Review

Symphonix Complete Review - Audio & Video Lifestyle - Australia

01 Sep 2002

Since 1974 Krix has been making loudspeakers from their home base in South Australia. Originally starting out in the garage of founder Scott Krix, R&D and full production is now in a large modern complex with over 20 employees. If Krix had merely survived in the tough marketplace since 1974 we could conclude that Krix must have been doing something right. However, Krix has done more than just survive, it has thrived.

For several years now it has produced a successful line of domestic loudspeakers that have found favour both here and in several countries overseas. This alone would establish the company as a highly esteemed and successful Australian manufacturer. On top of this, though, is its highly successful Cinema speaker division.

There are very few speaker companies that can boast success in the professional as well as domestic market. Cinemas all over the world have been choosing Krix professional speakers, so much so that Krix has now installed its speaker systems in more than 1200 movie theatres worldwide. In 1999 alone it kitted-out 36 theatres across the USA with Krix speakers.

Thus we come to this, a review of the first new Krix domestic loudspeaker for some time. Krix tends to only introduce new models to its range when it feels it is necessary and not just as a marketing ploy. Called the Symphonix, the new model slots in beneath the larger Euphonix model in the company’s extensive range. The floorstanding speaker around a metre high. It can be used with the existing Krix centre and rear speakers if you would like a matched set for home theatre use. It is a handsomely dressed loudspeaker available in a choice of real woods that include Jarrah, black and Beech (the latter carrying a $200 additional price-tag).

The speakers’ overall build quality is very high. More and more, Australian speakers are becoming even more competitive when compared with many of the imported brands that are finished in ‘glorious vinyl’. in fact, I know of one particular imported brand that at a $4,000 asking price is still finished in vinyl.

Australia’s access to a reliable supply of good woods really works in the favour of local manufacturers. A pair of gold speaker terminals that accept banana plugs are found halfway up the back of the loudspeakers’ rear panel. Krix imports its high quality Vifa drivers from Europe.

The Symphonix is a 2-way speaker with two 165mm bass/mid drivers and a single 25mm silk tweeter arranged in D’Apollito fashion (the tweeter positioned between both woofers). The tweeter enjoys some mild horn loading which would improve sensitivity. The Symphonix is a nominal 4 ohm design but its sensitive nature (92dB) means that it should not be a tough load for any competent amplifier. The speaker has a single large port at the rear. Below the port is a chamber that can be filled with lead shot or sand if desired. A word of warning though – never use beach sand or nasty things will happen! Kiln-dried sand is available through your local hardware store in various sized packs.

Krix has used a first order crossover set at 3kHz in the Symphonix. For the uninitiated the crossover is the device that splits the sound between the drivers so the highs go to the tweeter and the lows to the woofer. First order crossovers have only a gentle 6dB per octave response roll-off from that 3kHz frequency, thus the drivers can still be operating fairly strongly well beyond their normal frequency range. This minimises phase problems and ensures a smooth transition from bass to treble but such first order crossovers do require high quality drivers to work effectively outside their normal operating range.

Krix mention in the printed material that was supplied with these speakers that the Symphonix pair are intended to be placed relatively near the rear wall as they found that very few people have their speakers, the often suggested one metre or so out from the rear wall required for optimal imaging. Positioned closer to the wall they will also benefit from boundary gain – the increase in bass response that occurs when speakers are placed near a solid wall.

I placed the speakers just under a metre from the rear wall and a couple of metres apart with the speakers toed slightly inwards. The listening position was about three metres from the speakers. I always start listening sessions by checking out how well a speaker creates a stereo image. It became evident pretty soon that these speakers had no problems here. Imaging was of a very high standard. Playing my favorite track for this – Mighty Sam McClain’s Too Proud from the Audioquest CD BluesMasters compilation – I could virtually see Sam’s mustache moving as he sang.

I also listened to some Brazil 66 and film sourced orchestral music and enjoyed a wide expansive soundstage. Indicative of good quality and well-matched drivers, the images produced by these speakers never failed to impress. I ran the gamut of my usual high frequency test discs for the Symphonix. The tweeter performed well without drawing special attention to itself in any way. There are some speakers on the market that sound very forward or aggressive in the treble. This speaker is not one of them. A bright super detailed sound may appeal to some but many, in the long run, will find it fatiguing, particularly in more reflective rooms. This is not to say that the treble was laid back – for when I played the demanding and harsh high frequencies found in the ‘shower’ scene at the start of Blade, I got all the piercing detail I could tolerate. Lets just say the treble appears as a smooth continuation of the upper midrange, not as separate entity with its own mannerisms.

Midrange performance also was cohesive and possessed a seamless blend into both its frequency extremes. There is not much to be said about the midrange. It was quite neutral in character and responded to transients well. I have heard faster responses from other moving coil loudspeakers. When I listened to the castanets on track one of Tonos Humanos from the 17th Century composer Jose Marin (on the Alia Vox label) they did not have quite the snap that I know is contained in the recording. Typically however, traits such as lightening fast response times which yield excellent transient attack, tend to be found from more exotic drivers at far higher price points.

For a $2,000 floorstanding loudspeaker the bass response of the Symphonix was very impressive. The overwhelming characteristics were its evenhandedness over the lower octaves and of the tightness of its response. I have heard speakers with more bass for $2000 but very few that possessed bass with such quality.

At one stage during The Haunting on DVD I got up from the couch and went over to double-check that my subwoofer was still switched off, after the Symphonix had rumbled through a passage with impressive power. It should be noted that I have a subwoofer with an 18-inch (457mm) driver and it is not everyday that a speaker can mislead me into double-checking it the way the Symphonix did. The bass response had plenty of energy for symphonic music as well. Fed the Infernal Dance Of King Kastchei from Stravinsky’s The Firebird on an excellent Telarc recording, the woofers sprung to life with great but controlled gusto. The large bass drum used by the orchestra contains most of its punch in the low 40Hz area – well within the frequency range of the Symphonix.

Dynamics were very good for a speaker of this quality and price. I watched Dungeons & Dragons at reference volume without any protest at all from the woofers. The crash landing of the spaceship in Pitch Black went though fine, as did the first appearance of the Devil in End of Days although at reference level there was noticeable strain. Only during the most demanding moments during The Haunting at reference level did the drivers really complain. This is not a terrible thing – for most other speakers don’t like that film either.

It is possible to buy cheap ‘banger-box’ style speakers with slightly better power handling than the Symphonix, however they won’t sound as musical, be as well built or as enjoyable to listen to as the Krix Symphonix pair. If you want the extra power handling and the Krix high standard of sound quality then you should probably check out the larger Euphonix speakers.

My overall impressions of this just released Krix loudspeaker model are of the smoothness of its response and the well-integrated nature of its sound, its high quality of construction and finish and its sheer ‘listenability’. I never felt fatigued listening to them. The Krix Symphonix is a very strong contender in the competitive $2000 price point.

Rating:

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

- Audio & Video Lifestyle - Australia , Gavin Womersley

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