OSKAR HEIL Tweeters?

I believe you're correct, Sean. I hear one of the Ess models years ago here in NS. Loved the tweeter but the woofer never mated well with the tweeter IMO. I believe UHF mag reviewed both Oscars very favourably. I believe you can view these interesting speakers[oscars], at www.takefiveaudio.com.

Many years ago the now-defunct Lafayette brand (kind of another Radio Shack-type company) carried the tweeter in their top speakers. I believe it was in the "Criterion" lineup from that brand. The most successful incarnation, though, seems to have been the ESS company's models.

I've heard mixed things about the new speakers, some of them not terribly flattering regarding the durability of the current tweeter units at higher volume levels, and the sound at the crossover region. As usual, it's up to the listener...

Bluenose is right, however: it is VERY tough to mate that wonderful tweeter to ANYTHING dynamic.

Wowbee is correct. Lafayette's top-of-the-line speaker was the Criterion 2005 which to my knowledge is the only speaker other than the ESS line to incorporate the Heils. The 2005 was the first high end speaker that I ever heard, and I've been hooked ever since.

I'm a dealer for "Oskar" speakers, from Switzerland, and both the Kithara and Aulos use Heil drivers (of different sizes).

Here's a link to some propaganda: http://www.tricell-ent.com/Oskar.htm

In addition to the UHF reviews mentioned, the Aulos got a pretty nice review in SoundStage in January 2001.

I've heard both Oskars and I used to own a pair of ESS AMT1s. Yes, the ESS speaker mated the drivers poorly IMHO, and the bottom end was boomy and uncontrolled as well. But the older ESS and newer OSKAR models are night and day. Oskar knows how to make a good dynamic unit. The Oskar highs are wonderfully open and unfatiguing. I went to one of the Tri-Cell rooms to hear them at a Montreal audio show and just stood there like a statue until somebody told me I was in the way.

I liked the smaller Aulos better than the bigger model but the big one was playing in a little bitty room so it never really had a chance to show what it could do. In my view the biggest disappointment about these speakers is just that no woofer exists that can come up to the wonderful standard of the Heil HF unit.