YG Acoustics add in Stereophile

Tbg, I do agree with you. I love the Kipods but the Anat Reference II Studios are exceptional. Their American manufacture makes them a relative bargain but it was their performance that sold me.

As you may surmise, they sound far better in a "home" environment than at CES.
They do not require much room treatment at all to sound their best, unlike many other superb speakers I have had in my home.

So I bought them. Could not be more pleased.

Especially since the dollars went to Colorado, a place and people I admire and am pleased to support.

Not that I have any less appreciation for the advantages of the opportunistic global outsourcing transforming our "hobby".

I doubt seriously that my opinion of this transformation could possibly ever sink lower.

But I am aware that many toil diligently toward that end, unwittingly.
And even more unconsciously.

Even in our little hobby there are now sociodemoeconomic factors to consider, unless of course you just have to have that beryllium tweeter at sweatshop prices.

Our daughters here will soon be handproducing them anyway and since they won't have healthcare no responsible society will be able to compete.

I am not looking forward to that soundstage.

Is it true that a) YG takes longer to break in and b) though they seem to avoid publishing data, they are quite insensitive and need a lot of power? ..as in 200W in 8 ohms solid state wld be the bare minimum?

Henryhk, yes I do believe that YG speakers require a somewhat longer break in period that the average high end contender but it is not outrageous. They sound perfectly agreeable right "out of the box" but bloom progressively at least through 120 hours. I stopped timing after that because they sounded so good at that point that I just didn't care and got completely lost in the music.

I do believe that YGs like lots of clean SS power. I use a McCormack DNA 500 rated @ 500W into 8 ohms, doubling to 1kW into 4 ohms. I have always contended that this amp is a "giant-killer" priced @ $7k even before I owned the YGs.

Dick Diamond, YG's Director of Sales & Marketing, kindly visited my home to assist with the placement and voicing of my new Anat Reference II Studios and I do not think I am exaggerating his enthusiasm for the DNA 500's performance by recounting his intention to mention this amp to Yoav Geva himself as a contender.

Well, I've heard the Anat stand-mounts and the same model with the bass module (the model name escapes me now) at my dealer's, with top class electronics, and I sincerely don't understand what the fuss is about. Right, they sound good, no doubts about it. But so does a lot of other stuff at much lower prices as well.

World's best? Not even close in my book. :) But if others think so, I'm happy for them - no offense intended!

As always with high-end gear, an audition is a must.

Osgorth, no offense taken here.

Hey, at least you listened; which I suspect is the goal of the whole "World's Best" thing anyway. Got me, a long time Wilson aficionado to compare them in my home just to confirm the hubris.

To my surprise, they actually were the best I'd ever heard.
So I bought them. Kipods first, now Anat Ref II Studios.

But the ever-shrinking world still has room for plenty of "bests".
May each find their own.