X-bit labs

Hi-End HiVi Swans S200A Stereo System Review: Elegance of a Piano (page 7)

Category: Multimedia

by Sergey Samarin

[ 04/24/2007 | 05:57 PM ]

Conclusion

Purchasing high-quality acoustic systems is a very complicated task, that if successfully accomplished may bring the owner to a completely new lifestyle level. In fact, most of us start caring about Hi-End when something significant happens in our lives, when we buy a house or a prestigious apartment, when we get a pet, a luxurious leather sofa, huge TV-set and other attributes of successful life. And equipping the office usually gets down to buying a powerful computer system that would fit perfectly into some designer vision for the room.

The acoustic system we have just discussed in our article is probably an ideal of designer art and features all external attributes of the high-end piece of equipment. I can’t help mentioning excellent construction and high-quality finish of it. But, the looks is not all you need from a system like that.

Our audio experts agreed that Swans S200A needs a different tweeter and hence new crossover design. It would also be good to at least double the phase-inverter diameter and change its setting to 60Hz. This will reduce acoustic noise from the phase-inverter and make the bass sound more vivid. At the same time, the bottom frequency level will get a little higher.

Judging by the results of our tests and the positioning of the system as High-End we have to admit that its sound quality can be characterized as average. Hopefully, some of the suggestions we made here will help the manufacturer improve their solution.

Highs:

• High-quality system design;
• High-quality finish;
• Excellent woofer for its class;
• Balance Outs.

Lows:

• Noticeable amplitude-frequency characteristic drop caused by not the most optimal tweeter;
• Distortions during work at claimed output power caused by too small phase-inverter;
• Resonance at 300Hz (most likely because of no acoustic insulation with sound-absorbing material).