GAMUT Phi3 MKII
Stand mount monitors
The Phi3 MKII is an improved version of the loudspeaker that, in November 2011 issue of HiFi & Musik magazine, downed Dali, Sonus Faber, Aurum Cantus, Elac, Canton and KEF competitors. Three years have passed since then, the GamuT ownership has changed, and the company started to rennovate its 'low cost' range of speakers. The MKII is the result.
Function and form
The cabinets are made from a plywood sandwich that is bent into a U shape. The front, rear and bottom baffles are MDF ones. The U shape is decorated by an aluminum groove along its length - this makes the design less boxy for the eye and it also helps to break up resonance modes of the cabinets.
All the drivers are sourced from Scandinavian ScanSpeak. There is custom-adjusted Revelator tweeter (the same we reviewed at the GamuT M´inent M5 floorstanding model), and 10cm midrange driver with a paper cone that is reinforced by cellulose fibers and saturated with special oil which should - according to GamuT - help fight colourations. The bassreflex port fires backwards.
Bass management
Though everyone knows that the laws of physics are unbendable, the rather miniature Phi3 MKII actually bend them. They are outstanding bass performers - the sheer weight of the bass cannot compete with floorstanding speakers but I guarantee that you will not miss it. On top of that the bass is very natural, without the tendency of overhanging, pushing too much or becoming boomy. In result the GamuTs have what I would call 'bass fidelity' – I would prefer these small monitors for serious studio work to, for example, KEF LS-50, that are designed to be studio monitors, unlike the Phi3 MKII.
Clarity & delicacy
I could detect that the Phi3 MKII were audibly tilted up in high frequencies, my guess is 2-3dB. This spark could be annoying in longer listening sessions unless you have such an excellent tweeter like the silk domed ScanSpeak's Revelator is. With the Revelator the tilt of the Phi3 results into more detail, better ambient clues, and transparency. If you sit futhetr away from the speakers then a part of highs will be absorbed by usual furnishings, if you sit close than it may be good idea to use textile grilles if the GamuT becomes too analytic for your taste.
Tonal accuracy
I really recommend to give a listen to these small boxes - they can unleashe a kind of audiophile hell in the room. When playing loud, the Hammond organ's sound was saturated with vivid colours, its tremolo was very tangible and liquid in the analog way. The transparency of the Phi3 across the whole audio band was not diminished by even higher loudness levels - the bass kept delivering solid fundament, the mids were natural and the highs crystalline and pure. A drumstick on a cymbal is the real thing, not just undefined sizzle of glass chips or plastic bags. This is an excellent performance.
Spatial resolution
The Phi3 MKII were beautifully following the movements of saxophone, as the microphone recorded them. Not only was I able to track lateral movements, but also the ones in the vertical plane. Amazing. There is a hook, however. To make the GamuTs conjure images like that they need a lot of space around. This is essential. Forget about book shelf or corner placement. Place them far away from room boundaries and you'll be surprised how much you can get.
Recommended resellers
Iryson, Kvetoslavov, tel. +421 903 418 345
Manufacturer's website: http://www.gamutaudio.com
Associated components
- Sources: GamuT CD3 a páskový magnetofon Tascam BR-20T,
- Amplifiers: GamuT Di150
- Interconnects and speaker cables: GamuT The Wormhole
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