Legacy Audio – Florida Audio Expo 2019
My coverage of Legacy Audio’s exhibits in the audio show circuit over the last three years runs deep. For the most part all of the relevant hype has centered around their amazing Wavelet DSP, of which Legacy founder and head designer Bill Duddleston should be proud. Bill is no stranger to DSP technology as he (and Legacy) have been using DSP technology for over twenty years. Other brands in the hi-fi industry are just now adopting, and still many more have not.
If you’ve attended an audio show and seen a Legacy system display, it’s large, and populated like a pop-up showroom. Upwards of five Legacy systems can cover all the angles of a large hotel meeting room. Here at the new (and successful) Florida Audio Expo, Bill and Legacy had a different type of exhibit in mind. This time, it was a duo of suite rooms, much less resembling the open and expansive showroom I’ve become accustomed to, but now a pair of listening rooms, with four walls and resembling something more familiar like home.
Typically in previous exhibits, the Legacy Wavelet’s DSP abilities accurately fill large spaces and display scary good imaging that steals the show. Here in Florida however, I was experience something more.
The highlights of detail put forth by the Wavelet DAC/Preamp/Crossover/Correction unit ($4,950 USD), when in combination with Legacy’s new Powerbloc2 and Powerbloc4 amplifiers. In the first active system, Legacy’s famous AERIS and Focus SE (in Cabernet – $11,990 pr USD as shown) loudspeakers had the room dominated, the Wavelet fed Powerbloc4 amplifier delivered 325 watts per into four channels that stood tall amidst a dark and silent background. The AERIS speakers as shown are $21,150 pr USD, and to experience it all you’d expect more than the Powerbloc 4’s $2,950 USD asking price.
In the next room, a second active system and more of the same. This time at shockingly good value. Again, the famous Wavelet at the controls, this time with Legacy’s Powerbloc2 amplifier ($1,800 USD) feeding a pair of CALIBRE XD ($7,780 pr USD) monitors. Again, 325 watts per channel and smooth dynamics were too good for the asking price, when paired with the CALIBRE XD’s already internal 500 watt amplifiers, in this configuration, used with the Powerbloc2 for bi-amping. What made this experience unique for me was how perfect the Wavelet’s DSP was handling room interactions and making all the right corrections without detracting one iota from the music. To be honest, it’s the first intimate space I’ve shared with a Wavelet and I was ready to ask what if it would be my Valentine.
Also on static display were Legacy’s Studio HD monitors (in Black Pearl – $1,995 pr USD as shown), and Silhouette Rosewood (in Rosewood – $4,478 pr USD as shown).
By Eric Franklin Shook
