Keith Jarrett’s The Moth and the Flame, another fine ECM LP, revealed some of the classic limitations of a mini sub/sat system. The mid and upper octaves of the Steinway piano Jarrett was playing sounded gorgeous, but the lower octaves didn’t have the weight and majesty that I knew was lurking in the grooves. You’d probably need a larger speaker with a 5- or 6-inch midwoofer to get that Steinway’s sound right.
Since none of this music really stressed the PV1D, I sat down for a night of action movies. First up was Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol, streamed with 5.1 sound via Vudu. The same spacious sound quality delivered by the MT-60D system that worked so well for music also worked wonders for this movie, especially in the sandstorm scene, where the sounds of swirling sand in the surrounds made me feel like I was right in there with Tom Cruise chasing the bad guy.
That same chestiness I mentioned earlier also became apparent in Ghost Protocol, making Cruise and Jeremy Renner’s dialogue sound unnaturally full on occasion, but it was a pretty subtle and fleeting effect that bothered me in only two or three instances when I was testing the system.
Although the PV1D delivered plenty enough punch for most scenes, I did hear it distort and compress at times — for example, in Ghost Protocol’s opening, where a bomb goes off in the Kremlin. But it’s really just the toughest bass-heavy scenes, such as the spaceship flyover that opens Star Wars, Episode II: Attack of the Clones, that overtax the PV1D. With typical home theater fare, it sounds robust and precise. If you want more oomph, you’ll have to get a larger sub. (And, most likely, a larger system.)
When listening to music through the MT-60D, I mused that if B&W were to take these same components and shroud them in black fabric to look like a tower speaker, they could have audiophiles lining up to buy them at $5,000 per pair. For music, it’s one of the best small systems I’ve ever heard. It’s also great for movies, as long as you don’t go crazy and try to play ultra-dynamic action movies in a big room (as I did).
Excellent article. Just wondering if you adjusted your M1/PVD1 distances calculated by your AVR by the adjustments recommended in the PVD1 set up instructions?
@Colmo: I used the actual measured distances. I tried using B&W's recommended distances (only a couple of feet difference), and IMHO it didn't make a significant impact on the sound. I also tried using their recommended 80 Hz crossover point but found that 120 Hz worked better.
Thanks Brent for the review. I may have missed it in the article, but what was the approximate size of your listening room?
I have a fairly modest size listening room (14 ft. x 14 ft. w/ vaulted ceiling) and I'm shopping for a new surround system. I'm familiar with B&W and like the "flat" sound of the English speakers (KEF included).
Will be using for both music and movies. Thanks for your feedback!
^ Oops, forgot to say I would be driving these with the Yamaha RX-A2010 receiver. Thanks again.
@wannarock: It's 14.5 x 27 x 8 feet, but the back part of it where the rear surrounds are is 12 feet wide instead of 14.5.