GR Research LGK 2.0 Speaker Review (A Joke)

[Chester]

That's almost $2,000 worth of parts (flatpack alone is $770). If we had that kind of money, would we really want to spend it on that speaker?

I agree. Between the questionable (being generous here) videos and the clear lack of engineering capabilities, we’ve seen all there is to see from them. If they feel that’s incorrect, they will be happy to submit another model to prove us all wrong. And I for one would be happy to acknowledge I was wrong.

I know some of you feel like these threads just become witch hunts and I understand the concerns. However these types of companies, in all areas, are a total disgrace and anything that calls them out and protects naive consumers is a good thing.

 

[AudioArchitech]

To be fair, I would have a hard time buying a speaker that needs to be out in the room like that X-Statik. I would be more drawn to a design such as a Polk R700 which could be closer to the wall and sound great. Or I like the idea of a Audio Note speaker that goes in the corners.

 

[Toni Mas]

You guys are hilarious, so excited to BASH him over a review of his most tiny speaker design, using a 3” driver ! GR Dumpster… really!?!

Bashing or not bashing... If the guys at GR would be honest enough to claim "hey, these may not be giant killers, but for the desktop and built around cheapo MDF cabs with entry level parts will sound decent enough for folks on a budget", would anybody care about them?

 

[voodooless]

Good ideal. We should setup a recycling business for GR speakers that way! Trash the rest and salvage the tube connectors to sell for $70 or whatever he charges....

Wait, are you telling me these connectors are more expensive than the actual driver ? I bet the same goes for some of the crossover parts… somehow the $40 driver needs to add up to the $700400+ kit.

 

[AudioArchitech]

Ok, I must be missing something. On this website, he markets them as desktop speakers. I'm going to watch his Youtube video on them, I must be missing some claims.

 

[AudioArchitech]

Wait, are you telling me these connectors are more expensive than the actual driver ? I bet the same goes for some of the crossover parts… somehow the $38 driver needs to add up to the $700+ kit.

I just went to his site and the kit and flatpack costs $421.09 with tax

 

[voodooless]

I just went to his site and the kit and flatpack costs $421.09 with tax

Ah, that’s better, but still, $400+ kit for a $40 driver? That is steep.

 

[AudioArchitech]

I think Amir watched the video but missed some key words, he thinks that Danny is claiming they had tons of bass... He never claims they kill large speakers.

I just watched the video, he says:
"perfect for desktop, nearfield or a really small room"
"play 80 Hz and up"

Then said:
"I even set them up far out in the listening room and perfectly dialed them in with a pair of triple open baffle servo subs (6x 12" subwoofers)
"seamlessly integrated.."
"when I took the blindfold off my friend, he was astonished to see LGK 2.0"

Then says:
"we've noticed while playing them in-house (listening room) if you want to bring the volume up, we recommend an in-line filter between speaker and amplifier to roll the bottom end off"
"so if (at higher volumes) any low frequencies reach them it doesn't just bottom them out"
"there is a limited amount of power that these can handle"
"maximum of 25-30W peaks" (not RMS)

Anyways, you get the point, and you could watch his video for the rest...

 

[abdo123]

I think Amir watched the video but missed some key words, he thinks that Danny is claiming they had tons of bass... He never claims they kill large speakers.

I just watched the video, he says:
"perfect for desktop, nearfield or a really small room"
"play 80 Hz and up"

Then said:
"I even set them up far out in the listening room and perfectly dialed them in with a pair of triple open baffle servo subs (6x 12" subwoofers)
"seamlessly integrated.."
"when I took the blindfold off my friend, he was astonished to see LGK 2.0"

Then says:
"we've noticed while playing them in-house (listening room) if you want to bring the volume up, we recommend an in-line filter between speaker and amplifier to roll the bottom end off"
"so if (at higher volumes) any low frequencies reach them it doesn't just bottom them out"
"there is a limited amount of power that these can handle"
"maximum of 25-30W peaks" (not RMS)

Anyways, you get the point, and you could watch his video for the rest...

So pretty much exactly the same as Amir's opinion?

Completely unusable without high-passing below 200Hz?

 

[AudioArchitech]

Ah, that’s better, but still, $400+ kit for a $40 driver? That is steep.

Bunch of good parts in there. Many drivers, even in expensive speakers that cost thousands are $50-60, plus the cost of tweeters...

 

[Doodski]

I just went to his site and the kit and flatpack costs $421.09 with tax

There is a completed LGK speaker pair for something like $1000 finished.

LGK 2.0 (Pair) | GR-Research

gr-research.com

 

[amirm]

Edit: Also, this feels like a bit of a hit piece, you make it sound like GR is claiming that the Little Giant Killer should kill giant speakers, have lots of Bass. We all know that GR means that it's a little speaker (with a 3" driver!) that he is claiming is a "Giant Killer", meaning against other small desktop speaker (similar small speakers with small drivers...)

Hit piece? I didn't get to the 'hit piece' part. The distortion that was bothersome was in vocals. Once that screwed up, there was no reason to listen to, or complain about lack of bass. Indeed the bass was responsible for that so I had to cut out a bunch of it.

 

[Everett T]

Danny is a salesman first, that sums up his oddities. The Usher BE718s really went to his head and still one of the most baffling descesions I've seen made by any manufacturer. I'd love to know the real story behind that mess.

 

[AudioArchitech]

So pretty much exactly the same as Amir's opinion?

Completely unusable without high-passing below 200Hz?

Pretty sure Danny said up to 84dB. Is that how Amir tested?

 

[abdo123]

Pretty sure Danny said up to 84dB. Is that how Amir tested?

"At any listening level above faint music, there would be this nasty warbling sound to vocals which would progressively get worse with volume. I am talking about way below the point where it crackles."

 

[mhardy6647]

84 dB isn't hushed -- but it's kind of reticent.
Apropos of (almost) nothing: that's about the level at which I listen most of the time at this point in my life. But most of that listening is via... rather different loudspeakers.

 

[AudioArchitech]

Now I am so curious to try it myself. Especaially after sending my defective Topping PA5 back for static, crackling and pops. The amp that Amir used to test LGK 2.0. Then told Danny he used a Purifi amp?!?

 

[Toni Mas]

Bunch of good parts in there. Many drivers, even in expensive speakers that cost thousands are $50-60, plus the cost of tweeters...

Why so many parts for a single driver and no crossover?

Have been looking for a schematic at their website but could not find any, nor any comment about what is exactly the misterious mission of such a complex network...

After checking that the loudspeaker measures quite better than the raw driver around 2khz, I guess that this might be part of the target... Maybe also baffle step correction is a mandatory task to be achieved... But a schematic, even without commenting the values of the components involved ( the Troels Gravesen' s way...), would help understand what the animal (Giant Killer) they try to sell us is exactly made off...

 

[AudioArchitech]

84 dB isn't hushed -- but it's kind of reticent.
Apropos of (almost) nothing: that's about the level at which I listen most of the time at this point in my life. But most of that listening is via... rather different loudspeakers.

Are you talking about desktop levels?

 

[ta240]

Now I am so curious to try it myself. .....

who coulda seen that coming....