YG Acoustics Kipod Studio Loudspeaker (TAS 199)
The Best Loudspeaker On Earth?
January 15th, 2010 -- by Robert HarleySource: The Absolute Sound
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YG Acoustics is a relatively young company (founded in 2002) that has made quite a splash in the upper end of the loudspeaker market. The firm has attracted some fervent supporters along with much controversy surrounding its key marketing slogan “The Best Loudspeaker on Earth. Period.” This statement, along with the products’ pricing and unusual build, tends to polarize audiophiles.
The Kipod Studio reviewed here is YG’s least expensive full-range loudspeaker, priced at $38,000 per pair. The Kipod Studio’s design brief was to bring the same level of performance found in YG’s $107,000 Anat Professional to a more compact design, with the only trade-offs being bass extension and maximum playback volume.
The Kipod Studio is a two-piece system: The Kipod Main Module is coupled to a woofer enclosure that also serves as a stand for the Main Module. The Main Module is a small two-way speaker in a sealed enclosure that is available on its own for $17,000 per pair. The Kipod Main Module is transformed into the Kipod Studio with the addition of the $21,000 per pair woofer, which can be ordered with or without integral power amplifiers (the price is the same). In my mind, the Kipod Studio is a single loudspeaker system that happens to be housed in two enclosures. Indeed, the Kipod Main Module bolts to the woofer enclosure to form a single structure. Nonetheless, one can buy the Kipod Main Module and later add the woofer for the same price as purchasing both together.
The sealed woofer module has a truncated pyramid shape that houses a 9" ScanSpeak woofer in the front and an amplifier panel in the rear. This panel has a variety of controls for tuning the system to a room. These include woofer level, crossover frequency, equalization frequency, and equalization level. Single-ended and balanced line-level inputs are provided. The line-level input is fed from a second output from your preamplifier. Note that your preamp needs two main stereo outputs, one to drive the woofer modules and one to drive you main power amplifiers. The integral power amplifiers, designed specifically for this particular woofer, are rated at 400W.
The enclosures are made entirely of aluminum panels, machined and finished in YG’s Colorado factory (see sidebar). The Main Module’s ScanSpeak-sourced 6" midrange driver is crossed over to the tweeter at 1.75kHz with a fourth-order slope. The crossover components are as good as they get—the ultra-expensive Raimund Mundorf capacitors and inductors. Each driver is measured and the crossover hand-tuned to a specific set of drivers. YG keeps these measurements on file so that if you need a replacement driver they can supply one of identical characteristics.
The crossovers are designed using a program YG founder Yoav Geva wrote that is based on an algorithm he developed for another field that reportedly allows simultaneous optimization of the frequency and time domains. That is, the loudspeaker’s amplitude response is flat, and its phase response is uniform. YG claims that the Kipod Studio has a phase uniformity of +/-5 degrees. This means that the disparate drivers move in unison in response to a musical signal.
A machined-aluminum waveguide around the Vifa ring-radiator tweeter controls the tweeter’s dispersion. The Main Module can be ordered with single-wire or bi-wire connection. The review samples were supplied with bi-wire connections. Incidentally, I replaced the stock jumpers with a pair from Kimber (Kimber Select KF9033 jumpers) and heard a reduction in grain and a small increase in transparency.
Although the woofer module is available in passive or active configurations, virtually every customer opts for the active version—and for good reason, in my view. An active woofer has many advantages, the main one being the removal of passive crossover parts from the high-level signal path between an amplifier and the woofer’s voice coil. A crossover’s low-pass section that feeds the woofer typically uses a large series inductor; its removal allows the amplifier to better drive and control the woofer. Second, an active woofer relieves your main power amplifier from the burden of driving the woofer. Third, a powered woofer can be equalized to deliver deeper extension than would be possible from a passively driven woofer. That’s the case with the Kipod Studio; the system is flat to 20Hz despite the small footprint and compact dimensions. Fourth, a powered woofer offers the ability to control the woofer level to best match your room. Finally, the integral amplifier can be designed specifically for the impedance curve it will be asked to drive.
Interestingly, the Main Module is run full-range. That is, there’s no high-pass filter to keep bass out of the Main Module’s 6** driver. The idea is to achieve the purity of a two-way mini-monitor with the bass extension of a floorstanding three-way. Nonetheless, the 6” driver’s excursion will be the limiting factor in the system’s macro-dynamic capabilities. It is, however, loaded in a rather small sealed enclosure which helps limit the excursion. For those who want higher sound-pressure levels, YG makes a Main Module Subsonic Filter that keeps low bass out of the Main Module, but presumably at the expense of ultimate transparency.
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I love this hobby, but the vast majority of high-end audio sector is a crock, building lavishly expensive boxes to house "modified" off-the-shelf ScanSpeak drivers that cost all of $500 total. I admire excellent build quality as much, if not more than the next guy, but no matter how you slice it, a loudspeaker is a very simple device based on technology from the 1920s. There is only so many ways to refine this tech, and only so many ways to make a better box, and it certainly doesn't cost $38K to do it. We don't need machined aluminum boxes, we need a paradigm shift in driver tech if the high-end really wants to offer something that you can't get from Best Buy.
I might even see the value in something like the YG speakers for those with money to burn, if the product was trully exceptional, but objectively speaking, YG's claims of being the best loudspeaker in the world simply aren't true.
In all meaningful areas of objective perfromance (on and off axis frequency response, distortion, output capability, phase response, etc.), the YG speakers can be bettered for a lot less. The distortion figures for the much more expensive Anat Reference are higher than other competently made speakers that cost less than $2K a pair, and by the time the output of the Anat reaches 95dB @ 2 meters the tweeter's output has compressed the signal by 3dB. Not to mention phase angle swings of +/- 45 degrees, despite the manufactuer's claims of +/- 5 degrees.
Anat Reference distortion ($28,000 pair):
http://www.soundstagenetwork.com/measurements/speakers/yg_anat_ref_main_...
Amphion Argon2 distortion($2500 pair) made in 2002 no less:
http://www.soundstagemagazine.com/measurements/amphion_argon_2/thd_95db.gif
How is that a speaker that cost less than 10% of the Anat, with a single 6.5" driver is able to reach higher levels with less distortion through the critical mid band and above? Because they were designed well, and the reality is that good sounding and good performing speakers are not all that costly to make. Especially with the aid of computer modeling and analysis. It a vibrating cone or dome in a box for cripes sake!
If distortion was the sole criteria of a good loudspeaker then any speaker playing would sound amazing at 90 db and less good at 95 db.
Couldn't agree more with "Frustrated & Confused". The law of diminishing returns kicks in way, way, earlier than $38k. Well said.
You just dont get it. Is a BMW a better car than a Kia? They both have cars with 4 doors and a engine. Is the BMW worth twice (or more) the cost of a Kia? If all you do is look at the specs the BMW isnt 2 times better in specs. You wouldnt understand unless you drove both. As I said you just dont get it...
I started off in this hobby like many, with a very modest, lower-mid fi system and over the years I worked my way up the ladder to "high-end" audio. Last year I decided to go all out and assemble my dream system. The average price of the speakers I auditioned was right around $16K a pair, and the total system cost was right around $40K. I got sucked into the thrill of the moment and actually purchased three different sets of high-end speakers that sounded like crap once the endorphins in my brain had returned to normal levels.
What I found during the course of the past year was that there is no connection between sound quality and price. And when I started looking deeper into it, it was clear that high end is more hype than substance.
High-end is a grab bag. You would think that any $15K / pair speaker would handily kick the crap out of set that cost $1K pair, but the sad truth is that I would rather listen to a pair of NHTs ($800) or Paradigms ($1500) with a good subwoofer than a set of Focal Electra Be's ($14,000). Not to mention that for $14K a pair, you would think that the cabinet would be made of something other than particle board (MDF) with a fancy paint job.
To put this into perspective, you can buy a top of the line Ducati motorcycle for $12K, and guess what, there's not an inch of MDF in the structure. Think about this for a moment. The complexity of a designing and building a motorcycle is magnitudes greater than building a box to house a few dynamic drivers, even if that box is CNC machined aluminum. Not to mention that taking some ScanSpeak drivers and modifying them, like YG has, is like putting a Honda motor in a BMW. Don't get me wrong, ScanSpeak makes great drivers, but their top of the line Illuminator drivers (not used in the Kipod) are only $300 a piece.
So even if you are into fine furniture that makes nice sound, it shouldn't cost $38K when it is based on < $300 drivers.
I think this is a well-articulated and reasoned post and I really agree with your points. Unfortunately, you're points about the poor value proposition that high-end provides are something that the mags simply refuse to do deal with, much to my dismay, and to the detriment of their credibility. I was surprised that the speaker can't handle loud or dynamic passages w/o bottoming the 6 inch driver. That's simply unacceptable for this kind of money. I own Dynaudio Contour S3.4s (which I bought used for half price) and they can handle virtually *anything* you throw at them w/o a hint of breakup. A lot of this is due to the fact that Dynaudio is one of the very few loudspeaker mfrs that design and build their own drivers and they know what they are doing when it comes to driver and loudspeaker design. Dynaudio provides great value, because, while their speakers are not at all inexpensive, they provide 3-4X their performance for a given price. In others words, a $6000 pair of Contour S3.4s will perform very favorably with speakers in the $18,000-$24,000 price range. And, it sounds like, outperform the $38,000 YGs on the dynamics front.
I s this for Live Betting or is it just audio
When analyzing a product, you can't merely look at the price of the components. At $300, the scan speak driver is one of the more expensive stand alone drivers on the market. Those "sub $1000" speakers that some speak of have drivers in the $20 price range, so proportionally, you are being gouged just as much.
What is often overlooked (in most forum discussions quibbling over product price) is the other costs associated with a products production. Design takes time, electricity to power the factory costs money, manufacturers require paychecks, advertisements in magazines aren't free, neither is shipping, and the finished product doesn't magically create its own box. Oh yeah, let's not forget PROFIT! At the end of the day, most manufacturers don't make more than 10-15%.
Guess what else I left out...resellers. would you buy a $2000 pair (let alone a $38000 pair) without listening to them first? The last time I checked, UNICEF doesn't run electronics showrooms across (insert your country of origin here).
As a disclaimer, I should say that I work in the industry, but I have no affiliation with this speaker manufacturer or this publication. Few, if any, who work in this biz are getting rich doing it. Hell, you can't pick up an industry magazine without finding an obituary of all of the industry veterans who are closing up shop.
This is in no way a justification for these speakers, because if they aren't worth the price, based on performance, I don't care if they lose $10000 a pair that they sell.
That being said, no two ears are alike. If your ear, your wallet, and your desire for exclusitivity don't warrant the purchase of a certain luxury product, DON'T BUY IT! Just please don't take your frugality as gospel and preach it to those who may hear, see, touch, smell, and feel differently than you.
FWIW, I mainly sell speakers in the sub $2000 price range. I mainly view things from the value perspective, but I don't think everyone should be shoe-horned into that way of thinking.
DB Berry is so right. The key comes down to value, and each audiophile has a different set of parameters to work with. For some, the YG's may present a speaker they want to listen to on Monday as they rotate through a stable of high end electronics; for others on a more usual budget, they will be expected to satisfy every audiophile dream for the buyer. And perhaps ( at least in the mind of the manufacturer) they represent the best possible component and build quality at this price point. The Kia / BMW coparison may be apt (althoug I typically compare Acura's with Kia) - they may drive in a similar fashion, but you ca bet the Kia's going to have alot more niggly problems - burnt out tail lamps, etc., whereas the Acura (based on personal experience) has yet to have a single bulb which requires replacing. Is that worth double or three times the price? Maybe not; but it does affect the ownership epxerience. And if nothing else, audiophilia is all about enjoyment. If you can be as pleased a spunch with a $5K system, don't look beynod. If you are looking for something really special, unusual, unique - stuff that none of your friends would have or even consider - then you may wish to elevate yourself to a higher level. And if that does not work with your value analysis, the decision is easy - don't do it.
Yes, of course there are all of the typical business costs built in to the price of a $38K pair of speakers, but those same costs apply to a $38K car (marketing, manufacturing, R&D, etc). Sure, the small speaker company doesn't have the economies of scale or the efficiencies of the large auto maker, but even when you consider that, there is no rational reason for this pair of speakers to cost $38K.
I'm not asking anyone to be frugal and this is not a matter of personal value; it is a matter of intrinsic value. I love this hobby and I will (and have) paid a premium to own the loudspeaker equivalent of a BMW and what I got was something that looked like a BMW on the outside, but was either built from Kia level materials, or had a Kia motor it.
With the Kipod, it seems we have a Honda motor (a good performing, and well tested motor, but still a Honda motor) in a Ferrari suit.
Honda makes better motors than does Ferrari.
I got a smile out of the comment about the popping noise when the voice coil former hit the back. I had a pair of much loved (actually several) Spendor BC1's that did the same thing if you were not very carefull with loudness. Nothing like that horrible loud pop to kill your joy durring a listening session and make you jump out of your chair to lower the gain. That would seem unacceptable at this point in speaker development.
BTW the reference to the Kimber Jumpers should be "KS 9033" - a $600 "tweak" ....
F&C: I haven't heard this speaker nor the other one you mention, and get the feeling you haven't either, so I'm not here to defend either one of them, but one thing I do know is that in that case, I, and probably you as well, aren't qualified to judge the relative value of either speaker. We know what they cost; we don't know how they sound.
But measured distortion figures aside -- which may or may not reflect anything having to do with perceptible sound quality in this instance (it's entirely possible that the speaker with nominally higher THD levels could be better optimized for other qualities not measured) -- I do want to comment in passing on a couple other things you mentioned.
First, a speaker's response rolling off by 3dB through the treble (on a particular measurement axis and distance) is not the same thing as being "compressed" by 3dB. The first instance is a simple variation in amplitude response with regard to frequency, whereas "compression" describes a reduction in the dynamic range capability. That one speaker is balanced with its treble range equal in output level to its level at a nominal reference frequency (like 1kHz), while another somewhat rolls off its treble response above some frequency (relative to 1kHz), tells us nothing about either speaker's dynamic range capabilities. (However, it's true that the THD figures you cite might tend to imply something about dynamic range capability that would appear not to favor the more expensive speaker.)
Second, your reference to +/- 45 degrees of phase-angle has to do with the speaker's complex impedance (inductance/capacitance in relation to frequency), as seen by the power amplifier at the speaker's input terminals -- electrical properties that are not at all the same thing as the speaker's acoustic waveform phase response at the listening position that the manufacturer makes claims about.
+-45degree phase is a nightmare, especially if such hi angles occur at impedance minima. At 45degrees, an amp is only capable of delivering 30% less power. So, for example, in critical bass / mid bass frequencies, if you need 100 watts, your amp better deliver 140 or so. Higher phase angles are of course worse. 60degrees is 50% and 90degrees has NO power delivered to the load. The last is only theoretical. I don't think even the current generation of nutty speaker designers is capable of THAT goof.
I'm in full agreement with most of the posters here. Geva probably would admit if confronted that his "best in the world" claim is bupkis - a publicity or self-promotional stunt at best. Unfortunately, his attempt to garner attention in a crowded marketplace comes at the expense of numerous other companies that have pushed the boundaries of what is possible in speaker technology. One look at Geva's speakers tells you his claim is baseless. The scale of the system alone is a fraction of that of one of the most highly regarded systems ever built - the top line array Genesis speakers. So with regard to the goal of "recreating the live event", his product is starting from way back in the pack even before the power switch is turned on. Admittedly, there are some definitely overpriced products - many recent arrivals in the marketplace - of which Mr. Geva's $17,000 Kipod with $50 Vifa XT25 tweeters is a primie example. On the other hand, there are some truly remarkable new products from Hansen, Wilson, Paradigm, and Vandersteen that quietly go about the business of advancing the state of the high end art - without the ridiculous "best ever" claims.
Stop with the car comparison.... he gave you graphs of distortion of the two loudspeakers... He gave you facts for your review. Can't anyone here see the graphs, try to (logically) debunk them or prove them wrong..... Do it thinking and not emotionally. If the graphs are real, then it is pretty disturbing that they claim no phase angle higher than 5 deg when it shows to be 45.... ferrarri or kia..it is still a false advertising..
All that money and one benifits from the horrible distortion that comes out, I mean 2% and higher THD is pathetic.