I am in the market for new speakers and have found a online company called ACI, evidently speakers sold only on line. I have found some reviews on line, which denote that these speakers are an excellent value. Anyone had any experience with this company? I am hesitant to purchase speakers without a listening audition.What are your thoughts or experience?

Personally I would never purchase a type of speaker that I had not listened to myself. It's THE most critical part of any system and the one that is most susceptible to "user preference". I would not even trust a friend who had heard and liked them. Gotta hear them yourself. If you are the type of person who would buy a car without test driving it, then you can disregard my advice.

Jeff Mackwood

Check out the SMR forums. (http://forums.smr-forums.com:8080/) They have an official forum for ACI (like this one is for Outlaw) there. Apparently, the speakers are quite good.

Jeff

rosedoc,

There are online companies that offer 30 day money back return policy like Aperion and Outlaw Audio. I personally think this is the best listening test you can do, setting it up at where you will be using them and taking time, trying various sources. If ACI offers that type of return policy, give it a try.

I feel the opposite of Jeff. To me, the only means of auditioning speakers is not in a showroom demo room, but in ones own listening environment...for an extended period of time.

Regarding the ACI's, they are easily the best speakers to my ears that I've ever owned and I've owned quite a few. My front right/left and 25th Anniversary edition Sapphires, to go along with my Essence center and Emerald on-wall surrounds. IMO, simply amazing speakers for the money and, yes, they do offer a 30 day return policy. I've read many a post where the Sapphires beat out more costly competition, such as the BMW 805N and Sonus Faber Concertos. To me, they wipe the floor with any of the competition I've heard at dealers around my town.

Seriously, I don't think they advertise, don't have middle men taking their cut, and don't have dealers taking their cut. Those savings can be passed onto the consumer. They offer wonderful sound (I'd call it audiophile quality), beautiful craftsmanship and build quality on their cabinetry, and great consideration goes into their design.

Which ACI's are you thinking about buying? Mike is exceptional about working out what is best for the individual buyer.

As far as buying from an online dealer, let's not forget that that is exactly what Outlaw does. Even with advertising, do they offer good value for the money. IMO, yes. What about companies such as SVS? Same story, yes.

BMW makes very good cars, and a great Formula One racing engines, but they can only get up to 18,500 RPM, therefore laking "that very high frequncy performance, " required by today's truely competitive reference sound systems.

B&W's, on the other hand, can not produce enough horsepower or torque to be seriously considered as a viable engine for most forms of racing... but don't count them out yet for the 2004 season. They can do almost anything...

Allan

I thought Sonus Faber ( that 22 year old Italian driver), was team leader for the launch of Ferrari’s 2004 prototype, the first blue paint for the famous equestrian badged automaker slated for the track - since the model was designated the Sapphire.

With 1st day qualifying at Monza just hours away... SLL reappears, sporting shocking revelations concerning the future of the mythical prancing horse.

... please hum the theme to "High Plains Drifter" or "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly" (Sergio Leone)...

... from a distant and heat distorted mirage...
... the figure of a horse and rider becomes more and more coherent ...
... it's a woman ...

As Scudera Ferrari's fortune has been spent faster than even Donald Rumsfeld could imagine, and mega-partner Fiat (the Italian Motor Giant) is suffering continued financial woes, the future colors of the Maranello based team, and the entire Italian peninsula are in peril.

Ferrari's 2003 budget is estimated at over $300M. Budweiser pulled out of sponsorship negotiations to sign with rival Team Williams; but the money for the 2004 campaign must come from somewhere, and these are desperate times indeed.

Since France pulled the rug from under Team Prost last year, Ferrari Team manager, Jean Todt (oui, he's a Francophile), has been engaged in secret talks with the French government about purchasing the team and annexing Maranello et al.

The Plan: the 'French Racing Blue' colors will not be known until the unveiling in March 2004... and then, with the Italian population paralyzed in disbelief, Michael Schumacher (Ferrari No. 1 driver) will seize the mainland for Germany, while Jean Alesi (former Ferrari driver) takes Sicily for himself. The plan also includes "the other Ferrari driver", Rubens Barrichello, who will be in Venice crying to create a diversion while Rome burns.

The lone rider, with the assistance of former teammates of Michael Schumacher (they all hate him), foil the plot by disclosing videotape of Jean Todt and Ross Braun (another Ferrari team boss) painting the word Michelin on monster truck tires, while singing ' La Marseillaise.', dressed in school girls' clothing.

As the rider drifts into the distant heat, Eddie Irvine (former Ferrari teammate of Schumacher) races afterwards... attempts to get fresh, and is dropped like a sack of potatoes soaked in Jameson Irish Whiskey.

do de do de do... wah waaah waah...
do de do de do... wah waaah waaaaah...

[This message has been edited by AGAssarsson (edited September 12, 2003).]

Ah AGAssarsson! a man of refinement familar with the history following Countess Paolina Baracca’s gift of her sons squadron logo to Enzo.
Eddie Irvine (former Ferrari teammate of Schumacher) races afterwards... attempts to get fresh, and is dropped like a sack of potatoes soaked in Jameson Irish Whiskey.
They just don’t get it, I’d never sack them like potatoes if they would just offer me a fair exchange of horsepower, all it requires is bolting a right hand seat into one of those Ferrari’s and a simple statement “Jump In” with subsequent laps round the track.

Jeff, SMR stopped hosting the ACI forum a couple of weeks ago. The owner of ACI, Mike Dzurko, posts quite often in the speaker section of AVS Forums. Folks can also go directly to ACI's website: http://www.audioc.com

Best,
Sanjay