Calvin, yes having heard the Soulution 501 mono's & 520 pre, I would rate the Vitus SS-025, SS-102,SM-102 monos & SL-102 higher. The Vitus Sig series gear has more control & sounds more organic to my ear. Soulution also don't have any comparable product to the SIA-025 integrated. The Soulution 530 integrated is huge! Though the Soulution 541 sacd player's msrp suggests it should have the wood on the Vitus SCD-025mk2 (atleast on SACD). Better? Probably, but $20k+ better?
The best speaker you ever heard?
In my opinion, the speaker is by far the most important part of the audio system. After all, it is the only part you hear. OK, the other stuff really matters a lot, but without a great speaker... No go.
I am a bit 'speaker-obsessed' I guess, and now I am wondering: What are the best speakers you have ever heard, and what made them the best?
I am a bit 'speaker-obsessed' I guess, and now I am wondering: What are the best speakers you have ever heard, and what made them the best?
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- 2090 posts total
Cts, i've heard the older model JRDG & Boulder amps (not Ayre), and previously owned a Boulder 1060. All these companies have an essential house sound, and their latest products build on that and are more refined. Boulder is very quiet, smooth, neutral & has a lot of power/control. I enjoyed my time with Boulder. Paired with an modded Ayon tube preamp ,the 1060 was a perfect match with my old Marten Coltrane Alto's. I've heard various Rowland products before, including the 625 stereo amp & Corus pre, and they sound very resoloving, quiet, liquid & airy. But they always sound a bit forward and mechanical to my ears compared to Vitus or Soulution. Rowland is a big fan of SMPS psu's which i've never been a fan of. Granted they are military grade & he has been developing them for some time, but i'll pass. Also the Corus preamp is chock full of op amps. |
I have heard many of the greatest speakers from the early 50's to the present. Different people have different sonic priorities. Without going into specific attributes (which I could easily do) my bottom line is measured by the degree of emotional connectedness I feel with the true beauty the composer intends (e.g. Vivaldi's Gloria, Mozart's Regina Coeli, Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Amanda McBroom's version of The Rose, Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah, etc.). The Muraudio speakers out of Canada convince my brain that it is hearing reality like no other speaker I have ever listened to and commands my brain to pay close attention. These speakers also command my brain to forget analyzing and to just experience the thrill of great music. I'd be curious to hear the reaction of others on this forum after experiencing this game-changing product. |
The Muraudio electrostatic array speakers are a current product which I believe were developed within the last couple of years. They're made in Canada and sold in the US, and have been on display at recent audio shows including AXPONA 2015. Their sound quality is very unique and I found them to be quite impressive and captivating. Unfortunately for most of us they sell for $63,000 (passive version) and are reviewed in The Absolute Sound issue 258, December 2015. The reviewer concluded that he would buy them if he could afford them. http://www.muraudio.com |
- 2090 posts total