Having the Raffaello s know for 4 weeks in house i like to say some words about this Masterwork of Daniele Coen.
I've had many world class speakers over the last 20 years: Rockport Hyperion, Rockport Arrakis, Peak Consult Dragon Legend, Sonus Faber The Fenice all of those were great speakers carefully selected by me using my knowledge, experience and ears, I had a lot of fun and wonderful musical moments with them all.
Alsyvox Raffaello is completely in a different class than the aforementioned speakers. The most fundamental difference with these speakers is that you have a completely different listening experience and learn to listen to music in a completely different way. We all know that all high-end makers claim that the product they produce is a reference for "Live Music", but in which "Live Music". No concert hall sounds the same, no saxophonist or virtuoso violinist sounds the same and to make it even more complicated no violinist sounds the same at every concert....
Imitating real "Live Sound" is just an approach, a wish, a reference, a dream. Like a painting, let's say, of a vase of flowers, no matter how perfectly it is painted, it is never the same as the real vase of flowers, nor is it the same as a photograph of this vase of flowers... I often go to a live concert and then come back home and swear it sounds better or much better on my playback and sometimes it's impossible to match the beauty and impact of the concert I heard that night. With Raffaello, the picture of the vase is also not exactly the same as reality, but it is even more beautiful at times, it is so transparent, so dynamically fast that it can cry, scream, be silky smooth and hit very hard.
I was little concerned about the bass performance as I was very spoiled with Sonus Faber Fenice's bass, but nothing to worry about, even the bass performance is world class and that on a Ribbon speaker (!).
To me, the most fundamental shortcoming of most conventional loudspeakers is the tweeter. I dislike most modern tweeters and Berylium tweeters in particular. It's a big hoax that audiophiles have been led to believe that beryllium tweeters are better! Berylium tweeters sound weak, uncolored and bad to my ears, they usually make SSSSSSS sounds, but high frequencies, for example the cymbals on a drum, also make ShShShSh and ChChChCh sounds.... That Rockport speakers have moved to Berylium tweeters, was one of the main reasons I stopped listening and selling Rockport speakers. One of the best modern tweeters I've heard is the Dynaudio Esotar tweeter used on the Rockport Hyperion and Sonus Extrema. If you've ever heard those speaker in a great system, you'll know why the highs were so rich sounding.
Coming back to Raffaello, one of the strongest points of the Raffaello is the beautiful Ribbon Super Tweeter, the highs are very rich and perfectly in harmonic line and the time coincides with the upper mids. The Drummers stick hard or soft where the top or middle of the stick can be heard and felt. On every other record there is a completely different sound environment and atmosphere.The midrange is as good and present as it needs to be. Violin and Trumpet are very natural and rich with the angles of brass and the resonance of the wood perfectly displayed.
Daniele Coen has created a masterpiece and certainly for the price it is reasonable and you might expect this level sure! But without giving names i know some speakers that cost double as Alsyvox Raffaello who cannot light a candle on Raffaello! Well done Daniel, thank for you creating this beauties.......
