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JM REYNAUD OFFRANDE Opinions Please

I have a set of Twin MKII's with my Audiomat Arpege Amp and Ah! Tjoeb CD upsampling player. The more I listen to these $550 (used) "bookshelf" monitors the more I love them and appreciate the remarkable sound they produce. They are just so sweet and right-on. So, thinking that Mr. JM Reynaud may have something more to offer, I am thinking about upgrading to the Offrande ($2500 used). I hear that he has modified the speakers in the last year or two. Any opinions of this speaker? Any advise on the new v. old models? How can you tell the difference between old and new models anyway? Thanks in advance for the replies.
eddaytona
ryriken's avatar
ryriken
164 posts
 
hard for me to believe you think the merlins are bright...the vsm-m are very nice speakers..
duanegoosen
355 posts
 
Hi,
Picked up a pair of Offrande speakers about a month ago. They are replacing an old pair of Spendor Sp1's that I sold for $500. The Offrande has better imaging, but it does not trounce the Sp1. I'm pretty sure these speakers are post 2000 vintage. Glide3 is right about the top heaviness. The top view rectangle of the cabinet (baffle) is 8.75"x 16", the base is about 8.75"x 14.25". The spikes under the bases form a 7.5"x 13" rectangle. With even the most anal set up procedure, these are wobbly compared to the Sp1 set up I had. It looks like the pair that Mgwatt is selling have wider bases. I haven't been able to get any information about different base sizes from JM Reynaud (or anyone else I've emailed). I'm in the process of bolting .5" thick 11"x17" aluminium platforms under the bases and tapping in spike threads at 10"x16". Maybe I'm nuts, but I can't help thinking that a good high end speaker should exhibit a minimum of movement or recoil effect when it's throwing out energy. In my system, (Wadia 21i/Nordost Quattro fil/Coda 11/OTA wire) they sound edgy and bright on some (mostly rock) recordings, but on alot of ECM, Soul Note, Intuition, Tzadik, Enja or CMP recordings they deliver incredible presence and detail. After some wiring and set up bugs are ironed out, I expect to be as happy as alot of the other Offrande owners.
PS If you get some, DO NOT buy R. Crump jumpers for them, they don't fit properly.
1967
40 posts
 
Ryriken,
I tried to be careful not to compare the Offrandes directly with any other speakers, it is curious to me you got the impression that I found the Merlins bright. That may or may not be my impression but I dont want to be critical of other gear in this thread( maybe another day), that is too easy, and probably not fair because too many external factors effect a speakers sound, in my system I was just happier with the JMRs, also I think I was fair in admitting I like a slightly sweet sound, we all have different tastes, and I am sure there are many who could be critical of the Offrandes, I am just glad that they are what I get to listen to.
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