何為音質?(下集)
Date: 2024-04-17
音質評估有8 個方面,即明亮度、豐滿度、清晰度、平衡度、柔和度、力度、真實感和立體感。 對於音質評價用語,不管是名詞還是形容詞,都必須對其所要表達的意思充分掌握,否則就會造成偏差。
hi-finews OUTSTANDING PRODUCT|PMC prodigy1 Bookshelf Speaker
Date: 2024-04-16
It wouldn’t be a PMC loudspeaker without transmission line bass loading, and the diminutive prodigy1 is no exception
One of my secret loves has long been transmission line speakers. I miss IMF (named after the designer, Irving M. Fried), the doyen of the genre, although the technology has been used by other brands – most notably PMC. You can therefore imagine my delight when the prodigy1 arrived at a mere £1290. I’d been hearing about it for months, as the prodigy1 (with lowercase ‘p’) was a talked-about launch at the 2023 Munich High-End Show. While the same PMC-made drivers – the 133mm natural fibre long-throw woofer and 27mm soft dome tweeter – feature in the prodigy5 floorstander [see p23], I was especially keen to experience the prodigy1 as I have been on the prowl for a small speaker which fits in price-wise between the ‘ribbon’ tweeter-equipped Quad S1 (£499) and LS3/5As from around £1800 upward. With the prodigy1 being arguably the smallest transmission line speaker ever produced, and an easy swap for both those models in terms of size, how could I resist?
CRITICAL THINKING
Not having the means to research every transmission line speaker produced, PMC’s boast about it being the smallest seems plausible [see PM’s boxout, p65]. The prodigy1 measures only 320x162x237mm (HWD), plus another 10mm if you fit the optional grille. The speaker is incredibly light, too, at 4.5kg, which makes it easy to handle whether you’re muscle-bound or a weakling such as I.
Although user-friendly in many ways, setup of the prodigy1 is achingly critical, as optimal performance is down to positioning. Aside from ample power, amp choice isn’t an issue. But, oy vey! The toe-in! As one used to Wilson Audio’s to-the-millimetre siting, expected of extreme high-end products, it’s a shock to hear how this affordable, small two-way responds so dramatically to the slightest change in listening angle.
As you can see from the pictures on these pages, this is otherwise a classic two-way bookshelf design but also suitable for supports if you prefer your speakers free-standing for better imaging. I opted for my venerable Foundation stands, after trying the four-pillar Music Tools One, the latter being a shade too tall by placing the tweeter above ear height.
At 24in tall, the Foundations were absolutely perfect once rotated through 90o. (The top plate is the same footprint as an LS3/5A, wider than it is deep, whereas the prodigy1 is deeper and narrower.) I added some Blu-tack between the loudspeakers and the stands on PMC’s advice.
FREE-STAND AND DELIVER
Thanks to the port exiting at the front, PMC asks users who want more bass to place the speakers closer to the back wall. I found the bass in free-standing mode more than ample, so returned to the real issue of focusing the tweeter. PMC provides detailed instructions on how to position these, most notably advising a degree of toe-in which has the tweeters crossing behind the listener. Off-axis listening substantially affects the forwardness and/or brightness of the prodigy1 [see PM’s Lab Report, p67]. In other words, it’s an essential means of tuning the overall balance of the speaker.
To my surprise, the prodigy1 gave of its best in my room when firing straight ahead. What was immediately apparent is that the listener has to position them perfectly in order to find the ideal angles for both the treble balance and soundstage width and depth. These are not speakers to share with audiophile pals across a long sofa...
In my situation, with the prodigy1s crossing behind my head, the soundstage depth was vast but slightly narrowed while the treble was a bit dull. Having them cross in front of me a Sonus fabers of yore was not a dissimilar result. Firing straight ahead proved ideal in every parameter for my tastes.
Not supplied when PMC was undertaking his Lab measurements, or photographing the prodigy1, are its optional grilles, at £99 per pair. These consist of plastic fretwork frames that correspond to the drivers, which are covered with a thin black cloth and snap into place via magnets. I suggest you at least audition the prodigy1 with and without, as there is a slight attenuation of the treble with them fitted, alongside the aesthetic ‘blanking’ of the baffle. To use or not to use PMC’s grilles also compounds the possibilities toe-in, but, hey, you lot are audiophiles so I would expect nothing less than fastidious, painstaking fine-tuning.
PRODIGIOUS!
Once all was what I felt to be optimal, it was almost a journey to the past as I had spent much time with small Radford, IMF and TDL transmission line speakers all those years ago. Transmission line bass egregiously has been accused – by some critics – of the kind of ‘honk’ associated with some big horn systems or even suffering one-note bass. Again, this was not my experience here.
Amplifier choice, however, is another issue as these were not as sensitive as I had anticipated. I happened to be using my old Marantz PM-4, which has a button to turn it into a 15W Class A amplifier, and I have to say that the drop in power was quite audible. Although the Class A mode sounded sweeter, and was more than fine up to my preferred listening levels, head-bangers would need to switch it to the 60W Class AB position.
As diminutive and cost-effective as they may be, with extra appeal to newcomers to audio, or those who don’t want big, ugly boxes in their homes and who revel in the modern Spinal Tap blackness of the enclosure, the prodigy1s demand a superior amplifier and unsurprisingly really sing when you turn up the wick. They absolutely adored working with PMC’s own cor integrated amp, rated at 95W/8ohm.
PRESENCE FELT
If those who read between the lines are predicting a rock- or funk-biased sound, let me disabuse you of that by praising their unexpected subtlety. With Keb’ Mo’s Just Like You [Okeh/Epic 4841117 2 CD], the shimmer of his bottleneck guitar’s sliding notes and the resonance of the instrument’s body enjoyed such open, uncoloured presence that I could have been listening to the Quad ESL 57s [HFN Nov ’57 & May ’10] sitting behind them. There was a warmth which – prejudicial presumptions again – simply contradicted what I was assuming would be an ultramodern, hyper-analytical sound.
If you need to know why I suffered that preconception, it’s because PMC also manufactures studio monitors for forensic listening. As detailed and precise as the prodigy1’s portrayal may be, at no time was there an element of fatigue. With Woody Shaw’s Blackstone Legacy [Craft Recordings CR00520], his trumpet displays enjoyed attack as crisp and fast as the punchiness and speed demanded, while the saxophones alongside showed the proper reediness – two levels of contrast that could obviate the other, but they never sounded bright.
BASS INVADER
Then I remembered what PMC is also noted for, so it was back to the bass and the efficacy of its ATL topology. Ron Carter’s bass was so fat, so substantial – and, yes, so beautifully extended – that I wondered what the prodigy5 could add. Should it turn out that there’s even more bass from the floorstander, note that its footprint is the same and will rob you of no more vertical real estate than the prodigy1 on stands.
Having tasted the bass, however, I was drawn to a recording where a bassist was the main focus. The Leroy Vinnegar Sextet’s Leroy Walks! [Contemporary CR00594] is one of those intimate, late-1950s jazz LPs that makes your system sound better than it should, so I had to temper my analysis with the realisation that I wasn’t actually giving the prodigy1s a hard time. Having previously heard the LP through a system with 10in woofers, I was expecting the sound to feel diminished. It was not.
Because I spent so much time with the positioning, I was rewarded not just with better-than-ample bass from a small box, but with a roomfilling soundstage. Within its borders, each member of the group had his own, beautifully defined space, while another strength revealed itself: this speaker loves dealing with percussion. Ultimately, though, I needed to hear something just a little more... majestic.
CHORUS OF APPROVAL
With the amp cranked up, I listened to Stanley Black and the London Festival Orchestra and Chorus’s Music Of A People [London Phase4 LPL74060 open-reel]. Massed vocals, abundant strings, the need for scale… all handled like an IMF TLS50. Demonstrated here was a capacity for conveying the homogeneous ‘wall of sound’ as would be formed by a chorus and orchestra, while still allowing the listener to home in on individual instruments, if not quite an individual singer.
Best of all, the prodigy1 manages the ‘disappearing act’ which endears small speakers to listeners who appreciate their approximation of a point source. You would never guess their size if auditioned blindfolded. I might even suggest that PMC’s prodigy1 is confused: it thinks it’s a gigantic floorstander!
VERDICT
Choose your cliché, especially ‘good things come in small packages’. The prodigy1 is such a clever all-rounder that I now understand why it was a smash hit in Munich. It does everything you’d want at the size and price, provided you site it with care. As I said above, I’ve been looking for a small speaker just above budget/ entry-level, and the prodigy1 standmount entirely fits the bill. I cannot praise it too highly.
浸沉在理智與情感的高度平衡力|Octave V70 Class A 真空管合併機 + PMC fact 8 Signature 座地式揚聲器
Dare: 2024-04-15
輯錄自《Hi Fi音響》
Octave是筆者接觸過的真空管名器中,特別注重分析力、動態與音場立體感的品牌,或許,對一眾喜歡真空管機有濃郁溫暖感的發燒友而言,Octave的聲音會過份理智,甚至偏向一點點的冷,與一點點的嚴肅。到底Octave是不是真的難玩難夾呢?
初接觸V70 Class A
Octave V70 Class A是一款使用五極真空管輸出純A類放大的合併機,每聲道以一對KT120(可用KT150配合Power High設定輸出,若配KT88或6550,則應以Power Low設定輸出,可參考423期)推挽式放大,輸出功率可達50瓦。筆者的配搭是用一對inakustik Referenz NF-1204 AIR平衡線和一對Referenz LS-1204 AIR喇叭線開聲,聲音,確實是理性的,不過,不冰冷,也不嚴肅,播交響樂,更是如魚得水!
首次聽fact系列
談到PMC,筆者經常接觸的是其中階系列產品,由Twenty到Twenty5i;fact系列,還是第一次。這對揚聲器箱體修長,高1030mm,深380mm,而闊僅155mm,重20kg。面板由一顆19mm高分析力SONOMEX軟膜半球形、磁液冷卻高音單元,和兩個140mm,即5.5吋口徑長衝程低音單元組成。未開聲前,筆者對這套屬於中小型系統是否適合在400餘呎的大房開聲確實感到疑惑。然而,開聲後,聲音的完全甩箱感、無箱聲的優勢,確實是Twenty5i明顯有所不及,而在大房開聲,它們不甘示弱,更無呈現出需要在大空間「谷」起音場之感,而且場面感不弱。的確,低頻不似大口徑低音單元能顫動地板,然而聆聽上的低頻深度、強度、場面氣氛、音場深度、分析力仔細、大動態鮮明,在如此寬敞空間,fact 8 Signature表現大方得體,理智中流露出不溫不火的細膩情感。
3D立體音場
換上編制較大的《Tango》中,進一步突顯V70 Class A & fact 8 Signature在處理音場立體感方面的過人之處,樂隊的排位,每款樂器的音色、特質、形態、演奏者的從容自如,可謂巨細無遺。在理性與感性的表達中,這套組合是中間輕微偏向理智、理性的重播,然而,說Octave沒有膽味、個性冰冷?筆者並不認同,若然說它相對內斂,不求戲劇性的煽情魅力,會更加準確。
Rock得起
50瓦、真空管、搖滾,這個組合在市場上的選擇大概不會太多,V70 Class A沒有令我失望而回。《Mr. Big》〈Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy〉,雖然未說得上抽斷鼓棍,不過音樂的爽、快、節奏強的動感,一樣教筆者聽得興起。爽與烈的動感與聲勢有熱血感,可以估計,一個比本刊大試音房環境小的家居空間,勁度會是綽綽有餘!〈Voodoo Kiss〉的彈弦猛而有力,抽鼓有爆炸力,這點不能否認,再加上細節的清晰度實在不遜大型系統。
Hofmann理念
筆者曾經與Octave創辦人兼設計師Andreas Hofmann傾談,他曾提到:「若然聲音變得溫暖、變得柔順,便會 失去細節與精緻的音樂訊息。我明白不少人說我的設計不似膽機,但我追求的是聽音樂,不是聽膽,因為我是經常 聽音樂會的樂迷,聽交響樂,聲音很快、低音潛得很深、能量強、動力強,但沒有甜這回事,我的設計是要還原真實,錄音是好就是好,差就是差,我需要的是充足的動態 和正確的低音。」果然,播一系列Living Stereo出品,尤其是交響樂,聽感更是如魚得水。
最後,播Paul McCartney《ECCE COR MEUM》,合唱團的演出令我有耳界大開之感,一排一排的合唱團,多把聲渾然一體的細緻與立體感的強烈動感,合唱團與錄音空間之間的聲音回響平衡、強烈、入味,定位感與氣氛,無論是以體形論聲,還是以價論聲也難以挑剔它的不是,唯獨可以挑剔的是,大房的空間稍為大了一點。當我在大房中把音量扭過12點位置,在聆聽位仍然沒有聽得到的粗糙、尖惡與噪音!
這個組合對音樂類型並無揀擇,音場立體感的出彩,可以讓樂隊、樂團的錄音發揮出令人神往的水準。唯這個組合可能不容易討好喜歡甜美、特別和暖厚潤的一眾!
點擊閱讀全文: https://reurl.cc/oRDYdl
卓越的音樂傳遞者|Exposure XMCD & XM5 合併機 + PMC prodigy5 小型座地
Date: 2024-04-12
有專業監聽血統的PMC prodigy5 小型座地喇叭,配搭同樣來自英國高分析力的 Exposure XMCD 和 XM5 合併機的全英組合,能帶出通透、純淨的音質效果給予喜歡聆聽原音的用家。 ......
Hi-fi news Review|Burmester 077/218 Pre/Power Amplifiers
Date: 2024-04-10
Taking both aesthetic and design cues from the flagship 159 monoblocks, the 218 power amp is the German marque's newest model, teamed here with the 077 preamp.
Never accuse Berlin-based Burmester of timidity... In an interview published to mark the launch of its 216 and 218 power amplifiers, its Team Leader for Quality Management, Thomas Schneider, says, 'We have thought in exactly the right direction'. The 216 amplifier is part of what the company calls its Top Line, and while the 218 may look similar it's actually in the upper tier Reference Line, one step below the Signature Line that features the flagship 159 monoblocks and near-2m-tall BC350 speakers, yours for £233,000 a pair.
Still with me? Well, the 218 is a stereo power amplifier, rated at 165W/8ohm while standing almost 22cm tall and weighing 42kg. Hand built to the company's usual standards of solidity and finish, it sells for £34,600 (the 100W 216 is £23,700) and is partnered here with the £35,900 077 preamplifier, a relatively long-running Burmester model, the original version having been launched in 2007 to mark the 30th anniversary of the company's 777 preamplifier.
Module Choice
Launched as a one-box preamp, with the option of an offboard power supply, the 077 is now only available in two-box form, as a balanced line-only, analogue design, albeit with the option of modules to add digital inputs, MM/MC phono capability and an unbalanced line stage. One module of your choice is included in the price – ours was fitted with the USB-B/coax digital card. RCA-to-XLR adapters are included as is the company's 067 remote handset, which is £500 when bought separately.
Output from the preamplifier is via balanced XLRs, matching the inputs on the 218 power amp, while an additional BurLink connection allows the amplifiers to be integrated into third-party home automation solutions, including Crestron. Despite being separated by more than 15 years, the 077 and 218 remain a perfect visual match, bridging the eras between the company under the helm of founder Dieter Burmester, and the brand today after his passing in 2015.
The heavy aerospace-quality casework has a decidedly 'technical' look, and while the mirror-finish fascia treatment adds visual appeal, the engraved legends above and below the 077's multifunctional toggles are rather tricky to read. For example, a single control handles phase switching but also toggles the display brightness, while another – at least with the digital input module fitted – chooses between Class 1 and 2 USB operation, selects the digital input in use and enables upsampling to 192kHz.
Other controls access the set-up menus, including selecting the main output or the 077's two headphone sockets, the latter somewhat inconveniently located on the rear panel. Input sensitivity, input naming, and so on, is achieved by a combination of up or down movements of the toggles, plus different lengths of hold when doing so.
Taking Control
You can even bypass various switches if required, and while most users will soon become familiar with their basic functionality, it's likely that the supplied remote control, also aluminium-clad, will provide more logical access to the functions of the preamp. Mind you, using the remote deprives you of the tactile 'click-stop' appeal of the 077's chromed volume control. There's not much chance of overshoot through over-enthusiastic twiddling here – in fact, a determinedly positive shove is required to make changes!
The 077 and its power supply are designed to be stacked. As both units have heavy alloy feet, machined to a spike, Burmester supplies protective alloy baseplates for each, the 'points' sitting on carbon-fibre discs set into their surface. Completing the attention to detail is the provision of a cleaning spray and microfibre cloth, designed to maintain the units in pristine condition.
The 218 power amp is of a size and mass to make it a definite 'sit on the floor' device, and features massive aluminium top and bottom plates sandwiching heatsinks wrapping around all four corners of the enclosure. Conduction is improved by a copper heatpipe, as the output devices are actually located behind the solid side-panels between the heatsinks. The amplifier is a symmetrical, dual-mono, and DC-coupled design described as 'a three-stage, fully complementary signal amplifier... with targeted compensation techniques and very narrow-tolerance components'. This is the core of Burmester's proprietary X-AMP technology.
Power Down
Around the back, hefty 'winged' terminals are provided for stereo speaker cable connection. The 218 can also be used as a mono amplifier or as part of a bi-amp configuration using dedicated adapter cables, available as accessories from Burmester dealers at £1300 a set.
A single power button is the only control on the front of the amplifier, with a customisable LED changing colour to show on and standby. Again to the rear there are trigger ports as well as that proprietary BurLink connection. The 218 also has an automatic power down after 30 minutes of no signal, which is on by default but can be bypassed using Burmester's system remote, or via the BurLink port. There's also extensive protection against short circuits, overheating or DC offset, all of which is enabled using circuits lying outside of the direct signal path.
And... Relax
Our initial auditioning of these amplifiers kicked off via the 077's USB-B 'computer audio' input, with music fed to the DAC card using Aurender's W20SE music library [HFN Mar '23]. Speakers were B&W 801 D4s [HFN Nov '21], and it soon became clear that the digital module fitted to the 077, though convenient, was starting to show its age... The sound, while lush and rich in the low frequencies, as one might expect given Burmester's origins as a company created by a bass-player, was somewhat lacking in freshness and vitality in the midband and treble. This was all very relaxing and apparently very 'hi-fi', but the music still lacked spark and excitement, something rapidly addressed by bringing into play dCS's Vivaldi APEX DAC [HFN Jun '22], also connected via USB-B to the Aurender W20SE and with a fixed-level output to the 077's analogue inputs.
Tracks that previously sounded rich but slightly anonymous, such as 'On The Sunny Side Of The Street' from the Bill Charlap Trio's Notes From New York album [Impulse! download], gained extra sparkle and impetus, no longer sounding like a slightly snoozy late afternoon hi-fi demonstration. And Bonobo's 'Otomo', from his Fragments album [Ninja Tune ZENDNL 279], previously distinguished only by its big, thundering bassline which was more about weight than impact, took on extra detail and became faster-sounding and more interesting as a result.
Even those tracks I'd found satisfying when run through the preamp's internal DAC gained new life with the dCS player/DAC in harness, allowing the Burmester amplifiers to deliver all their warmth and weight while gaining new presence. 'Angel Eyes', from Carmen Gomes Inc.'s Thousand Shades Of Blue [Sound Liaison SL-1001A], which is definitely a demonstration-quality recording, combined richness with immediacy and a more detailed view of the singer's voice. Similarly, the slow burn of the 3rd movement of Elgar's First Symphony [Staatskapelle Berlin/Barenboim; Decca 478 9353] brought together stateliness and scale, complemented by a detailed insight into what each section of the orchestra was doing.
Sax Appeal
True, the Roger Waters take on 'Money' from his Dark Side Of The Moon Redux set [SGB Music download] arguably sounded a little slow, if melodramatic, but one can hardly blame the 077/218 amplifiers for that. By contrast, the Espen Eriksen trio/Andy Sheppard 'Passion' from the recent As Good As It Gets release [Rune Grammofon RCD2233] demonstrated much better pace and openness, together with a fine reedy tonality to Sheppard's sax. Furthermore, Fleur Barron's performance of Purcell's 'When I Am Laid In Earth', from the La Nuova Musica recording of Dido and Aeneas [Pentatone PTC 5187032], was positively spine-tingling.
So, yes, this Burmester combination remains warm, generous and still somewhat polite-sounding by comparison with some more obviously upfront amplifier systems, but the immediacy, the thrill and sheer amount of detail thrust at the listener by those latter amplifiers is not always a recipe for satisfaction in the longer term. Moreover, the 077/218 pairing maintains a firm grip on speakers such as the big Bowers & Wilkins floorstanders, which benefit from both confident driving and control if they're not to dominate proceedings.
The grip that's exercised here might be concealed to some extent by the innate richness of the 077/218's presentation, but it's clearly there in the intimate 'in the room' presentation of Ed Sheeran's 'England' from Autumn Variations [Gingerbread Man Records 5054197767272], with superb vocal and instrumental colours. It's even more obvious with the languid country of 'Songs That She Sang In The Shower' from Jason Isbell's 10th anniversary release of Southeastern [Southeastern Records SER9984-10DX], which shows excellent three-dimensional soundstaging.
This ability to let voices and instruments cut through that seemingly rich, 'easy listening' sound is also apparent with Magdalena Kožená's voice on her lovely Folk Songs set of little vignettes, with the Czech Philharmonic under Sir Simon Rattle – yet another beautifully judged Pentatone recording [PTC 5187075]. Meanwhile the 218 power amplifier proved capable of serious dynamics on the 'March From 1941' on the Jerry Junkin/Dallas Winds John Williams At The Movies release [Reference Recordings RR-142], with crisply resolved snares and startling bass drum strikes. And yes, it really swings with those marching tempi.
Listening Pleasure
Play another Reference set, the Oue/Minnesota Orchestra recording of Respighi [RR-95], and the 'Pini di Roma' sounds suitably dramatic, exuberant and cinematic. Indeed, the scale these amps can deliver is perfectly measured against the detail and tonal shading of the performance, however carried away you get with that weighted volume control. And so, in the round, while this Burmester duo undoubtedly has a 'sound', it's one carefully tailored to delight the listener, and for many this mixture of ease of listening and richly delineated detail will be exceptionally attractive.
Hi-Fi News Verdict
The distinctively rich presentation of the 077/218 pre/power amplifiers may be at odds with the apocryphal Germanic 'sound tuning', but there's no doubt they are superbly easy to enjoy, while at the same time conveying the spirit and emotion of the music. Add in the solid engineering and lavish styling, and there's no gainsaying the appeal of these luxurious components. Nor, indeed, the sound they deliver.
何為音質?(上集)
Date: 2024-04-09
對音響設備的重播聲音好壞沒有完善的標準,也難以用一定的電氣標準來規範。 通常音響器材提供的技術參數,都是用正弦波測量所得,而實際的聲音訊號卻是由多種同時並存的訊號組成。 它們的振幅、變化速度各不相同,且多為不重複、不對稱波形,具有瞬變特性,故而用正弦波測得的參數並不能客觀反映音響器材重播聲音音質的優劣,也就是音響器材的重播聲音質素,並不能以技術指標、規範要求等定量或定性的評量作出準確的結論。 ......
哪裡還有更好的選擇?|PMC Prodigy1 落地喇叭
Date: 2024-04-08
輯錄自《u-audio》
如果你關注音響新聞,一定知道 PMC 在 2023 年發表了全新系列,而且定位在入門級距,是市場上殺手級的產品。如果你去年 8 月和 12 月都有去圓山的音響展,且進去過瑩聲的房間,一定看到過這個新發表的 PMC。這個我所謂的殺手級喇叭,就是 PMC 的 Prodigy 系列。
Prodigy 系列是 PMC 將目標指向更多家庭、指向年輕世代的產品。一直以來,PMC 與音樂產業深深連結,作為最著名的鑑聽喇叭品牌之一,PMC 深入了各大錄音室,是錄音師完成音樂製作的好夥伴。PMC 在 Prodigy 系列上所欲呈現的,就是把他們多年來應用在錄音鑑聽上的工程技術,與追求高傳真的理念,落實在全新可負擔的輕巧作品上。
堅持傳輸線式箱體,並且精益求精
Prodigy 系列共推出兩款,一款是書架式喇叭 Prodigy 1,一款是小型落地喇叭 Prodigy 5,兩者使用了 PMC 新設計的單體,並都搭載了 PMC 先進傳輸線的招牌技術(Advanced Transmission Line, ATL)。PMC 是極少數至今仍堅持製作傳輸線喇叭的廠家之一。
在 20 世紀 30 年代就出現了傳輸線喇叭,可是,為了容納傳輸通道,喇叭往往又大又重,而且諧振頻率的控制、單體與傳輸線之間的耦合、傳輸線開口配置的優化等問題,讓傳輸線喇叭雖然可以再生深沉的低頻,卻有許多其他問題有待解決。就在許多廠家紛紛打退堂鼓,傳輸線喇叭漸漸失去舞台之時,PMC 出現了。他們撐起了傳輸線喇叭一脈,投入大量資源研發並精進傳輸線的設計。今日當我們說起傳輸線喇叭,第一個想到的就是 PMC。
PMC 首先為傳輸線通道上的阻尼泡棉制定出規格,讓高頻、中頻的吸收達到均衡,並且適當處理低頻的諧振。他們還在喇叭箱內設計了特殊的諧振吸收腔室,這樣一來,PMC 就更能控制所不欲的諧振頻率,進而降低失真,發聲更為線性。此外,開口也是重點。PMC 為了更流暢地導出氣流,且盡可能降低空氣流體在開口處的擾動導致氣流噪訊,從 F1 的流體力學設計汲取靈感,提出 Laminair 專利技術,在傳輸線開口設置分隔層板,從而減少了不必要的氣流擾動,降低氣流噪訊的同時,也提高了低音的敏捷度和清晰度。
因為 ATL 先進傳輸線箱體,讓 PMC 喇叭可以發出超越自身箱體尺寸的低音,且有更大的動態餘裕。此外,一般低音反射式喇叭,往往需要讓音量開到一定程度,達到一定的低音響應,聲音才會好聽。可是,PMC 的 ATL 箱體設計讓喇叭可以在任何音量下都保有完整的頻寬和動態。Prodigy 系列雖然是 PMC 旗下最入門級的喇叭,依舊採用了比起低音反射式製作成本更高的 ATL 傳輸線箱體。
移植自專業鑑聽喇叭的高音
Prodigy 5 和 Prodigy 1 的單體一樣,都是 PMC 特別開發的專屬單體。高音是一個 27mm 的絲質軟半球高音,比起常見的一吋直徑高音要稍微大一些些。這個高音是從 PMC 專業用鑑聽喇叭 Result 6 發展而來,同樣用在 Ci 系列的嵌入式喇叭上。高音開口邊緣稍稍以弧形下切,帶有導波效果;單體前方則有蜂巢式金屬網罩,不但保護單體,更可透過金屬網洞增進擴散性和效率。
LTTM 天然纖維振膜低音
低音用的是一個 133mm 的長衝程單體,振膜用料是 LTTM 天然纖維,錐形振膜的中央不見常見的半球體防塵罩,而是貼合錐盆角度構成一個完整的弧面整體。原廠表示,這麼做可以降低單體表面多餘的高頻反射。低音單體以強力鐵粉芯磁鐵為動力核心,配合長衝程設計,單體尺寸雖然不大,低頻能量卻很足。
Prodigy 5 就跟 Prodigy 1 一樣低調,消光黑色的漆面外觀,沒有貼皮,沒有多色可挑。底部在延伸出去的支架下可安裝金屬腳錐,透過旋入式腳錐,用家可以微調腳錐的高度,調整喇叭水平。喇叭端子只有一組,使用上比較單純,也更直覺些。
Prodigy 5 看起來就像是長高的 Prodigy 1
Prodigy 1 我約莫半年前寫過報導,這次聽的是落地款 Prodigy 5。事實上,Prodigy 5 可說是 Prodigy 1 的拉長版,喇叭的寬度、深度都一樣,單體配置的也都一樣,活脫脫就是一個長高了的 Prodigy 1。把兩者的規格數據擺在一起看,甚至會驚訝怎麼這麼多數據都相同,即或不同,也甚是相近。唯一比較明顯的差別,就是頻率響應,Prodigy 1 的低頻只能下潛到 50Hz,Prodigy 5 的低頻則可潛到 35Hz。
基於共享了諸多設計元素,Prodigy 5 的聲音和 Prodigy 1 在特徵上非常相近,但是,多出來的那一截箱體,賦予了 Prodigy 5 更寬鬆的聲音,更深沉的低頻,以及更渾厚的聲底。Prodigy 1 顯得比較清新,Prodigy 5 則更為沉穩。如果空間夠大,擺得下落地喇叭,加一點預算,直上 Prodigy 5 絕對值得。
羽量級選手打出重拳
我在 U-Audio 的試聽室,以 Pass XP-12 前級搭配 X250.8 後級來推 Prodigy 5。這樣的搭配雖然在售價上不太平衡,但借助於 X250.8 的 350W 功率驅動 Prodigy 5,我得以更認識 Prodigy 5 的本事。以 Friend’ n Fellow 演唱的「Light My Fire」一曲為例,女歌手 Constanze Friend 的歌聲形體飽滿,聲嗓溫厚,發聲的紋理在良好厚度的支撐下,呈現出充滿安定感的清晰度。吉他手 Thomas Fellow 的琴音鏗鏘,彈到低音時,Q 彈的音粒蹦跳而起,畫面活生。一聲強音頓下,Prodigy 5 的能量隨即奔湧而來。雖然是落地款,身形卻是小小瘦瘦,重量區區 10 公斤,十足一個羽量級選手。可是,你聽這個有力的強奏,你聽這個飽滿的人聲,你聽這個燦亮的光澤,你聽這個開闊的畫面,你聽這音樂,哪裡像是這麼小的喇叭所發出的?
這等鼓聲,怎能不 high 爆?
放起 Dire Straits 的「Brother in Arms」專輯,Prodigy 5 更是顯出它的本事來。「So Far Away」一曲裡貫串著穩定的節奏,電貝斯最先出來,然後就是鼓組的強力節奏。聽這個 tom tom 鼓聲,強勁而爽脆,幾聲大鼓踩下,渾圓飽滿又沉重的鼓聲,當即豐富了這個節奏。電吉他、電貝斯、鍵盤、合成器、人聲和聲摻和著放送出來,就像是有畫面般活生,但私心以為,這首歌裡什麼都比不上那個鼓。Prodigy 5 的鼓聲真是厲害,它乾脆改名叫「Prodrumgy 5」好了。「Money for Nothing」悠遠的人聲和伴奏,像是夢囈一般的開場,就在強悍的鼓聲中被打破。這鼓聲漸進式的展開,直到炸裂後,帶出電吉他失真的旋律。聽聽看這個,音量開大一點,那透明的畫面裡,竄出一個個張狂的樂手,聽 Dire Straits 太老派了嗎?用 Prodigy 5 聽,什麼年齡都要 high 爆。
超出想像的低頻實力
這麼小的落地喇叭,低音有多猛呢?讓 markusphilippe 這個二重奏來告訴你。聽他們的「Saxnbass」專輯,單是一望專輯名稱便知這裡頭的曲子在幹嘛。沒錯,簡簡單單的編制,一把次中音薩克斯風,一把低音提琴。次中音薩克斯風那粗糙的、帶著沙礫感的、有著金屬質地的聲音,其斑斑紋理一覽無遺。至於那把低音提琴,龐大而深沉,龐大指的是其形體規模,深沉自然指的是音調。這樣大把的低音提琴,在落地喇叭上呈現,本該有書架喇叭所不及的規模感。可是,像 Prodigy 5 這樣小的落地喇叭,像它這樣不過一顆 5 吋低音的小落地,低音竟能潛得這麼深,並且還能保有一定的解析力,讓提琴的撥彈聽來清晰可辨。能這樣清楚地把低音提琴豐厚而有重量的低音表現得這麼好,也難怪乎 PMC 原廠不怕場地大,不怕行家多,在 2023 年的慕尼黑音響展裡,就用一對 Prodigy 5 來告訴人 PMC 的技術底子有多強。我這麼一直誇,你若沒親耳聽見,不怪你覺得我在空口白話。
聽這波瀾壯闊,真是太厲害了!
我前面說到它可以表現大場面,我以「The World of Hans Zimmer」這張現場實況錄音為例,在「獅子王組曲」裡,描述主角小獅王辛巴的誕生,以樂團配合人聲展開的音樂,和諧而充滿希望。接著導入緊張刺激的樂段,這段曲子是描述辛巴受騙而深陷奔馳的牛羚群中,獅王父親趕來援救至終身死谷中。聽那強悍的節奏,厚重的和聲,Prodigy 5 以一種不讓大喇叭專美於前的姿態,用這段音樂把人帶回電影場景之中。組曲最後一段最是精彩,那是成年的辛巴擊敗惡叔後稱王,並生育後代,象徵大地生生不息,富有生機的循環。這裡的和聲最飽滿最豐富也最厚重,管弦樂團加上人聲,再加上澎湃的打擊樂,帶出恢宏壯闊的氣勢。小喇叭有這樣的大場面,豈止是厲害而已,這是很厲害啊!
低頻沉重、層次清晰、規模龐大,處處出人意表
PMC 有一句經典的 slogan,「the speakers that make the movies」,是誰家的喇叭呢?當然就是 PMC。他們的喇叭深入各大專業錄音室,甚至在 1996 年獲得艾美獎的「最佳錄音貢獻獎」(Contribution to recording excellence)。所以,每每遇到 PMC 喇叭,我總是要聽看看電影原聲帶。以電影「沙丘」的原聲帶為例,在「Dream of Arrakis」裡,強勁生猛,且帶著爽脆質地的打擊樂席捲而來,配上接踵而至深沉的鼓聲,那個像是心跳般的節奏,引人進入對未知宇宙的無邊想像裡。最後那加入人聲堆疊出來的聲響,聽來教人血脈噴張。至於「Herald of the Change」特製的管樂,發出宛如人聲的聲音,反覆的旋律被一聲強勁低音給打破,隨後音響一層比一層厚實。那低頻,很沉重;那層次,很清楚;那規模,很龐大。還是那句話,Prodigy 5 的表現太出人意外了。
換 40W 管機推,甜美迷人,沒有遺憾
Pass X250.8 的驅動力強悍,加之以其售價,購買 Prodigy 5 的人並不會這麼搭配。我換上華克音響的 EL34 真空管綜擴,聆聽 Alice Sara Ott 的「Nightfall」獨奏專輯,德布西的「夢」透過踏瓣和觸鍵,營造出的柔軟且迷濛的音色,於此聽來真是美極了。至於「貝加馬斯克組曲」,前奏曲裡充滿歌唱性的抒情曲調,透過分解和弦帶來詩意又夢幻的氛圍。琴音晶晶亮亮又顆粒圓潤,帶著一點點 EL34 賦予的甜味,像是灑了糖霜的糕點,這等迷人,和之前所提及的那樣壯闊的、強悍的風情截然不同。這是 Prodigy 5 的另一面。民謠風的小步舞曲,俏皮之中仍帶著優雅姿態。至於「月光」,聽那如夜間湖畔,晚風輕撩下,盪開映照在水面上的明月,隨著波光閃耀著、搖曳著;溫潤的光澤,豐盈的音韻,可美了。40W 的 EL34 管機推起來,這份甜美,這等可人,Prodigy 5 照樣能夠達意地重現德布西音樂的美。
你可以告訴我還有什麼更好的選擇?
英國 in house 製造、傳輸線箱體、各大錄音室背書,這樣一對落地喇叭,售價不到 10 萬,還有什麼更好的選擇嗎?Prodigy 5 擁有的不只是自家公司三十餘年所累積下來的聲譽,它確實有本事。而且,它的本事,足令 PMC 為之驕傲。
器材規格
設計:2 單體 2 音路傳輸線式落地喇叭
使用單體:27mm 軟半球高音單體×1,133mm 長衝程 LTTM 天然纖維中低音單體×1
頻率響應:35Hz – 25kHz(-3dB)
阻抗:6 ohms
分頻點:1.7 kHz
效率:87.3 dB
最大音壓:123dB
建議擴大機功率:20 - 250W
有效傳輸線長度:1.96m
水平指向性:80 度
垂直指向性:70 度
尺寸:905×162×237 mm(H×W×D)
重量:10 kg
《精雕細琢、處處用心|Siltech 頂級音響示範會》現已接受報名
Date: 2024-04-03
Siltech 頂級的 Symphony 和 SAGA以及 Triple Crown 線材,以追求最高水平完整性和卓越性來重現音樂。音質在很大程度上取決於設計;電路的構思方式、每個組件的影響、傳導信號的材料以及對外部噪音源的屏蔽等等。 Siltech 工程師數十年來對聲音性能進行的廣泛研究成果,構成了所有產品的基礎,最終創造出令人驚歎且名副其實的美妙聲音。
名額有限,歡迎從速報名參加!
2024 年 04 月 20 日 (星期六)
時間 : 下午 2:30 – 4:00
地點 : 新漢家庭娛樂中心 / 灣仔駱克道188號兆安中心5字樓
名額 : 18 位
主持 : Raymond Chan
嘉賓 : 音響技術 / 草哥、Martin
電話報名 : 2489 8068
網上報名 : https://reurl.cc/Xq1zLM
示範器材
Siltech Symphony 大型座地揚聲器
SAGA C1 Control Amplifier
SAGA V1 Voltage Amplifier
SAGA P1 Power Amplifier
Royal Triple Crown 線材
Burmester 069 CD 唱盤
217 黑膠唱盤
OCTAVE Phono Module 唱頭放大器