Although the Response 2S cost $3200/pair in 1996, adding a pair of dedicated high-quality stands upped that to about $4000, justifying Tyler's decision to add to the Response line the 2.5, a $4500/pair floorstander. For…
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Has any modern designer of high-performance speakers extracted more music from a two-way box than ProAc's Stewart Tyler? His early-1990s stand-mounted Response 2 (later upgraded to the Response 2S) was an instant classic, and while his tiny Tablette proved controversial for being bass-shy and relatively pricey, his track record of two-way speakers remains unassailable.
The kWs and D28s produced a somewhat cold, bright, overly analytical sound on top, complemented by exceptionally taut bass. Switching to the Reference tube amp produced the creamy, warm, inviting sound I'd heard from the D28s in Tempe, giving up only a bit of the kWs' bass clarity, control, and definition. Moving the ProAcs just a few inches farther out into the room from where JA had positioned them to take his measurements helped restore the excellent overall balance of the midrange and bass provided by the solid-state Musical Fidelitys.
What ProAc does best
The D28 did nothing…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) silk-dome tweeter, 6.5" (165mm) coated polypropylene-cone woofer. Frequency range: 20Hz–30kHz. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms. Sensitivity: 88.5dB/W/m. Recommended amplification: 10–200W.
Dimensions: 42.5" (1080mm) H (on plinth with conical feet) by 8" (204mm) W by 11.25" (286mm) D. Weight: 60 lbs (27kg).
Finishes: Maple, bird's-eye maple, cherry, black ash, mahogany, ebony real-wood veneers.
Serial Numbers Of Units Reviewed: 000365 (both).
Price: $6000/pair.…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Continuum Audio Labs Caliburn/Cobra/Castellon turntable/tonearm/stand; Graham Phantom tonearm, Lyra Titan i, Einstein TU-3 cartridges.
Digital Sources: Musical Fidelity kW DM25 CD transport & DAC, dCS 904 A/D converter, BPT-modified Alesis Masterlink hard-disk recorder.
Preamplification: Manley Steelhead, Einstein Turntable's Choice, AQVOX Phono 2 CI, Nagra VPS phono preamplifiers; DarTZeel NHB-18NS preamplifier.
Power Amplifiers: Musical Fidelity kW monoblocks, Music Reference RM-200.
Cables: Interconnect: TARA Labs Zero.…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
The ProAc Response D28 is both less sensitive than the norm and less sensitive than its own specification of 88.5dB/W/m. My estimate of the speaker's voltage sensitivity on its tweeter axis was just 84.6dB(B)/2.83V/m, though it fair to note that this is slightly higher than that of the older Response 2.5. To reach useful sound-pressure levels, it will need to be used with an amplifier capable of swinging plenty of volts. However, its impedance plot (fig.1) reveals it to be an extremely easy load for an amplifier to drive. The magnitude drops below 8 ohms only…
A while back, out of the blue, I was contacted by audio distributor May Audio Marketing. They wanted to know if I was interested in reviewing any models from the Genius line of German manufacturer ASW Loudspeakers. I have a lot of time for distributors such as May Audio, whose primary role is to promote lesser-known European audio products on this side of the pond. All of May's principal clients—Castle, Enigma, and Gradient speakers; Sonneteer and Sphinx electronics; and Roksan turntable systems—are much better known in their home countries than in the US.
But while May Audio…
The Genius 100's superb bass performance revealed another dimension of jazz and classical recordings. For a bookshelf speaker, its midbass extension with all recordings was surprisingly forceful and uncolored. Ray Brown's solo on "I'm an Old Cowhand," from Sonny Rollins' Way Out West (CD, JVC VICJ-60088), was even throughout the double bass's entire range, as well as uncolored and well defined, if slightly warm in the instrument's lower register, as it should be. The organ pedals in the Rutter Requiem were clean, forceful, and extended. Although the Genius 100s didn't shake my room, I can't…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded, magnetically shielded, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) fabric-dome tweeter, 5.1" (130mm) carbon-fiber–cone woofer. Frequency range: 45Hz–30kHz. Sensitivity: 90dB/2.83V/m. Continuous power handling: 70W. Maximum power handling: 120W. Nominal impedance: 4 ohms.
Dimensions: 13.25" (340mm) H by 5.7" (145mm) W by 13.7" (350mm) D. Weight: 18.7 lbs (8.5kg) each.
Finishes: 12 real-wood veneers, 4 shades of eggshell paint.
Serial Numbers Of Units Reviewed: 011281, 011283.
Price: $1395/pair. Approximate…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: VPI TNT IV turntable, Immedia RPM tonearm, Koetsu Urushi cartridge; Rega Planar 3 turntable, Syrinx PU-3 tonearm, Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood & Aurum Beta S cartridges.
Digital Sources: Lector CDP-7T, Creek Destiny CD players; Pioneer DV-333 DVD player.
Preamplification: Vendetta Research SCP-2D phono stage, Audio Valve Eklipse line stage.
Power Amplifier: Audio Research Reference 110 II.
Integrated Amplifiers: Creek Destiny & Creek 5350SE.
Loudspeakers: Nola Mini, Amphion Helium2, Monitor Audio Silver RS6.
Cables:…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
My estimate of the ASW Genius 100's voltage sensitivity on its tweeter axis was 88dB(B)/2.83V/m, which is slightly above average but 2dB lower than the specification. The speaker's impedance did drop to 4 ohms around 200Hz, and there is a combination of 5.8 ohms and –40° electrical phase angle at 130Hz, but overall, the ASW is not as hard to drive as its 4 ohm specification would suggest.
The traces in fig.1 are free of the wrinkles that would imply the existence of cabinet resonances. While investigation of the panels' vibrational behavior with an…