Audiophilepure

https://www.hifinews.com/content/wilson-audio-alexia-v-loudspeaker

Recalling a mentor who said, ‘If the soundstage is correct, all else will follow’, as with the Wilsonian concern for coherent and correct time arrival, within the soundstage – thanks to its scale, width, depth and height – I could picture with ease the performers and the instruments, and their relative sizes. Retrieval of detail was of macro-lens precision, as was exact instrument positioning. Confirmed in part by images in the CD’s booklet, it occurred to me that use of the term ‘uncanny’ is actually an understatement.

What turned this into a life-affirming experience, after dozens of favourite test tracks including most of Lou Rawls’ At Last [Blue Note CDP 7 91937 2] and the most authentic reproduction and contrast between his growl and Dianne Reeves’ sparkle, as well as Keb’ Mo’s Peace… Back By Popular Demand [Okeh/Epic EK 92687] with its gorgeous piano passages, was a recording from the Age of Sibilance. I don’t know why so many 1980s recordings are the antithesis of those from the velvety 1950s, but too many nestle on a knife-edge between treble extension and torment.

https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2022/9/23/bsc-research-dundee-8-loudspeakers

After I was finished listening to my classical examples, Mark played moments from the 1979 progressive rock classic Pink Floyd CD The Wall, allowing me to hear the electrical instruments of the band in a state-of-the-art recording. The recording was made manifest in the most arresting way. You could not be indifferent to the sound pouring through these babies. There was immediacy and energy, forward energy, born on the wings of the directionality of the sound. Very impressive. As an aside, I must admit, and many of you will laugh at this, I am not that familiar with Pink Floyd. By 1970 I had stopped playing and arranging “covers” of early Chicago and Blood Sweat and Tears material, sold off my “ballsy” Hammond-L and 251 Leslie speaker, and started focussing on the classical repertoire. (Yes, I do yearn occasionally to return to this repertoire). But I digress. For the moment, allow me to make a few final comments on the details of the speakers and we will have more to say about their sound.

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

Designed as a “complete wireless sound system,” the Dynaudio Focus 10 active monitors are the most musically satisfying one-stop playback solution I’ve had the pleasure of hanging with. Thanks to their wireless options, built-in upsampling DAC, multiple streaming options, DSP, and optional Dirac room correction (which I didn’t try), all you need supply is a Wi-Fi signal, a streaming subscription, a smartphone or tablet for control, and a little time to fine-tune everything. If you already have Roon, you’re ready to go; you can even skip Roon and stick with Tidal Connect. The Focus 10s are easy to set up and optimize, and they deliver all they promise.

If you want to rock out, or if your room is less than intimate in size, the more expensive Focus 30 and Focus 50 models will likely prove more satisfying. But within its limitations of image size and bass quantity, the Focus 10 is one of the most musically satisfying active loudspeakers I’ve had the pleasure to audition. Highly recommended

Clear plastic encases the WVL AMT tweeter; it stands upright at a slight angle. The tweeter mount sits fully across the top of the main cabinet, held in place with invisible magnets. Thanks to the magnetic hold-down the tweeter enclosure can move back and forth on the cabinet for time alignment and balance between upper and lower frequencies. The tweeter mounts off center allowing you to place it toward the inside or outside of the cabinet—closer to or further from a sidewall—just swap the pair across cabinets to change the orientation for best sound.

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%.

The differences did not end there, however. On the Lumina V, the percussive tom-tom drums, which seem to talk during the chorus, had wonderful attack-to-body transition, and never got lost to the background of the lead instrumentation and vocals. This character was similar in all aspects on the Sonetto III, except the space between the instruments was far greater, and the start/stop speed of everything was more defined. There may have been a hint of congestion at times in the upper bass with the Lumina V, however the Sonetto III had none of it and were extremely accurate. I would classify the Sonetto III to be dead-pan neutral in timbre. This works for them in many ways, however there is no hiding harshness when it is present in the recording with the Sonetto III. As “Small Things” grew to its dramatic ending, the Sonetto III grew with it, and maintained their composure at volumes louder than I would expect. This got me thinking this is what Sonus faber meant when they stated not to be fooled by their size. They did not sound as of they had 8″ woofers for sure, however they did sound rock-solid and were surprisingly room filling for their slight size.

https://www.soundandvision.com/content/jbl-4349-2-way-loudspeaker-review

These powerful and precise JBLs made everything I listened to through a pair sound fresh and vital. The 1970s studio monitor styling may not suit everyone’staste, but the mesmerizing sound they produce is sure to captivate any music lover’s imagination.

When it comes to speakers, I’ve learned not to judge a design by its looks. But when you first meet a JBL 4349, it’s impossible not to start thinking about the company’s professional studio monitors. The prominent horn, with its curved and bulging shape, takes center stage. The woofer is hidden behind a removable cloth grill, while the horn remains exposed. This speaker takes the tried-and-true hardware combination of a 12″ paper cone woofer plus a compression driver horn-loaded tweeter, combining them to deliver near-perfect sonic performance with refined precision

The Magico A5 isn’t just another Magico loudspeaker and isn’t even just another high-end loudspeaker; it’s a point of inflexion. It’s the tipping point where real high-end happens, and its flexible enough to let high-end happen in a wider range of home than usual. The combination of being capable of being driven by a good integrated amplifier and the way it integrates into smaller rooms than you might expect all lend the A5 a gravitas that sets it apart from its peers. It’s the gateway to a higher-end world, but not simply a stepping-stone that leaves you wanting more. And for many this will be their first experience of what Magico can sound like and that’s a big step for many. For some, it will be the only step they ever need to make, for others, it will be the first step in a wholly new journey.

The cryogenic treatment of the metal parts is done by Børresen Acoustics in-house and in their own specific manner. The cryogenic treatment of the metal parts is a process that takes a total of 3 days. In the first 24 hours, the metal parts are cooled to cryogenic temperatures. During the next 24 hours, the temperature is kept constant at around -196° Celsius. During the following 24 hours, the temperature of the metal parts is gradually raised to room temperature. Gradual cooling and heating of the metal parts are critical to avoid thermal stress in the metal. The cryogenic treatment of the metal parts compresses and strengthens the structure of the metal and reduces the residual stress in the metal which normally occurs when metal changes from its liquid phase to a solid phase. The result of the cryogenic treatment of the metal parts is that the conductivity increases by about 6-8%, which in turn ensures faster and more transparent sound reproduction.