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Anyone heard te Sony SS-AR1

I heard Sony's 27k new speaker today. Sony is obviously not a name you think of when it comes to high-end audio, but this speaker is sony's effort to get back into high-end audio. I'll be honest, going in, I thought anyone who spends 27k on a pair of speakers by Sony needs their head examined.
That being said, I was really, really impressed by this speaker. I compared it head to head with some dynaudio tempations (44k) and thought that the sony's at least held their own. The dealer told me that Sony is only planning on releasing 60 pairs in the US this year, and there are only 6 dealers in the country right now. Also, the wood that they use for the cabinets comes from a special Japanese tree that is specially aged, etc.
Apparently there is a review coming out in stereophile next week.
My question is, with all the great speakers out there at this range, Wilson, magico, Von schweikert, hansen, etc, has anyone heard these, and how do you think they stack up against some of the big boys?
dserota17

Showing 5 responses by dserota17

dserota17 OP
16 posts
 
Thanks for the feedback, guys. I really was shocked by these speakers. I really think they sounded better than the dynaudio temptations that cost 50% more and have a way bigger footprint. Its a bit
more than I wanted to spend, but I'm actually considering buying these speakers. (i'll just need to cover up the Sony logos). They really had no weakness that I could tell, detailed, dynamic, tight and powerful bass, and a huge soundstage. When I closed my eyes, I really could not tell where the speakers were located. Anyway, I'm eagerly awaiting the reviews in TAS and Stereophile.
dserota17 OP
16 posts
 
I was just kidding about hiding the Sony logo (I think). Apparently, Sony was considering giving the speakers a different name, but decided against it. I'm not familiar with it, but doesn't Pioneer have a fairly high-end
speaker under a different name?
I mean a Lexus is still made by Toyota, but would people really buy a $100k+ Toyota? I guess Toyota didn't think so, or else they wouldn't have called their high-end cars Lexus.
Personally, I just want to enjoy music as accurately and close to a live experience as possible on my system. At the end of the day, whatever brand of equipment that gets me there is fine. But, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have certain biases and pre-conceived expectations of products based on the company.
dserota17 OP
16 posts
 
I auditioned them at David Lewis Audio in NE Philly.
dserota17 OP
16 posts
 
Sorry onhwy61. Didn't mean to offend you with my audio ignorance. Nor did I think that my comments would be taken out of context by an audiophile policeman such as yourself.

Back to the discussion, James63. I wouldn't say the Sonys sounded better than the temptations, but they were extremely close in my opinion, given that the Temptations cost about 60% more and are a much larger speaker. I thought the Sonys just didn't have any weaknesses. The bass, was extremely tight and accurate. The midrange was beautifully detailed. The soundstage was amazing. With my eyes closed, I was unable to localize the speakers. After a short while, I just found myself enjoying the music, rather than listening critically for flaws. I'm not knocking the dyn Temptations, which are obviously a top notch speaker. Just thinking the Sony may be a better value to my ears.
dserota17 OP
16 posts
 
Thanks for your input Audiozen. I read the stereophile article, and as mentioned above heard them at David Lewis in Philly, and was pretty much blown away. They are at the top of my speaker list, but I'm also going to consider the Dynaudio C4s and Sasha Wilson. My amp is a Simaudio Evolution W8 that is rated a pretty conservative 250wpc, but after hearing how power hungry these babies are, I am a bit concerned. Anyway, my dealer has invited me to a semi-private demo for the Sony AR-1s with the speaker designer in attendance next month. He has also offered to allow me to demo them in my system so hopefully I'll know if they will work with my setup and amp. Congrats on your decision, and let us know how they sound!
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