The humble subwoofer is a lot like a hockey goaltender – no one really notices them when they are performing well, but if they aren’t pulling their weight, everyone is in an awful hurry to point it out. While an under-performing subwoofer isn’t announced by an air horn and flashing red lights the way a floundering goalie is, a sound system that is unable to reproduce those oh-so-essential low frequencies can be just as conspicuous to those who know what they are listening for. A good subwoofer fills two roles in a sound system: it should extend low enough to reproduce frequencies that normal speakers are unable to and it should blend seamlessly with the main speakers at higher frequencies to relieve some of the strain placed on them by trying to reproduce the lower part of their register. British speaker manufacturer MJ Acoustics has been striving to fulfill both these goals for ten years now. MJ Acoustics’ current offering for the budget-conscious consumer is the PRO 55 MkI subwoofer priced at $1499. This downward-firing subwoofer uses a sealed cabinet design, which combines an ultra long-throw 12-inch driver with a 150 watt MOSFET amplifier and twin crossovers (one for the high level input and one for the low level input – a feature previously available only in the company’s more expensive subs). The PRO 55 MkI has a frequency response rated from 200 Hz all the way down to 10 Hz. MJ Acoustics’ philosophy is that its entire product line, from least expensive to most expensive, should all sound equally as good as one another, with the only difference between models being sound output (larger rooms requiring more output). As you move up the subwoofer model range, some small creature comforts are also introduced, such as a remote control and custom finishes.

The PRO 55 MkI is available in one finish, a black ash real wood veneer, with perfect joints and an immaculate finish all around. It feels incredibly solid, with the cabinet itself and all internals made from MDF. Dimension wise, the unit is not very obtrusive, measuring 13.6 inches wide by 15 inches high by 13.6 inches deep, but tipping the scale at over 33 pounds. All the sides, as well as the top, of the enclosure are bare, save for the rear of the unit, where all the controls are located. On the rear panel there are both gold-plated RCA (low level) and Neutrik Speakon (high level) inputs, and discrete high and low level crossover and volume controls for each, respectively. The rear panel also has a knob to adjust phase control (0-180 degrees), an on/off toggle switch and an IEC inlet for the power cable. Flipping the unit upside down to inspect the driver itself, reveals an ultra-stiff 12-inch driver encircled by a very wide and very durable feeling surround. The width of the surround is easily twice the thickness of the two reference Klipsch Sub 10 units in my room, and the long excursion this affords the driver is surely one of the reasons the PRO 55 MkI is able to reach as low as it does. Also of note is the lack of a port on the PRO 55 MkI, as MJ Acoustics has eschewed the extra SPL of a ported design in exchange for the accuracy and controlled response of a sealed box.

After removing the twin Sub 10s from my reference Klipsch Synergy speaker system (F2 mains, C2 centre, S2 surrounds, B2 bookshelves as rears), I plugged the PRO 55 MkI (via its low-level RCA connector) into the subwoofer output of my Pioneer Elite SC-27 receiver. Then I ran the receiver’s MCACC calibration routine, setting the receiver’s sub crossover to 80 Hz. After saving that calibration profile I ran the subwoofer for a few days, both watching movies and listening to music, in order to allow it to break in. After a good number of hours of use, I re-ran the MCACC routine and sat down with my stack of demo discs.

The Blu-ray release of Transformers, even though a few years old at this point, still has some of the most bombastic sound effects ever committed to a disc. Right off the bat, I was impressed by how the PRO 55 MkI was able to fill my decent sized room (22 x 11 x 8.5 feet), given this subwoofer’s size. As the opening monologue droned on, I was satisfied by how clear and distinct the lower registers of Peter Cullen’s heavily effected voice was. There was a definite tightness and distinction that I was not used to hearing. The brief bit at the start of the second chapter where the helicopter blades spool up, both in pitch and volume, is a fantastic place to test a sub’s mettle. Many lesser subs will often vibrate, rattle, and generally sound like they are imploding. The PRO 55 MkI sub, however, held fast through this section, displaying a precision that was admirable. I also auditioned the infamous “Ironhide flip” scene from chapter 19 numerous times, and was impressed by this little sub’s ability to seemingly reproduce frequencies a good deal lower than my reference subs. MJ Acoustics claims that the MkI is able to reach as low as 10 Hz, and while I do not have the required gear to scientifically support or debunk this claim, I can say that the MkI, to my ears, goes as low or lower than any other sub that I have had in my current room, all while maintaining accuracy and precision and never once sounding sloppy or out of control.

Recognizing that not everyone is going to buy a subwoofer solely for watching films, I also put the PRO 55 MkI through its paces with several selections from my music collection, after first adjusting the crossover of my Elite receiver up to 120 Hz. My thinking was that it would be a more demanding test of the sub‘s abilities, allowing it to play a little higher. The heartbeat effect in “Speak to Me” off Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon SACD was sufficiently deep and thumpy, and as the opening chords of “Breathe” kicked in, I was again impressed with the tightness and control afforded by the PRO 55 MkI. Roger Waters’ bass was clean and distinct, with no laziness and slop on the release of the individual notes. “Money”, also a standout cut, was allowed to fully breathe, with the PRO 55 MkI really snapping to attention during the manic parts, but slipping quietly into the background during the calm interlude about 4:00 minutes in.

I also auditioned several cuts from James Newton Howard’s “I am Legend” soundtrack, which features both the most dainty of strings and loud, pounding, drums and aggressive synths, all beautifully recorded with tons of dynamic range. Opening track “My Name Is Robert Neville” gave a taste of things to come, as its delicate intro quickly gave way to heavily effected, snarling synths. The PRO 55 MkI shone here, being so firm and well articulated that the monstrous drums in “Darkseeker Dogs” literally leapt from the front of my room at me, and then pulled back just as quickly with no sloppiness to be heard. The lower tones of the brass section were also faithfully reproduced, with an audible bite and crispness that managed to breathe new life into an album that I’ve heard countless times before.

All MJ Acoustics subwoofers and speakers are designed and built in the U.K., eschewing less expensive materials and labour found elsewhere, and it shows. While the PRO 55 MkI is not the first small footprint sub I have had in my listening room, it is certainly the most powerful and the most capable. It was able to faithfully reproduce the lowest synthetic tones in an action film’s LFE track, while still being precise enough to reveal the exact moment that a bassist’s pick left the string. I can wholeheartedly recommend the PRO 55 MkI to anyone looking for a sub that won’t break the bank, and can easily fill most small to medium sized rooms with thick, clean, low bass. Now if only finding a good goalie were this easy!

Manufacturer:
MJ Acoustics
www.mjacoustics.co.uk
Distributed in Canada by Black Sand Audio 306-535-9897 www.blacksandaudio.ca

MJ Acoustics PRO 55 MKI Subwoofer
Price: $1499 CAD

Now here’s a speaker whose origins date back to the 1980s but which benefits from dozens of design improvements over the years to keep it at the leading edge of bookshelf designs. That type of longevity is given to very few audio components so there must be something special going on here, right? French designer Daniel Dehay built the original model on these simple design precepts: custom designed wide bandwidth drivers, a direct connection between the bass/midrange driver and the amplifier, time alignment of the drivers and phase coherence throughout the frequency range.

Time alignment is achieved by a backward slanting front baffle, giving this speaker and also the bigger Veena, Episode and Grand Veena speakers a distinctive profile, now widely copied in the industry (but you heard it here first). A moving coil speaker with a directly driven bass/midrange is still a rarity since most drivers do not have the right mechanical qualities to perform across a wide range of frequencies without breaking up at the upper frequencies. You usually need a crossover to cut back the signal to the driver at the frequency extremes and gently cross over to the tweeter. The trick here is to design a drive unit that achieves the same effect mechanically so that no electrical attenuation is needed. This allows the driver to be connected directly to the amplifier, removing a whole layer of complexity and inefficiency.

The MM de Capo i come with removable black mesh grills, and I like the look of them better with the grills off so you can see the gorgeous woodwork and lustrous finish. The sound is very slightly cleaner this way too. When I say this is a bookshelf speaker, I suspect most users will use them stand mounted. I put them up on sturdy 24 inch Target metal stands, but you might prefer the good looking adjustable wooden stands the manufacturer offers ($395). You can choose from a variety of finishes for the speakers themselves, the top of the line (a $400 premium) featuring 11 thick layers in a high gloss epoxy finish applied over Natural American Maple or Red Cherry for additional cabinet stiffness and a more refined sound. My test sample was Natural Maple in a Satin finish which would set you back $2,995.

What you’d hope to get with a speaker designed along these lines is something quite efficient, an easy match for any high quality amplifier, capable of throwing a very stable three dimensional image and offering high levels of detail and low distortion. That was the aim of the original design and by the standards of the day, those objectives were met, resulting in a strong reputation amongst reviewers and audiophiles alike. The passage of time has seen elevated levels of competition. There are many fine bookshelf speakers form the likes of Proac, Spendor, Rogers, KEF, B&W, to name a few well respected British imports, and this country has seen some very fine local designs, particularly from Montreal-based Totem Acoustic.

Many reviewers worry most about tonality, detail, transient response and distortion but to me these fade into insignificance next to the key attributes of image stability and dynamics, which make music sound like the real thing. It’s not that you don’t need all those other qualities, but the fact is that most speakers in this price range do well in those areas today, while far fewer offer realistic imaging and dynamics. Imaging, the portrayal of musical instruments and voices in three dimensional space, comes from very careful attention to the smallest of details and sound fundamental design. Phase coherence is one of the key factors, and another is the physical placement of the drivers. Ideally you would use one single driver across all frequencies, and some have tried this approach but very few succeeded. Certainly if you are going to use moving coil drivers, like most speakers do, finding a design that optimizes the all-important midrange inevitably leads to compromise at the frequency extremes. The next most promising approach is the concentric driver, where the tweeter sits in the centre of the midrange/woofer. Concentric drivers are again very difficult and very expensive to design properly, but are almost always imaging champs. All other designs separate the tweeter physically from the other drivers, and the larger the separation and the greater the number of drivers, the harder it is to create realistic imaging. If you are sitting at a distance from the speakers in a big room, this problem is reduced and some large speakers can image very well in those conditions, but for the rest of us compact speakers usually image better. In the case of the MM de Capo i, the distance between the tweeter and the woofer could not be closer, and the front baffle is no bigger than necessary to accommodate the two drivers selected.

So smaller is better for imaging, but with a smaller internal volume and just two drivers, the maximum volume level and the bass extension must also be limited. This generally works against excellent dynamics, which give scale and presence to the music. By dynamics I mean the ability of the speaker to increase the sound pressure linearly with the input level, without noticeable peak compression. Big speakers with three or more drivers have the advantage here, an advantage that every designer of smaller speakers is trying to claw back. In this case the designers have chosen a very lightweight but stiff cone material and a big diameter (8-¼ inch) bass/midrange driver, at the same time removing any electrical impediment between amplifier and driver to get as big a kick as possible, coupled with very fast reflexes.

So much for theory. Let’s look at the details. Like all the speakers in the range, a great deal of TLC has been lavished on the MM de Capo i over the years and those who have owned or heard an earlier version might like to know what the designers have done over the years to keep it at the head of the pack. Let’s run through the changes since the introduction of the i version in 2003 before I tell you what I heard in my listening room:

• Edge-hole-treatment (unique to Reference 3A drivers): Filling in the joint where the soft surround meets the hard cone edge with a new type of epoxy to avoid cancellations
• New custom made multiple flat plate paper-in-oil capacitors
• New low resonant frequency tweeter
• Improved cabinet construction using perforated braces and a vertical spine piece

The very latest iteration (June 2009) now adds the following improvements:
• New CCSC (continuous cast, single crystal high purity OFC) internal wiring with PTFE (Teflon) dielectric
• Mechanical grounding of the drivers draining spurious vibration energy from the driver’s frame and the motor to the cabinet for a more open, detailed and dynamic sound
• Copper Shorting Ring (Faraday Ring) improves linearity in driver’s voice coil magnetic field gap to reduce dynamic compression and better tracking of signal
• New Mundorf Supreme Silver Oil capacitors used as the tweeter high-pass filter for extended, more dynamic and faster high frequencies
• Soft brass screws used to fasten drivers reduce the resonant noises generated by the driver/frame
• New, five way binding posts with gold plated tellurium copper conductors provide better conductivity than the commonly used brass types for better input signal transmission
• New CCC (Continuous Cast Copper) bi-wire jumpers
• All connectors, internal wiring, and metal driver parts are now cryogenically treated

So while not deviating from the original design principles, you can see how every aspect of the implementation has been examined and where possible, improved with the higher quality parts now available.

Sadly I don’t have a vintage MM de Capo i on hand to do an A/B comparison, but this review is not for current owners considering an upgrade. It’s for those of you in the market for very high quality stand mounted speakers that won’t break the bank. What you need to know from me is how they sound today. And that’s an easy call. Like all top flight components, they are consistent across a wide range of music, whether you love opera or rap, Count Basie or Keb Mo. Just be sure to pair them with high quality components capable of showing them at their best.

These speakers represent an easy drive for most amplifiers since they are quite efficient and have a smooth impedance curve, but they are quite sensitive to location. They have little need for reinforcement from room boundaries to produce a solid bass, so bring them well away from the walls. Ideally the listener and the two speakers form an equilateral triangle, and very little or no toe-in is required. Mount them on rigid stands with blue-tac and then make small adjustments to the toe-in to optimize the imaging in your favourite chair and you’re done. I found I could then get up and walk around and the image was stable and enjoyable over a wide range. This large sweet spot is especially important if there will be more than one listener at a time.

Imaging is in fact this speaker’s forte. Correctly set up, the performers can be easily located in space, and this contributes enormously to the impression of reality. Thanks to that big main driver, the MM de Capo i puts up very strong numbers in the dynamics category, easily impressing throughout Ivan Fischer’s superb SACD performance of Brahms First Symphony. If it can keep its head here it should have no trouble holding its own in less demanding types of music. Actually solo piano can be even more demanding than a full orchestra so I gave it a workout there too, and found a rich, deep musical range which preserves the full gamut of such complex recordings as Zimmerman’s Liszt Sonata. From here to jazz and folk gave no surprises, so let’s see how it fares with pop, rock and outstanding female vocalists like Jennifer Warnes.

The MM de Capo i produces prodigious bass – it’s flat down to 42 Hz – and this helps it sail through these tests with aplomb. Bass guitar comes through pitch perfect and without strain, giving a strong underpinning to rock. The superb integration between the drivers, a miracle given the simple tweeter network, makes Warnes’ The Well a delight, while the Beatles’ Love album is fresh, punchy and detailed. Across the board, detail and transient response are both strong, though not outstanding, while distortion is commendably low and tonality is spot on.

So is this the perfect speaker? Of course not. The first thing I would change is the name. Reference 3A MM de Capo i is just too much of a handful. It is also a relatively small speaker, and lacks the maximum output and spectacular dynamics of its own big brothers, the Episode and Grand Veena. The tweeter is excellent for a speaker in this price range but does not compare in resolution or extension to the much more expensive diamond or beryllium designs found on some exotic speakers. Bass is strong down to 42 Hz but there is some music that extends down further than that, and if you love the organ you will prefer a much bigger box. It is also out of place in a large room because its ability to move air is limited. Finally, you may love the looks or hate them – aesthetics are personal, and there are no graceful curves here like in a Wilson Benesch or Sonus Faber. You’re paying for the sound quality. The MM de Capo i is certainly worth an audition if you can pony up the asking price.

Sidebar

Reference 3A – A Family Resemblance

3A (Applied Acoustic Arts) was originally set up in France in 1959 by French designer Daniel Dehay and relocated to Switzerland in the late eighties under the name Reference 3A. The company passed into other hands before being repurchased by Mr. Dehay around 1992 and most of the features of all current models owe their heritage to his design precepts. Today the company is located in Waterloo, Ontario under the direction of Tash Goka of Divergent Technology, who has a special love for the MM de Capo i above all the others in the Reference 3A stable.
Having spent considerable time with three Reference 3A models, the MM de Capo i, The Episode and the Grand Veena, in ascending order of size and price, I am struck by how much there is in common between them in their acoustic signature. These are not speakers you buy to impress your friends. You buy them because you love music, you know what live musicians sounds like, and you want the best speakers you can get for the money. The two bigger brothers share an exotic driver above the tweeter, the Murata Exciter. This gives them a rather more open top end which I found intoxicating, and they are both floorstanding designs, meant for progressively larger spaces and greater listening distances. While lacking the Murata Exciter, the MM de Capo i is by no means shy in the high frequencies and will suit most normal size listening spaces better than either floorstander. They are all cut from a very similar cloth both audibly and cosmetically. I’m delighted to be able to recommend these Canadian components which stand up well against speakers from a variety of specialist manufacturers around the world. Canada rules OK.

Reference 3A
www.reference3a.com
519-749-1565

Reference 3A MM de Capo i
Price: $2,995 (as tested)

If you’re a regular reader of CANADA HiFi then you should already be familiar with the brand Sinclair Audio. Since 2005, we have reviewed the company’s first and second generation Brighton Series speakers. For those of you hearing about these guys for first time, Sinclair Audio is a Canadian company owned by Montreal-based JAM Industries Ltd., a long time distributor of consumer electronics and music instruments. Since Sinclair Audio’s inception, a lot of time has been devoted to research and new product development. Today, the company’s product offerings span three different series of speakers: Brighton, conventional cabinet speakers; Architex, in-wall/in-ceiling speakers; and Sculptura, contemporary, slim speakers. All Sinclair Audio products are designed in Canada and manufactured in China.

The latest fruit of labour from Sinclair Audio is the third generation of the Brighton Series speakers, a series which consists of seven speaker models and two subwoofers. The speakers are of course tonally matched so that any of these models can be combined to create a 2-channel or multi-channel system. Our review set included all of the top-of-the-line models: two 460T floorstanding speakers ($1499/pair), four 45RS bi-polar surround speakers ($299/pair), a 25CC centre channel ($299) and a 310S subwoofer ($499). The combined price of this 7.1-channel system is $2895. A 5.1-channel system would retail for $2596. Of course a less expensive system can be put together with the lower speaker models in the series.

Let’s take a closer look at each of the models beginning with the flagship 460T tower speaker which has been completely redesigned. The 460T now employs a 3-way design which uses four drivers instead of three, like its previous generation brother. Looking under the speaker grille reveals the front baffle which is visually split into two sections. The top section houses two 6.5 inch Woven Fiberglass Hybrid midrange drivers and a brand new 3 inch Transparency Ribbon sandwiched between them. The bottom section has two 6.5 inch Woven Fiberglass Hybrid woofers. Employing a ribbon tweeter is a first for Sinclair Audio, with the 460T being the only model to offer it. Compared to a traditional tweeter, the ribbon tweeter has a substantially lower mass and therefore responds much quicker. Acoustically this should translate into sound that contains improved transient musical information, particularly in the higher frequencies. The 460T has an impedance of 8 ohms, a sensitivity of 92 dB, a frequency response rated from 32 Hz to 40 kHz and can handle amplifier power of up to 250 watts. It’s hard to tell from the picture at the top of this review but the 460T is a big speaker, with a weight of a small elephant, designed for larger rooms – it measures 48 inches high, 9 inches wide and 16 inches deep. With its height of exactly 4 feet, it will look visually overwhelming in a smaller space.

The 45RS bi-polar surround speaker has also received a complete design overhaul. Its 2-way design combines a 4 inch Woven Fiberglass Hybrid woofer with dual 1 inch Black Diamond Silk Dome tweeters, which fire at about 45 degrees to the sides. It has an 8 ohm impedance, a sensitivity of 88 dB, a frequency response rated 80 Hz to 20 kHz and a power handling of 125 watts. This new design should provide better dispersion characteristics. The 45RS is also noticeably smaller than the previous generation surround speaker, making it much easier to position in any room – which is great because surround speakers are usually the most challenging to place.

The 25CC centre channel has a straight forward 2-way design, with dual 5.25 inch Woven Fiberglass Hybrid midrange woofers flanking a 1 inch Black Diamond Silk Dome tweeter. Its frequency response is rated from 55 Hz to 20 kHz and the impedance, sensitivity and power handling have the same specifications as the 45RS speaker.

Completing the Brighton series is the flagship 310S subwoofer which is outfitted with a triple 10 inch driver array, just like its previous generation brother. The front woofer is active (powered), while the dual side-firing woofers are passive (non-powered). Power is provided by a more powerful 300 watt RMS amplifier, which peaks at 800 watts. Its frequency response is rated between 30 Hz and 150 kHz. The 310S has a new, smaller cabinet which is nearly a perfect cube, with each dimension measuring about 16 inches.

Visually, the new Brighton speakers look very similar to the previous generation. Each speaker is finished in a black wood veneer with a couple of glossy panels. White drivers and silver surrounds round out the design. The white-driver-on-black-cabinet gives the speakers an attractive visual contrast but the overall aesthetics won’t win these speakers any design awards – they look like most conventional speakers. Although there were a few small imperfections in the finish of the speakers, overall the fit and finish were above par compared to other Chinese made speakers and components that I’ve played with.

During the break-in period I connected the Brighton speakers to our high-performance Arcam FMJ AVR600 AV receiver and the Cambridge Audio Azur 650BD universal Blu-ray player. I toed-in the front towers slightly toward the main listening spot since ribbon tweeters are a little more directional than typical dome tweeters. Two of the 45RS surround speakers were placed about one foot away from the sides of my couch and the other two were placed about four feet behind the couch. While making all the connections, I noticed that something wasn’t quite right with the binding posts on the 460T towers – the Furutech banana plugs of my speaker wires didn’t fit snuggly into the speaker posts, instead they sat rather loosely inside the posts. Hence I resorted to using bare wire connections to the front speakers. All of the other speakers accepted my banana plugs just fine. For my in-depth listening tests I connected the speakers to our more reasonably priced Pioneer Elite SC-07 A/V receiver – presumably most Brighton series owners would be connecting these speakers to an AV receiver in this price range.

While listening to two channel music, the 460T towers provided good stereo imaging and a pleasing midrange performance. They did not stress with the varying dynamics of Britten’s Orchestra CD (Michael Stern, Kansas City Symphony, Reference Recordings RR-120) and recreated the atmosphere of the hall where the performance was recorded quite well. Instruments playing in the higher frequency registers sounded crisp and realistic, more so than with other home theatre speakers – no doubt thanks to the ribbon tweeters. Admittedly the overall musical details didn’t quite match what I’ve grown to expect from my reference KEF Q series speakers, but they certainly were not concealed either.

Reaching for the Air French Band “Moon Safari” CD proved that the 460T towers have the ability to produce a large sonic landscape stretching all in directions. Various audio effects moved around the soundstage very convincingly. The rain effect on the first track “La Femme D’argent”, which some speakers hide far in the background, came through with excellent clarity. The bass line in this track wasn’t as punchy and articulate as I’m used to hearing but later in my tests I discovered that repositioning the speakers achieved a much better bass response. Of course, you could always turn on the subwoofer if you desire more bass.

When I moved on to multi-channel music my listening experience was elevated substantially. Clear vocals, melodic guitar riffs, keyboards and drums filled the air around me when I put on the Dire Straits “Brothers In Arms” SACD. With the track “Walk of Life”, the Brighton speakers played the guitar riffs in the front channels with richness and complemented them with smoothly flowing keyboards in the rear channels. I could hear the strumming of the guitar chords and the metallic texture of the cymbals decayed realistically almost as if someone was playing drums right in front of me.

The Pink Floyd “Dark Side of the Moon” SACD was no less immersive. The bass line in “Time” played with a commendable depth and fullness, executing bass transients with control. In fact, I not only heard the bass on this track – I felt it sweep over an expansive soundstage, which stretched well beyond the measly dimensions of my room. That’s not too shabby for a fairly compact 10 inch subwoofer. Following the breathtaking intro, crisp vocals punched through the front speakers, perfectly centred in the soundstage and appropriately placed in front of the various layers of audio. The 45RS surround speakers very effectively and evenly dispersed the surround portion of the audio to the sides and back of my room. As a result I was convincingly placed in the middle of an out-of-this-world sonic atmosphere. Bi-polar speakers like the 45RS’s work particularly well in rooms where you have no choice but to place the rear speakers close to the couch (and on stands) because they don’t radiate the sound directly towards the listening position but rather disperse it at different angles. The other benefit is that they tend to create a more evenly distributed soundstage at the side and back of the room, which is particularly desirable for multi-channel music and movies.

But music is only half the equation. Before sitting down to do some movie watching, I made a trip to a local video store and picked up a few Blu-rays including Inception, Robin Hood, Iron Man 2 and The Expendables. I started with Inception, which not only offers an incredible story but also put the speakers through an extensive barrage of sonic tests. And much like with The Dark Knight, Christopher Nolan kept the computer generated special effects to a minimum, choosing scaled and full sized models and sets instead. The resulting special effects are nothing short of spectacular, complete with a DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack to match. The bomb explosions in the opening scenes shook my room with thunderous low frequencies. I was glad that the very low frequencies didn’t sound muddy at all from this relatively small subwoofer – no, they were rather well defined. Some of the explosions very effectively scattered building debris 360 degrees around my listening spot. The sound around me was pretty seamless, without any obvious gaps in the soundstage. The shattering of windows sounded crisp and realistic. But the Brighton speakers weren’t good with just these hardcore action sequences, they also had a more delicate side. In one of the chapters, the echo of bullets in the warehouse effectively recreated the size and ambience of the warehouse. The dialogue was always clean and distinct from the background music and effects.

But it wasn’t until I watched Iron Man 2 that the Brighton speakers demonstrated their true home theatre might. In one of the opening scenes, my room rumbled with bass as Iron Man jumped out of the airplane and fired up the jets in his boots and the repulsors in his gloves. The transition of the audio from the tower speakers to the subwoofer was smooth like butter. Tony Stark’s voice bounced off the dome’s ceiling and echoed realistically as he gave his speech at the Stark Expo, believably recreating the ambience of the convention centre. Later in the film, during the “Grand Prix De Monaco Historique” race, the Brighton speakers transitioned the earth shattering power of the racecar engines seamlessly from speaker to speaker. In some of the scenes I not only heard the bass frequencies, I felt them with my entire body as if I was standing right beside the racetrack. I don’t normally use rear channels (behind the couch) in my home theatre because of space constraints and find that most speakers sound a little overwhelming in this position. But this was not the case with the 45RS surround speakers – they provided directional sound when required and created a wide, dispersed soundstage the rest of the time. During the final battle with the drones things got so heated up in the soundstage that I became a little concerned, wondering if my next door neighbors (in their very close but detached house) could hear any of this in their basement – oh, the worries of an audio reviewer!

There is no question that Sinclair Audio has managed to further refine the sound of the Brighton series with this third generation. During the time that the Brighton speakers spent in my test room, they presented me with great two channel performance, an excellent multi-channel music experience and kicked butt when watching movies. Some will find the size of the 460T towers overwhelming, but if you have a room large enough you will be rewarded with very fine top-end frequencies. Medium and smaller rooms should do just fine with the smaller 260T or 250T towers. Regardless of which front speakers you end up choosing, I would definitely go for the 45RS bi-polar surround speakers – I did not listen to either of the bookshelf speakers from this series but I doubt that they could rival the fantastic dispersion characteristics of the 45RS speakers. The Sinclair Audio Brighton series are definitely worth an audition.

Sinclair Audio
www.sinclairaudio.com
Distributed in Canada by
Erikson Consumer
1-800-567-3275
www.eriksonconsumer.com

Sinclair Audio Brighton Series
Price: $2895 CAD (7.1-channel system as tested).

Component Pricing:
• 460T floorstanding speakers:
$1499/pair
• 45RS bi-polar surround speakers
$299/pair
• 25CC centre channel $299
• 310S subwoofer $499

You may have not heard of Volent before but don’t worry, neither have we – not until now. Volent was launched in 2006 in Honk Kong by a group of engineers who have been in the business of designing speakers and drivers for many years. The name Volent comes from the phrase “Voice of Excellence” and now Volent speakers are available in Canada thanks to Canadian distributor Worldwide Wholesales. All Volent speakers are designed and manufactured in Hong Kong.

Volent prides itself on the development of its Twin-Ribbon tweeter which claims to combine the best of both dome and ribbon tweeter characteristics. The Twin-Ribbon tweeter is said to offer the same dispersion characteristics as a dome tweeter together with a fast response and high level of details which ribbon tweeters are known for. In addition to using the tweeter in its own speakers, Volent also supplies it to other speaker manufacturers including JM Reynaud in France and Rosso Fiorention in Italy.

The Volent Chorale CL-2 speaker under review here represents the company’s most affordable, entry-level bookshelf speaker. My review pair came finished in a rich, high-gloss Mahogany veneer ($2495/pair) but the CL-2 is also available in a high-gloss Black ($2495/pair). The cabinet has a rock solid construction with arrow-cut, triangular surfaces at the top and the sides which give the speaker a distinct look but also assist in eliminating the standing wave effect. In a traditional speaker cabinet the high frequencies radiated by the tweeter can reflect off the corners of the cabinet and arrive at the listening position slightly delayed, hence blurring the treble. The arrow-cut, triangular surfaces of the CL-2 change the angles of the reflected sound so that it doesn’t reach the listener’s ears. The heavy, metal grille covering the driver reminds me a little too much of the PA speakers in my high school but the good news is that it can be removed by unscrewing the six Hex bolts which hold it in place. The tweeter faceplate and the driver basket both have a Champagne gold finish and are secured to the enclosure with gold bolts. I also discovered a number of finishing imperfections around both the tweeter and the woofer which looked like smudges but could not be cleaned. Visually then, out of the box the CL-2 isn’t the most attractive speaker. But its appearance can be improved significantly by removing the driver grille. Personally, I prefer the look of the high-gloss Black finish.

Technically though, the CL-2 should be much more appealing to audio enthusiasts. Its two-way design combines the company’s above mentioned 1.5-inch Twin-Ribbon tweeter (in a side-by-side configuration) with a 6-inch Hextech midrange/bass driver. A sheep had to get a haircut to provide wool for the inside of the speaker cabinet, which is said to maximize the bass performance and open up the soundstage. The 6-inch Hextech driver got its name from the fact that it uses a hexagon shaped voice coil, and is said to achieve a faster transient performance and a more dynamic bass than a traditional 6-inch driver. The back of the cabinet has a large venting port and houses a pair of solid, gold-plated binding posts. The CL-2 has a frequency response rated from 38 Hz all the way up to 50 kHz, thanks to the ribbon tweeter of course. It has an impedance of 6 ohms, sensitivity rated at 87 dB, is crossed-over at 1,900 Hz and has a power handling rated at 150 Watts. The CL-2 is a fairly large speaker which measures 240 mm wide by 388 mm high by 355 mm deep, and tips the scale at just over 30 kg each.

To achieve maximum performance from the CL-2 speakers they need to be set up carefully so that the tweeters are as close to ear level as possible and they should be slightly toed-in toward the listening position. I burnt the speakers in for about 150 hours, playing music in the background.

I began my tests with the CL-2 speakers hooked up to my Fatman iTube 452 integrated tube amplifier and used my trusty Classé Audio CDP-102 CD player as the source.

When listening to classical CDs, such as Vivaldi: The Four Seasons Violin Concertos (Itzhak Perlman, EMI Classics), the CL-2 speakers projected a rich, passionate midrange. The violins played with fluidity and great dynamics. The stereo separation and imaging were superb. While listening to Britten’s Orchestra CD (Michael Stern, Reference Recordings RR-120) the soundstage was expansive in both width and depth, and there was an ample amount of air between the instruments. With each classical track, the CL-2’s very effectively channeled the mood of the music directly to my ears. Slower passages played delicately with passion, while heavier passages came through with adequate punch and excitement. In the high frequencies, the cymbals sparkled and sounded very crisp. The highs contained an incredible amount of musical details, yet I didn’t find them to be harsh or edgy.

When I put on AIR French Band’s “Moon Safari” album, I noticed a slight increase in the details and transparency in the top end, compared to my reference Focal Electra 1008 Be II speakers. The electronic effect in the intro to “La Femme D’argent” which normally plays a little further in the background, was brought more forward and sounded better pronounced. The CL-2’s had the ability to extract some of the delicate details in the high frequencies which many speakers conceal – this was without doubt thanks to the excellent performance of the Twin-Ribbon tweeter. The vocals were crystal clear, without any signs of sibilance or strain.

It should be noted that without a sufficient break-in time, the CL-2’s offer very little in the low frequency department. Even after about 150 hours, the punchy bass line in “La Femme D’argent” had little weight and lacked the articulation that I’m used to. It was only after some 300 hours that the bass finally came to life and the improvement was drastic. Suddenly the bass line which defines this track was present in full force, stretching well into the low octaves and with great articulation. Point to learn here – if you decide to audition the speakers at a store, make sure that they have been properly burnt in.

Partway through my listening session, I replaced my Fatman tube amplifier with the Classé Audio CP-500 preamplifier and CA-2100 amplifier. With this duo in place, the sound may have lost some of its warmth but benefitted from an overall increased detail and the CL-2’s enjoyed every second of it. After playing a few CDs, I decided to spin a few records on my recently purchased Clearaudio Concept turntable. This instantly put the warm character that I adore so much right back into my music.

The first record I listened to was the “The Suburbs” from Canadian indie rockers Arcade Fire. “The Suburbs” is engaging and stimulating from the first track to the very last and so I ended up listening to all sides of the two vinyl set. On ‘Ready To Start’, the CL-2’s perfectly resolved the noisy guitars, synthesizer effects and fuzzy, whiny vocals. No, these various audio layers weren’t all clumped together as you might expect from a lesser speaker. Instead each layer played with its own space, yet the combined layers were assembled together just right when they arrived at my ears. The dynamics, scale and emotion of every track was portrayed very well by the CL-2’s. The bass extension had very good weight and dynamics for a speaker in this price range.

Then I shifted over to the “Let It Be: Naked” album from the Beatles, a “back to the roots” version of the original “Let It Be” stripped of the orchestra, chorus and overdubs by producer Phil Spector. The CL-2’s played this album with all the subtleties of the original live studio sessions. The Twin-Ribbon tweeter once again revealed details in the top end previously unknown to me on this album. The fluidity of the vocals and music had me singing along with the Fab Four in no time.

The audio market is crowded with speakers in the $2500 price range and in my opinion the Volent Chorale CL-2 isn’t the prettiest of these. But where it comes short on looks, it certainly makes up in performance. It offers the finest musical details thanks to its ribbon tweeter, a clean, detailed midrange and a very good bass extension. It is a versatile speaker which performed very well across all music genres, from jazz to classical to rock. If you’re in the market for a speaker in the $2500, the CL-2 is definitely worth a listen.

Volent
www.volent.com.hk
Distributed in Canada by
Worldwide Wholesales
www.worldwidewholesales.ca
519-619-9924

Volent Chorale CL-2 Speakers
Price: $2495 CAD

Let’s face it – most music lovers and movie buffs would like to own a set of full size speakers because they realize the benefits that large speaker enclosures bring to the performance table.  If you’re anything like me, you’d be quick to place full size speakers in every room in your house.  But reality and significant others dictate otherwise.  Sensibly, smaller spaces require compact speakers.  Today, the market is flooded with such lifestyle speaker systems.  If you’re shopping for a compact speaker system simply by looks, then you’ve got a lot to choose from.  But if you appreciate good quality sound, the pool of compact speaker systems becomes very small.  So how do you know what’s good?  Don’t panic – read reviews!  And don’t buy anything that you can’t find reviews of, there’s very likely a reason for that.

Paradigm offers a number of smart looking, attractively priced compact speaker packages in its Cinema series, but this review isn’t about one of them.  This review is about Paradigm’s latest effort to produce the highest quality sound possible from small speakers.  The result is the introduction of the MilleniaOne series, the latest addition to the highly respected Paradigm Reference line.  The MilleniaOne system is available in two configurations – the MilleniaOne 2.0 ($549), a two-channel speaker package, and the MilleniaOne 5.0 ($1,349), a five speaker surround package.  A matching MilleniaSub subwoofer is available for $1,499.

For this review, we asked Paradigm to send us the MilleniaOne 5.0 package along with the MilleniaSub subwoofer, a system designed for both music and home theatre applications.  The MilleniaOne 5.0 system consists of five identical speakers: two for the front L/R, a centre channel (placed horizontally) and two for the surround L/R.  Despite what some might think, using identical speakers in a surround system is actually very desirable as it allows the system to achieve the most uniform sound.  Such a system is often not possible with full size speakers in most rooms due to space limitations but it is certainly possible with a compact speaker system.

Each MilleniaOne is a 2-way speaker, with its drivers crossed over at 2.2 kHz.  The high frequencies are produced by Paradigm’s 25 mm (1 inch) S-PAL satin-anodized pure-aluminum dome driver, which offers a powerful motor structure and an oversized magnet.  The mid and bass frequencies come from a 102 mm (4 inch) S-PAL satin-anodized pure-aluminum dome driver.  The MilleniaOne has a frequency response rated from 120 Hz to 20 KHz (±2 dB), a sensitivity of 89 dB (in room) and an impedance of 8 ohms.  Paradigm recommends driving the MilleniaOne with an amplifier that has a power rating between 15 and 100 watts. The vented enclosure is constructed out of die-cast aluminum and has an integrated chassis and baffle.

Each MilleniaOne speaker measures a comfortable 19.5 cm high x 11.5 cm wide x 14.5 cm deep (7-3/4 in x 4-1/2 in x 5-3/4 in).  The oblong-shaped cabinet combined with the overlapping drivers gives the MilleniaOne a very clean and distinct appearance.  Paradigm gives you a choice of two finishes for the MilleniaOne, a high gloss black and a high gloss white.  I was provided with the glossy black set for this review which looked gorgeous in my living room.

The MilleniaSub subwoofer is also part of Paradigm’s Reference series and offers the company’s ‘cost no object’ technology.  It has a refreshingly unique design which aims to produce outstanding bass and allows for incredibly flexible placement options.  Its back-to-back bipolar dual woofer design helps to physically cancel vibrations and greatly reduces resonances.  Each of the reinforced polymer woofer cones measures 35.5 cm x 7.6 cm (14 in x 3 in), has a corrugated Santoprene surround and a 2.5 cm (1 in) voice-coil.  The MilleniaSub uses Paradigm’s Ultra-Class-D power amplifier capable of pumping out 300 watts RMS of power, or 900 watts peak.  Its connection panel offers a line-level input designed to accept a signal from an AV receiver or processor’s subwoofer output.  The only other connections on the unit are for power and a mini USB jack for those who wish to use the Perfect Bass Kit (PBK) room correction system (sold separately for $109) to achieve optimal sound from the subwoofer.  The controls are also kept to a minimal in the subwoofer’s design, there are just three dials for the subwoofer level, cut-off frequency and phase on one of the sides of the subwoofer.

The MilleniaSub is roughly the size of a typical briefcase, measuring 13.75 cm high x 46.5 cm wide x 35.5 cm deep (5-1/2 in x 18-3/8 in x 14 in).  Its compact dimensions and oblong shape should make it exceptionally simple to place in just about any room.  It can stand vertically beside a TV stand, in the corner of the room, beside a couch or it can be wall mounted.  Turned horizontally, it can even sit underneath the couch, provided that the couch sits on its legs high enough off the floor.  And to further simplify the setup, the MilleniaSub has a built-in wireless receiver, which eliminates the need for running a long subwoofer cable, when used with the separately sold PT-2 Wireless Transmitter ($159).  The subwoofer is available in both black and white finishes but unlike the glossy MilleniaOne speakers, it has a satin finish.

The MilleniaOne speakers come supplied with small stands which allow them be placed on any flat surface, like a shelf or a table.  Wall mounts are also provided.  Matching floor stands were not available at the time this review was written but of course any floor speaker stands will work.  I attached the provided stands to my review set and placed them atop my own 28 inch tall floor speaker stands.  The MilleniaSub stood comfortably in a vertical position on the floor, between my TV stand and a sidewall couch.  Power and processing was provided by my new Anthem MRX 500 AV receiver and the source was my reference Cambridge Audio Azur 650BD universal Blu-ray player.  Prior to my review session, I ran the MRX 500’s Anthem Room Correction (ARC) system, which in my opinion is one of the best room correction systems out there today.

I started my evaluation by listening to a selection of two-channel CDs and multi-channel SACDs.  The Johhny Cash “American IV: The Man Comes Around” CD, played in stereo, proved to be a good place to start.  On all of the tracks that I listened to, the guitars played with the richness of real guitars.  The midrange was so clean that I could clearly tell what strumming pattern was used and the picking of individual strings sounded true to life.  The sound of each note decayed as naturally as if I was playing the guitar myself.  With tracks that have low bass notes, the low frequencies blended perfectly smoothly with the mids and highs.  Tracks like “Bridge Over Troubled Water” added a few additional layers to the audio, including Fiona Apple’s vocals, a piano and an accordion.  On a lesser speaker system the accordion mighty easily be mistaken for keyboards but here it sounded distinctly like an accordion.  Johnny Cash’s bass-baritone voice sounded rich and natural, with the system reproducing all of the subtle vocal characteristics.  Throughout my listening tests, I tried several more CDs ranging from the Ben Harper & the Innocent Criminals “Live From Mars” album to Beastie Boys’ “Hot Sauce Committee Part 2.”  Regardless of what genre of music I sent at the MilleniaOne system, I was presented with a great sound.  The soundstage was surprisingly large and offered an ample amount of air, given the diminutive size of the speakers.  The MilleniaOne speakers played superbly throughout the entire midrange, producing a clean, neutral sound.  After listening to several tracks in the stereo mode, I switched the MRX 500 receiver to the Anthem Logic: Music mode which produced a very enjoyable, enveloping multi-channel sound.  I’m not even a big fan of artificial surround modes but this one seemed to hit the spot.

Stepping it up to discrete multi-channel sound, I reached for the Dire Straits: Brothers In Arms SACD, a very well recorded album which makes an exemplary use of the surround channels.  The MilleniaOne speakers produced a wonderfully balanced sound field with highly dynamic tracks like “So Far Away”.  The midrange sounded full and neutral, while the highs sparkled with delicate details.  While listening to “Money For Nothing”, the speakers laid out a 360 degree sonic landscape that stretched far and wide in all directions, with drum beats dancing all around the listening position.  The MilleniaSub belted out surprisingly deep, lighting quick low frequencies with proper articulation, some of which I literally felt.

Satisfied with their musical performance, I armed myself with several Blu-ray discs and began my barrage of home theatre tests.  First on the platter was Tron: Legacy on Blu-ray 3D, a recent favourite for both audio and video component evaluation.  Aside from offering jaw-dropping 3D visuals, this film is accompanied by a truly stimulating DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.  Produced by Daft Punk, the soundtrack does a tremendous job of creating sonic landscapes perfectly tailored to each scene and environment.  There are loads of low frequency passages and futuristic, out of this world effects.  The surround channels are used consistently and effectively throughout the movie.  From the very first moment the system began playing audio, my auditory senses were aroused.  The 360 degree envelopment of the sound was undeniable and completely seamless.  Whether a spaceship was rumbling across the soundstage or a light disc was bouncing from wall to wall, the sound traversed with perfect smoothness between the channels.  The MilleniaOne speakers served up a beautifully transparent sound, without ever attracting my attention to one particular speaker.  The centre channel delivered detailed, natural dialogue during both slower and action filled sequences.  The audio delivery was exceptionally clean and full sounding, given the size of the speakers.  And the bass – it was simply killer.  It played with the depth, tightness and articulation that I thought until now was possible only from much larger subwoofers.  There were no signs of strain nor did I once hear boomy bass.  By the end of this Tron: Legacy I felt that the MilleniaSub had definitely justified its $1499 price tag.  How could a subwoofer so compact play this well?  Smoke and mirrors?  I don’t think so – surely this must be a case of well applied engineering.  The MilleniaSub is a truly remarkable performer that is ideal for rooms where a much larger, conventional subwoofer simply wouldn’t fit.

Next up, I watched The Green Hornet on Blu-ray 3D.  If my parents left behind a publishing empire, I would probably do exactly the same thing as funnyman Seth Rogan – find a sidekick that knows how to slow down time and fight, design a couple of insect costumes and fight crime.  It’s a simple comic book recipe really.  During the first few chapters I once again observed the clarity of the character voices.  The MilleniaOne speakers conveyed the rich characteristics and tones of all the character voices and reproduced the most subtle nuances.   The breaking of glass and smashing of cars sounded genuinely real (yes, I’ve been in a few car accidents to know exactly what they should sound like).  Then were the action sequences which demanded some heavy bottom end frequencies which the MilleniaSub was more than happy to deliver.  There were punches, bullets, explosions and rumbling engines.  The MilleniaSub not only played thundering bass notes, it did so with control and finesse. These action scenes can sound overwhelming or harsh on lower quality speakers but that was never the case here.  If I had to pick a couple of favourite scenes from this movie they would be when the heroes were shooting bean bags at bad guys and blowing up a red light camera with a car-mounted rocket.  From the quiet passages to the sonically intensive ones, the compact MilleniaOne speakers blended flawlessly with the MilleniaSub.  And those of you who really like to turn up the volume dial, should be happy to know that these speakers will play as loud as you like, without straining or reaching their limits.  Sonically, the MilleniaOne speakers are the most dynamic compact speakers I’ve had the pleasure of listening to since I began reviewing audio/video gear.

Once in a while a product comes along that is such a pleasure to test that the review practically writes itself – this Paradigm Reference system is precisely such a product.  When full size speakers are not an option, the MilleniaOne 5.0 speakers and the MilleniaSub will satisfy discerning music listeners and home theatre buffs alike.  The MilleniaOne 5.0 speakers combine gorgeous styling with outstanding performance in the compact speaker class.  At $1349, you might be hard pressed to find another compact speaker system that delivers so much sonic performance.  The MilleniaSub is also a great looker and thanks to its design and size, it is one of very few subwoofers on the market to offer such flexibility of placement.  Better yet this subwoofer will surprise most listeners with its extraordinary performance.  The only potential stumbling stone for consumers might be the subwoofer’s $1499 price tag.  But don’t worry, for those on a tighter budget Paradigm says that its conventional, 10-inch SE Sub ($879) is also a great companion for the MilleniaOne speakers.  I give my seal of approval to both the MilleniaOne speakers and the MilleniaSub.

Paradigm Electronics
www.paradigm.com
(905) 362-0958

Paradigm Reference MilleniaOne 5.0 Speakers
Price: $1,349 CAD

Paradigm Reference MilleniaSub Subwoofer
Price: $1,499 CAD

Adding a home subwoofer to your home theater or any sound system makes an incredible difference. It adds the much needed boom that regular speakers can’t produce.

It’s not everyday that Quebec’s Totem Acoustic introduces a new range of speakers. Totem models tend to stick around, to be incrementally improved as developing technology allows. Yet this year Totem is making a big splash with their new Element Series of radically designed speakers. Three models are available now, with two additional models to come:

• Element Fire – a compact stand-mounted speaker (the subject of today’s test)
• Element Earth – a floorstander with one active and one passive woofer
• Element Metal – a larger floorstander with twin active woofers
• Element Wood – a centre channel (coming soon)
• Element Water – a subwoofer (coming soon)

So what can be so radical about this new range of speakers?

First let’s take a look at the cabinets. They taper towards the top and to the back, leaving no two sides parallel. This is great for avoiding standing waves and minimizing cabinet resonances, but also makes them look far more interesting than many earlier Totem designs which follow the traditional rectangular box principle. The finish, 4 coats of polyester, white (yes please) or black gloss, will turn many heads. The cabinet material is a graded mix of different densities of fibreboard, designed not to eliminate but to control and spread resonant frequencies. The drivers are so clean looking and elegant that Totem recommends you leave the magnetically attached covers off so you can enjoy showing them off as well as optimizing the sound quality. The speakers look more restrained and traditional with the grill covers in place. Even at the rear aesthetics are not forgotten. Totem specifies a custom machined aluminum terminal plate and bi-wirable platinum WBT connectors, topped by a tapered aluminum port.

So much for the visuals. The chief magic is on the inside. Following the lead of another highly respected Canadian speaker manufacturer, Reference 3A, designer Vince Bruzzese has developed a crossover-less speaker. Strictly speaking that doesn’t mean there’s no crossover inside. Rather, the amplifier makes direct connection with the midrange/woofer, with no intervening capacitors, inductors or resistors. There is still a simple crossover including two very exotic capacitors to mate the tweeter level and response curve to the main driver’s characteristics. This woofer maintains a significant output level up to around 5 kHz before smoothly rolling off, but its output is smooth and distortion free in this range, unlike conventional woofers.

So yes, these are special drivers, designed specifically to work in this application. Let’s take a look at them. The 7 inch Torrent woofer uses a thin polypropylene cone backed with three different damping materials and is powered through an unusually large 1 inch movement by a compound magnet system of unusual geometry and remarkably high magnetic flux. This driver is designed and manufactured in-house by Totem, and may be the most expensive single dynamic driver you’ll ever see. The magnetic material alone costs more than the entire woofer in most high end speakers. Even the wiring is unusual. Instead of round wire Totem uses a square cross-section to eliminate gaps between the conductors and to maximize flux density. The tweeter is another Totem design, which appeared first in the Tribe series, and is a very rugged, air cooled radiator with a titanium dome for very wide dispersion. Special attention has been paid to conducting heat away from the moving parts by way of a very thick aluminum 3/8 inch face plate and fins incorporated into the aluminum alloy body rather than being attached later. Without the aid of any fluid cooling, this tweeter is pretty much unburstable. Both drivers are designed to give a very wide dispersion pattern.

This crossover-less architecture is a very tough trick to pull off, but if you can do it, the benefits are enormous. Not only are all the distortions and efficiency losses that a regular crossover may introduce a thing of the past, but also the amplifier can exert much greater control of the bass/midrange driver, improving response time and reducing overhang.

The Fire is not fussy as to the height or stability of the stands you choose, and will also work well on a table top or bookshelf. You should allow about 18 inches of free air behind the speakers to allow the port room to operate. Being reasonably efficient and having a benign impedance curve, the Fire will work well with most amplifiers, but given their high resolution and accuracy, you’ll want to pair them with some very good electronics and cabling. In fact switching out a pair of $1800 speaker cables and substituting the wonderful Nordost Valhalla bi-wire cables made an enormous difference. Right there, that’s a sign of a very good speaker – one that can easily show the difference between different components and wires feeding it.

I paired the Fire with a very high end system, comprising the EMM Labs XDS1 CD/SACD player, EMM Labs Pre 2 preamp, Bryston 4B-SST² amp and Nordost Valhalla cabling throughout. Having given the speakers time to run in, as recommended by the manufacturer, I was immediately struck by how realistic the string tone sounds were in some very well recorded symphonic works. Then, in came the horns, tubas, clarinets, flutes, followed by the percussion section, and it was immediately obvious that we have a winner. Enter the massed cellos and double basses and it beggars belief that we are listening to a compact monitor. The Fire has an excellent bass response, is pitch accurate and sprightly, down to frequencies normally associated with much bigger boxes. Turn the wick up and it all holds together. It’s a very easy speaker to listen to. I don’t mean it’s laid back or soft on transients. Rather the brain doesn’t have to work hard to reconstruct the sound of the symphony orchestra when the signal is so full range, accurate, low in distortion and located so well in space. The Fire’s specifications show a frequency response down to 40 Hz, but my own in-room measurements showed significant output well below 40 Hz. That’s the result of the rear port and the low resonant frequency (16-17 Hz) of the main driver. But you should not assume deep pedal organ music is this speaker’s strong point. Once the signal level increases at such low frequencies, the port introduces its own distortions. If that’s your poison, the answer is to switch to the Earth (rated down to 31 Hz) or the Metal (rated down to 30 Hz).

Now we’re not all here to listen to large scale orchestral works. I like to start there because if a speaker can handle that, it should do really well on less demanding music. Anyone who attended the recent Montreal show will know the Element series speakers just love rock’n’roll and heavy metal. Why? Because these are superbly linear speakers. All speakers compress as you turn up the volume. These just happen to compress a lot less than most others out there. The unburstable tweeter is one factor, the new magnet system in the woofer another, the absence of crossover a third. Linearity means you can hear the dynamics the same way the tracks were laid down, and while it’s always important, here it’s essential. The Fire aced any number of my favourite recordings, consistently placing instruments and singers clearly in their place in a wide and deep soundstage.

My own listening is focused more on smaller scale acoustic recordings, sixties folk, fifties jazz, classical chamber music and piano. To an extent, such music is often more impressive in a setup that adds a little richness. Joan Baez’s voice with a little extra warmth is a real treat. A string quartet with some added body may pull you further in. Well, you’re not going to get that here. Not unless you buy a tube amplifier or a Marantz SACD player, or use one of the warmer cables such as the Cardas Golden Cross. The Fire is about wide bandwidth, low distortion, accuracy and truth, and the same can be said for all the components and cables in the test system. If your CD is harsh or ragged, that’s how it will sound through the Fire. If your LP collection is scratched and full of static, each of these imperfections will be heard in their full glory. So buy these speakers only if you can handle the truth.

The fact that Totem can make the Fire available at $5,995 for a pair really defies belief. This is a glimpse of the real high end, and a magnificent follow up from the company’s earlier pocket reference ”The One” speaker. It keeps all the musicality, accuracy and imaging of that wonder, and adds additional scale, bandwidth and a wider listening field. Nothing this small has ever sounded this good to me.

Totem Acoustic
www.totemacoustic.com
514-259-1062

Totem Acoustic Element Fire Compact Speakers
Price: $5,995 CAD

SIDEBAR: Recommended Recordings used in this review:

•  The Well – Chava Alberstein and the Klezmatics – Rounder 11661 31852
•  Love – The Beatles – Capitol 09463 7981023
•  The Well – Jennifer Warnes – Cisco – SCD 2034
•  Kulanjan – Taj Mahal and Toumani Diabate – Hannibal HNCD 1444
•  MA on SA – MARC Recordings
•  Kind of Blue – Miles Davis – Columbia – CS 69935
•  1910 – Les Doigts de l’Homme – ALMA ACD61412
•  Shumann Fantasie – Mitsuko Uchida – Decca 4782280
•  Beethoven Sonatas – Alfred Brendel – Philips 446701-2
•  Brahms First Symphony – Ivan Fischer – Channel Classics CCS SA 28309
•  Haydn Quartets Opus 20 – Quatuor Mosaiques – Astree E8786
•  Nordost System Tuning and Setup Disc – CD NOR-TD1

Computer desktop real estate is a valuable thing.  Think of all the items that usually compete for this space – a keyboard, mouse, telephone, planner and some paperwork – just to mention a few.  My personal desk also has to allow for a Superman statue and a model of my dream car, the Pagani Zonda.  And what about laptop users who desire better sound than what comes out of the micro laptop speakers?    It’s no wonder then that most computer users have to resort to using tiny computer speakers and there’s no shortage of these to choose from.  The trouble is that the vast majority of tiny speakers usually sound exactly the way they look – tiny.  But now there’s a new option.

UCube is a brand recently launched by Ultralink Products Inc., a Canadian company that made its name in the audio video cable and power accessory business.  The first product under this new brand is the UCube compact USB digital speaker ($169/pair) which promises to deliver a higher quality sound than you might except from a speaker of its size.  The recipe for the UCube speakers is said to combine “equal parts science and art”.  So is this a recipe that works for the UCube speakers?

The UCube is designed for laptop users who demand portability and desktop computer users that have limited desk space.  Measuring just 3.25 inches in each direction, the UCube mounts on to a brushed aluminum table-top stand which angles the speaker toward the listener’s ears.  Unlike many computer speakers that require an external power supply, the UCubes draw power directly from the computer’s USB port.  This combined with the compact size makes them truly portable.  If you’re technically inclined you might know that a computer’s USB port outputs just 5 volts which isn’t very much to power a pair of speakers.  To address this, the UCubes’ “smart” DSP (digital signal processing) controlled power supplies store energy during quiet music passages.  As a result, when louder, more demanding passages are played, an equivalent of 15W of power is available to each speaker from its built-in class D amplifier.  Behind the UCube’s grill is a non-conventional Balanced Mode Radiator (BMR) driver.  This is a flat-diaphragm driver which is said to deliver a vastly improved off-axis performance – up to 170 degrees – compared to other computer speaker drivers.  So the “science” part of the UCubes recipe appears to hold.

Visually, the UCubes are very elegant, lifestyle speakers.  I never thought I would ever call a speaker cute, but that’s exactly what these speakers are – cute.  Perhaps it’s the rounded corners or the glossy finish or the simplicity of the design that makes them so pleasing to look at.  And to further sweeten the deal, the UCubes are available in a choice of four different glossy colours: white, black, silver and red. Whatever it is, the “art” part of the recipe also appears to hold.

And now let’s move on to the sound test.  The UCubes come supplied with two cables, a 1 meter (3.3 foot) USB cable which carries the audio along with the power from the computer to the speakers and a 1 meter Ultralink RCA cable which connects the two speakers.  When I hooked up the speakers to my computer’s USB port, I quickly changed the sound playback device on my Windows 7 PC from my Audio Engine speakers to the UCube speakers and voila – I was getting sound through the UCubes.

The UCubes spent a good deal of time on my computer desk during which I took them through a healthy diet of music ranging from classical to rock to hip hop.  I even watched a number of movie clips, including the new Avengers trailer (I can’t wait!)  It didn’t take me very long to conclude that the highlight of these speakers is the clarity and natural character of the mid-range.  Performer and actor voices as well as instruments sounded clean and intelligible with all the selections that I listened to.  The details in the midrange were quite respectable for speakers of this size.  It should be said that although the UCubes can be played fairly loud, the mid-range does begin to distort at higher levels so don’t expect to push these speakers too hard.

What surprised me the most about the UCubes was the width of the soundstage.  Audio extended well to the left and right of the speakers.  Similarly the depth of the soundstage also stretched further than I expected.  This resulted in music that was spacious and more enjoyable – and brought an even greater benefit when watching movies.  Thanks to the wide dispersion characteristics of the BMR driver the UCubes also offered a wide listening sweet spot.  This is definitely an advantage when more than one person is listening to the speakers.  While listening to “Hotel California” by the Eagles, the highs sounded crisp although they did not extend as high as I’ve heard from some other computer speakers that have a dedicated tweeter.  Overall the picking and strumming of guitar strings sounded sweet in the mids and highs.  With certain movie scene selections the UCubes produced a large and engaging soundstage which will definitely enhance the movie watching experience for those who watch movies on their computers.

However, as you might imagine speakers with such tiny drivers and enclosures simply cannot compete with larger speakers or satellite/sub combos when it comes to bass.  The bass notes had very little weight and sounded thin overall on the UCubes.  Hence songs that reach into the lower frequencies were missing the proper foundation.  Ditto for movies of course.  Nevertheless, although lean, the bass did sound melodic and pleasant on the UCubes – I prefer this more than the single-note, boomy bass that so many other computer speakers offer.

So who are these speakers best suited for?  The UCubes are a good candidate for those who travel with their laptops and desire sound that is of far greater quality than what comes out of any laptop speakers.  They are also a good option for desktop computer users who don’t have the space for a separate subwoofer.  At $169 they are not an inexpensive pair of speakers but they will reward you with their gorgeous styling and perfectly complement any laptop, especially one of those sleek new MacBooks.  Note that you can pick up a pair for $149 from retailers such as Apple and Crutchfield.  What would be nice to see included with the UCubes are soft cloth bags for the speakers and an auxiliary input.  I hear that a leather travel case will soon be available.  Give the UCubes a try and rid your world of lousy laptop speaker sound forever!  And stay tuned to CANADA HiFi to find out what other new products Ultralink will be launching under its UCube brand.

Ultralink Products Inc.
www.ufiproducts.com
905-479-2831

UCube Compact USB Digital Speakers
Price: $169 CAD

My first encounter with the Monitor Audio Gold GX series speakers was at the Salon Son & Image, which took place earlier this year in Montreal.  It was their good looks that first attracted me, but it was the engaging sound presentation that inspired me to bring these speakers in for review.  The model demonstrated at the Montreal show was the flagship GX 300 floor-stander ($5,995/pair).  However, for the purpose of this review, we asked Canadian distributor Kevro International to send us its smaller and slightly more affordable brother, the GX200 ($4995/pair).
The Gold GX series sits just below the company’s top of the line Platinum series and consists of eight models: two bookshelf speakers, two floor-standers, two centre channel speakers, a surround speaker and a subwoofer.  This wide selection of models is designed to appeal to those who are looking to build a two-channel music system or a multi-channel home theatre system.  All of the new GX series models are engineered in England and manufactured in China.

What makes this Gold GX series particularly attractive is that it contains a great deal of technology that has trickled down from the previous Platinum generation.  Hence Monitor Audio claims that this series offers sonic characteristics very similar to those of the Platinum series.  Doesn’t that sound good?

The GX200 is a very handsome floor standing speaker with a small enough footprint to fit into most listening environments.  It has a three-way design with a frequency response rated from 35 Hz all the way up to 60 kHz, a sensitivity of 89 dB and an impedance of 8 ohms.  Its array of drivers consists of two new 5.5 inch RST bass drivers, developed from Monitor Audio’s C-CAM material, as well as a new 4 inch RST mid-range driver.  The 5.5 inch RST bass drivers feature a heavy construction with massive magnets and promise an extended low frequency performance while providing a smooth roll-off, without any overhang.  Monitor Audio says that this makes the speakers placement friendly, allowing them to be positioned relatively close to a wall.  The 4 inch RST driver is housed in its own damped enclosure to provide the cleanest, most natural character.  This driver is said to offer extremely low distortion, high efficiency and amazing power handling.  The GX200’s crowning glory is the C-CAM Ribbon High Frequency transducer (tweeter) designed to reach well above 60 kHz.  While this is about two octaves beyond the threshold of human hearing, it should mean that you’ll be able to hear all the musical nuances and harmonics found in high resolution audio content.

The GX200’s cabinet is constructed out of 20 mm MDF, with radial and cross braces, to improve rigidity and minimize cabinet colouration.  The speaker is rear ported, using Monitor Audio’s HiVe ports, said to result in better transient response and tighter bass.  The rear panel of the speaker offers high quality bi-wire terminals and includes factory installed jumpers.  The front baffle of the speaker has invisible magnetic grille fixings and hence looks very clean – this will be appreciated by those who won’t be using the grille.  Like many other Monitor Audio floor standing speakers, the GX200 comes with a heavy metal stand which gives the speaker a solid foundation.  My review pair of the GX200’s had a beautiful Bubinga finish (a dark wood grain) but the speaker is also available in Dark Walnut as well as Piano Black and Piano White glossy finishes.  I inspected the speaker thoroughly when unpacking, and I’m glad to say that the fit and finish appeared to be perfect, unlike some of the other Chinese made products I’ve come across during the last few years.

Measuring 37-7/16” high by 6-11/16” wide by 11-13/16” deep and weighing 48.9 pounds each (a little more with the stand), the GX200 is neither large nor particularly heavy, which makes it easy to move around and fit into just about any living environment.  Flanking my audio component rack, the speakers looked very nice, albeit a little smaller than what I’m used to visually.

I connected the GX200’s to my trusty Classé Audio system consisting of the CP-500 preamplifier, CA-2100 amplifier and CDP-102 CD player.  After giving the speakers about 200 hours of burn-in time, recommended by the Canadian distributor, I began my in-depth listening tests.  The first disc I span up was Sarah Blasko’s “As Day Follows Night” album.  Beginning with the first track, “We Won’t Run”, I was instantly pleased with the GX200’s ability to resolve the texture of Blasko’s graceful voice, which offers a touch of a sexy Australian accent.  In one part of the song, the effect of a subtle echo of her voice was clearly audible.  The midrange was rich and neutral, as the bass line played cheerfully with good depth and articulation.  With the next track, “Is My Baby Yours?” two guitars hit the soundstage, one slightly muted and another unrestrained.  The GX200’s offered excellent stereo imaging and effortless motion as the song demanded the ringing of the strings to flow between the channels.  Blasko’s near pitch-perfect vocals are more dynamic on this track, yet contained all the subtleties which make her voice so irresistible.  The GX200’s had my attention.

When listening to the AIR French Band “Moon Safari” album, I was given the chance to explore many of the GX200’s sonic characteristics much deeper.  With “La Femme D’argent,” I quickly realized just how much high frequency information these speakers were able to extract from the music.  I literally heard high frequency components that I haven’t heard before.  The C-CAM ribbon tweeter played with amazing speed and delivered awesome resolution.  The sound of rain, normally placed further in the background by my reference Focal Electra 1008 Be II speakers, had significantly more presence and played with more details than I’ve become accustomed to.  The analog crackle effect which accompanies this track gave it an authentic vintage sound feel.  The ribbon tweeter certainly allowed the GX200 to peer deep into the music and pull out tons of subtle high frequencies details. So, obviously, I was enjoying the benefits of the ribbon tweeter, and to make matters even better, I found that I was able to hear more sonic details at lower volume levels with the GX200 than with other speakers.  With this being said, the GX200 should be partnered with a high quality amp, like the Classé Audio CA-2100 that I was using, because they might sound a little on the brighter side if paired with a lower quality one.  A ribbon tweeter like this would likely also reveal all the shortcomings of a lesser quality amp.  Something else I noticed about the GX200 while listening to “Moon Safari” was its ability to create a truly gigantic and three-dimensional soundstage.  It’s been a while since I remember closing my eyes and being so engaged by the sonic landscape produced by a speaker.   And when it came to bass, the GX200’s were no slouch either.  The bass lines of the tracks on this album not only danced around fluidly but were dynamic and reached ample depth.

Switching to Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals’ “Live From Mars”, I once again changed the pace in my listening room.  This album offers a great combination of tracks ranging from Harper playing an acoustic guitar and singing, to full band, multi-voiced songs.  The GX200 reproduced the sound of the various guitars used throughout the album with extraordinary realism – I felt like I was playing guitar myself.  Acoustic guitars sounded just like the real deal, while effects applied to other guitars gave each one a very distinct sonic signature.  If you enjoy hearing all the nuances of a performer’s voice, the GX200 have you covered here as well.  All the subtleties of Harper’s voice were preserved with the outmost clarity, from raspy lower notes to smooth high notes.  I truly enjoyed the open, airy sound of this album which echoed far and wide in the soundstage.  The GX200 offered a full, natural sounding midrange.  With the volume turned right up, I do have to admit that the GX200 did sound a little on the brighter side, although this did appear to be a function of this album combined with the speakers.

During the review, I switched over to my Fatman iTube 452 integrated tube amplifier numerous times.  Not surprisingly, with this amp in place, the overall sound molded into something noticeably warmer and resulted in a sweeter sounding top end.  Since I like to turn up the volume relatively high from time to time, to me this tube amp was a better companion for the GX200.

The Monitor Audio GX200 delivered an undeniably enjoyable, musically passionate performance during its stay in my home.  I took it through the paces with all kinds of music, ranging from classical to hard rock and it always pleased me with its sound.  Those who enjoy listening to jazz and classical should find this speaker particularly attractive since it’ll extract the finest details from high frequencies and provide a great three dimensional soundstage.  The GX200 is indeed a great sounding speaker and offers excellent value at its price point.

Monitor Audio
www.monitoraudio.ca

Distributed in Canada by
Kevro International Inc.
www.kevro.com
1-800-667-6065

Monitor Audio Gold GX200 Speakers
Price: $4995 CAD/pair

As a publisher of a Canadian audio video magazine I’m always delighted to hear of a new Canadian manufacturer – especially one that presents itself as well as Reev Designs.  My first encounter with Reev Designs, which took place at the first Toronto Audio Video Entertainment Show (TAVES) at the end of September 2011, seemed to strike all the right notes.  The company wisely utilized the event to launch its very first product, the Aatma stand-mount loudspeaker ($7,000) aimed at the audio enthusiast/audiophile market.   Reev Designs’ Owner/Chief Designer Jugveer Randhawa – a passionate, well-spoken gentleman – was on hand at TAVES to answer questions and proudly demonstrate his fruit of labour.  I had time for only a brief chat with Randhawa at the show and even less time to listen to his speakers but the encounter left me wanting to learn more about the company and its first speaker.   A short two months after the show, a review pair of the Aatma speakers were hand-delivered to my house by Randhawa, which provided an opportunity for an extended chat over a cup of coffee.

   From the moment I first laid my eyes on the Aatma speaker, I was astonished by its looks.  Its solid cherry wood ribbed sides give it a busier appearance than a typical speaker but also make it very distinct.  The enclosure gets its high-gloss shine thanks to the application of yorkite, a material used in the manufacturing of luxury furniture, and five coats of polyester paints.  Once the paints are applied, the speaker is meticulously buffed and polished.  The Aatma has a fit and finish that are simply first class.  The result is a gorgeous looking speaker, which combines both modern and art deco influences.  At TAVES, Reev Designs demonstrated a dark cherry and black speaker but my review pair had a white and black finish.  I couldn’t decide which one I preferred more because I loved them both.

   At its core, the Aatma features a two-way reflex loaded design which employs a Scanspeak 5-inch wood-pulp cone woofer combined with a Scanspeak 1-inch coated textile dome tweeter.  Reev Designs modifies the motor and venting structure of the woofer to achieve the desired performance.  The Aatma utilizes a point-to-point wired crossover which reduces the interference and interaction between the components.  Prior to being mounted inside the enclosure, the crossover is coated in a proprietary resin that converts all the components into a single mass, which eliminates all micro-phonic resonances.

   The ribbed design of enclosure isn’t just for aesthetics – the ribs function as an exoskeleton which provides a substantial amount of damping to the enclosure.  The enclosure is built from MDF and varies in thickness from a minimum of 22 mm and up to 38 mm thick in areas.  It is constructed entirely by hand, and all the joints are mitered and locked with one another, meaning, the enclosure can hold itself in shape with no glue. The internal bracing is placed in a lattice formation with the external ribs to give optimal rigidity to the cabinet. The ribs on the outside are also mitered into the side of the cabinet, forming an integrated structure with the main cabinet.

   The Aatma has a nominal impedance of 8 ohms and offers a frequency response rated between 42 Hz and 22 kHz (+/- 3 dB).  Its 86 dB sensitivity implies that the speaker will benefit from a more powerful amplifier, although it should play just fine with a wide range of amplifiers.  With dimensions of 354 x 227 x 302 mm (H x W x D), the Aatma is a good-sized speaker and should be placed on a speaker stand that has a large enough top plate to support it properly.

   So far so good then – the Aatma certainly has the looks and the DNA of an audio enthusiast/audiophile speaker.  But what about its sound?  To find out, I set up the Aatma with my Classé Audio reference system consisting of the CP-500 preamplifier, CA-2100 amplifier and CDP-102 CD player.  I was lucky enough that the speakers arrived in late November and hence I had the pleasure of listening to them for an extended period of time during the holidays.  And pleasure in this case may be an understatement because what the Aatma served up was pure musical enjoyment.  My listening sessions spanned everything from indie rock to classical and hip hop.  And as I normally do when reviewing a new product, I took the opportunity to add a few new albums to my CD collection.

   I began my review session by serving up Adele’s “21” disc, an album whose title refers to her age at the time she wrote these songs.  When I first listened through to this album I wasn’t sure what captivated me more, her striking voice or the sometimes daring lyrics – both are just wonderful.  “Rolling In the Deep” is a astonishing demonstration of Adele’s vocal capacity and the Aatma gracefully delivered every nuance of this track, from the finest crackles in her voice to the high notes that pushed the limits of her voice.  The Aatma offers one of the sweetest and most accurate sounding midranges I’ve heard in a long time – one that will easily compete with some of the best bookshelf speakers from long established manufacturers.  Its rich, natural timbre made good quality recordings sound like the artist was performing right in my room.  When listening with my eyes closed to “Someone Like You” the passion in Adele’s voice sounded so real that the hairs on my arms stood up.

   But the midrange isn’t Aatma’s only strength.  Audio in the high frequencies had superb detail, speed and realistic decay.  Percussion elements sparkled, shimmered and decayed organically.  Other instruments, such as violins, played with fluidity and never showed any strain.  Not once did I observe any harshness or brightness in the top end.  And the bass sounded remarkably full and well defined for a bookshelf speaker.  Overall then, this speaker appeared to strike a near-perfect balance across its entire frequency range.

   Another disc I listened to during my review sessions was Melody Gardot’s “Worrisome Heart” CD, an album I discovered thanks to the members of the CANADA HiFi forum.  Although I was tempted to draw similarities between Gardot and other jazz artists like Norah Jones, Gardot’s edgy voice and captivating lyrics do offer a distinct, engaging listening experience.  This album also proved to be great material for testing a music system’s potential.   The Aatma reproduced the vocals with the outmost accuracy and definition of a live performance.  There were never any signs of sibilance in the vocals. Likewise, the instruments came alive with richness that you’d expect from real instruments.

   Listening to a few classical recordings, including Holst “The Planets” performed by the Los Angeles Philharmonic orchestra, the Aatma showed that it’s capable of performance that not even some floor standing speakers can achieve.  With the volume turned up, orchestral pieces presented incredible dynamics and scale.  These recordings also demonstrated that the Aatma offers excellent imaging and produces a seamless, three dimensional, almost holographic soundstage. 

   With other albums such as Air French Band’s “Moon Safari” and The Black Keys’ “El Camino”, the Aatma effortlessly resolved the complex interplay of the various layers of sound, clearly presenting all of the musical details.  In the low registers, the Aatma offered a bass that was powerful, deep and had such good articulation, you might be fooled to think that you’re listening to a floor stander.  What you get is bass that is clean, musical and exceptionally well defined.  Since the Aatma plays flat down to about 54 Hz (42 Hz at -3 dB), only the occasional lower frequencies were absent during my listening sessions.

   I did my best to try and trip up the Aatma while reviewing it and really couldn’t find any faults.  The Aatma combines wonderful musical qualities with a stunning appearance.  But all good things must eventually come to an end and as the holidays came to a close, I had to return the speakers back to the manufacturer.  At $7,000, the Aatma may not be within reach for all music enthusiasts but those willing to invest in this speaker will be rewarded with pure musical nirvana.  The Aatma, being Reev Designs’ very first production model, is a remarkable achievement.  I sincerely hope that we will hear more from this company in the very near future.  I can’t help but wonder – what can we expect from Reev Designs next?  Perhaps an equally awesome floor stander would be in order.

My iPhone is with me 24/7. During the day it sits in my shirt pocket. On my 40 minute walk to work I’m listening to the latest podcasts and the music in my iTunes library. I have custom fit earphones for this purpose. When I get in the car the radio senses the Bluetooth device and starts playing automatically where I left off. At night the iPhone sits in the dock of my Sony clock radio to recharge.

To complete the picture I need a portable loudspeaker so I can continue to listen in the kitchen or by the computer. Enter the foxLv2 from soundmatters. This compact all-black device – 14.3cm x 5.5cm x 3.5cm and weighing a mere 269g – packs a mighty punch and provides enormous flexibility. You can run it from its built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery or you can plug it in using USB or a universal AC power connector in pretty much any country. You can stream audio through Bluetooth or you can connect using a minijack to any computer or MP3 type device. I like the freedom of using it completely untethered so I rely on the Bluetooth connection and internal battery. Then as I move from room to room I can just pick it up and plunk it down where I want it. The Bluetooth works reliably within a range of about 10 feet before dropouts warn me that I’m getting out of range. The foxL uses the Bluetooth v2.0 A2DP protocol optimized for wide bandwidth and low distortion. And to make itself even more attractive, the foxL has a few more tricks up its sleeve. It doubles as a speaker for your iPhone with pickup/hangup control on the device and a built in noise canceling microphone.

So what’s in the box? You start with two ways to charge the battery. First a USB cable, then a 5 volt wall charger with interchangeable pin connectors for multiple shapes of outlets. To carry the foxL you get a wrist strap and a travel pouch. Then there’s a 3.5mm audio cable to link to your computer or MP3 device. A well laid out 24-page bilingual instruction manual completes the package. Page 2 shows a smiling Dr Godehard Guenther, founder of soundmatters, a physicist and former NASA engineer with three PhDs. “Music is a big part of my life, yet so is travel. There weren’t any really small hifi-quality portable loudspeakers – so utilizing a number of our patented and proprietary technologies, I developed one myself. A true labor of love, I named it after Fox, my first grandson. Listen and enjoy.”

The amplification of the foxL consists of 4 high efficiency digital amps delivering up to 8 watts at less than 0.1% distortion. The two main stereo drivers contain dual voice coils, acting as a tweeter and woofer respectively. soundmatters has coined the term – Linear Magnetic “Twoofer” for this innovative driver – tweeters that also woof – and claim a range of 8 octaves.

The battery is a key component, even if you never run under battery power. It’s actually shaped and designed to be a functional contributor to the extended bass response. soundmatters calls this patented device a BassBattery, combining a power source with a Flatmagic moving wall passive acoustic bass radiator. Battery life is up to 8 hours, depending on whether you are using Bluetooth and how hard you make it work. Maximum volume is doubled when running under AC power compared to battery power.

If the foxL doesn’t dig deep enough, you can attach a subwoofer, and I hear rumors of a matching foxL subwoofer in the future.

You won’t find many controls on the speaker, and those few are well hidden. The telephone pickup hang up button is the inverted triangle at dead centre of the front panel, and this doubles as the Bluetooth button. When you turn on the foxL via its rear panel switch, an amber LED on this button lights up, then flashes green while searching for the last five paired devices. If it can’t find a paired device it will search for new devices for a few minutes before turning off Bluetooth. By holding the button for 5 seconds you can turn off the Bluetooth manually. The only other controls are a pair of rear mounted buttons to control volume.

The foxL can really astonish with its prodigious volume of output, and it is pretty easy to provoke it to vibrate itself across any smooth surface you rest it on, leading to a potentially catastrophic fall. The solution is in the box – a thin rubber mat with a grippy surface, just like you put between a persian rug and a hardwood floor. You can also extend a grill at the rear for greater stability. The unit leans back to project it’s sound up into the room, and the speaker domes extend beyond the main frame for clearer projection while still being fully protected.

The first impression is of a surprisingly full sound, rather than the thin sound I was expecting from so small a speaker. Voices were deep and richer and not particularly toppy as on so many small speakers. This makes it easy to listen to for extended periods, although not necessarily easier to make out the words. For music, this tiny speaker packs a real punch, with impressive drive and dynamics, although it is possible to drive the speaker outside of its comfort zone. As the manual says, “Hearing distortion? Lower volume”.

There are two questions I want to look into:
• Does a direct connection sound better than Bluetooth?
• Does it sound better plugged in or through the internal battery?

Actually they both boil down to one question:
• Does it sound better with or without wires?

Ideally there would be no noticeable differences but we already know it can play louder through the AC adapter. I wouldn’t worry about that, since in plays loud enough on batteries for the vast majority of purposes. The AC hookup obviously gives you unlimited play time and that may be the deciding factor on how you use it. If its permanent place is in the kitchen then why not just leave it connected to 110 volts? You can still wander around with your iPhone in your pocket and not worry about trailing wires. In my testing, apart from the higher maximum volume (and not higher by much), the sound quality was the same regardless of power source.

The same cannot be said in answer to my second question. There is an extra degree of clarity and spaciousness when you hook up the iPhone by wire. I was delighted by the Cannonball Adderley classic Autumn Leaves from Somethin’ Else using Bluetooth but the dynamic range seemed wider and the highs clearer over the cable. The difference is not large but it is noticeable. But you may get a different picture using other MP3 sources.

In terms of distortion, definition and stereo separation, there’s no way a tiny pocket-sized speaker like this can compare with a decent HiFi set up, but that’s not the point. The aim here is to bring the best possible sound to a pint-size portable wireless component, and soundmatters has achieved this goal in an exceptional fashion. I did not believe it could be this good when I unpacked it, and I’m damned if I’m going to send it back after writing this review.

There is one down side however – it costs $225, including shipping, from Audio Basics (www.audiobasics.com). It is also available in various high end audio stores and other electronics retailers. I’d say it is well worth it but it’s a bit rich for some pockets. You can save $36 by opting for the non-Bluetooth version, which also lacks the speakerphone feature but is otherwise identical. If you’d like to dress up your foxL, accessories offered include a car kit, a mini travel trunk, a wall mount, a kick stand, a bike kit, a cable upgrade and a channel splitter. What’s not to like?

www.soundmatters.com
800.698.SOMA (7662)

www.audiobasics.com
1-877-92 (AUDIO) 28346

Price: $225 ($189 for non-Bluetooth version)

Sidebar: What about the Jawbone Jambox?

Soundmatters licenses and supplies the internal acoustics (drivers, battery, amps) for the competing Jambox. They look quite different on the outside, foxL going for the most compact dimensions and Jambox majoring on style. soundmatters claims sonic improvements due to the shape of the speaker grills and greater exposure of the “twoofer” drivers, and higher maximum volume with their bigger AC adapter (2 amps vs. 0.75 amps). They are also offering interchangeable AC prongs to cover multiple markets (North America/Japan, Europe/China, UK/HK, Australia/New Zealand) and a subwoofer output the Jambox lacks. The Jambox packs some tricks of its own however, so check it out at www.jawbone.com/speakers/jambox

The review set came in ELAC’s black high gloss finish. I was originally looking for a natural wood veneer to satisfy my preference of traditional aesthetics but was sad to find out that Elac had recently ceased production of their wood veneers, leaving only two options – black or white high gloss lacquer. On a happier note, the laquer was very well executed and the FS 247’s build quality was excellent; putting forth a clean and purposeful posterior, reminiscent of a pair of finely groomed, pure-bred Doberman Pinschers. The silver of the tweeter and aluminum faceted twin mid-bass drivers, along with the chromed pedestal legs, against the black gloss of the cabinet, was urbane with a dash of panache. The review pair was flawless, speaking to a high-level of workmanship and quality control. It was obvious that Elac takes pride in the locale of manufacture, as each speaker’s tweeter baffle hosted a prominent sticker of a German flag bearing the caption: “ELAC Made in Germany”.

The FS 247 is a 3-driver, 2.5-way (450 / 2500 Hz crossover points), twin ported bass-reflex tower design with a nominal impendence of 4 ohms. It offers a sensitivity of 89 dB, 30 to 50,000 Hz (IEC 268-5) frequency range and 120 watt continuous / 160 watt peak power rating. The cabinet has an internally braced MDF construction with an upper rear port as well as a lower port that exhausts from the bottom of the cabinet, between the pedestal legs and base. A removable foam rubber bass control plug is installed in each speaker, sealing the rear port for tuned bass. On the mid-back is a twin pair of clear plastic shrouded gold-plated five-way binding posts and shrouded jumpers.

The FS 247 uses Elac proprietary drivers – a single Heil/AMT design JET tweeter and a pair of 150 mm / 5.9 inch Crystal AS-XR mid-bass drivers. The JET tweeter is constructed from a continuous single folded ribbon membrane and coil that allows greater speed and efficiency than conventional dome tweeters. Rather than moving forward and back like a dome tweeter, the ribbon squeezes air out of the folds, in an accordion-like fashion. The unique JET / AMT tweeter design is claimed to produce less distortion and therefore, improved smoothness, transparency, detail and extension. Also noteworthy are the Crystal AS-XR or Crystal Membrane Aluminum Sandwich eXtended Range drivers. These drivers have a distinctive multi-faceted, diamond-like appearance; the stamped form is purported to considerably stiffen the cone and reduce distortion. The cone is actually a sandwich of the aluminum cone and a paper backing, bonded using a “secret” gluing method. The voice coil is joined not only at the neck of the paper cone but also to the bottom of the aluminum cone, which allegedly expands the operational frequency range by almost one full octave.

But enough background, you’re probably wondering what they sound like. Well, I began by hooking them up as L/R channels in my home-theatre setup, which is powered by an Onkyo TX-SR805 receiver. There they were given over 300 hours before I began to critically evaluate them. In my HT setup the FS 247’s brought an impressive level of intelligibility to speech and great clarity to low-level details, producing a lucid cinema experience. I watched broadcast television, DVD, Blu-ray and even streamed movies via Netflix. My first impression was that the FS 247’s were wonderfully detailed and natural sounding, which are great qualities for home theatre applications. It was also nice to discover that they could perform so well powered simply by an AV receiver, though my Onkyo 805 has quite a robust power supply and is 4 ohm capable. This left me wondering what a full ELAC home-theatre setup might bring to the table.

Now, it was time to get serious by plugging these pups into my two channel kit. Mated to my Bryston 4B-SST2 amplifier, BP6 pre-amplifier and Rega Apollo CDP, it was time to see what these Dobermans could do. I began a session with something light, Sarah Harmer’s album “All of Our Names”. Sarah is a Canadian artist with a sweet and simple voice that complements her folk rock music. The song “Pendulums” brought forth an impression of the singer sitting just right of centre with a guitar strumming just fore of her voice. There was delicacy in the guitar, and cymbals were light, airy and smooth, with a taut kick drum. Her girlish and sweet voice was clear, with inflections easily heard. The bass guitar was defined and controlled. Skipping to track three, “Greeting Card Aisle”, the lead acoustic guitar that opens was brought forth with lifelike string detail. Finger plucking on the guitar strings and the natural resonances of the guitar body were easily perceptible. Gentle piano keys took their own space in a moderate sized soundstage, reflective of an intimate venue. An eerie synthesizer floated a little higher in the soundscape and Sarah’s voice came across as natural, though melancholy, befitting the song.

Next was Chris Botti’s album “To Love Again”. Chis had his start as Sting’s trumpeter and is now an accomplished top-selling jazz artist. The song “What Are You Doing With the Rest of Your Life” is sung by Sting. Here I was presented with a rather immense soundstage, both deep and wide. Sting’s voice was presented as distinctive, clear and authentic. The natural warmth in this recording came through just slightly lean of how I’m used to hearing it and the trumpet was put forth in a wonderful manner with great extension, and wonderful harmonics. It was nice to find the trumpet represented so smoothly, carrying no glare or harshness whatsoever. The reverb on the track was nicely apparent. Bells sounded crystalline, brushes on drums were very detailed and the conga drums sounded lifelike. Skipping to the last track “Smile”, Steven Tyler’s throaty voice was clearly identifiable. Bass on this track came across with depth but not as low as it is capable of being portrayed. The soundstage was expansive once again.

One of my favourite CDs for evaluation is, “La Bamba” by the O-Zone Percussion Group. This is an extremely well mastered disc and one of my references for transient response, timing, soundstage, dynamics and tonal accuracy. It contains creative percussion interpretations of some familiar jazz tunes. I jumped to track 10, “Jazz Variants”. Here again, the FS 247’s produced a nice layered soundstage with great instrument localization and placement. Instruments were brought across with their unique timbres allowing them to be easily identifiable. With bells, chimes, xylophone and vibraphone their harmonics and natural decay were brilliant, preserving their intrinsic qualities. Drums, tympani and cymbals had impressive immediacy and sustain, with skin reverberation and shimmer on symbols accurately portrayed. I found the 247’s only missed on the deepest notes and most impactful parts, which is understandable given their modest stature. On another track, “Minuano” the drum strikes were tight and precise and castanets were very realistic sounding.

I should mention that during my listening sessions, I experimented with the included bass control / port bung plugs in the upper rear ports. With the plugs out, bass sounded fuller and somewhat deeper but was less cohesive and the pace and tightness of bass notes were compromised. Hence, for all my critical listening, I kept the plugs in, with the speakers placed about 20 inches from the back wall. In addition, I did try the aforementioned ELAC Jet Dispersion Control (JET DC), a pair of bagel shaped foam rings. Mounted around the circumference of the tweeters using the provided clips, they slightly but noticeably tamed upper treble frequencies at the expense of some airiness, shimmer and liveliness. I’m sure they could benefit those with smaller and/or overly reactive rooms but I found they took some of the magic away, so I returned them to their packaging.

Without question, the most distinctive attribute of the FS 247’s is the JET III tweeter. The JET III sounds unique in comparison to traditional fabric / aluminum dome tweeters being more akin to what I’ve come to expect from exotic beryllium designs. The tweeter presents high-frequencies with great extension but also in an extremely smooth and natural manner. The JET III has a wonderful vivacity and buoyancy that I’d further characterize as velvety and wispy. Dispersion is exceptional, allowing centre flanking seating positions to sound just as good as dead centre, while filling the room in a natural manner. I did find that there was a little less of that perfect locked-in centre focus that some speakers provide but this I’d say is a small sacrifice, given the benefits. Completing this package are the very nicely matched mid-bass drivers that provide the agility needed to homogenously blend with the superb tweeter.

Overall, these Dobermans didn’t have the harsh bark that you sometimes find in lesser designs but rather the Elac FS 247’s showed themselves with poise, like pedigrees of their breed. If I had to characterize them in one sentence, I’d say that they are detailed and nimble truth-tellers that are well behaved and mannered. They are not the last word in lower midrange body, low bass extension or high impact nor would you ever describe them as full-bodied and forgiving but if you favour accuracy, transparency and transient response, delivered with lifelike finesse then the FS 247’s should be at the top of your list for an audition.

What’s a spider cone? It’s an important question, because it’s the principal upgrade in the new Symphony Edition of the Mozart Grand speakers ($3,500US) from Austria’s Vienna Acoustics. The Mozart Grand has two 6 inch drivers, both clear X3P designs, while the upgrade replaces the lower of these with the new spider cone. According to the company’s Patrick Butler:

“The Spider Cone design dramatically increases rigidity while maintaining an optimal balance between low moving mass, rigidity and inner damping. The Spider Cone was first designed for the original Beethoven Classic in 1996 as a solution to the problem of not being able to find the right bass driver. A series of radial and axial reinforcement ribs were added to our X3P cones with the design assistance of Finite Element Analysis. The net result is a lower noise-floor, improved dynamics and lower bass extension over the older Mozart Grand model. Additionally, the crossover is optimized to take advantage of the capabilities of the Spider Cone bass driver, which resulted in greater midrange clarity. There are also some minor changes in damping used inside of the cabinet. All for a $500 price premium over the outgoing Mozart Grand.”

Let’s look at the picture (below).

Let’s take a step back. Who are Vienna Acoustics, and where does the Mozart Grand Symphony Edition fit in their offerings? I first came across their speakers at CES 2004 at the Sumiko display in the Las Vegas Convention Center. The speakers were beautifully finished but of conventional design, in contrast to the Sonus Faber speakers also represented by Sumiko. Then one year the remarkable Vienna Acoustics “Music” speaker, the first in their Klimt series, made its debut and suddenly everyone was paying attention. Strikingly modern in design with its unusual drivers on prominent display, the sound quality was equally impressive. The spider cone technology was taken to a new level in the NAVI bass drivers and has surfaced now in the Concert Grand line. Klimt speakers are beyond the budgets of most music lovers, but it is good to see such high tech solutions trickling down to the more affordable part of the product range. Spider cones and regular X3P cones are cast in Austria and then sent to SEAS to build up into drivers.

From day one, Peter Gansterer has been the mastermind behind this operation. Vienna Acoustics’s first speakers were shown in 1989, while the original design work for the Mozart speakers dates back to 1993. Today the company offers three distinct ranges of speakers: the Klimt Series, the Concert Grand Series and the Schönberg Series.

So we see a wide range of speakers. What distinguishes this company from all others is the perfection of the cabinet work, which is executed by a furniture manufacturer in nearby Italy. No cheap thin veneers here. Vienna Acoustics specifies furniture grade materials and hand finishing using special techniques, and employs seven layers of varnish. The members of the Concert Grand Series all feature carefully curved narrow baffles to minimize early refection and edge diffraction. Very strict quality control standards are imposed all the way along the line, and each speaker’s crossover is selected to create a close acoustic match to the reference speaker of each design, accommodating small differences in measured tweeter performance. Consistency – it’s what made McDonalds so successful. It may not be the world’s best hamburger but it’s always going to taste the same. Small differences between two speakers can impair the imaging so the very tight tolerances imposed here are designed to guarantee you get what you’re paying for, and ensure that reliability is going to be high.

The Mozart Grand SE stands 97.2cm tall, 34.3cm deep but a mere 21.6cm wide (with spike assembly) and sits on a black metal frame with four adjustable spikes to couple it firmly to the floor. A Scan Speak silk dome tweeter (exclusive to Vienna Acoustics) sits near the top of the thick front baffle. If you have small children or pets you’ll probably want to keep the protective grills in place, because this excellent tweeter has many fine qualities but resilience to finger pokes is not one of them. Immediately below the tweeter sits the first of the two main drivers, exclusive to Vienna Acoustics, and featuring a transparent cone made of X3P material. X3P combines thermoplastic TPX with 3 polypropylene based synthetics to achieve maximum inner damping, ultra-low mass and precise control over cone density and rigidity. Working from a single pair of high quality gold and silver alloy coated binding posts and high quality twisted pair solid copper conductors, a 2.5 way crossover feeds the full bass/midrange signal to the middle driver while the lower driver concentrates on the lower frequencies only. In the earlier version of this speaker the lower driver was identical in construction to its partner but in the Symphony Edition the lower driver is the new spider cone design. Still made from X3P but with important gains in rigidity it is able to dig deeper in the bass at reduced levels of distortion.

With its fine woodwork and slim design the Mozart Grand SE in Cherry finish looked great in my listening room. Even my wife approved, and that doesn’t happen every day. Being a dual-ported design, it is naturally quite fussy about positioning. Patrick, who delivered the speakers to me, also spent an hour or more making fine adjustments until he found the optimal spot and angle for each speaker, and your Vienna Acoustics dealer will (I hope) do the same for you if you are unwilling to take the time to experiment. Once in place the powerful bass locked in and the wide dispersion characteristics of the tweeter in particular means you do not need to constrain yourself to a narrow sweet spot. With some speakers it’s the other way around – it may matter less where you put them but once in place, there’s just a two foot range best suited for listening. Well in my house, people move around and speakers stay still so the Mozart exhibits the right imaging characteristics!

I mentioned that the bass was powerful and along with that, the image stable and spacious. Now it was time for some serious listening. I used a variety of amps and sources to partner with the speakers, but the speaker cables, like all the cables in the system were Nordost Valhalla throughout.

From a speaker called the Mozart Grand Symphony Edition I was expecting it to sound at its best in large scale material. That was not what I found. It performed well enough in the big orchestral works but I found it reached its limits of resolution in the climactic moments and didn’t display the nimbleness in the deep bass that its big brothers in the Klimt series offer. But switch to chamber music or jazz and it’s a different story. It’s quite at home with Miles Davis, a perfect match for Ray Charles and entirely convincing in the Beethoven String Quartets. It’s partly a question of squeezing a quart out of pint pot. You can do it, in terms of bass response, by leveraging the characteristics of reflex porting to enhance the output of relatively small woofers, but there’s no free lunch. The volume and bandwidth of the bass performance may meet your objectives, but the level of control and the deep bass sonority itself takes a beating, noticeable mostly in fast moving orchestral passages.

The Pavel Haas Quartet’s recording of Dvorak String Quartets [Supraphon SU40382] won a lot of accolades last year, including Gramophone’s “Chamber Recording of the Year”, and it simply leaps from the Mozart Grand full of energy and passion. The imaging is excellent, the string tone rich and warm, while the dynamics are if anything a bit over the top, although you cannot blame the speakers for that.

I’m crazy about the sound of the Beatles “Love” album [EMIDA 79810] and find it a great disc for bringing out the strengths and weaknesses of the various components passing through. In this case I noted some sibilance in the vocals on the opening track and the bird calls fall lower in the mix than with the reference YG Carmel speakers, but the imaging is solid and three dimensional. At a small fraction of the price, you wouldn’t expect the same level of detail retrieval. The voices are less than ideally distinct but the sound is dynamic, musical and low in distortion. “Blackbird” is excellent – full in tone and quick footed. Paul’s singing of “Yesterday” is slightly shut in but ideally warm and clear. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” fully resolves the guitar line but while the cello is rich it loses some volume and clarity in the deep bass.

I’ve just bought a new SACD recording of Bartok’s “Concerto for Orchestra” which is in the demonstration class on all counts [Hungariton HSACD 32187]. Some of the bite and tension in the upper strings is sacrificed here for a smooth treble presentation and the winds lack their full blown harmonics, both symptoms of a shy top end, but the midrange is very strong above a tuneful but slightly recessed bass. By contrast the superb 1957 mono recording of Coleman Hawkins “The Hawk Flies High” [Mobile Fidelity UDSACD2030] is much more comfortable ground for the Mozart Grand SE. Lots of low bass energy and a delicious rasp from the sax coupled with a slight step down in the level of the brushwork suit the recording well. The trumpet is very clear and concise with excellent colour while JJ Johnson’s trombone is deliciously well captured. There is a tremendous drive here and the rhythms dance along in a spritely fashion. Oscar Pettiford’s bass is particularly nimble although somewhat lacking in the deep fundamentals. Each instrument is presented clearly within a coherent whole. This is almost an ideal rendition and difficult to match in this price range.

Equally good is the complex track “Diamonds and Rust” from Joan Baez [Vanguard VCD3 125/7] who performed this again on her recent trip to Toronto. Reduced somewhat in level at both frequency extremes, the essence and impact of the music is well preserved and the track sounds delicious and infectiously musical. The strong imaging abilities of the Mozart Grand help sort out all the fine layers of detail here and elsewhere on this disc.

I enjoyed my time with this speaker. As long as you don’t push it out of its comfort zone by throwing Mahler’s “Symphony of a Thousand” at it, you will be rewarded with a fully fleshed out soundstage, competitive levels of resolution, a surprisingly full if not fully sorted bass, a sweet and slightly recessed treble in a beautifully put together chassis that will give credit to any living room. It’s fairly efficient and will match a wide range of amplifiers. I find it well priced and worthy of extended audition for the serious listener looking for the truth in music rather than a brilliant HiFi sound designed to impress the neighbours.

Vienna Acoustics
www.vienna-acoustics.com

Distributed in Canada by Vienna Acoustics – North America Inc.
(425) 374-4015

It was late in February when I received a much anticipated visit from Reinhard Goerner of Goerner Communication, the North American distributor for Audio Physic.  Reinhard had driven from Montreal to my home, just outside Toronto, to personally deliver the set of Audio Physic Sitara 25 loudspeakers, for this review.  A friendly conversation ensued, as Reinhard took the time to set-up the speakers in my listening room and explain the product.  Not only had Reinhard delivered a brand new set but I greatly appreciated that he’d taken the time to give them an adequate break-in.  Things were off to a good start.

Audio Physic was founded over 25 years ago and is based out of Brilon in Germany.  The name of the company caught my attention.  Audio was clear enough but what did Physic actually mean.  Well, “physic” does not carry the same meaning as “physique” nor is it pronounced the same way.  Phonetically, physic would be spelled as “fiz-ik”, and generally defined as: “a medicine” or “to relieve or cure”.  From this, I’d gather that the name, Audio Physic, implies that the company strives to offer a remedy or cure to ailments that some of us audio enthusiasts face in our quest to attain audio bliss.  The company slogan is “no loss of fine detail”, which adds to the impression that its focus is to also do no harm.

There are four Audio Physic loudspeaker lines, ranging from the least to most expensive they are: the TV line, Yara line, High End line and Reference line.  The Sitara 25 is the smallest floorstanding speaker model within the High End line, which sits just below the company’s flagship Reference line.  To commemorate Audio Physic’s recent 25th anniversary, a number of its speaker models were revised and given the “25” designation; the Sitara 25 being the most recent in the High End line to receive this update.

The Sitara 25 review set came finished in a special Macassar ebony veneer ($5,490) but is also offered in a number of standard real-wood veneers ($4,990), including oak, cherry, walnut and black ash.  The optional veneers include the aforementioned ebony as well as high gloss black or white, each at a $500 premium over the standard finish.  I personally found the ebony veneer in a satin finish absolutely stunning.  Not only was it aesthetically striking but the veneer quality, application and finish was impeccable, up there with the best.  Even my wife offered her unsolicited nod of approval on first sight.  As Audio Physic believes in phase time alignment of drivers, the Sitara 25 has a 7-degree rear-ward lean from top to bottom, giving it an assertive parallelogram side profile.  With a flat face and top combined with curved sides and stylish out-rigger feet, the Sitara 25 conveyed personality, without speaking a word.  The drivers, in black, are unpretentious yet elegant and didn’t require the provided push-on covers to keep them looking smart, I kept them off for the duration of the review.  This brought me to the rear, where I found a single 2.5” flared bass port, set mid-back.  Below the bass port, an aluminum terminal plate houses a single set of gold-plated WBT five-way binding posts.  With a single set of terminals, the Sitara 25 can’t be bi-amped nor are there jumpers to upgrade.  However, you can be assured that the path to the crossover will always be according to Audio Physic design.

The Sitara 25 is a compact 2.5 way floorstanding speaker that utilizes a three driver (tweeter, midrange and mid-woofer) arrangement, within a rear ported bass-reflex cabinet.  With modest dimensions of 38.6” (H) x 5.8” (W) x 8.7” (D) and a weight of 37.4 pounds, the Sitara 25 is primed for use in small to mid-sized rooms, from 160 – 270 feet squared.  The speaker has a minimum impendence of 4 ohms, sensitivity of 89 dB, and frequency response of 36 Hz – 40 kHz, with a recommended power handling of 20 – 120 watts.  What I was impressed to discover was that the various models in the High-End line (including the demure Sitara 25) take advantage of the same advanced drivers that are used in the substantially more expensive Reference line, namely the Hyper-Holographic Cone Tweeter II (HHCT II) and the Hyper-Holographic Cone Midrange (HHCM).

The HHCT II, is a 1.75” cone tweeter.  Cone tweeters were commonly used in the past but have been abandoned, for the most part, in all but the cheapest speakers.  However, Audio Physic claims that the dome tweeter used in many speakers today is more vulnerable to ringing distortion that results in adverse colouration of the high frequencies.  With the advent of stiff and light weight materials, Audio Physic found that cone tweeters (their HHCT II uses a ceramic coated aluminum diaphragm), could supersede dome tweeter designs in the areas of low distortion and holographic portrayal of high frequencies.  In the Sitara 25, this novel cone tweeter is complemented by two HHCM 5.9” drivers that perform the midrange and mid-woofer duties.  The HHCM utilizes a unique basket construction that combines a die-cast aluminum outer basket with a plastic inner basket.  The aluminum provides mechanical and thermal stability, while the plastic offers maximum dampening.  Like with the cone tweeter, a ceramic coated aluminum diaphragm is used and surrounded by a U-shaped elastic ring that is fitted around the cone rim, to tighten the diaphragm and prevent resonances.  All this attention to construction and design, according to Audio Physic’s website, “have only one goal in mind: to achieve a perfect marriage of ultimate resolution performance and absolute freedom from coloration.”  Resulting in, as the names of the drivers suggest, a holographic quality to the music produced.

Enough said on aesthetics and technical promise, let me now share my perceptions of their sonic virtues.  For the duration of my listening, the Sitara 25’s were powered by my resident Bryston BP6 / 4B-SST2 combo, paired to my Rega Apollo CDP.  The speakers were positioned to form a triangle with my listening seat and toed in substantially, with the focal point being just in front of my seated position, as per the recommendations in the Audio Physic manual.  I kept the speakers just over 1.5 feet from the rear wall and more than 3 feet from the side walls.  I made sure that the Sitara 25’s were properly levelled, thanks to the clever and handy keyring bubble-level accessory provided with the speakers.

I put on Melody Gardot’s Worrisome Heart album and selected the third track, “Gone”.  I was fed a banquet of detail on this track, with every intonation in Melody’s voice apparent – her breath and the smack of her lips over the mic evident in an unpretentious manner.  The plucking of the guitar strings came across with detail and speed, the tension in the strings easily perceived but there was also the harmonic completeness that you would hear in a live situation, rather than thinness that some so-called detailed speakers might offer.  The violin brought its characteristic timbre, including natural warmth, as you would expect from a wood-bodied instrument.  Moving to track four, “Sweet Memory”, the brushes on the drums sat fairly deep in the soundstage, while remaining clear and firmly planted.  The layering of the soundstage with the violin, guitar and voice all presented at different depths, was very convincing.  Reverberation within the recording venue was evident, giving a clear sense of space.

Next up was the Chris Botti – In Boston, live album.  Hitting play, “Ave Maria”, shocked me with the utter realism of the applause.  It wasn’t only the detail of the claps and their various placements across a broad soundstage but more so the way the claps sounded.  They didn’t sound clicky and anodyne as I’ve sometimes heard but rather had a humanness and realistic impression.  The trumpet’s sound with its upper midrange resonance was both beautiful and mesmerizing.  The soundstage was vast and surprising given the small size of the Sitara 25.  I was also impressed by the fact that when I stood up, the soundstage remained solidly in place, as if I was standing in the audience before the performers…though I didn’t get anyone yelling at me to sit down.  Moving to track three, “Seven Days”, I got to hear a voice that I know so very well – Sting.  Again, the opening applause surrounded me, with individual hand claps easily perceptible and positioned in a broad aural panorama.  Sting’s voice was clear, well defined and accurate.  The soundstage was expansive, with instruments taking various places within and well separated.  Percussion was tight and snappy with good depth.  The maracas had their raspy and distinctive graininess but also depicted a sense of the seeds moving within.

Moving to the Pat Metheny Group’s Still Life (talking) album, I again received a spacious soundstage, with breadth reaching well beyond the outer edges of the speakers.  The second track, “So May It Secretly Begin” was enthralling with the opening cymbals reaching significantly forward of the front plane of the speakers, almost within arms reach.  I really like it when a speaker can provide forwardness when it’s called for and this is what the Sitara 25’s were capable of.  The sound of a guiro being played, with its woody tone was fun and convincing.  The piano sat deep right and had a realistic pitch and fullness, while Pat’s electric guitar sat higher, wide and towards the rear of the soundstage.  This can be a busy sounding track but here it was portrayed with an undeniable ease, having a lovely tonal balance and density – the Sitara 25’s could clearly maintain their composure.

I also tried the O-Zone Percussion Group’s album, La Bamba.  This is an exceptionally well recorded and mastered CD and a top reference for transient response, timing, dynamics, detail, soundstage and tonal balance.  I went straight to track ten, “Jazz Variants”.  Once again, I was presented with an immense and delineated soundstage, with instruments delivered in a holographic manner.  There was a harmony and coherence across the spectrum.  Dynamics – yes, and wow.  The overall punch and impact was well beyond their size and bordering on the explosive in nature.  Detail, detail and more detail; however, delivered in a non-spot-lit manner that you had to actually listen for, as it came so integrated within the whole.  I can only postulate that this was thanks to the exceptionally low distortion in the high frequencies and effective integration between the drivers.

The Audio Physic Sitara 25 is a remarkable speaker that brings with it an almost mystical and lucid portrayal of recorded music.  It is worthy of the company’s slogan “no loss of fine detail” and brings this detail with veracity and remarkable musical ease, while never sounding etched.  You find yourself almost immediately convinced, by this ease of delivery that you’re listening to something in the flesh.  Imaging is holographic, within generous soundstages.  The Sitara 25 provides a tonal density, complexity and natural warmth, akin to finely balanced red wine as opposed to a heavy red, rose or white wine.  This speaker also has speed and dynamics that add to the excitement and engagement, when a recording so provides.  Are there any negatives or restrictions? Sure, there always are.  If you want to shake the walls or dig into subterranean depths, the Sitara 25 is not the usual suspect and it won’t fill a large room amply.  It also won’t please those who actually prefer a light, simple and detail etched presentation – there are those that prefer white wine.  Nor, will it satisfy those seeking a very warm, weighty and robust flavour.  All this said, the Audio Physic Sitara 25 is worthy of tasting but be sure to drink sensibly, lest you become intoxicated.

Sidebar – Upgraded Feet Option

While reviewing the Sitara 25 I exclusively used Audio Physic’s optional sound optimizing Vibration Control Feet (VCF) II M8 which were installed by the distributor.  They retail for $220.00 for a set of 4, hence 2 sets are required for a speaker pair.  Post-writing, I had only a brief chance to compare the VCF to the standard included spikes.  Installing the spikes resulted in the high frequencies and upper-mid losing some ease and taking on a more chiselled character, while bass frequencies acquired additional tautness.  Which was superior?  The jury is still out but cost aside, my lean would be towards the VCF feet.

Audio Physic
www.audiophysic.de

Distributed in Canada by
Goerner Communication
514-833-1977
info@goernercommunication.com
www.goernercommunication.com

Audio Physic Sitara 25
Loudspeaker
Price: $4,990 CAD (Oak, Cherry, Walnut, Black Ash finish), $5,490 CAD (Macassar Ebony, High Gloss White or Black finish)

Rectangular floorstanding speakers don’t leave much room for innovative style. German manufacturer ASW has done a good job here by offering a huge range of 16 fine finishes, gently convex sides and top and a very clean front baffle design. My review pair came in a rich cherry finish which exactly matched my wall unit. It looked great in my living room.  ASW provides two sets of feet – both spikes and flat feet – which are barely visible from the front or sides. It goes without saying that the fit and finish are excellent.

ASW (for Accurate Sound Wave) was founded in Vreden in 1987 and is distributed here in Canada by Tri-cell Enterprises. The 310 loudspeaker ($3,200 – $3,650, depending on finish) is part of the Genius series, which starts with the 110 bookshelf and is topped by two larger floorstanders, the three driver 410 and five driver 510. The Genius series is completed by the AS 10 subwoofer and 210 centre speaker. The Genius series sits above the Opus and Cantius series but below the Referenz series. In addition to loudspeakers, ASW will also be happy to sell you its Ambitus equipment racks.

The Genius 310 replaces the earlier Genius 300. I can’t tell you how the sound compares but the looks have taken a giant step forward. On the earlier model, straight angles, too much metal showing and a rather awkward pedestal may have spoken wonders for efficiency but would have won no prizes. The new speaker is shorter, narrower and deeper, and scales in at 17.5kg, down from 22kg. The low frequency extension and efficiency rating are both slightly down but I found the 310s to comfortably exceed their paper specifications on both counts. The 310, like many other ASW models, uses a D’appolito array, which means the tweeter is set directly between two identical bass/midrange drivers, located above and below. This configuration is said to reduce interference between the woofers and the tweeter and permit a very smooth phase response. It also goes a long way to emulate the ideal point source, although not quite as far as speakers with concentric drivers. That should help with the imaging characteristics of the speaker. Having two woofer/midrange drivers also reduces the strain on each one so you may expect higher maximum volume than from the more common 2 driver setup. The dome tweeter which features a ceramic coating is protected by two metal hoops against inquisitive children and tall dogs. Two sets of high quality speaker connectors are provided for biwiring or you can use single wires with the supplied jumper cables. I used Nordost Valhalla biwire cable with banana terminations for my tests.

With a sensitivity of 90 dB this is a very efficient speaker so it should be easy to drive, right? Not necessarily. It is also a low impedance speaker so you need to be sure your amplifier is comfortable with a 4 ohm load. I tried a couple of amps. The big ModWright KWA 150SE, a silicon based powerhouse, can handle just about any speaker on the planet with ease, and was very happy here. The second amp was a tube amp, with separate outputs for 4 ohm and 8 ohm speakers. The 4 ohm tap proved an excellent match for the 310 as expected but with the 8 ohm tap the amp was not able to drive the 310 so successfully.  This is no criticism of the 310 but par for the course for many tube based amps, and that’s why they offer multiple taps. Most transistor amps will take the 4 ohm load in their stride, but not all. You should try before you buy. This speaker doesn’t need a lot of power, just give it a few high quality watts and it will be happy.

The 310 is a rear ported speaker so you should leave space between it and the back wall. I found it worked best angled slightly in towards the listener. Like most speakers it benefits from 50 hours or so of break in but I found the sound immediately impressive. It is a speaker that shows no sign of strain, no noticeable distortion at normal listening levels and it throws an impressively wide and deep image. There is no lack of instrumental colour and with its two small woofers, it seems to be able to start and stop on a penny. Or it would if Canada hadn’t just stopped minting pennies. It was unfussy about the type of material I called on it to deliver, and it was room friendly. By this I mean I could walk around the room and the image suffered no sudden falloff. It is not particularly sensitive to being placed in exactly the right spot as some larger speakers often are, which makes it easy to get optimum sound.

Now let’s dive into the listening tests. I found the Genius 310 consistently enjoyable and musical. I enjoyed its excellent and stable imaging and the rich colour of the various voices and instruments on my test recordings. I cannot fault it in fact, since its imperfections do not lie in the area of doing things wrong (smearing, collapsing the image, distorting, honking, clipping). One can only say that it doesn’t reveal all there is to hear on the recordings. It has obeyed the Hippocratic Oath – “First, do not harm”.

Was there any area of weakness? If I had to be critical I’d say it doesn’t have the dynamic wallop of some more expensive speakers and it doesn’t represent the last word in resolution. Presentation in terms of observed frequency response in my room was distinctly different to two other pairs of speakers I had to hand, both more expensive than the Genius 310. The reference YG Carmel ($18,000) and the new Totem Ember ($4,200) sounded more similar to each other in this respect than to the ASW. The ASW seemed to have a more prominent midbass and midrange with a lighter deep bass and less treble openness. These characteristics are most obvious in the percussion. Brushes on cymbals were drier here, and the deep thwack of the bass drum, while pitch accurate, was less prominent in its impact. In practice the overall shape of the response curve is far less important than its smoothness – the absence of big dips and peaks, and there is no problem in this regard.

Afrocubism [Nonesuch 2-525993] is getting plenty of rotation in the Gold residence these days, at least, when I haven’t left it in the car. If you haven’t treated yourself to this superb CD yet, what are you waiting for? Track 14 is a wonderful deconstructed version of “Guantanamera”, and it’s a perfect test track for acoustic instruments – Bassekou Kouyate on ngoni, Eliades Ochoa on guitar and Toumani Diabaté on kora. The 310 creates a very wide soundstage and a very open acoustic sound, full of rich colour. You will certainly feel the magic with these speakers.

If a speaker can’t excite you on the best produced Beatles album Love then it’s game over [Capitol 0946 3 79810 2 3]. This one most certainly does.  “Because” opens the album with just the voice track and some passing birds and bees. The reference YG Carmel speakers do a better job of revealing the individual voices, which come across here as tight harmonies rather than a collection of individuals, but that doesn’t detract in the least from the fun. The imaging is great and the vocal tone is extremely realistic – you really feel the boys are in the room with you. “Bluebird/Yesterday”  brings fine guitar sound and a very clear presentation of Paul’s voice and the accompanying strings. The Carmel dispenses with the very slightly nasal tone with which the 310 colours the vocal line, and puts more texture onto the strings with improved dynamics all around (the difference between loud and soft), but remember the Carmel is about 5 times the price. “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” is gorgeous with its slightly fat middle bass supporting the whole structure and the gentler dynamics emphasizing the sheer beauty of George’s masterpiece.

What about something a bit more raucous? In my day you were either a Stones fan or a Beatles fan – you couldn’t be both – certainly not in public. Beatles were pop and the Stones were rock. Such generalities are seen now to be simplistic. The Stones had their lyrical moments – think “Lady Jane”, “As Tears Go By” while The Beatles brought us “Helter Skelter” and “Back in the USSR”. Today we recognize a golden age and we can love them both without embarrassment. One of my favourite albums is Let It Bleed, which along with a bunch of other Stones albums, I bought on SACD [ABKCO 90042]. “Love in Vain” is a good example of a surprisingly tender offering from Mick and the lads. Jagger’s voice comes across in all its raw glory. The band sounds easy on the ears, offering a warmer, deeper balance than my reference speakers. “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” combines the London Bach Choir, Madelaine Bell, Doris Troy and Nanette Newman with the regular band plus the great Al Kooper on piano, french horn and organ. It’s a blast here, with great attack and everything holding together exceptionally well in a complex production. I prefer the choir here to the reference speakers, which more readily reveal some poor miking and mixing decisions.

For top notch female vocals look no further than Jennifer Warnes  – The Well [CISCO SCD 2034]. On the title track her voice is deeper and softer through the ASW, and the cymbals are lower in level with lower harmonics. But the bass guitar is excellent and the image holds up well. “Too Late Love Comes” doesn’t match the impact that the Carmel’s bring, the perspective being a bit set back and the accompaniment warmer than through the reference. It’s a different perspective but still striking and moving in a way that escapes many transducers.
On a massive orchestral work like Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony [Naxos 8.572461] the frequency balance is immediately noticeable – the treble being somewhat set back and the midrange and midbass more forward than my reference speakers. Cellos gain weight and wind instruments sound superb. The atmosphere is suitably chilly but the threat coming from the deep bass is somewhat reduced. Particularly impressive is the way these slim speakers fill the room with a deep and wide image which does a lot to transport you to the concert hall. Even though dynamics are not this speaker’s forte, it holds up well at the climax even at high listening levels, so I have to give it a high score on this difficult and complex material.

This speaker is certainly highly competitive. The most common failing in contenders in this price bracket is not where you might look first. It’s not the midrange, where the huge bulk of all sound comes from. There are many excellent midrange drivers around, and designers have learned how to build cabinets around them to allow these drivers to strut their stuff. Speakers show a lot more variability in the bass but the key area is the tweeter and its integration with the other drivers. That’s where you get many peaky responses that can sound fatiguing, or phase incoherency that can give a speaker an unnatural feel and reduce the chances of producing a strong coherent three dimensional image. Even though hardly any instrument will create its fundamental tone within the tweeter’s bandwidth, the harmonics from many instruments do reach the tweeter’s operating area, and it is in the accuracy of reproduction of these harmonics that the true colour of voices and instruments really lie. Transient response must also be fast enough to keep up with the music or it becomes lifeless, and it must be similar across all frequencies. It can cost a lot of money in crossover components alone, never mind money spent on the tweeter, to get a good result here. While the high frequencies are not as open or as high in resolution as from the reference Carmel, the top end here is very well behaved overall, leading to high marks in so many areas of sound as noted in the listening test. This is a speaker you can listen to for long periods without fatigue, and that’s always a good sign.

So here you have a very accomplished speaker offering fine sound at a reasonable price in a superbly finished and attractive chassis. It’s a refined component that serves a wide range of musical tastes and placing few demands on your listening room or your amplifier. Thumbs up from me.

ASW Loudspeaker
www.asw-loudspeaker.com

Distributed in Canada by Tri-Cell Enterprises, www.tri-cell.ca
1-800-263-8151

ASW Genius 310 Loudspeaker
Price: $3,200 CAD (standard finish), $3,650 CAD (premium finish)

Monitor Audio is a British company that was founded in 1972 and quickly established itself as a credible manufacturer in the audio community.  The company’s profile has evolved over the decades to include speakers within different budgets, all the while keeping consistent with both design philosophy and build quality.  Monitor Audio is perhaps one of the most recognized manufacturers using metal dome drivers, a material that the company continues to refine, which results in a sound distinctive from paper or plastic cones.  The Monitor Audio MR Series represents the company’s most affordable range of full-sized speakers and is designed for those who would like to get a better quality, better sounding product than speakers from a big box store at a comparable price point.  The series consists of five speaker models: MR6 ($799/pair), MR4 ($599/pair), MR2 ($399/pair), MR1 ($299/pair) and MR Centre ($259 each).  The accompanying MRW10 subwoofer goes for $499.  My review set included the MR4 (x2), MR1 (x2), MR Centre and MRW10 subwoofer, for a total system price of $1656.  As with many speaker products today, the MR Series is designed in the home country and manufactured in China to be competitively priced.  The MR Series uses trickle-down technology from the company’s high end speakers and promises to stay true to Monitor Audio’s sound.  Let’s take a closer look at each of the models used in this review.

The MR4 is a non-obtrusive 2.5-way floor-standing loudspeaker which stands about 34 inches tall, and has a depth of just above 10 inches.  Its non-dominating appearance is a perfect fit in smaller spaces.  I first placed these speakers in a 12 by 14 foot room and they could not have looked better.  The polished look of the black oak vinyl suits a variety of décor and is easy to clean.  This floorstanding speaker’s tweeter lined up just below my ear level when seated and the midbass/bass drivers were aimed at me, as if they were about to unleash a sound unheard of in this small space.  The technology highlights of the MR4 consist of the C-CAM tweeter and the MMP II driver cone.  The 1 inch gold dome C-CAM (Ceramic-Coated Aluminium/Magnesium) tweeter is both rigid and light enough to be used for a tweeter.  It has a much higher resistance to flexing and twisting during operation compared to a conventional cone.  Monitor Audio claims the tweeter’s high frequency extension can deliver detail all the way up to 30 kHz.  The C-CAM tweeter is housed in its own chamber to eliminate unwanted resonances.  The result is improved stereo imaging during playback.  The two 6.5 inch MMP II (Metal Matrix Polymer) cones in each MR4 speaker also follow Monitor Audio’s metal driver design.  This driver’s stiffness is created by applying a high pressure injection process, infusing the polypropylene base with metallic particles.  The drivers are affixed in their own chambers and are optimised for each MR loudspeaker.  One is a mid-range driver and the other is used for bass.  Both are said to improve past designs by offering better off-axis response, life-like timber and better reproduction of the critical frequency range for voices.  The speaker is front and rear-ported and comes with removable port bungs (foam plugs) which can be used to fine-tune the sound during speaker placement.  A removable grill is included with each speaker.  The dual speaker posts accept spades, banana plugs, and bare wire; and allow for bi-wiring and bi-amping – I did all of my listening in a bi-wire configuration.  The speakers include a set of four spikes which should be used to decrease the colouration of the sound created by the floor.

The MR Centre includes the same technology found in the MR4 which of course makes it a perfect match for the tower speakers.  It uses a 1 inch C-CAM tweeter and two 5.5 inch MMP II bass/midrange cones.  The enclosure is sealed which helps with bass tightness rather than depth – the MR Centre is said to play down to 60 Hz.  Bass tightness is important for a centre channel to ensure that voices don’t sound thick and heavy.  The MR Centre can be used in either a horizontally or vertically configuration.  If I had the choice I would place this speaker vertically, strictly for improved dispersion characteristics but this may be difficult to accomplish in most living rooms.  The speaker includes the same high quality posts as the MR4, just without the bi-wire option.  The grill is also removable.

The MR1 bookshelf speaker is attractive in appearance and size.  It has a solid feel because of its rigid cabinet bracing and it looks just as good, with the grills on or off, as its larger siblings.  If you can, I recommend keeping the grills off for both appearance and improved sound quality.  The MR1 uses the same 1 inch C-CAM tweeter and 5.5 inch MMP II driver as the MR Centre.  The same high quality binding posts ensure a strong grip on spades or bare wire.  The MR1 is designed to be placed on a stand or a shelf – or to be mounted on the wall with a Monitor Audio wall mount.

The MRW10 subwoofer is equipped with a 10 inch MMP II driver and a 100 watt class-D power amplifier, which gives it its punch.  The subwoofer is surprisingly small for the big sound it delivers, outputting frequencies cleanly down to about 30 Hz.  Monitor Audio has not cut corners with options on this sub.  The amplifier has three power switch modes: On, Auto and Off.  With the switch ‘On’, the subwoofer never turns off so it’ll always be ready for bass, even if there is no LFE information for extended periods of time.  The ‘Auto’ mode is intended for power saving so it takes a signal to turn the subwoofer on.  When there is no signal for 10 to 15 minutes, the subwoofer switches to a standby mode until a signal is received again.  The ‘Off’ mode is exactly what it sounds like – off.  The MR4 speakers aren’t considered to be ‘large’ full range speakers, so leaving the subwoofer in ‘Auto’ makes most sense because bass management will direct low frequencies to the sub consistently.  A switch is used to control phase at 0 or 180 degrees rather a variable control, and most installs will require it at 0 degrees.  A crossover bypass switch is an advantage on this sub, since most installs will have the MRW10 working in conjunction with the AV receiver’s subwoofer crossover control for advanced bass management.

The owner’s manual goes into good detail about loudspeaker placement for stereo, 5.1 and 7.1 surround systems, including tips about placement along the listening arc and toe-in.  I followed the guidelines in my personal set-up which placed the MR4s each at approximately 30 degrees off centre with an 8 foot spread, and the MR1s between 135 to 150 degrees off centre.  Monitor Audio recommends placement of each speaker at least 10 inches from the wall on all sides.  Any speaker should really follow this rule or expect the sound and soundstage to become cloudy and less coherent.  If this isn’t possible, the port bungs may be needed to fine-tune the sound.  The centre channel should be placed as close to the listener’s head as possible, but if not possible, ensure the speaker is angled up or down toward the listener’s ears, otherwise you will experience serious dialogue intelligibility problems.  Subwoofer placement will need to be determined in your own room using a variety of techniques (which can be found in various articles on www.canadahifi.com) and you are encouraged to explore the best options for seamless integration.

I tested these speakers on three different systems – one 2-channel system and two home theatre setups.  I’m a strong believer that in order for speakers to perform their best, they need to be fed with appropriate high quality amplification, ensuring that the front-end never fails to deliver clean power to the speakers.  This being said, just because the price of these speakers is considered to be in the “affordable” range, don’t assume that mating them with a cheap AV receiver will simply do the trick.  While the speakers will certainly produce sound, they won’t deliver the best sound they’re capable of.  These speakers will easily differentiate between an entry-level AV receiver and a higher-end preamp/amp combo, although of course the MR Series will reach their limit somewhere in between.

For stereo listening I connected the speakers to my Ayre K-1xe preamp, a pair of Theta Enterprise monoblocks, the D-1xe CD player and the Clearaudio Solution turntable (outfitted with a Benz-Micro Glider S cartridge.  In a surround setting, I chose to run the speakers with both high-end and entry-level electronics: the high-end setup consisted of the Integra DTC-9.8 surround preamp with five Theta Enterprise monoblocks, and the entry-level setup used a Denon AVR-1706 receiver.  All of my impressions of sound below are based on having the speakers connected to these different pieces of electronics.  The entry-level receiver did show restraint in dynamics, bass, and treble clarity through these speakers which was completely expected.

I first listened to the small MR1 bookshelf speakers as a stereo pair.  The mid range, where most vocals take place, is this speaker’s strongest area.  Bjork’s voice on her “Debut” album sounded realistic and the MR1 delivered the dynamic clarity within the recordings.  In Tori Amos’ ‘Past the Mission’ on the “Under the Pink” album, her vocal clarity was convincingly good – in fact much better than I would expect from a speaker at this price point.  Male vocals on the other hand, depended on the recording.  Trent Reznor’s backing vocals on the same track sounded throaty unless I installed the port bungs, which in effect made him more difficult to hear.  Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” (45rpm vinyl) has Thom Yorke’s voice forward in the mix as well.  Without the port bungs, the speakers had a bit more low-end extension but exhibited heaviness with male voices.  With the port bungs installed the effect was reduced with a slight perception that the bass didn’t extend as low.    Vocals in Pink Floyd’s “Wish You Were Here” album are recorded further back in the mix and David Gilmour sounded fine amongst his guitar strums, bungs installed or not.  You’ll need to test out your favourite recordings with the bung options.  Across different recordings, the speaker’s limited bass response and splashy top end reduced the soundstage clarity.  The MR1s compact size and capabilities makes them best suited as surround speakers rather than main speakers.

The MR4 is a different story.  Immediately I noticed a greatly wider and immersive soundstage on all recordings as well as a much tighter and focused centre image.  The music seemed to move around more, feel more fluid and had room to breathe – no doubt due to the larger cabinet size.  Bass extension was deeper and greater in amplitude.  I still couldn’t quite tap my foot along with the kick drum, but it was there this time among the other instruments.  The midrange sounded near-identical in tone to the MR1 but with greater precision and spaciousness.  The sounds of cymbals now had a step up in clarity, albeit sounded a little on the brassy side.  Like the MR1, the MR4 still had some difficulties reproducing complex passages in music when there are many tracks layered in the mix at once.  I found the MR4 to sound best in my room with a port bung inserted in the rear port of the speaker (associated with the top driver).  This gave the impression of greater bass extension without sacrificing midrange clarity.  The sound of both speakers was greatly improved when used with the grills off.

Of course the main purpose of this review was to evaluate the MR Series in a 5.1 surround configuration and this is what I proceeded to next.  I listened to music and watched movies with the speakers connected to both my separate components (calibrated with Audyssey Pro) and the entry-level AV receiver (set with a sound level meter).  To squeeze the best performance out of any speaker system, you’ll want to make sure that everything is setup correctly.  Listening to the Blu-ray of “David Gilmour: Live at Royal Albert Hall” still brings a flood of emotions when I hear the music.  The MR4 speakers had no difficulties turning my room into a concert hall and delivered the appropriate reverberation and liveliness of the great musicians on stage.  The loud rock of “Marilyn Manson: Guns, God, and Government Live in L.A.” pumped out full-on aggression and sounded very dynamic.  The MRW10 subwoofer blended very well with the mains and did not disappoint.  Where the MR4 and MR1 rolled off, the MRW10 took over seamlessly.  The subwoofer, seemingly endless in output in moderately sized rooms, seemed to transform the MR4 into an entirely different speaker.  The two blended together as if they were one, and the sound punctuated dramatic effects on Blu-ray titles such as “Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows” and “War Horse”.   The MR system was capable of good dynamics, maybe just a bit stiff sounding during the most intense scenes, but created satisfying sound as a whole.  For those who prefer dialogue driven films, “Inglorious Bastards” and “Bridges of Madison County” (DVD) relied heavily on the MR Centre to do the work.  Being a centre speaker is a tough job because good placement is often restrictive.  The MR Centre did not like to be placed close to the floor.  Doing so reduced dialogue intelligibility considerably.  I often missed lines of dialogue because of how the speaker was reacting with the floor when placed horizontally on the lower shelf below the TV.  Raising the speaker up higher to the listening position improved dialogue as did placing the speaker vertically below the TV, angled up at the listening position.  The centre speaker has similar sound characteristics as the MR1 but also appeared to have a slightly greater sensitivity to placement.  Again, experimentation will be needed in your room to get the best possible centre channel sound.

The Monitor Audio MR Series offers a great step forward for those looking for an immersive sound experience from a non-dominating speaker system at a very reasonable price point.  I can honestly say that this system would beat most speakers that you’d find in a big box store, even those sold at significantly higher price points.  These speakers are particularly well suited for movie and surround music discs, and come with a subwoofer that’s tight without much overhang or distortion.  The speakers’ stiff cabinet feel and weight is bound to get nods from the men.  Ladies will certainly appreciate the silver and gold drivers – they are like jewels in a nice compact cabinet.  When good appearances and sound come together in an affordable package – everyone wins!

Monitor Audio
www.monitoraudio.ca

Distributed in Canada by Kevro International, www.kevro.com
(800) 667-6065 / (905) 428-2800

Monitor Audio MR Series
Price (CAD):
MR6 ($799/pair)
MR4 ($599/pair)
MR2 ($399/pair)
MR1 ($299/pair)
MR Centre ($259 each)
MRW10 subwoofer ($499 each)
5.1 System as tested: $1,656

I have already reported on the phenomenal Totem Fire bookshelf speaker ($5,995) in the pages of CANADA HiFi. When I reviewed it last year it sat as the smallest offering in the Element range which extends to the Earth floorstander ($8,995) and the bigger Metal floorstander ($12,995). I liked the Fire so much that I jumped at the chance to review the latest offering in the Element series, the even smaller Ember ($4,200). I didn’t know what fun I was in for.

I expected a punchy little speaker, projecting a smaller image and offering reduced definition, frequency range and dynamics, but still a contender against speakers of its own size. How small is it? Just 18.7cm wide, 24.8cm deep and 35.8cm high. That makes the Ember a full 40 percent smaller than the already compact Fire. Totem’s first speaker, the Model 1, now in its Signature Edition is 40 percent smaller again, so you may assume designer Vince Bruzzese knows a thing or two about getting the best out of small speakers. You’d be absolutely right to do so, and I think he has consistently demonstrated he is second to none in this art.

What I found simply knocked my socks off. This was no scaled down Fire. This is a superb instrument in its own right. Play it in a dark room and I don’t think you could tell the difference. It sounds like a big speaker, projecting a huge image across the room. The bass extends down to 43 Hz on paper, compared to 40 Hz for the Fire. While I’m sure it can’t go quite as loud as the Fire, it retains all of the Fire’s explosive dynamics, which is part of what makes it sound like a much bigger speaker.

Mr. Bruzzese must be using some secret sauce in both of these miniature marvels. What’s the story? If you want to know the full story of what makes the Fire tick, you’d better read my earlier review from the August/September 2011 issue, now available on www.canadahifi.com or on your tablet. I’ll sum it up by saying Totem makes its own drivers incorporating its own unique magnetic topology in the 7 inch Torrent woofer.  This woofer operates with a direct connection to the amplifier rather than through the traditional crossover with its accompanying losses and distortions. The unburstable dome tweeter is designed with exceptional airflow and cooling fins to allow it to dispense with the more common ferrofluid cooling. Extremely high quality components are used throughout, including four WBT platinum coated binding posts. The box tapers towards the top and the back leaving no parallel sides in an effort to avoid interior standing waves without needing to use stuffing material. The cabinet material uses a graded mix of different densities of fibreboard to control and spread the resonant frequencies. A four layer high gloss finish (black or white), magnetically attached grills and extensive use of aluminum complete the picture. Totem offers a five year parts and labour warranty on the speakers and is keen to point out that it still has the parts for any speaker the company has ever made.

The Ember represents an effort to bring the Fire’s sound quality and looks down to a lower price point, $1795 lower in fact. In the smaller cabinet it is of course easier to control vibrations, so there are certainly some savings in the cabinetry. For this application Vince Bruzzese developed a new hand assembled 6 inch Torrent driver. This woofer does not have the multi-segmented structure of the 7 inch driver in the Fire, because it doesn’t need it to develop the 9500 Gauss magnetic field required in the smaller driver. So the geometry has been altered. It uses instead a ring magnet with three different types of material to stretch the magnetic field considerably. The square cross section wire is retained with a stainless vanadium alloy former. The 6 inch cone does not need rear damping and the extended upper frequency response (4500 Hertz) of this slightly smaller driver allows Totem to specify a smaller tweeter. The 6 inch Torrent woofer takes 4.5 hours to build, down from 7.5 hours for the 7 inch woofer in the Fire. The 3/4 inch tweeter is a silk dome design with an aluminum faceplate shared with the Fire but the tweeter itself is a different design better suited to the characteristics of the smaller cabinet and woofer of the Ember. It does not have the protective wire mesh of its bigger brother so if you have kids or pets it may be better to keep the magnetic grills in place.

So much for the visuals. The chief magic is on the inside. Following the lead of another highly respected Canadian speaker manufacturer, Reference 3A, designer Vince Bruzzese has developed a crossover-less speaker. Strictly speaking that doesn’t mean there’s no crossover inside. Rather, the amplifier makes direct connection with the midrange/woofer, with no intervening capacitors, inductors or resistors. There is still a simple crossover including two very exotic capacitors to mate the tweeter level and response curve to the main driver’s characteristics. This woofer maintains a significant output level up to around 5kHz before smoothly rolling off, but its output is smooth and distortion free in this range, unlike conventional woofers.

I put in a lot of listening time with the Ember. It needs a good 50 hours to sound its best, but it is very happy with just about any high quality amplifier. At 88dB efficiency and an 8ohm load you don’t need a powerhouse. Totem suggests a range of 30 to 175 watts. The 150 watt Modwright KWA 150 SE solid state amp and the 90 watt Copland CTA506 tube amp were both excellent partners, and extracted similar levels of performance from the Ember. On the Copland you do need to select the 8 ohm tap to get the best out of the Ember or you’ll get something rather reduced in dynamics.

Where I thought I might trip up the Ember was full scale symphonic material or some heavy rock. But I failed to ruffle the Totem on either trap. It was simply outstanding in Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony, which gets as dramatic and complex as you’ll find. I could hear all the detail with impressive weight and outstanding imaging. My reference YG speakers have a greater sense of ease in this repertoire and dig a little deeper, but the differences are surprisingly small. You are supposed to turn up the volume when you play the Stones. “Love in Vain” sounded great with a strong attack from the steel guitar and an image precisely located in a wide stage. I could hear every instrument individually without losing track of the performance as a whole. While the Carmel is faster and more dynamic still, notice that I’m comparing this $4,200 speaker to an $18,000 speaker, because it’s really that good.

When it comes to smaller scale music the Ember is absolutely in its element (pardon the pun). Jennifer Warnes is at her very best in “Too Late Love Comes”. You get the full impact of her rich voice, along with the steadily growing instrumental accompaniment, all infused with natural colour and strong detail. The presentation is forward, but not aggressive. What makes it so successful is the low level of distortion, the pinpoint imaging, the fast reflexes and more than anything, the absence of the usual compression of dynamics which most speakers suffer from. Once you’ve heard this level of aliveness, it’s hard to go back. Music sounds like music, not like a recording anymore. Totem does not have a monopoly in this, but it is something I’ll give up deep bass extension, ultimate resolution or maximum sound pressure for any day.

The Element series is a statement product line from Totem. As such it will not sell in the same volume as the other less expensive models on offer. I imagine many people will feel $4,200 is a lot to pay for small bookshelf speakers and may not pay much attention to the Ember. That will be their loss. I’d suggest you forget about the dollars per cubic inch calculation and simply compare the sound of this pair of $4,200 speakers with anything else you can get for this much money. I think they stand up really well in this context.

In my review of the Fire I wrote “Nothing this small has sounded this good to me.” I can repeat that now for the Ember! If you are looking for something really small (even smaller than the Fire), reasonably efficient and very easy to drive, but you demand a true audiophile sound, then look no further. This is it. My highest recommendation.

Sidebar – What else should I look at if I want the best in a small package?

Take a look at the Ember’s bigger brother, the Fire speaker , reviewed in the August/September 2011 issue. It will set you back $5,995 and looks just like the Ember on steroids. The Fire provides an even bigger sound, slightly higher resolution and deserves a top recommendation.

The Reference 3A MM de Capo i comes in at under $3,000 (reviewed in the December/January 2010/2011 issue) and is another exceptional compact monitor, made in Canada, and again featuring a directly connected woofer. Not quite as elegant in appearance and less capable of high volume levels, but capable of stunning realism and dynamite imaging.

Another strong competitor is the B&W 805 Diamond. It’s bigger and more expensive than the Ember but it also incorporates a lot of high technology in a design that has been refined over many years. The diamond tweeter is unique to B&W and sits distinctively above the main cabinet.

Recommended Recordings used in this review:

• Love – The Beatles – Capitol 09463 7981023
• The Well – Jennifer Warnes – Cisco – SCD 2034
• Rolling Stones – Let It Bleed – ABKCO 90042
• Shostakovich 10th Symphony – Naxos 8.572461
• Beethoven String Quartets – IsoMike
• Sumi Jo – La Promessa – Erato 3984-23300-2
• Nordost System Tuning and Setup Disc – CD NOR-TD1

Totem Acoustic
www.totemacoustic.com
514-259-1062

Totem Acoustic Element Ember Compact Speakers
Price: $4,200 CAD

If you have an exceptional memory, you might recall reading about the Monitor Audio Gold GX series speakers in these pages before.  I reviewed the GX200 floor standing loudspeakers ($4,995/pair) from this series back in the October/November 2011 issue.  The GX200 proved itself as a very capable speaker in my two channel system and offered many of the sonic characteristics that I was fond of.  In fact I took enough liking to these speakers that I ended up buying them after the review.  Since I wasn’t looking to make any changes in my two channel system, the GX200s became a part of the upgrade path for my basement home theatre system.  Of course a pair of loudspeakers at the front of the room hardly makes a home theatre system, so I asked Canadian distributor Kevro International to send us the remaining speakers to make a full 5.1 system.  The complete system to be evaluated in this review includes the GXC150 centre channel ($1,195), a pair of the GX-FX surround speakers ($2,390/pair) and the GXW15 subwoofer ($3,195).  The total price of this 5.1 system rings in at $11,775.  At this price my expectations were set pretty high, as they should be.

The Gold GX series sits just below Monitor Audio’s flagship Platinum series.  As you might expect, much of the technology in the Gold GX series is derived from lessons learned during the development of the Platinum series.  Aside from all the technology, the surround speakers and the subwoofer offer some features rarely found in speakers.  Visually, each of the models in the Gold GX series is quite attractive and a good selection of finishes means that they’ll integrate comfortably with just about any room décor.  Available finishes include Bubinga, Dark Walnut, as well as glossy Piano Ebony, White and Black.  There really is a lot to get excited about here.  Let’s examine each of the models in this review a little closer and you’ll see what I mean.

The GX200 floorstanding speaker is the little brother to the GX300.  Its three-way design sports a C-CAM (Ceramic-Coated Aluminium/Magnesium) high frequency ribbon transducer, a 4 inch RST mid-range driver and two 5.5 inch RST bass drivers.  All of the drivers in this speaker use Monitor Audio’s C-CAM technology, a material originally developed by the aerospace industry for jet engine components.  The C-CAM manufacturing process combines the various materials through a series of specific steps which result in an alloy cone that is very light, yet extremely rigid.  This makes the C-CAM drivers much less susceptible to flexing or twisting during operation compared to other cone designs and results in a significantly reduced distortion.

The proprietary ribbon transducer is an ultra-thin sandwich of the C-CAM alloy suspended in a transverse magnetic field of high energy rare earth magnets.  Thanks to its mass of just 18 mg, its diaphragm is extremely quick at starting and stopping and hence is capable of reproducing the leading edges of notes and musical details unlike the more typical tweeter dome designs.  The ribbon transducer is capable of achieving frequencies above 60 kHz and while this is beyond the threshold of human hearing, it means that you’ll be able to hear all the musical nuances and harmonics found in high resolution audio content.

What makes the 4 inch RST (Rigid Surface Technology) mid-bass driver special are a series of radial ribs which significantly increase cone rigidity compared to other cone designs.  Increased rigidity translates into a lower distortion, while the use of the light weight C-CAM cone means higher speed and accuracy.  The 5.5 inch RST bass drivers use the same technology as the 4 inch RST driver but offer a larger driver size and heavier construction with bigger magnets.

The GX200 has a frequency response rated from 35 Hz to 60 kHz, a sensitivity of 89 dB and an impedance of 8 ohms. The GXC150 centre channel offers a 2.5-way, sealed cabinet design, housing two of the same 5.5 inch RST drivers as the GX200, with the same ribbon transducer in between them.  Its frequency response is rated from 55 Hz to 60 kHz, while its sensitivity and impedance matches the floorstanding model.

The GX-FX is far from an ordinary surround speaker.  It can provide either direct (monopole) or ambient surround (dipole) sound with just a flick of a switch on the speaker itself or with a 12 volt trigger from the AV receiver.   This makes it one of the most versatile surround speakers on the market today suitable for use in just about any room environment.  In the monopole mode, the GX-FX uses its front-firing 6.5 inch RST driver and a ribbon transducer to produce sound.  In the dipole mode, it uses two pairs of side-firing 4 inch C-CAM drivers and 1 inch C-CAM gold-dome tweeters, together with the front-firing 6.5 inch RST driver.  The dipole arrangement produces a more diffuse, enveloping sound.  The GX-FX speakers are designed to be stand mounted (a matching stand retails for $595) or can be installed flat on the wall with the included brackets.  Specifications of the GX-FX include a frequency response of 60 Hz to 60 kHz, a sensitivity of 87 dB and an impedance of 8 ohms.

All of the GX series cabinets are constructed out of 20 mm MDF, while each offers its own bracing to improve rigidity and minimize cabinet colouration.  Each speaker in this series offers bi-wire terminals with factory installed spade jumper cables.
Rounding out the GX series is just a single subwoofer called the GXW-15, and like the GX-FX surround speakers this is not just another run of the mill subwoofer.  Its sealed enclosure is equipped with an ultra-long throw 15 inch C-CAM bass driver, capable of a whopping 1.5 inches of excursion.  For a 15 inch subwoofer it has an attractively small enclosure, measuring roughly 16 inches in each of the three dimensions.  Its power comes from a 650 watt (1,200 watt peak) D2AudioTM DSP controlled, Class-D amplifier.  The rear connection panel offers both RCA and LFE inputs and outputs.  What makes the GXW-15 stand apart from the crowd is an on-board advanced automatic room correction system called LEO (Listening Environment Optimizer) by D2Audio.  The GXW-15 has a frequency response rated down to an earth shattering 18 Hz.  Unlike the typical subwoofer the GXW-15 has a small display at the top of its baffle as well as a knob/button just above it, which in theory you never have to use because all functions can be controlled from the supplied remote controller.  ‘nuff said.

The subwoofer manual says to run the LEO system before running that AV receiver auto calibration so that’s exactly what I did.  Running LEO is a minimalist affair – plug in the supplied microphone, place it where you would normally sit and let the system run its course of test tones.  The whole thing took only a couple of minutes in total.  Following this, I ran the auto calibration of my Pioneer Elite SC-07 AV receiver.  And now it was time for the fun stuff!  I should mention that part way through this review process I switched to a much higher performance Arcam FMJ AVR600 AV receiver.

Armed with a stack of Blu-ray discs, both music and movies, and SACDs I fired up my recently purchased Cambridge Audio Azur 751BD universal blu-ray player and grabbed a seat on the couch.  Yes, a reviewer’s life can be a tough gig sometimes.

First up was the Rolling Stones Shine a Light concert Blu-ray, Martin Scorsese’s take on what a Stones concert disc should look like.  The track “As Tears Go By” opens with Keith Richards playing an amazing 12 string acoustic guitar lick and I’ve honestly never heard it sound this good on any home theatre system.  The Monitor Audio speakers delivered the richness of the doubled-up guitar strings with fullness in the mid frequencies and an amazing bell-like quality in the higher octaves.  The depth and texture of this presentation was as close as I’ve heard from a real 12 string guitar.  When Richards strummed full chords, the strings rang in a perfect union, yet at the same time I could hear the distinct sound of each string.  The ribbon tweeters reproduced the high frequencies of both instruments and voices with an amazing sizzle and a high level of detail.  The tweeter presentation was airy, super clean and smoothly integrated with the mid frequencies, not once did I detect any harshness in the upper registers.  I also never got tired even during long listening sessions.  Ribbon tweeters offer a wider horizontal dispersion compared to dome tweeters and hence offer a larger horizontal sweet spot.  It should however be noted that ribbon tweeters have a limited vertical dispersion and as a result sound best when your ears are at their level.  Further enhancing the performance of this song, the surround speakers did a great job of providing the ambience as the crowd sang along during the chorus.  The Monitor Audio speakers provided me with plenty of listening pleasure as I enjoyed the rest of the tracks on this disc.

Next I switched to the Dire Straits: Brothers In Arms SACD, a fantastic album (on many different levels) that gets plenty of play time in both my two and multi-channel systems.  The Gold GX series served up a perfectly balanced frequency range and one of the cleanest, luscious sounding mid-ranges I’ve had the pleasure of listening to in my home theatre.  The ribbon tweeters extracted the finest musical details with the outmost delicacy.   Tracks like “So Far Away” and “Money For Nothing” presented me with a holographic soundstage – which reached well beyond the walls of my listening room as drums played all around my listening seat.    Meanwhile, the GXW-15 subwoofer blended smoothly with the rest of the speakers and provided perfectly resolved and well articulated bottom frequencies.

Flute Mystery (by Fred Jonny Berg) on Blu-ray gave me the chance to listen to a wide variety of string and air instruments.  The reproduction of this DTS-HD Master soundtrack was superb, every instrument sounded rich and tonally accurate.  I decided to take this opportunity to investigate the difference with the GX-FX surround speakers operating in monopole mode versus the dipole mode.  The monopole mode, recommended when the GX-FX is used as a rear speaker in a 5.1 system, produced a direct yet incredibly smooth sound and reproduced all of the fine intricacies of the music.  Not surprisingly the dipole mode, recommended when the GX-FX is used as a side or rear speaker in a 7.1 system, produced a much subtler surround effect.  Rather than sending the sound directly to my ears most of it was sent to the side drivers.  As a result the surround channels produced a much gentler sound – I was hearing more of an ambient sound rather than the full character of the instruments as in the monopole mode.  Both modes worked wonderfully well but I stuck to the recommended monopole setting for most of my listening.

While there was nothing wrong with having the Pioneer Elite SC-07 AV receiver driving these speakers, I knew that a higher level AV receiver, like the Arcam FMJ AVR600, should bring a further improvement to what I was hearing.  After all, the Gold GX isn’t just another speaker series – this is Monitor Audio’s second series from the top and should be capable of more than the Pioneer receiver can send its way.  It didn’t take very long to realize that with the Arcam in place the sonic improvement was remarkable.  The audio became more organic and further refined, particularly noticeable with voices and instruments.  There was also a noticeable improvement in clarity and detail extraction.  Yes, this was a greater pairing for certain.  Hence, I conducted the remainder of the review with the Arcam.

If you’d like to read my impressions about the sound of the GX 200 floor standing speakers in a 2-channel system, I invite you to read my review in the October/November 2011 issue (now available on www.canadahifi.com).

Having established the excellent music performance of the Gold GX speaker, in both two and multichannel tests, I set out to evaluate their sound as a companion for movies.  I began with Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country on Blu-ray.  The Dolby TrueHD soundtrack sounded great from the outset.  The mesmerizing orchestral performance during the opening credits started off softly and gradually built in intensity and dynamics.  The Gold GX speakers did a very good job of reproducing all of the various sections of the orchestra.  I was enveloped by sound emitted from all around me, from a perfectly blended surround mix.  The crisp, highly detailed presentation of the Gold GX speakers offered much of the character that one would expect from a good hifi speaker.  The subwoofer had its first chance to strut its stuff at the very beginning of the first scene as a large cosmic explosion swept across the soundstage from the front to the back of the room.  The bass was presented with great depth and tightness, not just by the subwoofer but also by the surround speakers.  During the first few minutes of the film I noticed that the Gold GX had a slight advantage over other speaker designs thanks to their ribbon tweeters.  This advantage was the clarity of the dialogue.  Unlike with some of the other speakers I’ve listened to in the past, the GX centre channel never failed to deliver a clean rendition of the character voices – regardless of how many other layers of sound were in the mix.  Another advantage was that the dialogue was clearly audible even at very low volume levels.

While watching Thor on Blu-ray, what I got was a decidedly cinematic experience.  The Gold GX speakers handled this incredibly dynamic soundtrack with the outmost control.  Sound during quieter scenes was delivered with delicacy and precision.  Low frequencies during loud scenes were capable of delivering seismic thumps but always sounded tight and controlled.  The LEO automatic room correction system built into GXW15 subwoofer did a phenomenal job of smoothing out the bass frequencies in my room, and provided a better bass response in all the seats on my couch.  Dialogue was always super clean, even when layered with other sounds and effects.  Again I noticed that voices were very clear even at lower volume levels.  In one of the scenes, as Thor snuck into the Shield agency site set up to investigate the “satellite” crash site, all of the speakers worked in unison to create fantastically realistic rainfall and thunderstorm.

The Monitor Audio Gold GX series offered a stellar performance in my home theatre and for a total price of just under $12,000 for a 5.1 system you would certainly expect them to.  Whether I listened to music or watched movies, they never failed to engage me at the highest level.  Voices and instruments sounded true-to-life and hence music was always full of emotion, regardless of genre.  On many occasions I felt like the performers were right in my room.  During movies with good soundtracks (and visuals) the Gold GX series were capable of creating a total suspension of disbelief, making me feel like I was part of the action.  Yes it is possible to assemble a home theatre speaker system for a much smaller amount but you’ll miss out on all the dynamics, details and realism that only a higher-end speaker system like the Monitor Audio Gold GX can deliver.

Monitor Audio
www.monitoraudio.ca

Distributed in Canada by Kevro International, www.kevro.com
(800) 667-6065 / (905) 428-2800

Monitor Audio Gold GX 5.1 Speaker System
Price (CAD):
GX200 floor standing ($4,995/pair)
GXC150 centre channel ($1,195)
GX-FX surrounds ($2,390/pair)
GXW15 subwoofer ($3,195)
5.1 system as tested: $11,775

Have you ever wondered about what kind of audio systems professional studios use for engineering movie soundtracks?  MK Sound has long been a popular choice for professional studios and over the years has made its way into thousands of home theatres around the world. MK Sound speakers have been used for sound mixing and editing of countless blockbuster movie soundtracks such as Star Wars Episodes I through III, the Lord of the Rings trilogy, Pearl Harbour, Black Hawk Down and Iron Man – just to mention a few. It is also the speaker brand of choice by companies like Dolby Labs and DTS.  Heck, even the famous Skywalker Ranch is equipped with an MK Sound system.  The company attributes much of the success thanks to its MK 150THX System which we’re looking at in this very review.  There really is a lot of history to get excited about here.  For those of you who haven’t heard of MK Sound before, here’s a brief background.  The company’s origin dates back to the early 1970s in California, where the company was founded under its original name – M&K Sound – by an owner of an audio store and an audio designer.  Among its many accolades, in 1997 M&K Sound introduced the industry’s first internally powered subwoofer.   In 2007, after countless accomplishments and nearly forty years in business, the company closed its doors but was quickly resurrected by a Danish company with a refined name of MK Sound.  Luckily, instead of redesigning the product line completely, the new owners decided to stick with the original speaker designs, with only slight updates.

The 5.1-channel MK 150THX system that I examine in this review consists of five S-150MKII speakers ($1,500 each) and the MX-250 subwoofer ($1,950).  As the system’s name implies this is a THX Ultra2 certified system, guaranteeing that it meets the rigorous THX standards for accurate sound delivery.  The total price for this systems amounts to $9,450.  Two other speaker models are available in the MK 150 series – the S-150T Tripole speaker and the MP-150 on-wall speaker – as well as a larger subwoofer called the MX-350MKII.

Unlike most speaker manufacturers, MK Sound does not offer a choice of finish or colour.  What you see in the picture above is what you get – a black satin finish.  Instead the company focuses strictly on the performance of its products.  The five S-150MKII speakers are almost identical to each other, with the exception of driver configuration.  There are two configurations of this speaker – a Left channel model and a Right/Centre channel model.  Each speaker is nearly a perfect cube – measuring 12.5” x 10.5” x 12.5” – and weighs 21 lbs.  Removing the cloth grille reveals that these speakers don’t follow a conventional design.  The front baffle houses two 5.25” polypropylene woofers and an unusual number of tweeters – three 1” fabric-dome tweeters to be exact.  The tweeters are arranged in a vertical stack, each housed within its own dampened chamber, and separated on the outside by foam ridges.  This tweeter array presents a wider than usual horizontal dispersion and promises outstanding accuracy and detail.  It also results in a narrower vertical dispersion which comes with a benefit of minimizing reflected sound.  The S-150MKII has a built-in proprietary Phase-Focused crossover which combines three key design elements: Time Domain Analysis, Frequency Domain Analysis and Point-in-Space Analysis.  Unlike other crossover designs which consider frequency response on one axis, this design takes into account various angles along the vertical and horizontal planes.  As a result this speaker claims to present a very smooth frequency response over a wide listening window and a better focused and coherent on-axis performance.  The S-150MKII has an impedance of 4 ohms, therefore a powerful enough amp needs to be mated with it.  It has a frequency response rated from 77 Hz to 20 kHz (+/- 3dB) and a recommended power handling of 25 to 400 watts.

The MX-250 subwoofer included with my review set is the smaller of the two models in this series.  It utilizes a pair of long-throw 12 inch, coated pulp cone, magnetically shielded drivers that function in a push-pull configuration, housed in a sealed enclosure.  As the model name suggests, this subwoofer is powered by a discrete 250 watt on-board amplifier which uses MK Sound’s Balanced Push-Pull Dual Drive Amplifier technology, with proprietary Headroom Maximizer IV circuitry to prevent amplifier clipping.  Its in-room frequency response is rated down to 20Hz (+-3dB).  The back panel offers both speaker level and line level connections for maximum compatibility with all home theatre components and a three position power switch (on/auto/off).  Dials for Phase, Low Pass Filter and Bass Level round out the rear panel.  The MX-250 can be daisy-chained with another subwoofer for those who wish to incorporate two subwoofers in their setup.

But enough of the technical stuff.  The real test is of course how they perform in a home theatre environment.  In most cases, including mine, setup of a speaker system like this will require five speaker stands.  The front and rear L/R channels can be placed on any speaker stands with a large enough base.  The centre channel is far too large for my TV stand, or any conventional TV stand for that matter, so I had to place it in front of the stand on a temporary stack of books.

It needs to be noted that the S-150MKII speakers are rated at 4 ohms and present a more challenging load for an amplifier.  Therefore these speakers need to be matched with a suitably powerful amplifier or AV receiver.  I used two AV receivers during my tests – a Pioneer Elite SC-07 and an Arcam FMJ AVR600.  The Pioneer worked perfectly well with the MK Sound speakers but the Arcam definitely pushed the sound performance to a much higher level.

I normally start my tests with music but this time I decided to begin with a few films.  And what better place to start than Tron: Legacy on Blu-ray, one of my recent sci-fi favorites.  A well engineered soundtrack, along with Daft Punk’s powerful score, is sure to give any audio system a proper workout.  As main character Sam gets picked up by a spacecraft inside “the grid”, my room literally shook as the engines of the craft rumbled.  The MX-250 subwoofer delivered a powerful but well articulated bass.  When the spacecraft flew from behind me on to the screen, the MK Sound system created a frightening, hyper realistic sensation as if something actually flew from behind me and above my head.  Meanwhile the dialogue between the characters was consistently clear.  Not once did I struggle to hear what the characters were saying during the loudest of film passages.  As the games began and the players started tossing the discs at each other, the sound effects travelled in a most precise manner between all of the speakers.  The sonic transitions from channel to channel were completely seamless.  The cheering of the crowd during the games made me feel as if was sitting right there with the audience in the stadium.  Watching scenes from Tron was just sheer pleasure.  It appeared that my reference Monitor Audio Gold GX 5.1 speaker system had met a worthy contender.  Not on the visual side because the Monitor Audio speakers are knock out gorgeous next to the MK Sound speakers, but certainly on the performance side.

Keeping with the sci-fi genre, I thought it’d be fun to watch one of the Star Wars movies that was mastered on MK Sound speakers.  And so inside the Blu-ray player went Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.  Right from the opening credits, accompanied by John William’s score, I knew I was in for a treat.  To say that I was pleased with the sound would be a huge understatement.  I felt that what I was getting here was a truly cinematic audio experience that’s closer to a full blown movie theatre than a home speaker system.  This MK Sound system had an exquisite ability to create a presence of characters and environments, and showed a great accuracy in soundstage control.  I tried all four seats in my home theatre and the uniformity of sound delivery was one of the best I’ve heard in my room to date.  The layers upon layers of sound in this film can make even a good speaker system struggle but that was far from what I was experiencing here.  All of the individual layers blended perfectly together, yet each one had a precise definition.  As the film advanced, I once again marveled at how remarkable this system was at creating truly convincing sonic environments.  Believe me, I’ve watched this movie on many speaker systems but few had engaged me quite as much as this MK Sound system.  Thanks to their generous size, the S-150MKII speakers offered a rich, low-reaching frequency response from the surround channels, much like my Monitor Audio speakers.  This offered a far greater engagement and envelopment in the movies I watched compared to speaker systems that use smaller or more directional surround speakers.

During the time that the MK Sound system spent at my house, I had the opportunity to watch more than a dozen movies.  There was something about the sound of these speakers that kept drawing me back to my basement home theatre.  I also watched several episodes of HBO’s fantastic The Pacific series, which left a lasting impression.  The dynamics of this series make it a really great test for any home theatre system.  I originally watched some of these episodes on the Paradigm MilleniaOne speakers in my living room, but this time around it was an entirely different experience.  The MK Sound system threw me right into the middle of the action.  Planes were flying over my head.  Heavy artillery shells and bullets zoomed across the battlefield.  Conversations between the soldiers varied from shouting to whispering but the dialogue was always clear.  Everything about this presentation was realistic and terrifying.  A war movie buff like myself couldn’t be more satisfied with the experience.  At this point I clearly understood why so many professional studios choose MK Sound speakers.

I then decided to switch paces and listen to some music.  Just a minute into Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here SACD I was completely mesmerized by the awesome surround interpretation of this classic album.  The clarity and detail delivery were terrific.  The speakers delivered a crispy clean midrange with good realism of vocals and instruments.  I really enjoyed the tonal uniformity and balance of the 360 degree soundfield – a benefit of being surrounded by five identical speakers.  In this regard, the MK Sound system surpassed my Monitor Audio system.  The acoustic guitar strings sounded genuine and the drums had the right amount of pizzazz.  While listening to several other multi-channel SACDs, such as the Beatles’ “Love” and Dire Straits’ “Brothers In Arms” albums, this MK Sound system continued to shine in its ability to envelop me in a seamless three dimensional soundstage.

If you use your home theatre system to listen to 2-channel music, you’ll be pleased to know that this speaker system also does well here.  I listened to discs of various genres, ranging from classical to rock to vocal.  The S-150MKII pair delivered a clean midrange with great details and stereo imaging.  Both voices and instruments were delivered with a good amount of authenticity.  Compared to my reference Monitor Audio Gold GX 200 floorstanders, I did however find the MK Sound speakers to be a little less musical in their presentation.  Their presentation wasn’t quite as three dimensional when playing as a stereo pair and I never managed to get lost in the music.  Their bass extension also wasn’t as deep, nor was there as much air between vocals and instruments.  To be fair though, the GX 200’s are significantly more expensive than a pair of the S-150MKII speakers ($5,000 versus $3,000).  Nevertheless, music in stereo was perfectly enjoyable.

This MK Sound speaker system may not be the most décor-friendly or easiest to place in a room.  Each of the S-150MKII speakers is about the size of a little subwoofer and its solid black finish doesn’t help when trying to integrate them in the room.  The centre channel will be a challenge to place for those who have a TV sitting on a typical TV stand.  If your room doesn’t have enough space to house a pair of the S-150MKIIs at the back of the room, you might want to consider the less obtrusive S-150T Tripole speaker ($1,900/pair) or the MP-150 on-wall speaker ($1,300 each).  MK Sound understands that some consumers want the benefit of their speakers but don’t necessarily need to see them at all –and the company has you covered here as well.  Those building a new home theatre room, or willing to fish wires inside existing walls, should take a look at the IW-150 in-wall speakers ($1,300 each) – these are the in-wall equivalent of the S-150MKII.  Another solution to hide the speakers in your room would be to place them behind an acoustically transparent screen or inside custom built enclosures, which will make the speakers disappear altogether.  One thing is for sure – if you’re looking for a clean, detailed and immersive sound in your home theatre there is no question that this is definitely one sound system you should consider.  When the lights go out you’ll be rewarded with a true theatrical sound experience.

MK Sound
www.mksoundsystem.com

Distributed in Canada by
Pacific Cabling Solutions
www.pacificcabling.com
1-800-946-0669

MK Sound MK150THX 5.1 Speaker System
Price (CAD):
S-150MKII speakers ($1,500 each)
MX-250 subwoofer ($1,950)
5.1 system as tested: $9,450

System Audio (SA) is a company that has been manufacturing loudspeakers for a few decades.  The company was founded in 1984 by a musician Ole Witthøft, who is currently SA’s leader of product research and development.  As System Audio points out on its website, Ole, as a musician, knew what live music should sound like and after listening to a number of products available, took it into his own hands to build his own loudspeakers – SA being the direct result.  SA is a Scandinavian loudspeaker company; based out of Roskilde, Denmark, which it announces on the cover of its product line brochure – simply stating, “cool scandinavian loudspeakers”.  Though Scandinavian, SA is not exclusive to the Scandinavian market, in fact; it distributes its products virtually worldwide, including places such as Singapore, the Ukraine, Greece, Europe, the United States and yes, even to us, up here in Canada.  Despite its widespread distribution, I hadn’t made acquaintance with SA until this past September, when I was fortunate to come across its products at the Toronto Audio Video and Entertainment Show (TAVES).  At TAVES, Kimbercan, the Canadian distributor for SA, featured a number of SA products and demonstrated their sonic prowess and aesthetic appeal.  Don Rhule at Kimbercan was very accommodating in supplying us with a pair of SA Aura 1 bookshelf speakers for this review.  In addition, Kimbercan graciously provided some Kimber Kable products (PBJ and Hero RCA interconnects, as well as 8PR and 8TC speaker cables) to accompany the Aura 1’s on their maiden voyage in my listening room.

SA’s philosophy is one of simplicity and the use of ‘meaningful ideas that work in the real world’.  What this means is that over time SA has built up a set of ideas, which it has found to work well in creating loudspeakers.  This set of simple, yet proven ideas is what SA uses to create its loudspeakers, in all its design varieties, something the company refers to as “system design”.  Within this system design philosophy, SA holds that there are three essential qualities of a successful loudspeaker – musicality, integration and quality.

To SA, musicality manifests itself in sound, which the company feels is the most essential thing in a loudspeaker.  High quality sound, to SA, is connected with speed.  To foster speed, the membranes in SA drivers are extremely light and designed for fast and accurate response.  Smaller rather than larger diaphragms are the choice, mated to motor structures that allow relatively greater pistonic motion – moving more air.  SA also uses natural materials for the driver membranes such as paper, wood fibres, or textile.  This approach, is what SA feels brings greater control, precision and dynamics and the best possible sound.

By integration, SA implies the ability of a loudspeaker to “function in the real world”.  Choosing smaller drivers results in corresponding gains in dispersion and therefore, greater flexibility with room placement.  All SA loudspeakers are acoustically optimized for in-room use, including near walls.  In terms of styling, SA offers a number of finishes combined with simple stylistic lines, allowing them to easily integrate with living space décor.

The third essential SA loudspeaker quality is just that…“quality”.  To ensure quality, SA involves its employees in the end-to-end production process, from assembly to testing and packaging.  Each loudspeaker is subjected to no less than 14 quality tests and is backed by a two year manufacturer warranty but it doesn’t stop there, SA claims its loudspeakers are actually built to meet their technical specifications for 12-15 years.

There are a total of seven different series in the SA loudspeaker line-up, namely: Reference, Mantra, Aura, Saxo, XP, On-wall and the Aktive Subwoofer series.  The Aura 1 is the smallest member in the SA Aura series and one of their most recent additions.  Speaking about small, the Aura 1 is just 27.5 cm high, 13.5 cm wide and 21.9 cm deep; and is one of the smallest SA speakers ever.  Though small in size, this little critter weighs in at a very respectable 4.5 kg, which says something about its construction.  In fact, the Aura 1 is constructed of 18 mm MDF and has an integrated cabinet base that is 25 mm or just about 1 inch thick.  This rather unique base controls vibration, while serving to house twin front bass ports and a rear set of shrouded gold-plated binding posts.  On the bottom are four tiny but effective dampening feet – no blue-tack required here.

The Aura 1 is a two-way bass-reflex design with a stated frequency range of 52 – 35,000 Hz (+/- 3 dB), 8 ohm nominal impendence and 80 watt power handling.  The tweeter used is a 1 inch textile soft dome matched to a 4.5 inch long-throw mid/bass driver.  Don’t be deceived by its size, the Aura 1 with its low sensitivity of 84 dB/1w/1m, calls for an amplifier with some guts – a minimum of 50 watts is recommended.

SA caters to décor by providing the Aura 1 in three finishes: black ash, ebony and white satin.  I saw the ebony finish at TAVES and found it quite striking – the review set came in white satin, making a fresh, clean and contemporary statement.  At least a couple visitors to my home complemented its looks.  I was impressed by the impeccable build and finish quality.  The little face of the Aura 1 was quite endearing, having just enough space for the bantam woofer and soft dome tweeter with its waveguide.  Not that it was delicate looking but cute, just the same.

I strapped the pair of Aura 1 speakers into my kit – a Bryston BP6 preamplifier, 4B-SST2 amplifier (might sound like overkill but we’ll see) and Logitech Squeezebox Touch (a sleeper of a product if there ever was one but sadly now discontinued).  Using the Kimber Kable interconnects and speaker cables that were provided by Kimbercan, I broke in the Aura 1 loudspeakers.  SA recommends giving these speakers between 50 to 100 hours of break-in, which is what they got and then some.  I can say that when I first plugged them in, what I heard was vague and sedate but those first impressions were soon to change – break-in brought on a metamorphosis, a new creature emerged.

SA designed the Aura 1 to be used in a multitude of applications, including on a shelf, within a bookcase, on wall or ceiling, as well as more traditionally on speaker stands; magnetic shielding provides even greater flexibility.  I began with some placement trials.  First, I tried sitting them on a low shelf, then with actual books to their sides akin to a bookshelf and eventually I moved them to stands.  On the shelf, their bass was strong – striking, in fact. However, though the bass was robust, giving the little Aura 1 a large-and-in-charge demeanour it wasn’t quite linear, with some bloating in the 60 Hz region; however, I could see how many might find this bass heft appealing.  Putting books to their sides didn’t seem to impact their tone but it compromised centre focus and imaging.  All said, the Aura 1 was definitely usable in either placement but ultimately, it was on stands that they found their best voice.  Sitting on stands they sounded tighter, more accurate and had the best imaging.  Stand placement was also a factor. With the stands three feet away from the back wall, the Aura 1 was wanting in bass, moving them to within a foot of the walls and like a waking giant the Aura 1 acquired a much stronger and dynamic presentation and so that is how they sat for my ensuing listening sessions.

One album that’s been getting a fair bit of play in my home is Melody Gardot’s latest, “The Absence”.  The album is thoughtfully named, as it comes after her hiatus from the recording scene.  If you haven’t been exposed to Melody Gardot’s wonderful voice and recordings I’d say you’re missing out – go get acquainted.  With the track, Lisboa, church-bells rang in the distance and the sounds of outdoors served to captivate me.  Bells ringing from left to right carried not only a natural metallic brightness but also a fullness of tone.  Melody’s voice came in warm, inviting and noticeably smooth.  This warmth in the midrange was enticing and quite surprising given the small stature of the Aura 1.  A shaker was delivered with a raspy character, while bringing forth the echo of the surrounding recording venue and embodying a three-dimensional quality.  I found the cymbals clear with their trailing sustain present but somewhat subdued and brief. The stand-up bass sounded surprisingly full – not quite like a full-size tower loudspeaker but enough to have you thinking you were listening to considerably larger speakers.  Bass string plucks had an enjoyable tension and guitar too was delivered with a wonderful tonal quality, body and detail.

It was here, that I swapped in my Epos ELS3 bookshelf speakers for comparison.  Though the Epos is larger in size with a bigger 5 inch woofer, it weighs no more than the Aura 1 and was unable to match the Aura 1 in bass weight and extension.  The Epos though brought its own strengths to this aural table – delivering more distinct leading edges on notes and revealing more of the ambient sounds on this recording, such as the rustle and air of the outdoors.  Cymbals with the Epos also had a more apparent shimmer and greater sustain.  The soundstage with the Epos was more open and airy, adding to its size.  However, vocals were more etched with sibilance more evident.  I moved next to the track Amalia, which is a playful tune that balances an uplifting rhythm with the melancholy.  Here the Aura 1 successfully imparted the varying emotions that Melody’s voice and the arrangements were intended to evoke.  There was a very nice weight to the opening bass pluck, a lucid portrayal that had me riveted.  Melody’s voice, once again, sounding beautiful, liquid and smooth – her vocal inflections coming across in a natural manner.  The guitar plucks had a nice snap and were accompanied by a healthy share of woody resonance.  On the back-up chorals, the voices were set a little behind Melody and stretched from left to right, just pushing outside the room boundaries.  The bird chirps at the end of the track left me wanting for more.  With the track, So We Meet Again, the Aura 1 effectively demonstrated its ability to layer elements in the soundstage – bass centred and to the back with violins spread across the rear and guitar up front centre and to the right.  Cymbals on this track were soft and feathery, though just a tad short on sustain.

I moved to the Cowboy Junkies, The Trinity Session album.  First up was Sweet Jane.  The high-hat was clearly to the right and the most forward element.  Margot’s voice was velvety and delivered in her whispering style with enticing smoothness and inviting clarity.  The echo of the venue was apparent but a little contained, which brought a little more intimacy and warmth to the tune.  Cymbals here were clear in their intrinsic metallic quality but somewhat subdued in their shimmer.  Bass and guitar, from the rear was clear and distinct.  On Misguided Angel, the airiness of the church venue was exposed.  Here the Aura 1 did not disappoint in conveying the faintly whispered count, which ushers in this track…”2, 3”…  Instruments were defined in their spaces and the micro dynamics of the strings were noticeable.  Bass here again had impressive weight and respectable extension.  Some of the deepest sonics on this album were absent but it did not detract from the musical enjoyment the Aura 1 was able to provide.

I decided to give the Aura 1 a little different workout – moving to the Tron soundtrack from 2010.  This soundtrack is an interesting mix of a full orchestra with Daft Punk’s take on electronica.  The album tests grandeur, delicacy, details and dynamics.  On the tracks, Recognizer, Armory and Rinzler, the Aura 1 served up surprising bass weight, extension and dynamics.  The soundstage was respectable in size and had good definition.  I did find that some of the airiness and upper-most frequency presence were reserved.  Here again I compared the Aura 1 with my Epos ELS3 speakers.  The Epos was better able to bring to light the immensity of the venue, adding a greater airiness and delicacy to the track.  That said, the authority which the Aura 1 delivered on this track and the overall ease was not to be matched.

The Aura 1 is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.  It truly surprised me in terms of the sheer size and body of the sound that it was able to command.  Unlike bookshelf speakers of its size or some considerably larger, the SA Aura 1 can deliver midrange weight and bloom that leaves little to be desired.  Its lower midrange and upper bass reproduction is quite astounding given its modest dimensions.  Voices come across with a humanness and warmth that is very inviting.  In the treble, the Aura 1 has a slightly dark quality, which ensures that it never sounds dry, etched or rough.  This can be a wonderful thing when it comes to the many substandard recordings that are out there and also lends itself very nicely to rock, alternative and the like.  High frequencies are more silky than incisive, which can be very pleasant.  With a list price of $799 / pair, the Aura 1 is speaker to take note of.  System Audio has managed to produce something in the Aura 1 that embodies contemporary design, big sound and musical beauty. The company’s philosophy has obviously served it well.

System Audio
www.system-audio.com
++45 36 45 80 80

Distributed in Canada by Kimbercan
www.kimbercan.com, 647-688-4619
System Audio Aura 1 Bookshelf Loudspeaker
Price: $799/pair CAD

Sidebar: Kimber Kable

As mentioned, for this review, Kimbercan provided me with a couple sets of PBJ and Hero unbalanced interconnects, as well as a pair of 8PR and 8TC cables with SBAN terminations.  I found these products to be all well made and of high quality.  I was able to experiment with them and developed the following impressions that I thought I would share:

PBJ Interconnect ($135/pair): is a high-value cable that provides lovely detail across the frequency spectrum while maintaining neutrality.  It delivers very nice definition and imaging, with controlled bass frequencies that are well extended.  High frequencies have lovely extension and the midrange is natural and smooth, without sacrificing detail.  This cable maintains excitement and rhythm.

Hero Interconnect ($270/pair): is essentially neutral but embodies some additional warmth.  Though somewhat relaxed in overall composure, the Hero effectively avoids any harshness in the upper frequencies, presenting treble in a delicate and composed manner.  The midrange is full and smooth with a soundstage that is noticeably holographic.  Bass frequencies are full bodied and detailed.
8PR Loudspeaker Cable ($222): a solid performer with fullness and heft in the bass frequencies.  It has an overall neutral tonal quality, while being just a touch rolled-off in the upper-most registers.  It is able to foster a dynamic performance.

8TC Loudspeaker Cable ($510): delivers a neutral and defined sound with wonderful top-end extension that serves to bring out the shimmer, airiness and delicacy that are present in many high resolution recordings.  This cable provides a holographic soundstage with wonderful imaging.  It is fast, bold and dynamic.  Overall, the 8TC delivers a very addictive combination of sonic qualities.

Look for more details on Kimber Kable products at: www.kimber.com or www.kimbercan.com

I am amazed at the number of audiophiles I meet, who buy speakers based on the size, exotic designs or some unobtanium materials that some manufacturers claim, deliver superior performance. I am also surprized at how some audiophiles assume that just because a speaker carries a high price tag, it must deliver a high level of performance.

This is a pity, because with proper due diligence, you can find modestly priced speakers which will significantly outperform their more expensive, exotic looking counterparts. Unfortunately many of these speakers do not get an audition because in many cases they are endowed with unpretentious aesthetics and somewhat conventional designs. One of the speakers that fall into this category is the Merlin Music TSM MMM ($3,080), the subject of this review.

The TSM MMM is a mini-monitor with a very traditional, understated design that is unlikely to catch your eye at a dealer’s showroom. However, if you choose to put this little speaker through its paces, it will be quite a revelation.

The TSM is the brainchild of Bobby Palkovich a highly regarded personality in the world of high-end audio whose philosophy is to stay away from fancy designs and esoteric materials. Rather, he prefers to stick with what is tried and true while constantly squeezing out better performance from the same basic design with meaningful enhancements. Some detractors have referred to these enhancements as merely tweaks but the fact that these ‘tweaks’ have yielded significant and easily detectable improvements does seem to indicate that there is a method to this perceived madness.
For decades now, Bobby has bucked the industry trend of offering marketing driven “dramatically new and improved” designs. Instead, he has offered just two speaker models, the mini-monitor TSM and the floorstander VSM. Aesthetically, they look more or less the same as they did a couple of decades ago even though, in terms of performance, they are worlds apart.

The TSM MMM was delivered in a largish carton weighing around 63 pounds. The speakers were packed very professionally and should be able to withstand a good deal of abuse during shipment. Installation of the jumpers and RC networks was simplicity itself.

The TSM MMM has bulletproof build quality and are quite heavy, given their modest size. They are offered in just one colour, studio black which is a matt, workmanlike finish. Other colours can be had if you upgrade to the MXM, which comes in a premium high gloss, clear coat finish. The MXM version comes in an array of very attractive colours including Piano Black, Ruby Heart Red, Moss Green, Black Ice Blue, Pearl White and Eggplant.

The TSM has a very small footprint and benefits greatly if married to a solidly built, low resonance stand with good stability. For the review I used the Sanus top-of-the-line Foundations Ultimate Series stand filled with sand.

The TSM is a sealed, air suspension enclosure and the cabinet is made out of pan fibre held together with super strong polyurethane glue. The gently curving front edges of the speaker cabinet minimize diffraction. There are three brass tuning rods on the front of the speakers that serve to control the pitch movement of resonance patterns in the unusually thick (1.5 inches) front baffle. They also lend an elegant touch to the speaker façade.

The TSM employs matched pairs of Renaissance 30.5 liquid cooled, silk dome tweeters and matched MW 164 pulp cone woofers. The crossover is a highly optimized 12 dB per octave with a crossover point at 2,150 Hz.  It employs Caddock, Cardas and Hovland parts and the circuit topology is of the same grade as its older sibling the VSM. Both drivers are wired in electrical phase. The internal wiring is all point-to-point hand wired using Cardas’ top of the line Clear, which is custom made for Merlin Music. The terminals are the very cleverly designed Cardas no-stress binding posts, which allow for bi-wiring. Bobby recommends against bi-wiring or bi-amping the TSM unless specific wire gauges are used. The provided jumpers optimize the performance of the tweeters.
I strongly believe that, all else being equal, well-engineered two-way speaker systems have distinct advantages over their three-way counterparts. It is a lot easier to design a crossover that coherently blends two drivers as opposed to achieving the same level of top to bottom continualness when blending three different drivers. Three sets of drivers create an additional cancellation node, which adds even more to the problem and makes it very difficult to achieve good coherence. In my experience, two-way speaker systems also tend to be better at imaging.

The frequency response of the TSM MMM is 55 Hz to 19 kHz (+/- 2 dB, 1 meter on axis). To get the speakers to the optimum toe-in position of 11 degrees, Bobby provides a wooden alignment tool that makes it very easy, simple and quick to toe-in the speaker to just the right angle vis-à-vis the sweet spot. The TSM is rated to handle up to 80 watts peak, and has a sensitivity rating of 87 db.  The warranty is an impressive 10 years and covers both parts and labour. It’s one of the best in the industry. The TSM is a very easy load to drive, even with relatively low output tube amplifiers. This is because of its nominal impedance of 8 ohms with a minimum impedance of 6.5 ohms.

The TSMs are not too difficult to place. A good starting point is the Cardas method that is available on the Cardas website. From there it requires just a little tweaking to lock the sonic image into place. The alignment of the speakers is also crucial to getting the best out of the TSMs.

Which brings us to the meat of the matter, the sound quality. Having reviewed audio components for over 30 years now, I have come to expect and accept some pretty significant compromises with speakers in the $3,000 price range vis-a-vis their more expensive counterparts in the $10,000 plus range. It was therefore a pleasant surprise to hear the TSM, which kept those compromises to a minimum.

The sound quality of the midrange delivered by the TSM is equal to all but the very best speakers I have heard in the $10,000 price range. It is smooth, full, relaxed and incredibly realistic. The dynamic contrast is easily the best I have heard from any speaker under $5,000. The highs are rendered with incredible realism and the bass is extraordinary for a speaker with a 6.25 inch woofer. It’s not exactly subwoofer territory but all the way down to 55 Hz, it is tight, controlled and tuneful. Yes, there are plenty of speakers in the $3,000 price range that will deliver much deeper bass than the TSM, but I would rather opt for a speaker that delivers bass down to 55 Hz accurately rather than one that goes much lower but without the control and tunefulness of the TSM.
The TSM is also one of the most neutral speakers I have heard in this price range. They are great at helping you gauge the quality of your upstream components, cables and interconnects. They have great synergy with Cardas cables. I tried out lesser quality cables and the TSMs were quick to reveal the flaws in them. They truly deserve to be matched with superior upstream components and cables, which will bring out the best in them.

The TSM is also one of the best two-way mini-monitors I have heard when it comes to getting the woofer and the tweeter to dance well together. Bobby’s choice of driver units and crossovers has resulted in a speaker system that has extraordinary continuousness across all audible frequencies. The transition from the woofer to the tweeter is amazingly seamless.
With my collection of around 72,000 tracks across my vinyl, CD, Sooloos and iMac music collection, covering most genres (except hip-hop and rap) I was able to try out a wide variety of tracks on the TSM. It acquitted itself with flying colours with every genre but it did show a penchant for jazz, classical and bluegrass.

The TSM is also the top of its class when it comes to sheer musicality. I have heard countless speakers that get everything right but are just not musical. There are speakers that may be a technical tour de force but just don’t tug at your heartstrings when delivering a romantic love song or seduce you when playing a husky voiced diva or make you tear up when listening to a heartbreaking ballad. This is a quality that few speakers below the $10,000 price range have and the TSM has it in spades, delivering the emotional content of the music that really lets you connect with the artiste.

When it comes to reproducing voices, especially female, the TSM has few if any rivals in its price range. Most comparably priced speakers tend to sound quite nasal, one-dimensional and flat when delivering voices. In comparison the TSM makes it very easy to conjure up a flesh and blood body as the source of the voice.

Imaging is one of the TSM’s fortes. If you get the placement right and play a very well recorded track, the TSM pulls a Houdini on you. The speakers sonically disappear while leaving behind a solid and well defined sound stage that is tall, wide and deep. They are also one of the most fatigue free speakers I have heard in this price category. During the review I tried an all night listening session with the TSMs and at the end of it, it was lack of sleep rather than listening fatigue that prompted me to end the session.

Does this mean that the TSM is automatically the right speaker for you if your budget is around $3,000 to $5,000? Not really. If you are a bass freak who expects to not just hear the bass but feel its impact on your chest, the TSM is not for you. The TSM is also not recommended for very large listening rooms (over 3,500 cubic feet). They can play surprisingly loud for their size, but when you get to sound pressure levels of over 95 dB you can detect compression and other forms of distortion.

The TSM is also not recommended if your upstream components, cables and interconnects are not of high quality. These transducers are straight talkers and do not mind telling on failings in the upstream components and cables feeding them.

It did not matter whether I drove the TSMs with solid state or tube upstream components. It was comfortable with either but it was a smidgen more partial to tubes. One particular tube amplifier that the TSMs seem to waltz beautifully with is the Ars Sonum Filarmonia. The synergy of this pairing is very apparent.

Like most fields of consumer electronics, speakers are subject to technology obsolescence in some of their parts or circuits. This sometimes makes owners wish they had waited for a later model. Bobby has countered this factor by offering reasonably priced upgrades that bring older models amazingly close to the latest models in terms of performance. I have found that Bobby offers these upgrades only when he is confident that they will make a significant and meaningful difference to the performance of the speaker.

Customer service at Merlin Music is as good as it gets. Bobby is very accessible. Current and prospective customers can call Bobby at his factory in Hemlock, New York. He has extraordinary patience and will spend all the time you need, providing guidance and advice to help you get the best out of his sonic works of art.

Merlin Music Systems Inc.
www.merlinmusic.com
585-367-2390

Merlin Music TSM MMM
Price: $3,080 – $3,530 US (depending on choice of RC network)