[Pampero]

I heard some rumors about Revel working on the next iteration of the Salons. The source is usually reliable but of course can't be named. Also, no details were given. I'm not sure my source had any as his area of focus is not related to the Luxury Audio Group.

Harman still claims the Salon2 stands up to all possible competition even given encroaching middle age. They say their Spinorama tests continue to favor listening impressions of the current line, even when compared to products costing multiples more. I won't argue since I love mine, but surely market pressures must be an issue for a product that hasn't been redesigned (or "reintroduced" as the case may be) in almost a decade.

I've been thinking about what the next series might improve in respect to current performance and I can only come up with a few notions as I have very few quibbles with my speakers.

1. Improved sensitivity. As we know, the current line has little tolerance for inadequate power in both quantity and quality.
2. Improved anchoring system. That is, something externally adjustable. The currently supplied spikes work but they are hard to adjust.
3. If Salons are going to have integrated covers, they should make allowances for banana plugs. I simply took the cable covers off the first day. I don't care one way or another, but they should tolerate various cable arrangements without compromising the feature itself.

That's about it from my perspective. These are the best domestic speakers I'v owned in 45 years taking my taste into account. I would perhaps selfishly prefer they keep everything as is. It's certainly not that they don't scratch my itch but as they mature, I'd imagine fewer are sold simply because they're not the latest and the ink is very very dry on the last reviews.

Now, an (imagined) feature set for the future, assuming the rumor is actually true.

Active amplification and in room response correction seem possible given Harman's preferences for that in the pro market. It would be a bold move in the market Revel swims in. We've discussed how most high end folks don't cotton to active speakers, but they're an obvious way to integrate and control for many variables. Room correction could be sold as an option (independent box, or plug in module) and that might be a way to keep cost down and eliminate an option for those who don't want it.

Harman (in the form of JBL) has a penchant for selling system approaches but rarely includes the electronics in the speakers themselves in the perfectionist market. That is, products like the M2 or Synthesis tend to be system engineered but the amps and processors are always outboard of the speakers. Just raw speculation.

What do you think?