Speaker Shopping - one man's experience with High End models

Salon 2 and Studio 2 (I own and love the Studio 2 and several friends have the Salon 2) have been out for a long time and they are absolutely incredible speakers. Because of their model age, they don’t get enough respect. They kill speakers many, many times their price.

Congratulations on a spectacular pair of speakers. They are destination speakers for sure. You are a very lucky man.
 
The front of the speakers is a good 6" in front of the racks now. More awaits the coming holiday weekend which will require removing furniture and moving the rug. Wife already mentioned it though so we are in the clear :)

Jblnut
 
Thanks for the thread. I haven't been to a true high end audio shop in at least 12-15 years. It may be time to go again.
 
Now you just need to move them forward of the tall rack with all the stuff causing diffraction.

The front of the speakers is a good 6" in front of the racks now. More awaits the coming holiday weekend which will require removing furniture and moving the rug. Wife already mentioned it though so we are in the clear :)

Jblnut

Wonderful system, and I am sure they sound great. But really I would think they would be well suited for a larger listening room. I know my system needs one as well. I can move back to one point, the farthest back corner and everything seems to just open up with really deep bass notes that in my listening space just doesn't exist. I have a garage that really isn't used other than packed full of stuff, tools and an old collectable car, how many times I have thought about clearing it out selling all the stuff and making a dedicated listening room. I have a number of large Infinity systems that I don't even use they just sit in a spare room surrounded by folding panels as they just don't do well in my smaller rooms. Those old JBL's of your like your new speakers would really love to have some room to open up, as by the pics you show they look like they are in a kind of narrow room. Anyway I am sure they still sound great, and they are really nice lookers as well.
 
After a long time in this hobby, I'm convinced that different people not only have different tastes, but actually hear differently than others. I can't think of any other explanation for the more vehement polarization between extreme devotees of MC vs. MM, horns vs. anything but, planars vs. dynamic drivers, tubes vs. solid state, etc., etc., on and on. I've never heard Wilsons, but somehow I doubt they would be likely to float my boat, either. But maybe some models would; I don't know. I believe that it is WAY too easy to make inaccurate or unhelpful generalizations in this hobby.
I don't think anyone's hearing is "Flat".
 
I've never heard Wilsons, but somehow I doubt they would be likely to float my boat, either.
I think it was 2017 (?) at an audio show when a new large Wilson model was introduced (I think it was the Alexx?)--the high-end press was gushing and falling all over themselves with how great it sounded, yet to me it was bright to the point of driving me out of the room within about 20 seconds. Yet in a different room, I heard a smaller set of Wilsons (possibly the Sasha). They almost looked too small for the room, but the tonal balance was very even and balanced, and I definitely could have lived with those--very nice! They're pricey as heck, even for their lower-cost products, but after seeing the amount of labor and quality of custom materials that go into it, I can see why they cost so much. And Dave Wilson was a real gentleman right up until he passed earlier this year--friendly, affable and never condescending to anyone, including his competition.
 
Well the honeymoon is over and a few things have become clear:

1) These are ridiculously transparent loudspeakers. There is no such thing as casual listening any more. Even just sitting on the couch and reading with them playing low in the background, they still have plenty to say. "That tuner you used to love is really needing a better antenna - hear this distortion on that bass track?". "Maybe you should re-think your love of MC cartridges - see how shrill this high end is on this record?". "Spotify...so convenient yet so lacking in most spacial queues and and any sense of space the same song has on the CD player. Let me show you how much this compressed audio stream is lacking". Only the CD player has escaped their scrutiny..."this, we can live with for now...but forget about those 80's CD's hastily made from cassette masters - throw those away now".

2) Even though they were billed as "demos", the total lack of any markings anywhere and the fact that the sound is slowly changing leads me to believe that they were not used much, if at all. I may be going through break-in here. They are opening up in the mids and lower treble region and even the bass seems to be getting stronger.

3) I rolled in some vintage RCA black plates on the C220 last night. I thought I had those in there already, but when I opened it up I found Sylvania 5751s. The RCAs have an ever so slightly more gentle top end, and it's working better with the Revels.

4) Volume is a problem. Meaning they are so clean and clear (and I have so much power) that it's easy to get carried away, only to have my ears protesting at the indulgence. I need to be very careful to avoid blasting myself right into the fatigue zone too quickly.

What is sounding good ? A few standouts have emerged:

"Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen" - as a blues and jazz keyboard player this guy is my hero. Funky as can be and with chops to die for, he makes me wish I had lived in New Orleans for the last decade and spent every night hearing him play down in the Quarter. This disc just SMOKES on the Revels. He's in the room and every little detail of this recording is faithfully reproduced. And if you like bass...More Hipper....game over.

Thomas Dolby "Aliens Ate My Buick" - Ability to Swing. My wife and kids (somewhat skeptical of the new speaker purchase) only needed a few seconds of this song to get on board. There is a whole new set of backing tracks that I never heard..and I've heard this disc a lot over the last 30 years. It's absolutely amazing to hear totally new keyboard, guitar and effects that were previously buried. The mix is a mile deep and wide....Dolby's genius is on full display here.

The Gene Harris Quartet "Funky Genes" - another blue/jazz piano legend here. His quartet is faithfully reproduced in all their tight and swinging glory. Most Concord releases are very well recorded and this is no exception. The acoustic bass just jumps out at you on some tracks...very realistic.

It is clear - much like when I brought home 250Ti's 15 years ago and hooked them up to very meager electronics - that I have a long way to go if I am to get the most out of the Salons. Room treatments are a must, as are some more mellow cartridges. I don't think a Rosewood Signature is in the cards this year, but maybe I can snag a nice vintage 881S at some point.

It's a journey and this new fork in the road has proven to be very steep, while affording amazing views. The next decade will be a lot of fun as I once again try to get the system and room on the same page as the speakers.
 
Aliens Ate My Buick was in constant rotation in my car systems BITD. Brilliant work that few even know exist.

In regards to the new speakers, congratulations! While I have not heard that particular speaker, I am fond of Revels generally speaking.
 
Well the honeymoon is over and a few things have become clear:

1) These are ridiculously transparent loudspeakers. There is no such thing as casual listening any more. Even just sitting on the couch and reading with them playing low in the background, they still have plenty to say. "That tuner you used to love is really needing a better antenna - hear this distortion on that bass track?". "Maybe you should re-think your love of MC cartridges - see how shrill this high end is on this record?". "Spotify...so convenient yet so lacking in most spacial queues and and any sense of space the same song has on the CD player. Let me show you how much this compressed audio stream is lacking". Only the CD player has escaped their scrutiny..."this, we can live with for now...but forget about those 80's CD's hastily made from cassette masters - throw those away now".

2) Even though they were billed as "demos", the total lack of any markings anywhere and the fact that the sound is slowly changing leads me to believe that they were not used much, if at all. I may be going through break-in here. They are opening up in the mids and lower treble region and even the bass seems to be getting stronger.

3) I rolled in some vintage RCA black plates on the C220 last night. I thought I had those in there already, but when I opened it up I found Sylvania 5751s. The RCAs have an ever so slightly more gentle top end, and it's working better with the Revels.

4) Volume is a problem. Meaning they are so clean and clear (and I have so much power) that it's easy to get carried away, only to have my ears protesting at the indulgence. I need to be very careful to avoid blasting myself right into the fatigue zone too quickly.

What is sounding good ? A few standouts have emerged:

"Jon Cleary and the Absolute Monster Gentlemen" - as a blues and jazz keyboard player this guy is my hero. Funky as can be and with chops to die for, he makes me wish I had lived in New Orleans for the last decade and spent every night hearing him play down in the Quarter. This disc just SMOKES on the Revels. He's in the room and every little detail of this recording is faithfully reproduced. And if you like bass...More Hipper....game over.

Thomas Dolby "Aliens Ate My Buick" - Ability to Swing. My wife and kids (somewhat skeptical of the new speaker purchase) only needed a few seconds of this song to get on board. There is a whole new set of backing tracks that I never heard..and I've heard this disc a lot over the last 30 years. It's absolutely amazing to hear totally new keyboard, guitar and effects that were previously buried. The mix is a mile deep and wide....Dolby's genius is on full display here.

The Gene Harris Quartet "Funky Genes" - another blue/jazz piano legend here. His quartet is faithfully reproduced in all their tight and swinging glory. Most Concord releases are very well recorded and this is no exception. The acoustic bass just jumps out at you on some tracks...very realistic.

It is clear - much like when I brought home 250Ti's 15 years ago and hooked them up to very meager electronics - that I have a long way to go if I am to get the most out of the Salons. Room treatments are a must, as are some more mellow cartridges. I don't think a Rosewood Signature is in the cards this year, but maybe I can snag a nice vintage 881S at some point.

It's a journey and this new fork in the road has proven to be very steep, while affording amazing views. The next decade will be a lot of fun as I once again try to get the system and room on the same page as the speakers.
Not trying to make you feel bad about your purchase, but are you glad you bought the Revels, or do you wish you left well enough alone? It's kind of hard to determine from your last post. I know that there is zero fatigue, at any volume, with your JBLs, but they are still for sale, despite the no brainer price you got on the Revels, so that is telling.

What you have described could very well turn out to be a great thing, in the long run, provided you are okay with further upgrading other facets of your system. As somebody who is eager to get off the "upgrade" treadmill, but still contemplating new purchases, I am just wondering if you are excited, or feel that you made a mis-step?
 
Oh hell yes :)

Just coming off a lot of listening this rainy weekend and I am extremely happy with my choice. I wanted to balance the scales a little bit with some of the things I had encountered and it's pretty far from sour grapes. Like complaining that your supermodel girlfriend tracked some dirt into your Ferrari.

I researched this move extensively and took a lot of time thinking it over in the ~18 months since I first heard them and now. I knew they would sound different in my room than the store and that's always the hardest guess to make in this hobby. "That amazing sound I'm hearing here...will it be like this in my room?". Well, the answer is yes, they do sound stunning but also different than they did in a very dead showroom. They actually image better here than there, and with some of the tweaks I know I need to make, I'll eventually get them exactly how I want them. I'm only 2 weeks in here, and - impatient as I am to get everything 100% - I am already far from where I was. The MC-501 switch last year brought newfound details to the music and this is maybe another 2-3x more in that direction. It's huge actually and I don't mean to take away from the 250's here. The big JBLs are an easy speaker to listen to and they have a way of making most anything sound good. Whereas the Revels just go another few levels deeper into the details and make well recorded music almost real. I had Pat Metheney's "Still Life Talking" LP on the VPI today, and the soaring guitar and vocal harmonies had me literally lost in the mix. "This is a whole different kind of 'soul' music " I thought, and it was profound in a way I've never heard before.

And on that fatigue comment, truth be told I have been unable to really enjoy high volume listening for some time now. The JBL's too can bring on the fatigue just as easily and that's more a comment on me than any of the systems. Just too many concerts, jam sessions, loud cars and motorcycles, etc. Gotta really be careful with what I got left....

Thank you all for your encouragement and positive comments. I've listened more in the past 2 weeks than the previous 2 months. It's got me back into it again in a huge way.

jblnut
 
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I had Pat Metheney's "Still Life Talking" LP on the VPI today, and the soaring guitar and vocal harmonies had me literally lost in the mix. "This is a whole different kind of 'soul' music " I thought, and it was profound in a way I've never heard before.
Pat's Secret Story is a good one to get lost in. It's too rare to find on vinyl affordably these days, unfortunately, but the CD is pretty good, sonically. Pat re-released it with the bonus CD, with five leftover tracks from the sessions (which were rough demos that Nonesuch allowed Pat to finish up and include in the Deluxe set). Any album that opens with a Cambodian vocal choir definitely has something special happening. :)

I agree on hearing new things when we get better components. I don't know if it's the equipment, or if we just find we're listening that much closer when we hear things buried in the mix we didn't realize were there before. But it happens! And I can also relate to finding shortcomings in other parts of the system. That's how we fall into this rabbit hole in the first place. :D

I'm finding I don't really need to "crank it up" like I used to as well. Gotta save the hearing for when I'm older!
 
Shoot, if I had a Ferrari and a Super model that drug dirt into it, I’d rather have a nice chubby gal that was a bit more careful! Just think what the Super model would do to your hifi! Oh yeah, guess she would be too busy doing her hair and nails to bother...:)

PS jblnut, nice one on the Revels! Enjoy!
 
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Don't have time to read all of this thread, but it's a good one. @jblnut I appreciate this writeup on your experience.

Never understood the whole vintage vs new bullshit. Early speaker design was often a hit or miss thing. With software, and so many years of material advances, we're cracking the lid on what is naturally a mysterious science, i.e. reproducing music. It's complex to get everything right, and all speakers are an inherent compromise.
 
OH, come on. We have talked about this in the past. Not trying to demean anyone. So many on here are collectors of one brand or another. It is hard to collect EVERYTHING (I have tried and it doesn't work ;) ). I lived in the NE and been to it, forget? I remember Beemer's house (what a Museum). He had some amazing items.

Like I said, more for the rest of us :beatnik:

But.......you do it so well. Typical claptrap from everyone's favorite curmudgeon. :blah:

You notice I was referring to Roger's Line arrays not the latest versions from Mac. Their tweeters are terrible and remind me of JBL's early ring radiators. The latest Mac speakers are all under woofered excepting the 2k and its barely acceptable.

That's sad to hear, twiii. I was lucky enough to stumble butt-first into some XRT20's that only required a refoam and a couple blown tweeters replaced, and while I could get different, I don't know that I would get much better for my tired, tinnitus-plagued ears. That Roger design really helps me listen without the usual fatigue I get from most anything else.
Coolest thing was, I emailed Roger about them.......he hit me back, told me what to do, what not to do. Extremely neat to be conversing with the creator of such a landmark product.
 
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