But let me be clear – this is not literally a side-by-side or direct comparison. These speakers are way too heavy (and way too position critical) for that. Instead it’s both a review of what is a genuinely great speaker – and a chance to assess how it’s distinct design choices are reflected in its performance attributes, relative to another, outwardly similar speaker: one that’s the result of very different decisions.
Looking at key performance characteristics, the two that stick out like sore thumbs are the differences in bandwidth and sensitivity. The Ultime 2 is clearly aiming for the easy-to-drive end of the performance spectrum, with its 95dB ‘half-space’ sensitivity and non-reactive load characteristics. But those efficient and responsive qualities are equally clearly bought at the expense of bandwidth. The U2’s bottom end reaches down to a healthy 25Hz, impressive enough but a number that pales in comparison to the Dragon Legacy’s -3dB point of 13Hz! Mind you, that comes at the cost of 90dB sensitivity and a considerably more awkward drive characteristic, although as we’ll discover, that’s got more to do with the musical presentation than it does with amplifier requirements.
Interestingly, both speakers offer bi-wire/bi-amp crossovers, even if the underlying reasoning is subtly different. In both cases it helps make the speaker easier to drive, but that statement is relative. In the case of the Peak Consult, ‘easier’ is about right: in the case of the Stenheim, ‘even easier’ might be nearer the mark. It’s a distinction that informs both the differences between the musical presentation of these two speakers, but also and more importantly from the point of view of this review, it points firmly towards the way to achieve the Dragon Legacy’s best performance.
Matching aspirations…
Getting into specifics, the details of the Dragon Legacy’s parts and construction are suitably impressive. The laminated and hardwood skinned cabinet walls are constructed as individual boxes that are then glued and clamped together, first the tweeter and midrange cabinets, then the top and bottom bass cabinets, the lower one with its separate chamber for the crossover. Careful shaping and angling of the cabinet faces, especially the bass cabinets, helps disperse internal standing waves, while the lossy glue used to bond the separate layers in the cabinet walls adds damping to what is an already massive structure. As noted above, the external walls measure 5cm (or 2”) thick and are each constructed of four, bonded layers, while the stacked box construction means that the internal boundaries between cabinets constitute six layers and 8.5cm of heavily damped material. You can see how the Legacy’s go together and get a better idea of what’s on the inside in our earlier factory visit article (https://gy8.eu/blog/summit-meeting/). All told, Peak Consult employ four different adhesives in each cabinet, each selected for its specific mechanical properties. Just because these cabinets are made of wood, don’t assume that the construction isn’t exacting or highly developed.
