I just exchanged e-mails with Mike.
It definitely sounds like there is something wrong here.
Mike said,
"I don't know, but I did notice that the woofer cones looked as if they could have been damaged. I would check those Criterions for damage when they get back to you."
I got there a little later than most, and didn't get to spend much time listening to them. Not nearly as much time as Mad dOg. They did sound alot darker than the Onix speakers. Not characteristic of your speakers at all. I have heard the AV1s, the Paradox, the PHL with the Vifa that you made as my center/surround, and my PHL/Revs. They all sounded way more expensive than they were priced. I seriously think there was either a speaker cable mismatch, or the Criterions were damaged. I wouldn't stress Danny, these guys really respect you, and were agonizing over how to write up the review. Perhaps you could send them the Diluceos."
MadDOgs comments...
Crits sounded very dark, VERY laid back and generally unengaging at lower volumes. At lower listening levels, music from the Crits sounded like they were beaming out of 2 spots.
definitely says to me something is wrong.
The Criterion's are anything but what he just described.
And tweeters lacking detail?
There are no higher detailed tweeters on that market that I know of.
I have some Vifa XT's here now. I even built Mike Garner (he was there with you guys) a custom center channel with the XT tweeter. It sounds great but has no where near the detail of the G2.
Another group of guys in the D.C. area auditioned a group of speakers this weekend too, including the Criterion. Tweeters used in some were Vifa XT and Hiquphon tweeters.
Respected audiophile and speaker designer Dennis Murphy had this to say. "The G2 is a clear winner... The G2 just has a more spacious, relaxed--yet detailed--sound than even the best dome."
At another listened party that took place in Dallas a few weeks ago we compared three pairs of speakers that all used the same woofer but all had different tweeters.
One was a Focus Audio clone using the Eton 5" woofer and the Scan Speak 9500 tweeter.
One was a DMG-1 using the Eton 5" woofer and the Usher 9950 tweeter.
And one was the Criterion using the 5" Eton and the G2 ribbon.
Hands down the G2 blew away the other two in the detail department. It was clear to all and quickly obvious, and the Criterion wasn't even crossed as low as the other two speakers.
So for the G2 to be said to lack detail says something was not right.
The Criterion uses a series network. If one component becomes disconnected both drivers still play but the response is out of whack.
This has happened a few times already from shipping damage. I suspect that as one possibility.
It is also possible that the Ref 1's have a more tipped up response on the top end giving them the impression of greater detail. I have not seen a response curve of them. Have any of you?
Woofer break-up at high volumes does not make sense either.
The Eton has a super stiff cone and they can be driven to ear splitting levels with no break-up. I have heard them driven to 100db levels on large 200 watt tube amps, clean as a whistle.
The sensitivity is low on the Criterion's. It may be more likely that the amp being used was giving out and causing the break-up than the Eton woofer.
And these woofers will play down to a -3db of 55hz.
I also sent out a pair of Diluceo's to a guy that also order the Ref 1's, and told him I would be glad to accept the Diluceo's back if he decided to keep the Ref 1's.
His comparisons sounded nothing like what you guys described, and he did not keep the Ref 1's. He kept the Diluceo's, and they have about the same overall sound that the Criterion's have with just higher sensitivity and twice the move mass (two woofers).
You guys should definitely send those back to GR Research so they can be checked out.
Feel free to cut and paste my responses to the other forums you guys will undoubtedly be posting this to.
