SOUND ADVICE: TECHNOLOGY Q&A

July 25, 2010 at 12:00a.m.

By Don Lindich

McClatchy Newspapers

Q. After reading your article “Good Speaker Options Abound at $300” that ran in my newspaper back in December 2009, I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Arx A1 bookshelf speakers. The problem is I just read your website’s review of the Paradigm Atom Monitor speakers and you state, “For the asking price of $319 per pair, I do not know of a better speaker.” I’m a bit confused.

— J.M., Minneapolis

A. When I wrote the Paradigm review, the Arx speakers were not available. I would not change my positive comments about the Paradigm’s sound, and they are wonderful speakers for the money.

You will be glad to know that Arx is finally here, replacing the highly regarded Acculine speakers. I have not tested the $249 Arx A1 bookshelf speakers but have heard the $499 Arx A3 towers, which use the same drivers.

It’s ridiculously easy for me to say they are my favorite speakers under $500, and they are my favorite by a country mile. Arx is noticeably better than Acculine in every way and rate in an entirely different league. I did not think it was possible, especially since the price stayed the same.

Arx’s clarity, detail and precise sound definition are stunning and unequaled for the money. What I was not expecting is Arx’s warmth, richness and great sense of naturalness.

Often when speakers go to extremes with clarity, they sound harsh or bright, and Arx has commendably avoided this. The Arx A3 speakers also have a big, full sound that creates real presence in the listening room.

The designer told me he used a tube amplifier during the design process, so I tried the A3s with the 20-watt Neuhaus Laboratories T-2 vacuum tube amplifier. It’s a marriage made in heaven, especially since the T-2’s USB connection makes accessing computer music so easy.

I tried the speakers with solid-state gear as well, and they retain the warm, natural quality, so if you do not plan on buying a tube amp or are using a surround-sound receiver, you will be fine.

If you are looking to build a two-channel stereo though, the Arx speakers and Neuhaus, T-2 make a compelling combination, especially for use with computers and digital music collections.

There are three models in the Arx line: The $499/pair A3 towers I have been testing, the $249/pair A1 bookshelf speakers, and the $189 A2 center channel speaker, which also can be used in pairs as left/right speakers. For as little as $689 (two pairs of A1s and an A2 center) you can build a five-channel home-theater surround speaker system that needs only a subwoofer to be complete.

A tower-based system without sub is only $938. That, dear readers, is the perfect prescription for true high-end sound on a budget or in recessionary times such as these, and it gives me great pleasure to tell you all, knowing what shockingly good sound you will experience.

I was told the high-tech Arx woofers take a while to break in and the speakers sounded kind of rough straight out of the box, but within an hour or so, they settled in to provide spectacular sound.

If you do decide to try Arx, keep this in mind when you first hook them up. You can learn more at www.theaudioinsider.com.

Read past columns and product reviews by Don Lindich at www.soundadviceblog.com, and contact him using the “submit question” link on that site.