Contrast Audio “Lens” loudspeaker review
Just finished reviewing the Contrast Audio “Lens” loudspeaker and what a pleasure it has been to be able to listen to these monitors from the Ukraine.
Being unfamiliar with this brand of speakers actually made it far easier to review them, because, to my knowledge at least, there is no other brand that makes speakers like this.
They design and make al their units in house which gives you just an inkling of the seriousness of the designer. The materials used are mainly paper, silk and wood, which constitutes for the very natural sound of these monitors.
With a very high sensitivity (95dB) and impedance (16Ohm) you can power these treasures with virtually any amplifier but more importantly with low powered tube amps! And that makes it a very interesting speaker for all you people who, up till now, had to buy large and expensive floorstanding speakers to compliment your Watt anemic but beautiful sounding tube amps.
So let’s talk about the sound of these monitors. First and foremost you will probably have to get used to the overall sound. Because like me, you won’t have heard anything like it. They are incredibly realistic and I mean IN-CRE-DI-BLY! Especially voices sound so lifelike and live, you’ll find yourself getting up from your couch and walking a few feet to ask the singer for its autograph.
The same can be said for solo instrumentalists and small combo’s but even for large orchestral or choral works they present a spatial image which gives you a real feeling of being there. So 3-D or holographic imaging is certainly one of these speakers pros. Another amazing feat is the ability to play actually very loud without loosing control in the mid-lows or overloading the highs. Which can’t be said for most speakers out there. Well, to sum up, these are very fine monitors with a delicate but certainly not underwhelming sound considering its size.
Midrange and highs are exceptional and probably in a class of their own. Depending on room acoustics, bass can be lacking a little bit but not much. Build quality is of high standard as is the paint job.
All in all a highly recommended set of speakers for a more than reasonable price of €1990 without stands. Should Contrast Audio need a motto, it surely would be: ” Closest to live without being there “. Many thanks to King Audio for giving me the opportunity to review these speakers.
