YG Acoustics Sonja XV – The Sound & The Glory
In part 1 of my notes on speaker manufacturer YG Acoustics and their all-out assault on the state-of-the-art speaker, the Sonja XV, I summarized these sonic monoliths, positing if this could be the best audio speaker extant.
Would you like an answer…?
During my recent visit to RMAF
’16, I managed to squeeze in time for a tour of the nearby YG Acoustics
factory, which included 90 minutes of ear-time with the XVs. Special thanks go to Kerry St. James at YG
for arranging the proceedings, Dick Diamond for hosting the tour and listening
session, Yoav Geva for the technical briefing and hospitality, and all of the
YG Acoustics family.
The factory itself is an amazing assemblage of high-tech equipment
including several CNC machines used by YG to build their lineup of
speakers. Nearly all the “bits and
pieces” of these high-precision sonic marvels are manufactured in-house. Impressive…!
Ensconced in a corner of the factory is the purpose-built
listening room. Residing here was the object
of my desire… the Sonja XV! I will list the associated electronics below,
for the curious. Over the course of the
listening session we enjoyed all manner of music, both analog and digital, from
large scale classical to small scale jazz, acoustic music… All bases were covered, sans any Death Metal. Which, by the way, would have sounded killer
on this rig!
A couple of things struck me right off the bat with the
Sonja XV system, the first of which was an amazing disappearing act. The four towers of the XV system can be
overwhelming visually, but once the music begins, they utterly disappear from
your mind’s eye. Astonishing! You expect a good stand-mounted speaker to “disappear”,
not this Stonehenge replica. One could
never imagine it unless you experienced it firsthand.
The
second item of note was the best representation of scale that I have ever
encountered in an audio system. The physical
scope of all recordings was spot-on, from the recording venue to the artists,
whether it be a full-blown orchestra, a small jazz ensemble or a solo vocal.
As the music continued to play, the superlatives poured from my brain…. Accurate, articulate,
subtle, dynamic, cohesive… There was no
audible weakness. The emotion and
artistic intent I need to hear in music was flowing freely. 
Certainly, there are many notable engineering
accomplishments in the Sonja XV, but I feel obligated to again shovel credit on
the new BilletDome tweeter. Scan the
video here for a closer look at this sonic
gem.
Cheers!
Equipment as heard:
·
Sonja XV - $265,900 per pair
·
Audionet MAX mono amplifiers - $30,500 per pair
·
Audionet PRE G2 preamplifier - $23,350
·
Audionet PAM G2 phono stage w/EPX power supply -
$20,200 set
·
dCS Scarlatti (4 box) digital system - $79,996 when
new, now discontinued
·
Kronos Pro with 12” arm and arm boards - $48,000
·
Kronos SCPS-1 optional power supply - $13,500
·
Air Tight Opus 1 cartridge - $15,000
Marty Feldmann, The Connoisseur, is the
highly sought after consultant who assists businesses and individual clients
with the acquisition of the finer things life has to offer. Whether you are planning a weekend getaway to
wine country, selecting audio equipment to outfit your home, planning your
dream vacation or purchasing your ultimate transportation, Marty is your
personal connection to the good life…
Marty can be contacted at: 916.952.9529 Marty@ConnoisseurCorner.com