Aurum Cantus V3MStandmount Loudspeakers

A standmountwith gorgeous

looks and asound that

suits jazz andclassical

By Robert SmithAudio & Video Lifestyle Magazine

60

auditionequipment review

Vital Statistics

Dimensions:410 x 225 x 370mmWeight:38kg (pair)Price:$2,499 (pair)Distributor:Final Link Audio Pty Ltd34 Gamelite DriveMelton, VIC 3337Telephone:(03) 9746 0394Email:info@finallink.com.auWebsite:www.finallink.com.au

The Aurum Cantus V3Mstandmount monitorloudspeakers areavailable throughMelbourne-baseddistributor Final LinkAudio Pty Ltd. Regular

Audio & Video Lifestyle readers will nodoubt recall that another model fromthe Aurum Cantus range, the MelodyM-103 floorstanders, initially achievedour Best Buy Awards status forexcellence, going on to be named our‘Editor’s Choice’ Product Of The Year.It was with some exited anticipationthen when this pair of Aurum CantusV3M standmounters arrived for review,with Shane Lewis, the MD at Final Link

Audio apologising for the fact that theywere not yet run-in and required 50 to100 hours for them to really reach theiroptimum performance.

Editor Nic Tatham and I eagerlyunpacked them from what we bothagreed was the best loudspeakerpackaging we had seen; three superstrong cardboard cartons inside eachother, with the loudspeaker finallysuspended in free air in a velvet linedblack sock between two high densityfoam blocks.

What’s inside the black sock mustbe really special and indeed, opening itup revealed one of the most beautifulpieces of cabinet craftsmanship on aloudspeaker you are ever likely to see.No wonder Aurum Cantus tookextraordinary lengths with itspackaging, so the loudspeaker arrivedin your listening room in the samecondition as it left the factory.

These are certainly a drop deadgorgeous pair of loudspeakers at anymoney, let alone at the unbelievable$2,500 asking price. But it doesn’t stopthere, the driver complement, theterminals, everything - all first class.

I quickly set-up the V3Ms up on apair of 900mm tall speaker stands I hadon hand and plugged them into mysystem. Meanwhile Nic sorted throughsome CDs and he came back with NickCave And The Bad Seeds albumAbattoir Blues. I looked at him thinkingthat this album would be the last CD inmy collection that I would choose tolisten to from a loudspeaker fresh out

Reproduced courtesy of Audio & Video Lifestyle magazine

Audio & Video Lifestyle Magazine

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T e c h n o t a l k

Product Type:Standmount loudspeakerDriver Complement:1 x 165mm Kevlar woofer1 x 110mm aluminium tweeterCabinet Configuration:2-way, bass reflexFrequency Response:45Hz-40kHzAmplifier Compatibility:50-200 wattsNominal Impedance:8 ohms (minimum 6.4 ohms)Crossover Frequency:2,200HzCrossover Attenuation Slope:Woofer: -12dB, Tweeter: -18dBSensitivity:88dBFinishes:High Gloss Cheerywood, HighGloss Rosewood

Technotalk specifications and recommendedretail prices are supplied by the manufacturer

the carton, it’s too up front, brutal andrelentless, especially the first track GetReady For Love.

Now you might think I am going totell you that the Aurum Cantus V3Mshandled this album brilliantly, well theydidn’t and the result was verypredictable. I know this album well, butskipping down a few tracks what Igleaned from this first listen was thatthis loudspeaker had a lot of potentialand this first test was completely unfair.I had used the wrong speaker standheight with the wrong choice of musicfor this sophisticated little baby, and ofcourse, as warned by the distributor,this loudspeaker needs quite a fewhours under its belt to come on song.Don’t draw any conclusions just yetand impportaqntly, don’t go away.

While the V3Ms are running-in,let’s take an objective overview of theproduct and a highlight a few of theimpressive technical details apart fromthe basics listed in the Technotalk panelbelow.

As mentioned the cabinet is simplygorgeous; a fine piece of furniture in itsown right with a gentle taper frombottom to top, gentle slope to the frontbaffle and curved sides which show offthe magnificent veneer, all lacquered ina very deep, high gloss piano finish.

There are nofewer than 14hand-polishedlayers of pianolacquer appliedto each cabinet.

The drivercomplimentconsists a single165mmdiameter, ultrastiff, compositecarbon fibreand Kevlarconed midbassdriver. TheItaliandesigned trebledriver is anotherimpressive unit, a large110mm ribbon driverfitted with a pleatedpure aluminium ribbonand a powerfulNeodymium magnetstructure.

A large 6dB/18dBcrossover assembly sitson the internal cabinetfloor, featuringMundorf Supreme andspecial Aurum CantusMKP capacitors, largediameter, air cored,OFC copperwoundinductors,industrialquality highpower resistorsand with heavy OFCTeflon insulated internal wiringinterconnecting the drivers.

On the back of the cabinet arefeatured some of the largest speakerterminals you are likely to see on anyloudspeaker system, at any price. Theyare 3-way, solid pure copper, goldplated and configured for biamping,biwiring, or with the large gold platedbridging links fitted for just simplesingle cable operation.

The V3Ms are available in a choiceof two timber veneers, Cherry andRosewood, plus optional matchingspeaker stands are available at $499 apair. These are of course the correctheight for the V3Ms at 600mm highand are made of a very heavy MDF,finished in black piano high glossfinish and they are fitted withadjustable spikes on pads to finish offthe package.

After our intensive running period,feeding the bass driver with subsonictones to exercise its suspension andultrasonic tones to relax the ribbon onthe tweeter, plus pink noise to run inthe crossover, the V3Ms quickly startedto come on song. Various musicalpassages were also played during thebreak-in period and you could tell thatthe speaker was starting to relax. Thebass started going deeper and thetreble becoming sweeter with the wholesoundstage opening up for a moredramatic presentation and with somecorrect height stands serious listeningcould now proceed.

I figured right from the start thatthis speaker’s forté was going to be ofclassical persuasion and I was right; itfitted like a glove. Every classical albumI could throw at it was reproduced

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O p i n i o n

The ‘Opinion’ expressed here is thatof the reviewer, summarised in theform of a 5-star rating system, andshould be considered as an integralpart of the full contents of thisAudition Equipment Review. Assuch, each category should bejudged on its own merits and notnecessarily used as a comparisonwith other equipment reviews in this,or other editions of Audio & VideoLifestyle magazine.

� � � � � Shocker�� �� �� �� �� Average��� ��� ��� ��� ��� Good���� ���� ���� ���� ���� Excellent����� ����� ����� ����� ����� Perfection

“These are certainly a dropdead gorgeous’ pair of loud-speakers at any money, let

alone at the unbelievable $2,500asking price . . .”

Performance� � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � � ½Build Quality� � � � �� � � � �� � � � �� � � � �� � � � �Compatibility� � � �� � � �� � � �� � � �� � � �Value For Money� � � � �� � � � �� � � � �� � � � �� � � � �

“I figured rightfrom the start

that thisspeaker’s fortéwas going to be

of classicalpersuasion and

I was right; itfitted like aglove. Every

classical albumI could throw at

it wasreproduced

magnificently,strings had a

sweet delicatetouch and with

preciseimaging, the

speakerseparated theinstruments

nicely allowingyour mind to

wander aroundthe soundstagewith ease . . .”

magnificently, strings had a sweetdelicate touch and with preciseimaging, the speaker separated theinstruments nicely allowing your mindto wander around the soundstage withease, identifying details. Piano wasanother clear winner, grandlyreproducing it with accuracy andconvincing dynamics, belieing thespeakers’ size in the lower octaves. Thebass response of the V3M is extendedand quite well controlled, very fast withno apparent sonic signature from thelarge rear mounted port, although Idid note a bit of chuffing fromturbulence in the port on single tonesfrom the signal generator when I wasrunning-in the speaker. Bassinstruments are particularly easy tofollow and the speaker was able toimpressively reproduce instruments tothe lowest octave without losinginformation in any way.

Midband performance was equallywell reproduced, smooth transitionbetween the drivers at the crossoverpoint and fine vocal reproduction ofboth male and female voice with a verydeep and transparent soundstage. Thisis quite a revealing loudspeaker, pullingsubtle details out of the mix with easeand I guess this would be due to theribbon tweeter, which always seem todo this job particularly well, it has aresponse to 44kHz, is smooth anddelicate, with a wide horizontaldispersion and with the Mundorfcrossover components involved, doesnot miss a thing. I even put Nick Caveback on and I am pleased because itdemonstrated to me just how much thisspeaker improved over time but thenagain it showed the V3M’s limitationsand Nick Cave is a bit raw for this moresophisticated little speaker, but still, ithad a pretty good go at it.

With the Aurum Cantus V3Mloudspeakers you are getting absolutelystaggering value for money. Objectivelyin a physical sense, considering cabinetquality, driver compliment, crossoverand hardware quality, I don’t think Ihave seen anything on the market thatwould even come close to the value, it isridiculous, and you just don’t findcomponents and finish of this quality ina $2,500 loudspeaker.

Subjectively, sound-wise, they donot let the team down either, they arerefined, sophisticated, a true musicalinstrument of the highest calibre.Quality music is reproduced withquality, and for a loudspeaker of this

size they do the job extremely well,especially with jazz and classical works.Vocal, violin and piano, are allconvincingly reproduced with body anddepth whilst the V3Ms throw a deepand informative soundstage tocomplete the picture.

Considering their 88dB efficiency, Iwould suggest an amplifier power of atleast 150 watts to get the best out of theV3Ms and the best source componentsyou can afford, because theseloudspeakers will deliver the goods andgive you a lot of musical satisfaction.

I firmly recommend a listen to theAurum Cantus V3Ms and comparethem to other loudspeakers in thisprice category. I think you might bevery surprised just as I was, on just onhow much you can get for so littlemoney. AVLAncillary Equipment: ME1400 poweramplifier, Robert’s Audio passivepreamplifier, Cayin CD-T17A CD player,Perpetual Technologies DAC,Magnepan MG1 loudspeakers,Blueline loudspeaker cables.