Philharmonic Audio - 3-way open back ML-TQWTs designed by Dennis Murphy

[Docks]

Where do the salons fall here in terms of soundstage?

The resolution & detail of the Phil3 sound is every bit as awesome as the Orion.

The Philharmonic speakers can throw a large soundstage, but most speakers won't image quite as large a soundstage as the Orion.

But IMO, the detail & resolution is every bit as good.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Where do the salons fall here in terms of soundstage?

I would say the soundstage of the Salon2 is similar to the Philharmonic 3.

I think it's almost impossible for any monopole variations to have the same giant soundstage as the Orion.

I guess that is why Peter Aczel loves his Orion more than any other speakers he has ever listened to.

Like Dennis (& Peter Aczel) says, the Orion can image a soundstage that goes beyond the street in front of your house.

But to me personally, having the biggest soundstage isn't the most important. I prefer medium-sized chamber music to giant larger-than-life orchestras, for example.

What I care most about is having the best intimate clarity, detail, resolution possible with a large enough soundstage.

Not too big, not too small, just somewhere in between.

 

[cpp]

I wish I had some room for a pair of Phil 2's.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I wish I had some room for a pair of Phil 2's.

Speaker whore.

You're just trying to copy me.

KEF - check
GoldenEar (same as DefTech) - check
Rythmik - check
Oppo - check
Denon - check
ATI amp - check

Now you want Philharmonic.

What's next? Salons & Orions?

 

[cpp]

Speaker whore.

You're just trying to copy me.

KEF - check
GoldenEar (same as DefTech) - check
Rythmik - check
Oppo - check
Denon - check
ATI amp - check

Now you want Philharmonic.

What's next? Salons & Orions?

Now wait a dag gum minute here. I had My Kef's while you were going to pill pusher school, not to mention my old 1975 Denon PMA-500z amp and the Denon POA3000 class A amp with those cool meters and few other Denon products that are out in the garage somewhere or maybe I sold them, I don't know I retired and don't remember a lot.

Now I must admit the advise on Rythmik and ATI were spot on,

but I might be senile and a lot older than you but I don't need RED matching bookends and I was corresponding with Dennis long before you ordered those Phil3's. At the moment I just can't get the WAF to accept little churches in the den plus I do need another new camera and lens for my trip to Ireland & Scotland next year along with some new rain gear..

And what is wrong with being a speaker whore

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Now wait a dag gum minute here. I had My Kef's while you were going to pill pusher school, not to mention my old 1975 Denon PMA-500z amp and the Denon POA3000 class A amp with those cool meters and few other Denon products that are out in the garage somewhere...

And what is wrong with being a speaker whore

You have a point there, old wise grasshopper.

 

[jcunwired]

At the moment I just can't get the WAF to accept little churches in the den

LOL! That is exactly what my wife said. We had decided on SongTowers, when I got her drunk and showed her pics of the Phil's for approval she said "hey we can put little crosses on top of them".

I wasn't going to share this with Dennis, but what the heck.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

LOL! That is exactly what my wife said. We had decided on SongTowers, when I got her drunk and showed her pics of the Phil's for approval she said "hey we can put little crosses on top of them".

I wasn't going to share this with Dennis, but what the heck.

Just show her pictures of these Wilson Audio speakers right here that cost like $20,000 more:

 

[jcunwired]

Just show her pictures of these Wilson Audio speakers right here that cost like $20,000 more

At that price, do you mind if I want until the Viagra years kick in?

 

[cpp]

Well I did have her talked into these arrays. She loved the color of the wood, but not the price

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Well I did have her talked into these arrays. She loved the color of the wood, but not the price

So.....................she doesn't like churches, but she likes cathedrals?

 

[adwilk]

I think I've decided against the Phil2's because there's a Phil3. If I sprung for the Phil3 its only a few more bucks to go the DIY route with the Orions and I have some people that can help me with them. I'm moving back to the midwest in a little over a week and once I get settled in I plan to get started. I'll start a thread when I do. I'm ready to get something high-end.. maybe I can find an opportunity to hear the Phils before I jump off the deep end.

 

[cpp]

So.....................she doesn't like churches, but she likes cathedrals?

I know. women, what do they know

 

[Dennis Murphy]

LOL! she said "hey we can put little crosses on top of them".

Yeah--right--that's the ticket. And you could plop some organ music in the old CD player and have the neighbors over for a service. I could have made them look less like a church if I had straightened out the folded transmission line, but then you'd have to put a lightening rod on them.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Yeah--right--that's the ticket. And you could plop some organ music in the old CD player and have the neighbors over for a service. I could have made them look less like a church if I had straightened out the folded transmission line, but then you'd have to put a lightening rod on them.

Can't satisfy everyone. Can't save everyone either.

I think the aesthetics of the Philharmonic speakers will appeal to people who like the aesthetics of the $25,000 B&W 800D and & 28,000 Wilson Audio Sasha.

 

[Nuance AH]

I'd really love a comparison of imaging, sound stage, detail, etc with only one speaker in the room at a time. This will allow each speaker to perform to their full potential; right now they are being crippled having other speaker around them, and they aren't all in the same location, so... You could mark the floor with masking tape and place them each at the same location, though you may want to experiment with toe-in, as each will differ (that's what we'll do at the GTG in April) This is the best way to compare speakers. Our acoustic memory is short, but not if you spend quality time listening to familiar recordings on each; instant switching is cool but not necessary. Come on ADTG - you know you want to! I want to know how the Phil's compare to the big dogs when each speaker is being played to their full potential! I'll get to hear them at full potential pitted against the Salk SoundScape 10's, Ascend Sierra RAAL Towers and other more expensive Salk speakers, but the Salon2 and Orion direct comparison is impossible for most people. We have no choice but to live through your experience; don't leave us hanging!

 

[Swerd]

I think I've decided against the Phil2's because there's a Phil3. If I sprung for the Phil3 its only a few more bucks to go the DIY route with the Orions and I have some people that can help me with them. I'm moving back to the midwest in a little over a week and once I get settled in I plan to get started. I'll start a thread when I do. I'm ready to get something high-end.. maybe I can find an opportunity to hear the Phils before I jump off the deep end.

While you're moving, make a side trip to the Philharmonic Audio R&D Labs in Bethesda, MD, just outside of Washington, DC. In one afternoon, you'll be able to hear the Phils and a Salk SoundScape 10, along with who knows what else. Dennis will talk you into getting Phil 2s and talk you out of the Orions .

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

I'll get to hear them at full potential pitted against the Salk SoundScape 10's, Ascend Sierra RAAL Towers...

So you guys will only listen to one pair of speakers in the room at a time? Then unplug them, take them out of the room, bring in another pair into the room, plug the new pair in, play the music?

Like Dennis says, unless you can switch the speakers very rapidly, you might find it difficult to differentiate:

I think if you....could switch very rapidly and with volume compensation between the three speakers, you would hear a difference....But I'm not sure that difference would be apparent if you listened to one set of speakers and then had to reconfigured things for the next pair with a good bit of time elapsing in between.

 

[AcuDefTechGuy]

Dennis will talk you into getting Phil 2s and talk you out of the Orions .

Nah..........Dennis just wants adwilk to be happy no matter what he ends up getting.

 

[Nuance AH]

So you guys will only listen to one pair of speakers in the room at a time? Then unplug them, take them out of the room, bring in another pair into the room, plug the new pair in, play the music?

Like Dennis says, unless you can switch the speakers very rapidly, you might find it difficult to differentiate:

We don't find it difficult to differentiate at all; it's quite easy if you spend a reasonable amount of time with each speaker, especially when you use tracks you're very familiar with. And yes, we remove the speakers from the room, or in the case of speaker shootouts or whatever we just get them away from the front wall where the pair being auditioned sits. You never want to have speakers sitting all next to each other, no offense; it will literally cripple the speaker being focused on. Think about high end showrooms that demo Revel, Dynaudio, Vandersteen, etc; they don't have other speakers and equipment up on that front wall, and there's a reason for it. There's no rush, of course, but I think a lot of people would appreciate it if you did that. If you don't want to - no big deal.