I've liked the Devore Fidelity Nines more than either of their Orangoutang's. when I've auditioned them.
Green Mountain Audio Chroma HX Review
I just had my Green Mountain Audio Chromas upgraded to Chroma HX. The difference is the crossover, with the capacitors being exceptionally high-grade. The low-pass filter is specially made to Roy Johnson's specifications. Unobtainium (not for sale) Litz wire is used with the latest unobtainium solder. The change is dramatic enough to consider the HX a different speaker, even though the schematic is essentially the same.
And the result is absolutely stunning. I was expecting a substantial improvement, but I was unprepared for the result. It's going to be difficult to put this into words, but I'm going to try. Let's face, we've heard it all before.
I have never heard a speaker that so effortlessly plays music. Every note has more music in it. I guess you could call that greater detail, but the HX transcends that description. Perhaps I should call it harmonic richness. The sound is unbelievably accurate, yet musical, throughout the frequency spectrum. The copious bass digs down deeper while being more well-defined. I would call it high-definition bass, to coin a term. The midrange is similarly tuneful, clear and also hi-def. It just flows naturally and cleanly. I would describe the treble as ethereal, sparkly and airy, never bright.
The HX is also the most coherent speaker I have ever heard. The woofer and the tweeter coexist happily. It is impossible to tell where the crossover frequencies are. You cannot hear the port either, just the bass. I find myself listening for hours, without fatigue, because the music captures my attention and holds it.
The sheer accuracy seems to lend itself to the soundstage, imaging with pinpoint precision. You know where every voice and instrument is at all times. This is an area of audio that I didn't much care about previously, but I cannot ignore now.
Any criticisms? Well one, maybe. If you like to crank the bass hard enough to drive your neighbors to yell death threats, you're going to need a powered sub.
I have heard many speakers in my time, among them Wilson Audio, Joseph Audio, Paradigm, Triangle, Meadowlark, Dali, Thiel, Usher and Vandersteen. None of them can deliver what the HX can. It's not even close. If you have a pair of the already excellent Chromas, HXing them is a must. I have found the speakers that I am going keep for life in the Chroma HX.
Related equipment:
Musical Fidelity A308cr with upgraded clocks
Audio Note Kits DAC 2.1
Pass Labs B1 buffered passive pre modified for shunt volume control
Pass Labs Aleph 3 power amp
BPT BP-1 balanced power conditioner
Audio Magic Matrix Mini power conditioner
Pass Labs Aleph 3 power amp
And the result is absolutely stunning. I was expecting a substantial improvement, but I was unprepared for the result. It's going to be difficult to put this into words, but I'm going to try. Let's face, we've heard it all before.
I have never heard a speaker that so effortlessly plays music. Every note has more music in it. I guess you could call that greater detail, but the HX transcends that description. Perhaps I should call it harmonic richness. The sound is unbelievably accurate, yet musical, throughout the frequency spectrum. The copious bass digs down deeper while being more well-defined. I would call it high-definition bass, to coin a term. The midrange is similarly tuneful, clear and also hi-def. It just flows naturally and cleanly. I would describe the treble as ethereal, sparkly and airy, never bright.
The HX is also the most coherent speaker I have ever heard. The woofer and the tweeter coexist happily. It is impossible to tell where the crossover frequencies are. You cannot hear the port either, just the bass. I find myself listening for hours, without fatigue, because the music captures my attention and holds it.
The sheer accuracy seems to lend itself to the soundstage, imaging with pinpoint precision. You know where every voice and instrument is at all times. This is an area of audio that I didn't much care about previously, but I cannot ignore now.
Any criticisms? Well one, maybe. If you like to crank the bass hard enough to drive your neighbors to yell death threats, you're going to need a powered sub.
I have heard many speakers in my time, among them Wilson Audio, Joseph Audio, Paradigm, Triangle, Meadowlark, Dali, Thiel, Usher and Vandersteen. None of them can deliver what the HX can. It's not even close. If you have a pair of the already excellent Chromas, HXing them is a must. I have found the speakers that I am going keep for life in the Chroma HX.
Related equipment:
Musical Fidelity A308cr with upgraded clocks
Audio Note Kits DAC 2.1
Pass Labs B1 buffered passive pre modified for shunt volume control
Pass Labs Aleph 3 power amp
BPT BP-1 balanced power conditioner
Audio Magic Matrix Mini power conditioner
Pass Labs Aleph 3 power amp
- ...
- 63 posts total
I have to echo the sentiments of the other GMA owners here, @Dave122 and the rest..I love my Europa's! I've been a Green Mountain Audio customer for over 20 years, and have even had the opportunity to visit their Colorado Springs, Colorado factory. I currently run a modest system that uses Green Mountain Europa's, and couldn't be happier. Over the course of my many years of audio, I've learned that truly listening to the music is what really matters, and stop worrying about the gear and the latest-and-greatest gadgetry. The GMA speakers, by design, just let the music come through as the upstream components pass along; meaning there is no coloration, distortion, phasing issues, etc that are introduced by the speakers themselves...they just play what's sent to them. I don't like to use all of the buzzwords and platitudes that are often thrown around in forums and in audio review magazines, so I won't. Each time I fire up my system to listen though, it puts a smile on my face, as I am able to hear and "feel" emotional queues in the music, I hear the little nuances that the mic(s) in the studio/venue may have picked up, I can "hear into the music"...All that is possible with a system as modest as mine (some of my gear are thrift-shop finds), but only when I hooked up the GMA speakers was this possible. Before I lucked into the Europa's, I had a constantly revolving door of speakers through my system (Altec 604s, DIY open baffles, an orignal pair of Karlson K-12's, Klipsch Heresy's, DIY bookshelves, etc) trying to find "that sound" that I wanted and was looking for. None of those actually made my toes tap or made me smile like I do now...because to my ears, the music was there, but missing "life"...The GMA speakers, have given my music life. The only downside to them, is that they have made me realize that some of the recordings in my collection are actually not that great (phasing issues, "Fake" stereo from an original mono recording, etc), the speakers allow that to be portrayed accurately, and don't cover those things up, like some that I've had in the past do... Don't discount the GMA lineup, you won't be sorry you've given them a listen! |
mindlessminion5 posts08-13-2018 12:06pm@ctsooner I suspect owners who have them like them - I rarely seem them used. I was hoping when the Super Nines were released there might be a few come up on the used market. Yes, they do. I'm also not sure how many of the top ones they actually sell. That too would affect the number seen. I have personally seen three Orangoutangs sold (not sure which model they were as they make two if I recall). One was actually a pair that was brought into a store I was at and when he heard what the salesperson showed them, it was a no brainer, lol. |
I have owned green mountain chroma speakers. They are actually the worst speakers I've had even though they were the most expensive. I've heard b&w, revel, PMC, tannoy and others. the reason green mountain audio is not mainstream is because the sound of their speakers is very colored. most audiophiles do not enjoy coloration but there will always be some who do. green mountain meets the needs of those people. there is very poor bass response. the reason is the cabinet is too small for the woofer used. The cabinet is made of highly resonant marble which rings. If you knock on it, you can easily hear it ringing. The price of parts used is not proportiornate to the cost of the speakers. The woofer is a cheap aurasound ( 7-8 dollars each!) and the tweeter an old seas costing about 40-50 bucks. the green mountain speakers make claims about time coherence, phase coherence and frequency response which are unproven and not independently confirmed. They sound cold unrefined lack warmth and have a uneven frequency response. Bass is poor as mentioned. There is an exagerated sense of timing which some may enjoy but is tiring after a while. green mountain is not a successful company because their speakers do not appeal to the majority of audiophiles. They have been around a long time and have not expanded. I believe they do not employ dozens of staff. It's a one man show and it always has been. |
- 63 posts total