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Model: | Concerto 4 |
Category: | Speakers |
Suggested Retail Price: | $5895 |
Description: | Floorstanding high-efficiency |
Manufacturer URL: | Not Available |
Review by genungo on July 08, 2014 at 12:34:28 IP Address: 66.195.188.162 | Add Your Review for the Concerto 4 |
During my recent road trip in western Idaho, I discovered Sonist Audio in the tiny, remote town of Riggins. Sonist's new owner (Jonny Wilson of Snake River Audio) was gracious enough to provide me with an extended demo of the Concerto 4 loudspeakers. Here are some listening impressions:
Powered by DeHavilland tube monoblocks, these large floorstanders provided extended frequency response in both directions, but most importantly, they sounded realistic without ever sounded fatiguing or boring. This pleasing balance of realism and listenablity kept me focused on the music to an almost unprecedented degree, and prevented the outstanding soundstaging/imaging from becoming a distraction in itself - more on that below...
Instruments had truth of timbre, but also *body and guts*. Strings and vocals seemed especially realistic.
I have long been a fan of ribbons and the Concerto 4 reinforced that enthusiasm, once again. The ribbon tweeters on the Concerto 4's are nestled in waveguides that work to enable a very wide, deep, well-proportioned soundscape. Vertical dispersion is limited, however. But, to say that these speakers are champs in the soundstaging/imaging deptartment is something of an understatement - I don't think I have ever experienced such wonderful 3-D layering in a front-firing loudspeaker.
I would say that most hybrid ribbon speakers require a good sized room in order to perform their best, and luckily, the showroom at Snake River Audio was of ample size. Several feet behind, beside, and above the speakers are a requirement. These are not the type of speakers that one would want to hear while shoved into corners or up against walls.
Build quality was robust, to say the least. 1-3/4" thick faceplates are needed to contain the deep waveguides, resulting in very sturdy cabinets. The Concerto 4's look very good too. I might have preferred the option of removable grills (the Concerto 4's are grill-less), however.
I came away from this demo wishing that I had both more room, and more money. If providence chooses to bestow on me a little bit more of each, I might quickly become the proud owner of a pair of Conerto 4's. As a bonus, I might feel proud that such things are still being made in the USA.
Product Weakness: | No sonic flaws that I could detect. I might prefer having removeable grills, but this is a minor quibble indeed. |
Product Strengths: | Wonderful tonal balance, superb soundstaging/imaging, great bass and lifelike sparkle. |
Amplifier: | DeHavilland tube monoblocks |
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): | Unknown |
Sources (CDP/Turntable): | Unknown |
Speakers: | Concerto 4 |
Cables/Interconnects: | Snake River Audio |
Music Used (Genre/Selections): | Various |
Room Size (LxWxH): | 20 x 18 x 24 |
Room Comments/Treatments: | Minimal |
Time Period/Length of Audition: | 30 minutes |
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): | Unkown |
Type of Audition/Review: | Dealer Demo |
Your System (if other than home audition): | N/A |
Glad to see that Sonist has a proper website and maybe even a dealer network. I just emailed Jonny from the site.
For some reason, I was really attracted to this speaker (weird how that happens in this hobby, huh?) even unheard. I'd be pairing it with a Line Magnetic 218A that is currently matched with an old pair of Audio Physics Tempo IIIs.
Hopefully there someone in the SF Bay Area/NorCal that has a pair to demo.
Hi bgunn, I don't live near you but, if you ever visit Las Vegas you could listen to mine.
Tish
That's very kind of you. I love this place.
Looks like Jonny had two dealers in the area that have moved on from the business. He mentioned Brian at the Analog Room in SJ is a possibility. I hope so, I've dealt with Brian in the past, and enjoy his rather unique take on audio retailing.
Sorry, didn't realize about my company name not being eligible for my moniker. Fixed that and re-submitted.
.
Hi there all!
Genungo, thank you for the kind words! The next time you head up this way, be sure to give us a call and we'll make sure to set aside plenty of time. Even play with the new Recital 2's some!
Yes, the grill covers are standard. I'm just an audio geek I guess, and like to see the drivers :) .. but all new models are shipped with grill covers.
The drivers are proprietary, and made just for us in Minneapolis, USA. Our cabinets are made by hand using solid wood, no MDF, particle board, veneer or any of that. Solid poplar, with a 1 3/4" front baffle board, and 3/4" cabinet walls.
Kara Chaffee, who designs and builds all of the deHavilland tube electronics is a good friend of ours, and has had a part in helping to develop the Sonist line. We actually voice our speakers on a little ol' 8 wpc EL84 SET amp. However, anyone who made it to our room in Newport earlier this year can attest that our speakers do phenomenal even with big Class A 120 wpc amplifiers.
One other thing I did want to mention. All of our speakers are front ported. So, they actually do very well jammed back up against the wall. I just happen to have a nice-sized listening room, so I pull them out a bit.
Thanks again for the review! I look forward to your next trip north!
Jonny Wilson
Sonist Audio / Snake River Audio
Jonny Wilson
Sonist Audio / Snake River Audio
Hi there all!
Genungo, thank you for the kind words! The next time you head up this way, be sure to give us a call and we'll make sure to set aside plenty of time. Even play with the new Recital 2's some!
Yes, the grill covers are standard. I'm just an audio geek I guess, and like to see the drivers :) .. but all new models are shipped with grill covers.
The drivers are proprietary, and made just for us in Minneapolis, USA. Our cabinets are made by hand using solid wood, no MDF, particle board, veneer or any of that. Solid poplar, with a 1 3/4" front baffle board, and 3/4" cabinet walls.
Kara Chaffee, who designs and builds all of the deHavilland tube electronics is a good friend of ours, and has had a part in helping to develop the Sonist line. We actually voice our speakers on a little ol' 8 wpc EL84 SET amp. However, anyone who made it to our room in Newport earlier this year can attest that our speakers do phenomenal even with big Class A 120 wpc amplifiers.
One other thing I did want to mention. All of our speakers are front ported. So, they actually do very well jammed back up against the wall. I just happen to have a nice-sized listening room, so I pull them out a bit.
Thanks again for the review! I look forward to your next trip north!
Jonny Wilson, owner Sonist Audio
Jonny Wilson
Sonist Audio / Snake River Audio
Seems like a great company with excellent products. Hopefully they'll hit more radar screens.As a side note, I found interesting your comment about outstanding sound staging and imaging potentially becoming a distraction. I know what you mean. I have found that to happen in my system from time to time. I will actually move a bit to one side or the other because it can feel almost claustrophobic when the imaging gets too focused. Doesn't seem like how real live music sounds to me when that happens, though I realize some consider it the grail. I wonder how many others feel that way sometimes?
Anyway, it's nice to hear that these speakers don't have that tendency.
___
"If you are the owner of a new stereophonic system, this record will play with even more brilliant true-to-life fidelity. In short, you can purchase this record with no fear of its becoming obsolete in the future."
Edits: 07/10/14
....sounds like a speaker I would enjoy as well.
Oz
Don't worry about avoiding temptation. As you grow older, it will avoid you.
- Winston Churchill
... the newest model (see website). I saw them but did not have time to audion them. Nice looking, medium-sized, first-order minimalist crossover. Ronny Wilson claims that bass extension is phenomenal (low 40's) for a speaker this size, and the cost is pretty low ($1895) for an American made speaker.The next model up costs slightly more but it is also very nice. It's a similar design, but floorstanding. Absolute Sound gave this one an "Editor's Choice" award in 2012. Very tempting!
It's amazing what can fly under the radar nowadays...
Edits: 07/10/14
Hi, When Randy Bankert was running the company he offered grills which had magnets to hold them on. They were round and fit over each driver.
My mistake, sorry. When I auditioned the speakers, grills were removed. I have since learned that grills are standard (invisible magnetic inserts).
Likely in the deHavilland Electric Amplifier Co. room?
Maybe.
If so, they sounded pretty good with Kara's new PP amp.
I do not recognize them.
Try contacting Ronny Wilson at Sonist Audio/Snake River Audio in Riggins, Idaho. I do believe that the drivers are USA made but I'm not absolutely sure.
Sorry I forgot to add a link. Here 'tis...
I also like these speakers very much. I spent lots of time in the Sonist room and got to know Jonny pretty well. Real stand up guy. I put out a post several months ago that I was on a year long quest to find which new speakers to get and that I like speakers with 1st order crossovers. These are the only such beasts that I have found that are also efficient enough for lower power tube amps. At the top of my wish list.
bigshow
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