LOUDSPEAKERS
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go to: Contents | Features | Bookshelf, Stand-Mount and Desktop | Floorstanding | Editors' Choice Awards<br />
clean and precise. Neutrality is high<br />
with superb midrange sonics, nice<br />
presence, potent midbass punch,<br />
and very little in the way of port<br />
coloration. NG, this issue<br />
Nola Boxer<br />
$1500<br />
nolaspeakers.com<br />
The Boxer is an unassuming, twoway,<br />
bass-reflex compact with a<br />
sound that’s unerringly musical—a<br />
canny balance of warmth and detail.<br />
Images are vivid, and transient<br />
reflexes quick. This is not a shy<br />
recessed presentation, nor is the<br />
treble brittle or fatiguing. Except<br />
for the slightest presence-range dip,<br />
there’s substance to every octave<br />
with very little dynamic compression.<br />
NG, 203<br />
Polk LSiM 703<br />
$1500<br />
polkaudio.com<br />
Three-way compacts are relative<br />
rarities in this price range, but the<br />
LSiM 703’s terrific output and<br />
dynamic headroom make it a winner.<br />
With authoritative mids, a strong<br />
presence range, and a powerful lower<br />
octave, the 703 digs a bit deeper<br />
and throws a heavier punch than<br />
typical two-ways. Its midrange is a bit<br />
forward and there’s a narrow band<br />
of treble congestion, but overall the<br />
LSiM703 is a rock-solid performer.<br />
NG, 225<br />
Gallo Classico CL-3 speaker<br />
$1595<br />
roundsound.com<br />
Gallo’s CL-3 is a 31-inch tall, twoway,<br />
3-driver, transmission-lineloaded<br />
floorstander that incorporates<br />
three of the firm’s signature<br />
“think-outside-the-box” design<br />
features: an inherently crossover-less<br />
architecture, a semi-cylindrical CDT<br />
piezoelectric tweeter offering 180<br />
degrees of horizontal dispersion,<br />
and proprietary S2 enclosure<br />
damping materials. The result is a<br />
compact speaker that offers detailed,<br />
refined, dynamically expressive, and<br />
improbably expansive and full-range<br />
sound. Now sold factory-direct. CM,<br />
224<br />
Klipsch Heresy III<br />
$1700<br />
klipsch.com<br />
Klipsch’s most compact offering in<br />
its Heritage Line features significant<br />
driver improvements relative to<br />
the original. It’s still a three-way<br />
closed-box speaker, but with a more<br />
powerful woofer, improved tweeter,<br />
and midrange compression drivers<br />
updated to titanium diaphragms.<br />
High sensitivity (99dB) opens<br />
up the realm of low-power tube<br />
amplification. The horns start<br />
beaming in the presence region<br />
making it necessary to carefully adjust<br />
toe-in. Tonal balance benefits from<br />
raising the speakers off the floor by<br />
about two feet. Dick Olsher, 228<br />
Monitor Audio Gold GX50<br />
$1700<br />
monitoraudio.com<br />
The smallest member in the GX<br />
Series, this two-way stand-mount<br />
with ribbon tweeter shines brilliantly<br />
on vocals, with delicate texture, air,<br />
and bloom. Tonally it’s a little polite<br />
in the upper mids, and there’s a bit<br />
of extra brilliance on top, but the<br />
openness of the ribbon tweeter<br />
more than makes up for these<br />
minor colorations. More a finesse<br />
loudspeaker than a headbanger’s<br />
dream. NG, 229<br />
Monitor Audio Silver RX8<br />
$1750<br />
monitoraudio.com<br />
Monitor’s Silver RX8 floorstanders<br />
leverage technologies originally<br />
developed for the firm’s higher<br />
priced Gold Series speakers. Positive<br />
characteristics include fundamentally<br />
neutral voicing, surprisingly good<br />
resolution, and superb imaging.<br />
Revealing, yet easy to drive, the RX8s<br />
may need their included foam port<br />
dampers to prevent bass overload in<br />
smaller rooms. CM, 203<br />
Reference 3A Dulcet<br />
$1790<br />
reference3a.com<br />
True to its name, this Canadian<br />
bonbon produces smooth and<br />
melodious sound, and as a bonus is<br />
reasonably well balanced through<br />
the bass range. Its sonic demeanor<br />
is such that it should happily partner<br />
with an even-less-than-sterling digital<br />
front end. DO, 171<br />
Rega RS5<br />
$1795<br />
soundorg.com<br />
With a Rega-designed silk dome<br />
tweeter, midrange, and side-firing<br />
woofer, the British-made RS5<br />
presents an impressively transparent<br />
window to recordings, excellent<br />
clarity, an uncluttered stage, a large<br />
soundfield, fine focus, and nearly<br />
spot-on tonal balance. WG, 196<br />
Sonist Recital 3<br />
$1795–$2195 (depending on<br />
finish)<br />
sonist.com<br />
This slim floorstander with ribbon<br />
tweeter is an overachiever in its price<br />
class, demonstrating a terrific ability<br />
to render fine shadings of timing<br />
and tone. Its spectral character<br />
leans toward the warm rather than<br />
the analytic, but with outstanding<br />
resolution and articulation. The bass<br />
isn’t the last word in extension or<br />
dynamic impact. An easy load, the<br />
Recitalist 3 can be driven by modest<br />
amplifiers. Garrett Hongo, 218<br />
KEF R-300<br />
$1800<br />
kef.com<br />
The stirring performance of this<br />
three-way can be summed up in<br />
four words—precision, pitch,<br />
forward, and focused. Using the<br />
latest iteration of KEF’s Uni-Q<br />
coincident driver, the R-300 has<br />
a smooth, gung-ho midrange,<br />
impeccable image focus, and rocksolid<br />
bass. It’s at its best reproducing<br />
the human voice, where it achieves<br />
a coherence that most compacts in<br />
this range can’t quite muster. Only<br />
under the full weight of an orchestra<br />
does the R-300 give up some of its<br />
transparency and resolving power.<br />
NG, 226<br />
Fritz Speakers Carbon 7<br />
$1895<br />
fritzspeakers.com<br />
A two-way compact that exhibits a<br />
generously ripe, rich, dark midrange<br />
alive with energy. Plus bass response<br />
that plummets impressively into the<br />
mid-40Hz range. One of the Carbon<br />
7’s great traits is that doesn’t lose the<br />
weight and resonance of real music.<br />
Although it compresses mildly at<br />
very loud volumes, it doesn’t overreach<br />
in the treble, which makes this<br />
a speaker that will wear incredibly<br />
well over the long haul. NG, 219<br />
Magnepan 1.7<br />
$1995<br />
magnepan.com<br />
Maggie’s first “all-ribbon” (which<br />
is to say, “all-quasi-ribbon”)<br />
loudspeaker, the 1.7, easily picks<br />
up the mantle of the MG 1.6,<br />
JV’s previous choice for the<br />
best affordable loudspeaker, by<br />
improving upon the 1.6 in every<br />
area (particularly overall coherence).<br />
Though lacking the bottom octave,<br />
from the midbass up it can stand<br />
comparison to some of the stalwarts<br />
of the ultra-high-end. A superb<br />
transducer and real bargain, provided<br />
you have enough space to house it<br />
and enough amp to drive it. JV, 205<br />
Salk Sound SongTower Q WT<br />
$1995<br />
salksound.com<br />
A successful and striking<br />
implementation of a D’Appolito<br />
MTM configuration, integrating<br />
two mid/woofers and a ¾" soft<br />
dome tweeter, the SongTower<br />
sings cohesively and is capable<br />
of performing a convincing<br />
disappearing act. The soundstage is<br />
exceptionally wide and stable. Inroom<br />
bass response is extended to<br />
about 40Hz, but don’t expect the<br />
punch of a 12" woofer. Perceived<br />
tonal balance is slightly lean and<br />
104 Guide to High-Performance Loudspeakers www.theabsolutesound.com<br />
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