Legacy Audio Xtreme XD Subwoofer Review

Upcoming “Super-system” review

I could go on at length regarding the magical pairing of the Kingsound King Tower omnidirectional speaker, but as it is discontinued, the description is of limited value. However, this week I took a road trip to Legacy Audio to pick up my Whisper DSW speakers, which had a Radical Speakerectomy; the wiring stripped and replaced with Clarity Cable’s 10 Ga internal wiring, Clarity Capacitors, and the hot new Air Motion drivers! I expected this speaker system to show off on the top end with the new drivers. What I did not expect was the sea change in bass!

The LF material was phenomenally colorful! One scarcely realizes how impoverished most audio system bass playback is until confronted by a super-performance system. It is astonishing how many “thuds” and one dimensional slams are actually well rounded, tuneful notes at a frequency beneath the capabilities of most speakers. These come out as pops or bursts, not proper notes. When one finally hears the richness, the intactness of the bass line there is an overwhelming sense of loss as the realization sets in that for all these years, so much has been bound by the limitations of the speaker system.

It reminds me of a true story of a laborer whose wife squirreled away lots of money such that when he retired they had millions! When they were well past prime she finally revealed their wealthy status. His reaction was priceless; he was angry that the best days of their life were past – what would they do with the money as invalids? Similarly, one almost feels as though something has been stolen from them when hearing how long they have inadvertently excised such a rousing element of the music. My reaction was a visceral, “Never again!”

Boundless

Rajaton, a Finnish a cappella ensemble which sings a wide variety of musical styles (the word rajaton means “boundless”), is captivating to hear since it strikes the ear like a “micro-choir” and there is far more interplay than a quartet, though there are only two more singers. Weighty bass with rich tonality is what I was treated to in “Butterfly” from Boundless, and “Under Pressure” from Rajaton Sings Queen. I have heard low end in my room from the likes of the Chapman Audio T-77, Raven Studio Ebb, Wharfdale Opus 2-3 towers with matching SW380 Subwoofers, Tannoy Glenair 15” Dual-concentric, Wilson Benesch Curve, and Von Schweikert VR-4 SR MkII. None of them render bass vocals, acoustic bass, or percussion with fecundity approaching the XTREME XD.

The XTREME XD is meritorious in its own right, a superb choice for a highly resolving, high power subwoofer in either a fine two channel system or an HT experience. I have no fear of recommending it, save for the tweaky positioning I prefer. Just as the Daedalus Ulysses and BOW combination brought forth a synergy superior to each speaker driver’s capacity, so also there is something yet more wonderful in store for those interested in the XTREME XD subwoofer. When it is paired with the new Whisper DSW “Clarity Edition,” the two become a Super-Speaker system, something precious in the world of high end audio! If you have a hankering for big-boy bass done up right, give Legacy a call to arrange to hear the XTREME XD at a local demonstration site. In addition, if you are considering a cost-no-object speaker system, hold on a bit longer until the proper description of the Whisper/XTREME XD combination is published. It will be worth the wait.