Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Buyer’s Guide to
Loudspeakers
2017
SPONSORED BY
A M A S T E R P I E C E OF
DESIGN AND E N G I N E E R I N G
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.
Contents SPONSORED BY
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
Clic k here to read our Magico S1 Mk II
Top Pick s in every cate gory 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 affordable Motion®
Series and reference Stealth™ Architectural Series. Smooth, refined
sonic performance with stunning dynamic range and jaw-dropping
clarity – MartinLogan magic in an application to suit every lifestyle.
Motion Vision X
Edge Axis Vanquish
Email the Editor: rharley@nextscreen.com or: TAS, 2601 McHale St. #100 Austin, Texas 78758 nextscreen, LLC
chairman and ceo . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tom Martin
publisher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Jim Hannon senior writers. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A
nthony 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
Buyer’s Guide to
Kirk Midtskog
Mark Milano SPONSORED BY
Bill Milkowski
From the
Editor
SOPRA REVEAL THE INVISIBLE
Welcome to the new Buyer’s Guide
to Loudspeakers!
Our new 2017 Guide not only features 28 full-length loudspeaker reviews hand-se-
The more time
I spent with the Sopra
THE PRESS IS UNANIMOUS! “I was capable of playing
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
I became to re-explore control behind them, I am
always amazed at how much
speakers are my was huge, expanding beyond
the speakers.”
On the Horizon – A sneak peek at 16 of the hottest new loudspeakers to hit the
my music collection
Home Theater Review, of the flagship Focal sound is audio nirvana’’ Stereophile, Sopra No3
present here’’ HiFi and Music Source,
market. Sopra No1
ToneAudio, Sopra No3 Sopra No2
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.
ELECTRIC ORANGE
WALNUT VEINEER
CARRARA WHITE
BLACK LACQUER
IMPERIAL RED
Happy listening!
On the Horizon
Hot New Products Coming Your Way
Neil Gader
On the Horizon
On the Horizon
On the Horizon
On the Horizon
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
Book Feature
T
he Absolute Sound’s Illustrated
History of High-End Audio, Volume
One: Loudspeakers brings to
Illustrated History
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 fea-
tures never-before-published interviews with
of High-End Audio
the founding fathers of the high-end loudspeak-
er industry, informative profiles of their com-
panies, timelines detailing the most significant
Illustrated History of High-End Audio
LoudspEAkErs
assessment of each company’s contributions to
the high end. The company profiles are chock-
full of fascinating details, nearly all of them new.
The stories of how these legendary pioneers e d i t e d by R o b e Rt H a R l ey
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 compa-
nies that have helped shape the high-end in-
dustry, including those at the forefront today.
Book Feature
McIntosh
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
Laboratory
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
classic, is and will be forever contemporary.
This look also translated into something else. McIntosh components
B Y PA U L S E Y D O R 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
Feature
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-
O
f all the components in your verts two two-dimensional electrical signals
audio system, the loudspeaker’s into a three-dimensional “soundspace” spread
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
would probably be your best choice. Converse- speaker design. Their products’ superior perfor- evocative single-enclosure loudspeaker in Wilson’s histor y.
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
www.wilsonaudio.com
18 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
A
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
speaker, 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
Equipment Report
Micromega MySpeaker with
MyAmp Inside
MyLittle…MyEverything
Neil Gader
M
icromega’s ever-expanding results from materials ranging from marine
“My Range” of compact and plywood, MDF, and solid woods to aircraft
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
Audioengine HDP6
can hold its head high in such company. And
that spells even more great news for the bud-
get-minded audiophile..
Who Are You Calling Passive?
Neil Gader
I
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
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
System
scratches on the aluminum.) You can stream via
Bluetooth 4.0 aptX from your computer or mo-
bile 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
D
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
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
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
HARBETH 40.2 • REVEL CONCERTA2 M16 • B&W 805 D3 • FOCAL SOPRA Nº1 • GAMUT RS3I • ELAC UNI-FI UB5
Equipment Report
I
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
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).
Equipment Report
Y
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-
that 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 with a 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—
Equipment Report
I
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-
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
Equipment Report
W
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,
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
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
sion. These beautifully machined solid-alumi- Type: Two-way, full-range stand-mount Crossover frequency range: 35Hz–70Hz @
elegant little speakers.
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-
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-
SOPRA
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
mode, because it unleashed a greater sense of
strings, palms snapping on drum
skins.
REVEAL THE INVISIBLE
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
Minissimos and Subissimo with the filter on— in the mix, particularly cymbals, on “Nervous”
The more time
I spent with the Sopra
THE PRESS IS UNANIMOUS! “I was capable of playing
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
but. This soundtrack features a cornucopia of ter on auto, the piano registered just a hint of I became to re-explore control behind them, I am
always amazed at how much
speakers are my was huge, expanding beyond
the speakers.”
instruments in deliciously complex arrange- brightness and the bass was more subdued,
my music collection
Home Theater Review, of the flagship Focal sound is audio nirvana’’ Stereophile, Sopra No3
present here’’ HiFi and Music Source,
ments—almost like a layer cake. All the ingre- with a backseat feel on “Good Understanding” Sopra No1
ToneAudio, Sopra No3 Sopra No2
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
ELECTRIC ORANGE
WALNUT VEINEER
CARRARA WHITE
BLACK LACQUER
Not all systems have fully delivered this al- and wall-to-wall dispersion combined with
IMPERIAL RED
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.
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
Equipment Report
T
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
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.
Equipment Report
A
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
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.)
Equipment Report
T
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-
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
Equipment Report
B&W 805 D3
A Compact That Acts Like a Flagship
Neil Gader
W
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
“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
Equipment Report
T
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.
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
Ha M IN
ND RM
POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS
-E FO
GH ER
Equipment Report Focal Sopra N01
HI P
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,
though I’m sure the brilliantly colored high- Positioning the Sopra No1s 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
Equipment Report
M
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
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 elec-
tronics—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
Equipment Report
H
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
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
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
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
FLOORSTANDING <$10K
Contents
MARTINLOGAN MOTION 60XT • VANDERSTEEN TREO CT • ATC SCM19A • MONITOR AUDIO GOLD 300
Equipment Report
M
artinLogan (ML) has long wise precaution during setup, especially when
been associated with the design unpacking the loudspeakers from their ship-
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
Equipment Report
T
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
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-
Equipment Report
ATC SCM19A
Heresy
Neil Gader
T
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
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 Abrief 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
Equipment Report
A
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
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-
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
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
FLOORSTANDING >$10K
Contents Clic k any product na me
to read that revie w
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
Equipment Report
MartinLogan Neolith
Electrostatic-Hybrid
The Sword in the Stone
Robert Harley Photography by Dennis Burnett
T
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
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-
Ha M IN
ND RM
& POWERED • BOOKSHELF, STAND-MOUNT • FLOORSTANDING <$10K • FLOORSTANDING >$10K • SUBWOOFERS
-E FO
GH ER
HI P
Equipment Report MartinLogan Neolith Electrostatic-Hybrid 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 driver C
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
to the feeling of raw musical energy captured ceeding in the audio equivalent of pulling the evocative single-enclosure loudspeaker in Wilson’s histor y.
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 mu-
sical performance as I did when listening to it
through the Neolith.
www.wilsonaudio.com
91 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
I
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
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
Equipment Report
D
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.
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.
Equipment Report
Magico S1 Mk II
Strong Family Resemblance
Andrew Quint
M
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
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-
Equipment Report
Paradigm Persona 9H
Sleek, Sophisticated, Stylish
Anthony H. Cordesman
Photos by Dennis Burnett
L
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
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
Equipment Report
I
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
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
Equipment Report
“I
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
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 re- finement 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,
Equipment Report
N
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
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
Equipment Report
F
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
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
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
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
Equipment Report
I
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
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
Equipment Report
A
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
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
Equipment Report
REL T7i
The I Has It
Neil Gader
I
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
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.
Equipment Report
I
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
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 by a 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.