To Jeff Fritz,
Not quite a year ago I was privileged to have some back-and-forth dialogue with you (via e-mail) regarding the assembly of my new system. You may recall that I had initially written for your opinion on a select list of loudspeakers (Vivid, Magico, Kharma) that had each received some pretty good reviews in the general audio press, as well as in the SoundStage! family of publications. In the end I chose to acquire the YG Acoustics Hailey 1.2 ($42,800 USD per pair). After living with the speaker now for the past six months I can confidently say how happy I am with this selection and that I have not experienced the “what if” scenarios that can usually accompany this kind of expenditure (high dollars for me anyway).
As your thoughts and reviews progress through the speakers you’ve written about in your October post [“Jeff’s Getting a New Stereo System: Part Four”], I’d like to suggest that you consider the Haileys as well. They are priced just a nudge above your stated dollar limit, but truly provide a sound quality well above their price point.
Yes, I’m sure you’ll receive lots of emails from fanboys like me, urging you to include their preferred brand as you go about your search, but in this instance I honestly believe the Hailey provides all of the desired loudspeaker virtues that you’ve written about over the years, and as such could surprise you during an audition.
Thanks again for the best audio thoughts in the hi-fi space, and the best of luck to you as you try to do what so many of us try to do and stay within our means.
Karl Weiss
Parker, Colorado
United States
