[John Schuermann]

Got permission to post what Harman / Revel / JBL will be showing next week at T.H.E. Show Newport, in Irvine CA, June 3-5:

Revel 5.1 Room

2 Revel F36 Concerta2 towers
1 Revel C25 Concerta2 center
4 Revel M16 Concerta2 bookshelf speakers (surround duty)
2 Revel B10 subwoofers
JBL Synthesis SDP25 Surround Processor
JBL Synthesis SDEC3500 System Equalizer
JBL Synthesis SDA7200 7 channel amplifier​

JBL 2 Channel Room:

1 pair JBL K2 Speakers
2 Mark Levinson No536 400 watt mono amps
1 Mark Levinson No519 audio player
1 Mark Levinson No526 pre-amplifier​

JBL / Revel / Mark Levinson Hospitality Room:

Revel F206 Performa 3 Speakers
Revel Studio2 Ultima2 Speakers
Mark Levinson No585 Preamplifier
JBL K2 Speakers (static)
JBL 4367 (static)
JBL S3900 (static)
Mark Levinson No536 400 watt mono amp (static)
Mark Levinson No519 audio player (static)
Mark Levinson No526 pre-amplifier (static)​

For more info on the show, check it out here: http://theshownewport.com/

 

[Ericglo]

It is at least a short trip for them.

 

[rabident]

Do you think the introduction of the 4367 under the Synthesis banner spells the end of demos using the M2 (in all but the true Pro space)? Wonder if we will see a similar M2 based system at Cedia this year, or something based around the 4367.

 

[cannga]

Got permission to post what Harman / Revel / JBL will be showing next week at T.H.E. Show Newport, in Irvine CA, June 3-5:

1 pair JBL K2 Speakers
2 Mark Levinson No536 400 watt mono amps
1 Mark Levinson No519 audio player
1 Mark Levinson No526 pre-amplifier​

JBL / Revel / Mark Levinson Hospitality Room:
For more info on the show, check it out here: http://theshownewport.com/

Thanks for the notice. This is the $30,000 JBL flagship K2 S9900? I will visit for sure - appears to be a great and extremely interesting speaker. Did not know the original K2 was popular among Japanese single-ended triode extremists .

Horn speaker has an amazing "jump factor" as I found out in a demo at the same show last year. I expect this big bad boy to take it to another level.

 

[John Schuermann]

Do you think the introduction of the 4367 under the Synthesis banner spells the end of demos using the M2 (in all but the true Pro space)? Wonder if we will see a similar M2 based system at Cedia this year, or something based around the 4367.

I have no idea on this one, though I don't get any impression that Synthesis is moving away from M2 / LSR708 based systems. It was the Synthesis guys that got me the LSR708 plots.

I do know that they are hard at work on new SKUs, but they always are.

 

[John Schuermann]

Thanks for the notice. This is the $30,000 JBL flagship K2 S9900? I will visit for sure - appears to be a great and extremely interesting speaker. Did not know the original K2 was popular among Japanese single-ended triode extremists .

Horn speaker has an amazing "jump factor" as I found out in a demo at the same show last year. I expect this big bad boy to take it to another level.

Yup, although the K2 / S9900 actually lists out at $22K each

Enjoy!

 

[cannga]

BTW for those in Los Angeles, if you join LA Audio Society today, you get to attend the THE HIGH END SHOW Newport Beach for free. Today is the last day of this freebee I think http://www.laocas.com/ .

This is a huge show teeming with people who are serious and seriously OCD about sound and music, and it seems to get ever bigger and more important. I think it's worth a visit - you don't get a chance to listen to $44,000 speakers very often, here demo'ed by JBL/Harman staffs who no doubt are out to prove a point and show their best work.

 

[John Schuermann]

For anyone going to T.H.E. Show Newport this weekend, here are the Harman room numbers:

1108
JBL K2 with Mark Levinson electronics

1110
Revel Concerta2 system with JBL Synthesis electronics

1111
Hospitality room with Mark Levinson, JBL and Revel

 

[cannga]

For anyone going to T.H.E. Show Newport this weekend, here are the Harman room numbers:
1108
JBL K2 with Mark Levinson electronics
1110
Revel Concerta2 system with JBL Synthesis electronics
1111
Hospitality room with Mark Levinson, JBL and Revel

The show is in FULL swing; it's fantastic to be among kindred spirits (music lovers & toy accumulators). Pictures later but I am in a hurry heading back again this morning and just want to leave a quick note. The Harman team was active and enthusiastic. The demo was very well prepared, but deep pocket Harman needs to pay a little more and get a bigger room for the K2 next year (bass problem in such a small room for this big bad boy). How about one of those larger salons on the first floor of the Irvine Hotel?

Kidding aside, an informative and fascinating contrast between the 2 Harman flagships as they are in rooms right next to each other: the famed K2 (horn/compression drivers) and equally famous Revel (cone and dome). One has a huge dynamic jump factor and could go effortless loud. It's like a Porsche Turbo that just wants to jump the gun and go fast and loud. The other has clean, clear, and focused image, very little subjective "background" noise (the so called "black background"). Like a Lotus Elise with steering seemingly wired to driver's brain. I leave you to guess which is which.

Two hallowed speakers could not sound more differently from each other. I have a distinct preference for the Revel, and shared my thought regarding the sound of the K2 horn speaker with Kevin Voecks, and he didn't seem to disagree . This is why IMHO the speakers should be the first component picked in any system - it has huge influence on how a system sounds. IMHO.

 

[cannga]

BTW the top of the line Revel Ultima Salon 2 is actually in a separate room, the Ayon room on first floor lobby. This is one of my all time most favorite speakers and it didn't disappoint. Tight, clean, clear, punchy, imaging, soundstage - this Harman baby has it all. Except for deepest bass.

 

[noah katz]

BTW the top of the line Revel Ultima Salon 2 is actually in a separate room, the Ayon room on first floor lobby.

Is this the Revel alluded to in post #9, i.e. the two speakers compared were in different rooms?

 

[cannga]

Is this the Revel alluded to in post #9, i.e. the two speakers compared were in different rooms?

Sorry Noah for the confusion. The Harman speakers were in separate rooms; it's the rooms that were right next to each other.

All 3 rooms for Harman are way too small, especially for the K2, which resulted in some mid bass resonance. (The way to test around this of course is to play eg a vocal/acoustic track without too much or too deep bass. Then I could at least evaluate midrange, image, soundstage, etc.) Would have been nicer for deep-pocket Harman to rent one of those larger salons downstairs .

 

[noah katz]

... an informative and fascinating contrast between the 2 Harman flagships as they are in rooms right next to each other: the famed K2 (horn/compression drivers) and equally famous Revel (cone and dome).

Actually my fault for missing the clearly stated fact that they were *not* in the same room.

In which case I'll point out that comparing them is a bit questionable.

 

[wse]

The Best!

Sorry Noah for the confusion. The Harman speakers were in separate rooms; it's the rooms that were right next to each other.

All 3 rooms for Harman are way too small, especially for the K2, which resulted in some mid bass resonance. (The way to test around this of course is to play eg a vocal/acoustic track without too much or too deep bass. Then I could at least evaluate midrange, image, soundstage, etc.) Would have been nicer for deep-pocket Harman to rent one of those larger salons downstairs .

This system was my favorite went back four times to listen

I know what I am buying if I win the lottery!!

 

[cannga]

The other Revel room - with big brother Ultima, and middle class Performa.

BTW little brother Concerta 2 is not shown here, but for those in the budget for $1000 speaker such as Elac, etc., I would vote to pay $1000 more for the small $2000 Revel Concerta2 (IIRC pls check my info and correct as needed), which to my ears and IMHO bring you to an entirely higher level of resolution and good sound. A capable introduction to high end sound and the one that Kevin Voecks were demo'ing for us.