jdm56 Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 This is from a Chinese audio show report on the Stereophile website: Barque & Consonance's Opera Consonance M15 mates a 15" woofer with a unique multicell horn tweeter. Sensitivity is 98dB (!) and frequency range is rate at 30Hz20kHz. The tweeter handles everything above 500Hz. Price would be around $10,000/pair USD, not including distribution costs. They were stunningly dynamic and not shouty at allat least on the acoustic vocal music I was listening to. I walked back in a few minutes later and they were pumping out amplified music, which was not to my taste at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soundbound Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 Nice! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted December 4, 2006 Author Share Posted December 4, 2006 Did you ever see a port that big before? At least if a mouse got in there, the cat could go right in after it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coytee Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 And at my house, the dog(s) would be chasing right after the cat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 the specs suck except for the low 500 hertz horn extention. That horn seems to be a aeroport 6 inch flared port Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheEAR Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 Specs suck! I would not be so fast to discredit a speaker. Specs do not tell half the story. Depends how revealing the speakers are in the band they cover,how transparent...and if the midrange magic operates. 40hz extension is fine,I would even cut these at 50Hz and let dual JL Audio f113's take the bottom. [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 10000 dollars for specs that are worse then my rf-83? But good point, I can't be judgemental, just that it has a bigger 15 inch cone, bigger enclosure and a horn that is crazy big? also the sensitivity is 98 db? I would expect something. Maybe it really is a sleeper within the specs but I will keep my rf-83 thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvel Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 The horn isn't that big. Just remember that is a 15 inch woofer. No worse that a 511B for sure, and way more attractive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mungkiman Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 so, do I understand correctly that this is a 2-way (ported) design? if so, the "tweeter" doesn't appear that different from K-5-J mid lenses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted December 4, 2006 Author Share Posted December 4, 2006 I doubt that anyone shopping for a pair of big ol' horns at the $10K price point is very concerned with specs, well, other than sensitivity, maybe. Besides, I didn't see anything wrong with those specs! They look pretty darned good to me. But, whatever you think of the specs, it's still a gorgeous speaker, imho. By the way, did anyone else ever think it a bit curious that big horns are so popular in the crowded far East? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilMays Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 Pheww, I thought I might find a picture of me after I read the thread title.....phewww Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted December 4, 2006 Author Share Posted December 4, 2006 No-no-no, my friend. This thread is rated E for "everyone"! (in keeping with the new company line!) [] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jt1stcav Posted December 4, 2006 Share Posted December 4, 2006 They are sweet looking, and they may just sound nearly as good as Cornwalls or La Scalas. But I'm sorry, I don't feel they justify being worth ten grand! No piece of audio gear should cost that much (or more) IMO. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jdm56 Posted December 5, 2006 Author Share Posted December 5, 2006 Yeah, 10K seems kinda steep. Now, for $2500 I'm interested! [Y] I don't think I've ever seen a speaker I thought was actually worth $10,000 to me. A B&W 801...maybe it's worth it, but not to me; not in my world. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgeraci Posted December 5, 2006 Share Posted December 5, 2006 10000 dollars for specs that are worse then my rf-83? But good point, I can't be judgemental, just that it has a bigger 15 inch cone, bigger enclosure and a horn that is crazy big? also the sensitivity is 98 db? I would expect something. Maybe it really is a sleeper within the specs but I will keep my rf-83 thanks Just curious, what other horn-loaded speakers have you heard other than the Klipsch Reference series? I understand that you really like your rf-83s and I bet they sound really great in your dorm room. These latest offerings from Opera Audio remind me of some of the larger Altec two-way models from the 60-80s (sort of like a cross between a 846B and a 19), and if the larger driver running that multi-cell is good quality (which I think it is), I bet they sound pretty good - or at least as good as my former modded Altecs. http://www.opera-consonance.com/products/M15.htm Don't get me wrong, RF83s sound good to me, and I've owned Dean-modded RF-7s, but I would consider those "small" horns. On the other hand, there is just something special (at least to my ears) about the sound of middle to larger horns, and these appear to qualify. I would quibble with the higher price, but I bet some "audiophiles" expect it. So, you can keep your rf-83s based solely on the specs (even though the operaaudio specs are pretty good), but I would take a pair of these (if someone was offering for free) in a heartbeat. Actually, as far as specs go, compare a pair of these to the new Cornwalls...... We need to expand your horizons to include the auditioning of a variety of larger horns, from different manufacturers - to give you perspective. Then, if you believe your rf-83s sound better, then that's fine......After all, usually speaker preferences are more subjective as opposed to objective (specs)..... Carl. P.S. Actually, the pair cuts the crossover over at 1000hz, which is what I would expect for a two-way ported speaker like this (Altec initially used 800hz and then moved up the chain to 1200 hz later on). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay481985 Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 First I have heard aweful pa horns from ev to some awful jbl pa audio etc etc always way to loud and way to harsh. Other horns, well it is true I have heard far and few true horns heck I am tracking down some heritage stuff to listen to but the fact is, the market is against all types of speakers like this. First its too big for the bose people, second they price it way to high to make it esoteric but lose the market they could have by pricing it within the means of more people, and since I cannot go out and just listen to a pair of these speakers as easy as me walking into any electronics store and go straight to the bose setup I can only base it on specs for now. Does anyone even know where one pair of these even exists? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cjgeraci Posted December 6, 2006 Share Posted December 6, 2006 There is no doubt that medium sized speakers such as those pictured and other larger horns appeal to a limited segment of the population because of their size and shape - and therefore, most of the larger speakers are not readily available to listen to at most hi-fi stores. I only meant to remind you not to rush to judgment based solely on specs because I have heard a number of larger horn speakers that might surprise you - compared to your Reference series. Yes, you need to hear some nice larger Heritage or Altec speakers. Carl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.