{"id":2104,"date":"2024-07-16T12:57:05","date_gmt":"2024-07-16T12:57:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gershmanacoustics.com\/?post_type=review&p=2104"},"modified":"2024-07-16T12:57:05","modified_gmt":"2024-07-16T12:57:05","slug":"pta-review-studio-xdb","status":"publish","type":"review","link":"https:\/\/gershmanacoustics.com\/index.php\/review\/pta-review-studio-xdb\/","title":{"rendered":"PTA review Studio XdB"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Gershman Acoustics Studio XdB Loudspeakers | REVIEW<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Words and Photos by <\/strong>Marc Phillips<\/strong><\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why do the Gershman Acoustics Studio XdBs need such big boxes? Well, those speaker stands aren\u2019t just dedicated, they\u2019re affixed to the speakers and shipped together. At least they will be easy to unpack, I thought, if I can just squeeze them into my l\u2019il SUV. They did fit\u2013barely. You bet I\u2019ll bring a measuring tape to Seattle in 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There\u2019s a reason, however, why the Gershman Acoustics Studio XdB speakers need those stands in order to perform. They\u2019re an essential part of the design. Back at the 2023 PAF<\/strong><\/a>, I sat in while Greg Weaver<\/strong><\/a> interviewed Eli and Ofra<\/strong><\/a> Gershman about their 30th Anniversary Grand Avant Garde speakers, which were also playing in the room, and Eli (pronounced \u201cEllie,\u201d if you were wondering) discussed how he was able to coax so much low frequency information from fairly small enclosures. One of the secrets, as it turns out, is those stands. With the Grand Avant Gardes, the substantial bases open into the rest of the enclosure, increasing the internal volume. With the Studio XdBs, it\u2019s those stands that cause these speakers to reach so deeply into the bottom octaves.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am surprised, however, that it\u2019s taken me this long to have seat time with a Gershman Acoustics loudspeaker. I\u2019ve known about them for so long\u2013I told Ofra Gershman that I remember their ads in Stereophile<\/em> back when the magazine was stapled together. For the last few audio shows I\u2019ve made it a point to spend time in the Gershman room, steadily refamiliarizing myself with this Canadian brand. In each exhibit room, across a number of different models, I\u2019ve noticed their exceptional talent for filling a big room with huge sound despite their somewhat compact dimensions. What makes them distinctive from other potent speaker designs is the tonal balance, however, which is absolutely lovely and musical.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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Inside the Gershman Acoustics Studio XdB<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first thing you\u2019ll notice about the Gershman Acoustics Studio XdB loudspeakers isn\u2019t those dedicated, integral stands underneath. It\u2019s that big disc on top of the speakers. It looks like a big flat French macaron, perhaps licorice-flavored, and every time I got close I was tempted to take a bite. At first I thought it was some sort of upward-firing driver, but when you get close enough to poke and prod at it you\u2019ll find out it\u2019s a very solid disc. If you knock on the enclosure of the XdBs, you\u2019ll get sound. When you knock on the disc, however, you\u2019ll hear nothing but your knuckles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I asked Eli Gershman about this mysterious damping device, and here\u2019s his reply:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cA carefully engineered resonance control device is situated atop the XdB\u2019s speaker enclosure. This device serves a critical purpose, particularly due to the XdB\u2019s remarkable ability to reproduce incredibly low frequencies. While low frequencies are captivating and immersive, they can also trigger resonances that hinder clarity and precision in audio reproduction.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe resonance control device is strategically designed to counteract these potential issues. By bolting this substantial device onto the top of the speaker, we have managed to achieve a two-fold effect:<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n