Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: Soundline Audio SL6-6 Speakers by sbradley

Until fairly recently, my home theater speakers consisted of Magnepan MG3.5R mains, MG10.1 surrounds, MGCC1 center channel and Bag End D-12E subs. I used them with a Proceed PAV/PDSD controller. A few months ago I replaced the Proceed with a Theta Casablanca II pre/pro. After the switch, I grew increasingly dissatisfied with the Magnepan MGCC1 center channel. I couldn't get it to integrate well with the mains, and it sounded bright and fatiguing. I'm unsure as to why this occurred, perhaps the THX processing, which the Proceed has and the Theta doesn't, tends to obscure problems with center speakers. I played around with the settings, and got it better, but it still wasn't right. I looked around for an alternative, and my Theta dealer (who doesn't sell any planar speakers) suggested I check out Soundline (http://www.soundline audio.com). I contacted Soundline, who sells direct only, and they told me about their new center channel, the SL6-6. This is a 3 way speaker, with 2 6.5" woofers, a planar midrange (covers 600-2500 Hz) and a dome tweeter. It differs from the original SL6 by offering larger woofers and a stouter enclosure. This is a similar arrangement to what Martin Logan uses on their center channel, with the main difference being that Soundline uses planar magnetic drivers, and ML uses electrostatics. I ordered the SL6-6 (which sells for $1150) and after it arrived, let it break in for a few days. Build quality is very impressive, an example being the huge machined gold plated binding posts, which will accept 4 gauge wire. After listening to the speaker, I was very pleased. It matches my Magnepan MG3.5R mains much better than the Magnepan center does. Sound stage from left to right is about as seamless as you can get when matching a vertical to a horizontal panel speaker. Pans are very smooth. Voices are exceptionally clear, and the acoustic space in which they were recorded is very readily apparent. Music is handled very well also, with both strings and vocals sounding very natural and smooth. To find any weaknesses, you need to compare the Soundline not to the Magnepan center, but to the MG3.5R mains. Their true ribbon tweeters have more depth and transparency than does the dome tweeter on the Soundline. This is a necessary compromise, as both ML and Soundline found out (Soundline's other speakers are all ribbon hybrids - Magnepan would call them quasi ribbons). A planar driver oriented horizontally has poor dispersion characteristics, so both ML and Soundline use a dome tweeter. For those of us who don't have a perforated screen front projector, behind which you could place a full sized planar center, it's a needed compromise, and it works very well. The center blends extraordinarily well with the much larger MG3.5Rs, and the overall sound is very pleasing. I highly recommend these speakers, and with a 10 day return policy, it's hard to go wrong.

Seth

REVIEW: Soundline Audio SL6-6 Speakers Review by sbradley at Audio Asylum