After going the full upgrade path to my old Sig 30 I have to say that the 30.2 is a different
animal indeed
. The bar has been raised so high so as to make comparisons
moot. Anyone considering taking the plunge should do so with all their clothes on. Don't wait.
Right out of the box, with breaking in to come, it is heads and shoulders above the old one.
And the 30 was no slouch in any department. It's just that Vinnie has gone and done it again;
breaking all the rules and messing with perfection just because he had to get better sound
out of the darned thing
.
It's funny how a lot of our audio descriptions use analogies that apply to what we see and
feel so this should make sense to most of you out there. Remember the first time you saw
and touched your first relief map? I do. I was a kid and thought that this is how all maps
should be. Not only could you see the shape and contour of the territory, you could feel it as
well. Two dimensional maps couldn't hack it any more. Even the beautifully coloured ones.
They all lacked scale and reference in comparison. Well, Vinnie's new creation is the audio
equivalent of those maps. Notes not only occupy their own space, they
define it. In whole.
They have shape, texture, contours, and their own life span as they play out. The focus is
outstanding: everything in sharp relief yet natural. It allows a kind of gestalt in listening
that invites you to just relax and take it in. Notes that use to define boundaries now have space
around them. What used to be the back of the stage is now further. Same goes for the sides and
now the music is further in front of the speakers. Heck, it's even taller now as if the soundstage
has been raised. I don't know how he did it
. but I'm not looking back.
What used to pass as bass on my Hornshoppe Horns was like patting a kid on the head. You got
a good idea of what was there since you knew where your hand stopped. Now, the 30.2 has
got that kid in a headlock and he even jerks him around a bit
. All that is absent is the
lowest registers and my sub takes over for that. What bass that does come through is tight, deep,
and resonant. That focus I mentioned is here as well: nothing muddied or congealed.
As for the highs, I was thinking of getting those ERT supertweeters from AV123 but the 30.2 relegated
that thought to the trash heap
(rest easy Ed, I only thought about it). Open, airy, extended, just
begin to describe the top end. I can't imagine trying to explain the air and ambience using the relief
map analogy 'cause how does one depict air with a map? But it is here with the 30.2. You
senseit.
If Vinnie goes any further into the recording we should all start getting residuals because we are very
much in the recording venue thanks to his brilliance. Oh, and thanks, Vinnie, for the new speakers. You
should have mentioned that you throw in a new pair with every purchase
.
And one more thing, stop raising the bar. No 30.5 for a least a few years, okay?
nonoise
