2. speakers
  3. 188158-174105

Revel Salon2s: Seeking Advice

All,

 

There's a closeout on new Revel Salon2s locally and it's a speaker that's always intrigued me and been widely praised for characteristics I like in a speaker (detail, neutrality, punches above its weight, good midrange and bottom end). My concern is if it would be a lateral move based on my current speakers so I wanted to ask your opinions.

 

Current setup: Focal Kanta 3s, Parasound JC5, Pass Labs xp22, Denafrips T+, Lumin U1 + X1 PSU, great cabling, dedicated 20amp circuits, etc.

 

Any thoughts on if I should look into the Revels further versus what I currently have? Tangentially I have also considered trying tube pres but consider speakers as the foundation of the system and don't want to pass up this up unnecessarily. TIA!

christianb5s4
deep_333
862 posts
 

Different opinions/experiences exist...

Revel speakers are a bit dry, analytical, etc, but measure great, I e, designed by guys who understand engineering, but, don't have a good ear for music (unfortunately).

If you told the Revel engineer, "Dude, your speaker doesn't sound a whole lot like my instrument and is getting a lil boring".... He might say, " it's all you...it's you and your instrument's fault. My box measures great and i don't need to know anything else. If my box measures great, i am great".

Revel speakers are fairly priced for the work that went into it, however. If it ends up being your sound after you hear other things, consider it a fair deal even at full price. The Revel guys are not in the habit of robbing you like certain others.

Speakers with a different ethos applied in a similar price bracket or lower.

Levinson/DHertz Amber

Yamaha NS-5000 

Borresen X3 

Wharfedale Elysian

Tad E1Tx

Some of Vivid's stuff, etc

etc

There are more exquisite offerings as you go up in price as well.

Listen to a lot of speakers before you decide on what really appeals to you. Also, listen to an eclectic mix of tracks from different genres.

kennymacc
258 posts
 

@deep_333  I read your comments regarding the Revel Salon 2 speakers, "LOL!!!"  Especially the part where you wrote.... "Dude, your speaker doesn't sound a whole lot like my instrument, "LOL!!!"  All I can say about your comment is....."LOL!!!"

Happy listening.     

steve59's avatar
steve59
1,654 posts
 
deep_333

Your last post was interesting for sure. I demo’d the Salon 2’s at a dealers home where he was driving them with the most expensive Mark Levinson products Available in 2018 and they sounded full bodied and detailed and I bought them. Once home those exact salon 2’s driven by a hegel H360 (The one I picked for making the Salon 1 sound so alive and dynamic,) sounded dry and detailed with little bass energy or harmonic overtones. I resold those salon 2’s to a guy that plugged them into a pair of Mc601’s and presto, they came back to life. This story’s over for now as our op is waiting for another deal to come around, It does need to be said tho’ the Salon 2 needs power(Kennymacc, as much of a fan of the H590 s as I am, you’d be surprised.)LOTS of power!

More to discover