Both designers have a strong belief that for any small monitor to deserve serious consideration, it cannot be bass shy. Mark & Daniel design and build their own drivers. Their Heil tweeters are remarkably ambitious and their relatively small woofers have pistonic travel worthy of automobile analogies. Mr. Kunz's 5.5" ScanSpeak puts him into similar bass territory and was the first competitive design to hit that mark in my listening room. The Maximus Mini was a touch too small to be directly comparable but the formerly reviewed Diamond+ was a jaw-dropping pint-sized bass powerhouse. Both designers reproduce the low end with an authority that can rival a floorstander, no subwoofers required under most circumstances, and no caveats or apologies required in any. The upper range showed distinct differences between the new Heil and ScanSpeak Beryllium. The ScanSpeak was much the warmer of the two and the driver match with its woofer more seamless. In comparison to the older Diamond+, the difference was more pronounced and much less so with the new MiniMax. The Resolution BE had the clear advantage of more uniform broadband dispersion and therefore was more forgiving of listening position, particularly off axis. It also outpaced the older Diamond+ in terms of broadband resolution, solidity and handling of space. To counter, the Mark & Daniel took advantage of its lower crossover point to impart greater apparent responsiveness in the spectrum where female vocals takes centre stage, flaunting a huge amount of information in the fashion of an electrostatic hybrid. In short, the designs diverged on the priority given to speed and transparency versus organic presentation. Both are prime examples of these priorities pursued to near perfection but the Clearwave would get the nod against the older Mark & Daniel in the integration of those elements. If required amplifier power were a factor, be aware that both are inefficient on paper but that the Mark & Daniel is the more real-world demanding.

Another design worthy of consideration at similar coin but with a different character would be the $3'290 Reference 3A da Capo BE, Canadian designer Tash Goka's kick at the monitor genre at this price. It goes for immediacy and responsiveness via a Beryllium/carbon fiber combo with minimalist crossover. It too achieves a disproportionate big and brawny presentation and has chalked up accolades in the process but the Clearwave offers somewhat greater warmth and superior soundstage envelopment. From Usher Audio, the successor to the Blue Moon awarded Tiny Dancer BE 718 could make for an interesting comparison. At about $3'300, the new Mini X Diamond is purportedly built on the strengths of the original and opts for a diamond tweeter over the previous Beryllium sphere. The original was a resolving powerhouse with commendable bass but lacked the sophistication of driver matching that the more modern Clearwave brings to the picture. The new Usher Tiny Dancer has not graced my eardrums so I cannot say if that issue has been addressed. Against the older Blue Moon winner, I would give the field to the Resolution.

The overall sonic demeanour of the Resolution BE was warm and inviting to present a direct alternative to the British competition. Although the BE may have the caveat of greater room placement demands than some of its English brethren, its sonic heart is firmly in the right BBC place. So why not take a look at similarities and divergences? If you examine the past or current lineup of hallmark classic monitors, the Clearwave would fit in rather nicely. Names like Harbeth, ATC and Rogers spring to mind and are similarly voiced. The shared philosophy between all appears to be a ‘simple' formula. Get the midrange right. Build outward from there. Make the detail flow from the event, not the mechanics. The Brits follow those rules to legendary status. The Resolution BE has similar virtues but with the American twist of a smaller box and wider bandwidth in the bass than most. Comparable stiff upper lip performance comes in a bigger box at a stiffer price. Something like the passive ATC SCM40P would offer some legitimate gains in bass resolution befitting its greater proportions but also fetches more than twice what the BE demands. Quality isobaric solutions exist that step up to compete in size and performance but not in cost. That puts Mr. Kunz's creation in comfortable territory against similarly voiced contenders from the British Isles. Where does our American contender sit in the grand scheme of things?

Clearwave's little Resolution BE is a stand mount so by definition demands to be put up on a pedestal. The pun may be humorous but the truth is not far off the mark. Mr. Kunz has built a solid reputation for designing and building smartly finished product that can sit as an equal at the performance table of the heavyweights. The Resolution BE is no exception. It's a high-resolution product that doesn't flaunt that ability. It has a bandwidth sufficient to qualify as full range by any sane definition and output capabilities that will satisfy all but the PA crowd. His two-way driver integration is flawless, showing a continuity of character, dynamic performance and handling of space that consistently hit marks into ‘best of' territory. That fact was hammered home when I attended TAVES 2016 and found the hallmark attributes of the Resolution BE manifest in state-of-the-art multi driver efforts like the new Yamaha NS-5000 and Revel Ultima 2 Salon 2, albeit at much higher prices. I asked myself what it would take to better Mr. Kunz's two-way. The short answer is that it would come dow to absolutes of cabinet construction afforded by unlimited budgets. To put the situation in financial perspective, the highly regarded Crystal Cable Minissimo utilizes the identical ScanSpeak drivers in a stunning and effective metal/polymer composite housing that trades some of the BE's low bass for superior definition and lower cabinet coloration. To work optimally, a subwoofer is required. This curvaceous beauty is intended to grace the ears of the boutique crowd seeking the finest small monitor irrespective of cost. Hence it commands a price of around $15'000 a pair including integral stands. On the other end, Mr. Kunz seeks to attract the audiophile on a working man's wage. The Resolution BE is outfitted with premium internal components, housed in a thick CNC'd MDF cabinet and clothed in attractive polished wood veneer. His price is $3'700 a pair. Stands are not included. Do the math. If you're in the market for a full-range compact monitor that can deliver the full checklist of detail, warmth, soundstage, dynamics and floorstander bass, the Clearwave Loudspeaker Design Resolution BE get a high recommendation. Just pay attention to room setup and these thoroughbreds should deliver superb results.

Clearwave Loudspeaker Design website