Reviews
Neil Gader’s blog, October 2009
… a fine newcomer to the loudspeaker market, the Axis Voicebox S. Designed and built in Australia its designer Brad Serhan demonstrated just how well a small but well designed bass reflex compact could perform. Using a 50mm true ribbon tweeter and a 5.5-inch mid bass, the Voicebox S bore an uncanny resemblance to a mini-Quad in terms of its speed, transparency and cohernace. And with what appears to be solid bass response into the 50 cycle range this compact barely more than a foot tall might turn out to be one of the real “finds” of this year’s Rocky Mountain. Thus far the price is still to be determined but look for it in the $3k/pr range. Much more to come, stay tuned. Read the whole blog post.
Audio & Video Lifestyle Magazine
So far, so good, but it’s the midrange and vocals in particular that this little speaker’s hanging its hat on, so how does it fare? Nicely, I have to say. Very nicely, in fact. The Nomex driver and ribbon tweeter integrate superbly and there’s a seamless blend between the two – a sign that the crossover network’s doing it’s job well. I had the Voiceboxes around three metres apart, but they still imaged fantastically – something that the ribbons can take the credit for. Read the whole review.
Sound + Image Magazine, February / March 2008
Orpheus Aurora 2 Generation III Loudspeakers
The new Aurora 2.3 is a 2½-way floor standing design, with a pair of woven Kevlar-coned bass/midrange drivers crossing to a 25mm silk dome tweeter. Designer Brad Serhan has configured the two Kevlar drivers so the two work in tandem at very low frequencies, and you have twice the cone area delivering the bass. However, as the frequency being reproduced gets higher, the lower driver does less and less work until, at midrange frequencies, only the upper Kevlarconed driver is operating. This ensures true point-source localisation through the midrange and means the frequency response cannot be adversely affected by phase cancellation effects between the two drivers. Read the whole review.
Sound + Image Magazine, February / March 2008
Orpheus Aurora 3 Generation 3 Loudspeakers
For quite some time now the ‘Aurora 3’ in its various incarnations has been a best-seller for Orpheus, most recently in a special high-performance ‘Signature’ version from Brad Serhan, generally regarded as one of Australia’s best loudspeaker designers. He has now changed the cabinet’s physical shape, upgrading it by removing the rear panel and curving both side walls. Read the whole review.
The Guide, Sydney Morning Herald, January 2006
These look boring, but they sound great. There are two 16cm mid/basses and a 2.5cm tweeter and they handle 100 watts. The highs are superb, with a precise tweeter, and the sound is wide and spacious, with excellent presence. The timbre of voice is especially good … the locally made Orpheus speakers were the ones we’d buy.
Sound + Image Magazine, May / June 2004
I have only one concern about the Aurora 3’s, and it’s that these speakers sound too musical for their own good. There’s no exaggerated bass response to suck in inexperienced listeners and no high-frequency peak in the tweeter response to make the treble seem airy. So in the heated environment of the of the demo room, when A-B against the often wildly inaccurate speakers that are pitched at same price-point, it will take an educated ear to hear that it is Orpheus Aurora 3’s that offer the listening experience closest to the truth.
Australian Hi Fi Magazine, Mar / April 2004
Orpheus’s new Aurora 1 is an exciting speaker not just because of its great sound, but because in showing what’s possible to achieve at this price level, it will serve as a benchmark to ‘keep the bastards honest’.
Home Theatre Magazine, Summer 2004
Orpheus Aurora 3 Surround Speaker System
We are inclined to think that this surround speaker package is the best sounding set at this price point that we have ever heard.
Australian Hi Fi Magazine, Dec 1999 / Jan 2000
A beautifully balanced loudspeaker. The sound is so integrated that you’re not conscious of anything except the music. An outstanding design
24 Hours ABC Radio Magazine, August 2002
Outstanding value, prodigious performance, and very involving.
24 Hours ABC Radio Magazine, July 2001
This is the best compliment I can pay a piece of technology – that it gets out of its own way and lets you enjoy the music. Verdict: Balanced, involving, musical, fun.
Kalman Rubinson, Stereophile Magazine (US), Las Vegas CES, 2001
One of the most enjoyable reproducers at the show.
