Audiophilepure

https://www.stereophile.com/content/kef-ls60-wireless-loudspeaker

Some readers may be incredulous about my comments on the bass performance of the LS60s, which was in fact remarkable for their size and very good in absolute terms. But it’s true: As well as those four small woofers performed (supported by DSP), they could not equal the Blade Two’s larger drivers. Extension rivaled that of the Blade Two’s, but only at lower output levels. The LS60’s DSP progressively rolls off the lowest frequencies as you raise the volume, painlessly accommodating themselves to Hofmann’s Iron Law, pushing it to its limits. With tracks from Tierro Band, Alison Kraus, Sara K, and, to a degree, Dead Can Dance, all cited above, the LS60s had ample bass until they were turned up too loud for musical enjoyment and neighbor comfort. With big orchestras (Mahler, Holst, etc.), organ, and—just a guess here, since I didn’t listen to these genres—hard rock, techno, or electronica, a subwoofer or two would provide a simple solution.

Using subs with the LS60 was a piece of cake because the necessary tools are built into KEF Connect. I ran an RCA interconnect from the sub output of each LS60 cabinet to an SVS SB-3000, which, conveniently, were already sitting behind the little KEFs, and set them up as stereo subs. High Pass and Low Pass filters were set at 92.5Hz, sub gain at –9.0dB, with positive polarity—all determined by ear then checked with Room EQ Wizard. With the subs installed, the LS60s became monsters, their output capacity unleashed. The low bass was perfectly integrated, superior to that from the sub-less Blades. Ease and transparency increased in the lower midrange, marginally but meaningfully, best revealed by acoustic guitar, presumably due to the lightened load on the LS60’s woofers.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/alta-audio-adam-loudspeaker

I’ve long found the analogy between loudspeakers and musical instruments flawed. The reason is simple and, to me, obvious. The goal of a string-instrument designer is to create a device that transforms a string’s vibrations into rich and interesting sound, while the goal of a loudspeaker designer is to create a device that accurately reproduces a record of a sonic event. The loudspeaker designer has an obligation to fidelity that the instrument-maker doesn’t share. When a quality violin plays a G5, the second harmonic is down just 5dB or so compared to the fundamental.

There’s another part of me, however, that suspects that the very best components, including loudspeakers, manage to transcend mere fidelity and deepen our experience of listening. Whether that has anything to do with loudspeakers acting like musical instruments, I have no idea.

https://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/dynaudio_evoke_50.htm

Are there any real downsides to the Evoke 50’s performance? For the price and my listening preferences, the answer is not really, but there are a few things to consider when you audition the speakers. They are not audio extroverts in their presentation. Primarily due to the smooth blending of the midrange and the Cerotar tweeter, the Evoke 50 is neutral and balanced, so initial reactions may favor a flashier-sounding speaker. I’d urge you to audition the Evoke 50 a bit longer than normal and try a wide range of music in order for their special qualities to grow on you. Also, as a midline speaker offering, the Evoke 50 may be paired with less-revealing electronics and many of their special qualities may be masked. I tried the Evoke 50 with some moderately priced solid-state amps and the results were good but not up to my best electronics. My BAT VK-60 tube amp driven directly by the preamp section of a dCS Bartók 2.0 sounded wonderful, with the best presentation of voice and soundstage depth, but the Evoke’s low impedance caused that amp run out of steam at moderately loud listening levels. For more spirited sessions, I got good results from the Bartók 2.0 paired with my 300-watt Innersound ESL or a 500-watt Peachtree amp500 on loan from a friend.

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0222/Scansonic_MB5B_Floorstanding_Speaker_Review.htm

Conversely, $7490 might represent a considerable chunk of change for many. Calling these speakers “affordable” is relative. But the technology of these speakers has trickled down from a brand of speakers costing much, much more; they are a ridiculous bargain. They have inherited more than I expected, given the considerable price difference between the Raidho and Scansonic speakers.

I could easily fill Enjoy The Music.com‘s server with praise for the Scansonic MB5 B. Many times during the audition period, I would sit back and enjoy the music (pun unintended) because I would forget that I was reviewing these speakers while listening to both old favorites and enjoying new musical finds. That’s what it’s all about.

The Cryo Edition version is similar in construction to the standard version. Only in the Cryo version, all metal parts that can be found in the loudspeaker are cryogenically treated one piece at a time. The parts are cooled down to -196 degrees Celsius and slowly brought back to room temperature. As a result, the internal molecular structure changes, and the stress from the materials disappears. The cryo treatment is done in-house at Børresen Acoustics itself, it is an expensive process but yields a substantial gain in sound quality.

The Silver Supreme Edition is again the same as the Cryo version, however, this version utilizes hand-cast and CNC-machined pure silver induction rings in the drivers. These drastically change the properties of drivers, in a very positive way. The inductance is about 12 times lower than that of conventional drivers and the distortion is reduced by as much as about 40%.

https://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/dynaudio_evoke_50.htm

One final bit of advice is that the seating height is fairly critical. At 44″ from the floor, the tweeters are significantly higher than your ears when you are seated in a normal-height chair. If you have a low-slung couch, as I do, the tweeter develops a shelved-down response above 2kHz. The tweeter will sound nice and mellow, but will diminish the instrumental timbre I’ve discussed, due to the reduced level. I had to remind myself to sit up straight to get the best sound from the Evoke 50s.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/dynaudio-focus-10-active-loudspeaker

“We have definitely improved the Focus tweeter with a device called the Hexis. It’s a plastic shape that looks like the Death Star and sits right behind the dome of the tweeter, very close to the diaphragm itself. The Hexis helps control the resonant behavior of the diaphragm and extends and helps give character to the high frequencies. It also helps protect the tweeter so if you accidentally push it, it won’t tend to crinkle or squash, thereby limiting high-end performance.

“We’ve also improved the midwoofer’s voice-coil, magnet system, and surround. The midrange/woofer is composed of polypropylene with added MSP (magnesium silicate polymer).” Because of this additive, it “delivers a much more natural sound than you typically get from a polypropylene cone.”