After some investigation, JVS found that the REF 6SE was very sensitive to system tuning. “The essential building blocks the components remain unchanged, but the context in which they are presented brings out their magic,” he wrote, adding “What was formerly ‘really good hi-fi’ blossoms into an audiophile bouquet.” Once his system had been optimized.
The BRX defines state-of-the-art performance for a bookshelf speakers design, effortlessly producing lifelike imaging, superb transparency, natural detail, and room-filing bass.
To this end there are no fancy curves or radiuses to the cabinet, for example. Rather, this three-way design sports polypropylene coned woofers, which were bleeding-edge technology back in the early 1980s amid a sea of paper cones, arguably offering a smoother and more sophisticated sound. Now though, it’s almost an anachronistic choice, like deliberately buying a modern car without traction control or ABS.
Cabinets, crossovers and drive units are all meticulously realized to recreate the LS3/5a as it was originally conceived. Component parts are scarce so just 50 pairs will be made at a cost of, wait for it, £6495 per pair.
The look is very much a functional one, accentuated by the gap between ‘brow’ and baffle the speaker looks more ‘of a piece’ with its grille in place, but then you lose that studio aesthetic.
Two other ranges fill the gap between top and bottom. There’s an F500 lineup, running from the compact F500 itself, a single-driver design with an unusual BassTrax loading system, of which more in a moment, this design being echoed in the larger F501 and F502 floor standers. Above that sits the single-model F700 series, the F702 basically having the same driver configuration as the F502 but in a classier cabinet. Backup is provided by the three-strong range of active F3 subwoofers, their model designations provided by the size of the driver used, from 8in/20cm upwards.
Combining a preamp that utilizes a valve circuit with a solid-state power amp, this supreme hybrid integrated rarely fails to delight across its many inputs and a very broad spectrum of music. With a sublime performance, excellent spec and rock-solid build, it’s a must-audition at the price.
The RAM Studio 20 clearly favors amps with plenty of grip, especially in the bass. It might not offer forensic levels of detail with which to dissect a recording, but as a wide-bandwidth, high-performance stand mount that sounds easy, natural and is dripping with musical finesse, it takes some beating. The RAM Studio 20 is a speaker named with such unwavering conviction that you’d hope it was being deadly serious.
The Vela BS 403 splits the atom, generating serious power from a tiny package. And rarely does so much dynamism come with such refinement. It’s like a BBC LS3/5aon steroids with an extra high and low octave thrown in. If you’ve ever felt the need for subwoofers and super tweeters, the ELAC covers those bases.
Though it’s ironically described by JBL as a ‘compact monitor’, at 74cm tall it couldn’t be less compact if it tried and weighing in at 38kg it’s not the sort of thing you’ll be wanting to stick up on a shelf – unless of course you have a desire to hear it come crashing down again in the middle of the night. All of which makes investment in dedicated stands pretty much a necessity. JBL of course provides a solution in the shape of the open-frame JS-120, which tilts the cabinet back towards the listener.
Kudos Audio has confirmed the release of its improved Cardea C10 and C20 loudspeakers. The new models are precision manufactured from balanced veneered High-Density Fiber board (HDF) and both use a custom 180mm mid/bass driver with a die-cast chassis with large open areas and a coated paper cone. There’s a 39mm voice coil in the C10 stand mount and a 26mm voice coil for the C20 floor stander, both having a phase plug to aid directivity.
ALL THE WAY from Youngstown, Ohio, SVS is bringing its new 3000 Micro subwoofer . Measuring a nifty little (WxHxD) 297 x 278 x 271mm, the 3000 Micro features innovations from the SVS 16-Ultra subwoofers married to active and opposing 205mm drivers and an 800W RMS/2,500W Peak Sledge STA-800D2 amplifier with discrete MOSFET output, and also features the SVS smartphone app for advanced system tuning.
Needs to appreciate more acoustic subtleties from speakers? Genius brings all serious audience members another arrangement of speakers,
With the long-toss bass port, SP-HF800 Pro amazements you to appreciate low notes in a particularly thin plan. Other component is an earphone jack for private tune in. SP-HF800 Pro is extraordinary for music tuning in, particularly for old style or Jazz music.
