Welcome to Audiophilia. We publish honest and accurate reviews of high end audio equipment and music.
All in Loudspeakers
For many years, audiophiles who had space constraints, WAF or other issues, were forced to contend with small stand mount or 'bookshelf' speakers. These speakers often were capable of good sound and usually had a superior ability to float a very good soundstage. On the other hand, one had to imagine how much bass there was in a recording since lack of it was the major sacrifice.
At the Rocky Mountain Audio Fest (RMAF) 2015 I had the pleasure of listening to the newest Alta Audio loudspeaker, the Rhea. It greatly impressed me and many other attendees. Although only the second lowest in price in their line of five models which range from the Solo at $1,500 per pair weighing in at only 15 lbs each (a single driver model) to the Statement Towers at $250,000 per pair that weigh 485 lbs each and contain 11 drivers, the Rhea were clearly something very special at only $4,500 per pair.
Devialet (pronounced: duv’-ē-a-lay) is the Parisian company that has created a Sonos-like stir in the audiophile world. Its ‘pizza box’ shaped, flagship product, the D200, is an amp, preamp, phono stage, DAC and WiFi card in one very thin, sexy chrome box. The audio press went wild over it. I heard one at length just recently and it casts a pretty spell on the music and is a top notch, one-stop shop. If that's what you’re after.
Totem Acoustic loudspeakers debuted on the high audio scene in 1987 and first gained notoriety with the wonderful and diminutive Model 1 Loudspeaker. I was very taken with its detailed and very dynamic sound, and was one of the main reasons I began to write about high end audio. It's been a pleasure to observe Totem's growth over the years into one of the few long-term success stories of our industry.
A few things have revolutionized the music business in the past decade — Apple's iTunes, mobile audio on smart phones with the headphone boom, followed this year by streaming audio. What was missing in the lifestyle mix was a quality delivery system for the home. One that worked easily, sounded great and was reasonably priced. Sure, Bose had a big lead. ‘Good’ sound for the masses but at a high price. The high price paid for the marketing, which was quite effective.
Recently, while reviewing the Sprout by PS Audio, I borrowed a pair of Alta Audio’s new small Solo speakers to match with it, and discovered that they were a remarkable fit. Since then, I continued to be very impressed with the Solos as entry-level but audiophile quality speakers. I thought a review was in order.
There was a time that I could not get enough of monitor speakers. I lived with ProAc’s very best for a few years, the Response One SC and the Tablette Signature. I truly loved both speakers and had a flirtation with Canada’s very good answer to them, the Totem Model 1s. About 15 years ago, as Audiophilia morphed into something new on the new internet, I had to make a 180 degree shift and, at the time, was none too happy about it.
Creating a one off, great speaker is difficult. Creating a range, a family of great speakers is harder still. The basics of fine speaker design has to be there, of course, but an eye and especially an ear to tune a ‘house’ sound within boxes various takes great skill.
Good things are supposed to come in threes, but sometimes, one or two of the three decide not to play nicely. This is especially true with unruly members of a ‘family’ of loudspeakers. Most speaker manufacturers, if well funded and have a good designer, will attempt to produce a line or family of speakers. The most vested among them will produce several families, at various price points. This makes good financial sense but is far more difficult than you would imagine, especially the ‘baby step’ from monitor to floor stander.
Speakers are, as my closest audiophile friends and colleagues always remind me, the most important component of any high-end audio system. But unlike, say, an interconnect cable or a DAC, or even an amplifier, speakers are not easy to slip into a New York City apartment unnoticed. More importantly, they usually come with certain serious constraints attached to them by others who live with you, such as one’s wife. Speakers are viewed like furniture: a curio cabinet, a dinner table or even a couch — they are not supposed to be (or allowed to be) visually intrusive in the general ambiance of your home.
Chario was a company hitherto unknown to me. I happened upon their speakers during the 2012 Toronto Audio Show (TAVES). They looked amazing in beautifully finished wood and artisinal cabinetry and even under show conditions, sounded quite wonderful. A review pair was requested.
Focal asks on its website whether the Grande Utopias are the best speakers in the world. It’s an almost impossible question to answer given audiophiles’ tastes, style, etc, but in other ways, it’s almost a simple question. I figured out my answer quite quickly, so resplendent are these extremely expensive monoliths from France.
I’ve been listening to JM Lab products for many years, primarily at shows and at a few Canadian dealers. They always seem to be on show. They look magnificent, feature top quality components and are in the upper echelon of high end pricing. Interestingly, they have never been among my favorites. Sure, all the models, from stand mounted monitors to the aptly titled Grande Utopia sound grand, indeed, but to my ears they miss some of the clinical nature of other similarly priced loudspeakers.
