Huddled into a sizable suite just off the beaten path from Vinnie Rossi’s place at RMAF was another LIO-backed system courtesy of Spatial Audio. The setup was dropping some serious low end via a modular 15″ driver (with a rating that reaches down to 18Hz).
The top side of this two part audio extravaganza is an studio grade Air Motion Transformer (AMT) that covers both mid and treble ranges up to 23kHz. The all new AMT is a passive design, and was capable of pushing out some serious gravitas with only the LIO and a laptop as a source. The low driver is actually akin to to its bigger brother the X1 ($15k), harnessing much of the same woofer design but with slightly smaller dimensions.
Designer and director Clayton Shaw has been on a bit of run as of late, unveiling a flurry of new products in procession for each major audio show. While the new guys on the block follow a fairly straightforward $20k (Lumina), $15k (X1), $10k (X2) layout on the price scale, our initial interest was seriously peaked with the open baffle design of the M Series, which start at an everyman $2k price point.
So, for practically anyone interesting in something new for their stereo, Spatial Audio has a match. The design elements are straightforward and modern, sure to be a talking point at your next get-together. The sound at RMAF was smooth and engaging, like proper hifi should be. It will be interesting to see what Clayton dreams up next, given the fullness of the his current offerings.
The X2 Modular is set for online ordering, starting at $9,600 pair for Black, Red an White colorations. Shipping times are currently around 3-4 weeks out.
