Yes and rather then re-invent my wheel, here is a slightly edited version of what's on my website. I apologize for its length and for hints of promotion, most of which I've tried to trim out. For those of you don't know, I am the importer and a dealer for this speakers, so feel free to add salt where you feel it's needed.
According to the Reynauds, while a goodly number of music lovers (and recording engineers), found the Offrande Signatures to have an ideal balance of increased resolution and traditional JMR warmth, the world of Reynaud lovers at large missed something in them that had drawn them to succeeding iterations of this definitive Reynaud for going on thirteen years. They heard, correctly, that unlike previous Offrandes that had been the essence of the entire JMR line, the Signatures stood somewhat apart from its siblings. Not so much as to be different in kind but clearly different in degree: they were more objective sounding through the upper midrange, making them superb recording monitors, but a tad less friendly in small domestic situations with side walls close by to reflect (and boost) the first wave of treble sound. In my large listening room in Massachusetts, with walls some six feet away (and a ceiling ten), they were excellent. In our room at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in 2006, when people stood along the walls they were equally impressive. But when the crowd thinned, exposing the flat, hard walls, they became a bit overwhelming. As presumably they also did in small rooms in Paris and Lyon as well. Clear and accurate but less "Reynaud-like," as Jean Claude Reynaud, Jean Marie's son, concedes.
And so, Jean Marie has reinvented Offrande, giving us a speaker that retains the advances of the Signature more authoritative bass response and a miraculously clear, wide dispersion, ribbon tweeter but that has a voice and overall balance closer to what has characterized Offrandes since their arrival into the audio world. On first hearing, I would say the Supreme is a significantly improved version of the last model before the Signature, maintaining its much-loved natural warmth but adding an even more dramatic sense of presence and immediacy and the best imaging of any Reynaud ever: its ability to represent space is uncanny. They have the ability to make you feel you have a direct connection with the music. And this is not just promotional baloney. Folks who feel that immediate sounding speakers have to be pushy and unmusical will be surprised by the Supremes.
I came to like the Offrande Signatures a great deal, but I understand their departure. They could only achieve their musical goals in spaces most of us do not inhabit.
Offrandes have always moved us in closer to the musicians than the JMR floorstanders, like the Orfeos and Concordes. That is what Offrandes do. They move us up so we can hear everything each instrument is saying before it blends with the others, in exchange for a bit less of the hall: less fullness, less reverb. The Orfeos and Concordes (and likely the Emeraudes as well, which I've not heard yet) are speakers that capture the sound we hear just after instruments begin to blend, where the treble just begins to taper off and where the overall sound is fuller, richer, and more reverberant. Not quite "mid-hall" fresher sounding than that but getting there.
Jean Maries favorite perspective has always been closer in, which is where his favorite speakers take us. The Offrande Signatures, to some ears, took us all the way in, closer than most were ready to go. You could say that in that sense, for many listeners, they overshot the mark, as many recording engineers do these days! The new Duets, his other favorites, take us in but not quite so close. Those with foresight might have seen in the Duets where new Offrandes would eventually go.
You could say the new Offrande Supremes are a perfectionists Duets, which is actually a way of praising the Duets. The new Offrandes provide a dramatically enhanced version of the Duets clear, naturally warm and immediate presentation. With the Offrandes we get more timbral detail, a still clearer and more liquid presentation, and the almost startling immediacy I referred to above. We get more of everything the Duets have. The Supremes are less absolutely transparent than the Signatures were, less absolutely objective sounding monitors of recordings; but they are more transparent than the pre-Sig Offrandes. Where the new Offrandes are conspicuously better than previous Offrandes, again, is in their imaging and in their engaging and descriptive midrange.
Having lived with these speakers for quite a while now, it is clear to me that the Offrande Signatures were a departure from the direct development of the Offrande tradition and that we are now back on the main track. If I were a recording engineer, I might mourn the passing of the Offrande Signature. As a music lover who must persuade other music lovers with living rooms rather than studios, I am very happy with the Supremes.
To anticipate a question from Erroll, Offrandes have always been designed for moderate (not very small) sized rooms 12-14' to 18-24 maybe. In this size space their overall balance should be perfect. In large rooms 18 x 36 and larger they can lean out a little, depending on ceiling height, furnishings, and the like. That is Orfeo and Concorde territory. Even the best stand-mount speakers in the world with 7.5 inch woofers can have trouble loading a very large space, though all of my comments above are based on listening in my fairly large living room (18' x 28' x 10'), so who knows?
The Offrande Supremes are significantly better Duets, much more authoritative and dynamic Contable Signatures, more expressive, immediate, and informative Emeraudes (I assume). They are as good as the Orfeos but offer a different perspective.
According to the Reynauds, while a goodly number of music lovers (and recording engineers), found the Offrande Signatures to have an ideal balance of increased resolution and traditional JMR warmth, the world of Reynaud lovers at large missed something in them that had drawn them to succeeding iterations of this definitive Reynaud for going on thirteen years. They heard, correctly, that unlike previous Offrandes that had been the essence of the entire JMR line, the Signatures stood somewhat apart from its siblings. Not so much as to be different in kind but clearly different in degree: they were more objective sounding through the upper midrange, making them superb recording monitors, but a tad less friendly in small domestic situations with side walls close by to reflect (and boost) the first wave of treble sound. In my large listening room in Massachusetts, with walls some six feet away (and a ceiling ten), they were excellent. In our room at the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest in 2006, when people stood along the walls they were equally impressive. But when the crowd thinned, exposing the flat, hard walls, they became a bit overwhelming. As presumably they also did in small rooms in Paris and Lyon as well. Clear and accurate but less "Reynaud-like," as Jean Claude Reynaud, Jean Marie's son, concedes.
And so, Jean Marie has reinvented Offrande, giving us a speaker that retains the advances of the Signature more authoritative bass response and a miraculously clear, wide dispersion, ribbon tweeter but that has a voice and overall balance closer to what has characterized Offrandes since their arrival into the audio world. On first hearing, I would say the Supreme is a significantly improved version of the last model before the Signature, maintaining its much-loved natural warmth but adding an even more dramatic sense of presence and immediacy and the best imaging of any Reynaud ever: its ability to represent space is uncanny. They have the ability to make you feel you have a direct connection with the music. And this is not just promotional baloney. Folks who feel that immediate sounding speakers have to be pushy and unmusical will be surprised by the Supremes.
I came to like the Offrande Signatures a great deal, but I understand their departure. They could only achieve their musical goals in spaces most of us do not inhabit.
Offrandes have always moved us in closer to the musicians than the JMR floorstanders, like the Orfeos and Concordes. That is what Offrandes do. They move us up so we can hear everything each instrument is saying before it blends with the others, in exchange for a bit less of the hall: less fullness, less reverb. The Orfeos and Concordes (and likely the Emeraudes as well, which I've not heard yet) are speakers that capture the sound we hear just after instruments begin to blend, where the treble just begins to taper off and where the overall sound is fuller, richer, and more reverberant. Not quite "mid-hall" fresher sounding than that but getting there.
Jean Maries favorite perspective has always been closer in, which is where his favorite speakers take us. The Offrande Signatures, to some ears, took us all the way in, closer than most were ready to go. You could say that in that sense, for many listeners, they overshot the mark, as many recording engineers do these days! The new Duets, his other favorites, take us in but not quite so close. Those with foresight might have seen in the Duets where new Offrandes would eventually go.
You could say the new Offrande Supremes are a perfectionists Duets, which is actually a way of praising the Duets. The new Offrandes provide a dramatically enhanced version of the Duets clear, naturally warm and immediate presentation. With the Offrandes we get more timbral detail, a still clearer and more liquid presentation, and the almost startling immediacy I referred to above. We get more of everything the Duets have. The Supremes are less absolutely transparent than the Signatures were, less absolutely objective sounding monitors of recordings; but they are more transparent than the pre-Sig Offrandes. Where the new Offrandes are conspicuously better than previous Offrandes, again, is in their imaging and in their engaging and descriptive midrange.
Having lived with these speakers for quite a while now, it is clear to me that the Offrande Signatures were a departure from the direct development of the Offrande tradition and that we are now back on the main track. If I were a recording engineer, I might mourn the passing of the Offrande Signature. As a music lover who must persuade other music lovers with living rooms rather than studios, I am very happy with the Supremes.
To anticipate a question from Erroll, Offrandes have always been designed for moderate (not very small) sized rooms 12-14' to 18-24 maybe. In this size space their overall balance should be perfect. In large rooms 18 x 36 and larger they can lean out a little, depending on ceiling height, furnishings, and the like. That is Orfeo and Concorde territory. Even the best stand-mount speakers in the world with 7.5 inch woofers can have trouble loading a very large space, though all of my comments above are based on listening in my fairly large living room (18' x 28' x 10'), so who knows?
The Offrande Supremes are significantly better Duets, much more authoritative and dynamic Contable Signatures, more expressive, immediate, and informative Emeraudes (I assume). They are as good as the Orfeos but offer a different perspective.