Review: Wavetouch Audio Grand Teton, Piano Black Monitor
Category: Speakers
Piano Black, Grand Teton Monitors from Wavetouch Audio – Little Magic Boxes
Alex Yoon and his wife, Jackie, have designed unique speakers for their company, Wavetouch Audio.The speakers are 12” high x 7.5” wide x 10” deep. They are a horn speaker design which uses a 5.25”Mid-bass driver with an AMT Heil Ribbon Tweeter. It has a 94 db (4 ohms) sensitivity. The frequency response is 40 Hz to 25, 000 Hz. It uses Yoontone technology. See the Wavetouch Audio for specifics. My listening room specs are 15’ x 15’ 2” x 8’. They are set-up 6' from center to center, toed in to the listener, and 30" from the back wall.
I am not a professional reviewer. I have been involved in acquiring and improving high end technology for my own system since 1989. I have owned several different Fried speaker models including the C4, G3, A3, and Beta 3 and 6. I have also owned the Magnepan MG 1.6 with Mye stands, and The Innersound Isis 2. Like most audio enthusiasts, I do not have an unlimited budget.
My current electronics include: The McCormack DNA 125 amp, The Audio Research LS 1 hybrid preamp,
The Oppo 83 with Musical Fidelity M1 dac, a completely refurbished Sota Star Saphire turntable with an
Eminent technology 2 tone arm with a Benz reference S cartridge, a Rosette 2 phono pre-amp, Levinson
Rose interconnects, Shoestring speaker cables, a Schumann generator, and an Equitech balance power conditioner. I have my electronics mounted on the Star Sound equipment rack. I own 200 plus albums on Harry Pearson’s list, plus 150 more not on his list. I own 400 plus cds and sacds. I listen to symphonies, chamber orchestras, jazz, Rock n roll, Broadway show tunes, New Age and various male and female vocals. Some of my favorite albums are RCA, Living Stereo, Fritz Reiner recordings, as an example, Scheherazade; Mercury Living Presence recordings, as examples Hi-Fi La Espanola; Stravinsky, and The Firebird; many sheffied lab albums, all of the Beatle albums on paraphone. A few examples of my digital music are Holy Cole sings Tom Waits, Dave's True Story, both albums, Ani Difranco's albums, Miles Davis, Kind of Blue, five albums of Patricia Barber, several Diana Krall albums, John Coltrane albums many sheffield lab albums, many Nadia Salerno Sonnenberg albums, and ono and on...
If you are starting your high-end system, I would argue that your first purchase should be the Grand Tetons. They are so truthful, so balanced and so complete that they would enable you to really hear the components with which you want to match them. If you already have a system and are looking for new speakers, the Grand Tetons may be your last speaker purchase.
For readers who want to know some technical evaluations, here goes. The speakers have outstanding imaging, very high resolution, both macro and micro dynamics will get you moving and soaring. The sound stage is wide, from one corner of the room to the other corner of the room. It is deep and open. The mid-range is specific, with the correct timbre for each instrument. And, the music is
absolutely beautiful. The soft passages are clear and seductive. The loud passages are clear and arousing. Finally, there is the bass. It is seamless. It has useable bass to 20 hz. It has slam, power, and articulation.
The most impressive quality of the Grand Tetons is the incredible music it creates. Whatever music that you listen to will sound amazing with these speakers. The guitars seem to reach out and grab you. The horns command your attention and then compel you to enjoy each note. The piano resonates and sustains your involvement. The saxophones are incredibly addictive. The violins, violas, cellos and bass will thrill you. They will tug at your emotions and not let go. These speakers will take you on an emotional journey, again and again. The singers will engage you like never before.
These speakers will also let you know just how good your components are. My wife, Adriana, totally agrees with me. You will soar. You will bounce. You will glide. You will weep. You will sit transfixed. Listening to these speakers may not be better than sex, but it will be more consistent with greater staying power. Prove It? We bought these speakers. They are truly little magic black boxes with a big sound. Do yourself a big favor, audition a pair.
Associated gear
My current electronics include: The McCormack DNA 125 amp, The Audio Research LS 1 hybrid preamp,
The Oppo 83 with Musical Fidelity M1 dac, a completely refurbished Sota Star Saphire turntable with an
Eminent technology 2 tone arm with a Benz reference S cartridge, a Rosette 2 phono pre-amp, Levinson
Rose interconnects, Shoestring speaker cables, a Schumann generator, and an equitech balance power conditioner.
Similar products
I have owned several different Fried speaker models including the C4, G3, A3, and Beta 3 and 6. I have also owned the Magnepan MG 1.6 with Mye stands, and The Innersound Isis 2.
