Every now and then you run into an
interesting saying when discussing speakers with audiophiles;
"All big speakers aren't good, but all good speakers are big".
Of course this only represents one way of looking at sound
reproduction, but it's an interesting saying nonetheless. I´ve
found myself following the "big speaker"-philosophy ever since I
crammed my first real speakers, a pair of hugely oversized
Wharfedales, into my 10 sqm bedroom at my parents house. There's
just something about the visceral impact, dynamics and scale of
large speakers that remains seductive, even if the adolescent
fascination with oversized boxes has worn off a bit over the
years. Of course, becoming more immersed in the world of
high-end audio has allowed me the pleasure of listening to truly
great "small" speakers at times, but they've never found a
long-term residence in any of the living- or listening rooms
I've used, even when logic might have dictated it.
Large, full-range speakers
unfortunately tend to cause full-range problems in regular,
middle-sized rooms. Far too often you hear sound that's boomy,
congested, unfocused and even downright horrible when big boxes
are placed in small spaces. You get none of the transparency,
microdynamic nuance and soundstage focus that a high-quality
minimonitor will produce in the exact same space. Add to this
the fact that large, multi-driver arrays tend to cost a lot more
than a smaller speaker representing the same level of build
quality, and you have a very interesting equation, to say the
least.
So what's my point? Well, after
several speaker upgrades over the years, I had reached a speaker
that is quite hard to beat with a reasonable budget; the Dunlavy
SC-IV. The Dunlavys had many strengths; scale, neutrality,
low-end control and resolution, focus and most of all coherence.
So I lived happily for a few years with the speakers, until the
rest of my system had grown to approximately what it is today.
With the all-Audionet setup, however, I started getting some
doubts about the speakers´ ability to match the potential of the
electronics. Comparing my rig to others, both through Dunlavy
and other speakers, I felt I was missing out on a bit of
resolution, dynamics, transparency and top-end sparkle. Don't
get me wrong, the Dunlavy was and still is a great speaker, but
the design had already reached a respectable age in a market
where new enclosure, driver and crossover designs were giving
more recent products an edge. In addition to the reasons I've
mentioned before, it also looked like our new family member
would have forced me to move my system down into the living
room, thus ruling out the huge SC-IV:s. Fortunately I have a
very understanding wife, so in the long run this wasn´t
necessary…
For me, the Dunlavy SC-IV still
marks the starting point for “diminishing returns” as far as
sound is concerned, as it offers excellent results at a
“reasonable” price point (at least if purchased second-hand, as
no new pairs are available). So I had a place to start and a
general idea of what to look for, combined with a pretty
respectable benchmark.
To make a long story short; I
started looking around for alternatives, mostly among speakers I
already had some previous experience with. The list included
Audio Physic, JmLab (Focal), Thiel and others, but I didn’t
really get hooked on any of the alternatives (and I couldn't get
my hands on any Thiels, as there’s no dealer in Finland).
Through my search for new alternatives, I got into a
speaker-related discussion on the excellent Swedish audioforum,
www.hififorum.nu. I must admit that by this point, my search for
the best resolution available had gotten me convinced about the
superiority of new driver technologies (Vifa/Scan Speak Ring
Radiators, Focal inverted come tweeter / sandwich cones, ceramic
drivers etc), so the discussion was moving around these issues
when I suddenly got approached by someone asking me whether I've
ever listened to PBN Audio Montana loudspeakers. Now obviously I
hadn't, my only contact with the brand had been through some ads
in american magazines years ago (and also then the symmetrical
multiple-driver arrangement was the thing that caught my eye).
It turned out that the “person” who approached me was the
Norwegian importer for PBN Audio. To his credit, he didn't start
by giving me a sales speech, just some pointers on how to learn
more about the brand. So I did, and got more interested along
the way, as it seemed that Montana had many of the same
technical solutions as Dunlavy, only using better enclosures, as
well as more high-end drivers and crossover components.
PBN Audio
Montana Loudspeakers are
hand-built in San Diego by PBN Audio, a company founded by Peter
B.Noerbaek in the early 1990´s. The EPS, a large speaker in
itself, is only the third model from the bottom in a product
range containing 7 models, from the 45kg two-way floorstander
SP3 to the humongous, 260kg, 7-driver WAS. In addition to the
range of floorstanders, PBN Audio also produces a center
speaker, the SPC (same driver compliment as the SPX) as well as
special models for custom applications in a separate “Custom
Shop” with the motto “If you can think it, we can build it”.
All Montana loudspeakers share
some common design traits; massively reinforced cabinets with
non-parallel walls, 24dB/octave crossover slopes, custom-made or
premium-grade crossover components and Monster internal wiring.
All of the models also feature a form of concentric driver
arrangement, with the tweeter in the middle and the rest of the
drivers arranged above and under it, similar to the well-known
d´Appolito design.
PBN Audio only has two contacts
in Scandinavia, Norwegian firm “Highend” (www.highend.no) for
Norway, Sweden and Finland, and High-Performance Audio for
Denmark (and the Baltic countries). Highend is one-man
operation, run by enthusiast Morten Hassum, and not so much a
dealership as a direct contact to PBN Audio. There are only a
few demo pairs available at any given time, and the customer
places the order directly with Highend, who then forwards it to
PBN Audio. The benefit of this system is obviously price,
Montana speakers aren´t that much more expensive in Norway than
they are in the US. The downside is a certain delivery period
for any given speaker, as well as the fact that all models
aren´t available for audition.
After expressing my interest in
the Montana EPS speakers, I needed to find a way of auditioning
them thoroughly before importing them to Finland for further
testing. Luckily Mr. Hassum gave me a great example of how a
dedicated dealer can help his customer even if there´s a country
(Sweden) in between. So during a business trip to Oslo, I was
offered the chance to audition the EPS at one of Highend´s
established customers. I spent an evening listening to the
speakers with very different source material and as a result we
started the process of importing a pair to Finland. While many
customers might have doubts when it comes to importing stuff
from abroad, Mr.Hassum was very forthcoming and the whole
process was handled without glitches. The EPS´s are packed in
very solid wooden crates, so the transfer itself is pretty safe
for the speakers.
The EPS itself, as stated, is a
very large speaker. The attractive finish and the hexagonal
shape of the cabinet partially disguise the fact that the
speaker stands 135cm (140cm with spikes) tall and weighs an
impressive 86kg each. This speaks volumes about the internal
bracing of the cabinet, as the EPS actually weighs more than the
Dunlavy SC-IV even though it´s a good 40cm shorter. A good
friend of mine also spoke volumes about this fact when helping
me wrestle the speakers plus their shipping crates up the stairs
to my listening room….
The speakers are finished in
different real-wood veneers or gloss black. My pair was finished
with a very classy Cherry-veneer, which did not quite reach
Sonus Faber-standard, but still made people stop and take a
closer look. A black cloth grille covers the entire height of
the speaker, giving it a very uniform look. I did prefer to
listen without the grille, though, and given the fact that this
particular pair had all-cherry front baffles (the veneered
baffle is optional, black is standard), I also preferred the
looks with the grille removed. The EPS is a five-driver design;
featuring a Montana-modified Scan Speak Revelator dome tweeter,
flanked above and below by custom specified and produced Scan
Speak 4” Kevlar midrange drivers with concave dust caps. For the
deep notes, the EPS uses a pair of 9” Scan Speak doped paper
cones at the top and bottom, completing the symmetrical driver
placement. At the lower end of the cabinet a slotted port helps
extend the low-frequency extension. Bi-wiring is recommended,
and the EPS is equipped with two pairs of high-quality,
gold-plated, five-way binding posts.
Another thing I found very
impressive was the spike / support system; two very solid (15mm
thick) black anodized metal crossbars attached to the bottom of
the cabinet, with threaded holes at the ends. The spikes going
through the holes follow the same logic; huge, 10+mm thick, with
large “knobs” to help turn them around to reach the correct
level for all of the EPS´s 86kg.
Photo:
Highend A/S
Setup and listening
I initially placed the EPS in my
5,5x3,5m listening room and let them occupy the same space that
the Dunlavys had occupied earlier, about 150cm from the back
wall and approximately 55cm from the side walls. In my room this
setup has usually given quite good results, with a deep and
focused soundstage. Immediately after getting the EPS connected
it became clear I was dealing with a speaker that was in many
ways similar to their predecessors, but at the same time placed
its own demands on room and placement. The big Montanas
immediately sounded detailed, clear and dynamic, with more bass
power and slam than the bigger Dunlavys before them. Despite
that I could´t shake the feeling of a certain lack of coherence
between the registers, as well as a significant (room-related)
suckout in the bass region. After playing around with the
placement, I found the best place to be around 135cm from the
back wall and 60cm from the side walls, which fixed much of the
room-related problems.
At the beginning of the review I
was still using two pairs of semi-cylindrical tube traps
attached to the wall at the first reflection points, to reduce
the malignant effects of early wall reflections. These later
changed to a larger area of diffusor panels for much-improved
treble extension and soundstage size. In fact, during this
review the room acoustics have been upgraded significantly with
products from Sweden-based Svanå Miljöteknik (www.diffusor.com,
review pending), and I´ve been putting off the writing of the
review until I felt I had heard most of what the EPS really has
to give. Believe me, the sound really improved during the
acoustics upgrade, showing that the EPS will sound good in most
environments, but still places a lot of demands on the room to
give its best.
Any fan of percussion will of
course be familiar with the Blue Man Group, which has gathered
considerable fame during the last couple of years (even touring
parts of Europe in 2006). Their first album, "Audio" (Virgin
CDVUS177) features some interesting soundscapes and ingeniuous
instrument, not to mention considerable dynamics from several
drum kits whacking away at once. Track 5 "Rods and Cones" and
track 7 "Mandelgroove" both feature seemingly calm intros, which
suddenly explode into a veritable wall of sound and then
continue to add elements into the mix as they go along. With
"lesser" transducers the overall sound quickly gets congested
and the soundstage falls apart, leaving only a mess of drumbeats
and guitars adding to a senseless tangle of noise. With the EPS,
the added sounds just became a natural part of the mix, finding
their place in the soundstage and melting in. The massive
drummings shook the room, while still avoiding all traces of
boominess. I was also able to follow the intertwined bass-lines
and sounds from the Group´s home-made instruments with ease.
I´ve enjoyed both the "Audio" album and the Group´s newer "The
Complex" (Lava 7567-83631-2) greatly over the last few months
and subsequently found myself looking for more
percussion-oriented alternatives.
Another record that I keep
returning to is George Duke´s "After Hours" (Warner 9362470732).
Perhaps a bit tacky and perhaps not the most original piece of
music available, it is nonetheless enjoyable for some easygoing
late-night listening. Not to mention that the Warner-release
sounds very decent, with good balance and pretty high
resolution. Track 3 "Anticipation" features some interesting
high-level details, while tracks 5 "It´s on" and 7 "From Dusk to
Dawn" have more drive and punch. Overall the EPS presented the
tracks with great resolution and transparency, the midrange
being slightly "forward", but extremely quick and revealing. The
bass was taut and dry, perhaps trading in the last word in
"kick-drum" pressure for impressive resolution of Christian
McBride´s bass.
Allan Taylor´s excellent "Colour
to the Moon" (Stockfisch RTD 357.6021.2) is well suited to both
long listening sessions and to testing systems. The better the
system, the more content Günther Pauler seems to have stuck onto
the disc during the recording. There is abundant detail,
excellent depth and even decent portrayal of the recording
space. The usual "weak spots" for many systems is the bass,
which is a bit heavy on some tracks, and Taylor´s voice, which
tends to sound "boxed-in" at higher volumes. Knowing that the
EPS could sound a bit forward in the midrange at times, I was
certain that the vocals on this record would become unbearable.
Boy, was I ever wrong. Compared to earlier presentations in my
room, the soundstage was more focused and the voice more
detailed and controlled. I could also hear the recording venue
better than before, not to mention the somewhat "clanky" piano
used on some tracks. The bass, again, traded in the excess bloat
I´ve heard before for better definition and pitch.
One thing I must mention at this
point is that parts of the details I´m mentioning here became
clearly audible only after installing the complete acoustics
package from Svanå, which in itself is proof that the EPS will
grow with the surrounding room and associated equipment. It is
also proof of the fact that the speaker is sensitive to the
detrimental effect of being placed too close to an untreated
side wall, as the soundstage became considerably less muddled
after proper acoustic treatment. This is self-evident to most
enthusiasts, but I felt the effect was more significant with the
Montana than with other speakers I´ve heard, perhaps because of
its neutral voicing and revealing nature.
Sound
Balance: Neutral, in the
best sense of the word. What goes in will come out. Listeners
used to a very "romantic" sound might perceive the EPS a
somewhat on the "cool" side.
Resolution: Simply
excellent. As stated above, I thought this kind of resolution
could only be had using the "latest technology" drivers and
materials, but PBN Audio proves that they´ve been able to coerce
the best possible sound out of the well-established ScanSpeak
drivers. To sum it up; the EPS has the best resolution I´ve
heard in or around its price range. Sure, the Wilson MAXX I´ve
had the pleasure of auditioning this autumn had better
resolution, but even here the difference was far smaller than I
had expected.
Transparency: Very good,
especially in the midrange. Upgraded associated equipment and
optimised placement shows that the EPS grows with the system,
the sound gaining even more clarity as the other components make
it possible.
Treble: Very extended,
smooth, extremely revealing and at the same time ruthless to bad
recordings or equipment. Very impressive in my opinion.
Midrange: Again, very
detailed and focused. Singers are produced naturally, with
absolutely no overhang or extra "chestiness". With some
recordings the high resolution and neutral voicing might
translate into something of a "hard edge" or a presentation that
is a bit "forward", but most of the time You just get what´s on
the recording.
Lower register/bass: This
is not a loudness-type party-speaker. The lower registers are
very dry, tight and controlled. If there´s no bass pressure on
the source material, the bass will sound a bit "light". With
good recordings, however, You get ample pressure, very high
levels of detail, and control all the way down into the low 20´s
(Hz). My initial concerns about buying a ported design have been
dismissed with the EPS.
Dynamics: A strong point
of the Dunlavy SC-IV, the EPS does it even better. All the "big
swings" are there as before and stronger, the improvement being
mainly in the microdynamics- department, where individual
elements of the music gain more "drive". I would, in my mind,
attribute this to the extremely stiff front baffle and the
high-quality bass- and midrange drivers.
Spatial information/soundstage:
The EPS threw a wide and deep soundstage, which didn´t have the
"larger than life" spaciousness some of the upscale Audio
Physics do, but instead showed excellent focus and placement of
individual instruments and voices. This trait seemed very much
in line with the other characteristics of the speaker. When
giving up the Dunlavys I was concerned with the soundstage
getting "lower", but the EPS´ symmetrical driver placement
created a soundstage with ample height. The soundstage focus
also improved with every single acoustical improvement in the
room, so I still think there´s more to be had.
Scale/Visceral impact:
Excellent. The EPS is a very large speaker and has the impact to
match. Judging from the peak output levels shown by my
Audionet-monoblocks, the speakers still demand quite some power
to really sing (not surprising, knowing that Peter Noerbaek
manufactures high-power amplifiers under the Sierra Audio
-name). Or shout, if that´s what You´re after..... But given
that, they are a match for any speaker in and far above their
price range that I´ve heard, in my own listening room or
elsewhere.
Conclusion
With the EPS, I feel PBN Audio
has managed to create a very solid package at a "real-world"
price. As You might have gleaned from the text, I was quite
taken in with the EPS. Regardless, we´ve had a habit at
Highendnews to make a short list of the strengths and potential
points of improvement or things to consider before making a
purchase decision of each tested product:
Strengths:
- Neutrality and overall
performance
- Resolution
- Dynamics
Points to develop or consider
before purchase:
- Midrange can sound a bit too
"forward" with the wrong setup
- Bass trades in some absolute
impact for "truthfullness" and pitch (which is still my
preferred choice)
- Ruthless to bad recordings,
or bad associated equipment.
The EPS is a large, full-range
speaker, and will make demands on room and system accordingly.
Once correctly set-up, the EPS will perform on a level which
belies its asking price. If You´re coming from a mellow, soft
and "warmish" sound ideal, the EPS will probably not be Your
first choice. But if You want to hear what´s on the recording,
in all registers, with excellent speed and impact, then the EPS
is definitely worth a try. The fact that the speaker works well
in my (acoustically treated) 20 square meter room should also
take away some of the doubts about placing it in any room of
"real-world" size. During 2005, PBN Audio has launched the EPS2,
which features a slightly upgraded cabinet, as well as all-new
custom-made drivers sourced from Norwegian specialist SEAS. I
would guess this upgraded design also features upgraded
performance.
So, to sum it up. Would I
recommend the EPS to someone looking for a high-resolution
speaker? The answer is yes. Would I be willing to use the EPS as
a personal long-term reference? The answer is yes, I bought the
review pair. And finally; would I consider Montana as a speaker
brand for future upgrades? Yes, I absolutely would. In fact, it
would be my first choice.
Specifications
- Frequency range: 20-22.000
Hz
- Impedance: Nominal 4 ohms
(min.3, max 11 ohms)
- Sensitivity: 92dB/2.83V/1m
- Power Handling: 250W
continuous (700W peak)
- Drivers: 1 x Scanspeak
"Montana" Custom Revelator tweeter, 2 x 4" Scanspeak Custom
Kevlar midrange drives, 2 x 9" Scanspeak Custom HPC woofers.
- Crossover points: 300Hz -
3000Hz
- Finish: Custom
- Size (HxWxD): 135 x 36 x
37,5cm
- Weight: 86kg
Price
- EPS: 7995 USD + 500 USD for
special veneers on front baffle
- EPS2: 8500 USD
- Importer / Scandinavian
general agent (Norway, Sweden, Finland): Highend A/S, Oslo,
Norway (www.highend.no). Approximate price for EPS (w/o
shipping) : 8100€
Associated equipment:
- Cd-player: Audionet ART V2
- Preamp: Audionet PRE I G2
- Power Amp: Audionet AMP II
G2 monoblocks
- Speakers: Dunlavy SC-IV on
Soundcare Superspikes.
- Interconnects: Siltech SQ-80
G3 (cd-preamp), Siltech ST-48 G3 (pre-power amp).
- Speaker cable: Analysis Plus
Crystal Oval 8 (biwire)
- Mains cable: Siltech
SPO-18MF, Supra LoRad, Isotek Optimum with
Furutech-connectors.
- Mains filter/distributor:
Siltech Octopus with SPO-20 mains cable. Isotek Orion mains
filter.
- Equipment stand: Finite
Elemente Spider, with Ceraball-set under cd-player. Power
amps placed on granite plates resting on a heavy wooden
board, which is supported by Soundcare Superspikes. Finite
Elemente Ceraball under monoblocks.
- Room: ~20 Square meters.
House construction: wooden frame, tile outer wall. Excellent
bass absorption, no significant room resonance under 100Hz
(measured).
- Room treatments: Large
bookshelf covers entire wall behind speakers. Heavy rug on
the floor between the speakers and the listening spot. No TV
or screen between the speakers, projector screen (96”
Da-Lite) ceiling-mounted and retracted during all listening
sessions.
- Special acoustic treatment:
- 2x Svanå Miljöteknik (SMT)
V4 Helmholz-type resonators against wall behind speakers
8x SMT "Golden Horn" diffusor panels at first reflection
points (each. 55x55cm, 4 per side wall)
4x SMT ABCyll - tube traps in rear corners. Absorption down
to ~125Hz
SMT AD40 and AD20 diffusor panels covering wall behind
listening seat for a total of 3,6 square meters
