The reason that omnis image more realistically than direct firing speakers is that they give a complete diet of direct and reflected sounds necessary to localize in a room. We can localize better in a room than outdoors, where only the direct sound is available.

I'm reluctant to take up your troll post -- if you think my post was trolling then I am not sure you are intelligent enough to handle a discussion. If instead you know my post is not trolling but you deliberately baited me, then you are intelligent but sly and cunning and don't deserve a reply. So consider yourself lucky to be reading this.

Firstly, you wrote "...this doesn't come from Duevel but from me". Sorry??? Candy wrote, "According to this smallish German firm, the human brain has difficulty in differentiating between direct and indirect sound of the more common forward-firing speakers thus causing listener fatigue over time." So that came from you?? Take it up with Candy, then, not me. Get him to change his article and replace "..according to this smallish German firm" with "..according to Pavel Ravach, who is or was a Duevel importer and writes glowing testimonials about Duevel speakers on the Duevel website". Happy now? But the question remains, why did you pounce on me? I dare you to find one single word in my earlier post that was insulting, as you claim. I literally said that the manufacturer's claims are wrong, and the reviewer should take them to task for making wrong claims. You see that as insulting??? I truly question your motives.

Secondly, as to your saying I have to back up my 'contradictory' comments with facts, it is not I but Duevel (or perhaps you, since you have taken the credit) who have made the contradictory claims, so the burden of backing it up lies firmly with them/you. All the best audio research in the world, including Toole, AES, others like Geddes (who will also point out that omni speakers create far too much early reflected energy), will tell you that the brain is *excellent* at distinguishing direct and reflected sound from forward-firing loudspeakers. I don't have to prove it, they all did it for me. And Candy should know this, and I implore him to stand up for the little man, the speaker buyer who often commits a large part of the discretionary family budget to something that he can't always audition side by side, who is not reading this review for no reason, and who would greatly appreciate a little help in separating marketing BS from established psychoacoustics.

However, having read your chortling report of your cozy laughter with Candy over my comments, you have let slip that you (a current or former Duevel distributor, Duevel testimonial writer, and attack dog on any reasonable but critical comment on the brand) and Candy are very chummy and hence Candy's position is clear, so thanks for that.

The best part of your post was the bit where you promised not to reply, so that means this discussion ends on a calm and reasonable note. cheers

I remember those Shahinian reviews, John. Yes it would have been interesting to compare the two brands. I will try the Celibidache--thanks for the tip. I also quite enjoy Marriner's B-minor for a bit of that rich British choral tradition every now and then.

Cheers

Dick Shahinian! Another blast from the audio past!

He and I talked on the phone from time to time back in the later '90s. I liked his philosophy of wrapping his designs around his boundless passion for classical music and great orchestral performances, well recorded.

He was a good fellow, though we never got to meet tete a tete.

Memories of good conversations....

Intriguing review--back in the day, first at TAS and then at Stereophile, I reviewed nearly all of Shahinian's lineup of the time--I can only wonder how they would compare.

Newman & Elgar's Gerontius--not to make you sick, but, I have heard it complete live four times: first, Colin Davis BSO circa 1982; then Sir David Willcocks (who knew Elgar)/Chorus of Westerly circa 1986; Boston Phil Ben Zander--Ich fergessen--1992?; Sir Colin Davis, BSO, circa 2007.

Nearly everything was better about the second Sir Colin BSO, except--in 1982, the Angel was Jessye Norman. That said, Ben Heppner's "Some Angel Jesu, such as came to Thee" 25 years later brought me to tears. Oh--I heard that lineup twice, both on Thursday and Saturday, so I guess that is five times.

Bach B minor: Try to get Celibidache/Munich. The ONLY B-minor I have ever heard that sounded like a religious service and not a musical performance.

All for now, but many thanks,

the once and future john marks

I added the Enterprise to my relatively modest Audiomat and Actinote system a few years ago. I don't really care what my brain thinks of it because I am always immersed in the music whenever this system is playing. While I prefer to be relaxed and seated in front of them when I listen to music, I can also hear beautiful and realistic sounding music anywhere within my small (two level 600 square foot) living space. It's true that when I listen to recordings with high levels of compression it's more enjoyable if I lower the volume but I am still amazed and moved by how I can hear and so much of the artists message in the presentation, regardless of the genre (rock, pop, soul, funk, jazz, metal, symphonic). Of coarse if loud hard rock is the mainstay this isn't the best system to own. On the other hand well recorded textural music like a lot of current Pop, Rock, and Folk styles; and especially most eras of Jazz or Symphony is very compelling at any volume. Quite fine for electronica or dub sample styles too. I'm especially happy with the earlier Eno, Tangerine Dream as well as current Bonobo or D'Angelo. Which is all warm, detailed and engaging.

Paul, all of this is a round about way of me saying that I get where you are coming from in this article. I think Duevel is really on to something whatever it is. But more than that, Mutine really has their finger on the pulse with their hand picked suite of products. Great synergy. I sure am glad I booked that first audition with Mutine a way back in 2008.

Definition of a troll: someone posting insulting and/or contradictory comments without any fact backing his claims...
Since feeding a troll is wasting time, *this will be my only comment*... until that guy dares enlightening us with his vast knowledge on neuro-acoustics, musical perception... and loudspeakers design.
Paul laughed when I mentioned this to him. First, if he just took the time to read, is is clearly written that this doesn't come from Duevel but from me. Second, having researched these volumetric perceptions matters in psycho-acoustics since my first pair of speakers in 1974, I assume what I say... and as Paul says, just go listen... talk after.