Testing Speakers with Tusk

[michelej1]

This is actually a review of a Home Theater stereo system by Dynaudio, but the writer tested it with Tusk. Here's the excerpt:

http://www.hometheatermag.com/compactspeakers/1008dyn/

Tusk, again on vinyl, is my favorite Fleetwood Mac album. With its emphasis on uncluttered mixes, slow tempos, and under-stated guitar and keyboard parts, it’s the rock equivalent of a Zen-inspired watercolor of some misty mountain landscape. I divided the percussive labor at 80 Hz. Despite their size, the monitors and sub conjured the rhythm-section colossus of Fleetwood and Mac (Mick Fleetwood and John McVie). The drums had a tight, clean impact, and the sub’s tunefulness emphasized the melodic fluidity of the bass.

The voices of Christine McVie, Lindsey Buckingham, and Stevie Nicks emerged as astonishingly distinctive instruments. I’ve always thought McVie’s voice and songwriting were underrated, but this particular audition of Tusk finally turned me into a Stevie Nicks fan. It only took 29 years for the penny to drop. Maybe I just needed the right speakers to bring out her honey-drenched vocals on the incredible “Sara.” Despite the center’s nonmatching woofer size, the X22 blended well with the X12 monitors as I repeatedly switched from stereo to Dolby Pro Logic II.

[iamnotafraid]

Good timing with your post.

Today I bought a new set of speakers, Polk Audio RTi A7's.
And after taking a ridiculous amount of time setting them up,
I did some listening test. And of course TUSK was on my list.
Others:

Shelby Lynne "Just A Little Lovin' "
Shelby Lynne "I Am Shelby Lynne"
Krauss & Plant "Raising Sand"
Peter Gabriel "SO"
No Doubt "Tragic Kingdom"
Elvis Presley "That's The Way It Is" (Remastered, FTD Label 2008)

Turned out to be a great day!

[JbbyStew86]

Originally Posted by iamnotafraid

Good timing with your post.

Today I bought a new set of speakers, Polk Audio RTi A7's.
And after taking a ridiculous amount of time setting them up,
I did some listening test. And of course TUSK was on my list.
Others:

Shelby Lynne "Just A Little Lovin' "
Shelby Lynne "I Am Shelby Lynne"
Krauss & Plant "Raising Sand"
Peter Gabriel "SO"
No Doubt "Tragic Kingdom"
Elvis Presley "That's The Way It Is" (Remastered, FTD Label 2008)

Turned out to be a great day!

good call on the gabriel album, not only one of the best of the decade, but his own personal best too. and a damn fine album to boot.

[michelej1]

From the Stereotimes

http://www.stereotimes.com/acc112000.shtml

On Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours (WB 3010-2), on "The Chain" Lindsey Buckingham buzzes a string in the opening chords of the song. While I was aware of its presence in the past, it now stood out with obvious clarity

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For example, on Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk," from The Dance [Reprise 9 46702-2], a vast writhing panorama of sound took over my room and pinned me to my listening seat for the duration of the performance. A couple of audiophile friends who witnessed the spectacle were likewise flabbergasted by the sheer scope of the presentation. Best of all, the SE-100s enabled the University of Southern California's horn section to maintain its focus and not melt into the Mac like some sort of soppy Burger King sandwich. Bravo Monarchy!
____

Imaging is another strong suite of the Eros Mk-II. The soundstage is very expansive laterally and has a very good sense of depth and layering. Instruments are precisely located and do not wander no matter how complex the mix. Listening to Fleetwood Mac's "Tusk," from The Dance [Reprise 9 46702-2], I and others were amazed when the University of Southern California's marching band armed their battalion for the cause and joined in the fray. Complex? You bet! Yet the Eros Mk-II held the line, keeping the various instrumentalists in their proper places. It was colossal; it was immense; it was horns to the walls-but it was child's play for the mighty Eros Mk-II. T-U-S-K! On the next cut, "Don't Stop," the percussion section is highlighted near the end of the song and sounds quite dynamic and realistic. In that instance I concluded that the song was well titled, because I really didn't want it to end.

Regarding the bass performance, this is an area where the Mk-II version outshines the original. The low bass can be boosted quite a bit with the electronic bass control, and even when using high levels of boost the woofers can be driven fairly hard without losing their composure. The power and control of the integral bass amp is substantial.