LOUDSPEAKERS

More documents

Recommendations

Info

go to: Contents | Features | Bookshelf, Stand-Mount and Desktop | Floorstanding | Editors' Choice Awards EqUIPMENt REVIEWS Bookshelf, Stand-Mount & Desktop Loudspeakers 34 Guide to High-Performance Loudspeakers www.theabsolutesound.com previous page NEXT page
go to: Contents | Features | Bookshelf, Stand-Mount and Desktop | Floorstanding | Editors' Choice Awards Pioneer SP-BS22 LR The Devil and Mr. Jones Neil Gader What are your expectations for a $129/pair loudspeaker Not all that high I would guess. At the very least, you’d expect it to work reliably, play reasonably loud, and not look too schlocky. But high-end sonics That’s setting the bar way up there. And that was pretty much what I thought when the redesigned Pioneer SP-BS22 LR was presented to me for review. But there was one significant difference—the new BS22 sports a discrete signature on its back panel just above the binding posts: A. Jones. So what’s in a name This particular A. Jones is Andrew Jones, the British gentleman known principally for his exquisite designs for TAD Labs, the high-end wing of parent company Pioneer Electronics. However, he’s also the chief speaker engineer for Pioneer, where the demands of that global titan include a broader-based, budgetconscious market. I can’t speak for Mr. Jones’ ability to compartmentalize, but it does speak volumes about his creative range—a bit like engineering a McLaren one day and tinkering with a Mini the next. However, whether it’s designing the latest beryllium coincident transducer, or bringing the new TAD Evolution 1 ($29,000, review to come) or, in this case, the modest SP-BS22 LR to market—the influence of Mr. Jones’ design cannot be taken lightly. To look at, the SP-BS22 LR is as conventional and unassuming as a speaker comes. It’s a twoway bass-reflex design that tips the scales at little more than nine pounds. If you imagined its driver array as something along the lines of a TAD-derived coincident driver trickling down to the sub-$150 price point, think again. Mid/bass duties are handled by a prosaic four-inch driver with a structured-surface diaphragm to aid rigidity and fend off breakup modes. The one-inch softdome tweeter uses a large, custom-designed waveguide to control dispersion and increase sensitivity. Construction and fit and finish appear solid, consistent with today’s “made in China” workmanship. The SP-BS22 LR speakers utilize a curved cabinet design, which adds stiffness to the enclosure and is said to reduce internal standing waves. (This last issue is less germane in small boxes than full-range enclosures.) Although SP- BS22 LR is small, its relatively low 85dB sensitivity means that it requires more than minimal power. Bass is better controlled and there’s more of it with additional watts; plus, the added power enlivens dynamics and enriches tonality. But, like they say, the devil’s in the details, and the wildcard is the not-to-be-underestimated Jones Factor. What makes his concoction such a delight to listen to is how well he applies highend values to such a small and (let’s face it) cheap 35 Guide to High-Performance Loudspeakers www.theabsolutesound.com previous page NEXT page
Page 1 and 2: STEREO • MUSIC GUIDE to HIGH-PERF
Page 3 and 4: go to: Contents | Features | Booksh
Page 84 and 85:
go to: Contents | Features | Booksh
Page 86 and 87:
Page 88 and 89:
Page 90 and 91:
Page 92 and 93:
Page 94 and 95:
Page 96 and 97:
Page 98 and 99:
Page 100 and 101:
Page 102 and 103:
Page 104 and 105:
Page 106 and 107:
Page 108 and 109:
Page 110 and 111:
Page 112 and 113:
Page 114 and 115:
show all

LOUDSPEAKERS

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?