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Revel Salon 2 speakers

Over the past 20 years or so, I've owned a number of very high-end, full-range, floor standing speakers, including a pair of Salon 1 speakers (which were phenomenal as well).  But the Salon 2s are, overall, the best I've ever owned.  I've also owned Magnepan, Acoustat, Avantgarde, PBN Audio Montana, PBN Audio Montana/Quintessence Audio, B&W, Von Schweikert, Analysis Audio ribbon speakers, Infinity, Silverline and Martin Logan.  Still, after all these years, you simply cannot beat the Salon 2s, from top-to-bottom, for anywhere near it's asking price or for tens of thousands of  dollars more.  The Salon 2s are an absolute game-changer, reference level, world-class caliber speaker!!!  I just laugh at the astronomically high prices that current speakers cost compared to what I paid for the Salon 2s, when it comes to price-to-performance.  I see all the new speakers at Audio shows and also at my local dealers, and, yes, they do sound fabulous.  But 50k for a stand mount bookshelf??????  Unreal.  Even for it's retail price, I believe that the Salon 2 speakers are still one of the very best values on the market.  It was the Salon 2 speakers that finally quenched my speaker thirst and took me off the speaker "Merry-Go-Round."   That goodness!!!               

kennymacc
jimmy2615
443 posts
 

@kennymacc  what are you using for amplification?

kennymacc OP
481 posts
 

About a year ago, I had to move to a smaller listening space in my home, so I downsized from separates to an integrated amp. I now drive the Salons with an Hegel H590 integrated, which, combined with my Ayre Acoustics QX-5 Twenty reference DAC, produces an absolutely superb sound. The Hegel H590 has the horse-power to drive the Salon 2s beautifully (especially in rooms that aren’t real large), while possessing some of the very highest sound quality available. I believe that the Salon 2 and Hegel H590 combo is a brilliant combination. I strongly believe that the Hegel H590 integrated, although not cheap, given it’s superb sound quality and huge power reserves, is the best integrated amp on market.

steve59's avatar
steve59
1,795 posts
 

How's the soundstage from your salon 2? I had the hegel h360 when I had them and it was a really strange sensation having pinpoint imaging devoid of soundstage. In hindsight I don't think the h360 had the headroom to get the woofers pumping. Compared to the salon 1 i thought the 2 was a big step up in resolution.

kennymacc OP
481 posts
 

You are exactly right! The H390 does not have the headroom to properly drive the Salon 2s. When I first got my Salon 2s, like yourself, I was driving them with an H390, which I was using with my previous speakers. The H390 is an extremely powerful integrated amp by it’s own right, and was just fantastic drive my previous speakers, but the notoriously inefficient Salon 2s were an entirely different animal, so I stepped up to the H590. Well... the H390 and the H590 are also two entirely different animals with the H590 being superior in every parameter, especially in the power reserve and damping factor departments. When switching from the H390 to the H590, I was somewhat shocked at the degree of which the H590 put a vise-grip on the woofers of the Salon 2s. Not to mention (I already did) the phenomenal sound quality of the H590. This is why I speak so very highly of the remarkable Hegel H590. So, yes, everything got better with the H590, which produces a huge soundstage. Soundstage height, width and depth with the H590 driving the Salon 2s were all there, in spades.

spearl8
45 posts
 

I agree the Salon 2’s are still an amazing speaker even after all these years. I love mine every day. I like Wilson as well but it took them over a decade to compete with the Salon 2 at a similar price point. I heard the Salon 2 vs the Sabrina X at my dealer in the same room/ equipment and to my ears the Salon 2 was better. 

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