DVD-Audio: Ernest Ranglin - Order of Distinction
Ernest Ranglin is an incredible guitarist whose playing comes across as if he were about 30 years younger than he is. The man is amazing and AIX Records did a great job of capturing the clean performance of this album. The opening track featured a percussive banjo and a well-played melodica (kind of a cross between a harmonica and a piano) which just jumped nicely out of the mix. A natural jazz club reverb is what I would expect given the high definition video of the performance located on the non DVD-Audio disc contained in the digi-pack. This natural reverb was very well reproduced and I couldn’t believe the mid-bass coming out of the congas and through the Mod4 speakers. The next track featured a rimshot-fest of snare, kick and cymbals which drove behind a solid guitar lead that toyfully played with Monty Alexander's piano as they exchanged licks. This song was so full and yet I was able to crank it to sustained levels of over 88 db SPL in a live room without much fatigue.

This system seemed to redefine just what is possible with diminutive speakers. If you would have asked me before this review if the Orbs could possibly sound the way they do I would most certainly have met you with a healthy dose of skepticism.

"Lollipop" gave us our first taste of female vocals and I finally heard a bit more midrange. Alana Davis' performance was solid and pure and I could hear a slight bit of compression when we increased the volume still further to see how much we could get out of the system. There are limits to how much clean audio can be pushed from the Orbs, but the levels we attained before running into any breakup was laudable. The bass coming from the 10-inch subwoofer was nothing short of powerful and pounding and it was impressive how much actually originated from the little Orb speakers themselves.

DTS-DVD: Eagles - Hell Freezes Over
The extended intro to this version of Hotel California was room-filling. The crowds filled the surrounds along with percussion while the guitars coursed through the mains in a slow crescendo. Henley's vocals pumped out of the center channel and backing vocals filled in from all around during the chorus. The room was so live and authentic-sounding during this track that I was having a hard time determining if I was in a great room or the Mod4s were just that good. Another favorite of mine (again, a Henley tune) is "New York Minute." The reverberant keys which open the track carried it into the room with an eerie smoothness. The kick and bass were locked tight and the Uber Ten allowed the low frequency to literally roll out without letting on where the Orbs stopped and the sub started. The toms, which intro the chorus, resounded through the room from floor to ceiling, producing a nice tactile cascade which I felt in my seat. The string-like keys continued and, as the final verse opened up, Henley's voice had a generous amount of texture and grit, letting me know the Orbs could handle finesse during periods of high volume output.

DVD-Audio: The Beatles - Love
I pulled up The Beatles Love DVD-Audio disc and basked in the wash of vocals and reverberant decay of "Because." When my eyes were closed it sounded remarkably like I was sitting in a much larger venue with a real stage performance. Not only were the vocals solid and strong, the background effects (birds, etc) poked through cleanly, despite the excessive volume. "Eleanor Rigby," one of my favorite tunes (and way too short for my taste) sounded beautiful, with vocals which were forward and which had presence. The textured violin was such that, when you sat back, it retained all the movement and fingering sounds perfectly. Not only did the surrounds perform with gusto, but the Mod4 front and center channels all but threw sound into the room for me to enjoy, creating a large, live environment that I was reluctant to ever leave. "Something" had a flowing bass line that really showed that the 10-inch Uber Ten sub could hold its own. The laid back drums contributed with a crisp rhythm which raised its head and peeked into the mix easily. The break was powerful and I again wondered at how these tiny speakers could pump so much volume into the listening room. Track 12 "Blackbird/Yesterday" gave me a breather as I focused on the acoustic guitar and solitary lyric. The midrange issue I had earlier with Alana David didn't seem as easy to pick out with McCartney's voice. I didn't complain.

DVD-Audio: Seal IV
"Love's Divine" is a song I queue up regularly to hear dynamics. From the almost earthquake-like intro to subtle piano and Seal's vocal, this track ebbs and flows in a gradual, rolling pattern. It also brings forth some gentle, but strong subsonic frequencies. When the first hit, just before the chorus, I smiled as I felt and heard the Uber Ten pick it up and throw it into the room like it was nothing. This subwoofer really puts those popular "bass modules," which come with many box systems, to shame - even if it does it with humility while looking like a really inexpensive box sub. "Let Me Roll" always reminds me of a cheesy dance track until it kicks in and, well, starts to roll. Then it really pumps out some nice vocals, backgrounds, and a groove that will shake your feet if you have them meeting the surface of the floor. If that's not enough, a few select sub sweeps will send lesser subs looking for their mommies. Orb Audio's 10-inch wonder fared very well, again surprising me, though by now I should have known better!

Conclusions

My impressions of the Orb Audio Mod4 system can be summed up in three words: Loud, Tactile, and Loud. Did I mention the system can play loud? The Mod4's are more than a match for medium to larger-sized rooms and we were very pleased with the definition, soundstage and imaging of the speakers. While setup was a bit difficult given that Orb Audio obviously ships these beauties intended them to be mostly wall-mounted, nothing was so difficult that we found ourselves cursing the ocean liner that brought in the materials. Though we didn't detail our movie experiences, both music and feature films sounded fantastic on this system. Given that the room we listened in wasn't treated acoustically, it's a safe bet that the Mod4 system is fairly room-agnostic and will sound good in a whole host of differing environments. If you're looking to spend "cube speaker" prices but actually want a system that can play down low and make you feel the bass, the Mod4 system is for you.

Orb Audio Mod4 Speaker System & Uber Ten Sub
MSRP $2778

Orb Audio LLC
520 East 88th Street
New York, NY 10128
(877) 672-2834
support@orbaudio.com

About Orb Audio
Orb Audio is committed to being different. From the beginning in 2002, it has been our intention to deliver speaker systems with the finest quality components, an attractive, upscale design and an affordable price. The only way to accomplish all of this was to be different from the other players in the industry, make our speakers in the United States, and to sell them to our clients directly to avoid substantial (and totally unnecessary) markups. Our satellites are manufactured in the United States by craftspeople with years of experience in electronics assembly. We do not have to take mass market considerations into our design, so we can design our speakers for one thing -- performance.