New (2015) Affordable Accuracy Speakers by Dennis Murphy

[KEW]

This thread is a continuation (and to some extent repeat of) the linked thread below:

http://forums.audioholics.com/forums/threads/beta-tester-for-new-el-cheapo-speaker-needed.95183/

Because the name of the new speakers was not known when that thread started, I believe it makes sense to start a new thread with an appropriate title to aid searches. I have also copied the reviews here with the finalized names.

The short of it is that Dennis Murphy's cost for the Pioneer speakers he previously used for his Affordable Accuracy models went up and Dennis started looking for new economical platforms to work with.

1) He found the Dayton Audio T652 Tower... to which, he swaps out the tweeter, replaces the crossover with his own design, and adds bracing, The result is the Affordable Accuracy Tower2 at $180/pr (plus $32 shipping to GA).

2) He found the Dayton Audio BR-1 kit... which he assembles with his own crossover. The result is the Affordable Accuracy Monitor2 at $195/pr (plus $25 shipping to GA).

Anyone who is interested in these speakers can order through Dennis Murphy's website:

http://philharmonicaudio.com/index.html

Note: as of 8/8/15, these new speakers are not yet on the website.
Email him at:
info@philharmonicaudio.com

 

[KEW]

I volunteered to review the new speakers, but one thing I have learned is that the human ear (mine, at least) is incredibly sensitive for relative (or comparative) measurement, but not so good at absolute measurement. Consequently, it made sense to find appropriate speakers for comparison.

Affordable Accuracy Tower2 (AA TOWER2) vs Stock Pioneer SP-FS52 (FS52).
The Pioneer is the obvious competitor for the new Towers Dennis Murphy is working on. The Pioneers go for $260/pr. At $180 plus shipping ($32 to GA), the AA TOWER2’s would cost less. The Pioneers are generally considered to be the best value in their price range.

Somewhere I need to comment on the light weight of the AA TOWER2 (about 16 pounds each). This raises a lot of flags, but, with the added bracing, these speakers sound good - without offensive resonance. At the end of the day, that is what counts!

Setup.
I used two Marantz SR-6001 receivers in Pure Direct Mode and level matched the speakers (using music and adjusting when needed to keep levels matched). Muting one receiver, allowed instant switching every time the mute button is pressed. Speakers were set side by side in an A-B A-B configuration (so width between the pairs of speakers was equal).

On A-B Comparisons of Speakers.
It is always amazing to me! When I have a reasonably good speaker being A-B’ed against a better speaker, the “reasonably good” speaker becomes “unreasonably bad”. It is a strange phenomenon, but I believe it has to do with hearing a more open/realistic/detailed sound, then switching to the lessor speaker… it just sucks, plain and simple. If I was unplugging and switching speakers I don’t think it would be so bad, but hearing the sound quality decrease in the middle of a musical phrase is an obnoxious experience.

I wanted to make this comment because I know there will be a perceived hypocrisy between what I will say about the Pioneers in this review and what I have said in the past (and will likely say in the future). I like the Pioneers and have consistently recommended them as a great speaker in their price class. The AA TOWER2’s eclipse them in almost every way. Nonetheless, if a buyer wants immediate gratification of local store pick-up and the convenience of a free 14 day in-home trial (Best Buy), or if the AA TOWER2’s are ruled out for some other reason, I will happily continue to recommend the Pioneers because they are great speakers compared to their competition (aside from the AA TOWER2’s).

I have a saying about this, and in the case of these two speakers, it is worded:

“The Pioneer FS52’s are great speakers…as long as you keep the AA TOWER2’s out of the room.”

Music.
I tried to select music based on the following criteria:
High quality recording
Common (some chance you might know it or have it in your collection)
My personal familiarity with it
Diverse (listening to a wide array of music reveals characteristics that would not be revealed if all tracks were similar)

Note: I provided YouTube links for some songs, but did not check for sound quality of YouTube version. I used CD’s for all review material.

Comparison (organized by music track).
Pink Floyd - Time (DSOTM).I selected this mainly to get an idea of the high frequency character of the speakers when the alarm clocks and various chimes present a cacophony of resonating metals.
The sound of the AA TOWER2’s immediately called attention to their increased level of detail on the sounds of the clock movements prior to the alarms. When the bells started, it gave a more open and full presentation.
I was confused when the toms sounded fuller on the FS52’s! I had already listened enough to know the AA TOWER2’s had a fuller, and more accurate sound in the low-mid – bass range. I later listened on Focals and heard that the sound is thin. While they used plenty of reverb in the recording, the FS52’s imparted a resonance somewhat like a kettle drum would have. It was warm and full and I liked it, but it was not accurate.

I found a clip (this is a mock-up, not Pink Floyd, but it gives you the idea of how the roto-toms are a bit thin - if you have good speakers):
If you are the impatient sort, go to 1 minute in.

The main difference through the rest of the song is the AA TOWER2’s gave a sense of depth to the stage that made the FS52 sound 2D.

Yes – The Heart of the Sunrise (Fragile).This is a standard of mine. I listen primarily for the unique sound of Chris Squire’s bass, but there have been several times where the unusual instrumentation reveals something unique (this was one of them).

First off, the bass sound was boxy on the FS52’s, sounding more natural and open on the AA TOWER2’s. However, the FS52’s sounded better when the song was just Jon Anderson’s vocals, bass, and drums. The high-hat and ride cymbal sounded more present, substantial, and simply better on the Pioneer. Once the rest of the band joined in, the FS52 lost its edge! My best notion on this is that the Pioneers have some kind of artificial (I'm guessing at this) treble enhancement that sounds better with some particular content, but reveals itself as "wrong" if there is content involving the frequencies close to the “enhanced” frequencies.

Despite this, the AA TOWER2 was the clear winner. The Places where the FS52 sounded better, the AA TOWER2’s merely did not seem to be playing the full highs. Where the AA TOWER2’s sounded better, the FS52 made wrong sounds. I’ll take absent sounds over wrong sounds.

I shared this with Dennis as the one situation where I genuinely preferred the FS52 over the AA TOWER2 (just for the segments described above) and he shared a FR chart from a stock FS52 with me. You can see how the treble is "overly prominent".

Steely Dan – I Got the News (Aja).I always have Steely Dan in the mix. Their sound is tight and percussive, with sharp attacks, and the recording quality is always very good.
This was easy – The AA TOWER2 totally dominated with more articulate and deeper bass than the FS52. Midrange articulation was also better on the AA TOWER2's, but it was the bass that really distinguished the AA TOWER2's on this song!

Chet Atkins – Sunrise (Stay Tuned).Musically, it borders on Muzak, but between George Benson and Chet Atkins, there are some very nicely played light and delicate details in this piece that cause me to like it (despite the Muzak). It is very well recorded and I love the nature of the bass on this piece (especially the contrast of the slap notes).

The AA TOWER2 captured that bass sound very nicely, while the FS52 sounded comparatively thin and imprecise. The AA TOWER2 had a transparency in the midrange that really shone with the fast, light, and delicate picking in this song. Again, the AA TOWER2’s had a good 3D depth while the FS52’s sounded 2D.

I realize most people would not have this song, so here is a link:

Herbie Hancock – River (River, the Joni Letters).I have found that this song is good at revealing issues with speakers. I’d liken Corinne Bailey Rae to taking Norah Jones voice and raising it about ½ octave. She has high frequencies in her voice that extend on up there. There is also the brushes on the drums and cymbals which doesn’t always sound right, depending on the speakers.
More than anything else I listened to, this song was the FS52’s Achilles heel. It had way too much content in the high frequencies and especially with Corinne’s voice, the inappropriate balance is obvious. This is a great piece, but I suspect it would fall off of my favorites list if I listened exclusively to the FS52’s. As reflected in the FR chart, The FS52 made the treble way too hot for certain harmonics in her voice. I would even use the words harsh or shouty.
While not perfect with this demanding content, the AA TOWER2 came across much clearer and gave a presentation that was enjoyable.
I realize most people would not have this song, so here is a link:

Katy Perry – I Kissed a Girl (MTV Unplugged).Pop star, Katy Perry is a guilty pleasure of mine (though I felt somewhat vindicated when Jon Anderson listed her among his favorite modern singers). I am also a big time fan of acoustic versions…especially for vocals. It keeps them very honest. I believe there are not as many places for a singer to “hide” so they up their game even beyond their normal level of extraordinary! In this particular version of this song, it begins with an upright bass solo which repeats the same phrase so I can listen to the phrase on one speaker, then hear it again on the other. Also love the jazz leanings of this version.

I was surprised that the differences on the introductory bass line were minor (the AA TOWER2 was better, but not enough difference to give much concern). However, later, when the band joins in, the bass gets lost in the band on the FS52 while it stays its own voice on the AA TOWER2.

While not so bad as with Corinne’s; Katy’s voice is wrong and the treble was off on the FS52s. The AA TOWER2’s managed a much more open and realistic sound.

I realize most Audiholics would not have this song, so here is a link:

Ed Palermo Big Band – RDNZL (Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance). Since I play in a big band, this is where I listen to the instruments I know best.

The better bass of the AA TOWER2 proved its worth on the drum lead in. It was more solid and had the right weight. Trombone was about equal on both, but alto sax sounded a little kazoo-like on the FS52. AA TOWER2 came across as decidedly more natural for alto sax and (to a lesser degree) throughout the song.

Norah Jones – Don’t Know Why (Come Away With Me).Norah has so many subtle nuances in her voice that it is rare to switch between speakers and not hear significant differences in presentations.

In his recent bookshelf review, Alex (TheWarrior) talked about how the playfulness in her voice got lost with some of the speakers. That is an excellent description. On good speakers, you can hear subtle nuances in her delivery that make it clear she is not just singing the song beautifully, but she is enjoying the song! Not too many speakers did a good job of capturing that playfulness. The FS52’s do not, but the AA TOWER2’s do a fair job of it. In a $180/pr. speaker, that alone is a feat!

Conclusion.
Is the AA TOWER2 perfect? Of course not. However, given its modest components/price, it is an incredibly nice sounding speaker! As compared to the FS52’s, the AA TOWER2’s are clearly better. Only the tipped up treble of the Pioneer can, on rare occasion, make them sound better, but more often that extra treble is a liability. Looking for a fault, I miss the extra detail and highest frequencies of a well-designed metal or ribbon tweeter, but that would push these speakers well beyond budget category. The bass is impressively palpable which is, in itself, a real find in such an inexpensive speaker!

I didn’t do anything to push the SPL limits of the AA TOWER2’s, but I ran them fairly loud (at the volumes I would normally listen) in a living room with gabled ceiling, and open to dining room and kitchen without any sign of distress.

It is a shame that Dennis was not involved in the original design of these speakers, that way the cost of the original tweeters and crossover components could be avoided.

In the end, I am delighted to report that the standard of quality of sound on a shoestring budget ($180/pr.) just took a substantial leap forward!

Thank you, Dennis Murphy!

 

[KEW]

WAVECREST HVL-1 vs Affordable Accuracy (AA) MONITOR

WAVECREST HVL-1 on left and AA MONITOR on right. The silk dome tweeter of the AA MONITOR is mostly transparent with an open mesh of fiber.
The photo is misleading, there is 24" clearance to the right wall from the AA MONITOR and 20.5" clearance behind the AA MONITOR (which is 1.25" deeper than the WAVECREST HVL-1).

The camera flash of the previous photo is misleading. These are flat black, not shiny (and the WAVECREST HVL-1 mid-woofer does not have a light gray dust cap!). All of the lights in my room are on (as you can see from multiple shadows) and there was still good daylight in the room at 6PM in July in GA. It also looks like there is an exposed unfinished area at the upper left edge of the AA MONITOR woofer. This is a light reflection of the black metal mounting plate where I had positioned a flex neck light to point directly at speakers.

The WaveCrest WAVECREST HVL-1 is a favorite speaker often recommended by audio forums as a good value in the ~$200 price range. It has a 5-1/4" mid-woofer and 1" soft dome tweeter with a front firing port. IIRC, shipping cost another $25 to my Georgia home for $224 total price. 12" x 7" x 9.5" and 12 pounds each.

http://www.wavecrestaudio.com/products/WaveCrest HVL-1-1-two-way-loudspeaker-pair

The AA MONITOR is a Dayton Audio kit which has benefited from a crossover redesign by Dennis Murphy (this is a new and improved mod, not the old one posted on the Murphyblaster website). The kit runs $180 from Parts Express and uses a 6.5" mid-woof and 1-1/8" silk dome tweeter with a rear port. The final price of the AA MONITOR is not yet determined to the best of my knowledge. As I understand it, Dennis Murphy builds the crossover (with new parts), and assembles the kit. Historically, Murphy’s offerings have been great bargains because he is not trying to capture typical profit margins or grow a business. The cost before shipping is $195, Fedex shipping to GA was $25 for a total of $220 (but shipping cost will vary depending on you location). 14-1/4" x 8-5/8" x 11" and about 22 pounds each.

http://philharmonicaudio.com/aa.html

Fundamental differences. The AA MONITOR is a larger speaker with a larger driver. It pumps out deeper bass. Moreover, it pumps out exceptionally clean and deep bass for any 6.5" bookshelf speaker! Of course it did this for every song. I do not want to belabor this point throughout the review, and will only mention it where it really stood out.

If you will not use a sub, the AA MONITOR is the obvious choice between these two! With a sub, the choice is not so easy.

Both are budget bookshelf speakers, but the AA MONITOR will likely cost more. The WAVECREST HVL-1 is more compact with front ports, allowing more positioning options.

The AA MONITOR offers better midrange detail, and the WAVECREST HVL-1 offers better high frequency extension. Much of the following review defines how these attributes showed up in different musical content (to my ear). Hopefully, this will help people decide between these two offerings.

IMHO, neither of these speakers has any flaws, as a matter of fact, I got the sense that both were very well designed, such that their limitations were essentially defined by the drivers used. If Dave Fabricant and Dennis Murphy can get this level of performance out of these modest components, it reflects rather poorly on more mainstream speaker manufacturers.

Listening session.

Norah Jones - Don't Know Why (Come Away with Me)

Norah's voice is a favorite proving ground for sound reproduction. She has lots of nuances such as subtly lilting and bending notes with a soft vibrato. The ability to produce these details is a good litmus test for speakers. Both speakers do well, but the AA MONITOR captures more of the nuances of Norah Jones vocal style. The WAVECREST HVL-1 gives a more breathy sound, not inappropriately so, just different – it stages Norah closer to the listener. My preference would be to have both the midrange detail of the AA MONITOR and the breathiness of the WAVECREST HVL-1, but, if I have to choose one based on Norah's voice, the AA MONITOR’s extra detail and openness wins. AA MONITOR!

Ed Palermo - Take Your Clothes Off When You Dance (Album of the same title)

There is a lot going on in most Big Band Jazz ensembles! I play Baritone Sax in a big band, so know the sounds of these instruments.

Switching between speakers resulted in the following observations:

For cymbals, WAVECREST HVL-1 did a better job of capturing the presence and shine of well recorded cymbal taps (ride cymbal). This was a strong benefit of the WAVECREST HVL-1!

For a brashly played trombone, the AA MONITOR was slightly better at catching the raspy (edgy, saw-tooth) character of the tone. The WAVECREST HVL-1 sounded thinner, but was better at catching the brassy upper harmonics. TIE!

For kick drum I had to double check that my subs were off (even though I had the AVR on Pure Direct). I did not expect so much kick from a bookshelf alone. AA MONITOR!

For the tenor sax solo (in this case played in a throaty style), the AA MONITOR did a great job of capturing the resonance, causing the sax to sound more substantial and solid. The WAVECREST HVL-1 was comparatively unconvincing, sounding a bit thin. AA MONITOR!

Pink Floyd – Time (Dark Side of the Moon)

For the detail of clockwork preceding the alarms, the WAVECREST HVL-1 offered an extra crispness to the higher frequencies while the AA MONITOR had more delicate detail in the midrange. TIE!

Many times switching between speakers in this song revealed no audible differences. Then, there were times where there was an audible difference, but I would be hard pressed to declare one better than the other. TIE!

I'm not sure if it is the added presence of bass or midrange detail, but the AA MONITOR stood out as offering more depth of stage. AA MONITOR!

At 4:20, the guitar sounds fuller on the AA MONITOR. AA MONITOR!

At 5:25, the WAVECREST HVL-1 sounded better with the male voices, offering a more breathy sound (which suits). WAVECREST HVL-1!

At 5:25, the female voices sounded more pure on the AA MONITOR. AA MONITOR!

At 5:25, the overall balance between the male and female vocals was better on the AA MONITOR. AA MONITOR!

Yes - Heart of the Sunrise (Fragile - Master Series)

The intro to this song is hard driving with bass and drums carrying the song. The AA MONITOR distinguished itself with great solid bass and drums, but was barely trumped by the nimble sense from the WAVECREST HVL-1's treble on the cymbals. WAVECREST HVL-1!

This song was written by bassist Chris Squire and has a lot of places where his uniquely tuned bass stands out. Amazingly, while the AA MONITOR was clearly more solid, the HF content of the WAVECREST HVL-1 captured enough of his unique sound to hold its own! TIE!

At 2:50, the band goes back into the same hard driving phrase as used for the intro. Surprisingly, this time, the AA MONITOR was a clear winner as the WAVECREST HVL-1 seemed treble heavy. This happens again at 8:35. The AA MONITOR is more transparent and it is easier to pick out each voice that is playing. AA MONITOR!

Jon Anderson's voice is a tie. The closeness presented by the stronger treble from the WAVECREST HVL-1’s matched the extra richness the AA MONITOR’s captured from his voice. TIE!

The better rendition of the cymbals on the WAVECREST HVL-1 gives it the nod and the WAVECREST HVL-1 often (but not always) sounded better overall when the ride cymbal was in play. WAVECREST HVL-1!

For tom drums, the AA MONITOR dominates with a greater solidness. AA MONITOR!

For snare, the WAVECREST HVL-1 offers greater presence. WAVECREST HVL-1!

Emilie-Claire Barlow – C’est Si Bon (the very thought of you)

In contrast to Norah Jones' voice, the midrange detail offered by the AA MONITOR on Emilie's voice was not sufficient to win over the closeness and breathiness the WAVECREST HVL-1 offered! This makes good sense because Emilie’s voice is a higher pitch and not quite as rich as Norah’s. WAVECREST HVL-1!

In this piece, the sax is played with a thinner tone (likely to better match Emilie’s) and in contrast to the Ed Palermo song above, the WAVECREST HVL-1 was a more natural presentation of this sound. WAVECREST HVL-1!

Steely Dan - I Got the News (Aja)

The deep and accurate bass of the AA MONITOR stands out as the clearly dominant difference throughout this song. AA MONITOR!

The ride cymbal has more shine on the WAVECREST HVL-1, as a matter of fact; it was exceptional for any soft dome tweeter. I don’t know if this speaker has a bit more emphasis on the upper frequencies or actually has extension beyond other (including more expensive) soft domes, but either way, to my ear, it sounds more like a live cymbal tap. WAVECREST HVL-1!

For cymbal crashes, the WAVECREST HVL-1 lost a bit of control. The AA MONITOR was not as strong with the cymbals, but maintained control (clarity). AA MONITOR!

Chet Atkins – Sunrise (Stay Tuned)

It was a surprise, but the triangle was a match between these two speakers. I expected the WAVECREST HVL-1 to present more shine, but I didn't hear it! TIE!

Much of this song presents lots of guitar picking and fretwork. The AA MONITOR exhibited more detail in the midrange, but the brassy sound of the guitar strings presented in the top end by the WAVECREST HVL-1 was nicer and the WAVECREST HVL-1 held its own. TIE!

There is some electric bass that gets nicely aggressive (but still playing under melody) in this tune with some slap notes. The AA MONITOR nicely presented this bass performance which would be lost on the WAVECREST HVL-1 (you can hear them if you listened for them, but probably would never notice them in casual listening). AA MONITOR!

Herbie Hancock – River (River – the Joni letters)

Corriane Bailey's voice played well with the breathiness and shine of the WAVECREST HVL-1, but also thrived on the AA MONITOR's ability to produce a fuller resonance. I could not pick a favorite. This surprised me as I really expected this to be a similar situation to Emilie Claire Barlow’s voice and WAVECREST HVL-1 to dominate (see above). TIE!

There is a lot of brush work from the drummer. The sounds of the brushes on the drums as produced by the WAVECREST HVL-1’s came across a simple, but strong shhhh. It is not as strong on the AA MONITOR, but that is neither better nor worse; however, the AA MONITOR captures more of the resonance of the drum skin, and that is better! AA MONITOR!

Katy Perry - I Kissed a Girl (MTV unplugged)

I use this song partly because it opens with a good strong upright acoustic bass line. The AA MONITOR presented this with amazing depth! Since when does a 6.5" bookshelf under $500/pair put out this type of bass? AA MONITOR!

The detail of the AA MONITOR wins out by better replicating the richness and strength of her voice. AA MONITOR!

The AA MONITOR was clearly advantaged for this song. Throughout, it portrayed more substance and a deeper soundstage. AA MONITOR!

Eagles - Hotel California (Hell Freezes Over)

As with Katy Perry, the bass in this song capitalizes on the AA MONITOR's strengths in a way that often dominated the sound quality. AA MONITOR!

For the guitar work, while I must point out there were places (higher notes) where the WAVECREST HVL-1's made the sound border on that of a banjo, the WAVECREST HVL-1's ability to capture the brass in the strings gave it the advantage to my ear. WAVECREST HVL-1!

Rikki Lee Jones - Western Slopes

This song has a lot of space and I expected it to highlight the AA MONITOR's depth of stage advantage; however, they matched on this count. The content is largely austere, so I might guess neither speaker was challenged. TIE

RLJ's voice favors the added presence offered by the upper register of the WAVECREST HVL-1. WAVECREST HVL-1!

Again, the slap notes of the bass called attention to the solid bass of the AA MONITOR. AA MONITOR!

Eric Clapton - Tears from Heaven (unplugged)

As in the Chet Atkins song, not enough difference in the presentation of the triangle to pick a favorite. TIE!

Sir Clapton's voice was fuller on the AA MONITOR's. AA MONITOR.

While the AA MONITOR consistently offers better depth of stage, for this song, I found the pin-point imaging of Clapton's voice on the WAVECREST HVL-1's to be exceptional. WAVECREST HVL-1!

Lyle Lovett - She's No Lady (Pontiac)

Lyle's voice carries lots of nuanced details and not much breathiness or other HF content, so the AA MONITOR wins with a richer, fuller sound. AA MONITOR!

Conclusions

As mentioned earlier, the bass reproduction of the AA MONITOR clearly outclasses the WAVECREST HVL-1 (and many 6-1/2" BS speakers!). The bass output of the WAVECREST HVL-1 is entirely competent for a 5-1/4" bookshelf speaker, it simply does not have the displacement to compete with the larger driver. Using a sub would do a lot to level the playing field on this count. It bears repeating that the bass of this bookshelf is exceptional for its price-point (and many more expensive 6.5” monitors). This is the greatest and most obvious difference and makes the AA MONITOR a stand-out value if you are looking for a full range speaker in this price range.

The AA MONITOR consistently provided a deeper soundstage, but on at least one song (Eric Clapton), this was countered by exceptional imaging from the WAVECREST HVL-1.

The AA MONITOR offers better midrange detail resulting in a very clean and transparent sound. Because of this it was consistently the more accurate speaker.

The WAVECREST HVL-1 offers more shine and presence through the upper harmonics of the music. There were a few places where the WAVECREST HVL-1 seemed to be overloaded while trying to present these higher frequencies resulting in some low level distortion (which would have never been noticed if I wasn't listening critically and switching between speakers). Based on what I heard with the balance between male and female voices in the Pink Floyd song; the upper range of this tweeter probably has a slight touch of over-emphasis, but I have to say it plays nice to my ear. Overall, the appeal of the shine and presence (and the details revealed thereby) of the WAVECREST HVL-1 was a positive addition.

One thing that became apparent was that most manufacturers in this price range do not invest the talent in speaker design that these two speakers offer. I have not heard a B&M "off the shelf" speaker under $500/pair to compete with the likes of these for overall smoothness and balance. With both of these speakers, I felt like the drivers were essentially the limiting factor. The larger mid-bass driver of the AA MONITOR was clearly the biggest difference between these speakers. After that comes a close contest (as reflected in the review) between the AA MONITOR's midrange accuracy/detail/transparency and the shine/presence of the WAVECREST HVL-1's. If the bass differences are ignored, it is a hard call!

At $195/pr. plus shipping, and with their amazing bass performance, the AA MONITOR is clearly a better overall value. However, my biggest take-away is that it is a good time to be buying speakers on a tight budget! These are both very nice speakers at budget prices, and if you intend to use a sub to cover the bass, it gets down to size, placement concerns, and individual preference for midrange detail vs HF presence. Please understand that the WAVECREST HVL-1 does not sound blurred, nor does the AA MONITOR sound dull. These are both well-rounded speakers and I would recommend either, depending on the situation. I hope describing my subjective experience of both speakers assists prospective buyers in getting the best value and enjoyment out of their speaker budget.

 

[TheWarrior]

Additionally, I think a significant point to make for this review, is what Dennis Murphy has created with these two examples. These are effectively the paragon, of sorts, for speaker configurations in this price range.
He clearly demonstrated what can be done when there is no marketing department over-ruling an engineers 'sound' advice! And whaddaya know, he still built these on an incredibly tight budget!

The perceived bass response of both the Tower and Monitor are just stellar! Not quite Interstellar, but you get what you get at this price. That doesn't speak as highly to the Tower, but in my subjective opinion, the Monitor was a revelation. That speaker was balanced and carried a broad enough range that it would stand on its own up to some pretty high priced competition.

 

[Dennis Murphy]

Thanks very much for starting this thread Kurt, particularly since my regular Philharmonic thread below doesn't appear to be working anymore. Although I enjoyed building all of those original Affordable Accuracy monitors and towers, the price increase was a blessing in disguise. I was never really satisfied with the power handling of those speakers--the midrange unit on the towers and the very similar bass unit on the monitors could run out of travel if pushed. The new speakers have much more output capability and will be more at home in, say, a HT installation. Although I personally prefer the tower, that will be a matter of taste and program material. The tweeters are very different. The silk dome on the monitor has absolutely no horn loading from the baffle. It just sticks out there and disperses sound very widely. The tweeter dome on the tower sits behind a fairly aggressive wave guide in the baffle, and its radiation patter is more directive. As a result, the monitor can have a more open sound on very high frequency instruments, but the tower can extract more inner detail in the midrange, particularly on brass instruments. The bass on the towers is a little deeper, but the monitor is a little tighter. The tower is much more sensitive than the monitor due to the MMT configuration. Although the towers will sound best on short stands of some kind, they can be placed on the floor if need be, and will cost a good bit less than the monitors + stands with that placement. I will continue to offer the old Affordable Accuracy MTM center channel--it's a good match sonically and visually. I will have to increase the price to $120, however. Thanks again Kurt for all of your efforts.

 

[zieglj01]

Because the name of the new speakers was not known when that thread started

The result is the Affordable Accuracy Tower at $180/pr (before shipping).

The result is the Affordable Accuracy Monitor at $195/pr (before shipping).

How long did it take to come up with that new name.

Are these going to be stated as the series II speakers?

 

[afterlife2]

Great writeup Kurt. Thank you.

 

[zieglj01]

Great writeup Kurt. Thank you.

It is a good write up - however, I have not heard them - I would like to hear
the AA Monitor series II.

 

[afterlife2]

It is a good write up - however, I have not heard them - I would like to hear
the series II AA Monitor.

I'm sure Dennis AAII Murphy will hook you up!

 

[KEW]

The AA Monitor2 is now live:
http://philharmonicaudio.com/aa.html

 

[Wraith04]

Just ordered a pair!

 

[noflers]

Are the Tower II's still available?

 

[Dennis Murphy]

Are the Tower II's still available?

Neither the original Pioneer tower mod nor my mod of the super-cheap Dayton T652 is available. The new monitor goes lower than either, and has more power handling than the Pioneer. Although the modded T652 is actually a very clean-sounding speaker, its only advantage is greater sensitivity, and I just couldn't bring myself to send out those cheesey cabinets. Plus, bracing them was a pain.

 

[noflers]

Neither the original Pioneer tower mod nor my mod of the super-cheap Dayton T652 is available. The new monitor goes lower than either, and has more power handling than the Pioneer. Although the modded T652 is actually a very clean-sounding speaker, its only advantage is greater sensitivity, and I just couldn't bring myself to send out those cheesey cabinets. Plus, bracing them was a pain.

Thanks, Dennis. I didn't get your email until after I'd posted this question /: