美国发烧友对惠威M1近场监听音箱的评论
惠威经典M1近场监听书架型音箱从诞生那日伊始，在国内外获得的佳誉可谓不少，直到如今都评价甚高。关于惠威M1的本篇最新评论是载于美国著名网络杂志《Home Theater and High Fidelity》上，作者Chris Groppi把惠威这款Swans M1音箱与比它贵两倍多的Platinum Audio Solos音箱系统相比较，作了很中肯的评价；国外发烧友的印象带给我们另一个关于M1音箱可爱、旖旎之处。
2003年8月
作者Chris Groppi
介绍
书架式音箱在顶级音响产品中是最受拥有小房间人们青睐的一款音箱，这些人希望能用最少的钱博得最佳性能的音箱。好的书架式音箱能等同或超越落地式音箱，而在花费上落地式音箱远远超过了书架式音箱，但是前提是要以牺牲超低频为代价的，即在低频方面不是太完美。近几年来，我已将小型的监听音箱作为我的主音箱，搭配低音炮，使低频扩展（如是Platinum Audio Solos音箱系统，可以搭配REL Strata II 低音炮）。
惠威集团员工用智慧在高质量的小型音响领域打造他们自己的惠威Swans音箱。最初，惠威Swans公司主要是以销售扬声器和音箱套件为主，现在惠威又推出了几款完善性能的音箱。惠威M1是他们所推出书架式音箱中最出色的一款书架式音箱，同时又被称作迷你监听音箱。所有惠威Swans音箱都在中国制造，由主管扬声器设计及生产的Hi-Vi Research惠威集团加工制造。
惠威Swans公司仍然在销售套件和扬声器，但是当前，公司把销售目标定于销售完善性能的系列音箱。而今惠威公司所推出的音箱，如惠威Diva 2.1音箱已拥有了一群固定的互联网音响发烧友信徒。M1相对零售价为$495 的惠威Diva 2.1而言，在技术和价格上都跨越了重大的一步，M1音箱成功的展现了高科技惠威带式高音扬声器的完美性能。从我还没为这些音箱拆包的那一刻起，我就兴奋得要为这些音箱写评论了。
完美的音箱外观
厂家建议M1的零售价是$899每对，它的最显著特色就是质量好。并不是因为这些音箱在中国制造就意味着质量不佳。实际上，这些音箱的质量和完美外观都是我所见过的音箱中最棒的一款音箱，前提是这些音箱的价格低于$1000每对。虽然他们不属于Sonus Faber牌音箱，但是我坚信不会有任何人会为了付900美元而获得如此好质量和外观的音箱而感到不悦的。这对音箱分别包装在两个包装箱内，分别填充了泡沫垫，而音箱本身却襁褓在柔软面料的口袋里，避免被刮擦。对于$900一对的音箱说来，这种精致的包装远远超出了我的想象。注意，惠威集团在中国拥有一个大型的音箱生产基地，每月生产数千对音箱，惠威集团作为一家国际音响制造商其产品行销全世界。
惠威M1每只音箱净重超过17磅，外形尺寸为13 x 8 x 11英寸。音箱造型高贵，线路设计精巧，得体的侧面板和底板，采用了流畅的圆弧过渡设计，与前障板完美结合。前障板表面装饰以真皮，如同双眼望远镜。阁板厚度1英寸，高密度MDF主配线板采用亚洲橡木板。惠威Swans M1音箱的柔和缎纹状箱面比其它多数顶级音箱少了一份浮华感，多了一份庄重。
光滑的黑色后面板上设有一对优质的两路接线柱，能与大口径的电缆接线头相匹配。在其后面板上开有喇叭形导向孔。M1音箱的核心组成部分是扬声器，即该音箱上安装了著名的带式扬声器—Hi-Vi惠威研制成果。惠威RT1C-A带式扬声器拥有超薄的Kapton材料振膜及成线性构型的钕铁硼磁体。正如你所料想的那样，这种设计有带式扬声器音箱的高频外延超过了20 kHz。安装后的高音扬声器稳固性很好，其原因是高音扬声器采用了铝铸盆架。
M1音箱采用了一个5英寸的锥体式低音扬声器，其振膜采用防弹纤维Kevlar与天然纤维复合制成，通电铜包铝线缠绕在铝骨架的中间位置，置于大型磁体之间的磁隙中。每个低音扬声器重量超过3.5磅。系统灵敏度稍低于86 dB (2.83V，1m)，但是系统阻抗容易受到控制，频率在2 kHz左右时最好使系统阻抗低于8欧姆。所有的这些都表现出设计是如此精湛，该音箱各方面都做得如此的好。
声质评测
我试着用一些价位比较适中的音箱来替换这些非常昂贵的音箱，但是这些较便宜的音箱所表现出来的性能总是令我很失望。虽然惠威M1称不上特棒的迷你监听音箱，但是将惠威M1与比它贵两倍的Platinum Audio Solos音箱系统相比较，发现M1的音质毫不逊色，而昂贵的Platinum Audio Solos一直是我房间中得宠的音箱系统。我把M1安装在一脚架上，将Platinum Audio安装在其它的脚架上。
起初在安放惠威M1音箱时，与Solos一样稍微向内倾斜一定的角度。一开始惠威M1就使我震惊了，甚至可以说给我带来一种完全崭新的感受，频率容易延伸，清晰透明，高音圆润流畅。彻底展现了RT1C-A高音扬声器的完美性能。由于我将M1系统作为家庭影院系统来使用，甚至每天观看电视都用这套系统。起初，中音和低音显得有点粗糙，而且不够清晰。为了获得更好的效果，我进行了褒箱，每天都让音箱持续运转几个小时。这种褒箱持续好几个星期。在适度褒箱后，中音的粗糙感和不清晰感彻底消失。将低频下潜限制在50 Hz左右，这样控制容易，音调平衡，速度快。
分频点设置在49 Hz，惠威M1能与我的Rel Strata II低音炮完美匹配，经调制后低频下潜可以低于25 Hz。由于音箱设置了顶级高音扬声器，结像迅速，特别是高频瞬态反应很快。面朝听众的惠威M1向内的倾斜度可以比Solos大一点。如此倾斜会缩减声场宽度，但是能提高结像清晰度。
总的说来，惠威M1带给聆听者一种前推的现场感，通常情况下我选择标准的听音位置或稍微近的位置。我喜欢宽广的声场，增大了可听空间，但是那只是我的个人爱好。这些优良的数据证实了M1具备了迷你监听音箱的所有完美性能，声音配合音箱自由的在空中回荡。相比之下，Solos音箱的中频不够圆润，有些录音部分显得有点粗糙，而无流畅感；对Solos高频而言，外延虽深但低音却不丰满醇厚。
调试转换到Solos上，我虽获得了圆润的中音，但是又遗失了高频的外延深和流畅感。将音量放大，Solos在重放精彩的音乐片段时显得有些混乱，于是Solos趋向于将动态压缩，但是声音又显得松散了。惠威M1所重放出的声音无颤抖感，即使在重放精彩的音乐片段时也如此，但是在最佳状态时的M1声场总体结像感稍差于Solos。这表明可能在箱体共振上有点小问题。将耳朵贴在音箱的侧面板上，用指关节轻敲箱体发出清晰响亮的声音，能感觉出M1的做工非常考究的。用同样的方法来对待结实的大块头Solo箱体，有听到沉闷声音之感。
总结
对于一个发烧友而言，在小型音箱预算上会精打细算，在性能上又要求能做到面面俱到，相对这种情况下，惠威 M1应该列入精挑细选后的试听名单。因为M1不仅能引人入胜，还具备高频延伸特别好，结像好，声调平衡等特色，在质量上惠威M1远远超过了通常所购买的其它音箱，前提是这些音箱的价格低于1000美元每对。
附英文：
Introduction
The bookshelf loudspeaker is one of the best values in high-end audio for those people with small rooms who want the best performance across the board for the least money. Good bookshelf speakers can equal or outperform floor standing models costing much more, but at the cost of the bottom octave to octave and a half of bass. For several years, my main speakers have been small monitors, augmented by a subwoofer (Platinum Audio Solos with a REL Strata II subwoofer).
The people from Swans have made a name for themselves in the realm of high value small speakers. Originally a company that sold drivers and speaker kits, Swans now sells several models of complete loudspeakers. The Swans M1 is their top of the line bookshelf, also called a mini-monitor. All Swans speakers are made in China by Hi-Vi Research, a company specializing in driver design and manufacture.
Swans still sells kits and drivers, but now places complete speaker systems at the forefront of their operation. Speakers like the Swans 2.1s have a cult following among value minded Internet audiophiles. The M1 is a significant step up in technology and price from the $495 model 2.1, showcasing Hi-Vi's planar ribbon tweeter technology. I was excited to have these speakers for review, from the moment I unpacked them.
Fit and Finish
The M1s have phenomenal build quality for their $899/pair MSRP. Just because they're made in China doesn't mean they lack in quality in any way. They have, in fact, the best build quality and fit-and-finish of any speaker I've seen for under $1000/pair. They're not quite Sonus Faber, but I can't believe anyone would be upset at any aspect of the quality and finish for their 900 clams. The speakers came double boxed with two sets of foam padding, and the speakers themselves were swaddled in soft cloth bags to prevent scratching. This is way beyond what I expected for $900. Note that China has huge speaker factories that build thousands of pairs of speakers each month, as an OEM supplier to speaker companies all over the world.
Each unit weighs more than 17 pounds and is only 13 x 8 x 11 inches in size. The sculpted cabinet looks very elegant, with routed details on the top, sides and bottom of the case, with rounded edges and a beveled front face. The front panel of the speaker is covered with black pebbled leather (real) like a pair of quality binoculars. The cabinet is 1” thick MDF with Asian Oak veneer. The subdued satin finish is a nice change from the flashy gloss on some high end speakers.
The smooth black rear panel has a pair of five-way binding posts of good quality that can accommodate large gauge cable lugs. A flared port is also on the rear. The drivers are the heart of the M1, and Swans is equipped with the best of Hi-Vi's developments. The RT1C-A tweeter uses a Kapton planar ribbon driver in a linear configuration with neodymium bar magnets. As expected with a ribbon design, frequency response is extended well beyond 20 kHz. The tweeter is mounted in a solid, cast aluminum frame.
The woofer has a 5” Kevlar/Paper cone with a central phase plug in a massive aluminum basket, along with a large magnet. Each woofer weighs over 3.5 pounds. The resonant frequency of the driver is around 50 Hz, pointing to a bass extension in a vented enclosure in the upper 40 Hz range. The sensitivity of the system is a rather low 86 dB at 1m with a 2.83V input, but with an easy to drive impedance only dropping below 8 Ohms at around 2 kHz. All in all, these seem to be nicely designed, well made loudspeakers.
The Sound
When replacing a much more expensive loudspeaker with a more modestly priced model, I'm always waiting for the letdown of the reduced performance the cheaper speaker delivers. While the M1 was not the perfect mini-monitor, it certainly did not pale in comparison to the twice as expensive Platinum Audio Solos that normally live in my room. The M1s were mounted on my sand and lead shot filled Platinum Audio stands with a generic Blu-Tack substitute.
I initially left the speaker position and toe-in the same as the Solos. The first thing that struck me, even from a completely brand new state was the effortlessly extended, transparent, and smooth treble. The RT1C-A tweeter really delivers. At first the midrange and bass sounded a bit coarse and lacked focus. My system is used for home theater as well as audio, including every-day TV watching. This gave consistent use every day for several hours for break-in purposes. It took several weeks of use for the M1s to fully break in. After adequate break-in (I estimate over 200 hours at low to moderate volume levels), the midrange coarseness and lack of focus all but disappeared. Bass extension was limited to around 50 Hz, but with very good control, tonality, and agility.
The speaker also matched well to my Rel Strata II subwoofer with the crossover frequency set to 49 Hz, giving the setup extension to below 25 Hz in my room. Aided by the superior tweeter, the imaging focus was sharp, especially with high frequency transients. The speaker liked to be toed in towards the listener more than the Solos. This toe-in reduced the soundstage width, but improved image and soundstage focus.
Overall, the soundstage presentation was rather forward, generally at my normal listening position or slightly closer. I prefer a more distant soundstage to increase perceived space, but that is a personal preference of mine. With well recorded material, the M1s succeeded in performing the mini-monitor trick of disappearing, leaving the soundstage floating free of any attachment of the speakers. Compared to the Solos, the midrange smoothness was not as good, with some lesser recordings sounding a little coarse, and with an overall loss in liquidity. Treble, however, was superbly extended and weightless.
Switching back to the Solos, I welcomed the midrange smoothness, but missed the effortless treble extension and liquidity. When reproducing loud, complicated passages, the Solos tend to dynamically compress, and lose some soundstage focus. The M1s never wavered, regardless of the complexity of the passage, but the overall focus of the soundstage never matched the Solos at their best. One clue to this slight problem is in the cabinet resonance. While certainly well made, the cabinets did ring slightly when rapped with my knuckle, with my ear pressed against the cabinet side. The larger and more massive Solo enclosures mustered a dull thud given the same treatment.
Conclusions
For an audiophile on a budget looking for a small speaker that does most everything right, the Swans M1 should certainly be on the short list to audition. Not only do they have spectacular, effortless treble, very good imaging, soundstaging, and a neutral tonal character, they do it with build quality that far exceeds what you normally get for under $1000/pair.
from
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_10_3/swans-m1-speakers-8-2003.html
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