Power!Power!Power!

Distributed in North America by Bluebird Music – www.bluebirdmusic.com – Tel: 416-638-8207
TONE AUDIO NO.53
134
Because you…
The new Spendor S3/5R2 – $1,595
For more than 40 years
the world’s finest loudspeakers.
Hear Them at:
Affordable Audio
Los Angeles, CA
310-827-0359
affordableaudio.net
Stereotypes Audio
Portland, OR
503-280-0910
stereotypesaudio.com
give a damn.
You don’t buy them to please your wife and you don’t
buy them because they’re a great “deal”. You buy
them because they’re the best, because you’ve
earned them and because you give a damn.
“The new S3/5R2 was a revelation. The improvements were many and
obvious. More balanced presentation. improved clarity. compact but packing
a bass punch.” – HiFi World, June 2012, Five Globe Award
“The S3/5R2 is still an astonishingly communicative speaker that has very
few equals. The S3/5R2 accompanies that addictive midrange with a tight,
fast and tuneful bass.” – Hi-Fi Choice, January 2012, Recommended Award
Audio Perfection
Minneapolis, MN
612-866-0083
audioperfection.com
Pat’s Audio Art
Vancouver, BC
604-569-2883
patsaudioart.com
EARSNOVA
New York, NY
212-288-2855
earsnova.com
As such, neither the Bomber,
Iron Fist, nor Motorizer (named after
Motorhead albums) over-ear model
seeks to appeal to hip-hop or classical
tastes; the black, heavy-duty
construction and silver-embossed
logos scream leather-and-studs
cool and whiskey-drinking raucousness.
Amazingly, audiophile
manufacturers still haven’t caught
up to the fact that most listeners
don’t simply want good sound and
portability. They demand fashionable
looks that reflect and project
their interests; ‘phones are all about
making a statement. From this
angle, Motorheadphones already
have a leg up on the competition.
And they’re tied to a band unafraid
to literally piss on anybody that gets
in its way. Look out below.
Motorheadphones’ lifestyle
imaging is reinforced in the clever
packaging, intended to mimic a
road case. With Motorheadphones,
you’re not only buying a product—
you’re buying into a free-spirited
belief system, aggressive symbolism,
and the group’s hallmark “Everything
Louder Than Everything
Else” motto. For the privilege, prepare
to spend $120-$130, which, in
the case of the top-of-the-line Motorizer,
gets you a pair of ‘phones,
two cables (a 2.5m version for
home listening, and a 1m edition
complete with a microphone/
controller dubbed “Controlizer” for
smartphones), a gold-plated stereo
mini-jack adapter, and carrying bag.
Cigarettes and Jack Daniels aren’t
included.
FEATURE
To their credit, Motorizers
tolerate high-decibel volumes
without caving into distortion or
smearing. If, like Lemmy and his
crew, loudness is your primary
criteria, they won’t likely disappoint.
As promised, bass is full
and smooth, and the percussion
healthy and upfront. Midrange
suffers not an iota. However,
Motorizers sound rather trebly,
with vocals and guitars receiving
more attention than they should.
It’s an intentional bias, but
one that on discs such as Iron
Maiden’s metal-breathing Live
Over Hammersmith and Jamey
Johnson’s country-appointed
The Lonesome Song results in
annoying brightness and occasional
tizziness. The imbalance
is to be expected: Beats ‘phones
amplify the low end; Motorheadphones
aim for the opposite by
way of restoring the midrange
and highs.
Motorizers, which utilize
40mm neodymium speakers,
perform fairly well in the areas
of instrumental separation and
noise-canceling immersion—particularly
given the price. However,
critical listeners and music
lovers preferring a more detailed,
warm presentation—as well as a
wider, deeper soundstage and
realistic acoustic equilibrium—
will be better served by other
models. Then again, they won’t
know the fist-in-the-air pleasures
of pumping Motorhead tunes
like “Killed By Death” through
‘phones tailored for such tension-releasing
escapes.
$129 www.amazon.com
March 2013 135