Alsyvox planars...prepare to sell your Magico's, YG's, Wilson's, Cessaro's. Maggie's, and all others!!

DaveyF

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Interesting...All my sources from RMAF were saying completely opposite of what your associates claimed. Several reviewers including Johnathen Valin of TAS and Peter Breuninger of AV Showrooms, Terry Eningi were stunned by the lifelike, extended, dynamic Botticelli sound. JV said the Botticelli was only speaker he wanted to review. Yes, context matters. The RMAF system was the same for your associates and my sources and reviewers alike. Just goes to show you how differently people hear and have different preferences.

Also, coming to conclusion based on how badly a speaker sounds at a show is a poor way of judging a speaker. I can name many great speakers that sounded bad at shows.


Since you are the only person buying these on the forum ( it would seem!), I presume you have a VERY good reason to be doing so. Silly question, have you actually heard them yourself, or are you buying them based on some other recommendation? :)
 
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DaveyF

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What's amazing is the thread subject advocates selling gear to buy planars based on a report under show conditions. To counter that, I've simply posted what was heard in the same suite, at the same show, with the same gear. Show conditions are what they are, and ultimately leave a lot to be desired. This is precisely why we should *not* be saying sell X and buy planars based on show hearsay. That's my point. What's yours?

Actually if you re-read the title, it does no such thing! What is says is: prepare to Sell......
That is simply implying that one should listen to these speakers and be prepared to sell what you already have...NOT advocating anything!
 

the sound of Tao

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Four people in the suite at the same time is just one data point. And IMHO four people complete unanimity in this hobby is too polarized to be taken without many grains of salt, unless we have more specific details about the performance, considering some other people report great performance.

Perhaps these are great speakers - who knows? - but for me they are being shown under the aura of being expensive and mysterious unobtainium ...

And yes, I am allergic to unobtainium high-end products ...
I’d also agree, the reports either way could easily be a bit exaggerated.

I’d imagine if there was much promise or even hype built up around these mega expensive ribbons then it’s more than possible that if then when played if there was any area that was in the least bit meh the response from any of us might be very clearly dismissive.

I know Audio Analysis is for some a great ribbon speaker yet for others a bit too dark and polite. I prefer Apogees and my slightly modded Maggies in terms of balance and extension to the AA. Everything is relative.

But being reasonably familiar with many different ribbon speakers I would have expected for these Botticellis to be absolutely sota in bass would actually just require more ribbon area. Maybe their bigger brethren might approach that ribbon panel area needed for absolutely exemplary deep bass but then those also then might be fearfully great $$$$ attached to that outcome given the price of the smaller model.

But then I’d only be making an assumption and that’s all any of us can do really till the design actually gets a much greater sample of feedback from much broader exposure and responses to experiences in more real environments.

Even if there were a dozen ecstatic owners and many raves from many different proper home auditions they might then just earn a must audition status for those shopping in these rarefied altitudes. Must buy is a different level again and they don’t even have a record on reliability and manufacturer support yet.

At the moment probably more reasonable to say some potentials on paper and with mixed reports but with also some reasonable question marks awaiting more feedback especially if they can actually approach anything near Sota in terms of the quality and quantity of the bass response.

These are super expensive and at that price
a mouse fart bass would clearly not tick all the Sota boxes except for them mices ofcourse.

Truth is there’s just not actually much well validated experience with them, certainly not enough to say much more than potentially promising or even potentially flawed. But clearly just too early to say great... and then waaaay too early to use the best word.

We are forever the nirvana hunters, always excitedly looking for the new next best ever bit of gear. We all do it at times. But now while I don’t get too caught up with unobtainable things I can still absolutely appreciate the experience of listening to them. These may be great, they may even be best, they may turn out to be meh, the only thing we know for sure at this point is they are waaaay toooo expensive unless they are actually THE absolutely perfect ribbons. I genuinely would be happy if they are but then won’t perhaps exactly be too surprised if they’re not all that either. Time will tell either way. I always love the promise of a bit of greatness... helps make for another excited day in audioland.
 
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dr k

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Since you are the only person buying these on the forum ( it would seem!), I presume you have a VERY good reason to be doing so. Silly question, have you actually heard them yourself, or are you buying them based on some other recommendation? :)

I heard the previous generation Leonardo around 6-7 years ago. Fantastic sound, but couldn't afford them at the time. The Botticelli is an upgrade over the Leonard with addition of super tweeter and other improvements.
 
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morricab

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Hopefully not without hearing them first. To round out the thread with (alternate) opinions from associates of mine who attended RMAF:
  • Terribly off timbre; for example: stringed instruments sounded plasticky.
  • Utterly lifeless.
  • Tonally very dark.
  • Non-existent bass impact. (Apparently the dealer was explaining "real bass" and then when the bass hit, the room chuckled. The descriptor "mouse fart" was used.)
I'd say based on our conversations about Asylovox speakers, I have no interest in ever hearing them myself. I know their ears too well to bother. They sure are lookers though!

PS - Context matters, and this was reported in the context of the RMAF system configuration.
I will simply say that I and other ribbon/planar guys I know who have heard them thought they sounded fantastic. These were guys with top model refurbished Apogees. Even a couple of horn guys were impressed. I am talking at Munich not RMAF.
 
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DaveyF

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I will simply say that I and other ribbon/planar guys I know who have heard them thought they sounded fantastic. These were guys with top model refurbished Apogees. Even a couple of horn guys were impressed. I am talking at Munich not RMAF.

Now we're talking! I think if you heard them and thought they were fantastic, and my a'phile friend, whose ears I trust also thought the same thing; I want to hear these babies. My friend is probably going to spend the BIG $$ to acquire them! Says a lot, IMO.
 

christoph

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I will simply say that I and other ribbon/planar guys I know who have heard them thought they sounded fantastic. These were guys with top model refurbished Apogees. Even a couple of horn guys were impressed. I am talking at Munich not RMAF.

I think we heard them together several times over the last years, right?

For me, they went from promising in the early years to excellent this year.

I'm a horns AND planar guy and if I had the dough, I would definitely buy those over any Avantgarde you care to mention :rolleyes:
 
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morricab

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I think we heard them together several times over the last years, right?

For me, they went from promising in the early years to excellent this year.

I'm a horns AND planar guy and if I had the dough, I would definitely buy those over any Avantgarde you care to mention :rolleyes:

Yes, I think in 2017 and 2018. As to AG horns, I would have to at least consider a trio/basshorn setup ;)
 
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bonzo75

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I think we heard them together several times over the last years, right?

For me, they went from promising in the early years to excellent this year.

I'm a horns AND planar guy and if I had the dough, I would definitely buy those over any Avantgarde you care to mention :rolleyes:

I never heard these but yes, I will buy Henk's grands over most horns I know if I had the room and the money. Definitely over the trios
 
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christoph

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I was just looking for the prices and found the following for Trios with 2 / 4 / 6 bass horn woofers:
54 k€ / 78 k€ / 102 k€ in 2009
72.1 k€ / 103.1 k€ / 134.1 k€ in 2018 :eek:
 

Legolas

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I liked the sound of the Alsyvox Botticelli at Munich this year. It was a big room as well, so a good test for dynamics. In a domestic situation the dynamics would be much bigger and bass impact I would guess. And made in SPAIN which for me is a nice thing. Makes me chuckle a bit as they are using Italian sounding names. Why can't they be proud of 'made in Spain'.

My biggest issue with them is the price, it puts them against other top contenders including Aries Cerat Symphonia'a for example, actually more expensive than the standard model AC speaker. Also positioning with Planars being open backed can be an issue.
 

bonzo75

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I was just looking for the prices and found the following for Trios with 2 / 4 / 6 bass horn woofers:
54 k€ / 78 k€ / 102 k€ in 2009
72.1 k€ / 103.1 k€ / 134.1 k€ in 2018 :eek:

So buy now and sell 9 years later
 
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bonzo75

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I was just looking for the prices and found the following for Trios with 2 / 4 / 6 bass horn woofers:
54 k€ / 78 k€ / 102 k€ in 2009
72.1 k€ / 103.1 k€ / 134.1 k€ in 2018 :eek:

Maybe horn prices are going up because cones are losing their marketing edge? :rolleyes:
 
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spiritofmusic

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How much are the beefed up Trios w sturdier frames etc?
 

bonzo75

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How much are the beefed up Trios w sturdier frames etc?

Just put sand bags on them.

Actually the change they made in 2018 prices reflects their DRC
 

christoph

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And made in SPAIN which for me is a nice thing. Makes me chuckle a bit as they are using Italian sounding names. Why can't they be proud of 'made in Spain'.
I think the brand was originally from Italy.
Don't know why they moved to Spain
 

christoph

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morricab

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I was just looking for the prices and found the following for Trios with 2 / 4 / 6 bass horn woofers:
54 k€ / 78 k€ / 102 k€ in 2009
72.1 k€ / 103.1 k€ / 134.1 k€ in 2018 :eek:

That's some inflation...
 
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DaveyF

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One thing about the Alsyvox's is where they come up with their suggested retail prices is anybody's guess! Of course, we can say that about just about everything in this hobby these days, IMHO.:(
A good friend ( and not an a'phile) asked me just yesterday how the suggested retail price of some of the cartridges that I was discussing with her had been arrived at...my answer...whatever happened to pop into the reps's head, would be my guess.o_O:eek:
 

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