Here is a review on agon.
Should sound good.
Read number 4. under weaknesses.
Price Paid: $4150.00 from Audiogon.com
Summary:
Having been a happy owner of a pair of Hales Revelation Three's, when I saw a pair of Transcendence Eight's for sale on audiogon I had to check them out. I was lucky in that the owner lived within a few hours driving distance from me, so I was able to audition them before purchasing. I liked what I heard, and made them mine.
So, having owned them for several months now, one may ask how are they? Well, in a word, glorious. All of the strengths possessed by my old Revelation Three towers are there in spades with the Transcendence Eight's. The bass is even more controlled, yet it extends even deeper than the Rev. Three's 30 Hz. The midrange magic is still there only with added clarity, but the biggest improvement is in the treble region. Where the Rev. Three's could become a bit edgy at high volume levels, the Transcendence Eight's tweeters ride the high decibel crest like a professional surfer on a killer wave. These speakers know how to rock.
Also, their macro and micro dynamics are stunning--as is their imaging capabilities. It's hard to believe that these big towers can handle sound-staging like they do. But the most important strength exhibited by the Trans. Eight is its synergy from driver to driver. These speakers speak with one voice, and a most neutral voice it is. There is no high end etching nor is there the bloated low end one sometimes finds with bass-reflex designs. Yes. Paul Hales has made me a believer in acoustic suspension. It's really a tragedy that Hales Design Group went belly up.
Strengths:
1) System synergy or balance
These towers speak with one voice. There is no etched treble (ala B & W, Thiel). There is no bloated/one note punchy bass (ala Wilson Audio and many others).
2) Midrange magic
The Trans. Eight retains the Hales Revelation Three's neutrality and adds improved clarity via lower distortion drivers.
3) Build quality
As in , built like a (very beguiling) tank. Yes, they are heavy, but the pain results in much gain.
4) Bang-for-the-buck
At the prices I see for these on the used market, their purchase is a no-brainer. As far as I'm concerned, many of the newer designs still don't match the Trans. Eight's--particularly in the system-synergy department.
Weaknesses:
1) They are HEAVY.
2) The steel grills can be a major pain to put back on. Leave them off.
3) They need a lot of power to sound their best.
4) They also require a large room to avoid over-powering bass. (For smaller rooms I recommend the Transcendence Three or Five systems.)
Similar Products Used:
I've heard the Wilson Audio Sophia's, B & W Nautilus 802's, 804's and 805's. a set of large Thiel's (I can't remember the model), and the Revel Salon's. My prior speakers were Hales Revelation Three's.
