Following my review of the floorstanding Magico S5 Mk.II last February,1 I spent some time with two-way stand-mounted speakers from Aerial Acoustics, Bowers & Wilkins, and Dynaudio. As much as I appreciated the small speakers’ virtues, I found myself missing the big Magico’s bass extension and ability to play loud; my next loudspeaker review, therefore, would be of another floorstander.
It’s been a while since we published a review of a Rockport Technologies loudspeaker. Michael Fremer raved about Rockport’s Antares in August 2002, which at the time cost $41,500/pair.2 In September 2004, he was also impressed by the combination of the Rockport Merak II loudspeaker and Sheritan II subwoofer ($29,500/system).3
I’ve been consistently impressed by the sound of Rockport speakers at audio shows over the past few years, so I asked Rockport’s Andy Payor for a pair of Avior IIs.
The Avior II
At $38,500/pair, this three-way design is almost identically priced to the Magico S5 Mk.II and is very similar in height, width, and weight—a back-breaking 220 lbs—but is significantly deeper. The review samples were finished in a high-gloss piano black, and the speakers’ appearance belied their bulk. Other than on the stepped rear panel, there’s hardly a straight line to be seen: the top slopes down, the sidewalls are gently curved, and the sloped-back, 6"-thick front baffle is faced with inset black felt and narrows toward the top, to optimize the tweeter’s acoustic environment.
The raked-back enclosure is heavily braced and features a triple-laminated, constrained-mode-damped construction with sections of varying thickness, and stands on an integral base, which has a subcompartment for the potted crossover circuitry. The network is wired point to point, and uses film/foil capacitors manufactured exclusively for Rockport Technologies as well as custom inductors and Caddock power resistors. All the crossover components are matched to within 1% tolerance, and each individual network is fine-tuned for the specific drive-units with which it will be used.
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 2017-Ausgabe von Stereophile.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent ? Anmelden
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der August 2017-Ausgabe von Stereophile.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
Bereits Abonnent? Anmelden
Louis in London
No jazz-centric visit to New York City is complete without a trek out to Queens. At 46th Street in Sunnyside stands the apartment building where famed cornetist Leon Bismark \"Bix\" Beiderbecke's alcoholism finally killed him in 1931.
Believing in bricks and mortar
North Carolina hi-fi dealer Audio Advice has been busy lately.
Musical Fidelity AI
In 1989, I bought my second pair of Rogers LS3/5a's from a guy on Staten Island who had them hooked up to a Musical Fidelity AI integrated amplifier.
Burmester 218
As much as I tinkered with a little crystal radio as a child and started reading stereo magazines in high school, it wasn't until my early 30s that I half-stumbled into the higher end of the hi-fi sphere.
Bowers & Wilkins 805 D4 Signature
The \"Bowers\" in the name of British manufacturer Bowers & Wilkins (B&W) refers to founder John Bowers, whom I got to know fairly well before he passed in 1987.
Hegel H400
STREAMING INTEGRATED AMPLIFIER
SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle
How many times have you been told by parents and teachers that everything successful must be built on a strong foundation?
RECOMMENDED RC2024 COMPONENTS
Every product listed here has been reviewed in Stereophile. Everything on the list, regardless of rating, is genuinely recommendable.
Paging Dr. Löfgren
It started one evening when I was killing time watching YouTube videos and stumbled across a 2017 talk given by Jonathan Carr, Lyra's brilliant cartridge designer.'
Music among the Fairchildren
Pull down the shades, find a comfortable seat, and come with me on an imaginary journey to the year 1956. The Eisenhower-Nixon ticket wins reelection, the United Methodist Church begins to ordain women, and a can of Campbell's tomato soup costs 10 cents.