User211
Well-known member
Quite a few stills from the Kondo room here.
Munich Hi-End 2014 Hi-Fi Show Report
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User211
Well-known member
Exciting dynamic sound from the JBL Project Everest DD67000. Went in here multiple times. Just possibly a bit too "in your face" but a damned lively loudspeaker with the material I heard on them. I liked them quite a bit. Probably really good with electronic music and reggae looking at those bass drivers. You're not gonna get bored listening to these. You might not be able to "take it" at times, but boredom won't get you out of the room, adrenalin will.
Some very nice Mark Levinson kit in there too. Slideshow here.
Some very nice Mark Levinson kit in there too. Slideshow here.
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The JBL K2s well balanced but a bit sterile for me which might be the electronics.
The Mark Levinson kit included an integrated amp with a dac that will cost USD 12k. It has a built in clarifier which will fill in the missing info for low-res files
The Mark Levinson kit included an integrated amp with a dac that will cost USD 12k. It has a built in clarifier which will fill in the missing info for low-res files
User211
Well-known member
Comedy German Physik video. Just listen to that music. The sort of thing you'd expect to appear in a naff Russ Meyer soft porn movie, as the large breasted lady kitted out in trad German gear bends over to serve you a beer.
It sounded pretty good, though. I didn't return. Play something better, please. Almost as bad as the stuff they played at the Hong Kong Hi-Fi shows in 2008. Nothing is that bad, though:ROFL:
I think I am more of an MBL man than a German Physik type.
Slideshow here.
It sounded pretty good, though. I didn't return. Play something better, please. Almost as bad as the stuff they played at the Hong Kong Hi-Fi shows in 2008. Nothing is that bad, though:ROFL:
I think I am more of an MBL man than a German Physik type.
Slideshow here.
Dougster
Well-known member
"Diminishing returns set in £345K ago, LOL"- love it! What a crazy show.... Thanks for conveying some of the madness. post 21# video well worth it! Even on crappy you tubery it appeared to sound huge - how could it not with the views of them monsters.....and a lot less cultured than the Neoliths!
User211
Well-known member
It IS funny. I've just put my system on for the first time since I got back and I am absolutely smiling my tits off. It is only possible to do so well with a hi-fi system and chucking £500K+ at them won't alter that simple fact.
Justin, I just want to thank you for all your efforts to bring us these pictures, videos, and commentary on the show. Well done!
I also have to say that the Neolith appears to be exactly the type of speaker I had hoped ML would produce for like the last eight years or so. I am very impressed and it does restore a bit of hope for the direction the company is headed. The only gripe I have is that in my eyes it seems way over-priced. At five times or more the price of the Prodigy (the previous ML model that it most closely resembles in my opinion), it would appear ML is being a bit greedy. Kind of a shame, too, as I think they would sell a bucketload of these at a more reasonable price point. Can't wait to hear one for myself, though.
I also have to say that the Neolith appears to be exactly the type of speaker I had hoped ML would produce for like the last eight years or so. I am very impressed and it does restore a bit of hope for the direction the company is headed. The only gripe I have is that in my eyes it seems way over-priced. At five times or more the price of the Prodigy (the previous ML model that it most closely resembles in my opinion), it would appear ML is being a bit greedy. Kind of a shame, too, as I think they would sell a bucketload of these at a more reasonable price point. Can't wait to hear one for myself, though.
User211
Well-known member
I've really been thinking seriously about the price and what I'd be prepared to pay for a pair Rich. Versus the CLX in some ways it loses and it other ways it gains.
The CLX doesn't suffer from the panel on top and bass on the bottom bit, like all ML hybrids do. You have to hear that to appreciate it. However, it does sound a shitload more dynamic than the CLX could ever hope to. Construction wise, it is solid and it is massively better than the CLX in that respect. It sounds better than Wilsons do IMHO, so Joey if your watching, check a pair out ASAP.
I think there's a very good chance restored Apogee Full Ranges or Grands would kick it's butt pretty hard, though you'd have to travel to see Rich Murray to verify that, but at this price point it has to be worth it to see, if he even had a pair. I think there's only one restored pair of Grands in existence.
Getting back to planet earth in the sense that the ML Neolith is a real current production speaker that looks fantastic and is very capable indeed, I reckon about £30K to £35K. The speaker needs to be viable for ML, support a factory and its employees, will NOT have much going for it in terms of economies of scale, and at that price betters many at Munich on a performance per pound basis.
That said, wait a few years and buy a pair on the Gon for massively less. In 5 to 10 years time they won't have improved it that much. The limits are the limits. Something from the 1920s managed to **** on everything there in terms of enjoyment and involvement, but that was in some sense a cheat. GIP drivers circa 2014 were quite heavily involved, and so were some very modern, very expensive tube amps.
Nothing more than experience of what you like can help anyone out really. It's a personal trip...
The CLX doesn't suffer from the panel on top and bass on the bottom bit, like all ML hybrids do. You have to hear that to appreciate it. However, it does sound a shitload more dynamic than the CLX could ever hope to. Construction wise, it is solid and it is massively better than the CLX in that respect. It sounds better than Wilsons do IMHO, so Joey if your watching, check a pair out ASAP.
I think there's a very good chance restored Apogee Full Ranges or Grands would kick it's butt pretty hard, though you'd have to travel to see Rich Murray to verify that, but at this price point it has to be worth it to see, if he even had a pair. I think there's only one restored pair of Grands in existence.
Getting back to planet earth in the sense that the ML Neolith is a real current production speaker that looks fantastic and is very capable indeed, I reckon about £30K to £35K. The speaker needs to be viable for ML, support a factory and its employees, will NOT have much going for it in terms of economies of scale, and at that price betters many at Munich on a performance per pound basis.
That said, wait a few years and buy a pair on the Gon for massively less. In 5 to 10 years time they won't have improved it that much. The limits are the limits. Something from the 1920s managed to **** on everything there in terms of enjoyment and involvement, but that was in some sense a cheat. GIP drivers circa 2014 were quite heavily involved, and so were some very modern, very expensive tube amps.
Nothing more than experience of what you like can help anyone out really. It's a personal trip...
User211
Well-known member
Er... answering the question of what I'd actually be prepared to pay for a pair, I personally don't believe in buying hi-fi new if I can avoid it. Too many past classics at bargain prices to make that viable to me. However, it takes a lot of personal practical experience over many years to know what those bargains are, or what they are likely to be if you are feeling lucky.
The WE/GIP system isn't practical. I also wonder if the colouration/distortion factor wouldn't start to grate after a while, even though on short exposure they sound out of this world.
Hearing other stat implementations is interesting, and I have always found MLs to be the best examples of the breed personally. I wouldn't buy a pair is my honest answer these days though. I'm addicted to Apogees. I'd give my money to whatever Graz/Jon could come up with at higher price points.
The WE/GIP system isn't practical. I also wonder if the colouration/distortion factor wouldn't start to grate after a while, even though on short exposure they sound out of this world.
Hearing other stat implementations is interesting, and I have always found MLs to be the best examples of the breed personally. I wouldn't buy a pair is my honest answer these days though. I'm addicted to Apogees. I'd give my money to whatever Graz/Jon could come up with at higher price points.
amey01
Well-known member
Common feeling. Generally though Justin it's because you are familiar with it - not because it is necessarily better than anything you heard.
User211
Well-known member
Oh I don't know Adam. I'm familiar with my 2nd system and objectively that is ****ed on by 90% of what was there.
amey01
Well-known member
I don't know either. But you also know your secondary system is fcuked by your primary system, so there is that association too.
User211
Well-known member
I need a normal doctor.
amey01
Well-known member
One more pic from the interwebs:
While I'm not tempted for new pair, I am very eager to get those panels with clear-spars for my Monoliths. Maybe after a few production runs they'll sell me a set of panels.
My biggest disappointment with the updated panels in 2006 was they still had black spars.
My biggest disappointment with the updated panels in 2006 was they still had black spars.
Clear vs black is just an aesthetic thing. I rather like the look of the clear.
There is also one other major difference, and that is the count of spars. The Monolith panel has only 8, I count 14 on the Neolith panel. So it probably has better resonance control.
The perfs and the size of the panel are otherwise identical to the Monolith. The large perf size probably owing to the need to have sufficient rigidity in such a large panel.
There is also one other major difference, and that is the count of spars. The Monolith panel has only 8, I count 14 on the Neolith panel. So it probably has better resonance control.
The perfs and the size of the panel are otherwise identical to the Monolith. The large perf size probably owing to the need to have sufficient rigidity in such a large panel.
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