Y No YG ?

Carmel 1?

When does a $110,000 speaker pair actually cost at least $160,000 or more?When you incorporate the necessary high end preamp and  amplifier(s) to drive the speakers to deliver their highest possible sonic performance.

The YGs are fantastic paired with the right gear ...  I tried no less than 6 preamps -  each time getting a bit closer to what I wanted.   Simply put the YGs show you what’s behind them .., if it’s bright my guess is up stream a piece of gear is causing it .  My YG Carmel 1s are much easier to drive than my Magicos were and cost a good chunk more  than the S1s when new., Find used ones!   the gear to drive the YGs was less expensive as the speakers are  easier to drive than their sensitivity rating would indicate.  To be clear  that  does not mean all gear will sound good on the YGs .   Also Carmels are not 100k either ,  closer to 18k,  only about 82k difference.  I will tell you the YGs beat out Magico S1, Nola KOs , Revel Ultima Gems,   and my old altec 612 coaxial recording monitors.,  the Altecs held there own , but have a classic vibe .   YG Acoustics Carmel’s do a great job of getting the music right .   I can’t speak to the rest of the line as I have not heard any other offerings first hand .   However ,  if they are like the Carmels ... they will make great music , just set you back some dollars .  

That is simply not true; the impedance (and efficency) is rather similar. I have listened to the Carmel and the S1, the S1 is much better in all aspect, and it is cheaper. It goes lower, it plays louder, and it was sweeter with more extension on the top. I ultimately bought the A3, for the extra haft on the bottom. I think the A5 will put an end to any doubt, its in a different league all together. I am saving ;)

I've heard the S1 Mk II and while they had some good attributes, they were a very curious speaker.

Small footprint, low efficiency, requiring a lot of space to sound balanced, and with extra resonance in the lower female voice / mid to lower piano that always distracted me, but at the same time rather cool.

To me they are a salon kind of speaker, best for small intimate spaces, at low to middle volume but the amount of power they need and space makes them odd to fit. On the other hand, what a great stereo image no matter where you are.

Sadly, I have not listened to the Carmel.  If we are talking 2 way speakers with amazing parts, I point you all to Fritz.