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Like the Salon1, the Salon2 is of superb quality in its fit'n'finish. Although a speaker binding post on one of my review samples arrived loose, designer Kevin Voecks assured me that it could be fixed in the field without the owner having to ship the speaker back to the factory. Each Salon2 is shipped with four combination metal spikes/glides, which screw into the cabinet bottom and are secured with a metal locking ring set off by a felt washer, to protect the speaker's finish. Because my hardwood floors are finished, I didn't use these. I found the Salon2's gold-plated hardware and…
I also heard what Anthony Tommasini of the New York Times called "explosive lyricism, surging power, and incisive attack" from pianist Yundi Li's recording of Prokofiev's Piano Concerto 2, with Seiji Ozawa and the Berlin Philharmonic (CD, Deutsche Grammophon 001017502). And I enjoyed the natural balance of bass weight, treble control, and slight reverberation in pianist Robert Silverman's recording of Liszt's Liebestraum.
Vocal recordings were rendered with outstanding timbral accuracy and stunning realism. The Salon2 captured a smoothness and lyricism in tenor Albert Jordan's version…
Sidebar 1: Specifications
Description: Four-way, reflex-loaded, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive units: 1" (25mm) beryllium-dome tweeter, 4" (102mm) inverted titanium-dome midrange driver, 6.5" (185mm) titanium-cone midbass driver, three 8" (210mm) aluminum-cone woofers. Crossover frequencies: 150Hz, 575Hz, 2.3kHz. Frequency response: 23Hz–45kHz, ±3dB. In-room response relative to target response: ±0.5dB, 29Hz–18kHz. Listening window (on-axis) response: ±1.0dB, 26Hz–20kHz. Low-frequency extension: –3dB at 23Hz, –6dB at 20Hz, –10dB at 17Hz. Sensitivity: 86.4dB SPL/2.83V/m (4 pi anechoic…
Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment
Analog Sources: Linn Sondek turntable with Lingo power supply, Linn Ittok tonearm, Spectral moving-coil cartridge; Day-Sequerra Classic FM tuner.
Digital Sources: Krell KRC-28, Bryston BCD-1 CD players; Sony SCD-C555ES SACD/CD player; Slim Devices Squeezebox network music player; Bryston B-100DA D/A converter.
Preamplifiers: Krell KCT, Mark Levinson ML-7.
Power Amplifiers: Bryston 28B-SST, Mark Levinson ML-2 (both monoblocks); Mark Levinson No.334, Krell FPB-600c.
Loudspeakers: Quad ESL-989, Revel Ultima Salon1.
Cables: Digital: Wireworld…
Sidebar 3: Measurements
My estimate of the Revel Ultima Salon2's voltage sensitivity was 86dB(B)/2.83V/m. This is slightly lower than the specified 86.4dB but within experimental error of that figure. The speaker's impedance (fig.1) drops to between 3 and 5 ohms between 17Hz and 600Hz, but as the electrical phase angle is generally low in this region, the Salon2 should not be hard for the partnering amplifier to drive. However, the shape of the impedance curve suggests that the speaker might sound a little bright with tube amplifiers having a high output impedance.
Fig.1…
John Atkinson wrote about the Ultima Salon2 in March 2009 (Vol.32 No.3):
When, in June 2008, Larry Greenhill reviewed Revel's top-line loudspeaker, 3 the four-way Ultima Salon2 ($22,000/pair), he concluded that "In the Salon2, Kevin Voecks and his team have produced far more than a cosmetic upgrade of the Salon1. They have created a new reference standard in floorstanding loudspeakers that has earned my strongest recommendation."
I gave the Ultima Salon2s a listen when I drove up to Larry's to measure them in his room, and yes, they did indeed seem to be something special. After…
Sidebar: JA's Associated Equipment
Digital Sources: Ayre C-5xe universal player; Meridian 808i.2 CD player; Mark Levinson No.30.6, Benchmark DAC 1 D/A converters; Logitech (Slim Devices) Transporter network music player with Apple Mac mini running OSX for media storage.
Preamplifiers: Mark Levinson No.380S, Simaudio Moon Evolution P-7.
Power Amplifiers: Musical Fidelity 750K Supercharger, Mark Levinson No.33H monoblocks; Simaudio Moon Evolution W-7.
Loudspeakers: PSB Synchrony One, Dynaudio Sapphire.
Cables: Digital: Kimber Illuminations Orchid AES/EBU, AudioQuest OptiLink-5 S…
The Fourier 6 has the special ability to generate large coherent sonic fields, from a box small enough to slip into an ordinary shopping bag. At $499/pair, the 6 competes directly with another remarkable-imaging, compact American speaker, the Spica TC-50 ($420/pair).
The success of both the Spica and Fourier does not arise from new discoveries, old alchemy, or any other audio magic, but instead from the application of computer-aided design (CAD) and good engineering. The 6 is the least expensive model in Fourier's current lineup, and to my ears the most coherent. Computer systems analyst…
Dick Olsher reviewed the Fourier 6 in June 1984 (Vol.7 No.4):
While he was editing and publishing The Audio Critic, Peter Aczel became so disenchanted with the available audiophile loudspeakers that he decided to show the industry how to produce a moderately sized and priced system. The result was the Fourier 1, which aroused extensive critical discussion as to both its sonic merits and the ethics of promoting one's own speaker in one's own magazine. (Aczel favorably reviewed the Fourier 1 in one of the final issues of The Audio Critic before revealing that he was, in fact, one of the…
Sidebar: Specifications
Description: Two-way, reflex-loaded, stand-mounted loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" soft-dome tweeter, 6.5" long-throw, polypropylene-cone woofer. Crossover frequency: 3kHz. Nominal impedance: 8 ohms ±50% above 125 Hz. Sensitivity: 90dB/W/m. Power rating: 200W maximum. Amplifier requirement: 50–200W.
Dimensions: 17.5" H by 9.5" W by 10.5" D Weight: 22.5 lbs each.
Price: $499/pair; stands, $80/pair (1984); no longer available (2008).
Manufacturer: Fourier Systems Inc., 540 Nepperhan Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10701 (1984); no longer trading (2008).