Absolute Sound
Absolute Sound
Absolute Sound
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ecommended products<br />
PROAC TABLETTE REFERENCE 8<br />
Price: $1200<br />
www.proac-usa.com<br />
A two-way loudspeaker for connoisseurs who<br />
prize precision, ProAc’s Tablette Reference 8<br />
has a slightly forward midrange—emphasizing<br />
vocalists—and open highs. <strong>Sound</strong>stage dimensionality<br />
is its specialty, particularly when it<br />
comes to height. To offset its light tonal balance,<br />
however, the Reference 8 requires careful<br />
room placement to enhance bass reinforcement.<br />
Although remarkable on its own, it<br />
requires the best subwoofers to keep up with<br />
its transient acrobatics. Benefits from the use<br />
of high-quality stands. In spite of its obvious<br />
dynamic and amplitude limits, this speaker is<br />
required listening. Reviewed by NG in Issue 141<br />
RED ROSE MUSIC SPIRIT STUDIO<br />
MONITORS<br />
Price: $1490<br />
www.redrosemusic.com<br />
The two-way, ribbon-plus-cone-driver-equipped<br />
Red Rose Spirit Studio Monitors “deliver what<br />
most small monitors only promise—world-class<br />
imaging, a deep and wide soundstage, reasonable<br />
volume capabilities, and respectable bass<br />
extension (to just below 60Hz).” Better still, the<br />
speaker is brilliantly balanced, offering plenty<br />
of resolution, but with smooth, extended treble<br />
and a gentle “middle-of-the-hall” perspective<br />
that tends not to overemphasize recording<br />
flaws. Plan on using good, rigid speaker<br />
stands, and a clean-sounding (though not necessarily<br />
high-powered) amp to get the most<br />
from the Spirits. Reviewed by CM as part of the<br />
Red Rose Spirit system in AVguide, April 2003<br />
$1500–$2000<br />
INFINITY INTERMEZZO 2.6<br />
Price: $1500<br />
www.infinitysystems.com<br />
Another small two-way design, the Intermezzo<br />
features a curvilinear aluminum enclosure,<br />
ceramic-composite drivers, a self-powered<br />
mid/bass driver, and Infinity’s RABOS system,<br />
which impressively smoothes the dominant resonant<br />
peak of the room. The 2.6 is transparent,<br />
with excellent bass extension and a cool,<br />
somewhat clinical personality. It is dynamically<br />
unflappable at nearly any volume. Best performance<br />
comes when mounted on the dedicated<br />
(optional) floorstands. Reviewed by NG in<br />
Issue 134<br />
VANDERSTEEN 2CE SIGNATURE<br />
Price: $1549<br />
www.vandersteen.com<br />
This classic three-way floorstander delivers<br />
excellent top-to-bottom balance and an engaging<br />
musicality. Though not as transparent as<br />
comparably priced Magnepans, Vandersteen’s<br />
baffle-less time-and-phase-coherent design can<br />
nonetheless suggest the spatial focus usually<br />
heard with planars. It benefits from bi-wiring,<br />
should be placed away from walls, and careful<br />
attention must be given to adjusting the backtilt<br />
via the optional stands. Shane Buettner<br />
considers it “…a high performance speaker<br />
that might just be the best value in the industry.”<br />
Reviewed by SB in Issue 139<br />
MAGNEPAN MG 1.6<br />
Price: $1725<br />
www.magenpan.com<br />
Magnepan’s MG 1.6 is simply one of the great<br />
high-end speaker values. The bass is defined<br />
and tuneful down to a respectable 40Hz, and<br />
the highs are a little soft, but with its top-tobottom<br />
frequency coherence, great speed,<br />
wide-open soundstaging, and transparency, this<br />
moderately priced Maggie is a music lover’s<br />
pleasure. JV’s Recommended Systems, Issue 124<br />
POLK AUDIO LSI-15<br />
Price: $1740<br />
www.polkaudio.com<br />
A three-way tower,<br />
standing 45" tall,<br />
the LSi-15’s<br />
strengths are its<br />
smooth and detailed<br />
treble, which never<br />
irritates even at loud<br />
listening levels,<br />
thanks to the exceptional<br />
Vifa XT254<br />
ring-radiator tweeter,<br />
and an equally<br />
smooth and open<br />
midrange. Where the<br />
speaker falls short<br />
is in the bass, which<br />
has a lot of energy<br />
but not quite the<br />
tightness and control<br />
that would raise<br />
this otherwise excellent<br />
effort up a notch. Not tricky to set up, and<br />
works with a wide range of amps from<br />
20–250W. Reviewed by Anthony H. Cordesman<br />
in Issue 135<br />
AUDIO PHYSIC YARA<br />
Price: $1995<br />
www.immediasound.com<br />
Despite its small cabinet,<br />
this two-way, downward-firing<br />
bass-reflex design possesses<br />
exceedingly natural and<br />
extended low-frequency<br />
response, a rich midrange,<br />
and silky highs.<br />
<strong>Sound</strong>staging, too, is excellent,<br />
thanks in no small part<br />
to the ultra-narrow 6-inch<br />
front baffle. Its output limitations<br />
make this highly musical<br />
little floorstander best in<br />
smaller rooms with average<br />
ceiling heights. Reviewed by<br />
NG in Issue142<br />
PSB PLATINUM M2<br />
Price: $1995<br />
www.psbspeakers.com<br />
The aluminum-sheathed<br />
Platinum M2 shines in its<br />
40 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ JUNE/JULY 2004
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