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  1. #1
    frenchmon frenchmon's Avatar
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    Ajani...Revel Ultima Studio 2...Theata, and Levinson! Boy what a night!

    ...Peabody and I was invited to a audio party over at the dealers house Saturday night who sold Peabody the Revel F52's.

    This time we listened to the Revel Studio 2's. First being driven by a Mark Levinson preamp and a Theata amp at 100 watts per channel. We where just floored at that combo especially the Revel Studio 2's. Best speakers I have ever heard in my life. And I have heard Wilson and many speakers ( but have yet to hear my beloved Canton Reference)

    When listening you dont think it can get any better, but after about an hour, the dealer switched out the Theata amp for a Levinson amp at 200 watts per channel....I liked of fell over....The Levinson amp turned the Revel into beast. Best damm speakers I have ever heard in my life! We played a variety of music...and the Studio 2's where cold and hard and fast when needed and romantic and full of passion and emotion when need be. And the Levinson amp...Damm... what an amp! Full control, had a unbelievable tight grip on every part of the music...bass was tight... kick drums was heard and felt....right in my chest....I mean take your breath away felt in your chest! You aint heard nothing until you listen to that beryllium-dome tweeter ( I cant wait to hear the canton Reference Tweeeter, has those ceramic tweeters)....talk about Air.... cymbals that you think you can pluck out of air. Mid range was warm when need be...full of detail and yes, people are correct when they say the mid range is where the music lives....makes you sway and tap your feet.

    Peabody made the comment about No Dynaudio speaker has anything on Revel! Ajani you have got to be rofl....Peabody trading in his beloved Dyns for Revel a few years after you and he had the discussion....and all it took was one listen and it made him a believer....watch out gang....if Peabody gets his computer back online, He will have lagit bragging rights now!

    But I tell you what, the Levinson amp showed me that a damm good Amp has to have not only power, but control....power to push out those little sounds that we normally strain to hear, and control to keep everything in its own space with pace... with a good amp those little sounds are just there with no straining in its own space. My Rotel has to go in a second system some day... Now I cant afford an amp like Levinson at $11k, nor speakers like Revel Ultima Studio 2's at $15k but I am on a journey now that may take me a few years to save some coin to build a system with new floor standers and a good used amp with power and control...What I heard that night showed me why some guys spend good money on high end gear.

    Shoot...if the Revel Ultima Studio 2's sound that good, The Revel Ultima Salon 2's must be in a different world.
    Last edited by frenchmon; 11-15-2011 at 02:13 PM.
    Music...let it into your soul and be moved....with Canton...Pure Music


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    W10 i5 Quad core processor 8GB RAM/Jriver 20/ Fidelizer Optimizer/ iFI Micro DSD DAC-iUSB 3.0/Vincent SA - T1/Vincent SP-331 MK /MMF-7.1/2M BLACK/MS Phenomena ll+/Canton Vento 830.2

  2. #2
    Ajani
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    You lucky bastards! My dream setup is a pair of Ultima Studio 2s with a Mark Levinson 532H Stereo Amp. But at a retail price of $24K, it'll be some time before that dream will even be a possibility (much less a reality)...

  3. #3
    Forum Regular blackraven's Avatar
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    Frenchmon, If you ever decide to get a new amp, give the new AVA 400R and 600R amps a listen. At $2600 and $3K they will give many $10K amps a run for the money. I did a review of the new 600R and its one of the best amps that I have heard and as you described the Levinson amp.

    I wish I could have heard the Revels, sounds like a great time!
    Pass Labs X250 amp, BAT Vk-51se Preamp,
    Thorens TD-145 TT, Bellari phono preamp, Nagaoka MP-200 Cartridge
    Magnepan QR1.6 speakers
    Luxman DA-06 DAC
    Van Alstine Ultra Plus Hybrid Tube DAC
    Dual Martin Logan Original Dynamo Subs
    Parasound A21 amp
    Vintage Luxman T-110 tuner
    Magnepan MMG's, Grant Fidelity DAC-11, Class D CDA254 amp
    Monitor Audio S1 speakers, PSB B6 speakers
    Vintage Technic's Integrated amp
    Music Hall 25.2 CDP
    Adcom GFR 700 AVR
    Cables- Cardas, Silnote, BJC
    Velodyne CHT 8 sub

  4. #4
    Forum Regular Jack in Wilmington's Avatar
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    Sounds like a very special night. My local hifi shop has these kind of get togethers when the manufacturers come in and demo new gear. Lately it's been mostly Wilson Audio with different amp reps. I would like to see a speaker shootout even in a magazine between like.

    Revel Ultima Studio 2's
    Canton Reference 1.2 DC
    Dynaudio Confidence C4
    KEF Reference 207
    Usher BE-10

    They're all around that $15000 mark so it would be interesting. I know Stereophile wouldn't do it for fear of offending any of their advertisers, but I think it would sure sell copies of their mag.
    2 Channel System
    Dynaudio Contour 1.8 Mk II
    Pass Labs X150.5 (Amp)
    Cary SLP-03 (Preamp)
    Music Hall MMF 5.1 (TT)
    Goldring 1012GX (Cart.)
    Pro-ject SE II (Phono Box)
    Rotel RCD-1072 (CD Player)
    Bryston BDA-1 ( DAC )
    Sennheiser HD-600 (Headphones)
    Musical Fidelity Xcan V3 (Headphone Amp) _

    HT System
    Usher X-719 (Mains)
    Usher X-616 (Center)
    Usher S-520 (Surrounds)
    Rel T2 (Subwoofer)
    Anthem MCA20 (Amp)
    Yamaha RX-A830 (Receiver)
    Panasonic TH-46PZ85U (Plasma TV)
    Denon DBT-1713UD (BluRay/SACD)

  5. #5
    frenchmon frenchmon's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Jack in Wilmington View Post
    Sounds like a very special night. My local hifi shop has these kind of get togethers when the manufacturers come in and demo new gear. Lately it's been mostly Wilson Audio with different amp reps. I would like to see a speaker shootout even in a magazine between like.

    Revel Ultima Studio 2's
    Canton Reference 1.2 DC
    Dynaudio Confidence C4
    KEF Reference 207
    Usher BE-10

    They're all around that $15000 mark so it would be interesting. I know Stereophile wouldn't do it for fear of offending any of their advertisers, but I think it would sure sell copies of their mag.
    Hi Jack.....if you saw the price for a pair of canton Reference at $15,000 a pair, you had better jump on them....but I assume you saw that price and thought it was for a pair....the Canton reference is over 30K a pair...about $35K....Canton - Reference 1.2 DC Tower Speaker (Single) [Reference 1.2] - $17,500.00.

    They would be more inline with the Revel Salon 2's which I believe are 22K a pair.
    Music...let it into your soul and be moved....with Canton...Pure Music


    ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    W10 i5 Quad core processor 8GB RAM/Jriver 20/ Fidelizer Optimizer/ iFI Micro DSD DAC-iUSB 3.0/Vincent SA - T1/Vincent SP-331 MK /MMF-7.1/2M BLACK/MS Phenomena ll+/Canton Vento 830.2

  6. #6
    Forum Regular Jack in Wilmington's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by frenchmon View Post
    Hi Jack.....if you saw the price for a pair of canton Reference at $15,000 a pair, you had better jump on them....but I assume you saw that price and thought it was for a pair....the Canton reference is over 30K a pair...about $35K....Canton - Reference 1.2 DC Tower Speaker (Single) [Reference 1.2] - $17,500.00.

    They would be more inline with the Revel Salon 2's which I believe are 22K a pair.
    I hate when they do that. You're right $15,000 ea. Darn now I only have enough money for one. I guess a better comparison would be the Reference 3.2, I think they're $16,000 per pair.
    2 Channel System
    Dynaudio Contour 1.8 Mk II
    Pass Labs X150.5 (Amp)
    Cary SLP-03 (Preamp)
    Music Hall MMF 5.1 (TT)
    Goldring 1012GX (Cart.)
    Pro-ject SE II (Phono Box)
    Rotel RCD-1072 (CD Player)
    Bryston BDA-1 ( DAC )
    Sennheiser HD-600 (Headphones)
    Musical Fidelity Xcan V3 (Headphone Amp) _

    HT System
    Usher X-719 (Mains)
    Usher X-616 (Center)
    Usher S-520 (Surrounds)
    Rel T2 (Subwoofer)
    Anthem MCA20 (Amp)
    Yamaha RX-A830 (Receiver)
    Panasonic TH-46PZ85U (Plasma TV)
    Denon DBT-1713UD (BluRay/SACD)

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