Shahinian speakers

[Bourney]

What are folks experience and feelings on these, specifically compasses and Arcs?

[hifinutt]

never heard them but they seem to arouse a lot of love . absolutely loads come up for sale from folks perhaps upgrading

[hifinutt]

now I just log into pfm after reading this thread and here you go !!

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=199509

[walpurgis]

now I just log into pfm after reading this thread and here you go !!

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=199509

He moved from SBL's to Shahinians. No wonder he likes them, the SBL's are ghastly! (sorry SBL fans, but I really don't like them)

[petrat]

I heard a pair of the Obelisks at Phonography about fifteen years ago, and thought they were very good. They were driven by some Dynavector solid-state amps, which certainly gave the current drive needed to make them sing. In a high-ceilinged room, they projected a really impressive sound. I was told that they sold well to people with larger and 'odd-shaped' rooms. My recollection is that they were lively and dynamic .... more 'naim' than 'quad', if you get my drift. The omnidirectional presentation didn't seem too different to normal speakers, but I was sat a good 20 or 30 feet away, in a big room, and I do remember the image height did seem rather excessive. Rightly or wrongly, I concluded the omni approach wouldn't have worked in the modest living room I had at the time. OTOH, I didn't hear the smaller models, which are presumably designed for that situation.

Addition .... I forgot to mention that the Obs were well out into the room, maybe 10 feet from the nearest wall.

[Frazeur1]

I have owned Obelisk 2's, and currently have their smallest of the range, Larcs. I have heard most of the models in the lineup save the largest Diapasons model. I like them all, they tend to have a family sound, as you go up the range though, the models do become more omni as opposed to just more upward/ outward firing in a single plane. The smaller models much easier to drive, from the Obelisk on up, one is better served with an amplifier that can deliver serious drive/current.

They are, or can be, somewhat of an aquired taste, but if you love what they do, hard to listen to a standard box speaker and be completely satisfied. I think the problem most encounter on first listen, is that they give up too quickly on them. They certainly do take a bit of time to get accustomed to their "all over" sound. While many say it is a diffuse sound, I really haven't found that to be all that true to my ears. They sound more natural, much like my Larsen Model 4 speakers. A typical box speaker to me sounds like music is hurled at you, or somehow forced upon the ears.

What I really like about them is that they sound very full with meat on the bones, nothing one dimensional about them at all. I like not having to sit in a certain position on the couch to enjoy them at their fullest, no head in vice sitting with them at all. For the most part I find them fairly easy to site, the ones with passives-Arc on up, do need some room behind them or they can get flabby and congested.

The only reason I parted with my Obs is that my room and amplification did them no justice, while I got a taste of them, it was just more than I could manage at the time. I will probably revisit them at some point, in the meantime, the little Larcs do a marvelous job of things Shahinian, in a much smaller box that is also easier to drive and situate.

Give them a try if possible, and yes, a lot of info. out there, especially on PF forum.