629 Euros for a nicely finished three way floorstanding pair of loudspeakers seems a very attractive proposition. Dominic Marsh finds out if the Melodika BL40 Mk2 Loudspeakers from Poland can cut the mustard. 

This is yet another loudspeaker that originates from Poland and it is one in quite a long list of components that have been sourced from that country to be reviewed by Hifi Pig.  I recall reviewing a set of Melodika Purple Rain speaker cables some time ago and they impressed me with their quality and pricing, so I was no stranger to their products.  Watch out world, the Polish hifi industry are becoming a force to be reckoned with!

Introducing then the Melodika BL 40 Mark 2 loudspeaker.

Construction

The review sample was cloaked in a beautiful high gloss black coat which was very pleasant to look at and not really expected as standard at this price point.

Measuring 97cm high by 23.5cm wide by 34.6cm deep and weighing 19kg each they are not an imposing speaker by any means so should not dominate their surroundings in an average listening room.

They are a two and a half way reflex ported speaker with the port situated at the rear of the cabinet.  Driver array consists of 1 x 25mm Black Diamond silk dome tweeter and 2 x 160mm woven fibreglass hybrid mid/bass units.  Grilles are supplied which are affixed by plastic pegs and wooden plinths with carpet piercing spikes are also included in the package.  Biwire speaker terminals with bridging plates are also fitted as standard.

Sound Quality

These speakers were sent to me from another Hifi Pig reviewer who simply could not get them to sound right in their system and listening room.  When they arrived with me, they definitely sounded “off song” and I quickly came to the realisation that all they needed was some running hours to loosen up.  Bear in mind that I already had 2 pairs of speakers at the time that were in their running in periods and I really didn’t have the time or resources to afford the same luxury to the Melodika speakers, so I fast tracked them a bit with a good fistful of volume control and thick blankets over the speakers to hurry matters along.  12 hours later they came out from under the blankets like a freshly emerged butterfly and ready to take to the wing.  Those 12 hours of that treatment paid real dividends in this instance and as any hifi reviewer will tell you it is a major drawbacks having to run in virtually everything that is sent to them before they can even begin any evaluations.  I suppose we all have a cross to bear in one form or another.

The transformation was huge and what were uneven lumpy responses coming from the speakers now sounded a lot sweeter and far more coherent, so the listening tests began.

Given that I was evaluating a pair of floorstanders costing a mere 629 Euros, what surprised me the most was I wasn’t giving these speakers any latitude at all to reflect that price because I didn’t need to.  The sound was very even from top treble to bottom bass and no part of the audible spectrum was either curtailed or emphasised.  They apparently went down to a very respectable 39Hz and up to 20 KHz which is not as high as some speaker manufacturers claim, but none of us have ultrasonic hearing abilities anyway.

On to some music now to hear what the Melodika BL40 Mk2’s are made of.

First into the CD drawer was my good old stalwart in the shape of Fink’s “Wheels Beneath My Feet” album, which if you don’t have it in your collection, you should do, even just to relate to what I type in my reviews.  Fink’s vocals are difficult to follow as his diction isn’t the best you might hear, but having said that, the musicians in the band are pretty well captured, particularly so the drums, plus of course the ambience and audience are well recorded too.  It’s not until you have played this album a good few times that you ‘get’ what it is all about and why I use it for evaluations.

The first thing I listen for is the initial cymbal strikes the drummer makes during the intro bars.  A crisp metallic “ting” from that cymbal is de rigueur and it must sound utterly realistic with no ringing except for the harmonics and decay of the cymbal itself.  Kick drum follows shortly afterwards and it must be propulsive, have a good solid punch to it and be able to hear the beater striking the drum skin.  Throughout the entire album you should notice the different ambiences of the various venues that are performed in during Fink’s tour.  My favourite track on the album is “Sort Of Revolution” in which Fink manages to get the audience to clap along and that really is infectious.  When a system really has mastery and control over this track I cannot help myself and I also get enthusiastically clapping along too.  Then the medication wears off . . .

I was truly surprised then when the Melodika speakers actually sailed through this entire album without stress or struggle and I heard what I expected to hear throughout. Good result.

Jeff Buckley’s “Grace” album certainly has some obstacles to overcome with any system, with some well recorded bass and fine details, a good measure of brash uncouthness thrown in, plus of course Jeff Buckley’s voice which in itself is not easy to reproduce accurately without verging on  some fragility in places.  Play this album loud and its faults are brutally exposed and if you start to wince then something is amiss, be that the system, the room, or indeed an individual’s hearing acuity.  Or maybe it’s just me it affects this way, because I do have a few moments where I reach for the volume control, I must confess.   With regards to evaluating equipment it all works in reverse, because a system with a rolled off top end or congested midband doesn’t really fully reveal the nasty elements in the recording.  Some folks find that a blessing in disguise.  The Melodika BL40’s didn’t break up or wilt during this album, so that tells me there is some smoothness in the overall design.

I played some orchestral, acoustic instrumentals, some electronica, solo female and male vocals, plus the whole of  La Boheme which is very rare for me, but I wanted to discover how these speakers coped with different genres of music and I could find no criticisms in that respect.

One tiny niggle I did have was the grilles which started to rattle on one of the speakers after being removed only a couple of times, because that seemed to affect the plastic holding pegs.

Conclusion

For a loudspeaker that costs some 629.00 Euros, which comes supplied in a superb high gloss black finish as standard, has a plinth and substantial spikes also supplied and with 3 high quality drivers per cabinet, you would expect there to be some sort of catch or a set of compromises with the Melodika BL40 Mk2 speakers, wouldn’t you? Not so, as this speaker sounds very good indeed and I suppose the question to be asked is would I buy and own a pair myself?  Yes I would.  It’s performance outstrips virtually all of the competition that I am aware of in this price bracket so they truly are busting good value and although I’m sure AV fans will love them to bits in a surround system, they are just as much at home in a good quality stereo hifi system.  In fact, the better the driving and source components are, the better they sound.

I give the Melodika BL40 Mk 2 loudspeakers my Highly Recommended award without any hesitation.

AT A GLANCE

Build Quality:  High gloss black as standard? No kidding and it is a well designed and very well built speaker.

Sound Quality:  They are not ruthlessly revealing but see that as part of their finer points.  Surprisingly good bass, treble and midband should please many.

Value For Money: It is shocking how Melodika manage to make such a good speaker at such a low price.  Form an orderly stampede people before Melodika change their minds!

Pros:  Truly affordable and a great all round performer.  Fit and finish is superb.

Cons:  At 629.00 Euros a pair?  What’s not to like?

Price:    629.00 Euros 

Dominic Marsh

Specifications