We decided to split this evaluation into two parts – beginning here with the home audio system. In our next issue we’ll
continue with an entire HT set-up. Now to the loudspeakers’….
Appearance:
All models have the traditional loudspeaker look – a square enclosure – in various sizes ranging in height from 10.75
inches for the model TWO to 31 inches for the model EIGHT. The enclosures’ depths ranges from 10 inches for the
models THREE and FOUR to 16 inches for the model EIGHT (the largest speaker with side firing woofers). The series’
powered subwoofer, the model TENi, measures 13 inches wide, 17 inches deep and 16.5 inches high. The cabinets are
finished in Lamineer™ - a powder coating process for MDF which results in a very hard finish that assures lasting gloss.
Our samples were finished in black ash, though a light maple finish is also available. Cabinet finish is immaculate and
blends well with almost any décor.
Technology:
First, the loudspeakers’ enclosures, which are the environment for the drivers, are rigidly constructed with high-grade
19mm MDF on all sides except for the front baffle which is 25mm MDF for additional stiffness. The aforementioned
Lamineer process on the baffle helps eliminate baffle run-on. The company employs a new fiberglass Pentacone 112mm
woofer which features non-resonant system coupling (NRSC), designed in collaboration with the Danish manufacturer
Vifa. The drivers feature double vented baskets, vented voice coil formers and ultra light rigid cones and are said to provide
an excursion increase of 30 to 40 percent. A 19mm woven silk dome tweeter, also made by Vifa, offers ferro fluid cooled
frequency extension to about 25kHz. Crossovers are first and second order Butterworth designs featuring polypropylene
capacitors and air core, non-inductive resistors. The Modular EIGHT (the largest speaker with built-in bass amplifier) has a
side-firing 20.4cm powered woofer, the EIGHT can be used as a single sub or two, for left and right channels, can act as
stands for the TWOs, THREEs OR FOURs. The amplifier delivers 120 watts and features Darlington output devices made
by Texas Instruments. The other stand-alone subwoofer, the Modular TENi, used for this evaluation, is an isobaric design
with two polymer-coated 25.5cm woofers. It differs from so many others currently on the market by offering a true 120 watts
(rated over a frequency range from 20Hz to 20kHz) which means that it’s never burdened by dynamics in the range where it
is functioning (from 30Hz to 180Hz). Only about 25% of the amplifier’s power is commonly used, guaranteeing that it will
never “clip” (run into distortion).
The Sound:
We first auditioned the Modular TENi subwoofer and the Modular TWOs and THREEs in an audio-only system, using the
Wyetech Onyx monoblocks and the Bryston 14 B ST, driven by our in-house Wyetech Opal preamplifier, Nordost Red Dawn
interconnects and speaker cables and audio Aero CD player. Thus we had loudspeakers priced at $539/pair for the TWOs
and $899 for the powered subwoofer which was also used with the Modular THREEs ($849/pair) Set up with the subwoofer
about three feet behind the Modular TWOs (on stands) and connected to the Onyx monoblocks, the system took us by
surprise. The highs were extremely transparent with that exquisite touch of refinement normally found in high-end design.
There was clarity, grace and culmination at its best. Midrange blended well with frequencies above and below and revealed
even subtle inner detail with a refined, effortless proficiency, almost never found in this price range. As the bass is handled
by the powered subwoofer, we had to adjust the crossover and gain to suit the room acoustics and system configuration.
After a few minutes of adjusting and readjusting, the bass blended beautifully and with such ease that it seemed to come
directly from the sound stage as part of the total musical performance. This, of course, is how it should be in the high-end
categories, but was totally unexpected from these little gems. In addition to an awesome integration of low and upper
frequencies, bass exhibited punch, resolution and body right down to the specified 30hz. This was achieved with the
variable crossover set to slightly over 80Hz. With the Modular THREE loudspeakers (same subwoofer), the system took on
a touch more upper frequency body, a little more “air” and a slight improvement handling complex and large orchestral
information. In our listening environment, the differences were minimal as the tonal balance, imaging and overall
resolution continued as described above, but with an added “resplendence” some panelists called refinement. This time,
although the bass integration was identical to the smaller system, the subwoofer’s gain had to be reduced a touch. Both
system configurations offered stunning imagery, absolute focus on instruments and voices; and one more important
element – musicality galore. With the Bryston 14B ST, these speakers showed that they can handle oodles of power,
although they are very efficient – the TWOs are rated at 90dB watt/metre and the THREEs are rated at 92dB w/m. The sonic
characteristics described above remained almost identical. The systems strength is undoubtedly the ability to handle all
musical programme material with more finesse than can be attributed to the relatively low price. In the next issue, we’ll
describe the performance of the modular system when employed in a home theatre set-up.
Synopsis & Commentary:
We believe that Angstrom is on the right track addressing issues relating to room acoustics and set-up procedures. The
company offers a comprehensive guide to help retailers and consumers coordinate speakers and electronics for their
environment, as the key to finding the correct loudspeakers for a given application – home theatre or two-channel audio – is
determining the size of the listening room and the electronics with which they are connected. More information is available
from the company direct – we simply can’t print it all. The system documented in this review is an example of how, for a
modest price, high-end sound can be achieved. What we didn’t mention above is that the Angstroms can be used with
inexpensive electronics with results relating to the peripheral gear. However, if high-end amplifier, CD players and cables
are employed, the sound is nothing short of amazing, as the Angstrom system quickly conforms to upscale electronics.
Thus, one can expect good sound with good equipment, superb sound with…well, you get the picture. All that’s left is to
listen to the system at your dealer and put the modular loudspeaker arrangement to the test. You’ll be hard pressed to find
better performance as we believe that price/performance ratio is way out of whack and consumers are getting more
performance than they are being asked to pay for.
continue with an entire HT set-up. Now to the loudspeakers’….
Appearance:
All models have the traditional loudspeaker look – a square enclosure – in various sizes ranging in height from 10.75
inches for the model TWO to 31 inches for the model EIGHT. The enclosures’ depths ranges from 10 inches for the
models THREE and FOUR to 16 inches for the model EIGHT (the largest speaker with side firing woofers). The series’
powered subwoofer, the model TENi, measures 13 inches wide, 17 inches deep and 16.5 inches high. The cabinets are
finished in Lamineer™ - a powder coating process for MDF which results in a very hard finish that assures lasting gloss.
Our samples were finished in black ash, though a light maple finish is also available. Cabinet finish is immaculate and
blends well with almost any décor.
Technology:
First, the loudspeakers’ enclosures, which are the environment for the drivers, are rigidly constructed with high-grade
19mm MDF on all sides except for the front baffle which is 25mm MDF for additional stiffness. The aforementioned
Lamineer process on the baffle helps eliminate baffle run-on. The company employs a new fiberglass Pentacone 112mm
woofer which features non-resonant system coupling (NRSC), designed in collaboration with the Danish manufacturer
Vifa. The drivers feature double vented baskets, vented voice coil formers and ultra light rigid cones and are said to provide
an excursion increase of 30 to 40 percent. A 19mm woven silk dome tweeter, also made by Vifa, offers ferro fluid cooled
frequency extension to about 25kHz. Crossovers are first and second order Butterworth designs featuring polypropylene
capacitors and air core, non-inductive resistors. The Modular EIGHT (the largest speaker with built-in bass amplifier) has a
side-firing 20.4cm powered woofer, the EIGHT can be used as a single sub or two, for left and right channels, can act as
stands for the TWOs, THREEs OR FOURs. The amplifier delivers 120 watts and features Darlington output devices made
by Texas Instruments. The other stand-alone subwoofer, the Modular TENi, used for this evaluation, is an isobaric design
with two polymer-coated 25.5cm woofers. It differs from so many others currently on the market by offering a true 120 watts
(rated over a frequency range from 20Hz to 20kHz) which means that it’s never burdened by dynamics in the range where it
is functioning (from 30Hz to 180Hz). Only about 25% of the amplifier’s power is commonly used, guaranteeing that it will
never “clip” (run into distortion).
The Sound:
We first auditioned the Modular TENi subwoofer and the Modular TWOs and THREEs in an audio-only system, using the
Wyetech Onyx monoblocks and the Bryston 14 B ST, driven by our in-house Wyetech Opal preamplifier, Nordost Red Dawn
interconnects and speaker cables and audio Aero CD player. Thus we had loudspeakers priced at $539/pair for the TWOs
and $899 for the powered subwoofer which was also used with the Modular THREEs ($849/pair) Set up with the subwoofer
about three feet behind the Modular TWOs (on stands) and connected to the Onyx monoblocks, the system took us by
surprise. The highs were extremely transparent with that exquisite touch of refinement normally found in high-end design.
There was clarity, grace and culmination at its best. Midrange blended well with frequencies above and below and revealed
even subtle inner detail with a refined, effortless proficiency, almost never found in this price range. As the bass is handled
by the powered subwoofer, we had to adjust the crossover and gain to suit the room acoustics and system configuration.
After a few minutes of adjusting and readjusting, the bass blended beautifully and with such ease that it seemed to come
directly from the sound stage as part of the total musical performance. This, of course, is how it should be in the high-end
categories, but was totally unexpected from these little gems. In addition to an awesome integration of low and upper
frequencies, bass exhibited punch, resolution and body right down to the specified 30hz. This was achieved with the
variable crossover set to slightly over 80Hz. With the Modular THREE loudspeakers (same subwoofer), the system took on
a touch more upper frequency body, a little more “air” and a slight improvement handling complex and large orchestral
information. In our listening environment, the differences were minimal as the tonal balance, imaging and overall
resolution continued as described above, but with an added “resplendence” some panelists called refinement. This time,
although the bass integration was identical to the smaller system, the subwoofer’s gain had to be reduced a touch. Both
system configurations offered stunning imagery, absolute focus on instruments and voices; and one more important
element – musicality galore. With the Bryston 14B ST, these speakers showed that they can handle oodles of power,
although they are very efficient – the TWOs are rated at 90dB watt/metre and the THREEs are rated at 92dB w/m. The sonic
characteristics described above remained almost identical. The systems strength is undoubtedly the ability to handle all
musical programme material with more finesse than can be attributed to the relatively low price. In the next issue, we’ll
describe the performance of the modular system when employed in a home theatre set-up.
Synopsis & Commentary:
We believe that Angstrom is on the right track addressing issues relating to room acoustics and set-up procedures. The
company offers a comprehensive guide to help retailers and consumers coordinate speakers and electronics for their
environment, as the key to finding the correct loudspeakers for a given application – home theatre or two-channel audio – is
determining the size of the listening room and the electronics with which they are connected. More information is available
from the company direct – we simply can’t print it all. The system documented in this review is an example of how, for a
modest price, high-end sound can be achieved. What we didn’t mention above is that the Angstroms can be used with
inexpensive electronics with results relating to the peripheral gear. However, if high-end amplifier, CD players and cables
are employed, the sound is nothing short of amazing, as the Angstrom system quickly conforms to upscale electronics.
Thus, one can expect good sound with good equipment, superb sound with…well, you get the picture. All that’s left is to
listen to the system at your dealer and put the modular loudspeaker arrangement to the test. You’ll be hard pressed to find
better performance as we believe that price/performance ratio is way out of whack and consumers are getting more
performance than they are being asked to pay for.
Product Review
Angstrom loudspeakers were introduced about four years ago and we
reviewed their first small bookshelf model, the Omega 5 (Vol. 10 #3). These
small speakers got our attention as their performance far exceeded our
expectations. Our second review came with the introduction of the model
Obbligato (Vol. 11 #1), which we found to be an excellent design, beautifully
styled, with sound qualities usually found in much higher priced
loudspeakers. Since then, the company has introduced many more models
including the ones under review, their latest offering. These speakers are a
unique blend of design expertise, functionality and versatility and show the
designers’ concern for the modern customer and his/her environment. The
modular system array includes models MODULAR EIGHT and TENi (sub-
woofers), which can be regarded as the foundation that transforms the
models MODULAR TWO, THREE or FOUR into true three-way systems.
When employed with the model MODULAR FOURTEEN – a low frequency
effect divider – they become the bass driver in a three-piece audio system,
or the sub-woofers for HT application. The model MODULAR EIGHT also
serves as a stand for models TWO, THREE or FOUR. Including a separate
powered subwoofer and a center channel, the series offers six models
altogether, which represent an interchangeable system configuration to
customize sound for either a two-channel audio or home theatre system.
reviewed their first small bookshelf model, the Omega 5 (Vol. 10 #3). These
small speakers got our attention as their performance far exceeded our
expectations. Our second review came with the introduction of the model
Obbligato (Vol. 11 #1), which we found to be an excellent design, beautifully
styled, with sound qualities usually found in much higher priced
loudspeakers. Since then, the company has introduced many more models
including the ones under review, their latest offering. These speakers are a
unique blend of design expertise, functionality and versatility and show the
designers’ concern for the modern customer and his/her environment. The
modular system array includes models MODULAR EIGHT and TENi (sub-
woofers), which can be regarded as the foundation that transforms the
models MODULAR TWO, THREE or FOUR into true three-way systems.
When employed with the model MODULAR FOURTEEN – a low frequency
effect divider – they become the bass driver in a three-piece audio system,
or the sub-woofers for HT application. The model MODULAR EIGHT also
serves as a stand for models TWO, THREE or FOUR. Including a separate
powered subwoofer and a center channel, the series offers six models
altogether, which represent an interchangeable system configuration to
customize sound for either a two-channel audio or home theatre system.
Angstrom Legato Speakers & Forza Subwoofer Review
Click here to download original review
The Angstrom Modular System is
an outright bargain, not easily
outperformed, if at all, by speakers
in the same price range".
an outright bargain, not easily
outperformed, if at all, by speakers
in the same price range".
High Performance Home Theater Audio Systems
High-Performance Audio Within Your Reach
- Loudspeakers
- Electronics
- Accessories
Order Online or call 714-648-0983
123 Flash Menu Placeholder.
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
 | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  | |  |
© 2008 Craig Home Audio
All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved