your resource for phase coherent loudspeakers
"The
sound of a time- and phase-accurate speaker is going to sneak up on some of
you. Most people are used to hearing the tweeter hit you first, which creates,
along with steep-slope crossovers, a false impression of speed and top-end detail.
A time-aligned speaker sounds warmer with less pizzazz initially. But in time
(pun intended), you’ll come to regard the sound of conventional speakers
as a form of edge enhancement, like cranking the sharpness up on a TV—certain
details jump out while others are obscured. When reproducing piano with many
conventional loudspeakers, the midrange driver reproducing fundamental notes
will be out of phase with the tweeter reproducing its decay. With time- and
phase-accurate speakers the fundamentals and harmonics are always integrated
in the time domain, and the overall sound has more natural coherence with rock-solid
imaging." — Shane Buettner, The
Absolute Sound, Equipment Report: The Cutting Edge, Vandersteen Model 5A
Loudspeaker.
"Piano, a notoriously difficult
instrument to reproduce, sounds accurate and life-like with no distorted ringing.
How do I know? I own a piano. In Murray Perahia's recording of Schubert's Piano
Sonatas [Sony S2K 87706], I can detect the subtle shaping of each note as it
begins with the initial hammer fall, blossoms through the cavity and ends. In
comparison to the Kestrels, the Paradigms made quite a mess of keyboards. I
also got a little tired after a piano recording, as if I were working too hard
to sort out the notes. I used to blame this on the tweeter or perhaps the cabinet
design. Now I'm more inclined to believe that I was hearing time and phase problems."
— Paul Candy, 6moons,
Audio Review, Meadowlark Kestrel 2, September 2003.
"But
the point is, whatever music I play through them comes to life, draws me in.
Listening fatigue? Doesn't happen. There's something to this time coherence
business." — Wayne Donnelly, Enjoy
the Music, Equipment Review, Meadowlark Blue Heron, April 2002.
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