YG Acoustics Carmel 2 Review: A Natural, Effortless High-End Speaker Experience

Duncan Taylor

YG Acoustics Carmel 2 Review: A Natural, Effortless High-End Speaker Experience

There’s nothing like a fresh start with a well-known brand that is cemented in sound and look, like YG Acoustics and their characteristic metronome-shaped tower speakers. 

Experiencing the YG Acoustics Carmel 2 Sound

I’ve had a lot of listening experience with the larger YG speakers, from the Sonja 1.2 to the 1.3 to the XV. Imagine my surprise to hear a different speaker entirely in Sonja’s smaller cousin, the Carmel 2.

While the sound of the larger YGs strikes me as occasionally larger-than-life, or as room-dependent for the kind of bass they want to make, and as room-treatment and placement-dependent for the handling of the top end. Even amplifier-dependent, if you ask me, on that very present top end. Bi-amplified, with a FET power amp on the bottom and perhaps an EL34 tube amp on the tweeters, the big YGs can shine.

But I’m here powering these gorgeous little Carmels with nothing more than a single PS Audio Stellar S300 stereo class-A / class-D amplifier, and I am blown away by what I’m hearing.

Natural is what I’m hearing. Real, significant, and dynamic is what I’m hearing. Effortless… I’m witnessing a disappearing act from these Carmels that I usually hear in the best mini-monitor/subwoofer combinations I come across.

I realize these are a big swing, financially. Most audiophiles don’t have the money to put these in a living room. But some do, and if you have the budget, this blog post is for you.

If you’ve liked the looks and approach of YG acoustics in the past, and want something a little easier to manage, easier to power, and set up, take a spin with these lovely Carmel 2s from YG. 

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