YG Acoustics Hailey 1.2

Good post P59teitel! Agreed you can't really go wrong with either speaker. There is no doubt the Salon 2's are very good, though just to clarify, the mid-bass issue Doug referred to was later solved when he adjusted the S5's speaker positioning. Fyi here is what he said -

the S5’s upper bass, while more prominent than the V2’s, was still a touch subdued. The tightness and impact in that region were there, just down a touch in level. As a result, the S5’s bass was never overpowering. However, there were times when I did want the greater upper-bass heft that I’m used to, which adds weight and grandeur. I compensated as I had with Tannoy’s DC10As ($16,500/pair), which I’ve just reviewed, and which exhibited a similar quality: I pushed the S5s closer to the front wall, to get a little more boundary reinforcement for the low end. Everything fell into place and, from top to bottom, the S5s sounded nothing short of spectacular.

So it was no surprise that coupling the S5’s inherent tightness and control in the low end with proper setup resulted in bass drums sounding punchy, tight, and supercontrolled, even when I strapped the big amps to the speakers and put the volume levels way, way up -- they stayed startlingly clean

Audiobrian: DYSAF: just go listen to a set of YG Carmel's. There is something magical about 2 way designs done correctly. (All the old warhorses on this post know this!). After 3 years of living with this speaker it is still the best speaker I have heard in a typical home-room environment. Incredible dynamics, transparency, and musical accuracy! Throw some current into them, they finish notes that will leave you shaking your head with disbelief from what you have heard I the past! Overpriced???--- only the naysayers will tell you this-Go listen!

Thanks to all respondents for your insightful input!
I will listen to the YG Carmel's as well as the Haileys. Some feel the Carmels are YGs best price performance speaker and give away only some low end extension to their larger family members, especially in smaller to moderate listening rooms.

Mel, computer modelled face for the S5? It looks like the computer was not educated to the incredible negative effects of a 'basic rectangular' plate for driver placement. I've recently heard the crossover must be designed with the face in mind. How much complexity to work with the reflections? Would a technically appropriate sculpted face allow simplification of the crossover and even better sound? Anyway, the Wharfedale 3 way's I built myself about 1972 looked much the same-a rectangle on end. Kind of makes me wonder if the guys at REVEL have a little more depth of knowledge of speaker and acoustics. And of course the JBL DD6700's just take it to a completely different level again.

Ptss, yes Magico used COMSOL computer modelling to assist in designing the S5's. The front facia is made from a solid billet of 1/2" thick CNC-machined pure T6061 aluminium which provides a very solid platform for the drivers to work in perfect piston motion as they were designed. Regarding Magico's design philosophy for the S5, Alon's aim was to approach the Q series resolution, dynamics and linearity, whilst tuning the S5's for a warmer, slightly more laid back presentation than Q3, though at a more affordable price point.

It is possible to successfully employ a wide, flat front baffle using rounded front edges and a tapered cabinet design. Infinity designed my previous Renaissance 90's in a similar way & they achieved excellent sound staging and off-axis performance! And the S5's cabinet is designed in a similar way.

I take your point about the complexity of a traditional 4th order crossover required for such a design, however the crossover used in the S5 is not a 'conventional' design. Magico use their 'Elliptical Symmetry Crossover' technology which enables them to deliver (as Martin Colloms put it) "flat pass-band responses with superior and symmetrical phase summation, and faster out-of-band roll-offs using modified 'elliptical’ filters". The beauty of this design is it allows these desirable performance parameters to be achieved with half the number of parts used in a traditional crossover.