Steal these speakers.....
Athena AS-B1 bookshelf speakers
These little gems are just wonderful sounding speakers. I keep forgetting I only spent $120. Id be happy if Id spent $350. They will sound better once broken in, but right out the box they have such a sweet uncolored sound. The midrange on these speakers is so smooth and natural and free of that nasal over emphasis most low dollar book shelf speakers exhibit. They sort out instruments at a level unheard of in this price range. All the instruments are vivid and clearly defined throughout the audio spectrum, with the obvious exception of bass below about 50Hz. But the bass rolls of so smoothly that there is only a hint of boominess on some bass heavy tracks. Most of the time this isnt a factor, and is most likely related to the source material rather than the speakers themselves. The high are smooth and detailed if a bit rounded. They arent the last authority is detail but for their low price nothing comes even close. This is a very minor and picky observation on my part, however. The speakers always stay within themselves and never get to harsh. If pushed to an insane level they do become a bit compressed and loose their overall balance, but if you listen at that level consistently you probably would be better off with a bigger speaker. Any bookshelf is going to have its limits in this regard. They have such tight accurate natural quick bass. They roll off so nicely before any boominess sets in. Really quite amazed at the useable bass response. I never thought it was possible to get this type of bass from an inexpensive bookshelf.
Imaging is very good to excellent. The definition during complex passages in music is one of the Athenas real strengths. The lower register of the human voice is reproduced w/the heft that is needed to make it sound natural and smooth. Bass notes are delivered with authority and have nice weight and pace to them. Lower notes on both piano and guitar have a realism that just blows my mind. How can a modest priced speaker sound so natural and composed? It has to be heard to be believed.
Ok so Ive raved about them, so now some of the short comings Ive noticed.
*****Disclaimer****** remember these are $120 speakers so the following notes are probably not fair, but I just want to make you aware.
These are not fully broken in yet and may need to do some tweaking as far a positioning goes so this may correct what Im about to say. All instruments are free of congestion and tend to be reproduced accurately(imaging is very good as far as instrument separation goes). The soundstage is pretty flat compared to what Im used to. The instruments/voices have that feeling of air and openness to them but everything seems to float right in front of each speaker. I can get a solid vocal in the middle of the speakers if I sit right in the sweet spot, but there is very little depth if any to the music. Im used to hearing layers of musicians on my main speakers. I.e.; the drums behind the main singer, the back-up singers behind to the left/right; etc. those types of stage cues. I dont get that with these speakers, at least not yet. The speakers on some passages with heavy bass can sound a bit boomy and unnatural. They arent the last authority in detail on the high end. Obviously bass much below about 55Hz just doesnt register.
Thats it ..thats all I can complain about for these speakers. And for $120-150 I shouldnt be complaining at all. I will NOT be using Best Buys 30 day return policy. These speakers are better than I ever expected an ultra budget bookshelf could be!!! Like I said Id be just as thrilled if I paid $350.
The last small bookshelf I heard were my brother's Lsi-7's. Now from what I remember, the 7's would have no problem besting these little Athena's but it wouldn't be by a lot. I'm trying to convince him to bring his 7's over to do a comparison. I consider the 7's to be the benchmark which most bookshelf speakers should be judged by.
The more I listen the more amazed I am!!!
Heiney9
These little gems are just wonderful sounding speakers. I keep forgetting I only spent $120. Id be happy if Id spent $350. They will sound better once broken in, but right out the box they have such a sweet uncolored sound. The midrange on these speakers is so smooth and natural and free of that nasal over emphasis most low dollar book shelf speakers exhibit. They sort out instruments at a level unheard of in this price range. All the instruments are vivid and clearly defined throughout the audio spectrum, with the obvious exception of bass below about 50Hz. But the bass rolls of so smoothly that there is only a hint of boominess on some bass heavy tracks. Most of the time this isnt a factor, and is most likely related to the source material rather than the speakers themselves. The high are smooth and detailed if a bit rounded. They arent the last authority is detail but for their low price nothing comes even close. This is a very minor and picky observation on my part, however. The speakers always stay within themselves and never get to harsh. If pushed to an insane level they do become a bit compressed and loose their overall balance, but if you listen at that level consistently you probably would be better off with a bigger speaker. Any bookshelf is going to have its limits in this regard. They have such tight accurate natural quick bass. They roll off so nicely before any boominess sets in. Really quite amazed at the useable bass response. I never thought it was possible to get this type of bass from an inexpensive bookshelf.
Imaging is very good to excellent. The definition during complex passages in music is one of the Athenas real strengths. The lower register of the human voice is reproduced w/the heft that is needed to make it sound natural and smooth. Bass notes are delivered with authority and have nice weight and pace to them. Lower notes on both piano and guitar have a realism that just blows my mind. How can a modest priced speaker sound so natural and composed? It has to be heard to be believed.
Ok so Ive raved about them, so now some of the short comings Ive noticed.
*****Disclaimer****** remember these are $120 speakers so the following notes are probably not fair, but I just want to make you aware.
These are not fully broken in yet and may need to do some tweaking as far a positioning goes so this may correct what Im about to say. All instruments are free of congestion and tend to be reproduced accurately(imaging is very good as far as instrument separation goes). The soundstage is pretty flat compared to what Im used to. The instruments/voices have that feeling of air and openness to them but everything seems to float right in front of each speaker. I can get a solid vocal in the middle of the speakers if I sit right in the sweet spot, but there is very little depth if any to the music. Im used to hearing layers of musicians on my main speakers. I.e.; the drums behind the main singer, the back-up singers behind to the left/right; etc. those types of stage cues. I dont get that with these speakers, at least not yet. The speakers on some passages with heavy bass can sound a bit boomy and unnatural. They arent the last authority in detail on the high end. Obviously bass much below about 55Hz just doesnt register.
Thats it ..thats all I can complain about for these speakers. And for $120-150 I shouldnt be complaining at all. I will NOT be using Best Buys 30 day return policy. These speakers are better than I ever expected an ultra budget bookshelf could be!!! Like I said Id be just as thrilled if I paid $350.
The last small bookshelf I heard were my brother's Lsi-7's. Now from what I remember, the 7's would have no problem besting these little Athena's but it wouldn't be by a lot. I'm trying to convince him to bring his 7's over to do a comparison. I consider the 7's to be the benchmark which most bookshelf speakers should be judged by.
The more I listen the more amazed I am!!!
Heiney9
"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
Post edited by heiney9 on
Comments
-
Glad you're enjoying your Athenas. I'm sure they sound great. Just finished listening to my Wharfedale Diamond 9.1's which are probably in the same class as your Athenas. I had a pair of Polk Lsi7's and while the 7's would certainly beat out the Wharfedales, the price/quality ratio of the Wharfedales (and probably the Athenas, as well) are very hard to beat. Gotta love the silver and black finish, too.
Where'd you get them so cheap?HT/2-channel Rig: Sony 50 LCD TV; Toshiba HD-A2 DVD player; Emotiva LMC-1 pre/pro; Rogue Audio M-120 monoblocks (modded); Placette RVC; Emotiva LPA-1 amp; Bada HD-22 tube CDP (modded); VMPS Tower II SE (fronts); DIY Clearwave Dynamic 4CC (center); Wharfedale Opus Tri-Surrounds (rear); and VMPS 215 sub
"God grooves with tubes." -
I understand completely. The AS-B1 is a steal, as is the AS-B2...hell, the whole audition series Athena's are a steal....
those that don't know, don't know that they don't know....:D
Enjoy!Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2 -
Originally posted by Early B.
Glad you're enjoying your Athenas. I'm sure they sound great. Just finished listening to my Wharfedale Diamond 9.1's which are probably in the same class as your Athenas. I had a pair of Polk Lsi7's and while the 7's would certainly beat out the Wharfedales, the price/quality ratio of the Wharfedales (and probably the Athenas, as well) are very hard to beat. Gotta love the silver and black finish, too.
Where'd you get them so cheap?
I remember your post about your Wharfedales and I considered those too. Best Buy has the Athena's on sale through today for $120 a pair. It was just too convenient and the price was right so I took a chance. They are really suprising me.
Heiney9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
They (AS-B1) took budget speaker of the year at Soundstage.comSource: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
-
Originally posted by steveinaz
They (AS-B1) took budget speaker of the year at Soundstage.com
Steve, that review helped me decide on these. I see you have the AS-F2, bet they sound phenominal w/your new Benchmark DAC! What do you like about your AS-F2's?"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
Athena makes a fine speaker, dynamic for its size and efficient, but lets not get carried away here. It's not even CLOSE to the LSi's in a number of critical areas. A fine speaker, but not at the level of the LSi's. Even when taking in the price/value differences. This is coming from somebody that has sold Athena's in the past.
-
Originally posted by heiney9
What do you like about your AS-F2's?
2 things that really impress me about the F2, the treble clarity and accuracy; the deep yet controlled bass. Robert Reina said in his review in stereophile, "My one caveat is that, to fully appreciate the AS-F2, one must not hesitate to spend the necessary dough on associated equipment of sufficient quality to fully realize the speaker's capabilities." This is a true statement, every upgrade I've done, the Athenas have risen to the challange and continue to show what they can do.Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2 -
Nevermind.Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
-
Originally posted by LuSh
Athena makes a fine speaker, dynamic for its size and efficient, but lets not get carried away here. It's not even CLOSE to the LSi's in a number of critical areas. A fine speaker, but not at the level of the LSi's. Even when taking in the price/value differences. This is coming from somebody that has sold Athena's in the past.
Totally agree...... They will fall short in direct comparison to the Lsi-7's. But for what they are, $120 they can't be touched. I just wasn't going to spend Lsi type money for a computer/office system. They are a tremendous value and far out perform some speakers costing 2-3 times as much. Like I said, IMO the Lsi-7's are the bench mark by which most other bookshelf speakers shoud be judged."Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
