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 2 responses by mtkhl567

Fbhifi, I am the first owner of Evolution Acoustics MM3's in Europe. I must say that as anyone who purchased these speakers (including Frank who just sold his to my lucky audiophile friend Tom) I was bowled over by their appearance, sound...or lack thereoff, and room adjustability and last but not least their price. I sold my SF Strads that had the same retail $40.000 then (now $45.000) and got the MM3 being handsdown better in all areas we audiophiles listen for. It easily competes with speakers costing 2-3X. And when mated with Dartzeel in a good room probably beats most too. Don't expect that price to stay that low much longer...its insane in todays economic reality.

The best MM3 sonic quality I find is that music is just floating in the room, does not seem to come from the speakers. You close your eyes and imagine you're right there, at the sound levels that you please and befit the recording.

I'm going to audition the Kharma Exquisite Grand ($220k) soon at their HQ in Breda NL, and I'll let you know how many times X it sounds better vs the MM3. Didn't Charles van Oostrum choke at the price when he heard the MM3's intro at RMAF 06? LOL
Elberoth, you must be converting Euro's into USD's. Fact is US based pricing with the very weak USD (Thanks Mr Bush) at the moment is not comparable to Europe based pricing. That and the fact that in Europe about 20% VAT is mandatorily included in the retail price, whereas in the US...when a bit savvy, you do not need to pay any VAT.

Viper_z, yes even above the $10k range there are huge differences in sound and quality of gear. And yes, the best components are often very expensive, that goes for most everything in life. But, you can have a cheaper system sound better than an expensive one if you have the better isolation and room treatment and recordings for example. That's what makes this hobby so interestingly tricky, there are just a boatload of factors that have an influence...and then there are the personal ears and tastes on top of that!

People who don't care for the sound, are probably not in this hobby...but all people that own the MM3 have each evaluated most of the top speakers out there and came to the same conclusion I did: ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!

It does help us Europeans that the USD is soo weak at the moment, that means that the MM3 value is even significantly better than EURO based competitors. That would hold true for ALL US based products. For example the Kharma's Grand Exquisite retails for EUR 200.000 or about $290.000 equivalent...go figure