Well...fast forward three weeks and the Mythos experiment in high quality 2 channel stereo is now part of my never ending Audio chapters. May it give countless hours of enjoyment to the new owner of the Definitive sound which I found to be very good as well in 2 channel application given its minuscule size.
a new suspect arrives un-announced...Woke up last Sunday, opened PDVD and saw a model that I had the chance to listen to 6 years ago in the US. The one that I listened to back then in the US was priced way out of my league not to mention that the size will be costly to ship back here but the sound of its Hybrid set up utilizing a ribbon tweeter and a suite of Aluminum Drivers to match the exceptional speed of the ribbons and graced with an easy 93db @ 4ohm load to the amp made me want to own one someday.......that day came out of nowhere. The Bohlender Graebners are here now in my room.
Just a primer on these unique and somewhat rare birds...it is made by a company that specializes in Planar and Ribbon designs. Bohlender Graebner are still in business today and makes uber high end speakers for HT and Audio. The X3 which is what I got was once upon a time subcontracted.....
Here in the Philippines!. As per sources Dai-Ichi got the nod to manufacture the units in very limited numbers back in the mid to late 2000's and there was a time that they let go of export over runs in the local market. Some say its only 15 pairs that they sold locally...some say 20 pairs. We will never know now how many they made prior to Bohlender moving their assembly plant to China but not seeing one in Hifi stores here in Manila and not one being advertised for sale for years on end probably means that the numbers sold here is probably right. This may be one of the very few.
A review back then used in a 2 channel audio system:
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_8_3/bohlender-graebener-radia-x3-speakers-8-2001.htmlFans of the dome tweeter set up may It be made of whatever material will find the sound somewhat recessed at the top end but the soundstage width it projects beats it by a country mile. It presents music in a very relaxing manner and is non fatiguing. Tube friendly as well due to its very easy to drive load. Physically it's tall and its build quality exudes top quality with its aluminum pillars integrated to the cabinets and metal mesh grilles to protect the unique and ultra fast drivers. It is heavy and the finish is quite good with its veneer though not as good as the Castle.
Currently the drawbacks that I noticed is the lack of low end but again that isn't a problem since the REL is there to help even things out. The highs may not be for everyone specially those who are accustomed already to listening uber detailed with extended high speakers but in hindsight and in my experience presentations that offer razor sharp definition sometimes results in fatigue. this one for me does not even if I listen to it for 5 hours straight. Another drawback is that this speaker requires you to sit and pay attention when its singing....meaning the on axis response (when positioned optimally) degrades as soon as you stand up. my bet is that the design of the tweeter contributes to this greatly. This speaker is a love it or hate it kind of love affair and in all honesty we are just getting to know each other.
To cut the long story short here it's is now. Proudly Philippine made: The Bohlender Graebner Radia X-3's. hope you like it guys...comments whether positive or negative are welcome. additional information re these speaker models are most welcome as well.
