PreambleHad a chance to visit Danny recently and spent a few days listening to ALL the most recent OB offerings and thought I'd write up separate reviews for each of them. This review is for the Line Force line array speakers.
Initial ImpressionsOK, the main event. This speaker is the bigger brother to my favorite speaker of all time - the incredible Super 7 which I have at home. How will they compare? Hint - I wish I had a lot more $$ to spend on new speakers.....
Listening NotesI'll just state flat out that this is the best speaker I've heard in my life. And not by a little. It beats my prior reference (the Super 7) in every area I can think of. And in some areas it best the Super 7 by a LOT. So the bar has been moved, the state of the art re-defined. At least for me. There were a few characteristics that really stood out that made this speaker special, IMO.
First is the imaging. I rarely use the term "holographic" when talking about a speaker because that term never applies. I've never heard a speaker that is truly holographic. Until now.
Next is scale. The ability of this speaker to scale up to a massive presentation was jaw dropping. But that wasn't the best part. No, the BEST part is that while it's going hell bent for leather, there's still a beauty, a delicacy to the sound that most speakers never attain period, let alone when going at full cry.
Finally, power. The sense of effortless power, especially in the lower mids and upper bass is finally at "best in the world level". That's the one area where my Super 7's fall down - they are good there but not world class. The Line Force just tosses off big male vocals like it's nothing. Thrown in the perfect integration with the servo sub bass and we're talking a speaker that top to bottom has no weaknesses.
OK, now I'm officially ruined. Half of me wishes I'd never heard the the damned things because I cannot get their sound out of my head now.
And, like the NX-Treme and the NX-Ottica Towers, the Line Force should not be run without the servo controlled open baffle subs.
Amplifier note - finally my poor First Watt BA3 has a chance to shine! We found the BA3 to be a much better match to the planar midrange on this speaker than the Elekit Japan 300b amp. Weird, right? But there it is.
Edit to add: And lest you think I am crazy or biased, here is a link to the recent visit by New Record Day to GR Research where they talk about this speaker in detail and confirm everything I heard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgoR2PLEZsk