Review

Lyrix Complete Review - Audio & Video Lifestyle - Australia

01 Oct 1998

All of Krix loudspeakers have a couple of things in common. For one, their model names end in ‘ix’ and secondly, all share an inherent knack of producing great sound quality. Here we have the Lyrix, a mid-priced, general-purpose floorstander, designed with both music and audio visual applications in mind.

Based in South Australia, Krix has been in the business of loudspeaker manufacturing since 1974, nurturing the local speaker scene as well as expanding into Asian markets. The name has become one of the better known and respected of all Australian loudspeakers, developing home-grown speakers of such quality that hold their own against more expensive imports.

This ‘new’ loudspeaker system from Krix will undoubtedly be familiar with many Audio & Video Lifestyle magazine readers as it was first introduced some six years ago. In its original form, the Lyrix received the AVL Audition treatment in issue Vol.2 No.9, going on to become a recipient of the Audio & Video Lifestyle Best Buy Awards winners’ certificate in the super competitive loudspeaker category.

Although not designated a ‘MkII’, ‘Special Edition’, ‘Improved’ or other such addition to the badge, the ‘new’ Lyrix is very much a speaker for today, and is a stand-up start to become a hit all over again with loudspeaker buyers who are looking for performance, style, sophistication, value for money and the ‘Australian Made’ swing-tag.

The Lyrix is a tall, elegant looking floorstander, especially resplendent in a real wood Jarrah finish, as our review sample came, with black and oak wood finishes also available. For the adventurous, piano black and white high gloss lacquered liveries are obtainable. The usual high quality Krix craftsmanship is evident giving the Lyrix the once over.

All four sides of the speaker are almost fully covered by real timber, and the joins are seamless. Removing the front grilles reveals a twin bass/mid driver arrangement with a mid-mount tweeter, all surrounded by sumptuous veneer. Looks, as they say, aren’t everything, though they most definitely help. The Lyrix aesthetics are deliberate to appeal and blend visually in any living room, something they have no problem in doing.

Apart form being attractive, the Lyrix sound darn good too. The initial sonic impression the Lyrix paint, is one of seemingly fathomless bass. Straight out of the box, and the bottom end response from the speaker is noticeably overblown. A little patience, and running in, is well rewarded, tightening up the lower notes considerably.

The bass content, as we’re on the subject, is never lacking from the Lyrix. No matter what the music or even when the volume is low, the speakers consistently sound rich and substantial. A number of design factors are responsible, namely the twin bass driver complement, a reasonably high internal 40 litre volume and large rear-firing bass reflex port. The latter contributes greatly to optimum positioning of the Lyrix, and it pays to experiment in your own living room.

Krix supplies a useful operation guide with all of its loudspeakers, giving tips on amplifier matching, speaker power ratings and placement. It recommends the Lyrix are no closer that 100mm from the wall. I would triple that, at least. A good couple of feet is where the Lyrix sound best balanced, combining a good match of bass weight and front to back stereo depth. The greater the latter, the more three dimensional music sounds. With a bit of playing around, the Lyrix can combine deep, powerful bass with plenty of scale and presence. It’s tight and tuneful bass, weighty yet not overpowering.

Rock, dance or techno fans will love the Lyrix, simply because it lends such substance to the music. Classical or jazz lovers will appreciate the Lyrix sense of timing, delivering the goods exactly when it counts, be it a full orchestral crescendo, or a more intimate solo instrument performance.

A little further up the musical spectrum, the Lyrix lend the same quality to the midrange. Vocals in particular sound natural and unforced, even female operatic vocals are handled impressively. There’s no hint of harshness, which can so often creep into the music, instead, the Lyrix open up nicely in this area, displaying good detail and likeable warmth. The soft dome tweeter and crossover used in the Lyrix produce a very sweet and natural treble, resulting in a very easy-on-the-ear top end response.

Brightness is not a word that you’ll find in the Lyrix vocabulary, they deliver an impressive tonal balance with plenty of detail and presence, but never in excess. The scale and impact of the sound is something the Lyrix delivers without reservation.

The speakers are a nice size, slim and will fit in a variety of listening rooms. Even larger rooms won’t present any problem for the Lyrix, they are capable of fairly high sound pressure levels and can really fill some acoustic space. A high sensitivity of 92dB and low 4 ohm impedance is a major contributing factor to the speakers’ ease of driving. Pretty much all of today’s amplifiers can cope with a 4 ohm load, and Krix recommend amplifier power between 20 and 100 watts per channel. I tested the Krix with a couple of different amplifiers, ranging in power between 30 and 50 watts, and even the modestly powered Denon 30 ‘watter’ didn’t have to be pushed too far before the Lyrix sprang into life.

Music isn’t the Lyrix’s only forte, as I mentioned earlier, these speakers were designed with a dual purpose in mind. As the main front stereo loudspeakers in a home cinema system, the Lyrix’s generous bass, large soundstage and ease of driving make them an ideal choice in a multi-speaker system. Krix produces a range of home cinema loudspeakers as well as products for the commercial cinema market, so it knows what’s needed when recreating the cinematic sound experience at home.

Hooked up to my Harmon Kardon AVI-10 Pro Logic amp, the Lyrix fitted in comfortably in their surround sound role.

The main job of any front stereo pair is to deliver the ‘guts’ of a surround soundtrack. That means bass weight, front soundstaging, and to recreate the sense of scale and impact from film soundtracks. All of these qualities are well covered by the Lyrix, which coped just as well with loud all-action movies as they do delivering ambience and subtler effects during films’ quieter moments.

When it comes to hooking-up the Lyrix to your amplifier, gold-plated bi-wireable binding posts adorn the rear of the speakers. It’s definitely worth your while investing in a couple of lengths of good quality speaker cable to do the job. Removing the gold bridging brackets allows the Lyrix to be driven in bi-wired mode and the speakers definitely sound their best with even greater openness and detail than running the speakers in single wire mode. The supplied carpet-piercing spikes provide the speaker with an effective means of dumping any unwanted resonance via a base plinth and should also be fitted to achieve maximum sonic results.

The Lyrix comes in at a hotly contested area of the market. The sub-$2,000 price point contains a lot of loudspeaker competition, though the Lyrix more than holds its own in all respects. And when it comes to build quality there are few manufacturers that can match the craftsmanship of all Krix loudspeakers.

At $1,399.00 a pair, the Lyrix represents something of a bargain and it’s not surprising that the model has won a few industry awards for Krix since the original Lyrix’s introduction in 1991, including the aforement AVL Best Buy Awards. Even after almost seven years, and now in its revised form, the Lyrix is still a highly competitive speaker, and proves to be bang up to date for use in a total home cinema system, or as a conventional, stand alone stereo pair.

The beauty of this loudspeaker is its compatibility with a wide range and quality of systems. It’s the sort of speaker you could quite happily put on the end of a budget Pro Logic system, or higher quality collection of separates. Factor this in wit great build, looks and value, and it’s not hard to work out why the Lyrix has proven so popular and continues to do so.

Rating:

Performance - * * * *
Build Quality - * * * * *
Compatibility - * * * * ½
Value for Money - * * * *

- Audio & Video Lifestyle - Australia , Sian O'Neale

Back to previous page