"artificially easy to listen to" - that's an interesting description. I wish I had a few other similarly sized and priced speakers in house to compare. I'll be doing more listening for a few weeks before deciding which pair to sell. So far I continue to enjoy different aspects of each speaker.
Comparing Goldenear Aon 2 and Totem Rainmakers
I just received a pair of Totem Rainmakers from an Audiogon member. I've spent the last few hours comparing them to my current Goldenear Aon 2. My initial impression -- and keep in mind this only a few hours of listening and the Aon's have a bit better placement -- is that I'd like to pull the AMT tweeter out of the Aon and put it in the Rainmaker.
I'd be interested to hear thoughts from others who have listened to either (or both speakers).
I'm listening to mostly well-recorded acoustic (e.g. Grisman Acoustic Disc), vocals, jazz and some Dire Straits and Pink Floyd.
So far I'm enjoying both speakers and having trouble saying I clearly prefer one over the other. The Rainmaker seems a little more lively -- sharper on the high end and punchier on the low end. But so far I'd say they are much more similar than different. The high end of the Rainmaker seems livelier on some tracks, but maybe a touch harsh at times. The Aon AMT tweeter is just smooth and clean. The mid-low and low of the Rainmaker seems generally punchier and tighter, though I did notice one track with some low guitar notes where they Aon sounded woody and natural and the sounds were much more recessed on the Rainmaker. The Aon seems to dig a little deeper into the low notes, but seems not as clean doing so. With the louder and more complex Pink Floyd tracks I'm generally preferring the Rainmakers.
Certainly, to my eye as hobby woodworker and someone who loves wood, the Rainmaker is a beautiful little speaker. I read one review that said the fit and finish was mediocre on close inspection and, perhaps compared to a $3000 pair of speakers it may be, but I think overall they did a phenomenal job (then again, I'm not a big fan of high gloss finishes). I would have happily paid more for the Goldenears for a nicer container, though the two side-mounted passive radiators make that challenging.
I love music, but I don't think I have incredible hearing (that could save me a lot of money though!), yet I'm just a little surprised how much I would call these speakers different with pluses and minuses in either case given about a 50% price difference in the list price of the two speakers.
Anyway, I'd be curious to hear others' impressions of either speaker.
I'd be interested to hear thoughts from others who have listened to either (or both speakers).
I'm listening to mostly well-recorded acoustic (e.g. Grisman Acoustic Disc), vocals, jazz and some Dire Straits and Pink Floyd.
So far I'm enjoying both speakers and having trouble saying I clearly prefer one over the other. The Rainmaker seems a little more lively -- sharper on the high end and punchier on the low end. But so far I'd say they are much more similar than different. The high end of the Rainmaker seems livelier on some tracks, but maybe a touch harsh at times. The Aon AMT tweeter is just smooth and clean. The mid-low and low of the Rainmaker seems generally punchier and tighter, though I did notice one track with some low guitar notes where they Aon sounded woody and natural and the sounds were much more recessed on the Rainmaker. The Aon seems to dig a little deeper into the low notes, but seems not as clean doing so. With the louder and more complex Pink Floyd tracks I'm generally preferring the Rainmakers.
Certainly, to my eye as hobby woodworker and someone who loves wood, the Rainmaker is a beautiful little speaker. I read one review that said the fit and finish was mediocre on close inspection and, perhaps compared to a $3000 pair of speakers it may be, but I think overall they did a phenomenal job (then again, I'm not a big fan of high gloss finishes). I would have happily paid more for the Goldenears for a nicer container, though the two side-mounted passive radiators make that challenging.
I love music, but I don't think I have incredible hearing (that could save me a lot of money though!), yet I'm just a little surprised how much I would call these speakers different with pluses and minuses in either case given about a 50% price difference in the list price of the two speakers.
Anyway, I'd be curious to hear others' impressions of either speaker.