Post by boomzilla on Oct 23, 2013 8:06:28 GMT -5
My pair of Airmotiv 4 speakers came to me used via eBay. I have previously owned self-powered speakers (Samson Resolv 65a), and thought I had some idea of what to expect. The Samsons, although supposedly measuring completely flat, always sounded to me as though they had a peak in the upper midrange to lower treble. This manifested itself particularly on female vocals which sounded louder than the background instruments.
Enter the Airmotiv 4s - I used these full-range in conjunction with a B&W ASW-675 subwoofer (10"). The speakers were driven directly from the output of my Jolida FX Glass (tubed) DAC. Volume control was handled upstream by iTunes in the digital domain. The speakers were "mounted" on my 30", sand-filled stands using a self-adhesive-velcro interface between the stand plates and the speaker bottoms.
In addition to having a cleaner equipment rack (no power amps), the AM4s are just TINY. I don't see how Emotiva had room in those small cabinets for all the electronics that they have. In any case, the speakers are a marvel of miniaturization. Although there are no grills, the speakers are so small that they really don't need any.
So how do they sound? These are some of the most relaxing speakers I've yet to hear. Even with source material that I know is hot in the treble, rough in the midrange, and sloppy in the bass, these speakers disguise the flaws and present the music in a pleasant manner. Don't think that I'm saying the speakers are not detailed (more on this later), they are. However, the speakers never "throw the music in your face" like some others that I've owned.
A prime example of this is the Norah Jones chestnut "Come Away With Me." When the music begins with a cymbal and piano/strings, one of two things happen. I either turn down the volume because, based on the sound of the intro, I can tell that when Norah's voice comes in, it will be about twice as loud as the background and it will also be raspy and edgy OR I leave the volume alone because I know that there's no peak in the vocal range. With the AM4s, the cymbal and other instruments are loud, clean, and detailed, so I initially turned down the volume. As soon as Norah began singing, however, I stopped the playback and started the song again from the beginning with no volume attenuation - none is needed. Norah's voice is just "there" and without edginess or excessive volume. Again - there's no loss of detail; Norah's voice sounds breathy and realistic without any ear-burning side effects.
Another test favorite of mine is "Hungarian Rhapsody" by the Atlantic Brass Quintet. When these folks get rolling, their sound gives a good "top to bottom" show of the speakers' actual, in-room frequency response. If any bands have peaks or dips, the brass lays it out in living color. With the AM4s, I heard no discontinuities anywhere in the frequency spectrum. I also particularly enjoyed the subwoofer on this track with the tuba player getting his just deserts. Sub/satellite integration is also starkly revealed in this track. Although I'd set mine up "by ear," the effect was perfect with no way to tell where the AM4s left off and the sub kicked in.
For midrange, I like to play "Ojos Negros" from the disc "A Passion For Tango." The accordion, violins, and violas should all be discreet and clear. With the AM4s they were. Also, this track is good for revealing imaging (or lack of). The instruments should be in specific locations and stay there. I've never heard this cut sound better.
To test male vocals, I queued up Jerry Reed's "Amos Moses." There is a great deal of dynamic range on this cut as Jerry yells, laughs, and just plays with his voice through the song. If a speaker set can't get both the dynamics and the throat/chest sounds right for male vocals, then there will be other problems down the road. The AM4s nailed Jerry's voice just as it should sound.
For imaging, I like a variety of songs, but one that I particularly favor is Madonna's "Express Yourself" from "The Immaculate Collection" disc. The disc was recorded with a phase modifying technology patented as "Q-Sound." The music and voices should appear to come from a spectacularly wide sound stage with effects appearing significantly outside the plane of the speakers. With the AM4s, the effects delivered! The AM4s, in my room, imaged better than even the LS3/5a classic speakers.
I also listened to a variety of bass-heavy material including Kraftwerk's "Radioactivity," The Commitments soundtrack "In the Midnight Hour & Mustang Sally," and Don Dorsey's "Beethoven or Bust" CD. All provided visceral low bass and inaudible integration from the AM4s to the B&W sub.
So far, I've talked about the (many) things that the AM4s do well. Now, I'll mention their (few) shortcomings - If you want rock at live performance volumes, then the AM4s aren't for you. After all, it's only a 4" woofer (about the size of the midrange in most three-way systems). At ANY reasonable level, however (read "under 100 decibels"), the AM4s just sail away with no sense of strain or change in timbre. Although I didn't push them that hard, I'd think that if the AM4s had to clip, they'd do so without any drama.
If you want deep bass, plan on a subwoofer. A sub that is balanced for music will (always) sound better than one balanced for home theater. Unless you LIKE one-note boom, buy a good sub and let it work.
And that's it. I have no further criticism of these speakers. These are awesome speakers regardless of price. At their (giveaway) list price of $349 per pair (much less their current sale price of $299), they are one of the absolute best bargains of all time in home audio. If you can give away the last iota of transparency to get a relaxed, detailed presentation of ALL your music, then these are the speakers for you. Think of them as "the XPA-2 of self-powered speakers." If you can live with their limitations (need stands, can't play at stadium levels, and need a subwoofer), then don't even hesitate - these are just plain amazing speakers.
I certainly didn't plan to go down the "self-powered speaker" road, but if the AM4s are this good, I just have to wonder how good the Stealth 6 and 8 speakers are! As for the AM4s, I can only say "Bravo, Emotiva!"
Boomzilla
Enter the Airmotiv 4s - I used these full-range in conjunction with a B&W ASW-675 subwoofer (10"). The speakers were driven directly from the output of my Jolida FX Glass (tubed) DAC. Volume control was handled upstream by iTunes in the digital domain. The speakers were "mounted" on my 30", sand-filled stands using a self-adhesive-velcro interface between the stand plates and the speaker bottoms.
In addition to having a cleaner equipment rack (no power amps), the AM4s are just TINY. I don't see how Emotiva had room in those small cabinets for all the electronics that they have. In any case, the speakers are a marvel of miniaturization. Although there are no grills, the speakers are so small that they really don't need any.
So how do they sound? These are some of the most relaxing speakers I've yet to hear. Even with source material that I know is hot in the treble, rough in the midrange, and sloppy in the bass, these speakers disguise the flaws and present the music in a pleasant manner. Don't think that I'm saying the speakers are not detailed (more on this later), they are. However, the speakers never "throw the music in your face" like some others that I've owned.
A prime example of this is the Norah Jones chestnut "Come Away With Me." When the music begins with a cymbal and piano/strings, one of two things happen. I either turn down the volume because, based on the sound of the intro, I can tell that when Norah's voice comes in, it will be about twice as loud as the background and it will also be raspy and edgy OR I leave the volume alone because I know that there's no peak in the vocal range. With the AM4s, the cymbal and other instruments are loud, clean, and detailed, so I initially turned down the volume. As soon as Norah began singing, however, I stopped the playback and started the song again from the beginning with no volume attenuation - none is needed. Norah's voice is just "there" and without edginess or excessive volume. Again - there's no loss of detail; Norah's voice sounds breathy and realistic without any ear-burning side effects.
Another test favorite of mine is "Hungarian Rhapsody" by the Atlantic Brass Quintet. When these folks get rolling, their sound gives a good "top to bottom" show of the speakers' actual, in-room frequency response. If any bands have peaks or dips, the brass lays it out in living color. With the AM4s, I heard no discontinuities anywhere in the frequency spectrum. I also particularly enjoyed the subwoofer on this track with the tuba player getting his just deserts. Sub/satellite integration is also starkly revealed in this track. Although I'd set mine up "by ear," the effect was perfect with no way to tell where the AM4s left off and the sub kicked in.
For midrange, I like to play "Ojos Negros" from the disc "A Passion For Tango." The accordion, violins, and violas should all be discreet and clear. With the AM4s they were. Also, this track is good for revealing imaging (or lack of). The instruments should be in specific locations and stay there. I've never heard this cut sound better.
To test male vocals, I queued up Jerry Reed's "Amos Moses." There is a great deal of dynamic range on this cut as Jerry yells, laughs, and just plays with his voice through the song. If a speaker set can't get both the dynamics and the throat/chest sounds right for male vocals, then there will be other problems down the road. The AM4s nailed Jerry's voice just as it should sound.
For imaging, I like a variety of songs, but one that I particularly favor is Madonna's "Express Yourself" from "The Immaculate Collection" disc. The disc was recorded with a phase modifying technology patented as "Q-Sound." The music and voices should appear to come from a spectacularly wide sound stage with effects appearing significantly outside the plane of the speakers. With the AM4s, the effects delivered! The AM4s, in my room, imaged better than even the LS3/5a classic speakers.
I also listened to a variety of bass-heavy material including Kraftwerk's "Radioactivity," The Commitments soundtrack "In the Midnight Hour & Mustang Sally," and Don Dorsey's "Beethoven or Bust" CD. All provided visceral low bass and inaudible integration from the AM4s to the B&W sub.
So far, I've talked about the (many) things that the AM4s do well. Now, I'll mention their (few) shortcomings - If you want rock at live performance volumes, then the AM4s aren't for you. After all, it's only a 4" woofer (about the size of the midrange in most three-way systems). At ANY reasonable level, however (read "under 100 decibels"), the AM4s just sail away with no sense of strain or change in timbre. Although I didn't push them that hard, I'd think that if the AM4s had to clip, they'd do so without any drama.
If you want deep bass, plan on a subwoofer. A sub that is balanced for music will (always) sound better than one balanced for home theater. Unless you LIKE one-note boom, buy a good sub and let it work.
And that's it. I have no further criticism of these speakers. These are awesome speakers regardless of price. At their (giveaway) list price of $349 per pair (much less their current sale price of $299), they are one of the absolute best bargains of all time in home audio. If you can give away the last iota of transparency to get a relaxed, detailed presentation of ALL your music, then these are the speakers for you. Think of them as "the XPA-2 of self-powered speakers." If you can live with their limitations (need stands, can't play at stadium levels, and need a subwoofer), then don't even hesitate - these are just plain amazing speakers.
I certainly didn't plan to go down the "self-powered speaker" road, but if the AM4s are this good, I just have to wonder how good the Stealth 6 and 8 speakers are! As for the AM4s, I can only say "Bravo, Emotiva!"
Boomzilla
