Review

Equinox Complete Review - High Fidelity - Denmark

01 May 2003

Sand In Sahara

It is brave to import loudspeakers from such a far away country as Australia, when you live in Scandinavia – the loudspeaker Mecca.

Next year the Australian loudspeaker factory, “Krix Speaker Systems” is 30 years old. As so many others, the firm started in a garage and has gradually grown larger and larger. As well as loudspeakers for home use, the company deliver sound to cinemas. Today the company is called Krix Loudspeakers Pty Ltd. The catalogue offers loudspeakers at all prices and sizes, and there is also three active subwoofers. The company has won quite a few prizes and awards, and you can read more on www.krix.com.au/.

Krix Equinox

We have chosen to test the Krix Equinox, a so called bookshelf model. It concerns a two-way bass reflex system in a modest cabinet size, with the front being smaller than an A4 sheet of paper. In the firms history, the name Equinox figures as early as 1994, but we presume that here we speak of an updated model. The actual cabinet is made in 17mm MDF that is veneered on both sides! Outside our sample was veneered in a light Beech, but other timbers are also possible. The finish is attractive, without being showy. The screw in the back is for a mounting plate that is available as an extra. The bottom half of the box is muted by a piece of ‘U’ shaped foam.

The Engine Room

It is not immediately possible to identify the two drive units, apart from the treble that bears the Krix logo, there is only some ‘type’ numbers that don’t reveal anything. The treble is a 1” soft dome with plastic molding and a shielded magnet. It appears a bit cheap. The bass driver appears a bit more exclusive. The chassis is in cast magnesium and the membrane is only 10cm in diameter. There is a large magnet, which is also shielded. The filter is mounted directly on to the terminal plate and is a 3rd order slope.

The do it yourself builder would cross himself over the quality of the components, but a closer inspection shows there is a very sensible connection between price and sound quality. The crossover point is 1.9kHz, and when we received the loudspeakers, we were told they had played about 20 hours. To this we have added another 100+ hours. We placed them on a couple very heavy stands from Audio Magic, approximately 65cm high.

Reverse Polarity?

We puzzled over the sound at the start. All cables and plugs had been checked and all were connected properly. Then we tried the battery test. The bass driver moved forward as it should, but it still sounded as if the polarity was turned around. We tried to swap over positive and negative on the input terminals, and we preferred this sound, despite the battery test showing that now the polarity was turned around the wrong way. The mystery however was solved. Today some of the learned are still discussing if one should reverse polarity for the treble when one uses a 3rd order filter.

This is what Krix have chosen to do, which is why we understood it as if the phase was turned around. The test was completed with the speaker in reverse polarity, and it is always easy (and free) to try both methods, but we preferred the reverse polarity in this instance as per the manufacturers specifications.

Placement

We experimented a fair bit with arrangement of these loudspeakers and it turned out that the old theories didn’t quite hold. We tried all distances from the back wall, from 2cm up to over 1 metre. Actually there was relatively little difference on the bass level in the different placements. Whether that’s due to the rear ports contribution, (and therefore the level in the deep end all up) we think is relatively modest shall we say. It is very clearly a huge advantage – for sound and domestic peace, when one has so relatively few spaces to place one’s loudspeakers.

We did end up placing them ½ a metre from the back wall and 1½ metres from the sidewalls, this gave the best stereo perspective. We also ended up with a modest angle towards the listening position and with the front grilles placed in the cardboard box the loudspeakers came in. It is very clear that this loudspeaker is very easy to live with, it has a very crisp and pleasant sound. As a warm up, we played all of Claptons “Unplugged” CD (some readers might noticed that some of us have a weakness for acoustic guitar?). Here there wasn’t much to complain about in comparison to monster loudspeakers that we listen to daily. The sound is large and open, and the many overtones from percussion and guitars were lively and engaging.

Big Sound

We know well that we written before about small loudspeakers with a large sound. The Equinox still amaze. They deliver a very large sound picture, it never gets hard, and there is plenty of airiness and detail. We had to listen yet again to “Bye bye Blackbird” with Alex Riel from Reference CD No. 56. You just get a floating and weightless reproduction in the top end and at the same time they lay a solid bass response. The whole sound is very impressive and realistic. It is really something one has to experience to understand it.

It stands clear however, that even Australians must follow the laws of physics. Even then it’s as if they cheat a bit. The bass works deep and firm, maybe because the loudspeakers brutally cut everything away under approximately 50Hz. Even in a relatively large room, there is plenty of bass and sound pressure up around the 105dB.

It was actually only when we put the soundtrack from Mulholland Drive on, that we got them into a bit of difficulty. Here we find some deep discharges a la those from Titanic. These could get the membranes to flap and move violently, but then is was very high. If one keeps to rooms of a maximum 20-25 square metres, and more traditional music the bass response is fine and of a suitable level. It’s only in direct comparisons with larger floorstanding loudspeakers that go down to around 20Hz that one really misses anything. The loudspeakers have definite qualities to be used with high quality subwoofers.

We have tried all sorts of music, and it’s special virtues come to the fore on acoustic music. It is very good to communicate moods and instrument locations. Now it would be only a few that buy a loudspeaker of this size to listen to hard rock or disco music. We will naturally not try to make people believe that this is its strong side. Give them some harpsichord or acoustic guitar and they are a fish IN water.

We have put many music pieces through the Equinoxes, and it has been a pleasure to dig through heaps to find some acoustic delicacies in the collection. The word crispy comes to mind when they deliver the goods, lively and natural. Several times the above mentioned CD No. 56 was allowed to play the classical part right through. One couldn’t bear to stop the pleasant atmosphere. Music pleasure is the number one priority.

Conclusion

After some months with the Krix Equinox, we don’t believe it rash to import loudspeakers from Australia to Scandinavia. Despite the large competition from the locals, here is a really fine loudspeaker that stands out from the masses. We have rarely heard a loudspeaker that to this extent, belies itself to be larger than it really is. Here we really have access to something that looks high end, without making enemies of the family or the bank.

In rooms of 20-25 square metres or under it will really cover the need a large sound for most people. They deliver a soundwave a bit over 100dB in spite of their small 10cm bass driver. All in all the Equinox are very easy to live with, and that’s what we have in mind to continue with. So with the Equinox there is now a second pair of loudspeakers in the house.

- High Fidelity - Denmark , Johnny Sørensen

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