Since the shootout at my place between the M80's, Paradigm Studio 100 V.3's, and Energy 2.4i's ended up being a subwoofer test instead, there have been a few requests for some form of test between the M80's and the 2.4i's.
I thought about it, and figured, why not ? So... here we go !
Here are the rules:
1. All listening is done blind, with the speakers level matched in an ABAB arrangement.
2. Level matching was done using a Rad Shack meter, Pink Noise, and patience.
3. There will be 6 nights of listening, including tonight, and results posted at the end.
4. After three nights, the speakers will be positioned BABA to make sure it was not room placement.
5. And no whining allowed.
The Players ... The Energy 2.4 i's, MSRP $4500, Best price $3250:
V2.4i
Speaker System: Bass Reflex, Front & Rear Vented
Recommended Amplifier Power: up to 250 watts
Impedance: 8 ohms nominal
Minimum Impedance: 4 ohm
Frequency response: 30-20,000 Hz +/- 3dB
Usable Bass Response: -10dB Anechoic @ 25Hz
Anechoic Sensitivity 87dB
2 speakers in a typical room: 90dB
Crossover Points: 150Hz, 300Hz, 550Hz, 2.0kHz
Operating Range: Tweeter: 2.0 kHz and >, Midrange: 550Hz-2.0kHz, Woofer 3:~ to 550Hz
Woofer 2:~ to 300Hz
Woofer 1:~ to 150Hz
1" Aluminum Dome Tweeter,
2" Aluminum Dome Midrange,
3 6-1/2" Dual Hyperdrive Woofers
Overall Dimensions:
H 46"
116.8cm
D 18 1/8"
46cm
W 8 3/4"
22.2cm
Cabinet Finishes: Cherry Veneer w/ black, High Gloss w/ black
Shipping Weight: 95 lbs. / 42.7 kg
Accessories: Spike Kit, Rubber Bumpers
The Axiom M80ti's. List price $1240, Best Price, $1116:
Millennia M80ti Specifications
Enclosure: Triple Vortex / Reflex
Max Amp Power: 400 Watts
Min Amp Power: 10 Watts
Freq Resp +/-3dB (Hz): 34 - 22kHz Graph
Freq Resp +3dB- 9dB (Hz): 25 - 22kHz
Impedance (Ohms): 4 Ohms
SPL in Room1w/1m(dB): 95 dB
SPL Anechoic 1w/1m(dB): 91 dB
X-Over 160Hz & 2.3kHz
Tweeter: Dual 1"
Woofer: Dual 5.25"
Sub Woofer: Dual 6.5"
Dimens. H W D (inches): 39.5" x 9.25" x 17"
Dimens. H W D (mm): 1003 x 235 x 432
Weight (lbs) each 56.8 lbs
Weight (kg) each 25.764 kgs
The most recent graphs of each.
The 2.4i's from Soundstage:
The M80Ti's from the NRC:
The rest of the system consists of the Emotiva DMC-1 pre-amp, MPS-1 Power Amp and a Denon 2900 Universal Player modded by Underwood Wally.
Cables are Onix SP-200 Speaker cable and Better Cables interconnects.
All listening will be in two channel, speakers run full range.
NOW - For today's listening, we used some David Sanborne and Mannheim Steamroller. Here is how they fared:
Speaker "A" :
This is a very neutral loudspeaker. On David Sanborne's "Snakes", The Saxaphone was was quite natural. "A" allowed the native, "sultry" sound of Sanborne's Sax through, with no harshness. Soundstaging and imaging were well above average, with plenty of depth. Percussion was quite punchy and lively, with the kick drum coming through with a visceral "punch".
Mannheim Steamroller "Extraordinaire" is a Christmas Favorite, with a bounty of live music in which to immerse one's self. There is a snare drum which, when properly presented by a speaker, comes from deep in the center stage. "A" got this completely right. The Flute is very airy, deep left on stage, and again, "A" was up to the task. The Harpsicord is the real star - an accurate portrayal will have plenty of weight combined with agility. Again, "A" did an excellent job with the Harpsicord.
This is only the first night of listening, with much more detailed reports to come, but, for now, "A" gets a solid 90.
Speaker "B" :
What is remarkable is how close speaker "B" is to "A". With our switcher, we can go back and forth using a remote, so it literally is instant switching.
Speaker "B" is slightly different than is "A". It give up some of the soundstaging and imaging, for example, the drums in Manheim Steamroller lack a bit of the clarity that "A" exhibited. On the other hand, "B" was a bit more rich on the Saxaphone, almost like you could see the cigar smoke in the jazz bar.
The Flute is less clear, too, but still quite good.
Overall, I give "B" an 88 for the first night.
