After a few months with the M3 Sapphires, I’m finally getting around to sharing my impressions. The thing that strikes me more than anything – and which is rather hard to explain – is how balanced and cohesive they are. You don’t really understand what that means until you hear it, and when you hear it, it is unmistakable. So what am I talking about? When listening to the Sapphires everything just sounds like it’s in perfect balance. No particular frequency stands out above any other frequency. Everything just sounds “right.” I attribute this to the M100 Uniwave tweeter which handles all the frequencies from around 500 Hz to the highest highs without using a crossover. It is a uniquely capable driver. The performance is also quick and detailed, with perfect pace. Again, this is hard to explain until you hear it. The Sapphires simply don’t have any weaknesses. They sound great from the lowest lows to the highest highs.
While they don’t really have any weaknesses, they DO, however, have a particular strength that must be commented on, and that’s the bass. The M3s have the best, most articulate and natural sounding bass of any speaker I’ve heard. In most speakers which have detailed and textured bass, the bass also tends to sound unnaturally lean as well. That is not the case with the Sapphires. A standup bass sounds detailed, textured and woody, but also full and rich. That is a difficult feat to pull off, but the Sapphires have somehow managed to do it.
The Sapphires also deliver an expansive and layered soundstage, with excellent imaging. I would describe the sound in my system as being a touch on the side of analytic. But in saying that, I need to explain that they are nowhere near as analytical sounding as certain other high-end speakers out there, which to me take that sound too far. The Sapphires produce great detail and resolution but still sound musical and natural. They have hit a perfect balance (seems like “balance” is a recurring theme here!). I can’t imagine anyone being dissatisfied with the Sapphires.
While I’m at it, I need to give a shout-out to Clayton Shaw, the designer of the Sapphires and the owner of Spatial Audio. I live an hour and a half from his manufacturing facility. Clayton personally delivered my Sapphires to my house and set them up for me. He also analyzed my listening room and pointed out a problem I hadn’t picked up on. I’ve since corrected the problem with an inexpensive sound treatment and it’s made a great difference in what I’m now hearing. Clayton is not only brilliant and a perfectionist in his craft, he is also a first rate guy! Kudos to Clayton and to Spatial Audio.
