It isn’t often one gets to review a nearly complete system and I jumped at the opportunity to do so, and there is good reason. Reviewing a single component, a speaker, a CD Player, an amplifier, etc. involves certain guess work, and that magic touch it brings to one system might not appear in another. But with a complete system, where the synergy of the components has been worked out by a single manufacturer, basically all that is left is the room and the sound. A complete system takes so many variables out of the equation, narrowing the reviewer/consumer equipment gap, that there is really a good argument to be made for only purchasing a complete system. Especially if you love great music but don’t have the time to test out 20 or 30 different components and all the combinations that could possibly be created out of them. Sometimes easy street is just perfect place to go.

The Prelude Line from Electrocompaniet consists of the PSB-1 bookshelf speakers, the PSF-1 Floorstanding speakers, the PI-1 50-watt amplifier, the PI-2 100-watt amplifier, the PC-1 CD player and the Maestro integrated home entertainment system. System provided for this review included the PC-1 CD Player, the PI-2 amplifier and the PSB-1 bookshelf speakers.
In this review of the PC-1, PI-2 and PSB-1 components of the Prelude Line, I plan to give you a general overview of my impression of the system as a whole, and then each component individually integrated with other components from different manufactures I’ve had access to during the duration of this review. Firstly though I’ll give you a bit of information about the listening space the Prelude Line was reviewed in and the music styles I exposed it to. After that I’ll get into the sound of the system and individual components.

If you are unfamiliar with Electrocompaniet, it is a Norwegian company that has been around since the earlier 70’s. Their first breakthrough component was “The 2 Channel Audio Amplifier” that was transient intermodulation distortion free. Based on a 1973 paper by Dr. Matti Otala, Electrocompaniet’s first 2×25 was hailed as “the world’s best sounding amplifier” by the Audio Critic in 1976. I have to admit, I wasn’t even born yet. But it is nice to know my ears are in capable hands.

Room/Music Style:

I set up the Prelude system in my living room which, with the wife’s approval, has been converted to our listening room and my office. The room is roughly 22 feet long and 15 feet wide with 8.5 feet ceiling. There are four large windows, two along the right 22 feet length and one on each 15 feet width. There is a large opening in one wall that leads to the kitchen. The home is classic California Bungalow style that has been rehabbed. There is a raised stone foundation with recently redone framing, floors and drywall. I set up the speakers on a tipped over Ikea Lack shelving unit with 3-inch raised feet. The left and right internals shelves are packed with many of my heaviest books to give the stand weight and vibration resistant stability. And to give the appearance I read books, went to school, and have a functional brain in this cavity above my neck. The center internal shelf is left open for component placement.

The PSB-1 speakers, themselves a hefty weight, were set on the top of the tipped over Lack about 3 inches in from each end and at the most forward position to be flush with the Lack’s face. I sat on a large leather couch at about the same distance away as the speakers are apart, about 64 inches. So a fairly near-field listening experience, which is how I tend to like it. The speakers were about 34 inches from the back wall and 30 inches from the side walls. I experimented with some placement a few inches back or in closer together, but that either led to muddy bass or a compressed soundstage.

Both side walls have first reflection dampening material from floor to ceiling spanning about 6 feet in width. 3 feet in front and back of the first reflection point is found with a mirror. There is also material on the rear wall with sound abortion material in the corners directly rear of the speakers to their left and right. The room isn’t sonically neutral; it is a living, working, changing room. I’ve done the best I can to reduce sonic interference when one is sitting in the best listening position.

I listen to a wide variety of music ranging from trance, trip-hop, metal, classic rock, jazz, blues, classical and even some country. Variety is the spice of my life, and I think that helps give you, the reader, a more rounded impression of the speakers as well. If I think a system does significantly well with a particular style of music, I’ll let you know. Conversely, if it can’t muster the needs of other styles, I’ll point that out. But really, you should know, finding a system that fits your needs is your job. Reviews can only point you in directions, but your ears, brain, and time spent auditioning different systems is how you learn what you like. So I urge you, even if you aren’t ever sure about something, never pass up a chance to listen to any system out there. But I believe you should actually find the time to audition the Prelude Line from Electrocompaniet, there is something special going on here.

The Prelude Line: PSB-1 Bookshelf Speakers | PC-1 CD Player | PI-2 Integrated Amplifier

The Prelude Line keeps a similar component design and feel to Electrocompanient’s higher-end Classic Line. Smooth faced and low profile rectangles with a round silver power button on the left and four round silver buttons in a diamond shape on the right. These are to access selections of functions of each component. Functions like PAUSE, FAST FORWARD are accessed via the remote. There is a VFD-digital display in the center using a light blue retro type face. Not too bright in a dark room. Each unit comes with the same generic and somewhat confusing remote. I’m not a remote whiz, I haven’t had a TV and the obligatory even more complex remotes in about 10 years, so I’m a bit of a remote noob. But Electrocompaniet is developing its own proprietary remote. I look forward to seeing what they come up with, although it doesn’t appear to be an iPhone/SmartPhone remote in the works, which is too bad. I think the slick design and modern feel of the components could only benefit from a smart phone remote application.

The PC-1 and PI-2 units are constructed well and have good heft to their weight. They are both 16 inches wide, 12 inches deep and 2 inches tall. The system can get a bit warm after some use at higher volumes. And if you live in hot weather the system can even get slightly hot, but nothing near burning-your-skin levels. The PC-1 CD Player has balanced XLR and single-ended interconnection options. The PI-2 integrated amplifier has 2×2 fully balanced XLR and 2×2 single-ended connections. I ran my P3/24 and Moon LP3 through a set of the single-ended connections with Granite Audio #470 interconnects, and in between the PC-1 and PI-2 I used the supplied foot-long XLR cables from Electrocompaniet. I did try the Granite Audio #470 in between the PC-1 and PI-2 at first. After switching to the fully balanced XLR cables there was a noticeable volume gain, but that was about all I noticed. Obviously different interconnects will change the sound of the system. Electrocompaniet requested I use the XLR cables for the review, keeping in line with the whole synergy thing. Also, neither unit has a headphone adapter.

The PC-1 uses a CD drive, not a DVD as some others have reported, that has been mounted in a new anti-vibration system and it runs very quietly. I can’t hear it at all sitting just a few feet away with the volume down very low. There is no Open button so one has to hold down the STOP button for a couple seconds to load/unload the CD. Hit the PLAY button to make the magic happen. The tray opens and closes quickly after holding down the corresponding buttons for several seconds, but load time to hearing music does seem to lag a little. I counted about 11 seconds after I hit the PLAY button before I hear music out the system.

The data from the CD is processed through a 24bit/192kHz DAC from Cirrus Logic and is run in a fully balanced class A output stage. The 16bit of the CD is up converted to 24bit. I didn’t have any issue with any normal or burned CD I put in, but trying to get some of the other formats that are listed on the Electrocompaniet website to play was frustrating and ended up just wasting CDRs. What is an MP3-DVD anyways…. Seriously, I Googled it and came up with nothing much. I didn’t test the regular MP3 functionality of the system because it would be such a shame to run that junk through such a wonderful set up. So redbook, burned, and hybrid SACDs it was. The player also did a good job reading some fairly scratched disc.

The PI-2 is a 100-watt into 8 Ohms, integrated solid-state amplifier that looks almost identical to the PC-1 CD Player. The four round, small, silver buttons access all the functionality you’ll need. The vertical ones controlling the VOLUME, a digital volume control, the same used in the EC4.7/EC4.8 preamplifiers. It seems it typically does two notches up and one notch down when just quickly pressing the buttons. I never found out how high the volume went, but it started at 0 and continued on past 100, but my ears didn’t want to find out how far past it went. Let’s just say it can get ‘neighborly pissing off’ loud. The horizontal two buttons control INPUT SELECTION. CD, Tuner, Aux, and HTV (buttons not all found in a row on remote).

My only complaint about either unit is that the binding post on the PI-2 are kind of cheap-feeling and -looking for a amplifier costing $3,250. They do get the job done and were selected to meet cost vs. E.U. requirements. They are gold plated and accept un-terminated wire, spade or banana terminations.

The PSB-1 bookshelf speakers are small, heavy, made of 18mm thick MDF, and have a finger print-exposing glossy piano black finish. They are fairly nice looking in a simple, no BS, way. There are four binding post on the back to accept bi-wiring or bi-amping. Electrocompaniet uses a modified Scanspeak 25mm (1-inch) silk dome tweeter and a 162.5mm (6.5-inch) coated paper cone woofer. The cabinet is standing bass reflex design and has a port in the rear to augment bass response. The tweeter has ventilated magnet system and damped rear chamber. This is to ensure minimum compression of the top-end. And frankly I think it works.

Electrocompaniet has phased optimized the crossovers to ensure a large soundstage that sounds coherent and solid. The drivers have the same absolute acoustic phase at the crossover frequency between the midrange and the tweeter without any inverted phase of the drive units to give realistic music experience possible at this price point. I found the speakers very easy to place and sounded good at just left and right of the sweet spot.

System Sound

I sat there the first night of hearing this system, completely slouched out in my couch, ears just below the mid-level of the tweeter, legs completely tense as the waves of Pink Floyd’s Wish You Where Here washed over me. I was going to be late to pick my wife up from her class. I needed to be there at 9:15pm and it was already 9, I didn’t want to leave the couch. Just as the relaxed, almost after glow last section, of the album was starting to fade in. Damn, this was the first time I have been caught, well first time in a long time I’ve been caught, between responsibility and music. I wasn’t too sure which one to pick. I was almost sweating from emotional intensity of that resounding audio ride. I didn’t want it to finish early; then again I didn’t want to sleep on the couch…

Why, what was it, the system or the music, the speakers or the amplifier, the combination or everything? Was it because I was using the PS Audio PrefectWave AC5 instead of the AC3, or was it just that moment? I had to know. This system has a great emotional pull and I want to know why. Now at this point, three months later, I can point to two factors that contributed to that captivating night, the Scanspeak tweeter in the PSB-1 and the overall quality and synergy of the Prelude system.

Analytically the best way to describe sound produced from the Prelude system is, slightly rolled off highs at the top-end of the frequency spectrum, the treble and mids in general are a bit louder than the lows, and the sound boarderlines on analog smoothness. The treble and mids are silky and clear. But the clarity and thump of the bottom-end leaves a little to be desired. They are pretty small bookshelf speakers, so the slight lack of bottom-end punch, at least in my mid sized room, isn’t too surprising. Those are the facts of the system as I have heard them in my listening room. Regardless, many nights I found myself locked in a trance, sucked into the sound of the system. I’ve yet to hear something similarly engaging without having to cut off a leg to afford it.

PC-1 CD player:

After a couple months of just listening to the Prelude system, I decided to start switching in other components to find out where the emotional pull of the system was coming from. What component held the golden ticket to my heart?

By itself, the PC-1 CD player does a good job of giving you what is on the disc. Plus the player is super quiet sonically, though it is affected by what is powering it. I’ve run a couple different power cables into it and found it is susceptible to interference. I’ve heard soundstage and dynamics greatly reduced when using standard or iffy power cables. I generally ran it with the PS Audio AC3 or AC5 Perfect Wave power cable and found them to be a good match. Typically the AC 3 into the PC-1 and AC5 into the PI-2 amplifier.

I’ve only had a chance to pair the PC-1 CD player with three other speakers besides the Electrocompaniet PSB-1. With the two others in a system of the PC-1 running through the PI-2 amplifier, the sound is very full range, way up into the high range, fatiguing actually. Especially when using solid copper core speaker cables, but also noticeable with standard copper strand speaker cables as well. This is fine, some folks love hearing all that extra stuff. It is exciting to the ear, but I am happy Electrocompaniet rolls that excitement off in the PSB-1 bookshelf speakers.

PI-2 amplifier:

The PI-2 amplifier might actually be the ‘purist’ jewel of the Prelude components. The sound out of it is natural, revealing, and fast. It was very easy to combine with other components. For instance, if I wanted more mids I would use the PS Audio AC5 to power it. If I wanted more bass and crisper highs than I would use Granite Audio #570 to power it. If I used solid copper core speaker cables into the other speakers I could change CD Players to get a more relaxed sound while keeping slightly louder highs, giving the highs a more solid, less airy quality. The PI-2 didn’t appear to place its own sound above the associated equipment, instead putting out what it takes in, and can be enhanced or restricted based on paired components.

PSB-1 bookshelf speakers:

The Prelude line I reviewed does posses a sweet silky sound, which is very likely the result of the Scanspeak tweeter in the PSB-1.

What that means subjectively is that cymbals and other high frequency sounds are extremely solid and are almost in the room. For instance, when playing the thelonious monk quartet with john coltrane at carnegie hall CD, Shadow Wilson’s cymbals are flat out amazing. They sound robust and solid, metallic and realistic, without being fatiguing. The sound is emotionally captivating. When spinning Jeff Buckley’s version of “Halleluiah” on vinyl, the PSB-1 speakers handle his voice with such firm delicateness and realistic staging that it almost bring out tears. One can hear the roll-off of the highs. On other albums that feature sharper brass, the realistic aggravating sharpness just isn’t there. The result of this roll-off in the highs is a system that one can listen to for hours without experiencing fatigue. So there is a slight trade off in absolute reproduction versus a silky analog-like sound that can be enjoyed for hours on end.

The lows unfortunately are not as stunning as the mids and highs. Though they aren’t bad, they just aren’t in balance with the quality and clarity of the rest of the range. Maybe in a smaller room than mine, or if you are an apartment dweller and don’t want to irk your neighbors, or if you don’t listen to punchy music, this won’t be a concern.

Conclusion

I would advice you to give the Prelude line some demo time if the opportunity arises or you are in the market for some new gear. I think the PI-2 amplifier and the PSB-1 speakers with the tweeters are fantastic and really make the case for the quality of craftsmanship and sound from Electrocompaniet’s entry-level line. Pair the set with the right power cables and room size and you’ll be set for hours of emotionally engaging sound.

My suggestions for Electrocompaniet for future version would be to increase the size and bottom-end clarity of the woofer and come out with that custom remote as quickly as possible.

The post Electrocompaniet PSB-1 Bookshelf Speakers, PC-1 CD Player, PI-2 Integrated Amplifier Review appeared first on Dagogo.

It would seem to me that the audiophiles on the other side of the pond have had PMC to themselves for far too long. This should not be the case. Especially when you consider the entire pedigree of action packed, star studded, blockbuster Hollywood soundtracks, sometimes those being the best part about the movie, that have been mixed on PMC speakers. It is a wonder you don’t see many more PMC speaker reviews in the American audiophile press. Well, maybe shame on the press, maybe not… Although you, the reader, I implore you, if you get the chance to listen to some PMC speakers, give them a nice long demo. Their neutral and revealing studio sound doesn’t stun you, it doesn’t wow you; instead, the clarity, detail, and excellent ability to reproduce the source slowly grows wins over your ears.

PMC stands for Professional Monitor Company. The name is a little on the refreshingly bland side but it is very much to the point. A professional monitor company they are. If you read over the surprising long list of high-end studios and world renown musicians that use PMC speakers, one can be left a little star stunned. But once you get in a good long audition you’ll know that bland a name and seventies-looking veneer are just fine. When you have a speaker able to reproduce the source and system behind it with such transparency, you won’t mind at all.

All PMC speakers use a variation on transmission line cabinet design. PMC calls it the ‘ATL’ for Advanced Transmission Line technology. The transmission line cabinet design is rather uncommon and a hard-to-be-perfected design. The ATL cabinet essentially places the woofer at one end of a long tunnel that is damped accordingly to remove upper bass and higher frequencies that typically come out of something like a ported cabinet. The port of an ATL cabinet acts almost as a second driver and the lowest exiting frequencies are said to remain in phase with the rest of the speaker.

The PMC version of the transmission line cabinet and drivers, either built in-house or spec’d to specific requirements, offers an array of benefits to PMC and the end user. Some being: Across the range of PMC speakers there is a near-identical voicing, massive amounts of detail in the mids, a full and rich sound at any volume level, and very clean and fast bass. PMC’s philosophy is “to design the ideal monitoring solution with the highest resolution possible without colouration and distortion.” I feel the TB2i speakers have achieved this goal.

Interestingly, the ATL cabinet design, with the baffles built-in, allows the TB2i speakers to be a bit lighter-weight than one would expect of a monitor of this size. The cabinet is made from 16mm thick HDF and with the baffles bracing the cabinet, there is very little flex/interference. In fact, I placed weights on top of the speakers to see if I could get an even clearer low-end out of them while blasting some Massive Attack and it seemed to do very little.

The TB2i speakers use a 27mm, PMC/SEAS® SONOLEX™, soft dome, ferro-fluid tweeters that are each hand selected, tested and recorded, and each pair is matched for the best possible pairing. If you are wondering what ‘ferro-fluid’ is/means, it is a carrier fluid with very small particles of iron in it. The ferro-fluid in the tweeter carries heat away from the coil so it can be absorbed by the metal work around the coil to reduce the effects of power compression and distortion. Think of it like the heat sink paste you’d stick between your PC’s CPU and the CPU cooling fan. The better the transfer of heat, the more stable the processor. And in this case, the better the sound from the tweeter.

The 170mm Doped LF driver is made to specific designs for PMC. It is housed in a sturdy magnesium chassis with a steep 24dB/Oct crossover at 2kHz and shallow roll-off even after its claimed bass response of 40Hz. This driver is what I’ve really come to like about the TB2i speakers. It reveals detail and tonal accuracy that make instruments, like the stand-up bass, a joy to bob along to. Hearing the strings hum and vibrate brings real joy to these ears. Coming from playing electric bass throughout high school and college, I always took every chance that came my way to play a stand-up. These days those chances don’t come very often, basically never, except when I put on a record and pretend to thumb away.

I drove these speakers with several different amplifier and cabling options over the review period; but I’ve predominately run them on Electrompaniet’s PI-2 integrated amplifier. With an 8 Ohms impedance and 90dB sensitivity I found the speakers easy to drive with a variety of 100W amplifiers. At thunderously loud volumes or even as quiet as a mouse, the speakers’ voicing remained balanced and coherent. I say quiet as a mouse but that isn’t really fair to the speakers. These speakers are able to put off a solid amount of bass, something a mouse can’t do, even at very low volumes. You really can have your own late night party with these without waking your spouse. And when you get the chance to crank them up their voicing doesn’t break up or lose spectrum. As well they produce a sound much bigger than they actually are. On the Heifetz version of Tchaikovsky’s Concerto in D, OP. 35 on RCA (0-7863-55933-2), cranked up, these speakers can really move some air with dynamic shifts. From the sweet spot on my listening couch they produced an image equal in size horizontally as it was vertically. This really stood out on The Cure’s Wish. With all those high frequency guitar effects and Robert Smith’s voice-over dubs, those seemed to dance in front of me and well above my head, while the bass and midrange remained enveloping, forceful, and didn’t sound too low to the ground.

But I digress from my explanation of set up. At first I ran the speakers with a single 10 gauge copper wire speaker cable. Though this sounded good, I felt it wasn’t giving the speakers a fair shake. I ended up running the TB2i’s with two sets of solid copper-core cables of different gauges. I ran a fairly small diameter cable to the tweeter and another, about double diameter, to the woofer. This pushed the high frequencies just slightly higher in volume and brought horns and cymbals to greater detail and presence. But I’ve noticed I do like this slightly tipped sound, so please keep in mind that is a basis for me. I think if you tend to like the ‘live’ sound, this may be a set up for these speakers you should consider trying. A friend came over one night after the speaker cable switch and he said he loved the sharper, more lifelike sound of the horns off an Afro-pop record I was spinning.

My seating position was fairly close to the speakers. I set them up with the “Golden Triangle” method, which means I was just about equal distance from the intersecting ‘T’ line as the tweeters were apart. With no toe-in I was able to obtain a solid and deep sound stage once all the reflection points in the room were dampened. I like the feeling of being right next to the sound, completely engulfed, almost as though the speakers are really just big headphones, and I was able to achieve this with the TB2i speakers. With some speakers this is almost impossible to achieve because the crossovers aren’t done well and I can hear a split along the sound stage where the lows stay on the floor and the highs stay above. This didn’t happen with the 2-way TB2i speakers. As well they offered both a great field of depth, if the recording had that, and the listening room was set up to best deal with not only first reflection points on the side walls but also to deal with contaminating reflection points from the back wall between the speakers. Even though I had the TB2i’s about 20 inches away from the back wall, depth of field was increased greatly when I installed some dampening material between the speakers on the rear wall.

I sat with my ears at just the level between the tweeter and woofer. Even though the TB2i speakers have an even dispersion and are flat at 60 degrees off-axis, I was able to notice if one speaker was slightly off from the other. Maybe I am just very sensitive to this issue or because of the size of the Golden Triangle and my proximity to the TB2i’s made them seemed not as easy to position correctly as some other speakers I’ve had. But I admit it could be that I was putting them in a difficult set up, and once settled they faded away and produced a coherent sound stage without gaps or overly loud parts.

I received the TB2i fresh out of a very well packaged box. Break-in took at least 20hrs for the tweeter and woofer to meld together in sound, and another good 20hrs or more for real detail to emerge. I was worried at first that these speakers wouldn’t play some of my softer music with the warmth and soul I’ve heard in other speakers. For example, I was afraid they would make Jeff Buckley’s version of “Hallelujah” sound thin and emotionless. After breaking-in, I was proved wrong in my initial assumption.

This fact, that I assumed they would act a certain way and they didn’t, gets to the heart of the TB2i sound. The TB2i do a very good job at reflecting the equipment driving them and the quality of the source material. For example, if I wanted a warmer midrange I could easily plug the PS Audio Perfectwave AC5 power cable into the Electrocompaniet PI-2 amplifier and the sound out of the speakers would change accordingly. The sound would be, as I expected, warmer and male vocals had a clearer presentation. If on the other hand I wanted more bass, I could drive the amplifier with the Granite Audio #570 power cable and the speakers would reflect the increase in hi frequency detail and a larger, more dynamic, and punchier bass. Same can be said about interconnects and sources. The TB2i speakers presented to me what I presented to them.

I listen to vast variety of different music genres. Large classical pieces, a single guy/gal and the guitar, techno, thrash metal, afro-pop, electronica, classic rock and the list goes on. Across all the variety the TB2i’s reflected the music and emotion of the source material. If something was engineered and recorded well, it showed. If something was done poorly, like the MGMT’s vinyl version of Oracular Spectacular, or Dead Can Dance’s vinyl version of their 1984 self titled release, it showed.

But where I feel they really shine is on live recorded music. If the live session was recorded well, and the recording engineer not only focused on the musicians but also on the space they are playing in, that space and detail is reproduced by the TB2i speakers. For example, I’m not a huge Tom Waits fan. I know, shoot me now, I’ve obviously just eaten the sacred cow by admitting that. But a friend sent me on vinyl Tom Wait’s Asylum Years and I was blown away at the clarity, detail and spacing the TB2i revealed. In fact I was right in the middle of an email to the PMC rep when I had a heartfelt change and really decided these are great speakers. Dead Can Dance’s live album Toward the Within sounds pretty much like I remember hearing them from the Greek theater in Berkeley; of course, not as big, and with less ‘puffy puffy green smoke’ in the air. But the point is I think these really shine when presented with well-engineered live recordings.

So in conclusion, I can only say one thing. It would be time well spent auditioning these speaker for a half day or longer. I can understand how one could have reservations about refinement and detail; there are more expensive speakers out there that do in fact offer more of those things. But for what these are, and the price point they are at, they are well worth their price and you should give them some time to prove that to you.

The post PMC TB2i Bookshelf Speaker Review appeared first on Dagogo.

Publisher’s Note: This Review is first published in the Offiical Directory of the 2nd (2011) California Audio show.

The Legend

There are several names in the Audio Biz that could be called legends; Altec, Audio Research (AR), Fisher, JBL, Marantz, Quad, Scott, and more. The LS-3/5A speakers are unique on the list of legends because they were manufactured by more than one company. They were designed by the BBC for monitoring of on-location broadcast and recordings. Somehow they managed to hide the complex equalizer and phase-corrected crossover inside a cabinet only slightly wider and not quite as tall as a shoe box. Designed for use in a small control room, they were definitely not designed to play back at the levels most rockers desire. Despite their diminutive size they are in no way thin-sounding. In fact, they produce an overall balance similar to that of many full range British speakers from the seventies and eighties. It was because LS-3/5As were so well-balanced that they were so beloved at the time.

Why is there still such interest in a speaker design that is 36 years old, designed by a small group of BBC engineers, and which is about the size of a shoe box? Well, maybe it is because the original LS-3/5As were almost perfectly balanced between being a high resolution speaker while at the same time possessing incredible musicality. These little boxes did so much right and sounded so unnervingly real that even by today’s standards they are very enjoyable to listen to. Yet as good as they are in many respects, they are obviously limited and dated in other ways. Maybe that along with it’s now legendary reputation is why the Roger and Spender LS3/5As have become a very hot item on the used market. Right now it looks like the LS3/5As are on the same road in Asia as Marantz tube gear, Altec, JBL, and SET amps.

So Audio Space set out to make a real LS3/5As, but there’s a catch: After 36 years you can’t really reproduce the original BBC 3/5As. For one thing the original was a 15 Ohm speaker, followed some years later by a more amp-friendly version that was 11 Ohms. Even if you could get an agreement on which of those was best you would still have to deal with the fact that the original KEF drivers went out of production in 1998. This brings us to Peter Lau‘s Hong Kong-based company Audio Space. He has decided to take a chance in building a brand new version of the legendary speaker.

Description

Well, one thing is for sure, they look like the original Rogers LS3/5As I owned. Both of my sons who are in their 20s said they looked old school. Like the original LS3/5As the Audio Space speakers are small, inefficient, rather high impedance 2-ways. Since they don’t play any real bass below 70Hz the fact they aren’t very efficient isn’t quite as big a deal, since of the power goes into produce bass. They seem to play very well with 30 watts or more, but not much more, 50 watts is about all they are designed to handle.

There are three different speakers from Audio Space, each of which pays homage to the LS3/5A. Around 2007 Audio Space brought out their GINI LS3/5A. It was their own rendition of the legendary LS3/5A-inspired monitor in a kit form. As with most legends the LS3/5A has a large following. Various speaker makers in recent years have developed and marketed their own version of the LS3/5A. I think the last attempt was by Sterling, but none of the new production models have had the original KEF T27 and B110 drivers which ceased to be produced by KEF in 1998.

Audio Space has spent more than two years developing from the ground up its newest LS3/5A, including their own drivers. They say they took on the project mainly because there was renewed interest in LS3/5A speakers in Asia, and because they felt they could do a good job in the new LS3/5A market. Last year they brought out their AS-3/5A and now their very own LS-3/5A. They only called it the Audio Space LS3/5A because they felt that they had finally been able to replicate the essence of the legendary LS3/5A better than all of the new LS3/5As on the market today.

Setup

Even though these speakers are very small and it is tempting to sit them up against the wall, like you did with Linn Kans or Linn Saras, don’t! This is not where they were designed to be placed and if you do that you will get a rather thick sounding lower midrange and lose some of the magic in the midrange.

I ran the speakers with several amps in the respective bi-wired and singled wired configuration. I ended up liking them best with a single run of Audience Au24 and Au24 jumpers. Let me list the amps and make a quick comment before I get into the meat of the review.

Audio Space Mini-Galaxy 1 USB DAC/Integrated Tube Amplifier: This little amp has only 13 watts per channel, but in my office it sounded very nice with the Audio Space LS3/5As. It had nowhere enough power downstairs in much bigger rooms.

Atma-Sphere M-60 Mk. 3.1 OTL Monoblock Amplifiers: Way too much money to spend on amplification for these speakers, but I have to say if you want to hear the Audio Space speakers at their best, this is the amp. It controlled their upper bass hump, and voices were simply lifelike. I could even get plenty of power and volume downstairs in the big rooms. No, it doesn’t turn them into full range, full scale, music reproducers, but boy are they easy to listen to with this combo.

Peachtree Audio Decco Amp: The Decco is an audiophile-grade 50 watt per channel, hybrid tube integrated amplifier with built in DAC. To me this is one of the best values in all of audio. It sounded very good indeed with the Audio Space LS3/5As.

Roksan Caspian M Series-1 Integrated Amplifier: You would think this little 80 watt British integrated would be just what the doctor ordered for these speakers and you wouldn’t be far from wrong. A great match indeed and if you can pick one up for a great price it might well be the best match for the money, but at full retail I would go with the refurbished Decco from Peachtree Audio. If you don’t have a great DAC then the Decco is surely the best buy for the Audio Sapce LS3/5As.

Wavac EC300B: Of course no one in their right mind would pair these speakers with a $30,000 8-watt single-ended amp with a $30,000 Shindo preamp, but I already own them so I thought what the hey! Well guess what, eight Watts isn’t nearly enough power to play them really loud, but for moderate listening levels the Wavac/Shindo combo really did the best job of bringing these little boxes to life.

After playing around, I thought the best amp for these speakers, sound wise at anywhere near a reasonable cost was the Peachtree Audio Decco. So, the rest of the review talks about listening to that combo in my digital system.

The post Audio Space LS-3/5A Bookshelf Speakers Review appeared first on Dagogo.

Early in 2010 I wrote a review entitled “A Flight of Lowthers”. After that review I decided to purchase the pair of Teresonic Magus that had the Lowther Alnico Silver Drivers. I use them in my video and digital system. This driver paired with the Magus bookshelf cabinet became Teresonic’s production model known as the Magus A-55. A year later, I am even more impressed with this beautiful little speaker.

The Teresonic Magus cabinet is a strikingly beautiful, 15-inch tall, multi-chambered cabinet with a curved front. The cabinet is certainly furniture grade; maybe it would be more accurate to say the finish is more like that of a fine violin. The Magus cabinet is designed for a five-inch single driver. If you choose to stand mount it, Teresonic offers very nice matching stands that subtract nothing from the attractive cabinet, and are well designed to help you get the most out of the speakers sonically. The shelf under the speaker is adjustable, allowing an ingenious method to adjust their distance from the port.

The Lowther A55 driver is a 5-inch paper driver with a large Alnico magnet. It is available in your choice of 8 or 15 Ohms impedance. The pair I had purchased was the 15 Ohm model. Alnico magnets, for years, were the only magnets people thought of when they thought of Lowther drivers. Alnico magnets are admired by many for their exceptional ability at reproducing the harmonic structure of instruments and voices. Many believe that speakers with Alnico magnets sound more real than any other speakers.

Personally, I can hear the benefits of both the Alnico magnets and their newer drivers which use Lowther’s “Rare Earth” magnets. In the smaller Magus cabinet, and especially in my digital video system, I prefer the alnico drivers with the silver voice coils. This combination produces a slightly warmer, and silkier sound than the Magus cabinet with the DX65 driver.

The good news for me was that the drivers on my pair were not new and had many wonderful hours of playing music behind them. Still, I must warn you that it is really amazing how long a pair of Lowthers takes to break in.

I use the A-55s everyday in my upstairs system that I use to listen to digital music, watch TV, and videos. For this review, I also took them downstairs and listened to them extensively in my reference system. Upstairs, I used them with the Roksan Caspian integrated amp or the Peachtree Audio Decco integrated amp. Downstairs in my reference vinyl system, I used them with my Wavac EC-300B with NOS Western Electric tubes, Shindo Giscours preamp, Auditorium 23 Homage T1 step-up transformer, Shindo 301 Vinyl Playback System, Shindo Silver wire, Audience Au24 powerChords, and Audience AV aR6-T power conditioner.

Design Goals

According to Teresonic’s website, Magus is the Latin word for “Magical,” and it’s their intention to bring the magical sound of a high-efficiency, single-driver speaker to us in a small compact package. The ability to build a cabinet this size yet with an efficiency rating of 98dB is quite a goal. The engineers at Teresonic really pulled it off, so congratulations are in order.

Another design goal for the Magus was to build a truly high efficient speaker that could be easily inserted into any domestic interior. It was their goal to build a speaker that was not overly sensitive to room placement, nor required a precise listening position in the speaker’s “sweet spot.” Since I use these speakers in the room with my TV, I can confidently tell you they deliver their incredible sound regardless of where you sit in the room.

Setup

The Magus are extremely easy to set up, but there are some decisions you will have to make. Decision #1 is whether or not to use stands. I personally like them best on the floors or the bottom panel of my entertainment center. Yet, if you want to get more of an audiophile soundstage, you should use stands. If you use the stands that come from Teresonic, you can adjust the bass via the panel beneath the speaker’s port, though the speaker should not be pulled too far out into the room. If you do pull them too far out, you will lose bass extension.

Well, I guess it’s about time we start talking about how the Magus A-55s sound. Let’s start with the:

Treble and Midrange

Three words immediately come to mind when I think of the treble and midrange of the Magus A-55: articulate, powerful, and fun. At least two of the descriptive aren’t words that audiophiles usually use in describing the sound of speakers, but I think we should them more often. Maybe the word articulate comes to mind because I spend so much time listening to TV, movies, and radio on these. I find these the best speakers for understanding dialog that I have ever heard. The other Magus models are also extraordinarily clear, but do not let you hear quite as much of the layers and harmonics of sounds.

This same ability brings an incredible reality to music as well as the spoken voice. They let you hear deep into the layers of music, and hear inner detail with stunning clarity. The next word I used was powerful, and this is so important to allowing an system to sound more like a real musical performance. This power is especially amazing considering the size of the Magus cabinet. I can literally sit them on the floor downstairs next to the six foot tall Teresonic Ingenium XR Silvers and when I play the Magus most people swear it is the big speakers playing.

The last word I used was fun. I know that doesn’t tell you much about how they sound, so maybe I should say they are very emotionally involving. They are truly very emotionally involving but most of all, they are just fun to listen to. If you don’t believe me just listen to some classic rock, or bluegrass through them, and you will see. If you need me to talk in more audiophile terms, I can tell you they are very transparent, immediate, dynamic, and alive sounding.

There are differences in the midrange between the Magus A-55 and Teresonic’s own Magus DX-65-equipped Silver XR. The Silver XR, are slightly more detailed, and have slightly better micro-dynamics, while the A-55s are more refined-sounding and let you hear more of the layers of music. All of the Magus speakers are beautifully detailed and unbelievably transparent.

As far as how the treble sounds, the A-55s pass my treble test. That is, I never thought about the treble one way or the other, which I consider the highest compliment you can pay to the top-end of a speaker. The Magus A-55s have a real presence and great sparkle. It may miss a little bit of air in the top, but the midrange has so much great air that you will never miss it.

Bass

Positioned correctly, all of the Magus speakers have bass that is very natural and quite satisfying. Of the three different drivers I have heard in the Magus, I find the A-55 to have the most satisfying bass while the DX-65 have the deepest and fastest bass. Still, with none of the three have I ever thought I was missing the bass of live music.

What the A-55s lack in quantity though, they make up for in quality. The bass has great attack and even better decay; again we come back to the ability of the A-55 to let you hear the layers of the music. The bass is also quick, tight, and carries a great beat. I should mention that I really loved the way they played the upright bass.

Soundstage and Imaging

In my review of the original Magus I said, “The Teresonic Magus has the kind of soundstage I feel is more like a real musical event. They produce a whole, complete soundstage. Maybe not the kind that makes you say, ‘hey did you hear that horn, it’s way back there, what about the triangles, they sound like they are over on the stairs;” no, but they do give you a wide and deep soundstage. The speakers totally are not there, just a real acoustic space with air, body, and space.” Truth is that all three of the Magus speaker have about the same soundstaging abilities.

The post Teresonic Magus A-55 Bookshelf Speaker Review appeared first on Dagogo.

At $2000 there are a variety of entry level high end speakers that are acceptable. A quick tour of the last California Audio Show demonstrates this point. Though every speaker at that price presents some compromise, this may not be a bad thing. In fact, I’d argue it is easier to select preferred characteristics from an imperfect speaker than from an ultra-high end model. But before I digress, we should talk about the Trinity loudspeaker from Angel City Audio. Hugh Nguyen, owner of Angel City Audio (http://www.angelcityaudio.com) and U.S. importer of Melody amplifiers has created a speaker that excels at mid-range openness, and which has a high end that sparkles without fatiguing the listener.

The Trinity is a ¾ sized loudspeaker, with dual 6.5-inch woofers and a 1-inch ring radiator tweeter that is slightly off center, and a rear port and two five-way binding posts on the posterior face. The speakers are too large to be considered standard bookshelf models and too short to sit directly on the floor. And due to their unusual depth, it may be difficult to place the Trinitys on a typical speaker stand. Thankfully Hugh offers a solution; a stand with a large seat and base plate which places the tweeter at ear level for most couches or listening chairs.

The Trinitys, though not specifically designed for a large listening area, probably perform best in this venue. In fact, in my smaller multi-purpose listening room I had issues with the bass from the rear ports. Unfortunately this resulted from poor synergy between speakers, amplifier and my room. It didn’t help that I was using a rather rich and pear like amplifier, a choice based on two previous auditions of the Trinity loudspeakers, one at CES 2011 and the other at CAS 2011. But even with the best planning I experienced a disconnected and bloated bass. After consulting with Hugh, he loaned me the Melody AN211, a 16-watt class A amplifier, with a linear sound, purposeful bass, detailed and liquid sound, and with a much tighter control of the low end. My listening room is without bass traps, thus I need an amplifier with precise control of the low end. Another possible pairing with the Trinitys would have been the Melody MK88 amplifier, which utilizes a KT88 tube set. This amplifier offers a precise, detailed but some what shy low end with an exhilarating mid-range and highs.

The remaining components of the system included a selection of WyWires speaker cables, interconnect cables and a fantastic digital cable. The digital source was an Electrocompaniet PC-1 CD player and the Audio Note DAC One Sig. Speakers were placed about a foot and a half from the front wall and approximately seven feet apart. The tweeter was at ear level and I sat roughly seven feet away. With a slight toe in of the speakers, closer to flat than 45 degrees, I was able to achieve a coherent and open soundstage, with a solid center and good extensions to both the right and the left sides.

So why would you be interested in the Trinity speakers? Above all, they have two key characteristics: First, they reproduce the textures and tones of recordings better than any speaker I have heard in this price range, and second, they offer an open and natural midrange. The Trinity speakers can mimic the raspy yet wet voice of Tom Waits, or the hollow and nasally voice of Bob Dylan, yet can reproduce the liquid and lush voice of Jeff Buckley. Female signers are offered the same transparent treatment. The Trinity’s offer exceptional transparency for their price. And this is all because of the open and detailed mid-range. While at CAS 2011 I was stunned when the Trinitys reproduced that hollow, steam whistle sound that a violin can create. I had never heard it reproduced so well on speakers of just about any price. Typically something goes wrong when speakers try to reproduce this sound. It can be thin or empty, metallic or plain irritating to hear. But this was dang near dead on to what I’ve heard many times at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco.

When reproducing vocals, piano, guitar and strings, the Trinitys performed wonderfully. They process tonal richness in the mid-range, without being overly warm or slow. But they didn’t reproduce the brassiness of Mile’s trumpet on Tribute to Jack Johnson (CD), or the harshness of cymbals from Broken Social Sense’s You Forgot It In The People (CD) equally as well. While not perfect reproductions of these harsher sounds, they weren’t fatiguing or irritating, and at $2000 I’d rather just enjoy the music.

The Trinitys offered emotionally engaging macro and micro dynamics, though micro dynamic performance was slightly better at higher volumes. When playing large classical pieces the speakers never showed signs of compression or distortion. Their liveliness never suffered no matter how complex the music became. As well their staging remained intact and never collapsed or suffered. Even with the 16-Watt AN211 amplifier the Trinitys performed exceptionally well, though with more power one should have even better dynamics and performance at all levels of volume.

For some listeners the Trinity’s bass performance might be of some concern. The Trinitys do offer a detailed bass that goes down to 40Hz, but they seem to lack the punch from the top end of kick drums. The driving beat of rock and techno or the crack thunder of floor drums just doesn’t materialize.

Overall I think the Trinity offers exceptional openness and a transparent mid-range that should be attractive to anyone who prefers to hear the textures and tones of a recording. With the new light wood veneer color option and stylish stand the Trinitys should look great in any home. There is also a shallower version used as center channel for home theater applications. If, from what I’ve written, the Trinitys peak your interest I suggest you give them a listen. At CAS 2011 I heard several other reviewers and the general audience say they were very pleased with the sound from the Angel City Audio room, and the Trinity speakers might have won best looking in show, if there was an award for it. Per Hugh of Angel City Audio, the introductory pricing as shown is only good until the end of 2011 and/or availability of stocks. Refer to Angel City Audio website for 2012 pricing.

The post Angel City Audio Trinity Loudspeaker Review appeared first on Dagogo.

Lindemann Audiotechnik was founded in 1992 by Norbert Lindemann. From the start the company’s goal has been to reproduce lifelike music in the traditions of the high fidelity pioneers of the 50s and 60s. They set out to use the latest technologies to produce music reproduction that conveys the emotion and immediacy of a live performance.

Their first product was an integrated amp, AMP1. While popular in their homeland, their breakthrough product was the AMP4. In 1999, they became one of the world’s first companies to produce a CD player with an upsampling DAC. This began the long line of CD and SACD players by Lindemann that have been so well known for their analogue and musical sound.

This is probably why when I think of Lindemann, I first think of SACD/CD players, and then amplifiers. I have to admit that until the 2nd (2011) California Audio Show I didn’t even know they made speakers, but was really impressed with how the BL-10 stand-mounted mini-monitor sounded. I heard them again at RMAF and they sounded even better; in fact the Lindemann room was one of the best- sounding rooms at that show.

Lindemann says these new speakers are based on 30 years of experience and passion for building loudspeakers. The company’s Birdland loudspeaker series was introduced early in 2009, and comprises the latest generation of ceramic drivers that are all custom made to Lindemann’s specifications. The first two models were the BL-20 and BL-30, and in 2011 they released the BL-10 stand-mounted mini-monitor at 2011 CES and followed up with the new BL-25 floorstander later that year.

The BL-10 is an all-out attempt supposedly at a compact speaker with high efficiency and utmost resolution. Lindemann hopes these speakers will become an industry benchmark for speakers designed to play in smaller rooms. They state on their website that no compromises were accepted in pursuit of this goal.

Description

There are two things I can say for sure about these speakers. First is that with the right amplification, in a smaller room, they sure can make beautiful music. Second, they use the very latest scientific, computer, and engineering design methods. Lindemann claims that it uses only the best of today’s available materials, including ceramic midrange drivers from Accuton of Germany, ceramic-coated magnesium dome and neodymium tweeters from Eton of Germany, copper foil inductors from Mundorf of Germany, Nextgen binding posts form WBT of Germany, handmade Master Reference tweeter capacitors from the UK, and Lindemann’s “Kind of Blue”, cryogenically treated pure copper internal wiring.

The midrange ceramic cone drivers are the latest generation from Accuton, and were co-developed by Lindemann and Accuton. These drivers have 30% more mass and a larger voice coil and magnet. The company claims that they are extremely stiff and light weight, giving the speakers a potential for outstanding resolution and efficiency especially in a small cabinet. Lindemann admits that these drivers also present a great challenge to speaker designers, since they are very unforgiving of weaknesses in crossover and cabinet design.

The first order crossover in the Lindeman BL-10, called the “Intelligent Minimum Phase Crossover”, does not force the drivers to maintain a specific transfer function as with a “Butterworth” or “Bessel”. Instead, Lindemann claims their slopes are derived from the natural transfer function of the drivers that have been modified by computer simulation. They claim this delivers perfect frequency and time-domain performance by having just a single component in the signal path of the midrange driver.

The cabinets of these loudspeakers are really quite different from anything I am aware of. They are as dead as any speaker cabinet I know of and they are very light at the same time. This flies in the face of both those who prefer high mass, dead-as-possible cabinets and those who use light weight, thin walled cabinets, that resonate with the sound. Lindemann has designed a speaker that seems to be right in the middle of those two design theories: Relatively light cabinets but with very stiff walls.

Lindemann says it took a great deal of research to optimize the cabinet as a critical component of the speaker system. On their web site they say they tested many cabinet materials for energy storage, resonance, and damping. The low density and high stiffness of the cabinet is accomplished by using a dual-cabinet type of construction, in which a 9 mm birch plywood, 4 mm cork, then another section of 9 mm birch plywood is used. The exterior surface uses 2 mm thick, durable, furniture grade linoleum sourced from Switzerland, bringing the total wall thickness to 24 millimeters. Norbert’s philosophy is straightforward – the lighter and stiffer one’s cabinet is, the less energy stored in the cabinet walls.

Due to the layer of cork, the outer housing is not directly bonded to the interior but sort of “floats” over the cork surface; this is why very few vibrations can be felt on the outside when music is played. Lindemann also uses a small amount of a product called, Twaron “Angel Hair” that is applied to the interior. The use of Twaron Angel Hair is to absorb high frequency energy inside the cabinet and is the same lightweight material used to help dampen the bodies of Airbus jet aircrafts. Well, I told you these speakers were developed with highly scientific engineering principles , very German.

The post Lindemann BL-10 Bookshelf Speaker Review appeared first on Dagogo.

Sweet Sweet Kandy

I have long maintained that it makes a lot of sense to consider the system as a whole rather than gambling on individual components. What do I mean by gambling on individual components? Well if we assume that all components in a stereo system have a sonic signature or “voice” then it stands to reason that some voices will work together better than others. Indeed, you could take lesser voices but together generate more harmony than putting better individual voices together that are out of sync.

I am not suggesting that the mix and match to stereo building can’t work, or can’t yield superior results; however, for that to be successful it is important to have a wealth of experience to know exactly what a component is likely to offer your system before shelling out large coin on said component based on reviews or forum posts (in which most of the advice is coming from people who have never heard your stereo in your room).

So what advantage does the system approach to buying a hi-fi stereo provide? Well first and foremost you know what the company’s sonic aesthetic. Sure an amplifier maker may claim they believe in Neutrality and Accuracy but that is meaningless since so many makers claim this is their goal from SET makers to kilowatt Solid State makers, from manufacturers making single driver open baffle cabinets to the makers who believe in small speakers as a point source to those makers who believe more drivers in massive cabinets is better.

So enter Roksan. Roksan has been around since 1985 when they came out with their very well regarded Xerxes turntable. I suppose a comparison to Linn may not be out of line since arguably both companies are known mainly for their turntables, and both companies make complete stereo systems. The K2 or Kandy 2 system is Roksan’s current entry level system consisting of an integrated amplifier, one box CD player, and a set of TR-5 two way standmount speakers. Roksan also makes their own interconnect cables and speaker cables though this review is sans cables.

Why is listening to a system important? For starters I came across Roksan’s system (with their bigger floorstanding FR-5 loudspeakers (reviewed by dagogo’s own Sandy Greene: http://dagogo.com/View-Article.asp?hArticle=384) while living in Hong Kong. I was surprised at what I was hearing – a system that wasn’t fatiguing or grainy or generally thin like so many solid state based systems. The dealer, T.H. Yu of Elephant Holdings, has some serious top end tube amplifiers from Audio Note and Einstein at serious price tags. With space at a premium in Hong Kong, dealers have to be selective of what they carry in order to keep the lights on. T.H. noted that Roksan serves the music on a budget. After listening to Eva Cassidy’s “Live at Blues Alley” and a couple of my own discs I was surprised by the valve qualities the system provides – and even some goose-bump factor that frankly is rarely achieved in most systems.

When one thinks of 125 watt SS integrated amplifiers and speakers using ribbon tweeters the word “warmth” doesn’t usually come to mind. And this is why it is important to audition a “system” so you have an idea of what the manufacturer is after in music reproduction. Indeed, many years ago I auditioned a prior Kandy amplifier in a mix and match set-up and wasn’t too impressed. And unfortunately such systems can place blame on the wrong components.

Kandy for Christmas

In Hong Kong the holiday season has Chinese New Year following closely after Christmas, so T.H. Yu was able to send me his demo gear. This is nice because it saved me from the break in period. While I can’t comment on break-in for my review, it should be noted that the Roksan has a short 30 hour recommendation for their loudspeakers which isn’t onerous compared to many other manufacturers.

The well used amp and CD player arrived along with the elegant and very well built and finished speakers. Indeed, the speakers are pure class all the way through and while Roksan may not be noted for their speakers they should be because they’re genuine stars. I will get to them later but be prepared.

The K2 amp and CD player are a little hard on the eyes and won’t win any beauty contests. They’re both brushed aluminum affairs and understated. The CD player is solidly constructed with a front loading mechanism that seems fairly robust, and which reads discs quite quickly. The display is small and hard to read at a distance, though you can read the track number well enough. Around the back the player offers well spaced analog outputs and three digital outputs including Toslink, Balanced AES/EBU and coaxial. The supplied touch screen remote, which takes 4 AAA batteries and is quite heavy, is quite impressive and has a matched brushed aluminum surface (nice touch). It deserves a few words here from their manual.

The LCD display & the hand set will turn on as soon as the batteries are inserted. If the handset is left untouched for 90 seconds, it will automatically turn off the LCD to save battery life. The handset is equipped with a motion sensor and thus will ‘wake up’ as soon as it is picked up. The Back Light will only come on when the back light button is pressed and will stay on during operation. Back light will turn off automatically after 10 seconds if none of the buttons are pressed.

The remote control also controls the partnered integrated amplifier, and it took me only a short time to adjust to the way it functions. I had to remember to push the Amp/CD button on the remote to control volume, and then the same button to switch back to operate the CD player. The remote is well built and the buttons are nice and big and easy to read. After owning a few surround receivers, I was very happy to be able to use this one without earning a Master’s degree in computer science to figure out how to press play. If I can do it, I am betting anyone can. The fact that I didn’t need the manual to get it going is always nice.

The K2 amp is a powerhouse for integrated amplification, being rated at 125 watts into 8 ohms and 190watts into 4ohms. There are 5 line level inputs as well as a MM phono stage (naturally) and a switchable bypass input as well as pre-out for subwoofer (or for using an external power amplifier). Also included is a headphone output. I referred to this as a powerhouse but granted, this is coming from a guy who owns a 10 watt Audio Note Single Ended Pentode (SEP) tube amplifier. Still, I can’t imagine owning speakers that will need this sort of power (and the Roksan speakers proved not to either) but if you do have such speakers then the Roksan Integrated won’t disappoint, and you need not worry about a lack of headroom for the vast majority of loudspeakers.

The post Roksan K2 System Review – Kandy CD Player & Integrated Amplifier & K2 TR-5 Speakers appeared first on Dagogo.

Over the past couple of years, I’ve been involved in many discussions with our local audiophile community here in Florida, both users and dealers, about how different the audio hobby is for people just trying to get started. There seems to be little interest from retailers and private audiophiles alike to promote the hobby, mentor, and share knowledge. This is for various reasons, both valid and in my opinion not so valid. Naturally, these discussions invariably lead to the economic (affordability) discussion as well as what a proper “starter” system would look like in today’s world. Would it specifically only include something like an iPod or handheld Android unit to serve up lossy digital audio? Can it include a turntable? What sort of amplifiers, receivers, and speakers, are out there that are truly affordable for teens or college-age young adults that offer real quality audiophile experience bang for the buck? The answers, of course, are invariably a shrug of the shoulders. Those of us that are of a certain age had the “luxury” of the annual industry bible, Audio Magazine’s Equipment Directory. Since this magazine’s demise many years ago, nothing had made a credible dent to fill that void. We also had the “luxury” of having a limited domestic market which kept the sheer volume of offerings in check, and lastly we also had the neighborhood audio store. Remember those? Some of us here in the US still have these and they are well supported by their local community. Many areas of our country sadly do not.

I therefore made a personal decision this year to make sure I give some time and attention to products that are offered for review that are within the realm of possibility in both quality and price for small starter systems.

As luck would have it, I was approached by Constantine Soo late last year to see if I would be interested in writing a series of reviews and articles that are specifically targeted to value-based high-end audio products. I agreed to do so appreciatively. So basically, ole’ Ray is going to practice what he preaches and offer a bit of insight as to what is out there and along the way, point out a few really special items that are great for dipping your toes into the high-end or high performance two-channel gene pool without needing to become a bank robber. Since that phone call from Constantine, I have received some very interesting items to look at and comment on.

The first of these items are the TBI Audio Systems “Majestic Diamond II” speakers. That is certainly quite a name for a diminutive mini monitor! I must confess that TBI Audio Systems was not a company that was known to me prior to this invitation to review. A quick glance at their website revealed that they indeed have a line of high quality, value-based “lifestyle” products which include speaker systems, active subwoofer systems, and small amplifiers. In speakers, the “Majestic Diamond II,” are at the top of a line which also includes the Majestic Diamond I and IR single-driver speakers.

The TBI “Majestic Diamond II” speakers are a vented ETL™ (transmission line) two-way, mini monitor speaker system. The driver complement and design configuration are atypical of a modern mini monitor; or at least, are certainly different from those I am familiar with. The TBI Majestic Diamond II’s sport a 5.25-inch paper-based woofer/midrange that is loaded by the dual-port ETL enclosure. To effect minimal phase shift, the woofer/midrange is crossed over to the tweeter module at 4,500 Hz via a very soft first-order slope. The tweeter module is also ETL loaded within the overall speaker box enclosure. The driver is a 2-inch PPM (paper-polymer mix) cone unit with an aluminum phase plug. With a rated response range of 200Hz to 20,000Hz, the tweeter is more than up to the task of blending in at the softly sloped crossover point of 4,500 Hz. All of this is housed in a very handsomely finished high gloss piano black rigid plywood cabinet.

I’m no stranger to quality and pricey (for their era) mini monitors. For many years I rolled through nothing but the small wonders of the time such as Chartwell’s LS3/5A, Dick Sequerra’s MET-7’s, the original Spica speakers, Celestion 3’s, and even the famed self-powered aluminum clad Braun Output Compact. Each was a fantastic example of near-full range holographic miracle for their time. At $1,500 the pair, the TBI Sound Majestic Diamond II’s are hardly what I would consider a pair of “starter” satellite speakers for entry level high performance 2-channel hi fi as originally envisioned. Instead, they come at a price where they would need to be today’s interpretation of any one of those previously mentioned classics. Keeping that in mind, I decided to first set-up the TBI Sound Majestic Diamond II’s in my main stereo using the lower portion of the Eficion F300’s as the perfect pedestal for them. After listening to a few tracks, I came to the conclusion that the speakers needed to be run in for a bit before any critical listening. With both drivers being cone pistons, I do not presume that I was getting anywhere near their optimal sound without the driver’s suspensions having had a bit of a work out. I ran them at a good volume for five days in my small system I use for these tasks.

A week later, I returned them to my main system and fired them up. Indeed the sound had substantially improved. The midrange dramatically opened up and the sound became quite spacious as is the hallmark of all good satellite systems. One thing I continued to note however was a notable absence of air and extreme high frequencies. At first I thought perhaps a tweeter unit was non-operational or damaged, but such was not the case. Referring back to the published specifications, I noted that indeed 22khz was the rated -5db point in the frequency response. With no actual published response graph available, I can only assume that the roll-off actually begins at a frequency well below that.

Since the speakers appear to have fairly narrow dispersion, I tried several placement techniques and found that placing them with the bass-mid drivers at ear level height and toeing them in rather dramatically to achieve on-axis placement with the listening position optimized the imaging, as well as their high frequency response.

Once comfortable that the speakers were adequately broken in, I sat and listened to several records and CD’s of different genres. I was pleased to note that the bass was tight, defined, and ample for the speaker’s diminutive footprint; representative of a properly executed transmission line type of design.

Imaging of the TBI, usually the hallmark of a well-executed mini monitor, was also quite good. The images were stable, properly sized, but yet a bit two-dimensional. This observation remained throughout the review period as I listened to various genres of music. I believe the main culprit to be the speaker’s lack of high frequency extension. The tweeter was clearly not up to the task of reproducing the detailed spatial cues that provide you with that sense of space. That said, the TBI Majestic II’s overall performance suffered largely due to the tweeter’s errors of omission.

Specific examples include female voices sounding a bit cardboard-like and lacking in clarity; a sound akin to listening to a lossy recorded MP3 or satellite radio versus an analog record or conventional CD. Percussion instruments, cymbals, wire brushes, chimes, etc. particularly suffered the lack of sparkle and life and came across rather as thwacks that lacked tonal richness.

Switching gears to rock music altered my perspective of these speakers. I feel that I had finally nailed their sense of purpose. The TBI Majestic Diamond II’s were much more comfortable belting out stuff like “Blitzkrieg Bop” from the Ramone’s first album or pumping out Keith Moon’s drums on “In the Rock” from The Who’s Quadrophenia. Indeed, these little speakers never lost their composure and were very comfortable rocking out to just about anything I threw at them. In fact, as a “bonus” due to the significant roll off in the high frequencies I mentioned above, the TBI Majestic Diamond II’s made really bad rock recordings or poor digital transfers much easier on the ears and enjoyable.

In Summary

In a price class such as the one occupied by the TBI Majestic Diamond II’s, there will always be compromise. The best a designer can do is to define the target audience and design a product, in this case a speaker that can best be appreciated by said audience. To me, it is abundantly clear that this very rugged, yet handsomely made, 2-way mini monitor can handle whatever you send to it, either in the form of MP3, CD, or internet radio. As such, the TBI Majestic Diamond II’s are ideal for a college dorm or bedroom environment. With the right material, they will fill a room with sound and you will enjoy it.

As for me, the search for affordable entry level high performance Hi Fi continues…

Manufacturer’s comment:

As manufacturer of the MD-2 we want to mention some of the main qualities of the MD-2 not mentioned by reviewer. This is a close monitor which means that the drivers integrate at a close distance and there is no fatigue at low or high volume at these distances as when used with a computer/studio monitor or where you just can’t sit far away. The speakers don’t compress the sound at higher volumes and can be placed closer to walls to support the bass extension. The highs are also better at these close listening distances where most multiway speakers integrate the tweeter at 1 meter. The drivers of the MD-2 integrate at a 12″ distance and will typically attenuate in the far field in a manner similar to a natural sound source.

It is generally best when toeing in as this typically presents a very wide and deep soundstage from many listening positions simulatneously without horizontal and vertical combing. We should have recommended the reviewer use without the grille for serious listening as the grille does cause the high frequencies to suffer somewhat for best highs and imaging. The pricing reflected in the review is for the black gloss model while the normal matte finish is priced at $997 the pair with the same performance. Thank you for your time and a great review.

Jan Plummer
TBI Audio System

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What this review won’t be…

It won’t be a review of how Audio Space’s LS3/5a compares to the original model or the myriad of speakers that companies over the years have used, or are still using, the name LS-3/5a. Fellow reviewer Jack Roberts covered some of that in his review of the Audio Space LS-3/5a. The reason I won’t make comparisons is that I was about two years old when the original came out and I have not heard them.

So why am I reviewing them? Well, while I can’t speak to the lore of this widely viewed classic design, I am also not seduced by the fact that the design is considered a classic. No, dear readers, I am reviewing the speaker as just another two-way stand-mount against an ocean of “new and improved” two-way stand-mount loudspeakers. I have found over the years that a number of “classic” loudspeakers and amplifiers have left me completely cold. After auditioning the Quad ESL 63, Dynaco ST 70, and some Klipsch models, I kept wondering what the fuss was about. Perhaps fine in their day but these models don’t hold a candle to what is currently on the market.

The LS-3/5a appeared to me to be another one of those possibly overrated products from a glance at the spec sheet. As some of my readers know, I typically prefer high efficiency speakers, and looking at the Audio Space LS-3/5a and seeing an 82.5dB sensitivity rating, I saw a bit of a red flag. On the other hand, the 11 ohm nominal impedance suggested that they would be tube-friendly and indeed, some internet research revealed that in fact these speakers are very popular with tube amplifier owners. In addition, Audio Space’s primary business is selling modestly tube amplifiers.

But with my initial fears abated, a second set of concerns reared their head. Knowing these speakers were initially designed for recording studios, I had concerns that, like many studio monitors, they would be less suitable for home audio use. Pro speakers, while excellent tools for revealing problems in recordings, also tend to be somewhat tiring for home audio where listening pleasure and a sense of a slightly relaxed sound is more desirable than hyper detail. However, numerous known respectable home audio companies made versions of this loudspeaker, so I was a little more confident that they would fall on the right side of the musical spectrum.

Open the Box

Audio Space sent two of their employees to my apartment to set up the speakers. They noted that one wall could use treatments, which I happened to have pre-purchased, and then placed on my walls after they left.

Living in Hong Kong, apartments are fairly small and small speakers are par for the course here. The advantage though is that smaller speakers get a chance to shine. Coming from Canada, with much larger homes and rooms, I know that small speakers are not at their best when asked to fill a space they’re not really designed to fill. Apartments in Europe are not all that much bigger than those in Hong Kong, so it’s important when dealing with speakers like this that you provide a room they’re capable of filling. I would argue that my apartment and most apartments, or bedrooms in the West, will allow the LS-3/5a to shine as well as possible.

Immediately, what impressed me about the LS-3/5a was the build quality. The cabinet is real wood and gorgeous. Audio Space has kept the original appearance and they certainly have the square retro looks. Being an owner of Audio Note J/SPe and AX Two speakers, the looks fall in line with what I own. The SW-1A subwoofers serve as stands for the speakers. If I had one complaint, it would be that the subwoofers come in plain black. It would have been nice if the subwoofers came in a color that matched the stand-mounts. (Audio Space comments, “The subwoofers that we are selling here in U.S. are all matched to the Red Oak color. In Richard’s review, the pair of the SW-1A deliverd by Audio Space (HK) was an open-box item from the Kowloon store. -Pub.) Further, the Audio Space retailer and co-owner play the speakers with the grills off and that is how they set them up in my apartment. Again, being an Audio Note owner I know that Audio Note’s Peter Qvortrup hated the grill cloths interfering with the sound of his speakers to the point where he stopped selling the speakers with grill cloths, or with holes to fit grill cloths. If Audio Space intends for the cloths to be off, I would suggest making the front part of the cabinet the same as the sides for a nice aesthetic consistency.

Do they hold their own in the current market?

Yes and no. First, let me say that I am not a big fan of loudspeakers that can’t play all music at reasonably high levels. A speaker that is 82.5dB sensitive and has a recommended power handling of 30 watts and frequency response of 70 to 20kHz, is going to be limited in terms of frequency response and the ability to play at very loud levels. Indeed, I recently reviewed Roksan’s TR-5 loudspeaker which has significantly deeper bass, higher sensitivity, and power handling and it uses a very good ribbon tweeter and costs less. I could say similar things about other less expensive speakers, including my Audio Note AX Two speakers.

The LS-3/5a has a lift in the midbass to help it add weight and give the impression that it has more bass than it really does. This is not uncommon with small speakers and generally aids in the speakers’ enjoyment factor, as it would likely sound thin and tiresome without a slight emphasis. It may appear that the LS-3/5a is losing the fight and lying face down with the count at nine. After all, it doesn’t have a lot of bass, it isn’t a sensitive loudspeaker and there is a lot of competition in the world of standmount speakers in this price range. Naturally the question is “what does this speaker have up its sleeves?

First, the midrange and vocals keep it in the fight. Not a stunning revelation to LS-3/5a owners perhaps, but this speaker has to count in the “great” camp when it comes to coherence, tonality, and a lush presentation across all instruments. They do a much better job than the vast majority of speakers I have heard when it comes to sounding “real.” I was actually somewhat taken aback because I was expecting that such an old speaker design would be “less than” current designs. Perhaps the old saying “don’t fix it if ain’t broken” holds true. Indeed, while it doesn’t possess the ultimate high volume performance or bass depth or slam, it sounds “right” in a way that seduces the ears into forgiving what it lacks.

Secondly, the treble is first rate. The treble is very well extended, clean, and seamlessly integrates with the woofer. Here, it does an even better job than the TR-5 which I felt was one of the very best in the sub-$2,000 speaker class. Sax was continuously scrumptious to listen to and the speakers create a balanced soundstage with proper stereo fill. There were no holes in the stage and imaging was solid.

One interesting thing is that the speakers are not as friendly to lesser recordings as you might expect. Speakers that I tend to describe as full, rich, organic, tend to be friendlier to lesser recordings. This is not the case here as these speakers readily reveal to me their studio prowess. These speakers show up compressed recordings immediately and they are rather excellent at contrasting different recordings. Ellie Goulding’s “Lights” comes across as rather thin and brash; thankfully, not to the point of being unlistenable but you definitely hear a weaker recording. This was noticeable across a variety of rock, pop, jazz, and classical recordings in my collection.

The post Audio Space LS-3/5a Bookshelf Speakers And SW-1a Subwoofer Review appeared first on Dagogo.

New Friends, New Gear

One of the joys of being an audiophile is “discovering” terrific products that are not well known, all the more so when this occurs unexpectedly.  This is my tale of such a discovery.

The story began shortly before Thanksgiving, when I attended a get-together of a local audio society, at the home of Ralph Glasgal, the inventor of Ambiophonics (interview forthcoming).  Another attendee, Al Mirabella — whom I had never met — struck up a conversation and proceeded to tell me about a superb new Class D amplifier, the Veritas amps, manufactured by Al’s friend Merrill Wettasinghe.  Al and I exchanged phone numbers and we subsequently made plans for he and Merrill to come to my home so I could audition the Veritas amps.  The Veritas’ changed my view of Class D amplifiers, and a review is currently in progress.  But that is just background.

A month later, I attended a Christmas party hosted by that same audiophile society.  Al was in attendance and introduced me to Vadim Boguslavskiy, the man behind VB Speakers.  Al had heard Vadim’s speakers at an audio gathering at the home of another club member and thought I’d be interested in them.  Vadim and I spoke and I learned that he grew up in the Ukraine, migrating to the United States in 1993.  Vadim holds a degree in material science, and has been an amateur speaker builder for over 30 years.  In what is a familiar story, as friends and local audiophiles heard his speakers, they expressed an interest in purchasing them, and thus began VB’s commercial activities.  VB is still small, and all design and assembly is done by Vadim, while the cabinets are built by a cabinet maker.

It All Started With a Challenge

The development of these speakers took something of a circuitous route.  As Vadim explained, Bill, a friend and fellow audiophile, owned a pair of monitor speakers with which he has been very pleased.  Each time Vadim would listen to them, he (Vadim) would complain about the paucity of bass.  Bill eventually tired of hearing his gripes and told Vadim to, in essence, put up or shut up; in other words, to build a woofer for him.  And so Vadim did, the result being the Olaf woofer.  Vadim regards subwoofer territory as from about 80 Hz and down.  Although the Olaf can function in that way, it is capable of playing up to the 300 Hz range; for this reason, Vadim refers to it as a woofer, rather than a subwoofer.

Pleased with the results, Vadim decided to use the Olaf as the foundation, literally and figuratively, for his own monitor speaker, the Troika.[1]  Vadim’s goal in designing the Troika, in his own words: “I’ve set out to design a small speaker, which is neutral in tonal balance and very accurate. The base should be fast and tight, without higher base boom to compensate for lack of lowest end extension, due to size. It should retrieve low-level details, heights should be airy and imaging must be exceptional. Speakers have to disappear into the acoustic space.”

The best way to achieve these goals is to make a single-driver speaker. The one presented here is just that, well almost…

The Troika/Olaf speaker falls into the category I call “augmented wideband speaker,” which I wrote about in my recent review of the Surreal Sound Fifth Row speakers.

The Design

The Troica/Olaf speaker comprises two separate cabinets, the Olaf woofer on the bottom, perched atop of which is the mid-tweeter Troika, and uses both active and passive crossovers.  In Russian, Troika mean “a set of three.”  It can and does refer to many different things, including a sled or carriage drawn by three horses harnessed side-by-side, iconic symbol of Russia.  Vadim chose this name because: 1) it uses three drivers, 2) the cabinet is kind of triangular, 3) the impedance is a combination of three peaks, two for ported and one for closed drivers, and 4) because the tuning of the crossover was a collaboration between Vadim and two of his customers.

The Olaf woofer is heavily constructed from dual layers of Baltic Birch plywood, and MDF, with non-parallel walls.  It is 18” deep, 13” wide at the base narrowing to 9” wide at the top, and 26” tall.  It uses two outrigger spiked footers for stability.  Its single 10” SEAS woofer is intentionally positioned near the floor, and is powered via a built-in 300 W amplifier.  The amplifier and active crossover, which splits the signal between the Olaf and the Troika, were developed by Marchand Electronics to Vadim’s specifications.  In addition to the crossover per se, there is also a Linkwitz Transform that extends the frequency response to a lower range; the mechanical resonance stays where it is, but is compensated electrically.  The adjustments provide for the new -3dB and -6dB point, as well as for the new Q factor.  Here are some possible responses:

As can be seen, a -3dB of 15Hz can be achieved!

The cross-over has numerous settings which allow for a remarkable degree of adjustment/optimization, which I’ll have more to say about below.

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When I got a call from John McDonald there was no mistaking his excitement over his new baby loudspeaker. My first thought was I can’t wait to hear these little speakers, my second thought was I don’t think I’ve ever heard someone so excited about their least expensive product.  John calls this tiny speaker “The ONE” and I think after hearing him talk about it, the name reflects more than the fact that it is a single driver speaker; it may also have to do with his long search for the perfect little speaker and he feels that this is “The ONE!” According to John “it is the culmination of a long-held ambition: To design a compact speaker that tells the musical truth.” My sense is that John feels he has achieved a long sought after ideal; a very small speaker system that gives the listener a real musical experience.

The ONE is the smallest and newest speaker in the Audience line of ClairAudient loudspeaker systems. It uses the same 3-inch A3S driver that is exclusive to Audience and used in all their speakers. The driver’s cone is made from a titanium alloy that provides strength and rigidity. The cone has a total moving mass of only 2.5 grams, and employs an oversized magnet/motor structure; according to Audience, these assure response times that easily rival electrostatic panels. They use high quality parts including low-mass binding posts and Audience Ohno monocrystal Auric internal wiring.

In addition to the front firing A3S driver, the Audience ONE also incorporates a purpose-designed passive radiator with 12mm of excursion. The design goal was for a single ultra-low distortion transducer that would eliminate the issues with phase distortion, transient response degradation, that multi-driver speakers have.

Because of its size and cuteness it’s hard to take The ONE very serious, but then for its price-to-size ratio, you have to. I used the speakers in three systems. First and mostly, I used it in my digital/video system being driven by the Electrocompaniet PI 2D integrated amp. In that system I used it by itself for music and with a sub for movies. I also used it as a desk top speaker with my computer, driven by a Peachtree Audio Decco amp. Last, just for the heck of it I put it on stands and tried them in the reference system downstairs with over $75,000 worth of electronics, turntable, and cabling.

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