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World News

Acora Acoustics SRB Loudspeaker

Posted on by Alan Taffel

As a breed, high-end speaker designers are likely to be keen about their very own specific design predilections. Andrew Jones wouldn’t dream of constructing a speaker that lacked coincident drivers. Daryl Wilson is adamant concerning the significance of inter-driver timing. Magico’s Alon Wolf will construct a ported enclosure when hell freezes over.

Valerio Cora, founder and designer of Acora Acoustics, the relative newcomer who has already made main waves within the business, is equally passionate. In his case, the article of his fervor is stone. Indeed, Cora’s obsession with using stone for speaker cupboards goes past mere philosophy. For him, the desire for stone is private.

Cora spent three months in Italy yearly till he was 18 years previous as a part of a household whose enterprise was stonework and machining. His father served as his mentor, educating him the intricacies of varied stones: their traits, learn how to work with them, learn how to choose the perfect. Cora is aware of the fabric intimately as a result of, in a really actual sense, stone is in his blood. 

But Cora is a scientist by coaching, so when you ask him why he selected stone—particularly granite—for his flagship SR speaker sequence enclosures, he gained’t regale you with tales of his youth. Instead, he’ll dispassionately clarify why “it’s merely the perfect materials to make a speaker out of.” Why? “It’s steady. It’s inert. It’s inflexible. It doesn’t bend, deflect, or compress. It holds the drivers exactly in place, with no motion, and it doesn’t permit the rear wave to work together with the entrance wave. Granite doesn’t permit sound waves to penetrate by it or contribute any sound waves of its personal.”

Ask him his emotions towards different frequent speaker supplies and also you’ll get a terse response. Wood? “Not sufficiently stiff or dense. Too compressive. Not hermetic.” Aluminum? “Better, however nonetheless extra elastic and fewer dense than granite.” One knock Cora has towards nearly all non-stone enclosures is that they require bracing to realize enough stiffness. In his ebook, bracing is unhealthy as a result of “sound waves from the again of the drivers replicate off the bracing and are available again to the entrance of the drivers.” Consequently, Acora audio system eschew bracing altogether. Besides being sonically deleterious, bracing is superfluous in a speaker made from granite.   

Nor is Cora any extra complaisant with regards to different facets of speaker design. For occasion, all Acora audio system are 2-way. The motive? “It’s practically not possible to realize section coherence with a 3-way passive crossover. You all the time need to make extra compromises than with a 2-way.” Nor are Acora audio system

time-aligned within the vein of a Wilson, Vandersteen, or Rockport. Like Magico’s Wolf, Cora feels that “time-aligning drivers creates compromises that outweigh the advantages. Also, it’s bodily not possible to be time aligned in any respect frequencies. But we make use of a sloped baffle to realize a phase-coherent alignment between the drivers.” How about first-order crossovers, then? “No. Too a lot driver overlap between drivers—as much as six octaves on the crossover frequencies.” And as for sealed enclosures, “I want the bass extension of ported designs.”

Cora is equally choosy about his drivers. For instance, he doesn’t use diamond-coated tweeters, saying, “Maybe sooner or later. Right now, they don’t meet my sonic goal. Remember, when you’re coating one thing, you’re including weight to it.”

Nowhere will you discover extra proof of Cora’s uncompromising exactitude than on the matter of granite colour. The SR Series audio system are, like a Model T Ford, out there in any colour you’d like as long as it’s black. That appears draconian, however, as all the time, Cora has causes grounded in information. “Different colours of granite have completely different densities, all decrease than black. Veins of colour are literally cracks which were fused collectively by mom nature. This ends in a weaker construction with completely different resonant properties. Black doesn’t have any of those issues.” 

And so it’s that for Acora’s entry-level speaker within the high SR Series, the $18,750 SRB, Val Cora constructed a 2-way, ported, brace-free, stand-mounted speaker with a non-diamond-coated beryllium tweeter, a 5.9″ mid/woofer, and a modified 4th-order crossover, all handsomely enclosed in a lustrous black granite cupboard. Yet, as you’ll see, this speaker doesn’t simply replicate its designer’s technical orientation; it manifests his very nature.

The Uncompromising Speaker

Just as Val Cora doesn’t compromise on his speaker designs, his SR Series audio system don’t compromise on sound high quality. They inform the reality of what’s on the recording, and nothing however. They’re among the many most revealing audio system I’ve ever encountered, however there’s no sugar coating. Speakers for the “As You Like It” crowd, these aren’t.

Like all ultra-revealing audio system, the SRB calls for an immaculate setup. Don’t even take into consideration cheaping out on cables or amplification. Even amongst costly, reference-class choices, you’ll wish to select properly. Cardas cables, as an illustration, are identified to be full within the bass. This is a fortuitous attribute in lots of setups, however I discovered the Cardas Clear a would possibly too fulsome for the Acoras, which, regardless of their measurement, are not at all bass shy. I used to be happier with my normal Empirical Design speaker cables, that are extra impartial.

And whereas I obtained typically good outcomes with my CH Precision I1 built-in amp, I couldn’t eradicate a persistent shrillness within the decrease treble. This shouldn’t be a attribute of the amp nor, as I used to be to be taught, of the speaker; moderately, it was a lower than preferrred pairing.

Since Cora voices and reveals his audio system primarily with tubed gear, I believed it smart to borrow some to see what would occur. And as a result of the audio system thrive on impartial related tools, I sought out two tubed elements that JV had not too long ago highlighted as a number of the most impartial such merchandise he’d encountered: the Audio Research Reference 160S stereo energy amp and Reference 6SE linestage. A name went out to Dave Gordon at ARC, and earlier than I knew it, my pals at JS Audio in Bethesda, Maryland, had offered me samples of those luscious elements. The ARC duo labored wonders on the shrillness I’d beforehand encountered.

When it involves putting the SRB, some exactitude is required. You’ll wish to give these audio system a large stance, with loads of distance between them and solely a contact of toe-in. That mentioned, the audio system are surprisingly versatile with regards to distance from the wall behind them. That is, they’re equally amenable to being effectively out from that wall or in a room that forces them nearer to it.

Of course, you’ll want stands—and never simply any stands. Acora makes two which might be particularly designed for the SRB. In my view, utilizing these, versus generics, is obligatory. To carry out as meant, the SRBs have to be tightly coupled to the ground. The Acora stands try this.

The two fashions are the steel-and-granite SRS-M ($3125) and the considerably heavier, all-granite SRS-G ($6250). Normally, I’d have gone for the full-granite choice, since Cora instructed me in no unsure phrases that it sounds higher. However, the all-granite stands have a barely broader base than the steel variations, and that might have conflicted with my media console. This assessment, then, is predicated on the audio system being positioned atop the SRS-M stands. It’s good to know that, area and funds allowing, even higher sound might be wrung from the SRS through the use of the SRS-G stands.

After you get all this sorted out, you’ll wish to run within the audio system for a protracted spell earlier than contemplating them damaged in. Anything lower than 200 hours, and also you’ll hear a paucity within the treble. Don’t fear; it goes away.

Once every thing is true, the little SRB dazzles with superb feats. Play piano recording—I usually use Michael Wolff’s 2am—and also you’ll marvel at how a lot slop you’ve been listening to from different audio system. Listen to any good jazz-bass recording and also you gained’t consider the deep, highly effective, punchy, detailed lows you’re getting from such a compact design.

This low-end decision extends to pop recordings, as effectively. On Kacey Musgrave’s “Slow Burn,” there’s an especially delicate bass line that accompanies the guitar by the opening verse. I by no means heard it earlier than I had the SRBs in my system. That’s the form of musically significant materials the SRBs unearth. Indeed, strive them with any acquainted recording and I dare you to not hear some element—or be higher capable of distinguish and comply with an obscured musical line—that had beforehand gone unnoticed.

You’ll additionally get a greater than credible 3-D soundstage, even when the audio system are lower than a foot from the wall behind them. As for imaging, it’s as excellent as you’d anticipate from a well-sorted, two-way mini-monitor with an enclosure that’s actually arduous as a rock.

Vocals? You’re going to listen to each component of the singer’s instrument. Try Satchmo on “St. James Infirmary.” Everything that makes him singular, from tone to fashion to delicate inflections, is laid naked. Or placed on Tracy Chapman having her inimitable manner with a stay rendition of “Stand by Me.” Her uniqueness and prowess are overwhelming.

The SRB can be superb at one thing that eludes many audio system, even these which might be in any other case of reference caliber: dynamic monitoring. I’m not referring to the power to play gentle and loud, or to transition fleetly from one to the opposite, although the SRB completely does these issues, too. What I imply is a speaker’s capability to take care of coherence and tonal stability by various dynamics. The SRB—and all Acora audio system, in my expertise—do that to a fare-thee-well.

At the identical time, the SRB’s uncompromising nature implies that it’s not for everybody. If there are issues with a recording, you’re going to listen to them. For occasion, Led Zeppelin’s “Black Dog,” irrespective of the model, is unremittingly skinny. The SRB does nothing to cover this reality. Mind you, the Acora doesn’t exaggerate flaws in supply materials; it simply doesn’t disguise or compensate for them.

Which makes it price noting that the SR Series shouldn’t be the one mannequin line Acora presents. The firm not too long ago launched the QR Series. Each QR mannequin is an identical to its SR counterpart save that it’s made from quartz moderately than granite. You may even get them in colours aside from black! Those are compromises, true, however Cora was sanguine about them as a result of the QR Series is extra forgiving but retains 95% of the SR’s sound high quality. QR fashions are additionally 20% cheaper than their granite counterparts.    

Which one is best for you? If you’re prepared to surrender that 5% of the SRB’s efficiency for a extra forgiving presentation, the QRB might have your title on it. But if it’s uncompromising efficiency you search from a compact, stand-mounted speaker—the final word in decision, dynamics, imaging, and musically related element—the Acora SRB ought to be in your must-audition checklist.

Specs & Pricing

Type: 2-way bass-reflex standmount
Drivers: 5.9″ sandwich paper cone midrange/woofer, 1″ beryllium dome tweeter
Enclosure: High-polish, pure black granite
Crossover frequency: 3.3kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Recommended amplifier energy: 10W–150W
Sensitivity: 86.5dB/1W/1m
Frequency response: 43Hz–35KHz
Dimensions: 9″ x 13″ x 11″
Weight: 58 lbs. every with out stands
Price: $18,750/pr.

ACORA ACOUSTICS
165 Milner Ave,
Scarborough, ON
Canada
M1S 4G7
acoraacoustics.com
(647) 812-3933

The put up Acora Acoustics SRB Loudspeaker appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

World News

The 2023 AXPONA Show: Alan Taffel on Loudspeakers Below $30k

Posted on by Alan Taffel

If you’ll be able to’t make it to Munich for an audio present, AXPONA is a really shut second. This was my maiden journey to the Chicago extravaganza, however even veteran attendees marveled anew at its sheer dimension, the demographic disparity of attendees, the presence of just about each main high-end producer on earth (together with their high designers and executives), and the plethora of purposely timed product introductions. Compared to Munich, AXPONA’s most obvious lack is an effective apfelstrudel.

So, there I used to be wandering the ten flooring (plus a dozen ballrooms), trying to find audio system underneath $30k, however discovering principally fashions priced nicely beneath $10k. What was happening? The business had lastly realized that efficiently attracting a brand new, youthful, however much less prosperous clientele meant pricing its wares accordingly. Consequently—and I by no means thought I’d write this in a TAS present report—costs have been manner down. New merchandise however, that was AXPONA’s greatest information.

Most Significant

AT_1 Mission
The Mission 770 is of the New-Old School of audio system. Its sound was very good, and its value is simply $5k/pair—together with stands!

Mission M770. This speaker, making its U.S. debut, represented a number of developments. First, it’s uncontestably cheap: simply $5k/pair, together with stands. Second, like introductions from Wharfedale, JBL, Janszen, KLH, Klipsch and Tannoy, the Mission is an up to date model of an outdated speaker—on this case, the M770 that initially bowed in 1978. At AXPONA, every part outdated was new once more. Not all these seductively priced reboots have been profitable, however the Mission had a dynamic alacrity and midrange immediacy that have been absent even in lots of costly high-end audio system.

AT_2 Janszen
Janszen’s Nine.Five takes the KLH 9 as inspiration to create an almost full-range (all the way down to 200Hz) ‘stat.

Janszen Nine.Five. Another retro speaker that made the grade will get particular kudos for its willingness to play with the unique’s design. The Nine.Five takes its cue from the beloved KLH Model 9. But whereas the KLH was a full-range electrostatic, the Janszen is a practically full-range ‘stat. In the fashionable model, which runs $21,900, the planar panel covers every part from 200Hz up. Below that may be a line array of six 8” dynamic woofers. At AXPONA the low-sensitivity speaker was underpowered by AGD electronics, so Beethoven’s 7th didn’t fare nicely. However, on much less strenuous supply materials, comparable to Brubeck’s “Take Five,” the amps stored up and the audio system confirmed outstanding neutrality, convincing timbre, and glorious imaging. On no event did I hear any discontinuity between the planar and dynamic drivers. Sometimes taking liberties pays off.

AT_3 GE
GoldenEar’s slim T66 is the corporate’s first main introduction since its acquisition. Its sound bodes nicely for future releases.

GoldenEar T66. The long-delayed revamp of GoldenEar’s famed Triton sequence begins now, with this good-looking, underneath $8k/pair floorstander. The T66 marks the primary core-product introduction because the firm was acquired by the Quest Group, which additionally contains AudioQuest. Compared to its predecessors, the T66 displays noticeably superior industrial design and end. Featuring a ribbon tweeter and powered sub, the T66 sounded clean and luxurious when pushed by McIntosh tubed electronics. I’d like to listen to it with some good solid-state gear, however the T66 bodes nicely for GoldenEar’s subsequent chapter.

AT_4 Q Acoustics
Coming to America: the Q Acoustics 5000 Series from Britain.

Q Acoustics 5000 Series. This British model is extra acquainted to Europeans than Americans, however which will change with new distribution right here and selections like saying a complete new line at AXPONA fairly than ready for Munich. The 5000 sequence ranges from $750–$2000, and each mannequin options know-how from the doubly costly Concept Series. At AXPONA, powered by the at all times good-sounding Soul Note electronics, the mid-range mannequin 5040 ($1499) displayed surprisingly excessive decision and dynamics for the value. Even the cupboard was lovely.

AT_1 MoFi
The MoFi SourcePoint 8, at simply $3k, breaks new floor as to what’s potential at its value level.

MoFi SourcePoint 8. Designer Andrew Jones’ newest is a boundary buster. The SourcePoint 8 demonstrates simply how a lot audiophile-grade sound will be wrung from a $3k/pair of audio system. The SP8 is the newborn brother of the stellar SourcePoint 10—itself an unimaginable discount at $4k/pair—with the distinction being the woofer dimension. Both fashions function Jones’ trademark concentric-driver method. The SP8 might hand over a smidge of bass extension in comparison with the SP10, however its low finish stays highly effective and tight. As with the SP10, The SP8’s imaging, decision, dynamics, and just about every part else are ridiculously good for the value. AJ does it once more!

Auspicious Debuts

AT_6 Pureaudioproject
The PureAudioProject Trio 15 options interchangeable and expandable modules.

PureAudioProject makes open-baffle audio system that homeowners can modify by including or changing modules. For occasion, the midrange will be dealt with by the client’s alternative of a horn, coax, or full-range driver. The newest mannequin is the Trio 15, which features a pair of 15” woofers and the coax mid/hello for $8900/pair. Its sound at AXPONA was clean and soulful, with nice spatial dispersion. There have been no field colorations, due to there being no field.

Tannoy was yet one more model from hi-fi’s golden age that was sprucing up its outdated catalog. The Stirling LLLZ Special Edition ($12,500) relies on a 1967 design, however its components trickled down from the flagship Kensington mannequin. Like many of those retro-inspired audio system, there are consumer changes; on this case, for tweeter degree and roll-off frequency. Tannoy supplied solely a static show of the Stirling, however the Kensington, which is bigger however has similar specs, was enjoying. In the Tannoy custom, it sounded wealthy and sonorous.

Gershman XdB. The XdB is a stand-mount speaker with a distinction: the stand itself is a part of the system. As I perceive it, the stand capabilities as a bass lure, dissipating extra bass from the sealed enclosure. In one other departure, there’s an anti-vibration, mass-loading disc atop the cupboard. The audio system, $12k/pair together with stands, are rated all the way down to an impressively low 23Hz. At their AXPONA introduction, bass was shockingly prolonged and highly effective. The remainder of the spectrum was equally good, particularly when it comes to dynamics. A outstanding debut, particularly—I’ll say it once more—contemplating the value.

AT_7 JM Reynaud
JM Reynaud’s OrfeoGrande($19,500) hybrid made its U.S. debut with Jadis electronics.

JM Reynaud’s Orfeo Grande ($19,500) had its U.S. premier at AXPONA. The French firm’s new flagship mannequin employs a planar tweeter and dynamic mid and bass drivers, all of which built-in artfully. Paired with Jadis electronics, the combo sounded each bit as candy as you’d anticipate, however not overly so. There was a shocking diploma of instrumental physique and weight for such a small footprint.

Dynaudio pulled out all of the stops at AXPONA. The firm showcased three audio system: the Confidence 50, which galvanized JV; the Confidence 20, whose sound was such that it had no enterprise costing simply $13k together with stands; and the $11k Focus 50, making its first commerce present look. These are wi-fi, powered, 3-way, tri-amplified audio system with built-in streaming, room correction, and WiSA inter-speaker connectivity for low latency. Although I didn’t get to listen to the F50, I used to be impressed by its vary of help for streaming platforms (Tidal, Roon, Spotify), wi-fi connectivity (Chromecast, exterior WiSA sources as much as 24/96, AirPlay 2, Bluetooth), and hardwired inputs (Ethernet, coax Digital, TosLink, analog). As befits a very trendy speaker, every part is configurable and controllable through an app.

In Other News

 Canadian speaker firm Rethm launched the Maarga floorstander ($12,900). An energetic speaker, the Maarga incorporates a 400-watt amp to energy its quad 7” isobaric woofers. Prana Fidelity showcased the ultimate model of its long-gestating Dhara stand-mount speaker ($9500/pair together with stands). Although squarely within the “nice” faculty of sound, the Dhara was by no means monotonous due to loads of rhythmic vitality. The crossover gives varied choices for roll-off, resistor values, and so on, all of that are user-switchable.

Ironically, simply throughout the corridor from the massive MBL omnidirectional system was a a lot smaller-scale—and much cheaper—execution of the omnidirectional method by Phillips Design. Making its world debut was the mannequin OH-16 ($4500-$6k, relying on end). The speaker consists of a coax mid/hello driver firing upward right into a dispersion cone, and a down-firing 12” woofer.

Martin-Logan selected AXPONA to launch a complete new line: the Motion Series. All the Motion fashions are hybrids, with AMT planar tweeters, fiberglass midrange drivers, and both aluminum or Kevlar/Nomex composite woofers, relying on mannequin. Prices vary from a mere $500 to $5500.

The Wharfedale Dovedale, one other speaker reborn from the previous, is a brand new entrant within the firm’s Heritage Series. The Dovedale hails from the 60s, when it could possibly be bought as a equipment! The new model mimics the unique’s dimension and form. Each driver has its personal inside cupboard. Built within the U.Okay., the 3-way Dovedale prices $7k for a mirror-matched pair.

Another longstanding model, Definitive Technology, launched the brand new Dymension Series. Of best curiosity to two-channel audio followers would be the floorstanding DM40, 60, 70 and 80. They promote for $2–$5k/pair. Each mannequin is a bipole tower with an attenuate-able rear driver. The sound was pure and extremely coherent.

Paradigm’s new Defiance XR11 subwoofer ($4k) powers its 11” woofer with 1100 watts. The sub contains room correction and a spinoff of the woofer used within the upscale Persona line. Phase, polarity, and degree can all be managed by an app.

Focal is changing its well-liked Chora line with a brand new sequence dubbed Theva (the ‘h’ is silent). Designed for each home-theater and two-channel purposes, the audio system vary from $1–$3k and boast upgraded cupboards, crossovers, and drivers.

AT_8 Devialet
The wi-fi, rechargeable, softball-sized Devialet Mania is the proper picnic speaker.

Finally, the Devialet Mania is a tiny moveable sphere of a speaker. Barely bigger than a softball, Mania is energetic, wi-fi, rechargeable (one cost lasts 10 hours), and helps Apple Airplay, wi-fi, and Bluetooth. Grab your cellphone, a Mania, and a bottle of wine and have your self a picnic anyplace.

Best of Show

Best Sound (Cost no object): Among bigger rooms, I by no means felt the enjoyment of sonic and musical discovery as keenly as with the Acora/VAC system. Within smaller rooms, kudos go to the extraordinary new Magico S3.  

Best Sound (for the cash): No contest right here. The MoFi SourcePoint 8 audio system pushed by a Hi-Fi Rose built-in amp/DAC/streamer price lower than $7 for an complete—and completely mind-blowing—system.

Most Significant Introduction: A tie between the MoFi SourcePoint 8, which exhibits simply how a lot terrific sound $3k should purchase, and the Magico S3 ($45k), which leverages the corporate’s newest design and testing know-how to create a brand new candy spot within the line.

Best Joke: In a packed elevator, Muzak wafting from the ceiling, an attendee quipped, “This is the most effective sound I’ve heard on the present.” The complete elevator exploded with laughter.

 

The put up The 2023 AXPONA Show: Alan Taffel on Loudspeakers Below $30k appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

World News

The 2023 AXPONA Show: Jonathan Valin on Speakers $30k and Up

Posted on by Jonathan Valin

Judging by the variety of shows and attendees, I’d name AXPONA 2023 a roaring success—not fairly Munich High End stage, particularly in the way in which of latest product introductions, however approaching it. Almost everybody within the trade was there, together with a bunch of parents (e.g., Cyrill Hammer of Soulution, Gabi Rijnveld of Crystal Cable, Jack Miura of Air Tight, Franc Kuzma of Kuzma Ltd., Roland Gauder of Gauder Akustik, et al.) who don’t usually come to regional U.S. exhibits. But AXPONA has grown past a regional present. It is now the closest factor we’ve to a CES-level high-end-audio occasion.

Happily, the sound at this yr’s AXPONA was, for essentially the most half, additionally a hit. Of course, the Schaumburg Renaissance’s small resort rooms and enormous convention-center halls had their peculiarities, however not less than the colorations have been constant. Many audio system (not all, by any means) struggled a bit within the higher midrange and the low finish. Very few screamed or boomed at you, as nearly all the things does in these terrible glass-walled cubicles at Munich’s MOC, however within the Renaissance resort rooms there was a slight tendency to room-induced brightness and lumpy midbass. The enormous conference halls had their very own set of sonic points, chief amongst which was the difficulty many audio system (even many giant audio system) had merely filling these cavernous areas with sound. Without a lot if any room assist, the displays may have a tendency towards the anechoic, which is to say that pure tonal heat was typically (not all the time) diminished.

Nonetheless, as I mentioned, this was principally a good-sounding—in some instances, a really good-sounding—present. It was additionally, as I’ve famous, a big present. Which signifies that, regardless of my greatest efforts, I undoubtedly missed among the demos on the Renaissance’s 11 flooring of resort rooms and conference halls. I in all probability acquired pricing and nomenclature improper in a number of instances, too. My apologies prematurely to these people I missed and to these whose names, particulars, and/or value tags I screwed up. (You attempt taking in depth notes on a tiny iPhone keyboard and see how effectively you do.) As I’ve written many instances previously, I’m only one man with a briefcase filled with blues, jazz, and classical LPs. So, present some sympathy (as Mick as soon as mentioned a few very totally different character).

Gauder Acoustic Reference 200

I’m going to prepare this report by flooring, beginning on the prime (16), the place Dr. Roland Gauder of Gauder Akustik launched his four-driver, three-way, $149k DARC 200, pushed by an entire suite of Soulution Series 7 electronics and sourced by a Soulution 760 DAC (one in every of my references) and an unique Yukiseimitsu Audio AP-01 turntable. As it turned out, this room was a pleasant shock, because the DARC 200s weren’t geared up with Accuton ceramic woofers, as has been the case with the Gauder audio system I’ve heard previously, however with aluminum-sandwich ones (the midrange, I consider, stays ceramic and the tweeter diamond). The attribute ribs of the good-looking chassis have additionally been modified to strong aluminum, with intermediate dampers between every rib. The sonic results of these modifications to drivers and enclosures couldn’t have been extra optimistic. Gauders have by no means lacked for element, however in tone shade they’ve tended towards the lean, cool, antiseptic facet. Not the DARCs! The sound was extraordinarily wealthy, easy, darkish, pretty, and listenable. And tremendously dynamic. It was only a matter of luck, however this very first room turned out to be a possible candidate for Best of Show.

Franco Serblin Ktema

Next door, AXISS Audio (now below Cliff Duffey’s ready administration) was displaying the five-driver, four-way, $40k Franco Serblin Ktêma floorstander, pushed and sourced by Air Tight fantastic electronics. Brighter, extra current, and extra speedy than the Gauder within the midrange and treble, the Ktêma was nonetheless wealthy and full in shade with distinctive copy of standup bass. My notes learn: “Very rattling good, once more!”

Vivid Giya G2

I subsequent visited GTT Audio’s room, the place Bill Parish was displaying the five-driver, four-way, $68k Vivid Audio Giya G2 Series 2s. I’ve heard and favored numerous iterations of this uniquely formed (to my eye, attractively so) loudspeaker a number of instances, right here and overseas, so I used to be anticipating good issues. What I acquired was a mite disappointing. Driven by Audionet electronics and cabled by Kubala-Sosna, the Giya was a bit brighter, thinner, and extra aggressive than the Gauder or the Serblin within the mids and the treble and in addition much less well-defined within the bass (although the audio system had phenomenal influence on “The Great Gate of Kiev”). These room-induced points made the presentation good however not Best of Show-worthy.

Von Schweikert Ultra 7

Next up have been the multi-driver, five-way, $180k Von Schweikert Ultra 7s, powered by WestminsterLab electronics, sourced by a Lampizator DAC and Aurender server, and cabled by Masterbuilt. Although I haven’t all the time cottoned to the Von Ses’ sound within the enormous ballrooms the place they’re normally proven, this time round, in a small room, I believed they have been very good. Lovely, energetic (only a contact vivid and aggressive on guitars), and well-balanced, they excelled on Dire Straits and different music.

Borresen Silver Supreme

Børresen Acoustics was displaying its $61k (sure, you learn that proper), stand-mounted 01 Silver Supreme two-way, pushed (in fact) by Aavik electronics and cabled with Ansuz wire. I’ve been a fan of Michael Børresen’s ribbon/cone two-ways since his Raidho days, so I used to be very a lot trying ahead to listening to his new two-way references with elaborate cryo remedies and inductance-reducing solid-silver pole rings. Alas, the room didn’t serve the 01 in addition to it might need. Oh, the sound was lots good (Michael’s two-ways are all the time particular), however the nearly full absence of low bass and a little bit of graininess and brightness in mids and treble made the presentation much less excellent than it ought to’ve been for 61g’s.

Bayz

The $60k, two-way Bayz Audio Courante 2.0 omni with carbon-fiber chassis was being pushed by VAC electronics. Though oddly discontinuous within the bass and a bit of vivid on woodwinds, it was, nonetheless, quick and open in every single place else, with superb depth and free-floating photos. An fascinating loudspeaker.

Goebel Divin Noblesse

We now transfer to the 15th flooring, the place the massive, five-driver, $250k Göbel Divin Noblesse was being pushed by 4 ARC amps, sourced by Wadax, and cabled by Göbel. A bit vivid on top-octave piano, it was very full within the midband octaves, very current and ahead on brass and winds, wonderful on male voice, and a bit of laidback on drums and double bass. (I believed it may have used subs.) Good however a mite condensed and aggressive on this smaller area, the Goebel was nice to take heed to however not a Best of Show contender.

MBL 101 MkII

We come now to one in every of my favourite loudspeakers, the four-driver, four-way, $91,000 MBL 101E MkII omni, pushed and sourced (as regular) by MBL’s personal excellent electronics. A number of points in the past, one in every of my colleagues remarked that (till the present he was then reporting on) he’d by no means heard the MBLs sound good. Well, all I can say is perhaps he ought to seek the advice of an audiologist. This is and has all the time been a terrific loudspeaker. Grainless and pure with surprisingly good bass extension in a smaller room and easily outstanding spaciousness, it sounded excellent on “People Get Ready” and different soul, rock, and jazz cuts. Yeah, it was a bit darkish in shade on this area and a tiny bit vivid within the treble, but it surely was additionally exceedingly pretty and lifelike. It was the primary speaker I discovered myself tapping my foot to, which says one thing superb about its PRAT. Another Best of Show contender.

Grimm

Next up was the powered (by built-in Class D amps), DSP’d, $40k Grimm Audio LS1 two-way with subwoofer. Like nearly all the things at this present, the Grimm was a bit of vivid within the higher mids. That apart, it was fairly good sounding, with a really good mix with its subwoofer. The soundstage on a Melody Gardot lower was monumental, and the timbre and focus of her voice have been fairly lifelike. While I wouldn’t name the LS1 a Best of Show, it got here shut, which is a primary in my expertise for a powered, DSP’d speaker.

Magico S3

Another previous favourite of mine, Magico, confirmed its new, three-way, $45k S3 floorstander, pushed by Convergent Audio Technology electronics, sourced by Wadax and an Antipodes Audio streamer, and cabled by Stealth and Veda. Put merely, the S3 was a knockout. It had extraordinarily deep-reaching bass (measurably flat right down to 20Hz), which was a shock in these small rooms from 9″ drivers, wealthy tonality prime to backside, very strong imaging, and distinctive element. (It was simply fantastic on male vocals from the Blind Boys of Alabama.) While it didn’t picture outdoors its (aluminum) containers and was restricted in depth, it was nonetheless a surefire BOS contender—and one other triumph for Alon and Yoav.

Rockport

On to the 14th flooring, the place one other previous favourite, Rockport, was displaying its $37k Atria II, pushed by Vinnie Rossi electronics and sourced by MSB (one other of my references). This was a really candy, neutral-sounding transducer—neither overly darkish within the bass and midrange nor megaphonic within the higher mids. Because of its refreshing transparency and freedom from coloration, it was instantly one other of my Best of Show candidates.

We’ll skip the 13th flooring (Marriott did) and transfer on to the 12th, the place I got here throughout a French planar speaker, the $50k Dyptique Refrence, pushed by Audia Flight electronics and sourced by a Michell turntable (with DS Audio cartridge). Nowadays, coming throughout a brand new planar loudspeaker at a commerce present is a rarity (though AXPONA boasted a number of such introductions, one in every of which, as you will notice, was extraordinary). Though not BOS materials, the Dyptique was nonetheless particular—unusually impartial and practical. Maybe just a bit skinny in shade, it was, nonetheless, one in every of a small handful of audio system vying for “Best Intro.”

Vandersteen

Once once more, an previous favourite, Vandersteen, confirmed its five-driver, three-way $41.7k Kento Carbon floorstander, pushed by an ARC preamp and Vandersteen’s personal amps, and sourced by an ARC DAC 9. As regular, the Kento made a wealthy pretty sound. Despite being a bit of lumped up within the bass as a result of room, it was nice on trumpet, sax, flute, and trombone.

Acora Quartz SRC-1

The two-driver, two-way, $35k Acora Acoustics SRC-1 in a quartz enclosure was pushed by ampsandsound and VAC electronics and sourced by an SW1X DAC and a TW Acustik turntable. Unfortunately, the SRC-1 was very vivid after I got here into the room; to make issues worse, the bass was additionally poorly managed. When I returned on Day Three, these issues have been toned down, although SRC-1 was nonetheless a bit of vivid and spare and poorly outlined within the backside octaves. The speaker was additionally being performed too loud for such a tiny room.

Marten Mingus

The five-driver (a mixture of ceramic and aluminum cones), three-way $75k Marten Mingus Quintet 2 floorstander was being pushed by Jadis electronics. A bit of “ceramic-sounding,” which is to say clear, quick, detailed, and lean, the Mingus had a constant sonic stability from prime to backside (no low-end darkness or lumpiness). Overall, it was on the dry facet.

We now transfer to Floor 7, as 8, 9, 10, and 11 have been reserved for friends. the place the very first thing I got here throughout was the $75k Magico M2, pushed by Constellation electronics and sourced by Aurender. This is a speaker I’ve cherished because it was launched, and AXPONA didn’t upset the applecart (to combine metaphors). While not as wealthy in shade as the outstanding new S3, the M2 is extra delicate and detailed, although nowhere close to as deep-reaching. On Rhiannon Giddens’ “Do Right” and Leonard Cohen’s “Ain’t No Cure For Love,” it sounded extra like a ’stat than the S3 does. A borderline-BOS displaying.

TAD ME1

The two-way, three-driver (woofer and concentric mid/tweet) $33.5k TAD ME1 stand-mount was powered and sourced by TAD’s personal electronics and cabled by Wireworld. Though gentle within the decrease octaves, it was in any other case fairly interesting on a Stevie Ray Vaughan lower.

The $49k Arion Audio Apollo 9 open-baffle line array with built-in sub was a bit one-noteish within the backside octaves however very open and wealthy in shade on sax, guitar, and different devices. Lively, with good broad staging, its chief weak spot was the sub—not a lot the mix because the extension. Still, this was a pleasant sound.

Orchestralls

The undisputed winner of oddest loudspeaker at AXPONA was the $49k Orchestalls KMD 700R—a bizarre, multi-box, cone loudspeaker by which every of the containers is individually articulated by way of the arms of a giant adjustable stand. The humorous half was that it really sounded superb—amazingly coherent contemplating the variety of cones and containers in play. Rich, expansive, and full vary with pretty flat and well-defined bass in a tiny room, it was excessive among the many most fascinating intros at this (or any) present.

Raidho

The five-driver, ribbon-tweetered, quasi-D’Appolito, $70k Raidho TD 3.2, pushed by Burmester electronics, sourced by a Vertere ’desk, and wired by RSX, was excellent on my Fabulous Basso D2D LP, completely excellent on Li-Paz’s voice. It might not have been as full and wealthy on piano as the perfect programs, but it surely got here shut. A superior loudspeaker.

Stenheim Alumine 3 SE

The $43.2k Stenheim Alumine 3 SE, powered by Nagra electronics and sourced by Nagra digital and Baer analog confirmed fairly effectively on Leonard Cohen’s “Dance Me To the End Of Love.” Really fairly lovely sounding, the three SE may be very very similar to my reference Stenheim 5 SE, solely not as deep reaching. Even although the underside couple octaves weren’t being reproduced, there have been no different weaknesses I may detect and loads of strengths. Another close-to-Best-of-Show efficiency.

Clarisys Minuet with Constellation

We come now to essentially the most pleasant shock of the present—one other full-range planar loudspeaker, this one from Switzerland and Vietnam (yup, it’s inbuilt Vietnam), the $36k Clarisys Minuet. This good-looking, extraordinarily sturdy, and seemingly well-made loudspeaker was being proven in two rooms, the primary the place it was pushed and sourced by Hegel electronics, the second (pictured right here) by Constellation electronics. Its efficiency in each rooms was merely excellent—super-depth, super-separation, super-speed, and fairly deep, decently well-defined bass. Above all else, the Clarisys sounded extra like the actual factor within the midband than absolutely anything else at an excellent and aggressive present. Happily, the Minuet can also be comparatively straightforward to drive (with a sensitivity of 88dB), not like the Apogee ribbons of previous, to which it bears a passing resemblance and will the truth is be partly modeled on. Obviously, the Clarisys is a Best of Show finalist.

Wilson Benesch Resolution 3 Zero

Wilson Benesch was displaying its multiway, biocomposite-enclosed, isobaric-woofered, $102k Resolution 3Zero floorstander. Like earlier WBs, the threeZero is impartial in an nearly colorless method. This is nice for transparency and backbone, not so sizzling for timbre. Fast, outlined, and a bit of antiseptic, it is extremely full vary, however deliver your scarf and mittens as a result of it is usually very chilly.

My pal Jeff Catalano of High Water Sound supplied up a $65k Cessaro Horn Acoustics Opus horn speaker with Opus subs, pushed by unique TWAcustik Raven electronics and sourced by TWAcustik’s beautiful Raven LS-3 Copper turntable. This was a horn system that didn’t sound like horns—or, not less than, didn’t have their typical issues. Very a lot of a bit, very full vary, and really wealthy and pure in timbre—with no cupped fingers coloration—the Opuses made Ornette’s plastic sax, Don Cherry’s pocket trumpet, Ed Blackwell’s drumkit, and Charlie Haden’s bass sound “there.” It was additionally nice on Li-Paz’s basso and Rozsnyai’s live performance grand. This terrific horn system was additionally a BOS finalist.

Alta Audio was displaying its five-driver, quasi-D’Appolito $40k Titanium II Hestia floorstander, pushed by Infigo Audio Class A electronics. Neutral in timbre, the Hestia made for a pleasing hear.

Magico’s excellent M2 made a second look in MSB’s room, the place it was being powered by MSB’s 500 Series amplifiers and sourced by MSB digital (together with its fantastic new Digital Director controller). As within the Constellation room, the M2s confirmed extraordinarily effectively, sounding unusually liquid, nearly light, and three-dimensional with MSB electronics.

Tidal confirmed its $75k Contriva G2—a four-driver, three-and-a-halfway floorstander with black ceramic mid and bass drivers, a diamond tweeter, and Tidal’s Tiradur enclosure. Driven and sourced by Tidal’s personal electronics and wired with Signal Project cables, it made a very good displaying on Rhiannon Giddens’ “Do Right,” reproducing her voice with appreciable delicacy and beautiful timbre. Though a bit of skinny within the bass, it managed to do effectively by Low Cut Connie, too.

Borresen M3

Børresen Acoustics additionally confirmed its five-driver, two-and-a-halfway, ribbon/cone, $94k 03 floorstander, pushed by Aavik’s new 880 Class A pre and energy amp. I didn’t know the Scandinavian music that was being performed, however the timbre was darkish and exquisite with breathy texture, strong imaging, and delicate decay. Bass went very deep with excellent assault and maintain—displaying significantly better linearity and management than previous Raidhos and Børresens. Indeed, this was one of the best bass I’ve heard from one in every of Michael’s giant audio system. That and the beautiful naturalness of the mids and treble made the 03 a Best of Show contender.

We come now—and ultimately—to the first-floor rooms, a lot of which have been fairly giant.

Estelon Extreme II

First up was Estelon’s beautiful, five-driver, $259k Extreme Mk II, with height-adjustabile higher module and a brand new tweeter that may be repositioned electronically for greatest section response. Driven and sourced by Vitus electronics and wired with Crystal Cable Da Vinci, the Extreme was seated in an enormous room that didn’t permit it to point out its greatest. Despite a bit of ceramic leanness on voices (like Diana Krall’s), it nonetheless had sufficient physique to make performers nearly seen and was a paragon of openness, with an excellent disappearing act.

Estelon XB

Estelon was additionally displaying its fantastic $58k XB Diamond Mk II three-way, powered and sourced by Soulution Series 5 electronics with wiring and room/tools remedies by Synergistic Research. With dense, beautiful tone shade and fabulous dynamics, this was a Best of Show contender from the primary lower I listened to. It’s a pity that its large brother didn’t get the room (and Ted Denny’s room/tools remedies) that the XB loved.

Stenheim Reference 2

As has usually been the case at exhibits previous, the massive, five-driver, three-way, D’Appolito configured, $155k Stenheim Reference Ultime 2, pushed by 4 VTL amps and preamp and cabled by Nordost, was a narrative of two days. On Day One, when it hadn’t but settled in, it was good however not nice on Ornette’s This Is Our Music and Li-Paz’s Fabulous Basso LPs. On the third day, it was a real contender—merely marvelous on Rhiannon Giddens, Sinematic, Doug MacLeod, Hans Theessink, et al. Imaging was excellent, tone shade was wealthy and lifelike, bass was sensational, and the system was audibly clear to miking and engineering. All in all, it was like a jumbo Alumine 5 SE—and, in fact, a Best of Show contender.

Acora VRC-1

The $220k, granite-bodied, multi-driver Acora Acoustics VRC-1 was one other two-day affair. Driven by VAC electronics, the speaker was a mite sedate on Day One on the crisply plucked guitars of Saturday Night in San Francisco. The VRC-1 additionally had restricted soundstage depth, although stage width was wonderful. My Fabulous Basso LP was fairly good, although Li-Paz sounded a bit extra like a baritone than a basso, and the bass of Rozsnyai’s piano sounded lumped up. On Day Three, after the audio system had settled in (which should’ve examined the Renaissance Schaumburg’s flooring) and the prime listening seat had been moved a lot nearer to the Acoras, the sound was improved in presence. Soundstage depth was nonetheless restricted, and there was nonetheless a little bit of a hump within the 50–80Hz vary. On the Li-Paz D2D LP, for instance, the piano was a bit of free on the underside and never as wealthy in midband harmonics because it might need been. However, Li-Paz sounded extra like a basso, and the general presentation was fairly lifelike.

Vimberg D

Wynn Audio was displaying the $70k Vimberg Tonda D three-way floorstanders, pushed by Karan electronics, sourced by a Kalista CD participant/DAC, and wired with Crystal’s Da Vinci cable. Though a bit of digital sounding total, the Vimberg was additionally extraordinarily clear and impartial, making for a pleasing, if barely analytic hear.

Dynaudio Confidence 50

The five-driver, D’Appolito-configured, $33.5k Dynaudio Confidence 50 floorstander, pushed by Octave monoblocks and sourced by a Sim Audio 780D DAC, was surprisingly candy, delicate, and pure in timbre on digital. Among one of the best reasonably priced cone loudspeakers in my bailiwick, the Confidence 50 was terribly pure on voice. Very near a BOS finalist.

Scaena 12

Finally, the multi-driver, line-array, $106k Scaena 12s with 4 dipole woofers per facet sounded only a bit dated. The woofers didn’t go very deep (e.g., on the bass and synth of The Black Keys “Shine A Light” from Let’s Rock); nor did they mix seamlessly, barely fudging the mids, decreasing transparency, and darkening tone shade.

 

JV’s Best of Show

A tie! Though totally different in sound and know-how, the Clarisys Minuet planar, the MBL 101E MkII omnis, the Magico S3 dynamics, and the Rockport Atria II dynamics all managed the trick of constructing musicians nearly seen—and making music of all sorts a sonic delight. (Note that the Stenheim Reference Ultime 2, the Borresen Acoustics 03, and the Gauder Acoustic DARC 200 have been shut runners-up.)

 

JV’s Best Introduction

Magico S3.

The submit The 2023 AXPONA Show: Jonathan Valin on Speakers $30k and Up appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

World News

Dynaudio Emit 10

Posted on by Alan Sircom

The final in three assessments of the hi-fi aspect of Dynaudio’s entry vary, the Dynaudio Emit 10 is the smallest and most cost-effective within the line-up. The stand-mount loudspeaker is likely one of the most inexpensive conventional loudspeakers hi-fi+ has seen in a while. Let’s reduce to the chase right here; it represents new ranges of ‘good’ given its measurement and worth. To quote Shaun of the Dead; “How’s that for a slice of fried gold!”

It’s the smallest within the household if all three are in a row. Also, the Emit 10 doesn’t look huge when on a heavy 24” stand, particularly if you happen to use typical ‘bookshelves’ just like the Emit 20. But except you might be doing a few of that in a row evaluating, you’ll by no means discover. And, except you are taking the bill displaying how a lot you spent on them and wave it round, you’d by no means, ever guess they have been £630 per pair.

Dynaudio Emit 10: Bespeaks high quality

This is a well-finished and conventionally-styled loudspeaker cupboard, with a (surprisingly good) vinyl-wrapped cupboard and a thick black entrance baffle. It’s single-wired and rear-ported with a fluted port equipped with bungs. and each terminals and ports bespeak high quality past the fundamental expectations at their worth.

Dynaudio Emit 10 rear

But it’s once you get to the drivers that issues start to look optimistic. Like all of the Emit fashions, the Dynaudio Emit 10 makes use of a 28mm Cerotar tweeter, which is used within the Evoke sequence. It’s a soft-dome design with a Hexis interior dome for better dispersion and improved high-frequency break-up resilience. Meanwhile, the mid-woofer is a scaled-down 140mm model of the Magnesium Silicate Polymer (MSP) driver used within the larger Emits. This has an integral mud cap and 38mm voice coil with copper-clad aluminium wire. This is pushed by strontium carbonate ferrite/ceramic magnets and is a direct results of the years of designing drivers within the home, professional audio and automobile audio fields, making a loudspeaker drive unit that’s each linear and dependable.

Clever little touches

It’s the little issues that make an enormous distinction, particularly at this finish of the market. For instance, Dynaudio contains little magnetic vivid yellow tweeter guards; these are designed as double safety throughout transport and set up (at one level in each audio installer’s profession, they’ve destroyed a tweeter whereas making an attempt to fish a loudspeaker out of its field). But additionally they act as helpful safety when the speaker shouldn’t be in use. OK, so vivid yellow attracts little fingers, however this provides one additional layer of safety towards pushed, torn or in any other case broken tweeters. Clever and helpful.

Of course, if the loudspeaker was garbage, then a protector on the tweeter prolongs its life expectancy. There are a number of loudspeakers that might profit from a swift and merciful finish on the thumbs of a kid, however the Dynaudio Emit 10 shouldn’t be a type of loudspeakers. Instead, it’s the whole lot now we have come to count on from the Emit vary, simply in a barely smaller measurement. That additionally means barely much less deep bass than you’ll get from the larger Emit 20 stand-mount or the Emit 30 floorstander. But that’s just about all you get in compromise phrases. You are very barely buying and selling bass depth for bass velocity right here; the Emit 10 appears fractionally quicker than its larger brothers, however we’re speaking about extraordinarily minor enhancements right here.

Small field, small room

What’s extra, typically entry-point merchandise go into smaller houses with smaller listening areas. This loudspeaker is able to rock in such areas. Sure, the bass isn’t as deep as others (together with the Emit 20), however what it delivers it does so truthfully and with precision and refinement. It’s a grown-up sound for a scaled-down room, and people on their first rung on the audio ladder will recognize these properties and the efficiency they produce.

It’s that refinement that makes the Dynaudio Emit 10 one thing distinctive. The tonal stability is spot on, with a treble that’s each very simple to hearken to and doesn’t present up any of the possibly arduous edges that come from partnering tools at this worth level. This was clear from the primary bars of ‘Because He Was a Bonny Lad’ sung by The Unthanks [Here’s the Tender Coming, Rabble Rouser], because it outlined Rachel and Becky’s voices and the refined inclusion of reverb within the refrain. Other audio system at this degree would make their folk-minded voices arduous and spikey.

The midrange in these loudspeakers is equally well-designed and executed. Staying with Rachel and Becky Unthank somewhat longer, people is all about diction, as the combo of conventional and new people tracks requires the utmost vocal articulation. The Emit vary has been excellent at that vocal projection and element from the outset, and there’s nothing concerning the entry-level loudspeakers to alter that. These are loudspeakers that permit the singer do their magic; little marvel that pro-audio Dynaudio has changed the LS3/5a as the printed monitor of alternative for a lot of discuss radio settings. These have the identical property as these professional screens, simply writ somewhat smaller.

Folk dub

Of course, staying with people is making an attempt to bounce across the bass concern. No one listens to The Unthanks albums for his or her dub reggae mixes or some arduous electro beats. But the bass is superb from this loudspeaker for a similar causes it’s good on its larger brothers; it doesn’t attempt to exaggerate the bass, and the roll-off is noticeable however not uneven or intentionally peaked. Listening to Leftfield’s traditional exploration of bottom-end sounds [Leftism, Comumba], on ‘Afro-Left’ the bass kicks in nicely and separates from the faux African chanting and (probably actual) kora enjoying.

The Dynaudio Emit 10 doesn’t have the excavating depth and influence you get with a lot bigger loudspeakers, however the roll-off is clear and trustworthy, with only a trace of raise across the 50-80Hz mark. This makes the loudspeaker sound ‘proper’, whereas with out it a loudspeaker like this could sound barely lean. However, that is barely a raise, extra like a really slight seasoning to make the bass sound barely larger.

Dynaudio Emit 10

The huge feather within the Dynaudio Emit 10’s cap is superb coherence throughout the frequency vary. It additionally does a pleasant ‘disappearing act’ relating to soundstaging. The top-to-bottom coherence is excellent, not simply on paper, however if you happen to play ‘Be-Bop’ from the album of the identical identify by the blisteringly quick jazz guitarist Pasquale Grasso {Sony Music], you want a cogent presentation to course of all that high-speed jazz field enjoying efficiently; he’s so agile and quick, it’s simple for his guitar runs to blur into one huge legato solo. With the Emit 10, each be aware is completely rendered; nicely sufficient to make any abnormal human guitar participant quit!

Dynaudio Emit 10: An indication of the Golden Age

I maintain banging on about this being a ‘golden age’ for audio. It’s merchandise just like the Dynaudio Emit 10 that make that case for me. Sure, it’s a golden age on the top-end of audio. ‘Cost no object’ buys you an superior product that delivers unparalleled efficiency at each degree. But it’s right here within the trenches the place the numerous adjustments are most seen.

This Dynaudio exhibits you what is feasible from a small, inexpensive loudspeaker. At least when loads of trendy design and know-how is thrown on the undertaking. The Dynaudio Emit 10’s linearity, element, accuracy, consistency, and even constructing aren’t according to a product costing £630 in 2022. Or, extra precisely, these parameters ought to be according to such a product, and but so many manufacturers fail to ship.

There isn’t any house to ‘telephone it in’ anymore. Those who make rigorously thought-about purchases at this degree don’t have the luxurious of constructing errors. The merchandise they purchase mirror that. Dynaudio’s Emit vary threw down a gauntlet to its rivals. The Emit 10 reinforces that problem. This is due to a sound high quality that by no means, ever factors to this being an entry-level loudspeaker.

With the Emit 10, Dynaudio has accomplished it once more. It affords an inexpensive loudspeaker rigorously packaged, guaranteeing the standard is there the place it counts. You are getting what ought to be a higher-priced product however introduced in a modern-looking (and extremely convincing) vinyl-wrapped cupboard. This brings you extra precise loudspeaker to your cash.

Dynaudio Emit 10

The Emit 10’s musical supply is clean and detailed. It has an articulation that makes these extra versatile than many bookshelf rivals. C’mon, different manufacturers… not less than attempt to compete with the Emit 10!

Dynaudio Emit 10: Technical specs

  • Type 2-way, two-driver stand-mount monitor with rear-ported bass reflex enclosure
  • Driver complement One 28mm comfortable dome tweeter, one 140mm MSP mid-bass driver
  • Frequency response 64Hz–25kHz +/-3dB
  • Crossover frequency 3.7kHz
  • Impedance 6 Ohms
  • Sensitivity 85dB/W/m
  • Dimensions (H×W×D) 290 × 170 × 271.5mm
  • Weight 6.43/every
  • Finishes Walnut, Black, White
  • Price £630 per pair

Manufacturer Dynaudio A/S

www.dynaudio.com

Distributor Dynaudio UK

www.dynaudio.com

+44(0)1638 742427

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The put up Dynaudio Emit 10 appeared first on Hi-Fi+.

World News

JBL 4305P

Posted on by Simon Lucas

New floor can solely be damaged as soon as, in fact. After that it’s only a land-grab.

Take, not totally at random, the idea of the self-contained, all-in-one audio streaming system contained inside a pair of seemingly standard loudspeakers. It’s been accomplished, proper? And now the whole lot is only a variation on a theme.

For its 4305P powered loudspeaker streaming system JBL has chosen, each predictably and properly, to play to its strengths. And the outcome, at the least in visible phrases, is a pair of loudspeakers the corporate might need turned out at any level within the final 60 years. Not solely isn’t any new floor being damaged right here, but it surely seems to be very very similar to we’re firmly on the previous floor.

Only JBL

The 4305P might solely be a JBL loudspeaker. The cupboard is MDF, squared edged and completed in walnut veneer (that’s our overview pattern, anyway. A black walnut veneer various is accessible). A dark-blue grille covers a 130mm pure-pulp black paper cone and a few bass-reflex ports. Up above, sitting in a housing that’s meant to be black however as a substitute is a species of very deep gray, there’s a 25mm Teonex diaphragm compression driver with a hoop encompass sitting within the throat of an oblong High Definition Imaging horn aperture. This association, in fact, is solely uncompromised and uncompromising JBL from again within the day – however the total aesthetic may be very ‘studio oriented’ for a home loudspeaker. It’s seemingly extra than simply seems to be; alongside the passive 4349 and 4309, the 4305P is a part of JBL’s Studio Monitor line.

However, these aren’t passive audio system. Far from it.

JBL 4305P

Each speaker is fitted with Class D amplification – 150 watts every, to be exact. It’s divvied up at 25 watts per tweeter and 125 watts per mid/bass driver. And every speaker has a kettle-socket for mains energy, a CAT5 socket to make a wired connection to its associate and a button to allow the identical factor however wirelessly. They’ve each acquired an influence change. After that, one of many audio system takes management. It’s loaded with extra socketry and a few extraordinarily small buttons.

Specifically, it’s fitted with quarter-inch balanced XLR inputs with a change to pick out both -10db or +4dB sensitivity. It has an Ethernet socket, and a USB-A enter for servicing. It’s acquired a 3.5mm analogue enter, a digital optical enter and a USB-B enter ( the one – it’s the form of USB your printer has). There’s a pre-out for a subwoofer, a change to assign the speaker because the ‘left’ or ‘proper’ channel, and a change to toggle between -3db and 0dB as a bass contour. Oh, and a ‘reset’ button in case one thing goes essentially flawed.

More happening…

As a consequence, this speaker additionally has barely extra happening on the entrance than its associate. Across the demilitarised zone that separates the horn-loaded tweeter from the grille protecting the mid/bass driver there are two little ‘flip/press’ controls (one governing ‘quantity/mute’, the opposite ‘enter choice/Bluetooth pairing’) and a row of even smaller lights that reveal which enter has been chosen – for those who get very, very near them.

The speaker could be linked to your community wirelessly (if it’s too far out of your router for a bodily connection) utilizing Google Home. Once it’s on there, Apple AirPlay is accessible, as is Google Chromecast – and there’s additionally Bluetooth 5.1 wi-fi connectivity. This final tops out at 48kHz, whereas the utmost decision if the audio system are wirelessly linked to one another is 24bit/96kHz. Join them collectively utilizing the provided CAT5-terminated cable and you may have 24bit/192kHz out of your native community and the digital optical enter. Every worthwhile digital audio file sort is supported, together with MQA, and it’s Roon-ready.

The 4305P is provided with a full-function distant management handset that appears and feels as prosaic because the audio system themselves. Control can also be accessible by way of the third-party MusicLife app – right here’s the place you’ll be able to combine your streaming service of alternative (supplied it’s Amazon Music, Deezer, Napster, Qobuz or TIDAL), choose the web radio station or podcast you’d prefer to hearken to, test for firmware updates and all the opposite standard stuff. There’s no EQ adjustment right here, although, and the quantity management has no discernable impact.

JBL 4305P rear

Set-up is painless, and for the needs of this take a look at the extra overworked speaker is linked to a neighborhood community utilizing an Ethernet cable, to a Clearaudio Concept turntable by way of a Chord Huei phono stage utilizing the three.5mm analogue enter, to an Apple iPhone 13 utilizing AirPlay and to a Rega Apollo CD participant by way of digital optical. The audio system are positioned securely on a pair of Atacama Moseco 6 stands and we’re in enterprise.

Paris-based web radio station FIP has lengthy acted as an illustration of simply how discerning and tasteful the French could be on the subject of standard music – and its customary combination of jazz, reggae, hip-hop and Leonard Cohen seldom fails to fulfill. Tuning in (if certainly that’s what one does with an web radio station) simply as Sons of Kemet’s The Hour of Judgement [Naim Jazz] kicks off permits the 4305P to disclose a bit of what they’re manufactured from.

Texture and solidity

There’s actual texture and solidity to the tune’s blown bass, a correct expression of the laborious enter and singular output of the tuba participant. The heated contributions of saxophone and clarinet are properly managed, with convincingly straight edges marking the assault and decay of particular person notes. The integration of the frequency vary is clean (though that is hardly the most effective recording for showcasing the frilly tweeter association these audio system take pleasure in), the soundstage is unambiguously described, and the nuance of the dynamic and harmonic variations that outcome from musicians all bearing down on a chunk of music as a single entity are given good expression too.

The reasonably extra conventional charms of Simon & Garfunkel’s Bookends [CBS] on vinyl grant the JBL much more freedom. This is painstakingly recorded music, ‘musicianly’ in essentially the most demonstrative sense, and the 4305P take pleasure in it a fantastic deal.

JBL 4305P control panel

Low frequencies are confidently formed, correctly managed and supply each underpinning and momentum in equal measure. Detail ranges all through the frequency vary are sky-high, which so far as bass is anxious means the whole lot from string-gauge to plectrum-weight is described. There’s simple ‘punch’ accessible when a recording calls for it, however the JBL are removed from a blunt instrument and their perception into the specifics of low-frequency info is spectacular.

The purity and character of the voices right here permits the standard of the 4305P midrange copy to shine – and you may be certain there’s no subtlety ignored, no fleeting harmonic occasion left unidentified. All the heat, all of the approach, all of the striving to speak is absolutely expressed – and the voices take pleasure in a definite pocket of house wherein to function. ‘Explicit’ is essentially the most applicable phrase right here.

At the highest finish, the reasoning behind JBL’s insistence on the comparatively advanced and costly tweeter association it’s persevered with for all these years is made obvious. There’s tangible substance and solidity to treble info, but it surely’s accompanied by a deft airiness that eludes the vast majority of extra prosaic tweeter preparations. The sensation of rigorous focus mixed with vast‑open dispersal of sound is way from frequent, and it’s uncomplicatedly spectacular.

A CD copy of Dreams by The Whitest Boy Alive [Service] permits the 4305P to reveal its facility with dynamics, and likewise spotlight the remarkably direct and constructive angle it has to emptier, sparer records comparable to this. The total presentation is full and strong, however the JBL pay correct consideration to the gaps and areas – so the album’s clear ‘superior demo-tape’ vibe is adhered to with out it sounding spindly or (heaven forbid) low-cost.

A recreation of two halves

The JBL 4305P audio streaming system is a traditional ‘recreation of two halves’. The first half consists of perceived worth, satisfaction of possession and all that stuff – and let’s not beat across the bush right here, the 4305P come up quick on this regard. That ‘Nineteen Seventies studio’ look might need some retro-appeal however it isn’t for everybody, and different, extra modern-looking designs have larger tactility than this technique. When the second half kicks off, although, and we begin to take into account the best way the 4305P performs, nicely, it’s a distinct story.

In each significant respect, the JBL 4305P is an pleasurable and galvanising hear. It will get all of the technical elements proper, and it manages to take action with out being in any manner dispassionate or analytical about it. ‘Meticulous’ shouldn’t be the identical as ‘impassive’, in any case, and the best way the 4305P seems to be and feels shouldn’t be the identical as the best way it sounds.

Technical specs

  • Type Bass-reflex loudspeaker system with built-in amplification, dsp, and wi-fi connectivity
  • Driver complement 130mm paper cone woofer; 25mm compression driver
  • Amplification energy (w)/sort 300/Class D
  • Frequency response 45Hz–25kHz
  • Crossover frequencies 1750Hz
  • Inputs Balanced 6.3mm XLR; unbalanced 3.5mm; digital optical Toslink; USB-B
  • Wireless inputs wi-fi; Bluetooth 5.1
  • Outputs subwoofer
  • Digital audio pattern charges 192kHz (streaming and optical); 48kHz (Bluetooth)
  • File varieties AAC; AIFF; ALAC; DSD; FLAC; MP3; MP4; OGG; WAV; WMA
  • Dimensions (hwd, cm) 34 × 21 × 22
  • Weight (kg) 6.6
  • Finishes Satin walnut; black walnut
  • Price £1,999 per pair
  • Manufacturer JBL   www.jbl.com    0161 222 3325

Distributor

Harman International Industries

www.harman.com

+44(0)161 222 3325

Back to Reviews

The submit JBL 4305P appeared first on Hi-Fi+.

World News

Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4

Posted on by Alan Sircom

The 800 Series is the long-standing jewel within the Bowers & Wilkins crown. The passive loudspeaker vary will get a daily refresh about each seven or eight years and it persistently improves upon the final iteration. The drawback for a lot of, nevertheless, is that the earlier model of the 800 Series was already excellent. Just how significantly better can they get? It was to handle this very query that we ordered a pair of 805 D3 and 805 D4 from Bowers & Wilkins to match.

A fast recap is so as; not like different corporations numbering methods, the numbers run backwards for Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series. The 805, being the smallest within the line, is the one stand-mount loudspeaker to hold an 800 Series badge. Like its greater siblings, the 805 D4 is hand-built in Bowers & Wilkins’ head workplace manufacturing facility advanced in Worthing, on the South Coast of England. The 800 Series can also be the cornerstone of the Bowers & Wilkins line; usually, the primary to make use of applied sciences developed by the corporate’s R&D group.

The Hard Science Club

That phrase ‘R&D group’ is continuously chronically overstated in loudspeaker design, as it may imply one swivel-eyed man with wild hair, a loudspeaker cookbook, and (perhaps) a measuring microphone. However, within the case of Bowers & Wilkins, there’s a group of engineers, acousticians, and technologists who do the laborious science components that assist kind the following era of loudspeakers; that ‘subsequent era’ often begins with the 800 Series and filters down by way of the remainder of the Bowers & Wilkins vary, after which – usually when out of patent – to the remainder of the loudspeaker making group.

The loudspeaker’s headline change is its cupboard, and in some respects, that is the 805 D4 enjoying ‘catch up’ with the developments put into the D3-era floorstanders. Bowers & Wilkins describe this as a ‘reverse wrap’ cupboard; the place the entrance baffle of the D3 was comparatively flat and the cupboard was designed to curve round that baffle, the 805 D4 begins from a strong aluminium backbone and the entire cupboard is curved from there. Not solely does this give the loudspeaker a extra trendy, elegant, and gently curved entrance, it reduces the profile of the entrance baffle, there by lowering baffle-step issues and bettering the dispersion properties of the drivers. It additionally considerably will increase the rigidity of the loudspeaker itself.

This new cupboard design additionally means the 805 advantages extra from Bowers & Wilkins big presses in its Worthing manufacturing facility. The earlier MDF-braced pressed ply cupboard now a completely layered, glued and shaped plywood enclosure and bracing system. This permits the 805 D4 to make use of improved inner chambering, each on the rear of the mid-bass unit and for the crossover itself, and Bowers & Wilkins’ aforementioned R&D group (I desire ‘Band of Boffins’) have rubbed their accelerometers over each floor of that cupboard to optimise inner quantity and management air stress throughout the front-firing ported stand-mount.

Into the Continuum

Larger fashions in Bowers & Wilkins’ newest 800 Series use the brand new Biomimetic Suspension drivers, the place a composite suspension system replaces the normal cone spider. However, the 805 D4 retains a model the 165mm ‘Continuum Cone’ mid-bass driver from its D3 predecessor. It’s not merely final era’s cone, nevertheless, because it has a brand new voice coil and former. It can also be now mounted on an aluminium plate on the rear of the cupboard.

The cause for not utilizing a Biomimetic Suspension driver is easy; these new models lack the cone tour of Fixed Suspension Transducer/Continuum Cone designs. In bigger, a number of bass cone methods that want for additional tour goes away, however in a two-way stand-mount, utilizing Biomimetic Suspension drivers would spell lighter bass.

Spider apart, the supplies utilized in each ‘Biomimetic Suspension’ and ‘Continuum Cone’ drivers stay equivalent… and a closely-guarded commerce secret. Bowers & Wilkins holds the key in the identical secure the place the recipes for KFC and Coca-Cola and the method for Krabby Patty burgers are saved. This secrecy is comprehensible; the corporate’s iconic woven yellow Kevlar cone turned the topic of in depth rip-offs and clones and that’s a destiny to not be repeated with subsequent drivers.

All we will say is it’s not yellow, it took years to develop, the cone materials manages to be stiff in all the fitting locations and but versatile when required, that means cone break-up modes are directly much less abrupt and pushed additional out of band. Bowers & Wilkins used Kevlar for years with good cause; however this silvery-white wanting woven materials that changed it brings all the advantages of Kevlar to the desk, and provides loads of advantages of its personal, making it a tough act to comply with for Bowers & Wilkins rivals.

Similarly, the 25mm diamond dome tweeter is much like the models that has been put in in 800 Series fashions for the final 15 years, with Bowers & Wilkins taking a realistic ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t repair it’ method. However, the 805 D4’s tweeter has two stronger magnets as an alternative of the three within the D3, giving it extra room to breathe. This offers the 805 D4 a frequency response as much as a bat-eared 35kHz.

However, as soon as once more it’s the housing that’s modified… and adjusted for the higher. The strong tweeter pod that the motive force sits in is an extended, machined from strong aluminium, tapered tube. The 30cm lengthy tube sits virtually completely decoupled on a Connolly leather-clad forged aluminium high plate, as distinct from the wood high panel of its predecessor.

Hits the spot

Sonically, this loudspeaker hits the spot quick. The most quick factor that pulls you in is the bass; for a small loudspeaker meant for small to medium rooms, there’s a wholesome quantity of gut-pounding, quick, deep, chunky bass firing at you.

Depending in your musical tastes, one of many first tracks you’ll play by way of these loudspeakers will mirror that bottom-end gruntiliciousness. I went with the title monitor from Infected Mushroom’s 2005 I’m The Supervisor [Resist], nevertheless it may simply as simply been a monitor by Rammstein, The Prodigy, Orbital, The Chemical Brothers or Leftfield. I performed it loud and highly effective by way of a Burmester 911 Mk 3 energy amp and it didn’t disappoint. Those bass notes come thick and quick right here, they usually may pose a near-existential risk to a ported two-way; on the very least, they arrive quick sufficient to choke up the port, turning exact deep beats right into a extra damaged virtually flatulent sound. The 805 D4, nevertheless, takes this in its stride, sounding each inch the larger loudspeaker. Close your eyes and there’s a bigger floorstander bringing the ruckus, within the course of producing a transparent and detailed presentation of what passes for delicate bass textures within the techno onslaught.

Bowers & Wilkins isn’t undermining the legal guidelines of physics right here, and it isn’t dishonest with the 805 D4. There are pure limits to the bass of a two-way stand-mount loudspeaker, however what the 805 D4 does so properly is push these limits with out sacrificing efficiency. It’s not that it makes artificially deep bass, it’s that so many equally specified loudspeakers pull their punches on the backside finish; both going for a mid-bass ‘elevate’ at round 80Hz or simply sounding bass gentle. The 805 D4 has enough bass power to ship clear and highly effective bass down into the sub-40Hz area, and that’s spectacular in its personal proper.

Once you relax and start to play much less hyperactive music, the standard of this loudspeaker shines by way of. It’s not merely a bass machine, however what drew you to the spectacular bass holds in different places. The soundstage is huge and deep and terribly strong, particularly when you think about this can be a stand-mount. This appears to carry even when the music will get advanced and orchestral; it’s comparatively simple to have three or 4 jazz musicians [Cannonball Adderley, Somethin’ Else, Blue Note] sound rooted in area, however this will get loads more durable to do when coping with complete string sections [Solti/LSO, Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, Decca]. However, the 805 D4 presents a strong, massive, and open soundstage irrespective of the music. I assume the cupboard is making this comparatively massive stand-mount act like a small point-source.

 

Honest to the restrict

We’ve come to count on Bowers & Wilkins loudspeakers to be sincere transducers, with loads of element and never a lot in the way in which of unevenness within the frequency response, however the 805 D4 takes these ideas to their current limits; and throws in a cupboard with a number of the lowest coloration I’ve (not) heard and an absence of driver distortion that makes it sound extra like you might be direct injecting music into your ears with no middleman. Honesty with out sounding ‘stark’ is at all times good to search out and the 805 D4 does it with such appeal many will likely be received over. You hear this most clearly with feminine vocals [‘Heart Like a Wheel’ from Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Warner] and solo pianos [Schiff, Beethoven Piano Sonatas, ECM]; the purity of tone from each may be masked by cupboard and driver alike however right here it will get near electrostatic ranges of readability. This is doubly intelligent in a two-way design as there isn’t any midrange driver to assist ship that sonic readability.

Perhaps most significantly, the 805 D4 has a way of enjoyable to its sound. Not comedy or clowning round… simply music is meant to be satisfying and it actually is thru these loudspeakers. There’s a continuum (cone-related pun not meant) in speaker efficiency, with ‘worthy, however boring’ at one finish and ‘excitable to the purpose of being unhinged’ on the different. Traditionally, Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series fashions tended towards the previous as a result of honesty ought to reign supreme. The 805 D4 loses nothing within the honesty stakes, however features some enjoyable and pleasure alongside the way in which.

There are some observations to be made right here. First, issue these stands into the equation; sure, different stands can be found however Bowers & Wilkins personal make a helpful contribution to the sonic efficiency of the 805 D4. Next is the ability challenge; though the 805 D4 is much less power-hungry than its predecessor, it’s nonetheless a loudspeaker that wants some high quality and amount behind it. The benefit to the present model of the 805 is when you short-change it within the amplifier stakes, it’s going to have a tendency towards comfortable and straightforward on the ear; examine this to the earlier model that goes within the different course and sounds laborious and edgy when underwhelmingly partnered. This does imply a loudspeaker with one thing like a ‘energy band’; whereas it’s good at whisper quiet and ear-punishing alike, it actually shines in that candy spot the place listening is ‘comfortably loud’.

Climbing off the fence

Normally, I have a tendency to take a seat on the fence on the subject of adjustments from one model to a different; there may be typically an enchancment with every iteration, nevertheless it’s often not so massive as to make the earlier version sound unhealthy. There are a number of exceptions, nevertheless, and the 805 D4 is among the largest. The 805 D3 is a superb loudspeaker, and you may see and listen to why it was so common… proper up till the second you hook up a pair of 805 D4. It takes all of the issues the 805 D3 does proper and makes them loads higher.

The change isn’t clichéd veil lifting, however what occurs within the run-up to visiting the optician for a check-up; you spend a number of months with almost the fitting optical prescription after which are wowed as you get fitted with lenses excellent for you. That second of sonic readability and focus you get from the D4 within the wake of the D3 is placing. It’s price restating that the 805 D3 is an especially competent and good sounding loudspeaker, nevertheless it’s totally outclassed by its progeny.

Sometimes a change is little greater than a step, however within the Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 it’s an enormous leap. Whether or not you comply with the fortunes of the little reference speaker from the model, the Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 has entered the race as probably the greatest stand-mount loudspeakers in audio proper now.

Technical specs

  • Type two-way bass reflex stand-mount loudspeaker
  • Drivers 25mm diamond-dome tweeter; 165mm Continuum mid/bass woofer
  • Frequency Response 42Hz to 28kHz (+/-3dB from reference axis)
  • Impedance 8-ohm nominal; 4.6-ohm minimal
  • Sensitivity 88dB (2.83V/1m)
  • Finishes Gloss Black, White, Satin Rosenut, Satin Walnut
  • Dimensions (H×W×D) 44 × 24 × 37.3cm
  • Weight 15.5kg
  • Price £7,000 per pair (FS 805 D4 stands £1,250 per pair

Manufacturer

Bowers & Wilkins

www.bowerswilkins.com

+44(0)800 232 1513

Back to Reviews

The put up Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 appeared first on Hi-Fi+.

World News

Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4

Posted on by Alan Sircom

The 800 Series is the long-standing jewel within the Bowers & Wilkins crown. The passive loudspeaker vary will get a daily refresh about each seven or eight years and it constantly improves upon the final iteration. The drawback for a lot of, nevertheless, is that the earlier model of the 800 Series was already excellent. Just how a lot better can they get? It was to handle this very query that we ordered a pair of 805 D3 and 805 D4 from Bowers & Wilkins to check.

A fast recap is so as; not like different firms numbering methods, the numbers run backwards for Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series. The 805, being the smallest within the line, is the one stand-mount loudspeaker to hold an 800 Series badge. Like its larger siblings, the 805 D4 is hand-built in Bowers & Wilkins’ head workplace manufacturing facility advanced in Worthing, on the South Coast of England. The 800 Series can also be the cornerstone of the Bowers & Wilkins line; sometimes, the primary to make use of applied sciences developed by the corporate’s R&D staff.

The Hard Science Club

That phrase ‘R&D staff’ is ceaselessly chronically overstated in loudspeaker design, as it could actually imply one swivel-eyed man with wild hair, a loudspeaker cookbook, and (perhaps) a measuring microphone. However, within the case of Bowers & Wilkins, there’s a staff of engineers, acousticians, and technologists who do the onerous science components that assist type the subsequent technology of loudspeakers; that ‘subsequent technology’ often begins with the 800 Series and filters down via the remainder of the Bowers & Wilkins vary, after which – sometimes when out of patent – to the remainder of the loudspeaker making group.

The loudspeaker’s headline change is its cupboard, and in some respects, that is the 805 D4 enjoying ‘catch up’ with the developments put into the D3-era floorstanders. Bowers & Wilkins describe this as a ‘reverse wrap’ cupboard; the place the entrance baffle of the D3 was comparatively flat and the cupboard was designed to curve round that baffle, the 805 D4 begins from a strong aluminium backbone and the entire cupboard is curved from there. Not solely does this give the loudspeaker a extra trendy, elegant, and gently curved entrance, it reduces the profile of the entrance baffle, there by lowering baffle-step issues and bettering the dispersion properties of the drivers. It additionally considerably will increase the rigidity of the loudspeaker itself.

This new cupboard design additionally means the 805 advantages extra from Bowers & Wilkins big presses in its Worthing manufacturing facility. The earlier MDF-braced pressed ply cupboard now a totally layered, glued and shaped plywood enclosure and bracing system. This permits the 805 D4 to make use of improved inner chambering, each on the rear of the mid-bass unit and for the crossover itself, and Bowers & Wilkins’ aforementioned R&D staff (I favor ‘Band of Boffins’) have rubbed their accelerometers over each floor of that cupboard to optimise inner quantity and management air strain inside the front-firing ported stand-mount.

Into the Continuum

Larger fashions in Bowers & Wilkins’ newest 800 Series use the brand new Biomimetic Suspension drivers, the place a composite suspension system replaces the standard cone spider. However, the 805 D4 retains a model the 165mm ‘Continuum Cone’ mid-bass driver from its D3 predecessor. It’s not merely final technology’s cone, nevertheless, because it has a brand new voice coil and former. It can also be now mounted on an aluminium plate on the rear of the cupboard.

The purpose for not utilizing a Biomimetic Suspension driver is straightforward; these new items lack the cone tour of Fixed Suspension Transducer/Continuum Cone designs. In bigger, a number of bass cone methods that want for further tour goes away, however in a two-way stand-mount, utilizing Biomimetic Suspension drivers would spell lighter bass.

Spider apart, the supplies utilized in each ‘Biomimetic Suspension’ and ‘Continuum Cone’ drivers stay an identical… and a closely-guarded commerce secret. Bowers & Wilkins holds the key in the identical secure the place the recipes for KFC and Coca-Cola and the formulation for Krabby Patty burgers are stored. This secrecy is comprehensible; the corporate’s iconic woven yellow Kevlar cone grew to become the topic of intensive rip-offs and clones and that’s a destiny to not be repeated with subsequent drivers.

All we are able to say is it’s not yellow, it took years to develop, the cone materials manages to be stiff in all the proper locations and but versatile when required, which means cone break-up modes are directly much less abrupt and pushed additional out of band. Bowers & Wilkins used Kevlar for years with good purpose; however this silvery-white trying woven materials that changed it brings all the advantages of Kevlar to the desk, and provides loads of advantages of its personal, making it a tough act to observe for Bowers & Wilkins rivals.

Similarly, the 25mm diamond dome tweeter is just like the items that has been put in in 800 Series fashions for the final 15 years, with Bowers & Wilkins taking a practical ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t repair it’ method. However, the 805 D4’s tweeter has two stronger magnets as a substitute of the three within the D3, giving it extra room to breathe. This provides the 805 D4 a frequency response as much as a bat-eared 35kHz.

However, as soon as once more it’s the housing that’s modified… and altered for the higher. The strong tweeter pod that the driving force sits in is an extended, machined from strong aluminium, tapered tube. The 30cm lengthy tube sits virtually completely decoupled on a Connolly leather-clad solid aluminium prime plate, as distinct from the wood prime panel of its predecessor.

Hits the spot

Sonically, this loudspeaker hits the spot quick. The most quick factor that pulls you in is the bass; for a small loudspeaker meant for small to medium rooms, there’s a wholesome quantity of gut-pounding, quick, deep, chunky bass firing at you.

Depending in your musical tastes, one of many first tracks you’ll play via these loudspeakers will replicate that bottom-end gruntiliciousness. I went with the title monitor from Infected Mushroom’s 2005 I’m The Supervisor [Resist], nevertheless it might simply as simply been a monitor by Rammstein, The Prodigy, Orbital, The Chemical Brothers or Leftfield. I performed it loud and highly effective via a Burmester 911 Mk 3 energy amp and it didn’t disappoint. Those bass notes come thick and quick right here, and so they might pose a near-existential risk to a ported two-way; on the very least, they arrive quick sufficient to choke up the port, turning exact deep beats right into a extra damaged virtually flatulent sound. The 805 D4, nevertheless, takes this in its stride, sounding each inch the larger loudspeaker. Close your eyes and there’s a bigger floorstander bringing the ruckus, within the course of producing a transparent and detailed presentation of what passes for delicate bass textures within the techno onslaught.

Bowers & Wilkins isn’t undermining the legal guidelines of physics right here, and it isn’t dishonest with the 805 D4. There are pure limits to the bass of a two-way stand-mount loudspeaker, however what the 805 D4 does so nicely is push these limits with out sacrificing efficiency. It’s not that it makes artificially deep bass, it’s that so many equally specified loudspeakers pull their punches on the backside finish; both going for a mid-bass ‘elevate’ at round 80Hz or simply sounding bass gentle. The 805 D4 has enough bass vitality to ship clear and highly effective bass down into the sub-40Hz area, and that’s spectacular in its personal proper.

Once you settle down and start to play much less hyperactive music, the standard of this loudspeaker shines via. It’s not merely a bass machine, however what drew you to the spectacular bass holds somewhere else. The soundstage is huge and deep and terribly strong, particularly when you think about this can be a stand-mount. This appears to carry even when the music will get advanced and orchestral; it’s comparatively simple to have three or 4 jazz musicians [Cannonball Adderley, Somethin’ Else, Blue Note] sound rooted in area, however this will get quite a bit tougher to do when coping with entire string sections [Solti/LSO, Mahler’s Eighth Symphony, Decca]. However, the 805 D4 presents a strong, giant, and open soundstage regardless of the music. I assume the cupboard is making this comparatively giant stand-mount act like a small point-source.

 

Honest to the restrict

We’ve come to anticipate Bowers & Wilkins loudspeakers to be sincere transducers, with loads of element and never a lot in the way in which of unevenness within the frequency response, however the 805 D4 takes these ideas to their current limits; and throws in a cupboard with among the lowest coloration I’ve (not) heard and an absence of driver distortion that makes it sound extra like you’re direct injecting music into your ears with no middleman. Honesty with out sounding ‘stark’ is all the time good to search out and the 805 D4 does it with such attraction many will probably be gained over. You hear this most clearly with feminine vocals [‘Heart Like a Wheel’ from Kate and Anna McGarrigle, Warner] and solo pianos [Schiff, Beethoven Piano Sonatas, ECM]; the purity of tone from each might be masked by cupboard and driver alike however right here it will get near electrostatic ranges of readability. This is doubly intelligent in a two-way design as there is no such thing as a midrange driver to assist ship that sonic readability.

Perhaps most significantly, the 805 D4 has a way of enjoyable to its sound. Not comedy or clowning round… simply music is meant to be pleasant and it actually is thru these loudspeakers. There’s a continuum (cone-related pun not meant) in speaker efficiency, with ‘worthy, however uninteresting’ at one finish and ‘excitable to the purpose of being unhinged’ on the different. Traditionally, Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series fashions tended towards the previous as a result of honesty ought to reign supreme. The 805 D4 loses nothing within the honesty stakes, however positive aspects some enjoyable and pleasure alongside the way in which.

There are some observations to be made right here. First, issue these stands into the equation; sure, different stands can be found however Bowers & Wilkins personal make a helpful contribution to the sonic efficiency of the 805 D4. Next is the facility situation; though the 805 D4 is much less power-hungry than its predecessor, it’s nonetheless a loudspeaker that wants some high quality and amount behind it. The benefit to the present model of the 805 is should you short-change it within the amplifier stakes, it should have a tendency towards comfortable and straightforward on the ear; evaluate this to the earlier model that goes within the different path and sounds onerous and edgy when underwhelmingly partnered. This does imply a loudspeaker with one thing like a ‘energy band’; whereas it’s good at whisper quiet and ear-punishing alike, it actually shines in that candy spot the place listening is ‘comfortably loud’.

Climbing off the fence

Normally, I have a tendency to sit down on the fence in the case of modifications from one model to a different; there may be typically an enchancment with every iteration, nevertheless it’s often not so huge as to make the earlier version sound dangerous. There are a couple of exceptions, nevertheless, and the 805 D4 is likely one of the largest. The 805 D3 is a good loudspeaker, and you may see and listen to why it was so standard… proper up till the second you hook up a pair of 805 D4. It takes all of the issues the 805 D3 does proper and makes them quite a bit higher.

The change isn’t clichéd veil lifting, however what occurs within the run-up to visiting the optician for a check-up; you spend a couple of months with practically the proper optical prescription after which are wowed as you get fitted with lenses good for you. That second of sonic readability and focus you get from the D4 within the wake of the D3 is putting. It’s price restating that the 805 D3 is an especially competent and good sounding loudspeaker, nevertheless it’s completely outclassed by its progeny.

Sometimes a change is little greater than a step, however within the Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 it’s a large leap. Whether or not you observe the fortunes of the little reference speaker from the model, the Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 has entered the race as probably the greatest stand-mount loudspeakers in audio proper now.

Technical specs

  • Type two-way bass reflex stand-mount loudspeaker
  • Drivers 25mm diamond-dome tweeter; 165mm Continuum mid/bass woofer
  • Frequency Response 42Hz to 28kHz (+/-3dB from reference axis)
  • Impedance 8-ohm nominal; 4.6-ohm minimal
  • Sensitivity 88dB (2.83V/1m)
  • Finishes Gloss Black, White, Satin Rosenut, Satin Walnut
  • Dimensions (H×W×D) 44 × 24 × 37.3cm
  • Weight 15.5kg
  • Price £7,000 per pair (FS 805 D4 stands £1,250 per pair

Manufacturer

Bowers & Wilkins

www.bowerswilkins.com

+44(0)800 232 1513

Back to Reviews

The put up Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 appeared first on Hi-Fi+.

World News

KEF LSX II Wireless Loudspeaker

Posted on by Drew Kalbach

I first reviewed the unique KEF LSX again in 2019 and had nothing however good issues to say about it. True, wi-fi audio system have been comparatively new at that time. There weren’t a ton of rivals in the marketplace, and on the time I felt like KEF nailed the sound, look, and expertise. Since then, I’ve nominated the LSXes a number of occasions for Golden Ear awards, and I nonetheless suppose they maintain up as improbable streaming audio system with nice sound. Obviously, when requested to overview the KEF LSX IIs ($1399), I principally dropped every thing, instructed my household I might not converse with them for a minimum of a month, collected canned items and bottled water, and started to hibernate with nothing however an Internet connection and a few acoustic-treatment panels. Were the KEFs value this self-imposed and completely pointless (additionally not actual) break from actuality? Probably, but it surely by no means occurred, so we’ll by no means discover out.

Like the unique model, the LSX IIs are compact bookshelf audio system. My overview samples have been wrapped in a gorgeous material across the high and sides, with a clean matte end on the baffle. Three fashions are material coated, one has a gloss purple end, and one has a satin matte enclosure. The Uni-Q driver is the actual star and central focus, with solely a small LED gentle that is still off more often than not however acts as a perform sign. My overview pair have been Cobalt Blue—truthfully, they seemed unbelievable—however there are 5 colours to select from. Visually, they’re not drastically completely different from the unique LSX, which is an efficient factor as a result of KEF obtained their appears proper the primary time. The again of the first speaker consists of a number of bodily connections: HDMI ARC, USC-C for laptops and different units, optical, AUX, and a subwoofer output. And that’s solely the tip of the LSX II’s connectivity iceberg. If I attempted to listing all of the streaming choices, you’d be caught studying this overview perpetually. But listed here are the highlights: Bluetooth, AirPlay 2, Chromecast, Roon Ready, UPnP, together with all the foremost streaming providers. Like I stated, it’s quite a bit, however that’s an excellent factor—the period of time I spent making an attempt to entry my music was principally zero, and that’s precisely what I wished.

Beyond streaming, the LSX II helps a ton of codecs, together with MQA, DSD, FLAC, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, and a bunch of different acronyms. If you have got a selected area of interest acronym you’re actually into, examine the KEF web site. In wi-fi mode, sources are resampled to 48kHz/24-bit PCM; in wired mode, that adjustments to 96kHz/24-bit, which implies you want the flowery CAT6 tether for max sound high quality. I examined this out, and there was a small audible distinction—sufficiently small that I didn’t really feel the necessity to depart it related. That stated, I discovered the tether was fairly lengthy (it really works as much as 10 meters); it will be simple to maintain the audio system plugged collectively, and the tether hidden on both aspect of a tv console, for instance, though I did most of my listening within the wi-fi mode, and all of the notes beneath are untethered. I wished my LSX IIs to be free.

Some remaining particulars: The LSX IIs are appropriate with each 2.4GHz and 5GHz Wi-Fi and all the newest fancy community customary letters, which implies they will stream as quick as your router can pump out these waves. Frequency response is claimed to be 54Hz–28kHz, and people numbers really feel consultant of my expertise—there’s a cause the LSX IIs include a sub output. If you’re in search of life-changing bass, these received’t get you there, however I’ll say that I used to be extraordinarily and pleasantly stunned by how properly the LSX IIs dealt with the intense ends of the sound spectrum and by no means actually yearned for deeper bass throughout my listening, besides when partaking with quiet acoustic music, however I’ll get to that. As at all times, particular person tastes fluctuate.

KEF LSX II Active Wireless Loudspeaker group

That was a whole lot of technical information. Here’s the factor although: The LSX IIs are half {hardware} and half software program. These are technical audio system, basically half pc and half output gadget, and the software program is deeply embedded and meshed into the listening expertise. All that stuff I listed above principally disappears as a result of all of it works invisibly. Which brings me to the set-up portion of the overview—and that is the primary time the LSX IIs actually outshone their LSX counterparts. The field unfolded and allowed the audio system to be simply lifted out. I obtained them positioned on their stands, plugged them into the wall (sure, each particular person audio system have an influence twine, hold that in thoughts), and powered them up. I wanted a smartphone to obtain the KEF Connect app, and from there it was brainlessly easy—my favourite sort of easy. With the unique LSX, I wanted to tether them collectively to ensure they have been correctly up to date and put in, however that’s no extra. The LSX II up to date seamlessly and wirelessly, which means as soon as they have been put in place, untethered, and able to go, I by no means needed to fear about taking them out and tethering them collectively once more.

And I’ll say that the KEF Connect app is definitely fairly good. I’ve been very vital of {hardware} producers making apps, however KEF actually stunned me right here. The app is properly designed and configured in such a approach that an actual, non-techie human would really be capable to use it. All the speaker controls are within the settings—from quantity to efficiency to updates to preferences. There are detailed EQ tweaks within the professional mode, from the subwoofer-out low-pass frequency to bass extension to treble trim and so forth, and a way more simplified expertise in regular DSP mode. I messed round with EQ however finally didn’t take listening notes utilizing any of my EQ tweaks (although I used to be very tempted to go away them in place). I’ll say that I barely used the app, although it’s objectively good and properly finished. KEF calls the LSX II plug-and-play, and that’s fully proper. The audio system sound good proper out of the field, and setup is extremely simple. And now updates don’t require the tether-dance! Honestly, the quality-of-life enhancements have been completely worthwhile, already.

But on to what everybody cares about: How do they sound? My preliminary impressions have been that the LSX IIs aren’t vastly completely different from the unique LSXes. Not on the floor anyway. They look the identical, use the identical amplification and driver system, and have related bodily connectivity. There are variations—and I’ll get to them—however general, they’ve a really related sound, and that makes a whole lot of sense: They use the identical primary drivers. The actual adjustments come within the form of software program, most significantly a redesigned DSP system and another minor tweaks underneath the hood. And that, of us, is an excellent factor. I cherished the unique LSXes for his or her true wirelessness, their simplicity, and their bigger-than-you’d-think sound. The LSX IIs take all of that and elevate it and refine it, together with the massive sound, the crisp mids, the toe-tapping rhythm, and every thing else that made the originals so good. The LSX IIs have been what I cherished concerning the originals however higher.

KEF LSX II Active Wireless Loudspeaker detail

The fantastic thing about true wi-fi streaming like that of the LSX IIs is the sheer quantity of music accessible on all of the platforms, and a lot of it’s high-resolution today. Gone are glitchy MP3s downloaded off Napster, which can or could not embody the monitor you wished. I caught with Tidal for many of this overview, although I additionally listened to music off Qobuz and my private NAS system. Anyway, I began with the album Most Normal by Gilla Band, which is an Irish post-punk rock band. On “Almost Soon,” the drums have been a stable and driving spine holding collectively singer Dara Kiely’s spoken, shouted, and belted lyrics, whereas grinding, absolutely distorted guitars growled and chugged within the background. It’s a unusually warped album, alternating between spare and complex with nearly each impact on the planet thrown into the combo, and the LSX IIs did an ideal job of retaining every instrument and sound in its correct place. I used to be stunned by the imaging at first, however rapidly obtained used to its very tight soundstage and its extraordinarily huge panorama. What might come off as a mushy mess sounded tight and thrilling by way of the LSX IIs, and I felt their sense of rhythm actually shone brightly. I think this needed to do with KEF’s new DSP system error-correcting within the background and retaining every thing in part, and it labored splendidly all through Most Normal’s unusual and shifting kaleidoscope of sound and noise.

Next, I placed on the monitor “Iris” by The Goo Goo Dolls, as a result of it stays a improbable music, and also you’re mistaken in case you disagree, and anyway, the guitars had a very nice acoustic twang, and the strings sang within the background with a gradual and sleek lilt, which implies the mids have been locked in tight. The drums by no means fairly dug down deep, though the LSX IIs do have a bass extension choice of their DSP settings, however this didn’t hassle me an excessive amount of—they’re small all-in-ones, and I didn’t count on room-shaking low finish. I by no means felt like I used to be lacking a complete audio spectrum, and the LSX IIs obtained lots loud sufficient to fill my pretty massive listening house. I rolled proper into “Slide” subsequent and felt the tambourine within the background was a contact muted, a little bit gentle, however the singer’s voice was solidly centered, and when the drums dropped in, I obtained an excellent palpable sense of physique and weight. Overall, I used to be grooving like I used to be 10 years outdated once more, listening to the radio in my dad and mom’ laundry room whereas enjoying StarCraft on their PC, which could’ve been my peak.

Sticking with rock from my glory days, I placed on the monitor “A Favor House Atlantic” by Coheed and Cambria. Singer Claudio Sanchez’s borderline falsetto is the star of this music, and his forceful singing is a hurricane in itself. The guitars sounded huge and daring, and the drumming was taut, and I used to be glad by how massive and expansive the LSX IIs sounded if pushed. This album, In Keeping Secrets of Silent Earth: 3, is cinematic in scope, and it begs for giant, daring, room-crushing presentation. The LSX IIs aren’t going to interrupt any home windows, however they positively would get up my children if I performed them loud throughout nap time, which really occurred as soon as—thanks KEF (I’m blaming you for my poor decisions). During the monitor “Cuts Marked within the March of Men,” Sanchez’s voice zoomed and constructed and chorused over itself into epic heights because the guitars churned and burned beneath, and the LSXs gave me an excellent sense of planetary scope even with out plumbing the bottom depths of the sound spectrum.

One factor value noting: As I used to be ending up this overview, Roon formally green-lit the LSX IIs, and I made a decision to carry off and provides it a hear for a couple of days to get a way of the way it labored. It sounded nice, however there have been some glitches. In specific, streaming MQA tracks noticed the rendering system drop a couple of occasions, although streaming those self same tracks on the Tidal app didn’t trigger the identical pauses and dropouts. I think it is a Roon subject and never KEF’s fault, and I’m certain it’ll get a software program patch quickly. It’s additionally value mentioning that something with a software program focus can inevitably have some minor issues—however these minor issues most of the time get fastened.

I cherished my time with the LSX IIs. The greatest items of kit get slotted into my listening room and principally disappear if I’m not actively taking listening notes and evaluating them to different gear. They develop into the medium by way of which I’m having fun with music and nothing else. The LSX IIs vanished virtually the second they have been arrange, and I obtained over the transient studying curve and actually dove into what they will do. After a day, their novelty wore off, and I discovered myself listening to music for the enjoyable of it, and that’s actually the largest takeaway from this complete overview. I used to be delighted by their sound, their ease-of-use, and all of the necessary enhancements KEF labored into the LSX IIs. If anybody’s in search of a pair of wi-fi audio system that may do absolutely anything at a genuinely affordable worth, these ought to be on the high of the listing.

Specs & Pricing

Drivers: Uni-Q driver array (19mm aluminum dome and 115mm magnesium/aluminum alloy cone)
Frequency response: 54Hz–28kHz (±3dB, relying on EQ settings)
Amplifier output energy: 70W/30W, Class D
Wireless streaming: AirPlay 2, Google Chromecast, Roon Ready, UPnP appropriate, Bluetooth 4.2
Source resolutions: Network as much as 384kHz/24bit; optical as much as 96kHz/24bit; USB Type C as much as 192kHz/24bit; HDMI as much as 1.411Mbps PCM
Supported codecs: MQA, DSD, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, ALAC, AAC, WMA, MP3, M4A, LPCM and Ogg Vorbis
Dimensions: 9.5″ × 6.1″ × 7.1″
Weight: 15.6 lbs. (per pair)
Price: $1399

KEF
10 Timber Lane
Marlboro, NJ, 07746
(732) 683-2356
kef.com

The submit KEF LSX II Wireless Loudspeaker appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

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