Revel Salon2s: Seeking Advice


All,

 

There's a closeout on new Revel Salon2s locally and it's a speaker that's always intrigued me and been widely praised for characteristics I like in a speaker (detail, neutrality, punches above its weight, good midrange and bottom end). My concern is if it would be a lateral move based on my current speakers so I wanted to ask your opinions.

 

Current setup: Focal Kanta 3s, Parasound JC5, Pass Labs xp22, Denafrips T+, Lumin U1 + X1 PSU, great cabling, dedicated 20amp circuits, etc.

 

Any thoughts on if I should look into the Revels further versus what I currently have? Tangentially I have also considered trying tube pres but consider speakers as the foundation of the system and don't want to pass up this up unnecessarily. TIA!

christianb5s4

There are so many options out there.  However, I can vouch for one speaker in particular, the Revel Salon 2 speakers.  I would definitely go with the absolutely phenomenal Revel Salon 2 Speakers!!!  I can go on-and-on about their superb sound attributes.  All I can tell you is, after years and years of being hopelessly on the speaker merry-go-round, it was the Revel Salon 2 speakers that rescued me.  Now discontinued, the Salon 2s were exquisitely engineered at their conception, to the extent that they still compete extremely favorably with some of todays best speakers anywhere near, and way beyond what they retailed for, let alone what they can now be had for on the used market.  The Salon 2 s are absolutely incredible performers.  Some of the most beautiful and sweetest highs in the business, true full range bass (bass and treble are adjustable for better room placement and flexibility in smaller rooms), mids, dynamics, height, depth, air, spaciousness, listenability..........they do it all superbly.  The Revel Salon 2 Speakers are true reference caliber speakers and you just can't go wrong with them.  But, bring plenty of power to the table to drive them, and you will be greatly rewarded.  

Thank you all, very insightful and appreciate all the feedback. The deal is the place I bought the Kantas from is local and have the sale on the Salons, however they just sold their last demo pair so I wouldn't be able to hear them. They also won't accept a trade in on the Kantas for the Salons specifically, so I think that seals the lack of a deal.

@soix I've always been intrigued by the Pearls too, although I've never heard them. My next step for the system is to try a tube preamp but that's a question for a different thread of course.

 

If you find the Focals a bit too bright a tube pre should take the edge off them. I have not heard the Revels but I went for the very musical Sonus Faber speakers but if you are a fan of earth moving bass the SFs would not be for you. As has been said before tastes differ.

You gotta listen...great speakers,  but not at all universally liked...