whitecamaross...But you haven't tried your killer mono's yet,correct? Isn't it still possible to match or surpass the Wilson's dynamics with more power hooked up? Or the Neo just doesn't have the potential to be a dynamic beast? It's hard to fathom. Maybe when you install the Block Monos that will alter the perception? Looking forward to your review. |
I find it interesting that there’s not a single ongoing Martin Logan Neolith thread over at the Martin logan forum. Not a single Martin Logan Neolith owners thread on any website. I think if I start one I’ll hear crickets lol. Not many Neolith owners out there.
|
Mikepaul: so right now I can’t really say I’ve heard these speakers to the fullest. I don’t have enough current. There’s a difference between having an amp that can drive a speaker and one that can make them sing. Just because an amp can drive a speaker doesn’t mean it can make it sing. Right now I have integrateds that sound awesome but I won’t know how much better these speakers will get until they have more break in and more power.
Block audio monoblocks will be demoed in my home the week of thanksgiving I hope.
200 watts class a will/should make a serious improvement.
|
cleeds,
Of course, you are technically correct that all freq diminish with distance, and my choice of word, "evaporate" is mistaken. However, HF have shorter wavelengths, so air absorption of HF is more pronounced than at other freq. because more wavelengths occur with the same distance. You can hear the different tonal balance of an instrument from different distances, with the sound being duller further away. I commented on my experience in the concert hall at the 5th, 12th and 25th row. Another effect is the reverberation from all freq bouncing around many times, but the shorter the wavelength, the effect is accentuated. In addition, you can listen at the door outside the apartment where someone is playing music. Then open the door and stand at the same distance--the sound will be much more brilliant in the HF. The reason is that HF are absorbed more than lower freq by any material such as air, door, etc. If you want to play some music loud in your apartment, you will not bother neighbors as much if the music has more HF than lower freq. because the HF don't make it thru the walls. What bothers them most is low freq boom and shaking of the walls. In summary, all freq diminish with distance, but HF diminish more than lower freq.
|
So in summary,
the Neoliths seems to lack HF compared to the Magico, and HF is not as good as a narrower real ribbon tweeter can be
the Neoliths seems to need an hydroelectric centrale to make them sing, a 45k sota Momentum Dag brute force seems lacking at the job
the Neoliths don’t image like they’re supposed to unless you find the exact sweet spot in the room , which it seems was not totally found yet.
the Neoliths are not as dynamic as Wilson.
Well, reading between the lines, it’s a total complete success. I really feel the urge to buy me a set of sota Neoliths.
|
Techno: you’re summarizing preliminary information.... I said it above, the speakers are still:
1. on wheels rather than spikes which will allow me to tilt them forward and lower them in order to get the panels to hit you in more of direct angle.
2. All I’ve done is move them 5 ft from the front all. I’ve not began to move stuff out of wall that’s behind them
3. Yes, anyone buying a speaker of this caliber should expect to bring the rest of the set up to the same level. Do you buy a porsche gt and expect it to grip the road the same if you used Chinese tires? Do you expect a race engine to produce the same horsepower on 87 octane Rather than using the recommended race fuel?
4. THe sweet spot is far from narrow. That was one of my first comments above.
5. Why would anyone compare the highs from a panel against the highs of a beryllium tweeter? Two totally different technologies. It becomes a matter of flavor at this point.
This experience is indeed what I signed up for. I wanted to experience with my own ears the trade offs from different speakers.
I love Wilson’s dynamics, hate its bass. I love mágicos highs and don’t love its bass. I love the bass/mids from the Neolith but highs will need to be fixed to my liking by experimenting with more combos. The Neolith demolishes the mids and lows from the magico s5mk2 and Wilson sasha2 even if you used a pair of Sasha’s and s5mk2s playing all at once they still won’t come close to the fullness of the Neolith. The mids from the Neolith are on a whole different tier group.
|
@WCSS
Maybe you shouldn't post anymore first impressions....Some people get too worked up over them! lol |
At these prices, it’s almost a crime they’re not plug and play...
Admit it or not, at the moment it’s more plug and pray..lol |
I don’t think there’s any plug and play on any car either. I’ll go back to the car analogy. Are You familiar with the dodge demon? It claims to have crazy hp and that It can run a 1/4 mile in 9 seconds. That said, find me one that has ran that 1/4 mile yet. You need seat time, learn how to launch it off the line and keep tweaking its suspension and launch control and do a proper burnout in order to see if you can crack 9s in the quarter of a mile. Just because the car can run 9s, it doesn’t mean my grandma can run 9s in it too.
This has been the issue with the Neolith. As good as it is, it can still sound like a turd if you don’t have the proper set up. There’s no reference speaker that is idiot proof my man.
the more of a “reference” a speaker is, the more attention you need to pay to it. It’s easy for manufacturers to make a speaker sound good with any type of music. They simply shoot for a specific sound signature across the board and that’s it.
Ive only owned the speakers for 3 days. I can’t say I know everything about it yet. |
WC, I concur completely with your analogy. I have read this thread from the beginning and live vicariously through your journey, Thank You.
My system is not in the same ballpark, perhaps state as your equipment, yet I feel a kinship of sound (and cars) as I went through many changes until I arrived at my modest system centered on Maggie’s.
Room placement and electronic synergy to your speaker of choice has always seemed major in my eyes. I have always taken the Road Less Travelled, witnessed by the Lotus Europa I restored when I retired.
Thanks again from a major fan in South Georgia!! |
Quick question WC...in your opinion, do the Mac 1.2kw's better a pair of Hegel H30's? I currently have one H30 with chance to get another. I also have a chance to get a pair of 1.2kw for a great price. Your thoughts would be highly valued. I am guessing two Hegels are the way to go. |
@Ihasaguy
"electronic synergy to your speaker of choice has always seemed major in my eyes" This is THE most important factor. |
Eversaudio: what speakers and what preamp do you have ? Hegel is good and better value than pass 350.8. Quite frankly, I’m somewhat disappointed with the 350.8. Owned it twice and it didn’t make any sort of impression other than its construction. I feel like the .5 pass amps were more enjoyable. They had more sweetness and nice mids although the lows weren’t great but it was just a more enjoyable series. I don’t plan on getting more .8 pass amps unless I strike a deal on a 200.8 or 600.8. Other than that, I’m done with pass. The Hegel h30 is FAR FAAAAAAR a better amp for the money than the 350.8.
|
Thank you for following my thread ihasaguy. I am glad I have another follower here. Let me know if you have any questions that I can help you with.
|
@ron17 stop hiding with those yg speakers man. You know I want to hear more of your impressions. For instance, what do you like the most about it ? What do you wish it did better?
I could try yg speakers this year. You never know :) |
WC, I was referring to McIntosh MC1.2KW mono amps, not Pass Labs. I have Monitor Audio PL500 II's and Audio Research Reference 5SE preamp. |
I’ve owned those pieces. I am going to say that you are better off with a Luxman 900u. Those pl500s are very very good speakers. THe 1.2kw are unnecessary but what I remember is that the pl500s sounded really good biamped. Try getting a second Hegel and do vertical biamping with them. The platinum will be far better sounding if you do it this way.
|
Thank you for the input WC. Very much appreciate your dedication to this forum. |
@WCSS
My last 3 pairs of speakers were a ported design and because of room/placement constraints I've struggled with too much bass in the (36-42hz) region. I sold my Aurender music server and bought an Innuos Zenith mk2 SE so I could use Roon and the parametric EQ portion of Roon's DSP Engine. That worked fine but I really don't like having to use EQ in a 2 channel system (great for HT though). So I started searching for a speaker that would be a better fit for my room. When you wrote about your Magico's and your impressions of them I thought the sealed cab design and lack of low bass would be a better fit for me and my room. I found a great deal on the YG Carmel 2's (the smallest floorstander YG makes) which are 1, a sealed cab design and 2, flat down to 50hz, -5db @ 40hz and -10db @30hz. The YG's were lean in the exact areas my room produced too much bass .... a perfect fit for my room. I now have better tighter more defined bass and don't have to use EQ anymore. I find the YG's very detailed, highly refined and imaging and soundstage are crazy good (way better than my prior speakers).....One of my closest friends owns a hi-end audio store so I asked him to help me set-up the YG's. We spent 3 hours listening and moving them until they were nowhere near where I had them set-up. It pays to have a pro (especially with speakers) help with set-up. He wants me to listen for a couple of weeks before he comes back for a fine tuning......For me (so far) the best jump in SQ has been finding the best speaker for my room and musical tastes. I will probably be adjusting and tweaking cables etc... for the next few months...will update later.
|
ron17,
"It pays to have a pro (especially with speakers) help with set-up." I couldn't agree more. When I owned Wilson Audio speakers it was great to have a dealer set them up. I live in the San Antonio, TX and would pay money to have a dealer setup my Monitor Audio PL500 II speakers. Does anyone know a dealer in my local area that would setup my speakers? If so, please send me a PM.
|
@viber6,
I almost completely agree with you about Apogees sounding too smooth and rolled off. Unfortunately, 99% of the time they’re not set up correctly. IMO the only person who knew how to setup Apogees was the late Jason Bloom who owned the company. He knew the correct electronics, cabling, and speaker positioning to extract the most realistic resolution I’ve heard from a speaker. None of the present refurbished Apogee dealers can set them up correctly. Worse thing you can do is drive a Apogee with tube amps. Every single instance I’ve heard them with tube amps was an abysmal failure. Apogee is somewhat of a unicorn. It can take you to the heights of nirvana when done right, but it is rare occurrence.
I havent heard the CLX yet, but if it’s an improvement over the original CLS, it would be a very special speaker indeed. I’ve heard the Kingsound King, but the setup was in a small hotel room. Hardly fair to come to any conclusion based on that. But I do remember the high frequencies being one of most transparent detailed sound I’ve heard, save for perhaps the Maggie ribbon tweeter. |
Viber6/Dracule1,
Which Apogee speakers have you owned? What ancilliary equipment were driving them?
Dracule1,
Which refurbished Apogee retailers cannot set them up properly?
I had my Apogee Duetta Signature rebuilt by Rich Murry from True Sound Works. My DS have natural and extended treble since I followed the original Apogee installation procedure. Second, Apogee restorers typically only restore the speakers and ship them back to their owners.
There are only 2 official US Apogee restorers, 1 on the East coast (Music Technology, VA) and 1 on the West coast (True Sound Works Audio, NV). Do you really think they will drive/fly half of the USA to their Apogee owners to install them? This would be a local sales store responsibility. As you know, there are none of them left, due to Apogee going out of business shortly after being bought up by a VC company.
|
Does anyone have any opinion/experience with D’Agostino Classic Stereo or Classic 2 Stereo amp?
Obviously it is his lower level line, but it has good specs :
Power
300 watts @ 8Ω
600 watts @ 4Ω
1,200 watts @ 2Ω
|
WC; I suspect that since the Neoliths are relatively new, limited number produced so far and "expensive", this could explain why there isn't a Neolith owner's thread yet on the Martin Logan Owner's club website. I haven't seen much written about the Martin Logan Statement2 speakers either. But, in my opinion, the Statement 2s are up there as the best speakers made. You need a very large room for those. Have you contacted the dealer or Martin Logan about the issue you are having with the highs on the Neoliths? enjoy |
@mikepaul
Hi Mike, I've heard the new Progression stereo amp with the new Progression two-box preamp; paired with Sasha 2s, ARC Foundation Phone Pre, Luxman table - approx $15k total. System used Nordost interconnects and Transparent power cabling and line conditioning. I heard it at zero hours last Wednesday and it was very very good. Then on Sunday and it was the same - ultimately controlled at all volume levels. Very high resolution with extended and delicate upper registers, beautiful midrange, and well-controlled but textured bass. I realize the Progression is a step up but it has fairly similar specs and if you like the industrial steam punk look, it is a beauty not only to behold but to listen to as well. I think the pre/amp combo is right around $44k, so, not inexpensive.
I have heard the D'Agostino Classic Stereo amp (late 2017) with Nagra Classic Pre, DCS, Aurender, Sabrina's but liked the Nagra Classic amp quite a bit better. The D'Agostino Classic Stereo amp, the one time I heard it, was very good midrange on up but the vice grip on the bass suffocated the texture on the bass and that is why I liked the Nagra better - it had a little less control but lots of texture and palpability. The Nagra Classic pre & amp were $36k at that time. |
There are a pair of Momentum for sale at Higherfi for 30k |
pokey77,thanks for that info , although the "total system price of 15k" might be missing a "0",lol... no problem. i looked everything up..very interesting. thanks again! |
dracule1 and dasign,
I never owned any Apogee speaker, but heard them enough at dealers to reject them without further consideration because of their dull sound. The major factor in any panel dipole speaker is sufficient distance to the front wall. The Apogees I heard had plenty of distance in back of them, although I don't remember them being toed in. Toe-in is most important, and in those days I didn't realize how critical toe-in is. I don't like to disturb anyone's setup out of respect, but I am simply able to get a good idea of the effect of toe-in just by moving in front of the speaker as I listen to the tonal balance in mono. Apogees just didn't have good implementation of ribbons. I will keep an open mind about the Alsyvox implementation of planar magnetic technology. It is a pity that Apogee went under. Many wealthy audiophiles think that something isn't any good unless it is expensive, so Alsyvox may be capitalizing on that attitude by pricing their products very high. Good ribbon or electrostatic technology is not expensive, and doesn't require R&D as much as dedicated dynamic drivers with low distortion such as Magico is doing.
I heard the original ML CLS. It was vastly inferior to the CLX in the HF. The CLS was an example of the inferior design I have referred to--large curved panels. The CLX uses a narrow curved panel for the mids/HF and a larger but still modestly sized flat panel for the lower range. The narrow curved CLX panel has less time smearing than the faulty geometry of the large curved CLS panel was. WC is realizing that the larger Neo panel has rolled off HF compared to the CLX. The Neo has a more bassy type of tonal balance.
Yesterday I played violin in a church orchestra, the Princeton Society of Musical Amateurs devoted to performing large choral works. We did Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, a big piece with lots of percussion, plus baritone, tenor, soprano solo singers. I sat about 30 feet from the percussion section on the other side of the stage. The startling clarity of the metallic instruments like cymbal, triangle, chimes and even the tightness of the mid bass from the tympani drum which had the impact of a metal hammer banging an anvil, was in stark contrast to the woolly DULL veiled sounds from most audio systems. At my distance, most of the percussion sound was no higher than 85 dB, although there were probably instantaneous peaks of 100 dB which were rare. The extreme clarity was not because the HF were any more brilliant than I am used to, but because the rest of the freq range was equally fast and coherent with the HF. The whole thing was crisp, fresh air. This can only be revealed by an electrostatic speaker of the highest quality implementation which conforms to the principles I have spoken about. I have an open mind to see what implementations may come from ribbon or planar magnetic designers, but forget about dynamic drivers. Dynamic tweeters can be SOTA, but more massive dynamic midrange and LF drivers are hopelessly inadequate to keep up with the speed and low distortion of tweeters. And forget about large powerful amps which have more devices than low powered amps and tend to have higher distortion as the price to be paid for more power. The objective is quality, not quantity. Anyone who says otherwise should just do the listening and participation that I do, instead of hanging out with audio salesmen who have interests in selling high priced gear and may have little musical training and experience.
If anyone wants to meet me at the next concert 4 PM Dec 16, we are doing the Handel Messiah at the Princeton, NJ Universalist Church at 50 Cherry Hill Rd off Rt 206. I sit at the 2nd stand in the 1st violin section. I always welcome people to sit with me in the orchestra to experience what I am talking about, although the place may be packed for this wonderful great event.
|
Maplegrove, Those are the 300 Momentum's at HigherFi for 30K...not the 400's. 300's are a big step down and the upgrade is 15K+ to 400 so its not a bargain at all. |
|
I will wait and see what block audio will do. I have been told that it kills gryphon amps.
We shall see. |
@mikepaul
Clarification: I meant the total cost of the turntable as equiped - table/arm/cartridge. |
|
Viber6 - I would really enjoy the opportunity to share an early evening of music. I live in central NJ and am finding your offer hard to believe (meant in the most complimenting way)!
Count me in, I am very much looking forward to the experience.
Thank you for your kind, generous offer!
Most sincerely, Thomas Foti. |
I thought this thread was great before . . . .
Did I say I can't believe viber6's kind offer? |
tjassoc,
I am looking forward to meeting you. Get there earlier, a little after 3 when we set up. You can sit with me in the violin section for at least a little while, but the orchestra may be squeezed tight so it may not be possible to seat you there through the performance. But meanwhile, we can have some fun as I play solo for you in the lobby, the men's room (although the tiles in the BR make it too reverberant, but at close range it is fun and exciting). I like the sound in the small church. Filled with the chorus of people and musicians, the reverberance is toned down, but the sound is still fresh and exciting. Regards, Russell.
|
tjassoc,
Also, the singers rehearse with piano early at just after 3. This is an opportunity to hear them at close range. I am amazed at their power as well as musicality. Trained classical singers don't need microphones. The audience sits way in the back, behind the chorus who are projecting their sound away from the audience, so you will get 10X more impact during the early rehearsal.
|
I'm humbled and grateful viber6, very much looking forward to meeting you!
Thank you again for you kind offer :-)
|
You know since I am so close to Princeton (last worked in Pennington) Im thinking we can make it a Threesome. Wont that be a joyous occasion?? Before you get too comfortable in your chair at the Church make sure you gaze your eyes upwards into the rafters directly over your head. I might just be up there with rope in hand ready to ring some bells. |
RIAA and tjassoc,
I just joined the orchestra, so I have to be on my best behavior. A season pass is $40 for single, $65 for a couple, for participating chorus members. For the listeners, it is free, but contributions are welcome. For the singers and musicians, it is really a sight reading exercise due to budget limitations which go for the rental of the church, music, and goodies to eat at intermission. Even with just sight reading, the performances go pretty well. The impressive percussion section is at the left as you walk in, so if you crave excitement, sit near them. Listen to the solo singers rehearsing at the piano in the right front. Looking forward to meeting you too, RIAA. Regards, Russell.
|
I owned the original ML CLS when they were introduced, paired with a pair of Janis W3 ( the 12 inchers ), as I had a pair of model 1's ( 15s ), but were too " slow " to keep up with the CLS. Enjoyed their attributes, of which there were many, but was not my cup of tea, as I liked music louder than the CLS were capable of playing ( with any amp ). I also built a better pair of stands for the panels, to prevent them from " rocking ". The Janis had no problem. viber6, offering to play violin in the men's bathroom for someone, is, well, I do not know about that. P.S. I am ready to part with my eq. LOL ...Enjoy MrD. |
mrdecibel,
No inappropriate behavior intended in the BR. I like practicing in the BR because of the mirror and natural enhancement of the sound. The reverb doesn’t kill the sound because my ear is close to the violin. Untrained singers like to sing in the shower because the volume is increased in the small space. Send me pictures of your EQ, russlaud (at) gmail.
WC, take note of what mrdecibel just said about the inability of the CLS to provide sufficient dynamics with any amp. He may not have tried super high power/high current amps you are trying, but his overall point is valid. In like manner, the woofers of the Neo may not keep up with the faster sound of the panel. The CLS was a full range stat whose panel had a large horizontal width and was taller than the panel of the Neo. Therefore it had a larger total area than the Neo panel. Of course, the dynamics of the Neo are mainly in the bass and lower midrange, but the dynamics of the panel are decent but not comparable to that of a full dynamic speaker. The Neo is for people who want dynamics as a higher priority than the electrostatic purity, which is best found in other designs such as the CLX. If you read my post about the live music in the church last week, the true characteristic of live music is purity across the entire freq range. For over 95% of music, volumes are not high, but clarity is paramount in importance.
|
Having owned a lot of Logan’s, I don’t seem to detect anything sluggish about the speakers nor do I hear any lack of slam/dynamics. That said, no it’s no Wilson which I still feel is the most dynamic speaker I’ve owned to the point that it almost startles you. Both, Wilson and magico do things differently. The Neolith makes the vocals and instruments linger longer. I’ve always said it, you can’t have a small speaker put up any sort of fight to something as massive as the Neolith. You can’t have any crocodile dare to fight a hippo (true fact actually) because it’s too massive to even put a dent on it with a bite.
I can understand the clx having something to say about the Neolith but see it’s also a big panel. As far as bass, no the clx would need bass to compete.
Lastly, let’s not forget that the Neolith has adjustable crossovers that allow you to dial in the front firing woofer based on the distance between you and the speaker and you can also dial how much bass you want out of it (-8db, -4db, 0db). I currently have it at -8db which is enough bass for me.
Let’s try and see what happens once more horsepower arrives. |
WC,
Many good points in favor of the Neo compared to Wilson and Magico. The fact that vocals and instruments linger longer with the Neo means that low level sounds are better revealed with the Neo as the sound decays from higher volume to silence. This is electrostatic accuracy which is superior to that of dynamic speakers. But appreciation of any type of music is not about putting up a fight like between a croc and hippo. I don't try to play as loudly as a trumpet player can, because the violin is not designed to do that. A great stat like the CLX will produce the most lifelike sound at a fairly realistic SPL, but with better accuracy than almost anything else, for nearly all music. I wish you could come up from Florida on Dec 16 to meet me, tjassoc and your buddy RIAA, to see what I mean.
|
WC,
It is natural for you to seek to get all you can from the Neo because of the huge investment. I try to do the same in my medical practice to help wherever I can, against many handicaps. Just realize some basic laws of physics that should give you a realistic perspective. You have seen dynamic woofers with excursions of many inches, and even the visual blur from significant excursions of midrange drivers. These huge excursions enable tremendous dynamic range. But electrostatic membranes are tightly sandwiched between the stators, with allowable excursions of fractions of millimeters. This tight control prevents huge dynamics, but does enable accuracy with resolution. Horn drivers are a superior form of dynamic driver, because the smaller excursions than regular dynamic drivers are naturally amplified by the horn. This enables more accuracy at a given volume level, plus more dynamics with an equivalent excursion compared to a conventional dynamic driver. Even though ML claims you may drive the Neo with 1000 watts, you still will not get the dynamics that mrdecibel has with his Klipsch La Scala's 104 dB efficiency using a mere 10-50 watts or so. This is the laws of physics talking. Just accept the Neo for the reasonable excellent compromise design that it is.
I have been to live concerts of big pieces with such power and spatial breadth that not even a horn system can match for either dynamics or accuracy. That's what live concerts are for, so don't try to make your home system do everything, because it can't. Just enjoy it for the nuanced and peaceful enjoyment it can offer. I learned this a long time ago. That is my heartfelt advice.
|
FLASH ALERT.
Search Merrill Element in the forum, click on the 1st entry, Merrill Audio on tour 8/20/18. On 8/24/18 there is a post by Merrill himself, announcing that the Element 114 will be released about the end of the year. It will be a stereo amp, priced $9-12K. It will be of lower power--I am guessing 200 watts into 8 ohms. Since the more expensive 118 and 116 each double the power as the impedance is halved, it is possible that the 114 will be 400 into 4, 800 into 2. Even if not quite true, this is plenty of power for a sane person who wants musical enjoyment instead of blasting. He says that the 114 speed, detail, transparency are in a class of the 118 and 116, but you have to listen hard to realize that the 118 and 116 have a little more space. Yes, monos are better than stereos, but at what price? The 118 is $36K, and 116 is $22K for monos. MAYBE you can justify stretching it for the 116 rather than 114, but since this is a new technology ripe for new competition, I can’t see spending the additional $10K for the 116 or the additional $22K for the 118. It will take hard listening and financial soul searching to justify the additional big expense.
At this point, nobody should be spending serious money until these Merrill’s are available and broken in. Even the $22K 116 is extraordinary value if the sound lives up to the technical talk. I am sitting pretty with my superb $2K Mytek Brooklyn while I wait. Work with a dealer who has done thorough listening to all the models, and then visit and listen yourself, with a reasonable home trial. At retail, they are cheap enough for the sound value if confirmed. I will be reporting in due time on these potential giant killers. Call off the wedding of the big name amps with their dinosaur lipstick horse and shiny buggy creaky wheels.
|
Careful viber... monstrous amps hold a very special place in me.
Im also thinking about the m400s which conversations have just gotten started between me a potential seller. I have been advised against the m400s/Neolith combo.
I was told I need pure class a or tube power such as the arc 250se. |
WC,
I wish the best of care for you. Do you really want the most powerful amp if another reasonably powerful amp has more clarity or even the tonal flavor you want? Your advisors are steering you into false arbitrary directions based on the profits they will make from you. These advisors are not qualified to shine my shoes musically. Same goes for ML staff and most high end companies that go to shows and exhibit with other manufacturers not for valid technical reasons but for practical co-promotional business reasons. I am suspicious and contemptuous of most of them, who are out to deceive and steal money in the process. If you want power with control of the Neo woofers and panels, almost nothing will beat the Dag M400. Pure class A is for sweetness and linearity, not dynamics. Tubes will not control the woofer like the Dag. In addition, the relative mellowness of tubes (although ARC has less of the typical tubey sound) is inappropriate for the Neo panel, which is more rolled off than that of the CLX. It certainly is more rolled off compared to the Magico S5, according to your descriptions. No, I haven't heard the Neo, but every large curved panel I have heard was rolled off compared to the smaller version, corroborated by the laws of physics. When you realize that I am correct after spending over $100K more, I won't gloat and say I told you so, I will just feel sad. But I am glad you listened to me and moved the Neo 5 feet from the wall. Otherwise, you would have been lost and regretted your purchase. Keep them on wheels so you can do more adjusting as you live with them. Forget the comparatively minor effects of spikes, etc. The Neos are too unwieldy to bother with them for now.
|
The Neoliths deserve world class amps. You can’t skimp on it. I have 2 integrateds That do the job fine but I know deep down I’ve not heard tbe neoltihs yet. I love knowing I get to play with them and try all sorts of amps and also you all need to remember one thing: if I had bought Alexia 2, I would have bought dag 400s and called it a day because that’s a known combo with amazing synergy. The fact that I bought Neoliths will allow me to keep trying many more amps in order to keep this thread alive. They become “instruments” rather than speakers. They need careful attention and will show kinks in any amplifiers armor.
|
WC to God: « Please make that I find amplifiers that will make the Neoliths sing dynamically and their highs as clear as the Magicos. »
God to WC: « There are limits to my power with that kind of speakers my son. » ...
Satan to WC ´s dealers: « I created the biggest unsatisfactory speakers just for you guys , [ evil laugher] . » |
