Comprehensive evaluation of twelve sets of European and American famous brand home theater speakers (2)

Retain gentleness fast and tough
AE AELITE (moon shadow) series

Front speakers: AELITE 3 Rear speakers: AELITE 1 Center speakers: AELITE Centre Active subwoofer: ACTIVE

Brand background and product positioning

London, England, in 1987, several audiophiles rose on a whim, and a famous audio brand was born. This is the AE of Dangdang. The application of metal materials on the woofer diaphragm is AE's long-standing direction. AE designers have tried continuously. In 1988, they finally succeeded on AE1. This small bookshelf box is fast, dynamic, and clear. Transmitted as a story. In 1995, AE100, another successful work of AE, was launched. Due to its high quality and low price, and maintaining the style of AE1, this speaker became an evergreen tree and became a miracle.

The AE200, AE300, Crystal, and AEGO series that were launched later all set the trend. From time to time, there was a buying craze. The high-quality and low-cost positioning, the application of metal diaphragms, and the fast and dynamic sounds brought by these. style of.

The AELITE series is a new work of AE. The Chinese name is "Yueying". This is a very artistic term that shows the idea of ​​AE moving closer to fashion. The curved curved side plate design, in addition to reducing the internal parallel surface of the cabinet, reduces Outside the standing wave, it also makes the appearance more beautiful. AE is considered to be the rebellion of "British Voice" because of the fast, fierce and accurate sound. What kind of performance will AELITE perform?

Technology and Design

The side baffles of AE's previous products were all flat. This time AELITE changed it to a curved shape, which reduced the standing wave of the cabinet and enhanced the beauty of the speaker. At the same time, the AELITE series is equipped with a complete center, surround and active overweight The speaker shows AE's determination to march into the home theater.

The market position of the AELITE series is not high, but the units used are of very high quality. All tweeters use the DX25SC09 produced by the original Danish VIFA factory, and the midrange and bass units are produced by AE. They use Cast aluminum basin to reduce the resonance of the unit, the diaphragm material is AE's best aluminum-magnesium alloy, and anodized.

The years of experience in speaker design have made AELITE easy to use in cabinet construction and crossover design. The use of huge inductors and MKP capacitors shows that AE attaches importance to this new series. Therefore, whether it is a stereo replay or a home theater performance, AELITE gives us confidence and hope.

The active subwoofer has a stylish ACTIVE with built-in 200W power amplifier, with adjustable volume and phase, which is more convenient to use and operate.

Music performance and theater effects

The continuation of the traditional AE speaker style is tough, clear and fuller and coherent at the same time, and the speed is also quite fast. Compared with the original AE products, AEITE has brought unprecedented sweetness, the thickness has been improved, the after rhythm has been enhanced, and the correct expression is not lost. The details are more vivid, the background sound response is fully expressed, the sense of movement and direction is quite obvious, and it also has a good impact. The sound is coherent and uniform, it is easier to form a sense of envelopment, and the atmosphere of the film also has a good performance.

For listeners who have certain requirements for sound quality and theater effects, if you want to balance AV and Hi-Fi, AELITE is a good choice.

Bright, rich, endless KEF voice
KEF Q series

Front speakers: Q11 Rear speakers: Q1 Center speakers: Q9c

Brand background and product positioning

KEF, founded in the United Kingdom in 1961, is a legendary classic brand in the audio field. Due to innovations in the structure, design and materials of the speaker unit, it has won many honors and wide recognition in the early years. The famous LS3 / 5a speaker That is to specify the use of KEF's T27 treble and B110c woofer. Until KEF stopped the supply of the unit, the LS3 / 5a of Rogers, KEF, Spendor, Harberh and other brands were discontinued, leaving the audio industry with a sigh of memory.

In the 1980s, the launch of KEF's patented "coaxial common point" (Uni-Q) technology, as well as the development of neodymium cobalt magnets (Neodymium), brought vitality to KEF, using a large number of Uni-Q units Models are launched and are very popular. The Reference series, Coda series, and Q series have become the highlights of KEF.

This evaluation is KEF's new generation Q series home theater speaker system. It is different from the previous Q series and the most core model of KEF in terms of styling and unit use, but it is also the most mainstream model of KEF. The medium price, KEF's gold signboard, coupled with good voice and manufacturing level, make the new generation Q series also widely recognized by the market.

Technology and Design

The most striking of the new Q series is the fifth-generation Uni-Q unit whether it is a bookshelf box or a floor box, including a center speaker. It uses Neodymium neodymium cobalt strong magnets to make the tweeter more compact Small, higher efficiency, easier to coordinate with the integrated polypropylene woofer, so that the phase, timbre, frequency response, etc. of the two units can be more easily combined, and the effect of a point sound source can be well simulated to locate the sound image. It is clearer, and the sense of hierarchy and space is more obvious.

At the same time, the Q series pays more attention to the sound and aesthetics in the design of the cabinet. All the speakers place the coaxial unit above the front baffle to reduce the diffraction of sound waves. On the one hand, the standing wave of the cabinet is reduced, which makes the sound clean and clean. On the other hand, it also makes the Q series speakers fall generously, and shows the good shape design level of the old factory KEF.

In order to ensure the soundness of the cabinet and prevent the vibration of the cabinet during music and theater dynamics, the Q series also adds an MDF board and support inside the cabinet to make the sound clearer.

It is worth mentioning that in order to enhance the shock of low frequency, the Q11 and Q7 floor-standing speakers also use the oval B169 woofer, which is a classic and famous special unit of KEF. At the same time, Q9c can be in the center, and Q1, Q3, Q5, Q9, and Q11 can be freely combined as front or rear speakers to form a home theater speaker system, which is also a feature of the Q series.

Music performance and theater effects

As a KEF backbone product, it naturally has the classic sound performance unique to KEF. This is a relaxing, unpleasant voice. Due to the application of the fifth-generation Uni-Q unit, the characteristics of each speaker of the Q series are very uniform. They all have stable colors, bright high frequencies and thick and warm mid-low frequencies, soft, rich, endless and coordinated. Sexual unity does not change strongly, even the vigorous music and hot film clips are stable and free.

The voice is released warmly and tenderly. It is gentle, sweet, and has nothing to do with roughness, dryness, and coldness. This is the typical KEF sound, and the new Q series is a concrete manifestation. At the same time, the performance is more open, sweeter and more moist, showing a new AV landscape full of characteristics.

Recommended with

It is ideal to cooperate with AV amplifiers with good transient characteristics, high resolution, clear lines and low-frequency impact. YAMAHA RX-V450, Pioneer 912, Marantz SR4500, Tianlong AVR-2850, Phoenix Voice AV-899, and Tianyi AD-6 are models worth considering.

Soft and full-bodied, reproducing the classic British voice
Wharfedale (Le Regal) EVO series

Front speakers: EVO-30
Rear speakers: EVO-10
Center speaker: EVO-Center

Brand background and product positioning

Mentioning the British Le Regal, people will think of Gilbert Briggs, the founder of this long-established brand, who made his first speaker in the basement in 1932, which made the name Wharfedale spread all over the world and spread widely.

SCALP (laser scanning detection), FRESP (frequency slice drawing), ceramic treble technology ... For many years, Le Regal has invested heavily in speakers and units, and the product quality is also very good. The product is focused on the consumer, and the positioning of the product with good quality and low price makes its business flourish. The concept of an international brand has basically been formed. Of course, Le Regal does not lack high-end products, such as the Airedale Heritage flagship.

The EVO series is the mid-to-high-end product of Wharfedale, with flagship Airedale Heritage and OPUS (masterpiece) series, and diamond, emerald, crystal, landscape and other series under it. The broad market positioning allows the general public to take a look at it, which is a characteristic of Le Regal that is different from other foreign brands.

Technology and Design

The stylish EVO series also has a very rich technical connotation. Le Regal's many years of design experience and technology are embodied in EVO. The use of curved front and side baffles is for aesthetics, but also to reduce the resonance of the cabinet and the generation of standing waves to keep the sound clear. The arc shape of the front baffle can enhance the diffusion characteristics of sound waves.

In the use of the unit, the EVO series all use neodymium magnetic metal tweeters, which are equipped with corresponding cast aluminum alloy bodies, which are isolated from the main box body, ensuring the sensitivity and clarity of the unit and reducing the microphonic effect. The yellow woofer used by EVO can be seen at a glance as a Kevlar (bullet-proof cloth) material diaphragm. This new material developed by DuPont is light and strong, and has good tensile resistance. It is widely used in speaker units. EVO ’s Kevlar basin is bidirectionally woven, and It is treated with UV protection to prevent Kevlar from aging and decomposition after long-term use. This behavior cannot be understood by ordinary manufacturers.

As the soul of the speaker, the focus of the EVO crossover design is to ensure that the phase between the high and low units is accurate, and to effectively control the frequency response. The materials and design are very careful. At the same time, the details such as metal foot nails and two-wire crossover terminals are also very delicate, reflecting that EVO is not a popular product positioning.

Music performance and theater effects

The low frequency is soft and full-bodied, the sound is warm, balanced and beautiful, sweet and at the same time has a good fullness, stable and loose, natural. The classic British sound performance, quite satisfactory, very listening, easy to accept and like. It does not emphasize the irritability, but it also has a lot of dynamics. The low-frequency contrast is good, and the sound image will not be thin, reflecting the mature and sophisticated design skills of Le Regal. Such sophisticated sound design is rare at present, and it is worth analyzing and verifying the technical methods formed by its characteristics.

It is easy to match and promote. Even if low-cost Hi-Fi and AV amplifiers are used, it has the effect of balance and correctness. There will be no obvious defects and a very strong price-performance ratio. Hi-Fi & AV's entry-level choice is the EVO series.

Recommended with

Loose and easy-going personality, not low sensitivity gives EVO a lot of room to match, rich and frugal. To make the benefits of EVO affordable, Tianlong AVR-3805, Yamaha RX-V440, Onkyo TX-SR801, and beautiful Cameo AV amplifiers are all good choices.

Slender, well-focused, representative of the German sound style
ELAC 200 series

Front speakers: FS207.2
Rear speakers: FS203.2
Center speaker: FS200.2
Active subwoofer: SUB211.2 ESP

Brand background and product positioning

Founded in 1926, ELAC is one of the representatives of Deutsche Welle. Focusing on the development of speakers, represented by JET tweeters and interlayer paper / aluminum film mid-bass units, years of unremitting efforts have made ELAC achieve good results and formed a distinctive product image in the minds of audio and video consumers- Slender, distinct, clean and clean, with clear lines ...

In recent years, with the rise of home theater and motivation, this traditional Hi-Fi positioning brand has also invested in the tide of multi-channel speaker product development, and launched many popular satellite systems due to its Hi-Fi speakers In the series (including S, 3, 200 and other series), from floor-standing speakers to bookshelf speakers models are available, ELAC only needs to be equipped with corresponding center speakers, it can be freely combined into a theater system, reaching AV, Hi -Fi two compatible purposes.

The 200 series is the backbone of ELAC. It is positioned below the S and 3 series and above the 100 series. Due to the suitable price, the most characteristic JET tweeter and aluminum / bass membrane woofer of ELAC are retained, which is the most concerned by ELAC enthusiasts. One of the products.

Technology and Design

The traditional appearance of Fangzheng, due to the silver bass diaphragm and organ-like treble shape, gives people the feeling of lightness and stability. Beautiful craftsmanship and exquisite units can prove that it is a product carefully designed by ELAC.
The composition of the 200 series includes: 208.2 with two 180mm basses, 207.2 floor box with two 150mm basses, 204.2 with one 180mm bass, 203.2 bookshelf case with one 150mm bass, and cc200.2 with two 115mm bass Speaker and 1 SUB211.2ESP active subwoofer. All bass diaphragms are aluminum / low-membrane sandwich materials, which have the characteristics of strong rigidity, fast speed, and good transient performance. This series of tweeters all use JET jet tweeters, and are the latest developed monomers. It has the advantages of light weight, transparent sound, and sharp response. The high frequency limit is up to 50kHz. It is worth mentioning that the 200 series crossover network is very tight and complex, and the materials used are quite exquisite, which also provides an important guarantee for excellent voice.

The front speakers of this evaluation are 207.2 floor-standing speakers, which are 2.5-way crossover design. The focus of this design is to enhance the sense of low frequency and shock. The central CC200.2 is a dumbbell design, and the four sides are inverted. The hole further strengthens the radiating surface of the sound wave, and the SUB211.2 ESP has a built-in 300W pulse power amplifier, a 250mm active unit and a 300mm passive unit, weighing 23kg, which can be seen at a glance.

Music performance and theater effects

The unique slender, bright and slim line style of ELAC speakers, everything presented is so transparent and pure. And the sound is sweet and coherent, no longer cold and clear, this is a new change in ELAC.

The context is clear, the details are quite rich, and the focus is clear. It has obvious help for the depiction of the sound image, the sense of speed is strong, the low frequency is clean and clean, and the impact is not lost. It can also analyze and rigorously express the music structure. German audio The style can be gathered together and has a good voice performance ability.

At the same time, compared to earlier products, today's new ELAC speakers are easier to promote and relatively easy to match, which is also a good phenomenon.

Recommended with

The outstanding music performance ability makes the 200 series appear in front of us in the face of Hi-Fi. Gentle amplifiers such as Yaran and Ober are one of the best matches. High-level AV amplifiers can make their audio and video full, and Maijingtu MHT200, Yajun FMJ AV8 / P7 AV front and rear stage, Marantz SR-14EX are good choices.

Thick and warm, comfortable, a portrayal of elegant Nordic life
Dali Suite (Viscount) series

Front speakers: Suite 2.8
Rear speakers: Suite R0.7
Center speaker: Suite C0.7
Active subwoofer: Suite S1.2

Brand background and product positioning

Danish audiophile Peter Lyngdorf is an avid enthusiast with a persistent pursuit. Since the establishment of Dali (Danish Audiophile Loudspeaker Industry) in 1983, he has been investing a lot of energy in speaker design.

Dali has a wide range of products, from the electronically-divided Megaline flagship speakers to Euphonia, Grand, Royal, Suife, etc., exhausting various titles of royal nobility and forming a dazzling array Dali product line. The most talked about is the small bookshelf speaker, Royal Menuet II. Its beautiful string performance and deep bass disproportionate to the small box have made many audiophiles unforgettable.

Suite is Dali's newly launched AV and Hi-Fi compatible speaker system. It is a set of its new products launched on the 20th anniversary and is positioned for mid-range.

Technology and Design

The Dani Suite series is in the same vein as the high-end products such as the Dynasty. It uses a curved side box to reduce the standing wave of the box. The designer carefully designed the volume of the box to make its Q value reach the ideal state To make the low frequency more powerful.

It is not difficult to find that the Suite series also uses the special unit of the glued carton used in the high-end series. The dark red appearance is quite mysterious, while the tweeter is a special soft dome unit.

At the same time, Suite is equipped with a full range of center, surround and active subwoofer speakers, of which the C0.7 center speaker is a dumbbell design, which is conducive to the expression of mid-frequency, and R0.7 is a special cabinet selection design. It has a multi-faceted geometric shape, and the placement on the wall can directly radiate sound waves to the human ear. S1.2 is a 12-inch bass with built-in 200W power amplifier, which can meet the requirements of home theater.

Due to the horizontal gold cherry wood exterior and unique cabinet design, Suite has a distinctive Dani style and is also suitable for home environments.

Music performance and theater effects

Emphasize the warmth and fullness of the mid-range. The sound transition is smooth, the high frequency feels a little lack of penetration, and the thick sound fills the entire space. The low frequency has a heavy sense, does not emphasize the stimulation, and the sharpness of the sound image is not the focus. Appropriate softening of high frequencies to emphasize hearing resistance, and the ultra-high frequency band is not lacking, so the sense of air can also be well expressed. The ingenious sound design is quite suitable for listening to music replay.

Because the design emphasizes the comfort of hearing, the sound is thick and warm, soothing, it can be called a unique charm, and it is also a portrayal of Nordic leisure life.

Recommended with

Full and warm style, easy-going personality, Suite has good adaptability to the amplifier, but the more powerful the amplifier, the easier it is to match. Tianlong AVR-3805, Pioneer VSA-AX5i, Marantz SR8300, Zhongshen A1000, Phoenix Voice AV899, Ke Song D9 are all good choices.

Coherent, dense and strong texture
ATC

Front speakers: SCM35
Rear speakers: SCM12
Center speaker: C3 Centre

Brand background and product positioning

There are many legends and rumors about ATC. Among them, there are many positive praises, such as: focus on technology, rigorous product design; authentic sound, strong texture; worth collecting, playing for a lifetime, and so on. Negative reviews are relatively few, and it is difficult to promote them in summary. They have high power requirements for amplifiers, slightly darker treble (early products), and of course, high prices. However, there are not many brands like ATC that are recognized on the two fronts of professional monitoring and civil fever at the same time. Designer Billy's contribution to audio is indispensable.

ATC's new works, including SCM35, SCM12, and SCM7 are popular products launched by ATC for the market. Compared with ATC's classic models SCM100, 50, and 20, the price is much lower, but this does not mean that the quality is reduced ATC's well-known woofer technology and speaker design methods have been continued in this series, and the relative increase in sensitivity has also made the problem of amplifier matching difficult.

Technology and Design

The most important technology of ATC is reflected in the design of midrange and woofer. The focus is on the magnetic circuit and diaphragm design. Whether it is a 75mm hemispherical midrange or a 150mm woofer, they are well-known in the industry. Pure, natural, strong, and extremely low-distortion sounds are unforgettable, like listening to "outside music." The most special is the coating of the unit diaphragm, which is ATC's unique secret technique. The tweeter uses external Vifa, Dynah and other units. The tweeter unit of this series of speakers adopts Vifa's neodymium magnetic unit.

In this evaluation, the main speaker uses SCM35, which is a 3-way 3-unit floor-standing speaker, and it is also the floor-standing speaker with the largest caliber of the woofer unit used by ATC. It uses a 165mm short voice coil long magnetic circuit design. ATC homemade new bass , Alto is directly used ATC's famous 75mm "bun" alto. The surround speakers are SCM12 bookshelf boxes, and its biggest feature is that the woofer is the classic SCM 20SL woofer, including the SCM20 speakers.

The matching center speaker is the C3 Centre, which is a dumbbell-shaped design specifically for the center channel of the home theater. It uses the same Vifa treble as the main speaker, and the bass is two special SCM20SL dual magnetic steel antimagnetic units.

All speakers are sealed, also known as air cushion design, is the only speaker in this evaluation. The advantages of this design are fast speed, clean bass and low distortion.

Music performance and theater effects

Strong texture and strong impact. Coherent and dense, the sound with strong sense of the scene is quite wonderful, it is indeed an excellent home theater system.

The vocal dialogue is clear and true, and it is easy to find the feeling of the combination of audio and video. Very in place.

Hi-Fi and AV are organically closely connected. With high-level sound performance, Hi-End-level home theater can be achieved. The ATC SCM series is a strong proof.

Recommended with

The increase in sensitivity has not completely solved the characteristics of the ATC big food. A high-power, high-level AV amplifier is still indispensable. The Cary Cinema-6 / 7 AV used in the evaluation performed well before and after. Lexicon RV-8, Pioneer VSX-AX10i combined amplifier can also make ATC show good results. The cooperation of Lexicon, Maijingtu, Mark Levinson's pre-level AV controllers and power amplifiers such as Krell, Zhongsheng, and Byston can make ATC fully show the true theater effect.