“…stunned me”
The sound in the PranaFidelity room kept me planted on my chair long beyond the maximum amount of time I’d promised myself I’d spend in any one room at LAAS. The new Bhava speaker ($4950/pair) was designed for what company founder Steven Norber described as “responsible stereo.” According to Norber, the Bhava has a largely flat 8-ohm impedance and 89.5dB sensitivity, so practically any amp rated for at least 20W can drive it easily. Norber said he paid special attention to getting the bass loading just right and using angled rear panels to minimize standing waves. The Bhava’s reproduction of a duet between singer Patricia Barber and masterful jazz bassist Marc Johnson stunned me. The dual 6″ woofers captured the powerful fullness of Johnson’s deepest notes without a hint of distortion, and the 1.2″ soft-dome tweeter smoothly reproduced the subtle percussive clicks in Johnson’s playing as well as the detail and intimacy of Barber’s vocals.