The Philharmonic True Mini Monitors play huge & sound amazing. Very high end. At $380 a pair a steal
Just because they are small doesn’t mean they can’t sound huge. They do and then some. Outstanding sonics, build quality and fir & finish. At $380.00 a pair for black or blue gloss finishes they are a total steal.
For more info visit: https://philharmonicaudio.com/products/true-mini
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Current audio equipment list:
Amplifiers:
• Cambridge AXR-100 Receiver: https://amzn.to/3MFZuVN
• Cambridge EVO150: https://amzn.to/3UTJowI
• Black Ice Audio F22 KT88 Integrated Tube Amp: https://blackiceaudio.com/integrated-amplifers-1/p/black-ice-fusion-f22v2-tubeintegrated
DACs:
• LAIV Harmony R2R DAC: https://www.laiv.audio/harmony-dac
• Geshelli Labs J2S Socketed AKM4499 DAC: https://geshelli.com/product/jnog2-socketed-j2s/
• S.M.S.L SU-1 AK4493S Hi-Res DAC: https://amzn.to/3XGp5UK
• FiiO K9 Desktop Headphone Amp/DAC – AKM Edition: https://amzn.to/3ZeGTYp
• HIFIMAN EF400 Desktop R2R DAC W/Balanced Headphone Amplifier: https://amzn.to/4giWWdD
• Douk Audio DAC-Q11: https://amzn.to/4gnjzxt
Speakers:
• Wharfedale Diamond 12.4 Speakers: https://amzn.to/3WberDp
• Elac Debut Reference 62 (DBR62) speakers: https://amzn.to/3VyQzcu
• Neil Blanchard Designs MLTL-6 Stand mount speaker: https://www.nbdesigns.work
Streamers:
• My main streaming source is a small format PC: https://amzn.to/3yhCoAI
• Cambridge MXN10: https://amzn.to/3XEWkb1
• FiiO S15 Streamer DAC: https://www.fiio.com/s15
• Alpha Audio, Alpha One Streamer DAC: https://www.alphaaudiocanada.com/#programs
Analog:
• Fluance RT-84 turntable: https://amzn.to/4aMuZrt.
• Audio Technica AT540ML MM Cart: https://amzn.to/4diAyzy
• Audio Technica AT-OC9XEN MC Cart: https://amzn.to/3C0PCna
• Cambridge Audio Alva Duo Phono Preamp: https://amzn.to/3XG1nbj
Accessories:
• iFi AC iPurifier: https://amzn.to/3UWb4ko
• All line level cables are from World’s Best Cable. I primarily use Mogami 2964 Wire and Amphenol ACPL connectors: https://amzn.to/3JWCDE9
My desktop gear:
• FiiO K11 R2R DAC/Headphone Amp: https://amzn.to/3YmlMTy
• Ayima A07 amp: https://amzn.to/3V969LQ
Headphones:
• Sennheiser Mass-Drop HD6XX headphones: https://amzn.to/3wVNvz7
• FiiO FT-1 Closed-Back Over-Ear Wired Hi-Fi Headphones: https://amzn.to/3B2gvqC
• FiiO FT-5 Planar Magnetic Over-Ear Wired Hi-Fi Headphones: https://amzn.to/4e6zG09
• HIFIMAN Sundara Planar Magnetic Over-Ear Wired Hi-Fi Headphones: https://amzn.to/4hsaBzx
• HIFIMAN Sundara Closed-Back Over-Ear Planar Magnetic Wired Hi-Fi Headphones: https://amzn.to/4f788ZT
• HIFIMAN Deva-Pro Over-Ear Full-Size Open-Back Planar Magnetic Headphone with Bluetooth Dongle/Receiver, Himalaya R2R Architecture DAC: https://amzn.to/3C2Vtsu
Email: questions4oldguyhifi@gmail.com
Tidal Playlists:
• Old Guy Hifi Test Tracks Vol. 1: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/504b4da9-38d5-4f3b-83ea-6d3e73fb90bf
• Old Guy Hifi Test Tracks Vol. 2: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/3cf20a05-c649-474d-aa32-72c710212b59
• My Classical playlist: https://tidal.com/browse/playlist/8e588a95-7664-4f5a-97c1-70270655e40c
Spotify:
• Classical Weekend: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/648pMGies9cVEsUqEWEiNE?si=64a61b584d9b43c3
Qobuz playlist:
• “Audiophile Electronica”: https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/20718243
• “Vivaldi”: https://open.qobuz.com/playlist/15233981
#Philharmonic #True #Mini #Monitors #play #huge #sound #amazing #high #pair #steal
Originally posted by UCnXGgtaGLaY-xsKYgndyuAQ at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ae5fc4w3RLI
Just because they are small doesn't mean they can't sound huge. They do and then some. Outstanding sonics, build quality and fir & finish. At $380.00 a pair for black or blue gloss finishes they are a total steal. Philharmonic mentioned that they are taking orders for Feb deliveries on the standard colors. For more info visit: https://philharmonicaudio.com/products/true-mini. If you wish to join the channel and become a member please click here: https://www.youtube.com/@OldGuyHifi/membership
A small technical clarification. 3dB drop is technically half power but for the average human to perceive half loudness, you need approximately 10 dB drop. half voltage or half pressure (SPL) is 6 dB drop. To summarize, -3 dB is half power, -6 dB is half voltage/pressure and -10 dB is half perceived loudness.
Dennis Murphy was key in the design of my Salk SC Songtowers crossovers. Amazing speakers! So I'm not surprised you're impressed with these mini monitors.
Another great video, Ed. You mentioned a number of videos ago that you were interested in tracks people used to test their headphones, speakers, and stereo systems.
A couple of years ago, I created a playlist on my TorontoJon YouTube channel titled "JON'S TEST MUSIC FOR HEADPHONES AND SPEAKERS" which includes tracks like:
– 'The End' by The Doors which has great stereo separation, warm bass presence, Jim Morrison's vocals, cool instrumentations, excellent drum work, etc.
– 'Can't Help Falling In Love' sung by Elvis for his amazing full, warm, dead-centre vocals and backup singers, excellent instrumentation, etc. It sounds like he's right there singing in one's living room or media room.
– 'Crazy' by Gnarls Barkley for his vocal work, a nice punchy beat, etc. and his official video that uses Rorschach test imagery (symmetrical ink blot patterns) is sheer genius and still holds up well today.
– 'Spirit in the Sky' by Norman Greenbaum for his grinding electric guitar work, great vocals and backup singers, foot-tapping beat, and psychedelic instrumentations. It's a classic.
– 'The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald' by Gordon Lightfoot for its musical purity, Gord's haunting voice, the guitar work, etc. and the rest of his album 'Summertime Dream' is listed on the 2018 TAS Super List (TAS stands for The Absolute Sound magazine) for its outstanding natural sound quality.
– 'Unforgettable' by Nat King Cole for his voice-luck-butter performance and the recording is so great that he sounds like he's performing in one's living room or media room. One can almost feel his presence. It's terrific.
– 'Hallelujah' and 'First We Take Manhattan' by Leonard Cohen for his amazing vocal resonance and full-sounding instrumentations or synth accompaniment.
– 'Blue Velvet' as sung by Lana Del Rey for her full sultry voice. The overall sound of this track is very rich and full.
– 'Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M.' by Simon & Garfunkel for its perfect stereo separation with Art Garfunkel in the left speaker and Paul Simon in the right speaker. It's great for focusing on Paul Simon's guitar work and the sound is pure, crisp, and clean, but warm and not clinical. 'Sound of Silence' and 'Scarborough Fair/Canticle' are also excellent test tracks.
– 'The Wizard' by Uriah Heep is excellent for its vocals, guitar work, and music that builds.
– 'Ice Dance', a track from Tim Burton's 'Edward Scissorhands' composed by Danny Elfman which is an excellent orchestral track with subtle, vulnerable-sounding instrumentation indicative of snow falling and the choral singers add a very ethereal touch.
– 'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan' main title composed by James Horner for a very dazzling, rich, and full orchestral performance.
There are many more tracks I use by various artists, bands, composers, etc. across different genres. 🙂
Just play them,, to much talk talk.
I suspect that Philharmonic Audio's Ceramic Mini Monitor @ $850. offers the best bang for the buck. Hopefully, at some point you can do a review.
I just knew the 'Sax' part would 'Get Ya' ! ! …. Glad U Liked the Album …. ATB …. ????
As of 2 days after the release date of this video 01/11/2025 they are out of stock for Blue, Black and Walnut. Where are these thing made?
Those speakers are so pretty! I would have to drive them with my Marantz 2220b because I cosmetically restored it and used cool blue LEDS. They would match perfectly! "Rhapsody in Blue".
https://youtu.be/QWRMjuULI64?si=W8FPuz7FLYanjC6G
Another excellent video , how do they compare to the Wharfdale Diamond 225 you reviewed a way back ?
Thanks Ed, I pre-ordered a pair based on your recommendation. The Blue finish wasn't available as of an hour or so ago. They had Black & Satin Walnut available for pre-order.
P.S. The Fiio S15 arrived yesterday. I first tried ordering it from Amazon. It was out of stock, and they said they would email a shipping date once available. After two weeks of waiting with no shipping info, I cancelled & went with Aliexpress. Shipping was 10 days and arrived in 9.
Reminds me of the Bowers and Wilkins DM 100s back in the 80s. Great little speaker.
I’ve added many of your songs to my playlist! It’s all about the music!
Could. You make a list of amp qualities? What amps are considered bright which ones are warm?
I have mine wall mounted, and with a bit of EQ, they sound really great even on the wall. In my bedroom system. They have enough bass (for a bedroom!) to produce pleasing double bass and even electronic music at lower levels.
A 1 db change is the smallest change the human ear can detect 50% of the time.
A 1.5 db change is the smallest change the human ear can detect 100% of the time.
A 3 db change is a small but definite change the human ear can easily distinguish and it is double the electrical power NOT double the volume.
A 10 db change is what the human ear perceives as double or 100% increase in SPL.
Can these be paired with a sub without the need for high pass filter? I don’t have bass management in my amp or a crossover circuit in my sub so need speakers that don’t have a bump on their low end. Tangent: Can you recommend a pair of stand alone high level high pass filters? I had a pair screwed on backs of my speakers about forty years ago. Unfortunately I didn’t retrieve them when I got rid of the speakers.
And as always enjoyed the music suggestions????
The SB Acoustic drivers are extremely good value. Very low distortion. Better than boutique drivers costing much more.
Nice review. My wife and I listened to Philharmonic speakers at Capital Audio Fest in Rockville, MD and we thought they were great.
As a desk speaker / With fiio k9 < You need separate Amp n use k9 as dac n can go optical to tower pc
N use k9 for headphone's too ???
So then back of k9 to speaker's or from amp. ???Would like to see your desktop setup! [ Like topping amp or fosi / little dot ] ??? There
Sold out too on link.
For the price, build and pedigree…it's a bargain.
Dennis should have a logo designed for his speakers, say even his signature in a gold on black plastic plate. His speakers will be enjoyed and his brand remembered long after he's gone and perhaps even when we are.
Thanks for the review Ed. Heading towards 15k subs already. Excellent work. Thanks for the content.
Good things come in small packages, ask me how I know.
$400 for a speaker that measures that flat, nice! I’d love to side by side these with a pair of css torri kit speakers since they’re about the same price (less the labor of course) thanks Ed!!!
Have you tried the NHT SuperZero 2.1 speakers? $250 for a pair on Amazon, just nutty good! Especially with the 3e A7 amplifier.
I would love it if you would do some videos about music. Maybe one video of a genre, then another on another genre. I would guess that you could do hours total of that. I also like the history of the music even if I know the artist.
…..and all three finishes are sold out on Philharmonics' site. So sooomebody likes 'em!!
Small with a big sound, that reminds me of my Videoton MiniMax II speakers, popular in the UK the late 70s, early 80s. At HiFi shows they'd demo them on top of ginormous speakers, switch between them & ask the audience which were playing? It was difficult to tell. Just right for my 8ft x 10ft bedroom. I believe they were made in Hungary & cost 40 pounds sterling per pair. I gave them away when I left the UK. Great fun. Cheers!
I wonder whether you are familiar with the German Heco speakers (they've been around since 1949). I've bought their smallest bookshelves from the Aurora line (RRP 400 bucks, been on black friday sale for 190, which is around 54 percent discount!). They have a 28mm soft dome tweeter and a 5 inch paper woofer (Heco is known for excellent paper cones). The amazing thing is that, besides being very engaging, their crossover frequency is 3400 Hz (!), which makes them sound dark while retaining all the details. Pure magic.
Excellent review of what seem to be excellent speakers! They are using SB Acoustics drivers – so great performance from these; and in solid cabinets with a serious crossover – you get a lot of value, for sure.
Hi Ed. Would you conaider reviewing ATC speakers? Specifically wondering how the ATC SCM 7 would perform in comparison to this speaker. I am in the market for a desktop setup. Thank you for the great content. Vince
These are now in the running with the new elacs for a kitchen system. Was hoping you could compare them, but couldn't remember if you'd auditioned them yet.
3db is not double volume Its more like 10db….. Although 3db require double the power. Best regards
I’d like to reiterate my thanks for recording recommendations. I find them useful even when the gear reviewed is not of interest to me.