The Dynaudio Arbiters are here

[Jazzhead]

Great stuff!!! Thanks for the photos! Look forward to your listening impressions! If possible, i am just as interested in reading about your impressions of the speakers as the amps.

+1

 

[Roysen]

Great stuff!!! Thanks for the photos! Look forward to your listening impressions! If possible, i am just as interested in reading about your impressions of the speakers as the amps.

Hi Lloyd,

The Arbiters have only yet been installed into my friends listening room. We have not yet hade a chance to do any serious listening. He will use my Lyra Connoissuer 3.0 preamplifier and my Soulution 745 CD/SACD player as front end. We will have a nice evening of listening after the Easter holidays. I will report back on my impressions. I do however know the speakers quite well having been part of a hifi-show where we showed this particular pair. At that time we used an all Soulution front end.

The Rockport Altairs are without a doubt the best speakers I have yet heard.

 

[LL21]

Hi Lloyd,

The Arbiters have only yet been installed into my friends listening room. We have not yet hade a chance to made any serious listening. He will use my Lyra Connoissuer 3.0 preamplifier and my Soulution 745 CD/SACD player as front end. We will have a nice evening of listening after the Easter holidays. I will report back on my impressions. I do however know the speakers quite well having been part of a hifi-show where we showed this particular pair. At that time we used an all Soulution front end.

Thanks, Roysen. Understood. We have spoken in the past about Rockports, Magicos and Wilsons. I cannot remember if it was you who told me...the Rockports were in some respects a combination of the 2...that depending on electronics with the big Arrakis, one could lean them towards the extreme detail/fast delivery side of Magico, or lean them towards Wilson Alexandria. Sorry if my recollection is not good.

Any insights as to how the Altairs compare with the Alexandria or Q7? I have read that they are among the most coherent speakers with incredibly good delivery of tonal beauty...very very quick delivery of transients without etching...but perhaps a slightly smaller dynamic range/soundstage than the larger Alexandria. I have spoken with dealers of both the Altair and Q7 that they personally prefer the Altair on an absolute basis but particularly when one considers cost.

EDIT: Thanks for adding that last sentence about Altairs being the best you have yet heard. just saw that.

 

[Jazzhead]

The Rockport Altairs are without a doubt the best speakers I have yet heard.

Roysen , from the above statement am assuming that you brought the Q7 unheard ?

 

[Roysen]

Yes, I have bought the Q7 without actually having heard it. I have listened to the Q5, the Q3, the M5 and the Mini several times. I really like the Q5 but I had some issues with the bass. After having read about the Q7, learned more about its specifications, read its reviews and talked to people I trust and know very well who have heard the Q7, I am pretty confident about how my choice and that I know how they sound.

 

[Roysen]

Thanks, Roysen. Understood. We have spoken in the past about Rockports, Magicos and Wilsons. I cannot remember if it was you who told me...the Rockports were in some respects a combination of the 2...that depending on electronics with the big Arrakis, one could lean them towards the extreme detail/fast delivery side of Magico, or lean them towards Wilson Alexandria. Sorry if my recollection is not good.

Any insights as to how the Altairs compare with the Alexandria or Q7? I have read that they are among the most coherent speakers with incredibly good delivery of tonal beauty...very very quick delivery of transients without etching...but perhaps a slightly smaller dynamic range/soundstage than the larger Alexandria. I have spoken with dealers of both the Altair and Q7 that they personally prefer the Altair on an absolute basis but particularly when one considers cost.

EDIT: Thanks for adding that last sentence about Altairs being the best you have yet heard. just saw that.

Yes, your description is spot on. We used the Altairs with the Soulution 700 and wow that transient response, dynamic agility, rock solid imaging and tonal beauty was unmatched. It was awe inspiring. We had a session of competing manufactureres wanting to stay up long after closing hours to hear that system. That weekend with that system I have a really hard time getting out of my head. I would say they are not quite as transparent as Magico's speakers and not quite as neutral, but their tonal and timbral qualities are without paralell to anything I have heard. The Altairs are also mostly the basis on which I have decided to get the Arrakis.

 

[Jazzhead]

The Altairs are also mostly the basis on which I have decided to get the Arrakis.

Man this is kinda getting outta hand now , Arrakis driven by the MRA is it ...

 

[Roysen]

Man this is kinda getting outta hand now , Arrakis driven by the MRA is it ...

No, I plan to drive the Arrakis with FM Acoustics Resolution Series 118 and Goldmund Telos 5000. My intention is to use the MRA and the TRL 800s to drive a new flagship Tidal Audio speaker.

 

[LL21]

Yes, your description is spot on. We used the Altairs with the Soulution 700 and wow that transient response, dynamic agility, rock solid imaging and tonal beauty was unmatched. It was awe inspiring. We had a session of competing manufactureres wanting to stay up long after closing hours to hear that system. That weekend with that system I have a really hard time getting out of my head. I would say they are not quite as transparent as Magico's speakers and not quite as neutral, but their tonal and timbral qualities are without paralell to anything I have heard. The Altairs are also mostly the basis on which I have decided to get the Arrakis.

~Great feedback! Thank you for that.

 

[Peter Breuninger]

Very beautiful amplifiers indeed. This is first I've heard of them, learn something new every day! Zowie.

 

[Roysen]

A sneak peak at my new Q7 during assembly in the Magico factory. This is the worlds first Q7 pair in Magico's M-Cast Bronze finish.

 

[JackX]

Congratulations! Indeed a very lucky color combination! Can't wait 'till I hear them, RO!

Cheers!

 

[audioline]

Looks great!!! Congratulations, I hope they perform as good as they look.

 

[microstrip]

Are you asking for a single, bi or tri-wired configuration?

 

[Roysen]

Are you asking for a single, bi or tri-wired configuration?

They will be a bi-wire configuration. A tri-wire is not possible.

 

[mullard88]

I think your plan to use FM Acoustic 118 mono blocks is excellent. I listened to them three times last week and in each occasion, after warming them up for 30 minutes, just lost myself in the smoothness and musicality they created.

 

[Roysen]

I think your plan to use FM Acoustic 118 mono blocks is excellent. I listened to them three times last week and in each occasion, after warming them up for 30 minutes, just lost myself in the smoothness and musicality they created.

Hi, Mullard88.

May I ask where you listened to the FMA 118?

 

[Roysen]

BTW, here is a photo of one of my fully assembled Q7s

 

[LL21]

BTW, here is a photo of one of my fully assembled Q7s

View attachment 8965

...a thing of beauty...congrats!

 

[Peter Breuninger]

I have to agree... it sure is a beauty. If that bronze comes through like in this photo you will have my deepest jealousy.