Drool

When CNET editor Ty Pendlebury told me to check out the Reference 3A MM de Capo BE speakers at the Park Avenue Audio showroom, I knew something was up. The store is just a block away from the office in NYC, so I figured why not?

He knows what I like, and if anything Ty underplayed how good these speakers sound: They’re remarkably present and dynamic, but more than that the sound has soul. Stevie Ray Vaughan’s fleet-fingered guitar wizardry really stirred something in me; the MM de Capo BE speakers rock out like few audiophile speakers do, especially ones this size. They aren’t all that big, but they’re not small either — they’re 15 inches high, and the speaker weighs a rather solid-feeling 27 pounds.

decapo-01.jpgdecapo-01.jpgEnlarge Image

Reference 3A MM de Capo BE, shown without grille


Reference 3A

I have a history with Reference 3A’s speakers; I sold them when I was a hi-fi salesman in the 1990s, and I have fond memories of them. The current-generation Reference 3A speakers are larger and better built than the ones I sold, that was immediately obvious.

Oh man, there was something about the sound of Kurt Cobain’s voice on Nirvana’s “Unplugged” album that touched me, the way he poured himself into the music, and the MM de Capo BE zeroed in on Cobain’s emotional rawness. “Unplugged” is a terrific recording I’ve played on many dozens of systems, but here on the MM de Capo BE the music felt more vitally alive.

Then I played chamber orchestra/band Alarm Will Sound’s “Acoustica” album of Aphex Twin tunes. It was a wild ride, taken with the speakers turned up loud, and the low tremors shaking the room made me wonder if there was a subwoofer in there, but no, all the bass came from the MM de Capo BEs! The soundstage was deep and broad, and stretched wall to wall in the Park Avenue Audio listening room.

A couple of tunes from the hip-hop Broadway musical “Hamilton” demonstrated the speakers’ affinity for reproducing the sound of big voices with thrilling immediacy. They were right there, and when the singers belted out a tune the MM de Capo BE speakers let me feel it.

To put the MM de Capo BE’s sound in perspective, it wasn’t as pure or vivid as I get from Bowers & Wilkins’ 805 D3s ($6,000 a pair) stand-mount monitor speakers: the MM de Capo BE sounds hearty and rich, and 805 D3 is tonally leaner, but more accurate. I like both speakers, but they sound different and will appeal to different tastes.

Both MM de Capo BE drivers (the 1-inch beryllium tweeter and 7-inch carbon fiber woofer) are made in Reference 3A’s factory in Waterloo, Ontario. Speaker impedance is rated at 8 ohms, the rear panel hosts bi-wire speaker connectors and the only finish offered is dark grey textured paint. The speakers come with black grilles.

The Reference 3A MM de Capo BE price per pair is $3,290.

Check Also

The Absolute Best Horror Movies on Hulu

Looking for the perfect chiller to watch around Halloween? Hulu’s got you covered. Below is a list of great horror flicks on the streaming service that will fit right into your binge-watching queue. But before we get into that, let’s cover some worthy alternates.  Hulu is home to M. Night Shyamalan’s The Sixth Sense (1999), …

Drool

ether-006.jpg
MrSpeakers Ether headphones
MrSpeakers

In a crowded field of high-end contenders, the new MrSpeakers’ Ether headphones are getting a lot of attention for two good reasons: it’s a pleasure to wear, and the sound is revelatory!

Even compared with one of my reference headphones, the Audeze LCD-X, Ether’s sound felt liberated, with clearer highs — it was more transparent overall. With an audiophile recording like Howard Levy’s “The Old Country,” the LCD-X brings sounds closer, but I hear more of the quieter details of the recording venue’s acoustic space with the Ether. The LCD-X’s bass plumbs deeper and sounds more powerful than the Ether’s. Listening to the whooshing synthesizer sounds moving from right to left from “Minipops 67” on Aphex Twin’s “Syro” album, Ether reveals more spatial depth in the sound, with the LCD-X the sound seems flatter, more two-dimensional. Ether sounds like a super-clear electrostatic headphone, while the LCD-X packs a bigger wallop, so it’s more rock and roll, and the highs are more laid back. As to which is better, that’s a matter of taste. For me, the LCD-X’s sound is easy to like; Ether feels fresher and more exciting.

Ether showed up while I was still working on my Magnepan .7 speaker review. Just a coincidence I’m sure, but like the .7, Ether is a planar design. These two share some common sonic virtues, the key ones being see-through transparency, an “open” quality, flab-free bass, and crisp dynamics. Ether reveals texture and palpability in the sound of my recordings other headphones gloss over. Of course the downside to uber-transparency is you hear more of the crud in harsh-sounding recordings.

Ether feels light, and it’s easily the most comfortable planar I’ve ever worn. Nevertheless, it weighs 13.1 ounces (370 grams) — that’s a little heavier than some conventional full-size high-end headphones. If you thought planars were too heavy, try on an Ether.

The Ether is also the first MrSpeakers headphone to feature planar drivers designed and made in the company’s factory in San Diego, Calif. The flat, thin-film driver measures 2.75 x 1.75 inches (69 x 44mm), and it’s mounted in a precision-machined aluminum baffle. Impedance is rated at 23 ohms, and the ear pads are covered in real lambskin leather. The Ether’s Nitinol “memory metal” headband is said to reduce weight and improve comfort. Nitinol is a nickel-titanium alloy originally developed for aerospace applications. The Ether is an open-back, over-the-ear headphone.

I used a few headphone amps over the course of this review, namely my Schiit Lyr 2, Oppo HA-1, and the Vinnie Rossi LIO, and that last one was easily the best — but also the most expensive. Still, as I switched between amps my appreciation for the Ether’s glorious transparency and spacious staging went from awfully good to flat-out amazing. When I inserted the new Chord 2Qute digital converter into the system (review to come) all the things I liked about Ether’s sound just got better, this headphone really lets you hear every change you make upstream in the system.

Ether can also be used with iPods, smart phones and other portable devices; I heard great sound from my iPod Classic, where Ether could certainly play loud enough for me. This headphone was much easier to drive than Audeze LCD and Hifiman HE series of planar magnetic headphones.

US and UK buyers can purchase Ether direct from MrSpeakers for $1,500 (converted, that’s about £944); in Australia Ether sells for AU$2,199. A variety of user-replaceable headphone cable types are available, including cables with quarter-inch (6.3mm), eighth-inch (3.5mm), and four-pin XLR plugs. Ether is sold with a 15-day return policy worldwide, but there’s a 10 percent restocking fee for returned headphones.

Check Also

8 New Google Products We Expect to See This Year

Google’s device line could end up having a particularly important moment in 2023. The company …

Drool

Though the white version of the LG Nexus 4 began floating around the Interwebs as early as January, it may officially hit the Google Play Store starting June 10.

Related stories

According to Android and Me, which reportedly got hold of the elusive device, the white Nexus 4 may even launch with Android 4.3, as well.

On Monday, CNET Asia reported that the white device appeared on a Google+ user site and speculated that it could make an appearance at this week’s Google I/O.

Unfortunately, as we all saw in yesterday’s keynote, no news of a white Nexus 4, the next Nexus, or even Android 4.3 was announced. The online company did, however, announce that it will sell its own version of the Samsung Galaxy S4.

The original device in black is still being offered by Google, and there is no indication that buyers can start pre-ordering the white version. Currently, its initial pricing remains steady, with the 8GB Nexus 4 going for $299, and the 16GB model going for $349.

Check Also

8 New Google Products We Expect to See This Year

Google’s device line could end up having a particularly important moment in 2023. The company …

Leave a Reply