There are times in life when you decide it's time "to shoot for the moon," or, as the Cambridge Online Dictionary defines the phrase, "to ask for the best or the most you could hope for." This year I decided to do just that in my quest to get what I considered the ultimate pair of speakers for my applications.
The sound jobs I do are mostly acoustic in nature: bluegrass, Celtic, singer-songwriter stuff, anything folky. Occasionally I do hybrid bands, those with multiple ethnic influences with instruments ranging from didgeridoo to marimba. I don't do rock very often, unless you count my church's praise band, Therefore what I was looking for was something that would produce clear, unadorned sound at reasonable volume (not chest-thumping volume) to a maximum of about 400 people.
Ever since this review appeared in the old PSW forums nearly five years ago, I've been intrigued with the ADRaudio U103. In so many respects it seemed to me to be the perfect speaker for the kinds of jobs I do. But in 2006 I was still very much a greenhorn sound guy and couldn't seriously consider it. However, the U103 remained in the back of my mind as a contender for the ultimate speaker purchase until late last year, when events took a curious turn, culminating in two U103s residing in my workroom.
It all started with a trip to Massachusetts I took last November. It was a combination personal and business trip that brought me close to the city of Hartford, Connecticut, home of the US rep for ADRaduio, Mr. Bennett Prescott. It was a great opportunity for me to meet with him, so before I knew it I was communicating with him by email and managed to arranged a meeting at his place to talk things audio. He had a couple of ADRaudio U61 speakers for me to listen to, and I was blown away with their purity of sound. While he didn't have any U103s around, I surmised that they would be very much the same in quality and decided then and there that I would eventually own a pair.
Other speakers I had considered were the Meyer UPJ-1P, the EAW NT29, and the RCF TT22-A. The RCF sounded wonderful to me and seemed to be a great deal, as it was the least expensive of the three. I came very close to buying it. But its size and shape was too cumbersome for me to deal with. The UPJ-1P sounded quite nice as well and was of a very manageable size and weight. But the dang thing doesn't have a pole mount! The N29 I never got a chance to hear. But after my visit with Bennett I decided the U103 was the way to go, even if it took several months to save up for it.
However, in January I landed a great job that, if done right, would lead to more like it. The first thing I thought of once the job was secured was that now, not later, was time for the U103. I emailed Bennett and asked if there was any way he could get me a pair before the gig, which was about four weeks away. He said he do what he could but added that what I would be getting was a new version of the speaker, one with a new amp module that would make it quieter, lighter, and sound even better. I said go for it and wired him the funds to get the ball rolling.
Long story short, Bennet in Connecticut and Aleš Dravinec in Slovenia made sure that I got those speakers in time, and what a day that was when I took them to the first night of the weekend-long gig. The band was one of those hybrid bands I mentioned earlier, playing folk tunes with a big-band twist. Right off the bat I realized that I had entered a whole new level of sound reinforcement. The horns just popped right out into the hall, sounding clean and crisp, while the violin, despite being a much quieter instrument than the likes of trombone and flugelhorn, had no problem finding a distinct place in the mix.
All night long I kept thinking, "I just can't believe how good these things sound." My wife, a symphony violinist stopping by after a performance, came in with an expression on her face that seemed to say much the same thing. Later she commented that everything sounded natural, not enhanced or distorted in any way. She said, "It makes acoustic music sound acoustic."
I must also mention how much I like the looks of the U103. It has a simple yet elegant design that also exudes ruggedness. In an era of plastic speakers looking like they belong is some old Jestons cartoon, I find their appearance refreshing to say the least.
Yet, of course, sound quality is ultimately what we want in a loudspeaker, and for me this one has it. Ever since that first gig in early February, I've received glowing compliments on my sound and have grown my business, firmly believing that the U103 loudspeaker is responsible. I'm able to get things projected out into a venue without cranking things up. Vocals in particular are easy to get heard, perhaps owing in large part to the 890 Hz crossover. I have yet to push these things, so I have power to spare.
Yes, I realize I'm gushing. But I took a big gamble in buying these speakers, and it worked out far better than expected. Bennet and Aleš have been great to work with, and I hope the day is coming when I can buy more stuff from them, maybe some U61s and a couple more U103s. Perhaps even a sub. I would say that if you have applications similar to mine, by all means give the U103 some serious consideration.
The sound jobs I do are mostly acoustic in nature: bluegrass, Celtic, singer-songwriter stuff, anything folky. Occasionally I do hybrid bands, those with multiple ethnic influences with instruments ranging from didgeridoo to marimba. I don't do rock very often, unless you count my church's praise band, Therefore what I was looking for was something that would produce clear, unadorned sound at reasonable volume (not chest-thumping volume) to a maximum of about 400 people.
Ever since this review appeared in the old PSW forums nearly five years ago, I've been intrigued with the ADRaudio U103. In so many respects it seemed to me to be the perfect speaker for the kinds of jobs I do. But in 2006 I was still very much a greenhorn sound guy and couldn't seriously consider it. However, the U103 remained in the back of my mind as a contender for the ultimate speaker purchase until late last year, when events took a curious turn, culminating in two U103s residing in my workroom.
It all started with a trip to Massachusetts I took last November. It was a combination personal and business trip that brought me close to the city of Hartford, Connecticut, home of the US rep for ADRaduio, Mr. Bennett Prescott. It was a great opportunity for me to meet with him, so before I knew it I was communicating with him by email and managed to arranged a meeting at his place to talk things audio. He had a couple of ADRaudio U61 speakers for me to listen to, and I was blown away with their purity of sound. While he didn't have any U103s around, I surmised that they would be very much the same in quality and decided then and there that I would eventually own a pair.
Other speakers I had considered were the Meyer UPJ-1P, the EAW NT29, and the RCF TT22-A. The RCF sounded wonderful to me and seemed to be a great deal, as it was the least expensive of the three. I came very close to buying it. But its size and shape was too cumbersome for me to deal with. The UPJ-1P sounded quite nice as well and was of a very manageable size and weight. But the dang thing doesn't have a pole mount! The N29 I never got a chance to hear. But after my visit with Bennett I decided the U103 was the way to go, even if it took several months to save up for it.
However, in January I landed a great job that, if done right, would lead to more like it. The first thing I thought of once the job was secured was that now, not later, was time for the U103. I emailed Bennett and asked if there was any way he could get me a pair before the gig, which was about four weeks away. He said he do what he could but added that what I would be getting was a new version of the speaker, one with a new amp module that would make it quieter, lighter, and sound even better. I said go for it and wired him the funds to get the ball rolling.
Long story short, Bennet in Connecticut and Aleš Dravinec in Slovenia made sure that I got those speakers in time, and what a day that was when I took them to the first night of the weekend-long gig. The band was one of those hybrid bands I mentioned earlier, playing folk tunes with a big-band twist. Right off the bat I realized that I had entered a whole new level of sound reinforcement. The horns just popped right out into the hall, sounding clean and crisp, while the violin, despite being a much quieter instrument than the likes of trombone and flugelhorn, had no problem finding a distinct place in the mix.
All night long I kept thinking, "I just can't believe how good these things sound." My wife, a symphony violinist stopping by after a performance, came in with an expression on her face that seemed to say much the same thing. Later she commented that everything sounded natural, not enhanced or distorted in any way. She said, "It makes acoustic music sound acoustic."
I must also mention how much I like the looks of the U103. It has a simple yet elegant design that also exudes ruggedness. In an era of plastic speakers looking like they belong is some old Jestons cartoon, I find their appearance refreshing to say the least.
Yet, of course, sound quality is ultimately what we want in a loudspeaker, and for me this one has it. Ever since that first gig in early February, I've received glowing compliments on my sound and have grown my business, firmly believing that the U103 loudspeaker is responsible. I'm able to get things projected out into a venue without cranking things up. Vocals in particular are easy to get heard, perhaps owing in large part to the 890 Hz crossover. I have yet to push these things, so I have power to spare.
Yes, I realize I'm gushing. But I took a big gamble in buying these speakers, and it worked out far better than expected. Bennet and Aleš have been great to work with, and I hope the day is coming when I can buy more stuff from them, maybe some U61s and a couple more U103s. Perhaps even a sub. I would say that if you have applications similar to mine, by all means give the U103 some serious consideration.