Loudspeakers

Rated at a high 91.5dB/2.83V/1m sensitivity, this three-way floorstander achieved closer to 92.4dB/1kHz in one of our pair, and a lower 90.5dB/1kHz in the other, courtesy of a 1.9dB pair matching error. This increases to a significant 5.7dB error over the top octave of the 150mm ER (Extra Rigid) paper-pulp mid driver’s 400Hz-4kHz bandwidth [black and red traces, Graph 1], leaving one of our pair with slightly more mid/presence emphasis than the other. Distortion also increases at the top of the mid driver’s range (1% re. 3kHz/90dB SPL/1m). That said, despite the undulating peaks and dips, and associated cone modes [see CSD waterfall, Graph 2], the respective response errors are far tighter than the pair matching at ±2.5dB and ±2.6dB. Moreover, each speaker’s off-axis uniformity is impressive [±15°, grey/orange traces] while the 19mm soft dome tweeter’s treble extension is a creditable 45kHz and 49kHz (–6dB re. 10kHz) following a mild resonance at 22.5kHz. Also, with a rated power handling of 300W, both of our Figaro M2s would still play very loud!

The 185mm bass units each have a matched 53Hz-350Hz (–6dB) bandwidth that’s successfully augmented by the low, and essentially clean, 28Hz tuning of the two rear-facing ports to deliver a diffraction-corrected bass extension of 36Hz (–6dB re. 200Hz). With high sensitivity and good bass extension comes some penalty in amplifier loading – the Figaro M2’s impedance modulus falls below 8ohm from 60Hz-20kHz and the minima of 2.4ohm appear at both 123Hz and 2.06kHz. These features, and the –53°/67Hz swing in phase angle, contribute to a challenging dip in EPDR to just 1.1ohm from 80-100Hz. PM