T3.4 Is a smaller one to the T1.5 for Small to medium size rooms, one is up on audiogon this pair is mine.
A speaker audio journey over: Classic Audio Loudspeakers T1.5 Reference = End game
Where to start? Well, the time has come…I finally made a decision on my next speaker acquisition, the Classic Audio Loudspeaker, T1.5 Reference. They will invariably be keepers for a very long time, if not life. I spent a little over two years in my pursuit of a replacement speaker; researching, listening, and evaluating various speakers in different environments to include homes, listening studios, and audio shows. I never, not once, auditioned a speaker at my house in my own listening studio during my research. This is very similar to the way I purchased my B&W N800’s sometime in the early 2000’s. If you want to skip over the rambling, go directly to the paragraph starting with “I let the needle drop. Holy crap!”
But, before I start my diatribe on how I fell head over heels for these large, beautiful and magnificent sounding speakers, let me tell you what my wife stated when she heard them in our listening studio for the first time; “I can distinguish the breathing of Loreena McKennitt as she sings “The Mummers’ Dance” and “Night Ride Across The Caucasus” as if she is live on stage, and I can distinguish where the individual instruments are placed, while all sounding equally present in front of me, each musical instrument clearly playing on stage as if she is just right here, in front of me. I feel a presence that is so much more emotionally charged than your other speakers. I can feel the strength and delicacy of her voice and music qualities at the same time. You are never getting rid of these speakers.”
Let me start by saying that I appreciate communities such as Audigon, and other similarly audio focused hobbyist forums, as they provide a good deal of insight on a wide range of audio products. This allows us, as hobbyists, to read what others have to say about audio products, and that shared knowledge empowers us with the ability to deduce facts or form certain opinions of these products that we are interested in.
Over the years at Capital Audio Fest (CAF), 2017, 2018, and 2019, when we still went to Audio shows, is when I first got to know and hear of Classic Audio Loudspeakers. John Wolff, owner of Classic Audio Loudspeakers, brought the T1.5 reference as well as his famous Hartsfield’s to demo at the 2017 CAF. This is when I heard the glorious sound emanating from the T 1.5’s, I was in awe, as to the sheer bravado and elegance the T1.5’s exhibited. These speakers were effortless in the way they conveyed subtleties in voices, and yet portrayed instruments in their full glory on stage as if right in front of you. That listening moment is when I realized that my B&W 800’s lacked a certain ability to convey sheer emotion at this scale, compared to the energy and magnitude that the T1.5’s presented. The band and instruments where in front of me with a much more “I am here with a live band” vibe. To my chagrin, my B&W 800’s seemed lowly in dynamic detail compared to the T1.5’s. I also thought that the T1.5’s speakers were unobtanium at the time and perhaps the future, as I did not want to exceed my own self-imposed budget. Nevertheless, the exposure to that wonderful musical sound the T1.5’s emitted left me in pursuit of and on a journey for my next speaker which took many turns over these past few years. Listening to the T1.5’s at CAF had that much of a profound lingering effect on me in terms of the audio qualities of what I wanted for my next speaker. The only other time I ever felt the same way about a speaker system is when I heard the MBL 101’s at the Munich High End Show a few years ago. In this hobby, you just know when “It is it”, when it comes to the sound you like.
My particular listening attributes and other musical quality criteria were shaped in the late 60’s, when my stepfather (he was a part time bongo / congo player for Santana) played the Santana session tapes to us as children. I will never forget those listening sessions, and now, nearly 50 years later, I have honed down my own particular criteria for those qualities in audio that I like or dislike. This has been a maturing hobby of mine since the early 70’s. My first audio system consisted of some Radio Shack Optimus speakers, Pioneer turntable, and Pioneer SX-780 receiver. Later on, I bought some Pioneer HPM-100 speakers. After entering active duty, I added the Pioneer RT-909, Polk Audio SDA 2’s and later the 1’s, and so on and on the journey began. After formulating my listening impression over the years, my final speaker selection criteria led me to require speakers that are dynamic, efficient, some form of horn loading, and preferably with no DSP.
On DSP, I went back and forth on the idea of DSP after having listened to several speakers with DSP. But, after rationalizing on what I heard when using DSP, combined with my all analog investment, and what I enjoyed most from an analog purist point of view, using DSP negated all of what I cherished in the analog realm that I had worked so hard to build. Don’t get me wrong or misconstrue what is stated here. DSP is great when applied appropriately and when warranted. I believe my custom design room ameliorates the need for DSP and the sound artifacts that I perceive that come with the use of DSP. Again, my opinion is based on nearly 50 years of listening and audio experiences and my ears. Trust your own ears! Your mileage may vary.
Rather than bore you with my experiences of the many speakers I listened to at shows, studios, homes, etc., I will just list mostly brands; Klipschorn’s, Klipsch Jubilees with TAD drivers, Legacy Aeris, Avante Garde Duo, Tekton, Spatial Audio, B&W’s, MBL’s, Vandersteen’s, Wilson Audio, Magnepan, Martin Logan’s, and YG acoustics. Each of these speakers have their strengths and weaknesses as perceived by each person who listens to them. Let’s just say, that none of them meshed perfectly with my particular listening criteria. Compromises, are we willing to compromise sound for size, aesthetics, power handling or a driver topology (planar, direct, open baffle, etc.) that requires specific setup criteria that some cannot support? Dang it, just do it! Cram that large speaker in a small room, or drive the crap out of that planar until you hear the metallic linings start to separate, or jam out with your 101 dB efficient horns with a 500-watt amp. I am being somewhat cynical here as we all have been through this journey sometime in our audio life. It is a definitely why I chose my handle, Audioquest4life…it’s been a lifelong audio journey for me.
Sometime at the beginning of this year (2020), I saw an ad for a used set of T1.5 reference speakers for sale in one of the audio markets. I contacted the seller, who happen to be Mr. John Wolff, Mr. Classic Audio Loudspeaker himself. When I contacted him and asked about these particular speakers, they were the ones that were at 2017 CAF. Sweet, as those were the ones that I heard and fell in love with. I placed a deposit, but Covid and some other factors caused us to pass the time away. Just when things were starting to be okay in some areas, I visited Classic Audio Loudspeakers, and had an opportunity to not only listen to John’s setup, T.1.5’s and Hartsfield’s driven by the Atmasphere Novacron mono amps, but to see my T1.5’s refurbished with new woofers, field coils, and capacitors which was a sight to behold. The listening session was icing on the cake as the music was played with some of my own demo music and his. The reel to reel playback sound at his studio was by far the best I have ever heard in anything in my entire audio life. All of this gawking and listening, which far exceeded my expectations, only made me salivate more for delivery and setup day.
Here is a description of these behemoths per the ad; T-1.5 Reference IN BEAUTIFUL KEWAZINGA Finish. Components include 1-18" Field Coil Powered floor firing Woofer. 1-15" Field Coil Powered Front Woofer. 4" Beryllium fitted Field Coil Powered Midrange Compression Driver, and Fostex T-500A II Super Tweeter. Solid Brass 1-1/2" x 4" Spikes and floor sliders, Field Coil Power Supplies and Cables ALL INCLUDED.
The anxiety of the night before delivery day left me wide awake in bed anticipating the next day, similar to some who get that feeling when you are picking up your brand-new custom ordered car, boat, or whatever to excite you enough to induce insomnia the night before. The next day, I was a happy walking zombie.
John arrived with his assistant and started to off-load the speakers for the trek down to the basement and into the listening studio. Let me tell you, John can manage those giant 400-pound speakers and make any other person feel weak in comparison. After the speakers were off loaded and into the basement, we tried to squeeze them through the listening room door way. Nope, despite removing the door stops, they were still too wide. So, we had to remove the horns to squeeze them through. Once we got one of the speakers in place, I fired up the mono tube amps, Mcintosh MC2301’s, phono stage (Aesthetix IO Signature), preamp (Octave Audio Jubilee Reference), and turntable (Transrotor Apollon TMD with SME V’s) which uses a Soundsmith Sussaro MKII with Benz LPS, and Benz Zebra Wood in reserve, to allow for adequate warm-up. I do use some PS Audio regenerators (P20/P5) and Shunyata Alpha NR2’s throughout with a sprinkle of stock power cables. As the other speaker was being setup, I did a quick and dirty spin, and of course, only one speaker, which is plugged into the 8-ohm tap on the amp, and with cold tubes, really not much to say about the sound yet, except that dang, these are way more efficient than my other speakers. We plugged the other speaker into the other amps 8-ohm tap, positioned both speakers perfectly so that they were symmetrical, and chatted a few more minutes.
I let the needle drop. Holy crap!
The music sounded perfect immediately, and with only a few minor adjustments to the mid and high-level controls (potentiometers) on the back of the T1.5’s, and voila, we were dialed in, just like that. The first record we played I believe was the Chemical Brothers newly reissued first album. This is an electronic album and the T1.5s showcased their sheer bass prowess with this LP. There was no bass slop, muddiness, or booming, just plain old articulate, fast, and deep bass. I believe the room design and elaborate acoustic construction properties incorporated into that design also aided in creating great sound without any bass issues. I must also caveat that remark by stating previously, I did have two 15 inch subwoofers that I used with my B&W 800’s; however, now, I am shying away from subs, at least of that size anymore, as the T1.5’s are so large, and have an uncanny ability to play deep bass notes. The existing subs were kicked out of their spots and despite the lack of subs, there was really never a moment where I felt that I was missing deep bass, except, perhaps, ultra-deep bass from electronic music that servo driven subs seem to produce nicely. But, to me it seemed like the bass was not really missed as the bass and other instruments were balanced and pronounced as played through the T1.5s. We cranked the Mcintosh tube amps to 30-watt peaks (with 300 tube watts available, the amps were only crawling), and holy cow, the room (chairs and chest only, no other things vibrated or resonated) was shaking with the excitement of the energy of these speakers, bass and all. In fact, the theater chairs were absorbing the bass impact with deep bass being felt in the seats, due to the high, and perhaps excessively loud volumes we played and could be felt while sitting in those chairs. The room, floor, ceiling, walls, etc., never once experienced any bass resonance or anomalies. I feel confident in the room construction and acoustic infrastructure built in during the room design equating to a room that is not a concern for any speakers, as verified now with the T1.5.s Next up in the que we put on a Mike Oldfield CD, The songs of distant earth, and once again, every sound emanating from the T1.5’s made me think that in comparison, my B&W’s were cheap speakers, which they were not. I think this is due to the exceptional voicing and smooth transition between the Fostex super tweeter, horns, and woofers. Albeit, the horn and woofers are field coils and thus may impart some spatial or harmonic qualities not present in other speakers due to this design. The field coil drivers do require a separate power supply but the sound is to die for. The immediacy of the music crescendos and the ability to play loudly, yet cohesively without strain or losing imaging are a hallmark of good speakers and the T1.5’s deliver without hesitation. Its really uncanny and surreal sounding how much more lifelike music playback has become.
We played some Fleetwood Mac, and while listening to Dreams, the back-up singers are more pronounced, again, the stage seems as if it is in front of you, with the backup singers floating, no, more pronounced and forward than before. Perhaps, this is an artifact of horns, and what a horn does very well compared to regular direct radiating speakers. All I know is that I never heard this much detail in pretty much all of the listening sessions I had experienced previously at shows, studios, and at homes. Pretty much, the only exception for me has been the T1.5’s that I heard at previous CAF’s and at Classic Audio Loudspeaker studios. So, you get the picture…song after song, LP after LP, everything was new sounding again. I played Sade, a 4.99 purchase in the PX from the 80’s, and I never before heard Sade sound so real. I think I must describe this characteristic for all of the voices; it’s the resonance, the breaths, and palpability that really is uncanny. Again, you know it when you hear it. Its either partially there, not there, or you get it in spades. The T1.5 provides the listener with this pleasurable phenomenon. It is to the point that you would believe that what you heard on the LP was someone who is right there in the room with you, as the voices emanated from their own spatial sound field, giving you a glimpse of the acoustic environment. And, so on and on, it went with different music, old records that I played previously, sounded totally different, mostly that soundstage, the voices floating, and the characteristic distinction of each instrument, layered or panned left or right, and a sense of the acoustic space that the recording took place in. John complemented the system, and I feel he may have been intrigued by the way the Mcintosh MC2301’s pushed the T1.5’s easily, yet in the most similar sounding ways as the amps he uses for his demos. In my humble opinion, I think the Mcintosh MC2301’s amplifiers are a match made in heaven with the T1.5s. Late in the evening, John finally departed, but I stayed awake into the early morning. Surprisingly, well not really, the amps were not really hot compared to when they were driving the 89db inefficient B&W’s, bonus!
Talking about acoustic space, my friend used to be a recording engineer, and one of his comments was that he could tell the acoustical environment of the recording that was played through the T1.5’s and, that it was nothing he has really ever heard before with their uber-priced Genalex studio monitors, or even my old speakers. He too was enthralled by the voicing. Finally, I get my wife to listen the next day. Needle drop; Artist, Roger Hodson; Song, Jeopardy, and immediately she could tell the difference in musical qualities. I watched her as she shook her head up and down slowly, eyes closed, and taking it all in. “Question?” “How did it sound?” “OMG!!! Now, I know why you sold your other speakers. These are so beautiful sounding.” Finally, I put the Loreena McKennitt album on and that was all she wrote. These speakers are officially part of our household forever.
Funny side note, my friend who helped remove the door stops, and preserved them so we can reinstall later in order to squeeze the T1.5s through, stopped by to install the door stops the next day…well, after some chatting, gawking at T1.5’s, mixed drinks, some Santana, Pablo Cruise, Eagles, and the requisite superlatives by non-audio friend describing his musical bliss listening experience, the door jamb never got reinstalled. He was amazed at how well music could sound on a stereo and at such high resolution, hearing all of the intricacies of each song and voices emitting from a soundstage as if live. I too am really in shock as to how good the voices just float out and touch your soul. Playing Miles Davis Sketches of Spain, Concierto de Aranjuez, led me to believe that Miles was in the room. You could easily here the embouchure and the resonance of the mouthpiece as Miles breathed in and out during each crescendo. I used to play trumpet, so this was very exciting and pleasurable to hear. Miles was on stage right here in front of me.
One can’t describe the sound of the T1.5’s without describing the beauty of these monstrous speakers. Each speaker is hand-made with disregard to time constraints in Brighton, Michigan at Classic Audio Loudspeaker headquarters by Mr. John Wolff himself. In other words, these are normally built to order and will be completed when they are completed. The meticulous detail and craftsmanship of these high-end furniture grade cabinets will instantly let you know that these are not just speakers, but heirloom high-end furniture quality speakers to be passed down for generations. Since they are not mass produced, no two are alike, due to the highly complex manual labor involved in building these. The wood species varies as well. My particular set has the Kewazina wood which I have seen on some upper levels of Steinway pianos, and exotic furniture throughout the world. The quality is first rate, the finish, impeccable and absolutely stunning to look at. It is definitely a labor of love. How do you place a price on such products and the complete hand-made aspect of such beauty and awesome sound?
One last thing, the listening room is custom designed per my specifications which comprises these aspects:
19 x 33 room x 9 (feet)
Concrete substrate floors and walls (3 sides)
Spray foam under joists (5-7 inches)
Roxul Safe and Sound acoustic batting (all walls / ceiling)
Resilient channel
QuietRock sheet on all walls (double on ceiling)
Double wall rear of room with 2inch gap between wall assemblies (same Quiet rock and Roxul batting in each wall)
Bamboo floors over concrete floors
Variety of sound absorption, diffusors, and bass traps
Natural stone wall behind speakers to create natural diffuse sound field
Room measured with Rives pro-test kit, and PAA acoustic test devices
Heavy duty soundproof door
Finally, finally…”What is the secret of the Holy Grail? The land and the king are one.” (Excalibur, 1981). I mention this because the room, complete system, and human interface are all one. I have found the “Holy Grail”.
https://www.amazon.com/photos/shared/tJhwYHlQTEmLER8QNbFD4w.jv8fDflJoXjFyAxkg9sgZ-
39 responses Add your response
@audioquest4life your system looks like an end game to me. My speakers are next non-filed coil but the sound is already sublime. I am paring them with a loaned 300b Sophia Electric 8 watt channel, which provide decent bass for my room (15 x 15). The mid and treble from these 300b are so transparent, fast and dynamic. I will have to return these amp to my friend soon, I wonder if you happen to know any low watt monoblocks that are transparent and smooth?
I see you are using Mcintosh but they are out of my budget and too big for my room. |
@secretguy What does your post even mean?? I can feel the vague aura of smug superiority you're projecting, but seriously, what's the point? |
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I have the Classic Audio T1.5 Field Coils and the T3.4 Field Coils. Nothing else has come close to the realism of musical emotions being portrayed in the listening room. Going past all the technical terminology. To my ears, they have the lowest Fatigue of all horn speakers iv ever owned. They are one of the most Transparent speakers I have also ever owned. I think Transparency also has much to do with the OTL Amplifiers. I have tried over a dozen of different SET Amplifiers all with good sound but ultimately the OTL sound the best to me when playing from every genre of music. Personally, I think it’s one of the most underrated Speakers in the Audio World. Both Ralph OTL Amplifiers and Classic Audio Loudspeaker Field Coils. Even the Uber Expensive Ultra High-End Branded Stuff to my ear are not on the same level of sonic performance that can create a live musical event in your home with realism and emotion without fatigue. Shame that only a few people will ever be so lucky to own a system of this calibre. SET Amplifiers sound very very good on the Field Coils but the Atma-Sphere OTL is just pure Magical. |
@atmasphere , @cal3713, Thank you for the feedback. Holy cow! Feedback from Mr. Atmasphere himself. Thank you for your reply, especially coming from an industry stalwart such as you. Your discussions concerning power paradigm theory have always intrigued me. I spent numerous years and countless hours honing my listening particularities, and many times during my research, OTL designs were in the running, or at least included in my own internal thought processes. It was not until the MC2301 debut which really prompted me to relook at that technology, because the MC2301 was not your average McIntosh tube amp of yore. I was hooked after hearing them in Europe. Yes, the design of the T series horn is unbelievable and
amazing sounding. Relaxing, heck yeah! I put on some Jacinta the other night,
and nearly fell asleep by the end of the last track on the first side. I could
listen all day and night if I could as I do not detect any hint of listener
fatigue, only listening bliss. John did overhaul mine as well with new 18” and
15” woofers, and gold plated Mundorf caps. I believe the influence of the field
coil drivers provide a certain je ne sais quoi to the sound quality of these speakers. Not to turn this speaker discussion regarding the T1.5s into an amp discussion per se (you would literally smear me off the mat), because they are a critical component to virtually all hi-fi systems, I just wanted to share a little insight on how I discovered the MC2301s in the first place, since you responded with some things to consider. I found out through research, that the MC2301 amplifier is fully balanced from input to speaker output. There are two identical power amplifier channels on the chassis operating in balanced configuration. Each amplifier supplies one half (150) of the 300 watts output. The two outputs are combined in the output transformer to deliver the full 300 watts output. The four output tubes in each half of an MC2301 amplifier deliver signal to the output transformer through two primary windings in the patented McIntosh unity coupled output circuit, one for the tube plates and one for the tube cathodes. Another premium feature unique to the MC2301 that I also discovered
is that this is the first McIntosh vacuum tube amplifier to use their Quad Balanced with Unity design
that cancels all noise, resulting in a tube amplifier free of any distortion. I
was enthralled by all of this innovation and through my research, to include discovering
your bloody power paradigm theory (shameless plug, haha), is that the new
MC2301 was an affront to the traditionalist amplifier design approach of previous
McIntosh tube amps. See, people do read about this stuff. Other highlights that were
interesting to me is that the MC2301 takes signals from both the cathode and
the plate of each tube which is unique to McIntosh amplifiers with their
bifilar wound transformer and allows the power tubes to operate more
efficiently without the need to push the tubes to their maximum while still
achieving full rated output. This also extends tube life substantially compared
to many other manufacturer's designs. Where other manufacturers may struggle to
reach 2,500 hours on their output tubes, McIntosh tube amplifiers often reach
6,000 hours with the same tubes due to this design. With regards to too much power, or overkill, my reply is suggestive
that the MC2301 as a top tier tube product from McIntosh, in which previous McIntosh
tube amps have not been built purposeful (wide bandwidth, better damping factor
at frequency extremes, etc.) in the way that the MC2301 was designed, and that with
the proper room, and associated equipment that that
combination is capable of even greater fidelity than most of the other tubed
amplifiers on the market no matter what the price. I have played at volume levels
where the amps were pushing 30 watts plus consistently, and sometimes, knocking
on the upper areas of the VU meter range between 30 and 300 watts. I can still
hear though😊. At least I think so. In Europe, especially in Germany, the MC2301s have often been rated, tested, and voted reference class against some pretty big-name competitors or low volume high end manufacturers. In fact, against some Audio Notes amps, one German magazine stated “that the MC2301s exhibited greater transparency through complex passages and was able to recreate the contours of the instruments with comparatively Prussian discipline, offering a more stable focus. The MC2301s exhilarated with fine dynamics which were better, and was quite noticeable. For example, with applauses, they were more voluminous, and had an even more colorful soundscape. These amplifiers are not sensitive to speaker load as compared to about 90% of other tube amps in the market-place (Audio, 2011).” Something caught my attention when I was doing amplifier research, closer to home. Harry Pearson named them in his 2010 Editors Choice list; "As far as I’m concerned, this 300-watter is the state of the art in tubed amplifiers. A masterpiece of design art. It is so pellucid in its freedom from an identity of its own as to be extremely difficult to evaluate using contemporary audio terminology. Review in progress." I know your designs are mentioned and reviewed
all over the world. I just wanted to shed some light and illustrate that discussions
and information about the MC2301s have slowly promulgated throughout the world, but not
as a mainstream or commodity device. The T1.5s paired with the MC2301s exudes a seductive tube
magic with violins, orchestra and chamber music, or with vocals. On top of
that, the MC2301 has never once let me down for lack of clarity, bass, or musicality
in the low, mids, and highs of the musical spectrum. Resolution
and musicality are truly incredible paired with the T1.5 speakers. When playing music with lower octave piano notes I get a sense of an inviting and warm richness
of the hammered strings, harmonics, and associated overtones heard when a piano
is played in a room. I feel as if the design of these amplifiers provides for a
magical midrange compared to other tube amps which is immediately apparent to
anyone, even those with limited exposure to other amplifiers and designs, in
which the T1.5s beautifully exploit. The T1.5s combined with the MC2301s smoothly
eclipse the restrictions of time, space, and reality, easily uplifting me to
new and uncharted listening heights. These are the specifications of the amps; Total Harmonic Distortion: 0.5% maximum harmonic distortion at any power level from 250 milliwatts to rated power, 20Hz to 20,000Hz Frequency Response: +0, -0.5dB from 20Hz to 20,000Hz; +0, -3.0dB from 10Hz to 100,000Hz Input Sensitivity (for rated output): 1.7 Volt Unbalanced / 3.4 Volt Balanced Signal To Noise Ratio (A-Weighted): 117dB below rated output Intermodulation Distortion: 0.5% maximum, if the instantaneous peak power output does not exceed twice the rated power output for any combination of frequencies from 20Hz to 20,000Hz. Wide Band Damping Factor: Greater than 15 I believe the ultimate goal of many audio hobbyists is to try and establish that emotional connection with the music so as to forget you are listening to a recording on an audio system. This is what I, my spouse, and friends hear who have listened to my recently transformed system with the new T1.5 speakers. There is no compression, strained dynamics, or lack of bass, any of this at low or high volumes, just musical bliss. In fact, the bass is deep, articulate, and detailed regardless of the volume level. I have heard compressed and boomy bass over the years and in my experience and honest opinion, the T1.5s with the MC2301s get bass right. My old B&W 800s fail miserably compared to the T1.5s matched with the MC2301s. I know Atmasphere amps have been demonstrated with Classic Audio Loudspeakers for many years at shows, and you even mention that you have had your Classic Audio Loudspeakers, albeit, with two overhauls, for 22 years. That’s quite a testament to the staying power, and quality of these speakers. During that time, the MC2301 came to fruition, and to me, sounds just as exciting and exhilarating paired with the T1.5s to the amps matched with Classic Audio Loudspeakers that I heard at demo’s and at Classic Audio Loudspeakers studios. I think that is more so a testament of both; your amplifier design and the updated technology incorporated into the MC2301s which no longer sound the same or have the shortfalls of their typical amps from the past. I guess they call that synergy. It's either tomato or tomaaato in that regard from my perspective. What’s important
here is that when one discovers something through trial and error, removes
biases, and is willing to accept or interpret objective and subjective findings,
is that their conclusions are apt to be contrary to the norm of others. Thank you for your feedback. Your input has always
been beneficial to this community, and to me. On another note, since I have the room, I
may still want to try either tomato or tomaaato. How about a direct comparison at
my listening studio? It would be epic!
Ciao, Audioquest4life |
I don’t know why you’ve gotten trolling about a really beautiful and amazing set of speakers and the superlative listening experience they provide, but somehow this site provided the worst it has to offer. @johnk I’ll keep you in mind right along good ol kenjit. Thanks Ralph @atmasphere for providing the other side. OP, please do report back if/when you start playing with other amplifiers. Those beautifully sensitive instruments you have should be able to teach you so much about what different amplification topologies provide... Even if your intention is always to just keep the Macs and play around the fringes. |
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I will reach out to John and ask what are the efficiency specs.@audioquest4life They are 98dB 1 watt/1 meter and 16 ohms. So you are using about 1/10th the power you used to use. I’ve had John’s speakers for the last 22 years (they’ve been updated twice in that time). Mine are T-3s with field coils and 6dB crossover slopes with Mundorf components. I had mine built slightly taller so that they cut off at 20Hz same as the T-1. I’ve found this to be one of the most transparent speakers I’ve heard in the time I’ve had them. If your Macs can really make 300 watts, one thing you might consider is that they are likely lacking in bandwidth at the extremes- its very difficult to build an output transformer of that sort of power that is truly wide bandwidth. So you may well benefit by simply having an amplifier that is less powerful. I think you will find that an amplifier with half that power would be very difficult to clip in your room! People often comment about how seamless these speakers are and how much they sound like ESLs. Since you are staring down the mouth of a horn, it has to be pretty obvious that John and his friend Sam have really got the horn design dialed- it is very smooth, relaxed and detailed. One character I really enjoy about them is that at any volume, my system sounds relaxed- you can’t tell how loud it is unless you try to talk to someone sitting right beside you :) |
@johnk I understand your remark, but really, after all was stated...you have to suggest a nuanced interpretation of end game and mischaracterize, misconstrue, and take out of context a phrase that a reasonable person would understand associated with the above post. It’s about the journey, man. In chess, end game means game over, no one dies (except in some countries, some cynicism here). I used the end game expression in a manner that many people could easily understand such as “I just my purchased my last sports car, it’s end game for me, it’s all she wrote.” Just my .02 cents. Happy listening anyway. |
@raysmtb, “Congrats on your new speakers! It looks like you have an amazing set up. I’m new to this crazy audio world, it’s amazing the money spent on equipment and some of the unique characters that jump in and out of these threads. It was refreshing to read a well-thought-out story. I couldn’t help but notice your name “audioquest4life” didn’t I see in another thread you looking for power cords? I think you settled on a Shunyata? Why not Audioquest?” Thank you for the feedback. Ah, the audio journey. Here’s an analogy. When I first started this audio journey in the early 70s, I would like to equate those beginnings to buying a used Ford Fiesta or VW Golf on a shoestring budget. After many years, job changes, life, you end up trading up, selling, and buying things that are better. After considerable time passing in years you end up going from the Fiesta to a Mercedes S-class. My handle, moniker, persona, alias, or whatever is derived from my audio journey and Is not associated with any product. Yes, I did end up with Shunyata PCs after many years of trying a fair amount of other power cables. My first high end interconnect was the Audioquest Sky. I have since learned that cables are a slippery slope and now focus on specs and listening. A few of of my cables are non mainstream and I am perfectly happy with them. I added the Shunyata’s when I upgraded to the PS Audio P20. The Shunyatas combined with the P20 really increased my listening pleasure due to the enhancement in sound quality. |
Congrats on your new speakers! It looks like you have an amazing set up. I’m new to this crazy audio world, it’s amazing the money spent on equipment and some of the unique characters that jump in and out of these threads. It was refreshing to read a well-thought-out story. I couldn’t help but notice your name “audioquest4life” didn’t I see in another thread you looking for power cords? I think you settled on a Shunyata? Why not Audioquest? Lol...Ray |
Thanks for sharing your experiences. You are on the right path, you found nirvana in the Cornwalls. It has been a long journey for me and the T1.5/s is where I ended up. I listened to the Cornwalls but knew they would not have enough bass for me to fill my large room. The Cornwalls sound great and are very efficient and their seems to be no honk sound that people complain about when they listen to horns. That is the same way I felt about the Classic T1.5's, no honk sound. The thing about going with bigger speakers, the soundstage protrudes out further. You may have to adjust your sweet spot compared to where you had your listening spot with the bookshelves. I am now sitting about 3 feet farther back to get the full effect of the soundstage. You can sit close, but your apt to go deaf after prolonged listening periods:). My old B&W 301 bookshelves are serving duty in the garage for those times I am working on cars or in the garage in general. Your also right about the nautilus tweeter, something special there. I was just so enamored by the new sound of the T1.5s that I knew my old speakers were no longer up to my listening criteria, despite the 800's being an excellent speaker. I guess ignorance is bliss in this tail. Yes, spouse approval is a must. I showed mine a few pics and some youtube audio grabs beforehand. She was very skeptical until she heard them in the room. Glad you are able to get your family involved in this process as they will be the ones who will hear you make startling discoveries and you prodding them to sit in the sweet spot to hear the same thing. Have fun listening to your new speakers as you get to know your old music which will sound fresh, different, and better. |
That listening moment is when I realized that my B&W 800’s lacked a certain ability to convey sheer emotion at this scale, compared to the energy and magnitude that the T1.5’s presented.@audioquest4life, your enthusiasm is infectious! I'm glad you've found a system that is this satisfying for you. In reading your story I found myself thinking that it has many similarities to mine, though mine can be seen as a "miniaturized" version of yours. In 2012 I bought some B&W PM1s (bookshelves, now discontinued, but similar to current B&W 7xx bookshelves) and a NAD C390DD integrated to drive them. These worked well in our small living room for both music and TV/movies. For all its virtues, this system needed to be played at moderate levels to hit its sweet spot. It fell asleep at low levels and fell apart played loud. Fast forward to 2020, just when COVID-19 shutdowns hit, we moved to a house with a much larger, and actually large, living room. The little PM1s no longer cut it. They couldn't play to satisfying levels without noticeable compression and distortion. I set about researching and listening to what limited options I had available given the shutdown. I tried both the Zu Omen Dirty Weekend and the Wharfedale Linton in the room for multi week periods. Compared to the PM1s both speakers felt like side moves, trading one set of strengths and weaknesses for another. Neither of the new speakers moved my wife emotionally the way the B&Ws did. To them she even preferred the B&Ws played too loud -- to the point where I was hearing clear compression and distortion, or simply an incoherence and strain. So, no free lunch. I concluded that I needed to a clear step up from the PM1s ($3K new). The cheaper internet "giant killers" were unlikely to dethrone them. I then realized that a fairly active Klipsch dealer was only an hour away. They brought in a pair of Cornwall IV, which I had been eyeing. Just days before we'd settled on a living room arrangement that could make the Cornwalls work. With some fortuitous spousal approval in hand, I auditioned them at the dealer and was sold in two songs. After a few more songs I bought them. Once home, I (rather, we) plopped them down without much thought to precise placement, wired them up, and played tracks for hours. My first impression of the speakers stuck. They're great. Effortless dynamics as low or loud as we care to play. None of the often described "horn" problems apply. They play with an ease and coherence that I was not expecting, even after reading multiple positive reviews. Is this what low distortion sounds like? Is the Klipsch horn "controlled directivity" reducing interactions with my untreated room for good benefit? I can't say, but I like it. They seem to handle everything I play on them better than I've ever heard in my home before, even the often torturous "test tracks" I harvested over the months from the internet. Harsh tracks, excessively sibilant tracks, songs that require abundant bass to really work, etc. The Cornwalls seem to handle it all with aplomb. Not by whitewashing or homogenizing the sound, but by simply delivering the music with competence and ease. Some of these "test tracks" never sounded great to me before hearing them on the Cornwalls. Now I actually understand better why people listen to some of this stuff that I found too harsh/loud/intense -- there is music under all that "noise"! What they give up over the B&Ws is the "air" that those funny looking tweeters give nautilus tweeters can give, and the pinpoint imaging that bookshelf speakers can yield. So far, I miss neither. Perhaps someday I'll hear a great Classic Audio Loudspeaker system and understand what I'm missing, but until then count me as another B&W -> horn convert. I can see myself with these Cornwalls for a long time. |
All, Thank you for the feedback. A few things I have learned on this audio journey is that our shared interests creates everlasting bonds and friendships with folks who we have never met before. Life is way too short to not enjoy life, and what you currently have, or not to be adventurous if you can take an opportunity to enjoy something that you wished for, but never took that chance. Having to deal with getting older and degrading health, you learn to appreciate a lot of things. Sometimes, you just say, what the heck, and go for it! |
@kennyc, Thank you. I believe these are about 98-101db efficient depending on configuration. All I know, my McIntosh tube amps don’t even breaks a sweat anymore, and at loud volume levels. When I had the B&W800s hooked up, which were on 4 ohm taps, the amps got really really warm. I will reach out to John and ask what are the efficiency specs. |
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No wooden box can be end game speakers. Impossible. The only speakers that can be called endgame are ones that Master Kenjit has personally listened to and been given approval. Master has heard a number of so called high end speakers only to be left with a bad taste. There is only one person that can judge the quality of a speaker and that person is me. Only hand tuned speakers may possibly meet the masters requirements. All other designs have NO CHANCE. ~KENJIT~ |
