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REVIEW: Audio Physic Virgo 3 Speakers

Model:	Virgo 3
Category:	Speakers
Suggested Retail Price:	> $5400
Description:	Three way floor standing speaker
Manufacturer URL:	Audio Physic
Model Picture:	View

Review by miffy (A) on February 10, 2002 at 06:19:49 IP Address: 194.109.253.4

Add Your Review for the Virgo 3

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The new Virgo 3's are able to create a deep soundstage like the old ones, however you don't get the impression that you're listening to live music like the Virgo 2 could give you. This is a pity, because this is what it's all about for me, realism, magic, I want to be fooled by thinking that I'm hearing a live band.

When you start analyzing, listening to details however, you might prefer the new Virgo to the old one, this is probably what the new designers at Audio Physic did, and why there are people who think it's a big improvement.
These speakers sound at their best with simple music, there is some kind of softness/hollowness in the mid-low region which makes sound messy with complicated music (maybe due to the passive woofers?).
The bass is nice but very weak. There's nothing left of the strong mid-bass presence of the old design, this could have been an improvement however the overall balance is now disturbed, resulting in a thin, bit bright sounding speaker, even with heavy amps. In the old design the thin mids and small and sharp imaging were nicely compensated by the warm midbass.
The mids of the new Virgo are good, an improvement.
The highs, although transparant, sound very dull metally/sizzly in contrast to the rich sounding tweeters of the old Virgo's which could reproduce amazingly realistic cymbals.
Overal these speakers got a characteristic sound, which I found pleasant at first but soon became too recognisable through all recordings, I guess this can become irritating, the old Virgo's although also very characteristic, never fatigued me, they seem more honest, natural to me.

If you prefer the new Virgo's over the old ones I guess you also like the B&W Nautilus sound (metal tweeters, more tonally correct than musically). If you're looking for magic and forget that your listening to speakers than stick with the old ones or audition a passionate speaker like the JM Reynaud Evolution 3.

Value rating: 2 (too expensive)
Overall rating: 3 (average)

(I rated the Virgo 2: 5/5 and still do. Btw: I heard there's probably going to be a "Virgo Classic", I guess there's still a market for people who prefer the original masterpiece designed by J. Gerhard himself).

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Product Weakness:	Dull metally highs, weak bass, incoherent, messy with complex music
Product Strengths:	Soundstage, mids, transparant

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Associated Equipment for this Review:
Amplifier:	Pass X150
Preamplifier (or None if Integrated):	Pass X2.5
Sources (CDP/Turntable):	Musical Fidelity Nu Vista 3DCD and others
Speakers:	Virgo 3
Cables/Interconnects:	MIT (big expensive ones but not very good)
Music Used (Genre/Selections):	various
Room Comments/Treatments:	normal size
Time Period/Length of Audition:	3hrs (+15 mins second opinion)
Type of Audition/Review:	Dealer Demo
Your System (if other than home audition):	JM Reynaud, Plinius SA50, Pass Aleph 3, Gaincard, SCD 555ES, Rega Planet 3

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