Natural sound Beautiful build quality Customer support Wide, enveloping sound Works beautifully with tube amps

Long break-in, but the rewards are well worth it. Once broken in, you WILL be done looking for speakers

These speakers are simply astounding. It's quite true that the break-in period can make you want to sell them. For the first 100 hours, I thought I had made a big mistake. After 200 hours, I was in love with them. And since then, I've been amazed at how many speakers I've heard that cost 2-3 times as much, and they are not as open or engaging as the Soliloquy's. I listen to these probably 4-5 hours a day, and I'm later to bed now because I don't want to stop listening. Buy them. That's all I can say. I just hooked up a 7W 300B SET amp to the Soliloquy's, running through a Jolida JD100-A CD player, and the sound is blissful.

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Have auditioned: Audio Note (Dry by comparison) Klipsch (Love the big horns) Silverline (Impeccable speaker and company) Electrostat (Not my cup 'o tea)

Pinpoint imaging,Soundstage,Bass cannot be equaled in it's price point and well above.Timbre is some of the best I have ever heard.Midrange is also great.

Breakin period is looooooong!But the best comes to those who can wait!

This is a review of 6.3s not 5.3s.I have owned these for almost a year now. And it has been a ride to remeber! The 6.3s consist of two 6.5 drivers and one silk dome double chamber tweeter.Response is 25 hz to 20 khz and phase response is +30/-30 degress.Because of the double layered aluminum voice coils these speakers will take 400-500 hrs to fully breakin.The drivers as well as the cabinet are designed by Phil Jones.Drivers are made in house, no off the shelve drivers in these speakers.Well to say the least, I have enjoyed watching these speakers bloom. I drive them with a 25 WPC amplifier and can achieve 25 hz bass response. The bass is tight and controled there is definitely nothing flabby about these.The timbre is also excellent.For example I can hear the drum stick crack the skin on the snare drum and the buzz of the rosin on Christian Mcbrides bass strings.There are people that listen to music and there are people that listen to musical performances. I like listening to performances and these seem to do it all. Soundstage is large and imaging is pinpoint. I can pick out every musician and their position in the sound stage.Midrange is accurate without being over blown.The front baffels of these speakers are 2 inches thick and the crossovers are of the same design trickled down from the top model 6.5 that retails over 6000.00 dollars.Some companies design their speakers to compete within their price range.These are designed to compete with speakers 2 to 3 times their retail price.The dynamics of the 6.3s is almost scary.Play a little classical music with it's dynamic rollercoaster perfomances and you might find yourself jumping in utter disbelief. The tweeter is articulate and smooth with no hint of grain. I have compared these to Equation 25s a 6500.00 dollar speaker and they will hold their own giving up just a little on the top end but having more weight and impact on the music.I also found the equations a little too edgy on the top end for me.I have spent many hours listening to the giant killer Paradigm Studio 100's and folks there ain't even a contest.Paradigms lack the last bit of air on the cymbals and the soundstage is big but vague.Bass on the Paradigms is slow and seems to muddy up the same music played on the 6.3s.The resolution is also lacking compared the the 6.3s.I have had several friends over of which none are audiophiles.Each one could distinguish the position and place of the musicians in the sound stage.One even called it eerie as he had a hard time localizing where the sounds were coming from.He felt there should be three speakes in front of him and not two because of all the information he heard between the 6.3s. If you can get none audiophiles to notice stuff like this , you know you have something special.When Dianne Reeves turns her head away from the mic while singing, I know what direction she turns!These retail for 3200.00 a pair but it's possible to get B stock models under 2000.00 dollars.They are definitely worth an audition,just make sure they have 400 or more hours of playing time on them.

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Paradigms,Equation 25s,and many others

Soundstage,dynamics,timbre,with the right amplifier these speakers will start and stop on a dime.

speaker placement is important as with any other speaker!long break in.Owners really need some patience.

This a follow up review on the 6.3s.It's been 4 or 5 months now and the speakers have really come out of themselves. I have moved them to a dedicated room 12x12.I now use them with a Quad 99 CD-P as the source straight into a Music Reference RM9 MK2 tube amp 125 watts aside.The speakers are seven feet apart,two feet from the back wall and two and a half feet from the side walls towed in 1 inch off center.I sit roughly nine feet front center of them. The speaker cables are Nordost Blue Heaven biwire and Silver Serpent interconnects. The sound is more than I ever hoped for,and before I go on I must say that regardless of the speakers used or price .The components need to have synergy.I don't care if you own speakers costing 10,000.00 dollars a pair.If you put the wrong components in the front of them you will get crap for sound. There are some 8500.00 music systems that make 15000.00 systems sound awful.Why are so many audiophiles stuck on names.Isn't the sound what truly matters. And the thing about the room size with these speakers has proved wrong in my home.These speaker are designed to be full range.Meaning you get to hear and feel the music.When is the last time you went to watch a live band and didn't feel the music?If you only want to hear it ,please go buy some monitors,because these speakers are designed to give you the full experience.That said ,I sat down and listened to Cassandra Wilson(belly of the sun) track 6 (Just Another Parade). This track features India Arie and Rhonda Richmond as backup singers. I can easily pick out where they stood left,center and right during this recording.Imaging is impeccable,and soundstage is right on time.The musicians sound like they are in the room!I can hear the ambience of the box car ,where they recorded some of the tracks in.And also feel the emotions in the singers voices.The soliloquys really need 500 plus hours and good equipment to really shine.I can listen for hours at a time and never get tired.Micro dynamics are also very good.I could hear Cassandra grip and move her microphone on the New Moon Daughter cd.I couldn't ask for a better sounding box speaker regardless of price.If you care about hearing and feeling the whole presentation and not just music.Than these speakers could be what your looking for.Please avoid the hype and trust your ears.The 5.3s are rated by stereophile as class B .So of course the 6.3s are 5.3s on steroids ,they in my book are defintely class A speakers.These are sleepers in the audiophile world.And they are designed by a jazz musician, who better to do so than someone that has first hand experience to what a live presentation should sound like!

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see other review

Great sound stage , Silky smooth highs , mid range is breathtaking ,very well built at a 100 pounds a piece go figure ! Will match or out gun speakers twice the price

Like other reviewers say got to get them out from the wall, long break in period

The speakers that I'am reviewing are the 6.3s big brother to the 5.3 . The speaker definitely needs some breaking in ! I don't think these speakers get the credit they deserve . The speakers sounded a little hollow when I first got them, but with about a 100 hours on them there is some improvement . I've probably got 200 hrs on them now and they have really opened up . The sound is warm and silky smooth and harshness is but a memory . I would recommend using bright speaker cable and interconnectors for the simple fact these speakers are very forgiving . This will give you the smoothness with great detail that most of us look for without being to analytical . I use nordost blue heaven speaker cables and silver serpent interconnectors . I also use a Quad Cd-P player which seems to add to the smoothness . The sound stage is excellent and very precise . I can't wait to hear what they sound like when they fully break in ! As for home theater these speakers really slam . I played a trick on a friend while watching a movie . I turned off my sub and ran the 6.3s fullrange he didn't believe the sub wasn't on , until he put his hand on it and couldn't feel any vibration . I am still trying to figure out how they got so much bass out of two 6.5 woofers . It is amazing ,I am not talking about flabby uncontroled bass , more like flat to 25 hertz . While playing Blade 2 , I could actually feel the punches ! There are plenty of subs out there that can't compete with these towers of power. As for power a high quality 100 watts per channel is plenty ,they can handle up to 400 watts but this is sure to be over kill. I have tried 300 watts on them but they seem much smoother at a 100 or less . Being that they are so effecient why waste the power on them . The bass these speakers can produce doesn't take away from the delicate precision of these speakers when playing music . They are just like fine tuned sport cars they only snap your head back when you want them to ! If your looking for a speaker that does HT and music both without lacking in either. These are worth listening to !

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deftec , paradigm , beethoven ,linn

Build quality,sound staging, imaging.

Long break-in time, careful placement

I fully agree with Al HiFI below. These speakers really need OVER 300 hours to break-in. I was ready to sell mine (for a loss) after a couple of months because they were boomy and sounded strained at volume. There’re beautiful but the sound just wasn’t what I had expected. But, after approximately 4 months and I''m guessing 350-400 hours of playing time the sound really began to change. The heavy bass disappeared and the sound became more relaxed with very good sound staging. Speaker placement is important, as these are rear ported. Placing them to close to the front wall will overly enforce the bass. I recommend at least 24” out from the front wall. I’ve learned the importance of being patient when evaluating Hi-end equipment, especially speakers. Don’t sell these speakers short, there Stereophile class B for a reason. There a great speaker that’s beautiful, and very well made. As always though, garbage in, garbage out—these speakers don’t like mid-Fi equipment. One last comment, Audioreview should screen reviews to prevent worthless comments such as Mr. Sheds from being printed, it has as much value as graffiti.

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Legacy, Energy

Excellent soundstage, can give the height to music (3D sound), Strong bass and sweet mids.

Heavy to ship (80 lb a piece) Long break in time requires a lot of patience and faith in these speakers for a reward in fabulous sound

Great speaker, but requires long brake in time resulting in selling by some inpatient individuals for low price prior developing real sound . Low price for audiophile product ofthen results in mating with low end equipment and crappy cables. The result is bad reviews after few hours of listening. The real life experience with these speakers prove to be extremely rewarding. After 100 hours of brake in time improvements are barely noticable, but after 300-500 hours of playing music at moderate level heavy bass disappears, sound becomes more dimensional, brigtness become nonexistent resulting in quite laidback sound. One of the biggest changes in sound during brake in time in audio industry. After suffering for a month or so you are ready for a treat of music coming flawlessly from extremely wide soundstage. The position of speakers is difficult to determine most of the time because they disappear in music, but such feature requires good equipment and cables. Vocals are very natural. I am using Audioquest Midnight plus biwire cables and the sound is quite laidback from originally very aggressive speakers. Being relatively small they can fill up large room with full bodied sound. In smaller rooms you may not need a subwoofer with these speakers, but wait for break in time before you sell your sub. Higly recommended. The speaker was voted best buy at retail price, but it is even better buy at current second hand prices.

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B&W, Vandersteen, Mirage, Tannoy, ProAc

Excellent soundstage, can give the height to music (3D sound), Strong bass and sweet mids.

Heavy to ship (80 lb a piece) Long break in time requires a lot of patience and faith in these speakers for a reward in fabulous sound

Great speaker, but requires long brake in time resulting in selling by some inpatient individuals for low price prior developing real sound . Low price for audiophile product ofthen results in mating with low end equipment and crappy cables. The result is bad reviews after few hours of listening. The real life experience with these speakers prove to be extremely rewarding. After 100 hours of brake in time improvements are barely noticable, but after 300-500 hours of playing music at moderate level heavy bass disappears, sound becomes more dimensional, brigtness become nonexistent resulting in quite laidback sound. One of the biggest changes in sound during brake in time in audio industry. After suffering for a month or so you are ready for a treat of music coming flawlessly from extremely wide soundstage. The position of speakers is difficult to determine most of the time because they disappear in music, but such feature requires good equipment and cables. Vocals are very natural. I am using Audioquest Midnight plus biwire cables and the sound is quite laidback from originally very aggressive speakers. Being relatively small they can fill up large room with full bodied sound. In smaller rooms you may not need a subwoofer with these speakers, but wait for break in time before you sell your sub. Higly recommended. The speaker was voted best buy at retail price, but it is even better buy at current second hand prices.

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B&W, Vandersteen, Mirage, Tannoy, ProAc

Well-balanced, 3-dimensional soundstage and excellent imaging

Some feel it lacks bass, but I didn't have any problem. Probably a function of personal taste, room size, and amplification/other associated equipment

Unfortunately I have to make this quick because AOL keeps throwing me offline. Please email if you want further details/thoughts.

After a long, thorough search for speakers in the $2000 range I thought I was settled with the Joseph Audio RM22si. It's a fantastic speaker that throws off a huge 3-dimensional soundstage and really lets you forget you're listening to audio equipment so you can just effortlessly hear the music. Since that is really my ultimate goal I really thought I found my Holy Grail(for now).

Then today I auditioned the 5.3s directly against the 22s, and not only did the 5.3 just about match the 22s expansive soundstage, but it provided deeper bass and a fuller midrange. I really wanted to be done with the Josephs, but the 5.3s have now taken the lead, and since there are very few brands I have not tried I think I have found the winner. By the way, I have also tried Thiel(very good but finicky with amps and small sweet spot), ProAc 1.5, Hales Rev3, Coincident Tech. Super Conquest, Sonus Faber GP and more, but these were the best in my opinion. They all had strenghts, but the Josephs and 5.3s take the prize with their musicality, transparency, and overall realism. Try them if you can before you buy, I think you'll be impressed too.(Associated equipment: Electrocomaniet ECI-3 integrated amp, Nordost Blue Heaven cables, Audible Illusions? CD player.)

Hope this is somewhat helpful, and please feel free to email me if you have any quesiton, suggestions, etc., and happy listening.

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Just about everything in the $1500 to $4000 range

Incredible 3 dimensional imaging and very wide sound stage.

Very placement sensitive...require side and rear space.

I decided to wait for aprox. 3 months to post review to allow speakers to burn in properly. They have benefited tremendously by the burn in time, and even continue to get better.
I purchased these as part of a complete home theater system - Soliliquy C3 center and Sat5 rears, along with an M&K 350 sub - so I have a pretty good sub to compliment the bass if needed. I was concerned with possble lack of bass, but I have to say I have not needed to use the M&K when listening to 2 channel stereo. The bass reproduction of the 5.3's is very quick, and all I have needed.
One of my other concerns was using solid state amp, after reading about all the tube gear recommended for these speakers. I am using a Marantz SR-19, and these speakers are excellent. Very musical, EXTREMELY detailed and they are just plain invisible when listening to well-recorded tracks. Imaging is outstanding as with all good speakers.
One of my primary considerations was a acheiving a wide soundstage due to the shape and seating of my room. This was one of my considerations when looking for a system, and after working on placement and positioning I have not been disappointed. They also blend in extremely well into my theater system.
After that, I have got to say, I can't imagine being any happier with a pair of speakers even at much more money. I'm hesitant to give anything 5 stars, but based on the above, I don't think I have a choice. Check em' out!

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Paradigm Reference, Toby

spacious soundstage; natural imaging; extended but smooth treble; good "pace"

lean bass; slight chestiness in vocals; need lots of room

As others have noted, the 5.3s lack weight in the bass. The double bass section in orchestral recordings is not as impactful as I would like. I suspect the 5.3s are voiced for tube amps with a flabbier bass and a more romantic mid-range. This may be the price one pays for their clarity.

However, at my preferred listening volume (peaking somewhat around 90db at the listening position), bass is reasonably satisfying, and percussion has plenty of punch. Lest you think these are lightweight speakers, let me say that I'd be pretty unhappy if they didn't do justice to Bruckner or Mahler, and they do, really coming through with the goods (though not gut-pounding) on large climaxes. They're refined by not wimpy.

They only sounded *dry* to me when I sat too far back where bare sheetrock may have added a little hardness to the sound. They are definitely juicier in the nearfield.

The soundstage is spacious and deep. Imaging is natural, though there is not as much air around instruments as, for instance, the Aerial 6s, nor do the 5.3s have the breathtaking midrange of the Aerials. With finish the Aerials are twice the price, though, and they have a lean bass, too, and not very impressive treble IMO.

Treble of the 5.3s is extended but smooth, offensive only on a few "hot" CDs in my collection (the Replacement's _Let It Be_ for example). Mid-range errs on the neutral side, it is not romantic, though there is a touch of warmth in the upper mid-range and lower treble most noticeable in the upper strings of an orchestra.

One strength I haven't seen mentioned is how well they do with rhythm and counterpoint in music. Though obviously not made for disco or techno, they are great fun when the music gets cooking. I think the audiophiles call this "pace". It's also easy to follow the different lines of counterpoint in orchestral music.

You'll need lots of room for these because of the rear port, about 4 feet from the wall behind them and at least a couple of feet from the side walls.

Dimensions of the listening room (a living/dining room):

12'8" x 16+' (about an 8' ceiling) at the living room end, 9+' x 9+' at the dining room end. Speakers are along the short wall and about 7' apart with about 4' of space behind them. Listening position is a little more than 7' out. Toe in is a little more than 20 degrees.

Equipment:

Arcam Alpha 9 CD player
Bryston B60P integrated amp (solid state)
Rega Planar 3 turntable with ClearAudio Aurum Beta cartridge

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B&W