August 2007

The Bulldog And The Hummingbird

  Reviewing two affordable loudspeakers for this issue's "Start Me Up" drove home a fundamental truth about high-end audio: The smaller your audio-system budget, the more important component selection becomes. This isn't to say that those with a big budget can indiscriminately assemble products and expect to achieve a satisfying whole. Rather, budget products have more trade-offs than expensive products, and choosing products that have the trade-offs most acceptable to your tastes and congruent with your listening preferences results in the best sound for the money and the greatest long-term satisfaction.

For example, of the two speakers I reviewed, one model (the $900/pr. B&W CM1) had limited bass extension, didn't play very loudly, and had rather polite dynamics. But through the midrange the CM1 was stunningly good; it had transparency and resolution that reminded me of expensive ribbon-based loudspeakers and a delicacy, purity, and openness that were jaw-dropping in a $900 loudspeaker.

The second speaker is the $595/pr. Focal 706V It is also amazing, but in very different performance areas. The 706V goes low plays loudly, and does both at the same time. It is extremely dynamic, lively, and upbeat, conveying visceral excitement and encouraging physical involvement with the music. Although a small-sized monitor speaker, the 706V sounds like a mid-sized floorstanding model in bass extension and dynamics. It is also 6dB more sensitive than the B&W meaning it requires just one-quarter of the amplifier power to achieve the same playback volume. The 706V does not, however, have the midrange magic of the B&W CM1. Although the 706V has an open and uncolored midrange, it lacks the B&W's seductive powers.

So which is the "better" speaker? Put on Buddy Guy's killer electric blues CD Sweet Tea at a healthy playback level with the speakers in a large room and you'll get one answer. Play Joni Mitchell or Ella Fitzgerald in a smaller room and you'll get quite a different one.

Let's draw an analogy with entry-level high-performance cars. For roughly the same money, you can choose a Ford Shelby GT or a Honda S2000. Both deliver excellent value, but the two cars couldn't be more different. The Shelby GT sports a huge 4.6 liter V-8 that produces 319 horsepower and 330 lb-ft of torque. The S2000's four-cylinder engine has less than half that displacement (2.2 liters) and develops 240 horsepower and just 162 lb-ft of torque. In exchange for this power disparity, the Shelby GT has a crude suspension, poor handling, and a 700-pound weight disadvantage.

Each car's designers pursued very different aesthetic ideals of what an affordable performance car should be. The Shelby GT is all about American muscle-car heritage, straight-line acceleration, and the roar of that big V-8. The Honda, by contrast, values razor-quick reflexes, scalpel-precise handling, and the jewel-like refinement of its six-speed gearbox. If the Shelby GT is a bulldog, the Honda S2000 is a hummingbird. Both cars have passionate followings, with each group considering the other car anathema.

You can, of course, have the S2000 fabulous dynamic performance with the Shelby GT's raw power by spending considerably more money, just as you can achieve the B&W's glorious midrange with the Focal's dynamics and bass extension by choosing a more expensive speaker. But if you don't have that luxury, it becomes even more important to match your aesthetic ideals with those of the product's designers. That's the key to long-term satisfaction with your high-end audio purchase.

There's a place in the world for both bulldogs and hummingbirds. Just be sure you know which one you're getting.