Sound
Contents
A testtrack we often use is ‘Fragile’ (My Songs version) by Sting and the first thing we notice is the weight and density of the instruments. There’s meat on the bones, so to speak. The bells shine through nicely but don’t take away all the attention. The song is balanced without emphasizing anything. Yes, we’ve already heard speakers that zoom in on details and have a faster bass response but it’s that balance thattime and time again. Voices never sound sharp, s-sounds are not accentuated and instruments sound very natural. This is not a loudspeaker that wants to stand out, but one that puts itself at the service of the music. And that’s the way it’s supposed to be.
This is one of those speakers that makes inferior recordings sound good without making them unified. And isn’t that what we’re all looking for. A speaker that makes 99% of our music listenable and just lets us enjoy it. An analytical, ultra-detailed speaker that exposes every flaw is not really what we want from a speaker now is it? But don’t be mistaken because the better the recording, the better the Gold 100 responds. Even rock music goes remarkably well because of that extra touch of full fat milk. Band of Horses, Pearl Jam and Neil Young, for example, sound delicious and addictive.
Listen
Asgeir’s new album, highly recommended, sounds rich and refined at the same time. Vocalist Asgeir Trausti’s voice is a mixture between Justin Vernon and Antony Hegarty and the atmospheric songs are a feast for the ear. The Gold 100 conjures a wide and deep soundstage. The full bass provides a ‘warmer’ feel, which is particularly nice with vocal music. Time after time again we are drawn into the music and don’t feel like were missing anything.
To check if the bass is fast enough we take out an album by µ-Ziq (read music) and let the techno and drum and bass pop out of the C-CAM drivers. Most of the time all is well but we have heard faster speakers. The bass has impact and ‘balls’, but on busier basslines and at higher volumes it can become ‘too much of a good thing’. Good points however for the huge amount of details but without giving us a headache.
Back to more laidback music with Lucy Rose who sounds absolutely stunning through the Gold 100. Not an ounce of sharpness, eventhough her voice can sometimes sound quite harsh, with a delightful, stress-free sound entering our listening room. We listen to the whole album and even go for a second serving. Excellent! Christine and the Queens sounds fantastic too. Almost perfect, actually.
