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Revel Ultima Salon2 loudspeaker John Atkinson, March 2009

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…

Revel Ultima Salon2 loudspeaker JA's Associated Equipment

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…

Fourier 6 loudspeaker

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…

Fourier 6 loudspeaker Page 2

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…

Fourier 6 loudspeaker Specifications

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).

Epos M16i loudspeaker

Last year, when Epos importer Music Hall contacted me about reviewing the then-new M16 floorstanding loudspeaker, I hesitated. I had been very impressed with the M16's little bookshelf brother, the M5 (see my review in the April 2005 Stereophile, Vol.28 No.4), which I found uncolored, detailed, and a great value. Most of all, the M5 had an incredible balance of performance. But several times in the past, having been seduced by a wonderfully balanced bookshelf speaker, I've then been disappointed by one of its costlier, floorstanding brethren. The larger speaker might share the bookshelf's…

Epos M16i loudspeaker Page 2

Every jazz recording I played through the Eposes was a rich experience. "Pannonica," from Thelonious Monk's Brilliant Corners (45rpm LP, Riverside/Analogue Productions RLP-226), highlighted Eric Henry's breathy, delicate, vibrant alto-sax work, which was never obscured even in the densest passages. The upper register of Monk's celeste was so extended, delicate, and lifelike through the Epos that these 45s took on the qualities of a master tape. In the opening passage of "Mansour's Gift," from Attention Screen's Live at Merkin Hall (CD, Stereophile STPH018-2), I was able to focus on drummer…

Epos M16i loudspeaker Specifications

Sidebar 1: Specifications

Description: 2½-way, reflex-loaded, magnetically shielded, triwirable, floorstanding loudspeaker. Drive-units: 1" (25mm) aluminum-dome tweeter with high-temperature voice-coil, ferrofluid cooling, ferrite magnet system; 5.5" (140mm) bass/midrange with injection-molded polymer cone, high-temperature voice-coil, die-cast chassis, phase plug; 5.5" (140mm) woofer with injection-molded polymer cone, high-temperature voice-coil, die-cast chassis, dustcap. Crossover frequencies: 150Hz, 3kHz Power handling: 150W maximum, speech and music. Frequency range: 48Hz–20kHz.…

Epos M16i loudspeaker Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Sources: VPI TNT IV turntable, Immedia RPM tonearm, Koetsu Urushi cartridge; Rega Planar 3 turntable, Syrinx PU-3 tonearm, Clearaudio Virtuoso Wood & Aurum Beta S cartridges.
Digital Sources: Lector CDP-7T, Creek Destiny CD players; Pioneer DV-333 DVD player.
Preamplification: Vendetta Research SCP-2D phono stage, Audio Valve Eklipse line stage.
Power Amplifier: Audio Research Reference 110 II.
Integrated Amplifiers: Creek Destiny & Creek 5350SE.
Loudspeakers: Amphion Helium2, Epos M5, Monitor Audio Silver RS6.
Cables:…

Epos M16i loudspeaker Measurements

Sidebar 3: Measurements

At 88.3dB(B)/2.83V/m, my estimate of the Epos M16i's voltage sensitivity on its tweeter axis was within experimental error of the specified figure, which is slightly above average. Its electrical impedance remained above 6 ohms throughout the upper midrange and treble (fig.1), but the use of paralleled drivers to cover the bass frequencies results in a minimum impedance of 3 ohms between 35 and 45Hz. Fortunately—and as usual—the electrical phase angle is never at its highest when the magnitude is at its lowest, so the M16i should not be too difficult a load for…