MAPLESHADE UPGRADED SIROCCO S30 SPEAKERS

The stock Sirocco tromps most $500 speakers, as our listening comparisons quickly showed. The new S30 eclipses the reigning budget champions—Paradigm, PSB, Wharfedale, even Pierre's old favorite, Axiom—and costs only $215/pair! The bass punch is really arresting for this size speaker. The treble is surprisingly nuanced and grain-free; the midrange delivers beautifully clear, eminently musical detail. The class-winning sound is based on components of hard to believe quality at this price: silk dome tweeter, woven composite fiber midrange with machined aluminum phase plug, a superb first order crossover using polypropylene caps and a super-rigid braced cabinet. The unmodded S30s are five-star rated by What Hi-Fi.

To improve upon the S30's impressive raw potential, we've gone all-out with our mods. Upgraded Sirocco incorporates the following internal mods:

• all-new proprietary internal re acoustic treatment
• new and radically retuned port
• crossover dielectric and component upgrade
• Clearview internal wiring
• Clearview ribbon jumpers replacing factory klooges

With these internal upgrades alone, our modded Sirocco exceeds or rivals any $1000 monitor. But, like every other small speaker, our Upgraded S30 is dramatically improved by low, on-the-floor mounting with adjustable time-correction (see here). Pairing the Upgraded Siroccos with a Bedrock-style stand transforms a great budget speaker into a giant killer, besting $2000 monitors we’ve compared them to. The Upgraded Sirocco’s dynamic punch is doubled. There’s a startling increase in low bass extension, bass power, and clean, even bass articulation. Only the most bass-hungry listeners (and home theater users) will hanker for a subwoofer. And the upgraded midrange transparency, speed and subtlety of detail is a huge step upward. You’ll hear a newfound purity and shimmer in the treble.

The Upgraded S30 is so good, it greatly simplifies speaker choices for budgets anywhere from $500 to $2000. If you’re shopping in this price range, our Upgraded Sirocco with optional Bedrock stand is the unambiguous clear choice. On the other hand, if you are looking to spend more than $2000, then you must seriously consider the Upgraded Stradas—the very best monitors we've heard, no matter what the price.

Maple Bedrock speaker stands with toned and black lacquer finishes are made to order and take 6-8 weeks to ship. We require a 50% non-refundable deposit for these items.