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I also auditioned the Admonitors with my smallish REL subs and managed to obtain a near ideal balance which brings me to Capriccio Continuo’s matching Submonitor MkIII bass units. I originally set out to cover just the Admonitor 311 but towards the end of the review period received the Submonitors which together with the 311 became a full-range 3.5-way speaker system.
The Submonitor MkIII specifically designed for the Admonitor 311 and Premiere speakers features three nano-carbon 165cm drivers. Sensitivity is rated at 88dB.2.83V/m and response is 27Hz to 135Hz. The crossover is a "1st-order high pass and 1st + 3rd-order mutational Transfert 20Z crossover technology low pass". The two lower drivers cross over at 45Hz while the top one works in tandem with the 311’s AGTi mid/woofer but rolls off around 95Hz. Dimensions are 748mm high, 185mm wide and 415.4mm deep. There are two pairs of binding posts on the Submonitor. The lower pair connects to the amplifier while the top pair links to the binding posts of the 311. Note that biwiring as well as active and passive biamplifiaction is possible with the Admonitor/Submonitor system.
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The MkIII matched the svelte looks of the 311 and utilized the same magnetically fitted removable cloth grills. As with the Admonitors I removed the grills when playing music. While the Submonitor ships with adhesive-backed Velcro strips, I stuck with a few globs of sticky tack for coupling the 311 to the Submonitors. As the Submonitors do not ship with jumpers I used an extra set of MIT Magnum jumpers I had on hand.
While my little REL subs performed admirably, they were no match for the Submonitors. Adding the bass modules transformed the Admonitor into a full-range speaker system without messing up its fine aspects. The bass modules fleshed out the lower end of the spectrum and allowed pianos, double basses, cellos, timpani and voices to come across more tonally substantial and immediate. Drums and percussion displayed greater impact and weight. As with adding one or more decent subwoofers, it’s not so much about more bass but more about how it allows music to breathe and float freely. All my previously mentioned recordings took on greater levels of scale and believability. And all this low-end goodness did not come at the expense of pace or coherence. I could not detect any trace of bloat or overhang, neither could I pick out the transition from one driver to another. It was top-to-bottom seamlessness and musical coherence. |
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Did I enjoy my time with the Admonitor 311/Submonitor MkIII? You betcha. If I had $20.000 burning a hole in my pocket would I consider buying them? Let’s just say they would be on a very short list. The Admonitor 311 possesses a good deal of cutting-edge technology in its design and came across as a wonderfully balanced, communicative, revealing yet suave and sophisticated speaker. I could easily see it being perfectly at home either in the recording studio or a music lover’s listening room. It’s a rare speaker that can do both.
Yes these Italian beauties are expensive at least from my shallow wallet point of view but quality always is. If you seek a full-range attractive modular speaker system that will engage the mind and soul and is a bit different from the pack, then check out the Capriccio Continuo Admonitor 311/Submonitor MkIII. To my ears it was a very tempting package and one I was sad to see leave my home. Recommended!
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Quality of packing: Excellent.
Reusability of packing: Seems reusable several times.
Quality of owner's manual: Manual was not available at time of review but I’m told that all models now ship with a comprehensive manual.
Condition of component received: Outstanding.
Completeness of delivery: No issues.
Website comments: Decent pictures and information.
Human interactions: Professional, friendly and accommodating as always with this distributor.
Warranty: Five years parts and labor.
Pricing: Expensive to some, perhaps a bargain to others.
Final comments & suggestions: None.
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