"2010 CES Recession Busting Speakers"
"by Brian Boehler"
As I looked through my notes and photos from the recent 2010 CES, one thing that struck me was a couple of really great values in speakers. Regardless of technology, size, or price, these speakers impressed me with their ability to convey music beyond accepted expectations. I kept coming back to them as offering extraordinary value and sound for the dollar.
Economy got you down, a little worried, or confused? Want some new speakers but don’t want to extend yourself unreasonably? Want a great value that you can be proud of? Have I got some suggestions for you to contemplate! Consider the following:
"Sonist - Recital 3"
How about a nice slim floor standing loudspeaker that offers a 6” woofer, ribbon tweeter in an integral waveguide in a solid poplar front baffle, tapered sidewalls, 93dB sensitivity, 8 ohms (6 ohms minimum), with frequency response from 45Hz to 40kHz, as well as Goertz Alpha Core copper foil Inductors, Audience Auricaps, Black Hole 5 cabinet damping, Cardas Tri Eutectic lead-free solder, Audience Auric hookup wire, Cardas gold-plated solid copper binding posts, Cardas jumpers, bi-wireable and bi-ampable, and adjustable floor spikes? Add to this a real wood cabinet (baffle and sides), two coats of semi-gloss lacquer, and 5 year parts and labor warranty with a retail price of $2,195 a pair!
The speaker is 40” high x 8.25” W x 12” D and weighs 50 pounds. This speaker can be driven by a small tube amplifier with as little as 5 watts per channel. Oh, by the way, the speaker sounded great. It has real world limitations in the lower bass and can’t blow the doors off their hinges but for real world sound quality and a great look, it is an exceptional value. This speaker is a recession buster by offering more of what an audiophile wants at prices you would expect to pay for cheap vinyl wrapped mass produced junk!
Need to get under $2,000 for a pair? How about the same speaker with Medite cabinet walls with a black textured finish but still keeping the solid poplar front baffle finished in light cherry, medium cherry, or dark cherry and a retail price of $1,795 a pair. Check out the Sonist website or give Randy Bankert a call. You sill meet a very nice sincere person that wants to share his passion with you.
"Magnepan 1.7"
Overall, the sound of the Magnepan 1.7 was the most exciting that I heard in Las Vegas in light of the sound per dollars spent. A combination of price, sound quality, and tasteful selection of music equated to a real surprise and treat. I actually left the room thinking that it was one of the best values in sound I’ve ever heard. Magnepan has been around for a long time but this experience was revelatory in my opinion.
The Magnepan 1.6, this models predecessor, hadn’t changed in over 12 years. But now we have some updated drivers, updated crossover, and new more modern styling. The 1.6 used a flat planar magnetic driver for the lower frequencies and an aluminum ribbon tweeter. The new 1.7 is a three way with all drivers now based on quasi-ribbon technology. In simple terms, we now have a full range ribbon speaker that is more coherent and of one voice than many “expensive” speakers.
Instead of the traditional wrapped wood frame the new 1.7 is only 2” thick and has an aluminum wrap-around edge molding making it look more modern and less imposing. The only downside is that they are large flat panel speakers and they can dominate most rooms they are put into. The Wife Approval Factor (WAF) might be very low unless your spouse cottons to the sound over the visually dominating presence factor. If you have crossed this hurdle in the past or it isn’t an issue going forward, you owe it to yourself to give these speakers a careful listen. I can’t think of another speaker for about $2,000 that can give you such a large glimpse of the ultra high-end. This speaker will raise the bar for what should be expected by other manufacturers.
I’m also very curious to see what they will do with the 3.6 and 20.1. If both of these models forgo the planar magnetic drivers and go to the quasi-ribbon architecture, we could really be in for a treat.
"Tyler Acoustics Decade D10"
Have a little more disposable income than average and want a large good looking speaker that can fill a big room with sound? How about the Tyler Acoustics Decade D10’s? They boast a frequency response from 25 to 20k, an impedance of 8 ohms, a sensitivity rating of 91db. These beauties are 16” W x 20” D x 74” H, and weigh in at 230 pounds each.
The drivers in the D10 are totally custom built to Tyler’s specifications and to the highest standards. The woofers and mid ranges have paper cones, aluminum phase plugs, one piece magnesium frames, copper pole pieces and voice coil leads for the best sound quality. The tweeters are a 1" soft dome using a high quality motor structure with an aluminum faceplate. The crossovers are custom designed and voiced by Danny Ritchie of GR Research. High quality parts are used throughout the crossover design. The Decade line comes with magnetic grills and your choice of either single or bi-wire posts. Tyler also offers over 80 different finishes to choose from. Standard finishes include cherry, oak, black oak, maple, walnut and ribbon mahogany. Other finishes are priced accordingly.
Oh yes, the price, how about $13,500 for the pair? When you consider the size, weight, driver complement, finish, and look, I say bravo! Factor in their trade-up program and 20 day
"Conclusion"
money back guarantee and you have a winner. I can hear you thinking another question! How much is it going to cost me to ship such a large and heavy speaker across the county? I bet that can add $1,000 dollars or more to the cost of the speaker. Wrong!! Shipping is included in the $13,500 price tag. All considered, an amazing deal and extremely high customer satisfaction when you consider the already extraordinary value. Although expensive in pure dollar terms, it is a tremendous value compared to other brand name speakers of equal merit.
Ty Lashbrook is the owner and visionary of Tyler Acoustics. Since he deals in factory direct pricing, you have the opportunity to deal with a gentleman in our industry. Give him a call and experience real honest helpful service without the hype and high pressure sales tactics. He really does want you to be happy and satisfied with his product.
Different strokes for different folks. I have offered three different types of speakers for your consideration and all offer recession busting value in my opinion. As always, your mileage may vary. You might have your own list of great value speakers that might be equally valid. Reflecting back over the show in general, I saw one trend to offer more value for the money and another trend to offer more prestige and status. Take the opportunity to seek out these speakers at a show like the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF) or other appropriate venue and see if you don’t leave thinking that these speakers offer tremendous value in the world of high-end audio.
Brian Boehler
"The WHO: Live at the 2010 Super Bowl"
Certainly the best half time show in my lifetime. The sound was good to excellent for TV. They had a direct feed of Pete Townshend's guitar on the right channel - a little disconnected from the rest - but it was very clear.
I only caught the last song or so with the camera - just didn't think of taking photos of the stupid TV until the end. Also didn't think of running the signal direct and not through TiVo - ergo the wavy lines in the pictures. But the photos do show what a great show they put on. Wow.
"MIT Magnum 1.3 Speaker Cable"
"by Brian Boehler"
Equipment Review: Musical Interface Technology (MIT) Magnum 1.3 Speaker Cable
The dreaded cable review! I believe one of the hardest and most challenging audio equipment reviews is for cables/cable sets. Why, you ask? It is no secret that reviewers do not flock in droves for the chance to review cables. Cables represent the interaction of three inter-related electrical parameters that have to be evaluated within the context of a particular system. These electrical parameters include inductance, capacitance, and resistance. These three interact/interplay within a system and are very hard to quantify for the general public. I can tell you what I hear in my system but that may not translate to anything meaningful for your system. Hence the problem of reviewing cables, we each hear differently and have systems and environments that make it hard to compare sound quality.
My impressions are valid within the context of my system which may not be true for yours. The interplay of the above parameters between components in your system will vary. What is not clear is by how much and whether those differences negate my general listing impressions of the sound as it would apply to your system. This is why reviewers generally play it safe with broad sweeping generalizations about the superiority of one brand over another.
There have been a flurry of audiophiles on the internet who are very vocal about their views which include discussions that the hype around today’s audiophile cables is all voodoo, snake oil, or simply put, a bunch of BS. If this view is held due to the marketing literature and hype surrounding “new technologies”, I can understand the general frustration. While sonic differences can be small, they can also be the difference between contrived and real perceived sound in my opinion. Most reviewers want people to respect our perceptions, hearing, and understanding of all things audio. If I declare something as wonderful, revelatory, or hands above the rest, I want others to draw to that conclusion and generally agree with me. Cables can put you in a position where others wonder if you have some wax build up in your ear canal. Go figure!
MIT History
Bruce Brisson began designing audio cables in the 1970’s after “hearing” the sonic problems inherent in typical audio cables of the day. In 1981, he licensed the first of many of his designs and patents to Monster Cable. I don’t know about you, but this statement leaves me rather cold and indifferent to his beginnings and early accomplishments. Monster Cable, Noel Lee, and who really cares? In 1984, he founded Music Interface Technologies (MIT) and still heads the company as we know it today. If you have been around audio for long, you will recognize that Bruce has had a strong influence on the industry and has brought forward many concepts and design criteria. In 1989, he created the low-pass filter network concept, designing the patented CVT® and Terminator™ technologies that are contained in the distinctive modules for which all MIT products are known. Many key designers of high end equipment have either directly recommended MIT products or worked with MIT to design their own product recommendations based on MIT modified products.
Electrical Parameters in Cables
In order to understand why cables can sound so different and why everyone has a favorite flavor, you need to have a basic knowledge of what makes up a wire. I’m not talking about the actual wire or weave or dielectric but rather the electrical parameters as a result of the design choices. Here is an extremely simplified description of electrical parameters of cables.
Inductance: Inductance in a speaker cable is largely determined by the area between the conductors. Many speaker cables have conductors that run side by side ("twin-lead"). These conductors are separated by a small distance, so have moderate inductance. Some cables use many small wires that are woven together. This reduces inductance greatly, but at the cost of increased capacitance.
Capacitance: Capacitance is a function of how close the conductors are to each other. So, to keep the capacitance low, the conductors must be widely separated. Note: this is just the opposite of what we need for low inductance. Woven wires are close together so they have high capacitance.
Resistance: Resistance is the tendency for the wire in a cable to oppose the flow of current. Most cables are designed to have low resistance so that they don't significantly reduce the damping factor of the amplifier.
The interaction of these three parameters can have a profound influence on what you ultimately hear as music in your room. There is no one right formula for designing these parameters. Depending on your equipment choices such as tubes versus solid state, electrostatic speakers, or passive pre-amps, these all have strong requirements that you should not ignore. Understanding how these electrical parameters all work together within the context of your system can save you a lot of money, wasted time, and general frustration.
Magnum 1.3 Speaker Cable
The Magnum M1.3 speaker cable has 50 poles or articulation. The cable includes enhancements over its predecessor with an upgrade to MIT’s two proprietary 2C3D technologies: Stable Image Technology (SIT) and Jitter Free Analog (JFA). Ok, that sounds like a bunch of marketing gibberish, so what is 2C3D technology? As the name suggests, 2C3D was engineered to create a believable three dimensional soundstage from a two-channel system. The 2C3D technology offers the optimal balance between detail, imaging, and soundstage (the real question is who defined optimal?). 2C3D makes it easy to identify each of the individual instruments/voices within a well defined soundstage, at any volume level or so the story goes.
And by the way, what are 50 poles of articulation? This relates to MIT’s Multipole networks. The website states “these networks are wired in parallel, passively correcting the problems that are inherent with ordinary cable designs. All cables have one ideal area where the capacitance, inductance and resistance are balanced for proper articulation. This describes a single-pole of articulation. With Multipole networks, MIT can create additional poles (within the cable) for ideal behavior over a broader range than "just cable." With the advent of new micro-componentry, MIT can now provide improved performance without increasing package size for ease of installation. Think of it as getting the best of multiple cables, “all in one package”.
The Right Technology Matters?
I hate to burst your bubble, but I really don’t care about the fancy marketing of unique technologies (or snake oil) as it relates to cables. I have some pre-conceived ideas about what works but they are not hard and fast rules. I really don’t care if a wire has a box/network or not. I don’t care about copper versus silver, or gold and palladium versus who knows what. The point is that many of the commercial high-end designs have a basis in science but are predicated on a particular set of criteria and therefore can be substantiated by their science. Bottom line, you still have to listen within the context of your system and find what approach best serves the music in your system.
Let me share a couple of examples that will highlight my ideas around this topic. I believe system synergy is about matching components to achieve an overall balance of attributes that represent as close of an approximation of live music to your ear as possible. I don’t believe any wire set is truly neutral so therefore every piece of wire is in effect a type of tone control. Different wires emphasize different aspects or characteristics that you perceive need improving in your system. These can be fairly subtle but one brand versus another might add a little more overtone and harmonic structure or offer a broader three dimensional soundstage. Hold on, you say, everyone wants that so what are you talking about?
I will make a few overstated generalizations to share my concept. If we take an electrostatic speaker with solid state electronics, we have tremendous speed and articulation but we might also have a lighter harmonic structure. In other words, the sound might be on the border line of becoming thin if we don’t choose the right combination of wires. If we decide to go with a brand that emphasizes speed of transmission and leading edge transients, then we take the system further down the road of being viewed as thin and potentially bright. If, on the other hand, we choose a wire that emphasizes harmonic structure and overtone we probably find a better balance with the final sound. It really is all about synergy and finding the right combination of attributes that work for you.
Sound Quality
I had a new set of Magnum M1.3 single wire speaker cables on loan from the manufacturer that I decided to try within the context of my system. The cables retail for $6,500 for an eight foot pair. These cables are part of the MIT on-line store product offering.
My system consists of solid state amp/preamp, a Mod Wright Sony tube CD player, and floor standing dynamic loudspeakers. The CD player helps with adding some warmth and harmonic structure to the overall sound. My current reference speaker cable is the Acoustic Zen Hologram II which is 6N zero crystal copper (8AWG). While not perfect, it seems to offer a good balance of attributes for the money invested. Compared to some of the more common product names at this price point, I found the Acoustic Zen to be closer to truth and a balance of key attributes in my system.
Let’s now provide some insight into what I heard that was both positive and negative. First, on the positive side, I found the M1.3 to offer a more convincing three dimensional soundstage than almost any other speaker cable I have auditioned. The sense of air, depth, width, and height were bordering on remarkable. I’m not talking about a hyped hi-fi type affect but one that made the music and recording venue seem more real and substantial than other wires. Instead, I’m talking about a real sense of people and instruments inhabiting space and giving that acoustic space a sense of humanity versus really good hi-fi.
Another area that had a profound impact on what I heard was how the wire handled upper octave energy, detail, and leading edge transients. The wire has a unique way of having the right balance of detail and upper octave energy without being overly analytical or having leading edge transients that were boarding on hi-fi sounding versus real live music. I found more clearly revealed inner detail such as the turning of a page of sheet music in the third or fourth row of an orchestra. Many wires convey a sound but it doesn’t sound like a page of paper being turned but more like an indistinct noise of some sort that our mind has to fill in versus hearing the sound of real movement within a real space. In spite of hearing more detail revealed within the sound space, I didn’t hear the over hyped leading edge transient or detail that often reveals itself as hi-fi versus a real sound within a given sound space. I heard more of the right information and less of the false or over hyped leading edge detail. This balance of perceived detail is fantastic and in my experience much better than average.
I found the M1.3 to be a substantial improvement from about 200-300 hertz up to the top of my tweeters range. In the bass region I had a problem! Please note I stated that “I” had a problem, not necessarily the cable. I have a dedicated stereo room that measures about 20.5' long x 14.25' wide and has 9' ceilings. All walls are drywall with a suspended concrete floor. Even though it is a dedicated listening room, I have employed a fair amount of room treatments (RealTraps, Marigo, Shakti, and Golden Sound products) to tame the acoustics. Room resonance modes are a fact of life. Many of the products I have used have helped but not eliminated standing waves including areas of suck-out and areas of over exuberance. What I discovered is the M1.3 added more power in areas that didn’t help the overall sound. For example, the bass got stronger (not a good thing), didn’t get tighter (not a good thing), and seemed out of proportion to the sound of the rest of the speaker. It was kind of like the effect you would get by using a small monitor speaker on stands crossed over to a subwoofer and the match was just wrong. The subwoofer was a little too strong, a little muddy, and just not synced up with the main speaker to give the sensation of a coherent music space. As I stated in the beginning of this review, this is what I heard in the context of my room and system. Your mileage may very well vary!
Another System/A Different Perspective
I took the M1.3 cables over to a friends’ house and tried to validate my findings. He has a great room that is substantially larger in cubic volume than my room (probably six to eight times larger). If my theory was right, he should have very different standing waves and more distributed room resonance issues than my system exhibits. Would the bass improve? Would the 200-300 hertz and up performance be just as good as what I experienced? Would the overall sound be positive or would we uncover more negative aspects that I didn’t hear with my system?
Everything I heard in my system was validated from the lower midrange and up. Based on how I hear and experience music, I found the balance of sound to be exceptional. This system did not have the same bass issues that I experienced with mine. In fact, the bass sounded better on these speakers than I’ve ever heard in the past. Tight, tuneful, and well balanced with the upper bass/lower midrange. In this system the wire was boarding on amazing. The sense of a three dimensional image was substantially better than what I had heard before. One way to convey this is to use a ball as an example. A truly fleshed out three dimensional image should conjure a completely round ball from all angles. If the sound is short in depth, width, and height then the ball is oblong and out of proportion to a real round ball. I heard a sound that was truly approaching a round ball that was almost fully inflated. If it was oblong or out of proportion it was minor compared to what I often hear from cables.
One area of discussion was on the sense of leading edge transients. My friend felt his wire did a better job in this area than the MIT 1.3. I understand his point of view, but I don’t agree with his conclusion. I believe a leading edge can be too quick and too defined within the context of a stereo system. If you play the guitar and have your ear right on top of the instrument then your perception of the leading edge transient would be very different from mine as a member of the audience. We each prize and listen for different aspects of sound that define real to each one of us. I don’t play an instrument or sit within an orchestra. My perspective is that of a member of the audience. The leading edge transient is somewhat blunted by the distance, reflections, and people of the audience. To my ears, the MIT caught the right level of leading edge transient. From my perspective, I’m right, but then again I don’t play an instrument. I have a different point of view and reality around this topic. My observation doesn’t make me right or wrong but it is what I heard. No two ears hear sounds the in exactly the same manner. You need to listen for yourself and put the sound in context to your perceptions of real sound.
It should be noted that my friends’ speakers once belonged to me. I designed the speaker concept, picked the components and had some seriously smart friends help me design the crossovers, cabinets, and assemble the complete package. I know my limitations! Needless to say, I am quite familiar with this speaker including its strengths and weaknesses. I never got them to sound as good as I heard them with the M1.3 speaker cable. This experience demonstrated that the room and system context can have a huge impact on our perception of real sound.
System Synergy Thoughts
Based on my experiences with this cable, I offer some thoughts for your consideration. If we lump ribbon speakers, electrostatics, planar magnetic, ceramic drivers, diamond drivers, and some high technology metal drivers (beryllium/titanium) together, we have what could be considered very articulate and fast driver characteristics. All of these can have the tendency to be so fast that they can be perceived to be a little on the lean side compared to paper or plastic drivers. If we take paper drivers, plastic drivers, and some lower technology metal drivers (aluminum/hybrids), we have a group of speakers that can be overly rich/ripe and sometimes not perceived as very articulate/fast. While these are gross oversimplifications, they both hold some merit in the marketplace today. My perception is that the MIT M1.3 might do very well with the faster and very articulate driver topologies outlined above. They would add a sense of harmonic structure and flesh out the areas where these drivers can be perceived as lean. The M1.3 might take a paper/plastic driver topology and attempt to add additional harmonic structure and flesh the sound out in a way that takes the sound in the wrong direction (overly ripe and less articulation). In this last example, we might want to consider a speaker cable with some seriously fast propagation delay that would balance the speaker to add some much needed speed. As I’ve point out in the past, system synergy is extremely important. All wires are tone controls to some extent; you just need to know which direction you will turn the control to get the sound you crave.
Conclusion
I really liked how the M1.3 worked within the context of my system from 200-300 hertz and up. It opened a window on the soundstage that was deeper, wider, and higher than before. The sound was more fleshed out and it added some additional harmonic structure to the sound and made it feel more like tube equipment in the critical midrange. The highs were enhanced without grain or edginess and came across as more real. The bass was stronger but created problems that could not be overcome in my room. When we put the results in perspective to the value it offers and the dollars it takes to achieve this type of performance, I take some pause. In my personal view of value, I tend to equate the speaker wire as about 25 to 33% of the retail price of the speaker I purchased. Based on this formula, I would need speakers that retailed for around $25,000 to meet my personal criteria. If you have speakers in this price range I would definitely give them a listen. If your view of value is different than mine, please use your personal formula and give it a try.
I have heard many cable sets over the years, but few within the context of my system. You really can’t judge cables based on what you hear at a show or a dealer’s showroom. What counts is how they sound in your system and in your environment. MIT’s view of “real” sound may line up well with your perceptions or it may lead you to consider other alternatives. Discovery is important to achieving success in this critical area. Best of luck on your journey and if you have a chance, give the M1.3’s a try and see how you respond to their sound. I sure was impressed!
Brian Boehler
"Audio Note DAC 5 Signature"
The Audio Note U.K. DAC 5 Signature. It is not everyday we get to peek inside a $75K DAC. But, for your viewing pleasure... we are posting several photos. Listening impressions forthcoming...
"Got Music?"
"I got dem ol post CES blues..."
And maybe some of you do too.
Every year, the best part is listening to music and talking with people who actually listen about what we all are hearing. People seem to naturally cluster together in groups where we all kind of are looking for the same thing. So the 'price no object', 'what sounds really great?' people, well, we are with them (or they with us). This is unlike forums where the loudest lowest-common-denominator people dominate every group.
It is not really a group so much as perhaps a bunch of addicts looking for their next fix asking everyone they think might know something, anything where the next great thing might be.
For those who wondered why we did not do a 'Best of Show' it was because it was the same ole same ole. You got the Lamm/Wilson, Lars/Marten, Vitus/Marten, our $$$ Audio Note room, blah blah blah ....and Perfect8/Yspsilon (the only positive surprise, and you have to listen around the amps to hear it. But at $375K...).
A lot of pretenders sounded pretty depressing - and a lot of rooms that should have sounded at least decent, also were depressing. Look, every system has a bar it should meet - a certain level of competence - at its price point. I've only read a paragraph or two of other reports. I am sure when I see all the lie$ it will piss me off and spur me to describe what these systems sounded like - letting you the reader decide if you thought it was 'spectacular' [the word used in the only report I have read described a room that usually sounds much better - what these people must listen to at home I don't know... but I mourn for their families].
So, like I said, mostly same as it always is. But is is great fun dissecting the sound of each room worth dissecting with your friends as you hobble room to room or at dinner. Something everyone should experience at least a dozen times or so :-)
 |
|
|
Feb 2010, Volume 2 No. 2
|
