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Black Swan |
Gap 828 |
Avant Garde |
Sonogram |
Acoutic Art |
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X-2 |
X-1 |
X-cube |
Home Theatre |
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Reviews
Review and Show Report Excerpts: |
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 CES 2008: Jonathan Valin Explores the World of High-End Loudspeakers at CES |
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Black Swan
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", the Gershman Black Swans with Lamm amplification, ….., was one of the Best Sounds of the Show, with superb bass (superb everything, actually, from top to bottom). It isn’t news anymore, but this is one terrific loudspeaker.". [CES 2008: Jonathan Valin] |
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Reveiw from Russia. [The HI-FI Journal] |
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"The Black Swar is a truly musically natural speaker that can reveal the soul of acoustic music" Gershman Black Swan Loudspeaker [The Absolute Sound, 2007 Golden Ear Awards, aug, 2008 ] |
| The Black Swan rivaled the realism of AHC's far more expensive TAD-1s, bringing classical, jazz, and rock recordings convincingly to life. Strings, woodwinds, brass, and piano The bass was also exceptional, flat and deeply extended. [ Reviewed by Anthony H Cordesman, Issue 168, 2007 ] | |
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A $30,000 pair of speakers has to be more than good. It has to be exceptional. The Gershman Black Swans meet this standard, not only to my ears but also to those of some other very demanding critics… What is really striking about the Gershman Black Swans, therefore, is that they proved to be as much of a “music magnet” for my three cynics as they were for me. Each quickly ended up praising the Blacks Swans, and each went back to listen to his or her own music at length ---- perhaps the finest compliment to any speaker that I can think of. I say all of this because the Black Swan truly is an exceptional path to enjoying music, not a glorified toy for detail freaks. It gets the best out of all recordings, rather than being tuned to the “high-end” ear. One key indication is its ability to accurately reproduce Bach, Vivaldi, and Teleman played with period instruments. [ The Absolute Sound January 2007, - The Cutting Edge - Anthony H. Cordesman ] |
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One thing is certain, the black swans will reproduce the sound from any source component – good or bad – as they provide listeners with enough sonic neutrality to hear the difference. The Black Swans belong in the high-end, high-performance category where good sound is usually not good enough, for this segment of the audio industry has the capability to provide listeners with superb sound – and the Gershmans quality. [ inner ear, volume 16, #4 / 2005 ] |
| When I listen to recorded music, I want a speaker that gets as close to what I hear from live music as possible, and with a wide range of recordings, not just those that meet high-end standards for recording and production values. I focus almost exclusively on acoustic music that could actually fit in a large home—not a concert hall. I prefer my symphonies and operas live; sonic spectaculars and specialist audio recordings are at most about five percent of my listening, and I almost never listen to music involving electronic instruments. I'm not a fan of so-called audiophile recordings—too much upper-octave energy, musical detail you’ll never hear live, imaging that is too three-dimensional to be realistic, and boring or overblown performances of third-rate music. I am not an “information” junky—I want my music to have the warmth it does in a live performance, with natural detail, not a distorted mess designed to show off the recording. [ Anthony H. Cordesman, ... , 2007] | |
Gap 828
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"... The massively built cabinet is further mass loaded to establish a firm mechanical foundation for the bass driver itself mass loaded with a substantial brass ring. The Gershmans are all about scale, power and presence. There's a warmth, a generosity, but above all an absolute authority about their delivery that makes listening a compelling and rewarding experience. ..." [hifi issue 44 -- Roy Gregory] |
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" …That’s what the GAPs do. They give the music a commanding presence in the room; they make it heard to ignore, and they do it regardless of genre. They’re engaging and above all they’re enthusiastic. That makes them both unusual and in many ways quite special. ... " [Equipment review -- Roy Gregory]
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"... a hedonistic fruit bomb ... when applied to sound reproduction I would translate that as big, lush, powerful and almost sinfully rich. The 'almost' in that sentence is an important qualifier, because while the Gap is one of the smoothest, most voluptuous and least fatiguing audio components I've heard, it isn't so rich as to obscure details or to stamp all recordings with the same signature sound. No, the Gap will show you plenty of a recording's inner detail and character, but it never does so in that sparkly, spotlighted hi-fi-ish way we're so used to hearing - the kind that can wow us for a while before turning unpleasant. ....unlike speakers that sound their best with one type of music at the expense of another -- think of the magnificent Quads, which despite their glories simply don't cut it with hard rock or the largest-scale classical works -- it was designed, as the company website says, "to bridge the gap in musical performance and appreciation," from "the subtleties of the classics" to the "in-your-face-power of heavy metal". .... Although the Gap is on the large side (56" tall with a 15" square footprint), and certainly one of the most visually arresting models out there, it doesn't overpower even a smallish room like mine because its pyramid shape lacks the visual bulk of similarly sized boxes. .... Among the speaker's impressive qualities are its ability to deliver the goods in the treble without artificial brightness. Gap lays out a very expansive sound stage on which are placed very convincing life-like images of upright bass, drums, a variety of horns to reach way down in the bass with tonal and textural detail and authority, and to finely layer dynamics while at the same time remaining dynamically coherent over a wide range. (This is something of a rarity in my experience.) ... Gap's excellent bass response, which plumbs lower than any non-subbed speaker I've had in my room, displaying great physicality and subtle detail, all the while remaining 'attached' to the musical whole. ... It is one of the most convincing speakers I've heard when it comes to replicating the body, size, tone, and texture of instruments and voices. Its presentation is large and holographic, and its bass drops to near deep-sea levels." [ Wayne Garcia, The Absolute Sound, Dec./Jan 2005 ] |
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[ Stereospace, Russian, 2005 ] |
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"... Finally, as I rushed about in the waning hours of the show, I found myself impressed anew by a pair of muscular, big-bodied, realistic sounding loudspeakers I'd enjoyed time and time again at past shows. Nevertheless, as musical and involving as these perennials from Gershman Acoustics and Vandersteen have always been, there's something to be said for the dedication of audio designers who are unwilling to rest on their laurels. The idea that loudspeakers as consistently satisfying as the Gershman GAP 520-X and the Vandersteen 5 could be improved in such a meaningful way is testament to the enduring love of music that fires the best folks in two-channel audio. Eli and Ofra Gershman have always built a great deal of value into their products, and their new Gershman GAP 828 ($13,000/$14,000/pr in black/burgundy lacquer) is no exception. This latest iteration of their totemic, small footprint tower benefits immensely from a new port for the bass sub-chassis, and a refined new crossover. The old Gap was always a very dynamic performer with resounding bass extension, visceral transient response, excellent sound staging and a seductively layered midrange. To some listeners, that midrange was too ripe and colored, while for others that 'coloration' was the glory, the very humanist element of the GAP 520-X. The new GAP 828 offers vastly improved low frequency speed and focus with greater top to bottom linearity and balance. Eli Gershman has managed to impart a more effortless quality to the low-frequencies, retaining much of the apparent lushness and midrange layering, but with a less bloomy, more transparent presentation and a smoother transition from driver to driver..." [ Chip Stern, 6moons, November 2003 ] |
| "...Gershman GAP 520-X produced a sound that definitely high-end. Gershman Acoustics speakers impress me more every time I hear them. In another room, the smaller AvantGarde RX-20 sounded very good driven by Melos Electronics." [Stereophile, December 1996] | |
Avant Garde
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", It is a beautiful speaker that throws off a huge soundstage even though it has a relatively small footprint. At just 3 feet tall, a foot wide, and a foot deep and weighing just 75 pounds the Avant Garde is really impressive.". [Stereo Times Show Report] |
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Even clearer was the synergy in the next Gershman room that Ofra Gershman insisted we visit. Here, a pair of Avant-Garde RX 20 loudspeakers, with a Marantz DVD/CD, player, the DV8400 ($2,500) and the Linar five-channel integrated amplifier ($5,000 CAD, $4,000 USD) was making mockery of the audio truth that there is no such thing as good multi-channel amplifiers or good DVD video musical sound. We listened to a five -channel presentation of a Diana Krall DVD and the Avant Gardes carried the full weight of the piano into the room. The piano is usually an extraordinary test of audio gear. Complex, with earthiness in its lowest notes, a sense of weight and density in the midrange, and a combination of lightness and brick-like solidity in its highest notes, it shames the slightest weakness in circuitry, cabinetry (some years ago, one manufacturer rebuilt my speakers because of a wiring buzz that certain notes in a Beethoven sonata caused), voice coils or speaker cones. There is a little more to the story of the RX20s. When I first heard them, they sounded very good. But with their rebuild (did I mention the rebuild yet?) and the Linar electronics, they were even more shiver making than their bigger mates, the 828s.[ Ian White and Neil Walker, enjoythemusic.com, Le Festival Son et Image de Montréal 2004 ] |
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[ What HiFi, Russian, 2006 ] |
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The Avant Gardes have been in production for a few years now, and at $4400 a pair, they are not cheap, but the build and parts quality are first-rate and easily justify the price tag. When I stopped by the shop to pick up my review sample, Eli was evaluating some cabinets that had just come in from the painters. He explained that he uses a few different suppliers so that he can push them for the best possible finish. He was also evaluating binding posts, as he had decided to switch to posts that fit a greater number of connectors used for various brands of speaker cables. The drivers for the Avant Gardes, too, are first-rate and include a Vifa 1" silk-dome tweeter that has a double-chamber flexible voice coil with magnetic fluid. The 3" Audax midrange has a carbon-fiber cone and ventilated voice coil, and the Gershman-designed 8.5" woofer has a fiberglass cone and ventilated voice coil. Gershman Acoustics attaches a brass ring to the woofer’s cone to help stiffen it and provide a cleaner bottom end. The four binding posts are five-way solid brass types, and unlike many speaker manufacturers, Gershman does not use brand-name wires internally; they spec their own. [ John Stafford, Sound Stage, March, 1999 ] |
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Japanese review for Avant Garde. |
| "...Gershman GAP 520-X produced a sound that definitely high-end. Gershman Acoustics speakers impress me more every time I hear them. In another room, the smaller AvantGarde RX-20 sounded very good driven by Melos Electronics." [ Stereophile, December 1996 ] | |
| "...The music sounds so perfect... It must be the magic of the AvantGarde. The top three best sounding rooms at WCES '96." [ Audio Art, Taiwan ] | |
| "Low frequency extension rounds out the AvantGardes' strong points, and I mean a really strong point, the type of rock solid foundation that, once you've heard it, is tough to live without...I was wondering just what it was about the Gershmans that made them so musical? What was it that they did right, or at least a little bit better than the rest, that allowed them to capture the magic? [The Absolute Sound, Winter 1996] | |
| "...Sounded not just very good, but superb! ...The Avant Garde loudspeakers will literally sing." [The Inner Ear Report, Vol.7, No.2, 1994] |
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| "Best-sounding speakers at the WCES are Gershman Acoustics' AvantGarde." [ Audio Land, Hong Kong ] | |
Sonogram
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"The Sonogram’s were chosen as one of our Best New Products at the New York show. My experience at various trade shows was borne out with this in-home audition. These speakers are special. Here you are getting a true full-range floorstander that images like a quality pair of standmount's. They will never offend your ears (or perhaps, your wife’s!) or your musical sensibilities. ....." [Stereo Mojo , May 2008 ] |
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"I was impressed. Eli Gershman, principal designer of this family-owned business, has been designing loudspeakers for about 18 years. He has introduced new designs almost yearly. It is apparent to me that, in the process, Gershman has established a signature sound, that is consistently audible in each of the company’s models. The Sonograms under review are brand new and the lowest priced pair of speakers in the Gershman line-up. ....." [Inner Ear , May 2008 ] Read from Inner Ear |
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"gershman est une petite société créée aux Etats-Unis dont la réputation a traversé les frontières depuis longtemps....." "Ne vous arrêtez pas à I'allure un peu austère de cette plantureuse colonne. Sa sonorité vaut le détour ....." [Haute fidelite, issue no.129 - Jan, 2008 ] |
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"One of the best loudspeaker values I heard at the show was the new Sonogram from Gershman Acoustics ." [The Absolute Sound, Issue Feb, 2008 ] |
Eli et Ofra Gershman nous présentaient les deux modèles phares de la gamme d’enceintes acoustique. |
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......"Simply put, the Sonogram
created a buzz, even upstaging
the impressive Black Swan, which was
playing next door. The relatively low
price was one topic of conversation, to
be sure, but it wasn’t the only one."...... [ Wes Philips, ULTRA HIGH FIDELITY Magazine, Oct., 2007 ]
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Acoustic Art
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Enter the Gershman Acoustic Art panels. Their first innovation is that they don't look out of the place in a normal living room. They wouldn't be mistaken for paintings, but we'v seen products that looks like them in the sort of furniture stores that hire interior decorators with European accents. The face cloths are attractive, with several versions available. Indeed, you can send along your own cloth if none of Gershman's appeal to you. Does making your listening room sound better mean making it look worse? Perhaps not… [ Ultra High Fidelity Magazine ] |
X-2
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“Most impressive was the bass. It now reached into the pedal note regions, sounding warm and melodious.” " …using speakers like the X2s, connected to powerful HT electronics, will provide a very good music system. In the two-channel mode, on which this review is based, I rate the Bryston/Gershman system as the best, while it is a toss-up between the Musical Fidelity and Simaudio combinations and personal preference should guide you. ... " [ The Inner Ear, by Ernie Fisher, 20th Anniversary Issue ] |
X-1
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Even at more expansive distance, though, center fill is no problem, as it tends not to be for speakers of this nature. Mohr and Layton's terrific production on RCA's Song of India LP[LSC-2320] exhibits a terrific depth and an effortless fill between speakers, whether driven by manly amps or the small integrated. Take that album's version of Leroy Anderson's "The Typewriter," a cute percussion number: Tympani are precisely placed in their duet with strings, and there is excellent depth and distinction between violins on the listener's left and the rest of the strings on the right. [ The Sound - issue 119 & 120 ] |
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"It’s hard to make a two-way bookshelf speaker sound exciting to a buyer," conceded the salesman. "What can you say besides that it is a box with a couple drivers? People want big speakers with technology that really stands out!" I could sense the frustration that he was feeling because it is the same frustration I experience when I’m trying to turn people on to rather inconspicuous two-way bookshelf loudspeakers. Many audiophiles relegate these speakers to budget-component status, and they can’t imagine them in higher-priced systems. What they also fail to realize is that many low-priced bookshelf monitors perform better within their design constraints than some more expensive speakers that try to do everything. Furthermore, there are some designs that have pushed the two-way envelope and would hardly be called "budget"—take the B&W Silver Signatures, for example, which hover in five-figure territory. I could build a three-car garage for less than the cost of those little beauties, but they’re still worth every penny. [ Doug Schneider, Sound Stage, June, 1998 ] |
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I must concede that as much as I covet a pair of really great monitors like the X-1 or Sonus Faber Signums, I can’t help but be bothered by their inherent limitations in the bass department and ridiculously overpriced hernia-inducing stands. My friend Nicole would call it a "testosterone problem," and in all fairness she is probably right. My astute friend knows that I was raised on a diet of William Holden and Gary Cooper films, and as a result I am unable to deal with speakers that talk like a man, but walk like John Wayne's sister. Call me an emotional cripple if you so desire. Ladies and gents, there is a new sheriff in town, and his name isn't Lucinda. [ Ian White, Sound Stage, Oct., 1999 ] |
X-Cube
| I considered the entire midrange area, from about 160Hz all the way to 5kHz, to be among the most pleasant sounding I have heard -- effortless, sweet, resolute and utterly musical. Male and female vocals inhabit this region and the X2/simaudio combination rendered these flawlessly. ... Most impressive however, was the bass. It now reached into the pedal-note regions, sounding warm enough to render melodious upper harmonics above the bass fundamentals and adequately resolute to about 28Hz. [ The Inner Ear, by Ernie Fisher, 20th Anniversary Issue ] |
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Home Theatre System
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These loudspeakers have a clean forceful bass right down to 32 Hz. Having a great midrange may be the essence of wonderful music, but sometimes you need real bass. They manage to pick up the lowest register of the piano, the bass viol, even the pipe organ (down to 32 Hz) and make it sound like something. I like to try out several organ records to test loudspeakers' bass capability or, more often, non-capability. For example, I listened to volume four of Kevin Bowyer's survey of JS Bach's organ music, or Nicolas Kynaston's playing of Liszt Organ Works [Carlton Classics, 30366 00032] on the Klais Organ of Ingolstadt Münster. The loudspeakers shook, the floor shook when I cranked up the volume a little, but above all, I could hear the music in the bass. [ Chris Lewis, Home Theatre , April, 2003 ] |
