TEST / AUDIOSOLUTIONS FIGARO S2 / There is a saying that you can't get far on looks alone. There's probably a lot of truth in it. But on the other hand - does good looks exclude the coexistence of other advantages? I wondered about this before listening to the really great-looking speakers from Lithuania. Their visual design is impressive, but what about the sound? Here's a review of the AudioSolutions Figaro S2.

When I first saw the photos of the new version of the AudioSolutions Figaro speakers, I smiled. Why? Because I like audio components with unusual shapes and colors, there is something cheerful, unpretentious about them, different from the ubiquitous black, gray, silver and white. And I guess I'm not the only one who likes them.

From the conversations I have with salespeople in audio stores or with representatives of distributors, it is clear what an increasing number of customers expect. Of course, good sound, but not only that. For several years, it has been clear that an increasingly important aspect when choosing audio equipment is its appearance, how it was designed and made, whether it attracts the eye, whether it is visually attractive.

One of the sellers pointed out speakers from a similar price range: one pair looked like large vintage monitors with big bass drivers enclosed in simple, veneered wooden boxes, and the other were narrow, multi-speaker columns painted with a beautiful, semi-matt varnish, standing on silver bases. " The first ones are asked about several times fewer times by people, although they sound just as good, if not better. It's hard to sell such things today, " said Piotr.

Gediminas Gaidelis, the founder and owner of the Lithuanian company AudioSolutions , operating on the market since 2011, probably knows this very well  . For some time now, the designer from Vilnius has been showing loudspeakers not only with interesting shapes and engaging sound, but also is not afraid of bold colors and offers customers cheerful, unconventional colors of his products. Such are the loudspeakers from the new Figaro 2 series - this is the second line from the bottom after Overture, above it are Virtuoso and the top Vantage. The series consists of seven models (four floor-standing, two monitors and a central column). The smallest floor-standing AudioSolutions Figaro S2 in green arrived for listening.

AudioSolutions Figaro S2 – test. Speakers during the test (photo: wstereo.pl)

AudioSolutions Figaro S2 – review. Construction

As we know, many things can charm us in photos, but sometimes life verifies what we see in advertising brochures. How was it in the case of AudioSolutions Figaro S2? It turned out that in real life these speakers look just as attractive as in photos. In addition, in brochures their colors may seem garish, but in reality they are more subdued (I have also seen other color versions up close). What's more - their color may vary depending on the lighting or time of day, because the paint used to paint them opalesces and changes shades. Only the top and rear walls are in a different color, which are painted dark gray, almost black.

The smallest floor tiles from the Figaro series look great in various colours. And you can order as many as seven of them. The two basic ones are black and white, there is also a subdued grey. In addition, there are four "cheerful" colours: green, blue, coffee (brown) and chestnut red (copper). It is difficult to define them unequivocally. The varnishes are matt, but they have a characteristic feature of changing the shade.

AudioSolutions Figaro S2 – test. The colors are really impressive (photo: AudioSolutions)

If we're on the subject of aesthetics, regardless of color, speakers also have permanent decorative elements. On the sides, from the very top to the bottom, there are stripes in the color of... Exactly? Gold? Light copper? It also depends a bit on the type of light. Elements made of a similar material are also on the front panel. One connects the bottom of the midrange speaker with the tweeter. The second under the bass driver and the third is located at the bottom of the front, with the brand logo on it.

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AudioSolutions Figaro S2 floorstanding speakers that are somewhere between small and medium-sized. At least in terms of height, because they are less than a meter tall. However, they are quite deep - 40 cm. From the front, they seem quite delicate, but if you look at them from the side, they start to inspire respect. And it is even more so when you try to move them or take them out of the box, because they are really heavy, each weighing 31 kilograms.

The speakers are placed on specially prepared bases, which are screwed into the bottom wall – we receive them in a set together with large, solid spikes. And what is important, the set also includes spike pads, which is not at all obvious. Many companies provide spikes, but without the securing "plates". The speakers stand solidly, can be easily leveled, and the spikes add to the presentation.

AudioSolutions Figaro S2 – test. Shades change depending on lighting (photo: wstereo.pl)

Let's move on to how the housing is made, because it's one of the patents of the Lithuanian manufacturer. As for the shape, the speakers have asymmetrical side walls that converge slightly towards the back, which is supposed to prevent resonances and the formation of standing waves. But we should pay attention to something else, which is not visible.

It's about a double casing, which the company calls Cabinet-In-a-Cabinet in this series. This patent was previously used only in top speakers from Lithuania, but for some time now it has also been used in cheaper models. It consists in the fact that the speaker has two casings, one as if inserted into the other.

The inner casing is made of a light but rigid material that controls the basic vibrations by absorbing those coming directly from the drivers. A thin layer of viscous polyurethane is then applied to this casing, and only then is a second outer box attached to it. The polyurethane itself is an additional layer of damping. The remaining vibrations are then damped by the outer casing, made of a much heavier and less dense material, acting as a mass damper. This is partly where the weight of these speakers comes from.

The columns perfectly show all instruments, in which speed, accuracy, precision are important. But precision does not end there

Inside, the speakers are additionally damped and divided. Individual speaker sections have their own separate chambers for work. Lithuanian floorstanders are structures ventilated to the rear with two bass reflex ports. The speaker sockets are single, but of very good quality, these are WBT NextGen connectors.

AudioSolutions Figaro S2 are three-way designs, with two bass drivers, one midrange driver and one tweeter. All are custom-made and according to AudioSolutions specifications. A characteristic feature of this brand's speakers, including this model, is the placement of the dome between the midrange driver and the woofers.

The tweeter is a soft, 19-millimeter silk dome. It is placed in a small tube, called by the company Mini-Horn. The manufacturer states that the Mini-Horn is designed and manufactured to suppress the frequencies that are responsible for distortion. Additionally, the tube is supposed to increase the sensitivity and thus the efficiency of the transducer.

AudioSolutions Figaro S2 – test. Solid spikes with plates are included (photo: wstereo.pl)

The remaining speakers with 15.2 cm membranes are made of special paper pulp with cellulose fibers. On some membranes they are quite visible, for a moment I was even afraid that I might have damaged one of them when unpacking the speaker. It turned out that everything is fine and that's how it should be. The midrange and woofers have been slightly redesigned compared to the first version of the speakers. The manufacturer calls these drivers ER, which is supposed to mean the high stiffness of the paper membranes.

The crossover divides the band at 400 Hz and 4000 Hz, which causes the midrange driver to cover a very wide range. The manufacturer assures that this procedure reduces distortion in the midrange and phase shifts at the driver seam. It convinces that the human ear is most sensitive to distortion between 1000-2000 Hz, and such division of the band by the crossover should result in, on the one hand, undisturbed reception of midrange tones and excellent coherence of sound.

AudioSolutions Figaro S2 were priced by the Polish distributor – Premium Sound – at PLN 31,790 per pair (including grilles and stands). Let's classify them as hi-end (the highest price group, components costing over PLN 20,000).

AudioSolutions Figaro S2 – review. Sound

Of course, you listen with your ears, but let's not kid ourselves - sight is the most important of the senses and it is responsible for most of our experiences. So when AudioSolutions Figaro S2 appeared in my listening room, I was happy. They put me in a good mood. And when I started listening, my mood improved even more. I don't know if it's a result of synesthesia (not in the medical sense), but I liked this sound from the beginning.

I kind of knew what to expect, because I had previously listened to monitors from the lower Overture series (  AudioSolutions Overture O322B mkIII test – HERE ), but it turned out that the Figaros sounded a bit different, and above all with a clearly higher class, harmony of elements, and refinement.

But there is something more besides refinement. AudioSolutions Figaro S2 love to play loudly, they almost ask to turn the amplifier knob to the right. They then reward you with excellent dynamics and scale of sound, sometimes I was surprised that such a solid and serious sound comes out of such small speakers. And we don't have to turn on the metal to hear it.

During listening sessions I often reached for the excellent, latest album by Lech Janerka “Gipsowy odlew falsyfikatu” (review HERE) . And the first track “Omm” showed what it was all about. The low and closely recorded vocals jumped out of the speakers immediately, they were big, muscular, tangible and full of vigour. The subsequent instruments repeated this pattern. The sounds had a large volume and really a lot of power. And when I turned on the rock Primus, Morphine or the debut album of Linkin Park, the smile grew bigger and bigger, my leg moved by itself, and my hands folded in applause. There was kick and scale, power, motor skills and liveliness.

But the speed of the sound was also impressive, the way the speakers showed the attack and verve in the build-up and decay of individual sounds. And this was useful not only in music based on power and energy, but also when listening to smaller ensembles and more intimate recordings. The large scale and large bodies gave it plasticity and tangibility, and well-rendered transients added blush.

The speakers perfectly present all instruments, in which speed, accuracy, precision are important. So all percussion instruments, drums, percussion instruments, bells. And also, for example, the harpsichord or plucked instruments. Listen to good jazz drummers or Anouar Brahem playing the ud or the banjo virtuoso Bal Feck. The music in their performance is alive, shimmers with dynamic nuances, draws you in to listen.

AudioSolutions Figaro S2 – test. Regardless of the color, all speakers have similar decorative elements (photo: wstereo.pl)

I mentioned precision, it is worth devoting two sentences to it. AudioSolutions Figaro S2 play with great accuracy, but do not fall into exaggeration and clinicalness. Notes are perfectly separated from each other, but they are in contact with each other all the time, there is a musical flow and continuity. In combination with good dynamics and the construction of large solid apparent sources of sound by the speakers, we get a sound that is transparent and precise, and at the same time fluid.

But the advantages of Lithuanian floorstanding speakers do not end with dynamics and precision. Because there is really a lot of refinement in their playing. It is about the rendering of colors and the richness of presentation. The speakers really convey a lot of information about music. And it is not only about transparency and precision in showing small notes, that musical plankton contained in well-made recordings. It is also about showing the complexity of sounds, their components and textures. And this translates into the rendering of colors and articulation nuances.

For example, wind instruments. I turned on the Kenichi Tsunoda Big Band recordings and got absorbed in listening. It was something! The speakers, by rendering the rasp of trombones and saxophones, the sharpness of trumpets, the suede-like quality of clarinets, captivated me to listen. And despite the large number of instruments, it showed the variety and characteristics of their sound, the nuances of color and sonority.

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And when you listened to smaller ensembles, duets or solo instruments, the pleasure was just as great, because the AudioSolutions Figaro S2 meticulously “looked” at all the nuances of timbre, articulation, texture. And although they give the sound a bit of their own character – about which in a moment – they also showed the differences very well.

The advantages of Lithuanian speakers do not end there, because they can also charm with space, although it is somewhat characteristic. The point is that we see musical events more or less at the height of the top of the speakers and below, as if we were sitting on a balcony in a concert hall. Maybe it is a matter of the rather low setting of Twitter. But I treat it as a feature, not a flaw.

AudioSolutions Figaro S2 – test. Single speaker terminals are from WBT (photo: wstereo.pl)

In any case, we have here a rare combination of three features: freedom and spaciousness, precision and plasticity. This is what top-shelf speakers can do. The stage is spacious and free both in terms of stereophony and in terms of building individual planes (I mentioned the height). Individual sounds are shown precisely in place, precisely suspended in a spatial aura, and at the same time they are three-dimensional shapes with their own shapes and sizes. And it is this combination of plasticity and freedom that makes a great impression.

Because we can probably find even more precise speakers, or those that play with larger bodies; or those that have an even greater reverberant aura of decay deep into the stage. But in AudioSolutions Figaro S2 all three of these features are perfectly combined, proportionally balanced, and that's why I like them so much.

Let's move on to tonality and timbre. Generally, we can say that these are speakers that play with a warm sound, in the sense that all the bands are appropriately balanced, saturated with lower components. This is not warming consisting of a simple boost of low frequencies, but after all, we are dealing with hi-end speakers. But it is probably not the case - although I did not take measurements - that they are flat as a table. Something was "messed around" there, but in my opinion it did them good. But first things first.

For me, the top is great, but I am a fan of Dynaudi soft domes. There is also a soft, textile tweeter here, and it also sounds great. Firstly – there is a lot of top and it does not hide behind anything. It is always present and legible, it is not an addition. Secondly – despite a slight rounding and absolutely minimal dimming, it is very resolving, loose and has an appropriate amount of shine. Thirdly – it has great mass and timbre, you can hear its slightly golden coating and mass, for example of drum cymbals and the wood of the stick hitting them. And now fourthly and probably most importantly: despite all these own characteristics, the top differentiates recordings wonderfully!

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You will listen to the genius of jazz percussion Andrew Cyrille and his latest album “Music Delivery / Percussion”, where he is recorded playing solo. How many shades and colors do these speakers convey, how they show the undulations and vibrations of the reverberations of individual cymbals, the ways of hitting and the differences in the use of various sticks! It is worth listening.

The midrange has a similar, but not entirely uniform character to my ear. While it is generally warm, saturated - which works great with vocals, brass or, for example, Hammond organs, its transition to the top of the band is as if slightly brighter, lighter. An important note - the designer managed to achieve such an effect that it does not affect the coherence of the message, we do not feel that something is tearing in the band.

However, this procedure makes us perceive the sound of Lithuanian speakers as more lively, in the warm character there appears a bit more bright glow, vibration, air. And this translates into a great sound of guitars, for example, or the aforementioned rendering of the textures of the sound of wind instruments. Also, vocals have - apart from meat and body - more aura and air around them, A very interesting procedure.

The bass is also the way I like it, i.e. suitably thick and soft, warm and full of tissue, and at the same time fast and suitably tense, rhythmic and with the right energy when accentuating the sound and its appropriate decay. This is not a bass for lovers of "hard, perfectly controlled bass" - if you know what I mean. And very well, because such "hard, perfectly controlled bass" is simply not true, ask any bassist. Low tones are by their nature warm, soft, long-lasting.

It is important that the bass does not dominate, does not flood the midrange, but is very well stitched with it. Because thanks to good resolution and marking of the attack phase, individual sounds are perfectly legible. And at the same time, thanks to appropriately long decays, we have really a lot of information about the timbre, texture of the instruments. The double bass sounds in its lower parts also with a solid box and its echo, and not only with the texture of the string itself.

And what is important – in AudioSolutions Figaro S2, such a difficult to describe and explain unequivocally aspect as plasticity of sound is very important. It is probably a result of all their features: warmth and liveliness, good resolution with simultaneous good rendering of reverbs, great dynamics and excellent spatiality. They are never boring, never flat, you always listen to them with interest.

Summary

AudioSolutions Figaro S2 is a combination of sophistication and good fun. This is how you can describe these speakers in the shortest possible way. And they are very universal - that's also important. Thanks to their great scale of playing, dynamics and speed, they will work well in any repertoire, and the great colors and rendering of textures only add to their charm. And they are not demanding on amplifiers, which is important for lovers of not the most powerful tubes. They really convey a lot of information about music. And it's not just about transparency and accuracy in showing small notes, that musical plankton contained in well-made recordings. It's also about showing the complexity of sounds, their components and textures. In addition, there is a really great spatiality of sound and plasticity of presentation. And on top of that, they look great. Speakers without flaws? There are none. But I really have nothing to complain about. Maciej Stempurski, photo wstereo.pl, AudioSolutions

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AudioSolutions Figaro S2 – floorstanding speakers
Price – 31 790
Distribution – Premium Sound

Test system:

Files: Lumin T2, laptop with J River program
DAC: Lumin T2,  Matrix Mini-i , LabGruppen IPD 120
Pre:  Khozmo passive
CD player: BAT VK D5 SE
Amplifiers: LabGruppen IPD 120, Cary Audio V12R (with KT120 tubes)
Interconnects: Fadel Art Reference 1, Haiku Audio , Monkey Cables,  Gekko Cables Purple Haze Speaker cables: MIT MH 750, Final Cable SC,  Sound Sphere Deneb Speakers:  Martin Logan ESL Power cords:  Ansae , KBL Sound Accessories: granite slabs and SoundCare SuperSpikes stands 

Manufacturer Specifications:
Dimensions (H x W x D): 950mm x 230mm x 401mm (37.4 x 9.1 x 15.8 in)
Weight: 31kg / 68.3 lbs each
Shipping Weight: 34kg / 75 lbs each
Sensitivity: 91dB @ 2.83V 1m
Suggested Amplifier Power: 10-250W;
Impedance: 4.0Ω nominal;
Crossover Frequency: 400Hz; 4000Hz
Frequency Response (indoor): 35-25000Hz
Drivers: 19mm silk dome tweeter, 15.2cm ER paper cone, two 15.2cm ER paper woofers