DesertRatt
All Bark, No Bite!
I've had these a week now. I've listened to a goid sample of my music (CDs), and I have a good sense of the sound. This little experiment began when I wondered out loud if small speakers have really improved much since the era of the Dynaco A-25. I don't have a pair of those!
These were a mere $300. That's way less than the inflation adjusted price of the Dynas in 1974 when I owned them. So this is, first of all, a bargain!
1. They have the "east coast" voicing-- not surprising. That is too warm in the upper bass. That tends to darken vocals to an extent that makes me a little uneasy. If I'm just listening while cooking or cleaning it sounds pleasant, but when I want to listen INTO the music, it's too dark for my taste.
2. I'm not a good judge of the highest octave--too much loss above 12k. So I'll accept whatever it is.
3. Bass is what anyone would expect in a bookshelf. Ok to about 50hz, but also a bit bulbous there. I decided to use my sub woofer for about half my listening time. This was especially useful when I connected my Schiit Loki time control.
4. The Loki became almost essential for my enjoyment of these. There are 4 EQ bands in the Loki. It took a good bit of fiddle to get it just right. But once dialed in, I liked the sound. Does the Loki add any vail or noticeable noise? Not that I could detect in a week of listening.
5. The speakers are gorgeous and extremely well made. Hefty molded cabinets finished in white with magnetic grills in black. No issues there. The cabinet resonance is quite high--like knocking on a very thick plank of wood.
6. The system was this: Tascam CDP, JMA Peach preamp in LoZ mode, Schiit Loki, VTV (Hypex)125W Class D amp, Jamo sub. Average size room, speakers about 10' apart. Listening from about 11'.
7. Mostly Mono. I wanted to do two experiments at once. In addition to the speakers, I wanted to dig into this idea of Mono having certain advantages to stereo. I did, of course listen in stereo at least half the time. The other half I tried a couple different mono options: one speaker centered, two speakers adjacent and centered, two speakers separated normally. The Mono/Stereo difference was a little subtle at first, but became more obvious over time. A lot of recordings are not well produced and there's not much to be gained in Mono. The music that has many layers to the arrangement, and good technical production, sounded better to me in mono. "Better" for me meant easier to discriminate the various voices and instruments.
So, It would be hard to knock these speakers considering the price. But, that said, they were not quite my cup of tea. I could definitely live with them in a world where I had only $300. I think my PSB Alpha in my previous office were a bit better balanced, but I don't have them now for a direct comparison.
These were a mere $300. That's way less than the inflation adjusted price of the Dynas in 1974 when I owned them. So this is, first of all, a bargain!
1. They have the "east coast" voicing-- not surprising. That is too warm in the upper bass. That tends to darken vocals to an extent that makes me a little uneasy. If I'm just listening while cooking or cleaning it sounds pleasant, but when I want to listen INTO the music, it's too dark for my taste.
2. I'm not a good judge of the highest octave--too much loss above 12k. So I'll accept whatever it is.
3. Bass is what anyone would expect in a bookshelf. Ok to about 50hz, but also a bit bulbous there. I decided to use my sub woofer for about half my listening time. This was especially useful when I connected my Schiit Loki time control.
4. The Loki became almost essential for my enjoyment of these. There are 4 EQ bands in the Loki. It took a good bit of fiddle to get it just right. But once dialed in, I liked the sound. Does the Loki add any vail or noticeable noise? Not that I could detect in a week of listening.
5. The speakers are gorgeous and extremely well made. Hefty molded cabinets finished in white with magnetic grills in black. No issues there. The cabinet resonance is quite high--like knocking on a very thick plank of wood.
6. The system was this: Tascam CDP, JMA Peach preamp in LoZ mode, Schiit Loki, VTV (Hypex)125W Class D amp, Jamo sub. Average size room, speakers about 10' apart. Listening from about 11'.
7. Mostly Mono. I wanted to do two experiments at once. In addition to the speakers, I wanted to dig into this idea of Mono having certain advantages to stereo. I did, of course listen in stereo at least half the time. The other half I tried a couple different mono options: one speaker centered, two speakers adjacent and centered, two speakers separated normally. The Mono/Stereo difference was a little subtle at first, but became more obvious over time. A lot of recordings are not well produced and there's not much to be gained in Mono. The music that has many layers to the arrangement, and good technical production, sounded better to me in mono. "Better" for me meant easier to discriminate the various voices and instruments.
So, It would be hard to knock these speakers considering the price. But, that said, they were not quite my cup of tea. I could definitely live with them in a world where I had only $300. I think my PSB Alpha in my previous office were a bit better balanced, but I don't have them now for a direct comparison.