I wrote nearly two pages of notes detailing differences between this speaker and that on this recording and that one. In the end, I went back and listened to some of the same songs over again and after making amendments to my notes, I feel like the same comments apply almost everywhere. So notes aside, here is a late night review off the top of my head.
First, however, some rudimentary background information. I had the Criterions on loan from Danny Ritchie of GR Research and the SSV's from Rick Craig of Selah Audio for several days. Both are 2way monitors, the former utilizing the G2 ribbon tweeter and a special incarnation of the Eton 5-880/25 HEX. The cabinet, very heavy and inert, is custom made for this speaker. The claimed f3 is 55Hz. The latter utilizes the Scanspeak 9500, electrically, a tank of a 1" soft dome, paired with the new Vifa XT18WH wood pulp cone midbass. It uses a Parts Express cabinet with an exceptional finish for a premade cabinet. The claimed f3 is 53Hz. My reference speakers (hardly a reference, but I have lived with these well balanced speakers for years) have a Vifa D25AG 1" aluminum tweeter and a Vifa P17WJ.
Both the Criterions and SSV's came well packaged, the former in a battle weary crate. Did I mention I love overkill?
My listening room is in the basement. It has a carpeted concrete floor, is 13'x19', but the right wall opens into both a stairway and a hallway. This room, like every other room in my house, has a bad echo. Room treatments have dramatically reduced the problem but there is still some work left to do. The associated electronics include the Rega Planet 2000, the Bryston BP25, and Odyssey Stratos.
One of my Criterions had a blown tweeter, and so unable to run them in stereo, we were not able to evaluate their imaging capabilities. To make things fair, all comparisons were made with the preamp in mono and with single drivers.
The Scanspeak 9500 is definitely crisper and more detailed than the Vifa D25AG. The D25's redeeming quality is that it is not very fatiguing for a metal dome (and it's cheap and rugged).
The G2 ribbon eats the Scanspeak for lunch. It is crisper yet than the Scanspeak, and it has a faster settling time. On occasion it make cymbals sound live, and not simply a great recording. Fatigue? Not a trace. The only drawback is there is a tremendous attenuation of the highs when moving vertically off axis with the ribbon.
The Magnepan is just as fast as the ribbon, and it is faster than the XT18WH and 5-880/25, but the frequency response of the entire speaker seems extremely ragged to my ears. In my mind, Maggies are not inappropriate for rock so much because of their lack of air moving capabilities, but because of the fact that if you play something that covers the entire audible spectrum at once, they immediately sound unnatural due to their ragged response.
The simpler the music, the more difficult it is to tell the difference between the SSV and Criterion--or any 2 speakers or components for that matter. Unaccompanied female vocals are great for imaging tests and getting a sense of "being there" but are absolutely worthless as an reviewer's tool otherwise. When playing any complex piece of music, whether it has many different instruments as in an orchestra, or a few guitars, drums, and keyboards, when asking a speaker to cover the entire musical spectrum at once, you get a sense of its true characteristics.
The longterm listenability of the Criterion is slightly greater in my mind than the SSV. The SSV will simply fatigue you after a while. However, the Criterion will run out of steam before the SSV. This, incidentally is right at (or above) the loudest level I would ever listen without a house full of people and some liquid listening aids. Both speakers have very comparable bass extension.
The Criterion has its problems but does nothing wrong. The SSV, from a design standpoint, seems to do more things right overall, but it has an upper-midrange/lower-treble affliction that I think is almost honky. Others have described it as lispy or sizzly I think such terms denote different frequency bands, but we all agreed that something odd was going on. It is as if there is a peak or hump somewhere near the crossover region. This characteristic grows more prominent the more musically complex the piece. Not only does the region need excitation, it needs a frame of reference. A horn blaring in that region won't highlight the problem--you won't even notice it, but on a piece of rock and roll, it will appear as an annoying and fatiguing congestion.
In conclusion, I would hazard to guess that the Criterion lacks some midbass but makes up for it with a little boominess down low. I hate the fact that speakers at Best Buy employ this technique, but the degree in this case seems VERY slight and probably commendable as Danny has created a tiny 2way with a 5" midbass that I can stand to listen to on its own. The SSV has that midrange congestion that everyone who heard them remarked on unprompted. If the source can be identified and the problem remedied, I think the speakers are otherwise well balanced and they could become a real good value in their price class.
Now it is time for me to put my slightly bright, not quite so detailed speakers back on their stands and aaaaaah, turn on my sub.
