[FullRangeMan]

The Gilmore Model 2 aka Carver Amazing clone which priced in excess of $20K, was reduced to $13K and now down earth to $6K only:
http://www.glacieraudio.com/new%20Glacier%20Audio%20Site/Products%20folder/Gilmore/Gilmoreaudio1.htm
Great speaker for a powerful amp;

[Russell Dawkins]

No kidding!

That would seem to be a bargain according to this review by Robert E Greene of The Absolute Sound, especially if bass is high on your list of values:
http://www.glacieraudio.com/new%20Glacier%20Audio%20Site/ads%20review%20event%20folder/19081_eprint.pdf

[Davey]

Unless the company is closing the doors, that kind of price reduction is quite irritating isn't it? 
I would be fuming if I had previously purchased a pair for $20,000.00. 

However, I suppose, the customers for these speakers have large amounts of disposable income and the price points are rather meaningless.

Dave.

[PMAT]

I only have the Carver AL IIIs and I love them. Even after a few months I'm still shocked at the great sound.
Those big clones must sound great. I'm so surprised that mine do bob marly so well. I just discovered that. The clones must reggae well.

[Russell Dawkins]

Unless the company is closing the doors, that kind of price reduction is quite irritating isn't it? 
I would be fuming if I had previously purchased a pair for $20,000.00. 

However, I suppose, the customers for these speakers have large amounts of disposable income and the price points are rather meaningless.

Dave.

I'm guessing that things slowed right down - maybe the WAF aspect of these is not the best - and he decided to go entirely with online sales, using a business model that includes demo installations in clients' homes, with a small commission going to the demo host for sales resulting. This would allow him to reduce the price and, taking less profit for himself, make it up with volume. I still think it would be a fairly hard sell, in terms of appearance, for any place other than a "man cave". It's visually quite dominating and the shape isn't the nicest. I'll bet the bass is great, though!

[rooze]

The pricing on their website has been in place for quite some time, at least 9 months or more. Even at that price they are still able to have dealer representation. As of February/March this year they had a dealer arrangement with Paul Speltz of Anti-cables fame, located in MN, and at least two other companies (based in NJ and CA)
When I spoke to Paul (via email) earlier this year, he had both models on display along with the Gilmore Raptor amps. I don't know for certain that he still does but I don't see why he wouldn't, and the Gilmore website still shows him listed as a dealer http://www.glacieraudio.com/new%20Glacier%20Audio%20Site/Showrooms/othershowrooms.htm

The press on the speakers was pretty varied when they were released, as I remember it. They're obviously Carver Amazing clones, (the Plats and the smaller Silver) with the advantage of modern day manufacturing tolerances and materials - the baffles being of Corian material and the ribbons having much tighter specs than the 90's Carver ribbons. Most of any negativity was centered around the bass integration with the ribbons, which is something you'll need to have flexibility of placement to overcome. If you have the room, these are probably excellent speakers and a real bargain at $6k.

Mark Gilmore is very approachable and very knowledgeable. I'd encourage anyone with an interest to contact him direct, or if you're located in MN, CA or NJ, use the link above. I didn't have any luck contacting the main distributor, 'Glacier Audio', when I needed information, but Mark Gilmore and Paul Speltz were both very helpful.

As a Carver Amazing owner I'd love to get out to MN and hear the Model 2's someday.

[satie]

Rooze

Did you get one of these? Or just a fan of the concept since you like your Amazings?

I am wondering why he didn't just get a BG RD series driver rather than make his own. Its not like he is doing better. even if he doesn't have a single cavity resonance peak.

[rooze]

Rooze

Did you get one of these? Or just a fan of the concept since you like your Amazings?

I am wondering why he didn't just get a BG RD series driver rather than make his own. Its not like he is doing better. even if he doesn't have a single cavity resonance peak.

Hi Satie,

No, I haven't purchased the Gilmore, but if I were in the market with $6k to spend I think I probably would!

I came to be in contact with Mark Gilmore whilst looking around for a ribbon replacement for my Plats. I noticed Gilmore uses a 60" ribbon and thought that perhaps he sourced it from old Bohlender stock, which could have been made to work with the Plats, but alas, it wasn't to be.

Yeah that resonance peak is the bane of my life and means I'm still a passive guy and not active, that and the ribbon buzz 

Rooze

[FullRangeMan]

Rooze

Did you get one of these? Or just a fan of the concept since you like your Amazings?

I am wondering why he didn't just get a BG RD series driver rather than make his own. Its not like he is doing better. even if he doesn't have a single cavity resonance peak.

I own the Carver Silver Ed, that use the 48'' ribbon used in the Genesis overpriced speaker.
The Carver Ribbon have a propagation time fully pleased to human ear, very different from the BG, Maggie or ML sound spread time, which is the reason it made the great soundstage of the Amazings.

By comparison the ML soundstage seems a black white photo, the Amazing stage is addictive.

[FullRangeMan]

I noticed Gilmore uses a 60" ribbon and thought that perhaps he sourced it from old Bohlender stock,

To me the Gilmore M2 use the Carver Amazing 60'' ribbons and all the rest(woofers, xover etc);

[satie]

Hi Satie,

No, I haven't purchased the Gilmore, but if I were in the market with $6k to spend I think I probably would!

I came to be in contact with Mark Gilmore whilst looking around for a ribbon replacement for my Plats. I noticed Gilmore uses a 60" ribbon and thought that perhaps he sourced it from old Bohlender stock, which could have been made to work with the Plats, but alas, it wasn't to be.

Yeah that resonance peak is the bane of my life and means I'm still a passive guy and not active, that and the ribbon buzz 

Rooze

Maybe the solution is the Neo8PDR which cancels the resonance peak when arranged in a line of 6 or more.
http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/multi-way/175433-diy-dipole-replace-apogee-diva.html

[rooze]

Yeah I've thought about getting into something like that. Not sure I'd want to run the woofers all the way up to 700/800hz though. Sure would be nice to find a drop-in replacement for the existing unit, even with cavity resonance.

I have an old pair of Apogee Cal Sigs that I could use in some kind of Frankenstein experiment, but as I get older I feel less inclined to want to blow myself up.

Ah well, no one said it should be easy.

[rooze]

To me the Gilmore M2 use the Carver Amazing 60'' ribbons and all the rest(woofers, xover etc);

I don't think this is the case. According to Gilmore himself it isn't, but who knows? The fact that it's impossible to find a replacement for the Carver 60" leads me to believe that Gilmore has his own R&D and manufacturer.

I agree with you on the other points about the Carvers and their ability to create a believable soundstage. I find them much, much more realistic than the Maggie 3.6's I used to own.

[FullRangeMan]

I don't think this is the case. According to Gilmore himself it isn't, but who knows? The fact that it's impossible to find a replacement for the Carver 60" leads me to believe that Gilmore has his own R&D and manufacturer.

I agree with you on the other points about the Carvers and their ability to create a believable soundstage. I find them much, much more realistic than the Maggie 3.6's I used to own.

This tech from Florida are doing Amazing ribbons repair since the 1990s:
http://www.carveraudio.com/service-old.htm

[Phil A]

Unless the company is closing the doors, that kind of price reduction is quite irritating isn't it? 
I would be fuming if I had previously purchased a pair for $20,000.00. 

However, I suppose, the customers for these speakers have large amounts of disposable income and the price points are rather meaningless.

Dave.

Per their website they indicate they have become more efficient and now are exclusively factory direct (see below link).  I grabbed a Sherbourne 2-channel preamp not that long ago after the merger with Emotiva was announced.  It was $899 retail.  Then they went factory direct and it was $529.  Then they below them out for $179 shipping included and I could not resist and will find a use for it.  http://www.glacieraudio.com/new%20Glacier%20Audio%20Site/Products%20folder/Gilmore/Gilmoreaudio1.htm

[rooze]

This tech from Florida are doing Amazing repair since the 1990s:
http://www.carveraudio.com/index2.htm

Thanks, I was in touch with them a while back and almost pulled the trigger on a rebuilt pair of 60's, but figured I could probably snag a full speaker on Craigslist if I waited around. I was wrong, a bad decision.

Apparently they've now formed some business relationship with Bob Carver, and are in the process of relocating to the West Coast, so I haven't had a reply to a recent email requesting a timeframe for a rebuild. I'm still hoping.

[rooze]

Here's an extract from an email sent to me by Mark Gilmore. I wouldn't do this ordinarily but I'm sure he wouldn't mind, as it helps clarify the similarities between his designs and those from Carver:

"I wish I could tell you that our ribbon was compatible with the Carver ribbon.  It is not.  Its impedance is different, it's not compatible with the crossover and it would require some serious panel surgery to mount.  If it was a drop-in replacement, it would still cost you considerably less to have your existing ribbons rebuilt.  It's a shame.  I remember a time when the 60" replacement ribbons were going for about $150 each, factory fresh.

I've owned various Maggies, Apogee and Sound Lab speakers through the years.  This is why I designed our current model 2 speaker. Although I really enjoyed what these various speakers could do, they all had various compromises.  Yes, our speakers are quite reminiscent of the Amazings (Platinum IV), but still they are quite different.  We've addressed most all the Amazing's deficiencies and taken this technology to another level, borrowing from other designs and incorporating newer manufacturing techniques."

[FullRangeMan]

I had ask him a similar question years ago and had no reply, so I drew my own conclusions ...

[Doublej]

I hadn't realized how much the bikini model added to the cost of a pair of these speakers!

[SteveFord]

This tech from Florida are doing Amazing ribbons repair since the 1990s:
http://www.carveraudio.com/service-old.htm

I would make sure to see what James' schedule is like before you get too carried away.