H.P.Caravelles owners, are you still Satisfied.

I'd like to add, any info would be appreciated. They seem to have fallen of the face of the earth the past few months. What happened to the 6moons review? Thanks for any news.

Cheers

I haven't heard, or seen, the Caravelle loudspeakers, but I suspect that just about any loudspeaker with dynamic drivers would benefit from applying Marigo VTS Tuning Bands to the driver basket arms.

why does this seem to read like an add for caravelles and now vts tuning bands? no offense meant if its not just comes off that way.

While the initial post may slightly seem like an ad, it could be that Blcube may just be very happy with his speakers and wanted to know what, if anything, he could do to make them even better.

Wellfed posted a tweak he thought may be of interest to Blcube.

Me? I posted because I'd really like to know more about the Caravelles (reviews, availability, stands etc, etc...). I'm always interested to learn more about equipment that people are impressed with.

I bought my speakers (Merlin VSM-MM) after reading the professional reviews and the numerous threads and reviews of owners and people interested in them.

So, if anyone has some good info on these speakers it would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers

I`m sorry but it`s not a ad,but if you have owned these Speakers for a year now. What have you learn about this product.I still think they are one of the best kept secret in Audio.But that`s my opinion,I might be wrong.For their size and what they can do.It`s amazing to me.I just want to know what other owners think about their Speakers.Sorry did not mean to step on toes. Thank You

I thought it might have been an ad at first also...but then I read Blcubes other threads and feel that it is a legit posting...and you guys know me...I just loooooove to jump all over the shills. Warren used to praise these speakers to no end but after we all ragged on him (in fun) he layed low. I'd love to hear a pair someday myself.

Caravelle's are the best kept secret in audio. I sold my $40K MAXX's for a pair matched with a sub and I haven't been disappointed in the least. Read my review. They take a looong time to break in, but put out an amazingly musical sound, wide and deep sound stage and fill my 15.6W X18.3L X 10.2H room easily. The new stands are so much better to. BTW, I have had them with my old KCT and Krell 750 mono blocks and my VAC and they were superb with both.

Hey- at least Warren was passionate. I think that's a good thing. Peace :)

Ellery, be gentle with me. I believe I was one of the very first to own a pair of these babies. Raved like the audiophool I am, and I got beat'n up a tad. Everytime I put my rig on: I'm still amazed at what I hear from my Caravelles. ( shit, there are a few other things, of course, in my rig, that help make these Caravelles shine) Just moved and have a new listening space. Much better than before. Larger, high ceilings, and a larger listening triangle (8.5 vs 6 feet) I haven't tweaked them at all other than add a pair of James1500 subs to move the larger amount of air in my new place. Hifimanica said it: "Caravelles are the best kept secret in audio." I'm happy to be one of the bunch who own a pair. warren :-)

So now the unbelievable Caravelles that have so much bass it will rattle your sternum, needs a PAIR of subs?? Hmm.. appears everything is not always as it seems.

I can assure you that Blcube's post is not an ad, and not even exxagerated. I have heard the Caravelles in his home many time and they sound VERY good. Believe what you read about these speakers because they do some things as good as or better than any I have heard.

Oz

S7Horton, hey Seth, I really wish that you could find a way to hear the Caravelles, these are unbelievable. I've heard them a lot. For people like us with monitors, subs are not a necessity at all. They have more bass than my Silver Signature's.

Like I've said before, when you sit down and listen to them, you don't think that they're that special. They don't stand out in a way that grabs you. But then you'll look up and see that it's been three hours. They just sound so natural that you sit back and enjoy the music for what it is, like you're listening to the performers sitting in front of you.

I'm going with the Thiel 2.4's over the Caravelle's because of the trade in deal I'm getting for my Silver Sig's. If I could have worked it out, I would have gone with the Caravelle's. Remember, the Caravelle's are $4,000.00, and the stands are about $1,000.00. The pair that HiFiManiac have are even more, but well worth it because you can not only level the Caravelle's, you can also tilt them back if needed so that they're angled at your ears properly.

These speakers are the real deal, but like I said, they don't knock you off your feet. They gently take you to the concert and sit you down so that you can enjoy it. I've never heard a speaker that sounds more lifelike and natural.

S7horton. Virtually every speaker made benefits from the use of a properly selected and integrated subwoofer(s) system. The Caravelle is not unique in this regard.

Hey Krell man, I used to be a Krell man! You hit the nail on the head, the Caravelle is so easy to listen to and is extremely musical. It sounds best with a subwoofer in a bigger room such as my present room, but I have heard it in smaller rooms and the bass is surprisingly satisfying. The Caravelle is a deal! In my room they are 90-95% of the sound I got from my MAXX, but for a fraction of the cost. The voicing of the Caravelle is superior to the Wilson's. Voices sounded leaner through the MAXX whether driven by the Krell or the VAC Phi equipment I have now, so it wasn't the solid state creating the lean vocals. I never realized how lean the voicing of the Wilsons were until I heard the Caravelle. I do admit Dave fixed that problem on the MAXX II. Also, since my room is smaller than my old one, placing the sub further back in the room has given me better bass response than I could ever get out of the MAXX's because they were too close to me. The Caravelle is dismissed because Star Sound (Harmonic Precision) doesn't spend thousands on advertising and a dealer network. Don't let that stop you from listening if you get the chance. In a system with quality components surrounding the Caravelle, you too will be amazed.

alright, the community has spoken. a genuine post and an impressive little speaker...95% of the MAXX!? glad i checked back in.

Hey Dlwask, I didn't have to sell the MAXX! I owned them for five years! The Caravelle sounded better; more musical, just as dynamic, but not without a subwoofer. You will need a sub (preferably 15inches or bigger) to get to 95% of the MAXX. Now, if you are talking about a room that is 25ft or more in length and a little wider than 16 ft, the comparison then would favor the bigger speaker; but not in the room I am in.

Seth, it had to be somebody: and that be you. I have a new listening space? Hellooooo? You couldn't resist could ya.... forgeddabout it.

warren
:-)

I was only teasing you Warren cause I knew you'd be here in time ;o)

I wish there was somewhere here (Los Angeles) that I could listen to the Caravelles as I need to put together a new system.

best regards

Ellery

Ellery, when they come out with Son of Caravelle or the like I'll give you a deal on my Caravelles that you won't be able to refuse..lol..Hey, I know you be fun'n wit me. Have a great Labor Day weekend. I know where I'll be: Dune road, Road K in Hampton Bays. Paradise....warren

Warren, you might want to reread my post. Never once did I say the caravelle wasn't a good speaker. All I'm doing is pointing out the facts. Here's a little tidbit from your review:

"Now, onto the sound. First and foremost; the bass. If I had my eyes closed, and had no idea what I was listening to, I would never, in a million years, think for a moment that I was listening to a small speaker. NEVER! Prodigious, deep, well extended (enough ho hum adjectives for ya?) bass. Clear articulation of bass notes, with speed, clarity and slam rivaling anything I've heard. Patricia Barber's "Use Me" on her Companion album (second track)has a 4 string bass run that will rattle your sternum if your speakers have the balls. The Caravelles do, and handle this extended powerful bass line effortlessly with slam and spl levels at, near, earbleed levels."

Now you're running two subs.. As far as your comment towards me: "it had to be someone". I could say the same for you, I can pretty much always tell which threads you will respond to. You are happy, and that's great, but let's keep an open mind here, the Caravelle is not the only speaker on earth. There are thousands and thousands of others. Hopefully you haven't forgotten that.

Seth, my review was based on my listening experiences in a VERY "regular" rectangular room with a very small listening triangle. Now I am in a much larger space, with an open side going into a hallway and 12 foot ceilings. No Caravelle on earth (infact no 7 incher I know of) can move the air we're talking about. My Caravelles, BTW, are running full speed: top to bottom. I have my James1500s only crossed over at 50Hz. "Let's keep an open mind?" Did I say anything other than I still love my Caravelles? Compare them to yours, or any other speakers? Make any super superlative remarks? Come on Seth...Shit, I haven't been on the 'gon all summer, but for a very few times. Never fails.

I haven't been on the 'gon all summer, but for a very few times. Never fails.

That might cause some to look in the mirror. :)

I am a dealer for Starsound products. Speaker stands are critical to the mass...and the energy that this speaker is designed to transfer out from itself. The dedicated Sistrum stands allow for vertical adjustment. I found that raising the front of the speaker one eight of an inch higher than the back adds more air, energy and stage view.Tom

I hope Blcube will chime in on this one. But we both heard the dedicated Sistrum stand severely deteriorate the sound of the Caravelles. Much of the magic of this speaker was lost with that stand. Even sitting them on a homemade wooden stand sounded better. I was shocked at this because I am a firm believer in the Sistrum products, but they made a wrong turn somewhere with this thing.

Oz

Oz, that's the first I've heard of that. Although I have the Caravelles on Sistrum stands, they are not the dedicated stands. When you heard the "magic" what were the Caravelles sitting on? Wood stands? Wood is an incongruity with the Caravelles given the nature of the coupling and resonance transferrence principles that go into the Caravelle. Can you elaborate on the "magic" that was lost?

warren :)

Hi Warren,maybe OZ will get a chance to come by an hear the
Caravelles the way their setup now.I think then he could really elaborate on thier Magic to You.The reason I started thread,was to fine out what the owners had learned about the Caravelles.Is there anyway to get more out of the speakers.Warren:I thank you for having the balls to speak about the Caravelles.This forum is my Audio Classroom.I have heard the Caravelles on difference pairs of speakers stands.

I first heard the speakers on the homemade wooden stands while blcube waited for the dedicated ones, which was a loooong time. The sound was fantastic and I was sure it would only be better with the new stands. But they robbed the life out of the speakers. They still sounded good, but if you had heard them before, there was no mistaking that something was wrong. All the parts of the music were technically there, but the cohesive "whole" was missing. Blcube now has them on some much more appropriate stands and I do hope to hear them again soon.

Oz

Warren,

Would love to see a pic of your system! Glad you are still enjoying the Caravelles in the larger room..

Chris

Got to get a digital camera and join the modern world. Just bought a new house. Priorities: outdoor, roofless shower coming up. This beach bum's dream...

Lo and Behold. I've had (6) of these triangular shaped speaker stands sittin in (2) boxes for awhile. Their very heavy covered with a black felt-like fabric and have (3) audiopoints on the bottom and (1) on the top and now I know where their from-Star-sound M-1 speaker stands. Christ-I was wonderin who made these things! I think their made with lead and some poured molding material. As I said very damp and very heavy and esxactly like the photo from the Harmoni-Precision webpage.

Powder, you are the VERY first that I know of who owns these babies, other than myself, of course. Can you give us the who, what, where, when and why on these stands? These are amazing speaker stands. Will bring out the best in any pair of speakers, particulary the Caravelles. Please give us the scoop. thanks in advance, warren :)

Warren: I picked these stands up from a guy in Brooklyn back in '99. As you know, very solid yet adjustable acct. the audiopoints on the top. I assumed they were designed and built by a midwestener, sort of a "silo" thing but I was never sure. As far as age I don't really know-but they are certain to outlast me. I believe each silo is a core of lead surrounded by ???, then shaped and wrapped in fabric. I've had these in boxes for years-now I know what they are!

Blcube and Ozzy I would love to audition a pair of these wooden stands in comparison to the Caravelle stands. I have listened to the Caravelles on four different sets of stands.Tom

First, many thanks to everyone on this thread for taking the time to post their experiences with this speaker - based on all the feedback it sound like a superb speaker.

Have any of the HP Caravelle owners had a chance to compare it with either the Merlin TSM-MX or possibly the VSM-MX models - both speakers that also receive amazing user feedback too. If so, I'd love to hear your thoughts and opinions on the two.

I'll soon be changing from a larger speaker (Dunlavy Athena) to something smaller for space reasons - both the HP Caravelle and the Merlin TSM/VSM-MX's will be on the top of my list to audition.

Many thanks in advance for your help and advise.

All the best,
Neville

Hi Theaudiotweak: I would like to Recommend you hear the Carvelles on Tyler Acoustic Model 1 stands Taylo size.This is the Best I`ve heard the Caravelles sound yet, unbelievable GOOD IMHO.The Caravelle sounded good Period,but difference on difference speakers stands.I would like to say this. (I`m not a my cd player sounds better than your cd player kind of a Guy.)I`m crazy about my Caravelles.I like my Sistrum Stands & my Sonoran Cables.
I just want to hear my Caravelles SOUND GREAT.Thank YOU

Blcube I am leaving for Indy this evening to attend the CEDIA show.Tyler is off site at a location for HI-End audio so I will check them out.Tom

Thanks,Tom check them out,and if you don`t like them.Please
come back and say I didn`t like that Sound.I don`t claim to be a know it all about AUDIO.I want the people on Audiogon to teach me something about Audio,that make my system Sound Great. Thank You

VERY SATISFIED. Musical, transparent, timbre, soundstaging, etc. I could go on and on. I would recommend a sub with them, even though the bass is very satisfying. I also have the newer stands and have compared them with the older stands. The new ones were better to my ears. But the old ones weren't bad either.....I prefer them in a nearfield listening position with ears at or just below tweeter level. I have VAC PHI BETA integrated AMP and VAC digital gear. The VAC is a great match, but VAC is a great match with lots of gear imho. But, I will add, if one is not patient with room set-up, cables, and quality of AC ( A HUGE factor I have discovered) you will not maximize the potential of these speakers or your system. I have gone through speakers (see lists in other posts) and these are 'keepers'! Thanks to Robert at Starsound and great support and service too.

PS. I prefer hifimaniacs set up with the caravelle and sub over the maxx's he had.

Scotty, (or any Caravelle owner) maybe Powder would consider selling you his, just found after all these years, Sistrum stands. Will notch what the Caravelles are capable of another level..scary where these little (50 pounders) Caravelles can go...

I love my Caravelles!

Good to hear you big guy. It is good to be listening to greatness. Indeed..

Warren, you know this begs the question. Which is better the Zu Definitions or the Caravelles? What drove you to purchase the Definitions? What are the differences in sound characteristics, as it appears the technologies are vastly different?

If I hadn't moved I would still own my Caravelles today and be happy. New crib with oodles of space, 12 foot ceilings. My Caravelles couldn't do it with my amplification and the two sub woofers I purchased to help things along were really bugging my wife, big time. Since this was our first house (that we owned) I had to compromise. I remembered the Zu review and was particularly excited about 16Hz to 20Hz, small footprint, no crossover, 101db!! and the chance to get into tubes; particulary SET, very strong WAF from her point of view, and she could have any damn color she pleased. The rest was history. Here's a few qualities about the Defs without getting too ridiculous:
1- The Defs are much more sensitive and dynamic. I believe the Caravelles are less sensitive than they are rated. Just a belief mind you
2-Definitions move more air: this is an understatement
3-planar/electrostatic speed. Caravelles are as well, but the Defs have them beat.
4-the Def's tweeter dispersion is quite phenominal
5-bass extension/we don't have to go there Caravelles need sub woofers.
6-no crossover anywhere!! filter transitions to the (4) 10 inch subs per speaker and the super tweeters. No crossovers let the music, from the two front 10 inch full range speakers, sound like the sound is pouring from a wide mouth spigot, rather than being squeezed through a cocktail straw.
7- they sound more tonally accurate to me. subjective I realize, but that be the case.
8-placement is less problematic.
9-the sound is more more communicative, particulary of emotion and more "real" sounding.
10-And I can use SET amplification. That's a VERY big deal for these tympanics.
There's a couple of things for ya. And I have Audiopoints on my Defs. Their spikes are not happening.

peace,

warren

thanks Grant..

Yeah, especially that "wide mouth spigot" thing, Really makes me want to hear the Definitions.

Warren, No surprise to see you switched after seeing you being a long time supporter for HP Caravelles. Monitor speakers have their limitations. The biggest plus about them is the size. I have 2 totally different setups. One with super low efficiency bookself monitor speakers and the with High efficiency full range coaxial speakers with no crossover. The monitors can fit in most of the small rooms and they give you pin point imaging if you sit in the sweet spot. The electrostatics too give crystal clear imaging with bigger sound with similar limited sweet spot ( not to mention humidity also affect the sound.) These full range speakers just filled the whole room with HUGE sweet spot. Everything seems so "live" as what you described. Not only that, you can sit pretty much anywhere because of the dispersion from the horn. Maybe the audiophiles back in the 50's and 60's knows something we don't know today? Most of the speaker designs in that era are horns with full range speakers. Why some folks would pay broken cones for over $4000 for a pair of Western Electric 728 drivers? or Jensen imperial G610 drivers? beats me. Not to mention it cost few more thousands to have custom made cabinets, these must be something special.
IMHO, For a small room, small monitors might do a better job. For a big room, I would go with full range high efficiency speakers as they sound more natural, transparent and effortless. SET or PP is not as critical as power matching with right amp/speaker combo. A good class A PP can perform just as well as SET ( if not better.)
Depends on music selection, if one like exaggerated bass then one might prefer to go with a sub. I don't use sub because I never like them for the music I listen to except for HT application.
Glad to see you move up to the next level.

S23chang- The widespread use of horns in the 50s and 60s was due to 2 factors, IIRC:
1. Low amplifier power ratings (chicken and egg thing maybe?)
2. Acoustic suspension (AR) speakers not yet on the market.

There are many high power amps in the late 50s and 60s. Mostly used for PA but some designs came from Mac, Scott, fisher, HK, Marantz, Lafayette, Knight... almost everyone made one or two.
As far as AR speakers, it is not neccessary better sounding and than the good old horn.
Maybe the Alnico factor? don't know.