Ribbons, high quality components for a bargain price

looks(kinda), finish

I've had them for about a month now.

-well packed, don't worry about buying by mail. You are going to hate them if you have to move.

-Solidly constructed from an engineering perspective. Seems as if some thought has gone into making a high performance speaker while still being able to cut costs to deliver a VERY competitive price. You aren't going to find gorgeous machined fittings and terribly clever concealing mechanisms etc. Then again you won't be paying for them either.

I didn't find anything about the construction that would compromise performance but there were several details that were a bit disappointing. In advance I should point out that this IS a very good, very high performance loudspeaker but thought I would temper some of the rather gushing comments here by making note of the fact that you get what you pay for. Some manufacturers will give you great cabinetry and mediocre components. Newform gives you fantastic components and ...

1. The veneer job was a bit sloppy, especially at corner joins and there were several spots where small amounts of adhesive had spilled out and were smeared.

2. The speakers are shipped without the bases being attached. You are expected to screw on the bases. The bases have pre-drilled holes and the bottom of the cabinets have matching holes...except mine didn't exactly match ...I had to angle the screws in a bit and it was quite a job. Also, the attachment to the cabinets is simply wood screws into the cabinet. This seems a bit sloppy. I would suggest that future models have the bases attached at the factory or that a better joining method be used. The bases had nice countersunk female holes for the included spikes.

3. The ribbons' protective screen is secured by what seems to be a black plastic frame. Some type of black silicone or rubber caulking is applied behind the frame and it looks like some had oozed out and smeared a bit. The fact that the wiring to the ribbons is external may bother some people but I happen to think it looks pretty cool. The ribbons themselves perform so well that I would really be intrigued if they were paired w/ some custom cabinets.

Like I said, you get what you pay for. None of the above mentioned details compromise the performance of the speakers but it is kind of disappointing that you can't get it ALL for a bargain. You didn't think you were going to get huge ribbons, ScanSpeak drivers, Nordost wiring AND Sonus Faber construction for $1500 did you?

The ribbons themselves are MASSIVE pieces. Very solid and sound fantastic. It is pointed out in the literature that these disperse horizontally very well but don't disperse vertically at all. This means that unlike Magnepans you can sit anywhere on the couch that you want to...just don't stand up or slouch down too much. They are still a serious sit down and listen loudspeaker.

Right now I am feeling that the listening position is pretty strict but I am still experimenting w/ placement. However, when you are in the spot...they are SWEET! Make damn sure that you are ready for a sit down and listen loudspeaker before you buy. In, retrospect, I'm not entirely convinced that I was ready for this. There are still some aspects of a spherically(technically I guess that would be a half-sphere) radiating driver that I miss a bit.

Overall, you have to applaud Newform for the ability to construct something like this and sell it for a song. If you were going to buy something with these kind of components in a retail store you can be certain that you would be paying at least 3 times as much if not a hell of a lot more. It isn't the Holy Grail but it gets you a lot closer than anything else I can think of for $1500.

Natural transparency, wide soundstage, cheap!

Need a sub to complement

If you're a diehard audiophile, avoid this product. It will waste your time listening to beautiful music instead of buying and auditioning other speakers. One of the best sounding speakers at any price.

Similar Products Used:

Dynaudio, Gallo, Dunlavy, Sound Dynamics