| Monitor Audio Silver 4 Bookshelf Speakers |
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| Home Theater Loudspeakers Bookshelf/Monitor Loudspeakers | ||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Kim Wilson | ||||||||||||||||||
| Wednesday, 01 December 1999 | ||||||||||||||||||
Page 2 of 2 The Downside During the period of time the system was hooked up using the subwoofer’s high-pass filter, some sources had too much bass energy, causing the low end to get muddy. Sure, I could turn down the gain on the subwoofer, but I don’t like dabbling with the adjustments to accommodate a specific source. This imbalance didn’t occur when I used the direct hookup method. My only other negative experience was with the low quality binding posts on the subwoofer. At least they were binding posts, instead of the ultra-cheap spring action clip terminals sometimes found on comparible sat/sub systems. It seems to me it wouldn’t have added too much more to the final retail cost to put a better grade post on the subwoofer, something to match the high quality posts used on the Silver 4s. This minor detail detracts from the representation that this is a matched system that is part of a series. Of course, if you employ the direct hook-up method, you never even use the binding posts on the subwoofer. Conclusion When you listen to as much high-end audio equipment as I do, you get jaded. You figure that if the speakers aren’t heavy, huge and expensive, they just aren’t going turn you on. This Monitor Audio sat/sub speaker system provided a good lesson: don’t judge a speaker by its physical size or its price tag. When a system that retails for less than $2,000 can satisfy me musically for a couple months in place of my $10,000 reference Genesis Technology speakers, I think that speaks volumes. The speakers really start to open up after several hours of burn-in time. A small tweak that actually opens the soundfield wider is the removal of the small grille over the tweeter. Word of warning: if you have curious creatures of the two-legged variety, leave the grilles on. The dome is very soft and can be damaged easily. While my set-up was strictly two-channel, the Silver 4s’ video shielding ensures their integration into a home theater environment with equally positive effects. When space is limited and performance is critical - and when isn’t it? - the Silver 4s and ASW210 is a tremendous buy that should provide many hours of enjoyment, no matter your musical bent.
3.26 Copyright (C) 2008 Compojoom.com / Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."
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