Image Dynamics, Eclipse, Exile - Full Range Speaker Roundup, Part 3 - Review Speakers

Finally ready for listening, I got started with "Shadowless" by Toni Braxton. Right out of the gates it was easy to see that these speakers have seen plenty of R&D time. The detail in the guitar plucks was executed with reverence, yet, while good, the fundamental tones of the instruments were a tad off at moments. Braxton flourished from centerstage with great stability and focus, as was the entire soundstage.

Most of those same attributes were present with "Clocks." Chris Martin's piano never became thrashy and distorted as so many coaxials do with volume; still there was a slight anomaly in the frequency response that brought instability to the vocals and the piano. I also noticed this present when tracking Raul Midn, but I'm nitpicking here. The overall tonality was a notch above most of the others in this price range.

I inserted the King of Pop's Bad album to wrap up my session with a little bass groove. Again the XT65's stood out. The simple bass beat in "Liberian Girl" played through the Exiles with the thrust of a small sub. However, you must be careful because the woofer will bottom out if you get a little excited with the volume knob.

Overall, the Exile XT65's exceeded my every expectation for a system in this price range. Tonally, they're pretty well balanced, have great bass response, and image like a pro. Let's not forget that they're a convertible, so they can easily be made into a component system if needed. If there was one gripe to be had, it was its mounting size-a definite barrier if you want something to just drop into your vehicle. Beyond that, you can't go wrong.

Listening
With my overhead light reflecting deeply in the pattern of the carbon fiber, I pulled up an acoustic version of Phil Collins' "Another Day in Paradise." As Collins chimes in, it's evident there are some tonal deviations in the response. An overzealous high-frequency brings out excessive sibilance in his voice, disturbing his presence in the soundstage. A quick switch to Raul Midn confirmed what I was hearing. This track also sounded one-dimensional, lacking depth and height. Now, I wasn't totally displeased with the balance, but I was expecting more.

Switching gears, I cranked up Deftones' "Elite." The opening drums were a bit shallow, lacking the kick-in-the-neck attack I've come to expect. The vocals of Maynard James Keenan arrive shortly after bringing short-lived redemption before the heavily distorted guitars hit at the peak frequency I mentioned before. Once aware, I avoided listening to the short guitar burst at full tilt and found some other details, such as the cymbals and snare, to be pleasurable.

Last up was Diana Krall. This seems more the SP6510's speed. The opening bass was detailed, if just a little shallow, but Krall's vocals tended to remain consistent. Focus was better, but not stellar.

So on to the short, bittersweet ending. Eclipse has made one fine-looking point source system, but its performance just doesn't live up to the visual. Overall, I feel the SP6510's performance was just average for its price range, but second opinions are always welcome.