What's New
October 2009 - Introducing the Morrison Model 11
The new Morrison Model 11 has arrived. Standing 15" tall it features the same method of bass loading and 360 degree dispersion at all frequencies like its larger sibling the Model 17. It has been described by one wag as "A loudspeaker to listen to music by while drooling over the $50,000 speaker reviews as featured in the audiophile magazines".
The Model 11 features the now familiar traits of the larger Morrison models. Superb imaging without having to clamp one's head in a vice. The openess and ease of listening due to low distortion and lack of cabinet colorations allow the listener to relax and listen to his string quartets while the speakers vanish. The bob and weave and angst to find the exact "sweet spot" so common a problem with conventional speaker designs is completely and mercifully absent with the Model 11. The impedance ranges from a minimum of 8 ohms to a maximum of 13 ohms in the range of 40 to 20 kHz. The efficiency is 85 dB.
Available in any color as long as its black.
Price: $1750 /Pr. (F.O.B. Toronto)
November 2008 - Morrison Model 7 Review
I read a while ago that we were at a time in our history where heresy and orthodoxy are changing places,therefore I was intrigued that the claims of Don Morrison regarding his speaker designs seemed to confirm this phenomenon. Let me reiterate some of the claims of conventional audiophile orthodoxy to illustrate this point. In the attempt to recreate the illusion of a live performance in our listening room we have identified certain prerequisites,among those being: accurate soundstage (including width and depth);lack of distortion(or accuracy of timbre); and a sense of "air" surrounding the sound. There are others but I would consider these to be the main points of focus as may be illustrated in reading a cross section of equipment reviews in audio journals.
How refreshing then to read Morrison's claim that most of these characteristics are lacking in our listening experience due to a fundamental flaw in speaker design,and that once this is corrected the search for audio's Holy Grail becomes as hard to find metaphorically as a Starbucks cup (my words not his).Some examples of his 'heretical' thinking are: all conventional front firing speaker designs are little more than elaborate PA systems;it is not necessary to invest in expensive tube amplification to achieve good results with his designs, and the best that one can achieve with most systems is akin to listening to the performance through a window.
Faced with such a challenge as this, one can either reject it out of hand or rely on direct experience,so here is mine using his latest design the Model 7's.
1. These speakers do not need stands (another heresy).In fact when I placed them on stands initially, as I would any bookshelf sized speaker, I kept standing up to listen to them.
2.There is no "sweet spot" nor does it matter if the reflecting surfaces in the room are optimal (even someone standing in front of one of the speakers does not seem to detract from the sound significantly).
3.It is more important to have adequate power than tube amplification. My 25 watts a channel Dyna triode amps. were seen off by a 100 watt Sony solid state device (notice that he says "necessary" not preferable...100 watts of good tube amplification does ,in my view, provide more accurate timbre but insufficient power will compromise the sound, be it tube or solid state).
These are my initial impressions. I have not compared speaker wire or interconnects yet, but I would not be too surprised if the differences are not justified by the investment involved.
One last point: I noted on one of the audio blogs that a critic writing for one of the high end journals admitted (although not in print) to using one of Morrison's designs as a reference system. I have no trouble at all believing that!
David Gray (November 2008)...former principal horn of the London Symphony Orchestra. Conductor of the University of Miami Symphony and wind ensemble.
June 2008 - Morrison Model 7
The Model 7 is a two way design with point
source omnidirectional signal launch. The cabinets are 8" X 8" X 14"
tall. The woofer is a 4.5" unit with a linear 12 mm excursion. The
tweeter is crossed over at 8 K Hz to fill in the top end. The impedance
never dips below 9 ohms so that any amplifier will drive them without
getting into trouble. Although they are primarily designed to reproduce
music in a 2 channel system, a number of them have been used in a
surround sound configuration. The good news is that only 4 units are
required instead of 5. The 360 degree dispersion pattern allows you to
dispense with the centre channel and also allows you to sit well off
centre and not have the sound disappear as always happens with a
conventional front firing speaker box if you have to sit at the far end
of the couch. For those wishing to hear the bottom octaves and cause
the nik-naks to tumble off the shelves, the Model 31 subwoofer can be
added. Model 7's are available in satin black ($990 Pr.) Add $790 ea.
for model 31 Subwoofer.
June 2008 Preliminary Morrison Model 31 Passive Subwoofer
The Morrison Model 31 is a passive subwoofer
designed to span the camps of either home theatre or 2 channel
listening. Dimensions are 12.5" X 12.5" X 23" tall (including legs). A
10" drive unit with 1.5" linear excursion is loaded down to the floor
to achieve better room coupling and increased efficiency. The size has
been made as small as possible and still maintain optimum performance.
A reduction in volume would result in a muddy response which might
impress the innocent but there's a glut of those types on the market
already. The eagle eyed will notice that there is no "built in"
amplifier. I've always wondered why most subwoofers offer a box with a
bloody great hole chopped in it to accommodate a cheap plate amplifier.
The structural rigidity of the cabinets are always sacrificed in order
to give the consumer a "convenient" amplifier connection. I suppose
this is the reason that most of them sound like bottom-of-the-barrel
thud boxes. I'd rather make it a bit less convenient and offer a
correct low end. The Model 31 is offered in satin black and will be
available mid July /08. $790 each.
User Comments on the Morrison Model 7
There
are just so many things right about Morrison Audio’s Model 7
speakers. They are an excellent choice for the music-lover with a small
to medium listening space (apartment dwellers take note!), and who
wants speakers that serve the music. Their unique source-point
omnidirectional design and modest size makes both for easy placement in
the room and no more endless hours “finding the sweet spot”
for listening. The high level of fit and finish belies their cost.
Too many speakers may initially
impress, but over the long-haul ultimately disappoint. Not so the Model
7: these speakers give the listener that natural, organic, and open
presentation which emphasizes the musicality of the recording, rather
than all those non-musical aspects that appeal to audiophiles.
Listeners who especially enjoy recordings of unamplified instruments in
any genre will love these speakers: orchestral, jazz, solo instrument
or vocalists – they all come alive with the Model 7. The speakers
deliver plenty of imaging and detail, yet don’t leave the
listener with that exhausted feeling at the end of the evening. I can
listen to them for hours, refreshed and invigorated by the music.
So I highly recommend these speakers to
anyone looking for a truly special product with an unbeatable
combination of price and performance.
JP in Ontario, Canada
|
