All NEW Final Audio Model 15 Electrostatic Loudspeakers Review : Taking Electrostatic Loudspeakers To A Whole New Level !

It's great to see electrostatics entering the panel craze with some refinements in the technology. Popori Acoustics, a young Hungarian firm born out of years of repairing electrostatics, is also doing some innovative work, and the Mextaxis system I saw but did not hear in Munich is also fascinating. There is no need to say electrostatic-like clarity anymore, you can go and listen for yourself

A showdown with a full ribbon design would be revealing.

Ribbons still have a magnetic sound , so similar in tone to what most are inline with, ESL ‘s have a distinct unmistakable sound with very different Timbre , the lack of decay for tone is very evident in ESL’s ( the uninitiated calls this speed ) as well as its one size fits all for instruments..

Like everything in audio , if you like the qualities of a good esl nothing else will suffice ..

Audiohertz2 said:

Ribbons still have a magnetic sound, so similar in tone to what most are inline with, ESL ‘s have a distinct unmistakable sound with very different Timbre, the lack of decay for tone is very evident in ESL’s ( the uninitiated calls this speed ) as well as its one size fits all for instruments..

Like everything in audio , if you like the qualities of a good esl nothing else will suffice ..

Click to expand...

Wow, my Sound Labs Majestic 745s do NOT have a one-size-fits-all sound at all. Small instruments sound small, pianos sound large, orchestras sound very large and almost real.. The dealer's older SLs also sounded this way.. Mine are the best speaker systems I've EVER hear, anywhere, but I don't get around much, especially to audio shows.

Thank you for startng this thread and posting the fun Youtube video recordings of the FINALs, Audio_Karma
I could not have done a better job

FINAL ELECTROSTATICS had lauched in the US market @ AXPONA with the Model 15 and the line up, followed by the flagship M35 @t THE SHOW in CA.
Thanks to Ron and Audiophile Junkie for their outstanding coverage especially capturing the finer details of our ESLs in the videos and interviews.

Being a Planar Audiophile all my life, I have had many planars including Magnepan, Apogees, Sanders, Martin Logan and Soundlabs.

My last systems before I became a FINAL Distributor are essentially 2 multichannel systems in a large 2000 sq. ft basement, a Magnepan 20.7 based system (4 of the 20.7s and a CCR center) and a Soundlab Ultimate 990 based system (6 of the Ultimate 990s + Marquee Center) with multiple Paradigm SUB 1 and SUB 2 subwoofer beasts!
Some crude pics below just before we moved from Michigan to Arizona (no basements here, )

IMHO, FINAL M35s (and to a large extent, the M15s) capture the best attributes of both, Planar Ribbons and traidtional ESLs.

They have the inner detail of the ESLs with the high frequency extension and tuneful quick bass from the Planar Ribbons.

ESLs are famous for their typical ONE NOTE bass with insufficient definition and texture details.

FINALs will satisfy the die hard planar audiophiles in more ways than any, along with a significant bonus being ultralight weight and easy to move,

66 lbs for a full range ESL; No moving help required, !

More to come....

jeffreybehr said:

Wow, my Sound Labs Majestic 745s do NOT have a one-size-fits-all sound at all. Small instruments sound small, pianos sound large, orchestras sound very large and almost real.. The dealer's older SLs also sounded this way.. Mine are the best speaker systems I've EVER hear, anywhere, but I don't get around much, especially to audio shows.

Click to expand...

Interesting not my experience with large ESL panels , havent heard SL’s for years may have to do so again ...