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Anybody else heard the Avalon Acoustics Isis?

I spent a delightful afternoon on friday listening to the Avalon Acoustics Isis speakers. These retail for $62000.00, so I was expecting a high level of performance, but was still surprised at how wonderful these speakers were at creating the sound of real music.

Even though this was in a store environment with electronics that are not my favorite cup of sonic tea, current Mark Levinson gear, the Isis's offered the following:

1) I'm quite enamored of the type of soundstage and natural layering that planer dipolar speakers provide, my home reference are MG-20's, the Isis was one of the few box enclosure speakers that offered this type of illusion regarding space. They just did not disappear, but offered this very natural 3D imaging without making individual players sound like "cutouts" against a background, but layering in a very natural way that sounds more like live music.

2) Great macrodynamics and resolution without sounding etched or in your face, and this was with electronics that I personnally don't find to be very musical! I would want to hear these speakers with a great tube pre and SS amps like Pass Labs XA's.

3) The whole sonic presentation was seemless, again reminding me of what great planer speakers have to offer, with a quick and rock solid bottom end.

I have listened to Wilson's, Kharma's, B&W's, Magico's, Dali's reference speakers on other occasions, and I was not as impressed as I was yesterday. Am I trading my MG-20's for the Isis's, no but if you have a chance to hear them I think you find it a very enjoyable experience.
teajay
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sydsrig
18 posts
 
Branimir, Dev said that the Isis was a step up from the Eidolon Diamond, not the other way around. Regarding the MBL's, all I can say is that the first time I heard them was at RMAF 2 years ago, and I did not know what to think. The presentation was so different from what I was used to hearing that it startled me. After a while, however, I warmed up to them and could not stop listening to them for the rest of the show as well as the next 2 CESs in a row (where I listened to them for days on end).

The only major distinction between the MBL and more traditionally designed speakers that I heard which may be an issue for some (and perhaps what you and your pianist friend may be hearing) is the presentation difference in image specificity. The MBL's do not have the pin point/locked in/focused imaging of some the more traditional speaker designs. In retrospect, I realized that is what took me a while to get used to and what probably startled me at first. But then again, I'm not sure that laser like imaging/focus is all that it's cracked up to be after opening my ears up to the MBL presentation. Ultimately, it sounded more alive to me than anything else I have heard at any of the shows that I have attended.

Nilthepill, did you hear the Eidolons with any other electronics for compariosn? What was it about the sound that was not your cup of tea?
dev's avatar
dev
832 posts
 
Hi Teajay sorry about this but I have to respond to these MBL questions.

Nilthepill I have never heard a all MBL system so I have no experience with that sound but hearing another members MBL system (no MBL electronics) along with my current set-up absolutely no metallic sound or brightness and every person who has come by has never mentioned either. Every person's response hearing them in my set-up so far has been very very positive saying I have never heard anything like this before and this is coming all from some heavy hitters and would not hold back if they did not approve or something was going on that sounded improper. I suppose from what I am reading once I get around to trying MBL gear possibly I will not like it, time will tell but how many people get the opportunity to have the amps that are coming to hear in their system?

I have to say I am really anxious to get the CAT JL3 SIG MK2 mono blocks along with the Bernings to find out what the over all sound difference is as currently I feel the Pass X600.5's are the weak link but I have to say they really are doing a fine job.
branimir
236 posts
 
Dev,
I understand you wrong regarding Isis vs Eidolon Diamond-sorry. I agree fully with you-all these speakers(Isis, MBL and Rockport) are world class without any doubt. I am sure that you are enjoying your MBLs-I respect them highly.

Sydsrig,
Yes, you are on something here regarding different presentation(prespective?) that MBLs are offering. Maybe I am just not used enough of this presentation? But, in all MBL system 101 sound occasionally too white in upper highs for my taste. I am more a dynamic speakers person I guess...
dazzdax
599 posts
 
Dev, I have never auditioned the MBL Radialstrahlers but according to an audiophile buddy with very good ears they sounded a bit odd during a demo (recent VAD show in Holland): they sounded quite diffuse, midrange was almost absent, treble and bass were dominant. Another audiophile buddy said they sounded quite good with... Metallica! No kidding! That means they were very dynamic (which is a well respected virtue of the MBL's) and could produce SPL's to almost insane levels. If I'm correct, the designer of these Radialstrahler played bass guitar in a rock band. Could it be that he chose sound characteristics that remind him of the rock band?

Chris
sirspeedy
738 posts
 
For those hobbyists stating they feel the Isis is better sounding than something like the Eidolon Diamonds....what specifically are you referring to?
Are you referring to greater dynamics(room volume specifically influences which speaker would perform best,I assume)?Deeper bass?Louder?More palpable?...Most importantly,does the Isis actually "reproduce information that the Eidolon Diamond "DOES NOT"?Or better timbrel/harmonic info(amp/pre influences this alot,amongst other ancillaries)?
I believe that each speaker would serve a different room volume best.Unless the Isis reproduces "more" information than the Eidolon Diamond,than it seems it was designed to serve "music" better in a larger venue!Then and again,many folks prefer louder,and interpret "it" as better!MBL has always overpowered the room,with absurd volumes,and totally incoherent bass at all show demonstrations I have heard,yet many folks love the 101E's.Sorry if this seems harsh.I don't mean it as criticism of any person,in particular.
Just my opinion,and I am in no way trying to be disagreeable.
Best.
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