It’s important to note that I am a consumer audiophile. I have no technical training; music theory training nor am I a musician. I strive for high quality sound from my system because it help me become more emotionally connected to my music.
My X3s arrived mid-May, 2021. As many of you know, I own three X3s (L, C, R, up front) for multichannel audio and home theater. I am using two SVS Ultra Bookshelf speakers for rear surrounds (not the best solution but I can’t afford two more X3s). I have two additional subwoofers but use them only for movies limited to 40Hz and below. I am not using any special wiring (most all cables from Bluejeans Cable). However, I do have several dedicated 20 Amp outlets. My system is all solid state. Music flows from my computer (Gosh, I need a new music server worthy of this equipment) via USB (AudioQuest Cinnamon A to B USB cable) to my DAC and then direct via XLR to my amplifier. Movies flow from a different computer via HDMI to my Marantz AV8805 Pre/Pro then via another set of XLR cables to my amplifier. I use a Coleman XLR 7.1 switcher to switch between my DAC for music and my Pre/Pro for movies.
Stereo (two channels): A lot of my music is stereo (including Qobuz). Initial positioning of the left and right speakers is very forgiving. But, dialing in the position for best phantom center image will take some time. My effort is as follows: I ended up with moderate toe-in of about 15 degrees. Speakers are about 5 feet from my front wall and 9 feet apart. Distance to my listening position is between 10 and 11 feet. The X3s produce an extremely accurate center image. It is so convincing that anyone listening to my system will swear my center channel speaker is active. Soundstage (width) seems fairly easy to achieve. Depth is dependent on speaker distance from the front wall.
Multichannel (five channels): I own lots of multichannel classical music. All music is on my server and is typically DSD or FLAC. Lately, I have become impressed with DXD. The X3s handle all of this music with complete authority. A center channel speaker locks in the center image even for folks sitting beside the MLP. Additionally, if properly mixed/mastered, a center channel speaker will improve instrument clarity and positioning all around the soundstage. Many music reviewers prefer multichannel sound over stereo. The surround image puts you in an orchestra seat about mid way back in the concert hall. The rear surrounds are mostly to give concert hall ambience.
Music listening: Stereo or multichannel, the X3s produce an incredibly accurate sound. Soundstage is wide with great depth. Yes, the speakers disappear. A surprise to me is how every instrument is faithfully reproduced. Just as in a concert hall with instruments across the entire stage, you will hear the full spread of instruments both near and far. They are all there, right before you, enveloping you in sound. None are drowned out or lost. Even the delicate ring of a triangle comes through. Each instrument stands out in a very satisfying way, the plucking of a double bass, decay of piano notes, a bow caressing a violin string, horns, even a tuba, in fact all of the wind instruments, are reproduced without any hint of distortion. You will hear instruments you never heard before in your music collection. It amazes me how I can literally see the position of instruments as they are positioned in the orchestra. This speaks volumes about the X3s.
Another surprise to me is the detail in each recording. For example, many composers will have a dominant melody. It’s the melody you are familiar with when listening. But, composers often have another melody playing more softly and in counterpoint to the main melody. When I am listening, I can now distinctly hear these sub melodies which were lost to me before I got the X3s. It is a sublime musical experience. Vocals are a treat. Close your eyes and the singer(s) stands before you. Male and female voices including choirs all come through perfectly. For example, I can hear and locate the female chorus off to the left and near the rear of the stage. The Male chorus is to the right and again towards the rear of the stage. Another nice surprise was listening at low volume levels. The X3s give you satisfying sound no matter what volume level you choose. Tracks I chose for listening tests included both Jazz and Classical. I will add these tracks in a follow-on post.
Home theater: We do watch movies. The X3s handle all of it. Center channel voices are clear and robust. An interesting experience for me was watching Blu-Ray operas. Each actor is precisely placed along the soundstage. Vocals, of course, are perfect. I could never go back to watching opera with my old box speakers.
If the X3s are this good, what could go wrong? My room is not ideal. It’s a huge great room and our system is in a small part of it. Wall on one side and none on the other, etc. I recently watched an Audioholics YouTube video in which Gene installed his favorite new speakers RBH SVTRS tower speakers and in-wall center channel. Even though his room is well treated, the price of the speakers, $50,000 a pair, includes installation and two days of room analysis and construction of DSP filters. What this means to me is that even if I love the sound of my X3s, I am certain my final task is room measurements and developing DSP filters. You can watch the video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZEPgvPSo1E&t=50sI listen to music every day (a perk of being retired). There is never any hint of listening fatigue. I can move around our great room and the music always sounds superb (a benefit of having that center channel speaker). After all these months of owning the speakers, I am still enthusiastic to sit down and listen to more music. Burn-in is truth. The speakers, crossover and subwoofer amplifiers all need time to settle in. But, the journey is breathtaking.
Marcus
