After Bhouser fine post, I feel it was Raven 2002's I heard as I do not recall seeing the rectagular rear-port?
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Again, Bigkidz' description of the characteristics of the Raven C's is spot-on. I have navigated through 4 different amps myself with these speakers, 3 solid-state and 1 tube design. I have learned alot about the different sonic characteristics and how particular speakers can really dictate what you need an amp to do. You also have to remember that Talon is a very young company, but has gone through 4 major revisions of the Khorus alone in only so many years. These were wholesale design changes that made dramatic improvements each time. Having dealt with Talon through two versions of the same model, my recommendation would be to go with the latest version of a Raven vs. one of the earliest versions of the Khorus. If you do a good job of system matching, I predict that you will not be disappointed. |
Really appreciate the thoughts and advice. Let me add a little detail: I currently run Bel Canto Evo2 amps as monoblocks...any thoughts on compatibility with Raven Cs? Secondly, I'm very excited about Talon's reputation for outstanding bass extension and slam (coming from slightly anaemic Silverline Sonatas). Would I give up a lot in the bass department by going with single driver Raven C vs. dual driver Khorus? Thanks again. |
Surprise! the Raven is A DUAL WOOFER speaker - always has been! You can thank Talon for their TERRIBLY inaccurate website that does not clearly state that. I have complained about this mis-information to Mike Farnsworth 10 times, but he is just too busy to get it fixed. It uses an isobaric (back-to-back) design, where the second driver is aimed into the cabinet in a push-pull configuration. Like this: >< The biggest difference between Khorus & Raven is the 3-way crossover and corresponding extra mid driver. This may allow the bass drivers in the Khorus to extend a little deeper, cause they aren't having to deal with frequencies quite as far up into the mids. That's the good part about the Khorus, but 3-way designs don't tend to have as good of a reputation for linearity as 2-ways, because the extra crossover point happens in a frequency range where some people can clearly hear when the tweeter stops and the mid starts. You may or may not be able to detect it or even care, but some professional reviewers I have read articles by can't stand 3-ways because of this, so YMMV... As for the Bel Canto eVo's - well, you just hit on an important synergy situation. These amps are well-documented natural partners with the early (warmer) Talon models. Check out the StereoTimes.com reviews about the eVo's - they were all written using early-model Khorus'es. I JUST bought another round of amps to try with my Raven C's, and the eVo Gen 2's were seriously on my short list. But, Stewart at Sanctuary of Sound (Current Talon dealer and ex-Bel Canto dealer) indicated that my C's would probably not work best with the eVo's for the exact reasons I described in my earlier post. Instead, I went with Electocompaniet AW220 monoblocks, and -so far- feel that they are a terrific match. I will be doing some critical listening this weekend (if Hurricane Ivan doesn't mess up my power!), so we'll see... Hope that helps... . |
Bhouser is correct. There was a reviewer who didn't know that and I told him that there was no way to get that kind of bass with a single 10" woofer. He found out I was correct after the review. The Khorus has a larger cab and is heavier so that can help with deep bass. The Khorus has a super tweeter and the other driver is what I would call sort of a mid range as it is smaller then other mfgs mid range drivers. The Raven Cs are very coherent and extremely fast. Clarity is a strong point and I also think that they are pretty easy to place. Here is a link to a unbiased review that compares a few different speakers: http://www.thatslifemag.com/audiovideo/ancillaryspeakercomponents2.asp Happy Listening. |
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