Review Of the Brand New Lenehan Audio ML2

[lonewolfny42]

   Yes Sir the S2 it is. Ready for demo in the in the NY Tri-State area.
  They will make their NY debut this Saturday at the Rave meet in LI.
   Go to NY Rave Circle for details and directions.

charles
SMA
rollo14@verizon.net

Cool...

Looking forward to hearing them....

Any "spec's" for the new S2 ?

[bhobba]

Hi Guys

My ML2's have finally been finished and I heard them for the first time today.  The first thing I noticed was they sounded more analog like (for want of a better word), less smeared and more focused than my ML3 References which left me scratching my head.  Bass for all practical purposes as low as my ML3's being flat to 30hz instead of 25 hz.  Played some Casandra Wilson with pretty low bass and I really could not tell the difference.  They sounded a better speaker than my three times the price ML3's.  What the fook.  Then the reason was found - it had what are called toppers on them which are anti resonance devices.  I have heard them before and they make a big difference.  I took them off and the drop in performance was obvious - less analogue like and not as focused - now my ML3's were better.

Ok how do they compare to Lee's ML2's?  Well I only heard his speakers as a late prototype but I felt my speakers had the natural, fast sound of the Duelund VSF Copper I am used to in my speakers and did not notice it in Lees speakers which had Solen Tin Foil.

I can confirm these speakers, with or without the toppers, are above the ML1 Reference which I had in my system for quite a while.  Don't even think about getting ML1's unless you have a specific reason such as near-field monitoring, you need portability to for example demo audio equipment, have a small room, money is tight, or some other reason.

I did my initial listen with Mac 501's which are excellent amps but at $20K are probably not the amp most would use.  I switched to a NAKSA 100 and again it sounded fantastic.  You can easily hear the NAKSA signature which is excellent bass grip with a tube like, non fatiguing, relaxing sound you can easily listen to for long periods.  An excellent generalist amp.  I hope to pop some valve gear on it a bit further down the track such as my Trafomatic SET but I suspect with how accurate it is it will be the usual euphonic bliss - great for Dianna Krall etc but not the bass slam of SS.

How do they compare to the S2?  I have only heard them as late prototypes and they have been improved considerably since then.  I hate to say it however but these are in an entirely different league.  I wish I could say there was not a lot in it but unfortunately you do get a lot for the extra dosh.  Mike did mention the approx cost and I will be happy to post it but they are roughly twice the price of the S2.

Thanks
Bill

[bhobba]

Cool...

Looking forward to hearing them....

Any "spec's" for the new S2 ?

Don't know the full details but I do know they are flat to 30hz and about 87db efficient.  They use hand wound air coil inductors and Erse capacitors.  Unfortunately no Duelunds at that price - drat.
 
Thanks
Bill

[rollo]

  Thanks Bill. Full specs will be available soon. For now Bill has provided the basics.


charles
SMA

[ljmac]

I need to add a few observations and make a few corrections to Bill's posts:

1) My finished pair of ML2s have Mundorfs - the Solens were only for a test crossover (which Bill and I heard at Mike's place).

2) I don't know what stands Bill had the ML2s on, but given his observations with the toppers I can only assume they weren't well suited to the ML2s. Mike had them on ML1 stands, which weren't ideal for them either (they are too tall and narrow).

3) I do have very good stands for them (Target Resolution 2s), and the sound of the ML2s at my place is far superior to how they sounded at Mike's place (and they've only gotten better since I wrote my review).

4) I actually would fully expect them to sound more focused than the ML3s on a good stand. They have lower energy storage than the ML3s, and are far smaller, both of which bode well for this aspect of performance. Yet as Bill says, their bass is for all intents and purposes as good as the ML3s! What you lose is sensitivity - the bigger box and drivers of the ML3 give you an extra 4dB. But if you don't need that, I would actually expect the 2 to be the better speaker overall - it is truly exceptional.

It looks as though Mike will be abandoning his plans to go retail, which means this speaker will probably start at only $4K ($5K for the PlusR). This would make them the ultimate audiophile bargain in loudpseakers IMHO.

As for the S2s, I heard early prototypes which weren't even in the same ballpark as the ML2s, but Mike says they've improved a lot since then.

[Face]

It looks as though Mike will be abandoning his plans to go retail, which means this speaker will probably start at only $4K ($5K for the PlusR). This would make them the ultimate audiophile bargain in loudpseakers IMHO.

If you're stateside, there are better bargains to be had.

[ljmac]

It looks as though Mike will be abandoning his plans to go retail, which means this speaker will probably start at only $4K ($5K for the PlusR). This would make them the ultimate audiophile bargain in loudpseakers IMHO.

If you're stateside, there are better bargains to be had.

How can you say that when you haven't even heard these speakers? They are right up there with the likes of Magico Minis (indeed better IMHO).

[Face]

Comparing them to Magico may not be a compliment. 

[bhobba]

Hi Guys

Here are some pictures.  Sorry for the quality - Mike has been a bit busy and was tuning them when I arrived to take the pictures so I was not able to hear them.  A guy is going to borrow them, probably Friday, and can take some better ones then as well as posting his opinon.

Thanks
Bill

[rollo]

It looks as though Mike will be abandoning his plans to go retail, which means this speaker will probably start at only $4K ($5K for the PlusR). This would make them the ultimate audiophile bargain in loudspeakers IMHO.

If you're stateside, there are better bargains to be had.

    So what can you compare at 4K with bass response down  to 30-Hz. 
    If you heard the ML2 your opinion would be a valid one. Have you heard any Lenehan speakers in your system ? I could arrange a listen of the ML1 Ref and S2.
   There may very well be better pricing however not performance. Until we compare others side by side only then can we make that call. 
  I know you meant no harm just blanket statements are  unfair to any Manf.  A home demo is the only way to fly.


charles
SMA
     

[Face]

It looks as though Mike will be abandoning his plans to go retail, which means this speaker will probably start at only $4K ($5K for the PlusR). This would make them the ultimate audiophile bargain in loudspeakers IMHO.

If you're stateside, there are better bargains to be had.

    So what can you compare at 4K with bass response down  to 30-Hz. 
    If you heard the ML2 your opinion would be a valid one. Have you heard any Lenehan speakers in your system ? I could arrange a listen of the ML1 Ref and S2.
   There may very well be better pricing however not performance. Until we compare others side by side only then can we make that call. 
  I know you meant no harm just blanket statements are  unfair to any Manf.  A home demo is the only way to fly.


charles
SMA
     

Charles, I didn't mean to make a dig at Lenehan, it was the blanket statements made.  For 4K I would consider http://www.vaporsound.com/#all or http://philharmonicaudio.com/philharmonic3.html or even http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/lsim/index.php?s=lsim707.  Plus, I'm having a hard time believing that Peerless 7" could dig down to 30hz.  What's the speaker's efficiency?

[richidoo]

The woofer is 87dB, resonance 43Hz.
http://www.tymphany.com/files/HDS-P830883%20Rev1_0.pdf

Bill your pictures are tooooooo biiiiggggg     But thanks for posting them, the speakers look good!  I always wonder how those big metallic paint flakes get through the spray orifice?

[topround]

those speakers go down to 2.....in my room

[bhobba]

Charles, I didn't mean to make a dig at Lenehan, it was the blanket statements made.  For 4K I would consider http://www.vaporsound.com/#all or http://philharmonicaudio.com/philharmonic3.html or even http://www.polkaudio.com/homeaudio/lsim/index.php?s=lsim707.  Plus, I'm having a hard time believing that Peerless 7" could dig down to 30hz.  What's the speaker's efficiency?

About 87 db.

Yes that they go down to 30hz seems a bit incredulous and there is a discussion on the forum out in Australia about that right now and the fact they have virtually the same flat response 90% off axis - which also seems incredulous.  Many people including myself have asked Mike about it.  All he will say is he has his own propriety alignment that behaves more like a transmission line than a ported design and he has put many many years work into the crossover trying and ruling out things like time alignment and minimum phase crossovers.

Thanks
Bill

[richidoo]

Feastrex brought a huge 16 foot folded pipe speaker to RMAF in 2008. It played 20Hz as loud as you like with a single 4" cone. And it sounded like crap, just read Fremer's review. My point is a port can be tuned to any frequency, but the further the port tuning from the driver resonance, the higher the group delay, which means the slower the bass will sound because fast bass = low GD.   I had a pair of Gemme Katanas with 5" Accuton woofers that played down into 30s, but the 6 foot folded TL with reflex port made the bass loud but slow, it was intolerable to me.   I've only heard Lenehan ML1, but the bass was so strong and clean for its size that I can imagine that the ML2 bass would be similar quality - else why bother?  Mike uses large gauge coils which make the bass sound much larger and faster than it normally does on speakers with cheaper coils. This should allow more aggressive port tuning without excessive thickening. With driver resonance at 43Hz and a biggish box, I can see -6 or -10 at 30Hz. To an audiophile it's the group delay that matters just as much as the amplitude.