These speakers would be remarkable if they were several times their size. But given that they're relatively tiny, with a single 5.5-inch ceramic-matrix mid-woofer and a 2-inch Air Motion Transformer (AMT) tweeter, they're unbelievable. They have the extension and dynamics of a big, full-range, multi-driver system, with bass response that's useful down to 25 Hz and highs that reach past the 30 kHz limit of my measurement mic. But they also offer the nearly point-source imaging of compact two-way speakers, with phase response that's close to linear, even down to 185 Hz. The package is comprised of a pair of Evolution Acoustics v.1 speakers, an e.300 power amplifier, and a pair of custom c.3 directional speaker cables. Also included are Cardas Audio XLR input cables, a Shunyata Research Theta NR power cord with noise filtering, a set of small stick-on isolation feet, foam plugs for the bass reflex ports, and a directional Acme Audio Labs Silver Cryo fuse with crystal fiber compound coating for the amplifier. Gil Griffith and Ryan Cole of Wave Distribution spent an hour at my Nashville studio unboxing a brand-new system and setting it up. Because Evolution ships this package after 1,000 hours of burn-in, my review system was ready for playback soon after setup, and my immediate impression was "Holy Schmoly!"
The whole system was voiced by Brian Lucey of Magic Garden Mastering specifically for mix engineers, with a slight attenuation of the highs and controlled roll-off of extreme lows. Once I had settled on a final location for the speakers, I measured -4 dB at 40 Hz and 24 kHz in my room. As expected, low-frequency phase response was better with the port closed, but amplitude response below 40 Hz was greater with the port open. Surprisingly, the small isolation feet made a significant impact on bass-heavy transients, as I started without the feet and then added them a couple weeks later.
Sound-wise, this is a truly impressive system that not only belies its subcompact size but presents itself as trustworthy without being fatiguing. I worked on a full-band tracking session as well as a few mixes over the course of a couple months. During both tracking and mixing, I was able to quickly carry out tweaks in direct reaction to what I was hearing without having to second-guess my decisions or even switch to a second pair of monitors – without any ear-brain fog at the end of long days. I also felt that the mixes translated well to other speakers and rooms.
Worth noting is that I've spent many years listening to the AMT drivers of my HEDD speakers and headphones (and before that, ADAM speakers), so I've become very accustomed to the sound signature of those AMTs. Evolution's take is a little different. The AMT of the v.1 reproduces highs effortlessly without stridency, but there is a bit of second-harmonic distortion from 1.7 to 3.7 kHz that contributes to a graceful, midrange-forward balance that I do like. Meanwhile, third and higher-order harmonic distortion is significantly lower in that same octave and throughout the whole spectrum. The end result is a tweeter that seamlessly contributes to the cohesive sound of the system as a whole, and the crossover from mid-woofer to tweeter is undetectable to my ears. With that said, these speakers are especially finicky when it comes to physical alignment with my ears as well as the surfaces in the room. For example, raising the speaker height by mere inches or adding just a few degrees of toe-in/out can change the tonal balance and imaging. I verified with my measurement mic that those effects were real – and more noticeable than what I've experienced adjusting the position of other speakers in my room.
If the observations I've stated here intrigue you, I encourage you to read the interview of speaker designer and company owner Kevin Malmgren on the Evolution Acoustics website <evolutionacoustics.com/reviews/interviews>. Much of the discussion revolves around the pros and cons of specific design choices and materials engineering implemented across the company's whole line. With my degrees from MIT, I disagree with some of the technical explanations given in the interview, but I'm fascinated by the passion that's abundantly evident in Kevin's pursuit of perfection. More importantly, the Evolution v.1 Studio Monitor Package really is amazing. Whether utilized as nearfields or midfields, I believe it would be possible to rely on them as your sole monitoring solution – which says a lot about the system's accuracy and real-world usability.