Audiophilepure

https://www.audiophilia.com/reviews/2021/9/12/m9484k93bdqrg5ihagdunk1qdm0yk2

Just before I left for Toronto, a pair of extraordinary, very expensive loudspeakers arrived on the island (Nov 19 review publication), and while in Toronto, I had a great listening session at Corby Audio in nearby Hamilton, featuring Don Corby’s spectacular home made speakers with JBL drivers, a horn, and crossovers by Allnic Audio’s Kang Su Park. I also got to listen to a pair of Avantgarde DUO Mezzo loudspeakers with a superb T+A DAC and spectacular AirTight 10W mono blocks. You’ll have to wait for the Nov 19 review to read about the newly arrived speakers, but comparison with the other speakers to the Atria IIs was instructive. The massive, brilliant homebuilts would probably sell for 200K plus if Don Corby ever made another set and the stunning Avantgardes were $90,000. Both speakers considerably more than the Atria II’s price of ($27,500/pair). So, a pretty silly comparison. But a comparison in almost real time, nonetheless. The Atrias held their own with these mighty masterpieces, remarkable for what is considered a somewhat reasonable price these days for a virtuoso loudspeaker of this quality. And a virtuoso is certainly what the Atria II is.

https://www.soundstageultra.com/index.php/equipment-menu/1061-bowers-wilkins-805-d4-loudspeakers

Let me just tackle this up front: The 805 D4 is not a neutral loudspeaker. Nor did Bowers & Wilkins intend for it to be. They use a combination of measurements and real-world listening to voice their creations, and they don’t rely on another’s reference curve. So, if you’re looking for ruthless tonal linearity, look elsewhere, my friend. Likewise, if you prefer a rolled-off top end (you know, the kind that is forgiving to even the poorest source material), the newest Bowers & Wilkins two-way will not be your cup of tea, either. But if you’re after something altogether more vivid and exciting, if you don’t want to listen so much as to be thrilled, then the 805 D4 may be your endgame bookshelf speaker.

AMT drivers manifest both horizontal and vertical dispersion similar to that of a small dome tweeter, but without the vertical dispersion issues of a ribbon, which requires a listener to be seated at precisely the same height as the transducer to get the superior detail that technology promises. Audiovector further improves its AMT driver by implementing the “Soundstage Enhancement Concept,” sending 30% of the tweeter’s energy backwards—through a long tube so there won’t be any negative interaction with the radiation to the front. There’s less compression and distortion. Klifoth declared proudly: “The technology creates openness, better harmonics, and a generally more lifelike presentation.” Well, of course, he’d say that: They’re his speakers. Time to report on my own experience with the R1 Arretés—and the experience of three other listeners especially qualified to have informed opinions about the Audiovector’s high-frequency reproduction.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/scansonic-m20-loudspeaker

Fed with the familiar symphonic work-out that is Britten’s ‘Young Person’s Guide To The Orchestra’, here played by the Kansas City Symphony Orchestra under conductor Michael Stern [from Britten’s Orchestra, Reference Recordings RR-120SACD], the strength of these Scansonic speakers is in the detail they bring out in the various instrumental groups, and their speed and lightness of touch. But as the great final fugue builds to its climax, one can’t help but want for a bit more grunt and scale.

That said, these speakers don’t need massive amplifier power to do their stuff. With a Supernait 3 integrated from Naim, which admittedly falls below the lower limit of Scansonic’s suggestion, they were easily capable of going more than loud enough with no signs of stress, while still sounding both open and dynamic.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/stenheim-alumine-three-loudspeaker

When reviewing audio equipment, I always attempt to elucidate what the reviewed component does different than, or better than, or worse than similar components in its price-performance category. This can be difficult if I’m not in-home familiar with the review component’s competition. But it was easy with the Stenheim Alumine Threes.

What separates the Threes from most other top-tier luxury-class speakers is twofold: First, the Stenheims’ look is living-room, partner, and family-friendly, not audiophile weird. Second, and more importantly, the Alumine Threes are not dreadful-to-drive, low-EPDR speakers that will only work with massive crazy-money monoliths that are capable of driving 2 ohms. While the Stenheims responded extremely well to large amounts of high-quality amplifier power, they were equally exciting when powered by a 25W class-A solid state amp and a 22W single-ended triode. I regard this as proof that a well-engineered speaker need not be difficult to drive.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/jbl-hdi-3800-loudspeaker

That said, there’s a slight sense that the bass can be a tad slow at times – Andreas Bye’s crisply forceful drumbeats opening ‘In The Mountains’, from the Espen Eriksen Trio’s Never Ending January album [Rune Grammofon RCD2173] have a little of the ‘plastic barrel’ about them. However, the balance when the entire trio joins in is entertaining enough, Eriksen’s piano having stately weight in the lower octaves and fine delicacy in the right hand, while Lars Tormod Jenset’s bass is suitably sonorous, and the soundstage image unforced.

With the testing Britten ‘Young Person’s Guide To The Orchestra’, from the Michael Stern/Kansas City Symphony Britten’s Orchestra set [Reference Recordings RR-120], the HDI-3800s sail through the masses of detail, presenting a persuasive view of each instrumental section. The vivid percussion is particularly enjoyable, and all the while there’s a well-realised picture of the orchestra as a whole. And the great fugue with which the piece concludes sounds magnificent, not least due to the drama the speakers deliver with massed forces and bass slams.

https://www.whathifi.com/us/reviews/dynaudio-emit-20

The mid/bass driver and tweeter work together using a custom-designed crossover from the same team behind Dynaudio’s Heritage Special and Core speakers. The Emit 20 use a hybrid first- and second-order design for the tweeter and woofer respectively.

On the back of the Emit 20 you’ll find single-wired connections and a new dual-flared bass-reflex port. A rear-firing port arrangement makes speakers more sensitive to placement, so we’d try to refrain from tucking the ’20s up against a rear wall or into the corners of a room. We also found a little toe-in towards our listening position helped give the stereo image greater focus.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/system-audio-legend-402-silverback-loudspeaker

In addition to onboard amplification, the introduction of the Silverback module (the passive Legend 40.2 can be upgraded if desired) replaces binding posts with a USB service port and IEC mains socket, plus an XLR input for wired connection to a balanced preamplifier. Around these are a series of status LED lights that signify the channel position of the speaker when used with the wireless Stereo Hub. For a two-channel set-up, it’s just a case of assigning one as right and one as left, but it also caters to multichannel installations (centre, surround back, etc), if the speaker is paired with the eight-channel Surround Hub.

System Audio’s hubs use wireless WiSA technology to stream a 96kHz/24-bit signal direct to the Silverback speaker, and both models are well endowed in terms of source connectivity. USB-B, HDMI ARC, coaxial and optical (x3) digital, plus RCA and 3.5mm analogue, and Bluetooth, Chromecast, Spotify Connect and Apple AirPlay wireless hook-ups should be enough for anyone using these speakers.

In practice you’ll utilise the hub to stream music direct from your home network or streaming service, and SA’s RAM Tweaks to massage the sound. But the flexibility doesn’t stop there. The company’s app-based EQ facility, Room Service, which aims to smooth in-room response below 300Hz is now integrated into the comprehensive SA Cockpit app. This includes a three-preset manual parametric EQ adjustment with gain and Q value control across the full spectrum. It’s a powerful tool, but with power also comes responsibility