Speaker Asylum: REVIEW: ProAc Studio 110 Speakers by Halbard

Model:	Studio 110
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	£750
Description:	Two-way front-ported standmounting loudspeaker
Manufacturer URL:	ProAc

Review by Halbard on October 28, 2008 at 11:29:43
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for the Studio 110

I've had these ProAc Studio 110s for about ten weeks. Modest though they are by the Asylum's standards, they are the costliest and best-made (except the binding posts) speakers I've owned. But, for nine-and-a-half weeks (and I don't mean the film), I struggled with them. Then, three days ago, their secret was disclosed to me, I think.

I bought them without auditioning them. Since then, I've read on these forums that ProAcs work best with tube amps and also that they can take an age to break in. I have a solid-state amp and CDs are my main source of music.

Until three days ago, I disbelieved in bi-wiring. I was a purist on the issue so I mono-wired the 110s when I got them and had no intention of bi-wiring them. And, for nine-and-a-half weeks, there was a problem with the sound. The tweeter sounded disconnected from the mid-woofer, leaving it too bright at the top end, a bit bloodless in the mid-range and lacking in the promised 33Hz bass. More than once I thought, when contemplating the tweetering: this crossover isn't well designed. But the overall sound was improving from when first out-of-the-box, so I hoped that time and further breaking-in would cure the problem.

Then, three days ago, on a whim, as an experiment, I tried bi-wiring them. Open sesame. The tweeter has reconnected with the woofer, the mid-range has body and the bass now has weight and depth. I now regret thinking ill of the clever designer.

ProAc's literature says that the 110s "allow for" bi-wiring and bi-amping. I think ProAc should strengthen its language. My uneducated hypothesis is that the crossover was designed to be bi-wired, and I suspect other ProAc models might be the same. But this may be system-dependent, of course.

Grille: I dislike manufacturers' logos on the grilles of loudspeakers and ProAc's one particularly ain't that pretty at all. However, the badge peels off easily, leaving no residue, and sticks fast to the rear of the speaker. Once removed, they look pretty good, with or without the grilles. They sound best without them.

Binding posts: In trying to cure the tweeter problem, I replaced the supplied links with Kimber 4TC jumpers. In doing so, two of the binding posts loosened from the body of the speaker so that they now rotate. My bad, but their flimsiness. Build is otherwise robust.

Sound: Mono-wired, these produced an open, dynamic sound but the tweeter was too bright and the bass restricted. Bi-wired, these babies sing, grip, hug and kick. What was once sound is now music. I'd almost forgotten what it was like to be moved by music and song. Last night, Richard Thompson's 1952 Vincent Black Lightning unexpectedly upset me, in the right way - I put it on for the guitaring but was an emotional wreck by the end. John Martyn's song, Solid Air - I've heard it a million times and yet now I can hear each instrument, the vibes and the sax especially, so clearly. I can hear low notes in Respighi's Pines of Rome that weren't there before. Terry Riley's Sri Camel is now as mystically integrated as a blissed-out guru.

Product Weakness:	Binding posts. Requires bi-wiring.
Product Strengths:	Speed, dynamics, musicality, decent bass for a standmounter.

Associated Equipment for this Review:

Amplifier: Cambridge Audio 840A V2
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated): -
Sources (CDP/Turntable): Cambridge Audio 840C
Speakers: -
Cables/Interconnects: Atlas Hyper 3.0 to woofers; Atlas Hyper 2.0 to tweeters/CA Azur Reference with XLRs.
Music Used (Genre/Selections): Jaxx, rock, classical, world, electronica.
Other (Power Conditioner etc.): Apollo AZ6 stands.
Type of Audition/Review: Product Owner

Amplifier:	Cambridge Audio 840A V2
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	-
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Cambridge Audio 840C
Speakers:	-
Cables/Interconnects:	Atlas Hyper 3.0 to woofers; Atlas Hyper 2.0 to tweeters/CA Azur Reference with XLRs.
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	Jaxx, rock, classical, world, electronica.
Other (Power Conditioner etc.):	Apollo AZ6 stands.
Type of Audition/Review:	Product Owner