A7S-450 Listening Tests

Blu-ray: The Mummy – The Tomb of the Dragon Emperor
To work out this big boy with some LFE, I turned to this special effects laden recent addition to the Mummy franchise. Opinions of the film itself aside, it does have what it takes to fit the bill of blockbuster popcorn fare that will put the low end of a sound system to the test. The most extreme sound effects proved to be no issue for the A7S-450. And angry Yeti are cool.

The A7S-450 performed well throughout the film. Intense sound effects were given plenty of support and the A7S-450 never showed any signs of giving out at very respectable volume levels. On the flip side of the mayhem, the A7S-450 was appropriately delicate and articulate with subtle deep sound effects and with the orchestral score. When asked to provide both of these extremes simultaneously, the sub did a fine job of blasting out explosions, collapses, and battle without losing the composure to render the delicate bits with finesse.

Right from the start, the Universal intro is delivered with solid, deep rumble segueing into the back story of ancient battles that were presented with solidity and sustained depth through the A7S-450. The musical score was rendered with an articulate bottom end and clean percussion. Thousands of years later, as the tomb is opened, dynamite and the crashing of traps were potent through the sub, while the low rumble of accidentally activated mechanisms working in the background came though quietly but distinctly. Percussion and the bottom of the score were again rendered with articulation and good timbral character by the A7S-450. I found the Chinese New Year fireworks were taut and realistic through the A7S-450 while the big band double bass at Imhotep’s was rendered delicate and light. The awakening showed off the A7S-450’s subtle side again, supporting ominous orchestral depth and the quite but distinct deep percussion while rendering hall ambience. The tactile throb of airplane engines over the Himalayas was developed enough by the A7S-450 to support the illusion of being on the plane, avalanches and cave collapses were most impressive, and the wing flaps of the two headed dragon all but gusted air around the room. As the final battle gears up, collapsing tombs, marching terra cotta armies, the sounds of battle, and raging of beasts get solid rumble and thump from the A7S-450. The score, with trombone petal tones and surging low brass, came through cleanly behind the demanding sound effects. All of this leading to the final confrontation with the mummy in a hidden chamber within the Great Wall where ancient mechanisms came through with a low, deep rumble. The closing score cycles through multiple sections showing off the subs prowess with musical content with resonant string passages, surging low brass, and percussion all of which came through with subtle bass detail and depth fully intact

CD: Mick Karn: The Tooth Mother
Fretless bass and clarinet player Mick Karn, like former Japan band mates David Sylvian and Richard Barbiari, embarked on a solo career trajectory based on creativity and experiment well outside mainstream musical tastes after the dissolution of the aforementioned Japan. With his unmistakably distinct playing style and virtuoso technique on the bass guitar and his skills with various woodwind instruments, Mick fuses experimental rock, funk, and jazz into a Middle Eastern idiom that defies easy categorization on The Tooth Mother. Supported by a wide range of musicians, including the likes of guitarist David Torn and former band mate Richard Barbiari who, along with drummer Gavin Harrison and guitarist Steve Wilson, would ultimately form three quarters of Porcupine Tree, the album is quite simply unique.

Karn’s bass sound can be best described as fat but agile; it is a very full sound that is simultaneously nuanced and articulate, and the eD A7S-450 did a fine job rendering these qualities in the performance. Arrangements full of bass guitar chords, elaborate percussion, low woodwinds, and low synthesizers provide a lot of sonic complexity for a sub to work through, and throughout, the A7S-450 remained relaxed sounding and detailed at volume. Song after demanding song, the sub had enough punch and substance to fully flesh out Mick’s meaty bass guitar sound. It was quick and delicate enough to render all of the musical subtleties dynamically without bowling over them. I found that the eD A7S-450 kept all of the sonic layers In the low frequency range cleanly separated, and it did this with seamless voicing integration to the mains.

From the opening of the album with Thundergirl Mutation, Karn’s bass playing was solid and immediate through the A7S-450 without sacrificing musical nuance or getting bogged down in all of the layers. Opening with bass clarinet with well realized timbre, Plaster the Magic Tongue was rendered with a resonant bottom end, rich in quality and detail by the A7S-450. Bass guitar gymnastics were sonically seamless as Karn jumped from low to high register with all of the details of the performance captured. The A7S-450 did an excellent job keeping the layered bass arrangement during Lodge of Skins separated. Percussion was tight while the layered bass guitar, low winds, and synthesizers were all clearly discernable through the lushness. Ethnic percussion featured in Gossip’s Cup and Feta Funk came through the A7S-450 with depth, punch, and realistic timbre. The bass playing benefited from the sub’s ability to keep up with transients and dynamics while keeping the unique fullness inherent to Karn’s sound, cleanly rendering layers of bass guitar chords, low winds, synthesizers, and percussion. The A7S-450 again did a fine job with the timbre and transients of ethnic percussion during The Tooth Mother. Bass guitar was seamless through the crossover point as Karn moved up and down the finger board with no hint of voicing change between the mains and the sub. Towards the middle, deep electronic bass transients pop in and out of the arrangement, which the A7S-450 did a fine job in portraying. Bass guitar and drum parts during Little, Less Hope were tight and clean through the A7S-450, which had no trouble developing a resonant bottom end that rumbled the room. The album closes with There Was Not Anything But Nothing, which brings the winds to the forefront over the bass guitar playing. With a rich arrangement and a chord structure that shifts through harmonic changes, the A7S-450 kept everything going on at the bottom distinct. Bass clarinet had a realistic timbral character and remained distinct from tenor saxophone, synthesized bass, and bass guitar as chord structures were then piece by piece constructed on top.