the combak bravo is a more expensive(read angular cabinet) version of the geadient intro which is superb. it is made by gradient for them. both are availabble through mayaudio.com |
Where? In the US? I've been curious about these. |
i heard these speakers at a small shop in nyc called in living stereo. from my understanding, the speaker is known in japan and perhaps europe but not so well known here. what is nice about the speaker is that it can be kept close to the wall behind it...perhaps due to tokyo's living congestion. however geadient is involved, i know not from. lovely lovely sound at $3900. |
gradient builds the speaker for the harmonix brand. the bravo and the intro are sealed enclosures. other than furniture, the specs are the same. the gradients are 1795. the bravos much more......mayaudio.com |
Interesting. Now that I think about it, there was the Gradient logo on the back of the speaker. I was told, however, that the speakers were built by hand by the owner of Harmonix...who, i was also told, is revered in japan. Are the Intro's similar to the Bravo's in that they dont need much space away from the wall behind it? |
identical placement,seas driver...the gradient cabinet is beautiful(but without the angles......they both throw an incredible soundstage....p.s. harmonix/combak outsources for all amps and speakers....the reason for the fuss in japan is that they are first class products from first class manufacturers...in this case, gradient. |
The driver is souced from Gradient who has it custom made by SEAS. The Bravo has a different crossover and different cabinet neither of which are made by Gradient. The difference in sound between the two is not small. |
Don't you mean the Gradient Prelude? |
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the combak literature says the entire speaker is built by gradient to their specs, but they sure sound the same to me...although the frequency range on the prelude is greater |
also, a standmount with a built in subwoofer is coming...or so i hear. |
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i dont know if you were referring to my post. but if you were, my only doubt is whether i can afford it or not! however, since you seem to know about this speaker, do you think it's overpriced at $3900. what is your opinion of the speaker? |
I heard them awhile back and thought they were simply wonderful. Rich, full and detailed and really easy to listen to. The cabinets are beautiful as well. The designer is really quite good... his cables and tuning feet are second to none in my experience.
Overpriced? I don't think so. They are limited production, beautifully made and sound great. And anyway speakers last longer than we do so it works out to just a few cents a day.... depending how old you are:) |
vinyldoes, i agree with you. truly a lovely lovely sound. one thing the bravo's are known to do well is perform perfectly up against a wall behind it. this is a nice feature for both the cramped living quarters in tokyo and my cramped living quarters here in brooklyn. in your experience, do you know of any other speaker that can be placed against a wall that performs to a similar degree as the bravo's do? and, have you heard of the standmount/subwoofer that will attach to the bravo's? |
There was a prototype pair I saw on the web awhile back of the sub stand. I don't know if it exists or not.
I can't think of any speakers designed to sit against the wall beside the Bravo. |
...the gradient prelude is sonically the same(not inferior in any way) and it retails for 1795. the speakers should be placed against a wall(like the classic allison fours). the cabinets are also beautful although they are not angular...both the bravo and the prelude are built in finland by gradient who also builds the quad subs. |
i called mayaudio and the heavily accented owner told me that the bravo was a much much better speaker. although the bravo is also much better looking, i wonder why then would the price almost double...surely it can't be because of asthetic purposes only? |
Can't really make sense of these specs. Are they identical and does that mean they do, in fact, sound the same?
BRAVO
Loading principle two-way, closed box
Drivers coaxial, point source; 170mm bass/midrange driver with fiberglass
cone; 25mm aluminum dome; made by SEAS of Norway
Frequency Response 80Hz-20kHz +/-2.5dB-6dB@55Hz
Sensitivity 87dB(2.83V/1m)
Impedance 8ohms nominal, minimum 7ohms
Crossover frequency 2,800Hz
Recommended amplifier 20-150W
Features magnetic shielding
front baffle, natural combined wood
Finish Black, Cherry
Speaker Terminal Bi-wire, WBT-0763
Terminal plate WBT-0531. 05.
Weight 8.0kg
Dimensions 190mm(W) x 290mm(H) x 280mm(D)
Manufacturer The Bravo! is a proprietary design manufactured for COMBAK Corporation by Finland's Gradient Ltd.
PRELUDE:
Description: Specifications
Radiation patterns: two-way, closed box
Tuning frequency: 35Hz
Features: magnetic shielding as standard
Frequency response: 70-20000Hz +/-2dB, 55Hz -6dB
Sensitivity: 86dB/2.83V/1m
Recommended amplifier: 20-150W/channel
Impedance: 8 Ohms nominal; minimum 7 Ohms
Drivers: coaxial, point source;
170mm bass/midrange
driver with fiberglass cone;
25mm aluminum dome;
made by SEAS of Norway
Crossover frequencies: 2800Hz
Finish: natural beech veneer, also in cherry or black
Weight: 7kg
Dimensions, WHD: 19 x 29 x 25cm |
Now I know! Forget the numbers, the Bravo differs from the prelude in that 1. bravo has custom crossovers made by the japanese owner himself 2. custom designed cabinet. and 3. custom cabinet tuning. all of which, according to some one i just spoke with, account for the great difference in how these two speakers sound. amen. |
i've heard both and they sound alike |
1 kg and a crossover do not add up to an additional $2000. |
then why do you suppose the bravo is $2000 more than the prelude? |
They don't sound alike at all. I have heard both extensivley in the past. Seems like somebody has an axe to grind. They share the same driver and nothing more... sorry that's the way it is. It seems somebody may be trying to justify their purchase of the Gradient maybe?
Since when does the cabinet... forget about the crossover for now... not make a HUGE difference in sound?
May Audio should know the difference since they are the distibutor... no? Oh maybe jrd351 is the real expert here. Give it up already. |
i own the revolutions and think quite highly of both the prelude and the bravo...what gets me crazy is the difference in price....the cabinet is nicer, but certainly not $2000 nicer. |
vinyldoes, how would youd describe the difference between the two? |
And is the new cabinet design, crossovers, and tuning indeed worth the $2000 difference? |
It's about sound... if you want cheap go for Polk or something. Getting the most from audio is a expensive trip... worth 2K? To me sonically it's far superior... you need to decide if they are worth the asking price. I persoanally think they are better than any speaker I've heard in that price range. |
vinyldoes, if you were to compare the bravo to another speaker what would it be? |
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For near wall placement I can't think of anything else that works well.... for off the wall placement and staying in the small size format I like the Opera Callas. Both of these are really natural sounding. |
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Totem Arro??? I think it's time to narrow down your search.... the Arro doesn't work near a wall... it's a typical ported design. Most speakers need to be away from the wall.
Just go for the Bravo... then you can listen to music and sleep at night.... |
according to the totem website the arro only needs at minimum 6 inches from the wall and at maximunm 1 foot. i just wonder how it compares in sound to the bravo. |
not even in the same world......if its also about money, get the gradient preludes....if the money isn't an object, the bravos. |
jrd351, are you saying that the totem's are not in the same class as the bravo's? as in, the bravo's are a MUCH better speaker than the totem's? |
yes...the arrows are nice but not nearly as nice as the bravos or the preludes |
