Audiophilepure

https://www.stereophile.com/content/arendal-sound-1528-tower-8-loudspeaker

The Arendal Towers will, in my judgment, perform their best in a comfortably large but not huge room. In a more open space, common in many homes today, the bass might come across as a little lighter than you might expect from eight serious woofers (four per side) working together. (If they do, just turn down the HF and midrange controls and turn up the volume to compensate.) Even in my large room, the bottom end was consistently clean and well-controlled. The Arendals’ rich, realistic detailing across the board was possibly the best I’ve experienced in my listening room, though also the largest, heaviest, and most expensive. If the size and the price of the Arendal Sound 1528 Towers don’t faze you, they’re well worth serious consideration

https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/1217/PureAudioProject_Trio15_Horn1_Open_Baffle_Speaker_Review.htm

As I said, dynamics are where horns excel. The Trio15 Horns lived up to that expectation. From ppp to fff, the Trio15 Horns handled it all with aplomb. How many times did my wife and I sit down to listen at what we thought was a reasonable volume only to end up with a symphony orchestra at full tilt in our living room! Of course all this was at such a low distortion that we didn’t even realize how loud it was until we tried to talk to each other. My favorite demonstration of the incredible dynamics was not large-scale orchestra music, but a solo instrumentalist. The recent Michael Hedges compilation Beyond Boundaries, has several songs of him playing the harp guitar. These close-mic’ed recordings demonstrate the forcefulness of Hedges’ playing. No matter how many times I listened to these songs through the Trio15 Horns, I literately jumped every time Hedges banged out the bass line. Amazing!

Though my original impressions about the Ultra Evolution Towers were that the placement for some bass de-emphasis might be tricky for some rooms, I found that it was easily controlled with tone controls or room correction software. Once that was done, I enjoyed my time with these smaller siblings in the SVS Ultra Evolution floor stander line. The black gloss finish was flawless, and the balance of the tweeter, mid, and woofers was very good, and for what I consider a truly full-range speaker. If you want to save some space and perhaps some coin, the SVS Ultra Evolution Towers deliver the sonic goods and are an excellent value.

https://www.hifinews.com/content/wilson-audio-sabrina-v-loudspeaker

Give the Sabrina Vs a chill-down with the gentle beats of Azimuth’s ‘Last Summer In Rio’ [Marca Passo; Far Out Recordings download], and they reward with a gorgeously rich and detailed sound. Here the bass and drums were crisp, tight and powerful, with the guitars and keys soaring eloquently above them – ideal listening during the heatwave at the time of writing.

The speedy, extended sound of the Sabrina Vs dovetailed well with the vocals and harmonies of the Eurythmics’ ‘There Must Be An Angel’, from the 2018 edition of Be Yourself Tonight [Sony Music download], where Dave Stewart’s multilayered scoring underpins Annie Lennox’s wonderful voice. And their ability to reveal fine production elevated the ‘Mamunia’/‘No Words’/‘Picasso’s Last Words’ sequence from the 50th Anniversary release of Wings’ Band On The Run album [MPL/Apple/Capitol 5543565].

It’s all wonderfully understated musicianship, and the Sabrina Vs, fed from the high-end dCS and Constellation hardware, made it so effortless and yet captivating right through to the distant reprise of ‘Jet’ and those lush strings.

I know that $6,500 for a pair of speakers is not in everyone’s budget. However, consider that when you purchase the PMC prophecy5 speaker, you are getting a hand-built, expertly-crafted loudspeaker from a family and group of dedicated audiophiles. When you consider the craftsmanship and the studio sound quality, you may well think, “This is a great bargain!” I sure do. My highest recommendation, and a must hear in this price range, or well above.

https://www.soundstagehifi.com/index.php/equipment-reviews/2017-focal-diva-utopia-streaming-active-loudspeaker-system

This past summer, I heard rumblings that Phil Collins’s health was rapidly declining. But these rumors seem to have been unfounded, with recent updates confirming he’d had knee-replacement surgery. All this attention motivated me to listen to the 2016 remastered version of his 1982 album Hello, I Must Be Going! (24/96 FLAC, Rhino / Qobuz). The famous track “I Don’t Care Anymore” opens with Collins’s signature solo drum sequence, followed by synth notes with an unmistakable 1980s sound. Through the Focal system, the snap of the drumsticks against the skins was vivid and visceral, with each percussive punch followed quickly by the hollow thud of the drum shells. Echo and reverb were copious, contributing to a generous soundstage that went beyond the placement of the speakers. The overall sound possessed a natural warmth and fullness. The Diva Utopia delivered excitement and musical engagement along with detail and nuance on this classic 1980s track.

Speaking of delicacy and finesse, I concluded my listening with a jewel of an artist I discovered only recently. Cécile McLorin Salvant isn’t new, but she’s new to me, and WomanChild (24/96 FLAC, Mack Avenue / Qobuz), her 2013 debut album, has been in heavy rotation in my listening room. Through the Focal system, the opening patter of the brushes on the drumskins in her rendition of Rodgers and Hart’s “I Didn’t Know What Time It Was” was delightful; the light slaps and papery scrapes of the bristles against the skins were extremely refined. The cymbals were similarly pristine, their gentle shimmer faultlessly delicate and extended. The Diva Utopia system produced a beautiful and extended treble—something I’ve come to expect from Focal’s beryllium tweeters, which have been refined over several generations. Salvant’s voice sounded sumptuously natural, coming across like a warm cappuccino on a cold morning. The Diva Utopia expertly presented her careful phrasing and mesmerizing voice with beautiful tone and presence. And I’d be remiss if I didn’t praise the authentic image size, generous texture, and timbral accuracy of the double bass.