Pro Audio Review - June 2008 - (Page 22) STUDIO | REVIEW by John Gatski tems: a closefield setup with a Mac DAW and as a midfield monitoring rig in the middle of my room with a 16-channel analog console. | IN USE In the first configuration, I sat them on Apollo stands and angled them in slightly toward the listening position. They were powered with a couple of different amps, including the reference high-power, Bryston 14B SST bipolar output amplifier, the Pass X350.5 MOSFET output amplifier and my current favorite low-powered amp, the allClass A Pass XA30.5. I fed reference audio from my Apple G5’s Lynx L22 sound card to either a Benchmark DAC1 or Lavry DA10 converter, which fed the analog balanced outputs of my Coda monitor preamp and then the amp. Interconnects included Kimber Cable and Alpha Core solid silver, two-conductor cables. I used the Alpha Core solid silver cables to interconnect the amp to the speakers. For reference, I also used the original Legacy Studios and the passive Lipinski L505s as well as my reference Legacy Focus 20/20s mid/farfield tower speakers. On first listen, I could tell that the Legacy’s did not need much break in. On 24-bit/96 kHz high resolution acoustic guitar recordings, the Studios sounded very natural with the accurate presence from a 1973 D35 Martin and my custom OO-28 fingerstyle guitar. Imaging was deep and wide with the complexity of the strums and plucks quite revealing without any harsh overtones. My initial listening notes contained the word “accurate” over and over. The Studio HD is an excellent imaging speaker. I could hear a lot of treble cues spread very deep and wide in the mixes. Even compared to my Legacy Focus 20/20s towers with multiple drivers, the Studios were quite impressive in the amount of information they conveyed. On jazz recordings, such as the DMP SACD Steve Davis “Quality of Your Silence” the ribbon tweeter had less of that seductive presence than the titanium dome of the original Studio — flatter sounding, but I believe it is more accurate. Transient response is quite good for such a reasonably priced speaker. Drum cymbals reflect the speed and air of a well recorded setup, without a hint of harshness or over-splashiness — just like it sounds in the session. High-resolution piano recordings also Legacy Studio HD Passive Monitors When I reviewed the first iteration of the Legacy Studio closefield monitors ten years ago, passive speakers in pro studios were still quite prevalent. Today, in a speaker world awash in powered monitors, the latest version of the non-powered Legacy Studio is a rare choice for studios. The new Studio, priced at $1,699 per pair, has been totally redesigned with new drivers and cabinet design. Legacy’s primary market is the audiophiles, but high-end pros that choose the separate amp/speaker route have used the Studios and their larger brothers, the Classic and Focus, for the detailed, accurate monitoring. Legacy has a few dealers nationwide but does much of its business via direct factory order with a generous return policy. | FEATURES The Studio HD is a compact-sized, closefield monitor that sports an 8-inch woofer with a cone woven from carbon graphite and silver thread, and a custom-designed 1inch folded ribbon tweeter with a kapton diaphragm and neodymium magnet. The ported, B4-reflex cabinet, provides bass augOverall specifications included a factory rated frequency response of 42 Hz – 22 kHz (plus, minus 2 dB). The crossover frequency is 2.8kHz. Power rating is listed at 25 watts to 300 watts continuous RMS. Impedance is rated at 4 ohms nominal. The cabinet’s internal bracing and ultradense hardwood housing make for an extremely inert package with no midrange or treble coloration. Finishes include walnut, cherry and black pebble. The angled edges and sloped front-to-back dimensions are said to enhance dispersion. Cable connection is done via spade or banana plugs, and the speakers can be biamped or bi-wired by removing the jumpers from the four speaker posts. Two switches allow subtle reduction in the midbass and low treble to compensate for room and location effects on the sound — about -2 dB. I set up the Studios in two different sysmentation for the small 13-inches tall 10.5inches wide and 10.8-inches deep cabinet, allowing the speakers to reach down to a claimed 42 Hz. APPLICATIONS Legacy Studio HD KEY FEATURES Studio, project studio, audiophile Passive two-way B4-bass reflex design with 8-inch woofer and 1-inch ribbon tweeter, bi-wire terminals, 42 Hz to 22 kHz frequency response PRICE $1,699 CONTACT Legacy Audio | ☎ 800-283-4644 ➲ www.legacyaudio.com 22 | ProAudio Review | June 2008 Subscribe to the Digital Edition of Pro Audio Review http://www.myparmag.com www.proaudioreview.com http://www.legacyaudio.com http://www.proaudioreview.com http://www.myparmag.com
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.