dracule1, thanks for sharing info about this speaker. Their website shows a location in Valencia, Spain. I was in Valencia two years ago. If I had known about this speaker, I would have visited their factory. Their website does not show American dealer. Too bad! As a long-time owner of Apogee Duetta II's, I'd love to hear these speakers.
Anyone heard the Alsyvox Botticelli planar speakers?
Full range ribbon tweeter/midrange and push-pull planar magnetic bass driver. 22Hz to 40kHz. 94 dB efficient due to all neo magnets. 260 lbs per speaker. Has garnered enthusiastic show reviews. BTW, "only $87k". Looks beautiful.
https://alsyvox.com/
https://alsyvox.com/
87 responses
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I have heard them at RMAF 2018, and they were simply outstanding. Ultra smooth, expansive soundstage and superb dynamics. I kept looking for a subwoofer in the room...lol!!. And yes, $87K is lot of dough but an audition and close inspection of these exquisite speakers may prompt you to sell the stocks or reaching for your checkbook. PS: Never mind roberjerman, he must have forgotten to take his meds today 😉 |
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Roberjerman, I get your sarcasm. The Carver ALS is a fantastic speaker and competes with the ultra expensive speakers over $100k I’ve heard. However, I’ve always been a die hard planar speaker fan, especially Apogee. This is the Apogee speaker that Apogee should or would have built if it were still in business today. On top of that, the aesthetics are far above any Apogee, imo. I’ve read several reviews by people who attended audio shows displaying the Botticelli, and all have been totally enthralled by its sound. |
Lalitk, I’m kicking myself for not attending RMAF this year. I was so close to going, but decided not to. I’ve yet to hear anything negative about this speaker, other than it’s price. The only planar speakers in this price range are the ML Neolith and Scaena, but both are hybrids and both have integration issues that are no go for me. The Neolith was a big disappointment. |
Here are couple of brief reviews of the Botticelli. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaQvH1wQLto https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wip-RyqUOj0 |
@dracule1, I hear you. Well, let’s hope they return to the US next year. Don’t quite see them on AXPONA 2019 Exhibitors list yet. Also checkout the Soundkaos - Liberation. I never thought in million years that a open baffle speaker can sound so realistic and grand. They were powered by Bakoon 25W Integrated amp. Aesthetically, they may not be eye catching but they do get out of the way. |
Also checkout the Soundkaos - Liberation. I never thought in million years that a open baffle speaker can sound so realistic and grand. Those are one of my bucket-list speakers I've wanted to hear for what a while. Something just intrigues me about their look and their design, not to mention reports on their sound. Lots of while audio gear in Europe that we in North America just never get to experience. |
the Soundkaos - Liberatio http://www.6moons.com/audioreviews2/soundkaos2/1.html Looks like ET and Dalquest DQ10 had a baby. But seriously, I hope to hear a pair in the US. |
I have owned a pair of Apogee Caliper Signatures since 1989 (reribboned with Graz ribbons about a decade ago.) The Alsyvox speakers have all of the Apogee magic with few of the drawbacks. While they don’t have all the dynamic punch of a cone, they have more than the Apogees did and every bit of the glorious sound including the low end. The biggest problem I would have is would the Botticelli be better than a refurbed pair of Divas and worth $55K more? I can’t answer that. I have heard the new Carvers and despite being a huge fan of Bob’s since the 1980s, they did not sound great to me. I heard them at RMAF as well and thought it might be the room that made them sound bad, but the Carver rep thought they sounded great. The Botticellis were magic, pure and simple. Beautiful in every way and effectively Apogees reborn and improved upon. If you are an Apogee aficionado and are shopping in this price range you will kick yourself if you don’t listen to them. I currently own a pair of Stereophile “Class A” recommended speakers and have thought more than once about what I could get for them used to finance a pair of Botticellis. The only drawback to me was the piano black finish - it would be a nightmare to live with and would show every dust particle, fingerprint and scratch. |
Hi kucharsk7
I'll have a chance to listen to the Botticelli soon. It's a dream speaker for sure. Several feedback/reviews of the speaker mentioned bass similar to cone bass with all the slam missing in other planar speakers. As far as Carver's new ALS speaker is concerned, they require careful setup. I have not heard them sound good in any of the shows. It took me 6 months to have them sound great. Once set up correctly, I can think of any speaker near its price coming close to the majestic sound stage, imaging, extension, delicacy and dynamics. May be the new Magnepan 30.7 can compete, but I doubt it will have true 20 Hz extension with the slam and power in the bass. |
I heard the Magnepan 30.7s at a stop on their multi-year dealer tour, and to me they sounded… horrible. They certainly had more bass than any other Maggie I’ve heard, but the mid range was strange and phasy. Since the crossovers were connected by alligator clips and thin wires used as jumpers, that could’ve been the reason for the issue, but the Magnepan staff there thought they sounded their best. I couldn’t stand to listen to them for more than a few minutes. I haven’t heard anything that sounded like the Botticelli since the last time I got to hear a pair of Apogee Full Ranges. If I knew they would work in my room, and I could get enough for my current speakers to make the swap only moderately financially painful, and if there were any way I could demo a pair in my home to make sure that they would work as I heard them in the hotel suite, I would make the change instantly. |
I along with Dracule now own these wonderful speakers. Some of your fears diminish once you own them and you begin to rediscover your music enjoyment and collection you having been missing out on. You heard them as I did @ RMAF and I take it they did something for you? It is all a matter of personal taste but I quit listening to the other rooms at 3:30 on Saturday PM......no desire to go around except to meet friends. BTW I never went to the show expecting to find anything but high prices and mediocre sound and have some fun in the mountains. Went mostly to visit friends and find new music. Drove home Sunday depressed with this awe-inspired goal to own these. Mission accomplished and could not be happier. See the WBF for more information. |
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/threads/alsyvox-planars-prepare-to-sell-your-magicos-ygs-wilsons-cess... Two people already have it in US. |
Over at WBF, there is considerable disbelief that the new Alsyvox’s can compete with their favorite old fashioned horn based stuff. Personally, I think a lot of those folks are too closed minded to ever hear these new speakers, never mind what they can do; but to me, given the rave reviews that they have received so far, an audition should be on anyone’s short list -if they are seriously shopping in these price categories. |
If anyone wants to hear the Bonticellis with excellent electronics (CAT Black Path preamp/Concert Fidelity monoblock amplifiers) you are welcome to audition in eastern Nebraska. They are very special speakers without box colorations or driver deficiencies that exist in many designs. I also have sourcing information to purchase the speakers. |
You have to love Italians. These are for certain gorgeous loudspeakers. There is a dealer near by and I will certainly get there and have a listen. Their big speaker is essentially a Tympany 4 in Italian terms. I would still use a subwoofer array with them But otherwise they meet all of the qualifications for a loudspeaker I would like. Two important issues. The first is any magnetic material near those speakers is going to get sucked right into them. There is a reason they have those thick teak bars running down the face. The second is durability. Ribbons are notoriously fragile, the manufacturer is young and lord knows how long they will stay in business and living in the State the manufacturer is a long ways away. I would have to be reassured that there is something about these ribbons that makes them more durable and that there is adequate local capability to repair them. These things must weight a ton and having to ship them around is a recipe for disaster. But boy are they handsome! |
Speed is the fastest I have ever heard.....takes some getting used to. Articulation, resolution, and voicing will keep you up at night with the right electronics. Have to say I leave my listening room just saying wow that was emotional fun. More like live music in a real setting. I was at a friends in Chicago last weekend listening to Magico Q3 and Gamut RS7i box speakers with various electronics and I had to readjust my hearing when I got home. Resolution is another league with this speaker that is not fair to most box speakers.....as in zero coloration from the panel and built quality and ribbon drivers. From the post above you take a risk with anything not local or design but their is a post on WBF Alsyvox forum by Daniele the designer of the durability of the speakers. I think life in general has all sorts of risk so it depends on your list. Daniele is one of the most honest gentleman I have met in audio in my 40 years.....so I trust his statement on the durability. They come shipped in two durable flight cases strapped to a wood crate weighing 720 lbs.....handled only by dolly jacks and trucking companies. These are not speakers for the faint of heart but then go listen and you likely will get the idea of weighing the factors important to you. Alsyvox will be showing Botticelli model with external crossover at the Fall Denver RMAF. You have to listen to understand any of the posts.....same was said of those who heard the big ones (Caravaggio’s) in Munich. Rhapsody Sound in Manhattan will have the small Tintoretto model shortly played with world class electronics. Botticelli models are here played with CAT Black Path preamp/Concert Fidelity monoblocks. Ping me privately if interested in more detail. |
Simply amazing sound! These were up there with MBL as my favorite set-up that I’ve ever heard. I came back to this room 3 times on Friday. I owned the sweet spot and wasn’t moving without a fight, lol. The gentleman 2 seats behind me flew from Florida just to hear this set-up. He stayed in the room all Friday. The speed, detail, extension, bass, everything was awesome. They were in a huge room (with slap echo) and still sounded awesome. They weren’t lacking in bass; I was not left wanting for a subwoofer. My only complaint was the soundstage was enormous. I’m not sure if it was the volume being too loud or the room, or both, but I have never heard such a large soundstage. I mean, 30 feet tall, totally envelope you kind of thing. But again, this and MBL are my top 1 & 2 that I have ever heard and I’m not sure which was better. Simply amazing, and extremely beautiful. I’ll upload some pics of the room on my systems page to share! |
I own the Botticelli speakers and heard them @ RMAF this year also. My experience is after owning them (since January 2019) you simply forget about owning anything else. I was only at the show to meet up with some people I never get to see. They are everything you heard and then some once you learn how they work. It is one of the end of road speakers that should be on one's list to pursue if you are in that market. |
Well I will probably get some flak for my comments but what the heck. I listened to them several times RMAF. They had that open sound as expected but the treble was tipped up and almost / was unlistenable on several cuts that I'm familiar with. The bass was wandering at times. It wouldn't be on my list for a speaker in that price range. My audio buddy had similar thoughts so I don't think it was just me. There were other speakers that I would consider before these. |
@goose Could it be the huge room that the Bott's were being demo'ed in? I heard that this room had minimal acoustic treatment and was a very tough room. Another thought, the electronics? I personally would NOT discount these speakers based on a demo that you heard at a show...and in the particular room that you heard them in. |
To those folks above that think these speakers have the mentioned negative issues you are entitled to your thoughts and I respect you for it. However with that said, I have my speakers set up in in much more customary room setting (17X35), have different electronics, CAT preamp. (tubes) paired to Concert Fidelity ZL120SEv2 (known for musicality), and Purist Audio all copper Neptune Luminist cabling, and a T/A MP3100HV source. The room at RMAF was not by choice but was all that Alsyvox could get to attend the show. The designer had concerns of its room size (29X35) before getting there and the speakers needed a narrower room with a lower ceiling height to perform their best. I was grateful they were able to attend! Simply put the room was too big for a lot of speakers and with its live character it needed some acoustic treatment. However, there was no way to drag ASC panels etc. from Spain. The electronics were far different from what I own (although be they are excellent) and the cabling was silver-coated copper. I invite you to Nebraska to really hear these speakers in a dedicated correctly sized room with none of the above mentioned issues you associated with the show condition room. The speakers at the last 2018 RMAF show were a completely different animal in a room (20X25) with the same electronics and I purchased mine from hearing them shortly after that show. Trust me, they are best I have experienced in 35 years in audio and I have owned more speakers than I care to mention. These speakers can be a real endgame source given non-show conditions. Last, someone must have liked the room, knowing the room was the issue, as several on the WBF and above stated it was the best of show room but also commented the room. |
Everyone has a personal preference and opinion and that is always respected by me. The whole audio hobby is subjective. I would like to say that I worked the Alsyvox room at RMAF and I never engaged with so many people that LOVED the sound of system/room. You can look at some other forums where several have called the room and the sound AMAZING and many people felt the room was best of show. I met hundreds of people during RMAF and right now I am in conversations with 5+ customers who are considering purchasing either Tintorettos or Botticellis, each person basing their buying decisions on what they heard at the show. Many people don't gravitate to a large room. I personally loved the room and the sound and would sign up for the same room next year. I just want to paint an accurate picture as there was NOTHING wrong with room/sound to the vast majority of attendees that visited our room. Of course there will always be exceptions and again total respect for everyone's opinion. If someone did not personally hear/visit the room then honestly their opinion or comments are not very valuable to me personally. |
I can drive the Tintoretto in a pretty good size room with a 32 Watt PP integrated. They need about 30 watts. With saying that when you put 100W or 200W of good SS on the Botticellis or Tintoretto they produce a different sonic presentation. I don't really know which one (SS or tubes) that I like better, I enjoy both of them, just different. |
@rhapsody Looking at that room, you are asking a lot of any speaker to sound exemplary while dealing with the various issues that a room of those dimensions elicits. If the Alsyvox had any issues, I would think they could be laid at the feet of the room...and its acoustics, or lack thereof. Personally, I wouldn’t want to demo a pair of speakers in a room of that size and dimension....whether it be a horn, a dynamic, or a Planar. Same thing as I witnessed a few years ago, when Magico were demoing their then as new S7’s, in a room that doubled as a full size ballroom! Regardless of how one likes or dislikes the speakers from Magico...the room killed the speaker in that particular demo. Maybe next time, a smaller...more manageable room at RMAF? |
Davey F, YES, no doubt about it the room was ENORMOUS!!! We were concerned about it prior to setting up and listening. Here are a few comments from people that heard the system/room at the below links. The one thing I would say is that I am used to a BIG room with a 20’+ wide soundstage. I feel that this is the size of a real soundstage and my room has this similar size. If you have 5 or more musicians spread out it takes 20’. For those and there are MANY that are NOT accustomed to such a large soundstage and sound I believe that it just seems too big to them. They are not used to it and might not even like it because it’s so big. I can also say that when you play tubes ie, Jadis, you get a more realistic 3D holographic soundstage and the sound is more natural than with SS. I like both the tube and SS presetations equally, they are just different. Additionaly, everyone is not a planar/ribbon person. Some will like the look/sound, many won't. Our experience is that a LOT of people like Alsyvox and at this particular we never heard one criticism during the 4 days, basically just rave comments. But then on the forums you will find comments from those who preferred other systems/rooms. That's just normal and not an issue for me anyway. Different strokes for different folks. It's all good, just so people are happy. https://parttimeaudiophile.com/2019/09/11/alsyvox-omega-audio-concepts-rmaf-2019/ https://audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/easily-hands-down-best-speaker-at-rmaf-2019-planar-s... |
Aother comment from teh Parttimeaudiophile article. Mark Schifter // September 11, 2019 at 5:42 PM // Reply Excellent Review Franklin – this was my pick for Best Sound at the show. I was really blown away with their ability to play with authority in that enormous room with ease. Material of all kinds were handled with aplomb. Glad you liked them also. Mark I can't keep track of the overwhelming commnents and posts from lover's of the RMAF room. Just making sure that people understand that the room or sound may not have been to everyone's liking BUT there was NOTHING wrong with the room or the sonic presentation to the VAST majority of our room visitors. That is certain. |
@rhapsody What I am trying to point out is the fact that if a speaker demo has people point out "issues" and that demo is done in a room that is "enormous"; then most times a lot of those very same "issues" can be attributed to the room. Since there has been some ’noise’ that the speakers in this room were ’slightly’ less able in the very high frequencies ( " they were tipped up") and the bass was heard to be "occasionally wondering"...this would certainly point to a room interaction. Just like it can be difficult to dial in a speaker into too small a room, the same can be said for too large a room. Both offer their challenges. Now whether you (or other folk who you link to) actually heard the issue with this particular room at RMAF is another discussion. But my money is on those who have commented that the room ( ballroom??) was NOT ideal. |
