Talon Khorus question

Metaphysics -- randomness is clumpy, and this could indeed explain it. Avguygeorge -- I never claimed the Talons are better than any particular speaker. In my post above (apologies for the pedantry), you'll see that I only said I've found the Khorus do some things "right" and some things better than my last speaker (ML reQuest). I can't answer your question about whether the Khorus is "better" than the other speakers you listed. I've heard some of them but not all. As you know, each speaker has its own personality: What's "best" for one person won't necessarily be "best" for someone else. I personally crave speed, detail, and a holographic soundstage; the Khorus satisfy this craving better than any other speaker I've owned (including Martin Logan and Dunlavy) or auditioned. Some people don't like revealing speakers, and prefer a more forgiving or warm personality. For them, the Vandersteen 5 might be a "best" choice. Others may crave a slam speaker, and there are several excellent speakers that have more slam than the Khorus, and so on. For this reason, I don't think there is an overall "best" speaker out there. Music is just too personal. In any case, the Khorus is best for my present tastes, and this is what I was trying to convey in my response to Suchtan's question. Suchtan -- Thank you for the nice complement. I've heard Thailand is beautiful, and I would like to visit there someday. I hope some of the wild places and remarkable bird species are still left when I get a chance to travel around to that side of the planet. It's a shame you don't have the opportunity to audition the Khorus. As Avguygeorge cautioned, you shouldn't let manufacturer hyperbole influence your decision (all manufacturers hype their gear to some extent and cast it in the most favorable light). Do the Khorus represent a quantum leap in technology? I don't know. I think Talon is doing something right because the Khorus manage to do so many things so well. Are they faster than electrostatics? Can't answer this either. The Khorus do sound very fast. The Khorus' bass is decidedly faster and more detailed than the reQuest and other speakers I've heard. In the upper mid-range and top end, I'd say the Khorus and electostatics are comparably fast, though the Khorus is definitely more detailed there and seems to stop quicker (don't know how). In the lower half of the mid-midrange, I'd say the Khorus sounds a tad slower than the panels, but the Khorus are still very fast and IMHO are more detailed than the electrostats in this part of the spectrum too. In any case, if you want to know whether the Khorus might suit your tastes, I would suggest seeing if you can find somewhere to audition some of the more popular fast and detailed speakers like ML (or other electrostatics), Dunlavy, Thiel, or Joseph Audio. (I would caution that the Khorus are a bit warmer, more polite, and less analytical than some of these designs.) If you like this kind of sound reproduction, I think the Khorus would be a great buy at $6000-8000. However, I'm just one data point. As noted, each person has different ears and tastes, so you should read as many different objective reviews of the Khorus -- from people who have actually owned or spent time with them -- to help give you an overall sense of how they perform and what you can expect. It sounds like you are already doing this, and inquiring on Audiogon should give you some additional perspectives and a larger sample of informed data points (e.g., from Macm and Slagletj) to help you make a decision. Good luck on your quest. Don

Thanks for the additional info, Djjd. Based on my long-term memory, I was thinking electrostats might have a slight edge in the quickness department, but you would know better than I, having living with ML. Perhaps the Khorus' smoothness belies their speed. I agree that they are a little laid back, but I wouldn't call their sound warm (in my system, that is). But I can see how some who like a more "visceral" sound might think the Khorus' are a bit too smooth and polite. For those who've not heard the Khorus', if you're familiar with the sound of Sennheiser HD600 headphones, you have some idea of the laid back quality the Khorus' possess. Plenty of detail, but absolutely no harshness at all. I hope some of the comments posted here by Khorus owners help assauge the concerns I've read on the web that Talon doesn't live up to its billing. I can't vouch for the "100 times faster than traditional drivers" claim, but there is definitely something special going on here. Certainly worth an audition if you get the chance. I should add that Talon has an "X" version of the Khorus coming out soon. The changes will be cosmetic (and a heavier cabinet), with a MSRP of $18k. That may help explain why dealers and others have been selling theirs.

Macm, I concur with your assessment (I also have HD600's and have noticed some similarity). It was quite a change for me to go from the in-your-face ML sound to the more laid-back Khorus sound. However, I do find the music to be more relaxing and enjoyable now, and I can listen to (and appreciate) recordings that sounded too aggressive on the MLs. I wasn't suggesting the Khorus is a "warm" speaker by any stretch, just that it sounds a little warmer to me than some of the detailed but dry-sounding speakers. It was a relative comparison. In particular, in my system the midbass through midrange of the Khorus is harmonically richer than the MLs, without sounding unnaturally lush or gooey. (Ditto for the HD-600s.) The music seems more complete to me now, though it's still not "warm" in an absolute sense. As for speed, my ability to resolve subtle differences in transients is based on a pretty course filter: very slow, slow, moderate, fast, very fast. Most sharp transients (rim shots, woodblocks, initial pick of a guitar string, etc.) sound "very fast" to me on both the Khorus and ML. The only speed differences I hear are mainly in the bass (Khorus "very fast" v. ML "moderate") and lower mids (ML a notch faster or at least more vivid). Overall the Khorus sounds fast across the spectrum, while the MLs slow down near the bottom. If you don't mind my asking, what cables have you tried and which are you currently using with your Khorus? Don

I've own the Khorus for over 5 months. They replaced the so called Sterephile Speaker of the Year, Eggleston Andras. As soon as I uncarted them and listened to my reference recordings, I knew I made the right choice. Don's discription of the speaker is right on. When I replaced my Bel Canto Evo with the Aloia Inductive amp/preamp, I really got to hear the bass speed, extension, and depth these speakers are really capable of. In addition, the midrange body/image bloom was enhanced significantly - they are sensitive to system components and set-up. Audio Tekne cables work well with these speakers also. To really make them sing I'm told that the Sistrum Platform works better than the Orchard Bay (on order, I have the polished Aluminum spikes). Why are people selling? One guy who has an axe to grind starts saying they lack this or that. People with lots of money to burn listen to this garbage and go off thinking they are going to upgrade their speakers when they really should spend the time optimizing their set-up or auditioning electronics that fit their tastes better. SACD audio and Talon are matched well. BTW - I don't work for Talon. I'm an engineer for Motorola.

Gentlemen, many thanks for all the illuminating comments. I didn't expect such an overwhelming responses from my question. There is a strong possibility that I will take the plunge on the Talon soon. Right now in our country we have outstanding speakers on sales such as the Watt/puppies 6, the Amarti Homage, the Jm Lab Utopia and of course the Martin Logan Prodigy. Not to mention the Eidolon from Avalon, Revel Ultima Salon, even the Soundlab M1s. None of these speakers(except may be the M1s which I haven't heard) can top my Genesis2 which I have been acquiring for about five years. But that wouldn't be fair because the Genesis is in another price range altogether. I just have a feeling that if the Talon can be competitive in these group of speakers I mentioned above at the price I can find on the Audiogon, I may have a good opportunity to introduce them among my big group of audiophile friends.
By the way, if any of you guys, especially Don, have a chance to visit Thailand, you are very welcome to contact me at least for a big dinner and probably visiting my dedicated listening room.
All the best to you all.
Suchart Tan
(my actual name is Suchart)