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February 2007 The Absolute Sound
orchestral section is clearly defined
in space. From the immediacy of
low-level drums and winds, to the
ripeness of plucked strings, and
later, the elegance of massed strings
decaying into the acoustic of Music
Hall, the sound was effortless and
expansive. During Vaughan Williams’
Antarctica [Naxos], the speaker
resolved the bronze waves radiating
from the cymbals and the tenderness
of the celeste with low-level detail I’d
never heard before. Even difficult-to-
sort-out cello lines or the rumblings
of the organ were multifaceted, not
just undefined throbs. The trombone
and brass sections assaulted me with
energy, and the crescendo was so
horrifyingly powerful that I needed
to trim the volume.
However, if I had to single out a
performance characteristic of the
Pioneer that trumped all others it
would be image focus. It possesses a
driver coherence comparable to the
best two-way mini-monitors, but with
the bone-crushing power of a three-
way. The kudos goes to the concentric
driver—a design that I’m often not a
big fan of, though this one has won
me over. Its remarkably uniform off-
axis response offers a wider than
normal sweetspot. Andrew Jones
of TAD explained that, because of
the transducer’s relatively shallow
throat and the fact that the midrange
cone behaves as a waveguide for the
tweeter, the transducers match each
other’s directivity at their respective
crossover points. The benefits are
improved power response and the
absence of hollowness (the cupped-
hands effect). And because there is
no beaming, this point-source-like
performance nails the exact position
and angle of something like a concert
grand on stage. It’s also tailor-made for
reproducing the soloists and the deep
layers of voices in a large chorale—in
fact, the more voices the merrier.
The only area where there might
be a “cultural” disagreement about
the S-2EX is the character of its treble.
Tonally, I think its response is near
dead-bang neutral. But with Rutter’s
Requiem [Reference Recordings],
cello transients, the rattles of a
tambourine, or the top strings of a
violin can seem exposed, lacking a
cushion of air for harmonics to ride
upon. Also, Sinatra’s smoky voice on
“Angel Eyes” from Only the Lonely
[Capitol] exhibited a slight hardness
and a less yielding character. This was
the one area where I could foresee
the fur flying—enlivening the debate
of studio monitor versus audiophile
speakers. Some will find the tweeter
a revelation in terms of resolving
detail; others will regard it as a bit too
business-like, controlled, and clinical. I
found amplification and cabling were
crucial as well. My only regret is that I
didn’t have the new Plinius SB-301 on
hand. It’s an amplifier that has already
made me reassess the performance of
other components in the audio chain,
including speakers. (See my Sneak
Preview on p. 74.)
I’ve nothing but profound
admiration and respect for the Pioneer
S-2EX. I’ve never experienced a larger
envelope of performance from a stand-
mounted speaker. It’s not a flowery
romantic, but its brand of musical
truth is seductive, nonetheless. While
there will never be one speaker that
suits everyone’s taste, the Pioneer S-
2EX should be required listening for
any self-respecting audiophile. TAS
Pioneer S-2EX Loudspeaker