Shahinian speakers anyone?

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  • bigburner
    Super Senior Member
    • May 2005
    • 2649

    Shahinian speakers anyone?

    At a social function over the weekend I was talking to a hi-fi enthusiast who raved about his Shahinian speakers. It was a new name to me. I see from their web site that Shahinian Acoustics Ltd is a US company.

    Have any of you heard Shahinian speakers? How did you rate them?
  • David Meek
    Moderator Emeritus
    • Aug 2000
    • 8938

    #2
    Big', I've not heard them, but I do have to admit their design/styling both intrigues me (Compass, Starter and Arc models) and gives me pains (Hawk and Diapason models). The last two remind me of upscale dirty-clothing hampers. From what I've read on them, there isn't much sonic gray area - you either love them or don't. Do you think you'll be able to audition them?
    .

    David - Trigger-happy HTGuide Admin

    Comment

    • bigburner
      Super Senior Member
      • May 2005
      • 2649

      #3
      David, I'll do my best to get an invitation to audition them. He owned Tannoy speakers before the Shahinians and reckons the difference is like night and day.

      Comment

      • Briza
        Junior Member
        • Sep 2005
        • 2

        #4
        Hey Burner..

        Played through a pair of Shahinian Compass for over 3 years now. Also spent a lot of time with the Obelisk and Hawk.
        Theese are the most correct speakers I have ever heard. Absolutely phase-correct and seemless crossover between the drive-units.
        More organic presentation than 99% of the cheesy MDF-box speakers out there.

        No trouble in finding speakers that are better in certain deciplines, but not as a complete speaker.

        Give ´em the best equipment and they will reward you with live-sound in your home.

        Best.

        Comment

        • David Meek
          Moderator Emeritus
          • Aug 2000
          • 8938

          #5
          Hi Kim, welcome to The Guide. :welcome:

          What are you driving the Compass' with?
          .

          David - Trigger-happy HTGuide Admin

          Comment

          • bigburner
            Super Senior Member
            • May 2005
            • 2649

            #6
            Thanks for that Briza. It's renewed my interest in getting that audition.

            Comment

            • Briza
              Junior Member
              • Sep 2005
              • 2

              #7
              Hi David...

              Thanks! :
              Tried different amps, both tube and SS. Best results are with my long time favourite, Exposure Super XVIII. Sadly not in production anymore..

              All Shahinians are quite "current-hungry". They do like tight-sounding, phase correct electronic. Forget about high_watt_figures - all that matters are good engineering, be it 25W or 250W.

              I can´t compare their sound with any other speaker. Closest thing is real live music, both in timbre and stage. No Hi-Fi pin-point, just a big bold mono ball of music...

              Btw. David, nice taste in TT. I play on a Spacedeck :W

              Burner - Yes, go for it. Just remember, that good electronic is alfa/omega.

              Comment

              • David Meek
                Moderator Emeritus
                • Aug 2000
                • 8938

                #8
                A Spacedeck? Whoa baby! :T
                .

                David - Trigger-happy HTGuide Admin

                Comment

                • bigburner
                  Super Senior Member
                  • May 2005
                  • 2649

                  #9
                  Well I finally got to hear those Shahinians on Friday evening. It took a while, didn't it? The occasion was a dinner party so unfortunately it wasn't the ideal situation for auditioning speakers. However I heard enough different music at varying volumes to form an opinion. Generally I was reasonably impressed. The mids and highs were good at moderate volume but deteriorated a bit as the volume was increased. I was not particularly impressed by the bass, but that could be because I always listen to music with my subwoofer on. That's how I prefer my music these days. I expect to feel the bass, not just hear it. This model of Shahinian is supposed to have good bass. It has a 10-inch woofer at the rear for just this purpose. The other drivers are mounted on the top of the speaker which is angled like the attached photograph (which is a different model but similar shape). The top mounted units comprised a 6-inch driver, a 2-inch tweeter, and a 1-inch tweeter. Overall an unusual combination. The speakers were driven by a 70 watt Meridian integrated amp. I suspect that they may perform better with a more powerful amp, like my 200 watt Rotel.

                  In summary, they are a good speaker for dinner parties and easy listening, but not for serious partying, and I definitely don't want to swap my B&W's for them!
                  Attached Files

                  Comment

                  • DavidB
                    Member
                    • Jan 2006
                    • 71

                    #10
                    Dynavector Amp's are designed with Shahinians specifically in mind, the HX 1.2 is superb amp which has just been discontinued as it is about ot be replaced. I have just bought one to drive my B&W 802D's which like the Shahinians are current hungry and thrive on an amp with great grip. I'm not surprised the speakers didn't perform with the Meridian Amp, I auditioned the Meridian G Series 200w amp (as I have a Meridian A/v processor) ,it was definitely lacking.

                    Comment

                    • finster
                      Junior Member
                      • Aug 2006
                      • 1

                      #11
                      bigburner

                      bigburner that meridian amp is like running a nascar on 87 octane fuel those shahinians need some clean raw power (not watts)either.At a trade show years back I seen someone weld with an amp to demonstrate its power then hooked it up to a pair of shahinians at full throttle words can not describe and P.S. that was not a woofer in the back of the cabinet.Finding a pair of shins is like finding a fine bottle of vintage vine.

                      Comment

                      • Bluespower
                        Senior Member
                        • Sep 2005
                        • 149

                        #12
                        Outwardly they look similar to a pair of Hegman speakers I had back in the early seventies. I think I remember them having something like 92 feet of passageways inside the cabinet (a theoretical distance bass waves needed to dissipate). There were two models. One with a 10" woofer and one with an 8" woofer. Both had the tweeter suspended above the woofer in a concrete half sphere.
                        I had a Crown IC-150 pre and an American made Marantz tube amp (Model 16 if I remember correctly). Fond memories....
                        Bluespower

                        Comment

                        • Thatch
                          Junior Member
                          • Apr 2011
                          • 2

                          #13
                          I wanted to bring this thread back up as I was talking to Richard Shahinian last evening about putting a KEF drivers in the Obelisks that I have owned for 15 years and am the second owner. Richard is a very interesting guy who was in the military, got out in 52 and as an engineer went to work for Harmen who owned lots of companies including JBL. He went out to see about working for JBL, thought they were too laid back, old man Lancing had just died and design was run by committee instead of new research. In other words R&D was there but ignored. So he went and started his own company.
                          He never made it big but his are the only speakers that can sound like a musical instrument even when you walk between and behind them.
                          I'll go into it more later if anybody is interested but I have to run to the vet with a couple of cats I don't want to have litters.
                          This is my first post, I live in Texas, but am very interested in what you guys have to say.
                          David "Thatch" Thatcher

                          Comment

                          • Chris D
                            Moderator Emeritus
                            • Dec 2000
                            • 16877

                            #14
                            Wow, a 5-6 year old thread! Well done!
                            CHRIS

                            Well, we're safe for now. Thank goodness we're in a bowling alley.
                            - Pleasantville

                            Comment

                            • daryldia62
                              Junior Member
                              • Feb 2012
                              • 1

                              #15
                              shahinian arcs

                              i have owned pair of arcs for 15years and am original owner . i also have connected many configurations to these spekers including counterpoint pre-amps with arragon amps and today with a onkyo reciever. they have never disappointed me . they are true sounding, mastering any kind of music or movie played thru them. h:

                              Comment

                              • bigburner
                                Super Senior Member
                                • May 2005
                                • 2649

                                #16
                                Welcome to the forum daryldia62.

                                Another Shahinian enthusiast!

                                Nigel.

                                Comment

                                • hendriphile
                                  Junior Member
                                  • Aug 2012
                                  • 1

                                  #17
                                  I'm glad to see a current thread on these wonderful speakers. As with all speakers they are sensitive to their environment and associated components, but even more so they're listener-sensitive, in the sense that your musical tastes and experience will partly determine your reaction to them. By way of bona fides, I've been attending classical orchestral concerts since 1965, have had the privilege to experience Carnegie Hall, Symphony Hall Boston, and Orchestra Hall and the Auditorium Theater in Chicago (the latter for Mahler 8/CSO/Solti) , & have been a subscriber to the NYPO and the Chicago Symphony during the Solti/Guilini years. I first heard the Obelisks at a Chicago CES show around 1980. The Shahinian room was different from any other at CES... there was no hype, only music being played on LP's (and in later years, CDs). After a strenuous (on the ears) long day, music lovers congregated there to listen to music. Dick Shahinian has loved classical orchestral music since youth and his speakers reflect that. They simulate the experience of being in a concert hall, listening to live non-amplified music, with great realism. They will not allow you to pinpoint the exact location of each player in the orchestra (which doesn't happen in real life), neither will they cause your pants legs to flap due to bass energy, as happened to me at one CES display (in all the concerts I've attended I've never had my pants legs flap anyway... I admit I've never attended a live heavy/techo/rock concert).

                                  P.S. Dick Shahinian is very much with us, I had a chance to chat with him a few months ago... as erudite, witty, and filled with great stories as ever.

                                  Comment

                                  • madmac
                                    Moderator Emeritus
                                    • Aug 2010
                                    • 3122

                                    #18
                                    On a similar note, Typically, music live or played though a sound system ALWAYS sounds better in the morning. Why??. Well, it has something to do with ear fatigue and the fact that in the morning, your body is rested from a night of sleep and is more aware and attentive in many ways. My speakers sound quite different to me when I listen in the evening. It's almost like I have to force them to open up to the music whereas in the morning, they instantly open up to it.
                                    Dan Madden :T

                                    Comment

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