EgglestonWorks has updated the well-known Andra
loudspeaker. Fittingly, the name is now Andra III ($23,900 per pair), and it seems that
the third time is the charm for this Tennessee-based company.
The system's sound was warm and resolving. Previous Andra
speakers always produced a huge sound that belied the speakers’ size, but we've never
heard an Andra sound this right throughout the frequency range. The Andra IIIs seem to
have made some serious improvement. Perhaps the standout sound is due to...
...the new midrange drivers. These have carbon-fiber cones
and come from Morel. EgglestonWorks' Jim Thompson described the new drivers as
"massively built," and he said they're at least partially responsible for the
improved sound. The photo shows the midrange mounted behind the Andra’s new aluminum
front plate, which sandwiches the driver behind the MDF front baffle.
Of course, the speakers didn’t produce
sound all on their own. Shown here is the Grand Prix Audio Monaco turntable with
Tri-Planar Mk VII UII tonearm and Transfiguration cartridge. The gorgeous stands were all
from Grand Prix Audio as well. Electronics included a bank of Ayre products: MX-R mono
amps, a KX-R preamp, a C-5xe CD player, and a P-5xe phono stage. Cables were from Stealth
Audio Cables.
