jmr twins iii speaker review collection

Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mk.III loudspeaker

Robert J. Reina, June, 2004

I love dealing with the colorful characters of high-end audio. One such individual is Victor (Veekh-tor) Goldstein, who has distributed high-quality European audio gear from his New York City headquarters, Fanfare International, for 23 years. A nuclear engineer by training, Goldstein transitioned into audio when the Three Mile Island incident reduced the demand for his services. (I guess he felt his skills were transferable to single-ended triode amplifiers.) Most of all, Goldstein is a passionate lover of music with a vinyl collection that numbers well into five figures, and a fixture at many of the significant classical performances at New York's major concert halls.

But Victor Goldstein is best known for his unique personality—he is a passionate, high-energy man who speaks in a distinctive Romanian accent and makes unique choices of words. Before our Michael Fremer was a famous audio writer, he made his living as a standup comic, and his impersonations of Goldstein are legendary. He'll walk into a room at a Consumer Electronics Show and, inserting his own words for Goldstein's, launch into an unprovoked tirade: "I must tell you! The realism is such that you will feel as if Joni Mitchell is reaching over to you and unbuttoning your shirt as you listen! It's un-be-livv-able!" Fremer's performances became so notorious that I once witnessed Goldstein doing an impersonation of Fremer impersonating Goldstein. Kinda like listening to a third-generation cassette recording.

Goldstein's enthusiasm never lets up. I was returning from a Las Vegas CES on the 1am red-eye, exhausted and debilitated, when I spotted Goldstein at the gate. I was cordial, but gave him a look that distinctly said, "I'm really burned out and don't feel like chatting, okay?" He smiled, reached into his carryon, whipped out an obscure single-ended triode tube amp he was about to distribute, and launched into an impassioned and lengthy sales pitch.

I am most impressed by Goldstein's ear. I've been in listening sessions where, on hearing a particular recording for the first time, he has accurately identified the shape, size, and acoustic of the concert hall. He has personally turned me on to excellent gear from several European high-end firms, including France's Metronome, Germany's Audio Valve, and Italy's Lector. At audio shows over the last 20 years, whenever I've encountered a Fanfare International room introducing a new product to the US, the product has always had the following characteristics: 1) it was a brand unfamiliar to me; 2) it sounded musical, natural, and involving; and 3) it sounded more expensive than its US retail price would indicate.

The Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mk.III loudspeaker shares those Fanfare-distributed product characteristics. When David Nemzer, of New York's Audiophile Society, raved to me a while back about the favorable reaction his club (a tough bunch) had to Goldstein's demonstration

of Jean-Marie Reynaud's Trente floorstander ($2995/pair), I immediately phoned Victor Goldstein to inquire about the possible existence of an entry-level Reynaud model. He answered the phone: "Yes, Your Majesty." (Manufacturers have pet names for reviewers. One manufacturer calls me "F*cking Moron.") When he informed me that Reynaud manufactures a $1000/pair bookshelf speaker, the Twin Mk.III, I was hot to trot.

I must tell you... Although relatively new to America, Jean-Marie Reynaud has been designing and manufacturing high-end speakers in France since 1967. The Twin Mk.III is the entry-level product in Reynaud's line, which features 10 models, the top one listing for $7950/pair. The two-way, front-port-loaded, transmission-line Twin has an usual configuration: its tweeter is located below its woofer. The Twin's transmission-line cabinet is finished in an attractive double-faced beech veneer with rounded baffle edges to optimize dispersion,

The 1.2", fabric-dome tweeter has a neodymium-boron magnet with a front waveguide to optimize lateral directivity. The woofer uses a 6.7" paper cone of short fibers filmed with PVC, with a natural rubber surround. The woofer is unusual in that it uses a double voice-coil. Each of which is driven separately, which is why the two-driver Twin Mk.III is specified as having a three-way crossover. According to designer Jean-Marie Reynaud, "the two moving coils are wound on the same mandrel but isolated from each other. We apply to the first moving coil a signal with a low-pass frequency of 900Hz and the second with a low-pass frequency of 4.8kHz. Thus we have good energy in the low part of the spectrum, the two coils working together in parallel configuration. Of course, the crossover is specially designed to avoid phase problems."

I biwired the Twins, and my one peeve about the speaker is that two pairs of binding posts are unmarked. I use Acarian Systems Black Orpheus biwire speaker cable, which has two different thicknesses of wire, so I need to know which is which. When I removed the rear of the cabinet and traced the wires, I discovered that the bass binding post was the bottom one—the opposite of what I would have thought, given the positions of the Twin's drivers.

I used my trusty 24" Celestion Si stands, loaded with sand and lead shot, for all my listening, and mostly left the grillecloths off. There was a very slight improvement in detail resolution with the grilles off, and no change in tonal balance. With the grilles on, however, I found the Twin Mk.III rather attractive-looking.

The sound was... I was immediately struck by the Twin's lack of coloration in the upper midrange and its extraordinary ability to resolve details in this region, which gave a startling holographic realism to vocal recordings. Crosby, Stills & Nash's eponymous debut album (LP, Atlantic/Classic 78220) was incredibly involving, the three voices layered in rich, lush sonic holography. With such vocal recordings—and more with male than with female voices—I noticed that there was a slight reticence or politeness in the lower midrange that, while not a thinness or a coloration, biased the vocal presentation more toward the middle and upper middle frequencies. This was also evident on classical chamber works with significant woodwind content: The lower clarinet passages of Kohjiba's Transmigration of the Soul, from Festival (CD, Stereophile STPH007-2), seemed a bit thin.

Vocal recordings were also impressive because of the Twin's extended, pristine, and uncolored high-frequency presentation. The low-level transient articulation of Janis Ian's voice on Breaking Silence (LP/CD, Analogue Productions CAPP 027) made it very easy to discern the subtleties of Ian's diction—even the position of her vocal mike—as sibilants were as natural as I've heard from any affordable speaker. I'll wager the Twin Mk.III has an unusually sophisticated tweeter for its price.

John Atkinson's recording of the Jerome Harris Quintet playing Duke Ellington's "The Mooche," on Editor's Choice (CD, Stereophile STPH016-2), showed off the Twin Mk.III's high-frequency articulation. The vibraphone is the acid test for tweeter resolution, articulation, and naturalness. With respect to tonal balance, transient articulation and decay, and low-level

dynamic shadings, I'd never heard more naturally recorded vibes than when I listened to Steve Nelson on this track through the Reynauds. Moreover, the articulation of all percussion was so realistic that I could tell where on the ride cymbal Billy Drummond's stick was landing at all times. On the Kohjiba track, the flute was more extended and airy, and the upper register more realistic, than I would have expected from a speaker in this price range.

All was not perfect with the Twin Mk.III's high frequencies, however. The very extreme highs seemed tipped up ever so slightly. This characteristic, combined with the slightly reticent lower midrange, called my attention to the highs on well-recorded acoustic works. That natural-sounding flute on the Kohjiba composition was noticeably spitty during the higher passages. During the louder passages of this work, what I believe is the sound of the chamber orchestra overdriving the hall manifested itself as a bit of a glare through the Twin Mk.III.

This balance shift was also noticeable on George Crumb's Quest (CD, Bridge 9069). The louder woodwind passages seemed a bit "hooty," and even the upper register of the string bass seemed to emphasize the instrument's upper harmonics.

I don't mean to imply, however, that the Reynaud Twin will sound fatiguing or bright with less than well-recorded works. In fact, I found the speaker to be equally realistic and involving in a home-theater system, even when playing some overly bright DVDs. I used the Twin Mk.IIIs as my reference home theater speakers for several weeks, and was in no rush to replace them with my $12,000/pair—the sound of the Reynauds was "good enough."

The Twin's mid- and upper-bass performance was also impressive. On every recording, whether acoustic or electronic, these adjectives consistently appeared in my listening notes describing the speaker's midbass: "extended, quick, dynamic, natural, uncolored." On the aforementioned CSN recording, the bass guitar on "Marrakesh Express" was warm, rapid, and deep.

I began mining my vinyl collection for bassists. On Rick Laird's Soft Focus (LP, Muse T1308), Laird's string bass was forceful, deep, and not overly resonant. Low bass, however, seemed missing in action, this equally evident on classical organ recordings and bombastic special-effects DVDs. On "When the Levee Breaks," from Led Zeppelin II (LP, Atlantic/Classic SD 7028), the bass drum was insufficiently "Bonhamesque."

The Twin Mk.III's greatest strength, however, was how its wide, deep soundstaging, superb ambient retrieval, and low-level dynamic articulation made it one of the best small speakers for the reproduction of well-recorded classical music I've ever heard. Throughout Charles Wuorinen's Ringing Changes for Percussion and Chamber Orchestra (LP, Nonesuch H 71263), three-dimensional images of percussion instruments popped out of thin air and gradually disappeared into the recording space.

The massed pizzicato strings and piano tone clusters of Louis Andriessen's Mauseoleum, from 400 Years of Dutch Music: The Hague Philharmonic (LP, RN W 6814 7811786), will test the dynamic and transient capabilities of any speaker. The realism was such that I put my notebook down and listened to the entire 25-minute piece. This composition pointed out two significant characteristics of the Twin:

First, the speaker's high-level dynamics were limited. I was never able to get more than ff out of these babies with any recording. However, the Twin never sounded congested or congealed, or as if it was compressing. Beyond a certain volume level, the orchestra just ceased to get louder.

Second, despite the speaker's two greatest weaknesses—its limitations in high-level dynamics and low-bass extension—its many other strengths combined to form a package that is one of the most naturally dramatic-sounding bookshelf speakers I've ever heard.

The Twin Mk.III is not only a "classical" speaker, however—-the low-level resolution, dynamics, and overall neutral presentation of the Twin shone equally as well on jazz and rock recordings. On Mark Ribot's Saints (CD, Division One/Atlantic 93461-2), his barely amplified fingerpicking on his thin-body jazz archtop guitar was very easy to analyze. As a guitarist, it was easy for me to guess Ribot's finger positions and string type, and the hum from his Fender amp was quite audible (which, for me, added to the realism). My notes: "I can see the color of the pilot light of his amplifier."

The Twin Mk.III could also party with loud amplified rock music. On "El Padre," the commercial "dance tune" from Café Tacuba's Reves/Yosoy (CD, Luaka Bop/Warner Bros. 94374-2), the instrumentation is guitar, piano, electronic or amplified bass, and drum machine. Even at loud levels, the Twins had me twitching and dancing around the room without a hint of strain. Lead singer Amparo Tonto Medardo en Lak' Ech (this eccentric gentleman changes his name for each recording) sounded natural, rich, and forceful; nasal, but not bright.

Competition? I find it hard to belivv... I compared the $990/pair Reynaud Twin Mk.III to the Alón Petite ($1000/pair when last available), the NHT SB-3 ($600/pair), and the Polk RT25i ($319/pair when last available) speakers. (Only the NHT is still being sold.)

The direct price competitor, the Alón Petite, was the equal of the Reynaud Twin in reproducing low-level detail and ambience, though I found vocals a bit richer through the Alón. The Alón's highs were a bit less extended than the Reynaud's, but just as articulate. In this region, the Alón was a bit more forgiving and less revealing. The Alón shared the Reynaud's shortcomings—typical of bookshelf speakers of this size—in high-level dynamics and bass extension. I found the Alón to perform a bit better with high-level dynamic material, the Twin Mk.III to have a bit more upper-bass sock.

The NHT SB3 had more extended bass and better high-level dynamics than the Reynaud, but its midbass was warmer and more rounded, its high frequencies less extended. Overall, however, the timbral presentation of the NHT seemed the more balanced, and the SB3 was more forgiving and less revealing than the Twin, while still very involving.

The Polk RT25i's resolution of midrange detail was close to the Reynaud's. Its highs were as extended but not as sophisticated as the Twin's, but its lower-midrange performance was even more natural. The Polk's upper bass was incredibly tight, but the Reynaud's midbass was more extended and dramatic. Although the Polk also suffered from high-level dynamic limitations, when pushed really hard it tended to coagulate and lose definition—unlike the Reynaud Twin, which remained clean-sounding under stress.

You must hear these spikkers! Jean-Marie Reynaud has produced an impressive speaker for $1000/pair. Although it's not without flaw or personality, the Twin Mk.III's limitations are those one would expect from a speaker constrained in size and price. However, the Twin Mk.III is an exemplary performer in the areas of delicacy, articulation, and overall sophistication, all of which are unusual at this price. Lovers of classical, jazz, and vocal music will find much to admire in this speaker.

Measurements

The Twin Mk.III was of slightly above-average sensitivity, at an estimated 88dB(B)/2.83V/m. The impedance (fig.1) stayed above 6 ohms almost all the time, with a minimum value of 4.5 ohms at 190Hz. The speaker will therefore work well with modestly specified amplifiers. There is a significant glitch in both the magnitude and phase traces around 250Hz and a smaller one at 700Hz, which implies the existence of cabinet resonances of some kind. Investigating the enclosure's vibrational behavior with an accelerometer didn't reveal anything untoward at those frequencies, but a fairly strong mode at 309Hz was present on the side panels (fig.2).

Fig.1 JM Reynaud Twin Mk.III, electrical impedance (solid) and phase (dashed). (2 ohms/vertical div.)

Fig.2 JM Reynaud Twin Mk.III, cumulative spectral-decay plot calculated from the output of an accelerometer fastened to the cabinet's side panel. (MLS driving voltage to speaker, 7.55V; measurement bandwidth, 2kHz.)

Though the JM Reynaud Twin is specified as using a transmission-line bass alignment, the bass saddle in the fig.1 magnitude trace is no different from a conventional ported design with a highish tuning frequency of 60Hz. To the left of fig.3 are shown the nearfield responses of the woofer (driven by both voice-coils) and the vent at the end of the transmission line. The woofer response shows the usual reflex notch at the port-tuning frequency, where the back pressure from the internal resonance holds the cone stationary. The woofer's output below the notch is in opposite phase to that from the vent, again just as in a reflex design. And again like a reflex design, the output from the Twin's vent peaks approximately in the same region as that of the woofer's notch. However, the port suffers from resonances at the frequencies of the glitches in the impedance traces. These are strong enough to lead to peaks or notches in the farfield response.

Fig.3 JM Reynaud Twin Mk.III, acoustic crossover on tweeter axis at 50", corrected for microphone response, with nearfield responses of woofer and port plotted below 300Hz and 1kHz, respectively.

When a speaker has biwire terminals, I usually plot the individual farfield responses of the tweeter and woofer. However, while the Twin Mk.III's lower pair of terminals drives just the woofer, the upper pair appears to drive the full-range winding of the woofer's two voice-coils as well as the tweeter. What is shown in this graph, therefore, is the response of the woofer low-pass filtered above 1kHz, and the upper-frequency response on the woofer axis, which peaks up significantly in the mid- and high treble. (I chose the woofer axis for the acoustic measurements, because the tweeter is mounted on the bottom of the front baffle and will therefore be below ear height with BJR's 24" stands.)

When the farfield response is averaged across a 30 degrees horizontal angle on the woofer axis (fig.4), the HF plateau becomes a little more subdued due to the tweeter's limited dispersion in its top octave. But the plateau still exists, and perhaps is to be preferred to a more flat treble response, given the Twin's low-frequency behavior: significantly kicked up at 100Hz, even when the effect of the nearfield measurement technique is taken into account. Nevertheless, Bob Reina did find the high treble to be slightly tipped up, even "spitty" at times. By contrast with both the upper bass and the low treble, the midrange is a little depressed in the farfield, even with the speaker driven by both sets of terminals. The smoothness of the midrange is also broken by a peak due to the line resonance noted earlier.

Fig.4 JM Reynaud Twin Mk.III, anechoic response on tweeter axis at 50", averaged across 30 degrees horizontal window and corrected for microphone response, with the complex sum of woofer and port responses, taking into account acoustic phase and distance from the nominal farfield point plotted below 300Hz.

The Twin's lateral dispersion is commendably uniform, at least up to the region where the tweeter becomes directional (fig.5). The same cannot be said for the vertical dispersion (fig.6), the speaker's balance changing to quite a large extent with listening axis. Surprisingly, given the speaker's inverted driver configuration, the flattest response is to be found on the tweeter axis, though a large notch develops below that axis. The top octave also rolls off severely above the woofer axis, which suggests that either very high stands be used with this speaker, or even that it be used upside-down on regular-height stands.

Fig.5 JM Reynaud Twin Mk.III, lateral response family at 50", normalized to response on tweeter axis, from back to front: differences in response 90 degrees-5 degrees off-axis, reference response, differences in response 5 degrees-90 degrees off-axis.

Fig.6 JM Reynaud Twin Mk.III, vertical response family at 50", normalized to response on tweeter axis, from back to front: differences in response 45 degrees-5 degrees above axis, reference response, differences in response 5 degrees-45 degrees below axis.

In the time domain, the JM Reynaud Twin's step response indicates that, even on the woofer axis, the tweeter's output leads that of the woofer (fig.7). Both drive-units are connected in the same positive acoustic polarity, but the tail of the step is disturbed by ringing associated with the 700Hz port resonance. The farfield cumulative spectral-decay plot (fig.8) is very clean throughout the upper midrange and treble, though a low-level mode can be seen at 2kHz. The 700Hz resonant peak is also evident.

Fig.7 JM Reynaud Twin Mk.III, step response on tweeter axis at 50" (5ms time window, 30kHz bandwidth).

Fig.8 JM Reynaud Twin Mk.III, cumulative spectral-decay plot at 50" (0.15ms risetime).

Some of the JM Reynaud's measured performance is excellent—the even lateral dispersion, the clean waterfall plot, the smoothly balanced midrange and low treble. It will also be an easy amplifier load. However, looking at the lower-frequency behavior, the woofer's twin-coil arrangement doesn't seem to extend the bass to any useful extent. I can only assume that, yet again, a designer has been betrayed by the empty promises of a so-called "transmission line" woofer alignment into producing a version of a reflex design that doesn't go particularly low in frequency yet suffers from resonances in the upper bass and midband.—John Atkinson

Jean Marie Reynaud Twin Mk III Loudspeakers

A Perfect Pair

Product: JMR Twin Mk III loudspeakers Manufacturer: Jean Marie Reynaud Approx.cost: £500 UK importer and distributor: HiFidelity Audio - UK Reviewer: David Holgate - TNT UK Reviewed: February, 2005

This review should be read in conjunction with Mark Wheeler's review of the JMR Arpeggione loudspeakers, which contains much related information, though each review was conducted independently.

I did not know of the JMR range of loudspeakers before agreeing to review these standmounters. However, I looked forward to hearing them, because of their warm recommendation by the UK distributor, Paul Letteri, and because they fall into the price category of being “theoretically affordable to the ordinary working person". I know this is an absurdly subjective category, but I find it hard to get excited about audio products with astronomical price tags.

Specifications

Power handling capacity: 60 W, 115W peak Impedance: 4 Ohms, Sensitivity: 89dB/W/M Distortion: less than 1% (at 84dB SPL) Frequency response: 55-22000Hz Dimensions: H 40cm, W 20cm, D 27cm Weight: 7Kg Finish: Cherry stained Aniegre Veneer Connection: Bi-wiring

Woofer: Diameter 6.7", double magnet system, double moving coil flat ventilated spider. 1.1" moving coil on a high temperature support, positive half-roll peripheral surround in natural rubber short fibres paper cone. Soft, decompressed central dust cap.

Tweeter: 1.2" impregnated fabric dome. Central neodymium magnet. Horn front frame and wave-guide for minimum lateral directivity and perfect conservation of energy at a distance of several metres.

Crossover: 3-way electric. Slopes 6 and 12 dB/octave, serial configuration for midrange/treble. Crossover frequencies at 1400, 4500 Hz.

Loudspeaker system: Tuned triangular transmission line with slim, anti-noise event port. Machining in 0.75" MEDITE double face aniegre veneer. Bevel edges to eliminate edge effects.

On unpacking them I was not disappointed. Viewed from the front, their aesthetic appearance is very pleasing. The Medite cabinets are veneered with cherry stained Aniegre, with bevelled edges on the left and right sides. The shield-shaped grilles, fixed at three points, add a further touch of distinctive style. These are easily removed and stowed on top of the speakers for listening sessions. As can be seen from the picture, the front is also fully veneered, maintaining the overall impression of quality. In houses with no danger to drivers from children or pets, the best thing would be to leave them off. To the rear there is provision for bi-wiring. I did not use this facility, but bridged the gold plated inputs with good quality jumper cables supplied by Paul Letteri. The picture of the inputs was taken before I switched to the Microphonic Original speaker cable.

What of the sound? The speakers were new when supplied and, noting that both the supplier and manufacturer recommended at least 50 hours of break-in time (with optimal performance after 200-500 hours), I placed them on the stands normally occupied by my KEF 104s and prepared to wait a long while before I could make a fair assessment of them. However, even at first listening, my impression was, “Hmm, nice, I could live with these."

From the start, I enjoyed the smooth, nimble yet full sound coming from these small speakers. My listening room is less than ideal being smallish (dimensions 4.6 x 3.3 m or 15' x 11'), with a large assortment of audio equipment and walls of vinyl having to share the space with family dining requirements. Small speakers have obvious advantages for a room of this size, but my experience has been that this is usually at the cost of losing the full, assured sound which is part of the point of high quality audio. However, these speakers seemed to be able to go down improbably low for their size. Paul had said that I might find them a bit light in the bass, and had thoughtfully supplied a subwoofer for me to try with them. However, during my time with the Twins, I found that I preferred listening to them with the subwoofer switched off, or set at a frequency of about 40Hz.

For about three weeks, I paid no special attention to the speakers, just using them for everyday listening for an hour or two at a time. Over this time I noticed that bass got fuller, but not at the expense of the overall balance of the sound. I experimented with the two different sets of stands I use (neither being the original KEF Daleks!). Neither is anything special and, at 40cm each, neither was quite at optimal height, given the presence of a table in the room. The spiked pair offered a little sharper presentation, but on the whole I preferred and used my usual Z-shaped Reference ones. As Mark Wheeler found with the Arpeggiones, I found that it was possible to place them as widely apart as possible and still enjoy a coherent soundstage.

Final listening

All too soon Paul returned from his visit to the States and it was time to arrange for their return. I had got so comfortable with the Twins that it was hard to be objective about them. I switched back to my KEFs for a couple of days, and enjoyed their assured neutrality. But, was there also a touch of harshness in the T27s that I had not noticed before, and the famous the Bexdrene midrange driver seemed to honk a little more than I remembered. Returning to the Twins, I was able to see what I appreciated most about them: their overall balance. No particular aspect of their sound draws attention to itself. While listening to them there is the sense of everything sounding just the way you expect that it should. Everything? Well, almost everything. Even with the grilles off, I found that the fabric dome tweeter seemed a little soft. But that is my only complaint. And, please bear in mind that I did most of my listening tests with vinyl: with CDs this touch of HF softness is most welcome, at least to me.

Given this experience, there seems no point in running through a list of my experiences with different kinds of music. Anyway, one gets through a lot of different music in a month. Suffice to say that the Twins always seemed to make the music sound right. That doesn't necessarily mean objectively accurate—the bass drivers naturally have limitations, but these speakers get the scale and the proportions right, and therefore give the listener the reassurance to ignore what is missing and pay full attention to the music. As the old saying goes, less hifi and more music.

Though curious about their triangular transmission line construction, I did not venture to inspect the speakers internally. The design works well, delivering smooth bass through the foam filled slot at the base of the baffle. When a device works to or above my expectations, I find that I find that I feel less of an inclination to meddle with it! A review by Bruce Kennet (Listener, Sept/Oct 2000) explains how the two drivers work three ways: “this is a two-way system mechanically, but three way electrically—the mid/bass driver has a dual voice coil and is fed from two separate crossover sections."

Conclusion

It will be clear that my overall assessment of these speakers is hugely positive. Glancing now at the findings of other reviewers, I agree with the general view that they excel in their ability to present music in a balanced and natural way. It is a pleasure to discover speakers that look and sound so unobtrusively beguiling. As I prepare to pack them up and return them to the distributor, I suspect that I shall give them a high score on Geoff Husband's “miss you factor" scale too!

Finally, thanks to Paul Letteri of HiFidelityAudio for inviting me to review the JMR Twins Mk III. He can be contacted by email through the company website, or by phone at 0044-1480-216039. The manufacturer's website gives details of distributors worldwide.

P.S. A note on the MJ Acoustics Reference 100 Subwoofer: As mentioned above, Paul Letteri, supplied a subwoofer for use with the Twins. He selected the Reference 100 as the one representing the best value for money (RRP £350) at a price point that made it likely to be paired with the Twins. This was my first encounter with a subwoofer, and I enjoyed learning to tune it to work unobtrusively with both the Twins and my KEF 104s. In my room, I did not find that the subwoofer was needed, and when I did use it I seldom ran it above 42Hz. This serves to underline for me the balanced tunefulness of the Twins. With my KEFs, I did find some use for the subwoofer, though again not above 40Hz. I suspect that it was not really suited for use in a room of my size.

j e a n m a r i e r e yn a u d

T w i n s , M K I I I l o u d s pe ak e r s

a s r e v i e w e d b y B o b N e i l l

As I said in my recent Spendor S 3/5 and Harbeth HL P3 review, I have always been fascinated by mini-monitors, even in large rooms where their special ability to recreate performing spaces is sometimes uncanny. That said, because of my ambivalent experience a year or so ago with Reynaud Offrandes, I would not have expected Jean-Marie’s entrant in the mini field to interest me. In my review on Enjoy the Music, I called the Offrandes a bit ‘opaque’ because despite their engaging sensuality and presence, I sensed they were withholding what I considered at the time to be essential information to gain their effects. Why should the Twins be any different? But M. Reynaud apparently heard something in my Offrande review that told him I liked them better than I knew, so that despite my preference for the directness of monitor sound, there was still hope for me. He suggested that I audition his new Mk. III Twins, and having more faith in him than in my own judgment, I agreed. Good thing!

Prudence urges reviewers to moderate their enthusiasm for attractive new components, a policy adopted by figure skating and gymnastic judges in order to leave room on the scale for still better performers sure to come. Prudence has never been one of my virtues. And there is nothing more off-putting to me than measured, cautious, praise. What I hear in such writing is reluctance. I don’t like it in personal references and I don’t like it in reviews. The only praise I give any credence to at all is fulsome praise, like the kind Bruce Kennett gave the Reynaud Trentes in Listener a year or so ago and the kind I am about to give the new Twins. Audio components either ‘get it’ or they don’t. Life is too short for those that don’t quite and for withholding praise from those that do because something else might come along someday to outdo them.

Changes at the Neill House

The new Reynaud Twins MK III are the best mini-monitors I’ve ever heard. They have the articulateness of Harbeth HL P3’s and the charm of Spendor S 3/5’s in a single package that musically transcends them both. They dramatize by example the sterility of the B&W Nautilus 805 and the cool school. They are alive with warmth and detail. Alive! They have more musical life in them, more ability to excite the listener about the music, than any speaker I have yet heard at any price. Yes, that’s what I’m saying any speaker. They have brought a life-changing experience to the Neill house. And they retail for $849 plus stands.

When I put them against a pair of Harbeth Compact 7’s I had on hand, I found the larger and three times as expensive 7’s had more to say sonically, but compared with the little Twins, it was clear that that as instructive as the 7’s were, something important was escaping them. I then tried my monumental Monitor 40’s, the most tonally accurate and ‘complete’ speakers I know. All of the sonic information I am accustomed to hearing was there, as impressive as ever. The M40’s are great for telling us virtually all that is on a recording—that is what great monitors do. But again, and for the first time since my ambivalent brief first impression of these faithfuls over a year ago, something seemed to be missing. Something essential to musical enjoyment was being withheld. The entrance into our house of these eloquent little Twins has dramatized for me the truth of one of the oldest dictums: Art should both delight and instruct. The Spendors excel at delighting, the Harbeths at instruction. The Reynaud Twins balance these aims brilliantly and in doing so

clarify the specific character of their British competitors. The Twins are not as absolutely sonically informative as Harbeths, certainly not as resolving or refined as the M40’s; nor are they as smooth, billowing, and beguiling as Spendors. But by somehow engineering a path between them, Jean Marie Reynaud enables the music to become absolutely present and, more important, the only point. I have, until now, found this kind of talk banal. I will never make that mistake again.

Specifics

I auditioned the Twins III on my own 28-inch, rock solid chimney tile stands, on which a great many mini’s have perched. Jean-Marie’s own "Magic Stands," which are said to enhance the speakers’ performance still further, were not available. I will have them here later this winter and do a follow-up report. The system was made up of a Naim CDS2 CD player; a 50-watt, all-solid state Blue Circle CS integrated amplifier; and several different preamp and amp combinations, including Gilbert Yeung’s eye-opening Purse and Classic Pumps combination—a tiny solid state preamp and equally tiny 25 watt solid state amp. (See http://www.classicpumps.com/mpumps.htm, if you’re curious.) The Twins sounded slightly different on each combination of electronics but wonderfully engaging on all of them. On the CS, which I used them with for two weeks before any other gear arrived, they were natural and involving. This is an economically logical pairing, which was not dramatically out-classed by any of the others. It’s the one that did the critical number on me. With the Purse and Classic Pumps, they sounded extremely good, maybe better. Clearly they are an easy load. They sounded best on the preamp section of this pair, which was derived from the technology of the CS, coupled with BC’s new hybrid 80-watt BC 24. (I’ll try the BC 21.1 preamp with the 24 as soon as I can lay my hands on one. I’m guessing that combination would probably be ideal.) On a BC3 Despina and the BC 24, they sounded fuller and warmer, very tasty but a little too much of a good thing for me. The Twins like a smidgen of warmth, but only a smidgen. I’ll try a Galatea when I can get the larger 3.1 power supply that makes a Despina a Galatea. Based on my experience with an Audiomat Solfege integrated with the Offrandes, I’d also suggest trying either the Prelude or Arpege. Finally, I’d like to hear them on a Naim Nait 5.

Unlike many speakers I have known, the Twins sounded good at any sitting height, from any position in (or out of) the room, toed in or not at all. They were ably assisted in their performance by Audience Au 24 interconnnect and speaker cable. AC cables were by David Elrod, the EPS 2 and 3 Signatures. Both fed into Blue Circle Music Rings which in turn fed into dedicated lines. The audition took place in my large (5000 cubic feet) living room, which, while not the logical venue for mini-monitors, proved entirely satisfactory. I like to give mini-monitors lots of room so they can do the space thing and in this respect too, the Twins III did not disappoint.

On all electronics, the Twins sounded naturally warm, articulate, with a great sense of immediacy and touch. This was especially notable on violins, which were exciting to listen to. On Allessandrini’s recording of Vivaldi’s Judith Triumphant (Opus 111), the solo violin brought life here to a standstill. Switching to the Monitor 40’s, their marvelous Excel tweeter got the smoothness fine, maybe better; but the overall presentation now felt more like a study. Bass extension for a mini-monitor was very impressive, deeper and more detailed than either the S 3/5’s and HL P3’s. The Twins are not as full and rich sounding as the Spendors, which employ a bass boost in the upper bass and lower mids. The Twins measure +/- 2 dB from 50 Hz to 20 mHz. Yes, those are the numbers. While they are JMR’s, not mine, the Twins do indeed sound that flat, which is presumably why their midrange feels more present than that of the S 3/5’s and HL P3’s, which both have the BBC dip in their presence ranges. Without the Spendor’s little oomph, the Twins are somewhat less convincing on Mahler and Bruckner, when it comes to authority and sweep, but they are superior when it comes to letting us hear the individual cellos and double basses which are responsible for it. On Boulez’ Mahler Symphony 9 (DGG), in quiet passages when the double basses are playing alone, you begin to appreciate the wonderful low-end extension of these beauties.

If you give them some room and don’t sit in their laps—something this near-field listener had to learn—their articulateness and tactile presence win the day. Their midrange is naturally appealing, though not quite as solicitous as the Spendors’ nor as pristine as the Harbeths.’ They do not have quite the sense of ease that Spendors have. They share this lack with the HL P3’s, and this is presumably the price you pay for their greater detail and tactile quality. Make your choice. You can’t get real ease unless you buy larger speakers. We give minis too much ground to cover to ask them to do it without any sign of strain. If you’ve got to have minis and also have got to have maximum ease at any cost, the Twins are probably not your speakers.

Music and Design

All of this is interesting enough, but it is doesn’t address what makes the Twins III the remarkably eloquent speakers they are, how they can break your heart with either Kuijken’s violin or Iris Dement’s lyrical and penetrating voice. Splitting the difference between Spendors and Harbeths or achieving a nearly flat response from 50 to 20 won’t necessarily get you to mini heaven. What accounts for their magic is clearly the judgment Jean Marie Reynaud has exercised in how much and what kind of resolution to go for and his choice and treatment of materials and design of cabinet and crossover. Alan Shaw is a brilliant audio engineer who has invented RADIAL, probably the most highly resolving material for drivers that we have. That is really all I know about him, though we have had several cordial exchanges over time, and he has been an informative presence on the Harbeth Users Group. Jean-Marie Reynaud is also a demonstrably brilliant engineer, but he is also a man whose life is full of art, who counts musicians among his closest friends, and who spends a great deal of time in the concert hall. Our exchanges have been about design, in particular how he is able to achieve such natural warmth without loss of detail, but also about musicians and about, most recently, Schubert lieder. He is a man for whom music is very nearly everything and who does not find absolute sonic resolution sufficient for achieving its transmission. His new Twins do not sound absolutely transparent to source. But in the way Audience Au 24 speaker cable seems to go around absolute sonic transparency to get at the facts of the music, the Twins give us the balance of resolution, contrast, warmth, and articulation we are accustomed to hearing in the concert hall and jazz club. They "get it." As I reported in my Offrande review, M. Reynaud feels we hear more of "the backs of instruments" in the concert hall than modern close-miking and many modern, highly resolving speakers let us hear. He has clearly designed his speakers to bring this sound into natural sonic alignment with that coming off the fronts, such that, again, what you hear is a wonderfully balanced presentation that sounds like what one hopes for from a high end audio system but seldom quite gets.

I admire Harbeth speakers enormously, especially the M30 and M40, with their extraordinarily articulate RADIAL midrange driver and what may well be the world’s best tweeter, the SEAS Excel. Harbeths are justly admired for the directness of their presentation. It is what I have always admired them for and what enables them to outperform most of their less articulate rivals. My newfound enthusiasm for the Reynaud Mk. III Twins takes nothing away from the achievement of Alan Shaw. And presumably, I’m still on my honeymoon. But as Audience Au 24 speaker cable gave me a new perspective on highly ‘transparent’ Nordost Valhalla, these Twins have given me a new perspective on my highly informative Harbeths. They have made a persuasive argument in my house that a direct line is not the surest route to musical truth.

Music

I have gone on at great length here, so let’s keep the music report short. All music that depends on a degree of projection and kick—Alison Krauss’s latest live CD, Alison Krauss-Union Station Live (Rounder), Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever (MCA), Tony Rice’s Unit of Measure (Rounder)—came through the Twins with a fresh degree of gusto and musical life. Chamber music—Pickard’s String Quartets (Delos), for example—had the kind of immediacy and tactile quality that put the music out into the room. Orchestral music—Sibelius’s Symphony 3 with Oramo and Simon Rattle’s old band, the City of

Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, (Erato) and Bruckner’s Symphony 8 with Wand (RCA)—was clear and moving but lacked a little authority. The music filled the listening space commendably, creating an approximation of spatial scale, but ideally could have had more avoirdupois. Early music—Jordi Savall’s latest, L’orchestre de Louis XIII (Alia Vox)—had both sweetness and tang. The drums were to die for and the viols were ravishing. With jazz—Lee Westwood’s just reissued Lee-Way (Blue Note), Karrin Allyson’s recent In Blue (Concord), and Keith Jarrett’s new live set from Japan, Always Le Me Go (ECM)—the Twins let instruments (and Karrin’s voice) do their exact expressive thing while keeping the ensembles of a piece. These performances felt more musical and less sonic than I have heard them recently. The Twins made solo violin—Kuijken’s Bach sonatas (DHM) and solo piano—Andnes’ Schumann and Schubert (EMI), the last CD in Uchida’s complete cycle (Philips)—both more appealing and more articulate. Delight and instruction in equal quantities. I can’t imagine better.

Had enough? Raves are harder to write than even moderate critiques. As I said recently on Audio Asylum, when you finally hear music done right, there is very little to say. Please don’t assume because I’ve nevertheless managed to say so much here, that it’s the Twins’ fault! And also, stay tuned. I have a pair of newly redesigned Trentes on the way. Will the larger and three times as expensive Trentes make the Twins seem a tour de force? Very likely, but that’s hardly the point. All mini’s worth their salt are tours de force. The Twins have been designed to compete with other mini-monitors and to take what other prisoners they can. As mini’s, they are an unqualified success, no matter how superior their bigger siblings turn out to be. The Trentes will enter the field against the comparably-sized Spendor S1/2s and Harbeth Compact 7’s and Monitor 30’s, among others. And then early in 2003, we’ll have Jean Marie’s promised new floorstander, the Concorde.

Post Script

"But wait," say my alter ears in backwoods Ontario. "How can Harbeths, which sounded right a year ago, a month ago, now suddenly sound wrong? And how can Reynauds, which sounded opaque a year ago now sound right? You haven’t really explained that. This review amounts to quite an about-face. You owe us a little more."

Fair enough but there’s really not much more I can say. Backwoods Barry is convinced that I have altered my priorities and wants me to come clean about that. I argue that I have had them changed for me, which is not quite the same thing. Jean Marie probably suspects I’ve had his priorities all along and just hadn’t been reached yet. To me, what is at the heart of this is the art of persuasion. Rhetoric used to be considered a major subject of study. Now that it’s not, it has become more powerful. In a word, the Harbeths are so good at expressing their point of view that they won me over, persuaded me that their point of view, their priorities if you will, were correct. The Reynaud Twins Mk. III are sufficiently better at expressing their point of view and priorities that they have won me away from the Harbeth, to theirs. This is no small accomplishment—others have tried and failed, including the Offrandes and even the Grand Operas, which I chose not to write about. To me, this is how audio goes—survival of the most persuasive, the most eloquent. At bottom, it’s not that we change our priorities, it’s that the leading designers get better at expressing theirs and persuade us to follow them. But, as both Barry and Jean Marie might add, at some level you have to want to go there. Clearly I did.

Technical Information

Note: As I type this, the Reynaud web site is in the process of being updated. At this moment, the information on the site refers to the Mk II Twins. By the time you read this review, I expect it will match the description of the Mk III Twins on the site. And if you want to know how a two-driver speaker can be a three-way, I refer you to the site as well!

Woofer Diameter 6.7", double magnet,. Flat ventilated spider. 28mm double moving coil on high temperature support, positive half-roll peripheral suspension in natural rubber.

Velvet cone absorbing the stationary waves and with high internal damping factor. Soft central dome.

Tweeter Impregnated fabric dome in silk and polyester. Central neodymium/boron magnet. Horn front frame and front wave guide for minimum lateral directivity and perfect conservation of energy at a distance of several metres.

Crossover 3-way electric. Slopes 6 and 12 dB/octave. "Serial" configuration for the medium treble crossover. Cut-off frequencies 600 and 4800 Hz. Polypropylene capacitors and handle wound air coils.

Loudspeaker cabinet Tuned triangular transmission line with slim anti-noise event port. Medite material veneered on his two faces. Rounded edges to reduce edge effects

Specifications

Power handling capacity: 60 watts Frequency response: 50 – 20,000 Hz Peak power: 140w Impedance: 4 ohm Sensitivity: 91dB (2.83 volts) Distortion: less than 0.8% (level 84 dB) Dimensions: 15.7" x 7.9" x 10.6" (HWD)

Mk II Twins Speakers: $849US/pair Magic stands: $350US/pair

Jean Marie Reynaud

JM Reynaud Twin MkII http://www.diest-audio.com/twin_mkii.htm

1 of 4 29/07/2005 2:22 PM

[ Start ] [ Omhoog ] [ Products ] [ Brands/Merken ] [ English ] [ Nederlands ] [ Map/Route ]

-u kunt geld besparen door te vertrouwen op uw gehoor-

Description and Reviews

Three way loudspeaker system using two drivers.

The chosen loading method, the original, advanced design of the transducers and of their crossover and the care lavished uponeach and every stage of manufacturing all contribute to make the TWIN MK 3 a model endowed with first-class musical andtechnical performances. Easy to drive, this speaker will be the accomplice of your first steps in the fascinating world ofhigh-fidelity.

EQUIPMENT

WOOFER

Diameter 6.7", double magnet, double moving coil, flat, ventilated spider. 1.1" moving coil on a high temperature support,positive half-roll peripheral surround in natural rubber, paper cone in filmed short fibers with PVC film. Soft, decompressedcentral dust-cap.

TWEETER

1.2" impregnated fabric dome. Central neodymium/boron magnet. Horn front frame and front wave guide for minimum lateraldirectivity and perfect conservation of energy at a distance of several meters

CROSSOVER

3-way electric. Slopes 6 and 12 dB/octave, serial configuration for medium/treble. crossover frequencies at 1400 and 4500Hz.

LOUDSPEAKER SYSTEM

Tuned triangular transmission line with slim anti-noise event port. Machining in 0.75" MEDITE double face beech veneer.Rounded front edges to eliminate edge effects.


2 of 4 29/07/2005 2:22 PM

TECHNICAL CHARACTERISTICS

Power handling capacity 60 watts

Repetitive peak power 115 WATTS

Impedance 4 OHMS

Sensitivity 90dB/W/M

Sound pressure level SPL 105 dB

Distorsion less than 1% (level 84 dB)

Frequency response 55.22000 Hz

Dimensions/Weight H 16". L 8". D 10.5" / 7 Kgs

Finish cherry stained beech

Connection Single wiring

Reviews

« HAUTE FIDELITE » September 1999

« Hi-Fi system of the month »

With the TWIN MK2 Jean-Marie Reynaud puts within everybody's reach the qualities that builthis reputation : timbres' refinement, spacial reproduction and the marvellous naturalness of themusical breathing. Extremely balanced, these small speakers enrapture the listener by recreatingthe atmosphere of the recording sessions : the room characteristics, the spreading out of themusicians, the colors of instruments and voices. Even if the bass region is not abyssal, the TWIN MK2 can reproduce with realism the size of a grand piano without frustrating the listener.Listening to solo instruments is truly enchanting : timbres, phrasing, volume, dynamics, nothing ismissing. With bigger orchestras, the results are as enjoyable : polyphony stays clear, performersdon't mix up. A remarkable tonal balance and a very good opened sound stage make this speaker afirst-class choice.

« LE MONDE DE LA MUSIQUE » January 2000

The MK2 indicates a new version of a well-known speaker. The bass/medium transducer has beenmodified, maybe even replaced. Most obvious innovation : the tweeter, a 25mm soft dome model.Listening impressions One immediatly recognizes, with this speaker, the signature of its designer :sensitive, full of nuances, capable of recreating vast spaces, delicately colored sounds. The TWIN MK2 is, on several accounts, a wonderful achievement. Its imaging is beautiful, large butfocused. Performers are breathing without constrainsts. The treble, refined and sweet withoutbeing over-analytical, draws precisely the contours and the volume of the instruments. The basstransducer doesn't try to mimick the low-end of a bigger speaker, and won't set foot in dangerousplaces...Thanks to its general balance, its refusal to show off, the delicacy of its colors and thenaturalness of its expression, the TWIN MK2 is a new achievement to add to Jean-MarieReynaud's record.

U.S « LISTENER » MAGAZINE


3 of 4 29/07/2005 2:22 PM

sept/oct 2000

« HOUSE SPEAKERS »

How to buy true happiness for $500.750

Tag team survey by Bruce Kennett and Steve Lefkowicz

Loudspeakers in test

ALON « Li'l Rascal »: B.W « DM602 S2 »: KIRKSAETER « silverline »: KRIX « Equinoxe »

POLK AUDIO « RT 55 I »: ROYD « Ministrel »: TOTEM « Mite »: JM.REYNAUD « Twin MK2 »

Results

BRUCE STEVE

1° JM REYNAUD 4.00 stars 3.00 checks 1° JM REYNAUD 3.75 stars 3.00 checks

2° KRIX 3.50 stars 3.00 checks 2° ALONS 3.25 stars 3.00 checks

3° ALON 3.00 stars 3.00 checks 3° KRIX 3.25 stars 3.00 checks

4° ROYD 2.50 stars 1.50 checks 4° TOTEM 3.00 stars 2.50 checks

5° B&W 2.50 stars 2.00 checks 5° B&W 2.50 stars 2.00 checks

6° TOTEM 2.50 stars 2.00 checks 6° ROYD 2.00 stars 1.50 check

7°POLK AUDIO 1.00 star 1.00 check 7° POLK AUDIO 1.75 star 1.50 check

8° KIRKSAETER 1.00 star 1.00 check 8° KIRKSAETER 1.00 star 1.00 check

Twin Bruce comments

Reynaud is one of the four big speaker makers in France and has been in business since 1967. Thecompany is well-known in Europe, but new to the North American market. The Twin is the smallest ofreynaud's line, which extends up to speakers costing $ 12.000/pair. As is the case with many of the JMRmodels, this is a two way system mechanically, but three way electrically- the mid/bass driver has a dualvoice coil and is fed from two separate crossover sections. The drivers are made by Audax to JMR spec.The cabinet is designed as a triangular transmission line, which ends in a slot at the base of the baffle. Thisslot is foam-filled and seems turbulence free. The triangular profile means no standing waves can occurinside the line, thereby reducing the need for damping materials inside, and keeping the music lighter on itsfeet. The cabinet is made from Medite (harder than MDF) veneered with beech: beautifull to look at,exibiting superd craftsmanship for a speaker at this price level.

The TWIN were my clear favorites of the bunch. To paraphrase Michael Flanders, they are a transport ofdelight. I don't know what Reynaud does to voice his speakers, but it hits me right in the gut: I have nowlived with three speakers from his line, and every one of them had the same ability to carry me right awayinto the musical performance. The Twins didn't have quite as much low-end whomp as some of the othersspeakers in the survey, but they were so supremely musical that this never mattered, and they alwaysremained articulate- vhere others that played deeper were not so intelligible. Orchestral music wassatisfyingly « big » and quick in all the right ways. Chamber music and smaller-format things had just theright scale and intimacy. At one point when I was listening to Beetheven's Op. 5 sonatas for cello andpiano, I was unable to reconcile how great these speakers sounded given their price: The piano lacked theweight that large speakers can give, but the essence and soul of both instruments were fully present. Theselittle speakers had the same ability of their more expensive siblings, not to play mere notes, but to transmitthe very feelings and intentions of the people creating the music.

Minuses? Their refined character made them less suited to raw-edge music (Susan Tedeschi, Led


4 of 4 29/07/2005 2:22 PM

Zeppelin1), although they still sounded mighty fine while Owen played pop Cds from groups likeSmashmouth and Eiffel 65. The grilles (not used in listening) were annoyingly difficult to put on and off.

While the TWINS were in our system I couldn't wait to go in and listen to music, and stayed up far into thenight repeatedly. This never happened to the same degree with any of the others speakers. I could live withthese indefinitely and never tire of them.

Bruce conclusion

Of the eight speakers assembled here,I found one design to be head and shoulders above all the others inmusical satisfaction: the Reynaud Twin. If you saw the last issue you already know about my enthusiasmfor Reynaud's more expensive « signature » model; here, I am simply awestruck by his ability to deliversuch musical quality at this sub-$1000 price point, and with such a high level of physical beauty in theproduct, too. This is the only speaker of the eight that I could live with indefinitely, and free of qualms.Until you get to experience these Twin first hand, all I can pass along is the sort of observation that we allmake when we're in the presence of a true master of his/her art- whether it's Tommy Flanagan on piano,Ken Rosewall playing tennis, Robert Duvall acting, Ella Fitzgerald belting out a tune- you feel and see aconfidence and sureness, an apparent ease in every act, a poetry in motion. This mastery of the situation iswhat the Twins brought to our room; their ease and refinement make music soul-satisfaying and effortless.

Steve comments

These were certainly the best looking speakers in the bunch. Virtually identical in size to the Alon (butheavier) their natural wood cabinets looked so much classier. I found them to be easy to drive, power-wise,but definitely asking for good quality input. I mean, although the Kenwood could make them play as loudas I cared, it just was not so good enough to make these puppies, sing. I'll start by saying that whatevernatural beauty the Alon's had in portraying vocals (and instruments that fell within that range) theReynauds matched, and generally exceeded. But what the Reynauds did for me was to extend that range atleast an octave in both directions.And they do this without masking anuthing over or prettying things up bylacking details. These unraveled complex music as well as I've heard anywhere. They also seemed to digthe music out even on less-well-recorded albums, such as Stravinsky's own recording of the 1945 Firebirdsuite on Columbia. The Reynauds not only handled the music wonderfully, but they seemed to make theperformances more important than the recordings.

In spite of their size the Reynauds can produce a satisfying amount of real bass (like many people, I stilltend to fall for the stereotype of big-equals-bass, even through I really do know better). On the generallyoverabundant bass of Erykah Badu's Baduism, these almost rival the Polks for the amount of bass output,but with substantially more detail and tunefulness. What's mor, when played back at a reasonable level, thisbass output seems to have non influence on the wonderful reproduction of Badu's voice.

They don't have quite the depth or power of my Sound Dynamics in the bass, but then, they are moretransparent and slightly better detailed. They image better, too, throwing out a hug soundstage withamazingly specific location. ...

All told, a superb speaker, one I could easily live with. Since the Twins are Reynaud's lowest pricedspeaker, they definitely make me want tyo hear their more expensive models.

Steve conclusion

For me, the winner was easy to pick: The Reynaud Twins were simply more refined, and did more things« right », than any other speaker in this group. They are a speaker I could live with an enjoy for a very longtime....

Speaker Asylum http://www.audioasylum.com/scripts/vt.pl?f=speakers&m=38534

1 of 9 21/08/2005 2:10 AM

Home / FAQ / NewsClassifieds / Events Speaker Asylum

[ General ] [ Amp/Pre ] [ Speakers ] [ Hi-Eff ] [ Tubes ] [ SET ] [ OTL ] [ Tube/DIY ] [ Vinyl ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Critics ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ DVD-A ] [ PC Audio ] [ Prop Head ] [ T 2 ] [ Tape ] [ Tuners ] [ Vintage ] [ Music ] [ Hip Pop ] [ Rock ]

[ Video ] [ Films ] [ Pro ] [ Chat ] [ Reviews ] [ Inmate Systems ] [ Central ] [ Water Cooler ] [ Shady ] [ Gallery ] [ Search ]

More Asylums 6More Asylums Go [ Asylum Support ] [ Rules ]

Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers Review by Sean H

[ Audio Asylum ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Films ] [ Pro Audio ] [ myAsylum ] [ Chat ] [ Reviews ] [ Inmate Systems ] [ FAQ ]

[ Search ] [ Support Our Asylum ] Forums are moderated. Here are the rules.

Model: Twin Mark llCategory: Speakers

Suggested Retail Price: $745Description: Two-Way Monitor

Manufacturer URL: Jean-Marie ReynaudModel Picture: View

Review by Sean H on November 13, 2000 at 19:26:25IP Address: 207.3.72.180

Add Your Reviewfor the Twin Mark ll

I became familiar with Jean Marie Reynaud speakers after reading the Listener review of the Trente andsubsequently of the Twin MK2. They received glowing reviews in each account and has caused what seems to

be an explosion in interest, especially within the Asylum. As most know by now, Reynaud is a Frenchcompany and has actually been around for years but only recently began entering the US market. As of

October there are supposed to be nearly eight dealers within the US now. The main message I got from theListener review and what attracted me the most in seeking out the Twins was their supposedly excellent

musicality and involving sound, not to mention the Twins price point being so amazingly affordable. I am alsoa monitor fan and more musicality is what I was after. The Twins replaced a pair of B&W CDM1’s in mysystem, a very good speaker at $1100 and a class B Stereophile component. The Twins fell well within my

budget but I admit I was a bit reluctant moving to a speaker costing about 30% less than the B&W’s, but we allknow price doesn’t always dictate performance. So I decided to give them a shot.

I’ve been living with them for close to a month now and have well over 200 hours on them. Reynaudrecommends at least 50 hours of initial break in followed by further break in up to about 200 hours. The Twinsare very beautiful speakers, coming in a cherry beechwood finish. Build is excellent for this price range, verysolid and rigid. The cabinet is strikingly beautiful to look at, craftsmanship is outstanding for the price. A few

interesting things about the Twin’s. They use a 6.7" PVC filmed paper cone woofer and a 1.2" fabric dometweeter with a "front wave guide" in front of the dome. Though there are only two driver’s the speaker is a

three-way electrically, the woofer uses two voice coils and is crossed over twice using a first order filter, thecrossover to the tweeter is a second order filter. This technique is used in just about all of Reynaud speakers.

The Twins are rated at 4 ohms and a very good 90dB efficiency rating. The enclosure is a triangulartransmission line design where a sloping board extends from just near the top of inside of the enclosure down

the middle of the cabinet ending at a extremely well damped slot in the front of the baffle which acts somewhatas a port. This also acts as an internal brace for the cabinet. The driver array has the woofer above the tweeter.

High quality binding posts allow single wiring. As the Listener review described the posts are effectively"upside down" (slanting at 45 degrees facing downward) which works just fine for my bananas and should befine for most spades, but I can see it might put some unwanted stress on a spade termination. Contrary to the

Listener review I find the grilles come on and off easily, they do attach snugly, but I found nothing annoying atall here.


2 of 9 21/08/2005 2:10 AM

Reynaud suggests using their 28" Magic Stand, I am using extremely rigid and high mass 24" stands. Thedealer I bought these from suggested I try and get the woofer to about ear level as opposed to the tweeter being

at ear level. He explained that with the dual voice coil of the woofer the sound emanates from farther withinthe cabinet, the tweeter’s voice coil right at the baffle. If your ear was right on line with the center of the

woofer you would think that the tweeter would then be farther away, but again extending the line from yourear to the coils of the woofer well within the cabinet the distance becomes more equal. This was confirmed bya direct email to Jean Marie Reynaud who said that the phase of the drivers is such that the ear needs to be in

line with the woofer’s center. This approach to address timing is opposite other manufacturers who use astandard driver array but modifying the baffle at a slope, tilting the tweeter back and usually then suggestingthe tweeter be more near ear level. Sounded like a heck of a great way to address timing issues in my view. In

my chair, my ear lands right about in the center of the woofer, so 28" stands would be too high for me. Forreference, my ear height off the ground in my seat is about 35-36". I played around with temporarily modifying

my stands a few inches to get the tweeter closer to my ear and I didn’t like the results, more on that later. Ipaired the Twins with my (French) Audio Refinement Complete integrated and CD Complete, with Harmonic

Technology Truthlinks and Analysis Plus Oval 12’s. The Audio Refinement Complete does 90 w/ch into 4ohms. I also use a powered sub.

I’ll start by saying that the Listener review hit it right on the head in briefly describing the sound of the Twins.And, in nearly every aspect the Twins are better (MUCH better in most respects) than the B&W CDM1’s. It

was quite apparent to me the moment I heard them that they completely belie their $745 price tag. Tonally theTwins are extremely accurate and very natural. The whole picture is one of excellent tonal balance and

coherency, slight warmth and a big sound. I actually would caution to describe them as slightly warm in tone,most would find them to be relatively neutral. The bass, and in particular the mid bass, is very much a part of

the overall sound, in contrast to so many other monitors I have heard that all but forget about the bass. The midbass is very communicative, which lays an excellent foundation for the whole musical picture adding scale and

realism. And they go fairly low for their size, in my room I found they have good output well into the 40’s.You’ll need a sub for the extreme low bass of course. Pace and rhythm is excellent as well. The way the Twins

resolve is amazing for their price, being able to work out the most intricate sounds to the most complex withgreat ease and fluidity, much more so than the B&W’s did. This may be partly due to the design and having the

woofer more in line with the ear, I don’t know, but I’m hearing the mids and bass more naturally and wellarticulated than I ever have. The treble is very natural, and still very airy and detailed, but far from anal or

mechanical sounding which was more the character of the B&W’s. And again it may be because of the driverarray and the tweeter being slightly off axis of the ear that it seems so linear and unobtrusive. Overall they

offer a very natural, comfortable, detailed and pleasing sound.

Listener described the sound of Twins as being very involving and emotional speakers, I concur and that’swhat’s the most striking thing about the Twins. The dynamic range of the Twins is excellent. There is just

something about the way sounds begin, build and decay that is so captivating, it just draws you right in. TheTwins have great ability to convey soft and subtle sounds with such delicacy, and the ability to transcend thelistener through large swings in the music to louder and complex sounds that is very inspiring. During soft

passages the Twins can sound so quiet, then bloom and sound grand during louder passages. That’s one of theemotional aspects of these speakers. The ability of the Twins to convey these swings in the music is

outstanding, it makes them highly involving. A good example of this is a track from Dianne Reeves - "Like aLover" - off of "I Remember." Reeve’s is singing solo and accompanied by an acoustic guitar, the loud and

soft inflections in her voice is so captivating, you feel so connected to the music. Vocals are quite exceptional,no sibilance to speak of. The midrange is quite open and transparent, very neutral, yet full and very detailed.

Harmonically the Twins are right on, smooth, liquid, natural and deadly accurate decay. In particular cymbalsare amazingly natural sounding and very realistic.

In terms of resolution I am hearing things I had not heard before, especially in the mid bass where I am ablefollow bass lines with ease compared the B&W’s. This has amazingly improved the presentation of piano over

the B&W’s, much more body and weight and the sense of piano being an instrument occupying space. Thesense of air is again very natural, but slightly warmer and very "large." There’s no sense of darkness in

anyway, but the air and details are rendered very naturally and delicately. The B&W’s liked to highlightdelicate details with the treble, and I was always left with a more electronic and less natural feeling. The

B&W’s sometimes gave me clues to the farthest reaches of the back of the stage but I was left hearing therecording and not the music. There may have been more top end sizzle with the B&W’s metal domes, but

again more mechanical sounding. The sense of space and air with the Twin’s is equally as good but you aremore focused on the instruments and the performers, the air around them and not so much the room. There isdefinitely a higher level of intimacy and an enhanced feeling of presence, a very non-fatiguing sound. I’m left

feeling the performance and not the recording, just as the Listener review said. And just in case you arewondering, soundstaging and imaging are exceptional, with excellent specificity and layering in space. They

play very loudly by the way and like I said hold together and resolve extremely well for a monitor in this pricerange. The Twins have moved me up a few rows, closer to the music, the B&W’s had a slightly more distant


3 of 9 21/08/2005 2:10 AM

perspective. For fun I have been trying out a pair of Bob Crump’s silver interconnects and the inclusion ofthese interconnects has rendered a more lively, more open and focused presentation compared to the

Truthlinks. With Bob’s IC’s I can more easily hear the recording venue, more top end, more air and sparkle.Whether or not I prefer silver in my system now I haven’t yet determined, the copper Truthlinks are

satisfyingly full bodied, rich, robust and quiet. The Twins reacted well to the inclusion of this refined silvercable.

The sum of the parts here is this speaker is very musical, yet airy, vivid, natural, very involving and highlyresolving for this price. They are very easy to drive and my inclination is they would work QUITE well withtubes too. There’s another Inmate here (Pete Whitley) that is using a Decware Zen Triode amp at 3 w/ch withexcellent results, and the dealer I bought these from has had very good results with low powered tube amps.The Twins obviously do demand quality components. Though they are very musical speakers they do notnecessarily mask bright or dull recordings and I would imagine wouldn’t mask sub-par components. Theextremely transparent midrange will demand quality components and cabling. I’d love to try other refined

sounding amps like my Audio Refinement Complete with the Twins, not to mention tube gear and cabling. Butas of now I’m quite content (and too poor). They work well with all kinds of music, but like any high end

speaker they excel with exceptional recordings. The Twins can boogie with rock too. I listen to a lot of Jazz, upbeat contemporary and more traditional, acoustic and vocal music, which the Twins are well suited to.

A quick note on break in. In my experience they do take at least the full recommended 200 hour break in, I noted several changes they went through. Out of the box it was obvious they needed some time to break in, but

by about 40-50 hours their character was emerging. The bass really came out first, then the sound seemed to have smoothed out quite a bit and was a little dark. Then the treble opened up well over 100 hours and they now are very tight, coherent and have a firm grip on the music. So they do take some time to run in. I would

take some consideration in stand height, these speakers work best with your ear near the center of the woofer. As I said I tried experimenting with raising the speaker to get the tweeter closer to my ear but the results were not as good, the treble became too dominant in the balance and some liquidity, ease and naturalness was lost.

Are there any negatives? They will not play to ear bleeding levels without sounding slightly boxy or giving into some compression, but still they hold up as good as any in I’ve head in this price range and well above theprice. They play quite loud for their size, as loud as I’d care for. I can’t really think of much more to complain

about, honestly. If you are used to $3-4-5,000 monitors then you may find more things they do wrong, incontrast I am sure you’d be surprised at what they would do better in some areas.

These are the real deal, sounding far better than you might expect a $745 monitor to sound, and I would highlyrecommend them to anyone looking for an exceptional monitor at and well above this price point. Of course

there are several other monitors out there that can do what the Twins do so well and some better, but given theprice or even anywhere near their price, they would be very hard to beat. Quite an achievement and definitely

an outright steal. Try them and you’ll see they just might save you a few bucks.

Product Weakness:

Will not play at ear bleeding levels without some compression (what monitor doesn't), you'll need a sub for low bass

Product Strengths: Tonal balance, engaging and involving, dynamic range, detailed and non-fatiguing

Associated Equipment for this Review:Amplifier: Audio Refinement Complete

Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): (integrated)Sources (CDP/Turntable): Audio Refinement CD Complete

Speakers: Jean Marie Reynaud Twin MK2Cables/Interconnects: Harmonic Technology Truthlinks, Analysis Plus Oval 12

Music Used (Genre/Selections): Jazz, vocal, acousticRoom Size (LxWxH): 22 x 13 x 8

Room Comments/Treatments: Average room, speakers 8 feet apart, listening position 12 feet from speakersTime Period/Length of Audition: 1 monthOther (Power Conditioner etc.): 24" extremely rigid stands, Monster HTS-2000, Belden DIY power cords

Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner


4 of 9 21/08/2005 2:10 AM

Follow Ups:

Excellent Review! - Pete Whitley 17:55:47 11/15/00 (0) Great Review Sean! (NT) - Ozzy 02:47:28 11/14/00 (0) Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers - music lover 02:18:20 11/14/00 (8)

Re: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers - Sean H 08:16:22 11/14/00 (7) Re: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers - [email protected] 18:08:07 11/14/00 (3)

Problem most likely rectified for good... - Sean H 20:16:12 11/14/00 (1) Re: Problem most likely rectified for good... - RandyB 00:22:27 11/15/00 (0)

Re: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers - RandyB 19:20:23 11/14/00 (0) Re: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers - music lover 09:01:39 11/14/00 (2)

Treble is very good - Sean H 09:23:24 11/14/00 (1) Thanx Sean !!!! (nt) - music lover 09:47:16 11/14/00 (0)

Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers - [email protected] 23:16:34 11/13/00 (1) Re: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers - Sean H 08:33:38 11/14/00 (0)

Excellent Review! Pete Whitley 17:55:47 11/15/00 (0)

In Reply to: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers posted by Sean H on November 13, 2000 at 19:26:25:

.

Great Review Sean! (NT) Ozzy 02:47:28 11/14/00 (0)


.

Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers music lover 02:18:20 11/14/00 (8)


Sean,

Thanx for the great review. I have one question about the JMR's - when you say they are a bit warm, and that silent moments are almost not heard, it seems as though they do the usual trick, even if mildly, of holding back a little in the "presence" zone, around 1-2khz or such.

A symptom of this is e.g., in rythm driven tracks, where the rythm doesn't come from the base, it sounds subdued and a bit confused, if you get what I mean. And snare drum doesn't really slap you, but is a bit soft. Am I right ?

I am very far from a dealer, hence my diving into such details.

Thanx, Omer.

Re: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers Sean H 08:16:22 11/14/00 (7)

In Reply to: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers posted by music lover on November 14, 2000 at 02:18:20:

Hi Omer,

> I have one question about the JMR's - when you say they are a > bit warm, and that silent moments are almost not heard, it > seems as though they do the usual trick, even if mildly, of


5 of 9 21/08/2005 2:10 AM

> holding back a little in the "presence" zone, around 1-2khz > or such.

> A symptom of this is e.g., in rythm driven tracks, where the > rythm doesn't come from the base, it sounds subdued and a > bit confused, if you get what I mean. And snare drum doesn't > really slap you, but is a bit soft. Am I right ?

Hmm...I don't think this is really the case. The presence region is more present and forward than the speakers I owned before these, vocals and snare drum hits are slightly more pronounced and dynamic. Snare drum attack is not rounded or softened in any way, probably not as strident as other speakers nor is it as soft as some speakers in this regard. The midrange is not pushed back or recessed at all, if that is maybe what you mean, it's very neutral if not slightly forward in soundstaging where vocals seem to project at or just slightly in front of the speaker plane. I cautioned describing them as warm, when in all reality they are far more neutral than anything. These speakers aren't soft, analog sounding, warmed over Guiness beer in any way, characteristically they are likened to a sunny, blue sky, summer day in the late afternoon or early evening, where the light has just begun it's long descent but darkness is far from sight. He he he he.

I am struggling to accurately answer your question about the rhythm. Music with good drive and rhythm is conveyed really well with the Twins, they are much faster than the B&W's I had. I hate to sound cliche and use the "toe tapping" description, but I honestly find myself grooving along with the music like I had never done before.

Hope this helps.

Sean H

Re: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers [email protected] 18:08:07 11/14/00 (3)

In Reply to: Re: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers posted by Sean H on November 14, 2000 at08:16:22:

Sean hi again. You just answered my nagging query on this post. Remember, I asked you to playthe Laurindo CD. That CD contains a lot of snare drum attacks and classical like guitar plucking,cello, marimbas, shakers, sax, voices, etc. etc. So I wondered how this cd would have sounded onthe twin. Whether the snare would stay sharply live as live or a bit mushy was my concern. I'lltake it from you. Thanks again.

I wonder what serial numbers would cover their revised design on the crossover snug of the Twin.I would not want to have the same problem of a loosened network board or any wires rattling.

(-:

Problem most likely rectified for good... Sean H 20:16:12 11/14/00 (1)

In Reply to: Re: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers posted by [email protected] onNovember 14, 2000 at 18:08:07:

I spoke with Randy about this problem extensively today and as he described they have rectified the problem. Another inmate here just received a new pair of Twins this week and it had no problems at all and the new reinforced padded carton was used. The pair Mer bought was a demo pair, which had probably been around for a while. Also a refreshing surprise was the binding posts were right side up, not upside down so no spade problems anymore. Hey Randy, is that a new consistant thing with the Twins now too?

Most dealers can't keep the Twins in stock and most dealers have wating lists, so my bet is if you order a pair it's almost a sure thing you'll be getting the latest speaker with the fix. :)


6 of 9 21/08/2005 2:10 AM

Sean H

Re: Problem most likely rectified for good... RandyB 00:22:27 11/15/00 (0)

In Reply to: Problem most likely rectified for good... posted by Sean H on November 14, 2000 at20:16:12:

Hi, Sean:

Demand has been so high for the Twins that I haven't been able to open one of the newer models, they have all been allocated for shipping stock, and I ship them as received so that customers receive them in original factory pack condition. Out of the last 40 pairs that were brought in, I have none left that haven't been shipped to dealers or customers, plus some I hold in reserve for replacement in case of shipping damage or loss, and warranty replacement, which I also leave in original factory pack condition.

My personal pair of Twins is from the first batch. Pete Whitley received his new pairthis week, his first pair had a cosmetic ding on one corner, so I sent him a new pair from the new batch, he said the terminal assembly on the new pair was rotated 180 degrees from that of the first pair.

Mssr. Reynaud has been very accommodating regarding production changes in response to suggestions and comments from dealers and customers (and even from me), so it wouldn't surprise me if he made this change in response to Bruce and Steve's comments in the Listener review of the Twin Mk 2's earlier this year.

Best regards, rdb :-) (Reynaud distributor)

Re: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers RandyB 19:20:23 11/14/00 (0)

In Reply to: Re: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers posted by [email protected] onNovember 14, 2000 at 18:08:07:

Hi, James:

The newer models have a wire tie fastened to a bolt on the inside of the cabinet, plus the adhesive pad. Note that many speaker manufacturers don't even use an adhesive pad, theyjust let the crossover hang off of the terminal leads. JMR added the adhesive pad to dampenthe circuit board and "stick" it to the inside of the cabinet wall, as his crossovers have more and heavier parts than many comparably-priced speakers. This particular issue is not aproblem in Europe, as the transport distances are much shorter relative to the U.S., and he has not experienced similar "loosenings" of the crossover in the European market.

The newer models are the same in every other respect, and out of the first 20 Twins, only four have had their crossovers loosen from the inside cabinet wall, two dealer demo units which the dealers repaired and are using as demo units, the one sold to Mer, and the pairpurchased by Sean that he reviewed on AA. I haven't heard of any other units having this problem, and will repair or replace any units with "floppy" crossovers if asked to do so, no questions asked.

In any event, I warrant all Reynaud products for five years parts and labor if the warranty form is filled out and mailed in, otherwise for one year. I've been listening to a pair of Twinsfrom the first shipment of 20, they sound great, the crossovers are still in place, so just because a pair of Twins is from the first batch of 20 doesn't mean that it won't perform well.

Best regards, rdb :-)


7 of 9 21/08/2005 2:10 AM

Re: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers music lover 09:01:39 11/14/00 (2)

In Reply to: Re: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers posted by Sean H on November 14, 2000 at08:16:22:

Thanx Sean, that answered my question.

Forgive my second question :

I just read the bit (in the audioreview review referred from here) that says these speakers are better for medium electronics, otherwise it will sound too dull wrt the top-end.

Does this mean the top end is a bit soft for real good electronics ? also the "no listener's fatigue, whatever you listen too" sounds a bit worrying as it may be beautifying everything ?

Thanx again.

Treble is very good Sean H 09:23:24 11/14/00 (1)

In Reply to: Re: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers posted by music lover on November 14,2000 at 09:01:39:

With all due respect to the reviewer at Audio Review I have a problem with his assessments and I've aired these with him. First off, he is uising a 20 year old receiver with his Twins, they had only 100 hours on them when he did the review and he has them in his secondary system.

The treble is not soft at all. It's smooth and linear, but not soft. They do not smooth over and mask bright recordings, my brighter recordings still come through in all their bright glory. The Twins definitely should be paired with better equipment because they are very neutral and open. Any mid to low end component with grain will show right through the Twins. Brighter equipment up stream will come through that way, warmer or duller sounding equipment will as well come through this way. Garbage in - garbage out with the Twins in my view.

The treble was the last thing to open up in my experience, it wasn't until over 150 hours that the treble began to open up. They seemed sweet and softer in the treble early on but in time they moved more in line with neutrality.

Sean H

Thanx Sean !!!! (nt) music lover 09:47:16 11/14/00 (0)

In Reply to: Treble is very good posted by Sean H on November 14, 2000 at 09:23:24:

.

Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers [email protected] 23:16:34 11/13/00 (1)


Gee whiz! My hat is off to you. Nice words to say but very meaningful and forthright. There's an art toreviewing a speaker, but I feel that yours is not something from a mag or a paid ad. I believe you Sean. But my


8 of 9 21/08/2005 2:10 AM

heart bleeds because I am 10,000 miles away from the nearest dealer.

Allow me a question or two though. You said piano is good on them. Were you playing them with subs? Whatif not? Will it still have the scale and weight of the piano, its ivory-like smoothness and treble clarity without losing body, or masking tonal texture and richness? Or sounding tizzy in the highest notes?

You suggested a position to be somewhere in the center of the woof. How about listening while standing or offcenter? Does the woof suggest too much beaming making it directional in nature?

Please take your time. I can see you'll be stomped with more questions. Thank you for your review. It takesnine months to deliver a baby, I certainly hope this Twin will be a lot shorter to wait on.

Thanks again. I hope Jean Marie is not just listening to his speakers but the people who listen to them as well.Very informative indeed.

Re: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers Sean H 08:33:38 11/14/00 (0)

In Reply to: Jean-Marie Reynaud Twin Mark ll Speakers posted by [email protected] on November 13, 2000 at23:16:34:

Hi James,

Thanks! Sorry it was so long, but I wanted to be thorough! In time I might do some sort of a follow up review (I can hear the gulp's) after I've lived with them a little longer.

I do use a sub and have done 99% of my listening with the Twins with a sub. I will play some piano tracks with the sub off and report to you my impressions. The thing is though, I noticed the improvement in piano immediately when compared to my older B&W's and I had always used a sub with them. So it's fair to say that the Twins have added body and presence to piano alone.

I haven't actually done much critical listening extremely off axis. I have tried the old test of moving your head from side to side to see if the imaging pulls to one side and found that they are excellent in this regard, better than the B&W's which would pull to one side more easily with your head pulled far to one side. Imaging is well balanced and stable. No beaming or "problems" in this area. As for background music while roaming around the house I find them excellent as well! When I am several rooms away they sound so open and present, very musical.

I think Jean Marie is listening. I wrote him an email and expressed my enthusiasm for the Twins and he replied with much thanks and said "it's very good to hear things like this!" (French accent and all).

Yes, the Twins are excellent for the money. What they do and how good they do it for this price is what's amazing. But they are just the entry level Reynaud speaker. Imagine the Trente or Offrande. I've heard that the Twins were given a slightly lower price tag than originally intended or compared to what they go for in France, to help them get a good foot hold in the US. So in all reality this is a more expensive speaker. Makes them a bargain all that much more.

Sean H

You can not post to an archived thread.

This archive is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:

Hi Fi Farm


9 of 9 21/08/2005 2:10 AM

[ Contact Us ] [ Support/Wish List ] [ Copyright Warning! Click for Details ]

[ General ] [ Speakers ] [ Tubes ] [ Vinyl ] [ Digital ] [ Hi-Rez ] [ Video Asylum ] [ Cables ] [ Tweaks/DIY ] [ Music ] [ Films ]

jmr twins iii speaker review collection

Documents