Anybody else heard the Avalon Acoustics Isis?
Dev, One other question regarding the 101E's. Have you driven them or given thought to driving them with the Spectron Musician III Class D amplifier? There are a number of threads on this forum (as well as on audioreview.com) that absolutely swear by this amp/speaker combination irregardless of cost considerations (except for the MBL 9011 reference monoblock amps). What say you and your MBL bretheren? |
Dev, I am not alone in my findings about MBLs... In fact very good friend of mine is Classical Music Piano Player(you probably heard about him but, I will keep his name for myself) and he told me that Bosendorfer on his own recording do not sound right on full MBL system(101, 9008, 6010D etc.). And this is his presonal system... He is now searching for something else after living with MBLs for over two years. Those two lenghty sessions were at his home and I agree fully with him. Interesting enough Rock music like Guns'n'roses sounded just right on this system... Rockport Altair cost $89500(or $91500 in Titanium color) in US. Overpriced? Not IMHO. Just read Jeff Fritz review about them http://www.ultraaudio.com/twbas/twbas_20071001.htm It is very honest and accurate description of their sound IMO. Back to Isis... You find Eidolon Diamond superior to Isis. Well, I disagree big time here. IMHO Isis is a much, much better speaker then Eidolon Diamond. Freedom of speach I guess... Long live the difference in our ears and opinions! |
Branimir and Sydsrig, May be the difference you are hearing could be due different to cabling? Cables do make difference. Something to think about. That said, I also find an All MBL system to be overly mettallic and tad on brighterside. The 6010d and MBL 9008s on the other hand used in different pairings (like my Dunlavy V and Zanden front end, can produce ' believable' life like sound. With Zanden preamp everything goes few notches up. Sorry to barge in on Avalon Isis Thread with MBL 101E opinion. To be relevant, I have heard only the EIdelons ( with mbl 6010d and 9008s) in fact and although I liked the sound, it was not my cup of tea ;-). Although the Isis could be better... |
Hi Sydsrig I actually sent you a email as I really did not feel it right to continue as the thread was getting hi-jacked. Hi Branimir, Thanks for your reply back. The price for the Rockports aren't that bad and not as outrages as some others out there so I'll have to look into hearing these, no one has them arround here as of yet. Regarding your thoughts of the MBL's no problem and you don't have to defend you findings as they are yours but regarding your good friend the "Classical Music player" I'll stick with my Uncle and cousin findings as they go around the world making and tuning the pianos for such performers. We have had conversations regarding that some don't even realize that their Piano's are out of tune and most times never sound exactly the same, room issues, positioning, humidity, actual makes of pianos sound different and it goes on. Regarding the Avalon Isis, you must have misread or I did not convey properly regarding my thoughts of the Diamonds and Isis, I first owned the Diamonds and replaced them with the Isis which I feel the later was a improvement and well worth upgrade. Hopefully this is clearer, I prefer the Isis over the Diamonds. In the end all that matters is that we enjoy music and get to tell each other stories. |
Branimir, Dev said that the Isis was a step up from the Eidolon Diamond, not the other way around. Regarding the MBL's, all I can say is that the first time I heard them was at RMAF 2 years ago, and I did not know what to think. The presentation was so different from what I was used to hearing that it startled me. After a while, however, I warmed up to them and could not stop listening to them for the rest of the show as well as the next 2 CESs in a row (where I listened to them for days on end). The only major distinction between the MBL and more traditionally designed speakers that I heard which may be an issue for some (and perhaps what you and your pianist friend may be hearing) is the presentation difference in image specificity. The MBL's do not have the pin point/locked in/focused imaging of some the more traditional speaker designs. In retrospect, I realized that is what took me a while to get used to and what probably startled me at first. But then again, I'm not sure that laser like imaging/focus is all that it's cracked up to be after opening my ears up to the MBL presentation. Ultimately, it sounded more alive to me than anything else I have heard at any of the shows that I have attended. Nilthepill, did you hear the Eidolons with any other electronics for compariosn? What was it about the sound that was not your cup of tea? |
