After much thought, I have decided to sell my Opera Callas speakers. These are the greatest speakers I have ever heard, and many people believe that they are among the best speakers ever made. They have been on Stereophile's list of recommended components, and when the fellow reviewed the new version of the McIntosh 275 (which was subsequently placed at the top of the recommended list) he reviewed them with these speakers. I have taken them to many dealers in order to audition amplifiers, and at each shop the salesmen have been struck dumb.
One of the greatest features of these speakers is the cabinets. They are real mahogany, 35mm thick, and according to the literature they were made by master Italian cabinetmakers. The real-wood cabinets give them an acoustic signature that is essentially different from any other speaker that I have heard, and which in my opinion elevates them above any other speaker, regardless of price and regardless of whatever other great properties the other speakers might have. (Yes, this is ridiculously hyperbolic, but you get the idea.) If you can imagine a violin or piano made of fiberboard, then you can somewhat imagine the tonal quality of these speakers. Furthermore, the thickness of the wood (and therefore the sheer weight and density of the cabinets) gives the sound a stability of presence that is simply difficult to describe. You might imagine that the surface of the air in front of you has been peeled back, and you are peering into a portal wherein each note is like a sounding beacon that is plumbing the depth.
The reason that I am selling is that I've moved away from solid state, and toward low-power SET designs. These speakers are 87db, and I would say that they are a difficult 87. In order to use these speakers with SET, I think one would need monsters like the Cary 211 monoblocks, and even those might not be enough. These speakers really need a powerful solid state amp. (I've often thought that a Plinius would be an ideal match. The reviewer of the McIntosh 275 described the combination as "mind-boggling,” but he admitted that the amp lost steam during difficult passages and recommended bi-amping. I think the power requirement is unfortunate because I think that the voice of the speakers is well suited to tube sound. If you can afford to bi-amp the 275, then you're on the brink of something great.) I've thought about holding on to the speakers in case I build a second system in the future, but as the years go by, that seems less and less likely. And I just don't see myself moving away from tubes. So I think that I should sell these speakers and put the money toward a higher-efficiency pair.
I purchased these new from Upscale, probably in 2006. At that time I was living in a small studio in Boston and was in grad school, so the speakers never saw great action. They were never cranked loudly. Later, I went abroad for a few years, so the speakers were boxed, sealed, and stored in my parents' closet. I retrieved them four months ago and set them up, but I haven't been using them because my SET amp can't drive them.
The speakers are in mint condition. On one photo, you can see that there is some kind of a spot on the side of the left speaker, near the front. I don't know what this is. It is not a scuff, or a scratch, or a nick. I looks like a blemish in the wood. I don't know what it is. Otherwise they are perfect. I have rubbed them with beeswax periodically to condition the wood. The grills are perfect. The jumpers are gold plated. The serial numbers are identical. As furniture, they look elegant.
The speakers are very rare. Opera did not make many of them. Of the units that they did produce, many did not survive because the cabinets were prone to cracking, especially during transit. (I have heard that this was much the reason why they stopped making them.) Mine, however, are perfect.
Also, to my knowledge, there were three iterations of these speakers. Mine is the 2003 version, which is the final and perfected version, before they stopped using real wood. This is the version that appeared on the Stereophile list in the mid-2000s, and is also the version with which the fellow reviewed the McIntosh.
I would MUCH prefer a local sale because I don't want to risk damaging the cabinets. If you live somewhat outside the local area, I am willing to meet you somewhere convenient. Otherwise, if you're very interested, I'm sure I can manage to box them securely.
