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05-31-2009, 02:47 AM
This review was sent in today. Needless to say, we're very pleased with the results. For more info on Sonawall, head to www.sonawall.com
UPS dropped off all my packages and I was glad to see my Sonawall speakers had finally arrived! Opening the box, I found all of the speakers very well packed. There was no way these were going to be damaged. Each Sonasub Lag unit was extremely well built with a high quality black finish. They are made of some of the sturdiest cabinets I’ve seen for a speaker. No resonance was evident. The Sonasub Lag is a ported unit using a very high quality 6.5” subwoofer. Opening the next package, I found each 2” Sonapod unit. I attached the mounting plate and placed each unit approximately 7 feet high on the wall. The demo system was simple: a Harman Kardon HK 3490 receiver driving the Sonawall LsP system, and an Oppo DV-970HD in use as a CD player. All tracks were lossless recordings.
Looks are truly deceiving. My first thought was, how could such a small and simplified system faithfully reproduce music in the manner that I was expecting? I was in for a huge surprise though.
Eagles – Hotel California (Live)
The first thing you notice about the Sonawall LsP system is the massive soundstage that the speakers provide. The live version of “Hotel California” starts off with some ambient crowd noise while leading into the opening guitar solo. The space is large and clearly defined. The strings on the solo sound perfectly natural and accurate. The bass comes in at about :32 and is, in a single word, visceral. The impact and accuracy is stunning for a system using just a pair of small 6.5” subwoofers.
Porcupine Tree – Trains
“Trains” is a great reference track due to its complexity. The song incorporates a very large frequency range from top to bottom. Guitars are prominent throughout. It’s a challenging song to reproduce accurately. The tiny mid-tweeters provided a rich, high-resolution listening session. The timbre of the guitars was excellent and of accurate tonal quality. I was shocked by the mid-tweeter’s ability to cover such a large frequency range and still sound so smooth, but yet detailed. There was no hint of brightness. The sPod mid-tweeters were very gentle and non-fatiguing. I could easily listen to them at length. The LsP system showed off its excellent dynamics at 1:06 when the song picked up and the bass came in. The sound from the system was natural and uncolored, exactly as it should be.
Rebecca Pidgeon – Spanish Harlem
“Spanish Harlem” is one of the toughest tracks to accurately reproduce. Pidgeon’s vocals came across in stunning fashion. It was an absolute pleasure listening to this track on the LsP system. It’s as if Pidgeon is singing right in front of you. The system’s soundstage was large and well-defined. The shaker in the background of the track was distinct and clear. Its small movements back and forth could literally be placed within the soundstage. The strings again were of excellent timbre. This was the toughest track for midrange, and the LsP system handled it amazingly well.
Overall, I was absolutely amazed by the simple LsP system. Not only does it accurately reproduce music in uncolored fashion, but it’s small and unobtrusive. Every part of the system from the Lag bass cabinets to the tiny sPod mid-tweeters can tuck away into the corners of any room. Furthermore, the system can be custom-painted to match your room. For anybody who has ever thought about purchasing a Bose system because of its small size, instead run to your nearest Sonawall dealer for an audition of this system. There is simply no comparison. The Sonawall system is absolutely stunning. A system of the LsP’s size doesn’t have any right to sound this good. If the LsP system is out of your budget, consider the DsP system in three-figures territory.
Lastly, don’t just take my word though. Home Theater Magazine called the Sonapod “the best truly tiny satellite we’ve ever heard.” High praise from high places. This is a system that you have to hear to believe. Sonawall is definitely not getting these back from me!
Michael Cassidy
UPS dropped off all my packages and I was glad to see my Sonawall speakers had finally arrived! Opening the box, I found all of the speakers very well packed. There was no way these were going to be damaged. Each Sonasub Lag unit was extremely well built with a high quality black finish. They are made of some of the sturdiest cabinets I’ve seen for a speaker. No resonance was evident. The Sonasub Lag is a ported unit using a very high quality 6.5” subwoofer. Opening the next package, I found each 2” Sonapod unit. I attached the mounting plate and placed each unit approximately 7 feet high on the wall. The demo system was simple: a Harman Kardon HK 3490 receiver driving the Sonawall LsP system, and an Oppo DV-970HD in use as a CD player. All tracks were lossless recordings.
Looks are truly deceiving. My first thought was, how could such a small and simplified system faithfully reproduce music in the manner that I was expecting? I was in for a huge surprise though.
Eagles – Hotel California (Live)
The first thing you notice about the Sonawall LsP system is the massive soundstage that the speakers provide. The live version of “Hotel California” starts off with some ambient crowd noise while leading into the opening guitar solo. The space is large and clearly defined. The strings on the solo sound perfectly natural and accurate. The bass comes in at about :32 and is, in a single word, visceral. The impact and accuracy is stunning for a system using just a pair of small 6.5” subwoofers.
Porcupine Tree – Trains
“Trains” is a great reference track due to its complexity. The song incorporates a very large frequency range from top to bottom. Guitars are prominent throughout. It’s a challenging song to reproduce accurately. The tiny mid-tweeters provided a rich, high-resolution listening session. The timbre of the guitars was excellent and of accurate tonal quality. I was shocked by the mid-tweeter’s ability to cover such a large frequency range and still sound so smooth, but yet detailed. There was no hint of brightness. The sPod mid-tweeters were very gentle and non-fatiguing. I could easily listen to them at length. The LsP system showed off its excellent dynamics at 1:06 when the song picked up and the bass came in. The sound from the system was natural and uncolored, exactly as it should be.
Rebecca Pidgeon – Spanish Harlem
“Spanish Harlem” is one of the toughest tracks to accurately reproduce. Pidgeon’s vocals came across in stunning fashion. It was an absolute pleasure listening to this track on the LsP system. It’s as if Pidgeon is singing right in front of you. The system’s soundstage was large and well-defined. The shaker in the background of the track was distinct and clear. Its small movements back and forth could literally be placed within the soundstage. The strings again were of excellent timbre. This was the toughest track for midrange, and the LsP system handled it amazingly well.
Overall, I was absolutely amazed by the simple LsP system. Not only does it accurately reproduce music in uncolored fashion, but it’s small and unobtrusive. Every part of the system from the Lag bass cabinets to the tiny sPod mid-tweeters can tuck away into the corners of any room. Furthermore, the system can be custom-painted to match your room. For anybody who has ever thought about purchasing a Bose system because of its small size, instead run to your nearest Sonawall dealer for an audition of this system. There is simply no comparison. The Sonawall system is absolutely stunning. A system of the LsP’s size doesn’t have any right to sound this good. If the LsP system is out of your budget, consider the DsP system in three-figures territory.
Lastly, don’t just take my word though. Home Theater Magazine called the Sonapod “the best truly tiny satellite we’ve ever heard.” High praise from high places. This is a system that you have to hear to believe. Sonawall is definitely not getting these back from me!
Michael Cassidy