Ocean Way monitors are proof that speakers are for listening, not looking

Audiophiles will often scoff at professional sound equipment, saying that it isn't refined enough for truly high performance. While the ugly duckling Ocean Way HR-2A lacks the fancy wood veneers of many big ticket speakers, I wish all audiophiles could all experience them so they could learn how truly wimpy most fancy audio rigs really are.

Ocean Way is one of the world's finest recording studios, and has produced many best selling albums from Michael Jackson's Thriller to The Beach Boys' Pet Sounds. Owner Allen Sides felt that many high end audio rigs couldn't deliver the sound he heard in his studio, so he has decided to make that sound available to anyone with a spare $38,000. The horn loaded tri-amped system comes complete with all of the required electronics, and the sound was definitely ear opening in a smallish room at The Venetian.