Thank you for stopping by and feel free to share your experience in the comments below. Don't forget to click the like button on this video if it was helpful, it helps me out with the KZfaq algorithm :) non-affiliated purchase links: GR research XLS Encore (Finished): gr-research.com/product/xls-encore/ GR research XLS Encore KIT (No cabinet): gr-research.com/product/x-ls-encore/ GR research XLS Encore Flatpack Cabinet: gr-research.com/product/x-ls-flatpack-pair/ Amplifier used for XLS encore: Starke Sound Fiera4: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/erdijbxqsd62ln0.html Thallo Amplifier/Hades Pre-amplifier: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/fJ2dktGD26uVZ58.html IOTAVX SA3 + PA3 Combo: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pZebqduBtMqdXac.html related videos/blind tests: Which is the better DIY Speaker? CSS Audio 1TDx vs GR Research XLS Encore speakers: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/pcWYYNaam9qumJc.html Is GR-Research XLS Encore DIY KIT Speaker a Giant Killer? vs Sonus Faber Electa Amator III: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/nMmWZdeK3rndcY0.html GR-Research XLS Encore Speakers & Speaker Cables Arrived ! AND The PLAN is...: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/p-Bnm7xjr5mmnKs.html Measurements: Coming Soon Support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/jayiyagi follow on Instagram: instagram.com/jays_iyagi/ follow on Facebook: facebook.com/jayiyagiofficial Follow soundstage take 2 reviews: kzfaq.info/sun/PLPOzvlhtSqn5xdc__ftuSt4Rxy_wm5Af0 *My Daily Components (All Tested And Proved To Work in Blind Tests)* Fancy speaker stands I use: shop-links.co/choe8oQHC9w Speaker stands I use (budget): amzn.to/3ssRhI3 Desktop Speaker Stands I Use: shop-links.co/chofc1R7mpT acoustic panels I use: ua-acoustics.com/ acoustic curtain: amzn.to/31d1zAM my fav hifi tweaks: (Isoacoustics devices) amzn.to/3j5FGvM Speaker Isolation Feet I Use: shop-links.co/choffy3csSK Turntable Isolation I Use: shop-links.co/chofgeNORJP Component Isolation I Use: shop-links.co/chofhTC3wc7

Thank you Jay. Keep up the great work. I hope you enjoyed your time with these XLS Encores. I definitely enjoyed the journey. Frederick

Excellent, professional review. You consistently do such a great job and, most importantly, have fun doing it. Thanks from your namesake.

I think that was an excellent and fair review. Good job! Now, I have a better understanding of it’s sound.👍

Damn, Jay, your listening space is looking really good. Love the plants.

Danny is very helpful & responsive to email. I am interested in DIY as I can't afford great expensive speakers, & so therefore see this as a worth while compromise; doing some of the labour. Good follow up review, thanks 👍👍

I got news for you, those drivers sound amazing! Better the SVS driver as well as many others. I was shocked as well but you know what it’s the design sound that matters more in my opinion. They push a nice amount of air for a woofer that size the the cone material is nice.

Good review. Given your initial skepticism, you've really tried to be even-handed. It's very helpful to state your preferences, which you do admirably. Since I find Magico, Focal, and Klipsch to be too forward in the highs, it seems I'd like these speakers!

Slight correction Jay - the XLS Encore cabinet you have is made with Baltic birch plywood, and the corner chamfers are cut on a table saw. No veneers are involved.

On a recent trip to Texas I stop at GR Research, almost unannounced, and Danny was very accommodating. I suffer from minor tinnitus so I decided to not get the upgrades however there were 2, 0.1uf sonicap bypass caps included. I did get the No rez. I am looking forward to getting these speakers built. Are they the be all and end all in speaker design? Probably not but, they do come with support from someone that is passionate about what they do and is more than willing to help. Thanks for the review Jay, I am looking forward to the NRC measurements.

I have no prior wood working experience and was able to assemble the XLS Encore perfectly first try.

A review of some higher tier GR stuff would b cool 👍

Great review!!!! Thanks and keep up the great work!!

I prefer BIG box speakers (3-way with 15" paper woofer) as sometimes I like to crank them to full volume. My bookshelf speakers have their place but...

Great review Jay, any plans on reviewing Arendale speakers, especially the 1723 Tower S THX?

I don't think this speaker is very practical for most homes.. 5 feet or more of a wall definitely wouldn't work for me. Placing it 2 feet off the wall while knowing it would sound better with an Xtra 3 feet or so would drive me nuts lol

GR research has a flat pack available on their web site. I've heard them and when a subwoofer is integrated with the speakers placed about 3' from the wall they disappeared. Just my personal experience.

Good review Jay. On a personal note, I have the XLS Encore's that I built a couple years ago with the upgrade kit option, Micaps, No-res, etc.... Do they sound good? Meh, sure, but not as good as I would like. Spaced properly about 3-4' from the wall on 30 inch stands, they sound a bit "choked" is the best way to describe. Alternatively, I have a pair of open baffle speakers (my own design, tang bands 5" full range and my engineered caps/inductors/resistors) that honestly sound way better, open, sound stage and imaging, impactful resolution of sound stage.

Good that you have A/B, D and Tubes for speaker testing. Is that D with Galium Nitride ? So you now can rate your amp preference for all the speakers you review.

Can't recommend Frederick's work highly enough. He sold me the production AV123 XLS Encores and upgraded to the Sonicaps for half the price of a pre-built kit from GR-Research. New to the audiophile game, but I can already hear more than I could on my Emotiva B1+. For $600, I can cut my audio chops on these for a few years.

It appears that the x-over parts are much better quality than the drivers. Jay, I'm glad to see that you are not intimidated by what Danny has to say and holding onto your dbl blind test results.

Nice balanced review Jay. Are NRC measurements still coming on this?

Is there a video where you talk about the diffusion on your front wall? Would love to hear more about it.

Would you say the treble is something like the original Buchardt S400? Like really smooth and even, but missing that bit of sparkle, air and bite?

Nice review, Jay. Some serious food for thought here. But this has me wondering- when are you going to Texas? After the long break between videos, I was hoping it was because you had gone to visit Danny in Texas. That is one video I am really looking forward to.

Hi @Jayiyagi, it's great that you address the amp pairing - not everyone takes the time to do so! Much appreciated 👌 What advice would you give for pairing them with the Quad 34 pre-amp and Quad 306 power amp (AB amp, 50 watts per channel into 8Ω)? Same question regarding the CSS Criton 1TD pairing? Thanks in advance! 🙌

First things first…Jay, you have been a class act through all this. On to the speaker… For most people it’s just not practical to pull speakers so far into their room but if they sound best that way so be it. The real culprit in speaker disappointment is not experimenting with placement, rearranging items in room, etc. I think many people underestimate the importance of these variables. It requires some trial and error and patience. Lastly, some well researched wall treatments can do wonders too. It doesn’t always involve just buying another speaker and hoping for the magic. Honestly, I’ve known a couple of people that built the Encores with good results. They’re good speakers and it’s a fun and rewarding project but it’s not magic either. Building a speaker that does great things is a balance of science and art. It’s brains and it’s finesse. Furthermore, tube connectors aren’t magic either nor are they practical w/all cables so take that for what its worth. Honestly, I like the newer PSB and Q Acoustics binding posts. They are 2 different approaches but well executed. Many engineers have been using quality binding posts forever and frankly they work quite well. You’d have better gains with improved crossover implementation/parts and this is where I align with Danny most of all. I’ve built crossovers, cabinets, etc over the years and it’s super fun but not easy and honestly, it can involve a lot of math to get things right. However, there is no such thing as a perfect speaker hence the audiophile journey and all it’s joys. Danny does have a point because almost every big speaker company builds something if not almost everything to a price point and that’s usually not good for the customer. Speaker companies throw all kinds of shortcuts in the cabinet because they know 99% of people will never look in there nor would they know what they’re looking at if they did. Therefore, just about everything can be improved upon in some meaningful way if you have the knowledge and patience. It’s been this way forever with everything from speakers to shoes to cars. However, with more companies doing good work and offering direct to consumer speakers, you can acquire high quality pieces built to great spec. I never thought that taking a $400-$500 speaker and spending another $300 to have a marginal “improvement” was really that clever when you could just buy a better speaker in the first place but hey that’s just me. I think Danny is a very smart guy with true insights but I just felt like he could have spent more time showing and teaching with his own products rather than slagging others. His message was never incorrect IMO, but it’s delivery was not always welcoming. It’s just not a good campaign strategy in such a small niche world. But again, you handle yourself very well for such a young dude. Keep up the great insights because a lot of folks new and experienced are listening. 👍🏻

Great review Jay. How would you compare these to the Tekton Lore Reference or Lore? Looking in the $1000 a pair range. Thank you for your thoughts.

Basically, to optimize this speaker a compromise must occur. (room atheistic vs imaging) though, there is a third option for placement that I'm curious about. 1) 2 feet from the wall (room atheistic) 2) 5 feet from the wall (sound stage) 3) 5 feet from the wall mounted 7 feet above the ground (both?) I'm curious if option 3 would significantly ruin the sound signature and staging or if it's a viable option with minimal compromise.

So glad to see you’re using the ISOACOUSTICS Oreas under the speakers! I have them under my Focal solo 6s. What an awesome difference it makes. Was thinking of screwing the Gaia III s. What do you think. Thx.

Your amplifier experience is interesting. I have a Bryston 4B 3 an Encore 2500 and a Parasound A23 and have tried out class D amps from Schitt, Marantz, Topping and the Denafrips Hyperion. There seems to be a more variability when it comes to how Class D manufacturers "voice" their amps more so than the older designs and I don't know if it is intentional or how each design handles voltage a bit differently given a particular load. All the amplifiers sound differently, but the A/B designs seem to be more closely matched than some of the class D designs. I'm not really sure what to make of this or if there is really anything to it other than the amps just being different.

I was talking to Danny on another post about the tube connectors, but we got separated somehow. I was asking about the gains of the tube connectors over the banana plugs and he was saying that it makes a big difference in sound quality, and I wasn't arguing that point. Maybe he will see this here. What I was asking for clarification on was when you are using the tube connectors on the speaker end, what about the fact that nearly all amplifiers have banana plugs or spades on the output of the amp. My question is when you have banana plugs on one end, how do the tube connectors make such a big difference on the other end?

Jay I’m Curious to know your thoughts on what I would likely need to do to take my bookshelf speaker listening to another level coming from a pair of Monitor Audio Silver S2. My power sources are an Onkyo TX-NR676 100wpc and a NAD 3300 60wpc high current integrated amp. Soundstage and imaging are important. Heavy bass is not critical for me. My sub can handle that. Not a fan of really bright speakers. Like would I need to spend $1000 to really jump up in quality? I’ve thought about going to see Danny to see about upgrading the MAs (and I would bring my Dahlquist DQ-18s too). Got those used for $65 and the MAs for $120!

Isn’t it true that if you pull any speaker 5 feet from the wall you will get a much deeper sound stage :. ????

I think you have over-estimated the assembly of the Encore. It is really easy and saves you heaps of cash. Not to mention that making speakers is fun! You can always get someone to build the boxes if you do not feel confident or have the equipment.

Hey Jay! What's the speaker stand you're using in this video? They're pretty awesome man

Hello Jay. Great video 👍

Great end to an awesome SAGA! Thx Jay.

I would love you to compare the CSS speaker with the GR Research NX Studio's which I've heard is a big step up from the Encore.

Very interesting review 👍 Jim 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🙂

Sturdiness in a speaker is important to me because I tend to run over my speakers with a truck by accident, all the time. Clumsy me.

The link to the XLS speaker-only kit w/ no cabinet is wrong (linking you to the cabinet), can you fix it?

If I can only place the speaker 2 feet from the wall is the XLS encore worth getting ? Will it sound good ?

I hate when people comment on audio channels asking for "X vs X", but I'm curious if you've ever had the HiVi 3.1 in the room before? I saw a video a while back of the 2.2, but there really isn't a ton of info out there on the 3.1 (from people I trust). The reason I ask is because I built a pair a while back and have been heavily debating moving to the CSS 1TD. I know it's a $300 pair vs a $700 pair, but I'm worried it's not a dramatic enough step up.

Hummm, for the same money (finished) would you choose this speaker or say, the Zu Audio Dirty Weekend 6?

Are those Dynaudio Heritage Specials in the background?

Thanks a lot for your channel, very enlightening! I'd have one question, which can also be considered as a suggestion for a clip (you must receive gazillions of such questions, and, as most other KZfaqrs, probably give more consideration to those that are from your Patreon channel, but I'll still give it a try). *Q:* In all objectivity, what would you consider to be the best pair of speakers, for a budget under US $600 and a room of about 13'x16'? I listen to progressive rock, jazz, classic/acoustic, and sometimes pop/dance: an "all-around" pair of speakers... *Context:* I was a musician during my graduate school years, and then only a casual one (drums)... The thing is that after all those years of having my interests somewhere else, I've become completely ignorant about nowadays' audio market and its "value" offerings. But I have a good ear and can appreciate sound differences, isolate instruments in my head, feel a gallantly generous Bass but which doesn't overlap on mid-ranges, appreciate mid to high frequencies that are not rendered to give headaches in the long run (if not for a cheap background noise at lower volumes), etc...

For me personally I don't care much about what a speaker has below the waste. The magic is all from the lower midrange to the tippity top. I will always have subs for bass extension.

Also something worth mentioning is that if planning to use a subwoofer, XLS encore is an even better value proposition. Personally, I would much rather spend $1000 less over getting CSS 1TDx and put that $1000 towards a good subwoofer. XLS and a Sub will blow away 1TDx !

is their a curvature array diy speaker for a PA system?

I'm surprised the sound wasn't as good with the Denafrips Thallo as the Class D amp (Starke Sound Fiera4). You never know until you try it.

Take a trip to GR-Research give us a review on the rest of products.

Well now I have to comment on this one out of fairness. I commented on your initial reaction video to Danny's and thought you guys were way too defensive and ultimately too dismissive of what Danny was saying. I have seen your subsequent videos now and am pleasantly surprised and impressed with your objectivity and growth. Good luck to you and I will keep watching!

you might like the speakers i am working on. they will be done as soon as my cnc shows up. went all out and got a liquid cooled spindle and everything. my prototypes sound great, just making them look good now. then will have my page and everything up and going.

Lots of caveats here. Sounds a lot like a review presented by one of the old audio magazines where they didn’t much care for the product but didn’t want to upset someone who buys a lot of advertising space. And yes, I know Danny didn’t pay you. After watching your and other reviews, I bought the CSS audio 2TD-X (I have a large room) and I couldn’t be happier. I’m sure there are better speakers than these but much better and I couldn’t stand it. I’ve spent more time listening to the 2TD-X the last 3 weeks than I spent listing to my Yamaha NS1000M the previous 2 years. The Yamahas are great speakers but WOW! Thanks for your work.

Did you like the sound-signature from the inexpensive Sony SS-CS5 better than this XLS Encore speaker?

Epos have always used this type of connector. Plug in with decent banana plugs then listen to some music, sorted.

have you tried the PRO-JECT SPEAKER BOX 5 S2?

IME almost all speakers sound better for sound staging when you pull them out into the room. This is not specific for GR Research. Only exception are for speakers specifically designed for corners of the room like some Klipsh.

Are these Dynaudio Heritage Specials in the background?

Is that the Heritage Special in the background.

Odd to say that GR kit requires so much more work to assemble than the CSS?!? Assembling a flat pack from either CSS or GR should be quite similar. GR has a video showing how to assemble crossover, looks straight forward and easy to me.

I have these with a 'cost-effective' Polk Audio sub, and they disappear completely. At the price point, it's virtually unbeatable, and, I am using Type 45 tube push-pull monoblocks and get PLENTY of volume.

Great review dude, but, one small correction I have to say from someone that built both: you can buy the flat pack from GR Research and the effort to build the cabinet becomes the exact same as the CSS (believe me, the flat pack quality is identical).

please review Floorstanding speaker: - Monitor Audio Silver 500 7G (or 300 7G) - Arendal 1723 Towers Bookshelfs: - Triangle Comète 40th Anniversary (WILL blow you away)

Is review of Willsenton r300b comming soon?

I here this a lot. "I am going to tell that I am going to tell you about what I am going to tell you, as soon as I tell you that I am going to tell you about it."

is it better then dali menuate se?

Did you not see that he has a flat pack available for this speaker?

Question..is the woofer on the GR research XLS the same used on the Totem Rainmaker speaker??

Solid work Jay, nice! What's your best guess on the amp's capability that elicited the more favorable sound character with the alternate amp? As you point out, synergy of the amp/speaker combo is vital, simply curious in this case what you feel is responsible for this. You mentioned another listener... were you both in agreement of your general findings? fyi; vid production quality is very good, keep it up it's appreciated.

For me, soundstage and clarity are the most important factors in looking for bookshelf speakers because everything else can be fixed by processing or addition of a subwoofer.

Dynaudio Heritage in the back?

That GR 6.5" Midwoofer works best in 30 liter cabinet tuned to 42 hz

I disagree with your assessment of what constitutes 'laid back' in terms of high frequency. The GRs are about as dead center as it gets, while something like Klipsch tends to be way too hot. Still, great video. Thanks for your hard work.

After listening to your review, I think Danny has a more persuasive agument for the sound quality and build logic of the XLS.

Did you get to NRC?

11:49 So, it is a bookshelf speaker which fails to be a proper bookshelf speaker. Like, I don't know how good it is regarding to other bookshelf solutions, but if it is designed to be at the middle of a room, and maybe it doesn't sound all that better than the others when placed close to a wall on an actual bookshelf or dresser, then what is the actual point? 🤔

Great follow-up review Jay, I don’t think that the XLS Encores are a very practical chose for apartment or condominium dwellers. If one can place speakers 5’ off the back wall then why wouldn’t someone just buy a pair of LRS for less money and use the speaker cost savings towards better amplification to drive these entry level Maggies. Thank you for the amp gear pairing guidance. I finding that I am learning so much about equipment matching during this section of your reviews. I can’t speak to the cost rise of the XLS crossover parts post the pandemic but I also think that the Peerless Drivers used in the encores appear to be cheaply made by contrast to those used in the ITDX or, even drivers found in some comparably priced fully built bookshelf bookshelf speakers from such companies as Elac, Fluance, SVS, Triangle, Polk, Arendal or PSB. I recently looked at the drivers used in the 2 speaker kits sold by Madisound and they seem to be of better quality. Mind you they may not have what I have no doubt is a very well designed crossover supplied in the XLS but my gut tell me that SEAS or SB Acoustic divers are far more durable. The Encore kit is really getting pricey too now: -Drivers + Sonicaps & Miflex Copper Bypass Caps +Tube Connectors = $807 -MDF flat pack $175 This doesn’t include the No Rez that Danny recommends to use @ $55/sheet x2 and then there is the shipping, taxes/import duties & exchange rate differential (twice) one might have to pay. After glue & clamp assembly one needs to quarter all of the edges which will still result in an unfinished look that will require even more labor to cost + labor to cover…. I can’t say that this is a bargain!

This speaker or the Sonus Faber Sonetto ll. I know the Sonetto line isn’t your fav. and is the Nova 1 in a different league?

I do agree that the woofer looks a bit cheap and plastic. Maybe the kit could cost a bit less or the drivers could be a bit nicer.

My problem with pure copper connectors is that they tarnish. IMO, brass is better. Oh, and Naim uses what are basically tube connectors (female). Their tolerances are tighter too.

The Class D Amp probably has a higher dampening factor.

Xls vs Lumina 2? Thoughts?

I have to ask, those tube connectors, you're not the first one to seem to sound like you're on the fence about them. I'm looking at an update kit for my speakers and the T C's are an issue with me and mainly how they restrict what you can use with them. And the fact that they become loose over time. Also the kit went up an additional $115.00.

If you like string instrument zing you would love Tekton Lore.

It’s a pick up truck. You could run the back tire over your foot with no issues. This a perfect example of GR audios exaggerations.

When will you be visiting Danny's place in Texas?

Omg Gatos. How are they?

If you follow GR Research you would know, even "high end" speakers costing multiple thousands can have the cheapest possible parts in them, & in so, the binding post are usually magnetic. This has been proven repeatedly by Danny with numerous manufacturer speakers.

The comment "$1000 more" took me aback. The GR Research XLS Encore with the middle option on electronics, tube connectors, and flat pack is $878. The CSS 1 TDX with similar guts and flat pack is $934. That's $56, not $1000. Am I missing something or is Jay?

Nice review, Jay. Most people are used to a more forward and bumped up treble with modern speakers....that "zing" and presence you mentioned. Most times, it's just recalibrating your ears to a more accurate, neutral frequency response. My guess is that these speakers have more of a natural sound you would hear 10 rows back in an auditorium, versus onstage sitting beside the violin section. I would love to see your review adding the open baffle GR Research subs!

The XLS Encores seem they would check a lot of boxes in my case? Running solid state pre and GaN/D power amp, smallish treated room and a Rel T7/x. Great review as always!

Or put the port in the front baffle

The price isn't too bad to be fair.

I thought you were going to have these speakers tested by an independent lab?

How can a DIY two-way speaker kit represent good value when you can buy a pair of excellent three-way active speakers for less than USD $800 MSRP? I guess if you really love to DIY, but still....

you can get XLS Encore flat packs....

I guess this means the trip to Texas is off?

"It don't mean a thing if it don't have that zing!"