Audiophilepure

The Acora Acoustics SRB

Acora claims a sensitivity of 86.5db/1w/1meter, but being a two-way design, they are easy to drive. Auditioning a number of amplifiers from Boulder, McIntosh, Nagra, Octave, and Pass, you can rest assured that a pair of SRBs will work well with whatever you are using, but they will reveal whatever is lacking in your upstream components. Their natural tonal balance and slightly forward tonal position allows you the option to fine tune your system elsewhere. Should you be a fan of a bit warmer overall sound, it will be easy to mate them with a warmer sounding amplification chain that will reflect this. And vice versa. There was nothing in our current collection of amplifiers, from 30wpc to over 400wpc that didn’t play well with the SRBs.

After a few more head-to-head comparisons in a follow up session with B&W’s N805 and the Reference 3a MM De Capo i, the AN-K/SPe continued to win my heart and mind. The N805’s treble sounded grainy on Barber’s “Adagio for Strings” as well as with oboes and flutes with various Vivaldi pieces that I was so enamoured with at the time. The K/SPe reminded me of a single-driver speaker but with bass and treble. The De Capo i lost ground with vocal reproductions as occasionally they seemed pushed too far back in the mix and I had trouble making out lyrics clearly — the speaker made me work harder. Meanwhile, the AN-K/SPe kept everything balanced and straightforward and honest. If the album had a singer more upfront, I heard the singer more upfront. If a singer was further back, I heard him further back.

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.