Orb Audio Classic Two Review

I am now the PROUD owner of an ORB speaker system. I purchased 4 mod1′s with a mod2 center upgrade as well as the Orb Super8 subwoofer. Pushing this sound package is a Yamaha HTR-5760 receiver. I played several hours of various music cd’s to break in the sub as directed by Orb. Then I selected the first movie to play with this system, the Eagle’s Hell Freezes Over DVD with DTS sound option enabled. Simply Amazing! The sound from these small speakers and subwoofer transported me to this concert and I felt like I was there. The clarity and crispness of ALL the instruments played was outstanding. No vocal distortion and the subwoofer was tight and extremely responsive. After listening to this I invited my brother and his boys down to listen and they were in disbelief that a sound system could do this fabulous a job. I also hooked up my tv and xbox to the receiver and Halo2 on this was the ultimate gaming experience and with the tv you felt like you were in the stadium at the game ….Great Super Bowl win Patriots!! I loved hearing all the background sounds that you miss on regular tinny tv speakers and when someone is tackled the sound causes you to almost feel the pain…I am not into bashing other speakers, but am into telling you that I highly endorse ORB speakers. Great people to deal with and the best sound I have ever heard. You can’t go wrong with these folks! Buy and enjoy! I found this company while doing research online using Google search engine. I caught a huge break when I stumbled onto Orb… Thanks ORB for an outstanding product!!!

Rating: 10 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful.

I PURCHASED 6 MOD1′S ABOUT 5 MONTHS AGO AND I HAVE BEEN NOTHING BUT OVERLY HAPPY WITH THE SPEAKERS OVER ALL PERFORMANCE AND HAVE RECIEVED MUCH PRAISE BY FRIENDS ON THE QUALITY OF THE ORB SPEAKERS SOUND AND LOOK. I HAVE MY DENON 3802 RECIEVER MATCHED UP WITH THE SPEAKERS IN A 2 MOD CENTER AND 4 SINGLES AS FRONTS & SURRROUNDS. THEY SOUND GREAT IN MOVIE, XBOX AND MUSIC PLAYBACK WHEITHER IN DOLBY DIG OR JUST STEREO 5 CHANNEL. I CANT WAIT TELL I CAN PURCHASE A SUB 8 AN 2 MORE MOD1′S TO MAKE MY FRONTS MOD’2 LIKE THE CENTER. SO THAT IS MY PLAN TO HAVE MOD’2 ALL UPFRONT AND SINGLES IN THE BACK ALONG WITH THE SUB8 TO COMPLETE MY HOME SYSTEM. MAYBE DOWN THE ROAD I WOULD THINK ABOUT GETTING 1-2 MORE MOD1′S FOR A 6.1 OR 7.1 SETUP. ANYWAY I THINK THESE SPEAKERS ARE A GREAT VALUE AND MY WIFE LOVES THEM FOR THERE SIZE AND HIDEABILITY (GOOD SALES POINT FOR US GUYS) AND THE PEOPLE AT ORB ARE TOTALLY AWESOME TO DEAL WITH, I ACTUALLY HAD ONE OF THE OWNERS PERSONALLY HELP ME WITH THE HOLE PROCESS OF PURCHASING WHAT I NEEDED TO GET STARTED, IT WAS A NICE THING TO KNOW THAT A BOSS TYPE WOULD BE WILLING TO HELP JUST A JOE SHMOO OUT PERSONALLY OVER THE PHONE.WHAT A DEAL ALL THE WAY AROUND.

Rating: 10 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful.

I have had these speakers in my game room for about a year. They are incredible sounding. My main theatre room is Martin Logan and these little Orbs rival the Martin Logan in most sound ranges. If you are looking for small satellites, you will not be disappointed in these speakers.

Rating: 10 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful.

I talked with Ethan and Will many times over the phone asking the usual dumb questions and trying to understand how “the kind of sound they were advertising” could come out of such little speakers. They were always patient with me and always had time to talk with me. The Speakers? They are unbelievable. They are crisp and clear. The sound is amazing in both movies and stereo. The reviews I have read are true. The action jumps right into your living room with these speakers. My living room/ Dining area is 17’7″ x 30′ with 11′ ceilings. Currently I have mod 2′s up front with the subwoofer and I will be ordering mod 1′s for the rear. I find it hard to believe the sound that comes out of these little speakers. They do seem to keep getting a little better as time goes on.

Rating: 10 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful.

I needed small, virtually invisible speakers for a fraternal meeting room–but I also needed excellent sound reproduction at an affordable price. My web research brought me back to Orb Audio almost every time. I swallowed hard and ordered a Mod2 5:1 system.

In the course of the transaction I had a very pleasant toll-free chat with Mr. Siegel in New York, who answered my questions not only knowledgeably, but very personably as well. We also exchanged cordial e-mails, and his answers usually appeared within minutes.

The speakers arrived impeccably packed and within just days of my order. Installing them was a breeze: the wall mounts and brackets are about as foolproof as it gets, and, like everything else in the boxes, the finish is perfect. The e-manuals are clear, with lots of good pictures, and thorough. I liked being able to print and bind them myself.

The bottom line has to be the sound, though. I’m still waiting to finish hooking up the rear surrounds, but I MUST say that, with just the fronts, center, and sub running, the sound is already simply astonishing.

I’m a retired Profesor of Music, so I can be pretty picky about accuracy of reproducing instrumental and vocal timbres. I have a whole shelf full of reference recordings to be picky with, from solo piano and organ recordings, to chamber music, to full orchestras, to delicate Renaissance vocal works. In EVERY case, these tiny steel grapefruits and their diminuitive subwoofer performed with almost stupefying clarity.

I’m using the JVC DVD/receiver combo Orb suggests, and Monster mini superflat hookup cable. The entire aural spectrum is clear and balanced, with no audible emphasis or drop-out at any point. The presence is uncanny–it really is like being in the midst of the performing ensemble (a place I’ve been often enough over the past 45 years).

These Orb Mod speakers may well be the best bargain in the high-end-audio-for-a-fast-food-budget market. I am still stunned by the sound every time I fire them up. I cranked a Bach organ fugue up about halfway, and nearly drove 20 grown men from the room–and there was no distortion whatsoever–ZERO!

Nobody cut any corners in building these components (and building them right here in the USA, too), and Orb’s customer service is simply outstanding.

Even if I weren’t ecstatic about these speakers, the company’s 30-day no-questions-asked return policy would allow me simply to pack them up and return them.

Orb Audio has products AND a business model that, in this age of snake oil and hyperbole, is unusual and refreshing. These folks are excellent audio engineers and honest business people. They have designed and built an excellent product, and sell it at a more-than-reasonable price.

Do NOT hesitate to try these speakers! You risk NOTHING except losing out on one of the greatest sudio bargains on the planet!

I guess there’s no zealot like a convert…

Rating: 10 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful.

Bought the Orb Super 8 sub woofer and was quite pleased with the sound. It’s exceptional for the price. Unfortunately, blew a capacitor after a couple of years. Replacement cost of the entire unit was $95.00, out of warranty. Don’t really mind the extra cost considering the quality of the sound. And replacement of the entire unit at that cost is a plus, if it lasts. But if it costs $95.00 every two years just to keep the subwoofer working, I won’t do it again. A much higher initial investment in a better known brand would seem the wiser course. Guess we’ll see. Orb has yet to prove its cost effectiveness to me. Just feel like a sub woofer should last longer than a couple of years.

Rating: 6 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful.

I’ll get to the point:

1.This system is worth every penny. If you have $500, save $500 more for the People’s Choice.

2.Don’t fear the inability to listen at a store. First Believe then have Faith that you expense will not be in vain.

3.I love the fact that these guys will email you back within 1/2 hour. Try that with Sony, Infinity, Hk, etc! Go ahead try ‘em..it’s comforting to know that the owners are responsive. They care, that means there ia quality product to be had.

4. The sound is AMESOME with CD’s. I don;t know how they do it but don’t let the little Orbs fool you. Guys, size does not matter in this case!

5. Don;t even think about buying BOSE.

6. The Super Eight makes your heart feel like is going to explode when heavy bass kicks in..sound is tight and solid.

7. The mounts are crazy cool when the speakers hang from the ceiling.

8. Don;t short change these speakers with a poor amplifier..got to go all the way. My system kicks butt with a $249.00 Denon 1906.

9. Did I mention that the sound is INCREDIBLE.

10. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED WITH THIS PURCHASE

Rating: 10 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful.

Two years ago we had just completed building our retirement home and wanted to set up a home theater. We prewired the room (24×30′) for a 5:1 surround system (duh, didn’t even think of 7:1 at the time) and ordered a Yamaha RX-V2400 Receiver, a Sony 400 disc DVD player and a Panasonic 50" plasma TV (now replaced with a Panasonic PT-AE900U projector and a 150" elite elec screen). Left the speakers til last, since although I hadn’t a clue, my wife absolutely hated the thought of ‘big’ speakers.

So, when everything else was in, I spent about two months on the web, researching every speaker I could find, and even went to my then bosses house to listen to his $5000 stereo speakers. That’s right, $5,000 for two speakers. They sounded great but, they were huge and, they were way beyond my budget.

Being a total non-audiophile, I read and learned non-stop on speakers. Without going through all of my research, let me simply state that I ended up, over and over, coming back to the ORB web site. They had terrific reviews, I called and they called me back every time, within an hour or so (that is, if they didn’t answer the phone right away which was 99% of the time) and, they sounded like decent guys.

So, I took a chance and ordered 14 white Orbs and two subwoofers, with the plan to install a 5:1 in the library/home theater and the other four (2:1) set up in the family room.

Well, since I was in the Navy and worked 150 miles away, and was busy doing other things when I came home on weekends, the Orbs sat in their boxes for almost a year before they were ever ‘fired up’. However, the day that I finally got the entire set up, set up, to watch a DVD on the Panasonic 50" TV, my brother and sister in law were staying with us and they chose Titanic.

Well, the sound from those 10 Orbs was better than ANY movie theater I have ever been in. My sister in law, Ann, raved about the sound and said to my brother, "this is the best sounding movie I have ever been to, we’ve got to get this set up for our retirement house".

Well, since he was my brother, I ended up selling him one of the Orb subwoofers and four of my Orb white speakers (Mod 1′s). He also has a 5:1 set up, with a Panasonic PT-AE900U, the same Yamaha receiver, and two Rectilinear III’s as front left/right speakers (that he managed to get out of me about 20 years ago). Last August, we went to his house and even though he has 4, vs our 10 Orbs, the sound was still fabulous.

Before I bought Orbs, I had the usual questions about who the h%ll are these guys and are these some tinny little speakers?

All I can say is that, for me, a sonic novice, I have no desire to ever have another set of speakers, other than Orbs.

Finally, I’m getting ready to order another subwoofer from Orb, to go with my Yamaha YSP-1 sound processor (don’t buy one, buy Orbs). I got mine for $572.00 and even at that ridiculously low price, it can’t begin to compare with just two Orb mod-1′s (single speakers..you can stack two of them on top each other with an Orb stand, hence the names Mod-1 for one speaker alone or, Mod-2 for two of them stacked).

In closing, we have people over for ‘ a night at the movies’ about every month or two. In every case, our neighbors can’t believe it. Neither my brother nor I have had one single problem with our Orb’s or our Orb subwoofers, even though they have been left on automatic continuously now for 1 and two years.

If you are looking for superlative speakers and very, very reasonable prices, do yourself a favor and order them. They even give you 30 days to evaluate them. What do you have to lose?

P.S. I don’t work for Orb, don’t know any of their employee’s, owners personally and haven’t a clue about their company, other than if I were a betting man, I’d bet that you will feel the same way.

Rating: 10 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful.

I researched for speakers and somehow found ORB audio. After a week or so I ended up listening to the speakers in their CA branch and I must say that I was impressed. They were kind enough to demo a couple of DVD’s as well as a CD to demonstrate what these speakers are all about. It was also an added bonus to see them actually being built on site.

To make a long story short I purchased ORB’s MOD2 to compliment my Onkyo 875 and I must say I’m very pleased with the sound I’m getting out of these ORB’s. I never thought that I could replicate the sound from their show room, but I was wrong. Here’s another positive review for ORB Audio!

Rating: 10 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful.

What can I say about these speakers that has not already been said? Not an easy thing to do, but I will take a shot.

I came from a world where space was available and big boxy speakers where the norm. When I moved to NYC i found myself in cramped quarters and my big boxy (and beloved Infinity’s) simply did not fit. My GF wanted for us to go the Bose route, but I simply could not stand the design or hollow sound. Enter the Orb’s… I will admit that at first I had an issue with going for speakers that I could not hear or ever see live. I read review upon review, pitting them against everything I could find, especially the high end Bose system my GF was pushing for.

That I took the plunge (behind her back) was probably the most courageous and in turn best thing I have ever done. WE LOVE OUR SYSTEM!!! these speakers are incredible. The sound that emanates from them rivals my old towers, I could not believe that a single driver paired with a sub could provide the imaging that I get. Properly place and calibrated these speakers and my trusty Denon 2807 sound absolutely wonderful. Do they sound like my buddy’s $4000 B&W setup, no… But man o man it is sooooo close!

I recently had a friend over and she was asking us where did all this sound come from as we were watching Days of Thunder on our 58″ plasma. I pointed to my orbs, which BTW look sick on their HOSS stands ( I got four stands and they simply look like a work of art). She was blown away, so much in fact that after the movie, I showed her the web site and she bought the same system that night. She had the advantage of having been able to hear them live before buying. I went and setup her orbs when they came. We did a before and after comparison of Pink Floyd’s Shine on your crazy Diamond and I was simply floored by the difference in sound while using the same Sony receiver. She is a happy camper no doubt!

As my speakers have broken in, we find ourselves listening to more music than ever before, the way these speakers handle themselves is something that has to be heard to be believed. The highs, mids and the bass, the bass is awesome. The Super 8 has to be one of the best subs I have ever heard!

I love these speakers so much that for Christmas, I am getting a Classic 2 set for my PC. Let’s see how Bioshock sounds on those puppy’s!

I recommend these speakers to anyone that cares to listen to me evangelize about their prowess with Music and HT. They are the best value on the market and the guys at Orb, love what they do. They answered all of my questions, all of my questions and trust me they were plentiful!

Go for it, trust me when I say that there is simply no way you will be returning them once you have set them up.

Strengths:

The SOUND! The look, the luxurious texture and craftsmanship. They look like a work of art and the SOUND, did I mention the sound? Splurge for the HOSS stands and smile every time you walk into your room!

Weaknesses:

IMO – NONE. Well, perhaps the fact that I live in an apartment and can’t crank them up the way I want to all the time.

Similar Products Used:

Never had satellite speakers before , but have owened the following:

Infinity RS series

Paradigm

Bose 901

these speakers blow all of these away

Rating: 10 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful.

My system is designed for a condo; near field listening and the Orbs fill the bill. I stared with 6 orbs and my Velodyne 806 sub which worked well. My concern was that the Orbs are 4 olm. I wanted/needed 8olm. I sent two back and got a refund with no problem. I then matched a Polk RM8 8 center with 2 Polk surrounds with stands that I picked up at a Sound Advice that was going out of biz. for 1/2 price. Joined the Orbs together to make two front speakers and this made them 8 olm. All work great as one. When listening to my CDs I set the A/V receiver to Pure Direct which kicks the Orbs in right up front for great stereo sound. I like the 2 Orbs together rather then as singles for fuller sound. Great small system for big sound.

Rating: 10 :: 0 out of 0 people found this user review helpful.

Hey folks,

Remember, you get what you pay for. The Orbs are made of a cheaper grade of steel that will rust over a short period of time. The cheap steel in combination with inferior component parts makes for speakers that will not last or sound good over the long haul. Keep in mind that the owner of Orb was once the VP of Gallo. The owner of Orb is not an audio engineer. Anthony Gallo is. Remember you don’t get Bently performance and quality with Cadilac money.

Rating: 8 :: 0 out of 3 people found this user review helpful.