Sound Lab Millennium 1 spl ability?

Although I have been able to reach 100 dB or so with my Sound Lab U-1s, this is much louder than I normally listen - even some well recorded rock records that almost demand that you turn up the volume can be very satisfying (and subjectively, quite loud) at 90-95 dB. Pink Floyd DSOTM and others such as Steely Dan Aja don't leave much to the imagination - lots of punch and drive. With the right amps, they have plenty of dynamics and all the bass you could want, well defined and accurate in pitch. The bass is of a different quality - not as much in your face as speakers with moving coil drivers, yet they move a lot of air - it kind of envelops you. Never a problem getting good playback levels, in my experience. More importantly, the speakers convey a large amount of musical and subtle information even at low levels.

I had the opportunity to audition a pair of Manley NeoClassic 250's some months ago. They didn't drive the Sound Labs all that well, though (yet in all fairness they are very nice amplifiers, and this was before the speaker backplate update which smooths the impedance curve and makes them a bit easier to drive).

Disclaimer: I'm a Sound Lab dealer (in the Chicago area). Feel free to ask more questions.

Brian Walsh
Essential Audio

Nadimgargour, it is unfortunate that 100 plus DB at 12 feet is inadequate for your needs. My system delivers that consistently with Wolcotts and I have a fairly large space.

The problem with Soundlab is that they seem to produce no volume due to ultra low distortion. I had a listener here a few weeks ago that kept insisting I "turn up the volume." The music he was listening to was a selection on CD that he brought with him, so this material was very familiar to him.

After the third time I raised volume and he ask again, I told him we were listening well over 90 DB and was louder than we would hear this vocalist in a live venue (un- amplified). He insisted that we were NOWHERE near 90 DB. I went for my analog Radio Shack meter and it read just over 102 DB. The measurement was beside his head, nearly 13 feet from my Soundlab U-1.

Low distortion and accurate phase make the sound so effortless that it appears to be low volume. I remember an old audio advertisement from the 1970's, "When they say turn down the volume, they mean turn down the distortion."

It's true in reverse as well.

Although quite late to this thread, I wanted to concur with Albert's above assessment.

Prior to the Soundlab M1's, the higher the SPL, the better, or so I thought. After obtaining the M1's, I too thought volume was low, only my SPL meter told me otherwise.

After owning the M1's for over a year now, I relish being immersed in the sound. It's different listening to undistorted rock -- less in your face -- but everything is still there, and for the better (after retraining myself to recognize and appreciate the sonic results).

The M1's have been a unique and much appreciated experience. I now know what low level detail and dynamics are; specific passages continue to startle me with their impact and resolution – one of the best speakers available at any price.

Bless you Mrmb for sharing that. I'm so pleased you're enjoying the Soundlabs !

I'm still amazed by mine, an amazing feat considering I've been listening to them for more than fourteen years.

I agree with Albert, although I have "only" Acoustat 2+2s. You think to yourself "it is not loud at all", then you try to say something to someone, and ohmygod you need a megaphone to say anything that is audible. Electrostats are low noise tranducers that betray and belie their
loudness. Although, I have used the 2+2s as HT speakers, most listeners are absolutely flabbergasted by the bass "tunefulness" and output during say something like Jurassiac Park. It is not just some rumbling one note noise.