Oeiras99,
At the show I described earlier, the Carmels and V-2 were played in a very large room, I would guess at least 1200 square feet, and ability to play at high volume was not an issue for either. As for the price, I don't know if the Carmels have come down in price, but, I believe they were being represented as selling for a lot less than $18,000 (I am sorry, I can't remember the price quoted).
I have heard a number of other speakers that are specifically designed for near wall or corner placement. The various models from Audionote (uk) come to mind. These speakers vary WIDELY in price, even though they are basically similar speakers, in terms of design. The difference is a matter of refinement of components. These models are the complete opposite of the Carmel and Magico speakers. If one did a kind of check off of basic characteristics, they are NOT impressive. They don't go deep down into the bass (they tend to fake deep bass with a mid bass bump), they don't deliver the last bit of detail, etc. But, when it comes to musical enjoyment, they are terrific (to me). They have the kind of liveliness without being brittle, dry or overly bright, that is hard to find in many speakers. They are also quite easy to drive and thrive with lower powered tube gear. If looks matters, unfortunately, they come in a very plain looking box.
A much prettier looking speaker that I've heard placed very close to a back wall while still sounding very good is the Gradient Revolution. This is a speaker designed to accomodate difficult placement.
At the show I described earlier, the Carmels and V-2 were played in a very large room, I would guess at least 1200 square feet, and ability to play at high volume was not an issue for either. As for the price, I don't know if the Carmels have come down in price, but, I believe they were being represented as selling for a lot less than $18,000 (I am sorry, I can't remember the price quoted).
I have heard a number of other speakers that are specifically designed for near wall or corner placement. The various models from Audionote (uk) come to mind. These speakers vary WIDELY in price, even though they are basically similar speakers, in terms of design. The difference is a matter of refinement of components. These models are the complete opposite of the Carmel and Magico speakers. If one did a kind of check off of basic characteristics, they are NOT impressive. They don't go deep down into the bass (they tend to fake deep bass with a mid bass bump), they don't deliver the last bit of detail, etc. But, when it comes to musical enjoyment, they are terrific (to me). They have the kind of liveliness without being brittle, dry or overly bright, that is hard to find in many speakers. They are also quite easy to drive and thrive with lower powered tube gear. If looks matters, unfortunately, they come in a very plain looking box.
A much prettier looking speaker that I've heard placed very close to a back wall while still sounding very good is the Gradient Revolution. This is a speaker designed to accomodate difficult placement.