Revel salon 2 review
Sculpted to look like a solid, curved billet of mahogany the Salon2 ($21,998 per pair) is an architectural statement of design as well as performance. But it's the sound that's really got everyone talking.
This flagship floorstanding four-way system is the highest-performing speaker Revel has ever produced. Its reference-standard performance embodies the company's philosophy that there's no separation between art and accuracy; it celebrates the full expression and soul of the actual musical event, and its elegance is unmistakable.
The Salon2's most salient quality is clarity, a sense of transparency that makes it seem to remove the loudspeaker from the signal path. This crystalline coherence also allows instruments to retain their vividness and palpability both spatially and in tone color, and it reveals a level of detail that elevates the listening experience to new heights.
Combined with its outstanding imaging, the Salon2 delivers a breathtakingly expansive and realistic soundstage that creates an almost holographic sense of space and depth that's unmatched by any other speakers I've heard. It's a sensation that also allows musical details to emerge with remarkable clarity, such as the eloquent timbral shading of a flute, the shimmer of a guitar string, or the low pedal tones of the largest pipe organs.
In terms of bass, the Salon2 is a bit more mellow than its Performa F328Be stablemate, but it's still an excellent speaker. Its higher overall sensitivity and lower impedance also make it easier to drive, so it'll work well with everything from a middle-of-the-road AV receiver to the most muscular Mark Levinson products.
