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Review 2 of 2 Summary:
After reading the positive reviews about the Michael Green Revolution 60i series speaker, I decided to write this review on Michael Green Designs (MGD) tunable Studio 5 Monitors and their 10" Tunable Subwoofer. First, I would like to make clear that the close-out speakers currently being sold by Audio Advisor, noted as the "Revolution" series, are a level below the performance of the current versions of all of MGD's speakers. All speakers in the current product line are custom built. The successor to the Rev. 60i is now known as the Classic 60 and the successor to the Rev 5i is the subject Studio 5.
MGD products are not built on an assembly line, as are most other manufacturers'. In addition to the unique feature of user variable tuning of their speakers, all of MGD speakers are built like musical instruments. If you look inside of any of the MGD current line of speakers (i.e., through the port), you will see that there is no damping material inside and that the enclosures consist a combination of high quality wood veneered MDF and hardwoods. There are no synthetic materials used in the enclosures (i.e., when was the last time you saw a piano, violin or classical guitar made of polymers, vinyl or even concrete materials). MGD's approach to loudspeaker design is to make loudspeakers like Stradivarius violins which will sound better with age as the fibers in the woods refine over the years. This philosophy also applies to MGD'sacoustical Pressure Zone Controllers and racks. How do I know all this? Well, I've had the opportunity to have many discussions with the MGD technical support staff and MIchael Green himself on many occasions for a little over a year and a half now on the MGD Technical Support Hotline as a customer. I also have purchased and own the original prototypes for the current Studio 5's (the curent Studio 5's have some of the same technology as the MGD top of the line Chameleon speakers and will outpeform my prototypes)and the first 10" Tunable Subwoofer that was made as part of the current line. Both are finished in hand rubbed dark red cherry wood and both are variably tunable by the user. The Studio 5's reside on MGD stands which are finished in glossy black lacquer, filled with 2/3 lead shot and mechanically grounded by MGD brass points.
The Studio 5's are only a foot tall, 6" wide, 10" deep and house a 5" midrange/woofer driver, a dome tweeter, a brass variable tuning bolt on each side panel and a rear port. When placed properly as recommended by MGD, these small speakers provide a huge soundstage, precise imaging with excellent depth and an amazing amount of bass energy. I have measured a usable 32 to 35 Hz in my listening room. The Subwoofer contains one 10" driver, has one tuning bolt on each side panel of the enclosure and is rear ported. With the Subwoofer, which is a passive design and requires an external crossover and a mono block amplifier, I have measured down into the 20 HZ plus region. Because both the Studio 5's and Subwoofer have user variable tuning, these speakers can be tuned to any room in which they are placed. The tunability feature raises or lowers the pitch (i.e., cabinet resonance) of the speaker )similar to tightening or loosening the strings on a violin) and, in turn, increases or decreses the amount of harmonics produced by the speaker. So, these speakers can be tuned to the room, listening level and preference of the listener. The "thwack!" of a bass drum produced by a variably tuned subwoofer has to be heard to be believed, because the impact and pitch control produce perfect decay time (especially if you are also using MGD Pressure Zone Controllers for acoustics). Over the years, I have owned monitors from B&W, Celestion (including the SL600's), Infinity and the Sound Dynamics 300ti (Harry Pearson's acknowledged favorite bookshelf speaker). No monitor speaker that I have owned or heard even comes close in neutrality, perfectly pitched instruments and voices, or a more musical presentation because of the user's ability to variably tune the MGD Studio 5's and Subwoofer.
When used as a "system", using MGD acoustical Pressure Zone Controllers (these allow variable tuning of pitch and associated harmonics produced by the speaker/room interaction), the mechanical grounding MGD brass MTD's (Mechanical Transfer Devices) and the mechanically grounded racks (these allow the ability to variably tune electronics through a technique called "clamping"), every component of my system can be tuned, including the room! This allows me the ultimate flexibility in controlling the type ofsound which I prefer to listen to - the sound of real music. The room not dictate the sound. My system and room work together through this variable tuning "system" approach.
As you have probably surmised, I like the Studio 5's, the Subwoofer and the other MGD products, not because of any blind bias, but because they work. Over the years, I've tried many other devices for tuning, but their big shortcoming was that they were factory preset tuning devices like Tekna Sonic speaker vibration absorbers, aluminum, polymer and stainless steel cones, the Bright Star isolation system products, the Seismic Sink, the Mission Isoplat, ASC traps, the highly touted Argent Room Lens and several racks. None have come close to the flexibility and performance of MGD's user controllable variable tuning products.
I am upgrading my Studio 5's and Subwoofer to MGD's top of the line Classic Chameleon speakers, some of the technology of which has been passed down to every speaker in the MGD product line. I will report my experience with the Chameleons after they arrive. MGD has a trade-in policy if you upgrade within their product line. Ongoing customer support is provided over the MGD Hotline at 1-888-766-6886. All of MGD products and services can be viewed at their web site (best viewed with Netscape Navigator with the Beatnik Player plug-in).
My current system:
MGD custom modified Monarchy Audio 10A preamp (phono stage added) with dark cherry sculptured wood face plates and incorporating mechanical grounding technology on components inside the chassis
MGD custom modified Monarchy Audio SE-100 Single Ended Class A solid state state mono block amplifiers incorporating mechanical grounding technology on components inside the chassis
Marantz MA700 mono block amp
Paradigm X-30 active crossover
Tice Power Block 3B line conditioner
Audio Alchemy DDS Pro transport and DTI Pro 32 DSP w/AD upgrade
Channel Islands Audio MPS and modified Audio Alchemy DDE V 3.0 DAC
Oracle Delphi MK. V TT w/custom MGD MTD's, SME V tonearm, Benz Micro Glider HO cartridge
Kimber Silver Streak and PBJ interconnects, 4TC speaker cables; Audio Magic I2S digital cables
MGD clamp racks, MTD's and Pressure Zone Controllers
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