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Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Adire HE10.1 Kosala Speakers by Gene H

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REVIEW: Adire HE10.1 Kosala Speakers

198.4.159.5


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Model: HE10.1 Kosala
Category: Speakers
Suggested Retail Price: $649
Description: high efficiency monitors
Manufacturer URL: Adire
Manufacturer URL: Adire

Review by Gene H ( A ) on December 23, 2002 at 12:12:53
IP Address: 198.4.159.5
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for the HE10.1 Kosala


I have used these speakers for approximately six months with 8 watt ASL Wave 8 amps. These were assembled by Adire and differ somewhat from the highly-acclaimed HE10.1 kit. I mainly listen to: classical, rock and pop, with some jazz and new age.

Strong points:

BASS: This was suprising because the speakers are rated to about 50 hz which, superficially, is an unimpressive number. However, the bass was extremely tuneful and really kept me locked into rock and pop music. The bass was strong and tight, though not exceptionally so, but the rhythm really captivated my attention and didn't let go. Mate these with a quality subwoofer (like a Rava). I boxed up my budget Velodyne CHT-10 because the disparity in bass quality intruded on the listening experience.

MUSICALITY: The Kosalas are the antithesis of analytical and sterile speakers. They were always involving and communicated music rather than just sounds.

DYNAMICS: Dynamic swings had great impact, due mainly to the speakers' great efficiency. Almost all volume levels were delivered effortlessly. I noticed some congestion only during loud and complex passages (for example, the conclusion of Mahler's 2nd), but this was most likely the result of the amps emitting distortion.

TUBE AMP COMPATIBILITY: The sensitivty is rated at 95 dB with a stable 8 ohm impedance. In real life, I doubt I ever used more than 6 watts of power and they played as loud as I could stand. No problems here. These speakers sounded great with my NAD receiver too.

SERVICE: Dan Wiggins is a delight work with, answering all questions courteously and promptly. One of the speakers was damaged during shipment and Adire provided a replacement immediately.

Good qualities:

IMAGING: The imaging was solid with a good amount of depth. The soundstage ran from speaker to speaker, but had an open and airy quality to it, not closed-in or constricted. I never got much of a sense of height with the Adires.

DETAIL RETRIEVAL: Having auditioned speakers like the B&W CDM1 NT, I knew there was that last 5-10% of detail I wasn't getting with the Kosalas, but I didn't care that much because they were so musically satisfying. It was very difficult to switch into critical listening mode with these speakers.

PRESENCE: Elsewhere in AA, I found a similar comment: shortly after a few hours of break-in, the treble was better than after full break-in. Performers were outlined with almost palpable definition and presence in my listening room. This was especially true on vocals, the illusion of a live performance was extremely convincing. After more breakin, the treble softened just a touch and the live expereience went down a notch to acceptable. But it was tad more disappointing because it had been so good.

AVAILABILITY: I purchased the Kosalas based on Audio Asylum posts and my interaction with Dan Wiggins and they exceeded my high expectiations. Even still, I would have liked to have auditioned them locally. He offers a 30 day trial period, but you pay for shipping both ways and these are largish speakers with each one is shipped seperately.

Downsides:

SIZE, WAF: The cabinets are big: 19 x 12 x 10.5 (H x W x D) and require tall, sturdy stands (24" recommended). This makes WAF low, especially compared to slim towers and mini-monitors. I also doubt that you will find space for them in a home-theater setup to because of their size and lack of magnetic shielding.

This is a great speaker that plays music first and foremost. Even if your favorite amp puts out more than just a few watts, the Kosalas should be on your sub-$1000 list. As a low-power tube amp user, I didn't find anything comparable in the price range.



Product Weakness: cabinet size, WAF
Product Strengths: plays music extremely well, high-efficiency, bass


Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier: ASL Wave 8 monoblocks, NAD T750 receiver
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): Creek OBH-12
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Sony DVP-NS500V DVD/SACD player
Speakers: none other
Cables/Interconnects: Analysis Plus, DH Labs
Music Used (Genre/Selections): classical, pop, rock
Room Size (LxWxH): 25 x 13 x 8
Room Comments/Treatments: none
Time Period/Length of Audition: 6 months
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Monster Power
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner




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Topic - REVIEW: Adire HE10.1 Kosala Speakers - Gene H 12:12:53 12/23/02 ( 7)