Description: Product highlights6" cast-basket reference mid/bass driver High-Gauss Reference HVFR™ (High-Velocity Folded Ribbon) tweeter two rectangular side-mounted passive radiators frequency response: 40-35,000 Hz recommended amplifier power: 10-250 watts sensitivity: 90 dB impedance: 8 ohms 5-way binding post speaker terminals removable magnetic grille 8-1/16"W x 12-1/8"H x 12-1/4"D weight: 12 lbs. warranty: 5 years What's in the boxBookshelf loudspeaker Grille Owner's Manual About this itemWritten by Crutchfield's Archer A.Not your average bookshelf speaker GoldenEar's BRX (Bookshelf Reference X) speakers have turned heads in the audio world for delivering fidelity, bass response, and a huge soundstage that smaller speakers usually just can't give you. They're a testament to GoldenEar's effective research and development and their incredible effort to create an affordable speaker (all things considered) that rivals others costing thousands more. The BRXes are built with trickle-down technology from GoldenEar's high-end Triton speakers. The cast-basket used for the midrange/woofer is almost exactly the same as what the Triton Reference has, as is the HVFR™ (High Velocity Folded Ribbon) tweeter. Two flat passive bass radiators are mounted on the left and right sides to give the low-end some punch. A pair of these stand-mount speakers can deliver three-dimensional, audiophile-grade sound for your two-channel music system, and they don't take up a lot of space —perfect small-to-medium-sized rooms, or even near-field desktop listening. Or, if you're rocking a set of Triton towers, you can use them as your side or rear surround speakers and have a world-class home theater system. No-nonsense drivers GoldenEar's proprietary HVFRT tweeter is one of the company's favorite achievements. It uses neodymium magnets to squeeze and pressurize the air between its high-density Kapton film diaphragm's folds. The no-resonance and low-distortion design helps the tweeter reach an astonishingly high 35,000 Hz while keeping a smooth, detailed response at all volumes. There's almost no moving mass and, as a result, the tweeter isn't subject to the piston-like issues (namely, "wobble" or distortion) of traditional dome-style tweeters. Since it has a much larger surface area, the tweeter dispersion is much wider and the soundstaging is excellent. The 6" midrange/woofer is made of a special polypropylene blend specifically developed by GoldenEar for their high-end Triton towers. It also features a proprietary cone curvature. Both of those help to keep the cone light, quick, and excitingly clear. On the back of the driver, you'll find a powerful, high-gauss magnet that keeps the in-and-out movement of the speaker strong and stable. Twin rounded rectangular bass radiators mounted on the left and right sides of the cabinet help the BRX achieve its surprisingly strong bass output, and they give the speaker what GoldenEar calls an "inertially balanced configuration." By that, they mean that cabinet vibrations are minimized since the two bass radiators' frequencies cancel each other out inside the box, keeping internal resonances very low. Listening impressions Being the speaker junkie I am, I had to see what all the praise for the BRX speakers was about. Thankfully, GoldenEar was kind enough to send a pair out for me to demo. The speakers looked stunning in person. Their gloss black finish was immaculate, catching my eye the moment I took them out of the box. I hooked the BRXes up to my SVS Prime Wireless SoundBase and started up a few songs from a critical listening playlist I'd made on TIDAL some time ago. All tracks were streamed over Wi-Fi and played at 16-bit/44.1kHz. The first track I played was “All the Pretty Colors” off Sturgill Simpson's stripped-down Cuttin' Grass – Vol. 1. Simpson recorded this album with some of the finest bluegrass musicians he could find. The BRXes brought every bit of their talent, energy, and emotion into the spotlight. From the blazing banjo and mandolin riffs to the thumpy standup bass, every instrument had its own rightful spot in the soundstage and was easy to pick out. There were tasty amounts of depth and detail to the sound of each instrument, which caught me by surprise. I could hear picks gliding across strings and subtleties and inflections in Sturgill's voice that I hadn't picked up on before. The speakers did a great job of immersing me in the song. By the end of it, I felt I'd just heard them perform the song live. Next up was “Rebels” by Call Me Karizma, a bouncy, well-recorded pop track with super-heavy bass. Normally I let one of my subs handle the low-end, but I wanted to put the GoldenEars through a torture test of sorts to see how well they handled lower frequencies all by themselves. The passive radiators on the BRXes helped a lot, and the speakers did great — way better than I expected, given their size. The sound remained articulate and punchy while digging into and coming out of bass notes. Of course, that's not to say they'll rumble your room. For maximum impact, I still recommend using a dedicated subwoofer with them. I had a lot of fun with the last track: the ever-funky “Count Me Out” by Chromeo (which I totally didn't sing along to). David Macklovitch's playful vocals were front and center, carefully interwoven with Patrick Gemayel's slap bass and synths. The clarity and separation that the BRXes put on display was magnificent and helped heighten the song's energy. The highs came through without a hint of shrillness while the midrange remained punctual and accurate without being lost in the mix. Who is GoldenEar? Since their founding in 2010, GoldenEar has racked up rave reviews across the audio industry for their high-tech speaker lineup and cutting-edge design philosophy. The company's goal is to create speakers that sound better than comparable models costing three, four, or even five times more. Their signature sound includes pinpoint stereo imaging, a spacious three-dimensional soundstage, and ultra-low distortion. Each of GoldenEar's custom-designed drivers, passive radiators, and carefully tuned cabinets help create an ultra-immersive listening experience with your favorite albums and movie soundtracks. Got wire? The BRX bookshelf speaker doesn't include any speaker wire. Read our article about choosing and installing speaker wire. Shop our selection of speaker wire.
Price: 950 USD
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
End Time: 2024-07-27T03:11:20.000Z
Shipping Cost: 0 USD
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Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Seller
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 60 Days
Refund will be given as: Money back or replacement (buyer's choice)
Return policy details:
Brand: GoldenEar
MPN: GKWA
UPC: 092592014923
Model: BRX ReferenceX
Type: Bookshelf Speakers
Connectivity: 5-Way post
Color: Gloss Black
System Configuration: 2-Way
RMS Power: 20-250
Maximum Screen Size Fitment: 0
Maximum Weight Fitment: 0