Audiophilepure

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/1857-estelon-aura-loudspeaker

That splendid tonal balance was not perfectly neutral, but it was as neutral as I’d want it to be. Listening to female vocals, I could detect a slight emphasis in the upper midrange regardless of amplification. This bias, in the 1000Hz to 4000Hz range, both on- and off-axis, was also revealed in our measurements. But this isn’t a bad thing. Lana Del Rey’s wispy vocal on “White Dress,” the opening song on her Chemtrails Over the Country Club (16-bit/44.1kHz FLAC, Interscope / Polydor Records / Tidal), was perhaps a touch more prominent than usual, but it had dazzling immediacy and a wonderful clarity I did not sense with other speakers. A less obvious effect of the heightened upper midrange, albeit still noticeable, was on Stevie Nicks’s vocal in “Dreams.” With most systems, her voice seems buried in the mix. Through the Auras, however, with either amplifier, her voice was more present, and the whole song sounded a little more spacious in the midrange. Not all female vocals were boosted in this way, though. Tracy Chapman’s singing voice is a bit lower in pitch than Nicks’s and Del Rey’s. Playing “Fast Car” and “Baby Can I Hold You” for some friends one afternoon, from her eponymous debut album (16/44.1 FLAC, Elektra Records / Tidal), I was taken aback by how natural her voice sounded—it was as natural as I’ve ever heard it.

https://www.stereophile.com/content/tekton-moab-be-loudspeaker

I’d always loved the expansive midrange and upper-bass purity that the latter produces, and so it was with the new version. It’s just that there was audibly more of it this time. Case in point: My Dutch shepherd often keeps me company in the listening room, where nothing seems to spook him—he learned long ago to just tune out the music. But when I played “Pillar I,” from the Grammy-nominated album Seven Pillars by Sandbox Percussion (24/96 FLAC, Aki Rhythm Productions/Qobuz), his ears shot up and he cocked his head in surprise. I agree with the dog: The Moabs painted the snares and kicks and bells on this standout track with great vividness and realism.

https://www.theaudiobeat.com/equipment/wilson_audio_sasha_v.htm

Regarding the price of such an experience, I’m always bemused when someone asks me whether speakers that cost as much as a luxury motorcycle, for instance, are worth the price. Given that I don’t hold a degree in macro or microeconomics, nor do I have any experience running a manufacturing business, my opinion about what constitutes a fair price should be taken with a huge grain of salt. But I do wonder why some people would be so outraged that a cutting-edge speaker that requires a team of experts to design and takes weeks to manufacture would be expensive. Rarely are these people outraged when they’re told that a high-performance motorcycle can cost $50,000. I suspect that most people who purchase Sasha Vs will be devoting significantly more time listening than they would touring the country on a Ducati. It all comes down to priorities.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/quad-revela-1-loudspeaker

Quad has configured the Revela 1 for single-wiring only, instead of the bi-wiring/bi-amping afforded by the S1. Even if bi-wiring is falling out of favour, much to the chagrin of cable vendors, the chunky multi-way binding posts fitted to the back of the Revela 1 are exceptional, being substantially made to afford plenty of grip when tightening, and able to accept bare wire, spade connectors or banana plugs.

These are simply indicative of how everything about Quad’s loudspeaker defies its price category – even the magnetic grille has a luxury feel to it. Most people of an audiophile bent will play the Revela 1 without its grilles, but they will find that if the grilles are needed because of the presence of small children or sharp-clawed pets, the sonic penalty is far from disastrous.

Sun Audio feels the main advantage of keeping the electronics and software (e.g. power supply, amplifiers, DSP, DRC (Dynamic Range Compression), DAC/ADC, streamer) outside the speaker is that listeners can use the hardware and software they prefer and upgrade as they please. Another advantage is that the more ventilated and less resonant environment of the dedicated external enclosures reduces the mechanical wear of the electronics. As long as the speaker drivers remain undamaged, the loudspeakers are essentially future proof.