2.0 SVEN STREAM MEGA R Speaker System: Two

When I handed SVEN SPS-619 GOLD speakers to the editorial office, I noticed in the office of my boss heaps of boxes with speakers of SVEN Company. There were monitors of rather big dimensions in that heap. It was then that a crazy idea occurred to me – to compare my favorite Technics with those speakers, especially as because they were equivalent in size. Because we, music lovers, as you know, are constructed in such a way that we choose for a long time, but after purchasing, we do not apprehend anything new. So the same happened with me – I have a stereo system of a company, which is not available now, but and I do not even listen to novelties. My boss understood me and said – select! I grabbed the first box of rather big dimensions. At home, after the good overview, that box appeared to be STREAM MEGA R speaker system of SVEN Company.

CONSTRUCTION

I was lucky! Out of fright, acting under a principle – seize, otherwise it will be taken away, I took a model produced according to the Bi-amp technology, but my Technics has three built-in amplifiers: HF, LF and MF. Accordingly, 3 pairs of acoustic wires run to every monitor (speaker). And what Bi-amp means? It is a double amplifier with an active crossover. Recently that circuit was used in professional studio active monitors.

The essence of Bi-amp is not only in separate amplifying of HF and LF, and also in that the crossover is located before the amplifier and chips off excess, unwanted frequencies. This unloads directly the amplifier – the frequency band grows narrow, the capacitive load has minimized. In my Technics everything is on the contrary – three amplifiers supply signal to the crossover, amplifying all the things needed and unneeded in so doing. Accordingly, active SVEN speakers must sound better.

PACKAGE CONTENT

Speakers are packed in glossy, white-blue carton. There is SVEN inscription in the cross line of blue stripes (a reminder about the Finnish origin of the company). There is an enormous photo of speakers on the right side of the carton; technical specifications are given on the rear side:

Total output power: 120 W (60 х 2)
Frequency range: 35 – 27,000 Hz
Loudspeakers diameter: LF – 165 mm and HF – 25 mm
Dimensions: 255 х 360 х 225 mm
Net weight: 12.94 kg, gross weight: 13.8 kg
Black color

Let us open and see. Besides speakers there are in the carton:

The multilingual Operation Manual, the warranty card for 12 months from the date of sale.
Connecting acoustic cable 3 meter long to connect the active speaker with passive one.
2RCA-2RCA cable 1.5 meter long.
Mini Jack-2RCA cable 1.5 meter long.
Remote control
Spare fuse (similar to the fuse in TV-sets of Soviet production).

The remote control has already a lithium battery (CR2025 3V) inside, you only must remove the protective film. Besides the remote control, monitors can be controlled from the active speaker.

DESIGN AND CONTROL

Speakers look very stylishly and solid. Their color is wenge; they are strict and elegant at the same time. Loudspeakers are covered with black grills. If you take off a grill, you will see glossy black laminate, which perfectly harmonizes with cones. Sides are manufactured in the form of lining on the main case with wenge grain trim. Lines are smooth without sharp corners.

Due to solid appearance and black color, SVEN STREAM MEGA R will fall into any interior perfectly, except for the children’s room. The speaker system looks more expensive than it costs – its case is made very qualitatively and it creates the full illusion of natural wood, all joints are sealed up at top level, there are no faults at all.

Controls are located on the front panel of the active speaker. They are 3 knobs: volume control, HF and LF controls. The knobs are the stylization, because the control is completely electronic, that is why instead of variable resistors we have encoders.

Then there is a linear input (LINE IN), and it is just a serious bid. It is just the linear input, without a preamplifier. It is needed for quick connection of mobile devices, such as a smartphone, player, dictaphone, etc. with the help of mini-jack cable.

There are also a LED indicator, headphones jack and infrared sensor for the remote control on the panel.

Now let us take the remote control in hand. The remote control has comfortable shape; it is smooth to the touch due to the soft-touch covering. All buttons are pressed softly; its weight is 32 g and it is powered by CR2025 battery, due to that the infrared sensor sensitivity is reduces. Let me enumerate the buttons and their functions:

1. ST-BY: stand-by mode on/off button

2. RESET: return to default settings

3. AUX: stereo input 1 selection button

4. LINE IN: line audio input selection button

5. PC: stereo input 2 selection button

6. VOL+: volume up button

7. VOL–: volume down button

8. L/R: left/right channel balance adjustment buttons

9. MUTE: sound on/off button

10. TREBLE +/–: regulation of level of timbre HF

11. BASS +/–: bass level control buttons

Let us look at the rear panel of the active speaker. ON/OFF button is located there. The power cord on this model is not removable, a fuse seat is located close to it. There are two pairs of RCA inputs for connection, which are quickly controlled with the help of the remote control.

A non-standard 4 pin connector is mounted there to connect the passive speaker. If you want to place speakers for distance of more than three meters, then it is incomprehensible how to find a way out – I did not see wires with such connector on sale.

INTERIOR

The system has a funnel-shaped phase inverter with the rear output about 75 mm long. The electronic part consists of two boards, one of which is placed on the rear removable plate. Two-channel LM4766T analog amplifiers are used for both frequency channels. The standing current of their output stages is high – in the absence of signal, the radiator heats a little bit, but other than that, there are only advantages. Microcircuits are low-noise, they have the built-in protection against the overvoltage and short circuit. Power is 30 W per channel, in this case per loudspeaker.

The crossover and digital control are located on a separate board. The crossover is assembled on TL084 four-channel operational amplifiers (ОA) and the active filter of the 4th order is used there, that provides 24 dB per octave! The digital control uses R2A15908SP processor of analog signals controlled by an integral microcontroller.

The technology of two separate power supply systems with two transformers is used in this speaker system. A standard E-shaped shielded transformer is used for the amplifier. And it is connected not to 220 V power supply network, but to a stand-by power supply unit, which contains a small E-shaped transformer and rectifier with the integral automatic voltage regulator to supply power to low-powered electronics and relay, which on a signal from the remote control supplies 220 V voltage to a powerful transformer. Because of such a circuit, speakers in the stand-by mode do not issue background noise, but in the operation mode reach to declared 60 W.

Two speaker drivers, tweeter and woofer accordingly, are used as emitters. The tweeter has a varnished paper cone, and this is a great advantage to produce the sound of high quality. The cone diameter including the rubber suspension is 155 mm. The cap is dense with the standard dome shape. Marking is SVEN 4 Om 60 W. There is a hole on the rear side to cool the coil. The HF loudspeaker has a silk tweeter. Marking is SVEN 6 Om 24 W.

SOUNDING

Well, the system has been assembled and the sound is supplied from a notebook via a linear input. I connect a CD player produced by Sony in 2004 from the AV-7 system to maintain the experimental integrity. Let’s start with a notebook.

I will say from the beginning – this system is not suitable for devotees of too high bass, but for listening of rock, jazz, blues, pop and classical music – just what the doctor ordered!

So, it is the rock. During listening of a record of good quality in MP3 and CD formats, the sound is magnificent! The lead guitar sounds for the mark 5, the attack of drum kit sounds excellently, it gladdens by clear and resilient bass, the bass guitar is distinguished clearly on the general background, the voice of a soloist sounds without distortions. HF and LF sound especially nice.

Sounding in the midfrequency range is quite even and without widespread irritating drop in upper part of MF. The high-frequency range is high detailed, which provides a good stereo panorama. Thanks to the use of qualitative loudspeakers, the lower range of midfrequency sounds fluently and detailed.

When listening to jazz and blues, the sounding is a comfort even with neutral position of the timbre control, during equalization the music is colored in pleasant tones. The sounding of the scene is detailed, it sounds as it has been planned by a sound producer. For devotees of extreme low frequencies this system has also small joys – there is no specific overtones from the phase inverter in the sounding, but the capacity is lost insignificantly.

When listening to the classic music, the speaker system reveals itself completely! The orchestra sounds splendidly, insignificant details and rustles due to motions of bows and fingers of musicians are perfectly audible. The female vocal does not irritate, sounds naturally, without hysterical notes and squeaks; it does not affront the ear with high volume level. All in all, impressions are the most positive.

The same material I have listened using Sony device. The sound has only improved, more detailed representation of music appeared. But that was also due to the uncompressed recording format.

Advantages:

Very decent sounding.
Absence of passive crossover, active crossover (Bi-amp system) instead of it.
Possibility to connect three signal sources.
Detailed midfrequency and smooth frequency range in all sounding areas.
Absence of parasitic noises (clicks, etc.) during regulations.
Correct realization of the power supply system.
Design, there is a possibility to select color.
Proper thickness of the case walls.
Standby mode and the remote control.

SUMMARY

I will say at once – from 2004, the multimedia class made an enormous step forward and approximated closely to the sound, which was available only in Hi-Fi devices. But they belong to different price categories – for that money I would buy a compact cassette record player only produced by Technics Company, and it would be a one-pocket device!