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This little bookshelf speaker's bass reproduction was quite impressive. On the aforementioned Kraftwerk track, the bass synthesizers and electronic bass drums sounded fairly natural, if a bit rounded at the bottom, but there wasn't quite as much slam as I've heard from this track through larger floorstanding speakers. The organ-pedal notes in the Rutter Requiem seemed very natural, though they never quite shook the room. However, I noticed no pedal notes missing in action. I had a similar reaction to the bass drum in the denser passages of Stravinsky's Firebird: it was convincing without…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded bookshelf loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" Vifa XT ring-radiator tweeter, 5.25" Atohm woofer with a rubber bar over the dustcap. Crossover frequency: 3kHz. Crossover type: 4th-order. Frequency response: 42Hz–35kHz, ±3dB. Impedance: 4 ohms. Efficiency: 88dB.
Dimensions: 14.5" (370mm) H by 8" (205mm) W by 11" (280mm) D. Shipping weight: 48 lbs (21.8kg)/pair.
Finishes: South American Rosewood; add $300/pair for Piano Bird's-Eye Maple, Piano Black.
Serial Numbers Of Units Reviewed: 25399, 26100.
Price: $1200/pair. (One-way…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: VPI TNT IV, Rega Planar 3 turntables; Immedia RPM, Syrinx PU-3 tonearms; Koetsu Urushi, Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood cartridges.
Digital Sources: Lector CDP-7T, Creek Destiny CD players.
Preamplification: Vendetta Research SCP-2D phono stage, Audio Valve Eclipse line stage.
Power Amplifier: Audio Research Reference 110.
Loudspeakers: Amphion Helium2, Epos M16i, Monitor Audio RS6 Silver.
Cables: Interconnect (all MIT): Magnum M3, MI-350 CVTwin Terminator, MI-330SG Terminator. Speaker: Acarian Systems Black Orpheus.
Accessories…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The Onix Reference 1 Mk.II's "efficiency" or more correctly, voltage sensitivity, is specified as "88dB." My B-weighted estimate on the speaker's tweeter axis was within experimental error of that figure, at 87.5dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is typical of a speaker in this size and price category. The speaker's impedance stays between 4.5 and 8 ohms for most of the audioband, with minima of 4.2 ohms in the lower midrange and 3.7 ohms at 20kHz (fig.1, solid trace). With an electrical phase angle that remains moderate almost all the time (fig.1 dotted trace), the Onix Ref.1…
I know from conversations with other reviewers that this sort of thing happens all the time: Something new comes along—a product from a company we've never heard of, a technology we've never encountered before, whatever—and when we're impressed, we end up wondering if the thing is really as good as we think. We're insecure, just like you (footnote 1).
So it was with the Concerto 3 ($3495/pair) from Sonist Loudspeakers, a newish company based in southern California. I gladly accepted designer Randy Bankert's invitation to review his largest model—my reputation for enjoying…
While cabinet location wasn't much of a challenge, cabinet aiming certainly was: With their front surfaces aimed directly at the listening area, the Concerto 3s sounded a bit aggressive and a bit too forward. With the cabinets aimed straight ahead—and thus with most listening done off the axis of the high-frequency ribbons—those problems were banished, but the superb stereo imaging performance that I came to admire these speakers for wasn't at its best. In particular, there seemed to be a distinction between images heard right at the speaker itself and images that should otherwise have…
Sidebar 1: Records And The Sonist Concerto 3
Best: Eno, Another Green World (LP, Island ILPS 9351): The Concerto 3, with its deep, liquid bass and excellent sense of scale, brought me to a new level of appreciation of Eno's third solo outing. The pairing made for an appropriately hypnotic listening experience.
Worst: Jorge Bolet, Rediscovered: Liszt Recital (CD, RCA Red Seal 63748-2): The Sonist didn't shine with piano recordings in general, and digital remasterings such as this sounded especially mechanical.—Art Dudley
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way reflex-loaded floor-standing loudspeaker. Drive-units: 2.6" long Fountek JP3.0 ribbon tweeter, 8" proprietary treated paper-cone woofer. Frequency response: 30Hz–40kHz, ±3dB. Impedance: 8 ohms nominal, 6 ohms minimum. Sensitivity: 95dB/W/m. Recommended amplification: 2–100W RMS.
Dimensions: 40" (1025mm) H by 11.5" (290mm) W by 14.75" (380mm) D. Weight: 60 lbs (27.3kg).
Finish: Matt black enclosure, natural hardwood baffle.
Serial Numbers Of Units Reviewed: None.
Price: $3495/pair. Approximate number of dealers: 11.
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Sidebar 3: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Thorens TD-124 Mk.II turntable; EMT 997 tonearm; Shindo SPU, Ortofon SPU 90th Anniversary & SPU Synergy A, EMT OFD 25 & OFD 65 cartridges.
Digital Source: Sony SCD-777ES SACD/CD player.
Preamplification: Auditorium 23 Hommage T1 step-up transformer, Shindo Masseto preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Shindo Corton-Charlemagne & Haut-Brion, Fi 2A3 Stereo.
Loudspeakers: Audio Note AN-E/SPe HE.
Cables: Interconnect: Audio Note AN-vx, Shindo Silver. Speaker: Auditorium 23, Naim NACA-5. AC: JPS Labs The Digital (Sony CD…
Sidebar 4: Measurements
The Concerto 3's voltage sensitivity is specified as a very high 95dB/W/m. My B-weighted estimate on the speaker's tweeter axis was a little lower than that, at 91dB(B)/2.83V/m, but this is still significantly higher than average. The impedance magnitude (fig.1, solid trace) remains above 7 ohms at almost all frequencies, and though the electrical phase angle (fig.1, dotted trace) is extreme on two occasions, both instances occur when the amplitude is 8 ohms or more, ameliorating the drive difficulty. With its high sensitivity and amplifier-friendly impedance, the…