Video: World’s Best High-End Speakers 2021

Re: Video: World’s Best High-End Speakers 2021

I’m confused. Are you buying these $180,000 speakers for yourself? Are you running a store and buying inventory? Just trying to understand the model.


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Hi Mike, I am buying the standard “Roma” model, not the bespoke “Roma Triode.” I am also buying the Pilium pre and power amp, as well as a pair of Alsyvox “Boticcelli X”, and Bayz “Courante 2.0.”

The model is anyone who comes to listen to any of these and decides they’d like to own them, that person will deal with Rhapsody in NYC. I will earn a small commission. I know many folks in the industry have “appointment only” auditions in their homes or small shops, but they are typically acting as dealers negotiating terms with vendors, stocking levels, etc. I will be doing none of that, just owning the kit I have described. I have regularly hosted listening sessions for local audio buddies and the Portland Audio Club, this seemed a natural extension of that. None of these brands are available out west, and folks here are less likely to fly to Manhattan, but might come to Portland. Pinot Noir lovers came come to Willamette Valley wine country and stop by for an audition [insert wine and music emoji].

I was jonesing for a speaker upgrade, wanting to hear Diesis in my own room. The Alsyvox were also on my short list, as well as Alexx V, and M6. I would have wanted to hear AG too, they caught my attention at RMAF, and they’re damn cool to look at.

It gives me a chance to live with several amazing speakers and learn what works in my room, pros and cons, and maybe earn a little $$ to offset my purchases. My wife figured maybe it would be a way to cap the outgo, which hasn’t seemed to diminish year after year!
 
A sort of “press release” of the business model was posted on Mono & Stereo…

Rhapsody.Audio- Listening Rooms (RLRs)

Rhapsody.Audio would like to announce that within the next 2-3months there will be multiple new locations where several of the product lines that Rhapsody.Audio represents will be available to audition via Rhapsody.Audio Listening Rooms (RLRs).

Initially, the RLR’s will have the products available for demonstration mentioned below. Upon opening, the DFW RLR will have a very similar product offering as that available at Rhapsody.Audio in Manhattan.

Over time, all locations will be expanding their portfolio to a comparable scale as that of NYC/DFW.

The RLRs will be available to host auditions by appointment. All product ordering and delivery logistics will be processed and supported from the Rhapsody.Audio NYC location.

Product assistance and installation will be supported by Rhapsody.Audio NYC along with the RLRs depending on customer location.

The RLR locations are:

Portland - Rhapsody.Audio RLR

Products available to audition (coming soon)

-Pilium Alexander, Achilles

-Alsyvox Botticelli X

-Diesis Roma Special Edition

-Bayz Audio Courante


Dallas/Fort Worth Rhapsody.Audio RLR

Products available to audition:

-Magico M9

-Alsyvox Botticelli

-Diesis Roma Triode

-Bayz Audio Courante

-Pilium Elektra, Alexander, Leonidas, Achilles

-VYGER Atlantis

-Kondo Ginga, G1000, GE-10, Kaguras, Gakuoh

-Taiko Audio Extreme

-VYDA

West Palm Beach & Miami (2 Florida locations) Rhapsody.Audio RLRs

West Palm Beach will open initially. Miami will follow when the RLR is ready to host customers.

Products available to audition (initially):

-Alsyvox

-Pilium

-Aurender

-TelluriumQ

Chicago, IL Rhapsody.Audio RLR

Products available to audition (initially):

-Alsyvox

-Pilium

-Aurender

-TelluriumQ

Long Island, NY Rhapsody.Audio RLR

-Kondo

-Alsyvox
 
Very good Bob. No Magico’s? Mostly distributor models you’re getting? I guess that makes sense from a dollars and cents perspective.

Hope you enjoy your new speakers. Where you going to put them all?? [emoji6]

It will be interesting to get your perspective in a year from now on this model. I think you will find, there is a real hesitancy of serious potential customers to go into someone’s home. I speak from experience!! Also, the first time some weird guy shows up at your home and is walking around in your home with your wife looking on, you may be rethinking things. Again, I speak from experience. Just be careful.


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Very good Bob. No Magico’s? Mostly distributor models you’re getting? I guess that makes sense from a dollars and cents perspective.

Hope you enjoy your new speakers. Where you going to put them all?? [emoji6]

It will be interesting to get your perspective in a year from now on this model. I think you will find, there is a real hesitancy of serious potential customers to go into someone’s home. I speak from experience!! Also, the first time some weird guy shows up at your home and is walking around in your home with your wife looking on, you may be rethinking things. Again, I speak from experience. Just be careful.


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Thank you Mike. I appreciate the good will and notes of caution. Maybe the wine cellar will act as a lure? (That can be good and bad.)

And for sure, if I’m not re-evaluating it in a year, the Minister of Finance (wife) will be.

Re: Magico… there is a dealer in Portland, but I’m told if I want to bring someone to Magico facilities who wants to hear M9 is OK.
 
Thank you Mike. I appreciate the good will and notes of caution. Maybe the wine cellar will act as a lure? (That can be good and bad.)

And for sure, if I’m not re-evaluating it in a year, the Minister of Finance (wife) will be.

Re: Magico… there is a dealer in Portland, but I’m told if I want to bring someone to Magico facilities who wants to hear M9 is OK.

Yes! They may get lost in that wine cellar. Regardless, it will be good experience for you. No doubt you’ll learn a few things.

When I retire, I’m going to write a book! I have so many hilarious stories. Here’s a quick one:

I get a call from a gentleman in Alabama. He says in a thick southern drawl, “I’m calling about the V-P-I Avenger Reference turntable.”

Yes, how can I help you?

“How much is it?”

At this point, I hear his wife yelling in the background “tell him we want the good one, tell him we want the good one!”

I said, $20,000

“Wooooooo boy!! Just to play some old records?”

Well, I wouldn’t play old records on this table.

“Well, what records would you play?”

New ones!


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yup, to mee too, clients at home is no go
...and wouldnt visit any home demo

I respect that. My wife and I entertain somewhat frequently, she’s an executive with a major bank, and we do some catered charity events here, so having folks in the house isn’t terrible strange to us. My caution antennae are usually on high, but no doubt audiophiles can be, shall we say, a little ‘odd’. God knows its probably been said about me!

I am fortunate to have a very nice acoustically engineered room that doesn’t look like it, so at least I can be confident to be sharing the speakers in a good light. And I know panel lovers who had a thing for Apogee will want to hear Alsyvox, SET lovers will want to hear the Diesis, and curious audiophiles will want to hear Bayz. I have three auditions pending delivery of all my new kit, one fellow from the Philippines has Kondo gear, and a home in Vancouver BC. He’s very eager to hear the Diesis Roma. (I’m just outside Portland.)

Of course, the Pilium electronics will attract folks too. I’d say how great it sounds but having only heard it @ Magico driving the M9s I’d be premature other than to say M9s with the Pilium sounded, in my opinion, better than my Wilson WAMM / Dagostino audition (but that was not in a very good room compared to the Magico showroom.)
 
Yes! They may get lost in that wine cellar. Regardless, it will be good experience for you. No doubt you’ll learn a few things.

When I retire, I’m going to write a book! I have so many hilarious stories. Here’s a quick one:

I get a call from a gentleman in Alabama. He says in a thick southern drawl, “I’m calling about the V-P-I Avenger Reference turntable.”

Yes, how can I help you?

“How much is it?”

At this point, I hear his wife yelling in the background “tell him we want the good one, tell him we want the good one!”

I said, $20,000

“Wooooooo boy!! Just to play some old records?”

Well, I wouldn’t play old records on this table.

“Well, what records would you play?”

New ones!


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:lol:Context, context, context ...
When a true southerner says "old", it's pronounced "ol'" and it probably has nothing to do with age -- it's more of a dismissive qualifier.

"Just to play some ol' records?" = "Just to play some measly records?"
 
:lol:Context, context, context ...
When a true southerner says "old", it's pronounced "ol'" and it probably has nothing to do with age -- it's more of a dismissive qualifier.

"Just to play some ol' records?" = "Just to play some measly records?"

That was it!


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I saw the Klippel device at the Magico factory. To my knowledge Magico is the only company that has invested the $300,000+ for this instrument. I have not seen anyone, even Magico, publishing the results of testing with the Klippel. And there is not, to my knowledge, any company offering to perform Klippel testing on audio speakers. Time will tell if this becomes a mainstream design tool.

One of my top choices along with Vivid Giya when I made my last speaker purchase a few years back. The sevens are amazing IMO.

See Why Pistonic Driver Cones Matter - YouTube
 
If you hear Merrill Audio you'll think differently about Class D... ;-)

Great amps, particularly the 118s I believe is their current top offering.

Add Legacy i.V2 (Ultra) or i.V4 Ultra amps.....

<== this old "big, heavy, expensive, Class A, Class A/B amps in my setup or nothing at all, and digital amps suck...." bigot
and old tube lover definitely had his realities shifted in the last year or so on this topic (meaning 'me')
 
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