Why So Many Raidho Speaker For Sale?


If Raidho speakers are so great, why are there so many pairs for sale here?  These are not inexpensive speakers by any means and it seems at least every other day there is a pair for sale with some people having them only a few weeks to a few months, and they are really taking a bath on them.  What gives?  Are they not as great as they are made to be?  Is Jonathan Valin a shill for the company?

I heard the 4.1 diamond at Blink High End north of Boston and was very unimpressed.  I have heard many other highly regarded speakers for much less money sounding wonderful.  So, what gives?

stereo5

Showing 2 responses by richards

I recently bought a pair of D2 from someone upgrading to 2.1. The upgrade is fairly expensive. You always see a lot of older models for sale at discounted prices when the new model comes out (same thing happened for me when YG upgraded the Carmel). I'm very happy with the Raidhos. I moved from a mid-size room to a smaller room (13'x16'). These are exceptional speakers for near field listening, projecting a wide, deep and focused soundstage with great detail and presence and can be placed close to sidewalls.

Sometimes I miss the heft of my previous Peak Consult Zoltans, but only a little--the highs here are much better, and the kids more open. A tubed DAC and pre have added the needed body. My Carmels didn't do it for me in this room, couldn't get them optimized--the Raidhos are an order of magnitude better IMO, and for my tastes in my room. Before deciding on these, I listened to KEF Blades, Wilson Benesch, Gamut, Wilson and Vivid. and I'm quite happy with my decision. YMMV.
Suppose it's time to stop following this thread, as it has now been fully hijacked with self-promotion. FWIW, though I have not heard the new Monitor Audio speakers, I have much experience with Heil-based AMT tweeters, used in ADAM speakers in my studio setup. They are quite good, very honest and detailed without sounding harsh, but IMHO don't present the delicacy, air, sweetness and dimensionality I hear in the Raidho tweeter.  I suppose we all hear differently, and this being a hobby for enjoyment, we should all listen for ourselves and decide what sounds best to us, in our room, and what we are willing to pay, for what are sometimes small yet important improvements.

Radios aren't for everyone, and require a certain setup to sound their best. If your room requires a near field setup, they excel. Many of us buy used and if we aren't fully satisfied, or later find something we like better, and have some extra disposable income, we sell what we've got at a loss and upgrade. Sometimes we get lucky and sometimes not. I feel lucky to have found Raidhos. They work for me and are worth the price of admission (used). Are the D2s my last speaker? Who knows. But they sound better, to me, in my room than the YGs they replaced, and better than my previous Peak Consult, Piega, Genesis or Selah line arrays.

Every speaker, and every component, has trade-offs. For example, I can live with a rising top (I'm getting older and my hearing there is diminishing) but could never live with over-ripe mid bass. To each their own. We can benefit from each other's experiences, on forums such as these, but we can't hear for each other...