Audiophilepure

The art of loudspeaker design is producing a product with a Uni-Fied and refined voice that sounds like music, not a patchwork of sonic criteria. I think Elac’s success in this regard is, in part, the reason for the sonic leap I hear in this next generation of Uni-Fi. Elac’s UB5.2 has taken the well-deserved success of its immediate predecessor, ratcheted up the sonic positives, and, where they merited attention, minimized the shortcomings. In my book, there’s nothing better than witnessing a maturation process that improves the breed—and all for an extra hundred bucks. A terrific speaker that I can recommend without reservation. 

ROCKPORT CYGNUS SPEAKERS

https://www.monoandstereo.com/2021/05/rockport-cygnus-speakers.html

Like all Rockport Technologies loudspeakers, the singular purpose to re-create a musical experience is echoed in each design choice, and every detail of the Cygnus is finished to the highest standard. The result is a loudspeaker that transcends the boundaries of technical excellence and enters the realm of actually making music.”

Just over seven years ago I reviewed the Salk Sound Soundscape Speakers for Dagogo. I recall that they were built with what were generally considered to be some of the most accurate drivers available, chiefly the RAAL ribbon tweeter and Accuton ceramic midrange. A couple of months ago I sold the Vapor Audio Joule White speakers that I owned following review in 2016. These were of a similar ilk, with larger RAAL ribbons and Accuton ceramic midrange drivers. Owning those speakers, I was certainly on a quest for resolution!

If you’re buying the smallest floor-standing speaker in the Olympica Nova lineup, you’re probably not looking for the highest amount of bass output. The Nova II can go cleanly down to 40 Hz, and for much of the music I played, I found it to be enough. With the mighty McIntosh MC611 monoblock amplifiers (600 watts) driving the Olympica Nova II speakers, there was plenty of weight in the lower registers even when playing a demanding track like Cousin John by Marcus Miller. If you wanted more low-end extension, you could always go with the bigger brother options of the Nova III or Nova V, or simply augment the low end with a subwoofer or two.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/wilson-audio-specialties-chronosonic-xvx-loudspeaker

Those other Wilson speakers didn’t have the smoothest frequency response. Coloration was low, but not the best. All of the Wilsons I’ve owned, though, have had a combination of strengths including an uncolored low end, visceral wallop, wide, effortless dynamics, and—especially—a grand, 3D spatial picture that delivers all the width, depth, and especially height that’s included on a recording. All my previous Wilsons have largely disappeared and made my room evaporate, leaving an exciting, 3D space that—again, on excellent recordings—put me in the venue as no flat-baffle design has managed, though some of those did pretty well.

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1526-bowers-wilkins-705-signature-loudspeakers

Downie’s s sounds were accentuated by the B&Ws but not by the Revels. The 705 Signatures’ extra treble energy occasionally caused some distraction, so for this part of the audioband I pick the M126Be’s. It’s also important to note that I listen at fairly high volumes (90-95dB SPL, C-weighted). Turning down the volume by 10dB does tame excessive sibilance in speakers, such as the 705 Signature, that lean toward a bright sound—then again, the 705 Signatures brought out top-end details that a more neutral speaker might obscure a bit more. So consider your own listening preferences when narrowing down your speaker choices.

But when I played Vanessa Fernandez’s recording of “Here But I’m Gone,” which does not suffer from excessive treble and/or sibilance, I found myself choosing the B&Ws. In the opening kick-drum thumps, the B&Ws produced more output and extension while retaining all their solidity and punch, without bloat or overhang. Through the B&Ws Fernandez’s voice sounded light, surrounded by more air; through the Revels it was a bit more meaty and rich. When the recording played didn’t possess extra treble energy and/or sibilance, I preferred the extra bit of presence and delicacy I heard in the B&Ws’ midrange.

Mellow Acoustics FrontRo floorstanding electrostatic loudspeaker

Ultimately, this is a speaker for those who play music in rooms that don’t like loudspeakers! Electrostatics tend to thrive in large rooms, and the FrontRo is the exception. In small to mid-sized rooms where electrostatics usually struggle, the Mellow Acoustics FrontRo delivers a fine standard of performance, especially with speech. I’ve concentrated on vocals in part because the FrontRo shows how poor many loudspeakers are at reproducing the human voice, but it’s not simply designed for speech replay; a loudspeaker that gets the human voice right tends to get music right, and unless you are a fan of trouser-flapping, filling-loosening organ music or genres that include the word ‘dub’ played in barn-sized rooms, this is the antidote to rectangular wooden boxes and the limits they impose on sound

Franco Serblin Accordo stand-mount loudspeaker

The Franco Serblin Accordo is a sumptuous looking loudspeaker with a sound that at once harks back to some of the best small speakers ever produced, yet does so without becoming a rose-tinted wayback machine and has a clean and extended treble that’s as modern as they come without sounding harsh or brash. It’s also a deceptive looking loudspeaker because it looks smaller than it is, and it’s very much a deceptive sounding loudspeaker because it sounds bigger than it is! But, most and best of all, it’s as entertaining to listen to as it is to look at.