2. speakers
  3. 1095305674

Revel Salons - Do they really sound like this?

I've been entertaining the idea of a speaker change lately. Not that I'm unhappy with my system. I just thought I might try something new for a change. Lots of people rave about the Revels so I went to my local dealer to hear the Salons. Associated equipment were 2 Levinson 436 monos, the latest Hovland preamp, and the new Ayre cd player. Transparent reference cables throughout. This audition turned out to be a big letdown. Im not trying to bash the speakers, I'm just looking for a little insight. The room was about 35X20. The speakers were set up parallel with the long wall. They were about 10ft in from the back wall and 5ft from the sidewalls with no toe-in. I was sitting back about 8ft centered perfectly and there were large acoustic panels on every wall across the room spaced about 2 ft apart. There were no defined images, the sound seemed to come from all over the room. The mid and high frequencies were very laid back which was non-fatiguing but to such an extreme that it was almost lifeless. I couldn't make out details on music that I was familiar with, it was almost as if there was a veil over the sound, and the bass wasn't that great either. Im thinking for 17 large, there must be something wrong with the setup. I use Dunlavys with Pass gear and the imaging is pinpoint. I can hear a vocalist take a breath. I can even hear Daina Kralls lips come apart before she starts to sing. I figured I would try and explain what I wasn't hearing to the sales rep so he could mabye change something and he looks at me and says, "Have you had your ears checked recently." I was absolutely floored. I did bite my tongue however and left quietly with a poor opinion of the salesman and the speakers. I came home and thought I might ask the fellow goners their opinion of the Revel Salons.
cmpromo

Showing 1 response by jeff_arrington

jeff_arrington
8 posts
 
I have the Salons, driven by Jeff Rowland Model 12 amps, and a Meridian 800 series front end. The cabling is Silversmith Audio. The sound is excellent in all respects. The first time I heard the Salons, the dealer had them hooked up to Levinson gear. He then switched to the Rowland electronics, and they became a much more involving speaker.

I can echo comments from some of the others: check the wiring to make sure everything was in phase; the Salons image best when toed-in toward the listening position (it is surprising the store you were at did not toe them in, given the manual's express recommendation to do so); also, check to see if the rear-firing tweeters were turned on, and if the adjustable tweeters in general were turned down.

I would recommend that you not eliminate the Salons from consideration based on this demonstration. Try listening to them again. Given the condascending attitude of the dealer, you should seek out another place that carries Revel. If you are stuck dealing with the same dealer, see if he/she will let you truck the Salons home. If not, you might try taking your preferred electronics into the store.
More to discover