Revel Ultima Salon2 pictures

**mep** · February 21, 2015, 02:56 PM

pacman-Looks like someone broke in and stole your stereo system and just left the speakers!

**puroagave** · February 21, 2015, 02:59 PM

priorities, Mark. it was either a stereo or furnishings, he chose stereo... duh

btw, nice speakers.

**Mike** · February 21, 2015, 03:09 PM

Pacman - your room is a perfect candidate for room treatments.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**mep** · February 21, 2015, 03:11 PM

Originally Posted by puroagave

priorities, Mark. it was either a stereo or furnishings, he chose stereo... duh

btw, nice speakers.

I don't see much stereo there which was my point and thus the comment that it looks like someone broke in and stole his stereo system and left the speakers.

**PacMan** · February 21, 2015, 10:44 PM

Originally Posted by mep

pacman-Looks like someone broke in and stole your stereo system and just left the speakers!

I do not like things like paintings etc. hanging on the walls. Room treatment products are OK, though

The pictures show only a small part of the room. A three seater sofa + 2 single sofa chairs + more chairs are in the not-shown part of the room. The other part has higher WAF.
The amplifier is an integrated amplifier. On my "PC table" is a Benchmark DAC1 and a Sennheiser HD800. As this is a "Revel Ultima Salon2 pictures" thread, it feels natural to focus on the speakers.

**PacMan** · February 21, 2015, 10:46 PM

Originally Posted by Mike

Pacman - your room is a perfect candidate for room treatments.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

That may be true, and I guess most rooms are perfect candidates for room treatments.
The room's acoustics will be measured and several room treatment products will be bought.

**PacMan** · February 21, 2015, 11:02 PM

Originally Posted by puroagave

btw, nice speakers.

Thanks, Rob!

**Bodhi** · February 21, 2015, 11:13 PM

Originally Posted by joeinid

Hi David,

I've lived with Studio2's which are great (especially with ART monos). A couple of friends have Salon2's, which are awesome (they've used Ayre and the Hegel H30). I briefly heard the S1, S5 and S3 in different demos. They are world class but can cost well above the Salon2's.

Honestly, I think the S5's have better/more bass than the Salon2's. The S5's display a higher level of resolution and clarity. The S5's also have a better - more balanced midrange, as the Salon2 midrange can seem slightly recessed, especially with certain amps (but it's not a deal breaker) . However, the Salon2 tweeter is world class and smoother to me. That being said, there is still a $10K - $15K difference in pricing which also much be taken into account. The Salon2's, with the right amps, fight way above their class and can easily satisfy one's audiophile needs. I'd take S3's, for my room, in a heartbeat. I'd also take Salon2's in a heartbeat with the gear that I already have and never have to look back.

Thanks for your reply Joe

The Salon 2 by all accounts sounds like a terrific speaker with an outstanding tweeter. These are very different speakers; 3 way/4 driver vs 4 way/6 driver, carbon nano-tec vs titanium, aluminium vs wood cabinet, sealed vs ported, single wired vs biwired. Yet their are similarities; both are dynamic speakers and both use aluminium bass drivers & beryllium tweeters. Harman of course bought out Infinity from Arnie Nudel, John Ulrich and Carie Christie and basically used their reference speakers from the mid-late 90's and 30+ years of research to develop their Revel line of speakers. In fact, there used to be a photo on the net showing Revel voicing their Ultima GEMS with a pair of Infinity IRS Omega's, however that photo has mysteriously disappeared. So you could view the Revel speakers as an evolution of the classic Infinity's, albeit without the iconic planar magnetic drivers which ostensibly left with Arnie.

Your comments about the S5's bass resonate with my own experience. I've found that ported bass drivers can sound a bit bloated and less tight/accurate compared to my current sealed box design. I found that to be the case to greater and lesser degrees with my previous Marten Coltranes and the Wilson Alexia's which i've heard on a couple of occasions. I suspect Harman's use of multiple smaller bass drivers was an attempt to address that issue. The S5's bass is solid, tight, accurate and has excellent inner details and layering. Overall it is a very well balanced and coherent sounding speaker with excellent resolution.

Interesting feedback about the two beryllium tweeters also

. I recently upgraded my previous Oyaide R1 wpo which can sound a tad bright in the top end to a Furutech GTX-D (G) wpo which should provide a more organic sound and smoother top end, together with a lowered noise floor and more solid, fleshed out images compared to the GTX-D (R).

I have heard the S5's sound average and lacking an emotional connection paired with the wrong amps and front end, yet extremely pure and mellifluous sounding paired with Vitus and Soulution. And by all accounts S5 sounds marvellous with the CJ Art and Gat amps. Magico is more of a reference speaker and demands much of your upstream equipment and cables. You can't skimp on upstream gear or get the synergy wrong, or the S5's will let you know. They are very honest, but not brutally so like the Q series. But if you're prepared to invest the required funds in your upstream gear, then the S5's can be tremendously rewarding speakers.

**Bodhi** · February 21, 2015, 11:49 PM

Originally Posted by MDP

That's a very fair comparison Joe.

David, I know you didn't ask me,but I hope you don't mind me putting my 2 cents in. The S5 is probably a better overall speaker when it comes to reproducing sound. What I mean by that is that it does all the audiophile stuff better than the Salon 2. I really like the S5, a lot !

What the S5 didn't do, and I'm only speaking for myself so please don't take this as a criticism, is give me the emotional connection to the music as well as the Salons do. The Revel tweeter as Joe pointed out is one of the best in the world. And the speaker has an excellent overall balance, with a seamless integration of the drivers.

At this level, it comes down to very personal choices. The S5 truly is a world class speaker, as is the Salon.

I love Apples, you love Oranges. Everybody wins !

Thanks for chiming in Mark. As I eluded to in my previous post, the S5's being such a linear and resolving speaker demand much of your upstream equipment. You need to invest in the right gear for synergy, and the S5's have expensive taste. The best amps for synergy with S5 thus far have been Vitus Signature Series, Soulution's new 7 series, Absolare & CJ Art/Gat. Pass .8 series also gets an honourable mention. The S5's also require cables which are up to the task such as Siltech Royal Signature Series, Jorma Prime or Kubala Sosna Elation. Given the right amps, front end, cables and ac treatment, the S5's are capable of intimacy and an emotional connection to the music. In fact I would argue their resolution, inner detail and excellent midrange offer greater insight into female voice, in particular intimate jazz recordings.

It's all a matter of taste as you said, though I don't know if i'd describe the comparison as apples vs oranges? For sure these speakers are very different, but it's not like comparing tubes to solid state for example. Both are dynamic speakers, and both use aluminium bass drivers and beryllium tweeters. Nor is it a matter of win or lose as there are no losers here. What we can agree on is both speakers will not disappoint within their own market segments

.

**p59teitel** · February 24, 2015, 11:46 PM

Hi David (et al.) -

Good post re: comparison between the S5 and Salon 2. Just one correction: all Salon 2 drivers save the beryllium tweeter are titanium.

**joeinid** · February 25, 2015, 01:41 AM

Welcome to the forum p59teitel ! Thank you for joining. Great photos. Love your signature.

**Bodhi** · February 25, 2015, 02:51 AM

Originally Posted by p59teitel

Hi David (et al.) -

Good post re: comparison between the S5 and Salon 2. Just one correction: all Salon 2 drivers save the beryllium tweeter are titanium.

Cheers P59. Just fyi, I described the Salon 2 as having aluminium bass drivers based on the Stereophile review, however I see they've since switched to titanium bass drivers. I think my general point contrasting apples vs oranges remains valid however.

Bodhi

**PacMan** · February 25, 2015, 12:17 PM

Welcome, Peter !
Excellent choice of speakers !
The Salon2's are the real deal !

**joeinid** · February 25, 2015, 06:30 PM

Originally Posted by PacMan

Welcome, Peter !
Excellent choice of speakers !
The Salon2's are the real deal !

Now aren't you glad you listened to me? Ha! I could easily live with a pair.

**PacMan** · February 26, 2015, 07:08 PM

Originally Posted by joeinid

I could easily live with a pair.

**New guy** · March 2, 2015, 01:54 AM

Here's a few pictures of my system with Revel Salon 2. BA6A5824.JPG BA6A5827.JPG BA6A5833.JPG BA6A5834.JPG BA6A5848.JPG BA6A5853.JPG REF 5SE.jpg screen up.jpg screen down.jpg

Speakers - Revel Salon2, Voice 2, 2 pairs of Embrace for rear and side, Revel B15 and Sub30.
Amps for HT- Krell Evolution 403E, 2 S275 for sides asn rears.
Amps for 2 channel music - Audio Research REF250 mono blocks
Preamp - ARC REF 5SE
Sources - Esoteric K03, ARC CD9
Computer playback - Apple Mac Mini with Berkeley USB converter
HT processor - Krell S1200
power cords and condition: Shunyata Triton, Zitron Anaconda and Python
Interconnects and speaker cables: Audioquest WEL, Wild, Everest, Diamond USB

Rich

**Ritmo** · March 2, 2015, 07:24 AM

Very nice Rich!

**joeinid** · March 2, 2015, 08:23 AM

Absolutely beautiful setup Rich. I love it.

**Mike** · March 2, 2015, 08:29 AM

Rich, very nice!!

REF250's on Salon 2's must be amazing.

**MDP** · March 2, 2015, 08:36 AM

ARC REF 250's

**Dpod4** · March 2, 2015, 12:28 PM

Awesome how the drivers of the revels tie in with the silver on the Arc 250s. And super cool how you have diffuser panel on tv screen

**MDP** · March 2, 2015, 01:09 PM

Beautiful system Rich !

**p59teitel** · March 2, 2015, 01:54 PM

Looks great! So what time should we be there for Movie Night?

**MDP** · March 2, 2015, 04:47 PM

Hey Pete, how would you describe the sound of the Symphonic Line gear with the Salons ?

What have you compared it to ?

Thanks !

**PacMan** · March 2, 2015, 06:56 PM

Thanks for post photos of your great Revel speakers, Rich.

**p59teitel** · March 3, 2015, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by MDP

Hey Pete, how would you describe the sound of the Symphonic Line gear with the Salons ?

What have you compared it to ?

Thanks !

Mark, the Symphonic Line gear is a great match with the Revels. I'll go through it piece by piece.

The monos are slightly warm, fast and super-dynamic. The top is sweet although not rolled off, and the bass has weight, body and texture. The manufacturer seems to disdain specs or at least doesn't worry about providing them, but a less powerful model is said to provide 120A of peak current, so it would seem they are comparable to other heavy hitters like Soulution and Gryphon in that department. Using an iPhone sound meter app to measure, I've driven the Revels to 118dB peaks at my listening seat with them before audible clipping starts (not something I do every day!).

The tube pre adds an additional touch of warmth and richness of texture, and gives a deep and tall soundstage that extends past the speakers. Players and singers are properly sized within those spaces. It is the oldest piece in the system, originally made in 1999 but stripped down to the circuit boards and rebuilt to then-current standards in 2011. To give you an idea of how important it is in the overall system sound, a year ago I put in a bad tube and cooked some stuff on the power supply board, and was without it for a month. I used the Plinius M8 pre-amp that I'd kept...and I couldn't wait for the SL pre-amp to come back. Choice of tubes can make a sizable difference in sound; the Telefunken E88CCs I'm currently using are detailed, extended and really get the imaging thing down pat, while the Mullard CV2492s give that rich Mullard midrange. The stock EH 6922 tubes it comes with don't come close to doing it justice; they are detailed and have some drive but don't give the holographic imaging and sweetness that better tubes do.

The CDP is still in that awkward teenage stage. So far it is extracting quite a bit more detail and more powerful bass from CDs than the Ayre player does. The decays are impressive, to say the least, and it carries the system dynamics even further. It also brings vocals a little more forward than the Ayre does; this would address what some say is a perceived weakness in the Salons (it's never bothered me). The power supplies are massive for a CDP, and I'm waiting for them to break in and for a wee bit of upper-mid stridency to continue to go diminish, but I can already proclaim it a winner.

In terms of comparisons, only other amp I've used on the Revels was a Plinius SB-301. That amp brought the bass in spades and was pretty dynamic too. It was a bit rolled off compared to the Symphonic Line sound, but I have to admit it sounded great when I replaced its stablemate Plinius pre-amp with the SL pre-amp, and I could have easily lived with it for a very long time if the opportunity to get the SL monos for a bargain price had not come up. The SL amps better it in soundstaging, detail, and depth - as they should for amps that go for three times as much.

I've also heard the Salons with a Mark Levinson 532, in a very damped audio store room (my listening environment is the antithesis of damped, LOL). That amp was nice and very sweet on acoustic music and small jazz combos, but I thought it too polite and lacking speed and dynamics for rock or more complex classical.

**joeinid** · March 3, 2015, 10:36 AM

Wow! What a great description Pete. Thank you so much.

**Mike** · March 3, 2015, 10:39 AM

Pete - nice write up! Symphonic amps are Class A I believe - exactly what the Salon 2's need! Body and warmth and a little help in the mids.

**MDP** · March 3, 2015, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by p59teitel

Mark, the Symphonic Line gear is a great match with the Revels. I'll go through it piece by piece.

The monos are slightly warm, fast and super-dynamic. The top is sweet although not rolled off, and the bass has weight, body and texture. The manufacturer seems to disdain specs or at least doesn't worry about providing them, but a less powerful model is said to provide 120A of peak current, so it would seem they are comparable to other heavy hitters like Soulution and Gryphon in that department. Using an iPhone sound meter app to measure, I've driven the Revels to 118dB peaks at my listening seat with them before audible clipping starts (not something I do every day!).

The tube pre adds an additional touch of warmth and richness of texture, and gives a deep and tall soundstage that extends past the speakers. Players and singers are properly sized within those spaces. It is the oldest piece in the system, originally made in 1999 but stripped down to the circuit boards and rebuilt to then-current standards in 2011. To give you an idea of how important it is in the overall system sound, a year ago I put in a bad tube and cooked some stuff on the power supply board, and was without it for a month. I used the Plinius M8 pre-amp that I'd kept...and I couldn't wait for the SL pre-amp to come back. Choice of tubes can make a sizable difference in sound; the Telefunken E88CCs I'm currently using are detailed, extended and really get the imaging thing down pat, while the Mullard CV2492s give that rich Mullard midrange. The stock EH 6922 tubes it comes with don't come close to doing it justice; they are detailed and have some drive but don't give the holographic imaging and sweetness that better tubes do.

The CDP is still in that awkward teenage stage. So far it is extracting quite a bit more detail and more powerful bass from CDs than the Ayre player does. The decays are impressive, to say the least, and it carries the system dynamics even further. It also brings vocals a little more forward than the Ayre does; this would address what some say is a perceived weakness in the Salons (it's never bothered me). The power supplies are massive for a CDP, and I'm waiting for them to break in and for a wee bit of upper-mid stridency to continue to go diminish, but I can already proclaim it a winner.

In terms of comparisons, only other amp I've used on the Revels was a Plinius SB-301. That amp brought the bass in spades and was pretty dynamic too. It was a bit rolled off compared to the Symphonic Line sound, but I have to admit it sounded great when I replaced its stablemate Plinius pre-amp with the SL pre-amp, and I could have easily lived with it for a very long time if the opportunity to get the SL monos for a bargain price had not come up. The SL amps better it in soundstaging, detail, and depth - as they should for amps that go for three times as much.

I've also heard the Salons with a Mark Levinson 532, in a very damped audio store room (my listening environment is the antithesis of damped, LOL). That amp was nice and very sweet on acoustic music and small jazz combos, but I thought it too polite and lacking speed and dynamics for rock or more complex classical.

Thanks Pete, I sure wish I could hear your combo. I've always wanted to hear a great tube amp on the Salons. Mike had ARC REF 250's on his Studios at one time, and he still talks about how great it was.
The Hegel H30 does some similar things as your SL amp, it brings the vocals a little bit more forward in the soundstage, which I really like. It also does a 3D soundstage that's to die for.

**p59teitel** · March 3, 2015, 12:12 PM

Thanks, guys. Mike, you're exactly right about what is needed from accompanying gear. I don't always buy into the current market-speak excuse-making mechanism that tells us Speaker X only drilled those holes into your eardrums at the show because it wasn't partnered with Brand Y components...but as a general rule, some lushness is good for these fellas.

Finding that lushness can get pricey, but the Salon 2s are worthy of the investment. They provide a great skeleton and it's up to you to put the meat on the bones, so to speak.

**Mike** · March 3, 2015, 12:37 PM

Pete - you've nailed it with the "meat on the bones". I would guess, although never heard, that a pair of Pass XA160.8's (also class A) would be superb as well. But I must say, my REF250's were incredible on my Revels.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

**p59teitel** · March 3, 2015, 12:53 PM

Originally Posted by MDP

Thanks Pete, I sure wish I could hear your combo. I've always wanted to hear a great tube amp on the Salons. Mike had ARC REF 250's on his Studios at one time, and he still talks about how great it was.
The Hegel H30 does some similar things as your SL amp, it brings the vocals a little bit more forward in the soundstage, which I really like. It also does a 3D soundstage that's to die for.

Like the SL amps, your Hegel has substantial power supplies. Exactly what the doctor ordered for big, not so efficient speakers like ours. Makes all the difference in the final sound, from deep impactful bass to layered harmonies to soundstaging.

Harley's TAS review of the H30 where he says they aren't quite as detailed as Spectral is even more of an endorsement of it than I think he intended, or at least that's how I'm choosing to take it, LOL.

**MDP** · March 3, 2015, 01:28 PM

Originally Posted by p59teitel

Like the SL amps, your Hegel has substantial power supplies. Exactly what the doctor ordered for big, not so efficient speakers like ours. Makes all the difference in the final sound, from deep impactful bass to layered harmonies to soundstaging.

Harley's TAS review of the H30 where he says they aren't quite as detailed as Spectral is even more of an endorsement of it than I think he intended, or at least that's how I'm choosing to take it, LOL.

I agree with that !
Lol

**MDP** · March 6, 2015, 01:57 PM

Originally Posted by New guy

Here's a few pictures of my system with Revel Salon 2. BA6A5824.JPG BA6A5827.JPG BA6A5833.JPG BA6A5834.JPG BA6A5848.JPG BA6A5853.JPG REF 5SE.jpg screen up.jpg screen down.jpg

Speakers - Revel Salon2, Voice 2, 2 pairs of Embrace for rear and side, Revel B15 and Sub30.
Amps for HT- Krell Evolution 403E, 2 S275 for sides asn rears.
Amps for 2 channel music - Audio Research REF250 mono blocks
Preamp - ARC REF 5SE
Sources - Esoteric K03, ARC CD9
Computer playback - Apple Mac Mini with Berkeley USB converter
HT processor - Krell S1200
power cords and condition: Shunyata Triton, Zitron Anaconda and Python
Interconnects and speaker cables: Audioquest WEL, Wild, Everest, Diamond USB

Rich

Rich, please tell me how the REF250's sound with the Salons. What other amps have you heard them with for comparison ?

**New guy** · March 9, 2015, 01:32 AM

Mark,

I really didn't do much comparison prior to buying the Ref250s. In fact,I bought them without seeing and hearing them. The REF 250 and REF5se were my first foray into tubes. I have always had solid state equipment. I am an engineer and tubes never really made much sense to me- old technology with short life span, but once I heard the REF5se it was a new revelation. I ordered the REF250 the following week.

In the last year or so, I got back into photography and have been spending less time on audio. The amps only have 800 hours after three years. I am listening the REF250s tonight and almost forgotten how great the REF 250s sound with the Salon 2s. The vocals are so smooth with deep 3D soundstage. It just pulls you into the music and you are just more emotionally involved. The Ref250s drives the Salon2s without breaking a sweat and it handles low bass notes very well. Maybe not as deep as some solid states such as Krell, but the the highs and mids are more natural.

I just read that ARC is coming out with the SE upgrade for the REF250. I may consider it if the improvements are significant, but it's pretty steep at $9k.

Rich

**PacMan** · March 10, 2015, 06:54 PM

**Alpinist** · March 10, 2015, 07:06 PM

Nice aerial view! How do you like the Voice 2 center channel speaker? Surround sound doesn't get any better than with Revel's Ultima 2 line.

Ken

**Ritmo** · March 10, 2015, 09:39 PM

Your four legged friend has the best seat in the house...looking great!

**PacMan** · March 11, 2015, 12:10 PM

Originally Posted by Alpinist

Nice aerial view! How do you like the Voice 2 center channel speaker? Surround sound doesn't get any better than with Revel's Ultima 2 line.

Ken

Unfortunately, the picture is just one which I found on the internet.

**PacMan** · March 12, 2015, 06:43 PM

Video: A mastering engineer's perspective of the Revel Ultima2 Series loudspeakers.

**Alpinist** · March 12, 2015, 11:12 PM

Originally Posted by PacMan

Video: A mastering engineer's perspective of the Revel Ultima2 Series loudspeakers.

I remember seeing this video when I was shopping for the Salon 2. The Salon 2 is a terrific speaker for audio mastering because it has such a neutral frequency response. I think it was one of the flattest that JA ever measured. This is one of those situations where empirical measurement totally supports what you are hearing.

Ken

**PacMan** · March 14, 2015, 02:44 PM

**PacMan** · March 15, 2015, 05:45 PM

and another photo found on internet...

**MacFly** · March 15, 2015, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by PacMan

My Home Theater in the Future

**PacMan** · March 16, 2015, 06:20 PM

**PacMan** · March 18, 2015, 04:30 PM

**PacMan** · March 19, 2015, 06:50 PM

**MDP** · March 19, 2015, 07:26 PM

Nice pics

**PacMan** · March 22, 2015, 10:05 AM

**PacMan** · March 24, 2015, 04:45 PM

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