[senad]

B&W 805 Signature.

Unfortunately, new 805S (S has nothing to do with 'Signature') doesn't sound anything like it.

[1000a]

i second this speaker "For Spica lovers, The Epiphany from Odyssey was the "modern" re-do of this design"  see TNT audio for a review of the epiphany that well desicribes its character and presentation along with some of its competion, by Scott Faller- knows his stuff and well.

in addition to Klaus's replacement for it, there is a version of it by the original designer Alain Courteau on his website Revelation Audio (Canada)

[mcullinan]

My favorite so far in my experience are the Epos M5s. Huge soundstage, great highs, really musical!
Mike

[James Romeyn]

Spica TC60 kills the 50 in every conceivable way, it should...about double the cost
Avid 8" 2-way
Phil Jones' new AAD 7001 best ever by you won't believe the margin, now in production, bass to 25 Hz (& sounds like it) from one 5" midbass, moderate size, Jones has been raising the minimonitor bar for decades, read below.  Anyone desiring a new monitor reference is invited to hear these at the next tradeshow, bring a hankie if minus the approximately $11k ticket price, Phil's probably the only person on earth who knows the secrets inside that box...don't even think about spending anywhere near that amount w/o hearing them!



Yoav Geva's YG Acoustics estimated $30k Anat Reference Main Module (heard only w/ dedicated subs $94k total), almost certainly better than Jones' 7001 but only 50 Hz (no sub: 7001 far better).  Yoav's smaller single-midbass version is probably identical w/ only less output.
Boston VR-M50 now in production $700 (beats very good VR-M60 except in low bass & output, P. Jones again)
Vienna Acoustics now in production $1500 Haydn Grand
Totem 1
AE 1 (P. Jones again, every comment read is glowing, listed even now as one of the best monitors ever, released circa mid-'80s, the 1st really good metal cone system, larger AE 2 w/ two midbass bigger sound & more output but probably less focus/transparency, IOW same as Boston VR-M50 vs. VR-M60 above; there's an apparent reason Phil's latest $11k msrp 7001 statement monitor uses a sum total one midbass)

Somebody tell us how the $7k Avalon Mixing Monitor compares to the 7001!

[some young guy]

while i've heard many great monitors, in my own room, i've had silverline sr15's, sr16's, sr17's, dynaudio 1.3 mkII's, fritz carbon 7's, 6's, rev 7's, a couple of diy designs and my favorite: the totem model 1 signatures. in the right system, these speakers are amazingly musical. like any other speaker, set-up is key, but once you get them dialed in, they even have a good amount of bass. i wound up buying a pair of the hawks because i liked the sigs so much.

[Hogg]

My favorite is a bit bigger than a mini-monitor.  I like the Oskar Aulos.

                                                                      Jim

[pearsall001]

You ain't heard nothing yet until you park your ears in front of a pair of Phil Jones AAD 2001 monitors.
Simply marvelous!

[grsimmon]

I'm an "active" speaker fan,  monitors included.   Currently using Paradigm Reference Active 20,  I like these a lot.

I think my dream active small monitor is PMC's  AML-1.    Sample review / summary (others if you google): 

www.6moons.com/audioreviews/pmc/aml1.html

One thing the author got wrong was the price.   They can be had for considerably less if you seek out pro audio outfits like Vintage King audio,  I think they are in Michigan.   Demos w/ warranty pop up now and then for about 3K. 

[TONEPUB]

I second the motion on those little ProAc's.  I've had a few pairs of Tablettes
over the years and have always loved em!  I am currently listening to the
new B&W 805S and they are quite good with the right amp.  i.e. lots of current.

Wrong amp, wrong cables, forget it!  Right amp, right cables, very nice indeed!

There are so many great small speakers out there, I'd be hard pressed to choose
just one!

Those AAD's look very intriguing...

[James Romeyn]

Jeff
You MUST audition Andrew's AAD 7001 & report back to class at the first opportunity!  Expensive for a mini-monitor but there ARE more expensive (YG Acoustics $17k single 5", circa $30k dual 5") & I'd bet hard money nothing same enclosure displacement or less goes as low as the 7001...spooky weird.  Even weirder is no apparent midbass hump as one would expect.  In the deepest bass they must have less maximum output vs. a larger enclosure, but even Andrew can't perform acoustic miracles! 

PS Jeff
Definitely read the current Sterephile's article on speaker loads vs. amplifiers; pertains to a popular B&W speaker & others, very interesting....  

[TONEPUB]

Hi Jim:

I'm definitely going to give them a call and see if they will work with us.
We are always on the lookout for great high performance speakers that
are SMALL...

I read that speaker load article with some interest, but I don't always
agree with the science behind JA.  I don't want to bash my competitors,
so we won't go into that here.  However, a lot of it was very interesting
and it goes along with me being baffled by the "amplifiers and cable all
sound the same" club.

It also is why when we review a pair of speakers, we always try to
use them with about 6 or 8 different amplifiers so we can possibly
try and make a good suggestion in the review.

thanks for the feedback!!

[TONEPUB]

Just blasted an email to AAD, we'll see what happens!

[Red Dragon Audio]

not so mini but oh so lovely 

diapason adamantes III

[doug s.]

i agree - i have a pair.  i mentioned them before, but, as you say, even tho they are reasonably sized monitors, they are not mini-monitors.

now, for some shameless spam - due to purchase of ~$9400 piega floor standers, my adamantes lll's, (speakers retail $4495: stands retail $1195), will likely be adwertised f/s soon.  i have the dedicated matching stands, which are also just as striking in appearance.  offers will be considered early.   aa


http://www.audiowaveshifi.com/diapason.htm

doug s.

not so mini but oh so lovely 

diapason adamantes III

[James Romeyn]

You ain't heard nothing yet until you park your ears in front of a pair of Phil Jones AAD 2001 monitors.
Simply marvelous!

You mean the 7001 I mentioned earlier, right?  You heard them at CES '07 I suppose.  I almost wish I didn't hear them...To think you can get sound like that in such an insanely small enclosure...I'd consider them if I was spending $11k...add a sub only for more first octave output such as organ, big classical, rock, jazz &/or video.  Smaller scale &/or little first octave material forget the sub...

[James Romeyn]

Hi Jim:

I'm definitely going to give them a call and see if they will work with us.
We are always on the lookout for great high performance speakers that
are SMALL...

I read that speaker load article with some interest, but I don't always
agree with the science behind JA.  I don't want to bash my competitors,
so we won't go into that here.  However, a lot of it was very interesting
and it goes along with me being baffled by the "amplifiers and cable all
sound the same" club.

It also is why when we review a pair of speakers, we always try to
use them with about 6 or 8 different amplifiers so we can possibly
try and make a good suggestion in the review.

thanks for the feedback!!

I'm sure we're talking about the same article...but just for the sake of clarity the author was in fact Keith Howard, not JA.  JA may have only contributed some little sidebar or whatever...

The article was basically a re-hash & re-affirmation & clarification of much earlier work, which should have apparently been incorporated at least 10 years ago in every professional speaker review.  The article apparently proves quite effectively that the measure of a speaker's difficulty to be driven by an amp is more closely associated w/ its phase angle & less associated w/ it's minimum impedance values.  In other words, normally a speaker is most difficult to be driven where it has the worst phase angle, & NOT at the point of it's miminum impedance, though one may be in a similar (though not identical) frequency range. 
   

 

[JeffB]

The Phil Jones AAD 7001 is rated
25Hz-60KHz +/-2dB
http://www.aadsound.com/products/Loadspeaker/7001/7001%20specifiation.htm

This is with a 5.25" cone midrange and 6.5" passive radiator.
This would seam to defy the laws of physics.
How do they do it?
They also make a big deal about all their testing being done in an anechoic chamber.
Even their Silver 7 tower with 3 5.25" drivers only goes to 30Hz.

[Vinnie R.]

I really liked what I heard from the DeVore Gibbon 3's ($1995/pair).

Here is a review from last year in 6moons:
http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews/devore4/gibbon3.html

And pretty small at 12.5"H x 6.5"W x 9.5"D

[Kevin Haskins]

The fill Jones AAD 7001 is rated
25Hz-60KHz +/-2dB
http://www.aadsound.com/products/Loadspeaker/7001/7001%20specifiation.htm

This is with a 5.25" cone midrange and 6.5" passive radiator.
This would seam to defy the laws of physics.
How do they do it?
They also make a big deal about all their testing being done in an anechoic chamber.
Even their Silver 7 tower with 3 5.25" drivers only goes to 30Hz.

Simple... they measure them inside a concrete closet.   A little room gain never hurt.

[JoshK]

In other words, normally a speaker is most difficult to be driven where it has the worst phase angle, & NOT at the point of it's miminum impedance, though one may be in a similar (though not identical) frequency range. 

This makes a lot of sense actually (has a lot of do with the feedback loop stability of the amp).  But what is the definition of worst phase angle? I think it is probably related to the group delay, which is to say where the phase angle is changing the fastest....but then again, if it is related to the feedback loop then it is greatest deviation that counts.  Hmm...need to think on this further.