The Moment of Truth
Time for some music. Speakers are 3 Feet away from the rear
and side walls, 6 Feet apart, toed in. Listening distance
is 8 Feet. No subwoofer, no EQ.
First
off the blocks is Vivaldi's
Four Seasons, followed by Mozart,
Chopin
and Strauss.
For such a small speaker, I did not expect it to be delicate
and yet forceful. When the passages were soft, the speakers
were emotive. When it went loud, there was authority. For
something more taxing, I had Hilary
Hahn playing Bach. The violins passed with flying colors.
Now I can sit back and enjoy Heifetz.
For
female vocals, Nana
Mouskouri had the honors. "Only Love" is capable
of revealing peakiness in the mids. I was relieved that the
speakers managed this track. Next in line is one of my favorites,
Amanda
McBroom's "Fool for Love" from her Midnight
Matinee album. Her voice not only cuts right through the mix
but had just the right amount of presence. Sarah
Brightman's duet with Cliff
Richard in "Only You" was comforting. It's inspirational
to see Cliff Richard still has it. And there's "Don't
Cry For Me Argentina". Almost brought tears.
On
to Andrea
Bocelli's "Amapola". He soared through the scales
effortlessly. Tony
Bennett's "An American Classic" was a shocking
revelation. If I am not mistaken, no sweetening was done on
all vocals. Very bold, and very rare nowadays. With this album,
you can truly appreciate how great an artist he is. I was
hard pressed to identify who those other famous singers are.
Simply unbelievable. I highly recommend this album. Together
with Dean
Martin's "That's Amore" and Frank
Sinatra's "My Way", these "institutions"
are shining examples in the true art of singing.
Now
on with some rock. Eagles'
"Hell Freezes Over" is noted for some overly aggressive
"sssshhhhhh". I am glad to say that the dreaded
sibilance emphasis is nonexistence. Sibilance is reproduced
when it is in the recording but it sounds natural. Cymbals
are delicate, not metallic at all. Bass is tight and dynamic.
No boomyness and howling from standing waves. More importantly,
it doesn't bleed over to the vocals.
The
Cost of Performance
Are
these speakers worth it? Discounting the cost of the enclosures,
the Vifas and crossover components alone total to approximately
$500 a pair. For this amount, one can get a lot of bang nowadays.
If loudness is what you are after, these speakers are not
for you. Neither will it deliver thunderous bass.
However,
if you are seeking refinement, these speakers are worth some
serious consideration. For this level of performance, it will
cost much more than $500 in the shops.
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