We couldn’t quite recall the exact date, but I first met Elliot Goldman at one of his earliest stores in South Florida and although he doesn’t remember the specifics, I sure did. It was one of those audiophile demos that you never forget, even if it was some 30 years ago. Elliot introduced himself, turned the lights down low, and cranked up Dead Can Dance on an all Spectral rig driving the big Genesis speakers. I never forgot it. Nor did I forget a most hospitable host who never tried to sell me a thing (as if I could afford it anyway.)
The Bending Wave Goebel speakers have attracted lots of attention, and although the “Grand Opening” for his new brick and mortar store Front Row Theater” is a week away, once again, a visit to the area prompted me to call Elliot to see if I might be able to visit to hear them. He graciously welcomed my visit.
There’s always so many things to assess when hearing a SOA system for the first time as you try to attribute what to what. Is it the room? The electronics? The cables? The gear? Etc. But one thing you can take to the bank, is that Elliot knows his sh** and knows how to set-up a good system. And with that, let me just say that I had a wonderful visit. Not only was it good because I got to hear a fabulous music system. But what is equally great in the world of an amateur traveling audiophile (although I am an amateur to Ked and wish I had his frequent flyer miles), is that it’s even better when you hear and learn about great music at the same time. Surprisingly, Elliot doesn’t consider himself an audiophile as much as he considers himself a music lover. His playlists are eclectic and decidedly “non-audiophile”, unless you want them to be. But when he is left to do the driving, just sit back and soak it up. It’s a genuine treat. I never would have guessed for example, that I’d be listening to some country singer from Houston whose lyrics are worth paying attention to hearing. As regular WBF readers know, Elliot has offered a limited version of his playlist to those who have asked him directly. Yet he says there’s still a few hundred songs or so that he hasn’t dropped into his yet!
So let’s get to it. How did the Bending wave speakers sound? Well, to begin, you can bet they didn’t sound too shabby since they were being driven by about 500K worth of CH Precision gear plus Goebel cabling. Seriously, if I had to limit my adjectives more discretely, the word I would use is “purity”. One might presume that would be the case since The Bending Wave driver is nearly a full range driver. In reality, it covers from 160Hz to the bat range of hearing, so one shouldn’t be surprised that a lack of crossovers for most of the range translates to a perceived “purity” of sound that does indeed set a very high audio bar for listening. There is also an array of 3 conventional drivers each above and below the Bending Wave driver for augmentation below 160Hz, but for the most part, it is the uniqueness of the Bending Wave that accounts for the majority of the range of sound one hears.
We spent a few hours listening to an all digital-sourced series of recordings and a recurring comment when listening to some oldies but goodies (60’s through 80’s analog recordings burned to digital) was just how good they are which for the most part, I had not previously appreciated. This is clearly direct testimony to the merits of the system Elliot put together for which the Bending Wave driver is a big part of its success.
Of interest, Elliot also had a pair of the Goebel Divin speakers in the room but they were not hooked up. Priced a bit higher to the Bending Wave, they do not use the Bending wave technology. I’ll let Elliot provide the rationale for the strategic decision that is the basis for Goebel’s unusual marketing decision if he wishes. But they are said to provide their own unique benefits for listening including more formidable deep bass and higher efficiency. I hope to be able to hear them on a future visit. No doubt the Bending Wave will be attracting a lot of well-deserved attention in the weeks and months ahead. You’ll also be able to hear them at AXPONA if you’re going.
Now I have the unenviable task of returning home and scurrying to find all the great tracks Elliot played for me today while trying to accept the limitations of a more conventional driver system that use well-designed crossovers (Wilson Alexandria S-2), but there-in lies the rub, There is little argument that for many things in audio such as capacitors, a similar mantra can also be said regarding crossovers that “the best sounding crossover is no crossover at all”. The Bending Wave driver is a formidable achievement that is certainly worth hearing. If indeed you hear them, I'm sure that like me, you will be thinking long and hard about what you heard for a long time after you leave Elliot's shop.
