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WHO'S REVIEWING? I got my first "good" system 15 years ago- a pair of Dynaudio two way kit speakers with a 6 inch woofer paired with a home made isobaric 15 inch sub. The last 10 years I have gone through Linn Tukans,
Swans M-1s, KEF reference, two sets of Sonus Faber Concerto Homes, and a pair of Merlin TSMs. All these were set up with a subwoofer. My favorite speakers heard in home were a pair of Vandersteen 2CE sigs. brought home for a two day audition. Positioning issues prevented a purchase of these.

THE ROOM. Is about 14 X 24 feet, open though arches in the back and on part
of one side in the front. Wall to wall carpet with two couches and 4 bookcases. There is a window behind the speakers but I keep vertical blinds cracked open at about 45 degrees to act as a diffuser. Listening chair just back from room center, speakers are along a short wall.

WHY BUY THESE? We wanted the clean up the room and get the view back. We are doing some remodeling and will go with either a projector or plasma for the moniter of a new HT system. I studied up on in wall speakers for a month or so. I stuck my Sonus Faber Wall Home rears on the wall in front and tried them as mains. They are really pretty decent as mains stand mounted but moving them to the wall just collapsed the sound stage. Because I ultimately decided I did not have good options for in wall placement it was back to square one. I had been noticing the Role Audios and looked at their website. I saw a pair listed as dealer demo's on Audiogon and went for them. I had also just read a positive review in Bound for Sound that pushed me over the edge.

FIRST GLANCE. I'd studied the pictures but it is hard to believe just how
small those midrange drivers are. I got a pair in Birch and the 37 X 5.5 X 6.5 inch speakers look pretty suave and much less obtrusive than a stand mounted two way. Fit and finish is good but no fancy woodwork or round over edges. Bases were tiny and fit poorly. I emailed the manufacturer. I had purchased a pair made a few years ago and the base has long since been
upgraded. More recently the crossover parts were upgraded significantly and
binding posts changed. This review is done with the speakers as received.
They are currently on their way to the factory for an upgrade to current
cross and posts. I am just finishing up a set of solid maple bases that they will go on. Review is based on speakers with about 100 hours on them.

ANY BASS? Run full range these do not go as deep in my room as the Sonus Faber Concerto Homes or Merlins did either subjectively or by measurement.
In my room stand mounts will measure at around manufacturer specs or pick up a little room gain. I just measure with the radio shack sound meter and Striker test disc to get a baseline. I run the speakers full range using 80Hz as a base point since I ofter end up crossing over there. These speakers, 20 inches from the wall were flat to 50Hz and at -6 at 40Hz. By contrast the Sonus Fabers measured on stands same day same location were
flat to 36Hz. Since I run a pair of Audio Concepts Force Subs I was only concerned about getting enough bass for good integration and I had plenty for that. I could live with the Sonus Fabers or Merlins without a sub. I would not consider the Windjammers a satisfying stand alone speaker. However they were a snap to integrate with the subs and the response is very smooth from top to bottom. All comments are made based on using these speakers with the subs.

PLACEMENT. I like them any where from 20 inches out or farther. I sit about ten or eleven feet back. The speakers ended up 6 1/2 feet apart. Toe in is about half way between straight ahead and pointed at the listener.
This was a parameter that really changed the sound. Straight forward the sound seemed to come from each speaker with little center fill. Pointed in towards the listener they became focused in the middle without much width of sound stage. An angle half way in between results in a nicely defined sound stage extending just beyond the outside of the speaker. They sound good from anywhere in the room. I prefer them very slightly better if I am at or below tweeter height but this is so suble I wouldn't swear to it. Despite the comments about toe in above I did not find that moving the listening position to one side or the other changed things much. They really sound pretty good in my favorite alternate position, lying on the couch off center from the sweet spot. They do well also when I move them over to the corner to watch a movie on the moniter there, part of our temporary set up.

THE SOUND. I like them enought to have ordered another model in the line, the Discovery to use as rear channels. When I first got the Merlins I raved about them and went though my disc collection several times. I've
been attracted to detail and I was in heaven. But you know there were many discs that were too bright. Oh well, everybody knows CD suck, I just am now priveleged to hear this too was my thinking. Ultimately I sold the Merlins. They were fatiguing in my room and I just wasn't listening for very long at a time. I went back to the Sonus Fabers for a little relief.
By the way I was using a manufacturer recommended Audio Analogue Puccini
with the Merlins and an Arcam CD 23T player. I did some direct comparisons
between the Sonus Fabers and Windjammers. I think the sound stage on the
Windjammers is more nicely distributed along the front and extends farther to the side. The Fabers sound much fuller. There is a way they have of defining certain elements of the sound and bringing it forward. I noticed this alot on David Byrne's UHO for example with all the weird percussive and hand instruments he has on there. When I'd switch back to the Roles I never found them to have less detail, just a little more even handed presentation of what was there. The Sonus Fabers have a unique sound that can be warm and wonderful but ultimately with them I wasn't listening to much music. I could not sit and web surf with them on in the background, they would drive me nuts, just like the Merlins. The Windjammers are well defined and articulate and nicely balanced. Male and female voices sound very good. My listening is at moderate volumes and that would seem to be the best application. They reminded me a little of my weekend with the Vandersteens. They don't really grab you at first but they sound good with everything you put on, no running for the volume control when a tenor sax comes in to the mix. I am again listening for more extended periods and enjoy having the music on even when doing other acitities.

SUMMARY. I believe to a certain extent there has been a "cult of detail" dominating speaker design. You buy the darn things then get a tube amp to tame them or screw around with interconnects endlessly or drop 2K on a CD player to calm things down. The Windjammers are not 10K sounding speakers.
As the Bound for Sound reviewer said, they never sound big. But I would call them very good to excellent in the application described above and a solid value for the money. For once I anticipate keeping them long term.

Product Weakness:	Not for detail freaks or folks having a large room to fill. I found them more enjoyable with subs.
Product Strengths:	Slim and easy to place unobtrusively. Very smooth balance and easy integration with subs.

• Another TL design - Meadowlark Swift - RickMTB 13:26:35 05/25/03 (0)
  In Reply to: Role Audio Windjammer Speakers posted by rasmussen on May 24, 2003 at 15:56:43:

  It would be interesting to compare the two... small, narrow floorstander transmission line design described as "Vandersteen-like"...
  
  

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• The post above by Blue Sky illustrates my point about bright speakers better than I did. - rasmussen 06:57:02 05/25/03 (0)
  In Reply to: Role Audio Windjammer Speakers posted by rasmussen on May 24, 2003 at 15:56:43:

  The description of how good his speakers are on one hand and how difficult they are to listen to on the other illustrates my recent experiences exactly. It is interesting to see that the usual tube amp, inerconnect
  and source replaceement solutions were trotted out. I like the plain replace the speakers solution for the situation described. I do understand that the entire system has to work together and my comments are an oversimplification to demonstate a point.
  LR
  
  
  
  

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• Excellent review - Pete Whitley 18:15:53 05/24/03 (1)
  In Reply to: Role Audio Windjammer Speakers posted by rasmussen on May 24, 2003 at 15:56:43:

  I am really interested in these speakers after reading the a Kayak review. You did a great job of describing the the speakers. I can't help but wonder how they sound next to the Totem Arros.

  Pete
  
  

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  • Re: Excellent review - rasmussen 06:30:44 05/25/03 (0)
    In Reply to: Excellent review posted by Pete Whitley on May 24, 2003 at 18:15:53:

    Hi Pete,
    Funny you should mention the Arrows. My initial thinking was that since I got a good buy on the Windjammers I could also pick up a pair of used Arrows (since none are available for audition locally) and do a comparison. I was pleased enough with the Windjammers to not feel it was really necessary. I also went back and read every review of the Arrows I could scrounge up. There was some indication they are a little bright on the top end and I am trying to get away from that.
    Larry
    
    
    
    

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