We're excited to announce we will be attending the Pacific Audio Fest June 23-25th in rooms 1376 and 2210. Room 2210 will feature the Q6, a full dipole design with a wide band driver and two 10 inch woofers. Room 1376 will feature Don Sachs and Lynn Olson's flagship amplifier and preamp, as well as the new X4 Ultra speakers. This system is a top reference level.
Hilton: 18740 International Boulevard, Seattle, WA 98188, USA
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March 26, 2023
X4 Premium is the fully passive successor to the well regarded X3 and X5. Featuring a fully dipolar design, the X4 delivers incredible dynamics while effortlessly resolving every detail and nuance. With its 4 Ohm impedance , the X4 is your go-to speaker for moderate to high watt amplifiers including tubes outputting over 20W.
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March 26, 2023
The X4 Ultra is a “cost-no-object” upgrade from the X4 Premium. Boasting an improved crossover utilizing top tier components as well as a larger aluminum base for greater stability and support for vibration isolating IsoAcoustics Gaia feet.
The Crossover: The components used in the X4 Ultra were meticulously selected to minimize distortion with transparency in mind. Our use of copper foil inductors and oil impregnated film capacitors results in a very revealing but musical presentation with precise imaging and space within the soundstage.
The Aluminum Base: Reengineered to accommodate the larger crossover, our new base also supports IsoAcoustics Gaia feet with 4 points of contact for greater stability. In addition to providing acoustic isolation between the speaker and the floor, Gaia feet also have the effect of cleaning up unwanted harmonics that would otherwise propagate within the baffle. This results in a cleaner sounding midrange and tighter bass response.
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To cut to the chase, if you have a large room and can properly place these speakers paired with gear to set them up for success then you are in for a treat. With that out of the way who are these speakers for? My view is that they are for those who value a large open sound with dynamics. Deep and wide soundstage with precise imaging, high resolution that is capable of delivering material contrast in quiet vs. explosive and do so effortlessly. The AMT on the X4 is smooth and forgiving and I was able to listen to hard rock or metal when in the mood without being driven out of the room.
Bengenito - X4 customer via AudioCircle Forum
What I’m hearing at about 75 hours is a tight and tuneful bass. It’s not overwhelming, but on certain songs that have strong bass, you can definitely hear and feel it. I would also agree with others that it may not be as impactful as some box speakers, but I actually prefer it as it seems more realistic to my ears.
Soundstage is one of the many strengths of this speaker. Once they had some time on them, I noticed the soundstage gradually going from just inside the speakers to about 2 feet outside the speakers. I’m sure if my room was wider, it would be even more pronounced outside of that. The presentation is relatively neutral, meaning it’s not forward or recessed. The music is coming from between the speakers which I prefer, but the music has a relaxed feeling to it with a natural and lifelike sound. I also notice the music just seems to float above the speakers.
It took a little getting used to the tone, but once my ears adjusted, it is all making sense now. The tone is spot on and I don’t have to adjust to it while listening which makes listening more like a live concert and more real to me. I’ve heard some great midrange from speakers like Harbeth, QLN, Magnepan, Tannoy, etc. and the midrange with the X4’s is as good or better than each of those mentioned. The difference is a special magic that I’m hearing with both female and male voices. It’s the most lifelike that I’ve heard as they don’t add anything to voices. All I can say about the treble is “wow”! Extended but not fatiguing and natural sounding. Dare I even say slightly on the warm side of neutral? Best treble I’ve heard south of $20k.
I was skeptical at first about diving into OB, but I’m so glad I did! I am thoroughly enjoying music now with the X4’s. No more analyzing but just enjoying.
Sense63 - X4 customer via AudioCircle Forum
I received a pair of X4 Premiums back at the beginning of August. Now with close to 800 hours on them and a few listening sessions dedicated to fine-tuning placement, they sound stunning.
ItWasRaskolnikov - X4 customer via AudioCircle Forum