Shout out to Revival Audio Atalante 3 speakers


Normally I’d write a long review of something as I never seem to keep it short. Right now I’m looking at over two pages of handwritten notes and can’t bring myself to put it all to pen, so to speak. Throw in images and links and it becomes a thing unto itself. And it’s sad to say I won’t for what deserves pages of accolades.

I will say this though: if you want a great all around speaker that’s eminently musical at the expense of nothing of import, then the Revival Audio Atalante 3 speaker should be at the top of you short list.

If you crave tone, body and soul, then listen to this speaker.
If you enjoy air, ambience, shimmer and decay, again, listen to this speaker.
If etch, shrillness and a hot top end bother you, no need to look elsewhere.
If the bottom octave is not of paramount importance but a strong mid and upper bass done realistically floats your boat, this will easily suffice.
If coherence and presence is a big deal for you, no need to ask for any more cards as you have a winning hand.
If a beautifully finished cabinet is important, one that harkens back to better days, then this will fit into any decor.
If pedigree matters, then rest assured that this is designed and assembled completely in France. Also, the designer has over 30 years designing speakers for Focal-JM Lab, Dynaudio and others. The drivers are unique to the brand and not off the shelf for other brands to use.
Finally, if price is a factor, these retail for only $2500 and if made by another company, would command multiples of it’s asking price, which I was told, is probably going to go up soon. One member who I’ve been communicating with told me they got 5 pallets of speakers in and they were all mostly accounted for and 5 pairs sold while he was at the dealer auditioning them (2 were of the larger 5 series).

Demand is so high that they came out with a less costly design (two models) to take up some of the slack and to spread the love to those of lessor pockets, which is admirable.

I can’t tell you how much I love these speakers but this should give you an idea: I no longer listen critically to anything anymore. I no longer crave this or that. I can listen at lower volumes and hear all I want or need to. These speakers emotionally connect with me and did so within the first few minutes of listening. There’s no more wind in my audio sails but if I had the money and the space, I’d give the Atalante 5 a serious listen and most likely get them.

Now I find most of the discussions here amusing, at best. Too many unicorns chased and nothing to show for it. Too many lost in search of that perfect tree when you have the whole forest to enjoy at any time and at any angle you wish, if you chose to. Time to choose.

All the best,
Nonoise

 

 

128x128nonoise

I've never had a speaker that sounds as good off axis as on axis with these speakers. I can be in the kitchen (which adjoins the living space in my apartment) and they sound almost as good. Because of the low amount of toe in, my sweet spot is the widest it's ever been.

I believe it has to do with the design of the drivers, the materials he uses. Daniel eschews any use of petroleum products in the driver cones and concocted his own solution to coat the domes to get the sound he wanted out of them. The way they project out into the room must be from all he learned designing speakers for 30 years and not settling for off the shelf drivers.

All the best,
Nonoise

I’m looking at the 3s to mate with a REL t/9i in my Great Room. I wonder about the amplifier demands of driving these speakers. It’s a 4 ohm speaker with 87db sensitivity. Do you find they need some power to bring out their best ? I have a 50w Simaudio 240i (85w into 4ohms). I wouldnt hesitate to buy these if it was an 8 ohm speaker. 

I'm using a 70 watt/channel integrated and have tons of headroom to spare. Your Simaudio should have no problems driving these speakers. Reviews and online comments have users with tube amps with as little as 15 watts driving them to realistic levels. 

The drivers alone are rated at 91db before being installed in the cabinet with the crossover, which accounts for the lowering of the sensitivity. Any well made amp will drive them. Here's a video explaining how much power is used by a speaker rated at "only" 87db sensitivity:

All the best,
Nonoise

Thank you…i had placed an order for the Mission 770s last Friday, but canceled Monday morning because of their size, cost and making my REL unnecessary. Still, i really liked their big sound potential and particularly, their ability to maintain a full and rich presentation at low volumes. I might reorder, but the Atalante 3s are half the price, though i hate the grills and am not really drawn to their overall look. Decisions, decisions. I had the Lintons in house for 6 weeks and liked their presentation with the exception of their coarse treble. Thought the Missions might improve in all areas.