ProAc D18

[PHC1]

Thinking about getting a pair of D18 for one of the rooms in the house. Has anyone heard them? I generally like the Proac house sound but have not heard the D18 model. The reviews have been very enthusiastic. The rest of the gear TBD...


ProAc Response D18 review from the experts at whathifi.com

I'm thinking rosewood.

[joeinid]

Serge,

Those look sweet. I know from years ago, the ProAcs sounded great. I am sure these will be very nice.

[PHC1]

Perhaps a Pass Labs Class A amp with them Joe?

[joeinid]

Originally Posted by PHC1

Perhaps a Pass Labs Class A amp with them Joe?

Could work OK, maybe a little soft in the bass. What else are you thinking about?

[joeinid]

For
Effortlessly musical and delivers with all types of music; unfussy nature; unfazed at high volume levels; fine build
Against
Plain looks; some rivals produce more bass
ProAc has rarely made glitzy speakers. The company's products tend to look quite ordinary – and these Response D18s seem to follow that trend.

Take away the classy Ebony veneer – a £400 premium on the price we've listed – and, physically at least, you have nothing more than just another slim two-way tower.

Technically, it's a similarly uninspiring story. There's a mildly interesting downward firing port arrangement and an acrylic phase-plug for the 16.5cm glassfibre-coned mid/bass driver, but little else of note.

A staggeringly musical speaker
However, as is traditional with ProAc, a wholly conventional, some would say ordinary, specification has resulted in a staggeringly musical speaker.

These floorstanders' presentation strikes that rarely achieved balance of sounding sweet and refined while still delivering decent attack. There's an underlying warmth to the sound, but it never extends to overt richness.

What you get instead, is a lovely, expressive midrange coupled to a beautifully well-behaved treble. Integration between the two drivers is seamless, and the Response D18's top-to-bottom cohesion
is deeply impressive.

The ProAcs' stereo imaging is also excellent. These towers throw out an intricately layered soundstage that remains stable for a wide range of seating positions.

A formidable array of talents
You can add good timing, strong dynamics and the ability to play loudly without excessive hardness to the ProAcs' long list of plus points, too.

This array of talents means that these towers are as capable on Beyonce's I Am... Sasha Fierce as they are with Mahler's Symphony No.6.

Flaws? It's fair to say there are other (larger) floorstanders that will deliver greater bass power for this kind of money, and, by the very highest standards, the D18s are just a touch soft at the very lowest frequencies. We won't make too much of either, though, because neither intrudes on the musical experience.

The Response D18s are an immensely compelling proposition. In a suitably talented system they're capable of delivering an extra-large slice of sonic heaven. That makes them a bargain – even at two grand.

[Jerome W]

Originally Posted by PHC1

Thinking about getting a pair of D18 for one of the rooms in the house. Has anyone heard them? I generally like the Proac house sound but have not heard the D18 model. The reviews have been very enthusiastic. The rest of the gear TBD...

ProAc Response D18 review from the experts at whathifi.com

I'm thinking rosewood.

Always been a fan of ProAc Serge, although the last models are less musical to my ears than the earlier generations. More neutral but less charming to me.
But I have not heard the D18.
They are supposed to be an easy load. Thinking about Shindo again ?
ProAc sings wonderfully with Naim.

[Amfibius]

I have been a fan of ProAc for quite a while, but I find it difficult to warm to the newer generation of ProAc's. Newer ProAc's seem to be moving towards a less warm and more thin tonal balance and this D18 seems to follow the trend. If you are a ProAc traditionalist, you might be better served with the older ProAc's. If you like the sound of the new ProAc's, well ... get these speakers. If I was in the market for a speaker of this type I would personally be looking at Dynaudio.

[Haurock]

I think Jerome has a good point. ProAcs would be well mated with Shindo. You might also want to explore other tube amps. That should give you the warmth are looking for. They are not fatiguing speakers.

[Haurock]

Oh, and I second the rosewood finish, that makes the speaker look regal!

[JemHadar]

Originally Posted by joeinid

Could work OK, maybe a little soft in the bass. What else are you thinking about?

Don't let the two way design mislead you...Bass performance of ProAc two way speakers is an eyeopener, or rather an earopener...I thought the dealer had hidden a subwoofer somewhere when auditioning some of the ProAc two way offerings