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Accuvoice Stream S3 – Listening Review

I visited Digitalbild at the HEM exhibition in February, and among all the exhibitors showcasing exclusive High-End systems costing millions, there was one product that stood out from the rest.

After just the very first beat, I could hear that this was something special. In addition to an unusually large and precise soundstage, the AccuVoice speakers delivered an almost unbelievable level of scale in the bass for their size, together with an exceptionally convincing connection to the room.

It is tempting to use the somewhat worn-out cliché that it sounded like a floorstanding speaker. The fact is, however, that this impressive musical experience was being produced by two compact Stream S3 stand-mounted speakers, each sitting on its own speaker stand.

Personally, I have no problem with large speakers, and I am fortunate to have a fantastic wife who accepts having such speakers as part of our furniture. But the fact remains that large speakers often struggle to reproduce music with the natural point-source character, precision and focus that a small speaker can achieve.

If you think about it, the tones produced by voices and most musical instruments originate from a single point. That is where the challenge lies: reproducing every individual tone at exactly the right time in relation to all the others. This is where the secret lies in what these speakers get so remarkably right.

Normally, physically large speakers provide greater dynamics and a larger sense of scale, while precision and focus can often suffer. Most people can probably relate to listening to vocal music where the singer's voice loses its focus and instead sounds like a large mouth spreading out between the speakers. What I personally want is intimacy and proximity — a voice firmly positioned in the centre of the soundstage, creating an emotional intensity and presence in the music.

This is something that many larger speakers struggle with because multiple drivers, spread across a large baffle, have to work together to reproduce a complex and composite audio signal in a coherent manner. AccuVoice themselves refer to the analogy of a camera that is slightly out of focus, resulting in a blurred and distorted image. It is actually a very good comparison and an easy one to relate to.

A good example is First Song by Melody Gardot, where the Stream S3 maintains an excellent focus on the artist's silky-smooth vocal performance. Here, it also becomes apparent that these small musical communicators are capable of reproducing the double bass with remarkable credibility and a convincing connection to the room. The dynamics are equally impressive.

It is also impressive to see how the manufacturer has addressed the various challenges involved in loudspeaker design. To almost completely eliminate cabinet vibrations, the two bass drivers are mounted on opposite sides of the cabinet. This arrangement largely cancels out the vibrations, as the mechanical energy generated by the drivers counteracts itself. The result is an absence of distracting vibrations and unwanted resonances interfering with the listening experience.

The tweeter has even been mounted in a separately suspended, floating baffle. The speaker features two generously sized mid-bass drivers which, together with the other drivers, are capable of producing very convincing sound pressure levels across all genres of music.

All the drivers are also digitally phase-aligned, allowing the listener to perceive the sound as originating from a single point. This is also why I experienced the speakers as being exceptionally time-coherent, with a remarkably large and holographic soundstage.

For lack of a better word, I usually describe this as a kind of sonic Aura.

Once again, I come back to the important interaction with the room, which makes the music feel engaging and live. Our ears are programmed to recognise voices and instruments together with the reverberation and acoustic signature that a room contributes across the entire frequency range. This is normally difficult for a large loudspeaker to reproduce convincingly, and almost impossible for a small speaker.

I was genuinely surprised when I discovered that the demonstration was being performed using wireless transmission from the small hub tucked away on a shelf in the equipment rack.

It made me wonder: how would they sound if they were fed directly through a cable?

Then there is the price tag of SEK 70,000. Is that outrageous, or perhaps actually reasonable considering what you get for the money?

My current system has cost me more than four times that amount, including a power conditioner and a whole collection of expensive cables.

If you were to rethink the way you approach high-end audio and focus solely on what you are actually looking for, it is not really a collection of technical gadgets that matters. What we are ultimately looking for is an engaging, immersive and satisfying musical experience.

I genuinely believe that the Stream S3 can satisfy even the most demanding audiophile who approaches it with an open mind. Very few products in this segment and in this size class can offer what this product delivers.

The AccuVoice S3 gets so many things right that it deserves a thorough audition by every music lover — and a well-earned place among the other desirable products created for us audiophiles.

In the not-too-distant future, I can easily imagine selling a substantial part of my current equipment, investing in these little gems, and still having a considerable amount of money left in the bank for something else…

Best regards,

Göran Sandström
Audio Specialist and Music Lover with more than 30 years of experience in the Hi-Fi and audio industry

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“31 years ago, I purchased a pair of WIJK Wizard Signature speakers. Amazing sound and design at a price far below comparable products. They have stayed with me ever since, even though all the other hardware has been replaced. I highly recommend the upgrade kit.”

“I also have to add that I was absolutely blown away by the Stream S3! Once again, WIJK has managed to combine outstanding sound with superb design at a reasonable price.”

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Ralf Rohde
Music Lover
Sweden

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"This system deserves to be compared to the best on the market”

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Mats Lindqvist
Music Lover
Sweden

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What you see is what you get!? Not with the ACCUVOICE S3! You have a sleek and beautiful build with a Scandinavian minimalist look but the sound just blows you away with a sonic impact matched only by far bigger and far more expensive systems!  

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Daniel Hanson Cederskär
Professional Musician & Audiophile
Sweden