It will be very interesting, as some 14 years ago I changed my Avantgarde Trio horn speakers to SH50s, liked them a lot, and tried quite a few other Danley Sound Labs speakers as well at home, like SH100B, SH100+TH28 sub, SH Mini+TH Mini and SH LPM + CS30 subs, so I have quite a bit of experience with other Danley speakers too. Since I moved to a different flat, I do not have the room for larger Danley speakers, so I bought the Studio 2 and I feel the Go2 8 CX is probably the most affordable and most flexible Danley speaker to be used in a hifi / HT system. So I borrow one for a few days and will try it too. It can be used in the corner, elevated a bit on the floor facing upwards as a stage floor monitor, on the shelf, near, mid and a far-field, so really universal.
I have Audionet Amp I power amp, Holo Audio Spring 2 D/A converter, a passive transformer based preamp, Marten Design Duke 2 speakers (and few studio monitors, I mentioned), all sorts of copper, silver and pro cables, so my experience can be educational for others I think. I may have few professional measurements as well.
if you are about to find some ugly but really exceptional speakers where the designer knows really well what he is doing and why, Danley can be your choice.
I have Audionet Amp I power amp, Holo Audio Spring 2 D/A converter, a passive transformer based preamp, Marten Design Duke 2 speakers (and few studio monitors, I mentioned), all sorts of copper, silver and pro cables, so my experience can be educational for others I think. I may have few professional measurements as well.
if you are about to find some ugly but really exceptional speakers where the designer knows really well what he is doing and why, Danley can be your choice.
Your question is all over the map so I don't know how useful any suggestions could be but ... Before the world shut down I was experimenting with a B&C 14" coax driver that was just superb after some tweaking in a temporary enclosure set up. It was far better than any of the stage monitors I was looking to replace with it and more importantly much better in the crossover region than my venerable Altec 604s other than it's low freq extension. That was going to require a sub that I was happy use in exchange for the vastly better voice range. All of that went down the tubes with the virus but apparently Danley makes stage monitors using the B&C 12 & 15 inch versions of those drivers and those would likely be good candidates for home speakers assuming you were up for including a sub.
I've heard a few of the Synergy horns and a number of Unity horns.
If you have the luxury of soffit mounting speakers, like William Cowan, putting some SH50s in the wall is compelling.
If not, I would probably pay someone to build me a set of Waslo Small Syns.
I put my money where my mouth is:
1) I offered to buy the SH50s that I rented a few years ago, they never returned my messages
2) I tried to buy Bill's Small Syns, but he'd already replaced them with a new project by the time I got around to it
3) And then I bought Bill's Cosynes when they came up for sale
Where are you located? My Cosynes may be up for sale soon, as I plan on selling my home in San Diego in the next few months, and my new place has a main room that's huuuuumongous.
It would be really neat if someone made a flat pack for the Small Syns, they're not just a great speaker, but at the price there's nearly nothing else that competes.
EDIT: just realized you're about as far away from me as you can possibly be, and still be in the U.S. Probably not a good option for my Cosynes lol
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@ Patrick/John,
The flat pack is a smart idea. I am spending a crazy time for my first small 3 way classic just trying to build the box... some are less hand-skill gifted than others.
Bill has shown elswhere on a thread a 3d file throat for the SmallSyn - just need the flat horn side after-, I dunno if one can print with such a file, but I have no doubt that most project are difficult because the dificulty to find CNC wood cutting around them or for projects other than a kitchen easily.
The best idea though is to avoid active setup for the mid/tweeter. Why ? You must need several things for a good sound at home, the quality of the source is one of them.
I'm not sure Danley will be happy though of a flat pack of his patent as it is not 100% diy ?
I wanted myself a the sealed SmallSyn I found both quite pretty, almost WAF proof... the dificulty of the wood phase assembly....alas🙁.
I realise the good work the SH50 was, also because of the passive filter 🙂
The flat pack is a smart idea. I am spending a crazy time for my first small 3 way classic just trying to build the box... some are less hand-skill gifted than others.
Bill has shown elswhere on a thread a 3d file throat for the SmallSyn - just need the flat horn side after-, I dunno if one can print with such a file, but I have no doubt that most project are difficult because the dificulty to find CNC wood cutting around them or for projects other than a kitchen easily.
The best idea though is to avoid active setup for the mid/tweeter. Why ? You must need several things for a good sound at home, the quality of the source is one of them.
I'm not sure Danley will be happy though of a flat pack of his patent as it is not 100% diy ?
I wanted myself a the sealed SmallSyn I found both quite pretty, almost WAF proof... the dificulty of the wood phase assembly....alas🙁.
I realise the good work the SH50 was, also because of the passive filter 🙂
Danley Sound Labs is excited to announce our new line of Tom Danley Signature series loudspeakers.
Tom Danley – Danley Sound Comes Home
Tom Danley Signature Series - YouTube
Tom Danley – Danley Sound Comes Home
Tom Danley Signature Series - YouTube
If this is what I think it is, it's going to be great.
When I rented those SH50s back in the day, I offered to buy them. But at the time, the only way I could make it work in my house would be to literally cut a hole in my wall. My living room, at the time, was next door to my garage. So my idea was to put the SH50s right into the wall, protruding into the next room (the garage.)
But if the Danley Signature speakers are what I think they are, it will give audiophiles an opportunity to have that Danley magic without having giant boxes in their living room.
When I rented those SH50s back in the day, I offered to buy them. But at the time, the only way I could make it work in my house would be to literally cut a hole in my wall. My living room, at the time, was next door to my garage. So my idea was to put the SH50s right into the wall, protruding into the next room (the garage.)
But if the Danley Signature speakers are what I think they are, it will give audiophiles an opportunity to have that Danley magic without having giant boxes in their living room.
Tom Danley is probably (one of) the most honest designer of the industry. No kidding. No ********.
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I really hope this gets proper marketing.
Beolab 90s are my favorite speakers of all time, but SH50s are definitely up there, and they're a *tiny* fraction of what the 90s cost.
There are speakers that have pinpoint imaging, and there are speakers with unbelievable dynamics, but the number of speakers that can do both is very small. Even speakers like the Kef Blade ($32,000) are limited by their tweeter.
Speakers like the SH50 can do 130dB+, which is obviously overkill for home theater. But it would be great to see someone introduce something that can exist in that middle ground between "polite HiFi speakers" and "full-on prosound flamethrowers."
Blade Ultimate High Performance Loudspeaker | KEF
Beolab 90s are my favorite speakers of all time, but SH50s are definitely up there, and they're a *tiny* fraction of what the 90s cost.
There are speakers that have pinpoint imaging, and there are speakers with unbelievable dynamics, but the number of speakers that can do both is very small. Even speakers like the Kef Blade ($32,000) are limited by their tweeter.
Speakers like the SH50 can do 130dB+, which is obviously overkill for home theater. But it would be great to see someone introduce something that can exist in that middle ground between "polite HiFi speakers" and "full-on prosound flamethrowers."
Blade Ultimate High Performance Loudspeaker | KEF
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I think I know now what will come, just saw a picture and you can watch the youtube video too as a hint, I am not allowed to share the pic. You will be very much surprised even if you know the SH50. It will be on a different planet for home of course, not for PA. Tom has designed something really extraordinary.
That looks like it could be something good, and about time! I hope good effort was made to make them "living room acceptable" in appearance.
I bet it will be something like a Studio 2 but bigger and on the steroids, building on the fame of SH50. The new product line can build on the legacy of Tom's research projects and patents like the levitation (mentioned in the video) and the sonic boom simulator project for example. So this new product should provide something absolutely extraordinary in the phase and in the bass department.
I got my Studio 2 today. We measured it in an anechoic chamber. Everything in the specification is true, frequency response, phase response practically the same as in the brochure, distortion is very low. We measured the Go2 8 CX as well. Same result as in the spec. I hope they will sound as good as they measured.
"The good is the enemy of the best (or better)"
I look eagerly to see what Danley has cooked up. Good teaser video, explains his background but not even a peek at the new product 😡
Explaining the title above: I'll continue to keep my decrepit, gutted Yorkville U15 with their carpet-cum-cat-scratching-post fabric falling off the sides, with a towel cowl glued around the mouth, because they just work so well. Of course I have no way to prove this, but the claim is made that active EQ, with individualized testing and tuning, will get a Unity or DIY project very close to what a stock Synergy can deliver. This is by no means to trash all that Danley has accomplished of course.
If I were starting from zero, of course I'd buy new Danley speakers (tough choice between the SH50 and SM60, probably the Signature will be there too). But what I've got, eyesore it may be, probably delivers 95% of what real Danley speakers would, in the home setting.
I look eagerly to see what Danley has cooked up. Good teaser video, explains his background but not even a peek at the new product 😡
Explaining the title above: I'll continue to keep my decrepit, gutted Yorkville U15 with their carpet-cum-cat-scratching-post fabric falling off the sides, with a towel cowl glued around the mouth, because they just work so well. Of course I have no way to prove this, but the claim is made that active EQ, with individualized testing and tuning, will get a Unity or DIY project very close to what a stock Synergy can deliver. This is by no means to trash all that Danley has accomplished of course.
If I were starting from zero, of course I'd buy new Danley speakers (tough choice between the SH50 and SM60, probably the Signature will be there too). But what I've got, eyesore it may be, probably delivers 95% of what real Danley speakers would, in the home setting.
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They actually show more than that. There are shots of the naked horn with a coaxial driver at the mouth and two larger woofers (8”?) on the sides, and four ports further up. No idea if this is the new thing, or just an older PA model.
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I think you're on to something 🙂
That's the Danley Sound Labs demo room, and the speaker in your screenshot wasn't there when I was there in April.
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I guess I'm just hoping for a floor standing model 🙂. Even though I wouldn't be in the market for it, I'm mighty curious to see what Tom has cooked up!
I regret that the opportunity to hear the SH50 in my listening room never happened. Dr. Tom wanted to loan me a set of SH50s to evaluate and also compare to my Altec A5 system. He's been wanting to get into the home market for years. That would have been fun.