Perfect8, The Cube, a sneak preview, out of the box imaging, extreme immersion
- Thread starter Peter Breuninger
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Peter seems to have pretty good ears and he's heard a lot of stuff, so I don't doubt that the execution is first rate, but is there anything new here other than the glass and the extraordinary price for what is a slightly unconventional satellite/sub system? Dipoles, bipoles, side-firing, rear-firing, top-firing...or just front-firing drivers with exceptionally good off-axis response...it has all been done and when it is done very well, disappearing speakers and an enveloping sound stage has always been the result, often at much, much less. I can't help but think of Linkwitz Orions. For this kind of money, you could have them built, delivered, set up, with amps included, take the family to Europe for the summer and still have money in the bank to cover your kids' college next year. And they are absolutely remarkable at disappearing and enveloping.
Again, I don't doubt these are very well done, and appreciate the chance these might have of convincing audiophiles that SOTA can be achieved with sats and subs, that a stack of drivers taller than a commercial freezer is not the cost of admission. But really, shouldn't we look askance at $90k, or even a lot less than that? Isn't this, maybe, just a bit ridiculous?
Tim
Again, I don't doubt these are very well done, and appreciate the chance these might have of convincing audiophiles that SOTA can be achieved with sats and subs, that a stack of drivers taller than a commercial freezer is not the cost of admission. But really, shouldn't we look askance at $90k, or even a lot less than that? Isn't this, maybe, just a bit ridiculous?
Tim
The market decides what is too much.
Perhaps ridiculous to some but a bargain to others.
Who are you or, for that matter, anyone else to judge?
Perhaps ridiculous to some but a bargain to others.
Who are you or, for that matter, anyone else to judge?
These speakers appear reminiscent of the Sunfire CRM-2 system -
http://www.sunfire.com/productdetail.asp?id=24
And Harley's, as well as Steve Guttenbergs review (linked from the above url), echoes much of what Peter is saying.
Dick Olsher also used a directional tweeter and an omini upward facing woofer / midrange in his C,B.A.E. as do Linkiwitz's LXmini
http://www.linkwitzlab.com/LXmini/Introduction.htm
Indeed, $70K is a substantial sum, but understanding how these technologies work, will encourage a trickle down, sideways, every which way but loose....
I've heard the Beyma TPL-150/H hornloaded heil in a 'Ocean Way' style monitor, and think it would be grand in a Cubes type system.
FWIW
http://www.sunfire.com/productdetail.asp?id=24
And Harley's, as well as Steve Guttenbergs review (linked from the above url), echoes much of what Peter is saying.
Dick Olsher also used a directional tweeter and an omini upward facing woofer / midrange in his C,B.A.E. as do Linkiwitz's LXmini
http://www.linkwitzlab.com/LXmini/Introduction.htm
Indeed, $70K is a substantial sum, but understanding how these technologies work, will encourage a trickle down, sideways, every which way but loose....
I've heard the Beyma TPL-150/H hornloaded heil in a 'Ocean Way' style monitor, and think it would be grand in a Cubes type system.
FWIW
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Hi Peter,
What does your wife think of those woofers in the middle of, what seems to be, an important room in your beautiful home? Did you try placing the woofers closer to the corners of the wall behind the speakers, before moving them toward the center of the room? I always find luck there.
Also, do you know if the designers have considered other enclosure materials? Metal seems to be a popular material lately. Why did they ultimately choose glass? For function reasons, or to be different?
And how is this model sound differently than their more expensive Perfect8 models, which have arrays of drivers?
What does your wife think of those woofers in the middle of, what seems to be, an important room in your beautiful home? Did you try placing the woofers closer to the corners of the wall behind the speakers, before moving them toward the center of the room? I always find luck there.
Also, do you know if the designers have considered other enclosure materials? Metal seems to be a popular material lately. Why did they ultimately choose glass? For function reasons, or to be different?
And how is this model sound differently than their more expensive Perfect8 models, which have arrays of drivers?
This is the starting point set up for the woofers. Terry says they look very cool even out this far in the room. We will move them as our fall projects progress. We did receive delivery of the Audionote AN-E/SEC Signature loudspeaker so it's two very different approaches in design for these next series of reviews.
I'll ask the designers what other materials were considered but the below video gives you some initial answers. I believe there is a similarity in sound and presentation of music's scale to the large Perfect8s and I also believe the big boys can do slam far better than the Cubes, but at this level of reproduction you don't need the slam to add to the speaker's believability. The Perfect8 team wants me to listen to the next model up so we will learn about sibling similarities. And as I've have mentioned I 've been invited to a private home with a large room to hear the big one. All I know is, these speakers are redefining the state of the art for this listener. In a world of $50,000 handbags, $2,000,000 sport cars and $70,000,000 luxury homes, $90,000 for compact world class loudspeakers seems not so out of place.
I'll take the bump and run with it.
Three months now on the Perfect8 Cubes. I've had a handful of listeners over (though before final positioning) and they pretty much agree with me, that they offer mind boggling imaging and sound field immersion. But that's not the all of it. It's the sense of "no" speaker in the room, just the music that is so darn compelling.
A healthy observation: you cannot play these at 100+ dB levels, the midrange drivers will bottom out. So, for the first time, I am unable to crank the volume way up like I like to do to get the full concert experience (that the MBLs like to do). Funny thing, I enjoy my DCD and Madonna and electronica even more because the system is delivering more spatial info and more greater density thus resulting in more realistic instrumental believability... more info equals more tonality. There is just more everything there plus my hearing is protected by more reasonable SPLs.
As an aside and for Caesar to consider, a heavy hitter phile in the mid west and an MBL 101 E MK1 owner has just ordered a pair of Perfect8 "the Point" to replace his beloved MBLs. I would recommend that all MBL owners consider this phenomenon. I am. The replacement of one of the world's most famous and greatest loudspeakers, MBL 101Es with Perfect8s. The Perfect8 "The Point" indeed cost more but if you are playing at this financial commitment level, you have to audition the Perfect8s. The Cubes ($72-74,000 single bass driver, $90-94,000 two bass drivers) are more in line with MBL 101Es, though I would require the extra bass unit.
Three months now on the Perfect8 Cubes. I've had a handful of listeners over (though before final positioning) and they pretty much agree with me, that they offer mind boggling imaging and sound field immersion. But that's not the all of it. It's the sense of "no" speaker in the room, just the music that is so darn compelling.
A healthy observation: you cannot play these at 100+ dB levels, the midrange drivers will bottom out. So, for the first time, I am unable to crank the volume way up like I like to do to get the full concert experience (that the MBLs like to do). Funny thing, I enjoy my DCD and Madonna and electronica even more because the system is delivering more spatial info and more greater density thus resulting in more realistic instrumental believability... more info equals more tonality. There is just more everything there plus my hearing is protected by more reasonable SPLs.
As an aside and for Caesar to consider, a heavy hitter phile in the mid west and an MBL 101 E MK1 owner has just ordered a pair of Perfect8 "the Point" to replace his beloved MBLs. I would recommend that all MBL owners consider this phenomenon. I am. The replacement of one of the world's most famous and greatest loudspeakers, MBL 101Es with Perfect8s. The Perfect8 "The Point" indeed cost more but if you are playing at this financial commitment level, you have to audition the Perfect8s. The Cubes ($72-74,000 single bass driver, $90-94,000 two bass drivers) are more in line with MBL 101Es, though I would require the extra bass unit.
Wasn't aware of an already existing topic about Perfect 8 speakers.
I fully agree with Peter and perfectly understand someone could replace his pair of 101E for a stunning pair of The Point.
The last demo with a full Ypsilon system in Munich was outstanding, perhaps the best demo ever heard in Munich...
I fully agree with Peter and perfectly understand someone could replace his pair of 101E for a stunning pair of The Point.
The last demo with a full Ypsilon system in Munich was outstanding, perhaps the best demo ever heard in Munich...
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