Cube Audio or Charney

i compared Vox cube Lowther & Aer

Cubes need more power to get the cone moving and overall the bass was better on the cube compared to the above 3 as mentioned.

Speaker Placement, Cables, Amps, Pre-amps all make a difference. To my Ears Cube was an overall better speaker to live with you can throw anything at them and it just does not break down in complex music.

I would say about 20 watts of power is required from Tube, to get cubes working well.

What you get, above all else, with high efficiency single driver systems is explosive dynamics, a vivid and lively sound that engages the listener.  But, that often comes with the tradeoff of frequency response peaks, un-natural tonal quality of instruments, bass deficiency and a "rough" sound.  Similar problems are common to horn-based systems as well.  I like the sound of these types of high efficiency systems enough to live with these trade-offs (I have a horn-based system).  The trick is to find designs that minimize the trade-off while still being able to deliver the goods.  What represents the best balance of trade-offs is a matter of taste.  To me, the Charney speakers are shockingly good because they do a great job of minimizing problems while still delivering the excitement. 

The Cube Audio speakers deliver the dynamics and are reasonably devoid of some of the extreme peaks I've heard with other full-range systems, but, they are not at all close to the Charney speakers in terms of tonal balance, smoothness, and suitability for all types of music.  They are also more efficient than the Cube Audio speakers, making them more suitable for use with very low-powered amps (my favorite kind).

I think anyone in the market for these types of speakers should hear both and make their own decision; certainly, they are both contenders.

@larryi   In what settings and with what component chains have you listened to the Cube Audio speakers? Thanks.

David_ten,

I heard both the Charney Audio and Cube Audio speakers at the Capital Audiofest, although not in the same year.  I've heard the Charney speakers at two such shows, in both showings the company used a low-cost 300B SET amp.

At the latest Capital Audiofest, I heard the Cube Audio speakers with the 10" woofer.  I don't recall what electronics were being used, but, I believe it was solid state.  

I've heard quite a number of full range systems with drivers ranging from cheap Tangband drivers to systems with very costly Feastrix fieldcoil drivers and Western Electric fieldcoil drivers.  I've heard systems with Lowther drivers (permanent magnet and fieldcoil), Voxactiv systems, AER systems, Jensen fieldcoils, and a few others I don't recall the specifics.  For my taste, the Charney was the first fully satisfying single-driver system.  But, that is not to say that I didn't like what I heard from Cube Audio and Voxativ, and I can see how these two, and others, can be favored by someone over the Charney.

I've heard a number of systems that utilize fullrange drivers in multi-way systems and that approach can be quite satisfying.  I particularly liked a system with an old Jensen M10 fieldcoil fullrange driver (13" cone) and a simple high-pass first order crossover to a Jensen RP302 tweeter in an open baffle configuration.