Meridian 818v3 – MC200 – DSP 5200 SE – REVIEW
June 12, 2016 Comments Off on Meridian 818v3 – MC200 – DSP 5200 SE – REVIEW
” Although I needed some time to find the best spots for the speakers, I was reminded from the first notes why I was originally so fond of Sooloos. The sound really is just right, and not at all computer-esque. The presentation is confident, solid and for a lack of a better word, real. Initially I had some bass thumb to get rid of, which in all fairness is a known issue in my listening room when using dynamic speakers. The solution is simply to pull them much further into the room and a little more apart than the Apogees are. The photo above btw does not show their final positions.”
WILSON AUDIO ALEXX FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKER $108,000 REVIEW
June 11, 2016 Comments Off on WILSON AUDIO ALEXX FLOORSTANDING LOUDSPEAKER $108,000 REVIEW
“The Wilson Alexx, however, lived up to a lot more potential than most, making a sound that gave a true sense of what a seriously good loudspeaker can sound like. This is possibly because the loudspeaker manages to combine the finesse needed to tease out those subtle micro-dynamic cues taking place in a recording, while simultaneously being able to unleash the dogs of aural war. You quickly learn on an almost atavistic level just how important that is in reality – an orchestra playing fff is an extremely loud sound up close, but within that powerful maelstrom of sound, you are capable of taking in some remarkably quiet nuances taking place at the same time: like hearing the keys of a woodwind instrument clicking and clacking even in the midst of some very dynamic – and very loud – playing. This comes entirely naturally in the real world, yet is almost always compromised to some extent in the audio domain. The Alexx is one of those rare loudspeakers that can do both, and both extraordinarily well.”
GRAHAM AUDIO LS3/5 STANDMOUNT LOUDSPEAKER REVIEW
June 10, 2016 Comments Off on GRAHAM AUDIO LS3/5 STANDMOUNT LOUDSPEAKER REVIEW
” As a consequence, the LS3/5 is almost beyond criticism, because I think those who use it will never separate it from its ‘recreation of a historic artefact’ context. So, criticising the LS3/5 for not dealing well with a complex, rhythmic and dynamic music signal is a bit like having a dog which can bark the Finnish national anthem, but criticising its diction and intonation. But more than that, it’s like attacking 1970 for being 46 years ago!”
ELAC DEBUT B5 STANDMOUNT LOUDSPEAKER REVIEW
June 9, 2016 Comments Off on ELAC DEBUT B5 STANDMOUNT LOUDSPEAKER REVIEW
” When writing a review like this or indeed listening to them sat at the end of a system, it is tempting to continually refer to their very low price. In a word, they are great little speakers. I recommend that you grab a listen to them and perhaps they will find their way into first systems for any number of younger people for whom MP3 and headphones is the usual listening method. They are a genuinely exciting little speaker regardless of their price and I wish them all the best because I found my time with them was musically interesting, but mostly refreshing. Very highly recommended!”
THIEL SmartSub 1.12 Subwoofer Reviewed
June 9, 2016 Comments Off on THIEL SmartSub 1.12 Subwoofer Reviewed
” It appears THIEL put a lot of thought into the SmartSub 1.12’s sound modes. Do you notice how much better the output is in Movie mode and how much more often the sub’s output is governed by the limiter in that mode? This could be nothing more than an artifact of the EQ setting, but the different character of the two modes leads me to believe someone put some effort into this. That’s heartening because sometimes manufacturers get one mode right, then tack on more without much consideration–just so they have more features they can brag about.”
GoldenEar Technology Triton Three+ Floorstanding Speaker $2,500 Review
June 9, 2016 Comments Off on GoldenEar Technology Triton Three+ Floorstanding Speaker $2,500 Review
” Oh that glorious tweeter, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways. GoldenEar Technology’s HVFR (folded ribbon driver) is glorious. Very fast, clean, and richly extended highs is your reward. Even Drake’s music sounded good(!). Ok, that might be stretching it for my personal preferences in music, yet what I mean is that everything from Kraftwerk to orchestral bells/chimes and the grinding guitar of Steve Vai came through without the dreaded harsh irritants I tent to associate with hard-dome tweeters or lackluster speaker designs. When I say fast, I mean super duper fast come-and-go with nothing overhanging type of highs.”
QUAD 2812 ELECTROSTATIC $11,995 REVIEW
June 7, 2016 Comments Off on QUAD 2812 ELECTROSTATIC $11,995 REVIEW
Almost everyone likes a crisp conclusion. But the Quad ESL63 and its variants have been from the start a speaker family that has gone its own way. They have low distortion, among the lowest; they have almost unparalleled coherence and unity of voice; they have an exceptionally uniform radiation pattern and a very low level of resonant coloration. They are also phase-linear, which I did not mention in much detail earlier, but which is known to have subtle but definitely audible positive effects, on transients in particular (try some woodblocks). In these categories they have always been in the very top echelon and they still are. “Alone at the top” is a phrase that one is tempted to use, though it would be a slight exaggeration since others are in the same realm, though not many. No amount of money will buy a speaker that does definitively better the things that the Quads do well.”
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PRANAFIDELITY FIFTY90 LOUDSPEAKERS REVIEW
June 6, 2016 Comments Off on PRANAFIDELITY FIFTY90 LOUDSPEAKERS REVIEW
” There’s also a wonderful massed vocal effect on the cut ‘Love put on your faces’ from this Barber album. The choir-like vocals seem to float up and out, with a depth that is almost eerie when you listen closely. I’d largely forgotten this until the Fifty90s delivered this effect, capturing my attention and wrapping me in a sonic space that felt tangible and multilayered. Yes, this recording sounds good on most systems but there’s a distinction between good sounding and attention-grabbing realism that not all speakers can make. That the Fifty90s can puts them in pretty exclusive company.”
Tannoy Prestige Gold Reference Series
June 5, 2016 Comments Off on Tannoy Prestige Gold Reference Series
” You’ll notice that each member of the Prestige GR Series is similarly styled. That is, they all look like someone has fallen in love with an Edwardian-era gramophone – you know, when audio players actually looked like something you’d decorate the parlour with – and fashioned a speaker out of it. Or two speakers actually, because they do play in stereo. It’s a specific look that will appeal to those with a particular aesthetic, or perhaps those with a beautiful old villa where these beauties would look right at home. And to be honest, there is something comfortably old-world about the Prestige GR series, and when you’re sitting in a room the look of the loudspeakers staring you in the face does impact on the way you hear the sound.”
Bowers & Wilkins 802 D3 Diamond loudspeaker $22,000/pair – Review
June 4, 2016 Comments Off on Bowers & Wilkins 802 D3 Diamond loudspeaker $22,000/pair – Review
“Was the 802 D3 faultless? Yes and no. I heard no problems with it in my room and system. Its tonal balance was somewhat lighter than many, including the 802 D3’s 800-series predecessors, because the bass was entirely devoid of bloat or emphasis or resonance. Despite this, there was no lack of authority when that was called for, and the speaker’s reproduction of deep bass was formidable. However, some listeners may find fault with that new balance because it might not suit the sound of their system and room, or their taste. Further, the 802 D3 easily revealed differences among other components. Of the amps I had on hand, I liked Theta’s Dreadnaught D—it seemed most consistent with the D3’s balance of clarity and power. Parasound’s Halo A31 three-channel amp leaned a bit toward the clarity, McIntosh’s MC-303 leaned toward the power.”
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