Brodmann Acoustics was showing off several speakers at the show over the weekend, paired with some wonderful gear from Electrocompaniet. But unfortunately for me, I can’t find the sheet of notes that talked about them.
I did get treated to a lengthy discussion about what makes them different, however. First, there’s no internal bracing at all. “Why would you stuff a Stradivarious with damping material?” was the line I remembered. I ventured that vibrational energy might not be conducive to good sound, at which point I was told that not all vibrational energy is bad. While the cabinet itself is entirely inert, I was told, there is a twist. Namely, the precisely mounted side panels — easiest to see on the burled-veneer units, below. These panels are mounted precisely at 4mm from the main cabinet — and will resonate during playback. Interestingly, they’re said to act as a woofer, greatly increasing depth and the quality of the tone. I was also told that the discovery itself happened quite by accident, but happily one that was replicable and applicable.
While the actual explanation on why this works is entirely beyond me, I have to offer this: whatever it was, these speakers had some of the best, most inviting sound at the show. And the little speakers on the side, the $4k Festival FS, not only filled the room with deep, moving music, they struck me as simply incredible. The sheer size, scope and depth of the image they threw completely belied their size. In a word? Enthralling.
And they’re my second nod for Best in Show. Fantastic speakers. Just fantastic.
If I can run down the details on this room, I’ll be back to update this post.
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