YG Acoustics Hailey 1.2

General comment re the lack of imagination on box design by YG(and also Magico). With all the bragging about technical capabilities and manufacturing tolerances why not a bit of creativity in design. Why not put these "5 axis" computer controlled wizards to better use. They could have a sculpted face - and use no more material. I have to think Revels Salon 2's face design is far more "technically appropriate". Magico's huge flat faces are reminiscent of 60's and 70's deign. Even JBL's 250 Ti's were more stylish; with technical merit to the design as well (although not fully optimized).
I have to think the front elevations of speakers will soon be a merited target of improvement by both these companies as the benefits of Revel Salon 2's design are indisputable. (Even Green Mountain Audio has had much more progressive design ideas. I can't imagine why they haven't managed flat frequency response however).

Ptss, I guess beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. YG Hailey and Magico S5 are both sculpted designs. S5 less so, but Magico still use a curved aluminium cabinet, and it has curved corners at the front to eliminate diffraction. The design was intentional to reduce cost vs the Q series, whilst approaching the Q series performance at a more accessible price. If Magico had made S5 like the M Project speakers, the S5's would have cost between $50-$60k. Anyway, you don't just sit and look at speakers..you play music. And whilst the Ultima Salon 2 is a good speaker, you can't compare it to the S5 which has a computer-modelled 1/2" thick heavily braced extruded aluminum cabinet and superior drivers (including a Q-series Nano-tech midrange) made to very tight tolerances. Doug Schneider conceded it was a better speaker than the Salon 2 in his review for Soundstage. With YG, you either like the design or hate it. But the engineering and fit and finish are beyond reproach. Different horses for different courses as they say.

Thank you, Melbguy1. I did not realize that the YG is essentially a 2 way with a sub. In that case, the right comparison will be to the Magico Q1 with a Qsub.
I recently heard the Qsub and was extremely impressed.

I have to think Revels Salon 2's face design is far more "technically appropriate"

The Q series face plate is indeed sculpted, and unlike Revel, which have a large flat area around the drivers, the Q face plate is completely round on the horizontal axis. It is also not made out of MDF, nor any of the hardware is exposed. If you look at Revel Salon2 measurement in comparison to the S5 ( Both on Soundstage), you can see how much better the S5 is, in particular the THD measurements. BTW, the YG fall flat on their faces in that regards.

08-23-14: Fargo
Thank you, Melbguy1. I did not realize that the YG is essentially a 2 way with a sub. In that case, the right comparison will be to the Magico Q1 with a Qsub.
I recently heard the Qsub and was extremely impressed.

YW Fargo, the QSub is awesome on a word. That would be a cool combo!