Product Review - Adire Audio Kanada
Bookshelf Speakers - September, 2001
Jared Baldwin
|
System: 1� Tweeter, 8� Woofer (Sealed) Sensitivity: 88 dB Recommended Power: 15 to 250 watts (300 peak) Nominal Impedance: 8 Ohms Weight: 19 Pounds Each Size: 16�H x 10�W x 8�D Finish: Honey Oak with Polyurethane Finish MSRP: $500/pair USA |
Adire Audio, PO Box 85891, Seattle, Washington 98145-1891; E-Mail [email protected]; Web http://www.adireaudio.com |
Introduction
Unless you are down the path to becoming an audiophile
or an avid DIY'er, you may not have heard of Adire Audio. In business since
1999, Adire Audio is a full-service audio specialist that offers a multitude
of speakers, components, and design services. So it goes without saying that
when your business is the building speakers from the ground up, your end
product is going to be something to take notice of.
The Kanada bookshelf speakers are part of the Adire Audio Exact Series. The
Exact Series is Adire Audio's answer to an entry-level product line, but the
savings that you earn do not come at the cost of quality. Through streamlined
production, automation, and cutting corners the right way, Adire still achieved
a higher quality speaker line at an affordable price for everyone.
The Hardware
At first glance, the Kanada speakers look just like many other bookshelf
speakers out there in the saturated bookshelf speaker market. However, upon
further inspection you will notice things such as rounded edges and the solid
construction. The rounded edges are a
nice touch to give the Kanada's a less boxy look than standard bookshelf
speakers. Real oak veneer and a full layer of polyurethane coating give the
sealed cabinet a very nice finished look. At 19 pounds each, they are a hefty
bookshelf speaker, but their average dimensions make it less assuming. They
also are built with dual sets of gold-plated binding posts for the option of
bi-wiring or bi-amping. As if the goodies on the outside weren't enough, here
is a direct quote from Adire's website further describing the Kanada product.
"A full 6th order Linkwitz Riley design, the crossover keeps the on and off
axis responses smooth and neutral. Overlap of the drivers is minimized. And
the impedance is well controlled. Built with polypropylene caps in the series
positions, and air core inductors, the crossover itself is no-compromise."
Setup
I've always liked how bookshelf speakers look on the right pair of stands. In
the case of the Kanada speakers, this was no exception. If the decision is to
use stands, you will want to make sure you use a sturdy pair with the Kanadas because of their size and ample weight. In other words, cheap wooden
stands would probably not be the best idea here. For my listening purposes, the Kanadas found a nice home atop each one of my utility shelves I use to house
my equipment, which are the perfect height for speaker stands anyway.
Video shielding seems to be becoming a standard for most speakers and has not
been forgotten in the Kanada speaker, so placement next to a monitor is no
problem. However, in this case I wanted to widen the soundstage somewhat and
decided to move the Kanadas an extra foot or two away from my television. To
connect the speakers, I used 12-gauge cable tightened into the speaker
terminals via bare wire to allow for maximum signal transfer. Instead of
removing the bars that allow for bi-wire and bi-amping capability, I left them
alone, opting for the more real world likelihood of being run by some
type of mass-market receiver.
Music
In the opinion of many, musical reproduction is where speakers either pass the
taste test or are spit out by the consumer. This is where I chose to begin
the review. The musical tracks I chose to listen to on the Kanada speakers
were performed by The Dave Matthews Band, The Wallflowers, and something a
little less mainstream from Soul Coughing.
The Dave Matthews Band album "Under The Table and Dreaming" is a fantastic
disc for vocals and localized guitar. "Lover Lay Down" (track 8) has very soft
vocals with impressive saxophone accompaniment throughout the song. The
saxophone blended nicely with the softened vocals of Dave Matthews for this
mellow tune. To the contrary "Pay For What You Get" (track 11) and its guitar
driven pace filled the room with upbeat riffs.
The only song I needed to listen to by The Wallflowers was "6th Avenue
Heartache" (track 2) from their self-titled album. This track features the
pair of very distinguished voices of Jakob Dylan and The Counting Crows front
man Adam Dirkowitz. Played back on speakers reproducing less than clear vocals
these two front men sound like a vocal mesh and become somewhat
indistinguishable. I was more than satisfied with the ability of the Kanada
speakers to separate the chorus line of the two very unique singing voices.
One of my favorite songs by Soul Coughing, "Sugar Free Jazz", has a great
amount of detail with a lot of subtle noises going on in the background (some
non-traditional and some unusual sounds I might add) that were reproduced well,
with the Kanadas preserving the sense of depth these sounds reveal.
I would describe the overall sound from the Kanada speakers as slightly
forward if not neutral. They seem to color the
music very little compared to many other speakers I have referenced and in a
way that may be to the liking of most who listen.
Overall the center image was nicely positioned when sitting in the sweet spot,
while for the most part instruments stayed localized in respect to proper
imaging and reproduction. The upper frequencies became a bit harsh at higher
volumes prompting me to immediately turn down the volume. However, this only
seemed to occur while listening several notches above normal listening levels,
and could be due to the mass market receiver as much as anything else.
Like any bookshelf speaker, the Kanada's bass was spread thin in the lowest
octave. The bass and overall output in my room of 16 x 16 wasn't bad, but the
benefit of at least a small powered sub is evident. Although an excellent
performer, the Adire Kanada still sounded like a bookshelf speaker.
Fortunately, Adire makes the Rava Subwoofer, which will go with the Kanada
very nicely. If you're not
familiar with the Rava it is a 12" forward-firing sub, powered by a 250
amplifier, all with a $399 price tag..
Home Theater
Now that I've covered how well the Kanada's performed with two-channel music,
it's time to talk about their performance in the realm of home theater. If you
cruise around Adire Audio's home page you may notice that the Kanadas do not
have a matching center speaker for home theater applications. A center speaker
that I would suggest to work best will be a more neutral sounding model
(something like Mirage or Energy) or something with a tad brighter sound (Phase
Technology).
"Sessions at West 54th: Vol. 1" is a great demo DVD and is filled with
material ideal for serious listening. The separation of channels on this DVD
is exceptional and will focus a glaring stare on the weakest performer
regarding the speakers in your system. The great solos, both instrumental and
vocal, utilize the full soundstage offered through a digital 5.1 system.
No performance on this disc takes full advantage of a 5.1 system like Wynton
Marsalis with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra "Back To Basics" (track 2).
You are literally surrounded by the entire orchestra. The Kanadas belted out a
smooth sound resulting in a good sense and realism of a live performance. Just
for kicks, I moved the Adire Speakers to the rear where they could likely be
used as a high quality rear speaker. They didn't skip a beat compared to my
similarly priced rear speakers I use in my reference system. There is also
some excellent channel separation during Shawn Colvin's "Diamond In The Rough"
(chapter 5). You can hear distinctly the bass guitar from the left channel and
the rhythm guitar from the right channel. Again the Kanadas made me feel like
I was sitting center stage.
For those fans of accuracy over output, you will be pleased to know the Kanada's
have a sealed enclosure. The design resulted in a bass guitar that sounded
full, but without the added reverberation an improperly ported speaker
delivers. Accuracy of other instruments such as horns, guitars, etc., present
in these recordings (CD's too), benefited fully from the sealed design.
Other Observations
I really like the fact that there are multiple e-mail addresses at Adire for every type
of question you may have, whether it is about setup or online sales. It's also nice
to know that there is ample customer service after the sale, not just before.
They have a 3-year parts and labor warranty.
Conclusion
If you're looking for a great pair of quality bookshelf speakers for a small
home theater system or a compact music system anywhere in the house then the
Adire Audio Kanadas just may be the ticket.
Equipment Used in this Review:
Adire Audio Rava Subwoofer
Mirage FRx-10 Subwoofer
Mirage OM-C3 Center Speaker
Sony STR DB-930 Receiver
Sony DVP-S530D DVD Player
Vampire Interconnects
- Jared Baldwin -
� Copyright 2001 Secrets of Home Theater & High Fidelity
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