Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Newform Research R645 Speakers by Arbelos

Posted by Arbelos on July 14, 2000 at 15:26:10:

I've heard the Newform 645 a couple of days ago, coupled to a moderately expensive system (Counterpoint CD transport, LA Audio tube DAC, Klimo Merlin pre, Copland EL 84 tube amp, cables unknown) and played in a moderate and undamped room with a big window to the left, surely not ideal.
I must say, that this speaker throws an incredibly deep and layered image of the mid / upper frequencies, with outstanding delicacy and microdynamic ebb and flow. There was not a trace of harshness or glare and details are not glossed over, rather the opposite! The effect reminded me of my first hearing of a MG 2.5 : Incredibly ethereal and pure. But the MG 2.5 had big deficiencies in the mid, and a heavy prominence in the lower mid/ bass. The only high frequency reproduction that i've heard as comparable to the Newform was a heavily hot-rodded Maggie 3.. series ribbon in a low diffraction baffle, with maybe a slight glare, but even more extended highs, and maybe a bit more (natural) macrodynamic snap, sounding slightly more 'direct'. These have a major service problem though every few years...
Integration of bass to tweeter is astonishingly good, the bass having a very low colouration, though the box character is not completely eliminated. The bass itself sounded extended with very good pitch accuracy. I could not detect any major problems in the crossover region, and the character of a piano (compared to a well known live concert Steinway) was well retained.
What has to be added is, that i heard one hour earlier a Genesis 2 system (which i know also well from one other place) with a ton of ultra-expensive, very selected components (Well Tempered Signature TT, Koetsu vdHul mod, Jadis Pre-Pre, Jadis JP 80, FM Ac. bass crossover, Jadis 200 amps, big Threshold bass amp, all cabled by Harmonic Technology, Magnan, etc, cables). The Newform positively blew the Genesis rig away with its outstandingly natural timbre resolution, and musical expresssion in the upper ranges. The lower midrange (about three octaves from 1KHz to ca. 100 Hz) was definitely more see-through on the Genesis though, courtesy of the much lower reaching Bohl.-Graebener drivers. The Maggies are also more see-through in these regions. But the Bohlender-Graebener /Genesis spiral ribbon combination (nor the Maggie QRs) can't keep up with the Newforms upper range.
The Ambience Ribbons come much closer to the Newforms, but they have more diffraction problems, hence a bit more glare. They are at the same time more (naturally) crisp, and go lower (400 Hz). They are also of outstanding resolution.
As far as hybrids go, i feel the Newform belongs in the absolute top class. I have in this context only one (minor) reservation:
I got a feeling in the lower ranges that the image focus and space was less and instruments were more up to the speaker plane, contrary to the completely and outstandingly detached upper ranges. An additionnal observation was, that i did not hear one really up front instrument, although there were very close recorded instruments on certain CDs. With its excellent layering of depth the effect is very concert-like and natural, though maybe not strictly 'true'. The feeling is of a more pushed back soundstage compared eg. to optimized Maggies, which are comparatively 'present'.
Now where do we get these elegant tall (1.2 m) planar bass/midrange drivers to combine with the Newforms (or Ambiences) drivers for the best hybrid sound on earth?
I still feel, that the technical information about the Newform drivers is not as precise as i'd wish, leading to misunderstandings. It is indeed technically a very different planar speaker compared to the B-Gs, Maggies etc., and traditionnal ribbons. Its technical excellence in several parameters (low resonance, well damped roll-off characteristics, low 'noise' or foil ringing, monopole radiation, low diffraction) takes its toll with a higher crossover point. The result is maybe not the best all-out speaker system of the world, but one heck of a musical and highly informative speaker system for the critical music lover.

REVIEW: Newform Research R645 Speakers Review by Arbelos at Audio Asylum