Absolute Sound

ecommended products
tom SEAS silk-dome tweeter. Both are mounted
in a small, rear-ported, and beautifully finished
enclosure. Rated at 92dB sensitivity, they can
be effectively used with amps (especially tubed
ones) from 8 watts up, and really shine when
paired with a first-rate subwoofer.
Reviewed by Aaron Shatzman in Issue 132
VON SCHWEIKERT VR-2
Price: $2500
www.vonschweikert.com
Von Schweikert’s VR-
2 (“VR” for Virtual
Reality) is a towertype,transmissionline
design with three
forward-facing drivers
plus a rear-firing
“ambience recovery”
driver. The VR-2
offers deeply extended
(mid-20Hz range)
bass, a midrange
and treble whose
clarity scales upward
with that of associated
electronics, and
lively and expressive
dynamics. The ambience
recovery driver—when
used judiciously—helps
add
plausible depth to
the soundstage. For
best bass definition
and clarity, install 25 pounds of lead shot in
the damping chamber provided in the bottom of
each speaker. In our tests, the VR-2s opened
up and imaged best when positioned relatively
far apart (as the manual suggests). Experiment
patiently with positioning for finest results.
Reviewed by CM in AVguide, July 2003
SPENDOR SP-1/2
Price: $2999
www.qsandd.com
This medium-sized box speaker with three drivers,
two of them tweeters, offers some of the
most musically accurate sound available at any
price, within the limitations of no deep bass
and somewhat restricted loudness (SP1/2s are
dynamically lively on transients, but are not
intended to fill really large rooms with high volumes).
Stand-mounting (around 14–16" is best)
is needed, with some space around. Properly
set up and listened to on axis, the SP1/2s
have a truth to instrumental timbre that few
speakers come close to. The declining dollar
has forced the American price of this UK speaker
up a little, but it remains well worth the
money if correct tonal balance and accuracy of
timbre are priorities. Reviewed by REG in Issue 90
MARTINLOGAN AEON I
Price: $3295
www.martinlogan.com
Utilizing the first significant
upgrade to ML’s electrostatic
technology in more
than 15 years, the Aeon i’s
Generation 2 ESL panel
achieves a remarkable
level of clarity, smoothness,
and transparency
from 400Hz on up. To
complement the new
panel, a freshly designed
8" aluminum-cone woofer
has been added, as well
as a more rigid bassreflex
enclosure. Most of
the time the blend is
quite seamless, but the
deepest bass notes will
reveal the slight slowness
of the woofer compared
to the ’stat. A new
rear-firing tweeter helps
off-axis listening, but
totally screws up the
speaker’s mostly excellent
coherence, so leave
it switched off. These
babies sound best with
about three feet behind
them and a few to the
sides, and also sing their
sweetest with a powerful amp.
Reviewed by WG in Issue 146
SOUNDLINE AUDIO SL2
Price: $3495
www.soundlineaudio.com
This terrifically well-integrated hybrid speaker
mates a planar-magnetic linesource midrangetweeter
with a 10.4" dynamic woofer. The
blend is good and, of course, from 250Hz on
up coherence is total as there is only one driver.
Being a dipole, it needs to be away from
walls, and since it is a linesource early room
reflections are just about nil. Frequency
response is notably flat, the midrange is quite
natural, the bass is deep, if not subwooferlevel,
and soundstaging is wide and well
defined. This speaker comes into its own with
large-scale music. Reviewed by REG in Issue 144
VANDERSTEEN 3A SIGNATURE
Price: $3495
www.vandersteen.com
Like all Vandersteen designs,
the 3A Signature is time-andphase
accurate. Its driver
complement features the
patented midrange and tweeter used in the
vaunted Vandersteen 5. The 3A Signature,
which sounds more relaxed than others in this
price category, is musically seductive, and will
appeal to those who want to forget about the
sound and enjoy the music. The 3A Signature
trades off some dynamic contrast and
midrange resolution for its overall ability to
involve the listener in the music’s meaning.
Excellent bass extension, combined with a
good balance between bass warmth and articulation,
round out this outstanding effort. The
3A Signature is a world-class speaker at a realworld
price. Reviewed by RH in Issue 122
COINCIDENT SPEAKER
TECHNOLOGY PARTIAL ECLIPSE
Price: $3499
www.coincidentspeaker.com
Albeit on a smaller scale,
this 3-way floorstander
shares many of the same
sonic virtues that earned
its big brother, Total
Eclipse, a 2001 Golden
Ear Award. The midband
tilts slightly to the warm
side, with gloriously open
and extended highs and a
tight, well-controlled bass.
Mirror-image side-firing 8"
woofers can be positioned
facing in or out, necessitating
some experimentation
for proper room setup.
The Partial is an especially
synergistic match with
higher-powered OTL tube
designs, but mates nicely
with solid-state as well.
Reviewed by SK in Issue 146
44 THE ABSOLUTE SOUND ■ JUNE/JULY 2004