As a preface, I have owned nearly 40 pairs of speakers over the past 32 years, ranging from Bose 901s in my freshman year of college (OK, I know … but they enabled me to make quite a bit of money doing DJ gigs!?), to Spendors, Levinson HQDs, Avalon, Hales, Quad ESL 57 and 63s, Merlin VSMs, Edgarhorns, a pair of Gallo Ref 3s (and many more!) I actually liked the size and looks of the Gallos, but there were just a couple things that were not quite right with them. I could never get over that bit of discontinuity between the woofer and lower-mids … and the tweeter always seemed to be the best thing about the speaker.
I had read a great deal about the SP Tech speaker line and as I was looking for a true FINAL pair of loudspeakers, had decided that it would be either the Continuum ADs or the Revelation MR1 MKIIs. It took a couple lengthy e-mail discussions and an analysis of floor plan and listening position with Mike Garner at Tweekgeek.com to decide that our 29’ x 22’, 17th floor, alcove studio in the Chelsea section of Manhattan would be just large enough to support the move to the Revelations. I placed an order in June 2006.
After nearly six months of riding the NuForce wave with Bob, I received my pair of studio finish (*hey, what do you mean by obsolete Bob?!)
Revelation MR-1 MkIIs in early December. I have been awaiting break-in and resolution of a few final details of my system before writing any sort of formal comments. It was, however, Bob and Karsten’s new discovery (and some prodding by Lonewolf) that encouraged me to provide an initial assessment of the speakers.
As always, the following comments are in the context of my system, in my room, with my preferences and via my ears. That said, a few notes:
MUSIC - I listen to all types of music, but in order, predominately Acoustic Jazz, World, Folk, alt.country/Americana, Great American Songbook and Broadway, Blues and Classical. I do have some classic rock, but usually prefer the singer-songwriter or Alternative genres. This is actually my joy as in my past, I have produced/promoted live concerts and have a much-too-large collection of cds!?
SOUND - I prefer a natural acoustic, but also enjoy all the audiophile goodies - example - I never hear a tremendous portrayal of soundstage at live events, yet it sure is fun to (re-)create that illusion in a system. I always thought I was a mid-range freak ... until I purchased the Revs and again realized how important was bass reproduction.
First, it would be silly not to mention the exceptional packaging that Bob executes to ensure that the speakers will arrive safely. I received four very large cardboard boxes, each lined on all sides with two-inch foam board (apparently hand-cut by Bob) with a similar layer of MDF cut to size. There was then and inner lining of foam wrap and a moisture layer of plastic wrap (as well as an inner build-up of foam board to match the contour of the slope in the box containing the bottom of the Revelations.) Again, simply exceptional packing that should withstand the worst handling by any carrier.
From the above you will note that the speakers actually consist of a “bottom” and a “top” portion. In fact, the difference between the Continuum AD and the Revelation actually lies in the bottom ½ of the speaker, as the tops, containing the MTM configured drivers, are identical.
Although quite heavy at nearly 100 pounds per piece, I found assembly of the speaker to be quite easy and straightforward. The unique seating and locking mechanism that Bob created enable the two sections to readily mate and with only lining up a bracket and tightening several screws, the speakers are together.
I positioned them on the long wall, only about 18” from the front wall of floor-to-ceiling windows and about seven and one-half feet apart. They are about four feet from the “corner” window (the window is actually placed on a diagonal rather than creating a true 90 degree corner.) The listening position would be defined as “near-field” as we sit in a sofa just about 7.5 feet from the speakers and we have the alcove bedroom opening immediately behind the sofa – the rear wall is about 11 feet from one’s listening position. *My only caveat with positioning is that I believe we would be ideal if we were between nine and ten feet from the speakers.
The only caveat about the construction of the speakers had to do with the supplied spikes. Hefty as they are, I ultimately replaced them with the combination of Stillpoints/Risers on the wood floor, mated with the larger Stillpoints Inverse Risers coupled to the speakers. This was a better set up sonically (deeper, tighter, and more articulate bass w/ greater clarity across the spectrum) and provided the unique combination of stability and freedom to slightly move the speakers for final positioning.
I connected a shotgun run of Nordost Valhalla to the tweeter’s Cardas posts and then using a Valhalla jumper between the tweeter and mids posts, completed the wiring. This has seemed to offer excellent sound, but I will soon be trying a true bi-wire for the sake of comparison.
Even without any additional break-in, I knew I had found MY speakers. First, they are exceedingly natural sounding. They do not sound like so many typically “audiophile” speakers in that they seem to go over the top to remind you that you are hearing a “great” pair of speakers. They are very balanced across the spectrum, however in saying that, I must echo that which has been said by others, the Revelations do bass better than any speaker I have ever heard. It is tight, deep articulate, nuanced, but more amazing it is both heard and felt.
A total surprise to me is the soundstaging - an incredible 3D portrayal from speakers that are nearly five and one-half feet tall, 21” deep at the base and about 15” wide. It is there in all dimensions - height, width, and depth of stage. (The position slightly raises the relative height of the presentation … as noted, back another 1.5 to 2.0 feet and things are nearly perfect.)
One would anticipate that macrodynamics (yes, they can be scary) would be exceptional, but microdynamics are also excellent and in part (along with the amazing bass), why I believe the Revelations portray soundstage so well. This may also suggest why they sound good at lower volumes (and oh yes, do they sound amazing at higher volumes!) We use the speakers in an all-in-one configuration for audio, TV/Movies and Squeezebox. It is funny to hear things in the background on one’s favorite TV show and be so startled as to where it originated … from the street ... or in the hall perhaps? aa
It is very interesting to me that several others have commented on the way the speaker “feels” as well as how it sounds. Intriguing, in fact to me, as in mid-January I came down with an infection in my right ear. About two days before I began feeling the pain from the infection in the ear, when I listened to music, I was actually feeling a very uncomfortable pressure in that ear. In no way scientific, but it seemed that my ear was responding to the way the room was being pressurized by the bass reproduction??
As noted, I found the posts by Bob and Karsten relative the Mundorf inductor very interesting. I am exceptionally happy with the performance of the speakers, but I am now very curious about this change and improvement. If what Karsten has experienced is correct, (and I have no reason to doubt it) it would be an improvement to a speaker I feel is already quite exceptional … the best I have ever heard. As an aside, my wife, the classically-trained musician, helped me here integrate her thoughts on the speakers
*A note on the studio finish – although it is now mostly a moot point, as for future pairs, I undertand the front baffle will be wood and the studio finish will now be only on the sides and back of the speakers, it is actually quite nice and well fits into our contemporary environment. Again, my wife concurs.
System is below:RAM-modded Esoteric DV-50 Universal
Dream State Audio Veridical - Oyaide Gold
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Stealth Indra RCA
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Tube Distinctions Soul Mate preamp or Audio Consulting Silver Rock
Dream State Audio Lucid Dream - Oyaide Gold on TD SM - none on AC Silver Rock
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Stealth Indra RCA
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RAM-modded Bel Canto e.One Reference 1000 mono amps
Nordost Valhalla terminated with Acrolink Carbon Fiber Palladium over Gold
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Nordost Valhalla speaker cables 1.5 meter w/ Valhalla jumpers / SP Technology
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Revelation MR-1 MKII loudspeakers
Running Springs Audi JACO Conditioner
Dream State Audio Dream Catcher – Oyaide Palladium over Gold
Oyaide SWO-GX wall plug w/ carbon fiber plate
Stillpoints with Risers, including inverse risers under the
Revelations
*also have a Slim Devices Squeezebox 3 for internet streaming (replacement for FM tuner) / Steath MetaCarbon RCA
