RMAF 2016................Boenicke W5

I read in the Stereophile Show Reports online, one of their folks heard them and liked them as well.

$3600 paltry for speakers that size?  Really?  That got my attention. 

They look like very nice speakers for the size. But perhaps the most expensive that size I know of. Certainly not paltry. Sounds like marketing. I’d have to have a very small room to consider anything that size. Maybe with subs. Or for low level listening only. But lots of competition at that price.  Can't find any frequency response specs. 

In in general the trend is for most vendors to offer smaller speakers for higher price than in past. It’s easy for speakers to sound good when they simply punt on the low end. That is where the work is involved to reproduce well and costs are expected to be greater accordingly.

I read Peachtree demo was with 100+ watt Class D amp running Zus, which yes could get mighty loud if desired I would expect.    I've read more than one review indicating the sound was one of the better ones at the show.

I read OHM Acoustics will be demoing  their Walsh speaker line with Peachtree at the upcoming NY Audio Show in November as well.   Would love to be there and hear that compared to others but too far away so not likely.

gawd,

You are comparing very small speakers that must have limited bass extension to much larger more expensive more full range models.

Getting full range speakers set up to sound good is always a bigger challenge. Bass resonances mask other frequencies and detail, sounds fat or muddy etc.

I could imagine the small speakers sounding "better" with some music than much larger and expensive ones and systems if room and setup is less than optimal. There is less bass to get in teh way or go wrong usually with small speakers.

Is that possible?

In any case, all I’m saying is they are small and price not paltry for their size. Comparing to much larger full range speakers sounds like apples and oranges and a pure judgement call that would be hard to substantiate it would appear. At the very least all should be set up optimally in order to make a fair comparison. Little guys like that would have a lot to prove against much larger similar quality competition.

In the end what one likes is all that matters. They are very nice looking tiny speakers and I’d expect sound very good within their limits.  Of course I have not heard them so do not know.

Just saying. Paltry is all relative I suppose.

I would like to hear them. I am always looking for good things in smaller packages.  They would fit nicely on my Isoacoustics stands, just a few inches off the floor and with slight tilt up.    I use corner placement  (similar to what is done with Audio Note speakers at shows) in the room that they would fit into and that helps a lot to get more bass out of smaller boxes when needed.

Zu has yet to reel me in from demos I have heard but the door is still open. I really like the looks and they are strong centenders for anyone building around a tube amp.

There could be a pair of Zu Soul or Tekton Lore speakers in my future just to try out for the fun of it and see where things might go.

Charles,

Its a preconceived notion based on the laws of physics and having heard many speakers both large and small that have no choice but to always abide by those laws. Not just whimsy or speculation. Its how things work.  Whereas a reviewers review is merely an opinion based on whatever happens to be the reviewers motivation.

I’m sure they sound very good within their limitations. If those are the limitations one chooses to live with for that price along with the rest than so be it.

Charles,
The only thing I would take exception with is comparing them to much larger and/or expensive speakers and calling the cost paltry by comparison. it is not paltry for speakers that size. just like a $100 fuse might be worth it to some but the cost cannot be called paltry except when compared to what people spend on their hifis otherwise. That’s just marketing, nothing of substance.

if it turns out the expensive small speakers are teh best fit in ones case, that’s fine. Let’s just be real about those things that are concrete and measurable, like size and price, both of which are always perfectly clear and measured and always matter rather than opinions which are just that.   

Here's some good reading on size and when it matters.

http://ohmspeakers.com/news/big-woofers-give-better-bass-maybe/

It explains well why size matters but not all drivers of a particular size are created equal.

The OHm Microwalsh speaker is an excellent example of a smaller speaker driver that can deliver a lot of sound and bass for its size.  Its cost is about half the Boenicke W5 I believe but its volume, which matters as well when it comes to bass would seem to be greater.

Another excellent small speaker I have heard in this regard in similar price range way less than W5 is Totem Arro.

So W5 is not paltry even by smaller speaker standards.  That's all.

Some people want real sounding bass along with the rest.   These things will matter most to them.

Charles the facts are that $3600 is expensive for speakers that size and that speakers that size will have predictable limitations.

What happens from there is anyone’s guess and that's what makes the world go round.

Cheers.

The size of some of the models mentioned may be paltry but the cost is not. That’s the point. Has nothing to do if they are judged to sound good or not. What is so hard to understand?

I’ve heard the Magico Monitors and yes the sound was superb. If I had a smaller room and a considerable budget I might consider owning them. But I would not call the cost paltry. They are in fact quite expensive and frankly the sound can be matched for much less. Especially if same 6 digit set of electronics used to drive the competition.

Gawd you just demonstrated my point again.   $3600 would be a paltry sum to get the sound and performance possible for $348,000.     You also likely need a very large room, maybe an auditorium or sports stadium  to be able to say $348000 is a paltry amount to spend for speakers.

Anyone can look up the average cost of speakers of various sizes and level of performance.   $3600 for perhaps one of the smallest speakers out there might well be justifiable for some, but its not paltry.

Its all a metter of expectations I suppose.   People in these parts expect to pay more for top performance.   Paltry to those perhaps but get real not to 99.9% of the real world.   Just like $100 freakin fuses.

Rant over.

Now of course people who hear a product and it leaves no impression or a bad one are not likely to report or start a thread unless asked. .   But still every good review counts for something though ymmv. 

Logic is useless if facts are selectively disregarded.

What you I or gawd thinks sounds best is no indicator of what the the next guy will think.   

Anyone can read the arguments and draw their own conclusions.  

Not gonna harp. Everyone made their points. That’s what forums are for. They look like a quality product. Just add a good sub or two if needed. Or do like many happily do and just go small and don’t give that often problematic bass a chance get in the way of the other glorious things .happening.

I have a similar size speaker in my office at work. It is very enjoyable. Sometimes I hear things there that I don’t in a bigger setup simply because some other things are just not there.. Of course I hear things in the bigger setup I don’t hear on the little speaker as well. Its all good.

I heard them at Capital Audiofest last summer and sound was top notch one of the most enjoyable at the show and there were many good sounding rooms.