I have been playing with the prototype modded Pioneer BS22 speaker, modified by Dennis
Murphy. He has replaced the stock tweeter with a Vifa tweeter, and modified the crossover
to give what I call near flatbread measurements.
> I have also compared it to the stock
version which I still liked and sounds good to me, based on the price. The one thing about
the BS22 speaker that stood out, was good bass from the small woofer, decent midrange
and decent highs for the price - with nice detail for music and movies. The tweeter was
nice for the price and had a somewhat artificial vividness/shine, which some would call a
zing - however, it was not really irritating to me. I have always liked the BS22 better than
the towers for music. The one thing I have desired from the BS22 was better detail and
definition. I have tested this DNA speaker with both music and movies, to find out if it is
the real deal and a step up from the stock version. The main music was >>>
Chris Botti with
Sy Smith - The Look of love
Lucia Micarelli - Emmanuel
Sting and Josh Groban - Shape of My Heart
Willie Nelson, Wynton Marsalis and Nora Jones
Hit the Road Jack
Come Rain or Shine
Jackie Evancho
Angel
The Lord's Prayer
O Holy Night
Diana Krall
You Are My Thrill
Micah Stampley
Overcome
Worthy
Chris Tomlin
Whom Shall I Fear (God of Angels Armies)
However, the speakers can handle other forms of music such as >Rock, R&B, Hip Hop, Heavy
Metal, Dance/Electronica - with the benefit of a subwoofer > they can take some power. Now
extreme head-bangers will want a bigger speaker.
The BS22-DNA, tends to remind me of the NHT signature sound > more along the lines of the
Classic Two speaker - the mod is better than the NHT SuperZero. One thing to note, this speaker
is less sensitive than the stock version.
The modified BS22 is neutral, clean/clear, balanced and natural sounding - it is neither forward
or laid back. It has good detail without needing the aid of a mushroom at 1khz, or a rising treble
in the higher octaves. The Vifa tweeter is smooth and detailed. Male and Female voices are more
realistic and clean sounding - instruments are more natural sounding - piano, harmonica, trumpet,
saxophone and guitar, all sound good with no edgy or sharp sound. Also, the violin sounds realistic
with no edginess. Drums and cymbals also sound more realistic and natural.
The bass even sounds better with less resonance - and I believe partly due to Dennis putting some
SonicBarrier damping, in the bottom half of the speaker. The main reason may have been to help
hold the crossover in place >> however I believe it helped, as the bass sounds more clean and less
boomy.
Now how does the stock compare to the modified BS22? Even with the vividness/shine on the treble
The BS22 is somewhat closed in, somewhat dull - lacking in detail (extension of certain notes). The
imaging is a little weak compared to the DNA 22 - and the speaker is somewhat boomy in the bass.
Now as nice as the mod version is - some people who do not have a critical ear, may or may not like
the modded version - due to the vividness of the stock 22 treble. And there are some who have a good
ear, that may still prefer the treble rise. It is a matter of preference and taste.
Now how about movie sound tracks - the speaker was tested with > Man of Steel and Star Trek Into
Darkness - fullrange without a subwoofer. If a speaker is going to be used as surrounds, then it needs
to be able to handle the front as well.
It did good and did not burp - and for its size, it has decent
dynamics, the sound was clean, clear and open - it can get loud and has some decent bass, and does
have some punch. For one on a tight budget - this is a good starter system for the fronts. Dennis is
suppose to be checking out the center channel.
If things work out - you will be able to get a set of modded speakers form him with a serious good price.
You will not have to buy and send the speakers to him. I believe the BS22-DNA speakers while not in the
same league with $500 to $1000 speakers - will still be tough to beat from $350 on down.
Now MurphyBlaster also modded the Cambridge S30 speaker which I own. He also modded the crossover
for the near flatbread measurements.
Now how do these 2 compare? Well since this is a Throwdown
and I am a Audio Nut, I have compared them >The Cambridge S30 does have a good woofer and a decent
tweeter. The modded Pio has a decent woofer and a new tweeter. The Cambridge has a decent built cabinet
and is cross-braced with good foam dampening. The Pioneer while nice for the price, has a weaker cabinet
and no cross-bracing and the modded version has the small amount of stock poly-batten and some Sonic-
Barrier. The Cambridge had a list price of $259 a pair and former street price of $219 a pair.
They are close - however not quite the same even with the good modded measurements. The S30 has more of
a live presentation to me with better imaging and soundstage presentation. The S30 sounds more rich to me
with a little better midrange detail (inner detail and nuances) > There tends to be a little more definition and
sense of depth - Things like the violin and guitar tend to vibrate more. The S30 also goes a little deeper in the
bass, and is more tight and controlled. However, both speakers are good with the human voice. I will say in some
areas that the DNA tweeter will sound slightly more smooth than the stock S30 tweeter. I believe the DNA tweeter
is better than the stock Pio woofer. Dennis believes that the S30 woofer is better than the S30 tweeter. For me it
is the cohesiveness of the S30 modded speaker as a whole. However I will not say that the S30 is a hands down
better speaker. The BS22-DNA speaker is a good one - and based on the cost and what you get for the price, is a
better deal.
Now, why did I call the Pioneer modded speaker the BS22-DNA?