Alsyvox - Hi end Munich 2022 - your thoughts

morricab said:

I think his point was a bit different. He was saying that the 20 something watt 845 amp would have more grunt than the JA30s.

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Yeah and surely yes, but the JA30s or the 845s were not planned and the JA30s were the only possibility at the last minute. It is what it is and no big deal. Next year we will be partnering Pilium with Alsyvox at Munich. Plenty of power and great sonics as well.

Alrainbow said:

part of your comment has a little fact mixed in with conjecture
did you tow your panels in the past ?
I never seen Maggie’s or apps towed
mine either but it’s a given mine has curved sides for I think time and stage effects

now there are modes that some have done to my Mids to help in standing waves inside the cage front and back.
it helps yet kills ambience a bit

no design is flawless always some kind of trade off
but what I heard in person
was a naked sound
that saying there here falls short of in fact as I heard

never did they sound in anyway muddy nor offensive
add to them not needing massive amps
enter many tube amps possibilities

from what I heard is a very improved panel speaker that is not like other panels I have heard including mine.
it is fast but has dynamics with extreme low end clarity
find a set to hear them comment back here.

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I don't think there's much conjecture I was really just being nice in the way I worded it with "I would argue".

Just a little imagination gives you the facts without even having to test it as long as you have a basic understanding of physics.

You don't even need that, really.

Let's make it easy.

The front and rear diaphragms are obscured by grills with magnet arrays mounted on them.

Imagine taking the front grill off. Then place that grill in water. Then push a clean, straight wave at the grill. The wave will be split up by the grill into smaller semi-circular waves.

The same thing will be happening with air. You just can't see it.

The real question is to what extent does this matter subjectively?

Notice loudspeaker manufacturers almost always demo at shows without grills because they know they adversely affect subjective performance.

They also don't place huge grills in front of their drivers like an Alsyvox grill made of steel, wood and an array of magnets to improve the sound, LOL.

What surprised me was how well the Caravaggio Munich 2019 demo showed the speaker could work with this apparent compromise.

The rear grill of an Apogee bass driver is full of holes that does the same. The front by a fine mesh lattice but when I remove that I can't hear any difference. Foam grills on dynamic speakers, and cloth ones, have been clearly detrimental on those I have owned.

I tow my much uprated custom built Apogee Duettas in by half an inch. So not much.

So anyone who wishes to explain where the conjecture is in that analysis is welcome to do so. I am all ears for any sort of improved insight.

User211 said:

I don't think there's much conjecture I was really just being nice in the way I worded it with "I would argue".

Just a little imagination gives you the facts without even having to test it as long as you have a basic understanding of physics.

You don't even need that, really.

Let's make it easy.

The front and rear diaphragms are obscured by grills with magnet arrays mounted on them.

Imagine taking the front grill off. Then place that grill in water. Then push a clean, straight wave at the grill. The wave will be split up by the grill into smaller semi-circular waves.

The same thing will be happening with air. You just can't see it.

The real question is to what extent does this matter subjectively?

Notice loudspeaker manufacturers at show almost always demo at shows without grills because they know they adversely affect subjective performance.

They also don't place huge grills in front of their drivers like an Alsyvox grill made of steel, wood and an array of magnets to improve the sound, LOL.

What surprised me was how well the Caravaggio Munich 2019 demo showed the speaker could work with this apparent compromise.

The rear grill of an Apogee bass driver is full of holes that does the same. The front by a fine mesh lattice but when I remove that I can't hear any difference.

I tow my much uprated custom built Apogee Duettas in by half an inch. So not much.

So anyone who wishes to explain where the conjecture is in that analysis is welcome to do so. I am all ears for any sort of improved insight.

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It's funny I would argue that I never even think of the Alsyvox speakers, regarding transducers, magnets etc, when I am listening to them. I literally only see/hear/enjoy the music. But I guess that's just me and a BUNCH of Alsyvox users around the globe.

This is with an Esoteric 30 Watt Class A SS integrated.

Man, even on that little mediocre video clip, those Alsyvox sound bloody marvellous!
I was just discussing this with the good wife last evening, and she asked me seriously... over 100grand for a panel speaker? Better be flawless. Then I said, wait! There are flaws according to others... they're designed with a compromise! Then she said, ah! Best that they fix the flaws and you can wait for the new version. So my answer to that was, once they fix those flaws in the current version and release the new version, that would most probably be around 200grand! That may also have flaws... so in which case why buy a panel type speaker that costs over 100grand with flaws? Doesn't make sense... but the quality of music being reproduced through them does!

Not so sure if I experienced any such flaws, other than perhaps that initial demo with the EC integrated, just wasn't upto par. Subsequent auditions with Jeff Rowland, CJ, Momentums, and a SE version of the KAN-Overture integrated amp, convinced me that 32w of pure Class A coming from EL34's are super magical on these panels. That audition was very very hard for me to let go and not continue with the purchase. Like I said, I saw wifey's image right there! Big ??... so I need to respect that.

Perhaps sometime in the future, let's see.
Cheers to all Alsyvox users and potential owners, these are without a doubt, in a class of their own.

I must also say one other thing, the pics really don't do justice to these beauties. You have to see these in person, and when you get up close to one of these, the sheer quality and meticulous craftsmanship just oozes with brilliance! The overall design is simply breathtaking! There's no denying it. Absolute class! Well done to the A-team.

Cheers, and enjoy those fine tunes
Woof! RJ

User211 said:

[...]

Just a little imagination gives you the facts without even having to test it as long as you have a basic understanding of physics.

You don't even need that, really.

[...]

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Yes, actually, we do.

The distance between the vertical grill pieces on an Alsyvox is smaller than most of the sound waves that carry most of the energy, in the music to which people listen.

If you don't believe me go try this: get another person, find a staircase that has balusters on the side spaced approximately the same distance apart as the vertical rails on an Alsyvox and the individual baluster widths the same as the Alsyvox rails. Have a conversation through the balusters. Except of course this experiment does not take into account that the radiating area of a human (the mouth diameter at the lips) is much smaller than the radiating area of an Alsyvox. So the we have to change the experiment to scale to a human mouth. In this case the balusters have to be nothing wider than thin wires, so instead use guitar strings. So try that - get some guitar strings, make a jig to line them up about 5mm apart (again to scale to fit the mouth width), have a conversation. I bet you will do fine.

Your claim about Magnepan not having front baffle issues is a non-starter because you've not mentioned the actual grill cloth on the Maggies. The user can't take that cloth off, and Magnepan designs their speakers so this cloth does attenuate the high frequencies. (You also seem unaware that Magnepan's flagship products are designed differently than their mass market products.)

And if you don't believe that, try the conversation exercise with a friend again but instead of balusters use some cheese cloth, doubled, and talk through it. You will find the hf rolled off (unlike with the balusters.)

Diffraction around edges is a real problem that has plagued loudspeaker designers but that is true for all speakers because all speakers have edges (even the MBL radial device). Given the reports here of people who actually own Alsyvox, it does not appear that their diffraction issues are worse than any other top-of-the-line speaker and given how listeners rave about their imaging and soundstage it is unlikely that diffraction is a user perceived problem with these speakers.

All of engineering is about compromises and all (and I do mean all) loudspeakers are sets of compromises.

Just to add; ever since I first heard a panel type speaker, I wasn't ready for it... openness, lack of distortion, no colorations, no artificial enhancements within a box/cabinet, and that sheer brilliance in transparency. What a revelation! That was if I recall, the Typani's, driven by Pass Labs and Krell gear. At just mid-teens it was a bit too much to comprehend but ever since over the decades, it became more apparent that I just preferred these types of true dipoles.

Over the years, dealership network as a side gig, many other types of speakers came and went. We set up so many different kinds of systems spanning the Sth East Asian region and whenever a panel type speaker was demoed, that particular customer ended up buying it. Panels aren't for everyone nor are they the ultimate. However, if and when properly set up, properly driven and the right type of music is played, they are untouchable!

When I was able to afford it, I started with Maggie's then Quads, Apogee's, back to Quads and now ML stats. That's all between an approx time frame from 1986 to 2018 when I finally got the CLX's, which were my dream speakers. A few more years passed and now it's 2022 moving into 2023... and when I first auditioned this weird name called Alsyvox... I first asked the dealer Alsy fox... what? No he said, Alsyvox! Oh! Whatever, let's have a listen then. From that first note onwards, it took me all the way back to 1986, where that first time experience on panels was a sheer marvel!

Just as before, the openness, lack of distortion lack of coloration, and brilliance in transparency just shifted onto another dimension, what a revelation!

I could say though that the newest Avant Garde Horns are super fast and have that absolute effortless drive in dynamics and transparency as well, an equally outstanding efficiency rating that's very easy to drive. So on those aspects, I would say similar startling speed and agility with such a soft velvet touch, nothing is forced, which is why I am very passionate about full range stats.

However, with these changes in tech & materials, design structure and those very powerful neodymium magnets, the level of performance that the A-vox team has been able to achieve is remarkable! I was just wondering at one point, whether they even really know the limits of these special ribbon transducers, and what they're capable of. It seems as if whatever you partner them with will work! Therefore, partner them with average to mediocre gear, the results will be average to mediocre... partner them with SOTA gear, and you will get SOTA performance, nothing less! Whereas with other types of speakers, sometimes the speakers do have limits and no matter what type of gear drives them, it reaches a certain point and that's it! They can't be pushed beyond that.

Not with these though, and I've now heard quite a few different types of amplifiers driving them, and they all sound completely different. So the choice is yours! You can certainly keep what you've got or go a step further and experience the sheer brilliance these ribbons can deliver.

The only thing holding these back is their price point. As I mentioned before, in Aus these cost more than a house or least way more than the initial down payment for one. They're not affordable by all means, and when you take into consideration something that's over 100grand as the starting point then this is a serious commitment. If I were to consider one of these Alsyvox models, I'm not looking at it from a prestige point of view, not one with a big ego either, nor to claim that my system is the best in the neighbourhood... none of those things. This is a type of speaker that if you're very serious about high quality recordings and would like to experience those high quality recordings at home, and have the financial means for it then I would very highly recommend any of the Alsyvox in the line. From their very first one, Tintorento to their multi-panel configs, there's one for every type of room.

Set them up properly, drive them with top quality gear, no compromises, and they will deliver! There's just no way of denying it once you've heard these things properly set up live. They're truly spectacular! I can't stress enough about these, and yes I'm overly excited about them just as I've ever been with my CLX's.

I will continue to be extremely proud of what I've achieved and put together as true Art form in a high end system, and I'm very pleased with it. So for now that's all I would ever need.

For those who have the means, and are seriously considering panel type speakers and dynamic driver types within this price range, must audition these before your final decision. Go some place where they have these set up well and you'll be truly amazed.
If I had the means and the space for a second SOTA system, this would be it!

A mighty WOOF!!! And do enjoy those fine tunes!
Cheers, RJ

Lots of keystrokes about design and “what-ifs”… the only real answer is to have a listen. I think you’ll find the Alsyvox are quite remarkable. Whether you like them or not will be the question, and if you don’t you might come up with theoretical reasons to diss on them if you’re so inclined (sad for you). So far, the folks who’ve listened at my place have said they are one of the very best speakers they’ve heard. I am inclined to agree. ymmv.

picears said:

Yes, actually, we do.

The distance between the vertical grill pieces on an Alsyvox is smaller than most of the sound waves that carry most of the energy, in the music to which people listen.

If you don't believe me go try this: get another person, find a staircase that has balusters on the side spaced approximately the same distance apart as the vertical rails on an Alsyvox and the individual baluster widths the same as the Alsyvox rails. Have a conversation through the balusters. Except of course this experiment does not take into account that the radiating area of a human (the mouth diameter at the lips) is much smaller than the radiating area of an Alsyvox. So the we have to change the experiment to scale to a human mouth. In this case the balusters have to be nothing wider than thin wires, so instead use guitar strings. So try that - get some guitar strings, make a jig to line them up about 5mm apart (again to scale to fit the mouth width), have a conversation. I bet you will do fine.

Your claim about Magnepan not having front baffle issues is a non-starter because you've not mentioned the actual grill cloth on the Maggies. The user can't take that cloth off, and Magnepan designs their speakers so this cloth does attenuate the high frequencies. (You also seem unaware that Magnepan's flagship products are designed differently than their mass market products.)

And if you don't believe that, try the conversation exercise with a friend again but instead of balusters use some cheese cloth, doubled, and talk through it. You will find the hf rolled off (unlike with the balusters.)

Diffraction around edges is a real problem that has plagued loudspeaker designers but that is true for all speakers because all speakers have edges (even the MBL radial device). Given the reports here of people who actually own Alsyvox, it does not appear that their diffraction issues are worse than any other top-of-the-line speaker and given how listeners rave about their imaging and soundstage it is unlikely that diffraction is a user perceived problem with these speakers.

All of engineering is about compromises and all (and I do mean all) loudspeakers are sets of compromises.

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Good post.

I don't think anything I said contradicts it.

One point though, I didn't mention Magnepan.

Attn: Bobbin

Sorry seems like I missed it... so you have the Alsyvox! Superb stuff mate, absolutely fantastic!

Which model do you own, and have you done the out-board crossovers as yet? They're bit pricey but worth it in my opinion. Takes the overall performance to yet another level. Also what amplifiers are you using?

I just had the wonderful opportunity of listening to these recently with the out-boards, and they were the new Botichelli-X. The owner is using the Bricasti M28 monoblocks, also on his other multi-panel / multi-driver speakers. Said he recently auditioned the A-vox driven by full line of Aries Ceret gear, and was mighty impressed! So, I think he's going to let go of the Bricasti and settle for either an integrated version of the Aries Ceret. I'm not sure if they make one though but he's very keen to keep the Bricasti preamp and partner it with the A-C monoblocks but that pricing is super high! So maybe the reason to consider the integrated version I guess. Either way, that would be another superb combination.

Anyway, that was a life changing moment for me, hence the slight over-enthusiasm at the moment...

Cheers, RJ

I recently got a chance to audition at some length the baby AlsyVox model, the Tintoretto, driven by an Aurender A30 and a Pilium integrated at Rhapsody’s West Palm Beach showroom. I am an Apogee Full Range owner, BTW. The Tintoretto speakers were placed way too close to the wall. But the very nice showroom proprietors, Socrates and Jakub, allowed me to reposition the speakers. After a lot of tweaking with various cuts of music I got them to sing. I was impressed by the uncolored midrange and the low distortion. Voices were reproduced quite accurately. Highs were smooth and not artificially textured or emphasized. Imaging was good but not great (more could probably be extracted from them here). These AlsyVoxs also did not have the sense of envelopment or immersion that the big Apogees have. They do not have the slam and lower midrange power that the big Apogees have (like live music also does). They sounded a little lean and forward. I have no doubts that more could be extracted from these “little” AlsyVoxs, and that the bigger models should address the shortcomings of the smaller system.

So, I was quite impressed and look forward to hearing the bigger models, maybe driven by tubes!

But my biggest issue is the pricing. The baby Tintoretto model costs something like $80,000. Yeah, I know, they’re all hand built by Daniele Cohen. And neodymium magnets are very expensive, but still the prices are awfully high. Maybe Rhapsody can influence AlsyVox to hire a production engineer with the goal of reducing costs without compromising quality. I hope so; this brand offers great promise!

Brian Beck said:

Maybe Rhapsody can influence AlsyVox to hire a production engineer with the goal of reducing costs without compromising quality.

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If he succeeds, we should hire Bob to repeat this feat with most brands

Brian Beck said:

I recently got a chance to audition at some length the baby AlsyVox model, the Tintoretto, driven by an Aurender A30 and a Pilium integrated at Rhapsody’s West Palm Beach showroom. I am an Apogee Full Range owner, BTW. The Tintoretto speakers were placed way too close to the wall. But the very nice showroom proprietors, Socrates and Jakub, allowed me to reposition the speakers. After a lot of tweaking with various cuts of music I got them to sing. I was impressed by the uncolored midrange and the low distortion. Voices were reproduced quite accurately. Highs were smooth and not artificially textured or emphasized. Imaging was good but not great (more could probably be extracted from them here). These AlsyVoxs also did not have the sense of envelopment or immersion that the big Apogees have. They do not have the slam and lower midrange power that the big Apogees have (like live music also does). They sounded a little lean and forward. I have no doubts that more could be extracted from these “little” AlsyVoxs, and that the bigger models should address the shortcomings of the smaller system.

So, I was quite impressed and look forward to hearing the bigger models, maybe driven by tubes!

But my biggest issue is the pricing. The baby Tintoretto model costs something like $80,000. Yeah, I know, they’re all hand built by Daniele Cohen. And neodymium magnets are very expensive, but still the prices are awfully high. Maybe Rhapsody can influence AlsyVox to hire a production engineer with the goal of reducing costs without compromising quality. I hope so; this brand offers great promise!

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Thank you for visiting the Florida Rhapsody listening room.

The situation with Alsyvox Is that Daniele has a hard time keeping up with demand for the speakers at the current pricing.

Rhapsody has sold 20 pair over the last 18 to 24 months.

Not sure why we would be trying to lower the price.

Rhapsody said:

Not sure why we would be trying to lower the price.

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The usual business reasons: lowered costs would stimulate increased sales volume along with more total profit, if managed well. And more people get to enjoy a fine speaker.

I’m NOT suggesting becoming another Magneplanar (as great as they are for the price).

For a whole lot less than $80K one can buy a pair of fully refurbished Apogee Full Ranges, Divas or Scintillas and still have money left over for a nice amplifier. Just sayin’.

The same goes for many boutique high end companies. I hear a lot of complaints about soaring high-end prices these days from fellow audiophiles. It was a theme muttered among AXPONA attendees that I talked to.

Brian Beck said:

The usual business reasons: lowered costs would stimulate increased sales volume along with more total profit, if managed well. And more people get to enjoy a fine speaker.

I’m NOT suggesting becoming another Magneplanar (as great as they are for the price).

For a whole lot less than $80K one can buy a pair of fully refurbished Apogee Full Ranges, Divas or Scintillas and still have money left over for a nice amplifier. Just sayin’.

The same goes for many boutique high end companies. I hear a lot of complaints about soaring high-end prices these days from fellow audiophiles. It was a theme muttered among AXPONA attendees that I talked to.

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Alsyvox has a very calculated business model and it is in alignment with the amount of speakers that Alsyvox can comfortably deliver with maintaining the hand made precision artisan craftsmanship.

All the best to those that want to purchase refurbished Apogees. OR the 100+other speakers that are available in the global marketplace. We wish them well.

Alsyvox is meeting the global demands for those that prefer the Alsyvox product offerings at their price points.

When you get a chance you should take a listen to the larger Alsyvox models WITH the external crossovers.

Many folks after hearing Botticelli X feel that the pricing is totally in line with th rendered performance and open their wallets as proof that the pricing is comfortable compared to other products in the market at the same price points.

Not for everyone of course but for many Alsyvox is an easy and comfortable choice.

What you heard in Florida was just a hint of the Alsyvox sound.

Big Dog RJ said:

Attn: Bobbin

Sorry seems like I missed it... so you have the Alsyvox! Superb stuff mate, absolutely fantastic!

Which model do you own, and have you done the out-board crossovers as yet? They're bit pricey but worth it in my opinion. Takes the overall performance to yet another level. Also what amplifiers are you using?

I just had the wonderful opportunity of listening to these recently with the out-boards, and they were the new Botichelli-X. The owner is using the Bricasti M28 monoblocks, also on his other multi-panel / multi-driver speakers. Said he recently auditioned the A-vox driven by full line of Aries Ceret gear, and was mighty impressed! So, I think he's going to let go of the Bricasti and settle for either an integrated version of the Aries Ceret. I'm not sure if they make one though but he's very keen to keep the Bricasti preamp and partner it with the A-C monoblocks but that pricing is super high! So maybe the reason to consider the integrated version I guess. Either way, that would be another superb combination.

Anyway, that was a life changing moment for me, hence the slight over-enthusiasm at the moment...

Cheers, RJ

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Hey RJ, my new retirement gig as a remote showroom for Rhapsody.Audio means I have the great pleasure to have three amazing speakers in-house—the Alsyvox Botticelli X, the Bayz CounterPoint 2.0, and Diesis Roma.

At this time, I am driving all with Pilium Alexander pre-amp, and Achilles power amp.

And I do mean its a great pleasure. My prior kit included Audio Research REF10 pre-amp and REF 160M power amps, along with Wilson Alexia v1. The Pilium is another level for sure, though I do wish I still had the ARC kit on-hand to compare and contrast on each speaker. Most likely I'll bring in some VAC pieces to satisfy those folks who'd like to hear any of the speakers with tubes. That said, I am like Bob.east (Bob @ Rhapsody) in listening with Pilium I do not find myself longing for some "tooby-ness."

The Botticelli X is a stunning speaker. Beautiful to look at, astonishing in its sonic delivery. The wife acceptance factor is very high, meaning for a lot of folks it can fit into the home without having to have a special room. Of course, a nice room helps, and the benefit of the X-ternal crossovers is you can tweak the speakers a little if your space is super lively or heavily damped.

The sonics of the Botticelli X — seem to be amazingly balanced across the frequency spectrum, with resolution and ability scale that puts my older Alexia to shame. I loved that ARC / Wilson rig, it brought me many nights of pleasure. But the Pilium and any of these other speakers simply elevates the experience to be so much more realistic. The Alsyvox and the Bayz have the ability to play deeper than the Diesis, but honestly unless someone is coming for an audition I never feel the desire to swap out whatever was last setup.

I will say the Alsyvox will likely appeal to a more traditional idea of "presentation" than the Bayz. I had the Alsyvox setup for about 6 weeks up until last weekend, loving every listening session. Then I swapped in the Bayz and immediately I thought "whoa, these are F'n amazing too." There is, IMHO, no give with respect to resolution or balance across the spectrum, but the presentation of an omni is quite special too when you hear how well it is done by Bayz. (I like it more than MBL, but that is my opinion, I speak for no-one else.)

But, this is the Alsyvox thread so I'll return to that—and how much fun I have queuing up Copeland's Fanfare for the Common Man and then watching my guests jaws drop when the tympani comes crashing in. First they pick their jaw up off the floor, then smile, then they have that look of "really, a panel just did that?" Besides stunning dynamics, they also play with delicacy and nuance if you're listening to Miles Davis being one with that horn.

So yep, the Botticelli are the real deal. I can't imagine anyone not being supremely satisfied owning pair. Sure, lots of competition out there, and people have different tastes, but for a speaker that ticks all the audiophile boxes, is easy to make sound good in almost any room, is easy to drive, and has a very high WAF while not looking like a Transformer, the Alsyvox should be heard by anyone shopping in this upper echelon of audiophile toys.

I try not to get too gushy over any of this kit I am now representing for Rhapsody, but now and then I feel its OK to let my enthusiasm show through, these are remarkable tools.

Bobvin said:

Hey RJ, my new retirement gig as a remote showroom for Rhapsody.Audio means I have the great pleasure to have three amazing speakers in-house—the Alsyvox Botticelli X, the Bayz CounterPoint 2.0, and Diesis Roma.

At this time, I am driving all with Pilium Alexander pre-amp, and Achilles power amp.

And I do mean its a great pleasure. My prior kit included Audio Research REF10 pre-amp and REF 160M power amps, along with Wilson Alexia v1. The Pilium is another level for sure, though I do wish I still had the ARC kit on-hand to compare and contrast on each speaker. Most likely I'll bring in some VAC pieces to satisfy those folks who'd like to hear any of the speakers with tubes. That said, I am like Bob.east (Bob @ Rhapsody) in listening with Pilium I do not find myself longing for some "tooby-ness."

The Botticelli X is a stunning speaker. Beautiful to look at, astonishing in its sonic delivery. The wife acceptance factor is very high, meaning for a lot of folks it can fit into the home without having to have a special room. Of course, a nice room helps, and the benefit of the X-ternal crossovers is you can tweak the speakers a little if your space is super lively or heavily damped.

The sonics of the Botticelli X — seem to be amazingly balanced across the frequency spectrum, with resolution and ability scale that puts my older Alexia to shame. I loved that ARC / Wilson rig, it brought me many nights of pleasure. But the Pilium and any of these other speakers simply elevates the experience to be so much more realistic. The Alsyvox and the Bayz have the ability to play deeper than the Diesis, but honestly unless someone is coming for an audition I never feel the desire to swap out whatever was last setup.

I will say the Alsyvox will likely appeal to a more traditional idea of "presentation" than the Bayz. I had the Alsyvox setup for about 6 weeks up until last weekend, loving every listening session. Then I swapped in the Bayz and immediately I thought "whoa, these are F'n amazing too." There is, IMHO, no give with respect to resolution or balance across the spectrum, but the presentation of an omni is quite special too when you hear how well it is done by Bayz. (I like it more than MBL, but that is my opinion, I speak for no-one else.)

But, this is the Alsyvox thread so I'll return to that—and how much fun I have queuing up Copeland's Fanfare for the Common Man and then watching my guests jaws drop when the tympani comes crashing in. First they pick their jaw up off the floor, then smile, then they have that look of "really, a panel just did that?" Besides stunning dynamics, they also play with delicacy and nuance if you're listening to Miles Davis being one with that horn.

So yep, the Botticelli are the real deal. I can't imagine anyone not being supremely satisfied owning pair. Sure, lots of competition out there, and people have different tastes, but for a speaker that ticks all the audiophile boxes, is easy to make sound good in almost any room, is easy to drive, and has a very high WAF while not looking like a Transformer, the Alsyvox should be heard by anyone shopping in this upper echelon of audiophile toys.

I try not to get too gushy over any of this kit I am now representing for Rhapsody, but now and then I feel its OK to let my enthusiasm show through, these are remarkable tools.

View attachment 94404

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Wow nice place
the bayz speakers are just a brain freeze to look at as it just don’t compute
But they are also stunning in sound not pumping things up. enjoy
the panels are great to look at as well as hear
it’s just audio eye candy to me. when I think
back of past legacy stuff still great today the two models show me we have leaped foward in looks and sound

Nice one Bobvin, real tops mate!

Especially coming from ARC gear and Wilson's. Absolutely nothing wrong with ARC and Wilson's, another fine combination but of course panels are totally different and don't rely on any cabinet work to reinforce their sound.

Yes, I must say the out-board crossovers make a difference and a very audible one indeed. I guess this is where you can really focus on extra performance with upgrades in the parts they use in these external crossovers. The first time I heard the Botichelli were on its own, driven with Momentums both pre & power, it was awe-inspiring! After that I didn't get a chance to visit my good mate and hear his updated B-X version, which he's now running with CJ's top of the line 160w Class A monoblocks. He's moved the big CJ ART300's to drive the CLX's now, and still uses the Momentum preamp.

I was wondering whether I'd get a chance in Feb given the current situation... then for my fortunate day, a long lost mate contacted me and said he's just taken delivery of the B-X version and wanted to know if I would like to come over for a listen. Hell yeah! So a 4hr drive was fully worth it. Incredible! Room and gear setup is so critical with these, they can make or break the overall performance. And the best part is you don't have to go overboard with cables and accessories, the elevated performance is quite obvious even at the mid-level of such accessories. Mate is Spore is using a full Odin loom, obviously outstanding! However, the chap here uses Tyr2 and Frey2 series, which is very similar to what I'm using, so all in all top notch stuff . It's more than adequate.

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and your gear. Great achievement I must say, superb!
WOOF!!! RJ

Bobvin said:

Hey RJ, my new retirement gig as a remote showroom for Rhapsody.Audio means I have the great pleasure to have three amazing speakers in-house—the Alsyvox Botticelli X, the Bayz CounterPoint 2.0, and Diesis Roma.

At this time, I am driving all with Pilium Alexander pre-amp, and Achilles power amp.

And I do mean its a great pleasure. My prior kit included Audio Research REF10 pre-amp and REF 160M power amps, along with Wilson Alexia v1. The Pilium is another level for sure, though I do wish I still had the ARC kit on-hand to compare and contrast on each speaker. Most likely I'll bring in some VAC pieces to satisfy those folks who'd like to hear any of the speakers with tubes. That said, I am like Bob.east (Bob @ Rhapsody) in listening with Pilium I do not find myself longing for some "tooby-ness."

The Botticelli X is a stunning speaker. Beautiful to look at, astonishing in its sonic delivery. The wife acceptance factor is very high, meaning for a lot of folks it can fit into the home without having to have a special room. Of course, a nice room helps, and the benefit of the X-ternal crossovers is you can tweak the speakers a little if your space is super lively or heavily damped.

The sonics of the Botticelli X — seem to be amazingly balanced across the frequency spectrum, with resolution and ability scale that puts my older Alexia to shame. I loved that ARC / Wilson rig, it brought me many nights of pleasure. But the Pilium and any of these other speakers simply elevates the experience to be so much more realistic. The Alsyvox and the Bayz have the ability to play deeper than the Diesis, but honestly unless someone is coming for an audition I never feel the desire to swap out whatever was last setup.

I will say the Alsyvox will likely appeal to a more traditional idea of "presentation" than the Bayz. I had the Alsyvox setup for about 6 weeks up until last weekend, loving every listening session. Then I swapped in the Bayz and immediately I thought "whoa, these are F'n amazing too." There is, IMHO, no give with respect to resolution or balance across the spectrum, but the presentation of an omni is quite special too when you hear how well it is done by Bayz. (I like it more than MBL, but that is my opinion, I speak for no-one else.)

But, this is the Alsyvox thread so I'll return to that—and how much fun I have queuing up Copeland's Fanfare for the Common Man and then watching my guests jaws drop when the tympani comes crashing in. First they pick their jaw up off the floor, then smile, then they have that look of "really, a panel just did that?" Besides stunning dynamics, they also play with delicacy and nuance if you're listening to Miles Davis being one with that horn.

So yep, the Botticelli are the real deal. I can't imagine anyone not being supremely satisfied owning pair. Sure, lots of competition out there, and people have different tastes, but for a speaker that ticks all the audiophile boxes, is easy to make sound good in almost any room, is easy to drive, and has a very high WAF while not looking like a Transformer, the Alsyvox should be heard by anyone shopping in this upper echelon of audiophile toys.

I try not to get too gushy over any of this kit I am now representing for Rhapsody, but now and then I feel its OK to let my enthusiasm show through, these are remarkable tools.

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Lovely room Bob, they fit there perfectly. IMHO Botticelli X are a sweet spot of the offer and still coming at the price that real man can afford. Upper models are obviously supreme but who said that we all should drive Aston Martins ? Enjoy your sessions with them in this stunning room.

mr.gregdee said:

. IMHO Botticelli X are a sweet spot of the offer and still coming at the price that real man can afford.

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90K? Maybe real men but certainly not average men.

Rhapsody said:

Not sure how many times I have to say this, I've said I think three or four times. The JA80s were scheduled to be used but something happened logistically and the JA30s were all that was available to use at the last minute. I've heard the JA80s and they light the speaker up with deep low bass and great attack.

Edit- Having said the above I have a few customers that have smaller sized rooms, ie 13' X 17" X 8'. They only listen to vinyl and at 70/75 db levels max. For these customers the JA30s would be all that they need.

Customers in larger rooms that play at higher levels would probably choose more powerful amplification to drive any of the Alsyvox models. It's one of the nifty qualities about the Alsyvox speakers, they can work for a lot of different type of listeners in a lot of different listening environments.

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Hi Bob,
Thanks for the info. my apologies for having you repeat. I’m juggling multiple projects and way, way, way behind on my audio reading. ( and considering all the platonic intellectual masturbation in most threads about stuff guys haven’t even heard , I’m sure I’m missing some good information, but not much.)

Nevertheless, I’m surprised Jadis wasn’t prepared for the show with what many regard as some of the best amps they make, or anyone makes in this hobby. Kinda of like Nadal not prepared with relevant equipment for the French Open.