ProAc Response D2

[plastic penguin]

Nipped into Unilet today. Left over from the 'Blue Murder' sale are a pair of ProAcs. The sales assistant said compared to the TB2i they are a little softer in presentation. Just wondered whether anyone could put a little meat on the bones, and with what amp.

Couldn't dem as the showroom was cluttered and I just turned up on the off-chance.

 

[Singslinger]

The editor of US hifi mag Stereophile John Atkinson in his 2010 review of the D2 said that when the D2 was paired with the Leben CS600 (tube) amp, it was a "magically synergistic combination, a marriage made in heaven''.

I haven't heard this combination but I've had good results with the D2 driven by the Musical Fidelity A1, Sugden A21SE and the Electrocompaniet ECI-Mk2.

Hope this helps.

 

[plastic penguin]

The editor of US hifi mag Stereophile John Atkinson in his 2010 review of the D2 said that when the D2 was paired with the Leben CS600 (tube) amp, it was a "magically synergistic combination, a marriage made in heaven''.

I haven't heard this combination but I've had good results with the D2 driven by the Musical Fidelity A1, Sugden A21SE and the Electrocompaniet ECI-Mk2.

Hope this helps.

Thanks Mr. Slinger. It does.

Was hoping someone like Steve750 could help out as he used to own the D18. By all accounts they shared the same tonal qualities as the D2s.

There's absolutely no problem with the PMCs: They are punchy and detailed, the only reason for getting excited about the ProAcs is three-fold: They are practically the same size to the TB2i. Then there's the price and they are front ported, whereas the ATL tunnel on the TB2s are at the rear - this could be beneficial with placement

 

[emperor's new clothes]

HI PP,

The new Studio 118 (£1150) has had very good reviews from new owners in Canada&USA, some suggesting that it is very close to the D2. Yet to see a UK review and no local dealers. I am interested in a front ported, quality standmount, but will have to be very good to be a worthwhile upgrade from my rear-ported Dyns.

 

[Singslinger]

My pleasure PP. Yes the D2 is a bit more placement-friendly because of the front port and yes, it is very close to the D18, sound-wise. I know because in the past 5 years, I've owned both!

Just one more thing - as with all ProAc standmounts, heavy stands are a must.

Cheers!

 

[plastic penguin]

HI PP,

The new Studio 118 (£1150) has had very good reviews from new owners in Canada&USA, some suggesting that it is very close to the D2. Yet to see a UK review and no local dealers. I am interested in a front ported, quality standmount, but will have to be very good to be a worthwhile upgrade from my rear-ported Dyns.

Sorry, can't help as I've never heard any ProAcs before. The only thing I can tell you, according to the dealer, is the 'Studio' models tend to be very different from the 'Response' range. The latter, so the dealer said, has a more analogue sound, but whether they are better than Dyns I couldn't honestly say.

Without actually hearing ProAcs I'm hamstrung and relying on professional conjecture - hence the reason for this thread.

 

[plastic penguin]

My pleasure PP. Yes the D2 is a bit more placement-friendly because of the front port and yes, it is very close to the D18, sound-wise. I know because in the past 5 years, I've owned both!

Just one more thing - as with all ProAc standmounts, heavy stands are a must.

Cheers!

How did they sound with the Electrocompaniet? Although not the same, it's the closest (from the list of amps you've heard it with) to the Leema - neutral and very revealing with a smooth mid band.

Cheers.

 

[margetti]

Not sure if this will be of much help as I haven't heard any of the PMC range to make a comparison, but I have had the D2's for about 18 months now (bought, incidentally, from Unilet).

They are a fantastic speaker, quite revealing, with a pretty flat frequency response in my experience. Very easy to drive.

I have been using them with a Sonneteer Alabaster until last Sunday. I was pretty happy with that - the Alabaster/D2 combo is particularly sublime in the mid-range. Top end could get a little harsh on anything not well recorded. Bottom end was very good, if not as good as I felt it should be.

Then last Sunday I became the very lucky owner of a secondhand Sonneteer Orton. I've read lots of good things about the Orton, and was fairly confident it would beat the Alabaster when it came to taming the top end and adding a layer of refinement. But dropping from 55wpc (into 8 ohms) down to 33wpc made me wonder if the Orton would lose a little bit of oomph that would not be worth the price of that extra refinement.

I couldn't have been more wrong. The Orton/D2 combo is heavenly! Top-end is silky smooth, but the bottom end was what completely surprised me - the D2's really can go low. It's been a real revelation.

So, with the age-old caveat of "with the right amplification", the D2's are capable of being absolutely superb.

 

[plastic penguin]

Not sure if this will be of much help as I haven't heard any of the PMC range to make a comparison, but I have had the D2's for about 18 months now (bought, incidentally, from Unilet).

They are a fantastic speaker, quite revealing, with a pretty flat frequency response in my experience. Very easy to drive.

I have been using them with a Sonneteer Alabaster until last Sunday. I was pretty happy with that - the Alabaster/D2 combo is particularly sublime in the mid-range. Top end could get a little harsh on anything not well recorded. Bottom end was very good, if not as good as I felt it should be.

Then last Sunday I became the very lucky owner of a secondhand Sonneteer Orton. I've read lots of good things about the Orton, and was fairly confident it would beat the Alabaster when it came to taming the top end and adding a layer of refinement. But dropping from 55wpc (into 8 ohms) down to 33wpc made me wonder if the Orton would lose a little bit of oomph that would not be worth the price of that extra refinement.

I couldn't have been more wrong. The Orton/D2 combo is heavenly! Top-end is silky smooth, but the bottom end was what completely surprised me - the D2's really can go low. It's been a real revelation.

So, with the age-old caveat of "with the right amplification", the D2's are capable of being absolutely superb.

That amp of yours sounds pukka. Unfortunately the Leema was considably cheaper, but it does have clean current and very open soundstage.

 

[Infiniteloop]

If it's any help, I had a pair of D18's for a while powered by my Unison Research S8 Tube Amp. (24 single-ended Watts) - The combination was beautifully musical with plenty of volume when necessary!

 

[newworld]

Just wanted to chime in as an owner of the D2's. I currently have them matched with the Supernait 2.

Having heard many speakers up and down the Proac line among others, I must say that the D2's sound quite different from the D18's. The D2's are closer to the D28's and the D1's to the D18's. The most notable difference is in the treble, as the D1's and the D18's tend to be leaner and brighter. The beauty of the D2's and the D28's are in the lower midrange where it is incredibly sweet.

Compared to some of the PMC's, it might be correct to say they have a softer presentation. Perhaps this is why I ended up with a Naim. Some people hate this combination. I'm loving it.

The new Studio 118 can be very appealing due to the physical similarity. If you can't hear the difference, you will have saved a lot of money. Experience tells me you get what you pay for.

 

[emperor's new clothes]

Thanks Newworld. Will audition both when I get round to making the 120-mile hike to the nearest dealer. Agree that you do get what you pay for, with the caveat that the price/performance curve is usually expodential with HIFI, as is the VAT

 

[hybridauth_Facebook_10206037058398148]

Just came across this thread and thought I would add my experience with this combo. I am a very happy owner of this setup for about 6 months now. The Sonneteer was ex demo from the wonderful guys at Doug Brady hooked up to new reference D2's. While I had heard the amp before I was a little nervous on power rating with the Proac's as 87db into 8ohms is on the edge of what Sonneteer recommend.

After a few months of system setteling and the speakers getting bedded in, it's just amazing how this combo sounds. No worries in the bass department and it will give a deep and controlled performance when required - the highs tinkle along nicely, but it's the mids that totally captivate. There is some kind of majic going on there and needs to be heard to understand. Very balanced inviting sound, wide 3d presentation (especially with 24bit / DSD / high Rez files) - female vocals are stunning.

im running the whole thing from a Chord Hugo. Sounds fab but I would prefer a half or full rack DAC with less finger management. That aside, can't recommend this combo enough.

 

[plastic penguin]

As yet I've not had the opportunity to dem. The only thing that slightly puts me off is they, according to reviews, are slow burners. Whether a good impression can be noticed in a short dem, even with my PMCs by their side, I'm not sure.

 

[Mike_Schmidt]

I'm one of those Canadians with the 118's and they are marvellous and yes the front port is so handy. positioning isn't a huge issue either they sound incredible can't say enough

 

[emperor's new clothes]

Thanks, Mike. Will try to give them an audition. During my many visits to Canada in winter, have "sheltered" in some of your excellent HiFi stores. Very welcoming and good to hear your Canadian brands on dem. - Classe in particular, but sadly out of my price range.