In describing the how and the why, there’s a real risk that reality and review part company. On the one hand, the differences that accrue could easily and accurately be described as simply “more of the same”: All the things delivered by bi-wiring, just more so. The problem is that this description sells the transformative impact of bi-amping seriously short, especially in terms of musical integrity, the way the recording steps away from the system and the absence of ‘gating’ in the presentation. Not only is the playing and singing more relaxed, the pacing and timing more natural, but instruments and voices gain substance, body and dimensionality. The left hand on the piano emerges, as does the body of the guitar. The system tracks the dynamic demands of the signal far more easily, while there’s no sense that those demands will outrun what the system can deliver, at least on this track. The song stretches out, with more apparent space between notes and shape to phrases, yet it’s over more quickly – always a good sign.
Step 3 – stretching the envelope…
This system sings. It absolutely sings… But that doesn’t mean it can’t get better: Now’s the time to embark on that system upgrade ladder, stopping to listen on each rung along the way.
First step was to add the X1 external power supply to the L1. Then I added the C1.2 DAC to the D1.5, before adding a second (dual-output) X1 to feed both digital boxes, followed by the T1 Time Reference master clock. After that I substituted A1.5 amplifiers for the Neodios… It’s a path I’ve taken many times, both in reviewing the CH components but also other equipment and speakers. Rarely have I heard each step so clearly defined, or heard it make such an obvious musical impact. Tot this lot up and you are looking at the wrong side of €200K invested in electronics. Yes, putting a speaker like the Stenheim Alumine 5SE on the end of the chain would deliver a further lift in performance – but I was a long way along the path before I felt that the oBX-RW4s were beginning to erode the benefits of each upgrade. It wasn’t until I reached the point of swapping out the Neodios for the A1.5s that I was forced to wonder about the wisdom of the move – something that reflects the very nature of bi-amping, the fact that the Neodio is such exceptional value, the limited bandwidth of the speaker (in absolute terms) and the combined cost of two A1.5s (€79,000 as opposed to €9,200 for the Neodios and under £16K for the speakers). Certainly, the RW4s were more than capable of feasting on the additional detail, transparency, dynamic range and musical integrity of the four-box digital front-end, while they lapped up the injection of planted authority that came from adding the X1 to the L1. But then, by the time the A1.5s hove into view, Living Voice would probably tell you that, by this point, perhaps you should be thinking about their R80…
While just how far you can stretch the RW4’s performance envelope is going to depend on the equipment that’s doing the stretching and the music that’s pushing the boundaries, one thing is for sure: The OBX-RW4’s ability to grow with your system is exceptional. This is a speaker that will deliver for a very long time, surviving numerous upgrades, especially in the small to medium spaces where it’s most often found. It’s a speaker where the system can start small and get bigger and more ambitious as time and funds allow – thriving on a higher quality and more demanding signal. It’s a speaker that gets the fundamentals right and, just like proper foundations, that allows you to build higher.
Settling in for the long-haul…
That the OBX-RW4 betters its predecessor comes as no real surprise. I know the world is supposed to work this way, but when it comes to audio, it ain’t necessarily so. But, given that the R25 showed the RW3 a musical trick or three, it was odds on that grafting the R25’s crossover DNA onto the RW4 development would come up trumps. The fact that it took longer than expected is more a testament to the care and attention that went into that exercise than anything else. The results have been well worth the wait. The RW4 takes the fluid grace, articulation, linearity and musical continuity that characterised the R25, but executes them with considerably greater subtlety and a seamless integration into the musical whole. Finer dynamic and tonal shading, more natural textures and more clearly defined tails to notes add up to a living breathing intimacy, a natural sense of presence and energy, a far more convincing sense of musical intent and purpose. From the extravagant body, energy and colour generated by a full-tilt Kobekina, to the deft phrasing of John Williams playing Salinas’s Danzas Peregrinas: from the almost physical intimacy of Diane Christiansen and Stephen Dawson’s harmonies to the propulsive drive, energy and hard-edged attitude of Patti’s ‘Gimme Shelter’, these are speakers that give music the ability to reach out and touch you. You can start small and surprisingly quickly they can grow into something truly spectacular.
