When talking about these columns, it is, of course, impossible to do without historical digressions and nostalgic sighs. But what can you do if their creators quite consciously tried to evoke associations with the once famous Soviet S-90 speakers? In any case, no music lover over thirty will doubt this, looking at the unusual proportions of the body with speakers offset from the center and frequency response correction switches on the front panel. However, people are greeted by their clothes and seen off... in our case, of course, by their sound.
First, a few words about the historical source. Radiotehnika S-90 speakers were produced mainly at the Riga production association Radiotehnika from approximately the late 70s to the mid-90s of the last century. Among Soviet music lovers, who, in the overwhelming majority, did not have access to imported equipment, the speakers were extremely popular, although their sound, even by the standards of those times, was far from ideal.
Radiotehnika S-90 - historical ancestor and ideological inspirer of Old School Superb 90
However, many perceived this only as a reason for exciting experiments: they changed the speakers, wiring, recalculated filters and screwed in spikes. In a word, the S-90s were a real cult artifact of USSR audiophiles.
Rethinking the Past
The relic of Soviet times is related to the heroes of our today's testing primarily by geographical origin. Products under the Arslab brand, owned by our well-known company, are manufactured in Riga. In 2013, a full cycle of its own production was organized here for Arslab, the chief engineer and technical director of which, by the way, was Viktor Lagarpov, who had worked for a long time as the chief engineer of the Radiotehnika plant.
In piano lacquer, the speakers do not look so provocative, but no less impressive
However, the place of birth, characteristic details of the exterior and the number “90” in the name, the similarity of the two acoustic systems is essentially limited. Then the differences begin, and quite significant ones at that.
Firstly, unlike the bass reflex spiritual ancestor, Arslab Superb 90 are assembled in closed boxes. Accordingly, you can immediately forget about even remote similarities in the sound character, at least in the bass.
In the process of writing the material, news came that “Audiomania” is separating the Old School line of acoustics into a separate brand
The cases are voluminous, and in modern times, so to speak, non-format: such huge shelf-holders with a height of 65 centimeters. To position them at the optimal height, you will need low stands, like the 40cm Cold Ray C3. In addition to the speakers, the front panel has a large nameplate with a catchy orange “Old School” logo, as well as flip-flop switches for adjusting the frequency response at mid and high frequencies. By the way, looking ahead a little, I will say that, unlike a similar system in the Soviet S-90, in our case, a slight frequency correction (± 2 dB) has practically no effect on the character of the sound. Perhaps, only by raising the midrange can low female vocals sometimes seem a little less velvety.
The cases are rigid and durable, with excellent quality finish. There are three design options: matte black, black or orange varnish. The last option is clearly reserved for people who are emotionally bright and internally free. And, by the way, it will look simply luxurious in the appropriate interior. However, beauty requires sacrifice, in our case 25,500 rubles - this is exactly how much you will have to pay extra for a glossy case, regardless of color.
10" Wavecor driver with low self-resonance frequency
The system is three-way, and at first glance, the impressive ten-inch low-frequency driver attracts attention, which is interesting not only for its powerful dimensions, but also for its outstanding suspension, in every sense of the word. This is a long-throw woofer made by Wavecor, specially designed for closed acoustic design. Drivers for operation in a “closed box” are more difficult to manufacture and more expensive than their counterparts, since they must have the lowest possible self-resonance frequency.
A powerful suspension ensures a long stroke of the voice coil, and to prevent it from flying out of the magnetic field, a magnetic system with flanges extended forward is used
This particular head is also interesting because of its use of Balance Drive technology. Its essence lies in the use of a specially shaped magnetic system that maintains the stability of the magnetic field even with a significant displacement of the voice coil. The six-inch midrange driver is also from Wavecor, and the silk-dome horn tweeter is from Morel.
Arslab Old School Superb 90 Speaker Review: The Subjunctive Mood of Hi-Fi History
When developing the Arslab Old School Superb 90, speakers from the 80s were taken as a prototype - three-way speakers in a closed case. The result is very large bookshelf speakers that require strong stands. In addition to the extravagant dark orange finish, there are also black lacquer versions for the same price and a more affordable satin black option.
On the front panel, as a tribute to the past, there are switches that allow you to adjust the midrange and treble levels by +/-2 dB in 1 dB steps. Very few modern speakers that have similar frequency response controls have them on the rear panel. The body is very durable, sealed from the inside and reinforced with spacers; It is well made and neatly finished.
Switches for adjusting the frequency response in the mid- and high-frequency ranges
The lower and mid ranges of the Old School speakers are handled by Wavecor speakers, while the highs are generated by a horn-shaped soft dome tweeter manufactured by Morel.
The speakers are not demanding in terms of placement, but such giants still need to be provided with space. They form a large-scale music stage and, despite the significant width of the front panel, provide a large optimal listening area. According to our feelings, even speakers that have worked for many hours after a long break (a day or more) need another 15 minutes to warm up.
The sound has a slight brightness; Reducing the HF level using a regulator in our room seemed to us to be too crude a tool - the fine nuances deteriorated, and the air evaporated from the music scene. But the use of the Tchernov Cable led to the desired result - softer highs and a pleasant richness of sound.
The transparency, detail and dynamics of these speakers are quite modern, and considering the price, they are simply excellent. Jazz arrangements of classic CD Jacques Loussier Trio Bach The Brandenburgs sound exciting and rhythmic; The parts of each instrument are easily traced, and they form a coherent ensemble. The percussion is airy and light, the voice of the double bass is voluminous and rich, and the movements of the musician’s fingers along the fretboard are perfectly audible.
Soft dome tweeter housed in horn
50 Cent's rap from The Massacre is clearly articulated; the lead singer and his backing band occupy their assigned places in a multifaceted composition.
Large shapes also work well with these “old school” Arslabs. P. I. Tchaikovsky's Fourth Symphony is performed with the proper scope, rapid rises in volume and excellent microdynamics. And they only slightly lack accuracy in conveying the complex timbre pattern of the orchestra's violin section.
The developers of Old School themselves remembered their youth and made us happy - science fiction fans may even think of an analogy with popular stories about “misfits.” It’s unlikely that this is the beginning of a new fashion for speakers, but if you want to shake off the old days, or the design of your living room correlates with such a speaker solution, then there is no doubt about the sound quality of these unusual Arslabs - it is at a high modern level.
Price: $2000
For: Retro style; quality of workmanship and finishing; large-scale and dynamic sound with high transparency and detail; excellent focus and scene
Cons: Bright, requires system selection
Verdict: If you like the design, don't doubt the modern performance of these speakers
The language of numbers
- Type: Shelf, three-way in a closed case
- Speakers, diameter: Tweeter with horn – 9.4 cm; MF – 16.8 cm; LF – 27 cm
- Sensitivity:86dB
- Frequency range: 40 Hz–25 kHz
- Resistance:4 ohm
- Power:25-200W
- Dual cable connection:No
- Dimensions (H×W×D):65×34×40 cm
- Finish options:3
Double bass potential
I started listening, of course, with tracks from the early 90s, namely “Matters of the Heart” by Tracy Chapman. Tracy's calm vocals, filled with very specific overtones, sounded surprisingly flexible and balanced. At the same time, there was not a trace of cotton softness in it, which was confirmed by the strings of her guitar - the vibrations of each of them were perceived completely clearly and not blurred. Maybe even a little emphasized. However, the reproduction as a whole seemed remarkably monolithic, harmonious and surprisingly open. This feeling occurs much more often when listening to vinyl on a high-end path than when communicating with a CD.
The midrange driver is equipped with a phase-leveling body, colloquially - a bullet
Another striking sensation is the luxurious performance in the bass range. To deal with the lows properly, I’ll use Christian McBride, since nothing, perhaps, will reveal the potential of a closed box better than a well-recorded double bass. The bass of the representatives of the old school turned out to be very impressive, and for acoustics in their price group, I would venture to say, exemplary. Fast attacks are practiced without the slightest loss of dynamics, and the complex timbral structure of the musical material is not simplified. The bass is dense, specific, but at the same time does not try to compete with other frequency components - there is exactly as much of it as there should be. The impressiveness and accuracy of low frequencies is especially felt on club tracks, in which the abundance of bass creates not only the danger of not pumping it up, but also the risk of choking in viscous masses of inarticulate humming. In our case, even at impressive volumes, the low frequencies remain under complete control.
The action of frequency response correctors is much less radical and linear than shown in the figures next to them, but the principle of operation is immediately clear to everyone
Now about the sound in general. Horn tweeters do not have a characteristic color, and I would not call the horizontal polar pattern narrowed. However, in order to achieve the correct construction of the music scene, it is worth working with the orientation of the speakers in space. Even if the speakers are not turned towards the listener, the soft domes produce a sound that is quite bright for silk, but the rotation of the acoustic axes noticeably affects the positioning and scale of the elements of the sound space.
High sensitivity
Judging by the name, the subject of today's review is a modification of the Classic One speakers, and the “HS” index stands for High Sensitivity, that is, “High Sensitivity”. It would seem that both systems should be closely related, but do not rush to conclusions. Namesakes and namesakes are not twins yet. For example, the Soyuz-2.1b and Soyuz-2.1v launch vehicles are designed for completely different tasks, are equipped with different engines and are not even similar in appearance.
With Classic One, the story is not so paradoxical, but somewhat similar. The cases of both models are identical in size, their facades are made in a recognizable corporate color, and the side panels are decorated with high-quality veneer. And yet, one can only confuse one acoustic system with another in complete darkness.
And how could it be otherwise, if the Classic One HS uses completely different speakers, and even the acoustic design of the “namesake” cabinets is different? However, first things first.
Lamp vs transistor
To complete the picture, it was decided to replace the Octave V 80 SE with a completely different German - the 200-watt transistor integrated circuit T+A PA 2000. Both devices are not inferior to each other in either authority or breed, and it was all the more interesting to feel the consequences of converting the Classic One HS to solid state gain. And the consequences were not long in coming. The bass has noticeably thickened and concentrated, that is, from a refined jazz sound it has become more of a driving rocker. The highs sounded even more dynamic and, I would say, somewhat more brutal. Their resolution, most likely, has not decreased, but the slightest sophistication in the sound has given way to a carefully calibrated, but dense, sparkling pressure - you immediately wanted to put on Metallica or Stevie Ray Vaughan.
Such a wonderful transformation. And it is curious not so much because with transistor amplification the speakers played more densely and energetically, but because in both cases they managed to maintain a sense of style, purity of timbres and impressive spatial characteristics.
But still... If I were to listen to these speakers at home, I would not hesitate to opt for good tube amplification. Such a tandem can reveal too refined sound matters. Well, lovers of overflowing energy should take a closer look at the same model without the HS index. However, this is a completely different story.
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Quality and reliability of audio video equipment
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You can give several examples of specific audio and video equipment that you will be happy to purchase at Audiomania:
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