Well they have been out on the market for about ten years and have had countless reviews and demo notes if you look around.
When I heard a dealer demo they did sound good and very detailed if a little dry. Also bring a big a** amp with lots of current to the party. |
I have listened to them on several occasions. I agree with mofojo. They are very good. Best when paired with a great amp with large transformer, high current and slightly to the warm side of neutral. Think CODA, SimAudio, Pass Labs, Audio Research, Mark Levinson. |
I have had them for about 6 years. Have not felt the need to listen to many others or replace.
[1] Very natural and transparent sound - good "balance" base to treble
[2] a tad (very tad) reticent in the upper mid register of the human voice, but its not a big deal and its a bit room dependent; not a boom box speaker - the bass is musical and goes down to the floor - but it doesn't shake the house either. It maintains pitch and PRAT which is what I was looking for.
[3] Takes up power - but I am driving it three different amps at times - they all work and sound great (but a tad different) - for large power top to bottom, have some DAC Ultra Cherry Mono (its a 800W PWM amp) - amp is good not great. Have a Wells Audio Immorata which is a great SS amp (great is not hyperbole - check out Jeff Wells amp!) - this is as good a sound I've heard from traditional speakers using SS without spending the next level up in both amp and speaker $. But - it really sounds the best with my PrimaLuna Dialogue HP amplifier (very nice tube amp using KT150s to generate around 96W ) for a lot of music outside of very complex and dynamic music.
[4] Easy to use speakers in that you can walk around the room or house without only sitting in the sweet spot of the room, and still get a reasonable fine and balanced stage, resolution, and tonal balance
[5] Look great
[6] Not really super-duper expensive, but probably gets you 80-90% of the ultra-speakers (at $100,000+) at about 15% of the price...
[7] If you really miss "in your face sound" then go buy some tickets to a live concert with the savings otherwise, for most good sources and very good equipment chain (you probably have to spend $20,000-$30,000 source to amp and cables to equal the speaker).
[8] Not the last word in sound stage, not the last word in macrodynamics, not the last word in very fine resolution - but you probably have to spend more or warp your taste in other areas to do much better in an all arounder sense of the word
[9] If I lost these speakers somehow, I'd still put them on my list to test and predict 50/50 I'd still buy them over the competition at the same level or $ or slightly higher. |
Had them for about18 months now. I moved to the Salons from Paradigm Signature 8s. Both speakers use Be for their tweeters and, in listening to both, you can identify the similarity in sound signature. However, the similarity between the two speakers ends at the use of the same element for their tweeters. The Revel presents a top yo bottom integration and refinement in sound. These speakers have to be on spikes or some such support.
For the first week that I had them, I placed the unsupported base on a carpeted surface. I thought that I was hearing a very good low end. Then I spiked the speakers and was treated to what sounded like 'less' bass but also to a refinement in the low signal that really showed why these speakers are so special. These are so insanely articulate.
in the 18 months since acquiring them, I have not fiddled with the boundary controls and the tweeter refinements. One of these days, when I have the time, I'm going to see how those controls change the listener experience.
I pair the Revels with an Ayre VX-5 Twenty. Until a few weeks ago, I had used an Ayre V5xe. The difference is tangible. The VX-5 is far more powerful than the V5xe - not just in the numbers but in the way that the music is presented with urgency. The VX-5 is a highly refined amplifier with bags of power, it facilitated using the Revel's top to bottom seamless deliver and the setting up of a gorgeous soundstage. |
I visited axpona 2018 and got to hear quite a few speakers and I heard nothing that made me want to swap out my Salon's, I suppose in an average size room you could spend less and get comparable sound. I've heard these speakers in 3 different room/systems and they sounded different in each. Mine are driven by a Hegel h360 and I would say they're accurate with excellent imaging, another system drove them with 350w ML monoblocks and that was Impressive, rich, full, warm and articulate if I win the lotto! another system was krell 575 mono's driving them and that system sounded a little light in the midrange, but loaded on the top and bottom. I probably don't need speakers this big for my room but these are addicting and difficult to replace for the money. listening to ten years after 'a space in time' right now and it never sounded better. |
Would love to hear Salon 2's, I have Studios. The big issue beside cost over here in Australia, is I don't think any of my music rooms would be big enough. My biggest room's are approx. 16.5 x 13 ft. and 18.5 x 11.5 ft. My Studios comfortably fill these rooms with sound. I would think the Salon's might be just too much for these rooms.
Still really like the Studios, and they are the pick of all my Speakers. Love big Amps which can push out plenty of current. Assume the Salons are a "bigger" sounding version with a similar sonic signature?
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A hall of fame speaker imo.
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So how big are the music rooms of the owners of Salon's?
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It’s the ones Floyd Toole owns, so that should tell you something. Before reviewing the KEF Blade 2, John Atkinson stated the Salon 2 was his reference speaker.
Room layout/construction does matter as well.
I’d love to hear the Salk SoundScape 12’s in person, they are amazing bang for buck, is a literal full range, and comes in ~100 finish options.
But yeah, those Salk’s and the Blade 2 would be the only competitors I know of. |
Inforthemusic,
I just bought new Salon 2’s last night and they are the best speaker I have ever heard or owned. My room is 20x20x12. They have countour switches on back so should prove to be flexible in most rooms.
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@telescope_trade Thank you. I think my rooms are a little small and my Studios comfortably fill the room with sound. However, if I do ever see a pair of Salon's in Oz at a real good price I could be tempted down the track. Sort of curious with my sublime Vincent SP-998 Mono's which cruise on the Studios. Think they would be a match made in heaven with Salon's.
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Can anyone tell me the thread size of the salon2's spikes? |
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I bought the Salon2's to replace my salon1's and have gotten quite a bit of interest since listing them, no buyers yet as shipping is $$$. Nearly every inquiry comes with the question " what did you replace the Salon with"? Then when I tell them they want to know what's different. Well, last night I put the 1's into the system and sat back to listen. they are still very impressive sounding and musical presenting each song effortlessly and being rear ported I think I was able to get a little more bass into the room, it took a few master recordings before I was able to hear why I replaced them with the 2's and it came down to the space between instruments and singers on the stage where the Salon2's pull away from the originals. It might be as simple as a tower speaker imaging better in my room, but after playing the night they drove ol Dixie down by The Band the 2's made the room disappear. After listening to all the offerings at axpona I think the Salons are still a bargain for the price and they might be the best rock speakers you can get, but the 2's take detail to the next level. |
I’m not going to argue with the scores of people who have focused on getting the right amplifier for the Salon2. I’ve been using an Ayre VX-5 Twenty to what I thought was great effect. Two weeks ago, I replaced my Audio Research DAC8 with a PS Audio DirectStream. Holy hell what a difference. Whilst the Directstream has still not been broken in, I’ve experienced a fantastic difference in bass response and in the overall colour palette of all genre of music. I’ll post more as the Dac acclimatizes but, I’ll tell you now, yes, with these speakers, amplifier pairing may be important but the DAC oh, the DAC! |
What do you mean by “difference in bass response?” |
