GR Research Neo 2X ThoughtsFirst thing I want to do is give a big shout-out and thank you to Hank for providing the necessary assistance, because without his skilled help these speakers would not be residing in my home.
Okay, another big shout-out and thank you goes out to Danny for continuing to experiment and add new members to the GR Family. I hope he never stops dreaming up new ideas and doing what he does so well.
The PE cabinets are very good and one of the best bang for the bucks out there for frugal non-wood working folks like me, especially with Danny’s discount. Fit and finish definitely get the grade of A. For those who can whip out those beautiful handmade A++ cabinets, all I can say is I am humbled by your skills.
As most of us have learned over the years…NO SPEAKER IS PERFECT or the final word in a design. They are compromises made based on a culmination of a designer’s philosophy and pure physics. In addition, they have to be incorporated into the end user’s electronics and listening room. The Neo 2X’s are no exception and present one Designer’s product being used by one User. My thoughts are thereby subjective to my preferences, electronics, and listening room environment. I run them full frequency and fill in the bottom with a sealed sub. That being said, I will preface my detailed remarks with this little caveat – the drivers and XO are well implemented because what they do for their small size is wonderfully musical and engaging.
Listening room: My secondary listening room is 30’ X 13’ with a mostly 8’ ceiling except for the center which drops down to 7’2” to accommodate the 6.5’ wide HVAC ductwork and under which the speakers reside; nicely treated at first reflection spots and base traps using OC703 2”- 4” thick depending on application. Yes, the room is/was a challenge to tame. The reason I went on the hunt for another stand-mounted speaker (like I needed a reason,
) was because as much as I enjoyed my current full time candidates there were a few tics and fleas I wanted to get resolved…mainly in the lower end and upper midrange.
Equipment used: Rega Apollo cdp, Bryston BP25 Pre, Aragon 8008BB in balance mode, and a Vandersteen 2W sub. The equipment has an appealing synergy and works for me. However, I have made small incremental changes in cables over the years to get a little more out of electronics.
Cables used: Zu Cable Gede and BetterCable Silver II XLR IC’s, Zu Cable Wax SC, and MIT Z-chord II and Zu Cable Bok PC. While this system is not the cream of the crop in terms of sonic performance it has always been a solid performing system for a relatively frugal budget.
Speaker Placement: It did not take much to establish them into my room. They are about 7’ apart resting on 27” stands that are mass loaded with lead shot and sand, slightly toed-in, rear of cabinet is 3’ away from the front wall (free standing cedar storage containers that are only 8’ W X 5.5’ H), sidewall distances are L = 24” and R = 51” away (measured from the center of the speaker). Listening position is about 9’ from each speaker and 8’ from the rear wall.
My thoughts: (after burning them in for 100+ hours)Soundstage Recreation: These monitors present a very amazing vertical, horizontal and deep soundstage. Horizontal dispersion was about average for this 2-Way design (in my usual starting location) until I played around with placement and moved the L speaker away from the sidewall by another 5”. When I did that, the soundstage became much wider. The speakers do disappear and the listener sweet spot is wide. If you stand up the sound stage will remain very balanced and consistent throughout the audible frequency range. What I liked most was they didn’t push the soundstage aggressively into my face on loud passages and volumes.
Clarity, Transparency and Resolution: I had experienced the Neo tweeter on Danny’s OB-5 design and liked what I heard from this diminutive planar driver. However, I was still skeptical they wouldn’t be smooth. They are accurate, detailed, clear and yet warm and silky smooth - even when pushed hard. These speakers are not analytical like others that have passed through my second system. I know what I like and dislike by whether I reach for the remote and want to turn the volume up or down. I found myself continually pushing the volume up. If you are looking for tipped up or analytical presentation of every little nuance detailed in the upper frequencies, please look elsewhere.
Airy, Spacious, and Open: On familiar music I could now hear various instruments more revealing than before because they seemed to have separated from each other with more space around them. As I turned up the volume the speakers remained coherent. The cabinets appear not to be adding any coloration to the overall sonic characteristics, compared to others I have auditioned.
Bass Response: They are sealed and appear to be getting an in-room response the high 60’sHz. This will be measured and confirmed at a later date. The mid/bass driver presents a firm and quick response. There appears to be a nice slow roll off. In a smaller room, near the front wall, these may be all you need. I used a sealed sub crossed over at around 70Hz, and at very little output the lower frequencies filled in nicely to my taste. [See Other below.]
Transient Response – Attack: This is another area where the Neo 3 Planar Tweeters showed what they could do. They are lightening fast when it comes to things I focus on, e.g. cymbals, guitar strings, and drum kits. String instruments sounded very authentic and rich. The woofer may have had some input here too due to it’s design but I’ll let Danny respond to this.
Sweet Sound: There was no spearing of the sound. All the music I played was lively but not overbearing. There were no peaks in the music that weren’t supposed to be there via the recording. In other words, these speaks present an even flat frequency response in my room setting.
Ear, Mind, and Body Reaction: As I stated above, I have been reaching for the remote to turn the volume up. The overall sound is very relaxing and more importantly - musical. In this area, I always defer the final word to my bride because she cuts through all the BS and states her opinion in non-audiophile terms. She said they sounded very balanced from top to bottom, neutral, pleasant at higher volumes, excellent soundstage, engaging and wanted to listen longer to some of her favorites (Eva Cassidy, Steve Reid, and Seal).
Other: These do have their limits when it comes to volume output. I pushed them hard to see where the boundaries were. Unless you play heavy bass oriented music with peaks going higher than 94 db, they will be just fine. I have Bela Fleck and Brian Bromberg cds to test these limits and the little mid/woofer wanted to keep up with the lower frequencies, but gave me notice I had reached their limit. I’m very happy with the output and how they filled my room with sound. In talking to Danny, he said the floor standers that Hank was so kind to post a drawing of or cutting off the Neo’s at around 80 Hz and using a sub would give you the ability to turn the volume up louder. However, if you have a large enough room and are looking for Bela Fleck & the Flecktones or Pineapple Tree concert levels sitting 30 rows back, please build yourself a pair of OB-7’s with dual servo subs.
Bottom line: A fun speaker to listen to. Highly recommended and a great value for the sonic characteristic results produced. As always, YMMV based on electronics, room environment and personal preferences.
Lou
