A Lithuanian Beauty Intro One fun thing about a hobby is to discover new things.
Hailing from Vilnus in Lithuania, AudioSolutions is a brand that I have never come across before.
As a speaker manufacturer, it is a young company but only in years. My first encounter with the Figaro M was around December 2019 in Singapore. Silbatone SEA dealer, Music Image, was tempting me with the new Silbatone JL-107. It was paired with the Figaro M and I was smitten.
So here I am, with both the Silbatone JL-107 and Figaro M in my living room. Note: be careful when visiting Music Image (Singapore), you will be hooked. The Figaro M is a 3 way speaker with 2.5cm silk dome tweeter, a single 15.2cm ER (extra rigid) paper cone mid and two 18.3cm ER paper cone bass drivers.
The Figaro series is finished in a speckled dark grey finish with hints of silver speckle. It has an organic finish that almost feels like 1,200 grit sandpaper. Since too many speakers come in plain colours or wood veneer finish, the Figaro M was ordered in what I call a ‘dirty orange’.
This is one of their premium finish and it carries a 10% premium for it. See … it is a premium finish. In total there are 17 custom side-panel colors to choose from.
The speakers are an elongated hexagon design. Only the front baffle is parallel with the back of the speaker. This eliminates standing waves from building within the box. For footers, AudioSolutions went with 4 pucks per side. No spikes. There is a slight circular recess at the base of the speaker, it’s a nice touch even though it cannot be seen, but it does make me wonder if I can fit after-market footers such as the Isoacoustic Gaia.
The Figaro M comes with their “stealth” grille. You get 2 sets of grilles, one that merges perfectly with the front baffle and allows you to see all the drivers and another that is a traditional cloth grille. Specifications: http://www.audiosolutions.lt/products/figaro/figaro-m First impression When I unboxed the Figaro Ms, you will realise how large it is.
The speakers measure 18” deep. Build quality is immaculate. I dare say that it is faultless. AudioSolutions prides itself in manufacturing speakers that have rock solid joints whist it has the box-within-a-box design. I spoke with Mr Gediminas Gaidelis, founder and owner of AudioSolutions. Initially, he wanted to outsource the cabinet manufacturing but was informed by third parties that the design was complicated, and they turned him down.
Gediminas then realised that if it’s that complicated then it must be something good! So, all of the boxes are manufactured in-house.
Because of the box-within-a-box design, each speaker weighs in at 41 kgs. It is heavy for speakers in this class. Removing them from the box on my own was a real chore. But once they are all set up, it is a beautiful speaker to behold. In use The set up was simple. Speakers are 2 meters apart, about 1.25 meters from the front wall and 1 meter from the side walls.
Starting out both speakers were placed with no toe in. After a week or so, it was set up with about 10 degrees toe in.
That seems to be a nice compromise for a wide sound stage and good focus. How it sounds First thing I noticed is that the Figaro M is a well-balanced speaker. All 3 parts blend seamlessly. Highs are precise but never analytical. You have good treble extension, but it is not overly sweet like what you experience with ceramic or diamond tweeters. Midrange from the Figaro M is something to behold. Harbeth … move over, there’s a challenger in town now! Midrange is nicely detailed and dense.
When I say dense, I do not mean its forward. Not at all. Bass has very good authority and is full bodied yet retaining some warmth due to the paper cone. The Figaro M’s bass gives you a big sense of scale, as if there is a sub-woofer incorporated into your system. Now, we are talking scale and not hard-hitting pumping bass you get from 15” 1,000w subs. When pushed, the bass is visceral, you do feel it in your chest. Soundstage and imaging is delightful.
The Figaro M casts a pretty wide and deep soundstage. It was easy to pinpoint vocalists and instruments. With true DSD256 files … my oh my … All the above may sound like a mere personal opinion only but let’s break it down. Vocals It has an organic quality with smooth edges, thus it is not laser etched-like and fatiguing.
Best of all the vocals have good presence. Not once did the vocals feel like it’s in your face but rather the artiste is just in front of you. However, the Figaro M is also forgiving on slightly less-than-great recordings but not because it lacks detail like what you will experience with many forgiving speakers. One of my favourite tracks is ‘Another Hit’ by Dave’s True Story. With lesser speakers Kelly Flint’s voice can sound harsh at times.
This was not so on the Figaro M. Somehow, it just smoothens out her voice and makes it sound more palpable. Stringed instruments Not only do you hear a rich yet sensuous tone from violins but you are able to enjoy from the dark and sonorous in the low register to the lustrous and metallic sound that is found in the upper register.
With cellos, on certain tracks you definitely will hear the bite of the well resin-ed bow on the strings. One track that you need to listen to as you audition the Figaro M is Nima Ben David’s ‘Prelude in D Minor WKO 205’ (Karl Friederich Abel).
Brass instruments What does the Figaro bring to the table with brass instruments? Metallic resonance.
That is what I would say. On saxophones, when blown hard, you hear the reverberation of the bell. Then with jazz saxophonists who takes it down, you get that wispy and raspy sound as the reed is not vibrating that fast. Spin or stream Jeremy Monteiro’s ‘My Foolish Heart’ from the Blues For The Saxophone Club album and you will know what I mean. Chris Botti’s trumpet on his ‘Live In Boston’ album exudes a silky smoothness that is expansive.
Then you gotta love Sting’s thin yet coarse vocals as it gives a contrast to the trumpet. Percussion Let’s begin with drum kits.
The tension of the drum skin become very apparent. Be it the loose sound that you get with old jazz drum kit or be it the taut set up you have with drummers like Dave Weckl or Harvey Mason, they are apparent. Listen for the beater against the kick drum or the attack and decay of a timpani.
Bongos and congas have a fast attack with the ringing overtones as it decays. Wood blocks? It’s very organic, sorry for the cliché. Okay … best to just stop here. Describing hifi components is very much an ‘art’ in writing. Some cynical enthusiasts call it hype so nothing beats listening to the product for your own assessment. For - well balanced presentation - glorious midrange - good bass delivery and control - build quality Against - unable to bi or tri wire Wrapping Up Whilst being able to convey all the subtle details in a refined and delicate manner the Figaro M draws you deeper into the music. It will most probably reveal subtle nuance in music that you might have not noticed, never leaving any ambiguity.
This pair of speakers really impressed me, hence, I purchased them over a month ago. On this note, you have to listen to Roger Waters’ ‘Too Much Rope’. The Figaro M will let you hear what you been missing out on. AudioSolutions is distributed by A & L Audio Station Sdn Bhd who are located at the 1st floor of AMCORP Mall, PJ.
The Figaro M’s are arriving soon and they will be retailing at RM38,900. Do pop over to A&L’s new showroom and have a go at the Figaro’s. In Singapore the distributor is Music Image Pte Ltd, who are located at The Adelphi, 1 Coleman Street.
Test equipment Integrated amp: Silbatone JL-107 and Audia Flight FLS10
Source: DSD and Tidal Master Player:
Custom music server DAC/Streamer: Mytek Brooklyn Bridge and Chord Hugo TT2
Speakers: Harbeth P3ESR and KEF R300
Power: Novaris PP Surge Filter
Τιμες και πληροφοριες εδω
https://www.chameleonracks.gr/Audio%20Solutions%20speakers/Audio-Solutions-Figaro-M-en