Anyone in Vegas listen to the Gilmore speakers???


If so, any impressions? Thanks in advance.
dolphin
Well, I guess this discussion disproves the old saying "Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder but everyone knows butt-ugly!" Never having heard these, I would suggest- They do look like kitchen counters with a built in cook-top.
While the Gilmore's were not exactly to my taste in sound, looks and price, it's probably not fair to totally indict them just based on their nascent performance in less than optimal show conditions. They don't seem near optimally suited for the small to modest size rooms they were shown in. On top of that, I doubt that they were all broken in.

Nevertheless, the looks and price issues are pretty straightforward. Perhaps a center channel version melded with their large models for the front channels and small pair for rears would be a nice multi-channel setup that could be offered at a package discount. Soundwise, I think they would do well in a home theater because, among other HT strengths (such as larger sweet spot, dynamics, etc.), they wouldn't require a sub. Also, most true Home Theaters are dark, so looks may be less of an issue.

Anyway, my suggestions may be hogwash, but my real point is to suggest not being too heavy handed with the evaluations on such a new company and product. I know it's very difficult to start a business, and certainly it's to our our best interest as hobbyist to inspire company's who are trying to produce products for our hobby -- even if they do look like kitchen counter tops/surfboards and may not be world-beaters for everyone as they over-enthusiastically imply.
They were nice for accuracy. They have enough bass for those who do not demand the high volume of moving air to give that palpable kick. They are not going to fatigue you over the years, even though they do not have that forward impressive sound that a dozen others lead with.
I heard the Gilmore speakers over Christmas at Gilmore's house.

I also heard them at CES and THE Show.

I will address a few of the above issues:
Aesthetics:
One reason Gilmore speakers look the way they do is because they are using Corian. What drove them to use Corian??? Do they have no sense of taste? No. Do they own the company that makes Corian? Nope. The reason for Corian is the material for all practical purposes does not resonate when used in this application. It's resonance point is 8hz.

audioguy@aol.com - A non-member of Audiogon posted:
'Performance was decent at best, but what keeps going through my mind is the Vandersteen 5 A, Magnaplanar 20.1, Dynaudio Confidence C 4 and Wilson Sophia, all of look and sound better and offer heritage, proven customer service, good resale and backing from companies that have a track record.

Several of these (re: Vandersteen and Maggie) cost significantly less than the Gilmore while offering more. Enough less in fact to fund an audiophile grade pair of mono block amps to power them up.'

All I can say is:
To get sound even remotely close to the Gilmore's with:
Maggie 20.1's - You have to use a subwoofer. You have to use INSANE powered amps costing MEGA BUCKS. You also need to do aftermarket crossovers and wiring. Doing all of this, you are spending more than the Gilmore 2 speakers. Gilmore 2 speakers can be powered by 60 watt tubes. Maggies do not have CLOSE to the dynamics the Gimore speakers have. I owned the 3.6's for several years and loved them dearly. In my mind there is little contest between the Gilmore speakers and ANY Maggies I have ever heard in ANY setup.

Vandersteen 5A - I will readily admit this is my favorite box speaker. A good friend of mine just bought a pair. Hate to say it though... with a nice finish AND crossover, these retail for over $17k. Pretty close to the Gilmore Model 2's and more than the Gilmore model 3's. The Gilmore speakers are very different from the 5A's. VERY different. I like them both... But the Gilmore's really have a transparency and insane lack of distortion that the 5A's do not quite have. The Gilmore speakers can also be played quite loud. 5A's can be played lound but they reach a point of being pushed too hard much sooner than the Gilmore's.

Wilson Sophia and Dynaudio Confidence C4: Nice box speakers, but I would say it is not in the same league as the Gilmore's. Sorry, if you are comparing these speakers to the Gilmore's, you did not listen long enough to the Gilmore's or long enough to these speakers. I know a guy who has the Dynaudio speakers, and he listened with me to the Gilmore's extensively. He got home and it PAINED him when he flipped on his system.

Anyway, the only flaw with the Gilmore speakers is that you REALLY have to be in the optimal listening position to really hear how they sound.

I must run.

KF