Did you get to hear these instead? https://www.stereophile.com/content/yamaha-brings-multiple-debuts-axpona
-
WANTED: Happy members who like to discuss audio and other topics related to our interest. Desire to learn and share knowledge of science required. There are many reviews of audio hardware and expert members to help answer your questions. Click here to have your audio equipment measured for free!
$30K Budget - On the quest for my "end game" speaker
- Thread starter MKR
- Start date
- Status
You may want to start a thread specifically about the Yamaha speaker. It will cast a broader net.
im sitting on pins and needles, so curious to hear your report!Wow, what a show AXPONA was ... Crazy attendance, a LOT of people. Great to see the interest in HEA, but sheesh there were so many people you could hardly move through the halls at some points. Bonkers, but again a good sign as it indicates to me the relative health of the industry. With that said, the majority of the gear was the typical ridiculously priced HEA snake oil, tragic and hilarious at the same time to see some of the nonsense these folks are peddling. At this point I find it more amusing than anything that people continue to buy into the silliness. Oh well, is what it is. But, there were definitely some diamonds in the rough. Overall my sons and I had an absolute blast, crazy good time. We definitely got our exercise, with two days at the show we hit almost 20 miles walking in 2 days! While I had a short list to check out, I would say we hit roughly 80% of all the rooms/demos. First day was a survey to narrow the list, second day more focused listening from the short list created on day 1.
Anyway, I took extensive notes and will try to get my observations out by end of day, but may not happen until tomorrow. As a bit of a look ahead, Salon 2 not at the top of my list any longer... stay tuned ...
It’s like waiting for the last episode of Breaking Bad.
I think he likes to tease.
season finale or series finale?
Series Finale. We’re talking speakers here. Big dollar speakers. No one cares what amp, DAC, streamer,… he buys. Those might be a season finale. But it’s speakers, the one thing that matter most.
Well other than power conditioners. ;-)
Maybe nest year try Saturday?
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2019
- Messages
- 7,342
- Likes
- 12,317
OP went to Chicago and ended up putting a down payment on the Estelons...and lost his computer gear and internet connection in the divorce proceedings.
Erm. You are kidding right?
- Thread Starter
- #2,233
Howdy all, sorry for the delay, always painful when ya take time off of work and have to come back and play catch-up. By the way, funny comments, y’all crack me up ;-)
*** The usual disclaimer … These are my SUBJECTIVE opinions, reporting only what I heard on those two days with MY ears and in less than ideal show conditions, please don’t get your feelings hurt if I didn’t like your favorite speaker … and for what it’s worth, my sons were in unanimous agreement with my opinions.
I expect there will be some surprises below … For your reading enjoyment and in no particular order …
Acora VRC-1 - New flagship floor standers. These are very good loudspeakers (as I have now come to except from Acora). In a very large hall listening space and they filled it with ease, even though they aren’t the biggest speakers (though not small either!). Incredible dynamics, massive soundstage. But well above my budget. However, while I appreciate the attempt to have fully inert enclosures (granite), you can achieve same with a well designed MDF or less cabinet. So this is unnecessary excess no doubt about. But you want a dead cabinet? Doesn’t get any deader than this.
Focal Maestro Utopia Evo - I have always been a fan of Focal, but have found them to be a bit too tipped up (HF) and sterile for my liking. But, these were very, very good. Still a bit too much “sparkle” on that top end for my tastes (my ears would get fatigued after a long listening session), but again excellent. If I wanted a “sparkly” speaker, I would take Focal over B&W every time (they have a similar presentation to my ears). Regardless, if this is your cup of tea, a superb choice.
Arion Apollo (towers and 1x sub per side) - Was really curious about these, but terrible. Very harsh top end, no imaging whatsoever, compressed. Disappointing. Fully active and these were using a Trinnov Amethyst for room EQ and crossovers, so I certainly expected better than what I heard. Not sure what was going on here, but quite the mess. I could only stand abut 5 min.
Borresen 05 (I think) - Excellent, but very expensive. I think you can do equal/better for a lot less money, but exceptional loudspeakers, no doubt about it.
Clarysis Minuet - Uhhh, what can I say, these were stunning. Superb. Never been much of a panel speaker fan (electrostatic, ribbon, planar, etc), but these were incredible. Massive soundstage, holographic, detail and imaging on point, low freq that plumbed the depths yet very fast and kicked you in the chest. I kept looking for a sub, but not there. Interestingly there were an pair of Minuets in two rooms. One with all the Shunyata cables and power condition nonsense, other very simple, basic cables, and a singular Hegel 2ch amp. Guess which sounded better, yup, the system without all the snake oil. These and the Diptyque were the biggest unexpected surprise for me.
Diptyque Reference - Very similar comments as the Clarysis, amazing. Larger soundstage/presentation mainly because the larger Reference model was being demoed vs the smaller Clarysis Minuet. Wow, just wow.
D&D 8C - Was really curious to hear these, a lot of hype and positive press. The hype is real, these were excellent. At least in this room and these show conditions, I would take the 8C over the Kii.
Estelon Extreme (flagship) - I expected more from such a massive speaker and I likely decent engineering. Sound was just OK. Not to mention I couldn’t take being gazed upon by a giant alien constantly while listening (take a look at a pic of the speakers and you will know what I am talking about). Not sure what they cost, but I am sure it is insane. No thanks.
Linkwitz 521 - I have extensive experience with the original Orion and always loved Siegfried’s designs. These were no exception. Excellent loudspeaker. Clearly flat FR, wonderful holographic image, outstanding low freq as I have come to expect from SL dipole sub design. These would go on the short list but not quite up to my end game level as it relates to SPL and needing a larger speaker for my listening space. Regardless, wonderful.
MBL - I know many like MBL here on ASR, and they do have some positive attributes. But, they just aren’t my cup of tea. But they are very well designed and overall excellent sound, I just don’t like omni-polar, doesn’t sound “real” to me. They were also lacking dynamics and detail.
Stenheim Uptime 2 (I think) - Matched my previous experience with Stenheim, superb. These are well designed loudspeakers, the Stenheim folks know what they are doing. Nothing to complain about, but over my budget.
Perlisten S7t - Excellent as usual, but I just can’t get past that tweeter. Too low and as with my previous auditions, the musicians appear to be the height of munchkins. Cognitive dissonance.
Piega Master Line Source 3 - Very good. Outstanding low freq presentation, holographic imaging, and soundstage. Maybe a bit hot on the top. Above my budget, else a contender.
Plasmatronics - This was nuts. They work and sound very good (tweeter only, can’t recall what was being used for as a separate mid/woofer setup), but the setup was completely bonkers and unrealistic (and the vendor said as much!). There was literally a massive tank of helium lying on the floor in from of the speakers to generate the plasma. But the sound quality? Superb. Cool to see and experience, but that is about it.
PS Audio - These folks had a massive/impressive setup at the show. I consider PS Audio to be a very good marketing company, and it showed, too bad their products are mediocre. Including the new FR30/20 speakers. They were ok, but mostly meh. But this was one of the busiest halls at the show, the audiophiles were just eatin it up.
Scaena Iso Linear Array - Definitely wanted to hear these. Interesting line array design with massive stacks of separate subs (which never played for some reason). Sadly these were disappointing. No imagining whatsoever, actually a small soundstage, tiny sweet spot. Anemic LF. Something maybe wrong here, not sure. Anyway they get a “meh” from me.
Vandersteen Treos - These were quite good, though they were running with a pair of subs (brand I never heard of before), would have been nice to hear without the subs. But what I did hear was well balanced and pleasant.
Von Schweikert Ultra 55 (I think) - Never been a big fan of VS. Meh.
YG Acoustics - Not much to say, also a meh.
ATC - Not sure which model this was, but very bright/harsh. I could only handle about 3 min before running from the room.
Dali Kore - The listening space was in a large open area in hotel, with a ton of ambient noise, practically impossible to really hear these speakers. So cutting them a bit of slack. But what I did hear? Terrible.
Joseph Audio Pearl Graphene - Much better than my previous audition. Very nice. Nothing really to complain about, but neither did they “wow” me. Over my budget regardless.
Grimm Be - Very good. But very expensive and regardless I would take the D&D 8C over these easily.
Goebel Divin Noblesse - Massive and crazy expensive that did nothing for me. I can’t imagine what these things weigh. Meh.
Aretai Contra 100S - These were very good, never heard of this brand before. Didn’t spend too much time with these, but upon first listen seem to be a well executed design. Would love to hear their larger floor standers. Likely not quite what I am looking for for “end game”, but for anyone in the hunt, should be seriously considered.
Legacy V System and Aeris - See below additional comments, but the Legacy folks are top notch, great peeps. As I stated in previous post, they brought the V System to the show purely based upon my request, they had no plans to bring them otherwise. And it must have been a pain, because they are BIG. This is still astonishing to me they did this. The Aeris sounded as amazing as before, but then I made a big mistake. I had them switch over to the V System and there was no turning back. It is an entirely different level. Incredible loudspeaker. Absolutely nothing to complain about. Not to mention massive and incredible craftsmanship. If you like big and beautiful with the sound to match, tough to go wrong here. V System a bit over budget but close enough to maybe find a way. These are in the top five.
Revel Salon 2 - Was very surprised they had a pair at show given they are being discontinued. Maybe a push to sell those final 15 pairs or so ;-). Anyway, absolutely terrible. These were not the Salon 2s I know. Sounded like a $100 Walmart boom box. What they heck? Something was wrong here with electronics, connections, or speakers broken, not sure. If this is the only impression folks will have of the Salon 2, good luck selling the remaining inventory. Regardless, I know how good these sound, this was an anomaly.
T+A Solitaire S540 - Good imagining, bass, but a little subdued, muddled, poor separation. Was very interested in these, but no more.
Credo Cinema LTM - Never heard of this brand before and I was shocked. Massive line array loudspeakers. Amazing, dynamic, crystal clear sound, smooth, spooky holographic imagery and detail, low freq that kicked you in the just and made your cheeks flap. Blah, blah. It was all there. Simply Superb loudspeakers. But, WAY over my budget.
Credo 1202 - Astonishing sound stage and low freq for smaller speakers. How they were able to get the big sound and LF extension out of these smaller speakers I have no idea, but also excellent. I had a very nice discussion with the designer, great fella, very young (took over company from his dad), incredible what he has accomplished here.
Note I auditioned many other speakers than noted above, but if no comment, it is because they were not noteworthy for me (in a positive or negative way) and just didn’t want to take the time to comment, or I had already spent significant time with a particular model at dealer on prior auditions. If you want my thoughts on a speaker not mentioned, feel free to ask away (of course possible I just didn’t hear them for one reason or another).
You will likely notice I have effectively zero comments on electronics. There is a reason … I consider this piece of the HiFi chain to be irrelevant at this point. Meaning, you can obtain such high performance for so little money these days (source, amplification) that there is no point to wax poetic about this amp or that amp, this source or that source, etc. And don’t get me started on cables and power conditioning, ugh. Pick the source and amplification you like (making sure if passive the amp can handle the speaker load you are driving!), and high quality (low cost!) interconnect, put ~20% of your budget there, spend the remaining time/energy and funds in the loudspeakers!
I will say that the number of vendors running LP source and toobs for amplification was significant. My guess they don’t do this because it is the best sound, it is because many audiophiles believe this is best sound and If avenger is running the lzsudpekers with the “old stuff”, then they are doing so only to cater to a perception. Fair enough, you do what you gotta do to sell gear. With this said, I love LPs and toobs, they are fun and I can see why people like them, and they may sound better to YOU. But just don’t tell me they are more accurate to the original source because then you will get an eye roll from me.
I should also note the majority of the purveyors were very professional, kind, and patient. A lot of shall we say “eccentric” folks in this hobby and many of the vendors tolerated some interesting behavior with grace and professionalism. Many also answered my unending questions and allowed me to listen to my own music on several occasions. Overall very happy with all the vendors, some good peeps in this biz.
And a special call-out … The Legacy folks (including Bill Dudleston himself) were simply outstanding, spending a lot of time with me personally (including a late evening session just with me and my boys), even though they had many others demanding their attention. A special shout out to one particular Legacy team member that was extremely kind and gracious with his time (will not name to protect his privacy). Whether you like their speakers or not, you cannot argue Legacy customer service has got to e among the best in this crazy hobby/industry.
So … My best of show? Cost no object easily the Credo Cinema LTM. If I had the funds, this would be a no-brainer done deal. But very sadly I do not (not even close, at least if I want to retire some day) and these will have to remain untouchable dream speakers. Down the cost chain would be the Clarysis, Diptque, Legacy V System and Aeris. Followed by the Linkwitz 521 and Piegas, Stenheim. The Salon 2s are still wonderful loudspeakers, and in the top 10, but compared to the others above, they fall to the bottom of the list. And given the fact that they are truly being discontinued, I continue to be nervous about support. Note I did push the Harman folks quite hard on the Salon 3 status and they quickly defaulted to how good the F328Be was and that it was the Salons equal. Complete nonsense. And they were tight lipped on the Salon 3.
Well, that’s a wrap. The quest continues. When it ends I am not sure at this point. I am already planning 1-2 additional audition trips to spend more time with the transducers on my new short list.
Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have additional questions on what I heard at the show.
Onward and upward!
*** The usual disclaimer … These are my SUBJECTIVE opinions, reporting only what I heard on those two days with MY ears and in less than ideal show conditions, please don’t get your feelings hurt if I didn’t like your favorite speaker … and for what it’s worth, my sons were in unanimous agreement with my opinions.
I expect there will be some surprises below … For your reading enjoyment and in no particular order …
Acora VRC-1 - New flagship floor standers. These are very good loudspeakers (as I have now come to except from Acora). In a very large hall listening space and they filled it with ease, even though they aren’t the biggest speakers (though not small either!). Incredible dynamics, massive soundstage. But well above my budget. However, while I appreciate the attempt to have fully inert enclosures (granite), you can achieve same with a well designed MDF or less cabinet. So this is unnecessary excess no doubt about. But you want a dead cabinet? Doesn’t get any deader than this.
Focal Maestro Utopia Evo - I have always been a fan of Focal, but have found them to be a bit too tipped up (HF) and sterile for my liking. But, these were very, very good. Still a bit too much “sparkle” on that top end for my tastes (my ears would get fatigued after a long listening session), but again excellent. If I wanted a “sparkly” speaker, I would take Focal over B&W every time (they have a similar presentation to my ears). Regardless, if this is your cup of tea, a superb choice.
Arion Apollo (towers and 1x sub per side) - Was really curious about these, but terrible. Very harsh top end, no imaging whatsoever, compressed. Disappointing. Fully active and these were using a Trinnov Amethyst for room EQ and crossovers, so I certainly expected better than what I heard. Not sure what was going on here, but quite the mess. I could only stand abut 5 min.
Borresen 05 (I think) - Excellent, but very expensive. I think you can do equal/better for a lot less money, but exceptional loudspeakers, no doubt about it.
Clarysis Minuet - Uhhh, what can I say, these were stunning. Superb. Never been much of a panel speaker fan (electrostatic, ribbon, planar, etc), but these were incredible. Massive soundstage, holographic, detail and imaging on point, low freq that plumbed the depths yet very fast and kicked you in the chest. I kept looking for a sub, but not there. Interestingly there were an pair of Minuets in two rooms. One with all the Shunyata cables and power condition nonsense, other very simple, basic cables, and a singular Hegel 2ch amp. Guess which sounded better, yup, the system without all the snake oil. These and the Diptyque were the biggest unexpected surprise for me.
Diptyque Reference - Very similar comments as the Clarysis, amazing. Larger soundstage/presentation mainly because the larger Reference model was being demoed vs the smaller Clarysis Minuet. Wow, just wow.
D&D 8C - Was really curious to hear these, a lot of hype and positive press. The hype is real, these were excellent. At least in this room and these show conditions, I would take the 8C over the Kii.
Estelon Extreme (flagship) - I expected more from such a massive speaker and I likely decent engineering. Sound was just OK. Not to mention I couldn’t take being gazed upon by a giant alien constantly while listening (take a look at a pic of the speakers and you will know what I am talking about). Not sure what they cost, but I am sure it is insane. No thanks.
Linkwitz 521 - I have extensive experience with the original Orion and always loved Siegfried’s designs. These were no exception. Excellent loudspeaker. Clearly flat FR, wonderful holographic image, outstanding low freq as I have come to expect from SL dipole sub design. These would go on the short list but not quite up to my end game level as it relates to SPL and needing a larger speaker for my listening space. Regardless, wonderful.
MBL - I know many like MBL here on ASR, and they do have some positive attributes. But, they just aren’t my cup of tea. But they are very well designed and overall excellent sound, I just don’t like omni-polar, doesn’t sound “real” to me. They were also lacking dynamics and detail.
Stenheim Uptime 2 (I think) - Matched my previous experience with Stenheim, superb. These are well designed loudspeakers, the Stenheim folks know what they are doing. Nothing to complain about, but over my budget.
Perlisten S7t - Excellent as usual, but I just can’t get past that tweeter. Too low and as with my previous auditions, the musicians appear to be the height of munchkins. Cognitive dissonance.
Piega Master Line Source 3 - Very good. Outstanding low freq presentation, holographic imaging, and soundstage. Maybe a bit hot on the top. Above my budget, else a contender.
Plasmatronics - This was nuts. They work and sound very good (tweeter only, can’t recall what was being used for as a separate mid/woofer setup), but the setup was completely bonkers and unrealistic (and the vendor said as much!). There was literally a massive tank of helium lying on the floor in from of the speakers to generate the plasma. But the sound quality? Superb. Cool to see and experience, but that is about it.
PS Audio - These folks had a massive/impressive setup at the show. I consider PS Audio to be a very good marketing company, and it showed, too bad their products are mediocre. Including the new FR30/20 speakers. They were ok, but mostly meh. But this was one of the busiest halls at the show, the audiophiles were just eatin it up.
Scaena Iso Linear Array - Definitely wanted to hear these. Interesting line array design with massive stacks of separate subs (which never played for some reason). Sadly these were disappointing. No imagining whatsoever, actually a small soundstage, tiny sweet spot. Anemic LF. Something maybe wrong here, not sure. Anyway they get a “meh” from me.
Vandersteen Treos - These were quite good, though they were running with a pair of subs (brand I never heard of before), would have been nice to hear without the subs. But what I did hear was well balanced and pleasant.
Von Schweikert Ultra 55 (I think) - Never been a big fan of VS. Meh.
YG Acoustics - Not much to say, also a meh.
ATC - Not sure which model this was, but very bright/harsh. I could only handle about 3 min before running from the room.
Dali Kore - The listening space was in a large open area in hotel, with a ton of ambient noise, practically impossible to really hear these speakers. So cutting them a bit of slack. But what I did hear? Terrible.
Joseph Audio Pearl Graphene - Much better than my previous audition. Very nice. Nothing really to complain about, but neither did they “wow” me. Over my budget regardless.
Grimm Be - Very good. But very expensive and regardless I would take the D&D 8C over these easily.
Goebel Divin Noblesse - Massive and crazy expensive that did nothing for me. I can’t imagine what these things weigh. Meh.
Aretai Contra 100S - These were very good, never heard of this brand before. Didn’t spend too much time with these, but upon first listen seem to be a well executed design. Would love to hear their larger floor standers. Likely not quite what I am looking for for “end game”, but for anyone in the hunt, should be seriously considered.
Legacy V System and Aeris - See below additional comments, but the Legacy folks are top notch, great peeps. As I stated in previous post, they brought the V System to the show purely based upon my request, they had no plans to bring them otherwise. And it must have been a pain, because they are BIG. This is still astonishing to me they did this. The Aeris sounded as amazing as before, but then I made a big mistake. I had them switch over to the V System and there was no turning back. It is an entirely different level. Incredible loudspeaker. Absolutely nothing to complain about. Not to mention massive and incredible craftsmanship. If you like big and beautiful with the sound to match, tough to go wrong here. V System a bit over budget but close enough to maybe find a way. These are in the top five.
Revel Salon 2 - Was very surprised they had a pair at show given they are being discontinued. Maybe a push to sell those final 15 pairs or so ;-). Anyway, absolutely terrible. These were not the Salon 2s I know. Sounded like a $100 Walmart boom box. What they heck? Something was wrong here with electronics, connections, or speakers broken, not sure. If this is the only impression folks will have of the Salon 2, good luck selling the remaining inventory. Regardless, I know how good these sound, this was an anomaly.
T+A Solitaire S540 - Good imagining, bass, but a little subdued, muddled, poor separation. Was very interested in these, but no more.
Credo Cinema LTM - Never heard of this brand before and I was shocked. Massive line array loudspeakers. Amazing, dynamic, crystal clear sound, smooth, spooky holographic imagery and detail, low freq that kicked you in the just and made your cheeks flap. Blah, blah. It was all there. Simply Superb loudspeakers. But, WAY over my budget.
Credo 1202 - Astonishing sound stage and low freq for smaller speakers. How they were able to get the big sound and LF extension out of these smaller speakers I have no idea, but also excellent. I had a very nice discussion with the designer, great fella, very young (took over company from his dad), incredible what he has accomplished here.
Note I auditioned many other speakers than noted above, but if no comment, it is because they were not noteworthy for me (in a positive or negative way) and just didn’t want to take the time to comment, or I had already spent significant time with a particular model at dealer on prior auditions. If you want my thoughts on a speaker not mentioned, feel free to ask away (of course possible I just didn’t hear them for one reason or another).
You will likely notice I have effectively zero comments on electronics. There is a reason … I consider this piece of the HiFi chain to be irrelevant at this point. Meaning, you can obtain such high performance for so little money these days (source, amplification) that there is no point to wax poetic about this amp or that amp, this source or that source, etc. And don’t get me started on cables and power conditioning, ugh. Pick the source and amplification you like (making sure if passive the amp can handle the speaker load you are driving!), and high quality (low cost!) interconnect, put ~20% of your budget there, spend the remaining time/energy and funds in the loudspeakers!
I will say that the number of vendors running LP source and toobs for amplification was significant. My guess they don’t do this because it is the best sound, it is because many audiophiles believe this is best sound and If avenger is running the lzsudpekers with the “old stuff”, then they are doing so only to cater to a perception. Fair enough, you do what you gotta do to sell gear. With this said, I love LPs and toobs, they are fun and I can see why people like them, and they may sound better to YOU. But just don’t tell me they are more accurate to the original source because then you will get an eye roll from me.
I should also note the majority of the purveyors were very professional, kind, and patient. A lot of shall we say “eccentric” folks in this hobby and many of the vendors tolerated some interesting behavior with grace and professionalism. Many also answered my unending questions and allowed me to listen to my own music on several occasions. Overall very happy with all the vendors, some good peeps in this biz.
And a special call-out … The Legacy folks (including Bill Dudleston himself) were simply outstanding, spending a lot of time with me personally (including a late evening session just with me and my boys), even though they had many others demanding their attention. A special shout out to one particular Legacy team member that was extremely kind and gracious with his time (will not name to protect his privacy). Whether you like their speakers or not, you cannot argue Legacy customer service has got to e among the best in this crazy hobby/industry.
So … My best of show? Cost no object easily the Credo Cinema LTM. If I had the funds, this would be a no-brainer done deal. But very sadly I do not (not even close, at least if I want to retire some day) and these will have to remain untouchable dream speakers. Down the cost chain would be the Clarysis, Diptque, Legacy V System and Aeris. Followed by the Linkwitz 521 and Piegas, Stenheim. The Salon 2s are still wonderful loudspeakers, and in the top 10, but compared to the others above, they fall to the bottom of the list. And given the fact that they are truly being discontinued, I continue to be nervous about support. Note I did push the Harman folks quite hard on the Salon 3 status and they quickly defaulted to how good the F328Be was and that it was the Salons equal. Complete nonsense. And they were tight lipped on the Salon 3.
Well, that’s a wrap. The quest continues. When it ends I am not sure at this point. I am already planning 1-2 additional audition trips to spend more time with the transducers on my new short list.
Don’t hesitate to let me know if you have additional questions on what I heard at the show.
Onward and upward!
What an awesome and no doubt exhausting trip. Interesting your comments on the Vandy's. A buddy of mine has the Quads, which have a built-in sub, and they sound quite nice to my ear. Also interesting on the planar speakers. I always enjoy planers when I audition them, but I can never get myself over the whole setup issues. In addition I always wonder if I'm being swayed by the soundstage, and am missing something on the FR side.
No Blades? I can't remember if you crossed them off the list a long time ago or not.
symphara
Addicted to Fun and Learning
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2021
- Messages
- 632
- Likes
- 592
Thanks for the write up, it was very informative. It seems that you went to Mount Doom but the quest wasn't completed!
Interesting what you said about Credo. I knew of them, but the prices are crazy. The Cinemas are 182k Swiss francs here, and the 1202 about 17k in piano black. This is for small, 20Kg speakers, that seem to go to about 35Hz, so not quite full range, more like KEF Reference 5, which I found rather lacking in the bass department.
I'll try to organise a demo but I'm extremely skeptical in terms of overall capability and value. I'm sure they sound nice, but 17k nice? I could import Revel 328Be and still have leftover cash for a nice holiday in Japan...
TimW
Major Contributor
I have a hard time understanding why the Legacy V has horizontally aligned midrange woofers and a sideways AMT tweeter. I guess those are actually two 4" tweeters side by side to form "a specially optimized post convergent array." I have never heard of post convergent array and neither has ChatGPT. I can just imagine the ragged comb filtered off axis response of this speaker in the mid to high frequencies.
MarkS
Major Contributor
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2021
- Messages
- 1,079
- Likes
- 1,516
I would certainly want to listen carefully at different off-axis angles (unless I was buiding a system for one sweet-spot listener only).
Looking at the driver layout on the Aeris, the V, and the Whisper, I conclude that Legacy does not have a coherent design philosophy towards horizontal dispersion. It would be interesting to hear a real explanation of each design, without the marketing "post convergent array" mumbo-jumbo.
Looking at the driver layout on the Aeris, the V, and the Whisper, I conclude that Legacy does not have a coherent design philosophy towards horizontal dispersion. It would be interesting to hear a real explanation of each design, without the marketing "post convergent array" mumbo-jumbo.
Wow you definitely looked at way more than my buddy and I did. Your assessment on the salon2 is spot on as we felt the same. The funny thing is they were also showcasing the limited edition Mark Levinson amps. Thankfully all doubt was erased when I came home.
It’s too bad I didn’t get a chance to listen to the Legacy speakers at all.
What’s crazy is that a $30k budget may be considered a modest budget at Axpona. Hearing speakers over $100k is enjoyable but not realistic for most of us. Lucky for my wife, I told her after coming home and spending 30 minutes to 1 hour with my system (after hooking up the bluesound node) that I won’t need to buy new speakers for at least several years. It was music to her ears! Pun intended
.Hi end audio has gone off the deep end imho. All those stupid cables and gimmicks…I guess we all gotta make a buck. I just wont be spending any of my money on stuff like that.
- Status
