Audiophilepure

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.

With the Triangle Magellan Duettos in the system, I had the distinct sense that I was getting all of this incredible song. I heard all that sloppy detail, I heard all of the movement between the drummer, the bass player and two guitarists, and I could easily detect when they were playing off each other and when they were on their own, exploring unexpected key changes and dynamic swings. “Turn On” sounded absolutely wonderful and complete with the Duettos, in other words.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/kef-r11-meta-loudspeaker

The R11 Meta speakers carry off their bluff styling with some flair, being neither as large nor as unmanageable as they may at first appear. Yes, the balance here is very commercial, flattering relatively modest systems but responding well to an uplift in partnering electronics, but what’s wrong with that? These are impressive speakers, solidly built and designed to please – which they indubitably do.

https://www.soundandvision.com/content/goldenear-t66-tower-speaker-review-performance-evolved

It’s just that every time the equation turns to “spend the budget on more channels versus fewer, better channels” what’s achievable by focusing a budget on the most important channels in the system keeps slapping me in the face and saying “wake up!” The point of diminishing returns for ever-higher channel counts comes on a lot faster than it does when upgrading speakers in a fixed, modest number of channels. And the savings don’t just come from buying fewer speakers, it costs a lot more to buy an AVR or processor that does 11.4.4 channels than a unit with a more modest channel count. But, in my view, that’s more money that can instead go into great-sounding speakers, like the T66 towers.

I find a phantom center preferable to a dedicated center channel for a TV in a living room setup. The reason for that is the center channel always has to go beneath the TV or maybe above the TV. Neither of these locations is ideal and they visually detract from the aesthetic of two stylish tower speakers. Not that I am in any way opposed to center channel speakers, but if the focus is on home theater, by all means, use one. Plus if you go with a two-channel solution like the Technics, there’s no center channel option to begin with.

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/system-one/1852-sonus-fabers-lumina-ii-amator-loudspeaker-luxury-and-beauty-for-small-rooms-and-budgets

The Amator’s bass is surprisingly deep for its size, its midrange is clear and well balanced, and its treble is prominent, making most recordings sound lively. Just remember that an inherently bright recording will sound even brighter. It would therefore be a good idea to first listen to these speakers with your own music before you buy. If you do audition the Lumina II Amator, make sure to bring along a recording you know to allow a spacious soundstage to be generated. You’ll be surprised how well a pair of these small speakers convey an acoustic space and depict sonic images.

Given its fabulous appearance, good build quality, and made-in-Italy allure, the Lumina II Amator’s price seems reasonable, especially being so close to the previous version. Sonus Faber could easily have hiked the price of this new version by hundreds more without risking being accused of price gouging. The Lumina II Amator might be one of Sonus Faber’s entry-level speakers, but from its look and sound, you wouldn’t know it.

Even with the improvements from plugging the ports, the treble was still harsh right out of the box, and I correctly sussed that they’d need some break-in to really sing. Mark had told me in advance that it would probably take a minimum of fifty hours for a baseline break-in, and they’d only get better beyond that mark. Despite the treble harshness, they seem to be responding to the PrimaLuna tube amplification well, and no clipping occurred even during demanding passages. The Scout is fairly inefficient at 84.5 dB/watt, but the EL 34-based PrimaLuna (42-wpc in Ultralinear mode) still seems to be a good match with the Scout attached to the 8 ohm taps. The Scout produces a scale of sound and stereo image that’s quite large considering their diminutive size. After getting them into position, I also connected my Yamaha BD-A1060 universal player to assist with the burn-in process. I then loaded the compact disc of Jim Anderson’s recording of Cyrus Chestnut’s Revelations and set it to repeat play. It’s a great jazz album that’s very naturally recorded, and is one of my references for well-recorded acoustic bass. The Scout loudspeakers had arrived very late in the day; I came back four hours later around midnight to take another listen, and to my surprise, they sounded absolutely horrible! The treble was just grating—I shut the PrimaLuna amp down; it was late, and I crashed out disappointed that the Scout might not live up to my expectations after all.