Colorado manufacturer YG Acoustics, led by the energetic Yoav Geva, achieved notoriety by proclaiming its Anat Reference II Professional the "Best Loudspeaker on Earth. Period. "
Stereophile reviewer Wes Phillips
didn't disagree with that characterization, though it is fair to note that at $107,000/pair, the Anat Reference II Professional is also one of the more expensive speakers on Earth. Making its debut at CES, YG's two-way Carmel is relatively more affordable, at $18,000/pair, but shares with its sibling an enclosure constructed from slabs of aluminum CNC-machined in-house.
A ring-radiator tweeter, recessed within a conical waveguide, is combined with a modified 7" woofer from Scanspeak in a sealed cabinet. Driven by a dCS Scarlatti 4-box SACD player and Krell Evolution amplification, the Carmel had problems filling the very large Show room with high-level sound, but at a more reasonable playback volume, excelled at clarity and transparency, with an uncolored midrange and relatively generous lows.
