"The Ultra High-End Speaker."


My entire relatively simple high end audio system retails for approx. $70,000, with my speakers alone retailing for approx. $24,000 (Revel Salon 2 speakers).  I've been around high-end audio for over 40 years.  I attend audio shows and visit local and non-local high-end audio shops on a regular basis.  I get to hears a lot of high-end audio speakers and gear all the time.  That said, I honestly believe, along with others who've visited my home and have listened to my system, that my system (speakers) produce that ultra high-end, reference quality sound.  Others would suggest that, when it comes to speakers, that the "Ultra High-End" sound can only be achieved by megabuck speakers costing 50K, 100K, 250k and beyond.  I do not believe that ultra high-end ("Sound Quality") is excusive to those speakers costing a king's ransom.  And, I think my own system is am example of what can be achieved at a lower (not for most people) price point.  I absolutely believe in the law of diminishing returns, especially when it comes to high-end speakers.  What's your definition, idea of, what you consider to be, a "Ultra High-End Speaker, and at what price point does the ultra high-end start?????            

kennymacc

Steve59:  You are correct.  Based on my own personal experience, the Hegel H390 are definitely underpowering the Revel Salon 2 speakers.  I tried it and experienced the same underwhelming results that you did.  The H390 doesn't have enough juice to wake up the Salon 2 speakers drivers.  But, when I switched to the Hegel H590, "HUGE DIFFERENCE."  Because my listening room is not very large, the extremely powerful and very high current H590 works especially well driving the Salon 2s.  If I were in a large room, I'd go with separates as to increase the power in order to drive the Salon 2s to their fullest.  But, still, in my smaller room, the H590 works great!!!  

Once you hear Tocaro everything else is a sound system and not a music system. 
 

no cross over will ever add to the music. No pumping membrane will ever follow the actual notes. No marketing hype will ever make it more realistic. 
 

 

When it comes to the ultra high-end, some of the very best sound I've ever heard was a set of the Dutch & Dutch 8c, carefully set up and EQ'd.  I have NEVER heard better imaging and the tonal balance couldn't have been better.  They retail at about $15k/pair, which is pretty cheap for "ultra high-end", but they stand up against anything I've ever heard, at any price.

$15k is still a chunk of change, but for that $15k you get a full audio system.  Just add a streamer or PC and you're done.  This is a powered loudspeaker with active crossover, DSP EQ and DAC built-in.   No need to spend anything on an amplifier, preamp, interconnects or speaker cables.  It sits on your Local Area Network as a Roon target and you just connect to it.  And then you're done.  

Pretty good value it seems to me.

It seems at 18.000 including dac and amp ,DSP EQ that it is a bargain if the sound is phenomenal...

With a special acoustic room dedicated to them they can be end game ...Especially with the BACCH filters of Choueiri ...But here we must add more money ...

My main interest is the top S.Q. for the least money ... This is the hard part of this hobby : no throwing money ... Anybody can buy 500,000 bucks system and putting it in a pro acoustic room of the same price ...We must learn how to do some part ourself at low price this is the fun part ...before music ...

This review is interesting :

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/forum/index.php?threads/dutch-dutch-8c-review.21016/

When it comes to the ultra high-end, some of the very best sound I’ve ever heard was a set of the Dutch & Dutch 8c, carefully set up and EQ’d. I have NEVER heard better imaging and the tonal balance couldn’t have been better. They retail at about $15k/pair, which is pretty cheap for "ultra high-end", but they stand up against anything I’ve ever heard, at any price.

$15k is still a chunk of change, but for that $15k you get a full audio system. Just add a streamer or PC and you’re done. This is a powered loudspeaker with active crossover, DSP EQ and DAC built-in. No need to spend anything on an amplifier, preamp, interconnects or speaker cables. It sits on your Local Area Network as a Roon target and you just connect to it. And then you’re done.

Pretty good value it seems to me.