From jay.fortunato@cliffordchance.com Mon Feb 07 11:48:24 2005
Subject:XK3 vs Electro vs CX3


In the hope that this will be of interest to someone else in the group
here's my CX3 vs Electro vs XK3 saga.

I have owned a CX3 for several year (updated to V2) and do like it
(especially through my new Speakeasy Clone preamp and Barbetta
SE41).Since recently joining this group all the talk about the Electro
and XK3 has made me more curious about these boards.I had tried both
briefly a while ago and my only impression at the time was that the
keyboard on the XK3 was very disappointing.On one of my recent visits
to Guitar Center I saw that they had an Electro73 and XK3 set up right
above one another which made comparing them very convenient and I
spent some time doing just that.They both sounded really good and I
don't know if I just got used to the XK3 keyboard or Hammond has
upgraded it from the earlier ones, but I found it to be OK.What really
impressed me was how close the sound of the Electro was to the XK3
especially since the Electro was playing through some bookshelf sized
monitors and the XK3 was hooked to a full Leslie 21 system (granted
this was a low volume).I decided to level the playing field I would
listen to both through my own headphones, ones that I've used many
times at home with my CX3 (Sony MDR-7506).Saturday I returned to GC
with the headphones and spent an hour or two comparing...here are my
impressions:

Both boards sound better than the CX3.The reason I say better as
opposed to just different sounding is that not only doesn't the CX3
get the whistle right on the higher drawbars, it also sounds shrill.
It also doesn't come quite as close to the fat and flutey real Hammond
sound.

The Electro overall is very close to the XK3 but when you switch from
one to the other I have to say that there is more clarity and
definition to the chords played on the XK3 and that even though the
whistle of the Electro is pleasing, there is something more immediate
and exciting to the sound when you switch to the XK3...I think it just
plain sounds more like the real thing.

As far as Leslie simulation goes the XK3 is definitley the least
convincing of the three, it just has a slightly wierd warbley
component.Without hearing the CX3 and Electro together I can't say if
one is better than the other but to me both are very good (for C/V I
think the CX3 might be slightly weaker than the others).

Therefore, based on sound, portability, the great additional "e-piano"
type sounds and the Leslie simulation for me buying an Electro is a no
brainer (I'm just not sure whether to get the 61 or the 73).

And of couse I want an XK3 too....

Jay