They should have something in the next year or two I would think as the 2's have been around since 2008. Hoping the 3's will drive the price of the 2's down to where I can afford them as they are incredible speakers, my favorite all rounders that have always sounded great in the 5 or 6 separate systems I've heard them in. |
My Revel Studio2 speakers are so outstanding, I can't think of any improvements. This was one of the single best purchases I've made of all time. They are not picky with amp selection but the better the amp the better the performance. They are incredible speakers. If there ever is a new speaker, I would buy it in a heartbeat, no audition necessary. Kevin Voecks is a genius.
http://www.stereophile.com/interviews/390voecks/ |
A different industrial design would be welcome. The current Studio and Salon are non-starters in my home. And I say that as someone who would be okay with one of the Vivids, or the newer Thiels. |
"They should have something in the next year or two I would think as the 2's have been around since 2008."
There was about a ten-year gap between the first Salon in 1998 and the 2 in 2008. They remain reference gear for quite a few reviewers, so until that changes I don't know if Voecks and his team have much incentive to rush something else to market.
And +1 ditto co-sign on what Joe said, in terms of how I view my Salon 2s. They do it all, and they do it all pretty damn well. Extension, weight, detail, dynamics, soundstage, tonal balance, timbral accuracy - you name the attribute and they have it. I'm not sure where I'd have to go to find a substantial upgrade, but I would guess that it would come at a substantial premium.
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For the life of me I can't figure out why the Salon 2 does not get more prays around here. Their sound was without flaw to me. Natural through and through. It wiped the floor with common speakers (thiel, b&w) and hung right there with many super speakers.
I would also like to see their looks change. They look like home theater speakers... Boring. I like the looks of the thiel 3.7, Kef 207/2 and blades. I would buy speakers in crazy colors too. There is no way to hide a 5' moster you might as well make it a focal point. |
James63,
You are correct about the Salon2. Amazing as well and I may even move up to them depending on how my Studio2 perform in a bigger room. Both Revels are Stereophile Class A rated for many years in a row. Not too many others can say that. My Studio2 are incredible.
P59teitel,
Thanks for the comments. You have an amazing setup. Thanks for sharing the photos. |
James63,
You like the Salon2 more so than the Thiel 3.7? It would be interesting to hear your opinion. I have read quite a bit of your posts during my speaker research activities and found them informative.
I owned the Salon1 for quite a long time in a great spacious room. While I enjoyed the heck out of them I prefer the Thiel 3.7 more than the Salon1. The Salon 2 sounds different on the top end than the Salon1. Maybe better but I have not heard it at my home to say for certain.
It was a shame the Revel changed the looks of the Salon1 when they designed the 2. The Salon1 had a cool modern look in my books.
The bass on the Salon are out of this world. I just loved that. |
The Salon 2 and Studio 2 are fairly common used, at prices that are very attractive. There is no way I'd pay for a new pair, but you won't get hurt buying a used pair even when and if we see a Salon 3.
I have a dedicated room and first class electronics behind my Studio 2's. While they sounded great from day one, it was only after I did quite a bit of research into room acoustics, as well as speaker and listening chair placement, that I obtained the full measure of what this speaker can do. While the first thing that grabbed me was low level detail without artificial brightness, after I finally found the optimal set up location the soundstaging left me speechless. The Ultima 2's really are chameleons, it is my firm belief that the great majority of listeners who don't like them simply heard problems from the room, their listening position or upstream coloration. Look at the way they measured when tested by Stereophile. Then look at Wilsons!
While some may not like their look, they passed my WAF, they look the way they do because of acoustic choice.
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Yyzsantabarbara,
The thiel 3.7 is a special speaker and they have always sounded great. I was about to buy them before I ran into money issues (wife lost job) and just garbed the 2.4 to hold me over. Anyway all is good now and I am looking again.
Having owned the 2.4 for about 2 years now I just want something different and will most likely move from thiel for the sake of change. I have demoed the 3.7 and salon 2 at different dealers (rooms/amps) so it is hard to say. Generally I feel the Salon 2 has better highs and much deeper bass. In between the extremes it gets hairy. I feel the impact (leading edge) is stronger on the thiels and drums snap a little more. In the mid band I also found the thiels more engaging. I guess I want a 3.7 with more bass.... Where is the 7.3?!? A sub would not fix the problem for me because I want that added power throughout the lower band not just depth.
This time around I want a full range speaker with lots of bass. Even if the bass is not ture to source (a little humped is ok). About a year ago I heard the Sophia 3 and Thiel 3.7 in the same room/system and thought the 3.7 was the better speaker (better=true to source) but enjoyed the Sophia's bass more because of the added power (not depth).
Anyway at this time I would maybe buy the Studio 2 over the thiel 3.7 just for a change in house sound. This time around I have put a much higher priority on bass power/depth but at the end of the day either would be a big upgrade for me. I also have the Kef 207/2 on my list. Used these are all about the same price. |
If you have even the slightest sensitivity to aggressive tweeters - these are for you. The Revel tweeter is as smooth as silk. I've owned both the Salon 2 and Studio 2. Both are excellent. Big room, go Salon 2. Small room, go Studio 2.
Other than MAYBE the Magico S5, there isn't a better full range speaker under $30,000 that I have heard.
Anyone who wants to know more, can PM me. |
@James63 - give the Magico S5 a listen. Amazing bass. |
mbovaird:
what is your definition for 'small room'?
I am interested in the Studio 2 and Voice 2, to replace my existing front 3, in my living room HT. This is not a dedicated room HT, just a standard living room that I have my HT system in. Generally speaking, its a rectangular room that runs about 22' x 15'. I would be running the 3 speakers with my new bryston 3-channel sst2 amp.
The studio's should probably be fine right? The Salon's overkill? I have a small gut feeling, based on the great feedback of the studio's, that I dont necc. need salon's for a standard living room. Especially if I get the voice center.
thx in advance |
James63,
I totally agree with your assessment of the Thiel 3.7 relative to the Salon. I would not go back to the Salon since I have already owned it but if somebody gave me one as a gift I would happily take it.
I am doing some active searching now. I heard the TAD Evolution 1 recently and liked it but not enough to commit to it. I liked the Salon better. I think the audition room was not correct due to lack of side walls. I also heard the Wilson Alexia at the same store and was blown away. Some fantastic sound. I was never a WIlson fan but I left thinking what extra job can I do to afford that speaker. Normally I would never consider such an expensive speaker.
I am going to listen to the KEF Blade at the end of the month. So far the Thiel 3.7 is still my number 1 choice due to financial sanity issues. |
Appdevman,
My room is 21x17 and I have a Voice 2 to match my Studio 2's. The best comment I can give you is you'll be fine. |
Mbovaird,
The S5 is well put of my budget. I am buying used so I am closer to 10k not 30k but they do look nice.
Yyz,
The nice thing about wilson is that they are so popular you can almost always find them used.
But back on topic, I don't see a Salon 3 coming out anytime soon. In an interview I read they said they would wait until the current model was no longer relevant and to my ears that does not seem to be the case yet. Their main competitor is B&W (mainstream audiophile.... Oxymoron) and the revels are still better than the new B&Ws. Magico, Willson, and Rockport play to a different crowd, one with more $$$. |
Some people think Revel tweeters are smooth as silk and others think they absolutely suck. On the F series, it's as though they forgot to connect them. It's been a long time since I've heard an S. I recall liking them. I listened to the F206 and its horrible. |
I have yet to hear a better tweeter than the revel salon 2. Maybe the negative reviews of the tweeter are front end related. |
James63:
I have yet to hear a better tweeter than the revel salon 2. Maybe the negative reviews of the tweeter are front end related. I have to agree. The Revel Studio2/Salon2 are amazing speakers, especially for the money. I may actually prefer the Revel tweeter to my TAD CR-1's. I hate to put that in writing but I have to be honest. Sure the TADs have more pinpoint imaging but sometimes it can be too much. |
@appdevman - you will be fine with either. My room is 15 x 25 and I had both speakers up there. The Studio 2's are easier to drive and sound great. But the Salon 2's soundstage vertically better (obviously, because they are taller), go deeper and will compress your room better. But you need an amp with balls. Big balls....for the Salon 2's. The Studio 2's are easier to drive. There is a YouTube video of me driving my Studio 2's with a pair of Audio Research 250 tube amps. |
