My Revel Salon 2 Have Arrived

[AcuDefTechGuy]

did you ever hear/compare the salon2's with the studio2's?

No, but I bet they sound extremely alike. I bet the only difference is the increased bass on the Salon.

 

[GranteedEV]

No, but I bet they sound extremely alike. I bet the only difference is the increased bass on the Salon.

Not just bass, but power handling in general. The 5.25" midrange of the studio means the tweeter is crossed at 2khz instead of 2.3khz to the 4" upper midrange of the salon2.

 

[Maab]

Why..............You.................

You know those dinosaur stomps sounded quite detailed with exquisite resolution and soundstage.

Channel separation was impeccable when those T-Rexs jumped left and right.

Very interesting comparison... But I can't refraining from asking: if, hypothetically speaking, you have to unload one of the two sets of speakers which one would you let go or keep?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Very interesting comparison... But I can't refraining from asking: if, hypothetically speaking, you have to unload one of the two sets of speakers which one would you let go or keep?

I would keep the Salon2s.

 

[Maab]

I would keep the Salon2s.

Thank for the reply. You were quick to answer that.

It's probably not just me, but you have two of the four speakers that I am considering (and agonizingly slow to decide) to buy. I would really like to know what is your opinion about these two speakers when it comes to low level listening, like late at night? Can you still hear high resolution and dynamics?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Thank for the reply. You were quick to answer that.

It's probably not just me, but you have two of the four speakers that I am considering (and agonizingly slow to decide) to buy. I would really like to know what is your opinion about these two speakers when it comes to low level listening, like late at night? Can you still hear high resolution and dynamics?

My normal volume on the Denon during the day time is -12dB to -15dB, depending on the song.

At night time, my volume goes down to -25dB.

So I've listened to both the Orions and Salon2 @ -25dB at night.

I think the Salons still have the slight edge on resolution/detail. I think dynamics is about even at this low volume level.

So which speakers are you considering?

 

[Maab]

My normal volume on the Denon during the day time is -12dB to -15dB, depending on the song.

At night time, my volume goes down to -25dB.

So I've listened to both the Orions and Salon2 @ -25dB at night.

I think the Salons still have the slight edge on resolution/detail. I think dynamics is about even at this low volume level.

So which speakers are you considering?

Beside your speakers, I am also considering active speakers from Adam, Tensor Delta (or Gamma, but I don't think so, I have 2 Jl subs already), and Harbeth 40.1 just because they remind me of my past with now vintage Kef 104aB.
I heard the Orion and Salon2 at axpona NYC, but both rooms where inconclusive for me because they where playing music that did not do much for me, especially in my 20m pit stop at revel's, they where playing very loud stings at all time I was there. And Orion were playing very quiet music.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Beside your speakers, I am also considering active speakers from Adam, Tensor Delta (or Gamma, but I don't think so, I have 2 Jl subs already), and Harbeth 40.1 just because they remind me of my past with now vintage Kef 104aB.
I heard the Orion and Salon2 at axpona NYC, but both rooms where inconclusive for me because they where playing music that did not do much for me, especially in my 20m pit stop at revel's, they where playing very loud stings at all time I was there. And Orion were playing very quiet music.

Have you auditioned the KEF 207/2?

 

[GranteedEV]

Beside your speakers, I am also considering active speakers from Adam, Tensor Delta (or Gamma, but I don't think so, I have 2 Jl subs already), and Harbeth 40.1 just because they remind me of my past with now vintage Kef 104aB.
I heard the Orion and Salon2 at axpona NYC, but both rooms where inconclusive for me because they where playing music that did not do much for me, especially in my 20m pit stop at revel's, they where playing very loud stings at all time I was there. And Orion were playing very quiet music.

My choice for Pro monitors would be these Genelecs:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/709543-REG/Genelec_8260APM_8260A_390W_10_Active.html

or some TAD Reference ones

Also consider the Salk Soundscape

 

[Maab]

Have you auditioned the KEF 207/2?

No, and I am not a fun of their look.
I lived with their former top speakers in the 90s, the reference 107, fo many years and I think I would like something different now.
I heard the 205/2 at axpona thou. They did sound good but again, they seemed "loud". Perhaps because moment before I was experiencing the TAD speakers which were also playing loud but...
If I had the money the Tads would have been my choice based on what i heard so far. the sound was so lifelike and clear.

 

[Maab]

My choice for Pro monitors would be these Genelecs:

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/709543-REG/Genelec_8260APM_8260A_390W_10_Active.html

or some TAD Reference ones

Also consider the Salk Soundscape

Tad ...too expensive. I stop at 20k.

Genelec: the look is an issue for me.

Salk: I never heard them.

I think I will pick one of my four after I come back from my summer vacation, before or in September.

 

[GranteedEV]

Tad ...too expensive. I stop at 20k.

No disagreement there. Their little brothers, the S-1EX' though, might be in your price range.

Salk: I never heard them.

Get yourself an audition! If you can't audition the Soundscapes try and audition the Ht2-tls or HT3s at least.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=mtfvmhktbfk2so3dnai0q5t0r640somp&topic=20721.0

 

[its phillip]

If you are wanting powered speakers, take a look at Seaton Catalysts and Sparks

 

[ratso]

i went to RMAF last year, and probably the main thing i wanted to find out was if all these speakers i see in stereophile that cost as much as a house, could they POSSIBLY be worth all that money? well, actually, that's not quite right. what something is "worth" probably depends a lot on how much you have to spend. i guess i really wanted to see was how much improvement you got over "regular" speakers that an average joe could afford. i heard vandersteens, wilson, giya, magico, etc. (not the salons though). and none of them exactly blew me away. i even thought some of them didn't sound all that great. except one - the big focal's. and i wasn't the only one, there was definitely a buzz that went through the room - people were awestruck. and when they switched from the big grande utopia to the smaller new viva utopia, i was also struck by how little the sound changed (which is why i was curious if you had ever compared the salon and studio's). as for right now, if i can't figure out how to raise $25,000 for speakers (which probably isn't going to happen for a few months ) then i am sticking with my salk HT2-TL's because i'm not hearing a huge upgrade out there.

 

[Maab]

No disagreement there. Their little brothers, the S-1EX' though, might be in your price range.



Get yourself an audition! If you can't audition the Soundscapes try and audition the Ht2-tls or HT3s at least.

http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?PHPSESSID=mtfvmhktbfk2so3dnai0q5t0r640somp&topic=20721.0

Thank you for the suggestion. I will certainly audition the pioneers when and if I get the chance, but I am not comfortable to buy unseen and unheard. After hearing the TADs It really became difficult for me to decide.

As a sidenote, at axpona i heard another openbaffle that impressed me very much, Nightdale in think they are called, but they measure too wide for me and I think in my room would suffer the location

 

[Maab]

Anyway, the salon2 rank high in my list and I like to hear more the OP's impressions.
I wonder, how a pair of Gem2 and a pair of JL subs would compare with the salons. Amaizingly, the price difference is not as big as you would guess by looking at the size and weight of these speakers.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

A simple experiment with wife and daughter

I tried a simple short experiment.

Salon2/AVP-A1/AT3002 vs Orion/5308/AT1260

I asked my wife and 9YO daughter to pick one of my songs - they picked Eva Cassiday's Time After Time.

I did not tell him which speakers are which.

Test #1: both volume level matched 90dBC Max: wife and daughter could NOT tell the difference after hearing each speaker 4 different times.

Test#2: I increased the volume of the Orion by 1dB: wife and daughter picked Orion. Reason: sounded more life-like.

Test#3: I increased volume of Salon2 by 1dB: wife and daughter picked Salon2. Reason: sounded more life-like.

The Salon2 & Orion sound a lot more alike than they sound different. I think different songs are more revealing and perhaps the Salon2 may have a slight edge in detail in some songs.

As I was listening to the same song as my wife and daughter (remake of Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time), I also thought the Salon2 and Orion sounded identical when the volume were matched. So on this song, they were equals.

 

[GranteedEV]

I believe the orions have an intentional upper frequency response rolloff to sound more lifelike in live rooms. I wonder if the "extra detail" you're hearing is the flat frequency response in the top octave. Have you played around with the HF switch on the revels?

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I believe the orions have an intentional upper frequency response rolloff to sound more lifelike in live rooms. I wonder if the "extra detail" you're hearing is the flat frequency response in the top octave. Have you played around with the HF switch on the revels?

No, I left the Salons on default settings, which is flat/neutral.

I'm off work tomorrow so I can play a lot more then.

 

[Maab]

I tried a simple short experiment.

Salon2/AVP-A1/AT3002 vs Orion/5308/AT1260

I asked my wife and 9YO daughter to pick one of my songs - they picked Eva Cassiday's Time After Time.

I did not tell him which speakers are which.

Test #1: both volume level matched 90dBC Max: wife and daughter could NOT tell the difference after hearing each speaker 4 different times.

Test#2: I increased the volume of the Orion by 1dB: wife and daughter picked Orion. Reason: sounded more life-like.

Test#3: I increased volume of Salon2 by 1dB: wife and daughter picked Salon2. Reason: sounded more life-like.

The Salon2 & Orion sound a lot more alike than they sound different. I think different songs are more revealing and perhaps the Salon2 may have a slight edge in detail in some songs.

As I was listening to the same song as my wife and daughter (remake of Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time), I also thought the Salon2 and Orion sounded identical when the volume were matched. So on this song, they were equals.

Was audyssey engaged?

amazing that two very different designs sound alike.