Speakers and Radios.com

Acculine Home Theater Speaker System

Pros

• Unbeatable price/performance ratio and affordable to most anyone, even at regular prices
• Exotic planar tweeters create stunning detail, definition, and clarity
• 30-day satisfaction guarantee from The Audio Insider
• ASub subwoofer is a standout performer

Cons

• Only one choice of finish- black ash vinyl with black cloth grill
• 4-ohm impedance makes the A2 and A3 ill-suited to lower quality receivers
• Midrange somewhat recessed on non-r models
• Leaf tweeters are directional and stereo sounds best in the “sweet spot”

Acculine is a line of speakers sold exclusively by online retailer The Audio Insider, which has made a name with audiophiles for their high-value line of Swan speakers. All Acculine speakers are made in the Far East and use Radia leaf tweeter technology.  Planar-magnetic leaf tweeters are an exotic design that suspends a near-weightless thermoplastic leaf in an intense magnetic field.  These  tweeters have typically only been found in the most expensive, exotic speakers and when properly designed and implemented, they create extremely transparent sound with breathtaking detail. As you shall see, the leaf tweeter is the key to the Acculine speakers’ unique qualities and tremendous performance, which up until now has been unheard of at their price points. (That’s a very unsubtle hint- this is a great product and this will be a very positive review.)  At the time of this review’s publication (October 10, 2008)  The Audio Insider is having a 20% and 35% off sale until  the end of the month, making these an outrageous bargain for anyone in the market for music or home theater speakers.  A complete 5.1 surround speaker system that uses exotic technology to create breathlessly transparent, stellar sound along with a super subwoofer for $676 ????  That’s what a complete Acculine system goes for at the moment.  If you can find a better system for the money, please let me know ASAP so I can tell the world about it!

Acculine has recently introduced the A1r, A2r and A3Rr versions of the speakers.  The r models have been tweaked for better midrange reproduction.  I will comment on the A3r at the end of this review.

Product Tour and Overview

Acculine A1 Bookshelf Speakers with Grills

Acculine A1 Bookshelf Speaker

$249.00 per pair (MSRP $349 per pair)

Two-way bookshelf speaker with 135mm (5.3 inch) aluminum woofer and 3 inch planar-magnetic leaf tweeter. Magnetically shielded for use near CRT TVs.

Acculine A1s with Grills Removed

Dimensions and Weight

13″ H by 7.2″ W by 9.3″ D

12 lbs. Each

Close-up view of A1

Frequency Response

55 Hz to 22,000 Hz

Bass response of 55 Hz is a bit better than average for a speaker of this size and type, and very impressive for a speaker with a single 5.3 inch woofer. It is usable in small rooms without a subwoofer for music reproduction, but will sound best with a subwoofer to fill in the deep bass, especially if you have a larger room. Placing the speaker on stands close to the rear wall (but not against the wall) will enhance the bass reproduction. Experiment with placement to get the best results. Movie lovers should plan on using a subwoofer.

Power Requirements

Sensitivity: 88 dB

Impedance: 8 ohms

Power handling: 10-100 watts

Sensitivity of 88 dB is a wee bit below the 89 dB average for a small bookshelf speaker. Power handling of 10-100 watts and an 8 ohm impedance means this speaker will work well with most any amplifier or receiver. I recommend you purchase good-quality amplification with this speaker, as it will reveal any flaws in your signal chain.

Acculine A3s with Grills Attached

Acculine A3 Floorstanding Speaker

$499.00 per pair (MSRP $698 per pair)

Two-way floorstanding speaker with dual 135mm (5.3 inch) aluminum woofer and 3 inch planar-magnetic leaf tweeter. Magnetically shielded for use near CRT TVs.

A3s with Grills Removed

Dimensions and Weight

39.8″ H by 9.1″ W by 9.7″ D

35 lbs. Each

Rear View of A3s

Frequency Response

45 Hz to 22,000 Hz

Bass response of 45 Hz is noticeably better than the A1 bookshelf speaker. It is usable in small to medium-sized rooms without a subwoofer for music reproduction, but will sound best with a subwoofer to fill in the deep bass, especially if you have a larger room. Placing the speaker close to the rear wall (but not against the wall) will enhance the bass reproduction. Experiment with placement to get the best results. Movie lovers should plan on using a subwoofer

The A3 includes spikes to ensure a stable grip on carpeted surfaces.

Power Requirements

Sensitivity: 89 dB

Impedance: 4 ohms

Power handling: 10-150 watts

Sensitivity of 89 dB is a slightly below average for a floorstanding speaker of this size, which usually is around 90-91 dB. Power handling of 10-150 watts and a 4 ohm impedance means this speaker requires more robust amplification than most other speakers, as many mid-range home theater receivers will not drive the 4-ohm load properly. Jon Lane of The Audio Insider says the speaker only hits 4 ohms at certain frequencies and is relatively easy to drive with any receiver, but I recommend you err on the side of caution, particularly if you use it with the A2 center channel. As with the Acculine A1, I recommend you purchase good-quality amplification with this speaker, as it will reveal any flaws in your signal chain. Through the course of the review I will recommend some electronics that will work well with the A3.

Acculine A2 Center Channel, without Grill

Acculine A2 Center Channel

$179.00 each (MSRP $249 each)

Two-way center channel speaker with dual 135mm (5.3 inch) aluminum woofer and 3 inch planar-magnetic leaf tweeter. Magnetically shielded for use near CRT TVs.

Dimensions and Weight

7.1″ H by 19.7″ W by 9.3″ D

20 lbs. Each

Frequency Response

58 Hz to 22,000 Hz

Bass response of 58 Hz means this center channel can reproduce the entire spectrum of vocal reproduction. (Human voices can go down to 80 Hz, so center channel speakers that cannot reproduce 80 Hz may send some of the vocals to the subwoofer, which is undesirable.) At 58 Hz, this center channel goes satisfyingly deep for convincing reproduction of special effects and ambiance in movie soundtracks.

This wide frequency response does not come free, as the speaker is a bit on the large side, at almost 20 inches wide and 20 pounds. It can be balanced on CRT TVs as small as 27 inches diagonal screen size, but is kind of overpowering doing so. Be sure you have adequate space for it on your TV stand. If you make room for the A2, you will be rewarded with great sound.

A2 Center Channel Rear View. (Note rubber feet.)

Rubber feet with adhesive are provided with the A2. They mount on each of the corners

Power Requirements

Sensitivity: 89 dB

Impedance: 4 ohms

Power handling: 10-150 watts

Like the A3, the A2 has a 4-ohm impedance so you should choose your amplifier or receiver with care.  A good choice is the Onkyo TX-SR606, which has proven to able should be able to simultaneously drive a pair of A3 towers for mains, a pairs of A1s for surround and an A2 center channel.

Acculine ASub Powered Subwoofer

$299.00 each (MSRP $399 each)

Powered subwoofer with 10″ composite cone driver and 150W power amplifier.  Speaker and line-level inputs.

ASub with grill removed

Dimensions and Weight

18.1″ H by 12.6″ W by 17.7″ D

56 lbs. Each

ASub 10″ Composite Speaker Driver

ASub Rear View

ASub Control and Connections Panel

Frequency Response

25 Hz to 150 Hz, adjustable

Bass response of 25 Hz is extremely low for the size and price of this subwoofer.  If your room is large you will need a bigger subwoofer if you want the same kind of bass impact because creating deep bass in a large room means moving a lot of air, beyond a 10″ woofer’s capabilities.

Warranty

All Acculine speakers have a 5-year parts and labor warranty.

Cabinets and Finish

Acculine speakers have high quality, rigid cabinets covered in a black ash vinyl finish. It is currently the only finish available for the series. They look good, but the completely black look has a utilitarian air about it. To my eyes, the speakers look better when the grill covers are removed and the shiny aluminum woofers and the exotic looking leaf tweeters are exposed.

Grills

The grills are covered in a fine-mesh cloth that seems to pick up lint easily. As I said before, if these were in my system I’d go grill-less to show off those beautiful drivers.

Radia Technology Planar-Magnetic Leaf Tweeter

Drivers

Acculine speakers use the same drivers throughout the series, namely the 5.3 inch aluminum woofers and the Radia-tech leaf tweeters.  Using common drivers provides absolutely perfect tonal matching across the product line, which is highly desirable.

Aluminum Woofer Used Throughout the Acculine Series

Port is Smooth and Flush with the Speaker Cabinets

Rear view of A1 with Port and Terminals

Connections

Gold connections are robust and two sets are provided for bi-wiring.  A gold plate connects the terminals for use with a single amplifier, as 95-99% of owners are likely to do with these speakers.

Listening Tests

A1 vs. A3

Within a family line of quality speakers the sound quality is the same and the difference between the smaller models and larger models is in bass, lower midrange response, and power effiiciency,  the larger speakers obviously having more of all three.  So if you get a Polk LSi9 and an LSi15, the speakers will have the same “voice” but the LSi15 will have deeper bass and more sonic impact, and play a bit louder with a given amount of power.  The Acculines share this pattern, the A1 and A3 have the same sonic character, but the A3s go deeper and play louder.  I did not notice a difference in the midrange between the two, both sounded a bit recessed.  More on that later.  All in all the A3 towers matched the performance of the A1 bookshelf speakers but added more bass impact, and more fullness to the sound.  The A1 is meant to be used near walls, specifically on shelf wall mounts or on stands.   I placed the A1s on stands about 12″ from the back wall. The A3 can be placed out in the room a bit.  I varied them between 18″ and 24″ from the back walls.  The r variants are less placement sensitive.

Stereo Listening Tests

I started with the A1 and A3 connected directly to the receiver and added the subwoofer later.

The leaf tweeter is the star I expected it to be, and then some.  There was real magic in the sound and the detail and definition was nothing less of astounding.  In my newspaper columns I have mentioned that the difference in detail and definition between the Acculine’s leaf tweeter and more ordinary products is the equivalent of the difference between standard TV and high definition TV, and I still think that is an apt description.

The Acculines don’t have a noticeable tone of their own and are very true to the source.  This is one of the most desirable traits any speaker can have and is to be commended.  The sound does not come across as warm.  It isn’t cold or harsh, but rather extremely clean and transparent.  The natural warm sound of vinyl complements these very well and If you like vinyl these speakers are a great choice.  It also should be said that they are easily listenable for hours on end.  Many budget speakers cause the listener to suffer from a slight  headache called “listening fatigue” after a while, but not with these.

Bass is not especially deep on the A1, but the bass it does reproduce is tight, clean and satisfying.  The A3 goes noticeably deeper but the advantage to the tower is not just the additional bass response, but the more effortless way it can reproduce the sound spectrum and sound fuller in a larger room.  The difference is pronounced enough that if you have the budget and space for the A3s, I would definitely choose them over the A1s.

The Acculine ASub is a standout in the same way the leaf tweeters are.  When this sub was introduced, word got around audiophile circles and the initial production run was sold out almost immediately.  The ASub goes very deep at 25 Hz and the bass is clean, tight, and very musical-sounding.  Adding the sub filled in the low end with both speakers and allowed the A1s to open up a bit by removing some of the low-frequency load from them.

All was not perfect, and the Acculines do have characteristics some may find to be less than optimum.  The most obvious to me is the midrange is also somewhat recessed.    It’s not objectionable but it is noticeable or at least it seems to be, given the stellar high frequency reproduction.  Of course, this is coming from a guy who listens to a lot of different speakers on an ongoing basis.  If you are a consumer and wasn’t comparing it to anything else you probably would not notice it at all.

There is also a matter of directionality.  The leaf tweeters “beam” sound in a narrow pattern compared to the broad, wide dispersion of a dome tweeter.  If you are not directly between them in the “sweet spot” when listening to music, the stereo image suffers and you do not get the full sound if you are listening at close range.  If there is some distance between you and the speakers the sound is able to disperse and provide a more spacious listening experience.  If you are able to sit in the sweet spot for stereo listening and get the speakers placed correctly, the soundstage takes on great depth and breadth and the ambiance of the performance really makes you feel like you are there.

Surround Sound Listening Tests

Using the Acculines with Blu-ray audio really showed their capabilities.  Obviously the better the source the better the sound will be no matter what the system, but the challenge of the dynamics and detail found in lossless sources really showed what they can do.  The gunshots in the Blu-ray of “Dirty Harry” were rendered without a hint of smear or strain out of the A2 center channel… they rang out crisp, clear and true and sounded almost real- absolute precision.  On the “Enchanted” Blu-ray Amy Adams’ voice came to life along with the acoustical accompaniment and delicate reproduction of every nuance in the soundtrack.  For example, in the beginning Giselle is a cartoon character and she is talking to her animal friends, and one of the birds shoves birdseed in the face of another bird.  You could practically hear the birdseed getting pushed into the feathers of the bird’s face, and then hear the little pieces of birdseed falling and bouncing around.  It really gives you an appreciation of how far the people at Disney go when they make their magic.  I also had the unfortunate event of starting the movie without re-adjusting the volume control on my Onkyo 606 receiver and the fireworks exploding around the castle came on at an extremely high volume.  I felt like I was in the top turret of the castle and the fireworks were exploding in my face!  It wasn’t something I planned on doing, but it showed me that #1 the Onkyo 606 can drive a set of Acculines to very high volume and #2 the Acculines didn’t sound the least bit strained at all under any conditions I placed them under.

The A1s did well as surround speakers and helped create a satisfying sound field, but it would be nice to see some dedicated surround speakers offered given the directional nature of the leaf tweeters.

The sub proved its mettle by creating a proper sense of ambiance when required, and punctuated sound effects with great impact and precisions.  This is a really great subwoofer, whether you want to use it with Acculine speakers or any others.

Competitive Comparisons

I recently reviewed a surround system from The Speaker Company and compared it to the Acculines.  You can read the comparison in the review here.

The Axiom M2 surround systems come to mind as a logical competitor to the Acculines, and I have compared them in my newspaper column.  There are some things you can do with an Axiom system you can’t yet do with an Acculine system, for example choose from many finishes or a variety of subwoofers according to your room size.  The Axioms have a fuller and richer sound though high frequencies are not as clearly rendered as they are with the Acculines.  The Axiom QS surround speakers do a better job of surround effects than most anything else I have ever encountered and combined with the great Axion sound it’s hard to do much better.  If budget was not an issue I would go with an Axiom surround system paired with a Pioneer 1018 receiver for a budget home theater.  The surround speakers make that much of a difference and I believe the Axioms to be the superior system in overall sound quality- but at a price.  An Axiom Epic Midi system with the smallest subwoofer is $1338.  An Acculine system can be had for about half of that at current promotional prices so you could get the Acculines, an Onkyo 606, and a Blu-ray player for less than the cost of the Axiom speakers alone, and you will be getting a better subwoofer than you would in the entry-level Epic Midi system. If you have the money and don’t mind spending it, go for the Axioms.  If home theater isn’t that big of a deal for you or you are on a budget, you won’t go wrong with the Acculines.

I should mention that this opinion was not unanimous amongst the Sound Advice/Speaker and Radios staff.  Speaker reviewer Nick Katsafanas usually listens to everything coming in so he has a baseline for comparisons and is familiar with everything on the market. He borrowed the Axiom M2s and Acculine A1s and listened to them back to back and reported he preferred the Acculines.  That the Acculines can even be compared to the Axioms in the same sentence is saying a lot, and as my experience with Nick shows preference could come down to individual opinion as the speakers are very close.

System Building Ideas

In the interest of people in the market for speakers now, the current promotional prices are used here rather than the list prices.

High-Def Home Theater

Speakers- 2 pairs Acculine A1 main and surround (2x$159) = $318 promotional price) Acculine A2 center $119, Acculine ASub $239= $676

Receiver- Onkyo TX-SR606: $389 (internet sale price)

Blu-ray- Insignia NS-BRDVD: $229.99

Total: $1294.99

This system is compatible with all the high-def sound formats used by Blu-ray, but does not provide Blu-ray BD-Live internet content. If you want to connect your Blu-ray player to the web, add $170 to the price and buy a $399 PlayStation 3 for your Blu-ray player.

Add $160 to upgrade the A1 front speakers to A3 towers for a tower-based system.

Budget Audiophile Vinyl Music System

Speakers- Acculine A1: $159.00

Receiver- Harman/Kardon HK3380: $148

(refurbished from www.harmanaudio.com)

Turntable- Pro-ject Debut III: $349

Total: $656

The budget may seem a bit lopsided towards the turntable, but when playing vinyl the turntable is as important as the speakers. The H/K receiver has a phono input, which is absent on most surround sound receivers.  As mentioned before, he natural warmth of vinyl is a good fit for the Acculines.

Add $160 to upgrade the A1 front speakers to A3 towers for a tower-based system.

Budget CD Music System

Speakers- Acculine A1 $159.

Receiver- Onkyo TX-SR304: $119

(refurbished at www.shoponkyo.com)

CD player- Any DVD player with a digital audio output ($50)

Total: $328

Using the DVD player as a CD transport and connecting its digital output to the receiver will yield very clean sound, and you have the ability to go surround sound by adding surround speakers and a center channel later.

Minimalist Surround Sound Starter Set-up

Speakers- 2 pair Acculine A1s, (2x$159): $318

Receiver- Onkyo TX-SR304: $119 (refurb at www.shoponkyo.com)

DVD player- Any DVD player with a digital audio output ($50)

Total: $487

Go to the receiver’s setup menu and set the subwoofer to “off” and center channel to “no center channel” and you will get surround sound from the four speakers. The center channel audio track will be mixed equally in the left and right speakers, creating a virtual center channel. This will get you surround sound at a low price while keeping component quality high. Of course, you can always add the center channel and subwoofer later.

Acculine “r” series

Acculine/The Audio Insider has worked to improve the product, specifically the midrange reproduction.  The new “r” models (A1r, A2r, A3r) have been sonically tuned and tweaked to improve the midrange.  I received a pair of A3r towers towards the end of the review period and found them to be a clear improvement on an already great product.  Not only is the entire sound more balanced from top to bottom, the A3r has improved clarity as well as some richness that takes the speaker up another full notch.  Given the price I can’t think of anything I would change to the A3r at this point.

Conclusion

What really makes the Acculines stand out is their value.  They are not perfect and if you spend more you can get better sound, but you need to increase your budget by 50% to 100% (or more) to get something that is better.  You could also spend a lot more than the Acculines and get something that isn’t nearly as good.  For the money I have not seen anything that can touch them, even at list prices.  The promotions that The Audio Insider runs from time to time make them almost unfathomable to me, that such great-sounding speakers using exotic, high-end technology can be purchased for so little.  It’s inexpensive, but it isn’t cheap- it’s quality.  It’s exciting for me to be able to review and recommend a product that gives my readers a taste of the high end without the accompanying price tag, and to read emails of delight once they have them in their own homes.  For example, here is one email I received out of the blue from a reader last year.  He is a musician and guitar player and uses his Acculine A3s for vinyl as well as high-def movie watching:

“Thanks again for recommending the speakers , I have not been more satisfied with any single AV purchase ever!”