Price Paid:  $926.00 from aci

Summary:
Let me start by saying that I'm fairly new to the audio game.I began my search for speakers the same place I start shopping for anything,on the internet.After many hours of research I started hitting all of the local stereo shops, listening to what they had to offer.I heard some good speakers and was getting a feel for what I should expect to get in my price range.After reading the reviews on this site and the posts on the speaker forum I was very impressed at what I read about ACI. At first I was leary about buying speakers that I had never heard, but after speaking to the staff at aci I decided to take a chance.I ordered my opals on friday afternoon less than a week later they showed up at my door.At first I feared that I was about to open damaged goods because one of the corners of the boxes was badly dented,thanks no doubt to the friendly guys from ups.As I unboxed my new toys, I was amazed at the way they were packaged.Double boxed with 2" insulation between.No chance of damage during shipping.
As I opened the inner box and removed the opals I couldn't believe their appearance.As I said, I looked at quite a few different speakers and the opals are quite simply the most beautiful speakers I have ever seen.The pictures on aci's website really don't do these speakers justice you have gotta see them.I ordered them with the cherry finish and they look like top shelf furniture.I was worried about my wife's reaction but as soon as she saw the opals I knew I was in.As a matter of fact this weekend she went out and purchased a $2000 entertainment center to match,she said the speakers made the old one look like crap.
I'm not going to waste alot of time going on about how these speakers sound.Right out of the box they sounded better than any speaker I have heard,but keep in mind that I haven't heard many high end speakers.I had never before heard speakers sound 3 dimensional.Reading reviews on this site people used the term "uncolored" and I didn't understand.now I do.Nothing but music good or bad. They tell it like it is.I plan to purchase a set of sapphires for surrounds and a titanII sub to complete my home theater setup.I was originally torn between the opals or a set of sapphires and a titan sub but I decided to go with the towers for the looks,I guess it's a guy thing.I can't wait to hear the whole system while watching movies.If I had to come up with a weakness I would say that these speakers lose some of their 3 dimensional sound at lower listening levels but I have a feeling that this may be due to my reciever.I thought I was buying a top of the line av reciever: Sony strde 945, looking back I think I should have went a few steps higher.
In conclusion I'd like to say that aci made my speaker buying experience a pleasure.I would highly recommend them to anyone.Thanks aci!

Strengths:
see below

Weaknesses:
see below

Similar Products Used:
none

Price Paid:  $929.00 from ACI Direct

Summary:
I searched for new speakers for 3 months and somehow was lucky enough to stumble across a link to Audio Concepts. After careful research and reading every review out there, I couldn't find one bad comment...NOT ONE...so I emailed ACI (www.audioc.com) and then called them to see what they would recommend in my price range. After a couple of lengthy conversations with a very friendly salesperson (THANKS JACK!), I settled on a pair of Opals for my front speakers and an Emerald for a center channel.
My experience was exactly as described by many reviewers here. I was amazed at the quality of the speakers when I removed them from the box. They were beautiful!...My wife even liked them! Then I hooked them up for a listen and thought I had made a mistake. They sounded terrible. Sound was very muffled sounding (I know that's not an audiophile term...sorry!). I thought my B&W DM602's were far superior at this point. But I HAD read the reviews, AND the literature from ACI, and gave them time to break gently break in. I'm 2 weeks into the experience now and I am ECSTATIC! These babies sound better each and every day! The highs are crystal clear, the lows are tight and punchy, and the mids are great! The Opals are great for music and HT...and the Emerald?...You ask? The Emerald in the center is unbelievable. It does a perfect job as a center and just plane DISAPPEARS! I can't wait to get a pair for my surrounds! My systems rocks! I can't wait to replace my Paradigm PDR-10 sub with the new ACI TITAN II Sub that I have on order. (Backordered!...Can you believe that this company does not advertise or sell their product in stores and they still get backordered???)
Anyhow, in conclusion, I agree with all the reviewers of ACI Speakers on this thread...ACI IS THE BEST KEPT SECRET FOR SPEAKERS OUT THERE! From their customer service, to their packing process, to the quality of their speakers, YOU CAN'T GO WRONG...even if you are an audiophile snob!

Strengths:
Clarity, bass, cabinet unbelievable sound quality!

Weaknesses:
None so far

Similar Products Used:
B&W

Summary:
Just updating my review. Ive had these towers for a few months and a day barely goes by when I dont enjoy them. I recently upgraded to a Yamaha 765 cd player and a Sansui 9090db receiver. The Opals had no problem keeping up. They are an insane value! btnod!

Summary:
I built a pair of opals in 4 days. It was my first major wood working project ever, and they didnt come out perfect. I made a few bad cuts, my fault. I would advise only attempting to build a pair if you have some prior wood working experience. Or if you are just up to a fun challenge. Anywho, They sound very excellent! I am used to listening to audio through my sennheiser hd-580 cans, but these towers just blow them away. (expected..) Summary: If you are a college kid like me with no money, but crave some excellent loudspeakers, and dont mind building them yourself, for $350 there is NO better deal in the universe..

Strengths:
Value for money, butt kicking bass

Summary:
ACI is a company founded by Mike Dzurko that is based in Wisconsin and only sells factory direct. They have been around 20+ years and enjoy a great reputation for both products and service. I was a happy prior owner of ACI Spirits which was a similar speaker. The Opal has a more stylish, larger and better built cabinet that is very solid and acoustically dead. I sold my Spirits several years ago and when it came time to replace my Snells I of course again considered ACI

The Opal is an 8" two-way employing the well regarded Vifa 1" silk dome tweeter crossed over at 2.3khz to a rubber surround, pulp cone, cast frame 8" woofer. Well proven and excellent, if not exotic drivers. I am a big fan of the Vifa tweeter in particular. The speaker design is an aperiodic design which is similar to an acoustic suspension design but after a certain point pressure is released into a second chamber.

The sonic result is solid bass well into the 30's yet with a very tight, musical and controlled quality. I like bass and I have been very happy with my opals and no sub, I'm going to sell my Velodyne. The treble and mids are very articulate and smooth with a tonal correctness. Sonically they are difficult to pick apart and have a very natural sound. They just sound like the music and in a word, are excellent.

The cabinets are beautiful with excellent workmanship in a real cherry wood veneer with black cloth grills, other finishes in black and oak are available also . The tweeters are offset toward the side for better imaging and less cabinet refraction and they have high quality gold binding posts too. The speakers are stylish, tall and slim, I would say that they are pleasingly conservative.

Here comes the kicker, they were $849 delivered to my door with a 15-day trial return period. IMO they are vastly superior sonically and quality wise to anything under $1000 and have no real competition until you hit the $1500 and up range. They are an excellent speaker without regards to price and are a screaming deal on top of that, I highly recommend them.

A few more miscellaneous points; They are the most break-in dependent speakers that I have ever owned, you MUST give them 60+ hours of break in....They are an easy 8 ohm load but only moderatly effcient (88.5db) for a big speaker, I originally drove them with a 33 watt Linn Majik and but upraded to an LK-140, they are best served with at least a 75+ watt amp...... They come TRIPLE boxed and would arrive intact in Bosnia, even UPS couln't harm them....... Audio Concepts (ACI) has an excellent website that can explain technical details much better than I.

Associated Equipment;

Source: Linn Mimik
Pre: Linn Kollector
Amp: Linn LK-140
Wire:Various Audioquest and Kimber Kable

Strengths:
Smooth yet extremely detailed midrange and treble, very tight and musical bass. Beautiful furniture quality cabinets with extensive bracing.

Weaknesses:
None really, perhaps a more modern grille design.

Similar Products Used:
ACI Spirits, Snell Type J's and K's, Paradigm Monitor 5, 7 & 9's, Kef Q-55's, B&W CDM's.