Y No YG ?

At AXPONA the MUCH cheaper A3 sounded A LOT better than the Carmel. And that was a much cheaper setup.

About 8 or 9 years ago I heard a large YG model, I don’t recall which exactly, at CES. I had them play a track from Neil Young’s ‘Live At Massey Hall’. I swear I could see the stage in front of me. A truly memorable demo. They were, then and now, well out of my price range, but no sour grapes here- I wished at the time I could take a pair home.

I think YG’s are a superb speaker. Some of their older first rung models leaved a lot to be desired, but the new models are all pretty fantastic, IMHO.
No flea powered amps need apply, and one had better get the upstream gear singing, otherwise the speaker will highlight the deficiencies.
Nonetheless, for those with the funds...and the space....should be on their very short list. Alex at Alma is a great representative of the line....go and listen for yourself before coming to a conclusion. ( and possibly buying an inferior speaker for similar money..:0( )

I have just heard the Carmel with Gryphon at Lone Star Audio Fest and got a cool brochure as well. I actually think the Scan Speak Carmels are awesome. They have better bass than the IIs but otherwise are not really as good. I like YG’s slightly ethereal, ribbon-like quality. They are coherent, heavy on detail without the clinical sound. All that plus you get one of few sealed bass speakers for retail sale. What is not to like? Oh yeah, the price with cheapest full range at $43000. Nothing made to price point like their more discussed competitors. One could get an S3mkii for about the same as Carmel. The other band not discussed so much is Vivid Audio.

I actually think the Scan Speak Carmels are awesome.

Those two drivers are far far better than usually credited. The mid-woofer often appeared in WA designs, and the tweeter is beloved by many high end manufacturers from Sonus Faber to Krell, and for good reason.

I'm listening to the tweets, while I listen to the mid-woofers in the evening.

But, I'm sure Fritz or Taylor Acoustics could put them together for far cheaper. :) 



Best,

E