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February 2007 The Absolute Sound
1’s driver, the EX midrange cone is
magnesium rather than the M-I’s far
more expensive beryllium. In either
case, break-up modes don’t appear
until well into the ultra-sonic range. The
beryllium tweeter, however, is pure
TAD, and TAD technology informs the
bass cone, as well. Here the diaphragm
is of one-piece construction (as
opposed to the more commonly
found separate center-cap), which
Pioneer feels adds greater rigidity
while pushing resonances outside of
the cone’s audible frequency range.
Finally, the huge 65mm voice coil has
been engineered for extreme power
handling and dynamic headroom.
Sonically, the S-2EX isn’t hobbled
by the usual constraints of a compact
speaker. It may sit on a stand, but it
speaks with the voice of a three-way
through and through. As its high-
powered studio-monitor bloodline
implies, the S-2EX is designed to play
at prodigiously loud levels that would
harelip any number of sophisticates
from the high end. Orchestral scale
is remarkable for a speaker of this
dimension; symphonies spring to life,
with the walls of the venue seeming
to breathe like a bellows.
The S-2EX doesn’t subdue dynamics,
either. Concert grand pianos are not
submissive instruments—at close
range the energy and transient attack
from any nine-footer will churn your
insides. In this regard, the only other
speaker of this size that compares is
another compact three-way, the MBL
121.
In terms of tonal balance, this is
one of the more neutral speakers
I’ve heard in some time. Its midrange
seems spot on; its treble is highly
extended if a little dry at its limits;
and bass response extends deep
into the midbass with perceivable
reserves below 40Hz. Its upper bass
and lower mids (the bugaboos of
compact speakers) never seem to run
short. Cabinet resonances and port
anomalies are so low that you quickly
forget this is a bass-reflex design.
There is also a sensation of weight in
the mids that deepens the presence
of male and female singers. Both jazz
singer Claire Martin, from Linn’s Too
Damn Hot, and a cappella specialist
Laurel Massé, on Feather and Bone
[Premonition], exhibited good body
and chest resonance.
The S-2EX communicates a
precision sound geared to resolving
details at all levels, micro and macro.
Even familiar recordings take on a
greater complexity and a physicality
bordering on the tactile. Like any
great speaker, its character is mostly
determined by the recording. The
downside is that bad recordings are
not enhanced by syrupy colorations—
the S-2EX exposes every blemish, as if
illuminating them in high definition.
The upside of such resolution is
that the best recordings have never
sounded better. Even familiar chestnuts
seemed completely refreshed, as if
I’d unknowingly acquired a newly
remastered version. From the opening
bars of Järvi and the Cincinnati
Orchestra’s reading of Bartók’s
Concerto for Orchestra [Telarc], each
PIONEER ELECTRONICS
P.O. Box 1540
Long Beach, California 90810
(800) 421-1404
pioneerelectronics.com
Type: Stand-mounted, bass-reflex
loudspeaker
Driver complement: 1.4" concentric tweeter,
5.5" concentric midrange, 7.12" woofer
Frequency response: 34Hz–100kHz
Sensitivity: 86.5dB
Impedance: 6 ohms
Dimensions: 11.5" x 22.25" x 16.75"
Weight: 62 lbs.
Price: $6000
ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT
Sota Cosmos Series III turntable; SME V
pick-up arm; Shure V15VxMR cartridge;
MBL 1531, Simaudio Moon Supernova, and
Sony DVP-9000ES digital players; Plinius
9200 and MBL 7008 integrated amps;
Tara Labs Omega, Nordost Baldur, Kimber
Kable BiFocal XL; Wireworld Silver Electra &
Kimber Palladian power cords; Richard Gray
line conditioners; Sound Fusion Turntable
stand
Specs &
Pricing
Pioneer S-2EX Loudspeaker