18 August 2007 – The gold plaque on the front of the Anima loudspeaker reads “Sonics By Joachim Gerhard.” Giving equal billing to the designer and the company is certainly not unique. It even implies a potential marketing synergy. However, my take is that Mr. Gerhard is actually providing a clarification. First, that he is no longer associated with or a driving force behind Audio Physic, where he once laid claim to authoring some of the industry’s most acclaimed speakers. And second, that in his new gig as designer and part owner of Sonics he has been able to renew his passion for speaker design. If Sonics’ new mini-monitor, the Anima (an intriguing choice of names) is any indication of what’s in store, Gerhard is clearly serious about getting back to his roots.
The $2600 Anima is a conventionally ported two-way. It is also unusually well built. Gerhard has rejected conventional MDF construction and chosen expensive birch ply (also known as marine ply) for the front, back, top, and bottom panels. He favors this many-layered “sandwich” of materials because he considers it to be less resonant, yet capable of dispersing resonances more evenly across the frequency band. The tweeter uses a very small diaphragm membrane with a wide surround that increases output and raises the resonant frequency above 40kHz. The 6" woofer has a chunky magnet for its size and an extended throw. But that also makes it a tougher load to drive. The Anima likes quality power amplifiers and electronics. Anything less and it grows a bit lifeless and dry.
From the opening movement of Previn’s recording of Benjamin Britten’s Four Sea Interludes and Passacaglia from Peter Grimes [EMI] the Anima conveyed a skill-set that I’ve come to expect from Joachim Gerhard—a signature that expresses itself regardless of size or combinations of drivers. First, there is the Anima’s boxless transparency, its absence of cabinet coloration—which obviously owes a great deal to the speaker’s narrow baffle and rigid construction. Second, there is the slightly laid-back tonal balance and hints of lower-midrange warmth, which favor classical music where soundstage dimensionality helps define the venue and the performance. Then, there is the sensation of detail and microdynamic energy that gives the Anima an ability to tickle the air as, for instance, when Jennifer Warnes’ angelic vocal overdubs on The Hunter [Cypress] hover and shimmer with crystalline definition around the soundstage. Transients are not merely fast and intense—they arrive fully connected to their respective instruments, part of a greater harmonic whole and lacking any artificial edginess. Finally, there is the difficult to describe “liveliness” factor. Whether you describe it as “jump,” pace, or mere listenability, this is a speaker with a heartbeat.
At a mere thirteen inches high—not much bigger than a mere “point” in space itself—the Anima achieves near-point-source coherency and laser-specific imaging that would be show-stoppers in any league. Although the soundstage is scaled down in size and images are a bit miniaturized, the Anima carves out dimensional space like a legendary few. (The Wilson WATT and the original Pro Ac Tablette come to mind.)
Unlike most mini-speakers that are thinly disguised head-units looking for the “body” only a subwoofer can grant them, the Anima reveals all kinds of colors and details in the midbass and gives a very satisfying impression of low-frequency muscle. Of course, it doesn’t have the subsonics to summon humpbacks from their Baja breeding grounds, but it will also give you much more than a taste of the lower octaves. Most of the time, I didn’t miss a subwoofer.
However, the strongest impression that the Anima imparted was the sense that it cannot be so easily defined as a dynamic-driver bass-reflex design. Particularly in the upper frequencies, the Anima delivers harmonics and speed that are more akin to a ribbon. It’s as if music isn’t being pushed forward but is simply flowing, liquid smooth, until it engulfs the ear.
No, the little Anima is not perfect. But you can hardly fault a thirteen-incher for occasionally overreaching. To be sure, there’s a slight elevation of lower-treble presence that adds sparkle and detail. Thus the brass and wind section tended to whiten slightly and grow a bit pinched dynamically during the orchestral fireworks of Kubelik’s reading of the Dvorák’s New World Symphony [DG]. And during “Joan of Arc,” the duet between Jennifer Warnes and Leonard Cohen revealed that the port is not always invisible—the limited deep bass output is masked by some extra mid-to-upper bass support from the reflex housing. But these are issues that most small speakers confront, and Mr. Gerhard has elegantly resolved them.
Rarely does a speaker, small or large, come along that is as thoroughly satisfying as the Anima. True, at its price it faces competition in all weight classes. However, if you’re looking for a seriously intentioned speaker, musically substantial yet ultimately inconspicuous and with the magic of a pure disappearing act, the Anima is nothing less than irresistible.{mospagebreak title=Sonics Anima and Argenta Loudspeakers – page 2}
Sonics Argenta
The Sonics Argenta ($1500) is also a two-way reflex design, but in many ways an entirely different kettle of fish than the Anima. Nearly half its cost and significantly bigger, its spirit is defiantly retro. Just one look at its square-shouldered silhouette and front-porting screams “BBC control room, circa 1970.” At first, however, the Argenta sounded a bit strident and forward, especially after I’d spent some time luxuriating with the Anima. Quasi-nearfield on-axis listening emphasized its thinner tonal balance and a treble rise that flagrantly etched harmonic details. However, after a few more
hours of playtime I tried firing the Argenta squarely forward. To my relief, this shift resulted in a tonal balance that was much closer to what I was getting with the Anima. Treble response smoothed appreciably. Unlike the depth of field the Anima creates, the Argenta’s perspective remains tilted toward a front-row listener. In true monitor style it presents music in great detail by delicately straddling the line between the neutral and the analytical. The soundstage won’t match the multi-layered dimensionality nor the liquid treble extension of the Anima, but once the speaker is properly set up, it’s consistent with that of well-executed two-ways in this range. The Argenta may lack the sheer magic of the Anima, but it’s much more forgiving of electronics and an easier speaker to drive with less power.
With a larger internal cabinet volume and woofer on tap, the Argenta seems to rely less on port-tuning than the Anima and arguably has more natural low end. Timbre resolution—as, for instance, on the triplet figures Stewart Copeland plays on the kick drum during the Police’s “King Of Pain” [A&M 45RPM]—is especially well resolved. The sounds associated with the mallet and the skin are superbly defined and even at “monitoring” levels brimming with character and lacking in perceivable port augmentation. There are still moments when hard piano transients or a soaring soprano can sound a bit glassy and brittle (e.g., “Chopin 6 Chants” from Horizons [EMI]). However, what you get in trade is greater dynamic headroom and the sense that this speaker is comfortable with all musical genres—from headbanger to Holst.
Specifications
ANIMA Drivers: .
75" aluminum-magnesium dome tweeter with soft surround, 6" metal cone mid/woofer
Frequency Response: 50Hz–33kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Sensitivity: 86dB
Dimensions: 7.1" x 13" x 9.4"
Weight: 16.8 lbs.
Price: $2600
ARGENTA Drivers:
1" silk dome tweeter, 7" paper cone mid/woofer
Frequency Response: 38Hz–22kHz
Impedance: 8 ohms
Sensitivity: 87dB
Dimensions: 9.8" x 15.75" x 10.6"
Weight: 22.4 lbs.
Price: $1500
IMMEDIA 1101 8th Street,
Suite 210 Berkeley,
California 94710(510) 559-2050
immediasound.com
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