Home Amp/Preamp Asylum

Looking for a new Amp or Preamp? If you're after tubes, post over here.

RE: BTW, here's a objective AND subjective review of the Revel F226Be

My midrange comment is a relative term - Revel Ultima Salon 2 is their top speaker - their "high-end" series. The lower models are not their "high-end" series. Albeit, it depends on how you define "high end."

Withing Revel - High end (top model range) is Ultima Salon - and presumably the Salon offers the best sonic performance - hence why they make an Ultima Salon series! The people who own the F226Be - have something to salivate over - they one day hope to be able to purchase the "better speaker" in the Ultima Salon - they want to go from middle level to higher level.

Does this make sense? Most speaker makers have multiple levelled speakers and increasing price ranges - B&W had a 300, 600, 700, 800 and penultimate Model Nautilus. If the 300 series is called high end then what do you call 600 and 700 and 800 - higher, even higher, highest, end?

Some people go by price range. High end is $20k components.

Some people go by measurements

Some people go by what they hear. Speaker A sounds like a real piano wow that is high-end - speakers that play the same recording that doesn't make me believe it's a piano is not a high-end product - regardless of price.

Most people probably blend many of these parameters together.

I have auditioned the Revel flagship model at $22,000 a pair - I have not liked the sound of them when playing acoustic instruments, classical, jazz or pop or rock or vocals. I have heard them several times set up by their representatives. I am sure they measure well.

I have done reviews of many speakers on the Steve Hoffman forum based on my objective auditions and placed a second review parameter of my subjective response (gestalt) and so a reader can see how I hear a speaker objkectively for sonic aspects like imaging/soundtaging/bass/dynamics/cohesion but also my subjective gut response to the presentation.

I would rank the Salon highly on the first and lowly on the second.

I would post those reviews here but this site is less user-friendly.

I am still working to improve the system

As an example

The number in brackets is my "subjective" modifier as to how I value some parts of the sound over others so I value Midrange double that of bass and treble and resolution 3 times that of imaging and tonal quality 4 times that of other parameters.
So I give the basic score without my heavy preferences and the score with my heavy prefences.

B&W 705S2 2 Way Standmount Speakers $2,998
Where score should place $2,001 - $3,000.00 (60 - 64) - So if the score falls between 60-64 the speaker is recommended. If it scores above I would consider it best in class speaker.

I rated the speakers in absolute terms so compared to all speakers regardless of price.

Qualities
Bass......................................... 53
Midrange 200hz to 3khz....................... 53 (*2)
High Frequency 3khz up....................... 63
Dynamics (Macro) ............................ 62
Dynamics (Micro/Midi) ....................... 55
Attack....................................... 66
Decay ....................................... 56
Resolution .................................. 60 (*3)
Imaging...................................... 80
Soundstage................................... 80
Tonal Quality ............................... 52 (*4)
Cohesiveness................................. 52 (*2)
Gestalt ..................................... 48 (*5)


Total Rating: 780/13 = 60 (a speaker objectively that is recommended as it falls within the price range for its class)

Rating with a modifier: 1353/24 = 56 (I personally don't recommend the speakers because I think it is too expensive for what you get) - So subjectively the speaker doesn't do it for me - but with a more objective hat on without my personal preference attached with a heavy weighting the speaker is recommended. I don't completely remove Gestalt because it is also a rating of how all the pieces come out as a whole - the result being greater than the sum of the parts or while all the parts may all be excellent it leaves me cold.

Another B&W example

B&W 802 D3 Floor-standing speakers $22,000
Where score should place: $18,001 - $25,000 (90-94)

Qualities
Bass ..................................... 95
Midrange 200hz to 3khz.................... 85 (*2)
High Frequency 3khz up ................... 91
Dynamics (Macro).......................... 96
Dynamics (Micro/Midi) .................... 84
Attack ................................... 94
Decay .................................... 85
Resolution................................ 85 (*3)
Imaging................................... 95
Soundstage ............................... 95
Tonal Quality ............................ 85 (*4)
Cohesiveness ............................. 80 (*2)
Gestalt .................................. 70 (*5)

Total Rating: 1140/13 = 88

Rating with modifier: 2010/24 = 84

This speaker is scoring at the $9,001 - $13,000 (80-84) level

So I do not recommend this speaker - I feel it should be no more than a $13,000 speaker for the sound on offer.

And yes here is AUDIO NOTE

Audio Note AX One - 2 way Standmount speakers ($700)
Where score should place: $501-$1,000 (45-49)

Qualities

Bass ................................ 27
Midrange 200hz to 3khz .............. 45 (*2)
High Frequency 3khz up .............. 45
Dynamics (Macro) .................... 38
Dynamics (Micro/Midi) ............... 46
Attack .............................. 38
Decay ............................... 46
Resolution .......................... 45 (*3)
Imaging ............................. 75
Soundstage .......................... 73
Tonal Quality.........................45 (*4)
Cohesiveness .........................50 (*2)
Gestalt ..............................34 (*5)

Total Rating: 607/13 = 47
Rating with modifier: 1063/24 = 44

This speaker is scoring at the $351 - $500 (40-44) Leve

Objectively I can recommend it but my personal feeling is that it is overpriced - I would look elsewhere.

Lastly,

Pure Audio Project Quintet 15 Horn Floor-standing speakers $9,995
Where score should place: $9,001 - $13,000 (80-84)

Qualities

Bass....................................... 85
Midrange 200hz to 3khz..................... 88 (*2)
High Frequency 3khz up..................... 90
Dynamics (Macro)........................... 88
Dynamics (Micro/Midi)...................... 90
Attack..................................... 94
Decay ..................................... 92
Resolution................................. 90 (*3)
Imaging ................................... 83
Soundstage................................. 85
Tonal Quality.............................. 90 (*4)
Cohesiveness............................... 90 (*2)
Gestalt ................................... 100 (*5)

Total Rating: 1165/13 = 90

Rating with modifier: 2193/24 = 91

This speaker is scoring at the $18,001 - $25,000 (90-94) level.

It gets a very High recommendation because it scoring way above its price class so while it is priced at $10,000 it is scoring way above the $22,000 B&W 802D3 and represents to me one of the best values in Audio Loudspeakers in the industry.

Note though that all of this is informal musings not based solely or even at all on home auditions which I clearly note in my opening. The point is to try as much stuff as possible.

I never get reviews that have copious amounts of measurements - do you really NEED all those charts and graphs to be able to HEAR if the fraking speaker sounds good? It's like you need to sell the thing to yourself - well gee it does not impress me at all but since the measurements are good I must be wrong - I must like it so I will - I will spite my ears and just buy it.




This post is made possible by the generous support of people like you and our sponsors:
  Sonic Craft  


Follow Ups Full Thread
Follow Ups

FAQ

Post a Message!

Forgot Password?
Moniker (Username):
Password (Optional):
  Remember my Moniker & Password  (What's this?)    Eat Me
E-Mail (Optional):
Subject:
Message:   (Posts are subject to Content Rules)
Optional Link URL:
Optional Link Title:
Optional Image URL:
Upload Image:
E-mail Replies:  Automagically notify you when someone responds.