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What beats the Evolution Acoustics MM3 ??

With 500 hours on my MM3s I'm feeling comfortable that they're sufficiently broken in to begin to draw conclusions on their performance. I'm wondering if anyone else has found a speaker with similar characteristics?

The MM3s are unlike any speakers I've ever owned- B&W Silver Signiture, WATT/Puppy 5.1, 6, Dunlavy IV, IVa, V, Kharma Midi Grand, etc.

The MM3s simply stated allow you to enjoy the music. They are so utterly natural in their sound reproduction that you can actually forget about hearing two loudspeakers in the chain and get a closer connection to the music. I know this sound like so much holistic drivel, but I struggle to find a better way to express the sensation. In analytical, terms the following audiophile attributes, when veiwed holistically, help to explain this end result.

- Seamless driver integration.
- Flat frequency response with exceptional extension at the frequency extremes.
- Natural sounding dynamic swings and transparency.
- Truly effortless full scale presentation.
- Rivals Houdini in their ability to completely disappear.

These characteristics, in concert, allows you for once to focus solely on the music- something most audiophiles sorely need. The quality of the components comprising the MM3s must also help to achieve this level of "rightness".

- Linear, smooth, sweet & extended ribbon tweeter.
- Two ultra high-line ceramic midrange drivers- D'Appolito arrayed.
- Two 15" powered woofers in sealed enclosures- D'Appolito arrrayed.
- Super premium crossover parts and internal wiring.
- Computer modelled cabinet structure finished to extraordinarily exquisite standards. Think Sonus Faber meets Magico Mini.

Ultimately, the performance level these speakers achieve must certainly be attributed to their designer- Kevin Malmgren- formerly of Von Schweikert Audio. Kevin designed most of the current VSA line, including the legendary VR-11 and the equally impressive VR-9. While on the subject of the VR-9s- I listened exrensively to the VR-9s driven by the DartZeel pre-amp, DartZeel amp and EMM Labs digital front end at the '05 RMAF and was mightily impressed. Last year- 06' RMAF- is spent many hours listening to the MM3s driven by the EMM labs CDSD and the Dart combo (BTW the Darts and the CDSD are what I'm currently using on the MM3s) and the '06 RMAF MM3 system was significantly better, to my ears, than the VR-9 based system of the prior year.

This brings me around to the great value I belive the MM3s represent. At approximately $40k the MM3s significanly bettered the VR-9 which run $75K. Are the MM3s the equal to the enormous VR-11- I don't know, but perhaps they are- at almost 25% of the $150k price.

The Evolution Acoustics modular design allows you to start with MM1s or MM2s and add woofer modules as your budget allows. I've got my MM3s in a relatively small room of approximately 18x17 dimensions and the speakers perfectly integrate into the room. I was a little suprised by this ease of integration, but needless to say am now delighted. No bass boom or overload- not even close! And as an additional bonus the tweeters, woofers and woofer/midrange crossover points are adjustable. My MM3s are set, essentially, flat and I've felt no need to fiddle with the adjustments.

This leads me back to the opening comment about the MM3s and their ability to let you just enjoy the music. No other speaker in my experience has allowed me to just listen and enjoy- without feeling the need to tweak this or change out that. This is a true revelation for me. I'd like to know if others have discovered other speakers capable of this feat.
fbhifi

Showing 5 responses by fbhifi

fbhifi OP
108 posts
 
Viper z- The gentleman who sold his MM3s, whose room you posted, sold his entire system and replaced each component with a significantly less expensive make and model.

I don't believe that these sales, and subsequent purchases, were driven by the desire to improve his system.
fbhifi OP
108 posts
 
Shadorne:

The Dunlavy Vs are certainly a fantastic value, if you can find a used pair. As you know they're no longer being produced. Getting original factory drivers would probably be difficult at this point but, quite frankly, the origianl drivers were not that great. Upgrading drivers would probably be beneficial as long as you they interfaced correctly with the crossover. I agree that the dispersion pattern is much improved on the MM3s over the Dunlavy Vs and almost certainly contributes to the MM3s ability to disappear from the listening room.

I never had the Dunlavy Vs in my present room and I don't believe they would have sounded their best in that sized room. The Dunlavys always needed plenty of room "to beathe" to sound right.

I do have some basic room treatment- 1st reflection absorbtion, some dispersion behind the MM3s and a couple of Tube Traps in the corners behind the speakers. I used to own a PARC, in a different more truobled room- horrible bass hump at 63hz- but got rid of it. It worked great, but I didn't like how it sounded in the system.

My present room, which has a couple of angled walls- one short one going into a bedroom and one long one behind the the listening position seems to help to break up room nodes very well. I 've had other speakers in the room and they have all sounded good. I think that I simply have a room without any significant nodes.
fbhifi OP
108 posts
 
Fiddler:

In talking with the Kevin he said that no expense was spared for their application. More specifically I know that they use the most expensive capacitors available and that the internal wire rivals most high-end ($1000+/meter retail price) speaker cable.
fbhifi OP
108 posts
 
Tboooe:

Great point on hearing acuity. It would seem that a speaker that allows the listener to adjust the tweeter level would greatly help in addressing individual hearing differences- All models in the Evolution Acoustics line have adjustable ribbon tweeters.
fbhifi OP
108 posts
 
Elberoth2- The prices you quoted on both the BAT and the Dartzeel equipment is incorrect.The correct pricing is as follows:

BAT VK-52SE- $10,500 (recently increased from $10,000)
BAT VK-600SE- $12,000

The OLD retail price for the Dartzeel equipment is:

NHB-18NS Preamp- $23,250
NHB-108 Amplifier- $18,181

The current price of the Dart units went up considerably from the above prices in October, 2007. It is my understanding that the BAT units Frank S. has were purchased used at a 50% or greater discount from retail, which is not uncommon. Purchasing used Dartzeel equipment at that kind of discount IS uncommon, if you can even find it used.

So, based on correct retail pricing the difference in price between the BAT preamp and amp and the Dartzeel preamp and amp is $18,931. The typical used street price difference is $1000-$3000 less.

Whether comparing the price differencial new or used- This IS a big difference, even in the realm of hi-end.
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