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Jimmy C
05-08-2007, 03:49 PM
...er... no, not two babies (thank God!) but a pair of Jean-Marie Reynaud Twins Signature from Bob Neill @ Amherstaudio.com

I was using a pair of Revel M20s, and they are a quality speaker. BUT - these Twins have came in at $900 under the Revels and quite frankly, more musically "correct". What does that mean? I'm not sure either, but...

I can remember, as a young one, trips to my grandmother's house in upstate N.Y. It was my Mom's German mom, they had a few bucks, house always neat as a pin. Sure, we got a kiss when we arrived, but not too much conversation. Everyone was very proper, but there was never any fun. Sometimes, we would have to cut the trip short and leave because my mom was crying. To this day, I'm still not sure what was wrong... poor Gramps! Ya know what? Mother's Day is coming up and I'm gonna ask... :^)

On the other hand, there was my Dad's mom in Plattsburgh... an Italian. They didn't have too much money, but when we arrived I got a big, fat, sloppy kiss. I can actually still remember the noise and feel her kiss made, over 30 years later... strange. Of course there was the smell of garlic, and whatever flesh was cooking that night. She always made everyone feel at home, feed you 'till yer full. Actually funny... her house was always warm, while Grandma's in Kinderhook (Martin Van Buren's birthplace!) always cold...

Oh, yeah... back to the J.M.R.s... very affordable and I can't see anyone NOT liking them. they are "alive" and it seems to me that the bass was not forgotten. They are revealing, slightly warm, and a lotta fun. This with only 23 hrs. or so on them.

Jimmy likes...

spf
05-09-2007, 04:25 AM
Congrats Jimmy!

One quick question, which bookshelf, do you find, has the greater low end extension in your opinion? I may be looking for a 2 channel setup (These two were on the short list ... well the Revel Performa M22s anyways) and I'm wondering if I can get away from using a sub with bookshelves...Thanks

Shane

Jimmy C
05-09-2007, 12:17 PM
Congrats Jimmy!

One quick question, which bookshelf, do you find, has the greater low end extension in your opinion? I may be looking for a 2 channel setup (These two were on the short list ... well the Revel Performa M22s anyways) and I'm wondering if I can get away from using a sub with bookshelves...Thanks

Shane

...dig slightly deeper, but somehow they don't feel as full or satisfying. They are from the "cool camp", while the Twins are warmer.

For eg., I was listening to Tori Amos' "Under the Pink", a great CD. With the Revels, there were some spots I felt were recorded too hot. Not terrible, but grrr, gotta turn it down a bit. Last night I had an absolutely amazing listening session with that CD - light off, and I was in heaven. Didn't have to run for the volume knob.

There are some great piano pieces on that disc, and to be fair, the M20s did an "OK" job with that instrument... it IS recorded well. But, the JMRs take it to another level. There isn't any info missing, as a matter of fact, probably more resolving than the Revel, just not as brightly lit. Dunno...

I wanted to get familiar with what the Reynauds did on their own, but yeah, I have a REL Strata. Just hooked it up yesterday. All the Twins need is a slight bit of LF reinforcement to come up from below and meet the mains. I think I have it set at 46 cycles, and only a little bit of volume. Like I said, I feel the M20s are capable of better absolute LF extension, but for whatever reason the JMRs don't need as much help from the sub. Sa'll good.

Now I'm curious about the "Magic Stands" which I realized act like a Helmholz (sp?) resonator.

The Twins are definitely not a "hairshirt" product, as Harvey Rosenburg (sp?) used to say...

bobsticks
05-09-2007, 12:44 PM
Hey Jimmy C,

I have not heard the JM Reynaud's but have heard from more than one source that they are outstanding. Congrats. It didn't take me long to figure out that I was nuch happier with the "warm side of neutral" on equipment...anything to make the listening experience more pleasurable. Sounds like you're well on your way, so have fun.

Cheers

Jimmy C
05-09-2007, 01:32 PM
Hey Jimmy C,

I have not heard the JM Reynaud's but have heard from more than one source that they are outstanding. Congrats. It didn't take me long to figure out that I was nuch happier with the "warm side of neutral" on equipment...anything to make the listening experience more pleasurable. Sounds like you're well on your way, so have fun.

Cheers

...seems like I can have my cake AND eat it too! Not agressive at all, but very open and resolving.

"On my way"? Hell, I might be DONE! Alright, maybe not :*)

For a small/med (15x17) livingroom I'm pretty happy... like you say - "have fun". That's where we're at.

pkats
05-09-2007, 03:33 PM
From reading reviews and whatnot I was very interested in the JMR's (still am for my second system) but the nearest place to audition was in michigan about 4 hrs away. I almost took a road trip but instead bought VA Bach Grands which I have read are compared favorably to JMR's in general as far as sonic signature - smooth, detailed, and very emotive. I am very happy with my VA's but your post just intensifies my interest to hear JMR's. I wish someone sold them in the Chicago area! Hell, who knows, I might just have to take a road trip anyway when work calms down. Pick some peaches, sample some wine and some JMR's.

Congrats again!

Jimmy C
05-10-2007, 04:04 PM
From reading reviews and whatnot I was very interested in the JMR's (still am for my second system) but the nearest place to audition was in michigan about 4 hrs away. I almost took a road trip but instead bought VA Bach Grands which I have read are compared favorably to JMR's in general as far as sonic signature - smooth, detailed, and very emotive. I am very happy with my VA's but your post just intensifies my interest to hear JMR's. I wish someone sold them in the Chicago area! Hell, who knows, I might just have to take a road trip anyway when work calms down. Pick some peaches, sample some wine and some JMR's.

Congrats again!

...'79 or so. Naperville, to be exact. Family friends moved there (for Fermi Lab).

Yes, the Vienna line is very smooth - I think you would find the Twins more energetic, not quite so reserved and polite as say, the Hadyn (same pricing tier). Never heard the larger JMRs, been a while since I heard bigger Vienna. Me no comment.

Some make fun of Vienna being sold @ Best Buy, but I had a GREAT demo at their "Magnolia" here in East Northport. I can honestly say the "lowly" $1300 Hadyns sounded better than MUCH more expensive speakers I have heard... and some of these speakers have approached $10,000.

Aw, well... just another opinion...

pkats
05-10-2007, 08:30 PM
More energetic is ok, I just can't tolerate most of the speakers out there that sizzle your ears off after a half hour! My BB demo wasn't that great - in fact it was awful. I ended up buying the speaks there anyway ( needed a computer also, got a good deal, no interest, blah,blah). Had a great demo at one of the higher -end shops nearby, that is what turned me on to the Bachs in the first place. More energetic huh? Hmmmm.

Jimmy C
05-11-2007, 11:45 AM
More energetic is ok, I just can't tolerate most of the speakers out there that sizzle your ears off after a half hour! My BB demo wasn't that great - in fact it was awful. I ended up buying the speaks there anyway ( needed a computer also, got a good deal, no interest, blah,blah). Had a great demo at one of the higher -end shops nearby, that is what turned me on to the Bachs in the first place. More energetic huh? Hmmmm.

...that's why I wanted to go with a fabric-dome tweeter here. If anything, I would say the extreme HF is reticent. Not sure what the graphite coating does...

By "energetic", I suppose I mean dynamic - the speaker didn't forget about the bass guitar and drum set. They have good drive/propulsion and it's easier to follow bass lines compared to the M20s.

Interesting how we can have such diverse experiences, even with the same stuff at the same type store! I dunno... my Magnolia is simply a large room, carpeted, the Hadyns at ear level, the salesman didn't blast it, played decent music... worked very well for me. Oh, well! I have heard Vienna at a different location, and that demo was good as well.

Uuggh... we have dinner over friends tonight, and I'm exausted. I think I'd rather stay home and listen :^(

pkats
05-11-2007, 04:00 PM
I don't know if I will ever buy a speaker that doesn't have silk domes. I listened to dozens of speakers before I bought the VA's and I could tell immediately without removing the fronts which were fabric. There were a few that I liked alot but I found myself thinking 'If only these had a silk dome tweeter!'

Tarheel_
06-02-2007, 09:09 PM
Jimmy...say it isn't so...givin up on the Revels..i remember buying my F30s a few years back and we chatted. Well, i still have the F30s and added an M20 for my center speaker and am in bliss.
Maybe i need to demo those and see if i'm missing something. With two young girls i'm trying to stay away from demos....dang you. Now i may seek out a demo!!
My wife would kill me!!! Awwg.. the disease!

Jimmy C
06-03-2007, 01:46 PM
Jimmy...say it isn't so...givin up on the Revels..i remember buying my F30s a few years back and we chatted. Well, i still have the F30s and added an M20 for my center speaker and am in bliss.
Maybe i need to demo those and see if i'm missing something. With two young girls i'm trying to stay away from demos....dang you. Now i may seek out a demo!!
My wife would kill me!!! Awwg.. the disease!

...I can remember thinking the midrange on the M20s was actually a bit better. Obviously, they can't touch the bass extension from the floor-standers. I was quite happy with 20s and my REL, but there were always problems here and there. Most of my music (primarily Jazz) is recorded very well, so that's probably why they stayed around so long... about five years. With less than good to great pressings, they can get very hard to listen to.

Another analogy - the Revels are kinda like the high-maintenance hot blond all done up to the nines, but can be a REAL bee-yotch. The JMRs maybe a bookworm with glasses, but you just KNOW she's great in bed and purposely hiding her true pulchritude (my big word for the day...lol).

About a month ago, I arrived home from work about noon, the two boxes sitting in front of my door. Unpacked them, kinda cheezy boxing, but arrived unscathed. Hooked 'em up and started playing music. Nothing too crazy at first, they didn't jump out at me or anything, but sounded good. I'm not sure if I simply had to run through my CDs and LPs to see what I was missing, or if there was some breaking in (I think so for sure... especially in bass extension) but man, they are VERY good. I had it in my head they were going to be a bit veiled... not so. They are positively MORE resolving (just not as bright) than the M20s, which I previously thought was gonna be hard to beat in that price range... but UNDER?!?!?

I'm not saying they can make a super-crappy CD sound great, but they are a HELL of a lot easier to live with on less than stellar recordings. Like the Tori Amos example I was talking about... I knew it was a good CD, but I had a feeling the metal tweeters or something was f'ing it up in certain spots.

My wife went to her mom's again and I was alone (Heaven!). Turned the lights down, let everything warm up and I was actually shaking my head how f&*#$% good this sounds. They are fast, resolving, a bit warm, nice non-exaggerated mid-bass (but needs a sub), dynamic... pretty much everything I was looking for. Can't really put into words, but just "right".

Funny... totally different approach. The Revels have a VERY dead cabinet, the Twins vibrate a lot. Metal vs. fabric dome tweeter. Paper vs. magnesium woofer. Bi-wiring vs. single posts. 200 watt power handling vs. 60. Double boxes with thick foam inserts vs. thin cardboard and chinzy styrofoam corners. And JMR didn't even give me white gloves to unpack them with! Also, they didn't whack me 180 seashells for the grills...lol.

Like I mentioned, the only drawback might be bass extension - most (all?) stand-mounts need a sub. My REL integrated beautifully, all they need is a tiny push from below.

On paper, the Twins should be sonically inferior... SHOULD be.

Tarheel_
06-14-2007, 05:36 PM
..
the Revels are kinda like the high-maintenance hot blond all done up to the nines, but can be a REAL bee-yotch. The JMRs maybe a bookworm with glasses, but you just KNOW she's great in bed and purposely hiding her true pulchritude (my big word for the day...lol).

.

Classic......

Jimmy C
06-15-2007, 12:25 PM
...we're going to Southern California tomorrow. I can remember last time there saying to myself, "there really are quite a few blond heads here!". My wife goes on business, I tag along. It's sorta like a free trip.

I was thinking about visiting Kevin Deal at "Upscale Audio" (got my amp there), a possibility. I'm curious about that new PrimaLuna tubed CD player... looks insane. A CDP that weighs like a power amp.

Oh... not sure how old you are, but remember "Emergency!"? Ya know... Squad 51 from 70's television? Station 51 (127, actually...) is about three miles from the Long Beach airport - I hafta take a pic :*)

dean_martin
06-17-2007, 08:02 AM
cool, Jimmy C. I missed your original post while I was snowed under at work. The Twins were getting a lot of love at AA. Then, the Stereophile review came out and Stereophile put'em in Class D. That made me want to hear them even more. Based on what I've read from various sources, they strike me as one of the most interesting speakers out there. I hope to hear'em some day. Glad you're enjoying them.

Jimmy C
06-21-2007, 05:28 PM
cool, Jimmy C. I missed your original post while I was snowed under at work. The Twins were getting a lot of love at AA. Then, the Stereophile review came out and Stereophile put'em in Class D. That made me want to hear them even more. Based on what I've read from various sources, they strike me as one of the most interesting speakers out there. I hope to hear'em some day. Glad you're enjoying them.

...I'm usually ready to go home by day 3 or so. Oh, well... I had fun.

Funny... Hollywood really isn't that great a place (I'm being nice) and then all of a sudden... BAM - the Beverly Hills Hotel and homes on beautifully manicured lawns... bizarre.

Yeah, I don't understand that S'Phile review on the Twins. With gear I'm intimitely familiar with (my Revels, Paradigm Studio 60s, Pro-Ject Perspective, Grado Platinum, PrimaLuna, Rotel stuff) I usually agree with them almost 100%, positives and negatives. Don't know what to tell ya!

Then again... this is the same same mag that put my Rolls Bellari phono stage in the same "Class A" as the Audio Research PH5?!?!?!

Whatever... :*)

RGA
07-15-2007, 12:55 AM
Congrats Jimmy C - Bob Neil seems to have good taste.:6: Hahaha.

Seriously I would like to hear JM Reynaud. The Reynauds are also tube friendly no?

I heard the big Revels -- not sure I get the appeal - I'm sure they measure fantastic for what that's worth. Bob has a lot of passion for this -- few such retailers out there.

Jimmy C
07-15-2007, 12:02 PM
Congrats Jimmy C - Bob Neil seems to have good taste.:6: Hahaha.

Seriously I would like to hear JM Reynaud. The Reynauds are also tube friendly no?

I heard the big Revels -- not sure I get the appeal - I'm sure they measure fantastic for what that's worth. Bob has a lot of passion for this -- few such retailers out there.

...PrimaLuna Prologue 2 (40 WPC). No problems whatsoever. I suppose if the main criteria is listening to Motley Crue at 110 dB, the Twins/PL2 combo would be less than stellar. To be fair, tubes did a LOT for the M20s, as well as the Studio 60s. For some reason, dealers usually drive the Revel and Paradigm with solid state. Not really sure why - the Revels don't dip below 4 ohms anywhere, and the Studio 60s are 90 or 91 dB sensitive. Hhmmm...

Like Josh from Audio Note (distributor?) said to me:

"Jimmy...most speakers sound better with tubes"

I agree...

I haven't heard the larger Revels, only up to the F50s... I thought these were very nice. You seem to "diss" speakers based on one listen - if there's one thing I have learned in 30 years of listening, it's that it takes more than one listen...lol. Seriously, I have heard the Titan, for eg., sound HORRIBLE, I have also heard it sound quite mellifluous (my big word for today!) No, I don't know what the differences are.

Then again, I often feel value is planted in the lower models. Bob says this about the Twins.

I'm gonna pay off my CC debs, and then drive up there and get the "Magic Stands". He said sure, gimme a few days notice and then I can hear the ANs, and a lot of JMRs. According to him, the ANs are more refined, more detailed. The Reynauds are warmer. As he says - "There's more than one way to skin a cat".

And yeah, Bob has good taste :*)

RGA
07-15-2007, 09:54 PM
I did not say the Revelwas terrible. Reading your post - your are the third person in the last month I know of who has gone FROM a Revel to an Audio Note or JM Reynaud - one is a reviewer from enjoythemusic.

One thing I have learned in 17 years of listening is that it does not take 100 hours to be able to judge the kind of sound a speaker puts out -- it can take one track. The ex Revel owners are complimentary but they are at the end of the day EX Revel owners. Despite the graphs. I understand the initial appeal but I can hear those kinds of speakers and I know they don't fit with what I know would be good long term enjoyable speakers. PMC is like this - They have to sound but lack the musicality and while those are wishy washy words to many it's the audio vernacular being used these days.

There is more than one way to skin a cat - being here in Korea I have found several other speakers that I could enjoy - 2 big ones from Tannoy's heritage line - Kensington and Westminster. I have only heard one Revel - the Ultima. I don't have endless time so I try and just listen to a companies' proclaimed top speaker.

If I were to open a dealer tomorrow I'd be selling Audio Note, Tannoy Heritage, Proac, and Quad. Always hoping to hear other good speakers. Something tells me that Reynaud would be there too.

Jimmy C
07-16-2007, 02:01 PM
I did not say the Revelwas terrible. Reading your post - your are the third person in the last month I know of who has gone FROM a Revel to an Audio Note or JM Reynaud - one is a reviewer from enjoythemusic.

One thing I have learned in 17 years of listening is that it does not take 100 hours to be able to judge the kind of sound a speaker puts out -- it can take one track. The ex Revel owners are complimentary but they are at the end of the day EX Revel owners. Despite the graphs. I understand the initial appeal but I can hear those kinds of speakers and I know they don't fit with what I know would be good long term enjoyable speakers. PMC is like this - They have to sound but lack the musicality and while those are wishy washy words to many it's the audio vernacular being used these days.

There is more than one way to skin a cat - being here in Korea I have found several other speakers that I could enjoy - 2 big ones from Tannoy's heritage line - Kensington and Westminster. I have only heard one Revel - the Ultima. I don't have endless time so I try and just listen to a companies' proclaimed top speaker.

If I were to open a dealer tomorrow I'd be selling Audio Note, Tannoy Heritage, Proac, and Quad. Always hoping to hear other good speakers. Something tells me that Reynaud would be there too.

...is that you are able to enjoy a wider variety of music on the JMRs vs. a LOT of other speakers. One can easily discern good from bad recordings, it's just that the bad ones don't hurt so much. Like Bobsticks mentioned, I now enjoy the warmer side of neutral vs. Kamp Kool.

I was just reading the Stereophile review of the Sonus Faber Guarneri ($15,000... ouch!) and they were going on about how the enclosure is almost an instrument - I never thought a box that actually breathes would work, but it does in the Twins case. I suppose it's all in the implementation.

Yeah, I hafta get the "Magic Stands", and then I think it's time to see what Mr. Neill has for a good one-box (i.e., keep the cost down) CDP. Might even be from Audio Note...