics. tremendously—mainly classical and some LP set, where Bob Metzger’s gorgeous guitar chamber music along with jazz through those intro on “Bird on a Wire” resonated throughout Setup and Sound demo systems. So I wasn’t expecting to be my room nearly as believably as if I were at the The Minissimos were quite easy to set up and hankering to listen as much to heavy-hitting O2 Arena. Ditto the mandolin on “Dance Me to readily maneuverable (even by li’l ol’ me) so pop and rock. the End of Love.” And “Ain’t No Cure for Love,” long as you pay attention to their weight dis- These are quite high-resolution transducers boasted an impressive chucking bass line nice- tribution on their connected stands. Just a tiny that (once set up and tweaked properly) pull off ly differentiated from the kickdrum. In fact, all bit of toe-in adjustment did the trick to get the a marvelous disappearing act, sounding natural the instruments, also notably Hammond B3 and sound to my liking. Happily I didn’t need to shift and steadfastly musical across genres. As the clarinet, were rendered with remarkable dimen- the subwoofer much at all, as it’s a fairly heavy Minissimos are pretty efficient speakers I did the sionality and reasonably accurate placement beast weighing roughly 160 pounds. Based on majority of my critical listening with a relatively in space, although the soundstage didn’t feel my listening room dimensions (approximately low-powered Air Tight ATM-1S stereo tube am- particularly deep. The detail on the individual 18' wide by nearly 35' deep with over 12' ceil- plifier driving them (it sounded far better than vocalists’ separation and enunciation—from ings), I kept the speakers in the “tail out” con- a solid-state amp I tried). For my phonostage Cohen and backup singers Hattie and Charley figuration (as opposed to the inverse placement and preamplifier, I shifted between a Soulution Webb—was realistically portrayed, down to mentioned above). The Subissimo was located 520 phono/pre and an Audio Consulting Silver their imperfect unison. All aspects of this great between and equidistant from the Minissimos, Rock phonostage in front of the 520. My analog recording were presented with palpable pres- at a distance of approximately five feet from source was an Acoustic Signature III turntable ence, lifelike energy, and effortless neutrality. each. and TA-1000 tonearm fitted with an Air Tight The speakers and sub really allowed the music But let’s talk sound and listening experiences. PC-7 cartridge. As recommended in the owner’s to shine. As far as musical interests and tastes, I’m very manual, I initially set the Subissimo to cross over To really get down with the sub and experi- much an omnivore across genres. Perhaps like at 70Hz at 12dB, though I also shifted it to 65Hz ment with its filter I needed to bring some more many of you, what I choose to play depends later, which seemed to work better in my room, bass into the mix, so (of course) I pulled out El upon my mood at the moment. It’s often been for critical listening. Vy’s Return to the Moon LP. The only options the case that during many a loudspeaker review I started off with an obscure LP recently given for the subsonic filter are either “on” or “au- (or electronics review, for that matter) I’ve come to me, a fantastic recording of the Shostakovich to-filter” mode. There is no “off” per se. With to the conclusion that some gear just seems to cello sonata on the Czech label Panton. The play- the Subissimo’s subsonic filter on, the sound perform better when playing back certain types back of the cello and piano was so crystal-clear, seemed clearer, more focused, and at times, of music. (This depends on the source recording natural, and gorgeous, it literally stopped me in even more detailed. When the filter was in auto and other system factors too, naturally.) What my tracks while I was taking care of a mundane mode, the sound was more homogenized but struck me most with the Minissimos (with and household task before taking a seat. Such a true also more bloomy and expansive. As you might without Subissimo, but especially with) was sense of life was conveyed through detail and di- expect, some material (perhaps even the major-

40 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP

& POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report Crystal Cable Diamond Edition with Subissimo ity of my selections) was more ear-pleasing and it too. You could really sense, almost feel, the tended to be more neutral with the filter on. effort of fingers plucking guitar strings, palms Returning to El Vy, the title track felt a bit snapping on drum skins, all of which brought an thick and even slightly congested with the filter engaging and authentic intimacy to the perfor- on auto mode. With it fully on, the funky bass mance. line was well articulated and maintained solid presence without getting overblown. However, You could really sense, almost feel, I was surprised that I preferred the ironic antics the effort of fingers plucking guitar of “I’m the Man to Be” with the filter in auto SOPRA strings, palms snapping on drum REVEAL THE INVISIBLE mode, because it unleashed a greater sense of skins. spaciousness and swagger. It also occurred to me once again that I didn’t expect such in-your- I also gave a listen to the Willie Dixon/Mem- face muscle and raw power from these elegant phis Slim Willie’s Blues LP from Analogue Pro- little speakers (recall the skaters metaphor). ductions. In this stripped-down session, per- An LP that really blew me away—via the cussion and guitar were placed a bit forward The more time THE PRESS IS UNANIMOUS! “I was capable of playing Minissimos and Subissimo with the filter on— in the mix, particularly cymbals, on “Nervous” I spent with the Sopra everything with aplomb was Buena Vista Social Club’s eponymous de- and “That’s My Baby.” With the subsonic fil- N°1s, the more eager “with a lot of power and “For me, these and power. The soundstage control behind them, I am but. This soundtrack features a cornucopia of ter on auto, the piano registered just a hint of I became to re-explore speakers are my was huge, expanding beyond my music collection always amazed at how much the speakers.” instruments in deliciously complex arrange- brightness and the bass was more subdued, Home Theater Review, of the flagship Focal sound is audio nirvana’’ Stereophile, Sopra No3 o present here’’ HiFi and Music Source, ments—almost like a layer cake. All the ingre- with a backseat feel on “Good Understanding” Sopra N 1 o ToneAudio, Sopra No3 Sopra N 2 dients were there, ordered and measured in too. The differences with and without the filter artful (and delicious) balance. On “Chan Chan” read more subtly here; with it on, instruments various parts gently came to the foreground seemed more separated in space yet still part of and then receded in turn—a laúd here, trumpet a whole. Upright bass had more presence, ener- there, now fiddle, then mournful steel guitar. gy, and definition—all good things. Yet there was a wonderful sense of urgency in No speaker or system is perfect, so I’d be the presentation, with rapid-fire transient re- remiss not to mention a couple of minor sponse keeping everything exciting and realis- quibbles. In spite of experimenting with tic. More than ever before, I was keenly aware speaker placement, soundstaging wasn’t of Compay Segundo’s “second” vocals—his always the deepest around, yet instrumental last name is said to reflect his trademark bass placement seemed quite on-point, even if harmony second voice—just beneath Eliades not always pin-point; spaciousness mattered Ochoa singing lead. more. However, the Minissimos’ big sound Not all systems have fully delivered this al- and wall-to-wall dispersion combined with bum’s infectious stream of energy. I was going incredible dimensionality and realism more

to try just a few tracks, but couldn’t resist listen- than compensated for any such shortcomings. WHITE CARRARA BLACKLACQUER ORANGE ELECTRIC RED IMPERIAL VEINEER WALNUT ing to the whole thing—and I insisted JV hear JV and I also discussed some possible suckout 5 AVAILABLE FINISHES SOPRA No1 SOPRA No3 www.focal.com $8999 SOPRA No2 $19999 $13999 41 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound USA www.audioplusservices.com www.facebook.com/audioplusservices — CANADA www.plurison.com www.facebook.com/Plurison CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP

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Equipment Report Crystal Cable Diamond Edition with Subissimo within the power range to achieve greater are audibly superior to that of most other minis. trasnparency, resolution, and speed, but Of course, some of this apparent speed and throughout all of my time listening to these resolution is bought at the price of a bit of speakers and sub I can’t say I ever felt bereft—I suckout in the power range and the absence enjoyed every minute. of low bass (as JM noted), both of which tend to lean out tone color, draw attention to Summary midband detail, and spotlight upper-midrange All told, the Minissimo and Subissimo proved transients, thereby heightening the illusion to be a winning combo—and a highly addictive of “transparency.” I also detected a touch of one. The pair strikes all the right chords among added sparkle in the topmost treble, though the beautiful aesthetics, top-tier construction, and Minissimos are nothing like “hot-sounding.” In truly sound engineering driven by Crystal Cable’s fact, with their little hats (the Scalas) in place, ongoing desire for innovation. The Minissimo they are very open and bloomy. Diamond/Subissimo offer a wholly pleasing Much of the Minissimo’s slight power-range balance of structure, substance, and detail suckout and all of its inherent (for a two-way) retrieval (without skewing analytical), alongside low-bass issues are solved by adding the a generous dose of openness. The combo finds fast, clear, deep-reaching Subissimo woofer. and delivers unflagging musicality in whatever Though I wish Crystal had thought to include material you throw at it. Call it a speaker and sub a continuously variable phase control on for all occasions, and a system I am loathe to let the unit to dial-in the sub/sat blend, even go of. Be warned: If you audition these—as with without precison phase-matching between the anything else involving the word “diamond”— Minissimo’s mid/woof and the sub’s woofer, the be prepared to part with a rather princely sum fusion of sub and sat was near seamless. of cash; the Minissimo and Subissimo are easy to My only real reservations about the love and rather habit-forming. Minissimo/Subissimo, in so far as I have any, aren’t sonic; they’re fiscal and aesthetic. Yes, JV comments: both of these highly engineered objets d’art As was the case the last time I paired up with are uniquely stylish. High style is part of what Ms. M for a review (of the Magnepan .7), I don’t Crystal is selling here. Still, at roughly $35k for have much to add. Ms. Mullins’ thoughtful take sats and sub, you need to make damn sure that on the aesthetics and sonics of this strikingly you (and your significant other) are completely cool-looking and excellent-sounding mini/sub satisfied with their distinctive looks. That said, combo is precisely on target. Thanks in part their exceptional sound quality speaks for to their clever, diffraction-free enclosures, the itself. Minissimos pull off a truly superb disappearing act, and thanks to their diamond tweeters their transient response and resolution of fine detail

42 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report

Dynaudio Xeo 2 Wireless To Wire or Not To Wire

Neil Gader

he Xeo 2 is the smallest and perhaps mo-formed proprietary MSP (Magnesium Sil- pressure. And, I soon learned just how loudly cleverest model in Dynaudio’s rap- icate Polymer) cone and an oversized 38mm the Xeo 2 would play when I unwittingly rested T idly expanding universe of wireless pure aluminum voice coil. The crossover kicks my hand on its top a couple of times. The Xeo 2 active loudspeakers. You heard correctly—it’s in at 3.1kHz and employs a 24dB-per-octave is designed to fit in small, even difficult spaces, a truly wireless, internally amplified system. It slope. Dynaudio designs and makes it own stand-mounted, on-wall, or bookshelf. To that uses aptX Bluetooth as its wireless conduit for drivers in-house in Denmark. In fact, Dynaudio end there is a three-position eq slider switch on BT-compatible sources, all the while employ- is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of each speaker to contour the sound for the re- ing its own DSP and internal power to transmit high-quality drive units. alities and compromises of speaker placement. the signal to each loudspeaker. Translation: no The cabinet is a molded composite bolstered The three settings compensate for corner, wall, speaker cables. (I think I just felt a shudder rip- by an aluminum baffle to further stiffen the or neutral positioning to provide the most even pling through the wire-maker community.) Yes, enclosure. The downward firing port is clev- response. Not missing a beat, Dynaudio offers you can hook up a CD player or digital source erly hidden from view behind the rear cover optional table stands and wall brackets as well. component if you’re so inclined. But you don’t plate where the power cord and selector but- Furthermore, there are three zone settings have to. In fact, Xeo 2 presents the easiest hook- tons are housed. The entire package is fully that allow the use of multiple pairs of Xeo 2s up recipe in audio: Remove the contents of the self-contained with bi-amplification rated at in a multi-room/multi-zone system with inde- box, plug them in, and take a couple of seconds 65W to each transducer, and DSP and Bluetooth pendent source connectivity and independent to pair your music-loaded, Bluetooth-capable streaming with aptX and AAC support. The Xeo volume control. Dynaudio offers the optional, device. If you’re an old cable-handler like me it 2 also sports a sophisticated digital crossover reasonably priced Xeo Hub or Dynaudio Connect is a truly bizarre feeling just plugging the Xeo 2 and true time-coherent, phase-linear FIR filters wireless transmitters for these more sophisti- into the AC—and boom, instant music. Look Ma, in the integral DACs. Additionally, Dynaudio cated installations. Wisely, wired inputs haven’t no wires! uses its own Sound Power and Adaptive Bass been completely jettisoned but they are purely The $1500-per-pair Xeo 2 is a two-way, Technologies to enhance low-end output. optional. The Master speaker is equipped with bass-reflex design. It stands a mere ten inch- Dynaudio has conveniently equipped the Xeo digital (TosLink 24-bit/192kHz) and analog (RCA es tall but exudes quality with flush-mounted 2 with touch-button control for volume and and 1/8” mini) inputs. All incoming signals are drivers and clean design elements. It sports a power atop each speaker. The button also dou- digitized. A remote control is included but its 27mm soft dome tweeter and 14cm mid/bass bles as an input selector. My only nitpick was lackadaisical response will encourage you to use driver that includes a rigid, one-piece, ther- its extreme sensitivity to even casually light whatever paired smart device you’ve got handy.

43 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report Dynaudio Xeo 2 Wireless

very small BT board. The Xeo 2 Xeo 2’s bass response to be weightier than the mid and upper bass more than the “wall” has the antenna integrated in- average passive loudspeaker of similar spec, setting—a roll-off consistent with the extra side the Xeo 2 cabinet, but at but I wasn’t disappointed. Its response was acoustic reinforcement that comes with corner a safe distance from the main crisp, with punch, drive, control, and scale that placement. electronics board and wiring. easily belied the speaker’s puny footprint. This The common wisdom in the audiophile world Sonically, the Xeo 2 has loudspeaker has a big voice that imparted much is “wired good, wireless bad.” Well, Dynaudio and a bold, confident voice that of the body and resonance characteristics of its Xeo 2 really upset these assumptions. Not only neither screams with treble the rhythm section during the opening bars of did its combination of packaging, performance, lift nor shrinks into the back- Shelby Lynne’s “Just A Little Lovin’.” and convenience find a receptive audience with ground with midband suck- Xeo 2 might be a full-time wireless system but yours truly, but the Xeo 2 was also a hit among outs. It’s a midrange-centric I still listened closely for sonic fingerprints that my tech-savvy millennial nieces and nephews. sound that doesn’t play fa- might be more related to the physical structure Will it make believers of proud audiophiles with vorites with male or female of the Xeo itself. To these ears it did at times big, dedicated, fully wired systems? Nope, but vocalists; it does justice to sound a little overdamped, as if the cabinet that would be beside the point. As a no-fuss, both, conveying intelligibility were absorbing some of the natural transient no-muss option that brings Dynaudio’s vaunted and a level of the tactile and crispness of percussion and winds. Also there musicality to virtually anywhere in the rest of physical underpinnings of the was some general veiling that I could hear as the house, Xeo 2 proves that under the right set performance. There’s a slight a slight reduction in image individuation, as of circumstances sometimes wire-less turns out presence range dip but the im- well as a flattening of dimensionality. The port to be a lot more. pact on musicality was minor. does an admirable job filling in the midbass It’s a darker, warmer character spectrum, but a ten-inch-tall mini-monitor can’t overall, a more conservative be expected to sound like a Wilson or a Magico. SPECS & PRICING balance, which is not neces- Paramount to the Xeo 2 experience—and Type: Active two-way, bass-reflex sarily a bad thing in a compact wireless in general—is using the system day loudspeaker speaker. Small speakers often in and day out. My findings? In two words, Driver complement: 27mm tweeter, default towards rising top oc- pure pleasure. Connectivity was as easy as 14cm woofer taves that suggest detail of an pairing with your iPhone. The plug-and-play Frequency response: 40Hz–24kHz The sonic expectations for wireless speakers order that never existed in the recording. On aspect delivers as promised—quickly and with Weight: 8.8 lbs. have risen considerably over the past few years. first listen this might get the speaker noticed no hiccups. The speaker eq slider was helpful Dimensions: 6.8" x 10" x 6" Latency issues, while still real, have been large- but such hyper-detail and etching wear thin in resolving room-induced acoustic issues. Price: $1499 (white or black finish) ly ameliorated. And it shows—the Xeo 2 per- over the longer haul. Rather than drawing my Owners should consider experimenting freely formance was very stable with excellent throw attention to the tweeter, the Xeo 2 projected with these settings, as no two rooms are exactly DYNAUDIO NORTH AMERICA distances and no signal drop-outs in my home, relatively smooth, coherent, energetic mid- alike. For example, I found that in my smallish 1852 Elmdale Ave. a personal first for a BT device. Part of this is range dynamics, with a long-term listenability room the speakers sounded more neutral in Glenview, IL 60026 due to Dynaudio’s internal antenna. Dynaudio that prompted me to put iTunes on shuffle and the “wall” setting rather than the more bass- (847) 730-3280 points out that many Bluetooth products in- let the music carry me away. heavy and overbearing “neutral” setting. The dynaudio.com clude the antenna as an integrated part of the Due to its active biamplification I expected “corner” setting in comparison rolls off the

44 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report

Harbeth Monitor 40.2 Alan Shaw’s Masterpiece

Paul Seydor

few days after I took delivery of than words, then in the strictly personal sense large rectangular box, approxi- the Monitor 40.2, the third version of my action is a pretty large statement in view of mately 30" x 17" by 15", with a A Harbeth’s flagship loudspeaker, a close my history, because for the last quarter-century 12" double-ported bass driver friend fell by for a listen. He’s a Los Angeles not only have my reference speakers been Quad that crosses over at 500Hz to an studio musician (a violinist who’s played many ESLs, beginning with the 63, then the 988, and 8" midrange that in turn cross- high-profile film scores, often serving as concert since 2005, the 2805 (in my view still the finest es over at 2.5kHz to a 1" soft- master), who is also a long-time audiophile, a speaker Quad has ever made, though I also have dome tweeter (these figures member of my informal listening group, and a fully restored vintage pair of original Quads), are rounded-off), front-mount- an extremely discerning listener. Within about Quads have also been the only speakers during ed behind a removable grille a minute or two of listening, he asked, “Aren’t this time that I’ve purchased for personal use as cloth (that’s intended to be you tempted?” He had no idea. I had a sinking my main speakers—until now. left on), with a single pair of feeling from the moment the speakers were In order to keep this piece within a manage- heavy-duty binding posts on delivered—they were already well broken-in— able length, I’m going to skip the usual detailed the back. The speaker in fact and I started listening that it was going to be product description and design history because looks rather larger than it ac- extremely difficult to part with them. Several much of this is covered in the accompanying in- tually is mostly because, apart months later I gave into temptation and bought terview with Alan Shaw, the owner of Harbeth from the beautiful (and per- the review pair. This is the sort of admission we and the designer of its products; and for a fuller fectly matched) wood veneer, reviewers typically reserve for the climax of a discussion of his methods, his philosophy, and there is no attempt to make it look like anything cause sturdily braced, has been constructed to highly enthusiastic review, the coup de grace that his roots in the great tradition of loudspeaker re- other than what it is: a large rectangular box control and damp resonances. (I should add that drives home the full measure of our enthusiasm search and development pioneered by the Brit- whose only purpose is to reproduce sound and I personally find the speakers to be very attrac- for those special products we elect to buy ish Broadcasting Corporation, I refer you to my music. The traditional look and simplicity belie tive, but then I prefer a traditional look, while for ourselves. But under the circumstances I review last year of Harbeth’s SuperHL5plus at the sophistication of the design, manufactur- speakers that resemble globules, are painted thought it might be prudent to declare it from theabsolutesound.com and to my articles on the ing, and engineering, particularly as regards the like automobiles, or made to look like large in- the outset, because this is going to be a rave BBC Monitor and Harbeth in TAS’s Illustrated His- crossover networks, the almost unprecedented- dustrial structures or objets d’art are rarely to review. In the grand scheme of things, one tory of High-End Audio, Volume 1: Loudspeakers. ly low levels of coloration achieved by the RA- my taste and often strike me as pretentious. I’d man’s opinion doesn’t matter much more than The .2 suffix indicates the new model is the DIAL2 material in the midrange driver, and the rather have an honest box, panel, or tower that the next’s. But if actions really do speak louder third iteration of the original. Physically, it’s a way the cabinet, thin-walled but very solid be- knows what it’s supposed to be and does it.)

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Equipment Report Harbeth Monitor 40.2

The 40.2’s remarkably flat impedance curve mance in ordinary rooms than almost any other ly in all their range, variety, and individuality approaches honkiness) in the voice itself. of 6–8 ohms presents a benign load that makes full-range dynamic speakers in my experience. of timbre and character. Many years ago James The other is a fascinating recent reissue of Pa- for excellent results with all good quality or This may be one reason why they excel at trade Levine recorded a Strauss program for DG with tricia Barber’s audiophile hit Café Blue, released better amplifiers. As it happened, the evalua- shows. I’ve heard them several times at New- the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, an ensemble in its original mix-mastered form before the fi- tion period overlapped with the reviews of sev- port, where most exhibitions do not sound par- that for sheer opulence of instrumental color nal mastering. The difference is eye (ear?) pop- eral amplifiers, the comparing and contrasting ticularly good, yet Harbeth’s rooms are always, was almost without equal at the time, featuring ping, and not just, or even principally, because of which the Harbeths made child’s play of, son- as I’ve written several times, oases of musical Death and Transfiguration and Don Quixote. Be- it was mixed in the analog domain using Capitol ic differences instantly audible. They can also naturalness and relaxation. ing multi-miked, the recording doesn’t present Records’ fabled analog chambers for ambience handle prodigious amounts of power without the illusion of hearing an orchestra in a concert and reverb. At first you may be struck by how stress or strain yet will yield eminently satis- Sound hall. However, I’ve been reliably informed that relatively dead it all sounds by comparison to fying results with amplifiers rated as low as 35 Let’s start with the midrange—that’s where ev- a great many musicians are very fond of it be- the versions you’re used to; but soon enough watts per channel. eryone seems to start when it comes to Harbeth cause the instruments actually sound like real you realize that what you’re hearing is the ab- Stand-mounting is required (17” high or speakers. Trouble is, what’s left to be said? How instruments in timbre and character. I’ve never sence of all the usual kinds of processing that enough to place the tweeters more or less at many variations can you ring upon “beautiful,” heard it reproduced with quite the richness and goes into most popular recordings. The resul- ear level), as is placement away from surfaces, “luscious,” “ravishing,” “gorgeous,” “drop-dead variety that the Monitor 40.2 reveals, not even tant purity is instructive, even revelatory, and it while on or near on-axis listening is strongly gorgeous”? Let me approach it a different way. by my beloved Quads, with that elusive impres- doesn’t take much comparative listening before recommended for accuracy of frequency re- The Monitor 40.2 is flat throughout the entire sion of listening back through the chain to the the typical colorations and anomalies in the response and precision of imaging, both of which midrange, from the lower midrange/upper bass source itself. producing chain are exposed. Through the Har- will be compromised if you aim them straight all the way through the upper midrange and Perceived levels of coloration and distortion beths I heard nothing that I could attribute to ahead. Inspired by the BBC, Shaw has spent into the presence region. This translates into an are astonishingly low on this speaker, easily ri- the speaker, and the reproduction was extraor- over three decades researching how to make all but peerless tonal neutrality and naturalness valing those of my Quads. Two examples, both dinarily “characterless” apart from the intrinsic loudspeakers perform optimally in real-world that was evident from the moment the speakers of them vocals: The Alamo soundtrack features character of the performers. domestic settings, and all of that knowledge were set up and playing. two speeches by John Wayne taken direct- By beginning with the midrange, please do has gone into this speaker. Shaw himself re- All Harbeths shine on voices, this one such ly from the movie’s soundtrack. The record- not assume I consider the Monitor 40.2 deficient gards the SuperHL5plus as his statement of that you feel you’re hearing voices the way ing was made outdoors, so there are no room anywhere else along the frequency spectrum. what a domestic loudspeaker should be, but I they really sound in reality. One of my toughest acoustics as such to deal with, and it seems to On the contrary, this is one of the very few loud- think this new Monitor 40.2 is his masterpiece. acid tests is the Anonymous Four, four female have been processed with absolutely minimal speakers in existence that can without crossing Although designed as a studio monitor for the singers who do their best to sound indistin- control-room processing (I doubt there was any your fingers behind your back be called a true BBC—a professional version is available with a guishable from one another (and whom I’ve at all—these were pre-Dolby days). It will tell full-range monitor of reference caliber. So it is utilitarian finish—the sizes of the BBC’s control heard in concert several times, most recently you a great deal about materials colorations, hardly a surprise that the high excellence of rooms and studios are more or less equivalent on their farewell tour a couple of weeks be- box resonances, and tonal anomalies. For all the midrange extends all the way up through to the vast majority of domestic rooms, so the fore I took delivery of the Harbeths). This is, of Wayne’s bravado and physical size, his voice the top end and all the way down into the bot- speaker is as much at home at home as it is in course, impossible, but it does take a speaker of is surprisingly light and pitched rather higher tom-most octave. The transition to the dome the studio (see the accompanying interview for rare resolution to allow you distinguish among than you might think, despite some gravel from tweeter is, to my ears, inaudible, a testament to more on this). Despite full, deep, and power- them as discerningly as the 40.2 does, literally years of drink and tobacco. There should be no the fanatical care Shaw has lavished upon the ful bass response, the Monitor 40.2, like other sailing through the challenge. The same applies false underlining to it, and no bogus nasality crossover. Long-time readers of mine will know Harbeths, is easier to place for optimal perfor- to instruments, which are reproduced truthful- apart from a mild vestigial nasality (which never that I find the vast majority of current speakers

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Equipment Report Harbeth Monitor 40.2 all along the price spectrum entirely too bright ence recordings is Sing We Noel, the program and upper-bass response while extending the has excellent bass response, and all you’re af- because their response rises in the top two oc- of Christmas music by Joel Cohen and the Bos- low-end a bit more, the -3dB point now 35Hz, ter is the reinforcement necessary to give a taves (5k–10kHz and 10k–20kHz). There is no ton Camerata. There is one cut where there is which means that with boundary reinforcement greater sense of weight and ultimate extension equivalent to this in live music, especially mu- a speaker in one channel, a singer in the other. the -3dB point will approach 30Hz in most with organ recitals or augmented orchestras in sic made by acoustic instruments in the usual When the speaker speaks and the singer sings, rooms. Yet the speaker retains the warmth and music like the Berlioz and Verdi requiems or venues where music is performed, such as re- they remain firmly situated in their respective overall musical balance of the original, nary a Mahler symphonies (or maybe you just want to cital and concert halls and opera houses. Next spots but the way their voices carry across the trace of that thinness in the warmth region— hear the subways running under the cathedral to the bright and vaguely glassy or mechani- spectrum should be continuous and seamless, what friend of mine likes to call the “baritone” in the St. John’s Choir’s Christmas recordings?). cal-sounding tweeters I’m used to hearing even because you’re hearing the characteristics of range—of so many current speakers that bill A good subwoofer that reaches into the bottom in very expensive loudspeakers, the miracle of the acoustical space of the venue. In the clos- themselves as full-range. In other words, Sina- octave, especially the bottom half-octave, can the 40.2’s soft-dome is that it is extended with- ing piece, as the singers recede, you are clearly tra, Fischer-Dieskau, and Belafonte sound like also often capture a sense of the spaciousness out sounding in the least hyped. If you play a re- aware they are moving out of the microphone the baritones they are, not optimistic tenors. cording that is very bright, like Bernstein’s New field and are more enveloped in the ambience This in turn translates into an ideal mediation SPECS & PRICING York Appalachian Spring on Sony, the 40.2 re- of the venue (it’s also evident they’re moving among warmth, definition, extension, and pow- Type: Dynamic three-way vented produces it that way, but it doesn’t make it any closer to a reflective surface—the back wall, I er. These last few years I’ve taken a keen in- Drivers: 11.81" Harbeth bass unit; brighter or more aggressive than it already is. suspect). terest in the great conductor Leopold Stokow- 7.87" RADIAL2 mid; 0.98" ferro-cooled Another recording that is somewhat brightly And so we come to the bottom end. The orig- ski, who favored a symphonic sound picture soft dome tweeter lit is Von Karajan’s famous mid-Sixties La Mer inal Monitor 40, which remains one of Rob- weighted toward the cellos and doublebass- Frequency response: 35Hz–20kHz with the Berlin Philharmonic. The orchestra ert Greene’s reference speakers, employed a es. It’s fabulously rich and voluptuous, sump- ±3dB free-space, grille on plays like gods, but the strings are bright enough twelve-inch driver that Harbeth outsourced. tuously on display in his famous recording of Impedance: 6–8 ohms, easy to drive that I typically employ a treble cut (let’s hear it Without warning, the manufacturer informed The Moldau and Liszt and Enescu rhapsodies, Sensitivity: 86dB/1W/1m once more for tone controls!) to make it sound Shaw the driver would no longer be available, not to mention his several symphonic synthe- Amplifier suggestion: 35Wpc more natural. On most contemporary speakers hence the reason for the 40.1 modification. ses of music from Tristan und Isolde and the minimum the treble cut can be considerable, whereas on Along the way, Shaw changed some of his ideas Ring, which the Monitor 40.2s reproduce in all Power handling: 650W program the Harbeths it is moderate. But the key point about bass behavior in small rooms—by small their storied glory. Indeed, there’s not another Dimensions: 17" x 29.5" x 15.27" here is that the 40.2 reproduces the brightness rooms, I mean even large listening and living speaker I’d rather listen to orchestral music on Finish: Cherry, eucalyptus, rosewood, but doesn’t accentuate it: The Harbeth won’t rooms, since referenced to concert halls, op- than the Monitor 40.2, so true is it to spectral tiger ebony make a bad recording sound any better than it era houses, stadiums, etc., all domestic rooms, balance to the real thing. Stands: Approx. 17", sufficient to is, but, as is not the case with speakers that are even pretty large ones, are considered small, Is a subwoofer necessary? I would say that in bring tweeter to ear level not accurate, neither will it exacerbate any of and small-room acoustics present a very dif- any practical sense, no, at least for most kinds of Weight: 83 lbs. each the things that make it bad. This is one reason ferent set of problems, notably in the bass. The music. Even the 32Hz organ pedal point at the Price: $14,999 (cherry) why so many people who hear this speaker are original Monitor 40 exhibited a quite appeal- beginning of Also Sprach Zarathustra is repro- struck by the beauty of the reproduction. ing sense of bloom and warmth throughout duced with as full a volume as the recording will HARBETH USA/FIDELIS AV One thing I’ve observed of past Harbeths I’ve the bass region. But because its bass response allow (assuming the note is really on the record- (603) 880-4434 reviewed, which is related to the excellence was so expansive, even robust, it could prove ing). But that isn’t to say it won’t benefit from fidelisav.com of their high-frequency response, is how well difficult to place in some rooms. In the 40.2 a subwoofer. Subwoofers, like equalization, are harbeth.co.uk they reproduce ambience. One of my refer- Shaw judiciously reduced some of the mid- most successfully used when a speaker already

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Equipment Report Harbeth Monitor 40.2

tems. For more on this, see my review of the REL ultra low-level listening). you can stand, you have the sense there is no Series R528SE at theabsolutesound.com.) Owing to its neutrality and tonal balance and kind of music that it cannot take in easy stride So far I’ve emphasized the 40.2’s essentially because my musical tastes lean that way, I’ve and reproduce as truthfully, beautifully, and flat frequency response, tonal neutrality, and been talking mostly about the Monitor 40.2’s faithfully to the source as the current state of natural tonal balance. But it is outstanding in performance with acoustical music. But while the art will allow. several other ways as well. For one thing, it’s rock ‘n’ roll doesn’t occupy a large part of my lis- Incidentally, thanks is extended to Pass Labs extremely transparent, rivaling without sur- tening, the rock I like I really like a lot, and the for lending their XP-10 preamplifier and X150.8 passing my Quads. Its resolving capability is 40.2 renders it sensationally. I’ve never heard power amplifier so that I could have a represen- equaled by few speakers in my experience and Graceland more excitingly or engagingly repro- tative example of a really high-powered ampli- surpassed by none. Its resolution is as high as duced, with more clarified textures and dynamic fier for the 40.2. I should add that the combina- the most detail-oriented speakers I’ve heard, range, power, and legitimate punch, the same for tion was absolutely superlative, with genuinely but it will keep detail in its proper perspective any number of Rolling Stones recordings. Philip effortless performance even with very demand- and it is never merely analytical: To give an ex- O’Hanlon of On a Higher Note recently gave me ing sources. hausted metaphor a little more work, it’s not a a DSD file of “American Pie,” my nomination for missing-the-forest-for-the-trees presentation, maybe the greatest rock ‘n’ roll song ever writ- Limitations rather a forest-and-the-trees presentation. Its ten (it’s surely one of the few that transcends the The Monitor 40.2 is not perfect, but in any imaging capabilities are essentially determined genre), which over the Harbeths is stunning in its practical sense it has no limitations that matter by the source or the source component, its per- vitality and emotional affect. I’ve always found to me as a music lover and audio consumer. ceived distortion is extremely low, and it is van- it a bit ironic that so many rock fans tend to like This is consistent with Shaw’s design brief for ishingly low in coloration. It is also astounding- speakers that are thin in the warmth region and this and all his speakers, which is to say that ly clean and clear, obvious testimony to Shaw’s pitched up top because they like the way that each model is designed for specific applications masterly implementation of the BBC’s philoso- makes the music sound punchier and aggressive. to reproduce music and sound as accurately phy of thin-walled panels, sturdy bracing and In fact, many rock musicians, notably those of my as possible in rooms, whether in studios or in damping, and also the RADIAL compound he’s generation, have been rather vocal in expressing homes, that fall under the broad category of developed for his midrange drivers. There is, their preference for a lot of energy in the warmth normal-sized. They’re not intended for sound moreover, a coherence, a tonal integrity, and the region, as it happens precisely where symphony reinforcement or for use in extremely large rooms of these venues in a way nothing else can quite ability to speak as if of one voice that is unsur- orchestras also have a lot of their energy. This is of the kind that you might find in baronial estates manage. The 40.2 is an ideal candidate for sub- passed in multiple-driver loudspeakers of my one reason so many rockers gravitated toward or castles. Otherwise, its ability to play loudly woofer reinforcement precisely because its experience, while its dynamic range and loud- McIntosh tube amplifiers. I predict that for these and cleanly exceeds any reasonable standards bass response is already so excellent. But be ness capabilities exceed anything you are likely musicians, the 40.2 will prove something of a in any application or venue for or in which it sure you get a subwoofer that goes really deep to be able to stand in any appropriately sized revelation. (If you need further proof, try some is designed or likely to be used. If you need and that allows you to set its crossover really room the speaker will be used in. As important, Buddy Holly.) more loudness than that, then you must look low, at least as low as 40Hz. Otherwise you’ll if not more so, is its ability to play at near-whis- In the sum, the Monitor 40.2 possesses elsewhere (though I’d be seriously concerned just mess up the 40.2’s superb bass response. per levels without the tonal dropout typical of that difficult to define but instantly apparent about hearing damage). (Harbeths are especially well matched to REL so many dynamic speakers when played at very impression of authority on any and all kinds As with all true full-range speakers, you must subwoofers because RELs are designed to be low levels—getting close to my Quads in this of music. From the simplest to the most be sure your room can accommodate the bass less subwoofers as such than true sub-bass sys- respect (though nothing surpasses Quads for demanding, from a whisper to far louder than pressures they can generate. If your room is

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Equipment Report Harbeth Monitor 40.2 not large enough to allow you to keep a pair ality. But if you must have the impression of a of 40.2s reasonably well away from the front- six-foot singer standing six feet tall in your room, and side-walls and you still want the Harbeth the 40.2 will come close but it will not get you sound, then the superb SuperHL5plus or there, although, like me, you may be so seduced Monitor 30.1 would be more sensible choices. by its reproduction of voice that you’ll never My listening room is a little over 2500 cubic miss the height factor. feet (8” x 15” x 21”); Robert Greene’s is close to that, but differently dimensioned. Mine are Conclusion about seven feet from the front wall, Robert’s Inasmuch as I gave away the punch line at the about five feet (I’d estimate) but only about outset, let me finish by saying that if I were two feet from either side-wall and aimed at the asked to recommend a loudspeaker to someone listening position in each room. The Harbeths who loves a really wide variety of music and perform superbly in both settings. (I’ve never wants it reproduced accurately, naturally, and heard better reproduction, and only very rarely beautifully such that he or she truly can listen as good, of symphony orchestras on any system for hours without fatigue, my recommendation anywhere than in REG’s dedicated room when in the here and now would unhesitatingly be he’s got his Harbeths really dialed in.) the Monitor 40.2. As the review period has last- If you are a fan of the best planar loudspeakers, ed several months, during which time I’ve had such as Quad ESLs or the Sanders Model 10e, to evaluate several other components, I’ve also as I surely am, the 40.2 will not match their come to appreciate the Harbeth’s value as a tool ultimate openness and freedom from boxiness, for reviewing equipment and recordings. This is but it is not far behind, and its performance in one speaker that really will tell you the truth these areas is nevertheless superb by any other about any source or any components feeding it. standard. To my ears the Sanders 10e is even As for my 2805s, no, I’m not about to sell more tonally neutral than the 40.2, but the them—once a Quad man, always a Quad man— latter possesses an elusive quality of richness, but they must henceforth share house space with timbral naturalness, and vitality that I have not the Monitor 40.2 as my idea of how a reference experienced even with my beloved Quads. loudspeaker should sound and perform. Now that Although the 40.2 is capable of reproducing the evaluations have ended and the review fin- a really big sound, what it will not do, if this is ished, truth in reporting requires I point out I’ve important to you, is reproduce the height of per- felt no pressing urge to bring the Quads back into formers in your living room the way taller speak- the listening room, so satisfying are the Harbeths. ers like the Sanders, MartinLogans, Magnepans, The Monitor 40.2 is now my reference loudspeak- Wilsons, etc. do. Mind you, the Harbeths are very er, and so it shall remain for a long, long time to good in this regard and with some instruments— come: I choose the speakers I buy for my personal like a string quartet, for example, or a piano— use very carefully and I do not change them capri- they can suggest life-size scale and dimension- ciously. Audio Vision S.F. 1628 California Street

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Equipment Report

Revel Concerta2 M16 A Class-Leading Compact

Neil Gader

o paraphrase the famous TV com- The flush-mounted drivers seamless fit into the mercial about a trusted brand, “When front baffle. Similarly well finished is the spot- T Revel talks, I listen.” Revel, a brand less back panel that houses the rear port, along from the Harman Luxury Group, is a company with a nicely inset board for the single-wire that takes its speaker designs very seriously. speaker terminals. Informed by Performa3 Its models are released for the long haul, not technology, upgrades and advances include the willy-nilly, and updated if—and only if—the one-inch aluminum tweeter with an integral R&D and performance rewards actually merit a phase ring that is mated to a new, fourth-gener- change. Having taken this approach, Revel and ation Acoustic Lens Waveguide. This apparently the team led by Acoustics Technologies Manag- simple device optimizes the blend between the er Kevin Voecks have sustained a noteworthy tweeter and woofers and improves off-axis per- track record for the brand’s model-to-model formance over a wider listening area. The 6.5” musical and technical chops. One most recent mid/bass driver features an aluminum cone that example is the impressive mid-priced Perfor- minimizes distortion by improving rigidity with- the tenderness and longing of Alison Krauss’ ma3 that I track-tested in Issue 234. Revel’s out increasing mass. These improvements are “You’re Just A Country Boy” within the intima- cult region for small monitors. Treble frequen- latest series revamp is the Concerta2—and it designed to achieve the goal of ideal pistonic cy of a live small-venue performance. Similarly, cies were also extended and detailed but did might be even more impressive. Representing behavior across the frequency spectrum—the there was the distinctive metronomic strum- not possess quite the lightness, air, and bloom the company’s value line of loudspeakers, the Holy Grail for cone transducers. ming of a lone acoustic guitar during Rosanne of the more sophisticated Performa3 tweeter. collection includes a pair of towers, the F36 From my earliest impressions to my final fare- Cash’s “If I Was A Man” that (when the volume Still the M16’s overall character came down on and F35, the C25 center, and the S16 surround thee-well, the M16 extolled classic Revel vir- was dialed in just so) was eerily present in my the warmer side of the tonal fence and steered alongside the sole stand-mounted compact, the tues: sonics that were striking in dynamic free- listening room. clear of the lean, brittle signature of many small $900-per-pair M16, the subject of this review. dom, a neutral midband, good overall speed, Revel doesn’t design wallflowers that soni- monitors. Visually the line has been refreshed and re- and excellent inter-driver coherence—charac- cally shrink into the background, and the M16 Nor was this speaker a “special effects” fined with smartly contoured enclosures, high- teristics that unite to generate a tonal ripeness followed suit with a certain forward swagger. product that tried to capture the ear with false gloss finishes, and elegant design accents. and image scaling that belie the M16’s stature. Its midrange was tonally quite even but with an tweeter detail or recessive midrange energy in There are no visible front baffle screws and There’s a level of refinement and lack of artifice overlay of richness that was enhanced by the an effort to enhance depth and dimensionality. hardware; the grilles are magnetically affixed. in the M16’s performance that helped express breadth of its nicely extended midbass, a diffi- I noted a minor boost in the sibilance range that

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Equipment Report Revel Concerta2 M16 added some juice to the lower treble harmon- range. I could discern a little rise in the midbass to one another less focused; in addition, the cel- spot” that commands the listener to sit as still ics of brass and wind instruments, but it was region in my room setup that attached some lo’s attack off the bow lacked the last dollop of as a statue to glean the magic. And I didn’t need more a benign enhancement than an off-put- big-speaker chestiness to baritone sax, acoustic dynamic intensity. In sum, at two grand the Per- to tilt, twist, or tweak them into hyper-specified ting distraction. Transients were nicely por- bass, and male vocals but also shaded inner de- forma3 M106 does what it was meant to do, but positions. unlike most compacts. I just set them trayed—quick but not overly etched or prickly, tail a smidge. However, the M16’s pitch stabil- at less than half the price the Concerta2 M16 down and got out of the way. and invariably coupled to the reality of a live ity and dynamic energy provided a steady and can hold its head high in this more elite crowd. The Concerta2 M16 is a class-leading com- performance. heavy anchor to pop rhythm sections. These Perhaps the M16 performance’s most en- pact. It operates at a level of refinement and same attributes—which were plainly demon- thralling aspect is the fullness and cohesive- excitement that belies its relatively easy af- strated during Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams” and ness of its soundstage and image presentation. fordability. I’ve surveyed quite a few compacts “Gold Dust Woman”—will also appeal to rock The M16 doesn’t paint small sonic landscapes. in the entry-level ranks recently and the choic- music aficionados. Port noise, however, was Revel’s state-of-the-art multichannel systems es are bountiful. Some recent blue-plate stars very well controlled with virtually no overhang. make this manufacturer no stranger to creat- include the $499 Elac Uni-Fi UB5 and the un- And the cabinet imparted little in the way of ing immersive sonics, and clearly much of that der-$300 Elac Debut B5/B6—brilliant contend- colorations or the absorption of transient ener- expertise has rubbed off on its two-channel ef- ers that currently own their class. However if, gy that can tend to slow or soften the snap of a forts. Indeed, the sense of three-dimensionality wallet permitting, you’re considering stepping performance. and “widescreen” scale were two of the M16’s it up another notch, the Revel M16 is my choice As the transducers neared their limits, bass most distinctive characteristics. for the compact monitor to beat in the one- resonances and natural sustain and decay A prime example would be Frank Sinatra’s grand-and-under segment. were a little beyond the M16s’ reach; none- Only the Lonely classic “One for My Baby,” a theless, this level and quality of extension in a track filled with enough ambience and spati- fifteen-inch compact created an illusion of or- ality to create the illusion of being in a smoky, chestral weight, scale, and hall ambience that late-night bar, the slightly muted piano in a SPECS & PRICING was hugely rewarding in a sub-thousand dollar dark pocket of a melancholy space, the listener Type: Two-way, bass-reflex speaker (even if it didn’t quite fool you into be- sitting just a couple bar stools from the singer Driver complement: 1" aluminum dome lieving you sprung for Revel’s world-class Sa- and the barkeep. It’s a cut that succeeds or fails tweeter, 6.5" aluminum woofer lon2 flagship). based on capturing this mood. Little speakers Low-frequency extension: 55Hz (-3dB) How does the M16 compare with the M106, don’t often have the sophistication and range Nominal impedance: 6 ohms its upscale Performa3 sibling ($2000/pr.)? Quite to retrieve these key elements—the M16 did. Sensitivity: 86dB well, actually. If you auditioned them side-by- A good part of this capability is owed to Dimensions: 14.75" x 8.6" x 10.76" side the sonic family resemblance would be ob- the speaker’s excellent dispersion, à la the Weight: 16 lbs. vious. Both exhibit the enveloping soundstage improved waveguide and Revel’s general Price: $900/pr. and foundational weight, the verve and energy philosophy about optimizing in-room power The M16’s low-frequency response floored of a midrange in sparkling balance. response (a measurement that factors in both HARMAN INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRIES me. It extended with confidence well into the However, there are distinctions. For example, of off- and on -axis performance). In this aspect 8500 Balboa Blvd. midbass region of 50Hz or so. Allowing for room during cellist Pieter Wispelwey’s rendition of the M16 bears a striking resemblance to the Northridge, CA 91329 gain in my small listening space, there was Bruch’s Kol Nidrei, low-level edge detail soft- Performa3. There’s no beaminess. It’s the revelspeakers.com easily perceivable output into the forty-cycle ened slightly, with the proximity of instruments antithesis of the authoritarian type of “sweet

51 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT •

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Equipment Report

B&W 805 D3 A Compact That Acts Like a Flagship

Neil Gader

hat is the first thing that comes center-channel speakers. B&W’s front office insists that Kevlar remains a to mind when you hear the term In the 805 D3, B&W retained the rigid enclo- good performer and measures well in terms of W “flagship” loudspeaker? Its size, of sure of its predecessor while refreshing some motion and breakup, the engineers wanted to course. Such speakers tend to be impressive, of the trim and accents in accordance with its take advantage of today’s more advanced com- full-range statements—multi-driver platforms new transducers’ requirements. Also retained puter-modeling techniques and testing. The that cast long shadows in the room, their sheer is the distinctive FlowPort with its golf-ball-like result is the Continuum cone. In development size cowing listeners into respectful, worshipful dimpling that B&W developed to minimize port for some eight years and seventy iterations, the silence. But grandiosity alone doesn’t make the turbulence. Visually, it’s a gorgeous piece of (still patent-pending) technology is a woven argument all by itself. So the question I’ve been industrial design—all sweeping curves and no composite material based on the concept of asking myself ever since I began listening to parallel surfaces. And compared with the cool optimized and controlled breakup. The material the B&W 805 D3 is: Can a two-way compact, tech-chic of a CNC aluminum enclosure, the markedly improves upon Kevlar by providing ul- a segment defined by modesty and yes, 805’s smoother organic lines and traditional tra-quick settling time and therefore no ringing. limitations, be considered a flagship product? wood finishes are softer on the eye. Personally, Sonically the 805 is a fiercely confident and Hold that thought. I like high-end gear that I can warm up to just a bold performer. Its character is quite neutral The 805 D3 represents the sole compact in little bit. with hints of lower mid/bass warmth, yet it’s Bowers & Wilkins’ new lineup known as the The B&W team also concentrated commensu- open, presenting uncluttered imaging. B&W 800 D3 Series. By new, I’m not suggesting a rate efforts on the drivers. The model 805 was has long been a creature of the recording stu- mere a tweak here or a twist there. The engi- already renowned as the only stand-mounted dio and in true studio-monitor fashion, you can with B&W’s experience in the pro-studio-mon- neers at B&W implemented a top-down reboot compact with a diamond tweeter, but now its thrash the 805 D3s with heaping gobs of vol- itor world, yet the 805 was not an aggressive of the venerable series, and in some instances outboard housing, formerly cast of zinc, is a sin- ume (recommended power is 50–120Wpc) and “in-your-face” loudspeaker either. And it won’t virtually every part, screw, and bolt was re- gle aluminum billet. This creates what is essen- they never lose their composure, constrict, or pretty up a lackluster recording; it will expose placed. The overhaul was so comprehensive it tially a massive heatsink for the diamond tweet- harden. Short of putting your ears at risk, virtu- it. Its upper bass and lower mids were surpris- even prompted a factory renovation to the tune er motor, and its design is much more inert ally nothing fazes the 805. ingly vital for the small cabinet volume, and this of several million dollars (see my B&W facto- which reduces ringing. The most obvious visual Its midrange signature was a near-seamless gave the dueling cello and acoustic bass from ry tour report, Issue 257). The 800 D3 series difference is the 6.5" mid/bass driver. B&W re- combination of speed, wideband dynamic con- Appalachian Journey a nicely defined and rich- comprises seven models: four floorstanders, a tired its yellow Kevlar midrange cone material, trast, and dense tonal color. Vocals exhibited ly realized resonant structure and a strong im- single stand-mount, and a pair of home-theater a B&W mainstay since 1974. The reason? While a slightly forward emphasis, a trait consistent pression of air movement that is often AWOL in

52 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report B&W 805 D3 small compacts. However, for the final deep and Images were rock-stable and focused from tracks that will give “slow” reflex designs fits— all had a musical charisma that seduced me into sustained growl of acoustic bass under Edgar dead center stage to the widest points of the the venting was indistinguishable as a source. listening for hours at a stretch. Meyer’s bow you’ll still need a fast subwoofer. soundspace, and even mono recordings such The speaker yielded near-sealed-box speed Returning to my original premise: the com- Readers might be wondering whether my as the recent MoFi 45rpm reissue of Jefferson and control but with the oomph and extension pact speaker as flagship. If sheer size or dizzy- own listening room results comported with the Airplane’s Surrealistic Pillow came across with of a ported enclosure. Commendation also goes ing price is the only criterion, then it’s obviously impressions I got at B&W’s SRE (Steyning Re- a stunning amount of reverberant depth and, to the 805’s rigid, non-resonant enclosure that game over for the 805. However, if the standard search Establishment), where I was given the yes, layering. For soundstage and scale, the never betrayed its boxy roots, neither softening is premium quality, sonic eloquence, and un- opportunity to listen to the 805 D3 next to its 805 doesn’t have a big footprint on the order transients nor dulling immediacy. All in all, port trammeled musicality, then the 805 D3 ascends predecessor, the Kevlar-driver 805 D. To reiter- of floorstanders like the Vandersteen Treo CT or management is among the best I’ve heard in a to flagship-level importance. I can count on the ate, I found that they had some sonic similari- Wilson Sabrina but it is very impressive for such two-way bass reflex. fingers of one hand the times I’ve ever thought ties, but the D3 version was cleaner, smoother, a modest size spec. While it cannot imperson- I’ve gotten hooked listening to Tony Bennett’s of a small, two-way, stand-mounted speaker in and a more confidently defined and open per- ate a big speaker, it still presented large-scale “Small World” from the recent Impex twin-LP this way. Compact or not, the 805 D3 is loud- former. The D3 also had more dynamic snap, music such as Dvořák’s “New World” with a rea- release Bennett/Brubeck, The White House Ses- speaker to be reckoned with, at any price, in any and soundstaging was far better realized, thus sonable impression of orchestral weight, atti- sions, Live 1962. Beyond the minimalist pro- company. My highest recommendation. creating a more detailed sense of space and di- tude, and symphonic dimension. Add a smallish cessing, what makes this live recording so sat- mension. If anything, the gulf between the new subwoofer such as the REL T7i ($999) to flesh isfying is that you can hear in Bennett’s singing 805 and the old version turned out to be even out the half-octave below 40 cycles, and much the sweat that goes into the performance, the wider in my own listening room. of the orchestral weight is restored; still, it’s no moment by moment concentration of the sing- SPECS & PRICING The civilizing influence of the 805 D3’s su- floorstander. er performing outside of the controlled atmo- Type: Two-way vented compact perb diamond tweeter cannot be overstated. sphere of the recording studio—no safety net, Driver complement: 1" diamond dome Its character was almost chameleon-like in the Even mono recordings came retakes, or edits. In that same vein are Interven- tweeter, 6.5" cone mid/bass way it adopted the character of the source ma- across with a stunning amount tion Records’ remasters of Joe Jackson’s I’m the Frequency response: 42Hz–28kHz terial. Terrifically expressive and liquid, it could of depth and layering. Man and Night and Day albums that reflect the (±3dB from reference axis) sound brilliantly illuminated, even dry, or warm recording minimalism of their era—a pre-auto- Nominal impedance: 8 ohms (4.6 ohms and richly shaded—it all depended on the re- tune simplicity, speed, and immediacy that lets min.) cording. It imparted a finely graduated textural you hear past the machinery and join the musi- Sensitivity: 88dB palette that extended from the high-gloss sheen A decisive factor in the 805’s excellent perfor- cians inside the studio. of a piccolo trumpet or the delicacy of an orches- mance was the integration between its port and It doesn’t happen very often that I sit down to Dimensions: 9.4" x 16.7" x 13.6" tral triangle to the stinging grit and rosin from its already-excellent inter-driver coherence. listen to a loudspeaker, notepad and pen at the Weight: 28 lbs. a country fiddler’s bow. Or, take the exquisitely There’s nothing more disappointing in an other- ready, and suddenly find that the stylus has hit Price: $6000 detailed leading-edge attack of the trumpet solo wise promising loudspeaker than having a pair the run-out groove, and my notepad is resting in during The Carpenters’ “Close To You,” and the of transducers speeding along to the finish line my lap completely forgotten. This has occurred B&W GROUP NORTH AMERICA tuning of the multiple tom-tom skins for each like Triple Crown winners and the port bringing with only a handful of loudspeakers. I can recall 54 Concord Street drum fill. In all, there’s a purity and transparen- up the rear like a Budweiser Clydesdale. But as the TAD CR-1, the Wilson Sabrina, the Vander- North Reading, MA 01864 cy to the D3’s performance that are as startling I listened to the sinuous opening vamp from steen Treo CT, Elac’s superb li’l cheapie Debut (978) 664-2870 as if the very air in the listening room had been Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” followed by the B5, the ATC SCM20SL (bought ’em, still have bowers-wilkens.com scrubbed clean with HEPA filtration. dance remix of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance”— ’em)— different speakers in so many ways yet

53 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT •

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Equipment Report

Focal Sopra N01 Hard to Say Goodbye

Andrew Quint

here’s something to be said for a the top half of a Sopra No2 turned upside down of having the tweeter similar in shape to the high-end loudspeaker manufacturer and mounted on a dedicated stand. A mini- cone to better integrate the two drivers. T actually making its own drivers. The monitor? It sure doesn’t perform like any other The key features of the beryllium tweeter number of companies that do this is relatively mini-monitor I’ve heard, and if you’re thinking and sandwich cone have been in place for years small, though many try to obfuscate the matter of employing a subwoofer along with these and, to cite a Focal technical paper, “the only by declaring that their woofers and tweeters loudspeakers, maybe yes—but maybe no. way forward was to work more closely on the are made to their exacting “specifications” by The two transducers in the Sopra No1 driver suspension.” Using computer-modeling outside sources. In fact, many fine loudspeak- exemplify Focal’s long history of driver design. methods to investigate the effect of adding mass ers are produced by this latter paradigm. But The W-sandwich cone was developed for the to a driver’s suspension (a technique that’s been having complete control over driver manufac- earliest Utopias in 1995, a Rohacell foam core used to assess automobile suspensions and ture in-house can facilitate efforts to optimal- covered on both sides with a thin layer of anti-seismic systems for tall buildings), Focal ly integrate the performance of transducers, resin-impregnated glass tissue. These drivers, developed its TMD (Tuned Harmonic Damper) crossover, and enclosure. Since very close to its efficiently fabricated at Focal’s St. Etienne suspension, configured as a pair of circular beginnings in 1979, Focal (at the time known factory, manifest the Holy Trinity of high rings that oscillate to neutralize the resonance as JMLab—Jacques Mahul started the company rigidity, low mass, and excellent self-damping frequency of the driver’s surround. The result, and remains at the helm) has produced both raw characteristics that translate into transparency, says Focal, is a greater than 50 percent reduction drivers and complete speaker systems. For 25 excellent phase response parameters, and low in distortion around the critical area of 2000Hz, years, Mahul sold his drivers to other marques. distortion, compared to drivers made from which results in improved imaging, delineation, But especially with the development of an au- other commonly employed materials such as and timbral accuracy. Sopra speakers also take tomotive speaker line, the demand became too Kevlar or aramid fiber. Focal tweeters, of course, advantage of some “trickle-down” technology great and now the French company keeps all of have been the standard for high-frequency from the massive EM drivers found in Utopia its drivers for its own products. reproduction for decades. Before starting models, and other refinements of the EM circuit horn-shaped duct that leads to the back of the The Sopra speakers—there are two currently, JMLab/Focal, Jacques Mahul worked at Audax that Focal sees as a work-in-progress, calling it loudspeaker and preserves real estate for the the $8999 Sopra No1 and the $13,999 Sopra where he developed the first dome tweeter. At the Neutral Inductance Concept, or NIC. Sopra No1’s low-frequency driver enclosure. In No2—occupy a position in the Focal product his own company, he pioneered the beryllium Focal set out to implement its improved its continuing effort to create new initialisms range between the Electra line and the take- tweeter and, in 1981, introduced the inverted drivers in a relatively compact design. The representing its technological advances, no-prisoners Utopia series. The Sopra No1 is dome topology, which leverages the advantages tweeter is positioned in a progressively damped Focal calls this IHL, for Infinite Horn Loading

54 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound Muraudio TAS March 2017 Ad.pdf 1 22/02/2017 18:07:56

CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP &

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PERFORMINGHall LIVE3 K12 Equipment Report Focal Sopra N01 HIGH-END MUNICH 2017 Awards and states that measurable distortion in the the speakers for three hours in his showroom midband is reduced to a degree complementary and them buy them for $200 less somewhere to that achieved by the new driver design. The else. Added value, remember? cabinet is fabricated from MDF—Focal feels strongly that an enclosure that is too stiff Dynamics and loudness, of can push resonances up into a more audible course, are not the same thing range, plus this material is easy to work with and one has to be reasonable in creating the curved enclosure shapes that about how loud you ask the Sopra confer the advantages of less diffraction of sound and more structural rigidity. A variety 1s to play. of standard finishes are available: My review sample was an attractive Dogato walnut veneer, o though I’m sure the brilliantly colored high- Positioning the Sopra N 1s was surprisingly C gloss lacquer finishes you see in the Focal ads easy. Once assembled, I plopped them down M are more frequently requested. On the back in the location where other, smallish stand- Y panel is a single pair of five-way binding posts, mounted speakers have worked well. The tonal CM thoughtfully spaced about 2" from center-to- balance and imaging were pretty good, even MY center, that are effectively tightened by hand, though the speakers weren’t broken-in at all. CY even over thick spade terminations. Grille The minimalist users manual provides a formula CMY covers are easily removed, and should be. for placing the speakers and when I plugged K The Sopra No1s arrived in two rather small the numbers in, they were sitting pretty much cardboard boxes that could only mean one exactly where Focal said they should be. A little thing: “some assembly required,” as the saying fiddling with toe-in and leveling with the easily goes. It took me around two hours to unpack adjustable floor spikes, and the deal was sealed. the speakers with their included stands and put Preceding the Sopras in the reproduction chain them together, though I’m sure if I had to do it was my usual reference gear. I used digital again, it would take half as long. The stand’s sources exclusively, either an Oppo 93 (as a robust supporting pillar must be bolted to the disc transport) or the Baetis Reference music heavy glass base, a top metal plate to the pil- computer, both feeding data to my Anthem D2v lar, and then—this is the frustrating part—the for D-to-A conversion and control. Amplification speakers are bolted to the top plate. Getting the was by a pair of Pass XA 60.8s and all cabling threads in the Sopra No1’s bottom surface to was recent vintage Transparent, save for the align with the holes in that top plate so that the Shunyata Anaconda AES/EBU cable from final set of bolts can be inserted and tightened Baetis to Anthem. In lieu of any physical room is definitely a two-person job. This is something treatment, I ran Anthem’s DSP room-correction your dealer should do for you—presumably in program, utilizing measurements taken at eight BRING THE LIVE PERFORMANCE HOME recognition of the fact that you didn’t audition room locations, and employed it up to 2kHz muraudio.com 1.855.955.0360

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55 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound Photo of Jukka-Pekka Saraste by Felix Broede CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP &

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Equipment Report Focal Sopra N01 after inspecting the frequency response curves SPECS & PRICING generated by the software. Focal says that the Type: Two-way, bass-reflex Sopra No1 is an appropriate loudspeaker for Driver complement: One 1" inverted rooms up to 275 square feet and my space is 15’ dome tweeter, one 6 ½" bass/midrange x 15’, with the ceiling height varying from 11’ to Frequency response: 45Hz–40kHz (+/- 13’—so my room should have been a felicitous 3dB) match. Sensitivity: 89dB It was indeed. From the get-go—and espe- Recommended amplifier power: 25–150 cially after a few days of break-in—the Sopra watts No1 was utterly enthralling. Focal’s berylli- Nominal impedance: 8 ohms um tweeter is surely the best in the business, Dimensions: 16.75" x 11" x 15 ½" and the air, openness, and delicacy of the top Weight: 42 lbs. octaves equaled or even surpassed what’s Price: $8999, stands included achieved with many electrostatic or ribbon FOCAL transducers. Musical data living largely in the 108 Rue de l’Avenir upper frequencies had a penetrating energy BP 374 and presence without a trace of aggressiveness. 42353 La Talaudière Cedex I learned a lot about what the Focals could do France in this regard from listening to digital representations of 1970s rock/pop material. Here AUDIO PLUS SERVICES is music that was recorded with analog gear (U.S. Distributor) and intended for vinyl playback. From a CD or 156 Lawrence Paquette Industrial Drive even high-resolution digital file, the “shortcom- Champlain, NY 12919 ings” of these recordings come to the fore—a (800) 663-9352 lack of deep bass and a potentially wearying audioplusservices.com peakiness to voices and instruments with lots of upper partials such as cymbals or closely miked acoustic guitars. By way of example, and jangly, to the point of becoming a distrac- I’m told that Joni Mitchell used Martin guitars tion from the gentle wistfulness of the song. equipped with steel strings to record her clas- The Sopras restored the indefectible unity of sic album Blue. With an average vinyl pressing, the lyrical and instrumental aspects of “Little the dynamic immediacy and rhythmic impetus Green,” as heard from the hi-res file. I felt much of Mitchell’s accompaniment provides a perfect the same about other material I love from this counterpoint to the vocal contour of a song like era, songs supported primarily by acoustic gui- “Little Green.” Too often, even the finest digital tars—CS&N’s “You Don’t Have To Cry” or Todd representations (the HDtracks 192/24 version, Rundgren’s “Love of the Common Man,” and so for instance) have the guitars seeming jarring many others.

56 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report Focal Sopra N01

The Sopra’s faithfulness to the overtone have to go under headphones to appreciate are especially absorbing. Dynamics are striking powered by a Parasound A23 bridged to produce structure of more unusual musical sounds evident through loudspeakers operating in the for a loudspeaker this size, or any size, really. 400 watts. I spent a good deal of time method- is another manifestation of the level of potentially detail-obscuring environment of Powerful, virtuosic piano music makes the ically varying the low frequency roll-off for the performance achieved with the loudspeaker’s a room. Imaging, typically a strength of small point nicely. Listening to the violently driven Sopras, the upper frequency roll-off for the sub, top end. In Igor Stravinsky’s faux-baroque stand-mounted speakers, is exemplary, making “Precipitato” finale of Prokofiev’s Piano Sonata and tried numerous volume, polarity, and phase masterpiece Pulcinella, based on music by chamber music and small jazz group recordings No. 7 (played by Matti Raekallio), Messiaen’s adjustments to the subwoofer signal. There was Pergolesi, at the close of the “Scherzino” “Regard de l’Esprit de joie” from Vingt regards no problem increasing the amount of bass in the movement, the composer wants to imitate the sur l’enfant Jésus (Alice Ader) or Liszt’s Mephisto room but not without compromising the of-a- sound of a lute. The obvious modern instrument Waltz No. 1 (Minoru Nojima) was the intense piece sonic fabric that this Focal speaker creates for the job is the harp—but the pared-down and potentially exhausting experience it should on its own. Enlarging the scale of the low end orchestration for Pulcinella doesn’t include be with a good performance. so it was disproportionate to the rest of the fre- one. So Stravinsky, good student of Rimsky- quency spectrum was counterproductive. If you Korsakov that he was, figured out another way Perhaps the most telling part like what the Sopra does for the highs and the to accomplish his end, by having cellos play of the audiophile loudspeaker midband but feel underserved when it comes to pizzicato open fifth harmonics. Stravinsky’s review process is what happens bass or volume, you need a bigger Sopra. The So- o ingenious solution—cellos imitating harp when all the critical listening pra N 2 ups the ante considerably when it comes imitating lute—has the desired effect and to low-end output and coherence at high levels; we hear it clearly through the Sopra No1s. Of has finished. by the time you’re reading this, the even larger course, the stellar performance of the tweeter Sopra No3 ($20,000) will be available as well. wouldn’t matter if it weren’t successfully Perhaps the most telling part of the audiophile transitioned to the mid/woofer driver. The Dynamics and loudness, of course, are not the loud-speaker review process is what happens materials comprising the W-sandwich cone and same thing and one has to be reasonable about when all the critical listening has finished. In the improvements to the suspension evidently how loud you ask the Sopra No1s to play. The many instances, when I feel I’m ready to write, make for an extraordinarily uncolored midrange. fairly small size of my room may explain why I I’ll pack up the speakers under consideration The crossover frequency is a high-ish 2.2kHz was usually able to achieve satisfying volume and fire up the reference Wilson Duette 2s that and the handoff is accomplished invisibly to without a sense of stress, even with music meant have been waiting patiently in the hallway off assure the integrity of solo voices, male and to be experienced at attention-getting dB lev- the listening room. With the Sopra No1s, I felt female, and all instrumental sonorities. els—hard rock, Mahler, 19th century French or- compelled to hear them play music until the Detail retrieval is first-rate. It’s a cliché to gan music. Just don’t turn it up to 11; settle for last possible moment. The truck picking up the make an observation such as this, but small eight-and-a-half. Then there’s the issue of bass. Focals for the trip back to their U.S. distributor, felicities in complex pop mixes that had The Sopra No1 is down 6dB at 41Hz (-3dB at Audio Plus Services, showed up earlier than escaped my attention for decades suddenly 45Hz) but is capable of providing the necessary anticipated. The driver called up from the street seemed utterly essential: claves on the title cut visceral bass/drums foundation of well-recorded and I told him to return later as I scrambled to from Paul Simon’s Graceland or the nuances rock or the weight of an orchestra’s string bass finish disassembling the Sopra No1s and get of the Eagles’ background harmonies on “New section. I did, of course, try adding a subwoofer. I their constituent parts back into the cardboard Kid in Town.” The subtleties that one used to have a good one, the passive Wilson WATCH Dog, boxes. Sometimes it’s hard to say goodbye.

57 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report

Gamut Superior RS3i A Premium Compact from Denmark

Kirk Midtskog Photography by Dennis Burnett

y first encounter with a top-model mate bass extension and full-throated dynamic Gamut two-way stand-mounted output. I presume, though, that anyone who is M speaker, the L3, was at a friend’s considering a loudspeaker like the RS3i is also house about eight years ago. It performed well likely to be fully aware of the limitations of the in my friend’s system and also in my own sys- mini-monitor genre and is specifically seeking tem, as my friend was kind enough to let me one because it is more likely to integrate well in a borrow the pair for a few days. The current small- or medium-sized room. If you are on such RS3i’s predecessor, the S3, sounded gorgeous a quest, and you especially like small speakers when I heard it at the Gamut headquarters in that “sound big,” and your budget can accommo- Årre, Denmark, in 2012. However, the new RS3i date its $19,990 asking price (including integral is a complete redesign of the S3. Only the gen- stands), the RS3i should be on your audition list. eral cabinet shape and size are similar to the S3. I will discuss its design and market context later, Gamut’s Benno Meldgaard has taken over but allow me to address its sound first. the design work—both for speakers and electronics—from Lars Gollar. I admire and respect Listening Gollar’s contributions to Gamut over the years, Right from the beginning, the RS3i sounded re- but I will say that whatever Meldgaard is now markably expressive and immediate—that is to doing to take those designs further is well say, free-flowing, unprocessed, and open rather worth a fresh listen. If the demos of the RS3i, than reserved, forced, and restrained. Its overall RS5, and RS7 at the 2015 Rocky Mountain Audio sound improved after about 200 more hours of Fest are indicative of Gamut’s new efforts, I am music signal had been played through the speak- impressed. After living with the RS3i for several er, but its appealing “liveliness” never waned. months now, I am doubly impressed. Normally, when I encounter a lively speaker, I The RS3i has remarkable bass extension and also hear a fatiguing “hyperactive” aspect to its dynamic range for its size. Even so, it will not presentation, as if the speaker were forcing the outplay most multi-way floorstanders in ulti- signal through a musical turbocharger of some

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Equipment Report Gamut Superior RS3i kind. To Gamut’s credit, the RS3i never veered reproduced a 30Hz test tone, the lowest tone speaker, period. The kick-drum and bass lines ic “body” of those blasts were much more in into sounding irritating or exaggerated. On the available on my test LP Check and Double Check on Alanis Morissette’s “One” from her Supposed keeping with a larger speaker than those of a contrary, the more I listened to the RS3i, the [Westminster], with strong amplitude, not just a Former Infatuation Junkie LP [Maverick] were typical mini-monitor. Of course, the partnering more I loved its form of “musical enthusiasm.” faint rumble. Some of this response is probably viscerally impactful, imparting considerable electronics and general speaker setup also im- Playback seemed to more closely approximate due to some room-induced reinforcement, but weight and solidity. The full orchestra forte tutti pact any transducer’s performance, but just the live music’s dynamic presence than I have ever it’s still pretty impressive. (Keep in mind, the “slams” at the opening of the “Infernal Dance of fact that I could bring out such truly responsive heard from a speaker of the RS3i’s size—and speakers were placed with their tweeters 62" King Kastchei” movement from Stravinsky’s The and forceful dynamics from this small speaker from a good many larger ones, for that matter. I from the backwall, so it is not as if I deployed Firebird Suite, 1919 Version [RR] were stunning proved what it could do. found myself simply getting lost in the thrill of the speakers specifically to increase their in their explosive, thundering impact. The speed My Dynaudio C1 II mini-monitor sounds more listening to music, sometimes for hours, occa- bass response.) In my 12.5' x 17' room, most of the transient leading edges followed by the bass-heavy, but the C1 does not have nearly the sionally waving my arms around enthusiastically large-scale orchestral music was well served. A notable control over the resulting huge dynam- same definition and resolution in its low end as because the music sounded so compelling. bigger, more bass-extended speaker can bring Even though the RS3i is quite revealing—ca- more heft to the presentation, but the RS3i still SPECS & PRICING pable of fleshing out subtle details like guitar- delivered enough in the low octaves to give a Driver complement: Two-way; one 1.5" ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT ists’ fingers on strings or the faint, shimmering solid foundation to large orchestral music. As far ring-radiator tweeter, one 7" sliced, natu- Analog source: Basis Debut V turntable and quivers of lightly struck gongs, it is also well as I could tell, only organ music would require ral-oil-impregnated paper cone Vector 4 tonearm, Benz-Micro LP-S cartridge behaved. Mike Garson’s lightning-fast piano a sub-woofer. I brought out some of my big- Frequency response: 34Hz–60kHz Digital sources: Ayre C-5xeMP universal runs on “Count Your Blessings” from The Oxnard sounding pop LPs such as Jeff Beck’s Emotion Sensitivity: 86.5dB/2.83V disc player, HP Envy 15t running JRiver MC- Sessions, Volume Two [RR], for example, did not and Commotion, Peter Gabriel’s Up [Real World], Impedance: 4 ohms minimum 20, Hegel HD12 DAC have zones of notes that unnaturally jumped and Alison Krauss’ and Robert Plant’s Raising Crossover point: 2150Hz Phonostage: Ayre P-5xe out of the mix. Singers such as Alison Krauss, Sand [Rounder] just to hear what the RS3i would Dimensions: 8.9" x 41.7" x 18" Linestages: Ayre K-1xe, Hegel P30 Alanis Morissette, and Björk retained their rath- make of them. Listening delivered satisfying Weight: 61 lbs. with stand Integrated amplifiers: Hegel H80 and H360 er penetrating timbres, but their voices did not levels of rhythmic drive and remarkable bass Price: $19,990 (including integral Gamut Power amplifiers: Gamut M250i, Hegel H30 veer into shrillness, as can be the case through power for a speaker of this size. The lowest stands) Speakers: Dynaudio Confidence C1 Signa- some other speakers. Instead, the appeal of synthesizer notes on the Aphex Twin Syro 24/44 ture, YG Acoustics Sonja 1.2 these singers—perhaps partly derived express- WAV file [Warp] were missing, but we’re talking GAMUT USA Cables: Shunyata Anaconda ZiTron signal ly because of their high vocal ranges—came about very low bass notes there. Also, the almost (888) 252-2499 cables, Gamut Reference signal and power through alternately with soaring power and menacing quality of power rock like that of Tool’s gamutaudio.com cables, Nordost Heimdall 2 USB, AudioQuest touching vulnerability. (By the way, I am pretty Lateralus [Volcano] was muted compared how it Coffee USB and Hawk Eye SPDIF, Shunyata sure the LP track of that Mike Garson piano solo sounds on more full-range, multi-way speakers Anaconda SPDIF, Shunyata Anaconda and of “Count Your Blessings” is a different take or like the YG Acoustics Kipod Signature II, Ariel Alpha ZiTron power cords version than that on the CD track of the same 7T, and YG Sonja 1.2. Still, the RS3i turned in a A/C Power: Two 20-amp dedicated lines, title. Has anybody else noticed this, or can any- respectable showing. Shunyata SR-Z1 receptacles, Shunyata Tri- one confirm it?) The RS3i’s wide macro-dynamic scale also ton and Typhon power conditioners Bass extension was remarkably good in my goes a long way to making it sound much larger Room treatments: PrimeAcoustic Z-foam setup. Gamut publishes a 34Hz low-end limit than it looks. In fact, I have never heard a more panels and DIY panels (without the usual -3dB tolerance). The RS3i dynamically powerful stand-mounted, two-way

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Equipment Report Gamut Superior RS3i the RS3i has. The RS3i is, in fact, more resolv- er has a 7" Scan-Speak, paper-fiber mid/woofer ing across the board. Of course, it costs about with angled radial “slices” which, according to two-and-a-half times more than the C1, so one Gamut, help dissipate unwanted resonances should expect better performance. The RS3i’s in the cone. Gamut also treats the cone with a bass and midrange blend seamlessly with its special oil to help mitigate a dry, papery qual- upper frequencies into a coherent whole so that ity it believes is present in untreated cones. nothing stands out as a misstep. Its entire range The tweeter is a Scan-Speak 1.5" ring-radiator sounds agile, with no part of it lagging or seem- with a custom phase plug. The crossover point ingly stumbling ahead. Some of this may have is 2150Hz, and the slopes are not a standard, to do with the crossover’s graduated slopes; I linear 6-, 12-, 18-, or 24dB-per-octave types; will cover these in more detail later. rather, the slopes start at 6dB then get steep- Precise imaging, wide-open soundstaging, er, so as they approach complete roll-off, they and the cabinet’s disappearing as sound sourc- are 24dB, says Benno Meldgaard. Meldgaard es are indeed part of the RS3i’s repertoire, also told me that this yields the best melding of just as you would expect from a deluxe stand- frequency and phase performance. The cabinet mount. Soundstage width and depth were fan- has a rear-firing reflex port tuned to 35Hz. tastic, extending well beyond the outer edg- The cabinet is made from 21 layers of hand-sees of the cabinets and about five feet behind lected, real wood sheets to provide stiffness, them. The real treat here is that soundstage constrained layered resonance control, and height was much closer to that of a multi-way relatively low mass. The curved sidewalls are floorstander than many people would expect. glued and pressed under high temperature and Some folks (including at least one reviewer for pressure so that the resulting arc does not have this magazine, I believe) have criticized small, any internal stresses. Gamut says this perma- stand-mounted speakers specifically for their nent curve is essential to achieving the kind of limited soundstage height, presumably because ridged, low-resonance performance it needs for such mini-monitors don’t have enough drivers the overall design to work. The cabinet is low in a vertical array to project much height. Well, mass because Gamut believes that high-mass I can assure you, when properly set up, the RS3i cabinets—even well-damped ones—still retain is fully capable of matching some multi-way unwanted resonances, and they radiate them floorstanders in this regard. On some playback “later” than lower-mass cabinets do. Apparent- material, the RS3i had a soundstage height ly, listeners subliminally perceive this delayed range from about 14" from the floor up to about resonance releasing as a phase smearing, and 5.5' high—in other words, floorstander-like per- therefore as less realistic sounding. Gamut formance. uses real wood layers for another reason: The company believes they help its speakers sound Design and Construction more like real instruments than synthetic ma- How does Gamut do it? To start with, the speak- terials or metal. I am agnostic on this materials

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Equipment Report Gamut Superior RS3i point. I find Magico and YG Acoustics speakers, has. Mind you, a good planar might, arguably, made with aluminum cabinets for example, to also have a more refined treble presentation, sound damned good. All I can say, here, is the but I never thought the RS3i’s upper frequencies Gamut RS3i sounds marvelous, and so do Magi- sounded ragged, harsh, or crude. cos and YGs. Meldgaard has adjusted the tonal balance Gamut asserts that internal cabinet damping of the entire RS line. The RS5, for example, no materials should be kept to an absolute mini- longer has the midrange emphasis as Robert mum (or eliminated altogether in the case of E. Greene noted in Issue 246. In the case of the Crystal Cable’s Arabesque speakers) because RS3i, Meldgaard told me that he applied a shal- those materials also tend to dampen the over- low dip starting at about 800Hz that extends all all presentation, thereby robbing music play- the way up to about 9000Hz—with one speak- back of immediacy and dynamic vibrancy. In er measured on axis at one meter. He went on fact, this approach is a key factor in the RS3i’s to say that when he measured the combined design—the one that probably most accounts output of two speakers playing together in a for its dynamic liveliness. All but a few dynam- typical domestic room and at a typical listen- ic, cone ’n’ dome speakers have several sheets ing position, he found that he needed to back or patches of internal cabinet damping materi- off the midrange output and some of the upper als such as fiberglass, foam, wool, felt, or cotton frequencies to make the pair of speakers sound batting inside their cabinets to help absorb the more natural. Now, this tonal shaping might give backwaves of the drivers. But Gamut’s layered, one the impression that the RS3i might have a real wood, low-mass, curved cabinets enable it recessed soundstage, a bloated midbass, and to use very little damping material because its a zippy top end. Actually, it has none of those design minimizes internal standing waves and qualities. It sounds well balanced and reminis- dissipates resonances quickly. In fact, each RS3i cent of live music within its range. pair has a designed right and left speaker not The included stand is not only a perfect because the respective speaker’s tweeter and match to the beautiful cabinet visually—some mid-woofer are aligned off the vertical axis, but friends commented just how nice the review because one sidewall has some internal damp- samples looked—but it is also integral to how ing material while the opposite side has none. the speaker is designed to work. The stand em- I must say, Gamut is on to something. The RS ploys combinations of metal, layered wood, and series Gamuts I’ve heard (and Arabesques, for what looks like a wood/resin material similar to that matter) all share a musical verve that does Panzerholz. It has a cable routing slot running remind me of music’s natural dynamic presence. up the back and stainless steel outriggers with Some planar speakers have some of this quality large threaded footers to allow for more than as well—as they skip the cabinet altogether— an inch of vertical travel for height adjustment, but the planars I have heard don’t have as much irregular floor leveling, and back and forward dynamic range or palpable impact as the RS3i tilting. This ability to affect front/back tilt is

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Equipment Report Gamut Superior RS3i key to expanding the speaker’s overall vertical so to speak. The 75-watt Hegel H80 integrated soundstage zone—not just the top limit of the amp was able to drive the RS3i to satisfying lev- soundfield’s height, mind you, but the abili- els. Of course it sounds much better, and yields ty also to make the bottom of the soundstage the sort of performance I have been describing, descend quite a bit below the plane of speaker with Gamut’s own M250i mono amp. I ended up cabinets’ bases. The outriggers have small Delrin, buying the M250i loaner samples in conjunc- rubber-tipped set-screws to lock in the spike level tion with my review of the D200i stereo amp settings and to help dampen resonances between from Issue 229. (See sidebar for more about the the floor and the stand. The substantial spikes are M250i.) easily adjustable from the top with a hex wrench, a nice touch; Gamut also supplies matching spike Market Context cups to protect non-carpeted floors. At $19,990 for a pair of RS3is, there are a few The grille, which consists of two vertical met- other even more expensive stand-mounted al rods with fairly widely spaced elastic cords speakers on the market. I don’t have experience stretched between them, had negligible impact with any of them in my own system, but I have on sonic performance. The speaker actually heard the following models at audio shows (all looks more complete with the grille on, in my prices including dedicated stands): Raidho C-1.1 opinion. The two sets of binding posts on my ($18k) and D-1 ($28.5k), the TAD CE1 ($24k) and review sample were Gamut’s custom variety, CR1 ($42k), the Magico Q1 ($26,500-$28,995), which were designed to work primarily with and the MBL 120 ($23,030). The two TAD mod- stranded bare wire, but also to accept banana els also had wide dynamic ranges, but tended connectors. However, Meldgaard told me Gam- to inch toward sounding a bit dry and matter- ut would be switching to a more standard bind- of-fact. They are both three-way designs, by ing post so the speaker can also accept spade the way, and cost more—$22,010 more in the connectors—a welcome development. (By the case of the CR1. The Raidho models sounded way, Gamut also makes a complete line of very very accurate and musically enjoyable, but I am nice-sounding signal and power cables. The not sure how much dynamic power the Raidho RS3i is wired with Gamut’s Reference line ca- quasi-ribbon tweeter can handle to allow them bling.) According to the published sensitivity to really rock out, as it were, like the RS3i can. specifications, the RS3i should be fairly difficult I don’t believe I heard the low bass extension to drive at 86.5dB/2.83V and 4 ohms nominal from either the Magico Q1 or the MBL 120 that impedance. In practice, though, I found the RS3i I have been getting from the RS3i, but there are to be easier to drive than both the YG Kipod just too many variables to make much of my im- II Signature and the Dynaudio C1 II. I did not pressions here. I also am not at all sure how well need to crank up the volume to achieve satisfy- the RS3i might stack up against the others in ing sound levels (without any signs of speaker terms of fidelity to sources and upstream elec- strain, either) or to make the speaker “wake up,” tronics. My point is that the RS3i has plenty of

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Equipment Report Gamut Superior RS3i price company in the deluxe mini-monitor cat- I threw at it, the more I admired its winning abili- egory and may, actually, be price competitive. ty to dig bring out the music’s essence and do so The RS3i sounds like a musically accomplished with a beguiling joie de vivre. Its bass extension Gamut M250i Monoblock Amplifier speaker that just happens to be small. and dynamic power are up there with the best of When I reviewed the Gamut D200i 200W stereo amplifier in Issue 229, Gamut also sent along the mini-monitor breed. The RS3i combines all its 250W mono amp model for me to listen to. I have been using it off and on since mid-2012 Caveats the advantages of a small stand-mounted speak- and have come to love its sound even more than when I first wrote a sidebar to accompany that D200i While I believe the RS3i renders upper frequen- er—illuminating imaging and wide-open sound- review. I liked it so well that I bought the loan samples as my own reference amplifiers. What follows cies quite well and is indeed quite extended staging—with stunning dynamic presence. Ca- is an edited reworking of my original M250i sidebar. and complete sounding, I suspect even great- pable of sounding much bigger than it looks, it is The M250i has several important improvements to make it perform at a significantly higher level er refinement and resolution of fine details a honey of a speaker and should be on anyone’s than its smaller sibling. At $26,000 per pair, the jump in price is also considerable. More than double and textures may be available from other über short list for a small-to-medium-sized rooms. En- the price to go from 200 watts to 250 watts? All other things being equal and when driving typical mini-monitors such as the Raidhos and Magicos thusiastically recommended. speaker loads, this is not an appreciable power increase. Even so, there is much more going on, soni- mentioned above. My speculation along these cally and technologically, than a bit more power and two chassis instead of one. lines comes from hearing the other speakers In a nutshell, what you get from the M250i is considerably more of the pos- at audio shows, as mentioned, and so it is a ... revealing, itive performance characteristics of a D200i and fewer of that amp’s forgiv- “hunch” and should be taken as such. able weaknesses. The M250i casts a much larger and more open soundstage Another caveat: The RS3i stand’s outrigger well balanced, and exhibits a lower noise floor. Please keep in mind, the D200i stereo amp set-screws, while a clever feature, could have dynamically does not suffer from undue noise levels at all; my point is merely that the been mounted at an angle to make for easier alive, and M250i’s ability to enlarge the soundstage and reveal more details—as well user access. The shipping crate is quite large be- remarkably as to sound more relaxed and natural in the upper frequencies—yields sig- cause it houses both the speakers and their at- expressive ... nificant sonic benefits. The M250i expands the whole presentation andin- tached stands. Two smaller crates (one speaker vites you to discern the musical constituents more easily and become more and stand per crate) would be more easily ma- involved. On an intellectual level, you can more readily follow various parts neuvered for unpacking, storage, repacking, and in the mix, hear venue space and reverberation cues in addition to recording quirks. On an emotional shipping. Most of my nit-picks are purely matters level, you can more readily follow the subtle differences in dynamic intensities (which musicians use of convenience. I had to really search to come to impart meaning), more easily forget about system playback, and simply become more immersed in up with a few things to criticize, lest I lose some the artistic world conjured by the musicians. credibility. The 250i also promotes a greater sense of physical presence through larger, snappier dynamic swings and more power in the bass. Here is where I speculate that the particular way the 250i uses its output Conclusion power invests everything with greater solidity and dramatic life. (Its output increases to 480 watts into From the moment I first connected the RS3i with- 4 ohms, 900 into 2, and 1700 [peak] into 1.) Marshaling increased current behind the watts, separating out much regard to optimizing its placement and each channel with its own chassis, and a few other improvements really do seem to work together to just let music play, I heard something compel- elevate the M250i’s overall performance. ling about the speaker. It only got better with The Gamut M250i strikes me as a solid contender in its price category. It is revealing, well balanced, time and fine-tuning. Its liveliness never proved dynamically alive, and remarkably expressive of music’s natural appeal. It’s not inexpensive, but its less than entertaining and engaging. In fact, the level of refinement and musical realism are addictive—at least they have me hooked. more I listened to the RS3i, and the more albums

63 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report

Elac Uni-Fi UB5 Lightning Strikes Twice

Neil Gader

ow do you follow an act like the design that insets a one-inch soft-dome tweeter the back of the midrange, so self-respecting audiophile Elac Debut B5? The pint-size, two- at the center of a four-inch aluminum midrange. that it could add bracing to the should—you’re gonna love H way compact simply crushed it with Its crossover point is 2.7kHz. Also specially de- cabinet. In addition I added an extra the UB5 just a little more, and its big, hearty sound and puny $229 price tag signed for the Uni-Fi line is the five-inch alumi- brace, all to help stiffen the cabinet.” maybe a lot more. The UB5 is the B5 gone to (reviewed in Issue 260). In a rare convergence num woofer. Apart from some minor trim chang- As for the change from the B5’s woven mid/ finishing school. It boasts fewer box colorations of enthusiasms, it won the hearts of high- es, the UB5 is a near-spitting image of the B5 bass to the UB5’s aluminum bass driver, Jones and smoother, more accurate tonality, and is em- enders and mainstreamers alike. However, with some classy touches added, such as premi- explained, “The B5 used woven aramid because boldened by the greater output and dynamics for Elac’s VP of Engineering Andrew Jones, a um binding posts and the magnetically attached it was a two-way system, so the bass driver had that befit a dedicated three-way design. It’s still longtime advocate of concentric drivers (look fabric grille. The result is a sturdy MDF-braced to perform double-duty as bass and midrange. a bit dry in the treble but nicely detailed without no further than his work at KEF and Pioneer/ enclosure that adds a mere couple of inches in Once I went to a three-way system I was free being offensive. Basically, it’s everything the B5 TAD, for examples) there was unfinished busi- depth. Like the Debut line, it’s nicely finished in to use a material that could be optimized spe- already is plus all the extras Elac could stuff in ness. Hence, Uni-Fi: a new line of affordable black brushed vinyl. cifically for bass reproduction. This includes while still graduating with a $499 sticker. In mu- Elac loudspeakers, including the UB5 compact In a conversation about the UB5’s conception, having the correct mass, and being able to get sical character, the UB5’s voice will be familiar under review here, plus a UC5 center-channel, Jones said, “The enclosure is a development the required stiffness without having to wor- to all who have encountered the B5 (you mean and the floorstanding UF5. The UB5 features from the B5. It wasn’t fully planned when I did ry about cone breakup messing with the mid- you don’t already own a few pairs?), or the Pio- concentric midrange/tweeter transducers in a the B5, but when starting work on the UB5 it range. The bass driver motor structure was then neer SP-BS22, or even the state-of-the-art TAD three-way driver configuration. made sense to use the same frontal dimensions fully optimized to give me better bass perfor- CR-1. The $42k TAD? No, I’m not being glib. All The UB5 is a stand-mounted compact with so that I could use the same grille tool. I changed mance than was possible with the B5. Likewise, these examples share (within reason) a similar a bass-reflex design that uses a rear-firing du- the logo and changed from push-pins to mag- the midrange could be optimized as just a mid- overall voice—one that is anchored by a bal- al-flared port. Just shy of thirteen inches tall, it’s netic fastening to differentiate it from the B5. range driver, and because of the cone size and anced and dynamic midrange, a forward energy easily one of the smallest three-ways ever made To get the required volume and to compensate voice-coil size I could get the breakup-mode (no suckouts), and a persuasive lower midrange and its compact size is almost entirely owed to for the space taken up by the separate mid- to be a high 8kHz (by contrast, the TAD berylli- and upper bass. the concentric driver’s remarkable space-saving range chamber, I added depth to the enclosure. um driver, although larger, was only marginally It was easy to appreciate how the UB5’s ded- properties. Also known as a coincident (or ar- I chose to make the midrange enclosure part of higher at 9kHz).” icated woofer and concentric driver have been chaically as a coaxial) driver, it’s a sophisticated the cabinet construction, rather than a tube on Sonically, if you loved the B5—and any put to use. Two key issues stand out: The first was

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Equipment Report Elac Uni-Fi UB5 the point-source-like coherence that the coinci- all its nuance and electricity. tom-octave bass (sub-40 cycles) was beyond our expectations for affordable speakers. Like dent created. Because the coaxial arrangement Bass quality was the other most notable im- the UB5, but by any standard this was one game a Michelin-starred chef, Jones is a guy who can creates a near-ideal time alignment, the expe- provement—a development I expected in light little loudspeaker. Soundstaging was about av- grab any handful of ingredients and whip up a rience is more akin to a single full-range driv- of the addition of the dedicated woofer (its erage in width and depth; nonetheless, Rutter’s five-star meal. However, as outstanding as they er with the benefit of the two transducers both crossover point is 270Hz). There was rock-sol- Requiem “Lux Aeterna” still conveyed at least are, the B5, UB5, and their floorstanding broth- operating within their specified frequency rang- id fifty-cycle midbass output similar to the B5 some sense of venue dimension and expanse, ers are still entry-level and akin to “small plate” es; this can yield a significant improvement in but qualitatively much more controlled, and with discernible boundaries and depth. The appetizers for many high-end gourmets. Trans- output and dynamic payload, and with less dis- perceptibly less reliant on the port. For a dance height component could have been more con- ducer tapas, you might say. But not for long I tortion. Compared with the two-way B5, there’s track such as Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” vincing too. imagine, at least if the news I’ve been hearing an added specificity, steadiness, and focus to there was a hip-gyrating amount of midbass To the UB5’s credit and throughout this eval- from Elac comes to fruition in 2017. So, whatev- images that are trademarks slam and door-rattling uation I found myself comparing it to far pricier er Jones and team might be cooking up in Elac’s of the concentric driver. This pulse. Timbral defini- speakers, such as the excellent KEF LS50 ($1500) kitchen it should be quite a feast. Meanwhile tighter imaging allows vo- tion in this range could or the Revel Concerta2 M16 ($900, review forth- enjoy the bounty that is the Uni-Fi UB5. It might calists an even more distinct become a bit woolly coming). Given its meager $499 price tag, it just be the best five hundred bucks you’ll ever stage presence that I find and indistinct at mo- shouldn’t come as any surprise that the UB5 spend. especially attractive. Add to ments, but having that has a couple of weaknesses. Transparency was that a sibilance range that crucial low-end ener- very good for this segment; still there is a bit of SPECS & PRICING was natural, sharp, and quick gy was a tradeoff that veiling. The UB5 doesn’t fully shed the bounds Speaker type: Three-way, bass-reflex (as in life) but not overdone more than makes up of its enclosure—its cabinet doesn’t fully disap- Drivers: 1" soft-dome tweeter, to the point of drawing at- for this minor issue. pear like those of a handful of more expensive concentrically mounted; 4" aluminum- tention—qualities I plainly To be sure, actual bot- small monitors do. Thus during the Rachmani- cone midrange; 5.25" aluminum-cone noted during the title track noff Symphonic Dances, images often woofer on Jennifer Warnes’ The Hunter LP seemed more localized in the box. The Frequency response: 46Hz to 25,000Hz [Impex]. Another great example was tweeter was generally well behaved but Sensitivity: 85dB Rosanne Cash’s version of the My Fair when pushed hard, a hint of glare snuck Recommended amplifier power: 40 to Lady tune, “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” in during the aggressive piano solo from 140Wpc taken from a PBS in-studio broadcast. the Manhattan Jazz Quintet’s “Autumn Nominal impedance: 4 ohms; minimum Here the UB5 conveyed all the close- Leaves.” So no, the UB5 is not perfect 3.4 ohms miked intimacy of the performance, but the primary point is that it isn’t easi- Dimensions: 7.87" x 12.75" x 10.75" gently accented with warmth and ly pigeon-holed. It was fiercely compet- Weight: 16.5 lbs. a you-are-there immediacy. At the itive with speakers well beyond its price Price: $499 more dynamic end of the vocal spec- segment. trum, the UB5 reproduced BS&T’s With the Debut and Uni-Fi series ELAC AMERICA frontman David Clayton-Thomas with Jones has cemented his bona fides in 11145 Knott Avenue, Suite E & F all the unbridled brio he’s known for. the realm of entry-level loudspeakers. Cypress, CA 90630 His raspy, full-throated performance And once more—this time with the elac.us of “More and More” was captured in UB5—he has caused us to recalibrate

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Our Top Picks Bookshelf and Stand-mount

Elac Debut B5 Elac Uni-Fi UB5 Revel Concerta2 M16 KEF LS50 $229 $499 $900 $1500 (wireless/active version, $2199) It’s little; it’s clad in vinyl; it’s cheap; and it Sonically, if you loved the Debut B5, you’re A feast for the eyes and ears in this segment. With its pink-gold Uni-Q coincident midrange/ sounds terrific. The B5 compact represents the really going to love the UB5—it’s the B5 gone The look has been refreshed and refined with tweeter mounted in bulls-eye fashion atop the first effort in what should be a long and fruitful to finishing school. There’s greater specificity, smartly contoured enclosures, high-gloss uniquely arched baffle of its beautifully crafted collaboration between Elac and the celebrated steadiness, and focus to images—all trademarks finishes, and elegant design accents. Sonically, high-density enclosure, the LS50 is as visually designer Andrew Jones. NG instinctually of its concentric drivers. Add to that a sibilance Revel doesn’t design wallflowers that shrink arresting as it is sonically satisfying. Imaging connected with the basic honesty of the B5 range that is natural, sharp, and quick—like the into the background. A sense of immersion is clean and precise. Neutrality is high, with sound and was confounded by its bargain live event. Plus there is rock-solid 50Hz midbass and “widescreen” scale are two of the M16’s superb midrange sonics, nice presence, potent basement price. What Jones and the Elac team output similar to the B5 but more controlled, most distinctive characteristics. A compact, midbass punch, and very little in the way of port have managed to wring from this most humble and less reliant on the port. This just might be budget loudspeaker that maintains classic Revel coloration. May be destined to become a classic. design is nothing short of exceptional. NG, 259 the best five hundred bucks you’ll ever spend. virtues. NG, 268 A new active version with wireless connectivity NG, 266 expands the LS50’s considerable appeal. NG, 231

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Our Top Picks Bookshelf and Stand-mount

Air Tight Bonsai Aerial Acoustics Model 5T Focal Sopra N01 Harbeth 40.2 $2500 $3795–$4195 (depending on finish) $8999 $14,699–$15,699 (depending on finish) The tiny but mighty one-way Bonsai, also This gracefully proportioned two-way in a bass- Reviewer Andy Quint wrote this about these A large three-way that requires stand mounting, known as the AL-05, epitomizes what a single reflex configuration shares much in common superb two-way mini-monitors with articulating this is one of those rare speaker systems for driver can do—in this case, a 4” hand-made with Aerial’s larger and pricier models—the cabinets from celebrated French manufacturer which the term “monitor” is not in the least paper cone devised by a former JBL engineer. Model 6T and Model 7T—including comparable Focal: “Perhaps the most telling part of the pretentious because it is literally accurate as The Bonsai’s exemplary crossover-less design curvilinear cabinet construction, luxe high- audiophile lowudspeaker review process is a description of the speaker’s function and as gives the speaker a full-range presence and gloss finishes, the same tweeter, similar what happens when all the critical listening a statement about its own intrinsic accuracy. immediacy and surprising spaciousness that all woofer refinements, and similar premium has finished. In many instances, when I feel I’m The 40.2 is the virtual embodiment of tonal belie its petite size. Ideal for small-to-mid-sized crossover components and wiring. Among the ready to write, I’ll pack up the speakers under neutrality, and with a frequency response from rooms, the Bonsai’s are capable of reproducing key strengths of the 5T are its reproduction consideration and fire up the reference Wilson 38Hz–20kHz (+/-3dB, but near ruler-flat across a wide range of music with astounding of soundstage and dimension, and low-level Duette 2s. With the Sopra No 1s, I felt compelled most of that range) it possesses an authority coherence. JM, 272 resolution. Its performance, warm listenability, to hear them play music until the last possible almost nonexistent in PS’ experience. By this and fetching cosmetics are also uncommon in a moment.” AQ, 266 he means there is an ease, effortlessness, and small loudspeaker in this range. In short, this is lack of strain in the reproduction that translates a compact to covet. NG, 272 into a listening experience that draws all the attention to the music. This is now PS’ new reference when it comes to reproducing music in all its natural power and glory. PS, 269

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FLOORSTANDING <$10K Contents

MARTINLOGAN MOTION 60XT • VANDERSTEEN TREO CT • ATC SCM19A • MONITOR AUDIO GOLD 300

OUR TOP PICKS IN FLOORSTANDING <$10K Click any product name to read that review

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Equipment Report

MartinLogan Motion 60XT Reference Quality

David Martson

artinLogan (ML) has long wise precaution during setup, especially when been associated with the design unpacking the loudspeakers from their ship- M and manufacture of electrostatic ping containers and placing them in the room.) loudspeakers (ESL). And while ML considers The flawless black cherrywood finish (the itself “a loudspeaker ‘technology’ company speaker is also available in piano black) of my and not just an ‘electrostatic’ company,” its review samples was visually stunning, their hybrid ESL models continue to be the products rich-grain finish work exquisite. Taking a styling that music lovers are most familiar with. cue from its ESL relatives, the satin-black, per- Nevertheless, following the introduction of forated-steel grille covers are magnetically at- the Descent subwoofer in 2001, the company tached, and flat except for a series of embossed introduced the Design Series (2003)—its first louvers physically located over the tweeter. The non-electrostatic, full-range speakers. black, anodized outrigger feet, provided to min- The current Motion Series of non-ESL (dy- imize the chance of speaker tip-over, are con- namic-driver) speakers from ML encompasses structed from solid aluminum billet and come some thirteen models ranging from bookshelf with both rubber footers and floor spikes. The to floorstander, with the 60XT the premium of- richness of the speakers’ appearance is round- fering. In addition to three floorstanders, the se- ed out by beautiful, yet functional binding ries includes the ultra-slim (less than 2" thick), posts that will accommodate anything from SLM models, as well as dedicated center-chan- bare wires to spade lugs to banana plugs. Components dual 8" woofers are constructed with extra-rig- nel and sound-bar speakers targeted at home Initially, I used the excellent and specific Compared to its other floorstanding stable- id cast-aluminum baskets, rather than the theater. placement guidelines in the user’s manual to mates, the 60XT and its siblings are more than cast-polymer baskets used in lesser models. set up the 60XTs. The accompanying diagrams, just skin-deep “dimensional upgrades” (i.e., The 6½" midrange driver, like the woofer, Cosmetics and Setup with both dimensional and pictorial overviews bigger boxes equipped with larger drivers). utilizes an anodized-aluminum cone with a In size, the Motion 60XT is substantial, though of listening rooms and the speakers’ placement For example, though all Motion Series woofer cast-polymer rather than an aluminum basket. not a monster at 48" in height and 66 pounds within, were most helpful. I referred to them cones (as well as midranges, in three-way mod- In the 60XT, the midrange is located on a vir- in weight. (The assistance of a friend would be a frequently. els) are anodized aluminum, only the 60XT’s tual plane with the listener’s ears, maximizing

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Equipment Report MartinLogan Motion 60XT its output and dispersion characteristics, while the Stone Poneys’ Mellow Sixties [CD, Warner] tions (edges) became softer and somewhat less ed me of an ESL, though with a tad less delica- maintaining overall tonal balance where it sounded forward, with excessive treble ener- distinct with a slightly rounded texture with the cy. Perhaps the best example of the tweeter’s bridges the gap between the woofers and the gy. When I moved the input connections from covers installed. Preferring the naked speakers, transient response was “Unsquare Dance” from tweeter. (This is very important as many of the the 60XT HF terminals to its LF terminals, the I listened to the speakers sans grilles for the re- Dave Brubeck’s Time Further Out [CD, Colum- spatial cues present in a recording reside in the excessive treble energy all but vanished, as did mainder of the review. bia/Legacy], with the 60XT capturing the crisp, midrange.) The midrange driver’s placement, the forwardness of Ronstadt’s vocals. I then near-live, stick-on-steel of Joe Morello’s drum- combined with the tonal balance it shares with switched to a bi-wire configuration, connecting Listening stick rimshots as few speakers can. The simulta- the tweeter and woofer, greatly enhances the the Sunfire’s voltage output to the loudspeaker Once the break-in period had elapsed, my cu- neous juxtaposition of Eugene Wright’s upright speaker’s overall uniformity of timbre. LF terminals and its current output to the 60XT riosity and interest whetted, I chose Patricia bass in the lower-midrange/upper-bass region ML’s Folded Motion tweeters are derived from HF terminals. The sonic differences between it Barber’s “Inch Worm” from Café Blue [HDCD, was coherent and solid—producing a realistic the Oskar Heil air motion transformer (AMT) de- and the single-wire configuration were subtle Premonition] for my initial close-listening test. representation of all but the deepest octaves. sign first patented in 1972. Compared to con- but significant; Ms. Ronstadt’s voice was better Immediately, I was taken aback; the broad, From top to bottom, the matching of the drivers ventional dome tweeters, AMTs typically have placed in the soundstage, exhibiting other in- sharply defined soundstage extended well and crossover was excellent, resulting in a very more extended bandwidth, faster transient cremental improvements overall. beyond the width of the speakers, the vocals live and lifelike-sounding performance. response, lower distortion, and greater output After initial break-in, I adjusted the speaker sounded eerily lifelike, and the instrumental According to the manufacturer, the minimiza- capability. According to MartinLogan, a single placement to obtain the deepest, smoothest, timbre natural, with a depth so palpable I could tion of floor bounce was a design goal for the accordion-like Folded Motion driver is equiva- and most natural-sounding bass, obtaining best practically reach my hands into it. I followed Motion Series models, with the dual 8" woof- lent in surface area to eight (ten, in the case of results with the speaker face approximately that with Leon Russell’s Stop All That Jazz [CD, ers of the 60XT vertically positioned to “fill in the Folded MotionXT version) typical 1" dome 32" from the rear wall. Regarding toe-in, the Shelter], a stark musical contrast to Café Blue, the 200Hz–300Hz area.” Another benefit of tweeters. The XT variant tweeter (used only in manual states that “superior stereo imaging” is and perhaps one of Leon’s greatest albums. the woofers’ positioning (their centerline is the 60XT and 35XT bookshelf models) has spec- achieved when the speakers are aimed toward Listening to “If I were a Carpenter,” Leon’s tex- approximately at abdomen level when seated), ified dispersion characteristics of 80 degrees x the “primary listening position.” Loudspeakers tured, raspy voice possessed a realism, pres- combined with the rear ports, is enhanced vis- 30 degrees (horizontal/vertical), giving it a pro- utilizing planar magnetic drivers can some- ence, and sonic texture reminiscent of a recent, ceral and dynamic midbass impact, belying the jection closer to that of ML electrostatic pan- times be susceptible to beaming or glare, and live concert performance. “Spanish Harlem,” speaker’s frequency roll-off in the bottom- oc els rather than to that of a conventional dome given the tremendous output that the AMTs in an instrumental track, begins with bongo-like taves. tweeter. The combination of the XT tweeter’s the 60XT are capable of, I started by gradually percussion deep in the left channel, sequen- Curious how the loudspeakers handled more dispersion characteristics with its physical lo- increasing toe-in outward from my ears until tially adding individual percussive instruments, energetic content, I listened to Rare Earth’s cation results in excellent synergy between it the soundstage began to collapse, then slightly layered on top of one another and alternating Ma [CD, Motown]. The instrumental “Hum and and the midrange, adding life and air to the fre- inward until I got the best compromise between between the right and left channels. With the Dance Along” absolutely rocked! On “Big John quencies within their combined range. tonal balance and soundstage width and depth. 60XT, this layering was phenomenal. Transpar- Is My Name,” the vocals were audacious, realis- Following unpacking and initial setup, I first A final question was whether the speakers ent and deep, each percussive addition overlaid tic, and moving, and the bass quite good though connected the 60XTs in a single-wire config- sounded better with or without their grille cov- its predecessor cleanly without smothering it, not earthshaking. Cranking up the volume, how- uration to the voltage output of my Sunfire ers. To that end, I listened to “Brite Nightgown” with the placement of every instrument pin- ever, I suddenly became aware of how much tre- 300~two power amplifier, using the speaker HF from Donald Fagen’s Morph the Cat, and noted pointed in the soundstage. ble energy the tweeters were able to produce. input terminals linked to the LF terminals via that the differences with and without grilles The AMT tweeter’s fast transient response As mentioned earlier, the owner’s manu- ML’s supplied bars. In this configuration, Linda were similar to those between an airbrushed and dispersion characteristics, coupled with its al makes no specific mention during setup of Ronstadt’s vocals on “A Different Drum” from photograph and its original—dynamic transi- precise crossover with the midrange, remind- the wall behind the listener, but the air motion

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Equipment Report MartinLogan Motion 60XT transformer tweeters used in the Motion 60XT drives it. Loudspeakers present complex and Though the speakers already sounded excep- SPECS & PRICING are capable of producing such significant out- sometimes difficult demands on amplifiers, due tional driven by the Sunfire amp, it didn’t take Type: Four-way, dynamic, floorstanding put levels that the presence of a nearby and/or to many factors, such as input-impedance and long to hear differences in the presentation loudspeaker undamped wall can cause reflections, making crossover anomalies. To evaluate the impact with the Silver Seven. The ESL-like delicacy of Drivers: Folded Motion XT tweeter, the speaker sound overly hot, and distorting its the 60XT’s nominal 4-ohm input impedance on the treble that, when using the Sunfire, some- 6.5" aluminum-cone midrange, two 8" true tonal character. Choosing a better seating different amplifiers, I listened to it with several times became slightly edgy when played loud, aluminum-cone woofers position or using appropriate sound-absorption power amplifiers of various construction, quali- was softened, remaining light and delicate Frequency response: 35Hz–25kHz material on that wall can minimize, if not allevi- ty, and output power. even at higher volumes, until the AMT tweeter +/–3dB ate, the impact of this effect. I first replaced my reference (solid-state) output finally began to beam a bit. The bass, Sensitivity: 94dB/2.83 volts/meter Shifting source material, this time to classical Sunfire amplifier with a Bob Carver Silver Sev- already well presented with the Sunfire, took (91dB/1W/meter) music, I listened to Erich Kunzel and the Cin- en 700 tube amplifier (current production, not on a character and depth previously unheard, Impedance: 4 ohms cinnati Symphony’s rendition of Tchaikovsky’s to be confused with the legacy Carver mod- with 3-D spatiality perhaps the most improved Crossover frequencies: 400Hz, 2.2kHz 1812 Overture [CD, Telarc]. Perhaps one of the el with a similar name). While certainly not sonic characteristics I noted. Although the Sun- Recommended amplifier power: 20– most dynamic recordings of this (or any) sym- requiring the massive power (700Wpc) that fire amplifier had previously raised the bar for 400W phonic work, with levels ranging from the deli- this tour-de-force, four-chassis tube amplifier Fleetwood Mac’s “Woman of a Thousand Years” Dimensions: 11.4" x 48" x 14.4" cate ringing of a triangle to the explosive melee can produce, especially in light of the 60XT’s from Future Games [CD, Warner] to the highest Weight: 66 lbs. of artillery at the work’s conclusion, the record- 94dB/2.83V/1m (91dB/1W/1m) sensitivity, the level in my experience, the Silver Seven 700 re- Price: $2999 (piano black); $3299 (black ing is a test of any loudspeaker’s ability to re- MartinLogan nonetheless responded beautiful- vealed a never-before-experienced depth and cherrywood) produce extreme dynamics. During the work’s ly to the amplifier’s sonic character, excellent dreaminess in the recording. climax, the 60XT fell short of making the earth dynamic range, and low noise floor. The manufacturer specifies that the 60XTs are Associated Equipment move, but it was nonetheless enjoyable. The Silver Seven 700 has dedicated output “compatible with 4-, 6-, or 8-ohm rated ampli- Rega P5 Turntable with TT-PSU upgrade, A characteristic noted repeatedly throughout taps for 8, 4, and 2-ohm loads. Given the Mo- fiers.” To test that claim, I replaced the Silver RB700 tonearm, Shure V15VxMR my listening, regardless of source material, was tion 60XT’s nominal 4-ohm input impedance, I Seven 700 in my system with an available Ken- cartridge; Rotel RCD-1072 CD player; the resolution of these speakers, both in defini- initially connected the speakers to the ampli- wood KM-209 stereo power amplifier (150Wpc Sunfire Vacuum Tube Control Console; tion and amplitude, and the resultant width and fiers’ 4-ohm taps. Listening again to the Stone into 8 ohms)—a mass-market model from a few Sunfire 300~two amplifier; Sunfire depth of the soundstage it conveyed. Whatever Poneys’ A Different Drum, I found Linda Ron- years back—using the previously described bi- TS-EQ10 True Subwoofer; Sunfire the recording, the sense of depth—in some cas- stadt’s vocals sounding easy and lifelike. When wire connections. It became readily apparent CRM-2 Cinema Ribbon loudspeakers; es previously unnoticed even on very familiar I switched to the amplifier’s 8-ohm tap and re- that the necessary drive current for the 60XT’s Kenwood KM-209 stereo power amplifier; recordings—was startlingly realistic. played the same song, the performance seemed 4-ohm load was not available from this amplifi- Bob Carver Silver Seven 700 amplifier thin and lacking in dynamics. Repeating the er, which sounded weak and flat no matter the (manufacturer loan) Amplifier Requirements sequence once more, this time with the 2-ohm source material. Given the speaker’s efficiency, A loudspeaker is a transducer, converting ap- taps, resulted in a dull sound and a muddy per- a suitable amplifier need not be exceptionally MartinLogan plied electrical energy into acoustic energy, and formance. I used the 4-ohm tap for the remain- powerful, but must be able to provide adequate 2101 Delaware St. when it comes to evaluating a transducer, per- der of my listening session. drive current into lower-impedance loads, and Lawrence, KS 66046 haps no single component can affect that con- With the prerequisites out of the way, I began have a slew rate fast enough to satisfy the tran- (785) 749-0133 version, and ultimately, the loudspeaker’s per- assessing the combined performance of the Sil- sient-response characteristics of its AMT tweet- martinlogan.com formance, more than the power amplifier that ver Seven 700 amplifier and the Motion 60XT. er. If one has any concerns about an amplifier’s

71 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP

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Equipment Report MartinLogan Motion 60XT ability to satisfy such demands with this or any realistic lower-midrange/upper-bass perfor- other loudspeaker, it is a good idea to arrange mance, further enhanced by the woofers’ ver- a demo using the amplifier in question prior to tical location in the cabinet. The 60XT produces purchase. a broad soundstage that exceeds the width of Finally, returning to the Sunfire amplifier, I the loudspeakers’ placement, with pinpoint im- integrated my Sunfire TSEQ-10 subwoofer into aging and amazing, three-dimensional depth, the system, adjusting it to complement the even when the source material is of average 60XT’s response. On the 1812 Overture, this sonic quality. The twin 8” woofers produce bass time with the subwoofer connected, the cannon extension that will satisfy all but hard-core pipe fire left me blown away! Listening to “Flight of organ and electric-bass aficionados (or lovers the Cosmic Hippo” from Bela Fleck’s album of of the 1812 Overture’s artillery fire). If these the same name [CD, Warner Bros.], Victor Woo- heavyweight genres of music are your thing, the ten’s low, low bass was amazingly matched, addition of a subwoofer of your choice (Martin- both tonally and in output, with Fleck’s electric Logan offers several) can easily satisfy you, too. banjo, sounding almost as if they were in my lis- To enjoy the full performance that these tening room. Rounding (or perhaps I should say, speakers can produce, you have to be patient; bottoming) out the already superb sound of the the 60XT appears to require every bit of the speakers with an appropriate subwoofer makes specified 72-hour break-in period to really sing. these speakers outstanding performers overall, Nevertheless, the wait is well worthwhile, re- regardless of cost. warding the listener with sonic performance that is nothing short of unbelievably realis- Summing Up tic compared with other speakers in this price The Motion 60XT does many things not only range, as well as more expensive models. right, but magnificently, provided a suitable am- At the outset, my expectations for a “conven- plifier is used to drive them. I can’t remember tional” loudspeaker designed and produced by when I enjoyed listening to a speaker as much a manufacturer whose products have historical- as I did these. As they were designed in Law- ly been electrostatic designs were undefined. rence, Kansas, by the same team that creates the After living with these speakers, however, I no company’s electrostatic models, it should be no longer have any doubts; the 60XTs are so im- surprise that the upper midrange and treble pressive I could easily adopt them as my refer- are similarly voiced to ML’s ESL models, though ence. Listening to the them was tantamount to with slightly less finesse in the upper frequen- a physical addiction for me! They are a “must cies. Vocals are lifelike, engaging, and captivat- audition” for anyone interested in natural and ing, whether you’re listening to the silky sound realistic sound that will continue to satisfy and of your favorite chanteuse or the gravelly voice impress for a very long time. Highly recom- of a screaming rock star. An added benefit of the mended. excellent driver and crossover matching is the

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Equipment Report

Vandersteen Audio Treo CT Uncommon Musicality

Neil Gader Photography by Dennis Burnett

he question is actually a very have appeared in varying degrees from makers simple one: Are you an audiophile as disparate as Thiel, Avalon, Rockport, Wilson T whose ears are attuned to the sound of Audio, and, more recently, newcomers like Ryan live, unamplified acoustic music performed in a Audio. natural setting—traditionally defined in these The Treo CT is a four-way floorstanding loud- pages as “the absolute sound”? If the answer speaker in a bass-reflex enclosure. (The single is yes, Vandersteen Audio would very much port fires downward from the speaker’s base.) It like to talk to you. For this is the milieu of its shares its general architecture and transducers Treo CT, a mid-sized floorstander that, at $7990, with the Quatro Wood CT—a hybrid iteration resides midpack in the Vandersteen lineup. It’s with a powered bass system. CT stands for car- a loudspeaker that has an uncommon reverence bon tweeter—an evolution of the driver type for the music that poses the greatest challenges first developed for the Model Seven flagship, to an audio system. Reproducing the context later migrated to the Model 5A Carbon, and now and complexities of performance and venue, an option with the CT (the standard Treo lists harmonics and ambience, the micro and the for $6900/pair). For Vandersteen, carbon-driv- macro is where the Treo CT shines at its most er cones offer the pistonic linearity of metal brilliant. drivers without their inherently unnatural and The Treo CT silhouette will be instantly fa- amusical sonic colorations (known as ringing in miliar to longtime audiophiles, and not just to some circles). Vandersteen fanciers. Elements of this classic True to Vandersteen tradition, the Treo CT look—the slanted front baffle to time-align the is a time-and-phase-correct loudspeaker. The drivers, the cabinet widening and deepening as crossovers are first-order, impedance-compen- its non-parallel sidewalls flow into its base— sated numbers individually tuned in an anecho-

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Equipment Report Vandersteen Audio Treo CT Loudspeaker ic chamber. Crossover points are specified at the connection 100% impervious to oxidation them pronto. In my observations they were in- and Holly Cole without turning up the sizzle in 80Hz, 900Hz, and 6kHz. As a first-order design, and other environmental elements that can cor- tegral to the level of imaging and coherence this precarious treble region. The CT’s stock-in- much is asked and expected of the drivers in ex- rupt connections over time.” Vandersteen adds that the Treo CT was capable of achieving. The trade was true treble resolution as distinguished tended operating range and dynamic demands. that wiring directly into the crossover board set-up manual is very explicit about placement from the false detail of many above-average To these ends, the drivers include a CT tweeter avoids any full-range wiring inside the speaker, and provides graphs for optimization. The ro- tweeters that are dogged by material color- and Vandersteen’s “reflection-free” 4.5" mid- which is a big plus sonically. bust and adjustable cone-footers, three to a ations. Thus, piano transients and macro-dy- range in a proprietary transmission line that A word about the Treo CT speaker grilles: side, significantly aid in fine-tuning. namics were potent and aggressive in the way breaks up energy from behind the driver rather Don’t touch ’em, as they are meant to be left Sonically, the Treo CT offered a near-full- a grand piano is meant to be aggressive under than directing it back into the cone. The mid/ on. Yes, this runs counter to audiophile gospel, range experience with exceptional balance, a heavy hand, yet never veered into hard steely bass driver is a 6.5" tri-woven cone, while the which maintains that grille cloths reduce acous- nuance, and continuousness. Its presence in the territory. And soundboard harmonics rose into bass is handled by a ported, carbon-loaded, ul- tic transparency, but the Treo’s grille is anything room was felt immediately in bass response that the listening space as if borne aloft on cushions tra-long-throw 8" woofer. but ordinary. Rather than a thin, cheesy frame extended with authority and finesse into the of air. In the CT we have the rare tweeter that Vandersteen describes its dense, narrow, rig- with a sheer cloth membrane, it is actually a thirty-cycle range. The Treo’s was not a heavy places its attention squarely on the music with- id enclosures as “minimum baffle” designs that physical extension of the baffle itself—literal- or ponderous balance either; rather there was out drawing any attention to itself. minimize diffraction effects and time-smearing ly completing the front baffle in the way a final a lightness to its overall personality that belied The Treo has such an expressively wide color reflections. Construction is in a word, extreme. piece of a jigsaw puzzle finishes the pattern. the power of a four-driver configuration. Tonal- palette and fine resolution of timbral contrasts Vandersteen has engineered a unique system Feel free to remove them when you audition ly, it perches on the warmer and more relaxed that it almost seemed constrained within the that it describes as “cabinet-within-a-cabinet” the Treo CT, but my bet is that you’ll reattach side of neutral, but this trait only manifests it- musically narrow confines of a typical, stu- construction—essentially an inner MDF cabinet self in contrast with designs that have a drier, dio-sired rock production. In fact, the more mu- within an outer MDF enclosure, separated by a more forward, studio-monitor-type sound. The sical complexity I threw at the Treo CT, the hap- viscous or “gooey” membrane that eliminates Treo CT has a midrange that calmly draws lis- pier it seemed to be. Whether I was listening to resonances. Vandersteen reports that “mea- teners in rather than forcing them away. There’s a brass ensemble, or a classical chamber group, surements bear out that this gives us the kind a civility to the way it steers clear of carving or a percussion section, each note was unique of silent cabinet performance that is typically out the last iota of so-called detail or of vying in time, fully differentiated in micro-informa- seen only in very exotic cabinets made with ex- for your attention with a too prominent treble. tion. The Treo was equally sensitive to the reso- otic materials…we only exceed this by combin- For example, the top end of the Vandersteen nances of string instruments, easily distinguish- ing similar techniques with superior and much had the air and fluidity that brought the chorus ing the unique accents of violin or viola, or the more expensive materials, like the carbon fiber of the Rutter Requiem startlingly to life in my scale of different guitars from auditorium-size in our Model Seven Mk II flagship or even the listening room. Individual soloists remained dreadnoughts to smaller parlor instruments. multi-layer head in the Model 5A Carbon.” Cu- cleanly defined and focused amidst the chorus, As I listened to Copland’s majestic Fanfare For riously, the Treo CT still uses a terminal plate which led to moments so detailed that each line the Common Man, I encountered bass response rather than multi-way binding posts for speak- of vocalists was clearly imaged on the ascend- that excelled in pitch definition and tuneful- er-cable hookup (bi-wire or single). This reducing risers of the stage. ness. Although the raw dynamic energy and es cable termination options to bare wire or There’s an implicit sweetness to the carbon extension of the percussion section’s timpani spades. However, Vandersteen argues that since tweeter that produces a sibilance range that is and bass drum didn’t leave craters in my listen- “the barrier strip terminals are soldered directly well nigh perfect. The Treo captured the leading room (see the Quatro Wood CT for that), the to the board on crossover networks, this makes ing-edge intensity of singers like Norah Jones Treo CT performed without port noise, chuffing,

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Equipment Report Vandersteen Audio Treo CT Loudspeaker or the sensation of overhanging notes cling- need the classic “knuckle rap” test to determine groove of Fleetwood Mac’s “Dreams,” there was SPECS & PRICING ing to the fundamental as if trying to catch up that the Treo’s cabinet doesn’t appear to be a a rewarding sense of unalloyed midbass punch, with a performance that had already moved on. source of (mis-)information. You just need to lis- drum fills, and concussive forward-leaning drive Type: Four-way, bass reflex During tracks from Appalachian Journey, cello ten to Dick Hyman’s “Moonglow” (From the Age that was riveting. As penetrating and electrifying Driver complement: 1" tweeter, 4.5" mid, and bass viol consistently exhibited a fine body of Swing on Reference Recordings) to hear how as another personal favorite, the similarly scaled 6.5" mid/bass, 8" woofer of warmth and detail, though to my ear they did each instrument rings true, utterly free from the Wilson Sabrina? No, not quite, but competitive- Frequency response: 36Hz–30kHz not quite fully ripen with the weight and reso- common cabinet-borne colorations encountered ly close and less costly. Sabrina, of course, has Nominal impedance: 7 ohms (4 ohms) nance I know this recording has in abundance. in lesser designs. Piano, brass, random bass lines, other charms not the least of which is greater Sensitivity: 86dB As I’ve mentioned, the Vandersteen, while lone ride-cymbal…each instrument seemed low-end extension and dynamic output, but for Dimensions: 10" x 43" x 15" touching on the bottom octave, begins to run physically engraved into the soundspace. overall transparency and resolution these ri- Weight: 80 lbs. short of breath in the lower-30Hz range. There is a visual analogy that further describes vals share more similarities than differences. Price: $7990 Throughout this evaluation there was one trait my experience with the Treo CT. It reproduced The last pop track I played on the Treo CT prior that, like an addiction, continually fueled my the panorama of symphonic music with the kind to submitting this review actually turned into a VANDERSTEEN AUDIO excitement for the Treo CT. It was the speaker’s of deep color, dimensional presence, and sound- double farewell. That morning I learned of Da- 116 West Fourth St. of-a-piece coherence. This is not always a given stage continuity of classic widescreen films. It vid Bowie’s death from cancer at the age of 69. Hanford, CA 93230 in the high end. Many multiple-driver loudspeak- did so with an edge-to-edge, corner-to-corner I thought it was fitting that I should see him and (559) 582-0324 ers—primarily designs with three or more trans- imaging precision that few loudspeakers at any the Treos off by playing one of my favorite LP vandersteen.com ducers—fail to speak with one voice. Instead, price have achieved in my room. It cleanly de- remixes, “Let’s Dance” [EMI]. The Vandersteens the listener can identify each driver as it jockeys fined and delineated player after player, elbow seemed to rise to the occasion, digging deep into Associated Equipment for prominence up and down the front baffle. In to elbow within each section of the orchestra, the heavy dance groove, launching wave upon Sota Cosmos Series IV turntable; SME V contrast, the Treo CT was like a top-drawer two- as if they were being photographed through a wave of kick-drum pulses, driving Stevie Ray tonearm; Sumiko Palo Santos cartridge, way compact—a segment long celebrated for its lens of unparalleled clarity and infinite depth Vaughan’s searing guitar solo through the air, Ortofon Quintet Black, Ortofon 2M Black; ability to reveal three-dimensional space while of focus. It balanced the dual imperatives of im- handily reproducing the screaming saxophone Parasound JC 3+; Esoteric K-03X; Lumin remaining invisible as a sound source. Similarly, age and ambience in much the same naturalistic work and, above all, Bowie’s sly, richly resonant A1/L1 Music Player; Synology NAS; MacBook the Treo CT (far better proportioned across the manner that (I think) is still unique to film. Com- vocal, sensually massaging a lyric so very much Pro/Pure Music; Cables: Synergistic frequency spectrum than a two-way) projected a pared with the slightly cooler, harder, edge-en- about being alive and in love. Research Atmosphere Level 4, WyWires vast image of the legendary Chicago Symphony hanced super-reality that often defines digital When all is said and done, there are speakers Platinum, Nordost Frey 2 & Audience Ohno; Orchestra performing the Beethoven Ninth. Its technology, the Treo CT conveyed a more fluid we’ve all encountered that, however admirable, Power Cords: Audience Au24SE & Kimber spread across the soundstage was replete with and realistic representation of the symphonic are more about quantifying information than re- Palladian power cords. Accessories: Audience height cues that reached well above the speak- experience in a real hall. Not softer in resolution, producing a moving, organic musical event. They USB, AudioQuest Carbon firewire; VooDoo er, and depth cues that drew my eye to the back but more attached to the air and atmosphere of might sound lively for a spell, but they lack the Cable Iso-Pod wall of the hall each time the percussion section its surrounding environment. heartbeat of musicality. It’s a rookie mistake that lit up and the vast chorus rose in intensity. Much Even though I think the Treo CT’s charms only years of experience can ameliorate. Vander- of the credit for this level of spatial precision were more fully appreciated in the classical and steen Audio, however, is an old-guard veteran, sentials, but never loses sight of where its loyal- is certainly owed to Vandersteen’s time-and- acoustic arena, the speaker, without question, and it shows. It takes just one listen to the Treo ties lie. In my view, you cannot get a more purely phase-correct philosophy, but it’s also due to the provided a highly satisfying pop/rock experi- CT to recognize that you’re in the presence of a musical loudspeaker in this price range than the inert cabinet and well-controlled port. You don’t ence. As I listened to the opening bass and drum speaker that superbly balances these twin es- Treo CT. A true delight.

75 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report

ATC SCM19A Heresy

Neil Gader

his review might not sit well interest was an ATC demonstration of active reliability the pro market counts on. The with some of my audiophile friends. versus passive at CES 2015. It was a shootout consumer market has been a tougher reach for T I’m referring to a large and ardent between the SCM40 and its active cousin ATC in part because it’s a company that doesn’t band of devotees who enjoy the “chase” in the the SCM40A—otherwise identical three- engage in smoke and mirrors or eye-catching high end—those who make every audio-system way, acoustic-suspension floorstanders. The derring-do. Rather it lets its products do the component choice with the deliberation of a latter, however, was equipped with an internal talking. Thus its look and cosmetics speak to chess grandmaster contemplating a critical electronic crossover splitting the signal into tri- solidity and permanence. Fit and finish are move, weighing each option, mod, or upgrade amplified power. The former was the traditional always seamless but not indulgent. However, and scrutinizing the results for the smallest passive design and received comparable with the advent of the new Entry Series that shred of improvement. Indeed, this open- power from ATC amplifiers and traditional comprises three décor-friendly, passive, stand- system approach is a big part of the hobby, speaker cabling. The differences were startling. mount models and a trio of floorstanders (two and I don’t begrudge anyone his level of Improved imaging, a vastly greater sense of are active), plus a flurry of excellent reviews enthusiasm. It’s what we do. Truth be told, once dimensionality and immersion, and a level of and word-of-mouth, ATC seems to be gaining upon a time I would have included myself in low-frequency control that said to me in no a well-deserved, consumer-based foothold in this group. Back then, the very idea of a semi- uncertain terms “there is no going back.” When North America. closed system that a bi-amplified loudspeaker I was informed that ATC had plans for an active The SCM19A is a two-way, acoustic- like the ATC SCM19A represents would have version of the SCM19, I told them I was all in. suspension floorstander but it’s probably more been heretical to my high-end aspirations. But, Would the differences I experienced at the CES accurate to think of it as the standard SCM19 as they say, that was then. demo translate into my own listening room fused atop an extended cabinet designed Here’s the backstory: I’ve owned a couple with the two-way version? to house the electronic crossover and bi- versions (passives) of the ATC SCM20SL over A brief history: ATC of England begin producing amplification. Therefore the actual internal the years. I recently reviewed its successor, the custom transducers for the professional sound volume that the transducers “see” is identical, SCM19 (Issue 245), which proved to be a better market in 1974. Active monitors and electronics although—and this is of no small importance— overall speaker than my SCM20’s in most soon followed. Since then it has developed the passive crossover network components every way. The idea of an active loudspeaker a worldwide reputation not only for speakers have been removed and thus are no longer intrigued me but what really sparked my that will play loudly but also for the bulletproof subject to vibration from the internal back

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Equipment Report ATC SCM19A wave of the drivers. To increase floor stability for linearity at extreme dynamic levels. The for the slender tower enclosure, ATC provides ultra-rigid basket construction appears sturdy a wooden plinth “outrigger” stabilizer with enough to support an eighteen-wheeler. Per threaded floor spikes. The ATC-engineered ATC practice these drivers have been designed Class AB MOSFET amplification is installed in and manufactured in-house. They are not off- the bottom half of the tower. The biamplified the-shelf items from a third party. system powers the mid/bass drive with 150W, and sends 32W to the tweeter. The second- order crossover slope at 2.5kHz incorporates Image placement is almost startling phase compensation. Keep in mind that in the way musicians inhabit their because it is an active design, the frequency own space with authority, clarity, spectrum is split by the crossover at line-level and specificity. prior to amplification. Consequently, all this power is available to the drivers without the significant power losses of a passive network. Once plugged in and warmed up for about a Heavy aluminum heatsinks rise vertically above half an hour or so, the SCM19A resembles the the power button, balanced input, and IEC plug. passive SCM19 in tonal balance and overall The SCM19A tweeter (model SH25-76 in sonics, which is to say it is highly neutral the ATC catalog) is a 25mm soft dome. It’s a through the midrange and presence range. short-coil, long-gap, dual-suspension design There’s a warmer tinge to its overall character that mirrors ATC’s highly respected 3" soft thanks to its weighty lower mids and upper dome midrange. This design enables the use bass—major pluses in a compact two-way. of a narrow magnetic gap and negates the There’s excellent high-frequency extension requirement for ferrofluid—and the potential and air to keep winds and brass satisfied. For negative effect of the fluid drying out over vocal articulation, sibilance is naturalistic but time. The tweeter is set in a resonance- never to the point where it tips over into snippy free, machined-alloy waveguide that’s been edginess. designed to optimize dispersion and allow Far and away its biggest asset (and this for the flattest possible on-axis frequency was also true of the SCM19) remains its fast, response. Midrange and bass frequencies are dynamic, and transparent midrange—one that handled by ATC’s 6.5" Super Linear mid/bass anchors images, from vocals to violins, and unit—a driver recognizable by its sophisticated establishes their palpable presence in the room. diaphragm structure that integrates the profile Whether it’s the gravel and grit of a Tom Waits’ of a traditional cone with that of a 75mm vocal or the soothing, silvery soprano of Alison soft dome. Per ATC tradition, the mid/woof Krauss, the SCM19A is a “voice” speaker that features a short coil in a long gap, a massive is addictive in its verisimilitude. Its resolution ceramic magnet, and a long-throw suspension of internal harmonies like the Buckingham/

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Equipment Report ATC SCM19A

McVie backing vocals to Stevie Nicks’ lead The key differences, and I do mean differences during “Gold Dust Woman” is definitive in the with a capital D, are the 19A’s improved way it reproduces each vocal nuance. Particular imaging, immersiveness, and tight-fisted low- credit goes to the newly designed tweeter, end control. The active version sounds like a which integrates perfectly with the midrange stronger, more muscular version of the passive and bass rather than sounding like a separate one—as if the little SCM19 has spent the last sound source. The result is a near-ideal point- few months at the gym. It now resolves more source coherence matched by transducers that ambient cues, and with a broader and more seemingly speak with one harmonious voice. colorful palette of timbre and texture to draw This trait can be heard with every piano note, from. Listening to Arimasa Yuki’s “Forest” or the draw of a violin bow across an E string. solo piano from an MQA high-resolution file is a prime example of the way mid- and low- SPECS & PRICING frequency dynamics emerge from the keyboard Type: Two-way, acousticsuspension with captivating and authoritative detail. The floorstanding touch of the player and the gradations, impact, Drivers: 1" soft-dome tweeter, 6.5" mid/ and surface quality of the piano’s hammers bass striking the strings are hypnotizing. Frequency response: 54Hz–22kHz Image placement is fastidious; at times Integral amplifier power: 150W (woofer), almost startling in the way musicians inhabit 32W (tweeter) their own space with authority, clarity, and Dimensions: 14.4" x 38.6" x 13.5" specificity. In the same way an Olympic gymnast (includes plinth and amp) “sticks the landing,” there is a grounding to Weight: 68 lbs. the orchestral soundstage that once heard Price: $9995 is difficult to forget. This characteristic is on display during Harry Connick, Jr.’s cover of the ATC LOUDSPEAKER TECHNOLOGY classic “A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square,” LTD. where he’s joined almost note for note in Gypsy Lane duet with Branford Marsalis on tenor sax. This Aston Down recording captures the two voices in time and Stroud, Gloucestershire place with almost geo-tracking precision and GL6 8HR, England a level of timbral specificity and intimacy that atcloudspeakers.co.uk still leaves this listener breathless. In general, reproduction of low-level details is beyond U.S. Distributor reproach with the SCM19A but I do not mean to lonemountainaudio.com imply that the ATC was behaving like a cool and (702) 307-2727 clinical studio-monitor, either. That is, unless transparency and resolution have somehow

78 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report ATC SCM19A

become very dirty words. But it also doesn’t example) have gained some well-deserved flatter average recordings. If a vocal is mixed a prominence. Ultimately, it comes down to little hot, the ATC is there to expose it in all its implementation. Whether passive or actively gritty and false hyper-detail. Likewise a stellar powered, does it do the job of reproducing a recording takes on an otherworldly and soaring musical performance in a way that approaches luminance that makes it seem as if it couldn’t the authenticity of the live event? Well, some possibly be coming from a loudspeaker in the may accuse me of heresy, but I won’t be passive first place. in my appraisal of the SCM19A. There is no Keep in mind the SCM19A does have two-way loudspeaker that I would recommend limitations—both in output and in extension. It more highly. is still a two-way after all, so that while midbass into the 40–50Hz range is solid, you’ll need one of ATC’s larger models, like the SCM40, to catch Analysis Plus Micro Golden Oval Interconnect a glimpse of the bottom octaves. (I know of no Since active loudspeakers like the ATC warrants these. Perhaps the most apt descrip- two-way compact that authentically reproduces SCM19A dispense with speaker cables, I tion of the MGO cable is to say it has a friction- a pipe organ.) Also some may quibble over considered the proposition that the last remain- less quality, as if music were slipping untouched the qualities of acoustic-suspension bass ing link in the chain—the preamp-to-loudspeak- and unscathed through the system. Tonally, the compared with bass-reflex configurations. They er interconnect—might take on greater signifi- Analysis Plus interconnect has a neutral bal- both have a house sound—the former requires cance. I had heard some terrific buzz about the ance and soundstage perspective—neither too more power and leans toward tightness and Analysis Plus Micro Golden Oval interconnect close to the audience nor too deep behind the pitch control, while the latter is more efficient and the arrival of the ATCs presented a “gold- hall proscenium. Compared with great referenc- but tends toward a looser, fuller presentation. en” opportunity to test this theory. This is AP’s es like the Audience Au24 SX and Synergistic The bass drum, timpani, or rock ‘n’ roll kickdrum top-tier wire and represents the most advanced Atmosphere Level 4, the AP is a tick quicker in are good examples. On a ported loudspeaker, version of the hollow-oval conductor geometry transients and rounder in the sibilance range. bass resonances decay more slowly, as if being it has been perfecting over the years. It uses a At the end of the day, I felt that I was hearing released in a deep exhalation. With acoustic- proprietary combination of three conductors more of the music and less of the system than suspension bass like that of the ATC, the decay that includes 18AWG copper, plus silver and ever before. In other words, as musically natural “exhalation” is more precise. Both can work, and gold. and effortless as I’ve heard from a state-of-the- the differences become more superficial in the It’s been said that silence is golden and, as art contender. more expensive segments of the loudspeaker it turned out, this notion was validated by the world. midnight-black noise floor and sonic calm of the ANALYSIS PLUS, INC. Passive versus active is an argument that is Micro Golden Oval interconnect. It’s a high-con- 106 East Main Street anchored deep in audiophile culture. Though trast sound that conveys string sections with a Flushing, MI 48433 active loudspeakers will likely remain a relative resonant yet unhurried and almost romantic (810) 659-6448 rarity in high-end circles, it is heartening that energy, but also expresses swift transient at- analysis-plus.com hybrid designs outfitted with powered woofers tack and nosebleed dynamics when the material Price: $5495/1m (Vandersteen, MartinLogan, Paradigm, for

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Equipment Report

Monitor Audio Gold 300 Style Meets Substance

Julie Mullins

question for audiophiles: Does the Monitor Audio’s loudspeakers are divided engineers). Dean is present for every listening word “lifestyle” give you pause when into tiered categories whose precious-metal session throughout product development as A it comes to hi-fi gear? If a loudspeaker names are reminiscent of credit-card designa- well. [I had lunch with Dean at the recent CES, looks a bit too elegant, do you tend to question tions (and in keeping with the lifestyle aspects and was greatly impressed by Monitor Audio’s its sonic bona fides in relation to how much of the brand’s image): Bronze, Silver, Gold, and driver and enclosure technology, as well as by time, attention, and budget went into its Platinum. Which brings us to the loudspeak- the company’s dedication to sound quality. — design and finish? If so, be forewarned. In the er under review, the Monitor Audio Gold 300, RH] case of Monitor Audio loudspeakers—and the which is the top model (alongside the Gold A plethora of proprietary technologies has company’s other offerings (such as integrated C350 for home-theater) in the eight-speaker been employed inside the Gold 300, many with amps, streaming products, soundbars, and even Gold lineup. Given its build-quality, applied trademarked names, most notably the C-CAM soundframes!)—equal emphasis is placed on technologies, and high-end finishes, its $5699 (Ceramic-Coated Aluminum/Magnesium) al- both great sound and visual appeal. (more for piano ebony finish) pricing seems loy metal-dome drivers. Metal may not be an Although the British-owned-and-managed fair. Far from frivolous, this model delivers style easy material to work with, but Monitor Audio company has been in business for more than and substance in spades or, er, diamonds. It’s is among the pioneers of metal-cone driver four decades, the brand is still somewhat un- an elegant three-way floorstander featuring technology and has been using it for the past der the radar in the U.S., but that’s likely about a pair of 6.5" bass drivers, one 4" midrange, 20 years. Here, the complement includes a to change. Monitor Audio has increased its and a high-frequency ribbon transducer that, C-CAM ribbon tweeter and C-CAM (with RST, presence at U.S.-based hi-fi shows, and this according to company specs, has a frequency no less) bass and midrange. Melding impres- year’s CES saw the debut of its flagship Plati- response extending from below 30Hz to over sive sound with cool-looking functional de- num PL500 II loudspeakers, which delivered 60kHz! sign, the drivers’ shiny metallic surfaces have remarkably high-end (think Raidho-like) sound Monitor Audio’s Dean Hartley is the principal small, round dimples in a graduated pattern and style well beyond its $29k price. (Even designer behind both the Platinum PL500 II that makes them resemble a kind of space-age JV was impressed by them! He gave them a and the Gold 300 and works closely to devel- honeycomb. Other trademarked elements are shout-out in his show report, calling them the op innovative technologies with the company’s Pureflow Silver internal cabling and HiVe II port “surprise of CES.” I, too, was impressed by the engineering group, including the acoustic team technology that is said to smooth airflow for PL500 II’s and will be reviewing them in an up- (five people with three electronic engineers, improved transient response and tighter bass coming issue.) six product designers, and five general project with improved tonal accuracy. The driver sys-

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Equipment Report Monitor Audio Gold 300

SPECS & PRICING spikes that connect via locking nuts and wash- forth a greater overall sense of blended cohe- Type: Four-driver, three-way, ported tonearm and Air Tight PC-7 cartridge; MacBook ers at each of the bases’ four end-points. After sion and coherence among the drivers. (Happi- floorstanding loudspeaker Pro with 2.3GHz Intel Core i7 processor running attaching those bases—which (luckily for me) ly, my listening room is large and deep enough Driver complement: 2 x 6.5" bass, 1 x 4" OS X 10.9.5 with Audirvana Plus was a straightforward assembly process using that I can afford to move my sofa back a couple midrange, 1 x ribbon tweeter Phonostage, preamplifier: Walker Audio the bolts and Allen wrench included—I toed of feet.) In fact, my only real criticism with this Frequency response: 30Hz–60kHz Procession, Soulution 525 the speakers in slightly and positioned them transducer was its fairly directly frontal pro- Sensitivity: 90dB Power conditioner and power cords: Ansuz roughly 8 feet from my listening-room sweet- jection at relatively close range. But as noted, Recommended amplifier requirements: Cables and interconnects: AudioQuest Fire, spot and approximately five feet from the some distance took care of this. 100–200W Shunyata Research Venom series, Crystal Cable rearwall. Generally, this placement delivered After appropriate break-in time, I began crit- Nominal impedance: 8 ohms Absolute Dream immediacy, impact, and excitement, even at ical listening with the NuPrime IDA-8 Class Dimensions: 8 1/4" x 41 3/4" x 13" (210mm x Equipment racks: Critical Mass Systems tempered volumes. Depending on what I was A/D hybrid 100Wpc integrated amp (which I 1060mm x 330mm) Maxxum listening to—or in some cases listening for—I reviewed favorably in Issue 263). Its smooth Weight: 59 lbs. 14oz. (27.2 kg) also spent some time sitting and standing liquidity and sense of effortlessness suited Price: $5699; piano ebony finish, $6799 KEVRO (North American Distributor) farther away from the speakers (between 10 and balanced out the more or less “bottom-up” 902 McKay Road, Unit #4 and 12 feet). This additional distance brought character of the Gold 300s. For the bulk of my ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT Pickering, Ontario Subwoofer: JL Audio e110 (pair) L1W 3X8 Sources: Acoustic Signature Challenger Mk. 3 Canada with AS-1000 tonearm, Air Tight PC-7 cartridge; (800) 667-6065 George Merrill GEM Dandy PolyTable with Jelco monitoraudiousa.com tems use single-bolt-through construction for My review samples arrived in piano black decoupling from the baffles and (per company lacquer, which nicely accentuated those fu- claims) to increase front-to-back cabinet brac- turistic-looking embossed metallic drivers. ing and stability. If this speaker had a dress code, it would be The Gold 300’s smooth curved enclosure black tie. Of all the loudspeakers I’ve had in not only looks attractive, but is also said to re- my systems at home, none has received more duce standing waves. As befits a modern-day compliments than the ultra-high-gloss Gold high-quality speaker, the MDF cabinet features 300. Even friends who aren’t audiophiles have radial- and cross-bracing for greater rigidity. The been wowed by the speaker’s fine looks—and speaker is available in four luxe-looking finish- in short order, its superb sound impressed es—a dark walnut wood veneer, or high-gloss them in equal measure. But before I describe piano finishes in black, white, or ebony. Gener- the 300’s sonics in greater detail, let’s talk a bit ally speaking, I’m a non-grille gal, but the ones about setup. here attach discreetly with “invisible” magnets The Gold 300s come with black-metal for an unobtrusive and streamlined appearance. X-shaped bases with screw-in feet or floor

81 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report Monitor Audio Gold 300

listening my source was an Acoustic Signature relatively neutral. Midrange proved to be a sistently balanced, rich, and full—and always Challenger Mk. 3 turntable with the German strong suit as well. sounded musical (yet without much in the way maker’s AS-1000 tonearm, an Air Tight PC-7 After some weeks with this system, I switched of coloration, depending in part on electron- cartridge, and a Walker Procession on phonos- out electronics—the solid-state NuPrime amp ics). The Aria 948 has a more “top-down” sound tage duty. I did some listening both with and and Walker phonostage for a Soulution 525 with a fairly neutral-to-slightly brighter overall without the addition of a pair of JL Audio e110 full-function preamp and the tube delights of balance, while the Gold 300 displays a more subwoofers, crossing over at 50Hz initially, an Air Tight ATM-1S stereo amplifier. (The ana- “bottom-up” flavor with greater heft. Another though results proved more favorable when I log source setup stayed the same.) The general important sonic consideration here is the Gold downshifted to 40Hz, then 35Hz. I didn’t un- impression here was a fuller and more beautiful 300’s ribbon tweeter boasting remarkable cover an across-the-board preference; some sound with plenty of bloom along with slightly range (per the specs) versus the Aria 948’s alu- LPs played back more pleasingly without the darker, richer timbre. Perhaps the most dramat- minum/magnesium TMF inverted-dome, which subs, others benefited from their added exten- ic difference (or improvement) I noticed with can walk a fine line between clean, razor-sharp sion and fullness. On tracks such as “My Oh My” these reference-grade electronics driving the precision and slightly brighter beaminess in and “Never Mind” from Leonard Cohen’s Popu- Gold 300s was on the sweep and scale of large the treble. (Bear in mind these comments are lar Problems LP, the resolution was remarkable orchestral works. The gloriously sinister sounds meant to be broad-stroke, at-a-glance compar- with subs. Every detail of his gravelly diction of Khachaturian’s “Masquerade Waltz” [Ana- isons. I recommend doing plenty of listening came nearly as alive as if he were in the room. logue Productions], especially the lower regis- before buying.) Finally, from an aesthetics an- Fiddle and acoustic guitar, too, were repro- ters of brass and deep woodwinds juxtaposed gle, they’re certainly both luxurious-looking, duced with noteworthy naturalness. with the soaring strings, were felt as much as no matter which finishes you choose. The Aria Broadly speaking, some LPs seemed to fare heard. Transient attacks as well as decays were 948 is more elegantly austere and slightly un- better sans subs for definition, pacing, and vo- more pronounced, lending a thrilling sense of derstated with its classic wood veneer, while cal clarity, including Buena Vista Social Club’s realism alongside generous helpings of musi- the Gold 300 is more streamlined, slick, and marvelous Lost & Found [Nonesuch] collection cality within a deeper and wider soundstage. shiny—more along the lines of a sexy car. of “lost” studio and live concert cuts, where Broadly speaking, carefully chosen electronics Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, guitars—especially the laúd (12-string Cuban seemed to expand these transducers’ reper- but the Monitor Audio Gold 300 represents a guitar)—sounded as warm, heady, and beauti- toire—especially if you’re a classical music fan. special breed of loudspeakers that successful- ful as the Havana sun. The English Beat’s Spe- I thought it might be worthwhile to include a ly combines style with substance, as should be cial Beat Service [Mobile Fidelity] showed a few comments by way of comparison with a dif- apparent from my experience. In addition to its lively ambience without subs, with plenty of ferent dynamic floorstanding three-way speak- stellar sonic capabilities (particularly through- air and space around vocalists and the plethora er in a pretty similar price range: the Focal Aria out the midrange), consider that such a strik- of instruments, from horns and saxes to strings 948 (which I reviewed favorably in Issue 254). ingly handsome speaker may be more likely to and percussion. Soundstaging displayed rea- Call it the English versus the French (just kid- meet with partner/spousal approval. (I don’t sonable depth and dimensionality, while bass ding!). Both deliver plenty of resolution and want to let my review samples go.) Whether or lines resonated with respectable definition detail, but like anything else, it depends on not style is among your hi-fi priorities, the Mon- and without chuffing or noticeable overhang. what you like. If you tend to go for transparen- itor Audio Gold 300s are highly recommended Overall, I found that the NuPrime combination cy and true-to-source accuracy, you might pre- for a long look and listen. proved quite well balanced, pretty clean, and fer the 948. However, the Gold 300 was con-

82 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Our Top Picks Floorstanding <$10k

Elac Debut F5 PSB Imagine X2T Magnepan .7 GoldenEar Triton Five $560 $1295 $1395 $1999 The floorstanding F5 leverages the strengths Simply put, these powerful, fairly compact, The latest (and greatest) “mini-Maggie,” Sandy Gross, the proprietor of GoldenEar, of the compact B5—its warm, relaxed, and four-driver, three-way, quasi-D’Appolito this modestly sized, two-way line-source may be the Babe Ruth of reasonably priced responsive midrange, surprising bass extension floorstanders live up to Canadian manufacturer floorstander uses all quasi-ribbon drivers (as loudspeaker designs. With the Triton Five, the and tunefulness, and strong sense of musical PSB’s main marketing message: “Real sound opposed to the mix of quasi-ribbon and planar- gregarious Gross has hit yet another one out truth—then significantly builds on them. What for real people.” Big bang—and plenty of magnetic in the MMG). The result is a superior of the park. The Triton Five is a remarkably really distinguishes the F5 is the sheer volume bass—for the buck is what you can expect. The blend between tweeter and mid/bass, with low-distortion design that belts out Led of air that its additional woofers can move. X2Ts deliver unexpectedly robust low end for much better power-and-bass-range speed, Zeppelin but also has the finesse to reproduce The F5 created nicely weighted orchestral their category—something audiophiles tend low-level resolution, tone color, and extension. the most finely filigreed musical passages. A scale and scope, and vocalists of all genres to drop big coin for. What’s more, the X2Ts also Though the .7 benefits on some (chiefly large- high-velocity ribbon driver helps account for were fully formed and fleshed out, with chest offer a strong power range, as well as excellent scale) music from the addition of a subwoofer, the purity of the treble. Four side-mounted resonance, weight, and bloom. A veritable midband focus and naturalness. If you like a reviewer JM thought that, all by its lonesome, it sub-bass radiators allow it to plumb the depths gift to budget-conscious audiophiles and the more bottom-up sound with a side of denser was shockingly realistic on acoustic instruments of the sonic spectrum. Not least, it’s also an younger audience. While not flawless, the F5 is tone color, these PSBs are bound to please. It’s (and equally swell on a good deal of rock). JV elegant and unobtrusive-looking design that as faultless as a speaker is likely to get at this a rare speaker, says JM, that’s this easy on the agreed completely. JM/JV, 250 should appeal to a wide range of listeners. price. NG, 260 wallet, and this easy to love. JM, 253 JHb, 255

83 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Our Top Picks Floorstanding <$10k

MartinLogan Motion 60XT Monitor Audio Gold 300 Vandersteen Treo CT ATC SCM19A $2999 $5695 (depending on finish) $7990 $9999 The Motion 60XT hybrid electrostatic is not a Monitor Audio is one of the pioneers of metal- A loudspeaker of uncommon musicality and The active, two-way tower version of ATC’s perfect loudspeaker, but it does many things driver technology. Melding impressive sound precision. Building upon the R&D that went compact, passive cousin, the SCM19, the not only right, but magnificently, provided a with cool-looking functional design, its Gold into the flagship Model Seven, the four-driver, 19A equals or betters the stand-mount in suitable amplifier is used to drive it. It should 300 tends towards a relatively “bottom-up” medium-scale Treo CT conveys a single-driver- virtually every sonic criteria. It has better come as no surprise that the upper midrange presentation that is consistently balanced, like coherence that immerses the listener in bass extension but it’s the increase in control and treble are voiced similarly to ML’s ESL rich, and full—and always musical. In addition the very moment the recording was captured. and pitch definition that truly engages the models, though with slightly less finesse to its stellar sonic capabilities, particularly It combines uncanny image specificity, color, listener. Images lock in. Its comforting warmth in the top frequencies. Voices are lifelike, throughout the midrange where its realism and texture with an enveloping sense of air in the lower mids and upper bass adds to the engaging, and captivating. An added benefit proved most striking, the Gold 300 is also quite and immersion. At least some credit must impression of musical scale and substance. of the excellent driver and crossover matching sexy-looking. Its smooth, curved enclosure not go to the Model Seven-derived CT (carbon Though it may seem pricey at first glance, is the realistic lower-midrange/upper-bass only looks attractive, but is also said to reduce tweeter), which is as transparent and open as considering the amp-packs and precision performance. The 60XT produces a broad standing waves. The Monitor Audio Gold 300 it is extended. Basically a passive version of electronics in each speaker and the studio- soundstage that exceeds the width of the represents a special breed of loudspeakers that the Quatro Wood CT, the Treo may not have grade performance, its true value becomes loudspeakers’ placement, with pinpoint imaging successfully combines style with substance. quite the serious bass slam of that model, but more evident with every recording. Audiophiles and amazing, three-dimensional depth. DM, 262 JM, 264 you hardly miss it due to its excellent pitch may shrink from active loudspeakers, but the definition. NG, 262 SCM19A makes the case emphatically. NG, 272

84 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

FLOORSTANDING >$10K

Contents Click any product name to read that review MARTINLOGAN NEOLITH • MONITOR AUDIO PLATINUM PL500 II • VON SCHWEIKERT VR-55 AKTIVE • MAGICO S1 MK II •

PARADIGM PERSONA 9H • LEGACY AERIS WITH WAVELET PROCESSOR • MURAUDIO PX1 • AUDIO PHYSIC CARDEAS 30 LJE • RYAN SPEAKERS TEMPUS III

OUR TOP PICKS IN FLOORSTANDING >$10K

85 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report

MartinLogan Neolith Electrostatic-Hybrid The Sword in the Stone

Robert Harley Photography by Dennis Burnett

he last MartinLogan speaker I had lossal understatement. In fact, the company has in my home was the Sequel back in the pursued advancements in its core technologies T early 1990s. Despite some laudable with a single-minded zeal. In particular, Joe Vo- attributes, its sound wasn’t compelling enough jtko, MartinLogan’s “Chief Audio Technologist,” to convert me into an electrostatic devotee. has for the past 25 years led a team of engineers True, the Sequel exhibited some of that magical in pushing forward the state of the art in elec- transparency for which ’stats are famous, but trostatic design. Equally important, the team has the Sequel’s electrostatic panel didn’t blend all worked on the seemingly intractable problem of that well with its dynamic woofer. The cone sim- mating an electrostatic panel to cone woofers to ply couldn’t keep up with the ’stat in timbre and create a truly coherent, full-range loudspeaker transient fidelity. Consequently, the bass sound- system that speaks with one voice. Designing an ed like an appendage being dragged around electrostatic speaker is one challenge, but it’s an behind the rest of the music. The bottom-end’s entirely different set of hurdles to create a hy- character was so different that every time the brid electrostatic/dynamic speaker that has the bass drum went off I instinctively looked down weight, power, body, visceral impact, bass ex- toward the sound’s source. In addition, there tension, and bottom-end dynamics of the best was no getting around the lack of upper-bass/ cone-based speakers. In fact, this challenge is lower-midrange warmth and body, another con- audio’s equivalent of the Arthurian legend of the sequence of an imperfect transition from panel “sword-in-the-stone”—the seemingly impos- to cone. Nonetheless, the Sequel and the Sequel sible task of withdrawing the sword Excalibur II were great commercial successes. from solid rock. But just as in legend, whoever But that was nearly 25 years ago, and to say accomplished this feat was ordained to discover that in the interim MartinLogan has been work- the Holy Grail—in this case, the realization of a ing on improving the electrostatic panel and its world-class loudspeaker that seamlessly mates integration with dynamic woofers would be a co- the electrostatic’s famous transparency, resolu-

86 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report MartinLogan Neolith Electrostatic-Hybrid

SPECS & PRICING improvement over its predecessor, and has been a nearly massless panel. But that was the de- Type: Three-way electrostatic/dynamic ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT employed with great success in the $25,495 CLX sign brief, and MartinLogan worked tirelessly to hybrid loudspeaker Amplification: Constellation Audio Altair full-range ’stat, the $14,999 hybrid Summit X, bring the Neolith to fruition. Frequency response: 23Hz–22kHz +/–3dB 2 preamplifier and Hercules 2 monoblock and the $9995 hybrid Montis. All those speak- Let’s look at some of the Neolith’s physical Recommended amplifier power: 50– power amplifiers; Soulution 725 preamplifier ers have received not just rave reviews in these features and practical considerations before 1300Wpc into 4 ohms and 701 monoblocks pages, but have been repeatedly singled out by talking about how it sounds. Sensitivity: 90dB, 2/83V/m Digital front end: Aurender W20 music reviewers as rising above the competition. Jona- First, you should know that this is a big and Impedance: 4 ohms nominal, 0.43 ohms server, Berkeley Alpha Reference DAC, than Valin reviewed the CLX in Issue 190’s cover imposing loudspeaker. Even though most of the minimum at 20kHz Berkeley Alpha USB converter story, and was so enamored with them that he Neolith is visually transparent, it nonetheless Crossover frequencies: 60Hz, 250–400Hz Analog front end: Basis Inspiration turntable, bought the review samples. Dick Olsher uses draws attention to itself by its sheer physical (variable) Air Tight PC-1 Supreme cartridge, Moon by the Summit X as his reference. presence. The angular cabinet that houses the Mid/high-frequency driver: 48" x 22" CLS Simaudio 810LP phonostage The improvements to the electrostatic panel two woofers and supports the panel is substan- XStat electrostatic Support: Critical Mass Systems Maxxum have been significant, but the work ML has done tial. MartinLogan offers the Neolith in seven col- Woofers: 12" carbon-fiber sandwich (front- equipment racks (x2), Maxxum amplifier on blending the cone woofer with the electro- ors, ranging from the same red found on Ferraris firing); 15" aluminum-cone (rear-firing) stands (x2) static panel through careful crossover design (as to a subtle silver. Two pairs of WBT binding posts Woofer loading: Sealed (front-firing 12"); Cables: MIT Oracle MA-X and Oracle well as the choice of woofer and how that woof- are provided for bi-wiring or passive bi-amplifi- ported (rear-firing 15") SHD, AudioQuest Wild Digital AES/EBU, er is loaded in the enclosure) has been just as cation. Keep in mind that you’ll need to plug each Bass control: 0dB, –4dB, –8dB WireWorld Platinum Starlight USB important. Today’s Summit X and Montis deliver Neolith into an AC wall outlet. The power draw is Distance control: 3m (or less), 4m, 5m (or AC: Four dedicated 20A AC lines; Shunyata far better woofer integration than earlier gener- nominal—1W in standby and 15W in operation. more) Triton 2, Triton DP, Typhon (x3) conditioners, ations of hybrids. The speaker automatically turns on when an Power consumption: 1W (standby), 15W Shunyata Sigma power cords But it’s the massive and ambitious Neolith audio signal is detected, and turns off when no (maximum) Acoustics: ASC 16" Full-Round Tube Traps, that takes all these technologies to their ulti- signal is present for a specified time. The Neo- Dimensions: 30.3" x 74.8" x 34.2" ASC Tower Trap, Stillpoints Aperture Panels mate realization. This flagship speaker mounts a lith requires AC power to generate the polariz- Weight: 385 lbs. each (net); 600 lbs. each Accessories: Klaudio ultrasonic record 48" x 22" CLS XStat panel atop an enclosure that ing voltages which create the electrostatic force (crated) cleaner; Shunyata cable lifters, Critical Mass houses a front-firing 12" woofer and a rear-fir- that, when modulated by the audio signal, pulls Price: $80,000/pr. Systems Rize isolation ing 15" driver. Previous MartinLogan hybrids and pushes the thin diaphragm back and forth. have used smaller panels and 8" or 10" woofers; A recessed area in the woofer enclosure’s top the Neolith is clearly aiming much higher. The panel provides a number of useful adjustments. tion, and speed with truly full-range frequency Logan has benefited from being acquired. The Neolith’s 12" woofer is mounted in a sealed en- By inserting jumper bars between pairs of holes, response and dynamics. parent company has invested heavily in R&D as closure and operates down to 60Hz; the rear-fir- you can attenuate the bass by 4dB or 8dB (in ad- MartinLogan’s Neolith considered here is the well as the specialized equipment and highly ing fifteen-incher is vented with two large ports, dition to the flat setting) as well as adjust the culmination of the company’s 33-year quest to skilled labor needed to build large electrostatic and handles frequencies below 60Hz. This is crossover frequency between the panel and the perfect the electrostatic speaker. The Neolith’s transducers. As a result, MartinLogan has con- clearly a statement-level product designed to 12" woofer, from 250Hz to 400Hz, in three steps name is a nod to its antecedent, the Monolith, tinually pushed its technology forward, most compete in the top echelon of today’s world- that correspond to listening distances of 3m or the hybrid speaker that put MartinLogan on the notably with its XStat electrostatic panel (see class loudspeakers. At first glance, and in theory, less, 4m, or 5m or more. The greater the listen- map in 1983. Unlike many high-end companies the accompanying interview with Joe Vojtko). it may seem like a fool’s errand, or a recipe for ing distance, the higher the crossover frequency that have been sold by their founders, Martin- This newer panel design represents a significant disaster, to combine a 15" ported woofer with should be. In my setup we opted for the lowest

87 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report MartinLogan Neolith Electrostatic-Hybrid setting, 250Hz. produced by a single transducer, with no cross- er and 701 mono power amplifiers on the oth- Sensitivity is fairly high at 90dB, but that fig- over within that range. This means there’s no er. Both amplifiers are powerhouses (1100W ure is measured with a 2.83V input rather than discontinuity between disparate drivers, and no into 8 ohms for the Constellation, 600W into 8 the standard 1W, which, with a four-ohm (nom- crossover in the critical midrange frequencies. ohms for the Soulution), and neither had a prob- inal) speaker such as the Neolith, increases the Second, the electrostatic panel’s diaphragm is lem with the Neolith’s half-ohm impedance at sensitivity rating (but not the actual sensitivity) extremely light. The diaphragm in the Neolith 20kHz. by 3dB. That’s because 2.83V across 8 ohms dis- is just 12.7 microns thick, or about one-sixth If the goal of high-end audio is to create in sipates 1W of power and 2.83V across 4 ohms the diameter of a human hair. Low mass means your home the impression of hearing actual in- dissipates 2W of power, thus making the speaker low inertia, allowing the diaphragm to respond struments, with all their vividness, life, detail, appear to be 3dB more sensitive than it actually quickly to transient signals, and to stop equally and dimensionality intact, then the Neolith must is, since it takes twice the power to drive it to quickly. Compared with a conventional driver’s surely come close to achieving that goal. This the same loudness level compared with a speak- cone, voice coil, voice-coil former, surround, and loudspeaker reproduces instruments and voices er measured with a drive signal specified as 1W. the glue holding it all together, the electrostatic with staggering immediacy and realism. It strips Although 90dB sensitivity is on the highish side, speaker’s diaphragm is virtually massless. The away the mechanical artifice of most other loud- don’t think that the Neolith will be easy to drive. diaphragm’s excellent transient fidelity is not speakers, leaving behind a palpable impression Its impedance drops with frequency, reaching a merely the result of its lightness; the diaphragm of instruments floating in space. The sense of low of 0.46 ohms at 20kHz. Moreover, the load is driven uniformly over its entire surface area. transparency, of hearing though the playback the Neolith presents to an amplifier is highly ca- And that surface area is massive—more than and recording chains to the original musical pacitive. The combination of the 0.43-ohm im- 1000 square inches in each Neolith. A large ra- event, is revelatory. The Neolith seems to pull pedance and a capacitive phase angle will pres- diating surface area means the excursion (how off this magic trick effortlessly, as though such ent quite a challenge to most power amplifiers. far the diaphragm moves back and forth) is pro- legerdemain were simply part and parcel of its Don’t even think about driving the Neolith with portionately lower for a given sound-pressure nature. Moreover, it doesn’t do this on occasion, anything but a stout amp that can deliver a lot level, and presumably, that much more linear. with specially selected discs; rather it brings of current into a low-impedance load. In fact, if Also, keep in mind that an electrostatic panel is music to life over a huge range of recordings, you’re considering the Neolith you should audi- a push-pull device, with one stator pushing the of listening and experimenting with the dis- good and bad. tion it with the amplifier with which you intend diaphragm while the other is pulling. It all adds tance control and the bass-level adjustment, we For instance, I love the album Sunflower by to drive it. up to a recipe for coherence, resolution, trans- settled on a flat bass setting. The bottom end vibraphonist Milt Jackson, accompanied by I must commend MartinLogan for produc- parency, and transient fidelity. was just a little over-full at the flat setting, but I Freddie Hubbard, Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, ing what is the most useful, informative, and found the sound preferable to the lighter-weight Billy Cobham, and on some tracks a chamber easy-to-understand owner’s manual I’ve seen in Listening presentation of the -4dB setting. The back of the orchestra playing arrangements by Don Sebes- a very long time. It’s a model of clarity and com- The Neoliths settled into my system quite eas- enclosure was 53" from the wall behind it. Toe- ky. Unfortunately, the sonics on this album are prehensiveness. ily, with a minimum of tweaking. After rolling in angle was minimal to moderate. poor; the sound is closed down and “hooded,” Before I get to my listening impressions, it’s them out of their massive crates and into posi- I drove the Neolith with my usual sources particularly on the piano. Although the Neolith worth considering the manifold virtues of an tion, we (two MartinLogan representatives and (see Associated Components), and alternated laid bare this recording’s flaws, it also laid bare electrostatic-dynamic hybrid loudspeaker. The I) removed the casters and put the Neoliths on between the Constellation Audio Altair 2 pre- the extraordinary musicianship that makes this first is the fact that nearly the entire frequency furniture sliders to dial-in their final positions. amplifier and Hercules 2 mono power amplifiers disc such a standout. The speakers truly disap- range (250Hz–22kHz, in the Neolith’s case) is re- Next, the spiked feet were installed. After a bit on one hand, and the Soulution 725 preamplifi- peared in every sense of that word, providing

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Equipment Report MartinLogan Neolith Electrostatic-Hybrid

an intimate window on Hancock’s funky Rhodes Crawl [AudioQuest LP] had a power, weight, au- box speakers that achieve apparent transient work that underpins the track “People Make the thority, and sense of size you just don’t get from speed by way of an unnatural emphasis on tran- World Go Round,” the gorgeous juxtaposition most box speakers. The sheer physicality of left- sient leading edges. The way that the guitar’s of the chamber group’s woodwinds, reeds, and hand piano lines and crashing chords brought to string caused the air inside the instrument’s strings with Hubbard’s trumpet lines on the title life the piano’s size and majestic power. Large body to resonate and then decay was revealed track, and the way Jackson explores a melody ensembles and full-sized orchestras were well with crystalline transparency. from all angles in his brilliant solos. Sitting in served by the Neolith’s “bigness.” This sense of The treble was exquisitely detailed, filigreed front of the Neolith made me feel like an eaves- size wasn’t just conveyed in conventional terms with an ethereal delicacy. The Neolith resolved dropper on spontaneous musical creation. by width and depth (although the Neolith has the fine micro-dynamic structure of cymbals, a The Neolith was simply sensational with those qualities in spades), but also by the size violin’s upper harmonics, tambourine, and saxo- well-recorded voices. One of my references and power of instruments and ensembles. The phone with no trace of the grain, etch, or metal- is Jennifer Warnes’ The Hunter [Impex LP] and Neolith’s 6�-plus height contributed to a sound- lic flavor often heard from box speakers. Listen the track “Somewhere, Somebody.” Her voice stage that extended higher than that of most to the cymbals on the 45rpm Analogue Produc- wasn’t being reproduced by two electrome- speakers. tions reissue of Dave Brubeck’s classic Time Out chanical contrivances; she was standing directly Not surprisingly, the Neolith was stunningly and you’ll hear a full measure of treble energy between the speakers. Forget about box col- fast, reproducing transient information with life- and vitality without the sense of tension that oration, driver discontinuity, and cone break- like speed. It wasn’t just transient leading edges most dome tweeters produce. up—this is as pure and unadulterated as music that were faithfully portrayed, but also trail- One of the knocks against planar loudspeak- reproduction gets through the midrange. Not ing edges. That is, sounds started and stopped ers (including electrostatics, planar-magnetic only was Warnes’ voice unencumbered tonally with equal precision. As a result, the music had drivers, and true ribbons) is that, while fast and and dynamically, the sense of vivid presence a sense of life and verve, with no smearing of detailed, they don’t deliver the same dynam- and palpability was astonishing. This tangibility dynamic inflections. Little things, like the edge ic force and impact behind transients. Drum was magnified by the tendency of the Neolith to of a drumstick gently tapping on a cymbal, were sticks hitting drum heads, for example, don’t sound a little forward and assertive in the mid- so vivid and alive they stood out from the mix. have quite the transient pop they have with band, with a fully fleshed-out brilliance range. Percussion was simply sensational—the tim- full-range dynamic speakers. This shortcoming This is not a laid-back, reticent-sounding loud- bales on the outstanding Mobile Fidelity reissue can be exacerbated in hybrid systems in which speaker. The Neolith doesn’t, however, sound of Santana’s Abraxis, for example, sounded like bottom-end dynamics, reproduced by cone “skeletal” in the way that some electrostatics they were in the room with me. The snare drum woofers, call attention to the planar’s dynamic can; neither is it overly warm and saturated. that drives the martial rhythm of “Mars” from shortcomings by juxtaposition. The Neolith goes As focused and intimate as the Neolith was The Planets (Mehta, LA Philharmonic, LP reis- a long way toward dispelling the notion that pla- reproducing an unaccompanied voice, it was sue) was astonishingly crisp and precise, cutting nar transducers lack force. The Neolith supplied just as expansive on big music. Those two huge through from the back of the soundstage. Hear- plenty of impact and weight behind transients, panels present certain instruments and ensem- ing the Neolith’s reproduction of this piece gave perhaps by virtue of the panel’s size; nonethe- bles with a magnificent grandeur and scale that me a greater appreciation for the orchestra’s less, it didn’t pack the punch of the best cone small loudspeakers, no matter how good, simply rhythmic precision. Acoustic guitar was particu- speakers. That said, I never felt something was fail to convey. The amazingly recorded piano larly well served, with notes seemingly jumping missing on any type of music. on Bruce Katz’s New-Orleans-inflected Crescent out of thin air, without inducing the fatigue of As impressive as all the characteristics I’ve de-

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PERFORMINGHall LIVE3 K12

Equipment Report MartinLogan Neolith Electrostatic-Hybrid HIGH-END MUNICH 2017 Awards scribed are, and as important as they are to mu- clinical analysis. But that wasn’t the case. Every sical communication, what really sets the Neo- increase in transparency in my system resulted lith apart is its resolution. By resolution I mean in hearing more musical expressiveness, creat- the Neolith’s ability to convey everything that’s ing greater engagement with and immersion in going on in a recording, from instrumental tim- the music. There was no trace of etch or cold- bre, to the separation of individual instrumental ness, and no longing for a less detailed, more lines, to micro-dynamic shadings, to the puff of “musical” rendering. air around image outlines, to transient informa- None of this would matter if the Neolith’s tion, to the space in which the recording was cone-woofer bass had ruined coherence by call- made. All is laid out in ravishing detail. The Neo- ing attention to the discontinuity between it and lith was particularly adept at clearly resolving the electrostatic panel. But it didn’t. Rather, the every instrumental line, even within the most front-firing 12" woofer, which handles the tran- complex passages. I was continually amazed sition from the panel to the 15" rear-firing driverC to hear previously buried instrumental parts in over two octaves from 60Hz to 250Hz, smoothly M familiar music with such vivid clarity. The intri- integrates with the panel and produces a sound Y cate horn arrangements of Gordon Goodwin in that is truly consistent from top to bottom. Even CM his modern interpretation of big band music, for the low bass sounds “of a piece” with the mid-MY example, were suddenly much more intelligible. woofer and the panel. CY The Neolith “de-homogenizes” the music and, You look at the massive rear-firing 15" driv-CMY in doing so, allows much more of the musicians’ er, along with those two huge ports, and think K intentions to be revealed. that there’s no way that it will blend seamless- Because the Neolith is so high in resolution, it ly with an electrostat. But it does. The Neolith’s will reveal every single aspect of the signal feed- low bass isn’t as hard-hitting, taut, and defined ing it. It’s a microscope on your front end, ampli- as that of some of the best box speakers, but the fication, AC power, cables, and vibration isola- glorious mids and treble more than make up for tion. No sources or amplifiers are “too good” for this. Plus, the combination of the two woofers the Neolith; an investment in top-quality sourc- and the massive panel allows the Neolith to play es and electronics won’t go to waste. With the any type of music, at any listening level, with ut- Constellation electronics driving the Neolith, I ter ease. heard the most highly resolved musical presen- As you can see, I greatly enjoyed my time with tation I’ve ever experienced. The Constellation the Neolith. They delivered hour after hour of electronics are unbelievably transparent and sheer musical delight, across a wide range of detailed, qualities that combined synergistical- music and styles. But perhaps the most memo- ly with the Neolith to reveal even the finest bit rable experience I had with them, and one that of musical information. You may think that this speaks volumes about the Neolith’s fundamen- combination may be too much of a good thing— tal attributes, was when I called up a rip of a BRING THE LIVE PERFORMANCE HOME at some point resolution degenerates into mere straight-ahead jazz CD I had engineered (Confir- muraudio.com 1.855.955.0360

Canada USA UK Sweden Hong Kong Shanghai 90 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound Photo of Jukka-Pekka Saraste by Felix Broede CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS Divine Madness

Equipment Report MartinLogan Neolith Electrostatic-Hybrid mation by the Chiz Harris Quartet) live to two- Conclusion track. The Neolith brought out specific aspects MartinLogan’s Neolith is a world-class product, of the sound, including the golden burnished taking its place in the upper echelon of today’s timbre of Conti Candoli’s flugelhorn, the woody best loudspeakers. The Neolith’s transparency body of the doublebass, and the rich detail of to sources, resolution, coherence, transient fi- the cymbals. Listening to this recording through delity, and lifelike sense of presence and imme- the Neolith was revelatory; I was clearly hear- diacy are as good as they get. In short, the Neo- ing things that I had never heard from any oth- lith is as colorless a loudspeaker as I’ve heard. er playback system. But beyond these specific The blend between the electrostatic panel improvements, what really struck me was how and dynamic woofer is masterfully executed, be- the Neolith conveyed the live feel and energy of lying its hybrid nature. The bass integrates with spontaneous music-making, as it actually hap- the panel to an extent I did not think possible. pened at the session. Seconds into the first track The low bass may not have quite the tautness I experienced a frisson of excitement as the and impact of some cost-no-object cone loud- memory of the session was suddenly brought speakers, but that deficiency pales beside the back to vivid life by the Neolith. The recording Neolith’s state-of-the-art midrange and treble. was supposed to be the Chiz Harris Quartet, but The build-quality and finish are superb, and Chiz invited his friend, the great trumpet play- the product is backed by a solid company with er Conti Candoli (of the Woody Herman, Stan a 33-year track record. Those are important con- Kenton, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, and siderations when making an investment of this Tonight Show bands), to drop by the studio to magnitude. Aristotle wrote that the creative act was a natural event, and as such, conformed to natural law. Plato held a contrasting view. listen in, if he had some spare time. Candoli not The Neolith is an unqualified technical and He believed that artistic inspiration arose from singular moments of “divine madness.” At Wilson Audio, we understand that both only showed up, he brought his horn. Without musical triumph. It’s also more than fairly priced philosophers had it right. rehearsal with Candoli, the group (which in- at $80,000. Although that’s a huge amount of cluded Supersax member Jay Migliori on ten- money by any standard, I can name off the top All cutting-edge products are impelled by the careful balancing of two motivating sources: science and passion. They are the physical or) launched into ten-minute-plus free-flowing of my head about ten speakers (more if I thought manifestations of the idealist philosophy that it is possible for a specific assemblage of inductors, resistors, capacitors, tweeters and renditions of be-bop classics such as Charlie about it) that cost far more and that I wouldn’t woofers to possess the ability to not only recreate a realistic simulacrum of the musical event, but to convey an ineffable sense of the Parker’s “Confirmation.” The impromptu contri- choose over the Neolith. MartinLogan has suc- emotional intent of the performing artist. To do this, a designer must develop both a near polymathic understanding of the natural bution of Candoli, the improvisational nature of cessfully blended its electrostatic panel tech- laws of physics and possess the passionate heart of an artist. the music, the talent of these veteran musicians, nology with dynamic woofers to create a truly and the live-to-two-track technique contributed full-range, coherent loudspeaker—finally suc- The new Yvette draws from this rich cultural philosophy. It is, at the same time, the most technically advanced and emotionally to the feeling of raw musical energy captured ceeding in the audio equivalent of pulling the evocative single-enclosure loudspeaker in Wilson’s history. on tape. I’ve used this recording for years in sword from the stone. evaluating equipment, but I’ve never before felt Watch the story unfold in a new video at wilsonaudio.com. Click on the YouTube icon. as vividly transported back to the original musical performance as I did when listening to it through the Neolith.

91 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound www.wilsonaudio.com

Equipment Report MartinLogan Neolith Electrostatic-Hybrid MartinLogan’s “Chief Tell me about the advances in the XStat trans- er-driven measurement equipment is so much culations showed that it was because of the floor ducer. What makes it better than the previous better. Back then we were using a TEF 12, which bounce. The panel’s lower frequency range is not Audio Technologist” generations of panels? ran on a five-inch floppy drive. We now have a as directional as it is at higher frequency, so we We’ve had the XStat for over ten years now. The custom program that provides an analysis of the still get some floor reflection. The difference be- Joe Vojtko Talks with previous generation had the bigger holes [in the speaker’s performance in a room and in echo-free tween the primary signal and the reflection de- stators], and it was manufactured a little different- half-space. creases with distance, and therefore the first null Robert Harley about ly. The XStat gets vacuum-pressed after it’s made, There’s really nothing different about how increases in frequency. We fixed that by develop- which allows us to control the tolerances in the you handle the woofer other than tailoring the ing a system of user-adjustable jumpers that rais- the Neolith’s Design gap between the diaphragm and the stators. We low-pass filter so that it mates to the ESL panel. es the crossover frequency so that the woofer fills have much better left-right matching. The XStat We also spent a lot of time researching the high- in the frequencies where the panel’s not able to How long have you been at MartinLogan, and panels also have higher sensitivity. We also start- est-quality woofers we could for the Neolith. They play. The Statement E2 also has similar compensa- what is your role? ed using clear spars [the intermittent spacers be- are quite advanced, with carbon-fiber cones. The tion, because we had similar problems when it got I’ve been here over 25 years. I started doing elec- tween the diaphragm and the stators], which makes front woofer has an edge-wound voice coil, and into really big rooms. tronics assembly before moving into engineering. the panels look more transparent. has very high efficiency. All the woofers in the hy- I’ve been doing electronic and acoustic design brid systems are custom-spec’d for the particular since then. Let’s talk about the challenge of mating an elec- product for the particular ’stat panel. trostatic panel with dynamic woofers, and what You’ve apparently made a big contribution, techniques you used to address that challenge. Could you talk about the decision to put the because the crossovers in the Summit X, Montis, We used the same technique we’ve been using 12” woofer in the sealed enclosure and the and Neolith are called the “Vojtko Crossovers.” for years. It boils down to having a crossover that 15” in a reflex enclosure? The marketing people thought that would be a matches the phase correctly and gives a good Making a speaker that plays down to the good name to put on the crossover. It’s not a par- overall response in a room. 20Hz range passively [without integral am- ticular technique, but rather the culmination of plification and equalization] in the size en- everything we’ve learned over the past 25 years in But the Neolith is the first time you’ve attempt- closure we had specified dictated that we achieving a blend between the electrostatic panel ed to do it on this scale. use a ported enclosure. So we used a front and the woofer. I was involved in the Statement E2 project back in woofer in a sealed enclosure that mates the 90s. That was also very ambitious. [The Martin- well with the panel, and crossed that over to How long has the Neolith been in development? Logan Statement was a massive four-piece hybrid the rear 15" woofer that can play deeply and We’ve been working on it for about three years. system with woofers in separate column enclo- cleanly. We’ve had two mechanical engineers, and I have a sures.] counterpart in acoustics who worked on the woof- Could you explain the Neolith’s adjustable er development. I was working on the electronics True, but the blend between the dynamic woofer crossover frequency between the panel and and the voicing. We also have a technician, a cou- and the ESL panel is so much better in the Neo- the front-firing 12" woofer? ple of managers, and our cabinet guy who built the lith than in the Statement or, particularly, in the At greater listening distances in various prototypes. It’s taken a lot of people, all Sequel. What’s different today? larger rooms, we’d see the working together. Well, we’ve learned a lot since the days of the lower frequency range of Sequel. That was 25 years ago. Today’s comput- the panel roll off. My cal-

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Equipment Report

Monitor Audio Platinum Series PL500 II Big Time

Julie Mullins

f you entered my living room (aka diamond drivers and nearly another zero on the (Seven other models round out the line, ranging my listening room) right now, you might price tag). from the PL100 II stand-mounted two-way and I think, “What’s a nice gal like Julie doing Happily, what wowed me (and JV) at the CES two more floorstanders to two center-channel with these enormous speakers?” Yes, up to now show proved equally wow-worthy in my home. speakers, an in-wall design, and the PLW215 II I’ve been charged with reviewing, shall we say, With their layers of depth and detail, delightful subwoofer.) relatively small-scale equipment. Oh, it’s still musicality, and overall coherence the PL500 IIs In keeping with Monitor tradition, the PL500 serious hi-fi gear, but we’re talking midsized have been immensely enjoyable companions. II contains a wealth of innovative technolo- transducers along with a couple of components They are not only high-energy, high- resolu- gies—specifically in its drivers and crossovers. some might even call “cute,” female-friendly tion transducers that boast beautiful sound; According to the manufacturer’s white paper stuff. But for now, every time I enter that room they also offer superb build-quality, advanced on the Platinum II line, these new tech develop- and see the PL500 II towers—that tower over technologies, and value far exceeding their ments are the fruit of extensive FEA modeling me by at least a foot—I get excited about this price. and measurement (prior to extensive listening hobby all over again. (I even feel a little giddy!) testing, naturally). In addition, Monitor Audio It’s been said that big loudspeakers mean big Tech Talk builds all of its drivers and crossovers in-house. problems—and bigger bucks. Happily, neither UK-based Monitor Audio is a 40-plus-year-old The PL500 II is a three-way, seven-driver claim rings true about Monitor Audio’s state-of- company that’s well respected overseas for floorstander in a D’Appolito configuration. The the-art flagship, the Platinum Series PL500 II. many pioneering acoustical advances; yet the tweeter, a micro-pleated diaphragm (MPD), was Tall, dark, and handsome, these boys impressed marque has flown largely under the consumer created by Monitor Audio as an improved ver- me from the very first time I heard them—at this radar in the U.S. But the times are a-changin’. sion of Dr. Oskar Heil’s Air Motion Transformer year’s CES. (They also caught the attention of JV, The brand has increased its market presence in (AMT). Typical AMTs have a null in frequency who commented on them favorably in his Vegas the States, while continuing its longtime tradi- response at around 40kHz, but with the help show report.) The reason why I was impressed tion of technological development. To this very of FEA modeling Monitor engineers figured a was simple: The PL500 IIs didn’t sound like any end, the manufacturer brought designer Dean way around this issue. As explained in the white other Monitor Audio speaker I’d heard. In fact, Hartley (see my sidebar interview with Mr. Hart- paper, the larger rolls (or pleats) in the AMT di- in some ways—in their warm, rich musicality ley) on board a handful of years ago—the brains aphragm were causing phase cancellations at and overall driving energy—they reminded me behind the newly evolved flagship Platinum progressively higher frequencies. The result- of classic Raidho Acoustics speakers (minus the Series, where the PL500 II holds the top spot. ing null, which reached a –3dB point at roughly

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Equipment Report Monitor Audio Platinum Series PL500 II

28kHz, could be eliminated by reducing pleat the woofer. All cone drivers in the Platinum II Critical Listening: A Tale of Two Amps height and increasing the number of pleats. In- line also use underhung voice coils for lower (and a Sub) corporated for the very first time in a Monitor distortion. For more efficient driver and voice- As the loudspeaker represents the final out- speaker, this new MPD driver reportedly func- coil coupling, the speaker’s drivers feature Mon- come in the system chain, amplification choic- tions with uniform output to over 100kHz. (In itor’s new patented Dynamic Coupling Filter (or es (not to mention source components) have a my listening, the treble did, indeed, prove to be DCF) mechanism, which is a pliable nylon ring powerful influence over how a speaker sounds. quite silky-smooth and sweet-sounding, with that is calibrated to stay rigid up to the cross- So let me say here that you’d want to consider desirable detail and no etch or beaminess.) over frequency, but above that wavelength to carefully which electronics you choose based on Another advantage of this advanced trans- act like a spring to dampen excess HF energy. your musical and sonic preferences. I listened ducer is its low mass, lower inertia, and larger extensively to the PL500 IIs with two amps from radiating surface area (eight times the area of First Impressions rather opposite ends of the amplification spec- a typical dome tweeter), which together pro- Aesthetically, the PL500 II looks stately and trum: the Air Tight ATM-1S stereo tube amp and duce transient response that’s more similar to statuesque. And with a speaker this size, you a pair of Pass Labs XA100.8 monoblocks. an electrostatic driver than to a dynamic design. will want to like the way it looks. Even if you’re When the PL500 IIs arrived, like a kid on Indeed, I found the speaker possessed a satis- a go-big-or-go-home audiophile, you don’t Christmas morning, I wanted to get them fying sense of speed of attack as well as snap- want to feel like there’s a proverbial elephant plugged in and powered up right away. So I con- py overall energy and pacing (traits which of in the room, and obtaining partner acceptance nected them to the amp I’d had in my system, course are also linked to the electronics in the goes without saying here, as does having a lis- the Air Tight ATM-1S. Even right out of their chain powering the speaker, more on which lat- tening room of adequate size. While there’s no huge crates, these speakers delivered the sonic er). The MPD has a pair of neodymium/iron/bo- getting around its grand dimensions (short of goods with a firm sense of image solidity, im- ron magnets front and rear to reduce distortion, opting for another model in the line), the PL500 pressive detail, and an easy laid-back (in a good provide greater uniformity of response, and in- II boasts a blend of nice lines and strategic way) listenability. After adequate break-in time, crease efficiency; the micro-pleated diaphragm curves—all the better for minimizing diffrac- eventually I began my critical listening with this only needs to move one-eighth of the distance tion. The hand-upholstered front baffles sport superb tube amp hand-built in Japan. It might of your average dome tweeter to produce the fine Inglewood leather from Andrew Muirwood, seem an odd coupling (and yes, I’ll admit, the same output. These factors contribute to the a supplier to many British luxury brands. Finish- ATM-1S falls below Monitor’s officially recom- PL500 II’s power handling and high sensitivity es follow suit in natural wood veneers (Santos mended power specs) but the sound proved so of 91dB @ 1W. (This surprising sensitivity al- Rosewood, as in my review samples, or Natural compelling, highly musical, and utterly beau- lowed me to drive the PL500s with a relative- Ebony) that are pair-matched and hand-coated tiful that I kept the Air Tight in the system for ly low-powered Air Tight tube amp—to very with 11 layers of clear gloss piano lacquer. If it’s some time. Everything I chose from my eclectic ear-pleasing effect.) a truly standout statement you’re after (and if vinyl collection was reproduced with a high de- Monitor’s newly upgraded Platinum II tech- you’re in the market for a speaker of this scale, gree of resolution and a natural ease that pre- nologies have also resolved the coherence it’s hard not to make a statement), piano black vented the speakers from ever being fatiguing. issues that plague large-scale multiways. For gloss lacquer is another option. Each speaker is Just for fun (not due to any dissatisfaction starters, the crossover networks have been re- hand-built with painstaking precision and takes with the bass), I connected a Crystal Cable Deep designed using air core inductors for the tweet- as many as 144 hours to complete. Bass Subissimo subwoofer crossed over at 40Hz. er and midrange, and laminated steel cores for The outcomes of this experiment were some-

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Equipment Report Monitor Audio Platinum Series PL500 II thing of a mixed bag. Broadly speaking, as the This heavyweight setup begged for some brawn striking away at the keys, slamming the ham- coming.SPECS & PRICING bass drivers were relieved of some of their du- so I spun Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms [Mobile mers onto the strings. In the upper midrange Type: Three-way, seven-driver ties, the results were increased low-end clarity, Fidelity 45rpm reissue]. There was pleasing sep- I detected just the faintest hint of glare on a floorstander resolution, and separation—but this came at a aration of Fender bass and kickdrum on “Money few notes but the degree of detail and overall Driver complement: 4x 8" bass, 2x 4" price: The sub acted as a sort of tone control, for Nothing” while Sting’s plaintive tenor back- image stability were maintained. (I should also midrange, 1x MPD tweeter (D’Appolito and at times it also had a paradoxical effect on ing vocals shone through the mix with the aston- mention that my ears are particularly sensitive configuration) timbre. For instance, Dusty Springfield’s and ishing clarity of a ray of light. to treble anomalies.) I also picked up on some Frequency response: 22Hz–100kHz Ella Fitzgerald’s lovely, distinctive voices didn’t A listen to some tracks from Muddy Waters’ subtle rustling of sheet music early in the sec- Impedance: 4 ohms sound as true-to-life and utterly recognizable Folk Singer [Analogue Productions 45rpm reis- ond movement. However, on this record—and Sensitivity: 91dB as they should have with the subwoofer in the sue] conveyed all the intimacy and immediacy classical selections generally—it seemed that Dimensions: 504mm x 1848mm x system; the former skewed deeper and the lat- of this spare classic recording. Closing my eyes, the Air Tight amp proved more nimble and of- 626mm ter went unnaturally higher—even after some I felt transported back in time to the 1963 ses- fered more bloom than the Pass Labs mono- Weight: 218 lbs. (99.1 kg) crossover adjustments were made. Due to phase sions at Chicago’s Tel Arc Studios (aka Chess blocks, while the Pass’s added sense of weight Price: $29,000 cancellation in the bass, some sense of energy Records). “My Captain” was reproduced with a and stability—its gravitas, you might say—was was lost in the upper midrange with the subs, startling sense of ambience, presence, and real- better suited to rock, blues, or hard-hitting pop. Associated Equipment but the tradeoff was an opening up of the mid- ism as Muddy’s shouts echoed in the recording But both were consistently enjoyable. Amplifiers: Air Tight ATM-1S stereo range in other areas. I also found the sound booth while the sharp transient attacks of his As for any downsides with these transducers, amplifier, a pair of Pass Labs XA100.8 sweeter without the sub; sonics turned slightly and Buddy Guy’s guitar strings resonated and the only shortcomings in some listeners’ eyes— monoblock amplifiers drier with it in the chain. However, the sub did lingered through clean decays. The spacious or ears, I should say—were that on certain re- Subwoofers: Crystal Cable Deep Bass seem to deepen the soundstage just a bit and soundstaging and specific placement and imag- cordings I noticed a slight degree of forward or Subissimo, JL Audio e110 (pair) add some extra air and dimension on certain ing of snare and bass (both cleanly articulated) frontal projection, though I never really found Source: Acoustic Signature Challenger large-scale orchestral pieces, such as Analogue were especially striking on “My Home Is in the this bothersome. The farther I sat from the 3 with TA-1000 tonearm, Air Tight PC-7 Productions’ RCA reissue of the Khachaturian Delta”. “Long Distance” brought long guitar- speakers—say, 12–15 feet away as opposed to cartridge Masquerade Waltz. But too much separation can and bass-string sustains and decays that uh, 6–10—the less noticeable this became. On the Phonostage preamplifier: Soulution 525 be double-edged sword if cohesion—a PL500 II went the distance. This was captivating, even other hand, the PL500 IIs seemed to do very Power conditioner and power cords: strength—is lost. All told, I proceeded sans sub. highly addictive listening! well off-axis, making them a good choice for Ansuz Then the other big boys arrived: A pair of Pass Wanting to return to some classical cuts, I company. (IMHO, this is a hobby we should be Cables and interconnects: Shunyata Labs XA100.8 monoblocks. These pure Class A spun the Bernstein performance of the Shosta- sharing with others.) Research Venom series, AudioQuest Fire, solid-state amps certainly brought more power kovich Piano Concerto No. 2, Opus 101 [Co- A few more up-tempo and extremely layered Crystal Cable Absolute Dream to the party as well as some other dramatic sonic lumbia, reissued by Impex]. Once again the selections, Buena Vista Social Club’s Lost and Equipment racks and amplifier stands: changes (not surprisingly). Broadly speaking, the PL500 IIs (still powered by Pass amps) threw Found for one, seemed a shade more dynami- Critical Mass Systems Maxxum switch to the XA100.8s entailed a slight sacrifice quite a large soundstage commensurate with cally laid-back than on some other reference Acoustic treatment: Stein Music in textures and instrumental detail and differen- the full orchestra’s scale. Turning things up, I systems. I missed some of the high-octane en- tiation in exchange for more muscle, speed, and was thrilled by the highly resolved presenta- ergy charge those musicians bring to the par- attack. The Passes also delivered sharper resolution, full of dynamic excitement, from pianis- ty—as if they’d traded drinking Cafe Cubano for tion and increased the “wow” factor with their simo to forte and beyond. The speakers/system double Cuba Libres that day. But this was a rare full, robust sound, particularly on rock and blues. conveyed the intensity of Bernstein’s fingers occurrence and a rather specific nitpicky short-

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Equipment Report Monitor Audio Platinum Series PL500 II

Also, if you’re someone who goes in for transparency to sources above all else, these might not be the ideal speakers for you. The Monitors Questions for Dean Hartley, Technical Director, had a rich, mostly bottom-up, and occasional- ly kind of dark balance with the electronics I Monitor Audio Ltd. paired, though that balance never kept instru- When did you begin working for Monitor ager. I also have a project manager and four proj- The Platinum Series development is now in its ments from sounding highly coherent, musical, Audio? ect engineers based off-site. second generation; the first series was launched and pleasing. I joined Monitor Audio Ltd as Technical Director in in 2007 and took around three years to develop. 1997. I was involved in the purchase of the com- What kind of sound do you personally like? The new series concept ideas started in February Conclusion pany from its previous owner, who retired after I personally prefer a sound character that is 2014, and we launched the product range at CES There are many variables that help or hinder great successfully running the business since its found- engaging and dynamic, yet neutral in balance. in January of 2016. sound: crossover, cabinet, resonances, sensitivity, ing in 1972. I was the only technical/loudspeaker This is very difficult to achieve, unless the drivers hunger for power. Happily, Monitor Audio’s person as part of a new investment team at that and parts used are capable of achieving this fine What would you consider the most significant myriad technical innovations have allowed the time. My UK team now comprises six acoustic en- balance. The Platinum Series exhibits the type of tech development in the PL500? PL500 IIs to pretty well nail every criterion. The gineers, six product/mechanical designers, three sound character I have been trying to achieve for The PL500 II uses many of the same components PL500 IIs proved endlessly enjoyable in their electronic/software engineers, and a project man- many years in that it presents a high degree of and bases of the drivers from the rest of the Plat- layers of depth and detail, delightful musicality, dynamic contrast and is exciting, yet still remains inum range. However, it is the only one to use the and overall coherence. They can also rock out non-fatiguing on the ear. dual-mid (M-T-M) arrangement (aka D’Appolito). and supply slam with the best of them. In sum, This gives the new PL500 an incredible amount whatever your sonic and electronic preferences What do you strive for sonically when designing a of focus and precise imaging, compared to the are, you really can’t go wrong with these speaker? Do you have any particular influences? PL300, for example. This is related to the PL500’s towering transducers, however you power or I guess my influences go back many years to the different dispersion pattern and also its signifi- configure them. This is a whole lot of speaker for professional studio environment and designing cantly lower distortion profile. the money—and a whole lot of speaker by any monitors for that application. The key elements A fun question: Tell me about your first exposure measure—and it took a whole lot of passion and would be to create a faithful reproduction by en- to hi-fi. What was the experience like for you? painstaking research to get so many things right. suring fundamental design principles are adhered My first exposure to hi-fi was when my father Above all else, no matter what music you like to to. Some of these techniques are restricted to bought a Quad hi-fi system with ESL speakers; I listen to, these big guns are a whole lot of fun to higher-end speakers as they involve the use of ex- guess I was age 8 or so. I thought the sound was have around. It’s going to break my heart to see pensive materials. Reducing distortion is an exam- incredible and made a wish to be involved in mu- these guys go. (I even briefly considered chaining ple. Elements we have introduced into Platinum sic and sound at some stage in my life. Despite the myself to them.) If you have a hankering for big, drivers to reduce distortion are quite elaborate, fact that the source was 8-track tape, as the turn- bold, immersive sound and have the room space more difficult to manufacture, and also expensive. table was broken for as long as I can remember. I (and partner approval) and the desire for a mighty built my first speaker kit when I was 14 using old flagship-level speaker that delivers almost all of How long was the PL500 II speaker in develop- Leak/Wharfedale drivers. the qualities of much higher-priced multiways for ment? Was it the first speaker in the line to come far fewer dollars, go for the Platinum—audition to fruition? the PL500 II.

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Equipment Report

Von Schweikert Audio VR-55 Aktive Excellence Redefined

Greg Weaver

eveloped to update and replace housed in the bottom of the baffle and the large the aging VR-5 Series of products first Class D amplifier in the back. D introduced in 2004, the new Von Sch- Fabricated using VSA’s patent-pending Tri- weikert Audio four-driver, three-way VR-55 is ple-Wall Laminate Construction, my review available in either a Passive or Aktive version. pair’s enclosures were finished in an impec- The Aktive is identical to the Passive, save for cable piano-black lacquer. The outermost lay- the addition of an on-board 525-watt mono er of this composite is a sheet of resin-based amp to drive the twin custom woofers. MDF (medium density fiberboard). The middle The VR-55’s enclosure generally follows the layer is a sheet of synthetic stone—made from form factor initially seen in the original VR-5 crushed gravel, various other minerals, and a head units, though that model’s two-piece resin binder—that’s bonded to the inner sur- stacking bass-module and mid/tweeter-module face of the MDF outer shell. The innermost layer are now a single cabinet, like that of the VR-44 is hard felt. (the replacement for the longstanding and di- Each of these three incongruent layers is verse VR-4 lineup). Standing 42" tall, 14" wide bonded to the next with a thick (roughly 1/5th at the base, and 28" deep, tipping the scales at of an inch), industrial, anti-vibrational, rub- an impressive 190 pounds, the VR-55 Aktive ber-based adhesive designed to add yet an employs a very narrow, chamfered front baffle additional obstacle to vibration. The resultant around both the custom 6.5" ceramic midrange triple-layered wall is roughly three inches thick. and the doped beryllium tweeter. The baffle This construction exploits the natural effects of shape is designed to promote wide dispersion. using three disparate layers, all with inherently The front baffle slopes slightly backward, taper- different and effectively opposing native “Q’s,” ing from 14" wide at the base to just 9" wide working together as a resonance-cancellation at the top, to facilitate driver time alignment system that effectively turns any unwanted en- and accommodate the twin custom 8" woofers ergy into heat.

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Equipment Report Von Schweikert Audio VR-55 Aktive

The finishing enclosure touch is what VSA also included. This control allows owners to tai- Nextgen, fabricated from 99.996% pure, ox- SPECS & PRICING calls Gradient Density Damping. This propri- lor the rear tweeter’s dipolar dispersion pattern ygen-free copper plated with a single layer of Driver complement: Two 8" woofers, one 6.5" etary technique includes three different thick- and intensity to the environment—be it a hard 24k gold and fully insulated with Makrolon. midrange, one 1" tweeter nesses of bonded Dacron batting. Packed ex- and reflective surface or a softer, more absorp- This copper/gold combination was chosen over Frequency response: 16Hz–40KHz (–6db); tremely tightly closest to the cabinet walls, tive one such as a curtain. similar posts fabricated from silver or platinum 21Hz–40kHz (–2dB) its density gradually decreases (i.e., it is less purely for its “sweeter” sonics. Sensitivity: 90dB @ 1w/1m densely packed) as it nears the rear of the driver About four inches above the amplifier plate, Total system distortion: 0.5 percent at 90dB on its baffle. This innovative construction helps centered horizontally, is the six-inch mouth of Impedance: 8 ohms Aktive/4 ohms Passive to provide exceptional absorption while greatly the fluted woofer port. The woofer system em- Recommended power: 20–200 watts (Aktive), reducing reflections back into the cone. ploys a four-chamber hybrid transmission line 100–500 watts (Passive) First pioneered in the VSA UniField Model and is user-adjustable via the rear-loaded port, Subwoofer amplifier power rating: 525 Watts 3 speaker system in 2007, Gradient Density with a factory preset “Q” of 0.6. Dimensions: 14" x 42" x 28" Damping is the result of extensive research Moving to the front baffle, we find a unique Weight: 186 lbs. using Cal Tech’s Laser Interferometer Lab to driver set, the result of a four-year collaboration Price: $60,000 measure speaker cabinet-wall vibration and the between Albert Von Schweikert and both Thiel internal mechanical processes of stored-and- and Partner (Accuton) and Scan-Speak. Albert’s VON SCHWEIKERT AUDIO released energy. According to Von Schweikert, desire to eliminate what he felt was an unnat- 1040-A Northgate St. cabinets constructed with this method offer ural resonance that spot-lit certain frequencies Riverside, CA 92507 measurably superior results to those using solid and prevented an overall natural timbre even- (951) 682-0706 aluminum enclosures—and do so at a drastical- tually led to the development of the VR-55’s vonschweikertaudio.com ly lower cabinet-production cost. This approach 8.5" and 6.5" Accuton ceramic-on-Nomex hon- [email protected] has proven so successful that it is utilized in all eycomb drivers. Both employ what can only be VSA models in production today, from the Vor- described as massive, vanishingly low-distor- tex VR-22, to the VR-11SE Mk2, and the one-off, tion motors. (Yet none of this would be appar- The crossover is constructed from the finest statement, four-tower VR-111XS. ent from a casual glance at them through the parts available, with all final components se- The rear panel is busier than most, and its perforated, concave curvature of their protec- lected by ear. This particular crossover circuit, contents contribute significantly to the VR- Behind a ten-inch-square silver plate near tive black grilles.) unique to Von Schweikert Audio, is a time-and- 55 Aktive’s unique ability to seamlessly inte- the bottom of speaker is a 525-watt mono Class The proprietary doping compound applied to phase-aligned design that represents the latest grate with any room. Situated centrally on its D amplifier—engineered by and sourced from the Scan-Speak beryllium 1" dome and its large iteration of its ever-evolving Global Axis Inte- nine-inch width—two inches down from the Channel Islands Audio, and using Hypex tran- rubber surround is also the result of a long-term gration Network. With a goal of sonic “invisibil- top—is the four-inch round housing for the 3" sistor modules and a linear power supply. This collaboration between Albert and Scan-Speak, ity,” the crossover leverages the advantages of Rear Ambiance Retrieval ribbon tweeter, in- housing also contains the IEC socket and its am- in an effort to prevent even the slightest per- servo-control and the use of very few parts in tended to match the transient response and ber-lit rocker-switch, two sets of five-way bind- ception of harshness. series with the drive units. Most of the constit- tonal quality of the superb front tweeter and ing posts for bi-wiring, and two small, round The 3" aluminum-foil ribbon used for the uent components are in parallel ground shunts to help effectively replicate the concert hall (or control knobs for fine-tuning both the woofers Rear Ambiance Tweeter was designed by Euro- to control phase and impedance. The crossover recording studio’s) acoustic space. An all-new and the rear tweeter. (More on this later.) pean speaker-maker RAAL, and boasts an upper parts are hyper-expensive—including premium ambience-retrieval circuit with a level control is Both sets of binding posts are WBT-0710Cu frequency extension of 60kHz. devices from Duelund, as well as Jensen copper

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Equipment Report Von Schweikert Audio VR-55 Aktive foil and Teflon/beeswax bypass caps. The main straightforward, but would have been a bit of VR-55 Aktive it proved to be just the beginning. Next up were my longtime reference Class D capacitors are Mundorf Supreme Gold/Silver/ a challenge to accomplish singlehandedly. The Over the next few days, by taking advantage mono’s, the Channel Islands Audio D-500 MKII. Oil. All inductors are copper foil, resistors are assistance of at least one other person should of the remarkable fine-tuning abilities offered With those hitched to the speakers, I was treated Mundorf metal film, and all internal wiring is be considered mandatory for installation and by both the woofer and rear ambiance tweeter to all their seductive qualities. The D-500 MKII Delphi’s MasterBuilt Single Crystal Copper. setup. controls, I was able to achieve a bass coherence, has always offered some of the most liquid mid- Initially, the pair I was going to review was depth, and impact, overall tonal balance, and range combined with outstanding pitch defini- Into the Fray to have shipped to me directly from its offi- degree of spatial re-creation considerably more tion, extension, and slam in the lowest registers Fortunately for me, the driver who delivered cial introduction at RMAF 2014, but there was refined and accurate than I’d been able to real- of any Class D entrant I’ve heard. (Keep in mind the large crates containing the VR-55 Aktive a slight change of plans. During that initial ex- ize with the VR-5 Anniversary (which had none- that VSA chose CIA to build the 525-watt mono loudspeakers was willing to help me get them hibit, Albert heard some minor issues he felt he theless been remarkable), or with any other amplifiers for the Aktive VR-55, and for good rea- down my stairs and into my listening room— could successfully address. As a result, when loudspeaker that has graced my listening room. son.) The D-500 MKII’s primary weakness is how for a small gratuity. Extricating these speakers the VR-55s arrived at my home in late January, At the time of their arrival, I had four very dif- they handle the spectrum above roughly 4kHz. from their wooden shipping crates and getting they were not only improved, but also very well ferent sets of monoblocks on hand, each excep- They just don’t have all of the grace and poise them positioned in my room was relatively broken-in. tional in its own right, and seemingly perfect to offered in that region by the very best Class A or I began by placing them in the same locations test the versatility of these new speakers. AB tube or solid-state entrants. as my longtime reference VR-5 Anniversaries, Given that VSA recommends a power range of Next into the fray were the late John Ulrick’s and over the next few hours of nudging them only 20 watts on the low end to 200 watts or last iteration of the Spectron Musician III Mk2 this way and back, toeing them in and out, I more for the VR-55 Aktive, I was curious to see SE, with all the upgrades, V-Caps, Super-Effect finally honed in on a location that offered the how the exquisite Channel Islands Audio VMB- Bybee Purifiers, and premium fuses. In their best compromise of timbre, coherence, and 1 40W monoblocks (no longer in production) mono configuration, these behemoths deliv- spatial information. would fair. They employ an exceedingly simple er an absurd 2000 watts into 8 ohms! These When it came time to install the floor spikes, circuit built around the National Semiconductor signature editions of the Musician III Mk2 SE’s I noticed that each speaker had two slightly LM3886, feature a robust power supply, and are showed why many consider the Spectron to differently sized pairs, with about a half-inch capable of creating some of the most organic be in a class of its own—utterly quiet, superb height discrepancy between them. After a quick midrange I’ve ever heard from a non-tube am- microdynamic resolution, jolt-you-out-of-your- call to VSA, I learned that there was a reason for plifier. The results were surprisingly satisfying chair dynamics, and midrange bloom that is a this: The additional upward canting of this set for such incredibly affordable amps (their orig- cut above, especially for Class D. Honestly, I of unequal footers was designed to offer just inal retail was $999/pr.). Their tube-like mid- still find a bit to quibble about when it comes a bit more focus and tonal accuracy than using range tone and bloom dominated, while their to how they handle the top three registers, but four footers of identical height. VSA suggested slightly forward presentation was still apparent. they are exquisite amps, nonetheless. that the taller pair go under the front baffle and My only real complaint about the VMB-1 Last up were the Pass Labs XA160.8s. These the shorter set under the amplifier at the speak- had been its inability to handle large dynamic seductive 160-watt, pure Class A monos are the er’s rear. swings at a decent, even small-room-filling vol- latest creation from the brilliant mind of Nel- Once I had the speakers suitably positioned ume. This was no longer a problem. They now son Pass, and they reconstruct music in a man- and spiked, the real magic began. Normally, set- exhibited an abundance of dynamics that, with- ner that satisfies both heart and intellect so tling on that final placement would be the end out the VR-55 Aktive’s on-board mono amps, completely that, once they were in place, they of the room integration process, but with the would have been unachievable. never again came out of the system. All further

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Equipment Report Von Schweikert Audio VR-55 Aktive notes for this evaluation were taken with the power, weight, accuracy, and transient respon- XA160.8s. siveness the VR-55 Aktive. There is a remarkably similar familial open- Constituent ness and transparency to the 6.5" midrange It is no secret that I was not completely enam- driver, fabricated of the same honeycombed, ored of the earliest iterations of the Accuton ceramic-coated materials as the woofers. Here ceramic woofers. Though their transient speed again, the transient response of this driver is could be intoxicating, they often exhibited a unnerving, and the degree to which it preserves ragged, edgy, resonance that could make them timbral correctness throughout its wide band- overly aggressive sounding. Rest assured, these width is remarkably hard to fault. Unrelenting- aren’t your father’s Accutons. ly revealing and hard-hitting, it does not tend Custom fabricated and highly modified, the toward any of the usual congestive artifacts or VR-55’s twin 8.5" Accuton woofers use a unique ringing common in lesser ceramic (or non-ce- ceramic honeycomb lattice to which the ceram- ramic) designs. ic cone material is bonded. The standard Accu- Midrange with the VR-55 Aktive is laden with ton drivers do not use this honeycomb support texture and dimension, rich in detail, and replete matrix, and as a result are considerably less in harmonic bloom. Instrument fundamentals robust. In fact, they can be easily cracked or from piano, violin, guitar, and especially the punctured with only the pressure of your finger. human voice, are rendered so realistically that These custom-built drivers are astonishingly they seem to conjure a living, breathing quali- fast, with rise and settle times rivaling—pos- ty. The VR-55s offer some of the most beautiful, sibly surpassing—the best I’ve heard from any smooth, and expressive midrange I have had the driver of equivalent size. In addition to possess- pleasure of hearing—they are so engaging and ing this astonishing transient prowess, they ten- articulate, so completely expressive and fluent, der a remarkably natural and accurate timbre, they almost burst with life. completely free of audible ringing or resonance While beryllium dome tweeters have been to my ears, and very high in fine detail, pitch favored for their comparatively lower mass definition, and harmonically rich and accurate and the resultant speed that affords, in many tonal color and texture. applications, they could become overly asser- As well as having the ability to accurately ex- tive, affecting the overall system coherence and ecute blisteringly fast and precise transients, integration and making the system sound a bit the woofers play very deep. VSA’s claim that discontinuous and bright. they are only 2dB down at 21Hz in this align- The collaboration between VSA and Scan- ment seems completely realistic from both my Speak has resulted in an extraordinary tweeter. rudimentary measurements and from extended While the off-the-shelf version is unquestion- listening. I’ve only heard a handful of speakers, ably very good, after all the iterative electrical all over $100,000, that approach the bass-range and mechanical modeling—all verified by lis- Audio Vision S.F. 1628 California Street

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Equipment Report Von Schweikert Audio VR-55 Aktive tening tests—this final modified model was the tweeter. When the rear tweeter’s transparent first to fully satisfy VSA’s sonic design goals. In contribution is combined with the overall front an effort to eliminate a bothersome resonance wave launch, the VR-55 creates a spaciousness that was intractable in the stock model, a film and depth of field that very few speakers can of an undisclosed damping material (co-de- approach, let alone equal. The result is a loud- veloped with VSA) is applied to both the dome speaker that speaks with one voice; driver and and the large rubber surround of this 1" dome crossover coherence is among the smoothest tweeter. VSA and Scan-Speak have also signifi- I’ve heard. cantly enhanced the flux density of the ring of neodymium magnets around the circumference Aggregate of the voice coil. My initial reaction to this extraordinary loud- The result is a very open, articulate top end speaker’s voice was identical to the one I had that seems capable of adeptly and masterfully at the introduction of the Magico Q7 at the 45th handling just about any high-frequency signal annual CES in Las Vegas, January 2012. I’m not at any reasonable volume. Over my listening saying that the VR-55 sounds exactly like the period, the tweeter never lost its overall effort- Magico Q7; rather, its level of performance so lessness and articulation, and not once did it closely mimicked that haunting experience— draw attention to itself; it simply revealed the the creation of an unqualified suspension of music. If there is a more natural-sounding, more disbelief, the sense that I was in the presence of resolute 1" beryllium dome tweeter in produc- a live performance and not a loudspeaker—that tion as of this writing, I’ve not heard it. I was beside myself with astonishment. When Treble with this modified Scan-Speak tweet- you recall that the VR-55 sells for one-third the er is focused while delivering an unbelievably price of the Q7 (in 2012), that makes the expe- open and spectacularly airy top end. Upper- rience all the more remarkable! most registers are articulate with no sign of ste- Right from the crate (as noted, they were well rility or glare, and are rendered with an inescap- broken-in), the VR-55s offered uncanny broad- able sense that there is nothing left unrevealed. band pitch definition; lucid, airy, and detailed The listener is treated to pure and uncongested high-frequency performance; a vibrant, engag- detail, with vivid attack and seemingly endless ing, and tonally pure midrange; deep, articu- ambient decay (recording permitting, obvious- late, impactful bass—and an unnerving level of ly). The sheer totality of their reproduction of transparency and transient speed. the sound of cymbals and triangles is excep- Their ability to recreate a wide, deep, and real- tional, with the kind of shimmery warmth that istically sized stage is second to none, thanks to you would hear live. both the physical baffle and crossover designs. The VR-55 Aktive’s sophisticated GAIN cross- Images within the stage are not only precise over delivers only high-frequency reverberant and rock-solid in placement, but also exhibit an information from the recording to the rear leaf unmistakable accuracy of size and shape. In this

101 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report Von Schweikert Audio VR-55 Aktive regard, the VR-55 Aktive is masterful, and hand- tion—that is unnervingly lifelike, and virtually Inconsequential and inadvertently captured ily bests many speakers I’ve heard at even three unparalleled at anywhere near this price point concert-hall noises such as a creaking chair, an times their price. in my experience. air-handler blower, a cough from the audience, Sound waves radiate in spherical patterns, so Taken in combination, the midrange and treble or the closing of a door somewhere off-stage are speakers that use narrow, contoured baffling (to performance of the VR-55 Aktive is more open all revealed to be exactly what they are, rather minimize surface area around the drivers) and and more transparent than I can recall hearing than being presented as some undiscriminated time-aligned crossovers—such as the VR-55 Ak- from virtually any dynamic loudspeaker. In fact, noise. This attribute has the positive psycho- tive—will necessarily offer more accurate imag- in this area it rivals the best I’ve heard from any acoustic effect of allowing the mind to follow ing and more articulate staging than speakers planar or electrostatic design. In addition, its more readily the flow of the music in its full using otherwise equivalent drivers mounted bass performance—in somewhat varying de- context, rather than creating an unnecessary to a wide, flat, constant-width baffle with no grees due to the remarkable pair of custom Ac- distraction while the brain tries to piuzzle out time-alignment. cuton drivers and the dedicated 525-watt, fully what caused some indefinable, unrecognizable With complex passages like the opening from adjustable mono amp—simply needs to be ex- noise. In other words, because the VR-55 Aktive Prokofiev’s Scythian Suite, or in the re-creation perienced to be fully appreciated. Taut, deep, so clearly presents the distinguishable from the of the delicacies of massed strings, the speak- and lightning-fast, it differentiates pitches and indistinguishable, the mind is not distracted by er’s ability to unravel dense and often com- timbres with an ease and accuracy that are near- trying to identify the sound. This ability is, in my plex layers of sounds is exceptional. It presents ly unmatched. Try as I might (and believe me, I experience, something that only a small number those layers without the slightest hint of con- really tried), I could not detect the faintest hint of loudspeakers today can do exceptionally well. gestion or indistinctness and with an ease bor- of ringing, resonance, or driver distress during Piano works are presented with uncanny vi- dering on effortlessness, all the while rendering any of my auditions. tality. The musings of Ivan Moravec playing Bee- such passages with indisputable tonal accuracy VSA has published the total system distortion thoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 from Ivan Moravec and texture. for the VR-55 Aktive as being just 0.5 percent at Plays Beethoven [Via] or Vladimir Horowitz play- If my descriptions of the drivers and of their 90dB. Given this, it’s not surprising that one of ing Chopin’s Fantaisie–Impromptu, Op. 66 from performance give you the impression that this the speaker’s strongest suits is its transparency The Last Recording [Sony], are presented on a speaker is exceptionally transparent and wild- and resolution. The experience of listening to heightened emotive level, granting the listen- ly dynamic, you’d be correct. From the subtlest doubled (or any multiple) voices or instruments er a more intimate experience. The challenging microdynamic expression to the most startling such as in duets and chorales, or with strings en voice of the piano—whether vigorously erupt- macrodynamic explosions, the VR-55 Aktive is masse, is nothing short of revelatory. The indi- ing from the explosive attack of the hammers astonishing at reconstructing the speed and vidual voices in such passages are more readily on strings, or their delicate brushing in a mere scale of big musical moments. While I hesitate and effortlessly delineated and identifiable as whisper—is actualized with a haunting degree to compare their transient speed and dynamic discrete voices. Yet that very individualism also of realism, leaving no question that the piano is, prowess to that of a horn speaker, the refer- allows them to emerge as more musically con- after all, a percussion instrument. This remark- ence seems fitting if only to convey the degree nected, more relevantly woven together. This able presentation serves to further enhance the to which the VR-55 Aktive excels at the things heightened resolution affords a more musically rendering of the expressiveness of the music. that horns at excel at. They consistently express expressive context and a degree of realism I’m The human voice is presented in a most vital dynamic events with a sense of immediacy and not used to being treated to from other speak- manner. Listen to the self-effacement of Tori control—both under acceleration and decelera- ers in this class. Amos on Little Earthquakes [Atlantic], the mis-

102 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report Von Schweikert Audio VR-55 Aktive chievous wile of Rickie Lee Jones on her epon- host of previously undiscovered sonic and mu- ies of music were recreated with a naturalness, boast a reasonable degree of versatility in gain, ymous debut [Warner Brothers], or the visceral sical details. coherence, dimensionality, presence, texture, but nothing I’ve seen offers the engaging spatial passion of Sarah McLachlan from Fumbling To- Do not take this to mean that the VR-55 can pace, drive, and immediacy so evocative of the and tonal fine-tuning ability of the VR-55’s ex- wards Ecstasy [Arista], and you will find they are magically make a poor recording sound like an live event that I felt as if that event had been cellent 3” leaf tweeter. all equally realistic and powerful. Neil Young’s audiophile treasure; it will not. Yet all variet- transported into my room. What makes this speaker so alluring, and such ire or irony from his early works is laid bare. The VR-55 Aktive renders such an inherent a value, is the way it is able to synergize its in- Thomas Dolby’s acerbity and satire on Aliens sense of “live”—a symbiotic combination of its novative, inert cabinet technology, class-leading Ate My Buick [EMI] have never been more ob- exceptionally low distortion, spectacular tran- resolution, crystalline transparency, tonal accu- vious. Stevie Ray Vaughan’s constrained angst sient speed, sheer transparency, and resolv- racy, top-to-bottom coherence, and complete on Absolute Analogue’s wonderful 180-gram ing ability, and of an overall composure unlike room integration ability into a vibrant and indis- remastering of Couldn’t Stand The Weather [Epic anything I have ever experienced from a loud- putable musical soul. Make no mistake; while it 25940] becomes a sheer visceral assault on the speaker at this price—that I was completely en- is expensive, its accomplishments make it a bona senses. thralled. fide value. Given the heightened detail the VR-55 Aktive The VR-55 Aktives have more than just the is capable of revealing, I was more than just a End Game ability to vanish from the listening room, leav- bit concerned about listening to older, less ju- Component pairing is crucial to really discov- ing only the musical experience. They deliver diciously recorded works. I’m a product of the er what this speaker has to say, so be prepared music in the most resolute yet wholly organic AOR radio era, so one of the real decisive tests to match it with only the best electronics and manner I have yet heard in a loudspeaker below for me was my first pass at David Bowie’s 1972 sources. Do that, and these speakers will speak the $100,000 mark. The VR-55 is a new land- Glam Rock classic, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy truthfully. Yet as candidly as they reveal weak- mark—the most significant transducer Albert Stardust. While it is true that the VR-55 Aktive nesses or strengths of all associated compo- Von Schweikert has debuted since the introduc- exposes a recording’s blemishes and faults nents, they can still deliver the lion’s share of tion of the VR-11 in 2004. In fact, I would argue more clearly because of its extraordinarily low their magic with merely competent electron- that it is even more significant. distortion and extreme transparency, it also ics—such as they displayed when paired with What Von Schweikert Audio has created with serves to reconstruct the music’s message more the overachieving Channel Islands Audio VMB- the VR-55 Aktives is a compellingly accurate, abundantly. 1’s. Driving them with the Pass Labs XA160.8’s resolute, coherent, and extraordinarily musical My first listen to Bowie resulted in the most was a magical union; I’m sure there are many loudspeaker. So expressively do they commu- emotional and engaging connection I have ever others. nicate with such a remarkably faithful and en- felt to that recording, and I assure you that I’ve Further, I cannot name another speaker, at any gaging voice that I simply cannot allow them to likely heard the album 1000 times since its first price, that is more capable of playing the cha- leave my listening room. I had neither the inten- release. For example, the backing vocals, which meleon and disappearing more seamlessly into tion nor the desire to spend this kind of mon- had always been an integral part of the under- a room. The adjustability of the powered woof- ey, but because they are so utterly captivating, I lying musical composition, were now rendered ers and rear tweeter allow the speaker to be have worked with Von Schweikert Audio to trade with a newfound clarity and authenticity. This successfully adapted to just about any amplifier in my VR-5 Anniversaries and keep the VR-55 invigorating contribution drove the musical ex- (save for the flea-powered, 7-watt SET variety), Aktives. They are my new references. pressiveness of the work, enhancing the narra- and any room of any size or finish. Other speak- tive in a new and visceral manner by revealing a ers have self-powered bass drivers, and some

103 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report

Magico S1 Mk II Strong Family Resemblance

Andrew Quint

agico loudspeakers have im- sell for under $20k. Well, sorry, that’s not the pressed a good number of TAS narrative here. The Magico S1 Mk II is very much M equipment reviewers. No fewer than a Magico and, as such, at this price point rep- seven Magico models are endorsed in the 2017 resents a smoking value. Buyer’s Guide and the most ambitious designs There’s been plenty of ire expressed toward have served as references for Robert Harley Magico on our website regarding the application (the Q7 Mk II) and Jonathan Valin (the M Proj- of the “Mk II” suffix, specifically to the speaker ect). Alan Taffel and Anthony Cordesman were at the very top of the regular production line, not stinting in their praise for two models in the Q7. Alon Wolf argues cogently for why this the less elaborately, but no less uniquely engi- anger and cynicism is misplaced. In Wolf’s view, neered S Series, the S5 and S7. At $38,000 per there are two aspects to the design of his loud- pair, the S5 is the lowest price of the products speakers, the “platform” and, well, everything just mentioned. All these speakers represent a else. The “platform” is the enclosure, the ex- substantial investment, a reflection of the ma- truded aluminum monocoque design of the S terials and technology that go into their man- Series, or the more complex and labor-intensive ufacture. construction of the Q and M Series. “I don’t real- At $16,500 (in its M-Cast finish) the new ly care for the Mk II designation,” Wolf told me. Magico S1 Mk II is the least costly product “I encourage people to talk about it as ‘the new that the California company makes, other than S1’ or ‘the new S5.’ The platform for the S Se- one subwoofer. The term entry-level definite- ries is a fundamental achievement in terms of ly catches in my throat, as this is significantly construction, and we are not going to change it more money that the “flagship” offerings from anytime soon. It’s too good to mess with. There several manufacturers I’ve positively reviewed is no better way to build a loudspeaker in my recently—the PSB Imagine T3 or the Ryan Tem- mind for this kind of cost.” The extruded metal pus III, for examples. Surely, this smallest Magi- pieces are made for Magico at the only factory in co floorstander must blend into the throng of the United States with the capacity to produce high-performance full-range loudspeakers that pieces this large. The process is “mind-bog-

104 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report Magico S1 Mk ll gling,” says Wolf. “You take a 21” billet of alu- critical listening. Anthem D2v. Digital sources included an Oppo Antonio Stradivari and Giuseppe Guarneri del minum—one solid piece—and push it through a The review pair of S1 Mk II’s, sporting a black BDP-93 (used as a transport) and a Baetis Ref- Gesù [see TAS Issue 125]. A few years earlier, 30 cookie-cutter profile. It’s an incredible thing to M-Cast finish, came carefully packed in two erence music computer feeding the Anthem’s such instruments—the estimated total value at watch.” There actually is one difference in the sturdy cardboard boxes. (The M-Coat version is DACs; for analog, a VPI Scoutmaster fitted with the time was around $100 million, which would fabrication of the S1 enclosure in its Mk II itera- shipped with the two speakers sharing a single a JMW Memorial tonearm and Sumiko Bluepoint be considerably higher now—were brought to tion. The original S1 used “pressure bracing”—a wooden crate.) The user’s guide is quite thor- Special EVO III cartridge. Cabling was most- a recital hall in Purchase, New York, to be pho- piece of machined aluminum was pushed tight- ough regarding unpacking, which is a two-per- ly Transparent, the notable exception being a tographed and then played by one violinist, the ly against the inside skin of the speaker. Now, son job. Clear guidelines for placing the loud- Shunyata Anaconda AES/EBU wire from Baetis American virtuoso Elmar Oliveira. Oliveira was Magico bolts the four internal braces from the speakers are provided as well. I set up the S1 Mk to Anthem. recorded by Mark Levinson, using Cello gear, in outside: “The tension points are much more IIs in a position that had worked previously for My first impression of the Magico S1 Mk IIs three CDs worth of music ranging from Bach to powerful,” says Wolf. This, of course, results speakers of similar size. Peter Mackay, Magico’s was that the sound was lean in comparison to Ysaÿe. The third disc is a singular undertaking— in holes in the enclosure that must be welded VP for Global Sales and Marketing, visited for a my beloved Wilsons (Duette 2s with and with- Oliveira plays the first 30 bars of the Sibelius and sanded to restore a smooth exterior surface morning and—using two tape measures, a laser out WATCH Dog subwoofer)—in the sense that Violin Concerto on all the violins in succession, and, one assumes, ensure mechanical integrity. distance measurer, a bubble level, a calibrated any extraneous sonic detritus was gone and alternating between a Stradivarius and a del What gets the speaker its “Mk II” appellation microphone plugged into his laptop, and pieces only the meaningful electroacoustic represen- Gesù. Through good equipment, even a listen- are the new drivers it uses and the necessarily of blue painter’s tape on the floor—ended up tation of the original musical event remained. er lacking any experience with 300-year-old reengineered crossover that unites them. The moving the speakers forward about 4 inches. I With orchestral scores, colorful music was col- Cremonese violins can quickly distinguish the two new drivers are designs that have trickled don’t mean to sound snarky, as the S1s sounded orful, not colored. Devotees of Romantic and down from pricier models in the Magico line, much better when Peter was finished. Some of early twentieth century repertoire know that SPECS & PRICING a 1” diamond-coated beryllium tweeter and a that was, undoubtedly, Peter’s careful leveling certain composers have a difficult-to-describe Type: Two-way, sealed box enclosure 7” graphene Nano-Tec mid/bass cone. (Magi- of the speakers and spiking them through the yet characteristic density, a center-of-gravity to Driver complement: One 1" diamond- co’s use of graphene—a material that is so ex- carpet and underlying acoustic treatment to their symphonic sonority that makes the iden- coated beryllium dome tweeter, one 7" ceptionally stiff and light it has engineers and the concrete slab beneath. The point is that you tification of the author of even an unfamiliar graphene Nano-Tec mid/bass cone scientists in many fields pretty pumped—is shouldn’t hesitate to enlist the aid of your Magi- work possible. Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Bruckner, Frequency response: 32Hz–50kHz still among the few commercial applications of co dealer to set the S1 Mk IIs up: He’s likely done Richard Strauss, Stravinsky—the tonal palette Impedance: 4 ohms the stuff.) The crossover is a fourth-order Link- it before and may have been trained by Mackay of each of these masters was utterly idiomatic Sensitivity: 86dB witz-Riley configuration that employs Magico’s himself. In my 15’ x 15’ room (a hallway off one through the Magicos. Dimensions: 8.5" x 43" x 9.75" “elliptical” topology. As with other speakers of the sidewalls obviates any standing-wave To examine this sonic parameter more close- Weight: 120 lbs. in the S and Q lines, the S1 Mk II is available in problems; the ceiling height varies from 10’ to ly, I pulled out a recording I’ve used before to Price: $16,500 (M-Cast finish), $20,295 both an M-Cast finish or, for about $4000 more, 12’) the S1s ended up 25” to 29” from the front evaluate tonal accuracy, one I plan to refer to in (M-Coat finish) a glossy M-Coat version—both in various col- wall—they were canted in toward the listening future reviews as “The Old Italian Violin Test.” ors. I actually prefer the M-Cast option, as the position—and 8’ apart, center-to-center. The To recapitulate: In 1998, the esteemed Chicago MAGICO, LLC speakers are less visually obtrusive and easier distance from each speaker to the sweet spot violin dealer Bein & Fushi published a hand- 3170 Corporate Place to keep looking pristine. (Wolf doesn’t hear or was 9’ 6”. Mostly, the Magicos were driven by some coffee table book, The Miracle Makers, Hayward, CA measure any difference between the two finish Pass XA 60.8 monoblocks, with some service that explored the history, craftsmanship, and, of 510-649-9700 choices.) A metal grille that covers both drivers, from a 200Wpc Parasound HCA-2200II stereo course, the aural magic of the violins built by the magic.net held in place magnetically, is easily removed for amplifier. The preamp/processor was my trusty two most famous makers of string instruments,

105 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report Magico S1 Mk ll more focused and brilliant sound of a Stradivar- Bass performance from this sealed-box sys- didn’t sound underpowered; it’s just that one thing—and that ain’t happening, at least in my ius from the darker, warmer, earthier tone of a tem was tight, tuneful, and punchy on recordings won’t regret having a big amplifier to drive any lifetime. Because of this inescapable fact, we Guarneri instrument. The S1 Mk IIs did this more having an abundance of such information, say, Magico loudspeaker. audiophiles find ourselves having discussions effectively than any other loudspeaker I’ve had “Brite Nightgown” from Donald Fagen’s Morph Spatially, the speed and continuousness of about the merits of speakers voiced according in my listening room. In fact, I could readily dis- the Cat. In an attempt to embarrass the mod- the two drivers serves well those who relish to “taste” as opposed to those designed strict- tinguish among different Strads and different est-sized Magicos, I assembled an electronica dimensionality in the listening experience. ly by the numbers. All the finest loudspeakers, Guarneris with the Magicos, such was their de- playlist on the streaming service Tidal—tracks SACDs and Pure Audio Blu-rays from the Nor- of course, employ both approaches. But more gree of tonal and textural resolution. like “Strobe” (Deadmau5), “Spannered in Pil- wegian 2L label often provide seating diagrams successfully than most, Magico begins with The sound—or lack thereof—of the dia- ton” (OTT), and “Heartbeats” (The Knife)—and for the musical forces as they were recorded, theoretical constructs and then undertakes a mond-coated dome tweeter is alluring, with a turned the volume up to an un-neighborly level. including a program of wind ensemble pieces lengthy and methodical course from computer lack of hardness and harshness at the top of The Magicos held their own, with more than a performed by the Royal Norwegian Navy Band to test bench to factory to listening room. They the audible frequency range that surely indi- suggestion of gut-wrenching bottom-end im- (Symphonies of Wind Instruments). For works create products that both measure well and ex- cates good mechanical behavior of the driv- by Hindemith, Schoenberg, and Rolf Wallin, cite the brain’s pleasure centers as effectively er well beyond that point. The Act I Prelude there are two semi-circles of woodwinds clos- as loudspeakers of the “as you like it” school, to to Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin begins with It’s not just the extended, linear est to the conductor, a ring of horns, percussion use JV’s terminology. a high-flying harmonized theme for violins output of the tweeter that makes and tubas behind them and, across the back, a Magico has steadily moved its family of prod- divided into eight parts. It’s rare to hear that the treble so beguiling; it’s the straight row of trumpets, cornets, flugelhorns, ucts forward in its entirety. Remember, there ethereal sonority realistically recreated on seamlessness with which it hands off and trombones. Morten Lindberg’s recording is was a time when Magico’s enclosures were disc. Through the Magicos, I did, with the Es- simply miked and the Magicos recreate the dis- made primarily of wood; now they’re all-alumi- oteric SACD reissue of Herbert von Karajan’s to the graphene mid/bass cone. position of the players just as depicted in the num, save for the M Series (which uses carbon EMI program of Wagner Overtures and Pre- liner notes. Soundstaging is similarly impres- fiber and aluminum). For the S Series and Q Se- ludes. Not only did the strings register as indi- sive, whether the recording is out to represent ries, Alon Wolf has his “platform” established vidual players joining to produce an ensemble pact. You can’t open a dance club with S1s. But a real space (Kingsway Hall for Decca’s La Fille and continues to advance the performance of sound, but it was possible to hear that other I do expect to hear from the condo association. mal gardée) or an intoxicatingly expansive arti- the drivers and other components he puts into high-pitched instruments—flute and oboe— Because all Magico speakers are sealed-box ficial one (“Why Worry” from Dire Straits’Broth - these optimized enclosures; significant engi- were in the mix as well. Cymbals on good jazz designs, they are capable of producing deep ers in Arms). neering accomplishments achieved in the most recordings (Patricia Barber’s Café Blue, the M bass—but at the price of decreased sensitivi- Needless to say, Magico’s S1 Mk II isn’t a per- exalted Magico models will ultimately inform & K RealTime Records direct-to-disc LP For ty. Accordingly, I tried the S1 Mk IIs with a well fect loudspeaker. While the S1 Mk II is unde- the design of all the speakers produced in the Duke) weren’t splashy, and it wasn’t hard to regarded, moderately priced 200-watt stereo niably a full-range speaker, it’s still a relative- Hayward, California, factory. The Magico S1 Mk distinguish among cymbals of different sizes. amplifier of yore, the Parasound HCA-2200II ly small one, and if your room is big, and your II is, indeed, as much of a Magico as the S7 or It’s not just the extended, linear output of the and, yes, with program material having lots of taste runs to large-scale music, and you like to the Q7, and must be a top consideration for tweeter that makes the top end of this loud- low-frequency information, the beefier amp listen to that music at life-like levels, you’re go- anyone in the market for a loudspeaker up to speaker so beguiling; it’s the seamlessness provided better bass control (and a sense of ing to be disappointed. More existentially, we $20k. As the saying goes, it “comes from a good with which it hands off to the graphene mid/ greater dynamic headroom). But the S1’s own- all know that there is no such thing as a “per- family.” bass cone—a device that clearly can keep up er’s manual recommends a minimum of 50 fect loudspeaker.” That transducer would have with the high-frequency driver it’s paired with watts per channel and I think that’s fair, if those to produce sound that, objectively and sub- in the S1 Mk II. 50 watts are good ones. The Pass XA 60.8s jectively, was indistinguishable from the real

106 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report

Paradigm Persona 9H Sleek, Sophisticated, Stylish

Anthony H. Cordesman Photos by Dennis Burnett

et me begin with the conclusion. improved to the point where the average re- The Paradigm Persona 9H is a new al-world listening room is more of a problem than L assault on the state of the art in speaker flaws in the transducer. Really demanding exper- design by one of Canada’s leading companies. imentation with speaker placement, room treat- It may cost some $35,000 a pair, but it’s one of ment, and the use of separate subwoofers can get the best speaker systems I have ever had the around this, but often at the cost of letting the au- opportunity to listen to or review. dio system dominate the décor, making a dedicat- The Paradigm 9H has superb upper-octave and ed listening room a necessity, and still living with midrange response, and it can deliver flat, detailed, significant problems in the mid-low to low end. and room-corrected bass that normally requires a massive separate subwoofer. Soundstaging and Features and Technology imaging are equally excellent. As is the case with Paradigm describes the 9H as a “6-driver, 3-1/2- every top speaker, the nuances of its voicing and way hybrid floorstanding system with active-bass physical style are matters of taste, but this is a tru- acoustic suspension. Its room correction only ap- ly exceptional product that merits high praise. plies below 500Hz, and there is no room correc- Why begin with the ending? Because it is all tion or active circuitry that plays any role in affect- too tempting to focus on the Paradigm 9H’s ex- ing the sound of your system in a range from some ceptional bass and room-correction features, and 40kHz to 500Hz.” this would be distinctly unfair to the speaker. The On the face of it, the Paradigm 9H’s frequency Paradigm 9H joins the Legacy V and Legacy Aeris specifications seem almost too good to believe: in showing that room correction can really work ±2dB from 19Hz–45kHz on axis, and ±2dB from and provide truly accurate deep bass, even in a 19Hz–20kHz off axis. My limited home test gear speaker that is relatively small by reference-qual- isn’t close to the level of confirming whether such ity standards. specifications are accurate, but the 9H does have In recent years I have been steadily more im- better in-home RTA, pink noise, and warble tone pressed with the fact that today’s speakers have measurements, once it is room corrected, than any

107 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report Paradigm Persona 9H other speaker I have reviewed. Paradigm also has ers may favor one choice over another, but the this is still a size that is compatible with most re- very advanced test facilities, and a good reputa- execution of a given approach tends to be more al-world listening rooms, most decors, and most tion for making honest claims. important than the particulars. In the case of the partners and roommates. Its form factor is partic- More importantly, listening tests also show that Paradigm Persona 9H, the manufacturer states ularly critical when so much bass power has to be the 9H is a superbly integrated speaker without that “completely inert enclosures begin with sev- delivered in a relatively small package. any audible peaks or colorations at any point in its en layers of wood composite material and vis- Talking about a speaker’s wife acceptance factor frequency range—and not simply at low or mod- coelastic adhesive placed in a custom press. The (WAF) is now deservedly “DWM” and politically erate listening levels. It easily deals with complex enclosures are treated with radio-frequency en- incorrect. At the same time, most of us are going dynamics up to listening levels that go far beyond ergy to accelerate the curing process, which takes to appreciate having a speaker that does not dom- my taste and tolerance. almost a week to complete. The result is a strong, inate the room but does have the ability to use its While it may or may not matter in your system, constrained-layer-damped enclosure that’s the room correction to equal or outperform far larger the 9H is also exceptionally efficient. Its sensitivi- perfect acoustical foundation to build upon.” integrated speakers and systems with separate ty is rated at 96dB in-room—which is high enough It is well worth looking at the Persona 9H bro- woofer towers or pairs of properly located sub- to allow you to use certain low-powered triode chure on the Paradigm website to get an idea of woofers, and avoid highly visible room treatment. tube amps for the treble and midrange (and let just how complex the enclosure bracing and sub- Unless you like being a hermit (hermitess?) in your the 9H’s active electronics handle the bass). The woofer layout is. This is critical in a speaker that sound room or audio cave, there is real merit in room correction in each of two pairs of woofers is utilizes four ultra-high-excursion 8.5” woofers being able to listen casually to music, and demon- used in conjunction with separate DSP-controlled and relies on a balanced vibration-canceling con- strate your system to non-audiophiles as if the 700W amplifiers—providing a total of 1400W figuration (two front-firing, two rear-firing) togo music were what matters, and you hadn’t turned RMS (2800W dynamic peak). so low in the bass, uses full room correction, and the system into an object of pagan worship. In the mids and treble, the Paradigm 9H is rated delivers even the lowest bass at high levels when About the only caveat I can think of in this re- for use with amps from 15 to 500 watts, and could the musical dynamics require it. spect is that the Paradigm 9H has good techno take all the power my ears could stand from a pair I got better and smoother bass out of the Par- styling, but it also has exposed drivers with mildly of PS Audio BHK Signature 300s without coloring lium midrange driver, crossed over with third-or- adigm Persona 9H in a variety of room locations psychedelic grilles over its tweeter and midrange the peak passages from music like Saint-Saëns der slopes at 2.4kHz and 400Hz. It is the first than I have with any other system that did not driver. Exposed drivers are scarcely uncommon in Third Symphony. As for rock, this is a speaker speaker I’ve heard with a beryllium midrange, and have room correction. Moreover, it outperformed high-end speakers, but some of us work, live, and where you would have to push even bass synthe- while I’ve come to be extremely cautious about any other pair of speakers—or pair with separate play with non-audiophiles. Many visitors liked or sizer and guitar sound to ear-damaging levels to singling out any given driver material or technol- subwoofers—that did have room correction. It ignored the 9H’s physical design, but were more hear coloration in anything approaching a normal ogy as uniquely better, these particular beryllium measured better; it did a better job with a wide than mildly amused by the tweeter and midrange’s listening room. Its combination of power and ef- drivers do provide remarkably clean and detailed range of bass warble tones; and, most important- unique driver grilles. These grilles’ unusual deficiency helps give the Paradigm 9H outstanding sound over an unusually wide, stable listening ly, it sounded better with organ, jazz, rock, and the sign and appearance, however, serve an important life and dynamic realism even in very loud, com- area. They are as good at keeping solo instruments kind of sonic spectaculars you may hate as music technical function, as explained in the accompa- plex passages. and “small music” natural in imaging and depth but can’t resist using to test your system. nying interview. The treble and midrange drivers are also ex- as they are at resolving the soundstage details of Its size is also remarkably easy to live with. The ceptional and as important to the 9H’s success as complex operas and choral music. 9H isn’t small, and each enclosure does weigh 190 The Music its bass drivers, power, and room correction. The Once again, I’ve found that enclosure design pounds. Its measurements of 11.875” x 51.75” x Let me again stress that the Paradigm 9Hs have speaker has a 1” beryllium tweeter and a 7” beryl- tends to be like driver design; individual design- 20.5” are also scarcely petite. At the same time, far more going for them than superb bass perfor-

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Equipment Report Paradigm Persona 9H mance. I used them as well as my own reference of any new disc player to reveal more of the music differences in nuance and voicing between three are not familiar with flat full-range bass, you may speakers—the Magico S7 and Legacy Aeris—in on CDs, SACDs, and high-resolution discs like the great speakers like the Paradigm 9H, the Magico initially feel that room correction slightly reduces trying the new PS Audio Directstream Memory Reference Recordings HRx series of 176.4kHz/24- S7, and the Legacy Aeris without writing a whole the apparent bass performance of a speaker. We Player. I had some initial doubts about the ability bit discs—as well as some high-resolution discs new review, but even if one ignores the bass, the are accustomed to hearing the impact of the res- made by my friends. 9Hs are clearly competitive. And no audiophile onant peaks in our speakers, and their sudden ab- SPECS & PRICING The tweeter and midrange in the Paradigm 9Hs can ever really ignore the importance of bass or sence takes some getting used to. It is only when Type: 6-driver, 3-1/2-way hybrid floorstander did a superb job of revealing fine transient details the impact of a listening room. The Magico S7 has you listen to the entire range of bass music over with active-bass acoustic suspension in the midrange and highs, and making it imme- truly excellent and deep bass, but it does not have time that you realize how much more lower-oc- Crossover: Third-order electro-acoustic at diately apparent that the PS Audio Directstream room correction. I have to use them with a pair tave detail is available, and that bass peaks are no 2.4kHz (tweeter/mid), third-order at 400Hz Memory Player did make real—if subtle—im- of carefully calibrated Golden Ear XXL subwoof- longer adding at least a slight one-note character (mid/front bass), second-order at 200Hz (rear provements in the sound of virtually every type of ers so I can place them where they provide the to the low end and no longer partly masking the bass) disc, in a direct comparison with transports like the best soundstage and midrange and treble perfor- midrange and treble. It is also only when the bass Amplifier: Each woofer pair is powered by a Oppo BDP-105D and the earlier PS Audio. The im- mance. The Legacy Aeris has a separate DAC/pre- truly extends to frequencies you sense more than separate DSP-controlled 700W RMS amplifier provement in life, detail, and upper-octave clarity amp/room correction system called the Wavelet hear—below about 35Hz—that you realize how Room correction: Anthem Room Correction, was most striking with CDs, but it was also appar- that provides both bass and full-range correction much the deep bass can contribute to musical life with included calibrated microphone ent with SACDs and even with the 24-bit/176.2kHz and equalization features. It does provide a wider and realism. It is only when low-end response is Frequency response: On-axis, ±2dB from versions of number of Keith Johnson’s (and other range of correction that includes room reflections, truly smooth that you realize how many minor 19Hz–45kHz; 30° off-axis, ±2dB from 19Hz– Reference Recordings) discs that will be familiar to but the speaker does not go as deep with as much room resonances and vibrations are no longer 20kHz many audiophiles—Exotic Dances from the Opera power as the Magico or the Paradigm. Life is filled being excited by the bass. Put simply, there is far [Reference Recordings HR-71], Rachmaninoff Sym- with trade-offs. more to the low end than 1812 cannons, bass drum Drivers: 1" beryllium dome tweeter; 7" berylli- phonic Dances [Reference Recordings HR-96], Ar- The Paradigm Persona 9Hs not only provid- whacks, excessive synthesizer and bass guitar bass um mid/bass; four 8-1/2" woofers nold Overtures [Reference Recordings HR-48], and ed the best overall bass response I’ve had in my lines, and organ notes that vibrate the walls and Sensitivity: Room/Anechoic, 96dB/93dB Crown Imperial [HR-112]. listening room, it did so when playing back deep the couch. Impedance: Compatible with 8 ohms I’m not sure that rediscovering the sonic im- bass at subwoofer frequencies and loudness lev- Suitable amplifier power range: 15–500 provements made by today’s most advanced dig- els. It virtually eliminated the mountain-sized The Realities of Bass Room Correction watts ital transports will lead to a rebirth of optical and bass resonance peaks that are inevitable in most There also are several points about the realities of Maximum input power: 400 watts digital discs in the way that better hardware and real-world listening rooms, and it filled in much bass room correction you should be aware of. First, Dimensions: 11.875" x 51.75" x 20.5" software have led to the rebirth of the LP. Never- of the equally deep valleys in bass response. I’ve it in no way affects the need to place your speak- Weight: 190 lbs. theless, it did make me think hard about shifting been listening to room correction systems since ers in the best spot to provide a realistic sound- Price: $35,000/pr. fully from disc to digital storage. More impor- the days when loudspeaker manufacturer Snell stage and the best overall mix of bass, midrange, tantly, the ability to make these nuances audible began to experiment with the technology and and treble. If anything, the more revealing the PARADIGM ELECTRONICS INC. showed just how good the Paradigm 9Hs could be when Tact introduced full room correction. The overall response, the more placement details mat- 205 Annagem Blvd. in resolving depth (when the recording has such 9Hs is the first speaker I’ve heard aside from the ter and the better the bass response will be after Mississauga, ON L5T 2V1 data), preserving soundstage integrity and image Legacy Vs that can really provide full correction of room correction. Good placement without correc- Canada size, and handling the full range of instruments— the bass and do so with extraordinary detail at al- tion means less correction is required, and better (860) 669-2595 strings, brass, woodwinds, percussion, and or- most any rational listening level. results when it is applied in the bass. (The room gan. There is no way to adequately describe the I do have some cautions about the result. If you correction software does provide a quick mea-

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Equipment Report Paradigm Persona 9H surement setting to allow you to measure differ- over another. PC—devices that approach the work of the Devil seriously short of providing the best performance ent speaker placements and minimize the amount I don’t believe that this is a problem that should and/or embracing the dark side of the Force to a in dynamics, power handling, and distortion. Both of room correction.) be solved at the speaker. Loudspeaker crossovers Mac user like me. The instructions in the manual Paradigm and Legacy avoid this by ensuring the Second, the lack of bass peaks does affect the are complex enough as it is, and a speaker design- also are only “acceptable,” and I’d check for up- speaker’s capabilities match the room correction apparent level of midrange and treble energy, and er can really only voice the non-active circuits in- dates to both the instructions and the software and vice versa—although they take very different the 9Hs have relatively flat upper midrange and side in one way. It is a problem that needs to be at the Paradigm website before running the pro- approaches. The results really pay off in superior treble response. This can give the impression of a solved by making more musically realistic record- gram. At the same time, downloading the software sound quality. slight hardness or of excessive energy in the upper ings and/or by providing some form of equaliza- is easy, setup is quick once you get the hang of it, midrange with violin, harpsichord, soprano voice, tion in the preamp or some outboard unit, rather and the display shows you the before and after Summary woodwinds, and brass—particularly with many re- than in the speaker. As far as I’m concerned, high- measurements. As for Mac users, many online soft- One of the best around. Highly recommended. cent recordings where the miking is too close and end electronics designers really need to rethink ware and black magic stores do sell an application the production values apparent detail over natural their design goals. They need to get away from the that allows you to run Windows on your Mac. musical warmth. “less-is-more” approach to front ends and DACs Finally, I’m not sure that a detailed explana- Engineering purity is all very well, but I want to and/or digital preamps. tion of the technology behind the ARC-2 system listen to the music and not the equipment. This I’d like to see high-end electronics designers is really needed, and many audiophiles will rely is why I like the full-range correction features of provide the ability to “tilt” the overall frequency on dealer setup. But, people and speakers do get the Legacy Wavelet, although the Bohmer room response up or down over the entire frequency moved, and high-enders love to tweak and fiddle. correction in the Wavelet DAC/preamp/room cor- range—or at some point from the upper bass to Accordingly be aware that you can readily find out rection electronics emphasizes different aspects the highest frequencies—by at least several dBs the technical details and get some good high-tech of sound quality than the bass-oriented ARC-2 from “flat.” I’d also like to see the option of being reviews by putting “ARC-2 room correction” into system used in the 9H. The Paradigm 9H does not able to slightly dip the upper midrange. Apparent your computer search routine. (Be aware that the have such options, but you can accomplish a great musical realism, not specsmanship and simplicity, ARC-2 system in the 9H is designed and used in deal by experimenting with different placement should be the real goal of high-end sound. very different ways than the ARC-2 in Anthem re- of the mic when you set up the room correction, Third, for all these reasons, be careful if you visit ceivers, and for home theater.) by finding just the right toe-in and spacing for a dealer to hear the 9Hs. Listen with and without At the same time, you should also be aware that the 9Hs, and by experimenting with minor adjust- room correction. Make sure the speakers are prop- Paradigm speakers and the manufacturers of the ments in the distance of the speakers to side and erly placed in the showroom, and—if you decide to Anthem ARC-2 room correction system are one rear walls to minimize any excessive upper-mid- buy—make sure the dealer has the skill and will- company, and the Paradigm is designed around its range energy. ingness to help you with an initial setup that really proprietary room correction system. This allows it A number of reviewers question whether speak- suits your ear and taste. Bring your own favorite to correct for dips of up to 6dB and peaks of up to er midrange and treble energy should measure bass spectaculars, but also bring at least a couple at least 30dB. flat or be rolled slightly downwards. As a classical of your best recordings of music you really love. I’d dearly love to see the Anthem aside of An- music and jazz fan I have mixed feelings about old- This is a remarkably coherent, detailed, full-range them-Paradigm make an outboard ARC-2 unit that er recordings, and many more modern recordings speaker, and you should judge it accordingly. could be adjusted to suit any given speaker. In the that emphasize natural musical warmth. Speaker Fourth, if you plan on doing your own setup of interim, however, I’ve found that past attempts to voicing of any kind will favor one set of record- the ARC-2 room correction system used in the Par- provide universal room correction that cannot be ings, cartridge, DAC, preamp, amp, and set of wires adigm 9H, be aware that it requires the use of a tailored to an individual speaker’s design often fall

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Equipment Report Paradigm Persona 9H

A Conversation with Paradigm’s Oleg Bogdanov By Robert Harley

The Persona line is in some ways a speakers over the past 35 years. One could argue radical departure for Paradigm; in other that the discipline of three-and-a-half decades of ways it is a logical progression for the Canadian building speakers to strict price points is the ideal manufacturer. The company is best known for foundation for creating a much more ambitious its affordable speakers that combine high-end and expensive line such as Persona. design with economy-of-scale manufacturing. In For some background on the Persona’s genesis the past, creating flagship products with cutting- and technology, I spoke with Oleg Bogdanov, edge technologies just wasn’t in Paradigm’s Director of Product Development. wheelhouse. But Persona is also a natural step forward because it represents the culmination of Tell me how the Persona project came about. everything Paradigm has learned about making What were the inspiration and the goal? It’s been about five years in the making. We wanted to create a speaker that would really make a statement, that would cover the full range of human hearing, playing at 120dB over the widest range of frequencies from below 20Hz to beyond 20kHz.

Was there a concern about a company known for making affordable, high-value speakers price—and maybe not available at all from other shape and thickness. We then assemble the producing a $35,000 product? companies, such as the 7” beryllium midrange drivers here in Canada. We have never offered a speaker in this price driver. Beryllium is very light, very rigid, and has range, but we’re known for providing performance very good damping. There may be one or two other Let’s talk about some of the other technologies and value. We’re not a brand that just makes it companies with that technology, but we’re talking in the Persona, starting with the differential- cheap. Our approach is to provide performance a six-digit price range. Beryllium diaphragms are drive woofers. and features that would cost way, way more from just one of the technologies we use. We originally developed differential-drive for other companies. We can do it efficiently and subwoofers. It improves the motor design and provide good value. Did you develop the beryllium cone technology makes the driver much more linear. We take a Consumers will definitely see and appreciate in-house? very long voice-coil bobbin and put two voice- the value in the Persona even though the price We partnered with a company called Materion, coil windings on it, wound in opposite directions. is higher than we ever had before at Paradigm. which mines beryllium in Utah and processes Each coil is sitting in its own magnetic gap. The But at the same time, it’s pushing features it into 99.9%-pure beryllium foil. Based on our magnetic fields of each coil are in opposite and technologies that are not available at this design, they made a tool that creates the cone’s polarity, but the force that each coil generates

111 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report Paradigm Persona 9H

A Conversation with Paradigm’s Oleg Bogdanov Cont’d

adds together. This has many advantages, Also, the combination of powered woofers and composite, with layers of vibration-damping These are non-removable because they are an including lower distortion, higher power a high-efficiency midrange and tweeter means adhesive between them. It’s bent into shape in a important part of the acoustic design. The PPA handling, and better heat dissipation, and thus that even very low power amplifiers, including press [see photo above], and the adhesive is cured lenses over the midrange and tweeter solve less thermal dynamic compression. The long tube amplifiers, can drive the Persona to sound- with a burst of microwave energy. The back of the a fundamental problem with cone and dome voice-coil former and dual spiders create a very pressure levels that are unheard of in a less- speaker is curved, and that curve meets the top drivers. As the frequency of the sound increases, stable mechanical structure that will not rock sensitive speaker. [The 9H has a rated sensitivity and bottom surfaces at an angle, which creates at some point the sound’s wavelength becomes from side to side or add any extraneous noise of a whopping 96dB.—RH] challenges. The solution was to use five-axis CNC comparable in size to, or even smaller than, when pushed to high excursions, as conventional machines at a level of sophistication we’d never the cone in the case of the midrange driver or drivers do. The differential-drive and woofer- Tell me about the enclosure. tried before. The CNC machines do all the cutting the dome in the case of the tweeter. When that suspension structures allow greater excursion, One of the challenges was combining all those and carving to create the complex curvatures and happens different portions of the dome or cone which is related to how loudly the system can elements into a relatively compact enclosure angles. [See Paradigm’s website video showing become their own point sources. This causes play at low distortion levels. The differential- that was attractive. The industrial designers did how the cabinets are made.—RH] phase difference cancellation due to the different drive woofer contributes to the Persona’s sense a great job in creating the shape, but the next One important element we haven’t talked distances from the ear to different portions of of ease and effortlessness. challenge was how to manufacture the enclosure. about is the Perforated Phase Alignment (PPA) the cone or dome. The sound from one part of The enclosure is made from seven layers of wood lenses in front of the midrange and tweeter. the cone or dome travels a shorter distance to Why did you make the Persona a hybrid system, the ear than the sound produced by a different combining a passive midrange and tweeter with part of the cone or dome. The two waves combine internally amplified woofers and DSP room constructively to increase the sound’s amplitude correction below 500Hz? at certain frequencies, or combine destructively We quickly realized that achieving our lofty goals to decrease the sound’s amplitude at other would be impossible with a passive speaker. For frequencies. You get a series of small peaks and example, to extend the frequency response to dips in frequency response. 20Hz in a passive speaker would require a much The PPA lenses block the out-of-phase sound larger cabinet. The result would have been a so that it can’t combine with the in-phase sound. large box that was difficult to place in a room. We get flatter response, particularly off axis. Even We wouldn’t have been able to incorporate at 30-degrees off axis the Persona response goes room correction if it were passive. Without room out to 20kHz. That means there’s no limited sweet correction the frequency response will be very spot. There’s a very wide area where you can listen different in different rooms, and with different and still have it sound good. The image doesn’t placements in the same room. Room correction collapse as you move off-center. Two people can and active woofers give us the ability to have flat sit side-by-side and still hear a good soundstage response in the bass down to 14Hz and consistent and flat frequency response. The patent-pending performance from room to room. PPAs are a striking feature of the Persona 9H.

112 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report

Legacy Aeris with Wavelet Processor Wishes Granted

Anthony H. Cordesman

n my initial review of the Legacy let are also relatively affordable by the steadily Aeris (Issue 235) I found that it was escalating pricing of the high end. The Legacy V I an excellent speaker for its price. The that I reviewed in Issue 258 is the best speak- addition of the new Wavelet processor, however, er I’ve encountered with room compensation, • Increased dynamic range and waveform trac- full-bandwidth ICEpower amplifier modules makes a great speaker even better. but it costs $49,500—daunting even to most ing accuracy by employing drivers with higher are used for each of the 12" woofers to reduce The Wavelet is a stand-alone electronic pro- dedicated high-end audiophiles. Legacy has sensitivity and greater acceleration. The high- intermodulation distortion and prevent the cessing component that combines a DAC, a dig- adapted the same Wavelet unit it developed flux magnetic motors of the midrange drivers user’s main amplifier from encountering up ital and analog preamp, electronic crossover, for the Legacy V for use in the Aeris at a much are larger than on most bass drivers. to 40 volts of back EMF generated by the Aura and far better room-correction features than more affordable $24,475. Moreover, users who • The Legacy dual AMT (Heil) design employs motor system used in the woofers.) were provided by Legacy’s original Wavelaunch already have the Aeris can buy the Wavelet for a 4" folded ribbon that hands off to a similar • Reverberation is minimized by reducing side- processor for the Aeris. The end result is a com- $4950, and the price for a consumer who wants 1" unit at the shorter wavelengths. The AMTs wall reflections via the radiation nulls to the bination that integrates electronics and speaker to trade-in his original Wavelaunch processor integrate with a high-efficiency 8" midrange side of the speaker. This open-air arrange- design in ways that not only do more to solve supplied with the Aeris will be $3450. that together cover over seven octaves at a ment behaves as a dipole from 80Hz to 3kHz, room-interaction problems, but produce clean- sensitivity of 98dB, and that I found helped summing into a cardioid pattern with the bass er and more musical sound at every dynamic Key Features of the Aeris produce something close to point source drivers in the band from 80Hz to 200Hz. Lis- level. I’m not going to repeat most of the content in sound, in spite of the Aeris’ overall size, and to tening panels in controlled trials have deter- The Wavelet also provides the kind of de- my initial review, but even a brief look at the be smoother and more natural in the midrange mined that imaging precision and soundstage featable adjustments in the bass and the lower photos of the Aeris in the Legacy website will and treble than any similar driver I’ve yet en- width is consistently improved over the Lega- midrange that should be in the electronics and show you that the it is one of the most attractive countered. cy Focus system, for example, which exhibits not the speaker, and which can help make many pieces of sculptured woodwork in audio. • A titanium-encrusted 8" midrange with an an otherwise-similar monopolar driver layout. recordings sound more musical and realistic. To provide a short refresher course, its fea- enormous motor structure imported from Italy. Moreover, the Wavelet is the answer to my one tures include: • A 10" mid/bass and dual 12" subwoofers with The Wavelet’s Key Features major wish for an improvement in the original a linear volume displacement of nearly 200 The new Wavelet provides a far more flexible Aeris design: It provides automatic set-up and • A cardioid-shaped radiation pattern to de- cubic inches. The bass section is powered and capable package of electronics than the room-correction adjustment features. In fact, crease boundary coloration from sidewalls by a cumulative 1000 watts of included ICE- combination of the Aeris and the Wavelaunch they are a snap to operate. while decreasing modal sensitivity at low fre- power Class D amplification and offers excep- electronics that I reviewed in Issue 235. The The combination of the Aeris and the Wave- quencies. tional extension to 18Hz. (Separate 500-watt Wavelet is a full-featured outboard analog and

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Equipment Report Legacy Aeris with Wavelet Processor

SPECS & PRICING the most advanced parametric equalizers. The wireless iPad, smartphone, or computer. The re- Type: Frequency- and time-domain- ICEpower amplifiers; 30 watts or greater latest software update allows the user to store/ sult is audibly improved transient response that optimized 4.5-way loudspeaker with required for upper section recall up to eight different contour settings. allows the Aeris to operate accurately and con- directivity controlled array Crossover: 80Hz, 2.8kHz, 8kHz sistently in any listening environment. Tweeter: 1" AMT neodymium ribbon Inputs: 1 pair of external binding posts, 1 The Wavelet’s New Approach to Room And here, let me stress a set-up feature that Upper midrange: 4" AMT neodymium ribbon XLR balanced inputs Correction Software I failed to give proper emphasis in my review Midrange: 8" cast-frame, titanium-encrusted Dimensions: The Wavelet does retain several important soft- of the Legacy V. You do not put the mike at the diaphragm, dipolar configuration (open 14.5" x 58" x 16" ware features that were in the Wavelaunch. listening position and try to average out what baffle) Weight: 171 lbs. Built-in software uses an algorithm to divide can often be serious variations in response in Midbass: 10" cast-frame, carbon-fiber/pulp Price: $22,975 the left and right inputs with a customized the bass with minor differences in microphone diaphragm, dipolar configuration (open baffle) high-pass and low-pass network to form a ste- height, or if you rely on one seating position for Bass: Dual 12" aluminum diaphragm, Aura LEGACY AUDIO reo two-way crossover. The transfer function for setup, or try to create average settings over a neodymium motor, sealed enclosure 3023 E Sangamon Ave. each loudspeaker is pre-programmed at Legacy wider area of listening positions. Instead you Frequency response: 18Hz-30kHz +/-2dB Springfield, IL 62702 for linear output from each driver, correcting set the mike on axis with the Aeris’ tweet- Impedance: 4 ohms (800) 283-4644 or minor anomalies inherent in the combined ar- er at a distance of 48" and then move it twice Sensitivity: 95.4 dB @ 2.83 volts1m in-room (217) 544-3178 ray. The output side of the matrix is factory con- per channel—once to check phase and set the Recommended amplification: Bass section [email protected] figured for Aeris, the input side (left side of the crossover and balance and once for room cor- is powered internally with dual 500-watt legacyaudio.com matrix display in the software) is for you or your rection. I found the end result worked well with installer to make adjustments in your room. a wide range of speaker and listening positions, Software includes an empirically derived and produced consistently accurate measured digital preamp. It also provides automatic set- modern preamps lack. algorithm that is integrated into the speaker results, where other units I’ve tested that place up, including adjustment of the levels for its Features also include easy switching between design to compensate for the losses in low-fre- the mike in or around the listening position electronic crossover and channel balance, and room-controlled and uncompensated sound, quency separation in most listening rooms by sometimes produce strange settings because far better room compensation than the earlier and settings for normal and reverse-stereo or increasing the ratio of difference information in the mike just happens to be in the wrong posi- Wavelaunch—compensation that helps elimi- mono operation. The unit also has four differ- bass frequencies to more closely approximate tion. Moreover, no amount of tweaking the set- nate the coloration from unwanted room reflec- ent settings for dynamic expansion, and one of half space (free space with ground plane). tings on the Wavelet to their extremes present- tions. the most practical equalization settings I’ve en- What is radically different about the Wavelet, ed digital processing problems—something The Wavelet includes two pairs of XLR and countered. You can adjust playback as required however, is that it debuts Bohmer acoustic pro- that can happen with room-correction devices two pairs of RCA stereo inputs, and USB, RCA, to suit your taste or individual recordings. cessing. This is a system that can optimize the that have more features than processing power. and optical digital inputs for connection to an There are now four faders for bass-frequency loudspeaker/room acoustic-transfer function in The only limits I find to the Wavelet’s features excellent 24-bit/96kHz DAC with switchable contours centered at 50Hz, 100Hz, 150Hz, and both the frequency and time domains. It uses a that will have an impact on most audiophiles apodizing filtering. There is also an Ethernet 300Hz, a spectral tilt control hinging at 1kHz, new set of algorithms, and starts with a psycho- are first—like virtually every preamp now on port to keep the unit’s software and firmware and a brilliance control at 13kHz. The faders are acoustically based measurement method with the market—it does not include a built-in pho- up-to-date. Wi-Fi operated remote-control soft- visible on-screen at your remote and their ef- the provided calibrated microphone. no section. Second, it uses Wi-Fi for remote op- ware can be loaded into a iPad or smartphone, fect is audible in real time. These controls are Alignments are then individually optimized eration, and while it works well with a decent and provides precise volume and balance set- far more practical in compensating for the re- within an unprecedented 40ms window by way Wi-Fi system, I prefer to use a computer with a tings as well as a number of other features most al-world differences in recordings than all but of a setup using a calibrated microphone and wired connection.

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Equipment Report Legacy Aeris with Wavelet Processor

I should also note that the Wavelet does not better than 96kHz/24-bit recordings. I do keep I’ve heard that mix driver technologies have at areas where there is too little bass or too much. attempt to get into the hi-res equivalent of the my SACD player, but largely because I love clas- least minor sonic anomalies in the transition ar- It provides a capability that will make a vital horsepower race at 384kHz and 32 bits. Legacy sical music, and the SACD versions on disc are eas between them and you can sometimes hear improvement if you have a truly bad room, or notes that “higher resolution files such as PCM usually a bit more detailed and have more mu- the difference. you have to use a setup that is less than optimal and DSD can be readily played back through the sical upper octaves than the CD version on the Even without the room correction switched because of the décor or other reasons. It does Wavelet using software such as JRiver.” same disc. However, to the limited extent that I on, the Aeris will reproduce the midrange of enough to get rid of the worst peaks—peaks In practice, however, I don’t find a limit of have heard direct comparisons of DSD and PCM my best piano and violin recordings with the which not only give the sound something of 192kHz/24-bits to be real-world limitation to files that some of my friends have made of the kind of accuracy that is sometime missing in “one note bass character” but also excite room sound quality. The room correction and oth- same performance on high resolution systems, even the most expensive competition. It does resonances and mask the midrange, the highs, er DSP processing in the Wavelet are very ad- I have heard no more superiority from DSD over equally well with flute and clarinet and sopra- and the details of the rest of the bass. vanced. It uses an Analog Devices processor 88kHz–96kHz/24-bit than I have heard from no voice, reproducing the difficult passages in What is even more important to me, howev- with an internal processing sampling rate of 192kHz/24-bit over 88kHz–96kHz/24-bit. voice in ways that still shows the strain a given er, is that it also produces major sonic benefits 96kHz and bit depth of 56 bits—a bit-rate that As for the rest of the Wavelet features, it does singer was under but that add nothing in terms even in a good room and a good location. The Legacy states is “56 bits of depth in a domain comes with a small basic remote volume con- of hardness or coloration. It does an unusually bass is much tighter, and transients are far bet- more than one trillion times finer in resolution trol, but what counts is the Wavelet app you can good job reproducing the most difficult instru- ter defined. You can hear the full range of bass than that of a standard CD.” download for both setting up and operating the ments in the sonic repertoire, like the harpsi- without dominant peaks and fewer apparent When it comes to actual recordings, I have system. It provides exact volume and balance chord, and it is as natural with cymbals as my suck-outs. Higher-level dynamics are cleaner, not yet heard any reason to even go as high as control, dynamic expansion and equalization recordings allow. particularly in the bass. The Aeris does not have 192kHz. Some of my colleagues disagree, but I settings, switchable room correction, and all the As for the bass, the Aeris will reproduce most all of the power and bass detail of the Legacy have so far found rates above 96kHz/24 bits to sophisticated control options I touch upon later. of the bass detail that is actually on even the V, but it can overdrive my room at every bass be a waste of money. I do buy the 96kHz/24- Just set up the wavelet for the form of remote most demanding bass spectaculars. Saint- frequency that is musically relevant. Adding the bit version of the music I download or stream control, leave it on continuously, and forget Saëns’ Third, the deepest organ music, Kodo Bohmer room correction means that the overall for safety’s sake, but most of the time, a good about the small remote entirely. drums, Telarc bass spectaculars, bass guitar, sound is much cleaner at higher volumes. There 16-bit/44.1kHz version of the same mastering synthesizer, take your pick. are fewer room-boundary problems, where of a recordings will sound exactly the same. The Sound Switching on the Bohmer room correction higher bass levels mask the rest of the music to One has to be very careful in paying what usual- I should stress from the outset that the Legacy makes improvements that are a matter of nu- some degree or are too sustained to sound rely is nearly twice as much for the 96kHz/24-bit Aeris with the Wavelet is a very good speaker ance, not a revolution in sound, and it can take alistic. Room correction not only provides great when there is no way to hear whether there is even without the room correction switched on. a few minutes to realize that less room reso- bass detail, it does so more evenly. any difference, particularly with a modern DAC To repeat some key points from my first review, nance is a good thing and excessive, lingering, The critical transition from the deep bass with really good filtering. Oddly enough, the the treble and upper midrange are realistic peaky bass is not. But, there is no question that to the midbass is cleaner and more musically better your DAC, the less likely you are to hear without any softening or, contrarily, any touch- the new room correction option makes a critical natural, as is the transition from upper bass to any difference. es of hardness. The treble from the dual Air-Mo- difference. the lower midrange. This allows the Aeris to As for streaming DSD, most DSD recordings tion Transformer (Heil) folded ribbon tweeter is The Wavelet’s room correction is subject to do a better job of cleanly reproducing the nat- have already gone through some form of PCM extended and provides all the air I could want. well-chosen limits and will not produce perfect- ural warmth of music that is present in good mastering before they are issued in DSD form. Equally important, its transition to the mid fre- ly flat response at the cost of excessive correc- recordings and doing so more accurately. The Moreover, I have yet to hear any comparison test quencies of the “titanium-encrusted” 8” mid- tion. It can still compensate to a great degree, middle and upper midrange and the treble be- that indicates high-rate DSD recording sound range is virtually inaudible. Many of the designs however, for really bad speaker placement in come clearer when the hills and valleys in the

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Equipment Report Legacy Aeris with Wavelet Processor bass response, and excess room resonances, are reduced. This is something I’ve also noted in AHC Talks with Legacy’s Bill Dudleston really good speakers without room correction and that measure exceptionally smoothly in the Let’s talk about the future of both from the Aeris in the crossover region and in bass in a given listening room. Getting the bass your efforts in room correction and driver correction. Aeris is more coherent with right is critical to getting the best in midrange plans for the Wavelet. Any plans for a the Wavelet in place before the room correc- and treble sound. universal version of the Wavelet that could tion is even applied. Soundstage detail and depth become cleaner handle any speaker, including ones with a and more detailed, and imaging becomes nota- single input? How is your approach to room compensation bly more precise and natural in many record- Yes. An example is already in the works. We evolving? Have there been changes since ings. The Aeris’ soundstage is very good even are introducing a 750-watt flex-powered ver- the Legacy V review and what changes are without room correction, but the speaker seems sion of our Focus speaker, which can be driv- you exploring? Will they all be possible to act more like a point source with room cor- en three different ways; mono-amplified in- through software changes? rection engaged. ternally with a single input, bi-amplified with Most of the recent improvements to the soft- internal crossover, and bi-amplified with the ware have been made to improve setup and Summing Up Wavelet crossover. In all three variations the user control, such as the polarity check and The combination of the Aeris and Wavelet pro- Focus XD can employ the room correction. To level adjustments. We are now looking at the vide some of the most musically realistic sound correct a generic speaker with a single input, upper range of the reverberant field more I’ve ever encountered. They take digital pro- we will offer a basic menu of target function closely. Here the density of reflection, spec- cessing and room correction a vital step for- choices, including excursion limit protection tral balance, and relevant temporal informa- ward, and show they can reach levels that are at low frequencies, and request the user input tion are being studied along with the psycho- competitive with even the best purist speakers. the best fit of the speaker’s radiation pattern acoustic weighting of this information. All The ability to make firmware upgrades, as (e.g., omni full-range, omni bass with cardioid improvements will be available through soft- the interview attached to this review with Bill upper range, and dipolar). Another parameter ware updates downloaded to the USB stick Dudleston (the chief designer of the Aeris) in- to be input will involve the number of sub- and inserting in the Wavelet port. dicates, will lead Legacy and Bohmer to make woofers in use if any. steady improvements in processing, operating, The remote control features and software and set-up features, and don’t forget, as you If we can switch back to the Legacy Aeris download commands are now accessed look at the price, the Wavelet is also a really and Wavelet, what adaptations from the via Wi-Fi. Do you have plans for a wired good analog and digital preamp and DAC as room correction for the Legacy V did you network connection to realize software well. have to make to suit the Aeris? updates? If I now have a new wish, it’s to hear what the The room correction process remains the The prototype Wavelet originally hosted its Bohmer level of correction can do when applied same with a very similar target function as the own network, but this prevented the contin- to other brands of speakers. As the interview V. However, building the V system from the ual improvement to the remote interface and indicates, this is another wish that may end up ground up using the Wavelet revealed several functions. The current method provides many being granted. areas where we could get more performance advantages include control of multiple units

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Equipment Report Legacy Aeris with Wavelet Processor

AHC Talks with Legacy’s Bill Dudleston Cont’d Any potential for Wavelet to adopt MQA or compromise in dynamics, noise floor, or audi- cause of the peaks and dips. It will undergo it- higher sampling rates? ble bandwidth, yet file size is similar to a 16-bit erative calculations to determine the most op- That really is a DSP question. The Wavelet will WAV file. It is certainly a great replacement for timal solution with regard to phase to preserve presently accept PCM files rates at high as FLAC, DXD, DSD, SACD. Today, music should not transient response. It may apply a gentle lift if 352.8kHz and higher. But remember Wavelet even be distributed in MP3, AAC, WMA. These energy is lacking, or remove a resonance in the is not just converting a single sample of data formats should be used in talking appliances. diaphragm material but the time domain will per unit time, but correcting a 40msec win- always be improved in the process. dow. This is equivalent to 14,080 samples to Your literature describes the way the Wave- The room correction continues in the same applying complex computations upon in real let reduces room reflections, but does not manner, with emphasis on treating errors in- time. describe frequency correction. How does the troduced by boundary interaction. It does not A sampling rate of 96kHz is more efficient, Wavelet do this? merely notch response due to room resonanc- consuming less processing power and soni- First the loaded algorithm corrects the loud- es. It instead works to prevent these resonanc- cally equivalent in the end. Think of a digital speaker frequency anomalies in each channel es from forming by looking for late arrival of photo. A sharply focused image at 150 dpi will of output, independent of the room. Let’s say redundant information in the measurement provide more real detail than a slightly out of we have a shallow dip at 1800Hz, for exam- process. Resonances take quite a while to focus image at 300 or 600 dpi. That is why it is ple, but next to it is a sharper rise in response build up. Even a simple floor to ceiling axial the role of the Wavelet to sharpen focus in the at 2200Hz. Previous methods would apply resonances requires at least 16msec to form. time domain at 56 bits and then use apodizing a broad boost at 1800Hz, and a sharp cut at The problematic buildup from the wall behind to remove digital artifacts. 2200Hz using filters that introduce phase the speaker usually requires less than 8msec shift. While this can make the frequency re- in comparison. As you know I am a strong believer in the sponse appear smoother at a single mike posi- This old information is predicatively and lit- workings of Bob Stuart’s MQA. I think if au- tion, the ear is aware something is still wrong erally fed forward in time, canceling its own diophiles experienced it, even if they didn’t in the time domain and the power response. presence. It is not accomplished relative to comprehend the genius of the solution it Time domain measurements substantiate this. a position or multiple averaged positions in offers, they would realize that sonic improve- The Wavelet applies a totally different ap- the room but relative to the launch from the ments are not to be had by merely increasing proach. First of all, it will not force the fre- speaker itself. It is unique in this manner. The sample rates. I hope the press gives MQA the quency response flat at the expense of tran- process really should be described as automat- attention it deserves. The consumer must sient behavior. It will address the cause of ed loudspeaker adaptation instead of room simultaneously. Software updates will even- demand it for the format to gain acceptance. the problem and make a psychoacoustic cor- correction. We didn’t change the room a bit! tually be offered from the Legacy website, We would then most certainly consider a li- rection weighing the time domain heavily. regardless of what port is used. Users will be cense. While I will personally always record The Wavelet’s software will identify domain allowed to subscribe to updates for a modest live in WAV, MQA is the best solution yet pro- errors introduced by stored energy in the di- fee to keep the programming current. posed to deliver music to the audiophile. No aphragms, which are ultimately the actual

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Equipment Report

Muraudio PX1 Omnidirectional Electrostatic Hybrid And Now for Something Completely New

Robert E. Greene

had not realized that music version of something else, not just another review work to take such unified, more or less could be so beautiful.” Thus spa- variation on themes already stated and varied ecstatic experience and analyze it, slice it, and “I ke Bruno Walter after conducting by others. Most of the speakers in our world dice it to figure out how the speaker does what in the Vienna Grosser Musikvereinsaal for the would not really surprise Rice, Kellogg, Olson, it does, and whether what it does is what one first time. His words came to mind listening to Villchur, Walker, Hughes, and the other giants of wants a speaker to do. the Muraudio PX1 omnidirectional electrostatic the past. They would be impressed by the re- These sentences are not a preamble to find- speakers for the first time. I had perhaps not refinement of execution (and the prices!) but not ing fatal flaws in the PX1s later on. This won’t alized that music reproduced in the home could startled by the designs, which would seem to be like the Cheater: “He’s gonna build you up be quite like this: the purity, the smoothness, them the natural extensions of their own work, just to let you down.” But it will be necessary the roundness, the filling of the room, the- ef using improved materials technology. The big to describe the distinctive nature of the PX1s— fortlessness, the deep bass extension, the sense floorstanding towers of today are the speakers not so much in terms of what the “right” trans- of speakers vanishing as sources, and the sta- Rice and Kellogg would have built if they could ducer is (a question with no objective answer), bility of the sound with respect to listener posi- have. But I think it is safe to say that none of but rather in terms of the differences among tion, all combined to disarm my critical self and the masters of the past really envisioned as a speaker types. Omnidirectional radiators are switch me over to the state of a listener hearing practical possibility an electrostatic speaker distinctive, without doubt, and this one is par- live music in a great concert hall, immersed in with panels that curved in both directions with ticularly so. an ambient soundfield, albeit with the loca- three of them fitting together to form not a pul- As it happens, I liked the PX1s just as much on tions of instruments still clearly perceived. The sating sphere, but rather a sort of pulsating kiwi the last note I heard from them (just a few min- experience is so different from ordinary stereo fruit with a radiation pattern that is horizontal- utes before they went back into their crates) as listening that it calls for some careful thought ly omni. One can imagine Peter Walker saying, I did on first exposure. Maybe I even liked them about what one wants from a stereo system. “Jolly clever work there.” better. But as with any speaker, the PX1 chooses By intention, the PX1s present a unique experi- Reviewer comments from audio shows sug- a path, and one needs to understand what its ence—entrancing but different. gest that everyone had much the same experi- path is and what its virtues and inevitable re- And the mechanism of this is truly something ence as my own—of being swept away on first strictions are. As I mentioned, it’s different from new. The PX1s are not just a slightly different exposure to the PX1s. But it is, of course, part of other speakers—not a little different, with this,

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Equipment Report Muraudio PX1 Omnidirectional Electrostatic Hybrid that, or the other small variation of frequency because thin metal parts are usually made by not enable the PX1s to give their best; there was SPECS & PRICING response or whatever, but a lot different. And a rolling flat sheets with the results curving only clipping on orchestral climaxes at even moder- Type: Omnidirectional hybrid electrostatic potential purchaser has to decide whether the in one direction at each point. Here, the stators ate levels. So I brought over my big Bryston 14 speaker with dynamic-driver woofers in difference is what he wants. of the electrostatic elements are made by hy- ST, which can pretty much drive anything, and it sealed enclosure plus electrostatic unit draulic pressure-forming with heat annealing at drove the PX1s without any fuss or bother. (The with three double-curved panels to form How the PX1s Work an intermediate point in the process to prevent PX1s are rated to accept 1000W peak power so continuous 360-degree horizontal coverage The frequencies below 450Hz are handled by a excessive internal stress accumulation from re- you are not likely to over-drive them, but, say, at all frequencies, +/-8 degrees vertical sealed-enclosure bass unit with three dynamic sulting in fracture. This is not the typical elec- 250 watts on bass transients won’t be as loud pattern in higher frequencies drivers, separated by 120 degrees, which have trostatic panel we are used to, not even of the as one might think.) Both the Benchmark and Total electrostatic membrane area: a total effective radiating area of 100 square curved sort; those curve only in one direction. the Bryston have clipping indicators, so it was 5000 square centimeters (775 sq. in.), ultra- inches. The enclosure is cast aluminum. On top The whole speaker thus has a horizontal- clear what was happening in metered as well thin Mylar film of the bass enclosure is the electrostatic mid/ ly omni pattern. Vertically, it goes from omni as listening terms. The Sanders Magtech would Maximum SPL: 105dB at 2 meters, on-axis tweeter unit made of three curved electrostat- in the bass (as usual for enclosed woofers) to have been another obvious choice, but I was us- Low-frequency unit: Total driver ic pieces, each subtending 120 degrees, which a narrowed pattern in the top end as the ver- ing it back at my place. (The Muraudio review area (three drivers together) 640 square fit together to give a continuous round unit. But tical pattern gradually narrows with increasing samples were in fact in Paul Seydor’s home, as centimeters (99 square inches, 33 per driver, the unit is not a cylinder—rather it is tapered at frequency into the +/- 8 degree directionality I did not have the space for them at that mo- equivalent to 11-inch driver) either end with maximum diameter in the mid- mentioned. ment and as PS was partnering in the review in Crossover: 450Hz, fourth-order Linkwitz- dle and small diameters at either extreme. The any case. I am very familiar with PS’s listening Riley effect is that the combined electrostatic units The Sound in Tonal Terms room and system—we live not far apart and of- Frequency response: Anechoic, 30Hz– radiate in an omni pattern horizontally but, un- Let me start with the bass. This is the least ten listen together at his place—so this was not 20kHz; typical room, 20Hz–22kHz (-3dB like what a cylinder would do, they spread their distinctive part of the speaker, but it is in fact an issue. And PS was out of town during part of points) radiation vertically both up and down. The radi- extremely good. “Gnomus” from Mussorgsky’s the review period, so I could indulge myself in Sensitivity: 82dB/w/M ation is effectively uniform over a +/-8 degree Pictures at an Exhibition arranged for pipe or- listening without being a nuisance.) Impedance: 8 ohm nominal, 2 ohm window and thereby eliminates any sense of gan and played by Jean Guillou [Dorian] had One just has to face the fact that the PX1s are minimum at 20kHz vertical beaming. The transition from woofer to not only the required power but also excellent not terribly sensitive speakers, and you must Input power: 500W (1000W, program mid/tweeter unit is effectively seamless, with definition. Pedal tones that often are undiffer- give them the kind of amplification they need. peak) the narrowing down of the vertical radiation to entiated rumbles became precise musical (and In this price range, this does not seem a major Dimensions: 56" x 18" +/- 8 degrees happening much further up than mechanical) items. These speakers supply full- issue since suitable amplifiers—suitable and Weight: 145 lbs. the crossover frequency. However, at close-up range bass with superlative precision on their then some!—are available at prices far lower Price: $63,000 (active model is $69,500) positions there can be a hint of highs-up, bass- own and so do not need subwoofers. (The nomi- than the speakers themselves. down. nal -3dB point is 30Hz, but given room gain and The speakers’ maximum SPL output is rated MURAUDIO In order to accomplish all this, it is clear that the slow roll-off of sealed enclosures, these at 105dB at 2 meters (this would be around a 11 Tristan Court the electrostatic panels have to be curved in speakers are full-range.) 200-watt input for a sensitivity of 82dB, if one Ottawa, ON both horizontal and vertical directions. They What’s needed here is power. The nominal takes these things at face value). This is loud, Canada K2E 8B9 have to have what mathematicians call “positive sensitivity of the PX1s is 82dB—quite low! The especially with an omni speaker. In practice, I (855) 955-0360 Gauss curvature”—curvature in all directions. otherwise excellent Benchmark AHD2 amplifier, never felt any need at all to play them louder muraudio.com This presents a challenge for metal-forming with 100 watts into 8 ohms, 190 into 4 ohms, did than where they seemed happy playing. Due to

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Equipment Report Muraudio PX1 Omnidirectional Electrostatic Hybrid the speakers’ omni pattern and resultant “direct PX1s generate more diffuse than direct sound earlier than the PX1s, as a result of their tweet- cannot help thinking for a moment that much arrival” loudness, this SPL is actually louder compared to most speakers, and the ear’s re- ers becoming beamy. Played at natural levels the of the scope and immersion of the experience than its number suggests. In any case, 105 dB sponse to a diffuse field is quite different than PX1s give front-row-center sound in that sense. here (and the uniformity with listener position, is plenty loud! Still, you do need a powerful am- the response to frontal arrival. This means that too) is offered in a somewhat different but -ef plifier to get out of them what they can offer. a speaker with more diffuse field will in fact The Spatial Character of Things and the Im- fective way by the Carver ALS at a much lower (Big bass notes can amount to a surprising lot of sound different, other things being equal, than pressions of Instruments price (Issue 256). power for short times.) one with relatively more direct arrival and a The uniformity of tonal character with respect Not surprisingly, the imaging is a lot different Beyond the bass, two things were immedi- less diffuse field. The nature of this difference to changes of listener position is a key part of than that provided by speakers that emphasize ately striking. One was that the sound was ex- is known, with the main distinction being is that a second aspect of the speaker. One really feels direct arrival. Stereo reproduced anechoically traordinarily smooth in both in-room and per- around 3kHz there is a dip of about 5dB in the immersed in a soundfield rather than listening tends to make the speakers more audible as ceived response. In-room measurements were ear/brain’s diffuse-field response compared into a soundfield in front of one. Now to some sources unless the recordings are done exactly also much smoother than one usually finds. Ev- to frontal-arrival response. Physically both re- extent one can get this feeling from ordinary right, and the image, while very tightly focused ery speaker is pushed around a little bit below sponses rise, but the diffuse field rises consid- speakers if one sits very close to them. But here in anechoic stereo, is unstable with respect to around 300Hz by room effects (though the PX1s erably less. So diffuse sound will have in effect one gets the “nearfield” experience in tonal head position. Here the opposite happens. The looked good from there down, as such things an audible suck-out around 3kHz. This works terms as well as in immersion terms over the image is built in good part out of room sound go), but from there on up the PX1s’ RTA mea- the other way, too—when the response of a whole room. One could move almost anywhere, and it acquires stability while losing somewhat surement (1/6th-octave smoothing) was un- microphone that is picking up a diffuse field is and the tonal character of the sound would the sense of exact focus. canny in its smoothness. It matched within 1dB played back frontally, it will have an apparent remain effectively constant. This is, of course, This effect can be quite startling and very a very gently sloping target curve, say a 2dB peak of about 5dB at 3kHz. This is the reason what happens at a concert—most of the sound convincing. The Chopin Nocturne Opus 9, No. 1 droop by 10kHz. There was a very subtle broad- many speaker designers have found that a dip there is diffuse field (cf., regonaudio.com/Re- in B-flat minor played by Janne Mertanen [Gra- band lift at 1kHz and a small dip at 2kHz but at 3kHz makes things “sound better” (cf. Sieg- cords%20and%20Reality.html), so there is lit- dient] sounded to me considerably more like a effectively the speakers were in-room flat up fried Linkwitz’s website). tle of the variation one typically gets with even real piano than one usually hears from a stereo to the usual (and desirable) roll-off of the very The effect of all this is that the PX1s, which relatively small changes in listener position. system. The tonal character was exceptionally high treble. This is as good an in-room perfor- are quite close to truly flat in in-room RTA mea- The immersion in the soundfield is, however, realistic, and so was the size and presence of mance as I can recall ever seeing without DSP, surement, sound pleasantly non-aggressive more than a matter of tonal stability and accu- the instrument. and far, far better than most. Moreover, it was and natural in the 3kHz range compared to flat racy. The imaging of the PX1s is also very dis- By comparison, most speakers—even real- very stable over a variety of listener positions. speakers with primarily frontal radiation. This is, tinctive. First of all, the images are rounded and ly good speakers— sound too small, too spe- Usually such super-smooth curves (e.g., rego- in the case of recordings where a lot of diffuse not quite as tightly focused as with directional cific, not extended in the bass, and artificially naudio.com/Harbeth%20Monitor%2040.html) field was recorded, a kind of higher truth—the speakers. But at the same time, they are very focused in position. Grand pianos are large. A are obtainable only at a particular sweet spot, playback resembles the sound the microphone stable. One gets a rounded image, which one real concert piano in Paul’s room would stretch but the PX1s did the trick over a variety of lis- picked up and hence sounds more natural. might think of as more natural than a tightly almost from wall to wall (along the shorter di- tening positions. Large displacements vertically This is not to say that the PX1s lack top-end focused image (whatever stereo theory might rection). And the sound would have enormous from the center of the electrostatic unit caused sparkle. Sibilance in speech, for instance, is not say); moreover, this image does not shift near- depth and power. The PX1s were creating this some irregularities and extra treble roll-off. But lost. Nor is high percussion dulled. If anything, ly as much with respect to sideways movement impression to a surprising extent. otherwise stability was the rule. the speakers are a bit extroverted on top though of the listener as it would with more direction- Similarly, Harnoy and Dussek’s recording of The slight tendency to relax a bit around not in any displeasing way. Note also that many al speakers. And large ensembles sound large, the Schubert Arpeggione Sonata [RCA] had a 2kHz brings up another point: Above 1kHz the speakers roll the RTA response off considerably too. This is all very impressive, though one size that matched the reality of cello and piano

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Equipment Report Muraudio PX1 Omnidirectional Electrostatic Hybrid

at relatively close range. ovetsky recording of the Goldberg Variations ar- On orchestral music, the PX1’s anti-miniatur- ranged for string orchestra were easily audible, ization effect, if I may call it that, came into its unmasked, and very well resolved. The main ef- own in a big way, as it were. My Rachmaninoff fects of the extra sound off the walls turned out favorite, Symphonic Dances [ProArte], sounded to be in keeping with the previously discussed enormous not just in the “soundstage” sense— tonal and imaging matters. which never really happens without trick signal processing (orchestras never sound 60 feet And the Differences: Who is Right? wide reproduced in a living room of moderate From the early days of The Absolute Sound, and size)—but in the sense that one felt immersed even earlier elsewhere, controversy has raged— in a large acoustic space with instruments of sometimes almost literally raged—about how power and substance before one. stereo recordings should be reproduced. If you All this was, of course, hugely gratifying, al- go back into the early years of TAS, you will find most hypnotically so. One had a wonderful time arguments made vigorously on both sides of the listening and experienced a remarkable suspen- question of whether speakers should be direc- sion of disbelief. One could sink into the music tional and generate as much direct sound as pos- and forget all about audio and its categories. sible, or whether speakers should spread sound At the same time, smaller-scale music that around the room, so as to use its characteristics was precisely recorded—Tiden Bar Gaar, Blum- to help recreate an acoustic environment. lein-recorded on Opus 3 for instance—sounded This controversy ultimately it is not a matter sufficiently focused to be natural, albeit with- of right or wrong, but of what sounds most nat- out the “X marks the spot” imaging of highly ural and convincing to you, the listener. directional speakers. It was different, but it was I am in the position of admiring good speak- still convincing. ers of both types. When I first encountered the Also convincing were recordings of nonmusi- PX1s at the 2014 Newport show, I picked them cal material. The Sherlock Holmes “Boscombe as having the best sound—but tied with Sanders Valley Mystery” recorded as a radio play by the speakers, which are highly directional and about BBC had natural speech timbres and very realis- as far from the omni sound as possible. For me, tic sound effects, which could make one really either approach can work wonderfully if it is jump from being startled. done right. And the quite-directional Janszen If one thought about the matter in terms of, ZA1.1s that I was reviewing at the same time as say, reverberant versus non-reverberant halls, the PX1s also offer some wonderful qualities, one might suspect that more sound coming off but quite different ones from the PX1s. the walls would somehow reduce resolution, Each approach has its virtues and its draw- would tend to obscure details. But this turned backs—I would not call them failings in either out not to be true. Pieces like the often subtle case—compared to the other. The omni ap- harpsichord continuo part in the Bach/Sitk- proach with its room-filling sound has a kind

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Equipment Report Muraudio PX1 Omnidirectional Electrostatic Hybrid of scale and an independence of listener posi- Paul Seydor comments: around a loudspeaker and perceive virtually no er—and with judicious application of the bal- tion that gives some truly compelling natural- With his customary thoroughness, REG has cov- alteration in tonal balance from front to side to ance control (one of the reasons I detest control ness. At the same time, one could have a certain ered all the important bases in his review of the back to the other side. Allied to this neutrali- units without one) hear an essentially perfect sense that all that sound bouncing around the Muraudio PX1, and I concur with his enthusias- ty is a dynamic range that approaches lifelike soundstage that does not collapse into one or room was not exactly on the recording and that tic evaluation. If, like me, you get a little tired (though you do need gobs of power). Robert’s the other speaker or compromise the tonal bal- the space generated is in part generated by the of the way audio reviewers seem to discover observations about how it reproduces a piano ance. In this specific sense, the PX1 is a rare and room, and thus tends to be somewhat similar fresh masterpieces each month, to say noth- are well worth paying attention to, since the absolute triumph. from recording to recording. And the imaging is ing of so-called breakthroughs and innovations room adjoining my listening room houses a Of course, as REG points out, because an less tightly focused and more impressionistic, that are in reality little else than reworkings of gorgeous Bluthner grand piano. Yes, the speak- omnidirectional radiates in all directions and albeit convincing in its stability. The choice is a long-established technology, it may be difficult er does have a slight forgiving character in the invariably reflects off all surfaces, the acousti- personal one, since of course one cannot have fully to appreciate a truly unique and unprec- presence region, but while audible, it really is cal character of your room is going to be more both things at once. edented design such as this omnidirectional slight and in no way, at least to my ears, de- mixed into the presentation than would be the electrostatic. It represents the most original tracts from any sense of lifelikeness, vitality, or case with conventional loudspeakers—and far Overall thinking in loudspeaker design since Jorma Sal- excitement. In any case, this is something I tend more than with loudspeakers that deliberately The PX1s are one of the all-time triumphs of mi found a way to suppress the backwave in his to prefer inasmuch as the vast majority of re- restrict the dispersion of the mids and highs speaker design. The goals that were envisioned aptly named Gradient Revolution loudspeakers. cordings are so closely miked and thus peaked (bass frequencies are always omnidirectional are so nearly perfectly accomplished that one The observations that follow will involve some in that very region. and always heavily influenced by one’s listen- is stunned with admiration and, for me, musi- criticisms, but I should like them to be under- Most omnidirectional loudspeakers and most ing space). Acoustically speaking, my listening cal pleasure. The in-room smoothness is all but stood in the context of my conviction that the other loudspeakers that reflect a lot of sound room happens to be an exceptionally pleasant incomparable, the bass is superb, the midrange PX1 belongs right up there with a small handful from room surfaces image terribly. Not so the space, so the PX1 was able to do its thing to best and treble are not only neutral but pure and of the finest loudspeakers ever made, and it is PX1. No, it doesn’t have the absolute pinpoint advantage. I’m uncertain how it would do in a clear in true electrostatic style, and the desired superior to most of them and all in all, inferior accuracy that, source permitting, something like less accommodating setting, say, one with lots radiation pattern is realized to perfection. This to none. My enthusiasm should also be under- my Quads or Harbeths do, but neither is there of hard, flat surfaces. My guess is that it would is really a landmark in speakers, a huge step in a stood in another context: I have never been a any sense of image wander, instability, nine-foot perform much better than speakers of consider- new direction that previously hardly figured in great fan of omnidirectional loudspeakers, or violins or vocalists, or other such anomalies. On ably less neutrality, but perhaps at some further anyone else’s imagination, much less in reality. for that matter even wide dispersion. I prefer the contrary, all the staged-for-the-microphone sacrifice to imaging precision—because highly And musically, I was enchanted. But the the greater precision and accuracy of restrict- sources I regularly use for evaluating imaging reflective rooms generally don’t allow for very question remains: “Is this the form of enchanted dispersion that’s found in speakers such as and soundstaging—The Christmas Revels, the good imaging under any circumstances un- ment you want?” If it is, if the omni sound is Quad ESLs and several classic designs from the Bernstein Carmen, the Water Lily Mahler Fifth, less you sit very close to the speakers, and the your audio goal, this is a speaker almost with- BBC school, designs that attempt to excite the the Solti Ring —are beautifully reproduced in speakers are fairly restricted in their dispersion. out competition. On the other hand, the con- acoustic characteristics of the listening space an enveloping acoustic space that recreates a The only aspects the PX1 that Robert and I trolled-radiation-pattern speakers have their as little as possible. very convincing realism, one that frees the pre- react to differently concern bass response and own enchantments. I think of the closing lines As REG has explained, perhaps the paramount sentation from the impression it’s restricted to bass integration. It is certainly true that the of “St. James Infirmary”: “She can search this reason for the PX1’s success is its exceptional- one end of the listening space. Furthermore, PX1s are at the state of the art when it comes whole wide world over, she won’t find another ly smooth, extended, and uniform frequency owing to the omnidirectional radiation, I can sit to bass articulation, definition, detail, and reso- man like me”—or a speaker like this one. A non- response. This is one really neutral-sounding well out of the so-called sweet spot—in fact, lution, and they will certainly plumb the depths pareil if ever there was one. transducer. It’s truly uncanny to be able to walk practically across from one or the other speak- with considerable reach and power. However,

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Equipment Report Muraudio PX1 Omnidirectional Electrostatic Hybrid play a recording like Volume 2 of Kei Koito’s in my 15’ x 21’ x 8’ room, about seven feet out Bach recital [Claves Records]—which The Dia- from the back wall. pason magazine judges a benchmark recording The only thing that Robert didn’t mention but for organ music—on the PX1 and then play it on that does need to be addressed is their appear- a system which uses, say, an REL subwoofer, and ance. Given what Muraudio has accomplished in you would hear that the PX1s don’t quite have this speaker, the styling certainly constitutes a all the bottom-end reach some recordings have. fine example of form following function. And yet, On the vast majority of sources this won’t mat- that didn’t stop the proliferation of wisecracks ter, though I would add that precisely because from audiophiles and non-audiophiles alike: the PX1 is so good so far down, a top REL would gasoline pump, popcorn maker, water-cooler— make a splendid partner for that last half octave you name it, I heard it. SOA—that is, Significant inasmuch as it is a true sub-bass woofer, prin- Other Acceptance—factor looms gigantic here. cipally intended to extend already superb bass I love the sound, but I can’t say I cotton much to response. the appearance. One big problem, I think, is that Then there is the obstreperous matter of the review samples were fitted with an optional integration. I want to hit this one as lightly as contrasting chrome trim (that separates the up- possible. When I heard the PX1 the year before per and lower sections and caps) that actually last in a large room at the Newport show, I heard accentuates the mirth-provoking aspects of the no discernible issues as regards cone bass to appearance. The standard finishes are unicolor, electrostatic mid and high integration. But in which I suspect will help a lot. But I still think my much smaller room, from time to time I felt the jokes are going to continue—at least until I did. It was nothing very serious, nothing that the music starts playing, at which point all wise- distracted from the listening experience, and acres are shut up and all critics silenced. it was infrequent and vague enough that it’s Regular readers of mine will know that while even difficult for me to put into words exactly I’m often “impressed” by the large super-ex- the effect. All I can say is that on occasion I was pensive monster systems that so many audio- aware that I was listening to two different kinds philes seem to lust after, I rarely actually like of transducers. (As a point of comparison, once them, and I’ve heard none I would personally I had the woofer level dialed in on the Martin- give house space to. This is because I find their Logan Montis hybrid electrostatic, which I re- sonic presentations merely impressive—there’s viewed a while ago, the integration was seam- that irony-laden word again—or, to put it anoth- less.) As I said, I don’t want to hit this too hard, er way, all too typically assaultive rather than because it may be a function of the much small- beautiful or powerful in the way that live music er listening space. However, neither do I want is beautiful and powerful. In that context, the to give the impression you need a baronial-size PX1 is the only speaker system I’ve heard that living room to house these speakers: They’re costs more than my Quad 2805s that I would physically large, but they worked perfectly well consider buying if I had the money.

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Equipment Report

Audio Physic Cardeas 30 LJE It Don’t Come Easy

Andrew Quint

on-audiophiles watching a mem- this model represents the ultimate refinement ber of our tribe move towards the pur- of the Cardeas Plus+ that premiered in early N chase of a costly assault-on-the-art 2014, which in turn evolved from the origi- loudspeaker may believe that acquiring that nal Cardeas, introduced in 2009. The Cardeas component guarantees sonic nirvana. We mem- Plus+ remains in production and costs $32,995 bers of the tribe know better. That understand- or $35,995, depending on finish. Manfred Di- ing is a big part of the blend of excitement and estertich, who has designed Audio Physic’s angst that attends the decision to change out loudspeakers for 17 years, told me that once a major part of a music system. As Ringo Starr the thirty LJE pairs are gone, he expects that sang (when he could remember the words), “a non-anniversary edition of the Cardeas will sometimes “it don’t come easy.” I learned this evolve from the latest design advances and be lesson anew with the Audio Physic 30 Cardeas available for sale in the U.S.” In other words, LJEs, which I used as my only speakers for a you will still be able to purchase essentially the two-month stretch this spring. A good deal of same loudspeaker being considered here after diligence with choosing complementary am- the numbered LJE sets have all sold—it’ll just plification was required to get them sounding have a different name. Don’t you just love mar- their considerable best. But that effort was as- keting? suredly worthwhile, and I was very sorry to see With all Audio Physic loudspeakers, one de- these world-class loudspeakers go at the end of sign obsession stands out, namely the aim of the review period. eliminating any unwanted resonances that The LJE of the product’s name stands for could negatively impact the performance of “Limited Jubilee Edition.” In 2015, to celebrate those elements that are supposed to create the German company’s 30th anniversary, Audio sound. (This emphasis on mechanical factors is Physic announced it would be building 30 pairs, completely understandable, given Manfred Di- and only 30 pairs, of these loudspeakers. Of estertich’s engineering background—see side- course, AP didn’t design a brand-new speaker bar.) Numerous design decisions serve the goal with the plan of making just 60 of them. Rather, of decoupling vibration-prone elements from

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Equipment Report Audio Physic Cardeas 30 LJE the drivers, beginning with the drivers them- to eliminate ringing and the consequent “me- provide structural stability and, because of its top lines are equipped with Vibration Control selves. To avoid resonances associated with the tallic sound” of the drivers. All the drivers, in- high porosity, acoustic absorption. The foam Terminals, (new exclusively modified versions metal cones that AP favors, a silicone/rubber cluding the tweeters, are ceramic-coated alumi- further adds to the inertness of the cabinet yet are in the LJE) a substantial aluminum struc- ring is incorporated to apply direct pressure to num cones built to Audio Physic’s specifications doesn’t significantly reduce the volume of the ture holding the binding posts and fitted with the cone. Audio Physic calls this Active Cone by Wavecor (AP owns the tools), and this con- woofer chamber. A black high-gloss aluminum a rubber gasket that assures the mechanical Damping, maintaining that it’s an effective way sistency of driver material and form surely con- front panel and bottom plate are unique to the isolation of the connecting hardware from the tributes to the top-to-bottom seamlessness of LJE version. Otherwise, the backward-tilted enclosure. On the second score, in lieu of spikes SPECS & PRICING the sound that one hears. AP’s drive units incor- cabinet, twice as deep as it is wide, has rounded that directly contact the supporting surface, Type: Three-and-a-half-way, porate a dual basket, again intended to help de- side and back surfaces that can be assumed to AP’s spikes are screwed downwards through the sealed enclosure couple the drivers from the cabinet: an alumi- provide the usual mechanical and acoustic ad- front and rear outrigger supports to terminate Driver complement: num outer frame assures strength and a plastic vantages. The Cardeas 30 LJE is offered in two in a plastic ball foot. Instead of draining vibra- One 1.75" Hyper Holographic Cone inner basket provides optimized damping. The “jubilee” veneers, black ebony high-gloss and tional energy from the speaker to the floor— Tweeter (HHCT III), one 5.9" HHCM III Cardeas has been—and remains in the LJE ver- rosewood high-gloss. I can report that the latter the usual approach—where, theoretically, it can midrange, two 5.9" HHCM III midrange/ sion—a six driver, three-and-a-half way design. is stunning with a level of execution that’s the still do sonic harm—most of that vibration is woofers, two 10.6" woofers Highest up on the narrow front baffle is a 5.9” equal of fine furniture. converted to heat. With the ball feet in place, Frequency response: 25Hz–40Hz HHCM III (Hyper Holographic Cone Midrange) The crossovers (with exclusive Clarity Cap it’s fairly easy to move the 163-pound speakers Sensitivity: 89dB unit and, below that, a 1.75” HHCT III tweeter capacitors and copper foam technology) have during the positioning process without damage Impedance: 4 ohms newly designed for the LJE version—and now also been decoupled from the enclosure with to floor or carpet. For the ultimate in speaker- Recommended amplifier power: used in many models in the line. Next comes a SSC materials. Audio Physic has long employed to-floor decoupling, the LJE owner is supplied 40–350 watts (into 4 ohms) pair of 5.9” midrange/woofers and, closest to a “floating” configuration for its crossovers, with a set of VCF V Magnetic Feet with which to Dimensions: 12" x 46.9" x 23.4" the floor, two side-firing 10.2” HHC woofers that meaning that serial electronic components replace the ball feet. These devices have repel- Weight: 163 lbs. each are wired in a push-pull-push configuration. The within the crossover are arranged in both the ling neodymium magnets that serve to reduce Price: $45,995 tweeter, midrange, and two mid/woofer drivers positive and negative limbs of the signal path the load on the SSC material that bears the each live in their own sealed chambers and instead of only on one side. Manfred Diester- weight of the speaker. (The magnetic feet are AUDIO PHYSIC GmbH are decoupled from the enclosure with Audio tich’s observation regarding this topology is optional with the standard Cardeas Plus+; they Almerfeldweg 38 Physic’s SSC (String Suspension Concept) tech- refreshingly non-German-engineer-like: “The can be purchased separately for use with oth- 59929 Brilon nology, a construction in which the drivers are measured performance does not change at all er brands of loudspeakers, as well. They’re not Germany not directly connected to the baffle. Examining but the audible result is amazing,” he told me. cheap—around $1500 for a set of eight.) audiophysic.com the loudspeaker’s exterior, one might conclude In fact, a number of other loudspeaker manu- The Cardeas 30 LJEs replaced my usual vanaltd.com that the woofers’ enclosure is a rectangular box facturers have taken up the practice, including two-channel speaker system, a pair of Wilson comprising the bottom 45% of the LJE’s verti- Gauder Akustik, GoldenEar, and Sonus faber. Duette 2s complemented by a Wilson WATCH VANA LTD (U.S. Distributor) cal dimension of approximately 47 inches. In Audio Physic’s devotion to acoustic isolation Dog subwoofer. My dedicated listening room 2845 Middle Country Rd. fact, the non-ported bass chamber is much larg- extends to the binding posts and the interface is 15’ by 15’, with a ceiling height that varies Lake Grove, NY 11755 er, extending up behind the mid/woofer, mid- between speaker and floor. On the first score, from 11’ to 13’. I hasten to reassure those con- vanaltd.com range, and tweeter enclosures. it’s generally underappreciated that cables can cerned by the symmetric LxW dimensions that a 631-246-4412 For the Cardeas Plus+, Diestertich introduced transmit vibration back to the speaker and thus hallway leading off from one sidewall near the a stiff ceramic foam material, used internally to to the drivers. All the speaker models in AP’s front of the room serves to “unload” the space:

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Equipment Report Audio Physic Cardeas 30 LJE

Standing waves are not a problem. The truck ally every other speaker I’ve used in the room, the LJEs reveal every shift in light, every timbral that delivered the speakers to my place was controlled any bass irregularities that speaker nuance that the composer conjured up to sug- met by a team of three audio pros—Roy Feld- positioning didn’t tame. Cabling was mostly gest a moonless night in prehistoric times with stein, the chief technical officer for VANA, Ltd. current Transparent product. But which power human sacrifice on the agenda. (now AP’s North American distributor), VANA’s amp(s), you ask? That’s a journey you need to It’s apparent, I think, that the LJE’s attention managing director, Justin Feldstein, and Micah hear about. to resonance/vibration issues is what’s respon- Shevaloff, a consumer electronics veteran han- Naturally, I started with my reference amplifi- sible for the abundance of meaningful detail, dling Audio Physic’s marketing/PR efforts. They ers, a pair of Pass XA 60.8 Class A monoblocks. and that translates into superior spatiality as spent several hours carefully adjusting the po- To begin with the sonic metric referenced by well: Temporal smearing can obliterate a con- sition of the LJE’s and installing the magnetic Audio Physic’s advertising slogan, “No Loss of sistent sense of imaging and soundstage rec- feet, having settled on a location that had the Fine Detail,” the LJEs ability to uncover musi- reation. With the mid-1970s Philips recording speakers 8’ apart (center-to-center) and two cally relevant nuance—microdynamic shadings of Handel’s Op. 4 organ concertos, on a Penta- feet from the wall behind them. The distance and subtle shifts in color—was as good as I’ve Tone SACD, the mechanical action—the clicking from the front baffle to the sweet spot was heard with any other loudspeaker, and that in- and clacking—of the small eighteenth century also 8’, with roughly 15 degrees of toe-in to- cludes various electrostatic and ribbon designs. instrument played by soloist Daniel Chorzem- wards the listening position. This deployment, Want a tutorial on what was cutting-edge in stu- pa in a Dutch church can be heard to discretely which could be viewed as a nearfield listening dio wizardry circa 1982? Check out the 176/24 originate from a plane behind where the sound perspective, worked quite well and I made no HDtracks download of Michael Jackson’s Thrill- of organ and orchestra seems to come from. changes after the three gentlemen departed. er to savor layer upon layer of instrumentals With well-made recordings, these speakers dis- The owner’s manual, which does include ex- and vocals, subtleties of the decay and reverb appear, to roll out a hoary audiophile cliché. But ceptionally helpful set-up guidelines, advises applied to synthesizers, and Michael’s distant it’s true. Listen to Paavo Järvi’s nonpareil ver- that the drivers for Audio Physic loudspeakers yet clear-as-day vocal exclamations on “Beat sion of L’histoire du soldat (another PentaTone have been fully burned-in at the Brilon facto- It.” Perhaps it’s not necessary to hear so much SACD) and note the precise localization of each ry and that only a few hours of music or white/ of the minutiae that went into the creation of a of the seven players, as well as the correct scal- pink noise should be needed to bring them up pop masterpiece, but the point is you can. Some- ing of the diverse wind, brass, string, and per- to their sonic potential. Indeed, by the end of times, what we refer to as transparency in a cussion instruments they play. the day that they were installed, it was apparent good orchestral recording is actually a measure Who’s to say if the Cardeas 30 LJE tonal con- I was hearing a top-echelon loudspeaker, com- of detail retrieval. There’s no better example sistenty from top to bottom results from all petitive with other highly regarded models in than the Introduction to Part II of Stravinsky’s six drivers in each speaker being made of the their price range from Wilson, YG, Magico, Von The Rite of Spring, as heard with an HDtracks same material? But these half-dozen cones do Schweikert, and others. download of a 2013 performance from Yannick speak with one voice. The treble is open, airy, The source material used to assess the APs Néget-Séguin and the Philadelphia Orchestra. and stress-free—a recording of, say, solo pic- was all-digital, coming from either an Oppo The music is quiet but extraordinarily atmo- colo doesn’t seem to originate from one part BD-103 universal player or a Baetis Reference spheric, evocative, and complex—at one point, of the speaker’s front baffle. Singers with the music computer, feeding my usual Anthem D2v 31 staves are required in the conductor’s score most recognizable voices, recorded in their processor. Anthem’s room-correction software and many of those have two or three parts per prime—artists like Billie Holiday, Johnny Cash, was employed up to 800Hz which, as with virtu- staff. Without seeming the least bit “analytical,” Neil Young, or Adele—have the essence of their

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Equipment Report Audio Physic Cardeas 30 LJE vocal sonorities reproduced with no anomalies First up was a John Curl-designed Parasound that pulled out all the stops (so to speak)—like setting provides the most damping and, with imposed at the extremes of their ranges. There HCA-2200 II stereo amplifier I own, an excep- the final movement of Messaien’sLa Nativité du many speakers including the LJEs, extremely is one disc I own that, above all others, tells me tional value in its day (and now, on the used Seigneur, “Dieu Parmi Nous,” as played by Mary potent and visceral bass performance—fast, what I need to know about a loudspeaker’s tonal market) that delivers 385 watts into 4 ohms. The Preston on a Reference Recordings CD titled Or- tight, tuneful, and impactful. A lower setting did accuracy. It’s one of three CDs that accompanies Parasound definitely provided more low-end gan Odyssey—was thrilling in its dynamic and open up the sound higher up in the frequency a coffee table book called The Miracle Makers, control and dynamic headroom but imaging was low-frequency power. spectrum, at the cost of less tightly controlled a volume presenting the histories and photo- not nearly as holographic, and there wasn’t the I certainly don’t mean to imply that the Ber- bass. Ultimately, I chose the “normal” setting. graphs of 30 of the world’s finest violins, 15 preternatural clarity I’d heard from Day 1 with ning monoblocks are the only amplifiers that Not every speaker will make such choices so from the workshop of the Stradivari family, 15 the Pass XA 60.8s. Next, I tried a Primare A60 will bring the APs fully to life with all stripes critical. But to return to Ringo’s metaphorical made by Giuseppe Guarneri del Gesù [review in supplied by VANA, a stereo Class D design that of music. I’m sure that there are dozens of oth- advice, “You’ve got to pay your dues if you want TAS Issue 125]. The CD documents the violin- provides 500Wpc for a 4-ohm loudspeaker. This ers that will do so—and they won’t necessarily to sing the blues.” The world-class performance ist Elmar Oliveira playing, unaccompanied, 30 component simply didn’t click with my system cost $30k (though such an expenditure doesn’t that’s possible with Audio Physic’s limited edi- bars of the Sibelius Violin Concerto, alternating the APs—the sound lacked dimensionality and necessarily strike me as out of line when you’ve tion loudspeaker may not always “come easy.” between Strads and Guarneris. Never before, in timbral accuracy. I then prevailed upon nearby spent $45,995 for speakers). You just need to But with persistence, you stand to get sound as my long experience with this recording, have I audiophile friends to borrow amplifiers. A Mark be aware that the excellent amps you already good as most audiophiles can hope to achieve heard a better differentiation between the two Levinson 532 stereo amp provided plenty of own may not be right for the Cardeas 30 LJEs. in a typical domestic environment. And that’s brands of fiddles—the cleaner, sweeter, more muscle but compared to the Pass, introduced a These loudspeakers are not the most benign surely worth a little anguish, don’t you think? focused tone of the Stradivarius instruments as trace of harshness and didn’t scale instruments load in the world and, more importantly, they opposed to the darker, earthier, more sensual, or image as effectively as my reference mono- are exceptionally revealing of what comes be- and plaintive sonority of the Guarneris. It was blocks. Then, I got the Bernings. fore them in the audio chain. They will not suf- close to hearing the instruments themselves The David Berning Quadrature Z monoblocks fer fools, or even some very fine components with no intermediary electronic technology. are OTL tube amplifiers costing $30,000 per that might shine in another setting. It was with dynamics and bass reproduction pair that deliver 270 watts into a 4-ohm load. With suitable amplification, the Cardeas 30 that the question of amplification loomed large. The power supplies are regulated switching de- LJE loudspeakers will provide a majestic, full- The Cardeas 30 LJE’s performance with many— vices which explains why the amps aren’t espe- range listening experience with the most chal- most—musical styles (chamber music, eigh- cially heavy and don’t run particularly hot. The lenging source material in both smaller and teenth century orchestral, jazz, folk, plenty of Quadrature Zs realized the full potential of the larger rooms. They do so more successfully than pop, solo piano, and others) was clearly the best Cardeas 30 LJE speakers. Dynamics were scary- any other two-box floorstander I’ve heard in my I’d heard in my room. But larger-scale material good: the eleven strokes that begin “Glorifica- familiar listening environment. The LFEs are seemed to be alerting me that limits were being tion of the Chosen One” in Le sacre, courtesy such highly resolving transducers that you may approached. While the LJE’s recommended am- of four timpani and a bass drum, were cataclys- have to make some difficult decisions not only plifier power is 40 to 350 watts into 4 ohms and mic, and I could differentiate the hits on timps about which amplifiers to mate with them, but the XA 60.8s are rated at 120 watts into that from those on the big drum. Likewise, the fury how to use those amplifiers. As a case in point, load, the Pass amps don’t have an especially of the Rondo-Burleske movement of Mahler’s the Quadrature Z sports a front panel switch high damping factor, and they registered to me Symphony No. 9 (Michael Tilson Thomas/San that allows users to choose different amounts as underpowered. I set out to try more substan- Francisco on an SFS Media SACD) was experi- of negative feedback, depending upon the tial amplification. enced with concert hall acuity. Organ music loudspeakers they are driving. The “normal”

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Equipment Report

Ryan Speakers Tempus III Not To Be Missed

Andrew Quint

or the 2015 Rocky Mountain Audio the loudspeaker business since Ryan Acoustics Fest, my beat was loudspeakers cost- closed shop. Todd has worked at Sonance for F ing less than $20,000 per pair and, in two decades, currently as the chief designer advance of the trip to Denver, I meticulously for this leading manufacturer of “architectural studied the show guide and made a list of all speakers.” Trevor, for a time, was a principal of the rooms I’d need to visit. Well, not meticu- Motus Audio, which makes speaker drivers. The lously enough. TAS’s RMAF reports were up on- Ryans returned to producing their own audio- line within a week of the event and an early vis- phile loudspeakers in 2013 with Todd as Direc- itor reading my account wanted to know how I tor of Design and Development and Trevor as felt about the Ryan Speakers Tempus IIIs. Oops. Director of Operations. I’d missed them, and posted my mea culpa. For- The Tempus III sits atop a line of four models tunately, Robert Harley had heard the speakers that starts with the R610, a two-way bookshelf and wrote that they “offered outstanding per- speaker priced at $2000 per pair, and moves up formance. Watch for a full review.” It took over the range to two-and-a-half-way and three-way six months for a pair to become available but floorstanders, the R620 at $3500 and the R630 sometimes good things come to those who at $5000. The $15,995 Tempus III is a 165-pound wait. Or can’t read an audio show guide. four-way design that employs a 1.1" cham- Perhaps I can be conditionally absolved for bered beryllium dome tweeter, a 4" midrange, overlooking the brand in Denver last fall be- a 6.5" mid/woofer, and a pair of side-mounted cause Ryan Speakers had only been in business 8" woofers. Like many manufacturers, Ryan’s for about two years at the time. I should say drivers are manufactured in China—a fact that back in business because from 1986 to 1993, many prestigious high-end loudspeaker-mak- Todd and Trevor Ryan of Riverside, California, ers tend to deemphasize. With this company, made a number of well-regarded loudspeakers there’s an important difference. Because of his as Ryan Acoustics. (The MCL-1 bookshelf mod- position with Sonance, Todd Ryan actually lives el was reviewed positively way back in TAS Is- for half of each year in Guangdong, the southern sue 61.) The brothers have not been away from Chinese province where the country’s booming

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Equipment Report Ryan Speakers Tempus III electronics industry is located. He not only de- the working conditions and salaries were really ers and crossovers account for nearly 50 of the mounted on the front baffle. The enclosure is signs the drivers that are unique to Ryan speak- unacceptable, they would find other places to speaker’s 165 pounds. The cabinet is fabricated quite deep at 27½" but a sense of massiveness ers but also oversees their manufacture to a far work—but that is not what occurs in the facto- from MDF an inch thick on all sides. (The excep- is substantially mitigated by the narrow width greater degree than do other North American ries that we have partnerships with. For us, the tionally rigid side panels are made from four of the speaker, from 8½" to 10½". (The sides and European companies. Speaker manufactur- best sign that an employee cares about and en- laminated ¼" MDF layers.) There’s extensive of the Tempus III bow out slightly.) With tow-in ers have their drivers made in Asia, of course, joys what he is doing is that he returns year af- internal bracing with ¾" MDF—two braces in as recommended, the speakers’ sides are barely for economic reasons and there’s a perception ter year to the factory. Over time, these people the vertical direction and five horizontally. The visible from the listening position, and I never among some consumers that the quality of the become highly skilled. Many are promoted and midrange and midwoofer have their own sub-en- felt that they visually overwhelmed the room. work and labor conditions are potentially sus- work their way up through the factory.” closures; the woofers’ air space goes up behind The Tempus IIIs are finished with a choice of pect. Trevor Ryan addressed the issue forth- Todd Ryan has advanced modeling soft- these sub-enclosures to the top of the speaker. wood veneers; they’re not sexy but the work- rightly when asked about it, explaining that ware and instrumentation at his disposal and The bass chamber is ported near the floor. Todd manship is exemplary. The two sets of binding workers in southern China generally come from strives to achieve several sorts of “symme- Ryan told me that listening tests demonstrated posts on the rear panel are of Ryan’s design, the central and northern parts of the country to try” in his driver design—symmetry of driver that “placing the port tube in close proximity to machined from solid oxygen-free copper plated work in the electronics industry. “These work- mechanics, magnetic symmetry, symmetry of the woofer produces the most cohesive low-fre- with nickel, suitable for either spades or banana ers have two long holidays when they travel the voice coil’s inductance, and symmetry of quency response.” The side-firing woofers are plugs. Inside the speakers, the binding posts are back home to spend time with their families. If the mechanical resistance of the drivers’ sus- connected in phase to minimize vibrational en- soldered directly to the crossover network. pensions. The midrange, midwoofer, and bass ergy that could potentially be transmitted to the The Tempus IIIs arrived carefully packed in SPECS & PRICING drivers all incorporate Ryan Speakers’ propri- cabinet. The woofers are crossed over to the mid/ cardboard boxes with a well-judged amount of Type: Four-way, ported enclosure etary diaphragm material, a laminate of Kevlar woofer at a lower frequency (100Hz) than usual supporting foam. Unboxing them is definitely a Driver complement: One 1.1" chambered and Nomex. Bonding the two dissimilar mate- for configurations of this sort, and Ryan notes a two-person job but once the speaker is upright, beryllium dome tweeter, one 4" midrange, rials together has the effect of eliminating the positive influence on the “placement sensitivi- one can move them unassisted without much one 6.5" mid/woofer, two 8" woofers acoustical breakup each would have on its own. ty” sometimes seen with side-mounted woofers. difficulty before installing the supplied spikes. Frequency response: 24Hz–35kHz Ryan’s Kevlar/Nomex laminate is very light— Ryan’s literature is a bit mysterious regarding The 12-page owner’s manual has excellent set- Impedance: 6 ohms nominal, 4.1 ohms the midrange driver, for example, weights only details of the Tempus III’s crossover network, de- up instructions. The Tempus IIIs have a driver ar- minimum 4.5 grams. The Tempus III tweeter includes a scribing it as “a highly complex four-way design” rangement and dimensions that are very similar Sensitivity: 88dB Truextent beryllium acoustic dome “renowned that employs high-order, asymmetric slopes. to the Audio Physic LJE Cardeas loudspeakers Dimensions: 10.75" x 48" x 27.5" for its extreme stiffness and low moving mass.” Top quality parts are used—Clarity capacitors, considered in Issue 266, and I started by placing Weight: 165 lbs. It features a die-cast aluminum faceplate and a Mundorf resistors, Solen inductors—and it’s ex- the Ryans where the German speakers had fared Price: $15,995 large receptacle behind the dome to minimize plained that because the large inductors in the well. This ended up being close to the ideal lo- backpressure from the tweeter’s rear wave. woofer and mid/woofer crossovers can behave cation. After I’d had the speakers up and running RYAN SPEAKERS Unlike the drivers that, under Todd Ryan’s like “antennas broadcasting audio signals to any for a few weeks, Todd and Trevor Ryan, visiting 3380 La Sierra Avenue watchful eye, are made on the other side of the other inductors close enough to receive it,” the some of their East Coast dealers, stopped by to Suite 104-121 world, the cabinets are built in Riverside CA by crossovers are physically separated within the listen for a few hours and optimize the setup. Riverside, CA 92503-5225 an American company that actually produces enlarge cabinet. Other than to assure that the Tempus III were (951) 266-0030 closures for several other high-end loudspeaker The shape of the Tempus III approximates a perfectly level, pretty much all they did was ryanspeakers.com manufacturers. The Tempus IIIs are substantial backwards-leaning trapezoid, the tilt helping to toe the speakers outward a few degrees— speakers, though Ryan explained that the driv- to assure time-alignment of the three drivers which did make a substantial improvement, in

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Equipment Report Ryan Speakers Tempus III terms of solidifying images. When all was said Cables, I wondered if the supplied jumper bars tic. The Hagan String Quartet, in concert and on of instrumental and vocal images was redolent and done, in my 225 square-foot room, the Tem- might be degrading the sound. I had on hand a SACD, manifests a gorgeously blended sonority of a live concert experience, as demonstrated pus IIIs were about eight feet apart (center baf- set of Transparent “bi-wire adapters,” specifi- that can be heard especially well in the Andan- on another recently issued XRCD with sopra- fle to center baffle), between 18" to 22" from cally designed to replace the jumper bars in a te movement of Beethoven’s Quartet in D ma- no Mariella Devia as the featured performer in the wall behind the speaker, and approximately bi-wireable speaker like the Ryans, and found jor, Op. 18, No. 3. There are good reasons for an all-Mozart program (Master Music XRCD24- nine feet from the ideal listening position. Two that they narrowed the gap in performance be- their richly complex yet homogenous ensemble NT018.) With “Regina coeli,” K.108, the Ryan sets of monoblock amplifiers were used, in turn, tween the Transparent single-wire and the An- sound—these musicians have been playing to- speakers neither exaggerate nor minimize the to power the Ryans, Pass XA60.8s as well as Da- tiCable bi-wires. I do feel that bi-wiring is pref- gether for a long time (three are siblings) and relative acoustic masses of soloist, chorus, and vid Berning Quadrature Zs, and an Anthem D2v erable with the Tempus IIIs—it usually is with they use a set of matched Stradivarius instru- orchestra, the proportions of which contribute pre/pro was consistently in the system. Sources most loudspeakers—and kept the Cardas prod- ments—and the Tempus IIIs permit one to savor significantly to the naturalness of the 1997 an- were an Oppo-93, a VPI Scoutmaster with JMW uct in place for most of my evaluation. But I do it fully. Or listen to Ricki Lee Jones’s eponymous alog recording. tonearm and Sumiko Blue Point EVO III cartridge wonder if Ryan should revisit the composition/ first album, to the “rightness” of the tonality of In terms of tonal balance, these speakers played through an Audio Research PH2 phonos- design of the jumpers it supplies, recognizing her youthful voice, a slight roughness superim- tage, and a Baetis Reference music computer. that some customers, for various reasons, are posed upon an almost childlike quality. The Ry- Interconnects were Transparent, except for the going to decide on the single-wire option. an’s ability to deliver natural musical textures is Shunyata Anaconda AES/EBU used from Baetis The Tempus IIIs were the only loudspeak- a significant advantage, as there is such a thing to Anthem. er in my reference system for five weeks and I as too much detail. Most of the vocals on Lyn The Ryans strongly urge users to bi-wire the thoroughly enjoyed their residence. With both Stanley’s Potions from the 50’s were recorded at speakers, and hope you’ll remove the nick- tubed and solid-state amplification, the Ryan a different time, in a different studio than the el-plated brass jumpers with which the Tempus flagship was highly effective in communicating jazz instrumental accompaniments. An over-an- IIIs are shipped. I began my listening with the the musical meaning of whatever reached its alytical speaker could reveal that fact to a dis- jumpers in place, utilizing my usual Transparent binding posts. The sound was vital more than tracting degree but the Tempus III’s give a con- Ultra (Generation 5) speaker cables. The only it was vivid, the kind of speaker that might not vincing impression of a performance occurring bi-wire set I own are the outrageously over- stop you in your tracks at a dealer but, at home, in real time. achieving AntiCable Level 2 Performance Series encourages you to listen straight through two- When it comes to issues of spatiality, the model ($164 for a six-foot pair!) and I was more disc concert albums. Whether the material was Tempus IIIs perform quite well. A superb or- than a bit surprised at the improvement I heard chaste (“Will We Gather at the River?” from chestral recording dating from 1958 that I only in transparency, dynamic nuance, and sound- Anonymous 4’s 1865) or majestic (the brass recently came to know is a selection of move- stage continuity when I substituted them for chorales in the finale of Bruckner’s Symphony ments from Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, Efrem the Transparent cables. When Trevor and Todd No. 5, as performed by Benjamin Zander and the Kurtz conducting the Philharmonia. (The Par- visited, they brought a set of Cardas Clear Be- Philharmonia Orchestra) the Tempus IIIs consis- lophone original was remastered for an XRCD yond bi-wires for me to borrow. These cables tently locked on to the basic character of the on the Hi-Q Records label.) With both the Pass moved the dial further in a positive direction, music and largely eliminated themselves from and David Berning amps, the soundstage was providing a better sense of openness and tonal the equation. gratifyingly broad and deep, and the degree complexity (they damn well better, at roughly The Ryans are not super-detailed loudspeak- of instrument localization within the sound- $10,500 for an eight-foot pair) but given the ers, yet their reproduction of vocal and instru- field was believable, specific without having degree of improvement heard with the Anti- mental texture is very specific, and thus realis- an over-etched quality. Likewise, the scaling

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Equipment Report Ryan Speakers Tempus III do not editorialize. The human voice lives, of tra’s recording of the Saint-Saëns “Organ” Sym- course, in the critical midband and if a vocal phony, ripped from my Ondine SACD. I was at is aggressively recorded and equalized, that’s one of the concerts in May of 2006 from which what you’ll hear: “Baltimore” from Lyle Lovett’s this recording derives, sitting in Row L. Though Joshua Judges Ruth was an example that came the experience was thrilling, with the orchestra up as I listened to favorite albums. That’s not and organ (the largest concert hall instrument to say, however, that dynamics present on the in the U.S.) playing full out, there was no pant- original recording are in any way suppressed. leg-flapping going on at Verizon Hall that night. The Rickie Lee Jones album noted above was Good bass reproduction is about more than just recorded well before the onset of egregious dy- visceral sensation. namic compression of pop recordings. The emo- The Ryan Tempus III is a smartly designed tional intensity of the climax to the song “Last loudspeaker, the most ambitious commercial Chance Texaco” comes through loud and clear effort to date from an engineer with both high- with the Ryan speakers. end ideals and extensive manufacturing experi- Though rated down to 24Hz +/-3dB, the Tem- ence. Most speaker designers piously maintain pus III’s low end doesn’t register as especially that the decisions they make are in the service prodigious. This may be a good thing, the con- of creating a musical device, even as the em- sequence of a well-executed side-firing woof- phasis of their promotional efforts (and the cover system, which can minimize standing wave erage their product receives) tend to emphasize problems. I always use DSP room correction exotic materials, unusual aesthetic choices, and that, as performed by the Anthem pre/pro ARC ear-grabbing elements of the audiophile’s per- software, allows the user to choose how far ceptual palette—detail, soundstaging, bass ex- up the frequency spectrum to apply the cor- tension, and so on. Sometimes, an audio prod- rection. The Tempus IIIs required less correc- uct can add up to more than the apparent sum tion than any other loudspeaker I’ve had in my of its parts. Consider this as well. The price of room—only up to 500Hz (5000Hz is more typ- Todd Ryan’s best effort is around the same as ically necessary to smooth out irregularities.) “entry level” models from a number of higher Bass was naturally connected to higher fre- cachet brands. This is not because Todd Ryan quencies, without bloat or overhang and with has cut corners in any way. If your speaker bud- excellent pitch differentiation. By no stretch of get is up to $20k, by all means listen to the usu- the imagination was the low end in subwoofer al suspects but also try to audition the Tempus territory, qualitatively or quantitatively. There IIIs—the company now has around 30 dealers wasn’t china-rattling, pant-leg-flapping bass, and is steadily adding more. You may conclude the gut-wrenching visceral impact that so many that it represents one of the more exceptional audiophiles seem to crave—and the musical va- values in a full-range audiophile loudspeaker lidity of which I often question. I listened with that’s available. As for me, I won’t be missing great satisfaction to the Philadelphia Orches- Ryan Speakers at shows anymore. Promise.

131 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Our Top Picks Floorstanding >$10k

Magnepan MG20.7 Wilson Audio Sabrina Magico S1 Mk II Legacy Aeris with Wavelet Processor $13,850 $15,900 $16,500 $22,975 These Maggies’ magical ability to transport The Sabrina is the smallest and least expensive There was a time when Magico’s enclosures The combination of the frequency-and time- listeners to a different space and time and to floorstander in the Wilson line. Entry-level, were made primarily of wood; now they’re all- domain-optimized 4.5-way Aeris loudspeaker there realistically recreate (with lifelike scope maybe, but with no observable shortcuts. Its aluminum, every model. For both the S Series and its companion Wavelet DSP processor/ and size) the sound of acoustic instruments sonic character is marked by a commanding and Q Series, Alon Wolf has his “platform” crossover provides some of the most musically and the venue they were recorded in is and linear top-to-bottom energy. It’s a ripe established and continues to advance realistic sound reviewer AHC has ever extraordinary. It almost goes without saying sound, a relaxed sound, with a slightly warmer the performance of the drivers and other encountered. This duo takes digital processing (since these are Magnepans), but the 20.7s are signature that may surprise the brand’s components he puts into these optimized and room correction a vital step forward, and also incredibly good values, although you’re followers. It’s a Wilson, of course, so it’s enclosures. The two-way, sealed-box Magico show that a DSP’d speaker can reach levels going to have to bring a lot of high-quality animated by remarkable dynamic energy, S1 Mk II floorstander is indeed as much a that are even competitive with the best purist power to this party, and you’re going to need a extreme low-level resolution, and a sense that Magico as the S7 or the Q7, and must be a top speakers, and some that sell for far higher good deal of room to house two speakers the it willfully wants to drive music forward rather consideration for anyone in the market for a prices. AHC, 269 size and width of a couple of NFL linebackers. than let it passively lay back. The Sabrina loudspeaker up to $20k. As the saying goes, it DS, 249 artfully combines low-level resolution with “comes from good stock.” AQ, 270 the most delicate bass dynamics. Unsurpassed in a smaller listening room, this sweetheart is pound for pound the best Wilson Audio loudspeaker available today. NG, 256

132 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Our Top Picks Floorstanding >$10k

Von Schweikert Audio VR-55 Aktive Vandersteen Model 7 Mk II Muraudio PX1 YG Acoustics Sonja 1.2 $60,000 $62,000 $63,000 $72,800 The application of VSA’s pioneering (and Based on new drivers made from carbon-fiber- This superior omnidirectional electrostatic The two-module Sonja 1.2 is available as a fully remarkably cost-effective), patent-pending, clad balsawood, the Model 7 strips away a hybrid greatly impressed REG, who had not passive system or a semi-active system with noise-reducing cabinet technology combined layer of coloration and artifacts, revealing an realized that music reproduced in the home adjustable on-board amplifier and crossover with specially developed custom-built drivers absolutely glorious purity of timbre. You simply could sound quite like this. The purity, the for the same price. The upper module houses from Accuton and Scan-Speak results in a don’t hear the cones when listening to music smoothness, the roundness, the filling of two 6" aluminum “BilletCore” mid/woofers, level of performance that GW feels breaks through the Model 7, which is electrostatic-like the room, the effortlessness, the deep bass and one 1" waveguide-mounted “ForgeCore” new ground in resolution, transparency, and in its clarity, transparency, and openness. The extension, the sense of speakers vanishing as silk-dome tweeter in an MTM array. The lower transient response below the $100,000 mark. extensive bass adjustments, made possible sources, and the stability of the sound with module holds a 10.25" woofer. Sonically, the The VR-55’s resolute yet sweet and extended by the powered woofer, allow the Model 7’s respect to listener position, all combined to Sonja seems to reproduce recordings with high frequencies, vibrant and expressive response below 120Hz to be tailored to your disarm his critical self and switch him over to all their beauty and drama intact. It does not midrange, and astonishingly fast and accurate room. (New Mk II not yet reviewed.) RH, 206 the state of a listener hearing live music in a give the impression of being tuned in some bass make it a natural at revealing finely great concert hall, immersed in an ambient way to dazzle the listener with a hyped-up detailed pitches, rich harmonics, and accurate soundfield, albeit with the locations of sense of resolution. Accordingly, the long-term textures. GW purchased his review pair as his instruments still clearly perceived. “A nonpareil listenability of this speaker is simply marvelous, new reference loudspeaker. GW, 256 if ever there was one.” REG, 258 even though it can also deliver very high levels of detail. KM, 256

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Our Top Picks Floorstanding >$10k

MartinLogan Neolith Magico Q7 Mk II $79,995 $229,000 MartinLogan swung for the fences with the Magico has taken the Q7, a speaker RH has Neolith, mounting a roughly 4� x 2� XStat long considered to be the state of the art and, electrostatic panel atop an enclosure that surprisingly, made it significantly better. The houses a front-firing 12" driver and a 15" Q7 Mk II benefits from an entirely new tweeter rear-firing woofer. Once you’ve heard the designed from the ground up, a midrange transparency, resolution, and sheer sense diaphragm made from graphene (a new carbon- of nothing between you and the music that based material), and a redesigned crossover the Neolith’s big panel delivers, you’ll be with exotic capacitors. The Mk II obviates spoiled for life. Surprisingly, these virtues the classic dilemma of resolution vs. ease of electrostats are combined with seamless by combining extraordinary midrange and integration with the bass, resulting in a speaker treble resolution with tremendous delicacy with full frequency extension and dynamics and complete lack of hardness and glare. The along with fabulous transparency. The Neolith reduction in distortion is so profound that is beautifully built and finished (available in the Mk II sounds as though it has a different seven colors), highly flexible in room-matching, tonal balance, but the two speakers have and backed by a solid company with 33 identical responses. Although the woofer years of experience in building electrostatic section remains unchanged, the Mk II’s bass is loudspeakers. An unqualified triumph that considerably improved, perhaps by virtue of the Clear Beyond competes in the upper echelon of today’s best greater midrange resolution reproducing bass cost-no-object loudspeakers, the Neolith was instruments’ overtones. The overall result is a Interconnect The Absolute Sound’s 2015 Overall Product of much deeper connection with music. If there’s a the Year. RH, 259 better loudspeaker than the Q7 Mk II, RH hasn’t heard it. RH’s ultimate reference. RH, 256 cardas.com

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SUBWOOFERS Click any product name to read that review Contents

JL AUDIO E110 • JL AUDIO GOTHAM • REL T7I • GOLDENEAR SUPERSUB XXL

135 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report

JL Audio E-Sub e110 Old Dog, New Trick

Jonathan Valin

t is no secret that I’m not a fan of Motor Analysis program for computer-optimiz- setup is at least half the subwoofers. In my experience they take ing driver design, its Vented Reinforcement battle when it comes I away more in transparency and coher- Collar driver-mount system, its Floating Cone to getting the most out ence than they pay back in low-end extension Attachment method of driver construction, of a subwoofed sys- and power-handling, especially when they are and its Engineered Lead-Wire System for inter- tem, and I can honestly mated to bass-shy two-ways or any kind of pla- nal wiring. You also get a built-in, proprietary say that JL Audio (for nar, ’stat, ribbon, or quasi-ribbon. (Ironically, Class D amplifier (powered by a proprietary whom subwoofers are subwoofers work best—or at least better—with switch-mode power supply) said to be capable a long-time labor of speakers that don’t really need them, i.e., with of 1200W RMS; a genuine two-way (high-pass love) provides some of dynamic speakers that already have good bass and low-pass), built-in, active crossover using the sanest instructions extension.) Thus, it may come as a surprise to a fourth-order (24dB/octave, 80dB/decade) and most useful tools learn that I really like JLAudio’s e110 sub, even Linkwitz-Riley filter, equipped with variable for optimizing its subs when it is paired with a two-way. It certainly gain, variable crossover-frequency, and vari- I’ve seen—provided came as a surprise to me. able phase controls, as well as a polarity (abso- that you first acquire the right software. That certain parameters in with confidence, giving The e110’s price tag may also come as a sur- lute-phase) switch; a ten-inch JL Audio woofer software, which was sent to me separately by you a “textbook accurate” baseline, from which prise—$1500 in what JL calls its “black ash” fin- with dual spiders and a linear motor system en- JL Audio (it doesn’t come with the sub—and I you can depart or to which you can return as ish, and $1700 in the gloss-black version sent gineered to provide equal force over the driv- think it should), is the Soundoctor Test CD V you season the sound—and you will season the to me. This isn’t exactly cheap for a single ten- er’s entire excursion range (with both positive 2.6.1, available (for $18) on-line at http://www. sound—by ear. inch driver in a small (13.5" x 14.25" x 16.5"), and negative current flowing through the coils) soundoctor.com/testcd/index.htm. The first step in the set-up process is finding hefty (53-pound), sturdy box, but it isn’t Thor’s at any applied power level up to the built-in Without this CD (or something similar) you the spots where the subs are happiest in your Hammer or JL Audio Gotham (or even REL Series amp’s peak; and a sealed box whose entire front will just be making educated guesses when listening room. What JL and Soundoctor sug- R) territory, either. panel is actually the steel mounting flange of it comes to certain key adjustments, which gest is to place one sub at your listening posi- What you get for that grand-and-a-half is a the E-Sub’s driver assembly (the back plate of means, of course, that you will be haunted by tion, facing forward, then plug a CD player di- highly engineered loudspeaker that incorpo- the driver is threaded and bolted to the thick second and third guesses since you’ll never be rectly into the sub’s RCA inputs (using the CD rates many of the patented Finite Element Anal- rear wall of the enclosure). In sum, the e110 quite sure whether your first guess was “right.” player’s analog outputs), and play back Tracks ysis-based technologies that JL Audio has been represents a lot of technology for the money. With the Soundoctor CD (and the Radio Shack 22, 23, and 24 of the Soundoctor CD, which con- introducing since 1997—such as its Dynamic As anyone who’s fiddled with subs knows, SPL meter for which it is optimized) you can dial tain music with very deep bass. As these tracks

136 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report JL Audio E-Sub e110 are playing, you crawl around the perimeter of versing polarity on the main speakers, playing SPECS & PRICING your room listening for those areas where the a test tone at the crossover frequency (Tracks Enclosure type: Sealed Analog source: Walker Audio Proscenium bass sounds weak and thin or those where it 2 through 17 on the Soundoctor CD give you Driver: 10" Black Diamond Mk V record player, AMG Viella sounds boomy and ill-defined (usually in the one-minute test tones ranging from 20Hz to Effective piston area: 58.78 square inches 12 corners). According to JL, you should also find 120Hz at 5Hz and 10Hz intervals), and adjusting Effective displacement: 131 cubic inches Phono cartridges: Clearaudio Goldfinger certain spots where the porridge is just right, the continuously variable phase control for the Frequency response (anechoic): 25–116Hz Statement, Ortofon MC A90, Ortofon MC Anna and these are where the subs go. least amount of bass. As Robert explains it: “The +/-1.5dB, -3dB at 23Hz, -10dB at 18Hz Digital source: Berkeley Alpha DAC 2 To be honest, this “crawl-around” method is technique works because it’s easier to hear the Amplifier power: 1200 W RMS (short-term) Cable and interconnect: Synergistic Research rather hit-and-miss. It also assumes that the maximum null than it is to hear the maximum Dimensions: 13.5" x 14.24" x 16.51" Galileo and Galileo LE, Crystal Cable Absolute subs will sound better somewhere along the peak. When the phase control is set perfectly, Weight: 52.7 lbs. Dream perimeters of the room, which hasn’t always the main speaker’s woofers will move out when Price: $1500 in ash, $1700 in gloss Power Cords: Synergistic Research Galileo LE, been the case in my experience. Typically, I’ve the subwoofer cone is moving in, cancelling Crystal Cable Absolute Dream found that for the transparency and coherence I each other. When the main speaker’s correct JL AUDIO, INC. Power Conditioner: Synergistics Research prefer (as opposed to ultimate slam and exten- polarity is restored, the main speakers and the 10369 North Commerce Pkwy Power Cell 10 SE Mk III, Synergistic Research sion) subs fare better close by the main speak- subwoofer are maximally in-phase.” Miramar, FL 33025-3962 Transporter Ultra SE, Technical Brain ers, immediately to the outside or the inside (or Similarly the sub’s volume level can be op- (954) 443-1100 Accessories: Synergistic ART system, both, as explained in the sidebar) of the speak- timally set by playing back Tracks 18 and 19 jlaudio.com Shakti Hallographs (6), A/V Room Services ers’ enclosure and roughly parallel to their driv- on the Soundoctor CD. Track 18 contains “con- Metu panels and traps, ASC Tube Traps, ers, although the subs’ exact location vis-à-vis toured” high-frequency noise (i.e., a test signal JV’s Reference System Critical Mass MAXXUM equipment and amp the mains and the sidewalls needs to be adjust- with no low-frequency information that has Loudspeakers: Raidho D-5, Raidho D-1, stands, Symposium Isis and Ultra equipment ed by ear. been contoured for the Radio Shack SPL meter). Estelon X Diamond, MartinLogan CLX, platforms, Symposium Rollerblocks and Fat Far more hit than miss are JL’s suggestions What you do is adjust the volume of your pre- Magnepan 1.7, Magnepan 3.7, Magnepan 20.7 Padz, Walker Prologue Reference equipment for getting the subs and the mains in phase. A amp so that your Radio Shack meter reads 85dB Linestage preamps: Soulution 520, and amp stands, Walker Valid Points and subwoofer’s phase control is intended to adjust (slow, C-weighted) while Track 18 is playing. Constellation Virgo, Audio Research Reference Resonance Control discs, Clearaudio Double the “arrival time” of the sub’s output so that its Track 19 contains “contoured” low-frequency 10, Siltech SAGA System C1, Zanden 3100 Matrix SE record cleaner, HiFi-Tuning silver/ driver and the main speaker’s woofer or mid/ noise (i.e., a test signal with only low-frequen- Phonostage preamps: Audio Research gold fuses woofer or bass panel are pushing and pulling cy information that has also been contoured for Corporation Reference Phono 10, Innovative together throughout the frequency range cov- the Radio Shack SPL meter). Playing this track Cohesion Engineering Raptor, Soulution 520, ered by both units. The question is how can you back, you adjust the level control on the e110 Zanden 120, Constellation Perseus tell when the drivers of both speakers are in subwoofer so that your meter once again reads Power amplifiers: Soulution 501 and 701, maximum sync? With the appropriate tracks on 85dB SPL (slow, C-weighted). In theory, your Siltech SAGA System V1/P1, Audio Research the Soundoctor CD and the e110’s continuously e110 subs are now matched in level with your Reference 250, Lamm ML2.2, Zanden 8120 adjustable phase control, finding the answer to main speakers. this often-perplexing question is a snap. Of course, this doesn’t mean that your system For the record, JL Audio recommends the will sound as coherent or as transparent as it same method that Robert Harley recommends does without subwoofers—or that the sub’s lev- in The Complete Guide to High-End Audio: Re- el will not need further tweaking by ear. Getting

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Equipment Report JL Audio E-Sub e110 a relatively seamless blend and tight, powerful, e110’s crossover, this should be less of a prob- high-resolution, high-definition bass depends lem. (The theoretical advantage of fourth-order on several other equally important factors: the Linkwitz-Riley filters is that because of their crossover frequency that you choose between steep roll-off at the high and low cutoff frequen- subs and mains, the quality of the subwoofer it- cies their gain at crossover is closer to 0dB.) And self (including its amp, controls, and crossover), yet…crossing the e110s over at 80Hz or higher and above all else your own listening prefer- isn’t less of a problem. Here it’s not so much ences. that the sub is still playing beyond the cross- The question of crossover frequency is hotly over point, masking the main speaker’s virtues; debated. JL Audio recommends that crossover rather it’s that the sub’s own character (including be set at 80Hz or higher, regardless of main the character of its amplifier and crossover) be- speaker. And it is true that setting the sub at a comes more audible and predominant the higher higher crossover frequency can make for a more up you cross it over, since the sub is literally play- seamless sound. Alas, it can also make for a sub- ing more of the music. stantially different sound than what you’re used Many people don’t seem to be as sensitive to to from your main speakers alone. this “change of sonic character” as I am, and can Let’s face it: You’ve spent a lot of time and live happily with the added bass-range power a lot of money on your loudspeakers. Presum- and extension (and concomitant added breadth ably, you picked them from a myriad of others and width of soundstage) at what they presum- because you prefer the way they sound on the ably consider a reasonable cost in tonality and music you typically listen to. This doesn’t mean, transparency. Speaking for myself, I would far of course, that you think they are perfect. (Or rather live without the deepest bass than au- why opt for subwoofers?) What it does mean, dibly sacrifice the characteristic sound of my I think, is that their essential qualities satisfy main speakers. you—that you are pleased with what we used For me, then, the secret to subwoofer satis- to call, in The HP Era, their “character.” faction is to find a way to cross the subs over There is no surer-fire way of changing a loud- that doesn’t markedly change the character of speaker’s character than crossing it over to a the main speakers—or that changes it only in powered subwoofer at too high a frequency. With the sense of extending its virtues into the bot- first- or second-order crossovers the problem is tom octaves. With the e110s this means a lower generally that the subs continue to play (albeit crossover point (lower than 80Hz). at reduced levels) into the power range and the Although the speaker that I am using with the midrange, audibly masking the very qualities of e110—Raidho’s superb stand-mounted D-1 (re- timbre, resolution, speed, and dynamic nuance view forthcoming, recommendation already the that led you to buy your main speakers in the highest)—is a two-way, it has remarkably satis- first place. With steeper crossover slopes, such fying mid-to-upper bass. Flattish down to the as the 24dB/octave Linkwitz-Riley filters in the 50Hz–55Hz range its ported 4.5" mid/bass driv-

138 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP &

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Equipment Report JL Audio E-Sub e110 er (which uses a diamond diaphragm) manages image size and dynamic power notwithstand- to give the psychoacoustic impression of going ing, comes very close to—and in certain re- lower than it does because of its naturally full spects exceeds—the sound of my reference and high-resolution reproduction of the power Raidho C-4.1s), I picked it for this experiment, range, where first and second harmonics live (as knowing full well that I would easily hear any do a whole lot of fundamentals). changes in its character, and knowing, as well, Because the D-1 doesn’t really cry out for a that in the past I have not been able to mate subwoofer and because I simply love the beau- super-high-resolution two-ways to subwoof- tiful and lifelike way it sounds (which, reduced ers without substantial sonic penalties. And at

How Many Subs: One, Two, or…Four?

Unless you’re restricted by budget or space, two woofers are the way to go. Though in the old days low bass was summed to mono on LPs, that isn’t always the case with today’s high-res sources (or with reissued stereo recordings from the so-called Golden Age). A single centrally located sub tends to “pull” bass-range instruments toward it, constricting soundstage breadth and changing the perceived location of instruments at the sides of the stage. For the widest and deepest soundfield and the most faithful-to-source imaging, two subs are definitely better than one. However, there is a new wrinkle in low-bass management called “swarm” or “distributed bass” subwoofing. The logic behind the “swarm” is simple and elegant. With one or two subwoofers you are inevitably prisoner to the room-induced dips and peaks in response that (no matter how thoroughly you’ve “crawled around” the periphery of your listening space) accompany the locations you’ve finally settled on. But what if you were to add two or four more subwoofers (i.e., a swarm) to the original pair, asymmetrically positioning each sub throughout the room? Proponents of swarm subwoofing argue that the combined average of the different peaks and dips at the different locations of each sub will smooth out overall bass response. Voîlà: no giant mid-to-upper-bass humps, no need for digital signal correction. Now I don’t know whether this idea always works in practice as it should in theory, but I do know this: When I added a second pair of e110s to my setup (one on the outside of each D-1 and one on the inside at slightly different locations vis-à-vis the mains) I got even more fabulous sound. I’m not saying that you have to buy a second pair of e110s to get the exemplary sonics I talk about in this review. One pair will do quite nicely, thank you. But…if you want to carry this sub/satellite system even closer to the sound of those ultra-expensive Big Boys, a second pair of e110s will do the trick. JV

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Equipment Report JL Audio E-Sub e110 a crossover point of 80Hz—with all other pa- C-4.1s are far better at reproducing). nearer-to-the-wall placement and a higher cross- or, speed, definition, or resolution to the biggest rameters (placement, phase, level) set to theo- I could give you musical example after exam- over point, the e110/D-1 seems to size bass in- of these Big Boys. For one-sixth (or less) of the retical correctness (and then tweaked by ear to ple of the e110/D-1’s virtues, but it is simpler struments—indeed all instruments—more con- system cost, you can live like a Robert Harley (or, my own preference)—the changes in the Raid- to sum them up like this: In the bottom bass sistently from their top octaves to their bottom yeah, like a Jonathan Valin)—with a loudspeaker ho’s character were marked. Despite the much this combination reveals low-level details about ones. With the closer-to-the-speaker positioning that comes so close to the very best that you’ll deeper, more generous bass, the D-1 simply no pitch, timbre, intensity, and duration more clearly and lower crossover point, some instruments scarcely notice the difference. I scarcely do…and longer sounded like the speaker I’d fallen in and more often than any loudspeaker I’ve heard, seem to shrink a bit in size as they descend in I do live like a Jonathan Valin. love with. no matter how expensive or sophisticated. This pitch, so that a four-string contrabass, for exam- The E-Sub e110 is a no-brainer highest rec- However…moving the e110’s crossover point is an ear- and mind-bogglingly high-resolution ple, isn’t as big and expansive sounding on its ommendation if ever I heard one. And remem- down to 70Hz and subsequently to just below system. (It kind of makes me wonder what JL Au- lowest notes (E1 and C1, 41Hz or circa 33Hz) as it ber this is coming from someone who hates 60Hz, where the D-1 is still playing strongly, dio’s top-line sub—the $12k Gotham, with dual is higher up in its frequency range. subwoofers (or used to). made for a blend that was so unexpectedly mag- 13.5" woofs—is capable of, although, when it This slight “funnel-like” ical—and so much in character—that it was al- comes to matching the speed and resolution of a effect in imaging is accom- most as if the D-1 had developed several more great two-way, there is something to be said for panied by a small loss of im- octaves of bass on its own. a “quick” ten-inch driver.) pact on big, powerful instru- At a crossover point of around 57–58Hz (this While hearing a fresh bonanza of low-level ments and orchestral tuttis. is an educated guess as the scale on the e110’s information about an instrument and the way I don’t want to oversell this crossover-frequency control, though graduated, it is being played is enormously satisfying (and point. The e110/D-1 is isn’t graduated finely enough to say for sure), contributes greatly to the sense of being in the plenty powerful, capable of the bottom bass—and this little sub goes deep, presence of that instrument), let me quickly genuine room-shaking tem- down only 3dB at 23Hz—acquired the same ton- point out that bass-range instruments in partic- blors on really deep synth al and dynamic character, the same dark, rich, ular aren’t just about texture and articulation. or bass drum, and punch- lifelike timbre, sensational transient speed, and They are also about power and impact, and here in-the-chest sock on toms ultra-fine resolution of texture and articulation the e110/D-1 combo is not the most revealing or kickdrum. As two-way- in the low bass that the D-1 has on its own in the speaker system I’ve heard. To be fair, this isn’t based systems go, this one mid-to-upper bass, power range, midrange, and the e110’s fault. A two-way—even a great one is a veritable dynamo. But… treble. At the same time bottom-end pitch-defi- like the Raidho D-1—and a ten-inch sub simply when it comes to pure wal- nition, impact, and extension were dramatically can’t move air in the bass and power range the lop it ain’t a Wilson XLF or a improved. way a big multiway can; nor can such a combo Magico Q7 or a Raidho D-5. It was as if (and I scarcely exaggerate) a blan- image with the more-lifelike size (particularly But then the Raidho D-1 ket that had been thrown over the deepest bass image height) of a big multiway. and e110 subs don’t cost octaves had suddenly been lifted, revealing an There is this, as well. My decision to place what these giants cost, and astonishing wealth of previously unheard in- the subs nearby the mains and to cross over at don’t take up the real estate formation—and revealing it with a clarity and a lower-than-recommended frequency in order that these giants do, and (if definition that I don’t quite hear even with my to more fully preserve the character of the D-1s configured optimally—for reference Raidho C-4.1s (though, as you will comes with a slight additional price in imaging which see the sidebar) don’t see, there are other aspects of the bass that the and power. With the reinforcement provided by a give anything away in col-

140 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report

JL Audio Gotham Subwoofer and CR-1 Crossover New Dog, Old Trick

Jonathan Valin

s you know, I am not a fan of very much the same. If you mate a pair of Go- of those thumping boxes subwoofers—that is, I wasn’t a fan thams with an affordable but highly capable (or, at least, these two from A of subs until I ran headlong into JL multiway, like the $5k Focal Aria 948 that Our JL)? Audio’s e110 about a year ago, and concluded Ms. Mullins reviews in this very issue, and chan- Well, it probably amounts (to my astonishment) that when this compact, nel the subs and the mains through JL Audio’s to this: JL Audio has spent affordable sub was paired with a superb two- superb $3k CR-1 low-pass/high-pass active the past two decades as- way like the $27k Raidho D-1, it came so crossover, you can, once again, build a loud- siduously researching and close to the sound of my $200k reference speaker system that competes sonically with developing unique sub- loudspeakers—at one-sixth their price—I could the Big Boys for roughly one-sixth of what the woofer technologies, and scarcely tell the difference. (Well…there was Big Boys cost—and, unlike the e110/D-1 com- it has thrown every single one of them into the tion by means of a supplied, laboratory-grade this: Though superior to every big transducer bo, this time there is no downside when it Gothams, beginning with a feature that simply calibrated microphone that is plugged into a I’d heard in low-end resolution and extension, comes to image size and slam. wasn’t readily available up until a few years mike jack on the sub. The mike sends its read- the Raidho D-1/e110 combo did reduce image Moreover, with the Gothams there is a rath- ago (although variants of it are now common- ings back to the Gotham, where built-in circuit- size and slam compared to big speakers—a by- er significant additional bonus—to wit, when place)—what JL calls its ARO (Automatic Room ry “analyzes the shape and magnitude of the product of the low crossover point I deliberately these subs are paired with those selfsame Big Optimization) System. primary response error and configures an ap- chose to more fully preserve the virtues of the Boys, they will also elevate their performance What ARO does is effectively (quite effective- propriate filter to tame it.” Though ARO can be Raidho monitor and of a two-way mid/woof’s to new levels of wonderment. The Gothams ly, as a matter of measurable fact) take the room slightly tricky to implement (setting the proper inevitable power-handling limitations in the are simply that versatile and that spectacular- out of the equation precisely where rooms in- playback level to conduct the tests takes some upper bass.) ly good. In fact, to spill the beans, if I haven’t evitably play the greatest havoc in the low end. volume-dial twiddling) and by design only ad- Now I’ve run headlong into another astound- already, the Gothams are the most powerful, Triggered by pressing a pushbutton on the top dresses the single most problematical room-in- ing JL Audio sub—this time its top-of-the-line, most extended (19Hz!), most finely detailed, panel of each Gotham (and cancelable via the duced bass-range peak, when ARO finally does $12,000 g213 Gotham. And while its price is and, paradoxically, given their sheer size, most press of another button), JL’s Automatic Room do its thing, the results are remarkable. That considerably higher (and its 360-pound bulk invisible subwoofers I’ve heard in my home. Optimization system generates a series of bass- 60–80Hz hump that plagues virtually every lis- vastly greater) than that of the $1700 e110s, How do I explain this sea change in subwoofer range calibration tones, played back through tening room? Gone as if by magic. [The improve- the conclusion I’ll reach, as you’ll soon see, is performance—and my newfound appreciation the woofer and measured at the listening posi- ment in bass smoothness rendered by ARO in a

141 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report JL Audio Gotham Subwoofer and CR-1 Crossover

seven patented technologies in a single woofer SPECS & PRICING assembly, which must be some kind of record. JL AUDIO Tape deck: United Home Audio UHA-Q Phase The U.S. Patent Office doesn’t hand these things Miramar, FL 33025-3962 12 OPS out like party favors, folks—a lot of science has (954) 443-1100 Phono cartridges: Clearaudio Goldfinger gone into the Gotham’s design and construc- jlaudio.com Statement, Ortofon MC Anna, Ortofon MC A90, tion. (To read more about this science and the Price: Gotham subwoofer, $12,000; CR-1 Benz LP S-MR benefits that JL claims it confers, go to http:// crossover, $3500 Digital source: Berkeley Alpha DAC 2 www.jlaudio.com/g213-gloss-home-audio-go- Cable and interconnect: Crystal Cable tham-powered-subwoofers-96237.) JV’s Reference System Absolute Dream, Synergistic Research Galileo However, you won’t need a Xerox of a patent Loudspeakers: Raidho D-5, Raidho D-1, LE, Ansuz Acoustics Diamond application and a magnifying glass to assess the Avantgarde Zero 1, Avantgarde Trio/Basshorn, Power cords: Crystal Cable Absolute Dream, results of what JL hath wrought. This is a sub- MartinLogan CLX, Magnepan .7, Magnepan 1.7, Synergistic Research Galileo LE, Ansuz woofer—housed in a hand-fabricated-and-fin- Magnepan 3.7, Magnepan 20.7 Acoustics Diamond ished, curved-fiberglass enclosure (no parallel Linestage preamps: Soulution 725, Power Conditioner: Synergistic Research surfaces)—that uses two (count ’em) thirteen- Constellation Virgo, Audio Research Reference Galileo LE, Technical Brain and-a-half inch drivers per side (that’s 214.7 10, Siltech SAGA System C1, Zanden 3100 Accessories: Synergistic ART and HFT/FEQ square inches of effective piston area per sub, Phonostage preamps: Audio Research system, Shakti Hallographs (6), Zanden room for those of you with scorecards), each powered Corporation Reference Phono 10, Constellation treatment, A/V Room Services Metu panels and by a built-in 3800W RMS Class D amplifier and Audio Perseus, Innovative Cohesion Engineering traps, ASC Tube Traps, Critical Mass Maxxum each capable of four-inch peak-to-peak excur- Raptor, Soulution 725, Zanden 120 equipment and amp stands, Symposium Isis sions, 19Hz extension, and seemingly unlimit- Power amplifiers: Soulution 711, Siltech SAGA and Ultra equipment platforms, Symposium ed, distortion-free output. To put this plainly, System V1/P1, Constellation Centaur, Audio Rollerblocks and Fat Padz, Walker Prologue with the Gothams you will get wallop in the low Research Reference 250, Lamm ML2.2, Zanden Reference equipment and amp stands, Walker end like you’ve never heard before. And yet, 8120, Odyssey Audio Stratos Valid Points and Resonance Control discs, JL Audio Fathom f113 subwoofer in my brother’s the most telling thing about the sound of these Analog source: Walker Audio Proscenium Black Clearaudio Double Matrix SE record cleaner, system was nothing short of miraculous.—RH] subs isn’t the sheer wall-shaking, window-rat- Diamond Mk V, TW Acustic Black Knight, AMG Synergistic Research RED Quantum fuses, HiFi- In addition to the remarkable ARO system, tling, chest-thumping, distortion-free loudness Viella 12 Tuning silver/gold fuses the Gotham also incorporates JL Audio’s propri- with which they play sforzandos and crescen- etary Dynamic Motor Analysis system, its pat- dos—you’d expect that from two pairs of 13.5" ented W-Cone unit-body cone-assembly tech- woofers—but, rather, their ravishing refinement also holding the low-pitched wind and brass with the same lifelike clarity, speed, density of nology, its patented Elevated Frame Cooling on mezzofortes and pianissimos. instruments doubling those lines in unwaver- tone color, and dynamic range that Magico’s Ul- design, its patented Floating Cone Attach Meth- Here is a subwoofer that is just as capable of ing focus. Here is a subwoofer that will sustain timate III horn brings to the midband or Raid- od (FCAM), its patented OverRoll Surround, its realistically reproducing the dark, organ-like the decay of a grand piano’s bottom-octave ho’s superlative ribbon tweeter brings to the patented Radially Cross-Drilled Pole-Piece, its pedal point of a contrabassoon as it is the notes like a sostenuto pedal. In other words, treble. And the best part is that here is a sub- patented Engineered Lead-Wire System, and depth-charge detonation of a concert bass here is a subwoofer that will reveal everything woofer that can do all these things—and when its patented High-Damping Feedback Circuit. drum. Here is a subwoofer that can distinguish in the bass (including the depth, width, height, it comes to the bottom octaves I really haven’t In case you weren’t counting, that amounts to contrabass lines from those of cellos, while and resonant signature of the recording venue) heard anything else that can match it—without

142 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report JL Audio Gotham Subwoofer and CR-1 Crossover screwing up the midrange. rather leave two-channel listeners in the lurch. Of course, it takes the usual amount of pains- In my experience, running any subwoofer/sat- taking work to get the blend between the Go- ellite system with a low-pass-only crossover thams and your main speaker just so. But, thank scotches one of the advantages of using a sub, goodness (and JL), here also, at long last, is a which is to transfer some of the heavy lifting subwoofer that gives you the tools to make this from the woofer or mid/woofer in the main magic happen. speaker to the woofer in the sub. (In addition, The Gotham itself comes equipped with and despite propaganda to the contrary, run- a low-pass crossover with two different, us- ning the main speaker full-range often makes er-selectable slopes—a second-order (12dB/ achieving a seamless blend between it and the octave) Butterworth filter and (my preference) sub a good deal more difficult, as there is bound a fourth-order (24dB/octave) Linkwitz-Riley fil- to be a region of considerable overlap between ter. (In addition to its steepness—down 100dB the two bass drivers.) per decade [ten times the crossover frequen- Happily, JL Audio has an answer to this prob- cy]—the Linkwitz-Riley filter has the estimable lem, as well, its new CR-1 outboard crossover. advantage of 0dB gain at the crossover hinge Now, to be honest, in the past I was no more point. Given that you’re likely to cross over a fan of outboard subwoofer crossovers than I somewhere in the 50–80Hz region, not add- was of outboard subwoofers. The very idea of ing energy precisely where rooms do the most sticking another piece of electronics—general- damage is a better idea.) ly of considerably less than high-end transpar- In addition to its low-pass filters, the Go- ency—between your preamp and your amp was tham has calibrated controls for subwoofer and is anathema to old-timers like me. So when gain, phase (0–360°), crossover hinge point JL Audio’s Brett Hanes, the resident engineering (30Hz–130Hz), and E.L.F. (extreme low frequen- genius behind many of JL’s subwoofing break- cy) trim. (This last cuts and/or boosts frequen- throughs (and a genuinely amiable and mod- cies below 20Hz to compensate for excessive est young man), showed up at my digs with the ultra-low-bass “room gain” in small-to-medi- CR-1 I was less than enthused. um-sized spaces.) The only thing the Gotham I should’ve known better, given my previous doesn’t have—and, rather paradoxically, the experience with Brett’s work for JL. e110 does—is a high-pass filter. While I can’t say that the CR-1 is completely I would imagine this was not so much an over- invisible sonically, it is unquestionably far more sight as a tacit acknowledgement that woofers transparent than any active subwoofer crossover, this big, powerful, and deep-reaching are most built-in or external, that I’ve tried—and over the likely to be used in elaborate home-theater decades I’ve tried a few. In Brett’s words, the systems, where “bass-management” (low-pass CR-1 was “engineered for audiophiles by audio- and high-) will be handled by surround-sound/ philes,” its design based on years of calibrating home-theater electronics. However, that does subwoofed systems for picky high-enders.

143 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report

REL T7i The I Has It

Neil Gader

t might be a common perception, to me, the new T lineup benefitted from the but a subwoofer’s role isn’t limited to just development of the Series S line. The Series I adding an octave or so of bass response S reminded him not only of the importance and going boom. Ideally it should be all about of both a lighter/stiffer driver but of the issue the quantity and quality of low frequencies of self-quieting, which Hunter describes as that restore a bass-shy system to a musical design and engineering “intended to produce equilibrium—a balance that permits the full a cone/driver that starts and stops well and breadth of the recording to be realized. In immediately quiets down and does not continue short it’s not just how much but how well. If ringing.” Basically, no overshoot. And, given the this sounds like a distinction in search of a choice between lighter and stiffer, stiffer was difference, then you’ll need to spend some time the big winner sonically. Nonetheless, the T7i with the REL T7i. still employs a composite of lighter-weight As many enthusiasts are aware, REL makes paper—REL even took the carbon black out some of the classiest subwoofers in the high of the paper because it added 1.4 grams per end. The T7i is no exception. Finished in a cone (who knew?). For stiffening the cone, REL deep, glossy black (white is also available), designed specially prepared alloy center caps and discreetly appointed with solid aluminum that overlap much of the surface area of the accents, the T7i is not much larger than a diaphragm. This innovation improved damping postage stamp (OK, at about a square foot it’s a and resulted in slightly less weight and almost 120Hz. There are dual low-level RCA inputs, toggle, as well. little bigger than that). The T7i does its business three times the rigidity. Additionally, cabinet plus an LFE, but the high-level input is and Corner placement is suggested by REL to with a forward-firing 8” driver which is backed depth was added to properly dissipate the has always been the preferred installation. A begin, facing on a room diagonal. This not up by a bottom-firing 10” passive radiator. This backwave. And cabinet wall mass was increased lengthy Neutrik connector is provided for this only maximizes room gain but allows “for the alignment is a reversal over its predecessor, to a full one inch. The fine Class AB 200W amp purpose. It carries within its jacketing four most linear low bass wave launch…the ability the T7, which placed the active woofer in the was left unchanged. wires for connection to an amplifier’s speaker to tune the sub to the axial node of the room, downward position with the passive firing The back panel houses rotary settings for taps. Famously, REL subs do not use high- or longest throw distance.” In my small room, forward. output plus the tiniest 39-step increments for pass filters—the main speaker’s performance this procedure works but don’t be shy about As REL woofer-in-chief John Hunter described adjusting the crossover over a range of 30– envelope will remain unaltered. There’s a phase experimenting.

144 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report REL T7i

I ran the T7i with a range of compact pact, expressiveness, and bloom. Similarly, the huge wooden soundboard that underlies the authority and vitality. The massive aura in and loudspeakers that included the B&W 805 D3, marvelous “Duetto” from Stravinsky’s Pulcinella piano’s frame. And this is why most LF-limited around the piano becomes more present on the Revel Concerta2 M16, Elac Uni-Fi UB5 (reviews required the T7i to reproduce the thick, grum- loudspeakers sound like tinker-toys trying stage, the intensity of upper treble transients forthcoming) plus my own ATC SCM20SL pro- bling mood and timbral details of trombone and to reproduce a concert grand. Add the T7i are more in balance with the instrument. monitor. These all have varying amounts of doublebass. Without such direct comparisons, and a piano recording like Nojima Plays Liszt The T7i faces some serious competition from bass extension, roll-off characteristics, and it’s easy to overlook—and I know I have—the [Reference Recordings] takes on powerful another REL. It’s the Series S/5, which recently sensitivity—differences that were easily relationship between frequency and dynamics. garnered my 2016 Golden Ear Award. The compensated for with the T7i crossover and If the system isn’t reproducing the lowest bass SPECS & PRICING comparison reveals the difference between a output settings. The low 84dB sensitivity of the frequencies, that range will similarly have its dy- Drivers: Active drive unit, 8" long-throw; very fast, small-driver, 30-cycle sub like the T7i, sealed-box ATC, for example, required bringing namics rolled off as well. 10" passive radiator versus the 20Hz, considerably more costly S/5 up the output slightly, while the deeper I listened to Tony Bennett’s “Just in Time” Lower frequency response: 30Hz at ($2500) with big drivers. It comes down to the extension and superior efficiency of the ported from the recently released LP Bennett/Brubeck, -6dB in-room amount of weight and the foundation-rocking B&W necessitated a lower crossover setting and The White House Sessions, Live 1962 [Columbia/ Inputs: Hi-level Neutrik Speakon, low-lev- extension of the larger S/5. I could hear the a slight reduction in output. Impex]. The drummer and bassist have a nice, el single phono, LFE phono limits of the T7i when reproducing the steady I evaluated the T7i like I do all subwoofers— swinging rhythm line going, but it takes the REL Dimensions: 12" x 14.3" x 15" sustain of the deepest pipe organ notes—it an interwoven, three-perspective approach to reveal individual identities. Removing the Weight: 36 lbs. was one of the only times it revealed itself as of assessing extension, integration, and REL causes the individual textures and timbre Price: $999 a sound source. The S/5 comparatively got musicality. In extension the REL was as good as of these instruments to meld into one another. its seismic groove on and poured forth as if its word, descending with authority into the low This is where the musicality of the T7i comes to REL ACOUSTICS NORTH AMERICA connected directly to the Earth’s core. thirty-cycle range and perceptibly lower as it the fore. The best subwoofers I’ve encountered 800 Addison St. I had the opportunity to add a second T7i to rolls off. Not quite the full bottom octave (20Hz) are just as much about detail and definition as Berkeley, CA 94710 the system and the results, I hate to admit, are but true sub-bass territory, nonetheless, and an they are about extension. (510) 990-6005 pretty addicting. Why more than one? A pair of achievement for such a small sub. For classical music listeners, the most rel.net subs moves more air and can smooth the overall Sonically, each of the T7i/speaker combina- immediate rewards come in the form of ambient room response as they manage the peaks and tions I listened to registered as more present, information. A prime example would be the Associated Equipment nulls within the listening space. They become with greater weight and wider dynamic impact, LP of the Copland Fanfare [Dallas, Johanos: Sota Cosmos Series IV turntable; SME V less prone to our own localization antennae. If and perhaps, most importantly improved dimen- Analogue Productions], which depends on tonearm; Sumiko Palo Santos cartridge, your budget allows, adding a second sub is also sional and ambient information. The opening riff the explosive kettledrums and trombones to Ortofon Quintet Black, Ortofon 2M Black; a great option if the system moves to a larger on Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” was especial- establish the majesty of the piece. Take the REL Parasound JC 3+; dCS Puccini Player; room. ly instructive. The establishing groove, a tandem out of the system, and the cavernous, immersive Lumin A1/L1 Music Player; Synology Has REL managed the impossible? Well, of kickdrum and bass guitar lays the groundwork soundstage becomes a narrower, more generic NAS; MacBook Pro/Pure Music; Synergis- not quite. But that doesn’t mean the T7i isn’t for this iconic mega-hit. Operating without the space. tic Atmosphere Level Four, WyWires Plat- worth popping a couple of champagne corks REL, bass response was articulate and fast, but Or, take the example of a solo 88-key piano. inum, Nordost Frey 2 & Audience Ohno; over. As a companion in smaller rooms where dynamically a bit restrained and lacking in the Its lowest note, an A, produces a 27.5Hz tone. Audience Au24SE & Kimber Palladian placement requires discretion, its footprint- hip-gyrating impulse of the dance floor. Add- (The 97-key Bösendorfer can hit 16.5Hz but power cords. Audience USB, AudioQuest to-performance ratio makes it near second-to- ing the REL to the system raised the sound and that’s another matter.) Most of this massive Carbon firewire; VooDoo Cable Iso-Pod none in its category. And that makes it another weight of this riff into a different category of im- low-frequency energy is radiated by the outright winner from the good lads at REL.

145 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report

GoldenEar Technology SuperSub XXL

Big Bass in a Small Package

Jacob Heilbrunn

t might be a common perception, but scribed to me, the new T lineup benefitted from a subwoofer’s role isn’t limited to just add- the development of the Series S line. The Series I ing an octave or so of bass response and S reminded him not only of the importance of going boom. Ideally it should be all about the both a lighter/stiffer driver but of the issue of quantity and quality of low frequencies that self-quieting, which Hunter describes as design restore a bass-shy system to a musical equilib- and engineering “intended to produce a cone/ rium—a balance that permits the full breadth driver that starts and stops well and immediate- of the recording to be realized. In short it’s not ly quiets down and does not continue ringing.” just how much but how well. If this sounds like a Basically, no overshoot. And, given the choice distinction in search of a difference, then you’ll between lighter and stiffer, stiffer was the big justing the crossover over a range of 30–120Hz. procedure works but don’t be shy about exper- need to spend some time with the REL T7i. winner sonically. Nonetheless, the T7i still em- There are dual low-level RCA inputs, plus an imenting. As many enthusiasts are aware, REL makes ploys a composite of lighter-weight paper—REL LFE, but the high-level input is and has always I ran the T7i with a range of compact loud- some of the classiest subwoofers in the high even took the carbon black out of the paper be- been the preferred installation. A lengthy Neu- speakers that included the B&W 805 D3, Revel end. The T7i is no exception. Finished in a deep, cause it added 1.4 grams per cone (who knew?). trik connector is provided for this purpose. It Concerta2 M16, Elac Uni-Fi UB5 (reviews forth- glossy black (white is also available), and dis- For stiffening the cone, REL designed specially carries within its jacketing four wires for con- coming) plus my own ATC SCM20SL pro-mon- creetly appointed with solid aluminum accents, prepared alloy center caps that overlap much of nection to an amplifier’s speaker taps. Famous- itor. These all have varying amounts of bass the T7i is not much larger than a postage stamp the surface area of the diaphragm. This innova- ly, REL subs do not use high-pass filters—the extension, roll-off characteristics, and sensitiv- (OK, at about a square foot it’s a little bigger tion improved damping and resulted in slightly main speaker’s performance envelope will re- ity—differences that were easily compensated than that). The T7i does its business with a for- less weight and almost three times the rigidity. main unaltered. There’s a phase toggle, as well. for with the T7i crossover and output settings. ward-firing 8" driver which is backed up bya Additionally, cabinet depth was added to prop- Corner placement is suggested by REL to be- The low 84dB sensitivity of the sealed-box ATC, bottom-firing 10" passive radiator. This align- erly dissipate the backwave. And cabinet wall gin, facing on a room diagonal. This not only for example, required bringing up the output ment is a reversal over its predecessor, the T7, mass was increased to a full one inch. The fine maximizes room gain but allows “for the most slightly, while the deeper extension and supe- which placed the active woofer in the down- Class AB 200W amp was left unchanged. linear low bass wave launch…the ability to tune rior efficiency of the ported B&W necessitated ward position with the passive firing forward. The back panel houses rotary settings for out- the sub to the axial node of the room, or lon- a lower crossover setting and a slight reduction As REL woofer-in-chief John Hunter de- put plus the tiniest 39-step increments for ad- gest throw distance.” In my small room, this in output.

146 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound CONTENTS • FROM THE EDITOR • ON THE HORIZON • BOOK FEATURE • HOW TO CHOOSE A LOUDSPEAKER • DESKTOP & POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS

Equipment Report GoldenEar Technology SuperSub XXL

I evaluated the T7i like I do all subwoofers— trombone and doublebass. Without such direct no. Its lowest note, an A, produces a 27.5Hz SPECS & PRICING an interwoven, three-perspective approach comparisons, it’s easy to overlook—and I know I tone. (The 97-key Bösendorfer can hit 16.5Hz Frequency response: 10Hz–200Hz of assessing extension, integration, and musi- have—the relationship between frequency and but that’s another matter.) Most of this mas- Drivers: Two 12" long-throw high-output cality. In extension the REL was as good as its dynamics. If the system isn’t reproducing the sive low-frequency energy is radiated by the bass; two 13" x 15" quadratic planar word, descending with authority into the low lowest bass frequencies, that range will similar- huge wooden soundboard that underlies the infrasonic radiators thirty-cycle range and perceptibly lower as it ly have its dynamics rolled off as well. piano’s frame. And this is why most LF-limited Amplifier: 1600-watt ForceField switching rolls off. Not quite the full bottom octave (20Hz) I listened to Tony Bennett’s “Just in Time” loudspeakers sound like tinker-toys trying to amplifier but true sub-bass territory, nonetheless, and an from the recently released LP Bennett/Brubeck, reproduce a concert grand. Add the T7i and a LFE line-level input: Unfiltered (no low pass) achievement for such a small sub. The White House Sessions, Live 1962 [Columbia/ piano recording like Nojima Plays Liszt [Refer- Right/left line-level input: Variable high- Sonically, each of the T7i/speaker combina- Impex]. The drummer and bassist have a nice, ence Recordings] takes on powerful authority pass from 40Hz–150Hz tions I listened to registered as more present, swinging rhythm line going, but it takes the REL and vitality. The massive aura in and around the Dimensions: 17 3/8" x 19 3/4" x 16 3/8" with greater weight to reveal individual piano becomes more present on the stage, the Weight: 78 lbs. and wider dynamic identities. Removing intensity of upper treble transients are more in Price: $1999 each impact, and perhaps, the REL causes the balance with the instrument. most importantly im- individual textures The T7i faces some serious competition from GOLDENEAR TECHNOLOGY proved dimensional and timbre of these another REL. It’s the Series S/5, which recent- P.O. Box 141 and ambient infor- instruments to meld ly garnered my 2016 Golden Ear Award. The Stevenson, MD 21153 mation. The open- into one another. This comparison reveals the difference between a (410) 998-9134 ing riff on Michael is where the musical- very fast, small-driver, 30-cycle sub like the T7i, goldenear.com Jackson’s “Billie ity of the T7i comes versus the 20Hz, considerably more costly S/5 Jean” was especially to the fore. The best ($2500) with big drivers. It comes down to the instructive. The es- subwoofers I’ve en- amount of weight and the foundation-rocking a great option if the system moves to a larger tablishing groove, a countered are just extension of the larger S/5. I could hear the room. tandem of kickdrum as much about detail limits of the T7i when reproducing the steady Has REL managed the impossible? Well, not and bass guitar lays and definition as they sustain of the deepest pipe organ notes—it quite. But that doesn’t mean the T7i isn’t worth the groundwork for are about extension. was one of the only times it revealed itself as popping a couple of champagne corks over. As this iconic mega-hit. For classical music a sound source. The S/5 comparatively got its a companion in smaller rooms where place- Operating without listeners, the most seismic groove on and poured forth as if con- ment requires discretion, its footprint-to-per- the REL, bass response was articulate and fast, immediate rewards come in the form of ambi- nected directly to the Earth’s core. formance ratio makes it near second-to-none in but dynamically a bit restrained and lacking ent information. A prime example would be the I had the opportunity to add a second T7i to its category. And that makes it another outright in the hip-gyrating impulse of the dance floor. LP of the Copland Fanfare [Dallas, Johanos: An- the system and the results, I hate to admit, are winner from the good lads at REL. Adding the REL to the system raised the sound alogue Productions], which depends on the ex- pretty addicting. Why more than one? A pair of and weight of this riff into a different category plosive kettledrums and trombones to establish subs moves more air and can smooth the overall of impact, expressiveness, and bloom. Similar- the majesty of the piece. Take the REL out of the room response as they manage the peaks and ly, the marvelous “Duetto” from Stravinsky’s system, and the cavernous, immersive sound- nulls within the listening space. They become Pulcinella required the T7i to reproduce the stage becomes a narrower, more generic space. less prone to our own localization antennae. If thick, grumbling mood and timbral details of Or, take the example of a solo 88-key pia- your budget allows, adding a second sub is also

147 Buyer’s Guide to Loudspeakers 2017 the absolute sound