How lucky are we to witness the birth of a new brand!
Last month we spoke about a new speaker company, Revival Audio, that has been making waves both here and overseas, and last week we spoke about the importance of finding involvement in our music. There are only two speakers (for now) in the Revival Audio stable, and now both have been reviewed locally. Both reviewers found, as we have, that these speakers simply draw you into the music rather than the music becoming part of the backdrop to your life – and isn’t that what recorded music should be all about?
In Jez Fords Atalante 3 review for Sound and Image/What Hi-Fi, he commented, “As we searched for a word to describe this slightly heightened sense of reality, we settled on ‘presence’ – by which we don’t mean a crude boosting of treble frequencies like the old hi-fi knobs of long ago, but rather a physical presence spread wide and forward in that brilliant soundstage. It drew us into nearly everything we played”.
When Stephen JM Polley reviewed the larger Atalante S’s for SoundStage, he found ‘The Atalante 5 speakers completely involve you by synchronously interlacing rich details, impeccable imaging, sonic purity and musicality. They give you a closer relationship to your music that is insightful while still being enjoyable, engaging yet relaxing, and yes, depending on your mood or mindset, you really can choose how you wish to interact with them – they will satisfy your specific cravings.’.
I always find that a good system is one that draws you into the music as described above and then compels you to keep playing more music. This may sound obvious, but it is surprising how rare it can be. When a track or album finishes, you should want to put on something new. This is what a well-curated system can offer, and we are not necessarily talking about high-end products here. It is possible to put together a good-sounding and involving system on a relatively limited budget (however, it will cost you more than a Bluetooth speaker!)
Both Revival Audio speaker models are priced outside of what many may consider as being affordable on a limited budget, but both represent what we should be looking for in a system. I would suggest that if you are investing in your first system or considering an upgrade that, you read the two reviews above, even if it is to get some pointers on what to look for before making a decision.
