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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

Showing 8 responses by sydsrig

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sydsrig
18 posts
 
Dev,

Is there anything about the Avalon Eidolon's that you "miss" now that you have the MBLs? I own Eidolon's (non diamond version) myself and have been considering moving to the MBL's for some time. I have heard them at CES the last 2 years straight (and at RMAF), and can't pull myself away from them. Of course these are show conditions for better or worse. I have never been able to hear them side by side with Avalon's though, and wonder what I might "miss" about them if I make the switch. Since you have had the privilige of owning both in your home, I was hoping you could provide some insight.
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sydsrig
18 posts
 
Hello Dev,

Thank you for your response and I do appreciate your insight and that of your friend who is (or at least was) a Wilson fan. I agree with you that the only way to decide is to listen for yourself and to not let others sway you. That is exactly how I built my current system over the years to begin with (spectral/MIT/Avalon). The only problem is that other than hearing MBL's at audio shows with flagship MBL electronics, I have no way to really compare them to my current setup to confirm or qualify my impressions.

That is why I look to you and others who at least have had Avalon's in there home and have done a direct A-B comparison. At the very least this is a way of getting some indirect evidence to help with the decision making process. Given that I can't do an evaluation first hand, the best I can do is increase the likelihood of making a sound and reasoned judgement for myself. By reaching out to people like you who have confirmed the MBL decision over the Avalons (I am quite familiar with the Eidolon Diamonds and the Isis as well) for themselves, that's one more data point to consider in valdating this for myself. I have also read all of the other MBL 101E threads on the forum as you suggested (I tend to read more than post).

Trust me when I tell you that if there was a way for me to do an A-B with the 101E's and my speakers (optimally in my system and my room), I would be all over it. Ufortunately, that has not proven feasable in Ft. Lauderdale, FL which is where I live.

I take it you don't live in the area by chance?
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sydsrig
18 posts
 
Hello Dev, Toronto - Wow, just around the corner I suppose...

I take it your friend that is waiting for the Wilson MK2's to come out, is waiting for the Alexandria II's? That's the only Wilson speaker that you could buy nearly three pair of 101E's for the same price.

I appreciate your offer to go on a tour of you and your friends systems in Toronto, and I may just take you up on it. I will be heading back to Las Vegas in early January for CES to have my fun and see what is new and exciting in our wonderful hobby.

When does it start getting warm in Toronto? My blood has thinned out living in South Florida and I may not survive the winter visit to Toronto...

I'll follow up with a personal note as well.

Thanks!
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sydsrig
18 posts
 
Pascanli, you raise an interesting point with the Revel Salon 2. Given the gushing "cost no object" speaker award that TAS gave it in the latest issue, one can't help but be curious about what all the "hollering" is about with this speaker. I would still be surprised if it can duplicate the magic act that I keep hearing the 101E's perform whenever I hear them. But then again, that's what this hobby/industry is all about isn't it?

I also noticed your involvement in the "Game Over" thread in the digital forum. I have been way behind the times on this topic and really enjoyed reading your posts there.
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sydsrig
18 posts
 
Hi Dev, I think I heard the Ascendo's at THE Show this past January. If I'm not mistaken it's a lacquer finished black box woofer bottom with a second slimmer laquer finished black box top with a horn loaded (I think as it appeared to be recessed in the cabinet) ribbon midrange and/or tweeter? It had a very distinctive, albeit awkward, look to it if memory serves me correct.

In any case, if it's what I thinking it is, it sounded pretty darn impressive during the brief time I spent with it.

Regarding the other products, I will have to review my list with you before I head out to make sure I get it right!
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sydsrig
18 posts
 
Dev, One other question regarding the 101E's. Have you driven them or given thought to driving them with the Spectron Musician III Class D amplifier? There are a number of threads on this forum (as well as on audioreview.com) that absolutely swear by this amp/speaker combination irregardless of cost considerations (except for the MBL 9011 reference monoblock amps).

What say you and your MBL bretheren?
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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?
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sydsrig
18 posts
 
Dazzdax and Sirspeedy, I would like to address both of your comments about the 101E's and the rock concert volume levels they are demonstated at during shows. This is true, and I did voice this criticism to the MBL personnel doing the demo's when I was there. They were more than accomodating at playing whatever I wanted at whatever volune I wanted which I took them up on. The results to my ear were just as pleasing at low volumes. This really surprised me. I suspect it might surprise you if you had the opportunity to hear them at low volumes as I did. All I can say is that they sounded just as good on low volume intimate chamber music as it did on rock concert stadium volumes.
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