Comments on: Rocky Mountain Audio Fest: IDS

By: Russ

Russ — Tue, 31 Oct 2006 19:20:58 +0000

Hmmmm… B 901s without the reflecting component?

By: Neil Gader

Neil Gader — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 16:49:46 +0000

Since hearing the IDS speakers I’ve been thinking about subwoofers-Clearly a little augmentation below around 35 cycles would benefit the IDS25s on grand scale orchestral music. What subwoofer would best match up with them in a larger room? I think the likely candidates might be the new JL Audio series of subs or perhaps one of the larger RELs. Re the JL Audio, I like the idea of acoustic suspension subs not only in principle but as a matchup with the design of the IDS.

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 09:49:19 +0000

I would vote the IDS one of the two or three contenders for best sound of show.

Unlike some of the systems present, these speakers shone when playing music other than the typical demo material. I brought along two CDs, and they were wonderful playing both Martina McBride’s “Broken Wing,” which features a very noticable bass line, and Amy Grant’s voice on “If These Walls Could Speak” has rarely sounded better.

Two big thumbs up for these speakers, but I can’t help but wonder what the equalizer is truly doing to the audio signal and the long term maintenance nightmares of this many drivers (and surrounds.)

These were one of the few conventional designs at the show that was able to easily transcend the sound of “cones in a box,” with the only others being ribbon hybrid, planar or electrostatic designs.

By: Chris

Chris — Wed, 25 Oct 2006 04:29:37 +0000

Neil is spot on in his assessment. Ken from Haig’s Audio, the distributor of IDS, said they situated the speakers on the long wall to allow for a more ‘real life’ positioning and so more show visitors could listen at a single time.
He is absolutely right in that they are as clear as electrostats but didn’t mention that they actually play loud enough to emulate a live performance, using very little power and still have the added dimension of no sweet spot.
I have never been one who is impressed by the nearly sub-sonic demo discs that some speakers use but prefer to listen to a more ‘musical’ bass. From the timpani of ‘Fanfare for the Common Man’ to the cannons of the 1812 and even including the big pipe organ behind Gary Carr, I found the bass that I listen to tight and supremely accurate on the IDS25’s.