PTE speakers at THE show, I must be missing something??

[DaveyF]

At THE show in Newport, I had the opportunity of listening to the PTE speakers at length. These behemoths ( called the Statements) are priced over $40K and are able to play LOUD.

Maybe I am missing something here, these speakers are great for filling a VERY large room with tremendous volume.....BUT, this is what I don't get...they sound like a large pair of professional PA speakers. No real imaging, nothing to suggest the sound of real instruments, no truth of timbre, no magic in the mids, but they can move air and get LOUD and that's it!. What I don't comprehend is why would anyone pay $40K for a pair of these speakers that were obviously built in someone's garage, when you can buy a pair of professionally built pa speakers at your local Guitar Center or the like, for a fraction of the price.

This example wasn't really unique at this show, to my ears there were several rooms where the exhibitor didn't seem to have a clue as to what true high-end can and should sound like. Which got me to thinking, IF you haven't ever heard what a true top shelf system can do, and/or you're not using 'live' music as your reference, then the results would be what was displayed in many rooms. So, where and to whom are these people selling this gear

Anyone else hear this speaker?

 

[kfringe]

Maybe I am missing something here, these speakers are great for filling a VERY large room with tremendous volume.....BUT, this is what I don't get...they sound like a large pair of professional PA speakers.

Anyone else hear this speaker?

My wife and I went back to the PTE room (and the Antelope room) several times. Honestly, I'm not entirely sure why the PTE guys brought those giants with them other than the insanely incredible coolosity of lugging enormous, actively filtered, triamped TAD/Tannoy hybrids around to tiny hotel rooms. That room didn't do them any favors -- or maybe it did. Who knows? While there were some impressive aspects to the giants, I just couldn't get a handle on them in that room. I wanted to sit about eight feet farther back. I walked away with the impression that they might be worth another look (and a much larger room).

Their little boys, though, which I believe are called "The Phoenix" were a different story. They kept making some of my favorite sound at the show. Soundstaging was more than adequately spooky, tone was toward the leaner side of "right," and the dynamics were just outstanding. I'd be eager to give those another listen, and I'm kinda sorry that you missed them.

 

[DaveyF]

I didn't hear the smaller "Phoenix's" BUT as I said my impression of the larger speakers wasn't favorable at all.