Did any of you gentlemen (or women) have the opportunity to contrast the Khorus' with the Kharma Ceramique 1.0? These are in the same bracket price and construction wise. Another newcomer is the latest from Eli Gershman...the Opera Suavage...which employs a layered and contoured type of cabinet...see the site. My next big jump from my present Hales T5's (wish I had bought the T8's) is to something listed in this thread...any discards among ye? |
They don't open up either. The latest audio fad, maybe but when I listen at my dealer, they've always sounded dry and hard at the top with no sense of warmth except in bloated midrange. Dealer had to change rooms cause other speakers were killing them. So he sent the big Khorus' to my house and had me audition for a week and listened with me. They sounded worse in my house than the dealership. I agree with poster about the Merlins, because there is no sense whatsoever of two drivers...never!! ALWAYS ONE SEAMLESS WHOLE SOUND. Maybe that's what comes after twenty or thirty years on the same model. Bass is fabulous thanks to the BAM...but beware, depending on your system the BAM may sound better AFTER the preamp, not after the CDP as recommended. They reward placement tweaks...can actually made to disappear like my Guarneris. Take out a test disc and realize how low the Merlins go...way low. None of my full range speakers, except my very expensive Genesis go so low. (and balanced....test tones volumes don't go up and down.) Best engineered speaker I ever heard. Period. I have a 47' by 30' (with ceilings over 20 feet in places) listening room (I know, too big) and thus bought the largest Genesis. But I am building another room specifically for theater and Merlins...in fact in the main room for audio, if I sat closer I would change the Genesis for the Merlins. BTW, for full disclosure, when I was young and had small home I had two sets of Merlins. |
Gvwaudio, I forgot to also ask about the equipment that was used in the demo? |
Gvwaudio, where did you hear them? |
Heard a dealer's pair through some pricy gear. Maybe it was the room, equipment, or something else; they sounded very good but they were not world class. The build was above average but not furniture quality like JM Labs and others. My guess the material, drivers and build cost is $3,000+. Huge profit margin on these units. |
Hi Guys. Enjoying your comments on the Talon Khorus. Of course you probably know where I stand on them, since I've corresponded/communicated with many of you. I'm continuously amazed at how good these things are. I guess I get a little jaded over time and forget the harmonic and soundstaging magic the Khoruses provide. I get a few new speakers into my listening room and instantly hear the difference --a difference I can barely tolerate. Make no mistake about it, once you get the Khorus broken in (an arduous task if there ever was one) and spend some time with them, there is a very high probability that you'll get hooked on them and most other speakers, while "nice" and "good" just won't cut it any more. Of course you guys that own them know what I'm talking about. Regards, Stuart |
Re: Talon Khorus I just added the ROC sub to my Khoruses and it must be heard to be believed. The bass is not necesarily better (bass was as good as anything I have heard) But everything opened up and dynamics are astounding. I am using 120wpc OTL amps and there is a synergy I can't adequately describe. I agree w/ the need for extended breakin. Mine keep getting better too. By Celebrat on 12-19-00 |
I have been asked what speakers made my top five list as I was exploring. 1- The Pipedreams. They gave me goose bumps with the presentation but they were too big for my room and had all sorts of problems with amplification due to the fact that the depth charger subs that come with them (4 in all) require separate amplification. Now the $75000 speakers need another $40K in quality amps. 2- Talon Audio Khorus. All my accolades have been said in the many threads on the subject but the bottom line is I own them. 3- Von Schweikert VR6's. These are the speakers that I replaced with the Talon's and it was a very tough choice. I was fortunate to be able to keep both for a long enough time to allow the Khorus' to fully break in. The Khorus' improved over the lengthy break in more than any other component I have EVER had in the last 25 years. 4- Montana KAS. These are darn good speakers but not better than the others listed and just seemed to me to want to over do the bass and the are BIG. You need a BIG room to tame that bass 5- Merlin VSM SE W/ BAM- I think Bobby builds the best monitor out there but he does not get the bass to integrate semlessly with that wonderful mids and highs. I use a pair of the TSM SE's in my office. The Talon's sound like there is only one driver it is absolutely seamless yet they also disappear completely. The one driver sound is coming from that point in the soundstage that it should. They have this huge centered focal point to the presentation that everything seems to radiate from. I am looking forward to th ROC. Enjoy the music |
Wow Glreno, You beat me to it. Very well said. Only the self promoting and the naive make gross statements of absolute value regarding most things in h-e audio. The speaker category in particular is so fraught with intangibles, from room configuration to listening preferences. I find it surprising, the number of people who make proclamations of good and bad based on hearing equipment or speakers outside their system, without stating it as such. I could wax poetic for hours about sound I'd heard elsewhere and what I thought about it... but, what value is that to a hobbyist trying to compile an audition list or asking after personal experience? I've heard fabulous sounding speakers in my home sound bloody awful at dealers or shows, haven't others? Based on the (in home) trials I've done with the Khorus and over a half dozen other speaker systems within the $10-$20,000 range, I believe the Talon line of speakers deserve exploration. They reproduce music in a way that to me, sounds more accurate, more coherent and more "in the room" than the many other speakers I've owned or auditioned. Should that make them all things to all... Are they "The Best"..of course not. However, anyone shopping at, or even well beyond the Khorus price point owes it to themselves to bring a pair home for trial. The personal experience gained through exploration teaches volumes about preferences and system interactions. It's what separates satisfied music and audio hobbyists from disgruntled, distrustful internet hobbyists. Grant |
Hi Plato! I also owned the Inner Sound Eros not long ago. I agree that they are a great speaker, and probably one of the best values in audio. I prefer the Talons, though. I don't like the "light" (you call it immediacy) that electrostats and ribbons portray. I also found the narrow listening window of the Eros difficult to live with. Your listening biases are very apparent, since all of your choices are those types of speakers. I drive my Talons with an Art Audio Jota, which seems to work really well. I tried a variety of amps with the Eros. The ones that worked really well were the Aronov 9100s and the ARC VT100 Mk2. The Spectron 1KW was okay, but too digital sounding. The Cary 805C (with the KR rectifier tube) was the worst combination with the Eros. Given your relationship with Stereotimes, you must have access to a good many amplifiers and equipment. Which amps have worked well with the Eros? Also, you always seem to respond to threads about the Khorus, but not much else. You have also responded in some cases very negatively. Is there something about Talon that bothers you? As far as the world's best speaker, is anybody really qualified to make that judgement? Comparing a $14,000 product to a $70,000 product is "a joke". The Talon Khorus, as with any speaker, is a going to appeal to some people and not to others. Some of the "rah rah" for certain types of equipment on this site sounds like high schoolers rooting for their home team, while throwing rocks and bottles at the opposition. Which brings up another point....it seems like nobody auditions much anymore. This used audio equipment market has generated a whole new customer base....those that buy products for thousands of dollars without ever hearing the equipment they are buying, and do so based on other people's opinions. What caused this to happen? The high price of audio equipment? The availability of exotic components via the internet? The limited number of dealers and market for this type of electronic gear? Given the subjectivity of people's opinions based on their own listening preferences, this seems like a risky way to invest in any particular component. Sounds like a topic for another thread. |
Come on you Vandy owners stand by your choice. Inquiring minds want to know! |
I have heard the Khorus several times. A decent speaker, but to suggest it is a contender for "world's best speaker" is a joke. I own Wisdom Adrenaline 75 line source dipoles (bi-amped system with electronic crossover). These are so far superior to the Khoruses that it is ludicrous to even compare them. The Wisdoms are so resolving that they require extremely careful set-up and matching to auxiliary components to realize their capabilities. Other speakers that I have heard that are in a different league from the Talons include the top Kharma speakers (don't remember the model--they go for around $70K), and the big Pipedreams system. Probably others too, but I'll stick to what I've heard. Personally, I prefer Eggleston Andras to the Khoruses, but that might just be an *opinion*. |
I have heard the Talon Khorus and though they do a few things well, they ultimately failed to convince me that I was hearing real music and instruments. If you want more details, e-mail me privately and I'll fill you in. So they are not on my top-5 list, but the following are: The larger Genesis line-source ribbon systems, the larger Sound Labs full-range electrostatics, the Magnepan MG-20, the InnerSound Eros electrostatic hybrids, and the Eminent Technology LFT VI. I have heard the PipeDreams systems and thought they had good potential, but lacked a bit of immediacy which bumped them off my list(ditto the Khorus). Other speakers I've heard good things about, but haven't heard, are: the Wisdom Audio ribbon systems, the latest big Dunlavy models, Newform research NHB models (with subs), and a couple upper-end models by Theil. I have heard the Avalon Ascents sound quite good, but I never heard the Radian HCs--though I've heard good things about them. Mainly I am using cables from Sonoran and from Full Spectrum Audio, with a digital cable from Harmonic Technology. I own the InnerSound Eros with a Paradigm Servo-15 sub, and I'll take that combo over 96% of everything else out there--including the Khorus--sorry. I believe that it's simply more faithful to the sound of music. I know that some of my picks are ultimately bass-shy, but a properly implimented subwoofer system will take care of that easily. |
I agree with Acuujim. These speakers do set a new standard. My heart beat can be altered by the force that these speakers are capable of in the "nether regions"! As far as the subs go, I have never heard them. I would love to try them if I ever move into a larger room, but in my current set-up they would probably be overkill. When setup properly I have heard that the Roc, in addition to strengthening the bass (which is SCARY),also opens up the midrange. If you do listen with and w/o, please share. |
Plato, I'd also be inerested in your top 5 speaker list. I currently own Avalon Radian HCs with Spectral and MIT. I love most things about this system, the transparency, image width etc. They are reasonably dynamic but seem to lack the pppp to ffff dynamics I'd like. My other complaint about this system is a slight thinness or lack of burnish in the brasses and a lack of sweetness to the violins that you hear in real life. I don't think I could give up the transparency, speed and imaging capacities of the system. Do you guys think the Khorus speakers fit this bill? What eletronics and wire/cabling have you found that bring this speaker to life? Beside the Nearfields any other class contenders out there, without taking out a second mortgage Or even if you did have to? I've heard great things about the Lamm elecronics, Joule, First Sound, Amasphere and Jadis as well. Anyone have the privledge of hearing any of these components compared or individually? Thanks for responding to my post. |
Acuujim - I'd be curious to know which speakers made your top-5 list, if you don't mind saying. Any comments you'd care to offer on the individual contenders would be welcome. |
Avguygeorge- I have heard both I own the Talon's. The decision between the two was not even close. Actually the 5's did not make it into the top five when I checked out the latest from some very high end speaker makers. I know how subjective this hobby is but the Talon's are so clearly a new standard you owe it to yourself to consider them. |
Has anybody got a comparison to Vandy5's? Talon used/we have a couple of pairs used at this site/ are the same price as Vandy new.I have the threads on ea+ the review on the 5's in TAS,but never someone who has heard both.If I decide on the 5's I get the dealer demos W/ set up |
Ditto what Glreno said. They are amazing speakers. I have ordered the ROC even though I am skeptical as to how the can improve on the presentation. I have passed the 500 hour breakin threshold and these babies just sing. |
I own the Khorus. It is a great speaker that seems to work well with a wide variety of amplifiers. They has a soundstaging and imaging ability that I have never heard in a speaker before. They are also able to produce inner detail like no other speaker I've heard. The combination makes this speaker incredibly holographic. And they do this while remaining extremely musical. I replaced Von Schweikert VR6s with them, and have never looked back. They have a very long break-in period, and don't sound good out-of-the-box. There are now two excellent reviews out on them at Stereotimes and Soundstage. There are also many posts about them on this site, so I'm not going to duplicate what has already been said. As far as the subs goes, I have never felt that I have needed it for bass in my room. I get floor and wall shaking bass out of them. A friend of mine has two subs. His room is larger. He says that the use of the subs improves the speakers because they no longer have to deal with the low frequency extension. When you use the subs, you have to block the rear port. This supposedly improves the performance of the Khorus from the mid- bass up. That is the only reason I might do it. I haven't tried it, but I probably will, given my friend's enthusiasm about them. The use of one or two is dependent on room size. He started with one, and bought a second. |
The units go down to seventeen HZ. You do not need the subs. Ignore the reviewer comments concerning the subs on stereotimes.com, he stole the information from my uncle and tried to add to it (unsuccessfully I might add). The subs are great but I don't think the speakers need them. If you just want the added bass impact that is another story. I bought the speakers and I have heard them with 2 powered ROC subs. It is in my opinion over-kill, but...if it makes you happy that is all that counts. :) Mike |
