This was a fabulous journey, one filled with passion and patience. [I am Damien, the younger brother that Harley mentions in the video] You and I are so alike in that we put our heart and soul into everything we undertake. The desire always comes from within. Most people call it passion. The many thousands of hours of thought and problem solving that we went through together in the early 80s often led us up the wrong avenue but we always took the route to its conclusion, never giving up early. The 'concrete' speakers that we developed had probably one of the most complicated crossovers ever built, but boy did they sound amazing. The design concept was to overcome weaknesses with ever more complexity. It's the same philosophy that formila 1 aerodynamisists use. I love that your strategy for the Sibelius has been to overcome weaknesses with ever more simplicity. It all makes sense to me. Taking the Sibelius design to its conclusion, the furthest point possible without accepting compromise along the way is a great achievement. Good work bro!
Thank you Damien, very touching. Where did the days go? What I love about the journey is the pride and pleasure our clients talk about in their personal stories about living with our speakers; especially from those considerably younger than myself! Take care, H
Oh yes, I did that. While I was at the BBC I designed and built active crossovers using a mix of discrete components and integrated circuits and I coupled these with Naim monoblock amplifiers but although they were amazing for small speakers they were not in the same league as my big brother's simple approach using nothing between the amp and the voicecoil. @@Coneman3
This is a story that is worth sharing. I always loved products from small companies, made by hand and made by people with passion instead of industrial products. I can not escape my love for philosophy and I would say that this kind of product has imprinted in them the energy life and personality of the creator and this gives to your speaker character and personality and life. These kinds of products are alive and they love you as much as you love them.
It can't fathom how much our lives parallel each other. I'm older than you but when you reflect on your life it just brings back these memories of my childhood. People laugh today when I tell them that when I was eight years old my mother asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I said "a soldering iron". Seventy years later I still have it somewhere in the basement. When I was around thirteen my uncle had these two old mono tube receivers and I tapped off them to make my first stereo. I dug around and put together this array of speakers and it must have sounded like crap but everyone was amazed. We were dirt poor but we lived in a middle class neighborhood (USA). People would throw out all their old radios and TV's and I would come home constantly with pockets of tubes and speakers, whatever I could rummage from them. I never though anything of it. I was a horrible student, my father kept wondering how this kid could do all this stuff but couldn't pass school. We'll years later I went to work on the first top secret military computers, become an electronics engineer and write for all those magazines I used to run to the mailbox to get every month. I can't imagine what life would have been like if we had lived next door to each other! Great to hear your stories, just wonderful!
What a wonderful back story. I am sure we would have been best mates, and you could have helped me carry some of the heavier gear home 😂. My school results were also pretty poor too!
What a lovely, heartwarming story. Thank you for sharing, Harley. I remember being so enthralled as a young boy looking through the back of old bakelite tube radios, seeing that warm glow. It was magical. Then later taking the covers off to study their constructions and components. As the years passed, I learned about electronics and electrical engineering. My interest shifted from repair and building audio equipment to acquiring drums and cymbals that offered a pallet of professional expression. As a hobby musician for many decades, my audiophile journey end point is similar to yours - experience equipment that sounds musical to the point where it is hard to tell if you are listening to musicians playing in the room or to a recording. The shimmer of a wood tipped stick on a ride cymbal, the warm crunch and sizzle of hi-hats, the crack of a brass or maple snare. To experience the immediacy, warmth, and joy of listening to or playing with musicians, as reproduced through synergistic equipment. The journey continues.
What a good story teller he is ! And what a perfect english ! I am french and It takes me back to my youth when I was trying all kind of tricks to obtain a good sound ! I remember my spanish guitar had more Bass under the made of Wood desk of my father and I used the bathroom to record my voice with réverbération… I believe in single driver cabinets and Hope to be able to hear a Sibelius one of these days 😊 Thierry
Another great video of yours. How not wanting to at least listen to the Sibelius once after you hear such a lovely story! To feel your passion and your (very humble) joy and proudness to have accomplished your dream is really touching and amazing. That your daughter accepted the challenge to help her father make his dream come true is also great. Inspiring. Thank you.
@@PearlAcoustics I very much appreciate your responses to my comments. This time though you called me Peter but I am in fact called Paul. Ha. The great thing about your videos is that you have got me back into good sound again. I am 74 this year and my ears don’t hear the high frequencies. Still worth getting the best sound I can though. Thank you
@@7649angel Hi Paul, so sorry for this unfortunate mistake… I am so pleased that you are getting back into the joys of HiFi. Indeed, although it is a shame that we lose our higher frequency hearing as we get older, our brains (thankfully) compensate and they are still extremely able to detect distortion and other unpleasant colouration… so indeed enjoy it! Best wishes Belgium. Apologies once more.
@@PearlAcoustics Oh, I don’t mind being called Peter by mistake! I have been called worse! What I like about your story it reminds me of my own. I was born in the NE of England living next door to my uncle who was a brilliant musician and also a techy guy. He started building his own electronic organ before I was born in 1949. He was a piano teacher and church organist. I seemed to spend most of my time in his house as he did his tech stuff. He would record Classical music on to his tape recorder and I used to sit listening to quality sound from the age of about 2. Needless to say I grew up with a love of good music etc. Becoming an engineer for Hammond Organ UK just seemed the natural thing to do. While Hammond was focussed on sound generation in the main, on their Jazz Organs like the B3 they loved to overdrive their valve Amps. To be honest I hated that and I do still seem to be able to hear the slightest bit of distortion. I will shut up now, you don’t need to be pestered by me. Thanks again though for your excellent videos.
Harley, you're a treasure. Your story about your fascination with music reproduction and loudspeakers beginning in your youth resonates with me (although, I haven't gone as far as you have). I can remember when I was about 3 or 4 being fascinated with my parents' DIY hi-fi system with a valve amp and remember my imagination getting a hold of me such that when I looked into to a very interesting valve, I swear I could see the Kay Kyser big band in that valve while my parents were playing one of his albums. I now see this as a kind of harbinger of music videos and wish I would have gotten into the music vid business based on this "visual prophecy." Anyway, I just want to tell you how much I enjoy your RUclipss. I may, someday, purchase a pair of your Sibelius loudspeakers. They get really good reviews.
Thanks so much, Mr Lovegrove. Not only have I stumbled on your channel, but now Sibelius loudspeakers too. I'm now in a bit of a nomadic phase travelling mostly between Hong Kong and Malaysia. But greatly look forward to hearing these speakers the next chance I get in an audio shop in either of these places.
Really enjoyed your presentation of the Sibelius Speakers refreshing too listen to someone talking about audio without all the hyperbole one normally has to sit through.Mark makes superb drivers at an affordable price thats rare in high end audio! Have to agree after all these years and too many speakers to remember full range drivers i think are the way to go you dont realise what a detremental effect a xover has till you listen without one.Hats off to Paul Messanger /Martin collums/Alvin Gold ect over the years for providing us with excellent reviews.Please keep your videos going its like putting on a pair of comfy slippers listening to you.cheers
Thank you Brian! Your words mean a lot to me. I will definitely keep the videos coming. I have a long list of topics that I feel the need for discussing honestly and respectfully.
What a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing it. I have come to know of the Sibelius through Thomas and Stereo's RUclips channel. Given this story of their history and Thomas glowing review I think these are a gem. If I move into a condo in my senior years and need to downsize, these will be the speakers I seek. BTW, I took similar path growing up on a farm in Canada. In the attic was an old gramaphone and some 78s which I listened to. Also marveled at the early tube radio. There also was some old battery powered tube radios. Now I listen to all triode DIY OTL amps. So, the tube is directly wired to the triodes which in turn go to very old alnico coaxial drivers with minimal first order crossovers. It is wonderful.
What a wonderful story. Normally I stay well clear of 'entrepreneurs' selling their latest get-rich-quick self-help book or video course - but this is (probably all too rare) a real example of genuine passion for an idea and the years of hard work to make it happen. I too, on the opposite side of London maybe 5 years later, also dialled up the airwaves to pull in distant stations from rescued and self-repaired valve radios, borrowed Gilbert Briggs (of Wharfedale fame) book on speaker design and set to designing and building speakers using units rescued from any surplus store/junkshop/factory seconds (including some KEF units my Dad managed to get for me). I also joined a London youth orchestra - and wanted to build something that sounded better than the KEF Celeste IIs my Dad had - that were faithful to the sound of the acoustic instruments I came across. Then, aged 10, I got sent to a boarding school and my tinkering had to stop - I'd almost forgotten those experimental days and you've just brought them back with a bang! I have to hear these Sibelius speakers one day - now that I fully understand the passion and commitment that lies within them.
Dear Bob thank you for your kind words and lovely comment. I got packed off to boarding school too, so I think we had very similar lives / backgrounds. I would love to demonstrate my Sibelius loudspeakers to you one day. Let us know (via the website) where you are and maybe there is someone not far from you. Our clients can be very generous that way. + we have a listening room in London
Great story, thanks for recounting the journey. It struck a chord when you mentioned Raymond Cook and Kef. I have a pair of 104.2s which have a plaque on the rear denoting their special place as the final edition. I also have pair of Bösendorfer floor standing speakers which follow your thesis by being very narrow, only slightly wider than the front mounted tweeters, the mid/woofers being side mounted.
Just found you this week. I can say that my life is just about complete now! I have been listening to music my whole life. Someday I hope to own a pair of your speakers. Will be looking forward to the next video. Thanks for sharing and being genuine!
This is a great story that is like my own in many ways. The magic of that older gear pulled many of us in. I look forward to being able to hear a set of your speakers one day.
Beautiful story Harley! I am so glad to discover your channel. Your passion for music and hifi is contagious. Your reviews and especially stories like this are so interesting. I would be able to listen to such a stories for hours. Thank you for sharing your journey. I wish I had opportunity to hear your speakers! Greetings from Slovakia.
What a fantastic story true enthusiasm that paid off in the long run I also met Paul Messenger at a HI FI show a long time ago we had a great long chat nice man
Hi Harvey, ive discovered your videos and surprise your turntable list included my PL-12, long gone. Being a woodworker and also a budget hifi person, in the 1970s I bought a 20 watt Wharfedale kit, and with a free sheet of rough ¾ plywood and made the cabinets, heavy and airtight. 3 pairs of speakers, 2 cross overs and a new smarter pair of ¾ birch plywood cabinets later, over 40 years!! I think they sound great. The ply cabinets are shaped to look like the 1980s Microphase speakers but still to the original kit dimensions. Why do they sound fantastic as none of the present separates units from different makers cost more than £120 each, Its because I've got no comparison speakers available. The speaker placement and room acoustics are ignored, by missus, "I want it here, it won't fit on this wall" CDs or vinyl just sound 'right', 'clear', thru the now 40w speakers. And I'm happy!!
What a GREAT story! Thank you for sharing it with us, Harley. Having dived about 1 meter deep into the world of Frugelhorn designs and started playing a bit in my home hobby room, I fully appreciate your passion for single-point xoverless drivers and quest for perfectly flat response. You have given me something to aspire to and I hope to acquire a pair of your speakers in time.
@@JM-xe1ts hi, we don’t have dealers as such but yes indeed we do have a customer or two. Not so far from you. If you can drop us en email info@pearlacoustics.com, we can put you in touch.
Yup,there’s a lot of musical enjoyment to be found with those Mark Audio Alpair and Pluvia drivers, in enclosures as simple as MLTL towers, to the Frugels and Woden Monolith and Hardwood series (several of which I’ve built)
I too have just discovered your channel and your company. Would love to hear your Sibelius speakers someday while I can still hear! I believe I'm the same age as you are. You're a brilliant man, and I can listen to you speak for hours.
Harley, I discovered your channel about 6 months ago and have really enjoyed the conversations. I am a retired mechanical engineer and one of my hobbies is building speakers and I found your journey fascinating. I knew a brilliant violin maker (and musician) years ago who sadly has passed away. The thing I remember most was how he talked about the properties of the wood species and how it affected the tonal qualities of the instrument. I wish there was someone in Upstate NY that has your speakers as I would love to hear them. BTW, I will always feel indebted to you for introducing me to Daft Punk's Random Access Memories. What a record! If you get a chance, listen to a CD called "Blood", by This Mortal Coil.
Hi, thank you so much for your very kind comments… if you contact me via our website I will see if we can arrange an audition with a client… no promises but let’s see! And I will certainly check out your record suggestion!
One of the best stories on sound ever heard. I got my T27 from England and I was elated. Then in india nothing was available so this was the best gift in my life. I graduated to the B200 and I thought I now have the best setup. I built my cabinets with the my carpenter and realised my hand built Xover was a disaster. And I could not just get the KEF xover. My dream was to build the KEF 3way with the B139 with a transmission line design, which Ofcourse was never possible as like in England, I could never cross the street and pick up the B139. 😜🤣😜🤣 I was fascinated with KEF and this was 1975. I love your story and the nostalgia about KEF. Without hearing your speakers I can smell the clarity and the aesthetics in build quality. 🥂🥂🥂👏👏👏👏👏👏 If it still sells for £3000 I will buy the Sibelius without hearing them. Kindly revert.
Thank you for your lovely story Jo. Yes The Sibelius are still available at 3000EUR per pair. We ship all over the world. At the moment we gave a short waiting list, next pairs will be ready in February 2021.
@@PearlAcoustics thank you for your reply. I just emailed info@lpmc.be to enquire about shipping cost to Lisbon Portugual. Also when ordering I would take your recommendation for perfect matching amp. Ofcourse my dream is a tube within €1000 if possible else I settle forAB My source will be Rega Planar 3. Thanks again
As always another fascinating story And as I boy I grew up buying my first three band transistor Radio My friend gave me her old Gerrard with a ceramic cartridge My joy was getting two 12 inch full range Philips drivers and put them in bass reflex cabinets And then I got a T27 and B 110 Build my own x over going over to the British council library in Bombay for reference ( please note then in the mid 70s in india the duty on any electronic item imported was 350% thanks to the then PM indira Gandhi ) So we’re deprived of buying anything like you would across the road in England I could not get the x over from KEF so build my own counting the milli henry and ufd ( which was not very good 🤪) But the KEF sounded nice And so my story grew ahead with my Yamahas NS2000 M and the Thorens with the SME and Quad 405 and Nakamichi 700. But back to the Sibelius It’s mastery at its best for a single driver Is it the TL design that delivers the bass so good I have not heard the Sibelius yet but on my next trip to the uk I’m gona visit Pearl Acoustics just to say thank you to a passionate persevering perfectionist who delivers magic from a single driver 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Thanks very much for your kind comment and appreciation. You would always be very welcome to one of our listening rooms. The Sibelius is based on a Voight pipe design. I hope that helps a bit?
Haha, same story here how my electrical engineering passion started: dismounting old tube radios and trying to rebuild something new from the parts. Then, later going for loudspeakers in big housings, trying out closed cabinets, bass-reflex, horns and transmission lines - but I never got down to the coils!
It was a very nice ☺️ journey of a story. You could say we must have almost similar beginnings in the world of audio. I did something similar with a woofer (mid-bass) with the same appearance. It stands around 48 inches and 13 inches deep. I used the driver from a speaker 🔊 company that Kef bought during 1990. I used their drivers because I can't find a good full range unit locally. I did not use their crossovers simply because I am using a 1969 Sony 7.5w per channel receiver. It was fun when I discovered the best sound from the right internal box configuration. I can relate to your story ❤️ and I hope to get hold of either your Sibelius speakers or even just the drivers themselves. I will watch your other videos. Warm greetings 🌹 from the Philippines.
Harley, what an interesting story, with a fairytale ending. Its a shame I missed you at the recent Hifi show in Cheshire, I'd love to hear your speakers for myself🎶
Hi. Thanks for your very kind appreciation. Sorry to have missed you too. If you contact us via the website, maybe there is someone in your neighbourhood who might oblige… enjoy the music
What a lovely story !!! . Starting at the very base routes of a "wind up" gramophone !!! . Our first record player was a mono Dynatron with a Garard deck and the first record with "Grocer Jack".....(An exert from a teenage opera) ..... and "The Sound of Music" !!!!! (And "Waterloo Sunset - Kinks) ... The next was 1979 and a Sony 33B music center that sounded semi hi-fi and i remember playing "Out Of The Blue" - ELO and "Abba" - "The Album" (wow production or what) . (Over the years the circuit boards just got old and it lost it's semi- crispness lol) (And the tape head went "fluffy") ... Then i just bought used hi-fi from a local hi-fi shop and it all worked fine. ... Me and a mate went to a hi-fi exhibition in Bristol way back in 1998 in a hotel and ???.... I remember a room of Japanese men with a crazy "electronic bank" ....(maybe £30,000)........ but walking past another room a valve amp just "jumped out" !!!! ... They were great days with a small "trick in the tail" !!! . MANY THANKS !!!
Good evening Harley. I have seen several videos about Sibelius. I live in Switzerland and I would like to hear how they sound in real life. how could it be possible?. I haven't found anyone (any store) who has them. how it could be solved ? thanks for answer --- Peter
Absolutely delightful video, and very interesting, Harley. I have been into hifi as a means to listen to music for the last 50 years and recognize many of the names you quoted, as a long-time subscriber to the British hi-fi press and as an occasional show visitor. I started building speakers, turntables and amplifiers in my teens. Shared a physics degree course with Andrew Jones and Arthur Khoubessarian (Pink Triangle now Funk Firm) Nice to have Sibelius on my radar for when my long-standing KEF References die of old age... Best regards from Switzerland, Rob
Dear Rob, thank you for your delightful comments. I sincerely hope your KEF’s never die, but if they do, you know where to find us. The Sibelius and your KEF’s are the opposite sides of the same coin, if you know what I mean? Greetings from Belgium.
Your speakers sound good! I bet you are like me and don't like two ways and three ways. Mine are a bit of a compromise and a FR driver and a woofer so the FR cone doesn't move much (less Doppler) and I can crank them more. Cheers Big Ears!
After hearing your lovely story I cant help but feel like an amplifier designed soley for the Sibelius would compliment them really nicely. A Pass design perhaps in an attractive enclosure w/ the classic wood blocks on the side matching the grain of the speakers.
What a great idea! We were thinking about finding the ‘perfect match’ but PassLabs would be an excellent companion. The thing about PassLabs is they need to cool down and wood is a big insulator! A problem for the team to solve 😉
I have a question about Lowther speakers. The voice coil has to be in either two or four layers, because the wire has to be wound come come back to near the cone. Are Lowthers wound with two layers or are they using a thinner wire and four layers? I believe it likely to be two-layered, but Lowther's are so different and they definitely have more turns inside the gap that most modern speakers have. They voice coil is only 1mm outside the gap. I believe this is the reason that they have such great sensitivity that usual.
Thanks for your question. Hi, the last time I saw Lowther voice coils being wound was when I was about 9 years old... so unfortunately, I cannot help you! Hopefully one of our followers can...
I've always enjoyed Prokofiev Symphony no. 5. I have a recording by the Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell conducting on vinyl. And The Firebird, Igor Stravinsky. 😗👌🏼 mwaaH! Bellisimo!
I only just stumbled on this channel. Fascinating listening. What also caught my eye were the tall slender single driver speakers. No crossover circuitry?
I just must admit,you are fantastic story teller . To make ordinary story to be exited, just have to be a talent. Such talent it is quite use full in sales as well. Let us drift back to the product... One full-range drive, made by Mack Audio and 3.5 cm thick oak wooden case ,with no ( unnecessary high jacked price tag for capacitors and other crossover elements) 4000 euros ! For that price tag at least customer should have a choice between oak soaked in the mud for 500 years in a swamp or wood from ark of Noah.
I came across your company by chance and I truly want to hear them. Unfortunately, you haven't any distributor in Portugal. Your videos are great, by the way, full of passion and knowledgeable information about the real important things in audio. It's not about tubes or transistors, Class A, Class AB or Class D, is about having a wonderful experience listening to music that we love and cherish. As a music lover and audiophile, from my personal experience, listening to hundreds os Hi-Fi systems all over the years, I've never found a a single drive loudspeaker capable of delivering a pleasent audible full presentation, specially with very low, detailed and fast bass. Perhaps I should hear Pearl Acoustic loudspeakers :) I have dear friends and family living in Belgium (Brussels) but with the pandemic going on, I can't afford the risc of traveling. Perhaps one day... I'm building a dedicated two channel listening room (29 m2) in my new home, so I will be listening to different floor standing speakers. At the moment, I have a pair of lovely Amphion Argon 3L and I listen to all kinds of music genres (2106 CD´s and boxset and 200 vinyls). I am most into digital (CD, SACD and Tidal streaming). I've just subscribed this channell. I wish you all the best! :)
Thank you, very kind. And yes, one day I am sure you’ll get to hear them! When we have an ambassador in Portugal, I’ll let you know. Take care and enjoy the music.
I pushed an old radiogram bought for 5/- to the nearest bus stop. The bus conductor lifted it up onto the bus. Then placed it onto the pavement for me. I pushed it (it had castors) half-a-mile to my home. It still worked! c1955 in Bristol, England.
There is no tweeter or woofer. Just one drive unit. The drive cone is able to reproduce the entire frequency range. The design of the cabinet it is coupled with, amplifies its lower frequencies, just like blowing over the top of a glass beer bottle, or how a double bass can produce such a loud and deep tone, with just the tiniest movement of the bridge which it’s strings pass over. Its pure snd simple acoustics.
Yet another gem of a video! I should be working but I can't help dipping back in and out of your channel with every coffee break :) too many coffees now ha! I'm a fashion designer of silk scarves, and having built my company from scratch, it always makes me smile when I hear other people's stories that sound so familiar. The dedication in your bones! and intimate connection with a singular goal. Most inspiring to hear your story.
Great story. Thanks for sharing. With so many people today focused on measurements and who will buy equipment based solely on measurements, I'm curious to know why you don't publish the measurements of the Sibelius speakers; I suspect that they measure very well.
Thank you very much for your kind comments. On our website, we give the industry standard information, ohm, watts, efficiency in db per metre, general frequency response etc, which has proven sufficient up until now. Interestingly, I don’t think we have ever had a customer ask us for more measurements than what the industry submits. Hope this answers your question?
Thank you for the response. I was referring to the more advanced measurements that some reviewers will perform in conjunction with their subjective reviews, including those by Stereophile (and its associated publications), Audioholics, and Soundstage. With so much equipment available only online and from different parts of the world, it's difficult, if not impossible, for potential buyers to hear everything that they are interested in, and even if they can, its in a room different from their own. Your passion is evident and your theory is logical, but having some objective support might make it easier for someone to take a chance with thousands of dollars. The Chinese manufactures like Topping and SMSL have certainly jumped on this and provide substantial amounts of objective information on their websites. I agree that you don't see this from speaker manufacturers, and I suspect that in many cases that is because their speakers don't perform objectively well, but if a company's speakers do perform objectively well, then it might be a marketing advantage to also provide that information. ...and I'm not trying to start a war between the subjectivists and the objectivists like on your speaker cable post.
I am more that sure that those speakers sound amazing, certainly better than anything I've heard as I am rather slowly getting into ture hifi, but I can't quite get my head around there being no subwoofer, with them bottoming out at 35hz (according to your website) it seems that you would be missing the rest of the low end. Do you typically recommend pairing them with a subwoofer or I am (which I assume is more likely) completely missing the point
Thank you for your comments and question. Typically the Sibelius rolls off at 38hz, which is much lower than many floor standers and monitors. So for normal music listening there is absolutely no need for a sub-woofer. If you have a sub-woofer and you like to play your bass up high or watch action movies and want to capture earth-quakes then yes you will need a sub-woofer. But this is not what they were designed for. They are designed to give a pure, very accurate reproduction of music, with the utmost accuracy and minimal coloration. I hope this helps?
Thank you for your kind words. With regards soundstage, you might want to see my video on ‘loudspeaker placement.’ However, in short, it more or less up to you. The Sibelius drive cone is quite shallow, so it spreads its sound rather wide so you can go from just a few feet apart with the cones pointing straight down into the room to very ride. In one of our listening rooms they are 4,5m apart and I like to sit quite close in at around 4m from the central line. And there is no hole in the middle of the soundstage at all.
Hey harley I love your story too is kef great speakers n what about b&w n now people going for Klipsch because of higher db Dali is around 87db what is better I love your sibelius bronze cone
Hey harley magico a1 looks nice. Ok so a Dali oberon 3s or 5s which is 87db at 4ohms needs alot of power right I jus watched your story of the sibelius. What's the intricate of the cabinet inside is there a wave guide like Bose to the front port
Fascinating story about a real product made by real people who has done many years of hard work in search of perfection. Well done! Saving up to get a pair shipped to New Zealand. Or can i get you to drop them off and set them up on your way through?😉😊
@@PearlAcoustics Cool! I just stumbled upon your Daft Punk RAM review and the Sibelius name caught my eye in recommendations cause I am from Finland. Was a nice story
It certainly is, but not an original. My mother was an artist and a big admirer of Rothko… she painted it for me as a study of his work. She used to give lectures on him in Tate Modern in London
@@PearlAcoustics Awesome! I've been to the Rothko rooms at the Tate. That is surely the best way to view his art. Also, I just discovered your channel and really enjoyed your Bach video. I recommend Musica Antiqua Koln on Panorama and the book Art of the Piano by David Dubal for piano recordings. I took his lectures on the piano at Juilliard. Your system sounds beautiful, even on my Mac. It would be an end game system for me. Thank you.
@@christopherspiro9857 Hi Christopher, thank you kindly for your warm appreciation. I agree about the Antiqua Koln ensemble… thanks to for sharing your back story. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll hear our system in real life. Best wishes from Belgium
Well that’s an idea Kevin, but if course all you would hear is the equipment you are listening to them on. The best thing to do is to reach out to Pearl Acoustics via their website and they can see where your nearest listening room is and make an appointment for you. If you watch the Galion Amplifier video you will have a demo of the loudspeakers playing at the end of it. I hope that helps?
Hi Anand, no not really (assuming you are comparing one high quality amplifier with another). Bass, quantity - not definition, is largely improved by room acoustics, speaker placement or a change in the front end (pre-amplifier / power amplifier combination, turntable cartridge etc. Some amplifiers can be 'bass heavy' but not good quality ones. Hypex are good power units and they are very flat, so can be a good place to start. Good luck!
It’s a copy / homage painted by my mother who was an artist in her own right - who adored Rothko and she painted it for me, in the last years of her life.
Hi Robert, judging by the photographs - I can imagine that! I have visited his house in Finland once and it was certainly in a very beautiful location. It was given to him by the state so he could work in peace. it’s hard to imagine him not smiling when he went on his long walks in the Forrest it is set in. But his music certainly makes millions of people smile. What a gift the state of Finland received back from him.
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
This was a fabulous journey, one filled with passion and patience. [I am Damien, the younger brother that Harley mentions in the video] You and I are so alike in that we put our heart and soul into everything we undertake. The desire always comes from within. Most people call it passion. The many thousands of hours of thought and problem solving that we went through together in the early 80s often led us up the wrong avenue but we always took the route to its conclusion, never giving up early. The 'concrete' speakers that we developed had probably one of the most complicated crossovers ever built, but boy did they sound amazing. The design concept was to overcome weaknesses with ever more complexity. It's the same philosophy that formila 1 aerodynamisists use. I love that your strategy for the Sibelius has been to overcome weaknesses with ever more simplicity. It all makes sense to me. Taking the Sibelius design to its conclusion, the furthest point possible without accepting compromise along the way is a great achievement. Good work bro!
Thank you Damien, very touching. Where did the days go? What I love about the journey is the pride and pleasure our clients talk about in their personal stories about living with our speakers; especially from those considerably younger than myself! Take care, H
Or you could have just made active speakers?
Oh yes, I did that. While I was at the BBC I designed and built active crossovers using a mix of discrete components and integrated circuits and I coupled these with Naim monoblock amplifiers but although they were amazing for small speakers they were not in the same league as my big brother's simple approach using nothing between the amp and the voicecoil. @@Coneman3
A lovely human story! I’m looking for some new speakers and need to audition a pair!
I can listen to Harley for hours
Absolutely same here!
I fully agree! Love his voice and way of explaining complex stuff the easy to get way.
Where’s Davidson though?
I thought Harley Lovegrove was a porn star lol
This is a story that is worth sharing. I always loved products from small companies, made by hand and made by people with passion instead of industrial products. I can not escape my love for philosophy and I would say that this kind of product has imprinted in them the energy life and personality of the creator and this gives to your speaker character and personality and life. These kinds of products are alive and they love you as much as you love them.
That’s very perceptive and extremely kind. Thank you 🙏
It can't fathom how much our lives parallel each other. I'm older than you but when you reflect on your life it just brings back these memories of my childhood. People laugh today when I tell them that when I was eight years old my mother asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I said "a soldering iron". Seventy years later I still have it somewhere in the basement. When I was around thirteen my uncle had these two old mono tube receivers and I tapped off them to make my first stereo. I dug around and put together this array of speakers and it must have sounded like crap but everyone was amazed.
We were dirt poor but we lived in a middle class neighborhood (USA). People would throw out all their old radios and TV's and I would come home constantly with pockets of tubes and speakers, whatever I could rummage from them. I never though anything of it. I was a horrible student, my father kept wondering how this kid could do all this stuff but couldn't pass school.
We'll years later I went to work on the first top secret military computers, become an electronics engineer and write for all those magazines I used to run to the mailbox to get every month. I can't imagine what life would have been like if we had lived next door to each other!
Great to hear your stories, just wonderful!
What a wonderful back story. I am sure we would have been best mates, and you could have helped me carry some of the heavier gear home 😂. My school results were also pretty poor too!
What a lovely, heartwarming story.
Thank you for sharing, Harley.
I remember being so enthralled as a young boy looking through the back of old bakelite tube radios, seeing that warm glow. It was magical. Then later taking the covers off to study their constructions and components. As the years passed, I learned about electronics and electrical engineering.
My interest shifted from repair and building audio equipment to acquiring drums and cymbals that offered a pallet of professional expression.
As a hobby musician for many decades, my audiophile journey end point is similar to yours - experience equipment that sounds musical to the point where it is hard to tell if you are listening to musicians playing in the room or to a recording. The shimmer of a wood tipped stick on a ride cymbal, the warm crunch and sizzle of hi-hats, the crack of a brass or maple snare. To experience the immediacy, warmth, and joy of listening to or playing with musicians, as reproduced through synergistic equipment. The journey continues.
Dear Clarence, a shared journey indeed, full of magic and light. So glad you can enjoy it as much as you do. Thanks for sharing your story too.
What a good story teller he is !
And what a perfect english !
I am french and It takes me back to my youth when I was trying all kind of tricks to obtain a good sound ! I remember my spanish guitar had more Bass under the made of Wood desk of my father and I used the bathroom to record my voice with réverbération…
I believe in single driver cabinets and Hope to be able to hear a Sibelius one of these days 😊
Thierry
Hi thanks for your kind words! You’re always welcome to visit us. Best wishes
Another great video of yours. How not wanting to at least listen to the Sibelius once after you hear such a lovely story! To feel your passion and your (very humble) joy and proudness to have accomplished your dream is really touching and amazing. That your daughter accepted the challenge to help her father make his dream come true is also great. Inspiring.
Thank you.
Thank you for your touching feedback. Very kind. I am indeed very lucky to have such an inspirational daughter!
Thank you for a wonderful story, listening to it is like magic coming true.
Thank you. You are very kind
A great story told by a great story teller. Thank you for sharing.
Thanks Gregg, very kind
Thank you for the wonderful story. Listening to it makes me want to listen to more music. It's so nice to be in a community with people like you.
You’re very welcome need. See you on the next one!
Such a brilliant story. Thank you for your openness.
Thanks Peter, you’re very welcome. So glad you enjoyed it
@@PearlAcoustics I very much appreciate your responses to my comments. This time though you called me Peter but I am in fact called Paul. Ha. The great thing about your videos is that you have got me back into good sound again. I am 74 this year and my ears don’t hear the high frequencies. Still worth getting the best sound I can though. Thank you
@@7649angel Hi Paul, so sorry for this unfortunate mistake… I am so pleased that you are getting back into the joys of HiFi. Indeed, although it is a shame that we lose our higher frequency hearing as we get older, our brains (thankfully) compensate and they are still extremely able to detect distortion and other unpleasant colouration… so indeed enjoy it! Best wishes Belgium. Apologies once more.
@@PearlAcoustics Oh, I don’t mind being called Peter by mistake! I have been called worse! What I like about your story it reminds me of my own. I was born in the NE of England living next door to my uncle who was a brilliant musician and also a techy guy. He started building his own electronic organ before I was born in 1949. He was a piano teacher and church organist. I seemed to spend most of my time in his house as he did his tech stuff. He would record Classical music on to his tape recorder and I used to sit listening to quality sound from the age of about 2.
Needless to say I grew up with a love of good music etc. Becoming an engineer for Hammond Organ UK just seemed the natural thing to do. While Hammond was focussed on sound generation in the main, on their Jazz Organs like the B3 they loved to overdrive their valve Amps. To be honest I hated that and I do still seem to be able to hear the slightest bit of distortion. I will shut up now, you don’t need to be pestered by me. Thanks again though for your excellent videos.
@@7649angel Thanks Paul. I am sure other viewers will find your story fascinating too…
Harley, you're a treasure. Your story about your fascination with music reproduction and loudspeakers beginning in your youth resonates with me (although, I haven't gone as far as you have). I can remember when I was about 3 or 4 being fascinated with my parents' DIY hi-fi system with a valve amp and remember my imagination getting a hold of me such that when I looked into to a very interesting valve, I swear I could see the Kay Kyser big band in that valve while my parents were playing one of his albums. I now see this as a kind of harbinger of music videos and wish I would have gotten into the music vid business based on this "visual prophecy." Anyway, I just want to tell you how much I enjoy your RUclipss. I may, someday, purchase a pair of your Sibelius loudspeakers. They get really good reviews.
Dear John. You’re very kind! Absolutely in line with your story! Best wishes H.
Thanks so much, Mr Lovegrove. Not only have I stumbled on your channel, but now Sibelius loudspeakers too. I'm now in a bit of a nomadic phase travelling mostly between Hong Kong and Malaysia. But greatly look forward to hearing these speakers the next chance I get in an audio shop in either of these places.
Really enjoyed your presentation of the Sibelius Speakers refreshing too listen to someone talking about audio without all the hyperbole one normally has to sit through.Mark makes superb drivers at an affordable price thats rare in high end audio! Have to agree after all these years and too many speakers to remember full range drivers i think are the way to go you dont realise what a detremental effect a xover has till you listen without one.Hats off to Paul Messanger /Martin collums/Alvin Gold ect over the years for providing us with excellent reviews.Please keep your videos going its like putting on a pair of comfy slippers listening to you.cheers
Thank you Brian! Your words mean a lot to me. I will definitely keep the videos coming. I have a long list of topics that I feel the need for discussing honestly and respectfully.
What a lovely story. You were determined for the sound you are seeking and it happened. Thank you for results.
Thank you Kevin, much appreciated
What a wonderful story. Thank you for sharing it.
I have come to know of the Sibelius through Thomas and Stereo's RUclips channel. Given this story of their history and Thomas glowing review I think these are a gem. If I move into a condo in my senior years and need to downsize, these will be the speakers I seek.
BTW, I took similar path growing up on a farm in Canada. In the attic was an old gramaphone and some 78s which I listened to. Also marveled at the early tube radio. There also was some old battery powered tube radios.
Now I listen to all triode DIY OTL amps. So, the tube is directly wired to the triodes which in turn go to very old alnico coaxial drivers with minimal first order crossovers. It is wonderful.
You’re very welcome! Thank you too for your story. I was right there with you in the attic! Enjoy your music
Thanks so much for sharing your wonderful story.. hope I can get a pair here in Singapore.. wish you all good health. 🙏
Hi Sam, you’re very welcome. We have customers in Singapore - do everything is possible! 😉
Great story. Thank you Harley.
You’re very welcome
Thank you for sharing this and for your other videos which have been really informative. I really appreciate them.
Thanks! You’re very welcome
I see the joys of a little boy come through. Marvelous :-)
Thanks!
What a wonderful story. Normally I stay well clear of 'entrepreneurs' selling their latest get-rich-quick self-help book or video course - but this is (probably all too rare) a real example of genuine passion for an idea and the years of hard work to make it happen. I too, on the opposite side of London maybe 5 years later, also dialled up the airwaves to pull in distant stations from rescued and self-repaired valve radios, borrowed Gilbert Briggs (of Wharfedale fame) book on speaker design and set to designing and building speakers using units rescued from any surplus store/junkshop/factory seconds (including some KEF units my Dad managed to get for me). I also joined a London youth orchestra - and wanted to build something that sounded better than the KEF Celeste IIs my Dad had - that were faithful to the sound of the acoustic instruments I came across. Then, aged 10, I got sent to a boarding school and my tinkering had to stop - I'd almost forgotten those experimental days and you've just brought them back with a bang! I have to hear these Sibelius speakers one day - now that I fully understand the passion and commitment that lies within them.
Dear Bob thank you for your kind words and lovely comment. I got packed off to boarding school too, so I think we had very similar lives / backgrounds. I would love to demonstrate my Sibelius loudspeakers to you one day. Let us know (via the website) where you are and maybe there is someone not far from you. Our clients can be very generous that way. + we have a listening room in London
@@PearlAcoustics Will do :)
A wonderful listen, wish this gentleman would do more
Thank you Keith. I hope to do more. It’s just finding the time. I have one more almost finished and two in my head! 😉
@@PearlAcoustics look forward to it, thank you Sir
Great story, thanks for recounting the journey. It struck a chord when you mentioned Raymond Cook and Kef. I have a pair of 104.2s which have a plaque on the rear denoting their special place as the final edition. I also have pair of Bösendorfer floor standing speakers which follow your thesis by being very narrow, only slightly wider than the front mounted tweeters, the mid/woofers being side mounted.
You’re very welcome, thanks. And which speakers do you prefer to listen to? I suppose the Bösendorfers 😉
@@PearlAcoustics Two different animals really, Kefs for full on stuff, The Bosendorfers for more delicate intricate pieces...
What a journey. Hope to own a pair in the future. Always enjoy your videos Harley
Hi, thanks. Keep in touch. Best wishes from Belgium
This brought back so many good and forgotten memories... Thanks!!
Our pleasure!
I LOVE your storytelling, and i never thought i will know more from a people within 31mins like in this video. Unbeliveable :) cheers!
Thanks!
Just found you this week. I can say that my life is just about complete now! I have been listening to music my whole life.
Someday I hope to own a pair of your speakers. Will be looking forward to the next video. Thanks for sharing and being genuine!
Thanks Xavier, that’s very kind. Best wishes for the holiday season. Harley
This is a great story that is like my own in many ways. The magic of that older gear pulled many of us in. I look forward to being able to hear a set of your speakers one day.
Thanks John. Much appreciated
Beautiful story Harley! I am so glad to discover your channel. Your passion for music and hifi is contagious. Your reviews and especially stories like this are so interesting. I would be able to listen to such a stories for hours. Thank you for sharing your journey. I wish I had opportunity to hear your speakers! Greetings from Slovakia.
Wonderful fascinating story, well told Harley. Thank you!
Thank you Fred!
What a fantastic story true enthusiasm that paid off in the long run I also met Paul Messenger at a HI FI show a long time ago we had a great long chat nice man
Thanks Paul. Glad you appreciated my story. Indeed PM is a true gentleman
Hi Harvey, ive discovered your videos and surprise your turntable list included my PL-12, long gone. Being a woodworker and also a budget hifi person, in the 1970s I bought a 20 watt Wharfedale kit, and with a free sheet of rough ¾ plywood and made the cabinets, heavy and airtight.
3 pairs of speakers, 2 cross overs and a new smarter pair of ¾ birch plywood cabinets later, over 40 years!! I think they sound great.
The ply cabinets are shaped to look like the 1980s Microphase speakers but still to the original kit dimensions.
Why do they sound fantastic as none of the present separates units from different makers cost more than £120 each, Its because I've got no comparison speakers available.
The speaker placement and room acoustics are ignored, by missus,
"I want it here, it won't fit on this wall"
CDs or vinyl just sound 'right', 'clear', thru the now 40w speakers. And I'm happy!!
Thanks for your comment John. So glad you have found a good balance. And one that has seen you through all these years!
Perfect story of success
Thanks!
What a beautiful story Harley.thx
You’re very welcome Gary!
Such a story from such a storyteller 🙏
Thank you
Fantastic! Big thanks ❤
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it.
Fantastic. It seems like you were recounting my life story. Thoroughly enjoyed that.
That’s great to hear! Thank you
What a GREAT story! Thank you for sharing it with us, Harley. Having dived about 1 meter deep into the world of Frugelhorn designs and started playing a bit in my home hobby room, I fully appreciate your passion for single-point xoverless drivers and quest for perfectly flat response. You have given me something to aspire to and I hope to acquire a pair of your speakers in time.
Dear J M. Thank you very much for your kind words. Glad there’s others out there who share our vision. Hopefully, you’ll get to hear a pair one day.
@@PearlAcoustics any chance you have a dealer or a customer in Northern Virginia, USA willing to demo?
@@JM-xe1ts hi, we don’t have dealers as such but yes indeed we do have a customer or two. Not so far from you. If you can drop us en email info@pearlacoustics.com, we can put you in touch.
Yup,there’s a lot of musical enjoyment to be found with those Mark Audio Alpair and Pluvia drivers, in enclosures as simple as MLTL towers, to the Frugels and Woden Monolith and Hardwood series (several of which I’ve built)
I would love to listen to them !
Hi Jordan. Thanks for your comment, feel free to reach out and we’ll see what we can do. Enjoy the music!
I too have just discovered your channel and your company. Would love to hear your Sibelius speakers someday while I can still hear!
I believe I'm the same age as you are. You're a brilliant man, and I can listen to you speak for hours.
Thanks very much. You’re very kind. I hope too, that you get to hear our loudspeakers one day. Until then - enjoy the music
Great story of passion & perseverance!
Thanks! 🙏
Harley, I discovered your channel about 6 months ago and have really enjoyed the conversations. I am a retired mechanical engineer and one of my hobbies is building speakers and I found your journey fascinating. I knew a brilliant violin maker (and musician) years ago who sadly has passed away. The thing I remember most was how he talked about the properties of the wood species and how it affected the tonal qualities of the instrument.
I wish there was someone in Upstate NY that has your speakers as I would love to hear them.
BTW, I will always feel indebted to you for introducing me to Daft Punk's Random Access Memories. What a record!
If you get a chance, listen to a CD called "Blood", by This Mortal Coil.
Hi, thank you so much for your very kind comments… if you contact me via our website I will see if we can arrange an audition with a client… no promises but let’s see! And I will certainly check out your record suggestion!
Great story behind great product. This is how it should be. I am a hardcore DIYer, so probably will build a copy of your design for myself one day.
One of the best stories on sound ever heard.
I got my T27 from England and I was elated. Then in india nothing was available so this was the best gift in my life.
I graduated to the B200 and I thought I now have the best setup. I built my cabinets with the my carpenter and realised my hand built Xover was a disaster. And I could not just get the KEF xover.
My dream was to build the KEF 3way with the B139 with a transmission line design, which Ofcourse was never possible as like in England, I could never cross the street and pick up the B139. 😜🤣😜🤣
I was fascinated with KEF and this was 1975.
I love your story and the nostalgia about KEF.
Without hearing your speakers I can smell the clarity and the aesthetics in build quality.
🥂🥂🥂👏👏👏👏👏👏
If it still sells for £3000 I will buy the Sibelius without hearing them.
Kindly revert.
Thank you for your lovely story Jo. Yes The Sibelius are still available at 3000EUR per pair. We ship all over the world. At the moment we gave a short waiting list, next pairs will be ready in February 2021.
@@PearlAcoustics thank you for your reply. I just emailed info@lpmc.be to enquire about shipping cost to Lisbon Portugual.
Also when ordering I would take your recommendation for perfect matching amp. Ofcourse my dream is a tube within €1000 if possible else I settle forAB
My source will be Rega Planar 3.
Thanks again
@@grandmasterjo1 perfect. We will reply to you, very soon.
As always another fascinating story
And as I boy I grew up buying my first three band transistor Radio
My friend gave me her old Gerrard with a ceramic cartridge
My joy was getting two 12 inch full range Philips drivers and put them in bass reflex cabinets
And then I got a T27 and B 110
Build my own x over going over to the British council library in Bombay for reference
( please note then in the mid 70s in india the duty on any electronic item imported was 350% thanks to the then PM indira Gandhi )
So we’re deprived of buying anything like you would across the road in England
I could not get the x over from KEF so build my own counting the milli henry and ufd ( which was not very good 🤪)
But the KEF sounded nice
And so my story grew ahead with my Yamahas NS2000 M and the Thorens with the SME and Quad 405 and Nakamichi 700.
But back to the Sibelius
It’s mastery at its best for a single driver
Is it the TL design that delivers the bass so good
I have not heard the Sibelius yet but on my next trip to the uk I’m gona visit Pearl Acoustics just to say thank you to a passionate persevering perfectionist who delivers magic from a single driver
👏👏👏👏👏👏👏
Thanks very much for your kind comment and appreciation. You would always be very welcome to one of our listening rooms. The Sibelius is based on a Voight pipe design. I hope that helps a bit?
I love your enthusiasm ,and the story fascinating it inspires every audio file people and the passion for the music
Thank you so much. You’re very kind!
No greater compliment than Mr Messenger buying a pair. Great story. If I hadn't already just bought a new pair of speakers I'd be calling you haha!!
😉 thanks!
Fascinating story. Love the chair your sat down on. Who makes those please. Need another chair for my listening room. Best wishes..
Thank you for your kind words. To be honest, I don’t know who makes them. I bought them in an Italian office furniture store.
Haha, same story here how my electrical engineering passion started: dismounting old tube radios and trying to rebuild something new from the parts. Then, later going for loudspeakers in big housings, trying out closed cabinets, bass-reflex, horns and transmission lines - but I never got down to the coils!
Seems we had a parallel journey! The passion never stops.
It was a very nice ☺️ journey of a story. You could say we must have almost similar beginnings in the world of audio. I did something similar with a woofer (mid-bass) with the same appearance. It stands around 48 inches and 13 inches deep. I used the driver from a speaker 🔊 company that Kef bought during 1990. I used their drivers because I can't find a good full range unit locally. I did not use their crossovers simply because I am using a 1969 Sony 7.5w per channel receiver. It was fun when I discovered the best sound from the right internal box configuration. I can relate to your story ❤️ and I hope to get hold of either your Sibelius speakers or even just the drivers themselves. I will watch your other videos. Warm greetings 🌹 from the Philippines.
Harley, thanks for sharing! Amazing story. I am intrigued enough to start thinking of buying a pair. Please keep these episodes coming..
Lovely story, Harley. I’m still saving for a pair. Greetings from Antwerp, MC
Thanks! You’re always welcome in our listening room in Tienen.
I'll take you up on that one day. @@PearlAcoustics
Very entertaining video! Very pleasant narrative! Thank you!
You are very welcome! Thank you
Very nice content. Thank you granpa.
Harley, what an interesting story, with a fairytale ending. Its a shame I missed you at the recent Hifi show in Cheshire, I'd love to hear your speakers for myself🎶
Hi. Thanks for your very kind appreciation. Sorry to have missed you too. If you contact us via the website, maybe there is someone in your neighbourhood who might oblige… enjoy the music
🤗 I THROUGHLY ENJOYED LISTENING TO YOUR JOURNEY …THANK YOU FOR SHARING IT WITH US 🤗🤗🤗😍😍😍
You’re very welcome. Thank you for your kind words. Glad you appreciated it
Great!
Thanks!
I must buy a pair since I have the SUGDEN A21SE SIGNATURE Pure Class A
😀
What a lovely story !!!
.
Starting at the very base routes of a "wind up" gramophone !!!
.
Our first record player was a mono Dynatron with a Garard deck and the first record with
"Grocer Jack".....(An exert from a teenage opera) ..... and "The Sound of Music" !!!!!
(And "Waterloo Sunset - Kinks)
...
The next was 1979 and a Sony 33B music center that sounded semi hi-fi and i remember playing
"Out Of The Blue" - ELO and "Abba" - "The Album" (wow production or what)
.
(Over the years the circuit boards just got old and it lost it's semi- crispness lol)
(And the tape head went "fluffy")
...
Then i just bought used hi-fi from a local hi-fi shop and it all worked fine.
...
Me and a mate went to a hi-fi exhibition in Bristol way back in 1998 in a hotel and ???.... I remember a room of Japanese men with a crazy "electronic bank" ....(maybe £30,000)........ but walking past another room a valve amp just "jumped out" !!!!
...
They were great days with a small "trick in the tail" !!!
.
MANY THANKS !!!
You’re very kind. Thank you for sharing your wonderful story.
@@PearlAcoustics My pleasure !!!!
.
Many Thanks !!!
Great story teller and a great story, thanks
Good evening Harley.
I have seen several videos about Sibelius. I live in Switzerland and I would like to hear how they sound in real life. how could it be possible?. I haven't found anyone (any store) who has them. how it could be solved ? thanks for answer --- Peter
Hi Peter, good evening. Can I please ask you to reach out to us via our website? And Ajay and the team will help you as best they can. 👌
Very insightful! I enjoy your content.
Thank you Kyle. Much appreciated!
Absolutely delightful video, and very interesting, Harley. I have been into hifi as a means to listen to music for the last 50 years and recognize many of the names you quoted, as a long-time subscriber to the British hi-fi press and as an occasional show visitor. I started building speakers, turntables and amplifiers in my teens. Shared a physics degree course with Andrew Jones and Arthur Khoubessarian (Pink Triangle now Funk Firm) Nice to have Sibelius on my radar for when my long-standing KEF References die of old age... Best regards from Switzerland, Rob
Dear Rob, thank you for your delightful comments. I sincerely hope your KEF’s never die, but if they do, you know where to find us. The Sibelius and your KEF’s are the opposite sides of the same coin, if you know what I mean? Greetings from Belgium.
Seems we have a pallet of the ears! Lol great bio on your speaker journey.
Thanks
Legendary xx
Your speakers sound good! I bet you are like me and don't like two ways and three ways. Mine are a bit of a compromise and a FR driver and a woofer so the FR cone doesn't move much (less Doppler) and I can crank them more. Cheers Big Ears!
😉
After hearing your lovely story I cant help but feel like an amplifier designed soley for the Sibelius would compliment them really nicely. A Pass design perhaps in an attractive enclosure w/ the classic wood blocks on the side matching the grain of the speakers.
What a great idea! We were thinking about finding the ‘perfect match’ but PassLabs would be an excellent companion. The thing about PassLabs is they need to cool down and wood is a big insulator! A problem for the team to solve 😉
@@PearlAcoustics You get my general vibe though, something custom voiced and powered specifically to Sibelius. A unique amp for a unique speaker.
@@AllboroLCD I certainly do! 😉
I have a question about Lowther speakers. The voice coil has to be in either two or four layers, because the wire has to be wound come come back to near the cone. Are Lowthers wound with two layers or are they using a thinner wire and four layers? I believe it likely to be two-layered, but Lowther's are so different and they definitely have more turns inside the gap that most modern speakers have. They voice coil is only 1mm outside the gap. I believe this is the reason that they have such great sensitivity that usual.
Thanks for your question. Hi, the last time I saw Lowther voice coils being wound was when I was about 9 years old... so unfortunately, I cannot help you! Hopefully one of our followers can...
I have not heard these speakers but Im impressed anyway
Thanks. If you would ever like to, you can reach out to us via our website and maybe we can arrange to find a location near you. Best wishes
I've always enjoyed Prokofiev Symphony no. 5.
I have a recording by the Cleveland Orchestra, George Szell conducting on vinyl.
And The Firebird, Igor Stravinsky.
😗👌🏼 mwaaH! Bellisimo!
Excellent recordings!
I only just stumbled on this channel. Fascinating listening.
What also caught my eye were the tall slender single driver speakers.
No crossover circuitry?
No crossover circuitry or filters whatsoever… PearlAcoustics.com
I just must admit,you are fantastic story teller . To make ordinary story to be exited, just have to be a talent. Such talent it is quite use full in sales as well. Let us drift back to the product... One full-range drive, made by Mack Audio and 3.5 cm thick oak wooden case ,with no ( unnecessary high jacked price tag for capacitors and other crossover elements) 4000 euros ! For that price tag at least customer should have a choice between oak soaked in the mud for 500 years in a swamp or wood from ark of Noah.
Your speaker looks like my EPI I have had since early 1970's
Very interesting. Would love to see a photo.
I came across your company by chance and I truly want to hear them. Unfortunately, you haven't any distributor in Portugal. Your videos are great, by the way, full of passion and knowledgeable information about the real important things in audio. It's not about tubes or transistors, Class A, Class AB or Class D, is about having a wonderful experience listening to music that we love and cherish. As a music lover and audiophile, from my personal experience, listening to hundreds os Hi-Fi systems all over the years, I've never found a a single drive loudspeaker capable of delivering a pleasent audible full presentation, specially with very low, detailed and fast bass. Perhaps I should hear Pearl Acoustic loudspeakers :) I have dear friends and family living in Belgium (Brussels) but with the pandemic going on, I can't afford the risc of traveling. Perhaps one day...
I'm building a dedicated two channel listening room (29 m2) in my new home, so I will be listening to different floor standing speakers. At the moment, I have a pair of lovely Amphion Argon 3L and I listen to all kinds of music genres (2106 CD´s and boxset and 200 vinyls). I am most into digital (CD, SACD and Tidal streaming). I've just subscribed this channell. I wish you all the best! :)
Thank you, very kind. And yes, one day I am sure you’ll get to hear them! When we have an ambassador in Portugal, I’ll let you know. Take care and enjoy the music.
@@PearlAcoustics , I do hope so. I had fly tickets to this year High End Show in Munich... Let's pray for better days to come.
Do you plan to make Sibelius speaker version using the mark audio moap(magnetic oxidized) full range speakers ?
Hi, we have made a pair with the white cones version MOAP and our voice coil, they sound just fine. Would that be of interest to you?
I want a pair. Shame I can't afford them.
PS. When are the Buxtehude's coming out? 😂
😂 - the Buxtehude’s would have to be bookshelf models: delicate, with light airiness that his music deserves! 😉
I own JM Reynaud Cantibile and they seem very similar to your wonderful speakers.
Indeed, so it seems. Of course the addition of the extra drives would make listening a very different experience
I pushed an old radiogram bought for 5/- to the nearest bus stop. The bus conductor lifted it up onto the bus. Then placed it onto the pavement for me. I pushed it (it had castors) half-a-mile to my home. It still worked! c1955 in Bristol, England.
What a lovely story! Thanks for sharing
So... if you don't use a crossover, how do you keep the woofer from trying to tweet and the tweeter from trying to woof?
There is no tweeter or woofer. Just one drive unit. The drive cone is able to reproduce the entire frequency range. The design of the cabinet it is coupled with, amplifies its lower frequencies, just like blowing over the top of a glass beer bottle, or how a double bass can produce such a loud and deep tone, with just the tiniest movement of the bridge which it’s strings pass over. Its pure snd simple acoustics.
Hafizullah; do some research on the seminal work by Ted Jordan.
Fabulous
Thank you 🙏
Yet another gem of a video! I should be working but I can't help dipping back in and out of your channel with every coffee break :) too many coffees now ha! I'm a fashion designer of silk scarves, and having built my company from scratch, it always makes me smile when I hear other people's stories that sound so familiar. The dedication in your bones! and intimate connection with a singular goal. Most inspiring to hear your story.
Wonderful stories, but I can’t stop looking at the Rothko. 😮
😂 it was painted by my Mother, who was an artist in her own right. She painted it for me as a homage to the great man
So the best musical impressions were obtained using acoustic equipment costing cents and pennies. Absolutely true....
👍
Great story. Thanks for sharing.
With so many people today focused on measurements and who will buy equipment based solely on measurements, I'm curious to know why you don't publish the measurements of the Sibelius speakers; I suspect that they measure very well.
Thank you very much for your kind comments. On our website, we give the industry standard information, ohm, watts, efficiency in db per metre, general frequency response etc, which has proven sufficient up until now. Interestingly, I don’t think we have ever had a customer ask us for more measurements than what the industry submits. Hope this answers your question?
Thank you for the response. I was referring to the more advanced measurements that some reviewers will perform in conjunction with their subjective reviews, including those by Stereophile (and its associated publications), Audioholics, and Soundstage.
With so much equipment available only online and from different parts of the world, it's difficult, if not impossible, for potential buyers to hear everything that they are interested in, and even if they can, its in a room different from their own. Your passion is evident and your theory is logical, but having some objective support might make it easier for someone to take a chance with thousands of dollars.
The Chinese manufactures like Topping and SMSL have certainly jumped on this and provide substantial amounts of objective information on their websites. I agree that you don't see this from speaker manufacturers, and I suspect that in many cases that is because their speakers don't perform objectively well, but if a company's speakers do perform objectively well, then it might be a marketing advantage to also provide that information.
...and I'm not trying to start a war between the subjectivists and the objectivists like on your speaker cable post.
Is that a Rothenberg in the background... Engaging story.. thanks
Thank you very kind. It is an artists homage to Rothko 😉
I am more that sure that those speakers sound amazing, certainly better than anything I've heard as I am rather slowly getting into ture hifi, but I can't quite get my head around there being no subwoofer, with them bottoming out at 35hz (according to your website) it seems that you would be missing the rest of the low end. Do you typically recommend pairing them with a subwoofer or I am (which I assume is more likely) completely missing the point
Thank you for your comments and question. Typically the Sibelius rolls off at 38hz, which is much lower than many floor standers and monitors. So for normal music listening there is absolutely no need for a sub-woofer. If you have a sub-woofer and you like to play your bass up high or watch action movies and want to capture earth-quakes then yes you will need a sub-woofer. But this is not what they were designed for. They are designed to give a pure, very accurate reproduction of music, with the utmost accuracy and minimal coloration. I hope this helps?
@@PearlAcoustics thank you, it does alot
Sweet story 😎 is that a Rothko?
Another fascinating video. How big a sound stage is optimal for these speakers?
Thank you for your kind words. With regards soundstage, you might want to see my video on ‘loudspeaker placement.’ However, in short, it more or less up to you. The Sibelius drive cone is quite shallow, so it spreads its sound rather wide so you can go from just a few feet apart with the cones pointing straight down into the room to very ride. In one of our listening rooms they are 4,5m apart and I like to sit quite close in at around 4m from the central line. And there is no hole in the middle of the soundstage at all.
Hey harley I love your story too is kef great speakers n what about b&w n now people going for Klipsch because of higher db Dali is around 87db what is better I love your sibelius bronze cone
The efficiency of a speaker has nothing to do with their sound. Of course, I would have to choose my own! If not mine, then Magico M10’s
Hey harley magico a1 looks nice. Ok so a Dali oberon 3s or 5s which is 87db at 4ohms needs alot of power right I jus watched your story of the sibelius. What's the intricate of the cabinet inside is there a wave guide like Bose to the front port
Wonderful story. How do i get more information about the speakers.
Thank you!
Ha. Great story! 👍
Thanks!
Fascinating story about a real product made by real people who has done many years of hard work in search of perfection. Well done!
Saving up to get a pair shipped to New Zealand. Or can i get you to drop them off and set them up on your way through?😉😊
Now, that’s a thought. What the most ecological way of travelling from Belgium to New Zealand?! Thank you kindly for your appreciation
Did the name come from the composer Jean Sibelius?
Absolutely! His music has always been an inspiration to me
@@PearlAcoustics Cool! I just stumbled upon your Daft Punk RAM review and the Sibelius name caught my eye in recommendations cause I am from Finland. Was a nice story
Thank you -Montpellier, France...I actually clenched my fist to say well done at the end. Do you have a play list of music?
Thank you! Yes the tracks are credited at the end. I hope you find them.
@@PearlAcoustics still saving up to get a pair of these …..
Is that a Rothko painting behind you?
It certainly is, but not an original. My mother was an artist and a big admirer of Rothko… she painted it for me as a study of his work. She used to give lectures on him in Tate Modern in London
@@PearlAcoustics Awesome! I've been to the Rothko rooms at the Tate. That is surely the best way to view his art. Also, I just discovered your channel and really enjoyed your Bach video. I recommend Musica Antiqua Koln on Panorama and the book Art of the Piano by David Dubal for piano recordings. I took his lectures on the piano at Juilliard. Your system sounds beautiful, even on my Mac. It would be an end game system for me. Thank you.
@@christopherspiro9857 Hi Christopher, thank you kindly for your warm appreciation. I agree about the Antiqua Koln ensemble… thanks to for sharing your back story. Who knows, maybe one day you’ll hear our system in real life. Best wishes from Belgium
It would be nice if we could hear demonstration of your loudspeakers on RUclips, and let us make our own opinion what think of your loudspeakers.
Well that’s an idea Kevin, but if course all you would hear is the equipment you are listening to them on. The best thing to do is to reach out to Pearl Acoustics via their website and they can see where your nearest listening room is and make an appointment for you.
If you watch the Galion Amplifier video you will have a demo of the loudspeakers playing at the end of it. I hope that helps?
I think this is my 3rd time watching this video.
😉
Would it help in little extra bass if I use a Hypex nCore amps
Hi Anand, no not really (assuming you are comparing one high quality amplifier with another). Bass, quantity - not definition, is largely improved by room acoustics, speaker placement or a change in the front end (pre-amplifier / power amplifier combination, turntable cartridge etc. Some amplifiers can be 'bass heavy' but not good quality ones. Hypex are good power units and they are very flat, so can be a good place to start. Good luck!
Is this Mark Rothko painting?
It’s a copy / homage painted by my mother who was an artist in her own right - who adored Rothko and she painted it for me, in the last years of her life.
It is said that the composer Jan Sibelius never smiled. He would like this speaker.
Hi Robert, judging by the photographs - I can imagine that! I have visited his house in Finland once and it was certainly in a very beautiful location. It was given to him by the state so he could work in peace. it’s hard to imagine him not smiling when he went on his long walks in the Forrest it is set in. But his music certainly makes millions of people smile. What a gift the state of Finland received back from him.