"The Ultra High-End Speaker."


My entire relatively simple high end audio system retails for approx. $70,000, with my speakers alone retailing for approx. $24,000 (Revel Salon 2 speakers).  I've been around high-end audio for over 40 years.  I attend audio shows and visit local and non-local high-end audio shops on a regular basis.  I get to hears a lot of high-end audio speakers and gear all the time.  That said, I honestly believe, along with others who've visited my home and have listened to my system, that my system (speakers) produce that ultra high-end, reference quality sound.  Others would suggest that, when it comes to speakers, that the "Ultra High-End" sound can only be achieved by megabuck speakers costing 50K, 100K, 250k and beyond.  I do not believe that ultra high-end ("Sound Quality") is excusive to those speakers costing a king's ransom.  And, I think my own system is am example of what can be achieved at a lower (not for most people) price point.  I absolutely believe in the law of diminishing returns, especially when it comes to high-end speakers.  What's your definition, idea of, what you consider to be, a "Ultra High-End Speaker, and at what price point does the ultra high-end start?????            

kennymacc

Mike Lavigne did built a state of the art room.I agree with Him don’t spend big dollars until you really understand how things work in this hobby.I never want to spend money on vynil, until I knew how good it will sound.Mike is also right , dollars alone will not do it.Now a days there are many good speakers under 5k if you know what you are doing, you can easily make them sound like ultra highend.

Go to Axpona and you will be shocked, many speakers cost above 100k don’t even sound untra highend, it’s because they were not set up right, rooms are still too small or too big as well and untreated.Then you go to ELac room Andrew Jones demoing all you hear is good sounding system.

I always said that everything matter ...

Electrical and mechanical working dimension and acoustical ... And even other things as cables or tweaks ...

But nothing can replace acoustic at any price for any system because our experience is acoustical anyway nevermi9nd the gear price ...My point is not about negating the value of pricier design only a fool can negate the evident fact that there is High end products with a real improved acoustic value potential ... ...

But a dedicated room can be created with time at low cost ...That is one of my point and creating a dedicated room at low cost beat often many upgrades which can be marginal one anyway ....

When i spoke about acoustic people are so confused they think about GIK panels on a wall not about acoustic concepts and the way to experiment and play with them ...

Buying gear is not enough ...

If you dont know what is the listener envelopment concept for example and how to create it in a room forget buying 100000 bucks speakers and even 1,000 bucks one will not sound optimal ... or then pay 100,000 bucks for a PRO ACOUSTICIAN ...😁

Acoustic had nothing to do with taste ...

Anyway ...

My goal is motivating people to experiment and have fun ... Not to throw their money in illusions of high end without any applied knowledge in their own room FIRST ....

 

 

I think as this poster :

Mike Lavigne did built a state of the art room.I agree with Him don’t spend big dollars until you really understand how things work in this hobby.I never want to spend money on vynil, until I knew how good it will sound.Mike is also right , dollars alone will not do it.Now a days there are many good speakers under 5k if you know what you are doing, you can easily make them sound like ultra highend.

 

@baylinor Thank you! I almost went down a rabbit hole with cables and power conditioning before reading a bit more. I realized that they were not the weak links and probably would not make a very big difference. Diffusion improvement was the better expenditure (with lots of measurements) and also continuing to focus on source. I improved my streamer and DAC. Updated the photo, here.

Congratulation for your room Hilde45 not only esthetical but certainly good in an acoustic way ....😊

Diffusion is key ....

Updated the photo, here.