Revel Salon 2 speakers

even Revel couldn't write a better pitch :)

However, I did find them one of the best speakers for the $ when I was speaker hunting.

My Revel Salon 2 speakers are in a smaller room but, because they work so well in smaller rooms, and I have them dialed-in so beautifully in the smaller room, they are producing some of the best bass imaginable. The Salon 2s are capable of producing that next-level kind of bass that audiophiles always dream of.  The Salon 2s produce bone-chilling, gut-wrenching bass, slam and dynamic to die for.  And the Salons let all the detail, transparency and bass come through even at low to moderate volume levels for those nice quiet midnight hour listening sessions.  The Salon 2s really are quite amazing!!!  

My first revel speakers were the F52 and while I wasn't impressed with the overall tone the way they imaged and soundstaged made them quite engaging. I think if i'd of upgraded my integrated amp when I had them I would have kept em. That narrow, deep waveguide provided a much more intimate soundstage with front to back imaging none of revels new designs deliver.  

I have small Revel Performa M22 and I have not heard a better midrange. The tweeters are not best, so I change them out for Morel CAT328. Few tweeters can replace the M22 original as they are 8 ohms and most tweeters are 6 or 4 ohms. The Morel are almost identical impedance wise and are superior sounding.so not crossover redesigning required,

bennyjammin

9 posts

11-23-2022 at 09:46am 

Revel/samsung employees are probably worried for their jobs and coached up to go home and say something positive about the brand. 

Cool story bro

Thanks, I do try and i'm glad you noticed.

Kennymacc,

Social media is a great marketing tool that Revel is using to stay relevant while they design the next ground breaking product. I agree with you the be line is inferior, but if you get enough people chanting revel is best folk will buy anything they put out. doesn't make them bad it makes them smart.

That's because John Atkinson loves them and I heard him mention them briefly once at RMAF as one of the very best of all time, regardless (years ago of course). For him they were simply a superb speaker. They are great to this day, and a value, even when brand new.

Getting Salon IIs at $11k should make you think you robbed the bank! :-) Enjoy them!

LOL Pay to Play.

Stereophile Magazine, probably the most venerable and highly-regarded High End Audio publications on the planet, still, yes, 15 years after it’s introduction, are on Stereophiles, full Range speakers, Class-A Recommendation list.

Revel/samsung employees are probably worried for their jobs and coached up to go home and say something positive about the brand. 

Cool story bro

steve59, We all have our own preferences and opinions, and I welcome yours.  However, you’re missing the point here. As noted, I’m fully aware of the Salon 2s age. Also, although there’s been a new line introduced (228/328), fact is, they’re not designated as replacements for the older Ultima line. My point, simply, based upon the Salon 2s price-to-performance factor, compared to todays current speakers, even after 15 years, they still represent an outstanding value for the money. Have you ever heard the phenomenal Salon 2 speakers? I would be willing to bet that you haven’t. Stereophile Magazine, probably the most venerable and highly-regarded High End Audio publications on the planet, still, yes, 15 years after it’s introduction, are on Stereophiles, full Range speakers, Class-A Recommendation list. This is quite a feat, and a true testament as to the longevity and greatness of the Salon 2s, especially considering their age. Just take a gander at the company the Salon 2s are keeping on that Class-A list. Amazing!!! There are those of us Audiophiles who don’t have "deep-pockets" and seek out bang-for-the-buck items on the market, which the Salon 2s are a prime example of. "Cancel the monthly Salon 2 parade?" Don’t hate.

I don't want to poop on a salon 2 parade, but these speakers have been out for over 15 years and I've not seen another brand so strongly pushed on the web. Revel/samsung employees are probably worried for their jobs and coached up to go home and say something positive about the brand. I don't care for the 228/328 be as replacements to the ultima line because the cabinets are noisy and draw my attention back to the speakers. If I had $11k and was picking a brand new pair of 328be or salon 2's d go salon 2 and a hi power amp every time, but can we cancel the monthly salon 2 parade, it is so stale?

Here in Northern Cali, there’s a dealer near me that sells the entire line of Wilsons and Sonus Faber speakers that I visit regularly, and they all sound fabulous. Every High End Audio dealer that I visit, and listen to whatever speaker brands they carry, or, whatever High End Audio Shows I attend, I have the opportunity to hear a plethora of simply outstanding sounding speakers. I paid $11K for my Salon 2s, preowned, and when I compare what I have, to what I hear at the dealers, or at shows, I honestly feel like I robbed the bank with the breathtakingly superb, and still, Stereophile Recommended Class A rated Salon 2 speakers.

I agree the Salon 2’s are still an amazing speaker even after all these years. I love mine every day. I like Wilson as well but it took them over a decade to compete with the Salon 2 at a similar price point. I heard the Salon 2 vs the Sabrina X at my dealer in the same room/ equipment and to my ears the Salon 2 was better. 

You are exactly right! The H390 does not have the headroom to properly drive the Salon 2s. When I first got my Salon 2s, like yourself, I was driving them with an H390, which I was using with my previous speakers. The H390 is an extremely powerful integrated amp by it’s own right, and was just fantastic drive my previous speakers, but the notoriously inefficient Salon 2s were an entirely different animal, so I stepped up to the H590. Well... the H390 and the H590 are also two entirely different animals with the H590 being superior in every parameter, especially in the power reserve and damping factor departments. When switching from the H390 to the H590, I was somewhat shocked at the degree of which the H590 put a vise-grip on the woofers of the Salon 2s. Not to mention (I already did) the phenomenal sound quality of the H590. This is why I speak so very highly of the remarkable Hegel H590. So, yes, everything got better with the H590, which produces a huge soundstage. Soundstage height, width and depth with the H590 driving the Salon 2s were all there, in spades.

How's the soundstage from your salon 2? I had the hegel h360 when I had them and it was a really strange sensation having pinpoint imaging devoid of soundstage. In hindsight I don't think the h360 had the headroom to get the woofers pumping. Compared to the salon 1 i thought the 2 was a big step up in resolution.

About a year ago, I had to move to a smaller listening space in my home, so I downsized from separates to an integrated amp. I now drive the Salons with an Hegel H590 integrated, which, combined with my Ayre Acoustics QX-5 Twenty reference DAC, produces an absolutely superb sound. The Hegel H590 has the horse-power to drive the Salon 2s beautifully (especially in rooms that aren’t real large), while possessing some of the very highest sound quality available. I believe that the Salon 2 and Hegel H590 combo is a brilliant combination. I strongly believe that the Hegel H590 integrated, although not cheap, given it’s superb sound quality and huge power reserves, is the best integrated amp on market.

@kennymacc  what are you using for amplification?

I just picked up a pair of 228Be and have similar feelings about it.  Just such a tremendous value compared to what’s out there.  I think Revel garners a lot of respect in the audiophile world, but does not maintain the ‘mystique’ of other brands, which get there by either super high prices, constantly releasing new products, or out of this world materials/construction.  This is my first pair of Revels  in 25 years in the hobby and I am extremely impressed.  

Oh great!... now they're going to raise the price. I agree though, they are a fantastic speaker and a true value.