[Sa-dono]

Introduction:

When I first heard that Mark Schifter was designing a new speaker for the Onix Reference lineup, named the Reference 3 (Ref 3), I must say I was not excited. Not because I thought it would be putting a dent in my wallet, but because I did not believe it would be worth the money. At the time, the initial driver setup was going to be one Vifa XT tweeter, one 5.25” midrange, and two 6.5” woofers. I have previously found most 6.5”+ woofers to not accurately and tightly reproduce the upper and mid bass – so this was one of my concerns. Also, given the 6.5” drivers, and design as a floorstander versus being a monitor, the front baffle would certainly have to be wider and taller, usually resulting in more reflections at the expense of imaging. Given these factors, I had the perception that I would be much better off with my Reference 1’s with an Onix UFW-10 (Ultra Fast Woofer 10) subwoofer, possibly using an active crossover.

Well time went by, and it was announced that the driver array would now consist of a super tweeter, Vifa XT tweeter, and dual Atohm 6.5” or 7” woofers. These ended up being the final drivers used, with the 7” Atohm woofers. Did this change my mind about the Ref 3’s? No – I still had the notion that the Ref 1’s with dual subwoofers, and now with the ERT’s (Extended Range Tweeters), would better the Ref 3’s.

So why am I writing a review of the Ref 3’s? There are many reasons behind this. First off, the Ref 3’s made their debut at CES (Consumer Electronics Show). Many positive impressions followed, despite the usual poor listening environments at most of these shows. I talked with some of my friends that attended CES, and they were also amply impressed. This helped to heighten my interest.

Secondly, I have always liked simple 2-way speakers, as there usually will be less degradation from additional crossovers and other components. They could also just be coupled with a subwoofer for further extension. Well, over time, I have found out how much phase coherency can help a speaker design. This is one reason why a 2-way speaker can sound so good. So if I added more extension through one or two subwoofers, or super tweeters, I could be adding more phase issues; especially given the distance in location between the various drivers, and not being optimized for each other.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered the crossover points to the Ref 3’s drivers. The Vifa XT and top 7” Atohm woofer handle the vast majority of the aural spectrum, like a 2-way speaker. They are utilized in a combined frequency range from 35 Hz to 30 kHz. The super tweeter does not come into play until 15 kHz, three quarters into the upper treble. The lower woofer does not kick in until 150 Hz, or within the top of the mid bass. In other words, it acts like a subwoofer, but since phase is more optimized, it can be crossed over higher, improve the mid bass on down, and not be localizable. A sub crossed over that high would more often than not be localizable. So within the Ref 3, we pretty much have the equivalent of a 2-way (like the Ref 1) combined with a super tweeter and subwoofer. However, since all of the drivers are within one cabinet, and optimized to each other, we have the advantage of a greater degree of phase coherency, and improved mid bass. This is just incredibly brilliant! Now the question is whether the applied and factual will match the theoretical?

The last factor was when I factored in the extra cost of the ERT’s, two Bird’s Eye Maple UFW-10’s, an active crossover or subwoofer buffer, an extra high quality power cord, and an extra pair of high quality interconnects to the cost of the Ref 1’s. Just with those items, I was already getting into the price range, of the Ref 3’s, or even more. Given my interest at this point was colossal, I decided to break down and order a pair of Ref 3’s to audition.

[Sa-dono]

After a month or more of awaiting their release, my Reference 3’s finally arrived this morning. Upon first sight of the boxes, the first thought going through my head was these boxes are so big, a small woman could fit inside. This might not be such a bad thing, once your significant other discovers out how much these speakers cost! Due to the Ref 3’s heavy weight, they were shipped by Yellow Transportation, Inc. The speakers arrived in great condition, and the driver was even nice enough to help me move the speakers to my door.

So I hauled the speakers inside, lifted them up the stairs, and got right to opening the boxes. As typical of most products from AV123, my Ref 3’s were double boxed, along with packing material, and the speakers were covered in a white cloth (think big pillow case). Each speaker came with a pair of white gloves, which was a nice touch. This way it does not matter which box you open up first, if you do not want to get finger prints on the beautiful glossy finishes.

Since I was moving and unpacking everything by myself, I decided to unpack the speakers upside down, with the grills on the bottom. This allowed me to take the speakers out of the box, easily apply the bases and spikes, and then flip the speakers right side up. Now it was time to get the speakers setup. I moved the speakers in location, and took off the cloth covers. Talk about an “Oh my God!” moment. These speakers are gorgeous! I could not imagine a greater amount of  lovely, glossy Bird’s Eye Maple. I have heard this said before, but this is the first time I have really felt the pictures just do not do these speakers justice. Simply stunning!!!

So of course the next thing I did was remove the grill covers and hook the speakers up. Next I started the Sa-dono Signature Super Secret Break-In Process. Before I went off to lunch, I did some listening through my break-in. The first thing I noticed is that these speakers BEG to be pushed hard. If your gear can cleanly reproduce high volumes, these speakers will handle your demands. To put in simply, these speakers Rock!

So off to lunch I went, so I could do some critical listening after the break-in…

[Sa-dono]

Well now that I had broken-in the speakers to my satisfaction, it was time to get down to the nitty-gritty – how do the speakers sound? Since I was trying to determine whether it was worth me keeping the Ref 3’s over the Ref 1’s, this was exactly the comparison I made. Some of my friends had compared the Ref 3’s to the Ref 1’s at CES, but of course they ran into the problems of using unfamiliar gear, no room treatments, and not enough room to do a proper A/B – so I was interested to hear for myself, and doing some proper testing. For those unfamiliar with the Ref 1’s, I will provide my latest thoughts of them.

Onix Reference One:
There is not much more I can say about this speaker, but I guess I will provide a summary of my thoughts. These speakers are a phenomenal value for their price.

Aesthetically, if you like a glossy finish, then these compare with any speaker up to a retail price of $3.5K (mainly discussing the glossy Bird's Eye Maple). At $3.5K, the B&W Signature 805's have a slight edge in finish; but we still have a lighter finish with the maple, vs. a darker finish with the red bird's eye or black tiger's eye, so personal preference can come into play.

Sonically, the Ref 1's are extremely revealing. They will just play whatever source you feed them. Garbage in, garbage out. I personally feel that room, placement, and gear are very important with these speakers. I know some particular people disagree - but again, personal preferences can come into play. With the right (or wrong) selections, you can get these speakers to sound warm, neutral, or bright.

Through the many comparisons I have done, the Ref 1's have compared favorably to speakers ranging in cost up to $27K, bass extension not taken into account. Do not get me wrong though. There are many great sounding speakers within that price range. Many of them, I would certainly like to own myself, if money and space were not limited. However, they all have their own unique sonic signatures, which is why personal preference plays a role.

So what separates the Ref 1's from many other speakers? The Ref 1's have very tight, quick, and agile bass. I personally love the upper and mid bass that a good 5.25" woofer can provide. The Ref 1's also are exceptionally dynamic, fully capable of reproducing the reality of dynamic range in instruments (outside of limitations as a 2-way monitor in SPL). The highs just have a naturalness to them – capable of reproducing the upper frequencies with all of the recorded airiness. The Ref 1’s also have a strikingly transparent sound, that allows all of the decay, sustain, and micro dynamics of the instruments and music to shine.

Are these the best speakers out there? Everyone has their own preferences. I am highly pleased with these speakers, although I am always on the look for speakers that may offer a higher level of transparency. Brand names do not mean anything to me, I am just interested in the sound provided (although great aesthetics, service, and prices will never be turned down).

[Sa-dono]

Listening Material:

• Miles Davis – Kind of Blue
• The Dave Brubeck Quartet – Time Out
• Jazz Fighting Hunger
• Radka Toneff/Steve Dobrogosz - Fairytales
• Vienna Teng – Waking Hour
• Norah Jones – Come Away With Me
• Norah Jones – Feels Like Home
• Dave Matthews – Some Devil
• David Torn, Mick Karn, Terry Bozzio - Polytown
• Maroon5 – Songs About Jane
• Jack Johnson – On And On
• Phish – A Picture of Nectar
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How Do The Ref 3’s Sound?

Like I mentioned earlier, the bass from the 7” woofers were of concern to me. Well much to my surprise, the bass from the Ref 3’s is not only fuller and more extended than the Ref 1’s, it is also more articulate, while still retaining the Ref 1’s accuracy and tightness in the bass.

Another concern was the imaging, and whether a larger midrange would have the focus and clarity of a smaller one. These concerns can be thrown out the window. The Ref 3’s not only image better than the Ref 1’s, but they are much more focused from top to bottom. The sound becomes that much more clear and precise. The clarity just leads to a blacker soundstage between the players, as all of the vocals and instruments are directly in their space and pinpointed to an even greater degree. This also leads to a slight increase in depth of the soundstage.

The integration of the drivers is just phenomenal. I experimenting listening as close as three feet away with no problems. I imagine this is a result of the two drivers carrying the majority of the sound.

To continue along the line of drivers, does the super tweeter do anything? Well much to my surprise, the Ref 3’s do add a much greater degree of airiness. This was made most apparent on wind, string, and brass instruments, along with cymbals, vocals, piano, and vibraphone. The ability to reproduce sustain and harmonics intensify as a result, helping to recreate the recording and actual event.

One other major surprise is the sweetness. I have heard many speakers that attempt to recreate the natural sweetness of instruments and music. All too often the speakers add sweetness that was not on the recording. This makes the music sound syrupy. While this can be pleasant and seductive for some music, it takes away from the accuracy of the sound, and often leads to a blur of sound for more complicated pieces. The Ref 3’s manage not to add sweetness, but to recreate, and pass through, what sweetness is there on the recording. For some, this may be shocking or not to their liking, as they have adjusted to other speakers sapping and drying out the sound.

Other areas the Ref 3’s improve upon the Ref 1’s are dynamics and transient response. Micro dynamics are slightly bettered thanks to the added clarity, but macro dynamics take a large step up. This is due the enhanced transient response. The Ref 3’s are just so fast and responsive, you almost have to look to make sure all of the highs and midrange are not being reproduced by ribbons.

Ribbons are oftentimes troubled by or noted with concerns of lack of dynamics, attack, impact, and/or slam. In this regard, the Ref 3’s are nothing like ribbons. I have already mentioned the dynamics, but the attack, impact, and slam are also incredible. Listening to percussive instruments, that “pop” and “slam” is just there. The drums are allowed to speak, and communicate the impact and intensity of the shifts from pianissimo to fortissimo. These aspects, along with the transient response, also magnify the texture. This is most noticeable listening to brush strokes and patterns along the drumhead of the snare, as well as the strumming of guitar, and the bow along the violin.

[Sa-dono]

The two words I would use to describe the Ref 3’s are natural and effortless. Despite a love of the Ref 1’s, I knew they were not the last word on transparency. The Ref 3’s have proven this to be true. They have taken everything good about the Ref 1’s, and improved upon them. This added transparency just adds to the naturalness and realism of the sound, if your room and gear are up to the task.

Are they worth the price difference from the Ref 1’s, even with UFW-10 subwoofers? I would say the Ref 1’s would offer somewhere between the area of sixty to seventy percent of the performance of the Ref 3’s. If you are an audiophile, this last thirty to forty percent is vital to the proper reproduction of music, in my opinion. Also, if you enjoy listening to your music loud, and also enjoy quality reproduction, then these are the speakers for you. If you have the available money, the purchase is a no-brainer, as far as I am concerned.

Even if you are not a Reference speaker owner, if you are looking to climb the ladder of hi-fi, and want a transparent speaker to build your system from, these speakers definitely must be added to your audition list, and given a listen. I can tell you that you will not be getting your grips on my speakers. They are worth every penny to me. Best of luck to everyone in reaching your Audio Nirvana, and happy listening! J



Reference 3 specifications:

• System: 4-way rear-vented floorstanding loudspeaker
• Drivers: (2) Atohm 7", (1) Vifa XT Concentric Ring Radiator, (1) magnetostat super tweeter
• Crossover: 4th Order
• Crossover Points:
• Bottom woofer : 35 Hz - 150 Hz
  
• Upper woofer : 35 Hz – 2.5 kHz
  
• XT tweeter : 2.5kHz – 30 kHz
  
• Super TW: 15 kHz – 50 kHz
  
• Finish: Bird’s Eye Maple or Piano Black Lacquer
• Frequency Response: 28Hz - 50kHz (+/- 3dB)
• Impedance: 4 Ohm
• Efficiency: 90 dB (@ 1 Watt / 1 Meter)
• Bi-Wire: Yes
• Dimensions: (WxDxH) 8.6" x 12.6" x 45"H
• Weight: 210 lbs. / pair
• Price: $4500 / pair
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 Associated system.[/url]

[Rocket]

Hi Sa-dono,

thankx for your impressions of the onix ref 3's.

i'm just curious to find out more about the drivers that av123 are using.
Do you know where they are manufactured and how much they cost?
I haven't heard of that particular brand previously.

I am however aware that the vifa xt tweeter has a Very good reputation.
You shouldn't be put off by 7inch drivers.  I utilised 7 inch focal kevlars in an mtm setup with raven 1 ribbon tweeters to great effect.

Happy listening.  Btw how much were the speakers?

Regards

rocket

[gary]

dammit, man, you were supposed to say 'well, i was right, the Ref 1's hold their own and there's  no good reason to drop the extra cash on these monsters'. now how am i supposed to be satisified without upgrading? don't you know that money could be a big chunk of a down payment on a house? thanks.

oh, and ryan could you please list the other components in your system for reference?

btw, rocket, these things are $4500.

-gary

[zybar]

Sa-Dono,

Great write up.

At $4500 these speakers will be facing some very fierce competition.  When you factor in buying used gear, they might really be in for a battle.

George

[maxwalrath]

Can you post some photos by any chance? Not that I'll be able to afford them new in the next 5 years...but I'm curious anyway.

[HarleyMYK]

Demo at CES Las Vegas

[Jon L]

This will drive Mad Dog truly MAD  

There more I look at this speaker, the more I like the concept.  Ribbons are great, but unless you have a huge ribbon, they lack definition and dynamics in low-treble area, say 2-5kHz range.  Unfortunately, this is precisely where most companies cross over their ribbon tweeters.  Raven R3.1 and Aurum Cantus G1(G3) excepted.  Ref3 uses a pretty small ribbon, but only use it for 15KHz up, where most conventional dome tweeters start to peter out.  Also, the Ring radiator is a fabric tweeter, which IMO mates better with the sound character of ribbons.  Good choices.  I just wonder what  "magnetostat super tweeter" means.  Is it a true ribbon or a planar magnetic??


Having one of the woofers only cover 150Hz down also is a good idea, avoiding the boomy, resonant bass many speakers with dual woofers have.  Reminds me of the original Von Schweikert VR4 speakers.  I believe they also used dual 7inch woofers, each woofer covering different frequencies.  

Does anyone know what kind of crossover slopes, parts, wiring is used?

[sfpepper]

This will drive Mad Dog truly MAD  

There more I look at this speaker, the more I like the concept.  Ribbons are great, but unless you have a huge ribbon, they lack definition and dynamics in low-treble area, say 2-5kHz range.  

Quite Correct.  Most Ribbons are NOT Great, esp into mid/upper mid.
Seems like a lot of folke are getting enamored with a quick 'leading'
edge.  Need to get out more often.

[Sa-dono]

Hi Sa-dono,

thankx for your impressions of the onix ref 3's.

i'm just curious to find out more about the drivers that av123 are using.
Do you know where they are manufactured and how much they cost?
I haven't heard of that particular brand previously.

I am however aware that the vifa xt tweeter has a Very good reputation.
You shouldn't be put off by 7inch drivers.  I utilised 7 inch focal kevlars in an mtm setup with raven 1 ribbon tweeters to great effect.

Happy listening.  Btw how much were the speakers?

Regards

rocket

You're completely welcome. Atohm is a French driver company. These are some of the most incredible woofers I have heard. I am unsure of how much they cost. I know they are not cheap though. As others mentioned, the speakers are $4500.

[Sa-dono]

dammit, man, you were supposed to say 'well, i was right, the Ref 1's hold their own and there's  no good reason to drop the extra cash on these monsters'. now how am i supposed to be satisified without upgrading? don't you know that money could be a big chunk of a down payment on a house? thanks.

oh, and ryan could you please list the other components in your system for reference?

btw, rocket, these things are $4500.

-gary

My wallet wishes that was the case too Gary. On the other hand, my ears are extremely happy with the results! You can find my list of components in the Systems' profiles. A link directly to my system can be found at the end of my review, after the specs.

[Sa-dono]

Sa-Dono,

Great write up.

At $4500 these speakers will be facing some very fierce competition.  When you factor in buying used gear, they might really be in for a battle.

George

Thanks George! There are certainly many, many fine speakers out there at this price range. For me, though, these are the cat's meow!

[Sa-dono]

Can you post some photos by any chance? Not that I'll be able to afford them new in the next 5 years...but I'm curious anyway.

More pics can be seen at the following links:

http://www.av123.com/products_product.php?section=speakers&product=38.1
http://forum.av123.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser=1248&thumb=1

The pics really do not do these speakers justice, IMO. Most pics seem to show them as being quite orange, as well. When you see the speakers in person, it is just strange, as I still have not been able to find a level of light and angle that reproduces the color seen in picture.

[Sa-dono]

This will drive Mad Dog truly MAD  

I just wonder what "magnetostat super tweeter" means. Is it a true ribbon or a planar magnetic??

I know MD wants a pair one day.

I believe it is a true ribbon, although I can check if you would like.

[Ronm1]

Excellent review Ryan, great detail as usual and please don't ask  

[Marbles]

 

Quite Correct.  Most Ribbons are NOT Great, esp into mid/upper mid.
Seems like a lot of folke are getting enamored with a quick 'leading'
edge.  Need to get out more often.

I think that the strength of the VMPS RM40's and 30's lies in the mid/upper mid.  I think a weakness of the 626's lies in the lower mids, having only one panel to move a lot of air in this frequency.

Since there are compromises in all designs, and since "I" like the compromises the best in these VMPS speakers over others that I've heard, I'm curious at which ribbon speakers you are talking about?

Sorry to hijack this thread.

[F-100]

Very nice review Sadono...
Now, you make me want to upgrade my Ref1.