Their sub bass extension isn't so hot, -10 db @30 hz. I wonder how these would in a shootout with a pair of Salon 2's which are one tenth the cost. For the nearly $200k difference you could buy a boatload of pretty artwork. If you knew what you were doing that stuff would be worth more than you paid for it in 10 years.
Absolutely, I agree. What we need is a blind test between the Akira (love that name) and the Revel Salon 2 (sounds like a living room chocolate ice cream on a stick).
If we go with measurements alone I know some speakers for $1,000 that look very nice on graphs.
If we go for ears alone we have to use the ears of the people who have the most important ears...the potential interested buyers, very.
* For $215,000/pair US dollars speakers it's nice to have decent bass @ say 20Hz?
Yes, for a quarter million dollars (with the speaker cables), a normal audiophile would prefer to have a full range loudspeaker, in particular if he is into electronica music, classical orchestral music, and other music genres with energy in the lowest frequencies of the human audio spectrum range. Music emotions are also revealed in those frequencies, in all frequencies, but emotions vibrate stronger when energised between opera vocals, cellos, pianos, violins, harps and organs. ...In my humble opinion.
Repeat after us; we want 20Hz +/- 0.5dB with our music.
For $215,000 we don't want to buy additional subwoofers, because we can buy the KEF LS50 speakers and add two nice subs for a fraction of the price and be in musical heaven nonetheless.
It is in comparisons that we identify the love of our life. Without comparisons anything goes.
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▪ Ok, from strictly good looks I like them more to say Magico and Wilson speakers.
I would pick them first for that aspect. But it's the sound that counts the most, the looks are important but not the essence. And it makes good sense from a $200,000+/pair loudspeakers to have 20/20 sound and vision, with the smallest deviation possible all across the range and even off axis.
■ I still like their looks though, and John likes their sound too.
As for measurements I've read what John said. Each room measures differently, each set of ears hear differently, each people's brain function differently.