Bill Dudleston's scientific research in technical and acoustical areas is not only used in his speakers, but has earned him wide recognition. The press has been praising his products, and recently he even found his name placed alongside Nobel Prize laureates and statesmen of the Mid-West in the regional Hall of Fame. He is also listed in the American business Who's Who. Bill Dudleston has built Legacy monitors for Arista, Sony, the Universal Music Group, Epic Records, and archival organizations like the Stradivari-Violin-Society. Multiple Grammy winning producers like Rick Rubin, Antonio "LA" Reid, and mastering-engineer Herb Powers are using or have used Legacy Audio to work with artists like Sheryl Crowe, Johnny Cash, Tom Petty, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Mariah Carey, and many more. Re-Mastering-Engineers like Steve Hoffman used the Legacy speakers for work on the remasters of Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and Nat King Cole.

Right after Wolf Tiling set up the speakers slightly toed in and left me for my testing, I started with my vinyl collection for a first listening test. On the turntable side, I used the Audio Exklusiv 103 pickup mounted in my Bardo turntable. I was amazed by the spatial representation that beat my Triangle Grand Concert significantly in depth and openness. Even at low frequencies, the Legacy delivers decent volume without exaggeration. The Legacy speakers remind me of the Model One from Ubiq Audio, which really impressed me a few months ago. Just as then, I experienced with the Signature SE an imposing sonic balance, which is not over-analytical but provides a complete picture of the music with three-dimensional depth. The tonal match of the Legacy brings back memories of days gone by. Incidentally, the great speakers at that time were mainly of American origin. Even though I normally like clear and defined set-ups best, the Legacy's impressed me with their power in the lower octaves. Its way of matching this power with transparency, speed, and clarity sets the Signature SE apart from its competitors. The dual AMT ribbon combination is quite sensible. Even with amps that tend to be (overly) clear with high frequencies, the AMT works well, although its whole potential is of course only unleashed with the right amp as a partner. The Spectral DMA-100 worked great with the Signature, but was outperformed by the Air Tight tube mono amps. With these amps the Signature produced a clarity and an ease of musical performance which I have never experienced before. The effort put towards choosing an amp really pays off. But that doesn't mean that you'll have to spend a fortune to get a well-working match. The Dayens Ecstasy III integrated amp, which costs around 2800€, worked great with the speakers: This combination has made me slightly addicted to the Signature SE. The chorus of Carl Orff's Carmina Burana played from the Telarc CD seemed to stand in a broad formation inside my music room, and the instruments played with impressive dynamics and power. The Third Symphony (Organ) from Camille Saint-Saéns conducted by Charles Munch with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, played from vinyl, sounded on the one hand warm and compact, but at the same time provided wonderfully constructed details. The organ supported the orchestra powerfully, while the brass players sounded clear without being too sharp or unpleasant to the ear. Clear voices like Katie Meluas from the Piece by Piece album – streamed from Qobuz –sounded truly astonishing, and the instruments built a wonderful sonic image.

I'm not sure how often I listened to Joni Mitchell's Lady of the Canyon to enjoy the fascinating resolution, warmth, and glory of sound produced by the Legacys. Like I said, it's hard to part ways with these speakers. It is good fun to listen to any genre through the Signature, which shines even with hard rock, like with Free, Live, recorded on 9/13/1970 in the Fairfield Halls in Croydon, or the Amon Düül II Song "Archangel Thunderbird" from the Yeti CD. I do not know very many speakers that are so versatile on such a high level, and can convey any musical style as holistically authentic. Despite the homogeneity and the amount of sound, details don't get lost, but instead impress. That is an outstanding feature of Legacy's. The plucked upright bass feels powerful but never boomy with the Jazz trios, a piano sounds full of energy, and the notes clearly accentuated. String arrangements of classical music are interpreted with splendor, delicacy, and accuracy but also transparency and warmth—that is hard to find. Legacy Audio has a sound that doesn't lull you, yet presents the details with relaxed ease. Add to this the astonishing dynamic capabilities; these speakers brake for nothing. This applies not only to the bold or rough, but especially to the essence and the vitality of fine instrumentation.