[townes]

These are: Apogee Duetta Signature, bought them in ca. 1991.
refurbished 2015: all new Graz ribbons, frame stiffening, external crossovers

 

[jwbrent]

  These are: Apogee Duetta Signature, bought them in ca. 1991.
refurbished 2015: all new Graz ribbons, frame stiffening, external crossovers

Very nice. I owned a pair of Slant 8s, bought them new about 20 years ago. I had a Krell KSA-100S that drove them. Great sound.
 
 

 

[jwbrent]

TIDAL Masters sound really great on the XT-1s.

 

[jwbrent]

I decided to pull out my old REL Q108 MKII and add it to my system. It actually works really well with the XT-1 giving the sound some bass foundation without taking away what makes the XT-1 so special. I didn’t think a $750 sub would be commensurate with a pair of $8,500 speakers, but I’m pleasantly surprised.

 

[jwbrent]

I just purchased a Chord Qutest DAC, and I’m loving it. The bass performance is so good that I no longer use the REL.

The dealer I purchased my Qutest from is a Raidho dealer as well, and his comment was that Chord DACs are very synergistic with Raidho loudspeakers. I concur.

 

[kazsud]

I finally got to hear Amphion, now I need to hear Raidho!!

 

[podeschi]

Just came across these posts. JWBrent nailed the impression of the Raidho XT-1 speakers I just purchased and set up. I’m driving them with Zanden 3100 preamp and 8120 amp along with Berkeley Reference DAC and modified JENA Labs modified Marantz SA7-S1 sacd player. I have the XT-1s on the matching Raidho stands. System is in a small to mid size media room/den. I have the new REL T5 subs in matching white, one for each speaker.

I own and have owned a couple of systems - current speakers include Magnepan 20.7, TAD CR-1 v2, Audience 1+1 v2+ (used for L/R and 2 center channel in HT setup). Sources include those mentioned plus Spiral Groove SG 1.2 table and ARC Ref gear and Luxman amps, Airtight reference preamps and amps etc.

I go into detail on rest of system because I have spent last decade dialing in equipment and learning to trust my ears.

The biggest surprise I have experienced lately was just how incredible these Raidho XT-1s are. Immediately it struck me how incredibly easy they are to listen to. Pulling me into the music (versus analyzing what I am hearing). Also in a class of their own is the size and spaciousness of the sound they throw. The most surreal yet realistic sense of no speakers being there and sounds coming from behind and to the sides of the speakers and even behind me. It is the first time I have heard music envelop me and fill the room. The Zanden equipment is probably helping too. These are the first speakers I have listened too that have zero sibilence or etch or glare. Soooo easy to listen too. And yet every detail and ounce of air is there. Very fast and dynamic. I call these the This-And-That speakers. There are fluidly smooth and lightening transient. Small footprint and large soundscape. Nonfatiguing and highly detailed. Notes anchored in position/space and coherent totality pulls me into the music. That last one is the most important for me. I listen to music with these versus assess what they are doing. It is afterward that I am thinking about what they did. And the initial impressions of what they do magnificently are hard to ignore but then I get swept into the music. Although a couple of startling moments when something sounds so realistic or something is coming at my ears from behind me...then I think about what I am hearing. I think I am going to sell a bunch of my equipment and simplify with this setup.

 

[jwbrent]

Just came across these posts. JWBrent nailed the impression of the Raidho XT-1 speakers I just purchased and set up. I’m driving them with Zanden 3100 preamp and 8120 amp along with Berkeley Reference DAC and modified JENA Labs modified Marantz SA7-S1 sacd player. I have the XT-1s on the matching Raidho stands. System is in a small to mid size media room/den. I have the new REL T5 subs in matching white, one for each speaker.

I own and have owned a couple of systems - current speakers include Magnepan 20.7, TAD CR-1 v2, Audience 1+1 v2+ (used for L/R and 2 center channel in HT setup). Sources include those mentioned plus Spiral Groove SG 1.2 table and ARC Ref gear and Luxman amps, Airtight reference preamps and amps etc.

I go into detail on rest of system because I have spent last decade dialing in equipment and learning to trust my ears.

The biggest surprise I have experienced lately was just how incredible these Raidho XT-1s are. Immediately it struck me how incredibly easy they are to listen to. Pulling me into the music (versus analyzing what I am hearing). Also in a class of their own is the size and spaciousness of the sound they throw. The most surreal yet realistic sense of no speakers being there and sounds coming from behind and to the sides of the speakers and even behind me. It is the first time I have heard music envelop me and fill the room. The Zanden equipment is probably helping too. These are the first speakers I have listened too that have zero sibilence or etch or glare. Soooo easy to listen too. And yet every detail and ounce of air is there. Very fast and dynamic. I call these the This-And-That speakers. There are fluidly smooth and lightening transient. Small footprint and large soundscape. Nonfatiguing and highly detailed. Notes anchored in position/space and coherent totality pulls me into the music. That last one is the most important for me. I listen to music with these versus assess what they are doing. It is afterward that I am thinking about what they did. And the initial impressions of what they do magnificently are hard to ignore but then I get swept into the music. Although a couple of startling moments when something sounds so realistic or something is coming at my ears from behind me...then I think about what I am hearing. I think I am going to sell a bunch of my equipment and simplify with this setup.

Of course, I agree with your assessment, especially regarding the upper frequency performance and low level detail retrieval. I’ve stated it before, but the Raidho proprietary ribbon tweeter is the finest high frequency transducer in my experience, both as an owner of multiple five figure loudspeakers as well as from my 26 year experience working in the high end realm.

I’m glad you’re so happy with your XT-1s, and I concur that a simple approach in regards to accompanying gear is highly satisfying.

 

[podeschi]

Forgot to post pics

 

[podeschi]

 

[jwbrent]

Here’s my current setup:

MacBook Air 2Ghz
Chord Qutest
Luxman MQ-88
Raidho XT-1
Kimber KCAG and Monocle XL with WBT locking bananas

 

[podeschi]

Here’s my current setup:

MacBook Air 2Ghz
Chord Qutest
Luxman MQ-88
Raidho XT-1
Kimber KCAG and Monocle XL with WBT locking bananas

Awesome. I bet that sounds better than 90 percent of the systems out there. And it looks wonderfully unassuming / doesn’t clutter the space. Inspiration for me to declutter.

 

[jwbrent]

Awesome. I bet that sounds better than 90 percent of the systems out there. And it looks wonderfully unassuming / doesn’t clutter the space. Inspiration for me to declutter.

Yes, I’m all about minimizing clutter even though my small apartment is filled with furnishings.

I do like the white Raidhos you have, very clean looking. I almost went that direction, but in the end black fit better with my decor.

Over the years, and because I worked in the biz, I’ve owned around 60 high end audio components from the likes of Krell, Levinson, Classe, Nagra, Audio Research, Luxman, Manley, Balanced Audio, Air Tight, Almarro, Cary, dCS, Wadia, Burmester, Linn, Meridian, SME, Clearaudio, Well Tempered, Basis, Koetsu, Benz Micro, Wilson, B&W, Dynaudio, ProAc, Acoustic Energy, Avantgarde, Sonus faber, Apogee, Martin Logan, REL, and many more I’m not recollecting right now. I enjoyed the journey, and owning such a diversity of gear helped me in my sales career since I could talk from direct experience. Anyway, my fascination with high end mini monitors persisted to my last speaker purchase, the XT-1, and it’s the finest of the lot. Real keepers for me, and besides, I’m retired now so my current system is my desert island system.

 

[kazsud]

Has either of you tried the speaker not facing up?

 

[podeschi]

Second system - air tight ref preamp inside cabinet.

Modern home called for white speakers. And Avantgardes but now selling it

Want to sell Maggie’s but struggling to let go of Luxman amps with SRA stands.

Was going to put Zero 1s here but now selling this home

Air Tight moons sound amazing with TADs but big footprint and expensive.

NIB unopened- thinking this could replace a whole set up of amps preamp Dac and speakers

Yes, I’m all about minimizing clutter even though my small apartment is filled with furnishings.

I do like the white Raidhos you have, very clean looking. I almost went that direction, but in the end black fit better with my decor.

Over the years, and because I worked in the biz, I’ve owned around 60 high end audio components from the likes of Krell, Levinson, Classe, Nagra, Audio Research, Luxman, Manley, Balanced Audio, Air Tight, Almarro, Cary, dCS, Wadia, Burmester, Linn, Meridian, SME, Clearaudio, Well Tempered, Basis, Koetsu, Benz Micro, Wilson, B&W, Dynaudio, ProAc, Acoustic Energy, Avantgarde, Sonus faber, Apogee, Martin Logan, REL, and many more I’m not recollecting right now. I enjoyed the journey, and owning such a diversity of gear helped me in my sales career since I could talk from direct experience. Anyway, my fascination with high end mini monitors persisted to my last speaker purchase, the XT-1, and it’s the finest of the lot. Real keepers for me, and besides, I’m retired now so my current system is my desert island system.

That’s a thoughtful post showing when someone graduates from chasing equipment and settled on less is more with audio components that will stand the test of time as well remain pleasing to the eye. I also think from the picture you chose correctly with black given furniture, stand, artwork, vibe, etc. I actually believe the black unobtrusively melds into more rooms - white made sense for me given modern architecture and color palette of home (see pic). I too have listened to most of what is out there. The Zanden / Raidho has me feeling it could be my desert island setup as well. I think I’m going to at least sell my Magnepans, big HRS rack, Spiral Groove table and a few cartridges, and maybe my Air Tight components as well. The Luxman M800a amps I have beat everything I had previously - Constellation, CJ, VAC, etc. So I may use those to drive the TADs in my second system (different home). I also wonder what you think of the Avantgarde Zero XD1 speakers. I was going to use those in a home that I am now selling, so I could replace a complete system with those active speakers. I have not opened the boxes - was going to sell them NIB. But curious what you think of their sound compared to Raidho. Thx for any observations or advice as I purge and simplify.