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Zitate:
". I first installed the 450s in my system by merely replacing my Avalon Eidolons. The sound was loaded with promise, but was splashy and technicolor."
"For $11,700 a pair, these 450s had better be good, and boy, are they. Their midrange and high-end definition was 80 to 85 percent as good as that of my Eidolons, at half the price! These babies are extraordinary detailers, with precise and solid imaging."
" The 450s have a front-of-the-hall sound, and are all about definition. Their Image height is superb. They will play both very softly and very, very loudly without any compression. Micro- and macro-dynamics are spot on, and delicious on violin. Just listen to the DG SACD of Hilary Hahn playing The Lark Ascending. The sound is sweet, sophisticated, delicate, and accurate from forte to pianissimo."
" These speakers are very, very low in coloration if you choose your amp and ancillaries carefully."
" The 450s are for intelligent, dedicated audiophiles. If you want easy, no-brainer sound, try Sonus Faber, but you won't get this kind of heart-pounding definition. Though the highs and mids are top notch at the 450s' price point, and the imaging and detail are trend setting, the bass, though lean and fast, is just very good. This is a taste and design issue. These speakers may have the flattest response I've ever heard-they are even flatter than my Eidolons. I heard nary the slightest lump or bump at any frequency."
" The 7-inch drivers in the 450 didn't float my boat, but they blended so beautifully with the powerful Heil driver that I can't argue with their selection."
" I was fascinated by the way that the Heil drivers, which are of a true dipolar design, did not seem to produce any cancellation or reduction in imaging."
" With the right amp, the 450s are also smooth and layered, with a sound you hate to leave at evening's end."
" With live sources, the sound was you-are-there live. I felt like I was in the control room at the radio station, monitoring the performance. The ESS Connoisseur Series 450 loudspeakers are a lot of fun, and so extremely neutral that you hear into the performance. They produce extraordinary detail and imaging for speakers in their price class. Though relatively small, their dynamic range appears unlimited. Their build quality is excellent, and their performance in the mids and highs is startling."
" At their tweaked-out best, they are ultra-musical and precisely detailed. They require the best in front-end gear and solid-state amplification to come to life. Once they do, they are quite a ride. If you have the dough, and want to push the sonic envelope, the 450s are a solid recommendation."
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